"So, uhmm... I do have another question, well 2 really, but one leads into another..." Kori begins, though with significantly more insecurity than typical for her, her feet kicking on the stone beneath her and hands tensing and scraping her claws at the table

"Hmm? You've never been shy of a question before, why is this one any different?"

"Well... There's something missing from the status I showed you, it's the reason I thought maybe there was a way to hide my trait... it says it's hidden and cannot be shared directly in its description..."

"What? There's More? Unlike your other trait I've heard of some rare titles being hidden by the System, things that may put you in danger if others know of it, though even those, like Kinslayer, a nasty little title, aren't blocked from being shared." Korse ponders for a few moments, "you didn't purposely kill one of your siblings, did you? It usually must be on purpose from what I hear..."

"WHAT?! No! Definitely not! I tried so hard to keep them from killing themselves, I'd never do it on purpose!" A mix of outrage, disgust, and disappointment marring her face. She really had tried, so many of her siblings died even with her best efforts, but she'd been moving the sharp rocks, and breaking up fights that got out of hand for years, Kinslayer was definitely a title she'd never earn if she could help it.

"Wait, you what? You were helping your siblings?" Some of the pieces finally clicking into place, the youngling’s complaints that Kori ruined their fun, that she wouldn't play with them, that they even started to ostracize her, that her clutch had the most survivors to their System Unveiling of any he'd ever raised.

"Uh-huh! Losq helped too!" A proud smile quickly replacing the outrage she had felt.

"I shouldn't be surprised, but I must say I am. More of your siblings survived the culling out of any clutch I've ever raised, I considered it good fortune and the minders hard work, but if they had a little extra help that explains a few things." Nearly under his breath, "I wonder if I can poach her instead of giving her to Ylst..."

"So uhhh... are all titles that hide themselves bad?" Still somewhat sheepishly trying to steer things back to her question.

"Title? Wait, I thought this was another Trait? You're asking about a hidden Title? My, this is turning out to be more exciting than I expected. To answer your question, no, not always bad, but they are always complicated. Something that will form a strong opinion about its holder, from the stories at least the system neither helps nor hinders, just shows the truth, so it hides things where revealing them freely would help or hinder in some significant way." This was clearly entering territory that Korse is unprepared for, "perhaps we should discuss with the Matrons, it is their duty after all to know these things."

"Uhmm... But if it's hidden to protect me then maybe I shouldn't tell anyone else?" Kori still wavering between excitement of learning and discovery, and trepidation of being the odd Kobold out for yet another reason.

"Oh Kori, the Matrons are here to help the clan, they'd never do anything you'd need protection from." Korse ponders for a bit, "perhaps just Elder Kles, she'd have the best advice."

"If you trust her then OK. But maybe we should talk about it then you can ask her?" Rels' always spoke so gently to her; I don't want to pester the Elder and offend her with a question or have her scold me...

"If that's what you wish young one, we can do that. We may have to tell the chief too if it's important, but we'll decide that after we talk about it."

The Chief?! Kori's has never met Chieftain Ortik, though he met her briefly when he watched her introduction to the clutch and the fight with Losq, but she's heard many stories about the former Shaman, now Spiritcaller, that leads the clan. This suddenly started to feel a lot bigger than she'd hoped... though calling herself the 'Emberscale Inheritor' seemed pretty big to begin with...

"Uhhh... OK... So... Uhmm... I got a title other than your one."

"I gathered that dear, what does it say, is it Epic like your trait too?"

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"Oh! No, not Epic, it says it's Unique." Kori, seeing this as an out, put her foot deeper in it than she realized.

"Unique... This is starting to sound a little far-fetched dear, Unique titles are for feats that cannot be repeated, saving nations, slaying great beasts, not something a little youngling would have done." Korse, having a hard time believing it, he knows that Kori isn't one to make up tales, but getting even Kles to believe him if the title cannot be shared would be difficult.

"That's why I didn't want to ask... calling myself the 'Emberscale Inheritor' sounds foolish enough, not being able to share it just sounds like a dragon tale..."

"Ember... WHAT!?!" for the first time in his long, long memory, Korse loses all decorum. His face nearly colliding with the table as he sinks like a puppet with its strings cut. Far and above all she's shown him, the implications of those two words could shake the clan, all of the clans. "Sorry dear, we need to go talk to the Matron. Now. I'll pull her out of the feast myself if I need to."

"So, it's a bad thing?" Her eyes were wide and fearful.

"I don't know, but it's not something I can keep to myself."

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Korse quickly leads her out of the hatchery, not nearly the grand tour and exploration Kori had expected of her first outing, the main chambers full of platters, kegs, fur cushions and more Kobolds than she has ever seen before. And more noise than she'd ever considered possible, the halls reverberating with cheer and warmth of a clan in celebration. The feast had long since started, their conversation taking them well past when Korse should have arrived.

They pass through several large chambers and halls, all packed with Kobolds as they skirt the edges, until they arrive at the largest of the halls, the ceiling far above cloaked in shadows that even Darkvision fails to penetrate fully, and Korse leads her to a large opening. More decorative and ornate than any they've passed before, standing tall enough for her to stand tall on Losq's shoulders and stride through unimpeded. The celebration seems to center around this door, a low table, the only she has seen so far, arrayed in front of it with many older Kobolds sitting on furs behind it.

Here Kori sees several that she recognizes and some she can only assume to be the remaining Elders, Elder Arcanist Ylst, Elder Matron Kles, a spot near the center of the table open, and who she can only assume to be Chief Spiritcaller Ortik, an otherworldly haze about his body as he sits, almost as an afterimage of his movements. She stands in awe of the casual display of power while Korse approaches.

"Made it finally? What kept you" Ortik begins, but seeing the young one nearby, "ah, her again? Robbing you of another feast I take it?"

"Yes indeed. And I'm afraid I must steal away the Matron as well, it may be nothing, but we'll tell you in the morning regardless." Korse bends to Matron Kles' ear, her eyes bulging slightly as he whispers and staring hard at the young Kori. "If you'll excuse us Chieftain."

With that he waves Kori to follow and retreats behind the table, into the Chapel of the Scale, a place Kori did not expect to enter for some years yet.

The chapel itself continues to be decorative, large lines etched into the walls, when taken as a whole they form unmistakable pattern of dragon scales, and form begins to reveal itself, the large circular chamber appearing as though they sit within the curled form of a sleeping dragon, the head rising above an altar at the far wall with an open eye of solid garnet. Upon the alter a mound of cloth draped over a hidden object.

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"Are you certain Korse? Claiming something like this, on today of all days, isn't to be taken lightly." A scowl crossing the usually genial old Kobold’s face.

"No, I'm not certain? I'm not even sure how I could be. She says the title prevents itself from being shared..." Korse shakes his head and pointedly looks at Kori, "I've only her word to go on, she's never made things up before, and she does have a Trait I've never heard of, I think that lends some credence."

"Well little one, Kori, yes? Before we get into this so-claimed Title, show me your Status please." The scowl still present, but somehow softening towards a motherly look of no-nonsense rather than displeasure. Kori brings up her Status and takes a few moments to share it with both of them.

"My, aren't you a little overachiever, you'll need to work on those Physical Abilities though. It's going to disappoint Bolst quite a bit to learn that Ylst gets her instead of him, I believe Kora was looking forward to having another member of your little family there with her too." Kles peers over the status, landing on the outlier, "Draconic Ingenuity, hmm. It's not often we see a Draconic trait in the histories, the last was centuries ago, but they were apparently quite a bit more common when Lord Emberscale was still with us."

"Now my dear, this Title you say you have but cannot share, what does it say, exactly please."

As Kori reads out her title, describing how she may inherit the title of Emberscale, Matron Kles keeps a relatively passive face, though Korse fails to hold back his astonishment with his jaw hanging open and eyes wide.

"Well... That's... I believe you but I wish I did not... Eligible to bear the title of Emberscale, if that is truly what your title states then it could place you at the same height as the great Garnet Tyrant, in time..." Kles stares off into space, pondering with little outward evidence of her thoughts.

"So, uhmmm, what do I do about it? I'm starting to think it's hidden for a reason, Korse nearly fainted, you're talking like I'm gonna rule the Clan or something..."

"Oh, it's hidden for a very good reason and it should remain that way."