If May is here, then the world as good as saved clearly.

  "There are many princesses, so it remains to be seen."  Hazel reminds Rhagar about that whole introductions thing.  "Rhagar."  He appears unconcerned about the giggling Gnoll, being laughed at was less disruptive than being screamed at, for starters.

Hazel raises his glass as well and gives the gnoll a confused look.

Gnara catches her breath and says, "I jih... I jih-pffffheehehehe..." she slaps herself with a resounding slap and says, "Phew... OK. So... heehee... I was just thinking about how this WHOLE crowd is like one of those jokes: A cleric, a rogue, and a wizard walk into a bar..." she offers a hand. "My name is Gnara." she giggles some more.

The May accross the Way says, "I'm May! And I'm here to save the day! Because clearly, that is why we were all called here, right?"

Hazel shrugs. "Dunno. Could be. Could be this is a trap and we are all about to be arrested for trumped up charges."

To Rhagar's good point, Nathan answers, "Good point."

He has another sip with a half-lidded smile for Hazel.

"Most pleasant arrest I've ever seen if so."

He looks over at the May.

"Glad to hear you'll save the day, May.  You're probably right about your guess on why we were called here."

He chuckles a little and nods to Gnara.  He wiggles a wing a little.

"I was thinking, 'birds of a feather flock together,' too, but yeah.  The bar joke did present itself with this group."

  A baby seal walks into a club, ouch.

  "It must have been a particularly good joke then."  More giggles than an example we are too tired to think of.

  At the further trap suggestions, he adds "Likely the most difficult one as well, unless it was simply accepted."

The princess addresses the crowd. "And now to explain why you all are here. My father's researchers have discovered an artifact from a legend thought to be mere myth. This artifact, a crystal, is said to resonate with those who were born to defend our world from an invading outside force. I have brought the artifact here and observed its reaction... the crystal resonates with you. I am sorry to report, but most if not all of you in this room are destined to see an invasion the likes of which have only been heard in legend."

Nathan looses his smile and guzzles down his drink.  He turns a glance at the exit but stays put, looking defeated.  Then pours another drink.
This message was last edited by the GM at 05:37, Tue 07 Apr 2015.

  "Hmm, somewhat more stabbing than usual will be required if this is true."  He decides not to comment on Nathanial's longing for doorways.

Gnara giggles. "Somewhat more? SOMEwhat more?! Looks like you have a sense of humor after all!" she laughs.

Hazel blinks. Then looks at the runes on his armor and seems to be mouthing words to himself.

May grins. "We can DO it, everyone! THINK about it!" she stands on the table, raising her carrikal high, "If LEGEND tells of this crystal and then this crystal tells of US, what does that say?! We are legends among legends!"

"That's uh...  Nice, May."

Nathan can't bring himself to say what he's thinking.  He looks over to the princess for indication that she's annoyed with a guest jumping onto the table.

  "Of course I do, Gnara.  If it is a good one or not remains in question."

  Rhagar would assume something about how how war is horribly unfun and quite lame compared to the after the fact victory stories about it.

After Adrie's announcement, the room filled with conversation. But after May's demonstration, the noise levels increased and someone even shouts, "Shut your mouth, filthy kobold!"

Some of the adventurers are trying to leave, but are being prevented from doing so.

Adrie nods to a decorated elf who takes in a deep breath and yells, "SILENCE!" and the whole room quakes from the sound. Those who were not seated are knocked prone (including May).

"The princess has more to say!" the elf concludes.

Adrie says, "Considering what is at stake, you will forgive the reluctance to let anyone leave just yet. But everyone here is to touch the crystal. One at a time and in the order I have chosen."

And with that, Adrie begins calling on adventurers to go and touch the crystal, which is sitting on a pedestal.

Nathaniel adjusts his jaw to try and clear is ears.

"Destiny is one of those things you can't avoid anyway," Nathan says with a sigh, "So there's no point in leaving.  All it will mean is when the invasion happens you'll die alone and be remembered as a coward who tried to avoid his destiny."

He empties his glass and looks over to the kobold.  "While I'm sure you're used to mistreatment, it bears mentioning that though adventurers tend to encounter a lot of bad kobolds, it doesn't justify treating you poorly."

  Sounds about right for an Angel, all smiles and sunshine until you disobey them.  Of course, Rhagar well knows you can't live by racial stereotypes (And clearly, the same goes for Nathaniel).

  "If such a disaster is inevitable, then they would not resort to conscription.  Destiny is irrefutable, until the point it becomes inconvenient for those who proclaim it so."

  He finishes off his drink.  "Although, conscription normally involves forcing those too weak to escape their service as fodder for those giving orders.  This could get messy."

Hazel says, "Pff. The disaster will come regardless of our actions or any conscription. The conscription is just to make sure we survive it. See, people tend to only band together when there is someone uniting them. Until then, they usually think only of their own safety; which is natural."

Gnara laughs some more. "Heehee... forced to live because of the tyrannical heel of the military trying to ensure mutual survival. Don't have the choice to run off and die alone. Heeehee..... And so the life cycle continues because those who are labeled as tyrants have done what needs to be done."

May wobbles as she gets back into her chair. "Woo! How about that guy's voice, eh? I wanna know how he got that so I can! Heh. I'd just LOVE to tell my enemies to shut up in the middle of a fight; RIGHT as they are in the middle of saying something about themselves, so they will hate me too much to go after my allies!"

She then looks at Nathaniel and says, "Thanks! Yeah... kobolds certainly have a rep."

Nathan shrugs.  "Believe what you will."

He considers, "Though considering the audience, there is likely a better way to go about getting people to get with the program..."

He raises a hand. "I have a question for the princess."

May and Gnara have him raising an eyebrow.

  "Choices based on logic and survival are not always found to be acceptable by the masses, I have found.  Regardless of the benefit or justifications."

  Rhagar is at least going to see where this leads before making decisions on this matter.  For all they know Adrie requires a mass blood sacrifice of strong souls to do what she wants for the good of the world that isn't in this room.

Nathaniel is told to wait his turn and hold his thought.

Soon, Hazel is called to touch the crystal. Then Nathaniel. Then Rhagar. Then Gnara...

Upon touching the crystal, each of them feels warmth all through them, the crystal glows brightly, and then it dims again. Then they are allowed to go back to their seats.

Of course, once Nathaniel is touching the crystal, he is told he may ask his question. The princess is right in front of him, after all.

Gnara can't seem to stop giggling the whole time, even when touching the crystal. Actually, that just made her giggle more.

Once everyone in the room has touched the crystal, Adrie says, "Thank you for your cooperation. Anyone who wishes to leave may now leave. Anyone who wishes to stay may stay."

In a room filled to the brim with adventurers, many leaving still leaves many who stay.
This message was last edited by the player at 21:04, Tue 07 Apr 2015.

Nathan nods and addresses the princess.  "I'm guessing that once this is all over, those who die in defense of the realm will be honoredb and those who survive will be rewarded as well as honored.  If that is so, why not let these adventurers know what glory and treasure awaits them?  After all, glory and loot tend to be what motivates most of 'em."

It was mostly a rhetorical question, so he doesn't really expect an answer.  He returns to his seat, looking annoyed with the crystal for marking him.

  Rhagar's perc check doesn't manage to eavesdrop, so he can't ask Nathaniel if an Angel goes anywhere but right back home when they die.

  "I wonder how many planes this unspecified problem will be a concern for?"  The draconian is not leaving at the moment, for whatever that is worth.

The princess simply nodded to Nathaniel in 'answer' to his question. Once those who are leaving leave, Adrie addresses those who remained. "Those who stayed, thank you for staying. You all have felt the crystal interact with you when you touched it. It has become your home point. Now any of you can teleport to the crystal's location." Stealing the crystal is now also pointless because any and all of those who attuned to it can teleport to the thief. "For some of you, the crystal glowed. It did not glow for everyone. Those who it glowed for are the ones specifically chosen for the task of finding the other crystals, which will make our battle much more likely to go favorably. Many of you brought up the topic of reward: For now, the only promise of reward is payment equal to that of a royal guard, glory that goes with being a world-wide hero, and your life. The whole world is in danger and that includes yourselves. There is no king's ransom reward if any of you were expecting such; That king's ransom is already being used to help ensure victory. Should anyone have questions, now is the time to ask here before everyone."

A procedure is worked out for people to ask their questions.

Nathan asks, "How much lore is known about this invasion?  Could it all be explained in a manner of minutes or are there whole books on it?"

He'll let someone else ask the questions about, "Well how do I go about teleporting, then?  Just will it?"

He looks to the others near him.  "I noticed that those chosen for the special task coincidentally happened to be seated next to each other."

  "That is how teleportation generally how it works, yes.  Though artifacts and rituals do tend to have their own specifics.  As for that task, it is a large room, and even those who left it were 'chosen'.   The crystal was not a selection process, they are merely taking everyone they can get their hands on."

  He considers the crystal across the room.  "Such a thing will be convenient, but their importance in a full scale war will be quite limited if only people can be moved."
This message was last edited by the player at 21:57, Tue 07 Apr 2015.

Adrie answers Nathaniel, "Matter of minutes." and so she takes that moment to explain the lore.

According to the lore, the invasion will involve a whole world coming to this world and trying to take it for their own.

Hazel smiles at Nathaniel. "Seeking out artifacts is what I do anyway. So nice to be chosen, payed, and given backup for a task I would normally be doing on my own."

Gnara giggles, "I wonder what the choosing factors were: So long as those chosen can compose a good joke in future legends about the heroes."

Someone does ask about the teleporting and soon, everyone in the room is familiar with how to teleport to the crystal (which also means everyone eventually has to walk back to their seat). Well... everyone unless Nathan and Rhagar don't feel like trying it out.

So while only a few were chosen to find crystals, it appears anyone can teleport to it once touched.

Nathan would likely try more than once.  If only to nail down exactly how to not accidentally activate it.

Ugh!  Dog breath!  I'd rather I weren't heerrre...OOPS!  Whisked away back to the banquet hall!

"Whatever the factors, the choosers sure made a mistake in choosing me."

  How vague.  "What is known about your enemies beyond their apparent goal?  What makes them the threat of such scale?  Do they require very specific means to slay, possesses means of easily killing their targets?  Normally I am given something more to work with than 'they are bad'"  If only because people like to be more specific when they want someone in particular dead.

  Rhagar skips the frivolous usage of the return command.  At Nathaniel's misgivings, Rhagar asks, "A question of capability, or desire?  You have already said the latter had no merit."  He was going to say competence, but sometimes filtering statements through a thesaurus makes them more socially acceptable.