Lia looks at Poljen running with the burning rug with a look of worry. Knowing that he can take a lot of punishment she glances over at Velon. Curious about what happened to the man Cratol hit she walks over and examines the captive quickly. She also examines the one still alive.
Mari stabs the man she felled a couple of more times after she thought he was dead to make sure. She then rises and is about attack the last of the three when they mention taking him captive. The rogue sheathes her blades carefully with her left hand blade still coated with poison. Searching the man quickly she removes any weapons, loot or things of interest . Then pulling a rope from her backpack she ties his hands securely.
Lia medicine to check both men: @Kyrroeth game_die Result: 1d20 (18) + 8 Total: 26
Cratol will assist Mari wih securing the last one as we both make sure there is no weapons on him. The ooze that came out of them was interesting but Cratol figures that the ones who attacked being dead or captured is better news and will allow Lia to figure out what they were. Once the last on is tied up he will pull them over to the side out of the way to be dealt with at a later time.
Lia looks up ashen faced after checking the men. She strides to where Velon and the delegates are. " This is abhorrent. Those men weren't really human anymore. Most of their brains had been removed and replaced with that green substance. The hole used to remove the brain and replace it was covered by a waxy plug with hair. Very disturbing..." She shudders thinking about the atrocity committed.
The hair on the back of Mar's neck stands up at this. She looks back to the one she killed. " Who could do something like that? The Thay wizards?"
As he approaches, Lawrance hears Lias details and responds “That’s very similar to the method Mind Flayers use to eat the brains of their victims. Maybe they found a way to put some kind of control creature inside, in place of the actual brains? We could be looking at yet another involved party of Underdark denizens. Illithids are nasty, mind attacking opponents. “
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
“Can you tell me the difference between a witch and a wizard?" "Sure, a wizard is what they call you when they want to hire you, and a witch is what they call you when they're getting ready to run you out of town.” SunWolf replied ― Barbara Hambly, The Witches of Wenshar
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
He takes more burns in the process, and it is awkward as hell, but Poljen manages to fully submerge the bulky bundle under the water. It takes several more seconds than expected for the fire to go out, but the flames are fully extinguished. The rug is badly burned, but still intact enough to keep the metallic threads composing the circle in place, if only barely.
The Phistophilus smiles smoothly as the fire goes out, "You are fortunate I am currently bound to comply with such requests, or I would require payment. Perhaps we should speak later about those followers of Tiamat that vex you so? I have much in the way of information to sell on that subject."
The devil strides swiftly towards Dessara and her group, "Know this, to the best of my ability to discern, there has been no deception among those here. Including in regards to the warning about the likely outcome if you depart now. This disruption is almost certainly due to the actions of another party. It is in my estimation that if you depart now, this deal will never be struck, and neither of us desire that."
There is a long moment of hesitation, then the serpentkin nods and makes her way back to the negotiating table, even warier than when she had first approached.
---
Perry reports that the dragons are nearly to the site, and the castle is just starting to drop rocks and other things down on to the wizards. But then he starts yelling in a largely incoherent panic over the mental link.
Poppo reports in, "Uh, I think we could use just a bit of help over here. They just finished the teleport spell, and um, I'm pretty sure that's Hoondarrh they just brought through, and he's not alone."
You can see Castle Skyreach reverse direction and start heading towards you again. You also see a massive figure climb into the sky, chasing after the mobile structure. The dragon is swathed in dark red, almost black scales.
Protanther stares for a moment at the newcomer, in a voice that seems somehow regretful he turns to his companion and states, "This exchange is now yours Elia, see to its completion and the mask's safety, no matter what it takes."
And then he is striding away from the meeting, growing as he does so. Soon the sail like wings of a gold dragon unfurl and carry the arrogant dragon towards his terrible foe.
Hopping out of the illusioned platform, Lawrance makes his way to the negotiation group looking at the massive threat in the sky. “Velon, what would like us to do? If the discussions are going to continue, I can put up shields against any more interference, but I can’t reach those that battle in the sky. “
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“Can you tell me the difference between a witch and a wizard?" "Sure, a wizard is what they call you when they want to hire you, and a witch is what they call you when they're getting ready to run you out of town.” SunWolf replied ― Barbara Hambly, The Witches of Wenshar
Velon nods as Darressa returns to the meeting, relieved that he has finally been able to talk some sense into some of the attendees with a large assist from the Phistophilus. To the offer the devil extended Velon simply replies "we can talk".
Velon then watches in amazement as Hoondarrh and Protanther take to the skies before calmly and solemnly saying to Poljen and the others "it has been an honor fighting with you." "I know you'll win this war alongside Irdeith." Over the link he adds "Perry, Lia and I need you". He looks at Lia without a word, knowing she will refuse to do anything but join him. The paladin pulls his Teleportation scroll out and hands it to Lawrance. "You know what must be done. Protect them...the mask...the castle. Thank you."
At that moment Velon flares with fire all around him as large fiery wings sprout from his back. They begin to flap as the Paladin takes off from the meeting site, headed for a rendezvous with the castle at first as he watches to see what the dragons do. During his initial flight he pulls out a potion and drinks it down, then he casts a firebolt towards the sky, activating more draconic fire magic to protect him. Meanwhile Poljen is stunned by a sudden weariness like he has rarely felt as the Haste spell fades from him.
OOC:
*Three rounds of actions here along with the talking and handing over the scroll, so maybe 4. 1) Cast fly and fly 60ft, 2) drink Heroism potion and fly 60 more ft, 3) cast a firebolt to activate fire resistance and fly another 60ft. He can start dashing after he's all buffed up, flying more swiftly towards the dragons or the castle depending on the situation.
*I'd like to reserve the right to throw this post out if Daishain clarifies that Protanther will clearly get wrecked by the Ancient Red in 1 round and our help is pointless, or they are 3 miles away within 10 seconds before Velon can even cast Fly.
*I'd also like to reserve the right to adjust the post to bring Cratol and Poljen along by upcasting Fly to 5th level for the sake of the players, so they can be involved and have fun fighting for OOC reasons, BUT Gknight, Kyr and I figured out that they will mostly likely immediately fall to their death's if they get knocked to zero HP and/or Velon fails a concentration check on Fly, so it's a pretty bad idea pending DM clarification on someone with a fly speed being at zero HP (we assume they fall, it's not a Levitate spell).
Once the fighting group has departed, Lawrance will warn the meeting group. "I will be putting up a force dome over the area to protect you from external attack. If, for any reason, you wish to leave the dome I will make the arrangements. It is invisible, so don't bump your heads or anything."With that, he casts his spell, and the barrier comes into existence, invisible and impenetrable. Once complete, he turns to the Phistophilus and asks "If we wanted to contact you later and make a bargain for the information you possess, what Name can I call you with?"
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“Can you tell me the difference between a witch and a wizard?" "Sure, a wizard is what they call you when they want to hire you, and a witch is what they call you when they're getting ready to run you out of town.” SunWolf replied ― Barbara Hambly, The Witches of Wenshar
Lia looks at the huge red and dread fills her. She nods at Velon as he looks at her. When he sprouts wings and flys upwards she just drops her jaw in amazement. She then looks to her friends. " We will be back soon. Please stay safe here. " A tear leaks from the corner of her eye as she waves to them and flies after Velon on her broom. Her face looks stricken as she turns away. Worry and dread gnaw at her. She tries to put those thoughts away and focuses on the glorious sight ahead of her with a huge gold, an even bigger red and a winged Velon all heading towards each other. Lia readies her oath bow and holds an arrow of dragon slaying ready. She controls the broom now with her knees mainly.
Mari frowns as they leave. " Lawrance, you know what to do here. If you need any specific help please let us know. She gazes towards the direction of the teleportation circle. " Whatever we do it had best be done soon. " She lowers her blades to her sides but keeps them ready.
OOC: Lia won't do anything until they are close to Pink Panther. When within close range she will start with Bless on the gold dragon, Velon and herself for her first round.
Poljen drops to one knee as the wave of exhaustion washes over him. By the time he is able to get to his feet, the others have flown away. His Battle Madness also fades, so all he can do is rage into the sky. "Damn it! Velon, you bastard! All of you! You wish to risk yourselves for a worthy cause, but decide for others they may not die in defense of their friends! To blazes with you!" He hopes Velon, Lia and the rest can hear him over the wind in their ears. He then turns to Lawrance.
"I am no use inside this dome. Let me out. If anything comes to attack, I need to be out there." As he steps outside, he can feel the haft of his great axe irritating the blisters all over his hands and arms. He mutters, "Not even a final healing from Sune...harumph." He stands roughly 50 feet away from the dome, in the direction of the teleportation circle the wizards from Thay have created, hoping anything coming his way will have to be low enough for him to attack.
The Phistophilus hands Lawrance a tiny scrap of parchment, on which is written in Infernal runes, 'Ath'toman Brazzorith', "I find most mortals get it wrong if it is not written down. I look forward to hearing from you."
Elia speaks to Lawrance and the other mages present, "I have a trick to protect this meeting place, even from the likes of that one, but to erect it swiftly I will need a little extra energy. A spell of the second or third valence from each of you should be enough. May I count on your support?" Upon receiving consent, she grows a single claw and uses it to prick herself, drawing a tiny drop of blood. A moment later it starts glowing, and grows into a white orb about a foot in diameter, balanced upon the dragon's hand. "Simply direct the spell energy into the orb, there is no need to shape it into something coherent." As mages do so, the orb continues to glow as it absorbs the unformed spell energy. Elia then flicks it up into the air, where it seems to explode, rapidly expanding to cover the whole area. When the light fades, those at the meeting site find themselves underneath an expansive, cathedral like, structure of solid ice. It is incredibly beautiful as it filters the sunlight. Four entry ways allow passage in and out, they're large enough for a human, or perhaps a stooping giant, but certainly not a dragon Hoondarrh's size.
"That ice is connected to my own power, it will not break or melt easily, not so long as I remain to preserve its integrity. Hoondarrh could make it through eventually in spite of my efforts, but it would take as much as half an hour of concerted effort."
At the meeting table, the Harper representative has already signed the contract. Dessarra is still reviewing it, though she does at least seem to be skimming the long document rather than studying in detail. She waves a hand at one of her subordinates, "Have them bring the mask ashore, and hurry it up."
---
Castle Skyreach fires its ballistae repeatedly at Hoondarrh. Several miss the surprisingly fast giant, others skip off of the armor like scales. One manages to lodge into the shoulder, but its a minor flesh wound and easily ignored. The castle visible shudders as the big red draws up at the last moment to impact and cling to its side. Some of Callahan's men die screaming as a torrent of fire spews onto the battlements, but the dragon seems to have another goal in mind as opposed to just burning the men. Clinging to the side of the castle, Hoondarrh starts digging with his rear claws, tearing through the floatstone rock forming the base of the structure, and ripping off massive chunks of the lighter than air material.
Meanwhile, Protanther flew high over the castle before dropping back down like a comet. He hits Hoondarrh at a terrific speed, ripping the red dragon from his perch. The two enemies spin through the air towards the ground for a few moments before recovering and flying back up, clearly assessing each other.
Perry, Shadowsnacks and Velon all keep flying towards the awesome spectacle that is the dragon battle, unsure of what will happen next. Perry knows what to do and this is the Shadow’s domain so they flash through the sky at great speed. Velon however is still trying to figure out just how he and his hammer can be effective in flight and between two massive dragons. He decides to activate the defenses of his armor and then accelerates after that, now ready for battle.
OOC. Full speed Dash, etc for Perry. Casting the armor’s freedom of movement for Velon in case he gets grappled, then Dashing from there.
Lia urges the broom on as fast as possible trying to keep up with her friends. Seeing that they are leaving her behind she grits her teeth in frustration. Fear of losing Velon starts to grip and paralyze her. Digging in deep mentally she reaches a sense of calm knowing that she needs to be focused. Seeing the damage done to their flying home she worries if it will stay aloft. As they get within long bow range she nocks a dragon slaying arrow and prays to Sune for the safety of her friends both in the air and on the ground.
OOC: Once she gets within max longbow range she will begin shooting her arrows of dragon slaying at Big Red and keep moving closer 50' a turn.
Ooc - ignore my previous post about the dome of force.
Lawrance watches this new, collaborative magic at work, and is suitably impressed by the results %Thats useful% he thinks, before he sends Gamliel out to keep an eye on the battle at one of the openings and posts himself at the one nearest the village.
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“Can you tell me the difference between a witch and a wizard?" "Sure, a wizard is what they call you when they want to hire you, and a witch is what they call you when they're getting ready to run you out of town.” SunWolf replied ― Barbara Hambly, The Witches of Wenshar
Cratol stands guard at the signing hoping to get it done soon and then secure the mask in his haversack so that the rest of us can get back out to the fight. Knowing that it is going to be a interesting fight at that. Dealing with those who summoned the red could be something to do so the circle can be deactivated.
Hoondarrh and Protanther seem to dance through the air around each other. The larger Red tries to close a few times, but while their speed in the air is comparable, the Gold proves to be more nimble, finlike wings shifting him just out of reach time after time. Spells are cast between the pair as they test each others defenses. A few moments later, it becomes apparent that Hoondarrh decided he isn't interested in this particular game, and changes the direction of his flight, heading straight for the Zhentarim ships, Protanther starts diving in closer in response, raking at the Red's flanks and wingtips in an attempt to keep him from the real prize on the field. The group headed by Velon will be able to intercept Hoondarrh in moments.
At the Teleportation circle, it is quickly becoming clear that the metallic dragons are losing whatever edge they might have had against the Blue and the red wizards. A huge ball of acid melts a large part of the Silver's wing and he falls. A bit of frantic maneuvering in the air later, and the wounded dragon has shifted to humanoid form and is flying back towards the meeting point riding on his copper companion. The large blue is in pursuit. Without a target in the immediate area, the red wizards turn to start casting... something. It doesn't look like the same ritual used to bring in Hoondarrh, but it is doubtful that the result will be pleasant for the Blaze or their allies.
Meanwhile, Castle Skyreach appears to be having trouble. a large portion of its base is simply missing, the massive chunks of floatstone ripped off by Hoondarrh having soared off into the heavens. Poppo is still navigating towards the meeting point, but the castle is slowly sinking as it goes.
At the meeting point, Dessarra has finally picked up the quill used to sign. She scribbles her signature onto the document, and it glows briefly. The Lantern Archons chime as one, "The signing is complete, we merely need to exchange the physical artifacts and the bargain will be concluded." The devil chimes in, "As a reminder, failure to produce said artifacts at this point results in activation of one or more forfeiture clauses. Under the circumstances, I would suggest praying that your people hurry up. Having that mask stolen incurs a lesser penalty than refusing to hand it over, but it is nevertheless rather unpleasant. As I recall, you are the one who insisted upon making those clauses especially severe Dessarra, I find the irony rather delicious." Dessarra looks angry enough to spitroast the Phistophilus, but she confines herself to watching the pinnace make its way back towards her ships.
Team "Hoondarrh's after brunch snack" can feel free to open fire or do whatever else they have in mind at this point. Alternatively they could shift course to help with the blue dragon situation, though that would involve letting the big red guy sail right on past.
Velon signals to Lia and Perry to spread out to avoid the dragon's breath and the massive girth of the beast itself, leaving Velon closest to Hoondarrh's path. Before Perry and Shadowsnacks use their superior speed to flank wide, however, Shadowsnacks unexpected swoops across the dragon's path briefly. "This isn't the plan Perry. Bob and weave, see, we gotta stick and move, Perry. Why don't you just let me do the flying, eh?""Trust me Shadowsnacks, this is what we've been preparing for. This is why we're here!"
Perry shouts at Hoondarrh "hear me, tremendous terror of Tiamat, I am Perry Pennington, balladeer of Bahamut's Blaze and servant of Sune! I command you to FLEE!" As he shouts Perry waves his songblade and begins to glow, casting a wide aura of bright purple with streaks of vibrant turquoise and pink. He looks like an angel of the Fay and is both blinding and impossible to look away from. (CommandDC 19)(Mantle of Majesty) As Perry tries to force Hoondarrh off perpendicular to his path and away from both the Zhents and the castle the pair of heroes swiftly continue to move and swing wide of the dragon's path, firing eldritch bolts back at Hoondarrh as he draws close.
Bolt 1: 14 Damage: 3
Bolt 2: 15 Damage: 7
Bolt 3: 27 Damage: 6
-------------------------------------------
Velon tries to size up the rapidly approaching behemoth and figure out how the heck he's going to hit this thing with his hammer. He begins flying away from Hoondarh as he approaches but along the same path, hoping the dragon will close on him more slowly. He looks up in amazement at Perry's majestic transformation as he pulls out his wand and launches Magic Missile 's at the big red machine.
Seeing the oncoming threat of the pursued pair, Lawrance prepares to cast a barrier of magic across the blue's path, hoping the impact with the invisible wall does some serious damage to the huge creature. Timing his cast as precisely as he can, he puts the wall in it's flat configuration, a twenty or so feet in front of it's snout, angling the wall downwards to drive the dragon to ground. As the magic leaves his mind, he reaches into his robes for the fake mask, gripping it in his hand.
OOC - at 120 feet range, Wall of Force in front of the blue dragon, as stated. If it hits it, I'm hoping the angle will have some effect on it's direction, as well.
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“Can you tell me the difference between a witch and a wizard?" "Sure, a wizard is what they call you when they want to hire you, and a witch is what they call you when they're getting ready to run you out of town.” SunWolf replied ― Barbara Hambly, The Witches of Wenshar
Poljen sees the metallic dragons returning, pursued by the blue, at quite a distance. He can also see the large red, Hoondarrh, now coming for the meeting, though that beast is being harried by Protanther as well as members of the Blaze. He decides he can best help with the incoming threat and begins to move in the direction of the blue dragon, slowly increasing speed, first to a jog then a run. Once he feels he is close enough to be ready to engage will allow the Madness to wash over him, as he feels it welling up inside him already.
OOC: Not Raging yet, until he is almost range for breath weapon from the dragon, then Rage and be ready to Bonus Dash, etc. Dai, if you need Initiative rolls, DEX saves for the lightning, or anything else, let me know, please.
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Lia looks at Poljen running with the burning rug with a look of worry. Knowing that he can take a lot of punishment she glances over at Velon. Curious about what happened to the man Cratol hit she walks over and examines the captive quickly. She also examines the one still alive.
Mari stabs the man she felled a couple of more times after she thought he was dead to make sure. She then rises and is about attack the last of the three when they mention taking him captive. The rogue sheathes her blades carefully with her left hand blade still coated with poison. Searching the man quickly she removes any weapons, loot or things of interest . Then pulling a rope from her backpack she ties his hands securely.
Lia medicine to check both men: @Kyrroeth game_die
Result: 1d20 (18) + 8
Total: 26
Cratol will assist Mari wih securing the last one as we both make sure there is no weapons on him. The ooze that came out of them was interesting but Cratol figures that the ones who attacked being dead or captured is better news and will allow Lia to figure out what they were. Once the last on is tied up he will pull them over to the side out of the way to be dealt with at a later time.
Lia looks up ashen faced after checking the men. She strides to where Velon and the delegates are. " This is abhorrent. Those men weren't really human anymore. Most of their brains had been removed and replaced with that green substance. The hole used to remove the brain and replace it was covered by a waxy plug with hair. Very disturbing..." She shudders thinking about the atrocity committed.
The hair on the back of Mar's neck stands up at this. She looks back to the one she killed. " Who could do something like that? The Thay wizards?"
As he approaches, Lawrance hears Lias details and responds “That’s very similar to the method Mind Flayers use to eat the brains of their victims. Maybe they found a way to put some kind of control creature inside, in place of the actual brains? We could be looking at yet another involved party of Underdark denizens. Illithids are nasty, mind attacking opponents. “
“Can you tell me the difference between a witch and a wizard?"
"Sure, a wizard is what they call you when they want to hire you, and a witch is what they call you when they're getting ready to run you out of town.” SunWolf replied
― Barbara Hambly, The Witches of Wenshar
He takes more burns in the process, and it is awkward as hell, but Poljen manages to fully submerge the bulky bundle under the water. It takes several more seconds than expected for the fire to go out, but the flames are fully extinguished. The rug is badly burned, but still intact enough to keep the metallic threads composing the circle in place, if only barely.
The Phistophilus smiles smoothly as the fire goes out, "You are fortunate I am currently bound to comply with such requests, or I would require payment. Perhaps we should speak later about those followers of Tiamat that vex you so? I have much in the way of information to sell on that subject."
The devil strides swiftly towards Dessara and her group, "Know this, to the best of my ability to discern, there has been no deception among those here. Including in regards to the warning about the likely outcome if you depart now. This disruption is almost certainly due to the actions of another party. It is in my estimation that if you depart now, this deal will never be struck, and neither of us desire that."
There is a long moment of hesitation, then the serpentkin nods and makes her way back to the negotiating table, even warier than when she had first approached.
---
Perry reports that the dragons are nearly to the site, and the castle is just starting to drop rocks and other things down on to the wizards. But then he starts yelling in a largely incoherent panic over the mental link.
Poppo reports in, "Uh, I think we could use just a bit of help over here. They just finished the teleport spell, and um, I'm pretty sure that's Hoondarrh they just brought through, and he's not alone."
You can see Castle Skyreach reverse direction and start heading towards you again. You also see a massive figure climb into the sky, chasing after the mobile structure. The dragon is swathed in dark red, almost black scales.
Protanther stares for a moment at the newcomer, in a voice that seems somehow regretful he turns to his companion and states, "This exchange is now yours Elia, see to its completion and the mask's safety, no matter what it takes."
And then he is striding away from the meeting, growing as he does so. Soon the sail like wings of a gold dragon unfurl and carry the arrogant dragon towards his terrible foe.
Poljen takes another 12 fire damage
Hopping out of the illusioned platform, Lawrance makes his way to the negotiation group looking at the massive threat in the sky. “Velon, what would like us to do? If the discussions are going to continue, I can put up shields against any more interference, but I can’t reach those that battle in the sky. “
“Can you tell me the difference between a witch and a wizard?"
"Sure, a wizard is what they call you when they want to hire you, and a witch is what they call you when they're getting ready to run you out of town.” SunWolf replied
― Barbara Hambly, The Witches of Wenshar
Velon nods as Darressa returns to the meeting, relieved that he has finally been able to talk some sense into some of the attendees with a large assist from the Phistophilus. To the offer the devil extended Velon simply replies "we can talk".
Velon then watches in amazement as Hoondarrh and Protanther take to the skies before calmly and solemnly saying to Poljen and the others "it has been an honor fighting with you." "I know you'll win this war alongside Irdeith." Over the link he adds "Perry, Lia and I need you". He looks at Lia without a word, knowing she will refuse to do anything but join him. The paladin pulls his Teleportation scroll out and hands it to Lawrance. "You know what must be done. Protect them...the mask...the castle. Thank you."
At that moment Velon flares with fire all around him as large fiery wings sprout from his back. They begin to flap as the Paladin takes off from the meeting site, headed for a rendezvous with the castle at first as he watches to see what the dragons do. During his initial flight he pulls out a potion and drinks it down, then he casts a firebolt towards the sky, activating more draconic fire magic to protect him. Meanwhile Poljen is stunned by a sudden weariness like he has rarely felt as the Haste spell fades from him.
OOC:
*Three rounds of actions here along with the talking and handing over the scroll, so maybe 4. 1) Cast fly and fly 60ft, 2) drink Heroism potion and fly 60 more ft, 3) cast a firebolt to activate fire resistance and fly another 60ft. He can start dashing after he's all buffed up, flying more swiftly towards the dragons or the castle depending on the situation.
*I'd like to reserve the right to throw this post out if Daishain clarifies that Protanther will clearly get wrecked by the Ancient Red in 1 round and our help is pointless, or they are 3 miles away within 10 seconds before Velon can even cast Fly.
*I'd also like to reserve the right to adjust the post to bring Cratol and Poljen along by upcasting Fly to 5th level for the sake of the players, so they can be involved and have fun fighting for OOC reasons, BUT Gknight, Kyr and I figured out that they will mostly likely immediately fall to their death's if they get knocked to zero HP and/or Velon fails a concentration check on Fly, so it's a pretty bad idea pending DM clarification on someone with a fly speed being at zero HP (we assume they fall, it's not a Levitate spell).
Velon also replies to Poppo "keep coming, we'll meet you in the sky!"
Perry hears Velon over the link "you got it boss, we're on the way." "Do not fear Shadowsnacks, we're faster and more agile than this foe!"
"Of course I'M faster Perry, don't be ridiculous. I only fear for the rest of you mere mortals, see. Let's go."
Once the fighting group has departed, Lawrance will warn the meeting group. "I will be putting up a force dome over the area to protect you from external attack. If, for any reason, you wish to leave the dome I will make the arrangements. It is invisible, so don't bump your heads or anything." With that, he casts his spell, and the barrier comes into existence, invisible and impenetrable. Once complete, he turns to the Phistophilus and asks "If we wanted to contact you later and make a bargain for the information you possess, what Name can I call you with?"
“Can you tell me the difference between a witch and a wizard?"
"Sure, a wizard is what they call you when they want to hire you, and a witch is what they call you when they're getting ready to run you out of town.” SunWolf replied
― Barbara Hambly, The Witches of Wenshar
Lia looks at the huge red and dread fills her. She nods at Velon as he looks at her. When he sprouts wings and flys upwards she just drops her jaw in amazement. She then looks to her friends. " We will be back soon. Please stay safe here. " A tear leaks from the corner of her eye as she waves to them and flies after Velon on her broom. Her face looks stricken as she turns away. Worry and dread gnaw at her. She tries to put those thoughts away and focuses on the glorious sight ahead of her with a huge gold, an even bigger red and a winged Velon all heading towards each other. Lia readies her oath bow and holds an arrow of dragon slaying ready. She controls the broom now with her knees mainly.
Mari frowns as they leave. " Lawrance, you know what to do here. If you need any specific help please let us know. She gazes towards the direction of the teleportation circle. " Whatever we do it had best be done soon. " She lowers her blades to her sides but keeps them ready.
OOC: Lia won't do anything until they are close to Pink Panther. When within close range she will start with Bless on the gold dragon, Velon and herself for her first round.
Poljen drops to one knee as the wave of exhaustion washes over him. By the time he is able to get to his feet, the others have flown away. His Battle Madness also fades, so all he can do is rage into the sky. "Damn it! Velon, you bastard! All of you! You wish to risk yourselves for a worthy cause, but decide for others they may not die in defense of their friends! To blazes with you!" He hopes Velon, Lia and the rest can hear him over the wind in their ears. He then turns to Lawrance.
"I am no use inside this dome. Let me out. If anything comes to attack, I need to be out there." As he steps outside, he can feel the haft of his great axe irritating the blisters all over his hands and arms. He mutters, "Not even a final healing from Sune...harumph." He stands roughly 50 feet away from the dome, in the direction of the teleportation circle the wizards from Thay have created, hoping anything coming his way will have to be low enough for him to attack.
The Phistophilus hands Lawrance a tiny scrap of parchment, on which is written in Infernal runes, 'Ath'toman Brazzorith', "I find most mortals get it wrong if it is not written down. I look forward to hearing from you."
Elia speaks to Lawrance and the other mages present, "I have a trick to protect this meeting place, even from the likes of that one, but to erect it swiftly I will need a little extra energy. A spell of the second or third valence from each of you should be enough. May I count on your support?" Upon receiving consent, she grows a single claw and uses it to prick herself, drawing a tiny drop of blood. A moment later it starts glowing, and grows into a white orb about a foot in diameter, balanced upon the dragon's hand. "Simply direct the spell energy into the orb, there is no need to shape it into something coherent." As mages do so, the orb continues to glow as it absorbs the unformed spell energy. Elia then flicks it up into the air, where it seems to explode, rapidly expanding to cover the whole area. When the light fades, those at the meeting site find themselves underneath an expansive, cathedral like, structure of solid ice. It is incredibly beautiful as it filters the sunlight. Four entry ways allow passage in and out, they're large enough for a human, or perhaps a stooping giant, but certainly not a dragon Hoondarrh's size.
"That ice is connected to my own power, it will not break or melt easily, not so long as I remain to preserve its integrity. Hoondarrh could make it through eventually in spite of my efforts, but it would take as much as half an hour of concerted effort."
At the meeting table, the Harper representative has already signed the contract. Dessarra is still reviewing it, though she does at least seem to be skimming the long document rather than studying in detail. She waves a hand at one of her subordinates, "Have them bring the mask ashore, and hurry it up."
---
Castle Skyreach fires its ballistae repeatedly at Hoondarrh. Several miss the surprisingly fast giant, others skip off of the armor like scales. One manages to lodge into the shoulder, but its a minor flesh wound and easily ignored. The castle visible shudders as the big red draws up at the last moment to impact and cling to its side. Some of Callahan's men die screaming as a torrent of fire spews onto the battlements, but the dragon seems to have another goal in mind as opposed to just burning the men. Clinging to the side of the castle, Hoondarrh starts digging with his rear claws, tearing through the floatstone rock forming the base of the structure, and ripping off massive chunks of the lighter than air material.
Meanwhile, Protanther flew high over the castle before dropping back down like a comet. He hits Hoondarrh at a terrific speed, ripping the red dragon from his perch. The two enemies spin through the air towards the ground for a few moments before recovering and flying back up, clearly assessing each other.
Perry, Shadowsnacks and Velon all keep flying towards the awesome spectacle that is the dragon battle, unsure of what will happen next. Perry knows what to do and this is the Shadow’s domain so they flash through the sky at great speed. Velon however is still trying to figure out just how he and his hammer can be effective in flight and between two massive dragons. He decides to activate the defenses of his armor and then accelerates after that, now ready for battle.
OOC. Full speed Dash, etc for Perry. Casting the armor’s freedom of movement for Velon in case he gets grappled, then Dashing from there.
Lia urges the broom on as fast as possible trying to keep up with her friends. Seeing that they are leaving her behind she grits her teeth in frustration. Fear of losing Velon starts to grip and paralyze her. Digging in deep mentally she reaches a sense of calm knowing that she needs to be focused. Seeing the damage done to their flying home she worries if it will stay aloft. As they get within long bow range she nocks a dragon slaying arrow and prays to Sune for the safety of her friends both in the air and on the ground.
OOC: Once she gets within max longbow range she will begin shooting her arrows of dragon slaying at Big Red and keep moving closer 50' a turn.
Ooc - ignore my previous post about the dome of force.
Lawrance watches this new, collaborative magic at work, and is suitably impressed by the results %Thats useful% he thinks, before he sends Gamliel out to keep an eye on the battle at one of the openings and posts himself at the one nearest the village.
“Can you tell me the difference between a witch and a wizard?"
"Sure, a wizard is what they call you when they want to hire you, and a witch is what they call you when they're getting ready to run you out of town.” SunWolf replied
― Barbara Hambly, The Witches of Wenshar
Cratol stands guard at the signing hoping to get it done soon and then secure the mask in his haversack so that the rest of us can get back out to the fight. Knowing that it is going to be a interesting fight at that. Dealing with those who summoned the red could be something to do so the circle can be deactivated.
Hoondarrh and Protanther seem to dance through the air around each other. The larger Red tries to close a few times, but while their speed in the air is comparable, the Gold proves to be more nimble, finlike wings shifting him just out of reach time after time. Spells are cast between the pair as they test each others defenses. A few moments later, it becomes apparent that Hoondarrh decided he isn't interested in this particular game, and changes the direction of his flight, heading straight for the Zhentarim ships, Protanther starts diving in closer in response, raking at the Red's flanks and wingtips in an attempt to keep him from the real prize on the field. The group headed by Velon will be able to intercept Hoondarrh in moments.
At the Teleportation circle, it is quickly becoming clear that the metallic dragons are losing whatever edge they might have had against the Blue and the red wizards. A huge ball of acid melts a large part of the Silver's wing and he falls. A bit of frantic maneuvering in the air later, and the wounded dragon has shifted to humanoid form and is flying back towards the meeting point riding on his copper companion. The large blue is in pursuit. Without a target in the immediate area, the red wizards turn to start casting... something. It doesn't look like the same ritual used to bring in Hoondarrh, but it is doubtful that the result will be pleasant for the Blaze or their allies.
Meanwhile, Castle Skyreach appears to be having trouble. a large portion of its base is simply missing, the massive chunks of floatstone ripped off by Hoondarrh having soared off into the heavens. Poppo is still navigating towards the meeting point, but the castle is slowly sinking as it goes.
At the meeting point, Dessarra has finally picked up the quill used to sign. She scribbles her signature onto the document, and it glows briefly. The Lantern Archons chime as one, "The signing is complete, we merely need to exchange the physical artifacts and the bargain will be concluded." The devil chimes in, "As a reminder, failure to produce said artifacts at this point results in activation of one or more forfeiture clauses. Under the circumstances, I would suggest praying that your people hurry up. Having that mask stolen incurs a lesser penalty than refusing to hand it over, but it is nevertheless rather unpleasant. As I recall, you are the one who insisted upon making those clauses especially severe Dessarra, I find the irony rather delicious." Dessarra looks angry enough to spitroast the Phistophilus, but she confines herself to watching the pinnace make its way back towards her ships.
Team "Hoondarrh's after brunch snack" can feel free to open fire or do whatever else they have in mind at this point. Alternatively they could shift course to help with the blue dragon situation, though that would involve letting the big red guy sail right on past.
Velon signals to Lia and Perry to spread out to avoid the dragon's breath and the massive girth of the beast itself, leaving Velon closest to Hoondarrh's path. Before Perry and Shadowsnacks use their superior speed to flank wide, however, Shadowsnacks unexpected swoops across the dragon's path briefly. "This isn't the plan Perry. Bob and weave, see, we gotta stick and move, Perry. Why don't you just let me do the flying, eh?" "Trust me Shadowsnacks, this is what we've been preparing for. This is why we're here!"
Perry shouts at Hoondarrh "hear me, tremendous terror of Tiamat, I am Perry Pennington, balladeer of Bahamut's Blaze and servant of Sune! I command you to FLEE!" As he shouts Perry waves his songblade and begins to glow, casting a wide aura of bright purple with streaks of vibrant turquoise and pink. He looks like an angel of the Fay and is both blinding and impossible to look away from. (Command DC 19)(Mantle of Majesty) As Perry tries to force Hoondarrh off perpendicular to his path and away from both the Zhents and the castle the pair of heroes swiftly continue to move and swing wide of the dragon's path, firing eldritch bolts back at Hoondarrh as he draws close.
Bolt 1: 14 Damage: 3
Bolt 2: 15 Damage: 7
Bolt 3: 27 Damage: 6
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Velon tries to size up the rapidly approaching behemoth and figure out how the heck he's going to hit this thing with his hammer. He begins flying away from Hoondarh as he approaches but along the same path, hoping the dragon will close on him more slowly. He looks up in amazement at Perry's majestic transformation as he pulls out his wand and launches Magic Missile 's at the big red machine.
13
Seeing the oncoming threat of the pursued pair, Lawrance prepares to cast a barrier of magic across the blue's path, hoping the impact with the invisible wall does some serious damage to the huge creature. Timing his cast as precisely as he can, he puts the wall in it's flat configuration, a twenty or so feet in front of it's snout, angling the wall downwards to drive the dragon to ground. As the magic leaves his mind, he reaches into his robes for the fake mask, gripping it in his hand.
OOC - at 120 feet range, Wall of Force in front of the blue dragon, as stated. If it hits it, I'm hoping the angle will have some effect on it's direction, as well.
“Can you tell me the difference between a witch and a wizard?"
"Sure, a wizard is what they call you when they want to hire you, and a witch is what they call you when they're getting ready to run you out of town.” SunWolf replied
― Barbara Hambly, The Witches of Wenshar
Poljen sees the metallic dragons returning, pursued by the blue, at quite a distance. He can also see the large red, Hoondarrh, now coming for the meeting, though that beast is being harried by Protanther as well as members of the Blaze. He decides he can best help with the incoming threat and begins to move in the direction of the blue dragon, slowly increasing speed, first to a jog then a run. Once he feels he is close enough to be ready to engage will allow the Madness to wash over him, as he feels it welling up inside him already.
OOC: Not Raging yet, until he is almost range for breath weapon from the dragon, then Rage and be ready to Bonus Dash, etc. Dai, if you need Initiative rolls, DEX saves for the lightning, or anything else, let me know, please.