Tricia: Be sure to sit a safe distance away from the screen, and play in a well-lit room! You don't and you'll end up with bug eyes...melted brain...poor hygiene...and other things that will get you closer to looking like Isen.

Isen: HEY!

Your trip up the mountain was about average for your life. Ice caves with bottomless chasms, passes filled with bloodthirsty harpies, and wind that caused you all to go half insane with anger, fear, and self-doubt.

At the peak of the mountain, you had a run in with the remnants of the Dragon Who Was Of Shadow. After some impotent posing and fangless threats, the dead God got in a sucker punch by making you relive the day you almost killed Tricia when you two were children.

Still, you pushed past the husk of a spirit, and arrived at Old One's lair. It turned out that Old One already had Dragon Servants, a woman named Grace and her two children. Also, that while the Old One was happy to give up the 'worthless' corrupt Lantern Coins, getting blood and information would be more difficult.

The Dragon offered you a chance to become his 'Lesser' and serve him...but you declined. After all, you already served His Light, which was a concept that Old One seems to be slow to understand. You were able to help him a little, using Dragon terms at least.

Today is the last day you have available. Tomorrow morning Helen, the vampire you're trying to rescue, is going to be executed. You need a drop of Old One's blood, and you have almost NO idea on how to get it from him.

Hell yes, Lamia quest! Resuming seat edge status.

>>24286364
We don't need no stinking blood.
Except maybe to stop Peri/Mari going crazy.
But really, there's a reason Helen is not at the top of the waiting list for vampire cure and using ultimate cure-all on her would be even more of a waste.

>>24286501
A bit, yeah. I was thinking if we had the passion mask, or at least the fragments therof, and had trivalon wear it and order helen to cooperate with our investigation truthfully, then maybe we can get her to admit she didn't do everything of her own free will. Maybe.

Also, I'm wondering about the prospects of diluting blood.

>>24286364
So, the dragon is resting right now? Are we still waiting for Ted to get back? Have we explained our conversation to our friends yet? Have we broken the news to mage that he may have done some kind of servant bonding ritual deal way back when?

the problem with that is we have no idea if Helen was driven by Peace to run off and put in the frame of mind that she would in fact accept vampirism whereas normally she would not. The ony way to be sure is to cure her and talk to her.

>>24286589
>So, the dragon is resting right now? Are we still waiting for Ted to get back? Have we explained our conversation to our friends yet? Have we broken the news to mage that he may have done some kind of servant bonding ritual deal way back when?

In order: Yes, yes, not yet, you may go ahead when ready, not yet.

>>24286501
You know, I've been saying that also ... but whatever.

Onwards to explaining to our friends the little talk we had with the dragon. Then pull Mage off the side and talk about the whole eating our flesh was a bad idea back in the day.

>>24286772
"Okay team, group meeting. Good news first- we're getting the lantern coins, and we can trade information for stories once the dragon is done resting. Bad news is he seemed a bit outraged when I broached the blood issue, I am not sure how that will go. Oh, and mage, that one time you ate a bit of me way back when might have been a draconic servant bonding ritual, I hope to ask after what exactly that means when the old one wakes up. Any questions?"

>>24286858
er, link this to this
>>24286685

File: 1366162080032.gif-(685 KB, 500x281, 1364784789522.gif)

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>>24286408
I, too, must sit on the edge of my seat, because the rest of the seat is drenched.

>>24286501

There's a perfectly good reason to jump through hoops in order to help Helen when she's far from the most deserving.

To spite Citadel and the Dramatae. To do good illogically and impractically and succeed flies in the face of their pragmatic, "necessary sacrifice" modus operandi. Besides, no one's perfect, but we all need help now and again, even if we are a terrible fuck-up. Helen will be a shining example that it's never too late to find help, no matter how much you may have messed things up.

>>24287122
unless, of course, she doesn't want to.

>>24286858
>>>24286772
"Okay team, group meeting. Good news first- we're getting the Lantern Coins, and we can trade information for stories once the dragon is done resting. Bad news is he seemed a bit outraged when I broached the blood issue, I am not sure how that will go. Oh, and Mage, that one time you ate a bit of me, way back when, might have been a Dragon Servant bonding ritual, I hope to ask after what exactly that means when the old one wakes up. Any questions?"

"Wait, what?" Mage says.

"Do you have any ideas regarding the blood?" Tricia asks.

"Go back to the ritual thing." Mage says.

"I heard him roaring about His Light," Lea said. "How did that come up? Is he not a fan?"

"I know my shackle changed...but does this mean that there's going to be face scales in my future?" Mage asks.

"Do we have a list of people who we want or need to give the Dragon Blood to?" Peri/Mari asks. "I mean, rank them in importance, maybe."

"Not a bad idea." Tricia says.

"Hey, EXC-"

"Let your Mistress work." Grace says. "Come, you will help me serve her and her handmaidens dinner."

"I am NOT her servant, I am her younger brother!" Mage says. He grabs the wooden spoon from Grace anyway. "I'm just doing this because none of those girls can cook to save their lives."

"Don't you want Ted to come back with the chicken?" Grace says.

"We'll need decent appetizers, and..." He sniffs the pot on the spit. "Yeah, your soup needs work. I'll need an onion, and two small rocks."

>>24286858
>Draconic servant bonding ritual
Ehh... That's a little rough to just come out and say. Why don't we call it a, "Draconic team-building exercise," instead?

>>24286550
Assuming we have time, we might as well try this when we get back.

>>24287171

Poor Mage, always getting sidelined.

>>24287171
oh dear Mage...

as for blood importance, Mari and Peri get the first 2 doses, then Helen gets the 3rd, and any extra after that is saved for if a party member/Isen/Tara get hit with something really nasty.

>>24287171
Poor Mage. Really poor him.

"I honestly don't have any ideas when comes to the blood deal. Maybe the list idea might work but he seemed pretty adamant against the whole giving up any. I mean we'll need enough for you two, Mari, Peri. Then for Helen also.

"In terms of His Light, Lea ... well he thinks it's a dragon and possibly the only thing that saved me and my 'horde' from being added to his.

"He also said something about fighting the Light to prove he better or something ... "

Umm ... well okay.

>>24287171
>"I heard him roaring about His Light," Lea said. "How did that come up? Is he not a fan?"

> "I know my shackle changed...but does this mean that there's going to be face scales in my future?" Mage asks.

"I don't know all the details yet, but apparently the ritual to bind a Dragon Servant like Grace or Ted involves something very similar to what we did. And since Ghouls are descended from Dragon Servants, it kinda worked. On the bright side, you'll likely live a very long time; Ted is in his 80s and he doesn't look a day over 30. But for what it's worth, I'll never think of you as a servant."

> "I heard him roaring about His Light," Lea said. "How did that come up? Is he not a fan?"

"Actually, Lea, he seemed to rather respect the Light once I explained it to him. He wanted me (and by extension my horde, including all of you you) to serve him and belong to him. I told him that I already served the Light, and wondered if I could champion both. After some explanation, he now understands the Light as a very powerful being, and thus OBVIOUSLY a dragon, with a horde of followers in the millions, the more dedicated of whom command high respect in society, and all of whom follow its commands, meaning the Teachings. He seemed quite sympathetic to the Teachings as well; he certainly venerates information and welcomes change."

>>24287240
I'd say Lea gets the third dose if it turns out the blood can help her. And we don't know that Mari and Peri need two doses; one may suffice, for one body.

>>24287341
>prove he better
>prove he's better

>>24287122
>To spite Citadel and the Dramatae
That is not a good reason. That is not a good reason at all.

>>24287171
>onion
Oh shit, mage knows his business.

"Okay, in the order asked:
I don't know mage, I said I'd ask more later, I have no bright ideas about the blood but he said we'd talk about it more later, the light was... us getting sidetracked.
He tried to get me to serve him, I asked if that would conflict with my service of the light, and then I explained exactly what the light was to him until he wanted to rest. It seemed to be a foreign concept to him.
Anyway, and no, I don't really have a list. I want to think meri and lea are pretty high up there, but I have no idea what terrible diseases are out there. Also, Helen. It would be helpful with the investigation, but if it turns out she wasn't forced into anything, it'd be quite unfair. Need a way to solve that.

And mage knows his stuff, don't worry grace. It'll be great."

>>24287360
Peris body and Maris body. Two doses.

>>24287390
I know that.
But it makes me feel good.

>>24287390
Not phrased that way it isn't, but Citadel, the Dramatae, and Passion led Helen down this road and their influence made heresy alone a capital offense. We need to make that right.

>>24287360
but both of their bodies are messed up, Peri was paralyzed from the waist down, and Mari's body is wracked by the poison she ate.

hence the 2 doses

>>24287421
It sounded like the Conclave could already heal Mari, given time, and they have time. We don't necessarily need a cure-all for that. Peri's body with Mari and Peri's minds in it, though, seems more critical.

>>24287449
I really don't want to trust the Conclave. Better to get cure we no to work over whatever they'll find.

>>24287478
>no
Know even.

>>24287478
>I really don't want to trust the Conclave. Better to get cure we no to work over whatever they'll find.

I don't automatically distrust the entire organization just because of Trivalon. Though we'd better look into Mari's body very carefully; no telling what he could have arranged to have done to it. Time-delayed brain booby-traps would be terrible, and on top of that we never actually *saw* the body while we were there.

>>24287449
I doubt it will help with that.

as long as they are in the same body their minds will try and meld/go insane, dragons blood could probably only reverse any mind melding that has happened so far, but would not prevent further mind melding after it is used.

it can treat a symptom(the mind melding) but it cant treat the cause(both in the same body)

>>24287440
>Peri was paralyzed from the waist down

Wait, what? We wanted the Dragon's Blood because we'd heard that it could help them stabilize their current mental cohabitation.

>>24287543
http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/23647709/#p23655969

>The beam misses her head, arms, and chest. It hits(Peri) her in the sternum and she collapses to the ground. "AH!" She shrieks. "I...I can't feel my legs!"

>>24287541
>as long as they are in the same body their minds will try and meld/go insane, dragons blood could probably only reverse any mind melding that has happened so far, but would not prevent further mind melding after it is used.

We don't yet know anything about Dragon's Blood except its reputation and how dragons feel about it. Let's wait and find out more about what it can do, from Old One or his servants.

>>24287588
I don't recall anything about that being permanent, though; I think that was a temporary side effect of suddenly having two brains trying to control one body.

>>24287630
When they were talking about splitting Peri said that she might not be able to move her legs without Mari.

>>24287341
"I honestly don't have any ideas when comes to the blood deal. Maybe the list idea might work but he seemed pretty adamant against the whole giving up any. I mean we'll need enough for you two, Mari, Peri. Then for Helen also.

"In terms of His Light, Lea ... well he thinks it's a dragon and possibly the only thing that saved me and my 'horde' from being added to his.

"He also said something about fighting the Light to prove he better or something ... "

"And Mage, I don't know all the details yet, but apparently the ritual to bind a Dragon Servant like Grace or Ted involves something very similar to what we did. And since Ghouls are descended from Dragon Servants, it kinda worked. On the bright side, you'll likely live a very long time; Ted is in his 80s and he doesn't look a day over 30. But for what it's worth, I'll never think of you as a servant."

Lea chokes it back for a moment, then bursts into laughter. "Seriously?" She asks. "That's hysterical!"

"He really seemed to rather respect the Light once I explained it to him. He wanted me, and by extension my horde, including all of you, to serve him and belong to him. I told him that I already served the Light, and wondered if I could champion both. After some explanation, he now understands the Light as a very powerful being, and thus OBVIOUSLY a dragon, with a horde of followers in the millions, the more dedicated of whom command high respect in society, and all of whom follow its commands, meaning the Teachings. He seemed quite sympathetic to the Teachings as well; he certainly venerates information and welcomes change."

Lea laughs again.

Peri and Meri shrug. "Look, if Mari's plan works, don't worry about getting blood for this body. Mari's body should be enough."

Tricia looks at Lea. "Do you want it?"

Lea shakes her head. "His Light gave me my life, and my body. I'll not ask for another, or for more. If I had broken a leg or torn a muscle, yes, I'm game. But I don't need it for mere vanity."

>>24287703
There's a crack and a smell of Ozone. Ted's back with a wicker basket on his back.

"You know, there's a lot of commotion back at Bronze Peak." He says. "The Whorehouse Owner/Doctor guy? Yeah, he's causing a fuss." He starts takig out some more vegetables and a chicken, plus some honeycomb for the kids. "I mean,e veryone knew he was a soft touch at getting to borrow money from, but no one thought he'd ever cash IN on those loans." He points at you. "Lot of people are really mad at him, and you and that other Paladin."

>>24287703
>Lea shakes her head. "His Light gave me my life, and my body. I'll not ask for another, or for more. If I had broken a leg or torn a muscle, yes, I'm game. But I don't need it for mere vanity."

Are there truly no side-effects other than appearance? I find it hard to believe that the cure Lea went through wouldn't cause long-term chronic issues.

> Peri and Meri shrug. "Look, if Mari's plan works, don't worry about getting blood for this body. Mari's body should be enough."

Dealing with the mental merging problems seems like the more critical issue, there; as much as they like Mari's plan, it seems short-sighted to just give up on Peri's body so easily.

>>24287760

Oh boy, here we go. Citadel has left the Peaks.

>>24287760
"Wait, what? Did you happen to find out why he's cashing all those loans at once?"

>>24287760
Sounds like we might have some mediation to do when we get back. There's a happy medium, there; hopefully Sandover didn't start pulling loan-shark tactics on folks. Repayment is good; demands for instantaneous repayment regardless of means, not so much.

>>24287630
no, it happened before Mari was in Peri's head, her legs only started working when Mari was transferred.

>>24287760
"What all is happening back there? Why is he calling all of his loans due now?"

>>24287760
"Boo hoo to them? He has every right to call in his loans.

"And what are the Paladins being targeted for?"

>>24287808
Finally tracked it down:
http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/23687442/#p23689424
> Peri/Mari shrug. "The kid isn't too bad, plus...when she goes to 'sleep' my legs don't work as good as they do."

>>24287807
I'm sure he's actually looking into just getting people /to/ repay him. The issue is the people never dreamed he would. Now they're bitching because he is.

>>24287861
Could be. We'll have to find out.

>>24287861
Yeah. But why the hell are they mad at the paladins about this?

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I'm no slowdrawfag, but I couldn't help draw this happier moment from Tricia and Ssen's tumoltuous childhood.

>>24287854
even if her legs would work fine without Mari, Peri has another reason she could use the Dragon's Blood, remember what that sick bastard Donovan did to her.

>>24287897
Because the buck stops at the top, and the people look to the paladins to make everything better.

>>24287902
I hadn't even thought of that!

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>>24287901
The best.

>>24287901
Okay that's too cute.

http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/24158237/#p24163163
>>24287901
That's awesome.

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>>24287901
Oh man I almost can't take the childish wonderment. I bet some poor animal had a bad day that day.

>>24287785
"Wait, what? Did you happen to find out why he's cashing all those loans at once?"

"That dwarf girl is goading him to do it," Ted says as he chops celery. "Also, he's kind of been less...well Sandover was this guy who if you just acted like you liked him a little, you could get anything you wanted from him. Now that he was attacked in the middle of the street, in the middle of the day, and the only people who cared about his safety were you, the Paladins, and the Pyrell siblings. (Quentin and Rachel's last name.) So, he's kind of lost his nice edge. Balles and the Paladins are getting flak because they're helping him. He's not bankrupting anyone, he's got installments and stuff, but people aren't happy when the bank comes calling." Ted shrugs. "I never borrowed from him. I think he may be starting a bank...anyway, people are threatening to leave."

"Where? Not Stone Hall, I hope." Tricia says.

"Nah, the whole Lizard thing is still freaking people out. They'd go back to Citadel." He shrugs. "Just thought you should know."

The Fifth DID say that keeping Jeremy alive would cause Citadel's grip on Bronze Peak to crack...a bit less dramatic than a full-scale Ghoul attack. Though you think that the ones leaving would probably have preferred that.

"So," Mage dumps in the vegetables into the soup pot. "Once we get whatever answers we need from Old One...then what?"

>>24287901
::recovers from HNNNGGG:: And there's a reroll back for you, like I promised.

>>24287970
"Well, if plan A doesn't work, my next least foolish plan is to try to use the fragments of tryvalon's mask, along with his cooperation, to order the vampire to cooperate truthfully. Then we could at least get to the bottom of this. Assuming everything goes perfectly."

>>24287970
>"So," Mage dumps in the vegetables into the soup pot. "Once we get whatever answers we need from Old One...then what?"

"Well, we're still on a deadline to save Helen. After that, I'm hoping that the Old One's information might include some leads we can use, like how to restore the Lantern coins, what form the original Lantern took, or how else we might fight Citadel and the Dramatae."

>>24287998
Awesome, nice to have two rerolls worth of protection now for plot emergencies.

>>24287760
Possibly they blame us for making him "See the Light" although they probibaly just need someone else to blame for thier own problems.

eeniume Humped. Possibly, CAPTCHA.

>>24287901
seeing child Ssen reminds me:

We should find some mason jars and cheesecloth. Visit Tricia's dad. Learn to make antivenom.

It would be useful to have.

>>24287970
"Old One wishes to hear tales of our adventures, I kind of wish Isen was here... and I cant believe I just said that."

>>24288029
"Well, we're still on a deadline to save Helen. So, if Plan A doesn't work, we could try Trivalon's mask, or get him to co-operate, and see if that works. After that, I'm hoping that the Old One's information might include some leads we can use, like how to restore the Lantern coins, what form the original Lantern took, or how else we might fight Citadel and the Dramatae."

"Don't forget that we should check in on Stone Hall." Tricia says. "Make sure his royal audaciousness hasn't burnt it to the ground yet."

"Not to mention there's Robin's request." Peri says. "Things could get nasty if the Fey Court decides to keep sending people after us."

There's a sounds of movement down at the far end of the servant hall, where the doors that lead to the Dark Peaks are.

"Ack!" A voice echos down. "Please, I am requesting to be let inside, for it is quite cold out here, and I am covered in snow and would like to not be as cold."

"Oh, Paul's here." Grace says. "Go let him inside." She says to her kids. They scamper off.

After a bit they return with someone in tow. It's a male harpy. He's got black feathers with white spots on it, hair that sticks straight up, and a wide-eyed look on his face. His arms are long wings, and his legs end in talon claws. Feathers cover his chest, and he's wearing a pair of green trousers and a loose dark green shirt that's been sewn and patched repeatedly.

"There are new people here, that I have not ever seen before." He says looking at you all fidgeting. "This is causing me to feel very nervous."

"They are Old One's guests, Paul." Grace says. "He wants them here."

"Hmmm, can't go against him...but I will still count my large feathers as a way to calm down, then I may have to count the purple bricks in the small wall. After that I should feel less nervous." He nods and starts to carefully, and softly count his largest feathers in his wings.

"You'll have to excuse Paul," Grace says as she sets the table.

>>24288216
It's Rain Harpy!

>>24288216
"He's one of the few uncorrupted Harpies by either the Dead One or what replaced it." She sighs. "However, he gets very nervous and counting things makes him calm down." She shrugs. "Old One allows him to stop here, and serve as our eyes for the harpy flock, or any visitors. It's how we knew you were coming."

After a moment, Paul finishes and walks up to you. "I am Paul, I am a harpy and very pleased to meet you and your servants, Beautiful One. You are a snake, and that makes me very nervous...may I please count your stomach tail segments, so I may know how many there are and that will make me calmer?"

>>24288216
"Oh my, one that isn't hostile? Hello Paul, I am Ssen. These are my friends Tricia, Lea, Mage, Peri, and Meri. Nice to meet you."

We have to totally ask him if he can read over supper.

>>24288265
Have we ever counted? Do we know off hand? Alternatively,

"Don't you know not to ask a lady her measurements?"

Might be appropriate

>>24288265

Oh my. Somehow, I like Paul.

>>24288313
>"Don't you know not to ask a lady her measurements?"

Haha. Yeah this.

Along with >>24288275 point out strongly friends/family/loved one NOT servants. This is starting to turn into a running joke at this point.

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>>24288324

He reminds me of Dug from Up.

>>24288340
Both of these, definitely. Definitely these, definitely definitely.

>>24288313
>>24288340
>>24288216
Alternatively alternatively,

"You'll have to ask Tricia, she can be mighty protective sometimes" Wink'n'nudge

>>24288275
"Oh my, one that isn't hostile? Hello Paul, I am Ssen. These are my friends Tricia, Lea, Mage, Peri, and Meri. Nice to meet you."

"It is very nice to meet you." Paul says. "Umm, again. I ask about your segm-"

"Don't you know not to ask a lady her measurements?" You say. "Also, these are my family, friends, and loved ones. Not my servants."

"Oh, that is unusual. I was told that was not a type of person that those of us who are from Dragons can have." Paul looks to the side. "You are very confusing, and you look like a snake. Snakes eat birds, and I am very distressed."

"Go count the blue brinks in the wall, Paul." Grace says. "Then wash up for dinner."

"Yes, Miss Grace." Paul walks off.

"Huh." Tricia says. "So...how many more harpies are there like that?"

"Like Paul? About two dozen. They stay away from the bigger flock, and hide along little holes on Old One's peak." Grace says as she puts a loaf of bread ont he table. "They all talk like that, but Paul's the only one who has...needs." She sighs. "It is a shame. He's free from worry about the Old One or the Other one...but his life is a depth I would not wish upon any." She starts ladling the soup. "Anyway, dinner is ready."

"Oh, this is great." Tricia says. "How long has it been since we've had a decent meal like this, without worrying about crap like Citadel, or poison, or any of that extra crap?"

Lea has everyone join hands. Paul shakes his head. "I get very nervous when others touch my feathers, and then I have to count them again in order to calm down."

"Ssen?" She says. "If you would?"

>>24288457
"We thank the Light for this opportunity to share a meal with friends old and new. May we enjoy the quiet times, savor them as we do the adventures, and take the opportunity to enjoy all that we've fought for."

After that: "And Paul? I promise that neither I nor my friends want to eat you."

>>24288457
I'm suddenly imagining a meeting between Paul and Princess Mumei.

>>24288457
Okay I'm super bad at this, so anyone but me feel free to pony up some dialogue so echo can ignore thissun'.

"Thanks be to the light for the food before us today, and the generosity of those who would take us guests. May it be eaten in good health for all involved. Amen."

Nothing fancy needed for grace, right?

>>24288551
Good thinking to thank the generosity of our hosts; definitely include that.

Definitely definitely.

>>24288522
"We thank the Light for this opportunity to share a meal with friends old and new. May we enjoy the quiet times, savor them as we do the adventures, and take the opportunity to enjoy all that we've fought for."

"Amen."

"And Paul? I promise that neither I nor my friends want to eat you."

"I am very relieved to hear that statement from you." Paul says.

You all dig into the food, and it's quite good Mage is a pretty good cook, but Grace is even better. A few jokes are made, and the meal passes. It's a nice moment of peace compared to the last day.

Dinner finishes and the servants all clean up. Ted even seems to be less mopey.

Tricia digs around in the groups bags and tosses you the coin compass. "You wanted to see this to check that the coins were what we were looking for, right?"

>>24288457
We gather here to humbly thank The Light for good food, new friends, and the strength His Light provides when we are at our darkest moments. For when we were lost in the whispering winds, The Light saw fit to surround me with the mosst amazing people I've ever known, and it was by their memory that I found the strength to continue on. And without that memory, I'd have never had the chance to share our new friends hospitality. Thank you. May His Light be with you all.

>>24288666
>Tricia digs around in the groups bags and tosses you the coin compass. "You wanted to see this to check that the coins were what we were looking for, right?"

"I'm fairly inclined to believe the Old One telling me that they are, but the compass certainly couldn't hurt. And Old One might be interested to see it, as well; might help when explaining our stories. He wanted to hear them. All of them."

>>24288666
"No, actually, I didn't. But that's good thinking, so I will."

Honestly I can't remember thinking of or vocalizing that, good job tricia.

>>24288702
"I'm fairly inclined to believe the Old One telling me that they are, but the compass certainly couldn't hurt. And Old One might be interested to see it, as well; might help when explaining our stories. He wanted to hear them. All of them."

"Do we have time for that?" Peri/Mari ask.

You look at the compass. It's steadily pointing towards Old One's door where the pile of Lantern coins are. The little circles of Roc Writings just below it. Looks like you got what you came here for...despite them being apparently useless.

You find yourself yawning. Despite the fact that you were asleep during your encounter with the Entity, you feel quite tired. It has been a crazy long day.

>>24288768
What time is the execution? Tomorrow morning? We might not be able to sleep yet, little lamia

>>24288457

(So we've just met an Autistic Male Harpy?)

>>24288768
"I don't think we have a choice, he said he would hear tales of our adventures and only then would we talk of trades and blood."

>>24288768
> The little circles of Roc Writings just below it.

See if Paul can read those.

>>24288798
That sounds promising.

>>24288792

Probably OCD more than anything else.

Or he's just developed a strange way of coping with a hard lot in life.

>>24288855
>>24288792
maybe he's just a Birdbrain

>>24288802
>>24288798
whoops, the only is assumed, and just A story of our adventures, not all of them.

>Tell me a story of your conquests, and let me know how grand my new Flight of Dragons will be." He closes his eye. "Then...then I will speak with you."

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>>24288881

Tss tss Fuckin' homerun, Anon! Tss tss...

>>24288882
He seems to value secrets even more so than general information. Most of our stories have become pretty widely known. How about we tell the story of staging a "miracle" to rescue our friends from a lynching in Citadel, and make it clear that almost nobody else knows the true story. This'll also let us tell him about Citadel, the Dramatae, and their influence.

We could start around the time of the ball, as well, and getting shot by Peace, and continue through our departure from Citadel.

>>24288937
Yea, that could work, and it even shows us doing a great deed in the name of the Light.

>>24288798
"I don't think we have a choice, he said he would hear tales of our adventures and then would we talk of trades and blood."

"Great," Mage says. "It's nice to know that the end result of us risking our life and limb is that we can use it to amuse a Dragon for a few minutes."

You glare at Mage.

"I'm going to sleep." He says.

Peri/Mari yawn. "Us too."

Lea nods as she stretches her neck with a pop. "I'll see you tomorrow. We'll see what we can do then."

You look at the compass. "Hey Paul, can you read this?" You ask showing it to him.

Paul looks at the compass. "The messages are locked inside. You need to open it up and flip the circles. It must be read in the air. That is how you read them, by seeing how they fly and feeling how they move your pin feathers with their cross breeze." He says.

The back of the compass is welded on though, you'd have to break the thing to open it.

>>24288953
And since the stories that led to the "three failed executions is a miracle" rule form part of the legends regarding the Light to begin with, this just makes the Light look like a Xanatos-level chessmaster. Old One will definitely respect that.

>>24288978
Do iiit.
I don't think Sandover will mind, it will just make it an even more interesting curiosity. If he does we can weld it back again.

>>24289007
>>24288953
I'm not entirely sure about this super cool plan guys, I think we should try some of our more well known stories first. In case he doesn't know any of 'em. Or let him choose which stories he wants to hear out of our list of titles.

>>24288978
At this point, I think the compass has served its function in getting us here, helping us find the Old One and the Lantern coins.

Ask Paul first, though, and make sure Paul and Mage are watching.

(And we might want to see if we can heat the weld a bit rather than just trying to break it.)

>>24289034
Oh, right; we should definitely lead off by giving the names we have TAKEN for ourselves. We can tell him that there's a story behind every title.

... I might be misrembering something but doesn't our venom weaken metal?

>>24289093
It weakens bone... and certainly isn't GOOD for metal...

might be worth a try.

Also do we technically own this compass? We might have to explain that, whoops, we broke it, sorry sandover.

>>24289093
In theory, stone, because of calcium. Too slow to eat through a pillar, though:
http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/23735992/#p23737249

But it might well work on the compass, if we're careful. We should try it at least. But carefully; we don't want to get any on the innards.

>>24288978
"How on earth would you read a book of these, I wonder. Since I've seen one."

>>24289051
"Hey Mage, before you pop off." You say. "Open the back to this."

"Seriously?"

"Carefully."

Mage shrugs and using a little heat and a carving knife he cuts through the solder holding the pieces together and opens up the back. "Night."

The compass comes apart rather easily. It actually looks like the piece with the roc language was added as an after thought, as there's a regular compass rose underneath it. It's actually made out of more of the Lantern metal, corrupt white, but with the writing engraved into it.

Paul flips in and watches the piece of metal twist and turn in the air and then land on the ground with that sweet tonal sound.

"This is a message to Caligo Clarus." Paul recites. "I thought your name was Ssen? If that is the case then this message is not for you."

>>24289138
Get a small paint brush and use it to apply some venom to the compass. Also we don't want to bite the compass, might chip a fang.

>>24289230
"Caligo Clarus is a title; it means Light in the Darkness. My father and his friends were Caligo Clarus, and my friends and I are as well. We're the only ones left, right now, so the message is for us."

>>24289230
"Caligo Clarus is the specific name of the order I belong to. This message was certainly written before I joined it, but it is still of great interest to me."

>>24289230
"Caligo Clarus is the name of our order, not one individual."

>>24289230
You know something. I have a bad feeling about the compass being corrupted.

>>24289335
I don't know why you guys keep pursuing the coins, you've been told over and over again that they're corrupted, and a dead end. Find your own macguffin.

>>24289360
Right, because in this entire quest we've never once recovered something Citadel or the Dramatae has corrupted? It's always a lost cause?

>>24289360
I'm following like five macguffins right now

Only one of which is the coins, another of which is an industrial revolution, and a third of which is a missing child case some thousands of years old.

>>24289230
I am one of the Caligo Clarus (show him the medalion) and though this was writen long before I joined the Order, we are the only ones left so this may be of interest in our quest.

>>24289230
>corrupt white,

So the Lantern belonged to the Dragon Who Was in Darkness?

>>24289381
>and a third of which is a missing child case some thousands of years old.

Oh, hey, more ancient history we might want to ask about.

And speaking of which, we shouldn't pass up the opportunity to speak with Paul, not just with Old One.

>>24289275
"Caligo Clarus is a title; it means Light in the Darkness. It is a specific name of the order I belong to. My father and his friends were Caligo Clarus, and my friends and I are as well. We're the only ones left, right now. The message was written before I joined, but I am part of the order now, so the message is for us."

"Oh." Paul nods. "Compass leads to remains of First Lantern. Destroyed by Dramatae. Corrupted. Unusable. Purification..." He flips the coin again, this time in a different direction. "Purification possible. Smelt with Pure Metal. Dramatae Masks example. Not Passion masks. Correct Lantern form unknown. Not Weapon. Not Lantern. Not Mask. Blessings, Luck, Victory. For in the Darkness, the Light is needed most. So there in the Darkness we stand." Paul says. "That's all."

"Why'd they code in in Roc?" Tricia asks.

"All of the other monster languages that can be made into a physical form require special biology to understand them. Roc is the only such form of artifact words that doesn't." Paul says. "That would be the most likely reason, as I understand from the message, as it was apparently written with the songs of secret and code and dangerous within its personal currents." He looks at the two of you for a while. "Good night."

Tricia looks at you and yawns. "Well, that was illuminating...coming to bed, or planning to see if your great-great-grumpy-grandfather is up for a midnight story?"

>>24289533
We should probably ask Quentin if he knows anything about Pure Metal, considering he's one of the best (the only) smith we know.

>>24289533
Old One said he wanted to sleep. If we're thinking of talking to him, we'd better check with Grace and make sure Old One wouldn't mind. Let's not wake up a sleeping dragon that wants to keep sleeping.

>>24289555
Old One too. He loves secrets; tell him the message from the compass.

>>24289533
>Would love nothing more than to hit the sack, but we have work to do and a woman's life hinges upon our diligence and haste.

>>24289533
"I don't think it's the best idea to wake a dragon, they can be grumpy. We're going to have a very rushed morning though- Helen's execution and all. On that logic, I'll head to bed now."

>>24289533
>Tricia looks at you and yawns. "Well, that was illuminating...coming to bed, or planning to see if your great-great-grumpy-grandfather is up for a midnight story?"

"I'd like nothing more than to come to bed, but if Old One is awake or may soon be, I think I'd better make with the storytelling. Let me go check with Grace about Old One; I'm certainly not going to be the one to wake up a sleeping dragon. I mean, I'm grumpy in the morning and I'm only half dragon."

>>24289619
(Just so you know. You have one full day left. The NEXT morning Helen's time is up.)

>>24289589
Could we pull an all-nighter? I don't think we can ask the dragon anything, for now, as it's late and he'd just get more mad, but is there anything else we could do?

>>24289644
(Oh shit, I misread. Ignore that entire dialogue then.)

>>24289644
Oh.

Then lets get some sleep.

>>24289645
It all depends on whether Old One wants to talk now or not.

>>24289533
"Old One is sleeping, and I doubt he would appreciate being woken up, so to bed it is."

>>24289668
Exactly. Let's find out, and *then* decide if we're pulling an all-nighter.

>>24289533
Calling clock, as the form of the first lantern.
Maybe a sundial.

>>24289644
Then this >>24289672

Rolled 3

>>24289633
"I'd like nothing more than to come to bed, but if Old One is awake or may soon be, I think I'd better make with the storytelling. Let me go check with Grace about Old One; I'm certainly not going to be the one to wake up a sleeping dragon. I mean, I'm grumpy in the morning and I'm only half dragon."

"I'd guess more, going by your morning breath." Tricia says, teasing. She pecks you on the cheek. "Okay, I'll get the bedroll ready, don't stay up too late."

Paul is roosting up on a ledge above you, and Grace has her own little living area with a bed for her and one her children. Ted gets a pile of furs on the ground.

"Yes, Beautiful One?" Grace asks as you approach. At least in Grace's mouth that title isn't an insult.

"Is Old One willing to trade stories now?" You ask.

"I will see." She says.

>>24289743
If Old One would not object, we should see if Tricia wants to come with us for story time.

>>24289817
This is one of the few times I wish Isen was here to see this

>>24289843
Agreed. We should introduce them at some point, and see which one has the bigger ego.

>>24289696
Citadel does seem to dislike clocks and when we restored the clock at the in Citadels influence was weakened.

Grace closes her eyes and makes a humming noise in the back of her throat. She opens them again.

"One One is asleep." Grace says. "No one will wake him. He will wake when he wakes."

You nods and go to your bedroll and curl up with Tricia. The pleasantness of the moment is slightly dampened when you see the two little white dots on her shoulder and feel that little irregular bump in her shoulder bone. Reminders of That Day.

Still she snuggles into you and you slowly relax as you let the two of you get into sleep-sync as usual.

Your dreams are of dragons, and spirits, coins and gold. Soft things and warm things. Wings.

You wake to see Paul perched on an old pillar. Staring at the two of you. "I see that you two are gay. I am a gay as well." He sighs. "It is very difficult...Old One says that it means that I am strong. I do not understand what he means when he says that." He says. "I am often alone and afraid and do not feel strong...and then I have to count things." He tilts his head. "Is it different because you are more Dragon than I?"

>>24289865
I can't wait for the eventual kerfluffle when it's finally time to put Isen on the throne.

There's going to be at least one battle dedicated to him trying to stick us with the throne, and vice versa.

>>24289882
>You wake to see Paul perched on an old pillar. Staring at the two of you. "I see that you two are gay. I am a gay as well." He sighs. "It is very difficult...Old One says that it means that I am strong. I do not understand what he means when he says that." He says. "I am often alone and afraid and do not feel strong...and then I have to count things." He tilts his head. "Is it different because you are more Dragon than I?"

Paul is refreshingly blunt.

"I think Old One meant that you're walking a more difficult, less common path, and thus you have to be stronger to bear the additional burdens life will heap on you because of it.

And as far as I know, I am no more or less Dragon than you are."

>>24289882
>Old One says that it means that I am strong.
KRONAR, SON OF MAN. FOR A HUNDRED GENERATIONS HIS ANCESTORS HAVE KEPT THE BLOODLINE FREE OF WOMAN'S TAINT.

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>>24289882
>"I see that you two are gay. I am a gay as well."
This is the first thing that sprung to my mind.

On a more serious note I'm seconding >>24289939 - his strength comes from walking the harder path and not giving up.

>>24289886
That's why he's perfect for it, per Hitchhiker's Guide rules: nobody who wants the throne should have it, and nobody could want it less than Isen.

>>24289882
"Oh, no. Feeling alone is a very common condition, which is why I've gathered friends where I can find them. As for being afraid, well, there are many things that are fearful. What matters is whether or not you can deal with them."

>>24289939
"I think Old One meant that you're walking a more difficult, less common path, and thus you have to be stronger to bear the additional burdens life will heap on you because of it.

And as far as I know, I am no more or less Dragon than you are."

Paul shakes his head. "Harpies are more Roc than dragon. We live long, but you live longer." He pauses. "Grace approaches. I must go count things because it is the morning and if I do not I get too nervous to fly." He flaps off.

Grace is there. "You need to get dressed and prepare your ser-your group...Old One will see them." She says.

>>24289968
yes, but the conflict is going to be great.

"Okay, now you be king"
"What? Me king? No way, you be queen"
"No way I'm being queen, can you imagine how the people would deal with an immortal snake for a queen? No no, you should really be king"
"I swear to you by my knightly orders I will NEVER be king and you can't make me!"
"Isen, we all know that you're the best king, even if you have to rule kicking and screaming!"

>>24290004
>Grace is there. "You need to get dressed and prepare your ser-your group...Old One will see them." She says.

"Any specific preparations we should know about?"

Then wake Tricia up gently, start waking the others up, and get ready for storytime.

Doff the full Paladin accoutrements, too.

>>24290030
Circlet and mantle all up in here, full class achieved.

Also, can we remember our full procession of titles? I sure can't.

>>24290004
"Thank you grace, that is very accommodating of you."

And then this

>>24290030

Our titles, for reference:

http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/23791319/#p23796661
>"ANNOUNCING...LADY SSEN PATRICK, LADY TRICIA GREATS, LADY PERSEPHONE MARIETTA, LORD MAGE SMITH, LADY LEA UGHRUDA, THE DAWNCHASERS, THE BEAUTIFUL NIGHTMARES, THE SAVIORS OF PURPLE SANDS, THE CHAMPIONS OF FIRST WOOD, THE LIBERATORS OF STONE HALL!'

(And obviously that's Mage Patrick now.)

http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/23809094/#p23810228
>"The people, and the crown, still think you're a hero though," She says shrugging. "You can add 'Hero of Citadel' to your titles."

http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/23914843/#p23922954
>"And you, Paladin Ssen." He chuckles. "Corrupter of the Purists."

Also Paladin Serpent, and Caligo Clarus / Light in the Darkness.

>>24290089
(Oh, and let's not tell Old One any title involving "corrupter". It's too bad we didn't get any more appealing title from that particular adventure. Also wondering what we'll end up with from our adventures in Bronze Peak.)

>>24290245
"That damn snake who convinced sandover to call in his debts"

>>24290081
"Thank you Grace, that is very accommodating of you. Any specific preparations we should know about?"

"Know that your ser-" She sighs. "People are to be silent. Should Old One wish to know something of them, he will have you ask them a question, they will tell you and you will tell Old One. Dragons SPEAK to Others. Only Dragons may TALK to each other. Other than that, be as you spoke to him last night. He enjoys your company and thinks you are very brave, if incautious,...also he prefers you in your silver armor and weapons. You look less Beautiful and more Dominant as such." She says. She bows to you and walks away.

"Seriously, how big is the ego of a full blown dragon?" Tricia asks as she gets dressed.

>>24290278
>"Seriously, how big is the ego of a full blown dragon?" Tricia asks as she gets dressed.

"Well, on the most obvious scale: at least 2, perhaps 2.5 Isens."

>>24290309
(Average egos would typically be measured in milliIsens.)

>>24290278
"Think Isen, but multiplied a hundredfold."

>>24290278
"You would not even believe. Just imagine Isen, except really big and with scales and zero sense of humor."

>>24287901
m-my heart can't take the cute

>>24290309
>>24290278
"Exact measurements are best left to scholars, but several Isens worth I'd wager. Anyhow, I'm going to get armored and all that. For the sake of politeness, I'm going to ask you all to go along with grace's suggestion. No reason to be dragon-rude. "

Alternate text! Available if need be!

>>24290309
>>24290343
>implying anything has more ego and Isen

Clearly, Isen and the Old One must have an ego-off.

>>24290391
yes, I know.

My heart was replaced with a cold mechanical version to be able to deal with such imagery.

>>24290403
I figure that Old One and Isen both have the same capacity for ego; Old One has just been around longer to practice it.

>>24290004
(Get Ted to announce us)
Presenting the Paladin Serpent Lady Ssen Patrick and the Caligo Clarus, Lady Tricia Greats, Lady Persephone Marietta, Lord Mage Patrick, Lady Lea Ughruda, THE DAWNCHASERS, THE BEAUTIFUL NIGHTMARES, THE SAVIORS OF PURPLE SANDS, THE CHAMPIONS OF FIRST WOOD, THE LIBERATORS OF STONE HALL AND HEROES OF CITADEL!'

>>24290560
Having an announcer would be quite fitting, but Grace just warned us about having anyone else talk to Old One.

>>24290560
I dunno man, dragon might be grumpy if we introduced the "help"

>>24290543
no, Isen lost the moment he thought he would be a 'bad king', ie his ego was not enough to convince him he would be the best king ever.

>>24290574
No, I think we should definitely introduce the others to Old One. But Ssen needs to make the introduction.

>>24290560
We should probably double-check with Grace to see if this is how its supposed to go.

>>24290396
"Exact measurements are best left to scholars, but several Isens worth I'd wager."

"How many?" Tricia asks, blanching.

"2...maybe 2.5 Isens." You say. "Also no sense of humor, and big with scales."

"Ughhh, this is going to be painful." She says.

"Anyhow, I'm going to get armored and all that. For the sake of politeness, I'm going to ask you all to go along with Grace's suggestion. No reason to be dragon-rude. "

"Right, no being snarky to the thing that can eat me in one chomp." She nods.

You get suited up, and the others are all prepared as well in their finest Caligo Clarus whites, with weapons clearly present.

"So, you got the rules?" Tricia says.

"Don't speak to the Dragon, don't look him in the eye, and if we need to talk, talk to Ssen and ask her permission first." Lea says. "A little extreme but Dragons are Dragons."

"If you ever get that bad, Ssen." Peri says. "It will have to be our duty to slap the living shit out of you. Dragon or not."

Grace opens the great iron door and you all walk in. The others all gape at Old One and his horde of raw gold. Then then remember themselves and look down at the ground and drop to one knee.

"SO...these are your servants, and..." He sniffs. "You are mating with that one." He growls. "Now, you will tell me your glories, and how you serve the dragon known as The Light. A being that seems to be almost as mighty as myself, with a horde that is...respectable enough, compared to MINE. NOW SPEAK!"

Lea's shoulders twitch. She apparently thinks that the whole Light = Dragon is one of the funniest things she's heard in her life. She's got control of it though.

Start from the beginning is all I can say. Too tired to type it all out though.

>>24290607
>Also no sense of humor
He laughed at least once when we spoke to him last.

>>24290607
> "SO...these are your servants, and..." He sniffs. "You are mating with that one." He growls. "Now, you will tell me your glories, and how you serve the dragon known as The Light. A being that seems to be almost as mighty as myself, with a horde that is...respectable enough, compared to MINE. NOW SPEAK!"

"Yesterday, you asked me my name, and I foolishly gave you only my given name, and not the names I have TAKEN.

I am also known as the Paladin Serpent. Together with my friends, we are the Dawnchasers, the Beautiful Nightmares, the Saviors of Purple Sands, the Champions of First Wood, the Liberators of Stone Hall, the Heroes of Citadel, the Caligo Clarus, the Light in the Darkness.

Many of these titles represent hard-won victories, battles won, enemies defeated, and the spread of the Teachings and the Light."

>>24290607
It's been a month since you buried Father. You have seen him to rest, mourned, paid a holy man a silver to say a few words, settled any outstanding debts or accounts that he had, and the last of the people who travelled to pay their respects have left.

You are alone, but the future is now yours, young Lamia...

>>24290607
"We have a number of titles, and each have their own story."

"Our titles are the Saviors of Purple Sands, the Champions of First Wood, the Liberators of Stone Hall, the Heroes of Citadel, and the Corrupter of the Purists."

"Which tale would you like to hear first Old One?
(feel free to modify/rearange

>>24290734
I think we should remember that he has more than one title. And naturally, a dragon's titles are more valuable the more people (or more importantly dragons) know about them. We could also refer to him as Keeper of Stories.

And if he pokes fun at our titles, and seems otherwise in a good mood: "Yes, titles can be such fickle things, One Who Speaks To The Pink One In Furs Far Too Much For His Own Good But It Amuses Me, Yes I Want You To Write Down The Whole Thing. Good".

>>24290710
"Yesterday, you asked me my name, and I foolishly gave you only my given name, and not the names I have TAKEN.

"I am also known as the Paladin Serpent. Together with my friends, we are the Dawnchasers, the Beautiful Nightmares, the Saviors of Purple Sands, the Champions of First Wood, the Liberators of Stone Hall, the Heroes of Citadel, the Caligo Clarus, the Light in the Darkness.

"Each title has a story. Many of these titles represent hard-won victories, battles won, enemies defeated, and the spread of the Teachings and the Light." You say.

"Hmmm." Old One makes that growling noise. "Tell me of these Purple Sands, obviously they were weak, for they needed YOU to 'save' them. Speak."

>>24290881
(this is taking me a bit to write, just a sec)

The thread:
http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/23665674/

>>24290881
"Not long from our home, in the town of Purple Sands, while resting from a previous battle, we awoke to find the town under attack. An army of men with spears, and a cloud of locusts so thick it blackened the sky.

My mate, Tricia [gesture to her], is a druid, or Wasp Witch; she can speak to insects, and they do her bidding, as your servants do for you. She called out to the insects, to find out what drove them.

But these locusts were insane, and bound to another master, who spoke through Tricia in an unearthly voice, claiming the town as its own hive. It was a Wasp Witch Queen, enslaving insects and desert folk alike. Tricia is as powerful a witch as can be while remaining sane; this Queen had no such constraint, and reveled in her insanity.

This was the first time the six of us were together. [Kinda wondering if he stops Ssen there regarding the count, because that'd be amusing to explain.] Lea had just joined my, ahem, horde, casting off an unkind former master.

We charged to the outskirts of the town, through a series of tunnels, arriving near an oasis in the desert."

>>24291128
Likewise.

>>24290881
>>24290881
"Purple Sands is just a human town in the middle of nowhere so your assessment is accurate. A Wasp Witch used Royal Jelly (?) to enhance her powers in order to use a large swarm of insects to assault the town while simultaneously converting people into living breeding grounds for ______." man this is really hard to do from my phone so i'll just leave this to get someone started.

>>24290881
"Ah, purple sands. That was right near the beginning of my wanderings- I wasn't a paladin yet at that point. Purple sands is a relatively remote city on the outskirts of the livable human lands, before the southern desert. We had rested there the night before, on some personal business, when a commotion and panic arose throughout the town. A horde of shambling men with spears, along with a plague of locusts was bearing in, threatening to overwhelm what defenders the city had. There was a steady stream of refugees out of the city, which we were guarding when Tricia over there noticed, using her talents, that the swarms and strange men were being controlled by a wasp which, much like herself, but on a level of power that shouldn't have been possible for a normal practitioner. We followed the trail as best we could, until we ran across a field full of humans, sitting in an apparent daze. We made a cautious approach, worry about slaying bystanders, and not the culprits in question. We found them to be insensitate, and on further inspection, they were actually being used as brood chambers for what I am told is a creature known as the 'Underside Wasp'. We saw no way to help them at that point, and continued on to hunt the one responsible. Not much distance further was an oasis, which secreted beneath it a tunnel. That is where our foe lay. I swam the tunnel, companions in tow, and we approached the retinue of the witch. There were strange, bug-shaped men attending her, which was apparently some effect of the underside wasps. She, herself, held a glittering lantern, which we later found was the source of her powers, in one hand, and meat housing a writhing swarm of wasps in the other. With a loosed arrow, we began combat. We cut our way through her warped retinue, using both surprise and a giant desert scorpion that had defected to our cause to great effect. I recall their blood wasn't red any more- they oozed green and black and foulness when crushed. (cont.)

>>24291215
"After removing those who guarded her, we fell upon the witch as she summoned her wasps and spells to her. A short battle ensued, punctuated by a clever technique our mage employed, melting the bonds of a stalagtite and the ceiling. It impaled the which, killing her in short order.

We soon returned to the town, head and lantern in hand, and found the locusts dispersing, and the shamblers mindless. When we had slain the leader, her thralls were left with no initiative. A local leader recognized our actions, and heralded us as their savior. Hence the title.

Unfortunately, those housing the wasp larvae were long dead, we found, and had to be disposed of. My greatest regret with that tale.

>>24291142
>Purple Sands is just a human town in the middle of nowhere so your assessment is accurate.

Much better first sentence than mine; actually responds to Old One's statement.

>>24291135
"The oasis was under heavy guard. The Queen was underground, reachable by swimming through the waters of the oasis.

My brother, Mage Patrick [gesture to him], adapted a spell from the Ghouls to allow me to move silently. I carried the rest, and we moved as one through the sands with utter silence. We came up behind the guards, ambushed them, and took them down quickly.

[if someone wants to chime in here with a better description of the battle, please do.]

But these were no mere men guarding; these were drones, drones of an Underside Wasp, one of the only things more poisonous than myself, though paling in comparison to dragons of course. They had eaten of its Royal Jelly, and would soon spawn an army of its offspring.

The Wasp Witch Queen had used that Royal Jelly to become powerful, at the cost of sanity."

>>24291273
"One quick swim through an oasis later, we came upon the rock grotto that she used as her hive, filled with drones and the queen, bearing a Wytchwood Lantern to further heighten her powers. She had a strange apparatus to regulate the temperature in the cave, keeping the insects alive.

But she wasn't the only one who could talk to insects. Boosted by the lantern's light, Tricia brought forth two giant scorpions to aid in the battle.

We battled the witch, and even with the scorpions on our side it was a dangerous fight. Finally, I threw Lea at the witch, kicking her face in with the force of all our muscles combined. While she was stunned, Mage brought the roof of the cavern down upon her, pinning her to the ground.

This was the scythe she carried [point to Tricia's scythe].

With the queen dead, her hive collapsed, including all the soldiers battling the people of Purple Sands, falling like puppets with their strings cut.

When we arrived back at Purple Sands, some thought that the insects were Tricia's doing, not knowing of the insane Queen. But another friend, Isen the Audacious, also known as Prince Itzak, established our reputation and served as our mouthpiece, declaring us the Saviors of Purple Sands, and the Beautiful Nightmares."

>>24291273

>Drone description; use as needed.

But these guards were no mere mercenaries or magically compelled townspeople! They were walking, breathing hives for the Underside wasps! Swarming inside every single one of these drones was larvae to hatch hundreds of wasps, each with venom that could poison even myself (but which could pose no danger to a full-blooded dragon, of course).

>>24291449
(minor error, the underhive witch brought the scorpions, but Tricia stole control of one from her.)

>>24291142
"Purple Sands is just a human town in the middle of nowhere so your assessment is accurate.

"We had rested there the night before, on some personal business, when a commotion and panic arose throughout the town. A horde of shambling men with spears, along with a plague of locusts was bearing in, threatening to overwhelm what defenders the city had. There was a steady stream of refugees out of the city, which we were guarding when Tricia over there noticed, using her talents, that the swarms and strange men were being controlled by a wasp which, much like herself, but on a level of power that shouldn't have been possible for a normal practitioner.

"These locusts were insane, and bound to another master, who spoke through Tricia in an unearthly voice, claiming the town as its own hive. It was a Wasp Witch Queen, enslaving insects and desert folk alike. Tricia is as powerful a witch as can be while remaining sane; this Queen had no such constraint, and reveled in her insanity.

"This was the first time the six of us were together. Lea had just joined my, ahem, horde, casting off an unkind former master.

"We charged to the outskirts of the town, through a series of tunnels, arriving near an oasis in the desert.

"There, we came across a field full of humans, sitting in an apparent daze. We made a cautious approach, worry about slaying bystanders, and not the culprits in question. We found them to be insensate, and on further inspection, they were actually being used as brood chambers for a creature known as the 'Underside Wasp'. We saw no way to help them at that point, and continued on to hunt the one responsible. Not much distance further was the oasis, under guard, and beneath it a tunnel. That is where our foe lay.


"But these were no mere men guarding; these were drones, drones of an Underside Wasp, one of the only things more poisonous than myself, though paling in comparison to dragons of course. They had eaten of its Royal Jelly.

>>24290881

>>24291461
Nice.

>>24291449
One more key detail: "Later in our travels, we learned that the Dramatae, the Humors, the puppetmasters, were the ones who offered the Wasp Witch Queen her power, in an effort to establish a foothold in Purple Sands. Our thwarting that attack brought us to their attention for the first time. They have been the force behind the scenes of many of our enemies.

But that, of course, is another story."

>>24291524
(Taking some inspiration here from Granny's namesake.)

>>24291215
>With a loosed arrow, we began combat. We cut our way through her warped retinue

Tipping my hat to someone who can describe battles far better than I. Well done.

>>24291273
"Soon they would spawn an army of offspring. The Wasp Witch Queen had used that same Royal Jelly to become powerful, at the cost of sanity.

"One quick swim through an oasis later, we came upon the rock grotto that she used as her hive, filled with drones and the queen, bearing a Wytchwood Lantern to further heighten her powers. She had a strange apparatus to regulate the temperature in the cave, keeping the insects alive.

"With a loosed arrow we began combat. We cut our way through her retinue, but this witch was a coward, and called up two giant scorpions to do her fighting for her.

"But she wasn't the only one who could talk to insects. Boosted by the lantern's light, Tricia brought one of the insects back to its senses, and it fought for the right side. OUR side.

"We battled the witch, and even with one the scorpions on our side it was a dangerous fight. Finally, I threw Lea at the witch, kicking her face in with the force of all our muscles combined. While she was stunned, Mage brought the roof of the cavern down upon her, pinning her to the ground. Then, my mate beheaded this false queen. This was the scythe she carried, our trophy.

"With the queen dead, her hive collapsed, including all the soldiers battling the people of Purple Sands, falling like puppets with their strings cut.

"When we arrived back at Purple Sands, some thought that the insects were Tricia's doing, not knowing of the insane Queen. But another friend, Isen the Audacious, also known as Prince Itzak, established our reputation and served as our mouthpiece, declaring us the Saviors of Purple Sands, and the Beautiful Nightmares.

"Later in our travels, we learned that the Dramatae, the Humors, the puppet masters, were the ones who offered the Wasp Witch Queen her power, in an effort to establish a foothold in Purple Sands. Our thwarting that attack brought us to their attention for the first time. They have been the force behind the scenes of many of our enemies."

>>24291623
"But that, of course, is another story."

Old One's eye closes and then opens again. "Yes. That is good. You smash these foes that dare even cross your path, and you will have none that pretend to hold power greater than yours...that is how things should be.

"But these Dramatae...they still live? They are your enemy, yes? Why are they not crushed yet?"

>>24291677
The Dramatae are the mage-servants of the daughter of the dead one. They are cowards as well as manipulators sending others to fight in their stead, never actually facing us.

>>24291677

Should we use this as an opportunity to segue into Citadel? Or say something along the lines of "Though we are mighty, they are old and cunning, with ancient magics and an entire continent's wealth of people and all their resources to draw from"?

They are strong. Especially their leader, who is known as Peace for the mask she wears. She can freeze time. Influence others through emotions and teleport. They are servants of the Citadel. The successor to the Dead One who we fight. The Dead One called her his daughter when we talked. Though in the last confrontation we had they fled rather then fight.

>>24291677
"They serve a foe even more powerful than the Dead One, known as Citadel. Not the city itself, but a spirit of its desires.

One can hardly look upon the Dead One without seeing it as something evil. It gave power to its followers, and spread its hate through the world.

But Citadel, its successor, is something far worse. It is fair to look upon, and makes the lives of its followers go by smoothly, unchanged, ever the same. It works behind the scenes, and few even know of its existence.

But it has a dark side. It craves stories like a child before sleep, always the same stories told many times, told on the stage of the world with all its people as actors. And it has a libido like a dragon in heat.

It gives great power to its followers, the Dramatae. Peace, Rage, Comedy, Tragedy, the Passions, and a mysterious Fifth Humor that defected somewhat and helped us and our predecessors, pointing us in your direction.

They have great magic; they can stop time, transport people instantly, kill easily. Peace shot me with a venom-coated arrow later.

Their only constraint is the story; they keep Citadel entertained so that all may prosper in ignorance of it."

>>24291677
"Although we are mighty, they are old, powerful and incredibly cunning, and have the direct support of Citadel, a creation of the Dead One, and we suspect one of the Dramatae is actually a Daughter of the Dead One."

"Even with all their might they settle for attacking us with cats paws, the last time they confronted us directly they where forced to flee."

>>24291677
>>24291788
This, then
>>24291799
This. Nicely said, especially the detail about Peace.

And end with:

"Their power and ego is so great, they think themselves capable of taking on you and your horde. Their master Citadel, is as a mighty Dragon, and could perhaps take more effort to defeat than you would wish to spare. [Say this the way Old One calls the Light and its horde "respectable", as a euphemism for "it'd kick your tail".] And its followers could do great harm to your own.

This is the threat I spoke of to you and your horde. This is the enemy we fight."

>>24291677
"The dramatae are our enemies, yes, but they are symptomatic of the true problem. They covertly manage a ritual blood sacrifice, without which the great city of citadel will starve and die without. Before we may slay them, we have to discover an alternative to their means, or risk dooming countless scores of good servants of the light."

>>24291788
"The Dramatae are Mage-Servants. They are cowards as well as manipulators.

"They serve a foe even more powerful than the Dead One, known as Citadel. Not the city itself, but a spirit of its desires.

"One can hardly look upon the Dead One without seeing it as something evil. It gave power to its followers, and spread its hate through the world.

"But Citadel, its successor, is something far worse. It is fair to look upon, and makes the lives of its followers go by smoothly, unchanged, ever the same. It works behind the scenes, and few even know of its existence.

"But it has a dark side. It craves stories like a child before sleep, always the same stories told many times, told on the stage of the world with all its people as actors. And it has a libido like a dragon in heat.

"It gives great power to its followers, the Dramatae. Peace, Rage, Comedy, Tragedy, the Passions, and a mysterious Fifth Humor that defected somewhat and helped us and our predecessors, pointing us in your direction.

"They have great magic; they can stop time, transport people instantly, kill easily. Peace shot me with a venom-coated arrow later.

"Their only constraint is the story; they keep Citadel entertained so that all may prosper in ignorance of it.

"Although we are mighty, they are old, powerful and incredibly cunning, and have the direct support of the creation of the Dead One, and we suspect one of the Dramatae, the one called Peade, is actually a Daughter of the Dead One."

"Even with all their might they settle for attacking us with cats paws, the last time they confronted us directly they where forced to flee."

"Their power and ego is so great, they think themselves capable of taking on you and your horde. Their master Citadel, is as mighty as a Dragon, and could perhaps take more effort to defeat than you would wish to spare. And its followers could do great harm to your own.

"This is the threat I spoke of to you and your horde. This is the enemy we fight."

>>24287901
I'm gonna say Adawww to this one more time, as I keep looking at it.

>>24291869
Old One roars. It is a sound that splits the world open. This is a primal force of the world. The fires that helped create the world, and the pride that burns in every living creature's soul that refuses to let them lay down and die. This is strength, and power, and all the things that make people look at the world and seize it, for reason that boil down to, at the core, because I CAN. This is that force made incarnate.

And now it is pissed. The fuck. Off.

"NO. ONE. STEALS. FROM A DRAGON!" Old One roars. "NO ONE EVEN /THINKS/ OF STEALING FROM A DRAGON! THIS INSULT SHALL NOT BE ALLOWED!" Old One breaths heat...not fire...just an invisible cone of wavy hair, and the wall next to him, glows bight red and fuses to a glassy sheen.

Old One looks at you. "YOU. YOU WILL BRING ME THE HEADS OF THESE THIEVES, THESE LIARS, THESE NOTHINGS WHO DARE THINK THEMSELVES TO BE EVEN CLOSE TO MY GLORY! I WILL HAVE THEIR HEADS BEFORE ME. I WILL WORK THE OLD TONGUE OF THE FIRST DRAGON AND I WILL RIP THEIR SOULS BACK AND I WILL SHOW THEM WHAT HAPPENS TO THOSE THAT ANGER DRAGONS!" Old One roars again.

Old One breaths fire again. Then it looks at you. "THAT is my new PRICE. THAT I assume YOUR LIGHT will ACCEPT. I SUFFER NO THREATS AND IGNORE NO INSULT. They have CHALLENGED ME...ME! THUS they will DIE. They are YOUR foes so I would not INSULT you by taking them, but my PRICE is their HEADS and then I will EXPRESS UPON THEM MY SINCERE DISAPPROVAL!"

>>24291957

With great pleasure, Old One.

>>24291957
>EXPRESS UPON THEM MY SINCERE DISAPPROVAL
I just imagined the dragon calling back their souls to read a long, very orderly and detailed list of formal complaints in a perfectly civil, yet very loud, tone.

welp. we just got the Old Ones attention.

Agree. We can do nothing less.

>>24291957
I wonder how okay he is on advance payment.

>>24291957
"We would settle for nothing less ourselves. In the Light's name, in yours, and in ours, it shall be done.

Now that you have heard of the power, the corruption, the utter evil that we fight, you can understand why we would seek no lesser ally than the Keeper of Stories, the Old One."

(Politely waiting for him to bring up trade, information, and blood.)

>>24291957
"They've already done more than enough to merit death, I admit. I also admit they've gotten us by our throats once or twice. We will render their heads to you when we slay them, if you so desire. We had long ago decided the masks were the trophy we wanted, anyway."

>>24291957
Another possible variation, if we want to play the negotiator:

"A tale of our glory and of the Light was your price in trade for information. A vow of war on a powerful enemy, now that's another matter. We shall fight them in the name of the Light; if you wish them destroyed in your name as well, and their heads brought to you so that you may deal with them as befits a threat to your horde, that is a trade good of great price indeed."

>>24292031
"With great pleasure, Old One. We would settle for nothing less ourselves. In the Light's name, in yours, and in ours, it shall be done. We will render their heads to you when we slay them.

"Now that you have heard of the power, the corruption, the utter evil that we fight, you can understand why we would seek no lesser ally than the Keeper of Stories, the Old One.

"A tale of our glory and of the Light was your price in trade for information. A vow of war on a powerful enemy, now that's another matter. We shall fight them in the name of the Light; if you wish them destroyed in your name as well, and their heads brought to you so that you may deal with them as befits a threat to your horde, that is a trade good of great price indeed."

Old One looks at you for a while and then lowers himself back down.

"Yes...and ALL shall know that these Dramatae and the...the THING that they serve are NOTHING opposed to the GREATNESS that are the DRAGONS known as the Light and," He rears up again and splays his wings to the fullest. "I...THE KEEPER OF STORIES, THE SPEAKER OF FLAME, OLD ONE, HE WHO NEVER FELL, HE WHO IS FLAME, HE WHO RULES THE FLIGHT OF DRAGONS THAT SHALL NEVER END!"

He comes back down.

"What do you wish to know, Beau...no...Little Dragon?"

>>24292201
>Little dragon
Ted's gonna be so buttflustered.

>>24292201
"A great many things. First, I think, I would like to know more of my foe. Tell me; Do you know of the founding of the great city of citadel? All human records show the standard tribes and peoples, living and trading, and then nothing. Nothing at all for a period of thirty years. Then after that mysterious period of nothing... Citadel. Citadel which has persisted for age, upon age, upon age, erasing and removing all memory of where it came from.

Is the birth of this thing a secret that is known to you? I fear it is a creation of the corrupter, but it what way I am not sure."

>>24292235
>>24292201
>little dragon
I am so goddamn happy that the dragon is calling us that. It is huge dragocred.

I am also extremely sad he still thinks the light is an actual physical dragon, we REALLY need to tell him it's almost-as-strong-as-but-not-a-dragon, like the corrupter.

>>24292257
Nope, Dragon is just a term applied to everything super powerful, by Dragons.
Ex) the dragon who was of shadow is totes not actually a dragon, to the old one, anything with any remote amount of power equal to its own is a dragon.

>>24292201
>DRAGONS known as the Light

Ah, now we know what a Dragon calls something more powerful than a Dragon: Dragons, plural. Not even the Dragon who Was of Shadow got *that* distinction.

We've got to point that one out to Lea, later, if she didn't happen to notice the nuance; she'll get a kick out of it.

> "What do you wish to know, Beau...no...Little Dragon?"

"You honor me with a name above all others I hold, Old One."

"We primarily seek information that will help us take down the Dramatae, and their master, Citadel.

We have this compass made of the same material as the Lantern coins. It held a message for us. [Relay the message.]

What is this Pure Metal? What form did the Lantern have, originally? And how did that bring down the Dead One? How were the coins corrupted?

And what do you know of the enemies of which we have spoken? We know their present, but so little of their past; there is a great hole in history after the Dead One fell and befor Citadel arose, as though blotted out of the records.

>>24292257
We can work on that. Treat it like Catholic assimilation of Germainic cultures, only without the shitty MONEY FOR HIS SIDE factor. Once he realizes the full extend that this "Dragon of Ideas" that the light actually is and how anything barring a complete genocide of anyone who has ever even heard of it is the only way to truly defeat it he'll come around.
>>24292281
He was speaking more of an alliance between himself and the Light. Which is fucking amazing in terms of progress.

>Little Dragon
same name father called us, dawww.

>>24292281
(Apologizes I should have made that clear. The 'Pure Metal' means a pure Lantern Coin. You need a part of the First Lantern that hasn't been corrupted. The Big Four's (Now Three) masks are one source of that metal. There may be others.)

>>24292310
I fucking know right?

Right in the Dawws. Now look at this picture while you are still thinking about it. I was. Goddamn.
>>24287901

>>24292317
(No need to tell us that outside the story, though; I was asking so we could learn that detail from Old One. Though I don't know how we'd have found out that the masks were made of that; he wouldn't know that.)

>>24292331
>"Oh." Paul nods. "Compass leads to remains of First Lantern. Destroyed by Dramatae. Corrupted. Unusable. Purification..." He flips the coin again, this time in a different direction. "Purification possible. Smelt with Pure Metal. Dramatae Masks example. Not Passion masks. Correct Lantern form unknown. Not Weapon. Not Lantern. Not Mask. Blessings, Luck, Victory. For in the Darkness, the Light is needed most. So there in the Darkness we stand." Paul says. "That's all."
>Purification possible. Smelt with Pure Metal. Dramatae Masks example. Not Passion masks.

>>24292331
(dude, it was on the compass. It mentioned the masks of the dramatae as a source of pure metal.)

We have peace's mask right?

>>24292363
We have Passion's, which won't work, as Paul (The friendly harpy) told us in >>24292342

>>24292363
no, we have fragments of Passion's mask.

>>24292363
No.

>>24292309
>Once he realizes the full extend that this "Dragon of Ideas" that the light actually is and how anything barring a complete genocide of anyone who has ever even heard of it is the only way to truly defeat it he'll come around.

Wow. If we do want to clarify for him, this is surely the way to do it. A truly indestructible force, living as long as even one of its followers remains alive to pass on the message.

>>24292342
Sorry, that much I got; I meant, since I hadn't caught that Pure Metal meant the Lantern metal uncorrupted, I didn't realize that the masks were made out of the Lantern metal; I was thinking of it as some other fundamental material of which we didn't yet know.

>>24292317
Anyways derping aside go with this for the start >>24292249

I wonder if we could the compass to find where they stashed Rage's mask.

>>24292281
"You honor me with a name above all others I hold, Old One."

"As you should." Old One says.

"We primarily seek information that will help us take down the Dramatae, and their master, Citadel.

"First, I think, I would like to know more of my foe. Tell me; Do you know of the founding of the great city of citadel? All human records show the standard tribes and peoples, living and trading, and then nothing. Nothing at all for a period of thirty years. Then after that mysterious period of nothing... Citadel. Citadel which has persisted for age, upon age, upon age, erasing and removing all memory of where it came from.

"Is the birth of this thing a secret that is known to you? I fear it is a creation of the corrupter, but it what way I am not sure."

"What form did the Lantern have, originally? And how did that bring down the Dead One? How were the coins corrupted?"

Old One closes his eyes.

"I know what was used by those who sundered the Dead One, the servants of The Light? Yes? I did not know that others fought it, I was...very much alone." He pauses. "It was not ONE lantern, but many, reflecting a light across a great area, burning the Corruptor and showing the Truth of what it was. NO Dragon. The coins, the ones I collected out of respect, despite their broken and corrupt state...they were first a set of mirrors."

>>24292384
It would be wrong not to clarify it to him. Just not right now, the enormity of it would be such a jarring shakedown of his ideals it might ruin what we've done. If for some reason we manage to get him out of his lair, showing him what we've done in person would be a good time to do it.

>>24292390
I wonder if Barney or Quentin could make a Lantern-metal magnet, since a compass can exist?

>>24292429
>>24292390
I kind of doubt it, at least not without a pure coin to start with, seeing as the compass, with its corrupted lantern metal points to other corrupted lantern metals.

>>24292404
Are you writing more about the formation of citadel or...
Mages Sister also ate part of us. We might want to look into that.

>>24292446
>mage's sister
oh. OH! uh oh!

>>24292446
She took some scales, which may or may not count. Plus, the flesh we gave to Mage was willingly given, she tore off the scales one by one.

You do have a point though, we don't know HOW it all works yet.

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>>24292404
>mirrors
So, one of those ancient roman sun-lasers? Sweet. I wonder what they aimed it at?

>>24292446
Uh-oh. I'd forgotten all about that. That could be...interesting.

>>24292443
We don't know that it wouldn't also point to uncorrupted metal. Might even point more strongly.

>>24292404
>they were first a set of mirrors.

Definitely not a possibility we'd guessed when trying to come up with their original form. And it makes so much sense; showing true forms, reflecting the Light.

>>24292446
its possible but I doubt it, I think they need to eat our flesh and blood.

plus she took it, it was not willingly given like to Mage.

>>24292446
This is something we'll be needing to ask about if it's just consumption of flesh or something more to it than that. Also see if there is a way to undo it if at all possible.

>>24292459
>>24292488
Seems likely that it would have some effect, though, just not the same one.

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>>24292450
I wanted to say it when we first found out but... yeah we need to find out more about it, it might be a question we should ask at the end, its not important, its more keeping our stuff in line to avoid surprises. That and it was somewhat willing as it was barter for information.

We also might want to tell him how we've broken citadel's grasp on two towns if he were to want to say... do business there. He understands the concept of bartering. I wonder... He's a goddamn font of lore, if he views them as the lights holdings trade might be good. Money for ideas. I'm sure he's got a lot of knowledge on say... unique crops, crop rotation, a gold standard for bank formation guarded by a fucking dragon, maybe better communication lines? A goddamn pony express like setup between the places we liberate would be fucking amazing, or better yet a semaphore tower system. Echo will probably guess where that one came from.

>>24292507
True, like I said, we don't actually know anything about the ritual yet.
"What" she eats, scales as opposed to flesh, may have an effect, as well as "how" she eats (Taking flesh by force/Having it given to you).

We'll just have to see if The Old One feels like explaining.

>>24292533
>using reflective mirrors in towers as a means of information delivery
Fund it please.

>>24292533
You know, that's something we really ought to ask him. Is he willing to show himself, or does he only want to help us act in his name?

Can you imagine Old One landing, and others hearing about the dragon who works with Light, having heard the Teachings from the Paladin Serpent, the Little Dragon?

And yeah, we should tell him about the two towns we've liberated from Citadel's influence. Our biggest victories so far, and bastions of clear thought that Old One and his servants might find useful to know about.

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>>24292533
And I completely forgot the original point here, I've been lurking since quest start, posting the occasional lamia picture and bitching about the poison and got a reroll out of it too, but that's preening. I just wanted to say that I am finally glad we actually got to tentatively ally with a dragon and maybe make it something more permanent, it was one of the few things I was hoping to do when we first found out about their possible existence.

>>24292404
"Then, as for this 'Peace' as you call her...yes...I remember them. The ones dressed in White as you do, did many many battles with those creatures. They were the Corrupter's beautiful ones. They were his hands, his servants, his eyes. Bodies like humans. They soared the skies on wings like the Rocs with hungers to match. Their hearts were as cold as the Trolls and skins just as tough. Their minds as twisted as the Leviathans and their blood was just as poisonous and foul...and they had eyes of Dragons. Black winged monsters, that were cruel...and they would announce themselves...and they claimed that they were never wrong." Old One seethes. "I killed many of those things...but..." He unfolds a wing, you see a long horrible line of scar tissue across it. It looks like something almost ripped it in half once, a long time ago.

"The Spawn of the Dragon Who Was Of Shadow were strong. I could not fly after my victory. So I waited, luring them close, and preparing for my next assault...and when I emerged. I saw that it was over. I saw the First Lantern defeat the Dragon, and the field littered with the spawn in all their shapes and forms. Obviously it was not a foe worthy of battle, defeated so easily...so I returned here."

"But I remember...one of those Spawn of Shadow...her wings were white. She was...clever. A low cunning you'd expect from a weakling...but enough to be a concern. She was the greatest at corrupting others. All it took was one yes, one grunt of ascent, and she would be there...giving you what you thought you wanted and taking everything else that mattered.

"She hated her kin, hated her creator, and hated the battle...my servants once nearly killed her in the great apple orchards of the elves. A traitorous fey that sided with that creature was the only reason she escaped. Those were loyal Servants. They deserved better."

>>24292584
"A traitorous fey; was her name Thistleblossom, by any chance?"

>>24292584
This fey didn't happen to be named Thistleblossom, did she?

>>24292584
>minds as twisted as the leviathans

so THAT'S where we get our stupid plans!

>>24292584
"And the coins that were once the mirror? How did the Dramatae corrupt them?

And do you know of how Citadel came to be, and how the Dramatae may have come to serve it?"

>>24292616
"A traitorous fey; was her name Thistleblossom, by any chance?"

"It does not matter WHAT her name is. She is an ENEMY of Dragons, thus she is DEAD." Old One growls. "As for those Thirty Years...that I do not know. I was here, as was my place. Seeing if there were any corrupted ones who would be fool enough for my horde. There were." Old One pauses. "There...may be another way to discover this. The Bear Tribe was the greatest of the tribes that were lost. However, they were not destroyed when the Dragon Who Was Of Shadow was. I remember them celebrating with the Light's Servants. I gave then the honor of my presence. They vanished during that gap. They were a tribe of words and artifacts. They made many things that would last their lives and then some. They were clever...but now they are gone...save for one family of the tribe."

>>24292706
>one family
Be the goat shrine.
Be the goat shrine.

Come on be the goat shrine.

>>24292706
"I asked for much in exchange for my words, as was my due. I received names, dates, ages, little things, but the Bears held them precious, so I took what little value they had." Old One says. "Holting. Grace went down into the city years ago to breed, I asked her to search if there were any Bear Tribe left. So that I may have a creature that would be worth my time. Holting was the only name that she returned to me...and apparently he had turned his back on his people and their words. I thought it just human ignorance and weakness...but now...now I see the web of sickness these monsters have placed over MY land...and I will NOT let it stand." Old One closes an eye. "That is what I know, Little Dragon."

>>24292755
Oh man, he's totally in the goat shrine, isn't he.

>>24292759
Sounds like it's time for another Paladin Speech of +2 "Fuck Citadel!"

>>24292706
"We saw the Bear Shrine library, and read your book; if that is the legacy of the Bear Tribe, they are a great people indeed. I am pleased to hear they have not perished from this world."

>>24292759
Well, we wanted to seek out Holting anyway; now we have an even bigger reason.

And since I think that's the last major bit of Citadel/Dramatae info we needed from him, we could start asking some of the other questions we had.

"During a battle, an enemy took and consumed several of my scales, against my will. Could that have any effect similar to that of the Servant binding ritual, or does that require flesh, and willingness?

And are there any side-effects we should know about from the Servant binding ritual? Because I may have gone through part or all of such a ritual with Mage."

"My friends Mari and Peri have two minds in one body. We were told that they risked merging into one mind and potentially losing that mind. Do you know of any way to help them? They wish to remain two minds, though they would like to continue sharing one body."

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>>24292755
>>24292784
And there's only one place where he could have hidden his secrets.

>>24292789
>>24292792
More like time to bring up how we've broken citadels grasp on two of the cities, the peaks being the latest, and as he said, his land. Now might be the time to bring up whether he will make himself known or not. We know not if the agents of the citadel can travel to these lands, but one would expect their powers diminished

>>24292759
"A dragon can protect its mind, and can only become corrupted by its own choice. Do you know of any ways to protect the minds of others, from influences like the Dark One, the Dramatae, or Citadel?"

"Do you know of any way to cure vampirism, or abate its effect on the mind?"

>>24292825
Good call, though it sounds unlikely to me that he'd want to expose himself at this point.

>>24292831
We don't know when we will be back to talk to him. So laying our plan of action to break the citadel now would be good. Including mentioning how to combat the production losses once the crutch that is the citadel magic disappears. Otherwise it may get intercepted or misinterpreted.

>>24292792
"During a battle, an enemy took and consumed several of my scales, against my will. Could that have any effect similar to that of the Servant binding ritual, or does that require flesh, and willingness?"

Old One scoffs. "Scales, what are scales? We lose them and grow them back. They are not the same as flesh. That is something that cannot be regrown in a day."

And are there any side-effects we should know about from the Servant binding ritual? Because I may have gone through part or all of such a ritual with Mage."

"He is bound to you. He cannot harm you, let pain befall himself. His life will be longer to better serve yours, and as your powers grow, so will his. My Grace can simply walk from here to that human city and back with no fear of any. Such is her power as a reflection of mine. So will be his. Though he will find that his body will be closer in proper appearance to yours as the years go by. Grace and her children now share scales as beautiful as my own. I know not what your servants will develop as displays of their fealty and your glory."

Mage gives you a 'If I grow a tail, I am SO killing you' look.

"My frie...handmaidens, Mari and Peri have two minds in one body. We were told that they risked merging into one mind and potentially losing that mind. Do you know of any way to help them? They wish to remain two minds, though they would like to continue sharing one body."

"Hmmm, interesting." Old One looks at Peri/Mari. "I have seen this done before, but never half-way...and never with two at once, and in harmony..." Old One closes his eye. "A phylactery would make you a Lich, but you will not have that...but if you were to do something similar as to what you are now."

"What? Put parts of our souls inside a..." Mari slams her hand over her mouth and bows low. "Tell the great Old One a thousand thank yous for his infinite and correct wisdom."

"Laying it on thick, aren't we?" Peri says quietly.

"Sssh!" Mari snaps.

>>24292873
So, wait. Are we making a split phylactery? Out of Mari's body? Soon as they die, they rez inside Mari?

>>24292759
"Ah, this information is all quite useful to me, and were some of the most intractable gaps in my knowledge. I have numerous, less important questions, however, which I hope you will humor."

Then do these
>>24292792
Then
"are you aware of a simple way to cure vampirism? The original reason for our great hurry to get here involves it- though, if no such way exists, that is fine. I doubt my luck is so great."

"Oh, and, are you willing to deal with the humans and cities of the land? The grip of citadel has been weakened on two of them, and any knowledge you have on crops, history, or the running of economy could surely fetch a high price. Assuming there isn't a general panic."

>>24292873
Grace told us to play go-between, so let's do so.

"Our handmaidens thank you for your great wisdom; I believe they understand what to do now." [Look to them and hope for a nod, or some indication if they need more detail.]

We definitely have to test the "cannot harm you, lest pain befall himself" thing; easy way to see if we did what we think we did.

>>24292873
Not to do anymore shameless fawning over being able to 'ally' with the dragon, but I am so fucking glad this isn't entirely like Pratchett's "Dragon's have no word for ally, just enemy they haven't flamed yet." level of arrogance.
>>24292901
It probably would NOT be advisable. The pain is probably excruciating. Not Jackass level, but more guy jumps at a basketball game level.

Ssen's friends:

Contemplate the benefits of a longer life VS the implications of "dragon servant bonding ritual"

>>24292827
"A dragon can protect its mind, and can only become corrupted by its own choice. Do you know of any ways to protect the minds of others, from influences like the Dark One, the Dramatae, or Citadel?"

"By allowing them within the presence of a Dragon's mind. That was how MY Servants never faltered! Others who are WEAK deserve to fall, but those who fight and are broken...the degenerates of the Leviathans, the mers...some of their kin secrete a jelly substance. It is fouler than rotten harpy, and smells of death and tastes worse. It sets your mouth a fire as if you are chewing thistles made of glass and flame. It burns the skin at the touch and causes a horrid rash. BUT dilute that substance, boil it in darkness for four nights, and then allow the sun to rest upon it for a day...and you may drink that and your mind will be your own for as long as that foul tincture is within you." Old One chuckles. "It is a perfect example of what Mer are good for...nothing unless properly processed and cooked!"

"Do you know of any way to cure vampirism, or abate its effect on the mind?"

"Vampirism is a crutch for the weak." Old One says. "But if you must have a vampire who can tell you something before you kill it...pig blood. Not boar, not wild pig, but as common and mindless and as domestic as you can find. Fill its mouth, stomach, and lung with pig blood. Make it choke down that slop until it vomits it back up, and then force it back down their throat. That will return them to sanity for a little while...long enough to get what you want. THEN you kill it."

>>24292923
>Degenerates of Leviathans, the Mers, can be used to make an AntiCitadel Mindpotion
>Lamia are Leviathan/Dragon
>We've thought about using our blood as an antivenom or a healing potion ingredient already
>We're highly resistant to Citadel Mindbuggery

It all makes sense now.

>>24292896
"Our handmaidens thank you for your great wisdom; I believe they understand what to do now.

"Oh, and, are you willing to deal with the humans and cities of the land? The grip of Citadel has been weakened on two of them, and any knowledge you have on crops, history, or the running of economy could surely fetch a high price. Assuming there isn't a general panic."

Old One growls. "What care have I for human cities. They hold no interest for me. If they are willing to grant me tribute, I MAY decide to grace them with an appearance...but let the Light have those worthless things and the people in them. I wish them not, for they have no value. I have no knowledge of those useless things you mentioned, as well. They have no value to me. I know of spells and potions, and of battles and combat. Those things you mention are worthless human babble and concerns. You and I are beyond those petty things, Little Dragon."

>>24292923
Now would be a good time to address the issue we've been dancing around, the three or so uses we had for the dragon blood. He knows we wanted it, it would be stupid to not mention our reasons, and an explanation on how we would use it to combat the enemy. Using it on the vampire as an insult against the enemy we face might be a worthy cause in his eyes. As would be attending to our handmaidens problems.

>>24292873

>>24292921
Might or might not be an option for them; Ghouls descend from Dragon Servants.

Couldn't hurt to ask though.

>>24292923
Well then. I think we just lost our last reason to even need a Dragon's blood. Right?

And while it'll take quite a bit of preparation, we now know one way we could protect our mind.

>>24292939
Is it worth asking whether Ssen's blood has any interesting properties? Or in general whether there's anything about Beautiful Ones we don't already know?

>>24292951
What use do we have left that we can't solve another way? Lea doesn't want it, Peri and Mari have a solution now, and we have a way to make Helen sane enough to testify on her own behalf without actually curing her.

>>24292923
>dragon medicine
>foul merman tinctures
>forcefed pigs blood until vampirism subsides
Forceful, but effective!

"This information is of great use to us, old one. I thank you vehemently, and my hhhandmaidens do too. They've been struggling with the double minded problem for some time.

Another small question, if you may- Would you be entirely opposed to dealing with humans? I am trying to ween them off of the influence of the citadel, and any information on new crops, new ways of using the land, and secrets to managing the people are still valuable, even without the bear tribe.

>>24292970
Oh, ignore this then, it's too late. Whoops.

>>24292916
>It probably would NOT be advisable. The pain is probably excruciating. Not Jackass level, but more guy jumps at a basketball game level.

I'm hoping it's proportional to whatever pain Mage caused. Just have him thwap Ssen upside the head and see if that triggers something.

>>24292950
>Potions
>Spells
Mage and Lea are having a collective knowledgasm right now.
>>24292963
I mean it in more of a trust exercise, this way it clears up any misconceptions he had about it. Not that we are still actively seeking in. Plus he might have ideas of alternatives.
>>24292977
I'm guessing it is more Curse of Cain level.

>>24292963
We have no TRUE use for the dragon blood any more. Only a scholarly and humanitarian interest. I say we let the matter drop if the old one doesn't bring it up again.

Though certainly ask all we can about our own blood, and if the ritual works on non-dragon servants.

>>24292982
The misconceptions being why we wanted the dragon blood that is.
>>24292983
This too.

>>24292983
>>24292983
>Though certainly ask all we can about our own blood, and if the ritual works on non-dragon servants.

This is what I want to know as well.

>>24292998
Also if being a Wasp Witch and doing said ritual be a bad thing.

>>24292963
Yeah, that's a good point, not to mention that Pigs blood would be way easier to get, and would not royally piss off our new Dragon buddy.

We just plain don't NEED his blood right now.

But yeah, we need to find out more about our own kind, the Lamia, the Beautiful Ones.
We only have the ass-backwards Citadel texts, and what our father garnered from raising us, so far.

>>24292951
I have an early morning tomorrow so...
Peri: Next time on Lamia Quest, we finish up our talk with the Old One, deal with a problem, deal with Helen, and then...
Mari: Figure out how we're going to take the fight to the Dramatae! Every action has an equal, yet opposite ass-kicking, and we've got a kick of newtonian weight measured in scientific notation headed towards those masked bastards!
Peri: Huh?
Mari: We're gonna put the hurt on 'em.
Peri: Oh, well...next Lamia Quest, April 17th 5-7pm PST. We hope to see you there!
Mari/Peri: May His Light be with you!

>>24292950
"Spells and potions, those are good too. I will see if the locals wish to arrange tribute. You've answered most of the questions I've prepared, but brought up one or two new ones. Does my blood have any properties I might be unaware of? The servant bonding issue came as something of a surprise, and I imagine there could be several more. Also, that bonding works on anyone, not just dragon servants? Fascinating.

>>24292950
"You mentioned spells; do you know any in particular that we might find helpful against Citadel and the Dramatae?

Do you know any way to communicate or observe at a great distance?

Does the servant ritual work with those not descended from the Dragon Servants of old?"

And we should definitely explain to him that we're no longer asking him for blood, and that we should have explained our problems to him in the first place and sought his wisdom instead, a far more valuable commodity.

>>24293005
I suspect most of what Old One knows of Beautiful Ones ended up in his book, which we read.

>>24293010
Thank you for running an excellent quest once again Echo, and your new ending/opening conversations are gold.

>>24293010
Thanks, Echo!

>>24293010
Oh thank god I can go to bed. See you then.

>>24293010
>Deal with a problem

Oh my.

>>24293030
Yeah, I already forgot about that book. Nevermind.

>>24293010
Fair enough! I am more than content with a shorter thread if it means we get another one tomorrow. Especially when negotiations are going so well. Good session echo, sorry about taking so long with our responses, lots of stuff to go over today.

Archived as Lamia Daughter Quest 30: http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive.html?tags=Lamia%20Quest

So, is a paladin ordering a vampire to be drowned in pigs blood shocking in citadel society?

I imagine that could garner some bad press. Heck, just knowing that the paladin serpent needs 50 buckets of pigs blood is going to start rumors.

It occurs to me that, while we could easily translate the dragon book from the Bear Shrine into the common tongue, we should check with Old One before doing so, to see if he actually wanted it readable by any who could not already read it in its current form.

>>24293134
good plan. I also want to read all the books, but I meta-don't want to because I know that would eat up an entire day worth of session.

Decisions!