<br/><br/><br/>Aria smiled widely and laughed lightly. She nodded, mirroring Kass's face of visceral interest and stepping close, "I am the same. And flattered you know me, I suppose! Perhaps it starts to reason those Saturnia knew of to contact would tend to have other linkages themselves. Keela is with child and not adventuring while thus. She's hardly left alone; we have a few<em>very</em>special friends and servants. Hmm, now that you mention it..." she studied Kass carefully, "I might've heard of you; when her grandmother last visited she spoke of this new prodigy she had the good fortune to consider herself an influence on...and from the look of your age I might guess you are she."<br/><br/>"In any case, I am afraid I was not revealing myself in so pleasant a way, merely heeding nature's more mundane call, but that's neither here nor there. I've been hydrating overmuch since I got here; Saturnia informed me how arid Mulhorand is, and I am used to cold climes, you see-"<br/><br/>She was interrupted by an unseen speaker of jubilant, masculine voice. "Haaa-ha! I've done it! The spell succeeds! I had a suspicion this one might be behind such a theft; in my readings of plane-lore I came upon the name Karsysa; a demoness infamous for over a thousand years for goading mortals to steal artifacts for her, one who now serves the Nightsinger rather than the Lords of the Abyss no less..."<br/><br/>The voice came from beyond another of the beaded curtains, past which a hallway made a T. A man moved briskly into sight from the left branch, waving long-fingered hands triumphantly. He wore a blonde man of hair, and wizardly robes of crimson cut almost sleeveless to reveal rather athletic arms by the standards of a wizard. The sight of Kass seemed to distract him, and widen his ivory smile and green eyes, but he continued, "...and so I have..."<br/><br/>Saturnia asked, "Scryed upon-"<br/><br/>"Better!" he snapped his fingers. "I, Faebion, have called and bound the she-fiend, that we might find whatever part she has placed, and in any case entrap her against performing any more ill acts!"<br/><br/>Saturnia thundered, "You<em>attempted a planar binding!?</em>"<br/><br/>"Attempted?" Faebion laughed. "<em>Enacted!</em>Just now she's encircled-"<br/><br/>A tree-trunk thick snake tail shot around the corner from which he'd appeared, encircling the wizard about his chest. The man's triumphantly raised arms fell to grapple helplessly at the constricting thing, but within moments his eyes rolled back in his head, and  there were several snapping sounds within his constricted torso. The fellow fell unconscious and limp but still very much held aloft by the huge serpent-tail; until a moment later, whence his unconscious body simply vanished.<br/><br/>More of his attacker slid into view: serpent-bodied but not a serpent entirely, its upper a woman clutching six swords in six lean strong arms. Sharp-featured and serpentine of voice, she hissed, "Cowardly conjurers and their contingencies," frowning at the empty coil in her tail, as her face turned towards the hall and whomever Faebion had been addressing.<br/><br/><br/>Aria init 35<br/>Karsysa (http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/alumni_marilith_FC1.jpg) init 22<br/>Saturnia init 21<br/><br/>Place Kass anywhere in the central room (I made coordinates you can reference), and I'll choose adjacent squares for Aria and Saturnia.<br/><br/><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: courier;"><br/><br/><br/>  A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P <br/>1         . .     . .<br/>2         . .     . . <br/>3         . .     . .<br/>4         . .     . .         . .<br/>5         . . . . . .         . . <br/>6         . . . . . .         K K<br/>7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . K K<br/>8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .         <br/>9         . . . . . .         . .<br/>10        . . . . . .         . . <br/>11            . .<br/>12            . .<br/>13            . . <br/>          (to street)</span>