Session25

**The Ball in Myth Coramanth and the Mostly Abandoned Dragon Cavern**
 * 7-27-13 **

Wake in the morning in our luxurious rooms... each has it's own little pool of water with a magical tap to bring it to any desired temperature. Wren and Kale wake up to a knock on the door. Three young elven women sweep in to the room carrying a variety of colorful fine silk materials. "We were sent by Lady Horitsu to make sure you have fine outfits for the ball."

Just down the hall, Maliumpkin hears a knock on the door as well. She throws down a pile of pillows off of the ginormous bed and leaps down to them! "Wheee!" She also has another 3 lovely hanalil priestesses there to help her pick out a dress. "What color would you like?" "Green!" If there's any color that the elves are intimately familiar with, it's greens... they display multiple shades of greens, forest green, moss green, evergreen, light green, sage green... Mali starts pointing to several, "Mmm some of that one, and that one, and .... that one!"

Wren looks at Kale back in their room, "What color would you like?" "Well, my favorite color has always been green..." Wren grins, "I like green... and you looked rather impressive in it before." She nodded. He smiled and nodded, "Alright... then we'll go as a matching couple then." They looked over the shades and chose a vibrant, beautiful green. She had them cut and shape the material to look like shiny dragon scales and added big, elegant wings. Kale had a large dragon motiff imprinted along the length of his suit with the head up by his shoulder and the tail wrapping around his waist.

Two priests also go to Erevin and Shri's room. Erevin wakes up with a stinging sensation in his back, the fingernail marks from the night still burning deep. They bow, "Lord Lionspaw, we're here to take your measurements and help you pick out something for the dance... Oh! I'm sorry!" They blush and turn away as Shri stretches in the bed, the sheet falling away from her. Erevin glances at her, "You do enjoy torturing them..." He chooses silver and white, the color of the moonbeams with the Lionspaw symbol.

Azarius wakes up, fully stretched out on the huge, luxurious bed... ahh finally a room, befitting a Chaat. Trieste knocks on the door, "Lord Chaat? ...the seamstresses are here. Shall I let them in?" "Sure," he quickly adjusts, wrapping his tentacles inside. Trieste brings them in, dressed in full armor guarding his door. He raises an eyebrow at her, "What did you expect to happen here of all places?" She looks at him a moment, "...can't be too careful." She ushers the giggling and giddy priestesses into the room as they ooo and ahh over his glorious skin and hair. "Are you sure you're not an elf? Your eyes that are so... mesmerizing... to... look... into." They stare up at him. He hands them a paper with his measurements already on it, and chooses his family colors of light green and yellow for him and Trieste. "It will be ready for this evening." They giggle and whisper to each other over him.

Mali goes to find Ursus in his own room, knocking on his door. "Who is it? It's not more of those elves are you?" "No... it's Mali..." "Oh, come in" Ursus is reclined in his tub with thick foamy suds in the water, looking squeaky clean. Mali smiles coyly and whistles. "Oh, did you want to come join me? ...it might be over your head." He grins at her. She twirls back and forth a little, looking adorable, "Maybe later..." "Those elves were in here trying to take my measurements and had all these materials... and they wanted to dress me up funny." "You're coming to the dance, aren't you?! ...I'm wearing greens!" "Alright... maybe I shouldn't pick furs and leather then?" "Oh no, no! You can wear furs and leather..." She gives him a little vixen smile, "That will be just fine." He grins wide, "Alright" He looks at her, "So... what happened to you last night? I thought we were going to go for a walk in the woods?" "Well... we had to rescue Wren... and Yuki... and Wren's dad... and we killed a lot of drow..." "There was bloodshed?" She nodded, "All over!" "and I missed it?" "I'm afraid so, it was the goriest... and glorious." "You're just saying that to make me jealous... you're standing awfully far away... why don't you come a little closer?" She smiled a little demurely, "I'm good right here..." "The tub really is awfully nice..." She grins, "My tub is nice too." "Is that an invitation?" She grinned, "Well... the bed IS awfully large... I could maybe use some help getting across it tonight... after the ball..." "Well! Then I better get ready for the ball then! Sounds like we'll have a busy night..." He stands up out of the tub, "Would you mind handing me that towel?" She looks up at him, offering the washcloth... "Oh... I suppose you wanted the towel... probably not the... washcloth." "Yes..." He smirks at her.

Shri runs her eyes over Erevin, "Mmm I suppose I can wear silver and white as well... It would be rather contrasting to my skin." He looked her over, admiring her beauty, "Mmm... much like that sheet wrapped around you now." She smiled back at him as she dropped the sheet to the floor, unmodestly displaying her body for him, as the young priestesses measured her.

Erevin looks over the group as we sit down in a dining hall for lunch... normally looking rather travel worn, but everyone sparkles clean and smells wonderful. "It seems Myth Coramanth suits you all..." Mali nods emphatically, "I like it here. It's like having all of the amenities and the forest in one. I'm very fond of it." Wren leans close to Kale, "So... I have a secret place that I'd like to take you to... Would you like to go just the two of us? Or should we invite the others?" He leans closer, biting the tip of her ear, "Are we going to... have fun? or are you looking to get into some trouble with blood and guts and destruction?" She giggles and leans against him whispering into his ear, "It's a dragon cave..." He raises an eyebrow, "And there's no dragon in it?" "Well... there wasn't when I was there before... but I didn't get to go looking very deep..." "Maybe we should invite the others then," He nodded to her. She nodded back, turning to everyone else in hushed tones, "I don't know what everyone else is doing...We're going to go see a secret cave... do any of you want to go along?"

Mali squeaks excitedly, "Oooo a secret cave?" Erevin turns to Wren, "What secret cave do you speak of?" Wren whispers to the group in hushed tones, "It's a dragon cave!" Mali gasped and nodded that she was in. Erevin ponders it for a moment, only recalling the story of the green dragon that was once evicted from the city by the mythal years ago, but no one had ever found a lair... "Let's go check it out." Mali bursts into Ursus's room, "We're going to a secret dragon cave!" "Great! I'm not missing this one!" He follows her back to the group. They pass by Uther and Posy's room, hearing occasional thumps and growls and decide to let them be. Thorn seems to be missing somewhere off in the city.

We head up to invite Yuki where a small crowd of elves had gathered outside of her room. Axton is guarding the door, trying to soothe them, "Everything's good. Yuki's fine. Everyone just be on your way. Everything's fine." We look at each other. Wren looks at Axton, "What did you do to Yuki?" She pushes him aside and walks into the priestess of Sune's room to find Yuki asleep on her bed. She goes over and nudges her, "Yuki... We're going to the secret cave... Yuki... are you coming?" No response... Wren nudges her again and turns back to glare at Axton, practically growling, "What did you do to Yuki?" "Uh... Sune..." Wren stares at him, "Think faster... I'm going to need to believe it. What did you do to Yuki?" "I didn't do anything to her! She just fainted." Erevin stares at him skeptically, "Hold on... You didn't do ANYTHING?" Everyone stares at him. "I was talking to Yuki... about the ball... and she sort of just fainted." Erevin looks him over, "Did you touch her?" Wren repeated him skeptically, "You were just talking to her... and she fainted?" She stared at him. Erevin looked at him, like he could see the lie written on his face. Axton looked at Wren and then Mali. Wren walked over and kicked the door closed, "What happened Axton?" "Well... we had a discussion... and I may have overstepped some boundaries..." Wren stared at him darkly. "Alright, I kissed her!" Mali gasped! Erevin's face fell. Wren looked at him, surprised. Mali's voice was sad and accusing, "You STOLE her first kiss?! Yuki..." Wren looked at Mali and then back to Axton, "Was she willing... when you kissed her?" He looked at her a little defensively, "Yes!" "And she fainted... because you kissed her?" Axton nodded confidently, "I must be pretty good." Wren raised an eyebrow. Mali folded her arms, "I don't believe that." Axton gestured to the bed, "There's the evidence right there!"

He sighed, "I thought she was just overcome by the moment... but then she didn't wake up. I prayed to Sune for guidance... and she said that she had a special task for Yuki and that she would return her to us when her mission was done." Everyone stared at him, weighing out whether he was telling the truth. Looking deeply at him, he appeared to be telling the truth, Wren nodded, "Alright..." Axton nodded to her reassuringly, "I'll stay to watch over her while she does Sune's work... Is everything alright?" Wren nodded, "I was just coming to invite her to a special event..." Mali looks over Yuki and decides she seems healthy except for being asleep. Wren nudges everyone out of the room, leaving Axton to watch over Yuki. Erevin places several maids in case he needs anything for her.

We head out into the city and Wren has a hard time finding the secret rope down... It's been months. The forest has been growing and changing. Wren pets Cirdan, asking for his aid to help her find the rope again. "Why do you want to find that again?" "I want to see it again..." Finally they find it, but it's more hidden and changed slightly, perhaps camouflaged it since the last time she's been here ... but it's only a couple of hours til the ball. Erevin looks at them, "They will likely send the royal guard out looking for me if I don't show up to the ball..." We decide to return at night after the ball.

In the palace, magnificent outfits have been finished and laid out. We prepare and head into the hall. Erevin admires Shri in her low cut gown, exposing her flawless dark skin, "We might be late..." She grins at him, "They would send out the guard..."

Kale leans close to Wren, "Do you suppose it will bother Erevin that we look like this?" She tilts her head curiously at him, "Green dragons? ...mmm maybe." He grins, "Good." She nudges him playfully.

Ursus goes to Mali's room, "Are you ready?" "1 more minute..." "...okay now I'm ready." "You look... good." He nods at her in her lovely multi ribboned shades of green. "You look ravishing, sir" She grins up at him dressed in fine, dark leather and bear fur... his hair tied back with a leather strap and silver bear head. He shoos his bear companion in with Melloran in Mali's room, "Now you two be good. Don't destroy the room. Don't eat any of the elven children." He escorts Mali down to the hall like a princess.

Posy and Uther don't make it down from their room to the dance and rumor has it that Thorn is taking in the sights of the city... and Yuki still hasn't woken up.

Marble floor, beautiful large hall, with elven god statues carved to hold up the ceiling. Trees, balconies, tables, and a dance floor with colorful wisps flitting around the room. Grand introductions as we each enter the room. A grand main table, where Horitsu and Kerith, Eltrue and Dulcet, and Attalicus and Moirae sit together.

Horitsu stands, with her hands on the railing of the balcony to address everyone, "Greetings elves of Myth Coramanth and honored guests, The queen bids you welcome to the Summer Ball. In no small part due to the heroic actions of my son, Erevin, and his companions." Colorful wisps light up around him. Mali claps emphatically. "I hope everyone enjoys the festivities with the gracious offer of our brothers and sisters of the drow. We've prepared a special exhibition for you. Everyone enjoy Queelest and some of the acolytes of the temple of Eilistraee."

Several drow women and a few drow men, flow into the room like water, dressed in diaphanous white silks. Music plays as they perform a beautifully synchronized dance together. A holy dance of Eilistraee. They whirl around with elegance in motion. Perfect, trained, graceful, and skillful. Flashes of skin. High priestess Queelest owns the dance floor, entrancing many elven men.

Elves burst into applause. Ursus sets his hand on Mali's leg and she holds it, leaning close. Kale leans over to Wren, "Kind of makes you want to dance, doesn't it?" Wren nodded, nuzzling him, "Maybe more than dance..." Shri shook her head, "That's my sister... always the showboat." Erevin smiles, "She is quite skilled." Azarius adjusts his robes a bit.

Shri and Erevin go to the dance floor, followed by Wren and Kale, and finally Mali and Ursus... "I was hoping you didn't know how to dance." "It doesn't mean I don't want to." "Oh alright... but if anyone laughs I get to eat them, right?" "Yes!" Azarius takes Trieste out to the dance floor first, and then he invites the giddy elven girls following him around to dance.

"I thought I recognized a handsome familiar face..." a female elven voice comes from behind Azarius. He turns around to see Corsha, the very beautiful elven mage from Throndir's pirate ship. He gives her a very sweeping bow, "May I have the pleasure of this dance?" He sends his current dance partner twirling off into the crowd gracefully as he takes Corsha's hand. He leads her out on the dance floor, dancing elegantly.

She tells him that Throndir gave her a bit of shore leave, so she's vacationing in Myth Coramanth, "I've always loved these little balls." "The sea can be demanding... it's perfect timing. I'm so glad you're here." "Throndir said to give his best to you and Erevin... Lionspaw." She rolls her eyes, "I don't remember him mentioning that when we last met." "Yes... I believe that was intentional."

Kale and Wren dance elegantly across the floor together. Mali and Ursus have a little trouble, but he picks her up and dances with her. Erevin and Shri sweep across the floor, tethered by silk, and catching a beam of moonlight.

Wren spies a familiar pink-haired sorceress across the dance floor, Samira and her husband Sergei are there. She tells them that after the undead attack on Lyrabar they went out adventuring and took Lady Lionspaw up on her offer to visit Myth Coramanth. They've been staying there for a few weeks, staying in Heroes' Rest Inn. "We ran into the elven rangers on the way up here, and they said there was some trouble?" Wren nods, "We ran into some trouble with some drow..." "Oh! I thought the elves of Myth Coramanth welcomed drow." "Umm not these drow... they're not the Eilistraee worshipping drow... they're the not so nice, other darker god worshipping drow." "The not so nice drow... Mmm. Is it anything we need to worry about?" "Well... We took out a small group of them... I don't know that trouble will flare up again real soon, but if you're out adventuring, you'll want to keep your eyes out. But be careful... these drow are dangerous." Samira smiles at Wren, "Alright. Can I ask you another favor? Can I dance with your dragon guy there?" Wren raises an eyebrow at her and smiles at Kale, "Would you like to dance with the lovely sorceress?" "Certainly," he nods and takes Samira's hand, letting her lead him out on the floor. Sergei smiles at Wren, "Since I'm now without a dance partner, I've heard you like to dance?" Wren smiles, "I'd love to." They all dance beautifully.

Shri mentions to Erevin as they dance that she's asked Queelest to look at the drow bodies to see if any are familiar. "She was alive during your mother's adventures destroying the city of the drow. Even though she came from the underdark, Queelest has no love for the drow from the underdark who persecuted our kind. ...I don't know if I've ever told you... that I have another sister." Erevin shakes his head, "No..." "I never knew her... she died in the events that your mother precipitated. Queelest knew her. She was captured by the handmaids of Lolth and executed." Erevin looks sad, "No... you ... hadn't mentioned that." "So... that's why it's more personal for Queelest.... but the moonlight is stronger out on the balcony." She gazes out. "Well... then let's not waste it." He leads her out to the balcony to dance outside.

Corsha and Azarius dance beautifully together. She mentions that something happened on the eastern part of their borders. "We had to head west to avoid Thayan entanglement. A bit of a hornet's nest. The Thayans were riled up about something..." "Oh... well that probably had to do with us..." "Well they've retreated since then... business as usual." They talk about our travels since then and Amara's rescue. She asks about Erevin and Elfskinner. Azarius says he's sure they're still on Lord Erevin's to do list, but we still have several companions missing loved ones that we have to rescue... and we need to accomplish that while we have the Destiny. "That sounds like a grand adventure. I wish there was more I could do to help..." "You are welcome on our ship any time, dear lady." She laughs, "You're such a silver tongued devil... I am quite indebted to Throndier, but you never know...I do tend to pop in and out from time to time on the ship." "I haven't quite got my land legs yet... dancing seems to be rather tiring. Would you mind getting me a drink?" "No, by all means..." She walks over to the doorway of the balcony and looks back at him. He hurries over to get drinks to rejoin her with. They wander out to the balcony, sharing a drink, and she gifts him a pearlescent magic conch shell that he can whisper messages in and she can hear it in hers and send them back to him in his.... He whispers in his, "I would like to give you a kiss." She smiles as she listens and whispers back into hers, "Favor fortunes the bold." He kisses her in the moonlight. Awww.

Ursus takes Mali to another balcony to see the beautiful night city under the moonlight, and takes her hand, "So we're really going to explore this dragon cave then?" "Yes, doesn't that sound exciting?!" "You think there will be a real dragon in there? or baby dragons?" "Awww baby dragons!" "Do you know what kind of dragon might be in this cave? I mean... dragons have a lot of protection from the elements so we should try to be prepared. It would help to know what kind of dragon we might have to go up against." "Oh! We should ask Wren! Maybe she knows..." They glance over to see Wren and Kale embraced in a passionate kiss on one of the balconies. "Well... maybe we'll ask her later."

The hour grows late and we excuse ourselves from the ball, changing to head out into the city to see the dragon cavern. "So we should change into more appropriate dragon slaying gear..." Wren's eyes go wide, "What?! No.. no dragon slaying! There will be no dragon slaying." Erevin looks at her, "Why else do you go to a dragon's cave?" "To look around! To see it!" Ursus pipes up, "Well what if there is a dragon and it attacks us first?!" "Then we run. You don't kill the dragon...It's a dragon." Mali looks up curiously, "What color is the dragon?" Wren ponders a moment, "Well... the paintings on the wall show a green dragon, but I did find scales from a white dragon as well." She holds up her necklace with pretty cut white dragon scales. Mali looks intrigued, "Oh! a white dragon and a green dragon?" Kale comes closer, interested, "A green dragon?" Wren nods, "It's painted on the wall... a love story between a green dragon and an elven woman."

We head out in traveling gear. It's quiet, compared to the noise of the dance. The moonlight is shining. Wren slips her hand into Kale's and walks along the bridges heading back to the rope ladder. Erevin looks around and brushes away the vines and brush to the little door in the ground that Wren lifts to show an old stairway down.

Paintings on the wall of an elven woman in white with a looming green dragon, and then another painting of the same elven woman in white with an elven man in green... then a painting of the green dragon flying away with elves firing bows. then the woman alone, weeping. The elves with bows appear to be from Myth Coramanth from a century ago before it moved to Rawlinswood.

As we look over the paintings, Mali sighs, "It's such a sad story, Wren." Wren nods to her and watches Kale run his hand over the wall to dust off the paintings, taking slight extra care over the elven woman in white. Wren steps beside him, sliding her arm around his waist and leans against him softly. He puts his arm around her, "Its a tragic story, is it not?" She sighs and nods.

Mali notices slight tracks along the ground telling her that someone else has been here... she casts her magic to clean away the area to discover a secret door. Opening the door, a Baelorn greets us (Spirit tomb guardian), "Beware trespassers. You trespass on an ancient elven barrow. Go no further less you disturb the resting spirits of the elves of Myth Coramanth."

Erevin steps forward, "I am Erevin Lionspaw, prince to the freshly reclaimed Myth Coramanth, what family is buried here?"

The figure floats in place, "Beware trespassers. You trespass on an ancient elven barrow. Go no further less you disturb the resting spirits of the elves of Myth Coramanth." Wren peers at it questioningly, "Lies and deceit..." We pass by it carefully... seemingly an illusion, but very spooky. Broken glass, likely from an alchemist flask, lies on the floor... the floor is recently damp.

We move down the hall to a big, wide open cavern with fresh air drifting in from a tunnel on the other side. Wren sends her dancing lights into the room, they sparkle over mounds of coin... Wren leans closer to Kale, whispering, "Oh... do you think we might really see a dragon?" "The mythal of the city is programmed to ward against dragons..." As we look further, everything is copper... and we start to notice that there's a lot more room and it seems that someone has been here and cleaned the room out of all the good stuff.

We move on to cross the room, going through the moss covered tunnel opening. Fresh air blows in and we see big eyes in the dark... and there is a scramble in the dirt as the eyes move toward us fast. A 40 foot long, blue scaled, multi-legged beast rushes forward and swallows Erevin whole! Kale moves forward unsheathing his sword to strike the beast back. Wren pulls her wand and empowers a lightning bolt, but the silvery blue sparks simply sparkle over the blue scales of the beast. Mali transforms into a lion and Ursus transforms into a bear. Trieste calls out tactical suggestions and Azarius sends in magic missiles.

The Behir breathes in and blows lightning back at Wren, taking half of her life and singing Mali and Ursus on the way to her. Erevin is able to pull his moonblade out as he's swallowed and he slashes outward deeply, cutting his way out the beast to spill out on the floor covered in goo. Mali and Shri both quickly heal him as Ursus and Kale strike into the behir deeply. Azarius again sends out a harsh round of magic missiles.

The blue-scaled beast flails out angrily with it's multi-legs, scratching everyone close with it's claws. Erevin slices into the wound he cut open on his way out, ripping it open further as Mali and Ursus rip into it from opposing sides to take it down.

A pool of water in the room conceals the dragon lair entrance. The Behir likely came in here hunting the fish in the pool and found a safe place to be. We go back to the treasure room, Wren sensing out for secret doors. Finding the latch to open it, it's old and doesn't seem to have been opened in a very long time. Going in there's an orb on a pedestal in the center of the room. Wren places her hands gently on the orb and her eyes turn white. Erevin and Azarius look at each other. "Wren... Can you still hear us?" "Yes." "Are you alright?" "Yes. The orb feels warm..." "Can you let go?" "I'm still feeling it out..." They look at each other a little worried. Finally, still worrying about Yuki, Wren thinks of her and she sees her still laying asleep in her bed, "Yuki! Can you hear me?" Yuki doesn't respond and the others can't see her, so they just look at one another as Wren seems to talk to no one... Wren tries to think about her mother and the vision moves out of the city into the forest and stops... "It lets me see people that I think about... but it seems to have a pretty close range and stops in the forest." "Can you pick it up?" She lifts it off the table and a magic alarm poofs. She tries to think about the alarm... to hear it... sense the direction... but unfamiliar with it, can't seem to get anything about it. Azarius looks at her, "Put it in your bag, we should go." "What if someone comes looking for it and tracks it to us?" Erevin tells her to leave it and she places it back on the table, locking the room back up carefully and we head back through the city into the palace. Everyone returns to their rooms for the night, Ursus slipping into Mali's room with her.