<strong>Ivette</strong><br/><br/>Idao took another step back, his eyes intently focused on Ivette. A wave of pale energy appearing like armor washed over his body before fading again from sight. As he moved, his collar slid down slightly, revealing... something upon his neck. Small and slimy, almost like a worm, attached to him!<br/><br/>'What ...influence do you have... in the flying ...city!?' He was unable to penetrate her mind a third time, her determination prevailing in the end. But if this creature had taken possession of Idao and held all of Dawa's nobility hostage... then the interest it took in the young sorceress was troubling indeed!<br/><br/><hr/><br/>Initiative? No matter what they roll, Ivette goes first because they'll ready or delay action.<br/><br/><strong>Dexter</strong><br/><br/>The ebon piratess smiled sardonically as she put her hand on her hip, "A map is fine and dandy, but it ain't much use if we can't get outta this room."<br/><br/>She paused, putting her fingers up to her chin in contemplation, "And I don't want to try opening that hatch until I'm positive it won't drown us..."<br/><br/>"I'm going back up to search the study." She asserted, "D'you think you could use any of the scrolls up there?"<br/><br/><hr/><br/>Yes. New house rule: If you can cast a certain spell without a scroll, then you can cast it with one. Even if it's normally arcane and scribed by an arcane spellcaster.<br/><br/><strong>Ellen</strong><br/><br/>The half-celestial sulked at her words, perhaps with a little exaggeration. "Very well, Miss Ellen." Rathael said with a winning smile, "I won't leave you."<br/><br/>With that, Ellen was free to be escorted inside. How elegant it all was inside. The goblins had apparently designed much of their architecture with reverance to human and elven cathedrals in mind. Where she any other land, among any other people, she would have thought this to be a temple to one of the purest gods of virtue and justice... not some goblin queen.<br/><br/>The ghost was brought through the temple and up a gleaming spiral staircase with white steps and fine wooden railings. All the orc paladins were armored with a polish, and the female goblin and orcish maidens wearing flowing white robes and golden ceremonial headdresses and jewelry.<br/><br/>They must have gone up five stories before the orc led her to a wide hall. At the end there remained two more paladins beside a doorway. They stopped Ellen as she approached. Her escort nodded and wordlessly, one of the guards opened the door just enough so that he could slip in.<br/><br/>A few moments later and the door opened from within. It was an open air balcony, the roof held by four pillars guarded by four orcs.<br/><br/>At the center of the room, amid an extravagant pile of blankets and pillows, nude bodies writhed lustfully together. What could have only been the High Priestess, a shapely olive-green goblin with a golden headdress and earrings that went down to her collar bones. She wore flowing seethrough robes of white, hiked up to her hips as she was mounted atop a young male orc... nearly twice her size!<br/><br/>Aside from some heavy breathing, they weren't moving very much until the priestess leaned forward, planting her hands upon the orc's chest. "Blessed are the guardians of our people." She began to whisper softly in common, "Blessings upon the servitors of Her will. May you approach divinity as we exchange in this holiest of unions. Fill this maiden with the makings of Her most devout followers, and in return, be filled with Her love and power. So be it in truth."<br/><br/>The goblin priestess stood up then, a generous amount of the orc's seed dripping from her as she seperated herself from his softening member. It was almost impressive, considering the size difference... She was afforded some modesty after the ritual when her robes succumbed to gravity and fell back down to her knees.<br/><br/>She looked over her shoulder to regard Ellen. Her eyes were golden and her features... quite comely for a goblin. She must have been to attain such high rank, to govern over an entire city like this.