WATCHDRAGON (DRAGON ARCHIPELAGO)

The Dragon Archipelago, is a cluster of islands laying someone in the midst of the Great Sea that rise and sink above and below the water, bobbing like a buoy in the waves. These islands are actually a giant, sleeping dragon known as the old Watchdragon, the fiercest dragon of all. The hot spring is actually smoke pouring out of the dragon's nostrils. The encircling water is filled with deadly water-grues which will devour swimmers on site. Pulling one of the dragon's toes on the far right foot caused its stomach to rise to the surface (just the way their bodies work).

The flying galleon carrying the Coconut of Quendor met its terrible fate when it was swallowed by the great flying Watchdragon along with most of its crew. Some minor details of this account are related to us in a small excerpt from the "Voyage of Captain Zahab":

...drop of water, and not a bit of food in the hold!

   A forthnight longer, and my mind grew infirm. Like a mirage in the desert, I began to see islands where there were none—and where I swore I saw only horizon not a moment before, hills grew up out on the water, right before my eyes. At first I thought it must have been all the rye I drank. I sent out a dingy. Not an hour later, a roar rocked out craft, followed by a terrific crashing noise, like a great granola mine had just collapsed. What vile menace inhabits this Isle of the Damned?

 

Dismembur 12

   We found the remains of the dingy on a floating island, along with one survivor. He had gone mad, raving incoherently about plugging the nostrils of some serpent beast. His last tearful words I record here so that I might share them with his loved ones.

   “We tried to pull the coconut from his mouth. But he knew. And woe, for his wrath was mighty!

Although at least Captain Zahab escaped alive, there are records remaining of the fate of two other members of the crew, Sneffle and Y’Gael. Sneffle would make the Watchdragon his place of residency for a time, but Y’Gael’s departure is shrouded in mystery. It is uncertain if the great enchantress temporary perished while her spirit drifted up to the Ethereal Plane of Atrii, if her spirit ascended there by will (either to escape the seas or at a future date), or if she ascended there bodily. Either way, the aging Y’Gael would manifest herself from the Ethereal Planes with the appearance of youth, but by the Second Age of Magic, be present upon the surface of Zork donned in her former vessel of old flesh.

While Sneffle the Baker lived within the Watchdragon Arms Aparments. According to him, there were other "slobs" in the lower spleen whose dog would not stop barking. There was a partially furnished spare loft behind the uvula.

When the magical race of griffs later stumbled upon the ship wrecked deep in the Great Sea near the Dragon Archipelago (which was the group of islands formed by Watchdragon as he slept upon the surface of the sea), they found it haunted. Onboard they discovered the Coconut of Quendor. This magical talisman protected the griffs, causing them to flourish as they carefully hoarded the Coconut.

While it is not known how long the griffs had the Coconut in possession, a greedy horde of dragons fell upon them in attempt to reclaim the relic which was rightful theirs, and it was lost again to the talons of the Watchdragon who departed somewhere into the vicinity of the Great Sea and would guard the treasure for almost a century. All that remained was a bedtime tale that told that only the bravest, most important griff in the world would defeat the old Watchdragon and reclaim the Coconut for his race.

This happened in 1067 GUE, when an unknown griff went back in time via a time tunnel and arrived at the Dragon Archipelago and heisted the Coconut of Quendor. Firstly the submerged head of the dragon had to be raised to the surface. This was done when the griff stuffed an inflatable sea captain into one nostril and an un-inflated boat into the other, then inflated them both. With both nostrils plugged, the Watchdragon lifted its head out of hte water, allowing griff to fly inside the maw. The dragon did not seem to mind that the griff was within its mouth, but any attempt to remove the Coconut resulted in its mouth slamming shut. Sneffle the Baker, hoping that the griff would pull him out of the throat, tossing up a coil of rope. Ignoring him, the griff took the rope and a golden chipped-off piece of one o the dragon's teeth. He placed the Coconut into a pouch on the inflatable boat (one half which was sticking out of the nose, and the other into the maw). He flew outside the mouth and tied the boat to the sea captain's leg so that both inflatable devices were connected. Reentering the mouth, the griff popped the captain with the piece of the dragon's tooth. The deflating captain shot out of the nose and whizzed around in the air for a few seconds with the inflatable boat in tow before crashing into the water and sinking. Realizing that the Coconut was stolen, the Watchdragon attempted to close its maw, but the griff escaped before being trapped inside, and then quickly vanished in a strange walking castle.