Ashmantle Gate: Wyrmguard Standoff

After breaching the outer gatehouse, the party found the guard contingent and two sorcerers assigned to watch a drake-scarred vault. The guards fell quickly and the sorcerers attempted to bind the hoard with minor wards, but the party tore through their defenses. In the chamber beyond was a chest of the guards' pay and several personal valuables taken from raiders over seasons. Tucked beneath the guardmaster's cloak lay a +1 longsword with pale drake etchings. Spell components and scrolls indicate the sorcerers were siphoning power from the dragon's residual magic, leaving behind a dragon scale fragment and a small electrum statuette. Among the more practical finds are potions that will steady the party after the fight and an ember-trinket of draconic origin, a warded keepsake likely made by the sorcerers as a token and minor weapon. The loot is heavy, valuable, and distinctly dragon-touched, perfect for selling, crafting into specialized gear, or keeping as trophies.