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• Adrian Silverstrength (Human Paladin)
• Buppido Diinkarazan (Rock Gnome Cleric/Wizard) – Absent This Session
• Sephrenia (High Elf Cleric)
• Don Kannin (Half-Elf Ranger) – Missed Beginning
• Korra (Air Genasi Rogue)
• Elon Dusk (Tiefling Artificer) – Missed Most Of The Session

• NPCs:
  • Disnarium – High Elf (Rune Knight, NPC)
  • Kraun Torodon – Tiefling (Businessman Rogue)

• As the others have gathered, Buppido talks about his encounter on the upper floors; and Don, rolling his eyes, says he will head up and take a look (DM Note – Don had to miss the beginning of this session, so this was an easy way to excuse Don from the current action until he got back)
• Korra gets the Ankh from Elon Dusk, knowing that it can teleport her back to the pyramid when she needs to as she makes plans to go find Sephrenia
• Adrian and Isabella mount Ms. Claws and begin riding into Drastor to see if they can find a cook to hire for the pyramid
• Outside, the sun beams down with its relentless heat (DM Note – I had Adrian roll 2d12 and we’d do military time)

• Adrian opts to not wear his armor and instead wears the clothing he’d bought in the shop that makes him look like one of the natives
• Once the trio arrive in town, Korra breaks off from Adrian and Isabella, and tells them both to keep cool and she begins walking through the streets, still seeing the back to back devastation Drastor had endured; however, it’s not long before she finds an exhausted Sephrenia, resting in the shadows, her hair disheveled, and drained of magic
• “You,” Korra says, helping her friend up, “look like you could sleep for centuries.”
• “Just need a short rest,” Sephrenia replies with a weary smile. “What have you been doing?”
• “Let’s go get some food in you,” Korra says
• Korra and Sephrenia make their way towards Alashamar Alkalhara (which translates to The Eternal Sun)
• The innkeeper sees Korra and Sephrenia and shouts, “The heroes of the city!” and forces a few patrons to move to make room for them – Sephrenia takes a seat while Korra offers her seat to one of the shooed patrons
• While there, Korra speaks to the innkeeper and asks about a cook; and the innkeeper explains that he has to keep the primary chef, because he’s needed for the inn; and eventually a young human named Asad Sulamain comes out an introduces himself, and explains he’s an apprentice to the primary cook of the inn
• Korra asks if he can cook up a sample
• Asad asks where he would be cooking, since most of the city is in ruin; it’d be odd to open a new business; Korra explains it will be for their base, and maybe their ship – so Asad asks for which ship they own – and Korra explains “it’s complicated”
• While they wait for the food, Sephrenia mentions that many of the patrons of Drastor are all looking for jobs; so perhaps they could go to the infirmary and find out who they might be able to get from significant others, trying to support their families, to be a part of the pyramid’s employment
• Korra winces, and runs her hand through her hair, “So,” she begins, “you’ve been out here, healing and helping all these people – and that’s great! We appreciate it, they appreciate it, but… a,” she thinks about how to phrase it, “there’s been a lot of things that have happened while you’ve been out here doing what your goddess wants of you… and that is, inside the pyramid there’s a space-ship thing called a Starjammer.” (DM Note – Korra purposely called it a Starjammer in character, believing her character would not have remembered the proper name of the ship. As a side note, I didn’t mind – as an old school X-Men fan from way back in the day – The Starjammers were some of my favorites!)
• Sephrenia stares at Korra and waits for her to say she’s kidding, thinking this is some elaborate hoax that Elon Dusk was right but when Korra simply stares at her, Sephrenia finally asks, “Did you say a space ship?”
• “Disnarium calls it a Starjammer,” Korra explains
• “Who is Disnarium?” Sephrenia asks. “And what is a Starjammer?”
• “That’s right,” Korra runs her hand through her hair again. “You haven’t met Disnarium yet. You will like him. He’s one of your kind – a High Elf.” (Sephrenia missed when the party first met Disnarium in Session 70, and missed after he’d talked to them after the Lamia attack in Session 71, and missed when the party finally discovered the Spelljammer inside the pyramid in Session 72).
• “A Starjammer is like a regular ship, but it flies,” Korra shrugs
• “Flies? Flies where?” Sephrenia asks
• “That part is still fuzzy on the details,” Korra admitted. “Although,” Korra’s eyes light up, “remember how we loved the bathhouse next to this Inn? Well, here’s what Buppido has laid out – we still need to go over it – but, Pyramid construction priorities: 1 bath house, 2 sex dungeon, 2.5 teleporter room, 3 star jammer,” she looks at Buppido’s notes, “that’s what I thought! It’s called a Starjammer.” (DM Note – that’s how Buppido actually wrote it out, so it was great it continued) “And then, let’s see – 4 kitchen, 5 library, 6 sleeping quarters, 7 greenhouse, and 8 potion creation room. And there’s a note here, – Completed projects: 1 questionable church, 2 golden scarab thief detection room.” Korra shrugs. “Not too sure what the scarab thief detection room is.”
• Sephrenia looks at Korra, “Speaking of the questionable church, I have some concerns I have to share with you.”
• “Oh,” Korra tries to brush off Sephrenia’s concern. “I know, there’s things in there we need to clear out. Buppido, as you know, tends to wander off – so there was that slime. But in the chapel room – oh,” Korra recalls, “the room where you went into that weird trance we couldn’t wake you up from,” (Originally in Session 68 when Sephrenia saw the humanoid serpent statue), “there was those humanoid people… and then there was that undead snake… then the weird snake statue…”
• Sephrenia nods, “That’s what I was telling you about before. Those are the ‘cursed elves’ or better known to my people as the Githyanki.” (Sephrenia mentioned this in Session 69) “I didn’t really have much time to go into it too much, my concerns, because of everything happening with the town and the demons,” Sephrenia continues. “But if that pyramid was a chapel for the Githyanki, they are a true form of evil… they worship the ancient serpent lord who wishes to ‘kill the children of the gods’ to weaken the gods, then constrict its mystical coils around the world and destroy it. I am not sure if we should remain inside such an evil place. Even the Drow despise the Githyanki. My concern is that we are making it our own, but at what cost? If you found this vehicle in their temple… I am concerned that they will come back for it… or fight to reclaim it.”
• Korra admits that’s a concern, but adds, “According to Disnarium – the ship is in a ‘powered down’ state. So we need to do something to activate it.”
• As if to break the tension, the cook, Asad comes out with other waiters and waitresses to serve what looks to be a ten coarse meal
• Meanwhile, with Adrian and Isabella, Adrian makes he way for the alleyway Kraun had led them through – and spends an excessive amount of time, with the sun beating down and Isabella watching him, wondering if he’s gone mad as he tries to push down on various rocks and bricks on the wall – however, after some time, he manages to trigger the correct one and makes his way through the passage where he meets up with Squeven
• The halfling cleric shakes his head, “You better not have a note from Kraun again.”
• As Adrian begins explaining the deal that’s been struck by he and Kraun, Squeven cuts him off and says, “If you’re going to bore me with the details, I already know all about it. You do realize one of our specialties is dealing in secrets – so when word needs to get passed around, it gets passed around quick.”
• Adrian asks about getting a teleporter in the temple and Squeven clarifies that one does not simply draw fun wizard pictures and have a teleporter; it takes quite a bit of money to gather the resources, magical stones, the proper runes – and I am not sure you understand what goes into this thing. There is a wizard Kraun employees at each location – which is here in Drastor, Ridgecrest, Ivory Coast and Lakefront. Each of those requires a Wizard to maintain the circle. That wizard has to cast Teleportation Circle on those runes every single day, for one year – and each time they do – it consumes a gem worth 50 gold. Now, that doesn’t sound like much – unless you consider there are 350 days in a year, which means for a single teleportation circle it is 17,500 gold worth of gems – now, Kraun has four locations and that’s 70,000 gold in gems that have been used so far. And you want us to make one just a mile away from Drastor as well? And that’s not to speak of the labor of the wizard, maintaining the runes, and all that great stuff that makes sure the circle works properly, which is 50 gold per year to ensure the runes are not broken. So that would come from you and your crew.” (DM Note – At the time of the game I didn’t have the time to research the cost – but it’s essentially Teleportation Circle which reads – You can create a permanent teleportation circle by casting this spell in the same location every day for one year. You need not use the circle to teleport when you cast the spell in this way. Requires rare chalks and inks infused with precious gems worth 50 gp, which the spell consumes)
• Adrian considers this and then mentions that there’s also another place he would like to see a teleportation disc – and that’s the Shadowlands – and before Squeven can talk about the dwarves, the drow, the illithid, Adrian explains that he has a friend in the Shadowlands, who lives in a cave, that could house a teleportation disc – and it’s never bothered by dwarf, drow or illithid, who all seem to avoid Nor’Orn. Squeven says if there’s a way to contact this Nor’Orn and find a way to pay for the services, they could look into doing it
• Adrian and Isabella make their way out and then head for the inn where they meet Korra and Sephrenia – and Adrian is puzzled at first, since Sephrenia and Korra seem to be trying out a massive dish of various finger foods and enjoying themselves (though, Sephrenia, Adrian notices – her hair is disheveled, her skin covered in soot and dry blood – most of it not her own)
• Don Kanin uses his drake to pull the wagon that Adrian and Korra had arranged to the Inn; and waits outside (unaware that his party members were inside eating) – and waits for the employees they’ve hired and begins escorting them back to the pyramid safely, over several trips; when one of them asks about the ship being out in the middle of the desert, Don admits he’s not entirely sure about how the ship works (which makes several people in the wagon nervous that they’ve been tricked into a trap, especially after the last few days of Drastor’s events) – but they arrive at the pyramid and led down to the ship in the room. Don explains that their artificer might know more – but he’s off cleaning some of the draining in the pyramid (DM Note – the player was actually dealing with their garbage disposal in real life, so I figured I’d make it apply to the game)
• Disnarium approaches the workers and begins direct them where to work on the Spelljammer, while Don escorts some of the others through some of the lower areas of the pyramid. Several of Kraun’s men also begin to show up and Don directs them to start scouting the upper chambers and help clean them out – and warned them that several beasts had already been spotted and dealt with.
• Leaping back to Korra, Sephrenia, Adrian and Isabella, Sephrenia looks at Korra, then Adrian, then Isabella and asks, “Wait. What did Isabella get to Drastor? What have you guys been doing?”
• Korra sighs, “Wait. You weren’t there for that,” she nods (See Session 71)
• Adrian explains to Sephrenia that they’d gone back to Lakefront, to bring Isabella back
• Sephrenia asks, “Wait. You guys rode all the way back? And then back here?”
• “We teleported,” Korra whispers.
• “We can talk to it more at the base,” Adrian says
• “We need to talk about the base,” Sephrenia adds
• Korra nods and points to Sephrenia, “Yeah our base may not be the base we think it is.”
• “We may need more than one cook too,” Sephrenia adds
• “And just who is this cook?” Adrian asks looking at the empty plates
• “Oh,” Korra mutters, feeling as if she’s always catching someone up on something lately. She then explains how they met someone who could be a cook for their base. But agrees, with more people showing up – they’re going to need more than one cook. And the more employees they hire, the more they will need to pay out
• “Well, we also have the guild as guards,” Korra mentions
• “Guild? What guild? I am out there healing people and you guys are what? Forming guilds?” Sephrenia asks, exhausted
• “Not exactly,” Korra admits. “It’s Kraun and his lackies.”
• “Kraun,” Sephrenia blurts. “You can’t be serious.”
• “Quite serious,” Adrian admits
• Sephrenia shakes her head. “I wonder if the pyramid temple is already corrupting all of you.”
• Sephrenia shares her vision again about what she saw when she went into a trance (Sephrenia mentioned this in Session 69)
• A moment after she shares her vision again, and her concerns, now that she’s given it more thought; and how the Gold Coast is ripe with history where evil has taken a foothold, and even recently – the sounds of marching is heard outside the inn, then a command for halt – and a voice cries out, “Hail. I come to speak with the heroes of the city.”
• Adrian tells Isabella to stay in the inn as he, Korra and Sephrenia step out
• They see, what is clearly the captain of the guard in Drastor, a human by the name of Yavun Faithbringer, and a Paladin of Gha’als Shaum – The Sun God, among those who live in Drastor and follow the “Ancient Faith” of the gods before the destruction of Ilyx.
  • It is interesting to note that the symbol of Gha’als Shaum is exactly the same as the symbol of Florasena; however, where she is seen as the mother of the gods, Gha’als is seen as the father of the gods.
  • Gha’als is seen as a ruthless god, who, unlike Florasena; passes judgement quickly with his ever seeing eye. The story of the sun’s rotation around the world is said to be Gha’als’ eye scanning for evil doers to punish.
  • Stories say that he has the body of a man, but the head of a hawk.
• The guards behind him appear to be the remnants of the city’s guards, most of them exhausted, due to relentlessly being on patrol, to cover for those that were wounded or gone missing after the dragon and demon attacks
• Yavun explains, “While the dragon attack seemed random – with buildings everywhere being attacked, and yet this inn being spared. One of the buildings that was attacked repeatedly – and now that we’ve had time to take a look – and review the records that were recovered – the building that was repeatedly attacked was our prison, and while we’ve recaptured most of the prisoners – who were foolish enough to remain behind and try to loot – there is one, of great evil, who fled. And we believe this was the true intention of the dragon attack – not masked by whatever else has happened here. The prisoner who has escaped is a red dragonborn by the name of Krhish’tyn Rhey, who served the Dragon Queen.” (DM Note – the villain’s name was made up specifically for this session because of something going on in Korra’s life the past week; so it’s a reference to that)
• Yavun continues, “I believe the dragon attack was to free him, and the rest of the attack, was to cover his escape, as he fled into the desert. We’ve been able to track him somewhat out into the dunes, but the damn sandstorms and shifting sands, and the sandsharks… there’s so few left to keep the city safe. We come to you, once again, heroes of the city, to see if we can request your service to track down Krhish’tyn Rhey, and bring him back – dead or alive. We would prefer alive, since we may yet pry secrets from him; though he’s been resistant, we have employed a Tiefling by the name of Kraun, who has said he has resources to powerful wizards who may yet break Krhish’tyn Rhey‘s mind wide open.”
• After a moment, he says, “But if you must bring him back dead, so be it.”
• Yavun explains, “Be advised, being a red dragonborn – the heat of the desert does not bother him. If you plan to wear your armor during the sunlight hours, I am sure you’ve learned how the sun can magically heat metal here.”
• Adrian asks what more can they tell them about Krhish’tyn Rhey
• And Yavun explains that Krhish’tyn Rhey also took some other cultists loyal to the Dragon Queen with him; though they are probably less trouble – no more than common peasants, the only danger they poses is how fanatic they are to the Dragon Queen. The truth threat is Krhish’tyn Rhey who is a fighter, and seems to possess some magical abilities as he has burned some of the guards alive, while still a prisoner.
• The party immediately rides back to the pyramid, taking Isabella with them
• They quickly locate Don and ask where Elon Dusk is; and Don explains that last he heard, he was off “snaking the drain” – and didn’t want to know anything further. Heading down to where the Spelljammer was docked, Buppido hears as the party describes the situation, but Buppido blows them off and explains that he needs to work on his ship so that they can go after the beholder as soon as possible
• The party agrees that he’s better off there (since many of Buppido’s spells seemed to center around fire which wouldn’t impact a red dragonborn much – and he was right, getting after the beholder was urgent). (DM Note – Since Buppido missed this session, this was an easy way to write him out of why he wasn’t participating)
• Adrian explains to Isabella he will leave Ms. Claws to protect her
• By this time, it’s 6pm (had Adrian roll a 1d4 to add to the previous 2pm, and he rolled a 4)
• Adrian realizes they need to move quickly; and explains they will need to take Ms. Claws after all, and he explains that Kraun’s men will keep watch over her (Sephrenia sighs that Adrian is trusting Kraun’s men to take care of them)
• Don summons up a blue drake next to Ms. Claws
  • Adrian climbs on top of Ms. Claws and helps Korra up
  • Don helps Sephrenia onto the back of the drake
• As they track Krhish’tyn Rhey through the dunes; once Don has his footprints in the ever changing sand, with this one of Don’s favored landscapes, it’s nearly impossible to lose Don now; and it’s not long before Don halts the others and points towards the dune – and they can see several sandsharks devouring what appears to be a cultist; and it becomes clear that Krhish’tyn Rhey is using the cultists as fodder for the sandsharks, the only thing that Krhish’tyn Rhey was concerned about; and it appears to have been about two hours ago
• As they keep pursing Krhish’tyn Rhey, it becomes clear he’s also using the cultists to draw the attention of sandsharks in hopes that they endless appetite would encourage them to feed on any pursers
• Just as the player’s track Krhish’tyn Rhey to a cave; they hear Elon Dusk behind them, riding his sole animatronic shouting, “Did you see all those sandsharks back there? They’re everywhere! Buppido said you guys were after a dragon.”
• “Dragonborn,” Don corrects, his tone flat
• “Well, that’s not nearly as exciting, but I am here anyway,” Elon says, sliding off his animatronic which shuts down, the battery running low. (DM Note – Elon Dusk rejoined the session right near the end…)
• A blue dragon drake – which momentarily shocks Don – as well as several cultists, attack from inside the cave and the party heads inside, fighting their way through

• Don casts Spike Growth around where the cultists are hiding, so old, dying, thorns emerge from the floor and walls, creating difficult terrain all around them
• The party makes their way through the cultists and the guard drakes; before looking up and seeing the one they’d truly been pursuing – Krhish’tyn Rhey has used the time that the cultists and the guard drake had bought him to done the armor that had been left here for him (DM Note – No one questioned where this dragonborn suddenly got armor and weapons from… which, was a story I was setting up… it wasn’t random…)
• Don stares at the dragonborn and looks at his bow and whispers, “My wrath, my fury,” which then targets the dragonborn as the bow’s sworn enemy for the day, emitting radiant glowing arrows, ready for the fight

• Though out of practice, from being a prisoner, he does mess up his first attack (Natural 1, nothing like a big bad evil, messing up their first attack with a Critical Fail…), however he follows up with a Necrotic Breath dealing significant damage (which surprises everyone, as they’d expected fire breath)
• Adrian takes the full brunt of the massive damage; and suddenly feels frightened (a vision of a green dragon – Emereth – ripping through the woods), while the Don’s drake manages to avoid its powerful effect
• During the battle, Krhish’tyn Rhey looks at Don Kanin and says, “Why would you be here with them? You should be standing with me. You should be standing with the Dragon Queen. She’s given you a gift – I see the blue drake you command – in you is the shadow and the darkness of the Dragon Queen. Turn on these people now – they’re your enemy. I know you, the Blue Dragon Rider’s former friend.” Don growls and fires a few radiant shots. Krhish’tyn Rhey shakes his head, “Your choice.” He swings twice at Don’s drake, his gaze never leaving Don’s eyes.

• Adrian looks on horrified – he tries to command the dragonborn to drop his sword, but the dragonborn laughs, “I am blessed by the Dragon Queen!” (Natural 20!)

• Elon Dusk casts Enlarge on himself and attempts to grapple the dragonborn; while grappled the dragonborn releases his breath (DM Note – I forgot to roll for the recharge and the players brought it up – so I said fine – rolled a 6, so recharge successful – and rerolled the damage and rolled even more damage! Made me laugh…)

• Elon Dusk takes the breath to the face and is bloodied
• But the party fights on, with Adrian attempting to do subduing damage near the end of the fight, but both Elon Dusk and Don Kanin do lethal damage, and in the end, it is Don’s drake that rips into Krhish’tyn Rhey‘s throat, delivering the fatal blow
• Adrian shouts about needing to subdue him to get information, but it’s already too late
• Sephrenia steps forward, asking if she should revivify Krhish’tyn Rhey
• Don shakes his head, seemingly quite determined to ensure Krhish’tyn Rhey is killed, saying there’s no need – he wasn’t going to talk
• Realizing they had no way to control Krhish’tyn Rhey, if they revivified him, they do not – and Adrian puts his enchanted blade beneath Krhish’tyn Rhey‘s throat and severs the head, and the party makes their way back to Drastor, with proof of Krhish’tyn Rhey‘s demise…

To Be Continued.