Expedition 136: Rescuing Indresark

We travel far to the north to Prexar's Lair to save the iron drake Indresark from the clutches of Prexar, the worst dad ever.

### Detailed Writeup

We plan to travel to the far reaches of the map, to the yet unexplored region of the northern mountains to Prexar's lair.

First step is travelling through the Burning Hills. We should have expected more resistance, and we were unfortunately met by two Magma Xorn. After a quick fight where Bea and Ranag were able to get everyone on the opposite side of a lava river from the Xorn, we ran out of there. Staying and killing them would have meant extra damage from the fire auras and explosions upon death, despite the riches we would have found in their hearts.

Before we get to the piedmont, Fiona polymorphed Gonerton into a Nestback Gull, fondly known as Gullerton, to fly us all to the mouth of Prexar's lair. As we fly over the Piedmont, we are spotted by the soldiers at Fort Gravewall and are shot at. A single arrow took Gullerton down to 1hp. Quick thinking from Confidence and a casting of Darkness made it hard for them to hit any more, and we barely escaped.

We then flew over the farms outside of Liefsend, which were criscrossed by icy rivers. The farmland was tended mostly by humans, but also some figures wrapped in brown linen. Patrols of skeletons patrolled the border. We then flew into the mountains, flying low.

Once we landed, we head up a narrow valley, and come across a strange sight. A single sheep, staring at us. We try to talk to it, but it does not respond. Gonerton, thinking this sheep looks suspicious, casts a Fire Bolt at it. Usually, sheep are not able to survive Fire Bolts, but this one looked relatively unharmed. Before we could get a better look, the sheep muttered something in Draconic and dimension doored away. That was most definitely not a sheep - we speculate a bit, the only thing we know of able to cast spells from a polymorphed form is a metallic dragon. Later, when we would ask, neither Emervox nor Bahamut knew anything about the mysterious sheep. In this writeup, Fiona has heretofore determined that these mountains shall be notated in the maps as the *Sheepcreep Mountains*, for the creepy sheep.

We are getting close, so we Send to Indresark, and he explains that Prexar is out but is likely to return soon. We attempt to hurry to the lair.

However, we come across a strange sight. A pale skinned human is tied to a shrine of sorts made out of 5 chromatic dragon totems. We cut him down, and wake him. He explains that he is from the Frostlakes, the region we flew over before, and that his name is Madar. He explains that it was his turn to be Ozymandias's meal (drinking blood but not killing him), but he didn't want to and hid. His food privileges were taken away for a week, so he got hungry and stole food. As a punishment he was put out here. He explains that once a week someone is put out here for the chromatic dragons to consume. We decide to bring him along with us, to the best of our ability. Although we will be searching for a chromatic dragon, better dead trying to escape than waiting for one to show up.

At the mouth of Prexar's lair, we cast Fly on Ranag so he can ferry people in and across the drops. When just Fiona and Ranag are in, we are assaulted by two remorhaz, an adult and a juvenile. We quickly dispatch of the adult with Tasha's Hideous Laughter, and Ranag manages to shove the younger one off of a cliff. Indresark, just now noticing we are here, gleefully rips into the remorhaz and finishes it off. We pull the other one off the cliff as well, and it is similarly dispatched. Gonerton then expertly cleans up the crime scene so Prexar doesn't suspect anything.

Immediately, we reunite with Indresark and cast regenerate on him, starting to regrow his lost limbs and wings. However, just soon after, Bea's locate creature spell on Prexar pings, indicating that he is just outside the lair. We hastily prepare - Fiona casts fire shield, Gonerton gives Fiona Transmute Rock, and Indresark takes Madar into a back room for safety. Using Chaeryn, Fiona attempts to cast Transmute Rock in the tunnel so that it hits Prexar, but it misses, only achieving in cutting off Prexar's means of escape.

After a brief round of taunting from Prexar, Confidence successfully tricks Prexar into thinking Indresark is dead, but this does nothing to determine Prexar. The fight begins. In a whirlwind of movements, struggling up the piles of skins in the lair, we all get badly hurt, Gonerton is down to near nothing, and we are all hit with Prexar's chilling breath. In our direst moments, Indresark comes in to help and hits Prexar with his bludgeoning breath weapon. Ranag, with Broadwings does most of the damage. Fiona turns into a canary for the first time with the Gift of Medomai, and attempts to divebomb Prexar from the air. Finally, Ranag gets the killing blow. We all come out of the fight terribly, horribly wounded, but alive.

After a few last words from Indresark to Prexar, the white dragon dies. "I don't know if you were wrong, or just a liar, but it matters little now, since all you'll become is a coat."

We spend the rest of our time casting Ark'fayed's hearth fire, making the lair cozy, and harvesting Prexar for body parts. Bea, angry that she didn't get to hit anything this fight, finds a zombie still 'alive' in a holding room and murders it. We investigate the Wet Place, which appears to be a dank pool of water but is actually a pool of straight, if shitty, vodka. At the back we find a magical flask it was coming out of. We inspect Prexar's clutch of dragon eggs, which have been magically obscured with a layer of frost so that we cannot tell what color they are.

We head back to the Fungal Caverns via teleport circle, with two new friends, a pile of skins and white dragon bits, and 18 unidentifiable dragon eggs.