Tyranny of Dragons - Session 14

When last we left our adventurers, they had returned to Greenest after destroying three dragon eggs, befriending Thraxx, and slaying Frulam Mondath. After a restful night, the group left the keep, saying farewell to Governor Nighthill, who informed them that Leosin had procured horses and ponies for their journey to Elturel.

Upon leaving the keep, a small group of townsfolk intercepted them and presented them with a pack mule, Molly, laden with 7 days of food and supplies for their journey. Leading the group were Linan and Cuth Swift, the two adults that the party had rescued in the first session. Lou tried to slip some coin into their pockets for their trouble, but was caught. "It's the very least we can do after you saved our lives. Good luck on your journey."

Before leaving town, Lou stopped by Mikhail, the strawberry moonshine maker with whom he had previously traded and stocked back up on his hootch. Thamior was gifted a longbow from the armory. Then everyone met up at Harvis' stables, finding their horses and ponies tacked up and ready to go. Harvis warned them about some reported red dragon attacks on the Uldoon Trail (where they'd be heading), but noted that the dragon didn't seem particularly interested in the people. It seemed to favor livestock or animals that were left out unprotected. He told them they could leave the horses at his cousin Jarms' stables outside the gates of Elturel.

On their first day out, the party encountered a group of four merchants that had lost an ox from their cart. They said a red dragon had swooped in and taken the ox confirming the rumors from Harvis. There was a light spring rain on the trail that day, and the group continued on to a small hamlet where they negotiated lodgings at the inn. Lou, as usual slept out in the hay with the animals.

Their second day was partly cloudy and brisk with dew on the tall grasses they passed on the trail. In their single-file traveling line, the group chatted most of the morning and into the afternoon. Suddenly Alexa heard a soft flapping of large wings, turned around and saw a large reptilian form grabbing the pack mule that Lou held. Trying to get off her horse, (rolling a natural 1) Alexa fell off her horse and caught her foot in the stirrup. The horse, stopping nicely and looking back at her, noticed the flying reptile and spooked, dragging Alexa through the grass.

Meanwhile, the dragon grabbed the mule and took off. Lou, holding the lead rope, managed to gain an iron grip on the lead rope as the mule began to be taken up and ahead of him (rolled a natural 20 on a strength saving throw). However, trying to wrap the rope around the horn of his saddle, he couldn't react quickly enough and was also dragged into the air. Lou was only about five feet off the ground, but beginning to ascend.

The group managed to do some damage to it during the dragon's flight, but it did get away. The mule's pack was found scattered on top of a hillock, but only 3 days of rations were recoverable. Molly the mule was nowhere in sight. Nobody could quite get a good enough look to identify this dragon creature well enough to know for sure if it was a Dragon or some dragonkin.

Continuing their journey and staying at these inns along the Uldoon Trail and the Elturel Cutoff trail, the group encountered more spring rains. On the third day, they spotted a large reptilian creature, perched on a hill to the east. The part approached on their horses, but the dragon creature noticed and flew away. However, they got close enough this time for long enough to be able to see it clearly and identify it as a wyvern.

It had been feeding on a horse, not Molly. The party, continuing on the trail, encountered another group of merchants without any supplies. It seems they had lost their pack horse.

On the fourth day, the group heard the roar of the wyvern and the loud, resonant shrieking of a predatory bird, but much bigger. Dismounting and sneaking through the tall grass up a hill, they saw the wyvern fighting off a large half-lion, half-eagle creature, which several members of the party identified as a griffon.

The griffon flew away to the east and the wyvern roared after it, spreading its wings, but not lifting off the ground. As if claiming the ground as its territory. The group, meanwhile, ambushed the wyvern and managed to kill it before it could even react. They harvested some hide and scales from the wyvern.

On the fifth day, the group took notice of a bright star that rose over the northwest horizon, toward the direction they were traveling. As the sun set, the star still provided bright light outside. Inside the inn a day away from Elturel, the party met another group of three adventurers. Turns out they had a contract from the High Observer of Elturel to kill the "dragon" that had been terrorizing the south eastern regions and trade routes.

The party asked the other adventurers about Elturel and got some background about The Companion, the star that the group had seen as well as the Companions and Hell Riders that protect Elturgard.

After a final day on the road, the party continued into town and turned in their horses with Jarms. And that's where we left off. Next time, will the party find Leosin? What will be the next steps to combat the cult of the dragon? Will some of the characters lose interest in chasing down the cult (reroll opportunities)? Find out next time!