Her voice stays perfectly calm and flat through all of this. "I will rise up again. And I will make them forgive me."
"They put me here to do summonings. We will use the creatures against the Empire. But they don't trust me. I can't actually bring anything big here - they won't let me. I hate them. They hate me. I hate them. I want my power back. And I will get it."
0
work@empi
0
8
23
"We didn't know what it did. Now we do. Hold it out and touch a dimensional rift with it, and it closes. The rift does. Very powerful. It heals space. If only I had it. But it's gone."
(Very interesting. You take note of this.)
2
scep
8
"They killed him. The next time it will work. If only I had the scepter. If only we had it."
"Adze-Haakai. I can say the name. And I don't hear him anymore. Saying the name is safe. Safe" Her monotone voice drones on. It's as if she doesn't know you're here. "We lost control though. When we caught him. He had to be killed."
0
summ@demon
8
"At the Tower, we did a summoning. It didn't work. The demon had to be killed. But it can work again. Against the Empire. I will find out how."
0
wron@towe
8
Her voice is monotone, detached. "We ran the Tower of Magi. I was just sent here. Just sent. For a little while. I will find what went wrong."
0
triad
8
"I am of the Triad."
"I am Linda. Of the Triad." Her voice is flat. Her eyes don't focus on you.
The woman before you is clearly young. In years, anyway. However, experiences have blasted her in a horrifying way. Her young body is topped by a worn, weary, mottled face and gray, sparse hair.
0
stnd
8
"Garzahd is down here now. If you're in an Empire fort and find a strange barrier, try quickfire. But be careful!"
She nods. "When I knew him, he was working on this new sort of magical barrier - very difficult to create, but very strong. It could only be brought down by being next to quickfire."
0
rese@knac
7
"I don't know anything about him, really. All I know is that he has a knack for research."
She looks up at you, actually paying attention. "Yes, before I was exiled, I knew him. He frightened me. He also wanted me. When I refused him, I found out how much power he had. The political kind. I ended up here. I hate him."
0
garz
7
"Don't question him too much. We need him to have all the strength he can get."
"I question him about the Vahnatai. They're probably a horrible menace. He says he doesn't remember anything about them, but I don't believe it. It'll take time, but I'm sure I can get something valuable about them from him."
0
ques
7
She adds some moss to a vial. It fizzes. "Motrax was horribly wounded in an Empire attack. He barely held off the invaders. The wounds are weakening him. I'm trying to save him so he can answer our questions."
0
motr@heal
7
"I try to heal Motrax. And I question him."
She keeps fiddling with the vials, barely seeming to hear your voice. "It hardly matters. Call me Enla."
In the middle of a cloud of acrid smoke, you see a short, heavy-set woman. She carries and maneuvers several vials with agile, practiced hands.
0
stnd
7
"The key is in a secret room of my quarters here. You can have it. If you're going to Akhronath, you need lots of help."
He nods. "Ah, yes! Fort Akhronath. Empire outpost. Place of magic and torment. You have to go there, do you? Bad luck. I can help. I found the teleporter code to get there before I came here. It's in my quarters in the Tower of Magi."
0
fort@akhr
6
He looks at you suspiciously. "I know you have at least Magi Clearance, but that's it. Look. There is a portal in the Tower of Magi that can send soldiers places, places all over Exile. But that's all I feel safe telling you. Don't try to find out more."
0
tele@troo
6
"The invaders of the Empire hold half of Exile to the west, but nobody fully understands these caves. There must be something down here we can use against them."
0
inva@under
6
"We've found a few things, but I can't tell you about them."
"I ask him about the underworld, trying to find out things about these caves that can help us against the invaders." You notice his papers are covered with maps. "If there's anything interesting, then troops can be teleported there to investigate."
0
info
6
He nods. "Motrax. Dragon. Age - between 800 and 900 years. Estimated remaining lifespan - hundred years. If that. Maybe days. We have to get from him what we can, while we can."
0
liza@motr
6
"I'm here to question the lizard. What else? I'm very glad to give information we've obtained, if I think you should have it." Desire to help and irritation at interruption are very precariously balanced in this one.
His heads snaps around to see you. He's very old, but he's also very agile, and very alert. "I'm Ostoth," he snaps. "What do you want?"
A pale, bent spider of a man hunches over the table, spindly claws rearranging pieces of paper.
0
stnd
6
"Motrax, is it? It's hard to get knowledge out of it, but we're trying. Nothing I can tell you about, of course. Now, if you'll excuse me?"
0
liza
5
"I can't really tell you about them."
0
thre@mage
5
"We of Exile have a magical laboratory set up here. You can't enter it, I'm sure. The three mages here question the lizard for information that can help us save our nation."
0
labo
5
He responds, more out of politeness than desire to speak with you. "I am here to visit the laboratory."
He nods at you, not seeming terribly impressed. "I am Platte."
A tall, aged man with wrinkles and a few wisps of gray hair paces about slowly. He seems shrunken in his mage's robes.
0
stnd
5
He looks wistful. "A kind woman. I've asked them to let her in. I hope I can see her soon."
0
mari
0
"Yeah, some clearance to see Motrax, another to get in the labs they've set up back there. If you belong to the army, you should have the clearance to see him. Tell him 'Marion' says hi."
0
clear
4
"I don't know what for. For Ko to be relieved of his post so we can go somewhere better. For Motrax to be able to see his friends again. For things to get better."
0
wait
4
"I haven't seen him in months. I'm just waiting here."
"Poor old Motrax. First, he was carved up by surface worlders. Now he can only be seen by people with clearance." She spits out the last word. "He needs friends. Instead, he gets interrogated for hours on end by a bunch of magi."
0
drag@motr
4
"Well, I was studying Motrax, and being his friend as well. Now I just wait."
She looks up at you. "Welcome, visitors! I'm Marion. I hope you aren't here to see the dragon."
A young, round-faced woman with long brown hair sits at the table. She's writing notes and figures on a scroll already densely covered with writing.
0
stnd
4
"The oldest of the dragons in Exile. He's kind and wise. I don't know why the Empire sent a bunch of assassins to kill him. He was doing no harm."
0
motr@drag
3
He shakes his head. "It's a sad tale. For sad times."
"The crown put some mages here to find out everything they can from poor, old, crippled Motrax. They brought golems with them, to replace the human guards. The dragon never sees anyone but them and me, and they tire him out with constant questions."
0
mage@gole
3
"It's sad. The dragon only wants to meet people in his old age. Now the mages don't let anyone near him."
"Used to have half a dozen soldiers here! Most of them died in an Empire ambush, which crippled Motrax. Then the government moved a bunch of mages in here, and they brought golems in to guard everything. I'm only here to greet people."
0
sold@garr
3
"We got a bunch of giant lizards skulking around in the cracks behind these buildings. They're like rats, but deadly, and, of course, the golems aren't any help."
0
liza
3
"I'm the captain of this garrison. I don't have soldiers anymore though." He grimaces. "It's golems, now. I just spend my time chasing lizards."
He leaps over to you, twitching with energy. "I'm Ko! It's good to have visitors again!"
A captain of the Exile army reclines in the corner. He looks barely conscious. When he sees you, however, he seems to inflate, almost leaping out of his chair. "Greetings!" he says.
0
stnd
3
"Meow!"
0
gnrc
2
It stares at you. It doesn't seem very talkative.
You check its nametag. It says "Epsilon."
A black cat runs up and rubs against your leg.
0
stnd
2
It purrs.
0
gnrc
1
"Meow."
It's nametag says "Delta."
A gray cat prowls happily through the corridors. It must be Motrax's pet.
0
stnd
1
"They went to the lower caves centuries ago. Since then, I forgot everything about them. They're gone. I wish the wizards wouldn't keep asking about them. I just don't know."
0
vahn@reme
0
He closes his eyes, and runs a claw slowly over his wounds.
"They ask me about the Vahnatai. But I cannot remember anything about them. They were here so long ago." The once-mighty creature settles low into its hollow. "Please. I am old and tired. I need to recuperate. Maybe if you returned later."
0
ques@info
0
"And Sulfras, mightiest of us all, serves the Empire to protect herself. Ours is a sad lot now."
"I like humans. They are strong and good. But they have not been good for dragonkind. Foolish Pyrog was slain by adventurers years back. Athron hides in her lair, growing in bitterness and hatred. Khoth is the same."
0
sibl@drag
0
"I cannot fight a battle like that again. Now here I am, near-crippled and alone. And my siblings fare no better."
"The Empire sent a force in to kill me. Me! Who only wanted to learn, who was always a friend to humans! I never lost a battle in my life and didn't lose that one! Blood of their soldiers ran thick through these caves. But I was wounded, so wounded. "
0
prot@atta
0
It's head lowers in shame. "Put here for my protection after the attack. I help them. They ask me questions for hours in return my the protection. I have to take it. What can I do?"
0
wiza@gole
0
"I had many friends here once. They came to talk to me from all over. Guards to talk to, and sages and just the curious. Now I only see the wizards and the golems."
0
frie@miss
0
"I've always helped people. I liked them. I had many friends. But then the attack came, and I had to be protected, and I don't see my friends anymore." The enormous creature looks at the horrible wounds on his chest and legs.
0
humans
0
"I provide information. I know a lot. It is fuzzy, at times, it gets that way. But the wizards come and ask me questions." He sighs, a long, ragged, sulphurous sigh. "They're all I get to help now. They're the only people I ever see. I miss my friends."
0
help
0
"I ... I ..." He is at a loss for words. His head is bowed low, and the words struggle to emerge. "I ... I help the humans as best I can. For protection."
It looks at you, straining to see. "Ah, humans! Welcome! I am Motrax. The dragon." It is strangely happy to see you. It's voice has an empty, rasping quality.
Sitting in the depression before you is an enormous reddish-green lizard, fifty feet from head to tail. Time, however, has not been kind to it. It's scales are fading and wrinkled, and scars line its body. It looks like it can barely walk.
