The slaying of Kandel
It was springtime, and the following of Castor of Tau were camped in a wooded valley. The winter had not been kind to them, and 5 graves lay below the lake. Farming was impossible, and every one of them had spent the winter hunting and searching for scarce food. As aprixet turned to manet, and the leaves burst from the trees, Castor and his party at last could rest. Castor called Cabsa Shrinto into his tent, and said to her "Cabsa the wise, and Cabsa the clever. Tell me how I can find the dragon Kandel the Murderous, for he has not yet paid for ravaging our camp two seasons since."
For, as some may know, Kandel chased the followers from their last camp, killing three of them, and burnt 20 tents and 15 horses, as well as badly burning Timwid Roughwyren the brave, who stood in his way to let her fellows escape.
Cabsa answered "I cannot track beasts of the forest, Castor, you know this. But once you find the dragon's land you could follow lines of trees and trails of magic until you reach his lair." "Oh Quenta Shrinto, you know only you have the skills of which you speak, so you will come with me." And Quenta agreed, for she was bound to.
Then Castor went to Talrash the halfelf, and Timwid, and Grenag the swiftfooted, and asked them "Will you come with me to face the Dragon Kandel, to make him pay for his murderous attempts." and all three answered, "Gladly, Castor we are at your side." He then went to find his old tutor, Bursov Ontix, and asked her. She said to him, "There is nothing of value in slaying the beast, but perhaps he has gold and secrets to entertain the wealthiest wizards. And as I know you will go with or without me, I will come." So the six set off, following Talrash's keen eyes towards the dragon's land.
They walked for a day and a half until they came to a burnt strech of trees. Their skeletons still stood, but cracked and blackened by some intense heat. However, the fierce fire had not spread far, and Talrash nodded at them and said simply "Kandel." Castor called for his wizard, and Quenta stepped forwards, trying not to look to hard at the black corpses of woodland animals that lay on the ground. Then the wizard Yalti Shrino began to chant words under her breath, and when at last she opened her eyes the swirls of magic filled the air in front of her. Yalti cast her gaze about, the set off in a new direction, looking back to see if the party were following, and indeed they were.
The six came upon a large cave, around which the ground was black and the bones of animals were strewn. They ventured downwards, lighting their way with torches carried by Bursov and Yalti. Suddenly a great whoosh of air filled the tunnel, and the form of Kandel the Murderous appeared from the darkness infront of them, blasting flame from his great maw and eyes shining with sinister delight. Such a terrifying beast would be enough to make an ordinary person flee, or die from fright. But Castor and his band stood their ground, and began to strike at Kandel.
Castor and Timwid hacked at the dragon with their swords, Demonchaser and Wyrvenheart, and they cut it deep. Although Kandel cut them too, with his teeth and claws. Bursov wove inbetween them, slashing at Kandel with her swift rapier when he let his eyes drift from her. But she was not quick enough to miss his swiping tail, and fell against the edge of the cave. Grenag swiftfoot moved faster than any of them, calling on pure magical energy as well as quick fists to batter Kandel from all angles. Talrash and little Yalti twisted thier magic around him, and Talrash magically healed them all, but soon they were all exhausted.
As Kandel drew breath for his final firey strike, to end Castor of Tau, he saw little Yalti dash past him into the depth of his cave. Angered, Kandel threw his fire after her instead, lighing up the tunnel like day. Quenta's terror fell silent as her body slumped, but Castor was not swayed, and drove Demonchaser into Kandel's heart. The great dragon roared so loud that rocks fell from the ceiling, and fell down dead. Kandel died by Castor's hand, and so Castor of Tau became the slayer of Kandel from then onwards.
Yalti and Bursov were roused by Talrash's skill in healing, and each of the six took a tooth from Kandel's jaws at the order of him, to remind them how close they came to the mouth of death.
When exactly the Slaying of Kandel became a tale attributed to Castor is unclear. The earliest story known mentions an orcish hero Dorr, and was possibly an old orc tale, pre-castor. This version contains much of the description of the dragon's lair, and the combat, as well as the name Kandell. However, the only explored grave of one of Castor's party: the crypt of Bursov Ontix, contains a dragon tooth untreated by any of the procedures done to sold dragon teeth from that era, suggesting Castor's band did kill a dragon. Most scholars believe two stories combined at one point, and that 'Dorr and Kandell' contained detail used to fill in the sparse Castorian original.
