Session 74

# April 21st, 2022 - The War Councils

## Boon of Night City

The session began with the Champions limping back down through the stone tunnels to the ‘preparation chamber’, what they thought of a prison or holding cell. None of them left the arena sands unbloodied. Cadmus had done what he could to heal them, or field wrap wounds, but it was only minutes after they returned that the escorts came. Even Thia’s dragon Maximus went along with Alburt casting *polymorph* on the larger-than-horse sized creature. They were brought down further underground via a series of tunnels to a large circular meeting chamber covered in a dome of green energy.

Through the archway into the chamber the green film shimmered, and their dead guards motioned for them to enter. Waiting inside upon a raised dais were nine thrones setup in a half circle, where the vampire lords of the city sat. There were four couples of male and female, with an extra male sitting in the center of their line, the main lord that shouted during the arena.

“Welcome Champions! Here we can speak openly, for no scrying eyes can peer into this spell. Not even the Lich King’s themselves,” the vampire lord spoke. “Honestly, none of us thought you would make it this far.”

Most of the vampires nodded in agreement, two seemed furious. The Champions barely survived, but they stood strong, dripping blood and covered in wounds.

“Your famed skills were warranted, and perhaps provide us an opportunity. For you see, we don’t actually want Tiamat to return.”

The lord went on to explain that they have been commanded to help the cult by their masters, the Lich Kings. When they originally came to this land to start their own city, the Kings came upon them and they bargained for a form of immortality. Not the kind the Lich King’s possessed, but their current form - where they could live young and full lives forever. In fact, they all looked no older than thirty or thirty five.

“We have created a utopia here, all of our citizens are free to live and pursue what they wish in their lives. All the menial labor, farming, guard duty, are performed by those citizens who have died, and in their undeath continue to serve their descendants. In exchange, the people just have to pay a small blood tax. Everyone wins!”

The thousands of people cheering in the arena were indeed entertained and seemed happy.

“But, we strongly believe that this ritual, brought from the Lich Kings to the Cult of the Dragon by our Night Wizards, will ultimately result in Tiamat’s enslavement. The Lich King’s control all, and their planning is on timescales mortals cannot comprehend. It has been long since their dead legions have marched, and the world will be turned upside down when it happens. Even our amazing city here depends heavily on trade with others up and down the seas.”

Another of the vampires chimed in, “their legions would surely march north through here first.”

“But, if you all could actually stop Tiamat rising - without any appearance of our involvement - perhaps it would hold back the Lich King’s invasion. Buy more time. What do you know of her *imprisonment*, and the conditions for her release?”

The lord went on to explain what they were dancing around - Tiamat could only be released upon her death, and the ritual the Lich King’s have taught is an amplified version of that of lichdom. Once risen as a dracolich, they believe Tiamat will be controlled.

Thia asked how Tiamat was imprisoned? Another explained about one of the most powerful spells known to exist, *imprisonment*, that is known as a ‘ninth level’ spell. However, Tiamat’s *imprisonment* was cast by fellow dragon Avatars, effectively at a ‘level above the ninth’, i.e. impossible to *dispel*. Her's manifested as mighty chains around each of her limbs, including neck and tail. The casters had set the only condition for her release, her eventual death. As an Avatar she had lived for millions of years, but apparently would someday die ‘naturally’.

But she was not a human, nor normal dragon lich for that part, she was the black dragon Avatar, so the ritual and components to create a lich of her caliber were all greatly amplified. The lords continued that they did not know how long the ritual would take once started due to this. But, upon request they summarized what the steps were.

First, while not technically part of the ritual itself was the need to open a portal to her prison. The key to this were the five *dragon masks*, and it was revealed to the vampire lords that Tiamat was the creator of them. She borrowed essence from each of her fellow chromatic Avatars to make them, thus they were bound to her soul. Using at least one mask acting as a link, a wizard could, with great effort, open a portal to her location even having never been there themselves.

Next, the components need to be readied, with the ritual circle(s) drawn in silver. There would be more, and more complex circles for such an incredible amount of life force channeled. The second main component was the *phylactery* itself, the object to house the soul of the lich. In the case of a dragon Avatar, only the largest and most perfect gemstone would suffice - the just stolen *Heart of the Mountain* ruby from the dwarven capital. This gemstone would also have to be lined with specific and complex runes of silver (this is likely what has taken so long from the theft to being able to start the ritual). The final component to prepare would be the *Potion (Avatar) of Lichdom*, this version for the dragon Avatar was full of complex and rare ingredients that the Night Wizards helped the Cult to obtain.

Now for the ritual itself, it begins with the consumption of the potion. Then, the sacrifice of enough lifeforce to sustain the soul being transferred into the phylactery. In the case of a human lich this is the sacrifice of another human life. For a dragon Avatar, the number of human souls to be consumed would be immense - this explains the thousands of prisoners the cult has taken.

The vampire lord explained that in addition to this knowledge, they could provide one other thing to help. Turning to one of the vampire ladies to his side, he said it was time to use her *key*. After some consternation and argument among the vampire council, they agreed that half of them would accompany the Champions. They wanted to take advantage, and surely some of the Champions could benefit from their wisdom. As the vampire lady got up and retrieved a small wooden box that held a bright glowing key within, the main lord explained.

“The greatest boon we can provide right now is ***time***.” He turned to the vampire lady holding the key and she explained, “I have spent at least a year spell storing two powerful spells upon this object. In effect, it will allow a group of people to transport to a pocket dimension where time passes at a much slower rate. Those who spend a full day there in the real world will experience an entire year on the other side.”

And so, the vampire lady inserted the *key* into a nearby wooden doorway which outlined in a bright white light as she opened it. A number of the vampires went in with them, to act as mentors and to take advantage of the time themselves. Thia had Alburt *polymorph* and shrink Maximus such that she could take the dragon with them. Without another thought, the entire party walked into the bright white light and found themselves within a massive and exquisite mansion. Rooms off in each direction went to places they all could enjoy, massive training grounds, an incredibly tall and expansive library, kitchens and food stores filled to the brim with supplies and spectral servants.

Twenty four hours later, the door reopened and the Champions reemerged, with Maximus *polymorphed* again so he could fit. The dragon now stood as tall naturally as a massive airplane, a full grown adult only having lived for about two years. Rachen contacted Lady Silverhand via his *sending stone* and the vampire lords said they were free to leave.

The Champions had already gained a level from their experiences in the Colosseum of Death, and this extra year in the time chamber has granted them a second level of experience - **after this session the party should become level seventeen (17)**.

## The War Council

Alburt *teleported* the party back to Ironbay and they soon found themselves resting for the night in High Lady Silverhand’s mansion. During the night, both Thia and Cadmus had visions. In the morning, before they departed for the Greenfields where Lady Silverhand reported the armies had begun mustering, she had some final boons for them. The armies started mustering with the help of the Arcane Alliance’s wizards *teleporting* around and opening *portals* for them. First, the High Lady once again met with the Champions in her meeting chamber, the same where Jemna Gleamsilver had once crashed through the windows. Where just recently Lachlan had disintegrated the green Wyrmspeaker, who also happened to be the exiled prince of the elven king.

There she gave out what aid she was able to gather. First, Rufus obtained a small box of nine (9x), *+2 Bolts of Dragonslaying*. She handed out six (6, one for each person) *Potions of Supreme Healing*, and two (2) potions of *Storm Giant Strength* from Harshnag and Queen Serissa. Then, her aides brought out an exquisite wooden armoire on wheels, and the High Lady opened the doors revealing a suit of *Dragonscale Mail*. The suit for Thia was finally complete, made up of harvested dragon scales from multiple of their dragon kills, mostly white scales. However, you could not tell as the entire outfit was painted a dark forest green complete with a matching cloak.

The aides then spun the armoire around revealing a cabinet in the rear. The High Lady said she had made this specially for Alburt, opening to reveal a dark gray cloak that she gave to him - a gray (neutral) *Robe of the Archmagi*. For High Lady Silverhand was an enchanter, and she said how she had to make a second matching robe for the magistrates of Dragonfell in exchange for the use of the final gift. Her aides brought out a long flat wooden case and laid it upon the table, when they opened it, a bright glow washed over the party. She proclaimed it the fabled *Blade of* Dragonfell, the one which garnered the city its name. It was a *+2 Dragonslayer Greatsword*, a relic she had secured for the use of Rachen.

Fully rested, before the party departed for the Greenfields and the mustering forces of the combined Lord’s Accord army, Thia had Alburt take her to Elturiel, where she recovered her two other dragons, Elysian and Kiruna, who were amazed at their brother Maximus, who now stood as tall as a fully grown adult dragon. Before the afternoon sun was setting the party found themselves walking through a *gate* portal upon the vast expanse of the Greenfields. Not far from where their entire journey began. The tens of thousands of soldiers of the Accord forces were camping, some still marching through *portals*.

In the sky through a swath of clouds the massive Skyreach Castle of Count Blagothkus broke through and slowly came to land next to a nearby ridge, such that its drawbridge could be lowered and the war council assembled within. Multiple giants of every kind manned the massive stone walls of the cloud castle along with the ogres the party remembered. In the sky the party saw metallic dragons circling, the hundred strong company of griffon riders from Ironbay, and as they walked through the courtyard of Skyreach Castle they saw their familiar wyvern mounts causing a raucous in their stables. The griffon riders had brought them along, and their steward had said they have refused all riders since the Champions brought them to Ironbay.

Within the main meeting chamber of Skyreach Castle the leaders of the military forces and representatives of the Lord’s Accord met for their war council, for the battle would commence upon the rising of the next day’s sun - it was already late into the afternoon. They discussed the overall objective - stopping the ritual from completing, as the vampire lords had instructed. Cadmus proclaimed his God, Sobek, would bring a great storm upon the day, to block and help protect their forces from artillery and archery fire. As well as help thin some of the dragons (either the few ancient, or the many adults). The conditions would not be great, especially having to assault an entrenched force that has the high ground with emplaced towers.

The generals laid out the scouting estimates of the numbers of the enemy's forces, and they examined their own force. After quite some discussion about matchups and strategy, mainly focusing on the overwhelming number of enemy dragons, the Champions decided to focus on winning the air battle. They had more troops than the enemy, but they had a good defensive position and outnumbered them in dragons. But, with the cloud castle as a defensive position, griffons, giants, and their own dragons, the group felt with the Champions helping they could win the battle fast enough. Then, the winning army could surge in and prevent the ritual from taking place.

The groups made final discussions, but felt confident they could win the contest with the aid of the alliance of forces, the Champions of the province, and literally a God.

And that is where the session ended, it was the evening of the two hundred and seventy fourth (274th) day since the raid on Greenest.

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