Session Seven

 From [[Garth]]'s farm in [[6th session]], the group moves SE toward the mountains with the intention of helping the dragons.  There is three days of travel and the time is spent in this way.

[[Ardour]] takes [[Friedel]] aside and discusses further magical education. [[Camillune]] attempts to find the supplies to make healing potions. As [[Lotte]] is concerned about getting potions, she helps with this. [[Kaupu]] explores the box a little further.

After three days, [[Lorrin]] recognizes that they are going to arrive at [[Stillmouth]] soon. Before they get much further, they find that people are traveling toward them and away from [[Stillmouth]]. It's still early for trading, and these people appear to be fleeing.

[[Lorrin]] stops a woman who tells them there is a monster in [[Stillmouth]]. She hasn't seen it and has no information, but is confident that it exists and fleeing before being devoured is the correct response.

The next day they meet a bard named [[Jerryd]] Premo. He is a braggart and a lech and is happy to complain about the fact that the mayor of [[Stillmouth]] had him run out of town before he could get enough info to create a saga to perform about the town and the monster. He says he saw it from a distance and that it was huge and red. He tries to claim fellow-bard status with [[Lorrin]] who is uncomfortable about it. He tells [[Lorrin]] that perhaps "he and his harem" will have better luck getting more information rather than being turned away.

[[Peltogyne]] is amused about being a harem.

They next meet a couple: a cobbler named [[Crispin]] Emlin, and his husband [[Jerrick]] (who's name the group didn't get). [[Crispin]]'s cobbler shop is just outside [[Stillmouth]] and it is his main worry. The pair cannot agree about whether or not the monster was flying, but they do agree that it was breathing fire. [[Peltogyne]] and [[Camillune]] agree to check on the shop for [[Crispin]]. [[Ardour]], [[Lorrin]], and [[Lotte]] are all willing but also happy to accept the reward that [[Crispin]] promises them should they do their best to assure the shop's safety.

The group has decided that this is a red dragon.

The next day, they arrive at [[Stillmouth]]. [[Crispin]]'s shop is locked but the lock is very basic (pull string and a swivel latch like a frontier cabin). [[Lotte]] breaks in while the others argue about the morality of breaking in.

Inside, they find that [[Crispin]] is a cobbler of some skill. His showpiece is a pair of traveling boots, but all of his footwear appears to be of better construction than is commonly available.  [[Camillune]] herds the group back outside and locks the door as they leave.

The city walls are more along the lines of the rock walls used for property lines and livestock fencing in Scotland, and there isn't a "gate" to speak of. What townsfolk remain have blocked the entrance with wagons and are refusing entry to everyone.

[[Ardour]] acts with enough surety that he is surprised that he isn't allowed entry, but eventually the guard agrees to escort the group to the mayor.

The mayor, a man named [[Burlinn]] Jerrell asks if they are connected with the other group who went to investigate the dragon. When the group expresses confusion, he tells them that the other group said they were something called "adventurers" sent by [[Quyteus]]. He gives the group a list of names:

Picti the sorc
Melgash the fighter
Rouac the dwarf healer
Ta'om the bard
Falimar the rogue
Theoc the druid

and tells them there's only one reward and they will have to sort it out with the other group who gets it or how it's divided.

[[Stillmouth]] is situated in the delta of two rivers. All the land around is swamp. The group heads into the swamp.

[[Kaupu]] and [[Lotte]] look for tracks and do find some eventually. But this isn't normal dragon tracks. These tracks have squared off edges instead of rounded like a normal animal foot.  [[Camillune]] is instantly suspicious.

They follow the tracks to a natural "runway" in the forest, perhaps 200 yards long. The dragon appears to have run the whole length of this and started flying. But the runway is only about 15 feet wide, which isn't enough space for dragon wings and there are no broken branches. [[Camillune]] is now certain that it's not a dragon because a dragon doesn't need that much of a running start to get into the air. The rest of the group agrees, based on the lack of wing space.

[[Kaupu]] finds an enormous tree and [[Lotte]] climbs it. One of the bigger branches has its moss and bark mostly ground and stripped away as though something large landed there, perched, and then launched off. In addition, she finds red lint. She gathers enough of this to make a handful and takes it back to show the group.

[[Ardour]], who spent the most time inspecting [[Crispin]]'s showpiece boots should recognize the lint as bits of leather, but his roll is a four.

[[Kaupu]] finds that other trees have similar marks and this continues the trail. The trail ends at a small lagoon, perhaps 60 feet across and ringed with trees.

After some debate, the group enters the lagoon and finds it shallow enough that they're wading. Once they are all in the water, a hedge of thorns grows suddenly between the trees and makes the lagoon inescapable.

And out of the middle of the lagoon, an enormous clockwork dragon covered in red leather to give it the appearance of a red dragon rises and prepares to attack.