Chapter #1181
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+ THE ADVENTURERS +
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+ Epic VI +
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+ Many of the locations, non-player characters, spells, and other +
+ terms used in these stories are the property of Wizards of the Coast +
+ which has in no way endorsed or authorized their use. Any such +
+ property contained within these stories are not representative of +
+ Wizards of the Coast in any fashion. +
+ The player characters depicted in these stories are copyright +
+ 1991-2025 by Thomas A. Miller. Any resemblance to any persons +
+ or characters either real or fictional is utterly coincidental. +
+ Copying and/or distribution of these stories is permissible under +
+ the sole condition that no money is made in the process. In that +
+ case, I hope you enjoy them! +
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+ THE BRIGHT ALLIANCE +
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+ Alindyar 18th level dark elven wizard +
+ Belphanior 18th/18th/18th level elven fighter/wizard/thief +
+ Dexitheseus 17th level human wizard, jack of all trades +
+ Kronos 22nd level lich wizard +
+ Lyra 14th level female drow wizard +
+ Pallin 18th level grey elven wizard, teleporter +
+ Parekh 18th level female human wizard, innovator +
+ Wu 18th level human wizard, transmuter +
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+ NOTEWORTHY ALLIES +
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+ Lord Marcus 19th level human fighter and general +
+ Oakly Greenleaf 14th level human Great Druid of Obad-Hai +
+ Shemeya ancient Sulmish sorceress formerly trapped in time +
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+ Date: 1/2/587 C.Y. (Common Year) +
+ Time: early afternoon +
+ Place: the Brass Hills, within the Bright Desert +
+ Climate: warm and dry +
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+ "The people who made the world are the people who were the risk- +
+ takers, the people who didn't play it safe, the people who can +
+ see opportunity where others see only risk." +
+ - from _Mankind: The Story of All of Us_ +
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MCLXXXI. Foundations
Five months have passed since the destruction of the Scorpion Crown by
the Bright Alliance...and they have been busy, productive months for the
magi and their various workers and allies. The most visible outcome of
those efforts was the massive fortress-city that occupied not only the
entire flat top of an immense hill, but also extended down the sloping
sides of that hill and sprawled into the area below. While the fortress
proper - of a size placing it among the largest such structures in the
entire Flanaess - occupied the top of the hill and had its own mighty
wall, the city around it was surrounded by an even larger wall. This
bulwark against attack rose two hundred feet above the ground at all
points, and was thirty feet thick throughout its substantial length. Its
base consisted of immense blocks of solid stone, shaped and placed and
magically fused in place by earth elementals; the end result was a wall
far stronger and sturdier than possible by any normal means. Such work,
even if it could have been done by conventional means and workers, would
have taken long years or even decades.
The loss of Cespedes, during the battle for the Scorpion Crown, could
have been a much bigger blow for the construction efforts...except that
most of the slain elementalist's work there was already complete. At the
time of his death within the ruins of Utaa, the entire base of the great
outer wall - the bottom fifty feet - was complete, and copious amounts of
rock from the elemental plane of earth had been moved to the construction
site to augment the vast store of raw material already there, excavated
from completed digging work. Cespedes had used his elemental powers and
expertise to accelerate that initial work, which made it much easier for
the others to continue and build upon it. If anything, the construction
efforts were limited not by the materials or the labor, but rather by the
ability to organize and supervise and direct. It appeared, the remaining
wizards found, that Cespedes hadn't needed to sleep much and had typically
spent fifteen to twenty hours a day or more overseeing the construction
work. This role (albeit with more reasonable working hours) had now been
assumed by Pallin, who had worked most closely with his slain companion.
While the elf didn't command as many elementals as Cespedes had, he could
still employ a handful...and he also had the pair of iron golems from the
mines, thanks to Alindyar and Lyra. While the elementals and golems did
all the heavy lifting, the more conventional workers shaped and finished
that raw work, seeing the great outer wall to completion. These laborers
and craftspeople - a thousand refugees from Sterich and nearly as many
dwarven stoneworkers, respectively - had been forged into a efficient and
productive workforce thanks to the expertise and ability of the dwarven
master builder Vogric Stoneshaper. And not all of those dwarves hailed
from the Good Hills; almost half their number had ventured south from the
Abbor-Alz seeking good coin for hard work. Better, their involvement gave
the Bright Alliance yet another potential ally among the peoples of the
region - and every such relationship could potentially pay even greater
dividends in the future.
As for Cespedes' affairs, the other magi had done the best they could.
As far as they knew, he'd had no relatives or next of kin; there had also
been no body to bury due to the strange and terrible nature of Shattados'
psionic attack, which had rent the very particles of Cespedes' body into
nothingness. Accordingly, they'd held a brief and simple eulogy for him,
vowed to remember and honor him in the future, and then set about dealing
with the few items of his that hadn't been destroyed with his body. That
list was quite short: Cespedes' trunk, within the magical iron tower,
contained a few notes on the fortress' construction (which Pallin soon
reviewed and put to use), some notes detailing his theories about Rary's
constructs and their animation, other such notes written by Rary himself
and recovered after his demise, and a couple of useful magical items that
the group had discussed at that time, five months ago...
Parekh: It seems that he possessed a Prison of Zagyg. (she eyes
Alindyar) Which means we, as a group, possess _two_ of the things.
Alindyar: Aye. (he frowns) Mine currently contains the beholder
from the mines.
Pallin: It does? But what then happened to that deadly monk, he of
the Crimson Blades, who you trapped at the Center of Time?
Alindyar: I had put that one into a deep magical stasis, to free
space in the cage.
Kronos: (frowns, slightly)
Alindyar: Fear not, he cannot escape.
Wu: (stroking his wispy beard) That is good.
Belphanior: While we're recapping our magical imprisonment devices
and their contents...I have an iron flask that still contains a
deadly black cloud from the since-destroyed sky castle.
Parekh: I trust that you keep that flask tightly-sealed.
Belphanior: (nods) It can't be opened without a command word, and
definitely not from within. (thinking back to how the iron flask
had imprisoned Hope's previous form of Drusilla, before that, he
smiles thinly)
Kronos: At some point, we will need to interrogate the monk. Lest
we forget, the Crimson Blades must have a stronghold somewhere...
which is surely filled with treasures both magical and monetary.
Dexitheseus: We didn't forget. We just haven't had time.
Belphanior: We need to make time.
Lyra: What else did Cespedes have that might be of use to us now?
Pallin: Two unique talismans...one to control the adamantine golem,
the other to control the iron dwarf. (he frowns) I have already
put the former to work on the construction, but the only use of the
armored dwarf would seem to be in battle.
Belphanior: I'll volunteer to take that talisman and see what I can
do.
Pallin: (nods) Cespedes also had a small but high-quality collection
of tomes on the subject of elemental magic, planes, and denizens.
Dexitheseus: We could no doubt learn a lot from those books.
Pallin: I already have. That's one reason construction continues at
a rapid pace. (he shrugs) No time to waste, you know.
Wu: Heh.
Pallin: Other than all these things we've just discussed, our fallen
companion did not seem to have another home or lair. From what I'd
learned while working with him these last couple months, he tended
to keep his valuables on his person, or wherever he was at the time.
Parekh: (frowns) I find that...odd.
Pallin: Perhaps. I've also spent some time scrying for any clones or
such that he might have had, but without success.
Kronos: (flatly) Not all wizards prepare such. They tend to have a
great cost - in time and effort and money - and also have potential
risks. (he crosses his pale, robed arms) Considerable risks.
Dexitheseus: He probably never thought that he'd meet his end while
allied with a group as powerful as us. (sadly) There's a lesson in
this, somewhere.
Belphanior: (matter-of-factly) The lesson is simple: don't get
killed. (he frowns, thinking) Although it's also possible that
he once had more possessions, but they were lost after the Fortress
of the Nine was assaulted.
Parekh: Or he did have more things secreted away somewhere, and we
just haven't found them yet.
Pallin: That search can continue, though perhaps after more pressing
matters are dealt with.
Parekh: Of course.
Lyra: I am left to wonder...why did Cespedes join us? This kingdom
we're building didn't seem like the sort of thing he'd have been
interested in.
Parekh: I've thought about that, a great deal. Even when I recruited
him before, to the...other group, I wasn't sure if his motivations
really matched ours.
Belphanior: Then why...?
Parekh: Two reasons. First, he had vast knowledge in his particular
area of expertise, and such knowledge is always useful. Second, he
had formerly been an enemy, and the chance to turn foe into ally is
a double win. (she shrugs) The potential reward was worth the risk.
Kronos: In the end, it worked out. He not only assisted with past and
current efforts, but he fought and perished for our cause. In the
end, I would say...his scales were surely balanced.
Alindyar: Aye.
Pallin: Having said all that, I'll add that he seemed fascinated by
the work Rary had done toward animating constructs...especially that
gigantic silver dragon. That seemed to be Rary's tool for eventually
asserting dominance over this region, once he rendered it functional.
(he frowns) And Cespedes thought Rary had been close; in fact, he
had spent a great deal of his spare time studying those notes...but
he couldn't quite seem to solve the problem of animating the thing.
Belphanior: That mystery may well remain unsolved.
Wu: Good thing, too. No one needs a giant metal dragon running wild.
Pallin: Unless, of course, it can be controlled. (he frowns) That
was, at least, Cespedes' apparent intention.
Belphanior: (leans back in his chair)
What only the elf know - what he could never share with the others
here - was that he knew the reason Cespedes hadn't solved this puzzle.
In fact, he WAS the reason. Immediately after Rary's defeat, in the
chaotic times before the evil wizard's stronghold had been thoroughly
explored and secured, Belphanior had found some sort of workroom while
having a cursory look within that fell place. Within, he had found a
stack of parchments detailing the unusual construct and its (still-
theoretical) animation and operation. Making a quick decision, based
on his suspicions about Cespedes' intentions for the thing, the elf
had quickly taken a few of the papers and secreted them within his
vest. In his mind, at the time, this had been justifiable; given
Cespedes' past - all recent actions aside - it seemed possible that
he'd have taken the gigantic metal dragon and done gods knew what once
it was operational. There was also the fact that the construct had
nothing to do with the nine wizards' other plans in the Bright Desert.
In Belphanior's mind, he had not kept those perhaps-crucial notes from
the other archmagi, but rather from someone whose motives were less
known (and less trusted) than the others.
Pallin: One thing is certain...now, we will never know.
Kronos: (impassively) It would seem so.
That conversation, many months in the past, had been a tense one from
which Belphanior emerged wondering if he'd done the right thing or not
by taking and concealing selected material. Regardless, things had soon
moved on beyond the affairs of Cespedes; hand in hand with the ongoing
construction work on the fortress-city and its surrounding rampart had
been the creation of a new lake within that walled domain. Cespedes had
previously suggested facilitating this by opening a small but permanent
gateway to the elemental plane of water, but that approach had inherent
risks...and besides, the method for it had perished with the odd wizard.
However, the ultimate solution to the problem came from Neera and her
encyclopedic knowledge of the communal magical armory, including which
items had been taken by Rary and which of those had been recovered upon
his death. Among the latter had been a rare and highly enchanted glass
bottle that, when unstoppered and activated, would emit water at one of
several possible rates depending on the desires of the one utilizing it.
Ironically, this device was most likely a very small, controlled conduit
to the elemental plane of water - achieving the same thing that Cespedes'
method would have but without the risk of anything large or dangerous
coming through.
A large, round bowl had previously been excavated in the flat hilltop,
inside the walls of the immense fortress. After careful calculations on
rates of water flow and predictions of water usage, the decanter had been
placed at the bottom and center of the outdoor stone bowl, its stopper
opened and a particular command word spoken. After one night, a large
puddle had formed and hidden the magical vessel from sight. After one
week, a small lake filled the central area of the bowl. After one month,
that lake had expanded considerably. By that time, a series of channels
had been cut into the rock along the edges of the reservoir, and pipes
fitted to those channels; when the artificial lake was full, these ducts
would divert water to various places. Some would be routed to the huge
fortress itself for various uses, but the bulk of it would flow downhill
to the plains beneath the hill and fortress. From there, the water would
be used for drinking, irrigation, and bathing - and could also be stored
as needed for later use. Other pipes would bring water further out into
the desert, to specific sites as needed. A final channel, still under
construction, would take excess water southward where it would eventually
empty into the Wooly Bay. And of course, the magical decanter's output
could be changed if more (or less) water was needed at any point. For
now, it was estimated that the fortress' lake would be full by the end
of the month, by which time all of the various ducts would be completed
and able to route the water for the different uses.
In parallel with the creation of this artificial lake and a method of
distributing its water, the wizards had consulted with Oakly Greenleaf,
the Great Druid of Obad-Hai and a past ally. More than four months ago,
that one had laid out his thoughts and methods for achieving the Bright
Alliance's goal of transforming the wasteland into a more fertile and
hospitable area...
Oakly Greenleaf: The lake you have created, and the means of bringing
water to other areas, were - are - quite ingenious.
Dexitheseus: I actually can't take credit for it. None of us can.
(he nods to Belphanior) The elf's consort is a genius in more than
one field, it seems.
Belphanior: I'm sure most of us would have thought of it eventually.
Neera just thought of it sooner.
Oakly: Whoever the planner...it's a good plan. In addition to the
handful of already-fertile areas I've mentioned in the past, more of
them could be created once this water-works of yours is operational.
Pallin: And that is good, but what we really need is help creating
sizable tracts of fertile land...land which can be used for crops
and also the grazing of herd animals. That will be the key to this
region's eventual self-sufficiency.
Oakly Greenleaf: You need an expert...one familiar with planting and
agriculture and such things. One who can not only guide and oversee
these efforts, but by being here also allows my part of this bargain
to be fulfilled by having someone on site to oversee the new temple
of Obad-Hai that you'll be building.
Dexitheseus: Indeed. We can divert some of the workers, as soon as
you provide your specifications and needs for said temple.
Oakly Greenleaf: (nods, grinning behind his massive, wild beard)
Belphanior: When can these efforts begin? We should have the water
running down to the plains below within the month. We'll need to
get things started, ahead of the spring season.
Oakly Greenleaf: The work to make good, viable soil can start at that
time. It will just require knowledge of the methods, and a measure
of nature's magic as well.
Pallin: Excellent.
Belphanior: So you'll get started soon? A week or two, I'd guess?
Oakly Greenleaf: Oh, you misunderstand, my boy. It won't be _me_ who
lives and works here. I have other duties, many other duties, that
take up all my time. No, I have someone else in mind, someone who
has recently fought and triumphed to earn the right to ascend to the
rank of Archdruid. (he pauses) I wouldn't normally assign one of
such rank to a comparatively small region such as this, but...I have
a feeling that the Bright Lands are going to be something special.
Dexitheseus: So when will this new Archdruid arrive and begin work?
Oakly Greenleaf: He should be here within the month, along with his
wife, who is also a servant of Obad-Hai as well as my daughter.
Belphanior: (his jaw drops)
Oakly Greenleaf: (chortling) Yes, that's right! You will be glad to
know that my representative here is someone you know well, elf...it
is none other than Peyote himself!
Belphanior: (stifles a groan)
Dexitheseus: (claps his hands) How fortunate this is!
Pallin: (sensing Belphanior's dismay, he allows himself a rare smile)
Indeed it is.
And that had been that. As promised (or dreaded, in Belphanior's case)
Peyote and his entourage had arrived a couple of weeks later and gotten
right to work. Despite the now-Archdruid's odd demeanor and mannerisms,
he'd wasted no time. Fields were identified, mapped, created, watered,
and plowed ahead of the coming spring season...people experienced with
farming or interested in learning were identified and put to work...and
the foundation was laid for a sizable new temple of Obad-Hai. Any small
concerns Belphanior had about Peyote's involvement were soon allayed,
as the half-elf worked hard and made good progress toward rendering the
formerly arid land viable for farming. As Oakly had said...with a steady
supply of a few key things (water, knowledge, labor, and magic) anything
was possible. It now seemed possible that there would be crops growing
this very year, which would be a huge boon for the region - allowing it
to produce its own food rather than relying on imports to sustain its
populace.
Speaking of that populace, it was growing considerably as time passed.
Aside from the existing and new dwarven laborers and the refugees from
Sterich - roughly a thousand of each - about six hundred former residents
of the Duchy of Tenh had come south from their long exile in Nyrond and
Urnst, seeking to better their lot in a different and more friendly land.
Lord Marcus had a lot to do with this effort - and truly, everyone won in
this outcome. The kingdoms to the north were rid of refugees they really
didn't have space for; the Bright Lands gained more workers and potential
future citizens; and those people themselves now had a real opportunity
to work and earn an honest, stable living. And that was a key element of
the opportunity: they had to work. There would be no loitering around
feeling sorry for themselves, turning to crime to survive, and so on. It
was made clear to them (and indeed to any and all who ventured here in
search of work and perhaps a better life) that they were being given not
just an opportunity but a good one; they would work to help build up the
new kingdom, and in return they would be fed and housed and paid a fair
wage. Better yet, this was their chance to later become a citizen of the
Bright Lands, once things had progressed far enough. Like everyone who
was now contributing toward the region's progress, they would have that
option once some measure of stability had been achieved.
There were others coming to the Bright Lands as well, but from more
unexpected sources. It seemed that Belphanior's multiple actions to free
slaves and end slavery over the years had not been forgotten. First, a
group of three hundred men, women, and children arrived from the former
Hold of the Sea Princes. While not everyone enslaved in that land had
ultimately escaped their bonds, this lot had...and they remembered who
had done the things that resulted in their freedom. Now, they were here
to repay that debt, and had come with no idea or guarantee about being
accepted. Belphanior had quickly convinced the other wizards to allow
these people the same opportunity as all the others who had come or fled
here...an ask that was made easier due to the fact that these people were
extremely hard workers, and highly motivated. The other surprise had
come from the west and south, specifically Keoland, where those freed
from the underground nightmare that was Skava-Ra had been relocated and
had been living and working for the last five years. All it had taken
was one person finding out that the elf Belphanior was helping build a
kingdom in a nearby land...and fully half of those people (in some cases
with recently-born children) had decided to venture to the desert and try
their luck. Of course, the Bright Lands weren't easily reached due to
the dangerous Wild Coast being right in the way of the most direct route;
fortunately, these thousand-plus migrants had the support and help of a
powerful ally. Father Adam, high priest of Trithereon and former right-
hand-man of Rob (and administrator of the recently-built temple complex
in Keoland where these people had been living after Skava-Ra) had reached
out to Belphanior; after this influx of potential new citizens had been
approved (along with plans to quickly stock up on more food and supplies)
Pallin had conjured a sizable magical gateway which allowed the sizable
group to quickly and easily get to the Bright Lands, avoiding what would
have been a lengthy and arduous land journey.
So it was that, over the past few months, the population of the Bright
Lands had swelled to almost four thousand - all of them working in some
capacity. Stonemasons, blacksmiths, leatherworkers, tailors, and dozens
of other types of skilled laborers were organized and then fit into the
overall plan, utilizing imported raw materials when needed to produce the
supplies needed for other things. Tents were quickly set up to house the
workers until actual huts could be completed; in some cases, the people
who would occupy these homes were tasked with building them. The food
and water they needed to subsist (until the year's potential crops) came
via magic as well as supply runs to other lands (both covert and overt.)
With the once-dangerous Knife's Edge Pass fully cleared and open (and
now patrolled by Bright Desert forces) commerce had begun with the Duchy
of Urnst to the north...an effort which had been helped along when Parekh
and Belphanior had quietly ventured to the capital city of Leukish and
paid a visit (and their respects) to Duke Karll. They'd wasted little
time or few words making their case to the ruler: his kingdom, like many
in the Flanaess after the recent wars, still needed all the funds and
allies it could get. The visiting wizards offered both: two bulging
sacks of gold coins in return for the Duke finding ways to encourage his
kingdom's merchants to venture south with their various wares, and the
promise of powerful magical help should some dire menace ever threaten
Urnst or the area between it and the Bright Lands. The duke overcame
his surprise and quickly agreed...and within weeks, merchants from the
Duchy began to appear in the northern reaches of the Bright Lands. By
that time, a series of simple and functional roads - forty feet wide and
made of sand fused into stone - had begun to appear along the most common
travel routes. Such an undertaking would never have been possible before
the Scorpion Crown's destruction; the monstrous scorpions and manscorpions
that roamed the desert would have threatened both the construction as well
as the later merchant traffic. However, every last one of those terrible
creatures had crumbled into dust at the moment of the cursed artifact's
destruction, clearing the way for productive efforts and safer routes.
Even more, the very nature of the desert seemed to be gradually changing;
somehow, the sun didn't feel quite as hot, the wind-blown sands didn't
seem so harsh and dry. When consulted about this, Oakly Greenleaf and
his protege Peyote had both suggested that the land was returning to its
natural state from before the two-millennia-old curse....and the dusky
sorceress Shemeya agreed with that idea, noting that before Shattados'
curse, ancient Sulm had been a fertile region with lush grasslands and
a temperate climate.
Another new undertaking involved the initial scouting for one of Lyra's
ideas: building a second safe route through the Abbor-Alz hills. This
one would be to the northwest, stretching from Ul-Bakak toward the cities
of Hardby...and eventually, perhaps Greyhawk and Dyvers as well. Before
any actual work could commence, though, there were a couple of obstacles.
The diplomatic one involved getting the approval of the barbarians and
others who dwelt in or around Ul-Bakak and the hills just to its north;
after all, these people were used to a certain way of life, and might not
care for such a route being established near their homes. The logistical
challenge involved identifying and defeating whatever menaces might still
lie within certain sites along or near that future route...sites such as
the Pits of Azak-Kil, the ruins of Zarak, and the haunted Ghost Tower of
Inverness. Others, such the valley known as Fool's Rest and the fearsome
beast that once lurked within, had previously been dealt with.
Lyra's other idea - establishing seaborne commerce on the Wooly Bay,
the Sea of Gearnat, or both - would require first a military presence
on one of more coastal areas, and then an actual port city with docks
and facilities. This would have to wait until the more central, critical
goals were accomplished...but nevertheless the dark elf was thinking,
scouting, and planning. One massive challenge with establishing and
maintaining any waterborne commerce or fleet would undoubtedly be the
Scarlet Brotherhood, whose home lands were relatively close to the south
and east, and whose ships roamed some of those bodies of water. When the
Bright Desert had lacked a ruler, it had been ignored by the Brotherhood;
now, it was only a matter of time before they took notice...and would
need to be dealt with.
For now, the ever-growing military of the Bright Lands was confined to
the land. Aside from the garrisons at the three existing forts (200 at
Fort Whiterock led by Captain Zhora, 300 at Griffon's Nest led by one of
Lord Marcus' trusted captains, and 300 at Kalki's Leap led by Commander
Chukai) the veteran general had assembled an impressive force of nearly
two thousand warriors over the past months. Some of them had formerly
served Rary or Robilar, and had been given a choice: join the new force
under the Bright Alliance, or leave immediately and never return. Given
that many of these men were mercenaries who knew no other life beyond
fighting for coin and glory - and there would be plenty of such work to
do right here in the desert land - a surprising number of them accepted
the offer and joined Lord Marcus. At almost three thousand total, this
new military's ranks didn't yet compare to the greater numbers that Rary
and Robilar had previously commanded...but Lord Marcus was far from done,
plus his forces didn't have to worry about engaging in frequent battles
with the desert's natives, either. The key piece, of course, had been
getting the general on board. After a face-to-face discussion with the
eight wizards, he had agreed to take a permanent role as general of all
Bright Lands military forces - but with four notable conditions. The
primary one was that he be left alone to organize, deploy, and otherwise
command the armies as he saw fit, without interference or attempts to
countermand any of his orders. Secondly, he made it clear that if any
of his troops ever encountered foes with powerful magic on their side,
he expected to have similar assistance from the ranks of the Alliance.
Thirdly, he outlined the costs of building and maintaining a powerful
army: pay, food and supplies, and barracks. These were non-negotiable
needs for any soldiers he commanded, and he wanted the wizards to know
and agree to fund those needs. Lastly, he wanted the necessary funding
and commitment to build three new forts as discussed previously (one at
or near Histak, one near or north of Ul-Bakak, and one on the peninsula
jutting out into the Wooly Bay. After some discussion (and a bit of
deliberation about funding sources) the wizards agreed to these terms...
and the Bright Lands secured the services of one of the finest generals
and leaders in the lands.
The aforementioned funding proved to be a less significant concern than
anyone had thought, for - in addition to the massive infusion of capital
from Belphanior's personal fortune, and some lesser amounts from some of
the others - they also possessed the complete monetary treasures of Rary
and Shattados, plus a significant amount of gold and silver from the mines
formerly ruled by Father Eye. All told, this collectively amounted to
many hundreds of thousands of coins of all types - enough to fund all of
the current initiatives for some time, definitely until the Bright Lands
could produce its own resources. And, as had been stated in the past,
a significant potential resource lay buried right under the desert sands:
treasure hidden away in lost underground cities for thousands of years.
Finding and extracting this vast wealth would not be easy, but it was far
from impossible. In fact, someone had mentioned that this region could
likely rival other, past sources of kingdom-making treasure such as the
Cairn Hills and Castle Greyhawk.
What none of the others knew, as he hadn't shared this with even Neera,
was that Belphanior's past investments in land around the Free City of
Greyhawk had paid off handsomely in recent months. Using Peldor as an
intermediary, the elf had gradually and carefully sold tracts of land
back to Greyhawk - which badly needed them now, given the refugees and
also the city's current expansion - at a sizable profit. Bit by bit, his
fortune was replenished even as he was donating it for the needs of the
Bright Lands. No one else knew the full scope of the elf's financial
machinations here - even Peldor was only aware of the selling and that
a great deal of Greyhawk's money was flowing Belphanior's way.
After one particularly lengthy and (at times) heated discussion, the
wizards had finally agreed on an initial plan for religion in the new
land. Having but a single deity and temple would have been difficult
for more than one reason, as various members of the group had ties to
different gods and goddesses - or their agents in the world. On the
other hand, allowing any and all religions to establish themselves could
lead to all sorts of problems if evil or conflicting faiths cropped up.
It was eventually decided that there would be three "sanctioned" deities
with temples and clergy in the Bright Lands: Trithereon (god of liberty
and individuality), Obad-Hai (god of nature), and Istus (goddess of fate
and divination.) All three of these deities already had strong ties to
the party: Rob's lands, new mega-temple, and legacy were centered around
the worship of Trithereon...the necessary assistance of Oakly Greenleaf
and Peyote went hand-in-hand with their god Obad-Hai, who also happened
to be revered by many of the savage desert nomads...and Istus had twice
provided key allies for Belphanior, and was also respected and feared by
the region's nomads. More than one of the wizards pointed out that the
involvement of two deities who had the nomads' attention could be key to
ending their constant feuds and battles - which would have to happen if
there was to be peace in the desert. Anyway, while the trio of religious
options was most definitely not set in stone long-term, it was a solid
start...and by the beginning of the new year, construction of all three
temples was well underway. The presence of three strong choices would
help ensure a well-balanced set of choices for spiritual guidance (and
sometimes healing magic) for the future populace of the land...and by
being intentional about this from the start, the Bright Alliance exerted
more control than if they'd done nothing and instead let things unfold
naturally (and perhaps chaotically.)
That trio of deities - all significant powers in the divine world, and
all with substantial numbers of worshippers in the Flanaess - were not
the only allies the Bright Desert had (or was cultivating.) To the west
of the Free City of Greyhawk lay the small but powerful region known as
the Gedlands, ruled by Nenya and Deryck. That pair had enjoyed a long
and fruitful friendship with the elf and some of his group. Similarly,
Greyhawk's current Guildmaster of Thieves (and Oligarch) - the one and
only Peldor - was a less obvious but equally powerful ally. To tell the
truth, that great city owed a debt of gratitude to Belphanior and others,
as they had helped defend it from a gigantic and nearly-unstoppable beast
more than a decade ago. Belphanior had also helped deal with a sizable
and dangerous pack of shape-shifters that had attempted to replace key
figures in the city's top leadership. And he had done a great personal
favor for Greyhawk's Captain-General of the Watch, Sental Nurev, finding
and rescuing the man's kidnapped brother from the Bandit Kingdoms. With
all of that in mind, it was likely that any future efforts at diplomacy
with the Free City would have a few friendly voices from that end of the
table.
Further, before Father Adam returned to his sprawling temple back home
in Keoland, Belphanior had suggested to the high priest that he confer
with his king about ways the Bright Alliance and Keoland could help one
another. Although that land lay to the southwest, past the rugged Lortmil
Mountains and the Ulek states, it stood to benefit greatly from the recent
and planned military efforts - led by Mongo Thunderhead - to retake the
lands of Sterich and Geoff. These were efforts that the Bright Alliance
had lent its assistance to - and would do so again, as Mongo turned his
attention northward to Geoff. And Belphanior had history with Kimbertos
Skotti, king of Keoland, having provided a haven for all the slaves freed
from the Hold of the Sea Princes by the elf. He had also privately given
his blessing to Belphanior's later attack on the Hold's capital city of
Monmurg...an endeavor that had freed even more slaves and demonstrated
what would happen if the kingdom's rulers continued with their slaving
ways. To be sure, had the Greyhawk Wars not shifted the balance of that
region's power into the hands of the Scarlet Brotherhood, it was probable
that slavery there would have remained abolished now.
Aside from the Duchy of Urnst to the north, beyond the Abbor-Alz hills,
only four other regions directly bordered the Bright Lands. The Kingdom
of Nyrond lay to the northeast; once mighty, its armies and treasury had
suffered greatly during the wars...a fact which the Bright Alliance might
be able to turn to their advantage. To the northwest lay the Domain of
Greyhawk, much expanded after the events of the wars; while the rulership
of that area held some potential allies, the Free City was also home to
the Circle of Eight - a group that would likely do everything in their
power to hold the power and influence of the Bright Alliance in check.
Southwest and across the Wooly Bay was the Pomarj, which now included
the southern half of what had formerly been the Wild Coast. And to the
southeast, beyond the Sea of Gearnat, was Onnwall - now under the control
of the insidious Scarlet Brotherhood. While Nyrond and Greyhawk were
non-hostile, the other two posed much greater threats. Diplomacy efforts
with all four of these nearest neighbors - whether they ended in treaties
or violence - would be necessary in the very near future.
In addition to all of the things already addressed (many of which were
far from complete) there were a number of other matters that still needed
to be decided, planned, and implemented: the daily administration of the
future city-fortress...the exact laws by which the Bright Lands would be
ruled, and the mechanism for enforcing those laws and dealing with any
violators...the creation and implementation of a standard coinage for the
new realm...a secure central treasury for the holding and distribution of
said coinage...the exact location and nature of the various wizards' lairs
within the huge fortress...central shared facilities such as a library, a
laboratory, a forge/foundry, a learning lyceum, an armory, and perhaps
even a planetarium.
There were also other assorted matters that needed to be dealt with (or
as Dexitheseus liked to say, "loose threads to tie up.") Aside from the
captured monk Babuk and whatever he knew about the lair of the Crimson
Blades, there was also the beholder Father Eye to interrogate. Both of
these prisoners certainly had valuable information...which might lead to
more treasure. There was still the matter of the blue dragon Volte, high
atop the desert on his rocky perch. Another dragon - this one yellow and
defeated by Belphanior's team and Mongo more than six years ago - still
had an undiscovered lair and presumably a hoard of treasure. That same
adventure had originated in one of the series of teleportation gateways,
that place located at an unknown point in the desert. This particular
pair of loose ends were known only to Belphanior, rather than the entire
group of magi, but they were mysteries now ripe for the solving.
Aside from all of that, there were several (as yet) unapproached places
amidst the hills to the north, places had been discussed briefly before
the expedition to find Shattados...Karistyne's Castle, Storm Keep, Lake
Marstefel, the dwarves of Dumadan. There were also other, yet-unexplored
places buried under the desert sands, places that promised to hold great
riches and magic...sites about which the newly-freed Shemeya had plenty
of knowledge, as proven in a more recent conversation with the Bright
Alliance...
Shemeya: -I certainly can. Not only have I watched this region
intently for a _very_ long time, I was also here long before the
sites' decay and subsequent burial by centuries of shifting desert
sand. You already plundered the ruins of Utaa, which held accursed
Shattados' hoard; what you took after his demise was substantial,
representing everything his minions had gathered for him over two
thousand years. While there is more down there, it is trivial
compared to what you already found, and likely not worth the effort
needed to find and extract it.
Belphanior: (silently watches and listens, as he is not yet sure that
he trusts this strange sorceress, but has decided to hear her out to
judge her ability and usefulness to the group)
Kronos: Excellent. Any time that we don't waste is time we can spend
on other efforts.
Parekh: And we truly appreciate your counsel on these matters.
Shemeya: It is the very least I can do to repay all of you. After
all those years trapped in time, within my tower...I had begun to
give up hope.
Dexitheseus: The fact that you maintained your sanity, through that
long ordeal, is remarkable.
Shemeya: It helped to have a problem to try and solve. (she frowns
sadly) That, and watching events unfold...and documenting them.
(she pauses, as if remembering a great deal in a matter of moments)
At any rate, aside from holding the Scorpion Crown and the treasure
of King Shattados, the once-great Utaa has little else to offer, I'm
afraid. No, the largest single source of wealth remaining in this
desert is undoubtedly the necropolis at Unaagh. Those countless
rows of mausoleums hold the remains of our rulers, nobles, priests,
wizards...and all of their worldly treasures. They aren't buried
nearly as deeply as Utaa, either. The problem is that the complex
is completely overrun with undead of all types, including some not
found anywhere else on Oerth.
Kronos: That would indeed be a sight to see.
Shemeya: Be careful what you wish for. The undead roam the crypts
during the day, and emerge to wander the ruined streets by night.
They are ruled by the lich-wizard Drokkas, once Shattados' rival
to rule our kingdom.
Pallin: But how did he not become a scorpion-thing?
Shemeya: Drokkas was slain long before the curse took effect...and
similarly, all of those buried in the necropolis were dead before
then as well. The curse did not take any of them, and so they rot
in once-great Unaagh, as they have been for all these ages, their
foul master planning and plotting a strike against Shattados that
will never happen.
Wu: Not with that one slain.
Shemeya: (shaking her head) It would never have happened anyway.
Any of the undead who venture even a few feet beyond the necropolis
crumble into dust immediately. (she shakes her head) I have no
idea why - perhaps they have their own curse, or perhaps the dark
evil of the place binds their forms together. Whatever the reason,
the undead denizens of Unaagh cannot leave.
Kronos: Which makes them no danger to us, and thus not an urgent
matter.
Belphanior: Not unless we run out of money and are willing to risk
our lives to get more.
Kronos: Interesting point.
Parekh: And here's another, which we need to discuss before any real
talk of raiding the necropolis and taking its treasures. (eyeing
Shemeya, she pauses a moment) What are your thoughts on the idea
of basically grave-robbing the tombs of your nation? Most people
would take a rather dim view of such activity.
Shemeya: (frowns) Any patriotism I still have died with the Sulm I
knew, long ago. And at any rate, it would now be outweighed by the
needs of the present time, and present growth and development. Or
perhaps the right term is "rebirth." (she shakes her head) Worry
not about this. That treasure won't help the dead...or undead, as
the case may be. But it CAN help the living, so whatever can be
retrieved, I say use it for a better future here.
Parekh: (nods) I see.
Shemeya: And I thank you for asking. Not everyone would have spared
a thought about my opinion on the matter.
Belphanior: As you're no doubt realized by now...we are not everyone.
Shemeya: Indeed.
Lyra: (to Shemeya) Everything you've told us is extremely helpful,
and much appreciated. But I sense there is more?
Shemeya: Much more. For example, you will eventually want to pay a
visit to Darkbridge Temple, but not for vast treasures. That foul
place was once used for rituals and sacrifices to dark gods, once
great Sulm began to decay. Among various undead and monsters that
roam its halls now, there is a dragon of shadows, only recently
arrived in this region. No one else knows of this - remember, I
could see many things but I had no real means of communicating them
to others. Not to mention that there _were_ no others capable of
hearing me...except perhaps the wizard Rary, but his motives were
unclear and perhaps sinister. (her expression darkens) Not that
he ever tried to speak with me, although I'm sure it was within his
power. So I instead watched and waited...until all of you came to
this desert.
Kronos: It is fortunate that we had the knowledge and ability to
contact you.
Shemeya: Indeed it is. (she thinks for a few moments) Aside from
the sites I just detailed, there is the Plain of Spears...a haunted
battleground from ages past, site of Sulm's last great battle with
its rival kingdom Itar. This desolate place holds the remains of
thousands of warriors from both sides, including treasures both
monetary and magical...but any who desire them had best count on
doing battle with the ghosts of their owners first.
Alindyar: What of the mines, formerly ruled by the eye tyrant?
Shemeya: Aside from the mining of precious metals, a process which
you have already taken over? That complex was much newer, and also
underground; I know little of it, other than the likelihood that
the beholder was planning something grand in scope and ambition.
Lyra: (nods) The time for that one's questioning will soon come.
Shemeya: The only other site that might hold treasures is the old
mine in the hills to the northwest...I believe you call it the Pits
of Azak-Kil. That place may not be worth the effort, for some evil
device of great power lies within, guarded and perhaps worshipped
by great throngs of undead. To be honest, I'm surprised that the
infestation has not spread into the surrounding lands.
Parekh: Perhaps it might one day. (she regards the others) Which
means we should deal with it sooner rather than later...just to be
sure.
Shemeya: My thoughts exactly.
Belphanior: (nods, regarding the sorceress with greater respect now,
compared to the start of this conversation) You have a great deal
of helpful knowledge.
Shemeya: (smiles thinly) I should. I've been forced to watch this
region decay and change for two thousand years...years in which I've
seen everything. (she frowns) I suppose that I'm now the world's
greatest living authority on ancient Sulm.
Belphanior: (folds his arms, pleased) A valuable ally.
Kronos: This is quite a list of tasks, even for a group such as us.
Belphanior: Let's not forget that we still need to help Mongo and
the army that's made great strides in liberating Sterich over the
last six months, and will soon turn north to Geoff. I've received
word that the time draws near...and as before, I'll need some of
our number to assist.
Parekh: Drak and I are in. That's about the most noble cause we're
currently facing.
Wu: (smiles thinly) And I as well.
Kronos: Geoff, too. (he nods) As I said...quite a list.
Shemeya: Ahem. (she absently runs a hand through her black hair)
This may not be my place, but...I'd like to help with some of these
tasks. You may not be able to understand, but after being trapped
in my tower for all those ages, I feel a strong need to actually DO
something. (she frowns) If you'll have my aid...?
Kronos: (nods) Your magic could be useful.
Lyra: (ESPing to Alindyar) That's an understatement. She's got to
be at least as powerful as some of us.
Alindyar: (ESPing to Lyra) Aye, if not more so. I would certainly
vote in favor of allowing her to help us with these myriad efforts.
Parekh: (regarding the tanned, raven-tressed sorceress from ancient
Sulm, she also nods) I think I speak for us all when I say we'd
welcome any assistance you can lend.
Shemeya: (smiles thinly) Excellent. I can assure you that I have
not only the power but the drive to be of great help with some of
the things spoken about today. I've been watching all of you from
the day you came here to challenge Rary and his schemes...and then
replaced them with better ideas, ones that had actual merit. I've
hoped and dreamed of such great works, and the freedom to pursue
them - for a long, long time. The Scorpion Crown, and its curse,
always stood in my way...until now.
Dexitheseus: And we are happy that our actions ultimately resulted
in your liberation.
Kronos: Indeed.
Lyra: I daresay that the crown's greatest use to us was in fact its
destruction.
Alindyar: Aye.
Shemeya: That's for damn sure.
That last discussion had taken place only a week past, and since then
the Bright Alliance had been working to organize the various tasks and
match their members to those tasks. And that was the purpose of today's
meeting, here and now: to prioritize all that needed to be done and then
assign wizards (and their companions, henchpeople, and servants) to each
effort. While they were gathered around the large table within Pallin's
enchanted iron fortress, it would not be long before their meetings took
place within a more permanent chamber within the new stronghold - whose
core chambers were getting closer to completion with every passing day.
Belphanior: We have some critical decisions to make now.
Kronos: (thinking about all of the matters at hand...in the fortress-
city, the surrounding land, the fringes of the desert, and beyond)
That we do.
next: assignments
map: http://www.peldor.com/world/atlas/bright_desert_1156.jpg
www: http://www.peldor.com/download.html
homepage: http://www.peldor.com/
email: tmiller@peldor.com
released: 7/4/2025
notes: My writing break that started in late 2024 is now over. My
personal life got busy and I was at a natural stopping point, plus I
needed some time off from writing, so I made that choice. And now it's
summer 2025 and I'm at it again. Let me tell you, planning a kingdom
is a lot of effort - this episode took at least TEN HOURS to write and
modify. I had to work through multiple files of notes and ideas (we're
talking dozens of pages) and pull it all together into one master file,
and then fully organize the contents, and then write this episode...an
episode which serves as a bridge from what came before to the future,
and also solidifies the foundation for that future.
If it wasn't clear, this episode is set five months after the last
one, and an awful lot happened during those five months. All of the
conversations shown in this one took place at different points during
that five-month span. (Believe it or not, there are people who read
episodes like this but somehow don't realize that the events occurred
in the past.)
It's interesting to think that I've used (and am now building upon)
some ideas/material that were published more than three decades ago:
Rary the Traitor (1992) - takes place in fall of 584 C.Y.
From the Ashes (1992) - takes place in spring of 585 C.Y.
this episode (2025) - takes place in fall of 586 C.Y.
Here's an updated list of the places where my version of Oerth differs
from canon/published:
- the Slave Lords (seven of them) were slain by the adventurers
- Org Nenshen died, and his Guildmaster role was taken by Peldor
- Peldor bought and runs the Green Dragon Inn (not Ricard, who was an
associate of Robilar)
- in the Hold of the Sea Princes, Jeon was replaced by Creon
- the Crimson Blades completed the G-D-Q adventure series
- the Crook of Rao wasn't on the Isle of the Ape (I used the Wand of
Orcus, and so the Crook was found elsewhere though still utilized
in the big purge of demons aka Flight of Fiends in 586 C.Y.)
- Rary was ousted from power (and life) by Belphanior and friends
- Mongo led the armies that retook Sterich; Belphanior assassinated
King Galmoor ahead of that
- differences in powers of Shattados and Scorpion Crown
- (upcoming) the Bright Lands proceed in a different direction...
On another note, the peldor.com website has seen some updates, most
prominently the characters and Rogues Gallery sections. Mesoloth, Rary,
Robilar, Tenser, the Circle of Eight, the Crimson Blades, the Bright
Alliance (formerly the Cabal), and all the key personages from the last
eighty episodes are now current. This is a big deal - the old/outdated
entries had really been bothering me and I very badly needed to get the
updates done. Big shoutout to David Murphy (the site's webmaster) for
all his help implementing these updates!
So now we come to it: the reshaping of the Bright Desert, post-Rary,
post-Scorpion-Crown. As I said in the ending notes section of the last
episode, it's pretty simple: Belphanior took advantage of the existing
grouping of the Cabal, helped drive the formation a more coherent group
with even more power and a greater purpose, they overthrew Rary and
hijacked his long-term plans for the Bright Desert, found and got rid
of the Scorpion Crown and the curse...and here we are. This may not be
kingdom-building in the conventional sense, but I do hope it's kingdom-
building in a wondrous and entertaining sense...undertaken by people
with the funding and power to see it done. If I was a member of a
powerful adventuring party and this opportunity dropped into my lap,
I'd sure as hell pursue it (and I wouldn't wait around for the slower
allies to form up, I'd organize and drive that as quickly as possible.)
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