Krago and the Duergar immediately begin work on constructing the ballista. Mishok initiates the ritual that will empower a glyph of warding on the very edge of the chasm. Sartan and Davros go in search of netting or other materials that may help them get the upper hand in their potential skirmish with the dragon, while Cycek remains vigilant in the great hall. The Duergar and Krago are immediately at odds, arguing ferociously and nearly coming to blows. Mishok’s intervention helps avert an outright battle, but it also slows down his work. Meanwhile, Sartan and Davros discover an abandoned kitchen and store room. In it, there are crates upon crates of spoiled food, cook stoves, pots, pans, cutlery, and the like. Sartan moves to the center of the room and is attacked by an enraged table. The animated piece of furniture rears up like a horse and kicks him with its sturdy wooded legs. He fights back, flipping it onto its back like a turtle and lopping off a leg. Davros enters the fray, but before he can help with the table, he is assaulted by an animated beer barrel. The bizzare keg stomps out of the corner on stout legs made of pipe. It bears the visage of dwarf, fashioned out of wood and metal. It is covered with glowing dwarvish runes. The aggressive barrel takes a running start, then flips on its side and rolls swiftly at Sartan, knocking him down. Davros puts an arrow in its side, but it turns and sprays him with a blast of spoiled ale. The toxic, ancient fluid sickens Davros. Soon, Sartan is back on his feet, but so is the table. It has managed to right itself and it resumes its attack. The battle carries on, and in time the barrel is smashed, the table is splintered, and both wooden creatures lie still. Battered, bruised, and soaked, Sartan and Davros commence their search. The discover a flimsy, but possibly suitable net, and they return to the foundry with their find. Krago tells them that many years ago, when his people made this their home, they would use nets to fish the black lake below the mountain for food.
Sartan had taken quite a beating, so he takes some time to rest and recover while the rest of the team continues their work. Once Mishok finishes his ritual he gathers his battle-weary team and bestows Divok’s healing power upon them. Krago becomes more agitated with the Duergar. Frustrated at the slowed pace of their work, he exhorts Mishok to get to work crafting the incendiary obsidian arrow head, while he and the Duergar team work on finishing the second bolt. Cycek glances up at Snurrevin, who had been working on assembling the ballista, and notices that he is in conversation with his pet rat. The rat scampers over to Mishok, and reaches its nose up to his armored leg. There is a sudden “snap!” and a flash of blue light catches everyones attention. Mishok receives a painful electric jolt. Sartan looks to Snurrevin to say “what the hell is with your rat?” but realizes that Snurrevin is nowhere to be seen. However, peering over the edge of the chasm is none other than the dragon. Clawed hands grasp the stone ledge between the two branches of the waterfall, and a long neck with a leering reptilian head sways back and forth behind the veil of mist.
Cycek bravely strides forward to try to mollify the dragon, while the other spring to their posts. After a few attempts at conversation, he realizes that there is something odd about this “dragon.” He peers over the edge and sees that this unresponsive creature is some kind of an illusion. It disappears into nothingness just over the edge of the chasm. However, as he looks down, he hears a roar from down below. He bellows, “Guys, the dragon is coming!” Before he can move, the air around him becomes suddenly filled with a buzzing cloud of insects. He slaps at these uncanny bugs which deliver painful stings and he runs back to where the battle preparations are underway. Krago, terrified but desperate, grabs the second bolt, hot off the anvil, and runs forward toward the ballista. Mishok, just finishing up the obsidian arrow head, leaps to his feet to assist. Krago advises against placing the arrowhead on the hot iron as it may ignite. They turn to the other Duergar to instruct them in how to best assist, but to their disappointment, they find them missing. Krago shouts, “Those damn, Duergar! We shouldn’t have trusted them!”
At that moment, Nightscale herself appears! Flying up from the pit on powerful wings, the sleek dragon alights on the edge, water streaming from her gleaming black scales. A blue pop of light erupts between her front claws and wave of frigid cold is felt throughout the cavernous foundry. A cloud of mist billows up and dissipates, revealing the enraged dragon, covered with white frost. She sits, staring at her tiny opponents with a hateful glare, amid the ice dams that now choke the river. She shakes her muscular body and pearlescent beads of ice rain down. Krago emits a moan of terror. Nightscale opens her mouth and with a terrible roar unleashes a torrent of acid directly at the ballista. The hastily assembled contraption smokes and hisses, but it hangs together, if only for the time being.
Desperate to enact their plan Mishok, Krago and Cycek run forward to load the ballista, but Krago is shoved to the ground by an unseen assailant. Sartan is also shoved, but he holds his ground, and lashes out at the spot where he is certain that an invisible Duergar stands. He is correct… his sword connects with flesh, and a bleeding Duergar appears. Davros emerges from hiding and skewers the treacherous dark dwarf.
Mishok affixes the explosive arrowhead onto the bolt, and Cycek loads the weapon. Davros hastens over to help draw the great bowstring. Krago staggers to his feet and runs forth into the swarming insects, aims the ballista and fires. Everyone’s heart sinks as the bolt flies past the shoulder of their frightful adversary, and bursts in flame at the far side of the cave.
Meanwhile, Sartan has encountered another invisible Duergar. He runs into none other than Snurrevin on the stone bridge. He stabs him and throws him over the edge, where he is washed away in the river. The fallen Duergar wizard washes up on the stone at the feet of the angry dragon. Furious, she spits another gout of powerful acid, dissolving the hapless Duergar into liquid that flows over the edge of the cliff into oblivion. She takes to the air, and takes a position farther within the cave, requiring the desperate party to spin the ballista and hastily take aim again.
Krago and Mishok ready the second projectile while Cycek reaches into his bag, contriving an alternate idea should this attack fail. Davros takes the shot. Again the ballista bolt goes awry and it is immediately clear that the battle is lost. They can only hope to flee for their lives.
Cycek, however, has another idea. He has pulled out a long-forgotten love potion. He leaps onto the ballista, using it as a springboard, and launches himself as high and as far as he can, up toward Nightscale’s gaping maw. Whether through skill or dumb luck, he manages to dump the potion into her mouth. He tumbles down her back and lands near her swishing tail. There is a moment of silent uncertainty, only broken by the sound of fighting in the adjacent room. The cloud of insects dissipates.
Sartan has retreated to the great hall, only to be assailed by an immense Duergar. Furious at the duplicity of these evil folk, Sartan lashes out with all his fury, severely injuring his much larger foe.
Nightscale’s eyes seem to glaze over, turning from angry yellow to muted blue. She gazes down at the nearly ruined ballista and sees her old “friend” Krago amid the acid-blasted construct. She says, “Oh, Durgeddin… it’s you. How I’ve missed you! You look troubled. What can I do for you my dear friend?”
Krago nervously stammers, “Ummm… Nightscale, please leave this place. Go out and get some fresh air. Go visit the woods and take in some daylight!” Then as an aside to Mishok, “Help me…. What should I say?” Mishok advises that Nightscale should go alight upon the top of the stone tooth. Krago commands the fearsome dragon to do exactly that. Nightscale is eager to oblige. She beats her wings, springs into the air and plummets down the chasm and out of sight.
Realizing that they don’t have much time, the party decides they want to quickly loot the dragon hoard while she is gone. Davos puts a killing arrow into the back of Sartan’s opponent. The party hastily formulates a plan. One group will go out to the side of the mountain and create a diversion in the hopes of buying some extra time for a second group who will pillage the dragon’s inner sanctum on the island in the Black Lake. Krago has no desire to ever see the island again, but he is willing to help distract Nightscale, his hated tormentor of many years. The group must move immediately to have any chance of success before the dragon regains her senses.