Zeleforn’s Dilema

The party spent their first night in the newly renovated bar. They had slept there during the renovations because it was free but now there were real comforts available to them. They slept comfortably if not well. The next morning the group got ready to go out and check on the dragon friend of the Blackstaff. They ate a light breakfast down at the bar and, after making sure everything was ready for the day’s business, they made their way across the city to the Sea Ward. 

They walked through the morning marketplace. They were setting up for a busy day. Aleera as always, made sure to cover her pointed half-elven ears with her hair. It was easier to navigate cities if everyone thought you were a human. She also used her ability to disguise herself at will to make herself look more plain and unassuming. Now that they were involved in the city and it’s policing, she wanted to keep a lower profile. Some of the others thought the same and disguised themselves in various ways. Unfortunately, Kaladrax was the only one that had no way to change his visage. 

The Hand of Destiny arrived at the docks and looked around for a bit before doing anything. There were quite a few things going on. Many ships were either unloading or loading crates, supplies, or people for their voyages. There were various fishermen selling their catches of the day. They varied from large bass to small anchovies and some even sold pearls and coral they gathered from the oysters they dove for. 

They saw a vendor selling small vials of blue liquid and found that they were potions of waterbreathing. They bought enough for the party and made their way down the dock. Along the way they talked to some of the nearby fishermen and sailors about the dragon, Zeleforn. All of them were sad at not having seen him and expressed their love of their guardian dragon. The party asked about where he lived and no one knew, they could only say that when the dragon came to them he sprang out of the water in a majestic arc to greet the new day. 

The group rightly deduced that Zeleform must live somewhere under the water. After a few more interviews, they found out that this part of the coast was famous for its vast underwater cavern systems. They now had an idea that he must reside in one of those underwater caverns. They made ready to take their potions and jump into the coastal waters. Everyone was steady and focused on the task except Milo. He was having a bit of trouble contemplating getting into the ocean again. 

He remembered the last time they had traveled in the water and how he had drowned. If they hadn’t helped him, he would be dead right now. Seeing the blue expanse of the endless ocean made him weak in the legs and he started backing away from the water. Aleera tried to convince him that they would make sure he was safe during their journey but he refused to go. He argued that it would be better if he stayed to keep watch for their return. Someone should stay behind in case something went wrong. 

He was still shaking his head when Kaladrax used a quick flick of his hands to cast Resilient Sphere around Milo’s body. Once encased in the sheer protective sphere, Kaladrax pushed Milo into the water. He was screaming the whole time. The rest of the party drank their potions of underwater breathing and jumped in after the sphere. Kariss called upon Aqua and asked her to guide them to the dragon living in caves under the water. It took Aqua but a moment to locate him and they set off, using the ocean currents to navigate quickly through the water. Milo kept his eyes closed the entire time. He fully expected to die on this trip. 

After a few minutes of fast underwater travel they bobbed up to the surface and popped out in a cavernous lagoon. It was massive, with glowing blue and green crystals growing in patches. There at the back of the large cave was the prone body of the dragon, Zeleforn. He seemed to be sleeping but opened one of his eyes as soon as they stepped onto the dry land of the underwater cavern. He tried to stand but slumped back down after a few moments. Kariss got to work. She went over and began asking questions about how he felt and what he had done in the days leading to his sickness. 

He confessed that the sailors often left their remaining fish for him to eat in the evening and that was how he fed himself. He also hunted fish himself but the sailors loved giving him food and he didn’t want to be rude. He had eaten a strange smelling batch of fish a week ago and had fallen ill a few hours later. He had not left his lair since. Kariss asked if he still had some of the old fish but he did not. After a few more minutes of examination, Kariss cast Greater Restoration on Zeleforn, restoring his health. 

Once that was done, Zeleforn exclaimed that he felt much better. He was still tired though, and asked that they leave him to rest and regain his strength. He asked that they inform the Blackstaff of his recovery and to tell the sailors that he would be back soon. The party agreed and Kariss gave her own cleric’s advice. He was to avoid any strange smelling food and call for her if he needed anything to be inspected before ingesting. He agreed and sent them off so he could rest. 

Having done what they set out to do and feeling well, they headed back to the shore. Milo was still scared to go and was getting set to put up a fight when Kaladrax pulled his little trick once more and Milo was again trapped in a sheer ball of energy. Try as he might, he could not get free and eventually plopped down into the base of the ball and closed his eyes as tight as he could in anticipation of their underwater journey. 

When they bobbed up to the surface once more, he ran to sandy ground and collapsed in relief. The rest of the group caught up and sat on the sand with their shaking friend to wait until he calmed down enough to move again. In the meantime they looked out at the horizon where the sky met the sea and marveled at its dangerous beauty.