Reap the Whirlwind: Teachers and Students

[Ancelas]

"A mission statement, well..." Drummond laughed and patted Alastair's shoulder before withdrawing his hand. "That's far too formal. But to wander out and bring back talents you'd like to cultivate and share... yes, that is something we encourage. And if you'd rather build a home here without venturing far afield, well, that's perfectly fine too."

[opius]

He nodded after a few moments of thought, mulling it over. It was a... Quaint... Little town. A little, little town. But the people here seemed oddly content. Happy, even, despite the recent troubles.

"That's a really fine notion." He inclined his head. "And your people, they seem to take all kinds, it looks like. That fellow Conifer, he seemed to know a bit about artifice- I wouldn't have expected that he belonged in a place like this. The, uh, pace of life- no offense meant- seems a lot slower than those in college towns or near magic towers." He scratched behind his head.

"Can't say I'm not curious about his story, how he ended up here."

[Ancelas]

"Oh, Conifer and his wife are our Skywardens," Drummond said with a chuckle. "Conifer has always had a mind for machines, while Cyprus has a better appreciation of the arcane. Together, they study the weather and the stars, and occasionally do some work in town to make everyone's lives a little easier. Cyprus will be joining her husband shortly. He seems fine, if a bit sleepy at the moment."

He chuckled again at his own little joke and turned to leave the kitchen, ambling in his own unhurried way.

[opius]

Alastair glanced about before... Reaching out to hand off the potato peeler. Somehow he knew someone would be nearby to take up the tool and pick up the slack as he followed after Drummond.

It was a... Whimsical kind of order. A chaotic system he didn't quite understand. As he walked in the dragonborn's wake, he continued. "Skywardens charting the skies, arcane mapping- that's all pretty advanced stuff where I'm from."

He shook his head- focus. "Though that sleeping sickness worries me, I've never seen anything quite like it. And my friends- we all got hit with a doozy of... Something. But you don't seem particularly worried- just like Mirrai. I kind of assumed you were a healer, like Felix- is this kind of thing something you've run into before?"

[Ancelas]

"Mm," Drummond said. "I dabble. And I can't say I've encountered this particular malady before, but it bears a strong resemblance to others I've encountered. Sometimes, when the body has suffered extreme stress, it goes into a kind of hibernation in order to recover. In this case, it seems it was the mind that suffered, and so it is the mind the requires rest. It is still active, though. You can see it in their eyes - did you know that when you dream, your eyes twitch?"

[opius]

"A Hibernation. Okay, that makes sense..." He mumbled a bit to himself, cupping his chin as Drummond rambled. At the mention of dreams and eyes, however, he blinked. "Wh. No. I." And after a pause, he tilted his head. "...No, I don't think I did. That's... actually quite neat." Though he didn't immediately know how to use that information, he did file it away for later. Who knew when a fact like that might come in handy?

He continued to follow the dragonborn, "Shepherd, how long have you been at... this?" He gestured toward the halls, the people, and outwardly toward the general area that was the Refuge. "How long has the Refuge been a refuge?"

[Ancelas]

"Oh, it's been around for quite a long time," Drummond said as he shuffled across the eating hall. "It's far older than I am, and I believe I'm the oldest resident in town." He chuckled merrily and shook his head slightly.

"Oh, my. I can't rightly say how long I've been here. The years blend together, after a time."

[opius]

He nodded some and glanced away. "So then... Do you- or, well, I suppose your predecessor- would the Refuge have any knowledge about the tower to the south west? Along the mountains- we discovered the remains of a city and a huge tower..." He scratched behind his head some, looking back to Drummond. "With all the talk of wandering and collecting knowledge, it suddenly feels like something up your alley."

[Ancelas]

Drummond rubbed at his chin and furrowed his brows. "Tower to the southwest... hrm... I believe I'd have to take a dip into the archives for that one. The Vale has never held much appeal, considering our only trade route leads through the Dragonfangs to the Skyhammer dwarves, but there may be some writing on it somewhere."

[opius]

He shrugged some. "There were depictions of arcanists. Wizards of all races walking and coming together. Like... A pilgrimage. Or wanderers." He stopped scratching and folded his arms. "...I'd be interested in those archives if that's something that you'd allow an outsider to do. I'm kind of... trying to see the world and stuff like this is the more interesting bit."

He continued to rubberneck and glance about here and there. "...That said, I am and outsider. All of us are... It's surprising how quickly this place has just... accepted our existence. In the big cities you feel like you're invisible, and asking for help comes with a lot of scrutiny and purse-patting. In the smaller communities we're lucky if one or two of us aren't given the side eye." He looked back to Drummond. "The Refuge has been incredibly accommodating. Your smith even welcomed us into her forge." From here he cupped the back of his neck and glanced away. "... I can't help but wonder if we've... Caused problems, though. We've impressed on you all a lot, and the whole Ferrovax roosting thing is pretty chaotic in retrospect." He glanced back at Drummond, finding it hard to maintain eye contact for long.

"... The uh. Locals. They're not too mad about this arrangement, are they?"

[Ancelas]

Shepherd Drummond paused and turned to look at Alastair, his face creasing into a genuine smile. "My boy... when you and yours learned we had been raided, you came to our defense without hesitation. When you learned some of ours had been taken as slaves, you moved to rescue them as quickly as possible. Ferrovax taking more interest in us may be a mixed blessing, but he's a good wyrm, once you get to know him. You haven't brought us trouble - you've brought us safety and protection.

"It is a change, yes, but sometimes change is for the best. Now, if you'd like to see our library, it is this way..."

The old dragonborn began shuffling toward the hallway that connected the common area to a stairway and the dormitory and other communal facilities, intending to show Alastair down into the basement archives.

[opius]

Alastair was taken aback- even a little dumbfounded at Drummond's words. Drummond's words sank in and the ginger boy felt not just relief, but a bit of pride. More than a little bit, even. "Well when you put it like that..."

He followed in Drummond's wake, head on a swivel. That the old dragonborn would just let him in like this was... Unexpected. He thought back to what he'd said a moment ago about favors and bribes- the constant proving. Things were... Different here.

"You make it seem like you and Ferrovax go back. Just how long have you known about the, uh, old drake?"

[Ancelas]

"Oh, he's been here longer than I have, that's for certain," Drummond mused as he led the way down the hall and to a set of stairs that he carefully descended, one step at a time. "Our offerings were originally meant as a bribe to ensure he wouldn't think unkindly of us. Over time, though, I believe he grew to... tolerate us, heh. Particularly Felix.

"It's very much to our benefit that Ferrovax isn't like other dragons. Oh, sure, he loves his gold and jewels, but, to be quite honest..."

Drummond paused and leaned toward Alastair, raising a hand to stage whisper conspiratorially. "He's very, very lazy."

[opius]

He furrowed his brows. Drummond had quite the insight into the dragon. We're they from a lifetime of insights, or did Drummond know more than he wasn't letting on?

Were all followers of Kokinyu as duplicitous like Alain? It was hard to know for certain. He shook his head.

"I've picked up on that, uh, vibe... He's not quite what the books portray for the chromatics. Nor his the legends depict the metallics. He's... Something else." He shook his head. "He's no less territorial, however. Dangerous how willing he is to throw down." He pursed his lips, recalling how quick Ferrovax was to challenge the unknown dragon in his lands... That complicated things a lot.

[Ancelas]

"Mm. He is quite powerful, and power always invites challenge." Drummond continued down to the lower level of the hall and proceeded down a new hall, taking the first turn into another that led deeper into the mountain. "It's hard to begrudge him his desire to keep his home safe and secure, particularly when the only creatures who could potentially challenge him are at least as big as he is."

Drummond paused and turned to Alastair, raising a hand to gesture as he reminisced. "You know, some years ago, a young Roc had migrated into the mountains west of here, seeking to set up its own nest. Rocs are quite territorial as well, and he and Ferrovax did not get along at all. They spent a month circling each other, tracking one another, skirmishing until Ferrovax finally drove it away. Much to our relief - that roc had a taste for sheep, and it made it quite dangerous for our shepherds to tend their flocks."