You decided to waste no time in returning to Waterdeep, and Donald spoke the words of return on the teleport scroll — but nothing happened. The maze’s magic dampening field was still in effect, so you stepped outside the boundary into the field before the village…

To be greeted by a horrific sight: swooping down low over the village was a huge blue dragon, unleashing a volley of lightning that scorched the town centre and erupted several buildings into flame. Billowing smoke rose from many other structures, and you could see charred bodies and terrified citizens fleeing for their lives.

Donald briefly toyed with the idea of donning the Blue Dragon Mask (as did Jorin who was very enthusiastic about having a turn — denied forcefully by Martmaal), before realising that it was unlikely to be a simple matter of putting it on.

Ash took a closer look at the beast as it toyed with the townsfolk, and realised with a shock that this was the very dragon that Stormwatch had first encountered in Greenest, a time that now seemed like another world.

Realising that immediate action was needed (and that a third dragon scalp might be possible), a group of adventurers that had once cowered before the might of dragonkind instead let out a mighty challenging cry and raced forward to battle.

Ash’s slanderous words drew the attention of the beast, who turned its head to face you, seemed to smile with anticipation, and returned its attention to another onslaught over the township.

The main village approach led to the central square and fountain where you earlier met with the mayor, and Marko, Jorin, Ash and Donald took that direct route. Bally and Martmaal flanked to either side, hoping to find advantage by alternate paths to the action.

As the main group raced out into the square, you noticed that the dragon had turned to face you at the far end of the town, and now hovered there slowly beating its huge wings. Something was up — and before you could react, six Dragon Cultists stepped from the shadows to confront you. And in the side alleys, huge spear and shield wielding Gladiators emerged to trap Bally and Martmaal. An ambush!

You knew these fighters from the battle by the river at Boareskyr Bridge, and you knew that they could hit hard, particularly when grouped like this. And so it proved, as the four Dragonwing cultists started laying into you while the two more dangerous Dragonfang assailants hurled bolts of energy from the sidelines. But they hadn’t reckoned for the growth of Stormwatch’s power, and before long the Dragonwings were slain or nearly so.

They didn’t go down easy though, and Donald in particular was pounded by their attacks. Meanwhile Martmaal faced his foe alone, though he cleverly summoned his Spirit Guardians who confused the Gladiator enough to deflect many of the incoming attacks. The Gladiator fought hard though, and landed several huge shield bashing blows on your fearless leader. Each attack from Martmaal was met by an equally fierce counterattack, and the fight stood in the balance.

In almost a perfect mirror, Bally fought his opponent mano-a-mano, both fighters exchanging crunching blows and sickening cuts. Neither combatant could gain an advantage, nor could Bally consider retreating to assist the larger group.

In the central square the Dragonfang were now engaged in melee combat, and despite their reduced number were inflicting continual damage on the party. Jorin imbued his new sword with a flaming spirit, and in one series of particularly effective attacks managed to *ignite* both foes, who were now burning and fighting ever more desperately.

Just as it seemed Stormwatch had the advantage, they both suddenly shot up 30ft into the air, and continued further aerial assaults from on high. It was a strange sight to see two hovering magic casting cultists on fire, but Stormwatch was used to this kind of thing by now.

Somewhat more terrifyingly though, at the other end of the village the dragon reared up, spread its wings, and began an attack run down the main street directly toward you. Ash, sensing the Cultists needed finishing before the dragon arrived, suddenly turned and sprinted straight up the outer wall of a building on the square, treating it as if it were merely a flat path through a well tended temple. He then leapt horizontally off the building, reaching the first flying fire Cultist and destroying him with a lightning fast strike of his staff (with that same cultist simultaneously exploding into a firework as Marko’s bowstrike hit him).

Somewhat unbelievably to those observing in wonder from the ground, Ash continued on his mid air journey and ploughed into the far Dragonfang, damaging him enough that he dropped to the ground for Jorin to finish off. Replaying it even now in your heads, you’re not quite sure what Ash did, but whatever it was it was impressive.

Bally and Martmaal continued their increasingly serious struggle with their opponents, and it seemed that the victor in each case was going to come down to timing and luck — never something to be depended on. These warriors were stronger than any you’d faced, and you both realised that it was a fight to the death and that that death could quite easily be yours.

As the dragon tore toward the square, Donald sent a massive flaming fireball directly at the huge beast, which erupted into a wall of eldritch fire. The sight of the dragon emerging through that explosion wreathed in flame and bellowing a cry of battle is something you will never forget. Nor will you forget the sheer terror the approaching dragon instilled in you, as everyone but the diminutive Marko suddenly realised they wanted to be anywhere but where this dragon was.

Even Bally and Martmaal felt the overwhelming terror, and were suddenly racing for cover and defenceless against the intensified attacks from their opponents. Blow after blow landed, and all you could do was run and try to force the terror from your minds. The dragon hovered above the square and wrenched Marko in it’s mighty jaws, flooding him with an electric shock with each massive bite.

Donald was thrown aside by swiping claws, while Jorin took a blow from the mighty tail. Marko wasn’t cowered, and immediately counter attacked, shivving the dragons jaws with devastating power. Ash too used his zen training to banish the fear from his mind, and immediately leapt atop the dragons spine, digging his purpose-built spurs into the beasts neck to prepare for his (now trademark) attack on its head.

The dragon roared in fury and again assaulted Marko, who again retaliated in kind, and at the same time Donald returned to sanity. He flung another fireball at the dragons tail, who lashed out in fury at the renewed flaming attacks.

Martmaal, beaten almost to his knees, finally returned to his senses and knew he had only once last chance, so unleashed his (strangely unclerical) insect plague to finally bring down his assailant, who died beneath the swarm of tiny creatures.

Ash commenced wailing in on the dragon’s skull, punishing it terribly, and as Donald and Marko continued assaulting it from below the beast realised this was a fight best left for another day. It shot up into the air, but despite its best efforts could not dislodge the grimly determined Ash, who landed blow after blow on the defenceless head.

The beast opened it’s gigantic jaws and unleashed an torrent of lighting down into the square. Marko seemed to vanish and somehow emerged unscathed, but Donald was caught flat footed and took the full force of the attack. He fell to the ground, twitching with the electric current coursing through his lifeless body. The accountant, your treasurer, your loyal investor, was dead.

The dragon started flying away, shaking and rolling furiously, and Marko saw one last opportunity. He pulled back his tiny short bow, lined up the shot, held the weight, and unleashed his arrow. It flew with what seemed like supernatural precision, it was never going to miss, he’d called the shot, it was one in a million. The arrow pierced the eye of the dragon, the most vulnerable point, and with a horrifying cry it flung it’s head backwards and paused in mid-air for what seemed an eternity, before plummeting to the ground below.

Stormwatch’s third dragon was dead.

Immediately Bally came to his senses, and with a hitherto unknown fury, he unleashed a mortal assault on the Gladiator who had been tormenting him, standing over his body with a bloody sword and a bloody mind. Jorin too recovered, a little confused to find there was nothing left to do. Marko, with no time to celebrate his shot, quicky revived Donald before he could slip further into unconsciousness. And Ash fell 70 feet to the ground before gracefully alighting off the dragon and landing in a three point pose.

You all convened on the body of the fallen wyrm, it’s head smashed, but still with souvenir worthy parts that you commenced gathering. The village remained still, with no survivors in sight nor emerging. Martmaal prepared a Heroes Feast, which cured you of many ills and healed your wounds.

As you sat enjoying the spoils of victory and a job well done — and the rapidly recovering Donald pondered a scheme for claiming retroactive payment for a contracted future kill of this very dragon — a lone figure on horseback approached from the direction of the maze. You stood, suddenly alert, before realising it was the village Mayor returning to her township.

She rode up to you and stopped, looking at the dead dragon, and the plentiful feast you were enjoying. She spoke to you, coldly: “Why did you come? Why did you do this? Look around and see what you have wrought with your presence. You are evil men, and you have brought death and destruction to our homes, homes that have had peace for centuries.”

Somewhat taken aback, you reacted by accusing her of not knowing the bigger picture, the larger stakes, and look, you had killed the dragon!

The mayor would have nothing of it: “A century of peace until you arrived. We warned you not to enter the Tower. Almost begged you not to — it and they have never caused us any trouble. But you arrived, did whatever you did in there, and now my town and my people are ruined. You are not welcome here, you are never to return, and we will warn Waterdeep of the type of men you are.”

She took one last look, and rode off toward the burning town. You were stunned into silence — though Jorin continued to aggressively justify your actions (“We’re the good guys, so what we’ve done can’t be bad”). Bally in particular appeared horrified by what she was saying, and chased after her offering assistance and all the gold he had on him. She cut him off curtly and refused help from evildoers, and evildoers' money.

From the highs of victory to the depths of doubt, you stood staring at the dragon and pondering her words. Jorin was right, wasn’t he? Stormwatch are the good guys?

Session played: 20 March 2018