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Old 01-18-2013, 03:09 PM   #24
Vaprakgruumsh
Drizzt Do'Urden
 

Join Date: November 24, 2001
Location: Neverending Nights
Age: 53
Posts: 639
Default Re: Dragon Age: Life Begins With Death.

William leaned against the stone as he stood up. His human eyes peered through the darkness of the cave. Despite all he had seen in the brief time he had become a Grey Warden, he was not prepared to see a man run through with a sword, and still be standing. Then to watch that man remove the sword from his own body and stand ready to fight.

“It’s the Dragon Blood,” Quinn whispered into William’s ear. “It enhances their strength, dexterity, as well as their threshold for pain.”

“I can see that,” William muttered. “Rather than telling me all of this, could you tell me how to defeat someone whose blood is enhanced by Dragon Blood?”

“It would be the same as fighting a dragon,” Quinn replied, “or so I imagine.”

“Had I ever fought a dragon,” William growled, “I am sure that would have been a helpful piece of information.”

“I say we stab him until he bleeds to death,” Berik shrugged. “Human, Dragon, Darkspawn – they all die when they run out of blood to bleed.”

The innkeeper, whether a reaction to Berik, or something else; suddenly turned and fled down the passage from which the sounds were coming from.


William took this opportunity to turn and look at Quinn. “What else do you know about these Dragon Cults? Not even the Grey Warden have much information on them.”

Quinn used his staff to brace himself. Just as he was about to say something, it was Navah who spoke up. “In 9:28 Dragon, Brother Florian notated in a book entitled ‘Flame and Scale’ what he had managed to piece together about the Dragon Cults.”

“He had noted that, though these dragons were cunning, they hardly seemed self-aware, or had any true language of their own. After all, there had been no recorded history of any dragon ever attempting to communicate with a human. Whether it was for trade, or if the dragon was engaged in a battle with a mortal,” Navah said. “But then he asked, ‘how can one explain Dragon Cults?’ After all, one or two might be explainable as people who simply worship dragons. But Dragon Cults are far more spread than most people realize.”

“She is right,” Quinn nodded. “It was through the same writings of Brother Florian, that I know what I do. There is no doubt some sort of worship from as far back as the ancient Tevinter Imperium, with the Old Gods. What has puzzled historians, is how these Dragons ever struck a deal with people of the land? If they have never been recorded as being able to speak – how do these humans come to worship these dragons? Because,” Quinn looked at William, “it’s not simply about worshipping them. As I mentioned, there have been people, through history, who have been enhanced by Dragon Blood, as the people of Nahash have been.”

“But where are they getting the Dragon Blood?” William asked. “They’re clearly not killing the Dragons to drink their blood.”

“According to the scriptures and notes from Brother Florian,” Navah was now the one who continued the story, “That is the part that he found most puzzling. He had discovered that the worshippers of the Dragon, these Dragon Cults, often lived in or around, the same area as the Dragon they worshipped. He learned that these Dragons had turned to mortals to defend their young. In exchange, the Dragons had permitted the cultists to destroy several eggs, each season, to allow them to drink the blood of a dragon.”

“Some do not believe Brother Florian’s writings,” Quinn said. “Especially those within the Circle. They think it’s all nonsense and fabricated. While there’s no denying that Dragon Cults exist,” Quinn gestured down the hallway, “clearly,” he said with a smile, “the speculation of the Dragon allowing humans to kill its young, is what is questioned. After all, why would a Dragon turn to humans to protect its young? Why would a Dragon need a human’s help? And if the humans are selected to protect the Dragon’s young, why would the Dragon allow them to destroy some of its eggs, so that they could have these powers? A lot of things don’t make sense.”

William looked down the cavern that the innkeeper had run. “No doubt there’s other cult members down there,” William sighed. “And dragons and drakes and who knows what other horrors. Strip the guards of armor and weapons, use it for yourself. Bind the guards.” William stared down the long, dark hall ahead of him. “We need to put a stop to this.”

TO BE CONTINUED.
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