AtD 047: Fallen

Bodrum moved back from the dragon as Thonn struggled to his feet and also retreated. Noxious gas suddenly surrounded Harald and Gromm who were still locked in desperate hand-to-claw combat with the dragon. Harald was overcome by the fumes, but Gromm’s steely constitution enabled him to fight on.

Seeing the tempting bunch of four adventurers standing next to each other, the dragon took to the air and flew over its hapless foes. A great gout of fire engulfed them—Bodrum, Balasar, Thonn and Saeldur were all badly burnt. Only Saeldur survived the flames, and he again retreated. Gromm—eager for revenge—charged the dragon, picking up Thonn’s fallen dragon slaying sword as he did. Another burst of flame struck the half-orc (and, unfortunately, his companions, who had been badly burnt moments before). The savage warrior survived and struck the dragon a terrific blow with the sword. A well-placed arrow from Saeldur almost killed the beast, but its tremendous vitality and thick scales saved its life.

The dragon went for Saeldur, who had retreated down the corridor leading to the kobolds’ lair. Cut off from his surviving friends, Saeldur fell—torn apart by the dragon’s fangs. Harald charged down the corridor to save his friend and was engulfed in flames. The paladin fell. Now only Gromm and Sir Ozloc remained.

Gromm lurked at the end of the corridor, using the wall to give himself cover from the dragon’s fiery, death-dealing breath. This he did for a few heartbeats: the now badly injured dragon seemed reluctant to approach the warrior and his dragon slaying sword while the half-orc knew it was death to enter the corridor in which Saeldur’s and Harald’s bodies yet smouldered. Eventually, perhaps enraged by its foes’ stubborn refusal to die, the dragon emerged. Before Gromm could strike it down, the beast breathed on the redoubtable half-orc, and he also fell.

Suddenly realising “someone had to warn Dunstone of this fell threat”, Ozloc “reluctantly” fled up the corridor leaving his companions’ smouldering bodies to the wyrm’s tender mercies.