"...I have to admit, this is really delicious," Xenk said after chewing a piece of dragon steak. "This deliciousness isn't just about flavor—the inherent quality of the ingredient is very high."
"That's only natural," Aoko said, sipping her wine. "Dragons are pure magical beasts. From their flight to their heritage, it's all powered by magic. That's why eating their meat is so satisfying for professionals."
"If dragons taste so good, why aren't they extinct?" Holga wondered. "Back home, there was a kind of rabbit that was so delicious it was eaten into extinction."
"Animals generally survive using two strategies," Doric explained. "Either make themselves taste awful, or become really tough."
"Haha, dragons are clearly the tough kind!" Edgin said, helping himself to another big slice. "I bet Themberchaud never expected to end up as someone's dinner."
"That's not certain," Aoko mused. "I think I've figured out why Themberchaud left Hanging City."
"Why?" Simon asked, curious. "Was there some treasure nearby?"
"Of course not," Aoko said, glancing at him. "Did you notice Themberchaud lost his fire-breathing ability?"
"Didn't he breathe fire at us during his last attack...wait," Simon realized. "Oh!"
"Exactly," Aoko nodded. "That last attack was just flammable gas. The actual flames came from the burning surroundings igniting the gas."
"I see," Xenk said, enlightened. "As the famous Dragon Smith, the only reason Themberchaud would leave Hanging City is that he could no longer provide dragonfire for the duergar..."
"And duergar are not exactly nice people," Aoko explained. "Once he was useless, they'd have killed and eaten him—just like us."
"Survival of the fittest," Aoko concluded, quoting an ancient adage. Doric paused, pondering the deeper meaning behind those words.
"...Very philosophical, in a natural sense," Doric murmured. "Did you come up with that, Aoko?"
"It's a saying from my homeland," Aoko replied, serving herself some pasta. "It was used to support a famous theory of species, but that theory doesn't always apply in Faerûn."
"Why not?" Doric pressed. "Is your homeland very different?"
"Hmm, if I had to say...," Aoko thought hard about it and replied. "The difference is probably divine intervention."
"Divine intervention makes Faerûn's nature less natural," Aoko continued. "That means there are always unknown factors in causal chains—who knows if some bored god will suddenly meddle with the world at any moment?"
"I don't totally get it, but I think I understand your point," Doric nodded. "In our druid circles, we debate whether a god's intervention means nature is still natural. There are plenty of druids who argue about that."
"Really? I thought your Emerald Enclave camps were pretty harmonious!" Edgin said in disbelief.
"Hah, that's just how we act in front of outsiders," Doric laughed and shook her head. "Never ignore nature's wild side just because she seems peaceful."
…
As time passed, the atmosphere grew lively. The six superhuman party members devoured the feast in no time, and the magical maids brought out dessert.
"This mansion spell is fantastic!" Edgin said, picking his teeth and giving a thumbs up. "If I could live like this every day, I'd never want to leave!"
You're right, the original owner of this house rarely liked to go out, Aoko thought to herself.
"There are showers in the guest rooms upstairs," Aoko said. "If you don't know how to use them, ask the magical maids for help. There's a large bath at the end of the hall, but make sure to schedule usage by gender."
"Ha!" Holg laughed. "That's great—I haven't had a proper bath since I got out of jail!"
Everyone was deeply satisfied with Aoko's hospitality, even Xenk, the strict paladin.
The party enjoyed a full night's rest in magical luxury, and the next morning around ten, set out again.
…
"As far as I know, there are quite a few duergar there," Zank said, leading the group. "But they probably care more about the Forge's progress than robbing outsiders. We might be able to avoid a fight."
"We just need to use their port," Aoko said. "There's no need to clash with the duergar. I'll use Mass Invisibility to hide us—just don't make any loud noises."
"But there's one thing to watch out for," Aoko added. "I've heard there are some drow in the Forge. Drow are experts in stealth and detection, so we should be ready for combat just in case."
"What about our boat?" Edgin asked. "We're heading for the port to take the lake, but do we have our own boat?"
"I've got it covered," Aoko grinned, pulling out a bottle containing a beautifully crafted model sailboat floating in strange liquid. "We'll use this!"
The group was again awed by what an 8th-level wizard could do, and reminded that their eventual foe would be at least a 17th-level archmage, which made them anxious.
Maybe that's what it means to worry about gains and losses.