Re: Chapter 20: The Fane of Tiamat - Upper Fane
The company's return to Drellin's Ferry turns out, at least initially, to be free of much of the fanfare that immediately followed the Battle of Brindol, three years prior. Of course, the situation was a bit different. Brindol's citizens had a front row seat to Wyrmlord Kul's siege and saw the adventurers' exploits first-hand. The Fane of Tiamat was far away from Elsir Vale's settled lands and even farther out of mind.
The party elected to avoid the scrutiny of the larger and busier Old Skull Inn in favor of the smaller Green Apple. Carrying as much treasure as they were, this was likely a smart decision, Sarah would have concluded based on her understanding of the Old Skull's nosy halfling proprietor, Kellin Shadowbanks.
The Green Apple is a cheerful taphouse and inn frequented primarily by locals. Its proprietress, a stout dwarf by the name Tharrma, is a good friend of Valthur, and known for being discrete. The part secures accommodations at the Green Apple and spends the next several days resting and recuperating.
It turns out Lord Morton Guidry has already left for Brindol well before the adventurers returned to Drellin's Ferry, so there are no awkward meetings there. At some point, Town Speaker Norro Wiston and Captain Soranna Anitah meet with the adventurers, and both seem content to allow the adventurers as much privacy as they would like.
Of course, everyone in town is aware of what the adventurers set out to do, and in the following days, the adventurers are pressed for details on what they saw at the Fane of Tiamat. The people of Drellin's Ferry remember full well the devastation wrought by the Red Hand, so any assurance the adventurers provide that the threat has been vanquished is met with great relief.
News of the adventurers’ exploits then spreads from town to town as the Tale of Wyrmlord Kul’s Doom makes its way to inns, taphouses, and taverns all along the Dawn Way. The tale grows more fantastical with each retelling, every traveling bard, minstrel, and storyteller offering a subtle variation on the same theme--heroic adventurers overcoming overwhelming odds, delivering the killing blow against Wyrmlord Kul, and foiling his designs in unleashing a tyrannical goddess onto the world.
This, their latest exploit, would undoubtedly go on to bolster their renown across the Elsir Vale, and even into lands well beyond the far-flung frontier. But for most, it would almost assuredly not be their last adventure. But, having slain Azarr Kul and caused his stronghold to implode in the process, the adventurers have decapitated the Red Hand horde, once and for all. Their charismatic leader gone, the remaining goblinoid tribes of the Wyrmsmoke Mountains scatter back into the wilds and are hunted down over the next few months.
Days becomes weeks. Weeks become months and, eventually, months become years as the roll of time unfurls with new tales added to the adventurers’ exploits. While each tale seems to be more fantastic than the next, the truth of what happened within the Fane of Tiamat is often just as fantastical as the half-truths and outright falsehoods. Of course, the only ones who know what really happened in the Fane of Tiamat are Dame Eoni Daflin, Elam N'Tari, Grub, Ovo Goldenshield, Sarah, and Vaxfar Leaf.
Long may tales of their mighty deeds spread across the lands!