Dragonlance - Elven Nations 03 - The Qualinesti - Paul B Thompson & Tonya R Cater

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Elven Nations Trilogy

Volume Three

[Dragonlance logo]

The

Qualinesti

Paul B. Thompson

& Tonya R. Carter

[WotC logo]

THE QUALINESTI

All characters in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

This book is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Any reproduction or unauthorized use

of the material or artwork contained herein is prohibited without the express written permission of Wizards of the

Coast, Inc.

Distributed in the United States by Holtzbrinck Publishing. Distributed in Canada by Fenn Ltd.

Distributed to the hobby, toy, and comic trade in the United States and Canada by regional distributors.

Distributed worldwide by Wizards of the Coast, Inc. and regional distributors.

DRAGONLANCE and the Wizards of the Coast logo are registered trademarks owned by Wizards of the Coast, Inc., a

subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc.

All Wizards of the Coast characters, character names, and the distinctive likenesses thereof are trademarks owned by

Wizards of the Coast, Inc.

Made in the U.S.A.

The sale of this book without its cover has not been authorized by the publisher. If you purchased this book without a

cover, you should be aware that neither the author nor the publisher has received payment for this "stripped book."

Cover art by Brom

First Printing: November 1991

Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 90-71493

9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

ISBN: 1-56076-114-8

620-08339

U.S., CANADA, EUROPEAN HEADQUARTERS

ASIA, PACIFIC, & LATIN AMERICA Wizards of the Coast, Belgium

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Visit our web site at www.wizards.com/[line]

Prologue

The Cornerstone

Ten thousand footsteps rattled in the quiet mountain valley. It was early morning,

just before sunrise, and mist still clung to the low places between the slopes. Five

thousand elves, dwarves, and humans were assembling in this remote mountain pass.

Many were warriors, resplendent in burnished armor and flowing capes, who had battled

in the long years of the Kinslayer Wars, elf against man, man against dwarf, and elf

against elf. So protracted had been the time of bloodshed that sons and daughters of

warriors had grown up to bear arms alongside their parents.

This was an army of peace, gathered in the Kharolis Mountains. They had come

from the kingdom of Thorbardin and the realm of Qualinesti to seal a bargain and to erect

a fortress. Pax Tharkas, it was to be called; the name had already been agreed upon. In

the elven tongue, it meant "Citadel of Peace."

From the southern end of the pass came the delegation of dwarves, led by their new

king, Glenforth Sparkstriker. It was he who had led the doughty dwarven armies against

the humans of Ergoth, checking their advance in the high mountain passes around

Thorbardin. The Battle of Raven's Hook had cost Prince Glenforth an eye, but it had also

put an end to the Emperor of Ergoth's plan to subjugate the dwarves. Now, with his eye

patch of beaten gold and his magnificent coal-black beard rippling across his mailed

chest, King Glenforth led his people in an even greater endeavor.

Behind the king came the most powerful thanes, those of Glenforth's own Clan

Hylar. Richly dressed in crimson velvet and glittering with all the jewels they could

possibly wear, the Hylar each bore a ceremonial hammer on his shoulder. Close behind

the Hylar came the Daewar, for this great occasion wearing midnight blue tunics, yellow

sashes, and great wide-brimmed hats of brown leather. The Daewar carried gilded rock

chisels, as long as each dwarf was tall.

The thanes of the other clans, the Klar and the Neidar, less richly dressed but still

proud, followed in the wake of their more powerful cousins. The Klar carried ceremonial

trowels, and the Neidar picks.

Where the valley floor began to slope upward, King Glenforth raised a hand. The

councilors and thanes halted and waited in respectful silence.

The delegation from Qualinesti approached the dwarves from the north end of the

valley. Most of the delegation were formerly of Silvanesti, and had the chiseled features

and light coloring of that ancient elven race. But sharp eyes could see the mingled

characteristics of the Kagonesti, the elves of the forest, and even the broad features of

humans. The new elven kingdom of Qualinesti had existed for just eighty years, and so

far had proven the truth of its founder's dream: that elves and men and dwarves could live

together in harmony, peace, and justice.

The founder himself led his nobles and notables to meet the Thorbardin thanes. In

middle age now, as elves reckon time, the Speaker of the Sun was by far the most

commanding figure in the valley. Age and toil had sent a few streaks of silver through his

white-blond hair, but the clear, noble features of the House of Silvanos were unaltered by

all the years of strife.

Kith-Kanan, the Speaker of the Sun, the founder of the nation of Qualinesti, stopped

his entourage twenty paces or so from the dwarves. Alone, he went forward to meet King

Glenforth of Thorbardin.

The elf met the dwarf near a large boulder that rose up in the center of the path.

Glenforth extended his thick, powerful arms.

"Royal brother!" he said heartily. "I rejoice to see you!"

"And I you, Thane of Thanes!"

Tall elf and squat dwarf clasped hands about each other's forearms. "This is a great

day for our nations," Kith-Kanan said, stepping back. "For all of Krynn."

"There were many times I didn't think I would live to see this day," Glenforth said

frankly.

"I, too, have wondered if this new kingdom of ours could have been born without the

blood and suffering of the war. My late wife used to say that all things are born that

way–with blood and pain." Kith-Kanan nodded slowly, thinking of days gone by. "But

we're here now, that's the important thing," he added, smiling.

"Praise the gods," said the dwarf sincerely.

Kith-Kanan turned back the folds of his emerald green cape to free his left hand.

Looking to his waiting entourage, he smiled and lifted his arm, gesturing two figures

forward. Glenforth squinted his good eye and saw that the two were children, a

golden-haired boy and a brown-haired girl.

"King Glenforth, may I present my son, Prince Ulvian, and my daughter, Princess

Verhanna," Kith-Kanan said, pushing the children forward. Ulvian dragged his feet and

hung back from the unfamiliar dwarf. Verhanna, however, approached the king and

bowed deeply to him.

"You do me honor," Glenforth said, a smile flashing amidst his black beard.

"No, sire. I am the honored one," Verhanna replied, her high voice ringing clear in

the mountain air. Her large, dark brown eyes appraised the dwarf frankly, with no sign of

fear. "I've heard the bards sing of your greatness in battle. Now that I've met you, I see

the truth of their songs."

"Memories of battle are a poor comfort when one grows old and tired. I would trade

all of mine for a child like you," he said gallantly. Verhanna flushed at this praise,

stammered a thank-you, and withdrew to her father's side.

"Go on." Kith-Kanan said to his son. "Make your greetings to King Glenforth."

Prince Ulvian took a small step forward and bowed with a quick, bobbing motion.

"Greetings, Great King," he said, running his words together in his haste to get them out.

"I'm honored to meet you."

His duty done, Ulvian stepped back and hovered just behind his father.

With a fond pat on Verhanna's cheek, Kith-Kanan sent his children back to the ranks

of nobles. Turning once more to the dwarf, he said softly, "Excuse my son. He hasn't

been the same since his mother died. My daughter never really knew her mother; it's been

easier for her."

Glenforth nodded politely. Practically everyone from Hylo to Silvanost knew the tale

of Kith-Kanan and his human wife, Suzine. She had died many years before, in one of the

last battles of the Kinslayer War. Her children matured at a much slower rate than human

children, but not as slowly as full-blooded elven offspring. In human terms, both were

still quite young.

The two monarchs exchanged more polite trivialities before returning to the reason

for their meeting this morning. At a sign from Glenforth, an elderly dwarf came forward

carrying an object covered by a red velvet cloth. It was obviously very heavy, and he held

it firmly in both hands. Glenforth took the parcel, holding it easily. The elderly dwarf

bowed to his king and was introduced as Chancellor Gendrin Dunbarth, senior thane of

the Hylar clan.

"My lord," Kith-Kanan said, scrutinizing the chancellor, "I once knew a wise dwarf

called Dunbarth of Dunbarth. Are you by chance related to him?"

Gendrin mopped his brow with a coarse-looking handkerchief. "Yes, Highness.

Dunbarth of Dunbarth, ambassador to the court of Silvanesti, was my father," replied the

dwarf, puffing from exertion.

Kith-Kanan smiled. "I met him in Silvanost many years ago and remember him with

esteem. He was an honorable fellow."

Glenforth cleared his throat. Kith-Kanan returned his attention to the king. In loud,

ringing tones, audible to the assembled thanes and Qualinesti, the dwarf king declared,

"Great Speaker, on behalf of all the dwarves of Thorbardin, I present you with this

special tool. I know you will wield it justly, for the benefit of your people and mine."

He passed the velvet-wrapped burden to Kith-Kanan. The Speaker of the Sun

whisked the cover away, revealing a large iron hammer, wrought in traditional dwarven

style but made larger to fit the hands of an elf. The octagonal iron handle was banded

with silver, and the sides of the massive flat hammerhead were gilded.

"It is called Sunderer," Glenforth explained. "Our priests of Reorx forged it in a slow

fire, and quenched it in dragon's blood to give it a worthy temper."

"It is magnificent," Kith-Kanan said in awed tones. He turned the great hammer in

his hands. "This is the tool of a demigod, not a mortal such as I."

"Well, as long as it's good enough," the dwarf king said with a wry smile. He waved

a beringed hand, and another Hylar thane came to him. This dwarf bore one of the long

iron chisels banded with silver. He gave it to his king, then he and Gendrin Dunbarth

withdrew.

Kith-Kanan and Glenforth walked in matched step to the boulder that lay in the

center of the pass. As they proceeded with appropriate dignity, Kith-Kanan said softly,

"Will you make the announcement, or shall I?"

"This was your idea." Glenforth replied in a low voice. "You do it."

"It's a joint project, Your Highness."

"Yes, but I'm no speechifier," said the dwarf. They stood by the boulder. "Besides,

everyone knows elves are better talkers than dwarves."

"First I've heard of it," Kith-Kanan muttered.

The Speaker of the Sun turned to face the delegations. King Glenforth stood

resolutely beside him, his hands resting on the long chisel as a warrior rests on his sword

pommel.

Kith-Kanan listened for a moment to the stillness of the valley. The mist was

vanishing, burned off by the rising sun. A flock of swifts darted and wheeled overhead.

Somewhere in the distance, a dove made its mournful call.

"We have come here today," he began, "to erect a fortress. Not a stronghold for war,

for we have too long followed that path. This fortress, which we of Qualinesti and our

friends of Thorbardin shall build and occupy together, shall be a place of peace, a place

where people of all races can seek haven and find protection and rest."

The Speaker paused as the first direct rays of the sun lanced over the mountain peaks

into the valley. He was facing east, and the sunbeams warmed his face. A surge of

resolution, of the rightness of what they were beginning here today, passed through

Kith-Kanan.

"This boulder will be the cornerstone of Pax Tharkas, the Citadel of Peace. King

Glenforth and I will carve it out ourselves, as a symbol of the cooperation and friendship

between our countries."

He turned to the rock and set the great hammer Sunderer on his shoulder. Glenforth

butted the chisel against the rock and steadied it with both of his thick, powerful hands.

"Swing true, Speaker," he said, half-jesting.

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ElvenNationsTrilogyVolumeThree[Dragonlancelogo]TheQualinestiPaulB.Thompson&TonyaR.Carter[WotClogo]THEQUALINESTI©2001WizardsoftheCoast,Inc.AllRightsReserved.Allcharactersinthisbookarefictitious.Anyresemblancetoactualpersons,livingordead,ispurelycoincidental.Thisbookisprotectedunderthecopyrightlawsoft...

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