Dungeon of Strangeness

[Alhallor]

You awake.

You're pretty sure you don't awake where you laid yourself to rest, because you are in a cell. This peculiar cell however is kinda strange. You have been lying on a kind of mattress, the floor is covered by freshly cut hay and on your side there is a small table with a chair and on that table you see a steaming slice of mutton together with a mug of (judging by the smell) mid-quality beer.

You have all your normal clothes on, but your other equipment is nowhere to be seen. (Should you normally have a boot-dagger however you still have one.)

Outside of the cell are five people in something like white robes. They have small wodden plates in they're hands and are looking at you. One of these guys are starting to talk.

"I think they have awoken."

Another one chimes in. Yes, that is accurate. Let's observe these subjects, probably "adventurers". By confining them in they're natural habitat they will not notice us and let them proceed. If everything is in order, we can proceed with test number zero, zero, one.

The four others seem to write something down on they're wodden plates.

They all are staying relatively close towards the cells and the cells itself have sturdy iron bars but don't seem unbreakable.

Spoiler: OOC for our incorporeal party members.

Show

Both food and drink seem consumable by you, the cell itself feels like you can't just leave it.

Spoiler: MAP

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Strangeness Begins!

[Metastachydium]

Kalliste looks around and purses her lips. She can't help but think that this is one of those situations where eyebrows would relly come in handy. Lacking those, she has nothing to conveniently raise. She rolls to her feet and stretches as leisurely as she can, mostly for the show. She doesn't actually like the look of this. She than proceeds to walk straight up to the bars and stare straight into the eyes of the robed one on the other side, putting a calm but curious expression on her face. Hey there! she addresses the robed one with a coy little smile. I'm Kalliste. Kalliste Iverides, if you're one of those weird formal types. I'm also not sure you didn't already know that. Anyhow, you can call me Kliks if it, you know, clicks with you, or Lis or whatever. she pauses briefly, hoping the other will introduce themselves. You've got some nice holding cells here, by the way. Very nice. But, you know, there's this thing: I'm something of a free spirit and I can get really uncomfortable real fast if I can't, you know, roam free. (I'm more of a wine person too, but let's let that slide.) So. To put my mind at ease, is there any chance you're going to tell me what's this about? Pretty please?

Spoiler: Rolls!

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Diplomacy: (1d20+19)[35]
Bluff to look nonplussed and stuff: (1d20+18)[28]

[danielxcutter]

Elexis sat up, rubbing his head. "Ugh... Okay what the heck's going on?"

[LairdMaon]

Ketcharra sits up on her mattress and immediately begins searching her body, looking for anything crawling on her mithril flesh. When she doesn't find anything on her right away, she lets out a gasp and pulls out a small fruit from a pocket. With a haste that might seem undue or even panicked, Ketcharra smushes the lychee against her thigh. Moments later, attracted by the sweet fragrance, several insects emerge from crevices in her metal body and investigate the juices. With a sigh of very real relief, she exclaims, "Wake up! Wake up! We're in a new place!"

Once she's confident that her little family is awake and alert, and in good health, Ketcharra stands up and investigates the room, finishing at the gate entrance. She waits there, twiddling her thumbs while watching the others as best she can.

[Ridai]

Labs awakens from the most serious power nap known to man. So powerful, it got him imprisoned.

Opening his eyes and moving them about in utter confusion, which only intensifies when he sits up, then actually stands up, as these robed people start jabbering. "H-hello?" emerges from his finely kept full beard, presumably from a mouth below it, not that it is visible. "I can see and hear you, you know? I'm a lumberjack, I think there has been a mistake?"

Labs, standing rather haplessly in the cell, not really sure what to do with his hands right now, side-eyes about constantly in ongoing befuddlement. "Could you please let me out and give me my things back? I really would like to get back to work. People are planning an orphanage and they need lumber for it." Awkward silence (at least from Labs' cell) follows, looking at these robed people.

...and a small unsure sip from the beer while maintaining (or, well, attempting) eye contact. No fairy rules for accepting food and drink here, right? ...Right?

[danielxcutter]

Elexis got up from his cot and went up to the window of his cell. "Hey, let me out you crazy bitches! You can't just kidnap people like this!"

[Captain Jak]

Spoiler: STAT BLOCK

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Rosiwyn Billowcloak
HP: 12 | CURRENT: 12 | AC: 19 | TOUCH: 19 | FLAT: 17
INITIATIVE: +2 | SPOT: +9 | LISTEN: +13 | FORTITUDE: n/a | REFLEX: +4 | WILL: +3
ACTIVE EFFECTS: None.
CONDITIONS: None.

Rosiwyn looks about, confused, before floating up off the bed. She isn’t, truth be told, entirely certain how she had been asleep to begin with.

Nor – why, some of her possessions are gone! Her precious possessions!

"Um, excuse me," she says, fading into visibility as she drifts over towards the bars, more than a little distracted by the fact that she can somehow...smell food? "I don’t know what--,"

She cuts off, abruptly, as she bangs into the bars rather than simply passing through them.

She recoils, startled.

"Um, what? What’s going on here?" she demands, the faintest hint of a shriek beginning to colour her tone.

[Alhallor]

You reactions get a lot of scribbling going on. Some mumble something about "highly irregular behaviour."

Spoiler: Kalliste

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You're guy nearly retreats he mumbles a "this one has VERY highly irregular behaviour." But as soon as you're talking a bit more to him he relaxes a lot. "Oh, I guess you can call me ZZ or Zeze, ähm... Miss Kliks? Of Course I can tell you what this is all about, we are a facility that wants to do Research on different phenomenoms. Mostly related to different threat levels and such things. Oh sorry I didn't realize you were a free-spirit, I guess I should let you out huh? He... Does just that… Opening your cell door with his key. It doesn't seem that the others have noticed that.

Spoiler: Rosiwyn

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You're beginning panic is met with a calm response. "There is no reason for you to get out. You're basic needs are provided for." A hand gesture towards you're "food?" is followed by "Please proceed."

It seems that you're left cell neighbor got his person to open the door.

Spoiler: Labs

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Curious, our research indicates that you should not notice me at all and consume the provided sustenance and perhaps notice us afterwards? The person before you Looks down a bit confused. I don't stand in a dark corner after all. And what will this property called "Orphanage" serve? Do you want to hold a captured baby dragon there to eventually ride it? He's scribbling pretty fast.

Spoiler: Elexis

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"Seems we have a pretty irregular bunch, eh?" He scribbles down something. It's alright we... Uhm, have brought you here toÂ… Provide a, what it's called? A dungeon for you and wanted to provide you with food that you canÂ… Prepare for the challenge? You're all about that stuff, right?

Spoiler: Ketcharra

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"Subject seems very concernd about the insects that couldn't be cleared off of it." Scribbling. "Finally someone unconcerned about the situation. Regarding the other subjects, probably the only normal one."

[danielxcutter]

"Yes but kidnapping people and making them do it is an incredibly crappy thing to do, assh*les," snapped the hexblade, kicking the door to his cell.

[Metastachydium]

Kalliste is pleasantly surprised to see the door open. Thank you, ZZ! she beams at her (hopefully former) jailer and she slips through the door with fluid grace. And there's no need for those pesky 'onorifics. Just Kliks will do. she looks around with interest shifting her weight from one leg to the other before swiftly maneuvering to ZZ's side so as to have him between her and the other white robes. Anyway, sounds like a neat job. You get to watch fun stuff. Does it, you know, pay well? To, what's the word for that… Assess the, you know, threat level fun people like my humble self? she looks up and clicks her tongue before locking eyes with ZZ again. Speaking of, let me tell you that I'm actually very-very harmless.

Spoiler: Some checks.

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Bluff to hide her surprise, highish self-esteem and interest in ZZ's paychecks: (1d20+18)[22]
Hide to hide behind ZZ: (1d20+9)[23]
Diplomacy if needed: (1d20+19)[29]

[Ridai]

Labs' brow furrows in growing confusion at the first remark about not noticing the very obvious robed people. He sniffs at the beer, just in case there is supposed to be some strange see-robed-people magic in it. Not that he knows what to even sniff for. Better put that away then, neatly where it was before. Just in time for his face to scrunch up even more when faced with more, uhm, observations.

"What, no, the orphanage is for the poor children who do not have- ...Sir? Are you unwell? You know what, please do not trouble yourself, I'll let myself out." One of Labs' slab-like hands grabs a tiny thin spoon from beside the still steaming food plate. Now, he gestures not to worry to the robed person as he reaches through the bars and pokes the spoon around in the lock. "You just take a breather, I'll get out of the way, and then you can have a nice sit-down and a good hearty meal, which your cook has very lovingly prepared and I am very sorry to not have tried, it looks and smells very lovely indeed, but you seem like you need it more than I do, if I may be so forward, sir. I'll be done in a jiffy, sorry for the wait." Labs keeps poking, the tip of his tongue poking out of his beard clearly helping with the fine manipulations of the lock levers, as do the fingers spread out because they are not involved in the spoon pinchy-pinch maneuver.

Spoiler: Actions

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Labs uses his Master of Few Jack of All feat to use his Tumble modifier in place of his Open Lock modifier (which he can do twice per target skill per day). Please apply modifiers for poor tools as needed. If the attempt just generally fails because of the chosen approach, that is fine, too. Labs is using a spoon, after all.

Unlikely lock openery (1d20+23)[38]

[Captain Jak]

Spoiler: STAT BLOCK

Show

Rosiwyn Billowcloak
HP: 12 | CURRENT: 12 | AC: 19 | TOUCH: 19 | FLAT: 17
INITIATIVE: +2 | SPOT: +9 | LISTEN: +13 | FORTITUDE: n/a | REFLEX: +4 | WILL: +3
ACTIVE EFFECTS: None.
CONDITIONS: None.

Rosiwyn’s mouth drops open in her translucent face at the ludicrous response.

"Basic needs?" she repeats incredulously. "I don’t have any basic needs, you silly thing. I’m dead," she says, a perplexed look crossing her petite features.

An idea strikes her.

"And since I’m dead, there’s really no reason to, um, keep studying me, right?" she suggests persuasively. "Might as well just let me go, since you’re not going to be able to tell anything interesting about me by watching, right?"

She’s not at all sure why she can smell the food, but the more pressing question was...were she to eat it, where would it end up going??

Spoiler: OOC:

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Diplomacy! (1d20+16)[30]

[Captain Jak]

(Forgot a roll. Bardic Knowledge: (1d20+7)[24])

[LairdMaon]

Ketcharra looks long and hard the the figure outside her cell. Without looking at she says quietly, "He thinks we are normal. I don't know how we should feel about that."

A little more loudly, so she can be heard clearly, she asks, "Does that mean you'll let me out now? We would really appreciate not having to get violent yet."

[Alhallor]

Spoiler: Kalliste

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It seems that you're guy seems to be a pretty Handy hiding spot, because the one glance you get in your direction doesn't seem to provoke a reaction. You're also pretty sure that you have wrapped ZZ completely around your little finger. "Oh the pay is ok, we're mostly pay'd in housing and food. You're threat level is actually very interesting, every single one of you has one between 20 and 50 but all five of you together should have around 500. Isn't that weird? We actually have a 2000 in there, you know?" He seems to actively ignore your statement that you're harmless.

Spoiler: Rosiwyn

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"Hmm…" You're jailer seems to be in thought. "You are kinda right you know? You should probably have gotten into another ward with the other undead creatures instead towards these adventurer bunch. Would probably be the best when I talk with the boss about that." She turns, but stops herself and opens your Jail Cell. "Yeah, sorry. As I said probably a mistake." After that she turns towards the one talking with Labs

Spoiler: Labs

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You're jailer seems more amused than anything else when you try to open the lock with a spoon.A spoon? Seriously? These are sturdy cast iron locks, not some cheap tavern door. How could you even hope. *click* And the door swings open. You're jailer doesn't say anything at first but then points towards you thriumphantly? Reality bending properties! I knew it! Ha! Headmaster Oron will be totally jealous! He Scribbles something, not bothering closing the door again.

Spoiler: Elexis

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"Hey watch your tongue!" Your watcher comes close towards your cell, close enough to grab him should you want to give it a try. "One more stupid word out your mouth and I fry you! I have the authority!"

Intimidation attempt: (1d20-1)[7]

Spoiler: Ketcharra

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"What was that? No we won't let you out, you're basic needs are provided and then we should make some tests. How fryable you are, how you react to stuff. You know, the usual?

Spoiler: Updated map

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More map!

[danielxcutter]

Elexis considered calling the weirdos' bluff, but decided against it and sighed. "Okay, do we get to leave afterwards?"

[Metastachydium]

Yeah, a roof and stuff to eat is nice. Seriously? These people are paid in food and that makes them happy. Kalliste makes a conscious effort not to laugh out loud. That's something even I, you know, get. I never really had a head for numbers, y'see. Is getting a 20 a good thing? And how's five up-to-fifties translate to a 500? Kalliste places a finger across her lips to feign being in deep thought. While terribly confused indeed, she'd rather not think too hard about those numbers right now. ZZ's a nice fellow, but if there are potentially more steadfast allies in here, it's in her best interest is to know about them. Speaking of, who's these other four? Fun folks like me? I bet the one spouting all those wicked profanities isn't.

Spoiler: More checks!

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Bluff, for obvious reasons: (1d20+18)[26]
Diplomacy, if needed: (1d20+19)[31]

[Ridai]

There is this moment where Labs stands before the robed figure, holding his tiny spoon in his big slab-like hand, now without a cell door between them. Then more words pour towards poor Labs.

"You see, there are levers in the lock and-" he helplessly begins to explain, before stopping himself. Just... just let him have this.

"You know, I am very happy for you." The best friendly smile approximation (given the current situation) is shown, as Labs awkwardly puts the spoon back on the table with an extra pat and tries to squeeze past the robed figure ("Excuse me, sorry, aw heck, coming through, oops.")

Out in the bigger room, Labs sees the other people he heard so far (but it would have been terribly rude to just shout over their conversations). "Oh, hello there," Labs greets those inside and outside the cells with a raised hand. "...are you here by mistake as well?"

[Captain Jak]

Spoiler: STAT BLOCK

Show

Rosiwyn Billowcloak
HP: 12 | CURRENT: 12 | AC: 19 | TOUCH: 19 | FLAT: 17
INITIATIVE: +2 | SPOT: +9 | LISTEN: +13 | FORTITUDE: n/a | REFLEX: +4 | WILL: +3
ACTIVE EFFECTS: None.
CONDITIONS: None.

Floating out of her cell, Rosiwyn snorts indelicately.

"By mistake? Not hardly," the translucent Gnome says dryly, her voice containing a faintly hollow echo. "These jokers are probably the ones that have been stealing creatures all over – they’re being all creepy" she insists dramatically.

She can see that there are a number of others here too in those white robes, and a few others both in and out of cells, like herself.

Odd, very odd.

Singing softly to herself, her voice high, sweet, and vaguely compelling, she drifts about in examination of the immediate area, to see if she can determine both where she is, exactly, and to see if she can find any of her precious treasures that had somehow been separated from her!

[Ridai]

"Ah," Labs responds with a bout of awkward silence, given the conversation with a ghost (she seems friendly?) in the presence of apparent kidnappers and some people still stuck in cells. Hands open and close and open again.

"I'm Labacus Koughs, or Labs for short, nice to meet'cha." Judging by the motions of the beard and the folds around the eyes showing up, Labs appears to be giving a friendly smile to the other (former) captives. But, well, since there still are active captives, Labs walks over between the two robed figures arguing. Huge hands on his hips, just... observing the situation for a moment, before clearing his throat once.

"Excuse me, sorry to butt in," he starts, looking back and forth between the robed people and the captives. "Could you, uhh, let them out, too?" He swivels with a calloused finger towards the cells, before the hand returns to where it came from. "They don't seem to like it in there, aaand it would be nice if they didn't need to be in there anymore, you know?" Labs just... looks back and forth between the two robed people, looking for some sort of agreement, his moustache area widening. At one point, his bushy eyebrows even rise, in hopes of that helping in some fashion.

[Alhallor]

The one that was Looking after Labs finished writing and looks up at him and then takes a long look around.

You have gone out?!

He draws a weird black iron rod. It's too short to be a baton and all in all seems like a pretty poor weapon at first glance.

You should all go back to your containment units, if you're not we are authorized to use lethal force to make you! I won't repeat myself!

The other white-robed people try to keep they're eyes on they're escaped prisoners and frantically pat at they're robes to draw they're weapons but don't seem to be able to find them at the moment.

The ones without escaped prisoners stop focusing at them and search even more frantically for they're weapons.

Spoiler: Kalliste

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You should really go back to your cell. I don't want any trouble!

[LairdMaon]

As the robed figures reach for their weapons, Ketcharra settles on who is enemy and who is friend. Insects rise up from her and collect around the other captives, prepared to fight alongside them. Starting deadpan at her captor, she says, "I warned you about violence."

Spoiler: ooc

Show

Crawling Aura: Power
Player characters shall deal an additional 4 points of damage per strike.

[Metastachydium]

Don't you worry, ZZ! I've got this. Kalliste whispers to the robed man with an encouraging smile, drawing really close to him. She then sticks her head out from behind his back to speak thusly, with unwavering confidence: Hey, folks! There's absolutely no need for, you know, senseless violence! You're kinda outnumbered and very much outmatched – you know how dangerous everyone, um, other than me 'round here is s'pposed to be. The good thing is I'm pretty sure none of us bear any, you know, deep-seated ill will towards you guys so if you'd just stop waving creepy stuff around I'm also pretty sure that there won't be, you know, blood and other gross bodily fluids!

Spoiler: Checks

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Diplomacy against eeeeveryone: (1d20+19)[24]
Bluff to look confident in our heroes' clear superiority: (1d20+18)[24]

[Ridai]

"Well, yes?" Labs answers the rather obvious question with a quizzical look. And then weapons are drawn.

"Hey now, there's really no need for violence! All we want is to leave. And if you'll excuse the comment, but I also have yet to see on whose authority we were locked up in the first place, and I think that is important to know!" Labs raises his hands when weapons are pulled. This has escalated rather suddenly. What an unpleasant turn of events!

[Captain Jak]

Spoiler: STAT BLOCK

Show

Rosiwyn Billowcloak
HP: 12 | CURRENT: 12 | AC: 19 | TOUCH: 19 | FLAT: 17
INITIATIVE: +2 | SPOT: +9 | LISTEN: +13 | FORTITUDE: n/a | REFLEX: +4 | WILL: +3
ACTIVE EFFECTS: None.
CONDITIONS: None.

Rosiwyn giggles, the sound uncomfortably tinged with a hint of madness.

"Oh, I think the time for settling this peacefully has passed," she announces, drifting slightly higher in the passageway before the cells.

Abruptly, the stubby metal wand rips itself violently out of the white-robed figure’s hand, skittering away across the floor.

"Run," she whispers, eyes wide and teeth bared in a grin.

Spoiler: OOC:

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Telekinesis Disarm opposed roll: (1d20+19)[36]
Rounds until TK is available again: (1d4)[1]

[Alhallor]

The black rod get's flung away from the leading mans hands. He is confronted with the situation that they are several people out of they're cells. They're hands crawling with battle-enhancing bugs and none of his other research staff seems to be able to quell the tide of break-outs.

There is a tense moment of silence but the researcher holds up his hands in defeat. You all see it. It's a breach scenario. Let's be happy that we may get out of it with all of our limbs still attached. He gives Labs a daggerlike look. I and my Team surrender. we'll go into your cells and you're gonna get recaptured eventually. You have no clue how the security is out there, when the… Alarm... Is sound... He seems to trail off.

He gestures and the still locked cell-doors get opened, keys get dropped down and everyone goes towards they're corresponding cells.

Spoiler: Kalliste

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ZZ doesn't seem to be entirely happy with that situation, though he complies. Like he slowly realizes that you got the better of him or something. Or he still thinks about how you actually did him a favor somehow. He seems indecisive.

If you look in the other room you see chests with some… Descriptions attached to it.

"Female human."
"Ghost."
"Hairy human."
"Male human."
"Small construct."

They are not trapped and hold your Equipment. There is a door leading out towards a complex interior design. Directly opposite you there seems to be a chamber, with some words in Common that you can read. "Flame Experiment 2"

The room you're getting out of has "Testing Container 1" written on it.

The wide hallway seems to open up towards a crossroads.

Spoiler: Map party!

Show

You're cells: Cells
The dungeon at large: Containment breach

The idea is that I fill out the dungeon when you explore it.

[Metastachydium]

Kalliste gives her former captor an apologetic little smile. Listen here, ZZ. You are a very nice guy and I'm sorry things had to go, you know this way. she squeezes the robed man's upper arm encouragingly. But trust me, it's for the best. Have you seen these folks? They are crazy, y'see. I'll keep them, you know, moving away from you guys, but that's the most I can do. she gives him another little squeeze. Stay safe. she whispers before moving on after the others to

♣

loot her chest. "Female human" draws a little chuckle out of her, but that's a harmless mistake. They might be rather incompetent, but they seem not to have misplaced any of her stuff and that's good news.
Once she's done utting her garb back on, she looks around, inspecting the assembled crew. Hey there. In case you missed it, I'm Kalliste. Call me that or Kliks or Lis or what, you know, works for you. she pauses cracking her neck. With that, you know, out of the way, what's next?

Spoiler: Checks?

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Diplomacy: (1d20+19)[32]
and Bluff: (1d20+18)[37], both on ZZ. I hope they'll stay friends.

+

[Ridai]

Labs appears a little cross when being accused of wanting to cause harm to the robed people, but if he does not have anything nice to say, he figures he should not say anything.

"Just... just take a break in there, have a meal, and..." Ah, he better stop talking, they'll figure it out.

The chests also confuse Labs a little, the contents of the "male human" chest clearly not being his. But the "hairy human" chest does have his stuff. His brow furrows a bit again. He has to admit, he is a little peeved. A little bit. But at least he has his axe and work clothes back. Especially his boots! Was getting mighty cold down there.

"Hello, I'm Labs, pleasure to meet you," he reintroduces himself, beard motions indicating a smile, waving hand indicating a wave. "So, ahh..." he begins, not sure how to put it. "would you mind if we not go there?" He points to the "Flame Experiment" room's sign.

[Captain Jak]

Spoiler: STAT BLOCK

Show

Rosiwyn Billowcloak
HP: 12 | CURRENT: 12 | AC: 19 | TOUCH: 19 | FLAT: 17
INITIATIVE: +2 | SPOT: +9 | LISTEN: +13 | FORTITUDE: n/a | REFLEX: +4 | WILL: +3
ACTIVE EFFECTS: None.
CONDITIONS: None.

Rosiwyn wasn’t entirely certain just how these people had managed to separate part of her from herself, but she is more than happy to reacquire her belongings, the lid to the chest flipping itself open to allow her access.

"What, aren’t you curious what we’ll find there?" she asks with a giggle as she swirls a billowing, translucent cloak over her shoulders, giving Labs a sidelong grin. "I’m Rosiwyn," she introduces herself. "I’m a little bit dead, but I hope you won’t hold that against me," the gnome adds with a giggle.

[danielxcutter]

"Well that's not exactly the weirdest thing we've seen today, is it? My name's Elexis, by the way," said the hexblade. He opened a tiny cage, and out popped a tiny snake that hissed at him.

"Yes yes, I missed you too Pytha," he chuckled at his familiar. "Wait, you've put on weight haven't you? How much have they been feeding you?"

Pytha hissed at him again. Snakes weren't really good at pouting, but she made a good effort.