March 29, 2013

Sins of the Saviors

Players present: Elora (Sally), Azalyn (Shelley), Bastian (Casey), Orden (Mike), Sirilenda (Melissa)

The dragon swept down from the clear mountain air, appearing suddenly above the heroes. Unimaginably cold air and ice shards spewed from the dragon's maw, the icy breath penetrating instantly to the surprised hero's bones. Before they could regroup or cast defensive spells the breath was on them again, biting their exposed flesh and freezing their joints. When the dragon passed beyond them, Elora lay lifeless of the hill, her pale skin encased by a thin layer of frost. Her companions knew from the numbing of their hands and feet that they would not survive a third blast.

Orden shouted for them to grasp hands as he used his dimensional steps to join the others. He cast teleport to bring his companions, including Elora's body, immediately back to the warmth and safety of Sandpoint, where Elora was quickly revived. Cold, shaken, and grateful to be alive, their surprise and fear eventually gave way to excitement and determination. This dragon needed killing!

They hatched a plan to hunt the beast, but this time they prepared for his freezing breath. The next day they returned to the statue encircled hill, slushing through fresh fallen snow beneath a cloud covered sky. There, they activated one of the statues, triggering the loud ping they hoped would rouse the dragon once more. They waited anxiously, weapons drawn and ready. After tense moments that seemed unending, the dragon pounced unexpectedly.

Fog erupted around them obscuring their vision, leaving them momentarily confused. Then suddenly they were caught in the dragon's roaring breath agin. The freezing air and daggers of ice assaulted them, but this time dispersed harmlessly into Orden's protection from energy. Sirilenda then dispelled the magical fog, revealing the hovering wyrm. Bastian called on the might of his diety, Sarenrae, to empower his companions with the smite evil ability, which they focused on the dragon.

Elora, strengthened by Bastian's smite, pelted the dragon with carefully aimed arrows. The wounded serpent cast invisibility and began circling the party from the air, gliding noiselessly around the hill. Soon, walls of ice sprang up around the heroes, and they realized he was attempting to separate them. A cage of ice formed around Bastian, but the others managed to avoid being trapped. 

While Bastian cut himself out of the ice, Sirilenda flew away from the group and cast see invisibility to look for their foe, without success. While she was drawn away from her companions the dragon sprang, mauling Sirilenda in his jaw. She recovered from the injury quickly though, and coated him in glitterdust before he could become invisible again. Elora loosed her arrows at the exposed dragon, wounding it further and driving it off. 

The enormous beast sped quickly away from the group, but could not outpace Sirilenda's dimension door pursuit. Taking the rest of the party with her, she appeared beneath the dragon, providing Elora an opportunity for a few more shots. The arrows bounced harmlessly off the creature's scales, and in a moment the dragon was beyond them again, flying toward the mountains. Once more Sirilenda carried the group within striking distance, and once more Elora took aim. The arrows struck true, piercing the dragon's heart, but not before he closed his jaws on Sirilenda one final time, crushing the life from her.

The heroes stood over the slain, contemplating their next steps...