Tyranny of Dragons

The phantom lets out one final, hollow scream as the divine magic tears it away, its claws reaching for Langdedrosa until the last instant before it vanishes.

For a moment, Akkron says nothing.

Then the lich laughs. It is not a laugh of amusement. It is dry, bitter, and exhausted.

Of course, Akkron says. Three strikes in a breath. Healing enough to close mortal wounds many times over. The blessing to deny death itself. Resistance to fate. And now the power to banish the dead who stand against you.

He turns his empty gaze briefly toward the dragon, then back to Langdedrosa.

You called him mortal.

Akkron grips his staff, his robes torn, his ancient body cracked from the blows he has already endured.

I came to this town alone. I saved your victims from the temple. I held the gate. I helped preserve their food. I stood here because your dragon promised that win or lose, Greenest would be spared.

His voice drops lower.

So come then, Langdedrosa. Spend every blessing your queen has given you. Strip away every ally, every spell, every scrap of power I have left. But when I fall, everyone here will know what it took for your champion to defeat one exhausted corpse.

Akkron does not retreat. He raises his staff one more time.

He casts Fireball on Langdedrosa. He isn't even pretending to expect victory anymore against a creature that seems designed to counter everything that he can throw at it. But he will still fight to make this monster earn that victory. DC 21 Dex save vs 23 fire damage.

[[OOC: Well, that was a short campaign...]]

Langdedrosa takes the fire damage and grunts with pain as Akkron dealt him some grievous wounds internally.  "Do you yield then? I will honor the bargain either way. Win or lose I will leave this town with the others" 

Akkron considers for a moment.

You are an honorable foe, he says at last. I will not pretend that I can beat you... so I will yield and our bargain be fulfilled. Take your armies and leave these innocents.

He reaches out a skeletal hand to shake with the draconic warrior.

Langdedrosa plants his great sword in the dirt and shakes Akkron's hand. There is look that passed between you and it is clear it is respect. "If we had met under different circumstances..." He says no more and just leaves after making sure the prisoners are freed. 

The blue dragon seems to be amused as it flies away from Greenest. 

Minutes pass and all is quiet save for a few homes still on fire. The keep's gate is opened and stepping out from the crowd of townsfol and militiamen is the elderly cleric. She walks over and gives Akkron a hearty slap on his back "Well done lad. I still believe you would be happier in the afterlife but if you ever need healing come to me. My name is Althea" Maybe it's the moonlight but there seems to be a twinkle of power in her eyes. 

My happiness is irrelevant when I still have work to do, Akkron sighs. My daughter's blood still cries for justice. Those I care for still suffer. When my work is done, perhaps I will finally be ready to rest.

With that, he lets out another sigh and enters the keep, where he promptly collapses after the absolutely grueling ordeal he's just been through. If nothing else happens, he falls still as the dead taking a Long Rest. To onlookers, it likely appears that true death has claimed their terrifying savior.

But in four hours time he stirs... his bones clicking together unnervingly as he slowly rises to his feet, leaning heavily on his staff.

There are murmurs if someone should move your remains, but Althea shoos them away saying something about Akkron being to too stubborn to die. When you awaken it is still night with sadness in the air and the lingering smell of smoke as the townsfolk go about preparing their dead for burial. Standing nearby is Castellan Rorf "Good you are awake. Come, the Governor want to speak with you" 

Once ready he guides Akkron to Governor Nighthill's study. He looks a sight better than the last time you saw him though still wincing when he moves. "I spoke to the survivors, and I found out what happened to Leosin. He was taken captive at the start of this madness. For your courage and aid I wish I can give you more, but I can give you this." he pulls out of his desk 4 superior health potions. "Be careful if you plan to follow the raiders. Well at least their tracks should be easy to follow. Know that if you ever need a place to rest you can always come back to Greenest" 

I cannot say that I am surprised he has found himself in trouble again, Akkron says with a sigh. I will need to prepare for what is to come.

He pauses... there is something he he both wants and hates to do. Something terrible, but necessary.

Leave two of the dead, he says after a moment. From among the raiders. There is something I must do so that I am not overwhelmed easily again. I am sorry about this, but it is what I must do to protect the innocent.

When all but two of the dead have been removed, Akkron casts Create Undead at 8th-level to create two Wights. Each has 20 bonus HP and +6 damage on its weapon attacks.

You once fought to destroy the innocent, he tells the two wights. Now you will serve me to protect the world from the forces of evil.

The wights stand ready to heed your every command. Though some townsfolk give you a wide berth others appreciate using whatever is needed to survive. With your horse under you it is easy to follow the path of the raiders as they cut a swath through the grasslands towards the northeast. The tracks then turn eastward leading to a plateau shaped like a horseshoe with the valley in between filled with fires, tents made of hides and the sound of drunken celebration. It is an impressive sight to see so many. Near the entrance is a watchtower.

Akkron stops far enough from the entrance as to not be seen. Dawn is an hour away. 

The Entrance is at Level 1

Akkron makes himself comfortable and conducts a ritual... specifically, Find Familiar. An hour and 10 minutes later, a hawk appears.

Go, he whispers to the hawk. Fly over the camp and show me where the prisoners are.

He waits for the hawk to do reconnaissance while he stands beside the two wights. Right now, his plan is to scout out the location of the prisoners and then mount a rescue under cover of darkness, the following evening unless it looks like the prisoners are in imminent danger.

Also, with the dawn, Akkron's staff regains 11 charges

The hawk soars through the air and peers across the raider's camp with its keen eyes and spies people trussed up on wooden frames at Number 2 near the large tent. From your experience you know that tent is the command tent. 

Akkron nods.

You have done well, he tells the bird, before turning his attention to the two wights. At nightfall we will strike and recover those who have been mercilessly abducted. You will fight for me and will do what must be done to right the wrong that you both played a part of in life.

Create Undead lasts 24 hours, so there should be plenty of time before nightfall, as he likely created the wights shortly before leaving. If not, Akkron proceeds to ritual-cast Leomund's Tiny Hut to wait out the remainder of the day, taking a Long Rest in the process to restore that 8th-level spell slot to recast Create Undead before entering the camp under cover of nightfall. He remains quiet, but aware throughout the course of the day, plotting exactly how to best approach the rescue mission.

Waiting for nightfall 12 hours will pass by. So, 22 hours have passed for the wights.

Many of the raiders sleep during the day and rouse in the late afternoon to carouse once more. 

Currently it is Night Day 2.

Akkron & the two wights approach.

The lich casts seeming to change his and the monsters' appearances to generic dragon soldiers so they can sneak into the camp without much scrutiny, especially under the dim light of evening.

Akkron approaches first.

Stealth: 9

The wights follow a bit behind, also trying to be a bit stealthy.

Stealth: 22
Stealth: 18

Akkron uses his Inspiration to re-roll that Stealth: 21

Quote from Mister_Whisker >>

This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.

Akkron & the two wights approach.

The lich casts seeming to change his and the monsters' appearances to generic dragon soldiers so they can sneak into the camp without much scrutiny, especially under the dim light of evening.

Akkron approaches first.

Stealth: 9

The wights follow a bit behind, also trying to be a bit stealthy.

Stealth: 22
Stealth: 18

Quote from Mister_Whisker >>

Akkron uses his Inspiration to re-roll that Stealth: 21

 
Akkron is a bit concerned that only 2 hours are left for the wights, but his plan right now is to have them make a distraction while he's getting the hostages out. Akkron has no desire to fight a camp full of these raiders to the death. He's here to get Leosin and as many other captives as he can out of the camp and disappear into the night.

Akkron weaves his way through the camp, and you see these raiders a mix of humans and kobolds celebrating what they have taken. Some play at dagger catch where they toss a dagger back and forth and the first person to fail to catch or lose a finger forfeits. Eventually Akkron arrives at the edge of the clearing around the command tent. It's a sizable space that no one enters.

Prowling nearby are guard drakes 3 in total that keep an eye on the prisoners

You see 3 people trussed up on wooden frames shaped like an X. A woman with sharp features and an imperious noble bearing to her even while shackled up. Next to her is Leosin Erlanthar slumped unconscious. And the last is an elf man with skin as pale as moonlight and hair the color of wheat with a diadem made of mithril. 

Akkron considers for a moment... then casts Hold Monster at 7th-level to paralyze the three guard drakes. Each must make a DC 21 Wis save or be Paralyzed.

The guard drakes are paralyzed. 

Beware at Level 3 there is a watchtower overlooking the area.

Someone in the watchtower may have Darkvision. 

Akkron considers a moment... then carefully slides around the tent and he and his two wights begin working on picking off the paralyzed guard drakes one at a time while they are unable to raise an alarm from a position where the tower cannot see them. He has each of his wights shoot at the closest drake with their Necrotic Bows, while Akkron himself attacks with a whispered Ray of Frost at the same guard drake. The plan is to kill each of them in succession quietly so that the guard tower is unlikely to notice. The attacks are at advantage because the drakes are paralyzed. The wights also have bonus damage from Undead Thralls.

Ray of Frost vs. Guard Drake 1:
Attack: 33 Damage: 19

Necrotic Bow vs. Guard Drake 1:
Attack: 19 Damage: 11 (piercing) + 2 (necrotic) = 13
Attack: 17 Damage: 15 (piercing) + 1 (necrotic) = 16

Necrotic Bow vs. Guard Drake 1:
Attack: 16 Damage: 9 (piercing) + 6 (necrotic) = 15
Attack: 24 Damage: 19 (piercing) + 3 (necrotic) = 22

If the Guard Drake 1 died before the final attack landed, the arrow is instead unleashed at Guard Drake 2