 |
 |
|
|
|
|
By Jamey Martin
Home Sweet Home
Spring 1371DR
Arriving back in Ordulin in the spring of the year 1371 DR, the band found that things had hardly been uneventful during their absence. For starters, with the destruction of (the majority of) Zhentil Keep, the Cormyreans had an easy go of liberating Daggerdale during the summer of '69. By mid-season, all resistance had been broken and the lordship of the new province awarded to Thracian Cormaeril, the husband of Silver Morn and father of Randal the Younger. While the remaining Dales resented this move, Cormyr quickly silenced them by pointing out the disregard, and even open contempt, that the other Dales traditionally afforded the "good folk of Daggerdale".
It was also over the winter of '69/'70 that the force stationed at Harrowsmouth was attacked and destroyed. Scouts reported that the tomb containing Sammaster's remains had be breached and the tomb-guardians apparently slain.
By late winter however, the CoT had been tracked to a castle of bone in the heart of the Battle of the Bones. A great battle was fought there between the forces of the CoT, headed by Isellishtra and her co-ruler the chief cult wizard and Wearer of the Purple, Elzundracandros, and an allied troop made up of Harpers, Lathanderites, and number of famous Cormyreans. When all was said and done, Elzundracandros had been slain, the true Tome of the Dragon destroyed, while the castle of bone had collapsed in on itself, killing Isellishtra and burying both the Necronomicon and Sammaster's phylactery in the castle sub-basement, beneath tons of rubble and bone. No survivors of the cult could be found. And of the forces of goodness, only a mere handful ever returned to their homes to tell the tale.
For a time the band lingered in Ordulin, relaxing after their long (costly) and eventful journey, but it soon came to pass that the Sembia cell of the Cult of the Dragon ambushed the lot of them one night at the Six Candles Inn. The inn was set ablaze, patrons were struck down to rise up moments later as zombies, warriors stormed the place, and more horrid things even still.
When all was said and down, the band managed to defeat their assailants and escape the blaze, along with Barlow, but felt that, maybe, their time in Ordulin had come. Perhaps even their time together.
And so it was that Tyros and Lil first accompanied Barlow to Tantras, where the innkeeper had grown up, before continuing on to Zhentil Keep. Apparently, Lord Orgauth had not only survived the Keep's fall, but had also emerged as it's sole ruler.
As for Corwin, Hector, and Harmoth, they rode westward along the East Way bound for Cormyr and their hometowns. As they grew ever closer, they heard ever more news of a great battle fought within the northern reaches of Old Cormyr between the Purple Dragons and a vast army of orcii led by a great red wyrm. The northern communities were ravaged, Arabel sacked, and King Azoun IV himself slain, but in the end, the dragon and her army had been vanquished and scattered.
Such was the state of affairs when the trio of Cormyreans at last rode into Arabel. Once there, they further learned of a veritable army of undead that apparently had washed through the Sunset and Tunland Vales at the end of the last season. Apparently, this was accompanied by some strange fireworks over the area of the Darkhold, and has thus been chalked up to another ploy by the Zhentarim ... though everyone is damned if they can find any logic to it.
Before they could continue on their journey, the lot of them were drafted into the service of the Wyvernspur's and the Knights of Immeresk, a secretive organization of nobles and their supporters working toward the reestablishment of the olden kingdom of Immeresk. With the help of a number of other agents, the trio was to seek out the lair and treasure horde of the slain red wyrm, but it eventually came to pass that the band ran across a troop of Tiamat cultists in the mountains northwest of Tyrluk. One of these proved to be a powerful blue dragon, and the band quickly found itself playing the role of the anvil yet again. Hector was carried off by the blue dragon, and all of the others slain. All save for Corwin, who managed to escape and make his way back to eastern Cormyr, where he would remain for a time in the service of Immeresk.
As for Hector, when he awoke, he sat stripped and shackled in a stinking, windowless cell. He soon learned that he was the prisoner of Bry'th, whom, along with Gregorious and Glistra, and a small number of others, had survived the assault by the forces of goodness to carry their high priestess, the Necronomicon, and both Sammaster's ashes and phylactery out of the ruin and to the safety of an old retreat. Bry'th further revealed how the CoT had at lasted succeeded in both restoring Sammaster to life and conjuring Tiamat into the mortal realm. He boasted that the fulfillment of the prophecy of Maglas, was at hand, and that soon mankind would be thrown down and scattered ... save of course for the loyal servants of the Chaos Queen. When Hector asked what the CoT wanted from him, Bry'th laughed and told the Cormyrean that his knowledge of the CoT had long since grown obsolete and that he was beneath the notice of both the Chaos Queen and her First Speaker. However, as fate had delivered the traitorous mage to the CoT, Bry'th was given permission to seize the opportunity. And so it was that Bry'th began a long, drawn out and methodical torture of Hector there in the dungeons beneath the Darkhold.
The content of And Dragons Shall Rule is the property and copyright of Jamey Martin, and is not to be published or redistributed without permission.