Master Plan

The Watchers in Flux receive new orders from Yesh due to developments in Synomenia.

37.

Master plan

 

Sophia had the conference room set up when Eioldth returned from lunch and stood there leaning over a laptop screen as she waited for all of them to assemble.

 

Eioldth had not met two of the Watchers that were there.   One was a Dwarf who obviously was the Watcher assigned to that race, while the other one surprised her by being a Hobgoblin.    The two were sitting and talking to Khord as she followed Deborah into the room.   As soon as they were seated, Sophia looked up from her screen and addressed them.

“We’ve had some very serious developments in the Torrin situation that now looks like it will require some visitation by those assembled.    All of you know about the situation with the man and his manipulation of the Emperor, as well as his invasion plans.”

“Hopefully you were all briefed about his new little pet?   No?   Okay, well, then that is where we’ll begin.    You all knew he had plans to invade the Underdark first, to wipe out the Drow there, though this idea was actually put to him by Mazzikim’ruhin.   You see,  Mazzikim’ruhin brought to him a terrible tool - which he thinks comes from the Great god- to help him defeat the Yeshites.”

Everyone assembled waited anxiously for Sophia to continue and finally she resumed.

“Mazzikim’ruhin led them to a great sleeping Dragon -one of a type that Synomenia has not seen for centuries.   This one survived from the time of the wars after the Great Gathering.    He is huge and terrible to behold.    His scales are impervious to weapons.   He can paralyze a person with his gaze, and he spews forth fire and poisonous gas at will.   He slept on a huge hoard of gold in a long forgotten cavern deep within inaccessible mountains.”

“Then how did Mazzikim’ruhin lead Torrin to him?”   The Dwarven watcher asked.

“He awakened the Dragon by whispering into his ear of great power and greater wealth if he would just turn over control to him.”

 

All around the conference table, the Watchers sat up in alarm.

“He sought to possess the Dragon?”   Eioldth asked.

“Yes, and this was not to be allowed.   Yet he did this and now Mazzikim’ruhin has gained complete control of this Dragon through possession.   This is in defiance of the boundaries Yesh set for him, and for this violation, we have been authorized to act… but not directly.”

“What?!”  Deborah asked, “Why not?”

“Yesh would not specify the reason, but we have specific instructions on what we are to do.   Before I delve into that, let me tell you more about the Dragon and Mazzikim’ruhin.    Apparently Torrin does not know that Mazzikim’ruhin possesses the creature.   All he knows is that this huge, ancient dragon came to him and offered to assist him in destroying all the creatures of the Underdark in return for whatever treasure they might have that he would desire.”

“So that is how the Underdark cities are being burnt - by an elder Dragon?”   Deborah speculated.

“Yes, and this Dragon’s breath is exceedingly hot, for he can melt even stone.   But the worst of it is that Torrin was ‘led’ by his god to put the Gem of the Oscinate around the neck of the Dragon.    He is now nearly invincible.”

“So can we go down there now and help Aurei and Eleazar?”  Eioldth asked hopefully.

“Not exactly.   We have limited messages we can speak to them.   But we cannot reveal several things.   First, they cannot know that the humanoids attacking the Drow are not being driven forward by Imperial Legions but by the threat of incineration by the Dragon if they don’t keep moving forward and conquering, unless they learn of this information by another source, before we arrive.   If they do, then we can tell them more details, but they must have learned it first.”

“So there are no Imperial Legions behind this Underdark invasion?”   Eioldth wondered.

“No, it is just the Dragon pushing a huge hoard of captured Orcs, Ogres, Trolls and various goblinoids forward.   If they protest or move too slow, he incinerates them.   They are fighting for their lives.   He lets them loot briefly when they’ve conquered a Drow city or checkpoint, then they are moved on up the Underground highway.  He comes in and feeds on the dead, then sets everything on fire.”

 

“The Underdark is filling up with noxious fumes.”  Khord added from across the room, “These gases are killing off most in the side passages.   Mazzikim’ruhin’s Dragon is so large that he fills the Main highway passage.   He is crawling forward like a cat tracking a mouse.   Everything behind him is destroyed and most are dead.”

“Yesh, have mercy!”  Deborah exclaimed.

Sophia nodded sympathetically, “So far there are tens of thousands dead in the Underdark.    By the time  Mazzikim’ruhin’s Dragon reaches the northern end of the highway, probably 90% of those in the Underdark will be dead.   That is roughly half a million Drow, and if any do manage to survive, they won’t be able to stay in that hell, for the breath of the Dragon is like sulfurous gas.”

“Surely Yesh would want him stopped!”  Eioldth said, “Yesh said that demons like Mazzikim’ruhin were only allowed to tempt.”

“Yes, but he chose to defy Yesh’s laws by possessing this great Dragon.    Perhaps he vainly thought he could deceive the Lord.”

“So he is using the Dragon to more efficiently kill off the non-humans?”   The Dwarf Watcher asked.

“Yes, and he is possessing the Dragon because he cannot possess humanoids - not even humans- no matter how much he might desire to do this.    But this restriction was not extended to animals or even the great Dragons, and Mazzikim’ruhin used this loop-hole.”

“Sophia, would you say then that the goal of Mazzikim’ruhin is to kill off all non-human intelligent life in Synomenia?”   Deborah asked for clarification.

“Absolutely, Deborah.    That way he can manipulate the humans.   But he has violated restrictions Yesh set in place, so now we are allowed to act.”

“But you said we are restricted.”  Eioldth replied, “You began to tell us of our restrictions, Sophia.   Aside from not telling them that Mazzikim’ruhin is forcing the humanoids forward, what other restrictions do we have?”

“We can’t physically give them any assistance - no spells or even handing them something.    We can’t tell them what information we know, about Mazzikim’ruhin’s possession of the Dragon or his plans, unless they have found this out first.    What we can do is suggest strategies to them.   For example, right now Eleazar’s group is following Alleania by teleportation relay over to her home city.    It will be several days before the humanoids and the Dragon reach them.   But there will be hundreds of fleeing Drow refugees and already the fumes of the Dragon breath are fouling up the air ahead of him.”

“Alleania has thought of the secret passages that Ar’Rilla has all around Hor’olorbb and is formulating a plan that would get them behind the humanoids that are attacking.    But she doesn’t know that it is a Dragon behind them and none of Aurei’s group will be able to breathe in the fumes of the Dragon, except Alleania, who is undead.”

“But she can’t go up against a Dragon alone!”   Eioldth argued, “Even if her undead state is unaffected by the Gem of the Oscinate, she will certainly burn by Dragon breath!”

“Yes, but she can regenerate even in the radius of the Gem, because her type of undead are not affected by the anti-magic of the Gem.   If she has hidden some coffins well, and they survive the Dragon’s tour through Hor’olorbb, she can still live.   She should be the one to try to steal the Gem off of the Dragon’s neck.”

“So we can suggest things like this to those we visit in Yesh’s name?”   Deborah asked.

“Yes, and we each have specific missions.   We are going to meet Aurei’s group, one of us is to go to Tarmard and warn them, another of us is going to warn the Dwarves of what is coming up the passageway - without giving too many details.   Still another is going to the Hobgoblins and humanoids being forced forward by the Dragon and suggest that they do not try to resist the Drow in Hor’olorbb, which will take one obstacle away from our friends.   One of us is going to Westmark to warn them, another one is going to Helios’ valley to encourage Aedric’s group to hurry.”

”But this is the limit of what we are allowed to do - we can suggest strategies, but we cannot reveal the foe they face.    Yesh was VERY firm about this, and told me that he expected all of our complete compliance on this.    Unless they learn his identity, then we can discuss it with them, but only in this situation and no other.    Are there any questions?”

There were several questions regarding each Watcher’s specific message and destination. But within a few minutes the meeting was over and each Watcher prepared to immediately begin their mission.

 

Reviews

[Elina]

"...the Watchers at up in alarm." I think you were wanting "sat" instead of "at." ?

I'm definitely looking forward to the next chapter...

[Eddie Davis]

Thanks, Elina, the book is drawing to a close too, and I've currently only on page 103 of the last one in the trilogy, due to computer problems this week.

[Elina]

Oh no, what ever shall I do? Haha