The Dauntless III: Revenge of the Sith

Nova turns her head slightly looking at Emaliza. "There's something else, isn't there," she asks, her tone not accusing but with a note of impatience. "Something you're not telling us."

Emaliza looks a bit distressed, but Rinnarv puts a hand on her shoulder, drawing her gaze. He nods encouragingly, and she takes in a deep breath which she sighs out more than exhaling. "This... is not the first concerning thing I've learned, recently. Lord Mengkare has been acting strangely since last Pharast at least. He's always been secretive, as is his right as our Glorious Master, and I would not dare question his judgment but... well, recently I've heard him talk about 'accelerating plans,' making breeding matches that while genetically ideal don't meet the normal standards of emotional health, and restricting citizens access to certain resources more and more. And that's nothing to the concerns I've heard from one of my fellow councilors. I..." She falters a bit. "|I believe in the Glorious Endeavor, truly... or at least, what I've always thought the Glorious Endeavor to be. The acceleration of human evolution to its pinnacle, to a people that can bring the world to true greatness. But lately, I grow more and more concerned that that is not Lord Mengkare's same vision."

"Well the essence of Dahak, even as minor as it is present in these artifacts, has a... deleterious effect on dragons in its proximity. Now, granted, the dragonstorms are the more concentrated form of said influence, and Mengkare's knowledge of them is likely why he fled when the arch started smoking," Antoinette posits. "The arch on its own wouldn't exhibit much influence, but with hundreds of years of exposure it is possible that certain effects may become noticeable. In fact, reactivating the gates happened around that time I think. The influence of Dahak's manifestation in the gate may have had a more profound effect since then."

"That is what I fear," Emaliza nods. "That some foul corruption took his noble goals and turned them to darker purposes... or perhaps that they were never noble in the first place. Lord Mengkare lived on this island for centuries before founding Hermea."

"If he is indeed corrupted that would be a very grave circumstance. Mengkare is old enough to be considered a great wyrm," Antoinette replies. "If he can't be reasoned with or brought back from his corruption, fighting him would be incredibly difficult, perhaps even impossible. Not to mention what a destabilizing effect his corruption can cause to this entire country. Do you have any idea what could be done to help bring him back from the brink?"

"I... maybe?" Emaliza seems to have a flash of inspiration. "There might be a way, yes. There's a... thing? I'll be honest, I don't actually know what it is, I've only ever seen the golden box he keeps it in, but when I was a girl I was tasked with caring for Lord Mengkare's archives. Cleaning, sorting, that sort of thing. Anyway every so often he would go to his vault down there and pull out a golden box. I asked him what was inside once, and he sort of gave me this sad smile and said 'a reminder of a time before.'" Emaliza frowns. "The way he said it, I got the impression he meant 'before Hermea.' If it's a piece of his hoard, like I suspect it is, one that he doesn't keep with the rest of the hoard in his lair and that existed before he came here, maybe it carries some spark of who he was before his corruption, something that we can use to bring out noble master within."

"I see. If it truly does hold such significance, then it is perhaps the best way to get through to him. Dragons' memories are intrinsically tied to their horde. I wonder why he would keep it separate though..." Antoinette trails off in contemplation. "Even so, I suppose the most important part is retrieving it. Do you have access to this archival vault?"

Emaliza shakes her head. "No one does. Even when I had access to the archives, access Lord Mengkare revoked months ago, I was only able to even enter the room with the vault in it with his explicit permission, and then only to take what he requested me to retrieve for him. I literally cannot even approach it, nor can any other citizen... but you aren't citizens."

"Understand that I'm bound to follow just laws," Dorrak points out, "Is it only forbidden for citizens, or is it forbidden for everyone? Some elements of my code can supercede others, but burgling Mengkare's archives for an item that may or may not help stretches that interpretation to its breaking point."

Emaliza's face falls. "The archives are off-limits to non-citizens even during normal times, as Lord Mengkare keeps sensitive records down there. I don't know if you could consider it 'burgling' if you don't intend to take the item for yourself, but you would definitely be trespassing."

Dorrak's face is pensive. "I'll need to look into it. Trespassing is relatively minor, if there's some evidence that doing so would serve to protect innocents then I likely could, but I would need to find evidence of that first so the justification isn't retroactive."

"In that case, I should introduce you to someone," Emaliza nods. "One of my fellow councilors. We were talking a few weeks ago and she mentioned her own misgivings, and a concern she had that may involve innocents."

"If it helps us learn more about what is going on, then assuredly we can spare the time to talk to her," Antoinette replies. "Is there anything we can do to not stand out too much as we move around? My understanding is that outsiders normally aren't permitted on most of the island."

"Not normally, no." Emaliza thinks for a moment, then brightens, fishing around in her pocket. "Fortunately for you, we do have some permissions, and I just happen to have on me..." she withdraws four golden pins shaped like dragons. "Visitor's Pins. They'll give you permission to travel through the city without an escort and afford you free lodging in the Beggar's Neighborhood."

”Fantastique, thank you,” Antoinette replies as she accepts one of the pins. ”Shall we go see your fellow councilor now, or do you need time to arrange a meeting?”

You emerge from the cave onto a beautifully green and sunny hill overlooking a significantly larger version of the city you saw in the model in Mengkare's lair, a massive but neatly organized sprawl divided cleanly into twelve districts by walls placed to optimize space usage. You head down the hill, Emaliza and Rinnarv remaining behind to inspect Vengegate, and you would swear to your various gods that the birdsong is literally melodic.

As you approach the gate set into the exterior wall of the city at the end of the trail, two guards stand and raise their shields, though their swords remain sheathed and their expressions are friendly, if guarded. "Hold, strangers," the larger one says. "You're unfamiliar. How did you get on this island?"

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