Seven Silver Scales

"There is a forest to the southwest of the continent with some of the richest veins of life mana to be found near the surface. Since the last full moon something horrible and perverse has come to dwell there, and none of my kind has been unable to stop it, or even enter the deepest parts of the forest. I have come seeking the expertise of a magician versed in other branches of spell casting in hopes that they may be able to find and remove the source of the curse. Would you help me?"
Yes
You agree to go with the dragon to the forest and do what you can to help, though wonder how you can succeed where a dragon has failed.

You climb onto the white dragon's back and begin your journey.
==>
You are standing in what appears to be an agricultural field gone fallow. Rising abruptly before you is an ancient old growth forest. Behind you, the ruins of a burned-down wooden house stand by an old oak tree. To your left a river snakes lazily out of the trees, and to your right you can see a hill with a collection of weathered gravestones. The white dragon walks up behind you.
"When this started, everything in the forest suddenly began aging at an alarming rate. Animals and plants withered and died, and their bodies did not decompose. I was only slightly affected, but the deeper I go into the forest, the weaker I become. As far as I know, the only things still surviving are the trees, and some of the. . .stranger life. Go carefully; time has begun to move in strange ways now, and not everything that dwells here is friendly. I would suggest you follow the river towards the spring in the heart of the wood; that seems to be the source of the enchantment."
Explore the Graveyard
You trudge up the hill to the graveyard. Most of the stones are so worn that they are illegible, but on others you can still make out the inscription. The hill gives a good view of the surrounding area; you can see a vast expanse of forest extending to the south and west, with mountains and what appears to be a city far in the distance to the east.

Suddenly you stumble and fall into a pit with sloping sides, hitting the bottom with a crunch. Your heart stops as you come face to face with a human skeleton. Its bones are bleached white and covered with tiny tatters of cloth. It looks like it was in the process of climbing out of the hole but stays quite still.

Beneath you and your new friend, part of a simple wooden coffin is visible. There is a large hole in it that appears to have been made from the inside. You wonder if this person was unfortunate enough to be buried alive, but then notice an ornate golden chain snagged on one of the splinters and dangling inside the coffin. You pick it up. Hanging from the chain is a large, diamond-shaped black stone wrapped in wire. It gives off a faint, pulsing, reddish glow, disturbingly resembling a beating heart. You recognize the stone as an undeath mana crystal. It must have been buried with this person, and then reanimated their corpse before getting caught on the coffin and falling off. You think it could be useful later and take it with you before scrambling out of the grave.
Go back
- Explore the House
You walk to the house and carefully step over the threshold. There is only one room, and most everything has been burned down to charred pieces of wood, but the stone fireplace still stands, and you can make out what used to be a table and chairs. Mysteriously, a scythe leans in one corner looking almost untouched. You pick it up and examine it. The blade is still sharp and unrusted, and the handle is covered in black lacquer. A leather strap is attach at the base and near the top. Small depictions of sundials and hourglasses have been carved up its length. You can sense that it has some sort of spell cast upon it, but are not sure what it is for. You sling the strap over your shoulder so it rests across your back.
Go back
- Enter the Forest
You enter the forest and begin following a path along the river's edge. At first the going is easy, but it soon becomes an uphill hike, and true to the white's word the ground is littered with the desiccated corpses of forest animals. Initially the forest floor is open and the trees widely spaced, but soon the vegetation becomes denser and the path narrower and more winding. You stop briefly to rest and to admire a bright purple flower, but hurry on when its center opens to reveal a jawless, circular mouth lined with row after row of sharp teeth. Vines begin to reach out and grasp at your legs and clothing, and soon you are swatting away several with every step. You take the scythe in hand and slash at a large creeper reaching for your face. The severed part falls to the ground, and the places where the metal touched the plant burst into growth before withering and dying. So that's what they used it for.
You reach a place where the river forks as a stream joins it. Both lead uphill. Which do you follow?
Follow the Stream
You hop across several stones sticking out of the water and begin following the stream. Before long you can see a large body of water through the trees, which soon open onto an expansive lake. The water is rather muddy and the top slicked with scum.
Explore the Water's Edge
You approach the lake. The water is completely still, and the air eerily silent. Suddenly the water's surface explodes and something massive comes shooting out after you. You jump back just in time to avoid the gigantic catfish-like creature that just tried to eat you. It is easily twice as tall as you are, and must be 20 meters long! Its scaleless skin is a deep teal and covered in black spots, and it has a huge, round, staring eye in the middle of its forehead in addition to two smaller, normally placed ones. It waves its long, fleshy barbels at you in an impotent rage, knocking you backwards and smearing you with pond slime.
Attack!
You bonk the giant fish monster on the nose with your scythe. It gets even more angry and tries to lunge at you again. You'd best be leaving.
Go back to the fork
- Follow the river
You continue along the river, slashing at any overly aggressive vegetation. You have been following it for what feels like five or six hours, and it has become narrower and deeper, and the water is now moving much faster. You've started noticing streaks of mana flowing through the water as well. Soon the terrain becomes rocky and your hike becomes a climb. As you go you notice veins of mana crystals streaking through the rock. You would guess from their color that they are life mana, but they have a slight sickly green tinge to them. Eventually you reach a tall waterfall. Grunting with effort and fatigue, you pull yourself up the rocks along side it to the top of the precipice. Ascending the cliff felt like it took hours, but looking back down it couldn't have taken more than 30 minutes.

At the top, you find a perfectly circular pond with sparkling, crystal-clear water. It appears to be fairly shallow, but you wonder if that is an illusion caused by the water's clarity. You can tell that this is a highly magical place; the hairs on the back of your neck are standing on end, and there is a strange taste in your mouth. At first glance nothing here seems to be amiss, so you decide to walk the spring's perimeter. After several hours of walking, you look back only to see you have walked about 30 meters. You run forward; in a split second, you have dashed forward 3 times as far.

Feeling rather disoriented, you sit down on a nearby boulder only to notice your second human skeleton of the day. This one appears far more recent, with some of the flesh still stretched across the bones and most of his clothing intact. A very long, snow white beard covers the bottom half of his face, while the top of his head is completely bald. He holds a scroll in his hand, with another sitting on the ground beside him. A scrap of mostly burned paper sits by his feet.
Read the first scroll
This scroll appears to be an introductory text on time mana, with basic information on its use and a few simple spells. It says that time mana has a strong effect upon creatures aligned with life, but that the undead appear to be immune. It also warns that large quantities of time mana are very unstable and may have unpredictable effects on living creatures if introduced into the ecosystem. Most of the spells deal with altering one's perception of time, though there is one for very limited precognition and another that will make paint dry more quickly.
==>
Read the second scroll
This scroll has been torn, and only a paragraph or two of information remain. It appears the be a theoretical discourse on the balance of nature, and proposes that for a Guardian of Nature to exist there must also be some chaotically aligned counterpart. On the reverse side a fragment for some sort of spell has been scribbled, but from what little remains you cannot determine its purpose.
==>
Read the scrap of paper
It appears that someone tried to destroy this. A few lines are still visible.
“...rupt the balance of ele...”
“...allow the Master to gain purchase against...”
“..pple one of the strongest sources of life mana on the continent...”
“...of undead to subjug...”
==>
Return to the pond
You put the scrolls and the scrap of paper into your pocket and return to the water's edge. It seems that this man had something to do with the curse before he died, but what? And who is this “Master?” You scan the pond bottom; at first all you see is smooth pebbles, but then you notice an odd black shape further out. Wading into this highly magical water feature seems like a very bad idea, but you don't see a way around it. Remembering what the scroll said, you remove the undeath amulet from your pocket and place it around your neck. It appears to be glowing and pulsing more strongly than it was when you first found it. Wearing this thing is rather creepy, but it might afford some protection against whatever is in the water.

You take a deep breath and take a few steps into the water. At first nothing happens, though it gets deeper very quickly. Your skin starts to burn and feel icy-cold at the same time, and you feel like you're going to be sick. The amulet at your chest is now beating frantically, and your own heart is now beating in tandem. You wade further into the water until you're standing on your toes and can just barely look down to see the object. You use the scythe to hook it and begin retreating as quickly as possible. A sudden current threatens to sweep you in deeper, but you manage to keep your footing and soon step backwards onto dry ground. You pull the object from the water. It is an hourglass, with an ornate black iron frame. Instead of sand it is filled with tiny, glittering purple crystals that appear to be moving up and down simultaneously. When you touch the glass your skin tingles, and you lose all sense of time.
You remove the amulet and wrap it around the hourglass before stowing both in your pack, hoping that the undeath mana will help to nullify the hourglass' power until you can figure out how to safely store it.
Go back
You go back the way you came, and begin descending the rocky wall next the the waterfall. Going down is much more difficult than climbing up, and by the time you reach the bottom you are sweating profusely. Suddenly you hear the thumping of massive wings and look up to see the white dragon approaching from above. It lands with surprising grace.

"You've done it! I could sense when the curse was lifted—what was it?"

You remove the hourglass and amulet from your pack and explain what you found to the white dragon. It wrinkles its brow in concern.
"I've never heard of any of that. Peace and stability have predominated for centuries, but given the strange events of the past few weeks...we will have to keep an ear out. In any event, please take this as a token of my appreciation."
The dragon hands you a human-sized stave of elm wood with a glittering life mana crystal set into the top.
Return to the carnival

"Light mana can be found wherever the sun and stars touch the world with their bright, life-giving caress. However, there is one place in particular that yields the most abundant and potent of light mana. It is deep in the heart of the desert on the northwest of the continent, where the sun burns without mercy and the stars in the sky are not obscured by the smoke and filth that rises from man’s dwellings. A verdant oasis exists with a bubbling spring at the center. It is ringed with bioluminescent plants and trees mutated by the strong magical energies present. Even in the dark of night, the rainbow hues of this almost-alien place can be seen for miles around and paint the horizon in impossible colors. Of late, though, any aligned with the light who attempts to approach this place only returns driven mad. They mutter of things that can only be illusions and other tricks-of-the-light, and the welcoming glow of the oasis has been obscured, no more to be seen. The peril is great, but I see in you the potential to brave the shadows and return light to our land. Will you assist?"
Yes
Sunrise Shade throws back their head and a deep, rumbling roar announces the dragon’s excitement. You stumble back a step when Sunrise Shade leaps towards you, causing the ground to quiver beneath your feet just as you did for a fleeting moment when the travails of the coming quest were being explained to you. Hunching down, Sunrise Shade turns and meets your eyes.

"You have given me hope that we will defeat this mysterious enemy. I will be honored to bear you as close to the oasis as I dare fly. Come along. There is no time to waste."

Not wishing to disappoint, you heft yourself onto the dragon’s back. With a mighty beat of their wings, Sunrise Shade takes to the air and you turn back to watch as the flickering lights and loud laughter of the carnival disappears behind you. Soon, you are only left with the steady whoosh of dragon’s wings to mark the passing of time. Sunrise Shade carries you far and long, and the landscape slowly shifts to an endless plain of dunes. Your companion finally descends and lands upon of the heights of one of these sandy reaches.

"Go, adventurer. I wish you luck, but one as brave as you will not need it to succeed I think."
Dismount and say farewell
You climb from the dragon’s back to the sand below. The ground shifts beneath your feet, and for a moment you worry if you might slip and be swallowed by the sandy sea. Lost in your ponderings, you have no time to change your mind before Sunrise Shade spreads their wings and leaves you with one final farewell. ‘The world depends upon you now, and you are on the verge of becoming a legend. I cannot wait to tell the others I carried a legend upon my back!’

The mighty beat of Sunrise Shade’s wings creates a tornado of sand, and you sputter and sneeze as the wind blows it into your eyes, nose, and mouth. By the time the sand has settled, your companion is long gone. There is only one place to go now.
==>
The trek down the dune was just as treacherous as you had feared, and sand has managed to find its way into places you do not wish to even think about. It is one thing to carry a hero, and quite another to be one. Part of you wishes that Sunrise Shade’s excitement had not been quite so infectious. After you rub your eyes, vainly trying to clear them of the stinging grit, you turn to scan your surroundings.
==>
In the distance you see a dark mass seeming to rise from beneath the sand and your heart leaps with fear. After a second or two, however, you realize it is not moving. Squinting and edging closer, you begin to realize it is a half-collapsed and seemingly-abandoned tent. The wind picks up and blows sand against the sagging fabric. In a matter of days the tent will be completely covered as if it had never existed, just another dune in this sandy sea. Now you must decide whether to investigate the tent or carry on.
Investigate the tent
There may be something of use left inside the tent, and it certainly worth the few moments it will take to search it. You edge closer. As you approach, you notice that the cloth is dyed a rich purple and covered in elaborately designed scenes of exotic places and dragons stitched in golden thread; this is certainly not the tent of a beggar, and that makes it even more curious.

You push aside the flap and step inside. A still-burning lantern is the only light to see by and it causes the faceted surface of an emerald lying on the ground to dance and shimmer. A nearby chest has been tipped over, strewing precious coins, spices, rare manas, leather-bound books, and other valuables about. You find it odd that someone would leave this fortune behind and that the lamp is still managing to burn despite the time that has passed. Do you investigate further or leave?
Plunder valuables
As you edge towards the pile of spilled treasures, you cannot almost sense Sunrise Shade’s disappointment from afar. This is not the sort of thing they discuss in legends, heroes plundering, but the shimmer of those golden coins is simply too tempting. As you reach out to touch one, however, you hear the thwump of dragon’s wings outside the tent and a furious roar causes the very air to shiver. Then you remember it is not uncommon for rich men to keep dragons to protect their valuables, and this one seems to have not left its post despite whatever happened here.

One thing you like more than gold: being alive. Getting to your feet, the stumble out of the tent just in time to see a dragon swooping down from the sky to land in front of you. You recognize it for a nebula dragon, but its hide is completely black and lacks the map of stars its kind is known for. There is no time to dwell on that, though, as seeing the manic glint in the dragon’s eyes only spurs you to run faster than you have in your life.

After running for a minute or so, you dare to look over your shoulder to see that the dragon has decided to peer its head into the opening of the tent to check on the contents of its treasure hoard instead of chasing after you. That is probably the only thing that saved your life, but that is not what causes you to falter in your step and trip before tumbling to the ground. The sky, before glimmering with the brightest stars you have ever seen, has gone as black as your greedy heart.

You stare in mute astonishment as the nebula pulls away from the tent, assured its valuables are safe, and leaps back into the sky only to meld with the blackness and disappear. You cannot even hear the thwump of its wings. A blink of your eyes, and suddenly the stares are shining down upon you again as if they had never disappeared. One thing you know for certain, you will be more careful if you approach that tent again.
==>
Investigate the tent (di nuovo)
Examine the lamp
How can a light continue to burn for so long? There is only one way to find out. Ignoring the valuables strewn across the floor, you approach the lantern and lean down to examine it more closely. The workmanship is impeccable and the outside appears to be covered in decorative, golden filigree, but it is the runes carved across the base that really captures your attention. As you begin to read it, you realize the lantern is wrought with a spell that allows the light to burn forever. Such an enchanted object is not often seen and might prove useful, especially since night has fallen. You decide to take it with you.

Before you can explore further, however, you hear the thwump of dragon’s wings beating the air outside of the tent. Curious, you scamper outside and turn your gaze towards the sky. A black shape appears to be flying circles above the tent and it is obviously agitated by your presence. It is not uncommon for rich men to keep dragons to guard their valuables, and it is fair to assume that is why the creature is lingering here. Instead of pressing your luck, you decide to back away and leave the tent be.
==>
- Carry on
Perhaps it is better if the tent is buried beneath the sands. The former owner must have abandoned it for a reason. Instead, you turn to the northwest and think you see the faint glimmer of light in the distance. There is the oasis! You may have miles left to travel and there is no time to dally. Onwards towards adventure.
==>
You travel deeper into the depths of the merciless desert; the sand sucks at your boots and every step seems to be a struggle. Every dune that rises in your path is a wave that slams against your weary body, but they must be scaled for the sake of legends (in the inspiring words of Sunrise Shade)! However, that light you saw in the distance appears to have only been a mirage. After trudging on for what seems a lifetime, it disappears behind the rise of a dune and never reappears.

What takes its place is much more terrifying. At first you begin to see dark shapes moving out of the corner of your eyes, and as you walk on the hallucinations become more vivid and gruesome. However, the light of the enchanted lantern you carry with you seems to keep them shadows at bay and at a distance. Your heart still beats wildly like dragon wings trying to bear you away, but you have just enough courage to carry on.
==>
After some time has passed, another eerie apparition forms in the distance; this one seems to edge closer to the light of your lantern than the others have dared. The semi-transparent figure of a woman garbed in the winding robes native to the people of this desert continues to dog you for some time, and you cannot escape the piercing stare of her black-brown eyes. All you want is for this hallucination to leave you alone, but it refuses to fade away like the others. Do you ignore it and continue on or approach the apparition?
Approach the apparition
This shade is different than the others; your instincts are telling you so. Still, as you set aside the lantern and leave its shielding light to approach you can’t help but wonder if you are surrendering yourself to the madness that has claimed so many others who have dared to venture here. As you come closer to the woman, her eyes widen with fright and she reaches a ghostly hand towards.

The wind begins to pick up, and you pause when you hear a distant keening carried upon it. “Please... The dark will swallow me...” The woman’s lips are moving along with the words, but they seem to be coming from some place far, far away. You stumble back a step, ready to wrap yourself in the comforting glow of the lantern once more, and the woman’s pleading only because more insistent as a result.

“Dark mana... contaminated the li- Please! Before the darkness swallows us a- Aaaaaaaaaaaaah!” A dark cloud forms behind the woman, tendrils of blackness wrapping about her arms and legs and pulling her in until she is completely consumed. You sprint back and grab the lantern, holding it close before the dark mass can do the same to you.

It is only after both have disappeared that you notice a glint in the sand where the ghost had been standing before.
Investigate glint
Edging forwards slowly, making certain the dark cloud does not manifest itself again, you make your way towards the glint. You soon realize what you saw was the metal clasp on a leather satchel. Curiosity overcoming fear, you decide to open it and investigate further. Inside is a canteen of water, a few golden coins, a hunk of jerky, a pouch of refined mana to perform spells, and a rolled up piece of parchment.

As you unroll the parchment, you begin to read:

Dearest husband,
As you know I have gone on a long journey. I am taking many of my wares to sell at the festival at Valkemare, and all seems to point at a profitable journey. I had my faithful Nebula companion, Astriferous, read the stars for me and she says that all will be well in the future if I can make it past a dark time coming just ahead.
Recent rumors have reached me that a dark mage is attacking those who travel along this path, and I believe that that may have to do with the troubles she predicted. As a precaution, I have written a ward against such magics. I have every confidence I will make it through this dangerous area safely. As you know, dearest husband, we have faced more difficult things together. Bless our son and may he rest in peace.
I eagerly await the day I return to you. Until then, rest your head easy knowing I am well.
Signed,
Zegawa

Across the bottom of the parchment is scratched the spell the woman had created. You reach up a hand to wipe your eyes, but this time it is not to clear away the grit. There is no time to dwell, though. Rolling up the parchment, you place it back in the satchel and decide to carry it with you. These supplies may be the difference between life and death.
==>
More walking. Does it ever stop? This desert is as endless as the lectures your mother gave you as a child. Just when you are on the verge of giving up hope, however, you pull yourself over the rise of a dune. The sky before you suddenly blossoms in colors you did not even know existed, a sight more beautiful than you could have imagined. It is as if a rainbow had fallen from the sky to light your path. You can see the outline of glowing vegetation in the distance.
==>
You are nearing the oasis. Nothing else could create such beautiful colors, but the light begins to dim as quickly as it flared. You saw enough, however, to see the silhouette of some dark figure skulking about the edges of the trees that ring the oasis. It is possible to sneak around it if you try hard enough.
Face the dark figure
What would Sunrise Shade say? A legend is nothing without a final skirmish, and it is their words that give you the confidence to approach the figure. After coming so far, you are almost beginning to believe you are the hero Sunrise Shade claimed. Upon approach, you see that the dark figure is actually a man dressed in a black robe. His face is obscured by a cloth crusted with grime and a pointed hat sits crooked upon his head.

When he spots you coming closer, his deep voice rings out across the sands to greet you. “Turn back! None may approach while the master takes the final step to overthrow order! Turn back now!”
It’s time for an epic battle!
You are a hero! No threatening figure dressed in black is going to stop you, and you are quick to let him know. “No!” you shout, eyes burning with defiance. The man does not waste a moment in replying, and you see him reach for a pouch about his waist. Withdrawing what you recognize to be raw dark mana, all of your confidence suddenly flees from you.

Does he plan to cast a spell with it? There is no time to dwell upon it, however; your life depends upon it. Reaching for the pouch of mana about your own waist, you remember the simple words of the ward written by Zegawa and mutter them just in time.The dark mage’s powerful spell rebounds off the shield and strikes him instead. His body falls to the ground, ragged black clothing waving in the air like some perverse flag of surrender.
==>
Sunrise Shade would be so proud! The enemy has been defeated, but something is not quite right. The wraiths still dance about the edge of your lantern’s glow. No, there is something else that needs done. You look between the unconscious body of the dark mage and the oasis, and once again you find yourself wondering how he managed to handle the raw dark mana. How do you proceed?
==>
With a confident stride, you approach the unconscious man. You have defeated him once, and you can do so again if he stirs. As you lean down to examine him, it takes only a moment for you to discover the answer to your question. The man appears to be wearing dragonhide gloves, giving them some of the natural resistance dragons have to the touch of raw mana. It would not hurt to take those with you, and relieving the mage of them will make it more difficult to attack you if he does awaken. As you slip them on to your own hands, you are pleased to find that they are a perfect fit. Now there is only one place left to go.

Continue on into the oasis
Pressing on into the heart of the oasis, you see all sorts of strange creatures skulking about in the vegetation. Numberless red eyes watch your advance, but none dare approach. Upon occasion, there is a startled screech as a black tendril forms and tugs one of the beasts into the arms of the darkness clouding this place. Pulse quickening, you pick up the pace of your search, desperate to find what is causing all of this chaos.

It is then you hear the burbling of a spring nearby, the source of the life mana the oasis is infamous for. You push your way through the thick vegetation; thick vines tangle about your feet, as if eager to impede your progress, as you stumble forwards. Despite how clumsy your rushing makes you, you eventually manage to find your way to the foot of the spring.

The light mana burbling forth from the earth shines in a rainbow of colors, constantly shifting and changing, but it is not that that captures your attention. You notice that a crystal of dark mana has been placed in the very edge of the pool, and you know that mixing mana of opposite elements can cause disruptions on a massive scale. There is the source of the chaos. There is only one way to put an end to this.

Attempt to remove the dark mana crystal
You attempt to reach down and pick up the crystal, and the dragonhide gloves that you are wearing protect you from the effects of touching raw mana. Lifting it from the spring, the change is almost instantaneous. With the opposite elements no longer in contact and warring, the black cloud and wraiths that have been following you throughout your whole journey fade and disappear. The plants ringing the oasis surge and return to their normal hue and brightness.

You have done it! Everything has been returned to its proper balance, and a victorious whoop escapes you that reminds you of Sunrise Shade’s roar. They really will write legends about this day!

Carefully slipping the dark mana crystal into your borrowed satchel where it can no longer cause problems, you turn around to face the tangling vegetation and then realize something. How are you going to get home? Sunrise Shade is no longer here to carry you. As if in answer to the thought, however, you hear the distant beat of dragon wings approaching. The mind of a dragon brushes against your own.

My name is Astriferous and you have saved me from the hold of the darkness that fell across this land. I have lost much here, including a good master I was honored to serve, but you have given me a second chance. If there is any way that I can repay the debt, just let me know. I will be honored, hero.

Time to return to the festival