The Lair of the Draken

cy 4883 - Febrian 21st

Morik leads the rest of the party into the cave situated on the face of the Great Drenai Ridge. Ariel’s highly tuned haragei can feel the heat, the sense of community hidden in the natural caves. Bardia Tang, the Jarik priest, feels at ease, he senses nothing of Malakar here. The cavern reaches a junction, the temperature increasing with every step. Sounds of steel on steel, the unmistakable clatter of combat, assault their ears. They move more cautiously.

Farros slips easily into the shadows as an alien Draken appears on an unknown errand. The creature bows with respect and gestures a direction they should take. Soon they are on a gallery, a walkway through a huge natural cavern beneath Drenai. On every rock and spare piece of ground sits a dragon, squat, compact and powerful tended by more of the Draken. Some are warrior-like in their appearance whilst others seem to be stablehands there to tend the great beasts and their riders.

In another chamber they come across the sounds of combat. Thirty Drenai soldiers spar hand-to-hand with Draken. At the centre of the chamber is a Darklander in the garb of a high-ranking Drenai soldier. He introduces himself as Hansho. "I am here to teach these creatures the ways of Grayhawkian combat," he says. "Go through the next chamber where the lord of the Draken awaits."

The next chamber opens out to a nursery. Hundreds of eggs – all unhatched – litter the floor tended to by female Draken and guarded by warriors. The large natural room is lit and warmed by heat stones; boulders illuminated and heated by alien magic. At every point the Draken bow respectfully to the party.

In the last chamber they see just two individuals. One is a sour-faced Drenai in the uniform of a royal guard whilst the other is a more familiar face; Zenhar, the Draken they met who led the assault on the Rosen soldiers a few days earlier.

The Drenai is called Molokai. His demeanour is aggressive and surly. Zenhar explains that he is the captain of the palace guard, responsible for the personal protection of Rufus the Invincible. "Since the king consorts with Glaennyn and the Goddess I am surplus to requirements," he says sourly. "That’s why I’m here with these dragons."

"You will be aware that the Draken – like the Glaennyn – are not from this universe. Indeed you are also probably aware that this is the last universe in existence. Many have risen and fallen under the everlasting struggle between Creation and the Unmaker. What you may not be aware of is the nature of the true powers of the universe.

"The Draken are here because we answered the call of Hamroth, mightiest of the Glaennyn Lords, and it is no coincidence that the greatest power in any universe is wielded by the dragon-kind. But this is not the case here on Grayhawk. Somehow the old ways have been lost – the guardians of dragon lore disappeared, or went into hiding, after the death of Shadazaar thousands of years ago. He was the last true dragonmaster in this universe.

"It is my belief that the cloak you carry belonged to a man named Salabrand; the keeper of Shadazaar’s secret. Your decision to bring this man to Port Allivos was the key to all this, it set in motion a spiritual path, a quest that he had to take. It mobilised the last true power of dragons on Grayhawk, until now hidden. The fact that Salabrand did not complete the journey is irrelevant. Perhaps he saw in you people a way to finish what he knew, in his heart, he was incapable of doing.

"The clasp on the cloak is the key…in fact it is one half of a item separated to protect its identity. It is what Salabrand had to unite to reveal the legacy of Shadazaar. Salabrand knew exactly where this other clasp was located and – consciously or subconsciously – led you towards it. Whilst I do not know the precise power of the legacy – or where it will lead you ultimately – I can guess that it is a crucial power that has to re-emerge if Grayhawk is to survive.

"My mount, the powerful Draconis called Nazaar, is also a seer; he can reveal futures and events long before they occur. He will show you the way – unfold the missing piece of this jigsaw…"

In another chamber sits the impressive Nazaar. Black, squat and powerful, deep penetrating eyes that bore through them, the dragon enters their minds with the ease of a Marraq. They all see the pictures simultaneously. A hidden cove off the Jandraki Coast, a small battered vessel and ten orcs squabbling over treasure. At the head of them is a half ogre half orc who struggles to keep control of his band.

"The leader is called Golloth," Zenhar tells them, "they ambushed a Malakarian priest some time ago and – unbeknown to them – are now in possession of the second clasp. The place is called Drellin’s Cove and I will provide easy transport there…if you hurry you will be there within the hour…"

There is no time for gratitude. As one the party decide to head off to Drellin’s Cove; soon they are on dragons’ back, led by another Draken who flies fast and low over the Nadir Plains and heads for the Jandraki Hills.

Drellin’s Cove is like many of the natural inlets along the coast; secluded, hidden, an ideal location for pirates or smugglers to hide or sell their wares. At the top of the cliffs overlooking the cove they peer down to where the orcs are still noisily arguing. One hundred and fifty feet down with tracks to either end of the cove where the cargo ship is moored.

Morik slips away to the west, hidden in the shadows he slips into the shallows and approaches the ship from the water. Faros remains above and loads a bullet into his sling whilst the four others; Bardia, Tamin, Ariel, and Vagran slip down to come at the orcs from the seaward side.

When Morik spits a dart into the leg of Golloth (who doesn’t even realise he’s been hit) it signals the start of the battle. Tamin launches an arrow straight into the stomach of the orc/ogre leader. It thunders home, slaying the beast instantly catapulting him over the side of the boat and into the shallow waters of the cove. Bardia casts congregation and prayer to augment their attacks.

From above Faros lets fly with a sling as his friends are rushed by the orcs on the jetty, the bullet punctures the skull of an orc on deck splattering brains and bones over Morik as the creature falls dead into the water.

As they engage Bardia casts warp wood to good effect. Spears and clubs are bent out of shape hindering the orcs’ attacks. Ariel opens the throat of another as Vagran disarms and punishes the orcs with his broadsword. It is ugly, brutal and quick. Outgunned and outsmarted it is not long before all the orcs lie dead at their feet.

Morik is already searching the caskets but finds only gold. The others join in – after sharing out the many gold pieces – but initially there is no sign of the second clasp. Down in the hold they find the dead, tortured body of the Malakarian priest. Even after opening his stomach they find nothing.

They extend the search. Eventually, as they wade through the outgoing tide, Ariel discovers a shell-like object, a perfect circle disguising itself amongst the pebbles. As soon as Morik touches it he knows they have found it. Wasting no time he places the two clasps together and after a click they form a perfect bond.

The party feel strange. The shadows, normally dark and unwelcoming, become clear; the sounds of the sea become more distinct and the smells of death and carnage fill their nostrils. But the strange sensations do not end there. Each one of them stretches out beyond the horizon, as one their spirits range outwards over the lands and seas of Grayhawk.

As one they realise that they are searching for their own mounts…their own dragons…

They decide to head south over the Jandraki Hills towards Kulland – the home that Jarik Saal gave to dragon kind on Grayhawk. At dusk their finely attuned senses hear and smell the outlaws before they see them. A band of twenty, with horses, are setting up camp for the night. The Jandraki Coast is notorious for bandits, outlaws and brigands and this is just one such band. Faros suggests it would be a good idea to steal some horses.

They hatch a plan. Morik distracts them with an incendiary from his sling and as the outlaws are scrambling to protect themselves from attack Faros cuts loose most of the horses (keeping six for the party) and half the outlaw bound away trying to catch them.

It is simplicity itself. Soon Faros leads the mounts away to the south well out of range of the scared outlaws. As a further precaution Bardia casts silence to aid their escape. Morik uses this silence to experiment with the musket he took from a fallen opponent. But the resultant shot is errant and only succeeds in blasting a hole in the ground a few yards away.

The party mount their newly-gained horses and head south over the dangerous Jandraki Hills leaving the bandits confused and scared behind them…