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Chapter 382
He hid inside the Black Staff Tower while he was in Waterdeep.
Even though Elminster had long since stopped paying attention to the Harpists' League, and Kelburn the Black Staff had temporarily broken away from it, Lyra Silverhand remained one of the Harpists' Masters. The Harpists' League had organized four legends to assassinate Casalos; it was impossible for the three of them to have been completely unaware of this.
But they all tacitly chose to remain silent.
After the cleanup operation, Deepwater City fell into an eerie calm. Residents hurried along the streets, not daring to linger; shops closed early, and almost no one went out at night; even the once-active underground forces had disappeared without a trace, not daring to make any rash moves.
Did the Harpists, the Thousand-Faced Sphere Demon, and the Old Bone Chewer reach any agreement? What roles did Kelburn, Elminster, and Lyra Silverhand play? Casalos has no answer to these questions. It has burned several legendary Harpist "Assassins" to ashes, and left no survivors among the Astral Expeditionary Force, thus completely severing all possible leads and making this riot an unsolved mystery forever.
Politics is the art of compromise. These things cannot be investigated too deeply. Leaving any survivors will only become the fuse for new conflicts in the future.
Casalos demonstrated sufficient power and resolve to warn all forces coveting Waterdeep: any challenge would come at a bloody price. He also gave the three Harp Masters of the city ample room to maneuver, making it impossible for them to cause Casalos any further trouble in the short term.
This is both a compromise and a deterrent. If there's a next time, the outcome won't be the same; then even their goddess won't be able to protect them—the current goddess of magic is no longer the Mystra who had a deep connection with Elminster and was the mother of the Seven Sisters in a magical sense.
Faced with the ruthless methods displayed by Iron Dragon, the three harp masters were angry, but also powerless.
6. Internal and external troubles (2)
Two weeks after the tsunami, the dragon wizard Marel, who had disappeared amidst the turmoil, reappeared.
This evil wizard, who controlled the dragon-proof barrier of Waterdeep, used the Agharon Scepter to remove the barrier markings from all known dragons, half-dragons, and dragon-vein creatures within the city.
The ancient and powerful spell of Aversion immediately took effect on the dragon bloodlines throughout the core area of Waterdeep. The sudden magical fluctuations acted like an invisible wall, assaulting them and instantly filling their bodies with intense discomfort. The feeling was indescribable—neither pain nor fear, but an instinctive loathing, as if everything belonging to the dragons was rejecting the city's existence and only wanted to get as far away from it as possible.
Casalos tried to resist the sensation; his powerful willpower withstood the nauseating spell, but his body still uncontrollably retreated, forcing him to leave the tower and take flight. Only by gaining altitude did the nausea lessen. At the same time, the dragons, half-dragon guards, and dragon-vein kobolds that remained in dragon form rather than human disguise throughout the city also exhibited similar symptoms. Instead of howling in frustration, they all withdrew from the city center.
This was a fatal blow to Casalos's rule, and control of the city was greatly weakened within hours, with many areas that had just stabilized falling back into chaos.
Marel rode a young green dragon, circling above the city, his face contorted into a monstrous grin of victory. His voice, amplified by magic, echoed throughout the city: "Citizens of Waterdeep, your guardian has returned! This city belongs to humans, not to those crawling monsters! We will reclaim our lost land and restore order!"
Casalos looked down at everything, sneered, and swooped down to tear the green dragon apart, but failed to capture the dragon wizard who had sensed the danger and triggered an arbitrary teleportation to escape without a trace—this was an obvious result; Marel dared to appear in front of it, so he must have prepared an escape route.
This evil archmage has an extremely profound understanding of his own power. He would never even approach dragons like Razor or Scale of the Secret in his true form. He would never rashly provoke Casalos without other interests at stake.
Who would want to use Marel to test Casalos? There aren't many beings capable of doing such a thing and with the motive to do so, and at this point in time, the only one capable of getting an archmage to take such a risk is probably "Old Chewer."
However, Old Chewer was prepared for the dragon-proof barrier, and he was destined to be disappointed.
With the financial support of Casaloz and the technical support of Dragon Territory, the Archmage Toothshaker has been researching the anti-dragon barrier for many years. Although it is still some distance away from breaking this legendary barrier, it has already found the location of the barrier's core.
Beneath the Tower of Agharon, in a secret chamber within the sewers of Deepwater City, lies the core array that sustains the barrier's operation; destroying it will cause the entire barrier to collapse.
The chamber was sealed by granite tens of meters thick, with layers of adamantite and a miniature magical defensive barrier formed by various solidifying spells within the walls. Due to the effects of the anti-dragon barrier itself on dragons, it was virtually impossible to destroy.
Almost.
A cyborg elite engineering team, personally led by Eswatsky, quickly assembled. This team was uniquely equipped, and each member had undergone unconventional training specifically for handling such "siege" missions.
The city guards evacuated the crowd, and the gray dwarves, controlling the massive astral construct, dug open the relatively soft rock and soil around the secret chamber, nailed three large "millstones" several meters in diameter to the granite wall, and then detonated them after a countdown.
A flash of bright light followed, and a vibration, though not far away, spread out, causing smoke and dust to billow up. Three slender holes, each with an angle of 120°, were drilled into the granite wall, which was tens of meters thick, and the gold interlayer, which was nearly 20cm thick.
Then the golem carrying the large jar stepped forward, filled the chamber with the liquid stored inside the jar along the holes, sealed it with reinforced concrete, and blocked it with an array of force field walls arranged in an overall inclined inverted cone shape.
The air raid sirens wailed throughout the glorious city. Residents who had already received evacuation training took refuge in container houses. The tremors, no less intense than those of the previous major earthquake, swept across the land. The granite chambers, amidst rising smoke, shattered into pieces, like meteors tilting and flying backwards into the sky.
The coverage area of the anti-dragon barrier also rose into the sky with the meteors, and then fell into the Sword Bay Sea together, creating towering columns of water.
"This didn't even damage the array plate?" Shaving Tooth exclaimed in amazement.
"That array is probably made entirely of mithril and adamantite. Liquid explosives are slightly more powerful, but they're not directional, so they're far from enough to destroy mithril. That's perfect. Have Kenneth find a few bronze dragons to turn into fish and pick it up. That'll keep you busy studying it for a while. By the time you fully understand the dragon-proof barrier, you'll probably be qualified to study the ancient elven barrier beneath Waterdeep that can protect dragons during dragon frenzy, right?"
"Let me see another scroll of the Nether Scroll!"
"I don't care, I'm just afraid you'll go crazy if you keep looking..."
Marel's public provocation was just the beginning. Since his escape, a large number of outer realm monsters have suddenly emerged from the depths of Waterdeep, becoming a new security threat to the City of Glory. These monsters come in various forms, some being common hellish or abyssal creatures, others twisted humanoids, and many more completely beyond the comprehension of existing beings.
What they have in common is that they are extremely dangerous and difficult to kill, and even if they are killed, they will leave behind varying degrees of bio-chemical-magical pollution.
Without a doubt, the monsters come from the largest, most complex, and most dangerous dungeon on the continent of Faerûn, the Leyline Maze located beneath Waterdeep!
The dragon wizard Marel probably escaped into the Leyline Labyrinth, which can be considered one of the ways Old Bone Chewer continues to annoy Casalos.
The expeditionary force, which was preparing to withdraw to the Astral Plane, had to redeploy its main forces to fight the monsters. The battle gradually spread from the city's outskirts to the underground, evolving into a protracted mopping-up operation.
Chapter 383
The war of annihilation. Although the expeditionary force was individually powerful, well-equipped, and tactically advanced, progress was still slow in the face of a massive and ever-emerging number of monsters. Clearing the first two levels of the Leyline Maze took several months, and the deeper dungeons were even larger, with more complex terrain and even greater threats.
Fortunately, with the first two floors serving as a base for advancing and maintenance, attracting adventurers who value money over their lives, the threat of monsters to the surface was basically brought under control.
While dealing with the threat of the Leyline Citadel, the takeover plan for Baldur's Gate is also progressing steadily. Baal is dead, and all of Baal's sons have lost their divine blessing. The half-dragon legions have captured and received more than 2000 Flamefist mercenaries who surrendered during jungle guerrilla warfare. After incorporating them into the Dragonflight's control, Casalos has gained substantial control over Baldur's Gate.
However, the more than 1,000 kilometers of separation made unified management of the two regions impossible, and the demon-occupied Dragonspear Fortress, which stood in the middle of the trade route, was an insurmountable barrier to transportation between the two places. With control over the Dragon Territory of the Tindor Plains, the Underdark, the Astral City and the forward base, as well as the Leyline City and Damara, Casalos had no more troops or energy to deal with the Dragonspear Fortress problem.
In this situation, besides flying, the sea route becomes the fastest and most convenient way to connect the two locations of Deepwater Stream and Portgate Gate.
Thanks to the development of maritime trade in Tindor, Dragon's Territory possesses a complete maritime technology and industrial chain, along with a sufficiently large fleet and merchant ships. By reorganizing its navy and merchant ships, it mobilized a massive surface fleet unlike anything ever seen in Sword Coast, which, in conjunction with the expeditionary force's magic ship fleet, ensured the flow and security of goods between Waterdeep and Baldur's Gate.
However, resources don't appear out of thin air. Baldur's Gate, Waterdeep, and the entire Sword Coast suffered devastating losses in the tsunami. The enormous shortage of supplies in the disaster area far exceeded Dragonflight's production capacity. Rebuilding maritime trade was a viable short-term alternative. Under Casalos's orders, a diplomatic team led by Piergalen, the Hidden Scales, and the Tidecaller traveled to Kalinsan and Lantan Isle, opening up a major trade route for goods between the Sword Coast region and the Kalinsan Elven Kingdom and the Dwarven Empire. This route became the only lifeline for supplies to Waterdeep, Baldur's Gate, and the rest of the Sword Coast, preventing famine and further unrest.
The pirates of the Radiant Sea coveted this new shipping route, but after several failed attempts to probe it, they temporarily gave up, escorted by the bronze dragons and the magic ship fleet. The bronze dragons and the magic ship fleet were only providing escort, but the rumored giant orange dragon and wingless green dragon, which were supposed to be causing trouble on the Great Sea, had somehow entered the Radiant Sea and nearly destroyed the pirates' home and their long-hidden treasure. Fighting the evil dragon and protecting their treasure became the pirates' top priority.
They didn't want to end up like those unlucky guys on the giant sea, turned from powerful pirates who preyed on merchant ships into sea beggars rowing small sampans carrying large banana leaves, barely surviving on moldy food from merchant ships.
The rules of the gods established by AO were taking effect. During its reconstruction, Waterdeep forged a strategic alliance with the temples of benevolent deities such as the Earth Mother, the God of Knowledge, and the God of Crafts. The third contingent of grey dwarf engineers and priests of the benevolent gods traveled to Baldur's Gate to begin repairing the city's critical infrastructure. Burnt granaries were rebuilt, the magical plague contamination from the demigod lich was purified, damaged docks were rebuilt and expanded, and the broken water supply system was reconnected. Within just a few weeks, this war-torn city began to recover, and its inhabitants, besieged by the death-filled swamp, were given a new lease on life.
However, the external threats facing Waterdeep-Baldur's Gate have never been eliminated.
After several probing attacks, it was confirmed that the weakened Old Chewbon of Casalos was stirring in the forests of Krypt Garden. With their northward advance potentially completely blocked by the "Soft Wings," the Red Dragons of the Starswirling Mountains also turned their attention westward, seeing an opportunity in the dilapidated coast of Sword Bay. They sent scouts to investigate the defenses of Deepwater Territory, attempting to find exploitable weaknesses.
Faced with a menacing dragon that is difficult to deal with in a short time, Casalos decides to put on a grand show to intimidate it.
ask for leave
Drawing is so time-consuming! I just scribbled something down and when I looked up, I was already running out of time...
7. Deterring petty thieves
A full month after the tsunami, the reconstruction of Waterdeep City showed some progress, and the new administrative system was beginning to show results. The Northern Dragon, the Mad Dragon, the nightmare of the Sword Coast dragons, "Old Roar" Klaus has launched a fierce attack!
The arrival of this ancient red dragon was not without warning. Deepwater's intelligence network had been on the move for some time, and the bards of the North had reported that Roar had been frequently active in the area from Loch Ness to High Forest in recent months, constantly annexing or driving away red dragons from smaller dragon nests in the surrounding area, and was approaching Deepwater Ridge.
But when it actually appeared over Waterdeep, the many creatures within the city were still terrified by the terrifying aura it emitted.
The enormous, orange-red figure first appeared on the northern horizon, like a miniature sun rising from the horizon. Even a hurricane, a hurricane rarely seen in a millennium, had never stirred the waters of Sword Bay like this. The gale was merely the aftershock of the old dragon's wings flapping, enough to make the giant ships moored in the harbor sway like children's toys. Without even exhaling, the turbulence created by this extraordinary ancient dragon's flight alone was enough to stir up giant waves and destroy the newly repaired dock foundations.
The residents of Deepwater City's North District were immediately overwhelmed by the terrifying aura. Some elderly people who had experienced dragon attacks instinctively understood what this meant. They rushed out of their homes, facing the northern horizon, and saw the red light rapidly expand, filling half the sky in just a few minutes. Panic then spread like ripples from the North District, and the streets were soon filled with people scrambling to escape.
Faced with this ancient dragon that had long coveted the glorious city, the small group of hidden dragons led by the Keepers, the Thinkers, and the Tooth-Shaving, the Hundred Rivers Society, the Landlady and other hidden dragons of Deepwater City, as well as the singing dragons outside the city, all took to the air to meet the enemy. Hundreds of giant dragons with their wings covered the sky.
The inhabitants of Waterdeep, having endured countless hardships, were long accustomed to the presence of dragons, but the sight of so many dragons appearing simultaneously was still rare. Dragons of different colors and species soared into the sky from all parts of the city, while smaller steel dragons spiraled upwards from within the city, and a group of bronze dragons radiating a deep blue light gathered from the eastern bay. The scales of the dragons shimmered like pearls in the sunlight, forming a loose formation around the central toothed dragon.
These dragons, which usually hide in human form, now all reveal their true forms and work together to deal with this extraordinary red dragon that far exceeds the norm.
But under the blasphemous divine power emanating from the Old Roar, originating from the Mother of Evil Dragons, the Five-Colored Dragon Queen, everything paled in comparison.
The divine power was like a prison, firmly "imprisoning" everything within a radius of tens of kilometers centered on Deepwater City. The shackles originating from the soul imprisoned the dragons and all living beings within the area covered by the spiritual light in the deepest despair, even the wind and the waves were imprisoned.
The sailors in the port witnessed the sea transform from a turbulent surge to an eerie stillness, with distant waves frozen in mid-air like sculptures under a spell. The bagpipes and wind chimes within the city fell silent, and fluttering flags hung stiffly in the air. The crowds running through the streets slowed their pace in unison, then came to a complete halt, their eyes filled with incomprehensible fear.
This is yet another Ansu... no, Old Roar is far more powerful than Ansu. This is not the deep sea; it soars high in the sky, unleashing its overwhelming power.
The recently restored magical network of warp and weft was warped and deformed under the influence of the aura, rendering all devices within Waterdeep that relied on arcane energy ineffective. Spellcasters attempting to escape through magic found themselves unable to concentrate on their incantations, the magical energy surging through their fingers...
Chapter 384
The sharp points condensed and dissipated, and their immobilized bodies could not maintain focus for even half a second, nor could they complete incantations or spellcasting actions.
The only saving grace was that the blasphemous power from Tiamat was not the Netherworld that directly extinguished life.
All the dragons and humans watched in disbelief as the enormous ancient red dragon took a deep breath, the boiling magic in its veins converging in its mouth, like the sun about to set on a glorious city, yet unable to move.
The mages atop the Black Staff Tower could even observe how magical energy was absorbed and recombined by the ancient red dragon. The process of condensing that dragon's breath took almost a minute, yet it felt like an eternity. Kelburn, the Black Staff atop the tower, was deathly pale, and Elminster's long white beard was frozen in place by the stagnant wind. With Grommash Hellscream's power, this breath was enough to level most of Waterdeep, and even the survivors would be painfully burned to death in the afterglow.
Only when the dim, shimmering light, like the glow within a Bejuri gem, broke through divine power, and the light said to come from the Dragon God of Destiny unfolded, carving out a tranquil area in the cage of despair, were the creatures of Deepwater City and the dragons that took flight to meet the enemy freed.
The light was initially so faint as to be almost imperceptible, like the most inconspicuous star in the night sky. It slowly rose from the center of the dragon horde, piercing the edge of the multicolored halo and leaving a small but clearly visible hole. Then, the hole began to widen, like burning paper, the flames spreading outwards along the edges. Unlike the deep, distorted light and shadow surrounding Old Roar, this flame possessed a profound and serene quality; it was neither ostentatious nor dazzling, yet it had an indescribable penetrating power.
Casalos rose like a star of dawn in the darkest hour. The calming aura bestowed by Kuronips upon its youthful body, like that of the extraordinary ancient red dragon and its despairing aura originating from Tiamat, appeared so small and dim, yet so resolute and brilliant.
The first thing the crowd watching from inside the city noticed was the sudden relief of the invisible pressure that had been binding them. Some people regained their mobility, and as they looked up at the sky, they saw two completely different lights colliding high above.
The dawn's light, swaying with the renewed flow of the wind, collided with the setting sun, a symbol of destruction.
The observers within the city could not bear to watch the duel. Even the mages atop the Black Staff Tower had to avert their gaze to avoid permanent eye damage. But during this brief standoff, the creatures within the city sensed a strange fluctuation emanating from the point of impact. First came Razorscale, then the Landlady, followed by the Keeper of Secrets and the Thinker; one by one, all the imprisoned dragons regained their mobility.
The dragons immediately adjusted their formation. The steel and bronze dragons formed two arrowhead formations, approaching Roar from the flanks. The song dragons quickly ascended to higher ground, preparing for a dive attack. The remaining hidden dragons spread out to form a loose encirclement, seemingly awaiting some kind of command.
The burst of intense light briefly blinded all creatures that relied on light for perception. By the time the most powerful dragons regained their blurred vision, Casaloz, in his chaotic elemental form, had already pierced through the sea of fire that engulfed the entire sky and was locked in battle with the colossal ancient red dragon. All vision of the sky was obscured by the inferno. Even the dragons could not see directly into the center of the fire, but they could vaguely discern two enormous figures darting and colliding within the flames, each contact triggering a new wave of explosions and light.
This is a battle between an extraordinary ancient red dragon who has converted to the Mother of Dragons and an unusual young iron dragon who has been favored by the Dragon of Destiny. Apart from the gods—no, the gods can no longer cast their power into the mortal world, only other dragons who are also chosen by the gods are qualified to take flight in this battle.
The ancient dragon's vast dragon magic and breath ignited the entire sky of Sword Bay, while the flames and "arcane fire" belonging to the Iron Dragon tore a rift in the ancient red dragon's vast dragon magic, spreading together towards the heart of Faerûn.
Even mortals watching the battle from over ten kilometers away could feel the aftershocks. Each collision of dragon breath created a conspicuous shockwave high in the sky, like ripples spreading outwards. Buildings on the ground would tremble slightly, while various strange magical remnants would fall from the sky: sometimes shimmering dust, sometimes water droplets that condensed into ice crystals in mid-air, and sometimes even small, fleeting elemental creatures that disintegrated and dissipated before reaching the ground.
The battlefield gradually shifted northeastward from above Waterdeep, and the battle area between the two chosen dragons continued to expand. Observers on the ground could only see flashes of light in the distant sky and the occasional massive figure streaking across the horizon. As the battlefield moved further away, the magical interference within Waterdeep gradually lessened, and the suppressed spellcasting abilities began to recover.
According to eyewitnesses, the battle between the two chosen dragons lasted for three days and three nights, starting above Waterdeep, continuing all the way to the High Forest, then turning northwest to sweep across the World's Spine. The magical dragonfire that burned across the battlefield lasted for a full two weeks before dissipating with the monsoon winds.
On the first day, the battlefield shifted from Waterdeep to the eastern wilderness. Unable to approach the core battleground, the dragons scattered, providing limited support from the perimeter. As night fell, the entire northeastern sky glowed with an eerie light, as if a strange, distorted sunset hung there. The distant mountains were illuminated with sharp angles, and even the individual trees on their slopes were clearly visible.
The next day, the battlefield shifted north to the edge of the High Forest. There, the elves witnessed firsthand how the two dragons wove intricate battle trajectories in mid-air, each attack triggering a new burst of magic. Every breath of Grommash Hellscream carved a trail of fire hundreds of meters wide through the clouds above the forest, while Casalos's counterattacks left trails of burning arcane flames in the air—flames that neither extinguished nor fell, like luminous marks nailed to the sky, tightly coiled around the ancient red dragon's flames, like cracks.
On the third day, the battlefield extended to the World's Spine Mountains. The dwarves there saw strange phenomena in the distant sky from the observation posts of the underground castle. It looked as if two orbs of light were moving at high speed above the clouds, with the outlines of dragons occasionally appearing briefly, followed by a powerful shock that spread out from the sky, causing slight tremors in the mountains and the sliding of snow.
No one knows the exact outcome of the battle, but the scene of Casalos's return is unforgettable for all who witnessed it. The majestic young iron dragon, the current open lord of Waterdeep, flew slowly across the surface of Sword Bay, each flap of its wings appearing labored. Its scales no longer shimmered with metallic luster, but were covered with a layer of dull gray, and in some places were even completely broken, exposing the flesh beneath. But even in this state, it maintained the dignity of a dragon, flying straight towards Waterdeep Palace, showing no sign of falling.
Afterwards, an old man claiming to represent the Old Roar sent sixteen red dragon heads of varying ages—from young to old—to the Glorious City as a gesture of reconciliation—all of which were red dragons that had recently been stirring up trouble in Waterdeep.
The old man waited in the courtyard of the Deepwater Palace for a full week until Casalos's injuries had slightly improved before he was granted an audience. The sixteen dragon heads he brought were arranged in the square in front of the Deepwater Palace, attracting countless onlookers. Some of these dragon heads still retained the angry expressions they had before death, while others showed deep fear. All of them had been treated in some special way, avoiding the rapid natural decay of dragon corpses, and had remained as fresh and ferocious as they were before death.
The old man claimed that this was the old man's respect for Casalos's courage and strength, and proof that he no longer harbored hostility towards Waterdeep.
But the dragons within the city knew this was merely Old Roar's usual tactic—when unable to win, it would use the possessions of others to reach a compromise, while also gaining some other benefits for itself. These sixteen dragon heads all came from the Supreme Being.
Chapter 385
The red dragons in the forest who had a grudge against Roar could both satisfy Roar's desire for revenge and serve as bargaining chips for reconciliation.
After this battle, Old Bone Chewer, who had been monitoring the entire fight through the crystal ball, ceased his activities. The Red Dragonflight of the High Forest suffered heavy losses and could barely even fight against Vira Marandes and Silverwing. Without several hundred years of recuperation, they would not be able to advance westward to Waterdeep.
8. Mother's kindness and son's filial piety
Domestically, Casalos's sweeping reforms are beginning to show results. Internationally, Casalos has demonstrated top-tier individual strength on the continent.
Old Roar's "compromise" meant that Waterdeep City was essentially freed from the covetous eyes of external enemies for the time being, and reconstruction finally entered a fast track. "Making the Glorious City Glorious Again" was no longer just a slogan, but a visible goal.
Aside from the original refugee settlement at the foot of Deepwater Mountain, which retains its simple yet sturdy container structure, the port and commercial district of Deepwater City have largely recovered their original splendor, even becoming more orderly thanks to its epoch-making planning. Dragon Avenue and Casaloz's Road, two main thoroughfares, run horizontally and vertically through the new Deepwater City. The engineering teams, trained in the Astral City, have shed their original dark style, incorporating architectural styles from different worlds and races within Tunaras City. Through this fusion and innovation, the new Deepwater City complex is filled with exotic artistic flair and practicality suitable for the physiological structures of various human races.
Trade fleets sailing from Kalinsan into the harbor of Waterdeep stretched as far as the eye could see, loading and unloading cargo almost day and night. Daily trade, measured in gold, easily surpassed Waterdeep's total annual throughput in the past. High-quality timber and elven magical artifacts from Kalinsan, gnome machinery and steam-powered equipment from Lantan Isle, and minerals and steel from Dragonborn together formed the material foundation for Waterdeep's reconstruction.
The Maritime Council was reorganized into the Deepwater Territory Maritime Trade Alliance, and ship owners who were originally from different factions established an inseparable trade relationship with Casalos. The bronze dragon Ramalentos's "Scale-Eye" shipping company, leveraging its connections in Sword Coast and Shining Sea, facilitated the incorporation of more reputable merchant ships into the alliance, forming a massive commercial fleet. This fleet, in conjunction with the expeditionary force's magical ships, became the lifeline for the transport of goods between the two cities of Deepwater and Casalos.
Compared to the rapidly recovering Waterdeep, the situation at Baldur's Gate is far more complex. The effects of the demigod lich's magical plague have not yet been completely eradicated, but reconstruction efforts are progressing steadily. A cluster of truss container houses, similar to those in Waterdeep, has been built in the north of the city, providing enough living space to accommodate 20,000 refugees. These modular buildings, though rudimentary, are equipped with basic living facilities sufficient to meet the refugees' temporary shelter needs.
The temporary port at Baldur's Gate is now operational, receiving relief supplies transferred from Waterdeep daily. Although far smaller than the original port, this floating dock, built using a combination of astral technology and local craftsmanship, boasts superior loading and unloading efficiency and can automatically adjust its height to accommodate tidal changes, ensuring ships can safely dock at any time.
After a two-week field investigation at Baldur's Gate, the priests of the Temple of Mother Earth, God of Knowledge, and God of Craftsmanship finally proposed a preliminary plan to purify the plague. This plan involves three steps: first, the priests of Mother Earth would repair the contaminated soil; then, the sorcerers of God of Knowledge would seal the remaining negative energy; and finally, the experts of God of Craftsmanship would construct a special guiding device to reconnect the purified land with the natural elements.
Although the program has not yet been implemented on a large scale, it has achieved remarkable results in several small-scale pilot programs. Long-dormant trees have begun to sprout new buds, animals ravaged by the plague are gradually recovering, and even a small number of birds have returned to the low skies above Baldur's Gate. These subtle changes have brought long-awaited hope to the city's residents, who have been suffering from disease.
With reconstruction on track, Casalos finally had the opportunity to extricate itself from endless political affairs. Long immersed in the quagmire of political and military struggles, it increasingly yearned to handle more personal matters personally.
During this brief respite, an interesting message reached Casalos's ears: Gaelos Dragon Nightmare's journey into the abyss was still in the planning stage and progressing slowly.
This news was both unexpected and logical. As a pawn of Bahamut, Gaelos's journey through the Abyss was a grand drama orchestrated by Bahamut and Tiamat to restore faith to Faerûn. During this turbulent time, the gods were banished, and the divine punishment of the Apocalypse plunged them into mortal predicaments, making it impossible for this drama to unfold as originally planned.
Only when the gods return to their rightful places will Dragon Nightmare truly have the opportunity to face the Lord of the Abyss.
For Casalos, this also represents a rare opportunity—to participate in this grand drama and obtain a legitimate Bahamut voter status for his Golden Dragon Vest, which is crucial to his strategic plan and a key deployment for the expansion of the Athelonian Faerun's influence.
Before that, Casalos needs to deal with a private dragon matter that is not urgent but extremely important: the treatment of its mother, Quetamiz.
Casalos learned of Daenerys's survival through the tungsten dragon Fiona some time ago. It visited Daenerys several times and, when the Astral Advance Base was initially completed, transferred her to the Astral Plane where her body was frozen. It had long since gained the ability to dismantle the power of Purgatory, but faced a cruel dilemma: the Purgatory power had corroded Daenerys's entire body and even the depths of her dragon soul, and the weakened Quatamiz was simply unable to withstand the impact of the dismantling process.
This is akin to treating a terminally ill cancer patient—radiation therapy, while capable of killing cancer cells, often kills the patient before curing them. Casalos attempted superficial lysis several times, but had to halt treatment when Daenerys' vital signs rapidly deteriorated. The lack of precise control over the extent and intensity of the lysis became Casalos's greatest obstacle in saving Daenerys.