The Coral Kingdom - Douglas Niles [0]
Druidhome 02 - The Coral
Kingdom
A Forgotten Realms novel
By
A ProofPack Release
Proofed and formatted by BW-SciFi
Ebook version 1.0
Release Date: July, 2nd, 2005
The round face of the stranger split into a wide grin, creasing the short beard into the rolls of skin. A plump hand, festooned with rings, reached into the pouch, but then the fellow turned back to the queen, obviously enjoying the suspense.
"This is more than a gift, royal lady. In fact, I return to you something which you have lost. Indeed, I presume it is something you have missed very much."
The hand came forth from the pouch, holding a limp, sickly pale object. Alicia couldn't see what it was, but then the man tossed it contemptuously toward the queen. It landed on the table before her, and the princess couldn't suppress a scream of horror.
The thing was a human hand, bled pallid and shriveled from long immersion in brine. On a finger of the hand, Alicia saw a ring, a jeweled signet that she well knew, for it bore the seal of a king, the head of a great bear. And with that recognition came the understanding that fueled her emotions.
For she knew that this was her father's hand…
The Coral Kingdom
Douglas Niles
The Druidhome Trilogy: Book Two
THE CORAL KINGDOM
Copyright ®1992 TSR, Inc.
All Rights Reserved.
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 Jaws of the United States of America. Any reproduction or other unauthorized use of the material or artwork contained herein is prohibited without the express written permission of TSR, Inc.
Random House and its 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 the United Kingdom by TSR, Ltd.
Cover art by Clyde Caldwell.
FORGOTTEN REALMS and DRAGONLANCE are registered trademarks owned by TSR, Inc. TOP SECRET/S.I, and the TSR logo are trademarks owned by TSR, Inc.
First Printing: September, 1992
Printed in the United States of America
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 91-66493
9876543
ISBN: 1-56076-332-9
TSR, Inc.TSR Ltd.
201 Sheridan Springs Road120 Church End, Cherry Hinton
Lake Geneva, WI53147Cambridge CB1 3LB
U.S.A.United Kingdom
To Bill Larson and Pat McGilligan,
who helped me bring the Moonshaes to life
Prologue
An evil god was Malar, the Beastlord-master of marauding monsters and misshapen creatures, deity of those who existed to kill, who relished slaying innocent, helpless victims. The grotesque shape of his immortal body resembled that of a monstrous black beast, like a malformed bear, with long, ripping claws and a coarse coat that dripped fresh blood. The essence of his evil soul formed a staunch pillar of darkness in the pantheon of the gods of the Forgotten Realms.
Restless, Malar seethed within the seat of his immortal throne. Fury fueled his foul nature, boiling, churning within him, compelling as release a savage depredation across the mortal lands beneath his sway.
And as was so often the case when Malar's hatred erupted, his target became the mortal race toward whom he felt a special enmity: the elves.
This is not to say that many dwarves, humans, halflings, and other benign creatures had not perished beneath the brunt of this foul god's wrath, but unquestionably elves were his favorite prey. So favored were they, in fact, that the Beastlord maintained a pet creature expressly for the purpose of slaying the members of that sylvan race. This was Ityak-Ortheel, the Elf-Eater.
In his vindictive hatred, Malar decided that Ityak-Ortheel should once again walk the paths of the Realms. The Beastlord summoned the monster from its mire-choked lair far down among the Lower Planes. The Elf-Eater arose from the sludge, revealing a huge mass of tentacles surrounding a domed carapace and one wide, mucus-streaked mouth-a maw where countless elves had perished in the past.
Malar knew of an elven land that was