"Mother? Lose her mind? Ha!" Lelyrin scoffs.
"Lelyrin!" Voivod chides her.
"You think you get to just waltz in here and demand a meeting with Mistress just because you say so? She is boss here, not you. For that, you have to be punished. Take off a piece of clothing each if you want to keep this...civil." Zevashala demands.
Rilee looks at the others, shrugs, then pulls off her breeches. She takes a step away from them, leaving her pale legs bare.
"You realize I demanded nothing. I said we had much to discuss with Delvahine. Do you not want to even inform her of our arrival, and let her make the decision to see us herself?"
"You assume she doesn't know already?" Voivod asks sarcastically.
Eryalla licks her lips as she leers at Rilee's legs.
Recalling that her great-grandmother has the diplomatic skills of a turnip and not wanting a repeat of the the Scribbler incident, Setsuna conjures her shadowy cloak, and the Oracle's disembodied voice opts to just answer the question. She doesn't see any harm in doing so.
(Besides, worst comes to worst, she can always throw a bunch of air elementals at the demons.)
"The dead man in the illusion wing mentioned a Delvahine in his writings."
She then moves slightly to hide her exact location.
At the sound of a voice from nowhere, all four brandish their weapons with a start.
Zevashala snarls, "All of you, show yourselves this instant! And, as punishment, remove another piece of clothes. NOW!"
Rilee tries her best to ignore her irritation at the disembodied voice and again draws upon the Calistrian priestess's training. She twirls her staff in one hand, then leans upon it in a suggestive manner as she kicks off a boot.
"Mistress knows we're here and she's not making an appearance? How many years has it been? I think we should be insulted, don't you think?" she glances to her companions.
Setsuna takes a deep breath and then uncloaks.
"No need for hostilities. I was just trying to be honest and answer your question."
Setsuna cranks up the charm to near maximum. With an odd amount of beautiful Elven grace, she flicks her arms, and her two Sleeves of Many Garments fly off.
"Will that suffice?"
Zevashala grumbles at the newcomer's clever removal of such non-revealing garments upon her appearance.
"Hiding a little treasure away, are we?" Lelyrin says.
"Mmmmm, mmm. She looks good enough to eat, in more ways than one," Zevashala says as she flicks her tongue out lewdly.
Voivod calls out, "What was that you said about the Shimmering Veils?"
"Is that the formal name of the mirrored Peacock hall? Oh, right. As I said, the journal entries of the deceased gentleman there mentioned a Delvahine. Deceased as in he died before we visited. It seems that dementia or its complications got him."
A few moments pass in silence, before a mirthful laughter seems to echo through the chamber, as well as your minds.
::So, Vraxeris didn't have the stamina to keep up, after all! How marvelous!::
As the sultry voice in your heads speaks, the four alu-demons land and relax their weapons and approach.
::Girls, prepare our guests for an audience. Come! Come! Tell me about this in person!::
Each of you have one of the women walk towards you, Voivod to Eugeni, Lelyrin to Zoli, Zevashala to Setsuna, and Eryalla to Rilee.
"Alright then. All of it. Off," Voivod says with a flick of her finger to Eugeni's clothes. She smiles coyly.
Eryalla leans in and whispers breathily into Rilee's ear, "Want me to help you, beautiful?"
Zevashala smirks as she steps beside Setsuna, "Hurry along now, darling? As naked as the day you were born."
Lelyrin kneels down beside Zoli and brazenly runs her clawed hand through her hair, "Oh, we could have soooo much fun, if you want. But first..." she says as she begins to help the halfling out of her clothes...
Rilee kicks off her remaining boot and makes no move to stop Eryalla from removing her armor and clothing, though she gauges her friends' reactions to the demons' instructions. One of Shorafa's first steps in her training back in Riddleport was to truly get comfortable in her own skin. There is an inherent vulnerability in being naked, but it could be lessened with a measure of confidence -- and sometimes the tables can be completely turned. Leaving her enchanted items on the floor with her other clothing would lessen her power somewhat, but most of her druidic powers were innate and not dependent on her gear. Further, the barkskin she had cast upon herself and Olympus would remain active.
She keeps hold of her staff, however, though she lets her rarely-used scimitar clatter to the floor with nary a glance.
With a look of shocked confusion, Zoli says, "Uhhhh, Riley, aren't you supposed to be all old and wise? These nice ladies are half-succubi. Getting amorous with their sort's a bad idea, right?"
When Lelyrin reaches out for Zoli's hair, the swashbuckaeologist does her best to nimbly step aside.
"We're happy to go speak to Delvahine, but she'll need to content herself with looking at my loveliness clothed. If it's any consolation, it's widely agreed that productions of Raumus' Eleven Allures are if anything more tantalizing when the performers remain clothed.
...but at any rate, whether you like it or not, I'll disrobe at my own pleasure and not another's."
Zoli does her best to keep to a tone that's firm but not aggressive with the alu-demons.
"Aaawwww, don't be coy, little one!" Lelyrin says playfully. "Your pretty, long-legged friend over there is being agreeable, see?" she says as she points a wing at Rilee.
Eryalla continues to assist Rilee disrobe, taking advantage of her compliance to let her clawed hands wander, fondle, and grope at the druidess. She leans in and takes a long sniff of her hair with a smile, her eyelids fluttering half closed as if intoxicated by the smell.
"Besides," Lelyrin adds, "you come into our home, unannounced, and expect to make demands? This is Mistresses way to ensure you...what are you, exactly? You aren't from any of the other wings, that much is for certain."
"Adventurers, Lelyrin. They are adventurers, the first in 10,000 years to make their way into Runeforge," Zevashala interjects as she leers lustily at Setsuna. "All the more reason for Mistress to be cautious. Your kind, at least according to Mistress, are known to be a bit hot tempered. Besides, this is the only way she will agree to meet with you peacefully."
Unbudging, she says, "Oh, I doubt that. I suspect she's just a little curious about what's going on in the other wings of the runeforge...something we can pass along if she invites us in. Not to mention, word of the world outside, if she's curious."
You see Zevashala visibly wince, before hearing a voice in your heads once more.
::My daughters are being a touch protective. I will allow you audience with me, clothed. But I do expect you to leave your weapons. A Lady can't be faulted for being a little cautious, can she? Those are my final terms, if you wish to continue to speak.::
Just when it seems like Setsuna is about to bring the combined wrath of Desna and Azathoth crashing down upon the demons refute the conditions, the second offer causes her pause.
After taking a moment to compose herself, she speaks.
"Those terms are acceptable," the Oracle says quietly but calmly. Without much care, she gestures to her sheathed sickle. "I'll just leave it by the entrance. Is that alright?"
Voivod turns her head a bit, then holds out her hands. "Mistress wants me to collect them."
Setsuna nods and hands over her weapon without a fuss.
As the buckles of her breastplate are being undone and the demonic temptress continues to caress each part of her that is exposed, Rilee has a moment of doubt. Her attempt to show that the overt sexual advances did not fluster her seems to be backfiring, as she is now half-dressed before these creatures and may soon be entirely naked.
She takes a look at Zoli when she asks her about the wisdom of going along with them. She gives her a half-smile. "I'm hardly old anymore. And I've got Olympus to look after me."
Rilee has to roll her eyes when the agreement is reached that their clothes may remain on, and that they must simply go unarmed before Delvahine. Her armor is already mostly off, thanks to the aggressive efforts of Eryalla. She uses a bare foot to kick her scimitar over to Voivod and allows Eryalla to finish removing the armor, silently enduring the extra gropes and squeezes.
When the half-succubus tries to remove her druid's vestment, Rilee holds up a finger. "Nope. That's far enough. I don't know how you knew how great my breasts were, hidden behind my armor as they were, but you're going to have to use your imagination at least until we've met with Delvahine." She tugs at the hem of her vestment to pull them down as low as possible -- just barely reaching the tops of her thighs.
She twirls her staff once, eyeing the daughters with a sultry look. "Well, let's go see your mistress."
Voivod collects the sickle, then moves to each of you, collecting any and all obvious weapons.
Eryalla lets the breastplate clatter to the floor, and puffs out a pouty lip when Rilee stops playing along. She leans in and whispers breathily, "After thousands of years, a girl gets an eye for this sort of thing. If you stay with us, we could show you all sorts of amazing pleasures," before letting her tongue slide across Rilee's ear.
Zoli's jaw drops but--after a long pause--she says "Alright, fine. Hold on a second."
She takes off her pack, muttering, "I suppose you'll want my backup scimitar too..."
She then tries to time pulling out her cold iron and silver scimitars just as attention is focused on Riley. At a moment of distraction she subtly slides Baern's Breath into her backpack and instead hands over her two backup scimitars (and the three daggers that aren't in her pack).
Rilee hangs on to her staff while she glances around at the room's decor. "I think a thousand years of only this, I might actually like to see a sunrise after a while. Or a crescent moon rising over the tops of the trees swaying in a nighttime breeze," she says, willing those images to take the place of the debauchery in her mind.
"Voivod, I'm sorry, but this simple piece of wood stays with me. Your mistress isn't afraid of a stick, now, is she?"
Eryalla seems entirely focused on Rilee, but the others all see Zoli's little trick. Voivod scolds "Nuh uh, short one. Now you have to hand over the pack too. Mistress was being more than generous!" The other three each tighten their grips on their ranseurs...
Eryalla narrows her eyes, "No, we need it all now, thanks to her," she gestures to Zoli. "All but the clothes on your backs. Any containers, packs, pouches, and weapons."
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"...If you all are unwilling to part with your... goods, if you want, I can speak to Delvahine alone," Setsuna offers her friends as she hands over her main spell component pouch. She also takes off her haversack but holds onto it for the moment to see what replies she gets.
Rilee clenches her jaw for a moment, frustrated that the effort she was willing to go to keep this peaceful may be all for naught. She thinks for a moment, deciding that she doesn't want Setsuna going alone.
She then gives Eryalla a lustful smile. "How about a trade? My shirt comes off, but I keep my stick?" She runs her hand up and down the smooth wood suggestively.
Eryalla bites her lower lip, but a voice echoes through your heads...
::You make me doubt your intentions...Last chance, your weapons and reagents. All of them. Now. And the flea-bags remain behind too, I don't want their stink in my pavilion.::
"Delvahine, with all respect, if you're concerned for your safety...it's clear you can talk with us already.
"I'd be happy to come face to face to talk...but I don't know how to trust that you're disarmed and I'm afraid I don't know why I should trust that you'll treat us well if we disarm unilaterally.
"If you'd like to learn what we know, let's talk now. We can come to you as we are right now, or we can 'talk' with you telepathically without you even showing yourself.
"Or you can say you're just not willing to talk. Your choice."
The sisters each take a step back and utter words of magic, and you each feel a wave of magic wash across you, but fail to take hold!
Eryalla whispers to Rilee, a pleading look in her eye, "If you want your friends to live, come with me!" Rilee feels she is sincere as the demon-born woman extends her hand to the druidess...
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"Your loss, demon-mama!" Zoli calls out. She steps forward, drawing Baern's Breath, and slices into Lelyrin
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Should anyone try to attack Zoli, Lion gives her a guiding squeek, helping her to avoid getting hit.
Meanwhile, Zoli stands ready to parry.
[ooc][/ooc]
Rilee lets out a noise of disgusted disappointment as events descend into hostilities. She was about to send her friend into battle when the one who had taken special interest in her pleads with her. Rilee looks evenly at Eryalla. Though she stays her hand from casting something, she whistles once -- a brief staccato instructing Olympus to defend her allies as they fight against the temptresses.
"It's your sisters who need to worry," she hisses. "I didn't want this! Where will you take me?"
Meanwhile, Olympus attacks Lelyrin with a talon.
"To stop this before it is too late!" The pleading look in her eyes convinces Rilee she speaks the truth.
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"Do you seriously think you can win? We crushed Vraxeris' goons. You're no different."
As she casually slings her haversack back into place, Setsuna casts Blessing of Fervor to empower her allies.
"It'll be poetic. Someone you desire ending your life. It'll be the last thing you never see."
She then steps back and vanishes into the shadows' embrace.
Rilee shakes her head vehemently, not liking spells being cast on her when she can't identify them. "No, it's too late now. Unless you stop right now and quit casting spells on us, I go nowhere with you."
"I didn't cast on you! I cast on the little one hiding weapons, trying to get her to play nice! That's all we all were trying!" she responds.
Eugeni calls out, "They tried to use a charm spell upon us."
Rilee nods her head in response to Eugeni. "Yeah, and one of you definitely tried to charm me. I felt it. We need to stop the fighting here, now, or else your sisters are going to be slaughtered."
"And the only way to do that is for you to trust me, and come with me!" Eryalla pleads once more.
Rilee blinks, really confused. "Huh? No, I'm pretty sure my friends will stop if I ask them to, but only if your sisters stop, too."
Eugeni casts a spell, and five orbs of energy blast into Voivod!
Lelyrin and Zevashala attempt to tear into Zoli with their claws, but the halfling swashbuckler is too nimble and they fail to connect!
Voivod retaliates against Eugeni, and stabs him three times! His magical shielding protects him from the majority of the damage, but she does manage to draw blood!
Eryalla says, "If you truly want the violence to stop, come with me!" Rilee feels a wave of magic once more, and very nearly succumbs to the magic, and her hand begins to reach out for the offered claw, but she snaps to her senses just in time to pull her hand away!
With a bellowing battle cry, five stone giants ring out of the pavilion! They are entirely unclothed, and each wields a massive club shaped like male genitalia.
Rilee gives Eryalla a look of true hurt. Then she scowls, clucks her tongue, and Olympus launches into a savage attack on her.
She looks over to the giants with her mouth twisted in disgust. She waves her staff and taps into its energy, augmented by her own knowhow and experience. "Everyone, remember the ogres?" she says, hoping they'll be clued into the spell she just cast through the staff and not go charging across the battlefield and instead wait for the naked giants to come to them.
Eugeni casts a familiar spell on himself, and several mirror images appear beside him. "Don't spread out too much, I will haste us momentarily," Eugeni warns the others.
Setsuna pulls her spare spell component punch from her haversack and secures it with her non-writing arm. Seeing the stone giants approaching, the Oracle decides to delay them by conjuring a... stone wall. With a snap of her fingers, a ten foot tall wall of rock emerges from the ground. She then once again steps back into the shadows.
"Tsk ladies. Haven't you heard? People with exposed midriffs shouldn't throw stones. Or failed enchantments."
While she quips the mighty halfling swirls into a blur of blessed motion, attempting to strike down one and then the other.
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Should anyone try to attack Zoli, Lion gives her a guiding squeek, helping her to avoid getting hit.
Meanwhile, Zoli stands ready to parry.
Zoli manages to kill Lelyrin, who falls to the floor a bleeding mess, before turning to Zevashala and wounding her as well! Olympus delivers a pair of small wounds to Eryalla, but fails to grab hold of her. A moment later, the stone wall rises up, blocking view of the giants.
The three remaining alu-demon's disengage and fly up into the air, and words of magic can be heard from somewhere in the room. Suddenly, everyone feels a wave of magic wash over them once more!
Then, pained grunts can be heard from beyond the wall as the giants succumb to Rilee's spell!
Remembering what happened the last time she was affected by such a horrific spell, Setsuna pulls some of her uncanny luck from a time when it will not be needed and uses it to withstand the assault on her mind in the present.
Realizing that they have another foe to worry about, Setsuna quickly spawns her inky wings, activates her Ring of Invisibility, and relocates to a more secure location while using extra speed from her Blessing. Not knowing where Rilee put the spikes, the Oracle opts to stay five feet above the ground.
Zoli feels a brief rush of delirium rush over her, but with halfling pluck and the grace of Chaldira she shakes it off. Through her empathetic link she realizes Lion wasn't so lucky. As the mouse begins to chitter hysterically, she scoops him up in her hand and latches him safely inside his familiar satchel.
As she does, she looks at her allies nervously. "Let's not kill each other, OK?"
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