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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Eccles" data-source="post: 1329315" data-attributes="member: 5675">To His Eminence Pietr Orik,Temple of Ilmater,King’s Palace Square,Heliogabalus.    Your Grace,I do not know when this letter will reach you, as the Crusaders have been in the Underdark for many days now.  But despite the fact that we have not seen the sun for too long, the Crusaders are content: We have defeated the shadow dragon!  Let me regale you with how we managed this.As you may recall from my last report, your eminence, the Crusaders had just run from the dragon, and were resting so that we may better prepare ourselves.  I must admit, your Grace, that I was in two minds.  On the one hand, slaying a shadow dragon would rid the world of one of the greater evils.  On the other, it seemed very likely that a number of my compatriots (including myself) could suffer horribly in this battle.However, it seemed clear to me as our discussions progressed that all of us wanted to tackle this dragon, for good reasons.  Miles wanted to tackle this dragon to remove of a very real threat from the dales, for personal glory and for monetary gain.  Stedd wanted to kill this dragon as a step on the path to self-perfection: What greater test of self than to best a dragon!  Aeron wanted to kill this dragon as proof of his goodness, and to see what magical items could be recovered, for the glory of Mystra.  Halbrinn’s outlook was probably much the same: No creature of this order of evil should be allowed to live, and just what would be found in this dragon’s hoard?  Adamo…  He probably wanted to kill this dragon for magic, too.  But maybe he, too, had something to prove to Someone, or some Power.  And probably for retribution, too, considering it had stole some of his lifeforce.  And me?  Well, your Grace, you know me.  This thing was evil, and of a kind of evil that directly contradicts the tenets of our faith:  Life is sacred, and it is anathema to me to see it stripped away like meat from a bone, as when this dragon uses its breath weapon.  So, we chose to kill the dragon.  We therefore meticulously planned its destruction, first by ensuring its scouts were decommissioned, then by ensuring its mobility was limited, then by occupying it while it was ruthlessly stabbed in its vitals.  Having decided this, we settled down to sleep.The Crusaders spent the next two days recovering, with injury to be restored, and health and lifeforce to be recouped.  Despite our careful hiding, we were attacked thrice during this period.  The first time was by strange monsters that looked like large black cloaks.  With teeth.  These creatures were able to employ an insidious moaning, with the power to variously cause fear, or to stupefy.  Fortunately, they were not so powerful that they could disable all the Crusaders at once, and hence were beaten without loss of life on our part.The second time we were attacked, it was by yet more Kiaransalee fanatics.  This time, a lone cleric with a pair of snipers was backed up by a group of zombies.  Virtually all of this I learnt second-hand, as I was neatly skewered by a poisoned bolt as soon as I leapt to the attack.  Apparently, I spent several precarious moments hanging from the roof of the cavern, just out of reach of the crowd of zombies (who were ‘baying for ‘BRAINS!’ in their usual inimitable style,’ apparently), and gradually slipping out of my spider climb slippers!  Fortunately, by the time I fell like a ripe fruit from a branch, my friends had already done for our living enemies, and I was rescued.  Phew!The final time we were attacked, was the last for Adamo.  Miles heard quiet footpadding on the second day of our enforced rest, giving the us fair warning to prepare an ambush.  However, things did not turn out well, for we ambushed a group of bodaks!  Not being totally certain of the bodaks’ abilities (I knew only that its gaze held an evil power) the Crusaders were momentarily nonplussed.  However, meeting the gaze of one of these creatures soon galvanised us.  Let me describe it: Your eminence, you are immediately made aware of the worst moments of your life; all your worst fears are realised in that instant.  I’m sure most of the Crusaders were experiencing their own personal hells in meeting the gaze of any of these fell undead, but in my case it was simply the sensation of cowardice.  Fortunately, I threw off the claws of ice around my heart, and aided Aeron in an attempt to turn the beasts.This turning worked, but not before Adamo succumbed to the evil eye of the leader.  By the Triad, I will not describe his features; suffice to say that it was not necessary for me to tell the other Crusaders that the body should be destroyed, as it would transform into a bodak if left.  Besides which, Adamo had left specific instructions in a will I found in his personal affects and Miles reminded us that he had made a request not to be returned to life, after the last time he had had to endure such an experience.  I only hope the Powers that he had clearly been in contact with are benign enough to grant him some measure of peace…  Ah, he died before I could perform the Turning and ease his passage.  I fear for his soul, your Grace, I really do.That night we held a vigil for the spirit of Adamo, and then those that were sleeping retired, leaving the watchers to experience a strange event.  I was one of those on watch, and can vouch that the Crusaders are now becoming a party to some very odd phenomena: Out of nowhere a Gate opened in the roof of the tunnel we were hiding in depositing on the floor, with very little dignity, a near naked human.  This person proved to be a spellcaster of some note, as with his last gasp he muttered a spell, and a plethora of items whipped through the closing portal a moment before it winked out of existence.  Now given the Gate had opened on a chamber wreathed in fire, my first response would have been to execute the traveller with extreme prejudice, then ask questions later.  But, your eminence, two things stayed my hand.  First, the traveller had already fallen unconscious.  Second, he seemed strangely familiar…I immediately cast a simple spell to stabilise the man, before examining him.  He had metal rings driven into his flesh, and bore numerous other injuries: Clearly, he had been tortured.  It was only then that I recognised the spellcaster: It was none other than Rand Stormseeker, the sometime mayor of Clearwater and one of the founding members of the Crusaders!  Naturally, I provided more healing, and Miles, who had been on watch with me, woke the rest of the group.  After we had given the mage some time to rest, and take some food and water, we began our questioning in earnest.Apparently, Rand had cast one or more spells to contact us for help, but hadn’t succeeded.  Finally, he tried to jump to our location, but obviously he was not aware of the faerzress effect, and got shunted badly off-target.  I just hope that whichever diabolical personage decided to drive thirty or so rings through his bones, then dump him right on our heads, is not still taking an interest in his (or our) odyssey.  Still, thank Ilmater for small mercies; we now have an additional mage, to replace our fallen comrade, Adamo.  However, Rand has a request of his own:  We have another dragon to slay, after we have completed our quest in the Underdark.  You may recall, your Grace, that just before I joined the Crusaders, I was tracking down information concerning one Gran’rath Tendathaloth, a large red dragon that had been terrorising Daggerdale (before Elminster got bored with all the flashing lights at night and told it to go away).  Well, apparently Gran’rath is stirring in his sleep, and Rand has tasked us with helping him kill it, when we’re ready.  By the Triad, your Grace, one dragon at a time, I say!We rested up for a day, to let Rand recuperate.  This gentleman is a good deal more focused than Adamo, more forthright.  He certainly doesn’t take to having metal rings embedded in him!  Ilmater, I’m sure if he had the strength he would have ripped them from his flesh without waiting for my curatives, but the rings encircle the bones of his ribs, so it cannot be done, but carefully.  Between Aeron, Rand and I, we managed to remove say half a dozen, but that is all Rand’s constitution will bear, for now.With that done, we rested again, and were fortunate to get a full night’s sleep, unmolested.  On the morrow, we planned our spell selections with great care, with myself choosing a full range of enhancement spells, that the group may have the best chance of hitting the dragon, which—all dragons being similar here—will have a notoriously tough hide, and resistance to magic, besides.  We then began our cautious approach to Glouroth’s lair, but were distracted before we reached it.    Marching in our usual formation, I was first to suffer a magical attack, being in the lead.  Instantly, I charged up the walls of the tunnel, as those with the quickest and surest step ran directly at the source of the magic, though the perpetrator could not yet be seen.  When I arrived, I summoned the energies of our god to my fists, imbuing them with the white glow of divine might.  Miles had viciously attacked what had turned out to be an undead cleric, but his normally graceful movement had been reduced to a spasmodic jerking.  Clearly, some form of frost spell had severely injured him, and I saw how in the next attack, this time from Stedd.  A wreath of cold fire surrounded the cleric; whenever one of the Crusaders attacked they got bathed in it.Knowing myself to be resistant to cold, I made ready to strike, waiting for our spellcasters to remove some of the magical defences this creature had built up.  However, my comrades did not seem to be able to get to grips with the abjurations and enhancements of this cleric, and it began to cast again.  I rushed in and smote it, receiving a blast of cold fire along my arms and chest for my trouble, but resisting the pain.  The blow was a telling one, but it did not distract the priest, who completed the spell and touched me.  Momentarily, I felt weak and nauseous, but, looking within, I spotted the contagion and told my body to throw off the infection.  It did, and I smiled grimly at the creature, spaking thus: ‘Ilmater protects me, your diseases cannot claim me,’ before striking the creature again.  This time, I heard a crack, and the body crumpled to the ground, all animating forces failing.  We then took the opportunity to destroy the corpse to ensure this body did not trouble us again, and some healing was doled out to those who needed it.Much mana had been wasted in fighting this cleric, so the Crusaders decided to refocus.  With this in mind, we found a good spot to settle down, and rested there for the remainder of the day, with Rand beseeching Aeron and myself to aid in the removal of yet more rings.  This we did, and to give him his due, Rand showed great forbearance in the extraction process, to the extent that a goodly number were withdrawn before he called a halt.  Aeron healed him back to full health (although the remembered pain was not healed, judging by the grimaces!) and then we settled down for our sleep, with the usual watches doubled up this close to the dragon.When all were ready after our sleep, we had a conference to decide our attack plan.  First we had to destroy Glouroth’s support.  Without gargoyles to hinder us, or help the dragon, our advantage would be that much greater.  Secondly, we had to decide how to stop the creature using its environment to its advantage.  We decided we could not rely on direct magical attack to disable the dragon: With its resistance to magic and naturally huge fortitude, reflexes and strength of mind, more often than not that attack would be wasted.  Stedd, checking the bag of holding, then came up with a solid gold plan: We were fortunate to have a goodly number of the tangle-glue bags, nine in all, which would serve very well in rendering the dragon helpless.  With luck, we would be able to disable it mid-flight.  The shaft in its lair was at least a hundred foot high, and possibly a lot higher.  If we could disable its wings at the top, the fall may do for it completely, or at least seriously injure it.  Rand had a spell that would be able to send eight of these bags at the dragon.  The ninth Stedd claimed, just in case.Additional to this plan of disablement was rendering Miles as undetectable as possible.  If the tangling attack failed, we could use Miles to kill the creature with rapidity, if it could not detect him.  Casting improved invisibility on Miles, and cloaking him in a silence spell would render him almost undetectable.  Miles also had the ability to alter his form, so he could change into one of the gargoyles that had been with the dragon.  This should cover any olfactory evidence of who he was.  With that done, our assassin in residence would be able to attack the dragon with a good deal of impunity, stabbing its vitals to shorten the duration of the battle.  If the spellcasters cast enough blessings and other enhancements, this should allow Miles to strike through the tough hide of the dragon, allowing those sneak attacks of his to really tell.  All the rest of us would have to do would be to distract the dragon long enough for him to complete his task.So the plan was put into effect.  We approached the lair with all due caution, and then I cast my enhancing spells: A bless for morale and two remove fear spells to stave off the dragon fear was good enough to all the Crusaders safe here, but my other spells were of shorter duration, so would have to be cast just before we entered combat.Our skilful gnome then set to work taking out the gargoyles.  This he did with a distraction, creating an illusion of the Crusaders and then ambushing any would-be attackers with spells.  The pair of gargoyles that were left were completely duped, and were killed in short order.  Stage one was complete.  However, as in all things, you can only predict an enemy’s response to the best of your own ability.  Our assumption that the dragon would respond using its natural advantages, namely flight and height, turned out to be completely false.With Halbrinn, Stedd and Miles climbing the shaft, and the illusion of our group virtually standing in the entrance to its abode (about two hundred foot above those still on the floor of the lair), suddenly a bright flash of light illuminated the tunnel entrance to the lair.  The dragon had completely outguessed us, and had ambushed the party from the rear, using a dimension door!  My job in this battle was the casting of enhancement spells, so I immediately jumped for the wall of the shaft, out of the creature’s line of sight.  Torm bless them, Aeron and Rand stood their ground, but it was in this moment that the flaw in our plan was exposed:  The thrice-damned dragon had conjured up some mirror images!  It was distinctly unnerving when all of these creatures breathed the dark roiling mass that is a shadow dragon’s breath, catching Rand and Aeron in its cursed dark fire.  Fortunately, coming through the dimension door had momentarily disorientated the dragon, and Rand was able to get his force projection spell off, sending a fusillade of glue-filled bags at the dragon before the breath hit.  Curse it, but when the gloom of the breath weapon cleared, Rand had clearly been affected, and the dragon, despite its legs being thoroughly bound, was still just moving.  And there was one image left…Stedd then turned to attack the dragon with the last tangling bag, and I sent off a stone from my sling in the hope of removing the last image.  Unfortunately, I hit the dragon instead (typical!), which of course it barely felt.  Then, just as I was about to leap down, Aeron attacked the dragon, forcing the last image to disappear.  Stedd threw the bag, and as it arced to the dragon I was sure it would miss…  But it didn’t, catching the wing tip of the beast and bursting open, sticking that wing to the beasts flank.  This was all we required: The dragon could neither perambulate, nor fly with one wing alone, so, by the Triad, we had succeeded in stage two!  Now we had to overbear the foul beast before it could use its breath weapon once more.However, the creature was having none of it, using its dimension door ability again to disappear before we could make good our intention to coup-de-grace it.  We heard a crash far above us, as its clumsy flailings indicated it had returned to its eyrie.  Thence began a hurried climb, as we made our way to the top of the shaft, with those who could fly getting there just in time to see it disappear again through another dimension door.At this point, the Crusaders were spread out across the entirety of the dragon’s complex, so there were few places it could jump to that were not occupied.  As it was, Stedd and Miles cornered it in a cave that was driven into the shaft about a third of the way up from the bottom.  Glouroth, it appeared, had run out of doors to jump through and to his credit, Miles did not wait to hear it’s whine for clemency.  He simply took one of his blades, and drove it somewhere unpleasant, the beast dying on the instant.  I heard it gasp its final grumbling sigh, and sent a prayer of thanks to Ilmater.  Unbelievably, there were very few conventional injuries incurred during this battle.  All that remained was for Aeron to rest, as only he could cast the restoration spells that could return the life force in full to both Rand and himself.  We congratulated Rand on his steadfastness in the face of the dragon, which had allowed us to defeat the beast with a minimum of suffering.  Then, naturally, we set about finding things of interest amongst its hoard.  Indeed, the pickings were so rich that upwards of fourteen thousand silver pieces were discarded by the rest of the Crusaders, so I quickly piled these into a sack and placed them in my backpack.  This will go some way towards covering church expenses, as well as aiding in the repair of the houses burned out in the recent fire in the Dagger Falls.  Good.Once we had completed the removal of the dragon’s cache, we stopped to rest.  Although meticulously planned and reasonably well executed, we were all tired by our mental and physical exertions.  Plus, of course, Rand and Aeron had been hit by the dragon’s breath, and hence needed spiritual restoration as the full effects took hold. Therefore, we rested for the remainder of the day before sleep in the dragon’s lair atop the dropshaft.  Our last action was to quarter the dragon, before dumping its remains from the cave in which it died.  We had suffered the reprise of too many foes (first as living enemies; then as undead) to allow this to happen with a dragon!As I slept, your Grace, my celestial guide once again visited me in my dreams.  This time he took me to not only a strange place, but a strange time too, where I watched a giant battle between some primeval race of orcs and the humans I have seen before; those of the empire of Mulhorand.  In many of the skirmishes, groups of humans appeared to be led by some form of shining knight, who was almost certainly a celestial.  We stopped near one fracas in particular, and Amenhotep (the name of my celestial guide, if you remember, your Grace) then said:  ‘Behold, the father of your line,’ pointing to one of these knights, who was using a wickedly curved blade to behead an orc, all the while chanting a song in the peculiar Mulhorandi dialect.  With that, the celestial knight turned to me and grinned fiercely; light shining so brightly from his eyes that it took all my willpower to look at him.  This was quite clearly an eladrin, probably a ghaele, judging by the ocular projection.  And he was having a lot of fun!‘Hail, son.  Hope that Crying God of yours is looking out for you,’ he said, in Celestial.Then he turned to his puzzled followers, who had apparently seen neither me nor my guide, shouted a command, and charged a group of orcs that were about to flank some other Mulhorandi battalion.  Abruptly, the dream ended as I woke with a start.Not only have I been graced with that particular revelation, described above, your eminence, but our god has also granted me further favour.  Ilmater has strengthened my Power, and I can now cast more spells.  Which can only be a good thing, considering where the Crusaders are heading!Finally, your eminence, let me once again list the people that now make up the Clearwater Crusaders.Miles O’Kane.  Miles is still with us, and is proving truly deadly with his pair of short swords.  He has also voiced his desire to learn the way of the open hand, but I believe that both Stedd’s training and mine is far too genteel for our assassin.  I have suggested he get Respen to discover a trainer who has knowledge of the way of the Nin-Ja.  This, I’m sure, will be more to Miles’ liking.Stedd, of the Old Order.  Our second founding member has returned to the fold.  Apparently, Stedd has been brought back from the dead, which is truly remarkable considering the deity to which the Old Order is dedicated was long thought departed.  As you know, your Grace, those who die without a god to represent them in the afterlife usually end up as nothing but a brick in Kelemvor’s wall.  Perhaps the Old Order has some interesting secrets that I should eke out.Rand Stormseeker.  Rand is back, and along with his usual array of electrical spells, he has begun to use force spells.  He is currently honing his abilities with telekinetics magic, which, I have to say, have some impressive utility uses.  Combine this with his use of haste spells, and he is a major force to be reckoned with on the battlefield, mixing high mobility with lethal rapid strikes.Halbrinn Raulnor.  Halbrinn has continued to make contributions, doing a great deal of the scouting for the Crusaders and destroying traps with the novel implementation of his resilient sphere spell.  His illusions are now scarily realistic, and the power of his shadow magic is becoming quite remarkable.  Additionally, he proves useful in a straight fight, when he transmogrifies into an ogre and fights with a polearm.Aeron Corynian.  Aeron has proved very useful to have around, due to his ability to cast high level clerical spells.  It would have been a great nuisance to have faced the shadow dragon without him, for only he could cast the restorative spells required to remove the negative energy effects.  He has also some oracular ability, which will serve us well in our progression towards Maerymidra.Yvgeny del’Ansk.  My task, your eminence, is twofold.  The first is to enhance the Crusaders’ combat ability, via blessings and suchlike, and to heal any injuries that might occur during battle.  The second is to act as a flanker for Miles, so that he may get in a strike at an enemy’s vitals.  In this, I am aided by my ability to stun with a powerful blow: Should I succeed in stunning a foe, this gives Miles free reign to strike a sensitive area with impunity.  With Stedd helping too, we form a trinity of some note.  Finally, Aeron and I are the Crusaders front line versus undead. Yvgeny.Ilmater save the King.</blockquote>

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