Back On The Ledge Over Haven After "How Far Does A Dragon Fall?"

[Script Wrecked]

After the visit to Kuhl, Argali visits the ledge overlooking Haven once more. She discusses the events with whomever went, or those who were unable to attend but would like to know more.

"Well, it zeems Argali's idle [POST=1467112]zpeculation[/POST] was just that. The Bastion did not die from the Dragon Poizon. He died frrom the wounds inflicted by the Tarrnished Death. Zis iz the drragon, alzo known as the Ractrafieroz. He was the one Argali [POST=1466522]mentions[/POST] who had Brrenuth laid siege to by the giants to ask who iz opening the Path of the Claw.

"As many zuspected after the visit to the Deepening Dark, the Shadrixkayl has been in league with the Cult of the Green Dragon. But not just that, the Shadrixkayl is in partnerzhip with the Ractrafieroz, and togetherr they werre in league with the Cult.

"Zis included the Ractrafieroz brreaking down the gates of Westgate for the Cult, which iz cauzing the final fall of Kuhl."

She pauses to allow the gravity of this to sink in.

"Yes, drragons helping the Green Drragon Cult, the verry zame Cult who iz poizoning and enzlaving otherr drragons."

She furrows her brow and rubs her temples in response to this seeming grand act of betrayal.

"The stakes to commit zuch an atrrocity must be high, no?

"And indeed, it zeems they werre. Farr higherr then many of us arre apprreciating. Forr what would they do zuch a thing? The Tearr of Orrn, no less."

She pauses again to allow the gravity of that to sink in or perhaps explain the implications(1).

"However, the return of the Tearr of Orn to Fisterion zeemingly brroke the barrgain between the Cult and these two drragons. And as we have learnt, drragons do not like to have theirr bargains brroken. The attack on Lerrigard by the Snowtooth attests to that. Zo, in retaliation for the Cult being unable to zupply the Tearr of Orrn, Ractrafieroz attacks and kills the Bastion."

She shakes her head at the machinations and acts of skullduggery. She then takes a slow breath.

"And who do we have to thank forr zis inforrmation?"

She grits her teeth despite herself, before answering.

"The Black Wizarrds, it would zeem. And, and not only that, it zeems they arre keeping trrack of the numberr of times they have helped us(2), and at the very least it would zeem they conziderr us in theirr debt, orr worrse, perrhaps even allies."



[SIZE=10](1) for those who don't know, she explains the Tear of Orn is one of a pair of scrying devices. Orn's Tear allows the holder to scry across the lands. Orn's Tear is "traditionally" held by Fisterion and was stolen from him and used by the Cult to track down dragons to poison and enslave. It was subsequently returned to Fisterion after the attack on Molvaren's castle (but only just). Its partner, Ausir's Tear, blocks such scrying. Ausir's Tear is "traditionally" held by Shadrixkayl. This distributed ownership helps maintain the balance of power between Fisterion and Shadrixkayl, who are rivals. It was suspected that the Cult has had access to Ausir's Tear, and if Shadrixkayl has indeed been in league with the Cult, this would seem to be confirmed.

(2) if asked how the Black Wizards have helped, she says they take credit for showing us the way to Shadrixkayl, and for this latest bit of information. She points out that it has been suspected that the Black Wizards were behind the Cult, or allowed them use of their Bloodpool of the creation of the half-dragons, but these suspicions have so far been unsubstantiated.[/SIZE]

[Dorax Windsmith]

*Trenton looks serious and considers the information presented for a while*

Thank you Argali, your investigation is most informative.  Could you provide a little more about Bastion, and how he tied into this?

[Script Wrecked]

"Zure."

"Bastion was the firrst drragon protectorr. The Cult hunts the young drragons with the poizoned harrpoons. When they capture them, they feed them the poizoned cows. Zis iz why the Cult needs zo many cows. Zis makes them grow at the abnormal rate, but it iz alzo deforrming them slightly, particularly their scales. The drragon iz then underr the contrrol of the Cult.

"Bastion was made to be the 'protectorr' of Phal. Phal iz the zity in Kuhl. The kingdom of Kuhl was invaded by the Cult. As parrt of zis invasion, each of the zities iz 'given' theirr own drragon protectorr by the Cult. Zis zeems to be parrt of the Cult's means of winning the populace overr, as well as stamping theirr authorrity on the populace. The carrot and the stick, no?

"It alzo means the Kuhl iz less likely to be invaded to by drriving the Cult out.

"Zo, poorr poizoned drragons arre made to be the puppets of the Cult. Iz verry zad."

You arre not sure, but it seems her eye glistens a little.

[ShiffDrgnhrt]

Tyra comes out of the trees and rips off her mask, seemingly having tears in her eyes.

"You mean Bastion was trying to stop them, and fell to them to?!"

[ShiffDrgnhrt]

Tyra speaks, having been listening in the shadows.

"Is anyone trying to find a way to find a cure for the poison?  They can not be allowed to keep doing this to dragons..."

[Script Wrecked]

"A grroup iz purrzuing zis. The ingrredients that arre requirred arre obscurre and eluzive to zay the least."

[ShiffDrgnhrt]

"What group, and what have they found so far?"

[Script Wrecked]

"As the [POST=1466512]Ferrit[/POST] and the [POST=1466762]Sala[/POST] arre recounting earrlier, the Cult did not make the Drragon Poizon, but arre rediscoverring it. As parrt of these investigations, it has been found that therre iz alzo the curre to zis poizon. Piecing togetherr the bits of the puzzle has been the long and painstaking prrocess. We arre dealing with the 'lot of lost historry to be wading thrrough and the obscurre referrences and dead ends. You know, like zearrching forr the needle in the haystack!"

She grins proudly at her analogy.

"Eventually, the list of the ingredients was deterrmined. Howeverr, zis iz when the harrd worrk iz really beginning. Zome arre common enough, like the herrbs, but otherrs arre really, really obscurre, like the rare plant or the dust frrom the particularr comet.

"Argali iz underrstanding therre iz ztill one morre ingrredient to be found. The hairr frrom the mane of the crreature not found on Layonara. The Jhemina(1)."

She purses her lips pensively.

"Wherre we arre finding zuch a thing, she does not know."

"The Protectorr Commanderr Jennara and the Chimes Acacea have been prretty much involved in these investigations frrom the beginning. They would be knowing morre of the details."



(1) formerly known as a Unicorn

[ShiffDrgnhrt]

"I have a theory as to where to find that hair...  but what about the other things needed?  Has anyone collected them?"

[Script Wrecked]

"Zorry, zis iz what she meant by 'found'. It would be the zhame to go all that way to be finding zomething without collecting it.

"Do you wish to be zharring zis theorry, orr iz the zecrret?"

[Script Wrecked]

After the latest venture into Kuhl, Argali is found on the ledge once more, looking into the distance over Haven.

"Zo... We are learrning the Cult have the 'notherr drragon, a Gold, hidden away in the cave that was the old crrypt, perrhaps the old Voraxian crrypt. Zis drragon iz the hunterr, used to patrrol forr the people zeeking to escape zoutherrn Kuhl. Apparently it iz not zo busy as it once was, in the days afterr the invasion.

"Zo... What to be doing? Kill drragon beforre it replaces Bastion, if that iz indeed the intent of the Cult? Collapse cave on it while it zleeps, if that iz poszible? Orr zomething else... If we could curre it... That would be the thing. That would indeed be ourr firrst real victorry zince zis whole thing iz beginning.

"But we need to act in the timely mannerr. The Cult will zoon learrn we have zacked the prrizon freeing the prrizonerr who iz knowing zis inforrmation. Likely they will move the drragon if we tarry too long. But why to be keeping the drragon hidden? Iz it not yet fully grrown?"

She takes a deep breath, and lets out a small sigh.

"By the way, all zis inforrmation does not come forr free. She zuspects the Black Wizarrds are the ones prrodding us along the way to be finding the Gold. No doubt they will turn up at the inopporrtune time zeeking theirr pound of flesh. And therre was no zmall cost paid in blood and death by those who freed the prizonerr who was having zis inforrmation. Drrach Garra and winged half drragons abounded that day."

[Script Wrecked]

After the latest venture into Kuhl, Argali is found on the ledge once more, looking into the distance over Haven.

"Well, that turned out quite... bloody." She rubs at the back of her neck, then her forehead.

"Yes, you arre hearring correctly. We killed the gold drragon. Zis was not her firrst choice of action, but we did not have the alternatives available to us.

"Zo, now the Cult iz without two drragons. The balance iz zlipping against them. We can prrobably expect them to be taking zome zorrt action as the result of zis.

"The 'interested parrties' werre both therre to be taking note of ourr efforrts, however. The agent of whom she iz prezuming iz the Black Wizarrds was therre to watch us begin the jourrney, and the emissarry of the Ractrafieroz at the end.

"It was strrange, though. The emissarry, who, should you be meeting them, iz the firre giant, though was pleased at the demise of the gold drragon, feigned outrage forr the zake of whomeverr might have been watching the prroceedings. Zis may have been what we think was anotherr drragon flying overhead.

"Oh yes, ourr ship was shadowed by anotherr drragon at the starrt of the jourrney, zhorrtly beforre it deliverred the winged half-dragons to ourr deck forr the fighting.

"Oh yes-yes, we arre alzo fighting some zorrt of winged half drragon daemons as well. She had not zeen one of these zince deliverring the boy frrom harrm's reach.

"One furrtherr thing. The zentaurs of northerrn Kuhl werre conzerrned that we would be 'upzetting the balance' with the new rulerrs of Kuhl. Argali thinks they arre going to be dizappointed."

She looks into the distance again, then has a moment of realisation.

"The gold drragon..."

Her eyes narrow. Then she shudders.

"The gold drragon was the zame [POST=735012]gold drragon[/POST] captured on the island of the pirate zlavers. Iz same [POST=735022]gold drragon[/POST] that we frreed on Belinarra. And, if she iz not mistaken, iz the zame gold dragon that came to the aid of the Sederan Navy."

At the realisation, her chin quivers in a moment of sadness.

[mixafix]

Admorin upon basic recovery from his shattering experiences makes his way to the Centaurs of the Great Forest to report in detail on proceedings, so they can make any adjustments to their particular balance in the world. He twitches alot and keeps looking over his shoulder.