From Sol Invictus

Book02: Talking With the Pterok

< Iallu the Ten-Faceted | Sol Invictus Logs | A Series of Conversations >

Summary: Cerin has a discussion with some of the Heaven-bound Dragon-Kings and gains their help for Rathess.

XP:C1

After having left Zahara talking with a rather tall looking goddess, apparantely some regional goddess of rumour and confusion, he decided to try and seek out some of the Dragonking-like beings he saw earlier, to ask them about Rathess and if they might be persauded to help work upon it. After trying several of the fountains, he eventually finds the bird-like lizards juggling fish with scales of ruby and eyes of pearl around a fountain.

• Cerin approaches slowly, then speaks up "Excuse me, Sir or Madam, but are you related to the Dragonkings that inhabit Rathess?"

One of the beasts turns its strangely elongated head towards Cerin, and squwacks. "Who are you?"

The others continue to juggle their fish, occasionally snapping one out of midair and consuming it whole.

<Cerin?> "I am Cerin the Wolf, Hidden Sun."

The creature rapidly brings its head up and down mere inches from Cerin, examining him thoroughly with a strange clicking noise.

• Cerin does not flinch, and lets the bird-thing inspect him. "Who are you, if I might ask?"

<charlequin> The creature turns, snatches a fish from one of its compatriots, and swallows it, before responding: "Graalak!"

<Cerin?> "Greetings to you then, Graalak." he smiles "If I could go back to my previous question, are you related to the Dragon Kings of Rathess?"

• charlequin is now known as Graalak

<Graalak?> "Mmmmmaybe. What's it to you?"

<Cerin?> "I am merely curious...for two reasons, firstly I have something of an interest in how beings shape and manipulate essence, and would be most grateful if you would put on a show for me, and secondly, I feel a resident of that city would, if you were, benefit greatly from your help"

<Graalak?> "I do not help children hunt for rats in the sewers."

• Cerin 's eyes flash slightly "This person, she is no child, she is older than you, I would warrant from your mastery of essence. But you are perhaps right, and it is not worth your time..do you know of others more like her in Hevean that I could speak with?"
• Graalak coughs somewhat rudely at Cerin.

<Graalak?> Another of the beasts, hearing this, elbows Graalak out of the way to speak to Cerin.

• Cerin turns to acknowledge his arrival to the conversation.

<Staaklon?> "Excuse me, sir, please forgive my... companion here."

• Staaklon pushes Graalak out of his chair, and he falls over with a little yelp.

<Cerin?> "Of course, and you are...?" he manages to keep a straight face at the fate of Graalak. mostly.

<Staaklon?> "I am Staaklon, of the Vesathar Valley. I am pleased to meet you, Cerin."

<Cerin?> "I do not know of the valley you speak of, to my regret, but it is a pleasure to meet you."

• Staaklon looks over to see Graalak struggling to right himself, and delivers one swift kick to the other Dragon's side, then returns to the conversation as if nothing had occurred. "Tell me, who is this individual you speak of?"

<Cerin?> "Ssithumi-am-Tohatep, is her name"

• Staaklon seems a little surprised. "Tohatep still lives?"

<Cerin?> "She said she slept or hibernated in some manner, and has only recently reawakened"

<Staaklon?> "She? No."

<Staaklon?> "How did he survive the purge, I wonder...."

<Cerin?> "The purge?"

<Staaklon?> "Near the end of the great war. We had sided with your kind, against our own cousins, and after thousands of years it looked as if victory might finally be achieved...

<Staaklon?> "They struck without warning, the Ilidris, sneaking into our homes. They struck at the olchilike, slaying them all, and they devoured their souls. We have mourned for their loss since."

<Cerin?> "The Ilidris..that name is not known to me...but I ahve come to realise recently that we have lost much."

<Staaklon?> "It is true. The world of today knows little of its history."

<Cerin?> "Who, or what were they? An race like yourself or the Xi-Ma-Taxi?"

<Staaklon?> "Yes, one of the Hundredfold, like shadows that walked."

<Cerin?> "The hundredfold? ...sorry, I must apologise for my ignorance..but, they are the races like yourselves, natural channellers of essence?"

• Staaklon seems surprised at just how far knowledge has fallen in this decrepit age. "Yes, those who first walked Creation, long before your kind were aught but lowly... " He cuts himself off.

<Cerin?> "but lowly..?" he asks softly. If Staaklon doesnt go on after a short while, he lets it drop, for now.

• Staaklon continues a little uncomfortably. "So. Tell me of this Ssithumi."

<Cerin?> "She is one of the Ochilike, and as I said, in mistaken reference to the god that is part of thier union. She believed herself to be the last of her kind to walk Creation. Time has not been kind to Rathess."

• Staaklon nods. "I see. We had believed all those with functioning minds to have perished there -- we have maintained some small shred of our civilization in our small valley, but we have had little success finding others who still think."
• Cerin nods "She is attempting to educate those without mind, but she is just one, and there are so many to teach"
• Staaklon turns to his companions and holds a short conversation in clicks. "I am heartened by this news. We shall send a delegation to Rathess, to explore the possibility of assisting her in her efforts."

<Cerin?> "That is most gratifying news to hear, thank you"

• Staaklon nods.
• Staaklon thinks for a moment, and adds: "You should journey to visit our valley. We may not match the grandeur of Rathess at its height, but what we have is well-maintained. And I suspect you might find something to interest yourself in our library."
• Cerin 's eyes light up "Where is your valley?" he thinks "If you could tell me of its location in reference to the nearest of the Gates that dot creation"
• Staaklon indicates a position, far far northeast of the Sunlands.
• Cerin nods "I shall endevour to visit you there soon, perhaps with my circle, if that would be acceptable, and they are ameanable."

<Staaklon?> "That would be a pleasant event."

• Staaklon turns to kick the still groaning Graalak once more, then reseats himself and partakes of another fish.
• Cerin smiles "Before I leave you in peace to enjoy your fish, as I mention to Graalak, I am something of a student of Essence, and how it flows, and I wonder if I might watch you and your companions use some of your magics so that I could watch and record it?"
• Staaklon smiles and nods.
• Cerin smiles "Thank you." He calls his cache egg. below the silk napkins from the entrace to heaven, he finds one of his notebooks, and a pencil.
• Staaklon lifts up one wing and makes a little swirling motion. Within a second, a strange shimmering sweeps over his body -- and suddenly, his appearance takes on the form of a slightly odd looking human being.
• Cerin looks pleasantly suprised, drawing the new flows that surround the creature "And that technique is called?"

<Staaklon?> "This is known as the Veil of Illusion."

• Cerin nods and notes this down.

< Iallu the Ten-Faceted | Sol Invictus Logs | A Series of Conversations >