#91 - Rest and Refutation

As told by Magnus of the Island of Seren.

This place seemed out of time to me. It is like that place where I saw Lucerix, it doesn’t seem connected to the rest of the world, even though in this case I know it must be. These two giants from a faraway land—perhaps as far as Argonnessen—are guarding the area, there is a floating tower, a wizard who flew around the summit on a carpet, and much of the space open to the sky. Yet none of the mighty powers has ever heard of it and we followed a secret door to get here. Why hasn’t a sky ship looked down in here before? Have they not thought to look? This ruin holds fascination for the ages yet here we are first to see it? Something is going on and magic is surely involved.

We rested as best we could, we bathed in the clean water, and looked over the runes and drawings again. I tightened up all the stitches holding me together and Cypher worked on Rungo during the night with his tinkering tools.

There was a dragon nearby, bound invisibly within four standing stones as if it were a cage. She was red by shape and attitude, but not by color. The true children of Eberron pride themselves on the hue, luster, and majesty of their scales, so this did not bode well. Her scales were colored like smoke, like shadow, and like a beast of Khyber she shunned the daylight when it fell upon her the next morning. In any case, at the time I was in no condition to deal with dragons. Every part of me hurt. So I waited.

When we awoke, morning had come, and we made our way to the dragon. Clarion went first but was first approached by one of the giants. He was warned, "Do not venture too near, for while she cannot move, her breath cannot be caged." I deemed that, given her age as a young adult red, her killing breath could reach no further than thirty or so feet. I chose some distance beyond that. After a few long minutes of looking each other over, the dragon bid me to free her.

Talking with dragons is always dangerous, they are much smarter than I am and they can be very tricky.  I revealed that I was from Seren, though I think she knew that by my appearance and smell, and the dragon and I talked about the recent happenings there. Vaguely. It wasn’t too long before it declared that it was on the side of "the victor." As we talked, I decided that this dragon was in league with the demons who are working to overthrow the world's well-ordered balance.

Illustration by friend Craig Spearing!

I refused to free the dragon, so she threatened me. I told it that it was best left caged.  Talking with the stone giantess Ūral she revealed that Elidac, the wizard above, had overpowered the dragon and that she herself had been the one to bind her between the stones. That cannot be an easy task, even for a fallen dragon. I asked for permission to kill the dragon and she said to take it up with the wizard in the tower.

We agreed that it was time to ascend the stairs that up to the tower.  Ūral asked each of us for a "treasure or secret of the recent or distant past"  as tribute. This was the price of entry.

Kard offered the teeth of vanquished monsters, for he had intended for them to be wrought into a shield of his faith. I gave my ring of the Carnival of Shadows and when she asked why, I told her about the festivities and games of the elves of this and how the ring bore witness to better days and glad times. She and her companion Kurōne shared a look and a brief discussion about the strangeness of this realm—more evidence that they are not from Khorvaire at all. Perhaps they are more estranged than I in this land. At least I am the proper size.

Cypher seemed unable to understand her request, he started revealing tactical secrets which had no interest for her and then waited to try again. Clarion offered small carved wooden figures, whose significance I didn't myself understand, but the giantess accepted them. Aleae allowed the giantess to peer into her scrying orb which described her Feywild homeland. Simel revealed the greatest of secrets: he was a changeling, not human at all! He even reshaped his face and body to resemble mine! He had never looked so good, and may never again. A shame that his tricksy changeling flesh cannot make him a strong as the dragons have made me.

Cypher tried again with tales of his time in war and his personal struggles as a made being. This held her attention, though she asked pointed questions about it, and at last she let him pass.

Our legs were burning after the long spiral stair. At the top, there was a chamber with tables, books, potion bottles, and a door. While the party looked at the books on the table I pushed the door, but nothing happened. After messing with the book and speaking about intricate drawings within it, and a bookmark, a carved symbol appeared on the face of the door.

So I pushed it again. Suddenly, I was overwhelmed with the futility of this mission. Why was the party seeking out wizards and lost realms when our prey, the vampire—Governor Trazzen, an actual enemy we knew needed to be dealt with—was below, bringing in monstrous hordes by teleportation. And where were we? Idling up above in a floating tower that was not our business.

We should descend immediately and leave this ridiculous place! All of my companions were fools. And they were wrong about this.

In frustration I started yelling at the party that this was a fool’s errand. They fiddled with the book some more and somehow, by dumb luck, managed to open the door—which led up some stairs that obviously led outside the towers' perimeter (more misleading magic). Like idiots, like dumb sheep bleating outside a dragon's cave, they started to ascend further, tempting fate, asking for doom!

This was a waste! In frustration, I moved to one of the other tables and started dropping vials from the table over the edge, letting them fall and smash on the stones below. Perhaps that would command their attention and bring them back to their senses. Clarion and Cypher came to try to stop me and caught one of the vials. Who cares? This is the wrong way and we should leave now. Our true quest is not bound to some wizard hermit and his pet giants.