Our story begins...
This message was last edited by the GM at 04:19, Sat 22 Jan 2022.

I will defeat you, shell, Vydi thought to herself, bathed in the red light and the safe warmth of her egg. She had wanted to get out of it for so long, now. So long. And now she had felt a new urgency: She no longer felt Mother. There had been a heat, a great beast and its subtle noises as scales shifted or it had walked around the clutch, the occasional whispered word, and Vydi had known the heat, vibrations, and muffled words to be Mother.

But, for some time now, those had been gone. Vydi was concerned, and the bubbling feeling of dread only made her angry.

The hatchling coiled infant muscles, and pressed small, dull claws to the shell. Her claws dragged, and the shell flexed. Vydi's face did not exactly smile, but it did have a savage pleasure to it.

Now you are mine!

Vydi's small neck uncoiled and she used her nose, with its great reinforced axeblade shape, to punch the first crack. The swell of victory filled the hatchling, as she coiled and smashed again and again with her natural ram. There was faint light, orange light, fire! Fire like mother! Now she dug her claws in and pulled at it, and the shell gave way more. In a matter of seconds, the red hatchling ripped it to crunchy bits and tore herself into the world.

A proud little roar sounded around the cave, and Vydi waited for the answer. And waited. She set her feet to roar again, and heard a tinkling-- Scales! Vydi rounded on the noise... But saw only a few small golden rocks piled up, flat and round, very alike to each other. Her feet had shifted them, and her egg sat alone in pieces on the pile.

Vydi scowled. Foolish rocks, trying to trick me. You are very shiny, though... I will have my revenge later.

But then another sound, voices, weak and small, not like Mother's had been. They were not Mother. They should not be here. As Vydi turned from the direction they came from, she saw the cavern stretching down and forth, to the light she had glimpsed. Fire, yes, heat, but not her mother's. No. This was being carried.

The Hatchling scratched at the ground and lowered her head like a bull, ready to defend herself...

The cavern Vydirexi found herself in was obscured by darkness, the only source of light being the distant flicker of a flame that was slowly approaching.

Four figures illuminated by the torch light deliberately crept forwards, with wariness warn like a thick winter cloak. They finally paused when the torch shed light on the cavern floor.  Vydirexi had been mistaken.  There were not just a few tiny mounds of gold piled up.  Instead she and her egg had been nestled atop a veritable mountain of treasure.

The lead figure let out a shrill whistle in amazement.  He was much shorter and stockier than the rest of the party, wearing dark leathers and a multitude of weapons strapped to his body.  His twin braided beard swung wildly as he gestured with the torch and began babbling with excitement to his compatriots.

The next in line was a hulking woman in form fitting plate.  Her massive tower shield had been slightly lowered as she gaped in amazement at the hoard in front of her.  The deadly mace in her hand was still at the ready, as her training didn't permit her to lose all semblance of discipline.

The third was the least reserved of the bunch. This thin man's immaculate red robes fluttered wildly as he dashed up to the treasure hoard.  The blue tint of his skin and two rams horns protruding from his forehead gave away his otherworldly origin.

In stark contrast, the final member of the party remained cautiously in the back.  A young woman in fine chain held aloft a silver star, displaying it firmly in her stretched out hand.  Her dark brown hair waved side to side as she tried to pierce the darkness further out in the cave.

It seemed that Vydirexi had not yet been spotted.  Her small form and the limited range of the torch light had granted her a momentary protection from inquisitive eyes.
This message was last edited by the GM at 04:30, Sat 22 Jan 2022.

Vydi did not understand all of what was happening. She only knew that she was afraid, and that these creatures were not her mother. And to look up at those grand, towering mountains of gold... It stirred a dark and awful greed in her belly. If this was not the place she should not be, if this was indeed the cave of her mother, then the gold there was not. Theirs.

"Not yours!" She snarled from the darkness in the tongue that worked in her mind, the language of the dragons. Her small voice was coarse and, frankly, quite cute. Vydi snarled and leapt forward, and exhaled a burst of glorious flame quite harmlessly into the air between the eager stranger and the hoard. A warning, a threat display, for she was as big as they and only one of their number had real scales. Another did have a respectable coloring, though, that she found herself approving of.

"Leave! Leave or Mother will come!" It was as much a hope as a bluff. Mother, please come.

The small bout of fire had briefly illuminated the entire cave.  The four intruders were startled by the unexpected appearance- the robed tiefling even tumbled onto his backside.

The other three gave a more practiced response.  The fully armored woman surged to the front, with her tower shield providing a veritable wall against any future breath attack.  She issued a few short incomprehensible commands to the others, which caused the the dwarf to let out several harsh curses. He quickly drew his two long daggers and darted to the side in an attempt to encircle the young wyrmling.  All the while, the young priest began chanting, causing Vydirexi's scales to tingle as she sensed the power of the magic being channeled by the prayers.

It seemed that Vydirexi words had either not been understood or not heeded.

"LEAVE!" the wyrmling roared again, but with much more desperation now. Her eyes flitted to and fro, trying to keep track of the strange bipeds as they encircled her. The tingling in her scales was so strange, but she could do nothing to shake it.

Slowly, she backed up, a piece of her newly-broken eggshell crunching under one hindlimb. Vydi hissed, trying to breathe flame again, but expelled nothing but spittle and anger into the air.

All she could think to do now was make herself appear bigger, lowering her head and making the most of her serpentine neck, as well as spreading out her undeveloped wings overhead.

The baby dragon's heart was like thunder in the small ear holes below her horn crest, full of anger and fear.

The young priest finished her prayers and then pointed to the ceiling, conjuring forth a sphere of light that basked the entire cavern it its glow.  A massive amount of wealth was now on display.  Not only were there mounds of gold, but fiery opals and rubies shimmered in the light.  Artefacts and statues lay strewn about, including a beautifully polished sphere of rainbow obsidian, set on a wrought-gold stand.

The sight caused the the intruders to pause once more. But after having verified that the cavern was empty of any other threat, they moved with increased vigor towards the young wyrmling.

The tingle of magic that Vydirexi felt towards the young priest was now gone.  However, she now felt something different in it's place.  This something was much warmer.  Much more familiar. Her mother had built up her hoard over centuries, and had formed a powerful bond with it.  Vydirexi could sense the layers of magic that had been painstakingly pored over each and every coin in the cavern.  And although it was faint, she too had a bond with the hoard. She may just be able to use that connection to get her out of this situation.

Vydirexi bristled, still slowly retreating. The feeling of strength and heat in her belly was strange, but it was intoxicating and yet it was also... It was an emotion she hadn't a full understanding of yet. To feel so good, and yet so tainted by sorrow.

"Why won't you leave?!" the little dragon snarled pathetically. "And where... Where is..."

She was so confused. All she wanted was to run and to find her mother. Everything would be better then. Everything. If only she could get away...

Vydi looked up at the great mound of treasure where her mother must have rested, and the statues and artifacts scattered about.

In her rising panic, Vydi made the best choice she could think of: She willed the great piles to slough towards the enemies, making perilous rockslides of gold and gems that would surely knock over statues and perhaps the rainbow sphere, and then she tried to run for the cavern mouth.

Like a wave, the mound of treasure rolled down towards the startled invaders.  They tried to quickly retreat, but the shifting coins beneath their feet made the attempt fruitless.  Swiftly the mound engulfed the four, before coming to a stop.  While not causing any great harm, they were definitely immobilized for the time being.  The cursing of the dwarf echoed loudest in the cave.

After the tide had come to a rest, Vydirexi felt a wave of lethargy come over her, and the magic of the hoard seemed to fade.  Still, she powered on and made her way towards the exit.  Her untested wings, granted her just enough lift to jump and glide over the difficult terrain.

Reaching the exit, she found herself in a large hall of ancient worked stone, where a row of crumbling pillars supported the ceiling.  The comfortable warmth she felt in the previous room increased, as the temperature rose notably. Two additional exits lead off from this hall.  A northwestern tunnel glows a welcoming vermillion, and feels as the source of the heat.  The southern tunnel seems darker, but a faint wind can be felt blowing towards that direction.



Vydirexi suffers 1 level of Exhaustion

The panicking wyrmling wanted nothing more than to create space between herself and the danger, but the warmth filled her with a bit of comfort. She was so tired, already. Newly born, she should not have had to deal with this much in her first moments!

Faced with the choice, Vydi was briefly paralyzed. On the one hand, instinct told her that the flow of air led to freedom. But the heat and the red glow...

But if it was her mother, why hadn't she heard? Why hadn't she come? The possibilities swirled in her expanding mind, and Vydi's tail quivered with the implications. If she went there, she might find her mother. But... She may not like what that means. And she could box herself in.

But Vydirexi was brave. She had to know.

Running as fast as her exhausted little legs could carry her, Vydi headed for the northwest tunnel.

Turning the corner, Vydirexi can see into the next chamber.  The worked stone falls away, and a large pool of lava greets her with even more intense heat.  There are thin cracks in the ceiling above where vapors are escaping, but no sign of any other exit.

A strange hum and flicker of light caused Vydirexi to glance behind her.  There, in the previous room, a shimmering line formed into the outline of a large rectangle. Immediately after it's completion, there was a cacophony of noise as a pile of gold and the body of the tiefling spilled out onto the floor.

He looked much worse for wear, with his brilliant robe now ripped and wrinkled.  His eyes darted around until he spotted the young red.  Seething with anger he began casting another incantation while still prone on the floor.

The wyrmling looked back at the tiefling, his horns and red robes subtly confusing her senses. Surely she should associate these with good things, but he wasn't making that possible.

So Vydi hissed, spread her wings, and leapt forward. She hoped she might catch an updraft and glide it to the vent above, but her inexperience with flying was rapidly becoming obvious...

I rolled a 1.

The swift currents of the wind caught Vydirexi unprepared, battering her to and fro.  She over shot her initial target, landing on the ceiling slightly beyond the open vent.

Taking this opportunity, the tiefling finished his fiendish chanting, unleashing his power towards the young wyrmling. A wave of emotional energy envelopes Vydirexi, as she begins to hear a friendly, but indiscernible voice in the back of her mind.



Vydirexi needs to make a DC 15 Wisdom save with Advantage.

Vydi hit the cavern roof like a red rock,  clonking her hard little head. Fortunately, hard was the operative descriptor, and Vydi quickly shook off the disorientation. She kept her wings out and began trying to creep forwards, to the vent.

The strange voice in the back of her head tickled. It was a surreal feeling. But she did not trust it. Could not trust it. No, she needed to refuse the voice, whatever its intentions and desires!

Got a 31 on 2d20 because I'm dumb, as described in the OOC thread. Still, means that I got a 16 minimum on one of the dice!

Vydirexi will was strong enough to overcome the temptation of the voice, promptly breaking the magical connection, and silencing it.

Free from the befuddlement, the hatchling was able to scamper behind cover, and escape into the small crevasse.  Squeezing and pushing through the jagged rocks, she finally breached the surface.  A vast open sky and the radiant sun greeted the little wyrmling for the very first time.  The crack she had escaped from appeared to be just a small part on the side of massive mountain that was a semi-active volcano.

The wyrmling looked back and up at the colossal mountain, absorbing in the moment how truly great and powerful her mother must be. Or, more likely by the moment, must have been...

But ahead of her stretched blue skies, unknown lands, and the hope of survival. She could not stay here, not with the adventurers. If her mother returned, as Vydi hoped she still might,  the wyrmling was confident she would know from many leagues away. The anger of a red dragon, after all, was not known for being subtle.

But for now, distance. Distance and safety. There was not even time enough to appreciate the warmth of the sun and the sheer grandeur of the open sky, much as her little heart wished to stand in awe of both.

Vydirexi spread out her gliding wings, and began to coast and scarper down the volcano towards the wilderness, knowing only that danger was behind her, and the road lay out ahead.

The land immediately surrounding the lonely volcano is a barren wasteland- a direct result of Vydirexi's mother's dominion.  Her mere presence made the temperature rise drastically, causing the nearby vegetation to wither and die.  A simple glimpse of her shadow was enough to frighten all beasts, causing them to flee from her domain.

A semblance of normalcy only begins to return about a mile out from the mountain.  There, a sparse amount of flora slowly grows more dense until it eventually builds up into a massive forest.

Vydirexi hastily made her way through the wasteland, trying to put distance between herself and the four dangerous adventurers.  Luckily it seemed like her tricks and narrow escape were enough to throw them off her tracks- at least for now.  She reached the forest edge with little trouble, granting her some modicum safety.

However, as her adrenalin finally began to wear off, her body began to scream its needs to her.  First, she was exhausted.  Hatchlings, even dragon hatchlings, weren't supposed to be moving around so desperately right after being born.  That's not even mentioning the backlash she received from channeling her mother's magic.

Secondly, she was starving.  Usually the first thing a wyrmling does after it hatches is eat.  And usually that meal is provided by the parent.  In Vydirexi's case, she used up an exorbitant amount of energy and has to rely on her self to hunt.

Now she desperately needs to solve these two problems.

Vydi's stomach was growling so hard it was almost drowning out the rest of the world. If she didn't know it was coming from inside of her, she might have thought another dragon was prowling nearby - mixed bag as that would be.

Her muscles were leaden, her heart was heavy, and her belly was empty. It had been a really awful hatching day, Vydirexi decided, knowing full-well that she had no context for that. She was utterly confident that it was true, all the same.

All the hatchling could try to do was continue into the forest, slowed by her exhaustion. As it turned out, a baby dragon crashing through underbrush and stepping on every crunchy leaf in the forest wasn't conducive to finding food...

I got a 2.

Vydirexi's noisy hunt for food faired quite poorly.  In her weakened and inexperienced state, she was unable to find anything worth eating for most of the afternoon.  Just as the sun was beginning to set, she spotted a lone almiraj nibbling on some berries in a clearing.  With a jolt of youthful exuberance, she charged recklessly at the prey with no strategy whatsoever.

The hare-like creature flicked its long ears in agitation as it immediately noticed the dangerous predator, and quickly leapt away.  It's zig-zagging pattern left the fledgling dragon floundering behind, and soon vanished out of sight.

That left Vydirexi alone in a clearing with a few bushels containing some bright orange berries.  They didn't appear to be particularly appetizing to the young wyrmling, but the almiraj was eating them.  And there were a decent number of them.

Vydi snuggled grumpily after the strange little creature expertly evaded her. Yes, the almiraj had been brilliant, that was surely it. A paragon of its kind, taking advantage of her weariness. It definitely wasn't that Vydirexi had messed up.

Meat, particularly fire-roasted meat, had sounded more alluring than anything. It still flooded her mouth with saliva at the mere thought, but... Food was good. And she was a dragon, after all! What couldn't she eat, in a pinch?

Vydi moved to the abandoned berry bush and ate a mouthful of the berries. It would take a great deal of restraint, but the hatchling decided to wait a short while to see if the mouthful made her stomach turn.

Chomping down on the berries led to an eruption of bitterness in Vydirexi's mouth.  The plump fruits were full of juice that squirted out, stinging the sides of her mouth.   Luckily, the onslaught on her taste buds did not last all that long, with the initial sharp burst fading into blandness.

After waiting a while, her stomache gave no sign of discomfort, except for those hunger pains she had already been experiencing.  The paltry mouthful of berries had barely provided any satiety to the wrymling.  So while they were by no means pleasant, they didn't appear to be harmful.

Vydi didn't know what food tasted like. She'd never had any meat, or vegetables, or fruits, or mushrooms, or even water. All she had ever tasted was the fluid in her egg and her own mouth. But this? This, she decided, is not what food should taste like.

In spite of that, it was what she had.

Vydi began to clean the bush of berries, chomping through the branches and swallowing the leaves and wood when she had to if it meant more berries in her hungry, desperate little mouth.

And with every bite, she pretended she was chomping something off that tiefling. That added a visceral pleasure, and getting something resembling sustenance in her tummy became so much easier with vengeance involved.

The meal, while unsatisfying in taste, was at least enough to stave off Vydirexi's hunger.  However, the day's struggles finally caught up with her- she desperately required sleep.  Earlier in the day, she had spotted a fallen ancient oak, resting against a boulder like a giant lean-to. Like a zombie she meandered her way back through the forest, barely keeping here draconic eye lids open.

Upon reaching the decaying tree, she snuggled up into the nook provided, wrapped her tail around her body, and immediately went to sleep.  Fretful dreams, and out of a comfortable layer, meant that her rest was less than ideal.  However, her body was exhausted enough that she still slept for a day and a half.

Finally, Vydirexi began to stir on the new day.  She stretched out, and found herself in a much better condition. She had some soreness from the uncomfortable sleep, and she was still a bit hungry, but her body wasn't screaming at her like it was previously.

A whole new world awaits this fledgling dragon.  So what is she to do?

You are no longer exhausted.

Vydi's fitful, heavy sleep was welcome, in its way. But she still felt so cold, out there in the unknown, far from the molten creche where she had first gained awareness inside of her egg. Her dreams lacked shape, more the emotions of her first day in the world replaying over and over and over...

But she woke up, and she was alive. Hungry again, but quite alive. And... Quite alone.

I miss you, shell, she decided, and her whiplike tail drooped in response. Then the fire in her belly smoldered hotter, and a new sense of determination filled the wyrmling. But I will defeat this day.

Vydi looked for a good tall tree, and climbed to the top of it with her hardening claws to take a proper survey of the world she had awoken to. Special attention, of course, towards the volcano lair - in the dim hope that her mother now prowled the skies.

Vydirexi had no trouble ascending to the top of the tree.  An instinctual feeling of satisfaction bubbled up inside her as looked out across the sea of trees.  High up in the sky, with the wind blowing gently across her scales as she looked down on the world, was wear a dragon naturally belonged to be.

From her vantage she was able to get a good read on the nearby area.  To the west was the lonely volcano.  Towering high into the sky, it was by far the most prominent feature in the region- a fitting throne for an ancient red dragon.

To the south and east, the forest seems to continue on to the edge of the horizon.  At the very limit of her vision to the south, she can just about make out a what appears to be a massive tree sticking out amongst the surrounding woodland.

To the north the trees go for a little ways before abruptly cutting off.  Beyond the tree line, a large body of water stretches are far as her eyes can see.

Surprisingly, while high up in the tree, Vydirexi was unable to see any signs of life in her immediate vicinity.  On the forest floor, she saw a variety of insects and the tracks of small creatures.  However, not a single bird or monster seems to be present above the trees.

It was a heady feeling, surveying a domain. It wasn't her domain, but near enough for the feeling of elation. It was just... There was the feeling again. The tainted joy. It reminded her of the berries. Vydi's tail wrapped unconsciously around the trunk as she peered about, as she might have wrapped it around one of her mother's gargantuan forelimbs. The baby dragon was having a very hard time making peace with the idea that, perhaps, her mother was already long gone. Either geographically, or... Something a great deal more permanent.

It's so cold out here, she thought, recalling the intense and welcoming heat of the lava vent, and of the hoard. I wish I could go home...

But that wasn't wise. With no sign of her mother, the strangers were undoubtedly taking their time gathering all of the great treasures Vydi's mother had gathered. And although on a fundamental, instinctual level she knew that it was likely not her mother's only hoard, thus not her only lair. Vydirexi suspected, however, that if her egg had been there, it must have been one of the most important.

The great water interested her. She was thirsty, and she suspected prey would be thirsty too. Perhaps that meant meat. And at least, compared to the other two landmarks she could presently see, it was the least threatening. Not that she knew what sea monsters were, of course. Or the sea, for that matter.

Vydirexi spread her little wings out, their span roughly eight feet from tip to tip, and leapt forward from the treetop. With a manic flurry of flapping, she took to the air. Now that was a pure feeling: Command of the sky, a dragon's natural place in the order of the world, going where she pleased. With a bit less sorrow hiding beneath her iron scales, the wyrmling swooped and dove over the forest and headed for the great water to the north.

Vydirexi's journey to the coast was rather uneventful.  The calm winds and lack of distractions, however, did give her plenty of time to stretch her wings and practice her maneuverability.  After a few short rests, and half a day's time her destination finally came into sight.

The trees give way to a rocky cliff face that drops 50 feet down to the sea below.  Six foot high waves crash ceaselessly against the rock wall. The smell of saltwater is thick in the air.  Looking to the left and right, the coast curves northward, enveloping the sea, giving the idea that this must be a massive bay on the ocean. At the far eastern point of the cape, a collection of structures are barely visible sitting on the coastline.


As far as wildlife goes, a few snails can be seen hanging on the cliff at water level, and a few schools of tiny fish are swimming further our in the sea.

Vydi really hadn't expected that salty smell. It was pleasant, in its way, but the chill of ocean spray made her a bit uncomfortable. The whole world really needed to warm up - or she needed to learn to make bigger fires.

Hello, tiny shells, the wyrmling thought, looking at the snails slowly oobling their way around. The dragon's mouth opened to reveal her powerful crushing jaws, and a salivating tongue.

CRUNCH

Goodbye, tiny shells.

With that modest aperitif in her tum-tum, the wyrmling took to the skies again, sticking to the shoreline so she could land and rest when she needed to. The sea was impressive, but she didn't like the thought of trying to make the whole flight over it.

Off she flew towards the faintly-visible structures at the cape's edge, curious what or who she might find.

After the quick snack, Vydirexi took flight once more, following the coastline towards the distant structures.  During the journey, she was able to pick off a few more defenseless, delicious, delicacies.  The steep cliff gradually evened out until the waves were just gently rolling over a flat rocky beachhead.

An hour into her flight, she could finally get a good grasp of what the structures were- the ruins of a small village.  It appears that most of the two dozen or so wooden structures fell to a great fire years ago.  Even the few building still left standing had blown out roofs and collapsed walls. A half submerged pier stretched out into the sea where two sunken galleys remained moored to it.  Only their broken masts and raised forecastles remained visible above the waterline.

But the biggest sign of destruction was found in the center of the village, where it looks like the largest structure had been burnt down to ashes.  Even the limestone rocks that served as it's foundation had been melted to glass.

There were no points for guessing what had happened there, but it made Vydi bare her teeth happily. The man-sized wyrmling sniffed the air as she glided nearer and nearer to the village, wondering about what might still be there, if anything.

The hatchling had a simple plan:

1. Find a vantage near the village, maybe a tree, to survey it safely.

2. Provided nothing obviously threatening presented itself, head down and make a quick circuit of the periphery.

3. Search the ruins for a place to sleep, a bite to eat, and fresh water. The salty stuff smelled too funny, she didn't want to even try it. And, of course, if the search procured some shiny things...

Focus, Vydirexi! She commanded herself.Water first, shiny second.

The wyrmling took one last rest before taking off again to begin Operation: Shiny Things and Other Stuff.

Vydirexi found a perch on a sturdy tree and began to watch over the ruin for any signs of trouble.  Her surveillance continued for some time, but no movement of any sort could be seen.

Moving on to phase two, she swooped around the outskirts trying to get a better idea of the village's layout and other details.  Almost immediately she started to find the remains of the village's occupants.  Charred humanoid skeletons in a variety of shapes lay strewn about the village proper.  The few uncharred corpses seemed to being missing large portions of their bodies.  Small plants were starting to overgrow in different places, as it looks like nature was trying to reclaim back this land.  But once again, nothing dangerous

Searching closer around the ruin, she discovered a few interesting tidbits.
- A freshwater well was situated on the far end of the village, although the pulley had long since broken.

-A few tiny rats, of which Vydirexi was able to snatch up one of before the other fled into the rubble.

-The remains of the bodies were vastly different from each other.  There were skeletons of humanoids, quadrupeds, and even birds, all ranging in size and skull shape.  One of most preserved bodies looked like a human, but with a bird's head.

-The uncollapsed buildings seemed to have been previously looted and ransacked.  The only "shinnies" she found on her first cursory look was a bunch of broken or rusted metal tools and weapons, a handful of copper pieces, and one silver teapot with a moderate dent in it.

-In the largest ruin, it appears like some debris had been moved to the side and stacked, revealing an open trap door with a staircase leading down into darkness.

With a belly full of yummy rat, Vydi gathered up the bits of copper she had found and plonked them loudly into the teapot, which she places in the most whole building she could find. In particular, one with a hearth she could start a fire in would be the best choice. It was time to feel warm!

Vydi crawled carefully down into the well to drink her fill of fresh water, and then returned to the trap door. This was, clearly, too interesting to leave alone.

Relying on her natural ability to see in the dark, Vydi prowled forward down the stairs and up onto one of the walls, using her claws to anchor her safely off the ground as she explored into the unknown.

As Vydirexi follows the staircase as it spirals downward, she begins to hear the faint sloshing of water.  Twenty feet down, she is greeted with the sight of a small circular cave, about 40 feet in diameter. The floor is flooded with water that continues to ebb and flow, suggesting that it must be connected to the nearby sea in some manner.

The cavern walls are engraved with strange tentacled beasts and unknown glyphs.  In the far back of the room is an alter, partially submerged, but completely unrotten. On the top of the alter lays a ruby encrusted silver chalice and a long, wicked knife with a matching ruby set in its pommel.

Three bodies lay about the cavern.  Although water logged and decaying, they seem much fresher than any of the corpses above ground.  The two closest were human, both wearing patchwork leathers under tattered green robes.  Each carried a pack on their shoulders.  The obvious sign of death seemed to be massive bite wounds inflicted upon both.

The third body was a monstrosity leaning against the alter.  This towering creature would likely be 8 ft. tall standing, and while it was mostly human from the neck down, it had a fishlike head with sharp teeth and a dorsal fin protruding from its back.  It had two arrows jutting out from its chest.

Vydirexi didn't comprehend that she was coming upon the scene of a couple likely adventurers' demise, sad as it was for them. They were dead bipedals, which she found quite agreeable after her first two days hatched had been so severely shaped by such things.

The hatchling remained clinging to the cavern walls as she approached the altar. Those treasures, especially their lustrous red, called to her inner flame - and as long as she got them back up top without trouble, she intended to come back for the dead humanoids belongings, as well. Perhaps their packs would contain something tasty, or more treasure!

As Vydirexi was just about to get in range of the treasures, the monstrosity reacted.  It's white eyes rolled forward revealing two icy blue orbs that locked onto the young wyrmling.

"Vythrantra," it growled out in a heavily accented voice.  Slowly the creature rose to its feet, its glare never leaving Vydirexi.  In a louder voice it screamed in anger, "***** ***** * ***** ****** *** ****** Vythrantra!"


Roll Initiative

Vydi dug her claws into the cavern wall more furiously, causing thin cracks across the surface as instinct took over.

The hatchling braced, lowered her head towards the stone as if a charging bull again, and prepared her answer with word and flame.

"VYDIREXI!" She roared at the fishy monstrosity, unleashing a blast of flame with true gusto, a far cry from her warning shot at the adventurers.

17 on Initiative, 16 Fire damage with my weapon pending its Dex save! I'll move as close as I need to get it in the cone.

Vydirexi lights up the entire cavern with her breath, and the monstrosity recoils in terror from the flames.  It is able to partially hide behind the alter, reducing the severity of the burns.

Seeming surprised at how little damage he took, the monstrocity returns its glare back onto the wyrmling and jumps at her.  Its arms outstretched, he tries to pull her into its massive maul to take a bite out a wing.  However, Vydirexi is too nimble, and swiftly evades.

19 Save
6 Attack
This message was last edited by the GM at 07:04, Mon 24 Jan 2022.

Vydi was thankful for her strange orientation, which was probably what made it so difficult for the piscine humanoid to get hold of her.

The little dragoness felt an anger building deep inside her, and the fire filled her belly again - then bathed the cavern once more in red, intense light as it roared forth from her jaws.

Got a 6 on breath recharge, 15 damage before save!
This message was last edited by the player at 07:12, Mon 24 Jan 2022.

The monstrocity cries out once more "Vythrantra!" and makes no effort to defend himself from the flames as he tries to take another chomp out  Vydirexi.  As a result, he takes a full on blast of dragon breath, severely wounding the creature.

However, it still pushes through the pain and lands an attack of his own, mauling the dragon, and ripping off some of her scales.

The creature looks severely battered, but the madness in its eyes shows its unwillingness to back down.

Dex save: 3
Bite Attack 21
Bite Damage: 5 Piercing

It was terribly satisfying, giving something that wanted to hurt her a scorching bodyscrub of deadly flame. Less satisfying was when the fishman kept coming and used its big, freaky, not-at-all-draconic teeth to damage some of her beautiful scales!

The fire was not forthcoming a third time in such quick succession, so Vydi simply snarled, "My name is Vydirexi, and I bite back!"

Her serpentine neck allowed her to thrust her face at the strange humanoid, flesh-tearing and bone-crushing fangs snapping shut hard when she thought it would hurt worst.

Bite Attack: 21
Bite Damage: 8 Piercing

Vydirexi lands a devastating bite, tearing a sizeable chunk of flesh from the fishman's body.  Black ichor flows from the wound and the glow in the creature's eyes begins to fade.  It falls to its knees before collapsing face first onto the water filled floor.

Combat is over.

Vydi finally let go of the wall. In hindsight, she was glad nobody had seen this first foray into violence; she must have looked a little odd, so much of her body drooping sideways the whole fight. And now her neck hurt where the fishman's teeth had found purchase, which wasn't fun.

She splashed down on top of the corpse, standing atop it much more like the conquering dragoness that she saw in her mind's eye.

As Vydi considered these things, she began to chew and eventually swallowed the fatal mouthful, determining if the creature would be good to eat.

And then, once finished sampling the meat, Vydi continued to the altar and claimed her prizes. Were these my mother's? She wondered. Is she called Vythranta?

As long as nothing horrible happened when she touched the chalice and knife,  Vydi planned to haul them back upstairs to her temporary dwelling. Then she would return for the erstwhile adventurers' packs and, if he was edible, her first real kill. It would take a few trips, she imagined, especially on the spiral stairs and having to balance on only three feet while she pulled their packs off or dragged the body, but it would be worth it to have a better shot at living.

And then, assuming all of that went well? She had earned a rest.

Just to clarify: Taking the altar items upstairs as long as they don't do anything unexpected. Then coming down for the packs and the fishman, if he's safe to eat, and finally settling into one of the buildings for a Short Rest. That was fun. =)

The bite she took from the monstrosity tasted rancid and of decay, probably not the best thing to be eating.

Vydirexi had no trouble with the chalice and dagger, but the first pack she dragged up the stairs ripped, and scattered their contents down below.  She gathered the more shiny pieces, as well as the second pack, and made her way back to the makeshift hide away.  Opening the pack, she did a quick inventory of first ever plundered prize.

The packs contained some standard adventuring supplies such as rope, torches, moldy rations, flint rocks, and a bedroll.  They also contained a few random objects that had been looted from the ruin.  They included a copper sextant, a scrimshaw drawling of a boat on a whale's tooth, and a neckless with a moonstone pendent.  In addition, they had a pouch containing 33gp and 2sp.

That's all in addition to the silvered chalice and masterwork dagger.

"Didn't know my name, didn't taste good, hurt my scales - I'm glad you're dead," Vydirexi scowled at the fish man on her way back up. The torn pack was frustrating, but she salvaged the things which called to her treasure lust and that would have to be enough.

Back in her abandoned hut, Vydi spread out the bedroll and coiled herself up on it while she took inventory.

The rope could be useful, if only to secure her things. Torches obviously weren't necessary; she made her own fire, and she had seen how weak their light was in the lair. Those, the moldy rations and the flint stones were tossed out of her small and drafty abode. The sextant was fascinating, and she spent some minutes looking through its lenses with no real conception of how to operate it. The scrimshaw likewise merited some of her attention, being an odd thing. The size of the tooth piqued Vydi's interest; had this been from a dragon? Truly a wonder.

She put the necklace and the coin into her dented silver teapot, where they added up to a satisfyingly weighty collection of precious metals and gems. The full teapot went into the surviving pack, and she laid her scaly head on top of it. She imagined Vythranta doing the same, with the great mountains of ruby and gold, and felt a little tingle of connection. Although, Vydi realized, she didn't even know what her mother had looked like.

While she rested, the hatchling closely examined the chalice and the knife, curious what made them uniquely worthy of placement on the strange aquatic altar.

Spending 1HD for my short rest, rolled an 8+3 for Con.

After Vydirexi's short little adventure and afternoon nap, she noticed the skies start to darken, signaling that it was nearing the day's end.

Examining the chalice and dagger closer did reveal a few more details.  The interior of the chalice seemed be stained slightly red from continual use, but the exterior remained well maintained and polished- even though it was in such a damp environment.

The ceremonial knife had also maintained a keen edge and had a few unrecognizable glyphs engraved on the blade near the hilt.

Vydi felt the pain of the bite ease, and that was a welcome surprise. She healed quite quickly, surely a side effect of the inherent magic of the draconic breed and not a convenient function of reality. Yes, surely it was just a dragon thing, that's what Vydi concluded.

Making sure her small collection of useful and sparkly items were tucked into the old, soggy pack and hiding it in the hearth, she went out hunting in the early dusk, hoping to get some game now she was so much farther from the mountain. If that failed, however, some foraging would suffice.

Went ahead and rolled Survival, got an 18!

Vykdirexi set out for a hunt once more.  With the combination of not being desperate and having some experience from the previous day, this attempt was much more successful.

It also helped that the further she traveled away from the volcano, the more that wildlife appeared.  Still, the only creatures she had spotted so far have been insects and small herbivores.

After 30 minutes of searching, she found another clearing with patches of those bitter orange berries.  Knowing that those horned rabbits enjoyed eating them, Vydirexi laid in wait, letting the prey come to her.

In the twilight of the day, a single almiraj appeared cautiously, and begin to nibble on the proffered fruits.  With the horned rabbit still unaware, Vydirexi took the opportunity to pounce, and snapped its neck in one clean bite.  She had successfully hunted her first truly satisfying meal, with over 60 pounds of meat to show for it.

THAT'S A BIG BUNNY. I'm going to outline how I see the rest of her night going, but if anything happens then obviously that takes precedence!

Vydirexi was utterly thrilled! Snails and the rat had been decent, the berries were vile but kept her alive, but this creature? This was something real!

She hauled her catch back to the village, and returned to her shelter. There, she removed the treasure sack from its hidey-hole in the dilapidated cottage's hearth, and set about to quickly gather some old, dry timber from the ruins.

The wyrmling prepared the hearth for a fire, as much as she could at least, and exhaled a gust of flames to get herself a nice, crackling fire going. Curled up in the halo of warmth her bedroll, Vydi began to tear hunks off of her kill, then breathe more, less powerful gusts of flame to sear the meat clamped in her jaws.

Yes, this is what eating should be, Vydirexi purred to herself, savoring the savory and succulent flavors as blood and juices ran down her throat from the cooked game. Then went down the meat itself, and Vydi could only luxuriate in the feeling of true fullness as only meat could provide to a predator such as herself.

Vydi ate her fill of the almiraj, and then curled tighter and draped her wing over her scaly face to settle in for a restful night's sleep.

At least, she hoped it would be.

With a full stomach, a serviceable shelter, a fire, and her little hoard as comfort, Vydirexi was able to get a deep and peaceful sleep for the very first time.

She awoke mid-morning the next day, just as the embers from her modest fire began to die out.  With a new day to look forward to, and finding herself in relatively safe environment (at least for now), Vydirexi needed to figure out what she wanted to do.

As the sun came through the holes in her shelter walls, the future was more and more on Vydirexi's mind. The village was safe so far, and the almiraj were an excellent food source for the time being, but subsistence was not the way of a true dragon. Eventually she would want a real lair. Perhaps even the lair of her mother, if Vythranta was gone as she appeared to be, but the volcano was too grand a throne and, currently, too vulnerable of one. Not to mention the logistics: It had been a great effort to fly out this far, and Vythranta must have ranged much farther still just to hunt - if she hunted at all and hadn't kept the service of minions for that, which Vydi suspected was likely. Being brought food sounded spectacular, as stimulating as the hunting had been.

But that helped sharpen her priorities. She had to leave this place for a more complex, fulfilling life eventually, and that meant travel. The biggest limiting factor getting to the village in the first place had been her wings: They were still new, and her body wasn't prepared for this level of exertion compared to how much nutrition it was receiving. Likewise, her hunting had been a mixed bag, even though she did ultimately find the orange berries that would make future Almiraj hunting easier.

So the wyrmling got up from her bedding, stretched forward like a cat with her tongue extended, and got to work.

Over the next several days, Vydi set up a routine for herself. First, she would snuff the fire in her nest, so the smoke wouldn't give her location away. Then she would check that her treasures were all accounted for - this was extremely important. Treasures were then placed into the pack, tied up tight with the rope, and hidden in the nest.

After protecting her belongings, Vydi would go for a morning hunt. The light of early day made it easier to hunt from the sky, which went hand in hand with the work that occupied the bulk of her time: Practicing flying to strengthen her wings. Every minute on the ground or in a treetop was a vulnerable minute, and the farther she could fly without a breather, the better.

If her hunt was a success or once she was too exhausted from flying circles over the forest and coast to keep going, Vydi would return to the village around midday - when her shadow was starkest on the forest floor anyway, making for poor hunting. If there was still food leftover or her hunt succeeded, she would eat again (a hatchling had to eat as much as she could, Vydi reasoned, to grow larger), drink from the well, and then spend time investigating the village. The panoply of humanoid remains suggested that a variety of creatures had lived here, and she was interested in learning about them. She was also interested, of course, in more treasure.

On days that the hunt succeeded and she wasn't too tired yet, Vydi would brave the sunken ships for their unknown contents, and to practice holding her breath. She tried not to spend too much time swimming; clawing her way along the collapsed docks and hulls, and flying when she could, was much preferable.

After a good couple of hours searching, the hatchling would check on her treasures and then treat herself to a nap.

Upon waking, more flight practice and an evening hunt. If the day had been a complete failure, then she would suffer the orange berries. Eating a lousy meal was better than being hungry, and drinking water helped purge the taste.

Once the evening hunt ended, Vydi would return to her nest, light a fresh fire to sleep by, and once again check on and admire her treasures. Then, she would go back to sleep.

Every day that passed, she imagined what might be found at the great tree she had seen. That's where she would go next, when her wings could take her far enough.
This message was last edited by the player at 04:52, Tue 25 Jan 2022.

Vydirexi gained some valuable experience over the course of the week.  At first her hunting was hit or miss, but eventually she was able to capture a total of four almiraj over her various outings.  There was also a day that a giant grab had been roaming on the nearby beach, so Vydirexi was able to supplement her meals with some delicious sea food.

Her flight training also showed great benefits.  Her endurance rose slightly, and she began to feel comfortable with more nimble and precise maneuvers- although there was still plenty of room for improvement.

Her hunt through the ruins did not fair so well.  Other than a few more loose copper pieces, she only discovered a broken comb set with a green cat's eye agate.  At the very least, none of her treasures disappeared after every time she counted them.

The shipwreck dives faired even more poorly for our young wyrm.  Swimming did not come naturally to red dragons, and she struggled to overcome her instincts while underwater.  Her strategy of pulling herself along with her claws, while more effective, was still inefficient.  She was unable to do more than get just a cursory look on the ships before she ran out of breath.  Sadly, it seems like the previous looters had checked the ships out as well.  It would take a lot more training for her to become proficient in the water.

At the end of the week, and after two successful days of hunting in a row, Vydirexi found herself overstuffed and brimming with vitality.  That night she entered a deep slumber for three days, at the end of which she found herself significantly stronger!

CR up!  Head to Draconic Advancement to make your selections

Vydirexi felt good. The long rest was refreshing in a wholly different way than mere sleep, and reminded her of how she felt in her egg, consciousness developing as her scales formed and her awareness began to blossom. When she awoke, all her muscles felt tighter, more developed. The scales which had been scraped off were back, and all of them felt sturdier. Not harder, per se, just... More. Vydi was utterly pleased with the feeling.

Thus, it felt like an auspicious time to travel onward. She would remember this little village, and perhaps return if the journey proved a bit too difficult or the wyrmling couldn't find a worthy new place to dwell in the places she went next, but it was with a certain wistfulness that she took a last prowl around the blasted ruins.

One could only hope there was more evidence of Vythranta elsewhere. Maybe even something to indicate her survival and location. But Vydi did not fare to hope too much.

"Goodbye, village," Vydi announced to the breeze, a little fuller and deeper of voice than she had been, and much more comfortable with making the Draconic words. "Reclaim yourself to the trees, let the water and salt forget what was. Vydirexi will remember you, but you will not remember her."

With farewells said to her first safe place, Vydi put her pack of treasures together (now including the broken comb set with agate) and tied the bedroll to it carefully, using the rope to hold the entire package together firmly. Vydirexi couldn't wear it like the bipeds did, so she wanted to make absolutely sure it wouldn't slide from her while she flew.

Vydi slipped the straps and loops of rope over her neck, and spun it around to rest on her small spinal ridge between the dragoness's wings.

Then Vydi took off, flying back towards the great tree she had seen almost two weeks prior.

Vydirexi took flight, and headed in the direction she remembered that towering tree was located.  Her hoard slowed her progress significantly, however.  The backpack was obviously made with humanoids in mind, and while her makeshift method left it secure, it was awkward and left her unbalanced.

Still her journey progressed smoothly, and she was able to score another horned rabbit for dinner on the first day of the trip.  Interestingly, she spotted a pack of wolves on the morning of the next day.  They were the first predators in the forest she had spotted up to this point, but they bolted into the overgrowth the second her shadow appeared over head.

By midday, she had sight of the giant tree once again, and with a clear direction she hastened her journey.  As she moved closer, she noticed the forest itself starting to become more lively.  More flowers were blooming, the vegetation was growing thicker, and even the leaves on the trees themselves started to become a more vibrant shade of green.

On the third morning, she estimated that she was less than a half days travel left.  On her flight, she spotted two of the largest beasts she had ever laid her eyes on.  A pair of large elk, each with flowers woven into their antlers, could be seen grazing on some of the greenery.  Upon noticing Vydirexi, they became slightly skittish, but still continued to eat.

Vydi was irritated by the challenge of carrying something in flight, but she certainly wasn't going to abandon her nascent hoard. It was special to her, and it was coming with even if that made life harder. If nothing else, it would be good to improve her aerial balance and help develop strength.

The creatures below, as Vydi soared overhead, absolutely fascinated the wyrmling. As was the growing beauty of the forest. She sensed that, most likely, this meant that the magic of Vythranta was fading. That made her very sad. But even knowing that? Vydi found herself thinking it was all quite beautiful - in its own way.

She had been tempted to pursue the wolves, wondering if they might have the intelligence to speak being predators like her, but they were too quick to disappear into the undergrowth.

The elk were a much different story. The flowers woven into their antlers, large and deadly, that was decorative! These must be intelligent! And they didn't bolt, either, that was something.

Vydi circled around until she found a good place to come down near them, squarely in the elks' sightlines, and then flapped and flapped to control the way down for herself until her claws met the verdant floor. Vydi began to approach slowly, hoping she wouldn't scare them away.

"Do you speak?" The wyrmling asked curiously when it seemed they wouldn't allow her to get any closer, her head cocked to one side. "I like your flower horns."

Vydirexi's nearby landing and enthusiastic greeting startled the pair of creatures.  Instinctually, they leapt back a few yards and began to give off a low pitch bugle call.

A few moments later, two new humanoids arrived in the clearing in an instant.  This came as a surprise to Vydirexi, as she was completely unable to track or sense their arrival.

Both of these new creatures were rather otherworldly in appearance.  They both wore a set of clothes and cloaks that seemed to be made out of the leaves themselves.  Each had a longbow drawn and a scimitar at their side.  They both also had a very noticeable pair of long pointed ears and sported a lithe figure.  But that's were the similarities ended.

The one on the left was obviously female, and had faintly orange skin with matching amber hair and eyes.  She radiated a sense of calm about her, even with her weapon drawn.

Her partner was male with pale blue skin.  He had azure eyes and hair which seemed almost frozen in place.  He had a more somber presence.

Together they looked at Vydirexi in shock.  After a moment, the male questioned the female using a very lyrical language.  The female gave a quick response back, before she turned to face Vydirexi squarely.  Lowering her head, she began to kneel, and in heavily accented draconic, she said, "Greeting's, your Highness."

Vydirexi was taken aback - literally, she bounced backwards a couple of feet - by the bugle call of the decorated elk. She braced for danger, claws digging into the soft grass and head lowering for battle.

But when the call was answered, it was not by danger, as she had feared. At least, not for certain. She watched the humanoids move and interact with one another, and kept special eye on their tools. That, she had determined, is what they used to compensate for a lack of strong jaws and sharp claws. At least these two were not so covered in metal as the adventurers she had dealt with, and they did not appear to be interested in chasing her like the tiefling if she chose to depart. That was a small comfort. She also liked their colors, although felt bad that they hadn't been graced with the inherent majesty of the best color: Red.

The baby dragon's confusion when the female knelt and spoke her language surprised Vydi so much that she lifted her head back up and cocked it to the side.

"Why are you on the ground?" She asked curiously. "Are you preparing to charge me? Without any horns?" Encouraged by the sound of words she understood, Vydirexi took a few careful steps towards the unknowns. "And what did you say to each other in that... Singing tongue?"

The two newcomers glanced at each other, before turning back towards Vydirexi.  The woman once again was the one to reply in draconic, "To answer your Highness's questions in order:  We prostrate ourselves on the ground as a sign of respect and subservience to your Highness.  We would never dream of hurting you."  Her accent sounded strange, as if she couldn't put enough weight or fierceness in words as draconic required.

"That 'singing tongue' as you put it was Sylvan, the language of the fey.  And we were just merely expressing our surprise at your Highness's unexpected visit."

Lowering her head once more and remaining in that position, she added, "These two servants are ready, and await your command."

Vydirexi was... Puzzled. A bit excited, yes, but puzzled. Part of her basked in their deference, a deep instinctual response to being treated with the reverence due to a dragon. Another, however, the innocent curiosity of youth perhaps, or maybe a little kernel of kindness that most Red Dragons weren't allowed to carry into adulthood, couldn't stand to just let this pass without clarification.

"I am not Vythranta," she began, as if it wasn't hilariously obvious that she wasn't a castle-crushing ancient monster who could drive the life from entire forests by her mere presence. "I am Vydirexi. I hatched some days ago, but I did not find Mother when I awoke - only strangers, who did not understand me and attempted to do me harm when I demanded they leave our nest. What do you know of this?"

The two shared another look.  It seemed like they found this whole situation to be just as confusing as Vydirexi did.

"We... realize that you are not Her Majesty.  But as Her Majesty's daughter, Your Highness has the right to command us."

For the next series of questions, the woman put on a pensive look as she took some time to formulate a response. It seemed like she didn't know how to answer Vydirexi's question. "I apologize, but I am afraid I do not know any details.  We have not been to the volcano itself in more than a year, and it has been a few months since Her Majesty had left.  But the fact that there were trespassers willing to harm you is deeply concerning."

The male chimed in for the first time in a deep baritone, impassively stating, "We should tell Lantihr."

The woman nodded at her colleague's statement, and asked Vydirexi, "Perhaps our elder might know the answers you seek.  Would you like to accompany us to Galad Tarminas?"  She gestured towards the great tree in the distance.

Ah, a Highness is below a Majesty, Vydirexi logged with another cock of her head, this time to the left. Her scales bristled subtly when they confessed to not knowing what had happened, a slight indignant frustration bubbling inside, but Vydi didn't act on it.

"Months. So long..." Vydi mumbled to herself, then resumed a speaking volume. "I fear Mother's magic fades from these lands, but there is much I do not understand." She confessed. "I will come with you and meet your Lantihr, and it will give me understanding? Yes, this is good. Let us go! Vydirexi moved forward, to where the female was still kneeling, and nudged the woman's shoulder with her nose to stand up, then began to walk confidently in the direction of the mighty tree.

"Who are you two?" The wyrmling asked innocently, twirling her head on her long neck to look at both in turn. "What are you? I have met things shaped like you, but none have dressed like you, nor been so colorful. I also met a person whose head was a fish, but I killed it. Sadly, it tasted very bad."

The woman gave a smile and silent chuckle as the young wyrmling prodded her with her nose, encouraging her to hurry up.  She gave a soft whistle towards the two giant elk, and the pair gracefully mounted the beasts.  The man silently took the lead while he directed his ride to head towards the distant tree.

The woman rode next to Vydirexi, as she willingly answered her questions along the way.  "I am Trithaea, and that moody one over there is Fardan."  At that, the now named Fardan turned back to give Trithaea a quick glare before continuing forward.

With a smirk, Trithaea carried on, "As for what we are?  We are the Eladrin, from the Feywild.  You can consider us to be cousins of sort to the elves who abide on this plane."  She pondered a moment to consider how to best explain.  "I guess the most important thing to know about us is that we wear our emotions on our skin.  Depending on the strongest feelings we have at the time, our skin, hair, and even our very being can change. Autumn is goodwill.  Spring is joy.  Summer is anger.  And Winter is melancholy."

For the rest of the trip she answered questions and explained her people's history.  Apparently, her clan of two dozen got caught in a sort of planar-rift that brought them from the Feywild to this plane.  Galad Tarminas, the Great Tree, is the only piece of the Feywild that came with them, and it still maintains a connection with their home.  They are hoping that if the Great Tree grows enough, they can use that connection as a bridge to return home.

Her clan had made an agreement with Vythrantra that they could remain safe in her domain in exchange for bringing a monthly tribute of gold and food.  However, they had been ordered to stop brining tribute a year and a half ago because she didn't want them coming near her new egg.

Vythrantra had flown off three months ago.  And while it was not uncommon for her to disappear for long stretches at a time, it seemed strange that she would be gone for so long as to miss her child's birth.  The story of intruders was especially worrying.

Eventually they came to the base of Galad Tarminas, and could finally take in the imposing sight. With a trunk of almost 50 feet in diameter, its branches stretched hundreds of feet into the air.  Large cavities at different levels revealed the partially hollow interior in which the Eladrin could live. Vine decorations wove around in elaborate geometric patterns, giving it a sense of otherworldliness. Everything seemed naturally formed- but at the same time, so much of it was too precise and symmetrical.  A set of vine stairs also spiraled up around the trees giving access to higher hollows and the upper branches.

Vydirexi did her level best to process everything she was being told. It was... A lot, for her young mind. The concept of other dimensions, especially, was quite a bit for her to digest, but her inner magic resonated with the claim. Meanwhile, the Eladrin were a fascinating idea for her to wrap her head around. It was fortunate that Vydi didn't have to try to comprehend the whole of the Feywilds at the same time; that probably would have led to a headache.

"Showing your feelings..." Vydi marvelled at the concept, her red eyes sparkling at Trithaea. "That must be why Mother trusted you. Your people cannot hide their impressions easily, and are unlikely to be duplicitous."

Vythranta's long absence was troubling, but it was better than thinking those strangers had slain her. At least this news meant there was a chance, and that was more than Vydi had hoped for almost two weeks now.

The grandiosity of Galad Tarminas had the little dragon in awe. So strange, so alien, and yet part of the forest. It was a stark contrast with Vythranta's volcano lair, which was native to the landscape but rose from the crust of the world like a dark, burning wound that had cauterized the land around it, rejecting everything that was not itself.

"You must have pleased Mother very much with your tribute, to protect your tree. But... I am sorry your home was lost to you, Trithaea. I have an idea of how that feels."

Vydi couldn't wait to explore inside, either, fluttering her wings with excitement while she waited to be shown to the elder.
This message was last edited by the player at 18:26, Wed 26 Jan 2022.

Trithaea offered a sad smile to Vydirexi, her eyes flickering a momentary blue, at the mention of shared feelings over a lost home.  However, the melancholic atmosphere didn't last, and Trithaea proceeded to guide the little dragon, taking the vine stairs that spiraled up the tree.

Along the way, Vydirexi passed a few other Eladrin, each of them showing off colorful shades of red (summer), orange (autumn), green (spring), and blue (winter).  A few were building new extensions on the tree, which seemed to involve singing to Galad Tarminas and using magic to guide the tree's growth as they desired.  A handful of others were engaged in small handicrafts.  The final two she passed were in the middle of a friendly, but fierce duel.  Their graceful movements and the speed at which their scimitars blurred where difficult for Vydirexi to follow.  Each of the Eladrin, without exception, took a moment to bow towards Vydirexi as she passed.

Finally, Trithaea led them into a hollow, some hundred feet up in the air.   This large room appeared to be the elder's study  Three bookcases lined the outer walls, and a huge table stood firmly in the middle with a half dozen available seats.  All of the furniture appeared to be naturally grown straight from the floor itself.

An older Eladrin of Autumn sat diligently working over some parchment, a cup of tea setting at his side.  He had long hair that flowed to his waist, and the sharp lines on his face were the first signs of aging that Vydirexi had seen on an Eladrin.

Trithaea respectfully called out using draconic, "Elder Lantihr, we have an important guest."

The elder glanced up at the address, his eyes only widening slightly at the sight of Vydirexi.  He slowly rose to his feet and gave a slight incline of the head. He asked in fluent draconic, "Greetings, Your Highness.  To what do we owe the pleasure of your visit?"

Vydi watched them all with a delighted wonder, seeing how they sang and worked, built and battled. These Eladrin were a fine people, she decided quickly, who were much preferable to the fishman and, by an enormous margin, the hoard-thieves.

Lantihr's study was yet more wonder. What use did he have for those shelves of small, hard-looking squares that smelled so strangely? But there were other pressing issues, so Vydi climbed up into one of the chairs and perched on it like a heavy, scaled bird, all four limbs in contact with the living wood seat while her tail draped languidly over the back.

"No pleasurable reason, Elder," Vydirexi answered the elder. "I am Vydirexi. Twelve days past, I hatched from my egg. My mother was long absent, and four humanoids had entered our lair. They did not heed my warnings to leave, but I escaped harm through a lava chute. Since then, I have been surviving on my own, waiting for Mother to return to drive them out and make it safe again." Her ruby eyes had tinges of sadness and anger. "She does not come. Worse, her influence wanes from these lands, evidenced by the wolf pack I saw from overhead as I flew South from where I found adequate shelter to here. I did not even know your people existed; it was curiosity for the landmark that brought me to Galan Tarminas, and a hunger for understanding that brings me to you, now."

After listening to Vydirexi's story, Lantihr let out a wistful sigh.  In a grandfatherly voice he comforted, "It seems that you have had a distressful beginning to your life, little Vydirexi.  I am deeply ashamed that we were not there to help you."  He drummed his fingers rhythmically across the wooden table in contemplation before continuing.

"As for your Mother, I would not worry too much.  After all she is one of the strongest beings on this plane, and it isn't rare for her to take leave for months or even years at a time.  And those hoard thieves?" Lantihr stifled a chuckle at the thought. "Let's just say that they will get what is coming to them."

Seeing that Vydirexi wasn't fully convinced and was still worried, Lantihr tried to soothe her some more.  "Look, I will send out some of my people to scout for information and they can bring us some news of your Mother.  I will also increase the ranging and frequency of our patrols to make sure nothing gets out of hand in her territory.  How does that sound?"  He finished while giving her a reassuring smile.

While Lantihr spoke, Vydi found herself mimicking him. When he drummed his fingers, she began to slowly drum her claws. It made an awfully satisfying clickity-clack as she rolled them first one way and then the other. His apology only made Vydi cock her head. "You did not control what happened," she reminded him calmly, as though this was the most obvious thing. "Trithaea said you give Mother tribute to spare your great tree, not that you are expected to guard what is hers. And I made the choice to fly north towards the great water days ago, instead of here."

His confidence perked Vydi up, but she still couldn't help but be skeptical. "They were very deep in the mountain, Elder, so deep that I saw their flaming sticks with my eggshell still below my feet. I was able to distract them by making some of the gold slide down the great piles, but one had magic and tried to affect my mind. If Mother's treasure chambers go deeper, I did not see them."

When he offered, Vydi began to nod, but... Something stopped her. A mote in her belly, somewhat like what she had felt when she awoke and Vythranta was nowhere to be found. "Will that be safe for you?" she asked, voice filled with that concern - a difficult inflection for draconic, which lended itself best to self-assuredness. "With predators and strangers in the forest, would it risk Galad Tarminas to range farther?"

"You underestimate the power of the Eladrin, Your Highness.  While no where near the might of your mother, we are a force in our own right."  In demonstration, he held out his palm and conjured an orb of magic. The fluctuating waves of power could be easily felt by Vydirexi.

"We are responsible for overlooking her domain when she ventures off.  In fact we would have been guarding her hoard personally, if it were not for Her Majesty forbidding all access to the volcano when she had your egg. He looked her straight into her eyes to emphasize the next point. "She was awfully protective of you, you see."

After letting that thought set in, he settled back into his chair and picked up a quill and parchment and began writing. "I will send the order to my scouts now. If you have any more questions, my daughter should be able to answer them.  In the mean time, rest and await for good news.  Who knows, maybe your mother will return before the scouts can.  As he finished is quick note, the parchment transformed in flash, becoming a sparrow that darted out of the hollow.

"However, before you go, it is imperative that I offer you a gift for our first meeting.  From a drawer below the table, he pulled out a simple wooden box. Removing the lid revealed a thin gold neckless, on which was set a flawless fire opal.  He offered it to Vydirexi with a smile, "I hope that this is a satisfactory tribute to you, Your Highness."

Vydi made a quiet 'ooooo' noice when Lantihr presented his magic, and felt slightly bashful for having worried. If Vythranta trusted them, why shouldn't she?

"Funny way of being protective, leaving for months right before I hatched." The hatchling grumbled, her tail flicking around unconsciously on irritation. But then she remembered it may mean Vythranta had been impeded from returning, and became more worried than indignant again.

Fortunately, Lantihr's second display of magic brought back the warm fires of curiosity, and retook Vydirexi's attention. His offer of tribute even moreso, and her eyes lit up at the fine pendant. It smelled expensive, like the hoard had, and Vydi began to reach for it with one claw before stopping herself.

"Actually..." she looked around at the bookshelves, her sensitive nose picking up on the unusual aromas therein. "Elder, what are these hard, square treasures you surround yourself with? Are they your hoard? Do they give you power like the power my mother's hoard briefly gave me?"

Lothir gave a chuckle at her inquisitive nature.  "Indeed, this is my 'hoard,' so to speak.  However, the power they grant lies in the knowledge they hold within."

He walked over to one of the shelves and retrieved a book bound in blue leathers.  He placed it on the table showing Vydirexi the contents inside.  Foreign glyphs ran across the page, indiscernible to the young wyrmling. "This is called a book.  It contains words recorded down so at any time others may discover what the author wished to share.  Unfortunately, I do not have many books written in Draconic, but I am sure that in time, you could learn to read these if you desired."

Vydirexi's head cocked and her intense red eyes followed Lantihr across the room and back. She looked down at the 'book,' the glyphs, and processed the information he was offering her.

The wyrmling placed her claw on the page and delicately traced one of the shapes with the honed tip, scaled features filled with wonder. "Permanent words. How clever the Eladrin are to create such things..." She murmured. Her neck craned again, to lock eyes with Lantihr. "Reading should be your gift to me. A treasure in my mind, which I can carry where I may without concern. A very precious tribute, even more than this beautiful treasure, yes?

And then a realization hit her, and Vydi made a quick, awkward struggle with her amateurish backpack. When she finally got it spun around to her front, she reached inside to produce the wicked dagger and chalice. "These must be of the Eladrin! They have your word glyphs, do you see? What do they say?"
This message was last edited by the player at 06:53, Fri 28 Jan 2022.

Shaking his head, Lantihr explained, "We did not invent the concept of writing.  That has been around since the dawn of man, and most races have their own writing tradition."

To the wyrmling's next question, Trithaea chimed in, "If you desire so deeply to learn how to read, I can teach you, Your Highness."

When Vydirexi brought out the dagger and chalice, Lantihr frowned, and gently corrected her, "Those are not Eladrin runes.  If I am not mistaken, that should be the language of the Deep Ones."  He took the proffered dagger and set it on the table and studied it.  After a moment, Lantihr went back to his collection and picked out a black bound book.  He flipped through the pages, looking up and cross referencing information.


Eventually, he answered her inquiry. "I assume you plundered these from the ruins to the North, yes?  They seem to be sacrificial items for the Cult of Leviathan.  The glyphs roughly translate to, 'May the Water of the Body flow to the Water of the Sea.'"

Vydirexi made a quiet 'hmph' when Lantihr corrected her. How was she to know others thought it up? She hadn't met anyone else who could communicate with her, after all. She did, however, nod eagerly at Trithaea's offer of education. "Yes!" Vydi purred happily, smoke curling up from the edges of her fanged maw. Excitement from a dragon wasn't always the most welcoming sight. "Yes, teach me Trithaea, I would appreciate this very much."

She craned her neck around to look at the new book Lantihr had provided, despite not being able to read that, either. The different shapes of the runes were fascinating, if nothing else.

"I did, below a hidden door in a flooded altar, which had more glyphs on the walls. Two bipeds were dead in a cellar, killed by another with the head of a fish. Its bite was not a match for mine, but I learned Mother's name from it when it said something and attacked me."

The wyrmling clicked her tongue softly. "And what tongue is this in? You said you possess few books in the superior language of dragons; are most books in the world in your Sylvan language? Must I learn to read in that, as well?"

Lantihr continued to patiently teach the curious wyrmling.  "Those ruins used to house a band of misfits who had a similar deal with Her Majesty as we did.  However, when she learned that they had taken up the worship of the Cult of the Leviathan, she burned the entire village to the ground."  His mouth twindged with disgust at the mention of the cult.

"There are dozens of different of different spoken languages, most of which are written in the two major scripts- Elvish and Dwarvish." He gently lifted up the book that Vydirexi asked about, "This reference book is written in common.  While most of the books in the Feywild are written in Sylvan using Elvish, the most prevalent language and script used on this plane is common- the language of man."

"It must be a very bad cult, then," Vydi nodded confidently, having absolutely no context for the Leviathan and, indeed, what a cult really was. She had a fuzzy notion, the fundamentals of Draconic baked into her head, that it was the faith in a higher power which was unworthy if it - which was to say, higher powers that were not dragons. That was the literal meaning of the word: organized worship of sub-draconic beings.

As Lantihr patiently explained all of these concepts, Vydirexi felt smoke curling up from her nose. It was exciting yet frustrating to imagine all of these words and the books they would unlock. Surely there must be at least one hundred books in the world, based on Lantihr's collection. Maybe even two or three hundred! She would have to gather them and their inner treasures.

"Yes, it all makes sense. Except for dwarvish, elvish and common-man. What are those? Types of glyphs, yes, but what are they? Trithaea talked about Eladrin being like elves; are they related to elvish?"

Clearly, Vydi would require a bit of fundamental education...

We can definitely hand wave/skip some time if it's appropriate to do so, rather than making you answer all of her questions as they come. Or save her getting a bit of schooling from the Eladrin for whenever the next time jump occurs. ^_^

It started to occur to Lantihr that the young wyrmling was a complete blank slate, and that it would take a lot of time and effort to fill in her basic education.

"Hrmm...  You have quite a number of questions, Your Highness.  Normally your Mother would be the one to slowly teach you all of these things, but for now we can educate you in her place."  He glanced at his daughter in the corner with a playful smile. "In fact, I will assign Trithaea to be your tutor.  Her job will be to answer all the questions that you have during your stay with us."

"For now, it is starting get late.  Trithaea can lead you to a room for you to rest, and food for you to dine on."

Not altogether oblivious to Lantihr's demeanour but taking no offense (she was a new hatchling, after all), Vydirexi swiveled on the chair and fluttered her broad wings, bouncing atop the chair back like a massive bird of prey to look expectantly at Trithaea.

"I have many curiosities," she informed the Eladrin gleefully. "And it will be nice to dine with company."

Vydi reclaimed her two treasures and put them back in the bag, then glided forward gently towards the door and turned expectantly for Trithaea to lead the way. It occurred to the wyrmling that perhaps the Eladrin could help her find a way to carry things in a way that did not interfere with her flight pattern and balance as the current setup did - but that was a question for another time, if and when she had reason to leave.

Trithaea nodded slightly in resignation, but quickly cheered up. "It would be my pleasure to instruct Your Highness."

She lead Vydirexi back outside and down a few levels on the Great Tree.  They arrived at a spacious hallow with an excellent view overlooking the forest.  The branches of Galad Tarminas wove up and down as they seemed to go out of their way to not obstruct the view.

Trithaea gestured inside, "This can be your room for the duration of your stay with us.  You may decorate and fill it as you desire.  If you need any help, I would be more than willing to aid you."

The central focus of the hollow was a large cushion made of woven leaves, nestled in the far corner.  Aside from that, there were some more of the Eladrin grown furniture.  A study table and chair was off to the side, and shelves lined the trunk interior.  It was a simple living quarters that had yet to be fully furnished.

"If you would like to get yourself comfortable, I will quickly fetch us dinner."

Vydi fluttered and glided after Trithaea, swooping gently down the stairs of Galad Tarminas with a childlike delight. Flying was, after all, her natural state. And she'd worked hard to get better at it recently, so there was certainly a level of showing off to the Eladrin.

And a room. Her own room. Her own lair! Even if it was temporary, only hers until Vythranta returned and wrought holy vengeance on those who pilfered her hoard, Vydirexi was thrilled with the far more agreeable design. Good sightlines, charming furnishings, no exposure to the outside world. All that was missing was heat.

"Most adequate!" The dragon snarled happily, and quickly disentangled herself from her pack. "Where do I light my fire? The only thing lacking is warmth, you see." Vydi explained, and then began to unpack. She placed her treasures on the shelves around her, but kept the silver teapot full of coinage and the necklace together. She would use it as a pillow for her head, sleeping directly on the treasure as dragons did.

Yes, this was quite the positive turn of events. Vydirexi somewhat regretted not flying south when she first awoke after escaping the adventurers, but not entirely. She had, after all, found treasures of her own. And she had been able to test herself, a hatchling, on the rigors of survival. No, not all regret. At least, not yet.

Trithaea gave a pensive thought to the young dragon's question.  "Galad Tarminas is rather resistant to the elements, so it should be able to handle a simple fire within.  I will look for some fuel for you as well."  With that she gracefully darted out of the hollow, leaving Vydirexi alone and letting her settle in to her new abode.

Half an hour later, Trithaea returned with Fardan back at her side.  Fardan was hauling a large pile of dead wood which he placed in the corner.  After which, he bowed courteously towards Vydirexi and took his leave.

On the other hand, Trithaea's entrance was much more comical.  She carried an oversized monitor lizard wrapped around her shoulders, its neck broken and laying limply to the side.  She carried the beast with a practiced ease, and gently placed it on the floor for Vydirexi to consume.  "Dinner is served Your Highness!"

Sitting down across from the dragon, Trithaea pulled out her own meal from a side pouch.  A bowl of mixed greens, accented with a very familiar bitter orange berry, seemed to satisfy her own desires.

This is a very good tree, Vydi decided, hearing that it could survive an open flame.

She spent the half-hour getting comfortable, enjoying the cushion of leaves, and observing the Eladrin of Galad Tarminas that were visible from her wide overlook. Seeing them sing, spar and live was so interesting to her. Indeed, she was still riding a high that these bipeds weren't hostile to her like the first five she had encountered.

Vydirexi couldn't help but wonder, though, what the thieves had taken and were possibly still taking. She wondered if the Eladrin should be asked to check on the hoard itself, but no. The thieves had been capable of wondrous things, opening portals through space and plundering Vythranta's lair at all were proof of that. And, if Lantihr was to be believed, they would get their just desserts.

The presentation of the lizard perplexed Vydirexi for a moment, and she had to give the creature a thorough sniffing to make sure it wasn't a dragon. Once satisfied, however, she 'smiled' - bared her teeth and looked quite manically - at Trithaea, and then opened her jaws.

A roar of flame engulfed the lizard's carcass, rapidly cooking it up and burning it beyond belief over the next few minutes. With the fire still burning, Vydirexi settled in to eat.

While munching seared lizard meat, Vydirexi glanced at the pile of wood. "Why is he melancholy?"
This message had punctuation tweaked by the player at 23:22, Tue 01 Feb 2022.