Aronida pipes up from the back of the group. "Do you want me to scout ahead again? I could try to figure out what that thing is before we attack it."
Gellius nods and beckons her forward.
“Good plan. The western door should lead us round to the courtyard and up to the goblin tribe. I don’t think you should stray too far ahead of the rest of us though. How about the rest of us follow say fifteen or twenty feet behind? Whatever that thing is, it sounded big. I’d hate for you to get spotted by it and have to face it on your own.”
Aronida nods. "Twenty feet or so should be fine. I'll come back if I catch a glimpse of it so we can plan further."
She starts sneaking ahead, carefully opening doors a crack and peeking through them before entering.
"Be careful!" Darla whispers as the halfling starts to creep off.
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Revka keeps her quiet position at the back of the group, whispering comforting words to Warbal that they're trying to reach the goblins as quickly as safely possible.
Aronida cautiously opens the western door to reveal a small squared-off room with another door in the western wall. She moves up and opens the next door.
This opens into a larger area; it is too dim for her to see how far it extends to the south, but there are a pair of double doors in the northern wall as well as two more doors to the west. Through the double doors, Aronida can hear a distant growling and the sound of tumbling stone.
Risking her back to the darkness to the south, she slips out and inches open one of the double doors. She finds herself looking into daylight between the rusty bars of an iron gate that reinforces the entry from the citadel. On the other side, a short flight of stairs lead down into the cobblestoned courtyard with errant milkweeds and tufts of crabgrass growing up in the cracks between the stones. On the west is what was once a large pool with a fountain, but now it contains only a thin layer of mud, a tiny trickle of water tracing a green line of algae down from the fountain's spout.
To the north, the inner wall of the citadel has partially collapsed into a huge mound of rubble, which a large black-blue reptilian quadruped with blood-red spikes is clawing at ferociously, trying to open a way into the half-fallen turret the party recently traveled through. Above its reach, a set of stairs climbing up to the battlements above dangles, its lower reaches now part of the pile of rubble the beast is displacing.
Gethric is struck by the appearance of the creature, muttering slack-jawed "Butter my buns... that's a dragon..."
"Draaa-gonnn," Warbal moans quietly, rolling herself into as tight a ball as she can manage.
Aronida stares at the creature. Then she carefully closes the door and inches back to the party. "Um. Problem. That...that might actually be a dragon. Blue, if it is, which means it can breathe lightning."
She takes a deep breath. Tatzlwyrms were one thing. An actual dragon, even a young one, was quite another.
"Warbal. Did the dragon say anything to your tribe? Make any demands, that sort of thing?" She'd been so focused on the idea that the predator couldn't possibly be a dragon that it hadn't previously occurred to her to ask.
“I’d like to take a look too,” whispers Gellius. “I’ve never seen either in the flesh, but I have read a few scholarly works...scrabbling in the rubble just doesn’t seem very dragonlike, to me.”
He’ll then sneak up to the door through the gloom, leaving his light source in the doorway of the tower where he currently stands, so it doesn’t risk catching the creature’s attention when he opens the door a crack.
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"Warbal. Did the dragon say anything to your tribe? Make any demands, that sort of thing?" She'd been so focused on the idea that the predator couldn't possibly be a dragon that it hadn't previously occurred to her to ask.
Warbal unwraps her head enough to reply. "It said ... Grr, Argh," she answers with puzzlement. "Just like it's saying now."
** spoiler omitted **
“Well, it’s not a tatzlwyrm, nor a wyvern,” he nods agreeing with Aronida’s hypothesis. “I haven’t heard of a wingless dragon though. And it seems more like an animal to me than the dragons I’ve read about...Nonetheless, I think we will need to prepare for a tougher fight than we were betting on. There is more of the citadel to explore, of course. But personally, I think we should continue seeking the route to the Bumblebrashers.”
The iron gate is quite rusty. Even if it should be locked, getting through shouldn't prove to be a problem, as the weakened metal could be broken with reasonable force, but opening (or breaking) the rusted gate could well be loud enough to draw the dragon's attention and prevent a stealthy approach across the courtyard. Apart from the fallen wall to the north, however, which would pose its own problems to get through, there doesn't appear to be any other way in to the courtyard.
“There is more of the citadel to explore, of course. But personally, I think we should continue seeking the route to the Bumblebrashers.”
Warbal nods her head eagerly. "Up the stairs out in the courtyard," she directs. "Bumblebrashers ran up the stairs to the top of the castle but couldn't get back down past the dragon."
** spoiler omitted **
Darla is silent, looking perhaps a bit frightened at the prospect of fighting a dragon but resolute to see things through. Eventually, she gathers up her courage and speaks in a shaky whisper.
"I could try a spell, either a color spray to disorient the thing or a barrage of magic missiles to hurt it. But I only have one spell left, so I wouldn't be able to heal anyone else today."
Her eyes shift to Revka to see how much healing the goodly goblin can provide if a fight proves inevitable.
‘It seems to me our best chance is going to be to kill the beast as quickly as possible. I have something of a plan, though it comes with considerable risk. There is a pile of debris on the opposite side of the courtyard - that collapsed tower we passed through and the stairs into the keep have fallen through disuse, by the looks.”
Slipping into the comfort of reciting learned lore, Gellius gestures with his hands as he sketches out his plan, almost as if he’s answering a question from a tutor rather than preparing to put his life on the line in a real battle.
“My thought is that if someone could get over there quickly and engage it, the beast will struggle to manoeuvre properly. There’s boulders and loose gravel, I think if they keep moving they could distract and delay the dragon for a short time. Meanwhile the rest of the party spills out here but remain near the door, hitting it with every spell, arrow and sling stone we can muster.”
“With luck, we can put it down quickly and our nimble distractor will be able to evade the worst of the beast’s assault. If not.....well...at least you’ll all be over here near the door. I doubt it will be able to follow back through the narrow corridors we came down, should you need to fall back.”
“Revka. I am still a little hurt. I think you should save your spells for the battle, but are you able to take a look and patch up my wounds a little?”
Revka puts both hands to her temples as she hears the scouting reports from Aronida and Gellius, furrowing her brow in thought. "I... I don't really know," she admits. "We can't just fight a dragon, can we? Is there any way past the dragon to meet up with the Bumblebashers? Could we maybe go outside and climb the walls?" She shakes her head, the thought seems wishful thinking.
"If we have to fight, I have plenty of prayers left. I doubt I could put a dragon to sleep, but maybe I can weaken it - if I get a good aim. Otherwise, I could help out with just cantrips." She looks a bit ashamed of her feeble prowess in battle.
Gellius's request for healing quickly has Revka in a better mood. "That I can do!" She retrieves some bandages and tonics from her backpack. "This will take a bit of time, just sit down her." Before she starts working, a thought hits her as she looks at the others. "I need some time anyway to treat his wounds. As a goblin, that would seem like the perfect time for a nap!" She sounds positively cheerful. "I can help you get to sleep right away with the power of Desna, and it's guaranteed to wake you up all energized! Who wants?"
After that matter is settled, Revka goes about prodding Gellius's wounds and applying some crude bandages.
"I'm not that eager to fight a dragon either." Aronida looks troubled. "But I don't think there's any other way up to where the Bumblebrashers are hiding. Warbal? You know this citadel better than us. Is there any way to get to the Bumblebrashers that doesn go through the courtyard?"
She very much doubts there is. If there were, surely they would have left that way. Still, best to be certain.
"Assuming we have to fight it, I think Gellius' plan makes sense. I'll be the distraction." One doesn't become a Bellflower Tiller without an overactive protective instinct, and Aronida isn't keen to put that particular duty on anyone else. "I'm reasonably athletic, and if worst comes to worst also fairly stealthy. My thought is that I can go back around to the north and try to climb the rubble from that side. With luck, I can get high enough that the dragon can't easily reach me. A few arrows should keep him distracted while you open the gate. How does that sound?"
She smiles tiredly at Revka. "A short nap while you heal Gellius would be fantastic. As long as I'm not so deeply asleep that I won't wake up in time!"
Gellius frowns slightly at Aronida's suggestion. He too had expected to be the distraction.
"I'll defer to your judgement, but I think it makes more sense for me to engage the dragon. I'm not really much good with a bow, so I probably need to get in close anyhow," he explains, indicating his rapier and then his main gauche. "I've been trained in how to use this defensively and the boulders and loose gravel should give me ample cover." he trails off with a shrug.
"Like I say, I'll follow your lead. But I'll be much more effective if I can get up close. Perhaps if you begin the attack and take a few moments of its attention, I can come at it from behind. Spread the load a little?"
Quiet and pensive as his companions discuss the ways and means to slay the mythic beast, Gethric nods and frowns in equal measure as the options are discussed. Swallowing his fear he adds his own measure of courage "Well... I won't be much use unless I'm in close as well... and on the other side of the d..d...dragon" pausing a moment to wipe sweaty palms as he stumbles over naming the creature.
"I'd take your suggestions as to whether it'd be better for me to follow Aronida in the climb... or stalk with Gellius 'pon the ground."
"OK...once Aronida's got the thing's attention, I'll step out of hiding and try to bop it with a sling stone. If Gellius can keep it off me for a few moments, I'll then send a barrage of magic missiles at the dragon. They hit automatically; I just hope they're enough to drop or at least seriously wound the beast. After that, I'll draw my rapier and do my best with it...."
Aronida frowns, considering Gellius' counterargument. "I'm hoping that I'll be able to climb up above the dragon and shoot it from there. Even if I can't actually climb over, the sound of me trying should distract it long enough for you and Gethric to get in close. Once you and Gethric start attacking, I think the load will be spread whether we want it to be or not. It's not going to ignore someone stabbing it from behind, no matter how distracting I try to be."
"I guess there's nothing we can do but try it and see. If things start going wrong, run. We'll figure something else out."
"Oh no, not at all," Revka soothes Aronida's worries. "It'll only last a moment, even if it seems waaay longer." She mutters a small prayer to Desna while gripping the holy symbol and then blows the halfling a kiss through the air. "Sweet dreams!" While asleep, Aronida experiences a grand dream of voyages, to places on Golarion that she'd never dreamed of before. And indeed, after a minute she finds herself properly awake with a new spring in her step.
"Is there any way past the dragon to meet up with the Bumblebashers? Could we maybe go outside and climb the walls?"
"Warbal? You know this citadel better than us. Is there any way to get to the Bumblebrashers that doesn go through the courtyard?"
Warbal shakes her head. "Bumblebrashers tied a rope to me and dropped me down, but it didn't reach all the way to the ground. I had to bump and roll." She stops and thinks. "Maybe if we all stood on each other's heads?"
Aronida blinks awake, fading remnants of the dream slipping from her memory. "Wow, that was...that was interesting. Thank you Revka."
Standing up, she checks over her equipment just in case, then nods. "Alright. I'm heading over. The signal is 'when the dragon starts trying to attack me.'" Her voice is flippant, but there's a tightness around her eyes.
A dragon. I might be fighting an actual, real-life dragon. I wonder what Malco would have to say about this?
"Wish me luck!" She waves farewell, then starts back the way they'd come. Once she's close to the tower, she again drops low and moves slowly. While the whole point is for the dragon to notice her, she wants that to happen on her terms.
Once inside, she takes a deep breath. It's now or never. Then she looks over the slanted rubble, picks out her path, and starts trying to climb.
Revka beams a proud smile full of sharp teeth at Aronida's thanks. "I didn't do much, the magic is Desna's."
She chuckles at Aronida's joke. "That's a really long password, I doubt you'll have breath for all of that. We'll just come when we hear sounds of battle!" She flashes the brave halfling another encouraging smile and gives her two thumbs up. "We'll storm in, that dragon won't know what hit it - Him. - Her?"
She then follows her part of the group, trying to prime herself for a fight. She fidgets with the streamers on her starknife and sends Desna an extra-special (but silent) prayer.
With a calming breath of finality, Gethric steels his own will and sets out to follow in Aronida's wake. He checks his raiment, ensuring that his buckler is tightly strapped and his fork ready for poking.
Gellius readies his weapons and quietly moves to the entrance of the courtyard, listening and warching for Aronida’s entrance.
Darla, Gellius, and Revka wait anxiously by the gates to the courtyard for Aronida to get the dragon's attention. Warbal hangs back fearfully in the nearest tower.
Aronida retraces her steps toward the collapsed tower, her divinely-inspired dream lending her feet fresh speed. She quietly opens the door to the tower. There is more daylight in here now and more rubble on the floor, as the dragon's recent assault has made some progress at clearing the way; it seems to have lost interest, however, when it heard no further noises from within the tower and is not presently digging at the pile of debris. Aronida starts to climb up the slope.
Knuckles white from the force with which he's gripping his fork, Gethric gently places the lantern 'pon the ground and focuses on drawing breath in through his nose and exhaling through his mouth.
With a bit more effort, Aronida reaches the top of the pile of rubble and finds herself looking down into the courtyard. The dragon has turned its attention to the stairs up to the top of the battlements, where the Bumblebrashers presumably are. The lower reaches of the staircase clearly must have collapsed after the Bumblebrashers fled up it; perhaps the dragon tried to climb it behind them and proved too large and heavy for the crumbling masonry.
Now at the top of the rubble, Aronida carefully studies the dragon. Once she starts firing, she's going to need to be prepared to move quickly.
Let's hope this thing is easily distracted...and not very agile.
Aronida gazes down at the dragon, taking a moment to study it carefully and determine what weaknesses it may have and where it appears most vulnerable.
At that moment, however, the dragon notices Aronida. Without any of the same calculation, it scrambles after her, swinging its tail in crocodilian fashion. Clawing up the pile of rubble, it hisses, and Aronida is engulfed in a miasma redolent of rotten meat.
Seeing the action unfolding, Gellius puts the plan into action, kicking the grate open and leading the second group out into the courtyard.
Darla moves into the courtyard, starts encouraging her new friends to be fierce and courageous, and looses a sling stone at the 'dragon.'
for
Gellius kicks at the gate, and the latch bursts open in a shower of rust. He dashes across the courtyard into danger.
Darla follows him out, calling out encouragements, and slings a bullet which rebounds harmlessly off its scaly skin.
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Aronida nearly vomits at the smell of the dragon's rotten breath, but manages at the last second to get her stomach under control.
Revka springs into action as soon as Gellius kicks open the rusty gate. "Wait, not so fast!" is all she manages before he moves out of sight. She falters for a heartbeat when she rounds the corner and has her first sight of the dragon they're facing. Luckily, Darla's performance stirs her courage and she boldly moves on.
"Erm, right. I'll get to my weakening spell in just a bit. It should be in range over here. It's just..." She takes another look at the creature, and tries to remember if this is one she's ever seen in her dreams. "Ugh, what's that smell?!" she comments as she lolls her tongue out of her mouth in disgust.
Revka joins the others in the courtyard and gets her first glance of the enemy.
Aronida eyes the battlements above her. The dragon hasn't gotten up there yet, which means they're probably a safe place to stand and fire her bow.
She jumps, fingers outstretched to catch the bottom edge of the stairs. Pulling herself onto them, she quickly turns around while drawing her bow. Then she fires.
Revka hesitantly raises a hand, as if asking permission to speak. "I'm not saying that thing isn't looking really scary - because it is - but I don't think it's dragon. Not a blue one, at least. It doesn't have wings, and... and... it's not talking to us?" She shuts her mouth, awed by the monsters physique nonetheless. "We'll have to fight it anyway. But just saying..."
Aronida leaps from the rubble to the end of the staircase. Drawing her bow, she nocks two quick arrows; the point of the first finds purchase in the creature's scaly skin, while the second misses the mark.