Diary of Zaaz Bloodfortune
Finally, we are within the fortress, but I wonder if we have made the right choice. Immediately, after we charge in Dalomar locks them, yet in moments we can hear the doors clang and crash as the Hydras outside try to follow. Without, there is enough to give us pause, and yet we know little of what waits within. We’ve no way to seal the doors effectively, so soon we may be pressed on both fronts.
In the brief respite we take the time to renew protective magics and heal. Dalomar scouts ahead and soon warns us something large is approaching. Ahead, he tells us, there are several paths and a room that opens up and has several bone statues arranged. Before anything can get to us from the front, a crash from behind shows us that my fears were well founded. The hydras break in and move towards us. Sadobras casts plant growth on some shoots he brought with and manages to slow them down. Tauvum, once again draws a scroll and begins to read. As they seem to have matters in hand, I move forward to see what approaches from the right, only to start back at the sight of some kind of dragon bone golem creature.
Back at the Hydras, Yoska strikes at one and a flurry of elemental magics all seem to spark at once. Tauvum finishes his scroll with a shout and a strange black lantern appears. Flying around it, five large Escorite Death Moths come forth, shooting black rays at the hydras. A palpable aura of inevitability shines from them, shaking our enemies. Their end approaches and the Moths are the harbingers.
Sadobras moves up to engage one of the golems and manages to drop a 10’ pit in its way, hampering it’s ability to retaliate. Slicing quickly on my arm to coat my dagger in blood, I quickly draw a symbol on the ground and begin summoning a Cuestodaemon. Once the daemon comes forth into our world, I command it to attack the golem and it blasts at it with its fiery breath. The construct strikes it back and suddenly a bone cage flies from one of the pedestals and surrounds me.
The next few minutes are mostly a blur. One moment Sadobras is hard pressed, the next the Cuestodaemon dimension doors him to safety. The moths fly in and one of the constructs turns to dust. Freed of my prison, I jump to Nevrah and dimension door us both to safety. Dalomar moves like an acrobat, springing in and out of the fray. Snori exploring and bringing more to attack us. More golems, these made of glass, that inflict terrible wounds that bleed profusely. One by one we manage to smash the enemies in our way, yet my magic wanes. My hexes have no real effect on constructs and so I must needs use my spells, which are quickly running out.
Somehow, we manage to finish off the hydras and golems, yet more dragonkin are headed in from outside. White, Copper, and red dragonkin move to attack us. Luckily for me, these are no immune to my special magics and I call forth retribution on my enemies. Each attack made by the white only serves to damage itself. I use enervation to remove even more of his life.
Dalomar moves up and strikes several times at the red dragonkin, killing it as Snori harasses the copper. Yoska finishes off the white dragonkin and we all turn towards the remaining foe. Combining our attacks, Dalomar moves up with a disorienting strike, a hex of agony lashes it with pain, as Yoska moves in and finishes him off.
All immediate opponents finished, we quickly heal again and start to move forward. Snori warns us not to go into a Kitchen area he has found as his wife is in there. I would ask more details, but I fear Snori would drag me into whatever realm of insanity he dwells within. Continuing to explore, we find a shrine to Dahak, evil god of chromatic dragons. Dalomar continues to scout and finds a room with the sound of something within. Another door he unlocks and finds a magnificently decorated room. Another door has a dining area. In another he finds a figuring of wonderous power that summons a bronze dragon.
Snori, who has been exploring as well finds prison cells and then a training room with a woman and he chats with her a bit.
Having looked at the other doors, Dalomar opens the door that he had heard something within. A Huge 8-legged white bear is within. Dalomar recognizing it as a Kokogiak, a magical beast of high intelligence and very dangerous, closes the door. Soon though it comes out into the hall and begins to attack us. Yoska pushes me out of the way. Casting tongues on myself, I try to negotiate with it, but either it still doesn’t understand or it ignores me. I try to stop it or slow it down with a web, but it breathes cod in attack. Snori pulls out a wasps nest from somewhere and throws it at the bear’s feet. The swarm of wasps does come out and attack the bear, but it does so little damage the bear just ignores the swarm. Yoska moves in and strikes at the creature several times. I try to use an Agony hex, but the bear just shakes it off. The Kokogiak bites Yoska and strikes at him with six of his claws. Poor yoska is wounded but fights on. I call forth a sleep hex, but again it shakes it off. Snori somehow makes his weapon a bane weapon vs Kokogiaks and strikes at it surprisingly hard. Tauvum tries to support with his bow, but misses as the creature breaks cold on Snori, Yoska, and I. Yoska lets out a yell and moves forward, hitting and killing the creature.
We continue exploring and find a library with dragon size books, the dragons toilet, and a work room for making golems. In the work room, we find several scrolls and reagents worth much gold. Unable to understand the woman who had been in the training room, Snori brings me over to talk with her. I learn that her name is Cesser of Ning and is a Quigong monk and Yukara warrior from the Immortal Suzeranity of Ning. She tells us she is honor bound to report us to the dragon unless we have a champion spar with her. Snori, insists that he wants to battle the woman, so we all move to the arena. There, she uses some kind of strange medusa strike and hits Snori with a barrage of strikes. Snori, wavering so badly it’s a wonder he can stand strikes back and somehow takes the monk down in one strike, both falling unconscious. While she lays there, we debate if we should finish her off, but decide that since she fought honorably, perhaps she needn’t be killed. Once she awakens, she tells us that she feels that though she came under honorable pretense, this place isn’t honorable anymore. That she wants to leave, but can’t assist us in the fight. She can’t fight for us, but she does tell us how to get to where the dragon is. Also, from her we learn that the white bear was a barbarian leader being recruited by the dragon. She also tells us that the dragon is on a large, very slippery platform and that he has a nest with great treasures.
So now we must decide. Continue our attack and strike at the dragon when most of our magics are in their ebb. Or, retreat for now, knowing the dragon could leave or bring in more allies, yet we would attack with all our power. I feel as if I’ve passed another barrier of self with all the fighting we have done and that could I but commune with Grr, I could bring forth a whole new range of magics. Bloodied and tired, I look at my companions and feel sure I know what their choice will be….
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