Gethraxxis sits and watches. People seemed a bit on edge. That often lead to misunderstanding. And that lead to a lot of fun!
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"So uh Nate, could you tell us something more about this rather fantastical city we're in? I'm feeling a little like a fish out of water here and I know I'm not the only one!" asks Kincaid, feeling very far from home.
Nate thinks about what to tell of the town before he starts "Well in short going over mostly the highlights of the city.
Kymerrai is a city that was at one time an Old Emperial, an old human city, before the humans got killed off. It's primarily populated by Druvei, a race of humanoid dragons that were created by the Dragons of Falgrinshith to fight in the war against the Ogres of the Lovesh Forest. The war had gone on for a few thousand years, mainly due to the Ogre Mages banding together against the Dragons. While individually the elder dragons are stronger, there are tens of thousands of ogres, and thousands of ogre mages, in the forests. Plus the serpent folk who ally with them.
About 10 years ago, the Druvei rebelled against the Dragons, and quit the field, and took over the old city of Kymerrai. It had mostly been abandoned other than some bandits, they didn't last long."
Wait, so... does that mean that war is going on still? Terex asks (through Rokas).
The war seems to have been ended recently, about a year ago. There was smoke on the southern horizon for weeks. Nobody is quite sure what happened, but the forests were razed to the ground, and the serpent cities melted to glass.
"You don't have to worry about that. The war seems to have been ended recently, about a year ago, if memory serves me right. There was smoke on the southern horizon for weeks. Nobody is quite sure what happened, but the forests were razed to the ground, and the serpent cities melted to glass.
That's another reason I want to travel with you folks, I want to figure out what happened and add it to our storybooks." Nate answers Rokas
The shop keeper snorts, and a bit of flame comes out of one nostril along with some black smoke. "Don't need nobody to go see what happened, everyone knows what happened. Ol' One Eye woke up, got hisself in a tizzy, and blasted a good chunk of the continent to glass and ash."
Old One Eye is a legend amongst the Druvei, a massive ancient wyrm with both black and red scales, said to be the offspring of Hectet and a fallen Ancient Gold Dragon Queen soon after the split between Hectet and Sobet. For all intents and purposes, a Demi-god. Nobody is willing to speak his actual name out loud, lest he hear. So they call him old One-Eye. Most Druvei, brave as they are, are scared spitless that the old wyrm is real.
Nate responds "That's just an old myth I've never seen a dragon with two kinds of scale colors. I certainly haven't found any truth about it in the history books some of the older dragons are so keen to write down. I'll let the folks who believe in Old One Eye do so, it's the same with those worshiping the deities of old. I also think if a dragon of that size awoke and burnt all that down someone from this town would have seen it."
Via several members of the squad translating, Kincaid thanks Nate for his description of the city and some of is history, before adding "What a fascinating story about Old Emperial, you know I wouldn't entirely dismiss it out of hand. I've seen a dragon skull nearly as big as this shop, it's owner must have been truly enormous in life, it's breath weapon must have been fearsome in deed. As for travelling with us, I'm willing to give that a try although you should know we are likely to venture very far from here."
Nate turns to speak common. "I've never seen any sign of a dragon that big, if such a thing really excist perhaps a story like Old One Eye is not as impossible as I would want it to be. As to the travel I don't mind I have a yearning to see more of the world right now and I know I would just grow restless if I didn't get a chance even a long one to see the outside will experienced explorers."
Terex listening has some very horrible paranoid suspicions that he decides to keep to himself.
Well, if we're agreed, let's go ahead and have Nate buy the map and get out here where I can talk with him!
"That would solve the money problem to get the map, and we would get someone that can show us around here. Maybe even have a place to rest inside before we set off again." While he was getting more comfortable about the outdoors, Rokas still missed the luxury of sleeping with a roof over his head.
"Sounds like a plan Rokas, lets do it" agreed Kincaid.
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Realizing they'd gotten too used to using Terex to speak into their minds to relay messages for them, Kincaid tells Nate aloud in common, "All right Nate we accept. Come with us and explore the world! We will however need a map, since frankly we're a bit lost. Still it seems you often stumble on the most interesting places when that happens! Don't worry, the cheap one will do for now."
Nate makes a small bow "Thank you very much for agreeing to my request." He then turns toward the storekeeper "Let these fine gentlemen have one of your maps. Give me the best you have for 50 gold and toss in one of the old imperial maps for 5 gold." Nate says with a smile.
"Well, that settles that. Now we just need a place to rest before we head back out. I know I wouldn't mind sleeping indoors for once." Rokas was happy he didn't have to sell some of his gears to get the maps.
The old dragon holds out his hand. "Sure Dragonail, jest let me taste your gold first, and I'll get the maps." Once the gold is handed over, he bites a few coins at random, leaving tooth marks on them, and then drops them into a pouch on his waist. "Done, one moment." He returns with two maps, the 50 GP map being a more modern one, and the older map being an obvious copy (not a great copy, but a copy) of a much much older map. He rolls them both up and puts them into a map case, apparently part of buying the 50gp map. Once inside the wooden case, he melts some wax on the ends of the case to seal the ends to keep water out. "Remember, won't keep water out if you fall in a river, but should keep rain out." He hands the case over to Dragonail.
"Thanks I'll make sure to put them in my waterproof bag when we are not using them." Nate says with a bow towards the dragon. "I know a rather cheap Inn that offers respecable rooms for a single night of good sleep, I also have a quite small place but there is only my own bed so that wouldn't be very usable."
Hurry up and bring that map out here where I can see it! Terex's excitement is plain in his mental 'voice'. Oh, and could you ask Nate if he'd be okay with me speaking with him telepathically? That would speed up all of this translating.
Hearing them speak of a inn to stay at Gethraxxis finally has some more input. He speaks in Draconic
"I know a place! Very entertaining. Even has a bard that really livens up the place!"
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Kincaid was humbled by Nate's generosity, "Wow thank you very much for buying the maps! Very much appreciated, now I uh have a question on behalf of our companion Terex.". Kincaid pauses for a moment hoping to get the pronunciation right, "That's uh short for Terexaltherin. Anyway he can't talk like we do but he can speak into our minds, apparently there are rules about that around here. He'd like to be able to talk to you, but wants your permission first."
Kincaid wasn't quite sure what to make of that but he replied, "Sounds interesting, is it far?"
"Oh yes. Not far at all! Just around the corner! Come come! I'll show you!" he bounces about as he talks. Once or twice he chases his own tail. Then sits down, tilting his head
"Follow?"
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"I would normally perfer not to have anyone speak directly into my mind, it can offset my concentration. However if he is you friend and he can't talk normally I guess I have to let him do it. But tell him not to do it to much in the midst of combat, I need all my concentration to control my elemental powers when we are fighting." Nate says with a smile.
Don't worry, I'll be careful, a baritone voice says in Nate's mind. It'll just be a lot easier if I can use telepathy to help us all talk to each other instead of all of these translation chains we've been doing.
Then, to everyone in the group, Gethraxxis knows where Nate's talking about. Is everyone ready to go?
To just his squad he adds, We should make sure Gethraxxis is going the same way Nate is.
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Hylar observes the draconic interaction with limited interest, but he can't wait to get a good look at that map. He tries to feign disinterest in that as well though, as he doesn't want to wind up indebted to a creature such as Dragonail.
"I'll try to get used to it and I speak the common tongue after having spent a lot of time browsing the books at the library and categorize them."
Oh, you do? That's good! We can talk aloud once we're all together again.
The group moves, led by Dragonail and Gehtraxxis, to a very spacious looking inn. Apparently when you have tails and wings, you really appreciate open floor plans and cushions over high backed chairs.
The inn has an innkeeper (a red scaled Druvoi with bored eyes) and that's about it at the moment, the wrong time of day no doubt.
"Customers! Customers! I brought you Customers! Drink! Drink! Their thoughts are dry! But alas these guests can't fly..." he hums as they approached
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Rokas looks at the little Faerie Dragon with a puzzled expression on his face. Wondering if he will be a good fit for where they are going. At the same time, this will give them a second flying scout. when they walk into the inn, he looks around the place. "Well, at least we won't get in someone's way."
Kincaid marvels at the scale of the inn, telling Rokas, "True but this makes me feel like a child in a giant's house!" He then asks if somebody could ask Gethraxxis, "Does this place serve food, if so what kind?"
The inn does indeed serve food. "I got herdbeast roast or fish. Three coppers a plate. Ale is 2 coppers a mug." The innkeeper answers the question about food.
"I would try the herdbeast roast if you haven't before it is really the best the inn offers. One plate and an ale for me." Nate says smiling.
Terex lands in an out-of-the-way spot and looks around curiously.
We really need to get some money that works here, he comments to his squad.
"Yes we do. We can't just rely on Nate's charity, speaking of which..." thought Kincaid. Talking to Nate in common, Kincaid asked, "Nate what's a good way of earning some coin around here? The stuff we use to buy things back home is completely different and is no use here. We did overhear something about bounty hunting, but we weren't entirely sure if we'd want to do something like that or if we'd even be capable given the size of folks around here."
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"Hmm... Well the bounty offers the easist way to earn a good living, the hunt can be for creatures of every size from wanted faerie dragons to full size minotaurs. But if you are more into some normal work there is the request board where people offer a little coin for getting a days help, mostly in case of sickness but some shops works only with needing help once in a while so they don't have others working every day. But for now a few copper I can easily spare, it's the lowest of our currency and goes 10 copper on a silver which in turn goes for 10 silver on a gold coin." Nate responds to Mr. Kincaid
Kincaid nods as Nate speaks, before saying to everyone "Back home we have a similar hierarchy of currency. Anyway by the sounds of it, if we want to buy the best maps without an extended stay it'll have to be bounty hunting. Not sure what I think of that, probably have to consider on a case by case basis. You see, I'm a follower of Sithana Nehandris and she's all about mercy and compassion - although it's my duty to protect folks from evil." Kincaid looked at Terex and asked, "What do you think, should we try and earn one of the premium maps?"
"I think we need a good look at the maps we got, first!" Terex replies enthusiastically in Common, his tail lashing excitedly as he considers the prospect of looking over them. "If they're good enough we won't need anything more, and we'll just want to earn some money to resupply before we leave town."