{{Hello! I have not died! I was just a little comatose. Now I am (more or less) free and able to resume. So let us continue our tale of epic nommage! :3}}<br/><br/>{{haha Mindy is a schizo. x3}}<br/><br/>{{I'm working on a map of the Orev Valley that I hope to post soon.}}<br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><span style="text-decoration: underline">&lt;&lt;stables&gt;&gt;</span><br/>[one cannot take 20 on a disguise check]<br/>The sprightly kitsune is gone; in his place stands a grizzled old gray fox, wearing a heavy robe over his hunch-back. Kahmori appears to have aged many decades in a matter of minutes and lost all but one of his tails.<br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><span style="text-decoration: underline">&lt;&lt;Jolly Barbazu&gt;&gt;</span><br/>Yuki is dumbstuck by the sight of Auralia; one of her hands dissapears into the hidden depths of her cloak to rest on the hilt of her weapon.<br/><br/><br/>"<span style="font-style: italic">(Celestial)Light-warrior</span>..." says a wide-eyed Soma as Sen's murmuring culimates in a dazzling display of miraculous power.<br/><br/>She decides that she needs the use of her entire mind right now, so she concentrates to take conscious control of her organs.<br/>*[Soma manifests<a class="postlink" href="http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/bodyPurification.htm">Body Purification</a>]<br/>A metabolic cascade flows through her system, breaking down the alcohol in her tissues into simple sugars--instantly rendering her sober. {{This is why Soma challenges people to drinking contests x3 she never loses}}<br/>She exhales a transparent, strange-smelling gas, then shifts her concentration to her sight. Her pupils flicker as though reflecting a silver flame.<br/>*[Soma manifests<a class="postlink" href="http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/auraSight.htm">Aura Sight</a>]<br/><br/><br/><br/>"Woah." says Jess. "Where did she...an angel...holy crap! Like, literally<span style="font-style: italic">holy</span>crap." She laughs. "--And she's hot! <3"<br/><br/><br/>The purple-haired tiefling continues to focus her astral vision. What she sees confirms what she already suspected: she is surrounded by brilliantly colored auras.<br/>(and a tiny, head-shaped dark aura in Sen's bag...?)<br/><br/>"...it's true..." she says. "...you are<span style="font-style: italic">light-warriors</span>...you have come to turn back the tide and slay the Feast lords. Amazing."<br/><br/><br/><br/>"Shit..." Yuki grimaces and looks over her shoulder. She hisses in a low voice: "<span style="font-style: italic">now the whole f'king mob of them is looking at us...</span>"<br/><br/>And indeed, after that bright flash many of the other patrons of the Inn are now looking towards the PC's longtable with a mix of surprise, curiousity...and lust at the beautiful nude who just flashed into existance. Some murmur suspiciously amongst themselves; others seem openly disgusted by the sight of a deva (including the spider-taur, herself a strikingly beautiful blonde); yet others are enamored, and call out hoots and wolf-whistles--When the centaur throws a cloak over her, these ones boo him. All of the imps who had been in the air near where Auralia appeared fled by teleportation like a string of firecrackers, and have not re-appeared.<br/><br/><br/>"So?" challenges Jess with a swaggering flip of her hair. "Let'em look. An' let'em come over here and start trouble, if they want to be dinner!" she glances to Rihyan and Geno for agreement, then looks over her shoulder to grin fangily at anyone who meets her gaze. "We've got an<span style="font-style: italic">angel!</span>Who can top that?"<br/><br/><br/><br/>The dour armored tiefling rolls her eyes. "Ok, terrific, so now you're an army of<span style="font-style: italic">Light-warriors</span>. Why don't you go ahead and paint a nice 'eat me' sign on your back while you're at it."<br/><br/><br/>"What, you scared, hun?" prods the huskygal teasingly. "Is' ok, I won't let 'em eat you."<br/><br/>"No--I..." Yuki hesitates, caught off guard.<br/><br/><br/>"Cousin...think 'bout it this way." says Soma. "These travelers are no fools. They wouldn't have come here unless they were confident they could hold their own."<br/><br/>"...or else they're clueless." Yuki looks to the party. "--No offense."<br/><br/>Soma shakes her head. "Nah, if they were clueless, they would have died in the wasteland. Or they'd be swimming through Kalsh's guts right now."<br/><br/><br/>As if on cue, the lumps in Rihyan's tauric midsection rumble and groan a few bass notes from the gallons that churn heavily beneath the taut, chainmailed surface.<br/><br/>It so happens that Boal (aka Goblin B, the mage who pelted Sashi with wasps until he was eaten by Rihyan) is still alive and conscious, albeit just barely. He was able to cast a spell as he was sliding down the long chute of the centaur's throat, and its magic has so far preserved him against the onslaught of gastric brine that is liquifying the other Heodo around him. Unfortunately, this extended lifespan isn't worth much: his tiny goblin fingers cannot budge the squeezing walls of his prison--they cannot even press hard enough to be noticed by Rihyan. But he squirms anyway, as the stomach sways and sloshes with the swaying movement of the centaur who has already forgotten about him.<br/><br/><br/><br/><br/>"These guys are genuine apex preds." says Jess assuringly, with the voice of someone who is an expert in the subject. After months of creeping around in a three-person bandit team, she is enjoying the feeling of invincibility that comes with being a member of a large party with several preds.<br/>"Even nagas are on the menu...We'll get those high-and-mighty jerks. They've had it coming for a long time..." She imagines Rihyan drawing in a serpent tail like a large noodle.<br/><br/><br/>"..." Yuki furrows her brow and looks nervously over her shoulder as if deciding whether to stand and move to another table so that she is not seen as associated with this party. Her hand still lingers near the hilt of her weapon.<br/><br/>Soma senses that Yuki is deeply troubled by the thought of getting involved in Armel affairs. The casually-dressed tiefling is excited to join in the dangerous mischief of her ambitious new friends, but doesn't want to lose the company of her cousin over it. She then remembers what it is that motivates Yuki, and speaks in a low voice.<br/>"You know, it was the will of the<span style="font-style: italic">Disphera</span>* that brought down the fort, and showered riches on the victors...well now the<span style="font-style: italic">Uphera</span>** have decided it's their turn to push back."<br/><span style="font-size: 84%; line-height: 116%;">*-(Infernal noun: "Dark Powers"; ie evil deities)    **-(Infernal noun: "Light Powers"; ie good deities)</span><br/><br/>"Well, alright, maybe they'll free the prisoners and succeed in a coup detat. Good luck to them. But it's not our fight..."<br/><br/>"No, doesn't have to be. We<span style="font-style: italic">could</span>just walk away and observe..." says Soma with a shrug. "But if they win and we helped them win, we'd be heroes..."<br/>To this she adds, using<a class="postlink" href="http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/missive.htm">telepathy</a>so that no one else can overhear:<span style="font-style: italic">"...and get a slice of those riches. Easy come, easy go."</span><br/><br/>Yuki considers this angle, and smiles. The slavers and the Feast lords have accumulated veritable<span style="font-style: italic">mountains</span>of stolen treasure...the thought of getting a share of it...and a place of honor in the luxurious fort under new Uphera-leadership, is sorely tempting to her greedy side. It sure beats squatting around in the wasteland and ambushing caravans for pocket change.<br/>"Alright. You make a good point."<br/><br/>"Heroes..." echoes Jess dreamily, imagining herself hoisted on the shoulders of adoring fans, and being admired by children just as she once, as a child, admired the Pact guardians of Gluca. "Mmm..."<br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/>"Take it off!" calls a drunken human mercenary to Auralia from across the main hall, to a howl of laughing approval from his mates.<br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/>"In any case..." says Yuki, frowning and ignoring the male. "I think we should seek out a more private place to discuss our plans. This is too exposed; too many unfriendly eyes and ears. I sugg--"<br/><br/>"--the Emperor Suite!?!?" interrupts an excited Jess.<br/><br/>"No, we can't afford--" nags Yuki.<br/><br/>"--Ohmygodyes<3!!!" interrupts a giddy Soma. "Let's do that! It's so worth it!" She looks at Geno and the others. "That's the deal with the baths I was telling you about. It's fantastic, they pamper the hell out of you."<br/><br/>"Well...I suppose. It's got plenty of space." Yuki looks to her girlfriends who are squeeking with delight, then to the PCs. "...if we split the tab eight ways, that's only 200 gold each, plus bribes to ensure privacy. What do you think, can you spare the coin? You all certainly look like you could use a bit of luxury..." (except for the celestials and the monk, everyone in the party looks rather bedraggled with mud, worm-spew, blood--both red and green varieties, and an overall level of haggardness that comes from marching all day and then sleeping in a cave. A hot bath and a fresh set of clothes sounds quite nice.)<br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/>[result for Mindy's arcane knowledge roll, combined with what she has witnessed during her time in Armel: The Black Collars are adamantine rings ensorcelled with fiendish magic that allow the weared to be ordered around as if<span style="font-style: italic">dominated</span>They cannot be dispelled and are very difficult to physically remove or destroy. However, certain abjuration magic can interfere with their functioning; also, if a creature is the subject of multiple mind-control effects which contradict each other, the controllers make opposed charisma checks to determine whose orders the subject obeys.]<br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/>Meanwhile, at the adjacent longtable, the griffonfolk leans down to stare hungrily at the last squirrel huddled beneath the table. "Your turn, sweets..."<br/>She trembles under his gaze and crawls as far away as the length of her chain will allow.