Gameplay - The Dragon Who Asked Too Much

Seeing her daggers strike home, Mavis snarls
Ent so easy as fightin’ bairns, is it? Tha’s nowt but a snivellin’ nonce.

Garth spins the magic staff, he has never held a weapon so grand. He waits for his opening and swings with both hands.

Garth's serpentine staff strikes solidly, satisfyingly smacking the sinister and insidious spectre.

Total damage done: 91

The Eater of Innocence is adept at the ways of avoiding spells, but even though it mostly gets out of the way of the twinned lightning bolts, it still takes horrific damage.

It falls to the ground, twitching then going still.

Combat is over.

You feel the oppressive mood of the area immediately lighten. The storm around you begins to break up.

Mavis spits on the burnt corpse, but the sour taste of what she's witnessed here remains in her mouth.
She looks at the others in turn, nodding to each in appreciation of the good work that's been done here.
Garth, is there owt tha' god can do to consecrate ground?

When she gets close enough to spot on the corpse, Mavis notices a leather back tied around it's neck. Something about the bag catches her eye. Is that light trying to shine through?

GARTH! HEHSH! THA'S NEED TO TEK A GANDER AT THIS! SHARPISH LADS!
Mavis alarmedly shouts for the Cleric and the Sorcerer. She drops into a defensive stance, readying an attack should anything bad emerge from the bag.

She murmers a low growl at the bag
C'mon out nonce, and I'll gi' tha' such a brayin'

Garth walks over to the corpse and reaches for the bag.

Everyone be ready, just in case.

He opens the bag.

Mavis opens her mouth to raise objections, No detect good and evil? No augury? No speak with dead?
but there’s no time. She closes her mouth. Besides, the cleric seems confident - let’s see what happens.

She relaxes her stance and leans forward. Garth’s optimism is contagious.

Garth finds a number of gems, one large and black, and a score that are small and luminescent. The smaller ones glow with a pulse like heartbeats, and pulse brighter when Garth looks in.

I am going to see if I can identify these smaller gems.

Garth grabs one of the smaller gems and with a prayer to Gond for wisdom, he casts identify

Ruby eyes up the gem in Garth's hand. "Is it...symbolic? Or do you think that thing also liked hoarding money?"

"Thats not normal. We should be careful. I've never seen any gem glow like that." Hasan says rolling over to get up after Hehsh's attack. "What do you think we should do with that?"

Mavis stands on tiptoe to see what everybody is looking at. Her big, brown eyes widen in amazement. She turns her eyes up to look at Garth.
Surely the wise holy man will know what to do.
She looks back at the glowing gems, resisting the temptation to reach out and touch them.

Wanting to give Garth some space, Mavis steps away and begins walking to the altar. She takes care not to tread on, or disturb, the bones emerging from the ground.

She has no words, nor can she properly order her thoughts to encompass the tragedy that unfolded here.
Poor bairns is the best her mind can offer. She knows it's trite and inadequate, but to try for better would be to invite a sympathy that she can ill-afford until the time for flinty hardness has passed.

Reaching the altar, Mavis starts to investigate.

Garth's mind reels with revulsion. His soul actually feels dirty just for holding this...thing.

These gems. These poor souls.

Tears start to flow, both from sorrow and anger. He coughs and tries again.

Each of these gems is a soul that this monster stole. They are trapped for eternity in these prisons. We have to smash them and give them their release.

He takes a second to kick the dead innocence eater.

Everyone pray to whoever you believe in, to show these souls to their proper rest.

Garth prays to Gond, protect these souls on their journey.

He grabs a rock or a hammer if someone has one, and smashes the first of the gems.

Solemnly Mavis returns from the Altar to Garth. She removes her pack, loosens the leather cords sealing it and removes her hammer. As she takes her portion of the gems from Garth, she reaches high to place a sympathetic hand on his back.
Gorm Fire-Eyes, will lead souls of lost bairns t' rest.
Mavis wants to ask about the black stone, but understands that now is the time to follow Garth's lead.

She takes the gems to the altar. It seems fitting that the site of imprisonment should also be the anvil of release.
It's been a while since Mavis had used her traditional dwarven skills, but the meditation of arranging the gems for destruction brings the knowledge of her youth back.
Holding Gorm Gulthyn's prayer of protection in her mind she strikes the gems, entreating her god to protect these innocents on the path to their afterlife.