Draak Attunement : The Lost Colony

* Brysmendrik
Brysmendrik tells you, ‘Forgive me for feeling no joy at your presence cousin. V’Tieru has decreed that I must perform the function of my office for those who seek me out. The fact that I wish to be alone for the rest of my days matters not. Nor does it matter that every attunement I perform reminds me anew of my failure and my shame. I will do as you wish, but you will sit, and listen, and learn what it is you have asked’

Brysmendrik tells you, ‘I am the last portal keeper of the Academy of Draak. Everyone calls it The Lost Colony today, but that’s just so they don’t have to think about what happened there. Cover the wound with pretty words and pretend it will go away. It wont. The Academy of Draak was not lost. It was ripped from us. Stolen. Along with the lives of a generation of innocent hatchlings. I attended the Academy myself when I was a hatchling. As an adult, I was sponsored to the position of portal keeper by Nyestra Helian herself. Yes, I knew her. Before Chiconis, before the Schism, before her family disowned her, I dedicated my life to the service of her teachings. She showed me great honor and trust by speaking for me before the Academy overseers. They accepted her endorsement and made her trust their own. I failed them. I failed HER! I failed my family and my people!’

Brysmendrik tells you, ‘We portal keepers were charged with maintaining the security and defenses of the Draak Academy. Not just the portal itself, but also the protective spells which hid the island from the rest of the world and barred the naka fro its shores. The safety and security of the students was out responsibility! Ours! Mine! Well, one day I came on duty and found an unexplainable disharmony in the arrival pads energy balances. I checked the tuning stones, trimmed the prime matrix, boosted the collective… the disharmony not only remained, it grew stronger. While I was doing this, my mate and our two daughters came to use the portal – and I told them to wait. I thought the problem was with the Dralk side of the portal. I told them to wait while I fixed it, then I stepped through to Dralk.’

Brysmendrik tells you, ‘Never once did I think it could be an attack. Not once did I suspect it could be the very thing I was sworn to prevent! Not even once did I think to raise an alarm, even as a precaution! I stepped through to Dralk and began examining the outgoing signal. Everything was perfectly normal. Then the collectives return shrieked and went silent. It wasn’t natural, it wasn’t a system failure. It was a deliberate disruption by hostile magic. Only then, when it was too late, did I realize that Draak was under attack.’

Brysmendrik tells you, ‘I raised the alarm and then did my duty. I tore out the resonant pairings to shut down the incoming connection from the Academy. I saved Dralk from invasion by leaving everyone on Draak at the mercy of the enemy. There was no question of what we had to do – we had to counterattack at once. In full force! Valkoth and Semeneth called for every dragon who could fight to take wing and follow them to Feledan. The elves had been granted a portal link some years previous for diplomatic courtesies. I don’t think it had been used even once until that day. I went through it right behind Valkoth… The Elves were near-panicked as the full wrath of all dragonkind erupted into the middle of their city and took to the skies in numbers that blotted out the sun. They were naka. We told then nothing, just flew on. No dragons ever flew faster then we did that day, but it wasn’t fast enough. Before we could see the shores, we could see the smoke.’

Brysmendrik tells you, ‘Then we saw the students. They were everywhere! So… so many of them! We couldn’t land without stepping on them! They died running, they died fighting, they died praying! They were helpless, and they were butchered first! They ignored the adults completely until every hatchling was dead… And then they waited for us. They knew we would be coming. They were counting on it! We attacked, blind with rage, just like they wanted us to. We decimated them, but never stopped to think that our enemy was already dead.’

Brysmendrik tells you, ‘It was Lantenal who realized what was happening. We had lost perhaps one in five, but had nearly destroyed the invading undead. He saw our dead begin to rise up again, abominations in service to the enemy. He found Semeneth and made him see what was happening. Semeneth called for retreat, but the Lunus would not listen. Valkoth was near berserk with rage and blood-fury. He ignored Semeneth, but Breath-of-Fire listened. Like Valkoth, Breath-of-Fire was an officer under General Lunus. He called retreat as well, and this time the Lunus listened’

Brysmendrik tells you, ‘It was almost too late. Our dead, the slain teachers, the slaughtered hatchlings, the monsters we’d already destroyed – They all rose up and attacked us. Most of us got away. About one in ten did not. We found Nezra, Kalrenta and Mesetha as we withdrew. They were nearly dead themselves, but we got them out of there. As we passed through the Feledan gate, one of their elders challenged our right to use the portal. Breath-of-Fire flamed him to ash without a word.’

Brysmendrik tells you, ‘I confessed my failure to Semeneth and Valkoth. I begged them to kill me. They didn’t. They forgave me. They called me a hero. They said if I hadn’t been in Dralk to sound the alarm and shut down the incoming connection the undead would have been able to teleport right into the heart of our city without opposition. They said I’d saved Dralk and Chiconis. I left then, and I’ve lived here since that day. I do not deserve to live, and do not deserve the mercy of death. I spend my day apologizing to the dead children I failed to protect and dreading the day I must face Drulkar’s judgment.

Now you know what you have asked of me! Go speak with Lantenal. Do as he instructs, and when you return I will do as you ask. Then I wish you to leave me alone forevermore.’

* Lantenal the Hermit
You? Well, come in, come in. A few minutes in my lava pool will do you good. No really, its fine, go right ahead. I don’t mind at all. This time. Anyway, I take it you’re here to learn to make portal keys. It’s very simple, very straightforward. It’s probably the least complicated part of this whole situation.

Lantenal tells you, ‘Please, do not judge Brysmendrik harshly. He does that well enough on his own. The truth is that his family died only steps away from the portal. The children had been cut down from behind. Valheryamara, his mate, barely had time to turn around. They were dead only two to three minutes after Brysmendrik went to Dralk. That’s how fast those damnable satyrs were. If he’d hesitated even a minute, they would have been inside the city and we’d never have been able to shut the incoming transits off. He did what he was trained to do… what he had to do. He is a hero, no matter how much he hates himself for it.’

Lantenal tells you, ‘Now, back to your request. A portal key does not operate the portal. It’s an object which preserves the resonance of the place you wish to go and matches that resonance against the pathways accessed by the portal gate. A portal keeper on-site can attune you because you are surrounded by that locations resonance. If yyou’re not on site, you need the portal key. In this case, what you need is radiant azulyte. I presume you know where Kalrenta, Nezra and Mesetha live? You’ll find radiant azulyte at the very top of that mountain. You’ll have to travel there normally, and gather the crystal yourself. You wont need very many of them, but I always suggest bringing back a generous supply of extras.’

Lantenal tells you, ‘Why? Because bipeds can’t harvest azulyte, or shape it, or make anything with it. I speak with every hatchling bound for Peak of Storms, Lunus or Helian alike. Time after time, bipeds come with them to celebrate the hatchling’s transition to adulthood, Lunus and Helian alike. A few Lunus have already tried to convince Valkoth to approve attunement of a biped, without success. I know this is the case because he comes down here and rants about it constantly. Do you have any idea how hard it is to call myself a hermit with all the visitors I’ve been getting? RAWR! Anyway, where was I? Ah, yes! Bipeds. Valkoth will not accept a petition from a Lunus, and Semeneth cannot, by order of the Council of Elders. Therefore, those Lunus who do have a biped they wish to endorse must have a helian do it for them, through Semeneth. To me, that meanse there will be a need for that surplus radiant azulyte. Now, let me get you the formulae you will need.’

Lantenal tells you, ‘Here you are. Remember what I said about the extra azulyte. Any biped wanting to get attuned is going to need one of those keys and a helian sponsor. Anyway, once you’ve finished the portal key come back and let me look it over. If you’ve made it properly then you’ll need to speak with Brysmendrik again. Don’t worry, that visit will be much shorter than your first one.’

* Lantenal the Hermit
Lantenal tells you, 'Well, let's see... Very nice, this should work perfectly. Go ahead and take it to Brysmendrik.'

* Brysmendrik
Brysmendrik tells you, ‘So, you finished your key. Very well, lets just get this over with. You are now attuned to the Academy of Draak. I told you I would do as you wished and I have. Now, please go back to your life and leave me in peace.’