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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Demetrios1453" data-source="post: 9432855" data-attributes="member: 6801060">Curse of the Azure Bonds (Part 15): The Cave of the Dracolich (Part 2)We rest up, with slightly modified spell lists for our magic-users to reflect our more fiery circumstances.[ATTACH=full]376256[/ATTACH]Lightning bolt and cone of cold will be much more helpful here. We do keep a spare fireball handy though.We head out of Silk's area, and onward through the cave system. We go a short distance, go through a door, and...[ATTACH=full]376257[/ATTACH][ATTACH=full]376258[/ATTACH]Well, time to test out the new spell![ATTACH=full]376259[/ATTACH](That's the main issue with cone of cold or lightning bolt - your magic users have to move to exposed positions for the best results. Thankfully, as elven fighter/magic users, my guys can wear armor and be reasonably well protected.)[ATTACH=full]376260[/ATTACH][ATTACH=full]376261[/ATTACH]While she's casting, Brother Baltor moves up to join in the fun.[ATTACH=full]376262[/ATTACH][ATTACH=full]376263[/ATTACH]Brin's spell basically does nothing.[ATTACH=full]376264[/ATTACH]Let's see if this goes any better.[ATTACH=full]376265[/ATTACH]Akbar, meanwhile, just runs for cover.Bragir gets his spell off...[ATTACH=full]376266[/ATTACH][ATTACH=full]376267[/ATTACH]DK ELF FIGHTER IS UNAFFECTED is the story of the day, it seems. A few here and there have taken damage, but overall it's not been very effective whatsoever.We'll just have to wear them down the old fashioned way, I guess.[ATTACH=full]376268[/ATTACH]Brin has luckily not been mobbed, so she moves back away from the main melee.[ATTACH=full]376269[/ATTACH]One drow however moves forward and reaches Bragir, forcing him to change weapons.[ATTACH=full]376270[/ATTACH]Baroness Bella has taken a few out, but has also taken a bit of beating herself.[ATTACH=full]376271[/ATTACH]Eventually, we wear them down, and Buffy ends the battle in a spectacular manner:[ATTACH=full]376272[/ATTACH]Setting up and executing a backstab in this game can be frustrating, but when you pull it off, it's so, so satisfying![ATTACH=full]376273[/ATTACH]Pretty good XP![ATTACH=full]376274[/ATTACH]We've taken some serious damage, though. This section can be a trial for even the best parties.Conversely, however, Akbar is finally ready to level![ATTACH=full]376275[/ATTACH]As I said previously, it was impossible to level him before without GBC, so it's so nice to be able to do so now.  As we go along, he'll advance from completely useless all the way up to merely sub-par.We'll rest up here again, not just because we're so wounded, but also to give Akbar to make use of that new spell slot![ATTACH=full]376276[/ATTACH]We rest up in peace, thankfully. But before we move too far afterwards...[ATTACH=full]376277[/ATTACH][ATTACH=full]376278[/ATTACH]Thankfully, these patrols aren't too much of a problem. In this case, since the mage is within melee range, even less so.[ATTACH=full]376279[/ATTACH]Brother Baltor takes him down.[ATTACH=full]376280[/ATTACH]And then ends the battle by dealing with the last of the remaining fighters.We continue on.[ATTACH=full]376281[/ATTACH]Thank you Silk! That's our fifth patrol, so only four more to go before the patrols are gone!Shortly afterwards, we reach the northwestern section of the cave system.[ATTACH=full]376282[/ATTACH][ATTACH=full]376283[/ATTACH]We could parlay and get the upcoming treasure without combat. But we have all sorts of non-fire spells prepared just for this type of situation, and it seems a shame to waste the opportunity.[ATTACH=full]376284[/ATTACH]Everyone takes a small amount of heat damage from the salamanders pouring out the doorway. And then the combat begins!There are a lot of salamanders. But Bragir moves forward to launch one of the spells he's prepared just for this situation...[ATTACH=full]376285[/ATTACH][ATTACH=full]376286[/ATTACH][ATTACH=full]376287[/ATTACH][ATTACH=full]376288[/ATTACH]Not bad! But it's just a few points shy of their HP, which will leave them alive, for the moment. The melee will take care of them pretty quickly, as the next few screenshots will show.[ATTACH=full]376289[/ATTACH]Akbar scuttles off to a more protected position, and readies a spell of his own...[ATTACH=full]376290[/ATTACH][ATTACH=full]376291[/ATTACH]And Brin gets in on the action...[ATTACH=full]376292[/ATTACH]They're all bunched up around the doorway...[ATTACH=full]376293[/ATTACH][ATTACH=full]376294[/ATTACH]Not bad at all!Bragir follows suit, with the same target location...[ATTACH=full]376295[/ATTACH][ATTACH=full]376296[/ATTACH]Well, we've worn them down pretty decently by this point. The melee have taken care of the ones in front of them that were affected by the cone of cold, and are now moving to clear out the survivors.[ATTACH=full]376297[/ATTACH]Since our non-magical arrows won't be of any use, time to use their spell counterpart...[ATTACH=full]376298[/ATTACH][ATTACH=full]376299[/ATTACH]The melee take down the rest, and then sweep through the doorway to take out the last one.[ATTACH=full]376300[/ATTACH]Now let's see what they were guarding.[ATTACH=full]376302[/ATTACH]Since when has a little fire and lava trumped the avarice of adventurers? Of course we send someone in![ATTACH=full]376303[/ATTACH][ATTACH=full]376304[/ATTACH][ATTACH=full]376305[/ATTACH]Nice! Well, if there's 5 more like that, we're definitely going to keep going in! But as we've reached the image limit, we'll have to wait for next time to see what other treasures wait to be found!</blockquote>

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