Run By: Ryudori (3xp)

Players: Philokrates

Synopsis: The triumph of moral relativism!

 

 

The inside of the mountain at the end of the tunnel is magnificent. It's the only proper word for the environment as a whole - the cavernous scope of the cave is so high there are actual clouds forming at the top, the gemstone spires and buildings spike into the 'sky' and reflect, refract, and catch the light of the odd-colored sun...

 ...wait.

 Sun?!

 Upon closer inspection, it becomes apparent that the 'sun' is not a sun. It is a massive, serpentine wyrm, burning with hair and wings of a color most absurd (the closest equivilant is black), looping endlessly in a figure eight in the very sky. It 'shines' its blasphemous light upon the city, brilliant and horrifying all at once...

 The clouds above part for a brief moment, revealing another disgusting wyrm spiralling its way through, exuding the clouds of sickly green poison like a bleak, foul smog machine.

 Upon the ground, small creatures - about human-sized - scurry about, carrying gems and rocks and all such objects about the city with no discernible pattern.

 A ramp leads down into the city proper from Phil's vantage point - the tunnel opened up on what seems to be a cliff.

 

Upon entrance to the city, one of the Gemborn - a beautiful-looking 'elfin' creature with brilliant green eyes and yet still somehow -wrong-looking, as though she were missing some vital part to being alive - moves to meet Phil with a broad, toothy, diamond-filled smiled. "Welcome to our city," she says mechanically, "Have you come to pay homage to the Gemstone Dragons and their magnificent might, brother? Or do you seek some boon?"

 

Philokrates inverts the principle of all-tolerance that allows him to stand unmolested among these strange creatures, embracing them same even-handed nature in himself, and bows politely to the gemborn. "My reasons are private, but your city is beautiful in it's strange way. I would like to explore, and speak with your luminaries, if such a thing is permissible. I warn you - you must not lie in my presence, because I go mad with rage if you do."

 

"There are no lies here," the creature offers robotically, "All is peaceful. You are welcome to look around, traveller."

 

(Judge) Philokrates rolls Charisma + Socialize + Charisma + Socialize: [ -1- -1- -1- 3 5 5 6 6 7 7 7 7 8 9 9 <10> <10> <10> ]

        Resulting in 13 successes.

 

With a little poking and prodding, Philokrates manages to locate a Gemborn who -isn't- a complete machine - one of the perverted Artisan castes, a hideous-looking man chiseling away at a gem in the wall. He looks up at Philokrates and grunts.

 "What?"

 

Philokrates intuitively knows that this man is important to talk to. He radiates with social connection. "I am Philokrates of Great Forks," he declares. "Would you tell me of your people? I have sought the luminaries of your culture, and you are the one who I have found."

 

"Culture. Hah. Haha. Hahaha!" The hideous-looking man chuckles, tusks poking out of his face, and gives Phil a weird look. "That's a good one."

 "Only culture is the Builder caste. Like me. We're culture. We're culture face off if you piss us off. Get it?" He grunts, and it's either a laugh or an annoyance - it's pretty hard to tell which. Probably a laugh.

 "Work all day and pray all night. The Dragons guide us. Tell us where to dig out new ones and tell us what to build next. Simple life. Good life."

 

Philokrates says, "Would you tell me, then, the nature of the commandments of the Dragons? I see two, shining bright and dark above us, but I know not their natures, nor from whence they came."

Philokrates assumes them to be things found in abomination by the Sun, hence their banishment undergruond - but who knows, the world is big.

 

The Builder raises his eyebrows and turns back to keep chipping away. "The Five Great Dragons came to us so long ago, nobody even remembers. They found us trapped in shells just like these," he points at the gem he's chipping away at, "And burned us free, and gave us life and forms. They gave us commandments. They gave us light and water and all the things you need in the world. In turn, we serve them."

 "The Dragon of Light is Lylani, Queen of the Black Fire. She found us, the Builder caste, and nursed us back to life, and she sees all and knows all within the mountain."

 "The dragon of air is Morodoz, the Sweeping Cloud. He found the Guardsmen Caste, and gave them breath again, and so too provides us the air we need in the bellows and the foundries."

 "The Dragon beneath the ground is Gurvald, the Great One. He discovered the Seeker caste and broke them free with his roar, and it is he who raises the crystalline spires."

 "The Dragon in the silver river is Zygrydo, the Mercurious One, who provides us with drink and nourishment and minerals, and who found our city in the first place."

 "The Fifth Dragon lurks within the mountain, sliding through the veins, and we do not speak his name, lest we dishonor our pact with him and lose access to the metal he brings."

 

 

-= OOC =- Philokrates says, "How big is this light dragon?"

-= OOC =- Cathak Verei says, "Huge. Able to Figure Eight itself and keep flowing. I'd pin it at..."

-= OOC =- Cathak Verei thinks. "About the size of a building."

-= OOC =- Cathak Verei says, "Not a skyscraper."

-= OOC =- Philokrates says, "Gimme a length and width, if I can narrow it down."

-= OOC =- Philokrates will observe it for a good while.

-= OOC =- Philokrates needs to get an awareness Ex.

-= OOC =- Cathak Verei says, "Hard to tell because of its constant figure eighting - you figure it's probably about two rooms across"

-= OOC =- Cathak Verei says, "Rooms defined as 50-some feet, so it looks like it's about 100 feet across"

-= OOC =- Philokrates says, "I fire up my immaculate golden bow and poke it in the bottom with a fowling arrow, which does only bashing."

 

As the arrow pings off Lylyani, the dragon stops its infinite cycle, turning to look at Philokrates with an odd gleam in around its face. It snakes its way over, like a beautiful serpent flowing through the sky, and pauses a little bit away into another loop as its head stares at Philokrates without sight.

 >And what are you?< The dragon asks without words - lights flowing across its gemstone skin seem to say more than any words ever could.

 

Philokrates callsout, "I am Philokrates of Great Forks, Arrow-Master, World-Circler, Truth-Seeker, Lie-Killer, Wealth-Bringer, Circle-Breaker, Torture-Sufferer, Wisdom-Teacher. I come from the surface world!"

 

Lylani arches what might've been an eyebrow on another creature.

 >Are you now.< It 'says', tilting its head. >And why have you done that? At the request of that irritating little gemlord who still thinks this mountain is his? I can smell his touch on you.<

 

Philokrates says, "I am not such a thing as can lie - I do not come at the behest of the gemlord, but at the behest of a scion of the Jadeborn, who I suspect does not approve of the transformation you have wrought upon his kinfolk.""

 

Lylani snorts, but instead of air, shining lights wash over Philokrates' vision, sparkling like little primary-colored dots. >A Jadeborn wishes us to undo our conquest. What a novel idea.< It loops backwards, tilting its head through its own loop; the light bursts into multifractious oddness for a moment before settling down. >And what stake have you in this? Are you a mere do-gooder, or is this...a more personal request?<

 

"I have no interest in this place, in whatever odd form you establish your dominion over it. I seek the tissues of your heart as raw materials for an artifice of great power - but I am no longer so hell-bent upon that conquest as I once was," he says, rubbing his chin.

 

>And what has changed your mind?< Lylani flashes, obviously now more curious than amused.

 

Philokrates says, "Your rule is oppressive in the extreme, grinding the volition of these creatures down to mere automata, but - there is no great suffering here, that I have seen. It seems crass to annihilate something like this for my own material gain. But perhaps you can tell me more..."   

 

Philokrates looks Lylani in the eyes without fear. "Tell me of the suffering of this place, and do not lie, or I will kill you."

Philokrates 's bow sizzles.

 

Lylani 'laughs', a musical array of colors streaming over its body. >We grind their souls into dust, enslave their very forms. They do not suffer in life, but as spirits, they are bound so tightly even the Great Maker himself couldn't free them. We took advantage of the great work your Sun-King wrought, above-grounder, and now they are ours alone. And every so often,< Lylani 'adds' thoughtfully, licking its 'lips' with a ruby tongue, >We grow hungry. And Gurvald, the fat pig, keeps gulping them down so fast...< It 'sighs', blue light streaming out of its face.

 

Philokrates says, "The Solar Exalted exiled the Jadeborn beneath the earth... and you have claimed them, here?"

 

>That is the gist of it,< Lylani replies.

 

Philokrates says, "You are fair-spoken, and you do not seem to be a wicked creature, nor a thing that revels in suffering."

Philokrates says, "Would you say that this is so?"

 

Lylani considers, rotating slowly. >Perhaps I would,< it agrees, looking rather proud of itself. >Would you?<

 

Philokrates says, "I do not know enough to judge. I must depend on my ability to ferret out deception dependably and the perspective of other, wiser creatures, such as yourself."

Philokrates says, "I seek to improve the life of the enslaved Jadeborn beneath, though I care little if they remain enslaved, and to bring back the heart of a gemborn dragon. But it need not be your heart. Perhaps you know someone you would consider more deserving of having such an organ confiscated."

 

>I could be lying to you now. I have not said a word. Your ability could be wrong.<

 

Philokrates says, "I am of the Solar. I am radiant and full of the vast world-shaping victory of Sol Invictus. It would take more than using an inhuman mode of communication to befuddle my magics."

 

>Mmmmm,< the dragon shines, a deep blue thoughtfulness washing over all of its 'scales' at once. >Gurvald is bloated and irritating. And Morodoz gets his smog all over my lights and makes it impossible to shine properly. I keep wondering what he is hiding.<

 

Philokrates says, "Which of them do you think brings more pain and suffering to the Jadeborn whom you enslave with your hypnotic blacklight?"

 

>But Gurvald keeps the spires from toppling and makes more from the ground when need be, and Morodoz keeps our industries pumping by consuming the smog...< The dragon's tiny claw reaches up to stroke its chin. >An interesting postulation you make. Does the consumption of their kind cause them suffering? Or could Morodoz's secret be something harmful?<

>You are a very interesting one, Chosen of Sol Invictus.<

 

Philokrates says, "The secret to healing the world does not lie in our limitless power to kill and defeat our enemies, but in inverting that power and using it to build bridges and reconciliation. Only through temperance and compromise can what was set apart be brought together, I think."

 

>I think I hate you.< It adds. >You are forcing me to think in a quite unusual manner and sacrifice one of my dearest family for the good of my slaves. But then, I have not hated anything before. Perhaps I love you. I cannot tell.<

>And I do not really love them, either. I cannot tell. I have never loved, either.< Lylani ponders. >Very well. Slay Gurvald. His whining keeps me up late when I would retire to my home.<

 

Philokrates says, "Language shapes thought. Until you know the distinction between love and hatred, it is foolish to use a different word for both. Find a new word for how you feel, and use that, and analyze what it means until you know whether it means love, hate, ro something different. That is my advice."

 

Philokrates says, "I propose that I teach you new ways to think, if you would be willing."'

 

>I am...curious.< Lylani admits, spiralling around and reaching out to touch Philokrates with one of those Gemstone claws. >Show me what you have to offer.<

 

Philokrates says, "I will teach you all you wish to know, if you will promise not to bring death or injury to me."

Philokrates says, "I will teach you a language that will help you understand the thoughts of mortals."

 

>Show me< Lylani confirms.

 

Philokrates says, "It will take time. Are you a patient creature?"

 

>I have all the time in Creation.<

>Slay Gurvald first. His rumbling *UNTRANSLATEABLE EMOTION* me.<

 

Philokrates says, "Show me where to find him, then."

Philokrates says, "And tell me where he keeps his heart."

 

Lylani winds away, shining a pure white light into the streets, a beam clearly intended for Philokrates to follow as the dragon blinks out its messages. >His heart is between his wings. Rip it from him and do what you will.<

 

Philokrates strides forth with murderous intent.