Session 52

# May 21st, 2020 - Doom of the Desert

## Doom of the Desert

The session began right where we last left our heroes, preparing to delve beneath the surface into the lair of the ancient blue dragon, Iymrith. Rain continued to fall lightly, and the sky still roiled with dark thunderclouds, lightning cracked across the sky frequently. Together with Harshnag, Queen Serissa, and her complement of storm giants, the group discussed their plan of attack. There appeared to be three main entrances to where the dragons lair below, one on either end of the amphitheater, and the large central pit. There was a fourth way down, a staircase that led to a chamber below, but the tunnel out was too small for giants - although the smallfolk could pass.

Instead, Alburt had conjured his familiar owl, The Breeze 4, and from the edge of the pit he stood and released the bird. Through its eyes, the wizard controlled the owl down into the large underground structure. The only light in the whole space was from the storm filled sky that poured through the pit. The central chamber the pit dropped into connected to both of the other entrances via western and eastern tunnels, and then had a very large northern tunnel. The doorway was floor to ceiling, forty feet, and equally as wide. The wizard could not control the bird beyond that tunnel, but ordered it to fly through and return to him.

Once The Breeze 4 returned the wizard saw the massive deep chamber beyond. Its ceiling was just as high, about forty feet, but the chamber went on for almost two hundred feet. It was supported by six large columns, and there was a single tunnel out to the east. Just north of the center of the room was a large and very deep pit. Just north of the pit was some sort of altar that had nasty looking snake people around it - The Breeze was quite scared of them. Interestingly, the sand in this chamber was piled up into the corners, revealing sandstone floors.

After reporting everything to the group, the giants and party decided to go down quietly and enter the chamber in force. The dragon was likely nearby, for her voice had taunted them through her gargoyles. As quietly as they could, the combined raiding group of giants and smallfolk descended. As they approached they could hear the snake people - yuan-ti - chanting. Thia could see the furthest in the dark, and so she took the lead. She watched as the group stopped chanting, and one of the yuan-ti turned and jumped into the dark pit. Then, dark and unrecognizable words came from deep within the world.

*Light* was cast upon Rachen’s shield, and he charged forward. The yuan-ti noticed the group, and started to disperse and fire their bows. Most of the giants moved forward into the far end of the chamber along with the other ranged members of the party, and started hurling boulders across the room that they found strewn about. It was here, with so many bunched together, that Iymrith revealed herself - roaring and erupting from one of the floor to ceiling sand piles in the corner directly next to the group. The storm giants lept into action, most of the party immediately drank their *potions of giant-size*, making them magically enlarge, and the dragon caused the ceiling to collapse in the entry tunnel. The only person still taking up the rear and who was in the tunnel, was Queen Serrissa, who was buried instantly.

The scene turned to chaos, with storm giants maneuvering either into close combat or backing away to throw boulders. Harshnag rushed to fight the dragon who last time had almost taken his life, and all the while yuan-ti kept firing their arrows through the darkness. Iymrith whipped her tail at giants, turned and wing buffeted Rachen and another giant. Then, the dragon unleashed a devastating *lighting breath* across the room, hitting multiple party members and Harshnag - this blast knocked Thia to the ground. Everyone fought the best they could, Queen Serrissa dug herself out from all the sand and debris, and everyone damaged the beast a little bit at a time.

Together the wounds started to add up, even with the dragon’s tail whips, further wing buffets, and nasty claws and bites they were injuring her, and she started to back away towards the eastern tunnel. The dragon used her lair to her advantage, continually causing lighting to arc between the pillars of the chamber - seeming to focus on hitting Harshnag. Multiple giants took significant wounds, but together they were doing it, and Alburt wasn’t about to let the beast escape. He conjured a *wall of force* across the east tunnels entry, and when Iymrith ran up against it and realized she was trapped, she started to panic. However, it was too late, she had lost too much blood already.

With more heavy boulders, arrows, magic, and the slashes from Rachen’s blade the ancient blue dragon fell. The yuan-ti looked in panic, having largely been ignored by all the giant sized foes, and with no means of escape.

And that is where the session ended, with the victorious group looking to clean up what remained in Iymrith’s lair, and find her treasure trove. It was the middle of the two hundred and thirty first day since the raid on Greenest.

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