<div class="floatleft">(https://i.imgur.com/11PnP6B.jpg?1)<br/><em>Alice (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=1792578)<br/>HP 8/15<br/>AC 14 FF 12 T 12<br/>CMD 11 FCMD 9<br/>Channel Energy 6/6<br/>Dazing Touch 6/6<br/>Sudden Shift 6/6<br/>Orisons: Detect Magic, Enhanced Diplomacy,<br/>Guidance, Light<br/>1st Lvl Spells: <del>Barbed Chains</del><br/>Charm Person<br/>Desperate Weapon<br/>Summon Monster I</em></div><br/>Alice knew better than to surrender, especially given how much she heard of Galt's violence, but she found herself kneeling and holding out her wrists to be bound.<br/><br/><em>A spell, no other way about it,</em>she thought.<em>Calistria, please ensure these brutes won’t go unpunished!</em><br/><br/><hr/><br/>This internal prayer was loud enough to drown out Goss’ empty proclamations. She had no reason to pay attention, for she could see the rapturous crowd emote on his every word. She did her best to focus on her companions, look for any weak points in the floorboards beneath the stockades. She found nothing.<br/><br/><em>I let everyone down. I should have...why didn’t I…?</em><br/><br/><div class="quoteheader"><div class="topslice_quote">Quote</div></div><blockquote class="bbc_standard_quote">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.  </blockquote><div class="quotefooter"><div class="botslice_quote"></div></div><br/>It was then that Alice looked up and joined her allies in the angered screams in vain.<br/><br/><em>How does he know that name?! Did she really do this, all for a pair of panties?!</em><br/><br/><div class="quoteheader"><div class="topslice_quote">Quote</div></div><blockquote class="bbc_standard_quote">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.</blockquote><div class="quotefooter"><div class="botslice_quote"></div></div><br/><em>So Galt threw off devil worship, in exchange for pacts with demons,</em>she thought.<em>Wait, really?</em><br/><br/>She did her best to put on a tough front, but the young half-elf’s heart was beating faster than ever. She didn’t want to believe they’d be going to the Abyss, to be slaves of beasts!<br/><br/><em>They can’t get away with this, someone will eventually realize the truth! A man so new to power can’t possibly have an entire underground church constructed so quickly! This must be an illusion, a dream, a trick!</em><br/><br/>Alice held her eyes shut as they passed through the portal, keeping them closed until she woke back up in Iadara...or forced open.