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Once the party is ready, Molly takes charge to lead you through the streets to Cobweb Manor. Once you arrive, a lumbering 7-foot-tall figure with pale skin and terrible scars attends the door. It is dressed in a fine suit, but does not speak, he merely nods upon Molly showing him the invitations and steps aside letting you enter the manor. Inside Cobweb Manor is quite clean and well decorated within, albeit with spider and spiderweb motifs. The ceilings, draped with sheets of cobwebs, hold numerous chandeliers lit, while the woodpaneled walls are decorated with many erotic paintings of subjects quite varied and scandalous in nature. Little is left to the imagination in these works of art, though in several, the same dark-haired, crimson-eyed, horned beauty seems to be placed in a position of prominence.
The banquet takes place in a large hall, the focus of which is a sprawling table capable of seating two dozen guests. The head of the table is reserved for a setting for the queen herself, while the last setting at the far end of the table contains only a slumped and dusty skeleton clad in fine clothing at least a decade out of date. At the large table is already seated nine other guests, with six empty chairs next to each other meant for the party along with Molly.
The seating will be from the chair right next to the bones, Mirabella, Logan, Molly, Jack, Canacha, and Bicks. A quick glance around the table the guests are: A female varisian looking woman, a male chelish human, a female halfling, an enderly female tian human, a female gnome, a female chelish human, a male garundi human, male half-elf and a enderly male keleshite human.
With the party arriving at the last possible moment, you just about get to your seats before the doors open and the Queen of Delights walk it. All of the other guests along with raise from there seats to give the queen a standing ovation. Molly gestures at the party to join the others while she also stands to join them. Manticce is a beautiful tiefling woman clad in a long, flowing gown with black spiderweb lace and elegant gloves. Her dark hair is held back in a net of cobwebs, revealing her pointed ears, little red horns, and the spiderweb tattoos on both sides of her neck. Her eyes are an unnatural crimson, and she moves with an unnerving grace. As she arrives, she greets her guests with a smile and says: ”Greetings, new friends and old, to my home. I see some familiar faces here, and some delightfully unfamiliar ones as well. It is always a pleasure to serve new tongues the delectable offerings of House Kaleekii, and I trust you shall remember the meal to come for the rest of your lives. Tonight’s banquet is brought to us by master chef Annatolintis Tasetas, all the way from Katapesh, and consists of four expertly prepared courses. I expect the conversation to be lively and thought-provoking, and as always, I shall accept your gifts during the serving of dessert. Without further ado, let us begin!”
At the queens words, a small army of servants, all clad in diaphanous white robes and wearing wraps of gauzy veils over their faces to hide their identities, brins in the first course. This first course consists of quicksoup, a strange and unusual delicacy first pioneered in the Iobarian city of Orlov. Each guest is given a tureen of heady, boiling-hot soup sitting atop a nest of five short candles, a smaller bowl in which swim five live minnows, and a set of utensils that include a two-tined fork, a sharp, slender knife, and a spoonlike sieve.
In order to properly eat quicksoup, the minnows must be transported and filleted properly with a successful Sleight of Hand or Dexterity check. The higher the result the more minnows are succesfully eaten.
While skillfully eating her dish the Queen strikes up a conversation ”Cheliax sure does seem to be having trouble with keeping itself together. To think that such a ragtag group of rebels can cause this much mayhem, can one honestly consider House Thrune to have ever been in control of Cheliax in the first place?” say comments.
She had heard of this soup before at least so the butterflys in her stomach only fluttered lightly at the moment as it was brought in.
'Alright canacha... scoop the minnow boil him up and spear him good.'
She whispered lowly to herself grabbing the minnow scooper (spoon?) and trying to defly fish the little guys out.
Her minnows scooped and cooking she nodded graciously torwards their host.
"Cheliax often has plans within plans. There seems to be a method in this 'ragtag' group of rebels at the least though. If they are able to cause that much chaos now imagine if they were able to get supporting groups to aid them. Imagine that chaos.."
She puntuated her words with a deft spearing of the minnows boiling happlily away in her soup.
Unfamiliar with this particular dish, Mirabella stalls for a moment under cover of following the conversation. She smiles when Canacha skillfully demonstrates her knowledge, dexterity and conversation skill.
Inspired by Canacha’s swift skewing of the minnow, Mirabella holds her own scooper poised to strike, bringing it down at the precise moment needed to catch a minnow and transfer it to the boiling soup.
”One can indeed argue that House Thrune has never truly been in control of Cheliax. They are only able to maintain their iron grip on the once great empire through their alliance with Hell. But old empires crumble and new alliances are formed all the time. I hear this “ragtag” band of rebels have formed mighty alliances of their own, both with several of the celestial planes and mortal nations. There is even a rumor that one of their leaders is an ancient silver dragon in disguise.”
After finishing her meal and adding her thoughts to the conversation, Mirabella directs her attention to the other guests, studying each of them carefully.
Logan's heart sank when he realized it was going to be one of those sorts of meals. The kind of dinner theater his infernal father delighted in, with many fiddly utensils needed to eat something stomach churning that typically wasn't quite dead yet. Naturally offence would be given by their hosts if the diners didn't manage to eat with sufficient 'decorum'.
Logan tried to scoop up a fish but he didn't have the knack for it.
Jack is clueless as to how to proceed with the first course. Even peeking at what Canacha does, the more-ranger-than-nobleman flubs everything, as minnows find it easy to pop off his spoon and tumble to the floor. Smiling, he tries to bluff away his faux pas by commenting, "Surely you must have a cat or two on the premises, your highness. I so adore the creatures and can't resist feeding them any time I'm able!"
Even his half-joke/half-bluff falls flat, flat as one of his escaped minnows that just got stepped on by a passing servant.
Oh dear... let me get that for you.
"He makes up for his lack of spoon handling skills in other ways..."
She with a salacious smile and a wink for Jack patting his cheek.
It takes all of Mirabella’s acting training to keep smiling cheerfully while both Jack and Logan bungle their meal. Internally, she’s wincing and wishes there was some way to assist her friends.
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The male chelaxian joins in the conversation rather annoyed at the topic. "It is the deal with the hells, which has allowed our country to continue to exist. I'm sure her infernal magistrix is working on crushing the rebellion as soon as possible, and most likely make an example out of those who support the crusade against our great nation. I'm sure all the stories about the various allies they have on their side are nothing more than propaganda to defect from the fact they are loosing grounds to our forces." he says not really focusing on his meal and completely bungles it.
The queen looks at him. "Asmerru my dear, please compose yourself. We all know how great this nation is and we do still have a right for our own opinions. Sometimes the young will disagree with those who has seen plenty of summers because they hope things could change for something better for everyone. But in the end we all have to do our own to find a good place in Cheliax where we can live our way." she says quickly diffusion any further burst outs from him. The remaining guest mostly speak in favor of Cheliax, either because they believe it or the just don't care about the outcome far from Vyre.
Asmerru's reaction to Miri's stirring and the Queen's response fascinated Logan. He wasn't keen to venture an opinion publicly just yet, but clearly House Thrune's relation to Vyre was complex. Instead he considered what he knew of Asmerru in case it became important.
'Asmerru' thought Logan, 'What an odious man. I only hope he hasn't take too much exception to Miri, hopefully the Queen's words cowed him...'
He shared a glance with Miri, wanting to say more but perhaps wisely biting his tongue.
Bick is baffled by how to eat the food so he vamps, trying to keep people occupied long enough to not notice his delayed start.
"See this is where I get a little lost in the philosophies. The hells are based on power that begets order without power the position in that order falls. It seems then that House Thune only rightfully keeps power so long as they are strong enough to enforce the law and that order. I, of course, would like to see the right people in power. But there is the consideration of the country's commitments."
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"I see where you come from master gnome, our country certainly has it's fair share of commitments one has to consider when thinking on the future of our fair country." Asmerru comments trying to get one last remark in as the queen rings the bell for the servers to remove the table wear and start serving the second course. The second course arrives in large clay pots, the tops of which have been covered by blood-red cloths, along with plates containing tiny loaves of bread. Within each pot is what looks like an obscenely bloated, fleshy head. This is in fact a “Galtan squash”—a squash carved and braised in order to look like a boiled, bald, severed human head. The meal comes with a large sharpened spoon and a small sauceboat containing a spicy red sauce. Galtan squash is a relatively new sort of meal invented by scornful Chelish chefs.
The proper way to eat the squash is to drench it in spicy sauce and then use the razor-sharp spoon to scoop through the rind and spoon out the juicy, stringy flesh inside. The little loaf of bread is not to be eaten until the end of the course; ingredients in the bread help to mitigate the spice.
There’s no special trick to eating Galtan squash, other than simply enduring the significantly spicy sauce. Each character must succeed at a Fortitude save to endure the sauce without making a fool of yourself or eating the bread early.
While the Queen enjoys her dish she continues the tropic from first course. ”Rebellions are often bloody. How can those who starts rebellions justify the pain and death they cause by opposing what is often a rightful ruler?”
Even before the red cloth is removed, Mirabella realizes what they are about to eat. She has heard the dish mentioned during her trips to gather information in both Vyre and Kintargo. Steeling her nerves, she wastes no time to dig into squash, smothering the chunks in the spicy sauce.
Even with her knowledge of the dish, she is unprepared for the violent hot onslaught the spice brings to her mouth. She manages a few mouthfuls before she grabs the bread, fearful that she might otherwise spit a glob of half-chewed food onto the tablecloth. She washes the bread down with a swig of wine, then flashes a radient smile at her host.
”It is true that rebellions are often painful and bloody. So is childbirth. I suppose those who rebel feel that a short period of suffering is a worthwhile price to pay for a lifetime of freedom. And like this delicious course we have just enjoyed reminds us, a little pain can often sharpen the senses and awaken the hidden passion within.” Mirabella says, as she licks her still burning lips and sends the queen a suggestive look.
She was puzzled at the presentation of the dish. It looked like a little head. She was starting to wonder about their host. Carefully watching Mirabella dig in to the course She did her best to emulate her actions...
She did her best to not make too awkward a face as the spice coated her tongue. She was sure her perfectly pale Visage had to be as red as her hair after those few bites. But when she had eaten just as many spoonfuls as Mirabella she tried the bread...relief on her fave at the partial soothing effect of it. Taking a deep breath she did her best to smile winnings.
rebellions rarely come to the just ruler... people prefer safety for them and theirs to chaos. But safety and status quo aren't enough when they put a boot to the back of your neck and pin you to the ground. Besides as I have learned in my studies death brings forth life. As planted a dead fish amongst your crops helps them grow so too may the fires of this rebellion bring forth a new vibrant city.. a Phoenix from the ashes as you will."
Light that sauce was hot.
Logan normally liked spicy food but this dish was setting his mouth on fire and he found himself sweating. Canacha and Miri had said what he thinking better than he could so he focused on trying not to embarrass himself with the food. He had to watch what others where doing which was bad ennough.
Jack manages to fight through the spiciness of the dish. When he feels that he can speak again without breathing fire, he wryly adds, "The conscientious citizen must first weigh the amount of pain likely to be suffered against the good that can be gained from an uprising...much like a chef deciding how much spice might spoil the squash."
During this part of the banquet, Jack surreptitiously observes the Chelaxian woman, trying to get a read on what she's about.
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The speciness of the food was a little to strong for Mirabella and she finds that her throat feels somewhat swollen by the sauce, making it a little harder to speak and it would likely stay that way for the remainder of the evening.
”Without some pain and death one can not possible growth, there is nothing that helps one grow than watching the lifefluids of someone drain from their body to gain new strength.” the female halfling across form Logan says to the guest on her right the female varisian human whom seem a little distrubed. ”One can certainly grow without the fear of pain and death hanging over their head. A safety net under one is better for taking a leap of faith and learn something new. But perhaps one wanted for murder in Augustana doesn't know what growth really is.” she snarkly remarks at the halfling which seems to start an argument between them nearly coming to blows before the queen defuses them. ”It seems we've got our own rebellion growing at this very table!” she says looking slightly amused.
”You all offer good arguments for my incury, and it's quite clear we all come from different ways of life in both our upbringing and how we live our lifes now.” The queen says looking around at her guest, seeing how they handle the food.
Jack you don't really get anything strange from the chelaxian woman, she hasn't done anything to make her stand out yet, but you have noticed the elderly tian woman look at you while you have been observing the chelaxian.
Logan had no clue who the halfling murderess was, but he wondered if he recognized the woman she had been sparring with.
Feeling her mouth blister, Mirabella sits silently for a while, focusing her attention on the other guests. The presence of the Tian woman in particular jots her memory, and she mentally compares the guest to the sketch of the missing Grey Spider guild leader.
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Bicks has never tasted anything so hot is his life. One he gathers a minicom of composure he tries to further the conversation. "When one is breeding plants you have to keep a cutting of the original strain growing. You do this so you can see how the new cultivars differ. We need good comparisons to make rational judgements. Rebellions are bloody so is rulership. It is it matters that the end result bears more fruit."
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Bicks, like Mirabella, the soup was too spicy for you and your throat has started to feel swollen making it harder to speak for the remainder of the banquet.
”My that’s a lovely metaphor and a rather unique way of looking at life. I can certainly see the resemblance if perhaps a flower is not as precious as the lives of people. But I understand the need to remove that which would ruin the garden so the say.” The queen responds to Bicks’ rather unusual viewpoint. And with that the queen rings the bells for the servants to clear out the second course and bring forth the next from the kitchen. The help trot out a large tray balanced on the back of a shaved ram, heaped with what appear to be pies with golden flaky crusts. The queen claps her hands in delight, exclaiming, “Ah, the meat course! I have so been looking forward to this.”
The third course is The Unseen Feast, these pies are filled with a most unusual and curious meat—the braised flesh of an invisible stalker. When cooked delicately, this meat remains invisible for a short time, and has a texture not unlike that of cotton candy. The meat itself is relatively flavorless, but the thick, mostly clear sauce it’s cooked in is quite savory.
Each PC must succeed at a Perception check in order to eat all the meat before it becomes visible.
The queen easily digs into her pie and seems to have no trouble with handling the dish. ”Don’t you all think how strange it is what is considered a sin depending on the different societies we all hail from? As an example to me the idea of giving worship to a god is a sin, yet for all of Cheliax worship of Asmodeus is a requirement for living a good life.” the queen says and once everyone has had a chance to enjoy their dishes she gets up and goes around to every guest asking them for their worst sins.
Each of the quests answers in order:
Varisian woman ”For me the worst sin you can commit is neglecting your children, they are the future of our nation and we need to guide them as they grow up.”
Asmerru Krupt ”The most sinful act one can commit is showing disobedience to a superior, if we cannot on those who serve us to do so our society will fall apart.”
Halfling murderer ”The worst act of sin is the resurrection of a life who has already departed our world. In the past it ruined some of my jobs.”
Enderly tian woman ”The invasion of another’s home is the worst one could possible do in my eyes. Just the imagination of someone ransacking through ones belongings are indescribable.”
Gnome woman ”Is there anything more sinful the spending your life in chastity? How can it not be considered sinful to live without the pleasure and enjoyment you get from sharing an intimate moment with someone?”
Chelish woman ”My worst sin is someone abusing the trust you put in them, be they family, employee or client.
Garundi man ”As you might be able to see from my size, the worst sin one could commit is wasting food.”
Half-elf man ”I consider it sinful to waste your booze and either don’t enjoy it or finish you drinks.”
Enderly keleshite man ”The worst I can imagine is fraud, someone trying to either sell you something fraudulent or a forgery is simply unforgivable to me.”
The Queen finish her round beside each of your asking for your worst sin and reason why.
Subdued by her inability to handle the spicy dish, Mirabella waits and observes how the Queen and other guests eat the dish.
For a moment, she is perplexed by the lack of content in the pie, but after a few moments of careful study, she realizes that while the meat itself is invisible, she can use bits of crumbs and crust to outline the pieces, allowing her to grab them with her fork.
After she is done eating, she leans back in her seat and once again flashes her best smile at the Queen.
"To me, the worst sin is to deny others the freedom to follow their hearts desire. After all, passion and the pursuit of new tantalizing experiences nurtures the soul, while toil and oppression stifles it."
She shifts her gaze to the slave-trading Cheliaxian during her last statement, as if daring him to challenge her views.
Jack digs into his memories, somewhat certain he's heard somewhere of a similar dish. When the Queen stops and asks him about the worst sin, he thinks for a moment and says, "I'd say murder, Sometimes there are decent reasons for killing another--war, self-defense and the like--but when it's done rashly you take away the life of another, usually for wicked or selfish reasons, or for no reason at all. I find that unacceptable."
Jack furtively checks out how the Chelaxians eat the meal and then tries to mimic their method.
"Heinous acts indeed" mused Logan, "But what is the worst? I'd venture the worst is profiting off the misery of others en masse, doubly so if those circumstances were set up deliberately for that express purpose."
'The sort of thing father would delight in.' he thought sourly.
After observing the others he his best to eat the rather unappetising dish without making a fool of himself.
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She furrowed her brows in the most confused way looking at teh steaming dish put before them. She was absolutely flabbergasted by the meal until she saw the queen and the others dig in. She was quite delighted in the meal, the idea of it was amusing. She knew melly probably would have gotten a little kick out of it, and likely would have complained thw whole time.
Her sharpened dhampier senses made it easier enough to eat the invisible dish... any other time she would have loved to expirement with the dish itself. The queens question caught her a little off guard.
Did she mean what aws the worst sin to her, canacha the dhampier? or what was the perceieved worst sin to the world as a whole? After a moment of listening to the others, particularly jack and her best mate Mirabella she frowned thoughtfully.
"some of our honored guests here have good ones, others should be ashamed..." She gave the halfling murderess a full toothy smile and tried to make eye contact. her smile turned even more wicked when she glanced to the slaver.
"To me...the worst sin i can think of that has happened to me is the betrayal of blood, the assault and attack upon ones wife and unborn child to sate your hunger given to you by your own failure. Some of us...are monsters by choice." Again she purposely let her eyes dart to the slaver and the murderesss. . . "and some of us were born this way... She finished far more quietly than she started... She fiddled with her food for a moment... before she smiled brightly the dark thought banished it would see.
"lust is probably my favorite sin though...." She shot a wink to Jack and giggled.
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Inspired by Canacha’s bold quip at the halfling assassin, Mirabella raises her goblet in a mocking toast towards Asmerru Krupt.
”It sounds like you have experienced a good deal of trouble keeping your subordinates under control, sir. On behalf of all halflings, I do apologize. We are such a fickle and whimsical race, never able to truly appreciate the natural authority of those who are so obviously our superiors…” she says with a radiant smile, taking a verbal stab at the slaver.
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Asmerru looks a little uncertain how to responds to Mirabella and stammer out after a few moments. "Well it's n-n-n-not like all the halfings are like that. Only those whom s-s-s-seems to think higher of themselves than they are worth. Indeed there are some... rather unique individuals among your race that have gotten positions of great importance even in Cheliax, personally I know of a halfling harbormaster in Ostenso." After his responds who decides to rather talk with the guest on his side rather than look towards Mirabella or waiting for her responds.
While standing at Canacha's sdie the queen says "We all have our own worst sin, neither are good nor something to be ashamed of. We all come from different walks of life whether we own our upbringing for following how things are useally done in Cheliax or one have been live among criminals from being birthed affects our moral compass." she says moving on after hearing Canacha's answer.
Bock follows along this one is not so different from foods he has eaten before.
"The worst sin...well, that is to not stick to one's morals. See we must all conduct ourselves in society and it is this that allows us to make progress, and find allies that can support our causes. Each time we waver we erode trust."
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With her curiosity sated the queen returns to her seat and rings the bell indicating the servants may serve the final course. The final course is the dessert course. In front of each guest, the help places a small plate covered by a silver lid, a strange device that looks like a little corkscrew, and a curious fist-sized object in the shape of a dodecahedron. The help lift the lids of all plates simultaneously, and a tumble of fat, candied spiders, each with a belly the size of a grape, come tumbling out over the edges of the plate! These candied spiders are a Darklands delicacy called sweetfats—crunchy and served cold, they are slightly sweet if eaten dry but much more delicious drenched with honey sauce. Alas, the honey sauce itself is trapped within the dodecahedron, and opening the container is tricky.
The Queen doesn’t offer a conversation tropic for this course, but you see as the dish is served people begin to walk to the queen to hand over their gifts and explain a little bit about what they have brought. Molly speaks quitely to the you. "Now is the time to give the queen your gifts but wait for the other guests to finish. The queen would like to hear a little bit about the gifts to determine their value. I would not try to talk about alliances right now and instead focus on the gifts themselves. Wait with the main reason you came here for when the other guests have started to leave the party after this course is done.."
Her head spinning from the wine and excitement of the evening, Mirabella has trouble recalling her knowledge of local customs. While waiting for the other guests to begin eating, she studies the strange object, recognizing the arcane symbols for what they are.
Unfortunately, that insight does not help her and she is forced to set the sauce container aside and just munch on the dead spiders.
Rising gracefully from her seat, Mirabella glides towards the Queen, retrieving her gift from her magic pouch.
"My dear lady Manticce, this evening has been so full of delight I'm quite overwhelmed. It has truly been an honor and a thrill to visit Cobweb Manor and I hope my humble gift is worthy to join your collection."
With a deep curtsey (that also presents the Queen with a direct view down the already lowcut clevage of Mirabella's dress), the halfling bard holds out the spiderweb potion vial she purchased. A stunning crystal potion vial, its exterior adorned with a mithril filigree in the shape of a spiderweb. At the center of the web, a meticulously crafted onyx spider sits, adding a touch of elegance and mystery.
"The seller was a bit vague as to how they acquired this rare treasure, but I believe it has been retrieved from the deepest regions of the Darklands. Apparantly, vials of this kind are used by drow high priestesses to hold enchanted potions that enthrall captured slaves with unbridled passion and stamina. The stories I heard of the rituals they perform still makes every inch of my skin tingle and glow."
Logan had to watch what the others were doing while he tried to keep disgust from his face. His father would have loved this meal but it was wasted on him.
'Hmm' he thought as he eyed his bowl, 'This is modeled on a Chelish Crux.'
In theory he knew how to open the dodecahedron but his mind really wasn't focused on the task.
When it came to presenting the gifts, Logan bowed deeply to the queen before presenting the bouquet of nightbloom flowers. "Your Majesty, may I present some rather unusual flowers to complement a most memorable meal. I'm told these nightblooms grow only in the plane of shadow where it borders the dimension of dreams. They are beautiful as they are poisonous I think you'll agree with an exquisite fragrance, but I advise keeping them from sunlight lest they fade away. I also advise wearing gloves when handling them for the thorns are said to leave painful welts."
She eyed the spiders with a slight frown. This was certainly a not so surprising turn of events. Thankfully her youth amongst her monster hunting family in Ustalav had prepared her for such disgusting cuisine... now to get to the honey. She tilted her head and looked at the device with a very discerning eye.
with a slight fiddle her and a little depressing of a hidden switch there she popped the device open to begin dousing her spider teats in the honey... and she meant douse. munch crunching away on her spider butts she watched both Logan and Mirabella present their gifts her ears twitching just enough to try and over hear their pitches just to see how it was done... finally she saw her opening and made her move. With a pat on Jacks lap for luck she rose and carried the leather satchel with the books in front of the queen. She curtsied and pulled the books out presenting them to her highness.
"The finest bound stories from my childhood and home. A complete set
"Ustalavic Novel Collection Gothic Tales of the Whispering Woods". She let her deft fingers trace along the imprinted designs. "My favorite one is "The living dolls" a cute story about dolls that come to life and give the little girl all her dreams at first.... then it goes terrible wrong and teaches you about over reaching....
Jack is surprised that he's actually heard about this exotic dish and how to eat it. He spirals his corkscrew into a spider's head and raises it in salute to the queen. "Now comes the hard part...." Just when it appears he'll be unable to open the dodecahedron, its lid is popped and Jack dips his first spider into the honey sauce, raises the morsel to his lips, and bites the spider's belly off, chewing and swallowing it. He then proceeds to eat the rest of the 'dessert.'
When it comes time to present his gift to Queen Manticce, he bows low and presents the onyx spider. "I thought this item was destined for you--it's sleek and elegant...while also being quite dangerous if mistreated." After present the gift, jack flashes a quick smile and winks. "This spider is not for eating!"
Bowing again, Jack returns to the table. There, he brushes Canacha's hair back lovingly, revealing a shapely shoulder...and her right ear. He leans in, kisses her cheek, and whispers, "I told her not to eat it!"
Bicks struggles with the honey container even after seeing others do it. After getting help from one of his friends he fumbles through the dish, popping the spider guts onto the table.
Bicks will clean himself up as best he can before presenting the gifts. "I would like to thank you for hosting us, but more than that you have extended to us true hospitality. That is a gift that knows no equal. However, where I come from gratitude is equally important. So, I humbly hope that you will accept this gift of meed and glass as a symbol of the real gift of gratitude."
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As all the gifts has been presented for Manticce, she rings the bell signaling that the final course is complete, and the banquet will be coming to an end soon. As the servants have cleared the table, she rises to address the party. ”I will take this time to thank you all for a lovely evening and some most enjoyable gifts you have all brought me.” she says look particular towards all of you when mentioning the gifts.
After the queen’s short speech, the other guests begin to fan out and walk up to the queen, thanking her for the banquet and returns to gather their belongings and leave. At this point Molly turns to the party. ”Now would be the best time to ask the queen for her support. Keep it short and simple, I suspect the queen will decide on anything based on your performance during the banquet rather than any words you may say now.”
Jack figures Mirabella's got this covered, so he chats with Canacha, their conversation making it difficult for any other guest to overhear the words passed between Mira and Manticce.