Sleeping Giants Game 45

Intro

Lyla's Memory Jog

This large, blue-boned dragon skeleton reminds you of something. You weren’t quite sure what it was at first, but the more you dwelt on it the clearer it became.

It was 4 years ago maybe. You were 10 years old at the time, and had just finished reading “Hooves of Fury”, a tale of adventure and mystery. On your way to the library to return it, you saw something that you had seen multiple times before. This time, however, you were still feeling brave from the story’s ending. You decided to investigate.

A group of men wearing fine armor with warhammers at their sides were delivering a shipment to Kittiwake’s Edge. It happened several times a year, but the shipment was always hush-hush. Nobody talked about it, even though it was a regular occurrence. You had even brought it up to some adults, but they dismissed it as unimportant. Typical adults.

So you tailed the men, far enough behind that they wouldn’t notice you. They were escorting two wagons, one in front of the other. They led them through the town center, past the gazebo, then down the side of the cliff to the beach below. You hear the men talking with each other as they descend the cliffside.

“So I’m to make this journey every six months”? one of them asks.

“That’s right,” another responds.

“This Siphoner must have some deep pockets.”

“Siphoness”, the other corrects him, putting the emphasis on the final syllable. “And you’ll be better off not to think about it.”

They reach the bottom of the cliff and park both wagons, side by side, in a small nook located off the beach. They unstrap the horses that were leading the wagons, mount them, and make their way back up the cliff out of your view. Several minutes pass, and the wagons remain undisturbed. You think back to the final chapter of Hooves of Fury, where the fearless hero pushed on in the face of an endless centaur horde. And you are filled once again with courage.

You approach the wagons cautiously. They both sit in the nook, side by side. In the distance, you can hear waves crashing upon the shore. You lift the canvas of one of the wagons to take a peek inside, and you see that it is filled with a deep blue stone. The stone seems raw, not shaped in any particular way.

You then scurry over to the second wagon, and take a peek inside of it. A pungent odor hits your nose before your eyes can see what’s inside. Several unconscious humans lay in the wagon, their hands and legs all bound together with chains. Their clothes are matted with dirt and mud, and though they all seem to be breathing and alive, none of them stirs as you look on.

As you are taking in this unsettling sight, you hear the sound of rock sliding on rock, and you look up to see part of the cave wall sliding open. Quickly, you dart behind some nearby cover.

From your hiding spot, you see an elegant woman emerge from the cave. she walks slowly around to the back of each of the wagons, inspects their contents briefly, and then waves her hand and says some words that you don’t understand. Magically, both wagons lurch forward, one after th eother, and drive themselves into the now-open cave. The woman takes one last look around.

She spots you, and begins to walk toward you slowly. “Who do we have here?” she says, leaning down toward your hiding spot.

Your mind begins to race. You shouldn’t be here, you’re sure of it. But you think back to Hooves of Fury. What would a hero do? Defiantly, you say to the woman, “I’m Lyla Hellebore!”

“Is that so? interesting…” the woman pauses for a moment, and while she does you sneak a glance at the cave that opened up. On the other side, a sliver of sunlight illuminates a humanoid skeleton chained to the wall. Its bones are not completely white, however, and are intertwined with the blue stone.

“Well, you’re not going to tell anyone about this, are you Lyla?” You snap back to reality and look at the woman. “Of course not!” you say.

“I agree,” she says, and she raises her hand. Her fingers snap, and the next thing you know you awake in your own bed with no memory of what happened. But now, having seen the giant blue dragon bones, it all comes flooding back.