Excerpts from the pages of Godsfall: The Time of Troubles
In the North, it began with an arcane call for a bonded
companion. A new age was on the cusp and as the Storm Dragon before, Frostburn
wanted to shape this age to come into an Age of Dragons. He called out across
the planes to Raine Wands as his arcane familiar, and commanded Raine to
prepare for his terrible and eminent return.
In Waterdeep Raine Wands sat on the High Lords committee,
currently weighing in on whether to allow Thay embassy status in the city when
the magic of the arcane bond seized him. At that moment Raine’s life changed
forever. Considering all the probabilities and fallout of what his connection
to such a destructive force would bring, Raine immediately began to exercise
all his resources.
Consulting the nine sages one by one led Raine to Karlott
and the Cult of the Dragon. Karlott was a member of the Arcane Brotherhood who
was funding Luskan’s pirate war against the north island kingdoms. Each faction was hostile to Waterdeep, and as a wizard in the Order of Magists and Protectors
this never sat well with Raine.
Meanwhile high in the Nether Mountains, the witch-dragon Dajaronzie,
also heard Frostburn’s commands: “Assemble prospective females that I may
evaluate them to be worthy to receive my seed, and propagate my bloodline.”
In Luskan, Karlott put out a general call for gather teams
to seek out and find Samular relics hoping to uncover the Weapons of Legacy
that were used to kill the first Storm Dragon. Taking these relics out of reach
would earn them prestige and favor in the eyes of their dragon sponsors making
the Cult of the Dragon stronger.
This information about relics and legacies put Raine back on
the subject of the Samular heirs when the seed of inspiration took root. He
would conspire to bring together the seventh generation of Samular heirs in hopes
they join arms and discover their enemy- Cult of the Dragon. Raine also set
plans in motion that a forgotten portal in the invisible tower in Castle
Waterdeep was opened by these young men and women, releasing mischievous fey
from the Mists into the North. These creatures would hopefully be reaped for
their chakra essentia, using what would be known as the William device, thereby
allowing for more personal spells. It was a viable plan and a long shot but one
that would help defend the city against the dragons when the time came and a
plan that did not directly violate Raine’s bond against his master.
When the godsfall began, Frostburn at last arrived, and
tears of Selune rained magical gemstones across the seven realms. The terrible
Frostburn now in the presence of his prospective harem revealed a plan, in
light of the godsfall to usurp certain divine powers: War, Good, Evil, Death, Time,
Fate and Nature; to create a draconic pantheon thereby making Frostburn a real
storm god- an undeniable force of Nature.
In Waterdeep other factions unified forming their own Pantheons
based on shared beliefs and ideals, among them was the breath taking and stern Syndra
Wands. Already a veteran spell-caster in the Order of Magists and Protectors, Syndra
excelled in the theater of politics, leadership, and high arcana earning her recognition
amongst her peers. Syndra believed that if the seven gods of magic were dead
and their connection to the weave severed, then it was her purpose to become the
next Mystra goddess of magic, restore the weave, and stabilize wild magic.
Joining with Brother Carmichael and the Peoples Pantheon,
Syndra traveled the savage frontier including Neverwinter, Luskan, and Silverymoon
to gather seven divine aspects of arcana. One aspect was given freely to Syndra
her by Eva goddess of fate, but one final lost aspect of magic eluded her- in
fact it eluded most everyone.
During that Year of the Shadows 1358, Pantheons clashed and Frostburn’s
dragon-harem attacked with efficient regularity during their year-long siege as
the Cult of the Dragon infiltrated churches crippled by the godsfall to reprogram
communities into Luskan empathizers.
In Waterdeep, on the Feast of the Moon Syndra came home to an
inter house mage-battle between her house Tirisfall
Ascendency and Blackspire
Gap. The conflict that night resulted in the unexpected death of Marcus
Wands, Jarred Mallred, and the plane-slip of many Thayans as well as Syllia and
the newborn baby Smendric.
Mid-Summer arrived, the time of ascension and the dragon’s
final attack. At Tirisfall Ascendency everything was in place, faithful
supporters, Raine’s colossus, and enhanced Wands house wizards with chakra
essence ready to battle threats at sea, the land, or in the sky.
What came next was a battle of the gods, the ultimate king
of the hill, and a nightmare come to life for the people of Waterdeep.
In the final moments, with all of the People’s Pantheon
ascended or killed and Cyric’s malign group scattered, it soon came down to
Frost Burn, Dajaronzie, and Syndra. As the sun set over Deep Water Harbor they
fought, from the City of the Dead to Mount Waterdeep until suddenly Frostburn
was snatched violently from the sky by Raine’s colossus leaving Syndra and
Dagaronzie close to death on at the foot of the Celestial Stairway. Spell and
claw clashed and blood splashed the mountain side. Below in the streets Raine’s
east wall colossus grappled the albino red dragon, his wings and tail erasing entire
neighborhoods from Waterdeep streets.
The break from Frostburn’s serpentine neck cut through the
din haze like a crack in the ice. The sound
sent Dajaronzie into a rage so great that she turned on her own fallen pantheon
stealing more divinity with each betrayal. Dajaronzie lusted for godhood and
suddenly fashioned herself to be the next Storm Dragon unlike any ever known.
During the blood bath Syndra slowly crawled up the side of
Mount Waterdeep, hand over hand reaching for the luminescent Celestial Stairs.
Behind her came the wet horrific sound of bloody death approaching. Unfettered
and fearless Syndra climbed; in all the seven realms Syndra Wands was the last
to ascend to godhood.
In the company of stars, at the top of the stairs Syndra
turned and looked down upon Toril as the new goddess of magic. She watched as Dajaronzie
climbed the stairway in a stellar alarm. The two locked eyes; Dajaronzie’s eyes
the color of panic and Mystra’s eyes the deep color of the universe. With a
thought Mystra stripped Dajaronzie of her powers, dissolved the celestial
stairway beneath her, and left the dragon trapped in the Mists between the
planes.
By my hand
Shar Auvryndar
1 comment:
Well done
Post a Comment