I'll assist you when I can, Amara. This project won't be that difficult, but you still have to get things precise.

Twiggy looks at the ship "I will go with Myarra. Talk to the builders to see how much it would cost to add weapons. If nothing else buy alot of crossbows in case the slaves have to fight."

"I think it's a bad idea to arm the prisoners. Most of them will be in no condition to fight, and we can't trust the ones who can. They may turn on each other, they may turn on us. It's not worth the risk. We're making arrangements to have guards on board to protect them while we deal with the slavers."

Agreed. Arming them will cause a mutiny. Taking them to Elturel won't take that long. They'll have provisions while we're traveling and then they will be taken care of once they arrive. So, while you're doing preparations for the Mariasha, Myarra, I'll be inside making the magical item and helping Amara do her scrying.

Over the next several days, you all go about your chores to get the ship fixed up and to make plans on the assault of the Trielta Mine. The gangplank for the Mariasha is built and it's easy to use and will support the weight of a heavy warhorse. Having to deal with Dwight for a couple days was difficult, as the man is a total Ass****, but you have to admit that he gets his work done and you all find it uncanny that animals like him.

Timber has some ideas on how to build the Cargo Crane, but he admits that you might be better off getting one outfitted at a port where they use them frequently. Perhaps Scornubel or Elturel. He does install a couple dozen wooden shields you bought in town to help further the defenses of the ship. As for a landing platform for the Mariasha, Timber says he can build it, but you will need permission to have it placed in town.

Nolan completes the Farspeaker Amulet.

"OK, I think we're about as ready as we can be. Let's go back to the tower and talk with Amara and Nolan."

The party flies the Mariasha back to Daak with no problems. You use the gangplank to get on and off and it works just fine. The kids run up to the ship and want to play on it, but Mothers quickly gather up the children so you can do your jobs. Myarra stays on board to guard the ship, thinking that the ship needs that wooden docking port made, so she can take the rod out of the helm without the ship being stolen. It has been several days since Amara used the Lyre. Myarra is thinking of hiring the farmers to scrounge for more wood again as Nolan draws up some kind of plans.

The rest of the party goes into the tower and finds Amara and Nolan eating in the dining area, talking about where to drain water in the mines. Twiggy grabs a bunch of snacks....

I take it the repairs to the Mariasha went well? Amara and I have come up with a possible way inside the mine, but it will require moving a lot of water.

Aliana listened intently.  Water wasn't her specialty, but she'd help however she could

Like Aliana, Byron listed more than saying anything.  He knew his skills would be in combat, rather than in planning.

"Repairs and modifications are looking very good," Myarra agrees.  "Shipwise, I think we're ready to go. I need to talk to Rufus, Lorrik, and some of the others and see if any of them are willing to play guard for us. We just need a couple to keep any enemies at bay while we bring the ship in and out.

I don't know anything about moving water and, sorry to say, my dancing is better than my swimming. I hope we won't have to go that way, but if we do, I'll manage.

On the other hand, if we go in the front door, I think our best option is to go straight down the middle and then down the shielded stairs. We might be able to decapitate the cultists without having to deal with the dragon first.  Once the cultists go down, most of the guards should lose heart. It's not that the dragon will ever be easy, but we'll have a better show if we're not being attacked by cultists at the same time.

If we have the time, I'll have the woodsmen bring in more branches so Amara can build a cradle for the ship. But that's really low on the to-do list."

Twiggy eats his snacks and asks "Can we use the crab in the flooded area? Also do you think they can detect magic use in the area. Our main advantage right now is suprise, if we use powerful magic to pull the water out will they know? I don't know how dracolich or magicians work?

I'm sure the crab will work fine in the water, but we don't know why that place flooded or how, so I don't think that would be a good area to test the contraption. I'm sure there are cultists using magics in the mine, but I'm unsure if the dragon will know the difference between ours. Do we want to try and break through one of the areas that looked collapsed to try and sneak in? Area 20 we've labeled on our map looks promising. It would be a straight shot to either the dragon or to the stairs that lead to whatever. Assuming we break through without it collapsing on us.

"I think we should try to redirect the water to the lower area while we get the prisoners out. It should be a good distraction." Amara opined.

And how do you suppose we do that? Even if the Lyre did the work, it will make enough noise to attract everyone in the mine.

Byron listened to the others thinking about what they were saying before speaking up.

Maybe with the Crab?  Myarra and I are going to have to fight off any guards foolish enough to attack us.  The problem for us will be that someone is going to sound the alarm and more than likely bring a ton more guards and worse down on us once the battle starts.

"Your water elemental, Nolan, should be able to redirect the water, correct?"

"Would a second Water Elemental help?  I might be able to being one around as well"

Yes, the Water Elemental can do that, but I would have to go with it to show it where to go. I highly doubt it can read a map. The crab will be useful as well digging here and there to create a path, but we should investigate the water first to see how deep it is. All of this planning will be for nothing if it's only a few feet deep.

"Even if it is only a few feet deep, that's enough for a good distraction. Just not much damage." Amara responded.

"What do we wish to accomplish with flooding the mine with water? Seems to me that the cultists will be attracted to that, which will put more of them on our backs. I think that's a bad idea. I like the idea of using an old mine entrance to sneak into the place, but I think we should take advantage of that to sneak into the Dragon's lair and use those Disruptive weapons on it. Once it's dealt with, I'm sure Cultists will flee the area and then we can take care of the ones who wish to fight."

I do admit that moving the water is a lot of work, work that I'd rather not be doing. Our main objective is to destroy the dragon. We know where it's at and we can create a secret way in. I like your idea, Roen. Get in, and go directly to the dragon and destroy it.

"No distraction? No getting the slaves out first? That's a recipe for a lot of... civilians to get hurt or killed." Amara objected.

Twiggy listens and is curious "Is there any way that we could draw the dracolich out? us fighting the cultist wizards and the dragon will be a problem. A flooded tunnel would probably only pull the gaurds but the strongest cultist will still be in the main cavern."

Byron nods his head in agreement with Amara.

Amara, as much as I agree with you, avoiding the deaths of some or most of the slaves is going to be an impossibility.  Nothing we do or don't do is going to change that.