I nod grimly. It is clear that Aerianna has some issues with Shadowwise. On the other hand, with the healing I just received, I am feeling rather pleasant. I then start to whistle some half-remembered tune.
Maddock heaves himself up onto the about-to-leave skycab, and pauses to take a breath.
Maddock (assuming he's climbing aboard): 'Fli'et. Fli'et."
He bows slightly to Lucienne, and mutters "thanks fer that", then squints and pokes his head out side of the cab, trying to catch sight of his owl.
"A pleasure to meet you Arianna." I turned to her after I nodded in thanks to Luc for the healing. The inner struggle to control my flame prevented me from turning on my most charming smile.
"Glad you could join us. I hope that your previous accommodations weren't TOO uncomfortable." I smiled easier as my inner fire gradually dimmed.
" 'Shadowwise' is our nickname for the creature that killed the gnome Pennywise and took his place. Since we are in a bit of a hurry, and you obviously have your own score to settle, I personally don't mind if you wish to accompany us. Excuse me."
I winked at the new arrival before glancing to the door as Maddock climbed in the coach, then shouted towards the front.
"All aboard! GO! GO!" I turned to the others, "Anybody have clear bead on where 'Shadowwise' went?"
"My name's Lucienne. Pleased to meet you. And those tools are yours should they please you."
And Akallabeth, look ahead."
She nods and gruffly says "Thanks.", pocketing the thieves tools.
At Akallabeth's comment she says "I'll aid you against Shadowise. Like you said, I have a score to settle."
Just as the party debarks the cab, Lucienne uses her Pearl of Power to recall protection from evil, which she casts on Kegi.
"Maddock, you've got the wand for those. Don't hesitate to use it on anyone who looks like they're coming under the Hollow Man's influence.
"Grassy, it was an honor knowing you."
"Akallabeth, those of us without armor could really use your usual protective charms."
Aerianna leaps from the skycar and lands in a fighter's crouch, scanning the balcony for any hidden dangers. She holds the truncheon at the ready and starts to creep forward towards the stairs that this 'Shadowise' creature fled through.
"What powers does this creature have. What do we face?" she asks quitely.
I leap from the car, and nod grimly to Grassy in appreciation.
Then at Romulus' comment I nod again, summon the flame, which is coming FAR too easily for my comfort today, and cast 'Mage Armor' on romulus.
Then I glanced again at the pile of castle mockup on the balcony, and spared time to kick it once and curse.
"This guy is really getting under my skin!" I growled. Then I turned to the newcomer.
"Lucienne can fill you in on the details, but it's called a 'Nemesis'. It basically turns into whatever it's victim has the hardest time fighting. But right now it's running. I think that's good, but we need to catch it before it gets to whatever backup it has planned, because that would be bad!"
I looked around. "Everybody ready?"
Aerianna smiles in a predatory manner "Let's move." she says and starts towards the stairs, truncheon held ready to strike any opposition that should appear.
Sliding an arrow from my quiver, I follow the others onto the balcony, sprint to the base of the stairs and scan above for signs of where Shadow wise has gone.
I nod my thanks to Akallabeth, "Yes, ready."
Aerianna picks herself up off the ground and quickly takes stock of her surroundings "Where are we?" she asks, still shaken from the sensation of being eaten alive.
"Another one of Shadowwise's loony locales." I check if the protective enchantment laid by Akallabeth is still there to determine the length of time we were blacked out. Thereafter, I grasp my staff and maintain my vigilance.
Checking myself over as if not entirely convinced that I'm still all there, I pull myself into a low crouch and wait.
"Where are we?"
Turning to glance at Aerianna, I say with all seriousness, "No idea. Perhaps we ask yonder Clown?"
She nods, hefts her truncheon and says "Cover me." before moving forward to the two men.
Keeping the truncheon ready and clearly visible, she bluntly asks "Where are we? Do you know how we got here?"
She nods, hefts her truncheon and says "Cover me." before moving forward to the two men.
Keeping the truncheon ready and clearly visible, she bluntly asks "Where are we? Do you know how we got here?"
Preparing an acid splash spell in case Aerianna's conversation turns bad.
As she's eaten alive, Lucienne's panic is mixed with a grim satisfaction. "I thought today was going too well."
Waking up, Lucienne the Oneiromancer tries to unobtrusively test whether she can influence the reality in this place.
Ignoring the looks from the two men, Aerianna asks "What castle? What nation?" in a somewhat more irritable tone.
Hoping the two conversationalists are distracted momentarily, I conduct a hasty (and probably ineffective) search of the environs.
Lucienne looks at clown and the pipe-smoking man with concern in her eyes. She speaks quickly.
"Forgive us, goodman clown, my lord, but my companions and I find ourselves at disadvantage. We have never been to Castle Stratos before, and we're not sure how --or even when-- we arrived.
"Knights and knaves? Hobgoblins and things below? All these things are strange to us.
"But you have answered my friend's question, and for your kindness you have our gratitude."
"Goodman clown, know where the master of these knights and knaves, hobgoblins and thing below reside?"
"Can you describe this thing you lost? So we know it when we see it."
Lucienne smiles, thinking fast. "Good gentles, I beg forgiveness for our oafish behavior. We are the Order of the Oak, champions of life and virtue. How may we rightly address you?"
Not being the diplomatic sort, Aerianna steps back and lets Lucienne do the talking.
Anyone listening slosely to her would hear her mutter "Shut up." in response to some unheard comment.
Akallabeth frantically flaps and dances away from the jaws as he is disgorged, gasping for air, and cussing and hissing like some mad-mage cross between a sailor and a cat.
"Alive!" I hissed between creative curses that few outside of a military unit had ever heard before, "Eaten bloody Alive! I KNEW it was too blasted easy!" I finally calmed down enough to realize that I wasn't alone, and to begin taking in my surroundings.
Gulping for air to calm myself down, I instinctively felt for the enchantments I had laid before the battle,... gone. All right, it had been a couple of hours at least, but after that it could be 100 years for all I knew. I saw Kegi taking a look around, excellent, if anybody could find anything here,... OK, a shoulder shrug and quick shake of his head tells me that he hasn't found anything yet.
Then I spotted Romulus, Lucienne, and the new girl who had jumped in the cab, Arianna?, talking to two unusual looking men. And I slowly and cautiously edged towards them. I was taking my time to make sure I had settled the flames that had threatened to break loose when I,... arrived here, and to catch up to the conversation. I heard most of it, and slid inbetween Luc and Rom as they asked for our names.
"Ah! A pleasure to meet you sir!" I greeted the clown gregariously, while deliberately adjusting my mask with the hand nearest Luc to remind her not to use real names. "They call me 'Fireball', This fine gentleman is 'Rags'", I said, indicating the nearby Romulus, "And these two lovely ladies are,..."
I bowed in the girls' direction while cocking an eyebrow at Lucienne. I figured she probably didn't want to get stuck with whatever poor excuse for a nickname my eaten-alive and recently-regurgitated brain might come up with!
"Ah! A pleasure to meet you sir!" I greeted the clown gregariously, while deliberately adjusting my mask with the hand nearest Luc to remind her not to use real names. "They call me 'Fireball', This fine gentleman is 'Rags'", I said, indicating the nearby Romulus, "And these two lovely ladies are,..."
Lucienne almost laughs at that. Growing up, she had a cat named 'Fireball'. Well, it'll be easy to remember.
Bowing, "'Muffit', good sirs, and," indicating Aerienne, 'Chafsiya'."
For those who speak Draconic:
For those who speak Elfen:
"We apologize for any inconvenience our intrusion might have caused you. Which of you could better explain this place, or how we come to find ourselves here?"
Acting as if I haven't heard what's been said, I remain distant from the group and continue looking around acting very much like a tourist or other person who is supposed to be here, but doesn't know where "here" is.
After a couple of minutes of this, I approach within about 15 feet of the two gentlemen and motion towards an archway, "Excuse me, Fair Sir, be that th' road to th' Knights - or to th' Knaves?"
The Pundit with a sly grin points out each, and then a little further down the commons, a large direction sign that says Knights and Knaves and their respective directions can be seen.
Looking each of you up and down the pundit says "You guys will probably want the knaves from the looks of you, unless you happen to have a shrubbery"
Lucienne laughs and points at Maddock. "Didn't we tell you that his code name is 'Shrubbery'?"
She looks at the clown. "No offence intended, Ronald. We've been fighting against someone who means us ill, and we're just...cautious." She takes off her mask. "I'm placing some trust in you in this, as you have in us. Call me Lu.
"But, really, how did we get here?"
"These vaguely feline shadows with the mouths...those are the 'Cheshire Cats?' We were attacked by them, but the Herald was not. As if he commanded them."
"To the Knaves then?" Aerianna asks, eager to leave this strange place.
"Aye, anywhere but here. If we be hunted, best to be on th' move."
"Conspiracy?" I muttered aloud unintentionally. I recovered and continued,...
"Well, if they can be summoned, they can be dismissed, or turned. Thank you goodsir." I smiled charmingly from behind my mask, which was surprisingly comfortable considering what it had just been through.
I nodded at Kegi and Arianna's statements, but looked first at Luc to see if she had any other brilliant questions, cuz' I was fresh out.
"Aye, the 'Knaves' sound like our kind of people, shall we then?"
I took a quick inventory, and was more than a little surprised to find all of my gear seemed to be present and accounted for.
"Curiouser and curiouser,..." I muttered as I closed ranks with the others.
"Hmmm. 'Ronald Eon' is 'An Older No.'
"Before we go and face...who knows what... is there anything we can do for you gentlemen?"