Dragons

Methyltina 1, 1000 PC

Our heroes are finally headed back to Redemption, confident that they can arrive there before running into any more draconic trouble.  Unfortunately, Princess Tangle is waiting for them at a ravine they need to cross along the way.  Sparta's keen senses again detect the devious dragon, giving our heroes time to prepare for the impending battle.

The battle ensues when Princess Tangle dives upon Legeand with a fly-by attack.  Sparta begins the onslaught with a well-placed arrow finding a weakness in the dragon's hide as she crests the ridge.  The Princess turns to take a new approach and takes several more missiles in the process.  On her next pass, her breath weapon nearly eliminates Ozimius.  As the dragon flies across the battle field, Iyam uses his psionic movement abilities to run up a tree she is passing over and brings the dragon to the ground by lopping off a wing with his greataxe.  Together, Iyam and the Princess fall to the ground.  Legeand, being in position, charges up to the dragon and slices into her with "Petals in the Wind."  In desparation, Princess Tangle writhes in a furious flurry of attacks.  This throws Legeand back down into the ravine and tears into Iyam who was lying dazed beside the dragon.  This seems to be death throes as the Princess falls limp upon the flurry's conclusion.  Ozimius drags himself up to the dragon and plunges Imhiakaam's Gift into it with all his might.  No reaction from Princess Tangle indicates she is dead.

Iyam now lies in pieces beneath the dragon, but his spirit rises whole and views the scene of his death.  Wintersky watches Princess Tangle's spirit depart and then converses with Iyam, getting his final wishes and farewells.  Nyza rushes up demanding Iyam wake up, denying he is dead.

The deep rumbling chuckle of Cedarcleaver to the west and a vast army arriving by teleportation to the east, interrupts mourning Iyam's loss.  A gold half-dragon in flowing white robes arrives from the east ahead of the army and a conversation begins amongst all parties present.

After a few moments of prepartion, Princess Tangle takes to the air and wings towards our heroes.

Legeand moves to make some separation between himself and Iyam.

Sparta: What is it going to be? Is anybody going to try talking to her, or what?

Legeand: Do you think scale head will listen? No offense, Nyza.

Wintersky: No, just kill the beast.

Princess Tangle hovers above the trees, surveying the situation.

Nyza does not reply for fear of giving away her position.

Oliveryn: It is true that green dragons are untrustworthy?

Nyza waits, readying a spell.

Wintersky: Dragons talk out of both sides of their mouth.

Yentis crawls into a hole and shakes uncontrolably

Oliveryn stands invisible, instrument ready to inspire his companions.

Sparta casts Magic Fang on Ringo.

Sparta: Wait here Ringo

Iyam moves underneath the trees, waiting at the base of a trunk.

Ozimius readies his weapons, waiting for the dragon to make her move.

Wintersky casts Cat's Grace on Sparta.

Sparta: Thank you!

Legeand moves into the open area at the heart of the ravine, drawing Princess Tangle's attention.

Princess Tangle swoops down and snaps at Legeand, wounding him, then regains altitude above trees.

Sparta: Well, that does it. No sense in talking.

Legeand's counter-attack bounces off the dragon's scales.

Ozimius' arrow bounces off the dragon's belly scales.

Ozimius curses.

Nyza remains invisibile as she moves in quietly for the kill.

Oliveryn: unless she can hear me now?

Oliveryn yells into the air, "Oh, thou mighty Princess Tangle, why have you come back to attack us. We both know this will not end well."

Princess Tangle: For you, maybe.

Sparta raises his bow and fires two arrows in rapid succession.

Wintersky: Sing, Oli!

One arrow misses,but the other one finds a crease in the Princess' scales.

Princess Tangle roars in pain.

Wintersky: Ceyowwww!

Iyam's arrow whizzes pass the dragon into the woods.

Wintersky casts Cat's Grace on herself.

Wintersky moves closer to the trunk of the tree she is next to.

With an odd twang, Legeand's arrow buries itself in the ground before the trees.

Princess Tangle begins to circle around.

Ozimius moves from cover to get another shot at the dragon.

Sparta: Did that sting Miss Tangle? You running away?

Ozimius' arrow falls short.

Nyza: Although annoyed to waste her advantage of surprise on a sure thing, Nyza decides to begin her attack.

Nyza's missiles slam into the Princess' rear end.

Oliveryn begins singing at the top of his lungs.

Wintersky (tauntingly): Ohhh, that has got to hurt. Princess get a boo boo?

Oliveryn (singing): Oh, thou foul traitor of our assignment, you shall not eat me nor my friends. I shall send you to the depths of the sea!

Sparta: Wait here Ringo

Sparta moves up and fires another arrow.

Sparta's arrow plunges into the Princess' backside.

Another of Iyam's arrows miss.

Wintersky shoots an arrow at Lady Tangle.

Wintersky's arrow also plunges into the dragon's flank.

Wintersky (still taunting): Looking a bit like a hedgehog! Want to curl up and hide yet!?

Sparta: Nice shot, Miss 'Sky!

Legeand fires another arrow at the dragon, which sails off perpendicularly from his aim.

Sparta: Watch out!

Legeand looks at his bow, wondering if it is cracked.

Sparta: Damn, Legeand, we need to get you down to the practice range in Redemption.

Princess Tangle hovers and turns in the air, howling in pain and anger.

Sparta: Coming back for more, are we Miss Tangle?

Ozimius' arrow catches in Princess Tangle's breast.

Nyza: Treacherous wyrm!

Nyza: After firing her bolts, Nyza darts to the closest tree.

Three more of Nyza's missiles slam into the dragon.

Oliveryn (singing): I warned you, Princess Tangle, but you would not listen to me. Now that you have noticed your lost cause, give up and go home.

Sparta fires two more arrows at the Lady.

One arrow hits the Princess.

Sparta: Miss Tangle, you are starting to resemble my Ma's pincussion!

Iyam fires an errant arrow and glances as his bow as well.

Wintersky looses another arrow at the green beast.

Sparta: That has got to hurt.

A solid arrow strikes from Wintersky's bow.

Wintersky: Let me bury it in your liver!

Legeand: I am giving this bow one last chance.

Legeands arrow strikes the dragon, but is deflected by its scales.

Princess Tangle floats in, inhales and lets loose a cloud of acid that washes over Ozimius and Sparta.

Sparta: Is that the best you can do, missy?!

Ozimius launches a dagger at the dragon as she pass over, which falls short in her wake..

Nyza: Nyza's missiles fly over her half-melted allies.

Again Nyza's missles slam into the backside of the dragon.

Wintersky: Ozi, do you have a death wish! Drink a healing potion if you have one.

Oliveryn continues his song of inspiration.

Nyza: afk a minute. Class is over, so I'm moving to the commuter lounge

Sparta: If you do not, I think I do.

Ozimius turns to Wintersky.

Ozimius: I shall, I just wanted to get a hit on her.

Wintersky: Have a desth wish?

Ozimius grins

Ozimius: No I dont. I just attract trouble....

Sparta fires two more arrows at her back.

Ozimius: It is a personality defect....

One arrow sinks into the dragons back side.

Wintersky: Princess, pretty soon you will be able to sift sand back there!

Iyam races across the open and straight up a tree, launching himself at the dragon.

Sparta: Well there is something you do not see every day, a flying giant.

The half-giant slices through the dragon's wing.

Iyam and the dragon fall to the earth with a crash.

Sparta: That is it Ringo! Let us get her!

Wintersky's arrow finds the underside of a leg and bites in.

Nyza: Wow! Do all female longshanks shoot like her?

Princess Tangle snaps at Legeand as he charges into her body for the kill.

Legeand slices deeply into the dragon's neck.

Princess Tangle writhes and thrashes throwing Legeand back to the floor of the ravine.

Iyam seems to be swallowed up in the flurry of nashing teeth and flaying claws.

At last the dragon falls limp to the ground.

Ozimius frowns

Sparta: She could be bluffing.

Ozimius strikes with Imhiakaam's Gift.

Nyza: Yes, maybe we burn her now.

Sparta: Mmmm, mmm. It is roast dragon tonight, for sure.

Nyza rushes towards the fallen.

Wintersky: Good thing she is dead. I am out of blessed arrows.

Nyza: Iyam, are you ok?

Ozimius looks at the others.

Ozimius: Iyam is gone my friends.

Ozimius: Only pieces are left.

Wintersky: If we roast her, I can not ask her where her lair is tomorrow.

Oliveryn: So she is still alive?

Wintersky: Her dead body knows what she did in life even though her spirit has departed.

Sparta: Well, I guess that means no chilled dragon's brains for dinner either.

Sparta: Some say it is an aphrodesiac.

Nyza: Funny, we say the same about halfling toe-hair.

Ozimius sputters.

Wintersky: Only if you want to give up on her lair.

Sparta: Oh well, there are no cute halflings around here anyway.

Wintersky: Picky, picky.

Oliveryn: Check her scales for loose coins...she might have rolled around in her loot.

Oliveryn smiles.

Sparta searches her body.

Sparta: Should we make camp here?

Ozimius: Sky, do you need the body in one piece to find out where her lair is?

Wintersky: Needs a brain for impressions and a mouth to talk.

Nyza: Better yet, hack off the head so we can burn the rest of the body.

Sparta: Alright! Smoked dragon's feet! Yeehaa!

Sparta: Her papa's already dead.

Ozimius starts slicing Princess Tangle's head from her body, leaving the head in one piece.

Sparta: Cedarcleaver took care of that some time ago.

Oliveryn: Ah.

Wintersky: Iyam?

Wintersky: Yes, I can hear you.

Wintersky: We are fine , You are not so well.

Wintersky: What shall we do for you?

Wintersky: What is a proper burial for you?

Sparta looks at Ozi.

Wintersky: Burying in the ground?

Ozimius: Yes, Sparta?

Sparta whispers, "She is a little odd, Talking to dead people?"

Ozimius nods.

Wintersky: Family to notify?

Ozimius: She is, but she is bound to be living out in the open like she does. It just is not natural.

Wintersky: Of course!

Wintersky: I am sorry you died.

Wintersky: Ozimius seems to have a death wish.

Sparta: I don't know, lot's of halflings around Rebelton live out in the open, farmers and all.

Ozimius: Why?

Sparta: But, they do not go talking to the dead.

Nyza pokes Iyam's body with the blunt end of her spear.

Nyza: Wake up!

Wintersky: Shall I chant you a blessing to speed you on your way.

Wintersky: Starts a death chant to speed a fallen warrior on his way.

Nyza: No, you keep him here! Iyam does not die to mean dragon!

Sparta: We have a nice little wake to remember them by, then we bury them in the catacombs under the hill

Wintersky: No, in the circle of flowers as he wished.

Wintersky: Nyza, keeping the dead here past their time creates undead.

Ozimius looks to Wintersky.

Ozimius: Why do you think I have a death wish?

Sparta: What? Oh, that is fine. I was just talking about how we take care of our dead back home in Rebelton.

Ozimius: I know I am different, but I do enjoy life and living.

Ozimius grins.

Sparta: You are just a little reckless with your life.

Ozimius grins and looks sheepish.

Ozimius: I do have to work on my skills a bit, do I not?

Nyza looks frustratedly at both Wintersky and Iyam, but she does not know how to express what she is feeling. She cannot even cry over him.

Nyza: It is not right. He is good man.

Wintersky: You charge ahead without thought. do not re-evaluate actions during combat.

Sparta: Hey Oli, our friend Ozi here got caught in the Lady's stinking breath.

Ozimius: I want to help. But my abilities sadly do not always equal my will to help.

Sparta: How about you fix him up a bit.

Oliveryn plays a soft melody and sings of a prince long lost to stories told of old.

There is a sound of popping coming from the east as the group converses.

Wintersky: Nyza, I am sorry our friend is gone. Life is dangerous. I can not heal the dead.

Ozimius whirls, sword ready.

Sparta: Hey, did you hear that?

Oliveryn looks around.

Ozimius: Yes.

Sparta draws his sword.

Sparta: Ringo, here boy.

Ozimius searches Princess Tangle cautiously while listening and watching for danger.

From the west, high up on the ridge comes a low rumbling chuckle.

Ozimius: Cedar!

Cedarcleaver: That was quite impressive.

Wintersky: Oh, oh.

Oliveryn bows deeply.

Cedarcleaver: Thank you for ridding me of that upstart.

Sparta sheathes his sword.

Oliveryn: Why, thank you.

Ozimius: Now what Wyrm, will you attack us as well?

Nyza: Nyza chirps to Yentis, "Come back before that one eats you."

The popping sound to the east has stopped.

Sparta: Cedar, what are your intentions?

Ozimius begins walking around slowly, looking for his thrown dagger.

Wintersky: Hmm, friends of yours Mister Cleaver?

Sparta: You have caused much harm in these parts.

Oliveryn stands next to Sparta.

Cedarcleaver: Hmmm. Sounds like the entire strength of the White Blades.

Sparta whispers to Oli, "You might not want to stand too close"

Wintersky: Not friends of yours, then.

Sparta: Really?

Oliveryn: It seems someone is hacking through the foliage to get to us.

Sparta: Where?

A tall humanoid with the head of a gold dragon and flowing white robes enters your view through the trees, walking in your direction.

Ozimius mutters "Great, more dragons."

Oliveryn smiles and jots down mental notes for another song to write.

Sparta: Howdy.

Sparta: What brings you out here?

In the distance, everyone can now here orders being shouted.

Nyza: [draconic] Greetings mighty one!

Ozimius continues his searching, hoping not to be noticed by yet more dragons.

Wintersky: Come, join our gathering.

Aifos Auravici Octavius: Good day.

Wintersky: Not so good, today.

Aifos Auravici Octavius: It is never a good day when a dragon dies, or ... half-giant, either.

Ozimius: This one attacked us. It was self defense.

Wintersky: True enough.

Oliveryn looks at the gold half-dragon with a sense of wonder.

Nyza: She was a very bad dragon. We offered her much to leave us alone and she still killed one of us for the fun of it.

Oliveryn eyes Wintersky.

Cedarcleaver: Not for the fun of it. She was following my...suggestion.

Wintersky: What, Oli?

Ozimius stares at Cedarcleaver.

Ozimius: Your suggestion?

Sparta: She'd listen to you, after you killed her papa?

Wintersky: You do not seem to have very good advice.

Aifos Auravici Octavius: Ah, mighty great-wyrm, is this one of your machinations?

Cedarcleaver: I killed her father?

Cedarcleaver: No, her father had the sense to flee Tanglewood.

Ozimius: We may share the same values Cedar, but there is no honor for me in admitting it

Sparta: Fled? Old Tangle still lives?

Ozimius: Do not you value your own kind? Have you no loyalty?

Cedarcleaver: Lord Tangle? No, he was slain by adventurers centuries ago.

Cedarcleaver: I just filled the void.

Aifos Auravici Octavius: What century is it?

Sparta: Ahh, adventurers, kind of like us.

Wintersky: What an odd question?

Nyza: 999 PC.

Sparta: And perhaps Miss Tangle here.

Nyza: Nyza write the date in her artbook all the time.

Cedarcleaver: Actually, far more powerful.

Sparta: Probably.

Sparta: I am but a simple farmer and hunter.

Aifos Auravici Octavius: 999 PC? I do not recognize that designation. PC?

Marching can be heard approaching from the east.

Wintersky: What is the designation you last recognize.

Aifos Auravici Octavius: Which cycle is it? And age?

Nyza: Hmm, Nyza want to see who is coming. She will return soon.

Nyza voices a spell and disappears. The light sound of shrubbery parting way for her can be heard as she moves toward the marching.

Oliveryn: It is the 12th cycle...first age.

Oliveryn looks at the man.

Aifos Auravici Octavius: Oh, I am a little off track, then.

Sparta: Off track? What are you talking about?

Aifos Auravici Octavius: I should have arrived in the first age of the 11th cycle.

Wintersky: Well, Mister Cleaver, which strand of your web are you going to cut now?

Oliveryn: I would say...you are off track.

Sparta: You seem to know our acquaintance here, but perhaps we should start over.

Sparta: I am Sparta of Rebelton

Sparta: Who might you be?

Oliveryn: No bardic song has portrayed you in it...as far as I can tell.

Cedarcleaver walks to the edge of the ravine, revealing himself completely.

Wintersky: You are a truely are a glorious wyrm.

Aifos Auravici Octavius: My, you are an astoundingly magnificient dragon, Cedarcleaver.

Nyza memorizes a description of their colors and returns to the group, post haste.

Ozimius pops a potion, ignoring the adoration of Cedarcleaver by the party.

Oliveryn: I have seen better.

Wintersky: Good show, Ozi!

Wintersky: In your dreams.

Nyza: When Nyza returns from her little scout mission, she reports that an enormous army of softskins is approaching. Thousands.

Oliveryn: and...

Oliveryn smiles.

Princess Tangle