Where does the Dragon keep his victims? - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Where does the Dragon keep his victims?

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
Sveinn
Sep 01, 2011 7:30:40 A few adventures down the road in my campaign Im going to let the players stumble upon Tyr secretly paying the levy to the dragon. Firstly to introduce my players fully to the dragon as he flies overhead and secondly to put a bit of a stain on Tithian and get them to suspect that he might not be the greatest dude in history. Although he will do his best to convince them that it was a necissarry evil if ever confronted. What I imagined is that the players see the dragon swoop over them towards the mountains ahead, and then after a while it comes back their way when returning to Ur Draxa. The players will approach the site of the offering, curious of what the dragon was doing there and witness the damages and encountering some Tyr Templars and soldiers. One thing did strike me though that I dont really know how it works. Where does the dragon store the slaves he collects? I know he eats and kills some, but he also carries with him new slaves for Ur Draxa. If he just clutches them in his talons it seems that he wouldnt be able to carry very many with him. And it seems alot of bother just for five or six new slaves. Ive been considering if he uses some sort of portal or gate spell since it makes the most sense to me in transporting so many. Anyone have any ideas or know of any mention in the books of how he does?
#2
DontEatRawHagis
Sep 01, 2011 9:11:17 I was under the impression that he carried them inside a cage. Maybe he can carry them in his mouth like a pelican or a chipmunk with nuts.
#3
khorne37
Sep 01, 2011 10:26:22 I ran a very similar adventure where the PC's witnessed Tyrian Tamplars paying a portion of the levy to the Dragon. However since there were not the multitude that the levy usually is he just sucked out the life force of the slaves in basin at the alter of the dragon and then they turned to dust.
#4
naxel
Sep 01, 2011 19:59:18 Perhaps he as an extravagant procession who follow him through the wastes, with his undead templars toting the captives in a caravan for intimidation purposes
#5
Raddu76
Sep 01, 2011 21:00:57 In classic Dark Sun you really couldn't teleport, at least without going through the Grey, so it was real dangerous. If you combine this idea with Rodney Thompson's Dragon's ALter....perhaps the Dragon has several of these throughout the tablelands. When the levy is brought he performs a ritual, which drains the life force of the majority of the slaves. The alters can safely transport the life energy back to Ur-Draxa.

Perhaps he keeps a few of a slaves for himself and for this Kaisharga. These he has to get back to Ur-Draxa the old fashion way.
#6
naxel
Sep 02, 2011 7:31:59 The Dragon's Altar, as a proper noun, exists southwest of Gulg or something I think the article said, but then it also said how there were many sites across the region where he accepted sacrifices. The Dragon's Altar is just one of the most prominent, where a tribe of refugees live, and where his defiling magic has corrupted even the stone - not that I imagine he hasn't managed to do that last one elsewhere, though
#7
Mithrus
Sep 02, 2011 9:42:04 Seems like a ritual to bind the life energy into an obsidian orb (victims are either turned to dust or just vanish) or similar would work. Then he swallows the orb and flies back home. If you want to borrow from The Dark Crystal, you could have the ritual drain the life essense from the victims, but leaves them as soulless zombies/undead afterwords.
#8
Raddu76
Sep 07, 2011 9:48:49
Seems like a ritual to bind the life energy into an obsidian orb (victims are either turned to dust or just vanish) or similar would work. Then he swallows the orb and flies back home. If you want to borrow from The Dark Crystal, you could have the ritual drain the life essense from the victims, but leaves them as soulless zombies/undead afterwords.

Oooh! I like that Mithrus. I can definitely see them being souless zombies! Nice!
#9
Phobos
Sep 15, 2011 10:40:41
The Dark Crystal

+1 for the reference.

#10
waxwingslain
Nov 27, 2011 20:48:56 In my Athas, the Dragon defiles/drains the life out of the levy slaves on the spot. I took the "Dragon's Altar" location from the magazine piece and extrapolated it:

Tyr has always used its own Dragon’s Altar site in the Ringing Mountains. Urik and Raam both use a site adjacent to the Dragon’s Bowl. Draj has its own Dragon’s Altar in the northeastern wastes. Balic and Gulg deposit their slaves at a Dragon’s Altar in the mountains near Altaruk. Depending on the state of its conflict with Gulg, Nibenay uses either the Altaruk site or the Dragon’s Bowl site.

The drop-off times and locations are managed by each city-state's dray (in my game, dray are mysterious thralls/creations of the dragons, with about a hundred placed in each city-state to attend to the sorcerer-king). The "season of the Dragon" is the month of Sorrow each year, when the Dragon stalks the wastes claiming his victims.

I do not have the Dragon capture anyone to bring back as slaves. It's just kind of silly to picture him with a huge dangling cage, as you say. His servitor dray occasionally trek east to Ur Draxa with slaves for the city, throughout the year.

Also, you mentioned the Dragon flying over the PCs--I am wrestling with sticking to traditional 2E Dark Sun, where the Dragon does not have wings (although I believe in later books, like Dragon Kings maybe, they gave dragons wings). I guess he travelled around by teleporting and walking then (and I seem to recall traditional depictions of the Dragon walking using a staff in each hand?). I dunno, not sure where I'm going with that yet.
#11
fromost_the_grimm_02
Dec 01, 2011 15:55:24 The issue I have with this whole concept is Borys spending one iota of his time, or even a whim of concern, with the gathering of sacrifices. He is simply above this.

Rather, it's the Ur Draxan Templar's job to see to an appropriate number of sacrifices are levied from each city-state, to acquire them, and to transport them to wherever Borys wishes them. If they're nominally used by Borys to reinforce the Warbringer's prison, then this probably happens in Ur Draxa. Regardless though, I can't see how a personage as august as Borys would deem to spend any time on the sacrifices other than using them. It is his vassal's responsibility to see that they are delivered to him. One of his Kaisharga would probably oversee all this, and have a host of Templars (and slaves) at his call for this purpose.

I'm also of the fold that see teleporting as being dangerous on Athas, due to it involving transit into and through the Grey. As such, the Ur Draxan Templars tasked with transporting the sacrifices probably wouldn't teleport their cargo. Being Ur Draxan however, I'd see their mode of passage as being a step up from a wagon train, or an argosy lumbering across the Tablelands ... a 'fleet' of modified undead beetles that can burrow down into the sands, and then travel underground is probably more their style. This would make for an impressive sight if ever a band of lowly PC's stumbled across an Ur Draxan train collecting their cargo from a mercantile house caravan, then exeunting dramatically into the sands with obvious arrogance and power.
#12
waxwingslain
Dec 01, 2011 17:21:21 I'm not sure spending a couple of days out of each year doing his job is THAT insulting to him.

I toyed with the idea of not having him collect the levy himself, but ran into a couple of problems. The first thing is the insanely enormous effort it would take to move 7000 living slaves (and the army required to escort them) to Ur Draxa, which is many miles of slow travel along roads, and then many miles of difficult travel across roadless Athas, and then hundreds of miles of impossible travel across the Sea of Silt, and then...each year, it would be a Herculean effort costing greater sums and supplies than any war, all to avoid....a few days or weeks of effort on the part of the Dragon where he goes to the sacrifice sites and drains them of life force, storing it for future use.

I love the visual idea of burrowing rezhattas emerging to claim the slaves, but it would take hundreds of them. The idea of burrowing beneath the Sea of Silt for weeks or months of travel also seems a bit too large an undertaking for me. Finally...one of the myths of Athas I love is how the merchants whisper in terror of the Dragon stalking the wastes, possibly laying waste to whole armies or caravans he stumbles across on his way to claim his levy, and how any travel outside a city-state is doubly dangerous because of the possibility of death by Dragon.

#13
waxwingslain
Dec 03, 2011 16:50:53 Also, for those of you who are wary of teleportation because of the Gray...how do you explain Eladrin in Dark Sun? They teleport to get out of bed in the morning.
#14
Chiba_Monkey
Dec 07, 2011 2:17:39
Also, for those of you who are wary of teleportation because of the Gray...how do you explain Eladrin in Dark Sun? They teleport to get out of bed in the morning.

Eladrin spcifically teleport through the Feywild (or "Lands Within Winds" if you like). Although Athas' Feywild is fading fast, I'd maintain that the eladrin's deep ties with it allow their power to continue to function.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 Sveinn Sep 01, 2011 7:30:40	A few adventures down the road in my campaign Im going to let the players stumble upon Tyr secretly paying the levy to the dragon. Firstly to introduce my players fully to the dragon as he flies overhead and secondly to put a bit of a stain on Tithian and get them to suspect that he might not be the greatest dude in history. Although he will do his best to convince them that it was a necissarry evil if ever confronted. What I imagined is that the players see the dragon swoop over them towards the mountains ahead, and then after a while it comes back their way when returning to Ur Draxa. The players will approach the site of the offering, curious of what the dragon was doing there and witness the damages and encountering some Tyr Templars and soldiers. One thing did strike me though that I dont really know how it works. Where does the dragon store the slaves he collects? I know he eats and kills some, but he also carries with him new slaves for Ur Draxa. If he just clutches them in his talons it seems that he wouldnt be able to carry very many with him. And it seems alot of bother just for five or six new slaves. Ive been considering if he uses some sort of portal or gate spell since it makes the most sense to me in transporting so many. Anyone have any ideas or know of any mention in the books of how he does?
#2 DontEatRawHagis Sep 01, 2011 9:11:17	I was under the impression that he carried them inside a cage. Maybe he can carry them in his mouth like a pelican or a chipmunk with nuts.
#3 khorne37 Sep 01, 2011 10:26:22	I ran a very similar adventure where the PC's witnessed Tyrian Tamplars paying a portion of the levy to the Dragon. However since there were not the multitude that the levy usually is he just sucked out the life force of the slaves in basin at the alter of the dragon and then they turned to dust.
#4 naxel Sep 01, 2011 19:59:18	Perhaps he as an extravagant procession who follow him through the wastes, with his undead templars toting the captives in a caravan for intimidation purposes
#5 Raddu76 Sep 01, 2011 21:00:57	In classic Dark Sun you really couldn't teleport, at least without going through the Grey, so it was real dangerous. If you combine this idea with Rodney Thompson's Dragon's ALter....perhaps the Dragon has several of these throughout the tablelands. When the levy is brought he performs a ritual, which drains the life force of the majority of the slaves. The alters can safely transport the life energy back to Ur-Draxa. Perhaps he keeps a few of a slaves for himself and for this Kaisharga. These he has to get back to Ur-Draxa the old fashion way.
#6 naxel Sep 02, 2011 7:31:59	The Dragon's Altar, as a proper noun, exists southwest of Gulg or something I think the article said, but then it also said how there were many sites across the region where he accepted sacrifices. The Dragon's Altar is just one of the most prominent, where a tribe of refugees live, and where his defiling magic has corrupted even the stone - not that I imagine he hasn't managed to do that last one elsewhere, though
#7 Mithrus Sep 02, 2011 9:42:04	Seems like a ritual to bind the life energy into an obsidian orb (victims are either turned to dust or just vanish) or similar would work. Then he swallows the orb and flies back home. If you want to borrow from The Dark Crystal, you could have the ritual drain the life essense from the victims, but leaves them as soulless zombies/undead afterwords.
#8 Raddu76 Sep 07, 2011 9:48:49	Seems like a ritual to bind the life energy into an obsidian orb (victims are either turned to dust or just vanish) or similar would work. Then he swallows the orb and flies back home. If you want to borrow from The Dark Crystal, you could have the ritual drain the life essense from the victims, but leaves them as soulless zombies/undead afterwords. Oooh! I like that Mithrus. I can definitely see them being souless zombies! Nice!
#9 Phobos Sep 15, 2011 10:40:41	The Dark Crystal +1 for the reference.
#10 waxwingslain Nov 27, 2011 20:48:56	In my Athas, the Dragon defiles/drains the life out of the levy slaves on the spot. I took the "Dragon's Altar" location from the magazine piece and extrapolated it: Tyr has always used its own Dragon’s Altar site in the Ringing Mountains. Urik and Raam both use a site adjacent to the Dragon’s Bowl. Draj has its own Dragon’s Altar in the northeastern wastes. Balic and Gulg deposit their slaves at a Dragon’s Altar in the mountains near Altaruk. Depending on the state of its conflict with Gulg, Nibenay uses either the Altaruk site or the Dragon’s Bowl site. The drop-off times and locations are managed by each city-state's dray (in my game, dray are mysterious thralls/creations of the dragons, with about a hundred placed in each city-state to attend to the sorcerer-king). The "season of the Dragon" is the month of Sorrow each year, when the Dragon stalks the wastes claiming his victims. I do not have the Dragon capture anyone to bring back as slaves. It's just kind of silly to picture him with a huge dangling cage, as you say. His servitor dray occasionally trek east to Ur Draxa with slaves for the city, throughout the year. Also, you mentioned the Dragon flying over the PCs--I am wrestling with sticking to traditional 2E Dark Sun, where the Dragon does not have wings (although I believe in later books, like Dragon Kings maybe, they gave dragons wings). I guess he travelled around by teleporting and walking then (and I seem to recall traditional depictions of the Dragon walking using a staff in each hand?). I dunno, not sure where I'm going with that yet.
#11 fromost_the_grimm_02 Dec 01, 2011 15:55:24	The issue I have with this whole concept is Borys spending one iota of his time, or even a whim of concern, with the gathering of sacrifices. He is simply above this. Rather, it's the Ur Draxan Templar's job to see to an appropriate number of sacrifices are levied from each city-state, to acquire them, and to transport them to wherever Borys wishes them. If they're nominally used by Borys to reinforce the Warbringer's prison, then this probably happens in Ur Draxa. Regardless though, I can't see how a personage as august as Borys would deem to spend any time on the sacrifices other than using them. It is his vassal's responsibility to see that they are delivered to him. One of his Kaisharga would probably oversee all this, and have a host of Templars (and slaves) at his call for this purpose. I'm also of the fold that see teleporting as being dangerous on Athas, due to it involving transit into and through the Grey. As such, the Ur Draxan Templars tasked with transporting the sacrifices probably wouldn't teleport their cargo. Being Ur Draxan however, I'd see their mode of passage as being a step up from a wagon train, or an argosy lumbering across the Tablelands ... a 'fleet' of modified undead beetles that can burrow down into the sands, and then travel underground is probably more their style. This would make for an impressive sight if ever a band of lowly PC's stumbled across an Ur Draxan train collecting their cargo from a mercantile house caravan, then exeunting dramatically into the sands with obvious arrogance and power.
#12 waxwingslain Dec 01, 2011 17:21:21	I'm not sure spending a couple of days out of each year doing his job is THAT insulting to him. I toyed with the idea of not having him collect the levy himself, but ran into a couple of problems. The first thing is the insanely enormous effort it would take to move 7000 living slaves (and the army required to escort them) to Ur Draxa, which is many miles of slow travel along roads, and then many miles of difficult travel across roadless Athas, and then hundreds of miles of impossible travel across the Sea of Silt, and then...each year, it would be a Herculean effort costing greater sums and supplies than any war, all to avoid....a few days or weeks of effort on the part of the Dragon where he goes to the sacrifice sites and drains them of life force, storing it for future use. I love the visual idea of burrowing rezhattas emerging to claim the slaves, but it would take hundreds of them. The idea of burrowing beneath the Sea of Silt for weeks or months of travel also seems a bit too large an undertaking for me. Finally...one of the myths of Athas I love is how the merchants whisper in terror of the Dragon stalking the wastes, possibly laying waste to whole armies or caravans he stumbles across on his way to claim his levy, and how any travel outside a city-state is doubly dangerous because of the possibility of death by Dragon.
#13 waxwingslain Dec 03, 2011 16:50:53	Also, for those of you who are wary of teleportation because of the Gray...how do you explain Eladrin in Dark Sun? They teleport to get out of bed in the morning.
#14 Chiba_Monkey Dec 07, 2011 2:17:39	Also, for those of you who are wary of teleportation because of the Gray...how do you explain Eladrin in Dark Sun? They teleport to get out of bed in the morning. Eladrin spcifically teleport through the Feywild (or "Lands Within Winds" if you like). Although Athas' Feywild is fading fast, I'd maintain that the eladrin's deep ties with it allow their power to continue to function.