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"Heh, so-called democracy... there's so much of it." Casalos muttered to himself, not understanding what was going on. He secretly noted the fiery gazes hidden in the crowd, yet shining like beacons. He spread his wings and flew to the ship, personally engaging in polite conversation with the group of nobles and merchants.
The idea of a dragon openly sailing in to trade with people was unprecedented, even in Waterdeep, the most open and tolerant city in Faerûn. Everyone was doing it for the first time and had little experience communicating with dragons, so naturally, many things were not considered thoroughly.
For example, there wasn't a single place suitable for a dragon to stay in the vast deep-water city. After exchanging pleasantries with the nobles and merchants, Casalos, who was unwilling to transform, had to return to the Iron Dawn and wait for the nobles and merchants to complete the tedious council process so that a new formal venue could be set up in the castle district's main market for talks with dragons before they could proceed with the negotiations.
During the waiting period, Casalos was free to move around Waterdeep and explore the customs and culture of Lower Northrend—provided it didn't overcrowd the buildings constructed for humanoids to live and work in.
It wasn't particularly interested in that for the time being. Deepwater City might be worth spending some of its time on, but that wasn't the purpose of its trip to Deepwater City. It didn't have that kind of interest or mood for the time being.
Casalos's purpose in coming here was, in part, to establish a magical ship trade route between Dragonlands and Waterdeep, so that Dragonlands could convert its current excess industrial capacity into more tangible profits. He also wanted to establish a base in the mixed community of Waterdeep to begin preliminary preparations for infiltrating Faerûn—Waterdeep was always the origin and end point of countless conspiracies in the North, and nowhere was more suitable as the location for an intelligence outpost.
Besides, its public appearance in Waterdeep as a male dragon certainly had other ulterior motives. Casalos would call it a "fishing operation"—it itself was the bait.
The first night passed peacefully, and Casalos's attempts to catch fish failed miserably. Two groups of clueless thieves, however, tried to sneak onto the ship under cover of darkness to steal cargo, only to have their arms and legs broken by the kobolds and then handed over to the city guards.
To make a good impression on the obviously wealthy dragon merchants, the council held a public trial, a tradition of Waterdeep, at the port. The thieves were given ample opportunity to defend themselves before being sentenced to exile. How the crippled thieves would leave Waterdeep and survive in the treacherous Northlands was of no concern to anyone else.
Meanwhile, the nobles and merchants of Waterdeep all set their sights on the crew of Casalos, and began to use various methods to invite these half-dragon dog-headed people disguised as Fassscales to live in the city, trying to win them over and find out more about Casalos.
The loyal kobolds completely ignored them, so Casalos deliberately gave them a break: "I'll definitely be sending you to be stationed in major cities across the continent in the future. Consider this a preview of life. Experience life in the big cities of Faerûn. Eat, play, see, hear, and think. As for what they say to you or what they ask you to do, don't agree or refuse. Just remember everything, then change the subject or remain silent. Come back and tell me, and I'll teach you how to handle it..."
48. Big Fish
Even under the protection of the barrier, the cold winds of the North still made people feel the biting cold when they blew through Deepwater Mountain.
Standing on the observation deck at the southern foot of Deepwater Mountain, Tauna Mora Esmura brushed aside her long, brown hair that had been stubbornly sticking out of her hood, revealing a somewhat round face. With large eyes that seemed to flow with black flames, she looked down at the magnificent giant ship that had docked at Deepwater Harbor three days earlier.
She looked to be under twenty, her entire body shrouded in a simply tailored robe inlaid with metallic embroidery, yet her robust, warrior-like physique still shone through. This, combined with her incongruously pale skin, gave her an oddly sickly appearance. However, in the splendid city of Amun, where all sorts of strange characters were commonplace, no one doubted that a scribe from Amun might have only a slightly peculiar appearance, not even the secret lords.
She had been in the City of Splendor for years, even longer than her apparent age. In order to settle in the city, she had worked as a maid, a laborer, and disguised herself as any profession available in Waterdeep, in addition to persuading Marel, to observe and experience the rich and varied life in the palaces, on the docks, in the villas of nobles, and in the mansions of ambitious rich people.
As an ancient true dragon, this is truly incredible... Yes, Tauna is certainly a dragon, otherwise she wouldn't have needed to persuade the dragon wizard to settle in Waterdeep.
She is a singing dragon, a bridge between the dragons of Waterdeep and the lords of Waterdeep, an agent for the dragons in Waterdeep who are disguised as humans or other humanoid races, and a guardian of the secrets of the dragons of Waterdeep—although after some conflicts between the dragons and the Watchers, the lords of Waterdeep once swore to the people of Waterdeep: "We will find and drive away the dragons hiding among us."
Everyone knew it was just a slogan. The lords were well aware that the benefits the dragons hidden in Waterdeep brought to Waterdeep far outweighed their harm, and they needed Tauna, the keeper of secrets.
But now the Keepers of the Secrets are in trouble. That dragon, which appeared out of nowhere, has brazenly sailed into Waterdeep in a magnificent ship in its dragon form!
Taona doesn't mind other dragons coming to live in Waterdeep, as long as they follow the rules.
Although the new dragon entered Waterdeep openly as a dragon, it was undoubtedly lawful.
Chapter 131
The problem is, it's a strong, male dragon!
"Do you even know how many female dragons in this Deepwater City, on this northern continent, are waiting for a dragon like you to appear..." She sighed deeply, pressing her index fingers to her temples to ease the throbbing pain in her head...
Casalos knew, of course, what would happen if he appeared in Waterdeep as a male dragon. It was intentional; it was one of the purposes of his trip. The fish he was fishing for were those mysterious female dragons—dragons were not created by the Nine-Headed Dragon God. No one, including themselves, knew how they came to be in this world, but that did not change the fact that they were still children of Asgrath.
Moreover, although they are a subspecies of precious metal dragons, they do not have the same obsessive tendencies as precious metal dragons. Their alignment is mostly inclined towards good and neutrality, and they do not pay much attention to the Golden Dragon Royal Court, making them excellent targets for the Iron Dragon Clan to win over and form alliances with.
The prerequisite is that they must be identified from the crowd.
On the second night that Casalos dismissed his crew to experience the nightlife in Waterdeep, the first fish took the bait.
What a big fish!
As Casalos stared at the colossal dragon, at least three times larger than himself, that had landed on the deck of the Iron Dawn under the cover of night, Casalos couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
The arriving dragon resembled a slender and curvaceous bronze dragon with striking silver-blue scales. Even by human standards, she possessed an exceptionally beautiful appearance, let alone a true dragon capable of appreciating the beauty of all races.
The first female dragon that Casaloz attracted was a beautiful and elegant ancient dragon.
“Hello, my fellow countryman.” The visitor began with polite greetings: “I am Tarona Moramura, welcome to the City of Glory.”
Tarona Mora Mura... Taona Mora? The Scale of Tranquility, the Keeper of the Hidden Dragons of Waterdeep? She is indeed quite beautiful.
Casalos automatically replaced the dragon's name with a possible common name, and then, by comparing the age and appearance, immediately confirmed the visitor's identity.
“Hello, I am Ratambilol. I didn’t expect to meet a fellow clansman here. I thought that after the unfortunate events a few years ago, there were no more dragons in the Glorious City.” Casaloz asked knowingly, “So, may I ask what brings you here? If it is about the trade, I have already promised the little people that there will be no private transactions before the negotiations.”
"Don't worry, Ratam...you don't mind me calling you that, do you?"
"Of course I don't mind. You are an elder of our clan, and I should show you the respect you deserve."
“Very good, very good. It’s rare to see a dragon as polite as you these days.” Taona was very satisfied with Casalos’s humble demeanor. She had seen many unruly dragons, dragons that seemed to be insane, and dragons that were proud and elegant, but none of them could catch her eye. To all dragons, the Song Dragon was considered an anomaly. Their nickname “humanized dragon” was not given lightly.
Many of these creatures' behaviors have deviated from the category of dragons and are more akin to humanoids.
“Ratam, I have no interest in your goods and won’t cause you any trouble in that regard.” The ancient dragon, accustomed to humanoid society, shook its head, denying Casalos’s claim: “I came for you, for your dragon identity. Officially, I am the agent chosen by all the dragons in this city. When you entered the City of Glory as a dragon, whether out of kinship or duty, I should have visited you. It's only because you entered openly as a dragon that I delayed until now, under the cover of night, to prevent confusion and suspicion among the commoners—you know, the commoners of the City of Glory, unaware of the truth, are quite critical of our hiding within the city.”
Also, for our first meeting, I've prepared a small gift for you; I hope you'll like it.
Casalos nodded in agreement, mimicking human manners, but his mind was in turmoil: Was it really just kinship and duty? Dragons never give gifts on a first meeting! If I didn't know who you were, I would have truly believed you!
You took so long to come, you must have taken care of all the other female dragons in the city first, right?
What should I do if my baby dragon gets the eye of a very beautiful but strange aunt? Urgent, waiting for answers online.
49. Dragon Song
Okay, actually there's no rush.
Since Casaloz chose to disguise itself as a male dragon, it was naturally well prepared for what was about to happen. The arrival of Tranquil Scale Toona was within its expectations, but it did not expect that this ancient dragon's desire for a mate would be so urgent.
Yes, a mate... Casaloz's fishing operation involves using his transformed male dragon form as bait to lure out the female dragons lurking on the continent of Faerûn who have an urgent need for male dragon mates, in order to reach some kind of agreement with them.
It all started with the somewhat strange characteristics of the Golong subspecies.
The Nine-Headed Dragon God granted some true dragons the unique ability to transform into the forms of other species. Casalos had previously counted that among the many true dragons of Faerûn, only a few and a half possessed this ability… The Song Dragon was one of those half; they also possessed the supernatural ability to transform into the forms of other species. The reason it's described as half is because the Song Dragon's transformation is not as convenient as the transformation of the Gold, Silver, and Bronze Dragons or the form-changing of the Iron Dragons.
The only form that Golong can transform into using her innate abilities is a human female!
This applies to both female and male dragons.
Normally, this wouldn't be a big deal. Shapeshifting is just an innate ability granted to some true dragons by the Nine-Faced Dragon God, and most of the time, being able to transform into a woman is enough. Dragons, why do they have to change shape? So many colorful dragons don't have shapeshifting abilities, and they don't seem to be unhappy, do they? But as mentioned earlier, the dragon's preference for humanoid social life even surpasses its identification with its true dragon identity.
Compared to their dragon form, most Song Dragons prefer to live in a humanoid world in a humanoid form. After leaving their origin, the Moonshadow Islands, the vast majority of Song Dragons have spent their long dragon lives as different human females, and they almost never revert to their dragon form unless absolutely necessary.
However, unlike silver dragons, dragons are not particularly keen on falling in love, marrying, and having children with humanoid species. After reaching the appropriate age, they still need to find mates of their own kind to complete the task of propagating the species that is engraved in their souls.
The question then arises: since dragons live in humanoid societies, how can a dragon looking for a mate find its destined other half?
The answer is no solution.
The Nine-Headed Dragon God grants dragons the innate ability to shapeshift. Whether it's transforming themselves or changing forms, these are supernatural abilities that don't fall under the narrow definition of magic. They are immune to any spell detection or shapeshifting cancellation spells of the Faerûn system, and are unaffected by anti-magic forces. Let alone the dragon itself, even if Elminster were present, he wouldn't be able to tell whether the woman before him was a dragon—this old man had been toyed with by a female dragon for quite some time, and even had a half-dragon, half-human daughter without realizing it.
If you can't even tell the difference when they're right in front of you, then how can you possibly find your soulmate in the vast sea of people?
Even stranger, male dragons are abnormally rare on the continent of Faerûn.
Within the magnificent city of Waterdeep, there are at least a dozen known female dragons disguised as various human women, and undoubtedly many more unknown. However, considering the entire continent of Faerûn, Casalos, with his near-omniscient perspective, only knows of two known male dragons. One is a preacher of the Goddess of Magic, and the other lives in seclusion in Neverwinter.
When Casalos openly and ostentatiously entered the Crown of the Northlands, the City of Glory, as a male dragon, on the continent of Faerûn...
Chapter 132
After the news of Waterdeep spread among the bards, the female dragons hiding throughout the continent of Faerûn welcomed the spring of renewal they longed for.
At this very moment, countless female dragons of marriageable age are quietly leaving their long-standing home, reverting to their almost forgotten true forms, spreading their wings and riding the wind towards Waterdeep, in order to seize their rare youth.
As a local powerhouse with home-field advantage and formidable strength, Tao Na was the first to be challenged.
Of course, Casaloz didn't actually intend to become a singing dragon—as a young dragon, it simply didn't have the ability, and the corresponding physiological desires hadn't yet arisen. It merely wanted to establish connections with these singing dragons, hoping to bring an allied race to the Atherosaurus.
Anyway, no female dragon could recognize its identity. As long as it kept a certain distance and didn't get too close to those thirsty female dragons, it could just delay for a while.
As for whether the suspended female dragons will be enraged after discovering the truth... Casalos can't worry about that for now. Besides, the hybrid genetic characteristics of true dragons are very unique. Most traits and subspecies attributes are inherited from the mother. There should be quite a few strong young men left in the Atheroscrys, and they can at least barely satisfy the strong reproductive desires of these thirsty female dragons.
Even if all else fails, Casalos still knows where to find a real male dragon...
More than 400 kilometers north of Waterdeep, in Neverwinter, on Handros Street, in a quaint yet understatedly luxurious bookstore, the elegant and composed owner suddenly felt a chill in his crotch. He frowned, closed the shop early for the day, shut the door, and retreated to the basement to fiddle with something.
As a legendary archmage of the Dragon Slayer, it would never experience strange sensations without reason; this must be some kind of warning from the magic network. It needs to make some predictions to understand what kind of trouble has befallen it to cause such bizarre omens.
Unfortunately, the goddess of magic was unwilling to pay attention to it at this time, and all the prophetic spells went unanswered, failing to provide it with any useful information.
On the Iron Dawn, Tona, the Tranquil Scale, who gets along very well with Casalos because of her natural charm, has begun to try to make further contact with Casalos.
"As the host, I sincerely invite you to come with me for a stroll through the city. This will allow you to familiarize yourself with the culture and scenery of this magnificent city, and also allow me to fulfill my duties as a host." The beautiful female dragon walked to Casalos's side, lowered her forebody, and kept her head at Casalos's height. Her winding neck encircled Casalos in the air, and she looked across Casalos's body at the dim lights under the night sky. Her pale purple pupils gleamed with a playful light.
Having been a charlatan for so long, she had become accustomed to using human dating invitations, yet still retained some of the assertiveness and directness expected of dragons in courtship.
"Of course, not in this sensational form. We should transform and sneak in without anyone knowing, to have some fun..."
50. I Have a Date with Dragon (1)
"This is not good."
"Having a knowledgeable guide to help you explore the city more deeply will be very beneficial for your future business development. I have lived here for decades and know every corner and every shop in the city. I might even be able to introduce you to a few worthwhile business partners."
Casalos initially feigned modesty and declined, but then "yielded" under Toona's relentless advances and reluctantly agreed to the date.
When it transformed into the appearance of a strong young man, it drew a gasp from Tao Na.
"You can actually become..."
“I am a mage who travels to different worlds,” Casalos explained with his head held high, taking two stiff steps. “Unfortunately, in most of the worlds I go to, it is more convenient to trade using my dragon identity, so I am not very used to using human form to move around.”
“That’s understandable. If you came to the City of Glory as a human, the nobles there certainly wouldn’t have given you such high treatment.”
Taona then transformed into a tall, beautiful woman, her eyes shining as she naturally took Casalos's arm: "Let me help you walk. Walking in human form also requires skill. First, you can't imagine your hands as claws; you have to think of them as wings..."
With the guidance of Toona, who had extensive experience in human form, Casalos's initially awkward humanoid movements were quickly corrected, becoming increasingly natural. The man and woman, transformed from dragons, then entered the magnificent city bathed in magical light under the cover of night.
On this rare night, Toona didn't plan to take Casalos to explore the entire Waterdeep City. As the crown of the Northlands, Waterdeep City was enormous, probably much larger than other famous cities in the Northlands, such as Neverwinter, Silvermoon, and Baldur's Gate, which was known as the largest port city in Sword Coast. It was an impossible task to walk around the entire city in one night.
Moreover, even with frequent patrols by city guards, not every part of Deepwater City is "safe" at night.
The two dragons strolled leisurely along Currency Street at the foot of Deep Water Hill toward Castle District, the city's power center.
"Deepwater Mountain is the origin of the name Deepwater City. It sheltered the inhabitants of Deepwater City from the cold winter winds blowing from the western sea, making it the first warm settlement. It is said that the ruins of an ancient high elf city are buried beneath this mountain, but I don't know if it's true."
It was true, and the permanent legendary spell barrier, the King Eater's Shield, erected by the high elf mages, was still protecting Waterdeep, shielding its dragons from the effects of dragon madness. Casalos silently thought that its choice of Waterdeep, rather than other cities, as its outpost in the Northlands was precisely to have the power of the King Eater's Shield to escape dragon madness in case of emergency. However, it wouldn't remind Toona of the relevant issues at this moment.
"People have dug caves and tunnels of all sizes into the deepwater mountains, eroding the entire peak like a honeycomb. The city guard has built armories and granaries inside, and tamed their griffin mounts. The caves connect to Deepwater Castle—the castle district is named after this building—as well as the numerous griffin nests on the cliffs, and also lead to Piergelen Palace—everyone agrees that the son of Piergelen Paladin is undoubtedly the greatest public lord in the history of Deepwater. He led the people of Deepwater to make this city the crown of the North. Perhaps you will have the opportunity to meet him this time."
"It seems that people don't really understand the contributions the secret lords made to the city."
"Of course, otherwise why would they be called secret lords? Nobody even knows who they are, so how can they know about their achievements?"
"But you should know that, right?"
“No need to be in such a hurry. When the time is right, I will naturally introduce you to a few 'secret lords' worth befriending. Now is a time that belongs only to us.” Tao Na’s gaze drifted over the deep water mountain, looking at the dark sea, and gradually became hazy.
Then she led Casalos on a continued journey around the mountains, giving Agharon Castle a distant view: "That's where Agharon's dragon-proof barrier is located. It's a great magical barrier that can resist any dragon or dragonblood subspecies from invading Waterdeep. I believe you already felt its presence when you entered the city. The dragon wizard who holds the barrier key is very friendly to us now, allowing any dragon he deems beneficial to the Glorious City to enter."
You arrived aboard a magic ship, bringing otherworldly treasures to trade with Waterdeep, and thus gained its temporary approval.
I will find an opportunity to introduce you to him. If you can prepare some convincing reasons, you may also be able to obtain permanent residency in Water Deeps... Do not attempt to force him using any means of violence; Water Deeps...
Chapter 133
Their power is far beyond what any other city on the continent of Faerûn can match.
When introducing the dragon-proof barrier and the dragon wizard Marel, Toona still couldn't help but add a word of caution. Casalos nodded in agreement; it understood better than Toona how many ancient monsters lurked in Waterdeep, and thus wouldn't act recklessly.
In the D&D tabletop game rules, the Dragonproof Barrier is a legendary spell barrier constructed using the Seed of the Lock. Resisting its effects requires a DC51 Will save, making it one of the most powerful legendary spells. It's safe to assume that only a mad dragon would inexplicably come to Waterdeep and clash with Maryl. Not to mention that both Kelburn's Black Staff and Lyra's Silver Hand, two chosen ones of the goddess of magic, reside within Waterdeep, and Lord Piergaren is a formidable figure who leaped up and severed the head of an invading dragon in a one-on-one duel.
The Black Staff Tower, a renowned magical sanctuary on the continent of Faerûn, is also located within the Castle District, albeit on the north side, far from Deepwater Mountains. Casalos was quite keen to visit it. However, Toona seemed determined to continue leading Casalos to tour these landmark buildings scattered throughout the city.
“You must be a little tired after walking around for so long.” She took Casalos’s arm again and leaned closer to him. “The nobles are very inefficient. We still have plenty of time. Why don’t we try some local delicacies from the City of Glory today?”
"Perfect timing! It's almost time for the sword performance; if we hurry, we can still make it."
After saying that, the girl grabbed the slightly dull-looking, tall and strong man and ran down the street, all the way to the end, and squeezed into the Xinglong Tavern, which was packed with diners from three floors.
The Singing Sword is the name of the tavern. It's not the most upscale place to eat or stay in Waterdeep, but it boasts the most lavish menu in Waterdeep, along with a performance by a magical sword from Ancient Netheril that can sing.
Casalos gradually felt that he was having the most relaxing and interesting night since hatching...
The author says:
Author's Note: ——————
My mother had a large tumor found on her liver during a checkup a few days ago. She had further tests done today, and the results of a few more tests are still pending...
51. I Have a Date with Dragon (2)
The layout of the Song of the Sword tavern is very unique. The three-tiered seating area surrounds a central atrium in a stepped fashion, with a spiral staircase connecting the floors. At the bottom of the atrium is a small circular stage, where a black longsword hangs upright in the center of the stage with its hilt pointing upwards.