This was originally the first chapter of Book Three, and was preceded by a short prologue in which Bonedevil expresses anger for no apparent reason. I've cut that out, obviously, but little else has been changed from the original.

DM's Notes: Tiamat was, of course, named for the five-headed dragon goddess of Forgotten Realms--and I actually did a mini-adventure once about the little gal's ongoing feud with her namesake.

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Harsh Terms

6694 CY

Jonathanas, Roselenna, and Tanthas Darkstar sat at the council table in the meeting hall of their private demiplane. Just a week ago, the entire Darkstar clan, composed of hundreds of beings and transcending race, religion, and even alignment, had sat at this table as Jonathanas declared war on Bonedevil. Now, almost everyone who had sat at that table was dead, and Jonathanas knew that many would never return. For most of his life, he had felt invulnerable, and he had known that even if he or one of his friends should fall, Roselenna would be there with magic that would restore him to life. But Bonedevil and his soul-eating blade, Blackrazor, could destroy him forever. He had seen Rose, Tanthas, and even himself die many times, but if he fell even once before Bonedevil, he would never rise again. And that frightened him.

Tiamat, his pseudodragon familiar, sensed his anxiety. She climbed up on his shoulder and nuzzled his neck, doing her best to ease her friend's fears. What's wrong, master?

"Oh, Tiamat," Jonathanas suddenly grabbed the tiny lizard and hugged her. "Don't you ever leave me!"

Don't worry, master, Tiamat extricated herself from the wizard's bear hug. That old hobgoblin won't ever catch me! Or you, for that matter.

"I don't know about that, Tiamat. As long as Bonedevil has that sword, all I have to do is slip up once and it's all over!"

You won't slip up. Hey, you're Jonathanas Darkstar! You always win!

"Did I win the fight with Bonedevil? The entire clan got wiped out--along with half the outer planes, the ecosystem of the entire Flanaess, and most of the gods! And Bonedevil still got away!"

You'll get him next time.

"If there is ever a 'next time,' the entire multiverse could be destroyed! Just one battle ended in disaster! It'll take centuries for the Flanaess to recover from the magic we unleashed. If we fight again, it could rip apart the entire fabric of reality! Besides, I don't want any more deaths on my conscience."

Your conscience! Bonedevil destroyed the clan, not you!

"But I led them to him! I tried to tell them that Bonedevil only wanted me, but they went anyway. If I had just been more firm and faced him myself, this would never have happened."

"Listen to yourself, Father," Tanthas broke in. "Do you really think that Bonedevil would have stopped if you were dead? Think! Remember what he was doing when we found him?"

"Wrecking Castle Greyhawk."

"And how exactly does that hurt you? He knew that all the Darkstars had left the Material Plane. Bonedevil is utterly mad! He may have started out attacking the Darkstar clan, but now he simply performs random acts of destruction and violence! If you were dead, Bonedevil would have nothing to give even a semblance of focus to his insanity, and he would get even worse!"

"I…suppose you are right…"

"I am right! And while you're beating yourself up over deaths that you weren't even responsible for, who knows what Bonedevil may be doing? Unleashing plagues of locusts? Contaminating entire oceans with megapede venom? Opening gates to the Abyss, or even worse places? He has the power to rip apart the fabric of reality, and the only thing keeping him from doing it is that he wants to kill you himself. You nearly had him last time--just keep trying until you get him!"

"But the multiverse--"

"--Would be no worse off than if we let Bonedevil run wild."

Jonathanas was about to argue further when Roselenna suddenly shouted, "I found him!"

"What!" Jonathanas leapt to his feet. "You mean you managed to Scry Bonedevil? He's shielded against divinations!"

"Correct, Darkstar," said Bonedevil, speaking directly to the magical sensor. "However, I have lowered that shield in order to deliver an ultimatum."

"I told you he wanted me," Jonathanas said with an air of vindication.

"As you have no doubt figured out for yourself," Bonedevil continued, "The being you fought recently was only a simulacrum of myself--one created several years ago, when I was significantly weaker. I had been saving it for a special occasion, but my newest weapon will render it and everything else in my armament obsolete."

The hobgoblin's face split into a terrible smirk. "I have developed a spell that will tear a permanent, irreparable hole in the fabric of reality. If you have not come to me by ten tonight, I will open a gate to the Negative Energy Plane."

"Unless the tear is somehow mended, life energy will slowly be drained from the Material Plane, killing everyone and everything on Oerth. The world will become a dark, evil realm inhabited only by soulless wights. If you still refuse to show yourself, I will do this to every plane on the Great Wheel until all life is extinguished."

"If you wish to prevent this from happening, you will meet me tonight above what is now Greyhawk Crater. You will bring no allies, and we will duel to the death. If you lose, surrender, or run away, I will obliterate Oerth."

"These are my terms. They are not negotiable. Goodbye."

Bonedevil made an arcane gesture, and the scrying sensor was cut off.

"Now there's a persuasive argument," said Jonathanas, as he picked up his sword and strapped it to his side.

"What?" Roselenna jumped up. "You aren't really going to fight him yourself, are you?"

"I have to! Didn't you hear? He's gonna blow a hole in the universe!" Jonathanas walked up to his lifemate and looked her in the eye. "I have to fight Bonedevil alone. If he sees anyone with me, he'll cast the spell!" He lowered his voice. "Rose, if I die, I want you to leave this multiverse. Go to Toril. There are still some Darkstars there, some who didn't get my summons. They know you're my lifemate. They can help you adapt to the Realms." He hugged her, and gave her a tender kiss on the forehead. "I hope I'll see you again, Rose."

She returned the kiss, and stepped back. Jonathanas could see a tear in her eye. "Good luck, Jonathanas."

He turned, and walked out of the meeting hall.