Log:BB: Fragment Recovery II

Date	Title	People	Location
May 3, 2015	Broken Blade: Fragment Recovery II	Kyson, Korra, Kira and Cesran (GM)	Kingdom of Rune

In the other cavern Kyson will first smell a mixtures of smells, acid, with spell components, smoke and rot. It's a chamber about 30 feet wide and long, circular shaped. To the left is a workshop that that has all bottles and potions, along with everything you need to scribe scrolls and enchant items. Towards the back is a small to medium sized pile of gold and silver, and some copper. Precious gems and some items can also be seen. The pile is in a shallow pool of water, no more then 1-3 inches deep. On top of that pile is a small blackness. As Kyson enters the blackness shifts and it's catlike green eyes open and pin him down with their stare. In an almost purring sibilant voice it speaks in common, "How nice of Master Kib to let me have something to play with..."

A grimace rises from her lips as Korra stares at Kyson, shaking her head as she moves quickly after. "Be *careful*..." she begins, words trailing off as she hears that sibillant voice, eyes narrowing once more as green eyes gleam. "Because there might be something else," she adds, raising her blade as she moves to the young adept's side. One eyes chases to the pile, drawing back reluctantly; she stares at those burning eyes, the first, most obvious potential threat. Caution in all things!

Kira is checking on the remaining kobold when Kyson moves in ahead into the next room. "Yes, be care-" A voice. One that doesn't sound very nice. She finishes her check and moves after to the next room. "And you shouldn't go alone..."

Kira also offers, a little late but still polite, "Hello" to the... whatever it is that's there.

Kyson pauses upon entry to the room, his eyes scanning over the contents and then affixing upon the source of the voice. With an eyebrow raised in question, he bows before the 'blackness' in a quasi-polite gesture and shifts his weight from one foot to the other; waiting for it to strike or speak.

A kobold head pops up from the work bench and a robed kobold comes running out to get in front of the adventurers and the pile of coins and the black shape on top, "Stop...stop right there, no need to step any further." She says holding out a wand that looks like it was made from a stick that's been broken in a couple of places and tied back together with bits of cloth, "You are in the presence of her Magnificientness, Haladraxia, scourge of this swamp." The kobold bows low to the black shape who's green eyes look down upon the kobold, "Mmm thank you Mims. What do you intruders want?"

Korra holds her blade, silvery shield curved in caution. She glances between the bright eyes and the kobold, glancing against to Kyson as she pauses. "Your game," she aside quietly to him, staring at the dark eyes with narrow intent.

Kyson turns his attention to the presence of the robed kobold and speaks plainly, "I have come to recover that which has been thirded - shards of a long sword's blade which I believe may have been collected and brought here." The tone is informative without being acusatory - something akin to a teacher's voice when offering a lecture. "Naturally, her Magnificientness would not want 'rubbish' like that around. I wish simply to reclaim the items and return them to my ah...family. For honor's sake, you understand..."

"We didn't mean to intrude," Kira apologizes and informs. "We didn't know anyone would be in this place, or even what this place was. We didn't mean to harm anyone, either. We're just looking for lost items, as he said."

The kobold nods her head a little bit, "Well yes I collect anything that I think her Magnificientness would like, often times anything that is shiny. I might have picked up a shard of a blade." The black shape gets up and prowls around the small pile that it was sitting on. It's easy to see in the light you brought in that it's black dragon, a young black dragon though. "Why should I give you anything in my horde I would be willing to trade you for it. How much would you say that this blade shard is worth to you?" The dragon asks as she eyes the adventurers and then focuses on Kira, "What do you mean harm anyone? Who did you harm?"

Korra doesn't close her eyes, but the twitch-- the wince. Cutious, she moves to keep herself between dragon and young mage, shield braced before her. "Be clever!" she advises Kyson quietly, shaking her head. "The sooner we end this, the sooner we can move away."

Korra doesn't close her eyes, but the twitch-- the wince. Cutious, she moves to keep herself between dragon and young mage, shield braced before her. "Be clever!" she advises Kyson quietly, shaking her head. "The sooner we end this, the sooner we can move away."

Kira shakes her head. "I harmed no one, your Magnificentness." Now she nods. "It would be fair for us to offer something in trade. What would you trade the sword shard for?"

The Wizardling glances back to Kira and then back to the young Black before him. "Your magnificence, I believe what my friend is describing is the...uh... 'exercise' that we afforded your servants in your antechamber." Pausing only for enough time to draw a breath he adds, "...And I can say that your followers do your name a great honor. It was all that we could muster to pass by them and approach you to seek your benevolence." For a common-born apprentice, Kyson seems to know how to slather on the charm with a wide brush. Treating the dragon, for he has never met one of her kind before, as an honored Master of the academy, he is mindful of lowering his gaze and rarely bringing his tone to a point where it could be seen as 'rude'. Manners. Manners above all, his mother once taught him. Still holding his carved staff in his hand, the top of which emblazoned with a gout of blue-white fire, he takes a second, quick look around the room to see what kind of light sources they might have - hoping that he might find something to lever against what he wants.

Haladraxia's tail wiggles as she thinks, "Mims come here." The Kobold comes closer and the two whisper in conference together. Finally the dragon pulls away and the kobold names Mims speaks up, "1000 gold pieces..." "Or a giant diamond." The dragon adds in and looks at the adventurers to see what their counter offer will be.

Manners. Korra remembers them, in the same thought and breath as the curtsey, as eating with the proper salad fork, as hiding behind a fan and 'tittering' appropriately... She exhales, shivering as she braces her gaze back. Better to face dragons than be submitted to such horrid things again! Finishing schools... *shiver!* She glances at Kyson, cautious... and curious to what the counteroffer will be.

Kira looks to Kyson, now, too. She doesn't know what anyone else has to offer in trade, but she has very little.

"Giant is a difficult term to understand, your magnificence. A diamond the sized of an apple is worth far more than a paltry thousand gold. Besides - wouldn't you want something more...substantive?" His legs start to get the nervous twitch he's known to get, as many other apprentices acquire when standing before their masters, and he has to move. His pacing is in a small line back and forth - no further into the room than where he originally stood, but definitely enough room for him to 'walk and talk' a bit. "A large jewel would be valueable, yes - but also just as easily lost. Why not," he suggests," ask for something more meaningful? More impressive..."

"Like your...name." The apprentice adds after a somewhat dramatic pause.

The Kobold looks at Kyson curiously, "What do you mean like her name? She gives you her name already." The dragon looks skeptical, "I don't think they have any gold. I don't think they want the blade piece at all, which is good because I wasn't too keen on giving it up. It's mine in my horde." The black dragon flops on her horde and stretches out on it. Some coins drop down towards the bottom and the black tail scoops them up before they hit the bottom.

Kira can respond to that, and with a pleasant smile. "No, I do have some gold, but I don't think I have the thousand you asked." Her smile dims some in regret at that. "We do want the shard. That's why we came out here to search for it."

Kira doesn't understand the offer, but maybe Haladraxia does. She looks back to the dragon to see how their arrangement is going so far.

Korra bites down on her tongue, bladetip quivering. She is bound, determined *not* to laugh at the sitatuon. Deadly serious, and still--- humourous in its own, odd way! "Or we could bring books," she suggests, half in jest. "I'm certain a half-decayed swamp in the middle of nowhere is just clamoring for intellectual stimulation!"

"She might not want to be feared?" Kira offers to Kyson, a little unsure now that she understands what he meant. "She seems like a very nice dragon..." She looks to Haladraxia and smiles. "The first I've ever met. I don't think I have as much as you asked, but I can offer you what I have..." Kira pauses to take a step back so she doesn't interrupt more talking and pulls out a pouch to start counting coins.

Haladraxia ponders a little bit as she rakes the coins she's laying on with her claws. "Hmm, I would like that a song about me that yes people should fear me. Sing a song for me right now about how I will be feared and make it a good one. If I'm impressed you can have the blade shard...if not...I get to eat you. Sounds fair? You two can help him your singing better be good." The kobold hmms, "I don't know your Magnificientness...we could use the gold." The dragon huffs, "Nonsense we can get more gold. I want a song."

Korra stares, utterly caught off guard. *Sing?!* She opens her mouth, closing it again, glancing at Kyson with a long, *long* glance. "I couldn't carry a tune in a bucket!" she whispers, panicking. Music. Song. Performance in front of an *audience*. She'd rather face the dragon!

Kira finishes her counting just in time to have her guesses proven wrong? "Oh..." On the bright side, she knows what's in her coinpurse, at least. Kira puts it back away and purses her lips. "I don't know much about singing, but I can try." After a pause, she adds, "But I can't let you eat him. A life isn't a fair trade for anything."

Kyson turns, in his ever-pacing stride and gives the two companions a glance that is somewhere between panic and confusion. Pace. Pace, "Oh yes, of course," he mutters trying to bide time to think of something, "...a song. A wonderful idea your excellency." His eyes fall to the ground as he walks and yet he still tries to think of how to come up with a song that would be the 'doom' of a dragon with a name like hers. How does one rhyme anything with Hala-drax-ia? "In the language of the elves?" he muses to himself and shakes his head a second after, dismissing the idea entirely. Pace. Pace. Pace. Then he stops as though he smacked into a brick wall. With an oddly confident and almost mischievious look to his face he turns to the two women behind him and whispers something quietly. "Just humm along until you get it...it's simple."

Turning to face the dragon, the wizard bows deeply and takes a deep breath. The 'song' that comes out of his mouth is something of a dirge, a lament. It's not so much sung as it is spoken with a lyrical tone to one's voice. It's one of those things that people would start off with one singer, and then others would join slowly - adding their voices to the chorus. The song, an aberration of a traditional funeral dirge, should be known to most from around Alexandria and, if not, the words are quick to pick up.

"I see the darkness...beyond the mountain..." he begins.

"I see the black of night...beyond the trees."

"Hail the lady of doom...daughter of Draconia." The first part is a bit shakey but he starts to stamp the butt of his staff into the floor of the chamber as though he needed something to provide a sort of tempo. "Burner the towns and the villa, behold the glory of ... Haladraxia" he has to stumble to get that name to fit within the melody but it's a close approximation.

The rest of the song seems to be repeating the first two lines and then adding in some description of a great deed that some dragon might do: burning things, eating things, destroying things - it's a fairly simple melody. Slowed down and sung with a bit so that nearly everyone could follow along.

"I don't try to offend.." Kira gets out only that much before Kyson starts the song. She listens for the melody and words, waiting for the second obvious repeat of refrain before she tries to join in. She's grateful that Kyson picked something familiar in melody and slow, simple words.

Korra lowers her blade, tip first into the stony mud of the cavern earth. Shield still at ready, she.... sings. In a sense. Humming along the with the words of the tune, voice more confident as she follows along. Kyson's game; Kyson's plan-- and with a silent plea to unseen stars that everything go well!

Mims the robed kobold sings and it's horribly off key and she doesn't get the words right. It finally ends and Mims looks sheepishly down at the ground, "I'm sorry your Magnificientness." The dragon looks pleased, "Ah yes very good song about me. Mims you were horrible come over towards me." The kobold moves forward in front of the dragon. "Good now hold out your wand and break it." The kobold whimpers, but does so with a audible snap and the dragon nods, "Good." The dragon starts to dig around in the pile, "Where is that blade piece Mims...did I get it to you because it was picking me."

Kyson slowly lifts his head - having lowered it after the last note of the song as if in reverence to the dragon's name. Only when 'her magnificence' speaks does he raise his head and offers a glance back to his two compatriots. His sea-blue eyes are bright, sparkling and nearly saucer-sized in realization that they might, actually, pull it off. Turning his gaze back to the floor just in front of the black dragon he waits.

Kira is also more than a little surprised, but happily so. She knows that she is no bard, and Korra seemed even less enthused... and yet they managed very well. She looks worriedly to Haladraxia and Mims when she's called over, then winces as the wand is snapped. Still, no one was eaten as she feared.

Haladraxia growls in frustration as she's digging through her coins, "Mims! Where is that blade shard?!" The dragon sounds like she is getting angry. Mims is trying to dig through her stuff, "I'm sorry your Magnifiecietness. I'm searching for it. Are you sure it's not at the bottom of your pile."

Kira starts to offer to help look, but decides to wait. Looking through other peoples' belongings isn't very nice.

Kyson remains where he's standing, but lets his eyes wander around the room in the hopes of spying the edge or something of the sword shards. "You are most kind, your magnificence..." he bows his head once more, trying not to make it look as though he were getting impatient.

Godwyn sits back and observes all this. The dragon, for lack of a better term, is of no consequence to her. She scans the corners of the room for a different reason... watching for more reinforcements. Yet she says nothing. This is Kyson's show after all.

Haladraxia continues to dig and she frowns, "I can't find it." She looks over at the adventurers and looks at Kira, "You come help me." Mims the robed kobold rushes in between Kira and the dragon, "No no she doesn't need to help. I'll help." Haladraxia frowns, "No she can help you look in your things you are always experimenting, you didn't melt it down did you." Mims shakes her head, "No I didn't. I'd never touch anything from your pile, but she might steal something."

Kira frowns at that thought. "I won't take anything, but I will help if you'll let me. I understand you don't know me, but I promise I won't steal." She steps tentatively to help Mims, since that's what she was asked to do.

Kyson offers, raising his voice just slightly to be heard over the rustling of coins and things. "Your excellency..." he pauses for a moment to gain the dragon's attention, "... with your permission, I would offer my paltry magic to assist you in finding the shards." He takes a second or two to let her consider the idea and then adds, "It is, obviously, a poor shadow of your own magical gifts, but I would hate that you should be disturbed for a moment longer than necessary if I could assist you."

Haladraxia looks at Mims, "See she won't steal." Mims shakes her head, "No please don't." Haladraxia frowns, "Mims go look in your stuff." The kobold looks back at Kira and then shuffles off towards her stuff but keeps an eye on Kira. Haladraxia looks at Kyson, "She is going to help me." She says looking towards Kira.

Kira starts to help, but blinks almost instantly. "This is strange..." She looks around and then to Mims. "She isn't real... none of this is? Where is Haladraxia? Is she even here? Where are the shards?"

Mims' eyes go wide and she shakes her head as she holds up her finger to her lips and tries to shush her. Haladraxia cranes her head around, "What I'm real...get out get away from my horde right now." Mims sighs, "No please stop..."

Godwyn glances toward Kira, and after a few moments, she sports a grimace. "Wonderful." Her eyes train on the room itself for something else now, the source of the illusion. If it's at all visible, that is.

Kyson blinks in surprise as Kira comments that something's wrong. "What?" he asks and takes a step -towards- the dragon to see what might happen or if he might be able to discern what it is that's going on. A hint of anger starts to ride up his spine and out through his eyes as his muscles start to sense up.

Godwyn steps forward and places a hand on Kyson's right shoulder. "That... is inadvisable."

Mims tries to get back between the adventurers, "No stop get back away from her." Haladraxia hisses and starts to rear up and it looks like acid is frothing out of her mouth and dripping down onto the coins that hiss loudly.

Kira frowns. "Haladraxia isn't real..." She keeps her attention on Mims. "Please, Mims. We made the trade. Do you have the shards that were promised?"

Mims shakes her head, "No no she is real...she is." The black dragon spits acid as Kira, but the acid has no affect on Kira. Mims starts to cry, "No no Haladraxia...don't do that."

Yeah, that's just about proves that the black dragon was some illusory construction. Kyson, however, does not appreciate being bluffed. Turning his attention to the Kobold, Mims, the wizardling doesn't walk, doesn't stride, he -stalks- his way over to the creature, staff in hand and, for any real description, murder in his eyes. "Where... are the shards?" he demands in a tone far more dark and deep than one would expect from a young man of barely twenty-two summers.

Now it's Kira who puts a hand up. Her whole arm, in fact, to try and block Kyson while still talking to Mims. "Do you have the shards? The dragon isn't real, but our agreement was."

Mim's cringes and she shuffles over to her workbench to take out a plain box and she opens it up as it has two shards inside of it. "Here are your shards." Haladraxia starts to fade as the magic has been broken. Mim watches as she cries, "I'm sorry Haladraxia...I'm sorry Master. I tried to keep her from finding out."

Godwyn folds her arms for a moment, looking toward the box. What could be powerful enough to create an illusion without even moving a single inch or making an invocation of any kind? Surely not Mims...

...which worries her. Deeply. But she doesn't speak for the moment. After all, it's just a hunch.

Kyson deftly crosses the room to get to the shards; almost snatching them out of the box. "I think we should leave now..." he comments and quickly secures the shards in his satchel with the hilt. Not wanting to make matters worse for the Kobold or whatever it was attempting to convey with the illusion, the wizardling glances to Kira to suggest that they should head out quickly.

"Thank you, Mims." Kira offers her a smile as she hands over the shards. She blinks at Kyson's abruptness. "There's no reason to be rude..." Back to Mims. "I'm sure she'll be back. If you brought Haladraxia here, you can bring her back."

Mims sniffles, "I didn't bring her here, I"m not that powerful, my master...he was a great illusionist and I was his apprentice/slave. Haladraxia was his masterpiece a permanent illusion that could think for herself...My master wasn't very well respected because he focused on illusions, but he was a great illusionists and you destroyed him." The kobold starts to cry again.

Godwyn glances toward the blade. The illusionist... no, she had to find out. The Sentinel clears her throat. "Would you be so kind as to tell us the name of this illusionist, so we can tell him how magnificent his creation was? We did not come here to break or destroy, but to find and understand."

There's something to Kyson's attitude. He came for the shards and, now, is in possession of them. The feelings of the Kobold seem to matter to him very little. The anger at being fooled by the illusion still lingers in his movements, like a twitchy feline that's just waiting to pounce on something. As the kobold starts to cry once more, the wizardling shakes his head and turns to leave the room.

Mims sniffles, "Myrion the Magnificent. He's dead, Haladraxia was his lasting creation." The kobold takes out a rag to blow her nose.

Kira offers a hand on Mims shoulder in an attempt to console and comfort. "I'm sorry, we didn't mean to interrupt anything.... but, you're his student." She adds a hopeful smile to her offerings. "In time, I'm sure you'll be able to create something just as wonderful, or even better."

Godwyn nods. "I'll remember the name."

More importantly.... a name means a lead. Leads are meant to be followed.

Mims sniffles, "Please just go." The kobold sighs as she's now all alone in the swamp and she gets up to move back to her workbench.