Rakkaz the Black
When Rakkaz flew from the south, babes screamed and mother wept. Men cowered, and boys fled. Only the bravest dared to oppose him. Not for long. The brave were soon crushed.
Rakkaz the Black was a huge and powerful speciment of the Dark/Void Dragons, and of unknown origin, who flew from the south into the Tis-Jafarya region in 607 BC. Having heard of the great wealth of the Dwarven Empire of [tbd], he wished to take their horde of gold for himself. Alighting just outside the main entrance to the dwarven halls after consuming the human town which lay outside, he battered down the doors and burned all within alive. Having done so, he spoke. Demanding the enslavement of all dwarves, or their death, he called for the Dwarven Emperor to be brought to him in a cage to keep as a monkey.
Naturally, being stubborn, the dwarves refused. So they burned. Those who fought, those who fled, those who hid. Not all of them, of course- There were and are many ways out of the mountains. But enough burned that even the most ambitious escapees realized they had no hope to reclaim their lands. THey had to make for the lower-set hills of the region, hoping the dragon would not chase them. But the wyrm was young, young and full of hate. He pursued dwarves wherever they fled, scorching the towns that dared hide them. Eventually, he grew bored of this, and returned to his mountain. However, the seeds of conflict were sown. No longer trusting dwarves to live amongst them, blaming them for the dragon's arival, and scared, the humans forced them into shantytowns, close enough that their services could be used but far enough to get some warning if the dragon attacked- if they let them in at all. Naturally, this sowed the seeds for the Dwarves to flee to the Empire of Oleandron shortly after the Great Calamity.
As for Rakkaz, he settled down with his wealth. Caring little for building a power base, he was content to slumber for many years, growing bigger and stronger each year, occasionally exiting the mountains to demand tribute and kill any dwarves he could smell. The dwarven Emperor's son tried to kill him- failed. The grandson tried to rob him- failed (sorry, this isn't lotr). Soon the Empire passed out of living memory, and thus the dwarves left for Telgren. At least, most did. As Rakkaz emerged less and less over the years, eventually not having been seen for many a year, people began to wonder if he was dead. The dwarves disagreed. They knew he was waiting, just waiting, for them to try again. Sick, dying, perhaps, but a dying dragon can remain a long, long time, especially if he's thinking of eating one more dwarf, just one more... A dwarf would not succeed- but a human might. Luckily for the dwarves, a man brave enough to dare to fight the dragon had recently been born- Jafar Illahia. Before he was a prophet, before he was an emperor, the founder of the Illahic faith was a powerful wizard. Having already begun recieving his earliest visions, he knew he needed wealth, and what better wealth than that of a dragon. Of course, keeping that wealth would be an issue, since it was rightful dwarven property. Perhaps a deal could be struck?
Indeed it could. Armed with dwarven knowledge- secondhand, but still trustworthy, and several sacraficial goats, Jafar entered the lair. When he next exited, it was riding Rakkaz as the beast tried to shake him off. Jafar pummeled him with fire, lightning, and ice as the dragon sought to crush his mage armor. Jafar leapt from the dragon's back and slashed a blade of wind, slicing Rakkaz's belly. And then it was over. The dragon was dead, and Jafar coasted down with conjured wings. Rakkaz's carcass laid in the area for many years, poisoning the water, before the dwarves destroyed it and built a monument. This monument is now overtaken by Orcs, being outside the mountains, but has been duplicated within.
Rakkaz the Black was a huge and powerful speciment of the Dark/Void Dragons, and of unknown origin, who flew from the south into the Tis-Jafarya region in 607 BC. Having heard of the great wealth of the Dwarven Empire of [tbd], he wished to take their horde of gold for himself. Alighting just outside the main entrance to the dwarven halls after consuming the human town which lay outside, he battered down the doors and burned all within alive. Having done so, he spoke. Demanding the enslavement of all dwarves, or their death, he called for the Dwarven Emperor to be brought to him in a cage to keep as a monkey.
Naturally, being stubborn, the dwarves refused. So they burned. Those who fought, those who fled, those who hid. Not all of them, of course- There were and are many ways out of the mountains. But enough burned that even the most ambitious escapees realized they had no hope to reclaim their lands. THey had to make for the lower-set hills of the region, hoping the dragon would not chase them. But the wyrm was young, young and full of hate. He pursued dwarves wherever they fled, scorching the towns that dared hide them. Eventually, he grew bored of this, and returned to his mountain. However, the seeds of conflict were sown. No longer trusting dwarves to live amongst them, blaming them for the dragon's arival, and scared, the humans forced them into shantytowns, close enough that their services could be used but far enough to get some warning if the dragon attacked- if they let them in at all. Naturally, this sowed the seeds for the Dwarves to flee to the Empire of Oleandron shortly after the Great Calamity.
As for Rakkaz, he settled down with his wealth. Caring little for building a power base, he was content to slumber for many years, growing bigger and stronger each year, occasionally exiting the mountains to demand tribute and kill any dwarves he could smell. The dwarven Emperor's son tried to kill him- failed. The grandson tried to rob him- failed (sorry, this isn't lotr). Soon the Empire passed out of living memory, and thus the dwarves left for Telgren. At least, most did. As Rakkaz emerged less and less over the years, eventually not having been seen for many a year, people began to wonder if he was dead. The dwarves disagreed. They knew he was waiting, just waiting, for them to try again. Sick, dying, perhaps, but a dying dragon can remain a long, long time, especially if he's thinking of eating one more dwarf, just one more... A dwarf would not succeed- but a human might. Luckily for the dwarves, a man brave enough to dare to fight the dragon had recently been born- Jafar Illahia. Before he was a prophet, before he was an emperor, the founder of the Illahic faith was a powerful wizard. Having already begun recieving his earliest visions, he knew he needed wealth, and what better wealth than that of a dragon. Of course, keeping that wealth would be an issue, since it was rightful dwarven property. Perhaps a deal could be struck?
Indeed it could. Armed with dwarven knowledge- secondhand, but still trustworthy, and several sacraficial goats, Jafar entered the lair. When he next exited, it was riding Rakkaz as the beast tried to shake him off. Jafar pummeled him with fire, lightning, and ice as the dragon sought to crush his mage armor. Jafar leapt from the dragon's back and slashed a blade of wind, slicing Rakkaz's belly. And then it was over. The dragon was dead, and Jafar coasted down with conjured wings. Rakkaz's carcass laid in the area for many years, poisoning the water, before the dwarves destroyed it and built a monument. This monument is now overtaken by Orcs, being outside the mountains, but has been duplicated within.
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