Felix, having grown up with plenty of stories about conniving, trouble-making humans, isn't satisfied just yet.  He faces the sorceress and says So what do you want with the throne?  You get to be in charge of a dumpy castle and some ragtag soldiers?  You've gotta have something a little bigger than that in mind.

Zar sighs. ''We might actually take you up on that. But I think we have still some exploring to do and plaques to win. See you then.''

''Ready to travel on, guys?''

"Fine," Omm grumbles while casting another sad glance back at the Enchantress. "Let's be on with it and see what else may come." Turning to leave, he calls over his shoulder to the woman, "We'll be back just as soon as we take care of this other thing. Don't get off to anywhere now."

With that, he will lead the party to their next destination. Not knowing where that might be, he chimes in, "So, where we going?"

''Two options, I think.'' Zar replies.
''Either we go to the yellow wizard and his demon and clear this up - probably ending up killing the poor schmuck. Or we go back to the fly infested hell hole under the manor's cellar. There is a mystery hidden there. It might give us pointers about the Fool. Or it might kill us all, even odds, I guess.''

''I would also like to visit the moon,'' Sidd adds, without offering an explanation how to do so. Most likely there is none.

''Or, we go back to that mad mantis priest. By doing the tourney of the three ladies we got the key to the blue mage. The priest might have some clue about the yellow wizard or the sorceress.''


OOC: I might need a rest first either way. Zar is at 1 hp because he lost about all his Stamina score some time back (ah yes, first visit with the demon, I think) and still needs to recover that, and Sidd is barely above 0 hp from his encounter with the fireflies.
Both will keel over if someone looks nasty at them.

Felix tosses the ideas around in his head and then says Didn't the mantis priest attack us when we didn't want to join his congregation, or whatever exactly that was about?  Are we sure he's going to be helpful if we go back?

A few seconds pass for everyone to ponder that, and then the halfling adds On the other hand, the sorceress seems interested in getting herself the hell out of here.  Maybe everyone else wants to get out too.  You guys think it would help if we tried playing that angle with everybody?

Zar considers that. ''We sure have no handle on that prisoner angle the yellow mage is running. Trying to get some information out of the mantis priest could be the way to go. Say, does anyone know who is wielding his card currently?''
''Last time he wanted to sacrifice one of us though. That's difficult to play along with.''

Sidd shrugs. ''We can at least give it a try.''

"Maybe we should find a place to rest while we think it over a bit?" Omm offers while looking at Zar's haggard form. "Didn't the King have a pretty nice spread? He might not mind if we helped ourselves to his table. Not that he was with it enough to even notice. Might be asleep after all." Omm states while departing the cave.

Like most of the noble smallfolk, Felix generally prefers a good meal and a nap to any kind of nonsense involving magical politics and interdimensional travel.  He voices his agreement with Omm's suggestion and follows along.

If Felix's words wound the skeletal servitors, their demeanor does not belie them. They continue to wait, nearly motionlessly save for #8's tapping of his ribcage and #4's tugging on his tattered tabard, by the tunnel that leads back up the lake's moonlit surface. Perhaps, they rest easily in the knowledge that whatever good fortune befalls their four masters will spill over onto them.

Erodiade favors Felix with a queer look. "Why would I want to stay here? That would be for the entertainment of another, not mine."

If she's at all put out by your public discourse of private concerns, she, like the quartet, betrays no outward evidence of disturbance.

"By all means," she encourages. "Return after you have finished your business with the masochistic king, the mantis priest, and whomever else you favor with your presence."

"And take him with you," she adds, performing some small, subtle gesture that loosens the gong farmer's limbs.

Dammit.  Just when Felix was ready to go for that whole "rest and regroup" thing, the sorceress had to go and say something that caught his attention.

"Masochistic king?"  You mean the guy who was being tortured?  He's the one in charge there?

Arnie, for his part, is at first befuddled by the sudden change in scenery.  Then he continues to be befuddled.  So much so, in fact, that all he can do for now is mumble frantically and incoherently.  And walk, which helps, once everyone does finally start moving out of here.  And at one point it looks like he is tracing an H on his forehead, and then looking relieved (though still out of his mind).  A prayer to some minor deity, maybe?

"There is no one in charge there. It's all pantomime, albeit set to clockwork, in the throne room. Just the two halves of the yellow king remain, confined to close quarters as it were in another chamber."
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:33, Mon 16 Mar 2015.

Sidd stops in his tracks as the enchantress transforms the petrified Arnie - he had kind of given up hope on his old rival and friend.
''Arnie! Hey! You dirt-nosed mud-shoveler!'' He gives Arnie a hug for good measure.

He then bows before Elodie. ''That was very kind of you. We will keep your proposal in mind!''

''Yeah. That.'' Zar says, if with less fervor. ''So the demon is actually part of the yellow king? Interesting. We witnessed that wounds appeared in the imprisoned part when we attacked the demon. Will the demon-half take wounds when we strike at the prisoner? And would that accomplish anything beside killing the wizard?''

"Want me to beat the crap out of that prisoner?" Omm asks with an arched eyebrow, his muscles tensing in anticipation.  "Just say the word fellows and I am on it..."

He shrugs his shoulders and adds, "Well, if it will help us get out of this place, that is." He did not understand the logic posited here, but complex and abstract thinking were never his strong suit. Omm was used to problems one could tackle straight-on. This was apparently not the sort of place for simple thinking.

Good thing the others were of that bent.

"I think that," Erodiade winks at Zar, "would do the trick."

Arnie is completely taken aback by Sidd's odd and unexpected show of affection, and hesitantly replies And you, um, muck raking heretic?  Chicken-livered slime merchant?  Was it something like that?

Apparently the de-petrification process is more gradual than it appeared, and not all of his brain cells have gotten the message yet.

Some time after firm resolutions have been planted in the air only to drift away...
Destinations declared, plans penciled in...

Some time after this, and the lot of you remain planted in the bed beneath the lake of Lampyridae, munching desultorily on reed cakes and lily tarts.

The sorceress, all hospitality and consideration, rolls out a few beds of moss and provides a few pillows of down.

And, then, just like that, it's breakfast time beneath the lake and you have overslept your deal, no idea where the cards lie. Zar has had the decency at least to take one step away from death's door.

Your four servitors, faithful to their endless ends, or as long as you caress their ivory, discuss strategy over low tones and kippers and capers.

"We know how the board lies," #7 offers before #9 interrupts, "But not who set it!"

#5 continues for #7, "Three royals on the board, each with shifting courts. Now only two, with one of the two having been split in twain."

Here, #11 dolefully intones, "...in the Court of the Amber King."

Then all, of them, #4 through #12, do chant, "The answer in ivory lies, the answer in ivory lies."

Arnie is up early, eager to get to his morning prayers again and hopefully regain his god's favor.  He overhears the guards' discussion and asks Was the deal not done by that damnable jester?  Or has that also changed since I have been... indisposed?

''Naturally. But who, or what, is the Jester? Anyway, the answer in ivory lies.''
Zar takes a considerating look at their fatless henchmen. ''I take this to mean among bones. Which might be the pit of death beneath the mansion...''

''Mantis first, then, and after that the pit.''

Omm listens to his companions philosophizing and when it becomes clear a plan of action emerges, he zestfully chimes in, "Sounds great! Let's be off then. To the Mantis Priest!"

His mail shirt clatters as he strides off in that direction, eager to get there with haste.

After much trudging...

The small chapel stinks of mildew and blight. The walls drip with mold, and the pews are spongy with rot. At the far end of the dark chapel, three steps descend to a low altar. A tattered white tapestry hangs behind the altar, stained black and green. Unnaturally tall and gaunt, with long spidery fingers extending from rotting sleeves, Father Moro exudes a malefic, predatory air. He is dressed in a hooded black robe (with sickly yellow smudges) that bunches on the floor, and walks unsteadily, leaning on a 12’ crosier.

"You have come to make your obeisance," he states rather than asks.

''Uhm, no. Actually we have come to talk. By the way, we did the Ladies' tournament and got keys - is there anything in for us when we do your obeisance? Whose card are you anyhow today?''
Sidd is quite matter-of-factly with his questions.

Felix and Arnie both stand by, waiting for the mantis' answer.  Arnie is mentally preparing himself for a potential theological debate.

"The last deal left the wizard Darjr as my bishop. But he never asks anything of me; I can't even say how he musters his forces for battle every day. Maybe it's all automatic."

This moment of plain speaking over, he looms over you from an even higher height and demands obeisance again. It is something, his stance implies, that you give -- with no thought of what you get.

OOC No more parley. Meet or beat his init of 18 to ask first or abandon his chapel. He is 30' from you.
This message was lightly edited by the GM at 00:16, Sat 18 Apr 2015.

Omm had been quiet, allowing his companions to speak to the mantis priest. When it is clear the strange creature has no attempts to answering their questions, the warrior attempts to bring his sword to bear. Might makes right, or something like that.

Unfortunately, pr perhaps fortunately, it seems that would not be an option.

08:52, Today: Omm rolled 10 using 1d20.

''I think, perhaps...'' Zar starts, but the world will probably never learn what his thoughts are exactly at this moment, since the situation mercilessly develops without waiting to hear him out.

21:12, Today: Sidd and Zar rolled 4 using 1d20+2. Initiative.