Strings of Sanctuary: Axelmaria by Murien Zirkin

[Gippy]

The Death of Axelmaria
 
In the year 150, the Spellguard completed an audacious plan to keep the city of Traensyr in civil war by resurecting the undead lich Temariel. In the year 153, the lich Temariel slew the powerful brass dragon Axelmaria as it journied across the Underdark to slay Etorix, and lead the people of Sanctuary to safety. The fates are fickle, feckless, and truly cruel.
 
The drow city of Traensyr was kept in perpetual civil war by rivaling great houses in service to Lolth, the remenants of the disgraced house Noctovir, and the chaotic and wicked drow of Ghaundaur living in the sewers. These factions fought eachother, and kept the drow from imposing their will on the nearby settlements of sentient races. It was this civil war that kept the city of Sanctuary free. The Spellguard sought to skew the balance of power even further and spread chaos amongst the Drow. By chance, this opportunity was given to them, and they successfully aided the drow of the sewers in returning to power the Lich Temariel. Upon the coming of Temariel the streets of Traenysyr ran with bloody ooze, and the Spellguard patted themselves on the back, and were content to watch the misery of what they had unleashed unfold itself on the drow.
 
Three years later, the city of Sanctuary still stood, though the end of times was near. The streets of Lower Sanctuary had been lost to the ravenous Chosen Hoards, the Dragon Etorix, despite the promises it had made, did not come to save the people it 'protected,' and the great houses of Traensyr had united to crush Temariel. As all this was taking place across the underdark, a champion and her knight were making their way to Sanctuary. She was the powerful brass dragon Axelmaria, and she was coming to slay Etorix, and lead the people of Sanctuary to safety. As she swept across the Dark Lake on gossamer wings, she was ambushed by the lich Temariel, whom had set out to prove his superiorty over all creatures in the underdark. For five days they fought, Axelmaria's wings melted away by the lake of acid and ooze that Temariel made to rise up against her. For five days she withstood this brutal tide, only to be defeated on the sixth. Temariel, weakened, could not celebrate his victory as he was caught off guard by the agents of the new Traeynsyrian Matriarch and crushed to dust.
 
Two weeks later the drow began to arrive at Sanctuary's gates from the united drow city. One week before the drow came, Jarcy, Axelmaria's companion and knight arrived to tell the tale of her fall before recklessly hurling himself after Etorix, undersupplied and underequipped. Axelmaria, the city's salvation, never arrived in Sanctuary. Never lead the people up The Way. Never united the city before the brutal civil war tore it apart. She never saw her brood hatch. She died because of the city of Sanctuary's sins, and so all of that city must remember her, for she was to be our savior.
 
~Murien Zirkin, Flamerule 25th Year 153