I was hoping to continue the story, To Tweak the Nose of the Red Goddess, this week, but I have had a nasty head cold and just have not been able to focus on writing for enough time to get part 2 done. Next Week.

Instead, I present to you, Avorax, the Ascendant Dragonewt, who rules the Rotunda. What's the Rotunda? Read the story and find out.

The fantastic image is by the eqaully fantastic Pacelic!

Avorax was once a priest among the Dragon's Eye Sept. Over a dozen lifetimes of ascendance he grew until he was prepared to step into the heavens in his true form. In 1515, he rose, and failed. He never speaks of why, and is perturbed if the subject is raised, considering it a reminder of his shame.

Avorax left the Dragon’s Eye after his failure – under the too-knowing eyes of his creshmates. After wandering for a while through southern Sartar and into the Holy Country, he heard of the Clanking Ruin and the stories of Dragonewt involvement in the razing of it. He has hired numerous bands to comb the ruins for evidence of dragonewts, and has even ventured within the Old City himself. He considers ANY dragonewt thing retrieved from the Machine City to be his by right. Generally, he will pay for the item, sometimes he takes it by force or intimidation.

Avorax commands a small army of nearly 300 enforcers. Some are retired Wolf Pirates, others are adventurers, even Lunar soldiers fleeing their duty. They are a rag-tag bunch, but effective at maintaining order, and keeping the Lunars off the Rotunda.

Avorax lives on the top level of the Rotunda and rarely ventures out. He is surrounded by at least 30 of his best Enforcers. There is a rumor that he killed the leader of the Lunar Wyverneers in aerial combat. This is not true, the leader lives, but Avorax did kill a wyverneer and her wyvern when the Lunars first settled on the Spire.