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Message: <blockquote data-quote="JollyDoc" data-source="post: 7175622" data-attributes="member: 9546">On The Wings of Eagles - 16 Pharast, 4718 - 9 Gozran, 4718Tandengate Prison in Cliffward was an old castle perched precariously on a cliff overlooking the sea. It had a reputation for being a brutal jail, only slightly better than Branderscar. Now it was in poor shape for a fortification, and yet its warden and twelve prison guards still held the walls. They crouched atop the battlements guarding their posts and praying to Iomedae that reinforcements would come. Their prayers were answered…but not in the way they had hoped.“Reinforcements arriving!” the soldier at the head of small contingent approaching the prison called out. “We’ve got a prisoner transfer as well!”He nodded over his shoulder at the massive, winged ogre that shambled along in shackles in the middle of the group. “Wait for the warden!” came the reply from the battlements.Slowly the large portcullis ground upwards and the warden, Sir Arnon McAnders, flanked by a dozen guards, stepped out to meet his relief.“Where are you taking this…thing?” Sir Arnon asked, gesturing towards the ogre. “Prisoner transfer,” the soldier repeated. “Caught him outside the city walls on our way in.”“Is this all of you?” Sir Anon asked, disappointment on his face. “We can barely feed the prisoners we got. We’d hoped there would be more of you so we could get out of this place.”“How many prisoners do you still have?” asked the soldier.“About a hundred,” the warden replied. “Most of them close to starving to death.”“That’s a shame,” said the soldier. “We’ll help in any way we can, but first would you mind if our priest blessed you and your men?”“You have a priest with you?” Sir Arnon asked, incredulous. “Of course we’ll accept your blessing!”The soldier turned and gestured towards another man dressed in the battle vestments of the Iomedaen clergy. The cleric stepped forward, bowed his head and began an incantation. As he spoke, his hands folded before him, no one saw the tiny ball of flame that appeared in his palm. As he finished his ‘prayer,’ he casually flicked one wrist, tossing the flame into the midst of the guards. They watched it arc over their heads, awe and wonder on their faces as they beheld a physical manifestation of the Bright Lady’s blessing. Then it exploded and the screaming began as they were engulfed in fire. Simultaneously, Grumblejack burst his bonds and seized one of the guards who had escaped the brunt of the blast by the throat.“Watch out, he’s loose!” shouted one of the soldiers. Twisting his massive hands, Grumblejack broke the man’s neck with an audible snap. Another survivor collapsed to the ground, his throat slit as Katarina materialized from the shadows behind him. The last guard standing managed to draw his sword and rush forward, but Kat flicked a dagger from her sleeve and threw it into his back before he took two steps. “Wha…what…?” Sir Arnon stammered, looking uncomprehendingly at the carnage all around him.“Shhh,” Tardaesha soothed, her disguise melting away. “Just look into my eyes and all will be well.”Sir Arnon couldn’t help himself. He stared into her deep, crimson eyes and his will was lost.“Now,” Tardaesha continued, “tell us about these poor, lost souls you have locked up inside.”___________________________________________________________After defeating the warden and his men, the Knot discovered a whole wing of ragged, poorly fed prisoners. These men ranged from mere thieves to murderers and rapists, and they were all more than happy to swear whatever oaths and allegiances their rescuers demanded in order to gain their freedom. Chained in an isolation cell deep within the prison was a strange looking foreigner covered in exotic tattoos. Among his markings was a fresh brand of a runic “F.”“Bound for Branderscar, were you?” Tardaesha asked.The man looked up at her sullenly.“Whom did you try to assassinate?” Tardaesha went on. “Anyone of note?”“Markadian,” the man replied in heavily accented Common.“Oh ho!” Tardaesha exclaimed. “The King himself! You have high aspirations! Did you take this endeavor on by yourself, or were you hired?”It was at that moment that the man noticed the symbol of Asmodeus hanging from Tardaesha’s neck, and his eyes went wide.“Did Thorn send you to mete out justice for my failure?” he asked.“Thorn??” Tardaesha gasped. “How do you…? Wait…who are you, exactly? And don’t even think about lying to me.”“I am Ifran al-Janbiya, The Wisdom of the Knife. I am the last of the Third Knot,” he replied.Tardaesha smiled. “A pleasure to meet you, Ifran. This is your lucky day! I am Tardaesha Dannister, of the Ninth Knot. We have not come seeking your death. Instead, I offer you redemption. Tell me what befell you and the other members of your knot.”“I and my companions were brought here by Cardinal Thorn to assassinate King Markadian V, Ifran said. “Unfortunately, we ran afoul of a paladin leading a small band, and were defeated.”“A paladin by the name of Sir Richard, no doubt,” Tardaesha nodded. “I swore an oath to see Markadiandead,” Ifran continued, “and that oath still binds me.”“And you may yet see it fulfilled,” Tardaesha smiled again. “For now, though, you will lead this band of rabble, and you shall answer only to me. Welcome to the Ninth Knot, Ifran.”_________________________________________________________________Tardaesha had Ifran and the prisoners report to the manor of the baroness and await further orders. As a gift, she drained and killed Sir Arnon, then told Ifran to bury him in a shallow grave.“He will rise again tomorrow night,” she explained. “One of my spawn, but under your command. Use him as you wish.”Some of the prisoners informed the Knot before they left of a hidden thieves guild within the sewers beneath the city. Kelvin ordered Ifran to make contact with their leader an offer an alliance in exchange for not wiping them out utterly. Another month passed in Daveryn, then one day, with no warning, Tiadora returned. She was not alone. Flocking and flying around her were all nine of her erinyes retinue, clad in full infernal regalia. “Greetings, Ninth Knot,” Tiadora said. “The Cardinal Adrastus Thorn, your master and mine, sends his greetings. Have you enjoyed your stay in beautiful Daveryn? I hear you've been quite the tourists, traveling across the whole span of this metropolis.  Tell me, have the locals been friendly?”“They have been very…accommodating,” Kelvin replied carefully.Tiadora nodded, then continued on.“Victory over Talingarde and the culmination of your vengeance draws near, and yet still there is one final errand that must be done. It is time for King Markadian V, called the Brave, to die. You shall be our chosen assassins. Even now the king moves towards Daveryn at the head of an army, easily numbering twenty thousand strong. He is surrounded day and night by his mightiest and most loyal knights. Attacking him at his camp is folly. But the king does have a weakness. He has not marched to war with his beloved daughter, the princess Bellinda, heir and last scion of House Darius. She is watched over by a relatively small honor guard at the Adarium, the palace of House Darius, near the capital city of Matharyn. Perhaps it would be within your purview to infiltrate and slay Bellinda, but that is not our aim. The princess is merely a teenage girl and of little consequence by herself.  Instead, it is your mission to endanger the princess. Everywhere the king of Talingarde goes, he bears with him a magical pendant. If ever his daughter is endangered, the talisman signals her peril. With but a word, he can return to the Adarium. He will teleport into his sanctum beneath the palace, eager to save his daughter. Your mission is first to proffer the gravest peril, and when it strikes the Adarium, you are to be in that sanctum awaiting the king's return. As he appears, destroy him. In one swift stroke, you will decapitate the House of Darius. With his death and the death of Bellinda, there will be no ruler of Talingarde. The Fire-Axe will defeat the army here in the ruins of Daveryn and then Talingarde will be ours. But what peril could be so calamitous that the king's most trusted servants would call Markadian away from his campaign to save the kingdom? It can be no simple threat. It must be a threat of legend. Thorn has pondered this problem long and decided there is only one threat in all of Talingarde of worthy stature – the elder wyrm Chargammon the Black. You must find a way to gain Chargammon's service and have him attack the Adarium and slay Bellinda. Chargammon's sunken throne is easy enough to find but it is a fool's errand to enter unbidden. Chargammon slays all who enter without his warrant. And he gives his warrant to no one. Still, Thorn has confidence that you will find a way. This is your mission. Gain the dragon's assistance and then kill the king. There is one more trifling matter. After the king is slain and his palace lies in ruins, Thorn bids you find a book. Perhaps it will be in the sanctum or perhaps in the king's personal chambers. It is the Liber Darian – a large bound volume containing the chronicles of the House of Darius. Fetch it and then break this seal. And then your labors will be done and you shall be rewarded for them. You must sense that this may well be your last mission for the Cardinal. Soon the armies of Talingarde will be broken and their leadership will be shattered. Thorn has always known that Talingarde stands because of four pillars. The first pillar was the Watch Wall Balentyne keeping the northern border secure. It burned by your hand. The second pillar was the Order of St. Macarius. You extinguished their flame. This third pillar is the Knights of the Alerion. They march to their doom against the Fire-Axe. And now the final pillar will fall by your hand – the House of Darius. Of all of Thorn's servants no one has done more than you to see the triumph to its conclusion.Do not think this will be forgotten when the rewards are given. You will be princes of the realm. The great game enters its last phase. Soon Talingarde will be ours.”The members of the Ninth Knot glanced at one another uneasily. Finally, Kelvin cleared his throat.“How are we going to stop Chargammon from simply killing us?”“ Thorn has confidence you'll think of something,” Tiadora shrugged.“That's it?” Tardaesha snapped.  “We'll think of something? Is Cardinal Thorn trying to kill us?”“Of course not,” Tiadora waved her hand dismissively. “If the master wanted you dead, you' d be dead. Cardinal Thorn leaves nothing to chance. He didn't tell you how to infiltrate Balentyne and you managed. He didn't tell you how to acquire the Daemon's Gift and you managed. You should be flattered. I deliver many commands of the master to his servants. He trusts you enough to leave you room for your own discretion.”“Isn't the army that's coming to Daveryn far mightier than the Fire-Axe's horde,” Roger asked. “What's the plan for defeating them?”“I am not privy to all of Thorn's secret machinations,” Tiadora sighed, “only what he chooses to tell me. However, from what I can gather, our master has something special planned for the forces of Talingarde.”“How soon must this mission be done?” Kelvin asked.“As with every mission Thorn gives you, sooner is always better,” Tiadora replied. “However, the army marches across the length of Talingarde. It will likely not be here for a month or two. You have that much time to ensure that it arrives here without the king to command it.”“Wait,” Dakota interrupted. “We took down three of the four pillars?  Do the rest of the Cardinal's minions just suck?”“Perhaps it is true that you have risen to be Thorn's most elite servants,” Tiadora glared at the vampiress, “but do not overestimate your importance. You may have infiltrated and thrown open the watch wall, but it was only because of the Fire-Axe's army that the wall was broken. You may have recovered the Daemon's Gift but it was only distributed because of Brother Thrain and his dupes. You have been aided every step of the way along your missions. Never forget that.”Dakota was about to snap back, but Kelvin quickly stepped in.“What do we know about the Princess Bellinda?”“What is there to know?” Tiadora shrugged. “She's a nineteen year old girl who has scarcely been out of the Adarium in all her young life. I hear she's quite beautiful. A pity she's going to get fed to a dragon.”“Are there really no other members of the House of Darius?” Kelvin asked“There are cousins and relatives by marriage, Tiadora said, “but King Markadian and the Princess Bellinda are the last two surviving direct descendants of the Victor. With their death, the House of Darius will be effectively destroyed.”“Dragons usually have big piles of treasure hidden somewhere,” Tardaesha said. “After Chargammon eats Bellinda is there any reason why we can't slay the dragon and claim his wealth for ourselves?”“You plan to betray the great wyrm Chargammon?” Tiadora’s eyes widened. “You are either the bravest souls I have ever met or the most foolish. Chargammon is more than 1,200 years old. He is incredibly wary and fearsome. Betraying him is fantastically dangerous. In fact, I would be cautious of the dragon betraying you. The beast is wicked and honorless or so I hear.  But, if you do manage to slay him, his hoard is yours if you can find it.”“ Should we then keep our plan secret from Chargammon?” Kelvin asked.“You should tell the wyrm as little as possible,” Tiadora agreed. “However, the ancient beast is a genius and will already know much of what you intend. And I would be wary of lying to Chargammon unless you want to be eaten. Still, do not mention the Cardinal or your ultimate aims. Merely tell him the truth – that you crave vengeance against the House of Darius. Say nothing more.”“Any advice for dealing with the dragon?” Roger asked.“Be polite,” Tiadora smiled. “Do not call the dragon by name. Instead, refer to him as something flattering like “Your Magnificence.” Dragons have fantastic egos. You could do worse than to play to this.“Will the Cardinal help us bribe the dragon?” Lemmy asked, his eyes glittering with greed.“Bribery?” Tiadora was incredulous. “Old Chargammon is already wealthier than all your dreams of avarice. It is unlikely he will aid our cause for mere coin. Still, a present to soothe his ego might be wise. No, no – money will not be enough. He will require some service. Do whatever must be done to gain the dragon's aid.”“This Chargammon sounds dangerous,” Roger said. “Surely, there is some other way to threaten the Princess.” “Unlikely,” Tiadora shook her head. “The Princess is not alone. Trusted knights and priests of Iomedae guard her and see to her safety. These retainers will not raise the alarm unless faced by a truly impressive and overwhelming threat. Chargammon fits the bill like nothing else can. Even if you slip in and slay the princess, the king will simply be told of the tragedy. No, we need him to rush to her aid. And that takes a threat like Chargammon. The Cardinal has long researched this and sees no other way. I would trust his judgment if I were you. Now, if there is nothing else, may fortune favor you, my lords, and know that the Dark Father watches your every deed.”And with that, she and her retinue vanished._______________________________________________________________“That…sounds insane,” Kelvin said skeptically.“Yes, but that doesn’t meant it won’t work,” Dakota laughed.“She does have a valid point,” Tardaesha chimed in. “So let me get this straight,” Katarina leaned forward in her chair. “From the letter we found in the wizard’s tower, you think that one of Chargammon’s children has been captured by giant eagles. Now you think that we should go and find these eagles, rescue a dragon, assuming he’s still alive, and then somehow convince him to make an introduction for us to his dad. Does that about sum it up?”Lemmy grumbled something unintelligible into his beard.“You got that right,” Roger shook his head.“I don’t hear any better ideas,” Dakota snapped at them. “What’s the worst that could happen? If the dragon’s already dead, at least we still get to pluck the wings off a few big birds.”“Famous last words,” Kat muttered. “I think it’s worth a look,” Kelvin said. “Dakota’s right. We really don’t have any other viable options.”________________________________________________________________Discovering the location of the eagles’ aerie was simple enough after reading through more of Polydorus’s manuscripts. It supposedly lay in the Ansgarian Mountains, quite near to the Horn of Abaddon. The following evening, Kelvin teleported the Knot to the forest just south of the Horn, and then they began climbing on foot. The Aerie itself was a great cavern built in a hollow mountain peak. The entrance was a round natural fissure in the side of the mountain. The cave floor was rough and full of stalagmites and debris. Two ledges forty feet high surrounded the main cavern and this was where the great courtiers of the Stormborn King perched and squawked their petitions to their sovereign lord. The Courtiers were of extraordinary size even for giant eagles. In the center of the aerie was the Throne of the Storm-born King, a natural column of stone that rose sixty feet and was the preferred roost of the Lord of Eagles. He often sat upon the rise, listening to the calls and cries of his many Courtiers, rarely answering, often considering. However his private nest, at the back of the cavern, was where he roosted with the Knot arrived, for at the base of that perch lay a massive, black-scaled dragon, bound by cunningly worked mithral chains which even included a muzzle. “Who are you to trespass in my demense without invitation?” the Stormborn King called out in a voice that mimicked his namesake. “We’re takin’ that dragon,” Lemmy called back “else we’re’ killin’ all of ya’!”At the same time, Tardaesha shouted at the dragon in its native tongue.“We are here to free you, friend! Fear not!”The Stormborn King spreads his wings wide, and as he did, dark clouds laced with lightning gathered in the air above him. His eyes flashed brilliant blue as a thunderbolt lanced down and struck Tardaesha. She jittered and twitched maniacally, smoke rising from her hair. At the same moment, the eagle courtiers all took flight. They flew about the aerie like a great swarm of bats, swooping in low and raking at the companions with their talons before arcing back up into the air. The storm aura surrounding their lord continued to rain down lightning upon the heads of the intruders. The Knot hacked and slashed at the birds when they drew too near, taking down several that were too slow to get out of reach in time. Meanwhile, Kelvin, who’d rendered himself invisible once they’d entered the aerie, used a dimension door spell to appear beside the shackled dragon.“I will set you free,” he whispered in the dragon’s ear, “if you agree to listen to my offer and treat with us once your are loosed.”The dragon narrowed his eyes, but nodded his head once in agreement. Kelvin cast another spell and a thin beam of green light from his finger touched the chains, turning them instantly to dust. Jeratheon flexed his wings once, then spread them wide as he rose to his feet.“Fools!” he laughed as he launched himself into the air and soared towards the exit. He was over half-way there when Grumblejack flew into his path. Before the dragon could evade, the big ogre swung his sword flat-side out…hard. It struck Jeratheon in the middle of his forehead and the already wounded drake crashed to the floor in a crumpled heap, out cold. One by one, the eagles kept falling. Then four of them erupted into flames as Kelvin, no longer concerned with stealth, threw a fireball into their midst. Only one remained. At that moment, the Stormborn King opened his beak and a great gout of lightning spewed forth, directed at Kelvin. In that same instant, the great eagle’s body turned to pure electricity and rode the bolt, reappearing next to Kelvin in a heartbeat. As he reared back to rend the little wizard limb from limb, Kelvin threw up both hands, conjuring a sphere of protective force around him. Enraged, the Stormborn King flew back into the air. Grumblejack slew the last of the courtiers, then Knick-Knack gathered him and Tardaesha close. There was a flash of light, and then the trio appeared in mid-air next to the eagle lord. The winds surrounding him were so fierce, however, that the little cacodaemon was blown away, tumbling end over end. Tardaesha struck quickly, landing threw vicious blows on the Stormborn King. Grumblejack moved in, but the bird whirled on him and seized the ogre in his talons. Wounded and bleeding heavily, the Stormborn King raised Grumblejack towards his beak, preparing to tear out the ogre’s heart. His arms pinned, Grumblejack was unable to bring his greatsword to bear, but at the last instant, just as the huge beak poised to strike, he opened his own tusked jaws and clamped down on the Stormborn King’s neck. The eagle writhed and thrashed madly, but Grumblejack did not let go. He clung there like a bulldog, shaking his head violently until he managed to rip out the great bird’s throat._______________________________________________________________After Jeratheon was securely rebound, Dakota revived him. “Are you willing to speak with us now?” Kelvin asked. “The consequences or your refusal would be…dire.”“Do you know who I am?” the dragon asked in a deep, resonant growl.“I am Jeratheon Knights-bane, the son of the great wyrm Chargammon. Free me now and I will ask my sire to spare you when he arrives. He is doubtless on his way now!”“I find that hard to believe,” Kelvin smiled. “We know you’ve been captive here for quite some time. If your sire were coming for you, he would have been here by now.”“Free me!” Jeratheon shouted. “I have a great hoard of treasure in my cave! All of  it is yours if you will but free me.”“If we wanted your treasure,” Kelvin explained calmly, “we could simply kill you and then use your corpse to divine its location.”“Then free me and I will pledge thee my service,” Jeratheon grumbled. “I will serve as your faithful mount carrying you amidst the clouds.”“You’re not that trustworthy,” Kelvin replied.“But hold that thought,” Tardaesha interjected.“Then what is it you want!?” Jeratheon roared.“Simple, really,” Kelvin shrugged. “We want an audience with your father.”For a moment the dragon was silent.“You wish to speak with my sire?” he asked finally. “Why? You must know he'll destroy you. He kills everyone who dares enter his lair.”“That is not your concern,” Kelvin said. “If he does, then we are no longer your problem.”“So be it,” Jeratheon agreed. “If that is the price of my freedom, then I would be happy to introduce you to my father.”“Then we have an accord,” Kelvin nodded.The mage reached over and plucked out a loose scale from the dragon’s hide.“Ouch!” Jeratheon whined. “What are you doing?”“Just a bit of insurance,” Kelvin said. “If you are thinking of betraying us, bear in mind that with this I can use my magic to find you anywhere on the planet.”_____________________________________________________________________Tardaesha found it amusing to have her minion reanimate the corpse of the Stormborn King. She and the other non-flying members of the Knot then mounted the horrific zombie bird and took flight, following Jeratheon on the long journey to his sire’s domain. The great wyrm Chargammon made his lair upon a small inhospitable rocky island off the western coast of Talingarde.  The isle was surrounded by hull-ripping reefs save for one side. It was rarely named on maps and usually just marked “here there be monsters”. The weather was harsh. The skies were oppressively grey and the wind howled relentlessly. Rain was frequent and driving, furiously pounding the island. Every few years a powerful cyclone emerged from the great open ocean and battered the ragged island further, scraping clean the jagged, chipped grey stone. The isle was dominated by three jagged short mountains that rose from of the sea. Lashed by wave and wind, little grew on the island. The grim bare rock had little soil. Terrestrial plants, when they appeared at all, were small, scrubby and battered. As the companions and their escort approached the jagged sea cliffs that rose up on either side of the once-usable harbor, they could see a half-dozen or more reptilian creatures clinging there.“Friends of yours?” Kelvin called to Jeratheon.“My…cousins,” the dragon grumbled. “Weak, pathetic river drakes.”As the drakes watched them approach one hissed at Jeratheon, “Why do you return, shamed one? Are ye not banished from thy sire's sight?”Jeratheon roared in answer to the jab. “Banished? We quarreled once decades ago. I was but a hatchling then. I have returned great and powerful!”“And who are your smooth-skin friends?” asked another drake. “Have you brought them for supper?” The drakes eyed the companions hungrily, as if they were slabs of sirloin.Roger calmly drew Helbrand from its scabbard and rested its flaming blade upon his shoulder.“They are guests of my father,” Jeratheon snapped. “Now let us pass or risk both his ire and mine.”The drakes hissed and spat, but drew aside to let the trespassers through.Jeratheon led them on, towards the interior of the island, until they reached a large open field ,almost like a bowl, sheltered on three sides by stark grey peaks. Where most of the island was bare of vegetation, there great masses of thorny vines and creepers formed large tangled briars. In spots, a few strange and vividly colored flowers bloomed. The entire garden reeked of the sickly sweet smell of decay. The odor of rotting fish and blooming flowers commingled to create a strange, almost other worldly aroma. Nothing about that place was familiar or comforting. It was like stepping onto another world – primeval and inimical. Jeratheon back-winged and landed, the giant, zombie Storm Lord right behind him. Oddly, it was Lemmy who first slipped off the back of the dead bird, and began wandering, almost aimlessly, towards the middle of the garden.“Lemmy?” Roger called after him. “Where do you think you’re going?”No sooner had the words left his mouth than a thick vine, almost like a tentacle, came whipping up out of the green vegetation. It wrapped around the big half-orc’s upper body and yanked him off of the bird. “We must flee!” Jeratheon roared, and then he went galloping across the clearing, heading for a large cave on the far side.“Damn it to Hells!” Kelvin cursed.He’d been expecting some sort of treachery, but when it had come, he’d still be caught unawares. Reaching out, he seized the back of Lemmy’s tunic in one hand and Roger’s arm in the other. He cast a spell, and the three of them vanished and reappeared at the cave mouth in front of the dragon. “Stay put!” Kelvin shouted into Lemmy’s face, his red eyes holding the dwarf’s gaze.“Stay put,” Lemmy nodded slackly. Tardaesha leaped off the back of the Storm Lord and slashed at the still-flailing vine. She heard a shout and a grunt of pain behind her. When she turned, she saw that a second vine had seized Grumblejack and had the ogre pinned to the ground, slowly crushing the life out of him. Grumblejack had dropped his sword when he fell, but he still bit and chewed at the vine with his sharpened tusks. With a few more deft strokes, Tardaesha chopped her vine to pieces. She turned and rushed towards her fallen friend, hacking at the tendril that held him. The vine immediately released the ogre and turned upon her. She dodged and whirled, avoiding its grasping embrace, her sword swinging madly until finally she’d managed to slice off enough pieces of it for it to no longer be a threat. She paused to catch her breath as Grumblejack rose to his feet and recovered his weapon. Then she turned to look towards the cave, where Jeratheon stood facing Roger and Kelvin. She needed to have a word with that dragon.</blockquote>

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