Serious Plots 5: No lulz.

[Gullara]

[The Gilded Green]

Deela seems, perhaps, a little disappointed that Cessie decided to wear her own bubble. Still, she voices no such complaints, and with a thought she commands her enormous gill-beast to dive. Water rushes past the trio of vacationers as they plummet suddenly into the center of the lake.

"Here I thought you'd be a little squeamish about the fish, Cessie," Adir comments from his position in the rear.

They thrash past two halves of a sunken boat, rocks that have lain still for untold eons, but eventually all gives way to nothing. Empty water, lit by an ethereal light, is all that lies ahead, and behind... Behind, if anyone bothers to look (for Adir certainly won't) is what appears to be the bottom of a lake.

A lake somewhere else ripples and spits the group forth, their mount throwing itself from the murk with a mighty heave. Water flies up then comes crashing back down to drench the lot a second time. Adir and Sakura's failing bubbles pop softly, cool air rushing against their faces.

The lake they float upon is surrounded by a small, rocky island, floating in a sea of mist. Above, stone flows like water across a turquoise sky, rippling as it rolls and rumbles through the air. Directly ahead, poking up from the otherwise bumpy and plain features of the island, is a squat, round stone structure. What must be Deela's home.

"Welcome," says Deela, "To the Realm Underkin! And the realm Unkind, to wicked folk!" She titters at her people's little in-joke.

"Underkin. Huh..."

While Deela's intoxicating aura might cloud Sakura's mind a little, she may recall the Underkin being a strange and unpredictable sort of fae. As alien to Yuriain as the Nexus is, or perhaps more so, the Kin introduce all manner of strange things to the already unstable forest world. It's said by some they were the first to bring magic into the world, and madness followed after it. The legends aren't as dark as that sounds, at any rate - madness is fleeting and sometimes quite inspiring to the Fair Folk.

[The Gilded Green]

Adir echos Sakura's thoughts. She's heard stories about the Underkin before, though she's never met them herself. The stories... well they vary depending on who you ask. Her most moderate impression came from Sarget, though, and that's the one she trusts the most.

"Oh wow, I never even knew this place really existed. I've only ever heard about it." Sakura says with a bright smile. Should she be concerned? Maybe, but this is so exciting.

[Shadowcaller]

[The Gilded Green]

"Underkin?" Cessie asks, looking at Sakura and Adir before looking back at Deela. "I'm sorry, I'm not from this realm so I'm not familiar with any of this."

[Beans]

[Scripture and Sword]
Carrie peers out the window at this knight.
On one hand, possibly friendly.
On the other hand... yeaaaah, given their luck, she should try to avoid him. For now, though, she watches.

[Recaiden]

[Wizard's Tower]

In contrast, Cleosepha seems hardly tired at all, and hurries inside the tower to explore, her voice echoing back out.
"Come on! Let's look around, you can't be done right then, can you?"

[UncleWolf]

Spoiler: Previously, In Silly

Show

During the Journey

Spako nods. He feels better with someone saying that, even though that's basically what can be said about anything anywhere.
"Well, you never did tell me what exactly you are. I think back home there might be a race called Drider that are similar in shape, but their name is derived from their relation to the dark-skinned Drow elves, which you clearly have no connection to."
That or they removed the genes that gave them their dark skin.

During the Journey

Krait hates horses. Hates them. Almost as much as he hates dogs. Horse-riding was never part of the curriculum when he was training to be a double-agent (when is a goblin mercenary leader going to need horses or people who can ride them?), so he's bitter and sore and uncomfortable the entire day's ride, and it's all this stupid horse's fault. He slaps it across the face when it's finally time to set up camp for the night, and goes off in search of some socially acceptable way to take his frustrations out on something or someone.

[During the Journey]

Ghoul was... Untrusting of the steeds provided though it was due to a lack of familiarity with the beasts than anything. She preferred the reliability of construction and artifice if she could get it but.. Well, she could probably just stick to the supply wagons if that was an option. Those, at least, weren't any less comfortable and she could probably sneak in a bit of shut-eye given how it was still oppressively bright out.

The fact that this was expected to take a week, though, meant that she might need to... 'Supplement the hunting parties' though. She hardly expected any among the escort to be so readily accepting of her nutritional needs. Besides, it would be a good time to get to know the surrounding area, seeing how she'd preferably be spending the daytime sleeping like the dead.

In any case, if it was 'recommended' that she take a horse then she'd likely be rather grouchy at nightfall but it was otherwise not something that couldn't be mostly handled although she was loath to spend the whole week that way. Once night came, though, another knight would find themselves approached with a few questions more directed towards cultural and judicial matters. Ghoul wasn't one who outwardly gave the indication of being culturally sensitive most of the time but seemings weren't everything. As for which gender she would offer up her questions to, that didn't particularly matter to her so much as it was one who didn't look immediately busy.

((Assume general questions about how things are run and the ways of the kingdom and such. Actually going through each question might drag on is why I'm going this route))

[During the Journey]

Horses seem to be unpopular.

Jazirian, too, seems to have never ridden nor even been near a horse in his entire life. He's liable to make an ass of himself when he attempts to ride it, though it's mitigated by his superb natural balance and general friendliness towards animals.

He keeps his distance from the knights and other members of the king's entourage, electing not to approach any of them with questions or other things of the sort.

On the Journey

Captain Harkin gives a shrug. "We have heard similar comments from other Flowless who visit, and while that name is now in common use among us, it wasn't before. We never really had a name of our own aside from Chimeras. There are always local terms like Spiders or Spider-Folk, but that is really all there is. If nothing else, we should be thanking your kind for giving us a name."

Krait will have his choice of booze, broads(both arachnid and otherwise), or gambling as his time killers of choice. The former seems to be a dark beer that the group brought with them that's sweet but with a bitter aftertaste, the second are fairly pretty overall(even the Driders, particularly if he's a leg lover), and for the last the game of choice seems to involve four people split into teams of two.

The game seems fairly complicated with a 54 card deck and certain cards worth points while others are worth nothing. The goal is to play higher cards to catch the lower, which would be easy except at the start each player bids on how many points their team will get without telling their partner what they have in their hands and if they win, select whichever suit they like. Each point bid seems to be worth a silver coin, and if they win the hand, they get the pot. If they lose however, the other team gets it. If Krait has the time to sit and listen, they'll be glad to let him in on a game or two.

Ghoul will be allowed to sleep on the wagons whenever she needs to and she'll find that the majority of each is empty. There are some trade goods, but most of it seems to be empty crates and barrels that used to hold food and water. With as many people as were on this trip though, that's to be expected. At least they took their logistics seriously. As for the culture and policy, it seems there isn't too much that's different than a normal "Middle Age" kingdom. There's caste systems and fairly strict laws maintaining such, but it seems that the king that's hired them is far from a tyrant like many. Of important note is that the King gives rights to intelligent Chimeric creatures. Such an act cost him quite a bit of a base initially, but after many oppressed Chimeric races fled to his kingdom, it had expanded three fold. Apparently many weren't like that though, deciding there aren't rights for such creatures or enslaving them completely.

Overall, while the kingdom sounds fair and just, it becomes apparent that it isn't the only style of government around that the knights know about. There are republics, Mage-Ocracies, Oligarchies, pure tyrannies, and even a Theocracy which strangely enough counters the majority of the world's beliefs.

Something of particular note is that much of the deals between this Kingdom and the neighboring Witch-Queen is that many of the important contracts are magically binding with repercussions being rather severe if broken. Mostly it involves curses of absolutely terrible luck and ill fortune, but there's rumors that some drawn by the Witch-Queen herself can cause true pain on a scale so terrible that she'll only revoke it if they go begging at her feet.

Finally, one of the more interesting points is that the primary race seems to be human aside from the Chimeric races and small groups of Flowless that have chosen to reside there. They aren't normal humans though, instead seeming able to live for multiple centuries and with a good talent for Witchcraft and Alchemy, the two sources of magic in the world. The King himself is apparently well into his second century and could very well live for two more.

[Deathkeeper]

On The Journey

Spako nods. "Are chimeras what you referred to when you said that some people are 'made?' Normally the term isn't the most kind in some worlds, but given that your people seem to comprise most of the king's honor guard here you all must have rather high standing." he says, scribbling some notes into his book.

[Lord Magtok]

On the Journey

Krait will have his choice of booze, broads(both arachnid and otherwise), or gambling as his time killers of choice. The former seems to be a dark beer that the group brought with them that's sweet but with a bitter aftertaste, the second are fairly pretty overall(even the Driders, particularly if he's a leg lover), and for the last the game of choice seems to involve four people split into teams of two.

The game seems fairly complicated with a 54 card deck and certain cards worth points while others are worth nothing. The goal is to play higher cards to catch the lower, which would be easy except at the start each player bids on how many points their team will get without telling their partner what they have in their hands and if they win, select whichever suit they like. Each point bid seems to be worth a silver coin, and if they win the hand, they get the pot. If they lose however, the other team gets it. If Krait has the time to sit and listen, they'll be glad to let him in on a game or two.

"Hrm," Krait grunts, before stalking off away from the game. Krait is not a man of patience. He watched the cards briefly, before immediately turning to his other two options. The game was foreign and confusing to him. He could take the time to learn it and understand all of its intricacies, but his mind was far too consumed with unrest and irritability to focus on such things right now. He'd have better luck finding distractions elsewhere.

"You two. The bipeds. Need discretion, hour of your time, ignorance of the Nexus and its people. Name your price," Krait growls an hour or so later, at some harlots he happens to drunkenly drag himself over to. Oh dear, the sorry little lizard must've had too much beer to drink (which honestly doesn't take much, given his weight), and now he's harassing the whores. Krait, this is a terrible idea. What are the odds that they'd even accept Nexus gold, anyways?

[Devixer]

The Scripture and Sword

Also approaching the tavern is someone Carrie is more likely to recognize. Ashley seems to not have any sort of lightning problems right now, and is clearly very tired.

There aren't many patrons of the inn today, but the ones that are awake are chattering about the armored person heading for them, much more than the hooded traveler. Those passed through all the time.

[FireFox]

The Scripture and Sword

Oh, there you are! Why does that armored person sound like Ally pretending to be a man? Wait, that's a really stupid question. There's so much I need to ask you, like does your world have female knights and what are some people and place names I can drop to look like I'm from somewhere people have heard of but never been?

[Beans]

[ The Scripture and Sword ]
Seeing Ashley, Carrie starts down the stairs--- not too fast, that'd be suspicious. She doesn't yet know the knight's identity, though.

[Devixer]

The Sword and Scripture

Ally's disguise may be impeccable, but Ashley was somehow able to tell who she was when she spoke. "Um, there aren't really knights anymore," she says. "You could say you're a mage hunter from..." she takes a moment to remember the country she was thinking of. "Ivela. Say you're from Ivela, and don't say anymore than that."

[UncleWolf]

On the Journey

The Captain gives a nod. "That is what the word means for us, yes." He admits. "As for how we are held in standing with the king, it is true that we are in good stead. This is because even before he gave us our freedom, we volunteered for the position. We have been with him for decades now and no one knows him better except perhaps his sons."

As for Krait, he'll find a pair of women in heavily decorated robes, but the moment he starts to speak to them drunkenly, one gives a look of disgust before leaving while the other simply rolls her eyes. "You're looking for whores, aren't you, Flowless? I've heard of your type. Go to the last wagon. There's a few there. Look for the yellow cloaks."

[Deathkeeper]

During the Journey

Spako nods, jotting down a thing or two into his book and then shutting it.
"Thank you. I had a question or two about your equipment, but is there anything I could answer for you? It's only fair after all." he says, his ears providing the expression a smile normally would on a human.

[Aric Kale]

I'm honestly unsure of who's supposed to post next...

Wizards' Tower!

Jerlynfran rises slowly, entering the tower to admire their work.

Hmm, magnificent, eh? Heheheh.
Nyor!
Indeed...it will not fall soon.

[Murkus]

[The Gilded Green]

Adir echos Sakura's thoughts. She's heard stories about the Underkin before, though she's never met them herself. The stories... well they vary depending on who you ask. Her most moderate impression came from Sarget, though, and that's the one she trusts the most.

"Oh wow, I never even knew this place really existed. I've only ever heard about it." Sakura says with a bright smile. Should she be concerned? Maybe, but this is so exciting.

[The Gilded Green]

"Underkin?" Cessie asks, looking at Sakura and Adir before looking back at Deela. "I'm sorry, I'm not from this realm so I'm not familiar with any of this."

"The mad ones, dear! Mad the Sarcadian and his kin call us, certainly, for our realm is strange, and our ways are not his ways," Deela explains in a melancholy tone of voice, turning over her shoulder to her guests. "The fact that something exists is relative, dear. Do you exist? Does anybody? Perhaps this place exists only because you've heard of us. That you remember. Isn't that something?" She has a coy smile and a light titter as she swings a leg over to leap off their enormous fish.

A shudder runs through the fish they're riding as Deela dismounts. "Oh, dear. I think the lot of you had better get down from there!"

Adir will certainly try to help the two ladies down. Whether or not they're quick enough, within a moment or two the fish begins to shrink, writhing and thrashing in the now churning water of the turquoise lake. It becomes shapeless, a lumpy pink thing, and then with a pop it's simply no longer there. In it's place, a pair of humanoids float with their heads and shoulders just above the surface of the still quaking water. They are most certainly a pair of Frescots - dark skinned, antlered men of a similar size but dissimilar face. The left, his shoulders broader, chin stronger, but still taken with the smoothness of face and brightness of eye that betrays youth. The brother beside him is older, but not by much, possessed of autumn orange hair that forms a strong beard down around his handsome face.

There seems to be some manner of foolishness going on - they both bob ridiculously, eyes crossed, their mouths opening and closing with soft popping sounds. Plip plip.

"Oh. Dear. I can get nothing right..." Deela says, palming her face with her hand.

"Tiro? Turro?" Adir's eyebrows rise, and his mouth curls up in a grin. An intoxicated giggle leaves him as he stands on the edge of the lake, stooping down with his hands on his knees to peer at them. "What is wrong with you two?"

[Lord Magtok]

On the Journey - Yellow Cloaked Whores

Krait stumbles off to try his pitch in the direction provided, mumbling something about stupid fools who don't even know how much flow he could have if he tried. It's a lot of flow, incidentally, more in his little pinky than they could manage with their entire stupid, flow-deficient bodies.

[Ashen Lilies]

[On the Journey]

Jazirian, drawn by his sharply honed draconic instincts, will naturally gravitate towards whatever the shiniest thing in the vicinity is, whether that be the money exchanged by the gamblers, some sort of elaborate clothing or decoration, or some third thing entirely. Whatever the shiniest thing is, Jazirian observes it intently from a distance; his bright golden and blue eyes glittering with curiosity.

[UncleWolf]

On The Journey

The Captain shakes his head, still smiling. "There will be time for my questions later, so you should continue asking until your curiosity is sated. It is...refreshing to be able to explain all of this to someone for once." He admits, sounding quite amused.

Krait will find just one woman left unattended in her yellow cloak with the hood pulled up. All the others are currently engaged with entertaining other individuals in various manners, but she just sits there with a small brush in one hand and a jar in the other. She's dressed in little other than her cloak for now, wearing a skirt made of strands of jewelry and sheer material, and a top made of the same. She even wears a shimmering veil that does little to hide her beautiful, if sharp, features. It's amazing no one has taken her time yet. He'll find that the brush glitters in the firelight, and so does her skin when she uses it to paint herself with it, drawing intricate lines of flames along the inside of her long bare leg. "Do you like what you see?" She asks, not looking at Krait but sounding seductive and turning her leg slightly so the shimmering flames on it can catch his eye.

Jazirian's eye will most likely be drawn towards the armor and blades time and time again. While there's plenty of gold and silver in camp, and plenty of fine clothing to go with it, it is the armaments that are of the highest quality and made of the rarest materials. The amount here alone would easily bankrupt a small kingdom alone if there wasn't magic likely involved in crafting it.

[Deathkeeper]

During the Journey

Spako nods. He's glad he found such a polite man. He's still called a man, right? Gentle-spider just doesn't ring as well.
"Oh, well, are chimeras always made, or are they born once the first of the race has been made? I admit, such creations at home are very rare, and I've never been able to really learn about any of the processes. The best example I'd ever seen of such engineering was my...dog. I miss him." he says.

[Lord Magtok]

On The Journey

Krait will find just one woman left unattended in her yellow cloak with the hood pulled up. All the others are currently engaged with entertaining other individuals in various manners, but she just sits there with a small brush in one hand and a jar in the other. She's dressed in little other than her cloak for now, wearing a skirt made of strands of jewelry and sheer material, and a top made of the same. She even wears a shimmering veil that does little to hide her beautiful, if sharp, features. It's amazing no one has taken her time yet. He'll find that the brush glitters in the firelight, and so does her skin when she uses it to paint herself with it, drawing intricate lines of flames along the inside of her long bare leg. "Do you like what you see?" She asks, not looking at Krait but sounding seductive and turning her leg slightly so the shimmering flames on it can catch his eye.

"Plenty, but it would be all the more beauteous if I could behold it with my own eyes. Do you have a seat and maybe seventeen minutes?" Krait asks, already slipping his fingers into grooves at the back of his mask. He doesn't slip it off just yet though, because gods know there's nothing to gain from scaring her off with his horrible reptilian features.

[Gullara]

"The mad ones, dear! Mad the Sarcadian and his kin call us, certainly, for our realm is strange, and our ways are not his ways," Deela explains in a melancholy tone of voice, turning over her shoulder to her guests. "The fact that something exists is relative, dear. Do you exist? Does anybody? Perhaps this place exists only because you've heard of us. That you remember. Isn't that something?" She has a coy smile and a light titter as she swings a leg over to leap off their enormous fish.

A shudder runs through the fish they're riding as Deela dismounts. "Oh, dear. I think the lot of you had better get down from there!"

Adir will certainly try to help the two ladies down. Whether or not they're quick enough, within a moment or two the fish begins to shrink, writhing and thrashing in the now churning water of the turquoise lake. It becomes shapeless, a lumpy pink thing, and then with a pop it's simply no longer there. In it's place, a pair of humanoids float with their heads and shoulders just above the surface of the still quaking water. They are most certainly a pair of Frescots - dark skinned, antlered men of a similar size but dissimilar face. The left, his shoulders broader, chin stronger, but still taken with the smoothness of face and brightness of eye that betrays youth. The brother beside him is older, but not by much, possessed of autumn orange hair that forms a strong beard down around his handsome face.

There seems to be some manner of foolishness going on - they both bob ridiculously, eyes crossed, their mouths opening and closing with soft popping sounds. Plip plip.

"Oh. Dear. I can get nothing right..." Deela says, palming her face with her hand.

"Tiro? Turro?" Adir's eyebrows rise, and his mouth curls up in a grin. An intoxicated giggle leaves him as he stands on the edge of the lake, stooping down with his hands on his knees to peer at them. "What is wrong with you two?"

[The Gilded Green]

Sakura yelps as she scrambles away from the... fish? She stares slack jawed as the fish turn into a pair of her brothers in law. What? "Where did you two come from?" Sakura looks over at Deela. Something's a bit... fishy here.

[Shadowcaller]

[The Gilded Green]

Cessie blinks, it would have somehow made slightly more sense if it had been two fishes. But had they both been one fish? "Madness you say?" Cessie asks, staring at Deela. "Just what is going on here Deela?" More aether, or whatever it was called in this world. Was this a trap or something less sinister? Could they turn into fish now too? The sorceress looks ready to defend herself and her friends.

[UncleWolf]

On the Journey

"I am sorry for your loss." The Drider says sincerely, reaching out to set a hand on Spako's shoulder. "I wish you are able to find a new companion soon." He adds before answering the question. "The first generation must be made, but after that, many Chimeras can breed as long as it was in the creator's mind and part of the purpose when we are created. There are many who have no hope of growing their population without constant dependence on Alchemists. It is a sad sight to see."


Back at Krait, the woman gives a delightful laugh that's practically musical. "Is that all the time you wish? I have the entire night for you, dear. I was brought along just in case one of you Flowless had to slake your lusts or desired another night before going into battle." She adds, her wry smile showing from under her hood as she reaches out in order to try and run a nail up his throat to rest on his chin. "I'm the best in the capital, and perhaps you're going to learn why." She whispers before turning away towards a tent, her hips swaying enticingly until the flap closes behind her.

[Deathkeeper]

On the Journey

Spako shakes his head.
"I'm sure the crew is taking care of him in my forced absence. I was never that important, as a Captain or as a pet-owner. " he says sourly, but then perks up again.
"But last question I had, then. How is your equipment made? I don't recognize the metal. Or, I admit, some of the weaponry."
He's seen cannons before, but never something you could simply give to infantry.

[Lord Magtok]

On the Journey

"Negative, the seventeen minutes is just to stop being reptilian. Maybe less. Shapeshifting is difficult," Krait answers, not entirely sure why he's still talking like that, avoiding pronouns as much as possible when he's already admitted to not being a real kobold. He's not a real kobold, he reminds himself. That the contract chose to display his name as Krait the day before they set off for adventure is pretty unnerving, but it doesn't prove anything. Somewhere deep down, he is a Magtok, right? Right? I mean, he doesn't feel like a MagClone. He's certainly not working with them, either. After being kidnapped, they made no effort to contact his abductors, even in spite of all he'd accomplished. They left him for dead and ceased all communications, and it was just dumb luck that filthy goblin fearless leader Dipsnig actually paid the ransom instead of doing the same.

He follows after the yellow cloak, taking a glove off as he goes, and peering down at the hand underneath. Scaly in sickly orange-yellow patches here and there, with soft pink skin in the spaces in between, which is quickly spreading in an attempt to completely overtake and replace the rough, leathery flesh. Five fingers and no talons, but his nails are a little longer than he'd prefer, and he's temporarily lost all sensation in the tips of three fingers. A good start, he'd say. He might very well become sufficiently human before the harlot grows bored, at this rate. The face is going to take some time, soft tissue being delicate work and all, but she'd have a mirror back here or something, right?

Gods, so much work just to look normal. He remembers when it was the other way around, when he'd sit through so many shapeshifting training sessions in the MagCave, learning how to carefully maintain a tail, yellow eyes, and more. All those hours spent working on his unique speech patterns, memorization of major and minor kobold deities and their customs, and a convoluted backstory that he would only ever hint at in part, and never directly speak of to others. He went through so much pain and aggravation, just to play a role that would be hidden behind a mask the whole time. He became Krait, slipping into the identity like a scaled hand into thick leather gloves, but only because he thought it was just going to be one or two missions, maybe a year tops, and then he'd be back at the MagCave. Nobody ever told him this identity reprogramming thing was going to be a one-way street.

"Will find this infamous Flow people keep speaking of, prove everyone wrong. Ascend to the heavens astride a furious dragon, and crash it back to earth, screaming all the way down. Conquer nations, crush armies, and maybe even start a moderately successful jazz band." Krait promises, sure that he'll be able to deliver on each and every one of these ludicrous promises somehow.

[UncleWolf]

On the Journey - Spako

"Alchemy gave our kingdom the best forges on the continent." The Captain says with a grin. "Titanium Wolfram alloys. No other forges in the world can make such." He says, reaching out to drag a gauntlet close, offering it to Spako to inspect. "Lighter than steel, stronger too. It'll even protect us from gouts of flame. Our armor weighs a total of thirty five stones however. I recommend getting a shield made from it for you however."


On the Journey - Krait

There is indeed a mirror, a full sized one too as well as a series of glowing globes used for light. Now that she's out of the firelight, the woman appears even more beautiful as the bright light simply makes her glittered skin sparkle. She doesn't remove her cloak right away, instead choosing to step behind Krait and kneeling down on one knee so she can help remove his clothes. "Whomever you promise such to is surely going to be a lucky woman." She says with a wry smile before wrapping her arms around his shoulders. "And you don't need to change on my behalf. I don't mind what you look like as long as you don't mind what I look like." She says beneath her hood. "I don't care if you don't look human." She adds, looking into the mirror to look back at his face while she reaches up to remove his mask with one hand. At the same time, she takes off her veil and lowers her hood, revealing pointed ears.

"After all, I'm not human either. I'm Chimeric. Call me Dazzlefire." She says, keeping the smile.

[Murkus]

[The Gilded Green]

Sakura yelps as she scrambles away from the... fish? She stares slack jawed as the fish turn into a pair of her brothers in law. What? "Where did you two come from?" Sakura looks over at Deela. Something's a bit... fishy here.

[The Gilded Green]

Cessie blinks, it would have somehow made slightly more sense if it had been two fishes. But had they both been one fish? "Madness you say?" Cessie asks, staring at Deela. "Just what is going on here Deela?" More aether, or whatever it was called in this world. Was this a trap or something less sinister? Could they turn into fish now too? The sorceress looks ready to defend herself and her friends.

"Oh, my..." Deela whines. "How embarrassing."

Slowly, the two Frescot brothers stop working their jaws, and their eyes roll back into position. They pat themselves worriedly, exchanging a hasty glance. Despite the haunted gazes derived from what they saw in there, the pair move so similarly it's almost amusing. In their eyes is a secret only they know.

"...You were the ass," says Tiro, the younger, starting to grin.

"I was the arse," Turro blinks. Glances up. He swivels and points at Deela wildly. "S-she turned me into a fish's arse! Why the hell'd you turn me into a fish's arse?!"

"It was meant to be two fish! Two!" Deela explains hastily, as if that makes everything clear, glancing between the Nexusian trio and the two brothers in the lake.

[Deathkeeper]

On the Journey

Spako inspects the metal. He's no expert, but he knows what to look for.
"Hrm, roughly the same properties as Mithril. Though man-made, it's quite impressive. I myself can't use shields, due to my fighting style, and my scales protect me from flame anyway. I'll pass your advice to my comrades, however. My armor is mithril, and enchanted. And I've trained all my life with steel and cold iron blades; I'm sure yours would seem very light to me, even if I could get one made and enchanted to match my current one."
Spako nods, his heads continuing to perk in a 'smile.' His wings wave as if he was rolling his shoulders, except without moving his arms.
"But I think that's enough questions for one night from me. Thank you very much, Captain." he says with a bow of his head.

[Lord Magtok]

On the Journey

"Chimeric," he repeats, mostly to himself. Not an elf, in other words. Not that elves should even matter. Hating elves is Magtok's thing, after all, and Krait is certainly not a Magtok. He's not sure what he is anymore, but it's definitely not Magtok.

With that in mind, he quits on the whole shapeshifting thing. It's what he'd actually come in here for, to have some guarantee the rest of the party wouldn't be around when he briefly returned to his 'real' face, to try to prove something to himself, but who cares about any of that now? He isn't sure what's real anymore, and Dazzlefire (if that even is her real name) just outright doesn't care, does she?

"No idea what that means. Don't much care, either. Still beautiful. I...my name is Krait," He admits, both to himself and to her. He'd always said 'They call me Krait' before, to make it clear it wasn't his actual name. This time, it is his name, however. Krait is who he is, even if this Krait isn't exactly like the one from before.

[Gullara]

"Oh, my..." Deela whines. "How embarrassing."

Slowly, the two Frescot brothers stop working their jaws, and their eyes roll back into position. They pat themselves worriedly, exchanging a hasty glance. Despite the haunted gazes derived from what they saw in there, the pair move so similarly it's almost amusing. In their eyes is a secret only they know.

"...You were the ass," says Tiro, the younger, starting to grin.

"I was the arse," Turro blinks. Glances up. He swivels and points at Deela wildly. "S-she turned me into a fish's arse! Why the hell'd you turn me into a fish's arse?!"

"It was meant to be two fish! Two!" Deela explains hastily, as if that makes everything clear, glancing between the Nexusian trio and the two brothers in the lake.

[The Gilded Green]

"What in the world is going on?" Sakura insists! This is so weird! At least Adir's brothers are okay, but why were they a fish to begin with? "You can't just go turning people into fish." She glances at the deer men. Adir's brothers through and through, that's for sure.