Tombs of Scoria: Episode 88

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== Synopsis ==
After being forcefully teleported to Bridgelight, Tyrael successfully evades Scoria, teleporting himself back to safety. The next day, Scoria attempts another attack on Drekis, but the Brothers and Shine rush out to confront her. Scoria teleports to Bridgelight, but the party chases after her using the last of the Babylon candle. Despite the Brothers' and Shine's best efforts, Scoria manages to escape. With their Scrolls of Protection From Fire exhausted, the Brothers let Drekis burn as Imrik and Arc Sombar work over three weeks to produce six more scrolls, and Anton learns dragon-riding. Tyrael orders the evacuation of the outer cities, but Scoria destroys Bon'Dundisyer before warning can reach the city. With the six scrolls in hand, the Brothers and Shine prepare to march with the armies of Drekis north towards Dragon Peak.
==Recap==
===Victory, At Any Cost===
In a flashback, Tyrael, Anton, and Imrik are at home in the wake of saving Anton. They discuss what should happen in the event one of them dies before killing Scoria. Each brother agrees that should one of them fall, the other two would owe it to their fallen brother to continue the mission, even if it would mean their deaths. Anton suggests bringing in , one of the strongest warriors they know as a means to finishing the mission. 
In the present, Tyrael and Scoria have just Teleported. Tyrael is still blessed by Anton’s , , and ; Imrik’s and are still active. Anton’s Sacred Guardian triggers, immediately letting him know Tyrael is in danger. Tyrael is protected by the Scroll of Fire Protection and the Ioun stone. 
Tyrael and Scoria appear on a stone and wooden bridge stretching at least a mile in either direction over a massive icy lake. 
==== Combat Start: Tyrael McGary vs. Scoria and Balaerius ====
Scoria dives into the water below. Tyrael back onto the bridge.
Tyrael activates his Cloak of the Cheetah and sprints east.
Tyreal stops for a moment to deploy Ioun stone #12 before continuing to flee.
Scoria erupts from the waters below. Tyrael hears Scoria roaring and chasing after him as he continues running.
Tyrael is able to act first, having made his way half a mile down the bridge; he sees a burning town in front of him and deduces he is within Mistrya. Tyrael produces the Snap candle and the Teleportation candle, teleporting himself to Fen Den, consuming two inches of the teleportation candle just as the bridge begins to collapse beneath Scoria’s weight.
Combat End.
Anton detects Scoria flying back towards Dragon Peak from Bridgelight. Anton rushes back to Suulwikk and reunites with Imrik. Imrik scries on Tyrael to find him safe in Fen Den. Imrik is flabbergasted that Tyrael and Anton engaged Scoria in combat without him, but as the Brothers reunite, Tyrael stands by the decision to drive Scoria off in a show of force.
The Brothers discuss plans for what they should do in the event Scoria attempts another assault. They estimate they could defeat Scoria in a head-to-head fight and will ready themselves to confront Scoria when the opportunity next reveals itself. Imrik hands Anton another Protection From Fire Scroll, who hands the Scroll to Tyrael. When Anton awakens in the morning, he finds Scoria once again above the Ironbark Grove flying south. Anton alerts his Brothers and Shine. Anton and Imrik take the better part of three hours to memorize spells. 
Anton worries about what happens if they use a scroll and Scoria out. The Brothers accept that during the six days Imrik would be making another scroll, parts of Drekis could burn. The Brothers confer and Tyrael decides they will fly out to Scoria and engage her.
Tyrael equips his Ring of True Seeing and hands Ioun stone #11 to Imrik.  The Brothers and Shine arrive at Bon' Theris, where they detect Scoria about 50 miles out at sea. Imrik casts and on Tyrael and Anton. Imrik has set to on a command word. The Brothers ignore the cheering crowds below and they take off on Shine, directing her to fly at maximum speed towards Scoria.
=== A Second Clash in the Skies, March, 1515 ===
Shine senses Scoria about a mile out, though Scoria remains unseen. The Brothers momentarily stow the Ioun stones as Tyrael casts the Scroll of Protection From Fire, Imrik casts Haste on everyone and Anton casts Dispel Evil on himself which would impose a -7 to hit on Scoria’s melee attacks against him. Shine calls out Scoria is immediately before them as Imrik activates his Fire Shield and calls out for Shine to cast Shield from her robes.
==== Combat Start: The Brothers and Shine vs. Scoria ====
Imrik notices Scoria and is the first to act and casts , coating the back section of Scoria’s tail before peeling off on his .
Anton holds his attack, but Scoria dives and away.
Anton detects Scoria and she is back over the bridge in Bridgelight. Tyrael asks whether they want to chase after Scoria. They agree. Imrik hops off his spectral steed. Tyrael produces the snap candle and teleportation candle, and in a blink, they appear before Crownhold. The party flies on an intercept trajectory and begins to catch up with Scoria. The party sees Scoria’s tail, still covered by Glitterdust, and Scoria also notices the party. Scoria is in full retreat as Shine, the ever so slightly faster dragon, slowly closes with Scoria. 
T-4 Rounds 
Anton casts on himself and Tyrael.
T-3 Rounds
Anton braces Imrik as he casts on himself, rolling a 6, setting himself to 19 Dexterity. 
T-2 Round
Anton then casts , summoning huge bats, though the bats quickly fall behind. 
T-1 Round
Imrik casts .
Round 1
Anton casts on everyone.
Scoria slows down as she casts a spell. 
Tyrael activates the Ring of True Seeing and sees that Scoria is without her rider, and that she is completely healthy despite the considerable wounds she suffered just a day earlier. Tyrael leaps off of Shine and attempts to Blink onto Scoria, grabbing a hold of her. Tyrael slashes through Scoria’s Stoneskin with Ifan, dealing 8.
Imrik crawls past Anton to get into position to shoot at Scoria with his bow.
Round 2
Anton casts , which pierces through Scoria’s Magic Resistance, but Scoria saves as her Ring of Spell Turning activates, reflecting the spell back at Anton, though Anton also saves.
Imrik draws his Bow +2 and fires, removing Stoneskin from Scoria.
Tyrael attacks again, dealing 9 and splitting Scoria’s tail open.
Shine catches up to Scoria and claws and bites, destroying Scoria’s Stoneskin.
Scoria twists and dives, causing Tyrael to lose his grip. Tyrael attempts to blink back onto Scoria, but is unable to hold on and is left hovering in the air.
Scoria turns around expecting Tyrael to still be holding onto her to attack her, but misses him due to him having lost grip. 
Shine turns to face Scoria, but Scoria casts on herself. Imrik shatters Scoria’s Stoneskin, leaving her exposed, but Scoria successfully evades the party. 
Combat End.
=== Beginning of the End ===
With the party unable to catch up to Scoria as the scroll’s protection fades, the party breaks off and flies back to Wikkthronrarenta. Anton finds that Scoria spends several hours submerged somewhere within Lake Edrick before she finally flies back to Dragon Peak.
The next morning, Anton detects Scoria flying south once again. Tyrael inquires into the state of Mahtava, where he finds that the crown of Mathava remains intact, though the country is experiencing considerable strife. Imrik meets with , requesting her help to produce Scrolls of Protection From Fire. With the fall of Mistrya, Arc Sombar agrees to commit full-time to producing the scrolls along with Imrik, conditioned upon The Queen’s approval. 
The Brothers meet with the Queen, who is in the middle of lunch. The Brothers request that the cities beyond the forests are evacuated and the citizens are brought further inland. While the Queen expresses her hesitation given the logistical and political difficulty, she relents and orders the evacuation of the outer cities. The Queen also gives her blessing to Arc Sombar dedicating entirely to producing the scrolls. 
The Brothers go on to explain that without the Scrolls of Protection From Fire, they are unable to repel attacks by Scoria, which means letting Drekis burn in the meantime as they prepare for a singular and final assault on Dragon Peak, which the Queen takes no issue with. Tyrael expresses his feeling that the time to invade Dragon Peak is nearly upon them. The Queen is delighted to hear that the Brothers are finally ready to march with the armies of Drekis. The Queen is met with light applause as she toasts to the death of Scoria, herself Empress Wikk, King McGary, and the end to the War for Arcadia. With the looming deaths of many civilians on the horizon, Anton is incensed by the casual celebration of the assembled nobility, and he slams his gauntleted fists down on the dining table before storming out. 
With the decision made to wait for the invasion, Scoria destroys Bon' Dundisyer and its citizens perish as warning of Scoria’s arrival is unable to reach the city in time.
Imrik commits fully to producing Scrolls of Protection From Fire with Arc Sombar. Together, the two wizards produce six scrolls over the three-week period. While the armies of Drekis mass for the invasion, Anton trains with Shine and gains a Dragonriding Proficiency with the help of Tyrael. Scoria continues her strafing runs around Arcadia, attacking Outlast and burning the forests of Wikkthronrarenta, though Anton feels she remains wary of flying too far over the forests below. With the six Scrolls of Protection From Fire made, Imrik distributes the scrolls and the Brothers begin marching with the armies north to bring about Scoria's demise. 
Category:Tombs of Scoria Episodes