Kingbeast's Lair

Date At Start Of Game: 2/18/207

[Author’s Note: This is the log for the 33rd session. Note that the order of the events in this record may not be in the exact order that they occurred during play.]

Questioning The Gila Monster Kin

After the battle with the Gila Monster Kin in the Great Hall dies down the PC assess the situation. Only the archer is standing and his hands are in the air. The shaman is passed out but not dead. The barbarian is nearly dead and will not regain conciousness anytime soon. The basilisk is dead. After taking away their weapons the PC tie up the Gila Monster Kin and start questioning them. They claim to be minions of the Sunscratch, a large flame dragon. According to the Gila Monsters Sunscratch led them into the Vault through all the traps. Sunscratch went through the large doors in the next room and told them to wait for him or he would eat them. After waiting some time they saw an even larger flame dragon carrying out Sunscratch’s carcass! They hid and tried to decide how to proceed. Some hours later a large brown colored dragon without wings (aka Cragspine) appeared. This dragon also entered the next room. The brown dragon has not come out yet.

The King Of The North

After pulling down a pile of rubble that is blocking the door the PC enter the room past the large doors in the Great Hall. This room appears to be a large throne room. At each of the four compass points are large platforms. On one platform is a massive flame dragon who is severely wounded. Her neck is ripped open, several teeth are broken, and a terrible gash goes down her left flank. When the PC enter she rears up and addresses the PC. The PC discover that she is called Charbrand and that she is the King Of The North. She claims that Sunscratch and Cragspine are “betrayers”. She is extremely frustrated with the situation. The PC explain that they don’t think Cragspine would betray her unless he had a good reason. The PC ask to be able to enter the Vault. Charbrand says that they must return with the four dragon trumpets to prove their worth. The Avatars immediately show the trumpets that they had collected earlier. She asks them to deal with the situation by either killing or removing Cragspine from the Vault. The PC agree. At that point Charbrand explains that the trumpets will allow them to enter the lower Vault and open the Pool Of Dreams. As the PC sound the trumpets the King Of The North vanishes from her platform in a cascade of magical energy.

Exploring The Vault

After a long hallway the PC find a massive stairwell leading down. The stairs are roughly 3′ each and difficult to traverse. About halfway down the PC see a dragon head statue over a doorway in the room at the bottom of the stairs. Po reveals that the eyes radiate with an attack magic. Po drops a rock which trips a poison trap on one side of the stairs! There appear to be two traps. After a brief conversation Bilby decides to fly down and try to evade the eyes. Beams shoot out but he deftly dodges them and lands where they cannot target him. Po, Cillian, then Oren follow.

The chamber at the bottom of the stairwell contains three exits. There are two large hallways on either side and a passage under the dragon head statue. As the PC decide which way to proceed some tiles in a mosaic animate and start to attack! These tile golems fire piercing projectiles at Po but Oren decides to ball him up to protect him. The act saves the Raven Kin’s life as the projectiles are deadly and even pierce Oren’s tough Armadillo Kin hide! After some bloodsheed the PC level their weapons and start dealing damage. Bilby’s anti-spirit sword and Oren’s hammer seem to work well on the creatures and after some key hits the creatures fall.

After the fight and some healing from Po the PC decide to investigate one of the side passages. At the end of the passageway they find a room filled with a large glass cylindrical tube. This tube is filled with swirling magical mists that flash with the four elements (air, water, fire, earth). At one time they even see a ghostly dragon approach the glass then leave. Is this the Pool Of Dreams?

Next the party decides to check the hallway under the dragon head statue. The ceiling of the hallway is filled with an illusion of stars. When Cillian enters he becomes entranced and starts slowly walking down the hallway! Oren grabs him so he does not walk any farther. At the end the PC find a pit that leads to a river of glowing energy. It looks like the same mist that was in the glass cylinder in the previous room.

Before checking the last hallway the PC decide to play the trumpets to see if anything happens. After a couple of blows in different rooms it is apparent that these rooms are not the Pool Of Dreams. The trumpets attract four guardian creatures that appear to be Kirin but smaller! The creatures are armed with scimitars. As they approach they ask the PC to explain themselves quickly or they will be slain. After some conversation the PC convince them that they are actually here to find Cragspine. The guards seems perplexed at what to do. They first try to contact Charbrand and are concerned when she cannot be contacted. The PC continue to push but the guards say that their last order was to guard the lower chambers especially the room containing the Pool Of Dreams. Finally after the group is about to come to blows the guards suggest talking to Loremaster Slysska. Apparently she is an expert on dragons, a resident in the Vault, and a trusted advisor to the Dragon Kings. The guards lead the PC to a side chamber that is surfaced with highly polished mirrors. One guard enters then beckons for an audience with the Loremaster. To his surprise there is no answer. Concerned the Kirin starts searching for a secret door in the room. He explains that she has never refused their summons in the past.

During this period Po hears a whisper in his ear. The voice asks Po to remain calm. He explains that his name is Deryn The Black and that he is a minion of Sunscratch. Po leads him on a bit with some clever lies. Deryn explains that he can get into the room that contains the Pool Of Dreams but that he cannot open it. If Po helps him open the Pool Of Dreams he will be able to free his master.

At this point the PC open a secret door in the mirror room to find a library. Through the wall Cillian can see another secret room but cannot see in due to shelves that line the walls. After searching the group opens a second secret door. Inside the find a small Blue Belly Kin female covering up what appears to be a crystal ball with a silk cover. She hurredly asks the guards if they have dealt with the wizard that accompanied Sunscratch. The guards and PC explain that they have not seen this wizard. Slysska explains what she has observed with her crystal ball. Sunscratch attacked Charbrand in the Pool Of Dreams room. He was making egotistical statements about destroying all Dragon Kin completely leaving himself as the most powerful being in the world. After a fierce battle Charbrand defeated Sunscratch and one of his wizard followers. The King Of The North dragged Sunscratch’s bones outside as a marker to others who may try the same thing but she forgot about the minion. The Loremaster fears that the minion is still roaming the halls somewhere. Only a few hours later Cragspine entered the lower Vault chambers. He and the King Of The North entered the room with the Pool Of Dreams to ensure that it was held shut. On checking the room Cragspine turned on the wounded Dragon King in a fit of rage. Chrabrand was barely able to fend off the attacks and trapped the earth dragon in the pool. That is how the situation now stands.

At the close of the adventure the PC convince the guards to let them enter the room that contains the Pool Of Dreams. Two of the guards go to try and awaken Charbrand while the others open the chamber for the PC…

Date At End Of Game: 2/19/207