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Chapter 6: TRACES OF THE DarAGKarIK
Chapter 6:
TRACES OF THE DarAGKarIK
T
he Daragkarik, or Dragon Kings, departed Khitus
ages ago. They left one by one under a variety of
strange circumstances, until none remained . . .
or so it seemed. Today, as did Daragkarik of old, a powerful few appear to have some connections or even influences on Khitus, or so their Trakeen worshipers claim.
Shagnathrix The Dark Maiden of
the Abyss
Shagnathrix is the dark queen of Chatoon, a ruined
city half buried in the sands of the New Dune Wasteland. By some accounts, she always has been a Dragon
King, which would make her the last of her kind on Khitus. By others, she is, at best, a powerful magical imposter masquerading as a new Dragon King. The truth, as
always, lies between these. Secretive and terrible today,
she was not always so …
Origin of a Daragkark
A thousand years ago, she was born Dalia, the daughter of
Aganor, a masterful but ambitious general, and Radana, a
high priestess in magnificent Chatoon. She grew up in the
shadows of palaces, well known in court and a familiar visitor to mansions and estates. Dalia was groomed for greatness, and many suitors across the Old Countries coveted
her as a potential bride. Her mother advised and taught
her to use her charms and position to every advantage, and
Dalia embraced the classic arts of subtle manipulation.
At her mother’s direction, Dalia encouraged the advances of King Urias of nearby Patnu, a city-state. The
families exchanged letters and discussed renewed alliances until their union was the talk of both cities. Alas,
King Urias’ first visit to the royal palace of Chatoon also
brought his younger brother, the dashing prince Rasham. Despite training and better judgment, Dalia lusted
for Rasham at first sight, and they became secret lovers
that first night.
Dalia and King Urias wed and she bore him a son and
twin daughters. All the while, the Queen consorted with
Prince Rasham in secret, and rumors leaked slowly beyond the bedchambers. The death of their son drove
husband and wife further apart, but still King Urias ignored the gossip for almost a decade, until persuaded by
his ministers to employ a wizard to discover the heartrending truth.
Outraged, King Urias imprisoned Dalia, disowned his
children as bastards, murdered his daughters, and banished his brother Rasham. King Urias swore vengeance on
King Gylam of Chatoon, convinced he finagled this humiliation, so armies in both cities were mustered. Dalia’s father,
General Aganor, took advantage of the chaos and had an
assassin poison King Gylam seven days after King Urias demanded a formal apology and payment for his grievances.
The general and Radana then convinced the mob outside
the palace that King Urias was to blame for King Gylam’s
regicide. A mob-initiated war started the very next day.
Hearing of this, Prince Rasham reaffirmed his loyalty
to his brother while banished out on the savannahs.
He assembled men of valor to his banner and formed
an elite battalion known as Rasham’s Many Hands. He
charged them to “rescue” Dalia from the chaos without
realizing her family’s conspiratorial role in it.
Patnu’s army, reinforced with Prince Rasham’s battalion,
overwhelmed the defenders of Chatoon, breaching the
walls and scattering forces with battering rams and blasts
of magical fire. King Urias defeated Dalia’s father in single
combat around the city’s Well of Union, then beheaded
the general on its edge, tossing his head to the mob.
While the main army ravaged the city, Rasham and his
Many Hands searched for Dalia. They found her and her
mother inside the Dark Temple of Chatoon, waiting nervously for their deaths. When Rasham suddenly rushed
in, he assuaged their fears and ordered the Many Hands to
protect the women. The battalion then followed the prince
in a desperate attempt to escape the embattled city.
Despite their stealth, the Many Hands found their escape blocked at every turn by King Urias’ soldiers. When
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