Dragon Hunt Session 3

Princess Guard - The New Era 2016/09/22 	 Titan Charm Caleb Daemon 22

Near the Dwarven Mine Entrance
Caleb shakes his head... not in denial, just in bewilderment. "Well, OK. So... I guess that leaves us with the same job, and maybe with clearer consciences, which is nice. Anyway... do we go in, or do we lure Puff out?" he asks Titan.

After making sure he's gathered everything of worth (and boy was there little of that to be had) Daemon pats his new leather satchel full of Elfen MRE-type bars and looks to Charm and Harlequin. He purposefully ignores the bag of bones that was just talking.

"You guys ready to go, or should I expect more voodoo?" he asks.

Titan takes a deep breath. "Mmm...not sure. Let's wait for the others before we decide. Someone might have the appropriate knowledge about it."

Caleb nods. "Fair enough. Knowing more'n I do wouldn't take much right now, that's for sure." He entertains himself in the interim by chatting up Astrel.

Astrel is very happy to being chatted up. She plays the part of a cute little six year old to perfection.

Caleb starts pulling stuffed animals out of a hole in space, wondering if six-year-old goddesses like that sort of thing. His brother did at that age.

Astrel claps in delight at Caleb's tricks. "If you're still alive when I get born, would you like to worship me?" she asks Caleb. "I'm a goddess of tricksters and pranks, and music."

Daemon taps his toe waiting for an answer from the Princess or the Necromancer Clown

Caleb grins. "We can discuss terms when you're older. I do trickstering pretty well, but back in my world we just call it being a pain in the ass."

Charm says, "No voodoo here. And I'm ready."

Harlequin says, "You should go on. I may be more of a liability than a help since I'm a source of Mana. I'll stay here and see if I can get any further information from the grey elves."

Caleb turns back to Titan. "I just want it on record here that we're taking tactical advice from a self-described goddess of tricksters and pranks. Also that this is _not_ the most ridiculous choice I've made today. Just sayin'."

Charm says, "I worry I'll be a liability too."

Titan nods to Caleb and chuckles. "So noted. Tricksters can be trusted sometimes, though."

"Alright, Harlequin. Charm - I didn't realize you had come all this way to dance with those already departed." Daemon says, almost teasingly as he attempts to coax her into following along - if only so he doesn't have to walk alone in this weird place.

Charm says, "No such thing. I came because I know this world." She is coming, despite her misgivings, for that reason.

"Good - lets catch up then." Daemon says simply.

Charm asks on comms, "We're coming, except for Harlequin - what's the situation?"

Caleb replies "Um. Powerful enemy? Check. Obscure advice from ambiguously helpful goddess? Check. Taking a poll: lure it out or go in after it? The enemy, that is. Goddess is already here." He gives said goddess a thumbs-up gesture.

Titan says over the comline, oO( Well, we might have just met Harlequin's future descendant. And she has a plan to potentially deal with the dragon. )Oo

Daemon answers, oO( What do you mean, Future Decendant? Are you telling me I can't even depend on time being linear here? Is it too late to call that Trans AM mascot back here? )Oo

Charm says, "Trying to lure it out would tell us if it's laid any eggs.... If so she wouldn't come.... Of course, that would also eliminate any element of surprise. But then the odds of surprising a dragon are remote anyway."

Charm says, "Time is no less linear on the Twilit Worlds than on Earth."

Caleb shrugs. "Not really sure how you lure a dragon, anyway. Hey Charm, are you -- no, never mind, forget I asked. Which I didn't. For the record. And as for the descendant thing, I think it's just her being nonlinear, not time in general."

Charm says, "Well, you're right in what you're not saying. I'd be good bait. I'm flesh, I'm magical and I smell a lot better than humans. Pardon my saying so."

"The weird thing," Cale observes idly, "is that there's basically _nothing_ I can say to that that doesn't get me slapped."

Charm comes into view, smiling amusedly.

Daemon is a few steps behind her and when he speaks it's in stereo as he still has the comm line activated.

oO( "Well that's a relief. I'd like to keep some things a secret."

"Good thing I brought plenty of fishing line - Charm's a bit of a bigger worm than I'm used to. )Oo.

He chuckles as they near. The little goddess lifts her pan-pipes and plays a cheerful tune as Daemon and Charm approach.

Titan nods. "I have a little bit of magic on me. I don't know if that's enough to lure the dragon, though."

Caleb nods. "Yeah, same here."

Daemon whistles the Pinnochio theme 'I've got no strings' but he doesn't say anything. Any with the ability to do so will see there is nothing magical about the Spidery-man

Charm vocalises a harmony to the goddess's tune in response.

Charm says, "It depends on how hungry the dragon is, of course. But I'm still probably the best bait. Of course, I'm not invulnerable."

The tune played by the goddess isn't magical - but Charm's matching harmony has an effect of energizing those hearing it.

Titan says, "How about...if someone casts a spell on me to make me...'tastier'? Then I can be the bait."

Daemon watches on in wide-eyed wonder as Titan basically volunteers to be eaten by a dragon.

Charm says, "Well, I *could* do that.... but I don't have the ingredients. Of course I could just cast a big spell on you and hope the works..... Then again that might draw the dragon to me."

Charm looks about thoughtfully.

Caleb shrugs. "I mean, we're all gonna end up fighting the thing... it's not like we're feeding it poisoned bait. It's just a question of where we do it. So I'm not sure it really matters which of us lures it."

Charm says, "Oh. The nearest fae path is almost half a mile away. So much for that idea."

Charm says, "Never mind. I'll try to lure it - the rest of you make sure it doesn't get me! Unless anyone has a better idea."

Astrel clears her throat meaningfully.

Caleb looks to the presumably magic-rich goddess. "Any chance of you helping her out here?"

Astrel says, "Why are you trying to lure the dragon out under an open sky where she can fly and swoop down on you all? I'm sure there must be a good reason."

"I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks this plan is crazy." Daemon mumbles.

Caleb shrugs. "General principle: fight 'em on our turf rather than theirs. Not that this is particularly our turf."

[To Daemon] Charm says, "You might have mentioned this before. But I'd assumed the idea was to strike at the dragon at the mouth of the mine."

Charm says, "Do we favour going in, then, instead? Then remember if she *has* laid eggs she will be especially fierce."

"Yeah - just because its our only plan doesn't mean it's a good one." Daemon replies to Charm. "I'm just planning on staying away from the sharp end that breathes fire."

Titan nods. "Let's head in. Theoretically we'll be able to tell exactly where she is, since she had to widen tunnels.

Charm says, "Then do you want me with you? Because I'll still be bait, if unintentional."

Daemon shrugs. He scolds himself for almost volunteering to go in invisibly to see if there are eggs. 'That would have been monumentally stupid!' he thinks to himself.

Titan smiles. "I'd say...everyone should come with me, but let me walk ahead a short bit. Just enough so that I'm the first target seen.

Charm nods. "Very well, then."

Caleb nods. "Suits me, boss."

Daemon shrugs and activates his invisibility and sound dampeners. Though to the rest of the team he can still be heard 'speaking' with the temporary electronic comms integrated into his nanites.

oO( I'll stay close to the big guy - maybe I can yank him out of the Dragon's mouth before that breath gets him. Anyone bring mouthwash? )Oo.

Titan grimaces, "Don't do anything like that without telling me before you're going to do it. I'll be fine."

The path the dragon took through the mine is clear. Just follow the passage that's been enlarged by claws.

Charm looks at the claw marks and passage to try to judge the size of the dragon.

Titan leads the way into the tunnel, following the obvious path.

Caleb follows the boss, whistling "hi ho, hi ho"

Some of the boring history lessons Charm had to sit through have come in useful. Finally. Judging from the size of the enlarged tunnels the dragon is BIG. One of the larger dragons. Probably the full 120ft long size. Which means it's one of the original great dragons, as after the dragons ravaged the lost realms and sucked up all the mana no more dragons could hatch.

Daemon shrugs and follows along. He knows when his help isn't needed. Not that shrugging alerts anyone to his meaning while he's invisible.

Daemon hangs back letting the others pass him and then he leaps up on the tunnel ceiling to scurry along that surface instead.

Charm says, "It's huge. Maybe full grown. If it had eggs to lay, it will have done so...."

Titan raises a brow, "So it wouldn't need say...a daddy dragon?"

From ahead somewhere is a deafeningly loud roar and then the sound of breath being inhaled by huge lungs.

Caleb observes "I think I know where the dragon is."

Charm ducks into the deepest recess she can find.

Titan rolls his shoulders and continues forward.

Charm says, "Yes... but she could have had some already fertilised eggs within her...."

oO( Did anyone bring a change of underwear? I think I've ruined mine. )Oo. Daemon says facetiously over the comm lines.

Nexus wraps himself in defensive forcefield stuff.

oO( I'd like to restate my vote to try burying this thing beneath the mountain. It will take her a long time to dig out - perhaps I'll be dead by then? )Oo. Daemon adds.

oO( Well, challenging the thing gets us dead sooner, )Oo. Caleb observes wryly.

Titan shakes his head, "Time pases faster here, from what I remember. Years here is like...months at home."

The end of the passageway you're proceeding along lights up with a rolling wavefront of fire that fills the tunnel and races towards you at high speed.

Titan covers his face. Otherwise, he just stands there.

oO( All the more reason to avoid it- I've already tried the death thing. Wasn't my cup of tea. I don't think 'Dragon-Slayer' really fits me either. Oh - and I'll age out of the business if we stay here too long? You guys really know how to welcome people to your realm. )Oo.

That's when Daemon sees the tunnel aglow with dancing flame.

oO( Good grief. )Oo. He says as he looks around for a cavern or nook to leap into to dodge the worst of the oncoming firestorm.

The billowing wave of intensely hot flame engulfs Titan and Caleb. Daemon and Charm, ducked out of direct line into nooks escape the worse but get caught by the fringe effects.

Titan gets driven backward by the flames about 4 meters, and he rolls to his feet again. "Well, if that's the best it's got, we're in good shape."

Charm is knocked off her feet by the blast of expanding air.

Nexus takes a recovery.

Nexus is dazed and blown back by the blast, but not significantly injured.

oO( In retrospect, worrying about which one of us it attacks may have been a bit overoptimistic. )Oo. Cale notes.

Daemon finds a crannie just ahead - so he leaps into as the flames are almost upon him. oO( AHHHH! )Oo. sounds his mental voice which is routed to the temporary comms.

The smell of burning flesh and destroyed nanites fill the air around him.

He sucks his teeth at the pain.

He looks down to examine the leg thta got the brunt of the blast and frowns.

'That hurt like hell!' He thinks - but already he can see some of the burnt flesh repairing itself- and the hole iin the thigh of his suit reaches across the gap to close the hole.

oO( I'm gonna skin that God ****** Dragon alive! )Oo. Daemon says, his voice angry over the comm lines. oO( Show it how it feels... )Oo. He says dropping out of the hole he found in the ceiling.

He can't see the source of the flame - and likely he's glad he can't.

Charm remarks, "Inside, yes."

Charm is well aware that her magic is likely to do nothing to the dragon but make it stronger. So instead she casts a spell to give companions that quality the Finns call _sisu_, a sort of steady determination in the face of adversity, to aid against any adverse effects the sight of the dragon may cause...

It's only after she plays her harp and sings that Charm realises it's the same tune the little goddess greeted her with.

Titan isn't quiet sure exactly how far ahead the dragon is...but someplace in a straight line. Luckily those flames lit things up nicely for a bit. He hurries forward toward the dragon, gliding along using his magical flight rather than walking.

At the end of his flight Titan emerges into a central area that has been ripped out of the rock by dragon claws. The chamber thus made is about 100 ft in diameter and 40 ft high. Too small for the dragon to fit if she wasn't curled into a half circle.

Nexus takes a deep breath and appreciates his decision to go into this fully shielded. Though in retrospect, he's not sure why he didn't try to hide from the blast as well. Maybe it's the setting that's got him posturing heroically... maybe he's trying to impress the girl. Even he isn't sure. Anyway. He switches his power allocation into a more balanced mode and follows Titan, reaching ahead of him to strike the beast where he'd briefly seen it, counting on its size to make it an easier target even in the dark.

The dragon makes a surprised yowling noise as the attack actually manages to affect her.

"Honey," Cale says, "you ain't any more surprised than me!"

Daemon follows Titan and Caleb's lead, and after a 3 count he charges forward. He's blind in the dark but nano-scale fibers all over his body provide him a pretty good radar system. As such - he literally feels the cavern open up around him as he emerges from the tunnel.

He hopes there's enough room for him to maneuver in.

Flipping up to the wall just above the the tunnel entrance Daemon tries to sense the movement of what's happening around him - he suspects the dragon is right in the middle of the room so he secures his perch then throughs the first of his one-two punch at the air in front of him.

AS his right arm extends, his nanogauntlets swich modes and spin up a web encased sticky-disc. At the apex of the shadow punch the gauntlets launch the disc out at high speeds towards the dragon. Well he hopes that's the dragon.

The dragon yowls again as high voltage arcs over her in sparkling lights.

(temp note: 17 stun done. Next action is Daemon on seg 3. )