![[phandelver-map-thundertree-player.jpg]] Snow swirled in lazy spirals as the party crouched behind a crumbling stone wall overlooking the ruined village. The wind carried the faint stench of rot and smoke. Somewhere in the distance, something massive shifted — scales scraping stone. Norridge crouched beside them, his dark green cloak blending into the frost-covered ruins. “The **green dragon** has made its nest here,” he said grimly. “And worse — it’s working with the cultists.” [[Ellette|Ellette]]’s jaw tightened. “Of course it is.” Norridge continued, voice low. “From what I can tell, your precious _Mayor_ has been sending townsfolk and adventurers here. Offerings. Either for loyalty… or out of fear.” [[Ellette|Ellette]]’s expression darkened. “I _knew_ I hated that prick.” [[Karrut Styk|Karrut]], ever oblivious, shrugged. “He dressed really nice, though.” [[Morgar Goldgard|Morgar]] gave him a sharp look. “Not the time, [[Karrut Styk|Karrut]]. We have a dragon to defeat.” [[Ellette|Ellette]] turned to him, her voice wavering just slightly. “Easy for you to say. Dragons are powerful. Majestic. They should be _feared_… and _respected._” The others glanced at her — there was something in her tone. A shadow of familiarity, of something unspoken. Norridge broke the silence. “Are we ready?” [[Karrut Styk|Karrut]] was crouched beside a patch of frostbitten grass, plucking flowers. “Wait, wait — what’s the plan again?” [[Ellette|Ellette]] groaned. “_Idiot!_ We’re sneaking from building to building until we get close enough to strike!” [[Morgar Goldgard|Morgar]] nodded. “And kill it while it sleeps.” “Correct,” Norridge said. [[Karrut Styk|Karrut]] smiled brightly. “Or… we could talk to it! It’s green like me. We’re practically cousins!” There was a _collective sigh._ Even [[Rock, the Silent Fighter|Rock]] covered his face with one hand. [[Ellette|Ellette]] rubbed her temples. “If you want to go get yourself killed, be my guest. Power to you.” [[Karrut Styk|Karrut]] pouted. “No, no — my mistake. Guess we _all_ don’t like green.” Norridge stood. “Enough chatter. Be swift, be silent. Move.” The group dashed across the open path to the first building, pushing through its rotted door. Inside, the air was thick with decay — bodies half-eaten and burnt, their eyes still open in silent terror. [[Ellette|Ellette]] winced. “Gods…” “Keep moving,” Norridge whispered. He slipped to the next door, opened it — and without hesitation, loosed two arrows in rapid succession. [[Ellette|Ellette]] flinched. “What was that?” Norridge pointed ahead. Two corpses slumped against the far wall, arrows through their skulls — undead, twitching no more. [[Morgar Goldgard|Morgar]] frowned. “Undead? Cultists _and_ necromancy?” [[Ellette|Ellette]] muttered, “Shit. This just got more complicated.” “Stick with the plan,” Norridge said. “But stay sharp.” They crept through the ruins, darting between buildings. The further they went, the worse it became — more bodies, more movement in the corners of their eyes. Then the groans began. Dozens of undead stirred in the snow, clawing their way upright. [[Ellette|Ellette]]’s heart pounded. “We need to _run._ Now!” The party bolted toward the next building — just as it _exploded._ Flames burst from the windows, the shockwave knocking them to the ground. A deep, echoing voice filled the air, carried on the wind like thunder: “IT SEEMS MY NEXT MEAL HAS ARRIVED.” Norridge’s eyes widened. “Oh no… it’s awake. Move!” They ran through the wreckage, debris and ash raining around them. The dragon’s shadow swept across the ground, massive wings stirring the blizzard into chaos. Buildings collapsed under its fury — it attacked indiscriminately, striking at the party and the undead alike. “Go!” Norridge shouted. “For the tower!” The ground shook with each step as the dragon descended from the clouds. The party burst into a wide clearing before the tower just as the creature landed in front of them with a _crash_ that sent snow and rubble flying. Behind them, their path back was sealed by burning debris. The way forward — blocked by the dragon. ![[Chp9.1.jpg]] The beast towered above them, scales glinting like polished jade, eyes gleaming with malevolent hunger. “WELL,” it rumbled, voice booming through the valley, “MY DINNER HAS ARRIVED — AND FRESH.” [[Karrut Styk|Karrut]] raised a hand and waved. “Hellooooo!” Norridge’s mouth fell open. “What are you doing?! We must—” But [[Rock, the Silent Fighter|Rock]] caught his arm, pointing toward the tower. [[Ellette|Ellette]] was gone — slipping inside the ruins unseen. Norridge nodded grimly. “She’s heading for the top. We need to buy her time.” [[Morgar Goldgard|Morgar]] unsheathed his wand. “Are we engaging?” “Let’s see what [[Karrut Styk|Karrut]] can do,” Norridge said. The dragon tilted its head. “WHAT HAVE WE HERE? THIS MORSEL HAS NO FEAR.” [[Karrut Styk|Karrut]] smiled nervously. “No, I’m not Morsel. I’m _[[Karrut Styk|Karrut]]_! [[Karrut Styk|Karrut]] Styx — like the veg, but not as chewy. Morsel’s my cousin, though! He was red. I’m green. _You’re_ green! So that makes us friends, right? What’s your name, friend?” The dragon blinked. “YOU SPEAK TOO MUCH, KAR-ROT. BUT I WILL INDULGE YOUR FANTASY. I AM **VENOMFANG**, AND YOU TRESPASS IN MY DOMAIN.” [[Karrut Styk|Karrut]] beamed. “Venomfang! Can I call you _Vinnie?_ Love what you’ve done with the place. You named your home _Domain_? Adorable. If I had a home, I’d call it _Mossy Shed._ Has a nice ring, right? Anyway, you could live in the clouds! You can fly! You could have a _cloud castle!_ I could come visit! We could eat birds together! I can make soup!” Venomfang’s eyes narrowed. “I DO NOT DESIRE SOUP. I DESIRE POWER. THE CULTISTS FEED ME — AND I FEAST. THE MORE I CONSUME, THE STRONGER I BECOME.” [[Karrut Styk|Karrut]] frowned. “That’s… really unhealthy, Vinnie. So the cultists feed you? Does that make them your _pets?_” Venomfang’s tail lashed the ground, cracking the stone. “_PETS?!_ YOU DARE INSULT ME, FOOD?!” [[Karrut Styk|Karrut]] gulped. “Oh no.” The dragon reared back and lunged — but before its jaws could close, [[Rock, the Silent Fighter|Rock]] dove forward, slamming into [[Karrut Styk|Karrut]] and dragging him out of the way as Venomfang’s teeth tore through the earth. “ATTACK NOW!” Norridge roared. The sky filled with flame and lightning as the battle began. [[Chapter 10. Venomfang Battle]]