Skyhawk
06-05-2007, 11:13 PM
I was born in the year 976 in a small but prosperous village in the nation of Cyre. The name of it doesn't matter as it has long since past into ruin along with the nation or at least 2 years seems like a long time. My mother named me Piper as she had ideas of my becoming a bard or minstrel as was her father but my dad had other ideas about what my role in life should be and he added the name pilot to the one that my mother had already bestowed on me and I wound up with the unlikely name of Piperpilot which was strange in Cyre or any other nation for that matter. He told me that pilot was the writer of a long forgotten text on Strategy and tactics that he learned his trade from.
My father was a high ranking officer in the army of Cyre and a veteran of many battles and campaigns in that 100 year war. He was a commander of legions and also a leader of small elite squads when the situation demanded it. It was while leading one these elite units that my story begins.
During a scouting mission in 986 to probe the defenses of Breland, dad and his party happened upon a large group of cultists about to sacrifice a dragon hatchling to their foul deity. What motivated my father to intervene and jeopardize the mission that he was on even he does not know but intervene he did. The cultists where not the usual sheepish followers one would expect but formidable warriors in their own right. The squirmish was brutal and costly, the dark clerics extremely adept and equal to the ones in the squad, but in the end the squad was victorious and exterminated the cultists and destroyed their icons and pendants. What deity they worshipped was unknown but the sacrifice of a dragon could not be allowed lest the power of the dark god they followed be greatly elevated to challenge the deities of the Sovereign Host and Silver Flame.
It was determined that the young dragon should be returned to its own kind and since dad had incurred a life debt it was his charge to undertake that task. He had heard of Argonnessen but knew of no one who had ever been there but with the help of the Royal house he was able to find a ship, captain and crew that were willing to undertake the journey to that foreboding land. It was hoped that this act would gain favor with the dragons as they would be a powerful ally if they chose to assist the savior of one of their own.
After a long voyage the outline of Argonnessen slowly appeared on the horizon. The ship approached cautiously and dropped anchor well offshore.
"Yer on yer own from here on in commander", the captain said, "You can take the dingy and I will wait three days but no more for your return".
"Understood" was my dads only reply as he boarded the dingy with his charge and began the long row to the shore.
The beach looked like any other except the sand was black rather than the pleasing white of the beaches found on Cyre. The task ahead was daunting, there were no maps, no hints or clues, and the land was vast. Dad resigned himself to the fact that three days would never suffice and the rest of his days would be spent on this foreign shore but duty, honor, country was his code so there never was any question. He surveyed the landscape with its incredibly high mountains in the distance and the thick jungles just ahead of him and began to plan the best approach to the task that lay ahead of him.
"I have been expecting you human" a deep booming but strangely female voice thundered from the jungle to his right as a massive form emerged from the undergrowth. "I see you have the youngster with you as was foretold in the prophecy"
He spun sharply to the right drawing his sword as he beheld the frightening visage of a massive Red Dragon. "You speak my tongue? What prophecy" were the only words he could utter in the presence of this ancient creature.
"Sheathe your sword human you are in no danger here. If I had wanted you dead it would have already been so. You are returning the offspring of my sister who was in your homeland pursuing the next chapter of the prophecy and searching for the identity of an unimaginable power that is rising there"
"What prophecy? Who are you? What power?" stumbled from his lips as he prudently sheathed his weapon and looked into the all knowing eyes of the creature before him.
"The prophecy that guides the destiny of all creatures and indeed of all Eberron that was written at the moment of creation. It is written on the scales of the great Siberys himself and are scattered throughout the valleys, mountains, and seas of Eberron. It can only be read by Dragons and although the shards are highly prized by the lesser races they lack the knowledge to decipher them"
"I know of these shards and have even beheld one" he replied, feeling somewhat more at ease with the current situation.
"You still have much to do and your role in the prophecy is far from done, but more so the role of your heirs and charges is about to begin and it is greater still."
"But I have no charges" dad answered in a puzzled voice.
"You do but do not know it yet. The Dwarf and Drow that fell in the battle to save the youngster before you each had a son. When you return home and learn that they have no family your code of honor will dictate that you raise them as your own."
"But how could you possibly know this?" was his astonished answer.
"As I said human, the prophecy will reveal all"
"What else does this prophecy say?" he asked, no longer apprehensive but extremely curious and awed.
"Much, but you must swear on your honor to tell no one what I am about to reveal to you as the fate of the world depends on it"
"I so swear" was dad's simple but honest reply.
"So be it" the dragon bellowed. "The end of your war is rapidly approaching as is the end of your nation"
"Cyre destroyed? By what, how? was his startled response
"Silence human, listen and all will be revealed. The unnamed power that destroyed my sister and left this orphan that you returned will wipe the land you call Cyre from the face of Eberron in but a single night. This will end the war but it will not be the total end of Cyre. There will be much for you to do and you will know what and when to do what you must but first you must remove your family from that doomed land to a place of safety"
"I have a nephew that has a small estate on Aerenal would that be sufficient?" He asked.
"Sundowner is mentioned in the prophecy and he will have a roll to play as well your sons and charges. Your nephew is learning much from the elves on Aerenal and will become a powerful Sorcerer just as your sons and charges will become great warriors"
Starring at the dragon in awe he thought to himself "how could this ancient creature know the name of my nephew or what path he was pursuing" as any doubts of the validity and power of the prophecy rapidly evaporated.
"If you do as I have said," the dragon continued, "Eberron may yet be saved. As your path lies in Cyre we will not meet again but I will encounter one or more of your sons in a place called Stormreach. The prophecy is not complete on this but I do not expect that that meeting will be as pleasant as this one. I believe it may even spell my doom but the youngster you returned will carry on and have an important role to play. When I encounter your family again they will know me as Velah. Go in peace human and follow your path and meet your destiny with honor"
Dad rowed back to the ship and returned to Cyre. Shortly after that we moved to Aerenal to live with my cousin. Dad instructed us to find a path and pursue it with diligence before returning to Cyre to follow his. The future unfolded as the dragon had foretold. Just before the day of mourning dad hustled Oargev ir'Wynarn into Breland where he, the sole remaining member of the Royal house of Cyre established New Cyre and rules in exile what is left of that devastated land. The war ended as it was suppose to and the treaty of Thronehold was signed.
I guess my story starts in Aerenal where I tried to find my path as dad had instructed. The hard part was finding a guide as the Aerenal elves weren't all that friendly towards outsiders but they tolerated them in small numbers. I was fortunate for within a month I found Axoar living in a small hut not far from my new home. He was a Barbarian from Seren who came to Aerenal because of a blood debt. There was no way he could have overcome the numbers stacked against him even though he was a very competent warrior so Aerenal looked like a nice place to settle. He trained me well in the ways of the barbarian tribes and their fighting styles and showed me how to develop the abilities that barbarians have. The training was hard, even brutal at times but there was a good cleric not from there who could patch me up fine so we could have at it again. Surprisingly he was also very well versed in the more traditional ways of combat so I also learned how to fight in full plate and use sword and board but I still prefer my great axe. Axoar taught me that different situations demand different approaches and at times full plate is the best way to go.
Since Axoar came from Seren he is well versed in the ways of dragons and I listened intently as he revealed all the facts and lore because I believe I am the one destined to meet this Velah that my dad told us about. Of course my brothers think differently and I know this to be true by the intensity with which they listen the smallest bit of dragon lore I related to them over supper.
Dad came for a visit about six months ago from New Cyre, he's General Trojan now, and was satisfied that my training had progressed to the point where I should take my leave for Stormreach and establish a foothold for when my brothers followed shortly. So I caught the next available boat to a place called Smuggler's Rest where I received even more training to better prepare me for what lies ahead. There was a ship there that was scheduled to depart for Stormreach that I was able to get passage on although I had to pay my fare by working as a deckhand which wasn't bad as it made the time go by faster and it was a long voyage.
I was awestruck when the boat docked in Stormreach as I had never really seen a city before and this was radically different from the country estate I grew up on. The buildings are huge and there are more people here than I have ever seen especially in one place. Aside from elves and dwarfs that I am familiar with there are halflings and really strange looking ones called Warforged. I had no idea where to go or what to do but this man who called himself Goodblade gave me some tasks to do and paid well for them, at least enough to get a room at the Wavecrest for the night. I got even another job there bringing kegs of ale up from the cellar. While in the cellar I came across a secret door that lead to caverns beneath the tavern where I was attacked by a Kobold that I quickly dispatched. I found a strange looking object that I showed to Sigmond the tavern keeper and was given another task of exploring the rest of caverns and cleaning out any kobold infestation that might exist down there. After getting rid of the kobalds I found this strange looking alter and as soon as I approached it the whole place starting coming down so I started running for the exit but it was blocked by this strange looking man in a robe, waving his arms and mumbling strange words so I cut him down where he stood and everything stopped shaking. I thought I was in trouble but was greeted like a hero instead and was given more money and free food. I even found a necklace in the cellar that belonged to the tavern wench and she me gave me even more money just for finding it. I also learned that she came from Cyre so I will have to get to know her better. I was feeling fairly confident in my new surroundings and settled in for the night.
The next morning brought even more opportunity as I collected some debts for a coin lord, chased some dogs out of a sewer, helped this guy in a robe do something called warding, and even got paid for killing a bunch of spiders. Things were going great and then I hit my first obstacle, I couldn't get into the city proper without a pass which I had to get from the harbormaster. So he tells me to go to the waterworks and see this guard by the name of Tembler and if I could get a letter from him he would give me a pass. Well Tembler wants me to go find his nephews that disappeared down in the sewer where a lot of kobolds live. This was a little more than I could do but fortunately there were a few other folks standing around with the same problem so we all went together and found Arlos. Then Tembler asks us to go in the other sewer and find his other nephew Venn. So we go and find Venn but he wasn't doing to well so we brought back what was left and Tembler gives us all some really nice stuff as well as the letter. I was rather tired after all this so I got a room at the Wayward Lobster and had some of the best food I've had since I left Aerenal.
In the morning I headed up to the market to follow up up on the note I found on Venn that said something about a Wayfinder and Shan Ta Kor but that's a story for another day. I hope my brothers are able to add to these chronicles as they each will have their story to tell and I will be adding to mine as this story unfolds.
My father was a high ranking officer in the army of Cyre and a veteran of many battles and campaigns in that 100 year war. He was a commander of legions and also a leader of small elite squads when the situation demanded it. It was while leading one these elite units that my story begins.
During a scouting mission in 986 to probe the defenses of Breland, dad and his party happened upon a large group of cultists about to sacrifice a dragon hatchling to their foul deity. What motivated my father to intervene and jeopardize the mission that he was on even he does not know but intervene he did. The cultists where not the usual sheepish followers one would expect but formidable warriors in their own right. The squirmish was brutal and costly, the dark clerics extremely adept and equal to the ones in the squad, but in the end the squad was victorious and exterminated the cultists and destroyed their icons and pendants. What deity they worshipped was unknown but the sacrifice of a dragon could not be allowed lest the power of the dark god they followed be greatly elevated to challenge the deities of the Sovereign Host and Silver Flame.
It was determined that the young dragon should be returned to its own kind and since dad had incurred a life debt it was his charge to undertake that task. He had heard of Argonnessen but knew of no one who had ever been there but with the help of the Royal house he was able to find a ship, captain and crew that were willing to undertake the journey to that foreboding land. It was hoped that this act would gain favor with the dragons as they would be a powerful ally if they chose to assist the savior of one of their own.
After a long voyage the outline of Argonnessen slowly appeared on the horizon. The ship approached cautiously and dropped anchor well offshore.
"Yer on yer own from here on in commander", the captain said, "You can take the dingy and I will wait three days but no more for your return".
"Understood" was my dads only reply as he boarded the dingy with his charge and began the long row to the shore.
The beach looked like any other except the sand was black rather than the pleasing white of the beaches found on Cyre. The task ahead was daunting, there were no maps, no hints or clues, and the land was vast. Dad resigned himself to the fact that three days would never suffice and the rest of his days would be spent on this foreign shore but duty, honor, country was his code so there never was any question. He surveyed the landscape with its incredibly high mountains in the distance and the thick jungles just ahead of him and began to plan the best approach to the task that lay ahead of him.
"I have been expecting you human" a deep booming but strangely female voice thundered from the jungle to his right as a massive form emerged from the undergrowth. "I see you have the youngster with you as was foretold in the prophecy"
He spun sharply to the right drawing his sword as he beheld the frightening visage of a massive Red Dragon. "You speak my tongue? What prophecy" were the only words he could utter in the presence of this ancient creature.
"Sheathe your sword human you are in no danger here. If I had wanted you dead it would have already been so. You are returning the offspring of my sister who was in your homeland pursuing the next chapter of the prophecy and searching for the identity of an unimaginable power that is rising there"
"What prophecy? Who are you? What power?" stumbled from his lips as he prudently sheathed his weapon and looked into the all knowing eyes of the creature before him.
"The prophecy that guides the destiny of all creatures and indeed of all Eberron that was written at the moment of creation. It is written on the scales of the great Siberys himself and are scattered throughout the valleys, mountains, and seas of Eberron. It can only be read by Dragons and although the shards are highly prized by the lesser races they lack the knowledge to decipher them"
"I know of these shards and have even beheld one" he replied, feeling somewhat more at ease with the current situation.
"You still have much to do and your role in the prophecy is far from done, but more so the role of your heirs and charges is about to begin and it is greater still."
"But I have no charges" dad answered in a puzzled voice.
"You do but do not know it yet. The Dwarf and Drow that fell in the battle to save the youngster before you each had a son. When you return home and learn that they have no family your code of honor will dictate that you raise them as your own."
"But how could you possibly know this?" was his astonished answer.
"As I said human, the prophecy will reveal all"
"What else does this prophecy say?" he asked, no longer apprehensive but extremely curious and awed.
"Much, but you must swear on your honor to tell no one what I am about to reveal to you as the fate of the world depends on it"
"I so swear" was dad's simple but honest reply.
"So be it" the dragon bellowed. "The end of your war is rapidly approaching as is the end of your nation"
"Cyre destroyed? By what, how? was his startled response
"Silence human, listen and all will be revealed. The unnamed power that destroyed my sister and left this orphan that you returned will wipe the land you call Cyre from the face of Eberron in but a single night. This will end the war but it will not be the total end of Cyre. There will be much for you to do and you will know what and when to do what you must but first you must remove your family from that doomed land to a place of safety"
"I have a nephew that has a small estate on Aerenal would that be sufficient?" He asked.
"Sundowner is mentioned in the prophecy and he will have a roll to play as well your sons and charges. Your nephew is learning much from the elves on Aerenal and will become a powerful Sorcerer just as your sons and charges will become great warriors"
Starring at the dragon in awe he thought to himself "how could this ancient creature know the name of my nephew or what path he was pursuing" as any doubts of the validity and power of the prophecy rapidly evaporated.
"If you do as I have said," the dragon continued, "Eberron may yet be saved. As your path lies in Cyre we will not meet again but I will encounter one or more of your sons in a place called Stormreach. The prophecy is not complete on this but I do not expect that that meeting will be as pleasant as this one. I believe it may even spell my doom but the youngster you returned will carry on and have an important role to play. When I encounter your family again they will know me as Velah. Go in peace human and follow your path and meet your destiny with honor"
Dad rowed back to the ship and returned to Cyre. Shortly after that we moved to Aerenal to live with my cousin. Dad instructed us to find a path and pursue it with diligence before returning to Cyre to follow his. The future unfolded as the dragon had foretold. Just before the day of mourning dad hustled Oargev ir'Wynarn into Breland where he, the sole remaining member of the Royal house of Cyre established New Cyre and rules in exile what is left of that devastated land. The war ended as it was suppose to and the treaty of Thronehold was signed.
I guess my story starts in Aerenal where I tried to find my path as dad had instructed. The hard part was finding a guide as the Aerenal elves weren't all that friendly towards outsiders but they tolerated them in small numbers. I was fortunate for within a month I found Axoar living in a small hut not far from my new home. He was a Barbarian from Seren who came to Aerenal because of a blood debt. There was no way he could have overcome the numbers stacked against him even though he was a very competent warrior so Aerenal looked like a nice place to settle. He trained me well in the ways of the barbarian tribes and their fighting styles and showed me how to develop the abilities that barbarians have. The training was hard, even brutal at times but there was a good cleric not from there who could patch me up fine so we could have at it again. Surprisingly he was also very well versed in the more traditional ways of combat so I also learned how to fight in full plate and use sword and board but I still prefer my great axe. Axoar taught me that different situations demand different approaches and at times full plate is the best way to go.
Since Axoar came from Seren he is well versed in the ways of dragons and I listened intently as he revealed all the facts and lore because I believe I am the one destined to meet this Velah that my dad told us about. Of course my brothers think differently and I know this to be true by the intensity with which they listen the smallest bit of dragon lore I related to them over supper.
Dad came for a visit about six months ago from New Cyre, he's General Trojan now, and was satisfied that my training had progressed to the point where I should take my leave for Stormreach and establish a foothold for when my brothers followed shortly. So I caught the next available boat to a place called Smuggler's Rest where I received even more training to better prepare me for what lies ahead. There was a ship there that was scheduled to depart for Stormreach that I was able to get passage on although I had to pay my fare by working as a deckhand which wasn't bad as it made the time go by faster and it was a long voyage.
I was awestruck when the boat docked in Stormreach as I had never really seen a city before and this was radically different from the country estate I grew up on. The buildings are huge and there are more people here than I have ever seen especially in one place. Aside from elves and dwarfs that I am familiar with there are halflings and really strange looking ones called Warforged. I had no idea where to go or what to do but this man who called himself Goodblade gave me some tasks to do and paid well for them, at least enough to get a room at the Wavecrest for the night. I got even another job there bringing kegs of ale up from the cellar. While in the cellar I came across a secret door that lead to caverns beneath the tavern where I was attacked by a Kobold that I quickly dispatched. I found a strange looking object that I showed to Sigmond the tavern keeper and was given another task of exploring the rest of caverns and cleaning out any kobold infestation that might exist down there. After getting rid of the kobalds I found this strange looking alter and as soon as I approached it the whole place starting coming down so I started running for the exit but it was blocked by this strange looking man in a robe, waving his arms and mumbling strange words so I cut him down where he stood and everything stopped shaking. I thought I was in trouble but was greeted like a hero instead and was given more money and free food. I even found a necklace in the cellar that belonged to the tavern wench and she me gave me even more money just for finding it. I also learned that she came from Cyre so I will have to get to know her better. I was feeling fairly confident in my new surroundings and settled in for the night.
The next morning brought even more opportunity as I collected some debts for a coin lord, chased some dogs out of a sewer, helped this guy in a robe do something called warding, and even got paid for killing a bunch of spiders. Things were going great and then I hit my first obstacle, I couldn't get into the city proper without a pass which I had to get from the harbormaster. So he tells me to go to the waterworks and see this guard by the name of Tembler and if I could get a letter from him he would give me a pass. Well Tembler wants me to go find his nephews that disappeared down in the sewer where a lot of kobolds live. This was a little more than I could do but fortunately there were a few other folks standing around with the same problem so we all went together and found Arlos. Then Tembler asks us to go in the other sewer and find his other nephew Venn. So we go and find Venn but he wasn't doing to well so we brought back what was left and Tembler gives us all some really nice stuff as well as the letter. I was rather tired after all this so I got a room at the Wayward Lobster and had some of the best food I've had since I left Aerenal.
In the morning I headed up to the market to follow up up on the note I found on Venn that said something about a Wayfinder and Shan Ta Kor but that's a story for another day. I hope my brothers are able to add to these chronicles as they each will have their story to tell and I will be adding to mine as this story unfolds.