They left the next morning and headed north. They spotted a massive cave about 3 miles way at one point. It was definitely big enough for a dragon. Ka-Fansa continued to press Elenor for any help she could give her, teaching her how to do some minor cantrips or to apprentice her. (There was a major discussion about cantrips and their use.) Elenor agreed to teach Ka-Fanas a cantrip to see if she had the skill to learn and use magic. Ka-Fansa was ecstatic. They continued to approach the cave. Naraf and Ka-Fansa stayed back away with the camels and waited there for them. Javven traveled with them. The party used dunes and rock formations to make there way wide south. They didn't get too close to the nomad caravan that was also to the south. They made their way around so as not to approach the cave head on but from the side. As they approached the cave, they saw a body about 200 feet straight out west of the entrance to the cave. It was an armored individual with plate mail. There was a sword but they can't tell from where they are standing if it was broken or not. There was a shield as well. Something about it didn't look quite right.
Oglesby used his disguise and stealthy ability to move out to the body. When he got closer, it became obvious that it was badly burned somehow. There were also cracks in the armor. The medium shield looked okay and had some sort of marking in it. The sword was clearly broken. He moved up to the body and saw that the shield was the only obvious thing that was not damaged. It had the emblem of Fort Calim on it. It was a fort outside the desert to the north. The body was so badly burned that through the opened mouth, he could see the teeth had been blown out. He searched the body and found a couple of gem stones worth about 10gps. He grabbed the shield and made his way back to the group. They began their climb to the cave entrance. Oglesby/Barry climbed up first and found nothing inside the entrance. The entrance was about 100 feet high and 100 feet wide. There was a massive tunnel on the inside. With the sunlight coming in, he could see back a good 100 feet and there was nothing there. He searched the entrance for tracks or objects that might be interesting and found nothing. He felt that was odd as normally a cave might have a few tracks and disturbances but this was very clean.
Barry moved to the edge and motioned for everyone to come up. They made their way in and began moving through the cave looking for the dragon. Audra took the lead as she was the one most likely to survive and initial hit from anything. It was a very wide tunnel so everyone spread out some. Audra lit a torch as she wasn't trying to sneak up on the dragon. They passed numerous cracks or seems they could fit through but they stayed on the main path. The main corridor slopped downward. As they went further, it opened up into another chamber. As Audra and Kipp made their way forward, they could make out a vast cavern. Their light reflected off of a pool of water. Ahead, there was a huge blue dragon on a massive pile of coins. His head was raised as he watched them approached, electricity arching over his scales and the coins he sat upon. He asked in a deep rich voice, “What is this! Ants, flies for my larder? What do you want little ones, are you here to kill me and make off with my treasure?”. Audra replied, “No, we wouldn't even think of trying to do something like that. We have no quarrel with you what-so-ever.”. Oglesby approached and said, “We wouldn't dream of such a thing. You can be the answer to our great mystery. Only someone of your magnificence and intelligence could possibly have the answer we seek.”.
Audra failed her saving throw and ran out of the room carrying the torch. Oglseby asked, “Oh great one, may I light a torch so I might better behold your magnificence?”. The dragon answered, “But of course!”. Oglesby replied, “Thank you!”, as he began lighting a torch. The dragon asked, “Why do you hide your normal appearance?”. Oglesby/Barry changed his form back to his natural form and said, “I had no doubt that you would see through that. It was really for the benefit of my companions and the people that we meet sometimes.”. The dragon said, “I see, you are equally unattractive in either form.”. “ Oglesby replied, “That is so true! Compared to you, I am but a slug. But we have a mystery that only someone of your massive intelligence, great wisdom, and massive ferocity could possibly give us the answer to. That is why we came here.”. At this time, Pyreece backed out of the cave and went after Audra. Audra had since made it out of the cave and climbed back down the rocks and was cowering there at the moment. Pyreece tried to calm her and get her in the condition to be able to return.
The blue dragon leaned in and said, “I'm listening!”. Oglesby rattled off, “It is said, that a dragon of your skill who could possibly hit a thrown rod with your breath, is the dragon that is capable of answering this question that we seek the answer to.”. He asked, “And what is this question?”. Oglesby answered, “We have found this object, a device of such difficulty that the greatest wizards in the realm that we have brought it to are unable to identify what it is. We were advised that you were our only hope to figure out what this thing is. I have no doubt that that this rod that I have, that if I throw it up, that you would be able to hit it. I have no doubt! Others have said that possibly you might not be able to but now that I've seen you, I have no doubt.”. The dragon asked Oglesby to show him the rod. Elenor pulled it from the bag of holding carried it over to Oglesby. She felt the urge to flee but was able to resist it. She handed the rod to Oglseby, turned to the dragon and gave a slight bow before backing out of sight. Oglesby said, “This is the rod that it is said, one of the proper intelligence, magnificence, and ability could hit the rod with his breath weapon in mid air.”. The dragon leaned forward and looked at the rod. Oglesby said, “It is rather small but to someone as mighty as you, it's is nothing,..nothing to be able to hit it.
The dragon stated, “I sense trickery!”. Oglesby said in surprise, “Trickery! No, no, no. The device that we need identified,”, he asked Elenor for the amulet which she gave him. Oglesby held up the amulet and said, “Here is the mystery. We cannot identify this!”. The dragon leans in again and gazes at the amulet and said, “It is a cursed thing!”. Oglesby said, “It is? I have not tried it on!”. “Clearly, you are still alive!”, the dragon said. Oglesby asked, “Is it that deadly?”. The dragon replied, “Try it on!”. Oglesby said, with a light chuckle, “I think I will decline that!”. “This rod you presented me”, the dragon said, “I recognize it's use! Why would you need me…do you wish that I destroy it or are you trying to capture my power?”. Oglseby said, “I think it's intent was to capture your power but that sort of thing is beyond me. My humble trade is to provide money for halfling orphans. The need is great. So we were given these things and instructed to find you. And now that I have found you, you are beyond any description, any understanding of how magnificent and capable you are.”. The electricity around the dragons head began to kind of arch around his mouth and he said, “I would be happy to strike your little device, but what will you give me?”. Oglesby said, “If you would tell me what this amulet is, it's yours! Perhaps you might have some use for it at some future date. It is not anything I would want!”. The dragon replied, “I have no use for such an amulet! Use it to kill your enemies.”.
Oglesby followed up with, “Then what is it you would ask of us?”. The dragon replied, “What is your offer?”. Oglesby said, “We have very little!”. The dragon said, “Perhaps the little woman would be a fitting gift!”. Elenoir said, “Myself?”. The dragon replied, “You are quite small! You would be a mere snack.”. Elenor offered gold but the dragon, sitting on a large pile of gold hinted that they wouldn't have nearly enough gold to be of interest to him. The dragon asked if they had sapphires to which they replied, “No, we do not!”. Pyreece, having calmed down Audra felt the tug of curiosity and really wanted to see the dragon so she made her way back up and into the cave. Oglesby noticed a tiny passage off to the southwest. There were a lot of narrow passages in the cave. He heard a little giggling sound. Then he heard some foot steps. As he turned to look back at the opening, the dragon turned his attention to the passage. The electricity really started to dance around his head, getting more intense. He said, “Come to think of it, I do have a frustrating problem. Theives! Parasites! They have infested my lair. They are tiny things, about the size of you insects. They live in the cracks in the walls. I've killed several dozen of them and they are too salty for my taste, but they keep coming back. I can feel their vibrations in the walls of my home, even now!”.
Elenor asked, “Would you like us to take care of them for you?”. He said, “Yes, these tiny vermin have made off with silver and gems. They've taken gold!”. Elenor said, “Well, lets do this. We will take care of them and whatever we find on them that they have stolen from you, we shall return?”. The dragon replied, “You must kill them all!”. Elenor said, “Okay!”. Oglesby spoke up and said, “What are they specifically?”. The dragon answered , “Parasites, like you, insects.”. He told them that they had taken a solid gold snuff box, and a platinum cup. He said, “If you'll kill the parasites, return his property, and seal off any entrance they have to get in here, then I shall empower the rod you have brought. And even better, I will allow you to leave alive!”. Oglesby said as he bowed, “We shall endeavor to do our best for the great magnificent awesomeness that you are.”. The dragon spoke up and said, “You may call me, Fzen'nal”. (Pronounced, “Zenall”)
Pyreece went back to the opening and convinced Audra to come back in. Audra finally gave in and went back to the lair. She steadied herself expecting that horrible feeling and wasn't disappointed. She fled again, back to the mouth of the cave. Pyreece, finally entering the dragon's presence, was also overcome with fear and fled to the mouth of he cave. They stayed together and soothed each others fears, attempting to calm each other. Jevvan was not feared, but did return to the cave opening with the two ladies, opting not to experience that which made this brave warrior and the priest of Selune flee in obvious terror. Oglesby and Brandy looked down the southwest passage from the lair and saw that it was a winding, very narrow passage, that quickly became very short. The passage never got wider than 5 feet and eventually shrunk down to about 4 feet tall. Oglesby changed back into the form of Barry, a form more suited to small places. He and Brandy started down the passage way together, staying close enough to lend aid to one another should something go awry. Barry was carrying a torch.
The passage way went on for about 40 feet and then descended down some rough cut stairs. Both adventurers realized that their ability to wield a weapon of any size was going to be pretty much out. No long swords or long anything. Any fighting they would have to do would be the stabby stabby kind of weapons and not the swinging kind. The short bow should work fine down here though. Brandy notched an arrow in preparation for an attack. The others except for the two ladies and Jevvan, crouched down and crawled through the tunnel behind them. They moved down the stairs with Brandy in the lead. Pyreece and Audra finally calmed down and their fear dissipated. Pyreece, realizing that she and Audra could not face the dragon again, explained what the rest of the group was going to do and suggested that she and Audra move back into the cave. They would pick one of the earlier crevasses and make their way in the direction of the tunnels their friends would have entered from. They would attempt to locate their friends and rejoin them. That is what they did, the entered a crevasse they found along the path back to the lair. It was very tight and difficult for them to travel through. The tunnels started out tall but only bout 3 feet wide then slowly shrank and widened to be about 5 feet wide but only about 4 feet tall. They eventually resorted to crawling as well. Audra had to use a torch but Pyreece used her infra-vision.
Then rest of the group made their way deeper into the cavern. They reached the bottom of the rough cut stairs, and were able to see into the small chamber ahead. Pyreece and Audra felt a warm draft issuing from the crack ahead of them. Audra resisted making comments about the hot air passing through cracks by comparing it to a bodily function. I did not resist that temptation. They continued on but it was very slow going. They also realized that there would be little chance they could defend themselves should they be attacked. Their desire to catch up to the rest of the party overcame their concerns and they pushed on. They readied daggers so they could at least poke things that threatened them. Brandy and Oglesby moved to the bottom of the stairs. Across the chamber, they saw little tiny dudes, appearing to be part of the gremlin family, little two foot tall blue guys. They had little tiny bows they used to fire on Brandy, giggling as they did. Both shots missed and they scampered off into the darkness, giggling. Brandy had an arrow notched already and fired at one of the escaping creatures, hitting it. They heard it yell “Oww…” as the arrow struck. Brandy began moving into the chamber to get a line on them but instead saw a couple of them pulling a rope tight which caused her to stumble and fall into a 6 foot deep pit trap with little spikes at the bottom. She took a little more damage. Two more of these little creatures that were hiding in nooks ran out and jumped into the pit after her with little clubs. They started beating on her with them.
Brandy was able to use her short sword down there. She cleaved one of them in one hit and though he died, none of the others seemed to be phased by this. They just continued laughing and attacking. Two more of the creatures came into the room and jumped into the pit attacking Brandy, one of them getting a good hit in on her. Kipp heard some of the laughing and the noises that Brandy made as she fell. He realized there was something going on ahead. Pyreece and Audra kept moving through the passage. They entered a rocky area where it opened up for them just a little. There was still little headroom as they crawled on their hands and knees. Meanwhile Oglesby/Barry fired on another of the creatures and missed. The fight continued. Kipp and Elenor were finally able to get into the room. Elenor hit one and killed it. It was the last of the ones that had attacked there. Brandy climbed out of the pit. They heard giggling from these little blue creatures coming from the northern passage. Elenor casts a fireball, in her minds eye. Pyreece and Audra advanced further through the passageway they were in. The tunnel showed signs of being more utilized but was still tight and slow going. They kept going. The section they went into was wider, about ten feet or so, but it was still only about 4 feet tall. They pressed on and as Pyreece stuck her head out, she spotted little blue creatures she'd never seen before, They had little tiny bows and fired at her while giggling and laughing. That wasn't annoying at all. She got hit by one of the shots. They then ran off into the darkness. She told Audra what she saw.
Oglesby moved forward checking for traps. They weren't finding any. Another creature ran up to fire at him but Brandy, who had an arrow notched and ready to fire beat it to the shot and killed it. They heard more giggles from behind the victim. They pushed forward as Brandy notched another arrow. As Oglesby moved into the next section, a net fell from the ceiling and entangled him. As it did, the little creatures returned to attack him. Brandy was able to shoot at the approaching creatures, and killed one of them. Oglesby/Barry began detangling himself. Pyreece and Audra continued forward on their route. They didn't try to chase the creatures that fired and ran away. Barry managed to poke one of the little creatures that had approached him. Elenor magic missiled one of them and killed it. One of the little creatures managed to hit Oglesby. Kipp managed to hit one of them while firing around two of his comrades. Pyreece and Audra moved further west trying to get to the tunnel the others would have gone down. Pyreece fell into a shallow pit taking a little damage. A couple of the little creatures ran into the room and jumped into the pit, thrashing at her. Audra finally saw them for the first time and heard their little laugh. She moved to the edge of the pit, seeing Pyreece take some damage. Audra poked at one of them with her dagger, killing it.
Elenore had no way to help anymore so she stood by watching, looking for a way to help. Audra was attacked and missed. Oglesby stabbed another one with an arrow and killed it.