Dionysus Aurelia, as you leave the city, roll awareness.

Dionysus r rog 12

Eklem Dionysus [rog: 12] 13 16 18

Aurelia r awa 14

Eklem Aurelia [awa: 14] 16 21 23

Dionysus About seven ogres are coming toward you, feeling determined. Feeling intent. Feeling duty bound.

Dionysus From down an alley.

• Aurelia ignores them.

Aurelia Do they look official?

Dionysus The clomp of their boots is loud on the stones of the city street. As they come through the alley into better light, you see they wear the uniforms of palace guards.

Dionysus They each carry huge crossbows, with strange black nets attached.

Dionysus Huge polearms are strapped to their backs, with curved, jagged blades on the end.

Aurelia Lovely.

Dionysus And black plumes rise out of their black domed helmets.

Dionysus <Stop where you are.>

• Aurelia turns to look blandly at them.

Dionysus <You are wanted in the Imperial Palace.>

Dionysus They aim crossbows at you.

Aurelia <Why?>

Dionysus <No questions. Come along quietly, or we will use force.>

• Aurelia considers that.

Dionysus The sense of determination & duty, & the clomp of boots, informs you that three more are coming up behind you.

• Aurelia nods after a moment and turns back towards the city.

Dionysus They escort you to the palace. Kashaji follows.

• Aurelia is silent the trip.

Dionysus When you get there, you are escorted to a huge, vaulted hall. Bloody, ragged banners hang from the walls, with depictions of horrific scenes. The air smells of meat & grease, body odor & ash. The hall is filled with five long tables, each laden with a wide array of meat dishes.

Dionysus Dozens of ogres sit around the tables, with a few non-ogres. One of the men in the room is a venomir in fine robes.

Dionysus The ogre at the end of the center table sits on a throne of blackened bones.

Dionysus Beside him is a three eyed ogre with tan skin.

Aurelia Stylish.

Dionysus The ogre on the throne wears a crown of rusted iron, spiky & unadorned.

Dionysus He Has no shirt on, showing off a bulbous body covered in spars.

Dionysus scars

• Aurelia looks at him for a moment, then around the room.

Dionysus As you are lead in, with Kashaji, you note that a silver cloak is draped over the ogrish emperor's back at a mocking angle.

Dionysus Everyone in the room feels like they are in on a cruel joke.

Dionysus The emperor says, <And which one are you?>

• Aurelia looks back at him and blinks. <Which..?>

Dionysus <You are a Maraddonian noble, yes? In a band?>

Aurelia "The Colour of Sound."

Dionysus The guards who lead you in walk to the edge of the room, then stand to attention.

• Aurelia doesn't move from where she was left.

Dionysus <Which one?>

• Aurelia translates the name this time. <The Color of Sound. I am the oboe.>

Dionysus He snorts, <I know your language, Maraddonian. I choose not to speak it. If you want to use your inferior tongue here, then go ahead. What is an 'oboe'?>

Aurelia <An instrument of wind. The sound of sorrow and deceit.>

Dionysus <Do you have it with you?>

• Aurelia looks down at her bag, then nods shallowly.

Dionysus <We are the Children of Sorrow, Maraddonian! We are Despair! So you think you can command the sounds of sadness?>

Dionysus <You think you know despair?>

Dionysus <Then you play for us!>

Dionysus <Or we will show you true despair.>

Dionysus He rips a piece of meat off a large bone, sucking it down.

• Aurelia looks blandly up at him for a moment, then sets her bag down and gets her oboe's case from it, then assembles.

Dionysus Roll your skill.

Aurelia r oboe 17

Eklem Aurelia [oboe: 17] 19 25 26

Dionysus They all watch for a moment as you start to play, then the emperor grunts & starts eating. They begin to more or less ignore you.

• Aurelia continues to play. Lydia's death, the low refrains from Diana, and others of the saddest and most painfully regretful pieces she knows.

Dionysus The topic of conversation is speculation on what the Maraddonians think counts as betrayal in Tamarnthek, & why they would want to tell the emperor, anyway.

Dionysus If you stop even for a moment, the emperor yells at you to continue.

• Aurelia doesn't. This is... fitting. The lows from Diana are used to fill in the gaps between songs to make everything one continuous medly.

Dionysus Perfect.

Dionysus After about an hour & a half, servants carry out two huge platters. One has a torch stuck through the middle of a strange looking roast. The other is apparently shellen on the half-shell.

Dionysus The ogres laugh & feel malicious.

• Aurelia doesn't react visibly, or emotionally beyond an internal weary 'oh.'

---

Dionysus After they leave, the emperor says dinner is over, then orders you to follow him to his chambers. Four guards flank you, Aurelia.

• Aurelia follows wordlessly.

Dionysus Kashaji follows, too.

• Aurelia puts a hand on his shoulder.

Dionysus The emperor's servant holds the door to his chamber open for you.

Dionysus <Leave the dog outside.>

Aurelia "Kashaji, wait here."

Dionysus Kashaji sits.

Dionysus The servant closes the door behind you, leaving you alone with the emperor, who has sat upon his massive bed.

Dionysus <Play first. Then we fuck.>

• Aurelia stands dull-eyed just inside the door.
• Aurelia considers this, then begins to play again.

Dionysus After five minutes, he grunts, <You were better earlier. Quit that & come fuck, little girl.>

• Aurelia lowers the oboe and stares blankly for a few seconds, then murmurs, <You would find no pleasure.>

Dionysus <You won't. I will. Come here.>

Dionysus He pulls off his rough furred pants, revealing his genitalia. They are pale, piebald, & scarred.

Dionysus And fairly huge.

Dionysus <We fuck, then I give you song.>

Dionysus He begins to play with his genitals, waiting.

Aurelia <No.>

Dionysus [If he's any more unnappealing, he will be an official Isis]

Dionysus <Don't make me take it. Then you get no song, & I eat your friends.>

Dionysus <I'll settle just for a cocksucking.>

• Aurelia walks forward to the bed.

Dionysus He chuckles evilly. He is feeling cruelty & lust.

Dionysus He holds it out for you, leaning back & closing his eyes. "Make slow, Maraddon bitch."

• Aurelia puts a knee on the bed and leans to touch awkwardly with her hands. <Have you taken many times?>

Dionysus <Who counts?>

Aurelia <All who... did not desire> The pause is a brief search for the words.

Dionysus <I know what you meant, you stupid woman. Suck. Now.>

• Aurelia applies a touch more pressure with her hands and Wounds.

Dionysus Okay, the wound is not deep, but his bellow of pain is loud.

Dionysus You hear barking outside as Kashaji stops guards from getting in.

• Aurelia Wounds again.

Dionysus He passes out, & his genitals are bleeding heavily. His breathing stops.

Aurelia Can I Wound the dead?

Dionysus Until they have no flesh.

• Aurelia continues for a little while.

Aurelia Probably not until the point of total flaying, but until he's nigh unrecognizeable and she's soaked.

Dionysus Total flaying on him would take ages.

Dionysus You hear Kashaji growl & a scream of pain.

• Aurelia walks slowly to the door and pulls it open.

Dionysus Kashaji is standing on the corpse of the three-eyed ogre.

Dionysus Two more guards are dead nearby.

Dionysus Five more are surrounding him.

Aurelia There was no mention of weapon-stripping. Do I have Grimdancer or were you figuring him left on the ship?

Dionysus You have it.

Aurelia Danke.

• Aurelia looks blankly at the guards.

Dionysus They are watching Kashaji.

• Aurelia reaches for his shoulder, blinks as she notices the blood dripping from her arm, and refrains.

Aurelia <Where is Arlie?>

Dionysus The guards glare at you, & one of them says, <She's killed the Emperor!>

Dionysus They reconcentrate their efforts to get past Kashaji.

Dionysus The ones in black armor charge to go past Kashaji.

Dionysus He blocks their path, growling.

Dionysus They stop.

Dionysus The ones in red & grey move to surround Kashaji & attack him.

Dionysus Kashaji deflects the attacks of both.

Dionysus Kashaji bites an ogrish guard, but the bite just scrapes wooden armor.

• Aurelia draws Grimdancer and aims him at one of the grey-and-reds menacing Kashaji.

Dionysus He staggers back, stunned. Blood drips off him. He's a normal ogre, the Taint says, & a vicious bastard. Nothing special.

Dionysus The newcomer is a venomir, who smiles at you.

Dionysus He feels smug.

Dionysus The elite ogres parry.

Dionysus The newcomer says something in an unpleasant tongue, & all the ogres just drop dead.

• Aurelia watches to see that they are staying down, then turns towards him.

Dionysus "Thank you," he says in dwarven, fluently.

• Aurelia again reaches habitually for Kashaji and stops herself. She doesn't answer the thanks.

Dionysus "May I be of assistance to you?"

Aurelia "Where is the Colour of Sound?"

Dionysus "They are in the cells."

Aurelia "Where?"

Dionysus The ticket glows red.

Dionysus "I can show you, Seeker of Beauty, Child of Cruelty."

• Aurelia lets Grimdancer's point fall nearly to the floor and nods slightly.

Dionysus He leads the way.

• Aurelia follows wordlessly.