Vardian Log #47: Tea With the Black Dragon

--
"My parents were diabolists."
	--Dubius
--

Season: Summer, 1212

Angus of Bonisagus				Magus		(Don)
Certusaguson					Dwarf
Demoror of Quaesitor				Magus		(Billy)
Drake						Drake
Dubius of Criamon				Magus		(Woo)
Grog Two					Grog
Manual						Captain		(Billy)
Nevill						Grog
Rupert of Ex. Misc.				Magus
Rupes of Tremere				Magus		(John)
Samo						Grog
Tolas of Tremere				Magus		(Shannon)
Tremoror					Dwarf
Verdan of Bonisagus				Magus		(Shannon)

**
** From the Chronicles of Salvadore

Sergio, once the Captain of the Vicious Ballerina, has retired from his
post.  He decided that he no longer wished to captain the Ballerina
because he was constantly getting lost in it.  A new Captain by the name
of Manual has been hired to replace Sergio.

**
** From the Diary of Verdan of Bonisagus

Tea today was quite interesting.  A man by the name of Drake showed up,
not saying a word of how he had found our daily tea.  He seemed a noble,
and for a time, he simply drank tea, and ignored our questioning looks.
Finally, he spoke up, saying that he had come to us for help.  Apparently,
a friend of his had lost a small chip of bone.  Drake wished it recovered,
and offered a poem in return, which he said was valuable.  I was prepared
to offer my help, curious of the whole matter.  Then, Drake revealed that
the bone was being held by the dwarves down in the Faerie Covenant.  At
once, I made my excuses, for last time I went to that time warped place, I
wasted several weeks of time.  Fortunately, there were some who were
willing to help Drake out.  Angus, Demoror, Dubius, Rupes and Tolas all
set off quickly, taking Nevill and Samo with them.

**
** From Flamma's Tea Notes

Finally, another interesting tea.  This strange Drake fellow has convinced
Tolas, Rupes and some others to attempt to obtain a bit of bone from
Certusaguson down at Varanor's Tomb.  I doubt the motives of everyone
going, but I'm sure Tolas will keep them in line.  If nothing else, I
doubt the Dwarves are in any danger, as they can probably outsmart the
rest of the group.  Unless of course Demoror goes along....

**
** From the Secret Diary of Tolas

When I volunteered to help Drake recover his silly bone, it wasn't so that
I could get his poem.  Rather, I hoped to be able to destroy the damned
faerie Covenant, Varanor's Tomb.  By covincing Angus and Rupes to go as
well, I hoped to have enough power to accomplish that goal.

After passing the Lake, we finally came upon Grog Two, and I figured that
that was my chance.  So, I challenged him to Certamen, for I had promised
Flamma that I would do such before I killed any of the Faeries there.  I
assumed that he would ignore my challenge, and that we could kill him in
short order.  Unfortunately, the grog accepted, and did all of the rituals
correctly, and thus, I was bound by my promise to Flamma to not strike the
first blow.

The other magi and I argued for a time, as I tried to convince them to
kill the Faerie.  Unfortunately, it seems that I misjudged Rupes and
Angus, for they were unwilling to kill the beasts.  Finally, the fool
Rupes decided to challenge the Grog to Certamen, and then he turned into a
rock, and we all sat and watched.  Demoror And Dubius set off for the
Covenant, while Angus and I waited for Rupes to do something.

Apparently, Demoror traded a magical bottle of wine for the bit of bone,
which Certusaguson had been holding.  When he finally returned, I was
still waiting for Rupes to move.  Angus had keeled over during the period,
for no apparent reason.  I decided that I was surrounded entirely by
incompetants, and so I returned with Demoror to the Covenant, the mission
that I wanted to accomplish utterly unfulfilled.  As we left, Rupes still
lay in the corridor, trying to out-stubborn the grog.

**
** From Flamma's Lab Notes. Carefully copied and proofed by her apprentice.

That Ex. Misc. Drake has continued to disturb me.  I have just checked
some of my notes on fantastic beasts, and am now more suspicious than
ever.  One of the Dragons I did research on was known to go about in the
guise of a human named Drake.  He was, or is, a most powerful
representative of his species.  If this Drake person is indeed the
legendary Black Dragon, then this whole matter deserves far more caution
than normal.  I do hope that I am wrong.

**
** From Flamma's Tea Notes

Drake returned today, and reclaimed the bit of skull from Demoror.  When
he did this, he proved to me that he was the Black Dragon that I had
studied.  His great magic might, with which he resisted Demoror's spells,
is what finally convinced me.  I was not at all interested in the key and
poem that Drake gave to Demoror;  In fact, I left tea early.  I had no
wish to have tea with the Black Dragon.  My children were fine when I
checked in on them, and I have decided to stay with them until Drake has
left.  I hope no trouble comes from this whole matter.

**
** The Poem that the Black Dragon Brought

Be thou brave of heart
And stout of measure
To tread the paths
That lead to treasure.

Where gryphons roam.
Where speckles fly.
Where the Upas tree grows,
Does the old one lie.

**
** From the Secret Diary of Tolas

Rupes has finally returned, after a season down in the caves.  He reported
that he finally had beat the grog in Certamen.  I challenged him at once,
to remind him his proper place in the Tremere hierarcy.