OOC: Putting this up here to get everyone back to town to have some opportunities for roleplaying with anyone still around and eventually help bring in the new characters.

After raiding the dragon's hoard the heroes traced their path back through the dungeon picking up their rescued captives in toe. Along the way they swung by the pantry in the first level where it seemed the townsfolk they had captured were able to shake off their magical charm with the death of the cult leaders.

The farmers and townsfolk express their deepest gratitude although many of them have the signs of severe mental shock as they recollect the things they had done while under the dragon's spell. Together with what the party knows and what can be filled in by those captured and those charmed the heroes are able to piece together a rough idea of what happened.

What Happened
Rivug, the Destroyer of Minds, was a young dragon who in a act that was greatly at odds with normal dragon behavior, established a cult worshipping him as a god run by the necromancer Gareth. It is unclear if Gareth was truly a believer or if the two were just using one another. Along with Gareth came a group of bandits and outlaws that with guidance by Gareth and Rivug were able to replace the watch of the town. Over the past year "tragedies" have befallen various members of the town guard and the constable allowing "replacements" to be brought in. While that was happening the cult was slowly going through the outer farms, capturing entire families and charming those within to serve the cult. Anyone who resisted the charm spell was killed, food for either Rivug or the other monsters under Rivug's service.

By the time the heroes intervened half the town was under the cult's spell, including many of the councilors like Carroc (the wealthy farmer), Jago (blacksmith) and Morgouse (carpenter). Father Beledrone is also implicated although it is unclear if he was charmed or was a willing member of the cult. It seemed that really the only thing left standing in their way was Mayor Osric and Pinna (town wizard). If the kobolds hadn't gotten greedy and screwed things up by the end of the season there was a good chance that the town would be completely under Rivug's sway.

The cultists had initially planned on snatching the heroes in their sleep but Father Beledrone was worried that the group might be too capable to go quietly and it might expose the cult. Instead the plan was to pull back members of the cult that they suspected had been "outed" by Pinna and fortify their defenses. When the heroes first descended the stairs it was supposed to be the entire cult ready to ambush them but the guards who were supposed to be on watch, the constable's men, were notoriously lazy which is why instead of guarding the entrance they were drinking in their rooms. This let the heroes attack while Gareth and Rivug were oblivious until it was too late.

All the major cult leaders were accounted for (dragon, necromancer, constable) and the prisoners/townsfolk made mention that there was a tribe of orcs likely still in the dungeon but without the dragon's leadership they likely would pose little threat against the town. The same goes for any other evil creature that might still be lurking about. Without the direction and guidance of the cult it is likely they kill one another claiming territory in the dungeon and the dungeon is miles away from town so the consensus is that it is unlikely what remains poses any specific threat compared to any other threat from the forest or swamps.


OOC: Pausing here in case anyone has any other questions or anything else relating to the dungeon they would like to address

Yry is unhappy at hearing how badly the situation had gotten in Ashford. She hadn't stayed much in Ashford proper so it's not so hard to believe that it all happened without her knowledge, but it's sobering to know how close it came to totally being taken over by Rivug.

She wondered how often dragons would strike out with the ambition to enslave a humanoid population like this. Surely the ones that did so too early would meet similar ends as Rivug but perhaps there are villages, towns, or even nations out there secretly ruled by a dragon. Yry doesn't voice these fears or ask questions, however, and is instead just glad that a majority of the people were there against their will and were not responsible for their actions. It felt, mostly, like a victory.

"It will be long before there is a return to normalcy, but do not dwell on the actions compelled onto you. Rivug's magic was of the most vile sort and you all were victims," Yry says, looking in a direction that could either be towards Shalimar or the staff Shalimar claimed. Or perhaps in a direction he occupies in her mind, if he has already gone.

Returning back to Ashford was a mixture of excitement and dread. While those under Rivug's spell had snapped out of it with the death of the dragon the final tally was nearly a dozen locals had been killed and the survivors from the cult would have to deal with their actions.

The kind words of Yry and the others would help provide them with a bit of comfort but the dark days where the small town had come so close to oblivion would echo in the minds of the locals for generations to come.

Mayor Osric and Pinna, however, are two shining lights in the otherwise somber return.

Pinna comes running up as soon as the heroes are spotted on the return. She is running barefoot, such was her haste to greet them that she hadn't bothered to put on her shoes.

She ran and nearly tackled Alyssa with a giant hug before sharing it with Talia and Yry as well.

"Oh my gosh! You did it! I don't know what you did but you did it! I was speaking to Carroc when something had snapped and the old man suddenly confessed that he had been in service with a dark dragon! A dragon! Can you believe it! Here in Ashford!"

She broke off from her excitement with another round of hugs.

"I want to hear all about it, every last detail but you should go see the Mayor and get your reward before he conveniently forgets!"

Yry is quite glad to share a big hug with her friends, glad that Pinna was okay in Ashford on her own and recognizing that any of her companions could have died at several points in that delve into the darkness of the earth.

Yry dabs her eyes with her thumb and nods when Pinna suggests they go speak with the Mayor. "At risk of spoiling the story I will say that we can definitely believe it was a dragon."

After another hug, Yry nods and moves to go meet Mayor Osric with the others.

Talia was somber as they approached town, but Pinna's exuberance planted a smile on her face. He returned the hug herself and smiled at Yry's remark, "Oh, indeed. Yes, quite the story. Worth a tankard or two in the retelling. But, I've got to find mother..."

Talia's eyes grew distant as she spoke of her mother and she nodded at some internal decision. "There is much to be done yet, but Ashford is safe, for now. Meet at the inn this evening?" She looked the question at each of her companions then hurried off to find her mother and discuss the feelings she had been experiencing recently. She was still amazed that her pack was heavy with treasures, she had just battled a dragon, and she was still alive to see the daylight.

Was this what her mother had experienced in her youth?