Venkath shakes his head as to indicate he has no idea what you are talking about and is boggled by your incomprehension. Which is not to say that he comprehends anything. Venkath is not the cerebral sort and wastes little energy on theory of mind.
Maurice is intrigued by the discussion, and as novice theorist of the supernatural, he has an idea of what his brother is up to. Ah! I think I see what he is up to. He wants to become an Immortal! Though I must say brother, I do not think you are ready for such a mighty transformation. But I am not one to say thee nay.
Marcellus looks from one brother to the other, as if in surprise. "I mean the Spear of Roland. Are you not worried that, faced with your growing power, one of these magi, or others who hear of you, will try to find it?"
Venkath does not seem to care. But Marice is intrigued. Spear of Roland, you say? What is this artifact? I thought Roland was a sword man.
Which then catches Venkath's interest. Treasure?
"No, no, I am talking about the Spear. You have never heard of it? True, all the stories focus on his sword, but I would have thought, with you being dragons, you would have heard about the spear as well..."
"In any case, the spear is supposed to be a powerful weapon against dragons. So if your reputation grows, your enemies may seek it out in order to destroy you. That is why I am worrying. I would hate to see it used against you."
Maurice grins. Treasure!
Venkath seems relaxed. almost friendly. That sounds like a hero's weapon indeed! I would love to add that to my stash. And if a mighty hero manages to steal it from me and use it, such an accomplishment would be so epic that my immortality would be assured indeed!
I would want to confer with my wife on this. She is a specialist in story magic. I'll let her out of the dungeon to help you guys go find the thing. I'll hold on to her son until she brings it back. What do you think is fair? Seven years? I promise not to eat him for seven years.
Wait, you won’t eat who, that obnoxious wizard?
As interesting as it sounds, to seek out a magic weapon, The Woad Needs to know a little more of the magnitude of the challenge, what clues we have to go on. Seven years is a long time, but he would hate to have another magus’ life as his responsiblity.
But if you ease off the terrorising of that place, spread your hunting around to other areas, then it might work.
Depending on how much of an ass he is
Maurice is surprised by the bombshell news his brother just let slip. You have a wife? When did this happen? Congrats!
<Venkath shrugs. I trapped her a few years ago and have been keeping her prisoner. I wanted to do it the old fashioned way and kidnap a bride. But, y'know, she is strong willed and hawt, so I tricked her into it. There is some sort of distortion in my dungeon she said. Something about a time region.
Anyways, noble warrior. The Woad is it? My bride is a maga. Not of your covenant. She had once petitioned but never hung around long enough to be accepted. Both she and her infant son are prisoners in my dungeon.
Don't give me that look. That is how we dragons do. It is tradition. My father, he has always tried to act human. His brides were either adventuring partners or other dragons. And maybe he rubbed off on me. My bride doesn't realize she is a prisoner. That time region distortion thing. She thinks she has been here for a very short time.
Back to my idea. I will let her out and send her on a quest to find the spear. I will hold her son hostage with a promise to keep him safe for seven years. I like the kid, and I might not eat him after the time expires. But, y'know, I gotta say it. Dragon culture.
You guys are not on the hook. But I do thank you for the lead on the treasure, and I offer you a small favor in return. If you want to help Kallista (my wife), I would be much obliged. In fact, I offer this. My hunting range causes you such concern, if you agree to help her I will agree to take a nap for seven years. At the end of that time I will rage again. But if you help her succeed and bring me that spear, I will...
what seems acceptable...
I will take the Transformation and learn human form. Take up the masquerade and live a human life and ease up on the terror.
For now. I mean, I still want the immortality.
"This seems like a reasonable bargain," says Marcellus. "We will help this maga obtain the Spear of Roland while you sleep for seven years, after which you will learn to take human form and live a more peaceful life amongst humans."
Yeah, nice try. My speaking my ideas out loud does not count as a bargain. The only promise I will make is to my wife, which is not to eat her son for at least seven years. The rest of what i said is just a planning idea for now.
The Woad thinks we should take it.
But also inform those other magi and their covenant that we have solved the dragon problem. Let them know we can manage diplomacy. And then we’ll see in seven years.
If they insist on seeking out dragons, the Woad votes we should let them be eaten. If they waste seven years of peace on training to fight, so be it.
"You said that if we agreed to help her find the Spear, you would agree to sleep for seven years. And that if we help her succeed, you would learn human form and 'ease up on the terror,'" Marcellus says. "These are your own words, not mine. Will you commit to them, or not?"
You did say that brother. You said all of it. You may have been thinking out loud. But you laid out a proposition. You made definitive "if this then that" statements. Now, nothing has bound you to that, and no papers were signed. But if you want these guys to help you, then you have to keep your end of the bargain. Now, we are not like genies and there is nothing keeping you from pulling a double cross. But if you do that, then no one will want to make a bargain with you again. Bargaining gives you power greater than you realize.
Make a deal and keep your word brother. The promise is Treasure! And if they fail, you get to eat them. I will help you. What do you say?
Grrrrrrr....... FINE. Have it your way. I will agree to the deal.
"Excellent! That is an agreement," says Marcellus with a nod and a smile. "Shall we go and get your wife, now?" He looks around for the entrance of a cave or structure.
OOC: I am in awe and have great respect for the way you managed to get me (as Venkath) to talk myself into a corner. Part of it is my own stupidity and confusion (I am now running three games and playing in another). But you rolled with it so natural and smooth that I got fished in. Kudos. I will be back later to write something.
OOC You did most of the work. I basically had this idea to hook him with the (made up) story of a magical item which could be used to defeat him, but which could only be acquired if he could take human form. I never got to the second part. I left the story about the legend vague enough that Marcellus can claim it was only that: a story. His plan is now to actually make the Spear and enchant it with an effect against dragons-- thus helping the maga 'find' it. So he didn't exactly lie at any point, but he sure did pull a fast one.
Maruice responds Oh yeah. Brother. That wizard you killed back in the day. Are his bones still around? The magi would like to interrogate his ghost.
The bones are in a pile of muck and other dead things. You will have to do some digging. Edith can cast the spell for you.
Venkath will take Marcellus down to the dungeon to meet Kallista, his bride.
Which I am waiting on a response from Brin, as that was her character back in the day.
Marcellus suggests quietly that any interrogation of the ghost could be made elsewhere and later. (It might be better if the information we gather is not shared freely with the dragons.)