Skrag had fought before, but never like this. Until now, it had always been one on one or two on two, whether with Skirj back in his old home, in the Arena, or practicing with the other Dragon Riders. This was chaos. He’d smash one opponent, and when he turned around, there was another, or two more, or three. He and Zargan, with some aid from Korin and Cloventail, who had joined them outside the walls, had begun by attacking the siege engines, flying down for a quick strike and then darting back up again, out of range. Zargan had also spat acid from above, which helped a bit, and Cloventail had lit a couple on fire. Leaving their operators to deal with the ruined catapults, trebuchets, and siege towers, they returned to their rooms for a short rest. After an hour that felt like five minutes, they were back in the fray. The knights had brought some backup siege engines from their camp, but the half-breed and his dragon left their friends to deal with those. They were going after the army. Skrag wasn’t sure why they kept fighting well after their hopes of breaching the walls had been crushed, but they did. At first, Skrag fought from Zargan’s back, but soon he leapt off into the surging knights. He smashed a fair few with his spear of lightning and flaming cutlasses, and Zargan was an absolute monster, mowing down five at a time with his claws, tail, and teeth alike. Suddenly, the battlefield went quiet. Everyone froze, but Skrag couldn’t tell why. Then he looked up. Rising above the chaos were four dragons, ferocious grins on their faces and armored men on their backs. The knights had dragon riders of their own. Suddenly, it all made sense. That was why they kept fighting after their siege engines were destroyed. That was why they were not as surprised as they should have been at the sight of the Dragon Riders. Grimacing, Skrag ran to Zargan, knocking down enemies along his way, and remounted. It was time to take the fight to the skies.
-last edited on Apr 30, 2017 17:19:04 GMT by RuleJJ
Post by RuleJJ on Apr 30, 2017 17:18:19 GMT
Chapter 93
Vincent Caloon hated watch duty, especially second watch. At least if he had first or third he didn’t have to wake up in the middle of the night and wonder if he would be able to fall back asleep again. Worse, it was a cold night. It was always cold in these mountains. He was used to warmer temperatures and the icy wind set his teeth chattering. Grumbling to himself, he looked around to see if anyone was watching and sat down, rubbing his hands together in an attempt to warm himself up. Hearing a sound behind him, he quickly got to his feet, turning around, but saw nothing, just shadows and a wisp of smoke coming from one of the campfires. “What’s your name?” asked a voice, behind him. Vincent spun around with a start only to see a young man in rather messy clothes. He carried a sword at his belt, but his hands were clasped around a smooth, black rock. One thing about the man unnerved Vincent, though. He had bright green, glowing eyes. He shuddered. The man spoke again, “I asked your name. Are you going to answer me?” He squeezed the rock tighter.
Vincent gulped, “Why would I tell you? You shouldn’t be here. You’d be lucky to not get reported.”
“Tell me your name,” the man said, narrowing his glowing eyes.
Vincent suddenly felt like answering, “V-vincent Caloon. What does it matter to you?”
“Well, Vincent,” the man smiled, “I need you to take me to your leader.”
“You mean General Thoran? I don’t think so. He wouldn’t like being disturbed in the middle of the night.”
The man scowled, “Not some petty general. I want to see the man in charge of all of this.” He gestured at the camp, and at Vincent’s uniform.
Vincent shook his head, “I’m afraid I can’t do that. General Thoran would have me smashed if I abandoned my post.”
“You will take me to the man in charge,” said the young man. Vincent suddenly realized that it might be in his best interest to do as he was told.
“Okay, but how are we going to get there? I’m not walking all the way back.”
The man smiled, “Luckily for you, I’ve got my own methods of transportation.” The man opened his hand and a black dragon appeared in a flash of green light, “Hop aboard, Vincent. My friend here is going to take us to your leader.” The dragon howled, a tear seeming to roll down its scaly face. Vincent nodded. This man was in charge, and he would obey.
Korin and Cloventail were out of their depth. They were not fighters, they were creators and thinkers. They were not destroyers, they were makers. Still, they pushed on, assaulting the siege engines one by one. The screams of men filled Korin’s ears, nearly bringing a tear to his eye. He soon decided war was the worst experience he had ever had. Still, he pushed on. As the siege engines fell, Korin became used to the screams, like they had always been there in the back of his head. That was the most terrifying thing of all. Eventually, Skrag and Zargan left them to deal with the few remaining siege engines and went to fight the men on the field below, causing the screams to start anew. Korin fought on for what seemed like an age, never stopping for a break, always destroying, always hurting. When it seemed as if all the engines had fallen, Korin and Cloventail stopped, their breathing hard and sweat dripping from the dwarf’s forehead. Then the dragons came. There were four of them, each with a rider on his or her back. The first was a massive beast, far bigger than any he had ever seen, with dark brown and red scales. The man on its back wore all black and carried a huge hammer. Second came a red and black dragon ridden by a dwarf with a fearsome, red-bladed axe. The third was black with white markings and on his back was a strange-looking figure with the form of a man, but dark red scales and a draconic head. Finally, a strange beast with only four limbs and white scales with red and its rider, a stern-faced young woman. Not seeing the dwarf and his small dragon, they all flew straight for Skrag and Zargan, brandishing claws, fangs, tails, and breath weapons. A realization came to Korin then, a realization that he could not help his friend. He was not a warrior- he would be crushed easily- but he did know some people who were. He whispered to Cloventail and the dragon took off. Hopefully they would not be too late to save his friends, and the Citadel.
Skrag and Zargan were shocked at the arrival of enemy riders, but they didn’t have much time to think about it as the fight began. They were surrounded, but they put up as good a fight as they could. Two of them breathed fire and one ice, but it was totally ineffective against Skrag’s armor and Zargan managed to dodge a lot of it. The biggest of the dragons and its rider seemed to treat the fight like a game, never going all out or taking any risks. For the most part, the others followed their lead, marking them as the leaders. However, the red dragon and its dwarven rider were different. They attacked ferociously, anger blazing in their eyes. It sent chills down Skrag’s spine and it was all he and Zargan could do to hold them off. The two of them wondered where Korin and Cloventail were. They could help. Two couldn’t defeat eight, but four might stand a chance. Then, a stray bolt of lightning from Skrag’s spear struck the dwarf square in the chest and sent him hurtling towards the ground. The dragon tried to catch him, but it was too slow, and he hit the ground with a crunch. The dragon did too, unable to stop quickly enough once it realized it wouldn’t make it. The other dragons and riders seemed shocked, but the fight began again quickly, the enemies attacking more ferociously than before. Roaring, the big dragon flew upwards and above Skrag and Zargan. It dropped downwards and scratched Skrag up with its claws, lifting him out of the saddle. He tried to fight back, but the dragon’s grip only grew tighter. With surprising speed for a creature of its size, the dragon flew off, with Zargan hot on its tail and Skrag helpless to do anything.
He had failed. Again! He hated failure! Worse, he could only blame himself. As hard as he tried, he had been unable to repeat the prior experiment. If only he had taken better care of that one. It had been stolen from right under his nose, about a year ago now. Had it been a year? He hadn’t really kept track of time in ages. A year wasn’t very long, not to him, but it felt like even less. It felt like only yesterday that his greatest experiment to date had been stolen. Well, his second greatest experiment. He often forgot about that one. It just seemed so natural at this point. How long had it been since he completed that one? He couldn’t remember. It had been a long, long time. His time was running out though. He had five years, at best, and then he would have everything he ever wished for, everything he had ever wanted since he had found that ancient tomb in the desert. As his rage began to subside, a different memory surfaced. The dream, at least he knew that had been a week ago. He could never forget that. How could he forget the image of his life’s work destroyed, the marching soldiers, burning buildings, and above him a white, flying creature? His experiment- the one that had been stolen, the one he could not repeat. He knew who had stolen her, and he knew where they were. Yesterday he had sighted those same knights, dressed in the black and red, through his looking glass. That was another successful experiment. The knights were coming; they were coming to destroy the towers, to destroy his home, to destroy his work. Well, they would regret it. They would regret the day they heard the name Septimus Merlinsson. He would destroy them; he would retrieve his experiment. First, though, he had to warn the rest of the people in the towers. He couldn’t do this alone. As much as he wanted to, he couldn’t do this alone.
The dwarves were not the only ones in battle that day- the elves too were up against the red and black army, and they had no fortifications to defend themselves. Days ago, the forest men- a band of humans living on the edge of the forest- had been attacked. The attackers were swift and brutal, merciless, and it wasn’t long before the defenders were wiped out, even with a unit of elves for help. From there, the army pressed forward, to attack the elves themselves.
Fortunately, the elves were adept warriors, ready for battle at a moment’s notice, and they were on their home territory. The enemy clumsily blundered through trees and bushes, only to be ambushed by elves at every turn. Still, they pressed on. They were aided by two dragons and riders, a fact that worried the Dragon Rider embassy. However, the elves seemed to trust them once they had proved themselves in battle. One of the dragons was small and green, not much of a threat as far as dragons went. His rider was a cruel, hateful man, an experienced warrior and commander. He spurred his poor dragon onward, punishing the poor creature for every small mistake, but the dragon still seemed devoted to him. The other dragon was silver and green, a large, violent beast, and her rider, an elf, was just as bad. He seemed to contain nothing but hate for anything and everything and reveled in destroying it.
The sounds of battle rang all around Calin and Glenda. They had been fighting for the past hour against a large group of knights. Both sides were starting to wear down, but both kept pressing on. They had done this a lot in the past days. It wasn’t fun, not like a story, not like Calin had thought it would be.
A mighty roar sounded from behind them. Turning around quickly, Calin saw Jon and Potestas, swooping down to join the battle.
With two dragons, the fight was soon over and the accompanying elven soldiers began searching for the next skirmish, while Glenda flew away with Potestas- apparently, Queen Legolie had need of them. As Calin began following the soldiers, he felt a hand on his shoulder and turning around, he realized it was Jon. “Hold on a minute,” the elf began, “Before you go, I’d like to talk real quick. It won’t take but a minute.” Calin nodded, leaning back against a tree. He had earned a short rest. “First of all, we’ve just received news that the small, green dragon and his rider have been smashed. That’s not what I want to talk about though.”
Calin was a little confused, “What do you want to say then?”
Jon smiled, “I’d like to start with a story. Once upon a time there was a young elf who found a dragon egg in the forest; this very forest, in fact. The elf loved the dragon very much, but the other elves feared him, isolated him. One day, they even tried to take the dragon from him. The boy smashed the attackers and fled on the dragon’s back. The elf and the dragon wandered the world for many years until they came across a man who offered them an opportunity in a group he was forming.”
“I suppose that would be you and Potestas, and the man you met was Hithrol,” Calin interrupted.
“Not quite,” smiled Jon, “This story is about Potestas and me, but the man was not Hithrol. Like us, the man had been cast out and he was building an army.”
Suddenly, Calin realized what was going on, and shouted for Glenda.
Jon laughed, “Don’t bother. Potestas will have dealt with her by now. You’re all on your own.”
His sword flashed through the air, and Calin fell over, clutching his stomach, “W-why, Jon? Why… did you… betray us?”
Jon laughed again, a cold, hard laugh, “I betrayed no one. I’m simply doing my part to make the world a better place. If only you could have agreed.” With that, he left Calin curled up on the ground, trying in vain to hold onto life. He didn’t last long.
Skrag writhed in the dragon’s grip, trying desperately to escape. He had to escape and return to the battle, otherwise everything would be lost. From the corner of his eye, he saw Zargan in pursuit, but the massive dragon was surprisingly fast, and the green had trouble keeping up. They were over a river now, the blue water so far below that it made Skrag dizzy just to look at it. Wind rushed by his face, bringing tears to his eyes. How could he escape? The dragon’s grasp only seemed to grow tighter. Still, there was nothing for it but to try. An idea suddenly coming to him, the half-breed ignited his swords. That was something he had learned during his time with the dwarves- activating his weapons’ abilities without actually touching them. He gasped at the sudden burning. The weapons couldn’t hurt him through his armor; at least he hoped they couldn’t. They shouldn’t; that much he was sure of- the chest plate had blocked the dragon’s fire after all. It was all for naught, though. The dragon merely squeezed tighter and Skrag could have sworn he heard a faint cracking sound in his chest. He deactivated the blades, but not before one of them burned through its scabbard and fell to the ground below. Skrag looked towards Zargan again. The dragon was still too far behind to be any good. At least none of the other enemy dragons had elected to join the chase. As the dragon continued flying, they moved away from the river and into a small forest. A lake came into view below them, the blue surface reflecting the sun directly into Skrag’s eyes. With a roar, the dragon dived downwards, towards the lake. A second before hitting the surface, he released his grip and Skrag plunged into the icy water. He gasped as the cold seeped into his bones, and he began flailing his arms in an attempt to get back up to the surface. Suddenly, a long, brown shape collided with him and sent him spiraling deeper into the depths. It was the dragon’s tail. The dragon was trying to drown him. His head smashed into a rock with a crack and the darkness closed in. It was too late. He had lost.
-last edited on May 2, 2017 21:37:58 GMT by RuleJJ
Post by RuleJJ on May 2, 2017 21:36:46 GMT
Chapter 100
The black-haired man sat in his black and red throne, running one bony finger along the edge of his white-bladed sword. His plans were starting to come to fruition. Soon it would be time to join his army and claim what was rightfully his. He laughed a cold, spiteful laugh. It wasn’t a laugh of joy by any means. He hadn’t laughed like that in a long time. Abruptly, the doors swung open and an unkempt young man strode in, his posture suggesting he owned the place. The dark-haired man jumped to his feet, “Who are you? How did you get in here?”
The man smiled, “I asked very nicely.” It was then that the black-haired man noticed his sword. It was very familiar, almost like the twin of his own. “Don’t worry. That fool of a guard will wake up soon, and the dragon too.”
Another man scuttled forward from behind the intruder, giving a deep bow. This one wore the uniform of one of his soldiers, “My lord, I bring before you Morath.”
The black-haired man scowled, “Morath. Why are you here?” Clearly, he would have to put up with this fool for now. Perhaps he could have him executed later.
“Why, I’m here to join you. We have similar goals, you and I, and I think an alliance would benefit the both of us.” He smiled again, a venomous smile that barely managed to reach his startlingly green eyes.
“An alliance? What could a ruffian such as you possibly have to offer me?” The black-haired man sneered. Yes, he would definitely have him executed once this charade was done.
“Well, for one thing, I know your name. I know who you are, what you want, and why you want it.” Without invitation, the man moved closer, whispering into the other’s ear.
The black-haired man blanched as the man moved back away from the throne. How? How could he know all of this? He had been so careful! “V-very well. I think an alliance would be most beneficial.”
The man smiled again, “Excellent. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have some business to attend to. Goodbye, Kelrin Dragonsblood.” With that, he strode back out of the room, the soldier following, leaving Kelrin wide-eyed on his throne.
-last edited on May 3, 2017 11:38:02 GMT by RuleJJ
Post by RuleJJ on May 3, 2017 11:35:40 GMT
Locations (Author's Note)
A wide river divides the landmass, connecting to the sea in the southeast and from there running northwest before branching into two rivers, one flowing northwards and the other southwest. From where the river turns more northwards to where it branches off is a large mountain range. This mountain range is home to various groups of giants, goblins, orcs, dwarves, and dragons, as well as a few human settlements. Skrag, Zargan, Hithrol, and Baj are all from this mountain range. A small forest lies adjacent to the mountains directly eastward from Zargan’s former home. South of this forest is a large lake and southeast of that is a hilly plain, the northern part of which is home to the Lion Knights. The Dragon Knights live southeast of them, just past the hills. Southeast of the Dragon Knights are the Falcon Knights, whose castle is on the edge of a forest and across the river from a cluster of mountains that is home to a large dwarven fortress. West of the Falcon Knights and across the river from the southern edge of the mountain range is the City by the River. The City by the Sea is east of the Falcon Knights, on the other side of the forest and right on the sea. On the southern border of the forest is a town that is home to many bandits and mercenaries. Southwest of that are the Dragon Riders. To the west of them is a forest larger than the mountain range that is home to elves, dragons, and orcs. The Forest Band once lived on the northeastern edge of that forest. East of the forest, there are largely unexplored mountain ranges that house small dwarven populations. South of the forest is a river, on the other side of which live orcs, and the sea. A group of elves lives near the sea south of the forest. To the north of the forest is the southwestern branch of the great river. Some orcs and the Iron Wolves live near this river. North and west of the river is another hilly plain. Northeast of the great river is a massive desert, home to orcs, lizardfolk, dragons, and some humans. The Towers of Sorcery lie between the desert and the forest that the Falcon Knights live by. The fortress of Kelrin Dragonsblood is on the southwestern edge of the great mountain range.
As some of these locations are not yet on the map, I will update it soon. However, the Gallery is currently not allowing me to access creations, so it might not happen right away.
-last edited on May 3, 2017 20:43:46 GMT by RuleJJ
Post by RuleJJ on May 3, 2017 20:42:24 GMT
Part One Summary Skrag, a young half-goblin, is taken in by a goblin tribe, but shunned and friendless. When the chief who brought him in passes, the new chief takes this opportunity to exile him. Before he leaves, though, his power-hungry adopted father smashes the chief and frames Skrag, forcing him to flee.
Part Two Summary Far to the north, a dragon named Marrzak begins hearing a voice in his head, which convinces him to smash another dragon. He flies away, along with his brother, Zargan. Skrag sees the two and follows them to a house, where Marrzak smashes a man and continues flying away. Zargan is pursued by a group led by the man’s son, but Skrag saves him and the two become friends. The boy, Hithrol Jiwovz, finds a dragon egg in the mountains.
Part Three Summary Skrag joins an arena, fighting as a gladiator, but discovers he’s trapped in the city. Meanwhile, a young giant named Baj is captured as a slave and sent to the arena. Skrag finds a secret passage out of the city and begins planning to free the slaves and the city from the cruel leader, Gormund Crux, who is really just a puppet for his brother Edmond. Zelfern, one of the strongest gladiators in the arena, is put up against Skrag, who removes his hand. At the same time, many of the gladiators question their motives for fighting. Skrag and his allies, including Edmond’s daughter, Isabel, who calls herself Ishappa, approach Baj, asking for his help in freeing the slaves. He agrees, and convinces everyone except Garfell, an incredibly strong and skilled fighter. The slaves leave, while some of the gladiators lead a rebellion against the Cruxes. Garfell makes his return, sent by Edmond, but Burgs and Re’zar sacrifice themselves for the others. Almost everyone leaves, including Skrag, while Isabel takes control of the city. Zelfern swears to get his revenge on Skrag.
Part Four Summary Skrag and Zargan meet a mysterious old man, who enchants Skrag’s weapons and gives him armor, before disappearing. From there, they find the Dragon Riders, led by Hithrol Jiwovz and his dragon Olifin. The other Dragon Riders are Korin and Cloventail, Jon and Potestas, Calin and Glenda, Conria (a former gladiator in the arena) and Knoxin (a relative of Zargan’s), and finally Terra and Raini. The dragon riders all leave to announce their existence to the world, but Skrag has a bad feeling and asks Terra to be careful. The mysterious old man is revealed to be part of a mysterious group. Marrzak sends the voice, named Morath, after Hithrol and reveals he has Alis, his sister. Finally, a mysterious man initiates an invasion.
Part Five Summary Skrag, Zargan, Korin, and Cloventail fly off to join the dwarves, where they learn of a mysterious army on the march. Terra, Raini, Conria, and Knoxin meet with the three human kingdoms- the falcons, dragons, and lions. Jon, Potestas, Calin, and Glenda meet the elves. Everyone in the Towers of Sorcery dreams of the same mysterious army the others have been hearing about, the dreams sent by a mysterious group. Three people from the three human kingdoms have a secret meeting as the falcons prepare to march to the aid of the dwarves. Skrag, Zargan, Korin, and Cloventail fight the army and discover they have dragons of their own. Korin and Cloventail go to get help. Morath, sent by Marrzak, possesses Hithrol, captures Olifin, and goes to meet the leader of the mysterious army. Jon and Potestas are revealed as traitors, smashing Calin and Glenda. Skrag seems to be smashed by one of the enemy dragons. The army’s leader is revealed to be named Kelrin Dragonsblood and he makes a deal with Morath.
-last edited on May 3, 2017 23:25:13 GMT by RuleJJ
Post by RuleJJ on May 3, 2017 23:24:01 GMT
Character List Skrag- The Half-Breed, Dragon Rider, best friend of Zargan and adopted brother of Skirj, our protagonist Skorj- Warlord of Skrag’s former clan, father of Skirj and adopted father of Skrag, smashed Gorle and framed Skrag Gorle- Chief of Skrag’s former clan, smashed by Skorj Trok- Gorle’s deputy Skirj- Son of Skorj, brother of Skrag, currently a leading warrior in Skrag’s former clan Kalkuzar the Golden- King of dragons, father of Darkaraz Darkaraz- Son of Kalkuzar, father of Zargan, Marrzak, and Lyzara Marrzak- Son of Darkaraz, brother of Zargan and Lyzara, smashed Kurukin and Dernis Jiwovz, adopted father of Alis Jiwovz, master of Morath Zargan- Son of Darkaraz, brother of Marrzak and Lyzara, best friend of Skrag Lyzara- Daughter of Darkaraz, sister of Marrzak and Zargan Kurukin- Member of Kalkuzar’s tribe, smashed by Marrzak Hithrol Jiwovz- Son of Dernis Jiwovz, brother of Alis Jiwovz, founder of the Dragon Riders, rider of Olifin, was recently possessed by Morath, wields the sword Scalblas Alis Jiwovz- Daughter of Dernis Jiwovz, sister of Hithrol Jiwovz, raised by Marrzak Dernis Jiwovz- Father of Hithrol and Alis Jiwovz, smashed by Marrzak Gormund Crux- Former leader of the City by the River, brother of Edmond Crux, smashed by Skrag Edmond Crux- Father of Isabel Crux, brother of Gormund Crux, the true power in the City by the River, smashed in a tunnel cave-in Arik- Former gladiator in the Arena, friend of Skrag, aided in the revolt Go- Samurai, former gladiator, friend of Skrag Syldar- Healer, former gladiator, friend of Skrag, currently resides in the Towers of Sorcery Rennar- Former gladiator, friend of Skrag Luke Tunstall- Member of the Iron Wolves, former gladiator, friend of Skrag Dwalin- Former gladiator Ishal- Former gladiator, spy for Edmond Crux, smashed in a tunnel cave-in Leidiriv- Former gladiator, competent in magic, friend of Skrag, currently resides in the Towers of Sorcery Brian- Former gladiator, quick to fight, smashed by Shadowwrath Zelfern- Former gladiator, lost his hand to Skrag, vowed revenge on Skrag Shadowwrath- Former gladiator, always wears his armor, friend of Skrag Ishappa- Former gladiator, the Executioner, secretly Isabel Crux, daughter of Edmond Crux, current leader of the City by the River Garfell- Former slave gladiator, leader of one faction Re’zar- Former slave gladiator, leader of one faction, smashed by Garfell Baj- Very short giant, former slave gladiator, friend of Skrag Elisa- Former slave gladiator, friend of Skrag Raja- Former slave gladiator, young child, joined Garfell’s faction Ormuk- Former slave gladiator, Garfell’s right-hand man, smashed by Person Andrasa- Former slave gladiator, joined Garfell’s faction Malik- Former slave gladiator, had a way with animals, joined Garfell’s faction out of fear Burgs- Former slave gladiator, joined Garfell’s faction, half-giant, befriended Baj, smashed by Garfell Person- Former slave gladiator, joined Re’zar’s faction, friend of Mozz Mozz- Former slave gladiator, joined Re’zar’s faction, befriended by Person, supposedly insane Pine- Former slave gladiator, joined Re’zar’s faction, owned a dog, smashed by Raja Conria- Former slave gladiator, joined Re’zar’s faction, former knight of the Lion Kingdom, Dragon Rider, rider of Knoxin Beziov- Mysterious wizard, member of the Council Olifin- Dragon of Hithrol, found as an egg in an abandoned nest, currently trapped in a stone by Morath Korin- Dragon Rider, dwarven smith, rider of Cloventail Cloventail- Dragon of Korin Jon Blockman- Dragon Rider, Rider of Potestas, secretly worked for Kelrin, wanted revenge on the elves, smashed Calin and Ponos Potestas- Dragon of Jon, secretly worked for Kelrin, wanted revenge on the elves, smashed Glenda Knoxin- Dragon of Conria, grandson of Kalkuzar, cousin of Zargan Terra- Mermian, Dragon Rider, rider of Raini, close friend of Skrag Raini- Water Dragon, dragon of Terra Calin Firestrike- Dragon Rider, rider of Glenda, smashed by Jon Glenda Firestrike- Dragon of Calin, smashed by Potestas Lief- Member of the Council, former member of the Little Council, advisor to King Leonus of the Lion Kingdom, competent sorcerer Petrion- Dwarven miner, member of the Council Morath- Servant of Marrzak, appears as a living shadow, possessed Hithrol and trapped Olifin Kelrin Dragonsblood- Built an army to conquer the world Henphril- Servant of Kelrin King Dernar Dragonsson- King of the Dragon Kingdom King Leonus Lionsson- King of the Lion Kingdom King Dwiarnemfafn- King of the Dwarves, has a very frustrating name Fingolfin- Elven general, trusted advisor of Queen Legolie Queen Legolie- Queen of the Elves Link- Elven general, trusted advisor of Queen Legolie Jarios- Student at the Towers of Sorcery, friend of Syldar and Leidiriv Wisdom- Student at the Towers of Sorcery, notably strange, received an especially troubling dream The Wanderer- Leader of the Council King Gerak Falconsson- King of the Falcon Kingdom Pterio- Advisor to King Gerak, former member of the Little Council Dancan- Military advisor and bodyguard to King Dernar, former member of the Little Council
A wide river divides the landmass, connecting to the sea in the southeast and from there running northwest before branching into two rivers, one flowing northwards and the other southwest. From where the river turns more northwards to where it branches off is a large mountain range. This mountain range is home to various groups of giants, goblins, orcs, dwarves, and dragons, as well as a few human settlements. Skrag, Zargan, Hithrol, and Baj are all from this mountain range. A small forest lies adjacent to the mountains directly eastward from Zargan’s former home. South of this forest is a large lake and southeast of that is a hilly plain, the northern part of which is home to the Lion Knights. The Dragon Knights live southeast of them, just past the hills. Southeast of the Dragon Knights are the Falcon Knights, whose castle is on the edge of a forest and across the river from a cluster of mountains that is home to a large dwarven fortress. West of the Falcon Knights and across the river from the southern edge of the mountain range is the City by the River. The City by the Sea is east of the Falcon Knights, on the other side of the forest and right on the sea. On the southern border of the forest is a town that is home to many bandits and mercenaries. Southwest of that are the Dragon Riders. To the west of them is a forest larger than the mountain range that is home to elves, dragons, and orcs. The Forest Band once lived on the northeastern edge of that forest. East of the forest, there are largely unexplored mountain ranges that house small dwarven populations. South of the forest is a river, on the other side of which live orcs, and the sea. A group of elves lives near the sea south of the forest. To the north of the forest is the southwestern branch of the great river. Some orcs and the Iron Wolves live near this river. North and west of the river is another hilly plain. Northeast of the great river is a massive desert, home to orcs, lizardfolk, dragons, and some humans. The Towers of Sorcery lie between the desert and the forest that the Falcon Knights live by. The fortress of Kelrin Dragonsblood is on the southwestern edge of the great mountain range.
As some of these locations are not yet on the map, I will update it soon. However, the Gallery is currently not allowing me to access creations, so it might not happen right away.
-last edited on May 4, 2017 11:29:35 GMT by RuleJJ
Post by RuleJJ on May 4, 2017 11:29:08 GMT
Chapter 101
Zargan howled into the air, fury in his eyes. His friend was smashed, smashed by this dragon and his rider. How dare they take his friend! They would pay. He didn’t care how much bigger the brown dragon was. He didn’t care that he had a rider for help. They would pay. Zargan roared, barreling into the dragon, who merely laughed and sent Zargan to the ground with a swipe of his heavy tail, “You think to fight me, whelp? You cannot defeat me! None can stand before the might of Groklum!”
Zargan snarled, rising back into the air with a groan, “You took my friend from me. You will pay. I will avenge him.”
Groklum laughed, “I’d like to see you try,” He flew at Zargan, as quick as lightning, and knocked him to the ground once again. With that he flew off, still laughing. Zargan got to his feet with a wince. The dragon was strong and fast and more than twice his size. But he couldn’t give up. He had to avenge Skrag. They would pay. He rose into the air once again, pursuing the enemy.
Without any dragons of their own, the dwarves weren’t doing well. They swooped at the walls, dealing little damage, but moving too fast for their soldiers to fight back. The falcons had tried a ground attack. It hadn’t worked, and their army was decimated. Now it was time for the last resort. Many of their finest engineers and craftsmen had come together to create this devices. They called it the Mangler- a massive crossbow, twenty feet across. A single shot from it could bring down a dragon. The problem was hitting. Because of its size, the Mangler took a long time to load, and the dragons were fast. They could just keep moving, making it impossible for the dwarves to aim. Fortunately, the dragons weren’t expecting it. The bolt struck the black dragon square int the chest and it fell from the air, smashed instantly. The other dragon retreated. It would be wary now, and the Mangler was useless. Still, it had served its purpose.
-last edited on May 4, 2017 20:25:28 GMT by RuleJJ
Post by RuleJJ on May 4, 2017 20:25:19 GMT
Chapter 102
Dwiarnemfafn, son of Macrhiosenuntur, son of Ioswaerrrfiidnotr, High King of the Dwarven Citadel, watched as the army retreated. They had won. The invaders were leaving and the citadel stood strong. Once that dragon had fallen, the fight had gone well for the dwarves- in the end, the army’s numbers had been drastically shrunk, though the last dragon still remained and their own dragon riders had yet to return. The half-breed he was not concerned about, but Korin was one of their own, and nobody knew where he had gone. Overall, the casualties for the dwarves were minimal, thanks to the sturdy walls. The losses were far greater for the falcons- he would have to send aid to the kingdom- but that could wait. Now, it was time for celebration. Celebration and- a thought came to him. Where were the soldiers withdrawing to? They weren’t going back the way they had come. No, they were headed north, towards the river. Why north? They should be retreating to lick their wounds and regrow their strength. Instead, they were what? Marching again, so soon after a battle? If they planned another attack, they would be too weak yet to do much of anything. The human kingdoms in the north were well-defended. Well, the Lions and Dragons were. The Falcons had always been less militarily fortified. And their army was gone. They would take the Falcon Kingdom with little resistance. The High King quickly gathered his war council. The Falcons had marched to their aid. It was time to return the favor.
Far away in his fortress, Kelrin mounted Fovos behind Pursigon. The large man was one of his most loyal followers, and he made sure his dragon was the same. It was time for them to join the fight. Soon, Kelrin would take back what was his by right, what he had been promised and what he had earned. Soon, the world would be his.
