Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 Acrilos Mar 03, 2011 6:38:10	I arise that question because the way my campaign is heading, my players (all playing primal characters at this time) will undoubtedly confront the Dragon at some point. I'm wondering if some other campaigns are heading that way or at least will end around these lines. Looking at the statistics of the dragon in the DSCC, it appears to be quite possible to defeat it. If this were to happen in your Dark Sun what would be the consequence? If I was to look at previous editions, I would say that if the Dragon dies, Rajaat is free and kills the characters (except perhaps the halfling ones). It would be the logical conclusion as just after the battle with the Dragon the characters will be all exhausted (having used all theyr powers with almost no healing surge remaining) and I'm not sure Rajaat would be beatable without the power of the sun. But that is not canon with 4th edition. I'm not sure the players would appreciate such ending. Could it be that in fact the Dragon is guarding some kind of old primal energy that once released will slowly transform the world back to the Green Age and lessen the power of the sorcerer-kings over time because the city-states won't have the same strategic importance when the Green Age is restored. Therefore that is why they prevent that old power from being released. So when the players defeat the Dragon, the energy is released and slowling spread over Athas and progressively bring back the Green Age. Any thought? Any idea? Any plan?
#2 naxel Mar 03, 2011 9:35:21	My background story for Athas is a bit different than that of its published history. In my world, Rajaat is an energy-being near-god from the void that consumes stars as its diet, along with another one named Pandorym. These beings (along with a third) constructed the Pristine Tower as their base of operations while they consumed the sun, and taught their favored disciples the defiling way. Eventually the students rebelled. The most powerful one, Borys, became the Dragon to guard the Seal of these three entities. My campaign arc is still late in the heroic tier game, but I'm beginning to hint of some kind of "awakening of an eldritch abomination" to my players. Only Pandorym is in danger of awakening, as it feeds off of the psionic power that nearly everyone on Athas develops. So if the Dragon of Tyr dies then these three C'tan () destroy the solar system pretty much
#3 angelus_obscura Mar 03, 2011 11:07:02	There's a balance to all things, even for a powerful and evil being like the Dragon. If something evil/powerful dies, it leaves a vacuum begging to be filled with another similar being, perhaps even more powerful than the one before it. In this case, it would be Rajaat. The death of the Dragon is a perfect opportunity to bring just about any uber-powerful villain into the mix. Just a few examples besides Rajaat: rakshasa princes from the Mountains of the Teeth, the "rajah" Fajayyad of Rogom, perhaps awaken the Kreen empire beyond the Misty Border, etc.
#4 khorne37 Mar 03, 2011 11:26:50	I have two campaigns in me for dark sun after that the game world is going to become ebberon. My first campaign will be the ascension of the PC's to Godhood through several rituals and the discovery of places of power. They will go to the astral sea and carve out domains for themselves. In the next campaign I plan on openeing up divine and demanding that my PC's play these classes such as paladin and cleric. They will go about healing the land and defeating the SK's and dragon. They will also have to defend the new god's domain from incursion. I think that some sort of arrangement will have to be made with the primordials of Athas so there is not a second war of heaven. This will bring my Dark Sun world to an end.
#5 Acrilos Mar 04, 2011 9:25:07	I also thought that the death of the Dragon could give Dregoth the opportunity to invade the tablelands with his undead army.
#6 angelus_obscura Mar 04, 2011 13:21:12	I also thought that the death of the Dragon could give Dregoth the opportunity to invade the tablelands with his undead army. In my current game, an army of undead and dray attacked Raam, shortly after the death of Kalak. The army appeared out of nowhere, attacking from the east. And just as mysterious, they disappeared after destroying a good chunk of Raam. My character suspects that whoever is behind the army's attack is taking advantage of Kalak's death distracting the other SKs.
#7 fromost_the_grimm_02 Mar 04, 2011 19:36:26	Assuming adherence to Borys being the guardian of Rajaat's prison, then the primary ramification of Bory's death must be Rajaat's imprisonment. Does the maintenance on the Warbringer's prison in the Hollow require regular, infrequent upkeep, or continual upkeep?  If the later, and the Dragon's death results in the immediate dissolution of Rajaat's prison, then it should be a campaign-ending event as a being of unparalleled destructive power is free to work his will upon the world.  As such, all of the most powerful beings in the milieu would have a vested interest in keeping the First Sorcerer locked away, and would rally to the Dragon's defence to prevent another Armageddon, as per the Prism Pentad.  Thus, any party looking to kill the Dragon would first have to mow through all the Sorcerer-Kings, all of the Dragon's kaisharga, and any other supra-powerful beings who have a vested interest in not seeing the First Sorcerer freed, irrespective of their own relationship with Borys. Alternately, if the Warbringer's prison in the Hollow requires infrequent upkeep, then those who understand these ramifications know they have a window of opportunity before it's maintenance is required.  While some of the Champions may rush to the Dragon's aid at the last, others definitely won't, and some would look to fill the power vacuum by fast-forwarding their own metamorphoses while their peers' attentions are elsewhere. The latter option definitely gives the most scope for interesting play, as those who hold the strings of power look to balance their own plays for dominance versus the knowledge that if the Warbringer's prison in the Hollow isn't maintained before the appropriate time, then the First Sorcerer will bring war once again.
#8 BRJN Mar 06, 2011 20:54:44	I agree that killing the Dragon should open up the possibility of facing Rajaat, but that may not actually happen until the second campaign goes Epic. The sorcerer-kings all collect tribute to give to the Dragon.  If it is gone, they have surplus resources available.  What will they do with it?  (Especially if per Fromost, the Warbringer's prison will take a while to decay.)  They will probably plan ahead and prepare themselves to BE the next Dragon by the time the prison fails.  A few - Tectuktitlay for instance - will try to conquer the nearby city-states with their newly-available army, calculating that 3 city-states have more resources than just 1, so they can catch up in a sprint.  But ALL of them have lots of experience in making long-range plans with many eventualities prepared for. In any event, given the information we have available, decide what each SK will do.  Then implement it as backdrop information. Note that the repercussions will give even Epic characters things to do, such as Destiny Quests for the ones who were slow to reach Level 30.
#9 Pennarin Mar 16, 2011 15:57:59	Some of Rajaat's essense could ooze through both his prisons (the stone cyst in Ur-Draxa, and the Hollow) as they decay from lack of magical reinforcement from the Dragon's efforts, and these partially-powered entities - all shapes and forms - could strike at the traitorous SKs and anyone in their path. Each manifestation of Rajaat would be more powerful than the last, until the prisons fail completly. A good epic escalation scheme.
#10 DontEatRawHagis Mar 17, 2011 23:00:42	If I was able to get that far I would probably give the players the title of Dragon Slayers for their party. If I had them reroll new characters in the same world, I would ask them what they would like their character to do as retirement. For example: *If the fighter wanted to find another worthy opponent he might show up later on in the campaign as a traveling Bounty Hunter. *If the mage wants to bring preserving to the world as a major power source he might have a small school of magic, hidden of course. *Psionic, eventually their body deteriorates and they become a walking storm of Psionic energy, leaving destruction in its path. *Warlord, becomes leader of a CityState *Druid/Nature power source, starts finding ways to start a new green age Oasis's start expanding into small pockets of wild-life *Defiler, New Sorcerer King. *Trader, creates his own Trading House. *Minstrel, becomes world renowned through whispers, he starts an organized assassin's guild *Lawful good, become only form of Law and Order. Slavers and bandits actually fear you, at the slightest warning of your arrival in their territory they will actually run. Some wont but they make excellent examples. One man can't bring law to Athas but there's no sense in not trying. As for the world, without the dragon: *Power play - Sorcerer kings will speed up their own process to take place of the Dragon as Ruler Athas. *If Sorcerer Kings are dead - Invasion from either the moons or other unknown sections of Athas. *Micro instead of Macro - The world continues as it was before with the little problems that plagues them, a world without the dragon is just one less thing to kill you. *The Grey - Beings from within the gray begin appearing in Athas with increase, pockets of the grey begin press into the world of Athas unhindered. Maybe the Dragon was stopping this from happening or maybe its just a coincidence. The Sky begins to darken gray only the Moons and Dark Sun are visible. Maybe the world is travelling through the gray to the planes beyond. Note this could lead to an ultimate destruction of Athas leaving just barren waste covered in foul Shadow beasts and only a few survivers. Next you start a planar campaign ending in the  investigation of the dead world that has appeared.
#11 qorvus Mar 18, 2011 15:41:48	When I get around to DMing Dark Sun, the Dragon is not going to die, full stop - and neither are the SKs.  It changes the dynamics and feel of the world too much - which is why I never really enjoyed the Prism Pentad that much. Dark Sun is a brutal world without hope - and the best the PCs can do is make it only a little better.
#12 kyle.0 Mar 18, 2011 22:58:30	From all the books I have read, novels and D&D, I would guess it would take a character becoming an avangion along with many other powerful characters to defeat the dragon. I would like to assume whatever Sadira did when she tosses the dark lense into the fire and cast other spells to keep Rajaat imprisoned, that if the dragon died he would still be imprisoned. She mentions something that said her wards will guard his prison and alarm her if anyone attempts to unlock it. She didnt seem to be worried that a conflict witht the dragon might end in the dragon being defeated and thus releasing Rajaat. Anyhow if the dragon is defeated my guess would be an avangion taking control of Athas and bringing back the Green Age slowly but surley. The same way defiling magic prevailed under the dragon, preserving magic will rule under the avangion and thus giving Athas the chance to recover. Thats my take on it, very cut and dry. If evil dies, good wins.
#13 Warrant Mar 19, 2011 8:08:09	I am really happy that DS was re-booted with the SK's alive and well. It gives the characters something to quest for. I think the odds of the Dragon being killed by the PC's is slim, as the other SK's will come to his aid should the threat grow dire. They had a major hand in causing Borys to become the dragon, simply because they did not want Rajaat to risk getting out of his prison. The Sorcerer kings are WISE evil creatures and would not want the prison compromised. That said, I could see the PC's at epic level killing one of the SK's and as the campaign evolves, eventually one of the PC's or a group of them, transformed into Avangions with less SK's to be in their way could take out the Dragon. That opens up a whole new can of worms.