Bahamut leads you back where you find yourselves back on the Plane of Fire.

Bahamut takes you to the ramparts near the main gate to the City of Brass. All around is a storm of activity: efreet workers repairing walls, Bahamut’s soldiers scurrying from errand to errand—and the air above you is positively thick with metallic dragons soaring and swooping.

Standing on an intact section of wall, Bahamut takes the aspect of a kindly old man with long white hair. He wears robes that appear to be made of liquid platinum, and orbiting him like a halo are seven yellow canaries.

“Hail, heroes,” Bahamut intones. “Though the cost was high, together we’ve dealt the Dragon Queen a grievous blow. Yet she lurks in Tytherion, and Tiamat will certainly rise again. Unless . . .

“Unless you can perform one final deed for me, for our army, and indeed, for all those who reject evil.”

He smiles grimly.

“My draconic children favor elegant turns of phrase, but I’ll be blunt: I want you to kill Tiamat. Not her aspect, not her avatar, but the deity herself. Too long has her evil spread through the universe. Too long have she and I fought each other to a standstill. I believe I can get you to the vicinity of her lair. And there is such power within you . . . If anyone can defeat Tiamat in lethal battle, it is you.

“As you know, I’m acutely aware of what it takes to kill a god. Among those who answered our call here in the City of Brass, no one matches your power. Look at the army you see before you. Other than you, no one here would be more than a momentary annoyance to Tiamat.

“Only a small group can reach Tiamat at this crucial moment. Her forces are in disarray, fleeing the Dragon Queen’s wrath and fighting one another. She has lost control of most of her followers. But look at my army. It’s in no shape to close ranks and march on Tytherion, either. It would take a miracle for us to recover, reorganize, and reequip for another battle.

“Miracles are what I do, but even if you assume that miracle, then you have a shining army marching on Tiamat’s lair. And when we march, Tiamat’s dispersed, distracted forces will have a common foe to unite against. You see where I’m leading this?”

Martha cracks her knuckles and cackles. 'At last - we kill the whore. I won't be doing this for you, Bahamut; I'm doing it for me. I've been planning this for years and I can confidently declare that I am finally ready for the task, alongside my boys.'

Martha is positively glowing with excitement at the chance to finally extract her revenge on her arch-nemesis. Of course, she's still unaware of her possible biological link to the evil goddess, whereas (if there were one) Bahamut would undoubtedly know.

Gromley had come a long way to finally end the threat of the Dragon Queen. Granted he always thought the platinum dragon himself would do the...honors. He just sighed, and shrugged. "Well, granted I am no mortal, but I am also no god...but if she is weak enough I suppose I can do what I can do."

Harald smiled.

 "And thus we enter the record books.  Succeed or fail there can and will be nothing greater than this."
This message was last edited by the player at 18:58, Tue 18 Dec 2018.

Darratheir had waited this moment for years. He could finally avenge his tribe and many others by killing Tiamat and yet, he was reluctant to accomplish this task and he knew well why his feeling had changed.

Stepping forward, he looked at Bahamut's form straight in the eyes. "With all the respect due to a god..." He then looked behind him at his group of companions "Or due to you all, my friends, I can't let you do this." His head turned back toward the Dragon god, he continued. "The balance between Tiamat and you must be preserved. And I will fight whomever will try to kill her just like I fought those who wanted your death."

He stopped for a few seconds, looking at the Arrow of Fate in his hand. "I have been blind for too long, my only envy being to kill the Dragon Queen. But I have been chosen by this artifact, a part of Io himself and I can't betray it. I will gladly continue to serve you if you wish. But as long as your plans invole Tiamat's death, I will stand before you and anyone willing to break the balance of power."

Bahamut considers. "Very well. I will make you an offer. If you defeat Tiamat, I will step down as a god, ceding my power. The balance will be restored--I will be mortal and eventually die, albeit chronologically after Tiamat. Our clerics will both have to find alternative gods, and the reign of dragon-gods will be at an end. What say you to that?"

Martha raises her hand high in the air, and laughs at it.

'Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha'

She is so delirious with joy she can't stop cackling. She just keeps looking at her claw-formed hand. This is the greatest moment in her life. She hates the dragon gods.

Considering Bahamut's offer, Darratheir took a few moments to answer. "I am the instrument of the Arrow of Fate. If this compromise please it, then I will accept it. But the decision is not mine to take."

Then he opened his mind, trying to get some advice from the artifact.

Sonliin gasped at the notion of Bahamut stepping down. "I disagree with Bahamut stepping down but that is his own decision, and it was freely offered. However, that option is not available unless we defeat her." he said, while pacing the room.

"Martha, you have been driven by your hatred of Tiamat, due to the consequences of your own actions while serving her. While Bahamut offered to step down, nowhere did he mention as to whom the mantle might be given. For all I know, your punishment for your actions while serving her, it might be to care and lead the very creatures you hate." Sonliin said, with an ear to ear grin.

"The problem I see is that Nature, along with creatures of intelligence, abhor a vacuum. The former clerics of Tiamat, once the shock of her defeat is felt, the more ardent followers will work to bring her back before they seek anyone that will take them in. For all we know, as a contingency, the five eldest female dragons of her various colors might morph into a new one of her to continue her power. We will not know until then, but she must be defeated."

"Darratheir, by calling yourself "an instrument of the Arrow of Fate", you seek to absolve yourself of the responsibility of your own actions by allowing the arrow to control you. We are all in this of our own freewill. We must be united in this endeavor. I will join in the fight, of my own freewill." he said.

Agon stayed silent for a long while, his massive intellect spinning through the implications of the death of one god, and the retirement of another.  Not even with a thousand years could he foresee how this would change the multiverse.

"Sonliin, you grasp the essence of this quest.  We mortals may appear insignificant against the multiverse, but our ability to choose freely and to grow make us great.  Could any of us, when we were children and young adventurers, imagine striding across the planes, making plans with gods, wielding artifacts from the Dawn War?"

"Tiamat has shown herself not just evil, but an existential threat in her recklessness. I am glad to be part of a mission to destroy her."

Martha stops laughing abruptly at Sonliin's words. 'You have a dark sense of humour for a paladin' she throws out, but she is carefully considering what he said. 'But the essence of what you say is true. I will keep it in mind.'

Zog blinks in shock at this turn of events and says nothing. In truth, he does not know what to say. The matters at hand were really beyond his comprehension. He had held Bahamut in high esteem for so long that the thought of working for another, god or mortal, was a bit foreign. However, changelings are adaptable, and his mind already began pursuing alternate futures...

"More than it's instrument, I am it's soldier." corrected the Dragonborn after Sonliin's observation. "As you say, we are all here of our own will and so I am. But my blind goal as changed. The Arrow of Fate opened my mind and thought this endless war might survive us, it is necessary that a balance exists. However, if Bahamut steps down as he promises in exchange of Tiamat's death, I will continue with you on this quest we have begun long ago."

And to himself, he added mentally : "And I will take over Tiamat's reign to fight against Bahamut if he ever lied to us."

Bahamut laughs lightly. "You seem to forget that I am telepathic, Darratheir."  He then looks very seriously at him. "I cannot promise you that i will cease to be immortal or powerful, Darratheir. But I will give up my divinity. I am Bahamut. My word is my standard. If you doubt that here and now, after everything I have done and endured, then you will draw the Arrow and use it to strike me down first, here and now. Do you accept my word, or must I challenge you?" The old man speaks with a superhuman force but with words that do not compel the mortal Darratheir in any way. It is an honest inquiry.

He also shoots the rest of a party a look warning them to not interfere.

Gromley seems ready to interfere, but stands down when he notices the look. Needless to say, the idea of balance, gods, and fate never much appealed to him. Granted he wanted to enjoy himself for the rest of his immortal existence, but Tiamat had gotten in the way of such things-as well as killing his friends. He wanted to speak up about Darratheir's ultimatum, but in the end it was the Dragon's choice, not Gromley's.

Sonliin smiled back at Martha. "One never knows that the Gods have in store for us, Martha." he said  "Some are concerned for us, while in others, we are mere play toys. It goes back to that issue of freewill. Many people have caused harm to others by saying that they were doing their misdeeds in the name of some god or government.  However, many times it was done for their own selfish reasons. Greed and power are the top two." he added.

Sonliin's eyebrows arched upwards in surprise at Bahamut's statement. The paladin stepped backwards, his hands palms outward and hands just above his shoulders. "I do not know what you had thought Darratheir but this is between the two of you. I do not have a dog in this fight."

After Bahamut's last offer, Darratheir grinned. "A challenge might sound like a good idea." And then, bowing before the God, he added : "But that will have to wait for another time. We have a Dragon Queen to kill first."

The Platinum Dragon could clearly understand that the Dragonborn had accepted the conditions of their arrangement. He would fight along Bahamut's forces as long as necessary and if the balance of power was not broken.

Zog's eyes narrowed at this last exchange. There may have to be a reckoning with other members of his group later. He did not much like their attitudes, and he definitely did not like how this little bit of Io was shaping the mind of the dragonborn. However, he had learned not to indulge petty whims over the course of much of his life; he would not start now.

"So let it be done," he says. "What do we do next, lord Bahamut?"

Harald had nothing to say but just waited patiently for the scene to play out.

That said he was happy that all concerned were willing to continue.

Bahamut nods and begins the briefing. “I ask you to do what my army cannot—what I myself cannot. Meet my agent in Tytherion, travel to Tiamat’s Lair, and slay her utterly. Her stronghold is being looted by her own rapacious dragons, and you should have little difficulty assailing what would otherwise be an impregnable fortress. Carve your way through what remains of Tiamat’s guards however you must. Slay her on the spot. Then I will know and surrender my power, and the world will be better off without dragon-gods."

He sighs, then continues. “I can send you to Tytherion to the general area of Tiamat’s Lair. I do not know details of her demesne, the Caverns of Fiery Splendor. That’s where Berath comes in.

“Ah, Berath . . . a ghost who haunts the caverns of Tytherion and is as loyal to me beyond
the grave as he was in life. He can guide you through the Caverns of Fiery Splendor and to the very gates of Tiamat’s inner lair. I’ve contacted him, and he’s expecting you to meet him at the main entrance to the Caverns of Fiery Splendor.

“Centuries ago, a paladin named Berath . . . one of my most beloved servants . . . grew weary of striving against the Dragon Queen’s minions. He’d earned a little weariness after his hundredth dragon slain, I suppose. He gathered a host that almost rivaled the army we had here, and against my wishes led a crusade into the Caverns of Fiery Splendor. I wish I’d done more to stop him, but I could fault neither his ability nor his resolute purpose. Tiamat was well prepared against Berath’s crusade, and none of the paladins under his banner escaped. I mourned Berath’s loss—as did all who follow me— and relegated his crusade to a sad chapter of history.

“But recently—perhaps because of Tiamat’s current troubles—Berath’s ghost contacted me. I see the doubt on your faces, but I’m sure it’s him and he’s still loyal. There are certain bonds between faithful worshipper and god that cannot be subverted. Berath took great joy when he learned that you would be finishing the job that he started.”

“Tiamat risked much when she came here, stripping her stronghold of most of its armed might. Few of those dragons survived the battle, much less returned to Tytherion. Of the remainder, we have reliable reports—including from Berath—that Tiamat’s tendency of rule through fear and avarice doesn’t work when her lackeys doubt her power and her ability to pay. Many simply fled, waiting to see which way the proverbial wind is blowing. Others used the crisis as an opportunity to settle old scores with one another, to advance in the ranks by killing their superiors, or simply to loot Tiamat’s treasury. Because Tiamat is the goddess of greed, I imagine it’s quite a treasury.

“Undoubtedly there are those who remain loyal to Tiamat and those who cannot escape her watchful eyes. If they were numerous or powerful, we wouldn’t be seeing this sort of upheaval among Tiamat’s followers—upheaval that’s spreading across all planes.

“If you need to make a tactical retreat, you can come back here or to a citadel of your choosing. Berath may have scouted out a temporary shelter. Do not tarry overlong before pressing onward, however. Every hour you delay is an hour Tiamat will use to marshal her remaining force and persuade her followers that she’s as powerful as ever.

“If you must take time to prepare, so be it. You are uniquely suited to this task, and I can’t call on anyone else with your potence. But know this: Each of Tiamat’s five heads is whispering, threatening, browbeating, pleading, and bargaining with her far-flung followers and allies to come to her aid. The more you delay, the stronger she grows.

 “As I said, even my most powerful dragons cannot match your power. And if they did, their presence would certainly draw every chromatic dragon from across the plane. In my divine wisdom, adding anyone else would attract attention without actually helping you kill Tiamat. With one exception . . .

“As I ponder your question, something occurs to me. I’m going to do something I’ve never done before. Each of you, take one of these canaries. Just as I’m no ordinary old man, so too are these not ordinary canaries. The canaries will flitter about until you ask for their aid. Then one will transform into a gold dragon that will fight on your behalf for a minute or two—until the magic that transformed them draws them back to me.

"Any questions?"

Darratheir had nothing to add to this briefing. He then waited patiently in case someone else had questions to ask.

What secrets might Berath know?  A ghost of a paladin that had haunted Tiamat's keep for centuries?  Agon was itching to find out.  "The truth prevails where an army fails." Agon said. "We will not learn from Berath's mistakes."
This message was last updated by the player at 16:02, Thu 27 Dec 2018.

Zog bows politely. "I am ready to go."

"Actually, one can learn a lot from failure. Did they have the battlefield against them? How powerful were the defenses? Thing's like that can be learned so one can avoid a repeat." Sonliin said.