Too early! But French toast!
However, zooming early in the day was clearly the right choice, since
there was almost no traffic and very little heat (compared to what the
Central Valley of Death would be like later in the day, at least). Sure,
we(AKMT) arrived well before the appointed gaming hour, but that's a
feature!
Kate was suspended upside-down by her ankles. Ayse received
dinosaurs.
Eventually Harold and Dave (who apparent has demonstrated his immense
brain by actually learning from experience) arrived intact. By that time
Ken and I had made characters for Ayse to choose between, so she could
join AQoJ.
Amazon Quintet of Justice Xe: "No One Lives Forever! Into the
Caves of Lightning and Death!"
Having concocted a plan which they think will be effective against the
blue dragon that holds the key to Queen
Ditte's prison, the Amazons go shopping for high-end magical devices to
implement it. While in Vikjor, they are accosted by a strange woman and an
urchin. After some rhetoric about who is the greatest adventuress, and why
the other Amazons don't (un)dress like Gabrielle, the newcomer is
introduced as Natalya, a priestess of the god of travellers who received
a revelation directing her to join up with the Amazons and save the
world. She passes the usual checks, so the Quintet agree to accept her
help, and move on with the plan.
Before they depart, the Amazons receive a parcel with some important
bits of Natalya's urchin and a note reading, "Thus perish all who aid
the enemies of the Dead God!" The villains responsible for this atrocity
must be brought to justice, but the dragon comes first!
Using some of their purchases to attain a closer connection to her god,
Fresa locates the dragon and describes its location to Amaryllis. Fresa and
Natalya have to be magically shrunk so that Amaryllis can transport them
all, because there will be no time to open the pocket dimension at the
other end. Everyone has the best spells available on them.
The magically-obscured cavern the Amazons arrive in contains no
actual dragon, but a huge scaly blue scorpion. Our Heroines dispatch it
instantly, before anyone is forced to visualize the mating which could
produce such an abomination, and turn their attention to the
hieracosphinxes entering from the two tunnels.
The dragon strikes then, while the Amazons are dispersed, but it can
barely scratch Amaryllis through her magical protections, and then Alyra
is in position to be enclosed with the dragon in a cage of invisible
force.
Denied its magic and prevented from escape, the monster is no match
for Alyra. Its minions are only slightly more trouble, although the
giant among hieracosphinxes resists Marika's and Natalya's onslaught for
a while. In a surprisingly short time, the victory is complete!
Our Heroines shovel every bit of loot they can find into the pocket
dimension, including several dozen of the forked metal rods used as keys to
other planes (one of which is suggestively carved with snakes), and
scarper.
* * *
That was pretty much all the gaming we managed. There was some
meditation upon the loot -- should we keep the helm of
teleportation? what about the 2945629616 assorted rings of
energy resistance? -- and snivelling about the way dragons give so
few XP for their toughness, and consumption of Chinese food, and then it
was cool enough to drive home.
Barely.
* * *
Cats: Glad to see me, but apparently not grievously oppressed by my
absence.
Writing: check.
