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?"
Bahamut's Golden Canaries:
Bahamut's Golden CanaryLevel 30 Uncommon
These harmless-seeming canaries are gold dragons in disguise.
Wondrous Item Don't try to sell this. Seriously.
Power (Summoning) Consumable (Standard Action)
A summoned Large gold dragon appears under your control in an unoccupied space within 20 squares. The dragon has speed 8, fly 10 (hover) and, unlike a typical summoned creature, has its own defenses and hit points (all defenses 34; hp 120). Minor Action: +27 vs. AC; 1d12 + 10 damage. Opportunity Attack: +27 vs. AC; 1d12 + 10 damage.