Pandora

"Yay us! Another Darkness votex on the Crossbow Metasimian from the back row." Party Order: Cronk Atramor Nyx Rufindel

Yay, a new title! Fun Enforcer - Having fun is compulsory. Or else. This can only be from Hinckley.

"Surely you're not scared of a girl, are you?" Nyx shrugs as the Metasimian scuttles to the back row, and she begins conjuring another whorl of Darkness magic at the Crossbow Metasimian, once again from the back row. Party Order: Cronk Atramor Nyx Rufindel

Just as the swirling vortex of Darkness magic sucks the life-force out of the third Metasimian, Nyx notices she's growling, just ever so slightly. Having never growled before in her life, she quickly turns it into a delicate cough, and smiles weakly at her comrades. "Right, well while pointy-ears licks his wounds, I shall focus on his previous target, the Crossbow Metasimian, and see if I can't send him the way of his friend. Darkness magic, from the back row." Party Order: Cronk Atramor Nyx Rufindel

Nyx charges up another swirl of Darkness magic to hurl at the Quaterstaff wielding Metasimian from the back row. Party Order: Cronk Atramor Rufindel Nyx

Sorry, it seems that Strippograms (or Strip-O-Grams as Wiki will have it) are not known in the NL. It was a reference to the fact that they're all seemingly wearing Gorilla suits, although I know full well they are Metasimians.

"Atramor did you order some Strippograms?" "Ok, I guess not. I'll take the Metasimian holding the Quarterstaff as I think I'll be the only one in the back row, and I've got some Darkness Magic with his name on it. Whatever is his name might be. I really am hopeless with names. Anyway, because of his other Special Move, I shall also go last." Party Order: Cronk Atramor Rufindel Nyx

"Indeedy team, yes! To the Harbour District! As Rufindel says we know the way, so let's go!"

"Thank you very much. Can we look in the chest too? It looks as though there's more helpful items in there. " While waiting for the guard's reply, Nyx confers with her questmates, noting that Atramor is attempting to divine the contents of the chest with his cloak. "Now, about this helmet, this is a bit of a tough decision. I don't particularly want it - horns have never really suited me, and I have that natural respite thingumy already. Rufindel received the Necro's staff already, but it does seem to make sense to give it to him as he's the lowest in health and doesn't have any SP either. I think I will give it to Rufindel, but you never know, it might not fit over his pointy ears. I really will try to share things out as fairly as I can, so please do speak up if you think I'm making a mistake, and Rufindel, expect to be loot-light for a while as you've received a couple of nice pieces so far."

"Yes. Yes you are just doing your job. As are we. We are trying very hard to help you and your comrades who have disappeared, and all we've had from all of you since we got here to help are insults and jeers. You must understand that we only want that which was promised to us, plus it is possible that there may be items in your evidence chest that could aid us in our quest. Helping us now might one day save your life. "

"I am absolutely positive that Acting Captain Patricia will be delighted to hear just how seriously you take your job, and just how keenly you were guarding this chest. She will surely be proud of such an alert and attentive guard. And I would be delighted to hear more about your investigations! Does that mean that you will not, in fact, be executing these prisoners, as we were very much under the impression that their sentence had been decided and there was no further need for... 'evidence'. "

"Hmm, if we try to rummage through the chest and he's asleep and wakes up, he's bound to get upset. So maybe we just ask him nicely, as you suggested, Cronk." Nyx walks up to the guard and addresses him while still smiling sweetly "Hello Mr Guard, sorry to disturb you from your, ahem, guarding; we can see you're working very hard at it. We are here to help you find your missing comrades, and to prevent further disappearances if we can, so with that in mind we'd very much like to look through that evidence chest. Oh and is that Grandogsh's helmet just there? He said we could have it, so I'm sure you won't mind if we pick it up. "

"The Party would very much like the shiny helmet promised to us by that nice Mr Grandogsh, please. " Nyx smiles sweetly whilst twirling her newly regained Dawnstar in her fingers. What little dim light there is glints off the pointy corners of its star. She then looks pointedly towards the chest, and back at the guard again, all the while smiling and twirling. She considers that if the guards have indeed said goodbye and have walked away, then there is no harm in very carefully (all the while checking for traps and alarms) checking the chest to retrieve the helmet promised to them by Grandogsh. "Once we're done here, perhaps we should check in with Acting Captain Patricia, and if she's not got any new information, then we could head out to the Harbour district. I'd certainly like to investigate the Paladins' ship, and that's where this mystery seems to centre. Any thoughts, guys?"

Nyx waves at the impatient looking guard "Coo-ee, hello! Errm, we've finished talking to your prisoners, and we'd like to be let out now please. It's getting a little smelly in here, and we seem to have extracted all the information we can. May we come out now please? "

Absolutely, it can be a bit of a curse. We have no moderation when we visit a LEGO store; no-one to rein either of us in, and so... we sometimes buy two or more versions of the same set - one each (naturally) and then another for, ahem, parts. And we have similar but different tastes in sets, so he gets what he wants, and I get what I want and... well, the staff in the LEGO stores smile broadly when they see us coming. As to buying LEGO in secret, that's usually for Christmas or birthday presents. I particularly remember a loooong walk to my car with an exceptionally heavy 10188 Death Star, that remained hidden in the boot of my car until I could wrap it for Christmas a few years back.

"Right, well it would seem we've interrogated what we can out of these prisoners, at least as much as we can with out our weapons.... even though we've also managed to kill quite a few of them. By accident, obviously. So, the general consensus is that we're not going to be helping the Wolfpack guy try to escape because he's inherently bad ('cos he's Wolfpack) and that it would also probably mean having to kill some guards, who may or may not be inherently bad too, but are kinda the people who hired us and that would just be a bit... rude. Sorted." Nyx nods definitively with an unusual expression of seriousness on her face "The skellie said he left his horse in a no-parking zone, but yeah, he could have been lying, after all Necromancers aren't exactly renowned for their truth-telling. I'm not completely comfortable with pleading for the release of a prisoner; I mean, I like Grandogsh and everything, probably the most out of all the prisoners, but he might also be lying and we don't know the full facts of his case. The unfortunate side effect of our fight with Necro-pants does mean there's more room in the cell, so we could plead against execution, as, frankly, execution is sooooo last year. And messy; unless you burn them of course, in which case you can also toast some marshmallows, but I digress.... Cronk, if you feel in your heart that you wish to plead for a prisoner (or prisoners) then please do so, and I will respect that, but I don't really agree with you, sorry."

"Could I just ask, which gangs have the area of the 'Harbour district'? I just wonder, as a lot of this mystery seems to centre on the harbour district, especially considering the Paladins' ship." Nyx turns aside to her companions and whispers out of earshot of the Wolfgang member "I tend to agree with Cronk here, that killing the guards is no kind of justice. Plus, we're kinda here to help the guards, even though they've been a bit rude. Aaand the Wolfgang are notorious criminals, so I'm also not sure setting one of them free is such a good idea. I do feel a bit sorry for Grandogsh, though.... but killing the guards we've come to help just doesn't feel right, no matter how much fun it would be."

"Yay, everybody's back to normal now that, errrm, thingy, errrm.... what was his name again? Anyway, everyone's back to normal! Except the dead people. And Grandogsh who got stabbed by Atramor. But aside from that... Anyhoo, onto the loot. 5 gold pieces for everyone. Rufindel, you have the weakest weapon, so you may have the Malfunctioning Staff, as long as you don't knock yourself out with it. Atramor, I suggest you keep the shiv. Cronk, please accept the Mead and I'll take the bone to add to my collection. Maybe one day I'll complete the set and have a full skeleton. "

"Sorry about trying to hurt you Grandogsh, thanks for joining in. Could you please attack Christian from the front row? Thank you, I shall cast fire on Necro from the back row. I am somewhat hoping that defeating Necro-pants will break the spell so we don't have to kill everyone in here. " Party Order: Cronk Rufindel Nyx Grandogsh Atramor

"Poor old Grandogsh, I don't want to have to fight him, but it doesn't look like we have much choice. He seemed like quite a nice chap, too. Anyway, I'm sorry Grandogsh, even though I don't think you can hear me now, but I hope that instead of warping your soul with my darkness magic from the back row, that you break free from that evil spell and join us instead. Perhaps me attacking you will provide another chance that this may happen... Cronk, Rufindel, kick that damn Skellie's big behind for being a big smelly evil poo! Maybe if you can kill him first the spell will be broken and Grandogsh will be free?" Party Order: Cronk Atramor Nyx Rufindel

Being head-butted by the Necromancer surprises Nyx; it doesn't hurt at all, which is completely unexpected, but rather deepens her rage which is also unexpected because as a Fire-Mage she always thought she had the worst temper ever. Nyx begins to roar at the Necromancer, and then catches herself, remembering her Magely composure and wondering where this feral fury has sprung from. She looks around at her friends, old and new, hoping they haven't noticed her outburst, clears her throat self-consciously, and charges up another fireball to hurl at the Necromancer from the back row.

"Now that you're better armed, Atramor, I think I shall return my attentions to Cathy and leave you to deal with the mind control minions." Nyx prepares another fireball and aims it at the Necromancer from the back row. Party Order: Cronk Nyx Atramor Rufindel

Sorry Scuba but long may it continue! On the plus side, I don't have my old Mage's Shield effect anymore, so at least I won't be wiping out several enemies at once with a Magic Burst (as has happened a couple of times before ).

"Aha! Now would be an excellent time for you to pick up that shiv, Atramor. Not targeting the Minotaurean this round will not be an issue thanks to Cronk's beautiful angel. Maybe your chicken friend could fetch it for you? I shall continue my assault on the Lizardman with darkness magic from the back row." Party Order: Cronk Nyx Rufindel Atramor

Done!