User blog:ATK1734/The Intrepid Tales of Brazen Storm - Volume 3: The Descent into Entropy, Chapter 3

After a long night, the stalwart adventurers of Brazen Storm prepare to leave the Pirate Island. Fenrir, needing time to attune to the Abishai Captain’s sword, elected to remain within the Mansion to do so, entrusting his care to Dilista. However, he sends Cogsworth, one of his many Golems, to accompany the three in his stead.

Clambering aboard Kanopus, who is still feeling the hasted effects of Spice, the party departs at top speed reaching the southern continent much faster than expected. However, the drug begins to wear off, the lethargic aftereffects sending the Dragon and his riders into in a careening swan dive. Dilista uses Dimension Door to escape the brunt of the fall, but watches as Kanopus, Hawk, and Grimsby all crash into the sea.

Desperate to save their, rapidly sinking, Adamantine Dragon, Hawk swims to his aid (Dilista merely Dimension Dooring to his side). However, both spot a large Kaiju rising from the depths, with its gargantuan jaws open for its newest prey.

Utilizing her quick wit, Dilista Polymorphed Kanopus into the more manageable form of a cat and she and Hawk fled back to the surface. The Kaiju, angered by the flight of its meal, gave chase.

In the first real test of his Ring of Water Walking, Hawk carried Grimsby on his back, racing Dilista as she employed all the Dimension Door spells she had left at her disposal. The Tiefling and Tabaxi managed to outrun the Kaiju, but found that it too was capable of traversing land, causing them to flee into the nearby jungle. However, before the enormous sea monster could pursue them further, it was stymied by an invisible wall, one that all three of the grateful (if very confused) adventured recognized as: magic.

However, as they take a victorious breath from their escape, their victory was short lived as they soon found themselves captured by a group of Crocodilians. Though they cautiously eyed Cogsworth and Hawk, Grimsby was able to communicate with them being able to speak “the language of rats” which on Tal’Dorei translates to Goblin. After convincing them that they were not a threat, the Crocodilians brought them into the City of Yggdrasil, where they find a large, Aztec-style Pyramid adorned with an enormous Pteranodon statue.

Brazen Storm is brought to the Pyramid where they meet the Mayor and his pet Ancient Red Dragon.

The party informs the Mayor of their quest and asks if he can direct them. Looking over their map, he points out that most of the Southern Continent is covered by the desolate Black Wastes, the final battleground between Giants and Dragons 15,000 years ago. The Mayor advises them to cut through the wastes and not approach by air unless necessary lest they incur the wrath of the World Serpent. The creature that stole the Iron Mountain from the Dwarven Kingdom and allowed it to fall to the demons.

The Mayor grand the intrepid adventurer’s permission to set up their mansion in the towns abandoned Arena. However, he leaves the party with the ominous warning: all who enter the Black Wastes, never return.

As the party arrives at the arena, the door slams shut on them, trapping Brazen Storm inside. An ominous wind scares Kanopus back into consciousness, and Hawk notices spirits beginning to follow them. However, Grimsby unknowingly steps into a trap that begins to turn him into stone; saving his Gnome friend with a Lesser Restoration and fearing the spirits to be behind it, Hawk attempts to communicate with them.

However, the Tabaxi is bombarded with a cacophony of voices that cause his eyes and ears to bleed.

Dilista spots a group of skeletons (one of which is triple headed and golden) in the center of the arena and also attempts to communicate with the Spirits. Her eyes and ears also begin to bleed, but she communicates with the spirit of the golden skeleton, who reveals himself to be a Draconic/Angelic being called a Drakon (who Hawk promptly names: Goldenrod).

Goldenrod tells them that he came to the arena with a group of Elven children one thousand years ago when their city was set upon by the Skathen (or Rat People as the Crocodilians call them). They survived the battle but fell victim to their own defenses and starved to death. When the Party asks further about the Skathen, he reveals that they are not currently a threat as they engaged underground in an immense civil war and are too disorganized to be a threat. He laughs when the party inquire about the possibility of traveling to the Iron Mountain by going under the wastes through the Skathen’s tunnels and warns the party that travel by land, air, and subterranean means is futile.

Seeing the parties resolve, Goldenrod offered to Tree Stride the party directly to the mountain using one of the many acorns Grimsby had accrued. However, as he sends the party on their way, he once again warns them of the World Serpent.

Brazen Storm arrives on top of the Iron Mountain, high above the clouds where they soon find that the air is thin and are in danger of suffocation. However, a loud crash below gains their attention; Dilista controls the weather to push aside clouds, only to find the World Serpent charging towards them!

With danger before and around them, Brazen Storm finds themselves on the cusp of their most perilous predicament yet.