Majestic Wilderlands – The Party Goes to the Mall

When last we left our heroes, we were being relentlessly pursued by an angry flesh golem (and really, is there any other kind?), which was currently tearing apart the secret door we’d closed behind us. We decide that the equivalent of a short rest has passed.

We shoot a few arrows at it, and it withdraws . . . only to bash through the door using another door as a battering ram. Curses . . . animated mound of flesh is a SMART animated round of flesh.

We toss a torch on a quickly-erected pile of wood, and the thing again withdraws screaming. We also withdraw, so as not to choke to death in the smoke.

Stalemate.

The fire collapses the basement, which also collapses the house above it – but that was the bad guy’s house, so we’re not that concerned. We decide to split up, take watches, and read up on Osral’s notes:

• Dragon Killer on the loose? Investigate connection between the death of Smarlgon and the death of Garatalz. Samrlgon is one of Pan Caulderax’s lieutenants in the Majestic Fastness and was killed several weeks ago in a fight with a adventuring party. Garatalz was one of Duke Divolic’s Blue Dragons and was killed in the failed uprising in City-State. Could not care what happens to a Blue Dragon except two dragons in a matter of months are killed.
• Goods smuggled to and from Warwick via a secret port on the River Severn over the Troll Mountains. Goods are then taken overland to contacts on the River Stillring and sent to Byrny via smugglers on boats. The Dwarves have a blind spot when it comes to river bourne traffic and rely mostly on their human subject which are easily bribed. 
• Rocknut tribe of Trolls causing issues. May have to use the allied tribe of the Splatterskulls to eliminate them or to subjugate them. 
• The Silverlode Mining Company of Adventures are a direct route of smuggling goods from the Majestic Fastness and into Byrny. Ardan Morcor is the leader a noted fighter. 
• Only one reliable contact in Thunderhold. Rigsmal the Innkeeper of the Jewel Thief’s Pub. The Dwarven vigilance make it difficult for him to do anything beyond offering temporary lodging to passerbys.
• Primary task is too facilitate shipment and smuggling operation to and from the City-State along the Rorystone Road. Most recent job is to send a messeger to Master Ordal, a master merchant, to help to rescue a daughter of a City-State Knight, Sir Marius of Clan Alarain. The Knight in the pay of Pan Caulderax.
• Another order is to Keep Maud safe as leverage over the Dragon Mori. We will need her service in order to escalate the situation with the warring factions of City-State.

A bit about dragons in Majestic Wilderlands

The god Set created the dragons as elite shock forces against the Demons during the Uttermost War. After the war the Demons were imprisoned in the Abyss. A ward was placed around the entrance to bar them from returning to the Wilderlands. The ward was comprised of crystals placed in several towers around the entranceway. The Dragons were charged to act as guardians and to protect them against any outsiders. 

After a thousand years some Dragons began to become bored of this duty and yearned for the freedom of the Wilderlands. When the Black Lord arrived seeking aid in the Crystal Wars those dragons eagerly agreed to join him. For betraying their duty these dragon became known as the Black Dragons. After arriving in the Wilderlands some of the Black Dragons chafed at aiding the Black Lord. They instead left to make their own way. These Dragons became known as the Copper Dragons.  

The remaining dragons resolved that the Black Dragons betrayal shall not go unpunished. They sent out a small contingent of loyal Dragons to aid the Black Lord’s foes and to bring the Black Dragon to justice. They adopted silver as their color. When the Crystal Wars ended with the destruction of the Black Lord, the Black Dragons scattered. Some of the loyal Dragons were changed by the war. They became obsessed, believing that any means was acceptable in hunting down the Black Dragons. These Dragons changed their color to Blue. 

The dragons that remained behind to guard the towers adopted Gold as their color and still await the return of their brethren.  

Dragons are reptilian with four limbs, tails, and wings folded into their front limbs. Their hide is made of scales and is one of the toughest substances known in the Wilderlands.

A Dragon sense of time/sense is very different than that of the races. They know how they end as well as their past. They perceive time as one moment. This ability doesn’t extend to the mortal races, including Elves, only to themselves. It is for this reason that Dragons will actively involve mortals in their plans. It is only through mortal action that a Dragon’s fate can be altered. 

A Dragon is extremely confident of himself and his position in the world. They believe that they are the highest creatures of creation and view other races as children or with contempt. A few dragons, notably the Silver Dragons, have come to understand the ability of mortal races to alter their fate and actively involve themselves with mortals. 

We ask Maud if she knows Mori’s son, the green dragon in Thundertree – he’s been a bad boy and should come home to his mommy. Maud says he gives her the creeps; Mori told her that if anything would ever to happen to Maud, she should not go there. 

That was a pretty effective shopping trip. The monsters will probably level up too.

We go catch a boat. The Sheriff introduces us to Captain Vargan Larador, who will take us to Modron. He asks if we’re expecting trouble – I tell him that based on my current run of luck, we should expect to be harassed by monsters, assaulted by pirates, and probably a random storm or two.

“Ummm . .. leaf, I think. I’d love to reserve a room.” It’ll be 50sp, and that will cover everyone. Nice. Good thing we kept some money in the party pool.