Dionysus: beside the woman in red is an arrakocra. She's Katlan, the Berellian agent station with Archduchess Kimber.

Dionysus: She is wearing much perfume, & her hair is dyed

Taka: hah!

Dionysus: I'm sorry I am a bastard.

Taka: *grin* I like it.

Dionysus: So... did I ever mention what the laws of Berellia are as concerns traitors?

Taka: Nope.

Taka: not good I'd assume

Dionysus: Let's just say you have every right by Berellian law to kill Katlan.

Dionysus: Rather, a duty to do so

Taka: *nods*

Dionysus: If everything is as it seems

Taka: What Taka does next, then, is make eye contact and convey the message "You and I are going to talk." and it's most definitely not a question.

Dionysus: Katlan gives back a gaze that says, "Bring it."

Taka: Oh this is going to be _fun+

Taka: I smirk, nod, and go about my business.

Dionysus: Guess why she wants nothing from you!

Taka: She has Katlan

Taka: She doesn't really need me

Dionysus: Precisely

Dionysus: Hate her yet?

Taka: Actually, no.

Dionysus: 'Cause if not, you will soon.

Taka: I'm sure.

Taka: Were Katlan and Taka friends before the entire Maraddon thing, or did tehy even know each other before then?

Dionysus: You were comrades.

Taka: interesting.

Dionysus: SO, you were sorta like "work friends," but the sort that will die for eachother

Taka: *is just trying to figure how personally Taka needs to be taking the betrayal, all work alliances aside* ok.

Taka: For your notes: Taka called Paul Little Brother

Dionysus: A'ight

Dionysus: At first I thought you were trying to say "Altsisi," which is a different Archduchess.

Taka: Nah.

Dionysus: "How about the menagerie?"

Taka narrows her eyes slightly but nods. "Fine."

Dionysus: She gives a beaky smile.

Dionysus: Andleads you out of the palace. If you talk on the way, she just puts her finger to her beak.

Taka is a trifle cold, but smiles in return. "After you."

Taka: I'm silent.

Dionysus: The menagerie is apparently in a vast domed building beyond the palace.

Taka: interesting. any gorgon bulls?

Dionysus: She nods at the guards at the gate, who open it & let you in

Dionysus: Heh. You ain't seen any animals yet

Taka: hee

Taka is on her guard.

Dionysus: Just inside, you find it to be a bizarre zoo--the cages are all made of glass it seems.

Dionysus: And within are small habitats.

Dionysus: The first cell holds a piasa (see the Beastiary on the wiki for info)

Taka: [aye]

Dionysus: Katlan says as you enter. "So... bring it."

Dionysus: "Say what you so obviously need to say."

Dionysus: Next cage is a bicorne, which is glutting itself on what looks like a whole ox.

Taka: "Well, there's a few things. First off, why the hell did you tell her about me?"

Dionysus: "Because she wanted to know."

Taka: "And that's reason enough to betray a comrade? What did she offer you?"

Dionysus: Katlan smiles again, in her way, "She offered me a chance to serve her. Can you not see her? /She/ is worth serving."

Taka snorts. "She's powerhungry and thinks little of her people to use them as bargaining chips."

Taka: "I don't call that worth serving."

Dionysus: Katlan squawks. "She does what is necessary. The Stormbringer has done the same."

Taka: "Have you met him?"

Dionysus: "Briefly. He did not impress me much."

Dionysus: You pass by a cell with a small pond in it. Within the pond is a kappa.

Taka: "Maybe because he doesn't think the same way she does. I've met him as well. he did impress me."

Taka is looking annoyed at the cages, habitats or no.

Dionysus: "You are easily impressed." A cell with another pond. There is no visible creature, but you hear the cry of a baby, telltale sign of an ahuizotl.

Taka: "Or maybe I just don't think that people count for so little..." she growls softly, irritably. "How can you stand this place?!"

Dionysus: "What's not to like? Oh, look, ythe nue is in its cloud form." She points at a cell with a big black cloud in it.

Taka: "They're in cages, Katlan."

Taka growls slightly at the nue.

Dionysus: "So? If they weren't, we'd be dead." You pass a cell with a small, white furry thing lifting a tree. A yeck.

Taka: "So? They have as much right to be free as we do."

Taka looks around. "This one may be better than the last one I was in, but it's no less a jail."

Dionysus: Katlan snorts. "This is why I now serve the Archduchess--such ideas as you preach. How can /animals/ count as much as people?" You pass the garm cell. The garm is a wolf, and as such, can talk to you in their languiage.

Dionysus: The garm says in wolf language, "Sister, free me!"

Taka snarls at Katlan's reply, then turns to the garm's cell and says in the same language "Tell me how."

Dionysus: "In the central room is a cherufe, deep in a pit, with a typhon. Let them loose, & these glass walls will shatter."

Taka eyes widen, but she nods. "I will try, Brother."

Taka turns back to Katlan at that point and snaps "Have you ever tried to speak to an animal? Some of those in these cages have more honor than you, traitor. Perhaps you should be the one behidn the glass."

Dionysus: "In this land, you are the traitor, Naitaka. I am the patriot."

Dionysus: You've come to a door in a stone pillar.

Dionysus: On it is marked "Vent and Shaft Room"

Taka: "I serve the Alphawolf. Not some powermad old woman who has to disguise her age to feel worth."

Dionysus: Katlan looks angry. "You serve a fool who will destroy his own land ou tof naivetae."

Taka narrows her eyes. "You underestimate him. At least he has some respect for those he would lead. More than you can say for your mistress."

Dionysus: "She has more respect than you can fathom, Naitaka."

Taka snorts. "She's shown precious little of it."

Taka: "Or have you not seen *Baraus's town*?"

Dionysus: [Port Baraus]

Taka: [yeah, that]

Dionysus: "She uses the tools she has at her disposal. If she couldhave avoided that, she would have."

Taka snorts again. "So where does this door lead? More cells?"

Dionysus: Katlan pushes it open. "To the Vent & Shaft Room. The lava monsters are in here."

Dionysus: You smell smoke, sulfur.

Taka wrinkles her nose. "Really."

Dionysus: "Want to see?" She steps inside.

Taka growls slightly, but follows.

Dionysus: You are on a catwalk, maybe a hundred feet above a pool of lava. You are within a hollow stone cylinder, but not a smooth one. It's like a natural cave within.

Dionysus: At the other end of the catwalk is another door.

Dionysus: Katlan closes the door she entered through behind her.

Taka is still on her guard.

Taka: "So I suppose there's a cherufe somewhere down there, is there?"

Dionysus: "And a typhon. It's coiled around the side, the typhon is." She points, and you see it.

Dionysus: It's huge.

Taka can't help but stare.

Dionysus: The door ahead of you opens.

Taka: "Must be difficult, keeping them in here..." she breaks off and looks up.

Dionysus: Three men in yellow cloaks enter the room.

Dionysus: The door behind you opens, & another three enter.

Taka snarls and glares at Katlan. "Traitor."

Dionysus: Katlan is staring at the yellow cloaks. "Who the Hells are you?" she says to them

Dionysus: Taka, Albert is letting you know via his bond with the Sword that you are in mortal danger

Taka: "They're the followers of the Bringer of Plagues. Forget your history?" Mentally: gee. thanks for the warning.

Dionysus: Katlan squawks. "What the Hells are they doing here?" She takes flight.

Taka sets up for a fight. "I think they're after me."

Taka: [*echoes of Temple of Doom*]

Taka: [see, Albert's Howl ability would come in real handy here. *amused*]

Dionysus: The yellow cloaks lower their hoods. Each has a face that is greenish in tint.

Dionysus: They look sick

Taka: Oh not good

Dionysus: "We are here for the nue. You're just a bonus."

Taka snarls. "Forget it."

Taka has her teeth bared, fur up, whole nine yards here. and daggers drawn.

Dionysus: Katlan squawks & swoops at one.

Taka goes for another.

Dionysus: It slashes upward & smacks her full in the chest. She falls, dead, onto the catwalk.

Dionysus: A voice from behind says, "Now this just won't do at all!"

Taka snarls again, now really pissed, and turns.

Dionysus: A tren dressed as a nobleman of the Empire is standing behind the yellow cloaks, his rapier drawn. He is engaging them.

Taka: Do I recognize him at all?

Dionysus: He's a grey tren. Nope, never seen him beforein yer life

Dionysus: Nobleman of Maraddon is how he's dressed

Taka: I figured.

Taka goes for the nearest cloak, then

Dionysus: Okay, we need dice for this.

Taka: ok

Dionysus: Lemme finish their convo & then we'll do the battle.

Taka: whee

Dionysus: On her body, one feather is glwoing--he charm

Dionysus: her charm

Taka: I'll take it, but I'm also going to try to get her body out of the lava room, too.

Dionysus: It's not hard. Aarakocra are very light weight.