Candle in the Dark Campaign Diary - Session 5: The Slaying Stone, Pt 3

The Cast:

• Enid, half-elf cleric of Bahamut
• Nashgar, dragonborn paladin of Bahamut
• Leilua, tiefling warlock
• Corrin, halfling barbarian

The heroes spend a good long while in the small den that was occupied by the hobgoblin leader of Gorizbaad, Hu-Jat.  They rest, collect the items of worth from the vault, but do not find the Slaying Stone.   They do find the hobgoblin's journal, which dates back to their invasion of Kiris Dahn 8 years ago.  The journal has  8 years' worth of entries, most of them brief as there were few updates with any significant events until recently.  The entries from the last week show the arrival of the orcs from the Stonemarch, who entered town and began killing goblins until Hu-Jat gave over control.  The orcs claimed Gorizbaad in the name of the "Red Hand" which is presumably the tribe the orcs come from, and inform Hu-Jat that his tribe has been destroyed.  The orcs have since been searching the town for something that they would not tell Hu-Jat.  The journal has no further information past that.

Once the heroes complete their rest, they collect themselves and find Meepo the goblin.  They discuss the goblin mutants that are in the cells adjoining the lab room, trying to decide whether to leave them or put them out of their misery.  They decide to leave them for now and go deeper into the cellar finding a room with mineral water flowing through from the hot springs.  They also find a grated hole that leads down to a tunnel leading away from the manor.  They follow the tunnel all the way to a cavern, wherein lay a brass dragon named Tyristys.  Nashgar delivers to the dragon a request from the church of Bahamut requesting that all metallic dragons go to the church capital of Palanthus.  Tyristys scoffs and says he has no interest in traveling such a distance without good cause, which Nashgar could not provide as he was not given one.

The heroes inquire about the Slaying Stone and Tyristys says she has it and is keeping it safe from those who would use it for evil purposes.  The heroes say they need to take it to Lord Drysdale to safeguard his keep, but Tyristys laughs at this, believing this lord, like all others, has only his own interests in mind.  The heroes ask what it will take to get the stone from her, and the dragon responds that she has been seeking information on the whereabouts of the lair of an evil dragon called Calastryx, a so-called prophet of Tiamat who claimed to have the power to call the goddess into the mortal world to usher in a new dragon age.  Reputedly, Calastryx was cursed by a mortal wizard, which caused the dragon to fall into a magical slumber.  Tyristys wants to find that dragon's lair and kill him before his slumber ends, so she needs agents to seek out information that will reveal the location of the lair.  The only clue she has is the name of the wizard who cursed the dragon; Mage Lord Starris.  If they can provide the locatoin of the dragon's lair, then Tyristys will give them the Slaying Stone.

The heroes agreed to take the dragon's offer and they leave her lair beneath the hot springs.  The group decides to head back to the tower of Treona, but they find it is burning furiously.  The orcs responsible attack the group, putting up a good fight, but the heroes overcome them.  A message found on the orc leader has orders to find the Slaying Stone and to kill the dragon laired under the town.  The orders are signed, High Wyrmlord Azaar Kul of the Red Hand.  "All Hail God-Queen Tiamat!"

End of Session