Legends of Belariath
Tylanthus
I was the first.
No… not the first… but I was one of the first. Close enough, you know what I mean.
I don’t know who brought me into being. I don’t know when it happened, either.
But here I am. I exist.
And I have lived longer than any other being in these lands, bar none.
None… except the Gods themselves. Ever meet the Gods? Entertaining beings. They are powerful, terrifying to all but beings such as myself, and can be ruthlessly manipulative when it suits their needs.
They also play great games of chess. Not that paltry, limited little human version of chess. I’m referring to the ongoing chess game that is life itself.
And I play to win. A pity that the game will never truly end, but then again, that’s fine with me, because it means that when I take loses, I can recover them.
Many of my kind do not stay in these lands for spans I would consider long. A thousand years or two, and then they get bored and move on to other realms. And I wish them well, for boredom is something I have never truly felt. At least, not in the capacity that would cause me to leave this place. It’s far too much fun.
Take the drow for example. I can walk into a drow city in the guise of anyone I choose, and begin to pull strings, plot, and whirl tales that will upset their delicate little balances for hundreds of years to come. Did you ever hear of the house of Mokkaoth`Zar? You won’t. You know why? Because I had it crushed underfoot and removed from drow history itself. You might consider me a liar, but do I really care? You’ll be dead before it really matters. You’re an elf you say? Thousands of years to live? …I’ve already lived for thousands of years, so what are a few more?
Elves… thanks for brining that to my attention. Elves are also a great lot of fun. They can sing and prance and act all haughty, but so much as ruffle their ears and they huff and puff like an adder. They’re so cute when the tips of their ears turn crimson.
But enough of all of that. You could say I’ve been around for a while, yes. Seen and done it all, but even that’s not enough, so I keep on wandering the lands, looking for newer and better things to take interest in. Sure, a few people have caught on in my time, learned what it is I truly am and acted accordingly. But, I haven’t lived this long to be taken out by a few measly mortals. Even the ones that think they have it all figured out, using their little magic and their enchanted weapons. Peh, amateurs. If they had an ounce of sense, they would realize that in their few decades, I’ve been expanding my powers for thousands of years. You should see the looks on their faces when I stop playing with them and start using a bit more power than they can handle. It always amuses me… what, do they think my powers stagnate just because I’m old?
I’m not going to bore you with details, oh no. Suffice to say that I’ve seen, done, and heard it all. But I like repeat performances sometimes, and beings can be interesting, because each one is unique in its own way. That’s probably why I’m still in Belariath… because I don’t want to miss a single piece of the action.
And who knows? Maybe in a few more thousand years, StormBringer himself will get bored enough to turn the world over to me. And then… the real fun can begin.
…I always get a very wide, toothy smile on my face when I think of the possibilities… to own your entire world, to know that each and every living being is your own pawn to play with. But then again… what fun are games if there’s nobody to play against? So, I guess things can remain as they are. For now.
Oh, and StormBringer? Katarein? You’re still not getting back those one hundred mehrials I owe you until you finally sit down and play another real game of Dragon Bridge with me. I’ll even invite my own partner next time.
Physical Description: If you ever meet the Dragon Tylanthus… you’ll probably never know it. Tylanthus has nor keeps any set form for long. Man, woman, elf, human, none of it matters to him. Each form has its own purpose, and each purpose is to serve his own needs. Tylanthus is not a materialistic dragon, nor does he care much for personal belongings, knowing that the powers he’s accumulated over the millenia he’s been alive are more than enough to deal with anything non-Godlike. He is far more interested in his own personal entertainment, and sees lesser beings (i.e., YOU) as tools to gain that entertainment.
Tylanthus’ true form, however, is that of a massive reptillian beast, with scales stronger than known metals, complete with claws and teeth that are able to rend and shatter almost anything with ease. While he can vary the size and shape of his body to suit his needs, his dimensions of choice is that of a fifty foot tall dragon with silvery scales, with four massive wings that fold neatly on his back. The entire image is completed with a large tail that is roughly as long as his body.