Into the fire

EPILOGUE

Concerning Beau and Tip, they remained closemouthed about their wartime adventures, but everyone in the Bosky knew that they had been singular heroes of that war, for why else would Elves and Dwarves and even the High King come to see them. Why, it was even told that Stone Giants were seen emerging from the earth nigh the place where Tipperton and Rynna lived, but others pooh-poohed the notion, for who could believe such? Too, it was said that Silver Wolves were seen running across the fields of East-dell, nigh Beau's place near Raffin-or so they did tell.

Some years after the Great War, a Wizard named Delgar came through the Boskydells specifically to see Beau Darby, mainly to congratulate him on finding the cure for the plague. It seems that Beau's red medical journal had been a gift from this Mage a number of years past, when Beau had been but a stripling. What else they might have said to one another remains unknown to this day.

Someone noted a peculiar thing about Tipperton and his wartime experiences: whenever anyone spoke of Drag-onships and Fjordlanders, Tipperton would seem to withdraw, as if suffering from some hidden guilt concerning those men of the north, as if he were somehow responsible for the deaths of some in the war; ah, but who could put credence to such speculation? Besides, even if some Fjordlanders did die as a result of some act of Tipperton's, surely their deaths were inadvertent, wouldn't you say?

Tipperton never did take up the trade of a miller again, but instead became a bard, travelling with Rynna and Lark throughout the Seven Dells, and occasionally to other lands.

Too, it is said that Tipperton mastered the Elven rite celebrating the turning of the seasons-chant and song and steps-and passed the knowledge on to his descendants. Yet neither he nor those who followed knew the secret potency of the ritual; yet even had they known, still they knew not when or where on Mithgar they should sing and step and chant, knew neither the time nor place to loose the power hidden within. Perhaps one day Warrowkind would finally learn the arcane truth…

Tipperton and Rynna and their subsequent brood took up residence outside of Eastpoint near the Spindlethorn, some tell that they did so on the insistence of Lark.

Speaking of Lark, she became even a more renowned bard than either her sire or dam, for no instrument defied her touch, the music to flow, her voice as sweet as her namesakes-the very larks themselves. Yet there was an air of mystery about this beautiful dammen, for it is said she spoke Twyll, Common, Fey, Sylva, and a strange language like the rustle of leaves in the wind. Too, it is said that she had a mysterious power over plants and trees, for her gardens were the wonder of all, and some even claim she could walk untouched through the Thornwall itself, but most discounted this wild rumor, for everyone knew that even birds and voles and other small creatures found it difficult to pass among the thickset thorns. Too, it is also said that a strange tall being, twigs and leaves and tendrils, would at times be seen in the night in Lark's company, but that was just wild rumor, too.

Both Tip and Beau, as well as Rynna and Linnet, lived long and useful lives, Tip and Rynna as bards bringing joy to the world, Beau and Linnet as healers bringing health to the sick.

As to others, this is known:

Bekki ruled Mineholt North for many a long year, and though he never married, other Chakka named their sons after him. Nearly four millennia following the time of this telling, one of these Chakka named Bekki, a Bekki of the Red Hills holt, sired a son named Brega… but that is another tale.

As to Linde, she and King Loden of Dael did marry, and she bore Loden a son, Garret, and when Garret was but nine, Loden was slain- by raiders in Garia while on a trade mission. Linde led the campaign which destroyed the raiders, and a fiercer warrior the realm had never seen, and thereafter she was known as the Warrior Queen of Riamon. Until Garret came into his majority, Linde ruled the land; Garret was crowned king on his fifteenth birthday, but ever did the realm remember the beneficent rule of the fierce Warrior Queen Linde.

After the war, once more did Aravan return to the Dalgor Fens and long did he search for the Silver Sword. Yet he failed to find that token of power therein, and given the vision of Galarun's Death Rede, and Coron Eiron's description thereof, Aravan began a search for the yellow-eyed man who mayhap took the blade. For millennia upon millennia did he seek without success, but then an Impossible Child was born…

As far as anyone knows, Phais and Loric yet live.

Water poured into H?l's Crucible for weeks; water flowed from the northern and eastern and southern seas into the Weston Ocean and through the Straits of Kistan into the Avagon Sea and thence into H?l's Crucible, all oceans of Mithgar sinking a bit to do so, diminishing to fill the vast gullet of that deep rift. Long, too, did the land of H?l's Crucible, though drowned, jolt and judder and quake, great gouts of steam exploding upward, and at times even fire, and it came to be known as H?l's Ocean by some and as H?l's Sea by others.

For years this ocean was restless, gas and vapors blowing upward from the depths and across the water, slaying ships' crews at times, at other times thinning the water as would a great cloud of bubbles thin the sea, and ships caught in these upsurges sank from sight never to be seen again; some said it was the ghost of a Dragon reaching up to drag ships down. The sailors themselves claimed it was the work of all the ghosts of the dead under the sea, for oft would witchfire come with these surges, or come with these terrible fogs, the poisonous vapors claiming the lives of any unlucky enough to be caught in the dreadful mists.

Too, the land about shivered and shook and sank; the craggy hills vanished downward; H?l's Ocean spread wide.

Rivers changed course-the Ironwater and the Storcha-to flow into the H?l's Sea. Some said the quaking and upheaval was the work of the Utruni taming the land, taming the fires below, but others claimed it was but H?l's Crucible itself remembering bygone days.

Long did H?l's Ocean simmer and boil, steam gouting up, an occasional explosion, as if H?l itself had drowned, but the Utruni working deep in the mantle managed to close magma vents and fissures, and finally the sea became somewhat tamed.

The city of Rhondor, its trade in minerals no more, did survive to become a major port city. And the citizenry of Rhondor renamed the ocean and called it the Inner Sea to make these waters seem more friendly, and so noted it on their maps, and it ultimately became known by this name. Even so, occasionally thereafter the waters would explode and spew, as a core of magma far below reached up from the gut of the world to come to the bed of the ocean, the molten fire to clash with water, elemental struggles anew. And sailors who knew of these violent quarrels would pray to the gods and the Stone Giants to see them safely through. Aye, the Inner Sea it is now called, a name not too untoward, yet those with long memories, Elves and others, name it H?l's Crucible still.

As to the leaning Stone Tip and Rynna discovered among the destroyed aggregate in the Greatwood, it is said after it was set back upright by the Baeron, a Fox Rider ultimately communicated with it, and it was then used to relay messages. Even so, none discovered just how the aggregate had been shattered, for the ancient Stone only remembered that once it was among others of its kind and now it was not… and its grief was sorely heavy.

After the war, Kraggen-cor seemed somehow a more forbidding place, and deep within where starsilver lay there was an aura of fear. For some reason or other, when told of this ominous air, Tipperton Thistledown thought of the dread of Gargons, but then dismissed the idea altogether, for how could that be? For if a Gargon had come into Kraggen-cor, then surely the Dwarves would have fled. It would be many long centuries ere the answer to that enigma would come to light, and even then a mystery would remain. But that, too, is another tale.

Concerning Modru, some say he was slain at H?l's Crucible, drowned under the waves, his body never recovered. Others claimed he fled far north to the Untended Lands, to the Barrens and beyond. It was said he dwelled in a black stone chamber deep under the ice and snow and away from the thundering wind. They said he was tended by Foul Folk as he plotted his dark revenge. Yet the answer to the question as to whether Modru lived or died would not be known for some four millennia altogether… the answer to come with a harbinger of doom, when the Dragonstar would score the sky.

Battered and beaten, a company of Humans returned from Neddra, crossing the in-between in the Gronfangs somewhere above Claw Spur. They had been fighting a strike-and-flee campaign against the Foul Folk, and had fought side by side with Elves who had crossed over with them. But given the small numbers of their combined force, it was a losing proposition at best, for they could be no more than a gadfly unto the vast count of Foul Folk therein. When the war ended, the Elves could but return along the bloodways to the High Plane, while the Humans could but come home to the Mid.

A year or so after the war ended, a Human, an ascetic Adonite warrior who had fought upon the High Plane, a man who would not give his name-for to do so was to abjure his sworn vows-crossed the in-between from Ado-nar unto Mithgar at the circle of stones. He came as a herald bearing witness, for he had beheld Gyphon's trial before the very gods Themselves; he travelled to Caer Pen-dwyr, where he was granted an audience with High King Blaine. And this is what the man said:

"My lord, Adon did visit these punishments upon Gyphon's creations:

"At the end of this year for a full sevenday a new star will burn in the heavens, and all folk who are not blood of this Plane but who aligned themselves with Gyphon, they will be banned from Adon's light: no longer will they be able to walk the world by day, but will wither swiftly to dust should the light of Mithgar's sun fall upon them, a ban which shall rule for as long as night follows day and day follows night.

"More, all Drakes who allied themselves with Gyphon's agent Modru will be reft of their fire to become Cold-drakes, and all of their male get and their get's male get down through the ages will be Cold-drakes as well.

"As to those folk of Mithgar who were deceived into following Gyphon, High Adon sets no sanctions, for He notes the flower of their manhood perished at the place you name H?l's Crucible, and perhaps that is penalty enough.

"Regarding Gyphon Himself, He was cast into the Abyss to be imprisoned forever. Yet, heed, my lord, for ere He fell screaming into the nothingness below, He swore revenge, saying, 'Even now I have set into motion events You cannot stop. I shall return! I shall conquer! I shall rule!'

"Adon has sent me here to speak of these things, and to issue a warning for all to be ever vigilant, for who knows what Gyphon may achieve? He nearly ruled all creation.

"These things, my lord, Adon sent me to say. My message complete, I now go."

And with that, the man left the presence of the High King, even though Blaine bade him to stay. Yet when the palace guards stepped out before the stranger to stop him, it seems they could not lift a hand against the messenger of Adon.

Where he went is not known.

But on Year's Long Night and for seven nights in all, a new star-the Ban Star-blazed in the heavens, the nights so bright as to seem nearly day. And seven nights later it vanished forever, and Rucks and Hloks and Trolls and Ghuls and Helsteeds and all other Foul Folk as well as Black Mages could no longer withstand the sun but would crumble to dust were they caught in its light; nor did the renegade Dragons any longer breathe fire, but cast poisonous vapors and acid instead… and moreover suffered the Ban.

And the High King then declared 2E2000 the last year of the old Era, proclaiming Year's Start Day to be January 1, 3E1, hence beginning the new.

As to what Modru might have promised the renegade Drakes, those subsequently reft of their fire, there is only speculation. Mayhap he promised Daagor the Dragonstone or perhaps the death of Black Kalgalath; yet the Dragonstone itself at the time was indeed lost and Kalgalath hale and powerful. Some speculate that he promised Skail a mate, for some long years later that Drake was seen bearing a Kraken through the night skies above the Grimwall. And others believe perhaps he gave Sleeth information as to when the treasure-rich Dwarvenholt of Blackstone might be vulnerable, as future events would reveal. But all of these are different tales, different stories, some told, others not.

What is not recorded anywhere are the battles fought among Magekind, adherents of Gyphon and those of Adon fighting a mystical war on arcane battlefields, a tale which perhaps will never be told.

But this is not the time to speak of other stories, for herein are recorded the deeds of two unexpected heroes- Tipperton Thistledown and Beau Darby-and the heroes they met along the way. All other tales must await their turn, for it truly is all connected, you know.

Many things lie somewhere, lost in the wreckage of war… innocence not the least of these.