The chief deity of the dragon race, the Nine-Faced Dragon God Io, was known by many titles: the Dragon of Harmonious Concord, the Eternal Wheel, the Lord of Gods, the First Dragon, and the Creator of All Dragons. Among these, being called the Lord of Gods highlighted the immense power of the Nine-Faced Dragon God.
When the Metal Dragon God mentioned the possibility of resurrecting the Nine-Faced Dragon God, Garon and all the present dragon gods were visibly shaken, their hearts stirred with immense possibilities.
If Io were to be resurrected with his full power restored, the dragon race returning to the pinnacle of the multiverse as the sole sovereign race would not be a far-fetched scenario.
Within the Dragon Pantheon, Io's position as the chief deity was undisputed.
All dragon gods were considered his offspring, the creations of the first dragon.
He was called the Nine-Faced Dragon God not because he had nine heads or faces, but because he embodied the complete traits of all nine alignments. His followers spanned all alignments, embodying universal inclusivity.
Due to his encompassing nature, Io had no true enemies across any creed; he could find common ground with any deity or quasi-deity from any alignment.
Io's sole concern was for his 'children'—the existence and proliferation of dragons across the multiverse. Unlike Annam, the chief giant god, who was more tyrannical and single-minded, Io believed that all his children, whether they be evil chromatic dragons, noble metallic dragons, or neutral gem dragons, deserved their paths and independence. As their creator, his role was to protect and support them, and occasionally mediate conflicts.
"If Io had been alive, the Dragonfall War would never have occurred," Garon thought to himself.
In the history of dragonkind, Io was undoubtedly a great, wise, and revered figure, the beloved progenitor of all dragons. Unfortunately, he had fallen long ago.
The common lore among true dragons did not include the cause of Io's demise.
However, Garon, now a Time Dragon God, was privy to this secret. Io died in the Dawn War, a colossal battle that took place just before a momentous victory.
The Dawn War, being exceedingly ancient, had been buried in the flow of time across many planes, to the extent that many newer gods had never even heard of it.
It occurred in a primordial era during an all-out war between the primordial titans and the gods. Io had single-handedly charged into the ranks of the primordial forces, bearing the brunt of their ferocity to shield the gods and restrain multiple primordials.
With his indomitable claws, iron-like body, and world-shattering dragon breath, Io's combat prowess chilled the hearts of countless primordial beings, playing a pivotal role in the gods' ultimate victory.
"All of you are aware of the Dawn War," said the Metal Dragon God with a hint of anger. "Io fought at the forefront, unyielding, alleviating the gods' burdens. However, the gods, wary of Io's immense power, hesitated to support him when he was besieged by primordials, leading to his fall."
The mention stirred the divine powers among the dragon gods.
The primordial titans were no weaklings. Io, despite his strength, could not withstand the concentrated assault of numerous primordials without support. Gradually weakening and heavily wounded, he was finally slain by a formidable primordial known as the Lord of Terror, who wielded a cosmic dark axe, severing Io's body.
Subsequently, Io's bisected body transformed into two distinct entities: Bahamut and Tiamat. Bahamut embodied Io's benevolent aspects, while Tiamat represented his malevolent sides.
Due to their origin from Io's body, Bahamut and Tiamat held unique and powerful positions within the Dragon Pantheon. The Lord of Terror, deprived of his dark axe by a retaliatory strike from Io at the moment of his death, was easily torn apart by the newly born Bahamut and Tiamat.
The gods and the weakened primordials, sensing the shift, fled the battlefield.
Thus, the Dawn War concluded with Io's death and the emergence of two new dragon gods, marking the gods' definitive victory over the primordials.
Since they originated from Io's body, when the Metal Dragon God mentioned the gods' reluctance that led to Io's death, his eyes seemed to blaze with fury.
After taking a deep breath to calm his rage, the Metal Dragon God continued, "But Io's body has already become you and Tiamat. Does that mean you two need to merge? Could merging with Tiamat revert you back to Io?"
Heru, the Dragon of Trickery and Runes, blinked with curiosity and anticipation.
The Metal Dragon God's expression darkened as he glared at Heru
, "Even in death, I, Bahamut, would never merge with Tiamat!"
The conflict between the Metal Dragon God and the Undying Dragon Queen stemmed from a deep-seated betrayal. While Bahamut, naively trusting his co-originated dragon deity, was unprepared for Tiamat's stealthy assault aimed at devouring him, though she failed due to the disparity in their powers.
Bahamut inherited the majority of Io's strength, while Tiamat received his cunning and strategic intellect.
After a moment, the Metal Dragon God said gravely, "Although Tiamat and I originated from the same divine body, we are now two separate entities. We cannot revert to Io by merging."
Garon stared at the Metal Dragon God, pressing, "What exactly is the method of resurrection you mentioned?"
The Metal Dragon God's expression turned solemn. "After the Dragonfall War, Tiamat and I recognized the plight of our kind and began exploring methods to resurrect Io."
He continued earnestly, "A god does not truly die as long as his followers remember him and maintain their faith. Io has never been forgotten."
"Even at the weakest moments of draconic faith, Io still possessed a vast following, comparable to a mid-tier divine power. Logically, with such prolonged worship over eons, Io should have been able to resurrect in some form, yet he hasn't."
Pausing under the intense gaze of the dragon gods, the Metal Dragon God hesitated before adding, "Tiamat and I briefly merged and discovered that Io's divine spirit does not reside within us."
Merge? That sounded like a fusion.
Heru immediately perked up, "Please, tell us more about the merging part!"
The Metal Dragon God's face darkened again as he flicked his claw, summoning an infinite surge of divine power to form a chain of radiant divine energy that wrapped around Heru's muzzle several times.
Heru blinked innocently, offering no resistance.
The Metal Dragon God explained, "Tiamat and I speculated various possibilities and concluded that Io's divine spirit is likely sealed."
He continued gravely, "During the Dawn War, Io wasn't the only deity slain by the Lord of Terror. Other gods with surviving followers never resurrected, just like Io."
"Are you suggesting the Lord of Terror sealed Io's spirit?" Garon asked.
Killing a god without fully eradicating them provides an opportunity for their resurrection. Often, sealing is a more effective measure.
The Metal Dragon God nodded, "More precisely, it was the Lord of Terror's weapon."
"When Tiamat and I merged, we unlocked a part of Io's memories and sensations, discovering that the Lord of Terror's weapon possessed a soul-capturing power."
"The Lord of Terror's weapon, the Dark Axe of the Cosmos, was struck from his grasp by Io's dying counterattack and fell to an unknown location."
"The Lord of Terror, having lost the Dark Axe, was thus easily slain by Tiamat and me after our birth."
Looking around at the assembled dragon gods, the Metal Dragon God stated emphatically, "Tiamat and I are ninety percent certain that Io's spirit was sealed by the Dark Axe."
"If we can find the Dark Axe and release the chief god's spirit, then issue a divine decree for Io's followers still present in various planes to perform a resurrection ritual simultaneously, and with the aid of our fellow dragon gods, there's a high probability that we can resurrect the chief god."
So that was it. The dragon gods mulled over this revelation.
If they could indeed bring Io back, it would be a momentous event that could shake the multiverse.
Garon quickly asked, "So the assistance you seek from us is to find the Dark Axe?"
"Yes," the Metal Dragon God replied. "As the weapon of the Lord of Terror, it carries an evil attribute and is most likely in the lower planes. But finding it in the vast, infinite worlds of the planes is not an easy task."
The Bottomless Abyss, Howling Abyss, the Nine Hells, the Infernal Hell, the Gray Wastes, the Battlefield of Slaughter, the Banished Abyss—these lower planes were endless, and even for deities, finding a weapon without specific clues was a daunting task. Furthermore, these planes were inherently chaotic and dangerous.
Devils, demons, godlings, ancient evils, primordial titans, evil and vile gods—these beings residing in the lower planes were not to be trifled with easily.
The Metal Dragon God sighed, "It would be somewhat easier in other lower planes, but if it's in the Bottomless Abyss, it would be even harder to find."
"And we must keep our search for the Dark Axe under wraps. If other deities discover our intent, they will surely interfere."
The atmosphere in the temple grew heavy.
"Although we have a way to resurrect the chief god, it seems like a distant prospect," Garon said, shaking his
head slightly.
"But at least there is hope."
"I will send my trusted messengers or a divine avatar to assist in searching for the Dark Axe in the major lower planes," Garon told the Metal Dragon God.
The other dragon gods also expressed their intention to search for the Dark Axe as diligently as possible. This matter concerned the resurrection of their chief god, and all took it seriously.
Meanwhile, in the Chromatic Kingdom in Avernus Hell, the Undying Dragon Queen looked up, her gaze seemingly piercing through to Lunia Heaven's Bahamut Palace.
"Stupid Bahamut, openly revealing his power level," she scoffed.
Upon her, the strength of extraordinary divine power had also restored to mid-level divine power.
Then, her gaze fell within the grand hall, where more than just the Dragon Queen resided.
The dragon gods not present at Heavenly Mountain—Karrakis, the Dragon of Destruction, and Pharazul, the Night Dragon of Terror—were also in the Chromatic Kingdom.
"Don't be as foolish as Bahamut," the Dragon Queen advised. "Be smart and don't let other deities discover our purpose in searching for the Dark Axe."
Having coordinated with the Metal Dragon God, the Undying Dragon Queen had similarly gathered the evil-aligned dragon gods to share the method of resurrecting Io.
On the idea of resurrecting Io, regardless of their moral alignment, the dragon gods were unified. As Io's children, they fondly remembered his presence.
Io treated all his offspring equally, not disdaining them for their evil or good natures, but simply offering silent protection and support.
Thus, he commanded the respect of the entire Dragon Pantheon.
In contrast, if the chief giant god Annam had fallen and there was a chance to resurrect him, none of his divine offspring, the giants, would bother to exert themselves.
And compared to the dragon gods currently at Heavenly Mountain, those residing in the lower planes—the Undying Dragon Queen in Avernus, Karrakis in the Howling Abyss, and Pharazul in the Gray Wastes—were more familiar with these realms, having dealt daily with devils, demons, and malevolent deities.
"Once the chief god is resurrected, the predicaments currently facing our race will be resolved," the Dragon Queen murmured, her eyes narrowing.
"At that time, all creatures that disrespect the true dragons will meet their demise!"
Karrakis displayed a ferocious grin.
"Karrakis," Pharazul, who appeared akin to a black dragon with gaunt muscles and scales clinging to his bones, turned to the Dragon of Destruction.
"The lair of Dander, the Night Serpent—a primordial titan nearly on par with the Lord of Terror—is not far from my divine realm," he said.
"I think we could pay it a visit and inquire about the Dark Axe."
Pharazul was wary of the Night Serpent's power. Venturing out alone to seek it might place him in jeopardy, so he planned to take Karrakis along.
"It's been a while since I've smelled the scent of these defeated primordials," Karrakis agreed, thinking of flaunting his power before a loser.
Soon, the two dragon gods set off together.
In Lunia Heaven, the dragon gods gradually departed, and Garon returned to the Eternal Divine Kingdom.
In the temple, the elf maidens danced gracefully, trying to please the dragon god.
But Garon's interest in their dance had waned, his mind occupied with other matters.
"If my true self could precisely travel to the time of the Dawn War, then there might be a chance to pinpoint the location of the Dark Axe," Garon pondered silently.
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