Summary of Events:
When we left our adventurers last, they stood at the edge of the dense island jungle assessing the danger ahead:
- 1 giant and very much active volcano
- 1 deep chasm with a molten river at its bottom
- 1 bridge across the aforementioned chasm
- 5 kobold-built towers containing 3 defending kobolds each
- 1 strong hunch of a nasty red dragon inside
- 0 idea of what other dangers may lie ahead
After much deliberation, the party agreed upon an infiltration strategy. Operation Mockingbird is a clever 3-legged plan. First, they tie themselves together to look like a convoy of prisoners. Second, they use Silent Image in combination with Minor Illusion to create a fake kobold that is “bringing them in.” Third, they walk straight through the front door. Brilliant. One might even call it foolproof.
They set their plan into motion and start to cross the bridge. Halfway across, one of the kobolds on the nearest tower calls out in draconic; it’s Iolair’s time to shine. The half-elf, impersonating the illusory kobold, calls out in common: “Boy uhhh…you’ll never believe what happened. I gotta take these scum to the boss. The mean lookin’ one back there cursed me something wicked, I’ll tell ya. Made me downright forget how to speak draconic!”
Several pairs of kobold eyes grow wide with a look of confusion and horror as the party approaches the far end of the bridge. Without warning, the sword-wielding arms of the gargoyle statues on either side of the bridge extend outward and begin to rotate, slashing everything and everyone in their path.
Horrified, the kobolds question their colleague further. How could he walk directly into the bridge trap? Iolair provides a clever response: “It’s this damn curse. Things are real foggy. Whatever you do, don’t touch me! This thing is contagious. C’mon man, help me turn these damn things off!
Hesitant, the kobold guards provide no more than a hint. “You’ll have to say the boss’s name.”
Iolair thinks back on his dream from the night previous. Upon muttering the name Tuckerthranx, the statues come to a halt. The adventurers lean into their roles as prisoners, determined to sell their deception and avoid confrontation. Ren, as if spitting out venom, growls “Stupid goddamn kobold” in infernal. Chonka wails out in distress and her centurion friend does his best to console her, “It..wIll aLl…bE oKay..tHEre..ThEre..” Speechlessly aghast, the kobolds fall for the dramatic ruse and kick-off phase three of Operation Mockingbird:
Walk right through the front door.
Just within the volcano, the adventurers encounter a half-dragon lieutenant named Ankor. He immediately demands to know what’s going on and why prisoners have been brought to the distillery. He reaches out to grab the arm of the illusory kobold and is enraged when he discovers that his hand swings through the illusion. Intending to bring the infiltrators to his boss, Ankor starts to tighten the restraints on the five adventurers. While he’s distracted, Azu charges forward to attack with his handaxes. Iolair casts Maximillian’s Earthen Grasp, but fails to restrain the half-dragon. Ankor responds with a roaring assault of Fire Breath.
As the fight continues kobold guards advance on the group from the south. Ren and Rota slash away at Ankor, overwhelming him with their feats of dexterity. As Azu incinerates a handful of kobolds with his Burning Hands, he discovers another dozen kobolds charging toward them to join the fray. Iolair hurls a Fireball toward the mob and they meet a fiery death, completely engulfed in the arcane inferno.
Ankor, desperate to survive, smashes a barrel of Red Claw on the ground and screams for help. Ren throws his dagger at the half-dragon and vanishes in a puff of raven feathers, reappearing at the blade as it finds purchase in the lieutenant’s leg, killing him. Ah yes, the femoral artery.
With Operation Mockingbird unraveled and unaware of what may lie ahead, the party stages some barrels of Red Claw toward the entrance that leads deeper into the volcano. They step back and Azu looses a flaming arrow at the barrel. Their “knock” is returned by an enormous explosion as the first barrel causes several others in the adjacent room to explode in a devastatingly forceful chain reaction. Each party member is thrown backward by the explosion and knocked unconscious by the impact. The heat of a dozen suns can be felt on their faces as their vision fades to black.
When the party returns to consciousness, they find themselves looking up toward a large platform that they had seen before in their dreams. Looking around, they notice that Azu is not with them. Between the adventurers and the platform is a vast pool of molten lava. As they begin to stir, a large and furious-looking red dragon lumbers forward to perch on the edge of the platform. Tuckerthranx. Tendrils of smoke pour out from between the points of the dragon’s razor-sharp maw as it leers down at them from above as if they were bugs that require squashing.
Hoping to catch the dragon distracted, Azu charges from a nearby platform and leaps through the air in a plunging attack with the Channeler’s Spike. Azu’s attack misses and the dragon lurches forward, snatching Azu in his scaley claws.
Tuckerthranx grins menacingly and addresses the other adventurers: “You have no clue of how much trouble you’ve landed yourself in” the dragon growls.
The party watches in horror as he clamps his jaw down on Azu’s head and rips it clean off.
Session End.
RIP Azu Kar - Roseguard in Absentia of Roseport - Tuesday July 27th, 2021
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