Session 19 : The Best Way to Go

In the morning, the storm has finally cleared and light shines into the main hall through the broken obsidian window. The group knows they don’t have long until Moonbane returns in possession of the crown… and they know where he will head once he has it. Urgathoa’s shrine is the next location in the Lich ritual, and there Envil Moonbane will await them there to spill his enemy’s blood. They spot the shrine from within the temple walls, it lies on a distant mountaintop wrapped in the ivory bones of a long dead dragon. Resolve fuels their blood as they set off to face their nemesis. The time for games is over: they want to fight him as much as he wants to fight them.

Along the way, Isaya spots a piece of fabric flapping in the wind on a landing that seems difficult to access from the path. Daisy tries to climb over to it, nearly falling to her death, and then immediately tries again, this time successfully. The fabric turns out to be the entrance to Eschaw’s magical tent. Inside Daisy finds a few supplies and Drogar’s detailed account of their group’s journey. Skimming through the journal, she discovers that Eschaw died protecting his two friends from the wrath of a Dragon and that they only escaped with their lives thanks to his sacrifice. Jerky and Isaya congratulate Eschaw’s courage and Daisy adds “And seriously, single handedly battling a Dragon is not a bad way to go!”

As the group gets closer to the mountaintop, they hear a familiar voice chanting… Moonbane is already at the shrine. They begin to rush forwards reaching the tail end of the dragon’s remains when the mountain itself starts to tremble and shake. As they press on, the chanting comes to an end, and the once dead Dragon animates, taking off into the clear sky above.

Daisy fearlessly climbs onto the Dragon’s skeletal spine, nimbly dashing towards the head as Isaya lifts off into the air. Jerky stays earthbound and breaks off a few of the Dragon’s ribs with his sword.

Daisy reaches the head of the beast and dives inside finding herself alone, face to face with Envil Moonbane. The young girl fights bravely, and manages to dislocate the dragon’s jaw nearly sending Moonbane to the ground, but the soon-to-be Lich finally pierces her with his sword before pushing her off the dragon’s swinging teeth. She falls onto the snowy mountain below...

Meanwhile Isaya is casting spell after spell at Moonbane but to no avail. His newly found dark powers absorb her magical energy, making him ever stronger. His own magic takes over Isaya’s spirit sending her into a hopeless spiral of dread. She has brought her dearest friends to the top of this mountain to die on her foolish quest to avenge a mother she barely knew… what is the point in fighting a hopeless battle?

While his companions struggle in the air, Jerky spots the scattered magical tomes used in the animation ritual, which had fallen from the dragon’s skull when it took off. He rushes over to them and flips through the pages, his head swimming… he has never been good with magic, and although his whole life he aspired to be more like his intellectual parents, his gifts are with the blade, not the book. Just this once though, when all his friends are helpless and counting on his brains rather than his brawn, Jerky pulls through. He recognizes a picture in the book that shows a symbol drawn on the dragon’s skull and figures out that it is essential to maintain the animation. “DESTROY THAT SYMBOL!!!”

Jerky’s strong voice re-focuses the party’s attention; Isaya manages to momentarily overcome Moonbane’s spell control and lets off an acid arrow straight into the sigil’s center while Daisy flings her daggers at it from below chipping away at the bone. Together they destroy the symbol and watch in awe as the Dragon’s massive body comes crashing into the side of the mountain shaking the ground as it erupts into a cloud of snow and bone with a thousand deafening cracks. Seconds later, from within the cloud, Envil Moonbane’s dark form rises into the air, injured but not defeated... the fight is not over yet. Blasts of dark magic rain down from Moonbane’s outstretched hands onto Jerky and Daisy who are helpless to retaliate from below.

Isaya cannot bear to watch her friends tortured with this vile magic and flies headlong towards Moonbane, arms straight in front of her as if to tackle him. The Elf smiles at this desperate attempt and prepares his sword: victory is his! Seconds before the impact however a rainbow erupts from Isaya’s hands arcing across the sky. Moonbane is so surprised by this unexpected spray of color that he fails to resist the spell’s effect and plummets to the ground. He is only out for seconds but it is enough for Jerky and Daisy to surround him, blades at the ready. The elf lashes out viciously with his dark sword, but Jerky’s strikes true and slices open the other side of his face leaving his jaw to hang lose. Taking advantage of this, Daisy reaches over Moonbane’s head grabbing him by the upper teeth and wrenching him backwards while shoving her shortsword through his chest. Envil Moonbane’s last vision is of Isaya hovering above him, watching him pass into the next world for good. Then his body implodes in a flash of darkness that sucks the life energy from everything around him. Jerky is left feeble and Daisy is left lifeless, Moonbane would not leave this world alone. Sweet dreams Daisy.

 Previous //  Next