The Dragon Coins

The Dragon Coins

By Henry Swinebottle

Circa 357YL

The creation of the Dragon coins remains shrouded in mystery, mainly due to the confiscation of all records prior to the arrival of the Invaders by the Lewisian Emperor in YL 30.  Scholars of the Coins must either study at the University and ply a senior administrator for access to forbidden records (and are thus sworn to secrecy ever after, making publishing such an account an impossibility), comb the countryside for ancient Elvish texts that slipped through Lewisian fingers during the purge, or speculate endlessly over the few crumbs of knowledge available to us regarding the coins. 

What is known is this:  There are 10 coins, of which 8 can be vaguely accounted for.  There are five coins with a representation of a chromatic dragon (red, black, blue, white, green) and five coins with the representation of a metallic dragon (silver, brass, bronze, copper, gold).  Each of the coins enables the user the one time service of an Elder dragon from the Mountains East of the Empire.  Each of the coins bears a portion of the true name of one of two dragons on it.  The Werbergians, when they came to the Empire in search of asylum in the year 260 YL, had 4 such coins with them (all metallic), the fifth of which they used to gain safe passage through the Pass of Bones, which is guarded by the two dragons named on the coins.  One of the remaining 4 coins held by the Werbergians was given to the Emperor (who in turn gave it to the University where it has remained for study for the last 100 years) as a gift of gratitude for letting them settle in the desert south of the Wild Plains.  One of the coins was stolen from the Grand Abbot by the Poison Clan, and its whereabouts are unknown.  Two of the coins are still held by the Grand Abbot.  Four of the coins are held by a wicked red dragon called Bonescraper in its hoard high in the mountains somewhere south of the Pass of Bones.  One of the coins is held by a dragon known as the Silverking in the Hammer Mountains North of the Pass.  Ownership of a coin allows one safe personal passage through the Pass and immunity to attacks from dragons, but for anyone else to pass with you, you must invoke the power of the coin.

Therein ends all known information about the coins.  The rest is rumor and speculation.  The Poison Clan was thought to have absconded with the stolen coin and settled somewhere in the west near the Imperial city of Feidvale.  The final coin is believed to be in the possession of a devotee of the demon prince Pazuzu, prince of evil winged animals, somewhere in a mountain fortress inaccessible from the ground. 

Once a coin is used, it reputedly returns to the possession of either the Silverking or Bonescraper.  The five metallic coins each have printed on them a fragment of Bonescraper’s true name, while the five chromatic coins have fragments of the Silverking’s name on them.  Legend has it that the coins were created by the Silverking over a millennia ago to prevent a war between good and evil dragons that would destroy the known world.  Bonescraper only agreed because his five coins were to be given to a wicked Emperor in the East who reputedly used one of the coins to have the ancient red dragon light his samovar for tea.  Bonescraper knew the evil and greedy emperor would use the coins quickly to conquer all the surrounding lands, which he did.  But the final coin, the black coin, was stolen by a demon prince and carried away never to be used.  The demon prince learned of the coin through the Silverking himself, knowing that the prince would covet the world and never give the coin willingly to Bonescraper by using it.  Bonescraper is powerless to harm the owner of a dragon coin, as are his many children and servants among dragon-kind.  The two dragons cannot interfere directly in the contest, but they can persuade mortal non-dragons to aid them if any are willing.   Legend also has it that if one of the dragons obtains all five of its coins, it will learn the true name of the other dragon and gain dominion over all the world, with the losing dragon as its servant for all eternity. 

Use of the coins is no easy feat, as invoking its power involves the sacrifice of the head of a slain dragon of the opposite type of the coin used.  Thus, to invoke the Silverking, one must both possess the coin and sacrifice the head of a chromatic dragon.  How the sacrifice is completed is a secret perhaps only the Grand Abbot himself knows.

The Legend of Caddigan's Bones

The Legend of Caddigan’s Bones

A treatise by Harold Herklebee

August 7^th, Y.L. 364

 

Few written records were kept of the initial landing of the Lennoxian Line, or, The Invaders as they later became known to the indigenous population of Illandria.  At least, such records are considered restricted by the Imperial Edict of Y.L. 30, with only the highest ranking University staff having access (in theory, at least).  The famous inventor Kwalish ran afoul of University policies in the early 4^th Century Y.L. 312 for attempting to bypass the locks guarding these very secrets.  To this very day, possession of any historical record from times predating the invasion is an offense punishable by death should the evidence be discovered. 

Rumors and legends abound about the time preceding and immediately following the establishment of the Lewisian Dynasty, but few are more provocative then the Legend of Caddigan, the Dwarven Archmage who led a rebellion against the Empire in Y.L. 18.  Though he was unsuccessful in freeing Illandria from under the yoke imposed by the Lewisian rulers, he still remained, and in a sense remains, unconquered by the Imperials.

We know little of Caddigan’s history, for the written records of the dwarves were confiscated upon their defeat in Y.L. 20 (as was the standard practice for all peoples conquered by King Lennox).  What is known or has been pieced together is that Caddigan was a mage of great power and renown, a great oddity among dwarves, whose distrust of magic is legendary.  Caddigan was also a great business owner, and the mines he owned spanned the length and breadth of Sylvania at its peak, with underground highways that rival our current above ground system.  Further, Caddigan was King of the Dwarves, the last king in recorded history.  Lastly, Caddigan was good, providing for the weak and infirm and the helpless among his people, and was held responsible for a period of dwarven prosperity unprecedented among all the races of humanoids. 

The Empire remained unaware of the dwarven population at large for over a decade after they completed their conquest of the Elves.  They knew of Caddigan’s mines, to be sure, for trade with the humans was taken up seamlessly after their conquest of Sylvania.  They did not know how numerous were the dwarves, nor did they suspect the rival kingdom that lay directly beneath their feat.  Certain things caused suspicion by Emperor Lennox.  First, the dwarves were able to transport goods across the Empire operating and charging for less than any human or elven caravan could afford to charge.  (The Emperor Trees were gone by this point, relegating the elves to mundane travel for transportation of goods.)  Second, no matter what taxes were levied against the dwarves, they were able to pay them, without quibbling. 

In the summer of 14 Y.L., Emperor Lennox, having tamed the armies of trolls and werewolves and adding their numbers as vassal states to the Empire, could finally focus on what he called ‘the dwarf problem.’  In the fall of that year he sent ambassadors to Caddigan at his keep in the heart of the Guyver River delta to request a royal tour of Caddigan’s holdings.  The emissaries were sent away rebuffed.  Reportedly, the stubborn dwarf stated, “Let the humans rule the surface and leave matters below ground to the dwarves.”  This did not go over well with Emperor Lennox to say the least, who went to far as to send his Spymaster along with two Imperial battlemages and a contingent of soldiers to arrest Caddigan in his keep.  In the Emperor’s defense, he was then unware of the power Caddigan wielded, both as an archmage and a king.  The Spymaster was returned, along with the company of soldiers and the battlemages, in cages.  They had all been turned into mice.

A fantastic battle ensued, above and below the surface lands.  Caddigan bested the forces of the more numerous Imperials again and again, hurling a seemingly inexhaustible supply of spells at the opposing forces.  For 6 years Caddigan had the best of the fight, using guerilla tactics and an underground transport system that eluded detection attempts by even the best of the Emperor’s seers.  Time and time again Imperial outposts fell, and their casualties mounted in the thousands.

This string of Imperial defeats ended at the gates of the Imperial palace itself, when Emperor Lennox finally dispatched his own archmages, N’Gorak the Great and Yeltil the Elven Traitor.  Whole swaths of the Imperial capital were laid waste, but in the end, Caddigan fell in battle.  He survived and was spirited away to his keep by his followers, but his wounds were grievous and defied even magical healing.  The Emperor pursued Caddigan across the Guyver River and into the river delta where Caddigan was taken, giving the dwarven king’s followers no respite.

Surrounded, outnumbered, and near death himself, Caddigan saw his defeat was inevitable.  The Emperor’s minions would pursue him above or below, and he had lost his right hand in the struggle, severely hampering his ability to cast spells.  On the night of his death, he called for his staff and proceeded to the parapet atop his tower and he looked down on the forces drawn against him.  Then he spoke.  His voice boomed across the plains such that every ear could hear his words:  “Not till these bones are laid to rest shall the Empire set foot in this place!  I curse the Emperor and all his kith and kin who enter my land!  The land shall not bear fruit, not will it suffer you to tread upon it!  Those who try will be devoured, ripped limb from limb, ground to dust!  Witness my Soul Curse!”  With that, Caddigan’s staff exploded, and the lands for miles around were devastated.

Many of the troops survived the blast, thanks to the magicks of N’Gorak and Yeltil, the Elven Traitor.  However, Caddigan’s curse held true.  A burning rain fell on the surviving troops, and they fled the Delta, never to return.  The remaining forces loyal to Caddigan surrendered, and became subjugated like all the peoples of Illandria.

It is said that the many dangers of what has become known as the Land of the Blight are the direct result of Caddigan’s Curse.  Few travel through the swamp, and fewer still live there.  The western part of Caddigan’s Swamp is inhabited largely by mongrel races, Lizardfolk and Boggards.  The eastern part is a bog where the only plants that will grow are resistant to the acidic soil.  Rain that burns the skin is reputed to fall still when dark clouds gather over the fog covered plains.  Roaches roam the surface in swarms that devour everything they encounter.  Wild dogs dwell in small caves.  Small tribes of cannibalistic halflings prowl in search of sentient meat, venturing out on occasion into Imperial soil. 

It is said that the curse may only be ended by locating Caddigan’s bones and laying them finally to rest, a difficult quest considering the natural hazards of the bog and its denizens.  To make matters worse, there are rumors of a guardian of the bones, a wicked and perverse spirit naga that slays all who attempt to set matters aright.  (For those less learned than myself, a naga is a creature with the body of an enormous snake and the head of a humanoid woman.)  Some have tried, lured by the tales of Caddigan’s wealth and magical riches he stored in his now ruined keep.  Chief among the wonders Caddigan was said to possess was the Sands of Time, an hourglass that enabled the user to slow time for 12 seconds or less.  Caddigan also possessed a crown with reputed magical qualities, not the least of which rendered him immune to psychic intrusion of any kind.  None have returned to tell tales of what truly lies at the heart of Caddigan’s Swamp.

Freidvale Politics and Religion

The Church of Abadar is still recognized as the official religion of the Western Empire (renamed "The Glorious Human Empire" by Emperor Channyk 3 years ago).  Abadar is the god of the wealth and order brought about by civilization.  While churches to Abadar are still present in all major Imperial cities, it is also well known that since Channyk became emperor, he instituted an order of Inquisitors who drew power from Asmodeus, ruler of the nine hells and prince of archdevils.  While devil worship is not officially sanctioned or promoted by the current emperor, neither is it discouraged.  Another practice adopted since Channyk's reign began is the appointment of an ambassador to hell in every major city.

Freidvale, the third largest (living) city in the Western Empire, is no exception to this rule.  Gorgio, the Bishop of Freidvale, is the head of all religious activity in the city, but he has seen his influence in politics diminish with the appointments of Inquisitor Levitard, who now acts as judge and executioner in the city, and Lord Malrond, the Freidvale ambassador to Mammon, the archdevil presiding over the 3rd layer of hell.  The Inquisitor now handles legal issues previously handled by Gorgio, while financial matters relating to taxation that fell under Gorgio's domain now fall to Lord Malrond.

This new state of affairs has put a serious dent in the Church of Abadar's considerable coffers, much to the displeasure of the High Priest at Hartgestein and Bishop Gorgio (who makes no secret of his hopes to one day ascend to the office of High Priest himself).  The Bishop still has immense resources at his disposal, not the least of which is a rather large network of spies throughout the city, and he has been working to disparage if not outright disgrace the new Ambassador at every turn.  For his part, Ambassador Malrond has seemingly decided to turn a blind eye to the Bishop's machinations at this time,focusing on securing his newfound power and increasing his growing influence over Lord Fatsbury, the Duke and ruler of Freidvale (in the emperor's name, of course) and head of the butcher's guild.

Other major players in Freidvale include Lord Bartemeus, ambassador to the nation of White Plains; Lord Weitung, a young aristocrat and heir to a wealthy family; Captain Skarros, the commander of the Imperial forces at Fort Freidvale, and Chief Constable Ma, head of the police force.

Session 10 report, Freidvale campaign

Not much to report.  Huge info dump on the players.  They made it into Gustavus Kinder's underground complex and learned many things about his people.  I will type up Gustavus' story later for reference sake.  To sum up, there is a class war in the underground complex, with Gustavus controlling the food and the workers controlling the water supply.  The players decided to side with Foreman Jakob, because Gustavus struck them as thoroughly repulsive.  Gustavus is protected by four behemoths he calls 'Seekers' who seem to be neither alive nor dead and were sown together from the bodies of fallen workmen.  We shall see what awaits our party in the coming struggle.

Session 9 report, Freidvale campaign

When we last left our heroes, Brog was poised over a large 30' long, 20' wide metallic barrel in the middle of an underwater cave, whilst 4 large zombies began harassing the player characters down below.  Brog leapt to the ground to join the fray, heroically twisting his ankle in the process.  I could bore you with details of the battle, but suffice to say the zombies, even rather large ones, were no match for the PC's.  Having dispatched this final obstacle in the pursuit of their quest, the PC's pondered for no small amount of time what they should do next.  The guard who had wandered into the cave after them offered his opinion, and was quickly shushed by Brog with threats of having various body parts amputated by a sword. 


They decided to enter the device of Kwalish and see what could be seen.  They found ten levers and 6 seats, and a hatch in the aft section.  A disembodied voice began speaking to them and asking them questions.  The PC's did not seem terribly curious about a talking metallic barrel, but did ask HAROLD (as the device introduced himself as such) if he had any offensive capabilities.  Harold responded by extended his pincers and snapping them menacingly.


The PCs decided on a course of murder and mayhem, and were about to order Harold out of the grotto and into the spears of the many imperial soldiers outside, when the undine Brog had spared a few scenes ago appeared in the water, offering to open a portal to her homeland to transport the crew to safety.  Brog readily agreed, and away they went.


During this time, the guard watch haplessly and silently, and was promptly forgotten by the PCs until a few scenes later.


The PC's appeared in what appeared to be the ruins of an underwater city.  The undine who brought them hence (her name was Nightsong) spoke with her father, the leader of the undines, Cloudburst.  He allowed as how he would do no harm to the PCs, since they had saved his daughter's life, but he would need speak to the council on what to do with them, since they couldn't be allowed to leave now that they knew the location of the undine's hidden sanctuary.  They were taken to a holding area for 8 hours, which consisted of a large bubble of air beneath the water on the floor of whatever seas they had found themselves in.  Brog attempted a diplomacy role, and he conducted himself rather well, all things considered.  He did not sway the opinion of Cloudburst, however, and the PCs set watches over the next 8 hours, deciding to rest the spell casters and gather their wits about them. 


The PCs were joined with two other denizens of the holding area, Blackthorn the Druid and Terra the Rogue, who had been heading toward Freidvale by boat on a mission of mercy before being swept away by a storm.  They found themselves in the same predicament as the party.  Unsure of their next course of action, they decided to all rest until the leader of the Undines returned.  It was at this time that someone thought to question where the guard was, who had, in fact, been left in the grotto. 


Karsh took the first watch.  During his watch he saw a small octopus crawl out of the water and scuttle it's way towards their makeshift camp.  Alarmed, Karsh woke Brog and pointed to the octopus approaching them.  Brog rolled over and began snoring (with disdain for his easily unsettled friend).  Karsh then heard a voice in his head, asking if he might, perhaps, have any shrimp.  Karsh said he did not, never questioning for a moment that the voice in his head belonged to the octopus who had crept quite close to him.  Then the octopus (for this was indeed a telepathic octopus) asked if the person sleeping near Karsh might, perhaps, be a ranger.  Karsh allowed as Brog was indeed a ranger.  Brog became interested in the conversation at this point and roused himself.  The octopus introduced himself as Arthur, and went into a sales pitch as to why Brog should select him as his animal companion when the time presented itself. 


Arthur quickly donned an eye patch and showed that he could quadruple wield 4 daggers simultaneously, whilst still maintaining maximum speed on land.  He could also release a cloud of ink to confound his enemies (which, he assured Brog, was much more impressive in the water than on dry land).  He demonstrated his ability to jet backward at amazing speeds through the water, launching himself like a torpedo through the water into the air bubble and into the arms of Brog.  Lastly, he could even pick pockets with all eight of his tentacles.


Brog, nonplussed by this display, asked Tannis if she would like the octopus, stating he wanted 'a cool animal companion, like a wolf or a bear.'  Brog's loss was Tannis' gain, and the monk and octopus became fast friends.  The matter of how they would keep Arthur's skin moist once they returned to the surface world was left unexplored for the moment.


I grow weary of my own session report.  Yadda yadda, King Cloudburst asked a favor of the PC's, find some missing undines and I'll let you free, they explored the undersea ruins of Atuan, found some dead bodies, found a strange man fleeing some sharks, decided the man was bad and left him for the sharks, he ordered the sharks to attack the device, the sharks were dispatched and reverted to human form, they questioned the old man and found out he had killed the corpses they found because his people were running out of water because of a revolt of the proletariat among his people, an undersea city enclave known as the Helenites.  Oh yeah, Vociferea got to cast zone of truth on the old man, Brog and Karsh stabbed things, and Arthur and Tannis bludgeoned and stabbed things.


To be continued.

The Legend of the City of Atuan

When the conquerors from the north first came to Illandria some 350 years ago, the Elves treated the invaders not with alarm but with curiosity.  They had heard of no lands to the north, let alone one large enough to support a human settlement some 20,000 strong.  When asked from whence they came, the humans answered only, "Atuan." 


This single word has captured the imagination of cartographers, explorers and treasure hunters throughout the ages.  It has been the cause of many an expedition to disappear without a trace, and each successive attempt only fans the flames for those who still hope to make the discovery of the lost homeland of humanity.  All attempts have met with abject failure, usually resulting in the presumed deaths of all involved to the inhospitable seas and icy winds to the north of Illandria. 


Alex the Bold and his crew of his ship, the Jeweled Scabbard, are reputed to have made it the farthest in the Y.L. 201, travelling some 500 miles to return bearing tales of a frigid wasteland known as Kaltlund.  Alex told of endless tundra, rolling hills of ice and snow populated with strange creatures great and small, but no trace of any men or ancient settlements.  He brought home the white pelts of a great bear, a large fish with a horn like a unicorn, and a single tooth the size of a man's hand which Alex pried from the hull of his ship, but of Atuan, he confessed he saw no sign.  The floating ice surrounding Kaltlund made for slow going, and stretched on for miles east and west if his accounts are to be believed.


The voyage of the Jeweled Scabbard inspired many would-be copy cat sailors, most of whom were never heard from again.  But in Y.L. 225 Horatio Helgott, aboard the stout ship Red Selig, confirmed the existence of Kaltlund.  Unlike Alex, Horatio reported contact with tribes native to Kaltlund, not quite beast nor man but some sort of cross between the two.  The creatures had large pointed teeth meant for tearing and rending meat from bone, but used crude tools and weapons fashioned from bone.  They also bore thick white pelts similar to those brought home a quarter century before.  Horatio attempted a parley with the creatures, resulting in over half his crew ending up in the pot for the savages.  With little evidence to back his claims of a tribe of sub humans living in the ice and snow, Horatio was derided as a fool and a hack, and he died penniless and drunk, mumbling stories that people had long since stopped listening to years ago.


Vindication would come for Horatio, though not in his lifetime.  His great great grandson, Juno Helgott, was inspired upon finding the log of Horatio's voyages some 50 years prior.  Juno was a young aspiring shipwright, and he crafted his own vessel, the Rechtfertigung, using a loan he took out from the Bank of Abadar.  He hired on a crew and successfully made the voyage once again, using Horatio's logbook as a guide.  Taking his great great grandfather's warnings to heart, he came well armed and prepared for conflict, and when he made contact with the savages he sent them fleeing with flaming ballistae shot.  Two of the creatures' corpses were taken relatively intact, and the memory of Horatio was exonerated upon Juno's triumphant return. 


With the advent of the air dirigible some 30 years ago, several pilots have made the journey across the North Sea attempting to retrace the steps of those who came before them, and in hopes that some trace of the cradle of humanity in this region.  Kaltlund has been mapped thoroughly, and if Atuan lies within it's borders it lies covered in snow and ice.  The origins of man in Illandria may remain forever a mystery, and so long as they do there will be explorers galore attempting to find it and plunder its lost riches.

Session 8 report, Freidvale campaign

Nobody reads this, so I'm just going to summarize for myself:  Party finds a boat, the Farsight, Brog argues with the first mate, they go to the fortress to ask if any ships are leaving, Fallister talks his way aboard a different ship with two casks of mead, turns out the captain (Slosh) is a drunk and takes a liking to Brog.  The person guarding the boat is a bit cross-eyed.


They finagle a ring of free action from Captain Slosh, Tannis interviews first mate Jacque.  They are warned about a giant squid.  Karsh frees an Undine from a net.  They start diving on the west edge of the crater.  The Undine from the previous scene on the boat directs them to Kwalish's lair.  They find the way barred by a giant hermit crab.  They dispatch the crab with little difficulty.  They enter Kwalish's lair and see a barrel like device in the center of the room.  They also find a desk with the last words of Kwalish written on it.  A soldier from a different boat enters the cave, having followed the group to the illusory rock wall.  Brog decides to open the portal atop the barrel, finding 10 levers inside, seats for 6 people, and room for provisions inside the device.