RetCon: Our found spell scrolls:
With Clauth dying, the last of the cult of the dragons is taken down, a win for RC, who wanted to stop them. Our contract with Claug was to kill Clauth. for access to the Feywild portal.
We return to Waterdeep for 3 nights and rest. One day, 4, we go and visit Larael.
On night one, Glittr has a visit from Larael. He is floating on clouds above Baldur’s Gate. Larael states that she wants to apologize to Glittr, for he is now more powerful than most of her other paladins, except for Cadderly. She apologizes that his mother never did abandon him and Richster. She was a flaming fist and a paladin of Torm. She fought in Lliira’s name, and this is when he came across Rakasha. They talk and make up for a moment. She clarifies that his mother was used as a double-agent of sorts, working for the evil-aligned deities, and Lliira did this so that.
One day, two, we did some shopping. When we return home, Elena is there waiting to talk with Caulkin. Since rescuing her, she’s been hanging out with Richster (Glittr’s father) and Larael, as the three of them used to work together back in the day. Caulkin states that he has a lot of questions to ask her. They share kind words back and forth, and she offers to spend time with him again, in the backyard. Caulkin pays Brylwynn to go and get her favorite Hibiscus tea so they can sit in the backyard together and catch up. Kai is there, and he jumps over the fence, practicing his breaking in and rogue skills.
During night 2, Pearl has a dream. She is back in the Shadowfell, in front of the Raven Queen’s palace. Pearl is floating on the outside of it, and she feels a bolt of fear within her consciousness. A giant blotted shadow is assaulting the wall, and Pearl sees the Raven Queen sealing something away as the fight is ongoing. “Perlarys, you must hurry. We are running out of time. With only two shards left, Haepaehstus is getting braver… I am a god but no match for two other deities who wish to harm me.” She also mentions Baptiste, but he is unsure why she mentions him. Over breakfast, Pearl tells the party about her dream. We talk with Pearl, trying to decipher what the meaning of the dream could have been.
That night, Pearl returns with Baptiste. She states that she cannot carry on for much longer. The Raven Queen asks Pearl to speak truthfully with her, and she asks if Pearl trusts Baptiste fully. Upon hearing this, Baptiste sees the floating cloak turn towards him in an eerie way. She addresses Baptiste directly now, asking him for assistance with the blade moving forward. She clarifies that she needs him to yield her blade. The Obsidian Blade Welm, this carries her blessing and was given to Fey. Her twin arms, for the twin sisters. Fey, being captured and weakened, cannot yield it. The Raven Queens state that if Pearl is wrong about her trust in Baptiste, the blade will drive Baptiste mad and insane.
She also states that she knows more about Hae. He was an ancient red dragon, but since being on the material plane, he has morphed into a new form. The monster we’re going to battle is an Ancient Shadow Dragon. This is a dragon that has morphed from its original dragon form into a shadow dragon.
One day 4 we head off to Castle Waterdeep to see Larael. We go past her keep to her private library. She says, “Great news, I figured it out! Using the key that Queen Titania gave you, I can teleport us directly to Zariel’s tower. But the bad news, I can’t move or the magic in the key will break, and the portal will be lost [...] You will need to take the tower by yourselves.”… and as she says this, the door to her library bursts open. Two soldiers walk in with another crazed woman in hand. It seems that the green dragon has struck faster than anticipated. Whatever the dragon is doing in Phandalin, we are unsure.”
The woman recognizes us as having helped her against the Red Brands, and we recognize her as Samantha, the secretary who worked at the town hall in the village. She was visiting her sister in Triboar and tried to get back in when the dragon was already attacking Phandalin, and she rode non-stop to get here and seek help.
There is a chance that some of the townspeople were not in the town when the dragon attacked, but Samantha is not sure.
RC asks Larael if she knows about Ancient Shadow Dragons, but she is unaware.
We make our way to Phalalin. Claug. speaks with us, saying that the town stinks of Lliira’s magic. The fight begins. We are taking her on with some degree of apparent ease.
She calls out to us and says, “I knew you fools were capable of killing Clauth, but you think I'm stupid enough not to fight with an insurance policy?” As she says this, we see Droop, the other child, and his mother being held as prisoners. She says, “I suggest you put down your weapons.”
1. Clauth’s Fall and the Feywild Bargain:
With Clauth dead, the last of the Cult of the Dragon is defeated—fulfilling RC’s goal. This also completes our deal with Claug to gain access to the Feywild portal. We return to Waterdeep for three nights of rest before heading to see Larael.
2. Dreams, Revelations, and Reunions:
Glittr dreams of Larael apologizing, revealing truths about his mother’s role as a double agent for Lliira. Caulkin reconnects with Elena over hibiscus tea while Kai practices his break-in skills. Pearl dreams of the Raven Queen warning that only two shards remain and revealing Haepaehstus’s true form—an Ancient Shadow Dragon.
3. The Raven Queen’s Request:
In a second dream, Pearl is asked if she fully trusts Baptiste. The Raven Queen tasks Baptiste with wielding the Obsidian Blade Welm, warning it will drive him mad if Pearl is wrong. She confirms Haepaehstus was once an ancient red dragon, now transformed into an ancient shadow dragon.
4. Larael’s Breakthrough and Urgent News:
Larael announces she can use Titania’s key to teleport us directly to Zariel’s tower—but she must remain in place or risk losing the magic. Before we can discuss further, Samantha (from Phandalin’s town hall) arrives with news: a green dragon has attacked Phandalin. Some townsfolk may have escaped, but many could be trapped.
5. Battle in Phandalin:
We rush to Phandalin, where Claug taunts us about Lliira’s magic in the town. The fight begins, going in our favor until Claug reveals her “insurance policy”: Droop, another child, and his mother are prisoners. She demands we lay down our weapons.