"I think they look pretty," the druid giggled a little. She supposed that some of the things Kayn did were very foreign to her, so it stood to reason that she would appear foreign to him. "And I like to give pretty things to my friends." 

It was at that point that Vesra realized that her own flower crown had fallen off, probably during the first swim. She had been so worried, she hadn't even noticed. But now the realization hit her like a rock slide. The kor felt naked and exposed, as everyone could see the horrible mark on her forehead. She quickly cast the cantrip again, this time creating a full crown of flowers that she placed on her head. "See? Much better now," she breathed a sigh of relief.

Kayn smiled again. She did look a little pretty, in a weird sort of soft-white-fleshy way. He still preferred to eat the flowers though, so he decided in the future he'd best do it when she wasn't looking. "Goblins like stones," he said, "The shinier the better. Oh... and Hedrons. And old things buried in the earth. And beasts. And ash, and sand, and volcanic vapor..." He seems lost in thought thinking of what else he would like. "Stones are the best though," he nodded at the prospect, "When you can grow stones, I will wear it." 

It looked like everyone was nearly ready to go, so he decided to cut the conversation prematurely short. One day she'll be able to grow stones, he was sure of it. He spoke up to the rest, "We need to go to House of Ghet now, right? I know where it is."

Veythe grabbed the leather armor and looked over Vasha with a critical eye. She wondered how much truth was in the women's words--she saw how Orel was acting, and suspected they planned to kill the little goblin as bait anyway. Veythe glanced to Vesra and decided not to voice her concerns. If the sisters wished to tell half-truths to one another that was their business. While Veythe didn't like lies, she could understand them. Duplicity was the way of the world half the time anyway.

Exhaustion and tiredness though seeped into her bones as she tired to swim. She wanted to push Vesra along while the other kor women helped her--someone so sweet was rare in the world and she didn't deserve to die here in the cold and wet of the water. Yet she was too tired and she truly wanted to survive. While at first it didn't seem to work the fortuitous current at least saved their lives. All of their lives, Veythe thought weakly.

Out of everyone Veythe was last to pull her way out of the water, and she flopped and just breathed as soon as she touched land.

"I need a nap," Veythe determined. "And something to drink." She didn't even want to contemplate the work she'd have to do to get her instruments back to peak condition. She glanced to Kayn and Vesra as they spoke and snorted softly to herself, and then glanced to Vasha and the barbarian. What a motley group they made. Tiredly Veythe pulled herself up and stumbled over to Vesra.

Thank you, she signed. Speaking sucked right now. Veythe flopped back over and eyed Kayn.

"Rocks would look better on you," Veythe mumbled. "Flowers look good on you," she added, audibly, and then regretted it a second later. "Let's just...get to the stupid house."

Exhausted, the group takes an hour, resting and recuperating from the ordeal below, before making the final leg of the journey. With the suns beginning to set, they cast a reddish light on the surroundings, painting Akoum in the colors of fire. Akoum is a foreign city to all except Kayn, who is accustomed to the unorganized plots for buildings and twisting roads which snake through the adobe buildings and large tents set up where space is available, giving Affa the appearance of a ramshackled city.

It only takes about fifteen minutes or so before the group arrives at the metallic portculli surrounding House Tekentlar. Kayn hesitantly knocks at the gate, and a human slave, dressed in silks, webbing, and black robes, quickly approaches. "So you are the survivors of the master's game, yes?" Receiving confirmation, his face remains blank. "Please then, follow me." He opens the gates, ushering the group within and quickly closes it. The ground within the gates is covered of statues of all races, most of them showing faces of fear. Walking up to the steps of the ziggurat-esque styled house [an architectural norm amongst vampire society], the group is greeted by Vielara at the top of the steps. She smiles pleasantly, looking at each of them, as if sizing them up or counting. She furrows her brow and asks, "There were seven when I left to return to this place. Where has Orel gone?"

She purses her lips with a slight frown and nods her head. "Very well. Then six of you remain: the rest food for giant spiders, sharks, my pets, or some other malady."

"But please," she requests, her face forming into a sly smile, "the victors must be tired and hungry, considering some of you never even partook of the food or drink before the three tests. Come inside, and let me treat you to the delicacies and wonders of Malakir." She extends her armor to the large, obsidian double doors behind her, which swing open with her gesture. You venture in, and find that the inside of the "ziggurat" is in fact very open and spacious: there are few walls within. The stairs you walked up took you to the top of the ziggurat, and once you've walked through the double doors, you see the the space within extends far lower than the ground at the base of the ziggurat on the outside: the building is nearly a compound, possibly extending deep underneath the city as well.

Making your way down a spiraling staircase, you see hosts of slaves, nulls, vampires, and other stranger and more exotic guests mingling within a large open foyer in the center of the ziggurat, a foyer which you find yourselves walking through. Some of them eye you suspiciously, but seeing Vielara guiding you through they quickly avert their eyes, returning to their conversations.

You soon find yourselves in a smaller room, lit with chandeliers that dangle from the high ceiling above. A large table, capable of sitting twenty people, lies in the center, the table itself adorned with plates, utensils, cups, and an equally wide assortment of food, similar to what was found in the Pits. With her hand, she suggests the group to take their seats, herself sitting at the head of the table.

Vesra smiled at Veythe's compliment, producing another flower and tucking it behind the other woman's ear. "They look good on you too," she said softly. 

Most of the walk was a blur. The streets of Akoum were a veritable maze, and Kayn walked so quickly that the druid had a hard time committing every turn to memory. 

The house of Vielara was just as decadent as Vesra had imagined. The Kor was too tired to be as on edge as she had been at the arena, so she flopped down at the table immediately and began shoveling food onto her plate. "Thank you, Lady Vielara," she said after gulping down the first bite. "You are a fantastic host." 

Kayn obliges, sitting in a random chair at the table. The suns baked the sand into his skin very well, and he felt refreshed after the short rest they had. Now... more food! A small line of drool begins to slide from his mouth to the delicately placed arrangement of cutlery in front of him. It was proper to wait. Proper to eat when they are told it was ok. So he waited. The ziggurat was amazing in size and complexity, and he wondered what other pets she might have hidden away. He liked pets. 

"What comes next?" Kayn asked, slurping up the line of drool before it created too large of a puddle.

The sight of Vesra digging in to the meal made Kayn's reservations disappear. It was time to eat! He pulled a serving platter of a huge ham steak towards him, shoving the plates and cutlery aside and began gnawing at the ham. In between each bite, he gulped down what liquid was nearby. This was delicious! His glances over at Vesra showed he would have preferred to have had a little flavor added with some of her flowers, but he made a promise to himself that he'd only eat them in private. 

The brief respite did wonders for Ato and he felt refreshed when it came time to move on.  He hadn't engaged in the small talk amongst the others as they rested, instead he pondered the recent events.  He'd felt the odd current that seemed to well up and help push the other along the tunnel at the end. Another sign that the great trickster had an eye on what was happening here? What could that mean? Ato was troubled by the thought that a god might look on him with some small measure of favor, but also inspired at the same time. He kept these thoughts to himself, outwardly keeping to the more emotionless appearance that was his norm, and that of the mer in general.

As Kayn led them through the maze of the city, he tried his best to memorize landmarks and some of the layout as he went. Affa was as much of a glorious, chaotic jumble as Nimana had been, and he'd learned that city over time, knowing it's serpentine streets as well as he knew the scales on the back of his hand. They may not linger here for long, but he knew he'd easily enough learn the ebb and flow of it's underbelly and be able to find whatever he needed to.

Upon their arrival at House Tekentlar, he found the scene to be very much similar to what he'd seen in Nimana as well, as decadent as expected from the vampire.  He moved up beside Veythe as they waited at the gate. "Now we truly walk into the lion's den," he murmured. "And I don't believe I ever properly thanked you for your aid in the Pits.  I hope to repay the favor in due time."

Finally led to the private dining chamber, Ato joined the others at the table.  This time, he took Vielara up on her offer of food and drink, helping himself to servings of various seafood dishes, seaweed salads and sampled various delicacies he hadn't tasted in a long time. "I thank you for this, Lady Vielara. It's been quite a while since I've seen so many dishes prepared in the style of my own kind.  It's almost as if you had an idea who'd be coming to the table, is it not?" He noted the other offerings as well - things he recognized as particular to kor and goblin tastes as well.

"You ok?" Vesra signed to her twin, concerned that she wasn't eating. She could see the stress written all over Vasha's face, and her sister could normally out-eat her any day of the week. "Is this about the pirate? Because if it is, it's ok. You did what you had to do to keep us all safe." The druid gave her sister's hand a reassuring squeeze before draining her cup of water.

Ellangil felt the burning pain of his chest once the dust had settled and reality had set in. He went from his knees to his back not wanting to let anything touch his chest. He was too proud to scream out loud, but the pain was nearly unbearable. He closed his eyes for a moment to gather his wits.

Then a pair of strong yet gentle hands rest upon the sides of his head. Ellangil opened his eyes as Vasha pulled him towards her. The shock of the moment began to overtake the pain the surged just by moving closer to her. By and by what in the burning sands was this woman about to do? Words were said and lips touched. It was a kiss. No, it was more than just a kiss. It was a passionate kiss. The Barbarian happy to know the rough exterior was disappearing even for a moment. ‘But now was not the time to make monster babies,’ he thought to himself.

There was more to Vasha than the barbarian realized. Yes, it was a good kiss, of which he was rather enjoying, but a surge of energy followed. It was a radiant energy he had never felt before, and his chest pain subsided almost instantly. ‘Her kiss heals!’ echoed through his mind. And just like that the moment was gone. Vasha had pulled back, and her passion had turned into embarrassment. He smiled. It did not matter to him because he knew that if the passion was there, it did not go away. In time, she would know how to accept it. Ellangil was a patient man.

The bodies disposed of, the loot gathered, they sawm to the other side to meet the rest of the party. This part was going to be interesting. Vesra questioned and then there was nothing. It was like some strange form of communication existed between the two. He had heard rumors of how twins bonded in ways no one else could understand. This must be what the rumor meant. At least he wasn’t asked to lie … though if not for Vasha, he wouldn’t. Those two were a liability and death was eminent.

Ellangil did not speak from the moment the part exited the waters to the time they sat at the table and ate. Vasha paid him no attention, and he was uncertain how to play this out. If it was Vasha’s desire to be discreet, he was okay with this. But a conversation would need to take place just so that he understood. Instead he decided to think about the situation the party was in.

First had been the odd room where everyone stared at them. For every strange look that fell upon him, he puffed out his chest and locked eyes with them. Ellangil would not be intimidated by these fools. Now they resided in a private room to eat, Vielara sitting at the head of the table. There was something more that was about to happen. Was it merely a speech, a job description, or was it something else. They get fat and then become food? He would not be some abused vampire retainer being blood let in order to sustain her.

The barbarian would not look upon her with defiance. He was the one that came to her call for this expedition house. But he did look up and rest his eyes on her from time to time waiting for that next ‘thing’ to take place.

Kayn, finally full from his meal, pushes the remains of the ham steak back into the middle of the table. He coughs twice, covering his mouth with his fingers before gesturing to Vashie, "I'm done. You can have some if you want. Was very tasty." He then turns his full attention to their hostess, who seems to have been watching the feast with mild amusement. She is still scary. More scary than Vashie. More scary than big barbarian. Maybe not as scary as Vesra. 

Vielara smiled at the positive responses from the group. "Yes, well, I didn't know who or how many would survive. This is why there is so much variety in the food and so many seats." She chuckled lightly, herself grabbing a slab of raw meat. With the snap of her fingers, a nearby null arrived, pouring a crimson red liquid of out the pitcher in its hands into her outstretched cup. "I certainly didn't expect so few to make it though... But six will fit will initial needs, and we will grow from there."

The dinner goes on for another half hour or so, as the group chats with itself and gets to know Vielara. For how deadly she was, she was certainly a charming host, revealing details about past exploits and her "younger" days as an adventurer, where she also delved into ancient dungeons, though mostly focused on the continent of Murasa. She tells tales of floating mountains, tied to the ground by roots which stretch for miles into the thick canopy below; of chasms which span into the depths of the earth, where demons, undead, and shadows live freely, plot, and scheme endlessly; of giant buildings, built thousands of years ago, housing artifacts none know the meaning of; of titanic jaddi trees which would've consumed the world long ago if not kept in check by the sheer cliffs, miles in height, which prevent the trees from growing into the outside world. Yet she realized that fame and power didn't come to the adventurer: it came to the employer. Her scheme was long, but it all started when she arrived in Affa, fifty-three years ago. Since then, she has been working her way into the city's infrastructure, slowly amassing her power until today, where she has successfully opened her own expedition house.

As the group and Vielara begin to finish their meals and the conversation has begun to die down, Vielara calls out in Vampire, and several slaves quickly appear and clear the table of food, keeping the drinks and cups for those who might continue to drink. "I am a wealthy woman," she begins, "and believe in making sure that those under me are well taken care of." She motions to a nearby slave, who quickly disappears, only to reappear moments later with six bags that jingle from the contents within. She places the bags meticulously in front of each of the group's members. "This is my reward to each of you, and only the beginning of your spoils and wealth. I know first-hand the masses of wealth that can be found as adventurers and dungeon-delvers." Those who look inside the bags count forty pieces of gold within: a sizeable amount of currency for only a few hours of work. "But yet, this treasure is not the reason why I initiated the three tests. I initiated those tests to educate you and help you survive what you will come up against. Here, is the fourth and final test... a simple question. What lessons have each of you learned today?" She looks questioningly to each of you individually, as if your value was placed in how you answered.

"We also learned trust," Vesra piped up, placing a hand on her sister's shoulder. "We each possess unique skill sets, and we learned to trust in the talents that each member of this team possesses." She smiled softly. "And we also learned that salt water gets everywhere. My sister is right, we are tired and crusted over from the salt water and sweat. I'm sure you understand our fatigue, m'lady."

Kayn accepts the gold, tying the pouch securely on his belt before standing upon the chair and announcing, "The best way to survive a dangerous situation is to have even more dangerous friends. To the muscle," he nods to Vashie and the Barbarian, "To the heart," he raises his goblet to Vesra and bard, "and to the brains." He smirks at Ato, "Is a good team to handle any trial." He looks down at Vashie's gold before returning to his seat, uncomfortable from his little speech, and quite possibly drunk. To finish off his speech, he drains his drink.

Vielara's jaw stiffens as Vasha disrespectfully evades her final test. She quickly stands from her chair, the chair tipping over, causing Vesra to pipe up. Vielara took a deep breath as Vesra persuaded her to grant life, letting it out slowly as she uttered something to herself [Kayn, you would recognize the words to be arcane]. After finishing, she stared Vasha dead in the eye, her voice cold and void, as it was when the applicants drew weapons against Vasha. "Wolf... you should know when to respect your alpha. If you won't answer my question, I'll have to rip the answers out of you myself."

It's at this moment that Vasha feels a presence in her mind, probing around. The probe passes through the locked doors, Vasha herself completely exposed and helpless to prevent it [Failed Wisdom save]. Vielara furrows her brow with a puzzled look. "You killed Orel by slitting his throat while he was unconscious? And snapped Gerbur's neck as he helplessly begged for life? You lied about it this whole time, even to your own sister? Wolf, what a mess you've found yourself in. Did you even learn anything from these ordeals?"