Chapter #1182
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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 (AND ALLIES) MISSION TEAMS +
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+ Belphanior 18th/18th/18th level elven fighter/wizard/thief +
+ Hope 16th level female human wizard +
+ Poulos 8th level human fighter +
+ Irina 14th/7th level female human priestess/fighter +
+ Otto 12th/14th level dwarven fighter/thief +
+ Paige 13th level human female fighter +
+ Razor Charlie 12th level human fighter +
+ Skektek 14th level human wizard +
+ Ys 14th level reptilian fighter +
+ Parekh 18th level female human wizard, innovator +
+ Drak 15th level human barbarian +
+ Wu 18th level human wizard, transmuter +
+ 6 elite ogre magi +
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+ Pallin 18th level grey elven wizard, teleporter +
+ Talathion Undiviel, an elven chief architect +
+ Vogric Stoneshaper, a dwarven master builder +
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+ Alindyar 18th level dark elven wizard +
+ Daffodil 11th level human druidess of Obad-Hai +
+ Peyote 12th/13th level half-elven fighter/Archdruid +
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+ Lyra 14th level female drow wizard +
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+ Dexitheseus 17th level human wizard, jack of all trades +
+ Lord Marcus 19th level human fighter and general +
+ He Chak 8th level human wizard +
+ Kaya 2nd level human female thief +
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+ Kronos 22nd level lich wizard +
+ Shemeya 19th level human female wizard, from ancient Sulm +
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+ Date: 1/3/587 C.Y. (Common Year) +
+ Time: morning +
+ Place: the Brass Hills, within the Bright Desert +
+ Climate: warm and dry +
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+ "People who lack vision are threatened by those who have it." +
+ - Arnold Schwarzenegger, from _Be Useful_ +
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MCLXXXII. Building Blocks
After five months of significant progress in more than a dozen separate
yet interrelated areas, the Bright Alliance made some important decisions
yesterday...decisions about which efforts to prioritize and deal with now
as stepping-stones to (and foundations for) the future.
Firstly, the very same group that had aided Mongo in Sterich six months
ago - Belphanior and his team, Parekh and Drak, and Wu - would soon return
to that region. The massive army massed there - a combination of Sterish
refugees, Keolandish troops, and demihumans from the nearby mountains and
hills - had previously moved through eastern Sterich with mighty purpose,
engaging and defeating any humanoids and giants in their path as they'd
marched steadily toward the capital city of Istivin. Led by the dwarven
hero (and now general) Mongo Thunderhead, this force had been one part of
a two-pronged attack...for Belphanior and some of his allies had already
infiltrated Istivin just days beforehand. The elf had personally found,
confronted, and slain the hill giant king Galmoor. After that, his team
and wizard allies had proceeded to retake the royal palace and slay large
numbers of the evil foes who had taken up residence there after Sterich's
defeat during the Greyhawk Wars. By the time that Mongo, at the head of
his nearly-ten-thousand-strong army, had reached the gates of Istivin, the
capital city had been all but reclaimed. After that, Belphanior and his
allies had returned to the Bright Desert with the promise to return and
help again once the army was ready to turn northward to the Grand Duchy
of Geoff.
Before that, however, there had been a lot of work to do in Istivin,
the surrounding plains, and indeed the entire kingdom of Sterich. That
work had been violent and bloody, but the reclaiming force was highly
motivated, and (even ignoring the significance of slaying Galmoor and
taking Istivin) had the advantage of momentum. Even better, at that point
they had been augmented in a major way with the arrival of a second army
which shared in the cause. Comprised of more than ten thousand veteran
dwarven warriors from the Lortmil Mountains to the east, this force was
led by a dwarf even more accomplished than Mongo: the legendary Yod
Ironbeard. Although he was no longer attended by the twin halfling
warriors Spikey and Sparkey (for they had both perished years ago during
the battle of Skava-Ra) the old dwarven general still cut a mighty figure
astride his gigantic armored war-lizard, and he still wielded the fabled
and mighty Axe of the Dwarvish Lords. Yod had been well aware of events
in Sterich and Geoff - before, during, and after the Greyhawk Wars - and
when he learned that his friend and often-ally was leading an army into
those overrun lands with the intention of retaking them and exterminating
the occupying giants and humanoids...he'd immediately sprung into action.
That action had culminated in his arrival at Istivin at the head of his
elite dwarven army; this had immediately doubled the strength of those
who sought to liberate the lands from evil. And they had then set about
finishing the job. For the next four months, the massive army had swept
through Sterich with a redoubled fury, steadily crushing all foes and
liberating any surviving Sterish they found along the way. It had indeed
been bloody work, but just weeks ago, it had concluded; Sterich was free
and the invaders were no more. While others (including Querchard, the
king in exile) would now have to plan and implement the rebuilding of
their kingdom...Mongo, Yod, and their force (which had at some point
gained the colorful name "The Twin Armies") had assembled in the northern
reaches of Sterich, preparing to march northward and begin the work of
retaking Geoff.
Belphanior: It won't be long...a day or two, maybe. Even now, they
await our arrival.
Wu: Yod Ironbeard. It will be good to work with him again.
Parekh: He's a powerful one for sure.
Drak: Damn right. It'll be like having two Mongos. (he grins, looking
forward to fighting side by side with such warriors)
Belphanior: I'll also be bringing my entire team this time, including
Otto. He missed out last time.
Drak: No matter. (chuckling) There'll be plenty of foes for us all.
Kronos: Three of our number...will be sorely missed here. But this is
necessary work.
Belphanior: And it's the flip side of the coin that got the Bright Lands
many of the laborers needed to get those things going that can't be
done entirely by magic.
Kronos: (nods) I am aware.
While the campaign in Sterich and Geoff did not directly impact (or
benefit) the Bright Lands or their new rulers, it was important for the
overall good of the continent - and more to the point, it was happening
now...not in weeks or months. This made it a priority worth committing
a third of the group's wizards to...but the others would not be idle,
with much to do right here in the desert. Pallin would continue to do
the heavy magical lifting necessary to bring the sprawling fortress-city
closer to completion. This work involved the constant planning and
implementation of tasks with both the elven architect Talathion Undiviel
and the dwarven builder Vogric Stoneshaper. Those latter two, despite
some initial personality clashes and differences of opinion, had quickly
united in common cause. Aside from the substantial sums they were being
paid for this effort, they had both realized that the fortress would not
only be one of their greatest works but would also be at the center of
a new and powerful land in this storied and unpredictable world. They
both worked now for pride and the sense of accomplishment, as much as
coin.
Talathion Undiviel: (surveying the massive, half-complete fortress-city
from a distance, he consults a parchment and then makes some notes with
a quill)
Pallin: Things seem to be progressing nicely, of late.
Talathion Undiviel: (nods) I was concerned when we lost Cespedes and
all his elemental magic, but with the outer wall complete and the
foundation fully laid, we are in good shape.
Pallin: What of the central chambers, and the underground vault? Will
those see completion anytime soon...say, by the end of the month?
Talathion Undiviel: (shrugs his thin shoulders) For that, you'll have
to ask Vogric. The digging and stonework are his purview. (he makes
another note on his parchment) For my part, I'm keeping busy simply
trying to realize the overall vision here - and all of the asks from
you wizards - and meld them all into a cohesive design. (he sighs)
Aside from distinct towers for each of you, the fortress portion of
this place needs to have a library, a workshop, a foundry and nearby
armory, a lyceum of some kind...and an observatory?
Pallin: (shrugs) There is much to be gained from studying the mysteries
of the night sky.
Talathion Undiviel: I suppose so.
Pallin: Just be thankful that you aren't tasked with building the huge
telescope that will one day reside there.
Talathion Undiviel: Mmm...right.
Alindyar had teamed up with Peyote, strengthening the effort to create
viable farmland in the former wasteland with the dark elf's unique magic
and abilities. As the druids had already suggested, the very nature of
the land itself had changed now that the curse of the Scorpion Crown had
been lifted. While everyone agreed that the land would eventually become
green and fertile again, their opinions varied on how long that would
take given the natural course of things. Of course, some of them had
the power to _unnaturally_ affect the course of things...in this case,
Alindyar's powerful magical paintbrush. This artifact, which research
had revealed to be created by the legendary illusionist and alchemist
(and later quasi-deity) Nolzur, was merely a normal item to most people.
But to one who possessed great intellect, greater expertise with illusory
magic, and artistic ability...the thing augmented their existing magical
power. In the case of Alindyar - who was already unbelievably powerful
to begin with - the brush allowed him to create, destroy, or alter things
in the real world depending on what and how he painted. He had already
tested the brush, and then refined his skills with it, in the region;
that was one of the primary reasons that the immense curtain wall which
surrounded the fortress-city was already complete. The dark elf had now
turned his efforts to transforming the nearby desert sands into a flat
plain, one brush-stroke at a time. The key with Nolzur's brush was to
work slowly and carefully, as even a single small mistake could have
disastrous consequences. It was also inadvisable to attempt to do too
much too fast; finishing that wall had taken two months of meticulous
effort that often saw Alindyar's hand cramp after just an hour, ending
any further painting efforts for that day. And of course, the painting
efforts were limited by the highly-enchanted pigments and inks required
for the work (which were laborious and difficult to create, although the
dark elf was getting better at it). The canvases required were of only
the highest-quality materials, and had to be specially-enchanted before
use; when a canvas' surface was fully-painted, the canvas would vanish
as its contents became reality.
Despite these limitations, Alindyar's careful but steady efforts with
the brush - augmented by the physical labor and raw materials already
available - had sped up the work and brought results faster. He took
the same approach now, as he brought grass and plains to life using the
guidance and suggestions of Peyote. The progress wasn't, of course,
entirely due to the potent powers of the brush; Peyote also worked his
own druidic magic, making new soil more likely to grow crops, bringing
rain when it was needed, and so on. The dedicated labor force - those
people who had the ability and knowledge to work the new farmland and
plant seeds and help things live and grow - also did their part, their
efforts greatly aided by the flow of fresh water through the system of
ducts that brought the water from the lake on the vast hill above. The
work was slow and steady, and not for the impatient...but with all of
these resources in play and working together, success seemed certain.
Peyote: (surveying the large swath of rough but viable farmland that,
a month ago, was sandy desert) Dude.
Alindyar: Pardon?
Peyote: Dude, I think this is gonna work out.
Alindyar: It damn well ought to. With your experience, guidance, and
druidic magic - combined with the sheer power of my paintbrush - I
would expect nothing less than a miracle.
Daffodil: (nods) Turning one of the world's harshest wastelands into
a place where crops can sprout, grass can grow, and herd animals can
one day feed and graze...that's a miracle indeed.
Peyote: For sure.
Alindyar: (muses silently that obtaining the paintbrush from Belphanior
was probably one of the most lopsided trades in recorded history...or
even unrecorded history)
Peyote: Now be aware, man...we won't be able to transform the entire
desert, or even most of it, or even a large chunk of it. That would
take years, if not decades, even with all the resources we've been
bringing to bear. You wizards will need to be content with getting
fertile land at the base of your fortress. (he eyes the sprawling
construction in the distance, atop and along the edge of the Brass
Hills which rise above the desert floor) City. Or whatever is is,
or will be. (having momentarily confused himself, he stops talking)
Alindyar: 'Twill be a fortress-city, when complete. I would venture
to say that there is nothing quite like it in all the Flanaess.
Daffodil: I believe it. And I'm sure I'll believe it more once it's
finished.
Alindyar: Besides, our plan was never to transform the entire desert.
Peyote: It wasn't?
Alindyar: (shakes his head) Some of the denizens of this region may
well prefer that it remain a desert. Belphanior, who has done the
vast bulk of the politicking with those various groups, will need to
discuss and parley with them...once he is done with the grim work in
Geoff, at least. I suspect that the long-term outcome will be some
sort of compromise, such as the western half of the Bright Lands being
changed like this while the eastern half remains arid and sandy.
Peyote: Belphanior the diplomat. (he whistles) Who'd have ever thought
it could happen?
Alindyar: He has changed since we all first met, almost twenty years
ago. To be sure, we have all changed, but in his case...I think that
on some level he _needed_ to do something like this, to actually build
instead of destroy. You know, he once ran a small town in the middle
of nowhere, but it was eventually destroyed by forces and events beyond
his control. It is possible that those events have bothered him ever
since...and now he strives to make up for that past failure.
Peyote: (surprised) Whoa.
Alindyar: I share all of this to help you better understand that the
Belphanior of today is not the same Belphanior of times past. Knowing
this may well help you work with him more effectively.
Daffodil: (ponders this)
Peyote: Yeah, I get it. Thanks!
Alindyar: (shrugs) Anyhow, negotiations are not my responsibility; in
fact, my last "negotiation" was that which removed the beholder from
the mines.
Peyote: Heh.
Alindyar: For now, I am focused on helping you render some portion of
this land healthy and fertile. If these swaths of new soil do indeed
prove successful, we can then see about making more.
Peyote: Right on, man. Right on.
For now, Lyra would devote her time, effort, and magic to developing
and expanding the new land's infrastructure, which was still in a state
of infancy. With the now-safe passage through the Knife's Edge pass to
the north, and an eventual second one through and beyond the trading
village of Ul-Bakak to the northwest, the primary land commerce routes
into and out of the region were (or would one day be) established. The
challenge now was to create a series of roads through the desert - not
just to connect those two routes to the capital-to-be in the Brass Hills
but also to connect larger areas to smaller towns, oases, and such...as
well as the forts which housed garrisons of troops. These roads would
all follow a set standard: forty feet in width and rising above the
surrounding sand, their surfaces would be smooth stone, so that wagons
could easily and safely move along these causeways. The construction of
these roads thus far had been accomplished by multiple types of magic;
one to gather and bind the desert sand in place, another to fuse it into
solid stone, a third to keep future sand from accumulating atop the flat
surface of the roadway. After all that, work crews had to come along
and do the fine work of leveling and smoothing the newly-created rock.
Those crews needed protection - there were still random dangers in the
desert, at times - and it was slow work, slower now without Cespedes'
additional magical power available. Still, the two new roads closest to
the Brass Hills and the future fortress-city capital had been completed;
these connected that structure to the fort to the south (Kalki's Leap)
and the town of Kalundi to the east. The next step was another section
of road to connect Kalundi with Fort Whiterock to its north and east...
and after that, the road would be extended northward to meet the southern
end of Knife's Edge Pass. These latter roads were Lyra's top priority,
as their completion would greatly hasten (and also increase the safety
of) all merchant traffic to and from the north. As things stood now,
a significant number of the troops recruited and trained by Lord Marcus
were deployed to protect the laborers working on the roads, and the
merchants from the north. However, Lyra knew that once the first roads
in this new network were completed, things would get much easier. The
next phase after that would involve more new roads...one to link the new
capital with Ul-Bakak to the north and west...another to connect Kalki's
Leap with the town of Histak...and a third route from Kalki's Leap to
the south and west, into the largest of the peninsulas there. All three
of these future roads had something in common: their far ends were the
sites of new forts to be built later. After conferring with Lord Marcus,
Lyra and the region's new general had agreed that it made sense to first
build those roads, and then the new forts; the transportation of workers
and building materials would be much easier with the wide roads in place.
Lyra: (blasts another section of piled sand with a bolt from the wand
of lightning, fusing the soft sand into solid stone) There. (she nods
to the foreman of the crew of laborers, who knows that in a short time
the new stone will have cooled enough for his team to begin work on it)
It was fortunate indeed that, between their own possessions and the
hoard of Rary, the wizards had access to several wands of lightning or
fire, to augment their own spellcasting abilities. This meant that more
work could get done, and faster. Of course, it helped to have so many
magi available.
Skektek: (blasts another, further section of sand with a lightning
bolt) Yeah! (he turns to Lyra) This is kind of fun. Thanks for
letting me help.
Lyra: I'm happy to have the help. Not many people fail to ever get
tired of launching lightning bolts.
Skektek: It never gets boring. Too bad they're not enemies, though.
Then we'd be killing two birds with one stone. (pondering the chunk
of fused stone he just made, he pauses to consider something) Say...
have you ever thought about trying a chain lightning on multiple heaps
of sand? I mean, that might be more efficient for what you're trying
to do here.
Lyra: No, I...hmm. (her eyes widen) How the hell didn't I think of
that?
Skektek: I have no idea-
Lyra: You don't need to answer that, the question was rhetorical.
Skektek: (either oblivious to or unfazed by the sarcasm) Well, suit
yourself. (he notes the position of the sun in the sky) I need to
be getting back to Belphanior and the team...we're leaving for Sterich
sometime this morning. And then it's on to Geoff and more battle.
Lyra: Well, you'll certainly have plenty of targets there.
Skektek: (gets a gleam in his eye) Yeah...
Lyra: Thanks for the idea about the chain lightning.
Skektek: No problem. Things like that, angles and reflections and
such for spells of destruction...they just sort of come naturally to
me. (he begins casting a teleportation spell) Happy road-building.
I'm out of here.
Lyra: (watches as he vanishes, only half-paying attention)
soldier: (having not seen much magic like that, or the lightning, he
nods, impressed)
priest: (turns to Lyra) A useful fellow, but also kind of harsh.
Lyra: (still trying to capture a new thought that's half-formed in her
head) Yes...
All of the wizards of the Bright Alliance had been assigned a team of
guards for anytime they were working in the desert. This had been Lord
Marcus' idea, for he knew that even a powerful wizard couldn't always
defend himself or herself against every attack. Lyra had to admit that
having a half-dozen veteran warriors - some with swords, others with
bows - plus an experienced priest did make her feel a bit safer. These
priests were drawn from those of all three deities - Obad-Hai, Istus,
and Trithereon - who has thus far come to the region to help establish
their temples and find followers. The priest tasked to Lyra's group
worshipped Istus, which had at first surprised Lyra, given that she had
never seen any male servants of the goddess of fate. But then again,
these were strange and different times in the Bright Lands, ripe with
potential in both the near and far future.
Lyra: (her eyes widen as the idea she was after suddenly crystallizes
in her mind) Ah! (her gaze shifts to the north, and something she
can't physically see but knows is out there)
Dexitheseus (who would not be joining Belphanior and the others for
the Geoff campaign, after all) and Lord Marcus were teamed for dual yet
related purposes. First, they would continue to build up the region's
army, which consisted of about eight hundred soldiers spread across the
desert's three forts plus another two thousand that the general had
brought, recruited, trained, or turned. Those latter two thousand were
currently spread across the Bright Lands in battalions of five hundred,
each put in position to guard a key commerce or travel route. These
soldiers were now equipped with the tents and supply wagons that allowed
them to redeploy quickly and efficiently if (or when) that was necessary.
Each of the battalions also had among its number a handful of wizards and
priests. The former, while nowhere near the power level of any of the
Bright Alliance, nevertheless brought some measure of magical ability to
their units.
Lord Marcus: Not all soldiers are warriors or thieves. Wizards can and
do join armies too.
Dexitheseus: And a good thing.
The priests were drawn from the group of healers at Histak, as Lord
Marcus had been able to convince them of the need to spread such skills
out across the entire desert rather than collecting them all in a single
place. He'd also made the point that helping the military force would
lead to long-term stability and security in the entire region, which in
turn would mean less battle and thus less wounded to deal with. (There
was an old anecdote in there somewhere, having to do with securing peace
by being prepared for the alternative.) The eventual plan was to employ
priests from one of the land's three religions within the army, but that
wasn't yet possible since the followers of those deities were just now
beginning to get set up and build their temples.
Lord Marcus had also made sure that each of the three forts (Whiterock,
Kalki's Leap, and Griffon's Nest) had at least one wizard and one priest
stationed within. In the case of Fort Whiterock, the wizard drawing the
duty could count this as a massive improvement in his quality of life...
He Chak: Again, you have our deepest thanks. (he frowns) Although I'm
not sure I thanked the dark elves enough.
Kaya: (at his side, she grasps his elbow) I think you did.
The Paynim wizard and his companion, a former slave girl from the lands
of the Tiger Nomads, had been virtual prisoners in the mines of Father
Eye. He Chak had served Rary as an emissary to the beholder, and had
recently wondered whether he would ever see the sun's light again. His
fortunes had changed when various parties from the Bright Alliance came
calling and eventually overthrew the eye tyrant. At the time, He Chak
and Kaya - who had grown quite fond of one another - made it clear to
their liberators that they would gladly remain and help in any way they
could...and had certainly done so. He Chak had been able to provide some
useful information about the slain Rary's intentions, as well as Father
Eye's plans for the mines (which were basically to amass wealth, troops,
and allies near the surface world to help him destroy his rivals below,
in the Underdark). He had also helped to find and catalog the beholder's
knowledge and treasures, which like many others from various places would
one day end up in the Bright Alliance's shared library and laboratory.
And now, He Chak would be assigned to Fort Whiterock - at least for the
time being - to give Captain Zhora some much-needed magical power at her
outpost. It was an unexpected happy ending for the wizard from the far
west and his paramour, given that six months ago they had worried about
being devoured on a daily basis.
Lord Marcus: (to Dexitheseus, after they have departed the fort) And
now all of the forts and battalions are well-manned with warriors as
well as wizards and priests.
Dexitheseus: We will have to find more wizards...possibly even ones who
work for gold. The need is satisfied for now, but will soon be greater.
Lord Marcus: You mentioned the other day that wizards would come here of
their own accord, did you not?
Dexitheseus: (nods) Powerful wizards tend to have powerful apprentices
and assistants. Once this region is more established and known - and
once our library, lyceum, and such are built and functional - even more
should arrive to study and learn.
Lord Marcus: Which will immediately provide dozens if not hundreds of
additional wizards to help defend the region, should something dire
happen.
Dexitheseus: Yes. (he frowns as something else occurs to him) Though
finding ones who will actually be loyal to our cause may be difficult.
The agents of certain evil powers now ascendant in this world will no
doubt try to infiltrate us. Which is one reason that Trithereon - whose
tenets include liberty and truth - was chosen as one of the few deities
whose followers will be allowed and supported in the Bright Lands. (he
regards the warrior) Although there are other ways to know when someone
has ill intentions, as you well know.
Lord Marcus: (chuckles)
The old wizard was one of a handful of people who knew the truth about
how the great general and leader of men was able to find and keep allies
and soldiers whose loyalty never seemed to waver. The secret lay in his
weapon...a highly-enchanted bastard sword with multiple defensive powers,
one of which allowed the bearer to sense enemies (current or future) in
the vicinity. Many had marveled at the way Lord Marcus seemed to be
able to stare into a man's eyes and know his heart; the simple truth was
that - while he was indeed an exceptional judge of people - the general's
sword warned him of ill intentions or treachery...without fail. And this
was how he was always able to recruit people he knew could be trusted to
have each others' backs and get the job done.
Lord Marcus: (unconsciously rests his sword-hand on the pommel of that
great blade) Once Lyra is done building the new roads in the core of
this region, and then starts work on those leading to future sites...
we can begin construction of some of those places. (he grins broadly)
Namely, the three new forts near Histak, Ul-Bakak, and the peninsula
jutting out into the Woolly Bay.
Dexitheseus: That third one will someday be the key to establishing a
naval presence.
Lord Marcus: (nods) But that is even further in the future. For now,
our next step is to secure more troops - and good officers to lead
them. I'm running out of nearby places to recruit from, which means
we'll have to venture even further away from the desert to find more
soldiers. Although I've been considering another idea, it will be an
expensive one.
Dexitheseus: Funding doesn't seem to be a problem. (he thinks about
how Belphanior seems to have hit upon not one but multiple treasure
hoards of a lifetime) Nope, not at all...
Lord Marcus: The fastest and easiest way to add quality soldiers to our
force here would be to simply hire them.
Dexitheseus: Mercenaries? Isn't that sort of what you've done already?
Lord Marcus: Not necessarily. The men and women who we already have
are soldiers, yes, but almost all of them are also looking for a home,
a place to settle in time. I figure the bulk of them will remain here,
their job being to guard or sometimes fight. We'd need more for the
long term, but...(he frowns) It's fortunate that your group has so
many wizards of great experience and power among its number...because
that means fewer actual troops are needed. (sternly) Assuming that
we get the magical help we need in times of severe need.
Dexitheseus: You will - I have no doubt. (his wrinkled face takes on
a deadly serious expression) No doubt whatsoever.
Lord Marcus: Good. Anyway, the easiest way to bridge the gap - gaining
the temporary additional soldiers we need to protect this region until
the fortress-city and the roads and the new forts and everything else
are all complete - is to hire mercenaries from Perrenland, under the
command of Nigel Bloodstone.
Dexitheseus: The High General of Perrenland?
Lord Marcus: Formerly. After the wars, he gave up that title, and the
link to the Voorman of all Perrenland...a position held by one Karenin
now, rather than Franz. Nigel Bloodstone was close allies with Franz
but is not with Karenin, and so he gave up his sanctioned military
leadership role and instead formed his own mercenary force...the best
of the best, in many peoples' opinion. Including mine.
Dexitheseus: And I know that Bloodstone is a good friend of yours, as
well.
Lord Marcus: Yes, and so we will seek him out.
All of the discussion thus far had been focused on the first thing the
pair would deal with, but there was a second. The Bright Lands, through
its rulers and their acquaintances, had allies both nearby and far away.
It also had several kingdoms or states on its immediate borders - the
Duchy of Urnst, Nyrond, the Free City of Greyhawk, the Pomarj, and last
but certainly not least the Scarlet Brotherhood - that would each need to
be approached and dealt with, for better or worse, at some point. Then
there were some much smaller but still important special cases...places
and people in the Abbor-Alz hills to the north that had recently been
identified and which would require a more personal touch. These were
four in number, and that list consisted of Lake Marstefel right on the
Knife's Edge Pass, the castle of Karistyne in the hills to the west of
that lake, Storm Keep even further to the west, and the dwarven fortress
of Dumadan (about which very little was known). Dexitheseus and Lord
Marcus were certainly the right people to attempt diplomatic talks with
those who ruled each of these places, as the pair had previously scouted
that entire area and gathered what information they could.
Dexitheseus: As Parekh put it the last time we discussed these sites
in the northern hills, we need to forge formal alliances with all of
them, to avoid any issues later.
Lord Marcus: Some will be easier than others. It all depends on each
one's allegiance to, or alliance with, other lands in the area. Or
lack thereof.
Dexitheseus: True. The Bright Alliance is fine with these sites doing
what they do - it's not our right to tell them otherwise, and none are
in any way evil or harmful - but they need to know that the wasteland
to their south will not remain such for much longer. Hopefully they
will realize that we would be a good ally to have on their side.
Lord Marcus: We will know in time. So first, Nigel Bloodstone...
Dexitheseus: ...and then, the Abbor-Alz!
With most of the others now tasked or underway with various efforts,
that left Kronos and Shemeya to deal with other things.
Shemeya: How can I best help?
Kronos: I have been considering this. At some point, someone needs to
venture to the five neighboring powers around us and parley with them.
I have no wish to do that; a being such as myself is never welcome in
large, sprawling kingdoms. Which is why I tend to remain here in the
desert, or before our efforts here, in my home within the frigid and
faraway mountains to the northeast of the continent, where there _are_
no kingdoms or ignorant people. (he pauses, frowning) So while our
group certainly needs someone whose job it is to go have such talks
with other kingdoms...it will not be me. In fact, no less than four
of our number should probably be tasked with such a mission, in order
to have multiple perspectives and also properly project our power.
Shemeya: Fair enough.
Kronos: There are also a handful of sites in the desert, places with
potential value of some sort, about which you provided a great deal
of useful information...the Necropolis at Unaagh, the remnants of
Darkbridge Temple, the Plain of Spears, even the buried ruins of the
capital city of Utaa. I also do not wish to deal with any of those,
both because we likely need more power and because the others might
want to participate as well.
Shemeya: Again, good points. So what _can_ we accomplish?
Kronos: My suggestion would be the discussions whose outcomes we can
better predict and control...ultimatums and interrogations. Atop a
high sliver of rock in the middle of the desert's northern reaches
lairs a huge blue dragon. One of our number - the fallen Cespedes -
had some initial talks with the wyrm, but nothing was decided then.
Shemeya: But it can be decided now. I have been watching that dragon,
and his capacity for evil and destruction is great. It would be best
to reach some agreement with him...or else rid this land of him once
and for all. To put it bluntly.
Kronos: (nods) I, too, prefer the direct approach.
Shemeya: You also spoke of interrogations?
Kronos: Yes. We currently have two others who are magically being held
prisoner. The beholder known as Father Eye is currently trapped within
Alindyar's prison of Zagyg, and the sole survivor of the Crimson Blades
now resides within the other prison of Zagyg, which used to belong to
Cespedes.
Shemeya: Your group has two of those items, then.
Kronos: Amazing, considering that only five of the things exist. They
are...quite useful. Zagyg, among his many talents, was a master of
imprisonment magic; that is how he was once able to trap nine deities
in the dungeons beneath Castle Greyhawk.
Shemeya: That sounds interesting.
Kronos: It is, especially considering that some areas of that immense
complex still remain unexplored. I believe Belphanior and some of his
past companions once delved into those depths...but they did not delve
deeply enough. There might yet be reasons to venture there. But...I
digress.
Shemeya: Perhaps. (she frowns) Who are the Crimson Blades?
Kronos: Were. They were a group of powerful evil adventurers who we
fought and slew before all of this work here in the desert. Only one
of their number survived, held in stasis by Alindyar ever since, until
just recently when he was moved into the second prison-device. While
that one likely holds the secrets to finding the group's lair - and
plundering it - I suspect the others in our band would prefer to be
present for that interrogation. However, the dragon and the beholder
are fair game. I think the time has come to find out what they know,
and determine what their future will be.
Shemeya: (nods, happy to finally be poised to have an active role in
the fate of this land)
next: the campaign for Geoff begins!
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: 8/1/2025
notes: This one was written over Memorial Day weekend 2025. My
original intention was to write three episodes, one per day, but as
it turned out, I instead wrote one gigantic episode (which was larger
than three normal episodes anyway). Rather than release smaller ones
once a week, for now I'm going to release larger ones once a month,
try something different for a change.
The last episode was the "let's fast-forward six months, show some
progress, and get all the needs out there on the table" place-setter.
This one was for prioritization and assignments....and now it's time
to get going on those assignments. I somehow seem to have woven in
a number of other characters too.
On a side note, it seems that I'd previously written up a complete
description for the magical paintbrush. It's a page and a half long!
Whenever I finally get the website updated and the wiki operational,
it will get posted so that everyone can read it.
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