Klale assesses where it is safe to stand, if such exists.

The dragon bats the amputated arm away with his free hand and lunges at Duath'gur's neck. Its long dagger-like mithril teeth cut deep [23 DMG].

Without a moment's hesitation, the dragon swings around to the back of the giant Maia, positioning the fallen star between itself and the tower. He plants his two hind legs firmly in the center of Duath'gur's back and wraps his forearms up under his shoulders. Finally, he folds his wings in, as if encasing his foe within a mithril tomb. It looks as if he's poised to pull his arms clean off or wrench him from the tower, whichever comes first. The grapple leaves the front of the Maia exposed to any incoming assault.


19:12, Today: Toben Ironsprings rolled 23 using 3d8+13.  Bite damage.
This message was last edited by the player at 00:37, Thu 28 Sept 2017.

Xar leaps from the dragon onto the colossal earth elemental.  He races around near the front of the neck, standing toward the front of the shoulder, and begins stabbing repeatedly with his daggers.
This message was last updated by the player at 02:01, Thu 28 Sept 2017.

Ryland hold his position in the sky, waiting to swoop in and snatch a comrade from harms way if need be. In the mean time, he emits an eerie chattering sound.

inspire courage: +1 vs charm and fear, +1 to attack and damage

Klale thrusts Hard Time forward, seeking to get between the ribs. The sword penetrates but not as deeply as Klale wished.


11:43, Today: Klale Tsolo rolled 9 using 2d6+4.  Damage. Or 10 from Inspire Courage. *1.5 = 13 or 15 damage.

11:42, Today: Klale Tsolo rolled 7 using 1d20+2.  Critical Damage.

As the mighty mithril dragon strains to pull the dark maia free of the tower, the heroes continue to pummel the arms, neck and torso.  Chunks of rock and sprays of lava fly into the open space above the clouds and fall out of sight.  Duath'gur rages and his fury echoes between the mountains.

It just isn't enough.

With a mighty heave, Dischord changes the momentum of the struggle and begins pulling himself back toward the tower, his one remaining hand pulling on the stubborn remainder of the platform, practically bonding with it about halfway between the tower and the edge.

The situation seems hopeless.  One hopes that those below are not being struck by the falling debris.
This message was last edited by the GM at 01:19, Fri 29 Sept 2017.

Klale strikes twice for what he can reach, probably the hand, wrist, or arm.

20:08, Today: Klale Tsolo rolled 15 using 4d6 with rolls of 3,5,5,2.  Damages.
(13+3+5+1)+2 = 50 and 7+4 = 11 = 61 HP damage.
20:08, Today: Klale Tsolo rolled 15 using 1d20+2.  Critical Damage.

Ano makes his way over to where Duath'gur's remaing hand grasps the ledge.  He focuses himself and starts to concentrate,  pulling all the energy he can from inside himself.

Duath'gur begins to pull himself back up, just as Klale's sword comes down on his remaining useful wrist.  A bright red spray of lava shoots horizontally from the wound, covering Klale but doing no damage.  Ano follows up with the last of his dragon-fueled strikes just above the wound, severing the whole thing completely.

The Dischord rocks back, suddenly free of his support.  The mithril dragon's efforts to yank him from the tower seem to be successful at last.

Then a wave of dark energy passes from the head down the neck and through the arms of the maia.  New hands errupt from the stumps at the end, reaching for the platform.  They grip deep and the maia starts to pull again, straining for all he is worth against the weight and strength of the dragon and the others pounding it.

Everything is in balance, the fight stands upon the edge of a knife. It would take but a little, and the heroes will fail, to the ruin of all...

...yet hope remains.

Out of the sky, the second roar sounds again.  A huge green shape of scales and wings hurtles down like a bolt of fury from an angry Valar into the face of the Dischord.  Though the form is only as big as the maia's head, its momentum is so great that it tips the balance, forcing the huge earth elemental back.

The platform tears away, drawing massive chunks of the tower with it.  Everything begins to fall.  Ryland's bat-like form folds its wings and dives toward Ano.  His claws grasp the monk by his gi before Ano truly begins to fall.  Ryland lifts the two of them up and away from the dying tower and the lightning storm coalescing all over the top where Xarini and the other two maiar are hidden.

With a writhing twist, the mithril dragon forces Duath'gur to face the ground, wrenching his torso and forcing him to constrict the tower at his last connection, the great strangle-hold half-way down.  More of the tower shatters and lightning shoots up into the air toward where the top of the tower was.  At that point, the mithril dragon releases his foe and dives out and away from the collapsing tower.

The second, smaller dragon leaps off the maia's face into the air.  A small figure on its back, Saris, holds on with wide eyes.  It swoops underneath Klale and scoops him up before diving away from the descending destruction opposite of the mithril dragon.
This message was lightly edited by the GM at 13:22, Fri 29 Sept 2017.

All of a sudden, the air is sucked out of the sky for a moment.  Hair stands on edge, and a voice thunders from above.  "DUATH'GUR!  FEEL THE WRATH OF THE SONG OF ILUVATAR!"

The world goes dark as all present are momentarily blinded by a lightning bolt - wider than the former tower - that engulfs the crumbling form of the Dischord.  When the bolt is gone, nothing of Duath'gur...or the tower, remain.

Vision clears, as does the air.  A beating of wings is heard first, then the sight of four winged beings circling the grotto comes into focus.

A mithril dragon, glorious and reflecting the sun shining through a clear sky.

A much smaller green dragon with Saris, Ferb, and Klale riding on its back.

An elfin looking man in white robes with beautiful silver wings arcing with tiny fingers of lightning.

The familiar dark-skinned form of Delunaur, cradling Xarini like a baby in her arms, her cloak transformed into leathery dark wings ringed in fire.  Delunaur smiles and begins to descend from the mountain toward the tower where she first met the heroes and this particular quest truly began.  By silent consent, the other three follow until all have landed and stand in the courtyard on the mine side of the tower.
This message had punctuation tweaked by the player at 14:18, Fri 29 Sept 2017.

Klale dismounts and lets out a deep breath. He helps Saris down if she needs assistance. Whether or no, he stands before each and inclines his head. To each he says Thank you for saving my life.

He cleans Hard Time if it needs it and looks around. Well done, all. How is Kairo?

The green dragon lowers it's head, but only a little since he is speaking to Klale.  "I'm fine.  Thank you for asking.  How are you?"

The lustrous shine of the mithril dragon's scales begins to fade and its size rapidly diminishes to that of an average-sized human. The massive wings meld back into its forearms and claws shrink down to form hands. Reptilian features shift and morph into much more human looking ones until finally, Toben stands before the others.

With his form now his own, Ferb leaps from his perch on Saris and dashes over towards Toben.

"Aren't you full of surprises, Kairo." He says with a grin. "Thank you for helping us put an end to Duath'gur."

He looks over to Gwaelind. "Assuming he is gone for good."

Gwaelind folded his wings and the lightning cascading over his body and in his eyes faded.  He smiled and shook his head.  "Sadly, no.  That was just an avatar, an elemental construct or extension of his power.  Duath'gur keeps himself buried as far underground as he can.  Where the solid earth grows so hot, it runs like red rivers flowing in an endless circle below the mountains.  He will not risk exposing himself, especially not with so many of my brethren free now. "  He sketches a brief bow toward Saris.

Ryland swoops down, gently letting go of Ano a foot off the ground before going forward a few feet and releasing hold of his alter self spell. He looks at Toben, and a big grin spreads across his face. "Show off", he mutters quietly. He scans around the group. "Seem's we're all accounted for then?"

Toben slips an empty potion vial back into his pack and smiles. "I can't take too much credit for that one. I thought of something strong enough to rival a giant earth beast, and the magic of the potion did the rest."

He looks over the group quickly. "Is everyone alright?"

Ano nods and says "I should be alright" before promptly dropping to one knee breathing heavily. "its possible that i may have gone a bit past my limit."

Klale, on the other hand, looks...competent.

A wave of panic washes over Ryland's face. "Delunaur... the child?" he says, glancing back in the direction of the ruined tower.

Toben walks over to the large green dragon and looks up in awe. "Kairo? Is this your true form? You seem to be feeling.... better."

Before Delunaur can answer Ryland, the green dragon speaks.

"Yes, Toben Ironsprings, this is my true form.  I am Kairo'uonar, the son of the great Uonar whose treasure you...liberated."  His smile is wide and toothy and somewhat frightening this close, though it doesn't appear to be meant that way.  "The illness I was feeling was my draconic nature asserting itself through the last vestiges of the physical and mental prison those shackles represented.  Proximity to Saris and her amazing powers from - Nestael is it? - allowed me to break through and become myself again.  Just in time, too, it seems!"  The dragon rears its head and guffaws, fiery plumes erupting from his mouth as accompaniment.

He swings his head over to Ryland.  "You seek the child of Mairen?  Fear not.  Delunar instructed my...friend, Shochraos'altiui, to take the infant back to our lands in the Withered Heath.  We had to eat a lot of troglodytes that day.  That's also the day I chose to assume human form and give up my mental fight against the shackles.  Doing so would put up a barrier to any of Melkor's minions that they could not pass and find out the truth about the child, and hence the true nature of Delunar and her rebellion."

Delunar, for her part, bows in respect and acknowledgement of the truth of the dragon's words.

Ryland returns the toothy grin. "Shock...She bluffed us. Plain as day bluffed us. I'm not even mad. I'm impressed".

Toben wrinkles his nose at the thought of eating a troglodyte, much less the countless number they had to consume. "I wouldn't wish that upon anyone. The smell alone is revolting, but I'm happy to see you back in your rightful form."

He breathes a sigh of relief when Kairo breaks the new of the child's condition. "Mairen will be elated to know her son is safe. Also, " he pauses a moment to pull the book from his pack and places it at the dragon's feet. "being the son of Uonar, this is rightfully yours. Although, I am concerned about the curse that's been laid upon it. I noticed a vile aura and Shock was able to confirm as well. Do you know anything about it?"