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Message: <blockquote data-quote="shilsen" data-source="post: 4427112" data-attributes="member: 198">Handled on forums:Nalyna’s home is a palatial set of apartments in the Terrace, the second tier of the city and the same one which the Dragon Green is in. Half a dozen people, consisting of friends and former students or colleagues of the retired weapon-master, accompany him and the Angels as they travel to his home. One named Honar, a captain in the wyvern-riders known as the Union of the Spear, mentions as they walk that Nalyna could live among the higher tiers of the city and even among the city’s Masters (who he is qualified to join) in the highest level, in the Bastion, if he so chose. But because he is more interested in martial matters and knows so many in the Shield and the Spear, he prefers to dwell here.Once they reach the house, Nalyna asks his guests to make themselves comfortable on the huge verandah and leaves to arrange for drinks and light refreshments. Returning in a few minutes, he hands Six a bulky tome titled The Way of the Warrior, the definitive treatise of fighting styles that he penned during his retirement. “Keep it,” he smiles. “You might find it handy.” His smile broadens. “And maybe I’ll add something on your style in an expansion or appendix. So tell me, anyway, where did you learn to fight like that?” Six relates the tale of Mordain’s enhancements to his form and the harness, explaining how the Fleshweaver augmented the harness’ capabilities and his own abilities with the spiked chain, making them meld together into an apparently unique martial style, one which he is only gradually learning more of.Nalyna listens with great interest to Six’s story and at one point excuses himself, returning with a notepad. He makes quite copious notes, asking questions at various points. The other Io’lokari, all of whom are apparently warriors of some form or another, also listen with interest, if somewhat less avid than his. When Six finishes, Nalyna says, “That has got to be one of the strangest sources for an unusual martial technique that I’ve heard of. If you don’t mind, maybe you could give me a more detailed demonstration of your abilities later in the day? I’m curious how they intersect with your natural abilities as a construct, if you don’t mind me saying so, and how they could be used – assuming they can – by someone lacking your nature and that harness. It’s a fascinating subject, and I really appreciate that you have shared this with me. Thank you!”The aged warrior then looks over at the other Angels and smiles. “And thank you for your patience with an old man’s questions. Now you can tell me, and my friends, about this request for aid that you have come here with.” Pleased that the discussion has switched to this subject, Gareth gives Luna a look, hoping she will not interrupt. But the druid, who has quickly got bored during Six’s discussion, is busy sitting at one side and chatting up the young warrior that she latched onto at the tournament. Relieved, the paladin quickly outlines the situation in Khorvaire and the invasion from Xoriat, as well as the certain rise of existing aberrations from the bowels of Khyber and other areas. “And,” he explains, “While Khorvaire is large and its people have great power and courage, this power is spread throughout the land. The forces from Xoriat will be in concentrated groups and they can pick us off one by one. When they are finished with Khorvaire, they will surely invade Argonnessen in their quest to claim the entire world.” He pauses, giving his audience a moment to consider that. “I have seen a little and been told much of the power of Argonnessen. But while Argonnessen may defeat Xoriat, there are some things to consider. Without the help of Khorvaire, the losses will be greater here, and the chances of Xoriat winning would increase, since they would have a strong foothold on this world in Khorvaire.”“What we need,” Gareth continues, “Is to work together. And in Khorvaire, we need to find allies who would be willing to help fight the forces of Xoriat. We need allies who could help recruit more new allies while we are fighting. That is what we are here for.” He pauses again and then adds, “We also have a smaller matter to deal with. We would like to head back to the lair of a dragon in Argonnessen and take him down. This dragon has invaluable information – both in his lair and in his head – but, alas, he is very evil and very powerful.”Korm promptly smacks his forehead as Gareth throws in a reference to Xagygyrag, causing Nalyna to glance at him curiously before he replies to Gareth. “I’m too old to be traipsing around Argonnessen, leave alone Khorvaire. Not that I was ever that interested in things beyond Io’lokar, actually. As you’ll find to be true of most people here.” As he says that, some of the others present nod, and Nalyna smiles slightly and continues, “But as I promised, I’ll get word of your request out to some people I know.” At this point, Honar speaks up. “Personally, I could stand to do some traipsing,” he says, drawing a broader grin from Nalyna and amused chuckles from a couple of others. “And while I’m not sure I’d like to actually go to Khorvaire, going to other parts of Argonnessen, especially if it is a short trip, would be possible. What is this dragon you wish to fight?”Gareth quickly tells Honar a little about the group’s battle with Xagygyrag and what happened. “We would like to find a way back there, though Six may not be able, to deal with this dragon. To say that he is immensely evil is an understatement.”“I am blood bound not to return,” adds Six, “But if you wish to go, I suggest finding out as much as you can about what the protector of Khesavuthir would have at his disposal.”The hearers perk up at the name. “Khesavuthir?” asks one, half disbelievingly, “You found the Black Well and returned to tell of it? Very impressive!”Another says, “Mistress Elabenna at the Colleges will be very pleased to hear of this. She’s been trying to find it for nearly a century now.”“Ah, yes!” says Nalyna, “That reminds me – I thought I’d heard of you in passing recently. I’d been told that you had spoken to Elabenna. I presume she’s one of the reasons you went looking for Khesavuthir. Congratulations on your success, partial as it may be.”While the others might be intrigued, Honar beams at the information. “The rediscovery of the Black Well and the defeat of its guardian? That would be a tale worth telling. Now I’m definitely interested in accompanying you to Khesavuthir, whether others come along or not.” Gareth smiles too. Good. But I hope more than one comes along. And how much help will he be? “I’m pleased, Honar. But since this will be very dangerous and our lives will depend on each other, I need to ask, what are your primary abilities? And would you mind a small duel to test our skills?”Honar looks mildly surprised at the questions and then grins. “And here I thought you were the polite and subtle sort! Someone else might take offense to that kind of question, but I don’t mind. I’m a captain in the Spear, so I particularly specialize in fighting from wyvern-back and using a lance. I’m quite well-versed in fighting dragons. I’m less effective at fighting on foot, but even there I can hold my own. And I’d be pleased to test our skills. Or let you test mine, as I think is your intent.”Gareth says quickly, “I most assuredly did not intend any offense. It’s just with the Six not being able to join us, we need to make sure that we are significantly more powerful than before. If we fight this dragon again I am not sure if we will be able to do so outside, and I am not sure what the flight capabilities of a wyvern are in a dragon’s lair, so you might have to be on foot.” He rises and bows, “And I appreciate you agreeing to display your skills for me.”The others also arise and Nalyna leads them to a well-equipped gymnasium, where Gareth and Honar indulge in a short duel. Gareth quickly realizes that Honar is a superior swordsman, much more accurate and precise in his strikes, though Gareth's divinely-granted abilities let the paladin hit harder. If Honar’s skills are much better when mounted, he must be a very formidable warrior on his wyvern.At the end of the little exchange of martial skill, Gareth steps back and bows. “Thank you again. You are a superlative warrior. To be honest, at first I did not think to go back there until we had amasses significantly more power, but with your aid it would be a lot easier. Do you think you could find anyone else to join us, especially someone of your caliber?” Honar replies, a trifle proudly, “I might not find people as adept as me, since I am the best wyvern rider in the Spear,” a comment which draws grins from some of the others and a teasing jest about how his ego is bigger than his spear. Ignoring them, he continues, “But perhaps I can find one or two other skilled people willing to accompany us. Maybe among some of the few guides in Io’lokar, who are willing to go into the Vast from the city. I will ask around. Also, it is likely they will want payment of some kind. What are you offering?”“What kind of payment would you like?” asks Gareth. “We know that the dragon has many valuable items, excluding the items he stole from me.”“Us,” points out Six, drawing a faintly embarrassed look from the paladin.“An equal share of whatever we find there would suffice, I think,” says Honar. “Excluding the things you lost, of course. And the same for anyone who accompanies us.”“Agreed,” says Gareth. He glances at the other Angels, some of whom are making rude comments about this plan under their breaths ad frowns slightly. “And I’ll appreciate it if you find some people. My companions will need assurance of the power we bring so we do not run into the same problem as before – such as my death and Nameless’ death.”Honar begins to reply, saying, “I do ...,” and then stops and looks at Gareth curiously. “Your deaths? So you were both raised?” The amount of magic he is used to at Io’lokar probably explains his lack of real surprise, as well as the polite curiosity on the faces of those around them.“Not raised,” clarifies Nameless, “But cloned by Mordain the Fleshweaver, whom Six mentioned. A powerful mage, though deficient in social niceties.”“As Nameless has said,” adds Gareth. “We have clones – not willingly, but this time it has benefited us.” He looks at Honar. “With you, I definitely think we stand a great chance of winning. We also know some of this dragon’s strengths, which can be made into his weaknesses. And if others of your power can join us, it will help guarantee our victory. I also believe that doing this will serve us greatly. The amount of information we will get and the magical equipment we find will help us destroy Xoriat. In addition, one of the most rewarding aspects will be to destroy a horrendously evil being.”“You left out a few ‘if’s,” says Nameless dryly, but doesn’t bother to argue with Gareth. Instead, he turns to their host, “Nalyna, do you know of any arcanists who are particularly knowledgeable about other planes or who might be interested in exchanging uncommon spells? I am ‘unique,’ so I suspect they will be willing to at least talk to me.”Nalyna purses his lips thoughtfully. “I’m an arcanist too, but only in a limited sense, and the planes are certainly not my area of expertise. Even though none of our four Colleges specialize in the planes, you will find some people at the college of the arcane sciences who are very knowledgeable about them. You could speak to Rathuka, who is one of their premier lecturers as well as a skilled wizard. There are also some other individuals who might be able to help you. Thinrukidis, the master of the Black Stage, the largest of our theatrical amphitheaters, is a skilled bard and knows just about anything and everything. And the sage Dragana is not just a city Master but also a legendary scholar and a powerful arcanist.” He pauses and looks at Nameless thoughtfully. “How exactly are you unique?”“You may find this disturbing,” says Nameless calmly and then manifests his Aspect, deactivating his hat of disguise simultaneously. His tentacle becomes visible and his skin changes, while the numerous eyes pop into existence, blinking weirdly at those around him. The people around Nameless don’t react with as much alarm as would normally be the case in Khorvaire, but eyes widen and a couple of hands drop to weapons. Nalyna remains the calmest of all present, not twitching a muscle.“As you can see,” explains Nameless, “I am no longer human. This is only the most blatant aspect of it. Anyone knowledgeable about the Far Realm should recognize what I am and have become. I have transcended and am the first person to do so as far as I can tell. I have made pacts with one of the Great Old Ones, who are to the daelkyr as we are to ants. But there is more I must know and time presses due to Xoriat’s invasion.”Nalyna nods slowly. “That is ... interesting. So you have, um, connections with Xoriat? Is that a result of this invasion or something you were doing before it occurred?”“Yes, I have connections to Xoriat that predate the invasion, though it is not really anything that I was doing. Somehow, I have been marked by Xoriat and the connections are both deep and subtle. I do not fully understand it all myself, but I have done several things with regards to Xoriat that should have been impossible.”Nameless adds no more and some of the Io’lokari look a little uncertainly at him, clearly expecting more, and then glance at Nalyna. The aged half-elf shows no such sign, simply saying, “Very well. Perhaps your knowledge will help with persuading people to aid you,” though the tone of his voice does suggest some doubt. “Now please resume your ... er, original form.”Once Nameless does so, the others ask a few more questions about Xoriat and Khorvaire, and Honar spends a little time talking to Gareth about Khesavuthir and Xagygyrag. By the time the discussions and explanations are done, it has been a couple of hours since the Angels arrived at Nalyna’s home. The weapon-master then calls a halt to the proceedings, saying to the other Io’lokari, “Now I must bid you all goodbye. My guests could use some rest, I think.”The others take their leave, Honar promising to stop by the next day and discuss more details of the proposed trip to Khesavuthir. After they go, Nalyna says to the Angels, “Feel free to relax here if you wish, or in the rooms I have set aside for you. My apprentice Hiten will show you to them as and when you wish.” The young man who helped with bringing in the refreshments steps out of the shadows at the back of the verandah and bows.Nalyna continues, “Excuse me for a few minutes. I will write and send off a couple of letters to people in the Shield and the Spear, asking them to give you a hearing.” He rises and then pauses. “And, of course, if you wish to go elsewhere in the city for some reason, you are free to leave and return when you will. Dinner will be served at seven, so I would prefer if you return before then, assuming you go out.”The Angels thank Nalyna and do settle down to rest for a while and discuss their plans, before taking a trip around the city. Gareth asks Nalyna about his faith and is extremely interested to learn that the elderly warrior is a paladin too. When Gareth asks about Nalyna’s faith and religion in Io’lokar, the latter does take some time to speak to Gareth on the subject. Nalyna explains that he is a worshipper of the draconic gods, as almost everyone of a religious bent in Io’lokar is. Rather than worshipping one particular deity, he venerates the draconic pantheon as a whole. As for paladinhood, while he always was fairly religious, Nalyna only became a paladin when he was well-advanced in his career, receiving the gift while serving in the Shield. When Gareth asks about places of worship in the city, Nalyna explains that Io’lokar has always been a fairly secular city, and while there are many who have a religious bent and there are priests (and a few druids) in the city, there are no large centers of worship. There are parks which each contain a shrine to one of the draconic Sovereigns, and the Dragon Green contains shrines to them all, but they are not usually utilized for worship. People have personal shrines in their homes (as Nalyna does) and usually worship as individuals, though some may be joined by friends or like-minded individuals at times. Nalyna expresses some interest in Gareth’s own religion too, but it is clear that is more a matter of politeness than a really strong curiosity, unlike his attitude towards martial matters.End of forum section.While the Angels are out, Nameless receives a sending from Essirise, saying, “I am in Io’lokar. Tell me your location and I will come see you. Are you with Nalyna? I heard that you went with him.” The alienist responds and informs her that they will see her at Nalyna’s, where they meet half an hour later.Essirise, who arrives in her form of an elven woman, apparently knows Nalyna casually. After greeting her, the weapon-master leads her and the Angels to a chamber where they can discuss their business and discreetly withdraws. Once he is gone, Essirise quickly turns to the business of the Angels’ trip to the Tapestry the next day. “I have,” she explains, “Spoken to a number of members in the Chamber regarding your request and also about the general situation in Khorvaire. Tomorrow, at noon, I will teleport you to a particular location in the Tapestry, where a number of Chamber members will be waiting to hear from you.”“If you wish,” says Nameless, “I can transport us all there. I would be happy to do so.”Essirise considers the proposal for barely a second before shaking her head. “No. It would look better if I do so. And let me caution you right now – do not ever return to that area again without being invited. I know you have the power to travel there again once you have seen it, but if you do so uninvited, you might not leave alive.”“Thank you for the warning,” says Gareth. “Is there anything else we should know?”“A few things. Please be on your best behavior. And I suggest that you request aid, not demand it. There are dragons of the Chamber who have very divergent ideas about the Prophecy and the role of the, to them, lesser races.” There is a faint pause and then Essirise adds smoothly, “I do not share that opinion, of course. But some of my brethren disagree drastically with my thoughts on the right role for the Chamber with regard to your various species.” She pauses, looking thoughtful, and then says, “I can promise you a fair hearing, but I will make no other promises.”“Thank you,” says Nameless. “That is all we ask for.”With nothing more to discuss, Essirise takes her leave and departs. Shortly after she does so, Nalyna asks the Angels to join him for dinner. During the meal, he receives a messenger with a sealed envelope. After reading it, he says, “It is from the Masters of the city, asking me to request you to talk to them at your convenience, though there is no urgency. It is, I guess, likely to be something regarding your attempts to recruit people to go to Khorvaire.”“Will there be a problem with that?” asks Gareth.“Probably not,” says Nalyna, “But I am assuming, since I am not privy to the decisions of the Masters. Anyway, do not worry about it. Please, continue with your meal.”* * * * *The next day, precisely at noon, the Angels and Essirise appear near the center of a picturesque valley, where the only structure in it stands. It is a sixty foot high, featureless wall made of some gleaming white stone, akin to marble. It curves away from the viewer to left and right, forming what appears to be a neat circle some two hundred and fifty feet in diameter. The new arrivals find a number of dragons waiting for them, some walking or sitting majestically around the area, while a couple float languidly through the air above them. Every draconic head snaps around towards them and a couple of dragons assume a fighting stance, though they subside slowly as Essirise swiftly transforms into a huge silver dragon. When she does, some of the dragons head towards the group, though others simply watch from a distance.“Welcome to Vorel’arux, the Valley of Beauty,” says Essirise quietly to the Angels, a thrill of pride mingling with a note of wariness in her voice. “Be on your best behavior.” Then she falls silent, looking attentively at the largest of the dragons approaching them, a gargantuan bronze wyrm that dwarfs all the others. Nameless, having already cast a telepathic bond before they left, says over the link, “What she said. We’ll let Gareth do the talking. If anyone wants something said, we discuss it mentally before he says it. Including you, Gareth!” “Sure,” responds the paladin. “I have no intention of getting us killed here.”The approaching dragons, meanwhile, have reached the group. As they do, Essirise takes a couple of steps forward and bows her long neck before the giant bronze. “Jancarlyrix – this is an honor!”The bronze inclines his head slightly. “Essirise. I heard of this … situation and was free, so I thought I would attend. Hopefully it will be … educational.”“I believe so,” says Essirise, before turning to indicate the Angels. “These are the people I wished the Chamber to hear from.” Then she addresses the Angels. “This is Jancarlyrix, the representative from the Chamber to the Conclave.” The tone of Essirise’s voice is enough, and all of the Angels make bows to the gigantic bronze dragon. He simply considers them for a few seconds and then says, more to himself than to them, “Humanoids in Vorel’arux! I did not think I would see this day.” Then he turns away. “Come, let us begin. I shall see you within.” With a couple of languid flaps of his wings he rises into the air, followed by most of the other dragons. Even those who had not approached turn and follow him.A large silver dragon, smaller than Essirise, remains behind, and he quickly steps closer. “Greetings!” he says, eyes quickly searching the Angels. “I am Karaglen. I have studied the lore of Xoriat and am what, I believe, your people call an alienist. There is one among you, correct?”“Yes,” says Nameless. “Me. I would like to speak with you after…”“Essirise?” floats back Jancarlyrix’s voice, even though he is already in flight. Essirise promptly says to the Angels, “Later. Save any other talking for later. We can’t keep him waiting!” He too takes to the air and the Angels follow in various ways, with Karaglen bringing up the rear. Flying up and over the wall, the adventurers see that it is about forty feet thick, forming a huge ring which angles downwards from the upper rim to the lower and is made up of strangely undulating stone, with large hollows in places. The area within is dominated by three circular cylinders made of polished stone and wood, rising thirty feet from the floor of the amphitheater within, the flat top of each stretching nearly a hundred feet across. In the center of the three is a huge fountain from which water constantly sprays upwards but never falls, disappearing magically at its apex. The entire area, as well as the valley beyond the wall, glows with myriad powerful magical auras as far as Nameless’ arcane sight can see.Jancarlyrix and some of the other dragons have already seated themselves within the ring, settling their giant bodies comfortably into the hollows and along the undulations. “The stage of sound,” commands the giant bronze and Essirise quickly indicates one of the three cylinders to the Angels. As they land, their guide too takes a seat among the other dragons, close to Jancarlyrix. Once she is seated and they have landed on the stage, Jancralyrix says, “Begin. We will hear you now.”Gareth does so, finding that some acoustical trick or magical enhancement makes his voice resonate strangely across the stage, presumably aiding the dragons in hearing him. Not wasting any time, he quickly describes the situation in Khorvaire and explains why the Angels are asking for aid. The dragons listen without any interruption, and though their attitudes are difficult to make out, it seems that they are interested in the situation, or at least giving it their full attention.At Nameless’ telepathic urging, Gareth continues on to emphasize the daelkyr’s likelihood to annoy the dragons. He mentions that they would be grateful if the dragons could reveal a way to seal off Xoriat from Eberron, and then begins to explain what they have learned about the seals. There is a brief flutter of raised necks and changing expressions among the dragons at the mention of the seals, presumably due to their source, the Scaled Apostate Vvaraak, who chose to leave Argonnessen millennia ago to throw in her lot with the humanoids and against the wishes of the Conclave. But none of the dragons speak.Until Gareth says, “And we believe that the seals can be activated by blood magic…”Instantly, every draconic head around them snaps upwards. Nostrils flare and eyes widen, and for a second, the Angels have over two dozen dragons regarding them with expressions which now clearly include surprise, concern, anger, revulsion and a plethora of other emotions mixed into one. Then, simultaneously, every head turns to look at Jancarlyrix. The gargantuan bronze’s head has also risen to its full height, but his huge face is calmer, though the eyes gleam with an inscrutable light. “What did you say?”“Sh*t! We’re going to die!” Korm’s mental voice rings in the others’ heads. “Do NOT do anything hasty!” replies Nameless immediately, “But everyone be ready to grab me at my command. I’ll teleport us out if needed. Gareth, repeat it for them.”The paladin takes a deep breath and says, “Err, I said that we think the seals can be activated by blood magic…”Again, he does not get to finish the sentence.“And how,” says Jancarlyrix, “Did you come by this information?”Gareth details everything that the Angels can remember about the discovery of this information. Jancarlyrix interrupts only once, querying, “You have discovered Khesavuthir?”“Yes,” says Gareth simply.“Interesting. Some among us,” says the bronze wyrm, “Thought that was impossible.”At Nameless’ urging, Gareth says, “Yes. Many supposedly impossible things seem to happen around us.”“So I have heard,” says Jancarlyrix, turning to gaze at Essirise, who looks back stolidly. Looking back to the Angels, he says, “You are dragonmarked, yes? Some dragons believe that marks you as important to the Prophecy. Some disagree.” His tone indicates nothing about his own thoughts on the subject.“Yes, some of us are dragonmarked” says Gareth, again speaking for Nameless, “But strange events seemed to revolve around us even before that.” So maybe you shouldn’t fry us – hopefully!“I see,” says Jancarlyrix. “Continue and tell us what you know of blood magic.”Gareth complies, making it clear and emphasizing that the Angels know almost nothing about the subject, especially about how to use it. When he is done, Jancarlyrix studies Gareth and the others for a few moments, saying nothing. Finally, he says, “Why do I think you are not sharing everything?”Gareth carefully replies, as politely as he can, “I do not know why, great dragon. We have told you everything that we know.”“Very well,” says the wyrm. “So you don’t know how to use it at all?”“No,” says Gareth, “We do not.” Then, again prompted by Nameless, he says, “And we have no desire or intention of learning more about it. All we are trying to do is stave off this attack from Xoriat and hopefully again separate that world from ours. In fact, we would much prefer it if your people handled this affair. We do not want to learn anything about it if we don’t have to.”“Good,” says the dragon. “Have you shared this information with anyone?”“No,” says Gareth.“So only you five are privy to this information about blood magic?” There is a faint edge to the dragon’s tones which makes Gareth suspicious, and he is not the only one. Luna, uncharacteristically silent and paying very careful attention, says urgently over the link, “I’m not sure it’s safe to have them think eating us means nobody else learns about blood magic!” Korm quickly responds, “What she said. Mention the Gatekeepers now!”With Nameless and Six in agreement, Gareth quickly replies, “Mostly. We did tell the Gatekeepers, those who created the seals with the knowledge given them by Vvaraak, what we discovered. So they know about it too. But I think we can speak for the Gatekeepers in saying they would be very pleased to not investigate it and have Argonnessen be the ones to use it against the daelkyr.”“I see,” says Jancarlyrix slowly and thoughtfully, raising his gaze so that it seems he is addressing the other dragons, not the puny humanoids before him. “I shall speak to the Conclave about this. I do not know what will come of that, but I think we shall have to take a hand in matters.” Then he lowers his gaze to the Angels. “But this I do know. If we discover that any among you have tampered with blood magic or are actively seeking it out, our wrath will be terrible. The titans of Xen’drik,” he says, and his tone is clearly bitter now, “Sought to abuse it. Go there and see the result.”“We already have,” think a couple of the Angels, but nobody voices the thought. After waiting for a few seconds to see if any response is forthcoming, Jancarlyrix says, “Now tell us everything you can about Khesavuthir and how you found it.” As Gareth does so, Six comments, “I don’t think we’re going to need – or be able – to go back to deal with the black dragon. I think he just ended up in much worse trouble than we could have brought him.” When Gareth finishes, Jancarlyrix asks a few more questions, and then finally says, “Is there anything more you want us to know?”After some quick telepathic discussion, Gareth says, “No. That is all.”“Very well, then. You are free to go.” Jancarlyrix looks around the other dragons, some of whom stir slightly at his statement. “You may go outside and speak to any of my brethren who wish to do so. But do not stay too long.”“We will not,” says Gareth. Then, with some hesitation, he asks, “If you don’t mind, how or when will we know of your decision about Xoriat and these matters?”“When we decide,” replies the wyrm. “And as we see fit.”“Stuck-up a**hole lizards!” is Luna’s immediate thought across the link, but she doesn’t voice it. Gareth too simply bows, as do the other Angels, and then departs the amphitheater with his companions.Once they are outside, the Angels see multiple dragons take wing, heading in different directions, most of them in pairs. Essirise follows them outside after a couple of minutes, but by then Karaglen, the dragon alienist, has already joined them and is animatedly talking to Nameless. While the two alienists share some thoughts, the others speak to Essirise, who seems quite obviously pleased.“That went better than I thought,” she says, “Especially when you brought up blood magic. As Jancarlyrix said, I don’t know what the result will be when the Conclave discusses this, but I think Argonnessen will be more closely involved with Khorvaire than it has in many millennia.”“I hope that is a good thing,” says Korm. “So do I,” says Essirise. “But then I do…”“Looks like Nameless just heard something,” interrupts Luna, pointing at the mage, who has stepped away from Karaglen. Nameless speaks a few words and then excuses himself from the dragon, before hurrying to the others. “We need to go.”“Who’s in trouble?” asks Six.“Sharn. Trillia just contacted me. Her sending said – Sharn under attack by army of aberrations. Came up from bowels of undercity. I am in your house. Need aid immediately.”</blockquote>

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