I wanna be a-Dor-ed - Dorian's farewell
Jul 17, 2019 8:55:28 GMT
Nowhere, Tugark (Retired), and 10 more like this
Post by Sunday on Jul 17, 2019 8:55:28 GMT
Done this write up not as a conversation or 'normal' retelling, but just as a statement of what happened (as much as I could remember...and with a little poetic licence, of course). Wanted to do it justice - and Sunday's usual style ain't necessarily the best for that. Just don't tell her I said that. I've also left out some MAJOR stuff as it is probably better coming from others.
Tugark, Daisy, Sunday, and Rholor - answering their friend's desperate plea for help - arrived in the Ettin late yesterday afternoon. There was no sign of Dorian, however, so the four friends passed the time speculating about what could have forced the normally suave and debonair Tiefling into such a panicked state. Sometime later, Dorian burst through the doors to the tavern, dishevelled and wild-eyed.
"Frederick! Someone's taken Frederick. We have to go to Waterdeep! Now!"
No amount of cajoling or questioning could pry any further information from the sorcerer. Trusting him and the urgency of these events, the party agreed to go with him at once and arrived, via Aurelia's teleportation circle, in Waterdeep a few minutes later. Following Dorian, they made their way to a tavern where they were ushered into a back room - only to find Nowhere already sitting there - waiting for them. Before anyone could react, Nowhere sprang to his feet and punched Dorian hard in the face with his left hand - his only hand; the right arm now replaced with a stump. The exiled Tiefling pulled Dorian into a tight embrace and, without saying a word, stalked off to the bar to buy himself a drink.
Daisy and Rholor were not pleased with Nowhere's presence, and bitter recriminations were soon flying back and forth. Dismayed, Dorian pleaded for unity and a moment or two to listen to what he had to say. The party was stunned to hear that Dorian was the adopted son of Frederick Allenby; and that his foster father had gone missing on a business trip to Waterdeep. He needed the party's help to retrace Frederick's last steps and find out what had happened to him. He had asked Nowhere to join because he felt Nowhere owed him a favour. It was clear that Dorian also trusted his long-time friend and wanted him by his side for this.
There was no time - or real inclination - to ask Nowhere where he'd been or what had happened to him. The party ascertained through common and divine methods that Frederick had used this pub as his base and that he had visited three places before he was last seen. Hurrying to the last location, the party found a business partner of Frederick's, who told them that they'd had a meeting a few days ago and that he'd gone for dinner just down the road. On the way to the restaurant, the party passed a temple of Selûne and were shocked to discover that Rholor had never met a fellow acolyte of the Moon goddess; that he had started the temple and religion to her in Kantas on his own.
In the restaurant, the party learnt from a customer that Frederick had been involved in a scuffle just outside and had been dragged off by unknown assailants. While some of the party investigated the alley outside, a few of the adventures became suspicious of the customer; suspicions that proved correct as, on its orders, three huge constructs burst from the back room and charged towards Dorian.
Forming a shield wall between the enemy and the Tiefling, the party drove back the machines with some ease - helped by Daisy causing the very bones of the earth to rise up and slam two of the foe into the ceiling, holding them in place. One of the constructs broke through the defences, grappled Dorian, and attempted to sink their metal fangs into his neck. Throwing up an arcane shield, Dorian fended him off until the others were able to come to his aid.
The customer, a female Red Dragonborn, was all too keen to share what they knew. They said their name was Jane and that Dorian was, in fact, called John and they were siblings. She revealed that Dorian's real mother was Mandreth, a legendary Red dragon. Mandreth had produced many children, imbuing them with fragments of her power and letting them grow and develop until they became powerful in their own right - then, she would blackmail, bribe, force, or trick them into returning to her so she could devour them and add their power to her own. It was she who had abducted Frederick and taken him to her lair in Thay, and left Jane behind to reveal all this and force Dorian to come to her so she could take his magic. The party had until dawn to rescue Frederick. Between them Rholor and Daisy pinpointed the location, and transported the party across the world in an instant.
Arriving on the outskirts of a town, the party took a moment to plan. Rholor requested some ingredients for a spell that might provide them with more information on what they faced, so Dorian and Nowhere decided to go into town to procure what the cleric needed. (Long story, short: Nowhere covered himself in horseshit, went to a brothel, pretended he had been mugged, got given some drugs, tried to use Rholor's money to buy 250gp of incense to 'cover the smell', and got actually mugged by the brothel owner. Long story even shorter: Rholor spent 250gp on drugs in a brothel...)
With Sunday pretty baked (on said brothel drugs), the party's hysteria died down and some serious planning occurred. On approaching the cavern where Mandreth was waiting for them and seeing almost 100 kobolds waiting for them, the party decided in the end that boldness and direct action was the best course. Casting protective spells on each other and sharing last-minute farewells, they strode out to face their foes. The kobolds, taking one look at the party (mainly Tugark), instantly fled for cover. Preceding with more caution, the group found a workshop where minions of Mandreth were building three huge golems. With an almighty "nope", Daisy blocked the entrance with magical thorns and vines, trapping them inside.
The party found themselves confronted by a set of immense doors that lead to the throne room. Steeling themselves, the party entered, with Dorian in the lead. Inside was the largest horde of gold, platinum, copper, silver, and gems. Dangling from the ceiling, with a rope around his waist, was Frederick. The dragon was nowhere to be seen.
It soon made its presence known, however, with a mocking laugh that echoed through the chamber. "So, you've finally come come, little boy. And I see you've brought some friends with you. Why don't you leave them outside and talk to me alone."
"No, I don't think so, 'mum'. Why don't you show yourself instead of hiding away in the shadows like a coward." Dorian shot back, seeking to rile the arrogant dragon and goad it into making a mistake. Aided by some rude gestures from Sunday, the provocation worked and, backing out of the inner sanctum, Dorian and the others lured it out of its lair and into a more neutral space. With the agreed-upon codeword "POTATOES" ringing in their ears, the adventures leapt forward and battle was joined.
It was chaos. Mandreth unleashed a horrific gout of flame over most of the party - but as the flames died down the dragon was enraged to see that through a combination of Sunday's warding aura and various resistances to her fire, the adventurers were still very much standing. Spells and counterspells began flying back and forth between the dragon, Daisy, Rholor, and Dorian, who grew wings of his own and shot into the air. The air crackled with intense arcane and divine power as both sides struggled for a magical advantage. During this reality-warping madness, Tugark teleported himself onto the dragon's back and began hacking deep into its flesh, over and over, sending broken scales cascading onto the floor and doing critical damage as he exposed its spine. Sunday, flying above the battlefield on eLk, charged towards the three golems that had finally broken through Daisy's barrier - but the Tiefling was only able to engage one as the other two unfurled wings of their own, peeled around her, and headed straight for Dorian. After battling with the third for a time, it too ignored her and went after Mandreth's child. Nowhere, having taken a moment or two during the battle's initial stages to study the enemy, created a prison of pure force around one of the golems, locking it in place and rendering it useless. One of the constructs made it through to Dorian and, like the one earlier in the evening, grappled him - this one, however, succeeded in biting down on his neck and extracting pure, raw power. Dorian was driven to his knees in mid-air as he felt a huge part of his abilities permanently removed from him. Hearing her companion scream in agony, Sunday bore down on the back of the golem with its fangs embedded in Dorian's neck and caved in its artificial skull. The cavern floor rumbled and two huge storms of ice erupted as Daisy unleashed the fury of the elements on the third golem, shredding its form and utterly destroying it.
Meanwhile, Rholor and the dragon had been exchanging deadly attacks, flinging spells and damage at each other. Nowhere, seeing his friend in danger, shifted form into a Giant Ape and leapt to the cleric's side, but could not find a way past the dragon's tough hide. Daisy, now in eagle form, harried and pressed the dragon; Tugark, still on its back, continued his deadly work, chopping through its flesh. Sunday's eLk flew over the dragon's head, and the Tiefling lept from her steed's back onto the dragon's, bringing both her hammers down on its neck in a cataclysmic display of raw fury.
Enraged and severely damaged, the dragon rolled in the air, dislodging the fleas that clung to it. Shaken, the party drew together as the dragon landed in front of them and unleashed a terrifying roar. With Sunday providing some measure of protection to herself, Nowhere, and Rholor and the others remaining steadfast, only Tugark succumbed to fear. The dragon was incensed that her plan was failing and spewed forth another burst of fire. The party was reeling from the damage when a stray tongue of flame caught the soaring eLk in the side and incinerated it utterly.
Elated at finally having killed something, Mandreth turned once more to Dorian, demanding that he submit to her. Spitting defiance, Dorian and Rholor released incredibly powerful spells, but the dragon merely laughed and swatted them aside, and - shouting over its shoulder to her minions - instructed them to "kill the old man!"
Seeing her eLk fall, and hearing Mandreth scream out to her servants to kill Frederick, a familiar red film started to glaze Sunday’s eyes. Rholor, seeing her old rage taking hold, grabbed her by the shoulder and slammed his palm down on one of her hammers, causing it to burst into holy light and hum with incredible power.
Picking herself up off the floor, the tiny Tiefling charged straight at the gigantic creature. Her first swing flew wide; the dragon flinching back at the ferocity of the attack. The second strike hit true, however, shattering its front left leg and driving it down to its knees. “No!” Mandreth roared, blood frothing at the corners of its mouth, eyes still locked on Dorian, “you’re mine! I made you, and I will consume you and your power! You’re my son!”
Pushing off from the shattered remnants of the dragon’s left leg, Sunday leaped up high above the dragon. As she fell, she dropped one of her hammers in order to seize in both hands the holy weapon Rholor had given her. With all the fury and power she could muster, Sunday brought it down in the centre of Mandreth’s face – driving skin and bone and tissue and teeth back into its brain. Shocked, pained, dying, the dragon reeled back and slumped over, unable to comprehend its defeat. Sunday leant forward and rested her forehead against the beast’s, looked directly into the dimming bloodshot eyes, and flatly stated the last thing it would ever hear.
“He’s not your son. He’s Daring’s son.”
Tugark, Daisy, Sunday, and Rholor - answering their friend's desperate plea for help - arrived in the Ettin late yesterday afternoon. There was no sign of Dorian, however, so the four friends passed the time speculating about what could have forced the normally suave and debonair Tiefling into such a panicked state. Sometime later, Dorian burst through the doors to the tavern, dishevelled and wild-eyed.
"Frederick! Someone's taken Frederick. We have to go to Waterdeep! Now!"
No amount of cajoling or questioning could pry any further information from the sorcerer. Trusting him and the urgency of these events, the party agreed to go with him at once and arrived, via Aurelia's teleportation circle, in Waterdeep a few minutes later. Following Dorian, they made their way to a tavern where they were ushered into a back room - only to find Nowhere already sitting there - waiting for them. Before anyone could react, Nowhere sprang to his feet and punched Dorian hard in the face with his left hand - his only hand; the right arm now replaced with a stump. The exiled Tiefling pulled Dorian into a tight embrace and, without saying a word, stalked off to the bar to buy himself a drink.
Daisy and Rholor were not pleased with Nowhere's presence, and bitter recriminations were soon flying back and forth. Dismayed, Dorian pleaded for unity and a moment or two to listen to what he had to say. The party was stunned to hear that Dorian was the adopted son of Frederick Allenby; and that his foster father had gone missing on a business trip to Waterdeep. He needed the party's help to retrace Frederick's last steps and find out what had happened to him. He had asked Nowhere to join because he felt Nowhere owed him a favour. It was clear that Dorian also trusted his long-time friend and wanted him by his side for this.
There was no time - or real inclination - to ask Nowhere where he'd been or what had happened to him. The party ascertained through common and divine methods that Frederick had used this pub as his base and that he had visited three places before he was last seen. Hurrying to the last location, the party found a business partner of Frederick's, who told them that they'd had a meeting a few days ago and that he'd gone for dinner just down the road. On the way to the restaurant, the party passed a temple of Selûne and were shocked to discover that Rholor had never met a fellow acolyte of the Moon goddess; that he had started the temple and religion to her in Kantas on his own.
In the restaurant, the party learnt from a customer that Frederick had been involved in a scuffle just outside and had been dragged off by unknown assailants. While some of the party investigated the alley outside, a few of the adventures became suspicious of the customer; suspicions that proved correct as, on its orders, three huge constructs burst from the back room and charged towards Dorian.
Forming a shield wall between the enemy and the Tiefling, the party drove back the machines with some ease - helped by Daisy causing the very bones of the earth to rise up and slam two of the foe into the ceiling, holding them in place. One of the constructs broke through the defences, grappled Dorian, and attempted to sink their metal fangs into his neck. Throwing up an arcane shield, Dorian fended him off until the others were able to come to his aid.
The customer, a female Red Dragonborn, was all too keen to share what they knew. They said their name was Jane and that Dorian was, in fact, called John and they were siblings. She revealed that Dorian's real mother was Mandreth, a legendary Red dragon. Mandreth had produced many children, imbuing them with fragments of her power and letting them grow and develop until they became powerful in their own right - then, she would blackmail, bribe, force, or trick them into returning to her so she could devour them and add their power to her own. It was she who had abducted Frederick and taken him to her lair in Thay, and left Jane behind to reveal all this and force Dorian to come to her so she could take his magic. The party had until dawn to rescue Frederick. Between them Rholor and Daisy pinpointed the location, and transported the party across the world in an instant.
Arriving on the outskirts of a town, the party took a moment to plan. Rholor requested some ingredients for a spell that might provide them with more information on what they faced, so Dorian and Nowhere decided to go into town to procure what the cleric needed. (Long story, short: Nowhere covered himself in horseshit, went to a brothel, pretended he had been mugged, got given some drugs, tried to use Rholor's money to buy 250gp of incense to 'cover the smell', and got actually mugged by the brothel owner. Long story even shorter: Rholor spent 250gp on drugs in a brothel...)
With Sunday pretty baked (on said brothel drugs), the party's hysteria died down and some serious planning occurred. On approaching the cavern where Mandreth was waiting for them and seeing almost 100 kobolds waiting for them, the party decided in the end that boldness and direct action was the best course. Casting protective spells on each other and sharing last-minute farewells, they strode out to face their foes. The kobolds, taking one look at the party (mainly Tugark), instantly fled for cover. Preceding with more caution, the group found a workshop where minions of Mandreth were building three huge golems. With an almighty "nope", Daisy blocked the entrance with magical thorns and vines, trapping them inside.
The party found themselves confronted by a set of immense doors that lead to the throne room. Steeling themselves, the party entered, with Dorian in the lead. Inside was the largest horde of gold, platinum, copper, silver, and gems. Dangling from the ceiling, with a rope around his waist, was Frederick. The dragon was nowhere to be seen.
It soon made its presence known, however, with a mocking laugh that echoed through the chamber. "So, you've finally come come, little boy. And I see you've brought some friends with you. Why don't you leave them outside and talk to me alone."
"No, I don't think so, 'mum'. Why don't you show yourself instead of hiding away in the shadows like a coward." Dorian shot back, seeking to rile the arrogant dragon and goad it into making a mistake. Aided by some rude gestures from Sunday, the provocation worked and, backing out of the inner sanctum, Dorian and the others lured it out of its lair and into a more neutral space. With the agreed-upon codeword "POTATOES" ringing in their ears, the adventures leapt forward and battle was joined.
It was chaos. Mandreth unleashed a horrific gout of flame over most of the party - but as the flames died down the dragon was enraged to see that through a combination of Sunday's warding aura and various resistances to her fire, the adventurers were still very much standing. Spells and counterspells began flying back and forth between the dragon, Daisy, Rholor, and Dorian, who grew wings of his own and shot into the air. The air crackled with intense arcane and divine power as both sides struggled for a magical advantage. During this reality-warping madness, Tugark teleported himself onto the dragon's back and began hacking deep into its flesh, over and over, sending broken scales cascading onto the floor and doing critical damage as he exposed its spine. Sunday, flying above the battlefield on eLk, charged towards the three golems that had finally broken through Daisy's barrier - but the Tiefling was only able to engage one as the other two unfurled wings of their own, peeled around her, and headed straight for Dorian. After battling with the third for a time, it too ignored her and went after Mandreth's child. Nowhere, having taken a moment or two during the battle's initial stages to study the enemy, created a prison of pure force around one of the golems, locking it in place and rendering it useless. One of the constructs made it through to Dorian and, like the one earlier in the evening, grappled him - this one, however, succeeded in biting down on his neck and extracting pure, raw power. Dorian was driven to his knees in mid-air as he felt a huge part of his abilities permanently removed from him. Hearing her companion scream in agony, Sunday bore down on the back of the golem with its fangs embedded in Dorian's neck and caved in its artificial skull. The cavern floor rumbled and two huge storms of ice erupted as Daisy unleashed the fury of the elements on the third golem, shredding its form and utterly destroying it.
Meanwhile, Rholor and the dragon had been exchanging deadly attacks, flinging spells and damage at each other. Nowhere, seeing his friend in danger, shifted form into a Giant Ape and leapt to the cleric's side, but could not find a way past the dragon's tough hide. Daisy, now in eagle form, harried and pressed the dragon; Tugark, still on its back, continued his deadly work, chopping through its flesh. Sunday's eLk flew over the dragon's head, and the Tiefling lept from her steed's back onto the dragon's, bringing both her hammers down on its neck in a cataclysmic display of raw fury.
Enraged and severely damaged, the dragon rolled in the air, dislodging the fleas that clung to it. Shaken, the party drew together as the dragon landed in front of them and unleashed a terrifying roar. With Sunday providing some measure of protection to herself, Nowhere, and Rholor and the others remaining steadfast, only Tugark succumbed to fear. The dragon was incensed that her plan was failing and spewed forth another burst of fire. The party was reeling from the damage when a stray tongue of flame caught the soaring eLk in the side and incinerated it utterly.
Elated at finally having killed something, Mandreth turned once more to Dorian, demanding that he submit to her. Spitting defiance, Dorian and Rholor released incredibly powerful spells, but the dragon merely laughed and swatted them aside, and - shouting over its shoulder to her minions - instructed them to "kill the old man!"
Seeing her eLk fall, and hearing Mandreth scream out to her servants to kill Frederick, a familiar red film started to glaze Sunday’s eyes. Rholor, seeing her old rage taking hold, grabbed her by the shoulder and slammed his palm down on one of her hammers, causing it to burst into holy light and hum with incredible power.
Picking herself up off the floor, the tiny Tiefling charged straight at the gigantic creature. Her first swing flew wide; the dragon flinching back at the ferocity of the attack. The second strike hit true, however, shattering its front left leg and driving it down to its knees. “No!” Mandreth roared, blood frothing at the corners of its mouth, eyes still locked on Dorian, “you’re mine! I made you, and I will consume you and your power! You’re my son!”
Pushing off from the shattered remnants of the dragon’s left leg, Sunday leaped up high above the dragon. As she fell, she dropped one of her hammers in order to seize in both hands the holy weapon Rholor had given her. With all the fury and power she could muster, Sunday brought it down in the centre of Mandreth’s face – driving skin and bone and tissue and teeth back into its brain. Shocked, pained, dying, the dragon reeled back and slumped over, unable to comprehend its defeat. Sunday leant forward and rested her forehead against the beast’s, looked directly into the dimming bloodshot eyes, and flatly stated the last thing it would ever hear.
“He’s not your son. He’s Daring’s son.”
