The party hunkers down in the shade of a massive rock formation about 200 feet distant from the stone ledge while Sarah attempts to invisibly scout out a path to the cave high above...

[Private to Sarah: Sarah crosses the natural bridge, onto the stone edge, and approaches the mountainside while assessing the climb. Eventually she decides the best route is to ascend the dragon's foot, up its thigh, across its rump, onto its arched back, and up its sinuous neck all the way to its open mouth.

The climb is actually not terribly difficult for Sarah, though it will likely prove quite challenging to many of her party members and altogether impossible without a guide, ropes, and spikes to usher them up the mountain.

In any event, Sarah climbs all the way up the dragon's gaping maw, taking great care to remain as quiet as possible. Beneath the dragon's dramatic frilled ears and massive ridged horn protruding from its blunt head, a row of jagged stone teeth line the cave's entrance. The cave entrance is about 15 feet wide and perhaps just as tall.

Sarah approaches the line of lower fangs and peers up into the dragon's throat. The mouth's slightly downward pitched angle causes very little daylight to penetrate within the cave, though Sarah can barely make out what appears to be a widening of the cave as it bends away and out of sight and illumination to Sarah's right.

Directly ahead of her, about 20 feet within the throat, Sarah can dimly make out what appears to be neat stacks of bones lined up against the throat's stony walls.

Sarah hears what sounds like slow, methodic, but deep breathing somewhere within the cave and the air seems to be positively charged with energy. In fact, Sarah can feel her hair standing on end as she peers into the shadowy throat.]

In reply to Elam (msg # 228):

“That is correct.  She will remain invisible until she attacks someone or chooses to become visible.  I have a spell to dispel the Magic so I could go with Sarah and attempt to dispel the Magic trap.  As Eoni points out, there might be a risk if my spell fails.”  V. is not amused at Grub’s antics but says no more.

PM

[Private to DM Pawn: Pull myself up and in (instead of looking from outside) to see if I can see more.]
This message was last edited by the player at 13:36, Thu 20 Aug 2020.

Still, the party awaits a sign, anything. The sun blazes overhead and save for the whistle of the wind through the dry, dusty canyon, all is quiet.

Presumably, their attention is fixed on the cave high up the mountain leading into the dragon's mouth. The cave is cast in shadow, but the party briefly sees a pulse of light within the cave.

[Private to Sarah: Sarah pulls herself up over the row of jagged lower teeth, dislodging a bit of stone in the process. The stone crumbles down onto the cave floor before settling into a shallow depression. The rolling stone causes a low echo to reverbate through the cave.

Moments later, Sarah hears a deep low rumble, like one might hear within a distant thundercloud on a warm summer day. The darkened cave's walls are briefly illuminated by pulses of light. Then, a deep crackling voice, "Hrrrrmmmm...what's thissss, I hearrrrr?" The voice is followed by the sound of something large shifting within the shadowy cave.]

PM

[Private to DM Pawn: Skedaddle!!!

Back to the party if possible; I'll wait to see if I make it. :)]

Following the flash of light within the cave, keen-eyed party members see a large, dark shadowy shape appear in the mouth of the cave for a few moments. Then, it is gone.

[Private to Sarah: Sarah turns around, hops over the row of stone teeth, and scrambles down the cliff as quickly as she can. At some point, while descending, she looks up and sees the horned head of a very much alive, cobalt blue dragon appear in the mouth of the cave. The dragon bends down to sniff at the stone teeth at the cave's mouth and then looks left and right, casting its gaze over the commanding view of the surrounding landscape. The dragon remains there for sometime, scanning the area, before it turns around and disappears within the cave.

OOC: You are able to make it back to the party]

OOC: I thought about letting the party stay in suspense a bit, wondering what happened, but decided that was cruel . . . :)


A bit later . . . Sarah returns.  The party knows this because her arrival is announced by the sounds of disembodied feet moving rapidly, which stop once they near the party and are replaced by light panting.

OK, we need to rethink this plan.  Let me start with the basic stuff.

Climbing for anyone but me and Grub is going to require a lot of rope and spikes, barring a rope climb straight up.

The cave is below the carved dragon's ears and horn, on the side of its head; there are some jagged stone teeth kinda protecting the entrance.  But a person can get in.

The cave entrance is about 15 feet by 15 feet.  The entrance angles up, so it's hard to see anything because light can't get in too well.  And it bends up to the right.

Inside, I saw a neat stacks of bones lined up against the walls, so someone in there's pretty tidy.

And . . . that tidy someone is a dragon.  I could hear slow, methodic, deep breathing somewhere in the cave.  And the air's filled with energy; electricity, because I could feel my hair rising and standing on end even while I was outside the cave.  I pulled myself up and inside through the stone teeth."

She shakes her head; the party doesn't know that, but she pauses while she does.  Then, with a bit of regret in her voice she continues: "I don't know if I was careless, or if it set up to do this, but a stone dislodged and made a sound -- not a loud one, but it was enough to wake the blue dragon.

I skedaddled, and got down the path just enough before it poked its head out of the cave.  I don't know if it could smell that I was there; I wasn't there long, but it tried.  So I can't say if he dismissed it as nothing or if he's on alert.  But regardless, it didn't take much sound to wake him."

Laurenbeth's face transforms into a mask of concern as she listens intently to Sarah's report.

When Sarah has concluded, she says in deadpan, "A dragon! Sure glad we weren't all hanging from a rope like kebabs when we learned this little morsel..."

With that, she retreats back inside the shadow of the rock formation, well out of view of the cave.
This message was last edited by the player at 16:11, Thu 20 Aug 2020.

Ovo listened with a grim expression. This was indeed bad news. Not just a guardian but a dragon no less. Yet, the front door was magically trapped, and by the size of it, if barred from within it would be folly trying to force their way in. If a dragon guarded the cave then who knew what was guarding the main entrance. When Sarah was through and Laurenbeth had her say, Ovo cleared his throat.

"Aye! Tis no way to make the cave. Yet the front door be just as bad methinks. If the cave is guarded, I'll wager the front door is as well. Even if we get past the trap n' the door be open, the dragon in the cave above would be alerted n' we'd be caught betwixt two foes. Our main advantage be surprise but if we remain out here too long we'll lose that as well." The dwarf paused and scratched at the whiskers of his cropped beard. "Well, if the door be trapped and the cave so hard to enter, there may yet be another way in. Maybe a door that is well hidden by magic or natural means. I would believe those who canna fly must have an easier way in n' out. Mayhaps we search for that?"

Ovo then looked in the direction of Sarah's voice. "Thank ye Dame Sarah. Ye've saved us all n' be ah very brave lass ta boot!"

Ovo walked to where Laurenbeth had slipped off to "Laurenbeth, ye were wise ta speak up. Yer voice o' caution saved us as well. Ye have me thanks. Ye may doubt me but I care fer ye n' yer lads. Yet, sitt'n here on our arses will get us killed sooner or later. Ye keep that keen mind ah think'n. Ye've already proven its worth."
This message was last edited by the player at 17:31, Thu 20 Aug 2020.

Laurenbeth draws a dagger from her sheath and examines the edge while Ovo addresses her. When the Dwarf has finished, she nods and says, "Don't worry, Master Dwarf, i aint held my tongue this far and aint about to start now. I signed on for the promise of loot--I aim to collect my fair share."

With that, she forcefully returns the dagger to its scabbard and awaits a consensus as to what to do next.

"Did it seem like the dragon was behind those doors, too?" Eoni asked, looking across the chasm at the cave mouth.

"The double doors?  Couldn't tell from up above, and with the trap I didn't want to risk trying to listen through them.  They're thick, though, so might not have done any good anyhow."

"We can't fight a dragon as soon as we enter or we'll certainly lose the element of surprise," Dame Daflin mused.  "I think our best plan is to wait until dark and then try to disable the magical trap.  It will give the dragon a chance to doze off again.

"Hopefully."

"It only woke once I entered, but I could hear it's snoring from outside the cave.  I could always return there to check on it before attempting the trap."

With this statement, Sarah admits that she entered the cave knowing that the beast lay within.  As if feeling this needs an explanation, she quickly adds:

"I know this was risky, but I had to make sure what it was."

Dergan spends most the time just ready to fire his bow, his face rather blank, but ready to engage a fight if need be.

"Ovo, I am not afraid to cross that bridge, and see if something attacks, if you need a volunteer.  And I'm not one for deep thinking, but, if orcs and hobbers come and go here, there must be a simple way in, maybe a word of passing.  If we got to the entrance, maybe a bit of moss or weed grows there as could speak with the Dame and give us the way in?"

"Let's find some better cover," Dame Daflin said as she looked back the way they'd come.  "I'm worried a returning patrol might come up behind us and we'd have nowhere to go.

"Sarah, could you keep an eye on the doors from this side until dark?  We might not be able to see well from our new spot."

Sarah nods -- which nobody can see:

"Of course."

Though invisible, Sarah will still find the best possible hiding place/cover from which to watch the doors and the bridge.

And the cave.

Sarah remains at the rock formation within view of the Fane of Tiamat, while the rest of the expedition retreats further down the mountainside trail in search of a location that offers more shelter. The search begins around midafternoon and takes an hour or so of travel before the larger group finds a suitable temporary campsite--a sheltered overhang about 100 feet off the main trail leading to the Fane, and about 1 mile below the rock formation where Sarah is presumably still keep watch. The slot canyon is about another mile below the temporary campsite.

The cave created by the overhanging sandstone slab is about 30 feet wide, 15 feet deep, and 10 feet sloping to 5 feet high.  Its length is partially obstructed by dry brush and large sandstone boulders, offering some protection from prying eyes, and almost total cover from the blazing sun. Evidence of this site's previous use as a campsite is evident judging from the ashes of a campfire within a small stone ring and soot marks on the stone overhang. However, the fire ring does not appear to have been used recently.

While the party establishes a base camp, Sarah settles in to watch the entrance to the Fane and the upper cave where she saw the blue dragon. Though invisible, Sarah spends the hottest part of the day under the sun and likely goes through much of her water ration in that period. It's a scorcher of an afternoon and the surrounding landscape, nothing but sandstone, creates a veritable furnace. Absolutely miserable.

And nothing happens. Hour, after hour, after hour, of little more than watching the unrelenting sun arc across the celestial dome. The sun eventually slips over the western range and casts a merciful shadow over the area. Eventually, dusk comes, and with it, the return of Sarah's very visible companions.

The others have enjoyed a relaxing day in the shade. Not so for Sarah.

OOC: 8 hours pass uneventfully, save for Sarah's sunstroke/burn.

;)

"I think maybe I'd be immune to a fire-breathing dragon," Sarah quips.  "I certainly feel like I've been sitting in one's mouth.

But nothing happened.  Absolutely nothing."

"I was really hoping to see a patrol go in or out," Dame Daflin said in disappointment.  "We'll have to figure it out the hard way, then.

"If anything goes wrong," she said in Sarah's direction, "there's an overhang with a fire ring off the trail about a mile back.  It's back about one hundred feet or so from the trail.  We'll use that for a rally point if we're separated."

She turned and made sure everyone else knew it would be their rally point.

"All right," she directed, "We'll go across in order with no more than two on the bridge at a time.  Stay quiet and keep an eye out while I work to break the glyph on the door.

"Any questions?"

If there are no questions (or once they are exhausted), Sarah announces she's heading off (so that the others know).

In reply to Dergan (msg # 244):

Ovo smiled at the lanky fighter "Nay lad! I nay doubt ye be brave but there will be fight'n soon enough. I agree with ye. I believe there be another... secret way in. Mayhaps we'll have time to look for it once it be dark."

Ovo took the time to rest and think at the overhang they found. It was a good drop back spot if they needed one. Ovo pondered about another entrance/ exit. This made sense to him as the cave above could only be used by the dragons. So when the party had marched back to their previous spot, the dwarf listened as the two women spoke. When Dame Daflin asked if there were any questions, Ovo cleared his throat.

"First off, take good care, Dame Sarah. Keep yer invisibility as long as ye may. Dame Daflin, while ye work on the trap, I say M'laird Voxfar n' meself check along the mountainside fer another way in. We'd best all be ready. Once we're detected, we'll be face'n ah blue dragon. Wot's our plan if he shows himself?"
This message was last edited by the player at 21:52, Fri 21 Aug 2020.

"If we see a dragon," Dame Daflin replied to the dwarf, "the first step is to run away.  If we can't do that, we spread out and find the best cover we can and try to kill it."

In reply to Eoni Daflin (msg # 252):

Ovo thought for a moment then nodded "Ye know I'll do wot ye say Dame but I disagree. We nay can outrun a dragon once it takes ta the sky. As we run we'll be grouped together and better targets for its breath. I say we spread out as ye say and hit it hard with our best weapons n' spells n' hope we damage it the best we can. As fer cross'n... I say we let M'laird and Grub cross o'er first since they be the softer steps. Then me n' Dergan so ye'll have tough fighters in case the doors open wide n' we need ta do ah fighting retreat. Then ye n' Lakshmi come'n after."

The dwarf then paused a moment "Now here's where it gets ah bit tricky. I say we leave Elam here until we figure ah way inside. He kin sling his spells from here n' this rock face gives him cover. If we need to retreat he can also cover our reteat from here. If the dragon is alerted n' comes out he might nay be spotted n' kin strike the dragon unawares so he wont be targeted."

The dwarf turned to the red-headed warrior "Laurenbeth? Ye n' Rogar kin go to the bridge but stay this side o' it. That way if we need to retreat ye both can cover us wi' yer bows if ye have them. Once we're across head back ta the rock formation wi' Elam and cover us from there. Dergan? Once everyone be across we stand on this side o' the bridge unless there be bowmen. If so we may need ta rethink things. Yet only ah few may cross the bridge at ah time. We kin hold them off fer a while and let the others use their bows."
This message was last edited by the player at 23:17, Fri 21 Aug 2020.

Laurenbeth takes everything in but seems more confused as each new contingency is laid out.

"Wait, why aint we just waiting over here, all safe and quiet as can be, why Sarah and Eoni go take a look at that door?"

She runs her hand through her greasy hair.

"There aint no sense in a large gaggle of us going across, not when we know full well there's a dragon waiting up there," she gestures toward the upper cave. "Sarah and Eoni can get across a lot quieter than a crew of 10 of us, armored no less. No offense, but none of us is quiet as we might think."

She crosses her arms over her chest and says, "I aint wanting to see a dragon, but think it more likely if we all go across without knowing we can get through that door."