Disclaimer: I do not own Dragonlance or any of the characters herein. If I did, I would have ended the main series with Test of the Twins and let the other authors have their fun.


The cowled watcher appeared in a different place within the dark void. He peered around his new location in silence.

Gone were the divine thrones of terrible majesty. Gone were the powerful auras and imposing figures. Gone too was the dazzling ceiling. Replacing them were three moons of red, white, and black. They hung above three simple chairs which moved slowly through the void, orbiting a blue-green orb set between them.

The watcher looked at the scene and nodded his approval. Simple as the scene might be, it was beautiful to his eyes as few things were in this life or his last. His blood sang with the magic that flowed within this place.

With one final glance around the chamber the cowled man spoke another word of magic, swiftly disappearing from sight. The masters of the room would soon be arriving and it would not do for them to discover his presence before he desired it.

'No, it would not do at all. One last debt I may have, but to these three beings I owe nothing!'

His wait was not long. The three moons looming overhead suddenly paused in their rotations. The soft light each gave off grew steadily brighter, building to a slow crescendo. The hidden watcher felt his blood race as the magic built to its peak.

At the moment he felt his blood begin to boil, three figures appeared. One garbed in white, one in red, and a final one in black. The three robed figures stared at one another silently for a time. Then, as if reaching an unspoken agreement, each figure sat in their corresponding chair and looked towards the blue-green orb. The watcher waited patiently for them to make their move.

Lunitari looked at her spoke first. "The events unleashed by Takhisis upon the world have weakened the influence of High Magic. Without our guidance and assistance, we have lost more than a generation of young practitioners, while those who remain have aged in our absence." The goddess gave a soft sigh as she raised a slim hand to cover her eyes. "I fear that it will be some time before wizards walk Krynn in any number."

Solinari nodded his silver haired head in agreement. "Many of our followers have died without leaving any successors to inherit their legacy. Yet as you have said some few do remain. It is from their ranks that we will form a new Conclave and reestablish the three Orders of Wizardry."

Nuitari's cowled head swiveled in his cousins direction. A dark, faceless mask obscured his features, but the disdain in his voice could be felt. "And who shall we chose to lead this new Conclave, cousin? Who remains that would be worthy of being a member of the new Conclave? Palin turned your offer down, and I doubt that you would allow Raistlin's former apprentice to be the one to usher in this new era."

Solinari met hidden Nuitari's gaze without blinking. "I believe that Jenna should be the new Archmage. Unlike Dalamar, she did not dabble in necromancy in our absence, and she still possesses formidable powers. As a Red Robe, she would make an ideal candidate. Agreed?" Lunitari and Nuitari both nodded their heads in quick assent.

Hearing these words, the hidden watcher nodded his head in agreement as well. 'Dalamar's time will come, but not as soon as he would like. Fool of an apprentice.'

With a look of relief evident on his face, Solinari turned his gaze upward. "Now that that is over with, we have to confront the real problem which lies before us."

Nuitari and Lunitari exchanged a quick glance and spoke in unison. "Wild Magic."

Solinari wearily nodded his head. "Indeed, cousins. What was once practiced only by the most desperate of wizards and the inheritors of ancient traditions has now grown. It's users have ingrained themselves into the fabric of the world; no wizard, not even those who were once our acolytes, is free of its taint."

Lunitari picked up her cousin's train of thought in hushed tones. "Where once magic was carefully controlled, so that mortals could learn to use it safely... now it runs rampant. Can anything be done to correct it?"

The three fell silent as they pondered the issue before them. Even dark Nuitari, sitting on his ebon chair, was at a loss on how they would deal with the new issue.

It was then that the watcher knew why magic had asked for his presence. For if the gods of magic themselves were at a loss for how to proceed, who was was qualified to guide them? The answer was none. None besides him.

"Can we do anything about it? We are weak, cousins. Our exile drained us of our power, and without the support of the Three Orders there is little we can do to interfere.". Lunitari said this with a grim look on her face; they were staring at the death of the one thing that they existed for, High Magic, and were powerless to prevent it.

Looking at his fellow gods of magic, Nuitari's voice seemed to tighten. "Then it seems that we are left with only the direct approach. We can kill these new practitioners ourselves. If we so decide, these children would fall, freeing us to begin the order of Robed wizards anew. Without someone on the level of Fistandantilus or Raistlin Majere, there are none who could oppose us still living among mortal wizards."

The reaction of his two cousins was immediate.

"Are you insane, cousin?" Solinari snapped in disgust. "To do so would be to ruin our work before it even began! Who would desire to serve us besides the most evil or desperate of mortals if we came back as bloody handed butchers!"

To the watchers keen gaze, Solinari's face looked drawn and tight as he spoke. Lunitari appeared little better. "I may have no plan of action myself," she said calmly, "but I cannot allow the massacre of every Wild mage on the face of Krynn to come to pass. That is not an option cousin, nor is it a burden we can afford to bear."

Nuitari gave a dark chuckle. "You need not feel worried, cousins. I will take on the burden of this myself. As the god of dark magic I am well suited for the task. Blame it upon me and not only will the most evil of wizards flock to our banner. Those who would oppose them will also come, seeking the power to stop it from happening once again."

Solinari opened his mouth to retort, only to be cut off by Lunitari's raised hand. "Cousins, let us not forget the lessons that we learned during our long exile. We need mortals as much as – perhaps even more than – they need us. The option that you have given is not a viable proposition, as it could irreparably tarnish their faith in all three of us; and regardless of the moral quandaries inherit in such an action, the action itself is not a risk that we can afford to take at this time."

The watcher silently sneered at the words of the goddess. It had taken the near destruction of all they held dear to drive home this newly revealed truth, that it was not mortals who were dependent upon the gods. That it was the gods themselves who were dependent upon the mortals whom they proclaimed to guide or rule.

"'Mortals and Gods. Symbiotes... or parasites?' He mused to himself. 'Which is better? The one who beseeches aid in the open? Or the one who leeches strength in the dark?' The sneer on his face changed to a wry smile. 'How pleasant it is to see this revealed at last for all to see. May my foolish apprentice and the others remember this lesson well, for the gods themselves will not.'

It was with this smile that he strode forward. The word of magic that would reveal his presence left his lips with a gentle caress, and he took pleasure in the looks of shock and surprise that graced their features. "Would you listen to a second option, oh gods and goddess of magic?"