[IC] Magic RP (Open to new players)

[Shadow Dragon]

@bloonewb
"We are not friends." He snaps, and the door closes on its own. "What does your master really want? I care for not for the Commander. What has he ever done for me that I could not do for myself? What is his will? To use my power for his own whims most likely. Why would I be under any inclination to work with a man who only cares about power? Such are not to be trusted." He taps his hammer into his hand. "I will agree to meet the Commander under two conditions. I can still decide what I will and will not do, and I answer to the Emperor, no other. I have a scales width of trust with anyone in a militants position of power, and many before him have betrayed my trust. The Emperor has a honorable reputation."

[Aristocles]

@Shadow Dragon

"Well, I don't want to take something from you if you weren't okay with it, unless I truly had to. That would be stealing. Hmm. I suppose it would be stealing even if I took the scythe from you out of necessity, but at least then it would be for the greater good. Assuming I could even do so in the first place" Ophion explained. They continued walking down the long corridor. The archmage grew alarmed at the sheer length of the passage, while being pleasantly surprised at how well-lit the ancient chamber was. He could teleport under normal circumstances, but powerful magic tended to interfere with that ability.

"I will say one thing about necromancers: they do run out of troops when corpses are hard to come by. Good corpses, that is. This is why necromancer activity always spikes after major battles and during wars. Plenty of fresh, well-armed bodies to come by."

@bloonewb

Aerta walked through the palace, careful to watch her step. The building's proportions weren't too small for a dracon, but they were smaller than she was used to. Some of the doors barely had enough clearance for a male dracon's horns, and Adykon would have to have ducked down to get through a few of them. Luckily, she was quite a bit shorter than him, and she was able to negotiate the passages just fine.

She had expected to find Kali at one point, but instead found herself face to face with Ardasa. And the latter was under the impression she was from Hekaga, a near-pariah state among the dracon realms. This was going to take some explaining.

"I'm not actually from Hekaga, your grace. In fact, you could say that I'm not from a city-based realm at all. As you may know, I'm the one and only wife of Adykon, an archmage sorceress, and I'm here of my own accord on a mission of peacemaking. You can say that I'm from Minbenthac, as I was hatched in that realm, and I enjoy contact with that city's king. He doesn't know of this mission, and this is supposed to be very, ah, informal." The draconess felt slightly uncomfortable with how some of the kobolds looked at her. It took her a moment to realize, but it soon dawned on her that even the females of this court were dressed in robes and the like. She was easily the least-dressed one in the room. Not that she'd change for them, assuming they even had robes in her size.

"And I-I'm a friend of Kali's. She told me about some changes in rank among the nobles of Xigyll. which Rughoi may or may not know about. It's a tricky situation, one which often precipitates a civil war. That's something I'm hoping to avoid."

[Shadow Dragon]

@Aristocles
"Precisely. That's why I had to slip into your city under disguise, though that clearly wasn't enough to fool your scan. I still forget sometimes that living creachers have things like a heartbeat. And my scythe has built in defensive measures to prevent that exact thing, being stolen. If I'm more then a set distance away from it, it flies to my hand. If something or someone is holding it, it either takes them with it, or cuts them down. A tad drastic, but I felt it was necessary for my homeland. And it's rather hard to remove glyphs." The many ruins on his scythe glow.

[bloonewb]

"Changes of rank? I'm sorry, but I haven't been informed of this," Ardasa said. "Rughoi tends to keep his particulars rather close to vest. The army, I confess, is his specialty, not mine." She walked as she spoke, coming to a door hidden away in a hall. She threw open the door to reveal a bright-lit room, windows wide and frequent on the far wall, allowing copious amounts of sunlight in. The copious amounts of dust in the room was highlighted by these windows, as they caught the sun's light in handfuls. Shelves lined the stone walls, some with a couple of books resting on them, some completely bare. She gestured to a low table paired with a couple of stuffed chairs. "Make yourself at home, and let's discuss this. If I may ask, what compelled you to come this way? What are your interests in Xigyll?"

"Your Mercy," Kutur said, snapping out of his dreamlike state. The name weighed on him. Akydon. It was familiar. He had been wracking his brain, hanging on it, trying to piece it with a context. It came to him in this library. "She cannot be here. Akydon and those allied to him are, as the humans say, persona non gra-" Ardasa silenced him by cupping a hand on his snout.

"Please, make yourself comfortable," Ardasa said. "Kutur is rather busy in his studies, and will leave us alone. Shall I call for water? Bread, perhaps? I think I would have some bread, and a bit of the crushed fruit to go with it. You must try some. It is exquisite." With hasty motions, she forced a protesting Kutur out of the library and closed the door. "This is where I have been directing my effort as of late. It's not impressive yet, but our scribes are still in the progress of documenting our kobold knowledge. I promise soon it shall be a beacon of scholarly light, comparable to the largest and oldest cities."
________________
The spy fought to prevent a huff from escaping his snout. Stupid cankerous creature. Do the civilry no longer see sense? He took a deep breath, and decided to start anew. "My friend is an esteemed warrior, as loyal to His Might as you or I," he began, slowly allowing a friendly smile to take over his face. "We have gone our own ways, he to further leadership and I to the service of the gods. However, both of us participated in the wars that followed Traeton's conquest, in which he has proven his loyalty to His Might many times over. If you do not believe me, meet him at the inn as I have directed you. Decide for yourself if his word is to be listened to. Now, may you follow in Arda's path." With that, he pulled the cloak further up his shoulders and left the forge.

[Shadow Dragon]

@bloonewb
He hisses, and sets his work aside. Might as well see what Commander Mardex wants. But I'll come prepared. He takes his time locking up, and walks into the backroom. There, he dons his armor. He locks up the day's money in the lock box, welds the safe shut, and pushes the massive anvil back over top of it. There. He walks out of his forge, scooping up his hammer as he goes, and locks the door behind him. Pig Hoof Tavern. Let's see what you're really made of, Commander Mardex. He travels down the street, hammer on his back. If I see that scout again, he'd better pray to whatever gods he worships that he can evade my wrath. He walks into the tavern, pushing his way through the crowd to the bartender, the chatter fading the closer he gets. Once he passes, the talk starts up again, but his glare is enough to discourage any interaction.

[Aristocles]

(I'm back from Washington DC and mostly caught up.)

@bloonewb

Aerta looked around at the kobolds, worried that she would be escorted out or expelled, or maybe even attacked. She was, after all, the wife of Adykon, someone who was not against Xigyll, but definitely not an ally either. He knew she was here and he was in favor of attaining peace, as was Aerta.

"Some water, and a bit of fruit, please" she remarked, trying hard to concentrate. Although escape was as simple as willing her teleportation magic to work once more, she knew that a sudden departure would jeopardize her entire mission, and she was not accustomed to failure. Worse still, said failure could lead to war, either within Xigyll or between the kobold state and one of the many dracon realms. In fact, it was the former which concerned her the most.

"I am glad to see the light of knowledge extended to this corner of the continent. Indeed, I have always been an advocate for more libraries in the dracon realms, yet I fear your plans, or any such plans for education will be for nothing if Rughoi's kingdom falls apart. Those changes in rank that I mentioned, they usually portend a coming civil war. Lines are being drawn, and I fear that should something happen to your husband before he has a secure heir in place, there will be a scramble for power in this land. As you said, these matters are Rughoi's, so I would advise that you bring this matter up with him."

@Shadow Dragon

"Removing glyphs is simple enough once you understand the nature of lang-" Ophion's impromptu lecture was cut short by the sound of bones shuffling down the hall. Sure enough, he spotted six armed dracon skeletons shambling down the far end of the hall.

"I was wondering when we'd get some entertainment. About time. Care to join me? I'll save half of them for you, don't worry." Eager for battle, a bright orange-gold magical glow emerged from Ophion's hands as he spoke.

[Shadow Dragon]

@Aristocles
He raises his scythe, slinging the golden staff over his back. "Agreed." His scythe glows as he races forward to fight the skeletons. "Just make sure to keep out of range of my scythe!" He begins sweeping it around his body to gain momentum, the black energy growing deeper and darker the faster he swings. "I've missed combat."

[bloonewb]

"Certainly," Ardasa said. In her mind, however, she was less certain than ever. "Wait right here, I'll have everything brought." A passing guard caught her attention, and she quickly ran up to him. "Quickly, do we have any fruit?"

"Erm . . . " the guard stuttered, wracking his brains. "I don't think the fruit comes until tomorrow. We have bread . . . "

"Don't worry about it, just . . . here," Ardasa said, shaking a few coins from her pockets. "Go down to the market. Search every stall for some fruit." The soldier gave her a strange look, but shuffled off, pocketing the silver as he did. Ardasa returned to the room, splaying her hands and smiling. "I'm sure it's no trouble at all," she said. "It truly is good of you to worry about our state. I'm sure Kali would not have called you here if she didn't believe you could do good by our little empire." She nervously paced about the room, rearranging the books on the shelves, then placing them back. "If it's not too much to ask . . . you wouldn't happen to have the ear of any prominent leaders of your homeland, would you? We are always in need of friends, and if you are a friend of ours, then they ought be as well. I don't want to impose this task on you, our guest but . . . politics, I suppose."
__________________________
"Who's yeh?" a rowdy soldier shouted, as a stranger entered the Pig's Hoof tavern. He raised his tankard and took another large swill of the drink. "Get outs here, ye daff, this is a legion's bar!" He spit in the general direction of the newcomer. Mardex grabbed the soldier's arm.

"I suggest you wait outside," he growled. The soldier tried to protest, but Mardex stood up to his full height, marginally above the soldier's and he meekly ambled out with a weak salute.

"I'm sorry, stranger," Mardex said, sitting down by the newcomer. "Let's have a drink, on my tab." He tried to hide the grimace on his face, thinking about the coins he had spent today. The legionnaire was no more drunk than he. It was an act they play, every once in a while, watching the door as kobolds entered, drank, and exited. He must have bought a tankard for everyone who walked in. However, this was the investment he knew he had to pay, if he wanted to take the future at all seriously. Any one of them could be the mysterious mage, whom his spy had convinced to meet him here. "They call me Commander Mardex, of His Might's legionary order. And your name?"

[Aristocles]

@Shadow Dragon

Ophion saw the wraith slice through one of the skeletons in one swift motion of his scythe. A second bonewalker fell to a burst of flame from the archmage's right hand. The remaining four skeletons continued to advance, clearly oblivious to the fact that they were outmatched. Two of the skeletons had eyes with some type of glowing blue light emanating from the sockets.

"Be careful! I think this is just a test. Even if Polybius sent these old bones to attack, he clearly doesn't mean for them to slay us. Don't use any attacks which you need to be kept secret!"

@bloonewb

Aerta thought about it and sighed. "I have the ear of almost every ruler of every major kingdom. Adykon has their ears and the hearts of their people, the respect of their armies, even the esteem of the mages." All of this political bantering was proving to be fruitless. Another approach was needed. Kali had told Aerta of the visions she had. Of what Ardasa and Kali had seen.

"As capable as I am of bringing these matters to the attention of the great and good, further action on the ground here will be needed." Aerta took a seat and carefully scanned the room, making sure that only Ardasa could hear what she had to say next. "I want a world in which my children and yours will be safe. Yes, yours. I have my ways of knowing, even before they've been conceived. Events are in motions which I can vaguely grasp, but cannot halt. Comes with the territory of being a sorceress who can scry across space and possible futures. I won't bore you with the details."

The draconess paused for a moment, taking a deep breath. "The truth is, Ardasa, that I am tired. Tired of wondering if my children will all survive to adulthood, or rather, how many will die before I will. It's bound to happen, as I have over 20 kids and more on the way. In fact, I have the very earliest stages of an egg growing in me now, another son. If you could feel the love for your own offspring in the way that- that you would want your own mother to feel for you, you'd do anything to keep your children safe. Now, keeping this on point, it would behoove you to encourage allegiance to your children among your generals and nobles. In fact, it would be best to get some to pledge allegiance to one child and some to the other, to prevent all of them from siding against you should anything happen to Rughoi. Now, that's not something I would normally recommend, but it is probably the only way to keep a possible civil war from turning into a complete bloodbath. This probably isn't the advice you wanted to hear, I know. For what it is worth, I will seek out the major powers that be and encourage them to treat Xigyll with respect. Oh, and on a minor note, make sure you change your hatchling's loincloths regularly. It'll save you a ton of crying from them." Clearly, that last sentence was motivated by the 'mom brain' which Aerta had for the parts of the year in which she was gravid. Truth be told, her thoughts were affected by that particular mix of hormones every time she was with egg or was nursing, and the former or latter was true most of the time.

[Shadow Dragon]

@bloonewb
Zandex sits next to the commander, his hammer on his back. "Commander Mardex. I am Zandex Corean, blacksmith by trade, fighter by life." He picks up the drink, taking a swig. "Your 'priest' told me to come here, though he reeked of deception. I was finishing a project, and I lost track of the time. So. What is it that you want to speak to me about?" His metallic eyes literally burn with an inner fire, his hammer, the gleaming brightness of the purest of steel. He studies Mardex with cold calculation.

@Aristocles
"I see no reason to keep secrets. Even if you see some of my attacks, your scrying would have told you soon enough anyway." He blasts the nearest pile of bone to dust, and slides his scythe up the rib cage of one of the skeletons with glowing eyes, the blade going up into the skull. He raises the gold staff, pointing it at the other skeleton. "Begone." A burst of necrotic energy washes over the other undead, fueled by their masters weapon.

[Aristocles]

@Shadow Dragon

"Never show your enemy your abilities, any more than you would show your hand in a game of cards. We want to keep Polybius guessing. I'm sure he is watching us even now, or at least, I'm sure he has a rapport with this place. Entities like a powerful lich often have a connection with their tomb, one which permeates every rock and stone in this place. If he knows the full extent of our powers, he can prepare a defense to counter it. In other words, he is watching us. Now, I can't tell you what to do, but I'm going to have to ask you not to use your greatest abilities until you absolutely must, as doing so prematurely could be me killed. Do you understand?" Ophion asked, hoping he had hit every major point.

[Shadow Dragon]

@Aristocles
"Ah. That's wise. I will do as you say then, Ophion." He spins his glowing scythe, and his eyes flare white. "For now, I'll stick to the most basic of necromancy." The scattered bones of the skeletons turn to dust as he removes the necrotic trace from them.

[bloonewb]

Ardasa fell silent, listening to the fire and brimstone warning of the dracon mother. Never trust the soothsayer, the old folk saying goes. Yet, the woman sitting before her was no mere soothsayer. She was possessed of power, easily comparable to the magic of even the greatest kobold magi. The question remains, whether she shall use her wisdom in the preservation of Xigyll, or its destruction. Perhaps there will never be a certain answer, until these future events come to pass.

"Please, tell me of the future," Ardasa said, reverence in her voice. "I want to know what must be done to protect my people, who love me as I them. I need to know of the threats to our livelihood, to our humble existence we have sought cradled in the arms of rivers and mountains. Please. If you truly are a friend to Xigyll. Advise us on our future, that we may follow and prosper."
________________________
"Zandex," Mardex mused. "A pleasure to know your name. Forgive my priests, they are . . . zealous, in their loyalty to higher powers, be they the gods, the emperor, or myself. It is one of the traits I seek within a priest. I find religion to be a comforting influence, in a life such as mine, surrounded by war and danger. The gods, through their mortal voices on the earth, tell us of their grace, that we may reside in upon our own passing." He took a swig from his own mug and set it down with the clack of wood upon wood. "You say you are a fighter? I am surprised, my friend, that you either left the imperial legion following the treaty of Merat, or had never joined in the first place. That is a shame, for the empire finds itself still stretched of its precious army, and my own forces especially so. I believe your glory still awaits you in battle, if you would allow me to say." His eyes. They were all-seeing eyes, possessed only of kobold wielders of magic. Whether or not they could truly divine the truth from lies simply by sight, the legends do not say. However, they are unmistakable to those who would recognize it. They glow in low light such as this tavern, flickering as if a pair of fires sat behind the retina. This power Mardex must gain hold of, he is so close!

[Shadow Dragon]

@bloonewb
"I've never been in any army. I, alone, am the army of my hometown. I doubt that man was a priest. He looked like a spy, and spoke flattery in an attempt at manipulation. I fight for my people. My friends. If a threat comes to our home, my town sleeps peacefully, knowing that I am watching over them. They are my family, not by blood, but by bond." He drains his drink, and taps his fingers together in thought. "Glory for who? The kingdom, myself....or you?" His shimmering eyes are glowing in the low light of the tavern, bright enough to comfortably read by their light in a pitch black room.

[Aristocles]

@bloonewb

Aerta sighed, or at least, she let out a sigh on the inside. This topic was tedious, but necessary to explain.

"Fate isn't like the straight cut made by a knife, but more like the myriad of paths when a hammer cracks ice. Not that we have much ice around here, but you get the point. My visions and those explained to my by Kali don't reveal much for sure, but details become clearer as the possible events grow closer in time. Some paths cease as they reach a dead end, others branch out, and still others continue in modified form. What I'm about to tell you is not the absolute truth, but it is a possible and increasingly probable one. Keep in mind that I'm not an oracle and this may all play out differently than what either of us think. Even an oracle would give you much the same advice on the possible futures bit. Anyway-"

She took a deep breathe. "Xigyll shall be under threat from inside and outside. If Rughoi dies, there will be a civil war. Without heirs to the throne, this war will tear the kingdom apart and Rughoi's dream and dynasty will perish along with him. In order to protect this realm, you must mate and bear children to succeed your husband. The broader threat to the dracon lands is already in motion. I see a powerful mage and an undead being in a tomb somewhere on a quest. While their mission will likely succeed, the outcome either way will result in a massive release of necromantic powers, which will unleash a serious threat, which has something to do with Dememoras. There's some store of power in another dimension which will break free and wreck havoc on the dracom realms. It will engulf Xigyll as well as other realms. Those with strong armies and walls will prevail, and those without who find themselves exposed to the danger will require rescue from without or perish. I also see Adykon and myself as getting involved, but the visions cut out from there. The final outcome is unknowable at this point."

There was a pause. "What does seem clear is that your country needs heirs and you must keep them alive throughout a possible civil war or invasion. It is also possible that Rughoi may not have much time left in which to provide an heir. This could mean years, or it could be months. Or a decade. Or a month. Time is a slippery concept in most oracular visions, you know." There was another pause. "Of course, don't feel pressured to mate until you are ready for it. I'm sure things aren't that rushed. Now, I know that the very subject is rather personal, but your main duty as consort is to provide heirs to continue the dynasty. It could take as little as a few minutes to put that in motion, even if that sort of rushed mating does sound awfully unsatisfying. Er, any questions?" She decided to cut if off before it got too awkward. Aerta had no clue as to what had to happen once Rughoi's heirs were hatched, only that they would have to live for Xigyll to live. Surely, their mere survival was a necessary but not sufficient factor in the kingdom's survival; it had to happen, but was only one of several things which had to come to pass as well.

@Shadow Dragon

"Good idea. Also keep in mind that this tomb may contain more than just necromantic foes. We could be facing traps, animated objects, constructs, elementals, or anything else which can continue to function without food or water" Ophion advised. "Can your powers affect entities which were never alive to begin with?" In truth, elementals were living, but theirs was a kind of life force so different from those of normal mortals as to be incomparable. No one had ever heard of a zombie elemental or an elemental's ghost, after all.

[Shadow Dragon]

@Aristocles
He thinks for a moment. "I can, but it has.....a side effect. It will, in all sense and purposes, become a mirror of what it was. It's powers will reverse, and so will it's temperament. They don't last very long like that, as they tend to rip themselves apart." He taps his scythe in thought. "Golems and constructs, unless it's a flesh golem, are immune to necromancy, as they have no true life, nor do they have a soul. My powers might not hurt them, but my scythe will. It's still a weapon. It should drain whatever magics are animating the creatures, but we'll see."

[bloonewb]

"I understand . . . I think," Ardasa said. There was a reverence in the way the older woman conducted herself, that commanded her own respect. It was almost as if Aerta were the empress, and she a mere dignitary. "Fate will move by its own hand, we shall see about the rest."
_______________________________________
"Look about you, blacksmith," Mardex said. "This is your home. The beating heart of an empire blessed by gods, dragons, and fate. The future birthplace for scores of kobolds, to number as the stars. The seat of the emperor, and the emperors after, for as long as time shall stand. Here, you will find that fighting for glory, the empire's, your own, mine, it is all the same. The only question that remains is whether you will or you will not fight. Dare I speak to the emperor, and tell him of my failure in securing a strong and steady hand to wield a sword in his legion? Dare I mention your name to him, and hide my face to cover my shame?" Mardex willed his eyes up to meet the other's. The fire has become especially potent, he could see. He is playing with forces too powerful for most kobolds to even comprehend.

[Aristocles]

@Shadow Dragon

"Just be cautious. Very strange things happen when antithetical magics mix. The forces which animate the undead aren't compatible with those which animate constructs. It's like mixing oil and water" Ophion cautioned.

They trekked deeper into Polybius' tomb. As they went farther in, the lights grew dimmer and Ophion found that he was forced to use an illumination spell to conjure up a stronger globe of light to guide the way. Curiously, they faced no resistance for almost half an hour, apart from some more skeletons. The first major breakthrough in their search for the lich came when they reached a focal point in the tomb.

Said point was a tall chamber dominated by a circular space in the center from which a dozen hallways radiated, with broad white lines having been drawn on each side of each hallway, all tracing back to a white circle which surrounded the central, circular space. The short hallway the two were walking down opened up to a huge burial chamber some 20 meters tall, above which the light of the sun could be faintly seen through cracks in the ceiling, even though the tunnel was buried under countless tons of rock. Perhaps there had been some excavation on the mountain above them. Between the radiating hallways were piles of dracon bones stacked up almost to the ceiling. By the looks of their horns, they were all males.

"Yes... I think I know what this is. Tell me, are you familiar with the mage-kings of old? Polybius' story is an obscure one, but it appears that's what he was now. These bones appear to belong to his soldiers, and are the source of those skeletons we saw in the hallway. This ossuary appears to be a warehouse or maybe even a barracks for his men. Once he reanimates them, of course."

@bloonewb

"Fate doesn't move unless we give it a push" Aerta commented. "In truth, your action or inaction will decide much, and much about the prophecy is unclear. We haven't passed every point of no return yet. The only points we are past which lead Xigyll to ruin are those which can still be stopped by having an heir to replace Rughoi." She thought about her words. "And if I it looks like I'm pushing you to breed, you have my apologies. I didn't mean it that way. To clarify, this has to be a blood heir of you and Rughoi, not an adoption. I suppose the only question for now is whether or not you can get your mate into bed, or if this poses a challenge."

[Shadow Dragon]

@bloonewb
"You speak many truths, Mardex. But I have a few questions. Does the Emperor know about me, and send you, or did you seek me out first, hoping I would follow you based on your reputation alone?" His eyes gleam. "Wielding swords are not my strong suit. I prefer wielding my hammer, as it's so heavy you'd need magic to even move it, let alone use it. If you need my magic so desperately, tell me the answer to this riddle, and you will have my answer. Two sources elemental, meaning of my life they're central, my chore is ore, my aim is flame, tell me, what do you hope to gain?"

@Aristocles
"I have never heard of these mage kings. Apologizes, but you must remember. I'm a foreigner. I grew up across the ocean, so I wouldn't have heard of your kings or mages." He studies the piles of bone, and begins secretly casting a necrotic spell in elven on Ophion. "Shield the Draconian from all misfortune, protect him from the powers we've woken." He lightly clenches his hand, and a near invisible, dark barrier appears around Ophion's skin. "Whoever this mage king was in life, he was and likely still is a mighty necromancer. If he was a powerful as he seems, I see no reason why he shouldn't still be alive now, resting, biding his time to return."

[Aristocles]

@Shadow Dragon

"You must remember that were Polybius alive, he'd be something on the order of 4,000 years old by now. How to explain it? About 10,000 years ago, the dracon species was created by a cabal of mages and dragons. About 9,000 years ago, this cabal- including long-lived members, new recruits, and descendants of the originals- lost control of our species when most of the cabal died in a war between its members. About 8,000 years ago, the dracons mostly lived under the rule of dragons or as tribes. The dragons were defeated about 7,000 years ago- and these are all very rough dates, off by easily a century or so" Ophion clarified.

"Anyway, the first serious independent dracon states were ruled directly by warlords or mages. In the former, rulership was determined by whichever part of the state's army was able to gain command. Hereditary rule was unknown and leadership was either elective or determined by a bloody war at the end of the previous ruler's reign, which almost always coincided with the end of his life, which was usually through a lost duel to the death or an outright assassination. But this is supposed to be about the mage-kings. Right. Sorry for going off-track. The earliest truly independent and civilized dracons realms were run by mages, usually sorcerers whose power ran in their veins, as wizards who have to study magic were a rarity. There wasn't much in the way of education or literacy back then. These mage-kings were considerably weaker as mages than similarly powerful archmages today, and our knowledge of magic is vastly more advanced. This isn't a case of ancient magic being more powerful or anything."

Ophion paused for a moment to try to determine which way was the correct one to take in order to proceed. Not seeing any clear signs, he continued his explanation. "But what the mage-kings lacked in power- at least by today's standards- they made up for in resources. As rulers, no magic project they wanted to commit to would go unfunded, as long as there was money in the realm's treasury sufficient to pay for it. This meant that large-scale, exotic, and megalomaniac magical projects were the order of the day in those realms. That's one of the reason why their rule declined, besides the rise of wizards and mage's guilds. Not only were these things too expensive, but without laws or budgetary restrictions, these projects could become very dangerous. Now, I don't know the finer details of what Polybius did in his day, but he was one of the greatest mages of his time, and one of the few dracon sorcerers who would be comparable to our best today. He's not alive now, but he is undead."