Date: 7/7/05

XP Awarded: 1,650 (to 8th level characters), 1,200 (to 9th level characters)

Start: The Silverwood, late Eleasis

After setting up camp near the top of a shallow ravine, the adventurers pass a restful night under the dark, wet trees of the Silverwood. Setting off the next morning towards Everlund, the group descends some steep hills into the valley of the Rauvin river. As the party moves closer to the edge of the wood, they see several ruins that appear to be the remains of woodcutters dwellings. As Iax leads the party through a swampy clearing containing the collapsing remains of a rotting hut, a large green dragon stalks from hiding directly into their path wearing a wickedly toothy smile.

Theodar wastes no time in charging forward into battle as Iax drinks a potion that enlarges him into a giant. Fei moves to gain cover from a large fallen tree and uses powerful magic to try to incapacitate the beast, but the dragon shakes off the magic. As the dragon lunges forward to tear at Iax with his terrible bite, a second dragon pounces on Fei from behind the large log he is near. Celowin fires an enchanted arrow which turns into an eagle as it streaks toward the dragon, but its powerful claws cannot get past the dragon’s rock-hard scales. Vladek, flying invisibly above the party, hits the dragon with a powerful blast of eldritch energy that disrupts his invisibility. Having positioned himself for a charge, Theodar urges his mount forward and strikes a severe blow against the first dragon with his lance. Threatened by the dragon looming over him, Fei uses a teleportation spell to move himself and his mount to safety behind Celowin. Iax steps up to the wounded dragon and hits it several times with Fellstone, injuring it further. The beast desperately backs off and a gout of poisonous gas bellows from its mouth, enveloping Iax and Theodar. The second dragon, surprised by Vladek’s appearance and enraged by Fei’s escape, leaps into the air to snatch Vladek and dives into a shallow pond near Celowin, holding Vladek underwater. Celowin strikes the dragon with a hail of arrows from his bow, but Vladek cannot escape the dragon’s grip. Wheeling his mount, Theodar charges up through the trees into the mire and attempts to strike the submerged dragon with his lance, but the thick spray of stinking mud thrown up by his horse foils his aim. Fei uses his magic to enhance the warriors’ attacks, and Iax steps up to the dragon and hits it again, almost killing it. Having had enough, the dragon speeds into the woods, seeking to escape the enraged barbarian, but Celowin brings it down with a well-placed arrow as it flees through the forest. The dragon holding Vladek underwater shifts his grip to blast the nearby warriors and Fei with another cloud of poisonous gas, critically wounding Fei who falls off his mount. Vladek takes advantage of the dragon’s distraction to wriggle out of his grip and shoot straight up into the sky above the battle. With a powerful overhead swing, Theodar hews into the dragon’s neck with his sword, nearly hewing it off and killing the beast.

The party waits for Iax to hack the dragon’s head the rest of the way off and then quickly leaves the area, worried that a parent of the young dragons may be nearby. A few hours later, the party leaves the Silverwood safely. After several hours of travel through empty, rolling hills filled with the old stumps of ancient trees, the group reaches Everlund just as the gates are closing for the night.

The adventurers head straight to the Battered Hat for rooms, where Iax causes much excitement when he carries the severed dragon head over his shoulder into the common room. Vladek immediately slips off for a hot bath, a fine bottle of wine, and a new set of clothes, while Theodar sends a messenger to let the merchant lord Zosker Anthalar know that the party has returned to town with a report of their scouting mission. After Fei retires for the night, Celowin takes a seat in a dark corner of the room away from the commotion, but as Iax retells the story of the battle over and over, he keeps pointing to Celowin as a dragonslayer, foiling his attempt to keep a low profile. As the night wears on, the inn gets more and more crowded as the word spreads through town that an adventuring company of dragonslayers are in the Battered Hat.

The next day the still-filthy Iax takes his newly famous dragon head to a local taxidermist and pays him a large sum of money to fix it up for him. Meanwhile, the rest of the group pays a visit to Zosker’s manor, where the rotund Amnian merchant excitedly asks for the story of their scouting mission. When Theodar points out that there is a large gathering of giants nearby that poses a grave threat, Zosker brings in the Harper Ristan to take notes and present a report. Later, after a fine lunch, Zosker makes Theodar regale him with the tales of the party’s adventures in the Evermoors. At the end of the retelling of the party’s exploits, he mentions that there is a party in two days time at the Tumblecrown estate north of town that will be attended by many local personalities of importance, if the party is interested in making contacts.

The next two days the adventurers spend cleaning up, repairing, selling loot, and enjoying being in civilization again. Theodar pays a visit to the Keep of Vigilance and finds a priest of Tyr to present his tithe to. In return he gains the use of a magical wand of curing. Celowin meets with a half-elven bard, Dorian, who tells him a lot of information about dragons in the area. In preparation for the evening’s party, Iax gets washed up and has an ancient golden Netherese pectoral cleaned up for wear to the event.