TGAT: Session 23

The return of Urstul Floxin

## **Chapter 4: Dragon Season**

### Scene 27: Brandarthall

After telling Ott Steeltoes to wait for them at a local tavern to keep evading "vampire" Xanathar they leave The Vault of Dragons via the Brandath Family Mausoleum; the adventurers swiftly return to the Castle Ward in search of Brandarthall where they hoped to reunite with Renaer Neverember.

They approach the manor gates and are stopped by a member of Renaer's staff. Who asks they state their business here; in response to which Richard Dickens explains they can only speak with Renaer. The servant scoffs and says "if I called his lordship every time some vagrants wanted to speak with him I would be out of a job. Come on now, tell me what you're here for and I will inform the boss". Richard Dickens says that they require Renaer's assistance identifying what they believe to be his fathers lost treasure hoard. The servant nods knowingly of what they speak and calls for Renaer Neverember by means of a paper bird.

A few minutes later Renaer emerges from Brandarthall and warmly greets the party, inviting them into his home. Once away from prying ears Richard Dickens informs Renaer that they may have found his fathers Open Lord of Dawic robes and ask Renaer to accompany them into the vault to identify them. Richard Dickens also discloses the fact that an adult gold dragon awaits within guarding Dagult Neverember's embezzled treasure, that only Dagult or one of his appointed vassals is allowed to remove the gold, and that they believe they were able to convince Aurinax that Renaer was chosen as a vassal.

Renaer laughs and asks that the party do know he and his father did not see eye-to-eye? Richard Dickens replies no, but it is clear that Aurinax does not know this either. Renaer agrees to join them the next day to re-enter the vault; they would need his help to bypass the treant outside of the Brandath Family Mausoleum anyway.

### Scene 28: Trollskull Manor

The party reconvene at Trollskull Manor and rest up. The next day Richard Dickens and Cubone make their way to theSpires of the Morning to worship Lathander. As they are participating in daily prayers the duo notice that their breath, and the breath of those around them begins to wreak, as they and everyone in the city in unison suffers from a supernatural halitosis; moments later this affliction evolves into bromhidrosis as their body odor too begins to wreak supernaturally (DC10 or sickened for 24 hours). No about of body washing nor teeth cleaning alleviates the symptoms.

Richard Dickens and Cubone both confused decide to meet up with Rynnas Rubyfoot, and Einrik Stürmkarst who were staying at the Berronar Truesilver temple. Richard Dickens now wearing the Belt of Dwarvenkind gifted to him by Einrik is able to speak dwarven around Rynnas and she shows him more respect in return. The foursome make their way to the Brandath Family Mausoleum, to find Bushy waiting outside and Renaer who arrives not long after.

### Scene 29: The Vault of Dragons

Cubone leads the way to the vault and as they get closer to the vault door, Cubone and Bushy hear two male voices conversing ahead, Cubone gestures to halt. As they wait the voices get closer and more audible; now able to discern the words *"I must go and complete the other rituals; await here until this one has completed and rejoin me at Kolat Tower. If those adventurers give you any trouble then drink this and prevent them from interfering"*.

Cubone peeks around the corner and immediately spots that the vault key pedestals used by them previously to open the vault now features the body of a beholder that has been smashed into the pedestal leaving nothing but its own heart at the pedestals cornice. The middle key pedestal still features sunlight, with a new mirror rigged up to direct the beam of light from outside. The final key pedestal now features the battered dead remains of a baby dwarf fulfilling the beardless dwarf requirement.

Behind the pedestals Cubone watches the Shadow hand Urstul Floxin a potion; Urstul has apparently been freed from prison, has had his chest wound 'regenerated' with necrotic cyst-like flesh and is wearing the necklace of fireballs (Type III) previously taken from Richard Dickens by the city watch. The Shadow creates a bright spherical ball of lightning around him, which after a second or two fades away and The Shadow is no longer outside of the vault door. Urstul Floxin begins walking back inside.

Cubone reaches into his backpack and sprinkles the pouch of dust of disappearance on himself and moves closer to door as silently as he can (Natural 1), but unfortunately kicks a rock which creates a loud pinging echo as it ricochets off bounces off a number of surfaces.

Urstul Floxin hears this and for the first time ever the party witnesses him cast the spell obscuring mist as he retreats into the vault's entrance foyer which is now filled with this thick mist. From deep within the mist Urstul Floxin taunts them to enter and face him once again.

Richard Dickens, Einrik Stürmkarst, and Cubone approach cautiously stopping inside the mist where at the point where the vault doors recede into the walls. Bushy opts for another approach and charges forlorn into the mist attacking at random at the air around him.

Urstul Floxin tosses a fireball bead from his necklace into the doorway igniting Richard Dickens, Einrik Stürmkarst, and Cubone, but also removing a large circular chunk of mist from the doorway in the process. Bushy, Richard Dickens, Einrik Stürmkarst, and Cubone all attack the point at which they saw a red glowing bead appear in front of them before it was loosed. As Einrik Stürmkarst makes his attacks Urstul Floxin who through some fancy swordplay is able to disarm Einrik before pivoting 180° to use Einrik's own Dwarven War Axe to critically injure Cubone, leaving Einrik's weapon embedded in his body.

Bushy, Richard Dickens, Einrik Stürmkarst, and Cubone once again all attack Urstul Floxin. Urstul takes out his potion and consumes it and as the party make a couple of fleeting attacks of opportunity they then watch as Urstul doubles in height, becoming large sized, and his flesh turning a thicker leathery texture and a redder hue as he gains the benefit of a Righteous Might potion. He them turns to Richard Dickens and removes his rapier from his grasp before nicking him with a blue whinnis poisoned short sword. Richard Dickens fails his DC 14 fortitude save and takes 1 point of CON damage.

Bushy, Richard Dickens, Einrik Stürmkarst, and Cubone once again all attack Urstul Floxin who is now fighting defensively and making use of his combat expertise to increase his AC by +7. All of their attacks miss. Richard Dickens falls unconscious. Urstul Floxin thrusts Richard Dickens rapier into his unconscious and prone body and leaves it there.

Bushy and Cubone once again all attack Urstul Floxin getting in a couple of hits but as they do, Cubone's invisibility fades. Finding a new target Urstul Floxin disarms Cubone and is awestruck by the crystalline dagger asking *"Where did you get this?"*, before thrusting it back into his chest. Cubone steps backwards as Einrik Stürmkarst critically misses Urstul knocking himself unconscious for one round by slipping on some loose rubble and cracking his head on the floor.

Bushy gets a couple of perfect critical hits on Urstul Floxin, injuring him sufficiently to cause him to attempt a retreat casting invisibility on himself before running around one of the pillars. Cubone throws the bag of glitterdust he had in his backpack at Urstul. A cloud of golden particles covers both Urstul, Cubone and everything in the area, and also causing them both to become blinded and visibly outlined.

Bushy moves around the other side of the pillar cutting off Urstul and makes another attack. Urstul Floxin steps backwards and casts darkness on the floor beneath him which then radiates shadowy illumination out to a 20-foot radius. Cubone blindly pats hits way around the pillar he is stood by reaching the opposite side.

Bushy moves to a point in the foyer where he can watch both the entrance and the doors to the upper floor. Urstul Floxin appears to simply waits inside the darkness. The area that Cubone threw the bag of glitterdust and the dust covering his body fades back to normal. Bushy waits for Urstul Floxin to make his move however he is now once again invisible and dashes past him accessing the upper floors laughing maniacally as he realises how lucky he was to escape, and also informing the party how unlucky they were in stopping him.

Richard Dickens comes back around and when told what has happened gives chase after Urstul Floxin but he cannot see him upstairs so returns downstairs to climb the rope they left attached to the middle bridge to reach the lower vaults and ask Aurinax for help.

As Richard Dickens reaches the lower vault as he enters the chamber shouting for Aurinax he sees that the adult gold dragon has been mortally wounded and is led on his back in the middle of a huge ring of red glowing abyssal runes; the effects of which appear to be causing Aurinax's flesh to necrotise. As Richard Dickens gets closer to the runes one of the 333 runes turns a bright blue and a skeleton appears in its place.