The Great Dragon War

You and the other players are lords (Lord is the title regardless of gender) of small semi-feudal kingdoms, that are outside a medium-large empire. The Emperor of said empire informed you that dragons were gathering in the Blachrion Mountains, specifically near the Holden pass. The holden pass is the only way through the mountains to the more wild part of the continent, which is mostly un-populated (you think). You were going up to the nearby caves when you hear a song.

youtu.be/AvG2NMbA5z4?t=21 (it starts partway through the song intentionally)
and you decide to join the dragons cause. Now you must convince the dragons of your sincerity, and then prepare your land, for the coming war.
The empire and where you are is the southwestern part of the continent, and the mountain range seals off everything to the north and east. Beyond that is the dragons territory, not much is known about the land beyond, the official line is that it used to be a thriving kingdom a few thousand years ago before the dragons killed everyone and only a few made it out through the Holden pass. The Empire wants the land beyond the mountains.

Before the empire rose, before civilization took hold of the land, dragons were free and lived without a care.

But then humans being well, humans, they began enslaving/killing dragons, burning their nests, and eradicating their younglings (breaking eggs/infanticide)

That was during what the empire calls 'The Expansion Crusade'

That was 1000 years ago, now the empire is preparing to expand again.

And the dragons, fed up with the humans, are now ready to wage war against them, led by a powerful dragon warlord (think Alduin or Parthurnaax from Skyrim).

Naturally, the emperor--and the empire as a whole--fabricates lies that the dragons are the aggressors. Acting like they are just mindless beasts who will raid your farm and burn your town if given the chance.

You, the player characters, are vassal lords of the empire. Though you have been loyal since the expansion war, what you discover in the Blachorian Mountains, and hear from the dragon warlord himself, causes you to become sympathetic. Thus, you have decided to defect.

However, the dragons don't know that, you are currently outside the cave where they are holding their war council, just out of sight, Now what you must do is convince the dragons of your sincerity in wishing to help them fight in their cause.

Go Forth the Council Awaits.

Aria follows closely behind Fenrir; she couldn't hear what was happening in the cave. As she crouches down her eyes track a drop of water falling from the stalactites. To her knowledge, no rivers cut through these mountains. So how was water collecting here? She touches the wall of the cave gently. Her eyes widen slightly. It was damp... there was definitely a lot of moisture in this cave. That could explain the steady dripping of water.

She inspects the finger she had run across the cave wall. She rubs it together noting that it felt faintly greasy, almost grainy. Does the cave possess some different new material that when exposed to water forms into this weird thing? Thinking back to their journey the other rocks and plants looked slightly normal.

But no, this substance sticks out like a sore thumb. Perhaps the answer will reveal itself if she finds more clues. Another drop of water lands on her head. She instinctively looks up.

That's when she notices something unsettling.

In an instant, the scattered observations in her mind fit together like the pieces of a puzzle. The stalactites overhead no longer appear to be naturally formed. Long grooves carved through the stone seem far too deliberate, too uniform to be the work of water alone.



A shiver runs down her spine as she tries to comprehend the sheer size of whatever could have left such marks. There was definitely no turning back now.

Therezia carefully trails behind the others, eyes wide as she takes in her surroundings. Her rosary is wrapped tightly around her wrist, and the small silver cross digging into her palm calms her nerves a little as she looks around. Somehow the metal still feels cold against her skin, despite having been in her tight grasp the entire journey here.

Her mind keeps wandering to the song she'd heard, and she tries to reassure herself that this was the right thing to do for her people. That maybe, she was meant to hear that, and this was all part of the Lords plan for her.

A quiet sigh escapes her lips as she watches her much more confident seeming companions. She wants to ask them what they should do now, but no words come out no matter how hard she tries. Instead she simply keeps her gaze on them, watching intently.

Behind her two stoic men stand with their hands neatly folded over their swords, the cross on their armor making them instantly recognizable as two of Hoseas holy crusaders. Therezia didn't know their names, and she couldn't bring herself to ask just yet.

The Great Dragon War

@AftonsBlessing
As you look around at your party you see about 5 other people. 2 of them are your companions from your domain. Sereth, a female wolf Demi-human mage, and Bartholemew, a dwarven soldier, who despite his height wields a full tower shield, and a spear. You also have Aria Thornbrook. And there are the 2 she chose from her domain. Gerard a human knight and Halbrandt a feline demi-human spear user. Behind them, slghtyl farther back on the path is Therizia Hosea, with 2 figures in full scale-mail armor and helms. with feathermail attached to their arms so that if they needed to they could hold someone close and bring their arm forward to protect them.
As you follow Arias gaze you see the claw marks, and as you are slightly farther away from the wall you have a better angle, and you recognize the symbol 'Home'

@Blue Wolf
As you think abut the material you remember a fragmented text you found while in the forest searching. This material matches what was described in the text as 'A sign of a dragons abode there is .... wet..... greasy, gr..ty sub...... is scent ....... nd .... br..th co....sate.'

@lostandfoundme Based off of their posture your escorts/guards are mildly un-nerved, and have moved to take up defense positions, one infront of you one behind.

Aria remained motionless beneath the carved ceiling, her gaze fixed on the enormous grooves overhead. The realization still lingered in her chest like a weight. Beside her, Gerard's gauntleted hand instinctively drifted toward the pommel of his sword before stopping short. The veteran knight's disciplined expression remained unchanged, though the subtle tightening of his jaw betrayed the unease he refused to voice.

Halbrandt's ears flicked toward the darkness deeper within the cavern. The feline demi-human crouched slightly, spear held at the ready—not in challenge, but in cautious anticipation. Every so often his nose twitched, as though trying to separate the cave's damp air from the strange scent clinging to the stone.

"Greasy...", Aria murmured beneath her breath.

The single word stirred something buried deep within her memory.

A weathered manuscript.

She had discovered it months ago while surveying the forests surrounding Thornbrook. Time had devoured much of the parchment, leaving only scattered fragments that had seemed little more than folklore.Until now.Aria slowly brushed her fingers over the damp residue once more before looking down at the faint greasy sheen left upon her glove.

"I remember..."

Her voice was scarcely above a whisper.

"There was a passage. Damaged beyond reading."

Closing her eyes, she searched through the fractured memory.



"That is all I could recover."

She opened her eyes again.

Therezias eyes dart in-between Fenrir and Aria as they speak, listening intently.

She gives Fenrir a faint nod, clutching the rosary in her hand even tighter in preparation. She feels the subtle weight of her small bible in her dresses pocket, giving her strength.

She looks around again, noticing the wet glimmer of the walls. "Breath condensated?", she says quietly, her voice was barely a whisper. She looks almost surprised at herself for finally speaking up, she hadn't said much besides her name to the others in her company.

Her guards finally glance at the walls as well, one of them running a finger down the closest one to him, as if to see for himself if it was truly wet. He turns and gives Therezia a small nod of confirmation.

She stares at her guards finger, wheels spinning in her head as she tries to figure out the rest of what Aria had just said.

The Great Dragon War

@AftonsBlessing
Sereth takes a step towards you "How do you know what this means? And what language is it? I am a scholar like most mages, but i have never seen a language like this." She asks with the curiosity and zeal of a Scholar uncovering something new. Bartholomew steps forward aswell, interposing his towershield between Sereth and himself from the entrance to the cave.

@Blue WolfA drop lands on Halbrandt's nose. Now that he has what is basically the pure scent. Right on his nose it twitches, and his ears flatten against his head, he gets into a combat-ready stance and he hisses as he instinctively recognizes the scent. Something remembered through blood not brain. A scent that could either mean death or salvation.

Also as he hisses Gerard flinches, as he hasnt heard Halbrandt make a noise like that since a wild giant boar charged them in a forest, when they were 10 and still in training. And Aria has never heard that sound come out of him.
Furthermore Therezias words resonate within Aria. Based on the tone and wording of the text 'breath condensate' would fit in, it sort of clicked into place in her brain, she felt that that it was the correct interpretation

@lostandfoundme

Your guards lead you a bit closer to the rest of the group so that, if it should be nessecary defence is easier and more co-ordinated.
One of your guards wonders aloud 'how?'
The one who ran his finger along the wall says "Nice one Milord"

Aria remained still for a long moment considering Fenrir's word, her eyes lingering on the damp sheen coating the cavern walls before drifting toward Halbrandt. The hiss that had escaped him moments earlier still echoed in her thoughts. Never—not once since she had taken him into her service—had she heard such a sound from him.

It was enough.

"...she was correct," she said quietly, almost to herself recalling Therezias's words. "Breath condensate..."

The realization settled over her like a winter chill. Fenrir's confirmation that the inscriptions were draconic only strengthened the conclusion forming in her mind.

"If this moisture truly comes from a dragon's breath..." Her gaze lifted toward the darkness stretching deeper into the cave. "...then we should proceed under the assumption that this is not merely an abandoned lair."

Her attention shifted back to Halbrandt. Though still poised to strike, every twitch of his ears and tail spoke louder than words.

"Halbrandt."

The feline demi-human immediately turned his attention to her.

"You recognized the scent."

It was not a question.

"Can you tell whether it belongs to a single dragon... or several? Whether it is fresh or old? Do not venture further—only tell me what your nose can discern from here."

Only after giving the instruction did Aria glance back toward the others.

"Until we know what awaits us, no one advances alone."

Gerard silently adjusted his grip on his sword and shield, stepping half a pace nearer his Lord while keeping his watch fixed upon the yawning darkness before them. Halbrandt's ears remained pinned flat against his head as he drew a slow, deliberate breath through his nose. His golden eyes narrowed toward the darkness ahead, every muscle in his body held taut.

Another inhale.

Then another.

The scent was overwhelming.

His nose twitched repeatedly before he finally spoke, his voice low and unusually strained.

"...More than one."

He kept staring into the depths of the cavern.

"I am certain of that much, my lord."

A brief silence followed as he tested the air once more, searching for anything more precise. After a long moment, his shoulders tensed in frustration.

"But... that is all I can say."

He shook his head.

"The smell is too strong... too layered. It clings to every surface." His gaze flicked across the damp stone lining the cave. "Everything reeks of dragon. I cannot separate one scent from another, nor tell how old they are."

His hand tightened around his spear.

"Only that there is... more than one."

Therezia gives her companions just the faintest smile, encouraged by her guards compliment.

Then she turns and watches Halbrandt intently. She shivers at his words, gaze now trailing towards the darkness stretching out in front of us.

It was dark, way too dark to be able to see anything that might lurk in the shadows. Almost mechanically her hand finds her forehead, then her chest and lastly her shoulders as she begins to pray silently, asking the lord for his strength, guidance and protection.

"If only there was a little light...", she murmured, voice barely audible. She was used to this, murmuring prayers always had felt easier than speaking to other people.

She steps closer to her guards, almost hiding behind them as if they could protect her from the wrath of maybe multiple dragons.

They seem to sense her discomfort and straighten up, positioning themselves between her and the seemingly endless void of darkness. Their armor reflects what little light still reached us, the cross shining brightly on their chests and backs.

[quote=@TruckKun]

The Great Dragon War

@AftonsBlessing
as you venture further in as a group you see this writing which you mak out to home ///// Hearth as you dont know the 2nd symbol. and as you try to translate the second pair you think that you messed up something for it seems to roughly translate to Feline Dragons.

@Blue Wolf
As you move further in, with Fenrir in the vanguard, Bartholemew up with him, while Sereth is walking alongside you with Gerard on the other side. After a few seconds Sereth and Gerard put strips of sented cloths around their nose and mouth

@lostandfoundme
As you wish for light a soft yellow glow emanates from the rosary, your guards infront of you, protecting you from anything which might arise

And all the while the cave gets more humid, and there are more stalagtites from the large tall ceiling

Aria notes the slight shift as Sereth and Gerard covered their noses with scented cloth. Her gaze swept over the damp stone walls and the countless stalactites overhead, observing how the air had grown noticeably warmer and heavier with moisture.

"Fenrir, I think it will be unwise to be reckless at this time. Perhaps when we are on our grounds. Not wondering through uncharted terretories."

Therezia seems distracted for a moment by the glow emanating from her rosary. Her guards catch sight of it too and still in shock, staring at her hands. "By the heavens..." One of them murmurs, exchanging a glance with the other.

She steps forward now feeling more confident, her prayers had been answered. Emboldened, she speaks up.

"I.... I think I should go first." She says, finally finding her voice. She holds up her glowing rosary. "The Lord is with me, and I carry his light."

"My lady-" One of her guards speaks up, unwilling to let her go, but the other cuts him off with a shake of his head as he gestures at her rosary. "You dare defy his will?" He whispers, his gaze fixed upon her hands with reverence.