The group is able to make it back to the village without much incident, though it does take them most of the day. As they arrive at the inn they are greeted by Norian and Bart first, before the other villagers come out of hiding.
"Went well?" the tailor asks hopefully with a look to Rabbit.
"We spoke with the dragon, and we're still alive, and so are all of you, so it certainly could've gone worse," Alden replies. "We are still in negotiations with her, but she's done speaking with us for today. She told us to come back in two days. Nothing's really been decided, but she considers the forest in the new area her domain, and will not tolerate trespassers. She will respect our boundaries as well, so long as she isn't provoked."
"I though for sure she was going to eat Eochaidh but then she realized he would give her indigestion so she let him off easy. After that she wouldn't really listen to the rest of us even though I made some really good points for negotiating purposes. Hopefully she will be more tractable when we go back." Kevan says as he goes into the inn. "Say, anything good for dinner?"
"I'm not sure how much we can trust our perception of her. She is a dragon after all. Not like dealing with goblins.... She seemed to want to negotiate ongoing 'tribute' in exchange for allowing us to have the gem. But, she also seemed less than happy about the idea of joining with additional shards."
"The last kind of makes sense. A dragon is pretty high on the pecking order of reality, but there are other things even more dangerous. Joining with other shards could add something of similar power against her."
The group is able to make it back to the village without much incident, though it does take them most of the day. As they arrive at the inn they are greeted by Norian and Bart first, before the other villagers come out of hiding.
"Went well?" the tailor asks hopefully with a look to Rabbit.
"She liked your gift!" Rabbit says brightly, though he becomes more pensive as the others speak, and nods along with the summation the others give.
"She doesn't want to give up anything for free, anyway. And I mean... with the goblins, we could fight them. I didn't want to, but we could. Her.... I think we'd be snacks. So I guess we have to meet her price. At least some of the way. Hopefully we can, um, talk her down some. Maybe... maybe we could take her more gifts of tailorship? I can try and make something but I'm still learning. She really likes the magic... rock... metal... the stuff. The strange stuff. But I don't think we want to give her all of it-- I don't think we can afford to."
Rabbit sighs, raking his hair out of his eyes with his free hand. "Thank you for the draconic buddy, by the way! He was REALLY helpful when we ran into some werewolves."
Once they are seated inside and eating, Rabbit ponders Alden's question. "I don't think it could hurt? And she might know more than she's said so far. Or know if anyone else is living in the area that hasn't been mentioned yet. It seems kind of sparse if it is just the werewolves, the swan lady, and the dragon. What do you suppose the dragon hunts? Deer, I guess.
"I think we should do some information gathering if we can. We know that the dragon liked the cloak, certainly. She mentioned maybe pieces of art as potential tribute too."
"I though for sure she was going to eat Eochaidh but then she realized he would give her indigestion so she let him off easy. After that she wouldn't really listen to the rest of us even though I made some really good points for negotiating purposes. Hopefully she will be more tractable when we go back." Kevan says as he goes into the inn. "Say, anything good for dinner?"
"Eat me? Probably not. More likely rend to emphasize her physical prowess or perhaps magic to demonstrate her strength with the arcane. Her bargaining is a bit unusual in that she's more interested in the negotiation than she let's on. Whether that means she's amenable to changing the deal or she's just bored is anyone's guess."
"I'm not sure how much we can trust our perception of her. She is a dragon after all. Not like dealing with goblins.... She seemed to want to negotiate ongoing 'tribute' in exchange for allowing us to have the gem. But, she also seemed less than happy about the idea of joining with additional shards."
"The last kind of makes sense. A dragon is pretty high on the pecking order of reality, but there are other things even more dangerous. Joining with other shards could add something of similar power against her."
"My lack of knowledge about dragons isn't helpful in this situation. I do find it strange she is so interested in the exotic metal. Stories say they have hoards of riches so maybe it's how rare or expensive it is? I don't think she plans on making armor or weapons with it."
"Yes she's very much the equivalent of a deity in power compared to everything else in the shards that have now joined hers. But the more shards, the more likely the balance of power could change."
"Yes she's very much the equivalent of a deity in power compared to everything else in the shards that have now joined hers. But the more shards, the more likely the balance of power could change."
"Exactly. That's why I was trying to explain what we know so far about the gem. There are other shards and other gems. 'Our' gem can only be used 6 months after joining these shards. But if our gem isn't used, another gem in another shard could be used to join with ours. If 'we' are doing the joining, we can control what shard gets joined to ours. Otherwise any shard could join ours and we'd just have to try and face whatever is there. Does anyone want to connect with Razmir? or Ustalav? Or Sarkoris and the Worldwound? What happens if we get joined by a kingdom of Sahaugin? Would we be flooded?"
"Yes she's very much the equivalent of a deity in power compared to everything else in the shards that have now joined hers. But the more shards, the more likely the balance of power could change.""Exactly. That's why I was trying to explain what we know so far about the gem. There are other shards and other gems. 'Our' gem can only be used 6 months after joining these shards. But if our gem isn't used, another gem in another shard could be used to join with ours. If 'we' are doing the joining, we can control what shard gets joined to ours. Otherwise any shard could join ours and we'd just have to try and face whatever is there. Does anyone want to connect with Razmir? or Ustalav? Or Sarkoris and the Worldwound? What happens if we get joined by a kingdom of Sahaugin? Would we be flooded?"
"All excellent questions. Perhaps that's what she's thinking? Or does she know more then we do? Although this is a unique experience, the Shattering, so she may be lacking in answers as much as we are and it unsettles her to be at the mercy of forces she does not know or understand."
Norian seems relieved the group was able to at least make some progress in talking with the dragon. "Werewolves and a swan woman?" he asks, "I've seen were-creatures before, but what do you mean by a swan woman?"
Milana puts together a bit of an impromptu meal, bringing out day old bread and chopping leftover bacon into a salad. The hearth of the inn feels welcome after an evening out in the woods, and the population of the shard dines all together for the first time since the new year. Snow falls gently outside, and despite the circumstance it is a peaceful and fullfilling evening.
"What were the dragons terms?" Milana asks, "Did you consider what our counter offer should be?"
Thomas and Alberta were more curious about the dragon itself. "How big was it mister Kevan?" Alberta asked, "Stories say dragons can be as big as castles." Thomas didn't ask himself, but his gaze was focused on the halfling as his adopted sister questioned him.
"If the dragon likes to barter you would do well to consider how you will make your offer as much as your desired outcome." Bart reasoned, and Fogril nodded along to that. "I've met my share of merchants who love to haggle." the dwarf adds, "It's important to have a reason for every counter bid."
Eochaidh will tell Norian what he knows about Sarana and her connection to the forest.
"It's difficult to bargain with a creature so powerful. She did seem unusually interested in the negotiation itself than one would expect for an entity that is likely used to making demands and having those demands met. However I don't know enough about dragons to discern why. Is she bored? Lonely? Competitive?"
Thomas and Alberta were more curious about the dragon itself. "How big was it mister Kevan?" Alberta asked, "Stories say dragons can be as big as castles." Thomas didn't ask himself, but his gaze was focused on the halfling as his adopted sister questioned him.
"Oh, it was in the form of a woman so we never saw her in her full size. I imagine she has green iridescent scales and is the size of a house with teeth the size of daggers. It's fun to think about anyway."
”I feel we’re at a disadvantage all around,” Alden says. ”She has the Stone, and if she decides we’re no longer welcome, I doubt we’d have a chance of defeating her if it came to a fight. We’re lucky she’s willing to negotiate at all. I think our conversation provided her with some entertainment. We’ve got to tread carefully from here on out.”
"Is there any way to tell how old, how powerful she is, given we haven't seen her full size? I've only read about dragons. And only a little bit. I never thought I'd meet one in person. She was... nice, though?"
Rabbit hesitates. "I mean. She wasn't exactly... nice. But she was..."
A frown of concentration, or perhaps unhappy memories, comes over the halfling's face as he tears a bit of bread to shreds with his fingers. "...she was in a good mood," he amends, slowly. "At least at first. She saw that Kevan and I had cushions. It was courteous."
For a second Rabbit gazes at nothing in particular, lost in his own thoughts, then he shakes away the fog.
"I agree with Mr. Cooperson that I think she could eat us all up and not even get indigestion. So if we can't fight her we have to figure out what she wants and give it to her. Do... do green dragons like games? Stories? Do they have errands that need running that we could do for her? I guess that's the stuff we should ask when we return.
"And maybe we should ask the swan lady those things too before we go back. I don't know if there's anyone else to ask, though. The werewolves are dead, so... And I really don't think we have good chances of spying on Tal.. the dragon, even just for harmless observation. Maybe we can explore the rest of the terrain that we didn't get to, yet, but if we're going to ask around the only person to ask is Miss Swan."
Rabbit shrugs a little. "So maybe we should get some rest, and go back to the Swan tomorrow, and scout out some more of the terrain if we can? Maybe we can find something else to sweeten the deal with her, though I'm not sure what. The only thing she really perked up at was the cloak and the etherium. Which only forms when shards merge?"
"Oh-- maybe we should ask Deshrit's opinion. I wonder if the dragon has talked to her gem yet."
Rabbit will duly clear his throat. "Deshrit, do you know anything about dragons? Or have any bright ideas?"
Eochaidh smiles at Rabbit, "All excellent observations and questions my friend. My only concern with involving Sarana, the 'Swan Lady', is that she's also, and wisely, hesitant to upset Talschornvox. Would giving us more information about Talschornvox put Sarana in danger? We could ask Sarana if that's the case and if it is then we can leave her in peace."
Eochaidh thinks for a moment and continues, "Unfortunately my only knowledge of dragons are the stories that were passed down amongst my people through the centuries. They're likely more myth than fact."
"We can talk to the Swan-Woman. I think the worst we can expect from her is refusal," Alden says.
An awkward silence follows Rabbit's asking-of-Deshrit. In the last six months he's grown used to talking to the gem as if it were around all the time. It's.... not, currently, which is a major point of their entire situation.
"Um. I meant. We can ask Deshrit maybe-- later. If we can talk to him again. Right. That is what I meant," Rabbit says in an obvious attempt to save face, his cheeks red. He shoots a brief grateful smile at Eochaidh and nods fervently along with Alden.
Jaxom glances at Rabbit. Noticing the embarrassment he smiles politely. "You seemed to have a link to it. Maybe it's magic includes an ability to hear you at a distance. It might answer you when you get within hearing range of it...."
Jaxom glances at Rabbit. Noticing the embarrassment he smiles politely. "You seemed to have a link to it. Maybe it's magic includes an ability to hear you at a distance. It might answer you when you get within hearing range of it...."
"She did make it clear she appreciated art and craftsmanship," Alden adds. "We should probably have a few such items that we can throw into the pot, or use for a bribe when we return. Does anyone have the skill to make such things? Master Toombs, you gifted me a fine table for my home, do you have anything else, a carving perhaps that the dragon might find to her liking? If not, would you be able to carve something over the next couple of days, if I took over your farm chores for that time?"
"That could be something we offer when we join a new shard as well. She basically said as much with the share of booty or however she put it but we could literally buy nice things for her. Or, if we find a morally bankrupt individual we could steal them. Not that I have any practice in that sort of thing but you know, we could work it out." Kevan adds pondering the situation. "I'm looking forward to another conversation with her."