In their quest to recover the controls for Abraxas' Iron Army that is marching towards Zeantis, the Inconvenience Removal Agency intends to venture once more into a blue dragons lair where the Hand of Morlin also created a hideout. The very same place where two friends died in battle just a day ago. Archmage Khelem teleported the group to the nearby mountains surrounding the Grave of Horas, starting a distraction to draw the Kobolds and the dragon living there away, while the IRA infiltrates the lair.
They succeed a second time in stealthily entering the underground structure plastered with sand and glass crystals. But chamber where the secret door that swallowed Bruri after their last big battle here resides is this time filled with Drake Guards and a blue wyrmling.
But as Drem Greenglen stalks invisibly towards the door, attempting to disenchant it with the Snoozing Fork from Khelem, the drake guard that was not kited out by Drem''s companion Sylvie feels something wrong. Some more distractions give Drem the opportunity to finally succeed in snoozing the door's protective spells. But the group hesitates long enough for the now aware guard to call for the dragon Arxonas that claimed this lair.
While some fight against the remaining guards, others enter the door into a long dark corridor leading downwards. Unfortunately, the hesitations cause the situation to take just long enough for Arxonas to arrive angered by the intruders, unwilling to negotiate. The dragon unleashes his wrath multiple times, causing some members of the group to drop unconscious and others to take heavy damage. In the end, the group is able to flee down the corridor that is too narrow for the dragon to follow.... yet.
As Arxonas burrows towards the intruders, the group exits the corridor into a massive chamber made out of smooth, beautiful glass. The geometric hall that reveals thousands of gemstones and coins behind its thick glass layers has a stream of lava flowing through, some extruded platforms coming out of the floor, and a balcony on the far end of the room. Ken and Drem quickly teleport to the balcony, discovering some sort of study room of Abraxas, containing book shelves, notes, scrolls and artefacts, along with the words "OBEY EVERYONE" written with chalk on the big stone wall ahead. But Flo and Jeff fail to climb up to the balcony in time and Jeff even falls into the lava, dealing a heavy blow to the otherwise very acrobatic monk.
And then the dragon arrives. Combat follows. Drems's summoned companion drake can deal some good bites against the dragon, so do most ranged attacks against the flying terror. But in the end, Arxonas deals a killing blow against Ken, who was bravely tanking most of the dragon's attacks for a while. Shortly after, the dragon breathes his lightning into Jeff and Flo standing on top of the balcony, both dropping unconscious from the devastating attack that destroys most of the furniture along with it.
But as the destruction settles, a big glass tube falls down the balcony, shattering to reveal an imprisoned crocodile-human, smaller in size but similar to Marutuk. The disoriented prisoner takes a while to comprehend the situation and then decides to join into the fray after vengefully shouting Abraxas name.
Unseen by the rest, the dragon's lightning breath arches through Abraxas' study room, destroying various arcane artefacts, some of which are small gelatine prison pearls that start to give birth to the previously imprisoned Bruri Ironbeard and a kobold named Koby. After the moment of disorientation vanishes, Bruri helps the unconscious Flo and Jeff back up, then joins the fray.
The combat continues and Arxonas is able to down the new crocodile fighter and Koby, the Kobold. With a bit of luck and a well fired bolt, Bruri is able to end the life of the blue dragon shortly after.
While the exhausted group recovers, gemstones and dragon pieces are collected, conversations are had. Archmage Khelem is contacted but won't be able to pick the dragon slayers up until sunrise, so a well earned rest is had while the remainders of the study room are being looted. Beside a book of teleportation circles known to the Hand of Morlin, the group finds a letter from the Mediator to Abraxas, revealing private information on the IRA. The loot also contains a completed checklist with preparation tasks to be done by Abraxas before the "Snowend 7", today. A map of the Colonies Beyond is also obtained as well as a smooth black cube and more of the squishy prison pearls, a chest with a good amount of platinum pieces and a dagger that after some investigation reveals to contain the magical chalk used to control the Iron Army.
The next day, the survivors have an easy time to escape the dragon lair full of dragon hoard looting kobolds. Back outside the Grave of Horas, Archmage Khelem picks up the group and delivers them back to Zeantis.