Neliah

...

Veteran Adventurer | Scholar | Cinnamon roll

"So, you´re the Apprentice the Explorer´s association sent? Good, my name is Natalie Draco and I will be your veteran in your first mission. I hope you brought a compass, a map and supplies for we are about to enter the famous DRAGONHOME DUNGEON! Yes what an honour right? After many years of research I was able to find out a way to open the first entrance so follow me as we get through it!"

You enter the dungeon with your veteran, the first room is a dark and dusty one, full of old runes, drawings of dragons in the wall and pebbles on the floor. At the end of the room there´s a heavy stone door. Natalie lifts the torch and reads it for you "Only those who trully know their cousins in Earth may enter, say their names and you shall be welcomed, fail to do so and you will regret the day you hatched!"

Natalie looks at you. "A bit creppy isn´t it? I wonder what this means, 'cousins in Earth'?...Mmm...Oh I remember seeing this in a scroll I read back in the association´s library! That´s an old way to refer to the many Earth Subspecies we have in Dragonhome. Maybe you know some of them? Consider this a test, young apprentice! Look into your books or memory, find me at least three of them, that might be enough!"

"Well done, that´s why the association sent you! It´s clear you have a lot of knowledge when it comes to subspecies! Well but enough of that, we should move foward, we can never trust these ancient dungeons right?" You both push the heavy doors together and find an old chest. Natalie opens it and pick ups a bunch of scrolls tied together, she takes one of them out to inspect, laughing right after "Would you look at that, well you may keep it, I´m sure I won´t need it!"

"Very good, I thought that you were going to need help on the last one for a moment!" Natalie says proud of your knowledge. You both push the heavy doors together and find an old chest. Natalie opens it and pick ups a bunch of scrolls tied together, she takes one of them out to inspect and shrugs "Okay, I know too many Faes already, you keep it! Okay but why do they ALWAYS team up Snappers with Faes anyway? "

You and Natalie lets out a deep sigh as the last name is written on the wall. "Thanks, I almost messed up with the paint there! But it´s okay, it will work..." You both push the heavy doors together and find an old chest. Natalie opens it and pick ups a bunch of scrolls tied together, she takes one of them out to inspect and shrugs "I have no use for these, here, take them, consider it your very first Explorer´s Loot! Cool, isn´t it? Lets go!"

Natalie lifts the torch at the sound´s direction, revealing a Wildclaw, dragging some stuff wrapped up with a rope. “Put this down kid, someone might get hurt…” He says, his tone unimpressed.

”Who are you?? How did you get here??” Natalie asks surprised.

This room is more of a hall full of paintings of dragons seating next to each other, they´re all very interesting looking, most is wearing sparkling trinkets, others are not a shiny but certanly not less impressive.
Every dragon represented on the left side of the room is facing right and every dragon on the right side is facing left. As they were all looking at the gate at the end of the hallway.
This gate has inscriptions all over it and a faded drawing of what once was an ancient clan leader. Some fancy looking bottles are placed next to it, untouched for centuries.
Natalie studies the runes.

"I see...well, listen, we need to draw!...N-no, I´m not an artist myself, I got a 'F' in finger painting back when I was a hatchling, but we don´t have a choice. This door will only open if a leader is represented in the gallery...so, I will carefully take their sacred paint in these bottles and...mmm...I don´t know how to start...How does a Powerful leader looks like?? M-maybe your lair has one? I don´t mind the breed or the age just help me out here okay?"

Your description was very powerful, you were able to capture the dragon´s true essence on this painting! It brings a tear to the eye! Natalie shed a tear hearing your story. The door opens for you two and Natalie then turns to you. "You know, like a whole full body drawing of it! Not from me of course, but go see this person, she will give you a free drawing if you say I sent you there!" She gives you a paper with instructions of how to find said artist, you put it on your pocket for later and follow Natalie to the next room.

It doesn´t look perfect like the description you made, but Natalie did a good job drawing it, the door opened, you both step back to look at it "Eh, not bad..." She says.""You know, this dragon you described is a true hero, he sure deserves a proper painting! You know, like a bust you could hang in a hall or something! Not from me of course, but go see this person, she will give you a free drawing if you say I sent you there!". She gives you a paper with instructions of how to find said artist, you put it on your pocket for later and follow Natalie to the next room.

It does not match the description you made at all and it looks like a hatchling´s drawing, Natalie apologizes for being such a bad artist, she tried tho, but even so the door opens. You both sigh, relieved. " this dragon you described sure deserves better! You know, even a quick drawing would be better than this. Not from me of course, but go see this person, she will give you a free drawing if you say I sent you there!". Natalie gives you a paper with instructions of how to find said artist, you put it on your pocket for later and follow her to the next room.

Natalie leads you through a hallway full of dragon statues, suddenly you both hear a click noise as one of you step on a trap by accident. The many statues´ eyes start to glow, their mouths open and many snakes crawl from it.
You both jump on a stone table at the center of the room. You´re safe, for now...

"SNAKES?? WHY DID IT HAVE TO BE SNAKES?? I´M ALLERGIC TO THEM!!" Natalie shouts as she hides behind you. "I-I mean...just to their poison, anyway we have to brew a 'Snake go away Mix' I can make one! But we gonna have to show some team work, I will say the recipes needed and you pass me the ingredients for each, okay? Just follow my lead and you will be able to make one, quickly!
First we need a Glass Beaker! Do you know the ingredients for that? I hope so! Also a Irradiated Alchemical Reduction an Infused Fragment, a Mossy Maze Colony and a Soylent Green!"

Natalie and you walk through a long hallway and the silence of it is a bit uncomfortable. For some reason you feel like it was meant to be that way, almost like a stronger presense was there watching and demanding such silence and concentration.
And indeed you see two eyes in the darkness, two brown eyes of a tall and bulky statue of the Earthshaker himself. Natalie bows her head in respect for the image, by doing so, she sees some runes on the ground and reads it.
"In the presence of the Earthshaker one shall prove worthy of moving ahead. Share your recent achievments in this room, prove that you´ve been serving his cause" The snapper looks at you and whispers carefully, fearing that somehow the statue could be hearing it. "Have you been doing anything lately or in the past? Maybe you participated on some sort of event? If you did so, you must share it on his wall!"

It´s been many hours since you both got into this room, Natalie spent probably half of a day reading the maps of ancient clans that used to live in Dragonhome. This place was full of maps and scrolls it used to be some sort of archive, yes, you figured that out in the first two hours. As much as you love new findings and readings you´re still an apprentice and can´t read most of the runes in the dungeon, so you wait...

"AH!" she says all of sudden as she grabs one of the many maps and opens it for you, it´s another Dragonhome map, but with drawings of eggs?
"You see this?? It´s a map of places for Ancient Nest Rituals! They would place eggs around Dragonhome and come back later to check on them, I wonder if we can still find some forgotten eggs! Imagine how old they could be! Wouldn´t that be amazing?? Okay we should try to find them, the dungeon can wait! The association would be very pleased if we did so, maybe they would even give me a promotion and the 'Professor' title!!" her eyes sparkle for a moment there.
"Okay take notes I will read what I can, but most of it is erased by time...' The eggs can be placed in many locations depending on the season, the first being a rocky, barren expanse of skittering stone and parched, packed dirt lined and featured with innumerable cracks. Or 'The mighty break in the eggshell-shaped mountain range surrounding the Pillar, named for its visual allusion to the hatching of a new-born dragon' interesting, wait, they can also be found in what 'once was an ancient burial ground, this place possesses the richest gem deposits in Dragonhome'.
Are you taking notes? I hope so, that´s a lot of information. So the last possible place to find them would be in 'The sorrowful, crumbling remains of the final vestiges of peace between the elemental flights. It is this monument alone that towered above the world, acting as the base of a great magical shield whose purpose was to protect the land from the roaming Shade, a devouring plague of darkness.'Sounds epic! We should be on our way, let us ferret everywhere shall we?"

Many eggs remains on the floor makes both of you realize that most of them hatched long before you showed up, two of them remained untouched and unhatched.

Natalie sighs and turns her head to you. "You know what, Onir?...If we take them to the association they will probably want to study it...I don´t really think it´s fair so, why don´t you take them to your lair? Maybe they will hatch if you keep them in the right conditions. A promotion is not worth this much...and no, I´m not taking one with me, I´m not ready to be a mother"

As you and Natalie follow the path to the next dungeon room, you both notice how dark this new place is. There´s pretty much no light in there, but the torch you both are carrying.
Natalie points out around 8 tablets with silhouettes cut in the middle of each, the Snapper approaches the torch to one of them and you notice their shadow being casted in the door. The many runes on the gates shine but they won´t open, instead the runes fade after some minutes.
Both of you randomly try to cast different shadows into the gates before giving up and trying to look for clues of what to do next. Drawings, both of you find many of them and they´re not some anonymous leaders, they´re the deities themselves! It´s no secret how the Earthshaker loves his fellow deities, so finding a room dedicated to them and their history is not a surprise.
You and Natalie inspect the ancient drawings in the wall and their runes "It´s all about the first, second and third eras..." she whispers then continues "The many deities have their children made as their image, the lands made as their desire, but even so they count on their many eyes scattered around the world to keep them updated in the matters of the mortals." Natalie leans a bit so she can read the rest of it, but most is faded by time "This is a room dedicated to both day and night, to the good and the bad times, when the Earthshaker was content, but also when sorrow haunted him...As balance must be found, only the eyes of the oposites may open these gates to the sacred room...the eyes...?" It´s pretty clear to both of you that only the right tablets will serve now.

By grabbing the right tablets and casting their shadows on the gates you notice the runes glowing in both tones of yellow and purples. It takes a good while and both of you start to look of other options until you hear the stone gates opening behind you. It worked!
Natalie looks at you.

This last room is dark, silent and has a deep pit in the center of it. So deep it´s impossible for you or Natalie to see it´s end.
Many gold coins, treasure chests and relics are on a platform on the other side of the room. They glitter reacting to a bit of sun that comes from a very small window high in a wall. Looks like you´re finally getting rewarded by all the hard work since you got into this dungeon days ago!

"Okay...we have to find a way of getting to the other side..." Natalie says rubbing her chin with her left paw. "I have a rope in my bag lets try to--" A loud noise comes from the deep pit. Natalie looks at you, her eyes growing wider as you both hear a feroucious noise coming from down bellow.

An imense hydra emerges from it, roaring and bitting the air. It´s eyes are glowing in the dark and they see you.
"BY THE EARTHSHAKER WHAT IS THIS???" The Snapper takes a step back. "Some treasures have guardians...sometimes, us mortals are not very welcomed in dungeons or temples..." Natalie says dodging a mighty blow of the beast. The strike was so strong you both fall on your backs, when this happens you see the face of the Earthshaker himself carved in the stoneceiling. His brown eyes also see you.

Your efforts were not in vain, the many prayers, heroes and warriors your clan sent to the Earthshaker made his very blessing come to you once again.
The mighty energy flows through your body, you´re light on your feet and your arms are stronger than never. Dodging and fighting back was never this easy in your whole life, suddenly the enormous and intimidating hydra is no more than child´s play.
Natalie and you jump on it´s heads and your bodies are now so heavy for the beast can´t raise two heads at the same time. The third head is confused, but tries to bite Natalie, your moves are quick and a well done strike was more than enough to counter the immense bite.
Suddenly something like a roar coming from the carved face in the ceiling stops the fight, sounded like an earthquake but you´re sure it was something different, unique. But no time to think as a rockslide happens from the top of the room, the many rocks, bolders and pebbles hit the hydra covering the whole pit and the beast with it.
The battle is over and now you have a path made of rocks to cross to the other side. Natalie and you look at each other and then to the Earthshaker craved in the ceiling, the eyes are not glowing anymore...

Natalie looks at you with a smile

"Well I guess it´s time for you to finally get your Explorer Badge! You´re not an apprentice anymore!"

She says as a flying machine lands next to both of you, raising dust and smoke. That thing is noisy and looks like a disaster waiting to happen...

Another Snapper comes out of it, she has dust and smoke all over her face, but you notice how pleasant as a dragon she is, for the first thing she does when she sees you is to smile removing her goggles.

"Greetings! I´m the founder of the League of Explorers, Drydwen Draco! And I´m honoured to give you the Explorer´s Badge! Welcome to the League, now you´re not an apprentice, but a Junior Explorer! May your next mission be as exciting and full of findings as this one! I´m eager to read reports later on!"
She hands over the badge to you, wear it with pride!

"Mother, you´re not going to read them now?? Look there´s this bolder in the entrance now and we need to find a way to--" Natalie is interrupted by a gentle wave of Drydwen´s paw.

"Not today, we´re gonna celebrate our new junior Explorer and rest! You guys went through so much and I´m also tired from my other missions, so we all can call it a day!"
Dryadwen goes back to her flying machine, turns it on and waves
"We will see each other again in our next mission! Keep rocking adventurers!"
She then uses her flying machine to go away, flying until she´s out of sight.

"A ride home would be nice, mother..." Natalie murmurs but it´s too late now.

Some weeks have passed and you didn´t hear a thing from Natalie since then, you remember how she told you about reading her notes from your last adventure together and making some extra research, so, you believe that maybe this is why she´s away from any social contact.

You then relax in your lair, it´s a calm day in Dragonhome and there´s nothing to worry about. Until a scout shows up with a letter and it´s from Natalie.

"It´s been a while, fellow Explorer, I´ve been busy training new apprentices and even so most of them are very talented I feel like you were the best assistant I ever had! Just don´t tell this to anyone else!" You know she probably chuckled as she wrote this down, so you keep reading it "I feel like we should officially team up! I hope you have space in your lair because I have some luggage I can´t leave behind!

-NatalieDraco Veteran Explorer"

The day has finally come, you had your lair prepared for the arrival of Natalie you even got a cake ready! But it´s taking a while and you start to wonder why she is late, when you hear someone shouting from outside the lair that a Snapper is coming with so much luggage they needed other three dragons to help her carry them.

"Be careful with that, these are years of research you guys are carrying! Oh, hi, Ayize (@Sharkra) would you be so kind and show me where I can put my many many books and research material?" She gives you a heavy tome to hold while she looks around your lair "I love the decoration and--- Oh my, cake!!" Natalie seats in front of it "Leaf cake, my absolute favorite, okay you help me later, I need to deal with this first" She chuckles "I´m pretty sure we will make an amazing duo!"