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.