 |
 |
|
|
|
|
By Jamey Martin
The Legacy of Venom, part 2
Summer 1373DR
Having made it back up the ropes unmolested, Tyros, Corwin and company soon gathered the others. After speaking of the wraiths that guarded the horde, the band decided that it would be best if they enlisted the aid of the local Lathanderites.
And so it was that Corwin and Hector made their way over to the recently renamed the Shrine of the Crimson Dawn. There they met not only with the young Dawnpriest Handyllan, but also with Dawnpriestess Salleece. As both she and Delleah had strong wills, and much support, they had both come along way in their recovery since returning from Feind's realm. And so it was that Corwin told the servants of Lathander of their discovery, of the dangers that guarded it, and then began to haggle over an acceptable cut of the anceint wyrm's treaure horde. Hector argued fervently for a small cut for the Lathanderites, implying all the while that this was because he himself needed as large a cut as possible. And as he argued the otherwise brilliant and rosy Blood of Lathander that hung above the altar of the Crimson Dawn took on a black-red hue and pulsed with great displeasure. The Cormyrean mage quickly dropped the argument and agreed to a 60%-40% split between the band and the Lathanderites.
The next morning the band once again descended into the cavern, but this time with the Dawnpriestess Salleece, Dawnlord Haylon Brightblade, and nearly a half dozen other dawnwarriors of the small Order of the Crimson Dawn. When all were prepared, Hector cast a detect magic upon the horde. He saw that a number of items within the horde glowed with their own unique dweomers, but also that the horde itself was enchanted with some form of magic. Before he could discern more however, the wraiths began to rise up out of the horde once again.
When all was said and done however, the battle proved to be less fierce than expected. The forces of goodness made short work of the dozen or so wraiths that protected the impressive horde. And while the heroes did have their own wounds, of both body and soul, to show for the battle, the Dawnpriestess promised that aid of the Lathander did not end when the last blow was struck, but rather when the last wound was healed. And so gathering up the treasure, the victors left the lair and then set about sifting through and dividing the horde up.
As was stipulated, the band received all of the magical items of the treasure, which included a longsword, a couple of wands, some rings and scrolls, along with a number of potions, but the only orb within the horde was an small, fastball sized golden orb with no discernible magical properties.
When all was reckoned out the Lathanderites received roughly 8,000 gp in various coins of old elfin mint, various artsy objects, and gems. It was Handyllan's will that this be used to beautify and enrich both the Shrine of the Crimson Dawn and the surrounding community.
As the Lathanderites began to debate how to best go about this, the band quickly launched into discussions regarding their own affairs. Namely, the rediscovery of the Green Orb of Dragonkind. Apparently, Venom was too long dead for a speak with dead spell to be of much use -- not that anyone had one at the time -- and Hector knew of no other divinations that might help. As luck would have it however there was a priest scroll within Venom's horde, and it contained a spell that would enable a priest to question the stones themselves regarding all they might have witnessed over the centuries and millennia of their existence.
Thus did the band descend into the lair of Venom once more. The Disciple Landrian of Ilmater cast the spell from the old scroll and entered a trance. When all was said and done, Landrian related that the a green orb had indeed once been within the cavern, but that it was given by the wyrm that inhabited this cavern (Venom) to another of it's kind following a battle that claimed the life of the former's mate.
Returning to the discussion, the band next postulated that the other green dragon that Venom gave the Orb to was the greatest of his offspring, the dreaded Manastorm. As Hector had already determined via his magic mirror spell, the crumbling remains of Sessrellastrin rested in a forest glade, along with a number of other dragon skeletons, within a small forest in southwestern Battledale, but he had failed to scry out the wyrm's lair. All they knew was that it was somewhere in the hills south of Hap.
As a speak with dead spell seemed as unlikely to reach Manastorm as Venom, the band decided to obtain another Stone Tell scroll from one of the temples in Ordulin, and then seek out the lost lair of Venom's offspring. Furthermore, far from just wandering aimlessly forth into the wilderness, they intended to begin their search in the cave dotted hills around Fengle's Freehold ... particularly where that group from Featherfalls were said to have gone missing.
The content of And Dragons Shall Rule is the property and copyright of Jamey Martin, and is not to be published or redistributed without permission.