"I agree. We should repeat the same strategy you all used against Freezemaw; namely, we should corner Old Blue somewhere flying away is not an option. Perhaps the Shulks know such a place..."
Speaking with the Skulks , they tell you that “Old Blue” primarily resides in a massive building near the base of the Pinnacles, (Q on the map).
”But to get there, you pass Voorgoor’s tribe. And Gamigin. And patrols!”
...Skulk. Similar to the word skull. Shelyn Above, have I really been calling them 'Shulks' this entire time?
"Who are Voorgoor and Gamigin?" asks Jeevika curiously, trying to distract herself from her inability to get certain names right.
First 'Ethariel' and now this! What next?! I'll learn that I've been butchering Shion's name this entire time?!
”Voorgoor chief of snowmen. Gamigin is bug man,” one of the Skulk’s answer, as if that is explanation enough.
"A bug man could be an ice devil. I do not know what he means by snowmen though..."
Zoli shrugs. "Well, Mr. Skulk, thanks for the warning.
"Eugeni can veil us while we walk. We should expect that some of these folks can see through illusions, but hopefully we can get past most of them.
"Shall we go for a stroll?"
"We can also use my Wind Walk spell to just blitz past the majority of them," Jeevika reminded the others. "Combined with Mr. Silva's Veil spell, we should be able to get around the city with minimal complications."
Jeevika pauses when Zoli asks if everyone is ready to go for a walk.
"Perhaps we should wait until the chaos outside dies down?"
Eugeni veils the group as whatever flying insect he has observed most since coming to Xin Shalast.
The group rests while the Skulks guide one of you slowly, cautiously, to show you where "Old Blue" makes their lair. As you travel, they show you Voorgoor's tribe...a small band of abominable snowmen...essentially mountain sasquatches. They voraciously are tearing into the flesh of some unfortunate soul that was either a prisoner given to them or that they found on their own...
The snowmen have taken residence in an immense dome of stone that rises at theend of an elevated road. The structure towers five hundred feet in height and is caped by a smaller dome that brings its total height to nearly seven hundred feet in all. Numerous arches and openings decorate the building's sides, all allowing access to its cavernous interior where the snowmen reside.
The scouting party is guided past a massive, Sihedron shaped building. The magnificent edifice rises more than 500 feet to an elaborate seven-paneled dome of crystal, from which a slender spire extends another 200 feet into the air. Seven towers surround the dome, one dedicated to each of the Thassilonian schools of magic (with the Tower of Greed aimed directly at the Spires of Xin-Shalast above). Though the building shows signs of the years, with parts of the facade having fallen away and some of the lesser domes fallen in, the great central dome and spire remain intact and alive with light. It is here, that the Skulks inform you that the "bug man" lives.
Finally, after much careful travel, you are shown the location of "Old Blue's Home," a mostly collapsed fortress far up the mountain, just shy of the Spires themselves. Whatever this building once was, it was clearly important by the size of the walls and overall scope of the building's immensity. The doorway into the building alone is forty feet across and over a hundred feet high. The interior passages are also immense, based on your view from outside, easily reaching 150 feet...
"I will remake Sandpoint in the image of this place one day. The architecture is most impressive."
"Totally. Whoah!" Zoli's (invisible) voice says.
"Yall have any spells you want to cast? Jeeves, I wouldn't mind some Communal Air Walk. Eugeni, you able to cast Stoneskin again today?
"When we're ready, I'm happy to lead the way in."
Jeevika splits a Communal Air Walk between herself and Zoli. She also covers everyone with an Extended Communal Resist Energy: Electricity. Finally, Jeevika hands over a Pearl of Power Level 2 to get a Barkskin from Ryli, casts Shield of Faith on herself, and then shares some Extended Tears to Wine.
"Elthariel, I advise staying with Lorthan again. Your flight and arrows strategy could be useful here. Mr. Silva, could I get a Stoneskin as well? Of course, I will heal the injury."
Before heading inside, Elthariel uses one of her Level 1 Pearls of Power to restore her Abundant Ammunition spell. She does not immediately cast it.
The group rests while the Skulks guide one of you slowly, cautiously, to show you where "Old Blue" makes their lair.
The group rests while the Skulks guide one of you slowly, cautiously, to show you where "Old Blue" makes their lair.
The large entry chamber is almost a cave unto itself. The entrance clearly once held a massive gate to secure this passage, and two pillars seem to be doing their best to keep the ceiling above from falling down to the floor below. As precarious as it appears, it is clear they've managed to do their job for centuries, despite other portions of the building being collapsed. And someone, or something, has made an effort to clear the floor area of much of the debris, pushing most of it to the sides of the chamber or out the front entrance.
A set of stairs ten feet wide curl up and out of sight to the right, and a twenty foot wide hallway arcs around to the left.
"Well...well...it would seem that I have uninvited guests," a deep, grumbling voice calls out from further within the building. "Tell me, have Karzoug's servants grown so lax in their service to the Runelord that they have lost all manners in treating with me?"
"Mr. Silva, be sure to seal the exits," Jeevika whispers quietly to the arcanist in Aklo. "Lest we wish a repeat of Freezemaw."
While Jeevika had not been there to personally witness those horrible events, the other Rangers' recountings of them nonetheless make her shiver. After briefly thinking about just charging inside, the Holy Vindicator vetoes the idea and instead turns to the others.
"Everyone ready?" Jeevika asks very softly.
”Freezemaw? Aaaahh,” a satisfied, grumbling sigh echoes through the halls. ”So...you are the troublemakers rummaging through the dirt with the Skulks. The ones responsible for the rebellion yesterday. A short sighted venture. But it is a relief to know that I have the privilege of handing the heads of seasoned warriors over to Runleord Karzoug. Even though he was an imbecilic White, the dragon you mortals refer to as Freezemaw was still quite seasoned and powerful...for their kind. Come, come into my home and let me see the faces of those who have come to sacrifice themselves to the glory of Thassilon’s return. I would so much like to know the names of the heads I present as a gift.”
Now knowing that they're likely facing an absolutely titanic foe, Jeevika briefly borrows the Orange Prism from Ryli, turns herself into a titan, utters a soft prayer to Shelyn, and tries to install a sense of Good Hope on the part.
"Ready when you are," she affirms to the rest of the party after putting the Orange Prism back in her grandmother's orbit.
Even with the communal resist energy up protecting everyone from electricity, Ryli casts resist energy (fire) on Lorthan to make sure his vulnerability isn't exploited. She also puts echolocation on herself and Olympus, then casts legendary proportions on her faithful companion. She gives freedom of movement on Olympus and Zoli.
Roc: "Olympus"
N Large animal
Init +6, Perception +14, low-light vision, blindsense 40'
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DEFENSE
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AC 51, touch 15, flat-footed 44 (+7 armor, +6 dex, +1 dodge, +29 nat, -2 size)
hp 142 (13d8+68) 142/142
Fort +14, Ref +15, Will +7 (+4 loyalty)
DR 10/adamantine
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OFFENSE
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Spd 20 ft. Fly 80 ft.
Melee: 2 talons +23 (1d8+14 plus grab) (+36 grapple)
Melee: bite +22 (1d8+14)
Zoli considers making a smart-alecky reply to Old Blue, but remembers that she's invisible and it's wiser not to give herself away quite yet.
Instead (trusting mostly on Chaldira Zuzaristan, but also on being invisible and being able to see a long ways) Zoli starts to tip-toe-wind-walk into the chamber.
From her perch atop Lorthan's back, slightly scared about the battle ahead, Elthariel nonetheless gets her Abundant Ammo and Gravity spells up. She briefly contemplates Barkskin but ultimately decides that it is unlikely to matter.
Lorthan has his usual defensive spells of mage armor and shield ready. Otherwise, he is reliant upon Ryli's spells of barkskin, greater magic weapon and resist energy.
With everyone ready, Jeevika finally decides to play her role as "The Heroine" and announces the Varisian Rangers.
Naturally, she hams it up a little!
"I am Jeevika Kaliani of the Varisian Rangers. The Skulks call you Old Blue, but I doubt that is your real name. Might I also ask who we are truly facing?"
Staying five feet above the ground, "The Heroine" very carefully starts to approach the corner...
"I am Death on the Wind. I am that which you fear when the storm approaches. I am Power Incarnate. I am Ghlorofaex!" he roars as you make your way into the large chamber beyond the hallway. As he finishes his boast, he appears just a bit ahead of Zoli, his mouth crackling with electricity moments before the peel of thunder echoes in the chamber loud enough to cause some rubble from above to break free and land around you all! But worst of all is the lightning bolt that courses through Jeevika, Elthariel, Lorthan, and Eugeni!
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Elthariel swiftly declares Ghlorofaex her Instant Enemy and rapidly the fires an intense volley of arrows at him. Thanks to years of practice, she at least manages to sink one arrow in a weak spot in his blue scales! Elthariel then quickly urges Lorthan to get some distance between them and the Death on the Wind.
Or so she thinks! The arrow instead seems to pass directly through the dragon and clatter against the wall behind it!
Ryli hops off Olympus as she directs her companion to attack, then turns into a sparrow in an instant. She begins casting a spell.
Olympus screeches and soars straight at the dragon, talons bared.
Despite the powerful lightning breath far outmatching his own, Lorthan flies forward and breathes a cone of frozen air at their foe.
"Alright, Breaker of Wind, lets see how you do in a fair fight."
Zoli takes a step nearer to the dragon and swings Wrathblade in a blur of halfling magnificence...only to find that 3 of her 4 swings seem to pass straight through the ancient dragon.
"Ugh, can one of you do something about this dragon's enchantments? Otherwise, today's going to be a loooong day."
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The dragon snaps it’s head towards the mouthy Zoli, it’s serpentine eye adjusting to focus on her after the tiny sword she wields manages to actually harm them. It’s massive jaws crunch down at her, but Zoli side steps it narrowly. However, the dragon seems impossibly fast, and it’s head whips around like a shot and it’s jaws crunch across her leg! Before she can recover, one of its claws also rakes across her chest, leaving a pair of nasty gashes there as well!
Zoli regains her composure, and is able to narrowly avoid the remaining claw, wing buffets, and tail slam that are directed her way!
Using her Air Walk to avoid any obstacles on the ground, Jeevika casts Divine Power and then carefully advances toward Ghlorofaex. As she draws closer, her mere presence suddenly seems to unnerve the massive dragon...
Meanwhile, Elthariel fires another volley.
All but one of her shots bounce off Ghlorofaex's scales; the one that looks promising just passes right through dragon like last time.
Rylibird finishes tweeting her spell and a massive, glowing, purple-colored worm erupts from the ground behind the dragon. Before it can attack, Ryli flits closer and casts greater dispel magic on the dragon to strip away its magical defenses.
Then the purple worm begins its attack.
Olympus continues his attacks undeterred.
Zoli grunts as the dragon's teeth and claw rip into her--and she hears Lion chirp heroically as me absorbs some of the brunt of the wount.
"Is that the best you can do?" she taunts Old Blue, as she returns all she can in a flurry of cuts and jabs.
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The dragon roars as Zoli's enchanted blade opens up a trio of wounds on its body! It continues assailing her with the majority of its attacks, managing to buffet her with its wings as she avoids its claws and jaws. Meanwhile, it slams the worm behind it with its powerful tail!
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Eugeni tries to bind the beast with a spell which causes massive golden chains of light to appear around the dragon.