Armor for Ants
Ok. First thing’s first… Qhortho heads to the prick who sold him armor he couldn’t use. It doesn’t matter that it’s a well-crafted set of armor; what matters is that the merchant should have known better? Introspection is not Qhortho’s strong suit, now apparent to all those within earshot as he barges into the armorer’s establishment.
QHOR: What is this??
He throws the suit of armor on the floor.
QHOR: Armor for ants?!
The merchant is flabbergasted. He manages to stammer out a response.
MERCH: What?
QHOR: How am I expected to move in this if I can barely fit inside?!
Qhortho’s eye is drawn to his gold dragonscale armor on display. The price tag shows 5,000 gp.
QHOR: I demand you give me my armor back and we reverse the transaction!
MERCH: First, it is not too small for you. Second, all sales are final. Look, I’ll buy it back for 1,000 gold. The dragonscale armor is on sale for 5,000 gold.
QHOR: Fine… … … wait…
A mix of fluster and rage bubble to the surface.
QHOR: No!
MERCH: Ok, I’ll give you a deal at 4,500 gold. That’s better than I’d do for anyone else, this is a very nice set of armor. For instance, did you realize it’s flame resistant??
QHOR: Yes!
The merchant claps his hands together and turns away happily.
QHOR: No, not to the transaction! Of course I knew it was flame resistant! That’s MY armor!!
The merchant spins back to face Qhortho, taking a step backward.
QHOR: Look. You want me out of here and out of your face as quickly as possible. This transaction must be reversed!
MERCH: How about I buy back the armor at the full price minus a small restocking fee of 150 gold and I sell you the dragonscale for 4,000 gold?
Qhrotho attempts the mental arithmetic but gives up.
QHOR: You’re confusing me with all this math. I told you what has to happen. Now make it happen.
The merchant sighs loudly and drops his shoulders, knowing this conversation is about to get more difficult if he is going to recoup any of the value he has in this deal. He explains the value he is about to lose in easier terms, but Qhortho is not having it.
QHOR: We reverse the transaction from yesterday and I’ll give you an extra 250 gold and I’ll let you keep your nice little shop here…
The merchant holds up his hands, signaling for Qhortho to take it easy, and agrees to these terms. Sternly, the merchant continues.
MERCH: But look. I’m going to tell you right now.
Qhortho looks as if he’s had just about enough of this guy.
MERCH: You’re always welcome back!
The merchant extends his hand. Qhortho is unsure for a moment before he realizes the man’s sense of humor. Qhortho belly laughs and firmly shakes the man’s hand.
After settling up and leaving the shop, everyone meets back at the ship and prepare to set sail for the islands of Blackwater Bay.
Merling’s Spears
Before leaving port, they ask a dockhand what they might expect on the open water. They are told that the bay is reasonably calm, but to “beware of Merling’s Spears!” The Spears of the Merling King are spear-like rock formations that rise above the surface of the water, some up to a hundred feet tall. But, for every spear that breaks the surface, a dozen more lie just beneath. It is considered treacherous for any ship to sail into the spears, as the hidden monts will rip the bottom of any passing vessel.
DOCKHAND: Merling’s Spears are located across a large region of the bay, towards the southern coast. The saying goes, “Merling’s spears overlook // and form the barbs // of Massey’s Hook.” Just stay well away from them and pray to Merling that no storms sweep you in.
QARZ: I’ll not pray to Merling! But… I will pray.
They finally shove off and make their way to the closest island in the bay, Driftmark. Over the course of a few days, they pass other ships flying various sails from Westeros and beyond, but all seem to be trading vessels; no warriors or Ironborn on this side of the land thankfully.
However, the first night, they were caught off-guard by the sound of a nearby ship. It was only by the moon’s reflection that they could make out the black sails of smugglers. To their relief, the smugglers were not looking for a fight, even when slightly provoked by Qhortho. The sounds of the hull passing through the Blackwater rose then faded without a voice in response. Something about that seemed even creepier, as if a ship of ghosts were sailing the bay. By the third night, the ships passing at night, mostly in the distance, hardly register.
At dusk on the seventh day, they finally catch sight of land. The island has signs of civilization, but much of the island appears desolate. Torches begin to light the dock areas as the sun disappears over the green fields of The Reach.
After a few hours, they drop anchor and leave Rolan, still sleeping, to row towards the docking area of the low-key fishing village. They tie up to a chain of 30 or 40 other row boats. Once on land, they see just how small this village is. There is a main dirt road with some trade buildings alongside, and of course, a tavern.
They enter the tavern and all eyes are on them. Conversations stop. Tankards are paused mid-air. The minstrel’s music skips. They take it in stride and approach the barkeep.
Aran makes a judgment call on how to talk to them in these here parts.
ARAN: Howdy!
He happens to nail it.
BARKEEP: Well, howdy there pardners! You seem prepared for war. Now, we don’t want no trouble here. What can I do for you?
ARAN: We won’t cause any trouble at all. We’re just passing through.
They request some ales. The barkeep prepares the drinks and discusses the small town for a bit. Everyone there is a local. Aran tells him they are headed to the God’s Eye Lake for a job and asks what they might expect. The barkeep tells tales of hauntings, though he’s never been out there.
They move to speak of the other islands in Blackwater Bay, with the focus being Dragonmont, a smoking volcano island not worth visiting. Rumors are that it’s all fire and brimstone; some say it’s cursed. Clearly, Dragonmont is now on their short list. Other relatively nearby stops are the few towns at the tip of Massey’s Hook, common stops between Essos and Westeros.
They book rooms for the night and settle up their bill.
BARKEEP: Alright, so let’s just call the whole bill for all of you at twenty silver.
Aran flips the man a gold coin.
ARAN: You know what? I really appreciate it. You’ve been a great host.
The man stammers.
BARKEEP: Uh… I… I… Uh… Well…
ARAN: Cheers to you.
The group walks away, only having paid the man half of what he asked.
Aran returns a minute later after realizing his mistake.
ARAN: I’m sorry, I meant to flip you one of these…
Aran places a platinum coin on the bar top. The man’s eyes get wide.
BARKEEP: Thank you, sir! Thank you!
The man slides the recently-received gold coin back to Aran, who snatches it up, nods, and walks away.Unknown Sounds
The next morning, they follow their typical rituals and row out to their ship. Quickly, they check that it had not been disturbed overnight and that Rolan is still safe and sound. All is as they hoped it would be, which is to say, nothing had been disturbed overnight and Rolan is safe and sound.
They set their destination as Sharp Point, the largest town at the very tip of Massey’s Hook. They sail south by southeast across The Gullet to avoid any of Merling’s Spears. The trip takes them through to the next morning. As the sun rises, they hear a disturbance. It sounds like some sort of bear or maybe a seal?
Drawing their weapons, they search around the edge of the ship. They hear it again. Its coming from inside the ship!
They proceed cautiously down into the close quarters. Whatever it is, Rolan may be in danger. They slam through the door all at once, poring through the tiny door way, weapons trained on the only target in the room.
ROLAN: [stretching] oooo, damn, that was a great nap! What are you guys up to?
His eyes look over the party looking as if they are about to attack, yet showing no signs of distress himself.
Qhortho and Aran lower their weapons; the glowing red cloud from Qarzdaq’s hands fade.
ARAN: That was no nap, that was like 18 days ago…
ROLAN: What?! Hey, why does my asshole hurt?
ARAN: You’ll have to talk to Qhortho’s horse about that.
ROLAN: That long-faced bastard!
ARAN: He doesn’t have a long face anymore.
Even Qhortho finds this humorous.
Aran’s mind immediately shifts to his ring, where he sees the gemstone is cracked, though still holding together.
They drop anchor not far from shore and board the rowboat. The water here is a little rougher than mid-bay. Rowing into the substantial port, many banners from across the world have a presence. The town here seems to be focused on the port and merchants’ needs.
Over the course of the row, they fill in Rolan on all the details they’ve faced.
A voice is heard from the docks, “AHOY!”
ARAN: Ahoy!
Tying up in a small open area, they scramble onto the well-kept dock.
DOCKHAND: Normally the docking fee is ten gold, but, well, we don’t really get small boats like this… I’ll waive the fee.
Qhortho presses an electrum into his palm.
QHOR: Thank you for your service.
The dockhand thanks him unenthusiastically. No one likes electrum.
Massey’s Tavern
They seek out the tavern and speak with the barkeep, ordering four ales to get the conversation started.
BARKEEP: That’ll be twenty copper.
ARAN: WHAT?!
The barkeep looks confused, knowing this is a standard rate for ales across many areas in Westeros.
Aran turns to Qarzdaq.
ARAN: Pay the man.
Qarzdaq obliges.
QARZ: R’hllor provides.
They ask about the rumors of God’s Eye. The barkeep tells them about his own travels to a town of Stoney Sept. The gang acts as if they’d never heard of it. He tells them of the shadowy island out in a nearby lake. He’d told the story before but was tired of being labeled a crackpot, so he hadn’t spoken of it in quite some time. He spoke about possible Children of the Forest inhabiting it.
ARAN: I don’t believe they actually exist.
BARKEEP: I’ve never laid eyes on them myself, but I do believe they exist. There are too many specific stories out there for it to be a fairytale like grumpkins and snarks.
They inquire about any odd events in the area, but the barkeep knows of nothing strange in the neighborhood.
QARZ: What about this Dragonmont place?
BARKEEP: Well… it’s a volcano. Only active one this side of the Narrow Sea that I know of.
QARZ: Are there actual dragons there?
BARKEEP: Not that I’ve seen, but there are stories.
They recount their own stories of defeating a gold dragon.
QHOR: ’twas my blow that fell the beast!
QARZ: Well, we all got experience to show for it.
ARAN: So was it your idea then?
QHOR: It was. I am very smart. I have a very big brain. I have the best brain.
QARZ: Is that chamber pot papyrus I see?
ARAN: You do use the best words.
QHOR: Qhortho use best words.
They look at each other holding back their chuckles.
Qhortho asks about a big ugly asshole named Byff. The barkeep has no knowledge of this man.
Qarzdaq asks about a big ugly asshole not named Byff. The barkeep tells them there are plenty of those.
ARAN: Yeah, they’re an electrum-a-dozen, amirite??
They continue this line of questioning but come up with no leads.
Qarzdaq asks about the religious structures and affairs in town and learns there are small chapels of sorts dedicated to each of the major religions so that merchants from across the lands may pay respects.
Barcraft
Qarzdaq has his sights set on the Red Temple-ette nearby. Aran stops him and expresses his concern, once again, with Qarzdaq’s inability to hold back information about the Amulet from those within the church.
ARAN: Just because they share belief in the same deity, it does not mean they share the same attitudes and goals.
QARZ: I don’t think you really understand the Red Temple.
ARAN: What about Tyrone?
QARZ: He was not of the Red Temple.
ARAN: What about the person you retrieved the Amulet from? Andrea was it?
QARZ: She betrayed the Red Temple and R’hllor. She was not true of faith.
ARAN: You would have trusted her before she showed signs of betrayal.
QARZ: I would trust anyone before they betray me.
Aran scoffs at this brazen display of naivete.
ARAN: Look, I don’t know that I trust you not to share information you really shouldn’t.
Qarzdaq looks mildly annoyed.
QARZ: I already promised I would not hand it over to anyone.
ARAN: How about you not even tell those at this temple about it?
QARZ: Ok fine. I would only tell my superiors because they have the right to know. It’s unlikely one would be here though.
Aran is not exactly satisfied but drops the conversation to be picked up later.
Qhortho wants to find a street fight but decides he doesn’t even have to leave the tavern. He approaches a group of boisterous sailors at one of the tables.
QHOR: A hundred gold says I can kick your ass!
The background noise of the establishment is silenced all at once. Qhortho’s focus is on the biggest of the group. The sailor looks at him with incredulity for a moment then bursts out in laughter. He proceeds to make a derogatory Dothraki comment.
SAILOR: How stupid do you have to be to come over here and pick a fight with me with all my mates around?
The other six sailors around the table stand with aggression.
QHOR: I got friends too!
Qhortho looks back to the bar where his three well-armed allies continue to drink their ale. They make no moves to escalate the situation.
QHOR: This has nothing to do with your mates. One on one. Come on!
Qarzdaq walks over.
QARZ: I got a hundred gold that says he can take you.
ARAN: I’ll put a hundred on the Dothraki too.
The sailor leans forward, still sitting, and points at Aran who is still sitting at the bar.
SAILOR: What about you?? You got a hundred gold on this too?
ARAN: Don’t worry about him. How much gold do you have on this fight? That’s the real question!
SAILOR: Forget how much gold I have, how much gold you guys got across you??
The question comes across as a threat to roll the group and take all they have.
ARAN: I’ll tell you what guy, if you think you’re going to take anything from us, we’ll take all you guys down!
SAILOR: We’ll see about that!
Aran, knowing this is getting a little out of control and there is no need for death here, lowers his voice.
ARAN: Be careful what you wish for.
One of the sailor’s mates unsheathes his blade slightly, showing a portion of the gleaming steel. It catches Aran’s eye.
ARAN: That’s cute. Your mother give you that?
He responds softly, “watch your tongue. You don’t know the… talents… of random people in taverns…”
QHOR: We all got weapons. Mine here is Valyrian Steel. I’m not looking to involve blades here. I just don’t like your stupid face or your fucking mouth. I want to shut it up so I don’t have to hear it!
The sailor stares at Qhortho without saying a word.
Qhortho raises his arms straight out to his sides.
QHOR: Forget it guys, these pussies clearly aren’t going to fight. But it looks like they were just about to leave.
The sailor stands up and flexes a bit. His chair topples backwards and slams the floor.
SAILOR: Alright! You want a fight?! Let’s do this!
QHOR: Oh. Yeah. Ok. Let’s go.
The sailor throws a punch, which Qhortho avoids. Qhortho goes into a rage and wails on him. The sailor staggers back and spits a small amount of blood to the floor. He responds with two strikes directly to Qhortho’s face. Qhortho, almost drawing on the aggression, strikes the sailor once in the gut, then once with a massive uppercut, sending the sailor into the air and slamming to the ground.
The sailor, in a daze, picks his head up to look at Qhortho towering above him. His eyes flutter then shut. His head hits the floor with a thud.
The mates all take a step backward and look at each other. They all run out of the tavern.
Qhortho reaches for the sailor’s coin pouch. He pours it on the table, showing 13 silver and 5 copper.
ARAN: This guy never had anything he could bet… Let’s just leave it.
He looks down at the unconscious man.
ARAN: You did well. This guy’s a beast.
Qhortho pours the sailor’s ale on the man’s crotch and places the empty tankard on the table. He then replaces the chair that the sailor knocked over.
Qhortho smirks at the barkeep.
QHOR: It’s a good thing I was here to prevent this guy from causing any damage to your furniture. We’ll be going now.
Before they split up to explore the town on their own, they decide on common goals in case they get a chance to speak with anyone. They need to find out two things: 1) what can be learned about God’s Eye, and 2) strange local events that could be related to the Root of Knowledge.
Their backstory will be that some people are trying to build a small retirement community (age 35+) on the north shore of God’s Eye lake. The founders of the town hired their group to help with some strange circumstances they are facing.
They each go their own ways: Qarzdaq visits the Red Temple, Rolan visits a chapel of the Drowned God, Aran visits a Sept, and Qhortho looks for potential street fights. The idea is they will meet back up at the tavern in about an hour or two.
Qarzdaq
The Red “Temple” is really just a small vestibule with a pedestal in the center. Atop the pedestal is a fire brazier, flaming brightly. There is enough room for a handful of people. Qarzdaq enters and snaps his fingers. The coals burn brighter. He kneels before the pedestal and prays for about an hour.
Before he stands, he decides to focus the Amulet on helping to find the Root of Knowledge. For the first time since being on the open water near Oldtown, the Amulet seems to activate. It pulses for a few moments then fades. He doesn’t exactly sense where to go next, but he gets a strong sense that where they are is not where they are supposed to be.
While attempting to parse this sense and understand it, he realizes there is something nagging at him. It’s not exactly a voice; it has no sound or whisper associated with it. It’s more like an internal thought he came up with himself. “Find a dragon source.”
As he exits, he feels as if he’s been cleansed in a deep sense and feels much better-prepared for the world.
Rolan
The Drowned God “Temple” is very similar to the one dedicated to R’hllor, though in place of the brazier, the pedestal holds a large stone bowl of water. Rolan dips his fingertips in the water. To his surprise, ripples propagate across the surface that are much larger than it seemed they should be.
With all the time he had spent trying to find and understand the Kraken, he had never actually felt so connected to the Drowned God. Perhaps it was spending so much time around the Seven and suppressing any open connection to the Drowned God during his years of training. As he ponders this, the water in the bowl is becoming more chaotic, resembling something more like the open ocean. He drops to his knees, clutching the Tear of Life.
He spends the next hour praying to the Drowned God for guidance. He leaves feeling more deeply connected to his faith and to Tyrone’s trinket.
Aran
Aran visits the Sept, which is larger than the other so-called temples, due to the sheer number of followers it must accommodate. It is the only one with anyone currently visiting. Aran looks over the statues to the Father, the Mother, the Warrior, the Maiden, the Crone, the Stranger, and finally, the Smith. He spends a few minutes at each one, with twice as much time dedicated to the Smith. He leaves feeling a little better about his outlook.
Dragonmont
They reconvene at the tavern and Qarzdaq shares his thoughts. Qarzdaq mentions that he believes they should go to Dragonmont because the only other source of dragons he would know is back in Valyria. They agree and leave for the docks. They arrive back at their ship an hour before sunset and begin the voyage to Dragonmont.
They sail through the night, taking their normal shifts, and upon sunrise, they each perform their rituals. Qarzdaq’s eyes shoot open. He senses a dragon nearby. He’s not quite sure why he senses it, but the feeling is unmistakable. He approaches Aran and Rolan, who are currently piloting the ship.
QARZ: Hey guys, I have to tell you something.
ARAN: You’re right on time because we can see land up ahead.
QARZ: Ok, you’ll want to hear this…
Qhortho bursts out from below deck. They all look at him.
QHOR: Hey guys!! There’s a gold dragon nearby!! My armor told me so!!
QARZ: … yeah… I was just about to say that. I sense a dragon nearby also. I think we’re on the right path here. I didn’t know it was gold though. The metallic dragons are good creatures. They mean no harm, though their might is quite fierce. It’s the chromatic dragons, your reds, blacks, greens, et cetera that are truly the dangerous ones.
QHOR: Yeah, I sense that it’s about twenty miles directly that way.
His arm extends directly outward, all of their eyes look in that direction. It is the island up ahead. The smoky, volcano island of Dragonmont.
Aran is first to break the silence.
ARAN: Ok… so the gold ones are supposed to be good by nature, but should we roll up in there with you wearing that armor? I mean on one hand, it provides some good protection against fire. On the other hand, it is the skin of one of their deceased relatives and it might be considered an insult. I’m just saying.
After some discussion, they agree that the armor can be covered well enough with clothing. They determine the best way forward is to approach the dragon peacefully, but to be on guard. They don’t really know whether this dragon has the Root.
Approaching the island, it is covered in a steamy fog and shimmery mist. It looks to be uninhabited from this distance.
The ocean appears to have smoothed a portion of the shoreline to be a natural harbor of sorts, though the harbor does not look safe for a larger sailing ship. The jagged rocks nearby mean the rocky seas are sure to batter even the strongest of hulls. But a rowboat? Yeah, a rowboat could work.
Amidst the shimmering mist, they drop anchor and set towards the island in their trusty rowboat. Rowing through the mist is a little strange, but the beauty is breathtaking. It’s not just how it looks, there are shapes and colors within it that just capture the mind.
As they continue to row north towards the island, they can see a cave cut out of the central volcanic rock. From this distance, a pile of gold can be seen through its entrance facing to the south.
ARAN: I know where we’re supposed to be docking guys.
Out of nowhere, three large dragons, one red, two black, are flying towards the island from the east. They land in front of the cave, facing its entrance. The mist suddenly takes on forms of melting faces and apparition-like forms. None of them are attempting to attack or damage the party, but there is a sense of evil in their midst. The dragons walk towards the entrance of the cave.
Rolan lowers his head and draws upon the shadows to provide him and his allies additional cover.
The pile of gold inside the cave shifts. The gold was not gold at all. It stands to reveal itself as a huge gold dragon.
QARZ: If they are about to hurt that gold dragon, we are going to help them. I’ll tell you that right now.
No one protests. They continue to row towards the island. They know from their time at Starfall and Casterly Rock that rocky formations like this at the water’s edge tend to have caverns. They choose to approach from a back way on the island. As they sail towards a back cavern, they catch a glimpse of a rider on each of the chromatic dragons.
Caves of Obsidian
As they leave the rowboat, Qarzdaq draws upon the power of R’hllor to provide fire resistance. The volcanic island is warm to the touch. They face a cavern of glassy obsidian within the black, rocky surface of the islands exterior. A traversable portion of the islands surface might allow them to have access above the font cave entrance, but they choose to enter the obsidian cavern and make their way through.
Rolan leads the way into the dark cavern. Although there are stalagmites on the ground and stalactites on the ceiling, none of them appear to move, thankfully. They stealthily move through the cavern until they reach a larger room with treasure. If they didn’t know better, this might be some kind of vault. Perhaps this is the dragon’s stash. Without touching a thing, they make their way towards the edge of one wall and over hear a sing-songy voice ahead. It seems this cavern does connect to the southerly facing cave entrance.
Only Qhortho and Qarzdaq understand the sing-songy language of High Valyrian, but even without that knowledge, the message is clearly one of demands.
Qarzdaq conveys to the group that they are seeking the Amulet of Lightbringer. Two female voices join the conversation before they are abruptly stopped by an echoing set of growls, snorts, and roars. The group simultaneously recoil slightly.
Qarzdaq conveys to the group that he would entertain a trade to retrieve the Amulet from his stash.
The three others look at him.
QARZ: What?
ROLAN: You could understand that?
QARZ: Yeah why? I mean it was some sort of strange dialect of High Valyrian, but yeah, I understood it well enough.
Qhortho looks at him in shock and shakes his head quickly.
QHOR: That thing was not speaking in any human language I’ve ever heard.
The others now view him as if he’s got three heads.
QARZ: Ok, we’ll deal with this later. But he said his name is Da Nong. He is the keeper of the island. He said he’d do a trade this one time because the Valyrians are seeking an ancestral item. He told them that trade must be something he doesn’t currently have in his vault. He said they’ve got to leave immediately after they make the trade and they only have one shot at it. I’m paraphrasing, but that’s the gist.
The Valyrians respond.
QARZ: It sounds like they are going to give him an obisidian candle with a green flame and he’ll accept that. He emphasized that they’d better choose wisely. Guys, we gotta hide before they get in here.
They retreat deeper into the cavern and get out of sight just the Valyrian dragon rider enters the vault. He sifts through a few items and finds a pendant to his liking.
VALYRIAN: Found it!
He places down the obsidian candle in a location against the wall as if it were overseeing all the other items.
The Valyrians and the dragon have another short exchange before it sounds as if they’ve left the cave.
Qarzdaq suggests they approach the dragon, but to maintain a sense of hospitality and respect, they should leave the cavern and approach from the front cave entrance. They agree.
Meeting Da Nong
They take the rowboat to the south side of the island and cautiously walk up to the cave. Aran stands behind Qhortho to get some protection from any fire attacks headed his way.
Entering the cavern, they see the huge gold dragon before them. It is so much bigger than anything they’d ever experienced. It looks at them, detecting some level of fear in their eyes. It leans forward and roars loudly at them.
Everyone except Qarzdaq shrinks back a half step. Qarzdaq, however, hears what the dragon is saying.
DA NONG: Who dare disturbs me?!
Qarzdaq responds.
QARZ: We come in peace.
DA NONG: You understand me. You must hail from Valyria.
QARZ: Close enough. I sensed your mighty benevolence and felt compelled to meet you and, if I may, ask your aid with a small matter.
DA NONG: You come in peace and carry within you some deeper abilities. I cannot guarantee that I can or will help, but I will hear you out. I am Da Nong, the keeper of this island. What is your request?
QARZ: It is a pleasure to meet you Da Nong. We seek an item known as the Root of Knowledge. We are attempting to return it to its rightful place with its original owners going back thousands of years.
DA NONG: Hmmm… Fate just so happens to lead two separate parties to my lair seeking different ancestral items. Quite unlikely. I will entertain a trade for you this one time because you seek an ancestral item. It is clearly not yours by ancestry. Why do you seek this Root of Knowledge?
QARZ: We have been sent by the Children of the Forest out of the Isle of Faces in the God’s Eye lake.
DA NONG: I see. I sense no deception with you. However, you must trade something that I do not currently own.
Qarzdaq turns to the group, who are standing back about ten feet. They look as if they don’t even know Qarzdaq anymore.
QARZ: What?
QHOR: You were growling and snorting that whole time. You know how to speak draconic?
The look that washes over his faces tells them that he is not sure if he knows himself anymore.
QARZ: I… what?… I… Ok, we can deal with that later. We need to find out what we are willing to trade for the Root.
He goes on to explain that the dragon doesn’t even know if he has it, but that they will get one chance and they basically have to guess. They decide on the jar of murky liquid with a brain inside it.
QARZ: Da Nong, we believe we have an item worthy for trade.
He presents the jar.
DA NONG: Hmmm. I sense no higher mysteries encapsulated within this item. This will not do.
QARZ: Understood. How about this?
Qarzdaq reveals the cursed necklace from the hags.
DA NONG: Ah. Now this. I have never owned something quite like this.
QARZ: Excellent. Da Nong, if I may ask, were those not evil dragons that were here moments before we arrived?
DA NONG: By nature, yes. They have been tamed by the only men that have successfully performed such feats, the Valyrians. But although they are tamed to them, they do not have a domestic temperament.
Qarzdaq asks about how Da Nong might have come to possess the Root. He says that he gets trades from people from time to time and scavenges the coast and shipwrecks when no humans are around.
DA NONG: You may now enter my vault, but you may not… I repeat… you MAY NOT take any of my gold or any other treasure than the item you believe to be the Root of Knowledge.
QARZ: Thank you Da Nong for your grace and hospitality. We will, of course, respect your wishes. We only desire to help those who we have agreed to help. We personally, have all that we need, and hold no desire for riches the way many men do.
Da Nong appears to relax noticeably.
QARZ: Having said that, would you be willing, in an effort to aid our benevolent mission, to allow us two items? We would be willing to trade two items should it be necessary.
DA NONG: You may not. But… I appreciate you and yours for not being like so many that come here, looking to slay me or steal from my home.
Da Nong motions slightly with his head to a small far corner of the cave. Qarzdaq looks over to see a pile of ash-covered human bones.
QARZ: You have my word.
What’s in the Vault?
He turns to the group and tells them they should make the trade with the necklace and they should not make any moves that the dragon might perceive as thievery. They enter the vault and find a number of items mixed with a large pile of coins of all denominations. Presumably, they are all magical in some way. In another area of the vault, there is a pile of dark obsidian glass-like daggers, arrowheads, and spearheads. They look over the items, preparing to finalize a trade.
Qarzdaq prays on the Amulet to help guide them but gets nothing from it.
After spending a few minutes in the vault, they are hit with rushing winds from the mouth of the cave. Hasty footsteps echo through the cave. The High Valyrian voice heard earlier returns, this time angrily admonishing Da Nong.
RIDER 1: THIS IS NOT THE AMULET! I felt its presence diminish as my distance grew! I demand to retrieve my Amulet!
They hear a loud snort from the dragon that requires no translation, followed by the sound of the dragon shifting his position.
Quickly, the party acts as to finalize their trade. They drop the necklace into the pile and Qarzdaq tells Qhortho to pick up a branch that seems out of place here.
RIDER 1: What? What are you hiding back there??
Footsteps quickly approach the entrance to the vault.
QARZ: Guys, we gotta hide again! Quickly!
A loud crash outside the vault quakes the ground, causing loose obsidian to fall from the ceiling and shatter upon smashing the ground. Screeches from the three other dragons fill and reverberate within the cave, piercing their ears and leaving an oratory imprint the way a bright light leaves its mark on vision.
Peeking out around the bend, Da Nong’s large tail is blocking the way. He stopped the Valyrian from re-entering the vault and finding them.
Aran quickly quaffs a potion of fire resistance.
Da Nong’s roar in response is unshaken.
DA NONG: Our deal is complete. You chose… poorly.
A female voice, also in High Valyrian, starts.
RIDER 2: You must be hiding something you don’t want us to see. What is it??
The footsteps nearby Da Nong’s tail quickly fade as the male rider dashes towards his dragon.
RIDER 1: You, Alyndarra, get back there and retrieve our rightful possession. Daerys, you and I will handle Da Nong here.
The sound of rushing air fills their ears as the chromatic dragons take to the air.
Valyrians Rising… and Falling
The dragons begin battle. Da Nong striking them with his tail, the smaller dragons flying around and breathing fire and acid at him. The fire appears to do nothing to him, but the acid clearly has an impact. The riders shoot crossbow bolts at Da Nong, but none seem to hit their mark.
Rolan places a Hunters Mark on the red dragon and prepares to shoot anyone who approaches.
Qarzdaq forces the black dragon to become paralyzed in low flight, causing it to fall to the ground with a thud. The rider falls to the ground on her chest.
Da Nong fills the cave with the fire of a thousand suns, engulfing everyone outside the vault.
The prone rider, terrified, mounts her paralyzed dragon. She slams on the dragons back repeatedly with her fists trying to wake him. Nothing seems to work.
Qhortho sees his chance and storms out of the vault with a blood-curdling scream of the blood riders. He rushes out past the red dragon towards the paralyzed black dragon, taking a hit from the red dragon’s tail as he passes.
RED RIDER: What is this??
But Qhortho’s focus is sharp; he continues running towards his target. He jumps into the air and slashes down on the paralyzed black dragon’s neck, dealing an incredible amount of damage. He follows up with one more intense strike, severing its head from its long neck. Its green blood oozes across the floor. Qhortho breathes heavily, staring at the woman on its back. The rider is frozen in place with fear, visibly trembling.
Da Nong slams the other black dragon with his tail, smashing it into the side of the cave. More obsidian falls from the ceiling and crashes around them.
The red dragon pursues Qhortho, but he dodges all of the attacks. Rolan attempts to help Qhortho by firing a few arrows at the red dragon. The arrows strike between scales and sink deep into its skin. It screeches in response.
Something about that sound really gets to Qarzdaq. Something is pulling him to get aid for it. Fuck that.
Da Nong’s tail whips back around to the flying black dragon, but the dragon swoops below the heavy tail and darts for the exit, managing to get out of sight.
The frightened black dragon rider gets ahold of herself and jumps from the pile of dragon meat. She draws two short swords and yells as she rushes Qhortho. She manages two direct hits, but Qhortho remains unfazed.
Qarzdaq looks at the red dragon. He knows he must destroy it, but why is this one so difficult? Adrenaline pumps through his body, but ultimately his brain wins. He uses the magic of R’hllor to paralyze the red dragon. Instantly, he hates that he had to do this.
Da Nong roars with such authority that it shakes the core of the remaining Valyrians and the red dragon. They begin skulking away from the gold dragon, while still managing to fight the party. The red dragon is then smashed by yet another strike from Da Nong’s tail.
Aran seizes his opportunity. He runs toward the red dragon and slashes down with his glaive, killing it with a single blow. He follows up with a few strikes on the rider, killing him next. Continuing this momentum, he runs to Qhortho’s side and slashes the black dragon rider, bringing her close to death. Aran calls out.
ARAN: Should we keep this one alive?
Qhortho raises his blade.
QHOR: Do you yield??
She throws her swords to the ground.
VALYRIAN: I YIELD!
QHOR: Wow… that worked…
VALYRIAN: What do you want from me??
QHOR: Why are you after the Amulet?
VALYRIAN: It has been missing from our possession for a generation. It is mentioned in our most ancient texts. We must find it and return it to its place.
QHOR: What are your plans with it?
VALYRIAN: It was taken from the Temple of Volantis quite some time ago. We are seeking its return to the Temple.
QHOR: What if I told you it’s in the Temple’s control right now?
Qarzdaq sidles up.
QARZ: Thank you friends, I’ll handle this.
Aran nods, then flips his hand against Qhortho’s arm.
QHOR: Hey Qhortho, look at this over here!
The two men walk off towards the red dragon’s corpse.
QARZ: Are you a follower of the Red God?
VALYRIAN: Of course!
QARZ: Prove it.
She looks into Qarzdaq’s eyes. She does so with such intensity that her eyes change from black to a deep red color and almost appear to be made of flame themselves. A few moments later they return to black.
QARZ: I am Qarzdaq, a priest of R’hllor from the Great Temple of Volantis. I personally, retrieved the Amulet of Lightbringer.
VALYRIAN: You have it?
Aran overhears this and stomps back over.
QARZ: I won’t divulge the current location.
VALYRIAN: You have to tell me! What do you mean?
ARAN: We have to kill her now.
QARZ: We don’t have to kill her. We aren’t going to kill you. Well, I suppose that is up to Da Nong. This is his home you invaded. Suffice it to say that the person who stole the Amulet has been dealt with and it is no longer in their possession.
VALYRIAN: I see. You do realize, as a priest of R’hllor, that the Valyrians are above the Red Temple in the hierarchy of our faith. We are the strength of the Red Temple. We are the ones in direct communication with the Lord of Light through our power and kinship with dragons.
QARZ: I only respond to the hierarchy within the Temple.
VALYRIAN: The Red Temple exists at our pleasure. We are the only reason anyone can communicate with our Lord. It is our doing that R’hllor has such a great presence on the Material Plane. You know this. Whether you’ve been educated on the higher mysteries or not.
Qhortho walks over as Qarzdaq responds.
QARZ: I… I… I am very confused. I must speak with the Western Light or perhaps my superiors at the Red Temple of Volantis. I don’t recognize you as a representative of the Temple.
VALYRIAN: What I’ve been saying is that I am not a representative of the Temple. I am above the Temple. I am the channel that allows the Temple to exist at all…
Qhortho places his greatsword against her neck.
VALYRIAN: I made that steel!
QHOR: You are not in the position to be bargaining. I suggest you check that attitude.
VALYRIAN: It is our presence with R’hllor that has allowed you to contain the magic within that steel and us as humans to…
An arrow pierces her neck and she falls to her side. Qarzdaq spins around to see Rolan standing outside the vault with his bow raised.
Qarzdaq’s Conflict
Qarzdaq looks to his side and sees the dead red dragon. Its sight sickens him more than seeing the dead black dragon. He feels a deep loss from the world, but from just that one creature? He knew he had to do what was done, but there is now something missing that can’t be gotten back. It almost felt unnatural to do it harm in the first place, but having these feelings in the midst of battle was extremely confusing.
Just as it fell, Qarzdaq can remember it looking at him. Not as a target or an enemy, but more as if it were asking for help. Qarzdaq is pulled out of that mind space as Aran continuously calls out his name so he can ask Da Nong about taking the dragon hides.
Qarzdaq shakes his head and looks to Da Nong.
DA NONG: I am thankful for your aid here today. Though I could have held them off myself, your presence may deter more of these evil dragon lords from returning. Though… perhaps… they were drawn here because of you. It is no matter, but you should be careful on your travels forward. You will have a friend here, should you need it.
DA NONG: I believe you all to be pure of heart and will grant each of you an item from my vault. No trade required. You may each take one item and one item only. You may not take coin. If you are indeed pure of heart, no ill effects will befall you.
QARZ: I have two questions, if I may. Since they had already taken this item, is it ours to take?
DA NONG: It has fallen in my lair, so it becomes mine. It should be considered an item in my vault.
QARZ: Can we take the scales from these dead dragons?
DA NONG: No. You may not have the dragon bodies. Though they are evil by nature, they are still my kin. I will return them to their source through the vents leading to the heart of Dragonmont.
Qarzdaq tells the group that the dragon is allowing each of them to take one item free from the vault, but the dragon hides are off limits. Any items they pick up are the items they select. There is no returning an item once it is picked up.
QARZ: If you ask me, it’s a pretty sweet deal.
They go back into the vault and search the items.
Prizes for All
Qarzdaq looks closely at the ring and finds an engraving inside of an ancient script. He happens to know a few words of that language, but only recognizes one: dark. Or maybe darkness? Essence of dark? Something like that. Seems like a good choice.
Rolan chooses a stone chalice of sorts.
Qhortho selects an item the looks like curved spires holding a ball.
Aran picks up a book with a tree on its cover.
Qarzdaq leaves the vault first and approaches Da Nong.
QARZ: Would we be allowed to come back and trade for another item in the future?
DA NONG: Only if you seek to find an ancestral item for purposes of returning it to its rightful owner.
QARZ: I see. Well, I thank you… we all thank you…
DA NONG: If you are interested in any of the obsidian daggers, spearheads, or arrowheads, you are welcome to any of those that you need. As long as it is… what you need.
Qarzdaq relays this new information to the group and they examine the pile of dragonglass. Qhortho and Qarzdaq each take a dagger. Aran takes a spear head. Rolan takes five arrowheads.
QARZ: Da Nong, you have shown such kindness. What will become of the Valyrian’s items? Not the pendant, but what of their weaponry?
DA NONG: I will allow you to take their weapons.
Qarzdaq spins on his heels to the group.
QARZ: Hey guys! Da Nong said we’re free to take the two Valyrian Steel short swords and the two longswords!
The gather the weapons and leave Da Nong’s lair. They get to the rowboat and realize there is a pile of stuff inside. What the hell is this… As they get closer, they see it is a pile of platinum coins! With no real time to count it, they row back to their ship around the back of the island and painstakingly move the coins to the ship. Once aboard, they begin their journey back to Blackwater Crossing – and begin counting their coins.
Crossing the Blackwater
Over the next ten days, they come to realize they’ve been gifted 3,000 platinum! They arrive at the port on the mainland and tie up their ship. First stop, the local purveyor of weaponry.
MERCH: Ah! Welcome!
ARAN: Alright man, you ready to sell me that guandao?
MERCH: Eh… You got 2,000 platinum? You know the price. You leave and come back when you grow up and get that kind of coin.
ARAN: Let’s start with a couple of things you’re going to want.
Aran shows the Valyrian longswords and is offered 500 gold each. Aran laughs as if it is a joke in good fun. Aran says he’d take 3,000 gold each. The merchant laughs and says he likes Aran’s jokes too. Qarzdaq begins t spin a story of how dangerous this place is with all the dragons about and how the merchant really cannot get by without these two very fine pieces of Valyrian craftsmanship. Qarzdaq tells him to sell the guandao for 1,500 platinum and he could have both Valyrian longswords.
The merchant isn’t buying that. He offers 250 platinum for the pair. Qarzdaq and Aran tell him a tale of what they went through for these blades. It was “a” tale… not necessarily “the” tale. The merchant agrees to 400 platinum for the pair, but very reluctantly. It’s pretty clear that he never intended to sell the guandao. Still, the promise of that much gold greases his groin.
QARZ: Sometimes if you love something, you have to let it go.
MERCH: Is true, is true. This guy knows.
QHOR: Plus this thing is meant for battle. We will show it some battle.
The merchant peeks over at the Dothraki, somewhat annoyed that someone like him is even in his shop.
MERCH: Ok. I do, I do.
He turns his back to the party and reaches up to the case holding the jade guandao. He makes a very distinct motion in front of the case and it opens. The clear window in front appeared to be glass, but it has a strange glisten to it. It appears to glisten even when light is not directly shining on it. He carefully removes it from the resting place and slowly turns around with it. He reluctantly hands over the guandao.
Aran then offers his silvered glaive for sale and the purchase is made for 15 gold.
Their next stop is the magi tent.
The creepy woman invites them in.
MAGI: You cursed again?! What are you sticking your little thingies into?? Ok come on in…
The group all protests at once, but follow her anyway. They explain their need for identifying a few items they’ve recently acquired.
She identifies the branch as a Wand of Detect Magic. It has three charges and regains 1d3 charges at dawn.
The gold band with ancient writing is known as a Ring of Shadows. It provides +5 stealth, even in broad daylight.
The stone chalice is the Holy Grail of Julian. Once filled, it will remain filled with the same liquid unless it is below 5% full. Or 95% empty, depending on the type of person you are.
The book is a Book of Trees. It is… a book about trees. The wielder gains knowledge of trees. When holding this book, the user gains +10 Nature and History checks… about trees. The magic is that there is no need to read the words. It is the magic of not reading.
The twisted spire item is unknown to the magi.
MAGI: I am sorry that I cannot tell you what this is. Whatever it is, it is unique. I will not charge you for identifying this.
QARZ: Wait… you’re charging us for this??
They all laugh and pay the woman.
They leave the tent and head towards the tavern to discuss their travels back to the God’s Eye. Before they do, Aran feels the need to examine his guandao more closely behind a bush.
ROLAN: Aran…
ARAN: Yeah?
ROLAN: …be careful…
In this session, ending on Day 432 the party earned 2,500 XP each, bringing their totals to 53.5kXP. They’ve also earned the titles of Slayers of Dragons and the Defenders of Da Nong. They now have a friend on Dragonmont, should the need arise, though they may not want such a need to arise, for the need of a huge dragon to be by their side may mean their ultimate demise.