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Message: <blockquote data-quote="(contact)" data-source="post: 1145" data-attributes="member: 41">23-- "Revenge is a dish best served cold . . ."  All in all, it could have been worse.  They met a white dragon and managed to hurt the beast, though they couldn't pin it down long enough to kill it.  Nonetheless, Taran is convinced that they have the advantage due to their healing magic, and now all that remains is to find the monster's lair, and finish the job.  Should be a short day.The group impatiently waits out the evening, and between Kyreel and Thelbar manage to heal up completely.  The next day, Thelbar prepares a basin of water for his scrying spell.  He looks for the dragon, but finds much, much more than he'd expected. The dragon is lying on the floor of a large stone chamber.  The room is dimly lit with the eerie bluish glow from the crevasse room, but the glow is stronger here.  The dragon's head is in the lap of a concerned looking grey-skinned dwarf, seated on a massive throne.  The Kingly figure is stroking the dragon's head, while another dwarf dressed in ceremonial robes rubs some sort of ointment into the dragon's burns.  "Sonofabitch!" Taran curses.  "Those bastards are healing our dragon!  We gotta put a stop to this before somebody doesn't get killed!"The party barrels into their boat, and makes for the Great Delve at top speed.  They dash past the guards at the gate, and arrive at the main doors winded and out of breath.  Taran snatches a goblin by the cuff of its raggedy shirt and demands to know where the mechanism for opening the doors is.  The goblin points out a recessed wheel cleverly disguised to blend in with the surrounding rock, and Rex hustles over to operate it.The group gathers into their accustomed marching order and Indy is sent ahead to scout.  Taran had formulated a strategy for searching the room while in the boat, and he begins to explain it to the others.  But surprisingly enough, it seems that the dragon is a creature of habit, as Indy's first stealthy search of the room turns up a distinctly dragon-like shape lurking on the ledge, right where they found it last time.  "Oh this is going to be too easy," the halfling thinks to himself as he creeps back to the main group with his news.  As stealthily as possible, the party moves to the end of the tunnel, just underneath where the dragon is lurking.  Thelbar prepares components for both his haste and fireball spells, and everyone else readies missile weapons.  Taran wants a rematch, and promises himself that this time, he'll be ready for the scaly bastard's tricks.As the party steps out to surprise the dragon, they learn the hard way that "surprise" and "dragon" just don't belong in the same sentence.  Thelbar manages to finish his haste, but his second spell is ruined by the rain of icy shards and blisteringly cold air that blasts him as he steps out into the room.  As the group recovers their wits, and look about, they find that the dragon has slipped away from its perch, and has positioned itself just outside of Taran's flying range.  The party peppers the dragon with missile fire, and Thelbar gets ready to fireball the beast again, but he draws up short as a dreadful form slithers up from the chasm with stupefying speed.A second dragon, almost three times the size of the first, opens its majestic wings and begins a climb-dive flight pattern that brings it close enough to the party that they can hear the rush of air as it sucks in breath just before bathing the group in a massive cone of frost and pain."Mommy . . ." Indy mutters, although it is unclear whether he is referring to the second dragon or calling for his own.Thelbar and Kyreel target this new threat with spell attacks, and Taran turns his charge around, and flies directly into the maw of the beast, swinging from his heels with Black Lisa, and letting out an exultant cry.  Unfortunately, it's going to take more than enthusiasm and a strong arm to penetrate this snow-encrusted dragon's hide.  Taran's attacks don't even seem to phase the creature, and it brings its mighty claws to bear on the flying warrior, ripping holes in his armor, and gashing his side.It becomes quickly obvious that the party is outmatched.  Both dragons take to the air, preparing to dive at the trespassers, and the group decides that an orderly retreat is called for.  Unfortunately, no one is giving orders, so a full out panicked flight ensues.The group runs for the doors leading back into the lock-weir.  As Taran and Kyreel pound desperately on the main doors, Rex turns to fire another shot from his crossbow, just as the larger of the two dragons unleashes a second blast of sub-zero death.  Rex does not survive long enough to cry out, and he is instantly killed.</blockquote>

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