RP:A Dragon's Bite, & Drargon's Cough

From HollowWiki

Part of the The Ice Plague Cometh Arc



Frostmaw Tavern

Frostmaw Tavern is a somber place this night. There is a distinct lack of the usual boisterous drinking, friendly challenges, and raucous fire-side songs, as the few Frost Giants present sit quietly and nurse their drinks. Among them is Satoshi, her small size making her easily lost behind the large furniture and larger patrons. Like the others, the magus has a mug in hand, occasionally being sipped at as she stares sullenly at the wall. It is a dark day in Frostmaw, as news spreads of the theft of one hundred and twelve corpses, all victims of the Ice Plague, mere hours before they were to be given a pyre farewell. For Satoshi, the insult is personal, worsened by the events surrounding her bodyguard's death. And so she's sought out the only drink in the lands that has an effect on the Undead, the Frostmaw brew known as Cryothain's Tears. The barkeep, Drargon, seems out of sorts too, not nearly as attentive at refilling his customers' drinks as he usually is.


Kovl exits his room, having just left the tavern only moments earlier. He had not expected to be coming out to the bar so soon after leaving, but the pixie decides the night is too young to sleep. The pixie traverses the hallway into the tavern and toward the flame alighting the room. He appears as an avian: his height is 5'9, and his racial wings are hidden behind an illusion of white, unblemished wings of the avian type. Kovl's eyes catch the presence of the Lady of Frostmaw, and they widen in surprise. Making his way to the eidolon, Kovl greets Satoshi. "Good evening." The pixie waits for a moment for the Queen to recognize him, knowing the disguise can be much at first.


Celinia had settled back into the seat of the barstool she claimed only moments ago. Deciding she was not too excited about going back out into the cold. The woman didn't make any motions to comment, or even speak. She simply sat, staring at the patterns in the wood.


Satoshi is alerted to Kovl's presence not by his greeting, but by the illusions woven about him to create the avian disguise. With whiskers sensitive to the ebb and flow of magic, the kit can hardly miss such a creation, and so she's looking up from her drink, blinking curiously, even as the pixie-in-disguise hails her. From nearby, Drargon coughs, nods at Kovl, and offers him a simple, "Kove." by way of saying hello. Recognition dawns in Satoshi's amber-flecked eyes then, and she flashes the illusionist the ghost of a smile. "Et evening to you too," the magus offers, voice and face a well-wrought facsimile of good cheer, for all dark brooding has been buried beneath the kit's glacial surface. A hand gestures to the stool nearest to where Satoshi sits, silent invitation to the 'avian'.


Kovl smiles at the Queen, his eyes betraying the knowledge of a hidden secret between the two. Kovl looks to Drargon and nods at him. "Drargon. Good to see you again." The pixie takes a seat, and it is at this time he sees Celinia still at the bar where he left her. Kovl offers the human a wave, and lowers his voice to Satoshi. "Is it often you come here, Satoshi? I've not seen you over a drink yet over the couple weeks I've been here."


Satoshi's gaze strays to her mug, now empty and unattended by Drargon. The kit looks almost rueful, although whether it's at the lack of drink or needing a drink at all, is a mystery. "I'm here most evenings, although I haven't had the pleasure in the past month, occupied as I've been with the situation at hand." It's the truth. Satoshi is known for frequenting Frostmaw's tavern each night to engage in the antics of the patrons, including drinking contests. A habit that has endeared the little kit to the Frost Giants. The thought of the usual nightly activities brings a smile to Satoshi's face as a finger nudges the mug absently. "Tonight, however, I needed a drink. If you haven't heard yet, you will by morning: over hundred corpses were stolen from Frostmaw today. Corpses of my citizens. Victims of the Ice Plague. This is the final insult. It's my turn to strike at the Exiles now." As Satoshi speaks, her pleasant mask slowly crumbles to reveal the predator beneath, all sharp angles and fangs. Where her hand rests upon the bartop, frost creeps to spread like ivy over all it touches. The usually composed magus is clearly on the brink of rage.


Kovl watches as the bartop fills with ice, surprised at the information she gave as well as the news of a potential 'strike' toward the exiles. "I'm sorry to hear that. That's awful." The pixie's brows are furrowed in genuine concern. This is serious news. Kovl takes a breath and orders another drink for Satoshi as an act of kindness. The pixie speaks in a hushed tone, "I'm currently working to locate the perpetrators of your ambush, but you've found the plague was caused by the Exiles?" Kovl pushes another mug toward the Queen before ordering himself a brew.


Satoshi accepts the mug with a grateful nod to the pixie, but she doesn't drink from it, instead holding it in her hands as if it were an anchor. At the question, she nods, frowning. "Yes, with the help of Hildegarde and others, we pieced together the information. The Exiles are in league with the Ice Devils. How or why, we don't yet know, as the devils are not prone to such alliances. What we do know, is that the devils had the means of taking the Wraith's essence, which they then put into Lake Frysta to contaminate our water supplies. My people began falling ill after that. I recently acquired the means to stop the illness' spread, although we still lack a cure for those already sick. Somewhere in all this, followers of Vakmatharas are involved, for we've seen evidence of necromancy and talismans of the Death God." Satoshi sighs, drawing the mug closer. Although she's managed to compose her features enough to push the predatory facade away, the foxkin's tail is still a visible sign to her true mood as it lashes violently around the stool's legs. "I have had enough of investigations, of these exiles making a mockery of my warriors and Aramoth. You can poke a dragon only so long, before it bites you in two. And my fangs are quite ready to taste blood."


Kovl 's dark green eyes stay on Satoshi's new mug, occasionally moving to the Queen before returning his gaze. Kovl had suspected there was more to the story than was apparant, and now this new information makes much more sense to him. As Drargon passes him a glass, the pixie tilts back his head and takes a long gulp, still processing the Eidolon's words. At the mention of the Death God, the pixie begins to speak, "I heard that the-" His words cut off. The pixie blinks. What was he going to say? Kovl feels the phrase he started was leading to something important, but he completely forgot the thought. "Nevermind. I honestly can't remember what I was about to say." Kovl's brows furrowed under his long wisps of brown hair. An air of genuity, surprise, and frustration was in the pixie's voice. Kovl is too distracted by this to answer to the rest of the Queen's words.


Satoshi's ears swivel forward only to droop when the pixie loses his train of thought. It had sounded like he had something important to say. Perhaps it will come back to him later. And so the magus continues after pausing to ensure Kovl's thoughts haven't found themselves again. "I should warn you, things are likely to get ugly soon. You're in no way obligated to remain in Frostmaw, although we'd always be glad for allies in this. I've asked enough of you in just coming here, knowing the cold does not agree with you, I wouldn't ask further. I appreciate what you've managed alre--" What else Satoshi make have to say never comes, as her attention is torn away by the sound of breaking glass and heavy, ragged coughing. Drargon, with a hand bracing himself against the bar, is caught up in another bout of coughs before he can stoop to clean up the mug he'd dropped. Sweat stands out on the giant's forehead, face contorted in pain. One of his bar waitresses hurries to his aid, whispering urgently before helping usher a protesting Drargon away, while a second tends to the broken glass. The lass looks up at a sound from Satoshi to offer an uncertain smile, "He's been havin' coughin' fits these past days. Overworkin', I says, what with the water troubles we had."


Kovl listens to Satoshi's admonitions, furrowing his brow as he does so, still trying to remember the piece of information he was trying to convey. What happened to that thought? At the sudden sounds, the pixie snaps his head to its origin, watching the sight unfold before the two. Kovl shoots a questioning glance to the eidolon, wondering if the magus is thinking what he is at the coughing. Perhaps it is coincidence, but in light of the conversation the two are having, Drargon's cough appears as anything but a trivial matter. "Maybe you should see a healer, Drarg." To Satoshi, "I'm willing to stay at least until I am able to uncover more information about all this we are discussing." The pixie turns again to the barkeep.


Satoshi nods, an ear tweaked to listen to Kovl while watching Drargon being escorted upstairs. "As I said, what you uncover is appreciated. And I wish you luck. But for now, I think I should fetch a shaman and see to Drargon. The stubborn old goat never knows when to stop working." Turning then, Satoshi offers the pixie a salute, strangely merry despite the aura on unease surrounding the magus. "A good night to you." With this, Satoshi slips off the stool, glances once more toward the stairway, and departs outdoors to seek out one of the city's healers.


Kovl nods. "Good bye, Satoshi." With that, the pixie walks again to his room to ponder the information.