by Jeffery Low
My name is Hesssik Argent, Knight Errant of Bhamut. Hesssik is the name of my clan, Argent is my proper name. In case you are not aware how Azi names are presented.
I have come to Chult at the behest of his noble draconic benevolence, the Celestial King of Golden Xan. After 283 days aboard ship, I finally see the docks of Port Nanzyaru approaching. The end of one journey. The beginning of another. I cannot help think how I have come to be here.
The subjects of the Celestial Kingdom of Golden Xan are divided into rigid castes. The pure-blood golden dragons known as the azata rule the kingdom as nobles. Beneath the azata are the golden dragonids, or azi, such as myself. The golden azi are warriors, aristocrats, and scholars. Humans are treated well within they kingdom but for the most part they are relegated to the caste of merchants, artisans, and craftsmen. Beneath the humans are the minor dragonids, the kavrita. They are menial laborers and servants within the celestial hierarchy. Beneath the kavrita are the indentured servants, debtors, and prisoners of war.
I hail from a clan that derived its wealth and status from its ownership of a silver mine in northern Plaksha. My father is the patriarch of the clan. The clan employs many kavrita miners and dozens of human silversmiths and artisans. We lived comfortably in a remote but cosmopolitan city.
As a child, my mother called me her little Truth-Sayer, as she could always rely on me to tell the truth and never willingly tell a lie. This trait did not make me popular with my clutch mates, however, and I was typically left out of play. I spent much of my time among human craftsmen employed by my father practicing the inlay of silver filigree, hammering steel, working the bellows of the forges, and reading up on human craft and culture.
My father felt that my habitual honesty would be a hindrance when dealing with the upper echelons of the silver industry. My father sent me to the forges of the Knights of Behemoth to work at my first apprenticeship as a silversmith.
As an order, the Knights of Behemoth are more egalitarian than most. Azi are expected to perform all work no matter how menial. More importantly for me, the azi of the Knights of Behemoth were expected to craft and maintain their own armor and weapons.
I was big, strong and was over-joyed to be working for the Knights in their stronghold. I frequently worked on repairing the equipment of the knights in addition to my normal duties as an artisan inlaying silver filigree. They appreciated my artistry and the skill that I put into repairing their equipment as well as my zeal for the Dragon King.
Then came that day when I was chosen.
The master of the forge, a former questing knight whose injuries had taken him from the field, had a feeling about me. The master was an aged azi and had been responsible for the training of my hero, Rhogar Sun-Forger, the Platinum Knight, three centuries bygone. The master knew that I had my weaknesses but felt that my knowledge of the history of the knighthood, my purity of spirit, and my faith in the teachings of Behemoth were sufficient to give me a chance - to see if I, like the Rhogar before me, had been chosen by Behemoth for greater things than silver-work.
The master of the forge asked me to work late on a masterwork weapon for a new Knight Errant that soon be initiated into the Order. The master gave me no specifics and said to just let my creativity flow. I chose the battleaxe, the favorite weapon of Rhogar Sun-forger, from three centuries bygone. Hours into the job, as my hammer rang in rhythm on the axe-head, the ringing boomed like a thunderclap and, in a flash, I was snapped away to a far-away land.
From high above this unknown land I could see a darkness growing, destroying every living thing it touched. Men, women and children of all races, from pauper to king, cheerfully living their lives. But when the darkness touched them, they turned to ash and blew away in the crimson winds of death. Then, in the sun, I saw the back-lit silhouette of the Lord of Dragons pointing to a port city on the edge of a jungle, and then he spoke to me.
"In the Port of Nanzyaru,
In the land of Chult
I am sending you,
As my champion."
Suddenly, I was flying down into the city, through the throngs of the citizens, and into one of the inns. Then faces, indistinct, yet familiar flashed past as he spoke.
"The Seeker from the air,
The Warrior from the jungle,
The Shaman of beasts,
The Agent of the celestial."
"In this city of men,
You will become the fifth,
Of the five who are one,
The Knight of the Dragon."
Then I was back in the forge. As I lifted my hammer from the axe head, I saw the intricate web of filigree radiating out from the last impact of my hammer, the symbol of Behemoth seared into the steel.
Then he whispered into my ear.
"Take up your axe, Argent Truth-Sayer. Go forth and strike down evil where you find it."
The forge master was impressed with my work and said my vision was a sign from Behemoth himself! As it happened, the weapon was a test and I had passed. On the following day the master of the order presented the axe to me as I was initiated into the Knights of Behemoth .
My first task as a knight was to follow my vision and travel to Chult. There I would find the other four and become the fifth - the Five who are One!
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