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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Grant_Stoom" data-source="post: 1199948" data-attributes="member: 13658">THE STORYAfter burning a limited wish to discern the entrance to his lair, the party stood before a huge, active volcano.  The heat caused our skin to redden and blister.  Only the tiefling seemed to shrug off the sweltering heat.We quickly drank our potions to help us resist the heat and cast our spells to increase our fighting ability.  We knew that the lair contained many fire giants, salamanders, and other beasts - so even getting to our primary target would be hard.  After the preparations we descended a grand staircase hewn from the volcanic rock.The entrance room was a large flattened oval, with the staircase at the north end and a hallway at the south.  On either side of the hallway, curtains blocked our sight.  Another hallway jutted from the room to the west.  Two large fire giants stood near a gigantic bronze gong near the north end of the room.  As we had made no efforts to sneak in, the giants were a bit surprised to see a group of adventurers waltz into their home.The party spread out, the monk raced forward and unleashed a mighty flying kick to the head of one of the giants.  Our archer launched a volley of arrows into that same giant, leaving him a wounded pincushion.  The cleric assessed the situation - ready to fill in as needed.  The barbarian unshealthed his golden falchion and activated its freezing powers.  The rouge ducked behind a column and vanished from sight.  Then the giants retaliated.  The wounded giant threw his strength into the gong - and a mighty sound resonated through the entire mountain.   The other giant stepped forward and hit the raging barbarian with his huge sword.  Though hurt - the barbarian seemed to shrug off a powerful blow that would have caused me - the Archmage - to search the ground for my internal organs.  Finally able to act, but wary of using my most powerful abilities so soon - I activated my wand of ice storm - wounding both giants.  One looked to be almost teetering from the many blows he had taken.  The monk unleashed a flurry of blows against the pummeled giant, and it fell to his mighty fists.The barbarian seemed to have taken offense at the giant's earlier attack and now wanted some payback.  The sharp falchion seemed to cause many critical wounds, and the giant nearly toppled from the full attack that tore through him.  Unseen, the supremely sneaky tiefling moved up to giant and plunged his rapier deep into the giant's thigh.  His strike was so precise, that it must have severed a major artery.  As he withdrew his weapon, fonts of blood gushed from the open wound.  The giant clutched at his leg, staggered, and collapsed to the ground - almost squashing the rogue in the process.Now the party nervously waited.  We knew that the inhabitants were alerted to us, but we feared rushing headlong into a trap.  As we listened for signs of activity, we noticed that the passageway to the west had signs of activity.  A great door opened, and molten lava on the other side oozed out.  Stepping from the lava, a huge golem constructed from iron and leveled its gaze on the party.  His body still glowing red hot from the lava, he moved towards us.Knowing my spells would be useless, I moved as far as possible from the golem.  This was not a fight for me.  My powers would serve later.  The monk, however, did not share my concern.  His adamantite hard fists pounded into the golem and huge iron shards seemed to shatter from his body.  The archer plunged adamantite arrows into the construct - leaving noticable exit wounds as they blasted through him.  A powerful slice from the barbarian tore the thing in half.  It fell with a grinding groan.The barbarian drank a potion to mend the wounds from the fire giant's attack and looked towards the end of the west passageway.  Two huge, flaming salamanders with mighty spears were slithering towards us.  These weren't Sigfried and Roy "flaming" - they were white-hot grease fires of pure evil.The party fell back to the main room, with the monk and the barbarian flanking the hallway entrance.  One of the salamanders passed his spear at the entrance and a wall of fire erupted.  Thanks to our protection, the flames only obscured our vision of the hallway.  The cleric, monk and barbarian rushed through the flames and pounded one salamander to a smokey pulp.  The rogue had snuck up to the other and landed a mighty strike.  Within a few seconds the second salamander was dead.Close to the end of the hallway - the cleric was able to spot a gang of fire giants rushing towards us, but soon all of us could feel the rumble of their approach.  Fall back - the cleric cried, and they jumped back through the wall of fire with the giants hot on their heels.  Heh heh "hot on their heels."Within moments an overcofident giant poked his head out of the wall of flames.  The monk and the barbarian made him regret that decision, as did the rogue.  Able to see only this single foe - I peppered him with magic missles.  I knew I would need my strength to face the dragon.  Our archer buried an arrow deep into the skull of the monster, and he fell - his torso sticking into the room, his legs and feet in the hallway.His fellow giants must have taken note of their felled comrade, or rather taken note of his legs sticking out of a wall of fire, and did not step through.  The party waited for another to emerge, but after 20 seconds - no more came.Suddenly, a shadow emerged from the floor near the north end of the room.  "WHY HAVE YOU ENTERED MY LAIR?" a mighty voice boomed from the shade - which seemed to glow from the magical protections.  Our cleric could feel the unholy aura extending from the shadow, and I could discern other magical protections.  "LEAVE ALL OF YOUR MAGIC ITEMS - AND GO.  THE FIRST ONE OF YOU TO TAKE ANY OTHER ACTION WILL DIE."  And with that the shade changed its shape into a colossal red dragon.  Heat rolled from its massive body, and all of us were filled with dread.The rogue, crept towards the staircase, thinking himself hidden from the dragon.  "THAT GOES FOR YOU TOO, SKIPPY," the beast said glaring sqarely at him."Well if it's a TPK, it's a TPK cried the rogue and he lept at the dragon."  Not knowing what this mystical "TPK" meant, I pondered on this as I saw the dragon snatch the rogue in his mighty jaws.  Apparently, he had been ready to lash out at the first one of us to take action.Knowing the moment had come, I pulled forth a scroll from my belt.  The glyphs and sigils glowed brightly as I read - and time stopped around me.  All was frozen as I pulled forth another scroll.  As I read - a tear began to form in the space in front of the dragon.  Screams of terror came from the blackness of the gate as a huge demon stepped out, a giant lightning bolt shaped sword in one hand and a flaming whip in the other.  The Balor stood before me with contempt and hatred burning in his eyes.  "Kill the dragon, demon," I commanded.  Then I cast a spell on myself.  The most powerful spell I had memorized - and one which the dragon was apparently already using - Shapechange.  Knowing that a single blast of his breath could kill me - I took the form of a horned devil.  No sooner than after I had taken this form, time swirled back into motion.-more- to come</blockquote>

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