"Welcome to my master's abode, Chateau d'Amber!" announces the Least Spawn. "May I present my most sovereign liege lord, the Lord Dhark, dread Lord of the Outer Spaces."

The party stands in a vast room of carved Baroque amber and ivory panels. A tall, cadaverous figure rises from a chair along a huge glass wall, through which can be seen a fantasmagorical landscape. The huge ivory double doors through which they have apparently entered swing closed behind them with a well-oiled click.

"And who may be these guests you have brought us, oh Least Spawn?" he demands. He is a 1.9 metre tall base-line male humanoid, bald with elaborately pointed ears and deeply shadowed eyes. Sharp incisors glint as his lips move. He wears exquisitely tailored black velvet robes. Behind him, through the panoramic window, a trio large wyvern-like beasts flies by, herded by a squadron of what appear to be harpies.


"Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore," mutters Harris beside McCurrvey.

One of the scaly terrors opens its maw, revealing a cluster of dagger-like teeth and exhales a blast of sooty orange flame..

"This is most... illogical..." whispers Saavik.
This message was last edited by the player at 22:41, Fri 09 Oct 2020.

In reply to The Least Spawn (msg # 1):

Thelev tries to look through the cloud cover and see the type of star in the system, to see where they are.

He turns to Saavik and relies on her superior hearing and whispers " Is this real on a psionic image being put into our minds. "

In reply to Captain Thelev (msg # 2):

When The Least Spawn first appeared to the group, Khedron placed himself between The Least Spawn and Dr. Marcus. Again in the chamber, he places himself so he is between Lord Dhark and Dr. Marcus. Although it may look like a chivalrous action, at the top of his mind is protecting the entire reason for this mission. Dr. Marcus must be protected at all costs. Until proven otherwise, Khendron considers everybody not Federation a threat. Especially creepy looking dudes.

Saavik frowns and whispers back, also relying on Andorian acute hearing, "It's not psionic. At least not so far as I can tell."

Lord Dhark chuckles and says, "Psionics? Bah! Nor is it an illusion or a projection. These are my pets and their wranglers. As your officer said, you're not in Kan Sas, you're in my domain." He waves his hand and an image appears in the window. "This is a projection. Welcome to my Realm!"


The Dark Lord's Realm conforms to ancient Earth cosmology, with the land and seas above a cthonic underworld, and surrounded by the oceans. The underworld is supported by massive columns stretching downward into the abyss, and everything is surmounted by the firmament held up by the columns of mountains. The firmament keeps out the waters above. The sun, three moons and stars all exist in the heavens beneath the firmament.
This message was last edited by the player at 17:22, Sat 10 Oct 2020.

Lord Dhark waves his hand and the map projection disappears. One of the wyverns is inspecting the group through the window. Khendron, with his Life Sciences (Exobiology) 3 (4) studies the beast and notes that unlike most chimerae from mythology it actually conforms to laws of biology. He can clearly see the bird-like skeletal and muscular structures. As it puffs out a brief burst of flame, Khendron can see the ripples in the air from jets of clear gasses which seem to ignite in a hypergolic reaction. A native of an arctic environment, he involuntarily steps back from the blast of flame, even though no heat is transferred through the crystal window. Instinctively, he scans the beast with his tricorder. It appears to be a genuine biological entity, as real a dragon as he can conceive of.

Dhark steps up behind Khendron. "Impressive, isn't he? Are you satisfied of his reality?"
This message was last edited by the player at 00:59, Mon 12 Oct 2020.

In reply to Lord Dhark (msg # 6):

"It's definitely real," replies Khendron, "and it is definitely alive. Though I am having trouble believing it is ... natural."

Khendron proceeds to scan the rest of this incredible room, including Dhark and Least Spawn. He probably mutters an involuntary "Fascinating..." as the results are displayed.

Lord Dhark smiles, "Natural? What is natural. My pets here are the result of centuries of selective breeding. Does that make them unnatural? Is a racing beast unnatural? A food animal? For that matter, most fruits and vegetables? Few of these could survive, or even exist in the wild—in nature, if you will." He chuckles deep in his chest.

He cocks his head and says, "Ah, just a moment..." he says, raising a hand. The ivory doors (which, according to Knedron's tricorder, actually are ivory, or at least a tooth-like calcium growth from some biological entity) open and three of the harpies troop in. Up close, they are superficially a cross between a 1.5 metre tall humanoid and a bird, fully feathered except for their faces; and winged, with hands half-way along the upper edge. These hands hold long spears.

The lead harpy strides up to Lord Dhark and says in a trilling coo, "My Lo-o-rrrd, we capturrred these three interrrloperrrs in the underrrworrrld." Up close, the harpy's face is sharp-featured, with small projections covering the skin, reminding the Starfleet officers of the skin of a plucked fowl. The head has a mass of fine feather-like fronds which appear hair-like from any distance.

The other two harpies prod a trio of prisoners into the amber room. These are Jasmine, Jade and man known as Sam. All are extremely bedraggled and spattered with mud. Sam is not wearing his bulky helmet, and Jasmine has been relieved of her weapons. The lead harpy unties a burlap sack from her waist and passes it to Lord Dhark. "My Lo-o-rrrd Dharrrk," she says, "If it please you, we rrremoved these accoutrements frrrom the prrrisonerrrs." The bag is large enough to hold Sam's helmet and it clinks as if several metal items are rattling about in it.
This message was last edited by the player at 23:50, Sat 14 Nov 2020.

Lord Dhark picks up the bag and empties it onto a table. Sam's helmet, the Varon-T dispruptor and the Klingon knife spill out, along with a pair of communicators and a few unidentified objects.

Suddenly, Sam collapses to his knees, gasping for breath. "My headpiece..." he croaks, grabbing at his throat.

He appears much older, his hair grey and receding, the flesh on his face wrinkled and sagging. It's as if he's aged three decades in moments.

While everyone is reacting to this, Calista grabs the slave collar and hurls it across the hall where it smashes into an amber panel, sending glittering orange shards flying. She dives at the table, grabbing the Varon-T disruptor. Boluri unleashes a blast from his phaser, but Calista manages to dodge and fires back at him. A dull red blotch appears on his chest plate and slowly expands, his skin dissolving then his muscles and internal organs and bones. A look of unbearable agony appears briefly on his face and a wailing scream seems to hang in the air until he vanishes into a cloud of vapour. Lord Dhark waves his hand and Calista freezes in place, suspended in mid-leap, a look of frenzied evil on her features.

Suddenly, the air pressure in the hall increases and everyone's ears feel the pressure diffential as four more individuals appear in puffs of smoke. One of them is the Verlegg.
This message was last edited by the player at 22:44, Tue 13 Oct 2020.

In reply to 'Sam' (msg # 9):

Thelev tries to take a quick look at the other 3 new arrivals and determines if he can identify them.  He then looks at Lord Dhark and see how he is reacting to Verlegg, mainly how does he react to Verlegg, as a threat or as an inconvenience.

While at the same time tries to move to a defensible position and without taking his phaser off of his hip adjust it too heavy stun in case Verlegg takes Saavik over so he can stun her if required to disable Verlegg primary psionic conduit.

Saavik whips out her phaser and aims at Verlegg, her weapon held in the classic Weaver grip and her weight centred between her feet. There is a scowl  of fury on her usually impassive face. Thelev gets the impression that she is fully on alert.

The other three beings and a tall albino male, what can only be described as a humanoid dinosaur and a woman in an enameled mask. All three of them are facing Verlegg warily.

Lord Dhark snaps, "Verlegg, how many times must I tell you 'No teleporting in the Chateau!'?"

Meanwhile Sam is attempting to crawl across the mosaic floor toward his helmet, but the lead harpy places a clawed foot between his shoulders, forcing his face to the floor. He cries out in pain.

Dhark glares at her and orders, "Hepzibah, enough!"

Verlegg replies, "Father, that is one of my minions you're restraining!"

Lord Dhark removes the Varon-T from Calista's grip and leaves her hovering in mid-air. "This minion of yours just murdered one of my guests, and damaged a wall panel. Be grateful that she still breathes."

He turns to the masked woman and asks "My lady wife, can you see to his restoration?"

She nods and walks to where Boluri had been standing. She begins drawing a complex pattern in the air and the disintegration process begins slowly to reverse itself. She reaches into the centre of the glowing pattern and plucks one luminescent string and a note of ineffable beauty seems to hang in the air. All present feel a vibration and Boluri appears bit-by-bit from the inside out. First his bones appear, which are then filled by his organs, followed by his muscles and finally his skin. Boluri stands for a moment, completely nude, then sinks to his knees. The woman supports him and says, "All will be well, my young one." Turning to Driveon, she asks, "I see a caduceus upon your breast. Does that signify you are a medical man?"

Driveon is still wearing his shipboard medical whites with the medical symbol next to his Legion of Merit. He stammers, "Er, uh, yes madam. A doctor..." He hurries to her side and helps lower the Orion to the floor, then spreads out his medical kit.

Sam has made his way to the table and tries to pull himself up. Dhark looks down at him, then glares at Verlegg. "My son, you will be silent and take no action whatsoever. Bosworth, Lilith?" He nods and the albino and the dinosaurian woman each take the Vrelegg by an arm.

Dhark kneels and hold the helmet out to Sam. "Is this what you desire?"

"Yes-s-s..." croaks Sam and Dhark fastens the device over Sam's head. At first nothing happens, the Sam's features begin tightening, his scalp fills in and his hair returns to its original colour.

Thelev, Khendron and Brad feel that they've stepped into a particularly nasty family drama...
This message was last edited by the player at 14:09, Thu 15 Oct 2020.

Lord Dhark gestures to Saavik. "You may lower your weapon, my dear. My youngest son will not harm you or any of your company."

Reluctantly, Saavik replaces her phaser on her belt. "I will hold you to your word, Lord Dhark."

Dhark chuckles. "Oh, I like this one—so feisty! Very well, miss, you have my word."

Turning to Verlegg, he orders. "My son, I have extended guest status to these persons. You and your... minions... will take no measures against them while they are in my domain. They are to be extended diplomatic immunity."

Dhark turns to Thelev. "I'm afraid we've not been introduced. I am Lord Dhark, the Dread Lord of the Outer Spaces. This," he gestures to the masked woman in the silk robes, "Is my lady wife, the Ladye Masque; my eldest son Bosworth and my eldest daughter, Madame Lilith." He turns to the others in the room. "You've met my amanuensis, the Least Spawn, and this is my Captain-of-the-Guard, Hepzibah." He cocks his head, as if listening to something. "Ah, it is coming up on dinner time. You will all join us for dinner, I hope. Dress will be semi-formal." He turns to Boluri. "Ah, my good man, we'll have to see if we can come up with something suitable for you, unless you prefer to be nude."
This message was last edited by the player at 02:06, Fri 16 Oct 2020.

Once Sam has securely donned his helmet, Cdr Harris faces him squarely. "I though we has a working relationship, Sam—or whoever you really are—but I guess I'd miscalculated. That won't happen again."

Sam looks sincerely stricken. "But Teri m,dear! That comment about the fidush—whatever relationship wasnae me. Jasmine held th' disruptor tae me head while Jade mimicked me voice. And me name truly is Sam—Samuel C. Lowry, Lieutenant Commander—I left Starfleet back in '59. An alien sold me the coordinates to Bridgetown and I retired there—founded Sam's Place but I ne'er could get th' moniker tae stick!"

"So that... thing... has kept you young for the last thirty years?" she asks.

"Aye, Lassie, tha' i' has. Cunning li'l gadget, nae? K'hite whipped it up. Ye know K'hite—green skin, Y-shaped head, ten eyes? He lived all alone on the' Bridge when I arrived."
This message was last edited by the player at 02:46, Fri 16 Oct 2020.