LIA'S MOTHER FINDING THE AMULET LIA'S COUSINS LIA AND DIRINTHRAX

LIA

As granddaughter of Thorman the Red-beard, Lia inherited his russet hair and would one day grow up to become the Queen of Egreth.

After Radnor caused the death of Thorman’s daughter and his son-in-law, their daughter Lia became orphaned at the age of five and was brought up by distant cousins in the Northlands. She would remember little from her earliest years beyond her mother’s gentle face and the red beard of her grandfather. Thorman, weakened by grief at the deaths, sent the Amulet of Egreth to Lia who with her cousins. One night, while she was walking in the woods, a sudden gust of wind blew some leaves away, revealing the beautiful shining amulet. It was strange; almost seemed to be alive. Lia slipped it around her neck and wandered home. Unknowingly, she fulfilled her grandfather’s dying wish when she found the amulet.

As Lia grew into womanhood, her friends loved her willful nature and the small magics she was able to work. But her stepparents thought her fey and looked upon her with fear rather than pleasure. One night, Lia overheard them plotting to sell her to the Green Magicians. It was then that she disguised herself as a boy, by shorning her hair and donning male garments, to facilitate her flight from home. Away from the village, she hoped to find work in one of the larger towns in the Southlands. Although fully a woman, Lia realized that she had to think of herself as “he.” Her name became Lim.

Near Egreth Castle, she stumbled upon the caravan of Gurthark the Stout, which guarded by Ryker, carried Acia, Frobwit the Fair, Dirinthrax to Accardi-by-the-Sea. That night, while Lia was spying on the campsite, Ryker spotted the intruder and apprehended her. The scout, finding no evil intentions in Lia, proposed that she join the caravan. If she would care for the pack of animals, they would provide her with food and safe passage. Lia accepted at once and the deal was struck. She followed Ryker back to the campfire to meet the other travelers.

The power of the Amulet of Egreth, mesmerized Acia, making her desirous for it. Her stares made Lia strangely uncomfortable. When the travelers had made their way to bed, Acia slipped away to find Lia. Tired from the day’s journey, she did not hear the approaching footsteps. Acia, not realizing that Lia was not male, could not resist giving her a kiss. She woke up surprised. Acia’s attempts to manipulate Lia into handing over the amulet were met with failure and she stomped off defeated. Later that evening, when Lia had fallen into deep slumber, Acia returned to search for the amulet. She took it and hid the amulet in her cloak and tiptoed away.

While they were asleep, a pack of night gaunts, who were seeking the amulet on behalf of Radnor the evil warlock currently residing at Egreth Castle, abducted Acia. The creatures knocked out Ryker, but Acia’s scream woke the others. Dirinthrax, who had went after Acia in the form of a bird was missing as well. Ryker, determined to rescue Acia, set off with Gurthark and Frobwit for Egreth, leaving Lia behind to watch over the campsite.

Although fearful, Lia felt good that she had been trusted enough to stand guard over the traveler’s belongings. Huddling by the campfire, she spotted a troupe of night gaunts. These creatures, having failed to find the Amulet of Egreth on Acia (she had since dropped it), had been sent back to comb the campsite for it. Unknown to Lia, one of them had found it and hurried back to the castle.

Having no incentive to stay in camp, Lia followed until the night gaunts entered the castle, the drawbridge closing behind them. Lia had no choice by to swim across the icy moat. Thinking of future comfort, she slipped out of the leather tunic and waded naked across the moat. At the same time, unknown to the Lia, Dirinthrax (who had previously infiltrated the castle and was invisible), watched her from a high window and knew that she was not a boy. He was mesmerized by her beauty.

When Lia was once again dressed in the tunic, Dirinthrax resumed his solid form. She scaled the mossy castle wall by climbing ancient vines. Once safely within, the two set out in search of Acia. Before they could venture far, Lia stepped upon a transportation pentagram, which carried her to a hobgoblin harem. She tried to hide in a gauzy veil intended for a rather large she-goblin, but was not successful. The beasts prepared to sacrifice the virgin to the pseudo-god Eros, known as the God of Lust.

Before Lia was about to be added to their hot bubbling cauldron, Dirinthrax broke into the harem, piercing the heavy wooden door with a shimmering blade. Using the Amulet of Egreth, which he had found in the meantime, Dirinthrax defeated the army of enraged hobgoblins with an eternal sleep curse.

Dirinthrax fabricated a story, in which a woman was destined to become a concubine in the king’s harem, but prevented it by disguising herself as a man. Although indirect, Lia was certain that he knew that she was a woman.

As their search continued they found Ryker, knocked out. He had infiltrated the castle and been hit by door that had been knocked off its hinges by a stray bolt of magic from the confrontation between Frobwit and Radnor which took place within the throne room. The three entered just in time to see Frobwit being turned into a slug. In revenge, Dirinthrax used the Amulet of Egreth to funnel his rage into a mighty spell which took Radnor by surprise. The magician’s power was subdued and Frobwit was restored to health and vigor. It was then that Lia realized that her amulet was missing.

Suddenly, Acia came through the wall trapped inside a bubble. It popped, landing her in the arms of Ryker. Radnor’s face suddenly changed to that of a kind and wise old man, which they thought had happened as a result of Dirinthrax’s spell. Acia snatched the amulet from Dirinthrax and quickly slipped it on. Radnor placed a crown upon Acia’s head, which when worn, cursed her into a deep trance. Radnor took the opportunity to obtain the amulet. Ryker sprang into action, and snatched the amulet from the magician.

Lia, seeking to recover what was rightfully hers, fished the amulet from Ryker with its own magic. The amulet felt at her in her hand. At the same time, her disguise fell away, revealing a womanly figure, and her hair lengthened. Using the power of the amulet, Lia transformed Radnor into a puddle of foul-smelling liquid. Frobwit finished the deed by entrapping the warlock’s essence in a crystal ball, and sent it into the Egreth treasury. Unfortunately, Gurthark, thinking that the crystal ball was but another of the castle’s relics, did not leave it behind.

After Radnor had been defeated, a bright light filled the room. Day had once more turned to night. But outside the chamber window, two stars stone with the brilliance of the sun. They were the eyes of the spirit of Thorman the Red-beard. He explained to her that with the amulet she had gained his powerful magic, and that Dirinthrax was the true heir to Duncanthrax. Thorman then resurrected the crumbling hulk of Egreth Castle into its former glory. The transformation affected even the night gaunts that dwelled within, breaking the powerful hold that Radnor had had over them. Although the night gaunts offered their service to King Dirinthrax and Queen Lia, she dismissed them to return to the forests and live free.

Dirinthrax and Lia were finally able to express their feelings for each other, kissing and embracing one another with ardent passion. After a brief farewell, the other members of the caravan departed, leaving the kind and brave new rulers of Egreth behind.

The two magic users set to work making Egreth Castle livable once again. Clearly, in an age dominated by the might of the guilds and the ever-growing power of Syovar, very few people would ever notice this quiet reincarnation of the Flathead dynasty. Dirinthrax and Lia for their own parts never seem to have made any efforts to enforce their claims to royal authority. Having few friends, fewer subjects, and no military of any kind, the two seem to have been content with absolute dominion over their own empty castle, occasionally taking trips to the nearest village to replenish their larder as necessary. Although it is not known to any degree of certainty what fate awaited the two pretenders, various oral traditions from the Egreth area claim that the devastating events of the end of the Age of Magic were barely felt by the castle's owners, and that the last pair of Flathead monarchs lived well into the 11th century, when they finally passed away in silence and obscurity.