Prince of Lies - James Lowder [0]
Avatar 04 - Prince of Lies
Trot Denning
Avatar 4
Copyright 1989 TSR, Inc. AH Rights Reserved.
This book is protected under the copyright laws of theUnited States of America. Any reproduction or other unauthorized use of the material or artwork contained herein to prohibited without the expreM written permission of TSR, Inc.
Random House and all affiliate companies have worldwide distribution rights in the book trade for English language products of TSR, Inc.
Distributed to the book and hobby trade in theUnited Kingdomby TSR Ltd. Distributed to the toy and hobby trade by regional distributor.
FORGOTTEN REALMS is a registered trademark owned by TSR, Inc. The TSR logo is a trademark owned by TSR, Inc
First Printing: April, 1989
Printed in theUnited States of America.
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 88-51723987
ISBN: 048038-730-0
All characters in the book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead are purely coincidental.
TSR, Inc.
P.O. Box758Lake Geneva, Wl 53147
U.S.A.
TSR Ltd.
120 Church End, Cherry Hinlon
CambridgeCB1 3LB
United Kingdom
AUTHOR'S NOTE
Five years ago, I was handed my first big assignment as an editor for TSR's book department: the Avatar Trilogy. Little did I suspect at the time that my office would soon become home to something game designer Jeff Grubb liked to call the Avatar Vortex. Anyone who crossed my threshold from July 1988 to October 1989 ran the risk of spiraling down into that maelstrom of Avatar products: novels, game modules, and comic books. Some folks made the descent willingly, others shouted a bit as they went under, but from its inception the Avatar Project owed its vitality to a large team of creative people.
With all that history in mind, it shouldn't be surprising that this Avatar-related novel owes much to the work of others:
To Scott Ciencin and Troy Denning, the better parts of Richard Awlinson, who penned the original trilogy and broke me in as an editor.
To Jeff Grubb, Karen Boomgarden, Ed Greenwood, and all the creatives who worked on the game department side of Avatar. The vortex would have been pretty lonely without your cheerful company.
To Mary Kirchoff, who assigned the Avatar Trilogy to a green editor, then taught him enough as a writer that he could add a chapter or two (or twenty) of his own.
To J. Robert King, who showed astounding grace under fire in the editing of this manuscript.
And most especially to my wife, Debbie, who has weathered the five-year-long Avatar maelstrom with good cheer. I doubt this is the last we'll see of Cyric, but it's nice to know you'll be around to keep him quiet during Jonny Quest the next time he drops by for a lengthy stay.
PROLOGUE
Gwydion was doomed, but he kept running anyway.
Dubbed "the Quick" by the sergeant of his company in Cormyr's vaunted Purple Dragons, Gwydion had bested everyone who'd ever challenged him in a footrace. He could dash from one end of Suzail's expansive Promenade to the other without breathing hard, while the pretenders to his title fell to panting long before they'd reached Vangerdahast's Tower, less than halfway along the course. As a scout during the crusade, he outran three Tuigan cavalrymen to deliver a report to King Azoun. So unassailable was his reputation that none of Gwydion's otherwise skeptical fellows had thought to question him, even though no one else had witnessed the amazing feat.
Yet, even Gwydion doubted his fleetness of foot could save him now – no more than Lady Cardea's priceless elfcrafted bow had kept her alive; no more than the myriad enchantments of Aram Scragglebeard had whisked him out of harm's way. No, the carrion crows filling the iron-gray sky were there as much for him as for his fallen companions.
As he scrambled to the foot of the cliff, Gwydion looked back up to the plateau. Twilight shadows draped the rocky face, the cloak of darkness broken now and then by long, glinting icicles or patches of snow. And at the trail's start, haloed by the sun setting at his back, stood the giant. He