Wyverns

Propyltina 11, 1000 PC

Winter has come to Redemption and with it some unwanted attention from the denizens of Tanglewood.  A hungry group of wyverns has swept in to help themselves to the animals and folk of the town.

All forces are mustered to defend against the beasts and our heroes find they have two to deal with.

Once these two are brought down, a third wyvern crashes into the Blazing Griffon Inn where Ozimius' room is situated.  A raspy, barking sort of laughter overwhelms the sounds of the area and Gaedracis the Gnoll, head reattached, appears in the opening in the inn's wall.

It appears that the gnoll necromancer has managed to return from the dead.  However, even though he shows all signs of having entered lichdom, his body is turned to stone during the confrontation.  His soul seems to depart, but our heroes can only assume he will continue to be a problem in the future.

A couple weeks go by as the autumn weather turns towards winter. The weather is particularly wet with fog and thunderstorms in between the occasional clear day.

The couple of days before High Winter, the temperatures get quite warm and a terrific thunderstorm blows through.

Ozimius (looking at Wintersky pointedly): I hate the rain.

Nyza: Hmph, likewise.

Wintersky: I, on the other hand, love rain.

Luanes: As do I.

The next day the temperatures plummet and that first winter night sees everything freeze solid.

Sparta: It is good for the trees. They need a good drink now and then.

Ozimius (shivering): You live in a pointy tent too. Not natural.

Sparta: And, you thought it was not natural to talk to trees either.

Wintersky: You live in a square box. Talk about not natural.

Oliveryn shrugs, but his mind still wanders towards the images of dragons.

Legeand: Rain is good. It washes the soul.

Ozimius (looking at Sparta): You talked to the tree and the demons attacked.

Sparta: I did not see any demons.

Ozimius: I hate to tell you, but I told you so.

Wintersky: What demons?

Ozimius: The ones I heard.

Over a couple of days, things begin to thaw out and creatures from Tanglewood begin investigating Redemption as a food source. Namely, wyverns.

Alarms from bells and horns sound early on the fourth day of High Winter and large winged creatures can be seen from the windows of the inn.

Wintersky: Wow, would you look at that!

Ozimius: More demons?

Oliveryn looks out one of the inn's windows.

Oliveryn: Looks like we have some company.

Luanes peers out the window.

Ozimius (grinning): I like company, Oli!

Wintersky mounts up.

Legeand smacks Ozimius, "Shush with your Demons!"

Ozimius smacks Legeand back.

Oliveryn: Sometimes it gets too crowded with company.

Oliveryn thinks back to when he was all alone in this large world.

Nyza: Should we do something about them?

The creatures are obviously wyverns swooping in and out of the trees.

Oliveryn: Maybe they have some type of intelligence and I could talk them into departing.

Ozimius: I thought we were thinking about that at the moment. A vote?

Oliveryn: Or, Ozi could kill them.

Legeand: Ozi on his own to kill them? I would pay to see that.

Wintersky casts speak with animals.

Ozimius: Hey Oli, let us get one. Maybe we can still sew their wings on me.

One of the wyverns can be seen carrying a town's guardsman away.

Sparta: That does not look good.

Ozimius sighs and heads out the door toward the wyverns.

Oliveryn: I could sew their wings on you, but that does not make you fly.

Oliveryn follows Ozi.

Wintersky fires Blessed Black at the one taking hostages, but the beast is too far away and too high in the air.

Sheriff Borshae runs into the inn.

Sheriff Borshae: Greetings, folks. Will you help us out with these beasts. You should have enough time to prepare before they get too much bolder.

Sparta: Aye, time for a hunt.

Ozimius (shouting): Get back here, little dragons!

Oliveryn goes and gets Eregard.

Luanes gathers her things and summons Gaelitae.

Luanes nods to the Sheriff and walks outside.

Sparta gathers his gear and saddles up Ringo.

Legeand readys his gear and prepares his new toys.

Nyza: Wait, if we have time to prepare, let me enchant the party's swords with fire

Luanes once Gaelitae arrives, she gives the pegasus a few quick strokes.

Nyza: Well, me can do it before, but now the sword does not melt.

Sparta: That is good, I like my new sword.

Oliveryn: Watch out for there diving attack, they will try to snatch you and take off with you.

Nyza casts Burning Sword on Legeand, Oliveryn, Sparta, Luanes, and Eregard's weapons.

Wintersky casts Cat's Grace, Entropic Shield, Divine Power, Divine Favor; all shared with SnowShadow.

Luanes casts Divine Favor and Bless.

Wintersky casts Fly sharing it with SnowShadow.

Our heroes finish preparing and step out into the cold morning air as two wyverns swoop in from opposite directions.

Eregard draws his shortbow and fires putting a arrow in the wyvern's side.

Sparta casts Entangle on the tree across from the inn.

Sparta rides Ringo closer to the tree.

Luanes moves into position as Gaelitae leaps into the air and kicks at the other wyvern as it flies by.

The wyvern swoops down and grabs Legeand, attempting to fly away with him.

Ozimius

Legeand: God damn lizard bird, let go!

Ozimius contemplates letting it take Legeand, but steps up behind the grappling beast and attacks with sword and dagger.

Nyza focuses the power of her new robe and a small fire elemental materializes and sets one of the wyvern's wings on fire.

Nyza: hisses at the Fire Elemental in Ignan, telling it to burn the dragon-creatures.

T'Krosh steps up and thrusts his spear into the wyvern's shoulder.

SnowShadow leaps, helped by the Fly spell, up the tree and then pounces on the wyvern.

Wintersky rides forward to point blank range and fires an arrow from Blessed Black into the descending beast.

Oliveryn moves up and casts Fear panicking both the wyvern and a trapped Legeand.

Legeand cowers in the wyvern's grasp.

The wyvern snags Sparta off of Ringo, but Ringo's counter attack brings the beast down on top of them both.

Sparta: Take that, you damn dragon.

Eregard moves forwards and attacks!

Eregard's flaming strikes quickly bring down the other wyvern, right on top of the cowering Legeand.

Nyza: How long will that magic last, Oli?

Oliveryn: The fear?

Nyza: Yes.

Nyza: Should I dispel it or let it wear off?

Oliveryn: Only about 15 minutes or so.

Oliveryn: Maybe less.

Nyza dispels the fear from Legeand.

Nyza: Snap out of it, man!

Legeand: Gah, Next time someone casts a spell that messes with my head, I will cut your spell flinging arms off! Now get this scaly bird the hell off me!

Galitae flys around and lands back next to Luanes.

Sparta and Ringo crawl out from under the wyvern and move to the edge of the tangle tree.

Luanes gently strokes the pegasus' neck while watching the rest.

Luanes: Is it normal for such a creature to attempt to fly away with its victim?

Nyza: Oh yes. It want to take its meal home to eat, methinks.

Sparta: Lookout, here comes another one.

As our heroes gather and check out injuries another wyvern swoops in from behind the inn, but crashes into it.

Legeand: Grabbing his dropped sword and gumbling unhappily he readys himself again.

Luanes eyes widen.

Nyza: Heeey! You better not have hit my room!!

Ozimius: Get its wings!

Luanes: Was anyone inside the inn?

Oliveryn wonders which side his room was on.

Oliveryn: I always wanted a wyvern mount.

Ozimius: But do not break them!

Ozimius grins.

The room that the wyvern has appeared to crash into is Ozimius' room.

Oliveryn: Albeit, it be a little clumsy.

Luanes: Does anyone know if the inn was empty?

Luanes looks worriedly at the inn.

Legeand: Oh, it was probably full, knowing our cursed luck.

Sparta: Ozi, If it is that bad at flying, I do not know if you want its wings.

T'Krosh: They should have been fighting outside instead of hiding then.

Luanes: I should go in and see if anyone needs healing.

Ozimius: If it hit my room, I will eat its liver!

Sparta: Dragon liver flambe', sounds scrumptious.

A hacking, barking sort of laughter covers the other sounds of yelling and crying around the area.

Oliveryn looks around quizzically.

Luanes looks for the source of the laughter.

Nyza moves to investigate as well.

From the gaping hole in the inn appears Gaedracis the Gnoll, head reattached.

Ozimius: My head!

Nyza: Ahh! The necromancer is back!

Ozimius: Give me back my head!

Gaedracis Zuodeyja: I thank you so much for securing my head, Master Khan.

Luanes holds her sword in front of her defensively.

Ozimius: I will secure it again!

Ozimius: I will enjoy killing you again!

Legeand: You really need to dispose of those.

Wintersky raises Blessed Black.

Luanes: You know this...gnoll?

Ozimius: They are mine, Legeand. I will do what I want with them.

T'Krosh: What...are you doing riding a wyvern, gnoll?

Sparta: He was part of a clan of bandits that killed my brother.

The eye sockets on the skull are burning.

Sparta: Elroy will be avenged again.

Sparta readies his bow.

Nyza: He also personally led a contingent of bandits against Sparta's hometown.

Luanes looks intently at the gnoll for a moment.

Oliveryn starts playing some music to "enlighten" the mood.

Gaedracis Zuodeyja: I have come to take recover my...head.

Wintersky: Ozi, get out of the way of the storm.

Gaedracis Zuodeyja: It is hard to steer without eyes.

Wintersky begins casting holy storm.

Luanes steps forward, holding her sword up to him.

Ozimius runs into the hole to escape the rain.

Luanes: I see. So you are surrendering...very wise decision.

Ozimius: Do not talk him to death! Get my head back!

Eregard moves, pulls out his bow and fires. The arrow strikes the gnoll, but the damage heals immediately.

Gaedracis Zuodeyja looks down upon Luanes and points a finger at her, firing a ray of crackling black energy.

The ray strikes Luanes and she pales and whithers.

Sparta fires his arrows at the Gaedracis, but they do no damage to him.

Luanes attempts to turn undead, even in her weakened state.

Gaedracis Zuodeyja chuckling, "Your feeble powers have no effect on me."

Gaedracis Zuodeyja : Aaaaahhh!!!!

Gaelitae appears to cause the creature damage as she flies by.

Eregard: I say let us just let Nyza burn him to the ground and see how much effect that does on him after he cannot speak anymore.

Legeand: And, ignite the inn? Are you mad?

Ozimius tries to sneak into this room the catch Gaedracis off guard. Imhiakaam's Gift hits its mark, but does no damage.

Eregard shrugs.

Nyza: Nyza have something else in mind. Besides, my things are in there still.

Nyza moves up and watches the gnoll carefully, readying to counter his spellcasting.

T'Krosh strides to the wall of the inn and with a quick-casting spell, is lifted up to the gnoll's level by a gust of wind.

T'Krosh: We will see whose power is stronger, mage!

Gaedracis Zuodeyja: Aaaarrrrgggg!!!!!

Wintersky flies up to the hole. Using heroes strike, she hits with the heavy mace.

Bones crack under the strike and Gaedracis groans.

SnowShadow flies up and pounces.

Oliveryn summons a celestial bagger.

Legeand fire a flaming arrow from his new bow and strikes the gnoll mage.

Eregard runs forward and makes an amazing jump up into the hole and thrusts at Gaedracis, but misses.

Gaedracis Zuodeyja reaches out to touch T'Krosh.

T'Krosh is burned by the gnoll's touch, but not otherwise effected.

Sparta rides Ringo up to the Inn

Sparta casts Summon Nature's Ally II, calling forth another fire elemental.

Luanes reaches into her backpack and withdraws a flask.

Ozimius stares Gaedricas in the eye.

Gaedracis, due to an unsual combination of spells and circumstances, turns to stone.

Ozimius grins.

Ozimius: Now I get your head AGAIN!

Nyza: Huzzah!...What just happened?

Ozimius chuckles.

Ozimius begins to try to break off his head again.

Wintersky: Ozi just turned him to stone.

Ozimius winks at Wintersky.

A cold chill, colder than the winter air fills the room.

T'Krosh: Shivering, T'Krosh makes for the exit.

Ozimius: I claim the head!

Wintersky: Can I knock his block off with the mace?

Ozimius: Can you do that?

Ozimius: Without breaking it?

Wintersky: I can try.

T'Krosh: What kind of undead is this?

Ozimius grins.

Ozimius: It is the stone kind of undead.

T'Krosh: Before you go killing it again, ask yourself why it came back from the dead before?

Relative warmth returns to the room.

Ozimius: Please try to get his head off, Wintersky.

Ozimius: He stole my trophy.

Wintersky takes a mighty swing.

Luanes puts her sword into the ground and leans on it, slightly, obviously winded.

Oliveryn walks up.

Sparta: Luanes, you OK?

Oliveryn: I can ram it with this ring I have. Maybe that would crush it.

Ozimius: Oli, we do not want to break it, just get the head off. I want that back.

The head flies off, through the hole in the wall and on to the ground below just missing Oliveryn.

Ozimius grins and runs after the head.

Oliveryn: Watch it!

Ozimius: Thank you, Wintersky!

Legeand: He has got a good head on his shoulders...or rather had.

Sparta: I do not know Legeand, he looks as dumb as a box of rocks to me.

Wintersky: If that was a lich, is he back in his phylactery?

Sparta: Can we track him down?

Sparta: I need to be avenged on Elroy's killers.

Wintersky: Re-avenged.

Sparta: Aye, I will take my vengeance any way I can.

Ozimius tucks the head under his arm and whistles happily.

Wintersky: We have not seen the last of this fellow.

Ozimius: As long as he does not steal my head again.

Ozimius grins.

Sparta: I think once word gets around, nobody will be trying to steal your head ever again

Wintersky: Apparently, he was quite attached to it.

Ozimius grins at Wintersky and Sparta.

T'Krosh prays to "Steelscale" for the power to heal himself.

Wintersky: Oh my, Lady Luanes, perhaps I can be of some service to you?

Luanes: I hope so...

Legeand: Just do not get ahead of yourselves. There are lots more heads to collect and ties to severe.

Luanes leans on her sword, looking rather pale.

Ozimius: What is wrong with Luanes? She looks sickly.

Wintersky: Hopefully there is a bit of an intermission in the martial arena.

Sparta: I do not see anymore of those beasties.

T'Krosh: The gnoll struck her with some form of necromancy spell.

Ozimius: Hmmm. The humane thing would be to put her out of her misery. Unless someone can help her.

T'Krosh: Nonsense, she will be fine in a few hours.

Ozimius shrugs.

Ozimius: If you say so.

Legeand: If you try, Ozi, I will put you out of yours.

Wintersky: Ozi come over here and let me smack you!

Oliveryn: So is she OK?

Ozimius looks at Legeand.

Sparta: Just rain on him.

Ozimius: Your threats are getting old.

T'Krosh: If being unbearably weak for the rest of the day is "OK," then yes, she is.

Luanes: I will not be very useful like this.

Oliveryn: But she will get better, it is not permanent.

Sparta: Let us at least get you inside.

Wintersky: Lady Luanes come sit and let me prepare, the exact spell is not important.

Sparta: Maybe a little food will help.

Ozimius: The kobold says you will be ok, you will be ok.

Wintersky: Outside is better for me to work, Sparta.

Nyza: Sorry Luanes... my magic cannot help... feel better until then, 'kay?

Luanes forces a smile for Nyza.

Oliveryn: So Nyza, I have a ring I got long ago, but never found out what it was...could you help me?

Sparta looks sheepish.

Wintersky sets up her ritual circle.

Nyza: Gladly, after we are done with the wyverns and the undead.

Wintersky: Come sit or kneel here.

Ozimius hands Luanes a potion of Cure Light Wounds. "Will this help?"

Wintersky goes over to Luanes and tries to lead her to the ritual circle.

Luanes comes to Wintersky and kneels.

Wintersky casts Restoration.

Legeand: Gritting his teeth, Legeand goes to his room, not much in the mood to watch the healing.

Wintersky chants and shakes rattles to chase the black energy out of Luanes.

Luanes exhales, looking up at Wintersky with gratitude.

Luanes: Thank you.

Wintersky: There, that should feel a bit better, now maybe Sparta's idea of food is in order.

A final distant roar from a wyvern can be heard in the distance as the last one is slain by a unit of White Blades that has been hunting the beasts.

Ozimius: I hope they saved the wings.

Ozimius looks longingly off into the distance.

Sparta: You could get a nice pair of wingtip shoes from the one that Ringo slew.

Wintersky: Hey, Ozi, I like the natural addition to your room, but is it not cold with such a big smoke hole?

Ozimius chuckles.

Ozimius: Yea, it will be cold in here tonight.

Sheriff Borshae returns and looks over the damage to the inn.

Ozimius: Not my fault, Sheriff!

Wintersky: You can stay at my place if you promise not to annoy SnowShadow.

Sheriff Borshae: Is everyone alright?

Ozimius: Thank you, Wintersky.

T'Krosh: Everyone who matters.

Nyza glares at T'Krosh.

Sheriff Borshae: We will get someone working on repairing this right away. Until it is repaired, Queen's Inn has rooms open.

Ozimius: Please do. I will stay with Wintersky for now, but I would like my room back so I can put up my trophies again.

Wintersky: Any idea where the beasts came from, Sheriff?

Luanes remains seated, listening to the group.

Wintersky: Hey, Sparta, are wyverns good to eat?

Sparta: Only if you smoke them properly.

Sheriff Borshae: When the weather is odd, like it has been, food supplies in Tanglewood get disrupted.

Sheriff Borshae: This happens every decade or so.

Sparta: The heart & liver are probably the best parts.

Sparta: The rest is rather tough and stringy.

Sheriff Borshae: Last time, there was a lot more damage.

Wintersky: A chew toy for Ringo and SnowShadow.

Sparta: Yep, the bones will be good for them.

Nyza: Will more come, do you think?

Sheriff Borshae: Probably not. They are not bright beasts, but they know enough that the ones that hunted here did not survive.

Ozimius: I wonder if they can be trained as riding beasts?

Sheriff Borshae: Only by masters.

Nyza: Me would not want to be along the roads with the beasts flying around, hungry. If you have patrols out, you should recall them.

Ozimius perks up.

Nyza: And, assign extra guards for the food that is shipped from Rebelton.

Ozimius: Masters?

Sparta: You might be able to get a few good bow strings from their gut, if we can cure it properly.

Sheriff Borshae: We do not patrol outside the walls in the winter, so we should be alright there.

Sheriff Borshae: Beast training masters.

Wintersky: Ozi, stop it. You are drooling.

Ozimius: You know anyone like that?

Ozimius winks at Wintersky, "I cannot help it!"

Sheriff Borshae: There maybe someone in Troll's Bridge, certainly in "The City."

Ozimius (whispers to Wintersky): They can FLY!

Wintersky: I know a few beast training masters among the Tetons.

Ozimius: Thank you, sheriff. I will have to remember that.

Ozimius: You do?

Wintersky: Of course I do. Who do you think trained Cinder so well.

Ozimius: Maybe you can take me to one someday?

Wintersky: Yes, if you promise to behave.

Wyvern