Meeting the Vavel Dragon

You turn you head to shout that, and when you turn back they have both disappeared.

Smok & Sigmundo?

[color=red]"Great," Vibria mutters. She looks around searching for either them, or for two people who weren't there a moment ago. ((Per 0 + Awareness 3 + die roll of 5 = 8. She will use a Confidence if it makes a difference. After all, they were just here a second ago, they can't have gone very far.))

The town crier points at you and shouts. [color=green]That's what he does! He abducts those that you love and forces you to come after him! I tried to warn you. Tried to warn all of you he was here. Bud did you listen? No. You just walked right up to him like old family.

Vibria sighs before she stands up, smoothing out the wrinkles in her dress. With a (hopefully) charming smile, she sashays over to the crier.

[color=red]"Sounds like you know more about this Smok dragon than most. So...how do we get my grandfather back?"

((Pre 1 + Charm 2 + die roll of 3 = 6. She's trying to get him to be sympathetic and helpful. Will use Confidence if she needs to.))

You forgot -3 because of the Gift. So spend a Confidence and he will listen to you.
And thus so, he shall reply. [color=green]"Your grandfather is the same as he! I can see right through all disguises, pierce any illusion, and communicate in any tongue.
Your grandfather say you? Then we are the same as well, for I am the son of that dragon!"
At this point, you are confronted by a squad of the King's Guard. This is the capitol city after all. Attention has been drawn to you, and you have that bad vibe from the Gift thing going on. Plust an aweful lot of talk about dragons.
[color=blue]We will need the two of you to come with us. His majesty would like to speak with you.

D'oh! I keep forgetting that for the social interactions.

So...progress, after a fashion.

Vibria does a double-take. [color=red]"You're Smok's..." she says before she's interrupted by the Brute Squad.

Vibria beams girlishly. [color=red]"Oh, marvelous! I've never met a majesty before, this should be quite a treat!"

(Yes, she's going to try to play the ditz.)

You are escorted to Wawel Castle by the guards. They are not friendly, but they are respectful and do not trat you like prisoners. When yo get their, another set of guards led by an official take you to one of the courtrooms, where three serious faces await you. Surrounded by armed guards.
Henry I (Henryk the Bearded), High Duke of Silesia and Supreme Prince, the effective king of fractured Poland, winning a war of unification.
then...
Duchess Hedwig, Henryk's wife and power player.
and...
Sir Peregrinus of Wiesenburg, Henryk's champion and companion (and some say magician) since he saved Henryk's life in 1227. And he is a wizard. You clearly see he is wearing the symbol of House Jerbiton as one of many badges.

Peregrinus looks at the king. [color=brown]Sire, perhaps we should hold private audience with our guests. Issues of security.
The language is Polish, but Jacsik (the crier and sone of Smook) translates for you.
The room is cleared. Peregrinis speaks Latin as does Hedwig (who translates for Henryk). [color=brown]I think we need to have a chat about dragons.

((I take it Her Grace is speaking?))

[color=red]"Of course, ma'am. It would be an honour, I never thought that I'd be speaking with someone of such station about dragons. I love hearing about them."

She glances quickly at Jacsik before turning her full attention to Hedwig.

It was Pereginus speaking, but the Duchess added [color=blue]"Yet, let us chat", so it is thus proper to adress her. And she now takes the lead.
[color=blue]Don't play coy. We pay Jacsik to alert us of dragons. Though I wish he was more discrete bout it. Clod! Inform a guard quietly. Don't run around yelling about it!
See, there is a treaty that goes back centuries. I'm sure you know the tale of Smok the Vavel Dragon? Jacsik knows it well. But it is just a fable. In ancient days, King Krak of the Polonians came to an accord with Smok after defeating him and the formed a treaty. Smok surrendered the domain of Vavel hill to the crown, and swore to stop terrorising the people of the county.
Still bound by the second clause, Smok has wormed his way out of the first. Poland has been in a state of disunity and war for generations, and not long ago there was a battle for the capitol. The usurper king invited Smok back in, hoping to gain an ally. Smok betrayed him, and sovertly aided my husband retake the sity. The condition was that, once reasserting the title of King, Henryk forfited claims to the dragons cave under the hill. The unity of Poland being our formost goal, he agreed. Smok is allowed back in town, under the condition that he maintains a human guise.
But we don't trust him. He has been meeting with strange foreigners, such as yourself madam. We confronted him. He granted us the service of Jacsik as a show of trust. The lad has many useful skills, but he is an imbecil about it.
Why were you running around yelling anyway? Just because you saw Smok in town again?
Jacsik shakes his head. [color=green]No your grace. There are seven dragons in town. This woman, her grandfather is one of them. There is the fellows from Hungary and Norway, they are also dragons in human guise. I can tell!
But there are three more, dragons from the east. They are giant serpents that came from the east! There is a disagreement of some kind, I don't know what. But I fear a war is coming!
Peregrinus shakes his head. [color=brown]Madness. I can believe one man is a dragon, though I suspect Smok is secretly a wizard instead. Madam, is your grandfather a dragon? And why are you here? And you really ought to button up that blouse.

[color=red]"My apologies," Vibria says as she looks down at her front. The blouse is done up as far as it will go, but there is more cleavage showing than perhaps the Duchess wants to see. She turns and fusses with the top, trying to pull it up some, before she turns back. While her bust is (marginally) less exposed, her blouse is tighter. She shrugs helplessly.

She grins when she hears about the three dragons from the East. [color=red]"Marvelous! she says to herself in Catalan.

On whether her grandfather is a dragon: Vibria thinks for a moment before she answers. [color=red]"I believe so. He says he is, I've seen him transform, and if he is a dragon that would explain some things about me."

On why she's there: [color=red]"To learn, of course."

[color=brown]You're serious...
Peregrinus phrases questions as statements :slight_smile:
This is all in Latin. The duchess translates for King Henryk, who flips his lid. Peregrinus addresses Vibria directly.
[color=brown]You can see this is quite serious. Dragons in Masquerade, dragons in the hills. Not a good omen, no not at all. And you, madam, there is something I wonder about you. You say your grandfather is a dragon? Then what of you? Who are you? What is your name? Have you a title? A house perhaps? A seeker come to learn?

[color=red]"Quite," Vibria replies, her cheerful and flippant air vanishing in the drop of a hat. [color=red]"I have absolutely no desire to play the fool" (her eyes darting quickly to Peregrinus, even as she continues to address the duchess) [color=red]"or to mock the rulers of a fantastic land that has done nothing but make me feel welcome until now."

[color=red]"Dragons rarely bode well for those who provoke them, sodalis. And I would have questions for you, but I doubt this is neither the time nor the place for them. Yes, my grandfather is a dragon. As to what that makes me...I would think that would be obvious. My name," she says, as she stands up straighter and bolder, shoulders back proudly, [color=red] "is Vibria filia Fulminara Flambonis Nascor Draconem, Mistress of the Covenant of Andorra. A seeker, after a fashion, but not a member of The Seekers."

[color=brown]This...
This changes things then. Not everything, but still...
Salve sodale. I am Peregrinus of Jerbiton, friend and advisor to Henryk. I am here not to interfere in the politics of these lands, but rather, to help cope with the dragon situation.
Your grandfather. What were he and Smok talking about? What are they up to? Have you any idea? What did you come here to learn? Why here? Why now?
Dragons from the east is disconcerting. There are rumors of barbarian hordes as well.
Well, I suppose it is a good time for a Flambeau to pop up, eh?

Vibria tries to hide a smirk. [color=red]Plausible story. Not buying it, though, she thinks.

[color=red]"I don't know. They had just started talking when I was distracted by your...sentry here. She smiles at Jacsik (who I picture looking like Ichabod Crane, only cuter). [color=red]"They disappeared, and to be honest, I'd be surprised if my grandfather left of his own accord without telling me."

[color=red]"To learn about myself...or at least, the dragon side of me. He brought me here in hopes of meeting others of my...our kind. Which may be related to your 'rumours of barbarian hordes', which is new to me. What's going on with that?"

[color=brown]They call them Mongols, and they attacked Hungary earlier this year. I cannot and will not interfere. But I hear they are lead by powerful sorcerers, and I fear they might have some control or influence over these dragons.
That would force my hand. Barbarian hordes I can do nothing about. Sorcerers, mahaps, but I question if that is for the best. But dragons? Henryk is my brother in blood. I cannot turn my back.
Duchess Hedwig translates for Henryk, who shouts back in Polish then in German to the both of them. Peregrinus shrugs his shoulders, mutters, they both laugh.
Hedwig speaks.
[color=blue]Perhaps your grandfather is testing you somehow?

[color=red]"Self-defence is not 'interference'!"

Vibria scowls at the potentates, wishing she knew what they were saying but fairly certain that it's about her, and unkind to boot.

She leans over to Jacsik. [color=red]"I don't know how much experience you have with wizards," she says softly, [color=red]"but a lot of the...unease you feel about me is a side effect of our magic. If you don't mind, I'd like to ease that for you, so that you can form a more honest opinion about me." (i.e. asking permission to extend her Parma over him to nullify the social effects of the Gift.)

[color=red]"I don't think so," she says slowly, after a moment's consideration. [color=red]"He's never done anything like that before, and he doesn't seem the type to spring that on me now."

Jaksic agrees. peregrinus speaks. [color=brown]Indeed. Well, Vibria my sodale. I know a scrying spell that will find your grandfather. Intellego Vim, formulated specifically for magical beings. If you can help me, I'll need an Arcane Connection and his true name.

Vibria extends her parma over Jacsik (perhaps letting her hand linger a moment or two longer than necessary to do so), then turns to Peregrinus.

[color=red]"I don't know his True Name, I've only ever known him as Sigmund. And I'm afraid I don't have an Arcane Connection."

(The former is almost certainly true, as far as I know. The latter, I'm making a reasonable assumption...but even if she did, she's not entirely sure that she can trust Peregrinus not to use it to go after Sigmundo to intend him harm.)

I am sure you have something suitable, a gift he gave you or some such.
But that doesn't matter. It is forbidden to scry on a fellow magus. And you guys put him to the Oath :wink:

((True. Did we ever decide what House to put him in? I want to say Flambeau, but it might have been Jerbiton.))