Swamp World, Mosquitos, bogs, cypress, stilt homes, filtered light, good fishing, crawdads and mythic Louisiana writ large.


The group after what takes about a day stands before a rickety looking door down three steps on the Grand Stair. Millenia and Barbara know this is Jurasco.

Dean you feel a kind of comfort on the Stair now.

Loaded up with equipment,  Barbara looked at the others
'Is everyone ready?"

  "Man, this is like New Orleans in the colonial days." Dean says, swatting a mosquito that went for his cheek.  He's traded in his jeans and t-shirt for a 3mm black neoprene wetsuit.  He grabs the can of Deep Bayou Off that they had gotten and gives his head a spray.

  "Anyone else?" he says, holding up the can.

In reply to Dean (msg # 3):

Barbara looked at Dean with a curious expression
"You're a student of history,  Dean?"

Jill and Xantastic spray each other liberally with the off.

Xan, "Thanks Dean."


Dean it really does look like...yes like your in New Orleans more primitive but the lay out of the streets and you came in through a door into a building similar to the dance club.

Barbara also nodded at the offer of bug spray

Xantastic hands Barbara the off spray.

Barbara uses it liberally

In reply to Barbara (msg # 4):

“Not so much a student as just observant.  Growing up in NOLA, you pick up a lot of history from all the walking tours, and exhibits, and stuff.  Place is overrun with history and ghost stories and stuff. Almost every store or restaurant has pictures from as far back as cameras went,so it’s not too tough to extrapolate back what it must have been like a hundred years before.”

 Dean shrugged when he saw the looks.  He had let his big dumb guy facade slip a bit.  Jill had seen it before.

Jill, "Dean were in some bizzaro version of home."

She looks all around.



The people that are in the city are certainly starring at the new group and some of their unusual costumes or in Millenia's case. Some people tightly lock themselves inside their homes.

In reply to Dean (msg # 9):

Barbara nodded to Dean
"Gotham City is the same way.  It was founded back in the early 1700s, and always wltalks about its long, and sometimes checkered,  past "

"I will have to tour this Gotham city some time. It has to be nicer then here."

"That's definitely a low bar, though Gotham has some swamps.   Though ours are technically fens, i think"

  Dean looks around for someone who might be willing to speak with them.  There has to be some kind of stand-your-ground type here somewhere.

Dean if this was your New Orleans your pretty sure your weird little group would fit right in. Even a little girl in a superhero costume, a stripper in her off day relax clothing, an older girl in a super hero costume and even Millenia a literal succubi walking the streets.

Your thinking though here in this place it might be a bit much and the thought of stakes and burning comes to mind.

  The group seemed to be shy of a few beings.  The elven girl whose name he kept forgetting, and the four little bloodhounds.  He looked around.  Had they gone missing or slipped away in the transition between realms, or were they just out of sight behind a cape or succubi wings?

The elven girl was behind Barbara and Dean knew the bloodhounds were ahead of the group when last he saw them. They often traveled ahead.

  “Well, if the critters have the scent, guess we may as well follow them.  No sense in waiting for the locals to get their pitchforks and torches organized.  We don’t exactly blend in, do we?” Dean chuckles, even as his eyes dart around trying to keep from being caught by surprise.

"I'll look for something to disguise us"
She looked around for props to disguise the group

It is easy enough for Barbara to do there are many lines with clothing hanging to dry throughout the city and the clothes here seem to be mostly loose baggy type affairs. If she wishes she can have people disguised in no time.

When Millenia is made aware of it she changes back to her human form and apologizes to everyone.

Barbara handed out local clothing to everyone

It doesn't take long soon everyone is in brown or olive colored clothing. Even Xan looks more like a little jawa then the superhero she had moments ago.
After a bit a man in black pants, shirt, hat and boots with silver trim passed. He seemed to have revolvers in hip holsters. He gives them a glance but moves on.

  Dean takes note of the man and the guns.  Good to know that it wasn't an entirely primitive culture, unless he was travelling through as they were.

  Ok, moving on.

  "Let's try a different part of town, where they haven't seen us already...unless the bloodhounds have a scent?"

About ten minutes or so later a large vulture lands near Barbara and ambles her way.
It looks like the vulture form she had seen the hounds take before. It slowly assumed humanoid shape, "Smell crocs, and men but not sure."

Barbara nodded to the creature
"Let's follow what you have,  and we'll see what we get"

An hour later they ALL smell something weird ? Cooking ? Chemicals ? Reptile ?

They end up at a shack off the bayou that has shrunken crocodile skins and skulls and things. Some rather unkempt men are tending large vats and when they see you one calls out.

"Aye yah. Whatcha need ?"

Barbara approached hesitantly
"We're actually looking for a crocodile...man?  Is there such a person nearby?"

They all look at each other and shudder, "Eh now you don't wanna get all chomp chomp down the gullet do yah ?"

Barbara as an expert in human psychology these men look nervous as if you said something taboo. They even seem to make what she assumes are warding type gestures.

Barbara nodded
"I know it's dangerous,  but we need to find them.  Please "

The oldest looking of the group waddles over through the water, "Look miss, yah don't wanna mess with that man, thing, whatever it is. It's not like the crocs round here he is bad mojo very bad. Better off dealing with a swamp witch aye ? Whatcha want with im anyways ?"

"Our friend is missing,  and we think he knows about it "

He looks down into the dirty waters for a while then nods. "Wait here I will help yah." He ambles back to his house then be back out later with an old leathered map and point, "This here is ma place, you want to go here." He points at an area marked with a crowned croc head.

"He stays there like a king or god. I  don't know what you might offer him if he has your friend or to keep him from eating you if he's in an onry mood. Go there and you should find him. Keep the map and good luck miss but you should leave the little girl behind and your gentler folk."

  "Thank ya kindly for the advice and the help.  We'll make sure nobody finds out where it come from, fren.  Don't worry 'bout us, I reckon we can handle things."

  Dean let a bit of the New Orleans drawl slip into his speech.  It wasn't difficult.  In fact, it had been something that he had worked on through his military years to consciously remove, but it came back easily enough.  You could take the man out of NOLA, but you couldn't take the NOLA out of the man.

The man nodded to Dean it was an understanding between men about the map and information.
He gave the group one last once over then over his shoulder, "Luck."

Barbara ground her teeth a bit as "the menfolk" discussed things,  but she was pragmatic enough to not interfere just for the sake of her ego.  She let Dean lead the way.

  Dean studies the map. committing it to memory, then hands it to Barbara.

  (OOC: There had been talk about getting an inflatable raft for the venture, assuming this had been purchased in the bazaar?)

  "Looks like a good spot to put the raft in a little ways north, just before the reeds get too thick.  We have the shapeshifters fly overhead for recon and to see if they see anything submerged that we have to deal with.  Everyone else in the boat, I'll swim it at the bow with a ten foot tow line.  Sound good?"

Millenia gets kind of silent then finally admits to Barbara, "I don't think I will be able to fly for a bit."

The other four take to the air as large falcons here an eagerly agree to the plan.

Barbara nodded to Millennia
"You can ride with us until you heal.  "
She looked at Dean curiously
"I'm sorry,  did you just say that you were going to swim and tow us?  Why can't we paddle?"

  "Oh, I expect people to help paddle, but having a point guard in the water will let us see what's under the water.  It's kind of murky, lot of tannin, but there should be some visibility.  Besides, I can draw the attention of any predators away from the raft.  That thing gets bit through, everyone's gotta swim." he says with a shrug.

Barbara shrugged
"Honestly,  I'd prefer you didn't get wet until you had to,  but I'll trust your judgment "

  “I prefer it too, but we can’t always get what we want.  Trust me, it’ll be better this way if we run into problems...and in an op, you always plan to run into problems..”. Dean shrugs, then pulls on his flippers, goggles and snorkel.  He steps backward into the dark water with the tow rope in his left hand  and let’s out a shiver.  It wasn’t so much cold as it just had a foreboding feeling to it.

Barbara prepared to paddle,  keeping a look out for trouble

The group moved along adjusting to the map. There were signs a lot of signs. Keep Out, Private Property, Military Testing Zone, Radioactive, High Voltage, and many many more. There were also more primitive signs impaled crocs, skulls hung in trees and other warnings.

It was past these that according to the map lay the lair of the croc man.

One sign showed up a lot though. Moonlight which had a picture of a croc head below it. Though something about it was off.

Barbara raised an inquisitive and amused eyebrow
"Is this guy a were-alligator?"

  "And us without any silver bullets or garlic." quips Dean.

  Jill raises an eyebrow.  "Garlic?  Isn't that vampires?"

  "I meant for sautéing him afterwards.  Gator fritters with garlic and andouille.  BAM!" Dean chuckles, having gotten her.

Barbara made a face, but didn't say anything.   If this guy could eat a were-alligator, that would certainly solve their problems.
Granted,  Batman probably wouldn't approve,  but they weren't exactly in Gotham City anymore

  Dean swam cautiously, watching alternately above and below the waterline for anything bad.  He was expecting a lot of bad.

Swimming around a bank of trees Dean is the first to see it.

  Dean stops, treading water, staring.

  “What the fuuu...??”

He shakes his head, swims backwards towards the raft.

  “Umm, ladies?  We might be out of our depth...”

"Why?  What do you see?"
She held an explosive baterang ready

“A big gawdang keep out sign, right around this next little bend.  You’ll see.”

  Dean swims back out to the lead position, pulling the raft along slowly until all can see it.  The dead T-Rex impaled on a sharpened tree, hanging out just over the water.

Barbara blinked in surprise,  and nodded slowly
'Yeah....that definitely sends a message "

Xan's pigtails stand up straight.

"Holy Killer Croc ! How strong is this guy ?"

Jill, "Is that what I think it is ?"


Millenia, "That reminds me, we should have eaten."

Barbara gave Millenia a look, but said nothing

She looked at Dean
"Let's proceed with caution,  I suppose.    It's all we can do "

As you swim Dean you feel a fish ? swim past your leg. It felt big.

Near the Rex are clouds of flies.

Jill, "Dean get out of the water, Dean."

Barbara looked at the water near Dean

The water is only semi clear but there are some light ripples from other then Dean.

  "Yeah, yeah I think you're right."  Dean mutters as he starts to slowly sidestroke back towards the raft.  He didn't want to make any splashes.  The water hadn't tasted salty, so that ruled out a few possibilities of what may have passed him in the water...if he were back on Earth in NOLA.  He held no such illusions about this place though cuz after all, he had just seen a dead T-rex.

  As he swam the twenty feet back he watched downward through his goggles, trying to see what was in the water with him.  Whatever it was, it was big.  At least the size of a man, gauging from the pressure he had felt when it passed him.

  The thoughts raced through his head, and he tried to remain calm.  Bull shark?  Gator?  Manatee?  Prehistoric nightmare?  Twenty feet was a short distance, but it seemed like an eternity as Dean tried to move without making any splash.  The way Jill had said it though made him think she had seen something potentially very bad.

With his goggles Dean saw something like some South American fish a good maybe eight feet long pass by. He wasn't exactly sure it's type though.

When Dean was out of the water Jill brushed off a bunch of leaches.


Jill, "Ughhh horrible things, how come none of these are stuck to you ? Going to have to check non got under your clothes."

Xan, "Ewwww worms."

Barbara looked around
"I have some explosives,  but that seems extreme.    I wish we had a spear gun"

  Dean had watched some episodes of River Monsters back home, and the fish could have easily starred in an episode as a maneater.  It was probably not even the biggest here.  Then again, T-rex on a stick seemed like something out of an old King Kong movie, and they were headed towards some were-gator god's territory.  Shit.

  He picked up the leaches and threw them back in the water as Jill brushed them off.  "Maybe I just don't taste good.  That's why I wanted the wetsuit to begin with." When all the visible ones were gone, he stripped off the wetsuit just to make sure none had gotten inside.  Didn't want to find one feasting on his dangly parts.

  "Keep the explosives handy.  We may need them, based on the size of stuff in here." he said to Barbara as he checked for further bloodsuckers.  Standing mostly nude in front of the assembled women didn't bother him, because his mind was focused more on the dangers around them. Something sharpened a tree, killed a T-rex, and impaled it as a warning.  What the hell were they paddling into??!!

Soon the group is moving again.

Jill, "Xan maybe we should have considered staying in town."

Xan, "But the Crocman is out here."

Jill, "Exactly."

In the distance through all the muck of the swamp Dean spots glints of metal through the trees. Finally during a particular clear area he puts it together in the distance is a rusty old run down amusement park in the swamp.

Barbara blinked in surprise at the sight of the abandoned amusement park,  then chuckled wryly.
"Is it weird to say that this reminds me of home?"

  Dean takes a deep breath, cracks his neck, and murmurs "I have a feeling we ain't gonna be liking the freak show."  He looks for a clear spot to bring the raft ashore, hopping out a few feet from the bank and pulling the Zodiak up onto dry land, then helping everyone out.

As one get's closer one could see a roller coaster, several rides, and adds to the following, a freak show, a celebration of the bizarre, Game Row, and Moonlight.

Hands ready to fight,  Barbara moved deeper into the macabre playground.    She half expected Joker or some other members of Batman's rogue's gallery to suddenly make an appearance

Being so prepared Barbara hears it first it's a very low rumble deep deep in tone.

Suddenly the water they had all been in is filled with fish the size of the one that had swum past Dean when he was in the water. Though they are not staying there merely swimming through quickly. Creating big sprays of water from the ones near the surface.

Barbara looked around in alarm
"Holy School Crossing!!  Are they dangerous,  or are they running from something??"

  "They're dangerous, but I'm guessing not so much as whatever they're running from.  Let's get going, now!  The Moonlight is where we gonna find the big boss, let's try to get there without having to get chewed up by anything else.  Over there...move for cover, stay low, stay quiet, move fast.  Go!"

Speaking of Moonlight the board with moonlight on it Advertises Moonlight as the tenth living wonder of the world a true Sarcosuchus discovered in Africa and brought back for your viewing pleasure ! Come see the Albino Crocodilian from the Cretaceous while he is with us come see Moonlight !

Barbara worked to get to dry land and to get moving inward

Your all on land and inside the carnival lot.

Barbara moved to the nearest cover.  She spoke with a seriousness and authority was probably odd to hear in a woman who looked like a college coed.
"Okay people,  spread out and let's make out way into the complex.   Eyes open, and keep on your toes, and stay in sight of each other at all times"

Xan nodded and rested her hammer on her shoulder and went through a break in one of the billboards big enough for her.

Jill said, "Dean I'm sticking close to you."


Millenia leapt flapped and came down near Barbara again, "Almost healed not quite."
She leapt and flapped over the billboard to cover the munchkin.

Barbara nodded once to Millennia
"No problem.  If you're still feeling tender, stay back a bit and we'll cover you.  You're kind of our guide uere anyway,  since we're all new to these stair things,  so we need to keep you safe."

Two vultures land near Barbara. Waiting for her or Dean.

Barbara looked at their bloodhounds
"Is her scent here at all?"

They shake their heads.

Barbara sighed in frustration and frowned.
"So you can't tell if she's been here at all?"

One changes into a humanoid, "Toys like yours here but no girl."
"Croc man and others here."

  Dean, on the right flank with Jill close beside him, pauses to see if Barbara signals to move on ahead.  Moonlight is the one they were here to talk to, so Dean had been looking for a pathway there that didn't involve the midway or the freak show even though he fully expected they would have to go through those gauntlets to reach Moonlight.

In reply to Little Mammoth (msg # 80):

Barbara frowned in confusion
"Toys like mine?  What toys?"

"Boom boom blades and things." says the small humanoid.

Nodding,  Barbara smiled grimly
"Okay, thank you."

She moved deeper into the complex, being stealthy,  hoping to see the inhabitants before they found her, looking out for traps and surveillance

Inside she finds Xan and Millenia looking at a woman about a hundred feet away the woman is a Siamese twin or whatever this world would call such a person. The two were relatively pretty with dark hair and hazel eyes. They were dressed in a very nice dress that had been tailored to fit their anatomy.

Barbara looked around the area.  Does she think this place could potentially be a tourist area where visitors could come?

Too run down looking possibly a hazard.

Trying to be stealthy,  she approached the conjoined twin,  stopping a safe distance away to wave in a friendly way

She turns both looking at Barbara

~Why are you here ?~  she hears in her head.

One hand waves at her the other waves at Xan.

Barbara smiled reassuringly and held up a picture of Jessica.
"I'm looking for this person.   Have you seen her?"

She seems to focus on the picture ~I have seen a picture of her but not her. The King was mad had to help a woman kidnap her. Oh she is your family~ there is a feeling of worry from her now.

Barbara nodded,  though the family connection,  to her at least,  was still up in the air.
"Which king?  And which woman?  It's very important to me"

"The Croc King ! Our King, the woman was someone from outside like you. Someone not from here had a strange feel to them like you. An outsider like the lot of you are."

Barbara nodded,  warily
"Where can I find them?"

They point further into the carnival grounds, "He usually is in there though he is hunting now I think."

Barbara nodded and smiled
'Thank you very much. "
She turned to her friends, her expression grim
"Okay, folks, let's move further in, so we can see what we're dealing with, maybe scouting out the area to see up an ambush, if we need to."

  Dean had been on edge ever since they entered the carnival grounds.  The freak show made him twitchy...not so much because of the differences in the people living there and labeled as freaks, but because he knew he was one deep within, and how he had worked to hide his differences to try to fit in.  Sure, he looked normal enough on the outside...but he was something different.  These people had come to terms with who they were, while he had not yet done so.

  "We can scout it, but something tells me that Moonlight ain't so much worried about anything coming after him.  I reckon he's pretty confident, especially here in his kingdom."  Dean suggests.

The woman shakes her head almost violently, "Oh no Moonlight is not the King, Moonlight is his steed."

"Can you describe Moonlight?"

"Moonlight is a huge croc, bigger then any in all of the swamps and like his name he is pale and white. Swallow almost anything in a single bite. Be careful Moonlight is smarter then most crocs but that doesn't mean it is a creature you can reason with."

Barbara sighed and nodded.
"What a strange world.  Okay let's move on."

  "Damn.  So the thing we thought was gonna be the nightmare turns out to just be the horse he rode in on.  Well, in for a penny, right?"  Dean shrugs. "Onward."

  He starts moving ahead, wary, trying to keep eyes on everyone.

Barbara scouted ahead,  keeping hidden whenever she could

Right by Barbara there is a sound that almost makes her jump out of her batsuit.

It is an ancient carnival PA system coming online with a bit of music playing from it.

Then..."Now, what do I owe, the presence of such finely dressed company to mah home ?" comes from the PA.

Scowling with annoyance,  Barbara stood up
"We're looking for someone,  and the trail led us here"

"Well now, I think your looking for me. Watch your manners head to the rides, I will meet you by the roller coaster, you know what that is right ? Big girder looking thing, not in the shape it used to be. Bring your appetites."

Barbara looked at her companions and nodded, and headed that way.  She double checked her equipment on the way

If you all go there.



Dressed in what are made to fit western almost gunslinger garb is this creature cooking on a huge grill. The smell of BBQ and to Dean and Jill, crawdads, gumbo and some other less discernable but very New Orleans scents fill the air.

"Ahhh don't know why, you folks came here. I don't have anyone in my kingdom leastways, anyone new. Still I planned a cookout for my little kingdom and since I have guests I will serve you first."

  "Well hello, and thank you.  From the smell of it, you've got some skills cooking on the pit and we'd be right honored to dine with you.  Please allow me to make some proper introductions.  My name is Dean, and this is Millenia, Barbara, Jill, Zan, and these other little fellows are Larry, Curly, Moe, and Shemp."  The four hound-like creatures had never given names, so Dean improvised with those.

  "We all aren't from around here, so I hope you'll be understanding if we don't know all the proper etiquettes, but we'll do our best."

The Crocking turns and nods, "I've spent some time learning how to appreciate the finer art of cooking a meal instead of simply swallowing things down cold. You lot are from the Stairs, I know you have the smell of Wardens, least some of you do."

He motions to stacks of plates and there are many.
"Grab yourself some plates, Moonlight sensed you in the water and I must admit I had to decide whether to end you or feast you. Since you were peaceful to my subjects the choice became clearer. Your looking for a girl ? Is that why your here ? I want to start things out with I don't like Wardens coming here and pushing me around. I know your powerful but you ain't immortal."  He then looks at your hounds, "I know them, hirelings, see you got new jobs, good for you boys."

  "Well, we are in fact looking for a girl, Barbara's cousin, to be precise."  Dean nods as he moves to the plates and hands them out to the ladies first, then the bloodhounds before taking one for himself.

  "We're not looking to push anyone around, sir, as long as folks are willing to be civil and decent, but finding this girl is what we would call a strong priority.  It seems some folks back in the last place we were at thought they might deter us from our search with violence and they found that we were in fact not ones to be pushed around either.  They did indicate that we should find our way to you to continue our investigation.  Maybe they thought that we'd all kill each other out of hand and do their dirty work for them, but I believe that coming to cross purposes with anyone who makes such a wonderful smelling Gumbo would be an injustice to the world.  I'm sure we can come to amicable terms."

Xan looks at the crawdads, "Wow tiny lobsters." She thanks Dean for the plate.

Jill explains that those are crawdads to Xan. The two start chatting about the food.

Xan saying he seems a lot nicer then everyone has said.

Millenia shrugs but nods to Xan.

The hounds happily take plates and fill up when it is their turn.

The Crocking nods, "Them others what were they like ? Yah see if they are who I think, then you should have found the girl with them. Strange girl lots o toys, mind you dangerous toys. I owed a feline a favor and since I hate being in debt, or bossed around I took to the Stairs went to this girls world. Like it there, very exciting you know, Im even more powerful there but the Doors, too small for Moonlight. Alls the pity."

Barbara took some food, but didn't eat.  Yet.
"If we can settle this peacefully,  so much the better.   Are you the person who removed the Earth woman from her world?"

"I am one of them yes, put up a fight. Spit fire that one." He laughs in a deep baritone.

"Course, once I smelled the warden on her, it shouldn't have surprised me. Three Wardens among you. No wonder they sent you to me, probably hoping to cover their tracks. I was supposed to be a Warden still getting close to it. But don't think I will trust you, I trusted the warden before you and they lied."

  "Three Wardens. you say?  Far as I know, there's only two...wait, unless...oh, nevermind.  I think I know why that is.  It's complicated."

  Somehow, Dean thought, he was picking up on Millenia's dual nature.  Wasn't his place to speak of it though.

  "No, I expect you don't have reason to trust us especially if you been lied to in the past, and I guess you don't get a lot of visitors 'round here.  Seems like the locals are scared of ya, and I imagine you can be plenty ferocious when you want to be.  You kill that big T-Rec and hung it up as a warning?  Well, that damn near made me shit my britches when I saw it, but again, you got your people who seem like they love you too, so that tells me that you're good to them.  We can be straight up with each other, and you'll see we're decent folk too."

  Dean waits until the others have come, handing plates to each as they do.  He doesn't eat until their host has been seated and has time to say grace, or whatever traditions they hold to before eating.

"Yeah, hunted it down me and Moonlight did. I enjoy a good hunt. Though I'm different then my relatives out there in the swamp. They like to just ambush while I prefer to actually track and bring my prey down rather then wait for it to come to me. Your right, not many visitors even though some on the Stair know bouts me. No they tend to just walk on past rather then visit.  Don't blame em, not everyone likes the swamps."

"I was told I would become a warden by helping capture that girl. The fight she put up I actually started to believe it."

One of the hounds nods to Dean, "Yes, I remember him being told that. I overheard."

"See." CrocKing says folding his arms and looking angry, "Wasn't true though, was a lie here I am still a King but not able to wander where I will and my people need things, things which I can only get in the Agora or from other worlds, can't go into Orleans see, they afraid of me so I just have to go around them."

Barbara nodded,  though she still felt a bit suspicious
"Perhaps we can help you.   Where is the woman now?"

"That might be my only bargaining chip, you all do out number me even if I am powerful but family right, this girl she is your family? Eh, Momma always did watch over me when I was a hatchling so family matters. Fine, fine, the cat I owed favors too probably has her and if not her the Warden who led us about might have her. I can take you to the Door of the cat, she ain't bad just a little looney in the head. Magic does that to you, I guess." He shrugs.

"The Warden, well you know as well as me she can be just about anywhere, on the Stairs or on any world. I don't know what they wanted with your family. She had nice toys but they didn't seem to want them. Think they were more interested in her world making it their world. Maybe they were stronger on that world too. That is the best I can tell you, I'm a warrior and hunter the thinking I let other people do when it comes to things outside of my world. Your relative was definitely from outside of my world."

Millenia looks around, "How come you don't fix this place up ? Maybe the people from New Orleans might come visit if an amusement park that didn't look like it would eat them was nearby."

Crocking looked around, "You know how to repair all this Warden ?"

Millenia shrugged, "Not really, I mean, well yes I could give me time I could have the place running wonderfully though well it would still look the same probably. I am an Umbra master not one of those Eidolon masters."

Barbara shrugged
'We would appreciate any help you can give us , and perhaps we can help you out as well.  We might be able to find people who can help you fix this place up.  "

Crocking looks at Barbara, "How do I know you are actually good at keeping your promises ? I kept mind to the cat. That is what got me into all this I owed her and I kept my word and helped her. Now I have visitors from afar, well I guess your Door isn't too far from mine. Your from the same world right ?" His face is alien in it's reptilian nature but due to some of the people she knows from her world she could see uncertainty in his last statement.

Xan says, "Wow, Gumbo is good."

Crocking gives what might be a toothy smile, "Glad you like it little britches."

Barbara shrugged and nodded
"So, how about a gesture of good faith?  What would you like?"

Crocking looks around, "I don't even know what you can offer. Still you haven't attacked yet and I do know what that whole Umbra thing is. So, what say we talk business after we eat." He starts filling up other plates and gets on the PA to let his subjects know about the BBQ and feast.

Slowly they start showing up and it looks like though it might be rare it is not an unheard of occurrence and soon they start taking plates and sitting on the ground eating their meals.

Some of the children of the menagerie walk over and start talking with Xan soon she joins them and sits among them chatting away.

The Crocking fills a very large platter type plate for himself and sits on the ground crosslegged.

Barbara nodded,  and started eating

For those that eat the food is amazingly good. If you weren't sure that a Croc man were the one who had made the meal you would easily place this as a professionally cooked if niche dish of Cajun cooking. The Crocking missed his calling as a Professional chef.

After the meal you do notice though frightened of their King the amusement park citizens are actually quite polite in thanking him before they move off to the various places where they must live in the park.

Xan looks sad when the kids leave but she moves back over and sits near Barbara.

The Crocking then looks to you all, "So, you wish me to take you to see the cat ? That sounds like where you will be wanting to go since your relative isn't here and I don't right know where she would be otherwise. If the Warden has her then could be anywhere, in that case your best bet you already have." He looks at the groups four shapeshifting bloodhound like creatures.

   Dean finishes his plate, politely asks for seconds if there is enough.

  "Well, this was one of the finest meals I've had in a long while.  Thank you.  If you wanted people to come here, this kind of cooking would be worth the trip alone.  Hell, if I can manage it, I'll come back again if invited.  Just getting the word out, and maybe a few samples if there's any left over would draw people, but it's all IF you want some such.  You have a real gift for cooking, and it's a shame to hide that from the world.  Maybe something could be worked out with the fishermen that gave us the map to bring folks out.  Start it off slow, maybe once or twice a month, specialty restaurant sort of thing."

  He begins collecting the plates, looking for a wash setup for them.  He had done his share of bussing tables and washing dishes when the club needed it, and it was good manners to help out after such an excellent meal.

  "As for going to see this cat-lady, pointing us in the right direction is enough if you don't want to get mixed up in it further.  Of course, we're happy for help where we can get it if you'd like to come along.  To the question of the Warden though...can you tell us anything about them?"

"Oh well thank you. I love to cook. I don't know what fishermen your talking about though.  The cat lives in a really dry place, There are crocs there but it's so dry. Bright too, not like my home. I don't have one of those Stair maps so I don't know how I could point you in the right direction without going with you, at least to the Door."

"Oh those plates go over there, Derrick will wash them, he enjoys making things clean. Strange fellah." He points to a stall where Dean can see other people bringing some of their plates.

Barbara was worried that things were getting out of control quickly, but she didn't see any alternatives, without physically attacking their host.  Which, when she thought about it, felt rude.

"If we need to take you with us, we can arrange that.  As Wardens, we can trade transport to different worlds in exchange for your help."

He nods, "Well it is not so much trading me, you will need to provide transportation if you want my help. That is the way of things sadly. I strive to become a warden myself but the secret to that mystery has evaded me."

  "I'm good with it if everyone else is.  Guy's been square with us, and if his people need stuff to survive that he can't get here, well seems to me it's something of a moral imperative that we help him out." says Dean with a smile.  "Besides, I wanna see what his bread pudding is like."

Barbara nodded,  though she was still feeling cautious
"Then we have a deal. We can leave whenever you like."

Kingcroc, "Alright then. I will be back let me get my traveling gear."

He heads off to one of the structures.

Barbara got herself ready to travel.
"Let's keep alert, everyone. "

Millenia looks over, "Well he seemed nicer then we heard about."

Xan bobbed her head, "He is a good cook too."

Barbara spoke quietly.
"Appearances can be deceiving,  so don't let your guard down "

Xan takes out her hammer and nods.

"If he intended us harm he certainly had the opportunity to do so already.  I think he's being honest.  If that should change though, we'll do what we have to do to get through it, but I believe in giving folks a chance to prove themselves." says Dean, stretching.  It had been a great meal, and he was feeling pretty positive about things.

Kingcroc comes back out dressed for all the world like an explorer.
A wide floppy hat.
A backpack.
What looks like a large heavy looking crossbow.
A heavy looking sword.
A lot of trinkets hanging from crossed belts including and Barbara will note this some batarangs.

"Ok, when we get to the stairs I can show you where to go. You fleshy types will need some of that sunscreen or to cover up good when we get there. It's bright, oh and water bring water."

Barbara nodded and looked at Millennia
"Is there another world we can stop at on the way, perhaps,  to stock up on supplies?"

Millenia, "I don't know where this world is. Though I am positive there will be places to go along the way. There are countless worlds."

Barbara frowned but shrugged
"I don't want to explore every door, but if you see anyplace to get supplies,  let me know "

Millenia smiles and whispers to Barabra, "You know you just have to feel for what your looking for and you will find it. So just on our way focus on what kind of things you want to buy and will take money or trade that you have and ta da!"

Barbara made a skeptical face, pursing her lips in a very angsty college coed way
'Sounds a bit suss, like some kind of New Age magic thing, but I'll try it,  i suppose "

Everyone heading back to the Stairs or still want to do things here ?

I was thinking we were done here.  Was there anything i was forgetting?