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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Nonlethal Force" data-source="post: 3091385" data-attributes="member: 35788">As the villagers rose, some went about bringing forth firewood and other means for kindling.  Charis turned to her friends and explained the action.  “Having finished worshipped the dragon father they are now into their free time.  Each morning begins with the ritual worship as the sun rises.  Once that ritual is complete, the people work in labor to the dragon father.  If they desire to eat, they must bring food with them and eat as they work.  The descending of the sun releases them from their day of service.  Now is their time to eat heartily, commune with the tribe, and sleep.  They will do none of that once the sun rises again.”Ischarus smiled.  “They will do more eating and communing in a few days, Charis.  I swear by it.  At least I will die trying to make that a reality.”  Charis returned his smile. A voice called out from among the villagers.  “You will join us for the pig?”  It was Xando who spoke.  As he spoke into the edge of the forest he smiled broadly.Semeion and Rhema were startled.  They hadn’t met Xando earlier and were unsure as to whether being seen was a good thing or a bad thing.  They were especially wary of anyone who potentially revealed their position to the dragon father.Semeion cautioned the party before anyone could respond.  “Careful, we don’t know if the dragon father is watching.”Rhema answered Semeion’s challenge.  “I watched the dragon father return to his lair.  He’s not watching any more.”Semeion replied back to Rhema specifically.  “And you assume that the dragon father does not watch his tribe with magic?  There are many forms of second sight that are practically immune to detection.”Xando interrupted the internal debate.  “I will bring you clothing so that you may look like us.  Our father dragon knows our number, but he does not know us as intimately by face as he knows his own treasure.  Now that we are moving about, he cannot keep count of all of us.”  Xando left no room for objection and made it clear by his tone that acceptance was assumed.  He spun on his heel and quickly turned to enter his simple home.  After only a few minutes he returned with four sets of clothing.  “My wife was pleased to hear of your efforts to free Druff if only for an evening.  If you can do that much you will be heroes among my people tonight.  Our people will honor you and they will listen to Druff.  If you have a plan, the more of it you can sell to Druff and have him explain the more of it our people will accept without argument.  Now come, put these on and enter our feast.”As the foursome were putting the simple robes of the villagers over their own clothes, the light gray figure arrived in their midst.  It was growing dark, so the figure was intentional about revealing himself before beginning to speak.  “I believe it can work, assuming that you all are willing to split up.”Ischarus offered a sideways glance to the figure.  Semeion beat him to the punch as far as inquiry, however.  “What have you learned?  Tell us that and I’ll tell you whether or we’ll consider splitting up.”The ghostly figure offered a simple smile and continued his explanation.  “Well, for starters I am a ghost.  The dragon cannot kill me.  The dragon can destroy this hollow shell, but that has been destroyed in the past.  Each time I am destroyed by weapons made on this world I hope for ultimate death and passing into the next life.  Each time it never comes.  Instead, it is as if I awaken from a sleep the next morning and find myself standing next to the slab upon which I was burned.  So I do not fear the dragon’s power.  While his magic is no doubt impressive, I doubt he will be prepared to have the magic necessary to deal with me on those kinds of terms.”The figure paused as if it needed to catch its breath.  The party knew by now that the figure did not need to breathe and rather it was a mere convention held over from the residual consciousness of the light gray figure.  His mind was trained to need a breath and thus he paused.  Rhema couldn’t help but laugh at the ineffective inhalation that the light gray figure presented.  “Go on then.  I think I know where you are leading and if so I like what you are thinking.”The figure nodded.  “Indeed you should.  I’ve noticed that you have the most interest in getting a look at the dragon’s cave and removing a particular item.  But what I propose is that we use the dragon’s greed against him.  He can move faster than I can, but I have a much greater maneuverability.  Being a ghost has those kinds of advantages.  I can turn immediately without worrying of things like momentum and trees.  The dragon will not be so lucky.  I visited his lair today without his knowing it.  It will be no matter at all for me to steal a piece of his treasure and escape with a short lead.  The dragon will follow.  I think we all know of the greed of this dragon.”Ischarus smiled brightly.  “Ah, yes.  Bless him for being a red!  Greed will consume all and the treasure that you take will be the greatest offense he could imagine.”The light gray figure snapped his fingers together and then pointed to Ischarus.  There was no sound coming from the transparent fingers as they snapped.  The figure looked a bit on the disappointed side but continued in his plan anyway.  “When the dragon follows me, all I have to do is give him a big enough chase to give you time to steal into the lair.”Rhema smiled.  “Yes.  This is where I was hoping that you were headed.  I like this plan so far.  No offense, but it puts the dragon in a position of doing harm only to one that cannot be destroyed by it.  That is my favorite kind of plan.”Charis nodded.  “Additionally, it means that we need not all be present in the cave.  I could stay here and lead my people away quickly.  If we even had an hour to move we could be in the tunnels and on our way to Quehalost.  Two hours and we could be in the tunnels with provisions.”Ischarus smiled as if he were enjoying the plan.  “I will stay here and help you move the people, Charis.  You are of them, and I am easily recognizable by these people as a cousin to their own kind.  And actually, there is no reason we couldn’t start establishing a stockpile of supplies at the tunnel entrance.  If we worked under the cover of night for a day or two, we could amass enough for your village to live on for a few weeks underground.”Rhema nodded, “Good, because once the dragon finds that a young one has been removed from his lair and his village has been stolen from under his watchful eye I don’t imagine the mountain will stop him.  He’ll know the entrance we used and will likely know the exit.  We may need to stay in the mountain for a long time.Ischarus nodded thoughtfully.  “Indeed.”Semeion added, “I’d like to go with Rhema.  I’ll be of little use here in the village.  They’ll listen to Druff and you two far before me.  Besides, with my knowledge of the arcane I might be of some use in the dragon’s cave.”Ischarus nodded again.  Charis gave Semeion a worried look but only spoke words of encouragement.  “Be careful when you go.”Xando called out from the edge of the forest.  There was a definite sense of impatience in his voice.  “Well, are you coming?  Certainly you’ve changed by now!  And by all means, keep your hoods up.”Charis breathed deeply and smiled.  “It will be good to be among my people again, although Xando is right.  We should not reveal ourselves before the meeting, especially me.  Semeion, you are still getting Druff out of his cage and back in again?”Semeion smiled with a thoughtful look of pleasure on his face.  “But of course!”Charis returned his smile.  “Well then.  I suggest that you be the only one to pay Druff any attention.  Explain our plan to him.  When the food is eaten, the people will go to their homes.  As they go, do your thing towards the end.  Try not to be seen, but do not wait too long.  As the crowd thins, you will be more visible if my dragon father is watching.”Semeion nodded and rose to his feet.  “Good.  You say this man’s name is Xando and he can be trusted?”Charis was the only one who nodded.  She gave Semeion a look that encouraged him to be careful.  Semeion only replied with a smile and stepped past her in the direction of Xando.  From where they sat, they could hear Semeion engage Xando in conversation.As the mage approached the leader of the Drakontai village, he spoke softly in order to keep the subject of the conversation private.  “So, you must be Xando.  Tell me, could you very discretely lead me around the village and end up beside Druff?  It seems I’d like to have a few words with him.”  The party couldn’t see it, but Xando smiled brilliantly.  Semeion was led away and spent much of the next two hours talking with his one time enemy in Druff.The trio remaining behind within the forest left the light gray figure to stand in the woods alone.  They entered the village together.  The trio huddled amongst each other for the large majority of the night.  As they stood among the people, Charis gradually explained her life and the duties of the people.  They ate when the pig had been sliced and then roasted properly.  Although they tried to refrain from looking in Semeion’s direction to long, each of them couldn’t help but wonder at how their messenger was making out in his conversation with Druff.[Sblock=Color-Free Speech Section]As the villagers rose, some went about bringing forth firewood and other means for kindling. Charis turned to her friends and explained the action. “Having finished worshipped the dragon father they are now into their free time. Each morning begins with the ritual worship as the sun rises. Once that ritual is complete, the people work in labor to the dragon father. If they desire to eat, they must bring food with them and eat as they work. The descending of the sun releases them from their day of service. Now is their time to eat heartily, commune with the tribe, and sleep. They will do none of that once the sun rises again.”Ischarus smiled. “They will do more eating and communing in a few days, Charis. I swear by it. At least I will die trying to make that a reality.” Charis returned his smile. A voice called out from among the villagers. “You will join us for the pig?” It was Xando who spoke. As he spoke into the edge of the forest he smiled broadly.Semeion and Rhema were startled. They hadn’t met Xando earlier and were unsure as to whether being seen was a good thing or a bad thing. They were especially wary of anyone who potentially revealed their position to the dragon father.Semeion cautioned the party before anyone could respond. “Careful, we don’t know if the dragon father is watching.”Rhema answered Semeion’s challenge. “I watched the dragon father return to his lair. He’s not watching any more.”Semeion replied back to Rhema specifically. “And you assume that the dragon father does not watch his tribe with magic? There are many forms of second sight that are practically immune to detection.”Xando interrupted the internal debate. “I will bring you clothing so that you may look like us. Our father dragon knows our number, but he does not know us as intimately by face as he knows his own treasure. Now that we are moving about, he cannot keep count of all of us.” Xando left no room for objection and made it clear by his tone that acceptance was assumed. He spun on his heel and quickly turned to enter his simple home. After only a few minutes he returned with four sets of clothing. “My wife was pleased to hear of your efforts to free Druff if only for an evening. If you can do that much you will be heroes among my people tonight. Our people will honor you and they will listen to Druff. If you have a plan, the more of it you can sell to Druff and have him explain the more of it our people will accept without argument. Now come, put these on and enter our feast.”As the foursome were putting the simple robes of the villagers over their own clothes, the light gray figure arrived in their midst. It was growing dark, so the figure was intentional about revealing himself before beginning to speak. “I believe it can work, assuming that you all are willing to split up.”Ischarus offered a sideways glance to the figure. Semeion beat him to the punch as far as inquiry, however. “What have you learned? Tell us that and I’ll tell you whether or we’ll consider splitting up.”The ghostly figure offered a simple smile and continued his explanation. “Well, for starters I am a ghost. The dragon cannot kill me. The dragon can destroy this hollow shell, but that has been destroyed in the past. Each time I am destroyed by weapons made on this world I hope for ultimate death and passing into the next life. Each time it never comes. Instead, it is as if I awaken from a sleep the next morning and find myself standing next to the slab upon which I was burned. So I do not fear the dragon’s power. While his magic is no doubt impressive, I doubt he will be prepared to have the magic necessary to deal with me on those kinds of terms.”The figure paused as if it needed to catch its breath. The party knew by now that the figure did not need to breathe and rather it was a mere convention held over from the residual consciousness of the light gray figure. His mind was trained to need a breath and thus he paused. Rhema couldn’t help but laugh at the ineffective inhalation that the light gray figure presented. “Go on then. I think I know where you are leading and if so I like what you are thinking.”The figure nodded. “Indeed you should. I’ve noticed that you have the most interest in getting a look at the dragon’s cave and removing a particular item. But what I propose is that we use the dragon’s greed against him. He can move faster than I can, but I have a much greater maneuverability. Being a ghost has those kinds of advantages. I can turn immediately without worrying of things like momentum and trees. The dragon will not be so lucky. I visited his lair today without his knowing it. It will be no matter at all for me to steal a piece of his treasure and escape with a short lead. The dragon will follow. I think we all know of the greed of this dragon.”Ischarus smiled brightly. “Ah, yes. Bless him for being a red! Greed will consume all and the treasure that you take will be the greatest offense he could imagine.”The light gray figure snapped his fingers together and then pointed to Ischarus. There was no sound coming from the transparent fingers as they snapped. The figure looked a bit on the disappointed side but continued in his plan anyway. “When the dragon follows me, all I have to do is give him a big enough chase to give you time to steal into the lair.”Rhema smiled. “Yes. This is where I was hoping that you were headed. I like this plan so far. No offense, but it puts the dragon in a position of doing harm only to one that cannot be destroyed by it. That is my favorite kind of plan.”Charis nodded. “Additionally, it means that we need not all be present in the cave. I could stay here and lead my people away quickly. If we even had an hour to move we could be in the tunnels and on our way to Quehalost. Two hours and we could be in the tunnels with provisions.”Ischarus smiled as if he were enjoying the plan. “I will stay here and help you move the people, Charis. You are of them, and I am easily recognizable by these people as a cousin to their own kind. And actually, there is no reason we couldn’t start establishing a stockpile of supplies at the tunnel entrance. If we worked under the cover of night for a day or two, we could amass enough for your village to live on for a few weeks underground.”Rhema nodded, “Good, because once the dragon finds that a young one has been removed from his lair and his village has been stolen from under his watchful eye I don’t imagine the mountain will stop him. He’ll know the entrance we used and will likely know the exit. We may need to stay in the mountain for a long time.Ischarus nodded thoughtfully. “Indeed.”Semeion added, “I’d like to go with Rhema. I’ll be of little use here in the village. They’ll listen to Druff and you two far before me. Besides, with my knowledge of the arcane I might be of some use in the dragon’s cave.”Ischarus nodded again. Charis gave Semeion a worried look but only spoke words of encouragement. “Be careful when you go.”Xando called out from the edge of the forest. There was a definite sense of impatience in his voice. “Well, are you coming? Certainly you’ve changed by now! And by all means, keep your hoods up.”Charis breathed deeply and smiled. “It will be good to be among my people again, although Xando is right. We should not reveal ourselves before the meeting, especially me. Semeion, you are still getting Druff out of his cage and back in again?”Semeion smiled with a thoughtful look of pleasure on his face. “But of course!”Charis returned his smile. “Well then. I suggest that you be the only one to pay Druff any attention. Explain our plan to him. When the food is eaten, the people will go to their homes. As they go, do your thing towards the end. Try not to be seen, but do not wait too long. As the crowd thins, you will be more visible if my dragon father is watching.”Semeion nodded and rose to his feet. “Good. You say this man’s name is Xando and he can be trusted?”Charis was the only one who nodded. She gave Semeion a look that encouraged him to be careful. Semeion only replied with a smile and stepped past her in the direction of Xando. From where they sat, they could hear Semeion engage Xando in conversation.As the mage approached the leader of the Drakontai village, he spoke softly in order to keep the subject of the conversation private. “So, you must be Xando. Tell me, could you very discretely lead me around the village and end up beside Druff? It seems I’d like to have a few words with him.” The party couldn’t see it, but Xando smiled brilliantly. Semeion was led away and spent much of the next two hours talking with his one time enemy in Druff.The trio remaining behind within the forest left the light gray figure to stand in the woods alone. They entered the village together. The trio huddled amongst each other for the large majority of the night. As they stood among the people, Charis gradually explained her life and the duties of the people. They ate when the pig had been sliced and then roasted properly. Although they tried to refrain from looking in Semeion’s direction to long, each of them couldn’t help but wonder at how their messenger was making out in his conversation with Druff.[/Sblock]</blockquote>

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