Session 18 Recap:

* The Fracture (A vast area of scorched wasteland, dominated by a vast, deep fissure)

### PCs:

Peanut, Arik, Dandy (Goldie, Gar and Tivram are being run as NPCs)

### NPCs:

* *(Unnamed Female Mercenary)* (Former member of Earl Castigan's Brother's Mercenary Company)
* *(Unnamed Academic)* (Male scholar, specializing in the study of dragons. Seemed overly focused on study to the exclusion of all else - including personal risk)

**Previously...**

## And Now...

At the upper cliff, Arik and Tivram, still keeping watch at the cliffs edge, don’t notice the approaching patrol until the last minute. Tiv casts an illusion, making them hard to see/invisible. The patrol consists five mercenaries lead by a hybrid but Arik spots, at the far rear of the column, wearing a mercenary uniform, the gnome who was guarding the jewel at the Gala at Castigan Manor... Peanut. He is so surprised, he sticks his head out of the illusion, and in turn Peanut manages to spot his floating head.

As the mercenaries reach the cliff, Arik attacks, knocking two of them instantly over the edge (Cue WILHELM scream x2). The hybrid responds by leaping over the edge and flying out so he can attack without getting caught in the melee. Arik leaps over the edge and stabs into the dragon-hybrid trying to cling onto the sword/dragon. Trying to shake him off, the Hybrid collides them both into the cliffs. He manages to shake Arik loose, but is pierced through the heat with an Arrow from Peanut.  Tivram dispatches the last guards.

Meanwhile, at the Machine, Gar is beginning to transform painfully. Goldie provides him with a sedative and he is left to rest inside the huge Dragon skull they are hiding behind. Dandy sneaks closer, investigating the people in the cages. Besides the others, there are two people of interest within - a female former mercenary from the company the Hybrids are working with, and a male academic (who seems tremendously keen on studying dragons even at the point of disregarding his own well-being).

Utilizing combination of materials Dandy has collected and some of Goldie's alchemy set, Dandy creates a large quantity of fluorescent paint and uses it to paint the front section of the large Dragon Skellington to the east of the machine. As this is happening, the machine makes a loud ‘POP’ noise and the ground shudders, causing several new fissures to open in the ground.

At the upper levels, Tivram and Arik cover their tracks and signs of the fight using bone-dust. Peanut and Arik catch up and establish they are on the same side. Peanut has been employed by Earl Castigan to investigate his brother's mercenary company. Arik lays down some mechanical alarms at the clifftop to alert them if another patrol comes this way (effectively a trip-wire and flare).
They feel the ground shaking from below and are convinced to meet up with the others. When they get to the guard on the bridge/column, they try to deceive him, but they end up knocking him over and trying to ‘ride the bridge down’ by severing the ropes. Miraculously, it works and everyone escapes with only minor bruises.

Down below, Dandy uses a makeshift megaphone to fake a loud dragon roar (quite well) and sneaks past the group of mercenaries and hybrids who come to investigate the apparently ‘alive’ glowing dragon. She proceeds to release the captives and lead them away to a remote corner of the bottom level (near the skull where Gar is).

Realising they would not have long before the mercenaries regroup and come looking for them all, Goldie creates a will-o'-the-wisp with magic and sends for the rest of their team. Arik, Peanut and Tivram get the message from Goldie and pick up their pace. Arik uses divine magic to create a moving platform to take them down - the team is re-united.

Dandy talks to the captives she rescued and discovered the hybrid’s purpose is to “Recover lost brethren”.

* The pieces of the puzzle click into place in Dandy's mind (heroic ability activated) and she remembers an old bit of lore. “The Dragon Hatchery”
* Apocalyptic myths of early unsuccessful Dragon-Hybrids buried in the earth.
* Depending on the version of the myth they are either a/ in a perpetual war with each other and, over the generations have become perfect war machines.(Perfected Dragon Kin), or b/ have become twisted degenerates who have turned to ynfernal powers - if freed they will cover Terrinoth in destruction and death (‘The Wretched Legion')

**Episode 19 is a partially-connected interlude featuring characters who are not regular parts of the story, so you can either head there, or proceed to** **Episode 20** **for the conclusion of this story arc featuring our regular cast...**

*10xp
(245xp)*