Aristocles

Magic RP (Open to new players)

@Shadow Dragon

The great door gave way, revealing a surprisingly well-maintained and well-lit hallway beyond. In fact, it appeared so well-maintained that one could be forgiven for thinking it had been built yesterday. Suspicious, Ophion stood just outside of Polybius's tomb and held up his hand again, shining a blue light on the passage ahead of him. The light washed over the floor and walls, covering them in the same hue, but otherwise revealing nothing. No changes to the hall, real or apparent, came to the fore.

"Intriguing. It isn't an illusion." He walked over to the floor and touched it with his right foot. It was solid. He turned back to the wraith. "This tomb hasn't been maintained well, it's literally been frozen in time. Or at least, the passage of time has been altered in here so as not to affect the tomb itself. This isn't a decayed tunnel, but one which is actually fresher and newer than most which are around today, and yet the tomb and thus the magic dates from before the rise of permanence spells on this continent. That means the preservative effect isn't lasting by itself. Something's powering it, possibly the lich himself. If he falls, this place might very well decay all at once. I'm not sure if wrecking his physical body will trigger that or if we have to destroy his phylactery as well. Probably the latter. I also suspect that he is capable of withdrawing the magic which keeps this place pristine at any time, so he may be able to collapse the tomb at will."

@bloonewb

Aerta smiled, knowing that she could escape at any time if she needed to. "No need to be so formal, Kutur. Etiquette is best used as an expression of sincerity, not a shield to cower behind. I have found that the more refined a set of manners are, the more they are used to cover up deficiencies instead of being used to solve them. Now, I'm here on what you might call a fact-finding trip. It has come to my attention that a number of titles were recently changed as part of a general reorganization of Xigyll's elite. Normally, the changing of hats and labels matters little, but in a fluid situation such as that of a newly-established realm, it can easily upend the still-developing political order. For starters, I'd like to know why there's been a change of titles and if it has any substance to it? If the change is just for reasons of vanity, I'll happily return to my husband's side."

Magic RP (Open to new players)

@Shadow Dragon

"Yes. I am sure of it. I could stop you if I had to. That's an observation, not a threat. Don't worry, I trust you. At least, I trust you as you are. If you go mad with power and try to consume my soul, I think I will be justified in adjusting my assessment of the situation." Ophion let it hang there for a moment. "Don't worry about it. I'm sure you won't be a threat to me. Besides, our shared welfare depends on cooperation. You'd only be dooming yourself by turning traitor, even if you slew me."

It was another hour before they reached the base of Polybius's tomb. Ophion had heard stories about its entrance, but it failed to impress. It was a rectangular door, standing upright at about two meters across and about ten meters tall. It was a blank reddish-brown stone slab set into a light brown rectangular wall which was itself sunk into a tall cliff face.

"I think we can get this open easily if we combine our magics. I can sense some enchantments on it. Nothing too difficult to breach but we'd best save our energies for later." The archmage extended his right hand and opened his palm so that it was facing to tomb's door. A moment later saw a bright golden light rise in his hand, which then emitted a beam of the same light heading out in a straight line, impacting the door.

@bloonewb

"Don't worry so much, although I'm sorry for the home intrusion. It was the only place I could enter without causing an even bigger fuss in this city" Aerta explained, seemingly unfazed by the threat he posed to her. Although Kutur was likely more powerful than her in a fight, she could teleport away at any moment. "My name is Aerta. I'm friends with Kali. And yes, Adykon is my husband. I know Rughoi as well. He used to work for my husband. I was nice to Rughoi in those days. Same with all of the farm workers. I even baked him some biscuits once. Oh, you can put that fireball down. I don't want to harm you or take anything. I'm here to talk."

She shifted her weight, ready to escape if she had to. "Now, I understand that there's been a sort of change in ranks around here. Or a change in titles, more accurately."

Magic RP (Open to new players)

I posted.

Magic RP (Open to new players)

@Shadow Dragon

Ophion chuckled. "Oh, I'm sure its been raided before, just not successfully. As for what I hope to gain, I'd like to learn more about the truth behind Polybius and end whatever dangers may be lurking inside of the tomb. Gold and knowledge are nice, but they'll just be icing on the cake here, so to speak. If there are any necromantic items in there, you can have them for yourself. I can destroy anything you don't want to take or is too dangerous to let loose on the world. If I can destroy them, that is."

@bloonewb

It was long said that three men could keep a secret if two of them were dead. Kali had heard of the meeting in the pavilion, but she didn't spy on it. She didn't need to. All it took was a quick tipoff to Aerta, who in turn sent a scrying sensor out to it. Much to her surprise, it was a meeting on the renaming and retitling of official positions, done without Rughoi's knowledge and thus, without his consent. Even more intriguing were the use of human titles. While dracons had adopted a few of them directly, such as 'count' or 'duke', some of them were clearly from the Empire of Constantsea, or at least, that was the name of the empire to the best of Aerta's recollection. From what else Kali reported, it was likely that Ardasa would be with egg soon enough, although Kali withheld information about any prophecies from the dracons. Even Aerta wasn't told.

For her part, Aerta had been lying on her bed, staring into a polished mirror which she used to scry. Or at least, it was one of many such mediums she used for that purpose. She preferred to use a bowl of water, but that would be much harder to utilize on her bed, and she didn't want to risk spilling it on the freshly-cleaned linen sheets. The information Kali had provided her didn't give her much in the way of useful or conclusive data, but it was a sign that not all was stable in Xigyll. Titles were very important in the dracon realms, and they appeared to have similar importance among the kobolds due to the consternation caused by changing them, even though the underlying substantial powers appeared to have remained unchanged. The idea was to "cement their power", possibly in opposition to the crown. While it was clear that they weren't against Rughoi himself, the kobold nobles and commanders present might not be so loyal to his heir, even with the blood of their beloved leader flowing through the veins of that new ruler. A diverse population held together by thin threads of loyalty to an individual was a recipe for civil war, especially in the absence of an outside threat. Aerta and Adykon knew that the kobold state of Xigyll might very well self-destruct without Rughoi to keep it together, and it remained to be seen whether or not the realm was viable or if it was simply the expression of a great leader's conquests. A true test of a tree's strength was when the wind blew hardest, after all.

She didn't tell Adykon what she was about to do. Although she didn't think he'd overreact, her errand wasn't worth his time. Adykon had to deal with high-end threats and dangers on a regular basis, including reports of increased activity near the tomb of Polybius. That posed a greater danger. Aerta climbed out of bed and did her stretches, then pulled on a fresh loincloth and top. A few more stretches later and she was ready to go. With a gesture, she teleported out of the room as casually as a commoner might open a door or a window, disappearing from Adykon's farmhouse and reappearing in Kutur and Kali's hut. Kali herself was nowhere to be found. Her previous scrying had also revealed the fact that Kutur wasn't in the hut, but that he might be soon. Whichever one arrived back at the hut was fine by her. Kali could be trusted, and everything she had been told about Kutur by Kali indicated that he could be reasoned with, once he got his snout out of a book.

Darumadira's greeting

Welcome to the guild!

Magic RP (Open to new players)

@bloonewb

Thanks!

Magic RP (Open to new players)

@bloonewb

Great post! I'll reply to it ASAP, although Easter and my Sunday job are going to slow things down. Also, mind if I draw Kutur and Alteonus?

The Damsel's Dragon

Giving this a bump.

Magic RP (Open to new players)

@Shadow Dragon

(Was waiting for Bloonewb, but he can catch up)

"Not all liches are soul eaters, and those who do generally don't like anywhere near the dracon realms" Ophion explained. "As for the ghosts, I've met mostly harmless ones. Not like the specters and wraiths people are so afraid of. I've faced a few of the former, but only two of the latter. Most people don't know the difference. Specters cast spells, while wraiths can cast spells but are better known for their life-draining powers."

I'm back and I'm better!

@Foxie

Welcome back!