Gameplay - The Dragon That Opposed an Empress

Lightning, no! The Empress manages to dodge out of some of the bolt, but still takes 20.

Initiative Order
20 Ruby
17 Mavis
16 Empress (AC 18; wounds: 79)
13 Garth
11 Hehsh
==> 08 Hasan

As Ruby comes sailing across the room with her kick, Mavis takes the opportunity to slide her dagger through the Empress's armour.

The melee is fierce, Mavis sees the blows bearing down on her and twists to avoid its force.Snarling defiance with what could be her last breaths, Mavis slides her dagger deep into the Empress.
Gi' over, tha daft southern barmpot.

The nicely brought up Mavis did have some qualms about using the "s word", but this wasn't a time of politeness.

Initiative Order
20 Ruby
17 Mavis
16 Empress (AC 18; wounds: 119)
13 Garth
11 Hehsh
==> 08 Hasan

Hasan is gonna move to g5ish. and unload a barrage of 3 bolts. and i'll use my last magik surge to try to blind her?

Mavis' brutal attack after it seemed she was down for the count set her up. Wobbling on her feet, Hasan's bolt strikes her in the neck and she falls stiffly to the ground.

Combat is over.

Epilogue

With the empress dead, her power over the hobgoblin horde is broken. Rioting takes to the streets. The generals begin squabbling, and by day break, the army breaks up into several pieces, leaving to their own distant homes. The orcs and other races similarly understand that the promise of booty has vanished, and form raiding bands, but mainly begin to raid each other.

The dragons, after you leave and they have brought down the keep, allow your group to ride them back to where your griffons were stashed. Soaring across the mountain plateau, you soon find yourself reunited with the loyal griffons from Allaya's Cove. A long flight across the desert awaits you, and within two days, you're back in the valley by the sea, circling then landing by the small town where these adventures began.

No one truly understands how close they were to disaster, to the combined evil armies marching upon their world for devastation and pillaging. Soon it all seems so far away and long ago, but not so far or so long. They are glad to have Pananthys their guardian back in their valley and continue to ply her with artisanal tribute.

With the treasures you pillaged from the orc capital, and those gifted to you by the draconic protectors of the lands by the sea, you live to tell the tale, or to seek more adventure and greater tales.

But those tales are not these.

---

Thank you for joining me on this adventure, and bringing it to life. I've always been fascinated by dragons, dragon riders, and even other aerial mounts. I so crafted this story to highlight dragons and to live vicariously through you as you soared across the world. I had a great time.

Mavis echoes the empress’s fall by falling on her arse. Her armour is sticky, and squelches with blood. She closes her eyes, embracing the cold as the warm blood pumps out of her tiny body, like it was the welcome chill of her mountain home.

If tha wanted to sit on arse, tha should ‘ave asked to be born skylander.
The voice of her stern father’s uncompromising voice scolds her.

Piss off da. Ah’m feckin knackered. she whispers to the ever present shade in her head. And, for Mavis, that act of personal defiance was the greatest challenge of her adventure.