Nihilim

The passage opened into darkness. Then, as if something from a fever dream, a scene began to play out. A dozen minotaurs, their cloven hooves eerily muffled against the hard-packed earth, worked in tandem. While most grasped battle axes, a small team gathered around a massive ballista. Their horned heads thrown back in roars that came as whispers, they struggled to load and prepare the weapon. The largest among them worked the lever, adding tension until, finally, he fired. The bolt exploded from the ballista with a deafening thwack that shook the entire space. 
The target, positioned in the center of the room, emitted a shriek of pain. Though the sound was again strangely distorted, as if heard underwater, one could not mistake the dragon’s violent agony. Spines protruding from thick reptilian skin stood snapped like jagged rocks. Long gashes criss-crossed the scaled hide, sizable chunks missing altogether. Perhaps most noticeable, however, were the ballista bolts lodged in the beast’s body. They quivered with each struggling breath, clinging like meddlesome burs to keep the magnificent creature from taking flight. 
As the last bolt found its mark, a final nail hammered into a metaphorical coffin, the dragon’s enormous wings spread once more. The single flap produced a gust so mighty that the minotaurs were knocked off their feet, sent sprawling across the dimly lit room. The dragon, however, was able to rise only a few feet in the air before collapsing with a muted crash. With a closing tremble, it lie still.
Before the minotaurs could celebrate their apparent victory, darkness burst from the cooling corpse. Like water from a popped balloon, it rolled in waves to fill the space, crashing against the cavern walls. The newly arrived party felt nothing as the blackness washed over them, but the minotaurs were swallowed by the swells. When the gloom finally sank back into the ground, it left behind only twelve identical glowing orbs. They cast a faint white light, throwing shadows across the dead dragon, and the stage now set for the players.

Thus begins the preparation stage.
The next phase will commence after 72 hours (Saturday 2/1 at 4:07 PM ET), or after all parties have posted.
Be advised, this will only be a few minutes in-game, so do not delay.
Declare your stats, equipment, battle-ready inventory, skills, buffs, and consumed items in your first post. This information should reflect the scouting thread.

The passage opened into darkness. Then, as if something from a fever dream, a scene began to play out. A dozen minotaurs, their cloven hooves eerily muffled against the hard-packed earth, worked in tandem. While most grasped battle axes, a small team gathered around a massive ballista. Their horned heads thrown back in roars that came as whispers, they struggled to load and prepare the weapon. The largest among them worked the lever, adding tension until, finally, he fired. The bolt exploded from the ballista with a deafening thwack that shook the entire space. 
The target, positioned in the center of the room, emitted a shriek of pain. Though the sound was again strangely distorted, as if heard underwater, one could not mistake the dragon’s violent agony. Spines protruding from thick reptilian skin stood snapped like jagged rocks. Long gashes criss-crossed the scaled hide, sizable chunks missing altogether. Perhaps most noticeable, however, were the ballista bolts lodged in the beast’s body. They quivered with each struggling breath, clinging like meddlesome burs to keep the magnificent creature from taking flight. 
As the last bolt found its mark, a final nail hammered into a metaphorical coffin, the dragon’s enormous wings spread once more. The single flap produced a gust so mighty that the minotaurs were knocked off their feet, sent sprawling across the dimly lit room. The dragon, however, was able to rise only a few feet in the air before collapsing with a muted crash. With a closing tremble, it lie still.
Before the minotaurs could celebrate their apparent victory, darkness burst from the cooling corpse. Like water from a popped balloon, it rolled in waves to fill the space, crashing against the cavern walls. The newly arrived party felt nothing as the blackness washed over them, but the minotaurs were swallowed by the swells. When the gloom finally sank back into the ground, it left behind only twelve identical glowing orbs. They cast a faint white light, throwing shadows across the dead dragon, and the stage now set for the players.

Thus begins the preparation stage.
The next phase will commence after 72 hours (Saturday 2/1 at 4:07 PM ET), or after all parties have posted.
Be advised, this will only be a few minutes in-game, so do not delay.
Declare your stats, equipment, battle-ready inventory, skills, buffs, and consumed items in your first post. This information should reflect the scouting thread.