That is a quite secure setup for the cage; either they were expecting something dangerous or they are cautious because they didn't know what would happen.
And a dragon looks like a dragon; the direct opposite of 'harmless'.
They were probably after a mighty wyrm with which they could smite their enemies, not a geeky dragon grad student. Awkward.
There's little to do but make the best of things until your Assistant comes back online. The armed fox seems ameniable at least.
[X] Stall for time and try to be likeable
Assuming that there was a binding component to that summoning... double check that your inoculation against bindings held. Free will is nothing to treat lightly, and I don't know what a half formed binding would result in but I doubt it would be anything good.
[...]
I think there was the whole bit about dragons basically existing on mana rather than food? For all we know they are magical reactors that can in an emergency convert matter into energy... Oooor not. Oh well, soon we shall discover the secrets of the universe, or at least this one.
[...]
Zalan isn't hungry at all, but when he thinks back, he realizes just how long it's been since he had anything substantial. This seems like a quick way to send his alchemical-high in a dark and jittery direction. As a dragon, most of Zalan's caloric needs are met by respiring mana. But he still needs food. [...]
(@Ralson, should we keep suggestions in a vote-y style (everything that is a suggestion after a "x" surrounded by []) or is freetext ok as long as we make clear what is meant as suggestion towards Zalan? Also, do all posts since last update count for suggestions or just last like with vote-tallying?)
That is a quite secure setup for the cage; either they were expecting something dangerous or they are cautious because they didn't know what would happen.
And a dragon looks like a dragon; the direct opposite of 'harmless'.
I suspect they were after something native to the outside where we ended up, given they appear to have been intentionally trying to summon something from there. Regardless they definitely don't appear to have been prepared for whatever is was being, well, a dragon.
And considering what is usually native to Outside… well, the precautions are honestly probably insufficient.
[X] well you got names so that's a start... whelp only thing left I can think of is to start a game of charades. Try miming to open the door. Long shot but hey not really much else to do at this point.
(@Ralson, should we keep suggestions in a vote-y style (everything that is a suggestion after a "x" surrounded by []) or is freetext ok as long as we make clear what is meant as suggestion towards Zalan? Also, do all posts since last update count for suggestions or just last like with vote-tallying?)
Go with the brackets if it's not too much trouble.
I read everything, but the vote format is still handy because I can use the tallying tool to look at a list of only the votes/suggestions and which ones have been repeated more, which is very useful for getting a feel for the consensus.
I suspect they were after something native to the outside where we ended up, given they appear to have been intentionally trying to summon something from there. Regardless they definitely don't appear to have been prepared for whatever is was being, well, a dragon.
And considering what is usually native to Outside… well, the precautions are honestly probably insufficient.
With the low mana density of the room (and potentially the rest of the world) is it possible they weren't expecting anything to happen? It would be one explanation for the lackluster precautions, if this were just some noble scion having an eccentric hobby indulged to keep them happy.
[X] Isn't your personal attendant awake yet? Because 5 minutes are over since you checked last, right? And didn't you get a bunch of translation scripts? Check the status of your attendant and, if it's online, see if you have something that helps with communicating.
-[x] See if there's anything else you can use the attendant for. Can you still build new spirits without access to the Institute's resources? How reliant is the messaging function on an external network?
[x] pace our confinement, before returning to face the metal bar locking the cage, then say "Adia Faxti, Edaine Faxti, free Zalan?" tapping the locking bar. Keep our body language nonthreatening
[x] Consider: What magic can we do without access to our workshop equipment? (assuming our Crown node will function normally)
[x] Consider: If there are (mostly Spirit generated) summoning circles in our world maybe they will try to summon all of us (displaced) back, once they have recovered from their issues?
[x] Consider: Lastly... How much longer until Personal Attendant is available again?
Note these two didn't go "OMG, A DRAGON" and freaked out upon seeing you probably because either dragons have fallen out of common knowledge here, or you don't fit what they think a dragon looks like, most likely because you have no wings. Best keep that you're a dragon to yourself for now, though that'll raise a problem if you're asked what you are. Coming up with a fake species name for yourself would be prudent, just in case.
[X] Point at Adia and repeat "Adia Faxti," then point to the door way and say "Edaine Faxti," to both get a feel for speaking their names and to possibly get Adia to say their word for "yes" or "affirmative" in response to both times; That'll be good to know and also useful in a bit to help calibrate your PA's translator.
[X] See if you can get Adia to tell you their language's words for basic numbers by showing your paws clenched, then counting off your fingers as you raise them, then gesturing towards him to do the same. (Aside: Is the draconic number system base ten or base eight, since they have eight fingered hands?) Continue counting up to twenty between the two of you, if you have the time before Edaine undoubtedly interrupts. Knowing their words for numbers is both useful knowledge, and will be useful for calibrating your PA's translator.
[X] Mentally poke your PA to check if it's online yet and mentally go over what its translation capabilities are. It can do written as well as spoken language, right? Because if it can't translate the current spoken language here, then perhaps you can fall back to a archaic, dead written or spoken language that was common across the planes, back before the planar wards on Fulcrum went up, and may still be known here. (Think something like latin.)
[X] Rack your brain for anything you can remember about the possible dangers of the Caela and Tantara and how come it's "almost always harmless." Is it because your soul is tethered to your sleeping body and thus remains in the "shallows" and can pull itself back easily if threatened? If that's the case, then what happens if their body is brought there too? Do they sink into the "depths," defenseless against the creatures there?
[X] Remember what you can about how dragon bindings and inoculations against them work and how being inoculated caused the "insane fever dreams" you had as a child. Would being inoculated against binding possibly have protected against creatures in the Caela or Tantara munching on your soul while you were trapped there?
[X] if possible, check the state of your binding inoculation. If not, then make a mental note to do so first thing when your general-purpose medical tool is back online (or whatever tool would be needed to check its state.)
Note these two didn't go "OMG, A DRAGON" and freaked out upon seeing you probably because either dragons have fallen out of common knowledge here, or you don't fit what they think a dragon looks like, most likely because you have no wings. Best keep that you're a dragon to yourself for now, though that'll raise a problem if you're asked what you are. Coming up with a fake species name for yourself would be prudent, just in case.
[X] Point at Adia and repeat "Adia Faxti," then point to the door way and say "Edaine Faxti," to both get a feel for speaking their names and to possibly get Adia to say their word for "yes" or "affirmative" in response to both times; That'll be good to know and also useful in a bit to help calibrate your PA's translator.
[X] See if you can get Adia to tell you their language's words for basic numbers by showing your paws clenched, then counting off your fingers as you raise them, then gesturing towards him to do the same. (Aside: Is the draconic number system base ten or base eight, since they have eight fingered hands?) Continue counting up to twenty between the two of you, if you have the time before Edaine undoubtedly interrupts. Knowing their words for numbers is both useful knowledge, and will be useful for calibrating your PA's translator.
[X] Mentally poke your PA to check if it's online yet and mentally go over what its translation capabilities are. It can do written as well as spoken language, right? Because if it can't translate the current spoken language here, then perhaps you can fall back to a archaic, dead written or spoken language that was common across the planes, back before the planar wards on Fulcrum went up, and may still be known here. (Think something like latin.)
[X] Rack your brain for anything you can remember about the possible dangers of the Caela and Tantara and how come it's "almost always harmless." Is it because your soul is tethered to your sleeping body and thus remains in the "shallows" and can pull itself back easily if threatened? If that's the case, then what happens if their body is brought there too? Do they sink into the "depths," defenseless against the creatures there?
[X] Remember what you can about how dragon bindings and inoculations against them work and how being inoculated caused the "insane fever dreams" you had as a child. Would being inoculated against binding possibly have protected against creatures in the Caela or Tantara munching on your soul while you were trapped there?
[X] if possible, check the state of your binding inoculation. If not, then make a mental note to do so first thing when your general-purpose medical tool is back online (or whatever tool would be needed to check its state.)
[x] this
[x] maybe dragon counting is base 2 ( claw raised or not) and base 16 (1 paw of 4 claws each raised or not -> 2^4=16 possibilities). With base 2 as the older, how it developed and base 16 as "normal"/everyday system. (random googled example on easy base 2 <-> base 16 conversion)
and so the tally tool doesn't forget my old suggestions:
[x] pace our confinement, before returning to face the metal bar locking the cage, then say "Adia Faxti, Edaine Faxti, free Zalan?" tapping the locking bar. Keep our body language nonthreatening
[x] Consider: What magic can we do without access to our workshop equipment? (assuming our Crown node will function normally)
[x] Consider: If there are (mostly Spirit generated) summoning circles in our world maybe they will try to summon all of us (displaced) back, once they have recovered from their issues?
[x] Consider: Lastly... How much longer until Personal Attendant is available again?
[X] Isn't your personal attendant awake yet? Because 5 minutes are over since you checked last, right? And didn't you get a bunch of translation scripts? Check the status of your attendant and, if it's online, see if you have something that helps with communicating.
Trying to force our way out with nowhere to go seems unwise.
Right now, make friendly chit chat, or perhaps, did your mother impart any centering meditations along with the cleansing tea?
Now would be a very good time to try and recover as much as you can.
[X] mediate, or otherwise relax and recover as much as you are able. At least until your translator comes back online, then if you can listen before letting them know you can understand them.
They seem friendly enough... Talking seems useless though. Gotta wait a couple more minutes for translation to come back online.
[x] Gesture at the door to imply you'd like to be let out of the cage.
[X] mediate, or otherwise relax and recover as much as you are able. At least until your translator comes back online, then if you can listen before letting them know you can understand them.
(Gonna make some revisions and addendums to my suggestion and post 'em here so the fact I'm changing things is noticed by folk here who may have made suggestions based on mine or voted in favor of my suggestion, in whole or part. Dunno what the custom is here for this kinda thing, so let me know. I'll leave out the X-marks from the quotes so they aren't tallied twice.)
(Striking through the parts I'm changing to not suggesting or not suggesting to do at this time, but will be referred to in my revision.)
...See if you can get Adia to tell you their language's words for basic numbers by showing your paws clenched, then counting off your fingers as you raise them, then gesturing towards him to do the same. (Aside: Is the draconic number system base ten or base eight, since they have eight fingered hands?) Continue counting up to twenty between the two of you, if you have the time before Edaine undoubtedly interrupts. Knowing their words for numbers is both useful knowledge, and will be useful for calibrating your PA's translator.
[X] Postpone working on doing the above to try and figure out what their language's words for numbers are until after your PA's translator is online. That way your PA can use it to figure out if it's a language it has a translation file for, one related to one it has a file for, or something not related at all to what's on file and can start building a new translation file incorporating the words you just learned.
...Point at Adia and repeat "Adia Faxti," then point to the door way and say "Edaine Faxti," to both get a feel for speaking their names and to possibly get Adia to say their word for "yes" or "affirmative" in response to both times; That'll be good to know and also useful in a bit to help calibrate your PA's translator.
There's too much ambiguity trying to figure out their word for "yes" based on just this, so just note what they say for now. You'll figure out a way to determine what their words for "yes" and "no" are later, after your PA translator is online to make it easier to keep track of.
Additional action suggestion for right now:
[X] Attempt to convey to Adia that you are quite nauseous and have a raging headache by pointing to yourself, then placing one paw against your stomach while placing the other paw over your mouth while making a "urp" sound, then clutching at your head while clenching your eyes shut, all while looking extra miserable. Hopefully they'll catch on and have the courtesy to avoid actions that will aggravate your hangover symptoms, or if not courtesy then at least a desire to not have to clean up your barf or risk getting caught in a puke "splash zone."
[X] meditate, or otherwise relax and recover as much as you are able. At least until your translator comes back online, then if you can listen before letting them know you can understand them.
[X] Isn't your personal attendant awake yet? Because 5 minutes are over since you checked last, right? And didn't you get a bunch of translation scripts? Check the status of your attendant and, if it's online, see if you have something that helps with communicating.
Five minutes sounds a lot like zero minutes until you're just sitting here waiting for the seconds to tick by, with nothing to do but wither under the scrutiny of strangers who hold power over you.
Zalan suspects that if he checked a clock, he'd see that a shockingly small amount of time has elapsed, except he can't check it until-
...The attendant finishes waking up. It completes a security ritual, allowing it to synchronize with Zalan's consciousness. It can't activate every single translation script he downloaded or it'll trip over its metaphorical feet, but the dragon doesn't know the name of whatever it is they're speaking. The attendant begins sampling the language.
"N-ice to meet you, Adia," Zalan says, taking care to pronounce the smallfolk's name just how they said it. It probably sounds a little forced. It isn't very nice to meet her so far.
Adia responds, awkwardly bouncing off the language barrier. Zalan does the same. He can at least try to sound friendly. He feels too nervous to sing, but he whistles a little tune. Adia gives a nervous smile, as if suspecting it's part of a spell. Zalan stops whistling.
His PA keeps trying to reach out to broader systems. The arcology is gone. The internexus is gone. With frustration, Zalan instructs it to quit trying to find outside help. It'll have to do the heavy lifting itself.
[X] See if you can get Adia to tell you their language's words for basic numbers by showing your paws clenched, then counting off your fingers as you raise them, then gesturing towards him to do the same
Zalan tries counting on his fingers. He reads out the numbers. The foxfolk remains tense, unsure if this too is some magick. Finally, she seems to understand, and does similar in turn.
From the voice, Zalan is starting to think of Adia as a girl, though he doesn't want to embarrass himself if he's wrong.
His PA is getting language clues in a hurry. Zalan glances away, listening to sample phonemes in his head, trying to guess which ones he may have heard while his construct was switched off...
Ah!
[Best-Fit: Cayshic West (Imperial) ]
[Instantiating]
Please work please work...
"Doing alright?"
!
Zalan tries to disguise his immense wave of relief that he won't be trapped here unable to make sense of anyone. He decides to hold back from revealing his knowledge. Replying will actually take a little practice attuning closely enough with the translation to let him form words he doesn't know. He believes his words will come out garbled at first. For now, he elects not to.
Before he has time to learn anything from Adia, the other foxfolk returns in a rush.
He's holding a different book from before in one hand. In the other, he's got some trinket. Zalan can't figure out its purpose at first.
Edaine crushes it, releasing a surge of functional mana.
"Wait wait," says Adia. "I don't think it's hostile."
"You can't know that!" snaps the mage. "I'm not going to hurt them. I'm going to repair-" the translator falters with a colloquial phrase "-to make certain we can trust them."
Zalan braces himself!
Oh fuck, oh God.
No, calm down.
I can handle this. I can handle this. I'm immune. I'm a dragon and he's some backwater hedge mage. I-
OH GOD!!
A bolt of pure intention strikes Zalan. Command. Desperately, he steels himself.
No!
All his towers crumble.
His strength is bypassed in an instant. His will useless, his skill irrelevant, his soul laid bare by cold, thoughtless affront.
It's terrifying. It's humiliating.
He has nothing to defend himself. Nothing!
The binding spell closes in on an inner self he didn't even realize existed beneath the self. He's nothing. He's a child again, trembling with weakness and too confused to understand how to fight back.
He feels sick. Feverish.
He clutches a blanket.
He stares up at Zigan, the only thing clear in his memory, towering above like a smiling mountain.
"Mom, this feels real bad," he said. "It feels bad in my head and, in my heart."
"Zalan, I'm so sorry," she said. "I wish it didn't have to be like this. The priestess didn't want to bring you pain either. But it was important. You understand, right?"
"But- but, Ivarey said she didn't have to see a priestess, and Iskalth said he didn't have to see a priestess, and Skev said he didn't have to see a priestess..."
Zigan's smile faltered, briefly.
"Well, Skev is a kobold, for one." she sighed. "There... are many who feel that the bad times are gone for ever, but we still remember them. I told you about your great uncle, right?"
"But that was so long ago. Centuries!"
"And you will live for centuries, my precious son," Zigan said with warmth. "Who knows what those centuries might contain?"
Zalan doesn't recall replying.
"What makes us strong can also make us vulnerable," said Zigan. "As long as people covet our strength, we must be vigilant. Find your courage, my sweet Zalan. My great treasure."
"I'll try..."
"I'm so sorry not to wait until you were older, but this works best at your age. It will be with you always, and protect you always."
"O- okay," said Zalan. "I love you, mom."
"I love you too," she said. "When you feel better, your father wants to take you to buy one of those spirit machines you liked..."
Zalan feels his heart lift. He feels himself whole. He returns to now.
He blinks slowly.
"You said it wouldn't hurt them!" says Adia.
"They're... he'll be fine," stammers Edaine.
Zalan can feel the binding magic settling into his Crown and Core nodes. But it can't control him. It's been subverted. He can feel a connection to the fox wizard. He can receive impulses and instructions, but it's just information.
It's been a long, long time since he thought about his inoculation ritual. It doesn't merely resist the binding magick. It's made so it appears to succeed, and tells him enough to play along.
"Well, did it work?" sighs Adia.
"I believe so," Edaine says.
"Believe as you believe the sun will come up, or believe as you believed you'd summon a spider demon and not a dragon?" asks Adia.
"Well, I've just never done this before. But it worked, yes. I can feel the spiritual connection. So we can trust he won't attack us. Isn't that right, dragon?"
Vote:
[] - Be honest. Tell them their evil magic won't work and demand to be set free.
[] - Play along. Pretend to be a bound summon. Follow Edaine's "orders" for now unless they're evil or dangerous.
IF Zalan plays along:
[] - Pretend not to know the language for now. A successful binding ritual should let the subject learn the summoner's language at an accelerated pace. Zalan could play dumb for awhile, maybe a few days, and perhaps overhear things he otherwise wouldn't, but he might also blow his cover by accident.
[] - Start talking soon. Just admit his translation spell kicked in and pretend to be their friend while lying as little as possible. This means he can start asking questions right away, and communicate that he's very hungover.
[X] - Play along. Pretend to be a bound summon. Follow Edaine's "orders" for now unless they're evil or dangerous.
[X] - Start talking soon. Just admit his translation spell kicked in and pretend to be their friend while lying as little as possible. This means he can start asking questions right away, and communicate that he's very hungover.
I think that we can be subtle but not THAT subtle.
