Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Johnny_Angel 05-13-07, 11:06 PM	This is a spin-off of the little bit of work that I've done in the Build A City Thread. To make a long story short, the members of that thread were looking for a villain to cause some problems with the town; I came up with what I will post after this introduction. There are several goals to this thread: 1) Entertainment 2) To Collectively Build Trogdax's lair and the surround area, and to also chronicle some of his adventures/his life and advancement (and possibly his death as well...depending on how the story goes.) 3) To provide something that could -possibly- be used by DMs looking for plot hooks or something to plop into their world TROGDAX HALF-RED DRAGON WYVERN Large Dragon Hit Dice: 7d12+35 (80 hp) Initiative: +1 Speed: 20ft (4 squares); fly 40 ft (average) Armor Class: 22 (-1 size, +1 Dex, +12 natural), touch 10, flat-footed 21 Base Attack/Grapple: +7/+22 Attack: Sting +17 melee (1d6+11 plus poison) or talon +17 melee (2d6+11) or bite +17 melee (2d8+11) or claw +17 melee (1d6+11) Full Attack: Sting +17 melee (1d6+11 plus poison) and bite +15 melee (2d8+11) and 2 wings +15 melee (1d8+5) and 2 talons +15 melee (2d6+11) and 2 claws +15 melee (1d6+11) (does not include adjustments for power attack) Space/Reach: 10ft/5ft Special Attacks: poison, improved grab, breath weapon Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft, low-light vision, scent, immunity to sleep and paralysis, immunity to fire Saves: fort 10, reflex 6, will 9 Abilities: Str 32, Dex 12, Con 20, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 13 Skills: spot +15, listen +12, move silently +11, intimidate +11, hide +7, gather information +6, knowledge local +5 Feats: Iron Will, Flyby Attack, Power Attack , Multi-attack (B) Environment: Mt. Generic Organization: solitary or with a pair of orc servants Challenge Rating: 10 Treasure: Standard plus 1 Mace of Blood Alignment: NE Advancement: 8-10 HD (Huge); 11-21 HD (Gargantuan) Level Adjustment: ----- A slight tinge of sulfur enters your nose; as you turn toward the smell, your eyes behold the image of a large two-legged lizard which would tower over even an ogre. It has a long tail tipped with a thick knot of cartilage from a stinger protrudes much like that of a scorpion. It has leather bat-like wings which seem to glisten with a tint of red when light hits them, and its huge jaws are filled with long sharp teeth; small whisps of smoke escape its mouth - revealing the source of the smell. You can't help but notice the seemingly stone-like cut of the beast's muscles as it lumbers toward you with malice in its eyes. COMBAT Trogdax's tactics aren't much different from that of a typical wyvern; he tends to be aggressive. Much like his personality, he enjoys focusing his physical strength on those that seem to be obviously weaker than himself (i.e. lightly armored spellcasters, rogues, etc.) He is not; however, afraid to pursue stronger combatants, and he very much enjoys contests of physical might, but he prefers weak targets because he likes to bully those that are weaker than he. One of his favorite tactics is to swoop down on and opponent, grapple them with his talons, and then hit them at point blank range with his breath weapon. He is smarter than the typical wyvern though, and -if need be- he will use his breath weapon at the beginning of combat in an attempt to bring down ranged attackers. Trodax can only slash with his talons while making a flyby attack. Fire Breath Weapon: Once per day Trogdax can use his breath weapon - a 30ft cone of fire - which deals 6d8 points of damage. A successful reflex save (DC 18) reduces the damage by half. Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, Trogdax must hit with his talons. He can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking attacks of opportunity. If he wins the grapple check, he then establishes a hold and stings. Poison (Ex): Injury, Fortitude DC 18, initial and secondary damage 2d6 Con. The save is Constitution-based. Skills: Trogdax has a +3 racial bonus on Spot Checks (this was included in my calculations for his skills.) Notes of interest: 1) I used the elite array for Trogdax's stats; I also added the bonus ability point from reaching his 4th HD to his Str Score; 2) You may have noticed I changed some of the feats that a normal Wyvern has; 3) I'd appreciate it if someone checked over this to make sure I didn't make any mistakes - if you have any questions about my calculations or how I came up with any of the figures, I'll answer to the best of my ability.
Johnny_Angel 05-13-07, 11:11 PM	TROGDAX HALF-RED DRAGON WYVERN Large Dragon Hit Dice: 7d12+35 (80 hp) Initiative: +1 Speed: 20ft (4 squares); fly 40 ft (average) Armor Class: 22 (-1 size, +1 Dex, +12 natural), touch 10, flat-footed 21 Base Attack/Grapple: +7/+22 Attack: Sting +17 melee (1d6+11 plus poison) or talon +17 melee (2d6+11) or bite +17 melee (2d8+11) or claw +17 melee (1d6+11) Full Attack: Sting +17 melee (1d6+11 plus poison) and bite +15 melee (2d8+11) and 2 wings +15 melee (1d8+5) and 2 talons +15 melee (2d6+11) and 2 claws +15 melee (1d6+11) (does not include adjustments for power attack) Space/Reach: 10ft/5ft Special Attacks: poison, improved grab, breath weapon Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft, low-light vision, scent, immunity to sleep and paralysis, immunity to fire Saves: fort 10, reflex 6, will 9 Abilities: Str 32, Dex 12, Con 20, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 13 Skills: spot +15, listen +12, move silently +11, intimidate +11, hide +7, gather information +6, knowledge local +5 Feats: Iron Will, Flyby Attack, Power Attack , Multi-attack (B) Environment: Mt. Generic Organization: solitary or with a pair of orc servants Challenge Rating: 10 Treasure: Standard plus 1 Mace of Blood Alignment: NE Advancement: 8-10 HD (Huge); 11-21 HD (Gargantuan) Level Adjustment: ----- A slight tinge of sulfur enters your nose; as you turn toward the smell, your eyes behold the image of a large two-legged lizard which would tower over even an ogre. It has a long tail tipped with a thick knot of cartilage from a stinger protrudes much like that of a scorpion. It has leather bat-like wings which seem to glisten with a tint of red when light hits them, and its huge jaws are filled with long sharp teeth; small whisps of smoke escape its mouth - revealing the source of the smell. You can't help but notice the seemingly stone-like cut of the beast's muscles as it lumbers toward you with malice in its eyes. COMBAT Trogdax's tactics aren't much different from that of a typical wyvern; he tends to be aggressive. Much like his personality, he enjoys focusing his physical strength on those that seem to be obviously weaker than himself (i.e. lightly armored spellcasters, rogues, etc.) He is not; however, afraid to pursue stronger combatants, and he very much enjoys contests of physical might, but he prefers weak targets because he likes to bully those that are weaker than he. One of his favorite tactics is to swoop down on and opponent, grapple them with his talons, and then hit them at point blank range with his breath weapon. He is smarter than the typical wyvern though, and -if need be- he will use his breath weapon at the beginning of combat in an attempt to bring down ranged attackers. Trodax can only slash with his talons while making a flyby attack. Fire Breath Weapon: Once per day Trogdax can use his breath weapon - a 30ft cone of fire - which deals 6d8 points of damage. A successful reflex save (DC 18) reduces the damage by half. Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, Trogdax must hit with his talons. He can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking attacks of opportunity. If he wins the grapple check, he then establishes a hold and stings. Poison (Ex): Injury, Fortitude DC 18, initial and secondary damage 2d6 Con. The save is Constitution-based. Skills: Trogdax has a +3 racial bonus on Spot Checks (this was included in my calculations for his skills.) Notes of interest: 1) I used the elite array for Trogdax's stats; I also added the bonus ability point from reaching his 4th HD to his Str Score; 2) You may have noticed I changed some of the feats that a normal Wyvern has; 3) I'd appreciate it if someone checked over this to make sure I didn't make any mistakes - if you have any questions about my calculations or how I came up with any of the figures, I'll answer to the best of my ability.
Return of the Flumph 05-13-07, 11:13 PM	Does he really need elite array? And doesn't it specifically say NOT to add extra ability points for base racial HD?
Johnny_Angel 05-13-07, 11:18 PM	Some Basic Rules and Guidelines 1) As I have alluded to earlier, the main purpose of this is to have fun, so try to keep disagreements as civil as possible. 2) Right now -in the spirit of the original thread- only material from the 3 Core Rule Books (PHB, DMG, and MM1) is being used. Other books may be added later, but for right now that's it. 3) Refer to the first page of the "Build A City Thread" for a general idea for how this sort of thread works if you're unsure. 3a) Generally, proposals for something to happen should be written as such: PROPOSAL Your proposal here. 3b) No more than 5 proposals should be voted on at any one time - 5 total. I'd like to see things get resolved before proposals pile up. 3c) Refer once again to page 1 of the Build A City Thread for more information on how voting generally works (I apologize for the blatant rip-off of that system, but it seems to work pretty well, so why re-invent the wheel?)
Return of the Flumph 05-13-07, 11:21 PM	Proposal: get rid of elite array. Serious Proposal: Trogdax's lair is actually the tomb of a tribal king whose people (human or otherwise) inhabited the area several centuries ago. The first several rooms have been converted into defensive chambers for minions and such, and the Sacramental Hall now serves as Trogdax's personal chamber and hoard.
Johnny_Angel 05-13-07, 11:22 PM	Does he really need elite array? And doesn't it specifically say NOT to add extra ability points for base racial HD? Probably not, but -originally- I was trying to find a way to take him from being CR9 to being CR 10; it also seemed to make him a little more unique instead of just being a Wyvern with the half-dragon template. As for adding the ability point: Honestly, I was a little torn on this issue because it seems as though they don't add that point in many of the monster entries, but the back of the MM says that (when creating or modifying monsters) that Hit Dice should be used to determine the amount of feats and ability points that the creature qualifies for. IIRC they actually use a creature with 7 HD as the example.
Return of the Flumph 05-13-07, 11:24 PM	BTW: is there or is there not an aboleth? That might be important.
Johnny_Angel 05-13-07, 11:27 PM	Proposal: get rid of elite array. Serious Proposal: Trogdax's lair is actually the tomb of a tribal king whose people (human or otherwise) inhabited the area several centuries ago. The first several rooms have been converted into defensive chambers for minions and such, and the Sacramental Hall now serves as Trogdax's personal chamber and hoard. Sounds good to me... I'm actually going back and forth between this and the other thread and trying to get a good idea of what Trogdax should start with. I was thinking that sticking with Orc minions should work pretty well, and Mt. Generic seems to work pretty well for a name, but I'm still unsure of what is around the lair at this point. Honestly, I was just bored; sitting here, so I figured why not try to find a way to keep myself busy...seemed like a good idea to start this thread since the topic started some controversy in the other thread. So I'm thinking Trogdax has roughly 25 Orc Minions with one or two of the orcs being something akin to a liason between Trodax and the rest of the orcs. Also, I'm going to pull out the DM Guide and figure out what treasure he currently has in his hoard. I know right off the the bat that he has a Mace of Blood.
Johnny_Angel 05-13-07, 11:28 PM	BTW: is there or is there not an aboleth? That might be important. Right now? No, I don't think so, but I don't see any reason why that can't become part of the story if we decide for that to happen. Like I said, I'm still sorting out some of the starting details. Edit: Right now there's not really anything; just a dragon and some orcs in an abandoned tomb.
Johnny_Angel 05-14-07, 12:12 AM	Trogdax's Hoard of Treasure (rolled randomly) 1600 gp 1 Potion of Cat's Grace 1 Flaming Short Bow 1 Wand of Detect Secret Doors with 50 charges 1 Mace of Blood 1 Freshwater Pearl worth 10 gp 1 Pink Pearl worth 100 gp 1 White Pearl worth 100 gp 1 Silver Pearl worth 100 gp 1 Black Pearl worth 500 gp
Johnny_Angel 05-14-07, 12:56 AM	Trogdax's Minions 20 lvl 1 orc warriors (stats found in MM1) and 4 orc squad leaders with the following stats: Orc, 1st level warrior; 2nd level fighter Medium Humanoid (Orc) Hit Dice: (1d8+1)+(2d10+1) = (18hp) Initiative: +0 Speed: 30ft (6 squares) Armor Class: 13 (+3 studded leather armor), touch 10, flat-footed 13 Base Attack/Grapple: +3/+6 Attack: Falchion +6 melee (2d4+4/18-20)or javelin +3 ranged (1d6+3) Full Attack: Falchion or javelin (same as "attack") Space/Reach:5ft/5ft Special Attacks:---- Special Qualities: Darkvision 60ft; light sensitivity Saves: Fort +6, Ref +0, Will -2 Abilities: Str 17, Dex 11, Con 12, Int 8, Wis 7, Cha 6 Skills: listen +2, Spot +5 Feats: alertness, skill focus: spot, quick draw, power attack Environment: Mt. Generic CR:2 and 1 orc platoon leader with the following stats: Orc, 1st level warrior; 4th level fighter Medium Humanoid (Orc) Hit Dice: (1d8+1)+(4d10+1) = (31hp) Initiative: +0 Speed: 30ft (6 squares) Armor Class: 13 (+3 studded leather armor), touch 10, flat-footed 13 Base Attack/Grapple: +5/+8 Attack: Falchion +8 melee (2d4+4/18-20)or javelin +5 ranged (1d6+3) Full Attack: Falchion or javelin (same as "attack") Space/Reach:5ft/5ft Special Attacks:---- Special Qualities: Darkvision 60ft; light sensitivity Saves: Fort +7, Ref +1, Will +0 Abilities: Str 17, Dex 11, Con 12, Int 8, Wis 8, Cha 6 Skills: listen +4, Spot +5 Feats: alertness, skill focus: spot, quick draw, power attack, cleave Environment: Mt. Generic CR:4
Anuvrix 05-14-07, 03:10 PM	I think we should start this legend(which it very well could become in the future eons) with him going out and finding a couple of new towns. (maybe even the town in the Build a City thread XD) and he stakes his claim to them. he cant raise too much troiuble right away, the townsfolk might ask the main nation for help(:invasion:)
Johnny_Angel 05-14-07, 05:07 PM	I think we should start this legend(which it very well could become in the future eons) with him going out and finding a couple of new towns. (maybe even the town in the Build a City thread XD) and he stakes his claim to them. he cant raise too much troiuble right away, the townsfolk might ask the main nation for help(:invasion:) Thanks for the feedback... I was considering whether or not I should use the town from the other thread; I feel that Eckland could be used for a basis, but I believe that some of the details should be changed (i.e. the names, location, etc) because -for whatever reason- I feel a little uneasy about making a thread just to trample on the creative property of another thread. Right now -for the purpose of this thread- Mt. Generic is the center of the universe. I second RoF's idea of having the lair be the tomb of an ancient tribal king. I'm going to try to come up with a quick background story to get things rolling sometime either today or tomorrow.
Moniker 05-14-07, 06:20 PM	Trogdax's Hoard of Treasure (rolled randomly) 1600 gp 1 Potion of Cat's Grace 1 Flaming Short Bow 1 Wand of Detect Secret Doors with 50 charges 1 Mace of Blood 1 Freshwater Pearl worth 10 gp 1 Pink Pearl worth 100 gp 1 White Pearl worth 100 gp 1 Silver Pearl worth 100 gp 1 Black Pearl worth 500 gp Arm his minions you listed below with the magic weapons and potion sitting in his treasure.
PoorHobo 05-15-07, 07:52 PM	Just some things about the orcs that don't make sense to me. The 4 squad leaders and 1 platoon leader have +3 studded leather armor, thats what, 8,00o gp apiece? for 2nd level chracters? Why are the orcs serving this wyvern at all? As mercenaries, gnolls make more sense and kobolds fit the whole dragon servant theme. I can see, instead using a tribe of orcs, (bound together for mutual protection/raiding) instead of a small segment PROPOSAL Change the armor of the Orc squad leaders or get rid of them all together. Maybe breastplates or half-plate for the squad leaders and +1 fullplate for the platoon leader. PROPOSAL Change the orcs to 20 Gnoll mercenaries and 1 commander with PC levels OR use and entire tribe of orcs (30-100 plus 150% noncombatants plus 1 3rd-level sergeant per 10 adults, 5 5th-level lieutenants, and 3 7th-level captains) Or a band of kobolds band (10-100 plus 100% noncombatants plus 1 3rd-level sergeant per 20 adults and 1 leader of 4th-6th level), I agree with using elite stats. Unless this is forgotten realms, the halfdragon wyvern is likely to be a power figure in the area and/or the BBEG for an adventure or a series of adventures, not a random encounter.
DwarvenArcher 05-15-07, 09:20 PM	I like the elite stats too. The studded leather is non-magical, i'm guessing. Since regular studded gives a +3 armor bonus, and the orcs have AC's of 13... Lets keep the minions as orcs, but make it an entire tribe of orcs. Proposal: The orcs have inhabited Mount Generic for many generation and bury their own dead in sections of the Tribal King's ancient tombs. They eventually took to worshiping the central statue of the masked king as a deity. Trogdax rules the orcs by claiming to be the king reborn, and controlling their ancestor's remains. Only loyal orcs are allowed to be buried in the tombs. Angry orc undead in some rooms, perhaps. Proposal: Somewhere in the lair there is a room with lava! Hopefully with some sort of collapsing bridge or floor trap. Proposal: Trogdax has a lot of pearls. Propose he was originally from a coastal or aquatic area. Perhaps this underground lake the other thread kept talking about.
Johnny_Angel 05-15-07, 11:08 PM	Just some things about the orcs that don't make sense to me. The 4 squad leaders and 1 platoon leader have +3 studded leather armor, thats what, 8,00o gp apiece? for 2nd level chracters? Why are the orcs serving this wyvern at all? As mercenaries, gnolls make more sense and kobolds fit the whole dragon servant theme. I can see, instead using a tribe of orcs, (bound together for mutual protection/raiding) instead of a small segment PROPOSAL Change the armor of the Orc squad leaders or get rid of them all together. Maybe breastplates or half-plate for the squad leaders and +1 fullplate for the platoon leader. PROPOSAL Change the orcs to 20 Gnoll mercenaries and 1 commander with PC levels OR use and entire tribe of orcs Or a band of kobolds I agree with using elite stats. Unless this is forgotten realms, the halfdragon wyvern is likely to be a power figure in the area and/or the BBEG for an adventure or a series of adventures, not a random encounter. The typical orc warrior from MM1 has the armor I used in their stats. I had considered giving the leaders better equipment, but -for simplicity's sake- I just kept it all the same. I have considered making it an orc tribe; his "minions" are the orcs who are fit enough to fight, raid, pillage, etc. Gnolls? I like Gnolls, and I'll give it some thought, but I don't know. I'm not sure if Gnolls fit my original vision, but I will give it some thought. I also like Kobolds, but orcs were part of the original idea. Honestly, I had considered using a tribe of goblins instead of orcs...I guess I just have a soft spot for orcs and goblinoids. I like the lava proposal; I'm a big fan of using traps. I'll consider the coastal origins idea. I still have no idea what is anywhere around our version of Mt. Generic. I had considered that perhaps the pearls are somehow used to open a secret door somewhere in the tomb. Dwarven, do you know how to put maps and things in posts? I'll be honest, I'm not very experienced at doing this sort of thing at all, so I'm sort of just feeling around in the dark. I'm still trying to come up with a good explanation of how Trogdax came to Mt. Generic. I can always do his history later, but right now I need to figure out how he originally got there.
Johnny_Angel 05-15-07, 11:09 PM	double post....I'll just save this area for something to be added later
DwarvenArcher 05-16-07, 07:16 AM	Actually, thinking about it... Both wyverns and red dragons are mountain dwellers, so Trogdax is most likely from Mt. Generic or another moutainous area. Most of his treasure(the pearls) are probably stolen from the crypt he's inhabiting. The orcs or the old king could have aquired them ages ago. Not that we have to use it, but for reference here's the map from the other thread: http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z20/T_D_S/EcklandYear5Summer.jpg
DwarvenArcher 05-16-07, 07:34 AM	Proposeal: Use the wizos "Ancient Temple" map a week for the lair, found here: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/mapofweek/May2007/03_May2007_72_vbn230_ppi.jpg Lots of rooms for the various inhabitants, rooms 15 can be orc barracks, upper level serves as the dragon lair/main crypt. Needs a lava room though, obviously.
Johnny_Angel 05-16-07, 08:45 AM	I think that map serves as a really good starting point, but -as you mentioned- it needs some things to be added to it. This is a good map for a reference: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/Draco_Maps/Draco_M8.jpg I apologize for the thread moving a little slowly. The past few days have been a little busier for me that I expected them to be. What do you think the "mark of Trogdax" would be? We mentioned in the other thread that the orcs would have the mark of Trogdax on them. I was thinking that maybe they would just dye some part of their armor red, but I was considering giving them some sort of tattoo or brand as well.
Rockjaw 05-16-07, 08:59 PM	Trogdax is a brash ,bully type right ...? How about his mark either tattoed or even "branded" on thier arms, chest or foreheads....?
Johnny_Angel 05-16-07, 10:27 PM	Trogdax is a brash ,bully type right ...? How about his mark either tattoed or even "branded" on thier arms, chest or foreheads....? I had considered a brand; he could possibly use his breath weapon to heat the branding iron and then the orc leader would brand the others. I have an idea for the tomb as well. I was trying to figure out why the orcs would believe he was a reincarnation of the buried king. Perhaps there was some sort of scripture written in orcish which said that there would be some sort of sign that would be a precursor to his resurrection. A few orc zombies rose from their graves in the tomb and it was around this same time that Trogdax showed up, so they believe he is somehow connected to the legend.
Anuvrix 05-18-07, 12:21 PM	Make it an orc Tribe, and have them much later start to aqquire more orcs (wanderers, bands come to join, etc.) and maybe build a village nearby. All are devout worshippers of Trogdax. Late in the years of his long life, Trogdax looks over his sprawling orc city. every inhabitant would gladly die for him. But Trogdax is aged, and he feels it now. when he dies the orcs wil be left on their own, to wreak havoc upon the land. Trogdax decides that he will launch an invasion beofre he dies, but not today.
Darth Sephiroth 05-19-07, 06:42 PM	Proposal At some point upgrade Trogdax into a greater Half-Red Dragon Greater Wyvern (It's on the site somewhere)
Johnny_Angel 05-24-07, 11:35 PM	The Strongfist Pilgrimage Rigzag had been the spiritual leader of the Strongfist clan for quite some time. He was viewed by all the elder warriors of the orc clan as a wise prophet and a renowned warrior in his own right, but the long days of tireless marching were beginning to rub the overall morale of the clan the wrong way. The majority of the clan was starting to have second thoughts about the long journey, and many decided to leave the trail, but a few who were loyal to Rigzag's vision remained. Rigzag's blood was (supposedly) the same blood that had flowed through the veins of Orklauf Strongfist - the legendary war chief and genesis of the Strongfist Orc clan. Through Rigzag's gathering of legends and myths, he believed he had discovered the location of his legendary ancestor's burial site. Legend held that so vigorous and violent was the spirit of Orklauf that the bonds of death did not have a firm grasp on his grave. Whatever the truth may be, the legends claimed that Orklauf's spirit would "...rise from beyond the bounds of the spirit world to consume the mortal realm in a fiery rage..." Many warnings were also held within those legends; supposedly only a direct decendant of Orklauf could perform the ritual to bring back the legendary warlord. Rigzag spent most of his life collecting the old tales that the tribal elders had told around the campfires, and he also sought out ancient Orcish texts scribbled on the insides of caves; carved into the bark of ancient trees, and various other places; he now believed he knew the way. The rest of the tribe had been following his lead for the better part of a month, but it seemed to them that perhaps Rigzag's zeal had lead them on a wild goose chase, and now only 40 of the most faithful of the tribe's warriors remained. To them he now turned and spoke. "My brothers, to you I give praise for your faith is just as unshakeable as your swords are unbreakable. The journey is hard, but on my blood I swear that the rewards will be great." With that, he turned and walked once more, and the journey continued. Through harsh marshes, barren wastelands, rolling hills, and forests they continued to march. A few times they stopped along the way to raid small hamlets and villages for supplies and food; during these raids, five of their number fell, and what had been 41 became 36: 35 warriors and Rigzag. Their journey brought them to the base of an immense mountain. At the base of the mountain they found what seemed to be an impossible to pass stone slab serving as a door set in the side of the mountain; inscribed upon the stone slab was an archaic dialect of the Orcish language. Rigzag exclaimed that their journey was complete; his band of warriors responded with a shout that could have crumbled a lesser mountain. Rigzag cut the palm of his hand with a swift slash of his dagger and pressed his bleeding hand against a circular symbol in the center of the stone slab; the slab began to slide upward - revealing the entrance into the long lost tomb... The Flight of Trogdax Trogdax The Red Wyvern had been a fairly succesful member of a vicious flight of Wyverns who had terrorized the area surrounding the island village of Bull Mountain far to the south. The other members of the wyvern flight were siblings of Trogdax, but he has always known he was different; that much was obvious. They did not have his reddish scales, and none among them could exhale fire the way in which he could; his ego also lead him to realize that he was much smarter and wiser than any of them could hope to be. Never-the-less, they were all he had ever known, and he rather enjoyed terrorizing the puny tribal elves who lived within the island community. He was unaware of why he looked different than his siblings, but it wasn't a thought he worried much about; he was content to burn and terrorize. A few things -both internally and externally- lead to a change in Trogdax's situation. Internally, the ego of Trogdax began to swell, and he greedily began to feel as though he deserved to have more of the lair inside Bull Mountain to himself, and he also felt that he should get a bigger share of the food and the loot that the flight collected in their raids. It seemed only natural since he was the biggest, the strongest, and the smartest; not to mention that he felt as though he did most of the work. As he schemed against his kin, so did the elves. Externally, the elven community vigorously researched solutions to their problem. The wyverns quite simply had to go; it was either the wyverns or the elves...especially the red wyvern; the elves viewed him as the worst of them all. One of the eldest among the elves had once been an adventurer, and he had extensive skill fighting dragons; he began to teach as much as he could to the younger elves of the community; they eagerly learned. They also used magical means to contact some more of their elven kindred who lived upon the nearby mainland. Literally hundreds of skilled elven warriors moved into the island community. All they needed to do now was bide their time until they could strike; the time was now; the elves marched for war - the wyvern scourge had to be purged. Trogdax sensed that something was bound to happen soon, and he had even seen unusual movement, but he did not alert his kin. If the elves were planning an attack, that would be a perfect time for him to strike against his kin from the inside. Once the other wyverns were eliminated, he could (in his opinion) easily subdue the elven threat and become the sole owner of the island. He waited, and, at dusk, the elves came. One of the wyverns was caught in her sleep; her painful cries reached Trogdax's ears; the sounds of her death throes and the distant twang of bowstring heralded the time for his strike. He moved swiftly through the tunnels in the mountain, and he found his wyvern kin locked in combat with the elves. One of the wyverns screeched for Trogdax to help; his response was a fiery blast of his breath that cooked both wyvern scale and elven ear alike - the horror. The battle was now three-sided: Trogdax, the elves, and the rest of the wyvern flight. Many of the elves fell in the battle, but many still remained. Eventually all of the wyvern flight fell - either under the assault of the elves or under the betrayal of Trogdax. It was then that the elves and Trogdax clashed head on; by this time it was nearly dawn of the following morning. Wave upon wave of elven warrior fell under Trogdax's powerful attacks, and the sick cracking of sinew and bone under the impact of his blows made many an elven ear quiver in fear. Trogdax roared with laughter as an aged elven warrior (the same one who had been training the elves to fight dragons) entered the body littered chamber alone. Trogdax charged, but the elf swiftly dodged out of the way and fired a strange glowing arrow into the side of Trogdax. Again, however, Trogdax roared with laughter; the pain was not severe, and he easily managed to pull the arrow from his flesh, but, to his surprised, as he turned to face the elven warrior once more, a strange feeling of nausea filled his body. Trogdax was a brute to be sure, be he knew enough to realize that something was amiss. Trogdax took several more shots from the elf as Trogdax hastily moved upward through the winding tunnels of Bull Mountain. He heaved his mighty body into the air and fled what he had always known as home. One day he would return and claim what he felt was rightfully his; the elves would suffer his burning hatred, but for now he must flee. Wearily Trogdax glided above the waters as the new day's sun arose in the distance. After many hours of gliding over unfamiliar land and water alike, he spotted a mountain in the distance. This mountain appeared similar to Bull Mountain, and it seemed like a natural place to land. To Trogdax's pleasant surprise, the peak of the mountain had a large opening in it which was more than big enough for him to glide inside. As his feet touched down the weariness of his wounds and his long flight brought him crashing down into a slumber among the shadows of the chamber.
Johnny_Angel 05-24-07, 11:53 PM	just preserving a spot for the conclusion of the introduction story