Finding Calley

[Nephrite]

Moore smiles and nods. "Do you mind if I ask you what exactly you're the Authority... of?"

[Anastasia]

A laugh from the dragon, the cave shaking with him. "You know much and have the most curious gaps. What do you know about me, Moore?"

[Nephrite]

"I'm not sure whether that's an existential question or not, so I'll answer this way." Moore says with a laugh of his own. "I know that you must've overcome the pride that usually comes with being a dragon, in order to find a resting place here in the Mountain. Now... why that place isn't in Bahamut's Palace... I can't figure that part out quite yet, but... I have a couple of ideas." Moore admits.

"As you said, you're interested in where someone takes themselves and are willing to give part of yourself to that idea, so I wonder if it's really that simple... the Authority of Potential does have a ring to it, I think."

A snap of his fingers. "Well, there's the obvious, too. You're blind, but you probably can see better than most people, because you can see what makes up a person... at least, that's my guess, anyway. You can see the potential in them, is what I mean."

[Anastasia]

A chuckle at that, deep and rich. "Close. I am the Authority of Generosity."

[Nephrite]

Moore smiles. "Good, so potential isn't taken by anyone." A nod, as if he's satisfied with that. "I'm sure you didn't just wake up one day and decide to give your things away, though. But I have to wonder if you were always a little 'different' from most dragons in that you didn't mind sharing."

[Anastasia]

"That is a long story, Moore," The golden dragon says, a claw coming out to tap a pile of coins. It shifts into a pair of seats, sized for you and Xandra. "I can tell it, if you care to listen."

[Nephrite]

"I'd be honored." Moore says as he takes a seat.

[Anastasia]

"Please," Xandra says, taking her seat.

"Long ago, there was a gold dragon who sat atop his world. His lair was the highest mountain and his hoard reflected such a grand place, gathered over thousands of years. He became a great wyrm and was the greatest example of dragon kind in his world. Confident in his success, he began to ignore the world beneath his lofty perch. His days were arcane study and admiring his hoard, which he further expanded with planar trading. Yes, he was a happy dragon indeed."

"So when mortals came, begging for aid, he gave them advice and little else. Surely this dark sorcerer they spoke of was another tiresome mortal, who would burn out in a handful of years and vanish into the annals of history. Heroes would step forth as they always did, so why disturb his perfect solitude and happiness by helping them. Words are cheap, far better to give than some of his precious hoard or his even more precious effort."

[Nephrite]

Moore nods. He could say something, but there's nothing important to add at this point!

[Anastasia]

"They never came back and the dragon put it out of mind. Years passed, a decade and more, and finally the dragon grew restless. Yes, a flight over the world was in order. Thus he went out and what did he see?"

A beat, a pause, the dragon's empty gaze on you.

"A world of death. Villages of graveyards and towns of tombs, where the only inhabitants were those cursed to wander restlessly in undeath. Were the only alters were not those that brought blessings and joy, but where the surviving were sacrificed. This time the heroes lost and so many kingdoms lost as they were joined to an empire of undeath. The dark sorcerer was more than a sorcerer. No, he was a half fiend named Lixer."

"The dragon was stunned and sickened. He eliminated the dead before him but it was meaningless. Little did he know Lixer had already left that world behind, allowing it to be run by his dark acolytes. The damage was done and Lixer honored for bringing much of a world to heel. Reeling, confused and knowing he could not face such a threat alone, the dragon traveled to Bahamut's Palace to demand support. The Platinum Dragon granted him an audience."

Slowly now, "The dragon demanded support, demanded that Bahamut rouse himself and quench this abomination. Tell me, what do you think Bahamut said to that dragon?"

[Nephrite]

Moore takes a breath and with a solemn voice, he says, "'What did you do to help quench the spark before it burned the world to ash?'"

[Anastasia]

"Worse than that," The Authority says, "He looked to the dragon and says that his prime agent was in position to stop this, but failed. That his other forces were working but it would be a long bitter fight. If only his primary agent had roused himself from his self absorption to do what was right."

A long pause, "The dragon growls and vocally disagreed. He roared his fury at Bahamut and yet the Draco Paladin stood unimpressed. He gave that dragon a vision. A vision of a future that could have been, a future where he gave them a tiny bit of his hoard to fund them. It was enough to buy the supplies they needed to overcome Lixer's defenses and slay him in a tremendous battle. Another future thereafter! A future where the dragon roused himself and joined the heroes on this quest. Here he saw Lixer defeated, brought low and imprisoned within a soul gem. Here he saw the presence of Lixer's dread father seeking to take it with him, but the Hebdomad and the Triad stood against him and stymied the Lord of the Ninth.  In that future, Lixer's soul was taken to the Bridge of Al-Sihal, where the light of Chronias destroyed it forever."

The Authority of Generosity sighs, "The dragon was stunned, yet Bahamut was not done. He condemned the dragon for his sloth, his greed and his self absorbtion. He took his vision from him and cast him out of his palace. Since that day, the dragon has never once returned."

[Nephrite]

Moore offers a small smile. He's proud of you, but you know that already. Words don't need to be said on that.

[Anastasia]

Xandra merely listens, not adding a word of her own.

"Blind, the dragon could no longer see his hoard. Blind, the dragon could not appreciate his vantage above the dead lands. Blind, the dragon was forced to look inward at his soul. There the dragon saw sin and avarice, a far cry from the draconic perfection he fancied he represented." A chuckle follows, "A sad story. So much could have been stopped if not for my failings. Had I tracked down the sources of the planar trade and noted that so many funded with Baator's gold, Lixer would be a forgotten memory. If I had deigned to look inward and saw the rot with me before that time, countless souls would never have been darkened by Lixer's profane arts."

"I could go on, blame Asmodeus for manipulating me flawlessly. I could blame Bahamut for his wrath and rage against him. I could blame so many but I blame myself. I accept my failing and my punishment. Now I focus on what is good and right, I focus on using what I have towards helping others rise higher than towards my own self absorbed egotism." With a smile that shows far too many perfectly sharp teeth, "You are an investment I an particularly proud of. You were the perfect person to guide towards Aurora and use you to aid them."

[Nephrite]

Moore gets up from his seat and lays a hand on Talinalinas's face (well, nose, really).

"You helped set me on the right path, just like Iris and Sun's Rise did. I can never repay you in a way that I'll be truly satisfied with... but you and the others have taught me a great deal. I've long thought about the path I want to personally take in all of this... whether it takes me into the Light of Chronias or somewhere else. I'm not sure if 'Authority of Potential' is something that I can realistically do, but... well, maybe someday." A smile and a shrug to himself at that

He takes a breath and pats him a few times. "Should you ever have need of me, you know where to find me. One thing, if I may, though... you know He's proud of you, right? You don't need to need to stay penitent forever."