CH 4: Lair of the Dragon

[Breila]

Shivering in the cold water, Goldmoon sets out to have a look at the tunnel branch, just to keep moving, but after a few steps remembers her promise to Riverwind and turns back.

[Jerrard]

Sturm stays silent, sword at the ready.

[Kafen]

Breathing in slowly, Tas cracks the grate and looks out as much as possible. He keeps his face clear in case that he has to drop the grate. Setting himself in place, he sets up for a quick drop of a few feet if has to drop.

[JadedDM]

The grate only squeaks slightly when opened. Under normal circumstances, it wouldn't even be noticeable. But everyone is so tense, it sounds like a peal of thunder to their heightened senses.

Sticking his head up, he finds himself in the very center of a vast chamber stretching at least one hundred feet in diameter. The circular room rises four stories, and ends in darkness that the kender's infravision cannot penetrate. On the far west and east sides of the room are a set of massive steel doors. Both sets of doors are closed.

No doubt to the kender's disappointment, there is no dragon about. But there is treasure, suggesting they are in the right place. Tas notices several piles of gems of various colors and sizes (likely the 'pretty rocks' Magpie mentioned before), as well as several piles of white coins. He doesn't spot the disks, but they are likely hidden among the rest of the treasure and could be anywhere.

[Kafen]

Hoping his actions speak louder than words, Tas opens the grate partially and slowly lowers it to the ground as he slides up past it. He makes room for the others in the group. Assuming it is clear, he gestures to the group to move upwards through the hole and looks around the room carefully. Checking above him, he hopes to spot the dragon.

[JadedDM]

Tas cannot see the dragon anywhere, which he supposes is a good thing, although perhaps a bit of a let down.

Seeing the kender's gesture, Tanis turns to the others. "All right, let's get up there, find the disks, and then get out before there's any trouble. Be quiet and be quick. Let's go," he says.

Magpie climbs up first, and Tanis is quick to follow. The half-elf immediately begins searching through the coins and gems for anything that resembles a disk.

[Jenara]

Rising up the ladder nervously Laurana looks around with her Elvensight, her body shaking she tries to stay calm. "All of this treasure, its probably worth more than the my Fathers Fortune..." She whispers quietly, "Goldmoon?" She asks as the Plainswoman rises up the ladder, "This might sound silly, but can you sense the discs?"

[Jerrard]

Sturm waits down in the tunnel, allowing the others to rise first, his eyes on the tunnel at all times.

[HorizonsDream]

"Do we even know what they look like?" Sunstar asks curiously.

[Jenara]

"No, yet somehow I think we will know when we find them." Laurana admits, still looking for the dragon.

[JadedDM]

Raistlin climbs up next, not waiting for his brother. His staff's light helps illuminate the dragon's lair, and leaves the secret way shrouded in darkness once again.

The red-robed wizard begins searching at once. "It must be here. It must," he mutters to himself.

[Nuke]

Riverwind climbs up the ladder, looking around as he exits the stairwell. moves opposite of the mage. Not having any benefit of some magical location, he looks for round objects some hands=breath in diameter

[Breila]

Following Laurana's lead, Goldmoon clasps her hands around Mishakal's staff and prays to her. "Oh Godess, can you show us where the disks you asked us to find may be?" She concentrates on her prayer, eyes closed, but then opens her eyes again to look in a place where no one else is as yet.

[JadedDM]

Flint climbs up after Goldmoon and Riverwind, and begins searching, as well. He also pockets a couple of the gemstones in the process after marveling at their beauty and potential worth.

Alas, Goldmoon's prayer goes unanswered. Apparently the goddess isn't going to make it that easy for them.

The group continues searching, knowing they don't have much time.

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(OOC: I was considering on who would find the disks. Should I roll a dice randomly or what? Instead, I decided this: Next person who posts is the one who finds them. ^_^ They are disks of pure platinum with writing etched on them, 160 total, with a bolt passing through them to keep them together. They are surprisingly light.)

[Breila]

When her prayer is not immediately answered, Goldmoon nods. Yes, Mishakal wanted her faithful to use their own wits. They were not her puppets, after all. So she looks around carefully. Would these disks be special to a dragon, to be kept in sight, or just something indifferent hidden in the mound of treasure, she asks herself.

Suddenly, she spots a number of disks and reaches to gather them up. "We can return! I have found them!" she tells everybody else, in a voice that is carrying but not a shout (like what a ruler uses in his/her audience tent). Holding the disks up high, she retuns to the shaft and prepares to climb down the ladder.