The long-awaited conclusion to the Flying Island adventure. The final session may have been many months ago but the memories last forever or something. Part I, Part II
Classic scenario: you and your buddies are exploring the undercroft of a temple complex only for one of them to get bisected by a giant halberd-wielding statue after he tried to open a sarcophagus.
The party took a moment to rifle through his belongings mourn their lost ally and then chiseled off the mechanical statue arms. Then it was onto the sarcophagus. Ignoring the disarmed statues' futile swings they found a sallow corpse adorned in fine chain burial shroud (snagged), a golden death mask (also snagged), and a dusky pendent clutched in the corpse's hand (snagged, and then donned by Slyq the thief whose player immediately was like "this is definitely cursed isn't it"). The tomb, further searched, yielded no more secrets.
As one exploration turn passed to the next, a rustling was heard from back passageway. The party looks and lo—two tengu-men lurk in the darkness, unsure of whether to engage while the party is occupied or retreat and gather more of their brethren. But before they have a chance to act, Gront icily sends one to the hereafter with an arrow through the throat. The other lets out a terrified "yip!" as it flees into the darkness. The party takes a moment to assess what just happened, decides they better get a move on, and makes for the nearby stairway leading deeper into the crypts.
Emerging into a spacious corridor, the party takes stock of the scene. The air in the great crypt is choked with ash and rockdust. Shattered ceramics and masonry litter the floor. Walls that once held ordered rows of funerary urns are scored by deep claw marks and smashed by heavy impact. All signs indicate a recent rampage of some great and terrible beast. In the distance, lit by some gap in the ceiling an indeterminate span above, a great pile of treasure glistens temptingly—more wealth in one place than anyone in the party, as well everyone they've ever known, has ever seen in their lives. Nearer though, just beyond the edge of torchlight, a lone figure sits crosslegged, facing away toward the distant hoard.
Now finally the party meets that darn wizard they've heard so much about. After some whispered debate about how to approach, they decide to call out to Zazomel (don't think I've mentioned his name yet) and find that he doesn't immediately turn their insides into outsides or whatever they fear evil wizards do.
Here's the deal with Zazomel: he's on the flying island to steal the dragon's egg. His plan was to locate lair, find the egg, and use a modified version of Drawmij's Instant Summons to transfer it to his floating tower once he has leaves the island. From an adventure design perspective he was meant in part to provide another way for the players to escape the island if they didn't want to pursue the main adventure. I was inspired by Cave Story, where you get the option to just finish the game 2/3rds of the way through.
Anyway all he tells the party that he came to the island to crush this tiny gemstone here onto the dragon's egg just beyond that pile of looted funerary treasure and be on his way. Innocuous, right? He was going to wait for the dragon to go on its crepuscular hunting sweep but for whatever reason (PCs look around awkwardly) the dragon was woken up a few hours ago. Now not only could be back at any moment but it's whole schedule might be thrown off and Zazomel here hasn't another day to lose. If someone in the party would just be willing to assume the small risk of getting swooped on by the dragon to just push the aforementioned gemstone into the egg, Zazomel would happily give them a lift on his magic tower.
Now, the party has ample reason not to go along with this guy: aside from the clear danger and suspiciousness of it all, they had encountered his henchman a few sessions ago who told them all this guy was a jackass and not to be trusted. But on the other hand, this is exciting and when you're level 1 it's pretty easy to say "why not?" Party decides to help Zazomel and in return he would make sure they get to the Mistral Horn safely.
Slyq the thief's time to shine. There is a not-insignificant chance the dragon might come back to its hoard since the runaway tengu may have informed it that the intruders were in the undercroft. But the dice decided that was not to be. Gem in hand, Slyq circumnavigated the hoard and entered the small offshoot chamber with the egg. Pausing for a brief moment for dramatic effect, she cast the gem upon the pearlescent egg's shell and then scampered cat-like back to the party (but not before swiping a handful of gold and jewels from the hoard, 1d50x10 sp in the bag). With that over Zazomel says "great follow me to the Horn."
The wizard ally drops an Invisibility 10’ Radius to get everyone around the tengu now patrolling the undercroft and then the party uses a twisty key they picked up a few rooms back to activate a giant cube elevator.
It leads them too... a pavilion atop a tower, enringed with ornate columns. On the eastern edge of the pavilion: a giant bone alphorn covered in intricate silvery etchings. the Mistral Horn! But wait—the gale picks up, the sky thunders but no lightning's in sight. Suddenly, the green dragon swoops in from out of view and tears off a portion of the roof to make space for it to land. A brief pause to spread its wings menacingly, and then it addresses the party: It's all "you have the honor of beholding the majesty of Smaragd, the Poison Storm; forfeit your treasure and swear fealty to me." The players are in a conundrum. To one side, 20' away, the Mistral Horn. To the other, also 20' away, a dragon glares at them expectantly. Zazomel is nowhere to be found.
As the players desperately scan their character sheets for inspiration, someone's like "how about that stinky cloud potion?" There's a moment where everyone's all "should- should we throw it?" but then, of course, they go for it. Slyq tosses the potion at the ground directly in front of the dragon, Amos the Cleric makes a break for the horn. The dragon fails its save and begins to wretch. Amos gets to the horn, takes a deep breath, and empties his lungs into the mouthpiece. The blast splits the air, clearing the sky of clouds. Moments later, another tone could be heard as though in response, coming from something far away. An undulating fish-like form manifests in the sky, approaching the tower. The Ancient has awakened from its slumber.
The winged whale unleashes another low, resonant call. The party feels but a gentle breeze, but the dragon, still reeling from the stinking cloud, gets blasted away team-rocket style. The Ancient regards the party for some minutes, and then in a low resonant voice it thanks them for waking it. That marks the end of the session, and the conclusion to the Flying Island adventure.
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The session ran pretty late already but I wanted to give the players a conclusion, so I emailed them some end cards like you see in old video games where the epilogue changes based on your decisions.
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