* 2
Continuing the performance, Maeve quickly casts a spell, her already existing magical dance strengthening....
Parity will 5-foot to the northwest and ready a channeled Belker's claws.
HP:7/52
Malnival beats feat towards Harlan as quickly as he can. Then cast a spell to aid in his protection.
Casting shield: +4 AC
Round 3
HP = 54/54
AC = 18/14/15
Weapon Equipped = +1 Light Crossbow
Bolts = 55/60
Speed = 15'
Channel = 5/5 (4d6)
Oracle Spells Left (CL 6, +4 melee touch, +8 ranged touch):
3 5/5 Cure Serious Wounds*, Dispel Magic, Neutralize Poison*, Stone Shape
2 1/7 Cure Moderate Wounds*, Resist Energy*, Restoration, Lesser*, Shield Other*, Spiritual Weapon
1 7/7 Cure Light Wounds*, Bless, Burning Disarm*, Sun Metal*, Detect Undead, Command*, Detect Evil
0 (at will) Create Water, Light, Detect Magic, Guidance, Stabilize, Spark, Mending
* DC 14 + level
Status Effects = Resist Elements: Cold
Harlan will wait for Mal to get close enough for healing while directing the scimitar to continue its assault.
Heng leaps as Vegsundvaag flies by, timing his strike perfectly and clobbering the dragon's underside a moment after Parity hits it from the other side. Maeve's fire grenade hits it also, immolating its wing in clinging flames. The dragon screeches, the high-pitched cry echoing painfully through the spires.
Malnival runs over towards Harlan and Qalvanaq, casting a defensive spell while Harlan's magic closes the worst of his wounds.
Maeve's dances and continues to weave magic, while Heng and Parity prepare for the dragon's next pass. Instead, Vegsundvaag takes to the air and withdraws out of sight, deeper into the spires.
Malnival screams after the dragon as it flees.
Malnival gives Heng a half grin and shrugs his shoulders. "I complemented her on her impressive wing span."
"If it was badly hurt then no doubt that's where it's going. We should give chase, if it has healing at home we don't want it to get it."
"How are your wounds now Mal?"
Much better, thankyou. Now let's go finish this. Everyone stay within thirty feet of me and I will haste us when we find her. That should give her a suprise.
HP:47/53
Maeve looks around a bit as her performance comes to a stop. "Actually, that may be a bad idea. How about if Heng and I hang apart so if she's trying to pop up and ambush us somewhere we can't all be hit with the same breath?"
Parity will run along the air 20' above mal and Harlan.
"I concur with Maeve, let's not make it easy for the beast."
Wasting no time, you move forward through the ice spires, which practically glow blue-white in the low sunlight. The dragon does not reappear, and a few minutes later you emerge into a wide 'clearing' in the spire forest. At the center is a large rift in the glacier, twenty feet wide and a hundred feet long. As you approach the chasm and peer over the edge, you can see the bottom is a dizzying distance below - difficult to guess in the strange light, but easily four hundred feet or greater.
From here, you can see three caves bored into the walls of the chasm: a wide gap a hundred feet down, and two smaller ones at about eighty and a hundred-thirty feet down.
Maeve frowns at the setup. "That...is a long way down. Anybody have rope?"
"How far is it? Can you all see the bottom"
"Best guess...at least four hundred feet. The light makes it hard to tell for sure."
Heng prepares a line for the descent. "Perhaps Malnival and Parity could fly along with the person on the rope for safety. This might be a difficult situation if the dragon shows up."
"Yup, I'll walk down near the rope. Tie someone to me, though, like Harlan ... hell, maybe I could even carry Harlan. I can't really react to catch anyone, though."
Harlan looks down the side and shivers.
"Ok, let's do this."
Qalvanaq has claws, and will climb down with you (if you'll have him).
Taking your time during the descent, ensuring each hand and foot hold is secure, you make steady progress down along the wall of the crevasse. The claws of the ice bear are helpful, digging naturally into the ice to give a sturdy hold.
You reach the first cave without trouble. It is little more than a rough space carved from the glacial wall, about twenty by thirty feet in dimension. Inside, you see the floor is covered in smashed dragon eggshells, along with a stone hammer.
From here, you can see the large opening on the opposite side, a little over twenty feet down and across. The third cave is another fifty feet straight down.
Qalvanaq looks at the talisman and nods grimly. "It is one of our tribe's, made by Sonavut from the scale of a remorhaz. Do you believe Tunuak left it here?"
Broken eggs may account for a pissed off dragon
Malnival nods his head as he turns over a large shell fragment in his hand. "The dragon said we were being duped by the murderers of her children, looks as if this is the proof."
"Do you think Tunuak was killing the dragon's babies? What was it saying earlier Mal?"
Harlan looks on as the others sort through the mess.
Maeve just shakes her head. "At least this explains it. I don't know that I wouldn't behave somewhat the same in her position. But she seems beyond reason now. If she weren't, maybe we could finish this without further violence."
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Heng nods, "It does appear that this was Tunuak's doing. Although I might understand removing a future threat by destroying the eggs for surely a brood of evil dragon young is of concern, I think Tunuak's aim was only to sow strife. I may understand the mother's rage, but it does not justify her raiding. I still believe we must destroy her."
I disagree with you about destroying the eggs, it would be the same as slaying all the babies of a tribe that attacked us so we would not have to fight them later. Though I do agree that Vegsundvaag is so far gone that death is the only outcome. Malnival places the shell fragment into his pouch as he returns to the edge of the crevasse.
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"I did not say that I would participate in a slaughter of young. However, from what I understand, non-metal dragons are evil by nature and inevitably cause death and sorrow." Heng shrugs, "A moot point now though. I think the lower cave can wait until we deal with Vegsundvaag. We are exposed in these shallow caves. Let us get across to the main cave."
"So she has a justifiable external reason to be outraged and yet she needs to be destroyed. No bargaining with her or hitting her over the head with a soft stick? I don't get you all some times ... let's be done with this farce of a discussion on morality and go kill this "evil" beast.". Parity replies acidly.
Malnival shrugs, " Yes she is justified, but if we let her live she will kill the people of the village, even though they had nothing to do with it."
Heng leaps across the gap, dropping down to the next cave entrance. Flying, Malnival follows across as his potion's magic begins to fade. Parity brings Harlan across, settling down behind Heng. Using the rope tethers for security, Maeve and Qalvanaq make the leap as well.
As you move together into the large cave, it opens wider as you go further in. A wide crevasse, ten to fifteen feet across, divides the space. On the far side, you see only glittering half-shadows until a large section of icy wall moves, becoming Vegsundvaag.
Before you can react, the dragon flies forward with a few great wing flaps, unleashing a breath of freezing ice over you. Vegsundvaag never pauses, performing a flawless wingover to then retreat back across the crevasse. After the blast passes, the dragon's burning frost clings to you, continuing the painful chill.