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"...Let your own people judge him. It feels too much like wilderness justice us just lopping off his head down here. Blood runs hot, but death is forever. At the hold he will be safe from being manipulated in Cauldron - unless your own people agree to have him turned over."
Kikinnin looks at Maxim, eyebrows raised, before turning back to JJ. "My 'own people'? Two of Malachite stand ready to judge him, here and now, with the most understanding of the slag's crimes. Zenith will never set foot in Malachite again."
"You focus on those you can save, JJ. Marigold and Terrem are worthy of your attention. Zenith will not serve as lab rat for your discomfort. He is corruption, incarnate. I agree with Maxim- we bury him here. And you should know that death is not the end, JJ."
Kikinnin returns to Zenith with his Axe. "Like Dolgrin says, if his god wants to accept good dwarves into his fold, we're obliging by sending Zenith on, so he may cease to spread his evil here, in this world. Let him reunite with all those he led into death. Let him account for his crimes in front of his god."
With little else to add, Kikinnin brings his Axe down upon the unconscious head of Zenith Splintershieldslag.
Dolgrin looks at JJ "Only the little Zenith explained us, that the 'Smoking Eye' sent him visions. Some of them would become true sooner or later, others we discovered that had happened in the past... 'Bout the 'Shackleborn', no clue. First time my ears grasp that surface word"
The dwarf grits his teeth as he answers to Maxim while looking at Marigold instead "Menace with death as much you want. I am not going to commit treason to my rightful King, I will not change my liege or lie on what happened here just to please your shameless ears." Dolgrin addresses Kikinnin as he takes measure of necks "I might be at your hands here, but do not expect me to implore mercy. Rather expect me to fight you if you try something on Zenith while I still have a breeze. I will not place more smear in the Fulgrentforge name. The ancestors will not point at me as I reach Morgrim's place" he makes a sign in his face.
Dolgrin gives a look at Maxim's gun then tells Kikinnin "I will ask from you just a last request. You use your axe to commit this. I would hate otherwise to die on such a dishonorable weapon" he then sets himself in a protective position defending Zenith's body.
Dolgrin does not have an evil aura.
Ryan raises an eyebrow as Dolgrin stands up to Kikinnin but doesn't immediately move to intervene, the paladin's decision his to make.
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Marigold's eyes widen and she watches anxiously, eyes flitting from Kikinnin and Maxim to JJ to Dolgrin and back again. "JJ, I th-think th-this isn't our b-business to interfere in," she whispers. "It's a...a...a c-clan th-thing, an honor th-thing. A dwarven th-thing."
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"I see it as an axe going through a neck thing." mutters JJ.
As Dolgrin lies on top of Zenith he adds "Or two necks"
Eventually he shrugs. "I've said my piece. And I'm not going to put my neck between Spintershield and Kikinnin's blade. But I can't stay silent when I see a wrong."
"I might be at your hands here, but do not expect me to implore mercy. Rather expect me to fight you if you try something on Zenith while I still have a breeze. I will not place more smear in the Fulgrentforge name. The ancestors will not point at me as I reach Morgrim's place."
Kikinnin watches as Fulgrentforge Sr. tries to protect his frog king, so he switches to his sap, and engages Dolgrin with nonlethal force, to subdue him. He doesn't seek to end the life of Maxim's far, only remove him from the proceedings.
He doesn't wait for Dolgrin to do something stupid, like pick up a weapon. Fully armored, with his new Gauntlets, Kikinnin tries to make it quick.
Presuming he can overcome Dolgrin, he will return to Zenith, and see the Axe fall.
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"No, I have never seen that mark before today, Kikinnin."
"I'd forgotten JJ had seen it once, but it's the first time I've set eyes on it."
"I think it's a worrisome coincidence that Zenith has the same thing as Marigold."
"That seems to fit with the odd dream that's woken Marigold on occasion."
"So maybe that mark in itself isn't dangerous."
"Probably marks out someone as able to see things past and present."
"I also agree with JJ here about leaving it to Kikinnin."
"Much as I like doing things on a whim, blunting a dwarven axe with my body is definitely not one of those things!"
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Maxim merely flashes a hard smile as he weathers the comments from Dolgrin, before retorting with his own venomous barbs;
"Ain't no idle threat Dolgrin... You mistake me for someone who gives a dire rats ass 'bout honour and such. I've done my share o' good and ill, yet these folks and the gnomiz I been lucky to know are more o' a family than you ever were. Iffen they stand with me then I'll take that every damn time o'er hollow history and a past warped by yer religious zeal..."
When Kikinnin wades into the stubborn protector of Zenith, he waits until his once-father is downed then drags the dwarf away from the execution with the subtly of a stevedore shifting a sack of grain.
With the help of his sap Kikinnin reduces Dolgrin, who stubbornly attempts to protect Zenith until he falls unconscious.
Once done, Maxim moves away his father's body, while Kikinnin's axe cuts by the neck the fallen zealot. Zenith is no more.
With the discussion reaching his end, the party has more time to check the northern rooms.
Murky water laps just a few inches below the threshold to this room. The room is empty of furniture, but the walls are covered with crab claws, mandibles, and other crustacean appendages carved in bas-relief The warm light of a fire streams from doorways to the left and right.
And following the two doors in here you find the priests' chambers.
A stone cistern about six feet long and four feet across dominates this room. Shelves cover the walls. Most are empty, but a few hold moldy scrolls or rotting books. A lidded clay pot some four feet tall sits in the northern comer. An obviously magical flame burns in a brazier hanging from the ceiling.
The texts are all related to Kuo-toan faith to Blibdoolpoolp. It calls your attention a passage who says "dark wisdom of the dwarf Zee'niht Shpehn-trah-shad".
Searching on the different pots at the left chamber you find: 1200 sp, 200 gp, an embroidered mantle valued in 400 gp and some ebony chess pieces valued in 200 gp.
Searching on the different pots at the right chamber you find: 500 gp, malachite-handled mirror valued in 100 gp, a pearl necklace valued in 300 gp and a garnet ring valued in 100 gp.
Marigold shudders and turns away as Kikinnin puts Zenith down for good. "I g-guess that's th-that," she murmurs, more to herself than anything. She quietly follows the others as they fan out to explore the rest of the rooms.
Entering the priest' chamber Ryan studies his surroundings and the room's contents.
But can't make heads or tails of their apparent value. "Maxim, you're our resident merchant, any idea what this stuff is worth?"
Holding up one of the chess pieces with one hand while fingering the mantle with the other.
Kikinnin looks down on both dwarves, one dead, one unconscious. He grits his jaw, sighing through his teeth. He looks at Maxim, his eyes searching for any sign that he's crossed a line in subduing Dolgrin. When Maxim picks up his far, he nods to himself, before turning back on Zenith. Removing the equipment and armor, he sets aside that which they intend on taking back. What remains lying on the floor, he considers for a moment.
"May Magrim aksepterer deg, Zenith, til tross for nedstigningen din i galskap, og ødeleggelsen av så mange dvergens sønner og døtre. Du kan ikke lenger skamme familienavnet ditt enda dypere. Kan den sanne Dakved se rettferdigheten som serveres her, i dag."
"May Magrim accept you, Zenith, despite your descent into madness, and the destruction of so many dwarven sons and daughters. You can no longer shame your family name any deeper. May the true Dakved see the justice served here, today."
Considering their surroundings, the black beard begins to fret. "Not sure where will be appropriate to bury him. We might at least carry him from Ball Hamtuggin, and find a cave somewhere back along where we entered."
When the Watchers begin to move on, Kikinnin eventually speaks up on what he considers the last piece of business still at hand. "What about Dhorlot? Are we leaving it alive? I don't think we should leave it alive." For the extenuating events which recently slammed him about like a rag doll, Kikinnin sounds less enthusiastic about the black dragon at present, unlike before, but he is no less swayed from the possible extermination.
"oooohhhhhh.." exclaims JJ "Come over here and look at this stuff. That priest didn't stint on his pretties at all. This would keep the orphanage in cabbage soup for a decade."
Then Kikinnin asks about the dragon. "Has your axe not tasted enough blood today? If we were to fight him, surely we would need protections from his fiery breath before chancing our arms against a dragon."
He takes the magical belt that was on the dead Zenith and gives it to Marigold. "I think you should take this." He keeps his face away from the headless dwarf as much as he can.
"My Axe doesn't have an appetite. It sounds like you have no more fight left in you today." At least the boy won't be rushing into a dragon fight a second time. He learns well enough.
Kikinnin turns to Juraan. "Do you have more magic to protect the boy against the black's breath?"
"Sh-should we t-try and tangle with it n-now or do we r-rest up s-someplace and c-come back?" Marigold asks, her expression and tone resigned to dealing with the dragon sooner or later. "M-my most p-powerful magics are s-spent for the day b-but I've got m-most of m-my p-power left otherwise..."
When JJ takes Zenith's belt and offers it to her, Marigold gives it a long look before gingerly taking it in her hands. "Um, if everyone th-thinks I sh-should...b-but w-wouldn't it's p-power help J-Juraan more? I m-mean, I'm n-not the st-strongest or s-swiftest b-but I'm usually h-healthy as a h-horse..."
"Well, I can afford some protection against a dragon's breath."
"But against a mature dragon, it would be like leather armour against your axe."
"My spells aren't strong enough be like plate mail against that."
"Not yet, anyway."
"And anyway, I think we should be off."
"We've achieved pretty well everything we intended..."
"...although we didn't exactly rescue Zenith as planed..." Juraan muses.
"I doubt Dhorlot is going anywhere soon anyway."
"I don't want us leaving here in a sorry state."
"We still have a long way to return to Malachite."
"In a region that's inherently hostile to all travellers."
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Maxim observes the execution with stoic agreement. He nods when Kikinnin catches his eye, then adds his own thoughts;
"Aye bror. We need to carry his body out of here and bury it deep... or feed it to the black?"
The gun-mage scans Dolgrin with furrowed brow;
"Best we keep him shackled. With executin' Zenith we'll have his enmity an' he'll likely poison The Malachite against us also..."
As they enter the priests chamber, Maxim is distracted by having to keep an eye on their captive and hlaf heartedly attempts to discern the value of the treasure;
:
"Apologies Taskerhill, head ain't in the game..."
When Marigold compares herself to a healthy horse, the gun-mage wryly smiles;
"Horse? Yer too small Lil' Miss... Maybes a hardy pit pony is a better comparison..."
Ryan weighs in on the dragon earlier
"Dragons are long lived, even more so than you dwarves. I don't know dragons well enough to say for certain whether Dhorlot is a hot headed youth or and elder dragon; however the fact she didn't attack us immediately leads me to believe Dhorlot has some age. Enough to pick her battles while still recovering from her wounds. I still don't believe we are prepared to fight her today, but with preparation we could be."
Ryan thinks a bit more on it before continuing....
"The is a possibility this dragon has a part in this we aren't aware of as of yet, perhaps even is responsible for Zenith's decent into madness. If the translation I got was correct he was fine until he reached this place and was defeated by the Kou-toa."
"I think we'll be back to face the dragon sooner than later."
Kikinnin draws a gauntlet slowly from forehead, to beard's end. First we slew a purple... Then we slew a red... The purple could have ended us, but it didn't... The red was hunting the black, and we ended the red... The black beard looks up, then back down. "Can't take it all on, all at once..." He shakes his head, and mostly shuts up.
Juraan was the best hope, for his fight against the red, but he caters to the black. Ryan can't remember male from female. Marigold's spent, and JJ wants peace. Kikinnin looks over at Maxim, and shrugs, tiredly.
"I'm going back to retrieve my Far's body. If we're not interested in finishing off Dhorlot, then nothing keeps us from leaving Ball Hamtuggin."
Marching back down to dead Pocca, Kikinnin almost worries that the body and shield will not be there. When he gets there, should they still be there, the black beard pulls his Rope of Climbing out, and rigs a harness to carry Pocca on his back, his shield strapped to the dead dwarf's back.
Returning to the others, he looks back and forth between Zenith and Dolgrin. "Well, bror, you gonna carry Dolgrin? Or are you going to allow Dolgrin to carry Zenith, and march him back with us?"
"I'm all for Dolrin carrying Zenith." agrees JJ.
"And as for heading back. Yes. We kind of have what we came for." he adds sadly.
Maxim shoots Kikinnin a hard look;
"I ain't gonna carry that sack o' beetle skit... Let him drag the body... We can bag the zealot's head..."
The gun-mage drops Zenith's severed head in a sack, then prods the prone Dolgrin with his boot;
"Up an' at 'em Dolgrin. We're headin' out o' this place and ye've a corpse to carry..."
Ryan can't remember male from female
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Marigold smiles wanly at Maxim's friendly jab but can't really find the wit or energy to fire one back. "I d-didn't s-say we had to leave," she points out. "J-just that if we w-want to f-fight Dhorlot then I m-might need a r-rest first. B-but if we're decided to go b-back now th-then m-maybe we c-can return later or at least warn M-Malachite that Dhorlot is out th-there and that they sh-should p-prepare just in c-case..."
Kikinnin retrieves Pocca's body before coming back with the party.
Shaken by Maxim's boot Dolgrin slowly becomes conscious. Pointed out about Zenith's body the dwarf looks with hate at the group, but he does silently comply with his function picking up the body.
The group walks through the corridor into the entrance to Bhal-Hamatugn and then descends the stairs below the fish statue head until reaching the waters that lead to the Darklands.
Without prior notice you overhear a booming voice coming from the cavern's ceiling at your back "So you think you could break our agreement and escape?" a laugh confuses itself with a roar, and when you turn back you observe Dhorlot set over the entrance giant fish-head. His jaws are opening suddenly bathing the stairs with acid!
Dhorlot is actually male.
Marigold shrieks with surprise and agony as Dhorlot's acid breath sears her skin, leaving great raw patches in its wake. Still, she has the presence of mind to recall something of how to deal with a creature such as the black wyrm.
"ಓ-ಓನಿಕ್ಸ್ ಮಾಪಕಗಳು...ಅವರು ಎಂ-ಮಾಯಾ ಮಂತ್ರಗಳನ್ನು ಆರ್-ವಿರೋಧಿಸುತ್ತಾರೆ ಆದರೆ ಪಿ-ಪಿಯರ್ಸ್ಗೆ ಹೆಚ್-ಅಡಗಿಸಲು ನಿಮಗೆ ಎಂ-ಮಾಯಾ ಶಸ್ತ್ರಾಸ್ತ್ರಗಳ ಅಗತ್ಯವಿರುತ್ತದೆ!" she gasps as she calls to mind a spell of protection and reaches out to touch each of her companions - including Dolgrin - before trying to stagger back up the stairs.
"Onyx scales...they resist magic spells but you need magic weapons to pierce the hide!"
_______
0 - Detect Magic
1st - Disrupt Undead, Magic Missile, Magic Weapon & True Strike
2nd - Bull's Strength, Knock & Scorching Ray
3rd - Lightning Bolt (x2)
When the black drake reappears, a curse springs from Maxim's gritted teeth but is lost when the acid rains down on the group;
:
At the point of the group, the gun-mage takes the full brunt of the dragon's corrosive breath, his roguish reflexes failing him for once...
As he reels from the attack, Maxim attempts to recall what he can on black drakes, hoping for something will even the odds...
:
In a pained bellow he shouts what he remembers;
"Gaach! Gods be damned! The drake basterd is young o' his kind! Acid, paralysis an' slumber won't affect him... An' that scaled hide'll turn most weapons not enchanted!"
The gun-mage staggers sideways and reflexily draws his pistol .
Raising the weapon he brings to bear arcane power;
"Gloeiend Straal!"
... and a burning ray of arcane flame is fired from his hand-gunne :
:
:
With the typical grace he'd shown in the past, Ryan caught his foot on the step and caught the full brunt of the drake's blast.
"Arggh! Seems you forgot to tell your fish folk the plan, they attacked us on site and we defended ourselves!"
Raising his shield Ryan seeks Abadar's healing for the group.
Channel 3/5
31/54 hp
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Marigold, Maxim, Juraan, Ryan and Dolgrin are surprised by the acid breath and their skin burn painfully.
The halfling casts a spell and moves around the group raising a protection against the evilness of the dragon.
Maxim's scorching ray blasts in his gun bursting the scales of the dragon in fire! The dragon-father looks down despectively to the arcane gunsman "ოსტატი! ცხელ..."
Dhorlot eyes shine and he smiles as a pink shine glows around him then disappears.
Ryan raises his symbol and a wave of benevolent energy quickly heals most of the injuries of the party.
Dhorlot laughs at Ryan mischievously "I guess it is just a pleasure anyway" then he adds commanding "You and you" while he points Juraan then Kikinnin "You have seen my power now. As my spawn I will be amenable with you and your chaotic nature if you turn now against the other riffraff and join me"
Dolgrin mumbles something while he let's Zenith's body drop in the stairs and shouts back at the much larger dragon "Far-skadedyr. Du vil drukne i din cum!"
His hands glow with a blue light while he turns towards Maxim and touches him. Multiple of the dwarven gunsman wounds disappear "Brænd den bastard ned!"
"Drake today you will die" As he says this a tickle in the back of his mind runs through his body swift action - Judgement of Sacred Resistance (Acid 2)
"Juraan, this is the time for that protection if you have it prepared for Kikinnin. Kikinnin, I can grant you the ability to fly, as I did above the statue room. My swings would be as a gnats bite on this thing."
Ryan offers the paladin, laying his hand on Kikinnin's shoulder.
if accepted, Ryan cast Fly on Kikinnin
"Hold a moment before you take him on, I can offer some shielding" Ryan says quietly, remembering his father laying on Kikinnin's shield.
The subject can fly at a speed of 60 feet (or 40 feet if it wears medium or heavy armor, or if it carries a medium or heavy load). It can ascend at half speed and descend at double speed, and its maneuverability is good. Using a fly spell requires only as much concentration as walking, so the subject can attack or cast spells normally. The subject of a fly spell can charge but not run, and it cannot carry aloft more weight than its maximum load, plus any armor it wears. The subject gains a bonus on Fly skill checks equal to 1/2 your caster level.
Should the spell duration expire while the subject is still aloft, the magic fails slowly. The subject floats downward 60 feet per round for 1d6 rounds. If it reaches the ground in that amount of time, it lands safely. If not, it falls the rest of the distance, taking 1d6 points of damage per 10 feet of fall. Since dispelling a spell effectively ends it, the subject also descends safely in this way if the fly spell is dispelled, but not if it is negated by an antimagic field.
0 - Detect Magic
1st - Disrupt Undead, Magic Missile, Magic Weapon & True Strike
2nd - Bull's Strength, Knock &
3rd - Lightning Bolt (x2)
As he receives healing from his estranged father, Maxim merely acknowledges the dwarf's words with a curt nod.
When the drake invokes magic, the gun-mage eyes the effect attempting to discern what Dharlot has done;
:
"Dark basterd's cast a shielding enchantment upon itself - magic missiles won't scratch it..."
At the Drake's offer, Maxim dryly shouts an aside to Kikinnin and Juraan as he loads his pistol with an alchemical cartridge ;
"Decent offer lads... worth considering..."
The wizard then levels his pistol at the dragon, imbuing it with an essence of his power , before squinting and fires :
:
:
"Friends first, so no thank you!" is all Juraan says to Dharlot.
He then turns quickly to Kikinnin and casts a spell on him: « אַנטקעגנשטעלנ זיך זויער » . .
« Beslutningen om at kæmpe er blevet gjort for os, det ser ud til! »
Great...this is going from bad to worse!
For lack of other options and having no idea what anyone else is saying, much less Dhorlot, all Marigold can do is reach out and offer some more minor healing to Maxim...
...and then dash across to the other side of the stairs in an effort to stay spread out and hopefully avoid another blast of acid.
AC = 27, Smite Evil, PfE
HP = -27hp
Weapon Equipped = +1 Dwarven Greataxe
Condition(s) = Smite Evil, Fly, Resist Acid 10, Protection from Evil
Kikinnin feels his grasp on Pocca's harness loosen, but it tangles him up just long enough to experience the full impact of Dhorlot's blast.
As Marigold speaks on the dragon's attributes, he nods as he looks up at the black, and debates course of action. When Ryan bolsters him with the gift of flight, his action seems more plausible, as a more direct way at the dragon opens before him. He pulls one last empowerment from Abadar.
"You have seen my power now. As my spawn I will be amenable with you and your chaotic nature if you turn now against the other riffraff and join me."
"We should have killed you in your den, when we had the chance."
The next instance, Kikinnin's Axe ignites in flame.
"Hold a moment before you take him on, I can offer some shielding."
Kikinnin nods, holding position.
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Ryan and Juraan complete spells then touch Kikinnin who starts floating a palm over the stairs while his sword becomes aflame!
With bolt eye precision Maxim shots his gun, the pellets perforating the dragon's scales with ease despite the distance!
Marigold cures more of the gunner's wounds, then dashes back to avoid the incoming dragon.
Dhorlot seems angry at his new wounds "You shall be taught a lesson to respect higher creatures" with a leap the dragon plunges into the stairs pushing with his massive body the gunner and his father!
Despite his training and stability, both of them fail to balance themselves when they find just the air behind the stairs and pummel into the cold waters of the cave lake!!!
Below the waters just behind JJ and Kikinnin you see the kuo-toa assassin hidden in the dark waters and ready to jump out over Kikinnin and JJ!
Falling back next to JJ, Marigold reaches out and grants him Sarenrae's shield to protect him should he end up engaging Dhorlot's sharp teeth and claws. Then, her eyes widen and she suddenly begins pointing at the water behind JJ and Kikinnin.
_______
"This should help with your regular shield tied up right now"
Ryan then continues with his next spell casting Shield of Faith on Kikinnin.
Spotting the assassin preparing his attack Ryan turns towards the assassin with a simple "May your axe strike true."
Juran turns to JJ and says "You too need the same defence here"
... and casts a spell on him as well: « אַנטקעגנשטעלנ זיך זויער » . .
0 - Detect Magic
1st - Disrupt Undead, Magic Missile, Magic Weapon & True Strike
2nd - Bull's Strength, Knock & Scorching Ray
3rd - Lightning Bolt (x2)
Maxim barely has an opportunity to breath, let alone move as the drake barrels both himself and Dolgrin into the cold subterranean waters...
:
Breaking the surface with a shocked gasp, the gun-mage curses the loss of the pistol he held, hoping it lies on the stairs somewhere.
Without care for Dolgrin, he paddles toward the lower end of steps , gripping a handhold as he readies the pull himself onto dry land...
"This should help with your dance with the dragon"
Ryan then continues with his next spell casting Spiritual Weapon on the dragon to assist Kikinnin.
Spotting the assassin preparing his attack Ryan turns towards the assassin with a simple "May your axe strike true."
Each round after the first, you can use a move action to redirect the weapon to a new target. If you do not, the weapon continues to attack the previous round's target. On any round that the weapon switches targets, it gets one attack. Subsequent rounds of attacking that target allow the weapon to make multiple attacks if your base attack bonus would allow it to. Even if the spiritual weapon is a ranged weapon, use the spell's range, not the weapon's normal range increment, and switching targets still is a move action.
A spiritual weapon cannot be attacked or harmed by physical attacks, but dispel magic, disintegrate, a sphere of annihilation, or a rod of cancellation affects it. A spiritual weapon's AC against touch attacks is 12 (10 + size bonus for Tiny object).
If an attacked creature has spell resistance, you make a caster level check (1d20 + caster level) against that spell resistance the first time the spiritual weapon strikes it. If the weapon is successfully resisted, the spell is dispelled. If not, the weapon has its normal full effect on that creature for the duration of the spell.
AC = 27, Smite Evil, PfE
HP = -27hp
Weapon Equipped = +1 Dwarven Greataxe
Condition(s) = Smite Evil, Fly, Resist Acid 10, Protection from Evil
Kikinnin grunts as the dragon joins them on the stairs. He growls as two of them get bowled into the drink. He allows his new lift to carry him directly at the black, and take a swing.
"I see him!" calls back JJ
Drawing his blades, the swordsman closes on the assassin, hoping the others will be able to handle the dragon.
The boy's blade is well wielded, but the paid from dragon-acid is incredible and he calls out in agony as it washes over him. Then in relief as the blessing of Abdar makes most of it go away.
Recognizing that he's about to go toe-to-toe with a dragon, the black beard considers restoring a bit of his health, as he imagines it will be stripped from him quickly enough.