[X] Dragon Diplomacy, Galzerai Edition Part One
-[X] Commence standard Draconic greetings, while remaining polite and respectful, but not acting or accepting a position as an inferior due to our much lower age. Yes, Galzerai is far older than we are, but in terms of personal power he is well within our grasp. We are not here to kowtow to him, nor do we want anything he has, except for perhaps some information.
--[X] Once greetings have been exchanged, go on to fully explain what happened with Islin, how he learned that we wished to meet with Galzerai and used that in an attempt to bring us into conflict. Islin had extremely detailed information on Galzerai's defenses, such that, had we followed his directions, we would have been able to penetrate almost to the heart of the Wyrm's realm undetected by wards, watch posts, or bystanders. We tell him this not only so that he may secure these vulnerabilities, but so that he may be able to use the knowledge to root out other traitors in his midst.
---[X] Islin was merely a single agent of the Deep Ones operating in Vialesk, but his purpose was clear, to sour relations between the powerful Brine Dragon dominions and the local powers, to sow discord and hostility, and to weaken the entire region so that it would be less able to fend off another invasion.
-[X] If Galzerai doesn't lead the conversation in another direction, go on to explain more of ourselves and our realm, the Garden, though of course nothing sensitive or potentially damaging. We are open to trade between our realm and his own. There are many lucrative opportunities for both our realms to benefit from the exchange, not to mention our hoards.
-[X] We will refrain from mentioning Galzerai's conflict with the Kelasi Emirate, his missing Anvil, or the kidnapped children, at least until we have established a basic rapport with the Wyrm or learned enough of his personality and character to discern whether it would be ill-advised to do so.
-[X] We are not trying to bring everyone in the Plane of Water together in friendship, or even as allies, but not all enemies are created equal. Conflict between emirates, principalities, or dominions, no matter how justified, should be of secondary concern when faced with an existential threat like the Deep Ones, beings who aren't always content to kill you, often favoring more gruesome outcomes. The example of Faerex the Brine Dragon turned Brainstealer abomination might serve us well here, if Galzerai proves reluctant to accept our reasoning. She stood alone, alienated her peers, and was too isolated for any being who could have noticed and stopped her corruption from passing the point of no return.
--[X] Although we are still quite new to the politics of the Plane of Water, this isn't necessarily a bad thing. We can make the argument that, as outside observers who are only tangentially involved in local events, we have no reason to play favorites or attempt to set one power against another, not when cooperation between everyone, or at least the absence of conflict, benefits us the most. It allows trade to flow more freely and more swiftly between realms, opens new channels of communication, preserves the lives of those who could fight the Deep Ones rather than one another, and makes it all the more difficult for Deep One machinations to succeed. Islin would have had much more difficulty slipping into the halls of government and influencing those in power if there was greater communication and less mistrust between Vialesk and the Brine Dragon dominions, for example.
---[X] If necessary, we can admit to Galzerai that his ongoing feud with the Kelasi Emirate is what drew our attention to him. We don't fully understand the cause of the conflict nor how it has developed, and hoped to learn the truth of the matter from an involved party rather than the third hand rumors spread among the uninformed.
