<div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">Status</div><div class="spoiler_body">AC 23   HP 80/94   Speed: 65'<br/>Cat's Grace (+4 Dex, now 22)<br/>Haste (extra attack when using full attack, +1 attack, +1 AC, +1 Reflex, +30 speed)<br/>Heroism (+2 attack, +2 saves, +2 skill checks)<br/>Protection from Evil (+2 AC, +2 saves)<br/>Resist Energy (10 acid)<br/><br/>Spells remaining: 7 of 7 1st, 5 of 5 2nd, 1 of 1 from bonded object<br/>Quiver: 6 common arrows, 10 silvered, 9 cold iron, 2 Tangleshot, 5 adamantine arrows, 2 greater hushing arrows, 22 +1 Dragon Bane, 1 Greater Dragon Slaying<br/>     (pack: 40 common, 5 silvered, 9 cold iron, 1 tangleshot, 5 adamantine arrows)<br/></div></div><br/>Looking around her at the other members of "A" team - and, a bit further to the side, "B" and "C", Rayne felt a growing confidence.  Not enough to squeeze out all of the trepidation, but it helped.  On the negative side, it wasn't just the possibility of defeat and death that gnawed at her - after all, that wasn't such a real danger in EHO, though sometimes it was hard to remember that.  But the stakes seemed higher, and there was also the fear of the horrors they'd see down there.  On the other hand, they were a strong team ... strong teams, and they were as prepared as anyone could have hoped.  Yes... it wasn't likely to be a cake-walk, but the odds were as good as they could be made.  As good as they'd ever be, with Telethrax' ability to raise an army from those previously defeated.<br/><br/>It really was "do or die" - because if they failed, and they did not die... their fate would be so very much worse!<br/><br/>Rae-lynne took advantage of her friendship with Teagan to position herself very near the crystal ball, getting as clear a view as the scrying device permitted.  The early views of that huge underground chamber, so corrupted... she thought of the "GM" they had met, and wondered if he was aware of this place.  He could be, but... would he actually approve?  Or just not care?  Terrible either way.<br/><br/>When the sensor passed near one of the poor women, Rayne was one of those gasping.  And the way those tentacles kept going, long after they had served their purpose, giving the woman no chance to recover... Rayne couldn't, and wouldn't want to, imagine what was left in the poor thing's mind.  To be so reduced, so relentlessly taken.  She squirmed, then almost looked over at Grogza and Lizzy, remembering how the iron maiden had taken them... but she stopped herself.  They didn't need any extra attention, as they dealt with their own memories!<br/><br/>And then, the next chamber... Rayne immediately knew it had to be the dragon's home; such a hoard could only be the resting place of that type of mythic beast.  And there he was, taking her breath away as the sensor scanned up and up.  Beautiful, terrible... she was in a trance, until the eye opened and she jerked backwards as if avoiding a blow.  Thankfully Starstrike ended the spell then, but still it was hard not to imagine the beast had seen right through to them, knew them, knew their plan.<br/><br/>But no, that was nonsense, it had to be.  At worst he might be a bit more on guard... probably he knew nothing at all.  And after what she'd seen, Rayne's determination to bring down the dragon was stronger than ever.  Her steps were steady, even confident as she hurried to the teleporter, checking and re-checking equipment.  Her magical quiver kept her diverse arrows easily to hand, and she fingered the feathered end of the Greater Dragon Slaying arrow.  A precious item indeed, but so unreliable.  And from what she'd understood from the pooled player information on dragons, it wouldn't even kill such a beast outright unless it had already been badly hurt.  Still powerful, but she would first depend on the slower but steadier effect of the Dragon Bane shafts.<br/><br/>"The best-laid plans..." she murmured to herself, mocking her own ambition, but softly.  She had just an instant to hope the teleporting circle would work as advertized... and then it did, and they were in the chamber of horrors.  Just as well the B team would deal with these, hopefully sending prisoners back steadily.  It was her team's job to make sure there was any point, that there would be safety to take them to, a safe place to let them recover.  She avoided looking at the writhing masses on either side, knocking her first dragon-bane arrow and holding herself back slightly to keep pace with the others who lacked her innate speediness.<br/><br/>But to run into darkness - and to have the way back suddenly, very solidly cut-off by the massive wall... that was definitely not the plan.  What had happened?  She looked up and around, hoping for a glint of light... no such luck.  She could cast Light herself, but she was frozen, listening, heart pounding, a cold knot in her stomach sure they had been trapped.  She shook her head to clear those black thoughts - and a clink of coin ahead almost led her to fire a blind shot into the back of her team-mate.  But those glowing eyes, that voice echoing through the chamber, temporarily banished any inclination to fire, to speak, to do anything but stare up into doom.<br/><br/>There was an awful, huge rasping sound, and something about how the eyes moved... "Breath attack!"  Rayne yelled, diving to the side blindly - and, somehow, successfully avoiding the worst of the blast.  She still felt the acid eating through armour and skin - just a tingle - but then the icy power of the Dragon grabbed at her heart, and she swayed a moment before brushing it off.  Yes it was a far tougher foe than the wyvern she had dispatched single-handedly, but she was not alone here.  They would prevail, because they must.<br/><br/>"Spread out!" she suggested, unnecessarily with this experienced group.  But for herself she remained nearly rooted in place, just taking a small step to the side as she used all her ability, and Haste, to send three Dragon Bane arrows up at Telethrax.  The first was a near-perfect shot, though the next two were "iffy".  The last did find a gap between scales, Rayne thought.<br/><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">Rolls</div><div class="spoiler_body">Reflex save: 1d20a9 DC: 23 Result: <strong>28</strong> (https://elliquiy.com/forums/dicebot.php?r=78468) Success!  49 / 2 = 24, 14 after damage resistance<br/>(forgot to add another +5 of bonuses to saves above, but oh well!)<br/>Will save vs. fear: 1d20a11 DC: 20 Result: <strong>25</strong> (https://elliquiy.com/forums/dicebot.php?r=78469) Success!   (counted Bravery, Prot from Evil, Heroism)<br/><br/>Below, I've assumed Telethrax still has AC 31, so two hits.<br/>Full Attack 1: 1d20a21 DC: 31 Result: <strong>40</strong> (https://elliquiy.com/forums/dicebot.php?r=78471)  Damage: 1d8a5 Result: 12 (https://elliquiy.com/forums/dicebot.php?r=78474) + Bane: 2d6 Result: 9 (https://elliquiy.com/forums/dicebot.php?r=78478) + Holy: 2d6 Result: 6 (https://elliquiy.com/forums/dicebot.php?r=78476) = <strong>27</strong><br/>Full Attack 2: 1d20a16 DC: 31 Result: 30 (https://elliquiy.com/forums/dicebot.php?r=78472)<br/>Hasted Bonus Attack: 1d20a21 DC: 31 Result: <strong>31</strong> (https://elliquiy.com/forums/dicebot.php?r=78473)  Damage: 1d8a5 Result: 12 (https://elliquiy.com/forums/dicebot.php?r=78475) + Bane: 2d6 Result: 8 (https://elliquiy.com/forums/dicebot.php?r=78479) + Holy: 2d6 Result: 4 (https://elliquiy.com/forums/dicebot.php?r=78477) = <strong>24</strong><br/>Total damage 51?  Pretty fantastic if true!<br/></div></div>