(G574 23/11/2024 via Roll20 - JF(GM), KT, AP) YI31

 (G574 23/11/2024 via Roll20 - JF(GM), KT, AP) YI31

[Fenrir, Reinward, Fang and Irritator are in Baldur's Gate tracking down a magical egg that will - hopefully - turn him back into a kobold. They have been told to go to a place called Gifferzer Island.]

DAY 658 (20th Nightal)(December)

When Ishi had told them everything she could that would be useful they made to leave Kobold Alley. However, they were prevented from leaving by a crowd of racists that had arrived.
'Who took the kobold from the well?' one of them demanded. 'When it was us that put it there!'

Fang and Irritator went round the back to guard the flanks and Fenrir and Reinward took on the main force. Fenrir started by intimidating a gentleman known as Billy Bigballs and floating in the air.

A lady known as Stabby Sooz threw some daggers, but was killed instantly by Reinward using the same technique. Fenrir then 'hosed down' the crowd with an Eldritch Cone, killing five people instantly.
'Watch out, there are kids in the crowd!' warned Reinward. Fenrir took more care to kill only adults. Reinward used his daggers to take out those than ran for the side alleys as Fenrir cut down the others like stalks of wheat before a scythe.

When the local law enforcement arrived, a mercenary outfit known as the Flaming Fists, Fenrir turned on the charm and paid out 100 gold to smooth over the dozen or so Baldur's Gate citizens they had just slaughtered.

When asked for names, Fenrir gave his real name and Reinward told them "Fangornio, of Waterdeep".

After that they rounded up Fang and Irritator, bought some clothes that would fit them when they changed into walking lizards and teleported back to Yag Island. They then came to talk to me.

Learning about what they had just done I did wonder at how easily they had killed people that were misguided for sure, but still citizens of a good and lawful city. Had non-lethal force not been an option I wondered? I also wondered at what their reception might be if they ever returned.

Anyway, all they wanted from me was another teleport. They nearest I could get then was the pleasant southern port of Renkrue. You may remember I  visited this place at the start of my adventures on the Sea Wyvern as we sailed for Farshore.

I agreed to do it the next day and they went to get washed up.


DAY 659 (21st Nightal)(December)

Corhim's "Wizard's tower" was completed today. It is only the first three floors and built to a gnomish scale, but as with everything the dwarf mason's had built so far it was of excellent quality and looked great.

I met the egg hunters after breakfast. Fenrir told me he had dreamed of a "beautiful dragon maiden", but i could not help him with its meaning.

Fang wanted to stay on Yag for a while so I teleported the others to  Renkrue with no mishaps and hurried home to the wife as she needed some shopping done. I learned later that they did not hang about and quickly chartered a fishing boat to take them the rest of the way to Gifferzer. It was dark when the arrived at about ten in the evening.

They spent the night on the boat.


DAY 660 (22nd Nightal)(December)

Fenrir had another dream in the night. It was the same lady, but this time he could see she was in a cave. He tried to communicate with her but was unable to.

It was fried fish for breakfast, then they used Fenrir's magical folding boat to go to the island's shore. As soon as they crossed onto the land they turned into ophidians. This effect, I am lead to understand, is a variation of the "Serpentine Curse".

It was a secluded beach but the island was no more that 30 miles wide so the main city was not hard to find. The palace was the largest building in Fashib, so it too was easily located. The palace guards wore red feather headdresses almost as tall as themselves.

'Who the bloody hell are you?' demanded a guard.
'Who the bloody hell are you?' Fenrir shot back.
'Go away! Bloody fool!'
'I am Raz Lightningrod, Chief Vizier to the King of Westgate.'
This meant nothing to the guards who approached them with swords drawn.
'Throw these bloody fools in jail!'
Fenrir ran off as fast as his little legs would carry him.

Reinward remained and bluffed that he was a tradesman, unconnected to Fenrir.
'What is your trade?'
'I am worker of wood.'
'Why the bandages?' The guards had noticed Reinward's gnome knot armour that he still wore.
'I am a journeyman traveler.'
'From where?'
'From...er...elsewhere?'
'From Ruja?'
'...yes...?'
'Seize him! He is a spy from Ruja!'

Before anyone could be seized though, Fenrir returned and using his head for a change passed out some gold and asked to have a word with an 'advisor'.

The captain of the guard arrived, wearing an even bigger headdress that had  to be held up by a smaller ophidian with a stick at the back.
'I am Raz Lightningrod, Chief Vizier to the King of Westgate,' said Fenrir trying the same failed lie.
'Untrue!'
'Why do you think that?' asked Fenrir wondering how his slick lies could  possibly be failing.
'State your true business!'
'Uh well, I want to talk to Princess Senel. I have a proposal.'
'I'll bet! Twenty gold and I will take you!'

It was noon when they arrived in the presence of the Princess. In case you don't know Spirit Nagas appear as massive snakes with the faces of hideous women.
'What fools have arrived in my chamber?' she demanded.
'I wish your majesty greetings, it is an honour to meet you and be...'
'Get to the point!'
Fenrir got to the point and told them about Irritator and his desire for a magical egg to turn him back into a kobold.
'Keep your voice down,' she hissed and beckoned them closer. 'Who are you exactly?'
Fenrir told the same lies about being Raz from Westgate. Again she didn't really believe him, but she was happy enough to offer him an egg.
She slithered around them, sizing them up.
'I sense that you are powerful beings, and because of this the price will
not be cheap.'
She smiled and hissed. 'I wish you to travel to the island of Hargop, it is not far, and destroy a Tren settlement there. It is our island and there are hundreds of the filthy devils. Kill them all, and destroy their buildings!
Raze it too the ground! You'll need to watch out for their wizards and well ... there may be a dragon hiding in one of the caves.'

Fenrir and the others agreed and she cracked her tail before shouting.
'Excellent! Bring on the dancing female ophidians!'

They were then treated to an evening of what passed for entertainment in the palace of Fashib.


DAY 661 (23rd Nightal)(December)

What with all that carry on they only got a few hours sleep. Fenrir did have another dream of the "dragon maiden" though. In this one he saw he glowing with pale magical light.

Then, if you can believe it, he teleported over to see me at three in the morning! I was woken up by a weird little lizardman, drunk as a lord, wanting to ask me questions about "what is a Tren?"

As he transformed back into a human, I made myself some tea and consulted my books.

So we both learned that Tren are hybrids, a cross betwixt Troglodytes and Lizardfolk, first created by Yaun-ti to make stronger warriors than your average lizardman. They stunk like troglodytes, were almost always evil and chaotic, and usually worked in the service of more powerful or intelligent races.

He thanked me for this information and teleported back to the palace. They were all loaded on ophidian drinks and powders by now so they were coming up with some fairly wild schemes for what to do about Port Dulok (the town on Hargop they were meant to destroy), up to
and including;
"How about we mass polymorph them, like this island. Would that count?"
No it wouldn't, as Irritator reminded them. The princess had been pretty clear that total destruction was required.

At eight in the morning they decided to head over to Hargop, it was only ten miles. They couldn't come up with a sensible plan though, and talked about buying magic carpets and things.

Eventually Irritator sorted it out. "Why not Fenrir flies over first, the memorize a good spot, teleports back and fetches the rest of us?"

And thus it went, with them all on this new island by ten o'clock. They slowly turned back into their true selves. Fenrir and Reinward used their Hats of Disguise to look more like the dark skinned local humans.

Hargop was a small island, so from where they were they could see the port below them and a big cave in the mountain above them.

Fenrir, thinking of his recent dreams, decided to fly invisibly into the cave, forgetting about traps and that sort of thing, where having Reinward with him would have been useful.

The cave was a deep, a tunnel that went down into the roots of the mountain. He sensed he had set off a magical alarm as he pushed further in. Unwisely he decided to keep going.

Meanwhile, Reinward and Irritator waited at the cave entrance.
They waited. They then waited some more.
'What's the plan?' asked Reinward.
'I don't ever remember a plan being discussed,' replied Irritator tartly.
'We should go help him out?'
Irritator shrugged.
They gave it another five minutes then snuck into the cave.
They had not gone in very far when they heard a roar and a thundering commotion come from deeper inside.

Wisely, they both turned and ran out. As they found cover, a large red dragon flew out, growling angrily.
Irritator could speak draconic and translated.
'Those blasted Tren!' was what it had said.
It did a high level circuit of the island then flew back to the cave.
Again it growled something.
Irritator translated it as 'I'll check the traps.'