Dex Saving Throw: 22

(Post incoming)

The air turns to ozone and Gunra smells the danger.  It brought him back to earlier times, simpler times watching Vixgixarej learn to hunt.  He knew what was coming.  A prayer to Asgorath, a verbal component is uttered, but it dies on his lips.  One of the rules had been 'no magic'.  Instead he brings up his shield again directing the worst of it into the battered aegis.

Still standing, if only just, Gunra spits blood into the mix of ash and dirt.

"No magic tricks, huh?  Are you going to pretend there is nothing magical about the breath of a dragon?"

His indignation is punctuated by another desperate attack.

"Are you going to pretend there was nothing magical in the way you ran here?" Cyanwrath snarls back.

The axe hits him, but the force behind it makes no visible impact, not even leaving a scratch on the half-dragon's hard scales (AC 17). He laughs.

"...Pitiful." He snarks. "Is that really all you got? Is this a joke? Are you seriously the strongest warrior this pathetic town has to offer? No wonder this raid was so easy!"

Gunra, he's lowering his guard as he's boasting in front of you. Attack again, and roll with advantage.

"Fair enough," grunts Gunra.  He should have known the minor enchantment would have been apparent to such a keen eye.  He was outmatched, but he couldn't stop here.  He had a feeling that forfeiting his life (and the challenge) would not please Cyanwrath enough to honor their bargain.  He brings the axe around, ignoring the searing pain in his side.

Attack: 12 Damage: 12

Nurm watches the fight silently, worried about the Gunra's fate. Seeing that his companion is most likely not going to win, he turn to his remaining companions and the mayor.

We should use this distraction to our advantage. Most of the cultist are currently distracted by the fight, if you want to sneak your people out of here, this might be the right time.

Inside the Keep:

"...Right." Nighthill finally says, looking away from the fight as he answers to Nurm. He turns to Kane and Petmailer. "Bring in the kids and the women, they should get in first and get ahead as much as possible in case the cultists notice something is up. Escobert, open the door to the tunnel, let's get everyone moving!"

Escobert walks to the sally port and removes a large painting on the wall next to it, revealing a locked ironbound door. He opens the locks with with a key, revealing the dark and narrow tunnel.

"Governor, you should go ahead. I'll stay here to retrieve Gunra and the prisioners..." Eadyan suggest, then turns when he hears Cyanwrath dealing another blow. It sounds like the battle is coming to an end.

Outside the Keep:

Gunra, you strike once again... And watch as the strong hit of your battleaxe barely does anything to him. 

Langdedrosa Cyanwrath raises his sword. He speaks in Draconic. "Tell the Creator of Dragonkind I said hello"

He strikes.

Against Gunra:

If it hits and Gunra falls to 1 or 0 HP, he strikes again while he's down, trying to stab him in the heart through the plastron.

Kane gathers the kids and Leyding. “Come on, we are leaving. He carries Zirca to order to not slow down. He takes his hand and rubs Leyding’s mane to reassure her that everything was going to be okay.

"I'll stay too," Harmony decides. She has been watching the fight on the balls of her feet, wincing at every blow, ready to rush in as soon as it's over. The battle has been horribly one-sided thus far, and she fears Eadyan will need all the help he can get to drag Gunra to safety after.

Gunra doesn't have enough time for a biting retort. He's too winded, moves too slow. The blade comes down and carves through his shell and hide and muscle. He's out before he hits the ground, weight pulling him back and leaving his ventral side wide open for the coup de grace.

Petmailer shouts out “Nooo!!”  He runs down the he steps and over to Eadyan, “We have to move quickly, he will be gone soon if we don’t get out to him.  Open the gate!”   Petmailer shouts “Ok Cyanwrath, you have had your fun and enough blood has been spilled for one day.  Let us have our warrior and the hostages, please honor the deal that we made.”  

Ignoring Petmailer's shouts, Cyanwrath raises his sword once more when he sees that Gunra is still breathing, but gets stopped by the masked man.

"Sir, let's no waste any more time here. The eggs are surely needing care from someone who actually has dragon blood on their veins..."

Cyanwrath hisses at him, annoyed, but nods nevertheless. "Let's go, boys! The party is over!"

As Nighthill orders the gate open, the masked man cuts the rope keeping the woman and the children bound while Cyanwrath takes Mentha and throws her in the Governor's direction like a sack of potatoes. He catches her in time. "We are going for now, but don't get the wrong idea: Soon, everything and everyone will bow to the Dragon Queen, and all rebels will perish on her fire!"

He turns to leave, his army of kobolds following behind him. The masked man gives a last glance towards the Keep and the group before following them.

Eadyan quickly comes out of the Keep and seems about to try to follow the masked half-elf, but turns back with an aguished expression to check on Gunra instead. Relieved that the tortle is still hanging onto life, he puts a hand over the mortal wound as he prays an incantation. "Chauntea, O Great Mother, please plant a seed of life on this injured warrior, let this seed of prayer yield a harvest of blessings, for his time is not over yet..."

To Gunra:

Meanwhile, a villager with a healer kit takes a look on Mentha and the injured teen while the priest is busy. Sara runs to her brother as soon as she's free and hugs him, apologizing awkwardly when she presses his broken arm painfully. Markguth doesn't mind too much.

Back at the entrance of the tunnel, Linan and Cuth walk first into the tunnel to make sure is safe, while Kane walks closely behind with the kids and Leyding, carrying Zirca. You hear the little girl whisper. "...I'm afraid of the dark."

As soon as they are sure is safe, other villagers start to follow.

“It’s okay. I’ll be right with you.“ If the villagers have torches, Kane casts Thaumaturgy to brighten them. “Everyone! Stay together! Find a buddy to stay with.” Kane takes Leyding’s hand to keep her close. 

Harmony rushes out after Eadyan and hovers behind him, ready to help if needed. Once she's sure that Gunra is okay, she heads over to the children and helps them up. "Come on. Let's get inside. You'll be okay now."

Gunra's eyes slowly ease open as the puncture in his chest starts to knit together. Seeing Eadyen above him, he musters a weak half-smile.

"I am glad you are a better healer than I am a fighter.  I did not like my chances, but that. . . was humiliating."

Noticing the exodus of the villagers, and feeling satisfied that the captives were being tended to, he hobbles back to retrieve his old shield, then makes to follow the group, moving with the last of the people.  His shoulders are slumped, and his steps are heavier than usual.

After he sees that Gunra is being cared for, Petmailer goes to Mentha immediately, and helps her along, into the keep.  "You're so brave Mentha, none of us would be alive without your actions today.  I know that you feel like shit right now, but we will help you, and we will save what matters with Greenest, its people."  As the gate to the keep slowly closes, he looks back at Cyanwrath and thinks "I'm not done with you.  Your time will come."  He quickly sends a message to Leosin, "Stay safe, give us intel when you can, don't know what your play is here, tell us how to help."   

After waiting for any reply and after the gate is closed, he goes to Nighthill, Escobert, Eadyan, and the rest of the party and says quietly "That was Leosin behind the mask, standing next to Cyanwrath, I messaged him and he replied.  I don't know what his play is here, but it is a dangerous one.  Do you know Eadyan?  We need to continue the evacuation and stay clear of the cultists."  

One other thing that you all may have noticed, when Petmailer shot the arrow into the drake, is that the arrow blurred and glowed slightly, seeming almost magical as it pierced its neck.  His hands moved in a blur as his arm became one with the arrow.  Then it was gone.

Nurm joins the folks that rush out of the gates to save Gunra and the prisoners. His knowledge of non-gith medicine is quite limited, so tries to at least be useful by assisting others. When he sees Gunra is trying to stand up and walk, Nurm closes his eyes. The crystal on his neckstarts to shine like none of you have seen before. The air and even the space around it starts to shimmer and Gunra suddenly feels lighter than before ((See the spoiler)).

When everyone return to keep. Nurm talks to his present companions and the Mayor.

Your duel bought us some time. We are in your debt Gunra, but now we must not waste what we have gained. Mayor you should finish the evacuation as soon as you are able. You should not stay here for any other day. As for us, we should regain as much strength as we can and leave for the camp immediately.

To Petmailer:

Mentha recovers consciousness. "...Thank you." She says, but her voice still sounds bitter for what happened. "I hope none of those people will think of me as weak now that saw me so pathetic there."

"What you did there was still impressive, my friend" Eadyan says to Gunra. "Those people are alive thanks to what you did, I wouldn't call that humilliating"

When he confirms that Gunra is now fine, he returns to the group. "Leosin has been researching dragon cults for years, and I'm sure he understands those ruffians better than we do, but..." He shakes his head. "I think that infiltrating them is too dangerous, even for him. If the cult discovers him, he will be killed!"

"Well, nothing we can do about that now" Escobert shurgs, and goes into the tunnel.

Nighthill is more thoughtful. "If he's a knowledgeable as you say, I'm sure he'll be fine"

Then he turns to anyone still at the Keep. "Shall we go then?" He asks, before entering the tunnel himself, Eadyan following closely behind.

It's dark inside the tunnel, but some of the townsfolk had been trying to light torches. They get a little spooked by Kane's spell suddenly brightening the dim flames, but they welcome the help afterwards.

"It's like the cave of a dragon!" You hear Roladd say, his voice echoed by the tunnel's walls.

Before going inside, however, the Governor turns to Nurm. "You should rest here, in the tunnel. That way, if the cult comes back, they won't find you."

Petmailer is in favor of resting in a safe spot, either in the tunnel as Nighthill suggests, or in a nearby safe spot.  "If we keep a rotating watch they may not guess that we would stay here.  I only need 4 hours, I can keep watch the rest of the night.  You look to be in worse shape than me.  Afterward we will make for their camp and see what we can find out.  What say you?"  He switches back to his usual leather armor and stores his Pride Silk armor and mask.  Before we leave he searches for any arrows and any studded leather armor that he can find.  He turns to Gunra, "Are you going to keep Markguth's shield?  You really attacked his sword with your shell and the shield really well."  He lets out a slight s******, ribbing his tortle friend.  

Gunra smiles wryly at Petmailer's jest.

"I didn't know who it belonged to, to be honest.  In his way, I guess he did end up protecting his wife, eh?"

He breaks away from the party, taking a moment to search for Markguth and return the man's shield.

Kane stays with the kids and Leyding. “Don’t worry, we are heading to another town called Ireibor. You will be safe there. 

Kane looks back at Gunra. When Gunra looks at him, Kane gives him a big thumbs up. 

Hea tries to his best to concentrate in order to keep the flames bright.