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Message: <blockquote data-quote="(contact)" data-source="post: 393215" data-attributes="member: 41">For incognito and thatdarncat,41—Dead and back again.The journey through the remains of the Fire Giants' “Kingdom” is a brief affair.  The place looks like a whirlwind of fleeing giants rampaged through it, because of course, they did.A passage within the giants' kingdom burrows straight through the mountainside, a titanic highway that somehow seems ancient and new at the same time.  At the end of the passage, it opens into a large cavern, containing a freshwater pool and the skeleton of a massive dragon.  The skeleton is curled into a ball, but must have been a real terror when it was alive—surely at least one hundred feet in length.  The party feels a moment’s dread when Taran mentions stories he has heard of undead dragons, wielding arch-magic destroying entire nations.  But the skeleton is inert, a passing testament to power, and nothing more.The group approaches the skeleton, and begins to look for hidden exits from this chamber—certainly the dragon must have gotten in here somehow.  Thelbar reasons that the waterway must feed out onto the surface, and begins formulating some means to travel through the underground river.Taran’s back is to the skeleton when the dragon emerges.A snaky green-scaled head juts forth from the ribcage, and belches a noxious spew, enveloping Taran in a cloud of acidic fog.  The bull-necked fighter cries out, and Juron and Glim rush to his side, as Thelbar readies his spell components.As the dragon is slipping out from inside the skeletal ribcage, Thelbar strikes the beast with a feeblemind spell— Thelbar’s enchantment seems to take effect, as the titanic serpent flares its wings and  changes course, then knocks Thelbar onto his back with a swipe from its tail.  Taran is back on his feet, and sinks several sword thrusts into the creature’s side, but as he does so, he brings himself within range of the dragon’s claws, and in a sudden flash of blood and pain Taran's soul is severed from his mangled body, and his limp form flops to the ground.Axhell proves that while he might grovel, he is no coward, and the fire giant steps over the body of Taran with a great shout, cleaving into the dragon with his huge battle-axe.  Juron and Glim also pepper the beast with missile fire, and after a moment, Thelbar is back on his feet, and with a spell sends arcs of electricity coursing through the serpentine form.The feebleminded dragon has enough sense to know when it is outmatched, and after a failed attempt to drag his victim’s body underwater with it, the creature slips beneath the surface and disappears.Thelbar commands Axhell to retrieve Taran’s body, and the group retreats back along the great passage.  They make a campsite within the former Fire Giant Kingdom, and Thelbar prepares his brother’s body for ressurection.The next morning, Thelbar invokes the Goddess Ishlok, and begs her humbly to deny this, her servant, his pasoun; to give him back to this life, that he may continue to serve Her worthy cause.  The gem recovered from Undermountain pulses with a holy light, and as Thelbar reads a raise dead spell over the corpse, the gem throbs softly.  After a moment, Taran sits up and reflexively reaches for his sword.“Gods above, what was that?” Taran mutters.“A fearsome beast,” Axhell states in his booming voice.  “Known to us as the Spawn of Night's Terror, and Scion of Mayhem.  It is the Guardian of the Western Way, an ally of my people since before my birth, and even before the crowning of our Great King Kovas the Ravager, known to us as th . . .” “You mean to tell me you knew there was a f---ing dragon in that cave, and you didn’t tell us?” Taran says, reaching for his sword for real.“I was deceived.  I believed that the corpse was the Guardian, and did not wish to speak out of place.”“It matters little,” Thelbar whispers, placing a hand on Taran's brow.  “We hurt it severely, and I have hidden its mind from itself.  Tomorrow, we will take its head as well.  For now, rest, brother.  After all, it’s not every day that you can die and live to tell about it.”The next day, Thelbar is proved right.  The dragon still lurks within the skeleton of its ancestor, and even in its wounded state has not the sense to remain in hiding.  The party is fully prepared this time, and after a few exchanges, the dragon lies dead.  Taran hacks at its neck with an obsessive ferocity, refusing all assistance until he has severed its head from its body, at which point Thelbar smiles, noting the color finally returning to his brother’s cheeks.  The dragon’s treasure is kept in a hidden cave underneath the water, and Thelbar summons a group of formians to remove and count the loot.  With water breathing spells prepared, the group is able to determine that the underwater passage is short, and opens into a fertile valley, bordered on all sides by tall peaks.At this point, Thelbar dismisses Axhell, thanking him for his assistance, and promising that he will never again be troubled by the Terrible One.  The giant takes his leave, wishing long life and many victories upon the group as he goes.Once Axhell is gone, Thelbar turns to Juron and Glim.  “You are wealthy again,” he says, “and have more than repaid any debt you may have to me.  Where Taran and I go, you may not follow, but I give you this choice:  I will return you to Mistledale, where you may come into our service, or I will return you to Waterdeep, where you may pursue your own path.”After a moment’s reflection wherein they mentally count the gold they’ve obtained in their short tour of duty with the Champions of the Risen Goddess, both Juron and Glim state that they intend to live out their days as the richest foot-soldiers this side of Amn, in the service of the brothers Tar-Ilou.  A pair of teleport spells later, they are relaxing within Thelbar and Taran’s home in Mistledale, while the brothers prepare to ascend the crystal peaks, in search of the last and only temple to the Fallen Goddess of the Elves.</blockquote>

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