of elves and emperors and dragons

[cellio]

February 7, later

We've got some answers and more questions now. We have learned some history and seen the elusive Elys' Starhand!

She's "Starhand" because she actually has a bright spot on her left hand. Anarion told us that the elves are not of the earth; they are of the stars. He, personally, came here from the stars! I had no idea that was possible. I asked if they will leave someday, and he said it was a one-way trip. If every single elf in the land were gathered together they might be able to leave, but that is unlikely to happen.

Travelling from the stars... wow! Now I understand what he meant when he said that elves, and Beliaberith, are not of the land and thus cannot protect the land from the sickness.

(Though if Beliaberith isn't part of the land, what does that mean? Did they bring it with them? Am I currently sitting in a little bit of unearthly elf-homeland, sort of like that place in/on Covanion but less transparent?)

(Later, when I am more alert, perhaps I will ask Anarion some technical questions. How did they stay safe during travel? Are there vicious ogres in the stars, too? Or was their travel instantaneous? The magic to do such things would be fascinating.)

So anyway, Prolix and Liandra, working together, scried Elys'. (And Anarion has a magic room that allows all of us to see, hear, and speak. Wow!) Poor Elys'! She is trapped within a gem...somewhere. She doesn't know where she is, and Anarion has been unable to locate her. Some years after the (last) cataclysm she found a large green gem in a field, picked it up, and found herself trapped. I guess that's when living (nearly) forever turns into a curse, though she seems to have accepted her fate. I do hope she is freed one day, though.

During the last cataclysm, Elys' told us, Renard and Garrett went to Cardior while she and Therion went to Laryn. (This tracks with Seamus' song.) Therion sang a lullaby that put the land to sleep for a night, buying time for Renard and Garrett to act. The caverns greatly amplified his song; sound-based magic is very, very strong there, and his song actually crystalized on the walls of the cavern. I've never heard of anything like that before. It sounds fascinating. (I wonder if the gorge of fire amplifies my magic?)

We asked Elys' what Renard and Garrett had planned to do in Cardior, but she said that Renard was very secretive and she never learned their intentions. Elys' went in search of Renard after but never saw him again; eventually she learned that he had died setting the world right. (She doesn't know what happened to Garrett.) She tried to teleport to Cardior several times, but the attempts were blocked by something. Elys' said that Therion was very cunning and might have known what Renard was up to, but as far as she knows he still sleeps in Laryn. We asked about waking him, and she said she would if she could.

I had assumed from the songs that Renard was a warrior, but Elys' said that he was a priest of Agondre. We don't have priests of Agondre any more, though we've seen their remnants, like in the temple of Pelor in Kozel'sk. Elys' said that the priests fell with the land.

The cataclysm began in Cardior and spread outward gradually. This makes sense; if the land is the body, the veins and arteries are the way sickness spreads. The reports of events were very confused, and it's hard to assemble a chronology. Entire cities disappeared from the land. It was bad.

I asked Elys' what binds Agondre, and I wondered why he didn't just fly out of the pool. She said that Agondre is part of the living rock; he cannot move. I guess the pool formed around him.

Our time was running out. Prolix said he would call again, and somehow he and Elys' ended up making a date to play chess. She doesn't have a board, but she doesn't need one. It's going to be an interesting few days...

Tonight I had a short talk with Hrolf, asking him how he knew (in the dream) about the sword and why he didn't talk to me, for heaven's sake. He said he didn't know how he knew; he just knew that there was something there that was obviously for me, and he had to get it. He also pointed out that he was right; it obviously is meant for me. He's hard to argue with sometimes, and very hard to stay mad at.

Oh, and Anarion gave us gifts in thanks for bringing Firella safely home. That was nice of him! He gave most of us boots that aid in moving silently. He gave Kyle something else, though I didn't catch what.

February 8 (Sunday)

Last night I slept soundly. From the looks of things, so did everyone else. Good! We needed that. I'm still a little spooked by the vision of Agondre, and what it means for me personally. It'll take a while to figure that one out.

Today I went to the marketplace and found a circlet I must have! It's magic, and it creates a ray of very bright, searing sunlight. This would be perfect for those fights that are too close for balls of fire. And it's so suited to Pelor! Hrolf thinks it's pretty, but I think that's because of the sparkly gem that the beam comes out of.

Today we scried the emperor, which was fascinating. Actually, "scry" isn't the right word; Prolix has a spell that lets him move the vantage point around, so we were able to see more than just the emperor's chambers this time. The emperor is quite dead (which we knew already), though the rate of decay has been slower than we would expect based on what we saw last time. Maybe the emperor's death did cause these problems after all; it had looked before as if he died after the problems started.

We were able to see a large complex of rooms and halls. Some doors were closed, and we couldn't see through them, but we were able to look through all open doors. We saw no windows or doors to the outside, so we have no idea where this is. We also saw a large circle with runes and a look of magic to it, and we are guessing that it's a teleport circle -- this is the emperor's secret hiding place, reachable only by teleport, perhaps. I wonder where the other end of that circle is. I presume it's in Cardior somewhere, in the palace if there is a palace, and this suite could be anywhere at all.

We saw several skeletons, perhaps guards who had died with the emperor. Most of them were bloody, and the emperor had been stabbed in the heart. (It looked like there had been a nasty infection, which matches my suspicion. I think he was killed with Weeping Wounds.) One of the guards had wounds that looked like claws or bites, not weapons. That's not good.

And then there was the temple of Agondre. Or, at least, it looked like a temple, and it had a large dragon statue like those we've seen, with an altar, and there were several bodies in what seemed to be priestly robes. There were three large shards of glass that looked like they would fit together to make the mold for a dagger -- interesting. And then there was the message scrawled on the wall in blood -- "revenge", in the draconic language. Eek.

So who are, and were, the enemies of Agondre? The sickness in the land seems to be a deliberate act, not an accident -- but who did it and why?

February 9 (Monday)

Liandra is making healing potions. She's such a nice person, always doing stuff for others but not for herself. Today I decided to make her a protective cloak as a small token of my thanks. I'll give it to her tomorrow, after I finish up the embroidery. It needs embroidery; it's just too plain and utilitarian without it. She deserves better. I mean, not only is she a friend, but she's a princess.

We contacted Elys' again today, and she and Prolix began their chess game. (I think Prolix is going to lose badly.) We asked her who Agondre's enemies had been and she said she didn't know -- there had been some invasions from across the sea, but they stopped when the Cataclysm got bad. I wonder, once again, about the role of Turok's homeland in all of this. So does Turok, it appears.

We also contacted Lord Marius. We gave him an update on what we have learned. He was disappointed that we were not able to find Theodocius before it was too late, and he was surprised to hear about the priests of Agondre. He promised to look into that for us.

We told him that we would like to go to Cardior but don't know what (or whom) we're looking for there. He suggested that we seek out a captain in Tergia's army, Jorvik, who is a man of intelligence and integrity. He told us not to mention his name or the Gastreyr, though, so we'll have to figure out some pretext for talking with him.

Marius was quite surprised when we told him about scrying the emperor, because (he says) the emperor is not supposed to be scryable. I suppose if there's been a recent degradation in magical protections that would explain why everyone doesn't know about the emperor's fate by now. It it not widely known that he is dead, according to Marius.

I asked about the succession, but there are no obvious candidates. All of the dukes seem to be vying for control, but all of the dukes are also ill in various ways. Duke Leopold (from the Gastreyr) seems to be having severe stomach difficulties and is very frail.

If it's not generally known that the emperor is dead, I wondered if we could present a fake? We know what he looks like, after all. But I assume that anyone claiming to be the emperor would be subject to powerful magics to dispel any ruse, and Marius pointed out that there is the problem of credentials. So, it seems, we cannot end this war by having the emperor make an appearance and telling the dukes to knock it off.

Tomorrow I think we should contact Seamus in Oakhame.

This ability to contact people far away is very useful. When this is all over and we go our separate ways, I'll have to find some way to do that. Maybe I'll be able to buy a crystal ball when I settle down; I'd really like to be able to stay in touch with everyone, but they're spread out all over the place. Brion is one of them, and there's really no way I can go back to Shepford now. I can't live that life any more; I've seen too much and done too much, more than anyone else there. And they wouldn't really know what to do with me, either. That can't be my home any more.

February 10 (Tuesday)

I finished the embroidery on the cloak this morning. It's a nice dark green cloak with silver and gold embroidery -- silver squiggles and gold starbursts. There were supposed to be little suns, but they look a little like fireballs. Oh well. Liandra really likes it, so I'm happy.

While I had all the tools out anyway, I polished Hrolf's harness and made some adjustments so it fits better. He's put on a little weight in the last few months. He said he usually doesn't in the winter, but of course he's had to find all his own food in winters past. And while he still won't admit it, I think he's developed a fondness for cooked meat, especially when it's been magically quick-seared in my hand.

Today we contacted Seamus. We told him what we saw of the emperor and asked who Agondre's enemies are. He said that he had heard more from Boniface about their research into that statue. They had previously learned that "Agondre festers at Agondre's heart", which is true but not very helpful. He has now learned more: "Agondre's bane has taken Agondre's bane from the center of the capital to the center of the capital". Perhaps the priests need to try a different approach in asking their questions.

That said, though, I can see an interpretation of this. Agondre's bane is Weeping Wounds, but it would also be the one who wielded it. And while Cardior is the capital of the empire, it is not the Capital geographically -- that would be farther north, from the heart to the head. So perhaps the person who stabbed the emperor with Weeping Wounds has taken the dagger and fled north. (I didn't share that with Seamus, as I only figured it out later. In fact, I haven't shared it with anyone yet.)

Seamus told us that from what he knows, the emperor of 500 years ago disappeared shortly before Renard arrived in Cardior. Since then, the emperor has been out of the public eye -- he issues proclamations from time to time, but he doesn't make appearances. The emperor is not an elf, so I asked how succession is handled. Seamus said that from time to time there is an announcement of a new emperor (and I guess the coins change). The heirs are occasionally seen (while they are still heirs), but the emperor is not. It's a strange way to run a country, and I'm surprised there hasn't been contention for the throne before now.

We know that the emperor is tied to the land. I had assumed that this was the cause of the problems, and I asked Seamus if Agondre (the dragon) was a willing or unwilling participant in that. Seamus didn't know (I don't think he'd thought about it), but something he said made me wonder: perhaps the linking of the land and the emperor (and the dragon) was part of the cure last time, not part of the cause. Seamus said it's an interesting idea and he will investigate it. He will also see what he can learn about what we saw of the emperor's hideaway.

Seamus was excited when we told him we had spoken with Elys'. We told him what she said about Therion's song forming crystals in the cavern, and Seamus said this is the most amazing thing a bard could ever hope to do. He was very excited but I didn't quite understand it; maybe it's a bard thing and the rest of us just wouldn't get it. He does think that the crystal would be very valuable magic, but he fears it might not be safe to wake Therion. He also warned us that if this cavern magnified the effects of the music so, it is probably an accoustically perfect place and we need to be careful to not be harmed by noise there. I think we should all carry balls of wax like Elys' did. (The boots Anarion gave us will help, but it's best not to rely on that. There are other sources of noise beyond our own footsteps, after all.)

When we told Seamus about the dream I mentioned my sword, and he was interested in knowing more about it. I described it and he seemed to be taking notes. (I wonder if he's getting ready to write a song.) He asked me if the sword has a name and I said I didn't know. He suggested that I sit and contemplate the sword for a while and maybe I will find out. He thinks it sounds like a holy weapon, and holy weapons have names, he said. I didn't know there were rules about such things. Seamus also offered to confer with Boniface about the weapon if I would permit him, and I said I'd welcome more information if he can find it. (And while he's talking with Boniface anyway, I asked if he could get the name of a contact within the temple of Pelor in Cardior, since we will likely be going there.)

February 11 (Wednesday)

This morning, following Seamus' advice, I rose before dawn and sat with the sword, contemplating it as the sun rose and eventually appeared high in the sky. No words were spoken, but I now know that its name is "Sunrise". How fitting.

Tonight I finally spoke with Anarion alone. I was led to him at twilight. He has a quiet, isolated place from which he contemplates the stars. It's quite lovely, and he looked more peaceful and contented there than he often does when out and about. That connection with the stars must be pretty strong. I wonder if he's homesick.

We talked about dragon's blood and the changes in my life. It appears that I have not always been dragon-blooded; this grew, or changed, with the amazing growth of my magical abilities over the last year. Others with an intuitive grasp of magic -- not the book-learners -- get this way sometimes, too. It's very strong in me, Anarion said.

What does it mean for me? That I seem to be more connected to Agondre, both the land and the dragon, than others. I can be affected by the malaise of the land, but I can also affect the land if I become infected. We talked about physical sources of infection, but I could see that he had something else in mind. Eventually he pointed out what I should have seen: it's what's inside me that's important. Not just blood -- morals. Doing the right thing.

I try to do the right thing, of course, and I've found myself in arguments because of it (mostly with Prolix). But knowing that I'm not just affecting myself and those immediately around me, but potentially all of Agondre, even to a small degree, is much more serious. I'll have to be especially careful.

And what of this new status that I seem to have? Dragon blood, and a special weapon, and even the knowledge of how to use it? What has happened? Anarion helped me work it out: the sword did come from Agondre (the dragon), and it is unlikely that I would have been able to carry it out of the dream if Agondre did not want me to have it. And it clearly has some connection to righting things -- I can feel its healing powers, even if most others can't. I had thought that these changes were a gift of Pelor, but perhaps they are a gift of Agondre. (Not that I'm about to stop worshipping Pelor, of course! I was doing that before, and I'll do it now.)

(I know that there used to be priests of Agondre. They were among the first to fall during the last cataclysm. And we saw the temple in the emperor's suite. I wonder if there are priests of Agondre now, beyond the ones we saw there. Live priests of Agondre, I mean.)

We talked about the ways we had tried to heal Agondre in the dream, or projection, or whatever it was. None of what we did seemed to help, but Anarion pointed out that it was like throwing a thimble-full of water into the ocean and expecting it to make a difference. Presumably, eventually, we will figure out how to use quantities of healing magic larger than thimble-fulls.

So maybe dragon's blood figures in, though mine alone isn't enough. Probably Sunrise figures in, but in combination with other factors I don't yet know. We don't know yet what we need to do or how, precisely, to even find Agondre the dragon, but we clearly need to.

I asked Anarion if Turok is also dragon-blooded. He said yes, but in a different way. He is half-dragon, after all, but he doesn't have my magical strength.

Agon was dragon-blooded, as I suspected.

This is all somewhat overwhelming, but in a good way.

February 12 (Thursday)

Prolix told me that the item he commissioned to make him smarter is coming along well. I've been thinking about how I can improve my ability in combat, since it appears I may be in melee more now. Physical armor isn't feasible -- it intereferes with my magic, and anyway I can fabricate my own magical armor. I'm looking for a way to be more nimble in a fight.

I thought about it and I think I know how I can make something to help. Prolix agreed to cast the spell I'll need, so today I began to make some gloves.

Tonight at dinner we were talking about where to go from here. Prolix wants to try to teleport into the emperor's chambers. That sounds awfully risky to me. If I were the emperor (or his advisor), I'd set up magical wards to either block teleportation or immediately summon guards if someone does teleport in. But then, I'd also block scrying, and apparently that used to be in place and isn't now. So maybe it's worth a try, but I think we should have contingency plans for swarms of guards, capture, and getting bounced halfway around the world.

February 13 (Friday)

I continued to work on the gloves today. The physical crafting is done; the magic will need more time. They're very fine and fit my hands perfectly; you can't even tell I'm wearing gloves unless you look closely.

Liandra brought me a gift today. She wanted to make me something as thanks for the cloak, so she gave me a potion of barkskin. That will be helpful! She didn't have to do that, but I won't turn it down.

February 15 (Sunday)

I finished the gloves today. They did seem to make a difference when I sparred with Turok a bit tonight. (Turok has been helping me get used to Sunrise.)

Tonight is the new moon, and Hrolf has been curious about whether there are birds that see in the dark better than owls do. I assured him that this was unlikely, but he wanted to try anyway. So we spent some time after dinner flying around together, changing form from one type of bird to the next. He concluded that owls are better than hawks and eagles, at least at night.

As long as we were experimenting anyway, I decided to see what would happen if I tried to turn myself into something draconic. I was able to immitate Turok, but -- as with Turok -- there were no wings. I then tried other humanoid-dragon forms, and found that larger half-dragons sometimes have wings. I can do a half-dragon, half-ogre and fly, but ogres are so ugly. I don't have a fix for that yet. Perhaps some day I'll learn to fly the way Prolix does, without growing wings.