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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Dark Dragon" data-source="post: 3627764" data-attributes="member: 1115">I had some time to think about what may happen next, depending on the PCs' actions.Most important is that they don't provoke the dragon Istandilar again into a fight, even when he claims the blackguard's stuff for himself as a payment for 'working' for Tiamat and the Shadow Masters. Should a PC disobey the dragon's orders (these are: handing over all the blackguard's and the dwarf's items intact, getting cured from all wounds and ability damage, and the promise that the party will not fight again against the dragon), he'll ask ONCE if the group feels being treaten unfairly (I like Darth Vader's sentence   <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f60e.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":cool:" title="Cool    :cool:"  data-smilie="6"data-shortname=":cool:" /> ). If there is no answer, he'll start to take whatever he wants from the dwarf and the blackguard.If the answer is yes, he'll kill that person...(if it is the tempest, he'll knock only her unconcious because of her half-dragon baby). The dragon has lost about 1/3 of his hp and 1/2 of his spell points. The alienist is totally exhausted (ca. 1 % spell energy left, barely enough for a level 3 spell), the monk and ranger have only a few hps left, the NPC wizard and the cleric are also low on spell power and hps. Even the other masters (all melee experts) of the cloisters were heavily wounded by the dragon's breath. Only the tempest is quite fit.Sounds harsh, but I think anything else would make the dragon appear weak (and the players may think that their PCs always get out of such a situation by making demands that someone in real life never would make). The NPCs would never help the party if a PC provokes the dragon.Should the party survive this, they have to handle some problems:1) The dwarf is dead. How and where find someone who raises him? This is roleplaying only, the player of the dwarf has already made a new PC - a dragon disciple  <img src="http://www.enworld.org/forum/images/smilies/laugh.png"  class="smilie" loading="lazy" alt=":lol:" title="Laughing    :lol:" data-shortname=":lol:" /> The cloister's cleric is not able to do this, and since the church of Hoar is not widespread, he is not sure about where to search for a more powerful cleric. Maybe in Mulhorand someone may help.Hmm, have to think of a way to introduce the new PC to the party...2) Jasmina is dead. Only the dragon knows this for sure. To get her raised, the party should consider to go to Rashemen and ask Jasmina's mother (replaced by a durthan) for help...This would create the link to the chapter of the campaign that is set in Rashemen...3) What about the missing students? The dragon knows where to find them, they were brought to a nearby cave, the dragon blocked the entrance with boulders. He is willing to help here.4) The Shadow Masters now know about the castle and the cloister. The party has lost two hiding places and gained not much. At least the dragon is not a foe anymore. In addition, Istandilar knows the Shadow Master wizard and the bard and could provide some information about them (if asked). Although he does not know the names of the two guys, he has seen them without disguise and knows about their possible destination. If the party is smart and able to convince the dragon to play his part in the game, they could lure the wizard into a trap. The wizard casts a sending on a regular basis and has told the dragon that he'll ask about the proceedings at the cloister next (that is, the current) day...However, the dragon will not participate in a fight, if the party fails, he could still kill the wizard. If the party wins, he'll 'ask' nicely about his share of the loot  <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f609.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=";)" title="Wink    ;)"  data-smilie="2"data-shortname=";)" /> The wizard and his bodyguards will want to meet the dragon at a remote, barely accessible point several miles away from the cloister, too difficult for the party to reach by horse. Since the spell power of the party is almost depleted, a travel by phantom steed is impossible. Time is a critical factor, waiting a day to recover would ruin the idea of a trap, since the wizard would check the party with a scrying spell again.The only option is the dragon himself who could carry the four adventurers (two on his back, two in his claws)... IF the party gets the idea of the trap at all  <img src="http://www.enworld.org/forum/images/smilies/nervous.png"  class="smilie" loading="lazy" alt=":heh:" title="Nervous Laugh    :heh:" data-shortname=":heh:" /> Again, I appreciate all input!</blockquote>

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