Chapter #1195
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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 +
+ 1991-2026 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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+ Alindyar 18th level dark elven wizard +
+ Kronos 22nd level lich wizard +
+ Shemeya 19th level human female wizard, from ancient Sulm +
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+ Date: 1/4/587 C.Y. (Common Year) +
+ Time: late afternoon +
+ Place: the Brass Hills, within the Bright Desert +
+ Climate: warm and dry +
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+ "I'm not here to negotiate. I'm here to give you an opportunity." +
+ - from _Extreme Prejudice_ +
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MCXCV. The Fate of Volte
After questioning the captive beholder known as Father Eye, the trio
of archmagi now soar through the desert sky, heading for the lonely spire
known as Dagger Rock.
Kronos: While I'm surprised that you chose to join us...we also welcome
the additional magical power. No dragon is a trivial foe...and from
what Cespedes told us after his visit with the wyrm, this one is old
and powerful indeed.
Alindyar: As before, I am happy to assist here. This encounter promises
to be more challenging than the one earlier today.
Shemeya: (smiles to herself)
A couple of hours ago, the trio had delivered their ultimatum to the
magically-imprisoned Father Eye: share whatever knowledge he possessed
about the Bright Desert and its secrets or perish. The beholder hadn't
been happy, but in the end he'd had no choice...and an hour later (for
he was surprisingly long-winded once he got started) the creature had
given up a number of useful facts and theories. The Pits of Azak-Kil
were infested with undead whose unusual power and longevity stemmed from
some dark artifact deep within those mines. The nearby ruins of Zarak
were empty, having once been a prosperous city housing the dwarves who
worked the mines; the place was now deserted, a sad shadow of the great
place it had once been. Darkbridge Temple, suspected the beholder, was
now ruled by a strange dark dragon that had once haunted the Abbor-Alz
hills far to the east but had abruptly disappeared. The tall tales and
whispered rumors from the desert sands near the ruined temple very much
resembled previous ones heard in and around the hills where the dragon
had once dwelt. Father Eye had planned to manipulate Rary into sending
troops there to confirm his suspicions, but that hadn't come to pass due
to the old wizard's sudden death many months ago. The remainder of the
beholder's information consisted of things the group already knew, such
as details of certain forts or oases. Of note, he had said nothing about
Dagger Rock or the powerful old dragon who currently laired atop that
tall, thin spire.
When they'd learned everything Father Eye knew (or at least was willing
to tell) they had immediately returned him to stasis within the prison
of Zagyg. Shemeya had pushed for execution, but while neither of the
other two were fundamentally opposed to that, they felt that the creature
might still be of use - and that the possibility of outright killing the
monster was a decision best left to the entire group. And so now they
moved through the air by various magical means, still discussing the best
way to approach and speak with the dragon.
Shemeya: As I said before, this dragon is as evil as he is mighty. The
fact that he was willing to hear your companion out before means very
little now. (she frowns) He may have already decided to be a foe, as
opposed to being an ally or remaining neutral.
Alindyar: What do we know about the dragon?
Kronos: Only what little Cespedes shared with us after returning from
his past single encounter with the wyrm. It is enormous, well over two
hundred feet long, and makes its lair amidst a wide, flat area atop the
spire. It originally came from the same region to which Belphanior,
Parekh, and Wu just ventured - the Lost Lands, formerly known as Geoff
and Sterich. That was more than a century ago; Volte was driven from
his lair amidst the Stark Mounds by a band of adventurers, and settled
here in the Bright Desert. At the time, none in this land could oppose
him, a situation which changed upon Rary's arrival.
Alindyar: I recall that the dragon had no idea Rary had perished.
Kronos: Indeed not. Then again, he had devoured the first emissaries
from the wizard, so diplomatic relations were not exactly going well.
Shemeya: (nods) That'll do it.
Kronos: Anyhow, Cespedes explained the new order of things to Volte,
and then proposed an alliance of sorts - one in which the dragon would
receive substantial monetary treasure in return for not swooping down
to take and eat the men, centaurs, and other inhabitants of the desert.
Shemeya: And then?
Kronos: And then Volte grew tired of talk and demanded that Cespedes
leave. (he frowns) The matter remains...unresolved.
Alindyar: And thus our visit today.
Shemeya: I don't see how this can possibly work out. For many long
years, while trapped in time within my tower, I watched this dragon
prey on those in the desert. It is always hungry and has a voracious
appetite - I've witnessed it devour entire herds of camels and their
riders even as I was helpless to intervene and assist. There is no
reasonable way we can provide the wyrm the food it needs to survive.
It would take an inordinate portion of the herds and crops that we're
trying to raise.
Kronos: (notes her repeated use of the word "we" as she speaks on this
topic, and exchanges glances with Alindyar, who had also picked up on
that)
Shemeya: (continuing without any pause) We can't feed this dragon for
long...and that's assuming it would even accept a truce.
Alindyar: Indeed.
Kronos: And that it would honor the terms of said truce.
Alindyar: Indeed, again.
Shemeya: I have a bad feeling about this. Which is why I'm prepared
for an epic battle with this dragon. (she brandishes a sturdy staff
of rich brown wood, atop which is set a large sphere made from some
dark green gemstone) Fire, ice, whatever it takes...I am ready. And
I've brought a scroll bearing a ward against electricity. When the
time comes, I'll use it - so if you stay close to me, you'll benefit
from it as well. (she pauses, noting the spire now visible in the
distance) What tactics do you two have in mind?
Alindyar: (nonchalantly) I plan to animate the stone of the spire and
use it to ensnare the dragon. (he pauses) As a start. Then we shall
see.
Kronos: Meteor swarm. Best to lead with a powerful attack.
Shemeya: Sounds good. (she frowns) Hmm, maybe I should lead with that.
Kronos: Remember, we need to at least _attempt_ to parley with the wyrm
first. Battle is a last resort here.
Shemeya: (shrugs) Of course. Although I don't expect the thing to be
receptive to any offers we can make. (frowns) And I still don't know
how it can keep itself fed.
As they drew nearer to the spire, its sheer size became apparent: the
thing towered well over a thousand feet above the desert floor, and was
about three hundred feet wide at all points from its base to its top far
above.
Alindyar: I have wondered exactly how tall this rock was.
Kronos: It looks natural, but to have survived all these years with its
weight, it can not possibly _be_ natural.
Shemeya: It is not. The tower was here in the heyday of Sulm, more than
two thousand years ago...and even then it was ancient. (she briefly
waxes nostalgic, remembering times and glories long past) Despite
their best efforts, the miners and stoneworkers of the time were unable
to dig passages through it, or even fashion handholds in its face.
Alindyar: Interesting.
Kronos: We can ponder the geology of the place another time - for now,
we must be ready for the dragon. (he pauses) Although...I sense no
dragon ahead. Or anything else.
Alindyar: (studying the top of the spire before them) Agreed. There
are no magical auras there...living or otherwise.
Kronos: Including of course nothing invisible, astral, ethereal?
Alindyar: Of course. I always study such things in multiple ways.
Shemeya: Maybe it's not home right now. Nevertheless...(she takes her
scroll and reads the magical words written on the parchment, invoking
a shimmering field of light blue energy that surrounds her in a ten-
foot radius) There.
The three archmagi approached cautiously, spreading out a bit so that
any single attack wouldn't hit more than one of them. All, of course,
had one or more magical protections in effect...but nothing rose from the
flat surface atop Dagger Rock to face them, and nothing waited below.
Alindyar: Cespedes told us of great treasure here, but there is nothing.
No magic, no coinage-
Kronos: -and no dragon. How odd.
Shemeya: Could this be a trap?
Alindyar: (scrutinizing the area in ways alien to even the other mighty
wizards, he shakes his head) Nay. This place is utterly devoid of any
and all magical auras.
Landing on the wide natural platform at the center of the spire, they
studied the area visually and magically. The crest of the stony tower
was ringed by a natural wall of jagged rock, such that anyone on top -
even something the size of a dragon - could not be seen from the ground.
On one side, the barrier stretched over toward the center of the spire,
shielding about half of it from the sun and elements.
Shemeya: No wonder the dragon liked it here. It's a ready-made lair
with plenty of room for a creature that size.
Aside from this stony overhang of rock, the top of Dagger Rock was as
flat as it was empty.
Alindyar: (musing to himself) Not even a single copper coin remains.
Typical of any dragon really.
Shemeya: Eh?
Alindyar: (turns his gaze from the rocky plateau to his fellow wizards)
I believe the dragon has departed, never to return.
Kronos: (considers this, and nods slowly) Hmm...quite possible, and it
makes sense.
Shemeya: How so? I mean, I agree that it's gone, and apparently for
good since it left nothing behind, but what's your reasoning?
Kronos: Volte - like all dragons - has a sizable ego. No matter how
favorable our terms might have been, he would have still been subject
to our rule here, and for the long term. And a dragon of that age and
power would not be pleased with such an arrangement.
Alindyar: Aye. And the wyrm has had the last seven months to witness
our progress in this region. He no doubt noticed that all of the
gigantic mutated scorpions vanished, as well as the artificial lake we
have created in the Brass Hills.
Shemeya: Not to mention the immense walled city and fortress being built
there.
Kronos: And the bolstering of the forts, the addition and movements of
troops, the construction of roads.
Alindyar: All good points, which emphasize what Volte already knew...
that we have great power in great numbers. The dragon watched, and it
learned, and then it made the wise choice.
Kronos: It left. (he folds his arms) Which was, considering everything
it had witnessed, the only viable option. Better to relocate on his
own terms and stay alive - and also keep his treasure hoard - than to
remain and perish.
Shemeya: And by completely avoiding a confrontation and battle, it never
has to come to terms with the fact that it was outmatched, or else live
in what it would see as servitude to lesser creatures.
Alindyar: This leaves us with some questions, however. (his gaze moves
across the flat area, then into the sky, as he ponders) Where did he
go? Will he muster new allies and servants and return someday to seek
revenge? And will we ever know the truth?
Kronos: (impassively) We will. We have the means, once the Loom of
Ages has been repaired and is once again functional.
That process was taking far longer than expected, primarily due to the
lich being busy with many other things and not having time to focus...but
also because he was simply in no real hurry to hand the item back over to
Belphanior. The unique chrono-magical device was surely among the most
powerful non-weapon artifacts in existence. While it had no offensive or
defensive properties whatsoever, could not affect living or nonliving
objects, could not move its bearer through space, could not summon any
strange beings, and so on...the loom's value was rooted in knowledge.
With the ability to peel back the layers of time and look into the past,
the loom allowed its user to not only see history (_what_ had happened
before) but by association also deduce the reasons for that history (the
_why_ of what had happened before). Knowledge was power, and for the one
who possessed the Loom of Ages, a vast wealth of otherwise-unknowable
knowledge was available.
While Kronos had watched for years as Belphanior utilized the device
responsibly and to great advantage, he still had some trepidation about
the resumption of such use...so he had not made the item's repair a top
priority. And since he was the only one with the rare arcane knowledge
to mend its damage and restore its full powers, none could question the
timeframe.
Alindyar: (having only tangentially heard about the Loom of Ages, he
frowns) Surely you will have the device repaired sometime soon?
Kronos: All in due course. (he sweeps the plateau atop Dagger Rock
with his crimson-eyed gaze) Perhaps once the many efforts currently
underway are complete.
Shemeya: For now...we should try scrying and other magic...at least in
this immediate area, to confirm that the dragon is indeed gone.
Alindyar: Mm. (he studies the shimmering bluish field that surrounds
her) Unfortunate.
Shemeya: Eh?
Alindyar: You used a scroll of protection against electricity for no
reason.
Shemeya: (shrugs) I have other scrolls...a lot of other scrolls. (she
shakes her head sadly) One benefit - perhaps the only one - of being
trapped in one place for two millennia is that I had plenty of time to
research spells and transcribe them into books and scrolls.
Alindyar: I can only imagine.
Shemeya: Actually, I doubt you could. Having long life- (she regards
Kronos as well) -allows one time to do such things. Having long life
but being confined in one place allows _focus_ as well. I likely read
every single tome in my library at least once...and my library is not
a small one.
Kronos: Your power and knowledge are truly impressive.
Shemeya: (regarding the departed dragon's lair, she sighs) Even though
I've yet to prove myself in a fight.
Alindyar: Surely you jest. (he folds his arms and nods to her) A short
while ago, you were contemplating whether a meteor swarm would be more
effective than your staff of the magi. You will do fine in a battle,
once one comes.
Kronos: Not to mention your knowledge of the desert - not just what is
buried where and why, but also its history. No one here, or in our
group overall, doubts your ability.
Alindyar: Aye. We are pleased - and fortunate - to have you as an ally.
With that, they prepared to magically check the entire area - spire
and surrounding desert, to the extent of their considerable powers - to
confirm that all was as it appeared, and that the blue dragon was truly
no longer in the region. After that, the trio of wizards would return
to the Brass Hills to figure out which items on the Bright Alliance's
overall list they could best help with in the coming days and weeks.
next: an update on the new roads, and those who walk them
map: http://www.peldor.com/world/atlas/Bright-Desert_1194.jpg
www: http://www.peldor.com/download.html
homepage: http://www.peldor.com/
email: tmiller@peldor.com
released: 2/6/2026
notes: We hadn't seen the blue dragon for seven months in story
time (specifically 6/2/586 which was episode 1130). I had more than
a little trouble deciding how to deal with him...partnership? fight?
partnership not honored by the dragon, leading to fight? Fortunately
(and with some help from a solid sounding board of great minds) I was
able to come to the only logical conclusion - as seen in this episode.
By simply fleeing, Volte never had to confront his ego or put himself
and his treasure hoard at risk...he just relocated. And he would've
had plenty of time, too; I figure he spent about a month watching and
realizing that the group of archmagi were as powerful as they were
serious about remaking the Bright Desert...and then he spent the next
few months gradually relocating his lair and his loot...until, as was
noted by Alindyar, not a single copper coin remained. Sorry if this
was anticlimactic, but there won't be a fight every time.
Besides which, Volte is now an unknown and a loose end and as such
could always reappear in the future.
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