Quest Log: Suit Up!

[modforged]

Who: Dragon mages and dragonsworn.
What: You have been given a quest to infiltrate Sin'thalas and rescue your fellow dragonsworn. Also discussion of scrying orbs.
Where: The sanctums.
When: May 4th and ongoing for a week.
Warnings: Please PM the mods if needed.


Despite the chaos surrounding the disappearances of several Dragonsworn, your sanctum's dragon mage is trying to be calm about this. After a brief discussion behind the scenes with the others, he or she has returned.

"Gather 'round, I have some grave news. Several Dragonsworn have gone missing. We found them, but we are unable to rescue them by ourselves. It would look very bad if dragons were to attack a settlement. That is why we are asking you for help.

"Southeast of Suramar is a village named Sin'thalas. It is these elves who have taken and imprisoned the Dragonsworn. Whether you negotiate or use force to ensure the return of your brethren, it will not be easy. These elves are highly-trained and knowledgeable, far from the refugees you may have seen in the Retreat.

"In light of this, we have implemented a system to communicate over great distances." The dragon mage unveils a magical orb nearby, the perfect size for gazing. "This is a scrying orb. Approach it and think of Sin'thalas, and you will be seen and heard from the orb at that location. It also works in reverse. This should allow us to coordinate our movements depending on the flow of the situation.

"I urge you to think carefully about how best to retrieve your fellow Dragonsworn. You are yet a small force and highly outnumbered. We cannot afford to lose any of you."

[ooc: If characters want to use the orbs, lookingformore is now OPEN. Remember, orbs CANNOT connect from sanctum to sanctum!]

Comments

[seesbosscrotch]

The blow, completely... okay. Not completely unexpected. Mar has expected something like that for some time. But he wasn't prepared for it, was the upshot, so it rocked him back on his heels. Nothing more; he wasn't a Blood Knight Master, a protection paladin, for nothing. He took a step back, blinking, before he lifted a hand to rub his chin.

He really had no response to Kaneis, because... well, he was wrong, plain and simple. Mar had deliberately set the value of his life below that of anyone else's when he first took up the sword and shield of the Blood Knights. The very act itself had been a sacrifice of part of himself, made when he chose to accept power drained from a naaru, and though that part had been made whole later, that didn't change the fact that he stood in front and took the hits so others didn't.

It was a choice.

The social dynamic here had just taken a very weird turn here, one he didn't believe, because seriously, if the Kaldorei showed up at the Sanctum and offered to trade Vas for him, he didn't believe for a second these two wouldn't be all over the offer.

"As.. optimistic as it is to think that the first person to approach them won't be captured or feathered with arrows," he said, gradually getting his verbal feet back under him, "the fact is that said first person is in danger and might very well be in trouble. Suppose I carried a flag of truce to where they could see it and waited for a response. If it's an attack, I have the best chance of surviving it of the three of us." He banged a fist on his chest, emphasizing the solid armor that covered it. "If it's capture, then my life's in no more danger than the rest of them. If they're willing to talk, I explain that I'm just one of the party and everyone else who's there to talk comes out."

[wilder]

....Oh crap, he had actually done that, hadn't he?

His eyes widen and he suddenly feels like he he's been caught redhanded doing something severally crazy. Partly because he had and there was Valamia trying to calm him down because he really had just done something like that.

And with that realization of sanity, he loses his steam. His shoulders slump and he backs away embarrassed, because he really didn't want to be caught doing something crazy.

"Sorry..." it comes out muttered, almost sheepish.

Jeez, he hated when he got emotional. Time to try to focus on , right?

"There's more than just the three of us, you know. Shouldn't we see who else...is willing to go?"

He himself is kinda hoping the earth swallows him whole before anyone asks about his little freak out.

[stormcalling]

Valamia considers for a moment trying to pull him aside to make sure he's okay. She takes a second to give his shoulder a small squeeze. It wasn't so much for comfort as it was for reassurance. She may not know personally his story but she did understand his reasoning for acting out. "We can't send people who can't speak their language. Not unless we know we can all speak the same language. It'd hinder the process."

Now Mar, she wanted to point out various flaws in that logic. She could name a few but she does try not to shoot them all down. "I imagine a man carry a flag in full armor would warrant a chase away from their city, not welcome the idea of negotiating. Considering for a moment that they have Vastania, they may have taken in interest in the Draenei." Which meant that there was one good push for her to go. "If that's the case should I approach them, it should at least get me in, if that is their interest. As my power is also no reliant on a weapon...I should be able to keep myself from dying fairly easily."

[seesbosscrotch]

"No need to apologize." Mar gave a somewhat awkward wave of one hand to dismiss the notion. Really, he didn't feel like it was anything untoward. If anything, he was just surprised it hadn't come sooner.

To Vala, he said with downright heroic suppression of a wry look, "Without any desire to offend, I have to point out that if they've taken an interest in the Draenei, it's because of the eredar, in which case if you're the first to approach them, they might just think it's an attack. I think that they know that we don't know their intentions, and I think they will understand the necessity of arms and armor from a peaceful envoy, especially given how thoroughly we're outnumbered here. They and we both know where the advantage lies."

[stormcalling]

"They're brave, patient and not stupid. If they are interested in eredar or draenei, that means they will question Vas first. They'll end up doing so before we get to them. I know she can speak their language. It might not be as fluid as they speak it but she can convey the differences and the truth." She had to place that faith in Vastania. If she couldn't place her faith in the younger Draenei, she didn't know who she could. "Which means if there's another who looks alike and is by themselves, it's a perfect chance to see if she speaks the truth. They could think it's an attack but if they wanted to attack they would be."

It was a wild idea and she was willing to give him that but she wasn't sitting back, not when her family was possibly in harms way. "These are not the same ones I've worked and lived alongside but I imagine some of their ideals and principles are the same. I can understand those. It means it's worth my attempting to speak with them."

[seesbosscrotch]

"Brave, patient, not stupid, yes. But worried enough to pull a stunt like this. Fear, especially of the unknown, can quickly lead to smart men doing stupid or terrible things."

He really didn't want to have to tell her about how hard speaking of the draenei/eradar connection had been for Vas here in the Sanctum, where no one really intended to judge her or felt she was an enemy for the connection. She might crack under the pressure, or she might rise to the occasion.

"However, I do know that as understanding as the Vindicator might be if you got hurt, she would nevertheless be in pain, so perhaps let's compromise and put in an appearance together. You can show your goodwill by not murdering me, and I can be a representative of a non-draenei-looking race willing to stand by your side. Still gives you the harder job, admittedly, but if the worst comes about we can get each other away more easily than either of us alone."

[stormcalling]

She couldn't completely understand not wanting to make it clear they were different. She watched their people fall but she would explain it all if it meant it gave others a chance. Vastania was a good kid, smart too. She didn't doubt her, she couldn't.

"It might not be a terrible idea." She had to give him that. She did know there was some strength in numbers although the idea of having to stand alongside him made her stomach churn. "I do worry about the idea of us approaching in general. Do we have any reason to believe there wouldn't be others trying to get hostages of their own back? Whose to say they wouldn't go to the lengths of violence? We might not be a threat to them but others may be."

[seesbosscrotch]

Had they just arrived at an understanding?

How weird.

"Absolutely! That's why we need to get in touch with the other Flights as soon as possible! I've made some good connections in the Bronze and Blue, at least, that perhaps we can count on to listen, especially if we offer them a place at the table. We should extend the same to the Green and Black as well."

[stormcalling]

It was strange because part of her wanted to keep arguing. Vas is more important. She's always more important then her desire to argue with someone or prove she's right.

"Black flight? Um..." if there was ever a flight to be suspicious of at any time it's them. "It might be best to invite who we can but I'm not sure how many of them speak their language either. We can understand each other but do we want to play translator to a whole party?"

[seesbosscrotch]

That's downright touching, if scary. Scary primarily because Mar sensed lava headed his way later, given his desire to encourage Vas to become the best paladin she can... and consequently, put herself into danger.

"If need be, yes, I think so. Better we all have as much unity as possible as quickly as possible, when so many forces will push us to fragment and turn on each other in time. If I have to, I'll do it."

[stormcalling]

That, that is something that will be taken care of later. It may or may not involve lava or lightning. It truly depends on what is the better option and what element is nice enough to understand her anger.

"This is assuming we do all understand each other. I'm not so sure all of us speak the same language and understand all of it. I've learned a few of them on Azeroth to make life easier but...these people who are from other worlds, I have no idea." Because for all she knows they speak gibberish.

[wilder]

Zelos, who has been hanging back until now, decides to speak up as the only person not at all affiliated with Azeroth. "I dunno...I've never been to Azeroth or studied its languages but I've never had trouble understanding Sworn from other flights."

Which you know, he never thought about, but it was kind of weird when he thought about. "Maybe it's the dragon's magic or something that let's us understand? I mean, I doubt you guys known Aselian..."

[seesbosscrotch]

"I shouldn't be able to communicate with you two either, since neither Orcish or Thalassian should be in your heads either," Mar said with a shrug. "But that doesn't mean we'll all be able to communicate clearly with the Kaldorei."

[stormcalling]

"You say that like I wouldn't know any orcish." That little bit of understanding she had with him was almost out of the window. It was the easiest language to continue to learn if she was going to be a Earthen Ring shaman. It also isn't something worth mentioning right now. "Either way, say we have magic to thank for this. What if it's only effective between the flight?"

[wilder]

Oh boy, it was getting tense again. Even if he did start it the first time, let's not make things worse. So, he speaks up quickly.

"I dunno! Maybe it won't work with the elves. But for all we know, your Elvish might not be the same dialect on this Azeroth. Languages grow and change over time and space, you know." Which is why no one spoke Angelic anymore outside the church, back home. "Why don't we just ask one of the dragons? This is their world, they'll have a better chance of knowing which language to translate into."

"There's nothing wrong with having a translator at a diplomacy meeting. Better that than you guys showing up with the wrong dialect." Anyone whose dealt with Volt knows how important just having a translator could be.

[seesbosscrotch]

"Thalassian probably isn't much like what they're speaking at all," Mar admitted. "But it's closer than any other language there is, which is all we have to go on at the moment."

[stormcalling]

"Unless they still speak Darnassian. The language may have changed over time but the core of it should still be the same." She wasn't the most fluent in it, she did learn a bit. It made being friends with traders who came to the isle a lot easier. Plus the one or two situations when someone thought she was an eredar early one helped. "In that case, both myself and Vas should be able to speak to them."

[wilder]

He was getting the distinct sense they weren't listening to him. They wanted to run head first into this, no matter what. "Or we could not ask the natives just to be sure, okay...."

[seesbosscrotch]

"Which natives did you have in mind?" Mar said, glancing his way. "Unless you mean requesting aid from the dragons for translation?"

[stormcalling]

"Aren't they asking us to go because they'd be trying to kill the dragons on sight?" She'll shrug and shake her head. "...But if one of the natives would be willing to help us-!" They wouldn't be stuck trying to play translator all day.

[wilder]

"No, they're asking us because giant dragons attacking the village would be bad. But these guys can take on a mortal form like us, right? They wouldn't look anymore freaky than we would."

Besides, it'd be nice to know if things did go badly, they had a dragon nearby.

"It's something to think about. I mean, we could ask the elves from Silverglen, but there's no guarantee they've warmed up to us enough to help out."

And hell, for all he knows- they are a part of it.

[seesbosscrotch]

"It... usually isn't difficult to tell when a dragon has taken on a mortal guise." Maybe for other people, but after running into so many, Mar had simply picked up a knack for it. "Asking in Silverglen isn't a bad idea, though!"

[stormcalling]

"They do have a few...give-away traits." They weren't the easiest to spot but they did exist. She figured the night elves could probably see through them as well. If Mar could...

"They aren't enemies, at least they haven't openly tried to be. We've managed some trade and talks with some of them. It's worth a shot to see if they'd be willing to aid us." It could save someone from getting shot with an arrow.

[wilder]

"Well, it's worth a shot anyway..." But he chooses to go quiet again. He put enough input in, right? Right.

[seesbosscrotch]

"I have been trying to work with them to prove we're not so bad." And didn't that seem to be coming in handy right now? "We should assemble everyone who wants to come and move in a group to get them all on the same page."