Scene 5: Arcane Workshop

Leana and Hindle push the double doors open and reveal a space containing all the makings of an arcane workshop: a red candle, a cauldron, assorted spell components, scrolls, and a lit brazier made from a humanoid skull.

With a crumbling floor above much like the tower has been, the adventurers can see half a floor above. At this height, not much of the tower on this side remains. Resting on what's left of the final floor, a very large egg rests in a nest, surrounded by candles with green flames.

Alax gets what the rest are doing and tries to support the attempts at showing a united front.

The former Merry Rumwell lowers his hands and points them at the group.

"You shouldn't have interfered in the business of Ervan Soulfallen..."

Before the crimson sorcerer can finish his sentence and begin a spell, Brickowsky quickdraws his spell first, attempting to yank the sorcerer towards them and through a piece of broken floor!

Firina, following his lead, signs the symbol of Selune and a faint silvery glow appears around Brickowsky, Leana, and Hindle.

Leana, never far behind, almost instantaneously throws out her thorn whip to slash and then secure the sorcerer even closer to them. She is pleased to see the thorns make sizeable cuts on his sleeves as the whip squeezes tighter.

Pouncy looks a little scared and hides behind Alax as the dragonborn attempts to highlight the sorcerer and add additional light to the area.

Hindle and Merton share a glance and send an eldritch blast and psychic blade respectively.

Ervan is a bit rusty in his magic duels and has no chance at avoiding the telekinetic pull and thorn whip grab. He falls flat on his face and is not able to give a response action in time before the battle begins in earnest.

Pouncy peeks out, but is not looking at Ervan. Instead, she looks out the window to the late afternoon sky.

Roll initiative!

Feeling her Silverblood boiling, the noble woman steps forward to end the malicious sorcerer's reign on these lands. Her scimitar a manifested sign of her faith, she strikes down the wicked and knows no fear.

Firina, with wicked righteous vengeance, slashes across Ervan with her scimitar and blood pours from many different cuts across his arms and body. One particularly vicious cut above his eye has blood trickling down his face.

"I would clearly be a daddy and that hatchling WILL BE MINE!"

As Ervan attempts to monologue between attacks, Leana and Brickowsky also take a glance at where Pouncy is looking. Pouncy has been looking out the same window Ervan was at moments ago. The window looks northwest over the valley and the mountain range surrounding it. There are caves dotted throughout the mountains and one particularly large mountain overlooking the valley. Dark gray clouds surround the largest mountain.

Hindle calls forth multiple images of himself and Merton saves his energy by whipping a dagger at the sorcerer.

Ervan Soulfallen, the crimson sorcerer, is in the process of getting up when Leana and Alax use their thorn whips to keep him in place. He is able to get up, but is unable to do anything else thanks to Brickowsky's spell and the thorn whips from Leana and Alax. He is bleeding, but standing.

"I'll never accept defeat. I didn't accept defeat when I couldn't reach Cinderhowl's egg. I didn't accept defeat when the Hard Way started questioning their friend's and the egg's whereabouts. I turn my obstacles into steps to greater power."

With that, a strange tingling is felt in the air by all. The humanoid skull with a candle on its head turns to the party and it rises higher and higher as bones scattered around the room build up into a body. A skeleton hand reaches up out of the cauldron and another humanoid skull appears with the body to go with it. Finally, a third skeleton appears by the egg and draws its bow and arrow, aiming it right at Hindle and his duplicates.

As the adventuring party prepares its next moves, a loud roar and flapping can be heard. Pouncy continues to hide behind the dragonborn.