RP:Divine Dragons

Summary: After a tomb-delving adventure with Lanara proved fruitful, Scandal realizes that a strange ornate box he found inside it cannot be opened except by magical means, specifically of the holy type. Knowing Khitti to be the leader of the Devout's Guild, Scandal seeks out his fellow guildmate from the Adventurer's Guild in an attempt to get some much needed help in opening. After a brief argument, the box is finally opened, revealing a relic from the distant past--Scandal's distant past.

Sanctum of the Divine, Kelay

It was the day after the teaching session Khitti had had with Lanara. The table that they had used was now back in its in another room downstairs and the pews had all returned to their normal places. The redhead was no stranger to manual labor. It didn’t matter if she’d been the one to have the place built, or that she was the leader of the guild that dwelled within it. Even a leader should help out in all areas needed and right now, Khitti was polishing the bronze statues that adorned each one of the fourteen main gods of Lithrydel. Most of them were done; all the neutral and good ones, as well as the Divine Three had been taken care of. But, Khitti lingered at the statue of Vakmathras. A well-oiled cloth sat in Khitti’s hand as she eyed the skeletal likeness of the god of death. The templar was well-absorbed into her own thoughts at the moment, as she remembered the things her and Lanara had spoken about the night before.

Scandal entrance to the sanctum of Divine was surprisingly anticlimactic. A strange event in that past week had left in the a human state akin to what he had been at the yuletide ball. So now as he entered the sanctum of the divine he wore very simple non flashy clothing. However in his hand he kept a hexagonal box only the size of his palm. Another trinket from his event in the prior week. He had a mystery to solve. So he came here, best place for looking into spiritual matters. He hair was dark brown, and his eyes were dark red. But his face was handsome and well defined. It sported much of his personality, but it also made a more human impact. He moved between the statues looking them over. Then he noticed a red head polishing the statues. "I am guessing the God's don't polish themselves." His voice was very different than the draconian one he gave in the past, much more human, but still likely fell into the bass 1 category rather than the base 5.

Khitti had still been lost in her thoughts, even as Scandal made himself known. “No, they don’t,” she said at length, finally tearing herself away from memories of the past and shifting her attention to the newcomer, “Can I… help you?” He seemed awfully familiar, but Khitti hadn’t been at the Yule ball. She was no longer accustomed to keeping company with those that shapeshifted. Sure, Zahrani had the ability as well, but she seemed to mostly keep to her feline form. Khitti’d gotten used to that sort of thing around Brand, but he’d long since lost the ability to do so, after his other half seemingly melded back into his consciousness. There was certainly a puzzled look on Khitti’s features, but it was one of someone whom was trying to piece together just who was standing before her, without having to ask--she liked the challenge sometimes.

Scandal smiled, without opening his mouth. "Yes, I have an artifact, that i discovered in a tomb, and well, its not from this time period, and its lot older than the saurian empire. Supposedly it holds a statue of a deity from the time period. But I am not sure how to open, it, i think it needs some magic., and i am terrible with spells."

Crimson brows furrowed as Khitti’s line of sight moved towards the strange box the man held. An artifact? Already? Hadn’t she just been talking to Talyara about that not long ago? Odd. Perhaps the gods had been listening and saw fit to drop this opportunity right into her lap. Or it was just a coincidence. But how often lately did she believe in coincidences anymore? Not much since her time in the Shadow Plane, where her destiny was laid bare before her. “What tomb? Where?” A hand reached out to take the box, so that she might inspect it more. “Are you certain magic is the key? How long have you had it?” Khitti was full of questions it seemed.

Scandal passed the hexagonal object from his hand to Khitti. The object despite appearing to be made of gold inlaid with rubies had a six carved triangles on its flat surface, as if were a hatch of some sorts. In addition to the gold, and rubies the sides seemed also to contain obsidian. "In venturil, there was tomb, that I raided recently, bore the signs and Insigna of presaurian empire, known as Uldenbraug. This tomb was kind of like a time capsule. I found slaves, herbs and magical items that ought to be long extinct, along with multitude, of treasures, even a dragon egg with twins within. All still alive. I also had to battle the occupant." The image still haunted him, facing a Uldenbraug Bronze was very scary to any dragon who knew about them. While they may have no breath ability and they may actually be frailer and more fragile than other dragons, they create such extremely powerful illusions that are convincingly real even after the bronze's death. Scandal could only recall one dragon who could see through their illusions, and even still he recalled that a Uldenbraug Bronze Dragon took the greatest delight in taking the most good aligned people, and turning them to evil, without making them aware of it, so that could no longer distinguish good or evil. "This wasn't the only tomb, there was another Xalious, but it was raided before I got there, though Lanara and myself took care of that dragon a while back."

Khitti squinted at the name Uldenbraug, and then down at the oddly-shaped object. She’d read about these sorts of things in the past: puzzle boxes that would get opened up with nothing but bad news on the inside. “Wait… -you- fought whatever the frak has been living in some tomb out there in Venturil. Do you know what kind of hell lives out there in that region? I’m not sure who you are, but there’s a lot worse out there than whatever it was you found in this tomb and it's not smart to be poking around by yourself.” Mind flayers and preklek and dark magic, oh my. Then the name ‘Lanara’ was mentioned, as nonchalantly as possible, and Khitti took issue with it--the witch was her close friend, guild member, -and- guild leader after all. “Who are you to be dragging Lanara around in some place as dangerous as that?” Crimson brows knitted together with concern, her signature frown forming on unpainted lips, “I’m not opening -anything- until I get some more answers.” Khitti was definitely a mama bear, through and through.

Scandal flatlined his face as he soon began to realize that she was in midst of mothering. He crossed his arms and slowly inhaled. "Yes I happen to know what lives out there, I happen to live there." His mouth opened at the accusal. "Now hold on do you really think I would drag my sister through the hazards of Venturil into some tomb while she currently engaged? Heck no, I said we defeated a dragon that had been in tomb in xailous, and i had raided alone a tomb in venturil and killed its occupant. It wasn't easy, that dragon has illusions powerful enough to make dragons terrified I ought to know I have seen it happen. So you think I would take my sister out in the tomb? Really?" He placed hand on the bridge of his nose and pinched it. He sighed, turning his back from her a second. "I work at your bakery, I was hired, you pay in me in sweets, i am sorry i couldn't have appeared as i was then, but since my little tomb raid, its been very difficult to change back." He turned to look at her. "Uldenbraug was were i hatched three million years ago, that box, supposedly has a statue of one of the divines of our time, possibly the creator of the Uldenbraug Dragons, I just can't remember the name, they may have very well blotted their names out of existence after uldenbraug fell. I am just trying to pick up the pieces of my past, see if there's anything i missed. The dragon my sister and I killed in Xalious its tomb had been raided by the time i entered and what scares me, is that the tomb i recently raided has a lot of powerful magical artifacts and herbs that were long since believed to be lost. We are talking pre-saurian empire type stuff. So I just trying to figure out where it all got off too."

Khitti narrowed her eyes at Scandal as the male went on and on, -finally- revealing just who he was. “Look, you can’t just walk in here expecting me to know who you are when you’re not in your draconian form. I unfortunately lost my enhanced senses well over a year ago now when I died. How am I supposed to know that it’s you, Scandal, if you don’t say that?” She was pretty irritated at this point, but unlike in the past, she had a bit more patience nowadays. It wasn’t even necessarily because she was a mom--Khitti’d just grown more as a person (mostly thanks to Brand’s help). The redhead sighed heavily, peering down at the strange object, “As for Lanara, she may be your sister, but she’s also one of my close friends. I have so very few of those, and I’d rather not lose them, as I’m not very good at making friends. Just keep her safe, when you do go out and do these things. She’s even more my responsibility since she’s a part of my guild--actually that goes for both of your sisters.” Khitti thought over the things he’d said with regards to the object, “All of that stuff that’s still there in that tomb--it belongs in a museum. Away from the graverobbers and people that might use this stuff for evil.” She suddenly had the urge to wear a wide-brimmed fedora and go on an adventure; surely, this was Brand’s doing. She continued to eye the object, looked at him, then sighed again, “Come with me.” Were he one of her guild members, Khitti would’ve taken him into the Sacrosanct, but instead, she took down the staircase nearby, that led to spare rooms, the kitchen and dining room, and a place for healers to take care of the sick and injured. “I’d rather not possibly blow up -all- of my guild hall, if this is not what you think it is,” she said, taking him into an empty bedroom. There was a pause, but soon after, she lit the object up in a ball of holy flame. It wasn’t enough to damage it, but enough to open whatever sort of lock mechanism it had built within.

Scandal sighed. "As I said, I don't have much in the way of control of shapeshifting." He said she continued. "I love dearly both my sisters, Talyara and Lanara. I am not going to be endangering them on anything else regarding this." He added, when their was breather. Following her he walked through the spare rooms, kitchens and dining room, the hospital, and until they ended up in the empty bedroom. "I have all of the stuff in the tomb, *sigh* including all the slaves at my residence in Venturil, its secure. But I wil definitely allow you the privilege to explore it sometime, when and if things settle down in venturil, or sooner if need be." As she lit the item up within a ball of holy flame the hexagonal object levitated opened. Out of the hexagonal space a stream of silvery metallic liquid poured out levitating while still in air, like whip, lashing out and then whipping around, the spinning, whirling and then forming into the body of dragon, the eyes taking on a golden glow. The whole of its body the size of the bed, and its metallic skin rippling as it interacted with the fire. Then without opening its mouth but its eyes pulsated with every word. "Why have you summoned me? What do you hope to gain, of a God who banished his own name?" Scandal looked eyed Khitti, and then looked at the Metallic dragon. "I... wanted to know if the Gods of Uldenbraug still live?" The metallic dragon was silent. Then it spoke. "By live, you mean to say to we still answer prayers? Do we still listen for them? We do." The metallics eyes move toward Khitti. "But, we no longer influence this world, we have allowed the Gods who statues above us currently to control your world, and we see no reason to assist when what was ours, is ours no longer." The dragon's eyes focused on Khitti. "Do you to have questions, my child?"

The templar likely would’ve protested against the idea of Scandal just keeping all of this ancient stuff in his house, when something of the sort should be on display for all to see. But, there were two things that stopped Khitti from doing so: 1. The fact that attempting to part a dragon from its hoard never ended well and 2. There was a giant metal dragon in front of her. Khitti still wasn’t entirely sure if this was a god or not--she was still new enough to the idea of Lithrydel’s current pantheon and the fact that they exist. “Uh.” There was a bit of blinking; Khitti couldn’t quite wrap her head around what the heck she was supposed to ask of this metal-dragon-guy-thing-god. “Plenty, as usual, but… I can’t seem to remember them right now.” She paused, thought about it a bit more, then proceeded to ask, with crimson brows thoroughly furrowed in a strange mix of concern and bewilderment, “Who are you?” Another pause. “Will this thing do anything else besides summon you,” she said, motioned to the box. “Are any of those things that were in that tomb dangerous? Or will anything bad come of us summoning you? Lithrydel’s got a lot on its plate, and the faster I know if something is coming, the better.” None of her questions were for some sort of gain for herself, but was instead, to continue the protection of others--it was always the way of things with Khitti.

The metallic dragons tone changed to that of sorrowful chuckle. "It happens even to us Gods," It said sympathetically. It turned its gaze to Scandal. "Not the religious type are you? I like that, you prefer a spiritual connection, less tradition more personable. Exactly what I had hoped of Uldenbraug and was sorely disappointed." It turned back to Khitti when she asked. "I was H'nu, (Pronounced Hin Nu) the God of Uldenbraug Dragons, not all dragons mind you, just Uldenbraug, my son and daughter were both worshiped as well. When Uldenbraug ended, we withdrew taking our Cathedral of Worship with us, and banished our names from that of all who knew us, and struck our names from the books. Gods who don't want to be remembered." He changes his tone yet again, to that patience, like that of elderly wised man. "No, It can summon me, and it can allow passage to our pocket plane, but that is all, there nothing in this plane that could harm your lands." Again the tone changed with a touch of worry, "There are books which teach the making of Alloys of Old, Celestium, and Infinitum to name two." Scandal chose this time to cut in, "Celestium a waxy like substance that when melted and mixed with the blood of specific breed of dragons can become one of the deadliest weapons against them. Not a very durable substance outside its primary use, you can scratch its surface with fingernail. And, Infinitium a unique metal that behaves as immaterial when the proper gemstone key is in its lock, but is very well indestructible when the key is not present. Immaterial meaning you could walk through it as if it were fog." He showed off his forearms which they and the fists were actually a little offset as if they had healed from being shattered, and not as neatly put back together. H'nu then said, "Scandal here is incredibly strong for a dragon, yet infinitium cannot be breached much less scratched without its key. With any luck those books will be lost to time. The real danger would be if any of the Uldenbraug Bronze Dragons escaped their tombs. Then Lithrydel would be in trouble. That and perhaps the slaves but almost insignificant so compared to the bronze dragons escaping." He paused for a second. "As a God who has retired from being such, I cannot offer much in the way of future, I rarely read it much anyway. But, if you do choose to contact me again, I maybe able to help, it's been so long since a mortal has asked for assistance, I should like the chance again, give an old God some piece of mind, that he wasn't a complete failure."

Khitti nodded along as H’nu spoke, doing her best to take in everything at once. She wasn’t a stupid person, by any means, but rather this was a lot of new information to absorb and consider in such a short amount of time. “I see,” she said at length, still contemplating over the things she’d been told. “Perhaps it is wise then that Scandal keeps an eye out for those books, if he does indeed do more scouting around in tombs, just so that they can be secreted away elsewhere, away from those that would use it for ill deeds.” She paused, thinking once more before continuing, “And, I think he should also keep the box we summoned you from in his home. I would offer it a place here, in my Sanctum dedicated to Lithrydel’s gods, but… some may question its existence here, and may try to figure out just what it is and what it might do. But, if we do require the help, I’m certain you’ll be one of the first to go to. The various forces of Lithrydel is spread so thin at the moment and another helping hand would be welcome.” Once she’d finished her thought, she looked between the two dragons, hoping that what she said would be satisfactory.

Scandal looked from the metal embodiment of an old god and then at Khitti. "I am sure some of the stuff that is not dangerous can be stored in a Museum, we can use my house to keep the items until they are categorized as safe or dangerous." H'nu turned back to Khitti, "The Telesortium, would perhaps be best served to be stored here, but as i understand you would prefer it in Ashiouz's home." Scandal looked down as the god said his birth name. "Um, its Scandal, sir, I don't like my birth name." H'nu ignored this it seemed. "I'll offer what i can when you ask of it, thank you though for summoning me, it's been a real treat." The dragons form melted back into a strand and swiftly splashed back into the hexagonal device the Telesortium. Which clicked shut. Scandal looked at Khitti, "Thank you for helping me solve a mystery, I am sorry that I put more on your plate." He paused for her reply. "What should we do now? I have at the guild a wall map i have been creating to track these tombs and any elements found, is there anything i can do for you return for your help?" He asked.

Khitti raised a brow as the metallic dragon used Scandal’s real name and tried her best to put it out of her mind. If Scandal didn’t want people to know it, then that was his business and she wasn’t going to say anything about it. When the dragon was gone, and the two were left alone again, Khitti merely shrugged and shook her head, “I didn’t do much, Scandal. There’s no need for you to repay me. Just keep the stuff you know needs to be under lock and key as such. If Kahran rears his ugly face again, we don’t need someone like him getting a hold of it. Also, I do want to apologize. It’s really not any of my business what you do with the stuff from that tomb. I think I’m mostly just a little saddened by the fact that there’s hardly any god-related stuff in the guild’s museum. It makes it seem like they’re not even there, even though I know for a fact that they are--I wouldn’t be alive otherwise. So, you do what you feel is best for your people’s things and I’ll be satisfied with that.”

Scandal listened understanding some of the pain. “I believe most of the stuff will end up in a museum, whether that is the adventurer's guild museum or one elsewhere, I shall endeavor to get it there.” He offered whatever smile he could, “this device though I will give to the guild museum it’s not modern pantheon, but it's a divine device nonetheless, I hope you’ll be able to see it one day soon there.” He turned to go but then stopped. Digging in his pocket he retrieved run woven stone with a gem within it. “Here, this can transport you directly to my estate in venturil so you can avoid all the dangers that would normally plague you. Maybe if you come we can dig through stuff so that you can take stuff to decorate here if you wish.” He said offering his hand. “Thank you.”

Khitti took the stone with somewhat peaked curiosity. It seemed she wasn’t the only one around here that affixed teleportation spells to items. “Likewise,” she said, her hand meeting his briefly to shake it. “If you end up wanting to learn more about Lithrydel’s gods, you know where to find me.” That is to say, both here in the Sanctum and in Cenril. “I better head back upstairs, though. Those statues won’t polish themselves and I’ll likely get lectured for it by lovely elf paladin upstairs who’s much older than me and likes to hold that over my head, even if I’m her boss,” Khitti said with a bit of a smirk, to show that it wasn’t something she was upset about.

Scandal nodded with understood with agreement, "Yeah, at least they're not living statues like the one we just met." He said following her back upstairs. "I might just stop by again, you never know, maybe i will bring cake." He smiled and then waved walking out of the sanctum.