[[No worries<img alt=":)" src="./images/smilies/smile.gif" title="Smile"/>Can move this along while waiting for combat to finish.]]<br/><br/>The demon watches Nanami's eyes, amusement dancing in the corners as he sees the kitsune come around to some unpleasant realizations. "Well, as you likely know, most plans get foiled by self-righteous, money hungry adventurers, so my mistress thought- why not set a trap that would draw in as many of them as possible and then turn them to serving her? That way the meddlers are already starting out on the right side of the plot, instead of representing an irritating wild card." He reclines a little against the pillar on the corner of the stairs, watching with due caution. "Once they're here, of course, we can take a look at them and see what kind of... service... they'd be suitable for. Those with more existing arcane power- and, frankly, already a bit closer to my mistress's worldview than many who come here- well, they hardly need anything at all before they'd make excellent officers for my mistress, wouldn't they? Take it from me," Essoat's eyes glint, "She's a very... pleasant... boss, to those who serve well. Think about it."<br/><br/>Cocking one ear at the door, he laughs. "Well, your companions stumbled on a couple prior adventurers who've been lounging around enjoying each other's company instead of doing any real work for a while. Smells like one of them might be getting eaten. And so one of your friends has a nice, filling meal, and one of your enemies gets a little more corrupt and closer to being entirely my mistress's creature. Everyone wins, no?" Essoat winks. "The door's locked, but it should be easy to open when they're not being menaced by enemies. We'll be in touch- and you can always try to contact my mistress by summoning her to that statue if you don't do something silly like block her out of it first." With a puff of sulphurous smoke, the incubus teleports away.