We (they're) fighting fume drakes which are like flame drakes but with poison gas, three of them!



Bear's a martial character this time, not a ranger, and Gwen isn't a bard, she's an elemental wind/thunder mage and Summer (who I'm lock merged with) is a vanilla sorceress just like in the other campaign. They're tough!

It continues - another odd Childhood Crush dream
She was surprisingly nice this time. We were a lot of people in 2 cars. I was driving one, she sat behind me, talked to me and even hugged me from behind. I was surprised by this uncommon affection but thought it was nice.
The other car was packed with 12yo girls of my loli gang who poured out of the car at a red traffic light. The brain somehow realized that they could not drive because 12 so the car was driverless. Being a Good Bernd and not leaving my friends behind, I exited the car to drive them wherever we were going while Childhood Crush took over the wheel of the Car I had been in.

That was too much confusion and the dream shifted to something completely different.
I was entering the cellar of an old house with my mother. There was an old white wooden door and behind was a small room with a deep well. A large hole in the ground almost completely filled with water. Water was also dripping from the walls and the ceiling, the ground was rough pebbles. Gas bubbles rose from the well and I thought being in a cellar with CO2 outgassings is not good. So we quickly left to get out into the air, I still wanted to get back to my Childhood Crush and not waste my time in some cellar. But being a Good Bernd, I remembered I hadn't turned off the light in the cellar. So I went back, even the risk of suffocation is no excuse to not turn off a light. Always turning off lights when leaving is what I have been taught from earliest age on. Unfortunately there were now countless switches scattered across the wall, each of them had a small light. Turning all of them off was impossible. At some point I realized this was completely idiotic but did not manage to get out again and finally woke up. Bernd-tier dream.

"Stealth is an unfair advantage, use every advantage you can. If even someone as large as me can sneak up on four wary adventurers, then sneaking up on an unaware dragon is trivial."

Hmm, maybe I can do that with Yulya's ring. Still, don't these things have Blindsight or something?

if you can't lock it down by a heavy anchor, a cart even, chain a wing to a leg so it can't fly, but that's only if it's sleeping, but they're notorious for sleeping for days after a big meal. Wait him out, time is on your side."

Now that's good advice! Chaining a wing to a leg while he's sleeping sounds reasonable. Yet I imagine it's hard getting a heavy chain around a dragon without waking him! Chaining him and setting him on fire sounds even more fun!

Don't expect him to hold back or be honorable, chromatic dragons have no honor or valor, only hubris and arrogance."

Yeah, I learned the hard way from that green one. It was outright stupid though. But I reckon they cannot be reasoned with. I'll keep that in mind.

"My dragon was large, but not very agile, so holding on wasn't an issue, I stayed on it's back, holding on to horns and wings, he wasn't easily able to hit me, but I had free access to smash him over and over. My strength was my tool to stay on, for you it could be prowess with acrobatics to avoid his grasp."

Alice thinks about the prospects of riding a snow dragon on some icy mountain top
Maaan this sucks. I bet the dragon itself is cold too! I hate cold! Did I say already that I hate cold! I hate it!
Well if we manage to chain his wings to keep him from flying I could grapple his mouth to keep him from freezing us. That would ease things a lot. At least for a short time.

"I was still a young man full of hubris and valor, but even I was no match for it directly, it took a siege, I stalked it like a hunter, I scarcely let it rest, I kept on him, set traps many of which he never sprung, but I wore him down. I was lucky too, a critical on his wing, and from then on his fate was sealed, unable to fly more than a few hundred feet, I chased him and kept him on the run. He had me beat in strength, power, even magic, but he underestimated me and my resilience. The battle lasted days, and I wore him down. I almost died many times, but I thank Tempus for his guidance and the strength he bestowed in me."

Alice intensely listens to Brutus story and can't believe her ears



You fought it alone?? Ok, no wonder they made a statue for you! That's really something! How many people took down a dragon alone? I bet not many in history...
I like the general idea of a siege - to observe him and prepare the terrain - if the terrain wasn't a freezing hell. I don't know what it looks like up there and how cold it is but I doubt we can camp out there for weeks without freezing just from the environment.
Alice wonders if the dragon really will be at her ship's wreck and if there is any way to communicate with it. In its deep frozen state, probably not. at least not with shards, maybe with the main body - if such survived.

Kessandra spoke up, "When I first heard of this, and it has affected as far west as the high road in the south, I knew it couldn't be the work of a chromatic dragon. The land has become blighted by this snow and frost for many miles, this is beyond unnatural, and why would a dragon want to waste such energy to do this? They are known to make changes to their environment, but only locally, not over a whole region; it's a tremendous waste of time. Only a powerful mage could do this, and not just that, one who has been planning this for years, such a powerful ward would take a lot of planning and many resources, the next question is why? What would a mage have to gain for this? To destroy a forest for no reason is unfathomable without cause. Whoever has done this has conspired to cause a disaster without hope for redemption."

Alice listens with great interest, but also worry
Years you say? That's crazy! I mean magicians here all are crazy strong but this is another level. I had no idea.
Alice thinks to herself:
I had imagined the reason to freeze the land was to keep my ship from liquefying and healing. Or to keep it from getting out of control. But if that took years then we can rule this out - unless the caster has received an oracle or something. A conspiracy of the gods against me - yeah that could still be it. Whatever, I don't give a damn about that dragon, I just need to unfreeze my poor ship!

Alice turns to Kessandra
Still odd - do you think the arrival of the ice dragon and the big freeze is entirely unrelated? What kind of coincidence is that? But Daran also said the dragon was irrelevant and would move soon Well, he wasn't worried about the cold either. But I don't think he's behind any of that. Which reminds me - didn't Summer say we gotta take down the dragon to keep the forest from dying? She seems to know a lot about dragons - and even more about magic! Yet she appears to believe this is the dragon's doing.

Brutus added, "That's another issue, concentrate on the dragon, nothing else should be on your mind, take your time, plan well."

Easy for you to say...
Alice thinks
...half of the world appears to wait in line to get a piece of my ship. And if only a tiny shard falls into the wrong hands - or any hand - your world will have a slightly bigger problem than a frozen forest...

Alright, let's eat, go shopping once more and then go for a field trip!
Any advice for a good spot outside of the city to cook poison for arrows and blades without bothering anyone - but also without being ambushed by monsters, bandits or other vermin?

Good God I did not hear you coming Sir Brutus!

"Stealth is an unfair advantage, use every advantage you can. If even someone as large as me can sneak up on four wary adventurers, then sneaking up on an unaware dragon is trivial."

But how do you fix a chain Nya? Can't tie a knot into it Nya. A lock Nya or manacles Nya?

Brutus smiled genuinely, "That's it, and a rope can also work though they'll get out of it easier and if you can't lock it down by a heavy anchor, a cart even, chain a wing to a leg so it can't fly, but that's only if it's sleeping, but they're notorious for sleeping for days after a big meal. Wait him out, time is on your side."

Nyaa what's a white dragon's general weakness Nya? Fire Nya?

Brutus thinks, "I presume it might be weak to fire. The dragon I fought was an adult red dragon, and I was told later that he was likely weak to cold, so it figures."

Nyaa I know Nya not the most honorable way Nya but I need to help my friends Nya they're not strong fighters Nya we all aren't compared to you Nya! What dragon was it Nya?

He laughed, "there's no lack of honor in battle, not for barbarians anyway, the thrill of combat, the chaos and brutality of battle leaves no room for honor, you could say valor is how we're measured. Don't expect him to hold back or be honorable, chromatic dragons have no honor or valor, only hubris and arrogance."

You were Silver when you fought the dragon Nya?

"Silver? Oh ho ho no. I was vying for gold, aiming for a miracle and that miracle would be to save a town from destruction by this beast. The monster was insidious, he toyed with them, asked for sacrifices and played with his victims. By the time I got there, prayer was all they had left, they were starving and menaced, they'd given everything to this demon on scaly wings, he'd burned their fields and many of their homes. The miracle was that anyone could stop him before they all perished from his insatiable blood lust. Red dragons are known for their cruelty, and he was an adult red dragon with hundreds of years of evil acts under his belt."

You look at the massive claw again and can imagine that striking his face yet he tanked it. The scars did not look fresh, it must have been years ago.

"The town did not survive, there wasn't much but a charred forest and burned fields, but many of the people did, and I helped them relocate."



Kessandra Lacewing, his final party member, arrived and smiled as she posed as if displaying him, "They called him Saint Brutus for a while, erected a statue of him on the spot, but that town also failed, many of them came here, others found refuge in smaller settlements. The statue is still out there in the ruins somewhere. I wish I had been there."

Brutus laughed, "It was ridiculous title." Then he sobered, "and yes, unwalled towns are always going to be vulnerable without high level adventurers there to protect them until they can afford a garrison full of guards."

Alice listened patiently then peppered him with questions,

You know Summer of Leilon? Probably not. Some runaway royalty kid, packed to the brim with magic items. I assume she wants that same tag you got. You know those people...
No idea why she didn't ask you for help but us. Said she needed heroes. She must be crazy.

...we were somehow dragged into this by Summer as Alice said...

"Only rumors of her and yes, the title is sought after but frankly there were a lot more of us at the end of the last flight of dragons."

You want me to do grapple a dragon?

He took a proud stance, "Someone has to and why not? If he takes to the air, you go with him, attacking him as he goes, of course that's a dangerous prospect and to help I had trained hard in grappling, and with rage, well, falling from high places isn't that much of a worry, just avoid them crushing you."

That's even more insane than trying to poison it with a bait! Even if I could wrap myself around his mouth, my strength is abysmal and it would just scrape me off with its claws like a cat trying to remove a collar!

"My dragon was large, but not very agile, so holding on wasn't an issue, I stayed on it's back, holding on to horns and wings, he wasn't easily able to hit me, but I had free access to smash him over and over. My strength was my tool to stay on, for you it could be prowess with acrobatics to avoid his grasp."

[5e Rules allow Acrobatics or Athletics to resist the grapple and it's only fair to allow either to hold the grapple as well.]

What does its breath even do? Freeze i suppose

"I would think so, yes," Brutus said.

Kessandra chimed in, "Yes, white is frost, red is fire."

If that thing gets me once I'm a goner!

"Defense, parry, try to misdirect and use everything you can," he countered.

How about digging a hole and hoping he falls into it?

"Many dragons are great diggers, that probably wouldn't be effective as long as his claws are intact."

How many people were with you when you fought that dragon and how many of them died?

Tell us about it Nya!

You are certainly right we must avoid its breath and keep it grounded. Though I am not sure I can work with scrolls or if we can afford them. I want to hear your dragon story as well Sir Brutus!

Brutus' eyes flashed, "They called me crazy of course, I needed a mage or druid, and none would commit to helping me, so I was alone. Having a mage with invisibility, dispel, counterspell, web, or a druid with Mask of the Wild, earth bind, spike growth and entangle would have helped a lot and they wouldn't need to fight directly. None would listen."

"There's no dishonor in a Barbarian's heart, only the thrill of the battle, and fleeing is no cowardly act, it's a strategy. I had dug many tunnels and spider holes and I made magnesium tipped arrows, once lit it could cause a blinding light, so he never saw where I went or where I would pop up."

My main fear literally it the dragons terrifying presence. I think we encountered it once at the rest stop. I was so terrified I could not move - not do anything. So I think we must also avoid its gaze. At least me I am not as fearless as Ashley.

"I don't think he even needs to look at you, rather his presence is enough, I had prepared myself, watched him from the shadows for many days, setting my traps and digging my holes, by the time I had to face him, as terrifying as he was, he was just another foe to me."

Moreover we are fighting a White Dragon in its domain - a snow covered mountain. It will feel perfectly comfortable there while we will be struggling with the cold and the rough terrain. I am not even sure we can reach this place in the current climate.

Brutus' voice was deep and grim, "I can't say I had to fight a red dragon in a field of brimstone, but he had charred the land terribly, he took pleasure in it. My saving grace was the rocks in the area, I could stay out of his sight, and out of the reach of his breath."

Brutus continued, "I was still a young man full of hubris and valor, but even I was no match for it directly, it took a siege, I stalked it like a hunter, I scarcely let it rest, I kept on him, set traps many of which he never sprung, but I wore him down. I was lucky too, a critical on his wing, and from then on his fate was sealed, unable to fly more than a few hundred feet, I chased him and kept him on the run. He had me beat in strength, power, even magic, but he underestimated me and my resilience. The battle lasted days, and I wore him down. I almost died many times, but I thank Tempus for his guidance and the strength he bestowed in me."

I am sure you have heard the land east of the beginning if Triboar Trail is covered in ice and snow. Many people have remarked that such wide-area effect is beyond the capabilities of a White Dragon. Who knows who or what is really behind this big freeze?

Kessandra spoke up, "When I first heard of this, and it has affected as far west as the high road in the south, I knew it couldn't be the work of a chromatic dragon. The land has become blighted by this snow and frost for many miles, this is beyond unnatural, and why would a dragon want to waste such energy to do this? They are known to make changes to their environment, but only locally, not over a whole region; it's a tremendous waste of time. Only a powerful mage could do this, and not just that, one who has been planning this for years, such a powerful ward would take a lot of planning and many resources, the next question is why? What would a mage have to gain for this? To destroy a forest for no reason is unfathomable without cause. Whoever has done this has conspired to cause a disaster without hope for redemption."

Brutus added, "That's another issue, concentrate on the dragon, nothing else should be on your mind, take your time, plan well."

Ashley quietly listened as she hid behind her book, trying to look disinterested.



"Grœt"

Thank you sir Groet! You certainly are capable!
I feel this information will certainly help us a lot! I hope I can repay this kindness - if we make it back alive that is...

Brutus seems satisfied and pats Yulya and Cat on the backs, "If you have any other questions let us know."

[State your next moves and actions before we continue]

I had to cut calories, my weight was creeping up. I need to go back to taking my weight every day.

Same happens here.
Damn BodyOS and its eating habits. I feel it got a lot to do with free time and being at home. Whenever we're busy and somewhere out there's literally no time to eat. But being at home brings the opportunity to eat constantly. The fridge is full. Gotta buy less. But now's Easter, only opportunity to really eat sweets aside from Christmas Season because Famliy festivities. I'm probably gonna order host to take another intermittent fasting session with 600kcal per day afterwards. It will be necessary.

When I'm on a diet, I always get cramps too, I wish I knew what I was missing. I do take vitamins.

Lack of magnesium, calcium, water are the usual suspects but cramps can be weird. It's often hard to determine the source. Never have those luckily.