Rp - Gavel's Darkest Hour- Act Two Begins [7/7]

"No?"

 

so the eruptions resulted in the destruction of their breeding grounds or smth?

 

So what's happening with Rin and Hels rn? :/

 

You're at the summit table in the Royal Palace and Rin has given Togak the pheonix feathers from the assassin's arrow to examine. The last actual update was:

Then there were some queries about what Togak said, which I answered.

And then silence.

Yes- the Dragons blamed it on the Doguns, who it obviously benefited and who the Dragons thought could have the capability to cause eruptions (they don't). They instantly disregarded all the agreements- they killed most of the Envoys, started attacking Doguns whenever they felt like it and a lot of them started nesting and hunting in Ahms.

She rubs her hands together and pulls out a ring of keys. "I took these on my way up. They won't be missed." She expertly slides three of them off, hands two to you, keeps one and gives the rest of the ring to Halster. "So, are we ready to go?"
"The larger one is for the door at the steps", she says to you. "Don't let anyone see you have them until you lock that door

 

Aight let me end that one.

"So either the assassin is rich, has access to a young phoenix, or feels like it was worth shooting an arrow with their feathers at Doushoins?" Ask Togak, but in a respectful manner.

 

"Got it"

 

Stay silent

Kewl.
Thanks~

Still staying silent actually. .-.

 

"Excellent. Now, Halster should leave first - it will take a while to get to the laundry without being noticed. You can start the fire with magic can you?"
"Indeed I can."
"In that case, you should get going. And - in case you need it-"
She hands him a large bottle of a translucent dark teal liquid with the consistency of honey - a mana potion. He thanks her and quickly vanishes from view with a small pop. Esmé smiles at you.
"We've got a few minutes before we need to put our lives on a razor's edge in the dungeons. Might as well have a bit of fun."
She winks suggestively, pulling at the knot holding her sheet on.

________________________________

"Either of the first two, certainly the third. Whoever did this wanted to send a message. A cryptic one at that, so probably not amongst the common criticisms of-"
Elimut cuts him off. "I think it's quite clear that this is the work of a Bantisu extremist unsatisfied by the honourable Abbott's reforms. I hear under the watch of that traitor they gained traction in our own Grand Academy. And only one magically gifted and trained could locate such a bird."
You see the Gylia teachers look outraged, but they are not authorised to speak.

 

I turn and start leaving

 

What was said about Elimut before?
Like in stories or overhearing talks.

 

@Hodsonius

 

@WynnChairman - if that's the end of the dragon queries, this is what you reply to:

"I'm Derntok - but that hardly matters - you're wasting time! LET HER HAVE IT!"

(@Tisaun )
People were generally suspicious of him. Most respect his magical prowess and leadership skills, but it is undoubted that he cares first and foremost for his agenda of increasing his own power. A few whispered accusations of involvement in the assassinations of Doushoins and King Brian were thrown around, but they weren't taken very seriously. People are afraid he'll exploit the deaths and the Cataclysms for his own gain, but they're more afraid the masses won't care - Elimut is very popular, almost a celebrity even when only considering his magic, let alone his Royal blood, and most people think he would be a strong, driven and capable king in all the ways Brian III wasn't. It's important to remember that the people in the Palace are the highly educated elites in their various regions and don't represent the general population at all.

You hear Halster's voice from the door.
"Take a hint Deepwater, he's not fucking interested."
The library door seems to close of its own accord and Esmé slumps defeated against a bookshelf and pulls out the first thing she can reach, a dictionary of agricultural terms. She thumbs through it absentmindedly.
"You could go and get that girl in here, I guess, she's safer where we can see her. Give you something to do, if nothing else."

This is kind of an awkward part to do, three player characters in an ideally fast-paced action scene, each in different places within the action and each with their own goals. WynnChairman had a lot of queries about dragons and I needed him to give Ozoth a reply before I can say what happens when you reach the Eye. I'll reply when I have all the other characters' actions that affect it. Sorry about that.

 

"Sure" I go get the maid

 

Kewl.
Look over to Togak to see how he reacts yo Elimut's words

 

What direction is the way to the surface?

 

"I would like to hear what Togak has to say about the feathers, if that was possible." Ask kindly, leaning forward and putting a hand softly on the table, looking at Elimut.

 

haha srry some more questions >.<
do the dragons have some sort of government as a species? or do they all operate individually? what kind of relationships do dragons generally have with each other, and does ozoth have any sort of special relationship with the other dragons? how many other dragons are there?
thx again uwu

 

The latter. Although there is generally a majority consensus on big decisions that affect the whole species on the grounds that one dragon trying to do something significant and unpopular is likely to get ripped apart by an angry flying mob.

Dragons are generally rivals of one another, friendship is rare. There's fierce competition between them over mates, treasure, intellect, flying, fighting and hunting ability and, before the Eruptions, exploitation of the Envoys. This can occasionally turn violent but generally remains peaceful.

She's got a reputation as a bit of a loose canon with an unhealthy obsession with treasure. She's unfriendly with other dragons even by their standards and it's telling that she went to Bantisu instead of Ahms, where hunting, flying and treasure gathering are far easier, probably because she didn't want to share a region.

There are twenty-eight known adult dragons. Fifteen still live in the Heights, twelve live in Ahms and then there's Ozoth in Bantisu. They're large apex predators so their population has to remain pretty low. Their young rarely live to adulthood - they get killed by each other, by Dwarven poachers looking to sell their skins and are often killed by their own parents if they're found to be too stupid, weak or brash.

You mean the way out of the surface? You're there right now. Derntok is frantically pointing you towards the staircase cave. Ozoth stands at the entrance, talking to someone inside.

You leave Esmé in the library and step out into the corridor. You hear a faint jangle of keys moving along the empty hallway in the opposite direction from the Kings room- perhaps Halster is not being as careful as he should be, but you wonder if talking to him would make things worse.

Elimut sighs. "Very well. Togak, what do you make of my deductions?"
He seems as calm as ever. "I feel they are premature. The symbolism of the first-age phoenix would work out - a fresh start for the Province, the imminent fiery end of the tyranny of secularism and the deaths of the faithless king and the heathen High Delegate, if Brian's death is connected, but the stage was not set for such an attack. While I have heard rumours of Bantisu extremism at Gylia, we have cannot verify them yet, and I personally do not believe them. I suggest we look for an alternative motive before we make any hasty conclusions."

 

From what I've heard he can take care of himself, he'll be fine.

 

Go hide near the staircase to the surface near some rubble or something