“Well.” Avari runs an appraising eye over the haggard adventuring party currently getting their grime and gristle all over his nicely polished ground. How rude. It isn’t polite to just bleed everywhere. “I should think that the least I deserve in return for offering you sewer denizens sanctuary is some form of explanation.”
Ash turns to Avari, after tending to Isdra (the cleric) and says, “He said he wanted a teen heart and soul! What the hell does that even mean?”
Avari arches an eyebrow and answers dryly. “Perhaps I am going out on a limb here, but I would gather that means he wants the heart of a teenager. Tell me, did you have trouble in school?”
“Duh.” Ash says, “yeah we know what a heart is —- but who asks for a heart? What kind of “key” is that?
“An old man wishing for a child bride might ask for that. Just ask your chronic booger eater over there, as I’m sure that being nobility his family would know all about that. Or perhaps the asker is someone too hungry to settle for baby and child eating, but not hungry enough to eat an adult. We have a very conscientious monster in that case, not wanting to waste food.” Avari leans forward with a smirk. “Of course, there’s always magic…”
Sir Roxy stands up, blood all over him. He pulls his shoulders up straight, cocks his head and holds his chin high in a regal posture. “House Landron licks no boots. We are here on official business of Mayor Angus and your insolence and mockery will be fully noted in my report.”
Isidra, still lying on the ground, but conscious, looks up and says, “Doug…. please…..they saved me from death.”
Sir Douglas Roxy, looks back to her, his chin drops a bit and he turns to face the party. “Allow me to …. my …. words.” He stammers…. “We are sorry…. I’m… well, I am sorry. I should be thanking you. Who are you and what brings you down into the bowels of the Grey Citadel?”
Dresden, seeking Kiervasan’s holy symbols steps forward and says, “You there, are you here to judge?”
A smugly satisfied smile slips across Avari’s face, and he leans back in his seat, swirling a goblet of wine. “Your apology is accepted. I have some rather unfortunate news for you though. We would also be here on business of the Mayor, were it not for the fact that he has long since been arrested, if not executed, by the D’Haran guard. I doubt you will be recompensed for your troubles as things currently stand.” He takes a sip of his wine and hums in satisfaction, his smile widening.
“As for who I am and why I am here, I am Apsinthion Alèppe III, the Marquis de Avarizia, advisor to dragons, tamer of orcs, and consort to Sultan Indra Jahaan of the Efreet. While I reside in Waterdeep, I recently discovered the hobby known as “extreme camping” and thought I might try it out. This seemed like as good a spot as any, and I have been having quite a pleasant time insofar. This man here,” Avari gestures to Feng, “is my treasured pet-prentice, and he also enjoys camping. Isn’t that right, A-Feng? I cannot speak for my other companions.”
When the attention is put on Feng, a light pleasant breeze picks up slightly as the blue Genasi man waves a hand. “Yo~ here, you guys look sort of rough. You should probably eat some good berries. This batch have a bit more of a kick than usual so you don’t have to eat as many to feel better. Good thing too ‘cause you shouldn’t pop more than 15 of these at a time. One of these are just as good, or even better, than rations~” Feng opens up his bag and leans down towards Ash and Isidra to offer some.
Dresden, the gnome, rushes forward, grabbing berries with both hands and shoving them in his small mouth, talking all the time, “Oh..muhhhh…. these….muuuhh…….are…muuugghhhh… good.” He eats 10 berries.
Yelm, standing solemnly, nods his head in thanks but says, “Thank you for your kindness but I am fine. Please let my traveling party members be healed. Where is your Dragonborn?”
He adds, “I would speak with him.”
“If you have had your calling, I am sure that you know what has happened to the dragons. Argone has returned home to seek counsel with his village elders.”
Yelm looks intently at Avari. “Do you participate in the calling?”
“Of course. I am of Argone’s travelling clan, and I have the blood of dragons. Aside from Kiervasan there, we were all participants.”
“Did you bond with your dragons? Do you have dragon necklaces?” Yelm asks.
Prachett interrupts, “Listen, how much do we owe for his healing?” He reaches for his pouch, “We need to go back and deal with that vile demon spawn if we are to eliminate the Bone King and collect the reward. So how much for the good berries and then you can be on your way.”
Avari extends a hand, dangling his necklace. “Mine was a king, you know. I will get him back.”
His attention shifts at the interruption, and he fixes Pratchett with his most pleasant smile. “How about your heart and soul? It seems as if that’s the market rate these days, and you certainly have the manners and disposition of an unruly teenager.”
Prachett leans over his shoulder and half-yells to no one in particular, “We’ve got a live one on the line tonight.. yes… a real wilting.”
Turning his head back to Avari, he gets serious, “Don’t get my Dragonborn all worked up over a dragon necklace…. we all have them.” He pulls his own dragon necklace from under his shirt.
“I need him here… getting the job done… if you mess up my payday, I’m going to mess up your night.”
Avari completely ignores him, turning to Roxy. “Most esteemed Sir Roxy, I understand that you are all quite out of sorts, but perhaps one who wishes to be King should have better control of the child he’s surely babysitting as a favor. I, for one, am rather accustomed to the court where that sort of carrying on is hardly tolerated. If your child is incapable of settling down, he may continue his tantrum outside until the excess sugar he has consumed wears off.”
Finishing, he reaffixes his attention on Yelm. “The matter of the dragons is concerning, but I have been putting thought to it. Focusing on the solution is always more beneficial than agonizing over the problem.”
Feng raises a brow to Prachett, moving to stand closer to Avari’s side “who was your dragon then?”
Kiervasan looks at Dresden. “I do not preempt my Lord’s prerogative, so no, I’m not here to judge. I will answer truthfully if He asks my opinion though.”
Dresden looks puzzled, “I don’t judge at all… I am a gnome.. I constantly seek explanations. I mean, the dead who are here in the crypts, the demons that are roaming the city and the bone king…. I simply was asking if Anubis has sent you to judge the deeds of the dead.”
Sir Roxy, puffed with the formality of Avari’s address, but miffed by the insults to Pratcheet, says, “Pratchett is a local bard…. not a realm bard, his manners and methods are obviously not what you are used to. I would ask that you have some considerations for the ways of others before passing judgment on their behaviors. His point is that we are here on assignment and he is willing to pay for your services so that we may continue with our job.”
Pratchett looks at Feng, as he continues to hold his dragon necklace, “I rode a black dragon—- she was marvelous, but …..”
Avari narrows his eyes at Roxy and uses Prestidigitation to cause harmless tremors in the ground as River used to. “And I would ask that I am not disrespected and threatened under my own roof after I have graciously offered you my hospitality and healed your wounded. I believe an apology is in order, do you not?”
“Mm..” Feng nods, not showing much of a reaction. “… Mine is Loo, the blue.” He walks past Pratchett and focuses back on Isidra and places ten berries in her hand. “You should eat these as well… your party was very worried about you. It’s better to run into battle half alive over half dead, that’s what my Grandfather always told me.”
“Ok, we’re done here.” Sir Roxy says, as he turns to his party, “Let’s go—- clearly this group of people have no desire to actually save Vala.”
Yelm stiffens, gripping his weapon tightly.
Sir Roxy looks to Yelm, “Stand down! Now is not the time to handle your mission.” “Just wait,” he adds, “We will restore the truce” and he looks to Avari’s ring.
The Crimson Cloaks gather their gear and prepare to leave. Isidra groggily stands, and looks to Feng, “Thank you,” she weakly says, “May the Good spirits bless you.”
Dresden, as he is walking way, puts a hand to his stomach, as if he has a stomach ache.
Isidra says as she leaves, “I rode Loo, too….. such a troubled soul. He told me of you, thank you for being kind to him…. too many of his riders don’t know what to make of him.”
“And here you were lecturing about judging others too quickly not a moment ago. You have no idea what we are or are not. If you want to go feed the undead so that they’re nice and strong enough to possibly provide some actual entertainment for us, you’re more than welcome too. I would just hope that next time you’ll do so without wasting my time first.” Avari waves his hand dismissively before returning his attention to Yelm.
“Believe it or not, I am sympathetic to your plight and will work towards aiding all dragons, even where your commander will not.” He then gives Isidra a sympathetic look.
“And you. You will surely be led to your death again. If we come across your body while there is still a chance at life, we will aid you again. I cannot say the same for any who cannot see the forest for the trees.”
Yelm slowly says, “I am not commanded. I do not lose… just like my dragon. I choose to align with those that take the Truce seriously.”
Ash grabs Yelm by the arm, trying to pull the dragonborn out of the tent, “Not now…. come on Scales, let’s go.”
Yelm shakes off Ash’s grasp as if Ash had the strength of just a boy. He bristles at Avari, “You are solely responsible for what has happened to the Good dragons… Sue knew within days of your departure what he allowed to happened… the breaking of the Truce… he sent me here to reason with Argone to have you return Esmeralda to the wild.”
Vala is now on a destruction course because of your arrogance and pride. Your selfish disrespect for dragons is going to lead to all of our deaths! I promised that I would not dance with swords with Argone…. we are dragon brothers. But I made no such promise to you all.”
Sir Roxy, realizing things are about get ugly really quickly, grabs Yelm with a bear hug and begins to drag him out of the tent, “Not now!” He hisses in Yelm’s ear…. “Not here…” You can’t help to be impressed with Sir Roxy’s strength— man-handling a Dragonborn like that is not an easy task.
Yelm says, as he is dragged out, “Sue sent me …. I DO NOT LOSE!”
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