Chapter 5-3, Sophia and the image of the Dracon.

[secretoracle]

Sophia has set on her path to the sculpture garden the Custodian mentioned where she should find likenesses of the Dracon.

[cassbackward]

Sophia has set on her path to the sculpture garden the Custodian mentioned where she should find likenesses of the Dracon.

Morning in a dead city doesn't quite feel like morning, but nevertheless, the birds and overgrowth, and the occasional scampering animal, make the hike toward the statue gardens pleasant.  As she walks, Sophia jots something onto the parchment that connects her to Tanis, her ragged handwriting suggesting the irregularities of the journey.

T,

The archway leads to a planet called Dragon Home, from which I can see Shahara and her moon traversing the night sky in place of the usual astral bodies.  We're so close to Shahara that I can see continents and oceans and even, I think, the white mists of clouds swirling like a veil over the globe.

It's beautiful here, full of greenery and animal life, but also the traces of a cataclysm that forced the Dracon to evacuate to Shahara.  The custodian of the library, a disembodied voice that does its best to answer our questions, tells us the Dracon fled when a rash experiment caused an explosion in the planet's veins of synergy.  Alighan has gone to investigate that more, I think.  I'm on my way to a garden where the custodian believes I might find a stone image of a Dracon.

I wish you were here.  It's probably a sign of your advanced age that you weren't able to get through the gate quickly enough to join us.  But fear not, Youth has not forgotten you:  I will endeavor to write often and to bring back what I can.

S

She sends the words, hoping her distance from home won't hamper the parchments' magic.

[secretoracle]

Sophia starts out following the directions of the custodian.  His descripotion of landmarks lacks the decay and effects of time, but gives the trip a sense of wonder as to what this place was once like.

The garden seems to be where the custodian said it would be, although overgrown with the relentless vines and bushes that were once kept manicured and in check.  It takes a few minutes to get the vines off of the first statue enough to really make it out.  Although worn by time and the elements it's obviously a goblin-like creature.  It's features are soft and intelligent compared to the living examples that Sophis has seen in the Unexplored Reaches.

The second one gives her a bit of a start.  What she thought was some sort of elaborate background turns out to be wings.  Not feathered angel wings, but more the wings of a bat.  Scaled and pointy.

All total their are six statues here that all depict goblins, albeit very attractive goblins compared to her life experience.  The eyes are further apart, and the brows are smaller.   These look, more civilized.

[cassbackward]

All total their are six statues here that all depict goblins, albeit very attractive goblins compared to her life experience.  The eyes are further apart, and the brows are smaller.   These look, more civilized.

She regards them with a kind of wide-eyed, childlike wonderment and steps in close to examine their features in detail.  She looks for writing.  She looks at what they wear, what the symbols depicted on the sculpture might represent.  "Who are these people?" she asks the custodian, for they're people instead of Dracon, now that she can look into their faces and imagine expression in their blank stone eyes.

[secretoracle]

((OOC: Gender in () with the listing.))

"According to the information I have the first figure is that of Azreale(F), the Mathimatician.  He developed the foundations of advanced thinking that eventually led to the dracon mastery of magic."

"To the left and back one is Sorka(M),(Winged), a philosopher and teacher to many of the early Dracon."

"Next past him is Selene(F) the Sorcerer.  She led the Dracon into the age of enlightenment with her ground breaking work on the refinement of magic to what is commonly referred to as the Modern Form.  It is her theories on magic that made constructs such as myself possible."

"At the far end is Barlowe(M) the Explorer.  Even though exiled the Elder Council could not remove his likeness as he opened the Eye of God and explored more places then any other of his caste."

"Next we have Bahamut(M).  He was the leader of the Dracon Defenders and as of the time of this sculpture the oldest living Dracon."

"Last is Draconess(F), (Winged).  She is described as a prophet and religious leader in ancient times before the Dracon turned away from their divine teaches towards magic and science."

[cassbackward]

"Last is Draconess(F), (Winged).  She is described as a prophet and religious leader in ancient times before the Dracon turned away from their divine teaches towards magic and science."

Sophia looks between Sorka and Draconness.  "Why do only some of them have wings?"

[secretoracle]

"A very limited number of Dracon bore the wings of their ancient bloodline.  By the time of the cataclysm I have been told they were less then one percent of the population."

[cassbackward]

"A very limited number of Dracon bore the wings of their ancient bloodline.  By the time of the cataclysm I have been told they were less then one percent of the population."

She spends the rest of her day sketching the statues and making notes onto the magic parchment, and then she pulls a few squares of muslin from her pack and a piece of charcoal and takes rubbings of their faces and other interesting details.  After a while she's talking to them, calling them by name.  "You're a handsome fellow, Barlowe.  The girls must have been all over you--explorer of the worlds, rebelling against the establishment.  You were the Tanis of your time," she says, and drops the statue a wink.

That's her day, quite likely.

[secretoracle]

Sophia makes her way back to the tower before night fall.  The archivists have been busy trying to make a map of the city and looking for artifacts.

"Ma'am."  Alex says, "They sent the ship back with the crystals, so we have a week or more here before they get back.  Word from Amar was that Professor quint has discovered some fascinating magical constructs that he thinks were used by the Dracon to build some of their structures.  Also, our camp on Sky'Loc was going to move to a spot near the arch there, so if we need to we can fall back there.  Sergeant Vincennes has men at the arch and if they fire a red flare we are to go back there right away."