[4E] Tomb of Horrors IC

[Katana_Geldar]

Ghamed quickly introduces himself and KT. Tell me, how did you get in here? He asks. Perhaps you've seen more of this place than we have?

[Shadow_Elf]

Desrook
Bwahaha! It's alright, elf. She'll warm up ta ye eventually, laughs the dwarf, slapping Rynthel on the back jovially. At Ghamed's suggestion, Desrook nods. Aye, lass; what can ye tell us about tha area?

[bladescape]

Eris

She pauses her northwestward treck to look back at Desrook and Ghamed, nodding to acknowledge the introductions. "I've seen little of this place, and the only possibly suitable camp-site was destroyed and still had the remains of the last people to use it. I little like the idea of trying to rest there."

[Shadow_Elf]

Desrook
We should find a sheltered place, in case that gods-damned rain comes back, and it should be a place where we're not too far from this section a' tha complex; we've got puzzles ta be solving' come morning', suggests Desrook, looking about but having no real nature skills.

[Katana_Geldar]

You find an area near by beneath the trees to camp. It's relatively sheltered and you can see the road without being seen.

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Okay, need to know any precautions as well as who is keeping a look out. I'm guessing the Fey and the Warforged.

[bladescape]

(Don't forget the bonus' for Secure Encampment that Eris has. And definitely her being one of the guards.)

[DSCrankshaw]

Travok - Dwarf Battlemind

Travok finds a good spot to lay down, places his hammer where it's ready to hand, and says, "Wake me up if you want me to watch," he says, and yawns. "Oh, and if someone attacks, I suppose."

[Katana_Geldar]

You set up camp and eat, building a fire and settling in for the night. Fortunately, the sky remains clear and the full moon makes everything cast clear shadows.

Perception 23 (may be passive)

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The sun has not yet risen, but there's enough light to see the strange shadow circling overhead. You look up and see it indistinctly: some sort of creature is flyind through the air and apparently looking for a place to land.

[DSCrankshaw]

Travok - Dwarf Battlemind

Travok's not quite awake, blinking up at the brightening sky, when he sees something circling overhead. "Wha's that?" he asks, pointing at it. He struggles to his feet. "Hey!" he says to the others, awake and not. "Do you see that?"

[bladescape]

The silent eladrin slides an arrow out of her quiver, her hand resting quietly on her bow. "It's looking for a place to land." She quickly deduces, trying to work out the exact size of the beast.

[Katana_Geldar]

You see it circle again, and it gets nearer. As it does you can see that it wasn't small, just very high above you.
Flying lower still, you can begin to make out details. The rusty red colour and the occasional glint of light on what could be scales, the huge wings that extend from its back. And, when it is almost overhead, you can see something else: several green figures perched on its back. It's unmistakeable, it's a dragon.

[Shadow_Elf]

Desrook
Being undead, Desrook is a light sleeper. At the eladrin's warning, he awakes. Seeing the circling Dragon, the revenant draws and loads his crossbow. A red, he says. In other words, not known fer bein' friendly.

[DSCrankshaw]

Travok - Dwarf Battlemind

"This your dragon?" he asks Eris. There's still a note of suspicion in his voice as he readies his shield and readies his hammer.

[bladescape]

Eris

"Not 'My Dragon', but it likely is the one I was looking for." She hisses back at Travok, watching the Dragon.

[Katana_Geldar]

The dragon drops down south east of you, and out of sight. You can feel the ground shudder slightly beneath your feet, first rather strong and then get weaker and weaker. A breeze brings the slight smell of smoke towards you.

[EnglishKitsune]

Arthur

Looking up at the dragon Arthur, squints, trying learn all he can in the short space it flies overhead. Regardless, he did not want to start his day off to such a... fiery beginning, he motioned to the others muttering quietly.

"This is not a battle we have to fight straight away, and I highly doubt it's a wise decision to go charging in without knowing more... I suggest we let Desrook scout ahead and see what he can learn and then report back to us with the sending stones."

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Nature to learn more about the dragon: (1d20+10)[27]

[Katana_Geldar]

Arthur

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You get but a fleeting glance as it passes over you, but that's enough for you to get a better idea of it's size. It's too big to be a young dragon, or even a young adult.

This is an elder dragon, one that has survived several centuries and one that only the most hardened of warriors can even consider confronting.

[Shadow_Elf]

Desrook
The dwarf nods. Aye, arright. I'll go an' investigate, an bring one a' them stones with me. The lot of ye, draw yer weapons an' magickin' gear; if that beastie spots me, I'm not goin' ta' be able ta' down the blighter alone, much as I'd like to. With that, Desrook takes one of the Sending Stones and puts it in his magical bag; the other he gives to Arthur. He then takes his crossbow in both hands, puts on his footpads and dons his camouflaged clothing. The dwarf departs in the direction the dragon went, silent as a whisper.

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Stealth: (1d20+17)[29]
Perception: (1d20+11)[13]

[Katana_Geldar]

Desrook

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You head south but quickly realise the river is blocking where you need to go, so you double back, head over the bridge and walk south to the cluster of trees next to the cliff face.

From your position, you can see down into the clearing where the dragon is. The dragon is wearing ancient plated armour, and riding astride him is a Githyanki, also wearing ornate armour.
The Githyanki is talking in a language you can understand to some other Githyanki on the ground. There are three in armour, though not as ornate as the one atrside the dragon. There's another in a black hooded cloak who, from the way he keeps gesturing to the others, appears to be in charge.

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[Shadow_Elf]

Desrook
The dwarven revenant takes hold of the sending stone and relays his message. Five Githyanki, one Dragon. Robed githyanki appears to be in charge; dragon seems subservient to gith. Ask the elf if she knows why there'd be Gith in the Feywild; they belong in the Astral Sea. Awaiting your suggestions; I remain undetected. Desrook's usual accent does not come through in the sending stone communication, making it sound rather unlike him.

[EnglishKitsune]

Arthur

Arthur turns to give the Eladrin a pointed look.

"Yes, why would there be Githyanki riding an ELDER dragon in this part of the realms?"

Arthur's voice comes back to Desrook muted and unemotional over the sending stone.

"Then it is worse than I feared. Retreat back my friend. I highly doubt any of us could scratch an Elder Dragons Skin."

[bladescape]

Eris

She narrows her eyes. The Red Dragon was being controlled? That was not only unexpected, but entirely problematic.

"There shouldn't. I know of the Dragon, but the Githyanki should not be here. Nor should they be riding the Dragon." Eris replies, a soft hiss in her voice.

[Shadow_Elf]

Desrook
Nothing you want me to check before I come back? I might not get this chance again, and this lot could not smell me out if I was standing up wind with a dead pig strapped to my back, sends back the revenant through the stone.

[DSCrankshaw]

Travok - Dwarf Battlemind

"I'd love to crack some githyanki heads," Travok says. "But it'd be better if we didn't need to fight both them and a dragon at once."

[Katana_Geldar]

Desrook

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From the way they are talking and gesturing to each other, the black cloaked Githyanki and the armoured one riding the dragon appear to be having an argument. The armoured one shows no deference that the others on the ground do, he makes a dismissive gesture and the cloaked one departs to the south taking with him the three warriors.

They head towards the curved building in the south east that you saw earlier.

The dragon speaks to the rider, a harsh yet low voice in a rather different language than what the Gith were speaking in earlier. The rider responds in the same language, seeming to reassure the dragon.

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[Shadow_Elf]

Desrook
Dragonrider does not appear to get along with leader. Argument resulted in the group separating; dragon and rider are now alone in the courtyard. The others are in the curved building we noted earlier. reports back Desrook through the stone.

[EnglishKitsune]

Arthur

"Is there anyway into the building without going past the courtyard. I want to stay well away from that Elder Dragon. Come back once you've looked."

Turning to the others he states.

"Well now, this is an interesting turn of events. Regardless, I think we should decide whether or not this affects OUR quest, which we still haven't finished, to try and find my Paladin Brothers. Eris, I believe last night you mentioned an abandoned campsite?"

[bladescape]

Eris

"Yes, I did."

[Nai_Calus]

"Can you show us where it was? We might be able to find some important clues there," Rynthel says, cheerfully ignoring the eladrin woman's continued ignoring of him. He isn't, after all, going away any time soon, and she'll have to acknowledge him eventually.

[Katana_Geldar]

Desrook

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You can see that the Githyanki are climbing up a spiral staircase and disappearing out of sight. This seems to be the main way into the building over there.

Eris

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You recall that the campsite is west of where Desrook said the dragon was now, but the way you got there was heading south over the bridge, into a building and down a set of stairs.