Just Passing Through

Well.

We didn't have to fight the dragon.  Turns out he was actually rather reasonable about the whole affair, but Hal punching off the main Titanspawn's head back in the feasting hall probably helped.  We ended up letting that little shit of a critter run off too, which is probably going to make Lexi completely insufferable.  I'm sorry, but just because the hippie bullshit way worked once doesn't mean jack for next time.  Ugh.  Could have been worse, I guess.  And I can take some comfort in the fact that it's more then likely the critter's friends are going to deal with him for us.  Less effort all around, eh?

That's the short version, I guess.  Long version as follows.  We were still debating what to do with the rat.  I suggested the old Fastball Special, and Cindy definately approved...though I think she wanted to bean the dragon with one of the stones we jacked from the gate.  Speaking of that Titanspawn head-punching...that's about when Hal started to talk to the bloody thing.  Apperantly, it had the idea of just feeding the dragon, too.  Lexi suggested binding him with the star-weave thing I did earlier.  I probably would have, if the dragon hadn't been reasonable.  Funny thing, that.

I do think Lexi doesn't quite get it when it comes to Titanspawn...apperantly she didn't want us offing the treacherous rat because it'd be 'cruel'.  Eh, like I told her, we weren't bound to be nice to the little fuck anymore after he threatened us with the dragon.  I did also point out it was worse to let him live, given what his kind would likely do, and that tossing him to the dragon would have been a mercy.  But, eh.  Things did work out.  I may have to make the point again though.  I just don't want Lexi or anyone else to get hurt because Lexi kept trying the touchy-feely nonsense.  ...and I will deny it to my dying day if anyone asks.

Hal finally opted to talk to the dragon, after it got revealed he was related to the damned thing.  Man, the Norse pantheon is screwed up.  And I though the Greeks had issues.  Cindy held on to Haarkson during the chat.  I mostly kept quiet, except to reassure Lexi.  And if anyone asks, I'm telling them it was part of my job. Not because she's a nice kid that I don't want to see splattered on the wall.  Shut up.

I did kind of tune the conversation out, admittedly.  Sorta.  I'm sure the others have it recorded in a proper report somewhere.  The skinny version basicly is 'The dragon isn't all evil, etc etc, we can go past'.  I spent most of the time checking the chains binding the dragon in place.  No locks, so I couldn't help there.  Given that the dragon wasn't inclined to eat us, and it -was- apperantly related to Hal, I kept looking for a way to spring it.  The chains had this...weird, cold aura around them that seemed awfully hard to miss.  I'm sure the others noticed too.  Oh, right.  Right.  Andrew was playing Publicity Agent for Hal, really talking him up, trying to butter up the snake too.  Seemed to work as well as Hal's speeches did.

I snapped some shots of the dragon too.  Figure I might be able to get some ideas for some kind of body armor or something from how the scales are arranged...stuff like that.  Much as kevlar does the job, proper all-around armor would be better.  I chose a hell of a time to tune back into the conversation...I swear to god, I think Hal was trying to seduce that lizard at one point.  Anyway....another part of the reason I was studying the dragon..and the chains, for that matter.  I think I might be able to build something to punch through both eventually.  I'm going to need to sit down and see if my computer has a CAD program on it.  If not, I can probably write something up in my spare time.

We couldn't use the power of the stones to free the dragon...directly.  I thought about simply trying to loosen the bolts in the ground on the chains, but that wouldn't have worked, looking back.  My next idea on the subject was much better.  Well...Cindy helped with the idea, gave me the start of it.  I suggested simply bludgeoning the chains -with- the stones, as they had the same power source, apperantly.  After some debate, that's just what Cindy did.  Apperantly it cancelled out both the stone and the chain.  The chain was reduced to normal metal which was shattered easily enough.  Something...odd happened to Cindy.  I'm going to have to keep an extra close eye on her.  She said it was nothing, that she suddenly felt cold and heard laughing, then both went away after hitting the chain.  My guess is Utgard-Loki probably got a good look at her.  Which I did not give him permission to, so I may have to have words with that little punk.

I did end up dissapointed, though.  There wasn't a single gold coin or treasure chest in the lair!  I've been playing D&D since I was five, damnit, and there's ALWAYS TREASURE.  Gary Gygax, I shall pursue you to the netherworld to get answers on why you've lied to me all this time.

Anyway, I'm going to go use the teleport-thingers MIST has set up to visit the nearest Heckler & Koch factory.  Going to get the parts for one of the Mark 23 Mod 0 SOCOM pistols and do some customization work.  I may ask Cindy if she can do engravings...got a few ideas for the slide and grip.  But mostly want to rig up something that fits me better and has more punch.  Found an email in my box this morning from Kenny, bitching me out about 'that little peashooter'.  Well, yelling in her own way.  She just sounded dissapointed.  I think she might expect more from me, what with both of our parent-gods being from the Tuatha.  If this little project goes well, I'm going to see about building her a bigger rifle.  Maybe something related to the Mk82 Barret.

Oh, and apperantly her sister knew the dragon.  Small world, eh?