After the defeat of Raelin Freya returns Firmon, Isky and Circe to the party and then immediately takes Isky, Circe and Daelhaelin to meet the Fey Queen saying she will be back in a week.
The Logath are grateful and know how to throw a party so the remaining members of the team all get drunk. They each get woken up by Dove throwing cold water over them and saying there is no rest for true heroes. He explains that
Pell's Hold was attacked by a dragon last night and that you are all summoned to a conference at Greenost (Lord Fairchild’s castle). There the party are all treated like honoured guests given hot baths, delicious meals and fine robes to wear.
During the day as well as Dove, Lady Hawkesly arrives (dressed for once like a noble) and later Brin the Ranger.
The party also meet Arsiriel Silvertongue, a tall lady of striking looks, perhaps a Southerner by her complexion, but with great waves of black curls. She seems to know everybody present and also quite a lot about the party's adventures. Several of the guests address her as ‘Crow’ which appears to be a nickname. Lastly the party are introduced to Eleanor, the ward of Lord Fairchild, a lady of some noble status in her own right you would guess by the respect accorded to her by others.
For the feast in the evening the party are surprised to see many Dwarven and Elven guests including no less than the Kings of both those peoples. In the retinue of the Dwarven king is Dia, Dwain’s sister, who teases her little brother unmercifully as the meal progresses.
When the dishes are cleared away the conference starts with a history of dragons both from an Elven and Dwarven perspective. Then a Dwarven loremaster gives all the information that is known about Angrax, Scourge of the Northern World, current master of Ironhold and the culprit for the attack on Pell’s Hold. On the question of whether he can fly the consensus is that he hasn’t been seen to do so
since his injury but you couldn’t rule out the fact that he might be able to lift himself into the air for short distances. Several of the most important leaders then express a view that as he is so dangerous he must be dealt with and the party begin to understand why they have been invited. The consensus seems to be that Angrax could have destroyed Pell’s Hold and the attack was designed to show any potential rebels in Cambria that Count Draku could arrange that if there was ever an armed rebellion. Dia who has been unusually quiet suddenly perks up and begins to take an interest.
The attack on Pell’s Hold is the first time Angrax has sallied out of Ironhold since the Third Northern War. The Dwarves point out that killing the Dragon is only half the job if you want to end the threat from the north. If you don’t secure the dragon’s treasure a absolutely huge mountain of gold will have fallen into the hands of orc leaders which can then be used to secure an army of monstrous mercenaries.
The lords (who are clearly not thinking of travelling there themselves) are also talking sensibly about ‘giving those who go on this perilous mission the resources they need' and the party start mentally writing shopping lists.
Happily the dwarves have detailed maps of Ironhold and there is some talk of a portal to it existing.
While a party of heroes deal with the dragon therefore the favoured paln is for the Dwarves to secure a bridgehead in the portal room with elite troops. As it so happens a party of elite Dwarven troops has taken up residence near the ‘7th cave’ and is even now creating a passage to that cave. The initial force of 100 troops will be reinforced by a further 200 troops once the dragon is killed. Also once the dragon is killed the main Dwarven army will march on Ironhold. The hour is getting late, however, so the actual plan to be executed and the personnel involved are left to be decided on the next day. Gale, however, agrees
to help the Dwarves with their troop movements using 'Transport via Plants' and discusses the details with them after the conference breaks up.
The conference restarts after lunch on the second day. Someone appears to have decided the women should have a greater voice and both Eleanor and Lady Hawkesly are decked out in jewels and rich clothing and take centre stage. Eleanor who yesterday was ‘Lord Fairchild’s ward’ speaks with great charm, wit and authority and you wonder if she is in fact heir to one of the vacant lordships. Similarly you wonder if Lady Hawkesly is to be given a province. They are certainly treated with respect by the other nobles present.
The matters on the agenda are
- Scouting. Scouting will be done by anyone who can turn themselves into a bat. Possible candidates seems to be Dove, Hawk and Gale.
- Initial Troop Deployment. Gale seems to have sorted this. The dwarves are very grateful.
- Dragonslayers.
The lucky volunteers are
Firmon, Dwain, Rumpkin, Medalric, Gale, Dia, Dove, Hawk, Crow, and Brin. Of these the three main fighters Firmon, Dia and Brin are
to be supplied with dragon slaying weapons.
- Portal Room.
The Portal Room will be cleared of orcs by the heroes after which it will be occupied and defended by the Dwarves (initial force of 100).
- Killing the Dragon.
The heroes will teleport to the Treasure Room. All heroes will be supplied with +3 weapons (if they haven’t got them), 2 potions of healing (3d8+5), 2 scrolls of spells they can cast (of their choice), and a potion of fire resistance. The dwarves promise a magnificent funeral to anyone dying.
- Holding the Treasure Room/Portal Room.
400 troops will be deployed at each location.
- Taking the Gate.
Once the dragon is killed the main Dwarven army will march on Ironhold. In order to cut down on casualties, however, it would help if the gate was captured from inside.
- Holding Ironhold Longterm.
The dwarves estimate it will take about a year before Dwarven engineers and the military can guarantee that the complex is safe for Dwarven civilians.
- Speech from Elvenking.
This sets out the current operation in the context of ancient history. Full details
here.
- Speech from Eleanor.
Eleanor speaks for the Cambrian lords reaffirming the ancient alliance of Elf, Dwarf and Men in this corner of the world. She also commits the lords to supporting widespread reform in Cambria. She hopes that everyone in the room supports this and hints that there will be rich opportunities for those who do. The reforms include citizenship for non-humans who desire it.
The next morning, the party are surprised to find that, just as they are leaving, Eleanor, who is a powerful cleric, has joined them for their mission explaining that announcing her intention to do so at the conference would
have caused too much of a fuss. The party and their dwarven allies proceed via the portal beneath
Pell's Hold and the portals in
The Rift to the portal room in Ironhold. While the party secure the room and ensure none escape
the Dwarves set up temporary defences around the portal.
The party the send out scouts and retrieve objects from the 'Treasure Room', where the dragon is apparently alseep, to make teleportation easier. Th party then teleport into the 'Treasure Room' in two groups. At which
point their plan appears to go disasterously off the rails.
It would appear that Angrax was waiting for them and powerful magic freezes them to the spot. Angrax then gives
a mocking speech. 'First of all I would like to welcome you to my halls. You are the most priviledged of groups as
you can now view the largest and most magnificent collection of gold, jewels and artifacts in the Northern World.
Secondly let me correct two erroneous assumptions about your mission. You may think you are here as a result of
my turning a portion of Pell's Hold into ash. You are wrong. I turned a portion of Pell's Hold into ash in order to get you here.
Count Draku offered me a generous sum for disposing of Cambria's would be heroes.'
'Your other misconception is that I am one of those dragons that 'don't do magic'. I am afraid your information is centuries out of date. Not only do I 'do magic' as you yourselves have just found out but I have a natural flair for it. My spells exceed in power and magic those of lesser beings even as do my physical power and magnificence.'
''What happens now?' you may be asking yourselves. Well I could kill you instantly while you are all in this paralysed state but where would be the fun in that? I will breath on you one blast to set you on your way and then
I will count to 100. Ironhold is a huge site and myself and my minions will enjoy hunting you down as you try to
extend your lives for a few miserable days. Oh, and don't think you will be able to 'teleport away'. The only reason you were able to use that spell to come here was because I allowed it.'
A small thing. Angrax could have breathed in and then released the spell. Instead unused to using magic items (he was of course lying about being a natural magic user) he released the spell and then breathed in. In those
fractions of a second before he could blast out his fiery breath the party reacted with a range of offensive and defensive manoevres with such astounding alacrity
that he immediately switched to his back up plan.
This involved using other artefacts he had gained from his looting of Pell's Hold to leech power away fom his opponents and then maybe dominate others in order to make them switch sides. He brought the full weight of
his artifact enhanced power to bear on Medalric giving the monk little chance to resist. But not 'no chance' and Medalric did resist wasting valuable time for the dragon. He also activated the ancient defences of Ironhold causing giant statues to come to life to aid him.
But in the blink of an eye he had switched from a cat playing with mice to a lion fighting a pack of hyenas.
He had never tasted so bitter wounds as the party's weapons inflicted on him and he had never been hounded so ferociously. He was just about to initiate a magic enabled
escape having just had the indignity of having a 'Darkness spike' jammed into him by a mad monk who had landed on his
head when Firmon unleashed the full fury of his fighting prowess upon the dragon ending his life.
Although the orcs within Ironhold rallied with a thought of claiming the treasure for themselves they were
beaten off with horrendous losses. Eleanor and Brin returned to Greenost leaving the rest of the party to
consider how they would (with the help of the Dwarves) take Ironhold's main entrance and enable the Dwarven army
to enter the complex.