((No problem from my side. No hard feelings, I hope, that I continued in a steady pace.))

Having taken his time to aim, Minty‘s bolt cuts deep into a less protected area of the chuul‘s chitin carapace. Clearly in pain, the monster confirms the hit with a resounding screech, unsurprising for Minty who knew that this would hurt. What he does find surprising, is that the departing goblin souls have returned. They did leave just as souls usually do but after a few seconds they were back. It seems to Minty that they are hold back by something. 

Meanwhile, the chuul clearly longs to go after Spark but Rizo blocks the direct way, it hesitates momentarily considering its options.

(1-3 the chuul goes after the relic, 4-6 it goes through Rizo) 6

While it certainly urges to pursue Spark, the chuul knows that it can’t reach her and, if it rushes, it would open its backside to Rizo. With its heavy pincers it tries to get hold on Rizo. 

Attack: 20 Damage: 11

Attack: 13 Damage: 11

One of the giant pincer grapple Rizo and push the air out of him until he nearly feints, before it moves him closer into contact with its slimey tentacles. Nearly unconscious, Rizo can do little to avoid the chuul’s questionable affection.

Rizo Con save: 16 vs. DC 13 or poisoned and paralyzed.

Bappy’s turn (Bappy, Rizo and Spark can act simultaneously. Just post when you see this.)

Initiative: Minty (12), Chuul (11), Bappy (9), Rizo (5), Spark (4)

Map:

Quote from cyreon >>

While it certainly urges to pursue Spark, the chuul knows that it can’t reach her and, if it rushes, it would open its backside to Rizo. With its heavy pincers it tries to get hold on Rizo. 

Attack: 20 Damage: 11

Attack: 13 Damage: 11

 Spark uses her reaction on a Blood Curse of the Eyeless, subtracting 2 from the first attack roll.

On her turn, she tries to use the rod to control the chuul before it can cause any more harm.

Seeing Rizo being picked up by the large chuul, Spark tried to blind it with a quick curse at the creature. For a moment it seemed that it might have worked and that it let go, but ultimately the chuul resisted the disturbance and grappled Rizo firmly. Short on breath, Rizo gives a few desperate hand signs to Lily and prepares to drag himself away from the chuul once Lily can get some distance in between them. Just before the fiery butterfly can carry out Rizo's desperate escape effort, the chuul's pincer relaxes and he slips out of the creatures hold and drops to the floor near unconscious. The chuul's stance shifted when Spark evoked the rod's power with the chuul as its target. It regards Spark with its empty black eyes subserviently. With the fighting done, the situation calms down around the area and you make out distant thunder almost like a guttural roar.

(Until the next long rest Spark, or better the holder of the rod, has subdued the chuul with 39 HP left. With a bonus action it can be mentally commanded to do any action in its stat bloc or any other as long as it remains in 30 feet distance to the rod. During the next long rest, it will simply scamper off, unless it died before that.)

(Bappy? Are you still with us?)

The presence of the chuul makes you somewhat uneasy as you are not used to such a creature following your orders, but soon you realise that it can be quite handy to have such a large creature assisting in various tasks like carrying the unconscious tiefling. You know that chuul's have been created by aboleths to serve as their minions. After the aboleths' realm ended, the chuuls remained and continued hoarding treasure. You wonder if this chuul has such a hoard that it might even help you to plunder! Searching the goblins reveals that they do not carry anything else of value other than their weapons and armour (which you may take if you wish). Rizo tries to see to his wounds and can address bleeding but is unable to heal in any significant way. He seems lethargic and you are sure that, while his will keeps him going for now, his body may give in to any amount of further punishment. 

You collect yourself at the entrance of the crevice where you first spotted the chuul and you consider your options. Rizo's participation in any combat will be limited to support and there is a high risk that any stray arrow can take him down, that is if enemies do not pick him outright for the easy target that he poses. You discuss whether you had back to Dolsela or if you head into the crevice. Clearly, if the chuul has a hoard it must be in there. Rizo insists that you should not worry about him but at this point you wonder how realistic he is. That is when you hear another roar, a lot louder this time.

The already low light around you darkens a little more. Concerned, you glance around and check for danger but see nothing on the sandy plateau as far as you can tell. As you raise your head to look up, a massive shadowy mass appears to be falling down from the sky. It doesn’t fall as fast as you would normally expect for air, but it certainly closes in on your position. You strain your eyes as it falls towards you and realise that these are two dragons in a deadly embrace, wrestling for their lives and each intend to kill the other - and they lost control and crash towards you! Petrified you watch as one of them, a dragon turtle, just snapped viciously at the other, an enormous white dragon, that is all tangled up in kelp. The turtle is clearly on its last legs with the white dragon regaining its supremacy as it cuts through its restraints and falling ever closer. The turtle in its death throes tries to rip off one of the dragons wings as they crash not more than 40 ft away from you into the sand. A blast wave of sand is intend to knock you off your feet and provides further evidence if you haven’t trusted your senses until now (DC 10 CON save or prone). Stunned, you look how a heavily battered ancient white dragon emerges from the settling sand cloud, towering over a dead dragon turtle. The dragon notices you immediately and turns its head towards you, hesitating for a moment, which gives you an opportunity. What do you do?

Only Minty notices as well:

The dying dragon turtles soul departs from its former body and, at first, it looked like it would pass on, but then it stops. Not like the goblins' souls who departed from their bodies and were drawn away as if simply following a natural order without a mind of their own but ultimately couldn't, and they continue to float around mindlessly as if trying to find a way that should be obvious but isn't. No, this soul stopped as if conscious about what it is and what it is supposed to do. It assumes barely the shape of its former body and it seems to look intently towards you, Minty. It doesn't approach, or gives any signs of communication but its gaze bores right through your very essence and instills in you a feeling of curiosity.

 

(You have one round to act, then we roll initiative. The dragon is heavily injured and given its hesitancy, it doesn't currently have its (certainly deadly) breath weapon ready. It does look exhausted, which means it used up its legendary actions, too. I want everyone to be on the same page here and understand the risk before you decide what to do. This is a deadly encounter and I want to warn you that engaging the dragon may or may not result in someone or even everyone getting killed. It's reduced threat (CR 9 more or less) but a very high risk/very high reward encounter. The options you have, is to retreat immediately further inside the crevice and essentially avoid the dragon altogether but being forced to continue the adventure, or face the dragon either in combat or any other way you see fit - only remember if you are indecisive, it has more time to recharge its breath.)

Map:

Rizo Con save: 24

Spark's Con save: 12

Spark falls to the ground.  She is willing to risk her own life to rid the world of an ancient white dragon, but not to force her companions to risk theirs.  Either way, a distraction will help, she thinks to herself.

She tries to pick herself up as she recalls what Isivunguvungu told her about white dragons.  Powerful, yes, but not exactly smart - perhaps she could trick it like she tricked the goblins, especially considering that she knows its language.  She uses Minor Illusion to create her best impression of the voice of a dragon turtle at R26.  "Die, abomination!", the voice shouts in Draconic.  Over the next minute, it will continue to shout Draconic insults.

As she stands up, she uses her bonus action to make some more Magic Stones, as she tries to see what her companions are doing.

Minty makes "eye" contact with the Dragon Turtle, and in exaggerated Draconic (in case it needs to read his lips) asks it why it is not moving on. 

To his companions, he shouts. "They are all dying wrong.  Head into the crevice.  Fighting in the open is folly. If the dragon follows maybe we can find something to hid behind."  If the others agree, he will head further into the split in the rock.

Rizo agrees with Minty, “The crevice isn’t wide enough for the dragon! We can escape into it.” Just in case Rizo infuses his club as [spell]Shillelagh[\spell] and dons his shield, before following into the crevice if anyone hears there.

The white dragon’s gaze settled on you and his voice  booms, “Run! Hide! Hesitate and feel my wrath!” His words turn into a chuckle, but out of breath, the final chuckle turns into a cough. Its head spins to the side at the sudden appearance of a dragon turtle’s voice.

(the dragon will be distracted for one turn trying to judge the danger to him, effectively investigating. If you want to move around you can still do that, and Minty has his action still. Otherwise, that was the surprise round. Let’s roll initiative.)

Minty only:

Having used most of her movement to stand up, Spark retreats as far as she can, to V22.

Spark's initiative: 14

In Draconic. Minty says "If you see a light, I would suggest moving towards it, I suppose."  

Minty then moves into the crevice and tries to hide behind whatever cover he can find to cover the retreat of his companions.

Stealth Roll:  13 

With the dragon momentarily distracted by Spark's illusion, your retreat into the crevice is uneventful. Quickly you round a corner and are out of the dragon's view. The crevice is just wide enough for a large creature to pass, so you needn't worry that the dragon would follow you in here. The path you follow is sandy and sloped slightly downwards, it gets darker with every step. After another turn, at the crevice's side wall, you find a cave entrance into the rock itself. While the entrance is just big enough for a large creature, like the chuul, to enter, on the inside it opens into a pitch black space, somewhat large as you can judge from the acoustics. You can't see the extend of the space but you make out a path that would lead deeper into it. Here you could have a short rest if you wish or press forward, or anything else you find interesting to do. 

(Is Bappy still with us? We haven't seen or heard anything since a week. For the time being we bank his experience and if he doesn't return, we divide that between us. That said, everyone can record 1050 XP.)

Spark puts away her shield, reducing her AC to 18 for the time being but allowing her to use her sling while also controlling the chuul.

"How is everyone doing?  I am not badly hurt, but a rest would let me recover a bit of my power."

"Since this fight with the mummies, I haven't been able to recover my strength, I pretty sure I've caught something there, some disease or such. I hope they can help in town. But don't worry, I'll do my best to keep up. A little rest can't hurt, I think." 

In the spacious cave you have time to rest peacefully and uneventful for one hour. Refreshed, most of you that is, you are eager to go on. But which way should you go? Will you try your chances back with the dragon who certainly had time to rest and recover as well, or will you follow the downwards winding path deeper into the absolute darkness of the cave? 

Spark rests and recovers some of her power.  "No way to go now but forwards, I suppose.  I don't think we have much chance against the dragon now that it's had a chance to rest."

"You're probably right," agrees Rizo, "We need to find another way out of this."