Hawk briefly hoots in appreciation of the cloak. ”This is a merry bit of kit! I’ll demonstrate…” He throws the cloak over his shoulders then reaches into their morning cookfire. As he begins to burn, the sorcerer is suddenly consumed entirely by the flames… his bones fall to the ground in a pile of his flesh-turned-ash.
A moment later, the ladle from the cook pot rises and begins moving about the fire. Hawk’s disembodied voice sounds, ”It’s a clever illusion along with invisibility. Of course, you have to be set on fire to use it.” Hawk returns the ladle to the pot and starts counting, curious to see how long the invisibility lasts.
Bearjaw winks at Hawk. ”Kind of you to say so. Did you go to see Sunarinda?” he asks.
”I did! Charming lady. Even now, she is working on a hat to hopefully rival yours. HatFriend is better than HatEnvier.”
“As for the invader,” he practically growls the last word, ”you would say they’re draconic. Which is perhaps a touch ironic,” before muttering ”even if it’s not a real dragon. Frankly I’ve made better-looking puppets to entertain the gnomelings.” Nappin's tone makes it clear he is far from pleased about this turn of events.
Hawk mulls this information. ”Many would claim that mantle, but few deserve to be called draconic. And I never use that term lightly. Are we speaking of a large, lizardy creature?”
"Kobolds, perhaps?" Majara enquires with a brow arch.
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"I'm not quite followin' all the roundabout speech. Are you saying your home was invaded by dragon dolls?" Roger asks.
”Very pleased to hear it. I think you’ll look just dandy in it,” Bear jaw says to Hawk, delight still evident on his face.
Sighing dramatically, Nappin responds, ”Yes, a large lizardy creature. Not kobolds, nor dragon dolls, but a dragon. As I said, not a true dragon - it only has two legs, for one thing - but like enough that many might mistake it for one. And that’s a mistake most people will only make once.” His eyes rove around you all to ensure that you’re paying attention.
”It’s a red - a fire-breather, obviously. ‘Flame drake’ I believe would be the name sages use for such a creature. I’ve tried more than a couple of times to take it back,” he gestures with the arm in the sling as he says this, ”even waiting for it to go out but it must have some kind of warning system as the lair never seems to be untended when I get there. A most alarming situation, you could say," he smiles wanly. "Though I still don’t understand how it returns so much quicker than it should. My suspicion, even if it doesn’t wholly add up, is that it has some kind of agreement with the wretched goblins where they cry alarm - probably in return for not being eaten. Which is, I suppose, good reason to make friends with it if you’re not fond of that sort of thing. So given your exploits with the Scorchfeathers you’ve likely done me a favour here too.”
”I’ll tell you what I’ve learned from tangling with it as well so you can prepare sensibly,” he continues. ”Like I say, it breathes fire recklessly and with no regard for itself while doing so. And if you will not desist, you’d better resist. That is: as far as I can tell fire does not hurt it. Naturally it fights with claws, jaws and tail and it seems to have some kind of unnatural speed to it. That caught me off-guard the first time so I suggest you learn that lesson in advance.”
”Bearjaw and I will accompany you - it’s a day or so from here. Any further questions or shall we make a start?” Nappin asks.
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"Aye," Roger raises a hand, before looking amongst the group. "Does anyone know spells what make you not catch on fire, and if not, let's source some before we go." Which was sorta half a question and half a conditional statement, not that the pirate particularly knew the particulars of that.
"Hmm," Hawk frowns while considering, "While I have some small resistance to flames and I know of a spell that would help... it isn't in my repertoire. Perhaps we could try to find it in a bottled or scrolled form in town?"
"Hmm," Hawk frowns while considering, "While I have some small resistance to flames and I know of a spell that would help... it isn't in my repertoire. Perhaps we could try to find it in a bottled or scrolled form in town?"
Majara tugs on a lock of her blue hair with a frown. "I meant to get the formula for a fortification against flames," she sighs. "It's... two parts hydrangea root, one part scarab shell, one part pyrite-- no, wait, it's the other way around... or was it-- ugh. Yes, if we can find a scroll of it in Umok, then I can make us potions that will help us resist the flames, which is an extremely sensible notion."
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Once back to Umok, Majara bustles towards the part of town where the air smells of things burnt and smoking and ozonoic. Here is where magic is going to be practiced! A bit of haggling later and she is setting her formula book down to a wizard's spellbook, the wizard being a gnome who is green from head to toe to her emerald-like eyes.
"They call me... the Sorceress in Green," she says when Majara asks her name. It earns a nonplussed look from Pricknettle.
"--but you're a wizard."
"Yes, I said it's what they call me, not that it was accurate..."
Forty gold coins worth of magical inks later, and Majara is ready to scribe... or try to.
Nice work, if she does say so herself. Majara lightly sprinkles the fresh ink with fine dust to blot it, blowing the dust free before closing it. She shakes hands with the other, and goes off to brew up anti-incendiaries, for once.
Earlier...
”Well, now I understand why this rope confounded me. It is nonsensicle.
Nerissia looks over at Hawk and laughs before taking the rope in her hands, examining it. "Or use it to secure a captive. Or as a securing point on a platform, or to slide down a dangerous path. Have to be more resourceful than that, you know." she says playfully. "I'm sure we'll find a use for it yet."
Now.
"Ah, flame drakes. I'm sure I've seen at least one..."
"Well, we should at least expect some kind of fire breath surely. Need to spread out, see if we can't find a way to bring it down to us. The main advantage it has, besides presumably flame breath and its size, is its flight. Anyone have anyway to make sure it doesn't fly away?" she says, already entering monster hunter mode and planning. "I could survey the lair area and see if there's anything to use to our advantage. I know of a spell to make myself unseen to the eye, but I'm not sure I could pass any magical alarm or ward. We'll have to be careful."
Majara nods at the description of the dragon and it tallies with her own learning. Typical for creatures of fire, it fights with this element and is also unharmed by it. Conversely, ice magic or similar weapons would be particularly effective against it. The gnome also recalls that it has natural immunity to certain other tactics - magical sleep effects and some particular attempts to render it unable to move have no effect on such a creature.
”That’s what I meant when I referred to it as a fire breather,” Nappin says drily at Nerissia’s comments. ”rather than just an angry and irritable being, though I suppose it does seem to be that too. You raise some other good points though.” He looks around the group and gestures at Hawk and Emma. ”Nose to tail it would probably be as long as twice your height. Rather more gnomes stacked atop of each other. And it can fly, though there are limits to that even in very large caves.”
”It’s not exactly a substitute for seeing it yourself, but I can describe it.” He clicks his fingers as an idea strikes him and he turns to face away from you and begins walking through the words of a spell. As he finishes, a miniature version of the cave complex hangs in the air off to his side.
”As you can see, there is a huge main chamber here. The cave roof is, hmm, maybe 50 feet at its highest points. There are two entrances,” he points to locations in the cave. "This one here would be a drop down to the floor for you and I personally would ward it. The other route is longer and more of a squeeze but comes out onto the natural balcony that runs around this part of the cave, including the perch over at the far end here. Again, could be alarmed and would be a drop to the floor.” Checking that you’re following, Nappin continues. ”Handily there’s a water supply - for drinking and bathing, obviously - and finally another long passage leading to the large and secure bed chamber at the back.”
”Not half bad,” he muses to himself at his handiwork, ”if not as much fun as putting on a show for the young ones.”
* * * * *
Although he is clearly keen to make a start, the gnomes can’t argue with the prudent moves to secure useful supplies in preparation for the anticipated fight. Heading back the remaining hours to Umok, Majara disappears in order to try and find someone willing to teach her the formula for fire protection, returning triumphantly a couple of hours later. Hawk is also pleased with his errand as he calls into Sunarinda’s in the hope that she has finished her commission early. He is in luck and returns to the Badger’s Den to meet the others now the proud owner of a high quality signature piece of headwear.
Jobs done, it is too late to set out into the wilds of the Chitterwood again so you remain for the night and head off properly resourced in the morning. From the gnomish stronghold, you head a little further south than the passage directly east to the mountains and the Scorchfeathers’ territory. It takes most of the day to reach Nappin’s home but the day passes quickly enough. The two gnomes are pleasant company and Nappin in particular is a loquacious conversationalist.
”We’re approaching it now,” Nappin says as you trek through a patch of forest marked by uneven ground of small cliffs and steep drops. At the bottom of one such drop you can make out a cave entrance. It’s far from obvious and from the outside impossible to tell that such a large network of passages lies below your feet. When masked by the gnome’s illusion magic it’s easy to see that it is a well hidden and defensible lair.
The gnomes share a look and Bearjaw says, ”We’ll stay out here to keep watch and deal with any reinforcements. Best to assume that our invader is at home. Good luck.” He tips his hat at you. Nappin merely nods and starts pacing, almost thrumming with energy.
Whatever else might be said of Hawk, he is diligent. Yet again, he tries to decipher the remaining items.
Hawk walks back to the Badger’s Den, testing out his new hat at different angles – brim low over his eyes, or cocked to the side, or pushed back to appear amicable. In his reflection upon windows, he watches the bounce of the feather as he changes pace. He tests out a few flourished waves of the hat to women he passes on the street, gauging reactions. As he approaches the Den, Hawk settles on an understated but (he feels) daring angle to his Rakish Hat.
Ever curious about new magics, Hawk keenly watches the gnome caster.
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Although he is getting increasingly frustrated trying to get the Hellfire Rod to reveal its secrets to him, at least Hawk is able to identify what the final two scrolls do: one counters magic, the other heals physical or mental ailments, and both have obvious uses. He looks fine in his new hat, too.
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"Right, so, thoughts for plans. One strategy, is we run in, screamin' yellin' and hollerin', to get in a fight quick as we can." Roger offers.
"Cause I figure if we're using all this spellcraft to make the fight easier, the best way to win is make sure we get into a fight right after we use the potions to make sure the spell doesn't wear off."
Majara is already digging through her bottles when Roger mentions strategy. "Right. Two of us will get some benefit against the drake's flames via these potions. It will last for a good forty minutes. I would suggest Roger and Emma be the drinkers there. Roger, here's another potion of shielding for you, but it will only last about four minutes. That lends credence to your 'run in yelling' idea. I don't mind us entering rather boldly, though we do want to be wary of traps, so perhaps not quite running.
"My own bombs won't hurt it, so I'll be focusing on trying to immobilize or slow it with tangling attacks, so that it isn't merely strafing us with impunity. Of the two entrances, I vote for the longer one with less of a drop. Any thoughts, Miss Blackford? Nerissia? Hawkren?"
Majara looks around to the others and finally takes in Hawkren's new article of adornment. Her attention has been focused on brewing. "Nice hat."
Hawk smiles at the hat compliment. "I may have to secure it in my pack. If the drake chars my feather, I shall be vexed. I agree we should go the long way. Those entrances are more narrow; it's possible the drake can't fit through them. Assuming the beast is in the large cave, we could soften and enrage it with distance attacks. With luck, it will have to fly all the way around to get at us, giving us more time to prepare... drinking concoctions and so forth."
"Fire spells being useless, I'll try to harass, tangle, blind, and otherwise irritate the beast. It will shock you to know that I can be irritating." He grins broadly.
He adds an afterthought. "I think Roger - or perhaps Nerissia - should wear the fiery cloak. It may give them a chance to creep up on the monster unseen and deal a mortal blow."
"Fiery cloak you say, what's it do?" Roger asks.
Hawk throws the cloak around the pirate's shoulders. "It doesn't protect you from fire but if you're hit by fire, it creates the illusion you've been killed - burnt down to ash and bone. At the same time, it makes you invisible so you can sneak off or up to someone."
"Oh, canny fun." Roger will take the cloak.
"Aye, as fun as it would be to hunt down every Goblin, that's a task'd take a whole lifetime an' more."
"And then some," Emma agrees. "But I believe we did good work here today regardless, even if it's unfortunate in the fact that it was needed at all."
Majara chuckles a little. "I'm flattered you think my incendiaries could bring down stone, but they're small-scale flashfires, not earthshakers. And in any case, I need to mix up a new batch," she says with a gesture at her empty bandolier.
"Come now Majara - I'm pretty sure the force of your gaze would be enough to bring down the entrance." Emma smiles at the gnome, showing she means no offense.
The gnome looks left and right around at the signs of all the damage they've dealt to the goblin clan. "I think this will take them some time to come back from. It's likely the best we can manage for now. Let's do a last pass to ensure we've neglected no notable nuggets, then I'm all for a leisurely travel back to the comforts of a mattress and a hot meal."
"Both of those sound very nice to me," Emma agrees. "I can't say I'm overly fond of traipsing around in goblin-infested caves. Or caves in general, really."
”That’s what I meant when I referred to it as a fire breather,” Nappin says drily at Nerissia’s comments. ”rather than just an angry and irritable being, though I suppose it does seem to be that too. You raise some other good points though.” He looks around the group and gestures at Hawk and Emma. ”Nose to tail it would probably be as long as twice your height. Rather more gnomes stacked atop of each other. And it can fly, though there are limits to that even in very large caves.”
Emma considers the size of the creature. A part of her can't deny being a bit thrilled at the opportunity to take on... well, if not a full dragon, something that's at least a bit close. That was what all the classic adventuring tales were about, was it not? Fighting dragons, winning maidens, basking in the glory.
She knows it won't be like the tails, but for a moment, it's at least a little fun to imagine it.
"I'm not quite followin' all the roundabout speech. Are you saying your home was invaded by dragon dolls?" Roger asks.
Emma glances over at the pirate with a skeptical, somewhat unsettled look. "Is that... are there Dragon Doll monsters out there? Because that sounds terrifying in of itself."
"Right, so, thoughts for plans. One strategy, is we run in, screamin' yellin' and hollerin', to get in a fight quick as we can." Roger offers.
"Cause I figure if we're using all this spellcraft to make the fight easier, the best way to win is make sure we get into a fight right after we use the potions to make sure the spell doesn't wear off."
Majara is already digging through her bottles when Roger mentions strategy. "Right. Two of us will get some benefit against the drake's flames via these potions. It will last for a good forty minutes. I would suggest Roger and Emma be the drinkers there. Roger, here's another potion of shielding for you, but it will only last about four minutes. That lends credence to your 'run in yelling' idea. I don't mind us entering rather boldly, though we do want to be wary of traps, so perhaps not quite running."
"While I agree about perhaps not literally running, there is credence to the idea of going in and making noise so we can get to the point of matters straightaway," Emma puts in. "Given my, ah, lack of stealth let's say, it's also fair to say that it's about the only approach I qualify for. The potion would be very helpful Majara. I'll leave the fancier maneuvers to you all, and do my best to hold it's attention. As far as the approach goes, I agree with you and Hawkren - the longer entrance seems to be the better bet for us."
"I may have to secure it in my pack. If the drake chars my feather, I shall be vexed.""If a feather ends up even slightly charred, we'll simply have to slay the beast twice as hard," Emma says.
"That's quite useful," Emma says as Hawk throws the cloak over the pirate's shoulders. "And it seems rather fitting for our pirate friend."
She glances over the rest of the group. "Is there anything else we need to consider before heading in? Have we divvied up what we need to? Now would be the time to double check."
Planning to go into the lair takes a bit of discussion: how to find the drake, how to protect yourselves against it and how to hurt it are all critical elements. However, there's ultimately only one way to find out...
Hawk lights up a coin to allow you to see as you enter a wide entrance passage, around 15 feet wide and a similar height. It curves around to the right, widening into a cave. To your left is the narrower, longer route into the main cavern that you saw from Nappin's illusory display. Ahead is the drop down and the quicker route into the enormous chamber.
Roger and Emma take up sentry positions either side of the entrance, while those members of the party who prefer to attack from a distance hang back. Spreading out to avoid the fire breath the drake is renowned for seems a wise move. Necking one of Majara's protective extracts to ward off fire is an additional precaution. Nerissia then works a spell that makes Roger disappear, while Hawk uses similar magic to do the same with Emma. With the ambush set ready to lure out the beast, the moment of truth awaits.
Hawk peers into the darkness of the enormous cave and thinks this is a really, really, bad idea. Then he lifts his staff to shoulder height and ‘accidentally’ drops it so it bounces and rattles loudly off the stone floor. He snatches it up quickly and half-turns to apologize to the others waiting behind him, also a shade louder than a whisper.
2nd Spells (4): x
1st Spells (7):
Dancing Lights (3):
Effects:
Mage Armor = +4 AC/FF for 4 hrs
Hawk's dropped staff clatters very effectively off the stones and in the quiet of the cavern you can hear it echo ominously. After a swift apology from the sorcerer there is only silence once more as you each stand alone, waiting. You can feel your hearts beating in your chest as if they were drums, though there is no noise. Sweaty palms grasp weapons and still you wait. Trying to stave off the mounting apprehension you count slowly, wondering how to long to give the creature to appear.
The count feels slow in the darkness but just after you hit 30, a crunching noise echoes down from away up the passage to the north. Six heads turn at the sound, which is closely followed by some whimpering and the sound of feet moving towards you. Whatever is coming your way, neither the high-pitched whining nor the patter of running footsteps sounds like you imagine a dragon would. The narrowness of the passage also gives you a small measure of relief in that it seems too tight for a large creature to make its way down.
It's only a few more seconds before the source of the noise comes into sight. Ugly, brutish and smelly, you recognise more of the unfortunate creatures known as goblin dogs. While the craven creatures are unlikely to pose too much trouble for anybody who fancies themselves a dragon slayer, a group of them guarding an entrance to the cave would admittedly make an effective alarm system as well as a first line of defence.
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Wrinkling her nose at the sight of the goblin dogs, Emma maintains her position, knowing that the plan involves her remaining hidden for now. Nearby she assumes - hopes - that Roger is following the same plan.
Even though the drake hasn't made an appearance yet, Emma finds her heart pounding in anticipation of the beast making an appearance.
Emma waits - stick to the plan - while the long-legged irritants pour into the cave. Barking and snapping they surround Nerissia and Alocer.
One of the dogs leaps up and chomps down on Nerissia's forearm, but otherwise they are just sound and fury, unable to get a purchase on their prey.
The sight of the goblin vermin brings a smile to Majara's face rather than a more sane response. Ah-ha, she WON'T be entirely useless!
Humming slightly, the gnome repositions, snatches a bomb, and lets fly.
Nerissia listens to Hawk explain his plan, and agrees with it wholly. She sits and prays for a few minutes to Asmodeus for his guidance in slaying this beast, and then readies herself.
She enacts the plan exactly as Hawk describes, casting the spells of concealment on both Emma and Roger. She then uses her own magical ability to enhance her strength before finishing off the ritual with one last protection spell on herself.
Seeing the goblin dogs take the bait isn’t enough for her to get excited about the trap working, but it’s a good first step. Slaying the dogs will anger the drake, hopefully. She draws her mace, quickly stepping between the two dogs to flank with Alocer, commanding him to strike after she has done so.
A smile playing on her lips, Majara hurls a bomb into the middle of the pack, taking out one and singeing two of the others. Trapped in the thick of it, Nerissia attempts to smash one of the dogs with her mace but doesn’t make contact. Her efforts prove a suitable distraction, however, allowing Alocer to snap the neck of the creature, the pair working in tandem.
Weak opponents they may be for a party of experienced adventurers, but they prove to be enough of a distraction from the main cave. Despite keeping an eye out in the gloom, peering into the murk does not reveal any sign of your quarry. Not until it announces itself with a burst of fire. A ball of flame the size of a human torso is propelled into your chamber and explodes with force, catching Hawk, Nerissia and Alocer in the blast. The remaining goblin dogs are also caught in the area and roasted alive but with their work done, they are clearly deemed replaceable. In the glow of the fire you catch sight of a set of powerful jaws lined with pointed teeth. A pair of cold yellow eyes stare at you, the cat-like black slitted pupils of the fire drake firmly focused on the trespassers in its home.
Hawk catches the full blast from the drake’s fireball, leaving him smoldering. On the ‘up side’, he thinks, it did solve the goblin-dog problem.
Now, unfortunately, he has to make sure the hook is baited properly to compel the monster to fly into the trap. He turns toward the dragon as he signals Nerissia and Alocer to fall back and yells, as if speaking to them, ”यहां तक कि दांतविहीन शिशु ड्रेगन भी खतरनाक होते हैं। आगे बढ़ो!”
He turns to the dragon long enough to send a trio of force bolts into the beast’s face, then sprints for the exit as quick as he can.
2nd Spells (4):
1st Spells (7): xx
Dancing Lights (3):
Effects:
Mage Armor = +4 AC/FF for 4 hrs
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Still not 100% sure what he's supposed to do, Roger isn't sure whether to wait where he is in ambush, or move forward to attack the drake. Looking across to Emma, well, he doesn't see her. Because she's invisible.
Ultimately, he sticks where he is.
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Majara notices the toll the fire's taken on Hawkren and hurries forward to take the edge off his burns using their wand.
"--is this thing broken?" she mutters, gazing down at the stick.
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As a wave of blistering fire lances past, making her skin feel as though she's spent too long in the sun on a clear day, Emma draws back in surprise, eyes wide. Her grip tightens on Redemption, preparing for the Drake to appear, even as she glances over restlessly at Hawkren, the unfortunate recipient of the fire attack, wanting to go and check on her ally.
At the very least, it seems to have dealt with the goblin dogs.
But for the plan to work, she has to remain where she is. She glances over at Roger, but of course, can see nothing.
Would've been nice to have a way to communicate, she thinks to herself. Alas, it's too late for that now.
She closes her eyes and whispers a prayer to Iomedae, to bring the full might of her divine energies to bear in the battle. "Hear me Inheritor," she whispers, so softly it's more like mouthing the words. "Lend me your aid in ridding the world of an evil spawn."
As the drake comes into view and spits fire, Nerissia cries out in surprise (that her team will know is fake) then dives to one side of the blast. "That's a dragon! You didn't tell me you hired me to fight a dragon, we're not prepared for this! Should've asked for more money."
Bait set, she fires off an arrow towards the drake before dodging up into the tunnel a little bit, trying to get it to follow them. Her arrow bounces off the drake's armored foot, disappointing her but hopefully enhancing the bluff.
Burned but unbowed, Hawk runs off to the back of the cave but not before taunting the creature verbally and reinforcing the point with a trio of magical darts that arc their way over to crash into the drake. With good intentions, Majara hurries over to aid him but the healing she offers proves to be something of a disappointment and she looks at the wand with disdain. Nerissia also calls out to catch the dragon’s attention, though her shot pings harmlessly off the creature's claw.
With a rumbling roar, the fire drake pins back its wings and swoops forward to end the insolent worms that have dared to enter its domain.
Perhaps it was the whiff of fire and the appealing smell of charred flesh filling its nostrils but the dragon’s nose lets it down, failing to pick up the scent of the two hidden warriors just inside the cave - with disastrous consequences.
The plan works to perfection and as the flame drake dashes past, the ambushers reveal themselves. Charged with Iomedae’s power, Emma swings Redemption once, twice, raking down its side across crimson scales before thrusting up and slashing through the membrane of its left wing. Roger, meanwhile, gets his timing wrong with a first strike, before quickly righting himself and getting his attack oh so right. Swinging down with all his strength, the pirate’s blade thunks into the beast’s neck as it lunges forward towards the group at the back of the cave. It cleaves straight through muscle, bone and sinew, spraying blood everywhere and taking the dragon’s head clean off.
The sound of the powerful blow reverberates round the cave, enhanced by the thud of the severed head and the considerably larger body crashing to the ground, before a moment of silence. Having held your nerve, both as bait and hidden attackers, you all exhale deeply.
Relief is short lived, however, as Majara glances towards the dragon’s corpse and stares straight into a second pair of malevolent yellow eyes in the darkness beyond. She lets out a yell which is swallowed up by a shriek of rage, closely followed by a roar of fire and, a heartbeat later, an explosion which engulfs Emma and Roger.
"Haha, that does you in, you oversized ambulatory bonfire~ eh, what say we make a barbecue out of this o-" Roger is kicking the felled drake dismissively, before promptly being interrupted by a fireball that burns him to ashes.
But in fact, he was invisible!
Majara gives a wee fistpump when the first dragon is so effectively felled (all things considered). It's lovely when a plan--
FWOOM
--is incinerated by a second dragon. She gives the darkness a sort of flat, sour, glare. Two. Two drakes. Of course, two.
With an exhale, Majara hurries forward to do some more triage-- Alocer seems the most wounded of their lot.
"Well at least it's not TOTALLY broken," she mutters. Mentally she is taking stock of further supplies. That dragon is not likely to rush into the same trap that felled its mate, or parent, or child, or whatever the two were to each other.
Hawk goes from jubilation to consternation to constipation in a matter of seconds. Fuuuuuu…
The game was largely the same. They needed to draw it in close to kill it. When the smoke clears, the paladin can be seen standing next to the body. ”Fall back, Emma!”
The sorcerer’s options were limited. He needed the beast closer, and hopefully among his allies, before his better spells could be employed to full effect. So, it was time to tempt fate a second time.
He sends a set of force missiles into this monster’s face. Then, he steps forward and draws a line in the dust of the cave with his toe and issues a challenge in as strong a voice as he can muster with a suddenly arid mouth.
”मैं हॉकरेन हार्ग्रेव्स हूँ! मेरी नसों में असली ड्रैगन का खून बहता है। मैं तुम्हें इस गुफा को छोड़ने और कभी वापस न आने का एक मौका देता हूँ। यहाँ रहो और तुम नष्ट हो जाओगे! अब भाग जाओ, कीड़ा!”
Hawk tries to look ferocious, determined, and resolute standing behind the line he’s drawn. If he were being honest, he feels more queasy than indomitable.
2nd Spells (4):
1st Spells (7): xxx
Dancing Lights (3):
Effects:
Mage Armor = +4 AC/FF for 4 hrs
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As the flame drake hurtles past, Emma doesn't hesitate—with Redemption in hand, she brings the sword down upon the beast, raking it across the crimson scales along its side. She pivots forward, twisting to thrust upward, her blade slashing through the membrane of its left wing. The beast roars in agony, and through its bellowing, she hears Roger moving on its opposite flank. For a heartbeat, she fears the pirate has missed—but then the entire drake spasms and goes limp, its severed head thumping against the ground separate from its body.
"Ha!" Emma cries, victory humming through her veins as bright and vibrant as her blessed sword. "That was incredible!"
The plan had actually worked! Not just worked—succeeded beyond their wildest expectations. They'd managed to slay the beast before it could even clear the cave entrance. Part of her feels almost disappointed; she'd imagined an epic battle from the old stories, standing resolute with shield and sword against a mighty drake.
Still, there's no denying the thrill of their victory. She hoists Redemption high, sharing a triumphant look with Roger over their fallen prey. "Thank you, Iomedae!" Emma shouts to the heavens. "For on this day, we have—"
A thunderous impact cuts her short, reverberating through the ground and up her spine, rattling her armor and forcing her back several paces. The dead drake hasn't moved. Another boom echoes from within the cave.
She barely has time to share a horrified glance with Roger before a second drake emerges from the gloom.
"Oh, you have got to be kidding me—!"
Time seems to slow as her shield rises instinctively. A burst of orange flame erupts from the cave mouth—
The blast nearly overwhelms her. Only her shield, the protective potion, and perhaps a touch of divine favor keep her standing as soot, ash, and fire rain down around her. The world becomes a chaos of crackling flames and bestial fury, everything obscured by the inferno.
A second drake. Her mind races as she coughs through the smoke. Their entire strategy had centered on a single beast! How had no one known about this one?
She wipes her face, her gauntlet coming away black with soot. Her eyes sting, and her muscles quiver from the strain. When she looks toward Roger's position, her heart stops—where the pirate had stood, there's nothing but ash and bone. Then she remembers his cloak, and forces herself to trust he's still there, hidden from sight.
Through her ringing ears, she hears Hawkren's voice cutting through the chaos. "Fall back, Emma!"
Her thoughts feel sluggish, several steps behind reality as she stumbles toward her companions. They could adapt their strategy—draw this drake out too, face it on their terms. As she moves, she reaches out to Iomedae once more, calling upon her holy energies for the battle to come.
A second drake! She allows herself a grim smile. Perhaps she'd get her story-worthy confrontation after all.
Sending Alocer a little forward in order to spread out, Nerissia moves to the other side of Hawk in order to line up a better shot. Pulling back her bowstring, she lets fly, hoping the arrow is more effective than the last one she fired. Alas, this one deflects off the drake’s crimson scaled hide without so much as a mark.
With one lair invader stumbling backwards out of the blast, and the other burned to ash and bone, the dragon advances. Despite the strength of its fiery breath, this one seems to have learned a lesson from the fate of its companion and swoops in, sniffing the air. With a cold gleam in its eye it lands just inside the cave and then suddenly snaps its jaws forward at the air where Roger’s remains appear to be.
As the beast's teeth clamp tight on something decidedly pirate-shaped it becomes clear that not only did the drake see through the illusion, it also caught a whiff of its prey.
Hawk races forward and casts a spell. A torrent of golden sparkles rain down on the drake. Blind it, please blind it!
2nd Spells (4): x
1st Spells (7): xxx
Dancing Lights (3):
Effects:
Mage Armor = +4 AC/FF for 4 hrs
The dragon blinks as tiny golden motes surround it and fill its vision until it realises that it can not only no longer see them but it can no longer see anything at all. Bellowing in fury it lashes its tail down with a thump, dislodging stones from the cave floor. Unsurprisingly, however, its rage fails to bring back its sight.
Time to earn their pay, so to speak-- Majara darts forward and fumbles loose a little satchel of what a later age might call superglue. She hurls it forward, over the body of the downed drake, aiming high.
"Bloody useless cloak!" Roger roars, quickly dispelling any possible doubt and confirming his current survival, which is not usually what one would associate with being bitten by a drake. But such it was.
Nonetheless, he returns to visibility and attempts to bloody the beast that's currently got its jaws around him with a proper swipe to the nose or two.
Nerissia pulls her bow back again, aiming to hopefully hurt the blind drake more than her last two arrows have. She orders Alocer to engage, striking while the foe is blinded.
Arcing a bag up and over the drake, despite the distance to her target, Majara finds it almost impossible to miss landing it on the drake. A thick, sticky substance oozes out on impact and begins to immediately set and clam up. The dragon thrashes about and flaps its wings to avoid them becoming too clammed up but it's still in a sticky situation. Blind and with its mobility reduced, the drake is now something of a helpless, if still dangerous, target. Roger, Nerissia and Alocer are all happy enough to take full advantage of the circumstances to inflict some serious wounds on the dragon.
"Damn!" Emma hisses. It'd been a good plan to try and draw it out, but now--!
On one hand, she's glad that Roger is indeed fine - but very much not glad that the cloak didn't end up keeping him hidden. While a part of her wants to remain with the others to keep drawing it out, there's no way she's letting Roger face this thing alone - especially not when it seems keen on dealing with the pirate before moving ahead.
Thanks to the previously fallen drake, it's slow going, but she manages to make it to Roger's side all the same, hoping that she and the pirate can bring the thing down - or at the very least, keep its focus long enough for the others to bring it down.
As Emma closes in, picking a path carefully over the headless drake’s still-warm corpse, the living dragon inhales at the approach of another attacker. It picks up Emma's scent and stretches out its neck suddenly, trying to bite her but instead catching only air.
Beset on multiple fronts and unable to see, the drake decides the only real course of action is to continue lashing out in the hope of crushing its prey. It’s a desperate move but probably better than trying to withdraw and simply making itself a sitting duck. At the front it attempts to chow down on Roger again, while it swings its tail at the unknown assailant in the vicinity. Without its vision, however, it can't pinpoint its targets and the attacks prove harmless.