Event Log: June, Dragon's Graveyard

[faileas]

Event Log: June, Dragon's Graveyard

I.Dragon of the Spirits Finding the roaming creature is not so difficult; something that large leaves plenty of sign for where it has travelled, with footsteps and broken branches. More worrying may be that it will find you. Even forest creatures are not safe from its rage, and anyone venturing into a certain part of the forest is bound to have the 'dragon' swiftly come to them first. The thing is large enough that its bleached white horns break high branches with each swing of its skull. Moss drapes across the skeletal form, fungi poking out here and there amongst the green, the dragon a patchwork of old bone and soft earthy colors that match the forest itself. But misty half-transparent and half-formed wisps of spirits are swirling around, flitting in and out of its form and lighting the sockets of the skull's eyes with white ghostfire. A haze of spores follows its every footstep, spread further by its howling roar -- pitch distorted by wheezing through 'flesh' of soil and fungus. It moves haphazardly through the forest, steps pulled by a multitude of minds and knocking down the occasional tree and leaving great gouges in the earth from its bony claws. Dragons may be able to calm it enough to speak words, but all other monsters will be chased down, and witches pursued with gusto. This is the embodiment of their fury at being disturbed, stirred to rage by human magic, and not so easily tamed. Though large and sharp of claw, there is one blessing for anyone intrepid enough to stand against the manifestation of the spirits' ire: it breaths neither fire nor ice, only a stench of ancient decay.

II.The Dragon's Graveyard Whether you evaded the dragon itself or destroyed the spirits' construct, the Graveyard can be found with a little careful searching deep within the forests of the Wilde it guarded. The canopy of late leaves fall breaks at the edge of a vast clearing. There's a eerie air once you step out from under the forest's trees; no birds sing, no other animals move through the low-lying growth of moss and fungi. Even the wind seems to have stilled here, leaving a deathly silence but for the faint hisses and flickering of movement half-seen before fading away -- but those have no origin in the physical world. Some of the dragons who passed away long ago were enormous, judging from the size of the bones left behind, old ribcages arching overhead and tall femurs dwarfing you lodged halfway into the earth. But it's hard to avoid stepping on smaller bones that have been left scattered across the ground some time long long ago. a. Hisses Beyond the Grave A hiss or growl; a gust of wind where there should be none. The spirits too distant and too weak to leave this place are still riled from their rest. Angry and feeling only intruders, they can only feel that they want you all gone. Perhaps you or your companions are overcome with a sudden burst of overwhelming fear and a need to flee. Perhaps one enters your body with a chill and forces you to speak fragmented words it cannot give voice to. Either way, they will do what they can to try to make you leave. No one would be blamed if a shifting bone made you a little concerned, given the sight of what their ire had built once... b. What Remains Just outside the Graveyard, a little searching can uncover some gory pieces of what was once a man. Searching through his scattered belongings, one can find some necromantic spell components, and a small notebook journaling his travels and attempt to raise the spirits of dragons of old. It is pretty obvious how well that worked out for him. Burying or burning what can be found of the body away from the Dragon's Graveyard might help soothe the spirits a little. Tracking the disturbance to the area, once there, isn't difficult. Huge bones have been pulled from the earth along the way, leaving loose soil overturned. At the end of this swath of destruction, plant life has been cleared away for a large circle. The earth is ripped up here too, and necromantic talismans hang from bones further away as if thrown by a violent confrontation, bits of string and beads a scattered sign of the disturbance. The sigils in the circle are scarred with massive claw marks, but remain a sign of the disturbance as well, disrupting the natural solemnity of this place of rest. The spirits are more agitated here too, hissing and whispering in your ear fragments of dismay and anger. Removing all signs of human presence may help as well -- if you can stand the spirits whispering and possession attempts long enough.

III.Deny or Pacify a. Sealing Solution The Northern Outpost is the closest mustering point for witches to gather in any effort to seal the area, and some from the Coven have already arrived through the teleporter to discuss details with Wilders and amongst each other. Plan for the journey ahead, or discuss ethical considerations, or even the question of how long such spirits might have to be held back, if it is even possible without a larger delegation from the Coven. b. Offerings for the Spirits A dedicated effort to communicate with and appease the spirits with finally break through their crazed ranting enough that they will accept offerings of gold, silver, jewels and all manner of rare and expensive items. It seems like every spirit wants something different, and few agree on the specifics. You might be able to please some of them -- if you can cough up the goods to satisfy their posthumous hoarding.

Welcome to the player-led event, Dragon's Graveyard! Big thanks to Skai for the amazing idea and for writing up this event log! As always, you're welcome to use this log to play in or make your own, and please make sure you warn for any content that might be disturbing to others! And lastly, please direct your questions here. Have fun!