The Defenders of Highgate, Chapter 2

[dauphinous]

Sarrok, Nalik, and Deladus all hear this in their heads:

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Those are my things you are pawing through. If anyone should be identifying themselves, it is you.

A scan of the area shows nothing but grass, shrubs, rocks, and the other Defenders.

[oliana0]

Oliana

Oliana looks around at the scene, notices the leader has walked off to the river, and wonders what to do next. Hertz was talking to a horse, Carter and Elis are busy searching the ground, and Kruhljak and Ziran were also too close to a horse to bother with.

So she sits down on the ground and pulls out a pen and paper and documents the items they found, samples the potions (a drop) to see if she recognizes any of them, and to make notes of their characteristics if she doesn't. Then she repacks her bag and adds the magical items to her pack. It should take about 10 minutes to do all of this.

[anIceFan]

Nalik

To the group, loud enough to be heard, but trying not to sound threatening.
Be Alert!

Then responding to the voice in his head.
I am sorry friend. We are soldiers of Highgate. This armband, that you say is yours, identifies someone as a member of our band. Perhaps you would like to come where we can see you, and we can discuss how you came to be in possession of it.

[lawful_evil]

Carter

Hearing the command, Carter draws his weapon and begins scanning the area for possible threats.

spot (1d20+2=17)

[dauphinous]

Across the river, a very small reptilian reddish-brown heads pops out to the side of a shrub, about a foot off the ground. The motion draws the attention of anyone looking anywhere near to where it is. It makes a little chirping noise that sounds very birdlike. The head scans the area quickly, then you all hear a voice inside your head.

Soldiers of Highgate? Did you know my mistress, Jessica?

[anIceFan]

Nalik

Getting the impression that the beast is not a threat, Nalik does his best to look, and sound soothing.

I am afraid we don't know your mistress. Did these items belong to her? Why don't you come out here where we can talk nicely.

He examines the group to determine who appears the least threatening, and tries to wave Oliana over.

[oliana0]

Oliana

Just starting her inventory and testing when the call comes out, Oliana places the items in her pack and looks up. Seeing Nalik waving at her, she takes it as a clue to head over.

[Holocron Coder]

Deladus

Glancing at the creature, Deladus decides to keep watching the surrounding terrain, figuring that Nalik will give an alert if such is needed. Still, he keeps an ear to the conversation.

[dauphinous]

The mind voice, still clear and heard by all, sounds disappointed. Oh. Yes, that was her armband. She's dead now. The big thing with the glowy eyes and sharp teeth killed her.

The rest of the tiny winged lizard steps out from behind the shrub, then leaps into the air and flies across the river. It is about the size of a cat with an extra long tail and about a 3 foot wingspan. Overall, it is a reddish-brown color with shapr black spines on its head and runnign in a line down its back. It's tail ends with a sharp black claw.

It lands about 10 feet away from Nalik, out of reach of anyone nearby. I didn't get anything else because I was scared of the monster.

[oliana0]

Oliana

Oliana has a concerned look on her face when she leans to Nalik and asks quietly, "You hear that too, right?" Receiving affirmation, her face relaxes and she tries to catch-up on what has been 'said.'

"What's your name, little creature?"

[dauphinous]

It folds its wings in and sits, head high and tail swishing behind it. Looking directly at Oliana, it continues to open broadcast its 'speech'. Levexisk. Its tail stops swishing and its head lifts, much like it is quite proud of itself. I'm a dragon.

[anIceFan]

Nalik

Nalik sits down facing the 'dragon'.
Yes Levexisk I see now that you are a dragon. Can you tell us more about your mistress. Was she with others when she fought the monster? Can you tell us about the other people she was with? Did any of them survive?

[dauphinous]

Levexisk growls, an angry sound. His mind voice is also colored by anger. Astryn. He betrayed us all. Maybe if the Defenders had been at full strength, we could have taken the monster and Astryn at once. But there were only seven once he turned on us. Astryn got away with only one of Arrinistyll's arrows in him. I followed him some, but I came back when my mistress died." Levexisk lifts a front claw and points towards a cleft in the the mountains that is perhaps two miles away. He went through the mountain pass to the other side.

[anIceFan]

Nalik

I think we need to have a talk with this Astryn. Can you describe him for us. We will be leaving this spot shortly, would you like to accompany us, maybe you can show us the way, for a while at least.

[dauphinous]

An annoyed breath puffs out of Levexisk's nostrils. You need to kill him, not talk to him. Traitors deserve nothing better. But, I need to take Jessica's ring back to her family. I couldn't get it because of the monster. But you seem to have killed it, so now I can. Levexisk starts to walk away, towards the scene of the fight.

[oliana0]

Oliana

Oliana eyes brighten when the creature tells he (she?) is a Dragon. She quickly swings her pack around and retrieves the ring they found under the monster.

"Levexisk? Is this the ring that belonged to Jessica?" She calls out to the dragon in draconic, mostly just to have the practice. She holds the ring out in a out stretched hand, and raises her other arm so that Levexisk may perch on her arm while viewing the ring.

[dauphinous]

Levexisk jumps up onto Oliana's arm. He can't possibly weigh more than 9 or 10 pounds. He peers at the ring in her other hand. No, that one was Jaden's. Jessica's is gold with a small red gemstone. It isn't magic, just a family heirloom.

[oliana0]

Oliana

"I'll help you look for it." Oliana will assist in looking for the ring.

[lawful_evil]

Carter

Hmm.. The only thing I see is that little dragon flying over towards Nalik.. Ack, there is a little dragon flying over towards Nalik. What the? Why? Why are they just standing there not doing anything? Must be some sort of magic or something. Maybe Elis can shoot it down.

Carter goes over to Elis and directs his attention to the dragon. "Obviously it has them under some sort of spell. Can you manage to shoot it before it gets it under its spell?"

[dauphinous]

"It doesn't really seem hostile, and if what it said is true, it was with the last Defenders. I'll watch it, though." Elisathalan lifts his bow and nocks an arrow, watching the little dragon on Oliana's arm carefully as they move through the site.

After a couple of minutes, Levexisk jumps off her arm and into a shrub. Its tail, the only part of it visible, swishes in the air for half a minute, then it backs out and has a gold ring in its front claw. Her mother will be sad. But at least she will have the ring. Levexisk looks directly at Oliana, with as stern a look as a dragon the size of a cat can muster. Find Astryn and kill him slowly. Make him suffer.

[Annalia]

Hertz

When he heard Nalik's call and then the dragon's voice in his head, Hertz had nervously made his way closer to the river. He listened tensely to the conversation but says nothing. The dragon, the betrayal, the fight and the mountain pass. Things were getting stranger by the minute.

[lawful_evil]

Carter

Looking at Elis, he says, "What? You can hear it from way over here? Why would Nalik warn us to keep an eye out if we had discovered a companion of the Defenders?" Carter frowns and while keeping an eye on the beast, he scans the surroundings to make sure this thing isn't distracting us so that some other group can attack us from our flanks.

[raspberrybadger]

Ziran Blueboots

Ziran, keeping watch as well, says [color=navy]"I didn't see any sign of magic in use. I think the little dragon is like my Alian here,"[color=navy] taking his little bat familiar out of his pocket. "If so, the thing may be of use to us."

[oliana0]

Oliana

Oliana sends an odd look to Elis and waves her hand trying to tell him to put the weapon away.

In draconic, "I hope that I may be able to do Jessica and her friends justice. Before you go, Levexisk. Would you happen to know of the powers of these items. They may come in handy tracking down Astryn."

Oliana pulls out the magic items from her pack for the little dragon to peruse.

[dauphinous]

Elis shrugs at Oliana and lowers his bow, but keeps it ready.

The dragon nods and looks over the items. Jaden was sharing sheets with Jessica, so I know he got the green rock from the temple of Thor. It casts a spell, but only once. Divine Power, I think. The ring was his, too. It made his weapon special. He could use it once every day, and all it took was a thought to activate it. He never had to use a command word or anything. The wands were Jessica's. That one, Levexisk points to the ivory wand, casts Magic Missile. That one, it points to the bone wand, "casts Summon Monster II. She had them for a while, and used them a lot, so they probably don't have very many charges left. The feather was Arrinistyl's. I think it made him a little quieter. The blue stone was Allianne's, it could be used once to cast Feather Fall. The oil in the flask does the same thing as Jaden's ring, you can only use it once, though. The metal vial was Torian's. He said it would help him if we had to move in a hurry, but I'm not sure how.

It looks up at Oliana. Jaden was a paladin of Thor. I'll tell them at the temple about his passing, too. Though, I'm not sure they know him well there. He trained elsewhere. Does that help?

{Everyone can hear the voice, directly in your mind.}

[Holocron Coder]

Deladus

"It helps immensely, my friend," Deladus answers. He hadn't understood much of what the creature had said, not being a practitioner of magic himself. However, he knew it was more than they knew before, and that it helped confirm that the creature had indeed been the cause of the last company's demise.

[anIceFan]

Nalik

Indeed Levexisk, you have been most helpful. If you will be going to the temple of Thor, can I ask that you deliver a message.

Assuming Levexisk consents, Nalik will borrow some paper from someone and writes the following note.

Abbot Hammersmith,
As I am sure you are aware, Highgate command has deemed it appropriate to raise me to a corporal, and place the Defenders under my command. I ask that the temple pray for my success in leading these fine men and women.
I had a strange dream last night. I can only imagine that it was a message from Thor. Today I feel more connected to his works. My healing skills seem to have greatly increased as well. I would speak to you of this when I return to Highgate.
Humbly
Corporal Nalik Stormbrow, Highgate Defenders.

Nalik will then call Hertz and Sarrok over
I was hoping to let nature complete your healing, but I now believe we need to follow the trail of this Atryn, lets see if Thor will grant us a little more.
He then lays a hand on each mans forehead and prays to Thor for healing.

Spoiler

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Trading another turn undead to extend cure light wounds to multiple folk.
Cure light wounds - (1d20+2)[9]

Nalik feels the strength of Thor move through him into the men. As the power moves, both of them feel like they have strength and energy to spare.

Spoiler

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Hertz will get all 9 HP, so that should put him at 16
Sarrok will get a total of 7 HP added
The additional HP above normal will wear off in 1 hour.

[WarBrute]

Sarrok Balderk

During most of the exchange Sarrok remian detatched. He stands back and watches as the dragon converrse with the others.

Sarrok accepts the healing touch of Nalik and nods in thanks. He then returns to Ulfgards side.

[oliana0]

Oliana

"Thank you very much Levexisk. Your help will go far to keeping us moving towards finding the one that betrayed you. Tell me, is there a way we should recognize Astryn when we see him?"

Oliana bows her head to the dragon.

Just before it, leaves, she will say, "Please, if you'd like to return to us, I would enjoy learning about your heritage. Dragons fascinate me."

[Annalia]

Hertz

Hertz moves closer when he is called, and nods to Nalik as the remaining of his wounds begin to close. "Thanks. Hopefully I will not need the healing again anytime soon. I'm ready to move out."