Contents

Soulbound — Paul S. Kemp

First Flight — Edward Bolme

Gorlist's Dragon — Elaine Cunningham

The Keeper of Secrets — Ed Greenwood

The Topaz Dragon — Jess Lebow

Wickless in the Nether — R. A. Salvatore

Serpestrillvyth — Richard Baker

Waylaid — Thomas M. Reid

Standard Delving Procedure — Lisa Smedman

An Icy Heart — Voronica Whitney-Robinson

Penitential Rites — Keith Francis Strohm

How sharper than a serpent' tooth — Dave Gross

Beer with a fat dragon — Don Bassingthwaite

The prisoner of hulburg — Richard Lee Byers

The Year of False Hopes (-646 DR)

Avnon Des the Seer, First Demarch of the Conclave of the Hall of Shadows, awakened from his vision. Something was amiss. He opened his eyes to the darkness of his meditation cell and listened.

Silence. Unusual silence.

The air felt changed. The shadows in the cell appeared more substantive, almost viscous. Pressure made his ears ache, made his head feel thick.

He rose from his prayer mat, pensive, uncertain, and walked to the narrow wooden door of the cell. He lifted the cold metal latch and pushed the door open.

Darkness in the apse beyond, broken only by two wan candles burning atop the square block of an altar. All appeared in order, yet….

The main double doors to the temple stood open and dark. It was midday, yet he could see no light beyond the doors. He could hear no sounds from the city streets outside.

What was happening?

Barely daring to breathe, and with a sense of foreboding heavy enough to bow his shoulders, he moved toward the temple's doors. Some of his fellow demarchs emerged from their meditation cells, others from the doors behind the altar that led into the sanctum.