CHAMPIONS OF KRYNN: SKYLA

After the last adventure, the party made its way back to the outpost to report to Sir Karl.  To their dismay, they discovered that he had left to investigate some problems to the west.  But, he left them a note with the following instructions:

"My friends, I'm afraid I will be away for a few days.  In the meantime, continue searching for the Ogre base, as it is vital that we uncover what is happening there.  Also, there are rumors of trouble down south in the town of Jelek, but nothing we can confirm.  You should also investigate what is happening there.  I will see you again in a few days."

Taking a few minutes to stop into the outpost's tavern, the party discussed what their next move should be.  It occurred to them that despite their intentions to go and find the Ogre base, they actually had no idea where to start or where it might be located.  So, after a few quick drinks, they headed out to the town of Jalek, deciding that they would definitely look into the Ogres as soon as they got back.

At the town gates of Jelek, though, they were stopped by guardsmen.  They demanded to know what the party wanted, and told them:

"We've had a lot of unsavory characters passing through town lately.  The good armies have left us in the lurch and we are forced to take the law into our own hands in order to protect the citizens of the town.  All persons entering Jelek that are unknown to the guards shall be assigned an escort for the duration of their stay.  They will be restricted to the public parts of town.  The burial grounds are strictly forbidden to all strangers."

At that point, they called over the man who would be assigned to accompany the party in Jelek.

Is it my imagination, or is that Jeff Goldblum in drag?

The man introduced himself as Skyla.  He gave the party a goofy grin.  His entire aspect seemed dignified enough, until he began to talk.  At that point, the party began to question his ancestry and wondered if maybe he hadn't suffered a terrible fall on his head as a child.

He babbled on about the party going to visit a friend of his who could offer a great deal of information and items to the party.  "My friend has many objects of value for sale.  And you should see his frog collection.  It's amazing!  He even has a sword that seems to be magical.  Or, at least undead creatures seem to run in terror from it.  He also has a lot of potions for sale.  He might even have information about some things involving recent activities in the area.  Oh yeah, and his daughter is really beautiful.  C'mon!"

Skyla grabbed Janessa Waylan by the hand and began to pull her through the streets on his quest to locate the house where his friend lived.  The rest of the party quickly followed.  It was then that Tamera noticed something.

What crowd?

A shadowy figure seemed to be watching the party from the recesses of an alleyway.  The figure slipped into the crowd and disappeared before Tamera could get a bearing on where they went.

Toward the front of the party, Janessa spotted a shop dealing in magical items and pulled Skyla to a stop.  She told him that she wanted to go into the magical shop and see what they had for sale.  Skyla did not seem happy with the detour, but relented, as the rest of the party steered their way into the shop.

Is this a magical shop or the local Hooters?

Skyla waited impatiently while the party browsed the wares and bought a few scrolls.  He tried to talk the party out of the purchase, exclaiming loudly that his friend had much better scrolls at half the cost.  If only the party would follow him there, they would see that this whole shop was a waste of money.

Janessa bought the scrolls anyway, but promised that if Skyla's friend had any items of real value, she still had plenty of gold left to purchase a few things.

Eventually, the party finished shopping and headed back out into the street.  Skyla seemed distracted, looking back toward the main gates.  He shook his head and said he thought he saw something, but that it must be his imagination.  He then urged the party onward toward his friend's house, recounting what a great guy he was and how many things the party would find that they would like.

A sudden noise behind the party brought everyone to a stop.  Behind them, a large food cart had been overturned and several merchants were squabbling.  A shadowy figure darted from near the food cart and headed into the alleyway.

Skyla suddenly became very serious.  "I'll return in a few minutes.  Please continue down this road until it ends and turn left.  I'll catch up to you in a minute." With that Skyla headed back toward the direction of the food carts and disappeared into the crowd. 

The party headed down the road, following the instructions they had been given.  Sure enough, withing a few minutes, Skyla returned, giving the party a big smile.

Hard to find?  The party followed his instructions to the letter...

He apologized for having to leave so abruptly, complained about how hard the party was to find, and then urged them to continue their trip to his friend's house.  The party headed down about a block, when Skyla held up his hand and stopped them again.

He apologized again, but told the party that he had to leave again.  He promised it would be the last time and darted down a side street, leaving the party standing in the middle of the road.

The party started to question whether Skyla was all there.  It was highly possible that he was not mentally well.  He seemed to sometimes be pleasant and coherent, and other times to be completely insane.

As the party discussed this, they were suddenly surrounded by rough looking characters.  Without warning, these shady people drew weapons and charged the party.

Okay, maybe they weren't "surrounded."

Even though the party had been caught unaware, they still managed to hold off the group and defeat them rather quickly, especially given that Janessa used a Fireball spell to thin their numbers.  The crowd that had been in the streets had suddenly disappeared.

Skyla returned very quickly afterward.  He noticed the dead bodies on the ground.  "What happened here?  Well, no matter.  We are overdue to meet with my friend.  Come, let's leave the streets before someone thinks you're responsible for this mess."

He pushed the party onward around several corners until they approached a large building.  He opened the door and stepped inside, gesturing for the party to enter.  After they stepped through the door, he slammed it and locked it behind them.

Skyla turned and laughed.

Why, Jeff Goldblum, why?!!

"We have known about you group of troublemakers for quite some time.  Myrtani is not pleased with how you have been disrupting his plans.  I must leave now and tell Myrtani of our success.  My friends will deal with you."

He waved his hands.  Armed warriors, armored clerics and dark-garbed mages came out of the shadows.  As he slipped away, they fell upon the party.

The party backed against the wall and prepared to defend themselves.  Suddenly, a woman shot out of the shadows and took out one of the mages.  She came up next to the party and attacked one of the warriors.  The party didn't waste time and capitalized on the stunned reactions of the enemy.

The battle went by swiftly.  And though a few of the party members had been lightly hurt, they had come out victorious. Only Janessa Waylan had been seriously hurt and knocked unconscious, but Tamera was certain she would survive with some magical healing.

The shadowy figure has a real figure.

The woman introduced herself as Mysellia, and began to explain why she had been following the party.

"Listen, I've been following you for some time now.  That Skyla character is the leader of a faction of guards that has taken over the city.  He looks stupid, but don't let that fool you.  He knows exactly what he looks like, and he knows how to use it to his advantage."


"He takes his orders from Sir Lebaum.  Lebaum took over about a week ago.  It was slow and insidious how he did it.  No word got out at all and, initially, there was lots of business for our shops.  Everyone was happy.  Except that now he's cut off all contact with the outside.  Anyone that comes in here either joins the guards or is killed, as you almost were."


"There's another disturbing thing.  I've done some digging around and nobody has even seen this Sir Lebaum character.  Most people have never even heard of him.  There was a Knight of Solamnia of that name that was corrupted by Takhisis many, many years ago, but legend has it that he died---horribly, they say."


"I'd like to get into the graveyard and examine his office.  Are you willing to go with me?"

The party took a minute to take all this in.  After a few minutes, they decided that they would accompany Mysellia on her mission and get to the bottom of the trouble in Jelek.



NEXT TIME:  The party heads to the graveyard...

CHAMPIONS OF KRYNN: THE MISSING MESSENGER

After having received word that a group of ogres were causing trouble in the area, the party agreed to look into the problem.  First, though, they spent a night at the outpost resting and reclaiming their precious spells.  As the sun broke over the horizon, they gathered their gear and prepared to head out to find out what was going on with the ogres.

But, before the party could depart, Sir Karl approached them with an urgent matter.

Good morning, Sir Karl.  Thanks for getting straight to the point.

Sir Karl told them that a messenger that was supposed to return from an outpost to the south hadn't checked in and no one knew where he was.  Because the information being sent was important, he asked the party to delay what they were doing and head down to the outpost and report the information to the Commandant of the Southern Outpost in person.  This, he figured, would be for the best because the party had first hand knowledge of everything that was going on.

The party agreed to deal with the situation and put exploring the ogre situation on hold.  They headed out and turned southward.

A day later, they arrived at the gates of the Southern Outpost.  The guards seemed unusually edgy and demanded to know what they wanted.  The party informed them that they had been sent by Sir Karl to report on the situations up north and they relaxed a bit.  "You can never be too careful," one of them said.  "Follow me, I'll take you to see the Commandant.  He'll want to meet with you."

The party followed the guard and eventually were lead into the office of the Commandant.  He greeted them pleasantly and listened intently to what they had to say.  The conversation turned to the subject of the messenger that had gone missing.

The Commandant assured the party that it was not anything to be concerned about.  "He has been seriously ill.  The clerics are doing what they can.  No one should disturb him at this time, though.  Now, if you'll excuse me, I must get back to more pressing matters."

The Commandant curtly lead them out of the office and shut the door.  Thaddeus Durin expressed that he felt the Commandant seemed a little bit nervous when they asked about the messenger.

The party is famous.

At this point, the party began to notice that everyone on the street was paying attention to them and watching their every move.  Something odd was going on.

"I'm feeling thirsty," Tamera said.  "Perhaps we should check out the outpost tavern and see if the locals know anything."  The party agreed.  After all, taverns were a good place to hear the local rumors.  Maybe they could find out something more about the messenger's illness there.

But, as the party moved down the street, they were stopped by guardsmen.  When Lord Benjamin asked them what the problem was, the guards demanded that they leave the area, as it was off limits to outsiders.  The party quickly retreated, not wanting to start any issues.

"I've never seen an outpost locked down like this," Kavina Do'Arden pointed out.  "I mean, there aren't even any children playing in the street.  That's unusual, don't you think?"

The party agreed that it was.  They noticed a large group of guards moving toward them from the main entrance.  Lord Benjamin guided the party around the Commandant's office to the alley in the back.  They hid there until the guards passed by.

While hiding out in the alley, Wil Dhargon noticed something and called the party's attention to the wall.  A secret door had been concealed in the back of the Commandant's office building.  He suggested that the party sneak in and get some information about these weird happenings.  And possibly rummage through the valuables inside.

Better than prisoners filled with cells, I guess.

Slipping inside, the party discovered a small jail.  Hands reached through the bars of the cells inside, calling for the party's attention.  Stepping toward the bars, the party discovered that the outpost's guardsmen were inside the cells!

One of the guards recognized the party and told them the story of what had happened.

"We were captured by draconians disguised as the merchant band that comes through here every month.  When we were sleeping, they killed the guards at the gate and captured us before we had a chance to even fight.  They took our leaders to the barracks and interrogated them.  They've all got to be dead now.  Be careful!  I saw one of the draconians kill the Commandant.  As the Commandant died the draconian's shape changed and then he looked and sounded just like the Commandant."

"The draconians have captured our children and are holding them hostage.  We dare not move against them so long as they have them.  If you can kill the draconian leaders, perhaps we would have a chance."

Angrily, Lord Benjamin pulled his sword and swore that the draconians would pay for the atrocities committed with in the outpost.  He called for the rest of the party to follow him to the Commandant's office.

Whose enemy?  Yours or ours?

The party opened the door and overheard the 'Commandant' addressing some of the soldiers gathered in his office.  He mentioned something about enemies moving on the city of Sanction before realizing that the party had entered.   The fake Commandant shouted in alarm as the party rushed in to engage those inside.

As they did, the Commandant laughed.  His face twisted and the shape of his body began to change...

That's no way to hold a sword.

As the party engaged the others, he transformed fully into a draconian.  He shouted at a wizard to warn someone named Jadefang while he held the party off.  With that, the battle was engaged.

Fueled by the anger of what they had heard, the party fought hard and quickly brought the Commandant down.  He died with a gleam of hatred in his eyes as he melted into a pool of acid.  His guards fell down around him.

Janessa Waylan mentioned that the wizard had fled out the door to the east.  The party knew that the fight was just starting.  They headed off after him.

Not just evil.  Immense evil.

Once the party reached the door, however, they were overcome with a feeling of fear and dread.  Only Wil Dhargon, the kender, seemed immune to the effects.  He rushed forward and opened the door.

A blast of warm wind hit the party as they stepped outside.  A large shadow fell over them.

Why is the dragon in the barracks?

A large green dragon dropped down in front of them.  It sneered and spoke to them in a deep voice that rattled the windows.

"Welcome.  I am Jadefang.  I have been assigned to capture this hole and convince you humans that you still own it.  We did this so we could gather information and keep the southern road open.  Since you have given us a lot of useful information, I thank you."

"However, you have also discovered our secret.  That means that I have no choice but to kill you.  Alas, your meddling has brought you to this bloody end."

The large creature spread its wings and flew into the air.  As it did, guards rushed from the nearby barracks to help attack the party.

Weapons ready, the party met the attack head on.  The dragon dropped low, spewing burning acid from between his lips and burning Thaddeus Durin.  Janessa spoke loud incantations and hit the encroaching guards with a fireball.  Chaos erupted as the party was surrounded.

The battle went on for many minutes.  In the end, three members of the party managed to finish off the guards.  Kavina Do'Arden, Thaddeus Durin and Wil Dhargon had all been badly wounded and were slowly bleeding to death. 

Lord Benjamin hit the dragon with the killing blow.  As it died, it roared in defiance.  Its large frame fell to the ground with a thud.  In the distance, draconians and fake guards began to abandon the outpost.  With their strongest ally defeated, the enemy's morale had dropped.

The party had freed the Southern Outpost.  The guardsmen were freed and reunited with their children.  A few hours later, the newly elected Commandant offered the party healing and a place to rest, which they gladly accepted.

The new commandant looks like the old commandant.  What's up with that?

The Commandant thanked them for coming to the outpost's aid when they needed it.

Tamera Beldon replied:  "If Sir Karl hadn't caught us when we were leaving, we would have been somewhere else, investigating some ogres.  Come to think of it...we should probably get back to doing that..."

NEXT TIME:  The party starts looking into the ogres...maybe...

School's Out!

Whew!  School is finally done for the semester.  It was rough.  Really, really rough!  The final for Financial Accounting was so rough that I think I got bruising.  I feel like a truck ran me over.

But, now I have some free time and I will have time to resume blogging my way through Champions of Krynn (and I look forward to it).  In the meantime, if you have any interest in the CRPG that I'm programming in my free time, feel free to check out my other blog: Lands of Adventure

CHAMPIONS OF KRYNN: TESTS OF THE TOMB

Having received word from Sir Karl about magical items that might be hidden in a tomb of a fallen Solamnic Knight named Sir Dargaard, the party traveled north from the outpost in search of the tomb's hidden location.  After much searching, they were finally rewarded when they discovered the entrance to tomb.

Should I click "no?"

The party pulled the door open and headed into the tomb.  Statues of Solamnic Knights stood in the main hall.  The eyes of the statues seemed to follow the party as they entered.  A strange mist flowed across the floor and covered the ground.

Taking the lead, the Solamnic Knight in the party, Lord Benjamin, headed toward one of the hallways.  Before he could reached the hallway, however, the mist at his feet collected in front of him.  The mist formed into a spectral shape of a man with a sword.

"Know this, knight...you will face many tests in these tombs!" the spectral knight told Lord Benjamin.  "Only those true of heart will pass the tests."

No.  My life is my life.  My honor is my honor.

"You have begun the test of honor.  Remember the oath.  My honor is my life."

Lord Benjamin reached out to the knight, but the vision faded as the mists fell back to the ground.  The rest of the party came up behind him, vowing that they would accompany him on the tests.  Nodding, Lord Benjamin lead them deeper into the tomb.

Whispering voices followed the party as they headed further into the tomb.  A chill flowed in the air.  It seemed to the party almost as though the stones themselves were alive.

The mist ahead formed into the shape of a face.  A man stared out from the mist and regarded the party with judgmental eyes.  "What would you sacrifice to help those in need, knight?" the booming voice asked.  "Your money?  Your possessions?  Or your very life?  Choose now!"

Without hesitation, Lord Benjamin spoke:  "All three."

A hearty laugh filled the tomb as the spectral face grew larger.  "Brave knight, I will spare you the loss of your life and take only some of your money and possessions."  A flash of light surrounded the party as the face disappeared.

The kender, Wil Dhargon, suddenly realized that a few of his precious maps were gone.  He uttered a few words about how if knights were really honorable, they wouldn't take away his hard-earned maps.  Tamera Beldon quieted him down.

As the party continued forward, they were once again approached by a spectral figure.  Behind him, two swords hung on the wall.

If I take both, can I go backward?

The spectral figure told Lord Benjamin that he could take only one sword, and that it should be the one on the right.  Again, without hesitation, Lord Benjamin did as he was told and took the sword on the right.

The sword, as it turned out, glowed with magical power.  Indeed, the party had never seen a sword so powerful or well-designed.  It was marked by glowing runes and seemed to be constructed of the strongest metal they had ever encountered.  Was this the treasure of the tomb that the party had been sent to recover?

A vision suddenly appeared in the mists.  A man was surrounded by a pack of wild wolves.  He had nothing to defend himself with.  The wolves were about to tear him to shreds.  The spectral knight appeared again.

Once again, I am tempted to pick "no" and run.

"This man will die without a weapon.  He may die even with one.  Will you give him the sword that we gave you?" the spectral knight asked Lord Benjamin.

With a deep sigh, Lord Benjamin tossed the sword into the mists at the man who was surrounded by the wolves.  Spotting the sword, the man picked it up and went back to engage the wolves.  As he did, the mists fell apart and the vision faded.

The party were shocked.  They demanded to know what happened.

"What happened does not matter.  Whether the man lives or dies does not matter.  What matters is that you have successfully proven your honor and passed the first test.  The test of battle begins now."  With that the spectral knight disappeared.

The party pressed forward.  Thaddeus Durin suggested that they prepare their weapons.  After all, a test of battle probably involved some fighting.  There was no sense in being unprepared.

The party entered a room full of treasure.  Wil Dhargon's eyes lit up immediately.  Voices in the mists warned the party that they should touch nothing and take nothing.  Wil Dhargon pointed out that his precious maps were stolen from him, so it was fair that he take something.

I won't take nothing.  I'll take everything.

The party expressed quite forcefully how much they would appreciate it if the kender didn't touch anything at all.  And that he should keep his hands to himself at all times.  Possibly in his pockets.  Or behind his back.

As the party soon discovered, others had tried to take the treasures in the room.  A group of Draconians had been turned to stone, their faces twisted in horror as they grabbed at the treasures in the room.  From the items that the Draconians had dropped on the floor, it was obvious that they had not not been in the room for long.

Sir Karl had been right.  The Draconians knew about the tomb.

Moving quickly through the treasure rooms and keeping the kender in check, the party discovered something else...

These are some smart skeletons.

Armored skeletal knights awaited them.  One of them raised his hand, and on cue to his signal, stone rained down on the party from above.  The party was nearly buried under large stones.  Janessa Waylan was hurt badly enough that she could barely defend herself as the skeletal knights rushed forward.

The party, still reeling from the trap, managed to pull themselves together and face the skeletons head on.  Tamera attempted to repel them with the power of Mishakal, goddess of healing and restoration.  But the skeletal knights ignored the attempts of the party priestess to destroy them.

Swords and arrows did little damage to the creatures.  The magical flail that Tamera had seemed to do the best damage against them as it crushed into their brittle bones.  The battle was hard, but eventually the party prevailed.

Badly wounded, the party attempted to rest and gather their strength.  But the mists formed into horrible visions and the party were assailed by noise.  They would find no rest within the tomb it seemed.

Perhaps, if they were lucky, that was all there was to the test of battle and they would not face any additional foes.  Perhaps they had already passed the test.  Just to be safe, Tamera prayed to Mishakal for the power to heal some of the wounds in the party.  She managed to get Janessa completely healed.

Flee!  Flee!

It proved to be a good thing that she had taken the time to do so.  Because very soon thereafter, a pack of undead dragons appeared from the mists.  Lord Benjamin, knowing that in order to pass this test the party would need to fight instead of flee, rushed at them, hoping it was the right choice.

Not shown:  Another dragon!  There were four of them!

Janessa decided to immediately put her magical prowess to work by casting multiple Fireball spells.  The rest of the party fought with everything that they had.  As it happened, the dragons were not nearly as hardy as their living counterparts.  Their bones rattled to the ground quickly as the party damaged them.

A spectral knight appeared as the dragon bones faded into the mists.  "You have passed the test of battle.  Remember, a Solamnic Knight never flees and never refuses to battle evil.  You will now face the test of fear."

As the spectral knight disappeared, large rings of fire appeared in the doorway ahead.  Voices in the mists shouted at the party to flee for their lives before they were consumed by fire.  The mist even retreated from the fire.

"I am not afraid," Lord Benjamin said.  As the party watched, unsure of what to think, Lord Benjamin walked straight through the rings of fire.  The fire burned his skin and he howled in pain, but he pressed forward.  Nearly dead, he stumbled through the fire to the other side and fell to the ground.  Had he made a mistake?

These guys all look the same.

A spectral knight appeared suddenly.  He reached out with his hands and dismissed the fire.  Then, he touched Lord Benjamin on the head and healed him.  With another pass of his hands, the rest of the party was healed as well.

"I am the spirit of Sir Dargaard.  Finally, a knight of virtue has reached me.  Now receive our charge that I might rest in peace."

A magical suit of Solamnic Plate Mail armor appeared along with a glowing sword.  Lord Benjamin reached out and took them.  They seemed almost built to fit him.

"Go now, knight.  Use these items in your fight against evil.  It begins sooner than you think," Sir Dargaard's spirit said before fading back into the mists.

A sudden noise sounded behind the party.  They swirled around to find...

Oh, really?  Is that what you think is going to happen?

Kapak Draconians rushed into the room, flanked by two strange Draconians that the party had never seen.  They demanded the items from Lord Benjamin as they rushed to attack.

The party brought their weapons down upon the Draconians, reducing the Kapaks to pools of acid.  But, the remaining Draconians (which the party later learned were called Bozak) had quite a nasty surprise up their sleeves.

Winged Draconians everywhere!

Not only did the Bozaks fight harder and nastier than their Kapak cousins, their very bones exploded when they were killed.  As Thaddeus stuck his sword in one, he was suddenly enveloped in shards of flying bone fragments.  Wil Dhargon was gravely wounded by another, as he hit it with his hoopak.  Even in death, the Bozaks were dangerous!

One the Draconians were dealt with, the party quickly left the tomb and headed back to the outpost to report to Sir Karl.

Just once, I want this guy to greet the party with a "hello" instead of getting straight to business.

Sir Karl was glad to hear that the party had defeated the Draconians and recovered the items from the tomb.  He then showed them a message that was intercepted by the forces of good.  It read:  "We have contacted a traitor at the renegade ogres' base.  We can slip in unobserved and slay the renegade leaders.  If we are not successful, beware.  Our spy tells us that the renegades might try to ally with the forces of good.  Their knowledge of Kernen makes them dangerous."

Sir Karl told the party that they would need to investigate this matter.


UP NEXT:  The party follows the trail of the message

STILL HERE!

Just a quick update for those interested:  I'm still here.  As I've mentioned before on this blog, I sometimes get buried under school work, and with the end of the semester approaching, it was bound to happen.  Two large projects are coming due (one for Financial Accounting and another for Database Management).  I'm not excited about either.  Believe me, I'd rather be working on this blog!

Even still, I expect I will be able to post sometime next week.  So, until then...

CHAMPIONS OF KRYNN: STORMING GARGATH KEEP

When we last left the party, they were in search of a powerful magical item called a dragonlance.  Rumors were circulating that one could be found somewhere in Gargath Keep.  The party had fought their way to the entrance of the keep.

As they opened the doors, they found...

Who didn't see this coming?

Guards rushed to the attack.  Apparently, they didn't catch wind that the group of guards just outside the door had fled very quickly once they realized one of the members of the party could cast a mean Fireball spell.  But, it would be a lesson they would learn very quickly, as Janessa released one upon them and ended their attempt to stop the party pretty abruptly.

Realizing that the keep was several stories tall, the party started looking around for some clue as to where the dragonlance might be located.  And where the mysterious entity known as Myrtani could be located.  He seemed to be the one behind all the recent troubles, so the party was definitely interested in finding him.

During their search, the party came across a group of humans who were practicing their fighting skills against each other.

I don't think you'll find it as enjoyable as you think...but, go for it.

For some reason, the humans started laughing at the party and mocking them.

"I wouldn't be laughing too hard, with a face like that," Wil Dhargon  shouted at them.  "Besides, I've seen one-armed goblin children who had better fighting skills than you."

Angered by the kender's taunt, the humans rushed at the party.  The irritation from his words bothered them so much, they failed to notice the other members of the party surrounding them when they attempted to strangle the kender to death.  The fight was over in a heartbeat.

"They were awfully rude," Wil said, as the party left the room.

Minutes passed, as the party continued to try to find their way through the massive keep.  Eventually, they spotted a stairway going up and headed toward it.

As they reached it, they noticed a man huddled in the corner.  When they approached him, they noticed that he bore the symbols of Gargath upon his tattered clothing.  He claimed to be the Castellian of the keep.

"Thank Paladine you're here.  They've taken everything!  My poor family, my friends and retainers. Gone.  There's an Aurak who seems to be in charge.  They call him Myrtani.  He's had his minions scouring the keep.  He's looking for my dragonlance!"

So, Myrtani was an Aurak Draconian?  Perhaps the same one the party had encountered near Throtl, who disappeared in a flash of light?

Hearing this, the party directed the Castellian toward the exit, urging him to get to safety.  Once he headed down the hallway, they bounded up the stairs.

More eggs?

Up the stairs, the party found themselves in a large staging area where Baaz and Kapak Draconians were packing up Copper Dragon eggs into boxes and preparing them for transport.  Near the back of the room, an Aurak Draconian stood marveling at a large glowing lance.

The party had found Myrtani and the dragonlance!

Drawing weapons, the party headed in to attack.  But Myrtani spotted them.  He shouted at the other draconians to stop the party and headed up another flight of stairs.  The draconians turned and pushed aside the eggs to follow their leaders' order.

No one ever wants to discuss things peacefully.

A clash of steel rang through the keep as the party engaged the draconians in fierce combat.  And, even though the party was determined to get past them, the draconians were managing to do what their leader wanted: slow the party down to allow him time to escape.

The draconians fought with everything they had, but the party eventually came out victorious.  As the last of the Kapak Draconians melted into a pool of acid, Tamera Beldon shouted for everyone to give chase after Myrtani.

Making a note to return for the dragon eggs, the members of the party rushed up a spiraling stairwell, heading toward the roof of the keep.

Well....damn...

The party reached the top of the keep in time to see Myrtani lifting off and flying away on the back of a large red dragon.  His evil laugh filled the sky as he raised the dragonlance and shook it at the party.

The party didn't have time to feel sorry for themselves, though.  Myrtani had left them a gift...

I wish I had dragons following my orders.

As he flew away, he shouted into the air.  Large shadows fell over the party as three black dragons descended from the clouds and crashed down upon the roof of the keep.  With a roar, they spread their wings and charged the party.

Thaddeus Durin tried to meet the dragons during their charge, but one of the creatures stopped short and spit acid on him.  He moved aside as the acid started to eat through his armor and burn his skin.  The dragons rushed straight at the party.

Not willing to succumb to their fear, the party stood their ground and met the dragons in combat.  Perhaps it was determination or just sheer luck, but the party took two of the dragons down almost immediately.  The third stopped his charge, trying not to overestimate the party's power.

Thaddeus, who had moved during the dragon's charge, came up behind the creature and stuck a sword in it's neck.  The creature roared once, tried to shake Thaddeus off, and fell over dead.

Despite the victory, the party knew that ultimately they had lost the true battle.  Myrtani had escaped, taking the dragonlance with him.  They needed to let Sir Karl know as soon as possible.

The party headed out of the keep, grabbing the dragon eggs the draconians had left behind.  They headed south toward the outpost.

Once there, they found Sir Karl awaiting them with even more bad news...

Just once, I would like Sir Karl to greet us, tell us everything is fine, and invite us to tea.

Sir Karl told the party that the tomb of Sir Dargaard has been discovered by evil forces.  He recounted a tale about Sir Dargaard being a noble Knight of Solamnia, who had possessed an item of great power.  He used this device to defeat evil at every turn until he was betrayed and murdered.  The device was buried with him, and now it seemed as though the draconians had found out about it.

Sir Karl gave the party instructions on how to reach the tomb and urged them to go and check it out.  The party, still licking their wounds over the defeat handed to them by Myrtani, said they would do their best.

Sir Karl responded by telling them: "You will be happy to know that Caramon has contacted our elite units in Solamnia.  The Council of Knights themselves will lead them into the coming battles.  I will be certain to mention your impressive record to them when they arrive."

The party felt a little better, knowing that Sir Karl had faith in them, at least...

UP NEXT: The party travels to the tomb of Sir Dargaard.

LOOKING FOR FEEDBACK

Just a quick question:

Most of the CRPG blogs out there write about their adventures from the perspective of the player, talk about the mechanics of the game, etc.  In order to try to be different, I approached Champions of Krynn through the eyes of the adventuring party.  But, I'm not sure if it's working out.

What do you prefer?  Do you prefer straight reviews or do you enjoy reading the story as seen through the eyes of the characters in the game?