<div class="floatright">(http://i.imgur.com/y8E32QH.jpg)<br/><br/>(http://i.imgur.com/KzDJuUK.jpg)<br/><br/>(http://i.imgur.com/KV72Q5h.jpg)</div><br/>Zerxel picked up the ring and extended one finger, and Bo cried out,<strong> "No don't put it..."</strong>but it was too late, Zerxel was already slipping the ring over her finger and kneeling down in front of Bo.  Shugar, who had been meditating opened one eye at Bo's cry of distress and stood, walking over to see what had happened.<br/><br/><em>"I didn't mention the key or the loot we might find behind the door, because I honestly don't know how we're going to divy it up, Bo.  Believe me when I say though, that our friendship means far more to me than simply winning this damned, cursed contest.  But I can tell you this, and this goes for you too Shugar.  I won't let this place divide us, not if I can help it.  Ouir survival might depend on what we can find along the way, but it'll mean nothing if we lose ourselves along the way.  But you're right, about the key and the treasure as well as the spiderlings, just keep in mind about what I said too, Bo, Shugar.  This place purposely does this to keep us divided and fighting against each other, so that no one wins except Pandora, and it's just another reason why I want it ended.  And while I'm willing to make hard choices to see it happen, I won't sacrifice my friends to do what should have happened a long time ago.  You know this, Bo."</em><br/><br/>Bo shook her head as Shugar smiled at Zerxel's words.<strong> "Ach,"</strong>the dwarf said lifting the drow off her knees,<strong> "Get up ye stupid elf.  A'corse our friendship is important, far more important than defeatin' the dungeon.  An yer right, we can'nae let this place divide us."</strong>She nodded at Shugar to say that she considered the shaman a part of the group.<strong>"Whatever the future might bring, we ken do more if'fn we remember that we stick together."</strong>She sighed and practically bellowed,<strong>"Though by Moradin's sweaty taint I don't know why ye'd put on a ring ye knew was cursed!  I guess the stories about the drow bein intelligent are vastly over inflated."</strong><br/><br/><strong>"She put on a ring she knew was cursed?"</strong>Shugar asked with disbelief in her voice.  Bo nodded and pointed at Zerxel's finger.  Shugar looked at it and made a sour face,<strong> "I don't know what that is, but it... feels.... wrong.  It's bad Zerxel, I don't know why, but it's... it's... its an anathema to my very soul.  Take it off, throw it away, I beg you."</strong><br/><br/>Zerxel gripped the ring and pulled, but the ring would not budge one iota.  It felt unlike any ring she'd ever worn and more like a piece of her own flesh.  There was no way she was getting it off without a decursive magic or maybe the help from her counselor.<em>"I can't."</em><br/><br/>Shugar grimaced, but seemed less shocked as she asked in her high pitched voice,<strong>"Do you feel any different, can you feel the ring doing anything?"</strong><br/><br/>Zerxel almost answered no, that she felt no different, but then she stopped and really thought about how she felt in that moment.  She did feel slightly different, a little more at peace, a little less in control of the building lusts that had been affecting her a few moments ago.  Also there was a strange sensation... an odd...familiar...how could she describe it?  The silken cord of the G-string that ran between her puffy outer labia, super tight and splitting her sex down it's cleft felt almost uncomfortable now.  Before it had been distracting and even a little bit arousing.  Now it felt slightly invasive.  Of course it should feel invasive, she had a piece of string that rubbed her clitoral hood constantly before plunging between her pussy lips, pulling tightly across her taint, then running between her butt cheeks.  Who wouldn't consider that invasive?  Well.... she hadn't untill she put the ring on.  In fact it had been almost pleasurable.  In fact, she could feel the metal of her nipple rings pressing into the soft flesh of her areola.  It felt like she almost wanted to dig them out of the bustier and remove them, they were just ever so slightly annoying, not erotically pleasing as they had been before.  It was just the very most minor thing, almost something she wouldn't have noticed if she hadn't been taking stock of her feelings.  But now she did notice them.  What did it mean?  Why had these magical items that had previously been pleasurable suddenly turned into minor annoyances?<br/><br/>Zerxel shared this information with her friends and Shugar again pulled a sour face and said,<strong> "I would like to try something if you don't mind, maybe I can determine what the ring does?"</strong>Zerxel nodded and Shugar closed her eyes and began a long slow chant.  Zerxel recognized that the shaman was using her 'slow' magic, conserving her power.  Bo paced towards the edge of the courtyard and returned a few times before Shugar finished her chanting.  Then with hands that glowed a very slight pink the bugbear reached out and touched the ring on Zerxel's finger.  Instantly upon touching the ring, both of them felt a slight spark, as if one might when touching a doorknob after walking across a carpet.  The pink glow on Shugar's hands immediately faded away.  Shugar raised an eyebrow and asked,<strong>"Try activating the magic of your armor.  This is important."</strong><br/><br/>Zerxel agreed and thought about how she would channel her lust to activate the armor, but nothing happened.  She frowned and tried again,<em> "Nothing... it's not working.  Why isn't it working?"</em><br/><br/>Shugar shook her head,<strong>"I am a fertility shaman, my magic comes from primal energy, the force of love, of lust, of sex, of reproduction.  Primal energy is very strong in the dungeon.  I suspect that your nipple rings and magical armor, fueled by lust, work off primal energy.  That ring.... it blocks primal magics.  Which includes all of my spells, my healing."</strong><br/><br/><strong>"Damned stupid elf,"</strong>Bo muttered shaking her head,<strong>"Ye have any idea how bad ye may have just handicapped yerself?"</strong><br/><br/><em>"But maybe that might be to my advantage somehow too?"</em>Zerxel asked Shugar hopefully.<br/><br/>Shugar made an uncertain face before saying,<strong>"Yes, I'm sure that some of the magic in this dungeon that would harm you would be primal.  But still... it just seems so wrong to me."</strong><br/><br/>Bo snapped,<strong>"Well, lets get moving then. Maybe we can find someone to take the ring off.  Maybe that naga with the magic shop?"</strong>Then turning to Shugar she gestured to the pile of clothing and weapons on the ground before saying,<strong>"I don't think we want any o' that unless you do.  But here's what we decided.  Yer te take this 'ere pouch, it's bottomless we think, magic fer sure though.  An this 'ere dragon necklace.  An I'm tae take the key."</strong><br/><br/>Shugar cast one longing look at the golden key but then nodded her head,<strong>"All right then.  I'm sure we will all be at an advantage if we can find that golden door for you.  Who knows, maybe beyond will lie something that will help all three of us, not just you Bo."</strong><br/><br/>Bo nodded glumly,<strong> "Aye an lets get a move on then, we wasted enough time here, an as long as we hold the key, all the other contestants will know our location.  Zerxel ye wanna take the lead again?"</strong>Shugar began tying the pouch to the rope strand that wrapped about her waist before slipping the medallion over her head.  She uttered a short gasp before smiling broadly, saying nothing but obviously pleased with whatever the necklace did for her.<br/><br/><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">ooc</div><div class="spoiler_body">I will update the OOC with the details of Zerxel's new ring.  But I will also post them below.  Please look it over.<br/><br/><a name="user_virginring"> </a><br/><div style="text-align: right;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 12pt;"><strong><span class="bbc_u">________________________________________<em>Cursed ring of purity</em></span></strong></span></div><table class="bbc_table"><tbody><tr><td><br/>This ring is cursed.  It may not be removed without the aid of powerful magic.<br/><br/>The ring itself is forged from the purest mithril inlaid with gleaming gold carved with an intricate filigree.  The intention behind this ring was to help a contestant retain their purity in the dungeon, at any cost.  It does confer some protection against the sorts of harmful magics that would most likely be invoked in the dungeon, but at a rather steep price.  Any contestant wearing this ring is highly resistant to any primal magic, be it good or ill, and is unable to activate or use any magical item which uses primal magic.  In addition, while wearing this ring, a contestant's hymen regrows in a matter of minutes, causing vaginal sex to be painful each time.<br/><br/>The ring has the following effects;<br/><ul class="bbc_list"><li>Primal magic is mostly resisted by the wearer, whether good or ill.</li><li>The contestant 'regains' her vaginal hymen ten minutes after any sexual encounter where her hymen is broken <em>(it does not regrow until after the sex is finished)</em>.  This is largely an ERP effect, and may have game changing aspects at a later date.  </li><li>Any magical items which have an effect that requires the contestant to channel lust in order to activate may not be activated, though any passive effects of those items still function.</li><li>The contestant finds that her minimum lust rating is lowered by 1 point (minimum of zero).</li><li>The wearer may not remove the ring on her own while inside the dungeon.  Powerful and non primal oriented magic would be needed to remove it.</li></ul></td><td>   </td><td>(http://i.imgur.com/y8E32QH.jpg)</td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><br/><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">Zerxel's Stats</div><div class="spoiler_body">Zerxel's Stats<br/>Attributes:       Traits:                  Hits:<br/>3: Body               Acrobatic          0<br/>4: Mind               Calculating         0<br/>3: Soul                Diplomatic         0<br/>1: Minimum Lust       <br/><strong>4</strong>: Current lust<br/><br/>    Skills<br/>2:       Swordswoman<br/>1:       Rogue<br/>1:       Dark Elf<br/>1:       Mage<br/>1:       Seductress<br/>1:       Fiendish Corruption<br/>    <br/><br/>Current items of note;<br/>Compass / watch<br/>Two plain but sturdy scimitars<br/>Zerxel's Enchanted Lingerie<br/>Pale amethyst nipple rings of protection<br/>Two small meals<br/>Map of level 2<br/>Brace of throwing knives<br/>Cursed Ring of Purity<br/><br/><br/>Current spell effects;<br/>- Highly resistant to any primal magic<br/>- Perma-"virgin"<br/><br/><br/>See the OOC thread (https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=234676.msg11913405#msg11913405) for further details</div></div>