"Kikonu-dono is the masterrr of the castle!" The dire corby declared, as though it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Have you not hearrrd of him?"<br/><br/>Ameiko nudged Yazhu. "Psst, just play along for now." Turning back to the dire corby she said, "We found the ring on a thief and immediately recognized it as Kikonu-dono's! Of course we are here to return it to its rightful owner!"<br/><br/>That seemed to satisfy the birdmen, and together they backtracked the path - yet again -<br/>back to Brinewall Castle's gates.<br/><br/><hr/><div class="floatright">(https://i.imgur.com/xAb19sf.png)</div>The castle was in better condition than Yazhu had seen it last several minutes ago. They passed through the gatehouse which had an intact ceiling and a pair of dire corbies garrisoning it, through the courtyard which had fresh furrows from the birdmen's talons and no weeds or boulder in it (looking up, the catapult on the wall was intact as well), and into the keep which was still structurally intact. Not that it was in pristine condition by any means - there was no mold or rot, but the banners and carpets were still in tatters as if no one bothered to replace them. And the smell! Last time a place stunk this bad was the goblin village in Brinestump Marsh... Gone was the damage from time, but the current residents felt more like squatters than the true owners of the place.<br/><br/>In the throne room, four more dire corbies were gathered, dressed up in ill-fitting human clothes and looking somewhere between confused and exasparated as they went through the motions of performing a play. They were performing for the pleasure of the person sitting on the throne, a wild eyed Tian man with a bristly goatee, deep red skin, and a prodigious nose. He idly toyed with a kusarigaman a combination sickle and weighted chain, and an (intact) sun disc worn on a long chain.<em>"They're doing it all wrong,"</em>he muttered to himself in Tien, before shouting out in Common, "No, no, no, you're doing it all wrong!"<br/><br/>It was to this outburst that Yazhu and Ameiko entered the throne room, their escorts wisely staying by the door and as far from the master's wrath as possible. He cackled in delight upon their entrance and waved the acting dire corbies aside. "Welcome to my domain, fellow wingless ones! I am Kikonu,<em>daimyo</em>of this castle. What brings you to my home and what can I do for you?"