Lava + Kobolds + Chanting
After being led by Anya up the side of the mountain, and with no issues from loose rocks alerting the Kobolds to their presence (not for a lack of trying), the party look over the edge of the caldera.
Forming a plan, the Kobold priests in the caldera begin chanting. Aranar recognises the chanting as an incantation to break some form of barrier.
Deploying their immovable rod and rope, the party begins to rappel down the side of the caldera as the rock inside the caldera begins to melt and bubble into magma.
Quickly spotted by some guards disguised as acolytes, combat and shooting begins.
Fireballs are thrown, shots fired, Anya throws enough punches to earn herself a new belt if she was being assessed by Priest Lisida back at the monastery, but more Kobolds keep pouring out from well-hidden cover. The Kobolds knew the party was coming.
When Anya first takes out one of the bigger Kobolds instead of going down like all the others, the Kobolds in question spews out fire and appears to reanimate by some magic.
The fighting is intense, and right at the end Thryn goes down gambling that they can take out the Kobold bearing down on them instead of retreating. Aranar quickly drops down and revives Thryn with a healing potion.
Looking out of the caldera and down onto the Kobold encampment, the Kobolds appear to be fleeing. Aranar takes a closer look and surmises that loud gunshots and the sound of combat coming from a place of worship may have gotten the whole encampment spooked.
The party take a short rest, and during this Thryn begins to feel the weave of magic here feels off, or broken. Being a clockwork soul sorcerer, they know what the magic of order should feel like and they can almost feel the pressure breaking a massive ticking ward in the caldera.
Aranar goes over to inspect the worshipping dias, and reads the words carved in on the sides. The carved words swirl around and as he reads them, he can hear a voice, clear in his head.
“Free me, young wyrmling, and you can rule all powerful over those who have wronged you, you will be able to hunt and fly and kill those that wronged that clan you call family, and you can take vengeance for them”
Aranar takes steps back from the dias, now Thryn and Anya can begin to hear the words.
“Where do you think you’re going, young wyrmling? I have watched our bloodline for generations, and you’re not leaving without giving me some of that blood back, a few drops is all I need to break this seal for good, as much as I have weakened it down just with your presence and fury of the hunt nearby”
Aranar recognises the voice now, it was the dream he had back from the other temple in Kragburr, the entity was speaking out to him again. As Aranar turns to walk away from the dias, the voice gets angry.
“Well then, it’s not how I wanted to introduce myself or this family to the world, but maybe a visit from your cousin will help to convince you. This veil between worlds is thin enough for him, at least”
From the lava, bubbling fiercely now a stocky, four legged form emerges. As the form stretches its wings, the entire party can feel the heat radiating off of its figure. Standing before them is no doubt, a dragon.
The party hear from the dias behind them, “Go Amrud, bring that corpse back to me, it’s about time for us to stretch our wings our in our rightful home”.