4th of Ab, 118 years since megados eruption

Good morning reader(s)! On today's entry in Vildra's diary, 'my centipede is sapient?!' No seriously, what the fuck. No one else could've possibly made that entry. Bonus, I found the parasite. It's the centipede. This leaves me with so many questions. Luckily, knowing the centipede can read and write lets me ask those questions.

1. How the fuck did the centipede gain sapience? (blood) [what the fuck]
- How does it know how to read and write? (blood taught me) It has no hands! (yes I do, 100 of them)
- Blood taught you? (drink blood, get smarter)

2. Why does it want my blood? (rhetorical, already answered. smarter and taste)
- How did it even get a taste of my blood to begin with? (vertebrae)
- Why is there a centipede strong enough to penetrate dragon hide in the wastes? (hatched here)

3. How did it get on/off my back without me noticing? (stealthily)
- That makes no sense. (then you have bad perception)

4. Why are you still here? (blood)
- Can you please leave? At least be self sufficient. (no)

This centipede is a 7 on the troublesome scale, 9 on the danger scale. I know dragons that would kill for a monster that can drink a dragon's blood without them noticing. That's why vampires exist. That means I can't let other dragons know about it. (you should probably stop writing about me then.) Good news is that dragons have absolutely no reason to come visit me. I think the nearest one is more than 700 km away. That's an hour and a half of constant flying in the wastes.

 

---

Pov Bartheon of many titles

 

Bartheon the rash had heard a strange rumor. The city of Throldhaven had orichalcite. Of course, Throldhaven is in the middle of a dessert, with exactly no known orichalcum deposits within a weeks journey. This caused him to believe that the rumors were false. Then he saw the ore. Among the new year offerings, there was a piece of high-quality orichalcum ore. Though piece would be an understatement; it was the size of a sapient.

Bartheon the greedy nearly toppled a castle trying to find out where the ore came from. The trader responsible said he bought it from some desert traders in Brilgport. And so, with great haste, Bartheon flew to Brilgport. As a small city, Brilgport was easy to search through for any hidden riches. Smell led Bartheon to find another piece of orichalcum ore, nearly as big as the first. Even more valuable though were the rumors.

"They say that a dragon came down to buy the city's treasures. All of them. It paid using a boulder of orichalcum ore!"
"No, I heard different. The dragon stole away all of the treasures, but then it ran out of room to store it, so it threw away the least valuable things it had!"
"I partially agree. The dragon was looking to get rid of the ore, of which it claimed was worthless, and it got the treasures due to a misunderstanding."
"That doesn't make sense. You see, they actually wrote down what the dragon said. If I remember correctly, it said 'I have stuff I don't need, and want stuff I don't have.' Clearly it getting the treasures was intentional." The gossipers bickered while Bartheon listened on. He bit back the temptation to eat them all, remembering the taste of hair. He instead Just stepped on all of them. They might survive, but it sent a message.

Bartheon the envious flew into the wastes. It hurt to be here, nearly as much as that papercut and lemon incident 400 years ago. However, this was where Throldhaven was. The center of the rumors. After flying for over an hour (slowed by the burning wind and lack of mana), he came upon the small city. Even at such a distance, the smell of riches was unmistakable. Mimicry orichalcum, as it was titanium rather than mythril, but orichalcum none the less.

When he came crashing down in front of the castle demanding the king, he expected some resistance. Instead, the king walked out within the minute. Impressed, Bartheon started the interrogation. The rumors were cleared up; The dragon had knowledge of the treasures and implied they wanted it. They then took out boulders of copper and orichalcum as 'payment', also implying that it was worthless to them. The boulders were then broken down into dozens of pieces, of which a few made their way to Brilgport.

Unfortunately, no one knew where the dragon went, came from, or even their name. This was a dead end. Bartheon smashed the castle for the trouble this city was causing him. He flew up and started smelling. Winter washed away any trace of the dragon, but the mana was still there. This high up in the wastes there was barely any ambient mana to hide it. Bartheon made a risky decision.

Bartheon started casting a tracking spell. It bit into his mana reserves, taking away a significant portion. The results were underwhelming. The dragon wasn't even trying to hide its mana. 50 kilometers away from the city, in a mountain.

As Bartheon the fool approached, he sensed something. A feeling of unwelcomeness, with the faint smell of... black? He couldn't quite understand the sensation. Yet, as quickly as it appeared, it disappeared. Was it a barrier? No, he was otherwise unaffected, so maybe a warning?

Seeing a charcoal stake gave some relief. It was a form of territory marking. Annoyingly effective; he couldn't pretend to have come here by accident. He was going to have to be smart about this. The dragon was probably a greater dragon. However, they must have lived in the wastes for a long time to amass so much wealth. Therefore, in terms of power, Bartheon had the advantage. Best case scenario, he kills them and gets all of their treasures.

Bartheon the lusty was not expecting the dragon to be female. This opened up an entirely new opportunity.

"Hello, fine lady. I am greater dragon Bartheon of Hilbenrat. I have heard great tales of your wealth and have become stricken by love. Please allow me to propose to you!"

"Oh, a visitor. I wasn't expecting anybody... ever. You must be tired after flying all the way here. I have a guest room, so why don't you go rest there."

To Bartheon's surprise, the dragon let him in easily. However, the cave he walked into was nearly empty, save for some random rocks... no, those were ores, though faint were the smell. But where was the rest?

"Oh, sorry, you'll have to take a smaller form to get deeper. The guest room is the second doorway to the left. It should be empty."

The layout of this den intrigued Bartheon. Unlike most, there were individual rooms, with stone doors hiding what was inside. He didn't know how many rooms there were, but from his short permitted exploration he saw 4 doorways.

The guest room was small, it would barely fit his full form. Luckily, he had practice in the half-size form that was trendy 120 years ago. If it was any other dragon, Bartheon would have been embarrassed to be seen like this. However, if this dragon is to be his mate, then he shouldn't be embarrassed, right?

As he sat down, it occurred to him just how tired he really was. He flew for several hours today, a few in the wastes. He also casted a spell using his own mana, something he hadn't done in 80 years. The exhaustion seeped in, so he decided to take a nap.

He never noticed the wall moving, coiling up his leg. He was too excited to notice the hundred legs rooting themselves into his back. He was asleep and so never felt the bites, not that he would have noticed were he awake. He noticed an itch. Then there was no one left to notice.

---

14th of Ab, 118 years since megados eruption

I had a visitor today. Some random greater dragon from Hilbenrat. Was saying something about proposing? Is he some sort of suitor that my mom warned me about? (rhetorical, reader can't know) If he is a suitor then he needs to get better at it, because he was so unappealing.

I'm letting him sleep in the guest room (aka my room), not sure what to do with him. Probably just reject him and let him leave. But only after Aesmo gets as much blood as they want from him. Speaking of, how is their blood? (tastes as good as yours)

Alright, here's a new deal. We keep him trapped for as long as possible, you drink his blood instead of mine, and I get his meat once he dies. Deal? (he's already dead.)

What the fuck. How did you kill him? (no idea. just drank a little blood. less than you.) Alright, autopsy time. I swear if you completely dried him out already. For the reader's context, the average dragon has over 6000 liters of blood. Aesmo drinks about 20 liters per day, without me even noticing.

 

19th of Ab, 118 years since megados eruption

The thing about working with a dragon corpse in a small room is that it takes forever to do anything. First you have to peal the scales, then cut into the hide. Normally, I'd just bite a hole into the hide, but since I want to know how he died, I need a more precise method. That's where Aesmo comes in.

Since her bite can penetrate dragon hide, I had her bite enough in one spot to make a small hole. Then using a single nail I slowly tore out the hide. Once one piece is torn off, I can easily tear off more without any damage to the rest of the dragon.

Now, to be honest, I don't remember what I was expecting when doing the autopsy. Just that it wasn't the several cancerous growths I found. Each one was about the size of a book. He was dying a slow death. The problem was that this was just on the outer flesh and muscles. After seeing the growths, I expected worse on the internal organs.

I started with the stomach. No cancer, stomach acid was normal, if a bit diluted, and there was a partially digested ox, about a week into digestion. Next were the intestines. Some scars from a previous injury, otherwise normal, no cancer here either. I moved to the lungs. There was severe inflammation, no cancer, but a viscous fluid was in the alveoli. He was struggling to breathe, but not enough to cause noticeable pain, nor kill him. Cause unknown.

The heart was the hardest organ to analyze. It was buried beneath quite a bit of fat. Here I expected some plaques in the heart. I did find some plaques, and even a cancerous growth on the outside. This lowered the heart's efficiency by about 40%, but that's not enough to die. You need a heart efficiency decrease of 60% ± 5% to die. From the heart, I took a small taste of the blood. Low on mana, but that might just be because we're in the wastes.

I spent the past 4 days searching each and every organ like this. Most organs that I haven't written about were normal. The one organ I haven't analyzed is the brain, which is a whole other problem. The amount of cancer I found wasn't enough to kill him just yet. The many problems among his heart to lungs weren't enough to kill him. So how did he die?

Addendum; I talked/wrote to Aesmo and, according to her, while I was sleeping my heart rate went down by a small amount, which isn't normal. My theory is that when this dragon went to sleep, its heart's efficiency dropped even lower, to the point where it couldn't supply enough oxygen to its brain, and so it died. I can only assume this is due to the wastes.

 

7th of Aes, 118 years since megados eruption

I finally finished analyzing the brain. Not much of note, so I just ate it. Aesmo is enjoying the year's worth of blood that is stored in the food storage room (☺). I say food storage, but really it's just a pit filled with blood, and dragon meat hanging above. Luckily, dragon meat doesn't go bad for years, so I have food for a long time. The taste is also nice. Been a while since I last ate dragon meat (cannibalism). Last time I got in trouble, but this time there's no one to complain. (I can complain) [You won't]

Now that that's all finished, I should plan out what to do for the foreseeable future. I guess I should expand my home downwards. If I get deep enough, I can get a skylight without causing any issues. Maybe I'll use that as the entrance instead, and use the former entrance area for something else. Yeah, being able to fly right into and out of your home sounds more exciting.

Minor problem though; I'll need to get all the rocks I dig up out of the way. Which is annoying. This is where I'll be using Aesmo (what). She's going to be carrying anything I dig up to the entrance, where I can process them later. (I don't consent!) [I'll pay you in my blood] (really?) [Yes]

 

26th of Aes, 118 years since megados eruption

Lost track of time again. Aesmo says they're exhausted so we'll be taking a break now. Don't worry, we'll work on your room next. (yay) I have quite a lot of rocks to sort through. I know some are definitely ores, but i was too focused (or unfocused) to actually consider how much or what kind. Also, I've been noticing that the rocks are getting harder. The pickaxe is getting chipped easily. I might need to get an upgrade eventually.

Also, I've been smelling something weird. Like oil but sweet? It's hard to describe, but I'm going to set up the poison alarms I got fr

I just felt a strong earthquake. Its epicenter feels nearby. I'm going to go check it out.

 

1st of Alm, 118 years since megados eruption

The earthquake was rather unimpactful, all things considered. (I nearly got crushed!) Sure, part of a unused room collapsed and the entrance's ceiling is cracked, but otherwise no damage. However, when I went to the epicenter, I found something strange. A small mana spire was sprouting out of a crack in sandstone. The sand around it was trying to fill the crack, but the mana spire just spit it out. Strange that a mana spire can exist here; the mana roots should've been ruined by megados, and growth stunted by the wastes.

Odds are, it wouldn't survive if left alone, so I uprooted it and planted it in the entrance chamber of my den. I'm not a manologist, so I don't know if this will improve its survival chances, but I do know how to take care of cave sprouts. I don't think mana spires need water though (I'll feed it just in case).

In other news, I tried to install a poison alarm in my den. I say try because it triggered as soon as I turned it on (sounded like birds). Apparently there's tarilite, a poisonous metal that prevents a living creature from using mana. Not really a concern for me or for Aesmo, so it's rather low on my priority list. It's probably in some of the rocks I mined.

I guess it's about time I actually look through what I mined out. Maybe I'll find something valuable.

 

17th of Alm, 118 years since megados eruption

Here is a complete list of notable things I mined up (1 piece = 6m wide sphere);

- 23 pieces of copper ore
- 14 pieces of orichalcum (titanium) ore
- 7 pieces of titanium ore
- 11 pieces of tarilite
- 6 pieces of iron ore
- 10 pieces of tin ore
- 2 pieces of zinc ore
- 3 pieces of aluminum ore
- a rock with trace amounts of gold
- 1 piece of orichalcum (mythril) ore
- A decently large pile of quartz gems. At least I think it's quartz
- A small pile of gems that aren't quartz

To be honest I don't know what to do with all these ores. I don't exactly have the skills to process them, and they're taking up so much space. Maybe eat them? Aluminum tastes bitter, zinc spicy, gold has a savory taste but there's not that much of it, and copper is sour. (iron tastes best for me!) But even then I only eat once a week or more, and I'll still be mining up more ores.

I guess I can at least melt them down to more easily storable shapes. One clump is more compact than a bunch of pieces. And since I'll be doing that a lot over time, I guess I should dedicate a room for that. A compacting room? Not quite a forge. (how about melting room?) I think I have a book on basic metalworking somewhere in my pouch. Let me read up on it real quick.

 

28th of Alm, 118 years since megados eruption

I cleared up the collapsed room (melting room), which gave me enough space to make a melting furnace. Problem #1; I need to build the furnace. The book had a couple of designs I can use, but most required fireclay which I don't have right now. The others required normal clay, which I also don't have. The only one I can do right now would be using mud, but it's a 'low productivity' design. It's easy to make, use, and repair, but breaks easily. Honestly, I'll try it once or twice before deciding whether or not to invest in fireclay.

Problem #2; all of the designs require charcoal. Which requires trees. Which the desert doesn't really have. Or the grasslands. I think the closest trees are an hour away. This is a bit of a problem. They did mention using coal, but I don't have that either, and a volcano isn't exactly where you'd expect coal. So either I give up, get some trees, or find an alternative. Decision pending. (What kind of alternative?) [Anything that burns into Coaxcide] (how about oil?) [Thanks for reminding me]

Problem #3; ventilation. All of the furnaces requires air to be forced in, and toxic fumes comes out. I can try and build a chimney or something so the fumes can exit. I tried doing some math, and I'm fairly certain I can supply the air needed by blowing into the furnace through a tube. (it's meant for an air pump.) I have an idea for a design that can solve this non-issue, but the design is fairly permanent.

Problem #4; it's slow. No matter what furnace I'll use, it'll take me days to consolidate all of the ores. Not that that's a problem for me, to be honest. We have a year's worth of food, and Aesmo doesn't seem capable of boredom. (why should I?) It'll be a good test of my patience though.

I guess the only real problem is #1, in that I don't have any clay. Leaving that for later, I'll try making a mud furnace and use dragon fat oil as fuel [it tastes bad anyways]. I hope it works out.

 

---

From a hole in the mountain came a column of smoke. Below the smoke, in the mountain, there was a mud bloomery. Beside it sat a dragon, who spoke while drawing a circle.

"Alright, we should be good to go. Are you sure you can manage the fat and ore inputs?"

A large centipede nods its head, holding onto several pieces of ore and fat. The dragon nodded back, and activated the magic circle. It reached for what little ambient mana there was, then glowed dark blue. The fire inside the bloomery dulled to a green, ever hotter than before. The centipede deposited ore and fat in layers of equal size, while the dragon blew into the fire a burning hot breath.

From a hole below, molten metal started dripping out. A mix of pure metal and slag, it wasn't meant to be used. Instead, while still blowing, the dragon folded the cooling mix like dough, until it was a singular, dense blob. Then more metal dripped onto it. The blob grew in size, until it could no longer fit beneath the bloomery. It was placed away to cool, as a new blob started getting made.

Eventually though, the bloomery couldn't take it anymore. The mud crumbled, burned away to dust. The dragon and centipede stopped and looked at each other for a second, before nodding in silent agreement. Then the dragon left the mountain, carrying what little jewels it had with it, in search of greater treasures.

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11th of An, 118 years since megados eruption

The test was a success! We successfully smelted down 3 pieces of ore into 2 clumps, each about half the size of a piece of ore (3m wide). Nearly a 60% reduction! Unfortunately the furnace we were using couldn't withstand the heat and broke apart (disintegrated). Which is why I went ahead and bought some fireclay! Surprisingly cheap; only costed a ruby ring. I also got myself a hydra tree for charcoal. Specifically an olive-bred hydra tree; resilient enough to survive in the wastes. It's currently growing in the plains less than a minute from the mountain (an hour for me).

The permanent (for now) design we have is a type of blast furnace. Ore and charcoal is put in through a trapdoor at the top, air is pumped in near the bottom, molten metal collects at the bottom where we can then drain and collect. An extra hole was added for slag removal. The top is a chimney which leads out of the mountain. It's heated by a magic circle that, despite low ambient mana, still gets hot enough for what we need.

Now we just need to build it. Which is hard considering neither of us have worked with clay before. To be honest, I fully expect us to fail a couple times before we succeed. (I don't. have confidence!)

Also, the clumps we made are going to be crushed down into dust for easier storage. Actually, I should practice for the furnace by first making some containers for the metal dust. (I want to try!) [Then let's have a competition.] (give me dragon meat if I win)

 

7th of Aos, 118 years since megados eruption

I lost to a centipede. Aesmo's are smaller, but the containers were always stronger and she even made lids. Mine were subpar at best and broke easily at worst. (uneven and unbalanced. inelegant) I concede this victory to her. Which also meant that she got the privilege to make the furnace (aka a job) [paid in blood].

We got the furnace set up, and the hydra tree has been doing just fine. I got some charcoal now, just waiting on Aesmo's signal to start the campaign. I expect it to last until we run out of charcoal. Though Aesmo said that she had a surprise.

For the order of smelting, we'll start with ores we don't have much of, like zinc, then work our way to the more numerous ores, and end it with copper. The only ores we won't work on is the gold and mythril orichalcum, since there isn't that much of it.

On an unrelated note, the mana spire has been shrinking. I'm guessing it'll die in a month from now at this rate. Which is longer than if I hadn't done anything, but I feel sad that it still dies in the end. Damn sympathy.

 

14th of Aos, 118 years since megados eruption

Fun fact, some species of centipedes can reproduce asexually, laying valid eggs that are genetic clones of themselves. Aesmo is one of those species. There are now half a dozen centipedes in every room. I made it clear that my blood is off limits, but the pool of blood in the food room is all theirs.

I guess this does count as a surprise, but I don't know how to feel about it. On one wing, cute babies. On the other, more mouths to feed. On another wing, they can work help out. Worst case, emergency food. (i'm not a cannibal!) [I am] (You're not a centipede)

Anyways, Aesmo says we can start today, so I won't be writing anything for a while. If something comes up, I trust Aesmo to write it down until I have time. ('Writing practice' apparently. Dumb excuse.)

 

5th of Ar, 118 years since megados eruption

Aesmo here. Dragon's still busy with the smelting. I'm having Besmo and Desmo feeding the furnace with ores and charcoal, while the rest have been making the charcoal we need.

The mana spire thing is completely underground now. I do not know what that means, but it's probably important since dragon brought it here. Smelled like iron but sweeter? hard to describe.

About 1/3 of the way done I think. we're running out of pots to put the dust in, so I'll have to make more. I'm sure it'll be fine to use some more of that fireclay. Dragon did say it was cheap.

Minor problems so far; external cracking on furnace's section 3, subsection 7, no fix required for now. Output holes are starting to show signs of clogging, temporary increase in temperature should fix the problem. Output dust tastes too much like charcoal, decrease charcoal to ore ratio to fix.

Major problem; fumes leak whenever input hatch is opened. Dragon said they're thinking of an alternative. In my opinion, fumes pose minimal risk to both me and dragon. Besmo's health is normal, Desmo only has burns. Long term effects of fumes on them are unknown.

 

17th of Ar, 118 years since megados eruption

Aesmo here. Fesmo attempted to use pickaxe to mine for more ore. Failed humorously. Mining will be dragon's job. Progress has slowed with iron processing. Requires more time than prior ores.

Personal observations; iron melts easier the longer it sits in the furnace. Based off of outputs, more charcoal taste and lower melting points are related. Will request permission from dragon to experiment further.

Minor problems; Additional external cracking on section 1, subsection 3, inconsequential to furnace function or efficiency. Clogging of output holes occurred regularly every 4 days. Increasing temp for 30 minutes solves problem. Attempting to find cause for more permanent solution. Desmo burned an arm off by accident. Has no impact on efficiency.

Major problems; Besmo has been feeling lethargic recently. Has been replaced with Eesmo. Will continue to monitor their health. Potentially caused by fumes. Dragon mentioned creating a 'fume lock' as a solution. Will investigate viability.

As a result of the slower pace, we are able to enact a break rotation, where a centipede can rest for a short amount of time before replacing another. This has, ironically, increased effectiveness by a significant amount.

Hydra tree has grown significantly. We're struggling to reach the branches to collect wood, as the ones close to the center are too big to cut off. I will be attempting to cut a large portion off, in the hopes that smaller branches will regrow from the cut.

 

8th of Auv, 118 years since megados eruption

Aesmo here. Nearly done with iron processing. Desmo has been getting careless, a lot more burns, though lesser in severity. Besmo has recovered. No lingering effects. Time to recover was 13 days. Fesmo proved centipedes can get dizzy if spun fast enough; in related news, the metal detecting plate can be spun really easily. Spins faster when heated.

Mana spire thing has been acting strangely. I can hear its roots moving around. Cesmo claims they hear it talking, but Cesmo also claimed the dead dragon meat talked to them. Will conduct psychological evaluation at next break.

Hydra tree has been uncooperative. Central stump and main branches from center are too thick to cut. Outer branches are difficult to reach. Current solution; piece of dragon intestine is used as a rope to easily reach branch c8. From there, adjacent branches are easy to cut. This is a temporary solution. Will request dragon's help later.

Minor problems; Eesmo is starting to feel lethargic. Same treatment plan as Besmo, planned rotation for this job between others. Currently Cesmo's job. Clogging has slightly increased in severity, yet rate has not changed. Now requires 41 minutes to solve. No new cracks.

Major problems; none, actually. Everything has been unproblematic.

 

28th of Auv, 118 years since megados eruption

Vildra here. Melting titanium is hard! The furnace broke! And since when did the hydra tree get so big? Learn more on today's entry in Vildra's diary, 'fuck titanium!'

So first things first, the titanium. It's melting temp was even higher than iron, which meant powering up the magic circle. The dead dragon's eye gave enough mana for a day's worth. However, for some reason, the titanium that didn't immediately melt actually got stronger (or was stronger to begin with). As in, it didn't melt no matter how hot we made it. It even outlasted the furnace! Fun fact, firclay has a maximum temperature of about 2000.

I'm having Aesmo check to see if its different from the titanium we melted. It smelled the same, but looked duller? Might just be because it was surrounded by burning charcoal (tastes charcoaly). In other news, we have a lot of processed metal dusts. As in, 9 vase-fulls of dust (some are only partially full. Didn't mix different types). Which, space wise, is about a 70% reduction from before. Unfortunately, we're only about 15% done, and we haven't even touched the orichalcum yet. I tested it to try and find out the approximate melting temp, and it was about 2300, so clearly fireclay wasn't going to work.

Putting that problem to the side, the other issue is the hydra tree. I miscalculated its growth rate. Normally, its growth is restricted by surrounding plants outcompeting its weak roots. However, in the wastes' plains, there isn't anything to inhibit its growth. Luckily, there's a solution for that, but I'll have to go out and get it. I'll go ahead and get some more fireclay as well. The same furnace design (or improved one) will work for copper and other metals. We now know the upper limits of its capabilities.

Now that I have all this metal dust, what am I supposed to do with it? The whole point in doing this was because the ores took too much space, but now that that problem is being dealt with (partially), now what? I'll ask mom. She'll probably have some advice.

 

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An excerpt from 'A Theory of Draconomics: Chapter 11; Instinct vs Desire'

 

...Based on observation 16 (fig 31.1) we can predict the amount of wealth a dragon has based on their size and luster. Larger dragons tend to have lower wealth and smaller dragons tend to have greater wealth. However, based off of extensive observation of Beoth Nilfan, we can conclude that size is a symptom of wealth. Similarly, luster is also a symptom of wealth; wealthy dragons have duller scales, while shiny scales are a sign of low wealth (fig 32). This is all due to the excess paradox, the primary argument against instinct. The excess paradox finds that dragons with less wealth tend to consume their wealth to appear greater, wether in size or luster. Conversely, dragons with excess wealth do not consume their own wealth, which leads to duller scales and smaller sizes...

...A recent observation (19) has placed the excess paradox firmly in the instinct category. A dragon that has never been exposed to any other dragon still consumed its own wealth, and stopped once its wealth exceeded the Linre ratio. In addition, when its wealth was taken away by another dragon, it consumed its remaining wealth. Additionally, it now sought out wealth more actively than before (fig 34.2). This implies that it had an added desire for wealth...

...This means that a dragon, once it has its own wealth, has an instinctual urge to consume that wealth. This often results in a further desire for wealth, though the exact reason is still inconclusive. Therefore, a dragon's collecting of wealth is both instinctual and desire, though initiated by instincts...

 

Excerpt of final chapter of 'A Theory of Draconomics: Chapter 19; Vildra Paradox'

 

Vildra's size and luster remains the same with immature dragons, implying she has never undergone the excess paradox. The only dragon that has also never undergone the excess paradox is Limlith, due to never obtaining wealth needed to initiate the paradox. However, Vildra has extensive wealth, which means that the circumstances must be different. A recent theory is that Vildra skipped past the paradox by amassing enough wealth before ever needing to consume. Another theory is that the paradox simply never began with Vildra, or that Vildra somehow overcame the paradox. Unfortunately, there is not enough proof for any of these theories...

 

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9th of Ax, 118 years since megados eruption

Mom wasn't available. Too busy with an argument or something. Mike was confused when I asked what I should do about my metal dust, said he'll come visit to learn more. Told him not to, had to threaten him with an avocado. I now have an avocado in my den just in case. (Why?) [Mike hates avocado] (??)

I got some more fireclay, as well as a book on basic engineering (yay). Aesmo seems to be planning something. It's concerning when she won't tell me. I'll have her rebuild the furnace when she has time, but with some upgrades.

In other news, the hydra tree is now surrounded by cacti. They can outcompete the roots, which should limit the tree's growth. I've also added silmn vines for easier access to the branches. (Better than dragon intestine at least)

Next issue; the mana spire. It's now underground. Normally a mana spire does that after a couple years, so I'm not sure why its doing that now. More concerning is the smell. I swear someone is feeding it blood (not me anymore). Not dragon blood, this smells like sapient blood. I'll have Aesmo do a medical check on all of the centipedes, then sweep for intruders.

Last but not least, my bed. Or current lack thereof. I have a design, but it requires a lot of stuff I don't have right now, like silk. Luckily, centipedes can produce silk. (we can?) [males can] (we're all girls though?) [I think you might be able to?]

It's getting closer to hibernation time again, so I'll start preparing. This time around I'll make an exit for the centipedes so that they can at least hunt. They're running out of dragon blood, and I'd prefer it if they don't drink me to death. (we won't)

 

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Pov: Aesmo

I like to believe me and dragon have reached an agreement of cohabitation. I live here under the condition that I do some easy work. In return, dragon feeds us and even provides us rooms to live in. Under this agreement, I can theoretically live here forever, or until I die I guess. It is contenting.

I like to believe dragon is strong. That way, I can be unconcerned about protecting myself. I like to believe I'm stealthy. The dragons I met don't notice me if I don't want them to. I like to believe my children are like me. Unconcerned, and content.

This is to mean that I'd like it if these beliefs are true. Because if they aren't, then this new dragon that is heading straight for the mountain will be... concerning. Larger than my dragon by 70%, with scales glowing gold. Larger than the dead dragon, and with a worse smell as well. Worst of all, this dragon sounded dangerous. I'll have to agree with Cesmo; the very air is screaming from this dragon.

As it approached our home, dragon got the avocado they prepared earlier and went to the entrance.

"I told you not to come. I don't fake threats!"

Dragon threw the avocado. Its speed made it break apart mid-air, leaving a pit surrounded by mush flying straight for the intruder. The intruder responded with their own attack. As in a spell so bright I didn't get to see what it actually did. All I smelled was burnt air, which I didn't even know was possible.

"Fuck. He's being serious. Aesmo, hide everyone and the metal dust. This is going to get annoying."

Dragon then grabbed a chunk of tarilite and flew out to intercept the intruder. I decided to take their advice and ordered everyone to move the metal dust to my room. I took the dragon hide and used it as a tarp to cover the jars. Finally, I surrounded it with fireclay dust. I made it look as natural as possible, hopefully. Next, I ordered everyone to hide. I didn't bother with checking how well they hid; I had to check on dragon's situation.

From the entrance, I could see the fight clearly now. Dragon was flying quickly around the intruder, attacking unpredictably. Oddly, the intruder seemed to be slowed down by something, with any attempts at defense or counterattacking being a second too late to be effective. This seemed to make dragon cautious, while the intruder seemed annoyed. Unfortunately, the intruder was tough, and it seemed like they were still approaching here at a rapid rate.

That was until the intruder suddenly exploded. A blast of fire and smoke engulfed them. Then from the smoke, the intruder burst forth, heading straight for the entrance. I quickly hid to the side, right before he burst through. The entrance wasn't big enough for them, so they transformed into a smaller, familiar form. Four legs, six arms. A form for running fast and holding many things. The coward was trying to steal something before dragon could catch up.

I am feeling conflicted. On one side, I feel an obligation to defend what I helped make. On the other side, they're still a dragon. They can easily kill me. I'd most likely barely slow them down. In that case, my best course of action is to remain hidden. After all, we have plenty more ore.

Then I saw Desmo. And then the intruder saw Desmo. He was trying to hide under the metal detecting plate, but he was slightly too big. The intruder yelped out in disgust, before spewing bright flames towards Desmo. I didn't see what happened to her after that. I was too busy getting on the intruder's back.

I don't know how much a dragon't body changes when they transform, but what I do know is that they must still have a spine. And the spine always passes blood. And impure dragon blood is poisonous even to dragons. I aim for where their pulse is the strongest, and bite. Immediately, I taste blood and spinal fluid. Next, I vomit. The mix of blood and digestive fluids irritates my mouth.

There was a scream, followed by thrashing. A flailing limb hits my left side; 4 arms crushed, 5 arms bent irregularly. Another to my lower right; 2 arms crushed, 7 bent. I kept my grip, spitting out more vile, including any undigested metals still in me. A fist reaches my back and leaves a sensationless mess. My mandibles start to crack, and I barely spit out one more round of fluids. There wasn't any undigested fluids left, just my own blood and saliva.

Violent shaking breaks me off, my grip failing and mandibles melting. I feel myself flying, and catch a glimpse of my handiwork. A patch of green among golden scales, rapidly spreading. A rapid trickle of red from the intruder's neck. The faintest smell of mixed metal. Then I hit the wall. It felt like a softer landing than a stone wall should have been, maybe because of Besmo, who was now coiling around me.

The intruder stopped screaming for once, before turning directly at me. I do not know how effective my attack was, but it was enough to get their full attention. He pointed at me and started chanting words I could not understand. Words for a spell, one that dragon tried before; rir-fire... no, it was slightly different. But a spell was a spell, and I would accept the approaching death.

A second passes. Then three. After five, the intruder de-rages, appearing more concerned. Another 5 seconds later, and they are now in a panic. The spell never casted. My death never came. The intruder hesitates, before attempting a different spell. Nothing still happens.

As they try to cast a third spell, a blur smashes into them. A shockwave rocks the whole mountain as dragon, my dragon, holds the intruder against a newly formed, dragon-sized hole.

"Give me three reasons why I can't kill you right now, Mike."

"The council won't approve of an unannounced killing. Neither will mom. I know I'm in the wrong, but we can reach an agreement if w..." Mike suddenly coughs up blood. A sickly yellow color. Dragon unstabs their tail from Mike's chest.

"You seem to misunderstand. This is simply self-defense; a dragon may escalate the conflict in defense of themselves or their property once proper warning has been given. I gave you a warning, and you blew it up. Not only that, you and I have different desires. The only thing I want from you that you can give me is your corpse. Not that you even have anything left to give, you glutton.

Also, you know I'm mom's favorite. I'm the only one who hasn't stolen from her."

Dragon finishes maiming and dismembering the intruder. Last time, the body was left mostly alone in order to perform an autopsy. This time, there was no need; each limb is cleaved off, before they return to their original form. From there, the wings are removed at the base, and tail cut into segments. The body barely fits into the food room, not including the limbs that now filled one corner of the entrance.

I try to get up and help, but find that my lower half is unresponsive. Begrudgingly, I have Besmo cut off the dead weight. It takes a minute for me to get used to the shifting in weight and the lack of sensation past a certain point. Once I do adjust, I first move towards where Desmo was.

The plate was blackened, but otherwise undamaged, and beneath it Desmo was alive. Charred, smoked, and singed, yet still alive. She lost a lot of arms, and the smoke rendered her temporarily mute, but the plate seemed to have kept her body intact. Eesmo helped her out and dragged her to my room to rest. I was about to follow, but dragon stopped me gently, asking me to answer a few questions.

"What the fuck did you do? And how?"

I'd like to believe everything I believed before was true. Though the agreement we have turned out to be more nuanced than I realized. And now, dragon tells me that we might be fucked. She scares me, because she said that with unconcerned confidence. I'd like to believe that we are not. All of my beliefs were true, after all.

 

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14th of Ax, 118 years since megados eruption

On this week's diary entry, 'Mike gets what he deserves', 'Aesmo is a threat to everyone but me', and 'How to trick a council of Dragons'. (Don't forget 'What the fuck is up with this mana spire')

Let's start with the simple stuff. Mike came despite my threats. Apparently metal dust was worth dealing with an avocado (I still don't understand this). I just wish I had two. Anyways, Mike's dead now. Me not cutting my nails proved really useful (You're just lazy). He's a bit too big to fit in the food room completely, so I cut him up. His limbs are in the entrance cave now, though Aesmo asked if she can take it to her room. I told her to wait until the blood drains out. ( :{ )

Mike was being very annoying this time around. He even used en-ten, which fun fact, the average dragon only has enough mana to cast it twice. Idiot used it in the wastes and exhausted himself. If it weren't for his defensive spells I would have taken him down before he even got to my den. Then he smoke screened, which I thought was for a sneak attack. Mike was a coward, he went to steal something while I was distracted.

That's also where the second issue comes in. Aesmo fucked Mike up, badly. A massive bite on his back while he was in a compressed form; which normally means thicker skin and dense muscles. Aesmo just chewed right through into the spine without any issues. From there, she hit a major vein and caused significant bleeding. If he didn't do anything, he would have died in an hour, ignoring falling unconscious within minutes.

Then, somehow, Aesmo poisoned the wound. I'm writing 'somehow' here because even writing about it poses a significant security risk. As in, she used a method of poisoning that I didn't know was possible. While we didn't get to see its full effects due to the only victim dying due to other causes (you), we were able to see it have several fast-acting symptoms.

(Warning; nerd talk) First of all, a discoloration of scales immediately around site of poisoning. This discoloration spreads quickly, though we do not know if it will spread completely of not. Additionally, this discoloration is not limited to just scales and skin, but also blood, though whether or not this has any other effect is unknown. Most concerningly of all, a weakening of the integrity of the flesh and tendons. When dismembering the body, I found that discolored areas were easy to tear apart to the bone, and that tendons were seemingly decaying. Theoretically, if the poison were to be left alone, then it may cause immobilization. Finally, the heart underwent rigor mortis a minute after death, far sooner than normal, though whether this is due to the poison of dying in the wastes is unknown.

Due to being poisoned, I believe the corpse will not be safe to eat until the poison goes away. Surprisingly, the poisoned blood is not a problem for the centipedes. (*More testing needed. Only drank small amount.) Additionally, we still do not know whether or not the poison is lethal.

All of this to say that Aesmo is a confirmed danger to anything less resilient than a dragon. This may include some below-average dragons. This would, technically, place her in the category 'monster' at the second highest level, 'ciel', due to, as far as I can tell, not being classifiable as 'bastard' or 'beast'. For context, there are 7 other entities at the level 'ciel'; Apolleon, Ramien, Gabithen, Raphiago, Azriol, Sarial, and Metitron.

Above 'ciel' is 'daevva'. There are currently only 2 entities at the level 'daevva', Leviamuth and Behethen. The requirement to be classified as 'daevva' is the ability to kill any dragon, which Aesmo has the potential of, assuming she was telling the truth and is only 2 years old; centipedes can live for 7 years, and if she maintains this rate of growth, then she'll be a threat to most dragons. (Bold of you to assume I'll die at 7.)

Now, of course, there's a problem with harboring a monster this dangerous; the Dragon Lord Council. There's a reason there's only 7 'ciels'; they are under strict observation by at least one Dragon lord, and are to be slain should they be too dangerous.

Normally, I can probably keep Aesmo hidden since I'm in the wastes, and nobody would ever predict a 'ciel' coming from there. However, there's the problem of me now having two dragon corpses here. An investigation on the disappearance of these two will happen eventually, and in a worst case scenario, they'll believe Aesmo did it and kill all of us.

Luckily, there's a partial solution; report the death of Mike. I have evidence that it was self defence/protection of belongings, and since it took place in the wastes, I have a plausible way of killing him while I remained uninjured. And because Mike's not exactly a good dragon, I'm sure his reputation is bad enough that I won't get any negative reputation for it. (You might get positive reputation instead.) I just need to think of an excuse of why Mike attacked in the first place, and what happened to the body. To be honest, both parts might be easy, I just need to ask mom a favor.

Addendum; What the fuck is up with this mana spire? It now smells bloody and boney. My suspicion is that it hit a fossil, except that fossils aren't real bones, nor do they have blood. Maybe a bone-like substance? No idea, which is why I'm going to be digging straight down next to the mana spire. Hopefully I reach whatever it is that's making this smell.

 

1st of Ay, 118 years since megados eruption

Have I ever mentioned how satisfying mining can be? (No.) Not the 'hit to chip away at a rock' part, but the 'Hit a crack and watch it expand and remove a whole chunk out of the wall' part. Especially satisfying when that happens several times in a row. I think I'm getting better at this. The pickaxe is getting roughed up a bit though. Going to see if metal dust will also repair it or not.

I managed to dig down very deep. Like, deeper than my current bedroom deep. The mana spire actually bends around quite a bit, and by my calculations, it is now beneath my bedroom. I guess this gives me a good excuse to dig my bedroom deeper. Oh, whoops, I already did that.

Yeah, my bedroom is now about several me's deep (wow so descriptive). I'm close enough to the mana spire that I can actually feel it when I sleep. At least I think it's the mana spire. Makes a buzzing, chittering sound. Like a mix of lightning clouds and forest floor. Nice white noise to sleep to, I'd like to think it helps.

Still not deep enough to reach whatever it is that's affecting the mana spire. Also, my careless mining has resulted in more ore. Which is where the last project of this year will be focused on. Step one, make an air pump. I have two dragon hides, stone, wood, and manual labor in the form of multi-armed centipedes. Surprisingly, we finished in two days.

Next, rebuild the furnace. Oh wait, Aesmo already did that, including some upgrades we agreed upon. For example, the input is now pointed down and put in with a piston. This minimizes fumes leaving, while being a lot simpler than an airlock. We also made a valve system for the output using the unmeltable titanium. It should be able to resist deformation.

Step 3; make the pumps usable by centipedes. I'm taking inspiration from the waterwheel design in the engineering book, and connect that to the pumps. This should allow a centipede to pump air by walking on the wheel.

Step 4, output management. This is where things get complicated. First, using the heat-resistant titanium, we forge a hollow cone. We can then pour molten metal into that. After we let it cool, the slag should rise to the top, while the metal sinks to the bottom. Once it all hardens, we can take the cone out, separate the metal from slag, and it should be purer than before. We'll do this process with the metal dust if we have time, but that's a later task.

Of course, forging the hollow cone will be the hard part. I hope we can manage it before I have to hibernate. At least we won't run out of any food in the meantime.

 

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Interlude; Dragon Lord Council Transcript

The following is a written transcript for the Dragon Lord Council meeting that took place on the 11th of Ay, 118 years after the megados eruption. Participating members; 4/24

 

"The meeting has begun. First on the agenda is the analysis of the fight between lesser dragon Licor and greater dragon Plimit, presented by Genen."

"Thank you. The fight lasted approximately 7 hours, and can be divided into 18 distinct scenes. Lesser dragon Licor held the advantage throughout 3/4 of the engagement, missing only 18 strikes.

...

Plimit was unable to defend against the spell and lost flight. They surrendered upon landing. Final result; Licor gains 17 points in strength, Plimit loses 4 points. Conflict resolved without issue."

"Does anyone have any closing remarks? ...No? Alright, next is a self-defense report, presented by Entyl."

"Yep, we have a report from lesser dragon Vildra. She invokes the self-defense rules, stating a necessary escalation due to an attack by greater dragon Michael. Resulting engagement ended with Michael's death. Standard checking methods confirm these statements. Important contextual notes; Vildra became a lesser dragon last year. Michael has a strength score of 316, Vildra's is 6. Vildra reported an approximated wealth score of 7 last year. Vildra and Michael are related, part of the Miltos family. Michael's body is 'unrecoverable'. I have my suspicions, should we investigate?"

"I have additional contextual notes; Michael is a known thief, with a history of robbery. Vildra is a cannibal. Vildra hasn't fought in 86 years, making her strength score outdated. This gives me plenty of reason to believe Michael attempted to rob Vildra, got killed, and Vildra ate the corpse. However, I do not know why Michael targeted Vildra in the first place, nor am I certain of how Vildra killed Michael."

"There is the major detail of location. Vildra lives in the wastes now. I assume the engagement occurred in the wastes as well. Michael's standard tactic of long-range spell bombardment would be disadvantageous in the wastes, eventually resulting in mana exhaustion."

"Personally, I'm concerned about motive. I believe we should conduct an audit of wealth on Vildra."

"I agree. We will vote on this with all members."

"Alright. Any closing remarks? ...Then next up we have a notable rumor spreading across the western coasts of Nuvil. An unknown dragon is trading for various high-value items and materials. we have been unable to pinpoint the identity of the dragon in question, but do note a similarity to a rumor spread last year about a dragon who bought 'legendary treasures'. I recommend an investigation into these rumors, as the amount of wealth traded here is not insignificant..."

 

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21st of Ay, 118 years since megados eruption

I finished making the cone. It took forever to get the shape right and surface smooth. Aesmo asked for a second one for 'efficiency' but I see little reason to be so efficient. It's not like we're fulfilling orders or anything. (More efficiency = less fuel = less work!)

Anyways, the meat should be safe for consumption. Aesmo took some limbs to her room, and the centipedes are allowed to drink from the blood pool (Tasted less fatty). It's weird for a den to have a blood pool to be honest. If I think about it too much it starts getting creepy, so I've chosen to ignore it for the most part.

Fun fact, the most nutritious parts of a dragon to eat is the liver, while the least nutritious are the eyes. Additionally, wings tend to have no taste by themselves, but they enhance the taste of other parts. (My least favorite is the stomach. No blood taste at all)

I also noticed something about the previous dragon's corpse. The tumors are still alive, sort of. One clump has grown in volume since I last checked. I harvested it and put it in a puddle of blood to see what'll happen. If it grows more, then this will solve part of our food issues. Maybe. (I wonder if it'll bleed)

I also went ahead and made a self-defense report. I'm going to assume they'll assume I've eaten Mike's body already, which I guess is partially true. I've also borrowed a book from mom (she stole it) [I left behind a note and a return date. Mom knows I don't steal]. It used to be Mike's favorite, so having it would give him a reason to try and steal from me. With this, even if the council does check, I have a reasonable reason.

I'm almost all set up to hibernate. I won't fully close the entrance for the centipedes to do whatever they want to. Any further entry in this diary for this year will be written by Aesmo. And to Aesmo, please don't fuck anything up. (No shit.)

 

2nd of Bi, 118 years since megados eruption

I'm setting up a surprise for dragon. By my calculations, we should be able to process all of the remaining ores except Orichalcum. I have additional offspring to support this work. Two for air pumping duty, one for input, one for output, the rest on charcoal production.

Desmo has developed a surprising resistance to burning, and so is managing the outputs.

Besmo volunteered on input, claims she can recognize fume poisoning the earliest.

Cesmo is talking with the cancerous growth and mana spire still; I'm more concerned by the fact the tumor seems to respond to sound.

Eesmo is on pump duty with Gesmo, sometimes Iesmo replaces one of them.

Fesmo has the best tree climbing skills and is responsible for trimming the hydra tree.

Hesmo filled a jar of blood and is now mixing metal powders into it in their free time. Resulting soup actually tastes good.

Jesmo and Kesmo managed to fuck up, then unfuck the furnace's magic circle. It still is sort of fucked up because it's hotter than before, but that's not a major problem.

I'm noticing that they've developed distinct personalities. I'm going to ask dragon if I should be concerned about this or not. More importantly, despite the fact we should be genetically identical, everyone's mandibles are slightly different. I wonder if that's normal or not.

I probably should learn dragon's name actually. I'm sure she wrote it down somewhere. She gave me my name after all.