OOC - hope you don't mind but, unless there is an option for you to take, I'll expedite things by making rolls in your place as we go along.

The misty dragon flies leisurely up to the point where you are over the Spine of the World. At that point, he circles, dives down towards the mountain slope , circles for a bit and then flies away. As you follow him, you can see a reflection in the mountain slope, something just reflected the weak sunlight, there is something shiny down there. The misty dragon starts flying away, you are left with a decision to check the 'shiny thing' on the slope, or following the misty dragon.

OOC: That's fine by me. Bigger updates are better! =D

I stop hand hover for a few moments to see if the mist dragon waits for me. If it does, I indicate the shiny thing with one of my claws and go look at it. If the mis dragon doesn't wait, I'll follow it instead of going for the shiny thing. I like shiny things as much as the next dragon, which is to say, a lot, but I also know that a mist dragon in the hand is worth two shiny things in the bush. I'm getting better at human idioms.

OOC - Definitively better at human idioms. Almost human.

The shiny dragon continue apace until something makes him look in your direction. Again, he looks mildly surprised you are chasing him. he takes some turns, flies up and down, in short he seems unsure what to do. Seemingly having come to a decision, he stops mid-air and spins towards your direction of approach. Amazingly, he does not seem to need to do anything to hover in the air and is just there, waiting for you to approach.

I have to flap my wings faster and turn in tight circles to stay in the same place midair.

"That's a nice job hovering! I don't suppose you could teach me that?" I ask, in my dragon's voice, high and soft (for a dragon, still thundering by human standards), two-toned like the voice of every dragon. I can make a melody with myself and am quite good at it, if I do say so myself. And I do!
This message was last edited by the player at 22:32, Fri 16 Apr 2021.

The dragon waits until you approach him. When you speak he seems to consider an answer. You can see his cunning eyes, they almost seem to glitter in the mist of his shape. When he speaks you struggle to hear what sounds more like a whisper than a booming voice...  (OOC - well, whisper in draconic terms, still much louder than your average human would whisper...)

'I prefer to take than to give... and you should take what was just given you...'

"What, that thing?" I indicate the shiny bit on the mountain by inclining my head in its direction, and I swoop lower to go get it. I do love free stuff! Especially when it's shiny.

As you approach the shiny object you slowly realize it's larger than it seemed. Carefully placed on the mountain slope is a circular object, slightly convex and golden. Is it made of gold? Around the edge there are carvings, if they are characters and supposed to mean something, they are on a language you have never seen. At the centre there is another carving, but this time the inscription is recognizable, it's a tree of life.

"Oooh, that's a nice thing, yes it is indeed. Is this for me? I do enjoy presents!"

My instict to hoard shiny objects, especially gold objects, is too much for me to resist. If the ghost is giving me the treasure, that's very nice of it, and I wouldn't want to insult them by not taking it. So I take it!

"What language is this anyway?" I ask, admiring the runes.

With your focus on the golden object you miss the lack of answers, until silence fills up the space. At that point you note that the misty dragon cannot be seen anywhere...

OOC - (successful dragon lore roll) You cannot identify the language, but the characters don't seem totally unknown, you have a (vague) recollection of having seen something similar before in a book and, unless the fresh mountain air is clouding your mind, one of those symbols was used for the word 'dragon'...

I look around for the mist-dragon-ghost-thing for a while, but soon I realize that it's gone and not hiding. Oh well! Presents and treasure are two of my favorite things, and getting both in one day is a great start to a month. I take the bowl and fly back home; I would whistle merrily, but I can't, so I settle for humming. Dragons cannot whistle. Or smile, frown, or make most other human facial expressions. I still have an instinct to do so, having spent most of my life in human form, and it probably looks a little odd to humans.

I make sure to land suitably far away from the castle and its town. Naturally, I would prefer to be able to land in the courtyard, but I know I am very large, several buildings would have to be dismantled to make room for me, and I don't want to make anybody move. Plus, it would be a logistical headache. I've considered having a new castle built, with a larger courtyard, but that would be terribly expensive, more than I can afford currently, and take necessary labor away from agriculture. Also, I don't think horses and other animals will ever get to used to my true body, small and panicky as they are.

It amuses me that, for years, I thought horses and cows were big animals.

Anyway! Time to put away my new treasure. Back to my tall, elegant human body I go. By human standards, the bowl is huge, and if it were actually made of gold, it would take three men to move. Gold is heavy! Fortunately, I am not human, even if I look like one. I balance the bowl on my head and keep hold of it with one hand, whistling happily as I jaunt to the castle. It's a nice treasure, and besides that, the strange language and symbols make for an interesting puzzle. I want to figure it out!

I wonder if there are any issues demanding my attention.

OOC - Funny you mention issues demanding your attention.

As you arrive there is a discussion going on between a newcomer and a member of your staff. The newcomer is a young male, in travelling clothes, his cloak quite dusty and, as you are told later, is trying to gain an audience with you.

He arrived properly equipped with some form of document from whoever send him there, refusing to tell anyone what he was intending other than asking to be 'granted audience with the legitimate rules of this land'. One of your aides also mentions that he speaks with a 'strange accent', the general conclusion being that 'he's not from this part of the world'. Your aides seemed rather embarrassed that this was all they could tell you. Seemingly, the newcomer refused to leave and sat down on the ground as he waited for you to grant him an audience.

Of course he'll be granted an audience! I'm glad my subordinates are concerned for my well-being, though, and I make sure to tell them so.

The locals are still visibly nervous around the newcomer. When they bring him to your presence, he has removed his travel cloak and clearly brushed the worst of the road dust from himself. He looks presentable. He's wearing a dark travel attire, nothing uncommon, nor any special markings and carries a bit of parchment in his hand.

When he actually looks at you his demeanour totally changes and his expression becomes fixated, seeming in total awe of your persona. He prostrates himself on the ground and stammers:

'May... you g-g-grant my w-w-wish of... comm-communicating this message from my L-L-Lady?...'

And he stretches out an arm in your direction, with the hand holding the bit or parchment.
This message was last edited by the GM at 11:31, Wed 21 Apr 2021.

Well that's a little strange! I'm used to people kneeling or bowing, occasionally prostrating themselves if they're foreign, but not quite this profusely. I hold out my hand to receive the message. Traditionally, a page would take the message from the man and deliver it to my hand, even though it is only a dozen feet to walk.

"I will. What is your name, and who is your lady?"

The young man raises his head 'Anaximander m'Lady, herald of Aurgloroasa...'

You open the thing papyrus, it contains a short message, written in a beautiful calligraphy:

'My Dear Lady Ataraxia, I hope you enjoyed my gift to you, I always find that gold matches red so well. I'm fast marching towards your lands and I hope we'll have a lot to discuss.'

It is signed 'Aurgloroasa'.

Nice choice of name for the herald. =P

"Thank you, Anaximander."

In the books and histories, they say that attacking before planting is the second-most aggressive kind of attack, following attacking during harvest. On the other hand, if this is in fact an attack, it's not a sneak attack.

"Your lady chose a particularly strange wording. She says that she is marching towards me. Does she intend to attack?"

That is usually what 'marching' means, after all.

OOC - Hey, must get those maths and science references somewhere...

The herald turns ashen as you mention 'attack', he seems truly flabbergasted at the mention of it.  (OOC- failed perception roll, you cannot really understand if his shock is true or not)

'...no,no,no... she's coming alone, just with her carriage's guards... well and me... well, not me just now since I'm here... I left her as she was leaving Luskan, so another day or so and she should arrive at your presence...'

I smile for the messenger's benefit, though I am somewhat troubled by his reaction.

"You will, of course, be offered bread and salt." I wave for a page to do just that.

Offering bread and salt is an offer of formal hospitality, and accepting is an acceptance of that. Hospitality is among the most sacred rules; a guest is protected and also guaranteed safety, even if they are an enemy of the host, and likewise the guest is obligated to accord himself peaceably and honorably, even defending his host if necessary, for as long as the guest stays.

Maybe other dragons don't respect hospitality, but every human I know does, and I do as well.

The messenger may decline the offer, if he wishes, and that is no insult to me. It is a straightforward way of declaring that either he or his mistress is my enemy and they will treat with me only in hostility, but in a way that preserves their reputation.

And now to see that the guards are ready and everything is presentable for a noble guest.

The herald is very thankful as regards your hospitality. You cannot shake the impression that he's more in awe than your average citizen, being hard to understand why. Eventually he will thank you and leave. As he says, he's got to relay your message of welcome to his Lady.

As soon as he's out of sight, one of your advisors urges you to send someone to see what is actually coming your way, which is a polite way way of saying, to verify his story. Another mutters that a welcoming party is more appropriate. At some point in their ramblings, they even urge you to prepare the defences, in case it's all a trap.

People in the north are notoriously suspicious of anything coming from a southward direction but, ultimately, it's up to you to decide how you are going to use the 24h before the Lady's arrival to your holding.

OOC - Which a rather pompous way of saying, what do you want to do in the interval between the Lady's arrival and now? Also, where have you placed your new shiny golden disc?

I listen to my advisers, of course. They have, collectively, more experience than I do. Some of them have more experience individually, too. I wait until the messenger is gone and then instruct my retainers to make sure that the knights and household warriors are armed and ready for Aurgloroasa's arrival. Furthermore, I want the militia to be patrolling rather than drilling tomorrow, and I want my ranger to take some silver and recruit a few of the local hunters to scout and look for a potential sneak attack, as well as to see what Aurgloroasa's carriage is doing.

As for myself, I should inspect the granaries and make sure the ledgers are accurate. Planting is almost upon us, and it will not do to need grain to plant and not have enough.

I thought it was a bowl! In either case, plate or bowl, she left it in the great hall, propped in a corner, until she figures out what to do with it. It's much too big and heavy for a human to lift, so she's not worried about it getting stolen; anybody who brought enough guys to steal it would make so much noise the guards would notice. The idea of a dedicated treasury has yet to occur to her. Though of course, she does keep the keys to the spice and coin boxes around her waist, as every noble lady does.

Also, in addition to a LotR social group and a D&D class, "ranger" is a medieval office-holder, an official forest and game warden for a large landholder.

OOC : Think of it as an (very) oversized shield.

The day proceeds without any further issues. The militia patrols don't report anything bigger than a rather aggressive pack of wolves, retainers you have are ready and (other than causing a sudden desire to sleep), the ledgers match-up and the granaries are getting ready.

On the next day, just hours before Aurgloroasa's arrival, your scouts return. Their report is encouraging, the herald did meet with a lone carriage heading north. The carriage was rather nondescript, perhaps not to attract any thieves, and her escort, as it is, was a carriage driver and a guard by his side. She is clearly not unduly concerned about her safety.

The herald eventually shows-up again, just an hour or so before her arrival to announce it. In due course, Aurgloroasa's carriage arrives. A drab carriage, looking rather aged. The carriage guard steps down and gingerly opens the door and you get your first sight of Aurgloroasa. She's dressed in a black low cut dress that seems rather inappropriate for someone travelling to the cold north. Much like you, she has red hair and her stance does not indicative someone used to serve others, but someone used to have others serving her. She walks gingerly towards you and greets you 'It's a pleasure to meet you Lady Ataraxia'

OOC: right, an image is worth 1000 words, so here is what she looks like:


This message was last edited by the GM at 15:11, Mon 26 Apr 2021.

Learning about how to keep accounts was more interesting than actually keeping the accounts. Ugh. However, it's my duty to make sure the manor runs well, so I put up with it. I have a very keen mind; that makes it go faster. I flick the stones across the counting table with speed and dexterity.

I am helping clear stones to bring wasteland under cultivation when I receive word of the predicted arrival. I return to the manor, wash, and make sure everything is in order to offer proper hospitality for a noble guest. When the appointed hour comes, and Aurgloroasa shows up, I am confused at how drab her carriage is. Carriages are expensive, and the people who can afford them usally can afford good maintenance; perhaps Aurgloroasa's family has fallen on hard times and she wants money. She would hardly be the first noble to have money troubles.

Putting on my best face, I welcome Aurgloroasa by bowing, rather than curtsying. I habitually wear short skirts, since I engage in so much more physical activity, so bowing is more appropriate.

"Welcome, Aurgloroasa, to my home and my land. Take bread and salt, and be a guest in my house. Likewise to your retainers and servants. Your letter spoke of a gift. Forgive my ignorance; what gift did you write of?"

A skirt that poofy combined with a collar that high can only mean trouble! =P

She politely thanks you. As she approaches you you can see that even the fabric of her clothes seems ancient. Not so much worn out, or poorly kept, but the standard of her dress makes it look like something of a past time.

She seems surprised when you query what gift.

'Why, the golden disc of Dretchroyaster of course... you may have heard of him being called Drecht...'


OOC - Successful 'draconic lore' roll. You have read previously about Dretchroyaster, a green dragon that inhabited the southern realms. He is known as a fell hunter of all forms of life and is known for his merciless manner, unquenchable greed, and masterful cunning. He liked to be called 'The Monarch Reborn'.

"Ah-ha, I did not know the dish had once belonged to him. Again, forgive me if I seem to be playing coy. Was it you who sent an apparition to guide me to Dretchroyaster's dish?"

This will allow her to boast of her abilities and is a social favor to her. Or she can deny it, and it will also be a social favor, as it either is the truth or it is a way for her to conceal her abilities. I wonder if she is also a dragon. I've never met another one!

I keep wanting to pronounce that name as "Dreky Toaster." =P

OOC - LOL. If we were playing live by now he would by now in fact be 'Dreky Toaster'. Although, being a dragon, I can also see him as 'Dreky Roaster'.

'Apparition?...' she pauses for a second as if trying to understand '...oh. Of course. He's just... a messenger of sorts... the 'dish' used to be Dretchroyaster's favourite mirror. He was rather vain you see... there is a legend associated with it. Dretchroyaster will reward handsomely whoever returns it to him... but since he  disappeared such a long time ago who would ever be able to find him to get the reward...' she shrugs and smiles.