| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Icelander |
Posted - 23 Sep 2008 : 03:41:43
In the opinion of learned scribes here, what types of dragons are most prevalent on the eastern shores of the Sea of Fallen Stars?
Which type of dragonkind is most likely to take to the sea when the Rage affects them, to destroy and sink ships of the Mulhorandi blockade of Unther, for example?
My players are sailing from Raven's Bluff to Escalant in Thay during Hammer of 1373. From there, they plan to smuggle food and weapons to free Unther. They'll make as many runs as they can stomach, stopping in Bezantur for more supplies. Then they have to make a run to Telflamm (either before or after they visit Unther).
The players know that the Inner Sea is treacherous in winter and that other sailors put to shore over the worst storm months. They are also hip deep in depth and have to make hundreds of thousands of golden lions before Midsummer.
They have a flotilla of two fast three-masted sailing ships and a smaller raker. Manueverable and seaworthy, the ships are armed with artillery and crewed by crack sailors, mercenaries and two skilled ship's mages per ship. They're more suited to warfare than trade, really, but the characters were privateers before they turned merchant lords and they welcome any pirate interference as a chance to take more prizes.
I was wondering what kind of dragon a bad random encounter roll would be most likely to send their way. If an astonishingly learned sage knew of any specific dragons lairing close to the places I mentioned, that would be even better, of course. But at the very least, I'm curious as to whether it's more likely to meet a black, blue, green, red or white. Or even something else.
They'll be far enough from Mulhorand so that desert dwelling wyrms are unlikely to trouble them. Hunting over water also seems a strange predeliction for such beasts. I didn't see any large swamps or forests near their route (the Adder Swamp is hundres of miles of any likely route they'll sail). There are mountains, of course, but those are held by Alasklerbanbantos and Jaxanaedogor, both undead and thus not subject to the Rage.
So, scribes, best guesses? |
| 18 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Icelander |
Posted - 02 Oct 2008 : 13:49:58
quote:
Originally posted by Christopher_Rowe
Hey Icelander, I guess it's probably too late, but I was looking at the old Vilhon Reach supplement for other reasons and came across this description of that island your characters have to go right by, Wavecrest:
quote:
Wavecrest: The eastern "eye of Silvanus" is essentially a jungle island populated by fierce beasts and an assortment of dangerous monsters. It has never been thoroughly explored or mapped, and little is known of its specific geographic features.
The Emerald Enclave reportedly uses the island as a ground for druids seeking survival training. Whatever the enclave knows of the island has not been shared with other travelers, however.
Ships that have passed close to Wavecrest report seeing a huge bipedal creature peering back at them from the trees. A few eyewitness report (if such can be believed) describe the creature as "fiendish with glowing coals for eyes." Whether the creature exists on Wavecrest or merely in the minds of terrified sailors is best left to the skillful hands of an adventuring company.
And in the 3.0 FRCS entry on those islands (the Eyes of Silvanus), there's this: The eastern island, Wavecrest, is an uninhabited jungle teeming with wild animals and monsters.
So you could pretty much anything on there, especially greens or blacks.
Aye, 'tis true. I'll be sure to keep that in mind when they sail Reth-bound.
They'll also probably spend some months sailing the Vilhon Reach, until the weather grows warm enough for the Neck to be passable.
quote:
Originally posted by Christopher_Rowe
And I also can't believe I neglected to commend to you the Temeraire novels of Naomi Novik (who, interestingly enough, did design and development work for Neverwinter Nights before she hit it big as a novelist). They feature many excellent scenes of dragons versus ships combat.
Yes, I have those. They're fun little romps.
I guess powerful magic alters the equation somewhat, though, since dragons can't rely on their size and strength alone to shield them from harm. As the flight of dragons in the Alember found out to their cost. |
| Christopher_Rowe |
Posted - 30 Sep 2008 : 20:25:31
Hey Icelander, I guess it's probably too late, but I was looking at the old Vilhon Reach supplement for other reasons and came across this description of that island your characters have to go right by, Wavecrest:
quote:
Wavecrest: The eastern "eye of Silvanus" is essentially a jungle island populated by fierce beasts and an assortment of dangerous monsters. It has never been thoroughly explored or mapped, and little is known of its specific geographic features.
The Emerald Enclave reportedly uses the island as a ground for druids seeking survival training. Whatever the enclave knows of the island has not been shared with other travelers, however.
Ships that have passed close to Wavecrest report seeing a huge bipedal creature peering back at them from the trees. A few eyewitness report (if such can be believed) describe the creature as "fiendish with glowing coals for eyes." Whether the creature exists on Wavecrest or merely in the minds of terrified sailors is best left to the skillful hands of an adventuring company.
And in the 3.0 FRCS entry on those islands (the Eyes of Silvanus), there's this: The eastern island, Wavecrest, is an uninhabited jungle teeming with wild animals and monsters.
So you could pretty much anything on there, especially greens or blacks.
And I also can't believe I neglected to commend to you the Temeraire novels of Naomi Novik (who, interestingly enough, did design and development work for Neverwinter Nights before she hit it big as a novelist). They feature many excellent scenes of dragons versus ships combat.
|
| Icelander |
Posted - 25 Sep 2008 : 02:15:46
Ah, okay then.
Had another session today.
My players loaded up on fine wheat in Escalant and with the assistence of some dubious wizards; they also had a thousand mail hauberks, 2000 spearheads, 200,000 arrows and enough battlemagic to supply an army concealed in their cargo. As far as most of the PCs know, they're on a humanitarian mission, but the one who handles the buying and selling knows that their true purpose is to transport Red Wizard funded military assistence to whatever faction Free Unther most likely to use it against the Mulhorandi.
Just before dawn, the PC flotilla arrived outside Messemprar where they noticed a pyrotechnic display of solar magic, fire and lighting. Some miles in front of them was a raging battle between six ships of the Mulhorandi blockade and a flight of chromatic dragons.
Since most of them are honorable*, the PCs had their ships sail with all speed toward the battle. They counted two black skull dragons (juveniles), a large red (young adult) and a blue (adult). The smallest was 45' tip to tail and the largest was the red at about a 100 feet long.
When they got there at dawn, one Mulhorandi raker was fully ablaze, one was busy fighting several fires, one was sinking from a low-line lighting blast and the final smaller ship was besieged by most of the dragons. The larger two galleys were battle-damaged, but intact, and not fast enough to engage the dragons who kept circling and attacking whatever smaller ship farthest away from help.
The blue dragon was the first to notice the new ships coming at them from the north and he flew at them with a roar. An elven archer (NPC henchman) and a warrior PC with an elven bow managed to give him some annoying stings and a few shots from the ballistas hurt him, but he didn't seem overly bothered. An answering fireball dropped the elf and set the ship on fire, but the warrior put down his bow to use his Ring of Fire Control to handle that.
Just before the blue could bring his breath weapon to bear, a Red Wizard Evoker travelling with the party dropped his most powerful fireball down his gullet and the resulting explosion splattered dragon gore all over the ship. One dragon down, three to go.
On one of the Mulhorandi galleys, a new PC just entering the campaign found himself a passenger to Threskel. He was minor nobility from Murghôm on a quest for different things, with his priceless stallion (in the hold of the galley) pretty much the only value item he had. He started shooting at the dragons circling the nearest raker and managed to draw a skull dragon in his direction.
Meanwhile, another dragon and the largest one yet, is approaching from the east. He swoops in at the embattled raker at the same time as the red breathes fire on it. A tendril of flame bathes his shoulder, not serious, but it sends him into a berserker rage. He attacks the red and they battle in the skies. The larger dragon doesn't have a breath weapon and is clumsy in the air, but his bite is deadly. He managed to get his jaws around the smaller dragons neck and despite the rear talons of the red tearing a gash in his belly, he shakes his smaller foe like a terrier with a rat and sends his lifeless corpse into the churning ocean.
A Thayan Knight, the bodyguard of the Red Wizard, informs the warrior PC that this is a fang dragon and that he has no breath weapon, only talons and razor fangs. As the dragon sets his course towards them, this is hardly great consolation. When the dragon starts growing, by some foul magic, it becomes no consolation at all.
When one of the black dragons is just about to bathe the Mulhorandi galley in his acid breath, the Murghômi horse archer sends an arrow down his throat. Faster than the eye can see, another arrow follows the first and the young dragon is staggered. He loses the rhythm of his wings and starts gliding into the water next to the ship he planned to land on. Bending over the galley's railing, the Murghômi warrior plants an arrow into his eye from a range of 3 yds. It disappears into his brain.
Now only two dragons remain, the huge fang dragon and the second young black. When the black sees his sibling slain, he screeches awfully and flies directly at his killer, utterly heedless of his own safety. The other, the colossal one, clearly plans to ram the small clipper that the PCs are sailing. Arrows and bolts fail to discomfit him and the warrior PC with his bow manages to drop most of his arrows to the deck, wasting valuable time. He does manage to find the special enchanted silver arrow that is supposed to be made to slay dragons.
Waiting until it's almost too late, he fires into the dragons heart. With a blast of magical energy, the dragon is brought down into the sea, showering the ship with a tidal wave of water. Fire, magical missiles and energy are unleashed into the dragon while he's trying to get his bearings.
The warrior PC drops his bow and draws his bastard sword. Cairlachan, it is called, 'The Blade that Carves Stone' and he raises it above his head in a two-handed downward stabbing grip. He jumps onto the dragon's back and rams it to the quillions into his spine. A violent shake deposits him into the water, but leaves the sword embedded in the dragon. The side of the slender ship is crushed by the dragon's bulk and slivers of wood fly everywhere. Axes, spears and more magic hammers the fang dragon from above and the other PCs manage to fire a ballista bolt into one eye while the one in the water tries to climb back up to his sword.
He uses his magical rondel as a climbing tool and when he is above the water again, he activates his Ring of Jumping to land on the dragon's back again. In his second attempt, he manages to grab Cairlachan's hilt and he violently twists it back and forth to sever the spine. When the dragon stops moving, he hardly believes it.
The second skull dragon manages to reach the Mulhorandi galley without serious injury. A line of virulent acid splashes across the rowers and the Murghômi PC only escapes alive by throwing himself away. Still, acid splashes the left side of his face and he dares not open his eyes lest it blind him. He can hear the dragon land on the deck and knows he cannot fight it blinded.
A paladin of Anhur charges the dragon with a spear held like a lance. It penetrates deep into his belly, but the dragon bites the man in half, bronze breastplate and all. His sacrifice bought the Murghômi time to stand up and draw an arrow. Firing blind, he misses the dragon and he can hear by the groans of wood that the dragons means to strike him. He manages to dodge a falling claw and throw himself into the ocean.
The clipper, 'The Pride of Suzail' and the two larger ships are now sailing to help kill the last dragon and save those Mulhorandi sailors on burning ships or in the shark-infested waters. Before they get there, though, the Murghômi washes the acid from his face and discovers he is horribly scarred, but can still see. He climbs the side of the galley and grabs the nearest spear.
The dragon is tearing clerics, warriors, paladins and slaves apart in an orgy of destruction. Neither searing rays of pure sunlight nor conjured swords suffice to put it down. Seeing this, the Murghômi charges its back and jams the spear into its vitals as far as it will go. The dragon twists and he loses the spear, but he dodges a wing buffet and draws two curwed tulwars.
Crossing them over the dragon's neck, he draws a gush of blood and an enraged swipe of both front talons. He dodges nimbly and takes advantage of the unbalanced stance of the dragon to stick his swords into both eyes of the beast. Before the dragon can draw back or attack, he reverses his grip in the hilts and forces the swords into the reptile's brain. Then he walks up to one of the bodies around it and grabs a spear, placing it between scales on the base of the immobile dragon's neck. With a grunt of effort, he drives it into the killing spot.
The warrior PC with the Ring of Jumping managed to board, but came too late to help in the battle. They exchange pleasantries and the Westerner remarks that he's sorry to see the damage to his ship. The Murghômi informs him that it is not his ship, he was there merely as a passenger. With a smile, the Western PC notes that as his former ship is unlikely to be sailing far, perhaps he might offer him passage on theirs?
The surviving Mulhorandi were offered what succor possible and they well understood that they were in no position to enforce their blockade. Knowing this, they instead accepted the word of the PCs that they were carrying only food and no weapons and allowed them to pass as a humanitarian gesture.
The result of this night's gaming... five dead dragons and a new hero in the PC's entourage. Also, probably a healthy increase in their reputation. 
*On board of the ships there are a couple of former Purple Dragon officers, a Knight of the Rooster from Raven's Bluff accompanied by two of his colleagues and assorted sailors with enough of a sense of honour not to let fellow sailors, regardless of nationality, be eaten by dragons, burned or drowned. |
| Icelander |
Posted - 23 Sep 2008 : 21:56:22
quote:
Originally posted by Christopher_Rowe
If they're sailing out of Raven's Bluff, they're only about a hundred miles south of the Flooded Forest, with its black dragons (p. 159—all page references in this post are to the 3.0 FRCS).
They did pass close to the Flooded Forest, yes. Stopped at Calaunt to pick up a cargo of preserved meat and leather.
Heard a lot of far-away roars and a look-out claimed he saw a dragon flying in the distance. No direct encounter, thank Tymora.
quote:
Originally posted by Christopher_Rowe
To get to Escalant, they'll have to have to take one of two routes when they leave the Dragon Reach.
The first option is to sail due south between the Isle of Prespur and the Dragon Isle, keeping the Pirate Isles to port, then running southeast along the Turmish coast and on through the chute between Wavecrest and the windswept Altumbel archipelago.
Alternatively, they might swing east at the Procampur headlands, then make their way south, this time with the Pirate Isles to starboard and Altumbel to port. Now, Altumbel's not exactly an Aglarondan client state or anything, but the second route does put them closer to the Simbul's sphere of influence than the first.
And of course, if they're making the journey more than once, they'll probably take both routes both directions owing to circumstances, weather, chance, etc. Navigation's not an exact science even today.
So, the first route takes them by the northeastern end of the "largest, tallest mountain range south of the Spine of the World," the Orsraun Mountains, "a well-known abode for all sort of evil creatures, including…red dragons" (p. 221). (As an aside, it seems to me that your characters will in a sense be sailing through the Orsrauns, as it looks to me as if the Pirate Isles are themselves a part of the chain, geologically speaking.) That part of the Osrauns known as the Mountains of Alaoreum "includes Mount Andrus, a semiactive volcano sacred to worhsipers of Talos, who are rumored to be in league with an evil being or community in the heart of the volcano" (p. 221). No reason the "evil being" couldn't be a dragon, is there?
The druids of the Emerald Enclave on the island of Ilighôn probably keep draconic activity out of the Vilhon Reach in check (I guess—I don't know the attitude of druids toward the Rage), but that still leaves the seaward termination of the Akanapeaks, which could house any number of dragons.
The Akanapeaks would also be a potential hazard for route number two, as this is where they would rejoin. The second, easterly route, is, after all, identical except for the turn to port around the Pirate Isles when the sailors left the Dragon Reach. Since the Gray Forest is not a good option for you, then this option might be the best for your characters in avoiding dragons.The Pirate Isles and Altumbel are the jaws of that mouth, but I've made a (brief, to be sure) search through the main campaign guides for all four editions and didn't find a good reference for draconic "teeth" to either side. It certainly seems reasonable, though, that a blue or green might have found a lair on one of the many islands in that region.
Well, it looks to me from the map in the Sea of Fallen Stars supplement that there is a reasonably good direct route between the Pirate Isles and the Archipelago of Altumbel. That would be your eastern route. It's a lot shorter than the alternative.
So the PCs don't have to pass all that near Turmish, but yeah, the Akanapeaks weren't that far off their route. This time, though, no dragon had flown out to the middle of the Wizard Reach.
As for the precision of navigation and problems of sailing, modern day instruments are scarcely more reliable than magic at navigation. And modern sailors lack any methods for controlling wind and weather, such as the PCs have. So they make very good time and usually avoid getting blown too far off course. But the winter storms they're having are more than equal to their magic and they've already lost a mast and a full set of sails to them (fortunately, they carry spares and can create some with magic).
I was thinking that the most likely place to encounter raging dragons would be the waters off Threskel's Long Beech or just outside of Messemprar where blockading Mulhorandi ships provide inviting targets for them. |
| Christopher_Rowe |
Posted - 23 Sep 2008 : 20:35:39
quote:
Originally posted by Icelander
My primary sources for the Rage of Dragons in 1373 DR are the novel trilogy The Year of Rogue Dragons ('The Rage', 'The Rite' and 'The Ruin') and Dragons of Faerun.
I haven't yet added those materials to my collection, but I'll give it another crack anyhow.
If they're sailing out of Raven's Bluff, they're only about a hundred miles south of the Flooded Forest, with its black dragons (p. 159—all page references in this post are to the 3.0 FRCS).
To get to Escalant, they'll have to have to take one of two routes when they leave the Dragon Reach.
The first option is to sail due south between the Isle of Prespur and the Dragon Isle, keeping the Pirate Isles to port, then running southeast along the Turmish coast and on through the chute between Wavecrest and the windswept Altumbel archipelago.
Alternatively, they might swing east at the Procampur headlands, then make their way south, this time with the Pirate Isles to starboard and Altumbel to port. Now, Altumbel's not exactly an Aglarondan client state or anything, but the second route does put them closer to the Simbul's sphere of influence than the first.
And of course, if they're making the journey more than once, they'll probably take both routes both directions owing to circumstances, weather, chance, etc. Navigation's not an exact science even today.
So, the first route takes them by the northeastern end of the "largest, tallest mountain range south of the Spine of the World," the Orsraun Mountains, "a well-known abode for all sort of evil creatures, including…red dragons" (p. 221). (As an aside, it seems to me that your characters will in a sense be sailing through the Orsrauns, as it looks to me as if the Pirate Isles are themselves a part of the chain, geologically speaking.) That part of the Osrauns known as the Mountains of Alaoreum "includes Mount Andrus, a semiactive volcano sacred to worhsipers of Talos, who are rumored to be in league with an evil being or community in the heart of the volcano" (p. 221). No reason the "evil being" couldn't be a dragon, is there?
The druids of the Emerald Enclave on the island of Ilighôn probably keep draconic activity out of the Vilhon Reach in check (I guess—I don't know the attitude of druids toward the Rage), but that still leaves the seaward termination of the Akanapeaks, which could house any number of dragons.
The Akanapeaks would also be a potential hazard for route number two, as this is where they would rejoin. The second, easterly route, is, after all, identical except for the turn to port around the Pirate Isles when the sailors left the Dragon Reach. Since the Gray Forest is not a good option for you, then this option might be the best for your characters in avoiding dragons.The Pirate Isles and Altumbel are the jaws of that mouth, but I've made a (brief, to be sure) search through the main campaign guides for all four editions and didn't find a good reference for draconic "teeth" to either side. It certainly seems reasonable, though, that a blue or green might have found a lair on one of the many islands in that region.
|
| Icelander |
Posted - 23 Sep 2008 : 20:30:33
quote:
Originally posted by capnvan
Although, since you did bring the matter up, can anyone direct me to the sourced definition of a raker? I was under the impression that they're a form of advanced galley, but I haven't looked in quite some time.
I've heard the word used for naval ships from Waterdeep to Mulmaster. I always assumed that it refered to their tactical role, not their specific build.
The 'rakers' of Waterdeep are dromonds, but I'm not sure that that applies to all rakers. If I used the word inappropriately, what I meant was something with a tactical role akin to the real world ship-rigged 'corvette' or 'sloop-of-war'. |
| Icelander |
Posted - 23 Sep 2008 : 18:47:24
quote:
Originally posted by Christopher_Rowe
Cool, cool. What's the source for all the Rage stuff? Is there a 3.5 Draconomicon or something like that?
My primary sources for the Rage of Dragons in 1373 DR are the novel trilogy The Year of Rogue Dragons ('The Rage', 'The Rite' and 'The Ruin') and Dragons of Faerun. |
| Christopher_Rowe |
Posted - 23 Sep 2008 : 18:39:35
Cool, cool. What's the source for all the Rage stuff? Is there a 3.5 Draconomicon or something like that? |
| Icelander |
Posted - 23 Sep 2008 : 18:29:21
quote:
Originally posted by Christopher_Rowe
Why not put an adult green dragon in the Gray Forest? It's close to their best routes, and the 3.0 FRCS says that "Impulturans (and other humanoids) avoid the forest entirely." Seems wide open to me unless there's superceding lore I don't know about.
The Gray Forest has a Cult of the Dragons cell and is the site of a war between the Queen's Warblades and the Cult.
The forest may enter into the campaign at some point, but for the time being, the PCs chose a route that led them somewhat away from Impiltur.
But they have a factor and warehouse in Lyrabar, so they'll come back there soon enough. |
| Christopher_Rowe |
Posted - 23 Sep 2008 : 17:36:14
Why not put an adult green dragon in the Gray Forest? It's close to their best routes, and the 3.0 FRCS says that "Impulturans (and other humanoids) avoid the forest entirely." Seems wide open to me unless there's superceding lore I don't know about. |
| Icelander |
Posted - 23 Sep 2008 : 17:15:17
quote:
Originally posted by Rinonalyrna Fathomlin
quote:
Originally posted by Nilus Reynard
How about a dragon turtle? The creature is native to water, so it could appear from just about anywhere on the sea.
I was about to say the same thing.
Well, Dragon Turtles are always a possibility.
I do, though, think they're only about as numerous as any other dragon, so that means that the combined number of chromatic+fang+brown+etc. dragons is much greater than the number of dragon turtles. Added to that, flying creatures cover much more ground than swimming ones, which means that the odds of encountering a flying dragon are better than the odds of encountering a swimming one.
And there's the Alamber Sea, which is controlled by the sahuagin. So dragon turtle numbers might well be kept down there by hunting packs of picked warriors.
But I agree that it's certainly a possibility. Considerably more likely than a white dragon, at least. |
| Icelander |
Posted - 23 Sep 2008 : 16:58:52
quote:
Originally posted by Kajehase
One of the later issues of Dragon Magazine (can't check which one right now, though) has an article about some very dragon-like seaserpents that could be useful as well.
Did they have enough dragon blood to be suspectible to the Rage? |
| Icelander |
Posted - 23 Sep 2008 : 16:58:13
quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
Bronze dragons may be appropriate, too. They often like coastlines, as I recall.
True.
If any bronze disobeys the summons of Lareth and doesn't find any other way to combat the Rage (e.g. travel to another plane), he might very well encounter the PCs.
Unlike the rapacious chromatics, though, the metallic dragons appear to have resisted the Rage well into the year. That means that unless some months have passed, he's likely to do his best not to attack. The 'Rogue Dragons' of Kara's band didn't kill indiscriminately for most of the year, after all.
But the PCs will be sailing all that year, so I'll keep that in mind. |
| Kajehase |
Posted - 23 Sep 2008 : 16:55:55
One of the later issues of Dragon Magazine (can't check which one right now, though) has an article about some very dragon-like seaserpents that could be useful as well. |
| Wooly Rupert |
Posted - 23 Sep 2008 : 16:53:47
Bronze dragons may be appropriate, too. They often like coastlines, as I recall. |
| Icelander |
Posted - 23 Sep 2008 : 16:20:17
quote:
Originally posted by capnvan
Couple of ideas -
In 1322, the blue dragon Alasklerbanbostos, now a dracolich called the Great Bone Wyrm, spent the summer terrorizing and raiding Chessenta and Unther. No reason he can't still be around.
He is. He now calls himself the Dragon King of Old Unther.
But he's an intelligent and scheming undead dragon, so the Rage will leave him unaffected. He'll use the time to increase his personal power and seek an alligience with the Church of Tiamat, not hunt ships on the open sea.
quote:
Originally posted by capnvan
Tan, one of the Pirate Isles (somewhat to the west, admittedly, but well within dragon range if wanted), is home to Eshcaz the Red, a venerable wyrm. He has been sleeping for some time, but Sea of Fallen Stars suggests that the Cult of the Dragon was intending to wake him. He'd surely be hungry and annoyed.
Tan is apparently a Cult of the Dragon outpost. Eshcaz did not wish to succumb to their rule and was slain assaulting Cult members, probably in DR 1369.
quote:
Originally posted by capnvan
As you get closer to Unther, there's Skuthosiin "the Venomous," a very old green dragon lairing in the Methwood (assuming Tiamat didn't slay him at some point, I didn't follow that too closely)
There is him, yes. He's now a fiendish dragon and a cleric of Tiamat. If the PCs were to encounter him (exceedingly unlikely, but possible), they'd probably all die.
quote:
Originally posted by capnvan
Those are just a few unique dragons I found quickly looking through some of the sourcebooks. I suspect you could find a lot more with further research. And those are just the "named" dragons.
True, there are a few more. Especially those in the service of Alasklerbanbostos, since he keeps a number of dragons serving him.
quote:
Originally posted by capnvan
As for why they'd encounter your PCs' convoy? Any number of reasons pop to mind, all the way down to "stretching my wings," as it were. Keep in mind that generally, all shipping in the Realms prefers to travel near land, so you needn't expect to explain too much. A flying dragon along the coast would be able to see quite a distance out to sea, and rakers, in particular, are extremely vulnerable to sudden storms, meaning that they'd want to be close to the shelter of land.
Well, this happens when the dragons are starting to feel the effects of the Rage, so they'll be attacking settlements and everything they see.
I need a dragon that is likely to head out to sea when he feels supernatural anger building up in him. Someone with a fondness for water or who likes destroying ships.
As I understand it 'raker' is a Realms-term for a small, fast sailing ship built for war. In real word terms, it would be a 'clipper', built of elven wood and sailed partly by magic.
The PCs actually like to navigate the shortest routes they can, even if that's more risky than staying close to land. After all, that's why they have an armed convoy of prime sailing ships and not more typical cogs.
They've weathered storms before, at least one on this route (they're now in Escalant).
quote:
Originally posted by capnvan
I'd also disagree with your sense of the geography of the route. Aglarond alone has the Yuirwood, the Singing Sands, and the Umber Marshes, where you could, respectively, potentially find green, blue, and black dragons.
True, but as I said, the ships are somewhat out to sea and not all that close to the shore of Aglarond (the PCs fear the Simbul since they trade with Thay).
quote:
Originally posted by capnvan
Just some thoughts.
Thank you for them. They were helpful. |
| Rinonalyrna Fathomlin |
Posted - 23 Sep 2008 : 15:48:42
quote:
Originally posted by Nilus Reynard
How about a dragon turtle? The creature is native to water, so it could appear from just about anywhere on the sea.
I was about to say the same thing. |
| Nilus Reynard |
Posted - 23 Sep 2008 : 11:28:12
How about a dragon turtle? The creature is native to water, so it could appear from just about anywhere on the sea.
I understand that it's not as exciting as a huge wyrm winging out of the sky, though.
Just a thought. |
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