Magnus' Corruption - Prologues

Prologue, Part the First

Maia 15, 499

Through the fog of sleep he remembers that fateful night long ago. Sitting in front of the computer as he always did back then, searching for answers.

...The blinding light...

...Stardust’s screaming voice as she came running into the room...

...The feeling of slowly falling into the light and reaching for Stardust...

...The muffled sound of a shot in the dark...

...Grabbing Stardust’s hand...

...Pulling her with him into the light...

“Hey, you!”, shouted a stranger, interrupting what has slowly become a nightmare. “Wake up!”

“Do not incur my wrath,” he said in a serious dark tone. Navigating the fog of sleep, he slowly begins to recall that he is in the Fire Lotus Tavern in Owl’s Head.

“Do not incur your wrath? Do not incur your wrath?!? I have to clean up this mess!” The yelling was not helping, but then the stranger asked, “What is your name?”

“Magnus,” he spoke, “Magnus Zarwaddim.”

“Well, Magnus Zarwaddim, I thank ‘ye kindly for making a royal mess of my pub! I have enough drunks around here…” The stranger looked around, shook her head in disgust and mumbled something about how this was becoming a regular occurrence in the pub. “Damn Outlanders and their magic.”

“I am not drunk...yet,” Magnus interrupted the stranger. As he lifted his head and focused on the stranger he realized he was speaking to the Tavern Owner.

“Yet? Bollocks! You look drunk alright. What did you have, some of ‘me special grain? ‘Oy, Philip, what did I tell you about serving ‘me special grain?”

The boy ran up to the Tavern Owner, “He did not drink your special grain, ‘mum.”

“Then what has happened here?” The Tavern Owner looked around in astonishment, grasping at the words to describe what she saw.

“He came in looking for someone and just sat in the corner with some ale and his pipe. Horace approached him and asked why he had that cloak on,” Philip explained.

“Horace? Was that fool involved in this mess? And what is this about a cloak?” The Tavern Owner’s voice trailed off as she looked around the tavern.

“Mum, Horace is this mess,” Philip answered. Philip did not seem shocked by what he saw, a testament to how many times he apparently has seen such things.

“What?!?” The Tavern Owner looked more closely and could see the crimson puddles on the floor, the stringy, dripping globs of something hanging from the rafters, the walls and the ceiling. She was at a loss for words.

“And the cloak, “ Philip interrupted in a whisper, “is one of ‘em Obsidian cloaks.” The Tavern Owner looked startled. Magnus could tell she was also confused.

“Is that Horace’s Viking helmet?” The Tavern Owner motioned to the helm on Magnus’ head, seeming to forget everything else around her.

Magnus reached for his head and felt the horns familiar to anyone, “Apologies.” He reached into his robe, startling Philip and the Tavern Owner, as he pulled out a small bag. He emptied the bag, spilling several Gold Crowns on the table. “This should cover the damages.”

“Damages?!? Poor Horace is beyond being damaged!” The Tavern Owner, clearly upset, began to mutter to herself as she continued to look around the tavern.

“He didn’t start it, it was Horace and his friends,” Philip interrupted.

“So...this...mess,” the Tavern owner looked around “...is Horace...and his friends?!?”

“Again, I apologize. I must have fainted after the altercation,” Magnus spoke, thinking about what had occurred the night before. His continued use of the wand was causing his memory to fade more and more. Except, Magnus thought, it was not his memory fading. It was Evard exerting himself again.

“Altercation? What kind of altercation ends up with blood, guts and globs of hair and skin on the ceiling, floors, windows and tables?!? It will take me days to clean this up!”

Magnus stood up, frightening the Tavern Owner as he turned his back to her to collect his satchel from the stool beside him. It was then that the Tavern Owner saw the Obsidian cloak.

“I’ve not seen that style of cloak before.”

Magnus turned around but did not answer.

“And who is ‘Stardust’?”

Magnus walked to the back door of the Fire Lotus Tavern, opened it and stepped out into the light bathing Owl’s Head, careful to avoid the watchful eyes of any guards.

 

Prologue, Part the Second

Over 200 years ago

Evard Dirae slid through the narrow opening in the gate yelling, “Close it now!” The Guards forced the gate closed after he passed. Seconds later the hall shook as a large boulder smashed into gate, causing a squire attending his knight to fall to the floor. “Where is General Karpasic?” Evard demanded to no one in particular.

“He is in his chambers with the other generals,” the squire motioned down the hall leading into Hilt Fortress.

“Nightshade Pass is lost. The Council of Might has enlisted the aid of the Kobold’s. No doubt on some offer of unlimited fish,” Evard could not help but smile saying these words. It reminded him of Aren’s humor. “Oh, Aren, my friend, what have you done?” Evard whispered.

“You will call up another squad,” Evard motioned to a Sergeant nearby, “and you will hold these gates with your last breath. Do not let the Kobold’s pass!” Evard ran through the second set of gates into Hilt Fortress, ignoring the acknowledgement of his command. He looked up at the enormous doors. He knew he only had minutes before the first gate was breached by the Kobold’s. “Kapersic, you fool,” he said under his breath as he ran down the stairs, deeper into Hilt Fortress, and toward the chambers of General Karpasic.

Minutes later he approached the doors to the chambers. General Karpasic’s guards lowered their polearms to block his passage. Evard, not wanting to waste time, removed his Theurgy wand from under his cloak and quickly dispatched of the guards with several lightning bolts. The antechamber grew silent as the dozens scurrying about suddenly stopped, one of them dropping a chest filled with gold. “Is that one of General Kapersic’s personal chests?”

“Ye...Ye...Yes, my lord.”

“Leave it. All of you drop whatever possessions you were ordered to gather, pick up a weapon and hurry upstairs...now!” Each one in turn dropped or placed what they were carrying on the ground and began making their way up the stairs, to what Evard knew to be their doom.

Moments later Evard could hear the faint echoes of the first gate being smashed open above. The warriors would be closing the second gate now. Even with the extra fortifications, the second gate would only hold for a few minutes longer than the first. One or two dozen Kobold’s were easy, thousands were impossible.

He pushed open the doors to General Kapersic’s chambers. What he saw amused him, and fortified his resolve.

“What is the meaning of this?” General Kapersic yelled.

“I think the meaning is clear.”

“You!”

“You thought me dead? That was one of your many mistakes.”

“Kill him,” General Kapersic growled. No one moved. Evard Dirare had earned his position with the Cabal of Obsidians. He was lately rumored to become the High Sorcerer of the Cabal, before the recent turn of events.

“Everyone here knows but one thing: it is I who command who shall live….” Evard opened his hands, releasing a dark powder into the air. “...and who shall live as my abomination.”

General Karpersic was enveloped by the powder and slowly sank to the ground gasping for air.

“You will live Kapersic, if only to serve my purposes. But it is a life where you will wish for death every moment that you breathe.”

General Kapersic kneeled on the ground and looked up at Evard Dirae. He could not speak. He knew what was coming. Tears began to form in his eyes. Evard reached for a wreath on the table next to General Kapersic, examined it, and then placed it on Kapersic’s head.

“You indomitable fool, you have single-handedly cost the Obsidian Empire this war when you betrayed me and went after Aren Benis. You gave the Kobold’s a reason to join the Council of Might!” Evard sighed. “I will be taking the General to Desolis post haste.”

“Desolis is besieged!” The other generals remained quiet as General Rothgard continued, “We have just received word. The Council of Might began their attack this morning. And they have a large contingent of Kobold’s and Elves with them. I do not think it wise to try and approach Desolis.”

“I do not mean to approach Desolis. General Kapersic and I will be going directly to the Epitaph,” Evard reached into his robe and pulled out two rolled up parchments. He bent down in front of Kapersic and pulled both of the General’s hands forward to grasp one of the parchments. He took the other in his hands and began to chant.

At that moment a loud crash could be heard outside that interrupted Evard. He miscalculated, the Kobold’s were sooner outside the door than he expected. He began chanting again.

An explosion rocked the room as the doors to the chamber blew open. Evard concentrated and continued chanting.

A young Kobold archer named Kkresskk Rk-Hrr'k spotted Evard kneeling before the man wearing the armor that was described to him. “This one rememberz, ornate filigreez in the image of a one-eyed dragonz!” Kkresskk Rk-Hrr'k took an arrow from his quiver and raised his bow. He took careful aim, as well as a new conscript in the Kobold Expeditionary Force could.

Evard was almost done chanting, but before he could finish he felt a slight sting on his back. He finished chanting and disappeared with General Kapersic in a blinding light.

“You mizzed him!” a Kobold warrior screamed at Kkresskk Rk-Hrr'k.

“Stoopid hoomanz,” Kkresskk Rk-Hrr'k mumbled.

Evard almost collapsed as he and General Kapersic appeared in his laboratory in the Epitaph. He reached down and felt the arrow that pierced him. “I am not finished with you Kapersic,” he looked over at the General and then looked at the table where he left his latest creation. “Look over there General,” Evard got up and pulled Kapersic by his collar to face the table.

General Kapersic’s eye’s widened in fear. He could see the torso of melded and contorted bodies fused together on the table, writhing in agony. Evard approached the body and grabbed a tube hanging from a nearby wall. He inserted the tube into the body.

“Welcome to your new life Kapersic.” Evard went to another table, pulled out a surgical implement and proceeded to break off the head of the arrow. Luckily the arrow was not stuck inside him. After cutting the head, he reached over his back and quickly pulled out the arrow shaft. Careful not to display any sense of agony in front of the General, Evard grabbed some cloth bandages lying on a nearby table. He applied a salve to several bandages and placed them over both wounds carefully.

“Now, Kapersic, it’s your turn.” Evard chanted something and the General slowly lifted off the ground. Evard motioned his hands and placed General Kapersic at the top of the table. The General began screaming, although all Evard could hear was a low mumbling sound under the powder that enveloped the General.

Evard continued chanting. Slowly, the General’s body began to meld with the body on the table. There were actually about thirty bodies on the table, all melded and contorted into the shape of a large humanoid. It lacked a head. The General noticed this as he writhed in pain, and slowly began to realize his fate as well.

More chanting from Evard. The pain was excruciating for the General. His legs were being melded into the torso, as his own torso began contorting. He could feel his bones breaking.

Evard finished his chant. General Kapersic no longer existed as a man. He was part of a new whole. He was the head of the Troll that Evard Dirae finished shaping. Evard chanted in the Troll’s ear and after a moment it rose from the table. “Follow me.”

Evard could hear and feel the explosion. The armies of the Council of Might had breached the Epitaph. He hurried with the Troll to the Pool of Destiny.

Evard was feeling weak. The arrow had grazed his heart, he could feel it. He could feel that he was slowly losing consciousness. He reached into his robe and removed the Theurgy Gem. He thought back to his experiments with these special gems. He recalled how the Cabal had forbade him from conducting any further experiments with the gems, reasoning that the war effort required all available resources.

He recalled disobeying the Cabal, and what great pleasure it gave him to discover that this particular gem could contain someone’s life essence. He could not experiment on Kobolds or Elves or other Humans now. He was the experiment.

He reached the rotunda above the Pool of Destiny’s chamber and quickly descended the stairs. The Troll had a harder time, but squeezed through to follow Evard. Evard stood at the center of the chamber and motioned for the Troll to stand beside him.

Evard chanted something to the Troll and then said, “You will remain here, guarding this Pool for all eternity. And should you be bested by anyone, you will reform and continue your charge.” The Troll stood motionless, ready.

Evard descended the path at the other end of the rotunda and entered the room housing the Pool of Destiny. He tried remembering the incantation. It was getting hard. He was slowly losing consciousness. But he had one more thing to do.

He grabbed the pouch on his belt and spilled to contents onto the floor. He waved his hands over the reddish sand and chanted something. Slowly, the homunculus familiar known as Monk began to take shape.

Evard chanted something in Monk’s ear. When he was finished he said one last thing to Monk: “Take care of me, Monk. And when the time is right, I will return.” Monk looked up at him and blinked.

Evard knelt beside the Pool of Destiny and began chanting. He clasped the Theurgy Gem in his hands. Slowly, as he chanted, Evard could feel himself getting lighter and lighter. He held the gem tighter in his hands. Tighter. Lighter. Tighter.

And then, Evard Dirae, a great Shaper of the Cabal of Obsidians, disappeared in a flash of yellow light. All that remained was a gem that shone brighter than it did before, which began falling into the Pool of Destiny. Monk clasped it in his talons before it hit the water and took flight above the Pool and into the caverns of the Epitaph.

As the darkness of night descended over Desolis, and the armies of the Council of Might laid waste to the Epitaph, a small being could barely be seen flying higher and higher into the black sky.

 

Prologue, Part the Third

Julius 6, 505

While walking past the newly constructed Church of the Oracle in Serenite, Magnus Zarwaddim overhears Count Vox Aquila and Duke William Serenite arguing. He approaches and asks, “Count Vox, Duke William, is there something I can do to help?”.

Flustered, Vox Aquila quips, "Magnus, William and I are debating the meaning of sacrifice. I have explained to William that the new Church of the Oracle here in Serenite requires a sacrifice in order to be purified."

William explains, "The ancient texts are clear on the need for a sacrifice. But they are also clear that we require a special gem in order to complete the ritual."

Curious, Magnus asks, "What type of Gem?"

Vox, sensing Magnus’ interest, answers, "We are not sure. I spoke with an old merchant in Desolis, and he told me he heard tales from the days of the Obsidian Wars that some gems were imbued from the magics of the Obsidian Shards. I sought counsel from one of the Oracle Priests in Central Brittany who confirmed that such a gem would be required for the ritual, but that none had been discovered since the fall of the Obsidian Order."

Magnus searches his memory for a moment, taking out his dragon pipe and lighting it as both Vox and William look on. After a few moments Magnus speaks, "The Obsidian Order never directly imbued gems with any magics. The texts I studied at the Tower of the Shuttered Eye in the Perennial Coast revealed that the Obsidian Shards affected much of the ground in New Britannia, giving some gems special powers. Several Obsidian Sorcerers conducted experiments with these gems, but this was toward the end of the Obsidian Wars. The Cabal of the Obsidian Order put a stop to these experiments because they diverted resources from the war effort, if I remember correctly."

"The ancient texts I have reviewed indicate that the gems affected by such magic have certain properties which allow the ritual to take place,” William said matter of factly, and then asked, “Magnus, you have spent years mining for gems in New Britannia, have you ever come across such a gem?"

Magnus reluctantly answered, "I did, once, several years ago. But since then I have not discovered any others."

Now it was Count Vox Aquila’s turn to be curious as he asked Magnus, "And what did you do with it?"

Slowly inhaling from his dragon pipe, Magnus let out the smoke and then answered, "I came across one in the Graff Mines. I ... could ... sense it's power…” Vox and William both looked at each other, sensing Magnus’ hesitation. Magnus continued, “... and knew it had to be destroyed. One of the books at the Library in the Tower of the Shuttered Eye revealed a method to destroy these Gems at the Pool of Destiny in the Epitaph, using a special device there.”

Magnus looked away and inhaled from the dragon pipe so as to conceal his deceit. Many years ago he did set out to the Pool of Destiny. But he did not destroy the gem he found that was imbued with Obsidian Magic. He recalled vividly shaping it into a Theurgy Gem and taking it to the Epitaph where he used the device he described at the Pool of Destiny to fuse the gem with his Pine Wand. He then continued, “I set out to the depths of the Epitaph to locate this powerful device and the Pool where I could destroy the gem. I almost died in the attempt. There is a monstrous Troll guarding the Pool of Destiny and it was only through luck that I was able to avoid him, although I confess I had help from some of the prisoners there who thought they could find great treasures if they killed the Troll. Each of them, in turn, was mauled by that Troll."

After pensive silence, Vox replied, "We need a special gem imbued with this Obsidian Magic to complete the ritual of sacrifice."

Magnus, sensing an opportunity to retrieve a special gem for his own purposes, whispered, "These gems are not to be fooled with."

William, sensing the seriousness in Magnus tone, asked,: "Magnus, you said you destroyed the gem?”

Magnus replied, "Yes, why?"

"If you were to find one of these special gems we could complete the ritual. Then, when the ritual is complete, you can return to the Epitaph to destroy it." William’s idea had some merit, Magnus thought. Especially since his last trip into the Epitaph ended in death for all those prisoners he tricked into helping him. But this time, Magnus thought, with the Duke’s help, he could easily traverse the depths of the Epitaph and dispatch the Troll so that he could, once again, use the device on a new gem. Magnus could only see one problem.

Vox interrupted Magnus’ thought, “Yes, that is an excellent idea. But how do we know which gem would complete the Ritual?"

Magnus hesitated before replying, "I do not agree that this is a good idea. Obsidian Magic is not something to be taken lightly.” This, he thought, should be sufficient to hide his true intent. If Count Vox Aquila and Duke William Serenite believed that he was in opposition to the idea of obtaining one of these special gems, Magnus realizes that the opportunity he requires has just presented itself. Magnus then said, “But I do recall reading the journal of an Obsidian Sorcerer that described sacrificial experiments and,” Magnus paused as he feigned searching his memory, and then inhaled from his dragon pipe before continuing, “that he used a Necromancy Gem."

Stardust. This is all that Magnus can think about as he reconsiders the plan he long ago abandoned. Without a Necromancy Gem infused with Obsidian Magic, he could not bring Stardust back to life. Or so Evard Dirae had convinced him. The problem with the plan was in what else it required.

Magnus was brought back to the present by William’s voice, "Ah, a Necromancy Gem. That would seem to fit the meaning of sacrifice contained within the ancient texts. Without this special Necromancy Gem we cannot complete the ritual, Magnus. The Church will not be purified. Find us one of these special gems. You have my word, I will help you to destroy the gem in the Epitaph once the ritual is complete."

Magnus replied, "The prisoners in the Epitaph provided a distraction the first time I was foolish enough to descend there, but I doubt they would be so kind as to oblige me again. But on your word, Sir William, I shall locate this special Gem, and after the Ritual is completed, we will assemble a group to destroy it." This was easy enough for Magnus to say, knowing full well that he did not intend on destroying any gem he found.

Magnus continued to focus on the one problem to this plan and said, “There is but one problem, Duke. In order to destroy the gem after the ritual we will need something else that I believe will be much harder to obtain…” Magnus’ voice trailed off as he considered how he could accomplish what he was thinking without alerting Vox or William to his true intent.

Both Count Vox and Duke William asked, almost simultaneously, “What is it Magnus?” Vox continued, “What else do you need?”

“We need the heart of a dragon,” Magnus replied.

William turned away and began to curse, enough to cause even Vox to grit his teeth in response. Vox voiced both their concerns, “You cannot be serious, Magnus.”

“I am,” Magnus answered, “and it was fortuitous that I obtained one when I destroyed the other gem. Dragon hearts are not easily attainable.” Magnus paused, knowing that weaving such a lie required strict focus. He continued, “I only learned that the heart was required to destroy the gem once I entered the Epitaph and rummaged through one of the laboratories. The journal I found of the Obsidian Sorcerer described the procedure. Luckily, I found one in another room perfectly preserved.” This was all a lie, Magnus knew, but he needed their help to not only enter the Pool of Destiny, for he knew that the Troll reformed shortly after being killed each time, but also to kill a dragon.

William finally spoke up, “This is madness. We live in peace with the dragons of Grunvald. Not to mention that our new Kobold residents worship them. Could you imagine what would happen were we to kill one? It would take a small army to even kill one of them.”

“No one needs know that we killed the dragon,” Magnus answered.

“He is right,” Vox replied, intent on completing the ritual at any cost.

William reluctantly spoke, “I will not stand in your way as I know the importance of this ritual. But I do not think I can take part in killing a dragon here in Grunvald, not after all I have accomplished with the Kobolds.”

“You promised to help me destroy the gem after the ritual, William. We need the heart of a dragon to accomplish that,” Magnus said as he put his hand on William’s shoulder.

“I cannot break my oath. Take my Kingsguard, Magnus, that is the most that I can offer. They are not to wear any insignia of House Serenite. We must keep this a secret,” William whispered.

Magnus nodded. He did not like lying to William. But he needed the heart of a dragon to bring back Stardust. He still had to find the special gem. But even that, he thought, would be easier than slaying a dragon. Once he had the heart of the dragon, he could then feign completing the ritual at the Church of the Oracle. And when the time came, he would use William to help him descend the Epitaph to the Pool of Destiny. And there, rather than destroy the gem, he would fuse it with the heart and create the special Necromancy Gem he needed to bring back Stardust. Of course, Evard Diare had different plans.

William spoke, “Now gather your things, Magnus, and find us that gem."

Vox continued, “Thank you, Magnus. The ritual will take place soon after you find the Gem. There are other things that William and I must take care of first before we prepare for the ritual. We will begin preparations in your absence. Please let us know the moment you find the gem."

And with that, Magnus turned and walked out of the Church of the Oracle. Once outside he turned toward his Wizard Tower and began to make a mental list of the items he would need for his Quest.