(S106) The Dragon's Graveyard

Emerging from the orb, the party meets the enigmatic Dungeon Master and meets a traveling fairy salesman on the road to Dornick. After resting at Hardbear's tavern, they travel to the Dragon Graveyard where a brutal battle against a five-headed dragon erupts. When the party is pushed to their limits, the Dungeon Master intervenes to slay the beast, infusing their gear with artifact power and permanently bonding living chrome claws to Barlo.

📝 Session Summary

The Wild Cards were called The Menagerie by some until they came up with the name The Wild Cards.

• Barlo: A grizzled tabaxi barbarian who has been doing some work for a network that one should be wary of.
• Bastion: An orphan human who spent his life studying magic and blades, even though his elder pushed him away from the sword. He replaced Reginald.
• Calliope: This bardic faun joined the party late when she needed to find help to save her homeland.
• Reginald: A leonin cleric who was off to show his family's royal background and would later find out there were secrets leading to him becoming a king.
• Sas: A tortle hermit was given an item of power and a quest.
• Shadow in the Snow: This tabaxi got a coin, and her curiosity set her on a path.

🎬 Scenes

• Scene 1: Barlo's Backstory — From The Bronze Canyon in Kampos. Gave up Tabaxi name, "Smiles". Help move people. On way to Eushia to help Black Road with a client. Currently on ship near Carrune.
• Scene 2: Bastion's Backstory — When Bastion Bladesinger was very young he lost both of his parents to a plague. He took care of himself as he taught himself how to use the rapier his father once wore. He lived in Dyrt and watched all of the great knights. He also had an interest in the ways of magic and he wished he could do both – use swords and excel in magic – like many elves he had heard about.
• Scene 3: Calliope's Backstory — Calliope was born into the nestled highlands of the Oraniad Mountains. The Skola Vale, wild and free, blessed by the gods and inhabited by whimsical Satyr and Faun. Deep within it among the lush valley, reside the Dawngreets, a long generational line of storytellers and lore keepers.
• Scene 4: Reginald's Backstory — He was born at home, a modest-sized mansion where his family lived a modest means – even though his father could never stop talking about how they were royalty and yet this was the only lands they currently possess. His childhood was generally a happy one full of several friends. He was an only child.
• Scene 5: Sas' Backstory — Sas was born on the continent of Oth'Mar – a content mostly inhabited by Tortles and is far to the south of the Carrune Isles.
• Scene 6: Shadow's Backstory — Deep in the snowy mountains high in the north, there lived a large group of Tabaxi, The Blinding Wild Clan.

📜 Missions & Quests

• Completed:
  • Established individual party origins and initial connections to the world of Dierde.
• Active / Discovered Threads:
  • Barlo's ties to the smuggling rings and the Black Road.
  • Bastion's mysterious past and fallout with Grognard.
  • Calliope's quest to save the Skola Vale.
  • Reginald's pursuit of his family's royal mint commission and claim in Neyer.
  • Sas's vision of the Cat Goddess Bast and journey to find her lost lands.
  • Shadow's golden coin and mystical calling from her clan shaman.

NPCs

S106: The Dragon's Graveyard

Date: 2026-06-06

Short

Barlo, Shadow, and Calliope emerged from Kelek's orb with fragmented memories of a sinister figure who had stabbed Kelek, stolen something important, and vanished. With the rest of their party still trapped inside the orb, the group was approached by a small man in red and gold who called himself the Dungeon Master. He confirmed their companions would escape in time, gifted Barlo a carved scroll case tied to his monkhood's teachings, and revealed that the party's weapons were ready to be reforged as true artifacts. On the road to the nearby town of Dornick, they encountered a cheerful fairy merchant named Tem U, whose oversized briefcase held an eclectic assortment of magical oddities. Barlo bought the fairy's entire inventory on impulse, and Calliope claimed a bag that endlessly produced more bags. In Dornick, the group settled into a guest house and spent a quiet evening at a local tavern before surrendering to a much-needed rest.

The following morning, the Dungeon Master led the party through a swamp to the Dragon Graveyard, a vast and eerie landscape of colossal dragon remains with lava glowing beneath the cracked earth. As he began his ritual to reforge their weapons, Shadow scouted ahead and discovered a gargantuan five-headed dragon lurking within a massive skull. She fired first, igniting a brutal battle across the graveyard. The dragon unleashed devastating breath attacks — lightning, fire, acid, and more — while the party fought back with everything they had. Barlo scaled the ancient rib bones and hurled himself onto the creature, striking relentlessly and infecting its mind with psychic fury, even as acid breath and savage retaliation pushed the group to their limits. When the party's strength was nearly spent, the Dungeon Master intervened with overwhelming force, destroying the dragon in a cascade of blue and red flame. The released energy surged into the party's weapons, reforging them into true artifacts. Most remarkably, the chrome-like essence long bound within Barlo permanently fused with his claws, which now extended and retracted at his will like living weapons.

Summary

Barlo, Shadow, and Calliope blinked back into the waking world through a shimmering portal, their memories hazy and fragmented from whatever had transpired inside Kelek's orb. The glass orb itself now lay cool in the grass, a swirling mist drifting within its crystalline walls. Barlo and Shadow pieced together what little they could recall — a sinister, vaguely familiar figure had appeared in the chaos, stabbed Kelek, stolen something of importance, cast a spell over the party, and then vanished without a trace. Shadow swept the surrounding area with a careful eye and found everything exactly as they had left it, the bullywugs still absent and the land undisturbed. She gathered the orb carefully, unwilling to let it be lost, knowing the rest of their companions were likely still trapped somewhere within it.

Before long, a short, diminutive man dressed in red and gold appeared before them — a figure who called himself the Dungeon Master. He confirmed their suspicion that the missing members of their party remained inside the orb and assured them they would find their way out in time. He presented Barlo with a carved wooden scroll case, a gift meant to guide him deeper into the teachings of his monkhood and the order that had visited him in dreams. The Dungeon Master spoke of a grander purpose ahead, explaining that the weapons the party carried, though already remarkable, were ready to be reborn as true artifacts. He suggested they make for the nearby town of Dornick to rest before the journey ahead.

On the road to Dornick, the group was intercepted by an unexpected visitor — a tiny fairy lugging an oversized briefcase covered in colorful stickers, who introduced himself as Tem U. He opened his case to reveal a curious assortment of magical oddities: a self-correcting quill that prevented spelling errors but took issue with stylistic choices, a stone mug that kept drinks perpetually hot, leather goggles fitted with rotating lenses, small glowing pebbles that burst into light when thrown to the ground, an amulet that detected rainfall, a ring holding a handful of minor magical tricks, a bag that endlessly produced more bags, and a polished bamboo rod used by traveling monks to practice their fighting forms. Barlo, feeling generous and perhaps a little impulsive, purchased the fairy's entire inventory on the spot, and Calliope happily claimed the bag of bags for herself. Tem U departed with a cheerful farewell, his briefcase considerably lighter.

In Dornick, a red-haired woman led the party to her family's guest house, where a room with several beds and vanities awaited them. The Dungeon Master bid them goodnight and promised to return by morning, while Hex Coda chose to remain behind and rest. The others made their way to the local tavern, a modest establishment run by a towering, lanky Goliath named Hardbear, where they settled in over bowls of soup, thick bread, and local ales. Shadow slipped some hearty meat rations to Artie, her loyal companion, who ate contentedly at her feet. Barlo spent the quiet evening poring over the scroll case, absorbing the teachings within, before the group drifted back to the guest house and surrendered to a deep, much-needed rest, with Artie curling up to guard the door.

Come morning, the Dungeon Master was waiting as promised, and he led the party through a stretch of swamp toward a place of ancient, eerie stillness — the Dragon Graveyard. The landscape was littered with the colossal remains of dragons long dead, their bones rising from the earth like the ruins of a forgotten age, cracks in the ground glowing faintly with the heat of lava bubbling beneath. The Dungeon Master began his ritual, drawing energy up from the earth to reforge the party's weapons. Shadow, sensing something amiss, mounted her broom and swept silently through the towering ribs and skulls to scout the perimeter. What she found made her blood run cold — a gargantuan, five-headed dragon crouched within the hollow of a massive skull, its many eyes fixed on the party below, waiting.

Shadow loosed a crackling arrow at the beast before it could strike first, and the battle erupted across the graveyard. The dragon answered with terrifying force, its blue head unleashing a bolt of lightning that Shadow barely evaded by scattering into the air. Hex Coda activated a radiant gemstone that bathed the battlefield in shifting colors, weaving a protective aura of hope and vitality around the party. Barlo ignited a primal fury within himself and extended that burning energy outward to his allies, granting them strength and resilience as the dragon's red head swept a cone of fire across the field. Shadow dispersed into a swarm of shadows to resist the flames, reappearing higher in the sky, while Calliope struggled against a wave of supernatural terror that rooted her in place, unable to advance.

Barlo refused to be kept at a distance. He sprinted across the graveyard, scaled the towering lattice of ancient rib bones, and hurled himself through the air toward the dragon, sinking his claws into its hide as it began to pull free of the skull. The dragon retaliated savagely, its black head snaking through a gap in the bones to blast Barlo with a torrent of acid at close range, while its other heads lashed out at the rest of the party. The acid breath shattered Hex Coda's concentration, and the protective aura he had woven over the group collapsed. Calliope, still gripped by fear, transformed herself into a massive ape in a desperate bid to contribute, hurling chunks of ancient bone upward at the airborne creature, though her terror-clouded aim sent most of them wide. Shadow conjured a whirling air elemental to harry the dragon from above, but the creature's thick scales turned aside nearly every blow.

Round after round, the party chipped away at the dragon while it healed and raged and breathed death in every direction. Barlo clung to the creature and struck again and again, infecting its mind with a psychic fury that made it thrash and roar. Calliope, still in her ape form, grabbed Barlo and hurled him toward the dragon in a last desperate gambit, and he caught himself in midair with a magical rod, dangling above the beast. The dragon knocked the air elemental from the sky and turned its full wrath on the party below, its five heads cycling through fire, acid, cold, and lightning with relentless fury. The party had taken tremendous punishment, and the dragon showed no signs of slowing.

Then the Dungeon Master moved. With a calm and terrible finality, he unleashed a force so overwhelming that the dragon's heads snapped apart and its massive body went still. The spectral remnants of the creature erupted in a cascade of blue and red flame, and the energy that had been locked within the beast poured outward across the graveyard. Shadow, the only one among them who spoke Draconic, heard the dragon's final words — a stream of vile curses and promises of vengeance — before the voice faded into silence. The released energy surged into the party's weapons, and each blade, bow, and claw began to hum with a new and living power. Most remarkably of all, Barlo felt something shift within his own body — the chrome-like essence of a creature that had long been a part of him fused permanently with his claws, which now extended and retracted at his will like living weapons, bound to him for as long as he drew breath.

Scenes

Emergence from the Orb

Barlo, Shadow, and Calliope emerge from Kelek's orb with fragmented memories of a mysterious assailant.

• The party members blink out of a portal as the glass orb rolls gently into the grass.
• Barlo and Shadow recall a sinister, familiar-looking figure who stabbed Kelek, stole something, and cast spells on the party before vanishing.
• Shadow scans the area and finds it unchanged from when they left, with the bullywugs still absent.
• Shadow retrieves the cool, glass-like portal orb, which now contains a swirling mist inside.

Meeting the Dungeon Master

A mysterious figure known as the Dungeon Master appears to guide the remaining party members and offer gifts.

• A short, diminutive man dressed in red and gold, referred to as the Dungeon Master, approaches the party.
• The Dungeon Master explains that the rest of the party is likely still trapped within the orb.
• He presents Barlo with a wooden scroll case as a gift to aid him in his current path and studies.
• The Dungeon Master offers to help the party upgrade their weapons into artifacts, mentioning he once did the same for a group of children including someone now known as Pradam.
• The group decides to travel to the town of Dornick to rest before beginning the process of reforging their weapons.

The Traveling Fairy Salesman

On the road to Dornick, the party encounters a whimsical fairy salesman with a collection of odd magical wares.

• A fairy named Tem U approaches the party carrying a briefcase covered in stickers, introducing himself as a traveling salesman.
• The salesman displays various curiosities, including a self-correcting quill, an ever-warm mug, leather goggles with rotating lenses, glowstones, an amulet of rain detection, a ring of cantrips, a bag of bags, and a sovereign splinter dummy.
• Barlo purchases the entire inventory for one hundred silver pieces.
• Calliope receives the bag of bags from the newly acquired collection.
• Tem U departs after completing the sale.

Arrival in Dornick

The party arrives in the town of Dornick, finds lodging, and settles in for the evening.

• A woman with long red hair guides the party into the town of Dornick.
• The party is shown to a guest house owned by the woman's parents, with a room containing multiple beds and vanities.
• Calliope begins organizing her new collection of bags in the guest room.
• The Dungeon Master informs the party he will return in the morning before departing.
• Hex Coda elects to stay in the room while the others head to the tavern.

Supper at the Tavern

The party visits a local tavern to eat, drink, and unwind before a long rest.

• The party enters a tavern managed by a tall, skinny Goliath named Hardbear.
• They order a meal of soup, bread, and various local drinks including Moonbeam Beer and Ranger Red Ale.
• Shadow requests extra meat rations for Artie, receiving several pounds of rock meat from the kitchen.
• Barlo studies the wooden scroll case gifted to him by the Dungeon Master, finding it contains teachings related to his monkhood and fighting styles.
• The party observes the quiet, hardworking atmosphere of the local patrons before heading back to rest.
• The group settles in for a long rest, with Artie positioning himself to guard the door.

The Dragon Graveyard

Guided by the Dungeon Master, the party travels through a swamp to a desolate cemetery of dragon bones to begin reforging their weapons.

• The party travels through a swamp to reach the Dragon Graveyard, using magic to move stealthily past the ancient remains.
• The Dungeon Master begins a ritual to reforge the party's weapons, causing cracks in the earth to open and lava to bubble up.
• Shadow scouts the area on her broom and discovers a gargantuan, five-headed dragon hiding within a massive dragon skull.
• Shadow alerts the party to the incoming threat, and combat begins.

Battle at the Dragon Graveyard

The party engages in a fierce, grueling battle against a gargantuan five-headed dragon within the graveyard of ancient dragon skeletons.

• Shadow initiates the attack with a lightning-infused arrow, striking the dragon as it emerges from a skull, though the creature's resistances lessen the impact.
• The dragon retaliates with a legendary action, unleashing a bolt of lightning from its blue head that Shadow narrowly evades.
• Hex Coda activates a magical gemstone of many colors, bathing the area in shifting light and providing a protective aura of hope and vitality to the party.
• The dragon's red head breathes a cone of fire, which Shadow partially resists by dispersing into her swarm and teleporting higher into the air.
• Barlo enters a primal rage and calls upon the hunt, granting temporary vitality and extra damage to his allies including Artie.
• Barlo sprints across the battlefield, scales the massive rib cages of dragon skeletons, and attempts a daring leap to grapple the creature, eventually sinking his claws into its hide.
• The dragon's black head unleashes a stream of acid at Barlo inside the skull, dealing heavy damage.
• Calliope attempts to cast a spell to manifest the dragon's nightmares, but the creature's innate magical immunity shrugs off the effect.
• The dragon lets out a terrifying roar, instilling magical fear in Calliope and the pixie companion, leaving Calliope unable to move toward the beast.
• The dragon lashes out at Barlo with claws and a tail strike, causing surrounding skeletal remains to crumble as it unfurls its wings to take flight.
• The dragon's black head unleashes acid breath at Artie and Hex Coda, breaking Hex Coda's concentration and ending the protective aura.
• Calliope transforms herself into a Giant Ape to gain a physical buffer and attempts to hurl rocks at the airborne dragon, but her fear-induced disadvantage causes her to miss.
• Shadow summons an air elemental to harass the dragon, though the elemental struggles to land any blows against the creature's thick scales.
• Barlo relentlessly strikes the dragon, using infectious fury to inflict psychic pain, while enduring cold breath from the white head.
• Calliope, in her ape form, hurls Barlo toward the dragon; Barlo attempts to anchor himself in mid-air with a magical rod.
• The dragon knocks the air elemental prone, causing it to dissipate.
• The Dungeon Master intervenes, manifesting immense power to deliver a final, crushing blow to the dragon.
• The dragon's heads separate and the creature is destroyed, releasing a surge of spectral blue and red flame energy.
• Shadow, the only one who speaks Draconic, hears the dragon's final curses and threats as it dies.
• The released energy begins to infuse the party's weapons, transforming them into powerful artifacts, and Barlo's claws become permanently enhanced with a chrome-like quality.

Memorable Moments

The party's traveling fairy salesman, Tem U, sells them an 'Amulet of Rain Detection' — a magical pendant whose sole power is detecting rain, but only while outdoors.

The party browses a suitcase of dubious magical wares on the road to Dornick, with Barlo ultimately buying everything in sight

"Did you give artifact weapons to children?"
— Shadow in the Snow

Incredulous reaction upon learning the Dungeon Master had previously given powerful artifact weapons to a group of children adventurers

Shadow spots a gargantuan five-headed dragon lurking inside a massive dragon skull in the graveyard, alerting the party just in time to prevent a surprise attack.

Scouting stealthily on her broom 50 feet in the air while the Dungeon Master performed his weapon-reforging ritual below

Barlo sprints across the battlefield, scales the towering rib cages of ancient dragon skeletons, and leaps onto the gargantuan five-headed dragon, sinking his claws into its hide.

Desperate to reach the airborne dragon after it began pulling free of the skull, Barlo used every inch of his movement

Calliope's Phantasmal Killer spell fizzles harmlessly against the five-headed dragon, which shrugs off the magic with innate immunity, leaving the frightened bard with no recourse.

Calliope was already paralyzed by fear and unable to move closer, making the failed spell her last real offensive option

The Dungeon Master, having watched the party struggle for several rounds, finally intervenes and delivers a single devastating blow that kills the five-headed dragon outright.

The party had been whittling the dragon down for six grueling rounds with little visible progress before the Dungeon Master stepped in

The slain dragon's spectral energy erupts in blue and red flames, infusing the party's weapons and transforming them into sentient artifacts, while Barlo's claws permanently fuse with a chrome-like quality.

The culmination of the Dungeon Master's ritual and the dragon battle, marking a major power upgrade for the party

NPCs

Dungeon Master

A short, diminutive figure dressed in red and gold. He acts as a guide for the party, gifting Barlo a wooden scroll case and leading the group to the Dragon Graveyard to reforge their weapons into artifacts. He possesses immense power, ultimately intervening to slay the five-headed dragon when the battle dragged on.

Willowbrush

A companion who emerged from the orb with the party, currently preoccupied with trying to fix some form of corruption and obsessively attempting to bury cheese sticks in a bed.

Hex Coda

A companion who exited the portal orb alongside Barlo and Shadow. During the dragon battle, he activated a magical gemstone of many colors that provided a protective aura to the party, though the dragon's acid breath broke his concentration and ended the effect.

Tem U (Tem Umbilifloppetinkersparkle-Undergear)

A traveling fairy salesman, also referred to as Temu, who carries a sticker-covered briefcase full of magical oddities of varying quality. He sold his entire inventory to Barlo for one hundred silver pieces.

Hardbear

A skinny, seven-foot-tall Goliath innkeeper in Dornick who wears a tight shirt and tan pants. He manages the local tavern and serves simple meals like soup and bread.

Arktos "Artie"

Shadow's loyal companion who stood his ground during the dragon battle, taking the brunt of the creature's acid breath alongside Hex Coda.

Aspect of Tiamat from Dragon Graveyard

A gargantuan, multi-headed draconic entity resembling Tiamat, encountered hiding within a massive dragon skull in the Dragon Graveyard. It possessed multiple elemental breath weapons including lightning, fire, acid, and cold, as well as legendary actions and limited immunity to lower-level magic. It was ultimately slain by the Dungeon Master.

Varla

A young red headed girl who seems to still live with her parents in Dornick.

Locations

Dornick

A quiet town where the buildings are significantly spread apart. It lacks a traditional business district, as residents seem to know who provides which services by reputation. The party rests here overnight before heading to the Dragon Graveyard.

The Mage's Monocle

A local establishment in Dornick run by a seven-foot-tall Goliath named Hardbear. It serves as a communal meeting place for workers at the end of the day and has a calm, non-rowdy atmosphere. The party enjoyed soup, bread, and local ales here.

Dragon Cemetery in the Realm

A desolate landscape filled with the gargantuan skeletons and skulls of ancient dragons, with cracks in the earth that bubble with lava. The party was led here by the Dungeon Master to reforge their weapons, and it became the site of a fierce battle against a five-headed dragon.

Items

Portal Orb

A glass-like crystal that previously contained the party. It is cool to the touch and now holds a swirling mist inside. The rest of the party is believed to still be trapped within it.

Wooden Scroll Case

A gift given to Barlo by the Dungeon Master, containing scrolls that outline fighting techniques and teachings related to his monkhood.

Self-Correcting Quill

A magical writing tool purchased from Tem U that prevents typos and spelling errors, though it is noted to disagree with certain stylistic choices and may snap itself in half if the writer tries to rush.

Ever-Warm Mug

A stone mug purchased from Tem U that maintains a hot temperature and cannot be cooled down, ideal for keeping beverages warm.

Leather Goggles

Beautiful leather goggles with rotating lenses purchased from Tem U, described as being able to function like a microscope.

Glowstones

Small pebbles kept in a leather pouch, purchased from Tem U. They cast a bright light in a twenty-foot radius when tossed onto the ground.

Amulet of Rain Detection

A magical pendant with a blue pendant purchased from Tem U that allows the wearer to detect when it is raining, though it only functions while outdoors.

Bag of Bags

A magical pouch given to Calliope that contains a large number of cheap cloth or felt bags, capable of holding up to one hundred of them, with a new one generated each day.

Ring of Cantrips

A ring purchased from Tem U that allows the wearer to cast a selection of minor spells such as Booming Blade, Chill Touch, or Control Flame once per day, after which the ring disappears.

Sovereign Splinter Dummy

A beautifully polished bamboo rod the size of a scroll tube, purchased from Tem U. It can be used for practicing fighting styles during a long rest, commonly used by monks.

Clockwork Amulet

A precise magical device used by Shadow to ensure her first arrow strike against the dragon was guaranteed to land.

Gem of Many Colors

A magical gemstone used by Hex Coda during the dragon battle that glowed with shifting colors, granting the party advantage on wisdom saving throws and maximizing healing, until the effect was broken by the dragon's acid breath.

Broom of Flying

A magical broom used by Shadow in the Snow to maintain a tactical aerial advantage throughout the battle at the Dragon Graveyard, allowing her to stay out of the dragon's reach.

Artifact Weapons

The party's primary weapons, infused with the spectral energy released by the slain five-headed dragon. These weapons became sentient and permanently attached to their wielders, gaining significant magical power that is expected to grow as the story progresses.

Barlo's Claws

Following the battle at the Dragon Graveyard, Barlo's natural claws became permanently enhanced, blending with a chrome-like quality that allows them to be extended and retracted at will, similar to a wolverine.

Moonbeam Beer

A local beer to Dornick.

Spells

Pass Without Trace

Cast by Shadow to allow the party and Artie to move through the swamp and Dragon Graveyard with supernatural stealth, adding a significant bonus to their stealth checks.

Lightning Arrow

Used by Shadow to transform her first arrow into a bolt of lightning upon impact with the dragon, though the creature's resistances lessened the full effect.

Swarming Dispersal

Shadow dispersed into her swarm as a reaction to the dragon's fire breath cone, gaining resistance to the fire damage and teleporting 30 feet higher into the air to a safer vantage point.

Call of the Hunt

Barlo activated this ability alongside his rage, granting temporary hit points and an extra die of damage to nearby allies including Artie, Hex Coda, and the Dungeon Master's pixie.

Phantasmal Killer

Calliope attempted to tap into the dragon's nightmares and manifest its greatest fears, but the creature's innate limited magic immunity caused the spell to have no effect.

Polymorph

Cast by Calliope to transform herself into a Giant Ape, giving her a large pool of hit points and physical strength to hurl rocks and eventually throw Barlo toward the dragon.

Summon Elemental

Shadow conjured an air elemental to harass the dragon in the air, though the elemental's low attack modifier meant it struggled to land any blows against the dragon's thick scales and was eventually struck down.

Nature's Veil

Shadow used this ability to briefly vanish from sight, allowing her to reposition on her broom and attack the dragon with advantage.

Infectious Fury

Barlo struck the dragon with a primal attack that infected the creature's mind with psychic pain, forcing a wisdom saving throw and dealing additional psychic damage.

Classic

Last we left off, Barlo, Shadow, and Calliope found themselves thrust back into the waking world through a shimmering portal, their minds clouded and their memories fractured from whatever had transpired within Kelek's mysterious orb. What little they could piece together painted a grim picture — a sinister figure had appeared, struck Kelek down, stolen something of great importance, and vanished, leaving the rest of their companions still trapped somewhere within the orb's crystalline depths. Before long, a small figure dressed in red and gold made himself known — the Dungeon Master — who confirmed their fears and offered a measure of hope, presenting Barlo with a carved scroll case meant to deepen his understanding of his monkhood, and promising that the party's weapons were ready to be reborn as something far greater. He directed them toward the nearby town of Dornick to rest before the trials ahead. Along the road, a cheerful fairy merchant named Tem U crossed their path, and Barlo, in a moment of characteristic generosity, purchased the fairy's entire peculiar inventory on the spot.

Come morning, the Dungeon Master led the party through the swamp to a place of ancient and terrible stillness — the Dragon Graveyard, where the colossal bones of long-dead dragons rose from the earth like the ruins of a forgotten age, lava glowing faintly in the cracks below. As the Dungeon Master began his ritual to reforge their weapons, Shadow swept the perimeter and discovered something that chilled her to the bone: a gargantuan, five-headed dragon lurking within the hollow of a massive skull, its many eyes fixed upon the party below.

What followed was a battle of staggering ferocity. Shadow loosed the first arrow, and the graveyard erupted into chaos — lightning, fire, acid, and cold tearing across the ancient bones as the party fought with everything they had. Barlo scaled the towering ribs and hurled himself onto the creature's back, clinging to it and striking again and again even as acid and flame threatened to tear him apart. Calliope transformed into a massive ape and hurled bones skyward, while Hex Coda wove protective light across the battlefield until the dragon's acid breath shattered his concentration. Round after brutal round, the party endured — until the Dungeon Master himself intervened with a calm and terrible finality, unmade the dragon in a cascade of blue and red flame, and released its power outward. The energy surged into every weapon the party carried, reforging them into true artifacts. And for Barlo, something even more profound occurred — the chrome essence of a creature long bound within him fused permanently with his very body, his claws now living weapons, extending and retracting at his will, bound to him for as long as he drew breath.

Snarky

Welcome back to another episode of "our party is literally trapped inside a marble and somehow that's not even the weirdest thing that happened today." Barlo, Shadow, and Calliope stumbled out of Kelek's orb with the combined cognitive function of someone who just woke up from a three-day nap, remembering only that some mystery villain stabbed their guy, stole something important, and dipped — classic villain behavior, truly. But don't worry, because a tiny man in red and gold who calls himself the Dungeon Master showed up to hand out homework assignments and vague prophecies, which is exactly what you want when you're already having a bad day. Then a fairy with a sticker-covered briefcase sold them a bag that makes more bags, because of course he did. Barlo bought everything. Obviously.

The next morning, the DM took them to a Dragon Graveyard — which, sure, sounds fine — where he tried to do a nice little weapon-upgrade ritual and instead accidentally woke up a five-headed dragon the size of a small apartment building. The party proceeded to get absolutely cooked, frozen, electrocuted, and dissolved in acid for what felt like several business days, while Calliope turned into an ape and threw bones at it, which is a sentence that is completely real. Ultimately, the Dungeon Master — who apparently could have ended this at any time — calmly obliterated the dragon, its dying words were a string of Draconic profanity that only Shadow could understand, and everyone's weapons got a glow-up. Barlo also permanently grew retractable chrome claws, which is extremely metal and he absolutely earned them.

Middle English

Hearke well, ye souls of wandering fate,
Who woke from orb through shimmered gate;
Their minds were dim, their mem'ries thin,
A villain struck and fled within
The dark, and left them desolate.

A little man in red and gold,
The Dungeon Master, wise and old,
Did bring a case of carved wood fair,
And bid them rest without despair,
For greater deeds must yet unfold.

Upon the road a fairy came,
With sticker'd case and merry frame;
He sold his wares, each trinket bright,
And Barlo bought them all that night,
And Calliope her bag did claim.

To Dragon Graveyard, cold and vast,
Where bones of ancient wyrms were cast,
The Master wrought his sacred rite —
Till Shadow spied, with blood run white,
A five-head'd beast from ages past.

Then fire and acid, cold and light,
Did tear across that dreadful site;
The Master spoke with final breath,
And stilled the dragon unto death —
And Barlo's claws were born that night.

Limerick

From the orb they blinked back to the grass,
Their memories cloudy as glass.
A villain had struck,
Then vanished — what luck —
And left their poor friends in a mass!

A man dressed in red and in gold
Brought Barlo a case to behold.
"Your weapons," he said,
"Will soon be reforged" —
Then a fairy his wares bought and sold!

In Dornick they rested and ate,
With soup, bread, and ale on their plate.
The Goliath poured drinks,
Artie ate, Shadow thinks,
And Barlo read scrolls until late.

To the Dragon Graveyard they were led,
Where colossal old bones rose from dead.
Shadow scouted ahead,
Found five heads — filled with dread —
And loosed her first arrow instead!

The dragon breathed fire, acid, and more,
While the party fought hard to the core.
The DM struck true,
In a cascade of blue,
And their weapons hummed bright to the fore!

Exported from GMAssistant on 2026-08-16