Rurik's Mission XII
Re-enter the Dragon’s Lair
After much discussion and planning, we equipped ourselves as best we could from our meager stores. Then our casters prepared numerous protections and incantations that would aid us in our battle. We then gathered together and with hardly a sound Scout led us into the shadows and we appeared at the end of a short hallway.
As we advanced down the corridor toward the immense room we knew to be his lair, a large dragon appeared from the shadows. It reared up and gave a mighty roar. Several kobolds rushed forward at his command and battle commenced. We waded through the first wave of kobolds, even managing to stand strong as a sheet of electricity shot down the hallway. The dragon in the room suddenly vanished. It had been a decoy, an illusion to distract us from the real threat. But where was he now? We carefully approached the end of the hall and looked into the room.
The dragon suddenly stepped out of the shadows, took up position directly in front of the hall, and used his breath weapon. Fortunately, Kwarthian had prepared spells that protected me from the burst of negative energy that flowed over us. Then spheres of electricity sprang forth and attacked us. Again, the magical protections held. Scout shouted out the positions of the kobold mages and charged the dragon. Knowing the danger of having a mage in the vicinity while battling a dangerous foe, I charged the sorcerers, as did a recent recruit, Smash, a hammer wielding goliath. As we disrupted their casters, Rigel boldly stepped forward. With his new found sense of indignation, he taunted the dragon and inciting it to chase him around the lair while we diminished his kobold army.
Despite a number of dangerous spells, the kobold mages were no match for a pair of trained warriors at close range. They were quickly dispatched as were a number of kobold trap-setters. There remained a number of archers around the perimeter, but they were little more than a nuisance to me at this point. It was time to find the dragon. It was nowhere to be seen, however. He was still chasing Rigel around the compound and they were not currently in the main lair. Meanwhile, the elves, Honah and Zenian, were having some trouble. Honah had just been dropped by a barrage of arrows from the left flank. Being on the right, I had faith that the healers would be able to aid him. Zenian was launching numerous arrows at the kobold archers on the right flank, and they were firing right back. While he managed to do a lot of damage, he had also taken a number of hits. Kwarthian and I quickly ran to provide a shield wall that he could use as cover. Seeing that Kwarthian had the situation in hand, I started to seek out the dragon again. I moved back towards the center of the lair, trying to keep myself as far away from my allies as possible to minimize the optimal target the dragon might look for if he returned. Unfortunately Smash’s military training led him to form ranks right behind me and enticing others to follow suit, creating a clump of targets. I called out for us all to scatter, but it was too late, the dragon had made his way back to the tunnel entrance. He breathed on us once again and still I was unaffected but the others were not as lucky. At least now I knew where he was and the real battle could begin.
Scout, Smash, and I charged the dragon. As would be expected from a dragon, his hide was thick and his bite fierce. Fortunately our weapons were keen and we had been well prepared for this fight by our casters. For a short while we were able to stand toe to toe with the dragon. He clawed and bit at my armor, but it held him back, much to his surprise and chagrin.
We had seriously wounded the dragon. The blood poured forth from numerous gashes from the weapons of Kwarthian and Scout and a single massive tear where I had managed to drive my glaive through his scales. In a desperate move, the dragon leapt over our heads in an attempt to get back into the main lair where he could have more room to maneuver. It was finally time to use my secret weapon, a potion I had procured before leaving the Fort. I took a step back to drink the draught and could feel the magic coursing through my body as I was reinvigorated and enhanced with greater weapon speed. I charged back into the melee, attacking with renewed ferocity. Soon, the dragon stumbled, finally showing weakness in light of our assault. At this, the gnome Zip unleashed a huge spike of ice that impaled the dragon. The dragon managed to keep his feet, but the battle had already been decided. Moments later the dragon finally fell under Kwarthian’s sword. The battle was over.
The dragon had a horde befitting a dragon. We first collected all of the magical items we could find, and then gathered what we could of the coin and mundane items. Most of the useful items were claimed right away although some were kept to be put in the treasury. With our bags filled with our treasure, Rigel brought us back to Fort Eclipse. Though we had just defeated a dragon, there was still a lot of work to do. The new items had to be inspected and added to the Fort’s stores. Arrangements had to be made to transport our taxes to Highcastle. The grounds of the fortress had to be inspected and paperwork had to be completed for the last week while we were away. Finally, we had to prepare for the celebration!
As our new recruits from this past season had demonstrated strong character and ability, we invited them to join the Warriors of the Eclipse. While Leo was happy to be allied with our mission to destroy the rifts, he did not wish to subject himself to the rigors of our military unit. The others, however, accepted their new ranks and positions. Pleased with our new members and friends, we feasted on the bounty of our lands. The celebration lasted well into the night so that when the light of dawn finally arrived, nearly the entire fortress was deep in contented sleep.