The Twenty-Sixth Session

After leaving the war room, Shag and Aoth further discussed details of their plans to lay siege to Myth Drannor. After confirming additional information regarding the fortress with Melarra and Cormir, they began the preparations. They would have the mages conjure 216 scrolls that could each raise 2 corpses to fight for the caster, which Shag and Halrek would distribute to the bodies they found while infiltrating. The warriors would smith mythril weapons and armor for as many of the infantry as possible, who would be following Aoth and Yief as their primary commanders. While preparations were being made, Shag cast Hunger of Hadar, and delved into the black portal himself, to the chagrin of Aoth and Melarra. Calling out while within it, he asked about where his new powers came from. To his surprise, he became surrounded by the luminous mist from his dream in Luthcheq, and once again saw the silhouette of the person who spoke to him then, now joined by a second, less human appearing silhouette. After being told the answer to his powers lie in his past, he was pushed back out of the spell, but not before catching a glimpse of the second figure where the mist moved past it, where he saw a blue feather.

Emerging, Aoth and Melarra asked him what happened, to which he responded about seeing the figure again. Hearing "again," Aoth asked if he had seen him before, and they talked about their dreams at Luthcheq. When Aoth asked about the second figure, Shag didn't want to talk about it. Melarra said power doesn't occur for no reason, it was likely already there, and merely triggered by a catalyst, which Shag realized must be linked to that second figure, who he began to remember from his past. He went on to contact King Neviiron Bravier in Midfall and request military aid for the resistance, which the king agreed to.

After assembling their troops consisting of 5 100-man warrior units, 3 100-man mage units, 10 clerics, and 20 paladins, they determined that a scout group would set various campfires to look like a large force making camp, and draw out either an enemy scout group or the greater forces residing in Myth Drannor. The army would then attack from another point, flanking the Ebony forces, leaving the city largely emptied for Shag and Halrek to infiltrate, set the scrolls, and assassinate Zekiev Ibixus. The zombie army would likely be defeated, but would take out enough Ebonyborn soldiers that they could fight more evenly.

After a rousing speech by Aoth, they set out for Myth Drannor, first passing over the bridge they initially crossed when starting their quest, where they met Grimgarde and the Shadowhunters, where Aoth first dove in front of an attack, and where Chariz lost his life. They pondered the duress of that day, and that now they were crossing it again as commanders in the Free Lands Resistance.

After a day of travel, they encountered a small group of wood elves, who Aoth spoke to with Halrek translating. They were fleeing the Ebony Legion, but Aoth convinced them to help set the fires of distraction, and if they could do so and spare the need for extra soldiers to take those positions, that they would be able to flee before they had to fight, as they weren't warriors. They agreed.

A few hours later, Aoth heard something walking in the woods a distance away, but couldn't see anything. Halrek scouted ahead, and returned saying he saw a dragon that was walking strangely, possibly injured. They commanded the army to continue marching, but slow the pace so they could catch up. They ventured deeper off the path, and Shag took point to calm the dragon as it saw them, which they saw was a 35-foot tall forest dragon. It had burns all over its right arm, and was limping on it. Shag helped it feel safe before they began to talk. It said its name was Rayeth, and he had been hurt when the Ebony forces invaded. There were many soldiers, but the tree cover kept him from seeing their true numbers, and then a flash fire burst of some sort happened that damaged him beyond what his capacity to heal was. He had been wandering for 2 weeks and the injury was getting worse. Aoth approached him, and after speaking draconic and telling him that they had saved the Draconian princes, convinced Rayeth to let Aoth heal him. He was able to cure most of the burns, stopping the injury from potentially turning necrotic. They said they had an army and asked if Rayeth would help them in the upcoming battle. Desiring to return to his nest, he agreed.

Reuniting with the army, they were initially frightened, but then calmed once they saw Rayeth was on their side. The Draconian refugees who were among the fighters were happy a dragon was fighting with them.