CH 5: Que-Kiri and the Plains

[Kafen]

Taking the items without much thought, Tas keeps them safe for future use. He is fairly sure what pocket they go into. "How far do you think they got?" Tas asks the obvious question as he pockets the items.

[Breila]

When she hears her comrades talking about searching the buildings, Goldmoon calls up: "Please look for something I can use as a staff, now that the blue crystal one is gone! My sling is my only weapon right now..."

[JadedDM]

Sunstar graciously accepts the short sword and daggers from Sturm. Tasslehoff already has a set of thieves' picks, but one can never have too many after all!

Flint looks at Tas with a raised eyebrow. "How far did who get where? What are you yammering about?" the dwarf grumpily asks.

Meanwhile, Sturm, Laurana and Magpie spend the next ten minutes searching the ruins of the burned out village. There is very little to find that wasn't destroyed in flame. Even metal and stone are partially melted, indicating the fire used was immensely hot.

The trio do find a few things: they find a suitable makeshift staff for Goldmoon, a small bit of rope (only enough to tie up one person, not two), a handful of sheaf arrows (five), and a small silver locket shaped like a dove. But perhaps the real prize is found by Sturm while he is digging through some rubble. He hears a snort, and going to investigate, finds a horse. It has a reins and a saddle, as well as a small saddle bag, indicating it was domesticated. He must have survived the carnage somehow, probably by running off, and then returned to look for its master. It's very unlikely his master is anywhere around here, if he or she still lives at all.

=======

Sunstar receives a short sword and two daggers from Sturm.
Tasslehoff receives thieves' pick from Sturm.
Sturm remains 1.5 lbs in light encumbrance.

[HorizonsDream]

"Thank you," Sunstar says to Sturm with a small bow of her head. She seems to show a little respect to the man as she straps the sword to her waist. She makes sure to put the daggers in her boots for the time being. "The idea was to continue on to...Solace right?" she asks the others.

[Jerrard]

Sturm pats the horse gently, checking him over for wounds before taking his reins. "Would you like to come with us?" Sturm asks as he leads the horse to the group, "I am sure you will not mind being away from this place." It had been many years since he had ridden a horse, yet he had the training. "Would you like a name? How does Arkiss sound?"

Taking the rope back to the group he passes it to Caramon. "This should hold one, perhaps."

[Jenara]

"What a lovely horse." Laurana smiles, watching Sturm with the mount, she was sure she even caught a smile from the otherwise serious Knight. Taking the arrows and the staff she opens the Locket slowly, briefly looking inside.

"What could have caused this devastation? What fire can melt stone?" She asks as they walk back, "I am worried for my people, I should never have left."

[Breila]

"What fire can melt stone!" Goldmoon throws up her hands. "Don't you remember what the well of the black dragon looked like? if one dragon can breathe acid, is it so hard to imagine that another one can breathe fire?"

[Jenara]

"Gosh, of course why didn't I even think of that, I am sure there are Stories of such things..." She looks straight at the scary looking Mage for a moment, those hourglass eyes staring at her. "Do... Do you know...?" She hides her face behind her hair before lifting her head once more.

"You have studied, you saw the Constellations, what do you know of Dragons?"

[JadedDM]

"All right," Tanis says. "Caramon, tie one up. I'll...take care of the other one," he says distastefully. Tanis never did have much of a love for killing, even though he was often forced to, especially nowadays.

Inspecting the horse, Sturm found that the animal did have a mild injury--a claw mark, likely from a draconian, on its left flank. It did not appear infected, however, and seemed to be on the mend. The horse was likely lucky to get away with such a minor wound, considering what had happened here. The horse seemed friendly enough, having been well-trained, and did not shy away from the warrior.

Collecting the gear, Laurana opens up the locket. There is a small inscription inside, but she cannot read the script. It is foreign to the elven princess.

Raistlin's hour-glass shaped pupils bore into Laurana. She often caught him staring at her, but it was never in the way most men did. Rather, his gaze was cold and calculating, like that of a scholar studying a cadaver to learn more about how the body works.

"The stories tell that dragons are the most powerful beings in the world, firstborn of the gods," he said. "Able to command long forgotten magics and breathe, among other things, flame, acid and frost. Supposedly, they are near-indestructible. Only the fabled dragonlances could do them real harm. That we walked away from the battle with Onyx unscathed was due to divine intervention alone. If we should meet another dragon in battle.., well, we seem to be fresh out of blue crystal staves, are we not?" he asks, coughing violently all of the sudden. Once the spasm passes, he wipes a trickle of blood from his mouth.

==========

Laurana receives 5 sheaf arrows, a silver locket, and a quarterstaff.

[Kafen]

"The dragons, I wonder how far they got." Tas repeats with a frown if only to himself. He looks at the others. "We should get going before long if these guys have friends." He indicates the dragon men.

[Breila]

Goldmoon looks at Raistlin, a little concerned at the man's cough, but decides not to mention it for the moment.

"What can you tell us about the dragonlances, then?" she asks the mage.

"And Tas, you are right, we should get moving. Perhaps we could lift Riverwind on the horse Sturm has just found?"

[HorizonsDream]

"If the smoke in the distance is in indication," Sunstar says. "I would say they got pretty far."

[Jenara]

"What can we do against such creatures?" Laurana asks quietly closing the Locket, perhaps someone else could read it? "Speaking of Onyx I found this in the Dragons Lair." She offers the Ring to Rastlin, "What do you think this is?"

Pausing she turns around offering the Staff to Goldmoon, "I hope this will be sufficient."

[Jerrard]

"Arkiss can carry him, of course." Sturm smiles, stroking the horse lightly, "Dragonlances, they were forged by the Ancients to defeat the dragons, or so I am told."

[Breila]

"Thank you, Laurana" the plainswoman ex-princess says to the elven princess. "This certainly will do."

"Do the stories tell where they can be found, too?" she then asks Sturm.