the reluctant Hero

[Areh]

"He knows not fear for he is alone"
"Straying so far from his home he knows only these roads"
"Moving in the shadows keeping from sight"
"Gambling romantic by day heartless assassin by night"
"Here with many others an epic battle to begin"
"We wage war against the five headed queen of all dragon kin"
"Sadness and despair fill the caverns this is the end"
"Here he stands alone the reluctant Hero within"

The Story of Nlorin Skyfyre

"What in the hell is goin on here?" least that was the shopkeeper said as I
sit silent behind the counter at Gidian's armor shop in Waterdeep. I dare no move
as my last visit with the Waterdeep 'RDF' was most unpleasant. All this trouble
over a rumored trinket of little importance to me. Why had I even got involved I
wondered? Certainly platinum was not the issue as I was far from being in need.
The what was it I thought? Was it the thrill of doing what all those others could
not? I do not know but I can say that this event is what got me involed in more
mischief than I would have ever cared for.

So there I was. What was my escape stratgy I thought? When finally it hit
me, "I have nothing to lose". I lived by those words for many years almost ironic
it seems, but we will get to that later. I stood and with haste threw as hard as
I could one of my daggers at Gidian surprised he ducked to his knees on the floor.
This was my chance I lept up onto the counter and with all the strength in my legs
I lept out from the counter and onto the Delzaren Road. The smell of coal still
in my nose from Gidian's shop I made my way for the only safe place I could think
of in Waterdeep, the halls of Yang, the Master Assassin of Waterdeep.

I rushed past the Great Market Square making haste for the southern part of
the massive city. I made my way down the Street of Silks to the Murky Ally all us
rogue's know so well. I rushed cutting the corner down the Ally of Thieves before
slowing my pace at all. Finally I had made it I would be safe this shady tavern
has housed Waterdeep's most wanted for ages. The heavy smell of ale fell upon my
nost replaced the smell of coal from Gidian's almost instantly. I made my way to
the man behind the bar I wasted no time telling him I was here to meet with Yang.

I waited for what seemed like hours before a lovely young woman came from
the back with the barkeep taking a seat across from me at the table. It took me
no time at all to realize she was elven. She looked at me for a moment before
asking me what buisness I had with Yang? I told her my buisness was my own and it
wasnt but a moment later that she informed me that Master Yang had gone missing a
couple of nights ago and no one has heard from him since. I looked at her with a
blank stare before standing to take my leave. It was around this time a short fat
man came from the back and said Milady Serraie they are calling for you! I asked
if everything was alright but she either did not hear me or was ignoring me for my
rudness earlier.

Alas these were not my problems so I took my leave. I made my way for the
Dead Orc Inn cloaked in the shadows as to avoid drawing attention to myself. When
I made it to the Inn I knew it would be safe here and easy to blend in with the
amount of patons that occupied this small tavern. It seemed rather busy compared
to a normal day at the Inn. I heard many rumors and other bustling of some sort
of evil that had arisen on onther plane of existence. I took a seat at the bar
and it was only a few minutes before I noticed someone i did not expect to see at
the Inn. It was Yang! I moved with caution over to the table where he sat alone
at first glance I could not tell it was him but then I noticed the dagger's about
his waist. There was no mistake those were yangs blades.

Without speaking I took up a chair at the table he sat at. Without a move
in his eyes he spoke to me, he told me of why he had gone missing that the rogue
faction in Waterdeep was no longer a welcome one. He told me it would not be to
much longer before he took his leave of Waterdeep in search of a more benefitial
host such as Havenport. This all fell on deaf ears as I only wished to speak to
Yang to let him know that the rumor's about Gidian's were just that. He told me
before he left the Inn that I should speak to a man named Klandan in regards to
some work with a very wealthy payout.

At first I thought nothing of it as Yang has brought me mostly trouble in
the past. But then I thought what the hell might as well hear him out. So in
time I was able to track down this Klandan. And as the name hinted he was indeed
a man of the northlands. I spoke with him and he told me many disturbing things
the most of which was of a legendary evil that no man had lived upon facing it.
A dragon it was, and this held my attention cause all men know the riched of a
nice dragon hoarde. But aparently this was some sort of special dragon which did
not matter to me I for the most part quit listening after he said dragon. All I
had on my mind was the riches that lie beyond the dragon.

So without giving much thought I offered my services to Klandan. He told
me that it would be a few days before the rest of the men arrived and said that
the army would form on the outskirts of Waterdeep at the Turning Point. So I
lazed about the Inn for a couple days before recieving word that it was finally
time to move. I made my way from the Inn out to the Delzaren Road and out the
Eastern gates heading towards the Turning Point. As I made my way men on both
griffon and horseback rushed by me in the same direction I was headed. As I
drew closer I noticed not a party but an army gathering. What did I get myself
into I thought? To late to fret now so I pressed on. As I reached the Turning
Point I guess a rough count of men and women was nearly four hundred.

They varied from knights to mages to even other assassins! I even heard
rumor's that Aluvon the Lich master and twister of corpses was there. But I had
never met him so I could not say either way. I seen all these men and could not
even imagine what kind of force we were up against. I thought to myself I have
not seen forces gathered in these numbers since the last attempt the trolls made
to take the southern Zundbridge of Waterdeep. It was not much longer before the
order to form up was made. We were all split into tactical groups of the likes
of which I had never seen. Several of the mages were given the order to open
several portals to the Astral Plane so that we may start our journey. While the
Mages did this several other mages gathered in chant and before long they were
finished and upon completeing their chant the entire force was lifted from the
ground several feet. We were flying, this was something I had only done once
before and it was as exciting as it was the first time. The forces moved with
haste on to the astral plane.

We moved without rest along the Astral Plane until coming upon a ruby
colored pool. Without delay and upon hearing the order we all entered it not
looking back. And with might we poured upon Avernus and into Hell like an all
consuming plague. No hesitation no mercy we salughtered everything and in no
time we were before our destination. The mighty entrance of these tunnels were
more than well guarded by demons of all types. We smote then with force and
before long we stood before the Captain of these demons. He was Dagos the most
feared of all demons. And with tactical genious we were victorious. Though we
also suffered our first loses here of almost one hundread men. Most of them
dying by Dagos own hand.

But alas when it was won it left us at the lair of the beast. I then
thought to myself this was not as bad as I thought it to be. But this was my
mistake for this was only the beginning of this damned lair. As we moved in
with caution we were bombarded almost instantly by whelp dragons and soon to
be thier parents. We killed numberous amounts of dragons and here I thought
we were here for one dragon. I think last I counted we had killed nearly a
dozen or two if you include thier young. Upon clearing our safe passage down
to near the bottom of the tunnels unable to miss this sight we all stopped to
look at something none of us had ever seen before.

There was not one but five massive Elder Ancient Wyrms waiting before
us in guard over something. What exactly? None of us knew. After forming a
line and some defences the tactics we were giving consisted of runs against
these mighty beasts. Move in strike them down and reform the line. This was
and excellent tactic that worked very well thought we still lost many men at
the hands of these mighty Wyrms. We did battle with the Wyrms for nearly a
week before three of the five had fallen. We suffered heavily also having a
death toll of nearly one hundred and fifty more men. But alas we slain the
last of the mighty wyrms and upon the final death the carverns shook and the
wall behind the slain beasts crumbled revealed another passage way.

We regrouped here and reformed the line and gathered the dead and
began a count of the living. Many of the men cut scales and teeth and horns
from the slain wyrms as prize for this bloody battle. Others as a reminder
of the losses we suffered to these Wyrms. But alas our rest was done it was
time to press on. We moved foreward in a tight formation but nothing could
have prepared us for what lied ahead. As we move through the crumbles wall
the sight we seen was something none of us expected.

Before us was the mightiest of Wyrms and upon noticing our intrusion
the Wyrm let out a roar that filled our hearts with pain and even killed a
few of the men at the front of the line. And without mercy the onsluaght
had begun this Wyrm had five heads and unleashed fury from each of them
our inital attack was one of fault the Wyrm was crushing our forces by the
dozen with its mighty tail. We made a quick retreat to reform the line and
on our way back to reform the Wyrm had knocked a Knight from it's griffon
before scooping the griffon up and tossing it carelessly back at us killing
the griffon and several more men instantly.

With the new information we gathered on our first attack we adapted
our tactics accordingly. The forces were then split into two flanks each
flank marching against the Wyrm led by horse and griffon mounted men in a
serious of quick and decise strikes. I was part of the second flank and
did not see much of the action as I was towards the back of the line I was
not about to complain either. We were losing men on every run it was to
much carnage for our battle clerics to keep up with. Many were dying and
the rest were losing faith in our ability to slay this Wyrm. The mages
had labeled the Wyrm Tiamat Queen of all Wyrms.

And a queen she was. After two days of battle with mighty Tiamat
finally something had happened. As the front wave of the first flank cut
in without warning a blow was struck to the head of the beast by a single
arrow. Violently the cavern started to shake and as the heads of Tiamat
started to slump a wave washed over the front half of the flank and then
something unspeakable happened. All of the knights and footmen slumped to
the ground as their souls were ripped from thier bodies and thier very
life force sucked into the mighty queen as it replenished her making her
whole again.

With haste the rest of the first flank made thier retreat into the
back of the cavern. With only moments to reform the line we continued our
assault the same as before in short and quick stirkes. And as before we
fought at her with all we had and this time it was a heavy blow from a
massive hammer from the heart of the second flank, my flank. As before
the cavern shook violently before a burst lept from the Queen overtaking
most of the second flank and throwing me and sevral others out of the
cavern. Second flank was gone she had slain them all to replenish her
self. As for me and a very few scattered others we laid paralyzed in
watch as first flank split into two flanks to continue the runs as best
they could.

As I lied there I watched as Tiamat pick off our mages and what
was left of our mounted and foot forces. I begun to lose faith myself I
thought that I was going to die here. But then a wave washed over me
and as I looked around a battle healer stood before me chanting. I felt
replenished bust still heavy hearted. I clambered to my feet dusting my
well worn cloak off and still I watch as more and more people were dying
at the hands of Tiamat. A final retreat was called and as Klandan spoke
with the remaining forces in hopes to lift morale I just stood there all
alone staring at her. Then a warmth filled my body and my heart began
beating very fast as I said to myself "I have nothing to lose.".

It was around this time Klandan called to reform the line and
then gave a speech to what was left of our forces. With lifted morale
and nothing left to lose we began our last stand. We broke into flanks
again charging her with our mightiest magic and brute force. We started
to see the wear upon the mighty Wyrm's body. We were taking our toll
and we all could see it. I made my way from the back of the flank to
the front of it striking here with throwing daggers until I was within
range to attack her.

On the next run in I had decided I wanted to strike her in one of
the heads. And when we mvoed in I had my chance she lunged out at the
archer next to me and as she took him into her mouth I buried one of my
daggers in the huge red scaled head. And as the massive head was struck
and the scales pierced molten lava flowed from it as we watched the head
slowly slump to the ground we knew that the time was coming. Looking at
our numbers I guessed around fifty of us were left and we had left the
line and just begun a full on assult. Within 4 more hours we had slain
almost every head. The last strike was deleivered by our leader Klandan
and a mighty one it was.

As he delivered the blow the massive body of Tiamat began to move
violently about the cavern before finally slamming to the ground. As
she fell to the ground her tail struck the wall smashing a hole not much
bigger than two men. Alas it was done. The Queen had fallen before the
might of men. After regrouping and the battle healers taking a final
count on our death toll it was clear that only 30 of us had survived. I
was surprised that so many were lost but they were all gone. And it was
on this day I was declared a the reluctant Hero by the beautiful Lady
Healer Osheara! But I think on this day we were all reluctant Hero's!

In Memory of all those whom were lost in Tiamat!