09-07-2015, 07:12 AM
---2 days later---
They’d been traversing a thin mountain trail to Frostwhisper’s lair, and Raal could not help but marvel at the sights they’d been. The area was filled with beautiful formations of ice and snow, deadly needles of ice formed in strangely beautiful patterns. At this point, the were passing through what appeared to be a frozen waterfall - though frozen for how many years, Raal doubted they could ever tell - creating a canopy over the trail. Whether by some trick of the light, or perhaps some vainly placed magic, the canopy itself created the impression of ocean water below it, and the warlock could not pretend to be unmoved. Perhaps this was the reason Frostwhisper had taken root in these caverns.
Or, perhaps it was just the fact that any being bound to walking along the ground was likely to meet an icy death. For all the beauty Raal had encountered, the weather grew even colder up here, the path was only large enough for 2 men to walk abreast at it’s largest point. Raal imagined that an organic horse, unlike his steed, would not be able to handle the chilling mountain. The Cart behind them groaned and squeaked, and Raal thanked… Omni, he guessed... that it had remained intact despite the cold, not to mention remained hitched to his ghastly steed.
“Frostwhisper just be a little ahead, ya? That clearing there, she use for her landing zone.” Zul’kis said with a quiet tone.
“I understand. I have something very specific to ask you to do from here, Zul’kis. I need you to stand at the entrance.”
Zul’kis frowned for a few seconds, before staring at Raal. “fine. Explain to me later on exactly why that is.” He stated with a frown. Raal nodded, pleased with the amount of trust he’d managed to foster with this one. Zul’kis… He had intelligence, though perhaps not as much as Raal himself. This wasn’t the time to focus on such things though…
The Area in front of Frostwhispers lair was bare rock covered in a spiderweb of ice-encrusted cracks, eerily devoid of snow. Raal was initialy confused by this, before noticing the odd distortions in the air near the entrance. “Magic.” He realized. “something like a heated floor… so that her lair isn’t encrusted with snow.. The dragon was smart. This could be a good thing… unless the intelligence was coupled with stubbornness. then Raal realized the real possibility that he was marching to his own end.
Zul’kis stood by the ice-encrusted cavern entrance, the smoothness of the ice’s edges too purposeful to be an accident, and Raal stopped just short of the entrance.
Concentrating purposefully, he once again created new skeletal servants - six, this time. these were all armed with swords, and Raal winced as the flutter of new information came into his head. As he thought, creating more than five should be reserved for special situations - his new control method was hard on his mental faculties. “I’ll have to learn to at least partly streamline this…” he thought to himself. But that would have to wait till he could focus on changing his magics - and when he had the necessary omnilium, of course
The inside of the cave was an eerie dark blue, and had many icy pillars strewn throughout. Lighting was, oddly, present through the entirety of it, and despite it’s size, it had many side caverns strewn all around it. Raal memorized details of the caverns, every odd stalactite or puddle of ice, every rock he passed, just to make sure he knew the way out of the place when he left. There was only one reason he even knew where he was going, for that matter.
the slow, constant sound of breathing he heard echo through the chambers.
Raal found himself, fifteen minutes later, finally nearing the ice dragon’s cave. with a quick wave to his soldiers - not that it was truly necessary, they quickly left his side, going to the positions Raal needed them in, as he inspected the final chamber. Or rather, the final room, as what he saw was something suitably beautiful enough for a dragon’s lair.
Within the center of this enormous cavern, large even by the standard of the cave, was a brilliant, underground tower of shaped, transparent ice. Had Raal not known that it was just a little more translucent, a little less random, he would have mistaken what he gazed upon for diamonds. the brilliant tower was many times larger than Raal himself, and he found himself going forward with a mixture of awe and caution.
As he did, the ice suddenly seemed to shift, an area of it somehow sliding back, the walling peeling back like an ice curtain, and revealing what was held inside.
Laying atop the middle of an immense hoard of gold and silver, goblets, coins, candelabras… so many artifacts, some of which Raal did not recognize in either purpose or form, lay the great, glowing form of the great white dragon, Frostwhisper.
Raal was in awe.
The creature was at least twice the size of the red drakes the horde had so often employed, and filled the massive cavern with her coiled form. Reptilian scales dotted with translucent spikes adorning her body. the white scales on her back gave way to a light blue underbelly. The surface was vaguely reflective, and after staring for a brief moment Raal realized why - the dragon’s underbelly was covered with a thin coating of ice!
A spine filled with razor-sharp daggers of a pale grey lead hundreds of feet from the tail to the tip of the head, ending near the top of the forehead. The dragon exhaled from her nose, ice-crystals passing through the slits, and her pale silver eyes glared at Raal.
Her head snaked in a curved pattern towards the old warlock, stopping only a few feet away from his face, and he became acutely aware that this massive creature’s snout was more than large and long enough to simply open and swallow Raal whole, mount and all. It had not been since Raal entered the spirit world that such a sight so magnificent and terrible had appeared to him.
I’ve been expecting you, prime. It’s quite rare my omnilium feeds itself to me… speak, fool. You’ve come to parley, and on the off-chance you have something valuable you may well leave my icy fortress alive.
Raal was grateful that no dryness of the mouth existed, to force him to swallow. Still, he knew that he must not sound cowed. Dragons respected strength, in words, in character, in power, and Raal knew that a perceived lack of any of these qualities could easily result in his death, before he even had the chance to explain himself.
“Cryosophylax… Or as the trolls respectfully named you, Frostwhisper. I have come seeking to trade with you. Information for… a trifle.”
The ancient dragon glared. “Why should I not simply kill you and take your offerings, and leave you with a burnt impression on the wall”
Raal shrugged. “I am a prime. Death means little to me as a consequence. Moreover…” Raal’s eyes turned vicious. “I can gain power infinitely, and I’m a representative sent here to create trade by the trolls. If you deal with me traitorously or maliciously, I shall return ten times as strong and with an army at my back. Nor would I ever allow myself to leave this plane without leaving my foe unmarked.
Yet I would not deign to make such an enemy, certainly not one with such intelligence and all-consuming power.” Raal finished, noting Frostwhisper’s expression as it constantly shifted through his speech. a few seconds passed, as the dragon’s face took on a look of contemplation. Raal felt each second take the span of hours, as terror filled his heart for the first time in countless moons.
“Very well. I shall hear you out. Impress me with your offer, do not offend me by asking for riches in exchange for trifles, and I shall allow you to leave here alive. If I decide your offer is not to my liking…” Frostwhisper trailed off, as the ground below the undead sorcerer began to turn to ice, and he could already guess at her answer. He must waste no time.
“I offer you these trifles, not merely to increase your trove of treasures.” Raal said, motioning towards the filled cart, “But to add legitimacy to my claims.”. Raal procured a small, brown map from his person, not bothering to unravel it. “I recently assaulted a small village near here, one that protected and worked several dwarven quarries. Hidden amongst the tundra. I imagine that some survivor must have fled the attack and ran to inform the dwarven higher-ups, but this proces will take time. days. and many days more to properly create a force to reclaim the mines and set up guard - likely more than the last time.” Raal explained.
“right now, however… these mines are defenseless, and for the taking of any who require omnilium or other precious metals. To fight dwarves defending a mine or those who create a serious fortification… this is difficult. but to defend against a dwarven charge from an entrenched position… Far less so.”
The death knight grinned savagely as he continued. “And at this point, due to some… unfortunate fires... I hold one of two maps not located far within the heart of dwarven lands leading to their locations. I offer both the contents of this cart and the map to these mines to you. I ask for only trifles in return.”.
The legendary Wyrm’s eyes narrowed.. “I’m unconvinced such are merely trifles. Do not pause, and explain the rest of your offer in short.”
Raal had to stop himself from continuing too quickly, and babbling, but somehow managed to continue with some composure. “All I ask in return… is the filling of this cart with Dragonscales. Not all of them need to be yours, nor do I require them fresh. However… At least one must be of your own body.” Raal explained, meeting Frostwhisper’s eye. “The Trolls require armor, and Dragonscale is… difficult to beat, in terms of light weight armor, there’s little better. It’s also marvellous protection against the elements.”. Raal explained.
The Mighty creature brought it’s head back at this, slightly surprised. “And you ask for one from me, specifically?” She asked, amused.
“you are beyond powerful.” Raal explained. “And I would wish to understand some of it, in order to increase my own. Study of your scale would advance my magics even further.”.
The dragon laughed, a loud, booming laugh that caused the cavern to shake. This was nothing like Tawdor, where it could be felt as almost a little bump. Here, Raal could barely stay upright, the world around him moving too quickly and too violently for him to even make much visual sense of the world around him.
“What a naked desire for power. What a blatant ambition. You are an ant with the pride of a lion.” Frostwhisper claimed with bemusement. “I’ve almost gained interest in your past. the deal is done, with the addition of one stipulation.”
“And what would that be?” Raal asked, nervous of the answer.
A small device, about as large as raal’s fist appeared. “I know you’ve a communicator. I trust you know the basics of it’s operation. If you wish to be a business partner, then let’s create a line of communication.” The Dragon said this with a hint of mirth in her voice, and Raal had the funny feeling that the deal might have been completed, less due to his reasoning, and more due to it curing the great Wyrm’s boredom.
“I-I agree.” Raal stammered, taken aback.
“Of course you do.” Frostwhisper said with a softer laugh. “Now stay still, as my kobolds transfer the goods and contents of your cart. Oh, and do dematerialize those pathetic constructs you brought in with you. I’ve no need for such scraps in my court. When they’ve finished loading the cart, you’ll be allowed to walk out alive. Until they do… I’d stay very, very still.”.
Raal had never agreed with any sentiment more.
They’d been traversing a thin mountain trail to Frostwhisper’s lair, and Raal could not help but marvel at the sights they’d been. The area was filled with beautiful formations of ice and snow, deadly needles of ice formed in strangely beautiful patterns. At this point, the were passing through what appeared to be a frozen waterfall - though frozen for how many years, Raal doubted they could ever tell - creating a canopy over the trail. Whether by some trick of the light, or perhaps some vainly placed magic, the canopy itself created the impression of ocean water below it, and the warlock could not pretend to be unmoved. Perhaps this was the reason Frostwhisper had taken root in these caverns.
Or, perhaps it was just the fact that any being bound to walking along the ground was likely to meet an icy death. For all the beauty Raal had encountered, the weather grew even colder up here, the path was only large enough for 2 men to walk abreast at it’s largest point. Raal imagined that an organic horse, unlike his steed, would not be able to handle the chilling mountain. The Cart behind them groaned and squeaked, and Raal thanked… Omni, he guessed... that it had remained intact despite the cold, not to mention remained hitched to his ghastly steed.
“Frostwhisper just be a little ahead, ya? That clearing there, she use for her landing zone.” Zul’kis said with a quiet tone.
“I understand. I have something very specific to ask you to do from here, Zul’kis. I need you to stand at the entrance.”
Zul’kis frowned for a few seconds, before staring at Raal. “fine. Explain to me later on exactly why that is.” He stated with a frown. Raal nodded, pleased with the amount of trust he’d managed to foster with this one. Zul’kis… He had intelligence, though perhaps not as much as Raal himself. This wasn’t the time to focus on such things though…
The Area in front of Frostwhispers lair was bare rock covered in a spiderweb of ice-encrusted cracks, eerily devoid of snow. Raal was initialy confused by this, before noticing the odd distortions in the air near the entrance. “Magic.” He realized. “something like a heated floor… so that her lair isn’t encrusted with snow.. The dragon was smart. This could be a good thing… unless the intelligence was coupled with stubbornness. then Raal realized the real possibility that he was marching to his own end.
Zul’kis stood by the ice-encrusted cavern entrance, the smoothness of the ice’s edges too purposeful to be an accident, and Raal stopped just short of the entrance.
Concentrating purposefully, he once again created new skeletal servants - six, this time. these were all armed with swords, and Raal winced as the flutter of new information came into his head. As he thought, creating more than five should be reserved for special situations - his new control method was hard on his mental faculties. “I’ll have to learn to at least partly streamline this…” he thought to himself. But that would have to wait till he could focus on changing his magics - and when he had the necessary omnilium, of course
The inside of the cave was an eerie dark blue, and had many icy pillars strewn throughout. Lighting was, oddly, present through the entirety of it, and despite it’s size, it had many side caverns strewn all around it. Raal memorized details of the caverns, every odd stalactite or puddle of ice, every rock he passed, just to make sure he knew the way out of the place when he left. There was only one reason he even knew where he was going, for that matter.
the slow, constant sound of breathing he heard echo through the chambers.
Raal found himself, fifteen minutes later, finally nearing the ice dragon’s cave. with a quick wave to his soldiers - not that it was truly necessary, they quickly left his side, going to the positions Raal needed them in, as he inspected the final chamber. Or rather, the final room, as what he saw was something suitably beautiful enough for a dragon’s lair.
Within the center of this enormous cavern, large even by the standard of the cave, was a brilliant, underground tower of shaped, transparent ice. Had Raal not known that it was just a little more translucent, a little less random, he would have mistaken what he gazed upon for diamonds. the brilliant tower was many times larger than Raal himself, and he found himself going forward with a mixture of awe and caution.
As he did, the ice suddenly seemed to shift, an area of it somehow sliding back, the walling peeling back like an ice curtain, and revealing what was held inside.
Laying atop the middle of an immense hoard of gold and silver, goblets, coins, candelabras… so many artifacts, some of which Raal did not recognize in either purpose or form, lay the great, glowing form of the great white dragon, Frostwhisper.
Raal was in awe.
The creature was at least twice the size of the red drakes the horde had so often employed, and filled the massive cavern with her coiled form. Reptilian scales dotted with translucent spikes adorning her body. the white scales on her back gave way to a light blue underbelly. The surface was vaguely reflective, and after staring for a brief moment Raal realized why - the dragon’s underbelly was covered with a thin coating of ice!
A spine filled with razor-sharp daggers of a pale grey lead hundreds of feet from the tail to the tip of the head, ending near the top of the forehead. The dragon exhaled from her nose, ice-crystals passing through the slits, and her pale silver eyes glared at Raal.
Her head snaked in a curved pattern towards the old warlock, stopping only a few feet away from his face, and he became acutely aware that this massive creature’s snout was more than large and long enough to simply open and swallow Raal whole, mount and all. It had not been since Raal entered the spirit world that such a sight so magnificent and terrible had appeared to him.
I’ve been expecting you, prime. It’s quite rare my omnilium feeds itself to me… speak, fool. You’ve come to parley, and on the off-chance you have something valuable you may well leave my icy fortress alive.
Raal was grateful that no dryness of the mouth existed, to force him to swallow. Still, he knew that he must not sound cowed. Dragons respected strength, in words, in character, in power, and Raal knew that a perceived lack of any of these qualities could easily result in his death, before he even had the chance to explain himself.
“Cryosophylax… Or as the trolls respectfully named you, Frostwhisper. I have come seeking to trade with you. Information for… a trifle.”
The ancient dragon glared. “Why should I not simply kill you and take your offerings, and leave you with a burnt impression on the wall”
Raal shrugged. “I am a prime. Death means little to me as a consequence. Moreover…” Raal’s eyes turned vicious. “I can gain power infinitely, and I’m a representative sent here to create trade by the trolls. If you deal with me traitorously or maliciously, I shall return ten times as strong and with an army at my back. Nor would I ever allow myself to leave this plane without leaving my foe unmarked.
Yet I would not deign to make such an enemy, certainly not one with such intelligence and all-consuming power.” Raal finished, noting Frostwhisper’s expression as it constantly shifted through his speech. a few seconds passed, as the dragon’s face took on a look of contemplation. Raal felt each second take the span of hours, as terror filled his heart for the first time in countless moons.
“Very well. I shall hear you out. Impress me with your offer, do not offend me by asking for riches in exchange for trifles, and I shall allow you to leave here alive. If I decide your offer is not to my liking…” Frostwhisper trailed off, as the ground below the undead sorcerer began to turn to ice, and he could already guess at her answer. He must waste no time.
“I offer you these trifles, not merely to increase your trove of treasures.” Raal said, motioning towards the filled cart, “But to add legitimacy to my claims.”. Raal procured a small, brown map from his person, not bothering to unravel it. “I recently assaulted a small village near here, one that protected and worked several dwarven quarries. Hidden amongst the tundra. I imagine that some survivor must have fled the attack and ran to inform the dwarven higher-ups, but this proces will take time. days. and many days more to properly create a force to reclaim the mines and set up guard - likely more than the last time.” Raal explained.
“right now, however… these mines are defenseless, and for the taking of any who require omnilium or other precious metals. To fight dwarves defending a mine or those who create a serious fortification… this is difficult. but to defend against a dwarven charge from an entrenched position… Far less so.”
The death knight grinned savagely as he continued. “And at this point, due to some… unfortunate fires... I hold one of two maps not located far within the heart of dwarven lands leading to their locations. I offer both the contents of this cart and the map to these mines to you. I ask for only trifles in return.”.
The legendary Wyrm’s eyes narrowed.. “I’m unconvinced such are merely trifles. Do not pause, and explain the rest of your offer in short.”
Raal had to stop himself from continuing too quickly, and babbling, but somehow managed to continue with some composure. “All I ask in return… is the filling of this cart with Dragonscales. Not all of them need to be yours, nor do I require them fresh. However… At least one must be of your own body.” Raal explained, meeting Frostwhisper’s eye. “The Trolls require armor, and Dragonscale is… difficult to beat, in terms of light weight armor, there’s little better. It’s also marvellous protection against the elements.”. Raal explained.
The Mighty creature brought it’s head back at this, slightly surprised. “And you ask for one from me, specifically?” She asked, amused.
“you are beyond powerful.” Raal explained. “And I would wish to understand some of it, in order to increase my own. Study of your scale would advance my magics even further.”.
The dragon laughed, a loud, booming laugh that caused the cavern to shake. This was nothing like Tawdor, where it could be felt as almost a little bump. Here, Raal could barely stay upright, the world around him moving too quickly and too violently for him to even make much visual sense of the world around him.
“What a naked desire for power. What a blatant ambition. You are an ant with the pride of a lion.” Frostwhisper claimed with bemusement. “I’ve almost gained interest in your past. the deal is done, with the addition of one stipulation.”
“And what would that be?” Raal asked, nervous of the answer.
A small device, about as large as raal’s fist appeared. “I know you’ve a communicator. I trust you know the basics of it’s operation. If you wish to be a business partner, then let’s create a line of communication.” The Dragon said this with a hint of mirth in her voice, and Raal had the funny feeling that the deal might have been completed, less due to his reasoning, and more due to it curing the great Wyrm’s boredom.
“I-I agree.” Raal stammered, taken aback.
“Of course you do.” Frostwhisper said with a softer laugh. “Now stay still, as my kobolds transfer the goods and contents of your cart. Oh, and do dematerialize those pathetic constructs you brought in with you. I’ve no need for such scraps in my court. When they’ve finished loading the cart, you’ll be allowed to walk out alive. Until they do… I’d stay very, very still.”.
Raal had never agreed with any sentiment more.