Research notes of Stavin Stoolbane, redcap wizard serving the Lady of the Dragon Cult

The experiment backfired spectacularly. Whatever those fools did to modify the runes failed to sever the Hardune’s connection. Not only that, they triggered the mechanism we’d intended to exploit. The few test subject’s we’d prepared for the experiment report success, but with the Hardune’s greater numbers, substantially reduced as they are, they benefited far more than our handful of lab rats.

The following is a transcription of a conversation between Stavin Stoolbane and Lord Cort Wimblemane speaking about his experience on Riloth the 19th. His mind did not handle the experience well.

Stavin: Tell me what happened on the 19th of Riloth.

[Cort cackled in madness for eighty-seven seconds]

Cort: I’m sorry. What was the question?

Stavin: Tell me about your recent experience.

Cort: Oh, of course. Just in the hall on the way here, an orc stepped on my foot, so I ignited his blood and watched as it boiled from every orifice.

Stavin: As wonderful as that is, I meant your recent experience repeating Riloth the 19th.

Cort: Oh that? Why does everyone always want to talk about that?

Stavin: Please indulge me.

Cort: I suppose, but could you find me more people to burn?

Stavin: I’ll see what I can do.

[Forty seven seconds of laughter]

Cort: I was stationed in Lakeside to gather followers for our Mistress. She had granted me a vial of her blood in reward for my loyalty in arranging certain matters in the city, and I had finally joined the ranks of her personal coterie. With her gift, I could hear the call of our master clearer than ever before. He wanted me to serve him. He wanted me to send the world to him through the True Font. I reveled in the power and early on I prowled the poorer district, cleansing the city’s less desirables in fire. The screams. Oh, the screams. They keep me up at night. I like to listen to them, and they disappear when I sleep.

Stavin: That's great, but what happened on the 19th?

Cort: Which one?

Stavin: All of them.

Cort: Oh, well, the Mistress scolded me for the burnings in the city and gave me some charm that brought my thoughts back into their boring old order. She sent me to work gathering allies, but one day, I woke up to find the world as I’d left it before. No one remembered what had happened. I spent months working diligently, using this to my advantage to find out secrets. I found a lever to blackmail or coerce each figure in Landing of any significance, and found ways to kill those easily who would not comply. But that grew boring, and the whispers of Faust sounded so sweet behind the veil that “protected” my mind. One day, I cast my amulet aside and set Landing ablaze. The fire was beautiful, but every day I was stopped before I could complete my work. Each day, I grew in power. I learned new depths to my newfound magic. I learned to crush those who stood against Faust’s will. As I grew, the destruction grew with me.

[Seventeen seconds of laughter]

Cort: Once I could burn the city and all those who stood against me, I needed more. Even the burning of the city could not bring me close enough to Faust to hear the words of his will. I needed to get closer. I bathed myself in fire. I let the power of his Font flow through me until it ripped me apart. Every day, I set the world to flame, before moving on to burning my soul. I could sense that each day the destructive power of my death spell expanded, and as I carried on, the pain guided me. Faust spoke to me through the pain and taught me new insights and understanding into his Font. His power became like clay in my hands, molded to suit my will. But clay was such a simple material. I needed more.

[Sixty seven seconds of laughter]

Cort: The halflings put up a surprising fight in my war with the city. It was an open secret among the powerful that the Halfling Houses had mages of their own, but when I’d set the city ablaze, they came out in force. Dozens of powerful mages responded in force when I sought to destroy their home, and it took me many deaths to equal their power, but eventually, they too burned. But in my battles with them, they tempted me with their artistry with Fire. I could make the fire large and hot, but they could make it sing.

Once no one in the city could stand against my sorcery, I restrained myself and kept my amulet on. Nothing in the city was beyond my reach and I used bags of jewels and piles of spellbooks to bribe Halfling Houses, demanding they teach me their Fire magic. And they did. Once I learned the basics, Faust’s favor guided me closer to achieving oneness with him. I created my “bridge” in a month and when I stepped out into that mysterious Realm of burning buildings, the Font of Fire was waiting before me. I learned from the little men the nuance of Fire and summoned spirits of living flame to aid me in my quest to bring Faust’s burning light to the world.

Then one day I burned the city down and woke one morning to a world of ash. Finally, I’d earned Faust’s favor. I was ready to burn the world.

I am ready.