As told by Maurice, a Firedrake
Sigmundo himself is the scion of SuGar, otherwise known as the Great Serpent of the Pyrenees. SuGar is the consort and companion of Mari, the chthonic goddess of the Basques. But She was not his mother. In fact, that bit is a mystery. But anyway, Sigmundo was born well over a thousand years ago, and has sired many varied offspring. La Vibora Verde, who once terrorized Aragon, was the mother of Diablo Rojo. It is likely that it is from her that the sheer bestial agression was inherited.
Growing to maturity, and developing incredible physical power, Diablo Rojo eventually struck out on his own. After slaying his mother and siblings. Posessing an animal intelligence, he instinctively all of the gold and treasure with him and burried it in some secret location in these mountains. Then began his long reign of terror. His tally includes a score of villages, more than a dozen knights, and even a few magi. Nothing would satiate his appetite for destruction. Villiagers offered up their virgins and all their wealth to plead for mercy. But he was just a beast that could not be negotiated with. He took their offerings and devowered them all anyway. He even killed a bishop once and devoured him and his entire entourage.
Then came the day when the infamous Red Devil Smoker met his match. The magi of Andorra have long had a semi-regular tradition of hunting in the mountains for drakes and other monsters, making the region safe and habbitable by humanity. The treaty Antonio Perez of Flambeau had with the Dragon Sigmundo, it was formed around this very concept and negotiated to be of mutual benifit to them both. The area we call "The Lair" and the mountain around it, was to be considered a sanctuary for Sigmundo and his brood. Those who wandered outside of it were fair game. The weak, stupid, and intolorable were cast out. The rest had free will to wander as they wished.
I already mentioned my mother and how my brothers and I were brought aside by grandfather. He has a special destiny planned for us, though aside from educating us as best he could, I am not sure what that may be. But the fact is that, even Simon, as simple as he is, posesses rare sentient intelligence wheras most drakes are bestial and anamalistic. This is important to understand when considering Diablo Rojo. Fierce, savage, shrewd and cunning as he may be, he is but an animal. An untamed elemental force of fire and destruction. Of all of his seven sons, Sigmundo was the proudest of Red Devil, who was his fiercest and most powerful child. Yet, sadly, fate had it that none of Sigmundo's direct offspring posessed his gift of intelligence. And he could not be contained to sanctuary lands anyway, for so dominating and strong was his stubborn will. And he caused too much damage to be worthy of protection. Diablo had to go.
It was eight years ago when the magi of Andorra had last held a Drake Hunt. I am sure Diablo was on the list of preferred targets, for he had slain two of that covenant's magi and several soldiers in recent years. Antonio divided the magi into hunting teams, and he himself patrolled the skies looking for signs of destruction.
It was a team of three that encountered Red Devil; fair Carmen who sits with us now was one of them, another was Dimir Taar, and the third was the mighty Xalbador (as played by Falls).
And perhaps this is a lesson you may all learn, one about cooperative magic. Dimir Taar wanted to create the illusion of some fallen cattle, the sight and smell to attract beasts. Carmen tought how to improve on it, kill a few goats and Dimir Taar could use illusions to greatly amplify the scent. While busy chowing on live food, the magi could then attack from multiple directions.
The bait was somewhat too effective. The goal was to lure a drake, but they had to chase off a griffon and the bait was snatched by a wyvern. They reset their trap, and yet anothet griffon tried to grab the bait. But that griffon, in turn, was ambushed by the larges most monstrous firedrake they had ever seen. El Diablo Rojo Fumadoro.
Xalbador struck at the creature with ice, causing iut mild pain and enraging it. Dimir Taar swooped down upon it on metal wing under cover of invisibility, but the nickname Fumadoro was given for the beast could generate vast amounts of caustic blinding smoke to protect itself. Carmen summoned powerful winds to sweep the smoke away. Xalbador changed tactics, striking the beast with a chill from within that drained away much of it's physical energy and fatiguing it. The three magi press on their attack, and Inigo Xalbador strikes it with the chill once again, multicasting his spell and rendering the beast unconscious.
That is when Grandfather interceeded. He knew the magi were well within their rights to slay Diablo, and he would not stop them if they could not be assauged. But his favorite son had been so successful for so long and had grown so mighty, Sigmundo plead for his son's life and struck a bargain with the magi. Diablo Rojo was banished to Africa for seventy-seven years, and every seven years Grandfather visits him in an effort to train Diablo to become intelligent through Transformation. The three magi were each granted a Favor, given a gold coin to represent the favored owed to be returned when siad favor comes due. Two of these favors have been called thus far, by Dimir Taar and Inigo Xalbador, to transport the magi to the Arc of Fire to rescue Carmen, and to provide the assistance of his three favored grandchildren in the effort.
Diablo Rojo still resides in Africa, where he is revered as a god and demon by locals and nomads. The treasures he has instinctively burried in these mountains remain yet undiscovered, but the treasure he has ammased in his new layer nearly exceeds these. And a favor is yet owed to you magi by Grandfather; it is Carmen that holds the third and final coin.
