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Music by Kevin MacLeod.
Original Character art by Demnix.
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Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen is published by Wizards of the Coast, and set in the world of Krynn.

Session 9

Starring
Cere, level 5 dwarf Cleric Domain of Light
Elyas, level 5 human Divination Wizard
Kazra, level 5 human Champion Fighter
Py, level 5 gnome Ranger Hunter
Rowan, level 5 high elf Ranger Gloomstalker

Beneath Castle Kalaman, the party hurries after this mysterious “Lord.” The mysterious elven woman from Vogler had appeared and warned about this powerful figure discovering a secret, and he’ll kill anyone in his way, as the poor city council had discovered.

The area is bathed in Cataclysmic Fire, violet flames that give off no heat, but tell visions of the people around them, including the fallen knight. As the party explores each room, the visions tell a tragic tale of a man who was betrayed by his own emotions, committed terrible acts, and ultimately help bring about the Cataclysm itself.

In the second room (R2), the party discovers a smashed tunnel leading South. But they’re enamored with the rows and rows of entomed knights, wrapped bodies on slabs.

Py is understandably nervous and wants to stab them all just to be sure. The party tries to be respectful, but a ghostly wraith materializes, declaring them defilers, and summons two specter allies.

With little access to spells, the party runs up against the ghosts’ innate resistances, letting them stick around and drain precious health from Kazra, eventually reducing her to nearly half her maximum HP! Elyas shines here, dealing full lightning damage with shocking grasp, and eventually the party puts them back to rest.

In the southern room (R3) they discover a pile of smashed weapons and loot, including a +1 sword, elven cloak, and mithril breastplate.

Cere is drawn to a tomb beyond an iron grate, and with a little help from Kazra, they get inside. She discovers a necklace brimming with latent divine power, as if her presence had recharged it. A necklace of prayer beads! Kazra finds a mysterious magic axe in another tomb.

Moving west, the party sees a long hallway ending in a statue of a horse (R4). A pair of spectral horses materialize and begin to charge down the hallway. The party quickly ducks out of the way and avoid getting trampled.

To the south (R5), they find a monument etched with names of knights who served in Castle Kalaman, hundreds of years of history.

The Visions of Flame also affect the party members as they pass through, including a startling vision for Elyas that ties into his mysterious lineage.

To the east (R6)the party finally meets up with the elven woman, whom they now recognize from the Visions of Flame as tied to the Lord. She reads from a marble slab, detailing the story of the knight entombed with honors in the room beyond: Knight Sarlamir, who once tried to stand against a Kingpriest and his flying city.

The knight failed to stop the dragons from rampaging, and his dragonlance was destroyed in the process, though history painted him as a hero.

The elven woman reveals her real name, Leedara, and the name of her hated rival, Lord Soth. The two undead figures are hundreds of years old. She exists only to torment him, but this new quest has shaken her, and she’s not sure why the Cataclysmic fire runs rampant around the dungeon.

Whatever Soth is doing, he must be stopped.

The party enters the final room, revealing the large tomb dedicated to Sarlamir, including a life-size dragon statue (R7).

Lord Soth is there, with the rest of his undead soldiers. He holds a scepter to a central brazier, and takes the Cataclysmic Fire. He points it at the party and unleashes a blast, but Leedara is there, and uses her magic to protect them.

Annoyed, Soth uses the flames to awaken Sarlamir, commanding the old knight to kill them, then meet him in the North, at “the place of his dishonor.”

Soth and his soldiers leave with the flame, and Leedara chases after, leaving the party to deal with Sarlamir, and a few awakened specters!

Sarlamir is no Soth, but he’s certainly no pushover. He has a unique statblock in Shadow of the Dragon Queen, but I also borrowed from the new death knight aspirant statblock, giving him more HP, magic resistance, marshal undead, and one use of Destructive Wave.

The result was a tense battle as the knight strode forward and easily downed someone in a single round with his massive blade and triple attack. Poor Kazra was drained from the Wraith/Specter fight earlier and went down quick, though Rowan was able to misty step away. Cere made good use of casting bane on all three enemies, then staying out of harm’s away.

Until he unleashes the wave.

I was nervous about even executing this ability, but it’s big bad boss time, damn it!

The Destructive Wave does over 40 points of damage. Three people go down, including Elyas who makes the save (but lacked the HP to survive!).

That left only a recently revived Kazra, and Rowan. Thankfully, the death knight was near death, and the pair finish him off.

Unfortunately, Kazra had begun to use the axe. Turns out, it’s a Berserker’s Axe, and she went berserk from its curse!

The fighter turns on the nervous and shocked elf, screaming out. He survives the assault, and is able to knock her back out. Elyas and Cere are both able to miraculously auto-revive (nat 20!) and the group recovers from a damn near TPK!

Heavily wounded, the party carefully retreats back up into the Castle proper to make sense of this recent development, what Soth’s plans are, and what this could meat for the fate of the world.

Next up: Chapter 5!

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