Recon Plan Alpha (And Bravo)
After an uneventful night the companions started to lay their plans.
Bootsy looked thoughtfully out the door toward the fortress. “We should recon first. See if there are any other ways in. I don’t like the idea of knocking on the main entrance. What resources do we have?”
Tristan pulled a dark object from his pack. “You know, we’ve never figured out what this spider figurine does. I found it way back in the cockroach tunnels. Could you take a look with your monocle?”
Bootsy brought out his eyepiece and sat down to study the black banded red jasper statuette.
“How much rope do we have? Could we climb to the top?” Frankie asked.
“We have plenty of rope but it would be a challenging climb,” answered Wencis.
The companions sat in quiet though for a short time.
Bootsy looked up from his work. “We should go in from the top and the answer to how is in this figurine. It will change into a large spider with the right command word, which I have just discerned. We can ride it to the top.”
The companions shared a surprised look and then started to gather their equipment.
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Bootsy had been the first to the top. Over the next hour he thoroughly searched the stone parapet while the spider carried his companions up the face of the cliff. Once they were all gathered, the others confirmed his findings. There did not appear to be an entrance. Looking over the side they noted a few arrow slits.
Hopping on the spider and fastening the harness around him, Bootsy guided the spider over the edge. Looking carefully through each arrow slit he saw one appeared to be a study with a table covered in paperwork, while the other contained a bed. He guided the spider back to the top and told his companions what he saw.
Celtir looked thoughtful. “Well, I can petition Solonor for the ability to shape stone. That should get us all in through the arrow slit.”
Bootsy liked the sound of that and eagerly rubbed his hands together. “Great. Hop on the spider.”
“Uh, it… um… It’ll have to be tomorrow, I’ve already prayed for my spells today.”
Bootsy froze mid-rub. “Damn. Well we’ll just sleep up here then. We shouldn’t be bothered up here.”
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“All right. Let’s try this again.” Bootsy summoned the spider once more.
Down at the arrow slit, Celtir murmured a prayer to Solonor and the stone seemed to melt away from around the arrow slit, making an opening big enough to enter, even the large spider could squeeze through.
One by one, the spider brought down the other companions.
They found themselves in a bedroom. A four poster bed with a thick mattress occupied the west wall, but what appeared to be a human sized nest of dried mud and bones sat on the floor beside it. A heavy wardrobe stood to the south, three sets of robes, similar in color and design to the uniforms the snake-men they fought outside had been wearing. A quick search turned up nothing of interest, though they did discover the only exit was locked.
Frankie took out his “key”, and with three strikes from his axe, the door fell to pieces.
The oddly shaped chamber beyond took up half the octagonal space of the tower. Stairs and landings spiraled upward and there was a set of double doors to the east. Another set of double doors next to the one they had broken down they knew must lead to the room that appeared to be a study. Bootsy tried the door but it was locked. Frankie raised his axe again.
Just as the door fell apart, the doors behind them opened revealing two snarling lizardfolk. Tristan charged one, his blade taking it through the chest. It lived just long enough for Celtir's arrow to pierce its throat. The other lizard slashed at Tristan with tooth and claw but he was suffered only minor injuries. Between Wencis’ hammer, Frankie's axe and a bolt from Bootsy, the other lizard died just as quickly as his companion.
Bootsy had returned to the room and cast Detect Magic to pick out items of interest when there was another disturbance, this time from above.
“Don’t let them catch me again!”
A human-sized draconic form landed next to Celtir, its scales a dull bronze, covered in old scars. Confused by its outcry Celtir hesitated a moment during which the dragon bit him, a few of its teeth finding the gaps in his armor.
Hearing a voice up above, Frankie glanced up to where the dragon had come from and saw another threat. Behind a railing at the top of the stairs was what appeared to be a human, but her snake-like features revealed her true heritage. Just as he moved to climb the stair she gestured toward him and a wave of drowsiness washed over him. He shrugged it off and ran up the stairs and slashed her with his axe. Right behind him was Wencis, who was able to launch his hammer, striking the woman a glancing blow.
Coming up behind the dragon, Bootsy was racking his brain trying to remember all he could about Bronze Dragons. They're supposed to be good, so something’s not right. Oh well. Now are they immune to fire or electricity, I forget… Striking the dragon with a Shocking Grasp quickly answered his question as the energy harmlessly washed over the creature.
Tristan charged the dragon and struck deep with his blade while Celtir stepped back and launched an arrow at the creature.
Taking exception to the Paladin, the dragon bit and raked at Tristan, scoring minor wounds with each attack.
Up above, Frankie and Wencis continued to strike at the woman, Wencis’ hammer blows all charged with electricity. Her ability to dodge the worst of their blows was all that was keeping her alive. Stepping away from the two, she cast and gestured toward Frankie again. Suddenly, this whole situation seemed hysterically funny to Frankie and he collapsed on the ground in fits of laughter.
Down below, Tristan and Celtir held the dragon's attention while Bootsy cast a sheet of flames over the creature. Its most serious wounds had come from Tristan’s blade and it was probably for that reason he was singled out for the dragon’s breath weapon. There was a sharp report as a bolt of lightning shot from the dragon’s maw and struck Tristan a glancing blow.
With Frankie still laughing on the floor, Wencis stepped up to the snake woman once more and slammed her with his charged hammer, dropping her to the ground. Even as she fell, attacks from Tristan, Celtir and another sheet of flames from Bootsy left the dragon horribly wounded. It quickly took wing, flying back up to the balcony, suffering a parting shot from Tristan as it retreated.
Bootsy ran from where he had been standing in the doorway of the study out into the hall. “Where’s it going, where is it!”
Swiping at the dragon with his hammer as it passed, Wencis saw it headed for one of what appeared to be a number of magical gates that lined the wall. Even knowing what was coming, Wencis didn’t hesitate to answer, “It’s here with me, Ten feet dead ahead!”
A small bead flew past him and hit the ceiling, detonating into a blossom of flame. An instant later, the flames dissipated and while Wencis was only slightly singed, the dragon lay dead.
Bootsy let out a sigh as Frankie’s magically induced laughter was finally ending. “By the gods, can we search the damned study now?”
End of Session 12.
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