28th of An, 117 years since megados eruption
These magic items are super useful. The bell woke me up consistently, though it's annoying to change the time it rings (required fine motor skills). The plate has a metal-detecting range of about half a meter, so it's more useful to detect ores after I mine them than actually finding them. More usefully, it can warm up food. I haven't had warm blood for ages(weeks)! Finally, the pick. I have conflicting feelings for it; on the one hand, I have to be in a smaller form to use it (one with hands), and it's less efficient than just using my nails. On the other hand, I don't have to worry about breaking it. It barely chipped when striking orichalcum, and fixed itself immediately!
In other, more annoying news, the itching's been getting worse. If I was any younger I'd think it was nest-bugs, but this (cozy) cave is unideal for such parasites. Is it allergies? Fun fact, the average dragon has around 300 allergies, mostly mild. This is not mild. It also shouldn't be localized on my back. Fuck, is it an infection? Wing infections are so annoying (can't relate)! I'm sure I have some medicine stored somewhere, but if I don't write for a week, I'm probably getting some from mom.
5th of Aos, 117 years since megados eruption
Good news, not an infection. Bad news, I'm still itchy. I guess it's time to actually use my brain. I've made a hyposethis (wrong spelling), this has to do with the wastes. Spending an extended amount of time in low ambient mana is causing unforeseen physical symptoms to appear (nerd). Based off of where the itchiness is, the area that's being impacted is specifically vertebrae 18-29. For reference, dragons have 97 vertebrae, first set of wings are at around 21 vertebrae from the neck, second set at 46, and third at 71. There are 36 muscles within the itchy area, 4 mana veins, 7 arteries, many minor organs which can't itch to begin with, and an indeterminate amount of scales. (how do you even know this?) Based off of the fact that the itch is local, it's unlikely to be any veins or arteries or scales. Which just leaves muscles as the major suspect. (Nerd does not even begin to describe you.)
Among the 36 muscles in the area, only 12 ever interact with mana. I suspect that the low ambient mana is irritating those muscles because they are being exposed to lowered amounts of mana. I'll try cycling and focusing my mana to those muscles. If the itchiness goes away, then that's a piece of evidence. If it doesn't go away, well fuck. I'll have to go see a doctor. Which I need money for. Money I don't have right now. The only thing of value I have access to is this mountain's ores. Oh, and the metal core that is rumored to exist in the center of volcanoes. That's got to be worth something.
15th of Aos, 117 years since megados eruption
I don't know whether its good or bad, but the itchiness has decreased in strength (good). This is because it has spread out over a larger area (bad). Vertebrae 15-74 to be exact. Additionally, my hyposethis (wow really) is wrong. While focusing mana on the muscles lessened the itchiness, it didn't get rid of it in the other muscles. Which leads me to believe this is a parasite that has never been seen before. Luckily, there are many ways for dragons to treat parasites (oh no). If I remember my magic circles correctly, I can have a rir-fire shower using the copper I found so far. Just need some bastard fur, which the one I hunted should still have enough of. If that doesn't work, I can get saltwater from the ocean and make myself 'hero's brine'. Worst case scenario I dig down to magma (no thanks). Been a while since I've had one of those.
11th of Ar, 117 years since megados eruption
Blessed shit I think it worked. Not the rir-fire, turns out I didn't remember my magic circles correctly. The brine got rid of the itchiness. Hate how it makes me smell like flowers though (I like it). This means that I was most likely dealing with many small parasites. Normal parasites can't get past a dragon's hide, so either I somehow got nest-bugs without a nest yet, or it's an undiscovered parasite native to the wastes. If it's the former, it's been dealt with. If it's the latter, then it might happen again (sorry). Note for future self; itchiness found along the back, focused more along vertebrae, might be parasites and can be treated with hero's brine.
This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.
Now that that's taken care of, I should probably expand my den. Currently it's just one big room that I sleep, write, read, and eat in. Most other dragons keep it like that unless they need more space, but to be honest, I hate it (agreed). Every time I want to do one thing, I have to move stuff or prepare stuff, which is tiring (aka boring). So, I want a designated area to eat, one to sleep, one to read and write in, and an extra space for anything else (mine). I think I'll base the design off of kobold cities; a spiral downwards with rooms to the side, and a large open room in the center. To be honest, I'm doing this because I think it looks cool. I'll start mining tomorrow.
28th of Ar, 117 years since megados eruption
I'm running low on bastard meat. Going to have to hunt soon (food). I'll go the next time I feel hungry. In other news, the minings going smoothly. The new pick is actually surprisingly effective at making hallways. Before, the height of my digging was limited by my hand hitting the ceiling before my nails struck the wall, meaning the ceiling slowly sloped downwards over time (just raise the ceiling). However, with the pick, I can hit the top of the wall without hitting the ceiling, so the hallway remains the same height no matter how deep I go!
There is the minor (miner) concern that I've been losing track of time while mining, but it's not like anything bad happens if I mine for too long. I'm not even sure how I lose track of time, just that days pass by without me realizing. At least I hope its only days and not months; I've been relying on the moon to keep track of the days (only 17 days). Oh well. I didn't have anything scheduled anyways. (how about your birthday?)
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Deep in a dead volcano, there sang a dragon. Speaking in ancient tongues the songs of ancient men. A chorus of one, for there were no one else. Only the mountain heard these words.
"Ri la-pi le ri-la-vi!
sin sin sin-la-ee!
Do-la-do il-la-do
do-la-le eil fe-la-do?
...
Lo-li-la-lo mi la fi
Co la eil, sin la ee!
Eih la-le-la le la li-la-lo~
la-li la-li lo~ la-li la-li lo~
Eih la-le-la le la li-la-lo~
la-li la-li lo~ la-li la-li lo~..."
The song echoed for days. The words imprinted deep within the stone. Hundred of years later, that stone made their way to a broadcasting station. It became known as the hymn of stone, one of the most mysterious songs of history. All that is known about its origins is that a dragon sang it alone in a volcano. This lead to some believing it to be an ancient ritual, or of cultural significance to ancient civilizations.
-Excerpt from 'Lost history vol 7.'
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19th of Auv, 117 years since megados eruption
Who the fuck is messing with my diary! I read back and there's comments between the lines. It started a few months ago, and even the most recent one has comments! I'm going to set up a surveillance tonight to see if I can catch who's doing it. I swear if I have an interloper in my den I'm going to drown them in acid.
20th of Auv, 117 years since megados eruption
While I didn't find any interlopers, I did find out I have a nocturnal centipede! Don't even know how it got in, but I'm keeping it in the spare room as a pet. In other news, I finished two rooms. The first is a dining area. There's nothing in there right now, as i finished eating the bastard a week ago. The second is currently unused. Or rather it now houses a cute centipede. I've re-worked the initial cave as an 'office'. Finally, my nest-room is in progress. It's hard to describe this layout, so I'll probably draw a map later. Eventually, I'm sure.
It's been so long since I've had a pet. I don't even remember what to feed them. I mean, I know normal centipedes eat small insects and stuff, but this one is the size of a cart. I guess I'll go hunt something and see if it'll eat it. I just hope it isn't vegetarian.
Addendum; So I'm back from hunting a camel, and turns out the centipede can eat ores. I don't know if it can live off of them though. It started eating the camel when I gave it a piece, so I at least know it can also eat meat. I hope I don't have to feed it too much. I'll have to hibernate soon.
1st of Ax, 117 years since megados eruption
It's winter. Which means hibernation time. I have some meat stockpiled for the centipede if it needs it. Unfortunately I don't have any bedding, but the plate should keep me warm. I'll seal the entrance once the first snow falls. Or maybe earlier. I'm already a lot sleepier. Fun fact, dragons hibernate due to an inability to warm their blood above the temperature outside. Because of this, winters feel super cold. However, some masochists actually like the cold, and so don't hibernate. I recommend you never touch them, you might get poisoned.
? of Az, 117 years since megados eruption
I sealed the cave a while ago. Forgot what day it is. Really sleepy now, so I'll keep this entry quick. Finished my nest-room. Small for now, but it'll be enough. Named the centipede 'Aesmo'. It's been relatively inactive. Do centipedes hibernate? I forgot. I hope it doesn't die.
__ of Bi, 117 years since megados eruption
dragon been sleep for while now. they hogging all warmth of plate >:( so greedy. too salty for me still. damned hero, whoever that is. why did you have to make such a brine. and not enough blood in meat pile. dragon, if you're reading this, give me blood! preferably yours. it tastes the best.