Chapter 4: Rimlasnathines, Resplendent Pall of Adamant Tempest
Dragons in Kigan, or d’tarngg as they are known come in a number of forms. The dragon before Leshac was however a darnig, a tyrant dragon as some call them, making sure they are indoors first. Those who feel that insulting dragons is a bad idea call them regal dragons. A mighty scaled (and sometimes furred or feathered) being with six limbs, two of which are large wings and a long strong tail. These dragons are large beings of great magic and cunning. They are born with a mind of a higher being as opposed to that of a beast or monster or a wyrm.
Their head is crowned with horns. They can vary quite greatly in appearance. Indeed the seems to be countless colours and patterns that their scales can take on, not only that but they may sport fur or feathers depending on the kind. In the case of the dragon before Leshac, it was as if someone had finely sculpted a dragon from ice. Clear mirror-like scales blinded Leshac as he tried not to look into the dragon’s turquoise eyes. It had two massive spiralling horns coming from its head. A number of smaller horns twisted around its head like a crystalline crown of thorns. Behind that was a mane of simmering silver, which extended all the way to the tip of its tail in a tuft.
All dragons share a number of traits, no matter the kind. dragons grow in power, magic and strength as they age. A young dragon can be felled by one knight in shining armour. A elder dragon cannot be felled by a single powerful mage, much deception and power is needed for an ancient to be defeated. A dragon’s hide becomes nigh invincible with age and the blood of an old dragon is incredibly potent.
Dragons love and desire all things that are either beautiful, powerful, rare, valuable or some combination of those factors. It is not however, simply a desire. Dragons grow in power, in magic and in strength the larger their hoard and the greater the treasure of the hoard. There is however a danger. A dragon can lose its’ mind to greed.
If a dragon is consumed by its desires it becomes a terrible force, and twists in form from a being of glory and awe, to one of monstrous aspect, a sickening monster that cannot fly or breath fire or a dragon’s magical breath. Instead, they become a venomous creature, a being of disease, ruin and rot that emits all kinds of deadly gases. Greed consumes a dragons flesh, given time there would only be a skeleton of a dragon, animated by its greed for more. Thus is the fate of a dragon that surrenders to its greed.
It was an ice dragon before Leshac, which really was just to say that it was a darnig that was attuned to the cold, and thusly the element of Order. A dragon such as this could not breathe fire, but instead could freeze with its breath.
The dragon stared at Leshac, Leshac was transfixed and tried his best not to look into its eyes. To look into the eyes of a being of great enough power was to become like an open book with all your deepest secrets laid out, like an ill-advised diary. Leshac was scared.
“Be at ease, puny child of phantasm, Power is, Rimlasnathines, Resplendent Pall of Adamant Tempest, Honour would not dream of harming one that has rendered sublime service to Nobility. Nay! For the small aid ye have rendered unto Justice, Order shall grant ye a boon within the wide scope of Potency’s Power. Speak thy name and request onto Magnanimity!”
A curious attribute of dragons is how they refer to themselves, instead or I or me, they use various other words, usually of a positive nature. Supposedly it sounds better in the draconic tongue. Leshac thought it a small mercy that this dragon, Rimlasnathines hadn’t given him a longer speech.
After some careful thought, Leshac gave his name and request; Stating that he was Leshac, a dlutholl, Noble of Nortieln and Speaker of the Shadowed Paths. He asked that the curse upon his house would be lifted, and as a request separate from his boon, respectfully wished that he might have some source of direction on his journey, for he was thoroughly lost. He said all of this while bowing down to Rimlasnathines.
Rimlas himself silently listened to Leshac, face betraying nothing, he was silent for a time after Leshac had spoken, and fear began to creep back into Leshac’s heart, he feared that he had gone too far with a second request. At length, Rimlas spoke again.
“Leshac, how curious.” Rimlas commented. “Salvation shall do as ye ask, thy abode shall be sundered free of its curse, Restoration will soar from here forthwith to deal with it, but first…”
Rimlas took a claw to his neck, tearing off one of the smaller scales on his body, then he plucking from his mane a long simmering strand of sliver hair, he made a hole in the scale with a thought and hovering it in the air, threaded the hair through. He spoke several words in the tongue of dragons, which floated in the air like argent snowflakes before entering the scale, which then flashed with a rainbow of light and a roar. Rimlas then gave to Leshac what was now a kind of amulet.
It seemed to be a shape with many points. The surface of one side was rough and jagged, the other was smooth as silk. On the silken side was a strange twisting patten of many paths, all leading into each other. The pattern moved and twisted as Leshac looked at it, he found he could not follow the tracery on it. It was hung on a braided silver cord. Leshac bowed low to the ground once more and thanked Rimlas again.
“It is but a small matter, when you face where it is that you wish to go, that charm shall softly glow, though you should make haste, the waycharm will not last for that long.” Rimlas responded, before buffeting Leshac with wind as he flew up into the air.
Leshac watched the mighty form of Rimlas for a short time, before turning around and around, and heading in the direction that made the dragon-waycharm glow.