Dragon Mountain
Scene One: Into the Fog
The heroes make it up the Stairs of
Foghaven into the Vale sacred to Huma.
Overview
As the heroes move through the steam
and fog into the Vale, they spy the awesome Dragon Mountain and may not
notice that the Dark Knights lie in wait,
for them. The most likely outcome is a
battle to see who enters the Tomb.
Getting Started
The Narrator, if he has not done so
already, should review the sidebar on
Foghaven Vale (see the next page).
First Impressions
Climbing the slick Stairs of Foghaven, the
heroes move through a thick and surprisingly warm fog. Even Lady Arlena's
descriptions of the Vale did not adequately portray what they see: Gellidus's
influence has turned this once lush, beautiful valley into a snow-covered, mist-shrouded landscape from a nightmare.
As you climb the stairs, the fog swirls
around you. It is an unnaturally warm
mist, considering that the temperature
of the air itself is well below freezing.
Your faces and clothes become damp
from the humidity, but you shiver as
the water cools and begins to freeze.
The top of the stairs comes into
view, and behind it, ruins of some
sort - perhaps a castle or a keep. The
fog makes it impossible to see much
more than twenty yards in front of you.
The ruins bring to mind graveyards
and haunted castles, and it suddenly
dawns on you that the former residents
of Foghaven may no longer be happy to
have visitors disturb their rest.
Moving through the ruins, the fog
begins to swirl and thin. Ahead you see
the expanse of Foghaven Vale open up
as the ground you're standing on slopes
away in a steep ledge. You aren't sure,
but the wall of fog at the valley's far
end seems to take on a menacing
shape, a huge creature rearing back on
its hind legs - a dragon!
The Story Continues
Gilthanas can identify Dragon Mountain for the heroes, if they don't immediately realize what they are facing
(see sidebar, page 39). However, heroes
thus distracted might fail to note the
Dark Knights hiding among the ruins.
The Dark Knights created the illusion
of themselves in Scene Three of Act
Two to catch the heroes off guard. The
Thorn Knight has used his spectrmancy to disguise their presence at
the ruins.
The Knights wait for all the heroes
to make it through the ruins at the top
of the stairs, then spring their trap:
Your mind snaps to attention as you
hear the clanking of metal armor
behind you. Turning, you see a group
of figures dressed in thick furs mixed
with black plate mail cutting you off
from the ruins and the stairs. It's the
Knights of Takhisis! Somehow they figured out their mistake and returned to
find the Vale.
"In the name of Takhisis the Queen,
lay down your weapons and you shall
not be hurt," the leader says. "Our mission here is to retrieve an artifact, not
to kill a group of fools."
The Battle
As in earlier battles with Dark Knights,
this group is willing to fight to the
death. However, the dark paladins will
not dishonor themselves by killing
someone knocked unconscious. On the
whole, this should be a difficult fight for the heroes, as this well-trained squad
may have caught them by surprise.
The Thorn Knight stays out of the
fight, hanging back in the ruined keep.
Perceptive heroes might note that he
seems to be guarding someone.
Atmosphere
At first, this scene should feel very
creepy, as the heroes walk through a
warm, wet mist in the middle of a
glacier field, discover a fog-enshrouded ruin, and see the image of
a tremendous dragon barely visible in
the distance. It should seem surreal
and unnaturally quiet.
When the Knights strike, the pace
becomes more frantic. Once again the
heroes find themselves in a fight with
an unknown number of highly trained
warriors. The heroes may win the
fight, but they shouldn't feel sure of
that fact until after their swords are
sheathed.
Actions
The heroes must make their way up the
stairs carefully. The warm mist condenses on the ground and freezes almost
instantly, requiring from each hero an
average Agility action to keep from
falling and incurring 1 damage point.
Detecting the hidden Knights is an
average Perception (Agility) action.
Those who succeed have time to draw
their weapons before the attack begins.
The fog swirling around the heroes
may be warm, but the temperature in
Foghaven is still well below zero. The
effect makes metal tremendously brittle
and easily shattered. Anyone attacking
with cold-forged metal weapons risks
breaking them on even the most glancing of blows (hammers and maces are
generally immune to this condition).
Anything other than the heaviest plate
armor also may shatter if struck
soundly. Any time the Narrator sees a
chance that a piece of metal equipment may break, he should draw the top card
of the Fate Deck. If the aura of the card
is black, the item shatters.
When the heroes discover this fact,
they may switch to secondary weapons
such as walking sticks, rocks, or even
fists. The Narrator can decide whether
the Dark Knights prepared for this
situation by bringing nonmetallic
weapons.
Characters
The heroes face one Dark Knight for
each member of their own party. In
addition, the Thorn Knight has knowledge of spectramancy, divination, and
summoning, and 36 spell points (he
drained a magical item to power his
illusions in the last scene). He waits in
the ruins, guarding a young Crown
Knight captive.
Fiona Quinti: Human young adult
female, modest demeanor, Adventurer.
Co 6, Ph 6, In 6, Es 6, Dmg 0 (unarmed),
Def -5 (plate mail).
Dark Knights: Human adult males of
various demeanors, Adventurers. Co 8A,
Ph 9A, In 6C, Es 6C, Dmg +7 (long
sword), Def -5 (plate mail).
Gilthanas: Qualinesti adult male,
capable demeanor, Legend, 4
. Ag 8C,
Dx 6A, En 7C, St 6B, Re 7A (49), Pe 8B, Sp
7D, Pr 6B, Dmg +7 (long sword), Def -3
(chain mail), also missile weapons (long
bow/+6), acute eyesight, sorcery (divination, enchantment, aeromancy), Amulet
of Healing Hands.
Outcome
If the heroes win the fight, they must
decide what to do with their captives,
as well as any wounded heroes and
Fiona, who introduces herself shyly as
a Solamnic from Castle Eastwatch. This
green-eyed young redhead was captured returning to the castle and forced
to accompany the Dark Knights on
their trek - to carry Huma's lance once
they found it, for a true dragonlance
will burn the hands of all but the pure
of heart. The story continues in Scene
Two.
If the group loses the fight, the
Dark Knights will take any survivors
captive. The heroes awake, bound and
gagged, in Scene Two.
Foghaven Vale
In the midst of the Last Gaard Mountains of Southern Ergoth is a small, flat
valley that remains one of the most
famous sites in all ofAnsalon: Foghaven
Vale. The Vale got its name from the
thick banks of mountain fog created by
two lakes there, one a pool of cool standing water, the other a natural hot spring.
Since the Age of Might, Foghaven
Vale has been the destination of pilgrims
from across the continent. They come to
see the resting place of Huma Dragonbane, hero of the Third Dragon War.
Finding the Vale is actually quite easy.
The Stairs of Foghaven, carved into the
mountain pass through the valley, lead
directly to a ruined keep. Several reliable
maps exist which detail the location of
both these stairs and another entrance to
the west, known as Silvara's Path.
The Ruined Keep
Built as a hostel for pilgrims visiting the
Vale, the now ruined keep originally
consisted of a stable, several private
quarters, and a protective wall with three
guard towers and two smaller gatehouses. The wall has gaping holes in it
now, and the stables and quarters are
marked only by ruins, but the towers all
still stand. The keep sits at the edge of a
steep slope which leads down into the
Vale. The hill itself hides a large cavern
known as the Dragon's Lair - once the
home of the silver dragon D'Argent -
which can be accessed through a secret
stairwell in the northernmost tower.
Bridge of Passage
Down the slope from the keep is a graceful marble arch that crosses a channel
connecting the hot and cool lakes of
Foghaven Plain. Treacherous even in
prior ages, the wide Bridge of Passage
proves even more so today, as it has no
railing and is constantly slick with ice.
One false step could plunge one into the
boiling stream.
Huma's Tomb
Foghaven Vale is an important site
because it was the resting place of
Huma, considered by many the epitome
of Solamnic Knighthood. Today, this
figure has very nearly become a religious icon, representing all that is good
and fair.
The Tomb itself is a simple rectangular obsidian building resting on an
octagonal base. Surrounding it is a circle
of nine-foot statues called the
Guardians, which take on the appearances of friends to those who approach
with good intent but look like fearsome
enemies to others. Visitors may enter the
Tomb through its bronze double doors
to view Huma's bier or pray at a stone
altar there. An iron plate in the floor, if
lifted, reveals the "windpipe," a magical
passage from the Tomb to a room within
Dragon Mountain (see page 39).
The Vale Today
Since his arrival in Southern Ergoth,
Gellidus the White has warped the climate, creating a great glacier which covers all the eastern parts of the island.
Even with a reliable map of the area, the
Vale and the Stairs of Foghaven are difficult to locate due to the bitter, howling
winds and blowing snow. Heroes who
have been here before will notice that
the grassy Foghaven Plain is now covered in snow, and the trees in the Woods
of Peace below the ruined keep appear
barren and wear a distinctly sad look,
their boughs weighed down with snow
and ice. While Frost derives sadistic
pleasure from controlling and denying
visitors access to the historic site, he has
done nothing to defile the Vale or any of
the structures within it.
Recently, researchers from the Academy of Sorcery have discovered that
Foghaven Vale is a natural magical
reservoir of enormous power. The
Vale's ambient energy will provide 10
free spell points for every spell cast by
many sorcerers and mystics. If they are
pure of heart and seek to cast helpful
spells (or destructive ones that target
only forces allied with agents of Evil),
the Vale often provides all the necessary
spell points. (Chapter Four in One
Moon, Not Three explains magical
reservoirs more fully.)
Scene Two: The Tomb
At last, the heroes approach the Tomb -
either on their own or as prisoners of
the Knights of Takhisis.
Overview
Assuming the heroes triumphed in Scene
One or continue to pursue the Dark
Knights, the ghost of Huma materializes
before them, urging them to take up his
lance and save it from the forces of Evil.
If they met defeat, the ghost releases the
captives before speaking its message.
Getting Started
The Narrator can refer to the sidebars
on Foghaven Vale and Dragon Mountain, as well as the map on the back
cover of this booklet.
First Impressions
The heroes make their way down the
slope through a small wood to the valley floor. If they were victorious in
Scene One, they must first constrain
the Dark Knights.
Before you, a beautiful marble bridge
arcs across a channel. Steam rises from
the hot water below, forming ice on the
sheer surface. Beyond the span, you can
just make out amid the mist a small rectangular black building surrounded by a
ring of immense statues. The question
of what to do next seems solved when
a ghostly figure in Solamnic armor
appears at the bridge and beckons.
The ghost vanishes as they approach,
then appears again at the entrance to
the Tomb, as if inviting them in.
If, on the other hand, the heroes
were captured in the last scene, they
awaken among the ruins with their
arms and legs bound by strong rope.
The Dark Knights have already made
their way down the slope into the Vale.
The heroes can watch them cross the
bridge described above and approach the statues surrounding Huma's Tomb.
For a moment they seem to hesitate -
some draw their swords. Then one of
them gestures impatiently. One harsh
word from him envelops the group in a
magical glow, and they all vanish.
The ropes that bind the heroes are
tight and the knots well made. It will
take time for them to extricate themselves. After the Dark Knights disappear, though, a ghostly figure wearing
the armor of the Solamnic Knights
appears next to the bound heroes. It
does not say a word, nor does it look
any of them directly in the eyes, but it
does pass one spectral hand through
the ropes, severing them. The heroes
are free! The ghost, however, disappears.
If the heroes look around, they see it
standing by the marble bridge, beckoning to them as described above.
The Story Continues
The heroes stand before the Tomb of
Huma. Ringing it are the Guardians,
great statues of Solamnic Knights who
keep an eternal vigil over the resting
place of the greatest of their Order (the
statues look quite different to less virtuous heroes; see "Actions"). The quiet of
the Vale gives the place a reverential air.
Inside the simple Tomb, the ghost
stands before the bier with its hands
crossed and folded over its chest. Obviously, this is the ghost of Huma. Its eyes
are open wide and glowing white with no
pupils. The ghost speaks directly to one
of the heroes, either a Solamnic Knight
or the most honorable among them (the
Narrator may decide which or select the
one with the most appropriate nature).
"Thank you, friend, for coming in my
time of need. There are powers at work
on Krynn today that ignore the lessons
of ages past. Evils that have been banished from the world are about to be
recreated by those with more power
than wisdom, more intelligence than
insight. Only strong, forthright, committed heroes like you and your companions can prevent the terrible patterns
of the past from being repeated.
"Inside the mountain there remains
one true dragonlance - my own. It is
hidden among the lesser lances, seeking
safety in numbers. You will know the
true lance by its scars, for those with
Evil in their hearts cannot touch a true
dragonlance without feeling its bite.
"You must take this lance, take it far
from this place. Once, this valley was a
place of peace, but the Evil that is Gellidus now permeates the land. He is far
from the worst of the dragons that
plague our world, but he is powerful,
especially in the territory he has
claimed as his own. To fight him is folly
and would only deliver this purest symbol of Paladine's glory into his grasp.
"Save the lance! Let it be a symbol
of hope in these dark times!"
With this, the ghost disappears in a flash
of light. When the heroes' eyes clear, they
see the iron plate in the floor has been
moved, revealing the "windpipe" below
it: a clear sign of a path into Dragon
Mountain (as Gilthanas can confirm).
The three control gems near the
opening to the windpipe are no longer
required for the transport device to
function; Foghaven's ambient sorcerous
energy powers the spells now so, unless
the pipe itself is damaged, it will function perfectly forevermore. Anyone sliding down into the pipe will be whisked
away and deposited at the arrival platform in the Lower Gallery inside Dragon
Mountain. (If the Dark Knights disappeared earlier or eluded the heroes in Act
Two, they summoned themselves into
the Tomb ahead of the heroes and passed
into Dragon Mountain this same way,
replacing the cover behind them in
hopes of throwing off pursuit.)
Inside the Monument of the Silver
Dragon, the heroes are free to explore
(see the sidebar on page 39). Eventually
they move to the Upper Gallery, where
the weapons are displayed and the true
dragonlance is hidden (see "Actions").
The Battle
Assuming the Dark Knights made it into
the Tomb, they went directly to the Upper Gallery and are in the midst of
determining which dragonlance is the
true one when the heroes arrive. Unfortunately for them, this process involves a
low-ranking Knight grabbing each lance
until he bums his hand. Wherever they
are in the mountain, the heroes hear the
Knight cry out in agony as his hand is
seared. Once they find their objective, the
Knights force their pure-hearted captive,
Lady Fiona Quinti, to carry the lance.
The Knights are in exactly the same
physical condition as at the conclusion
of Scene One, as they have no magical
means of healing. These foes will fight
the heroes in their normal straightforward way, but Fiona will take care of the
Thorn Knight guarding her, if the
heroes give her an opening. Just before
the battle begins, the senior Knight says:
"You have been worthy adversaries, but
we can afford to tarry with you no
longer. Know that after we best you this
final time, we will execute you. Our
misson cannot be interupted again."
Victorious heroes find the lance on the
floor near the weapons racks. Its length
is scarred with several hand-shaped
scorch marks where the Knight (and
others before him) grabbed the
weapon, only to be singed by its purity.
Atmosphere
The visit from Huma's ghost is meant to
be a nearly religious experience. While
not a divine figure, Huma is as great a
legend as exists on Krynn. His ghost
should fill the heroes with hope and
bolster their courage. The magnificent task of retrieving his lance from
Dragon Mountain echoes the actions
of the Heroes of the Lance and gives
the heroes a brush with immortality.
Should they fail to comprehend the
magnitude of this honor, the Narrator
must make the heroes aware of the relevant facts or throw hindrances in
their way until they show the proper
respect for this historic quest.
Actions
Walking across the icy Bridge of Passage without falling is a challenging
Agility action. Those who fail suffer 1
damage point, while a mishap sends
the hero tumbling off the bridge to
dangle over the boiling water of the
hot spring. A hero can pull him to
safety with an average Strength action.
Heroes with natures drawn from a
card with a black aura must succeed at a
desperate Spirit action to move past the
terrifying Guardians and enter the Tomb
with their companions. Those who fail
stand frozen in fear before the Guardians
until someone leads them away from the
Tomb. On a mishap, the hero flees the
Vale in panic. If the heroes watched the
Dark Knights vanish at the start of this
scene, an average Reason action (easy
for sorcerers) lets them figure out that
the Knights magically transported
themselves directly into the Tomb.
Upon meeting the ghost of Huma in
the Tomb, all heroes with a Presence code
of less than "C" must make a daunting
Presence action or be so overcome by
the presence that they faint dead away.
Traveling through the windpipe
from the Tomb to Dragon Mountain
requires an average Agility action. One
person at a time may be transported
this way. Failing at this action means the
hero has had a bad landing in the
gallery and remains stunned for three
minutes.
If the Knights were defeated before
this scene, the heroes will have to find
the true dragonlance from among the
dozens of lances stored on the racks in
the Upper Gallery. Finding the "scars" the ghost spoke of is an average Perception action. The greater lance is about
fifteen feet long and cumbersome to
carry. A hero taking it back through the
windpipe must succeed at a challenging
Agility action to make it through without incident. The lance itself will not
break, but in attempting to maneuver it
around corners within the pipe at high
speed, the hero may sustain a minor
injury (3 damage points).
Only heroes with natures drawn
from a card with a white aura can touch
the lance with no ill effect. Those with
natures derived from red aura cards feel
an uncomfortable heat emanating from
the weapon, while heroes with natures
that spring from a black aura card sustain terrible burns: 10 damage points
for every minute they touch the lance.
Characters
Fiona Quinti: Human young adult
female, modest demeanor, Adventurer.
Co 6, Ph 6, In 6, Es 6, Dmg 0 (unarmed),
Def -5 (plate mail).
Dark Knights: Human adult males of
various demeanors, Adventurers. Co 8A,
Ph 9A, In 6C, Es 6C, Dmg +7 (long
sword), Def -5 (plate mail).
Gilthanas: Qualinesti adult male,
capable demeanor, Legend, 4
. Ag 8C,
Dx 6A, En 7C, St 6B, Re 7A (49), Pe 8B, Sp
7D, Pr 6B, Dmg +7 (long sword), Def -3
(chain mail), also missile weapons (long
bow/+6), acute eyesight, sorcery (divination, enchantment, aeromancy), Amulet
of Healing Hands.
Outcome
If the heroes beat the Knights, they may
explore the rest of the monument. They
should feel a certain amount of pride
and closure for succeeding at their
quest - this should make the events of
Scene Three all the more surprising.
Heroes defeated by the Knights once
again awake bound and gagged, this time
inside Huma's Tomb. The opening of
Scene Three finds their captors dragging
them out of the Tomb for execution.
Dragon Mountain
Carved into the northern ridge of
Foghaven Vale is a seven-hundred-foot monument in the shape of a silver dragon. This is Dragon Mountain,
the complex most adventurers think
of when they discuss Huma's Tomb.
This is actually a temple dedicated to
Paladine, and it is the only place that
true dragonlances can be forged.
This Monument of the Silver
Dragon is still functional but has not
been used in years. Everything is covered with a thick layer of dust and,
although there are torches on the
walls, none are lit. The only way in or
out of the mountain is through the
windpipe from Huma's Tomb.
Lower Gallery
The windpipe deposits visitors at the
bottom of a horseshoe-shaped,
stepped ramp leading to the Lower
Gallery. The wall of the staircase is
painted with a beautiful mural depicting scenes from the Dragon Wars. At
the end of this mural is a cut-away
map of Dragon Mountain, allowing
heroes who succeed at an average Reason action to determine their location
and get an idea of how to get around
in the monument. A reproduction of
this map can be found on the back
cover of this booklet.
The gallery itself is a large, round
room with two obvious exits. One is a
large staircase leading to the Upper
Gallery, and the other is a small spiral
stair leading down to the Temple Level.
The Upper Gallery
At the top of the stairs lies a foyer
with two Statues of Warning, with the
bodies of lions but the heads of silver
dragons. If approached, they announce, "The only Evil here is that
you bring," and, "One of pure heart
can do the tasks of many." The spell
on these statues runs off the ambient
magical energy of Foghaven Vale.
The main Upper Gallery has racks
with dozens of finely crafted dragonlances. This is where the true lance
has been hidden, and where the
heroes may have their second confrontation with the Dark Knights.
At the back of the gallery is a spiral
stairwell and a second windpipe,
which both lead all the way down to
the Heart Level.
Temple Level
In the days when thousands of pilgrims visited Foghaven every year,
Dragon Mountain was home to priests
of Paladine who tended the temple and
gave aid to needy travelers. They also
maintained the Hidden Vale, a natural
grove in the mountain wall behind the
monument and accessible from the
temple itself through a short tunnel.
Heart Level
The most important area in Dragon
Mountain, and arguably in Ansalon,
this is the site where all true dragonlances must be forged. Although the
manner in which to use the equipment to create these mighty weapons
has passed into obscurity, the importance of this room is immeasurable.
There are several forges and anvils,
including the Great Anvil, and a pool
fed by a natural spring for cooling the
newly forged weapons. What's more, in
a separate chamber is the only remaining pool of Dragon Metal, from which
all true dragonlances must be made.
Also on this level is the entrance to
Foghaven Tunnel, which connects
Dragon Mountain with the Solamnic
stronghold. Castle Eastwatch. The
tunnel is no longer serviceable (for
reasons described on page 26), but it
does lead a quarter mile under the
mountains before it collapses into an
impassable wall of rock and ice.
Scene Three: A Sudden Chill
The heroes arrive at this scene after having left Dragon Mountain in Scene Two.
Overview
The gold dragon Sunrise has been hiding in the Dragon's Lair under the
ruined keep (see page 34), observing
the group. He seeks to test Gilthanas.
Then Gellidus arrives, likely throwing the heroes into a panic, for they are
in no way prepared to face a dragon
overlord. Smart heroes will do all they
can to avoid his notice. Particularly
stupid heroes may die needlessly.
Getting Started
The Narrator can review information
on Gellidus in Chapter Two of Dusk or
Dawn and the rules about dragons in
Chapter Six of the Book of the Fifth Age.
This scene may need slight adjustment
if the Dark Knights have already
escaped with the lance.
First Impressions
As the heroes exit the Tomb, they witness the following scene:
Standing Just outside the circle of
Guardians surrounding Huma's Tomb
is a strange-looking young man. He
appears no more than thirteen years old
but carries himself with the bearing of a
scholar. He has long, bright red hair tied
back in a ponytail and, despite the bitter
cold, wears only a long white tunic.
The young man looks at you curiously, then smiles smugly. "You found
what you were looking for, I see," he
says in a slightly amused tone.
The Story Continues
The young man is the gold dragon,
Sunrise, who has been hiding in the
cave underneath the ruined keep, monitoring the heroes' progress. As a metallic dragon, he is good in nature and firmly opposed to the machinations of
Malystryx, Khellendros, and the
Knights of Takhisis. However, he is still
only a young adult and would quickly
fall to any of the dragon overlords, so
he must be very circumspect in choosing how he will obstruct their paths.
This guardian of Foghaven Vale has
agreed to help Silvara, who wants to be
sure Gilthanas has overcome all his
hesitation about their love. She cannot
bear the thought of being reunited only
to see him leave again. If Gilthanas
proves his worth to Sunrise, the dragon
will tell him where to find Silvara.
A Reprieve
If the Dark Knights are dragging the
heroes from the Tomb to be executed,
Sunrise will dispense with his plan to test
Gilthanas, immediately changing into
his true form and attacking the Knights,
whom he defeats easily. After freeing the
heroes, he flies away, aware that Gellidus
is about to arrive. As he goes, though, he
looks back at the heroes and warns:
"Honorable men are hard to find in
these troubled times, friends even more
so. Still, this world holds dangers that
even the bravest heart cannot overcome. Return quickly to the Solamnic
castle - you have better friends there than you know."
Sunrise's Test
If the heroes triumphed in the last
scene, Sunrise continues with his plan
to test them. He has been evaluating
them based on their actions, particularly their moral decisions and bravery.
The fact that Huma's ghost spoke
directly to them counts for a lot. Still,
he asks pointed questions about the
heroes' actions in the past few scenes,
taking every opportunity to twist their
motives to the basest possible interpretation (the Narrator will have to improvise these questions based on the events
of the adventure). He answers any of the
heroes' questions with cryptic quips that
reverse the question to put the heroes
under scrutiny again. Sunrise stops
short of moving the heroes to anger or
violence, disarming their annoyance
with a sincere, but hasty apology.
He particularly asks whether
Gilthanas feels satisfied with the results
of the quest. After all, he came here to
meet Silvara, and she is nowhere to be
found. Can she have abandoned him?
Gilthanas remains steadfast in his
devotion to Silvara, never allowing
even the tiniest doubt in her love to
creep into his mind. In fact, he gets
rather upset with Sunrise for calling
her faithfulness into question.
This exchange should not last too
long. Sunrise knows that Gellidus will
soon notice his presence, and he has
one important clue to give the group
before he leaves. The Narrator should
read or paraphrase the following passage when the heroes are feeling particularly perplexed or if they directly ask
him what he knows about Silvara:
The youth throws his head back and
laughs mightily, shaking so hard that he
seems to go into spasms. The laugh
suddenly deepens, though, and as you
watch transfixed, his body changes and
grows. Standing before you now, still
laughing, is a gold dragon at least one
hundred twenty feet long!
"Oh, but I am glad to know men
such as you! Honesty, integrity, and
loyally, too! Silvara was right, there may
yet be hope for this 'Age of Mortals!'"
Suddenly the dragon looks up into
the foggy sky, alarm clouding his face.
He tenses his legs and wings, ready to
fly away, then turns back to the heroes.
"A force approaches that is greater even
than all your brave hearts combined.
True warriors know when lo fight and
when lo flee. Return to the castle. I will
meet you there if I can." Great gold
wings beat the air, nearly knocking you
over is he takes flight.
"You have better friends there than
you know!" he cries as he departs.
The Battle
Although he never threatens them, the
heroes may decide to attack Sunrise in
his human form. If they do, he dances
around the Guardians, hiding behind
the huge statues and calling taunting
questions from relative safety. He then
transforms back into his true shape. He
does not retaliate against the heroes,
instead giving them time to overcome
the shock of his transformation. If they
question him. Sunrise acts as described
above. Continuing to attack, however,
will sorely disappoint him (no matter
what, Gilthanas will not attack Sunrise):
The gold dragon beats his wings savagely, knocking you back a step or two,
and rises into the foggy sky. He has a
sad, disappointed look on his face.
"In these troubled times," he says as
the fog swallows him, "you must be
able to tell allies from enemies. Not all
dragons are Evil. I thought you of all
people would teach them that,
Gilthanas. Perhaps Silvara is wrong.
Perhaps this 'Age of Mortals' means
misery for all the races of Krynn."
Frost Arrives
After the heroes have had a moment or
two to react to Sunrise's departure,
Gellidus the White descends:
Without warning, the fog that moments
ago swallowed the gold dragon spits out
an even greater behemoth. The temperature drops noticeably, and the ground
shudders as a huge, white form crashes
through the clouds and lands heavily
on the cliff near the mountain.
Well over two hundred feet long and
radiating such intense cold that you
shiver even through your protective
gear, is Gellidus, dragon overlord of
Southern Ergoth. He mutters a curse in
a language that sounds older than the
rocks themselves and looks around the
Vale. His eyes pass over you with utter
disregard. You know he saw you, but
obviously you are beneath his notice.
"I don't know what that damnable
gold dragon was up to, but I will brook
no trespassing in this valley." His
breath is so cold you can hear the very
air crackle and freeze as he speaks.
Gellidus's subsequent behavior depends
entirely on the heroes' response to his
arrival. Running is about the sanest
reaction they can have. They stand no
chance of defeating a Great Dragon on
their own. With the help of two or
three smaller metallic dragons, they
might be able to drive Gellidus off, but
they would surely lose several friends
in the process. Narrators can read the
following passage if the heroes flee:
Gellidus laughs derisively. "That's
right - run, you puny fleas! Don't stop
and don't look back! If ever I find you
in my realm again, you'll not live to tell
the tale!" With that, he launches himself back into the fog, knocking you
down with the icy gale from his wings.
The heroes may have their prides bruised,
but they will escape with their lives - and
the true dragonlance as well. (Frost, not
noticing the lance, believes the heroes
invaded his realm merely in pursuit of the
Dark Knights.) There is no dishonor in
running from a foe as powerful as Gellidus ... but there is no glory either.
Simply standing in this foggy Vale
and facing down a creature eighty
times their size is the bravest reaction
the heroes can have, and it will catch
Gellidus off guard. No one has stood
up to him before, and he does not
quite know what to make of it:
Gellidus sneers and growls a sound
reminiscent of two great icebergs colliding. "You've more courage than
sense! I give you your lives today, only
because I will enjoy knowing that your
invasion of my realm to pursue your
petty feud with the Knights of Takhisis
was for nothing. I am Malystryx's chosen mate now. Together we will rule
this world, and when we have brought
our Dark Queen back to Krynn you
will wish I had killed you this day!"
With that, he launches himself back
into the fog, the icy blasts from his
wings whipping across the Vale but
leaving you unbowed.
The heroes have stood tall in the face of
certain death and should feel great pride in their accomplishment - especially if
they have Huma's lance - but Gellidus
has given them very disturbing news.
The "Dark Queen" he spoke of is none
other than Takhisis, supreme goddess of
Evil. Her oath to withdraw from Krynn
would mean very little if the Great
Dragons summoned her. With no other
gods to oppose her, she could quickly
exert her influence over the entire world.
Fighting Gellidus
Of course, the heroes might attack.
Charging into battle against any dragon
is a risky proposition, but doing so
against a Great Dragon while already
weakened from an earlier battle is foolhardy. Kind Narrators may point this
out to players, giving the heroes an
opportunity to avoid a meaningless
death. However, if they insist on attacking Gellidus, the Narrator can read
aloud or pararphrase the following:
Your attack surprises the Great Dragon,
but only briefly. For a moment, a smile
curls his massive mouth, then his maw
opens wide enough to swallow your
entire party and the fog around you
starts to crystalize and drop around
your feet with a delicate chime. A cone
of frozen death issues from Gellidus's
mouth and surrounds you in an instant.
You feel gooseflesh crawl across every
inch of your body, the hair on your
arms freezes instantly and begins to
snap off as it rubs against your clothing. The very tears in your eyes solidify,
and you blink reflexively.
The damage of one breath attack may kill
the heroes, but perhaps one or two will
survive the first strike. If they are not
smart enough to break off the attack and
flee at this point. Sunrise can return to
make a swooping attack on Gellidus. As he
passes, he urges the heroes to run. Those
who ignore this final warning will soon fall
before the angry Great Dragon. Should the
heroes manage to survive three or four
breath attacks. Frost resorts to using his
massive paws to crush the life from them.
In the end, the heroes cannot harm
Gellidus. With the dragonlance they
may be able to get through his scales
and cause him a minor wound, but
nothing more. They have failed in their
mission and thrown away their lives
fighting a battle they could never win.
Atmosphere
This is the climax of the adventure, and
it should feel like it. The Narrator should
play up the surprise of Sunrise's transformation and the terror the heroes
likely feel at the arrival of Gellidus.
Actions
When Sunrise transforms into his true
form, the heroes should attempt an
average Spirit (Presence) action to keep
from succumbing to dragonawe. The
difficulty of this action becomes challenging when Gellidus arrives.
Characters
No game characteristics are provided for
Gellidus, as the powers of the dragon
overlords remain cloaked in mystery.
Suhnrysanti (Sunrise): A young adult
male gold dragon, hedonistic demeanor.
Co 10B, Ph 51A, In 11B (121), Es 11A
(121), Dmg +16, Def -12, also dragon
breath, swallow whole, dragonawe, dive
attack, sorcery (transmutation) and mysticism (meditation, alteration, sensitivity).
Fiona Quinti: Human young adult
female, modest demeanor, Adventurer.
Co 6, Ph 6, In 6, Es 6, Dmg 0 (unarmed),
Def -5 (plate mail).
Gilthanas: Qualinesti adult male,
capable demeanor, Legend, 4
. Ag 8C,
Dx 6A, En 7C, St 6B, Re 7A (49), Pe 8B, Sp
7D, Pr 6B, Dmg +7 (long sword), Def -3
(chain mail), also missile weapons (long
bow/+6), acute eyesight, sorcery (divination, enchantment, aeromancy), Amulet
of Healing Hands.
Outcome
Should the heroes leave Foghaven Vale
with the dragonlance, the adventure
concludes with the Epilogue, Scene
Two. If, however, they die or let the
true dragonlance fall into the hands of
either the Dark Knights or Gellidus, it
proceeds to the Epilogue, Scene One.