"Yep, I's a green bats!" Moffdust flaps off into the city and is not seen for a couple of days.

Dregz opts to have his scraps of dragon hide fashioned into a pair of tailored pants that really set off what of his green skin is visible through his mane of hair.

The little goblin also has a profitable time in the markets (though perhaps not as much as the vendors there), getting himself a ring, a black mask (which goes rather well with his new trousers, his boots and his dark green cloak) and yet another wooden stick for his collection. 

-----------------------------------------

A good night's sleep with the Magic Stick (the Black Rod, not the other ones) turns into a terrified awakening as the priest's dreams turn to nightmares !

With trembling voice, Dregz recounts what he can remember of the horrors:

He dreams that he is standing in front of a huge, translucent, colourless glass dragon statue. The statue seems to be looking directly at him. Then the statue moves, and speaks to him. He is terrified! But the dream is a bit confusing too. Sometimes it seems like there are white giants behind Dregz, too, or he is facing the giants instead, and he is not sure which he is more terrified of, the giants or the dragon.

The Magic Stick now points to the south west when he directs it to find the location of the next (last ?) piece.

"May be we's got de dragon's skin?" the brown g goblin asks.

"Cool dream Dregzie!  I like da bit about da dragon, can't wait ter meet her!  Bet she'll be happy ta see da bits ov her skin again.  Any elfs in yer dream?"

Bulldust has returned from the bazarre with bracers (arm sort), potion of flying (copycat), and a dongle for his chainflail so it stiffens like a longspear.  "Da one weapon fer all occasions!" he proudly demonstrates doing a pole vault with the stiff chain.

Seeking professional advice, he peels back the layers of jacket, armour and hair shirt to show Dregz and Jurz his skin.  "I went back to da Kobo-Wax ta get off da re-growff, but da kobolds said ma fur was jus fallin out.  An look, now I got dese."  His bugbear fur is gone, except for the spiked red hair on his head, and he has tiny iridescent copper-coloured scales all over his green skin.  "Weird eh?  D'ya fink its a bugbear fing or a Bargriefyuk fing or somefing else like da dragon skin rubbing off?"

"Oh, an Moffa said she'll be a few days, like a week, cos she's gettin her poncho magicked."

Jurz looks at Bully's skin for a moment then his head snaps up "What has youse been drinking?  Did it haves a funny sign on da bottle?" he asks sharply.

Bulldust looks puzzled at Jurz. "Yer mean like a potion?  Nah, nuffing like dat, only beer."  He rubs at the tiny scales.  "Dey don't feel bad.  Kinda like dey're a part ov me."

The priest throws back his cape and lifts his mask in order to carefully examine the bugbear, prodding him thoughtfully with one of his Magic Sticks. 

"Youse seems to be turnin' into a draggin," Dregz opines. "I don' knows if dat ud bese a Gobrin or a Draglin ?"  He shrugs.  "But if youse iz den Bargrivyek mus' approves ov it."

Picking up on Dregz idea, Jurz has a brief mental image of himself riding a dragon-like Bully into battle, but then asks.  "Whats about your handses?  heve dey got de claws as well? ...  An do youse hiccup anyfing nasty?  Like fireballs or acid?" he adds suddenly as he takes a step backwards, out of 'hiccup' line

"Maysbe it was dat pukey-gas?  Maysbe we is all going to turn into dragonses?" Jurz suggests, surreptitiously looking across at Deregz to see if he is changing as well.

"Bully bein a bugdragon is jus like a bugbear bein a goblin I guess. Never understood hows bugbears is related ter goblins, is dey like an uncle once removed? Moffa can takes all der time she wants, I still got some gold so I'll be round dis inn drinkin or at der Nuffle field trainin if yer needs me.""

"Yeah!  Like I'm turnin into a dragon!" He grins hugely.  "Dats good dat Bargriefyuk finks its ok.  My claws are a bit longer but not so's I could rip anyfing wiv em, an I do get da acid burps but not fire.  Dis must be da bugbear magic ... I suppose all dragons were bugbears once."  He looks closely at Jurz and shakes his head.  "Maybe it takes longer for goblins?"

Having not much else to do, Bulldust goes to watch the Nufflers training.  He keeps a watch for aerial attack, making sure the players are safe while they rip each other to shreds.

"Oh, I don't know." Jurz responds grinning, now that the conundrum of Billy's skin appears to be resolved.

Then he starts to change.  His body changes shape to become  longer and four legged.  Then he is a good ten feet long with nobly brown/green skin, a tail that waves from side to side and a long, grinning, mouth that is full of very sharp teeth.

However, he only holds that shape for a moment or two before reverting to his normal size and shape - and the grin is still plastered broadly across his face.

"Woah!  Dats wot I'm gonna be when I grow up.  A real live Draglin.

"My granny woz once removedses," Dregz reminisces to Minmorc.  "Several times acherly.  But she kepts goin' back cos she really liked der ale at dat tavern."

Dregz nods as Bully and Jurz accept the wisdom of his findings, though is somewhat alarmed at the thought that he might be turning into a dragon himself (perhaps that's the fate of any who wear dragon hide in whatever form ?) ... and alarmed more than somewhat by the druid's sudden transformation, managing only a weak smile in return as Jurz reverts to his own form.

Moffdust eventually joins you all at the Dripstone, She's proudly wearing her bat-poncho. She peers at the scales on Bully's knee, huffs on them and burnishes them up a bit. "Dose is pretty Bully. Can I has dem too?"

She shows you all a new ring she bought. It has tiny cloud faces on it. "It's de Rings of de Four Windses. If sometings attacks me it blows dem away!" She throws her arms wide in a bat-poncho swirling explosion.

Team Arda-Nuff have been staying at the Dripstone Inn for the six days it took for Moffa's new items to be created.

When she returns, the cowled figure of Es Sarch raises a bony finger to beckon you all over for a quiet conversation with him.

"You call yourselves Team Arda-Nuff and have proven yourselves worthy of that name by defeating the self-styled Talon of Tiamat. I do not know your plans for the future but if you are starting to feel bored, I have a small task you might like to undertake for someone I sometimes do business with; one might even consider him a friend of mine.

"There is a cave below one of the old warehouses in the city that is a natural focus of the forces that cause all matter to decay over time. Some call it a Decay Node, if that means anything to you. My friend wishes to have access to that node as any cleric spending a number of hours there can gain access to an additional divine domain – the Decay Domain. Anyone who is not a cleric would also gain some affinity with that domain from spending time there; my friend called it a 'Touch of Decay', but I am unsure what that would entail.

"Unfortunately, a drow priestess named Esmar'ra has commandeered that cave and refuses to allow anyone else access to the Decay Node. She is a priestess of Lolth, so there are few in Pedestal who would wish to be seen opposing her will. But I suspect that would not be a particular for visitors from the sun-poisoned skin of the world, such as yourselves.

"Would you be interested in taking on such a mission? Your reward would be access to the Decay Node itself, of course, as well as whatever valuable items Esmar'ra has down there with her."

"I'm in."

"Touch of decay?  Probbly someones handses falling off." Jurz replies cheerfully, looking hard at Bully.

"I'se in ...."
This message was last edited by the player at 10:52, Tue 15 Sept 2020.

Bulldust looks dubious all through Es's long speech about the node and all "Like toof decay?", but makes up his mind quickly when Es says there's elfs who needs fighting and looting.  "Dats gonna be da elf priestess!  I'm in!"

"Yer jus wouldn't wanna decay der stuff yer touchin at der wrong time, would ya? Standing der takin a leak den nec minute... aaaargh, rotted winkie hur hur hur!"

The little goblin priest doesn't like the sound of this place at all ... but he'll stand by his tribe come what may !

"Ize in too," Dregz nods, wishing he'd asked Bargrivyek for one or more Remove Disease spells !

"I am pleased that you will look into this matter for us," Es Sarch responded emotionlessly.

"From the few reports we have received to date there do seem to be some puzzling things happening there. The reports of a low barricade across the entry to the antechamber are, perhaps, not surprising, but the heat and glow of firelight from the antechamber certainly do not belong there. I shall await your report with great interest, when you return. It is possible that the weeks the priestess has already spent in the Decay Node is longer than is wise.

"However, there is no particular urgency. If you wish to rest and make any preparations before you  undertake this mission that will be perfectly satisfactory, and I understand you would need to spend at least eight hours in the Decay Node to benefit from it. Speak to me again when you are ready to go and I will arrange a guide to show you the way there."

"Bully, I reckon dis barricade is waitin jus fer you ter storm it!" Minmorc will look around at the others "Imma good ter go now but I'll tuck inter a good feed an wait if any yous need time."

"Ooo...barricade and a elf.  What are da chances of dat?!!"  The Draglin is ready to go.

"Heat and glow of fire light ...  I wonders if dat is one of does elemental fings?"  Jurz muses.

OOC: I'm ready.  (After a quick change of spells)
This message was last edited by the player at 15:24, Sat 19 Sept 2020.

"I's ready. Takes us to de festering caves." She ponders what creature she will summon to be her cohort for the day, deciding to have a look at the cave before choosing.