Encyclopedia Dominia: Histories and Fables - Return of the Empress, Scalebane's Elite, and Still Waters Deep Roots

   The Encyclopedia Domnia had various stories, lore, and information of the worlds of the multiverse.  Here we're restoring some of the online duelist's tales.  The Encyclopedia was gathered by the planeswalker Taysir, here is the section of "Histories and Fables" with stories: Return of the Empress, Scalebane's Elite, and Still Waters, Deep Roots.  We are continuing our reproducing of them: they are not original content, but created by Wizards of the Coast for the Online Duelist in the 1990s. 

Return of the Empress

by Richard Thames Rowan

 Keening wails of the dying reverberated through the cooling waters of Vodalia as Galina gazed bleakly across the final battlefield of the royal city. Brave warriors and mages held back the mindless army of relentless Homarids by force of will alone.

This is the end of the empire, she thought as she absently rubbed the pearl set in the blue scales of her cheek. I am sorry my husband, may Svyelune's Light shelter you, but I can do no more. Our food is gone, our forces wasted. You were always the strong one, but even you succumbed to the horde . . . .

"Your Serene Highness, the time has come."

Galina turned her piercing gaze on Marshall Karel Volnikov, the only merfolk who would risk disturbing her thoughts. A long silence filled only with the wail of the dying passed between them like a conversation. Karel absorbed her stare impassively until she slowly nodded.

"Gather the survivors, we go to Akoroun's portal," she said curtly.

Karel nodded solemnly, touched his forehead in deference, and jetted away in a flurry of water. Galina's gaze followed thoughtfully after the noble warrior who had led her military forces unfalteringly for so many years and who had lent such astute political savvy to her court. Her thoughts turned to the distant colony of Etlan Shiis, the only colony likely to have escaped the ravages of the Homarids. It was well past time to remind the artisan caste, who founded the distant colony, of the duty they owed to the Empire.

The cold waters swirled around her, chilling her as she made her way up the spire where the mage Akoroun would open a portal to Etlan Shiis. Akoroun was waiting above with Karel, and they both touched their foreheads as she swam up. At least four score survivors gathered about the base of the spire from throughout the royal city as the Homarids began to claim the final stronghold of Vodalia for their own.

"All is ready?"

Akoroun nodded, "Yes, your Serene Highness."

"Then let us begin."

Akoroun motioned half a dozen mages forward, and each pulled a large pearl from their robes. The mages stroked their pearls softly and crooned strangely mournful notes of deep longing. Voices embraced and danced in complex harmonies of delicate intricacy as tendrils of moonlight twisted out of the pearls. At the murmuring command of the voices, the tendrils wove a web of light. Each mage's voice slid with serpentine grace among the strands, pulling them tighter into a pool of glowing brilliance until, one-by-one, the voices slid free of the pool. At last, only Akoroun's tendril remained attached to the portal. He nodded.

"The portal is ready, but I must maintain the weave."

"Very well, let us begin," Galina said, motioning the survivors forward through the portal. With a final glance at a dying Vodalia, she swam through.

---

Warm currents gradually cleared the white haze obscuring Galina's vision, and she glanced around at the remarkable change of scenery. To the west, a vast rolling plain stretched endlessly, broken only by coral formations, deep sea kelp, and darting schools of fish. Rising to the east, and on whose slopes she rested, an impressive island-mountain range stretched from south to north. Further north, the range swept back to the east, hiding itself for a time before reappearing in the distance. For the first time in a long while, she began to feel warm.

Karel swam up and waited for her to speak.

"I see you, Karel."

"Your highness, I have taken the liberty of dispatching scouts to determine the exact location of the colony. They bring some disturbing news." Karel seemed troubled. Galina raised an eyebrow and waited for him to continue.

Karel hesitated. "Etlan Shiis seems somewhat . . . larger than anticipated. Too large, in fact." By way of an explanation, he gestured to the group of mages who were in deep conference.

Galina frowned thoughtfully, then said, "Gather everyone. I would see this 'city' of artisans."

Karel nodded as he moved to collect the remnants of Vodalia and said, "It lies beyond the northern bend of the mountains." After a few minutes, Galina made her way northward in the shadow of the eastern island-mountains.

The Vodalians began swimming after their empress in silence, naturally falling into strict caste order with the warriors immediately behind Galina, then the mages, a few of the merchant caste, and lastly a handful of the lowly artisans--even in battle it was occasionally useful to have servants for demeaning labor.

Galina led the silent entourage, gliding over deep chasms in the slopes of the island-mountains, through coral formations and vast schools of brightly colored fish. She skirted the hot waters surrounding a column of bubbles rising from a steam vent and eventually came to the final mountain separating her from Etlan Shiis. As she crested the last ridge, she suddenly halted in a turmoil of warm waters, gazing at the city below.

Rolling plains sprawled to the north and west until they reached the mountains in the far distance. Unlike the western flats, however, this plain was filled with far more than just coral and kelp. Etlan Shiis began at the base of the island-mountains below her and stretched to the north and west. A slow anger began seeping through her eyes as they traveled the vast expanse of sweeping arches and artistic spires and towers that were so different from the royal city so recently lost to the Homarids. The city stretched on and on to the west until it vanished from sight. Her eyes picked out five enormous spires linked by arches on the far horizon, and her anger erupted.

"How dare they mock the Imperial Towers!" she thundered in rage as her followers cringed in their awe. The city rivaled the Vodalian royal city in size, and exceeded it in grandeur.

"Your most serene highness, if you please, all may not be as it seems," Akoroun touched her lightly on the arm. He was about to continue when he realized what he had done and his eyes widened with alarm.

Galina slowly turned to face the mage who had defiled her by his touch and suddenly gripped his neck with a darting hand. She gazed at him in the calmness of rage as he began to convulse beneath her hand. His eyes rolled back in his head and he began keening as steam bubbled from his skin. He thrashed on briefly after his keening died away; when he grew still, she released him to float upward to Svyelune's Light above the sea.

Her fury abated, she located another mage and calmly demanded, "Explain Akoroun's statement."

Startled, the mage stammered, "Ah, he was saying, ah, that we seem to have arrived in Etlan Shiis some years after we left Vodalia."

Galina absorbed the news impassively and said, "How many years?"

The mage swallowed and said, "About, ah . . . we think it may be as much as three thousand years later." He braced himself and closed his eyes and prepared to receive treatment similar to his predecessor's.

Galina glared at the mage for a long moment, then nodded and said, "Very well. We must re-acquaint this city of artisans with their duty to the Empire." She turned and made her way downward, leaving her entourage to gradually recover from their shock. They followed her.

---

It was almost too easy. She had led the Vodalians into the city of Etlan Shiis without a single challenge and on to the new Imperial Towers. The chamber containing the group of artisans that styled themselves the "Council of Etlan Shiis" was not difficult to find. They had been initially startled by the appearance of their brethren, then outraged at being disturbed. They had reluctantly listened to Karel's introduction, which they found unnerving even as they doubted it. In the end, what decided the matter was one of the councilors' comments.

"Toss this garish riffraff out and let us get on with our business." Oblivious to the effect his words were having on his visitors, he continued. "After all, even if they are who they say, didn't our ancestors leave Vodalia because the caste system put the most violent and unfit to rule in charge of the nation?" Several of his fellow councilors nodded in agreement.

Karel calmly turned to this most vocal of the council, swam forward, and with fluid grace, broke his neck. The council chamber erupted with cries of outrage that became panic as Karel seized the next councilor and dispatched him with equal ease. The council members began scattering in all directions. Within moments, a scythe of energy from a Vodalian battle mage cut the councilors down as they fled. Only one escaped. At Karel's signal, a warrior quietly slipped out of the chamber to apprehend him. Galina gave the order to those remaining to subdue the city immediately and inform the residents that she would be assuming her throne once again. Her lords touched their foreheads and departed in all directions with small bands of warriors and mages. For the next several hours, she heard the occasional sounds of short-lived battle as each objection was squashed and those who objected were brought into line.

Galina gazed thoughtfully across the silent council chamber through the floating bodies of the ex-councilors. In her solitude, she began laying plans for the defense of the city, for the marshaling of military forces, and for the future.

Some day, my husband, may Svyelune's Light shelter you, I will return with hundreds of thousands of warriors to reclaim your Empire. We will utterly destroy the Homarids and dedicate the victory to the memory of your glory. From this day forward, a new Vodalian Empire is born . . . .

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Scalebane's Elite

By Teeuwynn

The following story is a verbatim transcription of an eyewitness account of one of the most important events in recent Jamuuran history. -- Taysir.

I'm not certain where to begin . . . or why you want me to tell this tale. Kulinda or Jerran could tell it better . . . ah, but their wounds are still healing. Well then, I'll tell you what I saw and heard for myself. I can vouch for nothing else, and what I can attest to is fantastic enough for ten tales. Well then, this is the story of how the mage Mangara was set free from his terrible, unlawful prison. And, as you know, if it was not for Mangara's help we would never have beaten Kaervek's magic and undead minions.

I have fought in Scalebane's army for over a year now, and no warrior could wish a more inspiring, brave leader than Rashida Scalebane. I would die for that woman -- indeed, I almost did. Less than a fortnight past, Rashida called three warriors to her tent: myself, Kulinda, and Jerran. Wasting no words, Rashida explained that she had chosen us to accompany her and a few others on a special mission, a mission to save the mage Mangara. At these words Kulinda gasped, and I nearly did as well. Mangara had disappeared many months ago. How could Rashida know he was imprisoned, let alone where he was trapped.

Nodding sharply at Kulinda, Rashida answered only that all would be explained that could be explained by the prophetess Asmira, who had joined our encampment only hours before. "At dawn we will again meet in this tent and Asmira and I shall tell you all we can of our quest." Telling us to prepare to leave immediately after the dawn meeting, Rashida bowed her head over her legendary dragonslaying banesword. The first gathering of Scalebane's Elite was at an end.

Restless and nervous after a troubled night's sleep, we met once more in Rashida's tent at dawn. Asmira was already waiting within, seated upon the floor herder-style. Asmira was smaller than I imagined, but her dark eyes reflected both confidence and conviction. Clad in white and gold garments mixing both Femeref and Zhalfiran styles, the great prophetess Asmira greeted us with the most serene smile I have ever seen. "Greetings and thanks, Children of Fate," the prophetess began. "In recent days great omens have wafted across our land on the wings of dreams. I have felt their feathery touch, as has your leader, Rashida. Now is our chance to free Mangara from the stone in which he has long been imprisoned."

"What sort of stone could imprison a mage?" Jerran asked in his sing-song whisper.

"An amber prison," Rashida answered. "It is a magical stone into which a mage may thrust any single being."

"And the being may remain trapped there for an infinity of eternities if he is not freed," Asmira concluded. "It is our responsibility to free Mangara from this prison. The dreams have told us where Mangara's prison lies . . . a handful or more days travel into the Mwonvuli Jungle. We must begin our journey at once if we are to have any hope of rescuing Mangara before Kaervek's might grows beyond all hope of stopping him."

"But what is our role in all this?" I asked. "We are only warriors and not many in number."

"You are my warriors and the heart of all Jamuura beats in your breasts," Rashida answered.

"And you are so few in number because we do not believe more warriors could avoid many of Kaervek's patrols," Asmira finished. "But come, gather your things, it is time for us to begin the Lion's Eye Quest."

As we gathered our gear together I thought on the ancient saying -- "Caught in the Lion's Eye." Yes, if ever there was a moment of crisis, we were walking into it. And with that thought I joined my fellows to confront our fate.

The next few days are mostly a blur to me. We did our best to avoid Kaervek's patrols, but there were far more than even Rashida had predicted. Attempting evasion in the plains proved difficult. Alternately battling and avoiding the undead patrols, we reached the final hill overlooking the jungle far later than we had hoped. We could all see Rashida's nerves grow raw as time drained away from us. Even Asmira's face began to appear ashen with worry on the third day as we neared the final hill.

But at the end of that day as we crested the final rise, we found new hope in the form of the flying ship, Weatherlight. Rushing up to the ship's captain, Sisay, Rashida demanded to know how and why she was here. The slightly embarrassed captain responded that she had had a dream that bade her come to this very spot. Although I'm sure Sisay thought Asmira and Rashida would think her crazy for flying her ship into the middle of an enemy-infested plain because of a dream, our leaders merely nodded. After all, the Lion's Eye Quest itself was the stuff of dreams.

It took only a few minutes to scramble up rope ladders and climb aboard the Weatherlight. On board, Sisay's crew were fewer in number than I would have expected, but Sisay said she was still rebuilding. I wish there had been time to speak to her crew, particularly the sharp-eyed minotaur, but exhaustion and the need for all hands to man the ship did not give me the chance. Perhaps I will be able to buy Sisay and her crew a round of drinks at a tavern on some future night.

Now, where was I? . . . Oh, yes, Sisay and the Weatherlight immediately set sail through the still jungle air. You'd think flying through sky would be much smoother than riding the ocean's waves, but it really isn't. The Weatherlight constantly hummed and vibrated as we cut our way through the air. We flew in one day what would have taken us five or more on the ground. Without the Weatherlight we would have lost crucial days and perhaps the war.

When we finally landed, we found ourselves outside a small palace just beginning to decay. Vines covered much of the western wall, but the rest of the squat edifice was still relatively unmarred. A large metal door blocked our way into the compound, but it proved little impediment to us. With Asmira leading us into the palace, we passed through two long hallways in complete silence, unbothered by guards of any kind. Then silence became screams and Kaervek's dread minions descended upon our small group.

The battle through the palace seemed to last for days. Have you ever fought continuously for your life for hours on end? It is a constant battle to maintain the shield of hope, to not give in to the terror surrounding you. Yet, we persevered. If it were not for our dragonscale armor and other magical protections, we never would have survived the assault. But survive we did, and made slow progress into the fortress until at last we saw the amber prison floating within a scintillating beam of white light.

As Asmira managed to push closer to the amber prison, Kaervek's forces began to pummel us with magical fire and other terrors. Jerran was badly burned several times over and it is a wonder he survived at all. I remember little of the next few minutes save the struggle to remain standing. I remember seeing Asmira reach the amber prison . . . I remember seeing the holy one bend her head in concentration over the magical stone, her face ghostly in the magical beam's sharp light. Then my sight was overwhelmed by the forces in front of me and I was sure I would fall at any moment.

It was then that a terrible shrieking howl echoed through the chamber and I saw Rashida and Scalebane dancing through the undead with the grace of a thousand cheetahs. Even when fighting dragons, I had never seen Rashida fight so well or so dexterously. On her face she wore a mask crafted of dragonskin, and its eyes, blazing with yellow fury, were not Rashida's. Rashida must have killed two score or more of Kaervek's minions in the time it took me to slay one. But such a display of valor does not come without cost. Just as I reached our leader she collapsed in complete exhaustion. Standing over Rashida's body to keep what remained of Kaervek's forces from harming her, I looked again to Asmira.

And in that moment I forgot the jungle heat as my blood froze in my veins. For as Asmira raised the amber prison in triumph a darkling panther warrior-woman leapt from ambush towards the holy warrior. Even as I screamed a warning, I recognized the legendary slayer Purraj of Urborg. As my scream echoed, too late to warn Asmira, Purraj's knife dug deeply into Asmira's back. Arching backwards Asmira ignored the terrible blow, managing to whisper out the last words of her spell to free Mangara. Her ritual complete, the amber prison suddenly glowed with such ferocity I could no longer bear to look on it.

When the blinding shaft of light faded all of Kaervek's forces lay dead around us and a middle-aged man in strange clothes stood where Asmira and Purraj had grappled seconds before. Of Purraj and Asmira there was no sign. Perhaps they were both consumed in the amber prison's shattering light.

Rashida stirred below me, and as I helped the shaken warrior onto her feet I saw her eyes meet Mangara's. With a deep bow the freed mage disappeared in a glimmer of pale white light.

Of course, you know the rest. Mangara confronted Kaervek and managed to prevail against the dark mage and his overextended resources. Now Kaervek lies within the very stone that so long held Mangara prisoner. It seems a fitting punishment. Asmira has officially been granted the title of Holy Avenger, but I fear it may be a posthumous honor. As for Purraj . . . I have no idea but I am sure if Asmira fell, then so did that Urborg assassin.

I grow tired now, and I must check on Jerran. I hope my tale has been of some use to you.

May you never live in the Lion's Eye.

-- Forena, Scalebane's Elite.

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Still Waters, Deep Roots

The following parable is short, but telling. The elves of Riashil perhaps best reflect the ancient shyness and reticence of the Llanowar elves. Theirs may well be the closest to pre - Ice Age elvish culture. Although the Riashil's insularity grows out of a desire to protect their culture, it also fosters a certain amount of fear. The following story illustrates the latter, reactionary, response to the elfhame's secluded existence.--Taysir

Listen closely, children, and I will tell you a tale while the Glitter Moon gazes upon us and shines down blessings upon the earth. In years before you were born--but not too many years before--there lived a young elf named Finn. Finn was not unlike most children, full of energy and spilling over with questions. "Why does the Glitter Moon shine? Where do maggots come from? Why do I have to be nice to others?"

Most of Finn's questions were answered more or less to his satisfaction, but there was one question his elders could not give him a simple answer to. "Why do we never leave Riashil?" Of course you all know that the boundaries of Riashil are sacred, for we live in the most blessed place under Freyalise's care, yet Finn could not seem to understand this. "I want to see more of the world!" he cried. And the elders just shook their heads and determined to wait with the patience of the trees for Finn's foolishness to come to an end.

But it did not end. Instead, Finn's curiosity grew like a patch of itchweed, and Finn felt bound to scratch. Journeying to the edge of Riashil, where the Moen river marks our southern boundary, Finn found himself staring at a young human across the water. "Ah!" thought Finn. "Perhaps this human can answer my question." Solemnly, Finn hailed the human and asked his question. Staring intently, the young human gestured for Finn to wade across the Moen, made shallow by drought.

So excited was Finn at the prospect of finally finding out why the Riashil never leave their home, that the young elf dove into the chill waters and swam across to where the human waited. Shaking the water from his eyes, Finn repeated his question once more: "Why should elves stay only in Riashil?"

The human gestured again, and Finn edged even closer. Smiling, the human opened a large bag at his side and gestured for Finn to see what was inside. Finn peered closely into the bag's dark interior, hoping to see something that would explain the mystery to him. But before he knew what was happening, the human shoved poor Finn into his bag and took him away forever.

So, you see, Finn got his wish much faster than he would have gotten it if he waited patiently, but the answer was perhaps not what he hoped. You must have still waters to grow deep roots, my children. Rapids wash away only the foolish, not the wise.