The taraakian
Through the wall of the Crystal Sphere that holds Greyspace comes a shooting star, brilliant blue in color.
It is travelling at one thousand times the speed of light, in normal Wildspace.
Nevermind that that is impossible.
The shooting star effect is from a shield that is protecting the bird, and it's rider.
For it is a bird, and the flapping of it's wings takes it invariably to where it wants to go.
It can decelerate in an instant to a standstill.
It can accelerate in an instant to the lesser speed-state that it is in (the greater speed-state requires special preparation.)
The fact that such decelerations and accelerations would produce a Nova does not affect it or it's rider, nor does such a Nova occur, or any other effect.
This bird is a kindly looking bird, with great eyes and a gracious body, huge wings spread out to either side.
The bird coos, a high and haunting sound, as it echoes the feelings of it's rider.
It's rider looks like a human male.
However, the unnaturally pale skin, the snow white hair, and the birthmark on the neck - that of a sword - proclaim this rider to be taraakian.
The taraakian is dressed from head to toe in black, and only his head is not covered.
A soft black material of unknown type covers his legs, body, and arms. It is so black it seems like a Sphere of Annihilation has come, and it never reflects any light.
The taraakian is wearing other things over that black. All of these other things, are blood red.
His belt - it looks like a belt - is red.
His boots are red.
His - partial armor? - is red. Perhaps it is armor, and perhaps it is symbolic. It includes vambraces, protection for the front of his legs, and a red pauldron over his right shoulder.
More to the point, the twin belts that cross his torso, overlapping each other over his heart, are red.
On his left hand, he is wearing some sort of black glove.
On his right hand, he is wearing a very great glove - perhaps the size of a huge winter mitten, which extends clear back to his elbow.
This glove is blazing red.
So too is the scabbard of his sword. His long sword.
There is no peacebinding on that sword, either.
- - -
The bird and it's rider decelerate to lightspeed, and circle Oerth three times.
Grey eyes look down upon that world, and they see everything.
No camera ever made by the United Commonwealth could have seen things more clearly, or more closely.
No supercomputer ever invented by the greatest gnome scientist could have taken in information faster, and relayed that information back to the rest of his kind.
That vision sees what is, and it sees what was.
It looks through people, perceiving all their thoughts, and all their deeds, present - and past.
The God Emperor, Kas, Iuz, Hazen, Kalanyr, Phibrizzo, and others feel this intense scrutiny, feeling themselves suddenly naked and exposed, their entire life being looked at and examined in microscopic detail.
It is, obviously, very unpleasant for some, but there is no way to shut it out.
12th level magic is backing it, and it cannot be halted.
After a single revolution around the planet of Oerth, the rider conducts a circult past the ruined world of Luna, past Celune where Acererak long had his hiding place.
The shooting star that is the taraakian sweeps by the Penumbral Hub, and Anabstercorian - now alerted that something is up - finds his psionic probes blocked, then finds his own mind opened up like a book, and read - in a split second.
The taraakian sweeps through all of Greyspace.
Nothing is overlooked.
Nothing is missed.
Realmspace is next.
The 11th level defenses of the various Powers of Realmspace do not hinder the rider, or stop it's probing.
Perhaps for the first time, the Chosen of Mystra feel a power greater than their own, as their minds and history are sifted through, weighed, and judged.
Then on to Krynnspace, where the Dragon Overlords and their foes alike feel the probing.
Mystara's Immortals cannot stop the Incomer, or even shield their own minds and history from this being.
The taraakian then passes into the Crystal Sphere that holds Athas, and makes a great curve inward towards Athas, circling that world.
Forsaken One's Diadem of Dreams forbids all magic in this Sphere, but the magic of the taraakians is greater than that of the Diadem of Dreams, and ignores it.
Finally, the rider returns to Greyspace, and comes shooting down through Oerth's atmosphere in a blazing fire that lights up the whole sky, as if it were a great meteor crashing into the world.
The rider comes to a stop, and dismounts (he was riding bare-backed, by the way.)
He looks around at the blackened waste that used to be the Domain of Greyhawk.
He says nothing. His race does not speak - and nobody knows if they are able to speak at all by any normal means.
However, his summons is heard, and it is answered.
It is answered immediately, whether those summoned want it or not.
They are all instantly teleported or worldwalked to that spot.
The following people arrive:
The Player Characters of every Power in the IR except Phibrizzo.
If you are reading this, THAT MEANS YOU.
Even Zouron and Melkor are summoned, torn right out of Ravenloft as if the Mists truly were only mists, helpless to stop anyone from passing through their insubstantiality.
Forrester and Erika Lesage, and all the PCs of those who have departed the IR, are summoned also.
(Those players who have abandoned the IR, of course, are not required to play their characters.)
The taraakian does not speak.
The taraakian does, however, immediately show a vision of the near future.
The Red Goo assault is launched.
The Death Machines appear and attack.
11th Level Attacks and Defenses go off.
Krynn is totally destroyed, it's entire surface obliterated.
Krynnspace is sterilized.
Mystara holds out momentarily, then it burns, and the Hollow World inside it is not spared.
A great explosion of Shade turns Toril into a burned-out cinder, Selune erupts in greyish-purple flames, Luna is blown to pieces.
Realmspace is sterilized.
The green-blue world of Oerth glows like the sun, then fades into a ruin of nuclear explosions and red goo, the world slain.
Greyspace dies with Oerth.
The Penumbral Hub is destroyed, Anabstercorian killed.
Venus's great city is destroyed as it is built.
In Ravenloft, the Dark Powers seize upon the Red Goo that was sent there, turning it into a thousand new horrific types of power, taking the concentrated evil and making new and more ghastly things with it.
Not that those sent there from the IR care - they were all killed by the Red Poison assault.
The destruction causes the 5th and 6th Touches to go off instantly.
All the Crystal Spheres are pulled into Ravenloft.
Forsaken One and 'o Skoteinos, suddenly find themselves in Ravenloft, under Melkor's rule.
Melkor instantly destroys the Cube City of 'o Skoteinos.
The Hive Cluster is instantly turned into Shade slaves of Melkor.
All that is left of the IR is consumed by Melkor, turned into his abject slaves, into Shade.
Those spared, the women, become his absolute slaves.
The Angels are no match for the assault - they are slain or driven away.
- - -
The vision of the near future fades, and the leadership is back in the Now.
The taraakian looks around at the leaders of the IR (excluding Phibrizzo, who not only was not brought, but who cannot come here, by any means.)
A telepathic message comes from the taraakian, as he lifts an eyebrow:
Would you all please explain your behavior to us?
