Book I - A Song of Shadows
Chapter 4 - The Forge of Fury
The caverns gloomy halls shone dimly with the reflection of the golden torches light off of the piles of gold coins, laying about the black dragons hoard. The luminous piles of lustrious jewels and coin spread out along the edge of the stone perch that the dragon had made its lair. Only moments ago had the dragon been a threat, a creature of obsidian skin and ghastly skeletal face; towering 12 feet tall with wings of ebon night, and breath of foul acrid death. Only moments ago had Doan held his long lost child, and Winter find his lost "brother"; only to have both vanish again in the blink of an eye. Only moments ago had the boy and the wizard; escorted by a large brute of a gnoll with a double-axe in his hand, had come to claim a prize. Tristan spoke of a reason for being here, and that Winter wsa a blind fool, pulled by the fates, while he forged his own. He told them that he had Doans son as a guide, to help him find what it is he seeks. With a wave of his hand, Tristan the Red Wizard summoned forth a massive armored spider to guard hold the child with its razor like arms. The party backed down, and tried to make a deal with red wizard, but he simply demanded that they lead him forth. Reluctantly, the heroes led the wizard to the dragon's hoard. With spell and steel the heroes fought against the dragons armorlike hide, and wicked talons; her putrid acid breath spewing forth, and burning the heroes as they fought bravely on. It was then that the wizard sent his escort forth, his double-ended axe tearing easily through the dragons skin. Tristan strecthed forth his hands and sent forth waves of magic into the beast until its lifeless corpse cascased to the floor in a sunken heap. The heroes wounded from the fight against the dragon, could do little to stop Tristan as he ascended the path to the treasure hoard. It was there he announced his intention, that he seeked a gauntlet he claimed was his birthright. There was more of this armor, he said, and that Doans son will help him find the rest of it. Before anything could be done about it, Tristan renounced his name, and claimed his true name to be Mekerion of Ravonia, Arch Mage of Netheril, and with that he vanished along with the gnoll and child. Now the heroes are left in the lifeless caverns with the vast hoard theres for the taking. but with broken hearts and bothered minds to boot. (the value is 11,532 gold pieces, +2 Battle Axe of Orc Bane, +1 Large Shield, Scrolls of Barkskin, Cat's Grace, Combust, Cure Critical Wounds, 2 Cure Serious Wounds, Darkfire, and Ethereal Visage.)
