CH 10: The Tharkadan Towers

[Jenara]

Laurana walks forward slowly, tapping whoever passes her on the shoulder. "Of.. of course. I will come to you." She walks forward, head lowered.

[JadedDM]

"No, don't be stupid!" Gilthanas hisses, but Laurana ignores him and nobody else makes any attempt to stop her. Once she is close enough to be burned to cinders should the dragon so much as take a breath, Flamestrike bends down and sniffs at her; her breath as hot as a burning furnace. "You are not human," she says, quickly getting to her feet. "You are an elf!"

The dragon looks around wildly, and then she manages to put two and two together. "You...you are stealing my children! You're stealing my children!" she shrieks, her voice a mixture of rage and panic.

[Jenara]

"Go!" Laurana shouts to Riverwind and the others, she does not make an offensive move, what would be the point. "They are protecting their Children, not stealing them, taking from those who might hurt them." The Elf Maid says calmly, her voice loud and clear.

[JadedDM]

"Their children? They are my children!" the dragon shrieks. "I will not let you steal my children!"

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(OOC: Actions? There are still 90 children to be evacuated out of the room. Tika and Caramon are on the other end of the tunnel, as they were ordered out of the room by Laurana.)

[Jenara]

"Hurt me, and you hurt the Children. I do not want that, neither do you. Let them go, please, they will not be harmed." Her hand goes lightly to her sword hilt, she would not survive one moment if it attacked.

[Nuke]

Riverwind motions to the lagging children before herding the rest out of the door. Holding his tongue, he still finds it difficult to make himself understood

[JadedDM]

The massive dragon sucks in her breath to incinerate the elf maiden, but upon hearing Laurana's words instead just swallows it. Her children would get caught in the blast, as well.

Looking down at the woman with fury, Flamestrike remembers she has alternatives to her breath weapon. She lashes out at Laurana with her claws and teeth instead! Laurana dodges the first claw, but manages to get slashed across her body with the second. Fortunately the dragon is old, and her claws fairly dull--otherwise that likely would have been a fatal blow. Another attack will likely kill her, as she was still wounded from before this fight--but she manages to jump out of the way of the dragon's teeth, surviving for at least another minute.

Meanwhile, more children are evacuated from the room, but there are still a couple of score remaining.

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Initiative Order
Laurana (N/A)
Riverwind (N/A)
Flamestrike (Automatically wins)

Round 1!

Flamestrike attacks Laurana with her right claw (1d20-2): 2, miss. She then attacks with her right claw (1d20-2): 12, hit for (1d8): 5 damage. She then bites at Laurana (1d20): 5, miss.

(OOC: Fifty children have evacuated. There are 40 children remaining in the room. Actions for Round 2?)

[Jenara]

Laurana grunts in pain, she couldn't fight a dragon, she didn't have the strength, her lifesblood was pouring out of numerous wounds on her beautiful fair skin.

"You can kill me, but the Children are leaving, this place is not safe for them.." Drawing her own sword, the Elven Steel flashing in the torchlight, "If you let me live, I can make sure they are safe."

(Laurana goes into full Defense)

"Don't just stand there, go!" She shouts, "My people have deserted me, I will do what I can for these children."

[Nuke]

Riverwind herds the children out the door.

[JadedDM]

Gilthanas shouts out. "Laurana, you fool! What are you doing?"

Eben grabs Maritta. "Hey, if the dumb broad wants to stupidly sacrifice herself, more power to her. But let's not join her as desert!" He drags the stunned woman toward the exit. Reluctantly, Gilthanas follows.

"No!" Flamestrike screeches. "I will not let you steal them from me again!" She bats at Laurana, who dodges at the last second. She then bats again, this time hitting her hard. The elf maiden goes flying aside like a rag doll, hitting the wall, and then collapsing in a heap, unconscious. "Stop!" Flamestrike demands, moving forward and then bites Riverwind, her old fangs still capable of doing plenty of damage to succulent, soft human flesh.

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Initiative Order
Laurana (1d10): 2
Riverwind (1d10): 3
Eben (1d10): 5
Gilthanas (1d10): 9
Flamestrike (1d10+12): 20

Round 2!

Laurana goes into full defense (her AC improves by 3).
Riverwind herds the children out.
Eben herds Maritta out.
Gilthanas herds the children out.
Flamestrike strikes Laurana with her left claw (1d20-5): 4, miss. Then she strikes with her right claw (1d20-5): 13, hit for (1d8): 6 damage. Laurana falls. Flamestrike then moves 45 feet forward and bite attacks Riverwind (1d20+2): 19, hit for (3d8): 13 damage.

(OOC: All of the children are now out of the room. Actions for Round 3?)

[Jenara]

Laurana falls to the ground with scream. Cursing in Elven as she flies across the room.

(Two PCs unconscious... lol)

[Nuke]

"TIKA, GET IN HERE!" all efforts of subterfuge gone, he rips off the disguise and bares his blades. He looks to dodge the old dragon's attacks.

[HorizonsDream]

Tika raises an eyebrow at Caramon before she rushes into the room. "What...?" she asks as she notices the dragon attacking. "What is going on?!" she asks, as she pulls out wyrmnslayer.

[JadedDM]

As Riverwind goes on the defensive, Gilthanas shakes his head. "There's no sense in you both sacrificing yourselves for no reason! The mission must come first!" With that, the elf prince withdraws with the children.

"Tika, no!" Caramon calls after her as she heads back, pushing through the children to reach Riverwind. As she gets closer, Wyrmslayer begins to buzz again in anticipation. But can the simple barmaid really stand up to an ancient dragon, even with this blade?

"We need to go, before things get hot in here!" Eben declares, and runs out, staying close to the children. He realizes that as long as he is in close proximity. of them, no harm can come to him; something the rest of the party doesn't seem to quite grasp, as they keep walking away from the children.

Flamestrike rises her head, ready for a final attack that will end Riverwind's life for good. When suddenly, a large magical globe of pure darkness encases her head entirely. Shrieking, she shakes her head and snakes her long neck to and fro, trying to shake it off. But the globe followers her wherever she goes.

"You people are complete idiots!" a disembodied voice hisses not far from Riverwind. Raistlin's image slowly fades into view as his invisibility wears off. "Now is your chance. I cannot maintain this globe forever!"

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Initiative
Flamestrike (1d10+12): 13
Riverwind (1d10): 1
Eben (1d10): 9
Gilthanas (1d10): 1
Tika (1d10): 5
Raistiln (1d10+3): 7

Round 3!

Gilthanas withdraws from battle.
Riverwind goes into full defense (his AC improves by 4).
Tika arrives on the scene but does nothing.
Eben withdraws from battle.
Raistlin conjures a globe of darkness around Flamestrike's head, ending his invisibility. Flamestrike saves vs. spell (1d20): 9, fail. Flamestrike is blinded.
Flamestrike holds her attacks, afraid of hurting her children by accident.
Laurana bleeds 1 HP of damage.

(OOC: Raistlin has bought the party a very brief window of time. I suggest you don't waste it. Actions for Round 4?)

[Jenara]

(ooc: Like i have been saying, get the frack out of there. I'm already dead.)