svetikya Page 188
Page 188
Who told them to be so stubborn, never even looking around a roadblock?
The news that the Exotic was Samaster was bound to cause a huge uproar… Samaster, disguised as the already dead Exotic, raised an army of undead to cause trouble in Damara, merely to divert attention. In the original timeline, he even personally banished Gaelos's soul to the abyss, thus keeping the few Harpists investigating him tied down in Damara. But now, with the timeline shift and Dragon Madness's advancement, Samaster's delaying tactics are no longer so important.
Similarly, whether or not Samasser is killed is not that important.
"Because Samass is a lich," Casalos continued, "killing him is tantamount to letting him escape unharmed unless his phylactery is found. That's how Lord of the Dawn, Losanda, failed, as did the legendary paladins of the Twelve Harpists." Casalos glanced at Ilminster: "You too, and the god of mages, Azus."
The old sage's face scrunched up like a white beard: What happened outside Silvermoon City differed slightly from what Razor had reported to Casalos. They had actually killed Samaster, but then the mage god Azus appeared and took back the silver flame from Samaster. Razor, bound by divine power, couldn't modify his report… He hadn't expected this iron dragon to know everything.
"Then what are we doing here?" Klaus finally spoke, the ancient red dragon's tail swishing impatiently. "What's the point of gathering so many dragons if we can't kill him?"
"Good question." Casalos's indigo vertical pupils locked onto the red dragon. "Have you found a solution to the question Lares raised?"
It looked around: "Or do you think that with so many dragons, we don't need to worry about Dragon Madness anymore?"
It paused deliberately, letting the question fester among the dragons. Sure enough, the mention of Dragon Frenzy silenced all the dragons. This curse was a Damocles' sword hanging over the heads of every dragon; no dragon could ignore it.
"The impact of Dragon Madness on you all isn't too severe yet, but..." Casaroz's voice turned cold, "This time, Dragon Madness is being controlled by Samaster. Doesn't he have any other way to drive us mad?"
Dragon Madness, one of the most mysterious and malevolent curses in Faerûn's history, targeting all the dragons of the continent, actually originated from Bahamut, now revered as the Lord of Justice. After witnessing Bahamut's true form under the guidance of the Dragon Vault, Casalos confirmed this ironic truth.
Put yourself in their shoes: sometime after the War of the Dragons and the War of the Dragons and Giants, Bahamut, imprisoned by his followers who had re-examined their faith, must have been filled with anger and despair. It wouldn't be unreasonable for him to cast a curse upon the entire dragon race of Faerûn.
Now, this prisoner is about to escape, but through unknown means, he has transferred the power of the Dragon's Source to Samasser. It is a plan that kills three birds with one stone: on the one hand, he eliminates the metal dragons that do not believe in him; on the other hand, he can break the cage woven by the Ptalian Code to complete his escape; and finally, he can push all the blame away so that no one can find his name.
Imagine the future, when every dragon mentions Dragon Madness, they'll say, "Isn't that the work of the elves and the Dragon Cult?"
Casalos had to admit that Bahamut's plan did indeed align with His identity as a wise dragon god.
While Casalos utterly despised it from an individual perspective, it completely understood the logic behind it. For a god imprisoned for so long, any means to regain freedom were acceptable. And from the perspective of the Supreme Dragon... if it could help Bahamut achieve its goals in a more advantageous way, such as encouraging more metallic dragons, or even amorphous dragons, to worship it, then it wouldn't be entirely a bad thing.
After all, in Faerûn, it is difficult for a race to survive without the protection of a god.
The Atheros need a powerful backer, but the ancient dragon gods no longer respond to Faerûn's faith, and Garugosingo is not a dragon god. Casalos's only options are the hypocrite Bahamut, the ruby-haired gay man Sadewol who's just a bystander, and the rainbow-colored dragon queen Bahamut—there's simply no other choice.
In the years of turmoil, the divine order and belief system became a reverse constraint on the gods. A god bound by the righteous doctrines and ideals he proclaims is far better than those who are indifferent bystanders, let alone an evil god who has a blood feud with Athelon.
Of course, Casaloz couldn't utter a single word of these truths. Verbally teasing a benevolent god from another race was not the same as revealing the historical misdeeds of his own god, which were unrelated to him but would disrupt his grand plans. Casaloz knew perfectly well which was more important.
It must now carefully guide the dragons in the right direction...
Returning to the topic of Dragon Frenzy, Samass does indeed possess methods capable of directly triggering it. Those ancient dragon language incantations can bypass the normal Dragon Frenzy cycle, directly activating the dragon's berserk instincts. This was a backdoor left by Bahamut when he designed the curse, but now it has become a weapon in Samass's hands.
"Unfortunately, he has such a method!"
Fiona suddenly spoke, her voice tinged with lingering fear: "In Impu, we personally experienced a spell that drove dragons mad..."
Her body trembled slightly, clearly indicating that the experience had left a deep impression on her.
Vorasega's translucent body flickered slightly: "I can testify. The power of that spell was almost too much for even someone in my current form to resist."
Besides bringing back the Bronze Dragon Knights, Fiona and Agatha's trip to Impu was most importantly about verifying their hypothesis: the paladins of Bahamut can indeed passively resist the Dragon Frenzy spell.
In the original timeline, two metallic dragons showed no signs of being affected by the Dragon Frenzy: Tamarand and Jelllesk, both followers of Bahamut!
The logic is simple: since the Dragon Madness was originally Bahamut's curse, those who believe in Him can naturally be exempted from it.
"A spell? What kind of spell could drive a dragon into madness?" Dracol asked.
"I don't know, the incantation is chanted silently." Agatha stepped forward, and the young tungsten dragon paladin looked grave. "It can directly affect the dragon soul, unleashing its most primal, berserk instincts."
"What should we do then?" a young brass dragon couldn't help but ask, his voice filled with panic.
"So we're coming to Damara." Casalos's tail pointed in a certain direction of the city.
"Not here to find that false anomaly?" Amurice's astral construct trembled with doubt.
"no."
"Does Damara have a way to resist the Dragon's Fury?" Haivilan's silver vertical pupils were fixed on the Iron Dragon. (The rest of the text appears to be gibberish and unrelated to the question.)
"have!"
"What?" This time it was Tamarand who asked urgently.
Casalos took a deep breath: "The Sacred Tree..."
Before it could finish speaking, Geralsk abruptly stood up: "Bahamut, the Lord of Justice?!"
Mentioning this name elicited varying reactions from the dragons. Casalos carefully observed each dragon's behavior, analyzing their stance in his mind.
The golden dragons' reaction was the most complex. Their racial philosophy emphasized wisdom and justice, which largely overlapped with Bahamut's doctrines. However, the golden dragons were also among the proudest dragon races, and after abandoning their faith for over 20,000 years, it was not easy for them to admit they needed the protection of a deity—otherwise, Bahamut wouldn't have bothered to wipe out these old fogies first.
However, considering the pressure from Long Kuang and his own guidance, most of the golden dragons should eventually accept this choice.
The Bronze Dragons are in a similar situation. They are passionate about righteous wars, and Bahamut, as the Lord of Justice, shares a high degree of ideological alignment with them. Moreover, compared to the Gold Dragons, who often deem evil too foolish to be worth their continued effort, the Bronze Dragons' practice of justice is far more straightforward. According to the new rules of faith, they are already considered novice followers of Bahamut, only they haven't yet recited his name or heard his divine voice.
The situation with the silver dragons is even more unique, as their revered Ptalian Code almost completely overlaps with Bahamut's doctrines. This may not be a coincidence—in fact, it indirectly proves that Bahamut had at some point absorbed the original metallic dragon god, Shimo. For the silver dragons, changing their belief to faith is merely a matter of changing the name; essentially, their doctrines remain unchanged.
As for the brass and copper dragons, Casalos wasn't too worried. While these two races were unlikely to genuinely believe in Bahamut, the damage they caused when enraged was relatively limited. One was a chatterbox, the other a master of pranks, even if they got out of control... a super-duper chatterbox who couldn't help but ramble on in extreme anger, and a guy who wanted to do even more pranks in his anger, hmm...
"Yes." Casalos nodded calmly. "Fiona and Agatha are both Bahamut paladins, and they easily resisted Samaster's spell at Impu."
It retorted, "I have reason to believe that dragons who believe in Bahamut are immune to dragon madness."
Faced with this fact, even the dragons, who are most averse to gods, have to take it seriously.
55. The way to defeat the Dragon Frenzy lies in Damara.
Casaloz's tail tip scraped against the steel platform, producing a creaking metallic scraping sound. That unbearable sound was actually quite pleasant white noise to the ears of the Pan-Metal Dragon subspecies, which was very helpful for the dragon's thinking.
In this way, the dragons' minds were subtly influenced, and the Ptalian Code and Bahamut's doctrines were inscribed on the plaza in the form of dragon runes.
Its indigo vertical pupils swept across the hundred-odd dragons in the square: the majesty of the golden dragons, the elegance of the silver dragons, the restraint of the bronze dragons, the chatter of the brass dragons, the liveliness of the copper dragons, and the thoughtful silence of the three multicolored dragons. The bombshell that "Faith in Bahamut can grant immunity to dragon madness" had already exploded in the hearts of the dragons. The atmosphere in the square was like that of newly hatched dragons on the banks of a lava river—tense, excited, and tinged with a bewildered uncertainty. (The last two lines are a nonsensical string of characters and don't translate directly.)
Hevilan's silver body, covered in "medals," leaned slightly forward, radiating a holy glow at all times. She narrowed her eyes, her tone cautious: "Lord Casaloz, do you mean that faith in Bahamut can completely immunize one against dragon madness? That... sounds somewhat unbelievable."
Even though he had anticipated that Hevilan wouldn't immediately flap her wings in opposition like the stubborn old golden dragon, Casalos still secretly breathed a sigh of relief. The leader of the Claws of Justice was indeed rational enough to listen to him finish. He scratched the back of his head with his wingtip and said casually, "I didn't say you should immediately kneel down and call upon Bahamut. Faith isn't something you can just have at will. However…"
It lowered its head, drawing Hevilan's gaze to what it had inscribed, before continuing: "The Ptalian Code you follow completely overlaps with the doctrines preached by Bahamut. To put it bluntly, you are already novice followers of Bahamut, now you only need to acknowledge His divine name and incorporate that respect for the deity into your virtues and conduct—regardless of divinity, the platinum dragon Bahamut must also be one of the ancestors of your precious metal dragons, doesn't he deserve your reverence and respect?"
The dragons fell silent once again.
After carefully reading the dragon runes on the ground, Haivilan raised her head, slowly stood up, took a deep breath, and said with a sense of relief, "I understand."
The leader of the Claws of Justice turned to the silver dragons behind him: "Gentlemen, we have followed the Ptarian Code for over a thousand years. Now, perhaps it is time to acknowledge the fact that our code, and the teachings of Bahamut, are simply different expressions of the same path."
The ever-present Azak stepped forward. This powerful ancient silver dragon, whose mentality had become somewhat immature and impulsive due to excessive protection, now spoke with a steady voice: "Havilan is right. We have always upheld justice, and Bahamut is the Lord of Justice. Accepting this title does not mean we have given up anything; rather, it is a confirmation of our beliefs."
Speaking of which, this guy was also the first Claw of Justice to believe in Bahamut in the original timeline—did he believe in Bahamut before Dragon Madness, or after Dragon Madness? Of the forty silver dragons of the Claw of Justice, only a handful survived that battle. Apart from one young dragon who was sent elsewhere and missed the battle, the rest were all followers of Bahamut. It's hard to guess...
Lodr and the second Wing expressed their opinions one after another, and Sephira nodded in agreement: "Just like Casalos said, following the Codex is equivalent to believing in Him. All we need to do is face this fact."
The silver dragons exchanged signals, their whispers echoing across the plaza. Many still sounded hesitant: "We understand their ideals and actions, but respect... that takes time..."
The silver dragons accepted the faith very smoothly, not because of Casalos's iron teeth and copper teeth persuasion. The fundamental reason for their reaction was that Bahamut had indeed swallowed up the original metal dragon god Shimo. The Claw of Justice did not believe in Shimo, but Shimo was an empty-faced god derived from the Claw of Justice's actions in accordance with the Ptalian Code, thus generating faith through its actions. Bahamut devoured it, and one of its faces naturally became the embodiment of the Ptalian Code.
Thinking this, Casalos's gaze involuntarily swept towards Fiona Milon. The tungsten dragon, originally a paladin of the Triune Justice, switched allegiance after discovering that Bahamut's doctrines didn't conflict with her own ideals, and that the dragon god's status was more suitable for her to venerate than those humanoid deities, at the urging of the iron dragon. The process was exceptionally smooth, a seamless transition, without encountering any of the difficulties or trials that other paladins face when joining a new god. This meant that Bahamut, still imprisoned, had already reached some kind of agreement with the Triune Justice. As for the specifics… Casalos wouldn't tell these dragons that the future leader of the new Triune Justice of Faerûn, Tom, would ride a golden dragon named Bahamut.
In contrast, the reactions of the Golden Dragons were much more complex.
Tamarand reverted to her dragon form, her massive golden body slightly tense: "Faith... that word is too heavy for us golden dragons. For twenty thousand years, we have survived through our own wisdom and strength. Now we must acknowledge our need for the protection of the gods..."
"It's not about admitting weakness, but about adapting to the times," Serancia said softly, but the slight tremor of her wing membranes betrayed her inner struggle. "But you're right, for an ancient golden dragon to suddenly change its beliefs, it really is..."
Dracol listened in silence, a complex emotion flickering in her dragon eyes, which had witnessed too much history. As the leader of a family independent of the royal court, she understood the importance of maintaining independence better than any other dragon. But faced with the threat of the Dragon Madness…
The bronze dragons' reaction was surprisingly calm. Uriel whispered to his companion, "Actually... we've always been fighting for justice, isn't that the path of Bahamut?"
The other bronze dragons nodded in agreement. For them, whose faith they held was unimportant; what mattered was continuing the fight and upholding justice.
The brass dragon and the copper dragon present a completely different picture.
"Faith? What's that? Can you eat it?" a brass dragon asked loudly.
"I think Bahamut is a nice name!" someone added.
Chaturio was already pacing back and forth: "If we believe Bahamut, does that mean every prank needs a righteous reason? That's so boring!"
Seeing the dragons' various reactions, Casalos knew it was time to reveal the real plan.
"I understand your concerns," Iron Dragon's voice rang out, gradually calming the noisy discussion. "So, that's why I never expected you to convert to Bahamut immediately. Faith is something that can't be rushed. The silver dragons have already half a claw on Bahamut's path, but they still need time. As for you... you have a second path, dragon knights!"
"Dragon Knight?" Tamaland's golden vertical pupils narrowed slightly, her tone tinged with curiosity. This ancient golden dragon, whose true identity was a Bahamut Chosen One, probably already considered Casaloz one of its fellow Chosen Ones—otherwise, why would an iron dragon be so tirelessly helping its god recruit followers and spread faith? It proactively cooperated: "You mean, we should sign a pact with the paladins of Bahamut? That can resist dragon madness?"
"Bingo!" Casalos's tail held high, and he began to utter words that were suspected of being blasphemous. "Through the contract, you can indirectly obtain Bahamut's divine protection without having to call Him 'father' directly. This way, you can ward off dragon madness without hurting your noble pride. A win-win situation, what do you say?"
Gaelos immediately understood, and his loud voice echoed across the square: "Please allow me to explain, although Damara has more than five thousand paladins, most of them are on the northern front resisting the undead legions of the Exiles. Those here today are Bahamut believers who have been specially recalled."
He paused, a proud smile spreading across his face: "Of these nearly a thousand Bahamut paladins, over six hundred have answered the call of the gods and transformed into dragonborn. And these dragonborn warriors are the most suitable candidates to become dragon knights!"
"Dragonborn?" Tamarand looked surprised. "You mean, let the Dragonborn become dragon riders?"
Jelllesk nodded in confirmation: "This is indeed a brilliant arrangement. Paladins not only possess the abilities of 'divine mounts,' but the Dragonborn themselves can also resonate with us through blood. This dual connection should provide even greater resistance to dragon frenzy."
Azak added, "Furthermore, dragonborn are physically stronger and can withstand the challenges of high-speed flight and intense combat. Ordinary humans often become weak on the back of a dragon due to the cold and thin air at high altitudes, but dragonborn have no such problem."
Of course, doubts and objections remained. Eric raised his scales: "Let humans ride on our backs? This…"
"It's not about riding, it's about cooperation." Geralsk set an example. "That's the kind of relationship I have with His Majesty Galos. We are equal comrades-in-arms, fighting together for justice."
Seeing that some dragons were still hesitating, Vorasega interjected at the opportune moment: "In Imbutu, our Bronze Dragon Knights have already proven the effectiveness of this cooperation." No further explanation was needed; the Bronze Dragon Knights of Imbutu were enough to make the Bronze Dragons reconsider their position.
The brass and copper dragons chattered excitedly, with Chaturio, representing the copper dragons, leaping into the air, his wings flapping like an overheated steam engine: "What? A human riding on my back? Let's fly together! Let's play pranks together! This sounds like so much fun!" After landing, he spun around twice, his tail swishing loudly: "I'm the first to sign up! Quick, where's the paladin? Someone brave enough to try!"
Casalos rolled his eyes, inwardly muttering: "The bronze dragon is such a goofball; it couldn't even stay coy for three seconds before revealing its true nature." He glanced at the bronze dragons beside him; the chatterboxes were already surrounding Galos, bombarding him with questions: "What do paladins eat? Do they have scales? Can they breathe dragon breath? What kind of underwear do they usually wear?" Galos was sweating profusely from the questions and could only bite the bullet and answer.
Tamarand stroked his face with his golden tentacles, seemingly lost in thought: "Dragon knights... that's a compromise. They gain protection without having to change their faith. However, what about the quality of the paladins? We golden dragons aren't just any kind of rider."
Dracol's massive body swayed slightly as he said in a deep voice, "I agree with Tamarand's view. Contracts are two-way, and paladins must be worthy of our wisdom and dignity. The dragons of my Dracol family will only cooperate with knights who truly understand justice and goodness."
The bronze dragons seemed somewhat uneasy. Uriel, in human form, stared down at his leather armor, as if wishing he could disappear into the ground: "Uh... cooperating with humans? Sounds good, but I need to observe first. What if they're unreliable?" The bronze dragons around him nodded in agreement, clearly suffering from social anxiety, preferring to hide behind the silver dragons and peek.
Casalos' main force consisted of one gold, one silver, and one bronze dragon voter, plus a Claw of Justice who seemed to be a Dark Cultist playing as a second Wing as support. Bahamut was a complete carry in this game.
Just then, the sound of orderly footsteps suddenly echoed through the city.
A thousand paladins, in neat rows, slowly marched towards the plaza. Their armor gleamed in the sunlight, and each face held anticipation and reverence. Leading the way were the warriors who had been transformed into dragonborn; their very existence was proof of Bahamut's power.
"Honorable dragons," the leading dragonborn paladin knelt on one knee, his voice respectful yet firm, "we have waited long enough. If you are willing to give us a chance, we are ready to prove ourselves worthy to be your comrades."
56. Social gathering
The scene was a little awkward for a while.
The old dragons, who were used to weathering storms, were fine, but the young dragons' hearts were pounding as they faced so many burning gazes from humans.
The air in the square seemed to freeze. The dragons either held their heads high with pride or paced restlessly, while the paladins stood in neat rows, waiting for this unprecedented "matchmaking event."
Chaturio, as always, was the first to break the silence, the bronze dragon bouncing and leaping towards the paladin ranks: "Wow! So many people! Who's the funniest? Who can tell jokes? Who can play a prank on me?"
Casalos patted Kara lightly with his tail and whispered, "See? Just what I expected. The silver dragon has one foot in the bag. The gold and bronze dragons will have to be slowly worn down. As for the brass and copper dragons... ha, I bet they'll sell themselves out before the paladins even open their mouths."
Kara chuckled softly, covering her mouth with one wing, without speaking. Fiona, however, seemed somewhat doubtful: "Your plan is quite cunning. Using dragon knights as bait to lure these proud fellows into a trap. But how are Galos's preparations going? A thousand paladins sounds impressive to dragons, but how many will actually catch their eye?"
"Don't worry, Gaelos is reliable." Casalos glanced at the paladins being besieged by Chaturio. "He's already selected his candidates and even had them trained by the Athelon Dragon Knights. Those paladins aren't just randomly chosen; each one has undergone rigorous screening and is tailored to their specific needs. Gold dragons want wisdom and justice? There are plenty of well-read gold-scaled dragonblood paladins waiting. Bronze dragons are socially awkward? Send a few dragonblood paladins born from frontline generals, and they'll have a lively chat. Brass dragons and copper dragons... well, that's fine too. Just throw in a few talkative, unruly soldiers, and they'll have plenty to do with them. I reckon they'll have them hooked up in no time."
The clamor in the plaza gradually subsided, and at Gaelos's command, the paladins of Damara began to enter in an orderly fashion. They wore gleaming armor, with the emblem of Bahamut—a platinum dragon-headed star—adorning their chests. The vast majority of these paladins were dragonborn, transformed through the divine grace of Bahamut; their scales shimmered with various metallic lusters in the sunlight. Some were as brilliant as gold, some as pure as silver, and many as heavy as bronze. Their steps were firm, their eyes burning with fervor for the cause of justice, and their noble bearing, derived from the dragon god, made them appear exceptionally majestic. A few human paladins were interspersed among them; though lacking dragon scales, their even more dazzling radiance made their presence no less imposing, and their eyes also held reverence and anticipation for the dragons.
Casalos stood on the steel platform, his tail held high with delight, overlooking the upcoming "Dragon Knight Selection".
The paladins didn't charge directly at the dragons. Instead, following a pre-arranged plan, they divided into groups of eight or nine and headed towards different dragon races. Clearly, Gaelos had done his homework beforehand, knowing what "remedy" to use against these proud dragons. Even more interestingly, the dragonborn paladins seemed naturally drawn to dragons with scales similar in color to their own—gold-scaled dragonborn went straight for the golden dragons, while bronze-scaled dragonborn gathered around the bronze dragons.
Brandon, the young golden dragon of the Dracol family, stood in a corner of the square, surrounded by nine paladins. Seven of them were golden-scaled dragons, gleaming in the sunlight, while the other two were silver-scaled dragons—Brandon was not surprised by this, as golden dragons had always been happy to accept silver dragon bloodlines because all dragons trusted the character of silver dragons.
Not far away, a colossal ancient golden dragon, whose size inspired awe in the Damara people, silently observed everything. Tamarand's scales had shone with the purest gold, each one dazzling like the sun. Aside from Lares, its very existence was a symbol of majesty and wisdom. As the crown prince of the Golden Dragon Court, it possessed absolute authority within the dragon horde. Even independent ancient golden dragons like Dracol would heed its advice, let alone the dragon lords of the Golden Dragon Court.
Tamarand commanded all the paladins surrounding the golden dragon to line up. The dragon's golden eyes swept over each of them, and its voice boomed like thunder: "What do you consider to be wisdom?"
A middle-aged golden-scaled dragon-descended paladin stepped forward, his armor adorned with intricate patterns: "Your Majesty, true wisdom lies not only in the accumulation of knowledge, but also in knowing how to use that knowledge to benefit others."
"Go on," Tamaland nodded slightly, her tone encouraging.
"Wisdom teaches us when to fight and when to yield. Wisdom teaches us that strength is not for oppressing the weak, but for protecting the innocent. Wisdom also means..." The paladin paused, seemingly pondering a deeper meaning, "acknowledging our limitations, being willing to cooperate with others, and working together to pursue a greater justice."
Tamarand nodded in satisfaction: "Very good. So, if wisdom clashes with tradition, what would you choose?"
This question drew the attention of many golden dragons, and even Dracol cast a concerned glance. The paladin took a deep breath: "Your Majesty, tradition is the crystallization of the wisdom of our ancestors and deserves respect. But if tradition can no longer meet new challenges, then true wisdom lies in upholding core values while daring to innovate and change. Just as…" He looked around at the golden dragons and paladins, "just as we are gathered here today."
"Very well, I've finished asking my questions. Now it's up to you..."
The golden dragons began setting various trials for the paladins, but Tamarand's earlier opening remarks seemed to have created a more open atmosphere. The young golden dragon Thrancia approached a group of silver-scaled dragonborn and asked, "If justice and mercy conflict, what will you choose?"
A silver-scaled dragonborn replied, "Your Excellency Thrancia, justice and mercy should not be in conflict. True justice must include mercy, and true mercy must be built upon justice. If a conflict appears, it is because our understanding of the situation is not deep enough."