The Dark Age

[Orlanth]

OCC: This is not a open thread. If you would like to join, please go to OCC: The Dark Ageses: Casting call thread at http://www.literotica.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=61928 and ask to join and post your char' info.

Von Shimlock

The room was lit slightly, just enough so the man within could read his book. It was a dark night; and a dark thunderstorm was looming over ahead. Lightning flashed across the sky like chains of gold, followed by a loud roar like that of an angry God.
The man stood, and walked to the window, watching as the lightning flashes lit up the sky, turning night almost to day. The man looked out into the darkness, the man thought to himself, "My destiny awaits me, at long last, I will have it."
Another flash of light, followed by a loud roar split the stillness of night once again, the man turned, placed a feather in the page of his book, and closing it. "Tomorrow, I leave for my long journey." Another bolt of lightening lit up the room. "Mua-ha-ha-ha-ha!" The strange dark figure laughs, sounding like evil in its finest form.

The man quickly moves his left arm, pointing towards the fireplace, and with out further action, the fire, which was once there, was no more.....

 

[Moonlight_33]

Lilly-anna

Lilly rose from her bed and went to the window. Another night filled with dreams that would not let her rest. There was trouble in the world, the natural order of things had changed, and many would suffer as a consequence. She had seen the same dream so many nights now that it replayed itself clearly in her mind thought her waking hours. The night sky threatened rain through the forest canopy, but she had a little time yet. Taking her medicine bag, she stepped out into the chill night air. How refreshing, how pure, and how wonderful it felt on her naked flesh. She much preferred her human form to her natural dragon body, but she was never one to cover herself in a mound of fabric, as was the fashion these days.

At the edge of the pond she stopped, and opened her bad. Taking out her small knife, she leaned over the water, and holding out her hand, she pricked her finger and watched the droplets of blood wall onto the surface of the water. With impact, the blood swirled, and moved, forming three rings on the surface. In the first was the road that led from her forest out into the world, a road she never liked to travel. The second held a tavern in a small town, the name "Hogs Breath Tavern" hanging above the door. The third showed a dark dragon on the wing, and it was the third image that made her body shudder a little.

With a soft sigh, she cleared the images and made her way back to the cottage. It was time to make ready for a journey, something she had not been looking forward to, but then, she had been a long time without adventure in her life, and perhaps a little change would do her good.

 

[Morgoth]

Brian watched in horror the carnage that unfolded before him. The castle of the order, totally destroyed. Everywhere were strewn corpses of anything from orcs to paladins. He had been busy transporting an important letter to the Empress. But his order had been destroyed in the meantime. He tried to find something, anything, that would tell him what had happened, but all he found on the standard were black hands outlined in red against a black background. Armed with his mace, sword, and in full armor, he set off to the nearest town.

 

[BlazeofLife]

Danne-Silaan Dey'Lorist

Soaring high above the rolling plains, the moonlight glinting with a thousand tiny effervescent hues from his scales, Sil tumbled and rolled through the skies, reveling in his nightly freedom. His undulating form cast a vast shadow over the land, as people cowered in their primitive dwellings and pointed upward, or made religious gestures to ward him.
The laughter that rolled forth from his jaws was thunderous, as he gazed down on their wretched village. Shrieking, mothers raced for safety, snatching up squalling children, the spectre of death already dogging their every step. With another mighty bellow, Sil stretched wide his jaws, and sent forth a roiling blast of flame. It blanketed the pathetic dwellings, the popping, crackling sound of igniting thatch sounding nearly as sweet to his ears as the screams and cries of the people inside. Glancing back, he saw a group of them, puny, insignificant worms, standing in the center of the village, in a large open area, presumably a market of some sort. All but one brandished weapons, the ones in back already drawing back massive bows, as the single unarmed man crouched down to draw a sigil in the dirt before them. A magic user, he thought. That changed everything, perhaps this might provide him with some true entertainment after all. Simple slaughter was so... distasteful. Especially against such as these! How he longed for a challenge.
Circling back, he swooped low toward them, backstroking his great wings at the last moment to land before them, and chuckling at their obstinate, stubborn pride that kept them from turning tail to run. The resulting blast of wind, coming as it did from directly in front of their ranks, set them aback. The mage at the front was blown backward, only to be caught by the gentle hands of the armored men behind him, who held their ground with the aid of their stance and weight, but the archers behind them had no such protection. Leaning back, and already rendered off-balance by the strength required to draw back their great horn bows, they were no match for the invisible rush of air, and tumbled back through the swirling dust, their arrows lancing toward the backs of their comrades. From such a distance, and with such power behind them, the thin metal cuirass that girded the warriors was no protection. Sil came to rest directly in front of the trembling mage at the same time that half the human ranks were decimated by their own archers.
Looking down at the robed man, he smiled, his long, sword-like teeth gleaming, and throwing back the light of the fires that raged unchecked through the village. Reaching forward with one long talon, he was halted abruptly by an unseen barrier around the group. Bringing the rest of his forepaw into play, he gently carressed the boundry, seeing it begin to shimmer into the visible spectrum as it deformed around the force being exerted on it. His face flushed with the effort of holding the shield, the mage stared up at his distending creation, and blanched, his fists clenching at his sides. Licking his lips, Sil considered for a moment. He could breach the barrier, certainly. While magical barriers were inherently inviolate, their strength was drawn entirely from the caster, and this one would soon have an rupture something crucial if he wasn't stopped. No, Sil didn't want that. He wanted to kill the mage himself.
Again his jaws stretched wide, sending forth a billowing sheet of flame over the ranked warriors, and the mage desperately refocused his energies to widen the shield, catching the blast. The moment he did so, Sil brought his left foreclaw against the barrier, impacting it with enough force to cause it to flicker dangerously, and the sweat-drenched wizard to fall to his knees, and snaked his tail around the other side. Aiming carefully, and aware of the shields limitations now that it was shining in the moonlight, he used his tails prehensile tip to slam one of the fighters in the back, hurling him forward through his own ranks. Like dominoes, the whole group staggered forward in unison, and their armored bulk smashed the unsuspecting mage against his own impermeable barrier with enough force to render him unconscious. The boundary flickered fitfully one last time, then winked out of existence, leaving the soldiers to gaze upward at approaching death.
Sil made short work of them, their inferior blades and spears little threat to his hardened scales, and cast them aside. Looking down at the prostrate form before him, he closed his eyes, focusing his thoughts, and... pushed... his mass away, until in his mind there was nothing left, and then formed an image of an elderly human to replace what was gone. When he reopened his eyes, the hands that he held up before him were pale, wrinkled things, ugly, lacking scales or talons of any kind. He gazed around, the small settlement looking much different from his perspective so much closer to the ground, then crouched beside the mage, and shook him gently. Gently for him; the wizard's body spasmed from the violence of it, and his eyes flew open.
"D-d-dragon! I can feel it coming! It.. it... Huh?" Looking around swiftly, his eyes rolling wildly, the panicing man stopped short at not seeing a rampaging dragon charging toward him.
"Easy, there," said Sil, smiling inwardly, and keeping his eyes downcast to avoid giving himself away. "The dragon is gone, I saw it flying away after storming through your town one last time. Here, sit down, you've been through hell tonight, you need to rest."
Wincing, and watching the sky with a terrified expression etched upon his face, the exhausted mage allowed Sil to lead him over to an overturned ale keg that had mysteriously survived the blaze.
"What happened?", he said gently. "Why would this creature have attacked you so suddenly?" Inwardly, he focused on the man before him, piqued by honest curiousity. He wanted the mage to know why they had been singled out. There were witnesses scattered about, his acute senses told him they were there, still hiding, and they could hear every word. The mage would die, yes, but he wanted the tale to spread, so the others would live. But, they must know the truth. It would prevent such... indescretions... in the future.
"It is an evil beast," the mage stated flatly. "What reason does it need? Destruction is it's meat and drink. Does a winter storm stop to think of a reason before it rushes in to strike? Of course not. Such forces of chaos need no justification for their slaughter.
"Still," he said with a sigh, "We should have been more prepared. Danne-Silaan Dey'Lorist, who fancies himself somewhat of a god, demanded tithes from us. Who are we? We are but simple farmers and villagers. We have no money. No wealth. No great tribute to give to him. We left his messenger to return empty-handed. He warned us...". Sobbing, the mage broke down, clasping his face in his hands. "All those lives... gone... my friends, my family... all gone..."
This time, Sil didn't bother to hide his smile. "So, then, the dragon attacked because you refused his request? Because you refused to heed the advice of his representative?" His voice ehoed loudly throughout the burned-out shell of the town, for he spoke loudly so that the hiding human vermin might hear every word.
The mage lifted his head at the derisive tone in his voice, and for the first time, his eyes met those of the dragon. His mouth opened, but nothing came forth. Choking, and scrambling backward, he tumbled awkwardly over the barrel he'd been resting upon.
Sil laughed, the sound reverberating across the plains, and stepped forward. He knew well what the mage saw, with so much distance between himself and his lair, his eyes must indeed be frightful to the man, for they would appear exactly like his true form. As befitted one of his stature, he thought. Even in this form, his true divinity could be seen shining forth, even by worms such as these.
Walking forward, and stretching out his hand toward the mage, he began to grow, his form swelling outward with the changes going through it, scales appearing and racing across his darkening skin, talons erupting from his fingertips, which themselves were growing and thickening. Gazing upward, his prey began to gibber in fear, his panic such that his mind could no longer form the words or gestures necessary to cast spells.
Fully himself once more, Sil stretched, arching his great, bat-like wings, and wrinkled his nose at the acrid scent of urine that accompanied the sudden stain spreading down the man's leg. Deciding that the need for subtletly was over, and growing bored of the entire experience, he picked up the struggleing man in one claw, bringing him up to eye-level with effortless strength, and with a lightning fast lunge sheared the robed figure's head from his shoulders with his opposite claw. Throwing the decapitated corpse to the ground, he leveled a last blast of flame at a still-standing cluster of buildings, and departed, his beating wings fanning the small fires into a raging inferno.
Winging silently away from the site of destruction, Sil spun lazily through the air, enjoying the feel of the cool breeze across his scaled underbelly, and set a course for home.
An hour later, he descended, landing with a flourish of wingbeats and an ehoing thud. Glancing around, and extending his senses to encompass the area, he checked for intrusions, either physical or magical. Finding none, he stepped forward into an underhang in the granite cliff before him, sybilant and arcane syllables pouring from his cleft tongue, and with a gesture, caused the rock wall to shimmer brightly. Stepping through, he watched the wall rematerialize behind him, then proceeded forward. Exiting the narrow tunnel that led to his main entrance, he came into a vast cavern, so large that even his great bulk seemed inconsequential, and sighed. No matter how much he enjoyed the thrill of a midnight flight, it was always good to be home. Moving to one side, he rested his massive form atop a large rock outcropping, put there for just that purpose, and surveyed his home.
Before him, the cavern descended to a great depth, so that it seemed a giant sphere, with a thin ribbon of stone around the outside edge where he sat. At the bottom, and spreading as far as he could see, twisted spires and needles of metal and stone jutted upward, the ruined remnants of an ancient civilization. This was his city, one that no eyes but his had observed in a millenium. The sheer size of it was boggling to the mind, or so he had thought when he had first come across it, all those years ago.
Sil smiled sleepily at the memory. It had taken a great deal of effort, removing the rubble and accumulation of so many years of history, but his city was cleared of all of now. He'd considered repairing it, mending the destruction that had brought about the downfall of such a monument to mankind, but had decided that he preferred it in it's current state. The destruction was soothing, and it reminded him of the insignificance of mankind. Imagine, that a race capable of such accomplishments could drive itself almost to extinction. What had once been a monument to their accomplishments, he now kept to serve as the embodiment of their folly, and to bear witness to his own perfection. Surely, no other creature on this miserable planet could boast such divinity as he possessed. Why, he was almost...
He amended his thoughts. He WAS a god. Or as close to it as mattered, anyway. With these pleasant thoughts running through his mind, soothing him, he was soon fast asleep, his giant forepaws twitching fitfully like a cat as he dreamed.

 

[BlazeofLife]

OOC:

that last post was not meant to describe the destruction of Morgoth's Order, I'll leave that to him for now, since his other character was in command of the force that did the damage, it was just meant to shed some light on and offer some insight into the personality of my character, as well as providing an important in-game presense for the good characters to relate to and hear about.

 

[Angelus]

Bail sat in front of his fireplace and looked straight into the flames, his thoughts floating away with the smoke. He didn't know how long he had been sitting here but he knew that it had been away, nearly the entire day. He had sat down after he had read in a very old book about how one of the first members of his order had written down that he didn't know what had come before this time. He knew of nothing before this time which was puzzling.

He shook his head and got up from the chair then walked to the large window which over looked the forest. He had to find answers to the questions that he had just given himself but where was he going to find them. He didn't have a clue where to look first but then he remembered hearing about a library in one of the larger villages.... no, it was a city now.

He had to go there.... and he had to go there fast. He suddenly realized what his true purpose on this world was. In all the years that he had been on this world he had to find something he had to do. He rushed over to where his chambers were and began to get his gear ready, he had a lot of travelling to do.

 

[BlazeofLife]

Danne-Silaan Dey'Lorist

Stirring fitfully in his sleep, Sil's eyes blinked open, scanning the cavern. Something had changed. There was something very... wrong.
He extended his senses to their utmost, but found nothing out of the ordinary. His nostrils flared, angrily, and he shook his head. Something had awoken him, brought him up out of his pleasant dreams of murder and conquest, and he was not best pleased about it. With a sigh, he set his head back down, and closed his eyes, resolving to wait for some further sign.
Far overhead, past the vaulted ceiling of Sil's underground cavern, a thunderstorm wracked the countryside, and lightning strafed the heavens. With an ominous roar, thunder crashed, and the sky turned black as pitch, then split wide as another strike lanced downward, and connected with the earth directly above where the slumbering dragon reposed. Connected, and stayed, transfixed to the spot, a blinding ribbon of coruscating energy forming an ethereal bond between the earth and the heavens.
With a start, the dragon awoke, springing from the rock where he was lying with a suddenness that nearly sent him over the edge.
Something is coming, he thought. Something momentous, some critical event is at hand. As these words tumbled through his mind, a glow began to illuminate the cavern, coalescing from the rock above his head, and a single, sourceless thought appeared in his mind, emblazoned upon his consciousness like a brand:

"They are coming. The time is at hand. Portentious events will abound, and the one to successfully navigate the seas of strife will hold in his hand the fulcrum for the balance of the world."

With that, the cavern was plunged back into darkness, and the writhing shaft of light retracted, racing back heavenward like a lightning bolt in reverse.
Mulling over the words, Sil returned to his stone outcropping, and a smile began to form. Soon, all the world would acknowledge his supremacy, and bow down to his divinity.
Closing his eyes once more, he sent his thoughts outward, and a humanoid shape carved itself from the rock wall and came to stand before him.
"Summon my general. I wish to speak with him tomorrow, at first light. And do ensure that he comes promptly, I will meet him outside the gate and would be most displeased were I to be kept waiting."
The golem turned, and with little preamble strode from the room at a brisk pace.
Satisfied that events were proceeding smoothly, Sil layed his head down once more, drifting off into a deep sleep quickly, untroubled this time by restlessness.

 

[Moonlight_33]

Lilly-anna


Lilly-Anna had always fancied the idea of riding a horse, but because of her dragon nature, was yet to find one that would accept her as a rider, so instead, she rode upon the back of a beautiful woodland creature. A unicorn by the name of Jed was more than happy to cart her in her human form. He was a shy creature, and Lilly was unsure how he would react to the world of humans, so she decided to take him as far as the boundaries of her enchanted forest, and fly the remainder of the way on her own wings.

The ride was pleasant, and Jed was filled with new and views on the forest, as he always was. Then the subject turned to something a little more serious. "Lilly, it's been a long time since you have left these woods, are you sure you should be leaving now? What could be more important than the happy life you have here with us?"

She reached down and petted his gleaming white neck. "The world is coming out of a 500 year balance, and if I don’t play my part, the imbalance will lead to the next 500 years being rather dark ones. Besides, it's about time I stretched my wings a bit."

Jed stopped and turned his head to look back at her, "It's him isn't it? He's back at it again after all this time?" there was tone of foreboding in his voice.

"You are very intuitive my friend. Only something as powerful as "HIM" would draw me from my isolation. I am unsure what part I am to play this time my friend, but be assured, I would not play it unless I was part of the key solution. Even when he was young, he was always in trouble, always fighting, trying to be superior." She sighed heavily. "Fear not my friend, I promise to return, one way or another, I will be back." The trees parted and gave way to a seemingly endless meadow. "This is where I take my leave of you Jed, take care of the little things for me until I return." Sliding down off his back, she kissed his nose and set off across the meadow, stopping about 50 feet away to do something she had not done in a very long time.

Crossing her arms over her chest, she took a deep breath and with a cry that became a roar, she transforms back into a dragon. Her silver scales gleamed in the sunlight, and as she shook he form, feeling the old, yet familiar shape, a few old scales fell away. She opened her wings, stretching the long unused limbs. With the wind at her back, she lifted into the air and took flight. Somewhere to the west, there was a tavern, and not far from there, was trouble.

 

[Orlanth]

Sha'ik Fra'altz

In the dim morning light, a young man awakes with a start. He once again had the same dream he has been getting for months. Sliding his legs over the edge of the bed, Sha'ik sits and ponders what his dreams met.
The dream last night was different, but the same dream. It was like his dream was a continuos story. But with no people, no real meaning, so he thought. Maybe it was a sign, a hint of something to do. In this dream, it was of some type of under ground city. But this city was odd, huge tall structures like he had never seen before. Sha'ik, was so tempted to go in search of this place, but he had no idea where to start... Until, his last night's dream, it showed a dense forest. There was a slight mist above the forest. Sha'ik knew of the place, but it would take a while to reach it.

Standing up and walking over to the fireplace, Sha'ik places some new firewood in, and starts it up. Damn place was to cold, why did the Magic School have to be this far south? Even in summer it was like winter. Sha'ik wouldn't have to worry about it much longer, for today, he was leaving.

 

[Morgoth]

Suor-de-Pofodre was a huge dragon. Surely not as big as Sil, his lord, but still, pretty damn big. So when he woke up, he found it surprising that the pitiful creature before him did not cower at it's intrusion. He found out in a second why. It was a golem. Even before he listened to the message, he knew his master's wishes. And since it was extrordinarily stupid to defy the master, he flew there instantly. He fell asleep before the great entrance. He limited the sleep and made sure he woke 3 hours before dawn.

Brian made his way to the city Gilordrey, where he settled down to sleep in an inn. After paying the owner his due, he left promptly and began to look about for a supply area. In an hour, re-stocked, re-equipped, and refreshed, he left.

 

[nightray]

stoker

I sit in the inn nowing that the they will com and that I must help My lips cerl whith distane at the thot of having to help humins but the dreams do not ly if I do not help then the darknes will cum. My eyes scan the room my nose rinkiling at the smell of thes humins. I muter to my self how can they stand ther owne stink. A made coms over asking if ther wos any thing she could git me. I look her up and down thinking but ther are some resons to indering the smell. I say in a deep all most growle git me a dear lage rar very rar. She looks at me odly then terns heding to the kichin. I sit back tilting the chear back whoching the door wating for the ones that are to com hoping that they whont eratat me to much.

 

[BlazeofLife]

Danne-Silaan Dey'Lorist

Sil awoke promptly at dawn, his internal senses telling him with perfect clarity the exact hour of the day despite the complete lack of sign or detail in the cavern in which he slept. He stretched, rising gracefully, and yawned deeply. He coudn't remember the last time his sleep cycle had been so restful. Looking about, he noticed the golem from the night before, standing at attention near his entrance. Arching his back to ease the strain of prolonged complancency, he glared, envying the stone figure's air of detachment and lack of physical discomfort. The feeling soon ended, though, and Sil paused to send the souless servant back to the wall lining from which he'd formed.
Remembering his instructions from the night before, he made his way toward the entrance, casting his senses outward as he went. Beyond the wall, he registered a large disruption in the empty plains below the granite cliffs, and a definate air of draconic presense lingering.
"Suor-de-Pofodre" he thought. "Punctual as always."
With a wave of a taloned claw, and a brief utterance, he quickly dispelled the illusion masking the cavernous entryway and exited, glancing around in the burgeoning daylight as he did.
Seeing nothing amiss, he stepped to the side of his waiting general, noting the other's stiffened posture in the presense of his lord.
"Relax, general. My commendations on your work so far, events are transpiring at a rate beyond that which I dared to hope for. But matters have changed. A portent is coming, an omen, and we must be prepared for it. Mark well, this may well be the opportunity we have been waiting for to finish off the lesser rabble infesting our lands."
His voice rising with conviction as he spoke, Sil settled back on his haunches, his eyes aglow with the flames of some inner conflageration. "I want you to cease the incursions against our nemesis to the south. Instead, you will fortify what has already been taken, and prepare our forces. Strife is coming, a great wave of it, looming on the horizon, and I will not lose that which has been gained simply for the greed of further procurement.
"Are there any questions?"

 

[Moonlight_33]

Lilly-anna

Lilly set down in a grove of apple trees om the outter limits of the city. From what she had seen from the air, these people had been terrified and plagued by the dark side of the dragon nature and probaly knew little about the good that they could do. She shook her head a little in sorry. If she had hiden herself away in teh enchanted forert for so long, she might have been able to maintain a balance, but it was no good stressing over what might havae been. Wrapping her silver wings about herself, she transformed abck into her human form.

Making her way through the busy streets, she crossed the market place and quickly found the Inn she was seeking. Stopping at a wagon at the edge of the market place, she purchased a cloak made of red velvet, and trimed with silver stitches. The nights on this journey might be cool, and even she didn't like being cold much. Slipping the cape about her sholders, she stepped thtough the tavern door.

She knew she was to meet with another here, but she has no clue as to who the other was. Taking a seat near the door, she ordered a mug of watered wine, and a plate of whatever was cooking. The maid's eyes lit up when Lilly paid for the meal with a shining solid silver dragon's scale.

 

[Orlanth]

Von Shimlock

Awakening for his deep sleep, Von got up from his bed and made his way to the window;. Looking out into the light of day, the birds were singing, and down below the children were playing. "I can handle stand these, children. So happy, so kind, so unaware of what is to come. Pha! Stupid humans. Never were that clever." Von thought to himself as he eyed the children.

Turning around, Von walks over to the table and picks up his book. "It is time, to leave this place, and start my trip." Von whispered to himself. Puting the book other his rob, Von walked to the door, and opened it.

Down stairs, all seemed a bit quiet, strange this was. For the Inn Von stayed in was a very popular choice by the humans. Von walked over to the counter and asked the Inn Keeper how much he owed. Upon placing the silver coins on the desk, Von turned and walked out.

Once outside, Von waleked towards the forest, trying not to draw attantion to himself.

 

[nightray]

Stoker

I whoch as a lady walks in taking a set near the door. I nerow my ey's taking a deep breth throw my nose filtering out the smel of the other humins until I finde hers and my jow drops slitly that's no humin thats a dragin if I've ever smelt one. I think whot could make a dragon lower her self to com in to place like thes. I freez for a secind and think unless. She may be one of the pepil I'me to help. I sy so not only do I hav to put up whith the stink of humins but I hav to put up whith a condisending dragon who thinks she's beter then any one els.

I git up fegering I mite as whel git thes over whith. I walk over to the tabil wher the dragon in humin close is siting. I stand in frunt of her tilting my hed slitly. I met her gaz evinly showing that we are at lest equils in the wolf way droping my eye's would mean I wos submisov and that I've never ben. I smile just a baer cerving of my lips and I ask whot brings a dragon to this town. I say this softly so as not to be over herd in fact only the ken ears of a dragon could her it.

 

[PmTick]

Riscus the thief

Riscus crawled through his bedroom window, back into the house. It had been a long night of looting yet it seemed the booty didn't match his intensity. "Only 6 gold pieces and a worn-out leather cap!" He cursed to himself. Climbing into bed he would awaken later in the afternoon to scout out his next target.

 

[BlazeofLife]

Danne-Silaan Dey'Lorist

Waiting patiently for a response, Sil finally had enough. With a wordless gesture, he dismissed his companion, watching as the smaller dragon saluted crisply and stepped back, before giving up his own position and returning to his cavern. Repeating the by-now routine gestures which allowed entrance to his hidden lair, he returned to his outcropping to contemplate the events of the night before.

"They are coming. The time is at hand. Portentious events will abound, and the one to successfully navigate the seas of strife will hold in his hand the fulcrum for the balance of the world."

Over and over the words tumbled through his mind, words which he took for prophecy, for he could think of no better term to describe them. The descriptions of strife he understood well enough, it was only logical to asume that any undertaking which would result in control of the world must by its nature neccessitate a time of strife, but for the rest...
Who, he mused, were "They"? Clearly, there were individuals coming, but for him, or against him? He shook his head, scattering the useless meandering thoughts now running unchecked through his mind. Supposition without the support of fact was folly. He couldn't count on anything.
No, his best course of action lay in the factors he had already prepared for, and in keeping abreadst of transpiring events. He needed to know what was happening in the world outside his valley.
Sighing, he again raised his vast bulk from the warmth of the stone, mentally considering his next move. Certainly, a survey of his lands was in order. For too long, he had relied on his general for all incoming news. The drake was loyal, but still...
Shaking his head, and for once regretting the distrust of true magic that would not allow him to commission the construction of a scrying crystal, he prepared himself for the long flight ahead. Imagine, a hundred years had passed since he last flew the open skies, and now he was about to depart to do just that for the second time in as many days.
Leaving the ever-watchful golem to safeguard his hidden sanctuary, he moved silently across the open vale, stretching like a cat to unlimber muscles long since grown unacustomed to such strenuous activity, and with a roar of exultation cast himself skyward.
Soaring over the rolling meadows at a breakneck speed, he began to climb higher, as he approached the lands still inhabited by humans, but stopped abruptly as a familiar scent caught his attention.
Wheeling about, he glanced downward, seeking its source.
Far below him, a fog-enshrouded forest stretched as far as his eyes could see, and he marveled that it should remain so hidden, for the morning sun should have long-since banished the mist. Flying closer, he again caught that elusive scent, but this time there was something else intermingled with it, some loathsome presense. Magic, he thought. He was close enough now that he could almost feel the weight of the enchantments encirling the wood, the very air itself thick with sorcerous intent. He knew that scent now, indeed, that familiar, tantalizing odour, something from his past, something he had thought never to see again.
"Lilly-anna", he hissed, his wings beating slowly to keep him aloft as he glided above the hateful place. He had thought her long dead, her and all the rest of her silver and sylvan brethren. If she was still alive...
He snarled at this unexpected problem. Casting about, he sought again that faint scent, following it to the middle of the forest, where it faded away entirely.
Sil scowled in annoyance, the prospect of trying to breach the enchantments below enough to quench even his ardor for battle. He had no wish to go in there after her, and even if she knew of his presense, she had no reason to come out to meet him. Caught in a quandry, his gaze settled on a small road on the horizon, exiting the leafy boughs and heading over the skyline.
Perhaps, he reasoned, if he could not get her here, he could instead seek information about her elsewhere. And since all roads must eventually lead somewhere, the town that must surely lie at the other end of this one might have such knowledge. It was simply a matter of... negotiation.
Smiling at the thought, the toothy grin pulling his lips into a twisted parody of amusement, he winged westward, the sun at his back, and soon spied a good-sized city looming on the horizon. Gaining altitude, he sought anonymity among the clouds, seeing the wisdom of observing a populace unpaniced at the sight of a dragon.
Gazing downward, his supple wingbeats taking him in a large orbit of the city below, he saw little to interest him, until he came into sight of the northern wall. All along its length, the wall and the houses and fields around it had been scorched by dragonfire.
"Suor-de-Pofodre", he thought. "the invasion has spread even farther than I thought, if this is to be the precursor to battle."
Cursing softly, Sil changed his mind about the wisdom of seeking information in the lands below. Surely, any land plagued by one dragon would not have dealings with another, regardless of coloring or striations.
Frustrated, he rolled through a cloudbank, and as he began his descent, brought his great wings tight to his body with a snap. Plummeting earthward, he unfurled his wings once more with a flourish at the last moment, converting his downward momentum into a forward motion, and blasted through the town's west wall with a roar. Closing his nictitating membranes, he lidded his eyes to protect them from the debris as a roiling gout of flame billowed forth ahead of him, setting ablaze the thatched roofs of the homes ahead of him.
He continued on through the outer section of the city, leaving a swathe of destruction behind him as he advanced, but he pulled up short at the sight ahead of him. Where before the homes had belonged to the poor, and were mere wattle and daube structures, easily flamable and easy to crash through, the dweelings ahead of him now were of the elite, and made of masonry. He had no intention of flying head first through these structures. Instead, a more practical approach. He sprang aloft, the raging fires behind him casting his shadow into frighteningly stark relief, and strafed the city in flame. Flying onward, he quickly grew weary of the sport, and with a last blast that leveled a large pavillion, he began to gain altitude, deciding that the time had come to return home.
A large structure loomed ahead of him, and as he swept upward to avoid it, his trailing tail smashed through the upper quarter of the building, destroying one of the rooms and sending the remnants of the chimney plummeting earthward amid a hail of roof tiles. Sil grunted in annoyance, glancing back in time to see the placard hanging outside the unfortunate dwelling before he left the devestated town behind him.
"The Hog's Breath Tavern", he thought. "Perhaps they should instead have called it the Dragon's Tail Tavern."
Laughing to himself, his mirth lasted for the entire journey as he winged silently eastward toward home. Setting down within the confines of his vale, he repeated the familiar routines by habit and made his way inward, collapsing atop his stone to recover from his exertions. It was only with the greatest of efforts that he was able to again lift his heavy head and banish his golem servant, before encroaching sleep spirited him away.

 

[nightray]

stolker

I look up as I hear the roure of a dragon I rush to the door looking up at the emens thing destroying the town. I frown then duk out of the way as the things tale smashin the top flower of the bilding. I look around sing a celing beam coming down rite at the dragon lady I jump at her pushing her out of the way but my lage is cot under the beme. I growl in pane as I push the thing off of my lage. I look at it as it begins to heal. I quikly look around to besher that now one can see and the only one near is the dragon girl. I look back at my lage whinsing as the bone snaps back in to place and the flesh begins to nit it's self back to gether.

 

[Guest]

Brian stared up in fear, horrible, cold, fear as the dragon annhialated most of the city. He ran to the walls and watched it fly into the horizon. He looked down, and gasped.

Below the city.

Suor watched in amusement as his lord burned a large portion of the city. His amusement turned to irritation. "He just woke up their entire garisson, got rid of most of the troops' lodgings, and wasted half of the tazes from this city in 5 minutes. Damn!" he cursed. He took off the illusion spell hiding the soldiers, then gave the order. The great dragon's hordes let out their battle cries, then charged through the breach in the wall. Battle ensued as the garisson, tired from putting out fires, now found themselves battling an army.

 

[BlazeofLife]

Bump

Hey, is everyone still in on this thread? It's like everyone just dropped off the face of the earth, or went on simultaneous vacation.

Hello?

.................

 

[nightray]

Stoker

I'm still willing to post I'm just wating for a respons by the good dragon.

 

[PmTick]

OOC: Waiting for a good opportunity to jump in.

Riscus awoke and quickly ran out his bedroom window headed toward the forest where he would wait for unknowing travlers to pass by. He scurried up the tree in anticipation.

 

[BlazeofLife]

Bump

Hey, has anyone seen Orlanth around? He just kinda disappeared from the thread...

 

[BlazeofLife]

...and it looks like he took everyone else with him...

 

[Moonlight_33]

I'm still around Blaze, just waiting to see if the others are. Not sure where Orlanth is, but i'm sure it's just a case of life catching up with him. I hope every one gets posting again, this could be a great thread. I'll post again myself after some much needed sleep.

Mua!