5. Welcome to Argent

Nymm 1 - Nymm 7, YK 1000

Xau has been put into a healing coma by the head of House Jorasco until we can get a piece of the chaos-infused elemental ebony from which the dagger was fused, and there are rumors that it can be found in Goradra Gap. Legend has it that the Gap is a portal to the Elemental Chaos, it translated to "Torn Earth" in a dwarven dialect that lines up with Torgen's prophecy, Baron Jorlann d'Cannith contacted Alain and they were getting report that shipments from the Mror Holds are being disrupted due to trouble in the Gap. House Kundarak asked Magnus to investigate trouble in the homelands around Goradra Gap.

We take an airship to Krona Peak, and the scruffy raven that we noticed observing us a few times in Stormhome does as well. At some point, the raven transforms into Zargosz Duur and explains that he is a Gatekeeper Mystagogue and is headed to the Gap to investigate divination by the Druid Council.

After landing at Krona Peak, we buy 7 magebred horses from House Vadalis so that we'll have backups. We can travel about 50 miles a day, which takes us about a week of travel across the foothills of the Ironroot Mountains. About halfway to our destination, we enter a large clearing, and a rocky protrusion bars our way, with a few large trees ablaze with arcane fire.

Zargosz and Xiu stealthily scout around the protrusion and see a lion-like humanoid from a race none of us have seen before, five sparks of fire dancing around the wounded lion-man, as well as two pillars of fire, a rock elemental of some kind and a fire archon leading them. The lion-man is holding a singed scroll in one paw.

Xiu launches a handspring assault on the Fire Archon, and is inside a cloud of fire and ash. Alain casts a cold fleeting dweomer on Magnus's axe, and he moves up. Zargosz enters a fast stance and moves up as well.

Xiu enters Sidestep Stance focusing on the Archon, uses Acrobatic Strike on him and bloodies him. Torgen charges the Archon with Ardent Strike, but misses. Alain casts Resistive Formula on Xiu, fires Greater Magic Weapon that misses the Archon but infuses Torgen's weapon. One earth elemental moves to interpose between us and the lion-man, the other one rumbles toward Magnus and pounds his fists into the earth, but Magnus resists any damage. The sparks rush in, strike the lion-man and then bounce back out, he takes three hits and one crit, and is alive but badly wounded. Archon blasts Xiu and Zargosz with fire, drawing them to him. Magnus goes into Reign of Steel and charges into the midst of the elementals, drawing an AOO from the Fire Archon, uses his action point for Come and Get It to pull in the Archon, a Fire Elemental, an Earth Elemental and a Spark, destroying the Spark and critting the Archon, nearly killing him. Fire Elemental takes ROS damage, backs up and tries to slam Magnus but misses, the other one fires a lance of flame towards Xiu, Torgen and Zargosz, hitting only Torgen, doing fire damage and immobilizing him. Zargosz takes fire from the tree and the fire elemental's fireburst, then rushes across the battlefield to defend the lion-man and fires Floating Death, a burst of insects, at two of the flame sparks, missing both of them, speeds over to the other two and fires the burst at the other two sparks, destroying them but they explode and scorch Zargosz. He uses action point to call lightning down on the fire archon, fire elemental, earth elemental and Magnus, hitting only the earth elemental. Lion-Man invokes a blessing of Dol Dorn on Zargosz for healing surge +8, then he roars at the sparks and pushes them away, immobilizing them.

Xiu takes 10 fire damage, moves in to attack the Fire Archon and then shifts out of the firestorm. Torgen takes 10 fire damage, draws his hand-axe and misses, uses healing on the lion-man to un-bloody him, then saves against immobile. Alain fires runic resistance at the Archon, killing him and giving fire resistance to Xiu and Magnus. Earth elemental swings and misses Magnus, the other one hits Alain. Sparks break free of immobilization, Magnus uses Shielded Sides to shift and attacks the fire elemental, bloodying it, and marks most of the remaining elementals. Bloodied fire elemental takes ROS and launches a firestorm at Magnus and the earth elemental, bloodying the earth elemental and missing Magnus. The other fire elemental shifts back toward the fiery tree. Zargosz fires a plague of locusts at the earth elemental with furious assault.

Xiu moves to attack earth elemental and very nearly kills it with her Wild Tumble Cut. Torgen takes fire damage, moves over to assist Alain against earth elemental. Alain uses magic weapon on the earth elemental. The other earth elemental dies from ROS, and the one next to Alain and Torgen uses a rumble that hits Alain and shifts him back away from the elemental. The sparks attack the lion-man but miss. Alain hits the elemental with magic weapon. Magnus takes some fire damage, then takes an AOO from the bloodied fire elemental before killing him with inexorable advance. Fire elemental fires another firestorm on Magnus. Zargosz runs between the firestorms and throws storm spike at the earth elemental.

Xiu moves to attack remaining fire elemental. Torgen attacks the earth elemental and gives Alain a healing surge. Alain moves up and misses with Magic Weapon. The elemental misses Alain and Torgen, takes thunder damage that bloodies him. The sparks bloody the lion-man. Magnus shakes off the immobilization, then charges the fire elemental with bull charge for a crit, doing a massive amount of ongoing damage and knocking it prone, bloodying him. Fire elemental takes ROS damage and ongoing damage, and has gone from nearly fully healthy to almost dead, and misses Magnus. Zargosz goes back to help the lion-man with the sparks with a vine burst that destroys them both.

Xiu moves in and kills the fire elemental, Torgen attacks the earth elemental, Alain hits him with repulsion strike. The earth elemental attacks Torgen and misses, then Magnus comes over and kills it.

The lion-man thanks us and says that we saved him the trouble of finding us. He introduces himself as Rrowthar, and says it is his honor to deliver unto us an invitation, and hands us two sheets of vellum. One is a ritual scroll, the other is a letter. The letter reads:

Honor and invitation. Stand forth and be recognized, the invitation has been given, the choice has been made. As heroes of your realm and warriors without equal, you have been chosen for the singular honor of serving the great and ancient city of Argent. Accept this duty and privilege, the world needs you. Obenharr, Last Guardian of Argent. None of us have ever heard of Argent before.

Argent was established in the wake of the Dawn War in agreement with the dragons. We read the scroll and teleport to Argent. We are in a courtyard full of marble statues, a statue of a female dressed in robes overlooks a glowing reflecting pool. An elderly human, Obenharr, welcomes us, and then the whole place shakes. We are introduced as the palace continues to shake. Two Bulettes burrow into the hall.

Xiu moves into the Bulette's square. Torgen attacks the other Bulette. A stone-eye basilisk comes up through the tunnel and targets Rrowthar, Zargosz and Alain are slowed (save ends). Alain throws a blinding bomb at the Basilisk, uses an action point to fire predatory shards at the Basilisk and Bulette. Other Bulette uses earth burrow to pass underneath Torgen, and the Bulette sprays rock and earth at Rrowthar and Torgen. The other Bulette digs away from the shards, sprays Zargosz with rock and dirt and knocks Alain prone. Zargosz summons a crocodile which bites and grabs the basilisk, then is immobilized. Obenharr runs to the statue to try and restore the magical defenses. Torgen hears more creatures coming in throough the tunnels. Magnus uses crushing surge on the Bulette and misses. Galeb Duhr come up from one tunnel and move toward Obenharr, pick up the shattered stones and hurl them at Alain and Torgen.

Xiu uses Bloodbath on Bulette, Torgen charges the Galeb Duhr with Ardent Strike and marks both of them. Basilisk takes predatory shard damage, escapes the crocodile's grab. Rrowthar uses a healing power that blasts the Bulette and heals many of us. Alain is prone, stands up, casts dancing shield on himself, fires positive energy infusion bolt into Bulette that Xiu is riding. Bulette jumps at Rrowthar and hits him.

Quotes of the Evening:
"I turn into a Monitor Lizard because it pleases me."
"It was about protoplasm riding a dinosaur, but you made it something dirty."