It doesn't matter for now.

How do you prepare for Onyx?

>Gather allies
You've met people on the road. They can help.

>Prepare a strategy.
You are a dragonslayer already. This... is just a particularly huge one.

>No. Not yet.
You have others to talk to.

>>6114140
Welcome back, QM!

>Prepare a strategy.
Aside from that Landsknecht chick who really wanted to pork us, who I'm not sure I trust, who else would we gather that we haven't already adopted into our Klan?

On the other hand, I'm a big old derp for strategy. No fucking clue what our gameplan is here.

>>6114141
>Prepare a strategy.

We might need the strategy determined before we gather the few stragglers and allies we didn't recruit, especially if we need any walls, barriers or siege-engines constructed.

>>6114140
>Prepare a strategy.

We're so back baby, let's kill a dragon god

>>6114141
>>Prepare a strategy.
this is our bread and butter I wonder if we can put out the call for other dragon slayers to come and aid us

First and foremost, you need to think of a strategy. That always makes sense, though it's a bit difficult to figure out where to take all this...
So, you need to consider the important factors. Allies are important, of course, and you could head back to your home country through the power of magic. Portals, according to the wizard, aren't too tough for him, thanks to a collection of rituals he prepared. So, just about anybody you ever helped or trust will be willing to help could be available.
The alchemists would be a great first stop... They'd adore nothing more than to take Onyx apart, and they were often central to your plans. But, those thoughts are for later. Right now, the other elements.

One of the first things you need to keep in mind is that you are currently inside the biggest castle in the land, with several layers of defenses. Of course, the biggest one is nothing but a detriment. That being... It's in the center of a titanic city. Standing atop the highest tower, it's beyond your ability to even gather just how many houses and people are down there. Onyx, spiteful bastard that he is, is liable to fly over it and burn entire neighborhoods. You'll have to ensure the city is evacuated, though... Perhaps it will be necessary to keep enough people around to stop the fires. The entire city burning to the ground would be catastrophic for... tens, if not hundreds of thousands of people. That is, if you decide to stay in this city.

It'd be for the best, mind... This castle has trebuchets available in the back courtyards, and catapults on the walls themselves. It seems that they don't have cannons in this country, which... could be something you could look into. With how huge Onyx was, however, you're going to need a lot of firepower to punch through that armor, but every little bit helps. A cracked scale might be all that's needed to plunge a blade deep within that creature. The acidic blood is another risk for the average person, but you and Paracelsus are immune, no doubt. Which does remind you. Paracelsus knows her poisons, and she knows them well. To make enough poison gas to affect the dragon is foolish, of course, but if you could get it to swallow a sack of the most putrid stuff she could make... That might just be enough, frankly.
But, those are goals, not strategies.

Your classic approach to dragonslaying has always been using the environment, and a distraction. In this case, you would have to be that distraction. You, Paracelsus, and Snikt. Snikt is your ace in the hole, of course. You don't know how large she will be when she is finished... changing, but you suspect it will barely be a quarter of Onyx's size. But a quarter of Onyx is still a rather large creature.
Dragons have a blind spot on their backs, as well. They can twist their necks around far enough to see, but around the back is where they have trouble reaching. Usually, this is a no-go, as the dragon can just take flight to knock off the would-be rider, but Snikt could abuse this... She was always rather sneaky. If you can distract Onyx, wear him down with the right tools, like the cannons and catapults, perhaps Snikt could hit him where it hurts. You, in the meantime... Well, there is one spot that you KNOW isn't armored. The eyes. Paracelsus, strong as she is, is not somebody you can trust for that role, and anybody else would be boiled alive by the blood. Hell...
Onyx has *three* eyes.

It would still take incredible precision, however, so you need to get in close.
You need to consider what else you can do, right now...
The first few decisions can already be made, however. Where do you fight it?

>Here, in the castle
The collateral damage will be great, but it will be possible to evacuate the people. It will be worth it in the long run... With the castle in place, it will be possible to hold this dragon up for a long time, as he would have to dig his way past many fortifications, not to mention the myriad number of defenses can be used to wear him down.

>Away from the castle, into a mountainous area.
An open field is playing into Onyx's hand, he would be able to see everything. Natural rock formations, however, would make it harder for Onyx to spot everything. Moving people into position is going to be very difficult, however, at least when it comes to siege engines and the likes. Perhaps you could even prepare a rock avalanche? A very big rock was your favored way to slaying dragons, but it's just hard to find one for every lair.

>Away from the castle... Into the fey forest.
An extreme risk for both sides, as the fey don't exactly work together with anybody. Any collateral damage there is nothing but a boon, but it will be difficult to move your allies into position, when the forest itself might seek to swallow them up. Still, it might affect Onyx, as well. If you had absolutely no backup, this might have been a shoe-in, but as it stands, it might not be worth the risk in the slightest.

>Another location
It should be emphasized that travel time is much reduced thanks to Merlin, so you could go... just about anywhere you've been before.

>>6115055
>>Here, in the castle


what are the chances we can get the reality keepers to help us? the ones that wiped out memory a while back

>>6115055
>Here, in the castle
Draconic or not, we are still a knight more knowledgeable about castles and siege warfare than alpine or jungle warfare. Plus, a castle is the only viable place to mount heavy anti-dragon artillery we rely on. Mountains provide poor firing arcs (and few stable platforms) for the guns, while forests significantly limit our gunner's line of sight.

If we can't get enough cannons here on time, then:
> write-in: somewhere close to the nearest cannon foundry or heavy weapons depot. We need the heavy weapons to secure a kill - or at least weaken and distract it long enough for Snikt to pounce and we to deal the finishing blow. Our entire squad combined have about half the weight of Onyx, and he's likely to be VERY experienced, so we need every tactical advantage we can get.

Captcha: 2XWGN
Yes, we probably need every combat-worthy wing in the air.

>>6115055
>Away from the castle... Into the fey forest.
Turning fairy magic against the dragon dies sound useful, and Snikt's command of nagic is specifically where she outpaced us as a growing dragonoid.

>>6115426
I worry that Onyx is old enough to have treaties with the fae, allowing him to enter their domain without issue. if that is the case we would be fucked, I think this is the case since he is very very old and it would make sense for immortal beings to establish at least diplomatic relations with each other.

>>6115468
So what's the plan right now?

At the end of the day, you have to stick with what you know and, more importantly, what others know. Siege warfare against a gigantic opponent like Onyx is, of course, not quite orthodox... but if you can put something that throws big things at high speeds at something, you're pretty sure it'll work out. As for what to use, the courtyard trebuchet will be able to hit Onyx without being visible, while the cannons can likely hit it from a straight line. You've heard of some mortar cannons too, however... Though you'd have to convince the alchemists AND some dwarves to have that moved here. If that even works, because... you don't know how they work.
With the terrain in mind, now it's time to think on what you're even going to do.

Perhaps it makes more sense to think of any allies you might have. The promise of killing a dragon, and all the glory and money that gets you, is enough for many. If you've done people a favor of any kind, odds are they'll help out, whether by gear or manpower. Distance, for once, isn't an issue...
So, where do you start?

NOTE: You can collect more than one ally in this vote. I'm putting in a few obvious candidates, but if you remember them, and you've done right by them, you can probably involve them. You can also exclude some people, if you think they are too dangerous

>The Alchemists.
The Alchemist's Guild would love nothing more than to autopsy a dragon god. They'll be bringing in the cannons, too!

>The Mountain Village
Not only can you cure their condition that turned them into kobolds now, but they've essentially been guarding Onyx for a very long time. No doubt they can help you out with knowledge

>The Landsknecht
They were excited to help you out, and the glory of slaying a dragon is valuable. They'll bring skilled manpower and *vicious* tactics.

>Your king, Rosarian.
This country and Rosaria are... not exactly at war, but not exactly *friendly*, either. Your king is also a noted narcissist, as much as you respect and love him, so it might prove difficult.
Still, if you get him involved... it's a major help. He has a mage of his own.

>Others
No doubt there are more people that you've met. It can never hurt to at least *ask*.

>>6115709
>>The Alchemists.
>The Alchemist's Guild would love nothing more than to autopsy a dragon god. They'll be bringing in the cannons, too!

we should start with the Alchemists, then work our way down the list from the most challenging to the most likely to help.

maybe our king next, then the landsknecht, and lastly the mountain village. and lastly, we figure out anyone else we might want

>>6115709
YES:
>The Alchemists.
>The Mountain Village

MAYBE:
>The Landsknecht
We can asm if we have time, or tge others don't pull through. We don't know then well enough to know if we can trust their competence or their motivations. There seems to be some risk that whoever lands the killing blow could shape the personalities of all surviving dragons, after all.

NO:
>Your king, Rosarian.
While he has a good reason to want to help (dragons are a big problem in his country), I strongly suspect a noted narcissist is a bad guy to invite to this kind of party, where he could be temped by the oportunity to become a dragon like Onyx and Merlin might BOTH offer such a man.

>>6115709
Everyone we can get. Onyx must die, and as long as his replacement isn't crazy or malevolent I'd call it a victory.

... Rosarian being here might cause a diplomatic shitstorm we need to help clean up after, though,

>>6116402
at least we would be alive to clean it up though and honestly, I think we need every single group's help. like you said we need everyone we can get.

>>6115709

>The Alchemists
>The mountain village
>The landsknecht
>We could go and see if the new Fae prince is willing to help
>That Seaport port where we saced from tgeir mad wizard may have some sailor man with cannons willing to help

Speaking of Fae, how did that poor boy we rescued fair with his transformation?

>>6117306
Ooo, the port city is good shout.

>>6115709
I'm >>6116158, and I also support the port city addendum.

>>6115709
>The Alchemists.
>The Mountain Village
>The Landsknecht
>Your king, Rosarian.
>The port city on the opposite coast
>Check in with the changeling boy we rescued and see if he's able to provide any help

>>6115709
>>6117306
Support

You need to go through this bit by bit, you suppose. You'll start off with the things you're fairly certain about, of course... The SAFE ones.
The first stop was the alchemists. The first stop that you ever made after you gathered up your new little friends, and now, here you are again. Merlin is keeping the portal open, though he warns you that this is an expensive endeavor. If it wasn't for the fact that killing Onyx is a more than worthy endeavor. What kind of expenses this takes wasn't made very clear... And you hope this doesn't bite you, down the line. Still, he didn't put in a limit, so you'll move as much as you like, thank you very much.

The alchemists were the first step. They were *very* excited to see you again, with your transformation so much further along. Asking them for help against a dragon came with the usual reply that they claim the eyes, at the very least, though they question why you would go all this way "just" for some aid against "some dragon". Specifying what dragon it was?
As it stands, the walls are being reinforced by the alchemists, and their cannons are using some unique powder solutions. Experimental, of course, but they are "fairly certain" this will work. Good enough. You even got the High Alchemist involved, who is currently in talks with the defenders, though according to several pacts he has with king Rosarian, he can't talk with any of the nobles.
Officially.

The next people you involve are the mountain village. They came along just upon request, and they start showing people what Onyx's weak points might be. They... didn't even need to be talked to. When you showed up, they were packed and ready to go. Evidently, when they saw Onyx leave, they were just prepared for this kind of thing. Their help will be limited, as they put it, but likely invaluable. The alchemists appreciate it, and the very, very few chinks in Onyx's armor are known to them.
It'll help.
Nex up, the Seaport. They were not excited to help out just out of principle, up until you offer them a trophy... and in exchange for a very big marketing ploy.
Because they'll be letting you borrow their very, VERY big cannon. It'll have to be put on the rails of the kingdom, but it's a castle destroying titanic cannon. The alchemist's guild is NOT permitted to try anything there, however. Anyhow, you've sold your likeness to the city. You're sure this won't come back to bite you.

The next people you try out? A bit more risky. The Landsknecht... The lady you talked to is working pro bono, but to get the entire mercenary company, you'll need funding. A LOT of funding. Sadly, more funding than Oileana's nobles are willing, or able, to lend. So you have a few capable soldiers, but you'll need to find a source of wealth.

These were the "safe" options... Or at least, what you could think of at the moment.
Is there anybody else you would like to call upon at present?

On a sidenote, the changeling boy has been changed into a human once more, and is planning on returning to the city he was to be executed in, claiming to be the boy that was exchanged.
Something something, a dragon came to make a deal. He'll figure it out later... Though, he is staying here, for now. Just in case he could be useful.

>No more ideas. You'll move on to further planning.

>Perhaps...

>>6118703
>Perhaps...
Can we get the funding for the Landsknecht by promising them to pay richly out of Onyx's hoard? You KNOW the ancient asshole who ingrained all dragons with a biological hoarding instinct is fucking LOADED.

>>6118703
>Perhaps...
Having Rosarian onboard still sounds better than not having him at all.
>>6118713
Supporting, promising Onyx's hoard to the Landsknechts might work.

>>6118733
>>6118713
both of these if our punch fails to be strong enough this one might just fuck humanity into extinction this time, or at the least start a new cycle were we half to reboot civilization again but this time there are two mega evil fuck you powerful dragons

>>6118783
Who'd be the other mega evil dragon again?

> Captcha: VVV0J0
Every last bit of firepower we can get. Veni. Vidi. Vici.

>>6118703
>Perhaps...
> Promise the Landsknecht (at least a major portion of) Onyx's hoard.
> Call Rosarian.
Make sure to tell him, in no uncertain terms, to NEVER accept any deals from Onyx.
TBPH as long as he remained sane he can turn into a dragon for all I care, if he turned crazy after the fight.... we'd be VERY prepared against a draconic upstart either way.

>>6118799
>>6118805
>>6118733
I still think Rosarian sounds like a bad idea. Also, less narrative-satisfying since we don't really have much in-quest history with him.

>>6118809
>Also, less narrative-satisfying since we don't really have much in-quest history with him.

my brother in questing, now isn't the time to be picky, we are going to attempt to kill the closest thing this setting has to a living god on the mortal plain, we should pull every thread we have available to us. meta feelings on the matter need not apply. At least that's how I feel about it sorry if I am too frank.

>>6118703
Shame we don't have all those automated defences from that fancy science lab that nearly killed us.
I don't even remember the name of the guy who hired us to go there with him. Or the crazy magic organization that contacted us after....
Do we have any way of getting hold of those lunatics?
Big fuck off cannon get!

>>6118834
Well I've already stated my in-character rationale as well. Rosarian sounds like an eminently corruptible sort.

>>6118855
I don't think they're interested in anything but keeping reality stable, and ancient secrets buried.

>>6118861
>Well I've already stated my in-character rationale as well. Rosarian sounds like an eminently corruptible sort.

to that I say fair enough

>I don't think they're interested in anything but keeping reality stable, and ancient secrets buried.

actually, we should reach out, a second onyx in the form of our poor snickt is bound to destabilize reality so it would be in their best interest to help in this cycle.

File: paracelsus.png (630 KB, 2000x2000)

630 KB PNG

Something I commissioned from Indonesian Gentleman of Jail Quest, to break up the strategizing.

>>6118929
cool

>>6118861
Is Rosarian the type to be corrupted before we kill Onyx, or the type who'd try to emulate Onyx after killing him?

Of course...
You should have just remembered that you have a very big bounty ready and available.
Looting rights of Onyx's hoard. Of course, the fact they have to climb an entire mountain to get to it is perhaps a detail best left omitted, but all the same, they'll technically have the rights to the most greedy and dragonest dragon's hoard.
That... sure as hell should count for *something*.

Bringing this proposal to Merlin made him laugh, heartily. Apparently, laughter isn't something he does very often, so you assume he either finds it funny, or insane. Fortunately for you, he picked "funny". Though, he does add that he'll be looking into some of the treasures of Onyx himself, if he can help it. The Landsknecht will never know he was there... or, alternatively, what the hell will they be able to do about it!? Speaking of things that people could do very little about...

You spot a familiar bearded man, looking as spaced out as always, just as you were about to ask the question.
"Hey there, man. Sheesh, you put on weight."
"...Dude, was it?" You reply, and the man nods happily, before taking a swig of his bottle. It's made of a malleable material. Still hard, but not quite, and it changes as he drains it further and further. The three X's on the bottle are likely not a good sign, but he seems lucid enough if he came here.
"I... Assume you know what I was going to ask, if you're here."
"Yeah, man. You wanted to go and kill one of the pillars of the new reality."
...oh, that's not a good sound.
"Pillar of..."
"Doooon't worry, man. This guy's just a tiny pillar, and your bearded guy already told you the secret behind that. Somebody's gonna take over, and if we're lucky, it's more the concept of a guy rather than, you know... an actual guy."

You're about to ask questions, but Dude is ahead you on every step.
"Short of it, man? We were keeping an eye on you, and the idea of calling us came to you. That makes a few things go off over at our place, so... yeah, here I am."
You take in a breath, but he answers the question, once more, before you can ask it.
"We can help, yeah. I mean, we can't toss our full might at it or anything, but we can bring in some, uh... special people. Tough guys, with some good weapons. Nothing that'll just kill them outright, but they've been bored outta their skull just sitting in the nothing, man."
"You mean-"
"Nah, I know what I said. Sitting *in* nothing."
Right...

"And... that's it? You just say yes, here are some... super soldiers?"
"Nah. Got some advice for you, too."
You lean forward, keenly interested.
"Onyx's scales are built damn tough, but most of that guy is just meat. You gotta hit him where it really hurts."
You let him finish, rather than proposing something.
"Cripple the bastard with your strongest shots. THEN, move in to take him down. Aim for his holes."
"Eyes, mouth, et cetera?"
"And the butthole. It's not pretty, but it works."

Hm...

Well, that's all the allies, save for one. Your king.

Your king obviously has defenses against things trying to teleport into his chambers to kill him, on account of his own court mage. So, you had to be brought in from a distance... and then, you had to explain what you are, what you came here to do, prove those same things...
It was a mess, but your name still worked. As a Wandering Knight, you had permission to see the king... In a cage.
Then, brought before Rosarian, you see him looming over you. He hasn't left his throne, though guessing from how his entire court is here, you suspect he is more interested than he wants to make it appear. It's the little things.
Explaining the situation took... some time. Fortunately, tales of your exploits have spread all the way here, so up until you went to Oileana, they could confirm it.
But...

"You have been valiant, in my name. Courageous. Stubborn to a fault, even. But now I question this, knight of mine."
He leans forward. His features are steel, even as his hair begins to grey. Even now, he is a strong man, and his greatsword lies just to the side of him.
"How does it improve my country to risk angering Onyx, greatest of dragons? Let Oileana burn. In its weakness, I shall begin a great conquest, and that land will be purified. First by blade, then by manifest destiny. I shall bring that savage land to heel..."

You... wish you could be shocked. Frankly, having been to Oileana, you're inclined to believe he could improve the place. As harsh as king Rosarian can be...
Your land is strong. Its people feel free. Their safety assured.
But that is beside the point. And you are obviously biased towards the man you pledged your life to.
What do you say?

>Consider it merely a warning then, Sire.
He will not aid you. In the event that you fail, however, he will conquer Oileana. You don't plan on it, but...

> (Lie) Onyx seems intent on claiming that land for himself, after. To attack it, would be to court death!
He will not aid you, but the land will be free to repair itself... If it can. Again, however, this is assuming you fail, which is not in the cards.

>Find an argument.
You'll need to think of something. Remember, he is proud, perhaps even vain. His warrior prowess is something he takes particular pride in... but despite all that, he is practical. A love for naming things after himself aside, he keeps the greater good in mind.
How would you convince someone like that?

>>6120168
>Write-in: Tell him that if we assisted in brining down Onyx we'd first, have the prestige of one of the world's most hated villains; and second, have a much easier time annexing Oileana. Always better to be remembered a savior than an invader.

>>6120202
Of *bring down* one of the world's villains. Me dumb. Me very dumb.

>>6120202
>mbers to kill him, on account of his own court mage. So, you had to be brought in from a distance... and then, you had to explain what you are, what you came here to do, prove those same things...
>It was a mess, but your name still worked. As a Wandering Knight, you had pe

smart and it play's to his pride and ego, I like it

>>6120202
>>6120258
+1

>>6120168

>>6120168
> Tell him that if he assisted in brining down Onyx he'd first, have the prestige of taking down one of the world's most hated villains; and second, have a much easier time annexing Oileana.

You swallow nervously, and then you consider the potential moral implications of what you're going to do. However, you realize that this is going to be better in the long run.
You're going to encourage war, to increase the chances of the world being better for it. In the end, you might have doomed yourself to a long, bitter fight to maintain peace. Or, perhaps, you would be seen as a traitor by at least one people. Or maybe just a coward, if you stay out of it entirely.
Though, perhaps, you'll be able to justify it to yourself in another way.

It was always going to happen.
Perhaps this will reduce the bloodshed.

"My lord." You say. "If you are seen by the people of Oileana as a mighty king, coming to aid the downtrodden people against one of the greatest villains this world has seen... Would that not aid you?"
The king leans forward, though one of his councilmembers speaks first:
"You would assume a land left untouched by the ravages of Onyx would be *easier* to conquer?"
The king raises his hand, and then gestures for you to continue.
"You would be seen as a hero. When the time comes for an annexation, people would remember you as such. Peasants that live under the heel of the nobility will gladly come to the aid of the king that helped slay a dragon."

There is silence in the room... and then there is a chuckle.
"You play to my ego, ser." The king says. "A clever ploy, for sure. Still... What would you wish of me? Marching my armies into the capital is a casus belli, you are aware? Or do you hope that I permit the use of my court mage?"
"Anything you can spare, sire." You say, raising your hands, as you remain kneeling.
If your kobolts could see you, they'd balk.
The king leans back.
"You have brought others there, yes?"
"Indeed, sire. Alchemists, our main harbor, and independant help from people inside Oileana."
"Very well... How much time remains?"
"Days, as far as I could tell. Onyx is a slow flyer."
Another advisor speaks. She sounds quiet, and she says something you had hoped not to hear.
"Correct. He eats of our people as we speak. To move such a mighty body required prodigious amounts of food."

Damn...

Catching a dragon while flying, even one as slow as Onyx, is a fool's game, hence why the king has not acted yet.
"Then, it is revenge, as well, no?" You propose, and the king clasps his blade before he speaks.
"Indeed... I will go to Oileana as well. My Praetorian guard will join me, and I shall send out a call across the land. The King's Call in now in effect."

The King's Call...
All wandering knights, and what few Grey Knights remain, are called to answer. People like you.
"However, my own court mage shall visit Onyx's mountain. The altar you spoke of was long coveted, and I shall gladly put my claim upon it. So says King Rosarian!"

Success. You suppose.
With that, it is time to move to the most important element.

>With what strategy shall you deal with Onyx?
Take your time... think this through. Consider your allies.

>>6121653
Strategy is not my forte. I'm inclined to think we put our cannons at the end of a narrow/confined space in the city, into which we can bait him, blast the shit out of him when he gets there, and then set upon him with our mightiest fighters (especially dragons) when we can. If there's any way to get an explosive into a wound or orifice, or use magic to 'Ant-Man vs Thanos' him with an object we shrink then expand once inside... That would be ideal.

>>6121653
At what range can the Alchemists' cannons perforate Onyx's wings? At what range can the Landsknechts' muskets cause any damage to Onyx? Where can a sword cut through his scales?
... never concentrate our guns in one location: spread them out just enough to make sure they can't be all taken out in one strafing run, but close enough to focus fire on him wherever he is.

Also, what is our (Reynauld and Sara's) top airspeed compared to Onyx? Can Snikt outfly/outmaneuver him in the air?

Sara should start producing any toxins or irritants that can affect dragons.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If we fly faster:
Have a flyer (preferably Snikt if she can still use a gun) in the air, draw aggro and lure Onyx into our concentrated guns.
Have Snikt cut his wings if we (or Sara) are the ones drawing aggro.

If our flyers are slower:
Have the big cannon mounted in a visible location, and fire at him from long range with solid shot.
Get his attention and lure him into our battery of smaller guns.

If our guns are powerful enough to perforate Onyx's wings with chain/canister/grapeshot, use them.
Grounding him is our top priority - and a grounded dragon is nought but an overgrown wyrm.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After grounding him:
If the cannons can injure his limbs with chain shot, use them, otherwise switch to solid shot.
Trebuchets and catapults join the fight lobbing solid rocks.
Our Kobolds and the Landsknecht should begin to harass him with constant musket/rifle fire, advancing as necessary.
Our knights should begin a flanking maneuver, while our flyers (us, Sara, and Snikt) climb towards the sun.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After our knights made contact:
All batteries, CEASE FIRE!
Landsknechts move into the melee to support the knights. See if we can wrap ropes on him to help others climb.
The knights start the fight by throwing vials of toxins/irritants on Onyx's face, then start carving up his less scaled points like under-limbs, joints, belly, and whatnot.
If anyone can climb on top of him, cut his eyes (and neck fins if any) before disengaging and rejoining other fighters on the ground.
Pour toxins into his wounds and eyes if we can.
Any explosives (e.g. petards/grenades) would be planted into open wounds near his throat/abdomen and ofc his eyes if we can.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Assuming he's still not down yet:
Aerial units, Outta the Sun, NOW!
Sara leads the attack by divebombing Onyx's eyes/nostrils (and any open wounds if any are available/presented when attacking from above) with vials of toxins/irritants before pulling away.
Snikt stomp on Onyx's neck/forehead at her maximum landing speed right after (don't wanna break her ankles!), before disengaging and climbing back into the air.
We follow the previous strikes with a sword planted firmly in Onyx's eye.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

++Gravity is the greatest asset for a flyer, yet also its worst enemy.++

>>6121937
By "we" I mean "any available units on the ground". As long as Reynauld can fly it'd be a folly not to use momentum and gravity to empower his strikes.

>>6121819
>>6121939
Revision:
We're better at fighting on the ground, so we should join the knights' charge. Once again if we can fly then use it to our advantage, but if not then we're still one of the best knights out there.

If Sara can't fly then she'd stay in the backlines with our kobolds taking potshots at Onyx, plus stabilizing any wounded knights/landsknechts if possible.

>>6121937
support

for I am to the tactical guy

>>6121653
>>6121937
>>6121939
>>6121967
Backing, also add that our best shooters should be positioned so that they can shoot Onyx in his mouth when he opens it.

You go over your plans with the others, keeping in mind that while Onyx is a slow flyer by dragon standards... The fact he is so god damned huge still means he outspeeds you by quite a lot. Snikt, however, should be faster... And she'll be revealing herself shortly. Apparently, she can hear you, at the moment. At least, that's what Merlin is claiming.
"Essentially, what we need is a lure. My current idea is to mount the biggest cannon we have somewhere visible. If he has any sense, he'll try to take it down first."
There is one problem with that plan, of course.
"Except he came here for *you*." Rosarian says. "By my estimation, he'll be going for you at first. So, I propose you keep yourself close and visible to that same cannon. If he is distracted, that cannonshot may just be the thing to kill him in but one blow. Superior make from the Rosarian alchemists, after all!"
His appearance here caused some commotion, and the king of Oileana even revealed himself. He's a decrepid old man, pushed along in a palanquin. Rosarian, as a result... simply towers over him in both strength and stature.
They hardly spoke more than a few words. Both side convinced they are better than the other.
As for what he said:
"An excellent point, my king. So, we will be combining those plans. What is most important is to cripply the dragon's wings. A dragon without his wings is still quite dangerous... but the risk is reduced considerably. It will allow our land troops to engage, preferably using the buildings as cover to approach."

The king of Oileana raises his hackles at that. His creaky voice, more fit for spitting than for speaking at this point, tells you:
"And what of my buildings! That... dragon of ours will... will..."
You understand his issues... But you also see that he can't quite finish the sentence. The Landsknecht seem to be particularly amused by the sight, you notice. King Rosarian, however, seems to be more... piteous, really.
"Yes, I understand the risk to your city. Hence why we keep the firefighters close. Keep in mind what glory slaying a dragon brings."
"T'is not YOUR buildings, is it?"

The silence is telling. What it tells, you aren't entirely sure of.
"...At any rate." You say, rising your hands. "My intent is for Snikt to attack him from above. Cripple the wings. It'll be a quick hit-and-run. On top of all that, we should load the cannons with chainshot or grapeshot. The wings of the average dragon are similar to the masts of a ship. In the case of Onyx, it shall likely be much thicker... but it can't be by much."
One of the alchemists chuckles.
"It will *stick*, then? I shall prepare some unique toxins and acids, to be delivered through a spiked chainshot. Not to worry, dear knight. We shall ground this overgrown sack of meat."
Wow, that's scary. Anyhow.

"Moving on... Once he is grounded, we will have to switch to solid shots, and hope to cripple his limbs. His torso will be the strongest part of all, so we have to apply leverage where it can be applied. My kobolts, and any knights with ranged weaponry, should begin to pelt him down, more as a distraction than a way to kill. Alchemists, I trust you will have ways to deliver poisons?"
The Head Alchemist speaks, this time. He keeps himself fully dressed in his plague doctor regalia.
"Many ways, yes... Your... significant other has aided us in this matter considerably. Her research into your physiology has made it much easier to avoid that which would not work. Currently, our toxins will rely more on molds, that survive in extreme temperatures. We hope that they would clog his veins."

You blink.

You blink again.

"... Very well." You say, and then you look back to the others.
"This artillery strike should continue until the knights arrive. Once that happens, we need to abuse his size. He can't reach everywhere, so I could try tossing down ropes. Obviously, I'll participate with this again. Aim for any weak spots. The joints, especially, and any holes you can find."
"Are you-"
"Yes, if you can reach his anus, it's a weak spot like any other. It's not refined, but it works."
Several knights start laughing.
"Any wounds that are made must be handled with care. Dragon blood burns hot. Still, if someone can manage it, it's also a way for more toxins or, if possible, explosives."

Some alchemists chuckle, and one states how it'll work.
"Our spearguns will be equipped well! We shall leave it to our dear knights to deliver it."

"If he still isn't down, Snikt will participate again. She is hard to account for, so don't assume she is out of the fight entirely after her initial surprise attack. Just make sure you do not hurt her. If you do..."
You swallow.
"We'll have strong words."
Nobody feels the need to make a smart comment there, at least.
"Now then. The infantry backs away, and she lands with as much force as she can manage. Hopefully, the alchemists, Paracelsus included, will have weakened him sufficiently. Snikt will stomp, and if that still fails, I'll use as much gravity as I can manage, and... Well."

You sniff.
"His eye is large enough to fit me. If I have to crawl in there, so be it."

There is a moment of silence... and it seems people are willing to run with this. The mages, Merlin and Rosarian's court mage, will serve as support. To adjust where things need to be adjusted.
Hard to predict a dragon, after all...

Speaking of dragons.

Snikt.

Now that the strategy is put in play, you have time to speak to her. She's being let out of the tube now... and you'll see her out in the courtyard. The walk here fills you with... nerves, you suppose. Not dread, not by any means, but you don't know what to expect.
So, finally, you arrive, and you hear the faint rumbles of a dragon approaching. There, past the gates, you see her. It's...
There's still a lot of Snikt there. She kept her scales, for one, and her eyes haven't lost that eternal vigilance
A vigilance that softens when they focus on you.
Standing about ten feet tall, she walks forward gingerly, still a bit more quiet than any other dragon you've seen, and she stretches her wings as she walks forward. She's young, still, as far as dragons go. Not a hatchling, by any means, but still clearly juvenile.

She doesn't speak, and instead walks towards you, slowly. You look up at her, as she moves her head closer to yours, and finally, she squeaks.
"D-do... Do I still look... good?"
You hug her.
"Of course you do."
She closes her eyes, and presses her head against yours.
"I feel... So heavy. And strong. Should I feel that? I'm not used to... any of this. I'm... I'm scared, too."

You don't think it's regrets. Just uncertainty.
What do you say to your dear little friend, who is now not so little?

>This one's all yours
What do you say to your little girl? And, on top of that, is there anything else you want to do before the fight begins?

>>6124585
>change always comes with uncertainty Snikt, what defines us is how we handle it, and I know in my heart you will be just fine. And if you are ever feeling like it is to much I and Sarah are here for you

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>>6124585

(While hugging her and giving her all the headpats in the world)

> "It is natural to be afraid of the unknown, of change, and of strong enemies; it is also perfectly reasonable to feel nervous when all we love and cherish are at stake - to be perfectly honest, only the most ignorant of fools would not feel a single shred of fear when facing against someone as powerful and malevolent as Onyx. True courage, on the other hand, is to act despite the fear, and to make a choice despite the stake at hand. Yes, I know, changing into a completely different species can be hard - for Sarah and I have just been through the very same, and we'll all be here with you and for you until the bitter end."

> "Snikt, you ARE strong, even before we first met, and you've only grown stronger ever since. Being a dragon did not and will not change who you are, and deep down inside, I think you know as well that you're still - and always will be - the Snikt that we all know and love. Although I can never say that I understand how a kobold thinks or the challenges they go through, I'd say there's no shame in getting stronger for the sake of protecting your family and friends, don't you agree?"

picrel

>>6124585
>You look more natural like this than I ever have. This is the role you were born for.

You just kneel down, before moving to a sitting position, right there on the ground. Then, you gesture for her to come a little bit closer. With her sheer size, however, she can't exactly crawl into your lap... but you place your hands on her head, and gently bring it down, until she rests it there. The rest of her body follows, blowing up dust as she does so.

"Snikt... It is natural to be afraid of the unknown, of change, and of strong enemies; it is also perfectly reasonable to feel nervous when all we love and cherish are at stake - to be perfectly honest, only the most ignorant of fools would not feel a single shred of fear when facing against someone as powerful and malevolent as Onyx. True courage, on the other hand, is to act despite the fear, and to make a choice despite the stake at hand. Yes, I know, changing into a completely different species can be hard - for Sarah and I have just been through the very same, and we'll all be here with you and for you until the bitter end."

She sighs.
"I don't want there to *be* a bitter end. I-I'm... I kind of... I wish you were a dragon too, Reynauld. I don't... I don't really deserve this."

You chuckle.
"Come now. You deserve more than anybody to be strong and regal. You can finally be what most kobolts believe dragons are! Quite the opportunity, don't you think? And it should come naturally to you, really. You've always been strong. Immensely strong, even, and you've only grown stronger since. Being a dragon won't change who you are, and I think that, deep down, you know this."
You keep stroking her head, and you can tell she's starting to calm down a bit. She likely just appreciates getting a nice pat on the head, really. But, you should be fair...
"Of course, I can't really say I understand how kobolts think. The challenges they go through. But I hope I understood it better as I went along, and... Well, if you're still uncertain? There's hardly any shame in being stronger for the sake of protecting your friends and family, don't you think so?"

She smiles, looking up at you.
"You always know what to say... I don't know how you do it."
"Neither do I!" You say, cheerily. "But you'll be fine. In my heart, I know this for sure. And, of course, I'm here for you. So is Paracelsus. The entire Klan. We're all family, after all."

She stands up straight, leaving your grip, but she looks more certain than before.
"...We'll kill him, right?"
"Onyx? Yeah. We'll kill him. I'm sure of that."
You leave it unsaid you can't be too sure.

...It's time.
Almost, anyhow.

Very soon, you'll fight what is practically a God.
Might be a good time to say goodbyes. This is the absolute last chance you have.

>Nobody comes to mind. You'll talk to them at the victory feast!

>Somebody...
You've got options, and you can talk to several people.

>>6128189
>Somebody...
The Landsknecht don't seem to be present in our mission briefing, so better bring them up to speed.

Also, for individual talks:
> Rosarian (if possible)
Make sure he understands that under no uncertain terms NOT to make/accept any deals with Onyx. A strong and wise king like him is above making deals with monsters, afterall.

> Paracelsus
Remind her that if we (singular) are to fall in battle, always keep her spark of curiosity and discovery alive, and use it to help those in need. She only came on board because her scientific inquiry on tuberculosis - which would've saved many more if her research was accepted earlier - was seen as heterodox to the Alchemist Guild's dogma.

> Pink
If we're to fall in battle, keep our clan/family alive and well. She's our second in command and 'boltwrangler by and large, and we trust no other for such a responsibility.

> William
Carry on our mantle if we're to fall. Do not fall back to banditry.

Also, does anyone have a team roster for our clan?

>>6128232
+1 to all of these, DESU. I'm also curious how William and the twins are doing. Doubt Sarah needs to reminder, though. I' just let her know how much we love her. Pre-battle sex in the new bodies is on the table if she wants? now that we're less gangly and weird.

>>6128189

>>6128243
Last time Sarah had a breakdown she pretty much asked us to help her overthrow her household, then in a typical Game of Thrones fashion I pretty much sold her country to our king in exchange for his knights, so on a second thought we probably also need to apologize to her as well...

Better let her know beforehand that we did something unforgivable for our (VERY plural) collective survival, than for her to find out during the victory celebration and shank our ass for betraying her trust. If we can talk her out of shanking Rosarian without a GOOD reason (case in point: "annexed Oileana" is not a valid reason) then all the better.

Yes, I was JDa5H6fU, m51aoyWd, 59vayOk0, and w0Qdky0F; college internet weird.

>>6128232
we believe in a god right? well if we do then
>take a quite moment to kneel in the chapel, you haven't done this since the crusades, since you dealt with your family, but if there was ever a time it is now. "I don't know if I believe in you anymore, not after all I have seen, all I have done, after cleansing the shame of my family I was ready to die a knights death wandering the land protecting the innocent until something finally put me down. But things are different now, I've found a reason to live again, discovered I was still capable of love, I'll never replace the family I lost, but that doesn't mean I haven't been able to build another. So please if the vows I made in your name mean anything, if there really is someone up there watching as we fight, live, and die, struggling against creatures terrible and unknowable, I call on you know, here in this final hour, give me the strength to stand and protect my family." with nothing left to say stand and prepare to end this journey one way or another.

>>6128262
Oh shit, we totally backstabbed our waifu. I told you anons we should have left Rosarian out of this...

>>6128739
I'd rather take down Onyx first; us betraying Sarah so both of us (plus everyone else) survive is still better than both of us either dead or turned into Onyx's plaything.

Plus, we can try to talk Rosarian into having some leniency on her family and putting Sarah as the head of her household, etc... Politics is fluid, Onyx not so much.

>>6128763
>>6128739
She hates this place, and as long as we make sure her family doesn't die or displaced by the incoming crown everything will be fine. She has actively pointed out to us how much of a shit hole this whole nation is. are we really sure she won't be on board with this?

>>6128821
It's more about how we acted a few threads back when she wanted to usurp her family, and we pretty much slapped her out of it. Now we're supporting someone who's doing more than that, so.... yeah. It's less about us allowing Rosarian to invade her country, but that we betrayed our own values when doing so.

>>6128821
>>6128763
Very valid points, actually. Parasarahcelsie wanted the current order overthrown, but maybe didn't care as much about personally being the one to do it, or to rule what comes next...

>>6129112
Maybe she'll see the above distinction as menaingful, too? Are we betraying our ideals as long as we don't try to personally benefit from this transition?

>>6129112
No, no, no, we didn't slap her because she was having thoughts about taking over, we slapped her because she was in the middle of a mental break that was fueling a full on dragon transformation, almost losing herself in her compromised state completely. Had she been in her right mind she would not have been talking about overthrowing her family and crown because she hates the courts and political fuckery of royals and nobles. There is a huge difference so no values were betrayed we have not liked this place from the moment we arrived neither has saraph.

>>6129186
So... her turning into a dragon and attempting to overthrow her family is wrong, but a human doing so is perfectly okay? Still sounds like double standards to me....

I personally do not consider ambition itself as evil, it's only when innocents are sacrificed did it even wander into the moral grey zone (aka "gotta break some eggs to make an omelette"), and for me the line of unequivocal evil lies in causing unnecessary death and/or suffering. Waging wars or overthrowing a household to fulfil one's ambitions? As long as the new ruler was fair and just they'd still stay with in the neutral zone (especially if the previous one was a prick), but if the new ruler is cruel and corrupt... then they'd be evil to begin with.

>>6129208
You twist my words into positions I never claimed to hold, it's a fact that she was not going to be able to handle being a dragon, we all saw it, pink saw it, and she saw it after we snapped her out of her spiral, don't come snarking to me about double standards. She made it clear she had no loyalty or fidelity to the crown of her land, and before we put in the leg work, she had enough baggage with her family to the point she was about ready to death spiral into a mage dragon mage. And thinking about how fucked this place actually is from the king with no mind left to the backstabbing court lets this place get worse by the day to the fact that the lands themselves are somehow even worse than the ones we have back home, is a testament to how much a change in leadership is needed.

We weren't going to do it, we voted to deal with Oynx, and fuck off what do you think would happen once we offed the wizard and the king finally bit the dust bloody civil war, fae creatures swallowing up whole settlements it would have been a mini apocalypse. But in bringing our king in on this we stop all of that simple as that.

so no there aren't any double standards, just the correct choices being made to ensure onyx dies.

>>6129252
I was the among those adamant in asking Rosarian's support (past IDs: JDa5H6fU, m51aoyWd, 59vayOk0, w0Qdky0F, YBgOhEvN, and JYHUFkVI), and currently thinking about the mess of an aftermath this would be.

Of course, no matter what follows it would be more preferable than letting Onyx win, but realistically Rosarian couldn't do much better than what deathspiral!-Sarah was proposing beyond not having a god complex and not experimenting on random civilians: the rotten Oileanese nobility would be unlikely to accept their imminent loss of power without a fair amount of bloodshed, and even after they begrudgingly accepted Rosarian's rule they might still rebel when Rosarian started to push for reforms that limit their power, so even more blood have to be shed.... Yes, I know, necessity knows no laws and eggs must be broken to make omelettes, but my problem is if Sarah would accept Rosarian doing all that without pulling a Jon Snow and shank our king.

A talk with Sarah beforehand is definitely needed.

>>6129274
I am fine with talking to sarah, I think we should, but I adamantly maintain no betrayal has taken place.

>>6129366
I think it's in character for us to be firm but apologetic.

>>6128189
>Somebody...
> The Landsknecht
> Sarah
> Rosarian (if possible)

You decided that you needed one quick once-over with... just about everybody, in the end. You've already heard reports, Onyx is on his way. He'll be here in hours. First and foremost, you need to do what's practical. Speak to the mercenaries, your allies, whatever you can manage.
The Landsknecht were people you investigated first, to ensure they understand the plan. Their representative had gone over everything, so it was not, ultimately, necessary. The next person you talked to, however... That'd be Rosarian.
Catching the king is usually a foolish idea, as he was constantly surrounded by guards, and his terrifying Faceless Maiden, as you found out he calls his mage, isn't known to be very charitable when it comes to the king's time. Fortunately, your position as chief advisor and bait has given you just enough authority to speak to the king... though not alone.
Acceptable.
"My king."
"Wanderer." He says, curtly, not even looking up from the somewhat makeshift battlemap. "I must admit, this country stands weaker than I had predicted. Their king has gone senile, and my mage has detected that he is but a doppelganger of a once greater man. No doubt an early attempt at immortality by their mage. But, I doubt you have come for politics. What news do you bring?"
Even now, your king remains regal. Even hunched over a battlemap, he seems to loom over everyone in the room, including you.
"I... Would like to bring advice, if I may. Something I hope is unneeded, sire."
The king looks up, saying no more words. After a few seconds, a gesture to continue.
"...I suspect Onyx, as dragons often do, will try to offer something. Power, wealth, the world, who knows what. I know you are wise, sire, but still I must insist: Do not even listen to that creature. It must die, there is no other way. No deals, no... shadowy way to exploit that monstrosity. I *must* die."
The king looks at you, and frowns.
"I'll take your warning as one that comes from experience, rather than an insult to my intelligence. Even if I would entertain chatting with monstrosities like that thing, I am King Rosarian! All strength that I have is from birthright and power. I expanded our borders southwards, and I have sent many men and woman off to the crusades to stop a great evil. Something I fear you remember all too well. The demons and monsters offered many deals to me. Each one greater than the last, to stop our holy advance. I have rejected each of them. This dragon cannot offer anything those creatures have not already offered."
You look away. The crusades...
While Rosarian only came during the final siege, he *was* there. You never saw hair nor hide from him, however.
The front rarely gets to see the back.

But it would make sense offers would come to him. They were offered even to you.
Yes.
You can trust your king in this matter. To your surprise, however, your king suddenly stands besides you... and places his hand on your shoulder.
"Come back to us, lad." He says, his regal tone turning far more amicable. "You were at the front lines. I've seen it in your eyes that it haunts you, and... While the crusade was very much necessary, the harm it has wrought upon my people cannot be understated. A body heals, but a mind... is much more difficult."
You stare at him, bewildered.
"I remember you, when you swore your oath to me. The blood of your family still stained your hands. I knew you chose to wander in the hopes of finding death. Yet, you survived. Thrived, one would argue. I looked into your eyes, and I knew you were a man I had harmed. I likely appeared... flippant. Even dismissive. But I find it hard to speak to the men I had, unfortunately, turned into old soldiers."

Then, he pats you on the back.
"I thank you for your concern, knight. But if I may say... The other king may be a bigger issue. He does not wish to die, and thus... My mage shall focus their efforts on preventing any messages from reaching the king of Oileana."
"There is another thing. I... Paracelsus, my beloved, she-"
"Will be welcomed at court to parlay... or to join it, if she prefers. As I understand it... she has little love for this country?"
You remain silent once more, and the king steps away from you, back to the battlemap.
"Seems like you have things to discuss. I shall leave you to it, ser."

You bow, and make your goodbyes. Then, you need to move to Paracelsus. Explain to her what you have done, though it did not take long to find her, at least. She is leaning over a particularly sturdy-looking couldron, wearing a gas mask and thicker gear than usual.
"Paracelsus, I-"
"Away." She says, pointing to the door behind you. "In a few minutes..."

You give her those minutes, obviously, waiting outside of the room, and a little later, you hear a large lid being placed over that cauldron.
"There... That should sting that overgrown lizard." She says, leaving the room and dumping her protection as she walks... Until she is in naught but her undergarments. She isn't exactly shy, as she moves to a bag sitting in the hallway containing a new set of clothes.
"The concoction in there is too acidic for me to risk any of it leaving this room. Anything other than that couldron is going to be eaten away, and even the fumes are liable to weaken the stone and bite at the metal. I think it'll do just fine to help kill Onyx."
You clear your throat.
"Paracelsus, I... I must admit something. In order to recruit Rosarian, I-"
"Proposed it would aid his future annexation? I had gathered that." She says, as though she was describing the weather.

You blink.
You blink again.

"I... Y-yes. I did not-"
"Reynauld, both countries have been eying each other for as long as I've been alive. The only reason Oileana has not attacked is because of the eternal civil unrest. We had no casus belli other than the King's Word... And that needs confirming, endless beaurocracy. Your country, meanwhile, was recovering from the crusade, and instead sent diplomats that regularly pointed to the slavery, the assassin's guilds, the fey, as signs of weakness, of cruelty..."
Paracelsus smiles, wryly, as she puts on her pants.
"I'd argue that those diplomats were entirely correct. The tyrannical leadership of the upper class would have been the reason for war your country would propose. Right now, you are making Rosarian into a hero... or, if everything goes wrong, a martyr. If anything? You might have just reduced the number of deaths this eventual war would have caused. Rosarian is a king of the people, even if it is just how he maintains his power as he expands endlessly, hoping to create an empire where the sun never sets."
Paracelsus then scoffs.
"This did not matter to me. My family will join the strongest side. They always have. With their position, they'd be happy with ruling Oileana under the banner of your king. If your king has any sense, however, he'd keep them under his thumb. But... I suppose I shouldn't get into politics. If you thought I was cross with you over this, I'm not. I just... don't care until it happens."

You cough.
"I... did not expect this."
"I'm still a scion of one of the most powerful noble families here. Of course I have some *opinions*. And I've made my distaste of Oileana as it is quite clear."
You're... relieved, at least.
"Thank you for... understanding, then."
"Of course... Is there anything else?"
"Well... I... If I were to fall-"
"You won't."
"But IF... I just want you to keep that spark of brilliance in you alive. Never stop helping those in need. With or without me, you're going to do a lot of good for this world and-"
She blows a raspberry. Genuinely just stuck her tongue out, and made a very long sound akin to a fart for about a solid 20 seconds as you stood there, too shocked and faintly insulted, to do anything about it. Then, finally, she stops, wipes her mouth, and speaks:
"Ohhh, HELLS, Reynauld. You're not going to die. I'll make damned sure of it. I've been making sure you don't die this entire damned journey, and I'm not going to *stop*. Tell you what. You go do your final talks with the others, and then you can come back here, and I'm going to ride you until you see stars. Got it!?"

...
"I think I can understand that."
"I'll try to make sure you're not too exhausted when that angry newt gets here, alright? Now come on, off you go!"

Hell's bells... You love that woman. You just nod, and wander off, hoping to find Pink, though you hardly took more than ten steps before you spot her... essentially waiting for you.
"Pink... just who I needed to see."
"Yes, dragon?" She says... and you see her expression change, slightly, as she just talks to you. She seems to get happier just for talking to you.
"I just wanted to talk to you before the battle begins. I... I'm taking care of a few things. Getting my affairs in order, so to speak. So, I also had to speak to you. I... We didn't always agree."
Pink looks away for a moment, looking ashamed, but then she looks back at you. You continue speaking.
"Alright... If I were to fall in battle, Pink-"
"You won't. Nobody will allow it." Pink says, glaring at you. "The Klan will pull you out of the hells itself to bring you back."

You smile at that.
"Well... All the same, I just ask... Keep the Klan safe. Keep our family safe. You're the one I trust the most for this monumental task. Do you understand."
She looks up at you... And you get on one knee, getting on her level.
"Can you do that for me?"
Pink stares at you... and then just sighs.
"Okay. But only until we finished pulling you out of hell."
You laugh, and pat her on the head for that one. Good... and then you take in a breath.
"Where's William, by the way?"

Pink looks like she just swallowed a whole lemon, and then sighs.
"They're in the upstairs bedroom. Rutting. Something about... About it maybe being the last chance? Chad is in the room next to them, for the same reason."
Her expression becomes visibly less annoyed mentioning Chad, though.
"I hope they make many eggs. The Klan should grow."
Heh. Alright.

"I'll go talk to them when they're finished, maybe... Tell him to carry on my mantle."
Pink scoffs.
"He knows. I'll tell him when he's... *finished*. Egh. I hope they see the light again soon, however."

You'll just trust Pink on that one. So, with that, it's time to prepare.

Onyx is approaching soon, and you'll need to get into position.

========================================================================

You see him in the distance. A faint black blob, but the alarms have been raised. You are currently on Snikt's back, and the plan will be simple. Your shotgun will do some of the heavy lifting, as well the cannon Snikt has in her talons. One shot, but it might be enough.
"Are you ready, Snikt?"
"No."
"Well. You'd better *get* ready. Take us up!"
You take to the skies, faster than you could ever manage. Once you're up there, you'll take flight, using gravity to your advantage to stay out of reach from him. You can dive incredibly fast. Once he's in range of the cannons, it's up to them.
Paracelsus, the slowest flyer here, will try to remain unseen, and when possible, will dump some of her more dangerous cocktails into the massive dragon's scales...
How do you distract him, and how do you stay out of reach of his fangs, is the question? Snikt will stay in the clouds, unless...

>Fire the shotgun at his eyes, as best you can. You'll try to distract him alone. Once he gets close, dive straight down. Try to keep his path predictable

>Snikt is bigger and even faster than anyone here. She will play distraction, while you ride her and fire.
She'll figure it out... right?

>Lure it into the city, abusing the houses for cover.
If it's already grounded, that'd be perfect.

>>6130849
>Snikt is bigger and even faster than anyone here. She will play distraction, while you ride her and fire.
I believe in her.

>>6130849
Does the Snikt choice involve the cannon in her talons? Also, can she fire the cannon on her own?

>>6130849
Either way, airspeed, climb performance, and service ceiling are our main advantages over Onyx, so use it well.

>Snikt is bigger and even faster than anyone here. She will play distraction, while you ride her and fire.
Instead of dogfighting we're probably better off doing hit-and-run/boom-and-zoom attacks. Shotgun his eyes, climb back into altitude, rinse and repeat and lure him towards our concentrated AA guns, then Snikt fire her cannon at his wings.
Also, after we grounded him, have Snikt drop the cannon on him at maximum dive speed.

>>6130963
>ut it maybe being the last chance? Chad is in the room next to them, for the same reason."
>Her expression becomes visibly less annoyed mentioning Chad, though.
>"I hope they make many eggs. The Klan should grow."

we don't have many if any good options here, I agree with this assessment though trying to straight up dog fight is a losing bet

>>6130849
Supporting >>6130963
Stay the heck away from his maw and tail, use every bit of advantage we can get.

>>6130849
>Fire the shotgun at his eyes, as best you can. You'll try to distract him alone. Once he gets close, dive straight down. Try to keep his path predictable
then
> write-in: Snikt will dive from the clouds and fire her cannon into Onyx's wings

Make sure he's well inside the range of our artillery when we ground him.

>>6130963
Support the dive bombing though.

"SNIKT! THINK YOU CAN BLAST HIS WINGS!?"
Snikt doesn't say anything, instead just flying straight up. Unfortunately, Onyx already has your group in his sight, as he follows, higher and higher, and up into the sky! The air is very thin here, and you end up taking deep gulps to try and remain conscious, as you see the sun just ahead of you. Still far away... but you're higher than that magical ball, now. Onyx flies up, above the clouds as well.
You have to adjust, you can't go any higher. You're already feeling faint, and Snikt needs even more air.
Just as you think it might affect Onyx worse, however, you groan. You hear him speaking some words, and with a horrible *lurch*, reality shifts as you see a hazy bubble around Onyx's maw. He's using a spell!

Clever bastard!

So, Snikt dives down, under the clouds. She clamps down, and you and Paracelsus have to hold on for dear life as you fall towards the ground, far faster than you ever cared to. For a few moments, your body screams at you to let go, to start flying.
Not to crash.
Then, Snikt opens her wings, and uses the speed she built to fly in an arc, back up... and with the clouds acting as a screen, this actually managed to surprise Onyx.
She takes aim with the cannon between her talons, and then with a flick of her claws, she activates the sensitive powder inside, launching a cannonball right towards Onyx's incredible bulk, hoping to hit the wings.

You hold your breath, if only for a moment... and then you see the cannonball strike the wing! The membrane holds, but one of the bones lining that same membrane bends... and eventually breaks!
Onyx grumbles in pain.
"WRETCH!" He roars, turning his head around. Abusing his long neck, he manages to stare at you despite his body being turned directly away from you.
You reply with buckshot. You fire both barrels into his face, which he reacts to as though a particularly noisy fly has flown by his ear, making his snap his jaws... and breathe in!

"DOWN! DOWN!!" You yell, and once more, Snikt dives.
It fulfilled its purpose, and reloading was not an option.
As you hold on, you can't reload the double-barreled shotgun, unfortunately, and you keep your eyes clutched shut as a blanket of black and white flames cover up the skies above you, and you groan as the intense heat affects even you.
Were you human, you would be burned, you're sure of it.

Snikt dives underneath Onyx, just for a moment, and you hear a loud *POP* from behind you. Paracelsus fired her personalized cannon, launching an acid grenade against Onyx's underbelly. There is another groan, and another threat.

"YOU'RE ONLY DELAYING THE INEVITABLE! COME HERE!!" Onyx bellows, as Snikt flies away once more.
Towards the city.
She flies low, and into the cannon range. However, Onyx is in hot pursuit!
You could trust the people, for sure, but nothing you did slowed Onyx down *enough*. The cannonball shot against his wing was the best you had!

Can you slow him down?

>Fly down into the city, and hop off Snikt. You'll try to catch Onyx's attention, using the buildings for cover
Snikt can fly off. Paracelsus will join you

>Fly towards the biggest cannon you have, on the train tracks.
Big target and a really big payload. Let's hope they're not sleeping on the job.

>Keep flying as you are, in range of all the cannons.
Don't take any unneeded risks. They were all prepared to hit a fast target, they can manage this!


no 4chan, I am not giving you my fucking email.

>>6135721
>>Fly towards the biggest cannon you have, on the train tracks.
>Big target and a really big payload. Let's hope they're not sleeping on the job.


we are going to need a taunt something to keep his attention distracted on us

>>6135721
>Keep flying as you are, in range of all the cannons.
Trust the plan.

>>6135721
>Keep flying as you are, in range of all the cannons.

"Weapons grid to full power, standby enemy suppression barrage."
[turrets whirring]
"Enemy suppression barrage, all batteries execute."
"All batteries commence firing."

>>6135721
>Keep flying as you are, in range of all the cannons.

keep to the plan as long as we can

>>6135721
>Keep flying as you are, in range of all the cannons.

"STICK TO THE PLAN! THEY'LL HIT THAT SON OF A BITCH!" You yell, and you sure hope that your trust isn't misplaced. Flying low like this isn't ideal, especially when you see that monster flying high above you. Snikt is fast, for sure, but in a straight line... Onyx's wingspan and power are to its advantage. It manages to fly higher, and you fire your shotgun at his eyes again.
It doesn't slow him down, and you realize that he's already rearing back, flames appearing around his maw.
"HE'S GOING TO BLAST FIRE!!" You scream, and then you suddenly lurch forward, as Snikt goes down all the way to the ground, her talons digging into the earth for a moment to grind her to a halt, painfully. She roars in agony... and Onyx belches out his black fire. It misses the direct hit, but as he moves his head downwards...

Snikt's breath is stolen away as the flames roll across the landscape, and finally blast her in her chest. She loses focus, and you very suddenly are sent flying off.
She lost all momentum, and you have to adjust to keep flying without splattering on the ground. Mercifully, it's a quick switch, and you hear Onyx laugh.
"YOUR WHELP IS NOTHING TO ME, REYNAULD!"
Where the hell is your support!?

Then, however, you finally hear it. A distant rumble...

Then, the sickening *crack* of cannonballs striking flesh. The first few only caused him to waver, but his predictable path permitted everything to strike... Including several chainshots. His wings take the brunt of it, just as planned, and first those same chains wrap around it... before a battery of grapeshot begins to poke holes into the membranes of his wings. He starts roaring in pain and rage, as he, too, slams against the ground.
You can't pay attention to him right now, as you turn around, and head back to Snikt..
She's hurt. Badly burnt, even as a dragon. Her scales look melted, but she's still moving.

"Snikt! SNIKT!"
She can only whine in response, but she manages to stand up, blinking tears out of her eyes.
"Snikt! Are you going to be okay!?"
"H-hurts... Hurts so much..." She wheezes out. But she finishes standing up, putting her weight on her legs, burnt as they are. "Still... Alive." She says, past gritted teeth.

You turn around, and Onyx has landed just outside of the city, as you had hoped. The infantry will need a few moments, and the batteries of cannonfire and the catapults still need to finish.
Back to Snikt, though, you hear one particularly loud explosion in the distance, and then an actual scream of agony from Onyx.
The train-mounted cannon. This is where the alchemists and the king's support shines. If it was a direct hit...

But Snikt is more important.
"Can you fly!?"
"I... Think... Y-yes."

Paracelsus lands next to you, no doubt also having been sent flying when Snikt crash-landed. She doesn't look hurt, thank the light.
"Reynauld! I can stay here and heal her with some magic. Not an exact science, but I'll manage."
She looks back.
"The cannons are giving him hell, at least, but he's casting a spell. Won't be long before those cannons stop working."
You can *feel* the magic in the air as Onyx is casting.

"I can... F-fly up. I can do the plan." Snikt says, though her breathing is clearly troubled. The burns are deep, and no doubt agonizing, but pain is an old enemy to her. A known enemy. Despite her age.
You grit your teeth and look back at Onyx for a short moment, and you see that he has just finished his spell, as the next barrage of cannonballs just... stop.
But his wings are crippled, and you even see one part of his scales has been shattered to the point of bleeding.

"REYNAULD! ONCE I HAVE YOU, THIS WHOLE LAND WILL BURN! COME OUT AND FACE ME!"
Well, at least you're getting to him.

You can continue the plan as before, climbing towards the sun... But Snikt may need the help, instead. You could go it alone, head in when the infantry arrives, while Paracelsus takes care of Snikt. But she might be able to tough it out...

>Trust Snikt's pain tolerance. Stick to the plan and fly up together

>The infantry will get annihilated without any kind of distraction. Head in there, quickly, and become that distraction. Leave Snikt and Paracelsus to heal.

>The infantry will get annihilated without any kind of distraction. Head in there, quickly, and become that distraction. Leave Snikt and Paracelsus to climb up towards the sky, as planned.

>Head up. The infantry can manage this. You hope.

>>6137979
>The infantry will get annihilated without any kind of distraction. Head in there, quickly, and become that distraction. Leave Snikt and Paracelsus to climb up towards the sky, as planned.
I belueve in Snikt, but I also believe in giving her the best chance at success. We can bait him for a bit. We ARE an experienced dragonslayer.

>>6137979
>The infantry will get annihilated without any kind of distraction. Head in there, quickly, and become that distraction. Leave Snikt and Paracelsus to climb up towards the sky, as planned.

>>6137979
>>The infantry will get annihilated without any kind of distraction. Head in there, quickly, and become that distraction. Leave Snikt and Paracelsus to climb up towards the sky, as planned.

Today is not about have measures or even doubt, no we stay the course and pray we win

>>6137979
>>The infantry will get annihilated without any kind of distraction. Head in there, quickly, and become that distraction. Leave Snikt and Paracelsus to climb up towards the sky, as planned.

Snikt, disengage for repairs; we're going in.
We're NOT losing our daughteru.

Onyx is grounded; force him to block either the cannons... or us. Make sure he cannot heal himself or use offensive spells.

"Snikt, Paracelsus... Head up to the sky, we stick to the plan!"
"The plan just got Snikt burnt. Are you SURE!?"
"Well..."
You look back at Onyx, who seems to be distracted by the trebuchets and catapults. Seems his shield only stops the very fast projectiles, the slower ones still come through. They lack the same punch, but a distraction is a distraction.
He's already casting something else.
"I'm changing one thing. I'm heading in there. The infantry is going to be burnt to cinders if I don't keep him busy."

Paracelsus looks as though she is about to protest, and Snikt...
"B-but... Dragon!"
"I'll be fine! And, if I'm not... Well."
You smile at her, despite the stress.
"I know the world's in good hands. Light preserve all of you."
You hadn't wished the Light's graces on people in many years. This just felt like a good time to rediscover your faith. Then again, hardly any atheists at the frontline. That's a veteran's luxury.

Paracelsus still stops you.
"Here, then." She says, taking off a collection of pouches. "Green pouch is acids. Blue pouch is irritants, for wounds and eyes. The red pouch is an explosive. Pull the wire to make it go boom. Got all that?"
You kiss her, and then you fly off. It was a messy kiss. You practically just punched her snout with your own.
But you think she understood. You feel the wind pick up behind you as Snikt flies up.

Onyx finishes casting a spell... and in the distance, you see horrific black fires belch out from the castle's courtyards.
...The catapults are gone, and so are its operators. Damn it all.
You can't let this happen again. You fly above the black dragon, as the infantry arrives. But how are you going to distract him?

>Call out to him. He wants you? He can come GET you.

>Fly towards his head, and give him both barrels of your shotgun at pointblank, in one of his eyes.

>Head towards one of the wounds, pry it apart further, and force one of Paracelsus' cocktails in there.

>Another way
Perhaps magic might even be a way... but you need a good way to parse it.

>>6138851
>Head towards one of the wounds, pry it apart further, and force one of Paracelsus' cocktails in there.

>>6138851
>Head towards one of the wounds, pry it apart further, and force one of Paracelsus' cocktails in there.
Special delivery for a Mister Onyx!

>>6138851
>>Head towards one of the wounds, pry it apart further, and force one of Paracelsus' cocktails in there.

it's about to get spicy

You fly towards the closest wound you could spot. Dark, ichorous blood is leaking out of it, ever so slowly, and you can feel the heat blasting away at you just as soon as you get near it. You can't waste any time, either, as you take Paracelsus' bag and just...
Well, the huge, dented scales here need to be pried open. Onyx keeps chanting to cast another spell, but when you take your blade and ram it between his scales, he suddenly turns his head around.
"You foul little GNAT!"

He then doesn't even bother with dragonfire... instead, he moves his giant maw towards you, his neck bending just far enough to get to you... but only just. You fly back, forced to leave your blade behind, before the giant, lumbering mass begins to turn around. He was unafraid to show his chin, he's very confident that his scales are too thick to pierce the usual dragon's weakspot. But, instead, you are keeping his attention aimed *upwards*.
The infantry is arriving, taking careful steps so they don't get crushed... but the Landsknecht head in first. Their colorful attire is unmistakable. You fly back in, despite his attempt to bite you once more. You abuse the range, and as he rears back for another strike, she fly down and stomp on the flat of your blade. You cringe as you see the blade bend... but you achieved your goal, all the same. The chunk of scales is pried open... And your blade falls, clattering on the ground below, just as Onyx takes in a breath.

Dragon's breath.
You may be heat resistant, but Onyx's flame were able to melt the flesh of even a full-blooded dragon. You can't risk this, but... You are nothing if not brave.
Diving TOWARDS the smouldering maw, you dash past him, and his breath goes wide, even as he tries to aim the blast of pure heat towards you. Some of the infantrymen flinch and groan, the heat still getting to some of them... and then the Landsknecht arrive.

Just as planned, they went for any joint they could reach, with a few tossing heavy chain upwards, hoping to wrap them around the giant wyrm. Onyx doesn't even seem to notice them, not when you fly towards the wound you pried open... and you just grab the blue pouch that Paracelsus gave you.
Irritants.
You took in a deep breath as you went towards that bubbling, oozing wound, and then you rammed the pouch in there. His musculature is so damned tough that your own strength and claws ended up tearing the bag asunder, as you tried to ram it deep inside of the creature... Ignoring the flaming hot agony as his caustic blood burnt your own scales.
No more than first degree... but it burned none the less.

Onyx, however, suddenly gasped and ROARS in agony, his head thrashing around as he suddenly starts to stumble, one of his wings moving towards the wound, trying to tap it with one of the thick claws atop those leathery wings.
Whatever was in that pouch must be causing a deep pain indeed if it distracts him to that extent... but damn if your arm doesn't hurt.

The infantry is moving up, but they're not punching through the scales, it looks like. Some of them are preparing bombs, but... Is it enough?
They might. You'll leave the infantry to do its own thing, you need to...

>Fly back up, rejoin Snikt and Paracelsus
As the plan said.

>Help the infantry pierce those scales.
You have the acids, right? If they can deal enough damage in a short enough time, they can

>Keep distracting Onyx.
He REALLY hates you now, but... this is risky. Then again, if you don't want the infantry to take extreme casualties, this might be necessary.

>Something else.

>>6142167
>>Fly back up, rejoin Snikt and Paracelsus
stick to the plan and do what we can, if we go rogue now it could ruin everything

>>6142167
>Fly back up, rejoin Snikt and Paracelsus
The surest way tor educe casualties is to end this quickly and cleanly.

So I'm hopping back in real quick. So are Reynauld and Para only half dragons right now? Can they still fly and breath fire, or did they partially reverse their transformation?

>>6142167
>Fly back up, rejoin Snikt and Paracelsus

We just thought that we'd leave the infantry to do their own thing, can't immediately go back on this.

>>6144377
Why not catch up? It's a good story, and a fun quest. But tldr, yes, they're stabilized, properly-proportional dragon-human hybrids with some measure of magic and firebreath, and with wings.

You fly back up. You have to make your way back to Snikt and Paracelsus. Going off-plan too much would disturb things, especially now that the alchemists are coming in closer. Onyx is still looking upwards at you, and even calls you out specifically.
"REYNAULD! YOU COWARD! COME BACK AND FACE ME, DRAGON TO DRAGON!! THESE... WHELPS ARE NOTHING TO-"
Right on cue... The first volley of grenades is tossed on his back. To almost no effect, save where the cannons had already softened him up. A few scales fly, and you see some of the braver Landsknecht climb up the ropes they had tossed over him...
You look away when Onyx turns his attention to them, but you still hear their screams as they are bitten to pieces. His tail, his talons, his teeth... all still work just fine in assaulting the comparatively fragile people down there. They don't seem to be too affected, however, but you hear Onyx speaking once more. Speaking in the sense of casting another spell.

Even as you keep rising, however, you hear the voice of your king, enhanced by his court mage, no doubt:
"AIM FOR THE MOUTH! BALLISTAS, FIRE!!"
The commands of your king continue, and no doubt strengthen everything you've got available. The ballistas weren't part of your plan, but you suppose he hid them amongst the buildings. Closely, as well.
Onyx's spell is interrupted, and you grit your teeth as you look around... But Snikt is easy to spot, now that you're here. You fly towards her, and you see that Paracelsus is casting whatever she can to heal her, but...

Snikt will bear those burn scars forever, you fear. Those scales are not likely to ever reshape properly.
"REYNAULD!?" Paracelsus yells. "STILL ALIVE, THEN! GOOD!"
Here, in the sky, the wind buffets everyone so hard you have no choice but to yell.
"IN THE FLESH! THEY'RE POUNDING HIM DOWN, BUT-"

You look down, and see that he is still struggling... and trying to run away from the city. Out of range from the ballistas, no doubt. With his size, he'll outrun the infantry as well, though guessing from how he keeps shaking his head around, you suspect a few are still riding him... Applying more of the irritants.
And, guessing from one flash, bombs.
You gave a good example.

"SNIKT! THINK YOU CAN CRUSH THAT WORM!?"

No words are said. She simply lowers her head, inviting you to get on.
Paracelsus is already clambering on her back, clutching a back spike. You'll attach yourself to the front... As soon as you grab on, however... She soars down. Wings collapsed, into a nosedive towards Onyx, at speeds you hadn't even thought possible.
The ground is approaching... and you can't help but fear for your life, just for a moment, until Snikt opens her wings, slowing herself down just enough...

Onyx looked up just before she landed.
"NO!" He screamed, before several tons of dragon slammed down on his long neck, slamming it into the dirt. Snikt's claws dig deep into his flesh, past his scales, and with a sickening wrench of her talons, Snikt pulls off several large ridges from his neck... Finally exposing vital flesh. Paralcelsus wastes no time, reaching into her pockets and tossing another one of her special pouches in there, which comes apart in an explosion of green dust... Causing the flesh to to turn black in seconds!

Then, you hop off, but...

Suddenly, ahead of you, you see Oileana's king. The flashing portal is still behind him, with Merlin standing by his side. The king looks frail, as ever, but Onyx, he snarls.
"HUMAN FILTH! YOU SHALL NOT HAVE ME!!"
The king is holding a crossbow, glowing with arcane might.

...He seeks to become immortal be becoming... essentially what a dragon is. THAT man!?
No. That can't-
Then, however, you flinch. A bolt suddenly sprouts out of the kings head, out of his eye... and you see its origin.
A little kobolt, grinning fiercely.
Anna.
...She did say she was going to kill someone if they tried something funny. They must have stuck close, hopped in through the same portal. Clever little things...

Merlin gasps, surprised, and turns around... only to see Chad approaching him, as well, blade in hand.
But that is but one squire against a *mage*.

But Onyx is still below you.

...

>Slay Onyx, quickly. Finish that creature before something else does!
Chad and Anna... You can only hope they survive.

>Rush forward, kill the damned wizard.
Paracelsus or Snikt can try to finish Onyx... if they can.

>Try something else
Magic? A distraction!? Anything!

>>6145131
>Try something else
Beeathe fire at Merlin! Just a long enough delay for Chad to get into melee range, then...
>Refocus on killing Onyx
He's the bigger threat here. Based Anna, though. I hope those two crazy kids don't die...

>>6145131
>>Slay Onyx, quickly. Finish that creature before something else does!

we can only trust in the strength of our kobolds and the training we have given them

>>6145131
>Slay Onyx, quickly. Finish that creature before something else does!

We have a job to do. We must trust in the training we have given others to do theirs.

>>6146237
>1post ID tiebreaker almost says tye same thing as above vote word-for-word
Hmmmm

said the 1 post ID to the other

>>6145131
>Slay Onyx, quickly. Finish that creature before something else does!

As long as Onyx dies any cost can be justified.

See if we can get Snikt and Sarah to deal with the wizard though. Let's see if they can drop something funny on top of him....

>>6147468
The difference was that I was just commenting on mobile, not voting.

This is not a choice you ever wanted to make... But it's the most important choice possible. You look away , and down at the monstrosity beneath you. With a frustrated, desperate yell, you plunge your claws deep within the creature's neck, the blood burning your body painfully... But it's nothing compared to your early days of this curse. You push the meat aside, past the vertebrae, and dig deeper.

You hear Chad scream, and Snikt flies off Onyx, screaming desperately in turn. You have to focus. Everything relies on this, and you dig deeper, like a feral animal, tears in your eyes as your body blisters and boils under the constant, immeasurably hot assault of Onyx's blood. But his movements slow, his words turn to gurgles, and you realize you must finish him the hard way. You stand up, practically running along his neck...

You see Chad in a heap, smoking and still.
His legs are gone.
You grit your teeth for a moment, but it's too much. You scream, a white hot fury overtaking you as you leap towards Onyx's head. You see his remaining eye... So large you could likely fit in the socket. He gurgles again, blood blocking his airway, and then you rear back your claw, plunging it into the jelly of his eye with great strength. Your claws break, your arm screams in pain, but you keep digging.

Fire leaks from your maw as you dig into that horrid mass, moving through the blinded would-be God, brought low by human ingenuity. Past the jelly.
Past the nerves.

You plunge deep into that biting brine, you go up. And you reach further upwards, touching soft, wrinkled meat.

A seizure, as your body continues to burn, final spasms of a disgusting animal... And you rip it free, and the body finally goes still. You pull yourself free from the finally dead dragon... And turn.

Merlin is on the ground, Anna on top of him and repeatedly beating his body with her crossbow, screaming.
Chad can't be seen past Snikt.

You see his legs over yonder. He was just... Ripped in two.

You slide off the useless corpse, running towards Chad, even as the blood still bites deeper and deeper. But this pain means nothing to you any more.

"Chad!! CHAD!" you scream, ending up next to your squire. He is alive... But pale. Weak.
"Dragg...Gon."
Paracelsus is casting the best magic she can, but...

You're not sure if he'll make it.
"I did... Good? Yes?"
"You probably just saved the damned world! Now, please... I want you there so the world will know!"

He swallows...
"I'm really tired..."

Paracelsus roars, frustrated.
"DAMN IT ALL!! SNIKT! CAUTERIZE IT!!"
"B-but-"
"DO IT!!"

Snikt, carefully, opens her maw... And a moment later, Chad breathlessly screams, as his lower body is burnt shut.

"There! He can... I'll... He won't bleed out, I just need more time!"

Chad groans afterwards.
"Where's... My tail? I can't..."
He's gone into shock. And you turn around.

Onyx's corpse looks as vile as when it was still ambulatory, and a foul, stinking black mist rises from its many wounds... Until it coalesces into a figure before you.

It took no time at all. A small, pathetic creature, shapeless at first as the mist fades away. It looks upon you for a moment, and then... It shrinks. Smaller and smaller, until it was only up to your shin, as it turns rounder and rounder.

You hear his voice one more time.
"You are what dragons are, now... Filthy ape. When you die, you will take on my aspect fully. You will live upon my mountain. And dragons will die out because of your weakness."

The voice sounds weaker, afterwards.
"But... My Essence... I cannot die. I will not let it! I will start anew! Reborn! I wil be the strongest, greatest dragon once more! I shall tear out your throat, and take me throne, even if I will remember nothing!
Desperation.

"You... Have ruined me. But I will- wait... No! NO!!"
Fear. And then the mist finally gathers fully, and something solid appears before you.

An egg.

Instinctively,.you know it to be the egg of a kobolt.
Why did it...

A familiar voice then speaks.
"I... Cannot believe I did that."
Pink?
You turn around. When did she get here? Did she follow the others through the portal? But... She is holding one of the scrolls that were used to transform people. Did she really...
"I just... Reduced the ultimate dragon to something like ME!? D-dragon, I..."
She turns to Chad. Without a word, she runs to the squire.

Leaving you with this egg.

...

>Adopt the new Onyx.

>Crush this vile spawn of darkness under your foot.

>>6148306
>Adopt the new Onyx.

I'm >>6145188.

Poor Chad. :( Poor Anna...

>>6148306
>>Reynold looks at the egg, and he has seen too much, done too much. In that moment, he thinks, 'It would be so easy to crush that egg, to let the hate and anger consume me. Onyx would deserve it.' Reynold's blood sings in his ears, and he yearns to continue the cycle of violence—the same cycle that drew him to the crusade, that forced him to slaughter his family after they fell to evil, and that made him a wandering knight, with nothing left to live for, seeking only the release of death.
>>But then he thinks about all he has seen since he met his clan, and met Sarah, and of what he saw in the mountains, of what continuing the cycle would mean. 'This world has died so many times, and humanity has limped on—bloodied, bruised, clinging to our base instincts like a blanket to keep the cold of extinction away. And every time, in every iteration, we lose a little more of what makes us human. If humanity is ever to thrive again, we must change. The cycle has to end.'
>>Reynold stares down at the egg, his fist clenched, fury and loss overflowing in his heart. He raises his arm back, primed to strike, but then stops, his whole body shaking with emotion. Finally, he says to himself, 'The cycle must change.' He lowers his arm and reaches down to pick up the egg. He knows he'll have to talk with Pink to see if Onyx will remember anything, and work with Sarah and Pink to make sure he doesn't, if there's a possibility. But he knows he has to try—to give himself, this world, and even Onyx a second chance.

>>tl;dr adopt the egg

I could talk about the fact that Onyx probably won't remember anything now that he's an egg and how I would be wrong to kill him. But I also know that it's probably simpler to say this is a chance to hold on to our humanity, to show that even though we gave up part of our human form, that we're still human where it matters. And I think that's more important.

>>6148460
>>6148663
We are what dragons will be, after all, and Reynauld's very first defining moment in the quest is in the title: adopting what most would destroy. Let this set the standard for the species henceforth. Adopting Onyx just feels right.

You look back at your beloved, now crippled, squire, and then towards the starting shot of it all. Onyx. A little black egg, destined to be kobolt. No doubt he's going to be a nightmare. An arrogant, horrible little creature, ambitious to a fault.
Scooping up the egg, you feel a short moment of revulsion. At the egg... and, at yourself. You know very well that this is the correct choice, but damn if it wasn't tempting to smash this horrid little egg against the ground. You turn around, and see Pink is staring at you... and then, she nods.
Seems she agrees with your decision.

...
Things move quickly after that. The death of Oileana's king is not going to look good, especially not with a crossbow bolt... Though Paracelsus is already taking care of it, after Chad was stabilized. When you move next to her, she looks... pained.
"Cauterizing Chad saved his life... but it means I can't give him new legs. I saved whatever I could, of course, and perhaps we'll find another way, some day."
She sighs.
"Anna's torn up about it. I'm not... My bedside manner was never great, so instead, I'll... help you cover up the death of a king. Mercifully, Onyx stumbled quite a distance. We need to burn this corpse, ensure the crossbow bolt isn't obvious. Merlin's corpse..."
You look back at a smashed, burnt pile on the ground.
"Well. He *did* die to a dragon."
You work together, and now... You are in trouble.

With the death of Oileana's king, there's going to be civil war, without a doubt. With Rosarian already here, poised to invade, he's likely to let this war come to its bloody conclusion... and then attack the weakened country with his own armies. There isn't much you can do about this, though Paracelsus will warn her own family. Whether they heed that warning will be up to them, as they are in a prime position to claim a lot of power. By Paracelsus' best guess, the most bloodless solution would be to agree to vassalisation early on, IF her family can claim the throne. If they take on a neutral stance, it would be even better, but alas...
She doubts their pride would permit it.

Your journey is at an end. There are very few loose ends remaining, and thanks to Pink... You even have access to the transformation spell, should it be required. You can still cure the villagers near the mountain, if they so desire, and permit Willian to turn back into a kobolt if he's... TRULY sure.

Just... the matter of what you will do, now.

>Head back to Rosaria... and continue your life of adventure.
Within reason, of course. You've a klan to look after

>The dragons will need a guide.
You might have changed them spiritually, but you know by now that nothing is this easy. They will need a guide, something to let them reconcile their past and their new present.

>It's time... to find a home.
The lands you once crusaded over... You heard they're nice, these days.

>>6148964
>Wait, a transformation spell restored Anna's face... Could it restore Chad's legs?

And after epxloring that option...

>With all the damage we've done to this land, we can't just abandon it. We should at least wander here for a time, to help the common folk wherever and whenever we can.
After meeting our obligations back home, naturally.

>>6148964

Personally I'll try to combine >>6148968
with
>The dragons will need a guide.
Go back home (remember that Onyx's Throne is located inside Rosaria), and see if we can turn the dragons into something resembling sane, well-adjusted sapients now... (plus I'd bet having more sane dragons on our side would help a lot with stabilizing Olieana)

Also.... can we turn Chad into a fellow dragonborn? Snikt would, logically, be the leader/mentor of the new generation of dragons, and Chad definitely deserves the life beyond that of a kobold, forever bound to the will of his superiors.

.... I don't envy Pink though, having to wrangle Onyxbolt' around and preventing him from doing random acts of murder and destruction for shits and giggles....

>>6148964
>The dragons will need a guide, you won't lead them as a ruler, but a moral guide and someone strong enough to keep them in check, stopping them from feasting on humans will be a good starting point.
You might have changed them spiritually, but you know by now that nothing is this easy. They will need a guide, something to let them reconcile their past and their new present.
>>6148968
we already had a vote on this and chose not to be king of these lands and further, our king is already here waiting to conquer them, the most I would be willing to do is put our support behind Sarahs family for the throne but no thank you for fighting in the civil war.

>>6149171
We don't need to conquer them, just pick up the slack where people are being tyrannized by monsters or bandits.

You'd think everything would move fast after this, but... the fact of the matter is, it was not. It was a long, long walk back to the palace, and having to explain to the court that both Merlin and the King were killed by Onyx in some crazed bid to be the next Onyx was...
Not easy.
Some called you traitors to the crown, and demanded everyone be executed. Others smelled opportunity, and seemed to believe that this is an opportunity worth rewarding, they simply demanded you tell anyone who asks that the King died in a heroic last charge that saved your life... and that of Chad.
As far as requests go, few are quite as galling as that.
But it was that, or becoming an enemy of the state. The people demanding your execution were outnumbered by those that would much prefer to get started on deciding the next king. The fool had no heirs, after all, though he had many bastards. These politics don't concern you, however.

There will be a civil war, followed closely thereafter by an actual war. When you look at all the people at court, it's clear their greed for the throne far overtakes their fear of being conquered. Save for a few, who said that they will be withdrawing to their land, and will simply give their tithes. Those people are likely to remain standing. Paracelsus' family will do something similar, acting as a neutral ground for the different factions, while they take on a serving role. The fact that Paracelsus' father will be serving as regent until things are decided probably helps a lot in that regard. Paracelsus herself... She will be joining you. The last place she wishes to be is here, though she did demand to your king that a refugee zone must be created in Rosaria. A place for them to gather. It took some buttering up, and reminding them it would only create yet more grateful peasants, but it was permitted. You hope this will allow for fewer casualties overall.

As for what you will do next? You will wander the lands once more, with your family, and you will take on your duties in this land as well. You will remain neutral, and make a vow to only defend those menaced by outlaws or monsters, of which there is no lack of either. Sadly, this was not accepted by the courts. As it stands, killing Onyx has made you a political piece, and even if you were as neutral as you intend to be, people would not see it as that. So, you go for the next best thing, thanks to the mage at Rosarius' court. Merlin's pyramid was raided quite thoroughly, and in the chaos of half the castle being blown up from Onyx's spell, it was hardly noticed... or cared about.
Merlin was hardly popular.

The people of Rosaria will be able to contact you, if they were ever menaced. You could come to them at a moment's notice, you or any of your companions. It will increase the workload, but... There might be a way to counter that, as well.

The dragons will need a guide, and in Oileana there are precious few dragons. You will travel to Rosaria once more, and see if the dragons will truly change, now that you are their... imprint, so to speak. It will not be easy. You know better than most that a transformation like this can hurt. But you must try, and if they are truly able to change...
Well.
Oileana will love the sight of mighty, scaled wings in the skies.

==============================================
5 years later...

Onyx awoke you once more, slamming his little scaled hands against your chest.
"Reynauld!" He asks, as you turns towards him. "Another message from those STUPID humans. Chad told me to tell you, and to come quickly or something. I think you should stay here."
You chuckle, and pat Onyx on the head. He roars in displeasure, wiping off your hand very theatrically, and then he hisses at you.
"YOU'RE NOT MY DAD! I'M TELLING MOM!!"
"Pink likes getting patted on the head too, you know."
"NUH-UH!"

And then, he scampers off.
He's... a handful. Even though he is a fully grown kobolt by now, he still thinks and acts like a child. He is loyal, despite his grumpy attitude, however. Pink is doing well teaching him, though even now her dislike of humans comes through. You get up out of bed, feeling a hand grab yours.
"Is it truly time already...?" Paracelsus asks, covering herself with the sheets. "What if you miss the birth?"
Her belly was bulging, something that caused her some angst, considering how much she trained her body. It's true she looked about ready to pop.
It might just be the most beautiful thing you've ever seen.
"I think I'll have the time. I can come here at just a moment's notice."
"Not when you're off facing monsters and saving lives! If you're not here to see our child be born, we're making another one until you DO see it. And think of all those sad little eyes when they have to hear their daddy is a deadbeat."
You start laughing:
"You expect me to miss how many?"
"As many as it takes, hero!" She yells back, tossing a pillow at you.

"Come on, go! Before I force you to stay!" She says, laughing once more.

You head through your cave. Yes, a cave... A well-furnished cave. Not a damp, dirt, wet cave filled with worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy cave with nothing in it to sit down or to eat
No.
This was a dragon's abode.
And as of a few years? This meant comfort, companionship, and safety.

You find Chad sitting in his wheelchair when you approach, holding his newest child in his arms. Paracelsus thinks that he'll regain the use of his legs in time, but it remains a slow, painful process. Regrowing them alone took three years, and several advances in medical and magical fields. But Paracelsus is nothing if not persistent. Once he can walk again, however, you'll talk to him and Anna again about becoming dragonborn instead, like yourself... though they both seem to prefer being kobolts.
"Dragon..." He says.
"Knight." You reply. He smiles at that, and then points to the map of Oileana, predictably.
"I am sorry to call you at a time like this, but... We have reached the end point of the troubles with Oileana. They have agreed to vassalisation, and it looks as though Paracelsus' family will take the throne. It will maintain much of its independance, though it will be part of the greater Rosarian empire. There are many people against it, still, and-"

You raise your hand.
"Save it. We agreed not to be involved with any of the politics."
"Indeed, but... Here. There is a small army marching towards the capital, and they are raiding people's food storage. The winter has already been tough on them. It's a political move, but..."
"Reinforce their supplies with our own, wait for those armies to pass... and send a messenger to the affected towns. Can we spare the food?"
Chad nods.
"The ashes have been good to us."

Settling near a volcano was an excellent idea in any respect, once you were sure you could be prepared for any pyroclastic cloud... or lava, for that matter. The volcanic ash is amazing for the crops, and considering you have a city below...
It's been eventful.
Many of them are refugees from Oileana, and others are simply people that wished to partake of the bounties below. There is a sizeable kobolt population as well, many of them simply lost kobolts, looking for a leader and having found one in Snikt.
You are simply the knight commander.
"Is this all there is to worry about?"

"I wouldn't bother you for a logistical issue. There is a dragon squatting on a dwarven city, here, demanding to take the city's orphanage for itself. It's... confused, to say the least. But it has the spirit."
Ahh.
Of course.

Dragons being more caring was a boon, for sure, but they remain greedy. They want to take care of *everything*, and the logistics of it, or the idea that others might do a better job is alien to them.
It'd be cute, if it didn't cause so many problems. Still... This is a task you took upon yourself.
"I'll head out soon. But... If it looks like my child will be born..."
"I understand. I'll send a message, and send William instead. I know a kobolt has trouble getting through to a dragon, but..."
"It'll be fine. Dismas and Petrus can join him, as well, if it happens. Besides, you've seen what the twins dress him in, now."
Chad chuckles.
"People call him the kobolt king, these days. He hates it."

Grand.

...Your duties never end, but you wouldn't want it any other way. Your klan is happy, and growing by the day. You are happier than you ever thought possible, and while it isn't an easy transition...

The world is improving. Bit by bit.

And that's all you've ever wanted.

The End.

==================================

Well, gents, thank you very much for your endless patience in waiting for my very slow updates. I'll be answering any questions until the thread dies, which... might be a bit soon. I might move to the /qst/ general if there's anything left unanswered.
It's been fun.

will you write a sequel to this?
why are kobolds so cute?

>>6151217
>will you write a sequel to this?
No. While it was fun to build a world that's kind of off its tits, I don't think there's another story in it is particularly care to tell. I'd sooner make a new world.
Reynauld and company have a finished story, in my opinion.

>why are kobolds so cute?
They are small, loyal, easily amused and very squeezable. In Essence, they're like bipedal scaled puppies that are surprisingly intelligent as well... Along with poor impulse control so they can still do endearingly stupid things.
They just hit all the buttons, in short.

>>6151169
>>6151220
It has been a good ride. Thanks for running Spine!

>>6151220
Just to confirm, this is really me. I was on a walk and used my cellphone.

>>6151224
Thank you for reading!

>>6151169
This is truly an excellent quest, and A very sweet ending. I hope it's been fun to write, as well, and I thank you for finishing it up.

As for questions...

>Is this how you'd expected the ending to go?
>What other routes did you foresee things taking?

>>6151334

>Is this how you'd expected the ending to go?
Yes, pretty much. Mostly just a peaceful life where Reynauld settles down in one way or another. The full details weren't decided yet, but otherwise this is within expected parameters.

>What other routes did you foresee things taking?
Going full dragon, for one, is something I considered. I even did a quick side-story about that one before. That same side story would also reveal that Kobolts actually grow all their life, and when sufficiently ancient (through magical means) they are nigh-identical to dragonborn. An interesting little aside.

Another thing is that Paracelsus was quite unlikely to ever go fully human again, and the very first expected ending was Reynauld becoming human, and Paracelsus becoming a dragon, and a sort of... demigod of medicine. Not literally, but she would dedicate her immortal life to improving the lives of people, at the cost of growing more and more distant as she forgets about having once been human.
I rather prefer the equal happy life with Reynauld she got here. Kids and all that, and they're still going to live for a very, very long time.

>>6151345
Did you ever suspect we'd go for any other waifu but Sarah?

>>6151349
Pink was most certainly on the menu, but I admit that my lust for girl abs perhaps came through a little strong. My bad.

>>6151345
Thank you for a long and fun ride, Spinejuice. It's been a treat indeed to watch.

>>6151351
Do not apologise for girl abs.