Without much left to do, Thaddeus sweeps towards Nolveniss, drawing his dagger. His pitiful jabs are nothing compared to... Well, what the rest of his party is capable of in melee, but even a small pinprick can help out. That is, if anything is even left of Nolveniss by the time he gets there.
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Nolveniss lets out a horrific scream as Keanu flies into him, completely impaling him with his greatsword. The wizard scrabbles at Keanu, his eyes wide. He gasps out as he reaches for the blank mask of the vigilante.
"We were... promised..."
He slips off of the sword and crashes to the ground before you. The master of the Armageddon Echo is dead.
End of Combat
You gather around the body and as you take in what you've accomplished, the incredible magical items on Nolveniss and the assassin shine before you. You find:
- a staff that radiates moderate magic
- an amulet of natural armor +1
- bracers of armor +4
- cloak fo resistance +2
- a handy haversack
- a headband of vast intelligence +2
- a ring of protection +1
- a very nice spellbook
- +1 rapier
- +2 mithral chain shirt
- +1 keen punching dagger
- cloak of resistance +1
- hat of disguise
- 2 potions cure moderate wounds
- 1 potion cure serious wounds
- 1 potion of haste
- ring of protection +1
- wand of invisibility (25 charges)
Thaddeus brings himself down among the group.
"Well, 'nother 'one down. Now, since Ah don' want front row seats t'the apocalypse, Ah say we gather everythin' up, 'n get the hell outta here. Don' know when things are gonna end a'gin, so best get a move on. Or am Ah forgettin' somethin'?"
"Just need to retrieve those on our side," Keanu comments before hacking off Nolveniss' head. "In case we run into any others," he says as he grips the head by its hair.
Variel nods approvingly at Keanu. "Yes, let us gather our wounded and leave this horrible shadow."
Mutt blinks as he sees Keanu destroy the wizard. Ending his rage and shouldering his greataxe, he says evenly, ”You know, you could have let the rest of us fight him.” He then smiles. ”Good job.”
When the others are discussing plans, Mutt says, ”I agree. Get everything and everyone and get out. And that includes the dragon’s body.”
Keanu smile back. ”I was trying to force him to the ground, but a sword does not make for a decent fly swatter.”
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"Says you." Fiona grins. "It worked well enough from where I was watching."
One does not simply leave the Armageddon Echo. The final item you find on Nolveniss is the portal key, a deep purple gemstone that Grunyn spoke about. Thaddeus can figure out how to work it well enough, and so you gather the items from Nolveniss' body and head downstairs exhausted, but victorious. Shalelu is now conscious and she and Kaerishiel have recovered their gear, but are barely walking. You settle in around Razorhorn's body like you're about to be painted, and Thaddeus reuintes with his little goat that was hanging around outside properly irritated by the shadow figures. You activate the portal key.
Shalelu leans weakly on the reticent Kaerishiel. "We did it. Now how does tha--"
The world ends. Everything is rocked as the walls around yuou are blasted in from the impact of a nearby meteor. The stone and debris fall around you, but fade into shadowstuff. In this strange, dark, shadowy world, the world is ending as it did 10,000 years ago.
Meteors streak down from the sky, crashing into the Meirani forest around and destroying buildings. More shockingly, dominating the sky is a meteor of unbelievable size. Earthfall. The beginning of the Age of Darkness, and the blast that not only created the Inner Sea, but gave Golarion the Starstone which turned man into God. It streaks far to the southeast.
The portal key in Beshtori's hands thrums loudly as you watch the cacapohony in awe. It appears to be entirely protecting you from the incredible devastation. Direclty above, however, is a piece of the meteor heading for the centre of Avistan. And this one is heading right for Celwynvian.
Everything goes black.
----
Your return to Celwynvian is a cheerful one as you stride out of the elfgate at the Academy of Arts a little woozily, but all in one piece. The drow are routing all over the city, and it's an easy matter to walk out, and help your injured return to camp.
A thunderous cheer rises from the army as you return triumphant. Eviana greets you warmly, and you are all given a real heroes' welcome, as well as time to rest and recuperate while the army clears out the city.
As you rest, Eviana leaves you with a word of warning. "We have another mission for you. This one is weird."
The army is in mass celebration with the fall of the drow forces in Celwynvian. This past week has been one of cleanup and the drow have been almost entirely routed, fleeing into the forest or into dark caves in a hope to find their way back to the Darklands. DUring this time you've relayed as much as you can about the drow and their behaviour back to the leadership, and particularly the mechanism of the Armageddon Echo.
One thing remains unknown though. This was not the drow invasion force - this was a massive experiment to test a weapon. And the weapon test was successful. Although the drow were driven from Celwynvian, they had already accomplished their goal.
With this in mind, you are brought to the command tent a good week after the rout of the drow. There sits Eviana, Kaerishiel, and a strange, grumpy-looking elf you have not seen before. Eviana looks strangely uncomfortable with this new arrival. Kaerishiel, never one to miss words, gets to the point.
"When you cleared out the Academy, there were two elf-gates in there. One of them lead to the Armageddon Echo. The other was inactive, and our diviners have discovered where it leads - directly to Zirnakaynin, the largest drow city we know anything about. Corrupting this elf-gate is likely how they took the city so long ago. With the seizure of the academy, the drow have no way back to their homeland, and no means of communication we're aware of. This gives us an opportunity, and one we must seize on quickly.."
He pauses for a moment, speaking with some distaste. "You've proven yourself the most powerful and adaptable of our number with great, repeated successes against the drow. We have a mission for you. It's... odd. We want you to enter Zirnakaynin as spies."
Variel spends some of the recovery time teleporting back to the capital to acquire some new items, adding new enchantments to his whips, and praying to Calistria to grant him additional power with which to confront the drow.
When Kaerishiel suggests that the team go to the drow city as spies, he asks, "Our ability to be sneaky is limited, as several of us carry significant gear and armor. In a city of drow, all it would take is a single one to spot us. Do you have significant illusory magic to disguise us all effectively?"
"Assuming you do, what exactly do you expect us to accomplish? While I am known for my quick wit and silver tongue, I have little experience in spycraft, and I doubt the others have any. We will need a clear plan for what you want us to do and discover, and how to get out when we need to."
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Mutt is in shock as he sees the Starfall in the Armageddon Echo. He closes his eyes before they vanish and exit. He seems relieved when they are out of the Armageddon Echo.
During the trip back, Mutt is awfully quiet and shrugs off any conversation. During the week, Mutt decides to swap out some of his own gear and take some of the loot that they have. During the celebrations, Mutt just nods, makes little small talk, and gives small smiles. However, it is very clear that something is gnawing at his mind.
At some point, Mutt can't really stand just standing around, waiting for something to happen. He grabs his gear and leaves the base, heading out to a clearing in the woods with a small lake. Placing his gear on the ground, he grabs his greataxe and turns to a tree. He begins to swing at the tree, leaving deep gashes in the bark. As he swings, he reflects on the events of not just the last few months, but the last couple of years. The images play in his mind, as if he was reliving them. The death of his Shoanti friend by . Killing his master, his gang, and burning down his home. Arriving to Riddleport and joining the group at the Gold Goblin. Nearly dying several times. Discovering the drow and fighting them at every step. And... the Starfall. At the last image, Mutt yells and gives a mighty swing, felling the tree. He pants before giving a loud scream of frustration and anger. "Why?! Why did you keep letting me live?! Why did you let me kill you?! Was it for this?! WHY WON'T YOU ANSWER ME?!" He pants before moving to sit on the felled tree, placing his greataxe against the log. He looks at the lake, wiping the tears that begun to fall. He whispers, "Why did you let me kill you? Was it to bring me here? To make me see the Starfall and stop it? Why?" He sits, looking at the lake and contemplating it.
*POP*
Mutt's soliloquy is interrupted by an odd sound coming from somewhere above.
"...AAAAAAAA"
"...BLEEEEAA"
*SPLOOSH*
There's more splashing and struggling, as Thaddeus and Old Horn fight to orient themselves in the water. Fortunately, it wasn't a long fall, and the water was deep enough to absorb the drop, while still being shallow enough to stand in.
*COUGH, SPUTTER, cough, gack*
Thaddeus splashes around a bit to pull Old Horn into the shallows.
*BLLLEEAAAHH!*
"Well, yeah, Ah know 'dat NOW! Shore would've been good t'know 'xactly twenny seconds 'go, or, y'know, last night when we was sketchin' out the transposition targetin' runes!"
*Beeeahh!*
"Oh, a learnin' 'xperience! 'Dat makes it all better! *grumble* stupid garbage eatin' know-it-all..."
Thaddeus splashes his way out of the pond, shaking his hat of excess water and ringing out his jacket, having not quite noticed Mutt yet.
========
"Yeah... What Variel said. Yeh want us t'be spies?"
Thaddeus looks at the group.
"Ah mean, 'dis is serious stuff, so gotta do what we can, but 'specially some of us don' seem th'most canny sorts, y'know?"
Thaddeus coughs for a bit.
"I'll have to really focus on talkin'... Talking differently, too. I know how to speak and read Undercommon, but Ah... I don't think they have a farmer drawl in their tongue."
Kaerishiel nods. "It's insane. I know. But thankfully, we have an insane solution. This is Giseil Voslil, he is a friend of the Shin'Rakorath and the best necromancer in this part of Varisia."""[/b] He gestures to the odd-looking elf who leaps to his feet. It's at this point you notice that there is a blanket in the tent hiding ... well, something.
Giseil looks at all of you awkwardly, avoiding eye contact. However, as he begins speaking he becomes animated, waving his arms wildly. "Yes - a - yes. Well, look. We need to get you into Zirnakaynin, and get you to appear as drow. Now - now you will likely know that drow are some of the most powerful masters of the arcane. I'm sure your ... gnome... could manage an alter self spell or some such, but drow will see through such a disguise in seconds. That - that is where my brilliance comes into play."
It is at this point, you noticed that the war room table is covered in a large blanket. With a flourish, Giseil pulls off the blanket to reveal five very dead drow elves of varying sizes.
"This... this is my creation. RECORPOREAL INCARNATION! We are not going to cover you up with flimsy illusions, or polymorph you with such obvious, easily-detectable tricks. Instead, we shall weave the drow onto you - like a sheath for a sword."
Thaddeus looks at the Drow corpses. Then at Giseil.
Then back at the drow corpses.
Then back at Giseil.
Then once more at the corpses.
And then once more at Giseil.
Thaddeus' expression is at once plain, yet hard to read. Not out of reservation, but the sheer mix of wide eyed, mouth agape, twisted faces he makes. The best guess is an expression of confusion, but not just 'How' and 'What.' Instead, the overwhelming question is 'Why.'
Thaddeus opens his mouth, but cannot seem to formulate a question, so he closes it. He raises his finger, attempting to orchestrate a query with finger motions, but again fails.
Finally, Thaddeus coughs, and looks at Giseil.
"You've, uhhh.... You've tested this already, right? Mutt can attest to the problems with untested magic."
Thaddeus contemplates what he's hearing, wracking his mind for magical theories to apply some sort of order to what at first glance looks to be insanity.
Variel just looks incredulously at the necromancer, then to Kaerishiel. "Are you serious about this?"
Fiona, decked out in her new suit of adamantine chainmail, looks at the spell with no small degree of worry. "...hmm."
Mutt watches as Thaddeus and Old Horn teleport in and walk off, soaked to the bone. Mutt just sighs, collects his gear, and returns back to the base. With his faster speed, he catches up to Thaddeus. "So, do I want to know what that was about?"
With this in mind, you are brought to the command tent a good week after the rout of the drow. There sits Eviana, Kaerishiel, and a strange, grumpy-looking elf you have not seen before. Eviana looks strangely uncomfortable with this new arrival. Kaerishiel, never one to miss words, gets to the point.
Mutt eyes everyone in the room. He's a tad wary from the tension; but he doesn't comment.
"When you cleared out the Academy, there were two elf-gates in there. One of them lead to the Armageddon Echo. The other was inactive, and our diviners have discovered where it leads - directly to Zirnakaynin, the largest drow city we know anything about. Corrupting this elf-gate is likely how they took the city so long ago. With the seizure of the academy, the drow have no way back to their homeland, and no means of communication we're aware of. This gives us an opportunity, and one we must seize on quickly."
Mutt's brow raises as he crosses his arms. He lets Kaerishiel continue.
He pauses for a moment, speaking with some distaste. "You've proven yourself the most powerful and adaptable of our number with great, repeated successes against the drow. We have a mission for you. It's... odd. We want you to enter Zirnakaynin as spies."
Mutt blinks at this idea. He's completely confounded. "What? You want us to... what? Kaerishiel, I don't know if you've noticed... we're not drow. Most of us aren't even elves. Plus, I'm not the spying, sneaky, lying type. I'm more likely to decapitate them and cause as much damage as possible."
Kaerishiel nods. "It's insane. I know. But thankfully, we have an insane solution. This is Giseil Voslil, he is a friend of the Shin'Rakorath and the best necromancer in this part of Varisia." He gestures to the odd-looking elf who leaps to his feet. It's at this point you notice that there is a blanket in the tent hiding ... well, something.
Mutt turns to Giseil, brow raised. "A necromancer? How's a necromancer supposed to help us with spying?"
Giseil looks at all of you awkwardly, avoiding eye contact. However, as he begins speaking he becomes animated, waving his arms wildly. "Yes - a - yes. Well, look. We need to get you into Zirnakaynin, and get you to appear as drow. Now - now you will likely know that drow are some of the most powerful masters of the arcane. I'm sure your ... gnome... could manage an alter self spell or some such, but drow will see through such a disguise in seconds. That - that is where my brilliance comes into play."
Mutt's brow is still raised as he listens to Giseil.
It is at this point, you noticed that the war room table is covered in a large blanket. With a flourish, Giseil pulls off the blanket to reveal five very dead drow elves of varying sizes.
"This... this is my creation. RECORPOREAL INCARNATION! We are not going to cover you up with flimsy illusions, or polymorph you with such obvious, easily-detectable tricks. Instead, we shall weave the drow onto you - like a sheath for a sword."
Mutt blinks. Like Thaddeus, he looks between Giseil and the drow corpses. "What? Are you insane? How are you going to do that? Is that even possible? Is it permanent? Am I the only one questioning this?" At Thaddeus's comment, Mutt turns to him, brow raised. "I may be missing something. How can attest to that, exactly?"
He snaps. "Of course I'm serious! The spell is undetectable - you will be by all appearances drow. There are also some basic ah, size modifications that may have to take place so that you fit the form of the slighter race. It is of course not permanent, the spell will naturally wear off in around thirteen weeks, plenty of time for your mission."
Eviana cuts in. "The drow are some of the most powerful magic users in the known world - we do not have another means we are aware of to actually send spies into Zirnakaynin. We have also taken the liberty of securing several items which will allow you to fit in more naturally. They connect with the common traits of the drow through your ah, temporary forms, and will grant you drow spells, fluency in undercommon, proficiency with drow weapons, resistance to magic, and even some sensitivity to bright light."
"So, do I want to know what that was about?"
"Huh? Mutt?"
Thaddeus is surprised as he squeezes the bottom part of his shirt. Old Horn shakes himself dry once he gets back on dry land. He looks up at Mutt, and then around at the general area.
"Aw, 'dis is great! Ah wasn't far off th'mark after all! Was worried Ah could be all th'way in Cheliax, 'r worse."
"Oh, right, why am Ah here? Ah am proud to 'nnounce 'dat Ah have perfected th'incantations..."
*Beeeh*
"Yeh said it yerself, a learnin' 'xperience! Anyways.. Ah kin now teleport! Not 'dat lil' teleport Ah've been usin' in combat! But Ah could teleport back t'Riddleport n'back here if'n Ah wanted."
*Beeeeaaahhhhh*
"... Wit' a small risk of issues. Very minor... An' it's pretty taxin', too, an' Ah could only do it once a'day. Still, Ah've been wantin' t'pop back fer a quick visit, check up on things. But, ah... Maybe best Ah go over th'books first, Don' wanna accidently end up teleportin' t'the Worldwound, y'know."
Thaddeus looks again at the location.
"Guessin' we ain't far from camp? Good t'know. Whatcha doin' out here? Practicin' yer axe swingin?" Thaddeus asks innocently, looking at the freshly cut tree.
"Ah'll ask 'gain, 'cause Ah see yer' really excited 'bout 'dis... Yeh tested 'dis already, right? Like, multiple tests?"
"I may be missing something. How can attest to that, exactly?"
"Gimmie a moment, tryin' t'think 'bout it, mahself."
Variel listens to the explanation of the spell. "So you will ... blend us ... with these corpses, and this will grant us languages and magic we don't have, so that we can mimic drow. Will it affect the training and magic we have? I, for one, gain significant power from my connection to Calistria. Will this interfere with that in any way?"
Thinking further, he adds, "And what about knowledge? Every drow raised in their culture will know things about their history, and about the city. Will this somehow impart background information so that we aren't clearly outsiders, despite our appearance?"
"...all of which are good questions. I will be the first to admit I know nothing of drow culture, or much of how they interact with each other--I'm good at deception, but I don't yet think I'm that good."
"Oh you'll receiver a refresher course, of course," he mutters irritably. "The Shin'Rakorath know more about drow than any other surfacers and you're in the middle of their army. As for the magic, of course it works, and of course I've tested it!"
Kaerishiel cuts in. "To an extent we're trusting your ability to adapt. You can be clueless drow, claim you're from another city like Umberweb. It's reasonable approximate to where we are, and is considered a sort of provincial backwater."
Thaddeus has never heard of this sort of magic before. Although it seems lunatic, the principles are somewhat sound from what he knows about necromancy.
Fiona looks at the drow corpses again.
"How soon do you need us to act?"
"Will it affect the training and magic we have? I, for one, gain significant power from my connection to Calistria. Will this interfere with that in any way?"
"So what, precisely, are we to do? What information are you hoping we will be able to acquire?"@
Once Variel repeats the question the necromancer shakes his head quickly. "Maybe don't pray to your goddess in public but there'll be no effects that way with any of your abilities."
Kaerishiel answers the latter question. "We don't know the political situation down there, but can say at least that House Azinrae was the organizing force. Figure out a way to infiltrate the drow, get used to their society, and learn what the drow's next military actions are. It's vague but that's why we're choosing you, we trust your instincts. Or in short - what should we be doing on the surface? Are they attacking again, and if so where?"
Mutt listens to Thaddeus as he explains that he can now teleport, possibly to Riddleport. He says, "Hmm... Can you take more than one person with you when you teleport?" When Thaddeus asks about what Mutt was doing, Mutt looks at the tree and says, "Sort of. Just working out some... things."
Mutt listens as things are explained to the group. He asks, "And for those of us who aren't good at getting information, like me? What should I do to help? I mean, I don't know if it's odd for a drow with a greataxe to follow this group around. From what I've seen, these drow aren't as physically strong as me."
"The Darklands are insanely dangerous, and the drow respect power. I'm sure you'll figure it out."
Kaerishiel cuts in. "Keep in mind our encounters with the drow have been with a military armed to a specification. Individually drow do vary - you fought that barbarian with a greatsword before entering the portal, for example."
Mutt blinks. "Oh. That's right. Sorry. I forgot."
"Hmm... Can you take more than one person with you when you teleport?"
"'Course! Ah calculate Ah could take... Mmmm... Three other people. But, ah, Wouldn't be able t'come back 'till t'morrow."
"Sort of. Just working out some... things."
"Ahh, gotcha. Anyways, Ah'm headin' back t'camp, need t'finalize th'incantations fer 'dis spell. Comin', 'r yeh still trainin'?"
======
Group Meeting
"'Dis is by far th'craziest, most insane thing Ah've ever heard, graftin' drow flesh ont'us... An' Ah talk t'a friggin' goat t'cast magic!... OLD HORN!"
"Sorry, 'nother question. Got any plans 'fer familiars? Variel might be able t'hid Lash, but Ah ain't sure 'bout Old Horn. Are 'dere many goats unnerground?"
"Still, while Ah've never heard of magic bein' able t'do 'dis... Nothin' 'bout it is technically impossible, so Ah guess th' unnerlyin' theroies 'r sound..."
"Variel might be able t'hid Lash, ..."
Variel looks at his own familiar. "Hm, a giant wasp might be unusual enough to draw suspicion ... what can we ..."
Before Variel can finish his sentence, Lash lands on the ground, and with a soft but unnerving slurping sound, his body darkens and enlarges, changing shape, until a spider the size of a man stands in its place.
Variel just stares. After several seconds, he says, "Well, that's handy. It would have been nice to know about that trick before."
The spider replies in Variel's own voice, "You never asked."
It then spends some time altering its form, becoming a large boar, a rat, and a raven, before returning to its natural shape.
Variel turns back to Kaerishiel. "So, we have disguises and a very general mission. How do we get there and back again?"
There's a long pause everyone just stares at Lash for a moment before they resume conversation as if nothing happened.
Gisel cuts in enthusiastically. "Someone mentioned a hat of disguise - that may be the best way. Besides, goats in hats are adorable. I'm certain Eviana could pitch in a permanent spell to hide the magical aura. Old Horn will just not have to be so... chatty."
He walks up to the goat. "Yes, a cave lizard would be ideal. Not too different. Should be well within the power of the hat. It's a flimsier disguise but a familiar with a basic glamer on it shouldn't attract attention."
Eviana just nods whiel Kaerishiel takes over. "The corrupted elf-gate will get you there, but we need to route it away from Zirnakaynin as soon as possible so another drow army doesn't show up. We will have a priest contact you via sending spells to coordinate an escape and for updates. We're trying to seize a narrow window and will have to arrange the details of your escape while you're down there."
He takes a moment. "Make no mistake, this is deep reconnaissance. You need to integrate into society and may have to find work to ingratiate yourselves before you can start to get access to the information you need. You have as long as the spell lasts, which is up to three months."
Variel smiles. "Well, we took over running a casino for a while, I guess it won't be too much of a stretch for us to find some trade among the drow."
"When do we start?"
Fiona flexes her fingers. "I wonder what sort of music drow like..."
Mutt watches as Lash changes forms. He turns to Variel. "Okay. You and your elf waspiness are getting weirder and weirder." Mutt listens to the conversation. He nods, showing his readiness to the mission.
Fiona flexes her fingers. "I wonder what sort of music drow like..."
Mutt snorts. "Well, they're drow. So odds are, it's something stupid."
Thaddeus looks at Lash with surprise as he shows his transformative powers.
Old Horn also stares at the transformation.
*BAAAHHH!*
"Watch 'yer mouth 'dere, Old Horn. No sense bein' jealous. Ah, mean, yeah, Lash can fly, change shape, talk, 'n all 'dat, but yeh can... yeh can, uh...."
Thaddeus changes the subject. "Welp, 'dis is crazy, but if Ah wasn't crazy, Ah doubt Ah'd be chargin' off t'face certain death multiple times over since Ah came t'Riddleport 'n then stomped out here. So when do we get 'suited' up?"
Giseil waves his hand. "Take off your clothes. Everything. Trust me, this would be... messy otherwise. Let's start with you, hrm?"
As you awkwardly disrobe, he grabs Thaddeus' arm and hauls him over to the body of a nude male drow with a fatal gut wound. Giseil lays out a scroll on the ground, grabs Thaddeus' hand, and grabs the dead drow's face firmly with his other hand. Slowly, he chants as the scroll burns up in front of him.
The ten minutes it takes to cast the spell feels like an eternity. Slowly, flesh begins to melt away from the drow corpse and travel along Giseil before it settles onto Thaddeus. Thaddeus is overwhelmed by the painless, but incredibly strange sensation of dead flesh knitting into his own, granting it new life. He feels his own body shrinking slightly to accommodate the drow. Muscles flow over his body and knit before settling into his own skin, filling out his destroyed face, and reshaping not just the flesh, but the bones beneath.
The last sliver of purple-skinned flesh travels along Giseil's form, and slaps into Lyr's side. She is now drow.
Giseil repeats the spell for each of you. There are slight painful sensations as your bodies are thinned out and in the case of Mutt, shrunk to have the same physical shape of drow.
It is nearly an hour for all of the spells to finish. When they are done, you are no longer human or elf, but five drow. Your faces are unrecognizable, but there is a sense of your original build. Mutt makes for an almost awkwardly large drow. Lusk and Fiona are both powerful and muscular. Thaddeus is stocky. Variel is the only exception, his close build entirely subsumed by the drow body.
"You are now drow."
As the transformation completes, Variel takes a moment to inspect his -- "her" -- new body. He nods, and says, "It seems to have worked. I'll need to make some adjustments to my gear, but I guess we all do."
Lash changes shape as well, returning to the giant spider form. Mimicing Variel's new voice perfectly, it says, "New experiences for all of us."
...well. Now you all know what I look like naked. And I now know what all of you look like naked.
Fiona licks her lips as the transformation begins. Her dark brown skin becomes a dark blue in colour, her features sharpen, her hair loses its deep brown lustre to become stark white. Her ears become long with needle-like tips, and her body loses only the slightest bit of muscle mass to accommodate her new form.
She grins and looks down at herself, spinning in place. "...oh, my. This looks quite nice--"
Then a sharp, stabbing pain hits her eyes. "ARGH! Why is it so bright in here?!"
Thaddeus and Old Horn both stare as Lash shows off his transformative abilities.
*BEEEEHHH!*
"Watch 'yer tongue, Old Horn, 'n don' be jealous. Sure, he kin fly, speak, cast spells, change shape, 'n all 'dat, but yeh can... yeh can, uhh..."
Thaddeus ignores his line of thought and prepares for the transformation, a bit uncomfortable and sheepish about disrobing.
"Well, 'dis is... eeeehhhhhhhheeeeeeggggg....."
Thaddeus makes an assortment of strange soft syllabic sounds as the flesh crawls over him.
======
"Well, this is... weird... My voice... Huh, interesting."
Thaddeus pointedly averts his eyes when Fiona's time to disrobe comes up. (Though not that he looks much at anybody else, either.)
"This feels weird. Being closer to the ground like this. Didn't think I'd get this thick, but I guess the extra mass has to go somewhere."
"I should look for some robes, I guess, better to pretend to be a wizard. Drow wizard, I mean. And work on a disguise for Old Horn."
*Beeehhhh?*
"You know it's me, chucklehead."
Fiona rubs her eyes as her vision clears. Still conscious of the fact that she's naked, she locates her clothes through her tear-blurred vision and starts to put them back on.
"So. Light and drow don't mix well. Wish I'd known that sooner."
Thaddeus relaxes a bit and removes his hand from his eyes as Fiona gets dressed. Thaddeus has hastily put on his now ill-fitting pants, but at least it provides some modesty.
"Probably should have brought in clothes before this. Oh, well."
Thaddeus looks over at Variel's now female form.
".... I have so many questions about how that's going to work. If I had time for experimentation, I'd almost want to try it just to answer them first hand. Buuuuttt... I think it's going to be hard enough just maintaining this disguise of a different race and different culture. A different gender is a whole other ball of wax. Best keep it simple."
Variel shrugs. "Given that drow society favors women over men, it makes sense for me to have a higher station so that I can be more persuasive when needed. "
"There will be an adjustment period, but given that this is an extended mission, I expect I'll have time to get used to it."