[DragonsITP] Dragons, Dragons Everywhere! Redux - IC

[igordragonian]

Hektir hopped off from Gormirden's claw and onto the rain-soaked ground. Magic. He said simply, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. I told you. I know a healing spell. Although it's pretty weak, I can cast it multiple times. But i'm drained of magic right now, I won't be able to cast anything for at least an hour.

You're a dragon so you should be able to use magic too, right?

Gormirden breathed and panted.
"My mother.. never found the need to teach me magic." Gor groaned. Was he.. jealous at Hektir?
"How.. may I thank you?" Mir has asked again

[Emperor Ing]

Hektir tilted his head at Gor's statement. He could plainly see that Gormirden wasn't an ordinary dragon and he was 95% certain those prosthetic wings weren't meant to compensate for lost limbs. After all, either a dragon did know magic, or they didn't, it was something they knew on an instinctual level. What their parents would teach them is the best spells that utilize their wellsprings most efficiently, and creative uses of those spells. While all creatures had a potential to use sorcery, magic intrinsic to their very being as measured by a creature's wellspring, it was clear that Gormirden's breed had no knowledge on how to use it, even if he had a decently sized wellspring at all.

Well... He brushed his claw against his shoulder pensively, unsure how to continue. Then an idea came to him. Think of it as a favor. Hektir chooses not to explain what that means, hoping Gormirden understands the implication: He owes Hektir, and will call the favor at an unspecified time in the future.

[igordragonian]

Hektir tilted his head at Gor's statement. He could plainly see that Gormirden wasn't an ordinary dragon and he was 95% certain those prosthetic wings weren't meant to compensate for lost limbs. After all, either a dragon did know magic, or they didn't, it was something they knew on an instinctual level. What their parents would teach them is the best spells that utilize their wellsprings most efficiently, and creative uses of those spells. While all creatures had a potential to use sorcery, magic intrinsic to their very being as measured by a creature's wellspring, it was clear that Gormirden's breed had no knowledge on how to use it, even if he had a decently sized wellspring at all.

Well... He brushed his claw against his shoulder pensively, unsure how to continue. Then an idea came to him. Think of it as a favor. Hektir chooses not to explain what that means, hoping Gormirden understands the implication: He owes Hektir, and will call the favor at an unspecified time in the future.

"Very well.' said Gor, understanding.
He probably was the most "dwarven' dragon there is.
Blunt, tough and very... earth like.
"Can you continue the journey?" Gor has asked."Or should you rest?" Mir asked.

[PurityIcekiller]

[Veridao Crio]

"If you're such a genius, Zarakkan," hissed Smoketail, "then perhaps you know what 'conceited' means? Honestly-"

"GAH!" Sparkwing cried in alarm. Cavoraei's second transformation hadn't startled him any less than the first.

"I think I like your style, Breathforger." Smoketail nodded to Cavoraei in approval. "I would enjoy seeing their buildings and devices scorched until nothing remains but rubble. No matter what they are, they should suffer for their crimes."

"I... don't really think fiery vengeance is the best idea here," said Sparkwing. "It's too risky. Besides, the others are still held somewhere nearby, and if they're caught in the fighting..."

"So what should we do? Listen to our self-proclaimed expert?"

"That's actually not unreasonable." Sparkwing thought over the plan a bit. "We will need to find out more first. Sneak in, look around, find out what they have, then get out unnoticed. Then we can start making plans."

"So once we have our information, we'll send a group in to sabotage the machines and free the captives. Then, while they're still distracted by that, we launch the attack proper. They will be devastated before they even realize what's happening."

"Attack? That's dangerous! We just need to rescue the others!"

"Rescuing them is our first priority, but not the only one. We deserve justice."

[Emperor Ing]

"Very well.' said Gor, understanding.
He probably was the most "dwarven' dragon there is.
Blunt, tough and very... earth like.
"Can you continue the journey?" Gor has asked."Or should you rest?" Mir asked.

It's not debilitating, I should be okay-ack! He attempts to flap his wings, but only finds that the still large wound at his side makes the effort less comfortable than he's used to.

Okay! I'm okay. He insists as he jumps into the air again, however his flaps are noticeably uneven as he struggles to maintain a hover. Are you okay?

[igordragonian]

Gormirden followed Hektir, heavy and tired but stable.
'I am fine.' Gor muttered.
'You on the other claw, looks NOT fine.'

[Lord Raziere]

Veridao Crio
"Conceited....Ah! Excessively proud of oneself, vain, narcissistic. Hm. Sounds like Kirnarraz. If you ever see him, don't mention that comment to him, he will probably take it as a contest and try to beat me at it. You'll know when he is around you hear the over the top rage and proclamations that he will kill me. I don't agree with your assessment of me, but no one is perfect, and in a way I can see how you'd think that, even if I don't believe it myself."
He decided to get back to business. Its not worth arguing over your own flaws with other people. Its probably true since you never realize your flaws until other people point them out, so you might as well just take note and try better next time
"Anyways. I think the people you rescue will also want justice so those goals might not be mutually exclusive. Its just that between cannons and guns, I doubt a full frontal charge will work. Such technology is like arrows except far faster and far more penetrating. Imagine you and your hypothetical army charging forward, the dwarves hefting their crossbows and firing round after round of arrows- only these projectiles are small orbs going at speeds you cannot see and cannot react to unless you have super-speed powers, and at those speeds if its flesh they are going to penetrate it and hurt whoever it hits. If its armor, its probably going to punch a hole through it. Imagine someone causing an explosion inside of a tube to send whatever is in it zooming at ridiculous speeds to kill their foe- an utterly crazy idea but it works. Just my kind of crazy."

[Emperor Ing]

If Sir Fjall the Iron-Handed can kill thirty human warriors with an artificial arm that was nothing more than a suit of armor's arm strapped to his shoulder, I think I can manage. The two fly over trees and hills before coming upon a mountain range, one that extends almost perfectly perpendicular to the dragons' path. It is possible to be flown over.

Huh. Hektir remarks. Could the entrance be here somewhere...?

[igordragonian]

"Who...?" Gor started to ask and shaked his head.
Den:"Huh! I'll just taste the earth! Let's land!'

[Emperor Ing]

Old human warrior. Hektir explained to Gor, his annunciation flawless as his eagerness to explain history and lore overwhelming whatever pain he felt from flying with an injured wing. An incredibly skilled warrior who lost his arm at the Battle of Osiris Peak 500 years ago, and replaced it with the iron arm he is famous for.

As it turns out, none of his equipment is magical. He was just that good. An echo of disappointment is heard in his voice. Still, the Iron-Handed's iron arm is a valuable historical artifact, even if it's nonmagical, and a welcome piece in Hektir's collection.

The pair land. The stone beneath the hydra-dragon's claws feels strange. It has been worked, but not in a way Gormirden has experienced before. It's sturdy, strong, as though the very act of having touched it strengthened the inherent durability of the stone. This feeling only seems stronger the closer Gormirden approaches the mountain.

It takes him an hour, but following his stone-senses eventually leads the hydra to a peculiar entrance. The way is massive, easily large enough to seem spacious to even the largest dragon. Despite the huge size of the entrance, its position in the mountain is such that even if he were looking for it, without stone-sense, it would be impossible to find, however having found it, it is as though the naturally occurring illusion has fallen and Gormirden can't not see it.

[igordragonian]

Gormidren has stopped. 'It's here." Gor said quitly. 'This place was hidden well. Not hidden well enough from ME... but hidden well.' Gor couldn't feel but respect. And beside... being close to death because of lil' manticore and being saved by even smaller softy dragon... might devolo humility even at such proud being as Gormirden was.
"Is there any traps I should know about?"

Den grinned."Or virgins! It's been two month since I'v eaten some juicy mortl virgins!"

[Emperor Ing]

Uh, no virgins. I think. Hektir answered awkwardly as he flew up to Gormirden, proximity to the entrance breaking the illusion from his senses as well. He takes a moment, looking around his surroundings, trying to figure out how anyone missed a cave entrance this enormous.

And uh, I don't know about any traps. He admits. There were no designs, blueprints, or anything that I could find. They wanted this citadel kept a secret, so much so that they entombed all of the builders alive. He shudders at the thought as he begins walking in the cave, the light steadily dimming, though this was not a problem to your darksenses. Just by looking at the stone, it was clear it was worked, as a cavern floor this flat and walls this straight weren't natural, even if they were rough and uneven. As though the mason did only what was needed and not a single swing of the pickaxe more. All the traps probably have decayed by now but just in case, you know...keep your eyes open. As the tunnel veers to the left, the cavern suddenly widens, revealing a massive, massive chamber.

The roughly hewn rock opens into a central chamber so vast and wide it could contain an entire castle with plenty of room to spare. The chamber echoes with the sound of splashing water as it falls from the enormous ceiling in a stream down straight into a pool on the left of the chamber, green and violet bioluminescent fungus growing along its edges. Or at least as much of the fungus as you can make out, as the floor is covered in arrows and bolts. Around the chamber, in front of you and as far as your eyes can see, the entire ground of the chamber is covered in what can only be described as a forest of arrows, bolts, and ballista bolts, each one sticking out in the ground where they fell, and in various states of decay, their wooden shafts ranging from ordinary to rotten and splintered, a few even sporting some of the glowing fungus on it. At the base of the arrows, the skeletons of various creatures can be seen strewn across the ground, arrows and ballista bolts jutting from their bodies like macabre memorials. You can even spot a few humanoid skeletons among them.

However beyond the graveyard of arrows is the dominating feature of this enormous chamber. A massive monolithic structure whose dimensions extend beyond even that of the cavernous chamber and go deeper yet into the mountain. Facing you both is a single wall, hewn, flat, and utterly featureless save for the massive wooden and steel door at its front, and the hundreds of murder-holes of various sizes hewn into the stone face at uniform alternating positions. Yet by looking at the wall, it doesn't appear truly flat. Rather, it appears to curve, the wall is horizontally concave, the further edges of the wall ever so slightly look towards the door. Even if the enemy were at the door of the Citadel they still would not be safe from whatever lurked inside those murder-holes. The wall stands massive, indomitable, and imposing. If there was any structure that could possibly withstand the Apocalypse in this world, this would be it.

Hahaha! Success! I knew i'd find it! I mean, we could find it! Hektir exclaims in joy as he takes his first steps into the arrow forest. A dull thunk is heard from the wall, and Hektir's progress is halted as a ballista bolt embeds itself deep in the stone mere inches away from him. The sudden stimulation forces the dragon to shriek in alarm and jump backwards.

Okay, change of plans. We need a plan. Traps are happening. Because they work. He pants, still startled. Need a plan.

[igordragonian]

Gormirden has followed Hektir quitly. He didn't shared his enthusiasm. He was looking for gold, or something that would give enough hope for his pet dwarves to prefer slavery than death.

"Hmm..." Gor hummed thoughtfully.
Mir said:"Let me try something." the trio heads closed their eyes, trying to concetrate their earth sense, trying to sense anomalies- and sense the traps.
He never tried it before

[Emperor Ing]

Gormirden's earth-senses feel the ground. It is ordinary stone, but it somehow feels slightly stronger than normal. Nothing significantly strong, Gormirden is pretty sure he could burrow through it, but not without difficulty. The stone certainly isn't strong enough to shatter the bolts and arrows on impact, it seems. He can also feel the arrows embedded in the stone, like pockmarks and divots in the stone. He's pretty sure he knows how deep the largest ballista bolts can embed.

However his senses end the moments it hits a wall. So strong and dense is the stone he can only recognize it by how much he cannot sense it. Gormirden gets the feeling that he can spend decades digging through the wall and make little progress, and he has no idea how thick the wall really is. He certainly can't tell what is inside the murderholes.

However he can guess, as the way the bolts are embedded points towards the wall itself, as it seems the bolts are shot from the wall. Judging by how Hektir was just shot at, it's clear at least one or more of the bolt throwers still works, and it will need to be avoided somehow, even though Gormirden's eyes can't detect any cover. Anywhere in the bolt forest is part of a giant kill-zone.

[sildra45]

Standing tall and looking the scientific dragon down, the silver giant gave a snort of discontent.

"You seem to think that all that I have here is mere metal tools of shoddy workmanship. No dwarven bullet will pass through MY armor, and no dwarven shield will stand a blow from my sword, be it one they hold, or one they have covering one of their machines! I am no simple blacksmith, whelp!"

As if to emphasize his words, he drew a dagger smaller than his own claw from under one of his belly scales, and simply let it drop point down...and from just gravity, it dug into the stone up to the hilt without even a sound to be made.

"And if it is range you are worried about, let them fire from afar, and let them feel fear when their toys do nothing against the shields of the Iron Keeper!"

[Lord Raziere]

Veridao Crio
Wow. Rude! Between Cavoraei calling him "whelp" and Smoketail calling him "conceited", he was beginning to think he wasn't welcome here.
"....Very well, it sounds like neither of you want my help, therefore why bother offering it, if you insult me and claim you can do just fine on your own? I shall take my leave then."
He then begins to turn and walk out with a cross face. He had better things to do than deal with a silver dragon calling him a child or an actual small dragon thinking he was narcissistic. Sure he cared about the oppressed people but he would think that people wanting allies to fight them would be more respectful. He would just fly there and cause some chaos with his genius himself. Overthrowing oppressive jerks was a good hobby and way to point himself in a direction at least. Maybe he can find a good home after he beats them? That and dwarves with all their technology, he could use devices to work with and materials to build things from.

[igordragonian]

Gormirden's earth-senses feel the ground. It is ordinary stone, but it somehow feels slightly stronger than normal. Nothing significantly strong, Gormirden is pretty sure he could burrow through it, but not without difficulty. The stone certainly isn't strong enough to shatter the bolts and arrows on impact, it seems. He can also feel the arrows embedded in the stone, like pockmarks and divots in the stone. He's pretty sure he knows how deep the largest ballista bolts can embed.

However his senses end the moments it hits a wall. So strong and dense is the stone he can only recognize it by how much he cannot sense it. Gormirden gets the feeling that he can spend decades digging through the wall and make little progress, and he has no idea how thick the wall really is. He certainly can't tell what is inside the murderholes.

However he can guess, as the way the bolts are embedded points towards the wall itself, as it seems the bolts are shot from the wall. Judging by how Hektir was just shot at, it's clear at least one or more of the bolt throwers still works, and it will need to be avoided somehow, even though Gormirden's eyes can't detect any cover. Anywhere in the bolt forest is part of a giant kill-zone.

Gormirden frowned.

"Certain death!" Den said cheerfully.
"Walls too thick.' Mir said.
"And I can't sense where the traps are..." Gor added

[Emperor Ing]

Urg, I was afraid of that.

It looks like there's active ballistae and crossbows inside those murder-holes that'll skewer us if we get anywhere inside that forest. Since we're not, well, Dwarves, they probably see us as a threat.

However... He approaches the edge of the arrow forest, the point where no bolt seems to touch the ground in a rather hard line. The area where the bolts land seems to be rather...hard. Like they simply don't want to shoot at any target any further than this line. Thinking for a moment he stomps the ground in frustration.

Come on! There's got to be a way around it! A secret passage, a tunnel that goes underneath the kill-zone? Maybe we dig or something?

[igordragonian]

'Digging? Sure.' Gor nodded, and started to dig with his creepingly large fore claws. In matter of minutes he could do work of 50 dwarves at week.

[Emperor Ing]

Wait, really? Whoa! Hektir jumps out of the way away from the wall to avoid the displaced dirt Gormirden was throwing out as he watches the dragon tunnel through the hard stone. With no other options, he follows behind, opting to help in his own small way by moving small amounts of broken and loose stone out from behind Gormirden, throwing it back outside. From up above, the two can hear the dull impact of bolts striking stone above them. Good idea. Just get me to the door, I happen to have the key.

[igordragonian]

Wait, really? Whoa! Hektir jumps out of the way away from the wall to avoid the displaced dirt Gormirden was throwing out as he watches the dragon tunnel through the hard stone. With no other options, he follows behind, opting to help in his own small way by moving small amounts of broken and loose stone out from behind Gormirden, throwing it back outside. From up above, the two can hear the dull impact of bolts striking stone above them. Good idea. Just get me to the door, I happen to have the key.

@Hmph. Hope Old dwarved didn't expected dragons like me...' Gor muttered with disbelief. He gone to this journey so full of himself.. now he was filled with doubts. He stopped right under the great doors.

[Emperor Ing]

Gormirden kept a level tunnel that permitted several feet of stone ceiling space. Thanks to years of living underground, he also kept a good sense of direction that allowed him to be reasonably sure that, once he made contact with the foundation of the Citadel, he was pretty sure the doors were right above him. The foundation simply being a continuation of that indestructible wall that his earth senses could not bypass despite its clear stone composition.

Tunneling upwards, you find the area closer to the Citadel is where the arrows and bolts become more scarce, as it seems whatever was being shot at over the centuries never made it this close. Or if they did, they didn't last much longer, if the half-dozen humanoid skeletons were anything to go by. Though the walls curved slightly, each wall on either side of you inching outwards subtley, it would appear you are indeed in the bolt throwers' minimum ranges as their arcs of fire simply do not extend towards the door.

On closer inspection of the door, it does appear to be made out of wood reinforced with a dark iron, or possibly adamantium, the wood clearly beginning to rot away. With enough force, a hole could be made through the massive door that would be wide enough for either of you to get through the metal frame. In the middle of the door is a strange outline of a disc with a polished metal at its center.

Okay so, um, look for indentations or...something. Hektir suggests, holding a clear decahedron crystal about as large as the golden dragon's claw. I don't know, does that look important? He stands up on his hind legs, pointing to the indentation in the door. He raises the crystal up to it, only for a beam of white light to shoot from the crystal towards the disc. This startles Hektir, who drops the crystal, only to realize his mistake last-second, dropping down on all fours before raising his hands again to catch the crystal before it could fall and shatter.

But the crystal never fell.

Instead it rose to the disc, hovering under its own power as the beam maintained coherence. Light began to trace outwards from the disc, tracing along hidden indentations on the rotting door. First four horizontal lines traced outwardly and symmetrically from either side of the disc, before each line broke off and ran in opposing, vertical directions. The bottom lines turned inwards, running vertically briefly before splitting off into two additional lines and so on and so on, tracing a pattern, every angle a perfect right angle that mirrored the other half of the door with perfect symmetry. Soon the whole door was lit, and ancient mechanisms began to whirr with activation. Dust shook and shuttered as the door rose into the archway. It was then that it was clear what lay behind the door.

More doors. Stone doors, specifically, each as impervious and imposing as the wall itself. The door was by no means a structural weakness. Just as nothing else seemed to happen, more mechanisms activated. The stone door began to rise into the archway to reveal the passage within. It is in this moment you could see just how thick the doors and walls were. So thick were they that if the most extravagant of human nobles had the proper tools (and labor,) they very well could carve out a luxurious and expansive mansion, its widest point never even coming close to reaching the thickness of the stone. All that remained in front of you was an utterly unlit stone hallway, the darkness yawning before you.

Hektir is alert enough to catch the crystal when it is drained and falls to the ground. The Citadel's key is still a valuable historical artifact itself. After you. He gestures to Gormirden. If he had any anxiety about going inside, he didn't show it. Then again he does supposedly have experience spelunking in ancient ruins and tombs, this darkness shouldn't be unfamiliar to him.

[igordragonian]

Gormirden looked with amaze- for a second.
"Humph. My pet dwarves could learn thing or two from this place.' Gor said and started to move forward- each head looked to other direction carefully.

[Emperor Ing]

Or they could live here. Hektir suggests as the two continue down the tunnel. The hallway widens slightly as you enter the Citadel proper, the stone roof of the raised mega-door giving way to a vaulted ceiling that extends perhaps too high, the walls narrowing towards the ceiling. On the ceiling are several dark indentations, looking down on a narrow corridor with no cover or concealment. Actually I wouldn't mind living here either. Good space, privacy, maybe needs some cleaning up, but after a month this place would look like new! Hektir swipes a hind leg across the ground, kicking up a nimbus of ancient dust.

The cooridor stretches onwards before finally terminating in another central chamber. Similar to the previous one that stored the entrance to the Citadel though not nearly as expansive and lacking in deathtraps. At its bottom sits a pool of that strange glowing blue water. Bright enough to provide faint illumination around the whole chamber. The path you are on continues towards. The pool seems to encompass the whole chamber save for a few spots. The path you are both on continues on a bridge towards a single stone gazebo-like structure, hewn into a square shape and possessing only of a single pillar-like structure that's too distant to make out. Ringed around the chamber are multiple hewn structures. You can make out stone walls, doors, windows, decks, and balconies, all of which possess a short stone wharf that point towards the gazebo expectingly. Yet no bridge seemed to extend towards the gazebo that you could see.

Then again this is doesn't even qualify as an inconvenience for dragons.

On the stone, you can see strange vegetation. Bioluminescent fungus emit a soft, green, blue, or violet light on the surrounding stone or moss, with particularly large specimens growing higher on the walls, towards the ceiling, just below a particularly prominent balcony made itself visible, ringing around the entire pool, parapets providing cover for any ranged attacker that would find themselves in a favorable position, shooting down on any hypothetical attacker.

We...actually probably should find a spot and get some rest. Hektir suggests, seeing the path branch off with multiple options. I suspect we'll be here a while.

[PurityIcekiller]

[Veridao Crio]

Smoketail stepped over to the fallen dagger and pulled it from the ground. "So, does this make me the rightful king?" she asked, smirking.

"Not yet," said Sparkwing. "That comes when you get one from someone in a large body of water, I think."

"Well, joking aside, this is a remarkable blade." Smoketail inspected it for a moment, then carefully gave it back to Cavoraei. "It would make short work of their cages. I'd expect that kind of edge from obsidian, but not steel. It's much better than anything our self-professed genius has offered."

"Uh... Smoketail... I think you offended him there."

"Oh, so I bruised his fragile ego. It was only a matter of time, really."

"He can still help!"

"So? He'd only do it to show off anyway."

Sparkwing lowered his head and looked at the departing Zarakkan piteously. "So... are you just going to let him go?"

"That is our forge-master's decision." With that, Smoketail turned back to Cavoraei. "And as for you, I think we have the start of a powerful alliance. Where should we start?"

[igordragonian]

Or they could live here. Hektir suggests as the two continue down the tunnel. The hallway widens slightly as you enter the Citadel proper, the stone roof of the raised mega-door giving way to a vaulted ceiling that extends perhaps too high, the walls narrowing towards the ceiling. On the ceiling are several dark indentations, looking down on a narrow corridor with no cover or concealment. Actually I wouldn't mind living here either. Good space, privacy, maybe needs some cleaning up, but after a month this place would look like new! Hektir swipes a hind leg across the ground, kicking up a nimbus of ancient dust.

The cooridor stretches onwards before finally terminating in another central chamber. Similar to the previous one that stored the entrance to the Citadel though not nearly as expansive and lacking in deathtraps. At its bottom sits a pool of that strange glowing blue water. Bright enough to provide faint illumination around the whole chamber. The path you are on continues towards. The pool seems to encompass the whole chamber save for a few spots. The path you are both on continues on a bridge towards a single stone gazebo-like structure, hewn into a square shape and possessing only of a single pillar-like structure that's too distant to make out. Ringed around the chamber are multiple hewn structures. You can make out stone walls, doors, windows, decks, and balconies, all of which possess a short stone wharf that point towards the gazebo expectingly. Yet no bridge seemed to extend towards the gazebo that you could see.

Then again this is doesn't even qualify as an inconvenience for dragons.

On the stone, you can see strange vegetation. Bioluminescent fungus emit a soft, green, blue, or violet light on the surrounding stone or moss, with particularly large specimens growing higher on the walls, towards the ceiling, just below a particularly prominent balcony made itself visible, ringing around the entire pool, parapets providing cover for any ranged attacker that would find themselves in a favorable position, shooting down on any hypothetical attacker.

We...actually probably should find a spot and get some rest. Hektir suggests, seeing the path branch off with multiple options. I suspect we'll be here a while.

"live here...." Gor said thoughtfully.
Could work.. maybe? But that would mean, convince his pet dwarves leave their homeland.
"Rest..." Den said with a hiss. "Yes... I would like that!" Mir said cheerfully.

[Emperor Ing]

Hektir looked up at the chamber, mulling his options for a moment before reaching a decision. Up here. He suggested before fluttering up to the balcony overlooking the whole chamber. Above, there were several wide tunnels that seemed to correspond with the other tunnels in the central chamber, as though attempting to remain parallel with them. The feathery dragon smiles in satisfaction on seeing the tunnel that runs parallel above the entrance. The difference being the tunnel has a noticeably shorter ceiling, the floor being wider than where the bottom entrance tunnel terminates into its ceiling.

Ha, I thought so. He remarks, trodding inside. He points to one of a series of small, thin rectangular holes that open to the entrance passage below from the passage's tall ceiling. He points to one such hole, entering lecture mode. The whole citadel is engineered to be as defensible as possible. If somehow an invading army managed to bypass the storm of arrows and the incredibly thick wall at the front, the army is still forced into a bottleneck through a relatively narrow tunnel. He smiles. What is inside is having arrows poured on them from above by enemy archers or crossbow users with absolutely no cover, while the bottleneck ensures the bulk of their army is vulnerable to the Citadel's outer defenses.

You need only small numbers of elite heavy infantry to keep entire legions at bay. He says this as he uses his wings to clear out some of the dust that's accumulated on the floor around him. As he nestles himself into a curl, wincing from the pain of moving his wounded body, it's evident he believes this to be a good resting spot.

Highly defensible. Except we should see to figuring out a way to get around those bolt throwers. Hate to have to avoid THAT every time I fly home.

So... He trails on, apparently interested in conversation. Tell me more about your Dwarves.

[Lord Raziere]

(OOC:Yeah I'm tired of waiting for sildra when they won't post.)

Swamp
Zarakkan walked out of the volcano and flew off into the swamp. He would make his own weapons. A dagger that could cut through stone? Bah! That was simplistic, a simple weapon for a simple smith. He could do better. Zarakkan proceeded to gather up a bunch of branches and sticks from the swamp,as well as gather a bunch of rocks and find solid ground, then gets some vines. This invention wasn’t going to be his most sophisticated or well designed of things, but with no metals or whatnot, he could do without. Technology was technology, no matter what it was made from. This goes double for Magitech.

First he picked up a big staff-like branch. Then tied a bunch of sticks together around the staff, making they are tightly fastened to it with the vines. To enchant things, you need a design. You couldn’t just wave your hand and make magic work, the energy had to come from somewhere, the spell had to have a structure to it. With wood, its sympathetic connections came the most strongly from the sun, ground and rain. As he began to infuse the magitech staff with power, he began to connect its recharge capabilities to all three. Thus the staff would be recharged in sunlight as metaphorical photosynthesis, as well as rainfall, to metaphorically water the plant, and if he stuck it in the ground it could absorb energy from the nutrients in the dirt. The upside to using wood and enchanting it in this manner is that the enchantment became a metaphorical plant- it would grow and gradually become stronger with time, if given the proper care. The downside was that it was made of wood. Fire would destroy it, obviously.

The enchantment on this staff specifically is one of transmutation- once it was done, he would be able to use it to transmute inanimate materials. He specifically avoided putting in the capability transmuting of living flesh or whatever- not just because of morality reasons, but also because such magic would not work well with a wood design, as wood was often a symbol for life and growth, and using transmutation magic to turn flesh into something like stone or ice would be heavily associated with death. If he wanted to do that, he would have to use bone or iron. No, this enchantment was primarily to transmute various objects into materials he needed to make other magitech. Like those stones he gathered. It could also, be used in other ways if one was creative of course, like I don’t know, turning gunpowder into something useless, or turning certain gears into liquids, y’know sabotage inventions like say, the dwarven ones that are oppressing Smoketails lands, so that he can move in for the kill with other methods while they are busy trying to figure out why their machines aren’t working.

The sticks tied to the staff of course, are just extra batteries that increase how much energy can be absorbed and stored from the sun and rain. While from the outside, the finished product will just look like a bunch of sticks tied to a bigger tick with magical runes on them, it was a sophisticated device that he could use to gather materials for himself as well as disable any machines of his enemies, as well as many other uses. Cavoraei could make a dagger to cut through stone. Zarakkan could make a staff to transmute stone to gold.

[igordragonian]

Hektir looked up at the chamber, mulling his options for a moment before reaching a decision. Up here. He suggested before fluttering up to the balcony overlooking the whole chamber. Above, there were several wide tunnels that seemed to correspond with the other tunnels in the central chamber, as though attempting to remain parallel with them. The feathery dragon smiles in satisfaction on seeing the tunnel that runs parallel above the entrance. The difference being the tunnel has a noticeably shorter ceiling, the floor being wider than where the bottom entrance tunnel terminates into its ceiling.

Ha, I thought so. He remarks, trodding inside. He points to one of a series of small, thin rectangular holes that open to the entrance passage below from the passage's tall ceiling. He points to one such hole, entering lecture mode. The whole citadel is engineered to be as defensible as possible. If somehow an invading army managed to bypass the storm of arrows and the incredibly thick wall at the front, the army is still forced into a bottleneck through a relatively narrow tunnel. He smiles. What is inside is having arrows poured on them from above by enemy archers or crossbow users with absolutely no cover, while the bottleneck ensures the bulk of their army is vulnerable to the Citadel's outer defenses.

You need only small numbers of elite heavy infantry to keep entire legions at bay. He says this as he uses his wings to clear out some of the dust that's accumulated on the floor around him. As he nestles himself into a curl, wincing from the pain of moving his wounded body, it's evident he believes this to be a good resting spot.

Highly defensible. Except we should see to figuring out a way to get around those bolt throwers. Hate to have to avoid THAT every time I fly home.

So... He trails on, apparently interested in conversation. Tell me more about your Dwarves.

"Maybe my pet dwarves could figure those problems." Mir said hopefully.
Den groaned. "But how will we move them so far? They all die on the way here.' Gormirden curled his clumsy body trying to get comftrable.

"The dwarves of Urathur?" Gor asked.
"Very well. First.. my mom thought they would be good as snacks." Den told.
Mir continued. "But they were much more than that! They are making great artifacts with runes and mythril! Like those wings... I wasn't hatched with wings. Neither my mom- she said we are "Deep" dragons... what ever it is."
Gor:"Urathur's dwarves are very conservative and closed society. I doubt that strangers knew, they are serving my mom."
Den licked his lips. "And their virgins are so juicy!"

[Lord Raziere]

Swamp
Next, he pointed the Transmuter Staff and fired a bolt of transforming lightning at a few rocks he gathered into pure silver ore. He would need silver for his next, simple invention. The good thing about silver was that it did not need to be red-hot in order to be shaped. Silversmithing can be done at room temperature just fine, and he had all the tools for it. He got them out and began working them through hammer blows, blades and precise dextrous movements with the silver until he had made a silver necklace fit for a dragon of his size.

Next he held it aloft and began infusing the necklace with power as well. The great thing about silver was that it was one of the best materials for enchantments of transformation and change. They were simply smooth, painless and well done. That and if he used wood for this he wouldn’t be able to shape shift his clothes since wood was connected to life primarily, not shapeshifting. The great thing about metals in general were that they were relatively neutral when it came to power sources. He tied the necklace’s power source to the geothermal heat of the planet itself. Sure, this would mean that the necklaces power charged faster the closer to the ground you were, and slower the higher you rose into the sky, and would presumably stop functioning altogether if one theoretically went high enough, but it was supposed to be used to disguise himself as a wingless mortal, so that wasn’t really a concern given that he would be on the ground to use it anyways. I mean, if he used it in the air, he would fall so….no point. That and this way, if he DID use it in the air for some improbable reason, the necklaces power would charge faster the more he fell, which meant that he could transform back into being a dragon faster, so no worries. The shapeshifting itself could only do one form then back to the original, which was good enough for his purposes.

When he was done, the necklace had glowing runes on it as well and he put it on. He wasn’t going to use it yet. While his clothes would shift, he still needed to find something better than what he had on to wear when he shifted, because he still wouldn’t be decent. For that, he went off into the swamp and did some good old fashioned hunting and skinning of animals for their leather to fashion them into clothing he saw a few elven druids wear years ago according to his draconic memory, then stored the clothing in one his extra-dimensional bags, as well as the remaining rocks to transmute into other things later.