Fantasy Dragon Heist (Completed)

[Yokai]

Bring forth the dragon scale.​

Reaching into her pack she retrieved the summoning scroll and placed it into Regongar's waiting hand. Unlike herself, the half-orc actually had experience with spells and was unlikely to trip over the pronunciation. Then she returned to her pack and brought out Zelifarn's bronze scale, hesitantly edging closer to the stone doors until she was stood beside the nimblewright.

 

[ArcticFox]

Regongar casts the spell and a real live unicorn materialises in front of the Vault door. For a moment everyone stares in awe as the majestic silver creature neighs, raising on its hind legs.

"I've never seen a unicorn before." Meloon says, his mouth wide open.

I bet its powerful. We should kill it" Amiri nods, challenge flaming in her eyes, but Meloon quickly cuts her off with a glare.

When you bring out the scale and come close enough to the large door, they start sliding open, leaving a gap in the middle. The drow walk in first, but turn and say something to the nimblewright, who nods and stays by the door, not moving inside. Regongar walks in, followed by the unicorn, who disappears the moment it steps through the gap.

"Protective spells." Regongar muses, looking around.

Amiri, Meloon, Renaer and you follow in. You find yourselves in a large stone chamber, with three huge stone pillars on either side of you. When you follow them up with your gaze, you see three crumbling bridges above you. They look very unstable. There's nothing on either side of you, but there's a stone staircase in front, leading up to the bridges. The drow elves are already making their way up.

- Follow them up.
- Examine the hall.
- Devise a plan to dispose of the drow.
- Call the nimblewright in.

 

[Yokai]

Examine the hall.
​

One final, hopeless glance was sent over Iselas' shoulder before she was stepping through the vault doors and into the towering fortress beyond. It was surprising to her how empty it appeared -- she'd half-expected to walk into a room that was overflowing with gold, and for a dragon perched atop its treasure to breathe fire upon them. Anxiety burned beneath her skin and she frowned, taking her time to examine the hall closely. The drow, she decided, could do what they liked; they weren't her responsibility. Killing the two drow elves would lead to further complications and, to be completely honest with herself, she wasn't sure whether she wanted to play anymore games with Jarlaxle.

 

[ArcticFox]

To either side of the hall stand six closed, heavy, iron doors. You try opening them, yet none will budge. The lockpicks don't work on them either. Having nothing else interesting in the hall, you proceed up the stairwell.

On the upper floor, you reach the three crumbling bridges to find one of the drow testing the nearest one. He shakes his head and speaks something to his companion.

"Those don't look very secure." Meloon says. "I doubt they would take much weight."

But there's no other way forward. Each of the three bridges leads to a different adamantine door, all of them closed. The middle bridge has a gap about partway through, while the others are whole, but not solid.

- Go across the left one.
- Jump across the middle one.
- Go across the right one.
- Send someone of the party across.
- Search the area (roll for perception check).

 

[Yokai]

Jump across the middle one.
​

"I can go first since I'm the lightest," Iselas assured Meloon, casting a critical eye over her three options. While the middle bridge was missing a section it looked to be the most sturdy of the three, which was why she decided to edge closer to examine the exact length of the jump. She couldn't just think of herself in this situation, all of them had to make it across.

 

[ArcticFox]

You got for a running jump and clear the gap with ease. Some dust raises and pebbles fall down to the lower level, but the bridge stays upright. You make it to the adamantine door on the other side. They are engraved with runes just as the entrance to the Vault was. They open with the lightest push, however and you walk into a small room.

Four suits of rusted plate armour sans helmets, sized for a dwarf, stand in the corners of this room. Each suit is draped in cobwebs. Dwarvish runes are carved into the far wall. You don't know the language, but perhaps someone in the party does. There is a dwarven statue next to the inscription, some sort of a deity.

- Call one of the party to read the inscription.
- Check out the other bridges.
- Tell others to go across other bridges.

 

[Yokai]

Call one of the party to read the inscription.
​

Dwarvish runes had similarly decorated the vault's stone doors. Iselas wasn't sure whether there was an obvious thread or connection between the two, but she was trying to be thorough. Stepping outside of the small room she ventured back towards the middle bridge; she'd need to check the safety of the other two eventually.

"Hey! Can any of you read ancient dwarven runes?" She called back across.

 

[ArcticFox]

When you walk out to call your companions, you notice that one of the drow had walked across the bridge on your right and is snooping around the room on the other side. The other drow, Krebbyg, looks at you and says, "I do." But he doesn't move toward you.

"I do too." Meloon adds, immediately walking up to the bridge and preparing to jump across.

- Let Meloon cross.
- Call Krebbyg across.

 

[Yokai]

Call Krebbyg across.
​

Obvious concern flickered across the half-elf's features as she judged the distance that Meloon had to cross and the stability of the bridge. She really didn't want to risk it, especially when it was such a long drop down to the bottom.

"Wait, Meloon!" Iselas called out, her mind officially made. She just hoped she stopped him from jumping in time. "You're all muscle, Mel, and I don't know how stable this bridge is." She explained, aiming for gentle before she glanced back towards the unfriendly drow elf. He had to be lighter than Meloon -- both in weight and on his feet. "It was Krebbyg, right? Can you come and read this, please?"

 

[ArcticFox]

Meloon looks at you with uncertainty, but then realises that it might be dangerous, so he steps away. Krebbyg doesn't look too eager to help out, though, but very slowly, he approaches the bridge and jumps over it, not stirring any more dust than you did.

He walkes past you into the room with dwarven armour and runes and stops in front of the statue.

"Dumathoin, dwarven god of secrets." He says, then looks past at the runes and starts translating them, slender fingers tracing the shapes. "A secret never before told will part Dumathoin's lips." Krebbyg finishes, then turns to you. "Go on, tell a secret and see if it works."

- Tell a secret (you can tell it in any language you know).
- Ask Krebbyg do leave the room first.
- Call someone else to do it.

 

[Yokai]

Tell a secret.​

Hesitation was written plain across the drow elf's features, though Iselas could not be sure whether that stemmed from his caution of the bridge collapsing or from his desire not to be helpful. Either way she was relieved when he finally crossed the bridge and entered into the dwarven room.

Quietly she hung back, listening intently as he translated the runes into Common. Apprehension followed his declaration of the God's identity and the riddle that passed through his lips. Iselas wasn't good with secrets; she tried to think of something harmless from her youth but most that she came up with were sad. Her childhood was pretty depressing, to be fair.

"...I was the one who put the toad in Amiri's bed roll." Iselas confessed after a long moment of debate, her expression faraway as she recalled the incident. Poor Regongar had faced the blame and Iselas, instead of facing Amiri's temper, had suggested that the toad might have been cold and needed a place to stay for the night.

 

[ArcticFox]

The drow raises an eyebrow at your confession, but doesn't comment. It takes a moment as your words echo around the room. And when all falsl silent, you hear a scarping noise. A hatch opens up in the floor, revealing another set of spiral stairs that descend even further down. They are partially lit, but you can't see where they end.

Krebbyg walks out of the room and calls out to his companion in Elven. The other drow quickly comes over and jumps across the bridge. The drow look eager to follow the staircase down.

- Go down.
- Explore other rooms.

 

[Yokai]

Go down.
​

Silence had awarded Iselas' heartfelt confession and for a moment she actually began to believe she'd given up her secret for nothing. When the scraping echoed around the small room she jumped slightly, peering down at the newly opened hatch in suspicion. Had she done that? Krebbyg's calling out to his companion made her feel a little anxious -- she didn't like the cornered feeling that she got around them -- but she shook it off and disregarded it as paranoia.

"Let me guess, ladies first?" Iselas huffed, her comment lacking any real bite or heat. Mainly because she was already edging her way down the staircase.

 

[ArcticFox]

When your side of the party sees the other drow approaching, they turn to follow, not eager to leave you alone with the two dark elves. Regongar takes a running jump and lands without a problem on the other side. Amiri follows, makes it over, but a small part of the stone bridge collapses underneath her feet and she stumbles backward.

"Amiri!" Meloon yells out.

Regongar is close enough to her thankfully, so he grabs her hand and manages to help her stand straight again. Amiri scowls at him as soon as she is standing on solid ground, slapping his hand away.

"You are welcome." Regongar rolls his eyes.

The gap on the bridge had gotten wider and while Meloon is a big man who would be able to clear it without a doubt, there is a risk of it crumbling beneath him. There's no other way across and none of the party has a rope in their packs.

- Tell Meloon to stay back.
- Tell him to jump and be prepared to help him.
- Tell him to jump over.

 

[Yokai]

Tell him to jump and be prepared to help him.
​

The majority of them had managed to make it across the bridge without too much fuss, but Amiri's small stumble -- and Regongar's quick save -- renewed her worries. Seeing that Meloon and Renaer were still stranded on the other side made her... anxious to say the least. Iselas paced the width of the bridge from her safe vantage point, though she saw no other way for Meloon to safely cross.

"Ah, alright. Ren, can you jump across first?" Iselas asked, looking up to the noble as she edged out onto the safer part of the bridge. She intended to act as a point of balance should more of the bridge crumble and either of them need to grab something. Hopefully she had enough strength to pull them a short distance if need be, otherwise she'd be going down with them. "Once he is across you can follow, Mel. I'll stand right here in case you need me, okay?" She assured him.

 

[ArcticFox]

"It's too far." Renaer says, looking down at the sizeable fall that might happen if he doesn't make it. "I can't jump across that." He turns to Meloon with an embarrassed expression. "You'll have to toss me."

"No problem." Meloon grins at him, then picks him up easily by the back of his tunic, not giving him any time to prepare.

Renaer lets out a very girlish scream as he is tossed through the air and Regongar cannot contain his malicious laughter. You and Amiri are there to catch him on the other side and he embraces you as he lands safely.

"I'm more of a knight in shining armour each day." Renaer chuckles, face flushed.

When Renaer makes it across, Meloon prepares for a jump. Regongar and Amiri stand there, ready to catch him. Even if you want to help, he'd just pull you down with him. The big man takes a running jump, grunting as he lands on the other side. As expected, the whole bridge begins to crumble. Amiri and Regongar catch him, but he pulls them down nevertheless. In that moment, quite unexpectedly, the two drow elves join in, pulling Amiri and Regongar back. With group effort, Meloon is hauled up and everyone's finally safe. You are free to proceed.

- Go down.

 

[Yokai]

Go down.
​

"Thank you for helping," Iselas nodded to the two drow elves once they'd all made it safely across. Again, she wasn't sure whether they were helping to be kind or helping because they'd need the entire party to face a dragon. Either way, she wasn't complaining. Though, that being said, she was mildly convinced that she was growing on them, not unlike a fungus.

"Now that we've made it safely across," She gave Meloon's arm another relieved pat. "Shall we head down?" If they survived this entire debacle she doubted that Regongar, or Amiri, would let Renaer live down that scream.

 

[ArcticFox]

"Let's get that treasure." Regongar says eagerly and he makes his way down first.

The descents takes about ten minutes, after which you all find yourselves in the heart of the Vault.

Although deep underground, this vault is lit by streams of sunlight that pour down from the ceiling, catching motes of dust in their luminous pools. Ornate columns support a thirty-foot-high vaulted ceiling, which is adorned with carvings of dwarves basking in the presence of their gods. Deep alcoves line the walls, and piled in one of them is a vast golden trove. Out of the dusty gloom steps an aged dwarf clutching a staff carved and painted to resemble a pair of entwined dragons-one red, one gold. Despite the dwarf's age, his eyes are steady and bright.

"I wasn't expecting anyone," he says plainly. "As you can see, the place is a mess. Perhaps you should come back later, after I've tidied up a bit."

- Greet the dwarf.
- Attack the dwarf.

 

[Yokai]

Greet the dwarf.​

It was strange how much craftsmanship must have gone into the creation of this vault, especially when it had been hidden away from sight for so long. Iselas had just been eyeing up that -- very shiny and pretty -- golden trove when the dwarf appeared, seemingly stepping out of nowhere, and almost gave her a heart-attack. One hand immediately plastered itself over her chest, as if afraid that her heart would leap its way out of its cage.

"A mess?" Iselas repeated incredulously, wondering what he was referring to. Now, those bridges were the real mess around here. "I'm sorry but who are you?" She asked instead, focusing back on the task at hand. Then, remembering her manners, she quickly added, "I'm Iselas, by the way. And these are my companions." A dismissive hand gestured to them with a slightly cheeky grin.

 

[ArcticFox]

"My name is Barok Clanghammer, I am the keeper of this Vault." The dwarf responds.

"You are no mere dwarf." Krebbyg says, eyebrows scowling. "There's magic in you."

"I sense it as well." Regongar adds. "You are a shapeshifter."

"That's right." Barok nods, a slight smile on his lips. He looks past the party and focuses on Renaer. "I remember you, young Neverember. You resemble your father."

"I've heard that a lot." Renaer sighs.

- Say that you've come for the gold.
- Ask Barok something.
- Attack Barok.

 

[Yokai]

Ask Barok something.​

"You are a shape-shifter and the keeper of this vault...?" Iselas repeated slowly, her eyebrows furrowed tight together as this information sank in. Something tickled at the back of her mind; it felt an awful lot like a warning or a bad omen. Her gaze flickered over the dwarf briefly, lingering on the dragon staff that he carried. "And... what exactly do you change into, Barok Clanghammer?"

 

[ArcticFox]

"Well, a dragon, of course." Barok says like it's the most obvious thing in the world.

"You are Aurinax?" Renaer asks, looking slightly doubtful. The dwarf didn't look like much, granted.

"I am, but I prefer this form. Otherwise you small things would just attack on sight, wouldn't you?" Barok smiles. "I'm a pacifist, I prefer to talk. You clearly found the keys to the Vault an discovered its secret. Are you here to take the gold? I cannot let you have it, unless you have been authorised by Dagult himself. Such is my contract."

"We are taking it." Krebbys says, gripping his gun.

"Aggression would be unwise, master drow." Barok says, though his tone is icy now, dangerous.

- Say that the money has been embezzled from the people of Waterdeep (roll for persuasion check).
- Say that you are there on Dagult's behalf (roll for deception check).
- Attack Barok.
- Let the drow elves attack Barok.

 

[Yokai]

Say that the money has been embezzled from the people of Waterdeep (rolled 10).
​

It was exactly as Iselas had feared and she shifted slightly, body posture growing defensive as her hand came to rest upon her crossbow. The threat of a battle made her nervous. Distantly she wondered whether Barok was more vulnerable in this state, though she couldn't be completely sure especially when considering that this was magic that they were dealing with. Ugh, magic. Either way she'd rather avoid a fight with a powerful shape-shifter.

"Surely, the contract would only work if this was Dagult's gold, right?" Iselas ventured carefully, attempting to sway the conversation into her own favour. Barok said he was a peace-keeper, perhaps he would care about the common good too? "But this money has been embezzled from the people of Waterdeep. It was never his to take."

 

[ArcticFox]

Barok gives you a long, hard look, as if judging your honesty. Then it looks like something in him falters and he takes a deep breath. After a moment, he speaks.

"I suspected as much. Dagult is a good friend, but he was never very honest."

"My father is a complicated man." Renaer shakes his head.

"Then, Neverember is still alive?" Meloon asks.

"Of course he is, Dagult will outlive us all." Barok says, then laughs. "Well, maybe not me." He turns around to take in the full view of the Vault brimming with gold. "You can take however much you can carry, but don't take any gems, they are my source of food."

"We'll take your staff too." Krebbys says, still holding his weapon ready.

"That's out of the question." Barok scowls.

- Make a deal with Barok and stop the elves.
- Make a deal with Barok and let the elves do as they please.
- Don't make a deal.

 

[Yokai]

Make a deal with Barok and stop the elves.
​

Dark blonde eyebrows soared in genuine surprise as Iselas' loose grip on her crossbow slackened, completely taken off-guard by how easily Barok relented. Silently she wondered whether this was a trap. Surely there was a catch? Still, Iselas wasn't going to waste the opportunity to get out of there without a fight, she didn't want to lose any of her family members for Jarlaxle. Even she wasn't that hungry for gold.

"Alright, you have a deal, Barok." Iselas agreed with an assured nod, blue eyes flickering over to the drow elves who stood at the ready. "Leave him be! If you fight him you'll find no assistance from me. You came for the gold, not for the staff." Actually, she reflected, they could have come for the staff and she wouldn't have known. Iselas softened her voice, attempting to persuade them in a gentler manner, "You're both alive, uninjured, and would have completed your mission either way. Is that not enough?"