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Message: <blockquote data-quote="ZosKia" data-source="post: 469344" data-attributes="member: 8574">Well if we are talking xp then...The diary of Austin Osman SpareThe dragon that had been terrorising Carrisqui has proved to be a major boon to me for many reasons. Indeed it may even prove instrumental in restoring my fortune and position. We had no idea what waited as we journeyed to Pan Charak after defeating both the Necromancer and the hunters that the fool Carluchi sent after me at Zendon post.  But at Castle Brax we met a group of Thrinians sent both to aid us against the Gaxmore hordes and to slay a dragon! I normally have little time for Thrinian knights, they take themselves rather too seriously for my liking, but one of them did catch my eye, a Lady Celia. She seemed rather taken by my wit and charm and we managed to spend quite some time together. I had initially thought that Celia was the lover of Lord Arnof the leader of the Thrinians but when I asked her she said no, though Arnof has been rather cold towards me, perhaps Celia has rejected his advances? During one of our meetings Celia told me that the Thrinians seek to remove Overking Tarkane of Imarr and replace him with the leader of their order! Many beautiful women have said many wonderful things to me, but that news was the most wonderful! If Tarkane falls Carluchi will fall too and I can restore myself, and the others who have suffered at the hands of Carluchi to our rightful positions, particularly if I have the favour of one of the knights. Meeting Celia is the best thing that has happened to me since my exile.Within a few days, another beautiful woman, another stunning piece of news. Lilliana, the clerical cohort of Xyzzy decided to summon holy assistance against the dragon and two avorrals were sent by her god in return for a quest. So what was Lilliana’s quest? To free Imarr from Overking Tarkane! This dragon will indeed be the making of me! Lilliana and Xyzzy do not seem pleased at being given such a task but they cannot refuse. Siguard seems pleased. He has fantasies about leading an army against Tarkane, he will learn.Our attempt to deal with the dragon as it claimed its tribute from Carrisqui did not go particularly well. We lost Ori the priest who had saved me at Zenden when after getting trapped under a sacrificial cow he freed himself just in time to get torn apart by the dragon. But Lilliana has sworn to restore him to life once she has the power.  The Thrinians thought the beast could be killed while on the ground and charged in union. I was reminded of a famous Imarrin saying ‘It’s magnificent but is it war?’ The dragon had powerful protective magics, which the knights could not penetrate but once the avorrals had dispelled these we were able to damage it and drive it off. Siguard and myself along with one or two others pursued with the help of fly spells but we could not catch up with it. Vowing to finish it off we sent an avorral to track it to its nest.The beast’s nest turned out to be high in the mountains, a very long and hazardous journey. Xyzzy, Lilliana and Orstadt used magic to fly themselves high into the mountains. Leaving the rest of us, including the Thrinians, to track through the snow to the cave where the dragon awaited us. On route we killed a couple of Trolls, I managed to impress Celia with some fast and accurate dagger throwing. We even managed to start a fire, despite the conditions, and burn the bodies to prevent their return. Other obstacles to our progress were a crevasse where the Thrinian priest Erlin slipped and fell to his death and a party of goblins led by a giant. Siguard and I managed to persuade them to let us pass with food, gold and the promise of the body of the priest.Eventually we arrived at the foot of the cliff, which led to the dragons cave. There we found a curious ice shelter being watched by four strange beasts. As they were not being hostile I attempted to parlay with them as we had so successfully with the giant, alas these beasts were feral and damn near tore me apart! Fortunately Lorne’s quick attacks felled a couple of them and I was able to get away badly bleeding before the beasts were finished off by the rest of the party including Xyzzy and companions who emerged from the ice shelter. During the fight Siguard suffered a bruise to his ego and immediately demanded healing from Lilliana. I pushed him aside pointing out that  I was actually rather badly injured! We spent the night in Xyzzy’s ice shelter and in the morning the assault on the dragon’s lair began.We had spent the night formulating a plan. The avorals were to dispel the dragon’s protective magic before the warriors closed and Xyzzy hit it with cold-based spells. Orstadt claimed that if he got the chance he would turn it into a frog!The mouth of the dragon’s cave 100’ up had a clear mountain stream gushing from it and pooling unfrozen at the base of the cliff. I guessed that the cave must be must be pretty hot to heat the water and stop it from freezing – well it was a red dragon. Some of the party were able to fly or levitate to the cave but the rest including myself had to climb. Eventually we assembled just inside the cave. There was no sign of the dragon and so Lilliana summoned some sort of lion beast and sent it on ahead to scout. The lion soon activated some sort of shrieking alarm and we all hurried into the cave. Xyzzy, having cast many protective spells took the lead.  We found Lilliana’s lion clawing at the base of a 30’ cliff surrounded by strange fungi, which were making the awful shrieking we could hear. These dragons are clever beasts. Xyzzy bravely flew to the top of the cliff and was promptly consumed in dragon fire. It did not appear to cause him any harm but he did immediately disappear, presumably to work some more magic unhindered. The avorrals rushed forward to dispel the dragon’s magic while the rest of us charged to the base of cliff. Before we could begin climbing the dragon ripped apart one of the avorrals that had got too close and took flight heading for the cave mouth! As the dragon swooped past him Orstadt worked his magic and to everyone’s astonishment, including I suspect Orstadt’s the dragon suddenly became a small frog which plunged over the cliff! We had to find the frog and quickly. While the rest of the party stood at the cave mouth working out how to get down the cliff I, being unencumbered by armour took the plunge, literally, and dived 100’ into the pool. It was quite a dive; I do hope Celia saw it. Lorne also dived though not as spectacularly and the magic users flew down the rest. Now, how to find a small frog? I suggested that as it had been magically transformed why not try and detect magic. Sure enough this worked and the frog was revealed at the bottom of the very pool into which I had dived. At this point Xyzzy had a brilliant idea and used a levitation spell to lift it out of the water and hold it while the party despatched it. The beast returned to its true form upon death and it’s large scaly form proved evidence of our victory.All that remained was to distribute its horde; the most valuable item was a golden chain shirt of legendary repute, which was claimed by Siguard. I thought it looked rather gaudy myself but to each his own. I took no magic items, only gold; it is my intention to pay a sorcerer to further enchant my rapier possibly with a flaming ability. Also up for division was the beast’s corpse. Many people took scales; intending to have dragon scale armour made, others took claws or teeth. I myself took skin from the fleshier parts. When I return to Imarr I shall have Stephan my boot maker sew it into a pair of riding boots. I did take one scale, I have etched it with an intertwined A and C, I shall present it to Celia as a token of my love.…And so to Imarr…</blockquote>

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