Quest for Lost Dragons
Summary
GM: Martin
Session: Spring 802 WK
- Party
- Braegon, male human Earth mage; Party and Military Leader.
- Serendipity, female elven Dark mage; Scribe.
- Kin, female Erelheine E&E.
- Mary-M, female halfling Namer.
- Jade, female human Warrior.
- Axis, male human E&E.
- Martin, male human Mind mage.
- Employer
- Jade Dragon (aka Lord Yo, Nephros, etc.)
- Mission
- With Apollyons army of Spawn forcing a passage north into the Drow lands of Terranova heading for Kadath to free Baal, a party embark on a dangerous mission to seek out the ancient dragons who left Alusia millenia ago (as mentioned in Jade Dragon's Story), and enlist their aid.
- Pay
- Good karma, and things found along the way.
Peparations
Before embarking on the search the party seeks out the various sources of information to whom they have access, and arranges transport.
Sources of Information
Xanadu, the Dragon Father
At Xanadu's temple we walk past the 12 statues of his attendant dragons and speak to the statue of Xanadu, which after a time fills with his spirit and replies to us. He offers only slight assistance as he says that "Ancient Covenants would be broken" if he directly aided us.
The message that we are to take to his remaining children is simply: "It is time".
He says that we "must find the First Ones who have remained true", but warns us to beware for "some of my children have fallen into darkness and become Nephilim", and further that his sons' servants (by which he means the various powers and factions backing Baal's return), "will know that it is time and will be aware".
Finally, when we ask if there is anything that will aid us in our quest, the statue responds: "Even the immortals fear nothingness". His statue stills, and becomes just stone once more.
Raphael, Defender of the Faithful
Although not officially affiliated with the Archangel Raphael, Martin has had dealings with him of old and seeks his counsel in a dream. Raphael says that there is "considerable potential for a nexus, a time of weal or woe", and that the Vanyarami left in part to search for the dragons, they believed then was the time that the dragons were needed. Raphael further feels that we are approaching a time when this age of the world may fall, much as his own did. He states that "there are others, darker powers who are not unaware that it is a time of portents and auguries", and that they would be unwilling for us to succeed. He specifically names "The King of Fire", a demon who has good reason to dislike the Guild. He wishes Martin well but can offer no further assistance.
Sammael, the Light in Darkness
Mary-M seeks information from the Archangel Sammael. He tells her that there are other worlds like Alusia in the aethyr, that share a common history and legends of dragon. He believes that the Vanyarami set out to find the source of the legends, though he does not think that they succeeded.
Booking Passage
The party discusses options for travelling in search of the dragons. A year and a half earlier, chasing a lost road building machine made by the eccentric members of the MMHS Mechanicians Guild, Mary-M encountered a lone Vanyarami named Tiasa, who had no departed Alusia with the rest of her people. She had been a crew-member on a Deep Aethyr exploration vessel named Pallaran [Eldaran: Far Wanderer] and had returned to Alusia after the Vanyarami had departed and just as the War of Tears was starting. She had gone in search of her kin via Elven Portals but failed to find them and ended up on a world where the elves once dwelt, eventually becoming a Queen of sorts to some diminutive fae, and slowly losing her mind over the many years. Tiasa had accompanied the party back to Alusia and been placed in the care of Healers in Alfheim who hoped to restore her sanity.
The party journeys to Alfheim and speaks to a rather saner Tiasa. She says that in her travels her crew did encounter Aethyr Dragons, in the far clusters of the deep aethyr "past the big wheel and beyond the horns". She tells the party that her vessel Pallaran was left in solar orbit after the crew returned from their mission and she gives the party a crystal key that will summon Pallaran to Cirya Naira [Eldaran: Ship of the Heart of the Flame]. She says that the "Alita", the ship's crystal-mind should be able to navigate.
To Terranova
The party heads to Terranova by portal, boat, and wings, and then takes the water-path from Ocos to Quito, arriving in Quito on Day 8 where they are met by heavil;y armed halflings. Continuing south the party arrives in Cuzco on Day 11, and then heads towards pebble, the last village before Mount Ever-white and the Academy.
The party realises that they are being followed by Spawn warriors riding clouds and races for the summit of Mount Ever-white and the University. Arriving the party heads for the portal Terminus and speaks briefly with the University's crystal-mind Lois. The University appears partially rebuilt, in far better repair than when previously visited. Lois arranges a crystal spider (maintenance golem) to meet the party at the Terminus and activates defences against the Spawn. The party travels through the portal to the Ship of the Heart of the Flame, but is unexpectedly detoured.
The Ruby Scourge
Exiting the portal the party appears on a basalt island in a lake of lava, part of the causeway to the city of Kadath, where they are met by the Ruby Scourge and guards.
The Ruby Scourge tells the party that the "Darkness seeks the High One's release", and that it is "from before, it provided Dark Path magics to Baal and his followers". He says that "the Dragons fled, they were cowards".
Iruloki says that their common enemy has great resources, and though the Scourge and his forces are resisting them they cannot last much longer. The Ruby Scourge seeks an accord with the First Ones through the party; he will resist their enemies and in return Kadath remains his. He tells the party that the "Darkness must be destroyed. Even it is not invulnerable, its weakness is that which is from outside, its equal and opposite".
Of Pallaran and Alita
The party returns through the portal and this time reaches their destination. They use the crystal key to summon Pallaran and speak with Alita. The ship was placed in orbit in 208723 of the Old Elven calendar, and it is now 240202 by the same reckoning. Pallaran has been waiting here for 32,000 years.
The party boards and rests while Lois and Unis (the crystal-mind of the ATAR academy) catch Alita upon on recent history.
Pallaran is a tapered cylindrical shape, some 600 feet long, 180 feet in diameter at its widest, and constructed of a golden crystalline substance: silima. When under power the vessel projects billowing sails of glowing golden energy that appear like fins, and the hull takes on the apperance of an exotic tropical fish.
The spacious interior is opulent and heavily decorated with vine and forest motifs. There are open areas with gardens and waterfalls, and many unusual object d'art.
Pallaran is powered by an alarming number of permanent light and dark spheres held in counter-rotating wheels of unknown substance.
The vessel's bridge contains a number of rocco chaise longues from which the crew piloted the vessel and performed various tasks.
