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Anaxian... grinned.
"You? You'll need to explain." Anaxian said, not actually caring about the specifics of the statement right now. He was mentally extrapolating the size of the dragon from the rib bone.
"If you bring me the rest, we can consider that favor I asked for paid in full..."
"Weeeell.... " Illia- hesitates for a moment. "If it turns out to be not me, then, fine, you can do whatevers with it, no problem. But if it IS proto-me, I dunno... I feel like I'd be kinda attached."
Illia- fetches the rest of maybe proto-Illia-. Rapid Teleporting is fun!
It takes several hours—and the use of a portable hole, for the larger bones—but eventually Illia- manages to recover the majority of the skeleton of an adult bronze dragon. The skeleton is not in great shape, and waterlogged as it is clearly unable to stand under its own weight; many of the bones have been split by weeds and clams, despite the hardened nature of dragonbone. One leg is missing entirely, and half of a wing has been melted off, seemingly by acid, while patches of rust that may have once been scales cling to the inside of gaping burns and fractures.
Once Anaxian has the bones laid out in his lab he casts Restore Corpse. The bones repair themselves, filling in chips and cracks, adding cartilage. In moments flesh has regrown and a recently dead looking dragon corpse lays on the floor.
"Sadly, the spell cannot restore the kind of very freshly dead life-like appearance I prefer. Still, this is a marvelous specimen."
Then, he casts a spell to let the corpse answer his questions.
"What is your name?"
Anaxian marks the bones carefully, plotting out the course of necessary spells and stitches that would allow him to rebuild and re-flesh the skeleton, piece by piece. When he is finished, he asks the skeleton his first question; a roar barrels forth from the gathered jaws, a tinny after-echo of a voice once booming and proud. "Vishruvel, the Thunderer!" the partial skull cries, still loud enough to rattle the nearby bones. "She of mighty tail and deadly courage, champion of Aroden and Special Admiral of the Knights of Ozem!"
"Wooh, I was all gung-ho! If that is was* me. Jiator did say I was 'reckless and violent', along with 'Courage and virtue'. Though that's a bit of a sticky issue. How do I know for sure? It's not like it knows what happened to me after dying."
"How did you die, Vishruvel?"
"Jobox, the Corruption," the dragon replies, its head clattering around on the ground. "An Omox demon, summoned by the Whispering Tyrant to sink our fleet as it carried reinforcements to the shores of Ustalav. I scoured the depths of the lake, searching for the fiend, but he caught me by surprise and slew me with his searing acid."
"There is one more question left in this spell." Anaxian said to Illia. "What would you have me ask?"
Meridian finds Anaxian at a calm moment.
"I've been thinking about teleporting to the other side of the world and overcoming some merchant ships. My people need stuff. It would be simple enough to sink a ship, but I wanted to bounce some ideas off of you about getting everything back here. "
"First, overcoming the ships defenses. If I just sink the thing the goods could get waterlogged. Plus it makes retrieval more difficult being at the bottom of the ocean. Any thoughts on the most efficient way to dispatch the entirety of the crew? A large undead sea monster would probably be pretty efficient. Maybe a giant squid. I'm currently controlling no undead, so I've got those pools wide open."
"Second, I need to get the goods back. Illia and a portable hole could do it eventually, but I'd prefer not to use her has a transport system if I can avoid it. At this moment I think several medium sized creatures with a high strength to teleport back and forth. With bags of holding, ant haul, and typical things such as that. You're a clever one. Any other thoughts?"
"Oooh, oooh, if that is me, I'd totally want to know if I ever had any kids! I could have like a big huge dragon as a kid by now and being the materialized soul of mom is totally a great excuse to get to hug it!"
"Vishruvel, did you have any children before you died?" Anaxian asked the dragon.
** spoiler omitted **
It amused Anaxian that his allies had a habit of appearing in his lab and beginning conversations without preamble. He appreciated their efficiency. He thought for a moment and replied to Meridian.
"I still have both the Kraken skeleton and the Shark Boat in my hold. You are welcome to them. A casting of Command Undead will put them under your control. They are likely too strong for Channeling. I have scrolls if you need them."
"Summoning Thoqqua elementals is the easiest way I know of to sink ships. Casting Fly on them, or giving them the ability to swim will let them burrow along the length of a hull below the waterline and split a ship in half in just a few moments."
"It could also be the work of moments to simply steal whatever cargo you want. If you manifested nearby, invisible, and stowed aboard at night when the hold is unwatched, you could fill a portable hole at your leisure. A simple illusion of the stolen crates would cover the theft while you were in the act, and for some time thereafter. For larger cargo, I have a wand of Shrink Object. Ensure you are masked from Scrying,and that you do not steal any objects of particular note. A wealthy enough ship captain will want to hire a diviner to find out what happened to their cargo. Locate Object requires that the object be noteworthy or well known, so avoid those things."
"Instead of raiding randomly, match cargo to your needs. The shipmaster's office at any port keeps records of cargo manifests and destinations in case ships go missing. Start there in any major port. Find the ships with the cargo you desire. Bring me a name and I can find a ship for you. It should be simple work to convert the Elephant Bone Ship tracking spell to other vessels, or to simply cast Locate Object on something like a ship's nameplate."
"I will be-
"-gin the research now." the catsuit said finishing the small dragon's sentence seamlessly
"A similar spell exists, but required that you have a piece of the ship as a focus. If you can figure a way around that then the problem is solved.
"I believe I'll finish setting up my Manison first and protecting the area from divination. Then I simply grab what I want and stow it there until it's uniqueness can be determined. Regardless, even if it is noteworthy I'll simply leave it in the protected area until I choose to dispose of it or not. "
"My treasury is already similarly warded. You may store anything you like down here."
"My treasury is already similarly warded. You may store anything you like down here."
"Appreciated, but I try to minimize my reliance on others. I'm sure you relate."
"How attached are you to the kraken? I'll strive to bring it back in one piece, but things happen."
"Return the majority of the corpse if you can. Krakens are difficult to come by."
"I had many children," Vishruvel replied. "Niedevis, Arnisant, Iomedae, the whole of Ozem. I did what I could to protect them, and then I failed, and died."
Before she leaves to think and plan Meredian turns and asks another question.
"The nature of your...existence... intrigues me. I understand humanoid liches create new bodies wherein Dracoliches must have a corpse to posses. It's in this way you've...duplicated yourself. Correct? It strikes me that your raw materials are limited by the need to have a draconic host. If a standard lich were able to function as you do they could effectively replicate themselves as well. However, a humanoid would have a lot more raw material to work with. Though it would require extensive research the idea is intriguing, yes? "
"I had many children," Vishruvel replied. "Niedevis, Arnisant, Iomedae, the whole of Ozem. I did what I could to protect them, and then I failed, and died."
"Mazzletov"
Meredian says having just entered the room.
"Aw, she gave us the metaphorical answer. Ah well."
Before she leaves to think and plan Meredian turns and asks another question.
"The nature of your...existence... intrigues me. I understand humanoid liches create new bodies wherein Dracoliches must have a corpse to posses. It's in this way you've...duplicated yourself. Correct? It strikes me that your raw materials are limited by the need to have a draconic host. If a standard lich were able to function as you do they could effectively replicate themselves as well. However, a humanoid would have a lot more raw material to work with. Though it would require extensive research the idea is intriguing, yes? "
"That is correct. I am uncertain why the nature of draconic physiology changes the nature of lichdom, but it does make collecting draconic corpses an extremely high priority. It would be even if I had not discovered the secret of duplicating my psyche."
"A human lich could, in theory, do something similar to what I have done. It is possible without actually being a lich. Any necromancer could. The reason they do not is largely because of the expense involved."
"The process is relatively simple. One you are undead your soul is untethered from your body. You exist in your corpse as a spirit-fragment. A consciousness in a form with no soul. You can then resurrect your own soul, which creates a new body. Then you kill your duplicate, and raise them as undead, effectively duplicating yourself."
"It would be very important to come to the conclusion that this is something you genuinely desire before going about this though. Resurrecting your soul, only to have it decide against the course of action, could prove problematic."
"Might explain why necromancers are so angsty. " Meredian casually observes.
Dris decides, almost out of sheer boredom, to go and investigate his former mortal life and flies off to Taldor.
Meanwhile burrowing sounds can be heard in the distance.
Meanwhile burrowing sounds can be heard in the distance.
Hearing the sound Meredian has a thought and moves toward the sound. Perhaps she could make use of the newcomer.
Yelling down the hole
"May I have a word?"
Presumably when Inubrix comes up, "How good are you at liking large groups of people and lifting heavy things? Oh, are you immune to poison by chance?"
"Puzzled Response: I am capable of altering my composition to exceed the pinnacle of normal adult human strength but I most typically fall within average human norms regarding physical strength. I am immune to poison by nature of my lack of organic flesh. As to 'liking' large groups of people... Puissance with regard to such does not compute."
"Puzzled Response: I am capable of altering my composition to exceed the pinnacle of normal adult human strength but I most typically fall within average human norms regarding physical strength. I am immune to poison by nature of my lack of organic flesh. As to 'liking' large groups of people... Puissance with regard to such does not compute."
"I meant 'Killing' not 'Liking.' I'll enunciate better in the future."
"Understanding Reply: Ah, yes, I can kill quite well. Moreso if forewarned of the enemy capabilities so that I may tailor my form appropriately."
"Understanding Reply: Ah, yes, I can kill quite well. Moreso if forewarned of the enemy capabilities so that I may tailor my form appropriately."
"Good to know. I'll get back with you."
Meredian says as she turns and steps into the astral plane. From Inubrix's perspective she fades and vanishes mid step.
In the Astral she changes her appearance to that of a mundane human peasant. Then turns invisible and steps into an alleyway of a large port city.
Knowledge Geography to know which would be the best city
Inubrix observes the disappearance wordlessly, then resumes digging out the shaft for his laboratory space.
Illia-:
Meredian:
Meredian recalls that of all the major trade routes of the Inner Sea, one of the most lucrative and least-pirated is the spice trade of Jalmeray. While the trade galleys of Absalom that visit the isle are often heavily-armed, the local Jalmeri merchants who connect trade to Vudra are typically used to safe seas, as Absalom and Andoran prevent pirates from reaching Vudra's western seas and the ordered navy of Minkai protects much of its eastern side.
Drisquar:
Drisquar reaches Maheto in a matter of hours, because he is ridiculous. The small city has only one funeral parlor, but the perceptive Bralani daemon also notices a large, central tavern on the city's outskirts called "The Undertaker's."
Month 3, Week 1, (Anaxian)
Several days after the beginning of the month, Anaxian receives a 25-word message spell.
::An emissary from Nemret Noktoria approaches, in six days. Ghouls are fickle and short-minded. Do not agree to his terms. Shraen will reward you, Lich.::
Meredian disguises herself and travels to Jalmeri in search of log books about what left port and where it's going.
Dris takes his humanoid form, which is more or less like an elf, and walks in the tavern. He scans the room, looking for anything interesting or troublesome.
You've heard of the House of Shraen—only recently, in reading up on the politics of the Darklands. Shraen, apparently, was a Drow family exiled from the Drow capital of Zirnakaynin for their obsession with necromancy. The name disappears a millennium ago, but there are stories of a similarly-named cabal of elven liches in the depths of Orv's Black Desert, located far below Nemret Nektoria, who may or may not be at war with the ghoul city
You've heard of the House of Shraen—only recently, in reading up on the politics of the Darklands. Shraen, apparently, was a Drow family exiled from the Drow capital of Zirnakaynin for their obsession with necromancy. The name disappears a millennium ago, but there are rumors of the house's remaining matriarchs (a lich named Zyra and a talented vampire sorceress named Nyrinda), building a city of undead sorcery in the depths of Orv's Black Desert. And, more recently, stories have surfaced of the mysterious "city of Shraen" locked in some sort of cold war with the ghoul city, for reasons unclear.
Meredian:
Meredian arrives on the isle of Jalmeray, disguised as a mundane elf—unusual, but not enough to raise suspicion—as her permanent tongues effect translates the native Vudrani trade pidgin. The port city of Niswan is a vibrant, colorful, and loud city, stone temples and silken flags rising out of the tropical island jungles into a sea of gilded pagodas and ornately-styled crenellations. As she walks the streets, the smells of saffron and incense are almost overwhelming, but everywhere the island's wealth is apparent; and, without too much difficulty, she locates the admiralty wing of the Thakur's palace, though several armed guards and a decorative labyrinth stand between her and the building itself.
Drisquar:
"The Undertaker's" is a large, and well-furnished tavern; possibly the largest Drisquar has ever seen. The walls are solid stone and ancient, stained with centuries of soot; layers of spackle and replaced brick give the building a sort of quilted feel, though it is clear that both the drinking hall and the attached brewery are among the oldest buildings in the city. Rough Taldan soldiers and Elven travelers in well-crafted armor dice and drink at the tables, while an extremely grubby dwarf sits behind the solid stone bar.
Jalmeray
Meredian runs some errands in the general vicinity. This is cover for testing the perimeter defenses and looking for weak points. Possibly from the sky
Constant detect magic and see invisibility
Perception
Sippimg tea at an outdoor cafe Meredian looks at her target building. When the waitress comes to refresh the pot Meredian says, "I'll be back in a moment. Please insure my table and beverage remain unmolested. "
With that Meredian locates the privy and secures herself privacy. With a little cooing motion she encourages a tiny scorpion to crawl out of her bodice and onto her hand. "Time to go to work, little friend. I seek a book of ships and cargo. See what you can learn about where such a thing may be. "
In conjunction with arcane words Meredian holds the scorpion with one hand and the creatures strangely semi-solid shadow with the other. With an abundance of care she separates the two. The shadow of the scorpion continues to writhe while the body goes limp. Releasing the shadow it flies off on its mission keeping to the mundane shadows for cover as much as possible. She returns he limp body to her interior pocket knowing that should the shadow be destroyed her empathic link will alert her to the scorpions distress so she might take action to preserve the body.
She then returns to her table to finish her tea and continue to ponder the best approach to invade the shipping headquarters.
Familiar rolls
Stealth
Perception and/or take 20 as he's not in any particular rush.
Anaxian sent a Sending to their resident Spymaster.
"Find out whatever you can on the Drow House Shraen. They are attempting to influence our diplomacy with the ghoul city."
Then he set his Twisted Core on the same task, scrying for deeper knowledge.
[dice=Kn. Nobility]1d20+14
Anaxian sent a Sending to their resident Spymaster.
"Find out whatever you can on the Drow House Shraen. They are attempting to influence our diplomacy with the ghoul city."
Then he set his Twisted Core on the same task, scrying for deeper knowledge.