"James, can you kill those things before they figure out how to climb," Arianna asks before heading down the passage the kobolds had come up out of. She move carefully, wary of any traps.
"An I'll be helpin ye finish off 'em overgrown salemanders!" Brax says, as he reloads and fires as many bolts as it takes to finish off the two remaining drake abominations.
Met-Anoi'a pauses a brief moment to make certain the gate stays intact while Brax looses several bolts at the dragon hounds. Once that is done he follows the rest of the group his eyes keenly looking down the dark passage.
Brax and James fire at the remaining drakes, who really can't avoid the eldritch magic and bolts for long. They're quickly pelted down by repeated fire.
Afterwards, Arianna starts for the stairs from where the kobolds had ascended, but before she reaches the first step, she notices that it's rigged to drop a portion of the ceiling above the ledge next to the drake pit. At least she can warn the others, now, before they make their way down.
Down the stairs, thin mattresses of straw covered with badly cured furs form small beds that are haphazardly positioned around the chamber. Rats and small lizards scurry through the food scraps and moldy wine skins littering the floor. Searching through the room, the party collects a total of 38 gp, 152 sp, and 704 cp all sorted into... eighty-eight sacks of exactly 8 copper coins each.
Other loot? Dozens of dragon-themed talismans and amulets are carved from bone, soapstone, wood, and ivory. The workmanship on most is terrible, but four have a unique, if savage, artistic flair, and must be of some value.
A set of stairs leads to a tunnel to the southeast.
Arianna warns the others of the trapped stair before helping them search for anything notable in the kobold's lair. After they've had their fill of searching through what passed for beds among the scaly folk, she looks around at the others.
"Should we take a moment to patch Brax up? It looks like he got mauled pretty good in that last fight," she observes.
"No magic healing fingers or skills on me. We still have potions if he needs, he should drink one cause i don't think we are out of danger yet." Eska remarks as the team proceeds through the tunnel.
the cramped and uneven tunnel leaves both Arianna and Eska struggling to find their footing.
Arianna moves through the tunnel behind Eska. Her keen eyes looking ahead for any traps or other unpleasant surprises the kobolds may have left.
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"Dona let it be said that ah slowed anyone down," Brax replies back as he takes out the one healing potion he took earlier and quaffs it down.
Some of smaller wounds close up and heal completely while the more deadlier wounds seem to become less serious on top of the healing touch of James's companion.
"Let's be a-clearin' this place of them leezard luvers," he growls, moving with the rest of the group.
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the party collects a total of 38 gp, 152 sp, and 704 cp all sorted into... eighty-eight sacks of exactly 8 copper coins each.
Other loot? Dozens of dragon-themed talismans and amulets are carved from bone, soapstone, wood, and ivory. The workmanship on most is terrible, but four have a unique, if savage, artistic flair, and must be of some value.
"How odd that all the copper were so evenly distributed. It's not like kobolds to be so exacting in their accounting."
Once Brax is back in a more reasonable condition, Eska and Arianna start to make their way down the stairs... but Eska fumbles as the tunnel opens to another room, grabbing the wall to break her fall.
She looks up just as Arianna and the rest of the party join her, and there he is: The maniacal musclebound half-man, half-dragon: Langdedrosa Cyanwrath. He stands with his arms folded, flanked by two humans armed with greataxes. Even still, further into the shrine waits Frulam Mondath, who wraps a bandage around a wound in her arm.
"I told you they were here, you numbskull," Frulam retorts. "Though I had a feeling they'd leave before I got another chance to kill them. Especially the girl," she laughs at Arianna. "Or perhaps she had a change of heart, and wants to reunite, after all. The offer still stands, by the way. Go easy on her, Langdedrosa."
Langdedrosa smacks his fist into his palm. He leans forward, his greatsword trained on Eska.
Met-Anoi'a
James & Haliel
Arianna
Brax
Eska
Frulam Mondath
Langdedrosa Cyanwrath
Yellow
Green
Arianna takes in a deep breath and lets it out. Now wasn't the time to be losing her head, no matter how much she wanted to run away and cry.
"Brax, I think it's time you show the dragon wannabe what dwarves do to things like it," she says calmly before moving along the wall to skirt around the axeman and pulling out her bow. Her eyes are cold and flat as the look into Mondath's. She may be afraid, but she feels a righteous fury welling up in her. She would never be this woman's puppet, no matter what else happens.
Eska's eyes narrow and she bares her Fang as she comes face-to-face with Langdedrosa and Frulam once again. With her Font of Magic run dry she knows well how this confrontation is likely to end played out timelessly in her nightmares.
Still her hatred has only grown with each encounter with these two lending steel to her exhausted body. She drinks down a healing potion in preparation.
~You can't always be strong. But you can always be clever~ one of Three-Dog's seemingly endless lessons. She approaches slowly.
"Sic the goons on the others Big Blue. You and I have unfinished business." she says trying to goad the dragon-kin away from his minions and partner.
When Brax sees the half dragon man that took Raa'kuze's head, the dwarf bares his teeth at him and it is all that he can do to keep his anger from boiling over and recklessly attacking Langdedrosa. But the officer in the dwarf realizes that against this group of enemies, strategy is paramount to winning this battle. As much as he wants to take the dragon man's head in payment, he realizes that the woman in the back is a wild card by virtue of being able to cast spells.
The dwarf moves into the room to allow his companions behind him to access the room. As he moves, he brings his crossbow up to bear, training it on the woman in the back. Knowing he's probably going to just get one shot, he fires quickly and then drops his crossbow to the floor.
As the bolt misses, Brax utters a colorful oath that can't be said in this story. "Those a' ye that kin shoot well...git th' woman in 'th back! If ye kin stand toe-ta-toe, git these goons!" he exclaims as he drops his bow.
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James nods at Brax's plan. It seemed as good a plan as any.
"Oop, here we go. This is it Haliel. Attack pattern Delta."
"Gͦͣe̓e̍̀k̽ thͦeͨ̾ ͩm̈́ͧa͐ͩġeͧ. ̋ Roge̽r̊̓̉ t̍ͩ̐hatͯ́."
Haliel us already flying ahead. She alights near the woman.
"͚̩Wẻ͊ hͫͥ̚av̿̈̚en̓̈́̿'t͐ b̈ee͌ṅ ̃̃̓pr̂oͮ̀ͬp̀̉erlyͭ ͧ̿i͗̚n͛̓̈́t͑̾ro̊̍duce͐d. ̓͂ ͥ̎Iͣ̂ͯ amͫ̈́ Haͫlī̇el̇̊̌,ͦ̎ ͧ͗h̑̀an͋dm̒͊aȉ̉ͩdèn̓ ̈́͊ͯŏͥf ͆Propͨ̈́o̎kĕͤ̐t tͧ͗̆he Ma̍nỷ͒ ̅̍an̈ͧd ̽mȇsͮ̇sengeͩͭ̋r ͒oͬf͐ͮ ͧ̈́I̊̑̋mra͆̓̌el,̄ ̃A͒ͬ͑ngelͤ͗̏ ó͛f́ Cͬonͫͤfronͣͭ̚tͪation ͥ͐ͥãn̽̚d̚ h̔is͛ ̅r̓̚ĭg̈́hͩ̅̅t͂ ̊̋̀hͩan̅́͋dͮ. ̀ͧ A͗̏ͬl̑ͨ̀sͧō, ̓Hͣar͊͐͒b̈́̒͊ȋ̓ͩngͯeͣř͂ ̅o͆fͦ̈́̍ ͑you̍ͨr dea̓̈th̏. ̃ͥ̓P̎lͣ͛ͫĕ̿as̉́̋eͫͯͯd to͌͆ b͐̎̎ea̅̇ͭt͐̏ͨ ͨ̔ỳͤ͑ou̐."
Power follows up her speech with a bolt of yellow Redemtion and purple fall-from-grace.
Eyeing the behemoth Met-Anoi'a starts to move to toward the dragon creature but Met-Anoi'a changes his mind and stops right in front course and follows Brax's lead. Drawing his great blade he waits to see what the dragonkin will do next.
It's easy to see that many of the wounds Frulam Mondath had endured in the earlier fight remain, and hamper her movements. She only barely avoids Arianna's arrow, but doesn't see James' blast coming, shrieking in agony as her insides burn. She wavers, using her halbred for balance as the pain subsides. "Bastards. Perhaps I may die here, but not before I take one of you first. For the Dragon Queen!"
Eska focuses on Cyanwrath, calling out a threat at the scaled hulk. He snaps his fingers at his minions as if to signal them, then glowers down at Eska. He throws his head back, gasping for air before jutting forward and exhaling a blast of lightning at Eska.
Meanwhile, the two berserk guards charge at Met-Anoi'a and Brax, the paladin cutting open one of them. The swing their greataxes back, both heroes wounded by the attacks.
Met-Anoi'a (-20)
James & Haliel
Arianna
Brax (-6)
Eska (Pending save, 1d6 Inspired)
Frulam Mondath (-10?)
Langdedrosa Cyanwrath
Yellow (-12)
Green
Eska jumps twisting in mid-air as a gout of lighting rushes towards her. She avoids most of the damage from Langdedrosa's lightning breath attack.
Knowing in her current state she is no match for Langdedrosa she gambles on her agility to keep him at bay. Hoping to keep his focus and buy enough time for her allies.
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Arianna glances over as she hears the crack of lightning. Eska is being pressed hard by Langdedrosa, and Met was bleeding badly. There isn't any magic she can use, it's all gone. Mondath stands there, wounded and hurt. She can't leave her. She has to take her out of the fight before she can help the others. Arianna's bow clatters to the ground as she charges in with Raakuze's sword drawn.
Steel flashes as Arianna pulls the sword up in a blindingly fast cut aimed to go from the woman's left hip to her right shoulder. Blue eyes as cold as ice shine with the raw fury of her tranquil rage as she locks her gaze with Mondath's.
"I am not your puppet." The words are like chipped ice as Arianna readies her next attack.
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Haliel flitters about, just above Mondath's head, swatting at her ears on alternate sides.
"It must be very frustrating, having not only a Dragon-born, but also two man-at-arms, yet you are still embattled by an angel and someone you once had under your thumb.
When you die, will you be sad?"
James smiles at his girl. She knows her work.
"Ye kin dish it out, but can ye take it?!" Brax roars as he swings his battleaxe at the berserker that Met-Anoi'a wounded.
James throws another blast of eldritch magic at Frulam Mondath, hitting her square in the chest. She falls to her knees, blood trickling down her face as she looks up at Arianna. "My death will be meaningless, and I do not care. There are many more like me. I'm but a peon in my service to the Cult, just as you were," she starts to laugh, looking up at Arianna. "The difference is I chose to stay committed to the Tiamat's calling... while you... puppet... you were part of something great, and gave it all up!"
Coughing a spray of blood at Arianna's boots, she watches as the elf holds her sword over her head. "To have another chance, and refuse it... That... that will be your greatest regret." Mondath whispers a draconic prayer as the blade begins to fall.
Meanwhile, on the other end of the same cavern...
Cyanwrath sneers. The man-dragon swings his greatsword diagonally across Eska. She shifts to dodge it. He hurls the blade back up with a clumsy pivot, again missing the evasive sorceress.
Met-Ano'a digs his feet in and lays his full strength into his blade while Brax hones his dwarven might, both heroes tearing into the berserker. The berserkers turn and swing their greataxes again, one managing to wound Brax a little more.
Met-Anoi'a (-20)
James & Haliel
Arianna
Brax (-14)
Eska (-9, 1d6 Inspired)
Frulam Mondath (Unconscious)
Langdedrosa Cyanwrath
Yellow (-41)
Green
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"Did you ever consider that realizing you are on the wrong side and changing your mind is the wiser path?" Haliel asks the evil matron as she falls.
Seeing the dwarf in trouble, Haliel darts over to the yellow-clad barbarian. "As your numbers fall the weight of our own begins to grow. I realize you have the choice to fight or to run. At this time you must ask yourself: Are you being paid enough to die?"
James follows the new target with a continuous whithering fire.
Arianna doesn't feel anything as she looks at where Mondath lay bleeding at her feet. The crazed woman's words echo in her mind, but she would have to worry about them later. There was more killing to be done. She turns and takes two steps up to the raging man fighting Met and growls. The growl turns into a scream of rage and fury as she hacks away at man turned monster.
Eska notices Frulam crumple to the ground past the dragonkin lieutenant. With the rest of the team converging the the remaining lackeys she knows her ploy is working. It's just a matter of how much longer she can last.
"Com'on Big Blue that sword just for show!? You can't even touch me. Thought you were supposed to offer a real challenge whelp." She chides continuing to antagonize Langdedrosa. She punctuates her statement with a Draconic-tongue obscenity.
With the head of his battleaxe covered in the berserker's blood, Brax growls and swings once again at the reckless warrior. "Fury kin only carry ye so far!" he growls at the man as the battleaxe swoops toward the man's lower calf.
The berserker reels back as an eldritch blast slams into him, and Arianna tears open another barbarian just opposite Met-Ano'ia. Met spins back, swinging his big blade at the crazed man to score another critical wound.
Growling in rage, the yellow-eyed berserker turns to Brax just in time for the dwarf to cut cleanly through his calves, ending him.
Cyanwrath spits at Eska, raising his greatsword over his head and bringing it down, the blade carving open Eska's shoulder.
The berseker shouts a war cry, all the veins in his body bulging as he flies into a blind rage, wounding Arianna.
Met-Anoi'a (-20)
James & Haliel
Arianna (-7)
Brax (Inspired, -14)
Eska (Inspired, -19)
Frulam Mondath (Unconscious)
Langdedrosa Cyanwrath
Yellow (Unconscious)
Green (-23)
Arianna hisses as a gash on her leg opens up and spills her blood down it. She can't back down now. she has to end this fight and help Eska!
She sets her feet and snarls as she brings her blade slashing around in a devastating cut across the man's torso.
Having robbed the Dragon cult troop of their greatest warrior in a futile dance the battle had turned quickly in favour of Eska and her allies. Finally Langdedrosa manages to catch Eska with a staggering blow. With her ploy accomplished she knows she can offer no more and to linger any longer would be to face a futile death.
"Just cause I can't defeat you doesn't mean you can't lose. Ponder that as you die alone." are her bloody parting words.
"Hold still Jester" Eska says out of breath behind the warlock
Having finished off one of the guards and smelling blood in the water as the other has taken wounds, Brax quickly moves to him, hoping to finish him off before Langdedrosa turns his attention to the rest of them.
"'old still!" the dwarf growls at the berserker as he brings his battleaxe in for a sweep at the man's abdomen.
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"Hello Eska," James smiles back as he's used as light cover. "Don't worry. You did good. I think we've got him."
Haliel flies away from the yellow berserker's swiftly-cooling corpse and, seeing the green-shrouded one being roughly treated, decides to move on to the main course.
She flies right up to the dragon-man-thing, buzzing annoyingly in his face.
"Are you right?
No, I don't mean 'all right'. I mean 'right'. As in, do you still believe in the righteousness of your cause."
Any attempt the dragon makes to try and look at anything other than her she fouls by quickly darting back into his line of vision, like a particularly attention-starved cat.
"When you started, you had your leader, yourself, and two henchmen. Now it is only yourself, and you are soon going to be surrounded.
Even a bletch from Chaosium would see that, if you were going to win, then you would have by now.
But without leader, or nearby friends, what is the point?
You can not think that Tiamat herself is smiling upon this battle, going so poorly for you as it is.
Also, I know she likes to snack on hot salamanders this time of day."
"Haliel, be careful now," Power calls as he casts his spell. "We don't want you to get hurt from a lowly nameless minion now that the ringleader is down."
Turning now to this monstrosity Met-Anoi'a can be heard whispering a prayer as an ethereal symbol of Torm appears and passes through half-dragon.
With true aim Met-Anoi'a turns and slices with his great blade.
Arianna and Brax slash open the berserker several more times, blood spilling from his dozens of wounds. Seems it's only his anger that keeps him just barely clinging to life.
Langdedrosa showers Haliel in a spray of bad breath.
From opposite sides, the berserker and the brawny man-dragon cut open Met-Anoi'a's body, bringing the tiefling to his knees. Cyanwrath's horrible laugh fills the cave as he pulls his bloodied greatsword out of Met-Anoi'a's unconscious form.
Met-Anoi'a (Unconscious, needs death save)
James & Haliel
Arianna (-7)
Brax (Inspired, -14)
Eska (Inspired, -19)
Frulam Mondath (Unconscious)
Langdedrosa Cyanwrath
Yellow (Unconscious)
Green (-51)
"Not taday!" Brax yells as he resumes his assault on the remaining berserker with a new intensity as he sees Met Anoi'a fall.
Eska knows every moment she spends to catch her breath puts her team in further peril. With James' back to her focused as he is on blasting with his eldritch magics, Eska steals the healing potion from his pack and drinks it
Arianna comes spinning around Langdedrosa like a dervish and flanks him with Met. Her sword dances and she goes in for the kill.
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Haliel keeps up her close orbit of the dragon's head while James keeps his power flowing, looking for the right opening.
Suddenly Haliel pauses in mid-air while James looks right at her. They're both frozen for a moment, before they nod and break off again.
"Eska," Power says to her, lowly, just in front of her. "After Arianna goes down I'm going to move up. I need you to Stay. Here. Hit him with everything you've got but don't put yourself at risk. You'll be our last."
As he's talking to her, Haliel flies down and whispers in the dwarf's ear.
That done, the small angel flies back and gets in Cyanwrath's face.
"So why don't you? Are you afraid? Why are you so scared of me? Is it because I am yet unharmed while all of your allies are dead on the ground?
If longevity is any measure, my power exceeds that of Frulam Mondath.
If that doesn't scare you, it should."
James picks his moment and lets fly.
The man-dragon boasts as he glances down at his waist, which indeed hangs with the skulls in various states of decay.
Arianna's strike draws Cyanwrath's first blood, and shuts him up. He stumbles back as James' eldritch blast mars his chest with ashen cuts.
The man-dragon lifts his greatsword over head and swings at Arianna. She hops over the first attack and ducks under the next, Cyanwrath's blade carving a dusty gash in the cavern ground.
Met-Anoi'a (Unconscious, DS: 1 Failure, 1 Success)
James & Haliel
Arianna (-7)
Brax (Inspired, -14)
Eska (Inspired, -11)
Frulam Mondath (Unconscious)
Langdedrosa Cyanwrath (-14)
Yellow (Unconscious)
Green (Unconscious)
Eska is about to rush back into the fray but James casts her a knowing look shaking his head. With her strength all but gone she resigns herself to the backline.
She tries to hurl a couple daggers at Langdedrosa but finds she hasn't caught her breath yet.
While Langdedrosa roar and fumes, Arianna dances. Her blade doesn't drink as deeply this time, the dragon-man more wary of her prowess, but she still takes a few scales from his hide.
"You do like to hear yourself speak. A pity, I'm sure the world could do with less of your brand of drivel," she sneers, trying to keep the dragon focused on her and not on the downed Met-Anoi'a
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What begins as a trickles of giggles soon turns into a torrent of honest, hearty belly-laughs as Haliels small voice fills the hall with great peels of laughter. "HAHAHAHAHA! The Bard! HAHAHAHA! The Bard! Don't you-HEEHEEHEEHEE--don't you see? BWHAHAHAHA!" She tries to hold her giggling tummy as she does happy loop-de-loops in the air. "We--HAHAHAHA--we make plans to contain your MIGHT and FURY and you--OOHOOHOOHOOHO--you can't even scratch the elven bard! HAHAHAHA! How--heeheehee--how shall you sup upon angel-flesh if even the bard--never mind the iron-clad dwarf!--but even the bard resists the whole of your efforts!??! HEEHEEHEE!"
Eventually Haliel gets her epic amusement under control and she wipes away tears of joy. "Oohhoooo. Perhaps...heehee...perhaps you are not a dragon at all. Perhaps you are not even to be feared. Tell ya what. Go ahead and grovel before us and we shall make you our jester. GO on and dance! Dance for us little monkey-dragon. We shall make a killing at every circus and village around. Come and see the dancing monkey-dragon! Does anyone have any coppers I can throw at the dancing monkey dragon?
We shall even make you a little red suit."
Meanwhile, James can not help but grin at Haliels antics and infectious laughter. "See Eska?" he murmurs to the sorceress behind him. "I might have a new rival for head-jester."
And then, more magic.
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As the last of the guards falls, Brax turns and sees only one target left. His eyes narrow as he takes in Landedrosa.
Langdedrosa. The dragon man responsible for the damage done to the town of Greenst. The man responsible for abducting the prisoners who the group rescued. But the dwarf's blood boils as he realizes there is nothing standing between him and exacting punishment for the gruesome murder of Raakuze.
The comrades have seen Brax angry, but none have seen the look of sheer hatred that crosses the dwarf's face as he sizes up Langdedrosa. He's about to start across to engage him in combat when the angel flies up and whispers something in his ear. He snarls, but backs up. He brings up his crossbow and then realizes he hasn't re-loaded it from using it when the group first entered the room. Cursing, he reloads as quickly as he can.
"That faerie has the gift of gab doesn't she. Either way keep blasting like that and I won't find the need for an upgrade? Downgrade? Areplacementwhatever!"
Eska grows impatient and uncomfortable at a distance from the battle. Arianna had done well this fight but even with her momentum Eska has a creeping doubt that the elf was no match for Cyanwrath."
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Blue blood pours from the two deep wounds Arianna and James inflict on the man-dragon. He holds his greatsword at his side and bursts into a roaring, deafening laugh.
Throwing his head back, Langdedrosa's maw flashes and buzzes as it builds up a current. He leans forward and breathes pure lightning in a line, hitting both Eska and James.
Met-Anoi'a (Unconscious, DS: 1 Failure, 2 Successes)
James & Haliel
Arianna (-7)
Brax (Inspired, -14)
Eska (Inspired, -11)
Frulam Mondath (Unconscious)
Langdedrosa Cyanwrath (-28)
Yellow (Unconscious)
Green (Unconscious)
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The man-dragon rears back his head for another devastating lightning attack. While weakened and exhausted as she is, this should be the end of her. Eska finds inspiration in her companions and their desperate struggle. She manages just enough speed to anticipate and dodge most of the damage.
She has a fleeting sensation similar to when she fought their blue dragon master. There is some rivalry or connection that refuses to let her fall even to so overpowering a foe.
"You face me at my weakest and you still fail. I am Eska Stormfang and i am no stranger to lighting. Your weakness shows in your arrogant boldness Langdedrosa. Give up, find some worthwhile battle elsewhere."