Back at the hoard. Surraruthru's new pride and joy, full of the treasures he has so far. But more. More. MORE. As he ponders this, Kascha sits nearby, reading a book of lore. "Mmm?" she breaks the silence and stretches, "So you wanted to go treasure hunting?"
Surraruthru thumps his tail against his pile of coins irritably.
"Yes. I need more treasures. There's an item I desire. A ring. To increase my magic. It will be expensive. And, for a time, the crowning piece of my hoard. But I need to gather more wealth before I can.... pay...." Surraruthru speaks this word with significant distaste, "Afina to make it. I will also need monies to improve my lair. It is a good starting point, but I have plans for it."
He says the last with a hungry and gleeful glint in his eyes.
"You do need to get going on that," Kascha says, checking one of her pouches, "Oh, that reminds me. Would you like a tiny bit of tribute?"
Surraruthru eyes Kascha.
"... While tribute is always welcome, I get the impression you are behaving more like a mortal woman presenting her child with a treat to amuse them.... On the other hand, you worship a dragon, so I know you understand the seriousness of my desire."
Surraruthru raises his head and heaves a great sigh, a few wisps of euphoric gas escaping his mouth.
"Which brings me to my next point. Kashca. You worship Seira, the Dragon Goddess. You study Dragon magic. You have been in Aurora for a much longer time than I."
Surraruthru pauses and locks eyes with her and then continues with a voice sounding of a disappointed parent.
"What is the status of your hoard? I've yet to see you express much interest in the prizes of our battles."
This gets Kascha to smile, "I don't have one. I'm a celestial, we aren't supposed to do things like that. The money I have goes to better causes, my magic or my equipment. If I have excess money, it's better to be used for a good cause than to sit around. I get no benefit from leaving it to fallow like a field."
Surraruthru squints at this and still looks disgruntled.
"Hmph. I suppose I can accept your magic and equipment as being your hoard. Most of mine is the same. Vlaakith was the same. Still, if nothing else, you must find a way to demonstrate your splendor. And do not even try to tell me celestials don't do that, either. I've seen them show up. All beams of light and trumpets and clouds and descending."
Surraruthru snorts at that. "As for it being fallow, bah. It is a demonstration of power and prestige. Still, you are correct. I do need to begin building my hoard. Since I've arrived all I've done is go from one battle campaign to the next with no time for important business. That bastard Baleruk got an entire building." He slams his tail into his hoard angrily and sends coins skittering about the room.
"I've yet to visit Water before. I'll need to do some research on what treasures it may hold. The library should serve as a sufficient starting point."
"Then let's go," Kascha gets up, "Baleruk's like a cat who caught a mouse right now, playing with that building." Kascha then shakes her head, "I don't need grand splendor. I-"
> roll 1d20+8 Kascha
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 16 > [d20=8]
Kascha steps on a stray few coins, but easily keeps her balance for one and doesn't miss a beat. "-I'm just Kascha," she smiles.
Surraruthru rises into the air and lands on Kascha's shoulder. After she's regained her balance.
"And there in lies your flaw. 'Just Kascha.' Kascha should be something others aspire to. Someone to inspire awe in those around them. Someone who's so overwhelming none would dare to cross, and who's will is so absolute that it will bend the forces of the universe. But I suppose that's only if Dragon magic interests you, I suppose."
He ends with an airy and snarky tone of voice, and with absolute certainty in what he's saying.
This gets Kascha to smile. It's a warm smile, "I'm not something special, Surraruthru. I...everyone's unique, but at the same time, being part of something greater...I mean..." She trails off, voice becoming quieter as she speaks until it's a whisper. "Did Seira tell you about my past?"
"No, she did not."
"I lived my mortal life and died young," Kascha says, "A mage learning the craft when our entire nation and culture were shattered by the Destroyer." Kascha says, "It's not important, except to know that I died, but that I left enchanted records of my last times. Thousands of years later, Seira was exploring the ruins and chanced on them. My fate never sat right with her, and once she obtained the Cauldron and her proper place, she chose to resurrect me."
Kascha stops inside the room, going to rest against the door and turn to face Surraruthru. "But I'd passed on peacefully to Arborea and become one with the plane. I was complete, finished. Everything was right. Some look at that fate as a nightmare, but it's the most wonderful thing you can imagine. It is as if all life was striving to something and that was it. I was part of Arborea and Arborea was I. I can't explain how perfect it was, Celestial barely even has words that can approach it. The Words of Creation might be able to."
"But Seira called and I answered her call. I remember everything - my mortal life and what happened after. I don't need to be fancy or be someone notable. I only need to be myself. I already have everything I could ever have dreamed of, Surraruthru. A pile of gold and gems is nothing compared to that." Kascha smiles, a warm and sunny look that seems to brighten the room. "I don't need to be famous or to inspire awe."
"Hmph. It sounds... Pleasant enough, I'll agree. I doubt a place like Arborea would be for me, however. I'd want something that would raise my draconic glory, not detract from it. Much like Bahamut. Seira has done well at it. Perhaps I should find something similar..."
Surraruthru considers ways to raise himself closer to Seira...
"Like great heaps of treasure," Kascha says, "So let's get going and get you some, right?"
"Indeed. Let us find the fortunes of Water. And make them ours."
Surraruthru grins a toothy grin at the thought.
To the library. Make an K:P check with the library bonus (+15) added in. Kascha will make one as well after you. We'll see what you turn up.
Also specify what kind of wealth you're going for.
> roll 1d20+34+15 K:P
<Penuche> Iddy invokes Penuche's magic: < 56 > [d20=7]
Going primarily for gem-like stuff. Pearls and anything that could be easily transported, but converted into not-so-easily transported piles of gold.
Secondary interest in powerful items.
> roll 1d20+50 Kascha
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 57 > [d20=7]
The two settle into the library, getting to it.
By water's nature, there's not a lot in the way of metals and gems here. There is a booming market in pearls, though most oysters and other creatures that make them are controlled by the marid or other natives. It's not easy to find a bunch of free, pearl producing creatures - merely finding a lot is as good as pearls, since you can sell them. There is an extremely complex and rich coral market for the many types of coral Water has. Coral of fine color, shape and composition is worth as much as gemstones and carefully mined. Finding a reef of high quality coral is akin to finding an untapped gold mine on the Prime.
What sort of powerful items? Just powerful in general? Weapons, armor, something else?
Accessories primarily, armor secondary. Pearls and coral would be fine, though if we go for stuff like that, I'd be more inclined to find something I could incorporate into a portion of my lair and use it to produce a steady stream.
By accessories, you mean rings, necklaces, amulets, boots and so forth?
That'd be them, yeah. Typically stuff like that shows opulence more weapons or armor, outside of a specific type of weapon/armor made for it.
The coral trade and how Water's races value it could be elaborated on for hours and hours. Your best bet is to bring an honest local (or a skilled planar appraiser) and have them help value any coral you find. In general, vivid colors mean more value. Coral from warm waters tends to be valued more than coral from cold waters, though some of the richest coral types are rare cold water varieties. Generally, coral can't be effectively farmed. The best comes from influence from various powerful creatures and magic, which is seldom mastered enough to permit that level farming. Plus the different races value some times differently than others, but a general trend and standards do exist.
That all said, you read the marid are skilled at making skintight clothing that can be enchanted. It's often worn by the marid nobility or natives with money to burn. Those are one of the most common magical items in Water, followed by tridents and spears. Unfortunately those aren't precisely what Surraruthru wants. Jewelry is usually made of coral (hardened by magic) and properly enchanted, or made of imported, rust-free metals from other planes. Most clothes, woods and iron don't last long in water due to rust or the wear liquids inflict on them.
There's more than a fair few solitary or isolated marid item crafters, many of which have alluring amounts of treasure. Of course, that is blatant robbery and invites troubles. Finding a lost cache is harder but much safer. If you find any sort of area that has air instead of water, there's decent odds there may be something there. Finding those is a good way to become rich in Water.
"It seems like searching for air would be our best bet... Kascha, can you suggest a divination specialist?"
"I can do it," Kascha says, "I can use a wish to contact Seira directly and ask for guidance."
Surrarthru hums to himself.
"If a wish is what you're going to do, then I should be the one to do it. This is far more my quest than yours, and though only through a contract, I still have a connection to Seira."
"Go ahead, then," Kascha says, "Go somewhere quiet and do it."
Surraruthru nods and leaps from Kascha's shoulder, taking wing and heads back to his lair. He'll do the casting while on his pile of gold.
Okay, what are you doing with your wish, Surraruthru?
I'll use Wish to ask for guidance from Seira to find the location of a vast store of undiscovered wealth on Water.
Okay, wish follows the last of least resistance and mimicking commune is a reasonable way to interpret that request. At least something close to it, as I usually play around with the format ab it anyway. Go ahead and give me your first question. You get a number of questions equal to your caster level, track them.
http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/commune.htm
"Is there someone in Aurora who can directly obtain the exact location of lost caches of treasure on Water?"
1 of 24
You are warm, surrounded by lava on all sides. A cold wind blows, as rain falls and and the ground shakes. A voice from all around you answers, 'Yes."
"Can Tannin obtain the exact location?"
2 of 24
"Yes."
"Will Tannin need additional help or items to do so?"
3 of 24
"Yes." The winds blow a little stronger here, the lava starting to bubble faster.
"Will Tannin already know who, or what, he needs?"
4 of 24
"Yes." Again an affirmative.
"Excellent. I imagine you'd be rather disappointed in me if I didn't use this chance to help your friends here.. So, is it within Aurora's ability to save Muirfinn and Lief at this time?"
5 of 24
"Unclear." Is the answer you get.
"Is there a specific alliance we need to make to be able to?"
6 of 24
"Yes." Is the answer this time.
"Is it with someone we're already in contact with?"
7 of 24
"No." Is the answer, all the elements around you wavering in the air.
"Is it someone on a plane that Aurora currently has contacts on?"
8 of 24
"Yes." Again a quick answer.
Deciding that those questions probably narrow things down enough for more experienced diviners to successfully build from, Surraruthru moves on to another line of questions.
"Is there a task or quest I can accomplish in your name in return for being made a Celestial?"
9 of 24
Note that I wasn't sure how to word this question really well, so take it as a question asking for a quest or something to prove my worth rather than a 'I want this, what is your price' type of thing. Though the mercenary/prideful nature of the later would fit a dragon, too, I believe that between basically being on the run on Lifasa, dealing with Seira for the guardianship of Kascha, Arrel, Baleruk, and the last couple of big battles, Surrurathru has figured out that in spite of his dragon pride, how big of a fish he is in this pond is directly proportional to how big of a dragon he is compared to the other dragons in Aurora.
So noted and fair enough, Surraruthru.
There is a pause before you get the answer, "Yes."
"Will you communicate this to me through Kascha?"
10 of 24
There's a longer pause, before, "No, come. Come here."
Seira or her agent bent the spell a bit to get in a longer message. This eats 3 questions instead of one.
"Come to Cauldron?"
14 of 24
"Yes," The voice says, right away.
"Is there still a piece of Lifasa that exists that I can use as the heart of the grove for my lair?"
15 of 24
"Not now, but in the future."
3 more questions spent.
"Is there a way for Aurora to make peace with Bahamut while keeping Baleruk as a member?"
19 of 24
There's a long pause on this one, all the elements stirring, before your answer is, "Unclear."
"Is there a way to begin the process of working towards peace with Bahamut that is currently within Aurora's abilities?"
20 of 24
A long pause again before the answer is, "Unclear."
"Is there a treasure or item you think I would benefit greatly from possessing?"
21 of 24
I think I worded this one poorly, too. I mean, is there some kind of item or treasure that would greatly improve my abilities or power, like a well/perfect fit item, instead of just a general power-up/useful item.
"Yes," Is the answer you get, along with a sense of amusement.
"Is it something you're willing to give me specific information on?"
22 of 24
"Yes," Is the answer again.
"Is there something I can do to help improve Aurora outside of simply helping on missions?"
23 of 24
"Yes."
Next one is the last one, so make it count.
"Are you satisfied with my efforts to protect Kascha?"
24 of 24
Not really a super useful one, but more of an RP one, and I'm okay with that.
"Yes." Then reality returns. You're back in your room, the spell finished. Kascha's just returning, "How did it go?" she asks.
Surraruthru rises to sit on his pile of gold, stretching his body and wings out before relaxing.
"Acceptably well. Seira proved... agreeable with most of my questions. Tannin is able to gain the exact locations of lost caches here on Water, but he'll need help with it. Fortunately, he'll know what he needs."
Surraruthru closes his eyes, but keeps the one facing Kascha open a tiny sliver to watch her reaction as he continues.
"Seeing as how Seira is an ally of Aurora, I decided to use a few of my precious questions for its benefit. Aurora is currently unable to decisively rescue those two who were captured... Muirfinn and Lief, I believe. However. There is an alliance we can secure that will let us do so. I don't know specifically who it is, and we currently have no ties to them, but they are on a plane we *do* have contacts on. That should be enough for your expert diviners to work with."
Surraruthru takes a moment to pause and watch her reaction to this news.
"Also, I will have to make a trip to Cauldron soon. I will be taking a quest on from Seira herself. She has requested that I come to her for it. I may be made into a Celestial if I succeed. There will also be a piece of Lifasa that I will find in the future that I can use to serve as the heart of my grove. Lifasa will live on. Aurora should be happy to hear this. They can thank me for it at their leisure."
Surraruthru then opens his eyes and locks them on Kascha.
"I also asked about making peace with Bahamut while Baleruk is part of Aurora. She did not give me a clear answer. But that also means the answer isn't solidly no, either. I expect Aurora to begin putting effort into realizing this. It is.. distasteful.. to me to be at odds with Bahamut simply because of that pompous Baleruk's presence.
She also knows of a specific item that will greatly benefit my abilities, and of tasks which I can accomplish to help Aurora outside of missions, and is willing to give me information on them.
She is also satisfied with my efforts to protect you."
Surraruthru sits on his pile of gold, regally arching his neck in self-satisfied smugness.
Kascha listens to it all, smiling as it goes on. "Good! Afina just contacted me and she wishes to go to the Cauldron as well. The timing is excellent and it comes with good news as well. So how about we go now?"
"Hmm... We should stop and speak with Tannin. He can work to acquire the locations of the caches while we are on Cauldron. That way, there will be no delay when we return."
I don't know if Tannin's thing requires actual posting. If not, I'm cool with it being however you want.
Post your intent in nagging and I'll send Tannin off on it. I'm going to merge you into Afina's thread for now.