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Dodger
Acolyte
United Kingdom
16 Posts |
 Posted - 25 Jan 2004 : 02:09:03
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This is an old story based on a battle in Baldurs Gate 2 with the Dragon Firkraag. So many people at the time were posting "Dragons are feeble" etc. These probably were the guys using the thief/set trap explot - try getting away with that in PnP...
I took Firkraag on with an average Lvl 11 party during Chapter 2, and it was a battle very much as it should be! IE - damn hard. The following story is (with a little artistic license) pretty much how that battle went, and how fighting a Dragon should be IMHO. It's not Salvatore, but see what you think!
NB - it was a while ago, so some spellings might not be right. The only other difference was that the Magic Resistance was the first thing done, followed by a couple of Cloudkills. The rest of the battle is pretty much as is...
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The Fall Of Firkraag
So far, thought Garik as he slammed into and then bounced off of the rough stone cavern wall, this is not going according to the plan. He heard the sound of several ribs cracking as he fell hard to the floor, his axe and shield clattering away.
But then, really, what had he expected? This wasn’t some stinking Orc, or rotting mindless undead. This was a great Red Dragon, one of the most fearsome beasts his small band was ever likely to come across.
He squinted through his bruised and watering eyes, shaking his head to get some much needed clarity. He hadn’t expected that tail, whiplike coiled steel, to be as fast as it had been. It slammed into the tough dwarf at the same time as his axe, Frostreaver, sliced into Firkraags rear leg. The enchanted blade had sunk deep, and magical cold and acid seeped into the wound, causing the mighty wyrm to roar in pain. That was when it’s tail had sliced round in a blur and smashed the dwarf across the cavern and into the wall.
He had seen Keldorn and Minsc slicing at the Dragon just before he was hit, and hoped that their equally enchanted weapons were having some effect. Minsc’s glowing ruby red blade and Adjatha, the strange life drinking sword spun in a fluid blur, chipping pieces of scale away with each strike. Minsc’s already formidable fighting abilities were enhanced by the enchanted boots he wore, which lent him speed and turned the dance of his twin blades into an almost invisible, hypnotic swirl. And each time Adjatha connected, a strange pulsing light swirled about Minsc, healing him, causing the blood from his open wounds to flow a little slower.
Keldorn, for his part, was hacking heavily at Firkraag with the bizarre talking blade Lilarcor. Garik couldn’t understand the attachment that Keldorn had shown for the annoying weapon, and wondered whether there was something more sinister going on with the blade’s personality. He didn’t understand the nature of the magical blade well enough to know whether or not it was a problem though. None of his items had ever spoken to him, their enchantments were the old fashioned kind – a keener blade, or sturdier, stronger armour.
But yet he couldn’t deny the blade’s effectiveness. It was laughing out loud, shouting out in it’s glee.
“A DRAGON, A DRAGON! Oh yeah. - wait till I tell the guys about this one! Go on, give him… OH nice one! I bet he felt that! HEY RED! THAT STING AT ALL? Hahaha, Yeah! Oooooh, go on, kill it, kill the Dragon, yeaaahhh!”
Suddenly Garik’s vision cleared, and he felt a rush of strength flood through him. He glanced to his side where Jaheira knelt worriedly, a glow fading from her hands.
“Nature lends you her strength, Garik Thunderforge. Use it well.”
Garik nodded. “Jaheira, I’ll be ok. Is there anything you can do to that thing?”
The beautiful Elven maiden nodded. “There is. Do you see Aerie?”
Garik glanced over towards the other Elven woman, Aerie. Her hands danced and she chanted continuously, her innocent face twisted with lines of concentration. Then multi coloured daggers of light lanced out from her hands, twisting and spearing across the cavern to burst apparently harmlessly across the glorious red scales of the mighty Dragon.
A booming, roaring voice blasted out across the cavern.
“PATHETIC MANLINGS! YOUR PUNY MAGICS AND FLIMSY WEAPONS CANNOT HARM ME! I AM FIRKRAAG! I AM INVINCIBLE! I AM YOUR DEATH!”
Then to Garik’s horror, the creature snapped it’s head back, inhaling. Nalia, the other woman in the party, though human not Elven, saw what the Dragon intended, and in a mounting panic raised her bow. As she drew back on the frayed, tattered string, a glowing mistlike arrow appeared. She loosed the magical shaft, and her aim was true, the ghostly arrow slamming into the Dragon’s neck.
It was not enough.
The Dragon breathed. A billowing inferno of fiery breath blasted out and washed over Minsc, Keldorn and Aerie. The two fighters, reacting instinctively like the experienced warriors they were, threw themselves to the floor, catching some of the incendiary breath but avoiding the main area of effect. Aerie, concentrating on her next spell, took the full force of the blast, and was slammed backwards into the wall, where she collapsed and lay in a smoking heap. Horrified, Garik felt the anger raising, writhing within him, his dark heritage struggling to rise to ascendence. Minsc cried out “No! My witch! MY WITCH!”, and Garik knew that he too had been witness to the horrendous attack.
The Dragon laughed.
Garik clambered to his feet, grabbed the fallen Frostreaver, and ran as fast as he could towards this evil foe, his anger propelling him faster than his stout legs would have seemed capable of.
As he closed the distance, he saw Minsc, bleeding furiously from a dozen deep claw wounds, ripping into the underside of the Dragon. It kicked him savagely, slamming him also into a wall, but he shook his head and got to his feet.
“It thinks it has hurt us Boo!” he roared. “It is sorely mistaken! We will teach this monster that it cannot slay the Witch of Minsc and Boo unchallenged! Hyaaaaa!”
If Boo heard, he did not respond.
Then Garik was on Firkraag, even as ghostly whirring arrows flew one after the other over his head, slamming into the Dragon’s chest. He launched a mighty underhand swing, his axe slicing into the beast’s vulnerable underbelly.
The Dragon roared in pain.
Jaheira, well versed in the order of the Natural world, understood why Aerie’s spells had failed to affect this powerful foe. The Dragon had a natural resistance to all magical attacks, causing them to dissipate upon contact. As she worked her way behind the monster, she prepared to cast the spell which conferred a similar resistance upon it’s target. She knew that it would give the creature a lower protection against spells than it already possessed, rendering it potentially susceptible to subsequent attacking magics. Timing her chant to the lashing of the monster’s great tail, she summoned the energies for the spell. Then she tapped Firkraag on the tail.
A glowing white light pulsed over the Red Dragon, and he paused for a second, confused. He felt different somehow, the stinging hits from the puny weapons before him seemed to be hurting a little bit more than they should, more than they had been. He snapped his serpentine neck around, and saw a female elf creature, backing away, it’s hands moving as it prepared another of it’s feeble enchantments.
Firkraag’s tail slammed into Jaheira just as her spell went off, her skin hardening and creaking as she cast the barklike protection upon herself. Still, Firkraag’s tail hit hard, slamming the breath out of her and throwing her across the cavern and into a wall. She slumped down, barely conscious, fighting for the concentration necessary to magically heal herself.
Garik didn’t see Jaheira’s plight, but he noticed that suddenly his axe seemed to be slicing through Firkraag’s scales a little more easily. He glanced aside for one second, and saw Minsc and Keldorn fighting with renewed spirit, as they realised too that the beast could be hurt. The phantom arrows from Nalia’s enchanted bow continued streaking in, and the three brave fighters danced and weaved, ducking the stomping feet and slicing again and again into the Dragon. Garik knew that there was no turning back, they had to give it one final surge.
“Ye stinking great worm!” he yelled furiously as his axe sliced and hissed it’s path through tough Dragon flesh. “Ye should know that yer whining pet mage upstairs whimpered as we cut him down! If he was the best ye got, then yer in some deep trouble!”
Firkraag, despite the pain that the unexpected resistance of these annoying, stinging creatures was causing him actually laughed.
“YOU THINK I CARE ABOUT THAT ONE? HE WAS A SERVANT, NOTHING MORE! PERHAPS I WILL ENCHANT THE STRONGEST OF YOU WHEN YOUR FRIENDS ARE ALL DEAD, THAT YOU MAY SERVE ME IN YEARS TO COME. PERHAPS YOU, DWARF? I SENSE…. SOMETHING STRANGE WITHIN YOU, A POWER THAT COULD EASILY BE TURNED TO MY ADVANTAGE!”
Garik flinched involuntarily. The beast knew! The mighty magical creature sensed the essence within him, the evil heritage that he was trying so very hard to keep supressed. This had the opposite effect that cunning Firkraag had intended. Instead of demoralising Garik Thunderforge, the Dwarf screamed in defiance, determined that the evil within him would not be controlled by another, that he would never be a tool of hatred and destruction!
Jaheira, groggily raised her head. The friends had fought well, no-one could have asked for more, but it all seemed to be hopeless. This enemy was too strong. Keldorn lay on the floor, Lilarcor a few feet away. Jaheira could not see if the grizzled Paladin was dead or alive, but the slowly spreading pool of dark blood beneath him did not lend the Druid optimism. Minsc was barely recognisable, blackened from further Dragonfire and bleeding from multiple slashes. He held only one sword now, the life stealing Adjatha. His hits, whilst still giving him magical aid, were coming less frequently now, despite his magically speedy boots. For every healing blow he struck, he took another, from raking claws or snapping bite.
Garik was transformed into a wild creature, desperately slicing at Firkraag’s vulnerable belly. He was having an effect, but surely it was too late now? The same could also be said for Nalia’s magical bow. Out of range of the Dragon’s weapons, she sent arrow after mystical arrow streaking into her foe. They were all impacting, but the damage seemed minor.
Jaheira knew she was badly wounded, broken inside despite her protective enchantment. She felt at her belt for a flask of healing liquid, but then stopped. Better perhaps to let nature’s cycle come to it’s end here and now, that she might once more be with her beloved Khalid. She would not be able to avenge his death, but at least she could rest peacefully with him, along with her friends. She closed her swollen eyes…
The Dragon, in more pain than was reasonable to expect at this stage of the battle, decided that enough was enough. This game had been entertaining while it lasted, but whatever the spiteful Druid had done had weakened him somehow. The horrible Dwarf’s stinging, burning axe was starting to cause real damage, and the berserk, maddened ranger was scoring hit after hit. Combined with the stinging hits from the bow at the entrance to the cavern, Firkraag decided that, whilst he was yet to be in mortal danger, he need not futilely suffer any more wounds. He spoke a rapid series of magical words…
The Dragon blurred, his movements accelerating in a manner identical to Minsc’s whirring blows. All the surviving comrades knew that Firkraag had enacted a haste spell, turning the mighty Red Dragon from a huge and monstrous enemy into an impossible to kill nightmare.
Firkraag laughed one final time.
A searing bolt of blue-white lightning lanced across the cavern, blasting across Firkraag’s head. Blinded and in pain, he roared his surprise.
Aerie activated the wand again, and then again, sending bolt after bolt of lightning arcing into the Dragon’s head and chest. She grinned as she glanced at the golden ring on the hand holding the wand, with the red gemstone set within. This magical ring had protected her from the full force of the Dragon’s breath, and though badly burned and stunned, she had enough wits to unstopper a healing flask and rapidly drain the contents. She prayed she wasn’t too late.
Blast after blast tore into the furious Dragon. He realised he had to get to this frustrating creature, he had to silence the lightning. He started to run.
Minsc and Garik both heartened by the sight of Aerie blasting their enemy, renewed their assault. Nalia’s bow hummed. Firkraag, bleeding fiercely, blinded and burned by the lightning, did not know which way to turn. He roared his defiance one final time, disgusted and enraged that after so many centuries of life he should be brought low by mere insects such as these. Then, with an impact that shook dust and stones from the ceiling, he fell. Garik and Minsc threw themselves aside, and could only hope that Keldorn wasn’t in the path of the dropping creature.
Garik, breathing hard, surveyed the devastation before him. He could not see what had become of Jaheira or Keldorn, and Aerie, exhausted by her wounds had fallen again to her knees. Minsc too, panting hard, dropped to one knee, leaning heavily on his sword to support him. Garik reached down and put his hand around the hilt of a large, two handed sword, caught half under the Dragon’s prone form. The huge creature was still breathing slightly, rattling breaths racking it’s body. Garik walked up to the blackened and ruined head.
“Hey there, ye mangy great worm,” he shouted into Firkraag’s ear. “I hopes ye can still hear me. I’m thinkin’ there’s someone here that wants to say goodbye!”
As Firkraag vainly struggled to raise it’s once proud head, Garik slammed the jubilant and laughing Lilarcor down on the Dragon’s neck, slicing cleanly through muscle and bone, silencing the great beast forever...
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Final tally: 1 dead Red Dragon. Keldorn and Jaheira KIA. Aerie and Minsc on single figure HP. Garik on 20-something. Nalia unhurt. Now THAT'S what a fight with a Great Red should be! Not "Lay 20 traps and BOOM" or "10 cloudkills into the fog of war should do the trick"
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Edited by - Dodger on 25 Jan 2004 02:10:11
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Cherrn
Learned Scribe
Denmark
323 Posts |
Posted - 25 Jan 2004 : 03:31:32
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Sadly that wasn't what my first fight with Firkraag was like (I reloaded it to get another result)
The battle went like this with my lvl 15 group:
I come in.
1st round:
*Firkraag's contingency activates*
I cast the spell that lowered magic resistance and the one that removes spell shields.
2nd round:
I cast another remove spell shield spell, other mage casts disintegrate.
*Firkraag dissappears from screen and leaves a pile of gold behind*
End of combat.
I was a little dissappointed cos I heard that Firkraag had a wicked sword and all I found was gold. Then I remembered that Disintegrate also removes the items on the person, so I reloaded and tried to kill him without disintegrate which was really a lot more difficult.  |
A wise man from Calimport once told me: "If a merchant puts sand in the flask of oil he's trying to sell you, then he isn't trying to sell you sand..." |
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Cyric
Senior Scribe
Norway
388 Posts |
Posted - 25 Jan 2004 : 16:46:17
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| i really didnt want to kill him but,but he had souch god items and gold . |
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Shadowlord
Master of Realmslore
USA
1298 Posts |
Posted - 25 Jan 2004 : 17:05:59
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| Really? I thought he was arrogant in the extreme and therefore, I had to kill him. |
The Chosen of Vhaeraun
"Nature is governed by certain immutable rules. By virtue of claw and fang, the lion will always triumph over the goat.Given time, the pounding of the sea will wear away the stone. And when dark elves mingle with the lighter races, the offspring invariably take after the dark parent. It is all much the same. That which is greater shall prevail. Our numbers increase steadily, both through birth and conquest. The dark elves are the dominant race, so ordained by the gods." Ka'Narlist of the Ilythiiri. |
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Ezindir the dark
Senior Scribe
Norway
603 Posts |
Posted - 25 Jan 2004 : 18:40:03
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quote:
Originally posted by Shadowlord
Really? I thought he was arrogant in the extreme and therefore, I had to kill him.
I agree Shade, anyone who show such arragance against me will have too die. And I dident think his sword was that royal. |
Learn about the Ways of Vhaeraun .
- Check out my bio, majore update
- The Wanderers Quest
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Shadowlord
Master of Realmslore
USA
1298 Posts |
Posted - 25 Jan 2004 : 20:08:22
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It seems we agree on more and more lately Ezindir. Glad to have such a loyal ally. |
The Chosen of Vhaeraun
"Nature is governed by certain immutable rules. By virtue of claw and fang, the lion will always triumph over the goat.Given time, the pounding of the sea will wear away the stone. And when dark elves mingle with the lighter races, the offspring invariably take after the dark parent. It is all much the same. That which is greater shall prevail. Our numbers increase steadily, both through birth and conquest. The dark elves are the dominant race, so ordained by the gods." Ka'Narlist of the Ilythiiri. |
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Ezindir the dark
Senior Scribe
Norway
603 Posts |
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Shadowlord
Master of Realmslore
USA
1298 Posts |
Posted - 25 Jan 2004 : 20:45:00
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| Hehe, soon, we Vhaeraunites shall conquer all of the Underdark! You have to embark on a journey with me to the Night Below sometimes, Ezindir....... |
The Chosen of Vhaeraun
"Nature is governed by certain immutable rules. By virtue of claw and fang, the lion will always triumph over the goat.Given time, the pounding of the sea will wear away the stone. And when dark elves mingle with the lighter races, the offspring invariably take after the dark parent. It is all much the same. That which is greater shall prevail. Our numbers increase steadily, both through birth and conquest. The dark elves are the dominant race, so ordained by the gods." Ka'Narlist of the Ilythiiri. |
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Cherrn
Learned Scribe
Denmark
323 Posts |
Posted - 25 Jan 2004 : 23:19:35
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Enough aggrement posts, back to the talk about Firkraag  |
A wise man from Calimport once told me: "If a merchant puts sand in the flask of oil he's trying to sell you, then he isn't trying to sell you sand..." |
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MuadDib
Senior Scribe
South Africa
442 Posts |
Posted - 26 Jan 2004 : 11:56:33
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My fight with him went a little different.
I came in and while basically everyone else was flying around like headless chickens thanks to his wing buffets, my two mages his him with sequencers with 3 lower resists each. then one chromatic orb and he was gone. That was a specific strategy kill though, after I had done him a few times.
My easiest strategy for him, was simply loading my melee people up as full as possible, and keeping pressure on him from all sides. Much easier. The shadowdragon I personally found much harder. Not to mention Draconis *shudder* |
MuadDib - Candlekeep Inn Barhand |
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Ezindir the dark
Senior Scribe
Norway
603 Posts |
Posted - 26 Jan 2004 : 15:06:22
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quote:
Originally posted by Shadowlord
Hehe, soon, we Vhaeraunites shall conquer all of the Underdark! You have to embark on a journey with me to the Night Below sometimes, Ezindir.......
Indeed we should one time,
but the underdark is not my favorite of places too be since I suffer of a little claustrophi, but I shall conqer my fears in Vhaerauns name .
And as for Firgraag, I let my Kensai attack him from behind, soo he was not able too use the wing buffet on me, and my other elven party members made sure he had no imunety spells on. And in that way the arragance of Firgraag fall. |
Learn about the Ways of Vhaeraun .
- Check out my bio, majore update
- The Wanderers Quest
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EcThelion
Learned Scribe
Norway
323 Posts |
Posted - 26 Jan 2004 : 21:39:49
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Somehow I don't really belive your claim! You claimed that the party was 11-ish, but my party when it reached Frikraag (Had only done 2 Quests. Slaves/Gladiators, and Trademeet) were about level 13. And your gear seems pretty powerful. Heh... I har problems finding Minsc a +1 Two-handed Sword.
My party, consisteing of Keldorn (with his rabble of a SET), Minsc (Full platemail, Dragon Helmet, and +1 Two-Handed Sword), Vyalger (I purposefully went to the Hillsto get him. Allways loved 'im. He was dual-wielding His Katana and a +1 one, with his family armour), Aerie, and me. I had no 6th party member. (I couldn't manage to find a sixth member with Good-aligment. And I allways hated that human Thief/mage.)
Anyways; we wre about level 13 and hardly had any magical gear at all (despite the reward from Trademeet, wich I meaninglessly squandered on a belt for Keldorn) and I really had a easy time killing him. Shure my frontals took quite a beating, and it wasn't untill I discovered that Magic Missiles was the way to go that I actually got his htipoints to drop (the fighters' weapons had no effect at all)
In the end, after Keldorn's Untimely death and Minsc & Vyalgar down to less than 10 HP my Mage actaully Tanked him for a while. (That was one badass mage, aight  ! ... he had stoneskin, though )
Anyways; My two mages killed him singelhandedly, really. And onyl with the halp of Lighting Bolts, and Magic Missiles (Lower Res, ofcourse)
Now I'd love to give you all a detailed and epic description of the battle, but I've actually got to go... maby I'll add it later |
Ec'Thelion, formerly known as Forgotten One, now known as Ec'Thelion the Overpowered.
Currently not all that active. I'm preoccupied with Warcraft III for the moment. Bite me :P |
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MuadDib
Senior Scribe
South Africa
442 Posts |
Posted - 27 Jan 2004 : 07:40:39
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Minsc can get the sword of Sarevok in the dungeon at lvl 8 with an HP draining effect right at the beginning and if you do the Copper coronet properly, he can get the Lilarcor + 3 which lasts until he gets + 4 warblades and what not. So equipment is not a problem.
It is also possible (if you carry a scroll of no magic from BG I over for example) to have the staff of the magi when you got to Firkraag. Robe of vecna and bracers of Def AC3 are both bought in the Adverturers mart. flail of the ages you can have before there as well if you do D'arnise keep. you can also buy some intertial barrier boots or belt whatever in trademeet and if you do the druid quest before you move on to windspear you can get some cool xp and items there as well. If you do harpers, and so on, you can get most of your items. In fact, your mage could have both rings of gaxx, or spel rings, robes of vecna, staff of magi, a good number of spells all before windspear so equipment wont be an issue i dont think |
MuadDib - Candlekeep Inn Barhand |
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EcThelion
Learned Scribe
Norway
323 Posts |
Posted - 27 Jan 2004 : 13:17:26
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Well... won't it be kinda difficult to aquire all of that and stay levle 11? Personalyl I think that a level 11 party will have quite a bit of problems with Gaxx, though I've never tried him with a party, thruth be told.
I've only played through the game with a party three times. The last 2 times I cleared it I was playing my Solo Fighter/Mage (as all of you whom have ever visited the Computer Software Area of the forums well know )
Heh. He kills off Frikraag with only 1 Spell. Project Image 
I think you would have a tough time Soloing through the game with the Non-ekspansion XP cap, though. (Level 17 mage? I don't think so) |
Ec'Thelion, formerly known as Forgotten One, now known as Ec'Thelion the Overpowered.
Currently not all that active. I'm preoccupied with Warcraft III for the moment. Bite me :P |
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MuadDib
Senior Scribe
South Africa
442 Posts |
Posted - 28 Jan 2004 : 06:07:47
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| If you know what you are doing, Gaxx is easy. Just send in your best party member, has to be a mage though, with scroll of immunity abjuration and you're set. It's his liches that are tough, but there are easy ways around that too. |
MuadDib - Candlekeep Inn Barhand |
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The Fall Of Firkraag
