Vasorn, the World Under Dragonfire

[DrZombie]

"Hmm, evrything is a bit much, no?" Ishamael says, as he sees Grim scooping up the magical items. "Ill take those" he says, indicating the ankle-wraps. "That is, if you don't mind, offcourse." From the tone of voice you can't really make out if he's being sarcastic or not. His face stays blank, as allways.

 

[Keia]

Zykovian searched through the slop, finding nothing of interest.

'Well, I have the names of those who were involved in weapon training, and I managed it without injuring or harming any of the mining staff . . . hopefully a job well done,' Zykovian thought. “I certainly smell bad enough for it.”

Zykovian cleaned himself off as best as he could. Then, after a final glance through the slave pens, looking into the eyes of as many miners as he could, he left the pens. Foremost on his mind was to find an inferior staff mage to magically clean the grime and stench from him. Zykovian would then report his findings, before anything happened to change the results of search he finished in thought.

 

[Velmont]

"Too much magic at once. Or they had an important mission, or some of those are cursed and thos was only a lure. I don't trust the scales, and I won't use any of them without a shaman telling me what they do exactly, and not what type of magic they are. Anyway, I don't understand a clue to all that, it remind me of some scally speach."

 

[Isida Kep'Tukari]

*Renea steps forward to look at the items, while Guran and Ellimon keep watch. Dessa kneels down to continue the conversation.*

"Well, some of these were dragon scions. They worship the dragons as gods, and even warp their bodies with their belief. If the dragon says, 'You will make me a hundred items of powerful magic,' they'll do it or die trying. If Gardanax was trying to make certain this group got through... Well, the beholder stung him with the loss of this group. He invested enough into them for them to be a senior scouting group, so their loss will blind him somewhat. Good. Let's move, and hide these bodies to confuse things a bit," Dessa says, nodding at Elliam and Guran.

*The two stuff the bodies into various crevices as Renea examines the rest of the gear.*

"I should be able to determine what some of this does when we stop for the evening," she says.

*Grim, as you pick up the sling, you hear a curious voice say, "Tay?" Then you hear a faint mental grumbling, then "Hello? Yes, you there. I hope you're a better sport than the last one to own me."*

*Dessa will carefully lead the group for a few more hours of walking, then find a secluded, upper-level cave to hide out in until everyone has had a chance to rest. Renea says she can take a look at nine of the items this evening. When those nine are laid out before her, she will take out a pearl, crush it into a mug of wine from her wineskin and drink it.*

~~~

*Zykovian, you find one of Gardanax's dragon scions, a former gnome, to clean you magically before you make your report to the dragon himself. Now clean with claws polished, you present yourself to the amethyst dragon. He listens to your careful report and thorough investigation, and one of his scribes notes down the names and descriptions of all the fighters. Once you're finished your report, Gardanax considers carefully, running his massive talon the length of a new blade he had recently commissioned.*

"So," he rumbles, "You've managed to uncover a vast slave conspiracy to use weapons, one that none of my previous overseers have ever even gotten a whiff of. Wonderful, and perfect. So beautifully perfect..."

*With no apparent signal, three of Gardanax's young dragon offspring rush and grab you, pinning you down. With three such massive creatures on top of you, even one of your great strength cannot break free right away.*

"No one could have uncovered such a conspiracy unless they were a part of it! You are a traitor and a fool to try to curry my favor with such ridiculous tales. Throw him in the strongest pen and have Hazarath and Vexian guard it. I want him to fight to the death in the pits for my next birthday," Gardanax says with a cruel smile.

*The three drag you, protesting or not, into the slave pens, and toss you into one of the most sturdily constructed, one with two-foot thick walls, a heavy roof, and an iron door. Hazarath and Vexian are two of the strongest and most vigilant dragonkith guards, and their presence doesn't bode well for any attempts at escape.*

*As you're taken through the slave pens, you see Geltha and Raffie as you go by, their faces full of surprise and fear.*

 

[Paxus Asclepius]

Grim manages not to start at the voice. Perceiving that no one else hears it, he thinks back "Who are you? Do you have a name?"

 

[Isida Kep'Tukari]

"I'm Hall'al, that's Luckbringer in common. I'm the sling, you see. A halfling wizard long ago made me, and put all his luck in me, and gave me to his son for his adventures. I helped him for many years, but eventually he grew old and died, and I was buried with him. Someone robbed his grave years later and I ended up down here," the cheerful voice says to the startled svirfneblin.

 

[Paxus Asclepius]

"I take it that you didn't provide your last owner with this luck? How did he offend you?

 

[Isida Kep'Tukari]

"He was boring and cruel. I don't object to violence, mind you, I'm a weapon for the sake of all that is! It's just torture I don't go in for. But for those willing to fight a good fight and have a scrap of fun now and again... I can provide luck in plenty," Luckbringer says.

 

[DrZombie]

As the group stops for the night, Ishamael takes out his harp. Aware of how far sound can carry, his long small fingers hardly seem to touch the strings, playing a soft melancholic melody, at the same time sad and soothing. Apparently he is lost in thought.

A new group. Some would call them friends? No, no, never friends. They'll all die. He'll make me laugh again....
Perhaps not this time. No, perhaps not. I'll see, and think. Never show fear. Never show love. Show nothing.

 

[Keia]

"No one could have uncovered such a conspiracy unless they were a part of it! You are a traitor and a fool to try to curry my favor with such ridiculous tales. Throw him in the strongest pen and have Hazarath and Vexian guard it. I want him to fight to the death in the pits for my next birthday," Gardanax says with a cruel smile.

*Zykovian stayed impassive during Gardanax’s ranting. Even during the assault by the dragonkith, Zykovian didn’t fight (though he did mutter under his breath – “paranoid much?” with as much disdain as he could). He had learned to pick his fights long ago, and as long as the ‘kith didn’t try anything dirty, he wouldn’t get rough with them.*

’Can’t say that I didn’t expect something like this,’ Zykovian thought, ’though the real question is whether this was a plan from the start with Sarellion, or this was Gardanax and his misguided belief in the reliability of his guards. Only one way to find out . . . ‘

“Perhaps you have been misinformed, great Gardanax. My only concern is to carry out your orders and serve you as best I can. Even now, I must mention that Sarellion will be displeased at your treatment of his kin,” Zykovian called to Gardanax when he was able. He used a neutral tone, no anger or accusation, just a statement of facts. It held just enough intonation to provoke an answer, not a retaliation. . . at least, Zykovian hoped.

* The three drag you, protesting or not, into the slave pens, and toss you into one of the most sturdily constructed, one with two-foot thick walls, a heavy roof, and an iron door. Hazarath and Vexian are two of the strongest and most vigilant dragonkith guards, and their presence doesn't bode well for any attempts at escape.*

Zykovian didn’t fight with the ‘kith, and went peaceably, knowing that by at least trying to take the high road. Zykovian knew of the reputations of his guardians, and decided to try a different tact with them. Zykovian began with concern for the guards well-being - worried that perhaps they had done something wrong to have such a crappy job as to have to watch over little insignificant me. Then, he will work on the Gardanax has seemed more and more paranoid lately, that he would be concerned if his boss was acting that way. Perhaps even by guarding me, Gardanax would consider the guards a threat to him.

* As you're taken through the slave pens, you see Geltha and Raffie as you go by, their faces full of surprise and fear.*

Zykovian flashed a look of concern to them, but only a quick one, careful not to give anything away (not that there was anything) to his trio of caretakers.