The Maw of Malmortius IC

[NeoSeraphi]

It's another peaceful day on Malmortius Island. Hobgoblins play catch with their sons, run weapon drills with their daughters, and bask in the heat of the active volcano that sits above their village. Occasionally, a proud roar can be heard from Timaeous, a mighty storm dragon and close friend of Chief Nashor.

The area surrounding the village has warm loose soil that produces many delicious fruits, and the waters beyond are good for fishing. Indeed, life could not have been better for our young hero.

But that all changed when he heard a sound he had never heard before. A loud crack, like the largest tree being snapped in half, but with a fiery twinge to it. What could have made that sound? It was coming from inside the volcano.

[Diachronos]

Arak's shot goes wide, the arrow missing the deer he'd been tracking and burying itself into a tree. Normally he'd be berating himself for missing the shot, but right now he's more concerned about that loud crack. What could have made the noise? Had something happened with the volcano?

He reaches out to the young drake he'd bonded with through their mental link. "Soulbiter, did you hear that?"
"Yes. It's hard to sleep with that racket."
"I can imagine... let's take a look, if it's something major we'll need to let Chief Nashor know right away."

He heads to collect the young drake from their small shack by the village and sets off toward the volcano.

[NeoSeraphi]

Arak heads towards the volcano, climbing up the ragged steppes to enter the large caverns that promise darkness and despair. As he walks around, looking for the source of the noise, he hears it again. This time, right after it, he hears a drake roaring in pain. He needs to hurry. There's something wrong here.

[Diachronos]

Arak and Soulbiter set off at a run upon hearing the drake's pained roars. The hobgoblin draws his bow as they move, readying himself for a fight.

[NeoSeraphi]

They enter a vast clearing inside the cavern and spy a young drake cowering and hissing at...what is that?

Spoiler: Creature

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"Just try it! I don't care how armored your scales are, this bullets will pierce through full-plate at this range," the strange creature speaks. It's a language that Arak doesn't recognize in the slightest, but it sounds too complex to be a growl or a roar. She must be like him...she must be some kind of sentient creature.

"Sully! Kross! Am I the only competent person on this team? We need to hurry up and find the Scepter of Gorum already!" the creature calls over her shoulder.

"Ma'am!" a voice calls back. Arak frowns. He can't understand what that one is saying either, but it sounds deeper. Maybe that creature is male? Looking at this creature's figure, she is undoubtedly a female. She raises her hand and points the strange gray object she's holding towards the drake.

[Diachronos]

Arak growls and conjures a ball of chilling energy. (Draconic) "Get away from him!" He launches the spell at the female.

Spoiler: Attack

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Casting snowball
Hit/Confirm vs touch: (1d20+10)[24]/(1d20+10)[30]
Damage: (5d6)[20]/(10d6)[41] cold
If the spell hits, she needs to make a DC 15 Fortitude save or be staggered for 1 round

[NeoSeraphi]

The attack strikes the woman, who blinks and glances behind her. That's all the time the drake needs, and it quickly rushes away on the wall. The drake skitters up towards the peak of the volcano, out of sight.

The woman frowns. "Oh sh*t...this just got a lot more complicated," she mutters to herself.

Placing one hand on her hips, the woman hesitates, then asks, "(Draconic) I don't suppose you're new around here?"

[Diachronos]

Arak visibly jumps when the woman starts speaking in Draconic. After a moment he grits his teeth and nocks an arrow. (Draconic) "I am Arak Fang-Breaker, the greatest hunter on this island. Who are you, and why are you assaulting the drakes of this island?"

[NeoSeraphi]

From the other side of the room, two males of the same race as this creature enter. They stop dead when they see Arak.

"Professor, what are you-"

"It's okay," she says in the language Arak doesn't know. "But we're in a lot of trouble now...no way there's a group of people living on this island and they didn't find the Scepter already..."

She turns her attention back to Arak. "(Draconic) Name's Maggey. Maggey Mead. Why don't we just both calm down here? Look, here, I'm putting my gun away..." she lowers the weapon in her hand slowly towards her leg. "(Draconic) You can lower your bow as well..."

[Diachronos]

Arak narrows his eyes. (Draconic) "Not until you tell me why you're here."

[NeoSeraphi]

Maggey sighs. She slowly reaches her free hand toward her back pocket and produces a folded up piece of paper. The paper looks very old. She opens up it and shows it to him. "We're looking for this."

Spoiler

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This appears to be...Chief Nashor's staff. But how do these outsiders know about it?

[Diachronos]

Arak looks at the paper. He's not sure what's more concerning... that they know of Chief Nashor's staff, or that they are actively seeking it.

He slowly lowers his bow, but keeps the arrow nocked just in case. "What makes you think we have anything like that here?"

[NeoSeraphi]

Maggey nods. She can tell he's seen it before. "This is Malmortius Island, right? According to an ancient legend, Gorum Himself was defeated by Aroden here. It's said that when Gorum's staff fell from His hand as He staggered back from Aroden's blow, it crashed into the ground and evaporated an entire part of the mountain, forming this volcano." She points upwards to where the light from the sky is peeking in. "This would just be a normal mountain if it wasn't for Gorum's staff. Or so the legend goes, anyway."

Gorum is the hobgoblin spirit that gives Chief Nashor his power. A hobgoblin who fell hundreds of years ago, but was the founder of their tribe. Arak has never heard of 'Aroden' before.

[Diachronos]

So the legend of Gozreh is told across the sea as well... "That explains why you are on Malmortius Island, but not why you are here assaulting drakes."

[NeoSeraphi]

Maggey sighs and crosses her arms. "Hey, he started it! Drakes can be very territorial, you know. I came into this room and he flew right at me, biting at my arms. So I shot him."

[Diachronos]

"If you'd spoken to him he'd have likely allowed you to leave after that..." It doesn't occur to him that the combination of their long-standing influence on the island and their reverence of the drakes might be the only reason he and the hobgoblins can get away with such trespasses.

[NeoSeraphi]

She sighs. "Alright, fine, I'm sorry. I won't shoot any more drakes on the island, okay? So can you please put the bow away already?"

[Diachronos]

Arak slides the arrow back into his quiver.

[NeoSeraphi]

Maggey relaxes. "Thank you. Now, you've seen the staff before, right?" she asks, taking the picture back from Arak.

[Diachronos]

"It looks familiar, yes." Perhaps he should let Chief Nashor know about this... though letting this outsider meet the chief isn't likely a good idea if he's holding the very same object she's looking for.

[NeoSeraphi]

She scratches her cheek, seeing his expression. "Need us to wait here, right? That's fine. Everything we're interested in studying on this island is in the volcano anyway. You can keep the location of your village secret. I don't mind."

[Diachronos]

Arak nods and turns to leave with Soulbiter. Convincing Chief Narosh to meet with these outsiders is likely the only way to guarantee the tribe's safety if they are this violent, but there are things to take into consideration for that...

[NeoSeraphi]

Arak returns to his village, where he finds Chief Nashor smoking a pipe and relaxing. The hobgoblin looks down at his loyal hunter. "Ah, it's you Arak. I saw you run to the volcano earlier. Did you discover the source of that dreadful noise?"

Nashor is tall, even for a hobgoblin. His limbs are long and lanky, instead of short and stout like others. He almost looks like one of those humanoids that Maggey had with her...no that couldn't be it. In one hand is his trademark pipe, and he's blowing smoke rings into the air easily. In the other hand is his staff, which he has held since Arak was born.

[Diachronos]

Arak kneels before the chief. "I did. There are newcomers to the island... I do not know what they are, but they came here seeking the staff of Gozreh. I was able to convince them to leave the drakes at the volcano be, but I doubt they will give up their pursuit of the staff so easily."

[NeoSeraphi]

Chief Nashor raises an eyebrow and looks at the staff in his hand. "What's this? They seek the staff of our ancestors? Hmm....Arak, do you think these newcomers are dangerous?"

[Diachronos]

"There are only three of them that I know of, but I fear that they would prove to be a challenge to face in battle. However, I think they they can be reasoned with."

[NeoSeraphi]

Nashor shakes his head. "And how do you propose we reason with a group who wants our village treasure? We either give it to them, or we do not! No, you will take Soulbiter and you will hunt these intruders down. Put an arrow in them and be done with it."

[Diachronos]

Arak nods. "As you wish, Chief Nashor." After being given leave, he heads out to return to the volcano. However, rather than going up the mountain, he attempts to find the trail that the newcomers had left behind. They have to have arrived on the island somehow, and finding out how they arrived might prevent further invasion.

Spoiler: OOC

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Survival to track: (1d20+14)[31]

[NeoSeraphi]

The volcano divides the island in two, and the mountains that make up its slope are impassable, even for a seasoned island-dweller like Arak. They must have come here from the other side of the volcano. He can only explore that by entering it and passing by where they are.

[Diachronos]

Arak creeps up the mountainside, attempting to keep silent and unseen. Soulbiter goes on ahead to scout out the area, being the more stealthy of the two. m

Spoiler: Actions

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Arak Stealth: (1d20+7)[23]
Soulbiter Stealth: (1d20+15)[25]