23: First You Kill the Monsters, then You Get the Money, then You Get the Women

[Sierra]

<El-Cideon> You stand before the swirling mists of Mistvalken's inner courtyard, at the doorstep of the Duke's last bastion. Maxwell casts an appraising glance around the assembled heroes before setting off into the fog. "You are all prepared for this? We can wait and rest if need be. You have been so very busy this night, after all."
<Corben> "The Duke will be stopped," Corben declares, scoffing at such pathetic notions.
<Eliaphas> "Not too tired to end this," Eliaphas asserts grimly, advancing with the inertia of forty years delayed vengeance pushing him onwards.
* Madeline changes topic to 'Corben: 112/137 (-4/+2wis), Eliaphas: 89/102, Madeline: 84/96(-1wis)| Flame Arrows: 9'
<Madeline> "We've no time to rest. Every second we wait allows some new depravity to take place!"
<El-Cideon> Maxwell nods, replaces an amulet around his neck with a one of the familiar Varas emblems, and marches in behind Eliaphas.
<El-Cideon> The fog surrounds you. The castle's inner ring is lost to sight and for a moment you wander blind--before stumbling through a portal into a great vertical shaft. The walls here are made of slick black stone, and festooned with gargoyles and twisted faces. Something about the room nags at the eye--surfaces aren't quite level, angles something short of perpendicular, the ascent of the tower suggesting a canted structure--but the moment you try to focus on anything, the anomalies flee to peripheral vision. A narrow stairway rings the wall, ascending into a ceiling far above.
<El-Cideon> In the center of the floor here, two beaked demons sit hunched at comically undersized furniture, a game of chess in progress between them. A spear lies close at hand to one of them; the other is winged, with a segmented tail snaking out behind it. Each looks up at your arrival.
<El-Cideon> The winged one speaks: "Humans invade the tower, Nylos." The other responds: "Rude of them to interrupt our game, Gralog." The first continues: "Yes. Shall we break them and suck the marrow from their bones, Nylos?" Finally: "Yes, Gralog, we shall."
<Eliaphas> "No, you shan't," Eliaphas retorts, crossbow bolt levelled firmly upon Nylos.
* Corben draws his falcion, his intent unmistakable. "All you'll do is die, fiends!"
<El-Cideon> "Little point in speaking with them," Maxwell says, quickly exchanging amulets once inside the tower. "They're bound in the Duke's defense. Eradicate them and move on."
<El-Cideon> The demons stand for battle, quite ready to meet these statements in kind!
<El-Cideon> OOC: init
<Corben> roll 1d20+12
* Hatbot --> "Corben rolls 1d20+12 and gets 20."12 [1d20=8]
<Madeline> roll 1d20+9
* Hatbot --> "Madeline rolls 1d20+9 and gets 10."12 [1d20=1]
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+8 Maxwell
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+8 Maxwell and gets 13."12 [1d20=5]
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+6 Gralog (winged demon)
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+6 Gralog (winged demon) and gets 9."12 [1d20=3]
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+6 Nylos (spear demon)
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+6 Nylos (spear demon) and gets 24."12 [1d20=18]
* Retrieving #mistvalken modes...
<Eliaphas> roll 1d20+9
* Hatbot --> "Eliaphas rolls 1d20+9 and gets 11."12 [1d20=2]
* El-Cideon changes topic to 'Corben: 112/137 (-4/+2wis), Eliaphas: 89/102, Madeline: 84/96(-1wis)| Flame Arrows: 9 | Nylos > Corben > Maxwell > Eliaphas > Madeline > Gralog'
<El-Cideon> "Cold iron weapons if you have them," Maxwell hisses. The demons take note of the wizard's presence--"Betrayer! We wonder what took you so long. Our employer will take great pleasure from your demise now." The armed demon rears back and spews a torrent of crackling electricity at Maxwell--who just happens to be taking shelter behind Eliaphas!
<El-Cideon> OOC: ref, E
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+13 Maxwell
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+13 Maxwell and gets 17."12 [1d20=4]
<Eliaphas> roll 1d20+9 you dick!
* Hatbot --> "Eliaphas rolls 1d20+9 you dick! and gets 15."12 [1d20=6]
<El-Cideon> roll 12d6 electric, both failed
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 12d6 electric, both failed and gets 48."12 [12d6=5, 2, 1, 5, 6, 1, 2, 4, 6, 6, 6, 4]
* Eliaphas changes topic to 'Corben: 112/137 (-4/+2wis), Eliaphas: 36/102, Madeline: 84/96(-1wis)| Flame Arrows: 9 | Nylos > Corben > Maxwell > Eliaphas > Madeline > Gralog'
<El-Cideon> OOC: Corben is up. They're both about 25 ft from you.
<Corben> With a cry of "DIE!" Corben rushes the slower of the demons. He will not get to so much as twitch, unless it is in his death throes!
<Corben> roll 1d20+20 (10pa, surprise accuracy, rage, charge)
* Hatbot --> "Corben rolls 1d20+20 (10pa, surprise accuracy, rage, charge) and gets 36."12 [1d20=16]
<El-Cideon> OOC: hit
<Corben> roll 1d20+20 (10pa, surprise accuracy, rage, charge) crit?
* Hatbot --> "Corben rolls 1d20+20 (10pa, surprise accuracy, rage, charge) crit? and gets 35."12 [1d20=15]
<El-Cideon> OOC: and yes
* Eliaphas changes topic to 'Corben: 112/137 (-4/+2wis), Eliaphas: 41/102, Madeline: 84/96(-1wis)| Flame Arrows: 9 | Nylos > Corben > Maxwell > Eliaphas > Madeline > Gralog'
<Corben> roll 2#2d4+16+20
* Hatbot --> "Corben rolls 2#2d4+16+20 and gets 78."12 [2#2d4+16+20 = 39, 39]
<Corben> roll 2d6 bleed at last!
* Hatbot --> "Corben rolls 2d6 bleed at last! and gets 7."12 [2d6=3, 4]
* El-Cideon changes topic to 'Corben: 112/137 (-4/+2wis), Eliaphas: 41/102, Madeline: 84/96(-1wis)| Flame Arrows: 9 | Nylos > Corben > Maxwell > Eliaphas > Madeline > Gralog (2d6 bleed)'
<El-Cideon> Corben tears a horrible gash down the demon's chest, provoking a torrent of black blood and a squawk of dismay! Maxwell effortlessly floats thirty feet up in the air, out of both monsters' grasp, and chants a curse at the creatures!
<El-Cideon> roll 2#1d20+16 academic SR check
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 2#1d20+16 academic SR check and gets 41."12 [2#1d20+16 = 22, 19]
<El-Cideon> roll 2#1d20+15 fort saves
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 2#1d20+15 fort saves and gets 58."12 [2#1d20+15 = 34, 24]
<El-Cideon> roll 16d6 Nylos halved this
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 16d6 Nylos halved this and gets 63."12 [16d6=4, 1, 2, 6, 5, 3, 6, 5, 6, 4, 4, 5, 1, 2, 3, 6]
<El-Cideon> Flesh sloughs off the demons before your eyes, their bodies wasting away, but both still stand ready!
<El-Cideon> OOC: E and M
<Eliaphas> Not having time for swapping to cold iron bolts, Eliaphas hopes his hatred for demons will make up the difference as he unloads a salvo at Nylos!
<Eliaphas> OOC: evil outsider bane, does it work?
<El-Cideon> OOC: yes
<Eliaphas> roll 1d20+18
* Hatbot --> "Eliaphas rolls 1d20+18 and gets 22."12 [1d20=4]
<Eliaphas> roll 1d20+18
* Hatbot --> "Eliaphas rolls 1d20+18 and gets 34."12 [1d20=16]
<Eliaphas> roll 1d20+13
* Hatbot --> "Eliaphas rolls 1d20+13 and gets 22."12 [1d20=9]
<El-Cideon> OOC: one hit
<Eliaphas> roll 1d10+6+1d6+1d6+4d6 fire/elec/bane
* Hatbot --> "Eliaphas rolls 1d10+6+1d6+1d6+4d6 fire/elec/bane and gets 29."12 [1d10=4][1d6=2][1d6=6][4d6=1, 6, 1, 3]
<Madeline> Demons! Can her arrows even harm such things? Madeline will soon find out, and a volley of arrows soon follows the bolts unleashed by Eliaphas!
<El-Cideon> The bolt thuds into the demon's shoulder with minor impact. The creature snorts with disdain as the magical fire and lightning crackle over it to no effect.
<Madeline> roll 1d20+21
<Madeline> roll 1d20+21
* Hatbot --> "Madeline rolls 1d20+21 and gets 32."12 [1d20=11]
* Hatbot --> "Madeline rolls 1d20+21 and gets 38."12 [1d20=17]
<Madeline> roll 1d20+16
<Madeline> roll 1d20+11
* Hatbot --> "Madeline rolls 1d20+16 and gets 26."12 [1d20=10]
* Hatbot --> "Madeline rolls 1d20+11 and gets 31."12 [1d20=20]
<Madeline> roll 1d20+11 crittage
* Hatbot --> "Madeline rolls 1d20+11 crittage and gets 19."12 [1d20=8]
<El-Cideon> OOC: no crit, but all hit
<Madeline> roll 1d8+14+2d6+1d6+1d6 fire/frost/shock
* Hatbot --> "Madeline rolls 1d8+14+2d6+1d6+1d6 fire/frost/shock and gets 31."12 [1d8=3][2d6=4, 6][1d6=3][1d6=1]
<Madeline> roll 1d8+14+2d6+1d6+1d6 fire/frost/shock
* Hatbot --> "Madeline rolls 1d8+14+2d6+1d6+1d6 fire/frost/shock and gets 27."12 [1d8=4][2d6=2, 2][1d6=4][1d6=1]
<Madeline> roll 1d8+14+2d6+1d6+1d6 fire/frost/shock
* Hatbot --> "Madeline rolls 1d8+14+2d6+1d6+1d6 fire/frost/shock and gets 30."12 [1d8=8][2d6=3, 1][1d6=2][1d6=2]
<Madeline> roll 1d8+14+2d6+1d6+1d6 fire/frost/shock
* Hatbot --> "Madeline rolls 1d8+14+2d6+1d6+1d6 fire/frost/shock and gets 33."12 [1d8=4][2d6=6, 2][1d6=6][1d6=1]
<Madeline> roll 1d8+14+2d6+1d6+1d6 fire/frost/shock
* Hatbot --> "Madeline rolls 1d8+14+2d6+1d6+1d6 fire/frost/shock and gets 33."12 [1d8=6][2d6=2, 2][1d6=6][1d6=3]
<El-Cideon> This volley staggers the creature, almost sending it to its knees, but with a snarl it regains composure!
<El-Cideon> roll 2d6 bleed
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 2d6 bleed and gets 8."12 [2d6=6, 2]
<El-Cideon> The winged demon lurches into action, laying into Corben with claws, wings and tail!
<El-Cideon> roll 2#1d20+23 claw x2
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 2#1d20+23 claw x2 and gets 66."12 [2#1d20+23 = 41, 25]
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+22 sting
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+22 sting and gets 23."12 [1d20=1]
<El-Cideon> roll 2#1d20+17 wing x2
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 2#1d20+17 wing x2 and gets 53."12 [2#1d20+17 = 18, 35]
<El-Cideon> roll 1d8+8 claw
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d8+8 claw and gets 15."12 [1d8=7]
<El-Cideon> roll 1d8+8 claw
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d8+8 claw and gets 10."12 [1d8=2]
<El-Cideon> roll 1d6+4 wing
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d6+4 wing and gets 6."12 [1d6=2]
<Corben> OOC: DR2
* Corben changes topic to 'Corben: 87/137 (-4/+2wis), Eliaphas: 41/102, Madeline: 84/96(-1wis)| Flame Arrows: 9 | Nylos > Corben > Maxwell > Eliaphas > Madeline > Gralog (2d6 bleed)'
<El-Cideon> As one demon slashes and tears at Corben, Nylos jabs at the intrepid hero with his spear from just beyond Corben's reach!
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+23
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+23 and gets 43."12 [1d20=20]
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+18
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+18 and gets 31."12 [1d20=13]
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+13
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+13 and gets 18."12 [1d20=5]
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+23 crit?
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+23 crit? and gets 30."12 [1d20=7]
<El-Cideon> roll 1d10+16+1d6 electric, normal hit
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d10+16+1d6 electric, normal hit and gets 23."12 [1d10=4][1d6=3]
<El-Cideon> roll 2d10+32+1d6 electric, crit
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 2d10+32+1d6 electric, crit and gets 51."12 [2d10=9, 9][1d6=1]
* Corben changes topic to 'Corben: 17/137 (-4/+2wis), Eliaphas: 41/102, Madeline: 84/96(-1wis)| Flame Arrows: 9 | Nylos > Corben > Maxwell > Eliaphas > Madeline > Gralog (2d6 bleed)'
<El-Cideon> A terrible blow skewers Corben, leaving him at death's doorstep!
<El-Cideon> OOC: C is up, time for revenge?!
<Corben> How dare these glorified door guards even think of stopping him? Corben retaliates with a terrible fury!
<Corben> roll 1d20+20 4pa
* Hatbot --> "Corben rolls 1d20+20 4pa and gets 37."12 [1d20=17]
<Corben> roll 1d20+15 4pa
* Hatbot --> "Corben rolls 1d20+15 4pa and gets 29."12 [1d20=14]
<Corben> roll 1d20+10 4pa
* Hatbot --> "Corben rolls 1d20+10 4pa and gets 15."12 [1d20=5]
<Corben> roll 1d20+20 4pa crit?
* Hatbot --> "Corben rolls 1d20+20 4pa crit? and gets 29."12 [1d20=9]
<El-Cideon> OOC: crit and a hit
<Corben> roll 2#2d4+16+8
* Hatbot --> "Corben rolls 2#2d4+16+8 and gets 61."12 [2#2d4+16+8 = 32, 29]
<Corben> roll 2d4+16+8
* Hatbot --> "Corben rolls 2d4+16+8 and gets 27."12 [2d4=2, 1]
<El-Cideon> Corben rends the winged demon into two even slices, infernal viscera spilling all over their pleasant little game of chess! Horribly wounded, Nylos leans on his spear for support. Maxwell fires off a trio of firebolts to finish the monster--
<El-Cideon> roll 1d20+16 he doesn't really care about SR
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 1d20+16 he doesn't really care about SR and gets 26."12 [1d20=10]
<El-Cideon> roll 3#1d20+12 touch
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 3#1d20+12 touch and gets 63."12 [3#1d20+12 = 13, 25, 25]
<El-Cideon> roll 2#4d6 fire
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 2#4d6 fire and gets 30."12 [2#4d6 = 16, 14]
<El-Cideon> Flames engulf the demon, overcoming its natural resistance and sending it to the ground in a burning heap.
<El-Cideon> OOC: free act
<Madeline> "I still have some potions," professes Madeline, producing two blue-tinted vials.
<Eliaphas> "Corben needs them more," Eliaphas suggests, digging out his own potion of cure moderate wounds and downing it.
<Eliaphas> roll 2d8+3
* Hatbot --> "Eliaphas rolls 2d8+3 and gets 16."12 [2d8=6, 7]
* Eliaphas changes topic to 'Corben: 17/137 (-4/+2wis), Eliaphas: 57/102, Madeline: 84/96(-1wis)| Flame Arrows: 9 | Nylos > Corben > Maxwell > Eliaphas > Madeline > Gralog (2d6 bleed)'
* Eliaphas then reloads with cold iron!
* Madeline pass them to Corben, silently agreeing with that!
* Corben draws a crooked wand!
<El-Cideon> Maxwell drifts back to earth and produces a wand, healing his own wounds before handing it to any interested party. "I can always make more of these."
<Corben> roll 3d8+5
* Hatbot --> "Corben rolls 3d8+5 and gets 17."12 [3d8=4, 6, 2]
<Corben> roll 3d8+5
* Hatbot --> "Corben rolls 3d8+5 and gets 12."12 [3d8=2, 4, 1]
<El-Cideon> roll 5#1d8+1 CLW spamming
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 5#1d8+1 CLW spamming and gets 24."12 [5#1d8+1 = 5, 3, 2, 6, 8]
<El-Cideon> roll 5#1d8+1 more CLW spamming
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 5#1d8+1 more CLW spamming and gets 18."12 [5#1d8+1 = 2, 2, 2, 4, 8]
<El-Cideon> "You can replace whatever magical trinkets normally protect you," he says, pointing to the amulets. "The Varas crest is needed only to enter and leave the building."
* Corben changes topic to 'Corben: 46/137 (-4/+2wis), Eliaphas: 57/102, Madeline: 84/96(-1wis)| Flame Arrows: 9 | Nylos > Corben > Maxwell > Eliaphas > Madeline > Gralog (2d6 bleed)'
* Eliaphas dutifully swaps back to his amulet of natural armour.
<El-Cideon> Maxwell observes with one raised eyebrow the lack of further healing action on his new teammates' part and sees to it himself.
<El-Cideon> roll 10#1d8+1 Corben
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 10#1d8+1 Corben and gets 54."12 [10#1d8+1 = 6, 4, 4, 8, 7, 5, 5, 8, 4, 3]
<El-Cideon> roll 10#1d8+1 Eliaphas
* Hatbot --> "El-Cideon rolls 10#1d8+1 Eliaphas and gets 41."12 [10#1d8+1 = 6, 3, 3, 3, 8, 2, 3, 6, 2, 5]
* Eliaphas changes topic to 'Corben: 100/137 (-4/+2wis), Eliaphas: 98/102, Madeline: 84/96(-1wis)| Flame Arrows: 9 | Nylos > Corben > Maxwell > Eliaphas > Madeline > Gralog (2d6 bleed)'
<El-Cideon> "Sufficiently hale and hearty now?" he wonders. "There remains an ordeal at the top of the tower. No one should proceed without being in perfect condition."
* Eliaphas nods in gruff thanks for the unrequested healing and steps over the fallen demons onwards.
<El-Cideon> The stairway circles round the walls of the tower into the ceiling far above. It's narrow enough that you'll have to proceed single file.
* Corben leads the way!
* Eliaphas follows the barbarian.
* Madeline proceeds after Eliaphas, ready to shoot over the shoulders of her allies!
<El-Cideon> Around and around you go, until the blood-spattered floor below is lost in a vertiginous haze. Maxwell, of course, trails behind the party, levitating along some feet in the air to more easily fling spells over the party's heads if need be. Walls soon wrap around the stairway on all sides and shortly you come to a short landing. "Treasury floor," Maxwell says in a disinterested tone. "Obviously we have pressing business that precludes looting it right now, as Stanja's room is on the next floor. An ensorcelled mirror is stationed to trap unwary intruders anyway."
<Eliaphas> "Madeline, get the doll ready," Eliaphas says over his shoulder if that's where they're headed.
<Corben> Things must come in the proper order. First, the enemies are slain, their bones ground under their feet. Only then, after, comes the time to take their treasures. Corben continues onwards, although his pace is slower to allow Madeline to pass him easily once they are close enough.
<Madeline> Madeline quickly procures the little doll from the ride-on pouch at her belt!
<El-Cideon> Marcy pokes her head out at that, apparently not having had any trouble hitchhiking into the tower with the rest of Madeline's things. "It's been such a long time!" the doll squeaks in its little girl voice. "She must be all grown up now..."
<El-Cideon> Maxwell eyes the doll with some mild curiosity. "You have no idea," he says drily.
<Madeline> "We'll soon find out," replies Madeline, envisaging some withered old hag acting the little princess.
<El-Cideon> Soon you circle round to another landing. There is a heavy wooden door here supported with bands of iron. "You intend some manner of subterfuge here?" Maxwell guesses, gesturing at the doll.
<Madeline> "Calling it subterfuge is very rude. This doll used to be Lady Stanja's, so what better way to make friends with her than by returning it?"
<El-Cideon> Maxwell looks skeptical, but shrugs. "I suppose there's no harm in trying. She's not wholly immune to sentiment. I think it best I not be present for this conversation, however. If you mean to try and convince her not to fight, my presence would only serve to inflame her rage." He drifts up to the ceiling and takes up a position round the bend of the stairwell. "I presume you'll make enough noise to alert me should violence prove inevitable."
* Eliaphas nods to that, lowering his crossbow though still holding it tightly to raise if need be, he lets Madeline advance with the sentimental doll.
<El-Cideon> Marcy watches Maxwell float away. "He's like that teacher you never wanted to get in school," she mumbles with a little shiver.
<Madeline> Madeline apprehensively walks towards the door, and knocks sharply on it twice. "Have you been to school, then?" she asks.
* Corben ignores such nonsense, and sheathes his sword. That is all he can do to avoid a fight, it seems.
<El-Cideon> The doll adopts an expression of great concentration. "I don't remember going to school...there isn't one in the castle...but I must have or I wouldn't have said that, right?" She sounds confused.
<El-Cideon> From within the room, a moment of silence broken by a sleepy voice: "Milady?"
<Madeline> "Hello? I've come with a present for the Lady Stanja. Is it alright if we come in?"
<El-Cideon> A pause. Then the unseen woman speaks in a more cautious voice: "Who are you? We weren't expecting visitors. Well, we were, but not the friendly sort, I--give me a moment, I'm not dressed." There's the sound of sheets being tossed back, rustling fabric, then: "Very well."
<Madeline> "I'm coming in, then," replies Madeline, reaching out to open the door.
<El-Cideon> It isn't locked. It swings open with a great creaking noise to reveal a luxurious bedroom. The walls are wide enough that it must occupy the entirety of this floor, though the bare stone has been obscured with long streams of flowing silk in gentle lavenders and violets. A massive canopied bed occupies the far wall of the room, surely large enough for a sizable group to rest in comfortably; next to it is a changing screen depicting a placid countryside scene, and several wardrobes. One corner of the room is floored with a soft mat of the sort one might use in a gymnasium for wrestling or some other sport; surrounding this are racks of weapons and an empty armor stand. (more)
<El-Cideon> Standing before the bed is human woman of years approaching middle age; she's an attractive blonde with soft, welcoming features and curves amply outlined by the gleaming white nightgown she wears. A set of old puncture scars ring her neck, and wrists from where you can see them.
<El-Cideon> Marcy hops down and strolls around the room. "This place hasn't changed at all!" she says with a mixture of surprise and gentle disapproval.
<Madeline> "My name is Madeline," states Madeline, managing to remember to bow despite the woman's state of dress. "I believe this doll belongs to you?"
<Eliaphas> Looks like the vampires had some fun with her before she ended up as Stanja's playmate. Eliaphas feels pity for the woman but also caution, since it's not unheard of for captives to become uncommonly devoted to a captor who shows but a little kindness mixed with their maltreatment. "Where is the Lady Stanja?"
<El-Cideon> "It...does not," she says, watching Marcy trot around the room in mild confusion. "My name is Teodora...You must be looking for her Ladyship, yes. She's gone upstairs to try and convince her lord father to take the field against you. He won't listen. He never does." She opens her mouth to say more, pauses, breath catches in her throat. When she continues speaking, it's with a very tenuous rein over her emotions. "Are you going to kill her?"
* Eliaphas shakes his head in irritation. Marcy's value as a distraction would be questionable if confronting the Duke and his daughter at the same time. "We will if she gets in our way. The Duke is who we're here for."
<El-Cideon> "Wait--" She swallows her words behind a sob for a moment, wipes tears away with the sleeve of her nightgown. "Please let me talk to her before it comes to violence," she says. "I can make her leave. It's all falling apart, she has to see that. She'll listen to me. Take me with you."
<Eliaphas> She's surely vastly overestimating her own pull over the woman... nevermind that the Duke could just slay her out of hand. "You'd only get in the way," he responds curtly. "It's better if you wait here, this will all be over, soon."
<El-Cideon> "I've learned a little about fighting," she protests, adding with an embarassed blush, "Milady likes to wrestle...but I admit I have no real talent for it." She grabs Eliaphas's hand and clutches it tight. "Promise me you'll let her go. She needs to know I'm waiting for her."
<Madeline> "I will make no such promise. If she is wise, she won't invite death," states Madeline, roughly. "She won't be killed if she doesn't seek our deaths. That's all I can say."
<Eliaphas> "If you have a message for her we will pass it on. What happens next is up to her," Eliaphs retorts, pulling his hand back and stepping away.
<El-Cideon> "Then don't provoke her," Teodora advises Madeline. "She's temperamental. Don't boast, don't threaten, don't jest. She'll fly into a rage." A fierce expression, and a certain strength in her voice...pride? "And I promise you this, you do not want to fight her. Say what you need to say in plain words. And tell her...tell her I'm ready to go home."
<Madeline> How they can possibly talk to her without threatening her is beyond Madeline, but she nods as though she understands.
<Corben> It's not a threat if they are stating a fact. Leave or die, simple and elegant. Corben nods as well, echoing Madeline.
<Eliaphas> If it can make for an easier battle with the Duke, Eliaphas is willing to give it a go. "Very well. Will we still take Marcy as well?" he asks Madeline.
<Madeline> "I doubt it can hurt. You understand, I hope?" she remarks, turning to the doll. "There's no need for violence between us."
<El-Cideon> "Yes, you will!" the little doll insists. "This is weird! This room turned into a big romance story while I was away...except only with girls." She shakes her head. "Not fighting is more fun than fighting, okay."
<Madeline> "Then, we'd best hurry," decides Madeline. "How do we get to her?"
<El-Cideon> "If she went to see the Duke, we just keep going up!" Marcy says, pointing one fingerless hand upwards in demonstration. Teodora nods in confirmation. "Mind yourself on the upper floors. The Duke was playing games with space there and something went wrong. And the Duchess is up there somewhere...I don't know what she'll do when she meets you. She's the wizard's creature, has been for years."
<Corben> "Just how many wives does he have?" Corben must ask.
<Eliaphas> Well the wizard is ostensibly on their side so that could prove useful. Back into the stairwell and up, then!
<El-Cideon> "Just one," Teodora says uncomfortably. "At a time, that is. He'll forget about them soon enough and in time they go mad or throw themselves from the tower. This one's been around for a few decades though, so Lady Stanja tells me."
<El-Cideon> Eliaphas finds Maxwell waiting for them just round the corner. "Success?"
<Madeline> "He's not taken a new wife recently, then?" asks Madeline, with sudden urgency.
<Eliaphas> "She's up with her father trying to talk him into fighting us, apparently," Eliaphas tells the mage. "We may still be able to convince her to retreat but I wouldn't count on it."
<El-Cideon> "Milady brought a girl for him, as she's always done. She's up the stairwell a bit, in Lady Romanja's old quarters. She seemed a nice enough girl. The Duchess hasn't talked her into killing herself yet, like she did the last couple candidates milady brought up."
<El-Cideon> Maxwell snorts. "His Grace is as ever preoccupied with other matters. At worst, we wait for their audience to end and deal with them separately."
<Madeline> Madeline breathes out a sigh. "My thanks. We must hurry nonetheless," she decides, turning to leave.
<Corben> Once more, Corben takes his place in the lead!
<El-Cideon> Marcy again hitches a ride with Madeline's gear, the doll's stubby little legs unable to keep up with the half-elf's hurried pace otherwise. Another turn around the black stone stairwell and you reach another landing with an identical door.
<Corben> Standing guard on the stairwell, Corben gestures for Madeline to proceed.
* Madeline is compelled to try and open this door, as well!
<El-Cideon> It's unlocked--no one seems to have bothered locking anything in the tower, given the inability to enter or leave without the appropriate magical trinket. Inside is a stuffy, dusty room that has as much the feel of a study as of someone's private quarters. There is a bed in one corner, but it's small and perfunctory; a voluminous desk well-stocked with writing materials shares the rest of the space with bookshelves, sculptures and paintings of styles some three hundred years out of date, boxed musical instruments, and other artistic debris. Sitting amidst this is a figure Madeline recognizes--there's a rustle of black ringlets as she turns her head to look at the opening door. "Madeline?" she gasps in surprise, dropping a book. "Madeline?!"
<Madeline> "Elswith, you are safe!" exclaims Madeline, dashing forward towards the princess. "I was so worried- I came as quickly as I could once I heard the news! Are you well? They have not done anything to you, have they?"
<El-Cideon> Elswith embraces Madeline. "Oh, thank God!" she breathes, kissing Madeline on the cheek before parting. "I am unhurt. They brought me to the Duke, but he just looked at me as though seeking something that wasn't there. He asked a few questions and turned away. A glacier could be more eloquent and sociable. But it's this *place*--this room is like a mausoleum, and with the fog closing in all round the tower...well, everyone here is absolutely mad and I cannot express the slightest bit of surprise. Long enough and I feel sure I would've joined them in that."
<Madeline> "It's inevitable for the people here. Just wandering these halls is enough to take a toll," replies Madeline, flushing slightly. "You are so fortunate that the Duke has no interest in you, good or ill. Let alone the others-" She grimaces. "We must still defeat him, but knowing you are alive and well is an enormous joy to me. It will not be long now before we are returning safely home."
<El-Cideon> "It could not possibly be too soon--oh, but there are others in the castle. I was in the prison tower briefly before Lady Stanja brought me here--have you freed the peasants? My ladies in waiting, are they alright? The jailer there was eyeing us all with a very unsavory look to her."
<Madeline> "We have slain the jailer and freed those who still live," replies Madeline. "They are waiting for us in the main castle, as safe as they can be."
<El-Cideon> "Then let's see an end to this once and for all. The monster himself is not far above us now--slay him and the nightmare is finished." Another eager hug. "You have my eternal gratitude, Madeline. I could not have asked for a truer friend."