Ah, Dragon Quest.

Is the passage just a corridor or are there branches? If it's straight I don't think there is much choice but to go through the doors.

Status report:

You are a young-adult male Red Dragon. [About halfway between #1 and #2, for size reference.]
You are polymorphed into the form of a male elf.
You have a small hoard, and are making efforts to enlarge it. You also have a makeshift lair.
You have 2 Minions, One of which is currently with you.:
Scinnari, An Erinyes that seems halfway loyal and interested in helping you. Also very... pleasant company. Somewhat injured at the moment, but she seems functional and in no danger.
Jarrik, a kobold, who seems very loyal. You don't know where he is, but he is likely to try and contact you at some point, probably when Scinnari is not with you.

You have spells memorized:
[5 slots]
1 Light
1 Arcane Mark
1 Prestidigitation
1 Mage hand
1 Read magic

>>12314533
The previously-secret passage does not seem to branch at all, though you can't see more than thirty feet.

[I thought I posted this already, if I doubleposted or missed the thread, sorry.]

Does our magic work like a sorcerer's magic or a wizard's magic? I was under the impression dragons were sorcerers.

>>12314665
Innate abilities are all sorcerer like, as far as I understand. Learning spells is wizard-style, though.

>>12314589
My instinct is to go towards wherever those creatures came from, on the grounds that there are obviously less enemies there now and they probably live somewhere near their answers/treasure.

Was the Yellow Sign from last thread actually painted or inscribed anywhere in the cave?

cautiously explore secret passage. (As an elf, I assume our methods of sight are limited to native elven low-light? if so - cast light to illuminate the passage greater.) If it extends farther than a hundred feet, motion Scinnari to cautiously follow at a distance.

>>12314471
I'd first off somehow dispose of the body in the street so as to make sure no one comes in after us.

How good is our Darkvision? Do either ourselves or Scinnari have Dungeoneering to try and figure out the nature of this secret passageway?

>>12314720
The doors.

>>12314728
Dragons have [or should have, especially since they so often like underground lairs] dark-vision. We get to keep it.

>>12314728
>>12314705
The passage winds, but ends up proceeding roughly parallel to the corridor you left.

[dice 1d100]

rolled 61 = 61

>>12314794
Do we know anything about the markings?

>>12314794
As both Scinnari and ourselves have good darkvision (120 if I'm not mistaken) keep lights off and stealth into the secret passage, check for traps too.

dice 1d100

ROLLIN for awesome.

rolled 86 = 86

>>12314858
Goddamnit.

>>12314844
No.


After a short while, you detect what appears to be another secret door, exiting the passage. Ahead of you, the passage continues on.

>>12314471
IIRC, snakes have venom...
Might want to check out that bite wound eventually, even IF she's demonic in nature, better safe than sorry.

rolled 21 = 21

Investigate 2nd secret passage.
(Why don't we have detect magic??? Seriously who chose that list?!)

What spell-like abilities do we have as a Dragon? Besides polymorph.

>>12314874
Jesus fucking.... Sigh, continue on. What is with all these passages? Triple secret secrets?

>>12314898
I think we can smell magic naturally or something, as a dragon. At least, we've done so a couple times in the past.

>>12314898
Read the past threads. We have permanent natural detect magic from being a dragon. That would have been a wasted slot.

>>12314907

this little dragon's suspicion is that it's a safe, hidden passageway that they can use to navigate around their own traps.

(to confirm:) Does the new secret door seem to exit back in the direction of the previous passage we were in that was roughly parallel to the one we're currently in?

Wait, actually, open the secret door and look inside before proceeding.

>>12314898
Locate object. We can also innately detect magic to some degree, though less precisely or sensitively than the spell.

##############
>>12314898
>21

Finding the catch, you trigger it. Much easier from this side. The door grinds down, and you see a royal purple curtain about five feet into the room, blocking your view.

Between the curtain and the wall you've entered from, though, there are four locked strongboxes, and, in one corner, a nice looking crossbow.

You are interrupted of your appraisal of this room by something pushing through the curtain, ripping it down, then aside. The rest of the room is revealed, mostly empty, except for three animate and one animating skeletons, armed with rusted weaponry.

In a moment, they press forward, swinging wildly, and only due to random chance, it seems, not hitting each other.

Taking advantage of the corridor behind you, you back up into it, to the point where they can only come at you through the doorway one at a time. What might otherwise have been a dangerous fight becomes anything but, and after the first one, you and Scinnari settle into a rhythm; you draw their swords, parry, then trap in an outside guard against the wall, and Scinnari grabs the actual skeletons and rips them bone from bone.

A few minutes, and only a slight nick on your left hand where one got lucky, you are alone, staring into what you happily suspect is a treasury.

>>12314984
Yesssssssss. Scinnari can teleport at will, yes? Investigate the strongboxes and if they contain riches perhaps she can transport them to our inn room, dump the contents, and then teleport back with the empty chest. We don't want scrying to hound us at our room (hence disposing of the lockboxes) and she doesn't know the location of our stash.

>>12315021
Um, being extra wary of traps of course.

>>12315021
My sense of paranoia informs me that this plan will result in our devil minion teleporting in right on top of our kobold minion, to no good result.

>>12315034
Well they know each other exist, at least. Scinnari knows we wouldn't be happy if Jarrik were slaughtered in our room. And Jarrik is pretty bloody smart for a kobold.

At least we would know where the little bugger is.

>>12315021
Ohkay, I'm a little lost with that. Of note; she can teleport 'self +50 pounds', and the strongboxes are locked. We do not have space to revert in this room.

Can we just wait until we clean this place out, haul the chests out to the street [it's the middle of night], invisible-ify, then fly them off to our lair? That seems simpler than spamming teleport to get it out of there 50lbs at a time.

>>12315124
>>12315021
Thoughts of treasure and plunder dance in your mind, and you notice a plume of smoke as you exhale. Crouching down, you start examining one of the four chests, preparing to rip it open.

"I think you should wait." Scinnari says, putting a hand on your shoulder. With almost a snarl, you turn at her, and she backs up a step. "Pardon me, lord. It just seems it would be safest and easiest to wait until we finish. I would suspect we would even find the keys to those locks somewhere in here; after all, a treasury is useless unless they can get into it. It would be a simple affair to steal a cart and and send these back wherever we want, or for you to fly them out from the street tonight. Again, I'm sorry lord, it just seems... worth suggesting."

>>12315124
Well it's just the two of us. What if we can't clean it out? We've raided this deep so it's entirely possible they will relocate the loot if we come back later.

I was suggesting the teleport so we could leave Scinnari transporting the goods to our room and continue exploring while invisible, but I suppose we could just wait and come back for it on our way out.

>>12315199
Well, at the very least we can grab the crossbow and sling it over our back. If there are bolts we might even be able to use it.

>>12315199
Proceed onward in the passage.

>>12315232
Seconding the Crossbow, does it seem magical in any way?
"I appreciate your suggestion but if it nets a loss in any way, you shall make up the difference."

We need Jarrik down here for trap searchings and lock pickings.

Continue down corridor?

>>12315232
Grudgingly, you accept her suggestion, as you probably can't open the chests without reverting, which you can't do here, anyway. Stopping to grab the crossbow in the corner, you admire it, detecting some minor enchantments upon it.

Moving to the door, you open it a crack, and look out. To one side, you see a door at the end of a corridor, presumably the same one from the intersection earlier. Across from you, and a bit ahead, there's a door on the opposite side of the corridor; beyond that , the passage veers right away at forty-five degrees.

[Where to now?]

>>12315348

close the door into the hallway and return to the secret passage. Don't want anything uncleared at our back.

Leave a bottle or small, hard object on the door/handle so that it will fall and make noise if disturbed.

>>12315404
Seconding back to the secret passage. Would rather stay out of the cultist proper.

>>12315446
GOD DAMMIT ARC

>>12315404
Taking a trio of the copper pieces you got from Lenzo's body, you place it upon the handle, intent upon some warning, should someone attempt to pursue you from here.

Moving back to the corridor, you continue on, fifteen feet ahead of Scinnari, picking up on the sound of dripping water after a dozen feet.


The passages opens into a large natural cave, the water-dripping-into-water sound echoing around it. All about are piles of refuse, and, you notice, shed snake-like skin. There does not seem to be anything alive in here, though the detritus and refuse suggests this is where the snake-creatures dwelt.

>>12315446
QUEST WITHIN A QUEST!

>>12315476

explore cavern, beginning along left wall (sidenote, would it support our full size, in a pinch? in the event we need to retreat here to lay the beat down on anything). Mainly looking for any exits or bodies of water large enough to contain an aquatic passage.

also keep an eye out for anything shiny the snakes may have left behind or nestled in.

>>12315476
Look around. If it's a guardroom there might be other secret doors in it.

If not go back to the main proper corridor.

>>12315532

"I don't suppose you know if snakes are prone to hoarding things themselves?" you ask Scinnari, as she follows you into the open space. It's dark here, literally no light, though that's only a minor discomfort.

"I am afraid not; it seems likely that this discovery is useless, now that the inhabitants have been slain." Scinnari says in a bored-sounding tone.

"I disagree." you say, drawing her attention, "If we do get hard pressed, we can retreat here, and I can revert. It is possible there is another exit from here, after all, they figured out we were here somehow." you state. Scinnari does not reply, but nods, and spreads out to the other side, searching.

[dice 1d100]

rolled 85 = 85

>>12315593
Come on good roll.

rolled 44 = 44

rollan'

>>12315624
"Here!" Scinnari calls, and you turn from the edge of a large pool, to approach her. She has her ear against a wall, and signals for you to halt as you get near. After a few minutes, she straightens, and says, "The most agonized screaming I've heard in weeks, and the sound of a cleric of some sort casting spells. I think this would be an inner sanctum. You were right, lord." she says, "This was a good find."

>>12315669
Well now. We have a couple options. We could transform and rake the inner sanctum with fire, but that would likely destroy valuables. On the other hand, if we remain in smallfolk form we will be vastly weaker.

I vote for pop it open and check it out, invisibly if possible. If it looks bad we can decide from there.

>>12315669
Bust that fuckin' door down, we're breakin' in, killan' fools, and burnin' bitches.

Uh, just to make sure, Scinnari doesn't count as a bitch.

>>12315725

Agree with above. Need to scope it out. Unless the screaming/sounds seem to be /right/ on the other side of the door, attempt to get in open quietly while invisible.

>>12315761
>>12315725
Exhaling on the emerald, you hang it around your neck, and activate the door while signalling Scinnari to back away. The door grinds down, frightfully loud, you fear, but it seems to have been unnoticed. Agonized, desperate screams, mixed with sobbing begging fill the air, echoing around through the large pillared hall. To the left, you can see a large, sinister looking altar raised above the rest of the hall, and ahead, you see a cloaked figure, wearing saffron robes, blessing a group of, presumably, acolytes or followers.

[dice 1d100]

assuming the roll is good enough to avoid detection, how many followers? Are the acolytes the source of the screams or is there a sacrifice/victim elsewhere?

rolled 32 = 32

>>12315844

fffff

>>12315844
The acolytes do not appear to be screaming. If anything, the robed figure seems to be exhorting them to violence against intruders, you think, and possibly bestowing blessings and enchantments.

The screaming stops, trailing off rapidly, in a manner that suggests that whoever it was has passed out, or fainted. Glancing around as the last echoes fade away, you hear a loud, clear voice ring out from the hall.

"Welcome, brave intruder, to the sanctum of the Yellow Sign. Your achievement does deserve acknowledgement; you are the first outsider to break the sanctity of our temple. Unfortunately, that means you cannot leave. Here, before the gaze of the Binder, the Unspeakable one, your life must end." Standing in front of the altar is another robed figure, staring straight at you, despite your invisibility, casting a spell even as he speaks.

A shout goes up from the other group of acolytes, and you realize you are no longer invisible.

[What do, dice 1d100 for it]

rolled 71 = 71

>>12315936
This has really not been our day.

Dragonform. Dragonfear. Dragonbreath. Dragon... haughty laughter while standing over smoking corpses, hopefully.

rolled 32 = 32

>>12315936

would vote to take a few steps back, as if startled. Hold in elf form until acolytes charge. Once they're within breath weapon range, drop the dragon fear bomb, transform, and direct a blast at the biggest pile of them. Then wade in with our henchwoman and go for the priests.

move back in to larger cavern, shift, ready dragonfear. move, standard, minor lol. dice=1d100

Go full Godzilla on their asses.

so how do you roll? level 1 fa/tg/uy.

rolled 59 = 59

>>12316070
But this is a large pillared inner sanctum, right? I imagine it would be better than a small cave where we can barely move.

>>12316099

true but bottleneck is what I'm shooting for, also kill caster line of site.

>>12316095
dice+1d100 in email

rolled 56 = 56

>>12316070
my roll lol

>>12316120
But a bottleneck is detrimental to us. These are level 1 mooks, what are they going to do? Rusty dagger us to death? Spellcaster is the only threat and he could launch something really nasty into the hole to hurt us even without LoS.

>>12316121
thank you :)

>>12315960

Quickly removing the emerald from around your neck, you toss it backward, assuming Scinnari will take care of it, or even make use of it. As the cultist rush you, you emerge into the central hall of the almost cathedral-like building, and revert.

Rising rapidly, you suddenly tower over the cultists, who draw back, screams of shock and horror echoing around you in a satisfying cacophony of terror. Though you despise risking potential wealth, you open your jaw, and release a blazing inferno upon the scattering cultist. A few manage to escape, but most are left a swath of ash, burning fat, and baked bones. The smell of burnt flesh rises up in a plume, along with greasy smoke.

"One of the great lizards... In a better day, you would serve the unspeakable one herself, bound as your kind were. Now, however, I doubt you would be willing." the cowled figure whispers, in a voice that somehow carries over the crackling flesh, and the screams of the acolytes.

Annoyed at his confidence, you literally crush one of the fleeing cultists, stepping on it, while you cook the last four, one with your actual fire, the others caught on the fringes, in the presumably-agonizing blast of superheated air.

Turning to the alter, you see the priest finishing a spell, and begin a familiar process of shifting and growing. Though you attempt to engage him before he finishes, you arrive only as he grows into a large, many-headed hydra. With the force of a meteor, your rushing body slams hi- it against the wall, and you rip one head off in your jaws, while pinning another into the stone symbol above the alter with one foreclaw. The other heads scream, and lash out, one of them ripping at your wings, another attempting to find your throat.


[input more dice]

rolled 13 = 13

>>12316149
fuck that bitch WE are the bad ass reptile in the room!

rolled 17 = 17

>>12316149
how many heads we dealing with?

>>12316172
>12
>huge hydra
OHGODWE'REDEAD

rolled 52 = 52

rip its fucking heads off! blast the stumps with superheated breath!

rolled 100 = 100

>>12316149
Christ I hope this roll counts

rolled 65, 29, 31, 24, 79 = 228

>>12316149
How many dice?

Also, why did we charge the hydra? They can't breathe fire. Sigh, whatever. Rip and tear.

>>12316203
FUCK YEAR!!! use that one lol

>>12316214
Not the way it works man.

Stop using lol.

>>12316226
but I giggle while I type...

>>12316238
You also blink and breathe while you type, I presume.

>>12316245
yes but inaudibly in my defense lo...just fucking with ya.

>>12316191
>>12316172
>17
Outnumbered somewhat, you attempt to retreat, in the face, or faces, of eight counter-attacks. The myriad of heads on long necks, though, make it difficult. Literally closing your jaws on another, you feel sharp pains as needle-sharp teeth bite into your shoulder, side, and arm.

Writhing and backing up, as you are able, you shake your neck violently, and literally rip the head in your mouth off it's neck, just barely managing to ward another two heads off from your neck. Suddenly you experience a feeling of excruciating pain as the one in your shoulder manages to rip itself away, along with a sizeable chunk of flesh.

>>12316262
Shall we sear some flesh now? Keep those heads from growing back and hurt it at the same time.

rolled 99 = 99

>>12316262
point blank breath weapon, with some rage

>>12316262
how bout we rip off its head bite down on the severed neck and BREATH FIRE into the fucker
roast that bitch from the inside out
or we can just burn him to a crisp at range

>>12316296

>Ciback agrees
indeed capcha? I think we just named our red guys :)

>>12316296
go with this one. that roll is too good not to use

>>12316307
Duke Nukem style fuckyeah!

also rollin for burny

>>12316203
>>12316197
Enraged, with blood-red flames flickering at the edges of your vision, and pain shooting through the primitive portions of your mind, you ignore the damage to you flesh, ripping back, and letting out an enraged roar, shaking the cavern, blasting dust down from the ceiling, and releasing a massive gout of incandescent blue flame. Three of the Hydra's heads are incinerated at once, literally leaving not even bone. As you turn your head, you catch a glimpse of Scinnari, backed against the wall, watching what is, comparatively to her, a battle of titans. You don't actually register her presence, though, focusing single-minded on killing the beast before you, regardless of the cost or pain, for daring to challenge you.

Crippled and with the stumps of six heads seared shut by flame hot enough to ash flesh and bone alike, the hydra shrieks in pain, lashing out again. A bit upon your wing, arm, wing, neck. The one on your neck and arm are turned aside by your scales this time, and ignoring the holes being torn in your wings, you ram your talons into the hydra's chest, punching easily through it's weaker, flimsier armor. With your hand inside it's rib cage, the fight is effectively all over but the dying. Gripping whatever you can, you smash your claw from side to side, withdrawing heart, lungs, bones, blood, and other myriad components of the interior.

>>12316307
vomiting elemental fire down a bloody stump sounds point blank to me...just saying.

>>12316329
Oh, alright. You hear that, you lot? You've got a 99 you can decide to use at some point.

>>12316309
Did we ever decide on a -dragon- name? Much as it does for your ego, Jarrik and Scinnari especially are going to need something else to call you eventually.

>>12316358
...or that works. damn. well written writer-dude!

>>12316358
Hmmph. We should get this seen about immediately. We cannot have our precious hide scarred so early in life, and that hydra took a plug out of our shoulder... though I imagine we'll heal fine on the wings.

>>12316391
99 roll had Ciback agrees as capcha.

I vote Ciback ( si-BACH)

There were a lot of suggestions in previous threads.

Azaladon was suggested in V, and Ciback was just suggested. Someone gave a whole list too, at some point.

>>12316391
I vote to use the 99 to inspect the cavern.

>>12316442
Right, but I'm not sure anything was ever decided upon.

[more coming, unless there's other suggestions. Stand by.]

>>12316445
How about we save it for fights, hmmm? Inspecting a cavern is not potentially lethal as far as we know.

>>12316442
Azaladon definatly sounds more draconian, but is it OC name? sounds familiar. if its not already a something Azaladon and if it is Cibach (better spelling?)

>>12316465
ya I suppose, holding on to a instant win roll feels lame though. I like some spice to my quests.

>>12316480
Google turns up nothing. Azaladon seems to be an original.

I'll throw in for Azaladon.

>>12316504
as Celtic (and thus awesome) Cibach sounds Azaladon is a better red dragon name.

Azaladon then guys?
(tripfaging to help roll identifying)

>>12316358
Three different necks of the hydra locked in your jaw's deathgrip, several minutes pass, before you feel a humanoid figure alight upon your neck. Wrenching violently, still in flaming blood rage, you almost crush Scinnari with your right claw, before restraining yourself.

"Lord! LORD! Please! It's me!" Scinnari shouts, terrified for her life, "I'm sorry, lord! It's over! You won! I- Are- you alright?"

Easing back into the present, you focus for a few seconds, and figure out how to relax your jaws, allowing the hydra to collapse to the floor. You suddenly realize you're shaking, and drop down yourself. "There's no one else left." Scinnari says, more confident, now that you seem to have calmed down somewhat.

Head lower to the ground, you watch dully interested as the body of the hydra shrinks, contracts, and warps, into the terribly defaced but still recognizable form of Eidomon, the high priests' assistant from the temple. Chunks of his face and neck are missing, and his ribcage is nothing but a gory, gaping hole. As you watch, it changes further, into one of the snake-creatures you fought at the entrance. Intruiged, you polymorph down, limping closer to investigate, hurt arm clutched against your other.

A crunching under you foot draws closer inspection; beneath it, you find broken glasses, the sole indication that this was once a human, as opposed to the ophidian form it has returned to in death.

[dice 1d100]

>>12316548
Hmmm. Well, it seems we know why the priestess was not heeded. Lots of valuable tomes should be around here.

rolled 31 = 31

>>12316548
see what we can find.

>>12316212
My guess/understanding is that our breath weapon was cycling, and we wanted to crush the squishy human before it became... less squishy. As happened.

Perhaps we could be Azaldon Cibach? Dragons are renown for having long names, right? I mean, It's not like we have to go down to the courthouse and pay twenty dollars to add something to it.

rolled 63 = 63

>>12316548

>>12316584
Azaladon Cibach is the best yet I think. Anyone else for or against?

>>12316548
>erinyes lands ON us
>actually terrified
I'm not sure whether to be happy we actually have her realizing her place, or wondering why in the hells she wanted to land on our neck?

>>12316584
Well we could, but dragons generally don't have last names. It's mostly titles. Malthaxis the Ravager or Ophidian the Dread Wyrm.

Not to say we can't do it anyway.

>>12316611
Not to say I am knocking it, now. Just pointing out. Dragons don't have strong family ties is the reason for no last names IIRC.

>>12316611
D'awwwwww but then we we could eventualy have a brood of half devil Cibach spawn to call our own!

wait...
>half devil Cibach spawn to call our own

and our helltart's motivations are sudenly clear.

>>12316583
"Over here, lord!" Scinnari calls, no longer terrified, you think, but at least wary enough to have kept her distance, physically and formally. Staring ahead, you see her standing on the altar, holding a bottle of some sort.

Limping closer, wincing at each stair you go up, your closer view shows you two potions bottles, filled with clear blue-white liquid. "Healing potions." Scinnari elaborates unnecessarily, "Here."

Needing no further prompting, you uncork one after the other, swallowing both. A dim coolness suffuses your shoulder and arm, and you watch with morbid curiosity as your flesh seals and stretches together. Your back, too, feels better, though nothing has healed completely. Either way, you feel much better.

"I think this would be the librarian we were searching for, as well." Scinnari gestures down, behind the altar. In a wide bowl-shaped depression is a mutilated body, a female elf. Her body is unclothed, but covered in blood; almost none of the hydra's, on inspection, merely the result of hundreds of small cuts across her whole body. A massive iron collar is fastened around her neck, and she is chained to the floor of the depression. Though unconscious at the moment, you're fairly certain she was the source of the screams earlier.

[1d100, intelligence test, here.]

>>12316606
what about Azaladon-Cibach the ________ or something?

Azaladon-Cibach the Many-Formed
"" "" the Dread Inferno?

>>12316606
Seconded.

rolled 36 = 36

>>12316696

Also, I'm suggesting we just combine the two name-contributions unless is sounds kind of wrong.

Since we are already establishing ourselves as a manipulator rather than an open overlord maybe Cibach could be the last name (or first name?) we take in humanoid form? Like Firkraag in BG2 was Lord Jeridan Firkraag in his estate holdings. We still need a name for our outward self, I think "Mr. Smaug" was all we were known as.

I dunno, up to you guys. I'm neutral on the whole last name thing.

rolled 50 = 50

>>12316696
let's go with Azaladon Cibach, and let the title come later

rolled 17 = 17

>>12316714
Best of two, right? Oh, please be best of two...

rolled 23 = 23

>>12316696
I wonder if she's alive.

Might be inconvenient to drag her all the way back to that priest. Hopefully she can tell us something worthwhile, otherwise we might just just need to be, tragically, a few seconds too late.

rolled 55 = 55

for intelligence test.

>>12316721
I'd like Cibach to be our elf's name so we can avoid doing this all over again for the elf, but if you guys want Azaladon Cibach for our dragon name then it's fine with me.

>>12316721
I think this makes the most sense, we spend as much time ploymorphed as not.

>>12316781
Lord Azal Cibach, (or Lord Cibach Azal?) an elven noble; secretly the mighty red dragon Azaladon.

I like it.

>>12316714
>>12316736

"Odd..." Scinnari comments from beside you. With your mind still resuming full operation, you prompt explanation.

"Well... Look at that." Scinnari says, gesturing to one side. You see a brazier, coals glowing dimly, though you can feel the heat from here. A trio of pokers stick out of it. "The were obviously torturing her. Beyond pure fear, brands are extremely useful for pain and breaking. Yet I see no burns on her. Which is even odder, as you were... quite generous with the flame, while fighting the priest." Scinnari finishes thoughtfully. Following a step behind her, you think you actually remember making this particular area incandescent. Glancing around, you notice that while the golden candelabra on the alter is no more, merely a puddle of cooling metal, the silver candles around the depression are lit, but not molten, nor is the large brass gong on the raised platform above the depression. Your eyes are drawn to the image on the gong, a dragon, black, by the details, bound by tentacles from every edge of the gong. Oddly, though, it doesn't put you in mind so much of combat as... puppet strings, perhaps.

"Yes... odd..." you echo faintly. Below you, the elf moves slightly, foretelling an imminent return to consciousness.

>>12316816
First one. Lord Ciback sounds more awesome than Lord Azal. Am I the one spelling it wrong? Is it Ciback or Cibach?

>>12316842
Cibach, I think, pronounced Si-bak ['bach like J.S. Bach, I think.]

rolled 91 = 91

>>12316816
this is winrar,elf Lord Cibach Azal.
the dragon Azaladon.

rolling just to settle the name thing :)

>>12316837
Well, it seems that she awakes.

When she does, probe her for any information possible.

>>12316850
that's what I'm thinking

>>12316851
Sounds good to me. I like it.

Oh god, I forgot the obvious.
###############

Stepping down form the alter, no longer limping, but still stepping heavily, you return to the mutilated snake-body. Crouching down, you search through it's robes as your mind slowly returns to top gear. A keyring; probably the mater keys to this place. A note, opened, sealed in wax. A wand of some sort, spent. A scroll of lesser disjunction, spent, probably what he used upon your emerald, and silver bell, handle carved into an ophidian form, and a coiling serpent embossed around the actual bell. Releasing the dead priest, you stand, reading the letter, still pondering your next move.

>"Our preparations are complete. We shall arrive in Freeport on schedule. Make sure all is ready to receive us. The Brotherhood is counting on you. ~N'Tal."

words running through your mind, you return to the altar, where Scinnari watches the librarian.

[Action]

>>12316930
>words running through your mind
Should be 'Ominous words'.

>>12316664
I'm feeling ignorant here. Is this a Mordred reference, or something?

>>12316930

Determine if the girl can walk or will need to be carried. Ask her what she remembers regardless.

This seems to be a secluded place so make sure we clean it out before we leave.

>>12316930
>scroll of lesser disjunction, spent, probably what he used upon your emerald,
Wait, that wasn't just a dispel? Our emerald is completely busted, no more invisibility? Damn! It was very useful...

We should try avoiding contact with the altar and the various items on it. They seem custom made for dragon capture. See if the chamber has any other entrances or exits.

>>12317034
Doubtful, or will is indomitable and the spell would have to overwhelm it to disenchant the emerald. He just dispelled the invisibility most likely.

>>12316930
If the elf is waking up, pass along a quick note for Scinnari to gather loot with the keys we found while we ourselves heroicly escort the injured girl back to the surface.

I guess this place could work into a secondary lair?

>>12317118
depending on precisely what this location is, if we have complete control of it in the future, then it is now part of our hoard, and we can do with it as we wish.

>>12317143
Hmmm. I really think we should interrogate our priestess here before moving her. She might be more useful to us dead for all we know. They were obviously using her for something.

>>12317118
Maybe after we wipe out the cult, as it stands the enemy knows of this place so the utility of it is limited. Let's clean it out first, no rush of course but let's not linger longer than we have to.

>>12316994
You watch as the girl regains consciousness. Eventually, you hear her moan in quiet agony, and turn her head around, trying to see if there is anyone around. You kneel down, and begin trying keys in the over sized stock/neck ring. "Are you capable of walking?" you ask calmly, hiding your own injuries.

"Who are you? What do you want?" she asks, evidently still terrified.

"Are you capable of walking?" you ask again, letting a hint of irritation creep into your voice. Fourth key... no. Fifth key... "Failing that, can you stand?" That's it. With a grinding of a lock, you unlock the collar, and with some effort, you open the ridiculous iron thing, flipping the top half over and releasing her. A moment later, you're painfully toppled over backwards, down to the temple floor. Above you stands a massive golden, reptilian form. You are disconcerted, and strangely satisfied, to realize that the humanoid view of you is probably even more terrifying than you thought. Your thoughts are stalled by the roar of the gold, "WHO ARE YOU? it thunders, voice a mix of hatred, fear, and pain, "What do you WANT?!" it says, stepping purposely forward, and you just barely roll back as it slams a claw down on where you were. "Lord! Do not hurt him, dragon!" you hear Scinnari's voice from the side, also apparently thrown back as the gold transformed. The gold, however, only responds with a burst of fire in Scinnari's direction. You hear a scream, and hope she's alright, but have more pressing concerns of your own, as it turns it's attention back to you.
[dice 1d100]

hold on... we just transformed...
aren't our clothes all ripped to shreds?

>>12317173
Priest is dead, girl alive is the torture victim.

>>12317176
I agree, I mean like... in a decade or so when most people have forgotten about it. A underground safehouse of sorts could be handy.

>>12317176
Holes in our wings might make that difficult for a bit. After interrogating the priestess we should leave Scinnari moving the treasure to the surface and exploring (she can teleport after all, so she's safe) and take the priestess to her priest friend. Then have him heal us.

Of course it's possible he's a member of the cult and hired us to find this girl because the cult was having a hard time doing so. We must be wary.

>>12317222
Well damn.

rolled 65 = 65

>>12317222

DIPLOMACY ROLLIN'!

rolled 54 = 54

>>12317222
Try to talk it down maybe?

>>12317222
Sister Cygnis! We are adventurers hired by your friend Brother Arman to rescue you! We just killed the dark priest! Stand down we mean you no harm!

(FUCKING METALLICS, WE MUST END HER)

>>12317222
"Just an adventurer that has just freed what is hopefully a grateful victim."

rolled 9 = 9

>>12317222
Am Dragon!
Want to rescue you!

Transform and hug the gold dragon.

rolled 40 = 40

>>12317251
Fuck, haven't done this in a while.

>>12317281
Or do her

rolled 47 = 47

>>12317305
These are not mutually exclusive.

>>12317298
You have got to be joking. She's metallic and we're chromatic. If she saw our form now it would be instant duel to the death.

And as a self-respecting chromatic we must END HER if we think we have the ability. If she is, say, an ancient... best not to try.

>>12317281

Shit yeah, or maybe chain her back into the thing when we get the chance.

rolled 69 = 69

>>12317322
>instant duel to the death
:D

>>12317298
ehhh... no

let's play this cool... it just transformed, pointing to this bitch being seriously cornered (desperation move)
calm, collected, deadpan and snarky

Well she's weak from torture, likely even moreso than us. So even if she's full adult we'll have a good chance. 50/50 if she is old, elder+ is probably on "forget about it" level.

I would like to point out that NOBODY said unlock her. We all said interrogate her first. God damn it, we just got screwed over for no good reason.

>>12317222

Well I guess she can stand, shit.

Couple things, people; A, Metallic dragons can usually put up with chromatic dragons; if it comes down to one having to kill the other, the chromatic is usually the one who decides that there can only be on.

B, Golds, while all righteous goody-two-shoes, don't oppose anything until it's evil. We've rescued her. We've done good, saved her from this cult, helped her friend, I suspect she would be suspicious, worried, and grateful, not "INSTA-ATTACK."

Plus, if her damage transfers like ours does, I think she's hovering around 0 HP.

>>12317364
well if it *hurt* scinnari with fire its overcame her fire resist, and I don't wanna fuck with it, if she's playing the part mabye we could take it.

>>12317391
Actually, metallics are just as facerape about chromatics as chromatics about metallics.

P. 19 Draconomicon, Metallic dragons:
"All that said, if a young or adult metallic dragon
should encounter a chromatic dragon, it casts all
its forethought aside and likely finds itselfin a fight
before assessing whether or not it can win the battle."

>>12317382
Quit whining, you. >>12317118 said free her and take her to the surface [not in so few words], >>12316994 suggests freeing her, and, hell, it's the perfectly normal thing to do. We're in the position to get more out of our role as heroic savior rather than captor. (Well, we were. At the time.)

>>12317409
Devils are fire immune, demons are fire resist. She is a devil, so that was either some sort of special sparkly gold dragon flame or she's faking it. I'm betting on faking it.

>>12317383
this is good... let's go with this
"So you CAN stand, lovely. Now if you would kindly move your claw away from my torso, we could get out of here before something else decides to turn into a legendary beast.

I'm thinking the altar might be an Elder Brain in disguise... shh!"

rolled 100 = 100

I'm still in favor of dragonfight.

>>12317430
This is so totally not how a human should react to an enraged, scared, and pained dragon.

>>12317419

Hey hey hey, I didn't suggest freeing her at all! >>12316994

I said ask her if she can walk, partly to determine her response. If she was hysterical obviously releasing her right away would do no good.

>>12317409
Devils have 5/- acid and cold resistance, fire not so much.

>>12317411
Sorry, mate, but the 3.e Draconomicon is the one I've been reading through, mostly, and it agrees with >>12317391. (I'll try to look it up in a bit.) Would be much less interesting if we couldn't coexist at all. Ever. Period. Anyway, that conflicts with a lot of the other fluff I've read, such as dragons circling, often for hours, before a fight, conversing, bargaining, and threatening, until one side or the other views a fight as an unavoidable necessity.

>>12317444
Great, nokoed a crit. I'm going to go cry in a corner now, because we can't use it to kill her. Ah well.

>>12317450
well, we're not human

we're an elf at the moment

>>12317444

Let's talk first though. Dragonfight can be declared afterwards.

But we MUST scream "DRAGONFIGHT!" before we start it, if we decide to attack.

>>12317457
They also have immunity to fire and poison.

>>12317457
Erinyes Special Qualities: Damage reduction 5/good, darkvision 60 ft., immunity to fire and poison, resistance to acid 10 and cold 10, see in darkness, spell resistance 20, telepathy 100 ft., true seeing

For 3.5e at least. All devils are fire immune. It is for this reason they have a constant stream of artillery fireballs bombarding the first layer of the hells. It hurts the resistant demons but does not touch the allied devils. I run a lot of evil campaigns.

No clue about 4e. And if you say she's not well... she's not. Still, that's what the book says.

>>12317457
> Devils have 5/- acid and cold resistance, fire not so much.

If this is a 3.whatever Devil, then they do have immunity to fire.
http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/devil.htm
> Immunity to fire and poison.

>>12317411
>>12317457
P.46
"Whenever an evildoer earns a gold dragons wrath..."

[as opposed to just being evil, they actually have to do something]

P.48
"Gold dragons usually parley before fighting. When conversing with intelligent creatures, they use 'discern lies' to help them determine if combat will really be necessary. They prefer to delay combat until they can cast preparatory spells."

>>12317494
>>12317514
>>12317529

Seems /tg/ has taken a shine to the helltart, enough to really, really not want her to be hurt.

>>12317457
That was for enemy dragons of the same, uh, general species. Metallics vs Metallics and Chroms vs Chroms. MvC is a blood war type thing because of the huuuuuuge feud between Tiamat and Bahamut.

Once again, we are a PC dragon here so these rules don't have to apply or you could fiat them away entirely. Just saying what the books give us.

>>12317457
>>12317494
>>12317514
>>12317529
Turns out you guys are right, then. Give me a hand here, WRONG wrong, wrong WRONG. Sorry. I stand corrected. Thank you.
[Nothing retroactively changed]


I'll concede my understanding of Golds traits isn't quite as accurate, but it still seems fairly close. (Dangers of reading at one AM, I guess.)

Alright, have we settled on a reaction?

>>12317430
I'm totally in favor of saying this.

rolled 35 = 35

>>12317546
Well turn into a big red dragon and talk to the big gold dragon and if there's a dragonfight so be it. WAAGH

>>12317593
Let's be diplomatic here. We don't even know if this place is empty and let's not mess up more things with a dragon fight so we can potentially get more loot. Tell her we were sent by her friend to find her and rescue her we have, assuming we don't end up crushed her.

>>12317430

I like this. I think some disarming humor is called for.

>>12317455
Sorry, it seemed the natural course of action, so I took liberties. Done it before, just that this time it ended up in an 'oh FUCK no..." that you guys weren't responsible for.

Wait for one or two more responses, if necessary, then will update.

>>12317629
Diplomacy.

Metallic Draconomicon (4e) Page 21, Dragon Lore, under Chromatic Dragons is where the whole mortal enemies thing is. Obviously this does not apply persay to 3.Xe. My bad. But it does say it, and it's entirely possible it could have been a carryover. I don't have the 3e Draconom.

Do we look like pic related in winged elf form? I would be strangely ok with that, gives the transformation more impact.

>>12317629
Let's just roll with it, this is also an interesting scenario. I want to hear what Goldie has to say.

>>12317629
Also, I would not mind learning from a gold dragon, especially an ancient one. any spells, or lore they may know would be amazing for us.

Why kill? We just saved their ass!

rolled 9 = 9

>>12317629
WE AM RESCUE TEAM
WE ARE HERE RESCUE.
DO THE GOLD DARGON WISH THE RESCUE?
ARE GOLD DRAGON WANT TO BE SAVE?

I say diplomacy, mention her name, Arman's name, that we were sent to rescue her, and act humble and scared. We might catch her off guard. Dropping the names might belay her wrath.

The thought of a gold owing a red a life debt is a very delicious irony. How the heck could we pass up that opportunity?

>>12317677
Protip: Metallic dragons are not asian.

>>12317251
>>12317251
>>12317270
>>12317291
>>12317363
>>12317430
>>12317598
>>12317616
>>12317620
[Sorry, if you want a dragon cage-match, you'll have to wait a bit.]

"I /rescued/ you." you shout, annoyed, but taking some reassurance that if she's trigger-happy, you won't vanish in a ball of flame, "Normally that's the kind of actions that receive gratitude, thanks, reward, non-violence, and a lack of threats?"

She slows down some, whether from pain, as you notice she's wincing with every other motion, or due to your words, you aren't sure.

With a small flash of light and smoke, Scinnari appears next to you, wearing the robes of a wizard, and pointing the wand you pulled of the snake-priests' body at the dragon. "He freed you! And you attack him! So much for the vaunted /nobility/ of golds." Scinnari spits, venomous contempt dripping."

For a moment, you think Scinnari has pushed the gold over the edge, but instead it backs down, sitting down gingerly. She still seems to be breathing heavily.

"Alright. /Why/ did you rescue me?" it says, a quieter voice, not apologetic, but a forced-calm neutral.

"An individual we know as Brother Arman hired us to look into the disappearance of Sister Cygnis from the local temple of knowledge. We investigated, and eventually found you here. May we ask what Eidomon wanted with you?"

"He- h- He thought," 'Cygnis' says, forcibly controlling her voice again, "that I knew something of my... possession, my missing time. I didn't. I had glimpses and flashes, nightmares, but no tangible knowledge of what he wanted."

"I... see...." you respond, neutrally, standing up. Suddenly, you see her head perk up, neck stretching, following something through the air. Sniffing.

"Flame. What else was here? A.... dragon. Chromatic... A red...." she says, half talking to herself, half demanding of you.

[1d100 for her, and 1d100 for you, if you intend to lie/bluff/diplomance your way out of this.]

rolled 86, 73 = 159

>>12317827
OH GREAT ONES I PRAY YOU ROLL LOW ON THE FIRST AND HIGH ON THE SECOND!

Tell her: Yes. There is a red here. It was here on the same errend I am, and I would beg that you do not try to seek it out.

>>12317827
MORE dragons?!
you.. eh... you wouldn't mind us leaving sort of now-ish, would you?
ONE of you is already above my paygrade

rolled 61, 27 = 88

>>12317827
As I might or might not have said before, my wizardess friend and I are adventurers. We are in possession of an artifact capable of summoning an adult red, among other things. As you might or might not know, the cult is rather powerful and we decided to take no chances.

>>12317930
lets use that 99 if we have not already done so for our roll.

rolled 7, 91 = 98

>>12317946
now, with rolls!

>>12317827
naaaaah tell her that you're said red and that you seek no conflict with another of our own kind

>>12317961
Let's NOT.

How about we save that for an actual fight where it matters. Jesus. Stop trying to blow our ace in the hole.

>>12317972
first time I have ever suggested it.
So what exactly are we going to say to the gold anyhow?

"The priest changed shape. Thankfully his new form didn't actually make him as tough as a red."

Which, by the way, is completely true, if misleading.

>>12317930

Nice work with the rolls there.

>>12318035
Seconding this guy, it has the advantage of being true.

>>12318033
I haven't a clue.
>>12318035
seems best so far.

>>12318035
>>12317964
im with... ^
if gold is thinking clearly then she wont hand out ass kickings

How big is this gold dragon in comparison to our natural form? I don't think that was ever said.

>>12318035
I like this, and it has the benifit of us being elves, who dont tell the whole truth while still saying the truth.

>>12318035
this, no lie to discern.

I vote we say:

"The priest changed shape. Thankfully his new form didn't actually make him as tough as a red. Now, if it's alright with you, I suggest we leave before something else decides to turn into a legendary beast. I'm thinking the altar might be an Elder Brain in disguise... shh!"

What can I say, I'm a fan of the rather flippant humor.

>>12317665
Elf with wings. That would attract a lot more attention than we've been shown to want; they are, if uncommon, one of the known races. (look up 'avariel')


>>12317954
>>12317946
>>12317930
"Indeed. There was a red in this room, on the same mission as we were." you say, garnering her focused attention. Only your uncommon knowledge of dragons allows you to notice the flicker of fear in her face; she doesn't think she can take you. "My lady companion here is a wizard, and we had the debt of a red dragon. Being as, you might be aware, Eidomon was a powerful priest, though, it seems, likely not of Alset, we deemed it prudent to pull out all the stops in combating him." you summarize, explaining it away, and quite satisfied with your explanation, really.

"Now, perhaps, you would like to... revert to a more humanoid form, and we can remove you from the premise? Brother Arman was most worried about you." you state, wanting to get out of the enclosed chapel as rapidly as possible.

After a pause, the gold replies, "Yes, I am sorry. I.... I apologize for... for my actions. I would... be grateful for any help you could offer." She replies, reverting to her elven form. Shivering, and looking very pale, you pick up Eidomon's bloodstained robe, and toss it to her. She catches it, torn between insult and gratitude, but silent.

"Go search the altar, anything valuable. Cults are gold-mines for gold and silver furnishings." you say, as you move to help Cygnis. As you approach, you notice that her skin, between her myriad of cuts and scabs, is a mesh of tiny scars. Her time here was obviously no more pleasant here before you arrived.

[dice 2d100. First is for Scinnari searching the altar area. I may have a bit of a gap between this and my next response, but I'll be back pretty soon, I think.]

>>12318200
> Elder Brain in disguise

rolled 91, 88 = 179

>>12318215

>>12318215

>>12318245
Holy shit.

>>12318245
Very nice man. Very nice indeed.

rolled 37, 35 = 72

>>12318215
How big was the gold?

>>12318245
fucking sweet

>>12318245

YO DAWG, I HERD YOU LIKE GOLD
SO WE PUT GOLD IN YOUR GOLD
SO YOU CAN BLING WHILE YOU BLING.

>>12318275
About our size, actually.

#########
>91
"Up here!" Scinnari calls, and you pause to make sure Cygnis can stand, before walking away.

Scinnari has gathered the precious metals here into the center of the altar, evediently planning on using the scorched but still existing altar-cloth as a bag. You see the silver candlesticks, a few mounds of molten metal, silver, gold, and bronze, and what Scinnari is holding, one more potion bottle similar to the the other two.

"Behind the brazier." Scinnari says by way of explanation, "I didn't want to let her see unless that was what you intended to do. What should we do about the gong, by the way? I don't think I can carry it out at the moment."

>>12318432

Can it be destroyed? Or even just defaced? Even if it's just to send this cult a message that we know of them and are not pleased.

>>12318432
let's ask ms. Au if she knows what its use is vefore destroying it

if it's REAL bad, ask if she might be so kind as to melt it

>>12318432
Let's ask our golden friend to melt it. Tell her you don't want cult-controlled dragons walking around and it's probably an implement for that.

If the constant shapeshifting and breathing weakens her even further, all the better.

>>12318432
Healing potion bottle? Ask Scinnari if she is in dire need of it, if not pocket it. We can still chug it right before a fight if we need to and if she is about to die we might be able to use it if we want to.

>>12318513
>>12318536
Returning to Cygnis, you ask, "Do you know if the gong had any purpose? It seems... decidedly sinister. Not the kind of thing that I would like to preserve, particularly if it is used to call the attention of dark gods."

"No.... I... It..." her earlier veneer of calm vanishes, and you see a stark, hunted terror in her face. "Destroy it... yes. It.. No, destroy it."

"But what does it /do/?" you ask, annoyed. Her scarred gibbering gives you no further answers.

>>12318581
Well we have no way of destroying it so I guess we can't... We're just a mere elf after all.
I say leave it for now and we look into it later. Clear out this place of cultists and it should be fine for a day or two.

rolled 16 = 16

>>12318581

Maybe putting a bit of commissar fear fear into her will make her more useful?

I've got 50 gp riding on that the second it rings, any dragon in the area is it's bitch. Nuke this thing carefully, people.

>>12318581
as much fun as it is seeing this proud gold in this weak state, I feel like I'm kicking a puppy...
Let's cut her some slack and continue the antagonizing when she's able to bring up a proper counter...
ask her if she would do the honours of melting the abomination into scrap and let's escort her out

rolled 28 = 28

>>12318581
Memorize the marking (black dragon bound by tentacles?) for later research, and then I guess destroy the thing.

Might need ms. golden fire breath since we don't want to give away our identity.

Have Scinnari, or ourselves if the Gold is pliant enough, raid the earlier encountered strong boxes now that we have keys.

dice+1d100

Use the dragon's fear to convince her to destroy the gong with fire. Be out of the room when she does so just in case.

>>12318750
Let's not. That might tip her off to the fact we're a dragon if she suddenly fears us. We should try to be more diplomatic since we;'re mere elves to her grand dragon-nessness from her point of view.

rolled 77 = 77

>>12318750

wow, I suck.

I have this urge to kill her though. This is a gold. Pitifully weak.

Knowing where her horde is would be even better.

rolled 61 = 61

>>12318773

No, no, not OUR fear, her own fear of imprisonment. Psychological tactics.

rolled 43 = 43

>>12318432
Right.
Loot it,
Loot the stuff in the treasure room we walked past,
Have goldilocks and the Erinyes fuck around with the treasure room (where we found the crossbow) while we melt the everloving shit out of the gong with our dragonbreath.

rolled 73 = 73

>>12318780
Yeah, it's a gold, but we're meant to RESCUE the gold for a REWARD. We don't even know where the gold's goddamn hoard is.

If we want to be sneaky, we can leave some riches with the gold. We rescue the gold, and get the reward, then wait for the gold to take the riches back to her lair, and follow her there. As soon as the gold arrives, we RIPNTEAR TEARNRIP using our 99.

Good plan, gentlemen?

>>12318780
Let's find out what's going on with her first before we consider offing her. Besides, it might be more amusing to completely dominate her into doing our bidding if we get strong enough. Learn her weaknessess, physical or mental, and then break her so she does our bidding. Having a gold dragon at our beck and call would let us do a lot more without having to reveal ourselves as a dragon. Bonus points if we can accomplish that without letting her know we're a dragon.

>>12318832
She might collect knowledge, not physical wealth. Remember the bookcase cellar? And our reward is a mere 300 gold.

>>>12318851,

Plus, think about how the bards would sing one day of the mighty red who tricked a gold so completely that she followed him until he killer her.

>>12318851
If she was already mindbroken twice possibly, but I don't like our odds of doing that.

rolled 17 = 17

>>12318882
dis plans ded kunnin
I appuh .. I aprew. .. i rekkin dis is a gud plan

>>12318872
Knowledge can be worth much more than gold. If we can get access to it, I'd gladly pay 3000 gold for some of he knowledge this dragon likely has. Getting 300 gold with the chance of getting some of her knowledge is a nice deal.

>>12318851
Maybe have our demon minion bind the gold to our service somehow.

And we do not need to let our kobald minions know she is a gold.

We will kill her if we need to do so.

(is the reward for her alive? Or will we get the reward if she is dead when we bring her there?)

>>12318648
>>12318691
>>12318627

"Alright." you give up in disgust. "Scinnari, come on. We have to escort her out, and figure out how we're going to..." you stop, torn between not wanting to mention the treasure to be found in front of another dragon, and not wanting to sound suspicious. Unfortunately for you, neither of them matter.
>88
"Brimstone!" Cygnis jumps weakly, still half supported by your arm. Casting about wildly, she fixes on Scinnari approaching, and "She's a demon!"

Scinnari hesitates for a second, but does not pause in her approach. "Devil, actually."

"Yes, " you do your best to interrupt smoothly, "She is bound to me. While not exactly overjoyed at the arrangement, she has proved invaluable in saving you, and has done no wrong while under my command." You hope the gold cannot detect lies, or, if it can, that you have been specific enough that it doesn't matter.

"I... see..." the non-elf before you states, and you are unsure whether she believes you. "I.. confess I am in no condition to take exception to the method of my rescue, I thank you."

"Perhaps you could do something you might have an interest in yourself?" you ask, prompting her interest, "Do you feel up to destroying the gong? I'm finding it most unsettling, and probably far more trouble than it is worth."

"I.. agree, but regret that I am not able. I fear another transformation would kill me, and even then, I don't think I could manage it."

"Very well." you accede, hiding your irritation.

[What should we do? I'm thinking it might be good to fastfoward a bit through the looting; send Cygnis off to see Arman, and spending the night looting the place, before returning to Arman for payment in the morning.]

>>12318972
I'm down with that. Unless there's something particularly important we need to decide on, there's no need to have multiple posts of us looting. And I don't think there's anything we should do to the gold at the moment. If we want to get on her good terms for now, our best bet is to get her somewhere safe.

>>12318972

Agreed, with the added caveat that we BURN THE GONG TO THE GROUND. If it's still there.

>>12318972
sounds good
do that

>>12318972

Sounds like a solid plan. And we can transform back into dragon form and destroy it ourselves later.

>>12318832
I can dig it.

>>12318972
another party member that can poof into a dragon is most useful even though her type is not up to par. Having saved a 'noble' gold might be worth while in gaining allies

[Questions in general]

We were hired to find out what happened to her. We could, theoretically, dump the dead body in the lake (or, hell, cut her up for marketable pieces, if we're okay with that kind of thing,), and still get the reward.

It has been pointed out, however, that the gratitude of a temple of knowledge, or even one of it's priests, would be far less material, but far more valuable than a mere three-grand gold, and getting her back alive would be most likely to secure that.

>>12319060
I say we keep her

>>12319082
seconded
stay neutral evil lets not get too slice and dicey
and gods know what will happen when they find out she's a dragon if they dont already know

>>12319060
Keep her. Being evil doesn't mean we should be stupid. Manipulating this girl would be most useful and she might ask us to help her find out about her past.

>>12319060
I vote let her live, let's even keep up the semi-friendly banter... she's the first dragon we've met out here, and while she is a metallic (and a GOLD on top of it all) she might grow to be a fun adversary once she's better rested...

>>12319060
I'm just uncomfortable with a metallic in our territory. We're eventually going to have to fight her if we claim this area. And if we have to fight her, what better time than now when she is one stroke from death?

rolled 67 = 67

>>12318972
fuck. that.

she is a potential EQUAL. as a red I don't think we can take that.
if she's that weak kill her NOW. slam the potion, run her through and shift. bite off head.

>>12319060
We have a lifetime to gather gold. Knowledge is power, let's milk this dragon for all she's worth.

>>12319060
Live. A life debt from a Gold Dragon would be all the sweeter when we finally do crush her.

Temple of Magic? Fuck Year! More training! More spells!

Celebratory romping with Scinnari!

What?

>>12319060
Keep her. I just wanted to know if she was worth as much dead as she was alive.

Lets keep her alive, knowledge is a great thing.

>>12319058
What do you mean not up to par? Golds are slightly stronger than reds of equal age. She's a huge threat. She's only weak now because of torture and near death experiences. Make no mistake, eventually in the next thousand years we are going to kill her if we make this our home. If we wait it will be a much more potentially lethal battle.

The question is, are we claiming this island chain as ours or are we heading to the mainland?

>>12319136

As much I'd like to let her live, I do have to admit that he has a point in that she's a metallic in our territory. Perhaps a word to her superiors about sending her to another church, as this one has too many memories?

>>12319175
I could see her living in our empire, the greatest of librarians, and a great hero.

Hell, we could be the exception to the rule that ALL RED DRAGONS ARE EVIl...

Might be nice.

>>12319175
I have yet to see a reason to claim this place...
flat, best place to make a lair seems to be ruins, already a quite established power-seat with the council...

>>12319201

We're at best CN. She's going to have a huge problem with us the second the fact that we're a dragon comes out.

A single life debt only goes so far among beings of pure law, much less a gold dragon that hates reds. If you think she will overlook us manipulating and owning this city from the shadows you are sadly mistaken.

Things will get rough eventually.

>>12319172
learning from this here goldy might be worth while, we can get a hang of what its like to have another dragon in our company, if she knows of others of our kind. Hell if she has connections it might fuck us over but since we saved her and she is a gold.... We could potentially become a lord of all dragons with a small army if we play our cards right

>>12319175
I don't have my MM, my .pdf is corrupted, (Damnit, elder gods,) and I've been proven to be unreliable so far, but I thought that Red Dragons were the most powerful dragons?


Anyway, the vote seems overwhelmingly in favor of 'let live/save' so should we skip ahead as I suggested, do we prefer a personal touch to the looting, or both?

rolled 37 = 37

>>12319175
Meh, fucked if I know. Let's just rescue her now. We can go invis and track her later, she'll probably still be wounded from the torture.

>>12319225
Lets loot what we can now, and come back later for the rest.

>>12319220
Lawful evil, man, and lawful good. Suppose we do so? Golds do that to. Unless we decide that we want children sacrifices, to leave the people in poverty, and wage an all consuming war, there's nothing we're doing that golds don't do themselves. We might be a little more ruthless about how we go about it, but they do it too. At the very least, it would be worth it to see them trying to justify their hypocrisy.

>>12319225
Let Scinnari handle the looting for now.

I vote we exploit the gold's weakened emotional state. Play the gentleman, act properly concerned for her well being, and just generally be sympathetic. It's always good to cultivate a positive image, regardless of what you're planning.

After all, you have to be behind someone before you can stab them in the back.

>>12319201
>>12319224
seconding these, we could potentially unite dragonkind as a whole.

>if a romance-able option we can have overpowered babiez

>>12319281
like it!

>>12319225

Looking at mine, the gold beats the red in ac, str, spell resistance, and hp, although barely (by one for most).

>>12319283
We have the option of devil-infused babies, so why not go the extra mile and go red/gold babies too?

gannism $500
What was that captcha?

>>12319311
Then we just have to make sure we make up for it by striking first and knowing her weaknessess. With what she's been through there is likely going to be some mental trauma at the minimum. It's also why we might want to keep some of the nice tools we found in this building. If they're anti-dragon, we might be able to use them against her when we turn against her if we can't control her.

>>12319225
http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/dragonTrue.html

As you can see, golds have ~50 more hp and a cumulative ~15 stat points more than reds at great wyrm stage, plus better abilities (ex. Geas instead of Suggestion)

>>12319201
Man, fuck that. Why do you guys want to save her so badly anyway? Are you trying to become a shonen protagonist?

She's a threat. A big one. Even parent/child metallic dragons will fight over territory if they stay in the same area for too long. And she is at our mercy right now. We have no obligation to save her, just find out what happened to her. Which we did.

>>12319395

Agreed. A quick snap of the neck with the 99 we have, and the victory, (as well as exp), is ours.

>>12319395
Because I want knowledge. She doesn't know we're a dragon and we have a chance to get something from her. Hell, we could even inform the town wizard that she's a dragon if we want to get rid of her at some point and blame her on what happened with the ship. That way those two foes weaken each other and we can sweep in on the survivor. There are so many possibilities we have here with her alive.

>>12319352
Drop the "L" at the end of that link.

Son of a bitch, Goldie beats us in every category.

Maybe the gong is something that we can use against other dragons, something that can be aimed. But if it affects all dragons within earshot it must be destroyed.

I still say we keep her, the knowledge that she has is too valuable at the moment, but at every step we plan contingencies for her potential demise. We must keep the fact that we are also a dragon under tight wraps, surprise is our biggest advantage.

>>12319431
What could possibly make you think we can't get everything she has after her death? We will OWN this city in a hundred years and every important tome in it will be sitting in a bookshelf in our den. Including the ones from the temple and her hoard.

>>12319446
Okay - tell me where her hoard is right now then please. Also, inform me of where all her tomes are? Guess we better hope all her knowledge is written down and not memorized in her mind.

>>12319474
Probably secured in this cult hold. And if not we have hundreds of years to find it. And even if we NEVER DO it's better to chance it than risk a fight with a foe that is stronger than us in likely every way except mental fortitude.

>>12319524
You sir, are assuming we are an average red-dragon. And that she will only see us as such.

At this point, I vote we turn down that 3000gp reward. We dont need it, and if we do it in her presence it gives us more sway over her.

>>12319524
ooor... we could just leave...
why are you so set on claiming this place as our territory? it pretty much seems to be a shithole

>>12319548
Personally, I'm against the turning down the reward part. Though I do think we should try to get on her good side.

I vote we do this >>12319281

>>12319446

Getting a gold dragon indebted to us is a very rare opportunity. It carries considerable risk but the rewards are priceless. The reward offered by the priest is a pitiful in comparison.

Us and the gold dragon also SHARE AN ENEMY right now. An enemy we know nothing about, and also no pushover. What if they have more hydra morphing priests? This dragon knows considerably more about them. She must have picked something up, she's not stupid.

At least talk some more, gather info while plotting to kill her when she has outlived her usefulness.

>>12319524
I want gold/red colord babies :c
and she's attractive is she not?

>>12319610
I am for keeping her alive, but desire to eviscerate you and everyone else who has said this. We're a red dragon for crying out loud. Have some pride!

>>12319660
I don't know man, you could do a lot worse than a gold dragon. If nothing else it would make for an awesome bit of bragging.

Have you ever seduced and fucked a gold dragon that by all rights should actually be more powerful than you? I think not.

>>12319711
Sigh. We're not here to get into pissing contests and tempt fate with creatures that are stronger than us, right? I mean, if that's what you are going for then by all means just suggest we go around burning villages until something like that shows up.

You keep hyping the value of the favor. Yeah, that's good. But a favor only works once, and dragons fight everything including their own type... not to even mention the most dangerous type to them. I think people here are being really REALLY hung up on the short term reward of LOLOL GOLD DRAGON THINKS WE ARE A FRIEND and not really considering the inevitable (yes, it will happen) "Oh shit gold dragon just figured out that I am an evil son of a bitch."

>Majority seems to be for save her; affably.

"Alright, Scinnari," you say, pulling out the ring of keys, "Take care of the looting, if you please." Turning and offering your arm to Cygnis, you offer as an aside, "I'd be kicked out of the adventurer's society if I didn't take everything that wasn't on fire.". While it doesn't elicit a laugh, you do get a smile and a nod. "I think most of the place has been cleared out, but I'd be happy to escort you home. With respect, you do not seem particularly well." you add, helping her walk towards the door. Just after you get to the double doors, Scinnari calls you back. "But a moment, please," you ask, before moving back to Scinnari.

"What are you thinking?" you both say at once in outraged whispers. Scinnari yields, so you continue, "She knows you're a devil! Now I'm over here, holding a discussion with you, that she can't listen in."

"And you're letting her survive! WHY?" Scinnari whispers in outrage, "She is a /threat/. Kill her NOW. You have the chance, you won't later."

"Why do I need to? I can get much more from her, and from her friends, by endearing myself, and being 'good'. And no matter what," you admit, "A life-debt owed, gold-to-red... Surely you appreciate the irony?"

>>12319781

"I can appreciate that you are all to interested in her for the wrong reasons." Scinnari responds, vexation obvious. Guessing at the reasons for her response, you respond incredulously,

"I- You think- I- Her-?" you manage to get out, before doubling over in laughter. After a few seconds, and the strong impression that Scinnari doesn't find this as amusing as you do, you recover, and tell her, "Take care here, do your best to empty out the valuables. I'll excuse myself and come back after delivering her."

Returning to Cygnis, you once again offer her your arm, grin still hiding on your face.

"What was that about?" Cygnis responds, and you gesture a 'shh!', until you are through the double doors into the hallway.

"She doesn't like the... competition." you reply, and as Cygnis stares at you, almost as incredulous as you, you nod, and she too breaks down in weak laughter.

"I'd better get you home quickly, then, Ms. Aurum," you say, as you both recover, "Lest she thing we're up to no good."

>>12319791

#######
"...and so that's what happened to the good lady here." you say, as 'Sister Cygnis' finishes her story.

"But how on earth did you find her? And right in the nick of time!" brother Arman exclaims, still obviously amazed at this turn of events.

"Well... much more complicated." you reply, hoping to avoid explanation, "Suffice to say, I found their hideout, called in a friend or two," you say, with a nod of surrender to Cygnis," and we managed to fight our way through the cult. It seemed we arrived just in time."

"I'm so glad!" Arman says, "We must alert the watch, and get this cult taken care of."

"Ah... I would prefer not." you state, not wanting to admit your interest in this.

"What?"

"Why?" They respond.

"WEll.... I am an adventurer. I'm sure you'd agree, three hundred is generally not worth someone's life; I'd like to get as much as I can out of the hideout. Loot, and such." you admit, partially embarrassed.

"Well, certainly you did?" Arman asks.

"Not as completely as I wanted. And I left an associate in charge of it, I should really get back, and make sure she's honest." you reply, with an eyebrow to Cygnis. She nods in agreement. "And to assure her that Cygnis and I haven't... taken advantage of her absence." you add, getting a chuckle from Cygnis in response.

"You have been a perfect gentleman." Cygnis replies, "I owe you my life. Thank you."

>>12319781
if we must kill her it will be on even grounds dragon to dragon and let it be her first move so she realizes the mistake she made

>>12319781
I'd like to add
"And for the same reason I took a chance with you, she might prove entertaining"

"... and I don't even mean that as a double entendre..."

>>12319816
Ill put my vote on that.

>>12319780
Forgot about us needing info about this cult that we're fighting bro. We can still kill her, eventually. Right now just roll with it.

>>12319838
seconded
after all we still have our delicious 99
but let us hope it doesnt come to that
she seems quite friendly at the moment

>>12319816
>>12319838
Don't you two have Gold Dragon Quest to get back to?

I'm as incredulous as the devil that we didn't kill her, but I can roll with it. I admit it has benefits and is deliciously ironic. But you guys are supporting stuff like super special snowflake forbidden love red/gold princess half-dragon half-demon vampires with lawful good red dragon/gold dragon cohabitation. Listen to yourselves.

Put it back in your pants before I break out the water bottle. Bad! Bad! Go visit /h/ or /d/ or something and come back afterward.

>>12319921
Please don't put me in the category with those people. I'm all for using her up for as much as we can and then getting rid of her if she's uppity. That or finding a way to make her our minion. Not likely but most amusing if it could be done. It'd make us not have to use dragon form as much if we had her serving us.

>>12319946
I thought our ultimate goal was to never need to leave dragon form but still get and control everything we want?

>>12319799
"Oh, it was no real trouble... and I'm sure you'll be glad to return the favor one day."

Then bid them farewell and go back to looting.

>>12319946
Ask if we could visit to look through the temple records after finishing. Say we need to research the cult and whatever it might have been trying to do.

>>12319799
Returning to the abandoned house, you find Scinnari in the treasure room. All the chests are open, and she seems to have been investigating their contents. At a glance, you estimate almost ten thousand silver. Not what you'd prefer, but a start.

"The other doors seem to be an initiation room;" Scinnari says, not looking up as you enter, but gesturing at a pile of serpentine candleholders, incense burners, and another small gong, with the same symbol on it as the larger one. She guesses you've noticed it, and continues,"That's only if you are certain you want it."

"And have we found the Aurum's missing books?" you ask, hunching down next to her, and running your hands through the gold in one of the chests. A few hundred, at least. In one of them, you see far less coins, but black gems, onyx, you think, a short sword who's magic you can smell from here, and a pair of potions, one looking like a healing potion, the other unknown.

>>12320034
"Yes. Most of them are depressingly run of the mill. History, philosophies, many. There were some cult-books, too. Namely, that one." Scinnari says, gesturing to a large blackened tome. On it in silver filigree, you can read "Book of the Binder, the Unspeakable One" in highly archaic and/or mutilated draconic, looking like the 'old lizard' language you recall from some of the scrolls in Kazmiri's library.

You reach for it, but Scinnari finally glances at you, and says, "I wouldn't recommend it."

"Really? Why?" you respond, surprised.

"I found the experience... quite painful." she says shortly.

"Well, we may have a time limit, so I think we should clear out tonight. I fear they intend to alert the Sealord's Guard to this place, they'll probably seize it for investigation, along with anything interesting."

"Well, what do you expect?" Scinnari responds contemptuously. "I thought you realized that. Unless you tripping over yourself to please that bitch." she adds venomously.

"I knew that, of course." your reply, annoyed, a trickle of smoke emerging, "In case you missed the letter," you say, handing her the actual letter, "This is not the entirety of the cult. Judging by their symbolism, they have an entirely unhealthy interest in dragons, and any information she can provide is an added advantage. FURTHER, the are a mutual enemy." Scinnari does not respond, scanning the short letter, but the replies.

"I... You were right. I.. again, apologize. How do you think we should extract the cult's treasure?" she says, abruptly changing the subject. "Repeated teleportation gets... tiring. Quickly."

>>12319921
no... just no
do not utter such heresey in this board EVER

>>12320044
>"In CASE you missed the memo..."
>hand her actual memo
Gold. Pure gold.

>>12319921
That hurts, man. Don't be mean. I mean, I like having players, period, but please don't suggest that I would allow, let alone encourage that. That's just totally uncalled for.

That said, if you do disagree, this might be useful.

>>12320044
I assume we got healing from the priest, yes?

Yes? Right?

Then we could just fly it all off. Put it on a rug or something or tie the chests together with a rope and haul them outside, then bind them all together fastly and carry them to the temporary stash.

>>12320121
The priest was far more concerned with healing Cygnis, and it would have broken persona to ask, so no. However, you're fairly certain you can make a few flights. Considering that most dragon fights take place airborne, your wings function even with damaged integrity.

And by 'temporary stash' you mean our temple-ruins-lair?

>>12320115
Never said you would WD, just a tad annoyed that they apparently had no idea what they were proposing like... well, like it was reasonable.

I did disagree with leaving the gold alive, but that's water under the bridge now. I do think we alienated our devil a bit, and that's never good. Gold dragons are beings of extreme good, that couldn't have sat well with a being of pure evil. All we can do now is repair the damage and hope it was worth it.

>>12320044

We still have to return to room 4/the treasury and explore the rest of the hallway beyond the door we alarmed with some copper pieces. I assume we'll drag the strongboxes from that room to the street level and use a cart to transport them to our hideout.

Let's make sure there aren't any other glorious riches here as well. Leave what loot we have amassed so far in the treasury for now so we can move it all out at once.

>>12320044
RED DRAGONS ARE ALWAYS RIGHT
please refrain from pimp slapping her if she's going to screw us over we may want her to be hesitative or however you spell it

>>12320192
hesitant! thats the word... dam its late

>>12320183
> Never said you would WD, just a tad annoyed that they apparently had no idea what they were proposing like... well, like it was reasonable.

No one was ever proposing the abortion that you posted. That was a strawman that you made up out of frustration that you didn't get your way.

>>12320183

yes, alienated her a bit and also exposed a bit of a jealous streak. She's tired right now, both from wounds sustained and from exhertion/teleportation. I vote we continue to work her hard in this dungeon so that she can't focus on it and then reward her good efforts later with praise/attention once she's really exhausted when we've cleared the place out.

>>12320178
Yes, the temple lair.

I also suggest we chug that healing potion we kept just in case. Can't hurt. Quite the opposite in fact.

Ask Scinnari if she has some desire -- other than our babies or a dead gold -- that we might help her with, since she aided us so greatly in this endeavor despite the ending that she surely disapproved of.

I think it's time to tempt the temptress, and see how deep her loyalties lie.

Point out that the gold is the only creature in the natural world that can even begin to pose a threat to a red (although the red is naturally superior) and that her masters would far more appreciate her corruption of a gold, were she to find it possible. Not only that, but societies would find a gold dragon more acceptable, and it would make it easier for her to worm her way into influence.

Perhaps she would be interested in abandoning us for a more challenging companion?

>>12320044
Just how tiring are we talking here? Because I don't think we've got a whole lot of plans for the remainder of the day, now that this cult thing is dealt with.

>>12320285
Power vs Challenging we need to keep our status as a competetive, bright and relatively ruthless but good leader

>>12320335
a machiavellian style dragon?
Tis better to be feared than loved but not hated?

>>12320213
You be nice too. I like you both.

>>12320187
"Were there carpets anywhere?" you ask, idea forming.

"Well.. yes, there was one in the initiation room, and one in the library. Library one was nicer, if that's what you're asking for," she offers, "imported, probably form the deserts of Tazsh. Be difficult to get it out from under the book cases, but-"

"No, the worse one is better. Help me retrieve it, please, I think we can use it."
#########

It is, unfortunately, another item covered in the cults' ophidian imagery, but you weren't planning on keeping it, really. With help, you manage to pile all the chests on to it, and drag them slowly down the hallway, and up the stairs, with some effort. Once there, you revert, and knock the roof of the building in, allowing it to collapse around out. Two half-hour flights with your bundle below you deliver the chests, then the fragiles to your make-due lair, and you allow Scinnari to ride along on the second trip.

Though the trips themselves take only a half an hour, the actual preparation, including managing to get the chests up the stairs, and around the pit-trap, leave you with only an hour or two before dawn.

Cygnis and Arman asked you to meet them at the temple at ten, Arman inviting your accomplice, and Cygnis suggesting they would understand the absence of your friend, should she prefer not to show up. From what you understand, they wish to have you with them when they explain the happenings, and fate of Eidomon, to the High Priest.

[four hours, actions?]

>>12320349
between love and fear is a good place to be

>>12320368
drop off our passenger and let her get some rest , unless she insists on it. We can handle whatever they throw at us alone

>>12320213
Hyperbole, yes. I don't think the word vampire has ever been mentioned in fact, as one example. But there was a shocking amount in that statement that was mentioned and endorsed. It just wouldn't have had the same effect without the truth layered in there.

I don't begrudge, just... well:
>we could potentially unite dragonkind as a whole

>I could see her living in our empire, the greatest of librarians, and a great hero.
>Hell, we could be the exception to the rule that ALL RED DRAGONS ARE EVIl...

>if a romance-able option we can have overpowered babiez
>We have the option of devil-infused babies, so why not go the extra mile and go red/gold babies too?

>I want gold/red colord babies :c

>if we must kill her it will be on even grounds

For a NE red dragon with demonic retainer and plans to dominate humans and carve out an empire, in regards to a gold dragon. Understand the force with which my palm impacted my face.

>>12320349
Well, I can't speak for anyone else, but I know I'D worry about making any moves against a draconic version of Havelock Vetinari.

>>12320368

Rest, leaving appropriate time for getting to the meeting.

>>12320368
Rest alone. Perhaps our other companion will come to see us.

>>12320368

small talk with Scinnari, go through the lockboxes (WHAT'S IN THEM, PRECIOUS?). Remarks about todays accomplishments and play up the value of Scinnari's role; cap it off with, "you're proving yourself to be the greatest jewel I've yet added to my collection." Make sure the emerald of invisibility wasn't permanently damaged by the hydra-priests disjunction. Wonder where our little kobold ran off to and whether he's making himself useful in his absence. Let Scinnari sleep and guard the riches while we meet with these fools.

>>12320414
dam you im trying to drink coffee here
>my face

Additionally, posing the rather absurd temptation to the Erinyes would rather flatly demonstrate that we're aware of the difference between ambition and folly. Wanting to mate with a red is about as ridiculous as an Erinyes trying to associate with a creature with the means and motivation to seek its permanent destruction.

An underling that is constantly huffing about its perceived status is one that is worried more about internecine conflict than in doing a good job. Granted, that comes naturally to a devil, but we have little use for infernal style politics.

Rest, and re-suggest:
>>12320253
With regards to throwing her a bone. Well, not that kind of... you know what I mean.

>>12320515
I meant to type >wanting to mate with a gold is about as ridiculous

I totally imagine Scinnari as a morrigan style character, incredibly sarcastic and armed with a barbed tounge

>>12320226
>>12320290
She /does/ seem exhausted, more than you've ever seen her. Between fighting, and the sheer physical exertion of moving hundreds if not thousands of pounds of precious metals, she seems thoroughly beat. She does seem to have quite enjoyed the ride we gave her, though. Exhilarating, and all that.

>>12320285
You are quite happy to hear her respond to your intimations with, "Golds aren't worth the effort. You aren't going to kill me the moment I suggest something you don't agree with. She might." After a few moments, she adds, "I might try to pass it off to someone I don't like, though."

>>12320253

As you come in for the landing, you beat your wings a flurry, hovering just high enough to drop the carpet you've been using as a bindle, and then drop down yourself. Extending a forearm to one side, you offer her a smooth climb down from your back, far too large to offer a mere step.

"Scinnari." you state, aiming for a tone that suggests rumination, "You have served me well. Indeed, it's entirely possible I would not have survived, or have been unable to escape with these... lovely profits, were it not for you. And that is entirely ignoring the fact that Cygnis might well have killed me, had it not been for your challenge." you add, not true, really, but you suspect she would be willing to forget that and take the credit anyway. "Is there anything I can aid you with? Things previously removed from the table still are, but I would be interested in rewarding your excellent service."

Scinnari, lounging on the carpet, understandably tired, (you are yourself,), thinks before replying, "I'd like... that Brother Arman, though I might understand if you don't want me provoking Cygnis... Perhaps... I think I may wish to save this boon for another time." she finishes, "I cannot think of something worth asking for now that can or may be granted."

>>12320603
Damn, now I really, REALLY want to slap Scinnari.

>>12320613
Still, it would be a shame if her work went unrewarded.

Hmm... we're still in dragon form, right? We should totally do her with our tongue.

>>12320613
Hmmm. Arman is a relatively small sacrifice to make to keep from owing her a boon, in my opinion.

If Cygnis asks we could simply note that the cult is still very active and was deep within the church. They would surely have the opportunity to kill him in revenge. All true, too.

>>12320670
We should secure access to the archives before we off him if we do, of course.

>>12320613
as long as its not something absolutely absurd that may end in destroying the entire country.

>Oh yay Loyalty missions!
> Increase paragon for good end!!!!

>>12320670
Well if Cygnis leaves the city soon to find out about her past, we can always let her have him then when he's all alone. Just lure him out of the church and have some fun.

>>12320693
may want to learn powerful healing spells and forgetfulness spells first

>>12320688
We wouldn't actually have to do a mission. Just send a missive to Araman that we want to meet him somewhere inconspicuous, alone. Tell our deviless where. She's smart enough to handle it from there.

Gasp, it seems the Brotherhood intercepted my letter! Had I only known....

>>12320515
>>12320536
Especially since they're both female.

>>12320488
Proper Counting: [The obsessive-compulsive disorder of all dragons]:

9,600 silver, throughout the four chests.
500 gold, throughout the four chests. (only one had gold)
Five (5) Onyx gems.
1 potion of heal
1 potion unknown
1 Evil Tome.
1 short-sword, of decent enchantment.
1 crossbow of minor enchantment
6 golden candelabras, with the cult's favorite snake-and-lizard motifs on them. Very nice workmanship, fairly old.
18 silver candlesticks, with black candles. Similar in detail to the candelabras; if you want to sell either of these, your best bet would be a wizard, probably.
5 bronze incense burners, of, again, similar workmanship. Don't seem too valuable, and the incense is a tad too sweet for your preferences.
2 small silver cases with more of the cult's incense.

Plus, you have what you're begining to suspect is Cygnis' dagger, and several hundred in various currencies form the pirate ship. (Open lead cairn and count? It's tempting, you know you wanna.)

>>12320603
That's fairly close. Mostly, I'm imagining a face like this, (face-veil instead of full head-covering,) and robes, desert style, since I can't think of how to describe it.

Oh, and large, black, feathery wings. Angel-style.

>>12320613
Tell her fine, but don't take too long. We're not the sort of let her save up multiple boons.

Then get a couple hours of rest before the morning.

>>12320748
Oh, it is tempting... oh so tempting. But not now. That is trouble we do not need. Leave it closed and uncounted.

Oh, inform Scinnari of the conversation we overheard between Kazimiri and Roteye earlier today.

>>12320748
We are content letting the lead cairn remain closed. Was there anything special about Cygnis' dagger? Also, maybe we should look into Lenzo's home at some point since we likely have the key to it and we might find other goodies there.

>>12320748
>1 crossbow of minor enchantment
>Erinyes servant who knows wizard spells
I made an incredibly nasty villain one time who had a cohort whom this strongly reminds me of- sorcerer with a composite longbow, but the principle is the same. Her favorite trick was to snipe people from 1500+ feet above with poisoned arrows, whilst invisible. Teleporting a few hundred feet would almost always buy her a couple more rounds in which to attack, while her victims frantically tried to find her/escape, and she virtually never missed while she still had spells to burn. Man, the PCs hated her almost as much as they did the villain himself. She taught them that it is never, ever safe to be outside in the open on a clear day. Or to have anyone you love outside in the open on a clear day. Or to cross an open courtyard. Or even to stand near a window, actually, by the end of things.

Good times, good times. Sorry to derail the thread slightly, just wanted to share.


On more vitally important matters: Guys, do we believe in changing all treasure into precious coinage, the better to be able to lay on a hoard, or do we believe in acquiring as many random valuable thingies as possible in addition to treasure, and adorning our lair with them? These are important matters!

>>12320900
Wait until we have a more permanent lair before deciding that. The type of lair might determine what we do. At least I think the current one isn't permanent.

>>12320810
It was exceptionally fine craftsmanship, a literal work of art. Mulling over what you know of golds, you think that's why she had it. Probably given to the mercenaries as payment, or down-payment.

>>12320758
>>12320797
"But of course. I do my best to be reasonable, but... do not save too long, lest it wither." you caution.

"You succeed admirably, are by far the most magnanimous individual I have ever... chosen to attach myself to. Of course." Satisfied with the exchange, you turn to the lead-brick-box, and ponder it. It's tempting, you are feel a burning need to count your gains, quantify your profit, your importance, your slice of the world. But you quell it; it could be dangerous, this is exactly the kind of thing that would allow Kazmiri to find you. And the rest of your much-larger hoard. For a hoard you truly have, now. Nothing respectable, and certainly nothing truly worthy, but a start, a good one, considering you walked off a ship with seventy gold three days ago. As a final thought, you check, and are satisfied to find out, that the emerald still functions.

[Just to confirm, sleep, chill until time, then go invisible and return to town?]

>>12320924
I also recommend chill in the city on our own at some point to see what our other companion is up to. Otherwise sounds good.

>>12320900
This is who we want to be.

>>12320958
Forgot how large (or rather, not,) the picture was. Suffice to say, no hoard is complete without proper artifacts, treasures, etc. Artifacts, luxurious furniture, crowns and jewels.

>>12320924

sounds good to me. also, earmark the shortsword for use by Jerrik and the crossbow by use for Scinnari for future operating (as someone who also has wings but fewer natural attacks, she is well suited to using it as a backup).

Some rest/hoard time before meeting them.

(this anon bids dragon quest a goodnight as it's getting late. keep on rockin, writer dude.)

rolled 34 = 34

>>12320924
We should try and meet Jerrik at some point.

(wolfminmitar is back now btw.)

>>12320993
Jarrik seemed more suited to ranged combat... I'd keep the shortsword for ourselves, unless the rapier is better quality.

Scinnari seems to be able to take care of herself with the innate spells and whatnot that comes from devilery.

As a random note, Scinnari does not dress all female-loveinterest-slut style, mostly because she has nothing to prove, and doesn't think we'd approve of it. (or rather, be impressed by it.)

>>12320758
>>12320957

Just before dawn, you head into town, again giving Scinnari a ride, though forcing her to land on her own, as you wish to refrain from drawing attention. The next few hours you spend instead in the inn, Scinnari sleeping, and you, no longer feeling as tired, studying your magical text. The appointed hour comes, and while you have a distaste for answering another's beck and call, you arrive on time, having put too much effort into your gentleman-adventurer's persona to damage it.

Cygnis and Arman are there, Cygnis looking much less pale than the last time you saw her. She smiles at your approach, and at the tenth bell, you proceed down towards the offices of Thuron, the High Priest. As you walk through, Cygnis moves to your side, and apologetically asks, "I'm believe they took my knife, when they captured me. If you've found it, in your looting of the temple, I would appreciate that you return it.". Asks? More like 'demands', however subtle. Aware of the rumors of Golds' ability to detect lies, you manage to worm your way around in your answer.

"I'm afraid I haven't managed to go through everything, or even finished looting the temple."
True, especially if you include the pirate's chest, but even if you don't, you haven't read the Book of the Binder; the Unspeakable One, either.
"I will of course return it, if I find it there." you conclude with, another lie-that-isn't based on the fact that you couldn't possibly find it there as well, since you know where it is.

>>12321097
Erinyes typically use bows and attack from above, actually. They are competent in melee but it is not their forte. They prefer to hover over the battlefield raining down flaming arrows.

I think the crossbow is a good choice.

>>12321162
Devious, I like.

We should uh... find another safehouse for that book, I think. Or burn it. I don't like the thought of something used to control dragons, and Scinnari knows where our stash is now.

>>12321162
More coming or is this wat do?

>>12321194
Book of the Binder.
Control dragons.
Control Gold Dragon.
Control Gold Dragon that is unsuspecting of control, even though it happened... which proves it's effectiveness.

Red Dragon with a Gold Dragon minion... excellent.

>>12321257
But what if our helltart gets her dainty little mitts on it? We at least need to secure it in a lead case somewhere obscure, for now.

rolled 28 = 28

>>12321257
Book of the binder.
>controls gold dragon
>what is to say that it doesnt control RED dragons?

>>12321279
Makes me wonder if she really couldn't touch the book or not. We just took her word for that. Maybe she's secretly learning all she can on how to control us. Yay paranoia.

>>12320993
Thanks. Wrapping up soon myself, Problem with Mondays (And Wednesdays, and Fridays,) is that my favorite class is first. [sadface]

In the ensuing meeting, you find out little, having already learned most of it. Unfortunately, Cygnis still does not have the will to recount what the gong did, though Thuron states that they will discuss that later, privately, overruling Arman's objection.

You do learn how Eidomon managed to capture her, though; he sent her to deliver a letter to the abandoned house, and she was surprised by some of the cultists, who used a poison of some sort to knock her out. When she awoke, she was bound below, and, you recall the iron ring, unable to polymorph her way out.
At length, and after much explanation from all parties, Thuron speaks his piece.

"First of all, forgive me, Sister Cygnis, as my negligence has allowed you to suffer untold harm. Secondly, let me thank both you, Brother Arman, and you, Cibach," Thuron says, using the name you introduced yourself with, "for pursuing and rescuing Sister Cygnis, even though," he says, turning to Arman, "It must have seemed that even I opposed you. I will have to see how many things Eidomon has prevented me from finding out about, over the years.... Which leads me to the good news; as the High Pries of Alset in the city, I have alerted the Sealord, and his Guard, to the fact that we have a ruinous cult in our midsts; Eidomon especially.... What a shame. His entire life, posing as a human..." he stops, evidently deeply shaken by the fact that his immediate inferior was not only not who he thought he was, but worshiper of a different god altogether.

>>12321293
"I am sorry, Cygnis, more sorry than you could ever know. Suffice to say, they have both assured me that they shall look into this matter with the utmost alacrity. The Sealord made mention of hiring professional adventurers to scope out the measure of this threat. As you have without a doubt proved yourself, Mr. Cibach, I will of course put your name forward, if you so desire.

"As it is, I think much good would be done if I reassign both of you to investigating the... this 'Binder; the Unspeakable One', knowledge is, as always, our best weapon. Speaking of which, as you have done not only I, but the temple a great deed, Mr. Cibach, I would be happy to grant you full access to the temple libraries, if you so desire."

"You are generous, High Priest." you respond, satisfied. You have achieved what you hoped by accepting this job in the first place. The paltry three hundred gold is nothing compared to the libraries of this building... You return to the present in time to hear Thuron's dismissal.

"... to take care of that. Brother Arman, Sister Cygnis, you are both dismissed. Mr. Cibach, as mentioned, I am taking over Arman's payment, and doubling it; this was obviously something I should have been doing myself."

And should anyone wish to contact me...

>>12321279
Who says we don't tear out that page and incinerate it?

Who's smarter?

>>12321257
Good thread as always, Writer-dude!

>>12321327
...One page? ONE PAGE???
pff.

>>12321330
Well, before I call it a night, are there anythings we want to focus on offscreen? (And, no, I'm not referring to things like >>12320666 .) What objectives do we want to do next, (Whether they should be brought up in my next OP, or we should do them auto-pilot style between threads?

>>12321330
Agreed. See you whenever you run this next Writer-dude.

>>12321350
Lets contact Jerrik.
Please?
I want to give him that crossbow, and some silver to do what he needs to do.

Gah. We've gone into autosage, it seems; I've been using noko, but had to take it out to drop my email.

Speaking of which, if anyone doesn't know how to use it, drop 'noko' into the email field, and you will return to the thread after you post in it. 's all there is to it.

>>12321363
Acknowledged, is there any specific test we want to try between Scinnari and the book?

>>12321397
not as of yet. We could probably package the book up and at some point copy everything in it, then give it to the gold dragon just in case.

>>12321397
Does it bind demons too? Or are we trying to get her to read it for us?

>>12321437
Yeah, isn't there a spell that lets you copy text? Like... 800 words instantly or something and then just cast that a LOT.

Because I have a hunch that the cultists will try and locate object on it...

>>12321442
How would you know?

I mentioned that because people were expressing doubts that Scinnari was telling the truth. I.E., a test of demanding that she read it, and witnessing the 'hurt', or, ideally, something a lot more subtle and less painful on our minion, if she was telling us true.

>>12321513
we don't know.
However, we can always test it on someone NOT important to us.

(expendable, doesnt even have to be a minion.)

Oh, right, 0th level spells. Choose what to fill our five 0th level spell slots with, wizard-style. And one first level spell, too, in case it ends up being a week or more gap.

I'm liking

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spellLists/sorcererWizardSpells.htm#firstLevelSorcererWizardSpells

as a place to look things up.

If nothing is chosen, same. (Possibly plus whatever Scinnari thinks would be the most useful for us.)

Pic related. [At this point I got the urge to do a Guido impersonation, but nobly resisted it.] Could be her, but feathery, not leathery, wings, and she dresses less slutty. Plus she's awful fond of that veil, though, of course, we have seen her without it.

>>12321442
>>12321549
So are you saying you want to try reading it?

>>12321589
what spells can we know?
(pleasepleasepleaseplease truestrike!)

>>12321606
Hell no.
Kidnap a random begger and force them to read the first page or something, then if they are fine, we kill them and then study it ourselves.

>>12321611
We've got the god of knowledge's library at our disposal. Anything on the list.

Not so much 'learn' as ' have prepared', remember. We're learning wizardry, hard for a non-sorcerer to learn sorcery.

>>12321632
making the list.

>>12321632
True Strike
Read Magic
Message
Message
Prestidigitation
Message

>>12321618
Duly noted. And if they aren't fine?

>>12321648
If there are no objections, it shall be adopted.

>>12321649
We shall cross that road when we come to it.

If it causes them immense pain we kill them anyways, and if its some kind of damage, then we bring it to the temple of knowledge and converse with them and explain to them what it is.

I think we should read it, or at least try to. If it's about dragons, there's reason to hope that it's for dragons as well.

Anyway, sleep beckons, good night.