The Rurian cave was a dark and abandoned place. After a big earthquake killed almost all of the workers, the mine was sealed, never to be opened again. Everyone interpreted the incident as an act of God and no one ever dared to go down there again, seeing the mine as a haunted place. That was a long time ago and the mine had not been used since. It had lain in total silence for centuries.

The warrior Bakerd of Solamnia made up his mind to enter the cave when he was still just a spoilt boy. When he finally passed the test of manhood and became a distinguished warrior of the lands of Krynn, his first decision was as easy as it was obvious. He would fulfil his long lived dream of travelling to the Rurian cave, where he would meet his destiny.

There was a legend that a great dragon had made its abode in the bottom of the mine. People said that the Great One served in the interest of the Gods and was there to punish anyone who decided to disbelieve their curse. Many men had entered in search of the mythical creature, but no one had ever seen the light of day again. The dragon was the reason for Bakerd’s voyage, he had figured that out on the way. The great destiny, which he believed he was meant for, had to be to confront the creature and fight with it in a battle of life and death.

In the desolate and abandoned tunnels he now walked around, all alone, surrounded by the darkness. Was it day, or was it night? He could not really know for sure. He had been walking around inside the huge complex for some days now and had already lost count of the passing of time.

The torch in his hands cast a soft yellow light against the rough stone walls of the mine tunnels. Prepared for battle, he was dressed in Solamnian armours and wore a helmet. With the cumbersome headpiece on, he could see virtually nothing and he had to rely on his instincts as he wandered around rather clumsily. However with time, he had become used to this and now he had no trouble in stepping over and around the many pieces of rock that lay in his way. Despite the difficult circumstances, he was able to move along quite quickly.

Some tunnels were worse than other. But Bakerd went where he could and avoided those places that looked too unstable to be passed safely. One thing that was taking up a lot of time was numerous dead ends. He would be following a tunnel for quite a while before seeing that it suddenly ended in a cave-in. He was then forced to turn around and walk all the way back until he came to a new way that he had not previously investigated.

He constantly tried to convince himself that he had made the right decision. It was his destiny to enter the caves. He was chosen. He knew that it was not he himself who decided where to go and where to not. The Gods directed his very steps.

As time went by though, he felt it more and more difficult to keep up his spirits. He had misjudged the length of his travels from the lands of Solamnia to the Eastern Countries, and he had not packed enough provisions for the journey. Now, both his food and torches were starting to run out. His only hope lay in finding the dragon soon, while he still had the power and strength to confront it. Otherwise this trip would have been wasted and his life would have been thrown away.

He knew that he had a fair chance against the great one. He had never felt this strong before during his short life, and he also had never met his equal in a fight. It was thrilling for him just to think of fighting with the dragon, an adversary he was not completely sure that he could beat. But he was fairly convinced that he could slay the creature, for why else would he have been sent down here this day?

He knew that he was different from the others whom had entered the caves before him, for he was chosen for this task. He knew, deep within himself, that a chosen one would not be sent by the Gods to meet with an unworthy decay. He pushed away thoughts of becoming a rotting corpse in a place where his body never would be found and properly buried. He was fairly convinced that he would beat the dragon. He was meant for a higher purpose, sent by the God Paladine. What glory where there in starving to death, all alone in the darkness? There were none, and Bakerd knew this.

Caught up in his own thoughts he stopped for a break. He took one of his water bottles from his backpack and pulled out a piece of dried meat. He sat down and ate and drank. He had stopped in the middle of a great cave that stretched as far as he could see. This was the biggest cave yet and it would take quite a while to search through it.

“Will it never end?” He thought to himself and sighed. As he chewed on the leathery meat he studied the landscape that lay around him. Exposed to the forces of nature for millennia, formed by time and pressure, this cave appeared to had been the only thing that had withstood the giant earthquake without damage. The stalagmites and stalactites surrounding him gave him a hint of its vast age.

He thought it was strange, that in a middle of a giant mining system, there were some things not formed and sculpted by the hand of man. That between two tunnels there could lie a monument of time, a geomorphological monument which could show all living beings how short a time they had really been around, compared to the rest of the world.

Bakerd was amazed at the feelings the cave brought up in him. That it, just by being there created all the thoughts he now had in his mind. He felt more and more sure about his destiny. The dark cave made it clear to him that there were divine entities which had created all that there is to see and to experience. With that thought in his mind it was easy to understand that the Gods had a hand in the great game. Like everyone else, he merely acted out their wishes.

But he was more than the others, he was more than a simple man. He was, as was written in the holy scrolls of creation an extended arm of the Gods, the hand of Paladine. With a smile on his face he continued his meal, and although the food was quite tasteless he ate. He would not have been sent to the mines if not to meet with the dragon, his destiny. He knew that he would find his adversary soon and then the battle would begin.

As his hunger slowly died away and his belly filled with meat, he washed down his meal with the water from the bottle. Not even this tasted very good. The fluid had a brackish flavour of leather from the sack and it was lukewarm. But it was better than the salty taste of the dried meat and that was good enough for him.

He finished his meal in a haste. As he thought about it, every second was a waste of his time. He had an appointment with his destiny and he did not want to be late. He was packing his backpack and swallowing his last mouthful when he suddenly heard a sound from somewhere in the cave. It was a metallic clanging, and it did not sound like anything he had ever heard before. Maybe he was not alone?

The anxiety shone in his eyes. He stood up and grabbed the torch from the floor and drew his sword.

He shouted, “Show your self dragon, I know that you are in here!”

He looked around for any signs of life, but everything was as quiet and still as when he entered the cave in the first place.

“I do not wish to keep on wandering along down here forever, come out!”

He listened as time passed by in silence. After a while he repeated the first sentence, then the other, but nothing happened. His hope began to fade again. “I am imagining things”, he thought. “I will never find the dragon”. He shook his head, ruing his misfortune, and sheathed his sword in his scabbard.

He had only just done so when he heard the clanging again, somewhere in the south eastern part of the caves, and this time it was much clearer. It sounded like metal rubbing against metal. “It had to be the dragon,” he thought, and listened. He waited again for a while and sure enough there was another sound, a heavy yawn. He was not alone! He immediately cheered up and started to look around the cave.

He constantly heard the deep breathing of another being. “It has to be the dragon,” he thought to himself, “it has to”. And then he heard the voice of the Old One. It talked to him in an ancient language. Although Bakerd was not very familiar with this language he still could understand it through a magical translation.

“So, you have finally come?” The dragon asked, with a voice as dark as night.

Bakerd could feel the incredible presence of the creature affecting his courage: for the first time in his life he was really scared. His hands trembled and he was covered with goose bumps. He was struck with an immediate feeling of profound respect towards the speaker. He tried to reply but he could not pronounce a single word. Everything he tried to say stuck in his throat and would not come out.

He stood there for what seemed to be an eternity. Everything was quiet and still. He started to look upon the cave as his burial ground, the place where he would finally meet his doom. It was so dark and he was alone, all alone and afraid to die. He thought about his destiny, a destiny that seemed very far at the moment. All he really wanted was to go home to his father and mother.

He did not want to die alone and forgotten at the bottom of a damned and abandoned mine. He wanted to be alive, alive and remembered for great deeds, not forgotten like pitiful adventurers who think they are meant for something greater. He knew that he was better than all the others. But he did not wish to die. Oh, Paladine, he was so afraid to die.

And then the dragon spoke again. “Are you going to say something, my little friend?” it said in a teasing tone.

Bakerd’s mind cleared and his fears lessened. He got mad. He was certainly not the friend of a dragon. How dare the being mock him - him, Solamnia’s finest swordsman! The fear he had felt within faded and he finally managed to speak again. “I have come to slay you, foul beast” he replied with all the courage he could gather.

He heard his own words echoing against the walls around him and he was impressed by how brave they sounded. His calmness were returning. He thought about his moment of truth - this was the major event of his life. He could not turn away from his destiny, he would not betray Paladine. This was his time and he would fulfil his destiny.

The black dragon responded with a laugh. The sound that came from deep within its throat created a horrific feeling in Bakerd’s mind. He wondered if it was a mad creature he had met. His fear resurfaced.

“Slay me?” the dragon said with a contemptuous voice. “Well, you are a straight forward little one, and I sure admire honesty in a person. But tell me, not many have shown themselves up to such a task. You must be quite a swordsman, yes?”

Bakerd felt overwhelmed. The dragon recognises a great warrior when it sees one, he thought to himself. It must know of my destiny. Maybe I have a chance after all. He felt good, the dragon was his equal. The fight would be a righteous one. He held up his torch, looking around for a glimpse of his adversary. But the echoes made it difficult for him to locate the source of the sound.

“I am good at fencing!” he shouted out. “And I am the bravest man in the lands of Krynn.” He started to get anxious, he wanted the battle to start soon. Glory and hHonour awaited him after his great deed.

“It is not bravery I see in your eyes,” the dragon said, with even more contempt in its voice. “It is foolishness. Do you really think that your pitiful skills can match the immense power of a dragon? I think not.”

Bakerd did not feel scared any more. He knew now that the dragon was afraid of him and not vice versa. The creature was afraid of meeting its certain doom in a battle with him. But he would not let his great moment slip out of his hands.

“You stand no chance against me,” the dragon continued. “And I see no reason for further conversation. Go away... NOW... mortal one, and I will spare your life.”

Bakerd heard the ringing of metal against metal again. The dragon was turning away. He became furious. It was neglecting him. How dare the beast do such a thing? Turn its back on the hand of Paladine. He would not tolerate such an insult. He refused to be ignored.

“I will take my chances,” he replied firmly. “Come on, are you afraid?”

The dragon began laughing again. But this time Bakerd was not afraid of its scornful laughter. He knew that he had nothing to fear from a scared animal. He had cornered the dragon and it had no place to go. The battle would start soon he thought.

“Me afraid? Such insolence!” The dragon said in a humoured manner. It yawned and continued. “I fear you as much as I would fear a bug, for compared to me you are nothing.”

Bakerd knew that dragons were far greater then humans. They were older and had much more experience. They possessed greater skills and, above all, they had the advantage of spell casting. The knowledge of magic ran deep through the dragon veins. In all ways his opponent was much more powerful then he was and he knew this very well. But at that moment he could not have cared less. It was a scared animal he was facing and he believed the Gods were directing his actions.

He did not care if his opponent was more powerful than he was. He would win anyway. This was a historical moment for him. He stood where many great soldiers had stood and died before him. But he would win and he would become an unforgettable hero. Bakerd, dragonslayer, they would call him. A chilling sensation climbed up along his spine and hairs rose on the back of his neck. Dragonslayer, he thought to himself, dragonslayer.

“I think our conversation was an interesting one,” the dragon said. “And I have not been so amused for decades. Therefore I will give you one last chance. Go Away... Now... and your life will be spared.”

Bakerd awoke from his dream of success. He thought about what the creature had said. He did not want it to get away with such a scornful speech.

“I am no bug,” he replied. “You disappoint me dragon. I thought your kind possessed immense intelligence, unbelievable for us humans.” He talked with great seriousness in his voice, to get his enemy more angered. “But the only thing you have proved is that the great ones are just animals. On top of the food chain.”

He was impressed by his own ingeniousness - the dragon could not ignore such an insult without losing face. The fight would start soon and he would have reached his goal.

Two big dots appeared in the darkness at the other side of the cave. Bakerd unstrapped his shield from his backpack and walked closer towards his enemy. The eyes of the dragon glowed with an evil eerie red light. Bakerd could easily get himself through the cave, guided by the bright lights. It was quite obvious to him that the creature had taken the insult badly.

“Animal!!?” The dragon hissed out. Its voice had turned from humoristic and teasing to twisted and evil. Bakerd had never heard such hatred poured into a single word. “You dare call me an animal?” The dragon said with a hollow voice. “Are you so eager to die?” It snorted out a cloud of glowing spark and Bakerd could see them raining down from above as he finally reached the wall on the other side of the cave.

The creature was way above him, probably lying in a crack in the wall. Since the dragon was out of his reach he knew he had to get it to attack him to initiate the fight. He gathered his courage once more and continued where he had left off.

“Come on, dragon!” He shouted. “Let’s see if you have what it takes to survive a battle with me.”

He heard a loud rumble from above and he could imagine the great beast clawing through the walls of its cave. Small fragments of stone and dust rained down at him. He now knew that he had goaded his opponent past the point of no return. He fastened his shield around his left arm and grabbed the torch in the same hand. He drew his sword and waited.

“You dare mock me?” The dragon roared. “My patience has run out! I will have to kill you for your disrespectful behaviour!”

Bakerd wanted to end the conversation for good. He knew that his moment of truth was approaching. Dragonslayer, he thought to himself. Let the battle begin. “Mere words, dragon... mere words,” he replied calmly. “So far I have not seen any of these great powers you brag about. I am starting to wonder, do they truly exist?”

“Enough talk,” the dragon said, and started to pull itself out of its cave. Bakerd smiled, he had finally reached his goal. The battle was imminent. He positioned himself in a defensive stance and waited the for the creature to charge down at him.

The dragon’s upper torso hung out over him. He could see his opponent’s great reptile body. It was covered with thousands of black scales, almost like sheets of metal, that protected its body like armour. The two hand-like limbs were leathery and looked incredibly muscular. The seven fingered hands ended in long, razor like claws that gleamed in the torchlight.

The creature’s head was grim and horrible. The two big glowing eyes made it look like a predator overcome by blood lust and Bakerd could sense the dragon’s madness. The grinning mouth was filled with uncountable spear like teeth that dripped with a dark mucus which appeared to come from within its throat. The nose was pointy and sharp and thick grey smoke curled out of its nostrils.

Everything Bakerd saw intensified his urge to kill the beast. Just knowing that he would win in the battle which would start soon gave him a boost of adrenalin that would keep him on the edge for days. When he thought about the feelings that would flow through him after he slew the creature he became excited beyond imagination. Now was the time of success, now, NOW!

The dragon snarled fiercely. It took a deep breath and exhaled. The great one spat out a cloud of smoke and fire, and the caves were lit up for a moment. Bakerd could see his reaper staring down savagely at him as he was touched by the first flames of fire. Their eyes met for a last time. Then he was engulfed by the hellish inferno.

The pain was unbearable. His skin melted, and the fire made his clothes stick to his body. His hair caught on fire and burned up in an instant. His intestines boiled and burst. The enormous temperature made him shiver and his entire body was overcome as if with rigor mortis.

He was paralysed by the burning sensation that hungrily devoured his body, but his mind still worked. “Why had Paladine failed him? Was he not chosen by the great gods? Was he not the hand of Paladine himself? Was he not the one that would become a hero for future generations? Why? WHY? What had happened? What had gone wrong?”

He could not find an answer to the questions passing through his mind. In front of him lay no answers. There was only pain, and all he could do was scream. Scream like he never had before. Until finally he perished as a dried black pile of ashes at the bottom of the great caves in the Eastern Countries.

All went dark again. Dark and silent as it had been for centuries, and would be for centuries to come. The dragon looked at the smoking remnants of the pitiful knight, and uttered a derisive laugh. It was happy with the outcome of the battle. It liked easy victories. A victory reminded it of the immense powers it really possessed, and that felt good once in a while.

Of course it liked to fight now and then. It was so boring, just lying still in a big dark cave, decade after decade. Despite the fact that it liked to fight, it tried to get rid of every challenger that entered its cave without resorting to the use of violence. It was amused by the thought that people really believed they could stand a chance against it. “Though they don’t seem to have the same respect for old mysterious beings that they used to”, the dragon thought to itself. “Hopefully the next human that enters this cave will be wiser and not just fancy with the sword”.

In a good mood, the old being crawled back inside its sleeping nest where it lay down and shut its eyes. As it became more and more tired a smile appeared on its big hideous face. “These amusing pathetic knights, with their hope and beliefs!” it mumbled contently and fell asleep.

Having read the ancient scroll, you can look around the library and ask for another manuscript to read, or you can consult your map of the strong hold to take you to some other area of the guild.