As the elves turned at the interruption to their larceny, human thugs were already charging them with clubs.  Two immediately closed on Faunra, the tall, dangerous-looking elf with a massive curved sword still sheathed.  Their clubs didn’t do much to her exquisitely curved breastplate, and she cooly drew her blade to return the blow.  Instead, however, her slice arced around to slash at Alice’s side!  The betrayal!  But no—Alice blinked back against the lights, yelling, and her own adrenaline and realized it was a trick, her ally really did carve a gash into the human thug attacking them.  Despite the armed ranger standing there, the rest of the thugs poured in to continue the charge, hoping to quickly overwhelm the elves with numbers.  Faunra and Tamarie continued to be struck, even as they tried to counter with magic.  Kieyanna and Tamarie both tried to enchant the crowd of humans to sleep, but only the wounded man succumbed, the rest too agitated and excited to have real enemies to vent their bloodlust on.  Even Kieyanna and Alice were faced with even more club-wielding thugs trying to knock them out.  Alice managed to summon the power of Calistria, a magical chain covered in stingers slashing at her foe.  The wicked swipe left his face bloody and swollen, and for a moment he reared back in shock and pain.<br/><br/>“Enough!” the leader yelled.  “You will lay down your arms and surrender to the rightful authority of the Revolutionary Council.  Your lives will be spared and you will merely be exiled.  If you resist you will be executed here and now!”  His words carried a magical weight, forcing Faunra, Kieyanna, and Alice to see no other choice but to put down their weapons and spells, letting the thugs bind them.  Tamarie shook her head defiantly, however, unfurling a heavy whip with a sharp blade tip, “Death to tyrants!” she cried, slashing out with it even as the remaining thugs surrounded her and took her down by weight and beating.<br/><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">Combat</div><div class="spoiler_body">[Thug hits Faunra, 5 damage<br/>Thug misses Faunra<br/>Faunra hits thug, 10 damage<br/> Alice saves vs illusion, no damage<br/>Thug hits Faunra, 8 damage<br/>Thug misses Tamarie<br/>Thug hits Tamarie, 3 damage<br/>Kieyanna casts <em>sleep</em>, one thug falls asleep<br/>Tamarie casts <em>sleep</em>, thugs save<br/>Thug misses Tamarie<br/>Thug hits Kieyanna, 4 damage<br/>Thug hits Alice, 7 damage<br/>Alice casts <em>barbed chains</em>, hits thug, 1 damage and shaken<br/>Citizen Goss stares at Kieyanna, casts <em>mass suggestion</em>, Tamarie saves, Faunra, Kieyanna, Alice fail<br/>Thugs beat on Tamarie]</div></div><hr/><br/>In the dawning light of early morning, the elves were bound and gagged on a wooden stage in a city plaza.  It looked like it had seen a lot of use for similar displays, with a gibbet and tall, ornate, and terrifyingly effective guillotine standing ready.  In addition to the regular gangs of thugs and violent revolutionaries, the regular citizenry had finally come out of hiding to conduct their day’s business and have some entertainment this morning.  While at night, anyone might be accosted and attacked, here in the light of day, they felt safe seeing obvious foreigners on display who could soak up everyone’s ire and wrath.<br/><br/>The man who had led the thugs last night stood center stage here as well.  “Citizens of Galt!” he opened, raising his hands welcomingly to the crowd.  They cheered at the recognition and validation, happy to be safely accepted.  “Your humble councilman, Citizen Goss, bids you good morning.  But a terrible morning none the less!”  It seemed the target of the Wasp Queen’s investigation had been their foil and captor as well.  “While we have been hard at work fighting the enemies of the Revolution and building a Glorious New Future, foreign interlopers and Assets of the Opposition,” pointing back at the elves and pausing a moment to allow the boos and hisses to pass, “crept into the heart of our fair city to conduct machinations and villainy most foul!  Not only would they deprive you of your gold, earned with the sweat of your brow, but to Collude and Conspire with our Enemies, to Slander and Libel the very Revolution itself in hopes of breaking your spirits, destroying your values, and bringing ruin to the identity of Galt!”  The crowd roared with every piercing accusation, falling into an easy, practiced rhythm of responding to the preaching cadence of their leader.<br/><br/>“Now I know how Galtans deal with treachery and treason, with the Rope and the Blade!” he waved at the execution devices waiting and ready to enthusiastic cheers.  “Tell me, do we let them answer to Madame Margaery?!”  An executioner in a gray silk veil pulled a lever, sending the guillotine’s blade slicing down across a huge watermelon.  The huge, heavy blade sang as it fell, and half of the bisected melon tumbled down to the children that were apparently waiting for this very moment, tearing it apart to enjoy the delicious treat.  It looked like the Wasp Queens had found themselves participating in a fairly common performance, and it didn’t look like it ended well.<br/><br/>“But…” Goss announced, quieter, forcing the crowd to hush.  “But, is this treason?  Do we expect any better from some ignorant, inhuman mercenaries?  Are these alien savages even capable of understanding the weight and scope of what we are fighting for?”  The crowd was a bit confused by this turn, though a few individual ‘nos’ were offered to this rhetoric.  “We are not like them, we are not like our Enemies, seeking to kill everything before them.  No, we are better!  We also understand compassion and mercy, and showing these ignorant tree-dwellers the errors of their ways.  I think after going a few rounds with Isarn’s finest, they’ve had a taste of what we’re made of!”  The crowd chuckled and clapped in appreciation.  “With that lesson in mind, we shall send these elves back where they came from with a sentence of Exile!  …And if they ever show their ears again, Margaery knows what to do!”  Ending on a hopeful note, the crowd accepted this with applause, satisfying themselves with high-minded rhetoric instead of the usual bloody spectacle.<br/><br/><hr/><br/>The crowd wouldn’t disperse on their own for fear of missing out on any last-minute executioning, so the guards had to haul the elves back to their paddy wagon, a large cart that had been converted with a large cage-area in the back.  The restrained elves still had to endure the boos, jeers, and rotten fruit thrown their way as they were driven out, but at least they were alive.  Citizen Goss joined the armed escort on his own horse, though instead of leaving out any of the gates to the road or docks, they traveled to a more obscure neighborhood of the ruined noble and government districts.  Here were more ruined statuary, monuments, and facades, these more completely destroyed, almost smoothed-over.  “This,” Citizen Goss started expounding to his prisoners, “was the noble district of our former Chelaxian masters.  We threw off the shackles of that evil empire long ago, of course.  You won’t find any remains of theirs any more.  Unless you know where to look,” he grinned.  “But like any oppressive government, they had to have some source of power to exert control.  They chose contractual devilry, selling their souls for power.”  He shook his head.  “Fools.  One cannot sit still and stagnate in such a bog.  The life of a nation and government is much too fluid and mercurial for such draconian measures.”  He dismounted as they pulled up to what appeared to be a cross between a dark temple and courthouse, with lots of heavy, foreboding stone architecture.  The guards unloaded the elves, just able to shuffle themselves forward and up the steps with their arms and legs bound.  “What I’ve found is a more pragmatic approach, to approach more flexible partners and come to a mutually-beneficial arrangement,” he pushed open the large oak doors to a cleared-out central hall.  Mundane torches supplemented the remains of everburning lights, showing the benches and tables had been pushed aside, leaving just integral stone banisters and a massive judge’s dais still standing.  Nobody sat there, instead, the central floor was occupied by a group of the most vicious, shaggy, wicked-looking gnolls.  They had been communicating through their growls and hooting, but fell quiet as the humanoids entered.  One, dressed in a slightly more clean and presentable robe and<em>not</em>carrying a barbed axe or spear stepped forward, stretching its muzzle in preparation for speaking Common.  “Greetings, Goss.  We come for more business, to trade.”<br/><br/>Goss nodded to the gnoll in greeting, though did not get too close.  “Greetings, friends.  Yes, you are in luck, today we bring four fine elves for you, females even!  I’m sure that can fetch a fine price.”  Oh gods, the elves were being sold off to slavers.  The gnoll turned back to the others for more growling and chittering before turning back.  “Yes, yes, very good, very tasty, we like this.  Double for this, very fair…” the gnoll stepped up to the elves, panting and slobbering as usual, but now in their faces as he examined them tip to tail, pawing and prodding at muscles and curves alike.  The other gnolls carried up chests from their supplies, some ringing with coin, others filled with bottles or strange pungent herbs, flowers, and roots.  The human guards waited for the gnolls to set them down before accepting and collecting them, leaving out the way they came.  “A pleasure doing business as always.  Oh, and as a parting gift, girls, I was told Miss Sylia wanted to bid you farewell and good luck in your new adventure, and she’ll provide a very fitting eulogy for you all.  Heh, elves,” Goss chuckled to himself as he walked out with the guards, leaving the elves to the mercy of their new gnoll owners.<br/><br/>At the mention of the elf cleric’s name, each of the Wasp Queen’s eyes bulged in shock, surprise, and anger, Faunra almost leaping out of the grip of the gnoll holding her, despite her bindings.  Unintelligible muffled yelling went unheeded as the gnolls packed up their supplies and newest slaves, heading not out of the building, but down into the court’s basement.  Here, the architecture became more ceremonial, more of a dark temple.  There were chapels, cells, altars, a stone table with disturbing gashes on the surface, and most striking of all, an open magic portal.  Framed by stone sculpture of chains, spikes, and fiends, the portal was opaque, though the black rippling curtain of energy didn’t look promising, and the smell of sulfur filled the area.  “Going home, your new home.  Through the Gathering Gate, and into Yeenoghu’s Realm…”  The bestial creatures had already started gathering their supplies and entering the portal, and the elves too were shouldered like sacks of flour and carried through with them.<br/><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">OOC</div><div class="spoiler_body">Choo choo, all aboard the railroad to the Abyss, first top, Yeenoghu!</div></div>