His arms still crossed, Orlando looked at them all again, his smile still not having faded one jot. Though the mind flayer's telepathy felt a tad intrusive, Orlando was more than willing to deal with it; mind flayers were very hard to understand without it, and besides, he'd felt much, much worse things in his mind. That sibriex's insane whispers nearly drove him mad, and the thing's horrific visage was burned into the back of his head. He'd felt a very grim yet justified satisfaction at the fiend's death.<br/><br/>Giving a ponderous expression, Orlando had a thoughtful expression before nodding at Benedict's suggestion. "Yes, I do suppose that would be an excellent idea. I hope you enjoy Duke White, as we spend much of our funds on research, not on spoiling ourselves with a variety of foods. Come," he said, gesturing for them all to follow him, "let us discuss things in the dining hall." Heaving the large, oaken doors open, Orlando welcomed the party of four into the manor, and the were greeted by a tall, elegant, yet old entry hall. The walls were not decorated at all, being little ore than black and grey stone held together with mortar, although they were still well kept; the stones were smooth and polished to the point that one could see their own face in the stones. The floors were nearly identical, though almost completely made of black granite. There was, however, a dusty red carpet that trailed to a fork of two hallways perpendicular to the entryway. Orlando took them to the right, only making two more turns through the winding, door-laden halls until they reached another double door of that same black oak. Gripping the bronze handles, Orlando opened these doors as well, leading the way to a room that was absolutely enormous, looking more to be something fit for a rich king, not merely a man of wealth. The small set of stairs that led down into the hall were without carpet, though there was a long one on each side of the lengthy table that spanned nearly the entire room, enough seats to fit a small army. Nobody sat at the head, although there were a few others that enjoyed a brunch at their own spots. Orlando, Himmel and Liam took seats on one side of the table, offering a seat to the others on the opposite side.<br/><br/>Upon the three of them sitting, a rather fat man with a slightly greasy apron stepped from the kitchen to greet them. The small horns on his head and vicious teeth labeled him a tiefling, though apart from his face, he gave no other sign of being malicious. "Wot's i' t'day?" he asked, his accent heavy and gruff, to which Himmel replied in a humble, almost demure manner, "Tea and wafers, for us and our guests, please." The tiefling gave a nod and hurried away. When the man was back in the kitchen, Himmel, who had taken the second seat, addressed them all. Keeping his same soft, gentle voice, he said, "As those of you who are well-versed in the study of the Lower Planes, and in some cases, the history of magic may know, one of the greatest weapons to combat demons was a rod crafted by the Dukes of Air. Known at the time of its creation as the Rod of Law, it was used to bring the former Prince of Demons, Miska the Wolf-Spider, to his knees and seal him away. The process had broken the rod into seven pieces, each a powerful artifact on their own, but are of their greatest power when whole." He paused, making sure that it had all sunk in before continuing.<br/><br/>"The Rod of Seven Parts, as it is now called, was scattered about the multiverse. However, much to our dismay, we have discovered the presence of one of the pieces. A reliable source tells us that it is in the hands of Pale Night, hidden somewhere in her bone castle. Orlando will accompany you on a delve into The Abyss to the six hundredth layer to recover it, and then bring it back here to have it in safe keeping."<br/><br/>He was then silent, ready to answer any questions that may be asked.<div class="messageTextEndMarker"> </div>