No Dungeons, Lots of Dragons, Nowhere to Run - IC

[CowMasterTrojan]

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No problem. Just wanted to make it clear that I wouldn't try to railroad you - just warn you sometimes if you're about to do something really unhealthy without apparently realising it.

I am a tool of the humans, used to control dragons in ages past. Have you never wondered why dragons do not rule this world? That is my doing, as with those like me. The greatest of the humans came together many millenia ago to create something to protect them. To create us. We are the essence of dragon kind - all they are and more.

I bring them to my master, the one who controls me. As to how... why, I just call and they must come. Did you not hear my whispers to you, o my master?

"Can your powers force them to obey? Or does it just call them? When you take your master into the past, can he change things?"

[Aneurin]

"They obey me. I obey my master. Unfortunately, I am not able to take you to the past; merely show it. The only thing in this world that can transport you to the past is the Forge of Time - and that has been lost in time since before memory begins."

[CowMasterTrojan]

"Very well. You can show me the present? Can you show me locations or people in the present?"

[Aneurin]

Of course. Who, or where, should I show you?

[CowMasterTrojan]

Of course. Who, or where, should I show you?

"Yes, show me the wizard Algernon, one of the Waring Wizards. Algernon should be located somewhere in Aisolon Hill or Verchin Pass."

[Aneurin]

Aisolon Hill or Verchain Pass...

Around Blight, the mist flickers with images - landscapes come and go, scenes of men, women, children in and endless variety of actions and poses flicker past. After what seems to be an age, everything halts and you're stood in a room facing a figure bent over a work desk. Suddenly it looks up, curses in a language you don't recognise, throws out a hand and snarls a word.

The next thing you know you're being hurled directly upwards, moved by magic far greater than your own, you fly through the ceiling and for several moments are subjected to an upclose view of a lot of dirt. At last you burst through the top of what turns out to be a hill and carry on until you're hovering about thirty feet above the ground.


During the whole event, you've felt a claw on your shoulder anchoring and holding you.

I apologise, o master. It seems I am unable to locate the wizard known as Algernon. The wizard Madrigal of Verchain Pass has blocked my divinations, and, as I'm sure you noticed, the wizard Alkon of Aisolon Hill has similarly been able to prevent our exploration.

They have grown considerably in power. the voice of the orb sounds amused.

[CowMasterTrojan]

"You have done well enough. I saw the room... The wizard's name is Madrigal.... You have done well. Now take us back so that I might exit the orb for the time being..."

[Aneurin]

There's the briefest sensation of release, and then Blight's back in his body - rocking slightly on his feet as he regains control.

Salazar, who has been anxiously watching on for quite some time, is presumably very relieved.

[CowMasterTrojan]

Blight stretches some, and then lowers his head to Salazar's level, speaking at a very quiet level.

"The orb was made by men... to control us. But it has it's uses. It showed me briefly the wizard at Vernon Pass. His real name is Madrigal. So let us go to Vernon Pass first. We know he's there, let's pay him a visit. Get some answers."

"I still require rest...."

"Then do it. We are safe as we can be, here on the shadow plane, let us do this right and be fully prepared."

Salazar nods. "Alright, anything else you think I should know about the orb?"

"Yes... it's trying to take control of whomever uses it. My will is stronger than it, but perhaps just barely. I don't know what will happen if it were to succeed, but I know your will is much weaker than mine. So I suggest you never use it."

"Good to know."

The two rest and then Shadow walk to Vernon Pass.

[Aneurin]

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Sorry about the huge delays lately. I've picked up a habit of glancing at posts, thinking "I'm too tired to deal with this right now" and then forgetting about them the next day.

It's a clear morning at Verchain Pass; you appear somewhere on a hill overlooking the pass.

It's not really much to look at. There are mountains... then a gap in them. It is, however, unusual in that the gap appears to have been formed by someone blowing up a huge chunk of the mountain range. The surrounding landscape is littered with tuly enormous pieces of rock, and what you can see through the pass suggests that the other side is more of the same.

In the distance there's what looks like a caravan snaking across the landscape, although it's too far away and too slow for you to tell which way it's heading from your vantage point. Far to the south, you can see a couple of airships crossing the mountains.

[CowMasterTrojan]

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Yeah, I've done it myself. I kind of figured that was what was happening. It's all good.

(For reference, Blight has an extended invisibility on him at the moment.)

Looking around, the two scan the area for anything that might appear to be a cave entrance for a moment.

"How disappointing..."

"Please, you can't tell me you didn't see this coming. They're supposedly lost to history for a reason."

"Please tell me you don't plan on just burrowing around all day. Because that is really boring..."

"Better than using the orb, you know, because it might eat your mind or something. But let's try a little divination before we do this the old fashioned way. "

Making a slight show of it, Salazar casts find the path. He specifies the lair of Madrigal. With any luck it will direct him to the easiest path there.

[Aneurin]

The spell works. Perhaps surprisingly, considering who you're looking for. The spell produces a glittering trail in the air that you can follow quickly and easily in to the hills next to the pass.

It takes some time, but it eventually leads you through a series of narrow, twisting defiles and ravines to a series of rocks arranged in a loose circle, each with an arcane rune inscribed on it. The glittering trail runs in to the centre of this circle and then vanishes.

[CowMasterTrojan]

Following the invisible line, Salazar quickly leads them to the circle of runes. He bends over where the line ends.

That's odd... a secret passage of some sort must be here.

"You have got to be kidding me.... Can you not see all the tiny runes that circle around you? You're in the middle of a teleportation circle!"

"...I didn't see those. Well I guess that would explain why the line disappeared in the center."

"...If I wasn't here, you would be the last hope of Dragon kind. This frightens me."

"Yeah, now it also rests in the claws of a blood thirsty Vampire dragon from another plane. Dragon kind really put forth it's A team here. Cut me some slack, I just didn't spot the runes. We all don't have eyes like an eagle!"

"Don't insult my vision. But you have a point. Perhaps our kind does deserve to die. Most of us are arrogant selfish beings who don't work well with others. Not exactly a race that pulls together in a time of crisis."

"Present company included I hope you mean. Otherwise that's like the orc calling the ogre stupid and bad smelling."

"HA! You know why an orc doesn't call a ogre stupid and bad smelling?"

"Other than the fact he's too stupid and bad smelling to realize it?"

"Yeah. Because the ogre has longer arms and stronger muscles.


....what? you don't like that one?"

"No! No! I do... really, I just heard it before. Yes, that is why... It's a shock value joke. So... I'm having a bad day or something. How the heck do you activate this circle?"

Spellcraft (1d20+42)[48]

"Seriously....? Blah Blah Blah, I can cast time stop and wish but I can't operate serious magic tools. RIDICULOUS!"

Blight moves into the circle, attempting to activate it.

[CowMasterTrojan]

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So did you just forget about this one? Or did life just overwhelm you? I will admit, I forgot about it some too.

[CowMasterTrojan]

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Alright, well I'm going to delete my subscription to this dead thread in a few days. I assume it's dead.