"Slopeseer is the one who knows mountains best." Luiri chuffs. "Slopeseers make our marks. Knows when Riedrans get too close, knows where to go when we move. Slopeseer now named Carou."

"M-Mister C-Caelius," Taran indicates the sorcerer, "W-Was w-w-wondering if y-you sp-speak th-the G-Giant T-Tongue? H-He a-also h-has s-s-s-some d-deeper, ph-philosophical q-q-questions, i-if y-you a-are w-w-willing to c-c-consider them, Mister Luiri."

Taran stows his crossbow, "I-I w-w-would b-b-be in-interested in m-meeting Sl-Slopeseer Carou. Th-The m-marks a-are s-s-similiar t-to o-our own, wh-which is st-strange."

Kaori takes up a defensive stance when Luiri approaches, and doesn't lower her shield at all during the entire conversation. She listens to everything that's being said, but carries an air of caution.

Luiri chuckles and turns, loping along the side of the mountain. He leads you through a valley and to a large cave, the entrance marked with similar symbols to the ones you followed out of the manifest zone blizzard. He points inside.

Entering, you find that the interior of the cave is warm, lit with small white lights studded in the cave walls. Sitting near the middle of the cave is a massive yeti, the light reflecting off his snowy fur. He turns and pats the floor of the cave with one massive, clawed hand as you come in. "Sit."

Carou:

Taran sits down, though he still instinctively scans the cave for exits, wondering if he could hold the massive creature off long enough for the other to escape.

"W-We th-thank y-y-you f-for s-s-seeing us, Slopeseer, an-and w-w-we th-thank y-you f-f-for the m-markings wh-which s-saved u-us fr-from the M-Manifest Z-Zone."

Vishal cautiously takes a seat still as he says, “We have been told you can tell us about the dragon.”

The massive yeti nods. "I am Carou. Recently, a lightning bringer--what you would call a dragon--came to the slopes. She has been disturbing the order here. She is too big, too new, too noticeable. Too much for the mountains." He smiles at Taran, revealing massive fangs. "We leave our marks across the peaks. I am glad they helped you."

Taran bows from his seated position, "Th-They s-s-saved us m-much d-d-difficulty. Th-They a-a-are a-also v-v-very s-s-similiar to the m-m-marks th-that I w-w-was t-taught. I-If I-I m-m-may im-impose, wh-where d-d-did y-you l-learn th-them f-f-from?"

Carou tilts his head thoughtfully. "They have been passed down through the slopeseers for...ages upon ages," he says thoughtfully. "We taught them to a few who were friends of the mountains, in the time before the mindfire, but I do not know where we learned them from."

"Ah," Taran says, nodding, "Th-Th-Then w-w-we m-must h-have l-learned th-them f-from th-the fr-friends of the th-the M-Mountains. Our o-own h-h-home i-is in th-the m-mountains f-far t-t-to the S-South." He considers, "Th-Then, i-if th-the M-Mindfire r-refers t-to the Q-Quori, i-it m-makes s-sense, a-as w-we h-have b-been m-mostly tr-trapped i-in th-the m-mountains s-since th-that t-t-time. I-I w-w-would th-thank y-you f-for y-your an-ancestor's a-ancient w-w-wisdom.

Carou chuckles. "The mindfire. The voice that tries to seep into our heads and change our thoughts, if we are too close to the largest villages." He inclines his head. "If what you say is true, I am glad our marks have been so useful to you. But to the topic at hand." His voice grows more serious. "Do you require assistance against the lightning bringer? We may not be able to battle it openly, but we can watch, and none know the slopes as well as our tribe."

Vishal nods as he says, "Any information at all will be helpful. How to more safely get to it, if its home is guarded, it's battle capabilities, does it seem like it can be reasoned with? We are hoping to get it to go back to its home but if we cannot, then we will kill it."

"It is difficult to describe the mountain paths," Carou rumbles. "But I can give you a guide, and let you speak with the tribemembers who have been dear the lightning bringer's den."

“That would be extremely helpful.” Vishal says with a small smile, “Now I must ask, you seem to not the Riedras where your heads are filled with strange dreams, are you or the dragon visited by them often?”

Carou chuckles. "Stay far away enough from the silver eggs, and our dreams remain clear. The Riedrans come every now and then, if we get too close to a village and are seen." He makes a rumbling noise deep in his throat. "They come with fire and crystal, but we are good at staying out of sight. The lightning bringer has not had visitors. But when she first came, one of our scouts saw a rider on her back."

"A r-r-rider?" Taran asks, thinking, "W-We kn-knew sh-she w-w-was b-being m-manipulated... B-But th-this, hmm. Either sh-she b-brought s-s-someone fr-from A-Adar, o-or sh-she st-stopped and p-picked s-s-someone u-up to br-bring th-them here...a-and th-that would b-be b-bad, s-since i-it w-w-would in-indicate a l-larger plan..." Taran shakes his head, "H-Have th-the s-storms sh-shifted, o-or th-there h-have b-been o-other an-anomalies?"

"There is a ring of storms around her den, so we know where she is. But we have stayed out of that area, so we do not know what it is like within," Carou says gravely.

“A ring of storms.....that’s bad. Do you have any spare supplies?” Vishal asks next 

"That depends on what supplies you need," Carou rumbles.