Episode 36
"The Lion, the Priestess, and the Pillar"
(c) Matt Grossman and J. Sage Schreiner

Nigil Palom, noble from a far-distant land -- Kevin Osborn
Tron, a resourcefull elf -- Matt Grossman
Sapphire, a blood thirsty gnome warrior -- Corey Paganucci
Norel, a big ranger of the Adri forest -- Tom Morin
Danic VanDraager, a dwarf with sanitation issue -- Eric Krueller
Laurallie, an elf with a mysterious past -- Claudia Darcy
All others -- Sage Schreiner

The party has defeated the bugbear horde. However, they are all badly wounded. Norel uses his 
rangerly magic to restore Soren to consciousness.

Soren: VaanDra... what happened?
Nigil: You went into a berserk rage and killed them all.
Soren: I did? Atchoo! Where did all these feathers come from?

Eventually the situation is explained.

Soren: Very well. Moraddin, heal this gnome!

Nothing happens.

Soren: I said, heal this gnome! Dammit, what's going on? Morradin fails to answer my call! The
bastard's forsaken me! What've I done?

It seems that the priest's god is not answering his call. Soren wanders into the woods alternately
screaming invective at his god and begging for forgiveness.

Norel: Let's stay away from him so we don't get hit by lightning too.

Meanwhile, Tron has been looting the bodies. Danic has also regained consciousness enough to wander
around.

Danic: Oooh, my head hurts.
Tron: I found six silver pieces and a lot of crappy arrows. This sucks.
Norel: The ravens probably carried off all of the shiny stuff.
Tron: Bah. Stupid birds. Hey, what's that?

A figure is approaching through the forest. Clouds of smoke from the smoldering fires make it 
difficult to make out.

Tron: It's that lamia!
Figure: I'm not a lamia. Put that bow down.

The figure turns out to be a female elf, wearing armor over tattered finery.

Elf: My name is Laurallie. I was captured by the bugbears, but they all ran away. Who are you guys 
and what are you doing here? And what happened to all these bugbears?
Nigil: Oh, they pissed us off.
Soren, from far off in the woods: Damn you to the Nine Hells, you @#$^%*%!)*(&$#.

Introductions are made all round. It turns out that Laurallie is a priestess of Obad-Hai. Tron has
never seen a female elf before, other than this mother.

Laurallie: (casts a spell and looks at Danic and Toadstool significantly)
Danic: What? Hmmm... (casts a spell and squints at Laurallie through his meshed fingers).
Nigil: One of our company is badly wounded. She needs healing magic, and our padre seems to be having 
a crisis of faith. Would you heal her?
Laurallie: Well... what do you guys do and what are your plans?
Tron: We kill things and take their stuff.
Norel: The kingdom of Ratik is threatened by an orcish invasion from the South and treachery from 
Within. We are trying to protect it and expose the fiendish treachery.
Tron: Oh yeah.
Laurallie: Orcs are an abomination against nature. I can't stand the thought of the forests of this 
land being poluted by those creatures.
Nigil: Then you're with us?
Laurallie: For now, yes.

They go back to the tower.

Laurallie: A svirfneblin? Are you sure you want me to heal her? They... bite.
Nigil: That's ok, she's a friend of ours and a brave fighter.
Laurallie: Obad-Hai, heal this gnome with Nature's power!
Sapphire: What... what happened? Ahh! Get away from me! Grr!
Laurallie: I told you.
Nigil: What's wrong?
Sapphire: (glares at Laurallie) Nothing.
Laurallie: They're really ungrateful too.

Laurallie heals the remainder of the party, and they discuss what to do. It is decided that Norel and
Tron will stay behind and spy on Torquann, while the rest of the party goes to Marner and gets the 
medallion from Goloda.

Norel: I have some other stuff I want to do in the forest.

Danic takes Sapphire aside.

Danic: Why were you so disturbed by Laurallie?
Sapphire: She's wearing drow style clothing. It smells of drow too.
Danic: Hmm... well, she's not using any illusion magic, so I think that she is a surface elf. But 
we have to find out more about her.

Soren returns, looking very angry and missing his sacred ax.

Tron: Hey, isn't that ax your holy symbol?
Soren: I don't want to talk about it. I'm going home.
Danic: Oh well, tell everyone back home I'm doing great.
Soren: Bah. (wanders off) ^&)*@#$%%&!!! (Kicks a rock) Ow! Ferkin' ding blast wuss gawd.
Laurallie: What's wrong with him?
Danic: He gets excited about things, but then loses interest. It's happened before.

Danic asks Torquan whether they can "share" spells.

Torquann: Bah. I don't need to write mine down.

The next day the party sets out.

Toadstool: [snif] You'll be back, right?
Danic: Sure we will! We are just going to Marner to report to Togan. He'll be glad to hear about how 
well you're doing.
Toadstool: (displays a disconcertingly wide and toothy grin)

They travel through the woods that day until they reach Shapic. The next day, the "town party" 
continues to Marner, while Tron and Norel turn back into the forest.

The town party arrives at Marner around noon. They go to the inn where they had stayed previously.

Innkeeper: Same rates?
Nigil: Sure, I guess.
Laurallie: Are you or any of your family members ill?
Innkeeper: Well... It hurts when I, uh, piss, umm, I don't suppose you could, err...
Laurallie: I'll do something about it tomorrow.
Innkeeper: If you can cure my little problem, I'll give you all free room and board for a week!
Nigil: (whisper to Laurallie) Nice work.
Innkeeper: While I'm thinking of it, there were some people asking for you.
Nigil: Really?
Innkeeper: Yeah, there was a big guy. Kinda slow. Then two foreign gents. Let's see, one guy was
kind of square looking. The other was funny looking. You know, just funny looking. I didn't tell
'em anything. Don't trust those foreigners from the South.


They find that Goloda will be in a conference at the castle for the rest of the day, so the party
disperses about Marner, running various errands. Laurallie goes shopping for clothes, Danic heads 
to the library to read up on the Torquann family. Nigil and Sapphire head to the church of St. 
Cuthbert to try and buy some healing potions. They meet back at the inn in the afternoon.

Nigil: Danic, you stay outside.
Danic: I just had a bath!
Laurallie: In what, orc dung?
Danic: Hey! Anyway, I found out that there were Torquann's in Marner when Togan was in power, but 
they seem to have left or died out shortly afterwards. So that part of the story could well be 
true.
Laurallie: I bought some new clothes.
Sapphire: That's nice.
Nigil: Those priests of St. Cuthbert are pretty uptight. They wouldn't sell me any healing potions. 
Now, I have a cunning plan...

They go and find a troupe of actors, who are performing "The Most Bloody Tragedy of Thorfinn, Baron 
of Yencro".

Jhaveks: Who is it without? I'll go and find out. (opens door)
Araneo: Tis I, death. (stabs Jhaveks)
Jhaveks: Ah! I die.
Elf Boy: Murder! Oh, the duke is killed!
Norelo: What! Here's a squeaking rabbit! I'll soon silence it! So! And thus!
Elf Boy: Oh, I am slain!

Laurallie: This is the worst play I've ever seen.
Nigil: These characters seem kind of familiar somehow.

Thorfinn: Is the duke dead?
Araneo: We cut him down at his altar, and sent his soul into the hereafter.
Lady Thorfinn: Here is  gold for this night's work, gold for the hand that held the dirk.

(Exeunt)

Lady Thorfinn: Baron, duke, and then king, such is the reward that courage doth bring.

Sapphire: Who wrote this crap?
Audience member: Supposedly it's Steadysword, but I have my doubts that a hack responsible for...

They speak to the manager.

Nigil: We are putting on a... um, private play, and, uhh, we'd like to hire an actor?
Manager: What kind of private play? We don't do any of that southern stuff so don't ask.
Nigil: Umm, err, we'd like someone to play the role of a priest.
Manager: I told you no funny stuff.
Sapphire: It's not like that! It's uhhhhh... for uhhhh... ummmmm... uhhh...
Manager: Ok, a priest of what god?
Nigil: Ummm... St. Cuthbert.
Manager: Ok, now we're getting somewhere. I have just the guy. He's on stage right now, but he'll 
soon be done.

Thorfinn: No man of woman born may kill me.
Garflinn: Know and despair! For I am a dwarf!
Thorfinn: Then lay on, Garflinn! And damned be he that does not win!

Laurallie: Wouldn't he have been able to tell that he was a dwarf just by looking at him?
Manager: Yeah, well, the groundlings eat it up. I've had people come and see it three, four times. 
I think they're trying to figure out what they missed that would make the plot make sense. We're 
planning a second episode, called "Attack of the" -- but I shouldn't give it away.
Sapphire: The special effects are pretty good, I'll give you that.

Eventually the play ends and a square jawed actor emerges.

Actor: Priest of St. Cuthbert, eh. That's easy. (he quickly improvises a costume and launches into 
a patter) Friends, I am concerned by the stories I have heard. I hear that some of you may be 
behaving... unjustly. This is a grievous sin. For who among us is there who is not tempted...
Nigil: Ok, that's pretty good. But, um, we're still working on the uhhh... "script", so we'll get
back to you.

They leave.

Laurallie: That's your plan? To have some guy dress up as a priest and try to talk Goloda out of 
the medallion?
Sapphire: It's not worth it. Anytime we try to do anything clever, it always fails. Let's just 
tell the truth.

That evening, they report to Goloda.

Nigil: ... so Alzoda is really Jainos Torquann, and he needed the medallion to get the treasure 
of Togan. If you could lend us the medallion, we could get the treasure.
Goloda: Hmm. It's true that Togan's treasure was never found. That treasure rightly belongs to 
many of the leading families of Marner. I think it is certainly my duty as treasurer to restore 
it to its rightful owners.
Nigil: Doh! I mean, of course.
Goloda: I think that after fifty years the descendents of the original owners can only claim 
half of the wealth. So the remained could be divided between you and Alzoda as a finder's fee.
I'll have to look that up though.
Laurallie: You know, we could just divide it up among ourselves and, uh...
Goloda: ...
Laurallie: Yeah. Anyway.
Goloda: The only problem is that I can't just give you guys the medallion. I can only give it to 
a priest of St. Cuthbert.
Sapphire: Why?
Goloda: It speaks! Umm, I mean, my grandfather wrote that the medallion should only be given to 
a priest of St. Cuthbert. I don't know why, but I assume that he had some reason. You must speak 
with the priests of St. Cuthbert tomorrow.

There is an uncomfortable silence.

Laurallie: Say, this port is really good. Is it a Medegian vintage?
Goloda: Why, yes! How nice that you could tell.

They discuss wine some more and Laurallie is invited to stay for dinner. The rest of the party 
heads back to the inn.

Sapphire: Bah.
Danic: Yeah, elves are like that.

The next day Laurallie cures the innkeeper's "problem". The party goes to the church of St. 
Cuthbert again and explains the situation.

Nigil: ... so we need one of you guys to go and get this medallion from Goloda.
Priest: And we should do this because...?
Laurallie: It would be just to return this wealth to those who lost it.
Priest: Money is the root of all evil. These people should be glad that their wealth was taken 
from them.
Laurallie: But the church needs money as well, right? I mean, tithes and stuff...
Priest: Yes, you are right. For a tithe of the treasure, we will get this medallion.

A contract is quickly written out and signed.

Sapphire: I just drew a badger there. That's my mark.

The party leaves the church.

Danic: Nice going, elf.
Laurallie: Hey, at least I got the medallion.
Nigil: Since you're so good at talking to people, why don't you try and see if you can get Kyrou 
the Magnificent to sell us some healing potions? Sapphire and I will go and see if we can get spears, 
and Danic can, uhh, stay somewhere he won't be smelled.
Danic: Bah.

Laurallie attempts to convince Kyrou that he should sell them some healing potions.

Kyrou: Well... I do have a potion I could sell you for two thousand silver. It will heal very
serious wounds.
Laurallie: Two thousand silver? Don't you have anything cheaper?
Kyrou: Hah hah. No.
Laurallie: Well, I guess I'll be going then.
Kyrou: I guess you will. (mutters) Too rich for her blood.

Sapphire and Nigil head up to the smithy run by the half-orc.

Nigil: Do you have any spears.
Smith: Spears? Maybe.

He produces a spearhead.

Smith: I'll sell this for, ohhh, fourteen hundred maybe.
Nigil: Silver?
Smith: Gold. It causes terrible bleeding wounds.
Nigil: That's nice. Got any longswords?

The smith shows them a fine longsword, which they also can't afford.

Nigil: Say, one more thing. I've seen two people in this town with mismatched eyes. You, and Kyrou 
the Magnificent. Now I don't want to pry here, but...
Smith: We had the same father. He was an... adventurous man.
Sapphire: I'll say.
Smith: Kyrou would prefer that that not be known. I don't care.

They ride back to town.

Sapphire: Ya know, that guy must have dozens of magical weapons lying around in his forge. I'm 
surprised he hasn't been robbed.
Nigil: But nobody knows. And anyway, how could you take them away from him?
Sapphire: Good point. Interesting that he and Kyrou are brothers. I bet Kyrou really doesn't
want anyone to know. He seems to care a lot about appearances.
Danic: Really? Hmmmmm... this could be of use.

The next day they head back to the Tarwood, with the medallion. They arrive back at the tower the 
following day.

Nigil: What happened? Hey, what's that mountain lion doing here?
Norel: That's my animal companion. Careful, she's not trained. Don't make any sudden movements 
around her.
Lion: Grrrr.
Sapphire: Grrr.
Norel: You're about the same size as a large rabbit, so be careful. They can smell fear, you know.
Try to make yourself look bigger.
Laurallie: So typical of a follower of Ehlonna to enslave an animal and drag it around with him.
Norel: She's my friend, and she's with me voluntarily.
Tron: Torquann didn't do anything, just sat around outside reading all day. It was pretty dull. 
Toadstool was able to spot me no matter how well hidden I was, too.
Danic: Say, Toadstool, what is in this stew? Venison or bugbear?
Toadstool: Umm, yes.
Sapphire: Best not to pry, I suppose.

The next day the party attacks the water elemental. Sapphire and Danic are in the front rank, with 
Norel and Nigil behind them. Tron and Laurallie bring up the rear. The humans both carry longspears 
(salvaged from the battlefield) which have been enchanted by Laurallie to be magical.

Water Elemental: Sploosh!
Party: [hack stab poke slay]
Water Elemental: Urk. [dissolves]
Tron: That was easy.
Laurallie: Do you think we should have got Torquann?
Nigil: Nah.

They go and knock on Torquann's secret door.

Torquann: [yawn] What's up?
Nigil: We killed the water thing.
Torquann: Great! Why don't you get the pillar out, and I'll be along presently.

Danic casts light on a stone and drops it into the cistern, showing it to be about 20' deep. The 
magic-using members of the party have a big debate about how to raise the pillar from the 
bottom of the cistern.

Danic: Through clever usage of the shape earth spell, blahblahblah...
Laurallie: No, I think... blahblahblah
Torquann: If I might suggest... blahblahblah

Meanwhile, Tron and Nigil dive to the bottom of the cistern and attach ropes to the pillar. Norel 
and Sapphire pull it out.

Danic: I just don't see how we can get it out!
Sapphire: Where do you want this pillar? [clang]

They carry the pillar back to the octagonal room and set it up.

Tron: Ok, Torquann, now what?
Torquann: I have no idea.

There is some debate about what to do next.

Laurallie: You should give me time to pray for a spell to dismiss demons. We don't know that 
Penfavasta is destroyed.
Nigil: That would be wise.
Laurallie: Also I asked Obad-hai for advice, and he said that "Together you go and arcane magic will be
a key". He also said that the result of getting the treasure would be "weal and woe". So I think that
we should...
Danic: (places the medallion on the pillar)

A magical glow illuminates the room, and bolts of magical energy crackle around. The six levers rise 
from the down position to the up position.

Laurallie: Why did you do that? That was completely stupid! We have no idea what to do now!
Tron: Obviously we have to pull a lever, or pull them all at once, or pull them in a certain order. 
There's no markings.
Danic: When I put the medallion in, I felt it shift slightly, as if it wanted to be in that position.

The medallion is oriented such that each one of the demon's arms points to a lever.

Danic: Well, here goes nothing. (pulls a lever) [bzort] Ow!

The magical glow fades, and the levers all go to the down position. The medallion pops out of the 
pillar.

Tron: Ok, everyone pick a lever. Let's try pulling them all at once.

They put the medallion back in the pillar and try pulling all of the levers at once. However, it 
seems that Sapphire pulled hers first, and received a shock. The others do not get shocked, but the 
room "shuts down" as before.

Danic: Ok, let's just pull the levers one after the other. Presumably we have to pull them in a 
sequence, and the correct lever won't shock the person who pulls it.
Laurallie: I can't believe you guys are doing this!
Torquann: It's certainly not what I would do.

Norel: [bzort] Ow!
Danic: [bzort] Dammit!
Torquann: Fine. [bzort] Ouch!
Tron: Well, looks like it's just me.

The elf pulls his lever. The magical glow brightens and more energy flies around.

Danic: Now what?
Tron: Oh! I get it.

Tron quickly explains. The lever that he pulled is pointed at by the arm that is holding a mace. The 
other arms of the demoness hold a two-headed battle ax, a sai or trident, a four pointed throwing 
star, and a six-sided prism. One hand is empty with five fingers outspread. It was clear that these 
objects indicate the order in which the levers should be pulled: Mace, battleax, sai, throwing star, 
empty hand, prism.

Danic: Why didn't I think of that?
Torquann: I do a lot of thinking in while batheing. But I guess you wouldn't know about that.

They party pulls the levers in the sequence indicated. There is a burst of magical energies and 
suddenly the pillar vanishes. The medallion clatters to the floor. The room is of the same pattern, 
but subtle differences indicate to the party that they have been transported to another room of 
identical appearance to the first.

Nigil: (retrieves the medallion) Well, I wonder how we are going to get back?
Lion: Grrrr.
Laurallie: The indent in the floor would indicate that there was once a pillar here. We need to find
it before we can return.
Torquann: Ah ha! That's what "Together you shall go" meant -- if we didn't go together, we'd have
been split up.

There is only one corridor leading out of the room. The party explores along it and comes to a room. 
There is a stone pillar in the middle of the room, and shards of stone scattered over the floor. It 
looks like a statue had been on the pillar, and was shattered. The party examines the shards 
carefully.

Norel: It looks to me that whoever shattered this statue was small. Also I think the statue was 
moving around at the time.
Tron: I hope somebody hasn't taken the treasure already.

They proceed down the corridor to a balcony overlooking a large natural cavern. There is a bridge 
across the cavern to another balcony on the opposite side, but the center has fallen out. There are 
several streams of water flowing along the bottom of the cavern. The gap in the bridge is about 
twenty feet across. On the far balcony can be seen some sort of glowing, probably magical, portal. 
The party tries to figure out how to get across.

Laurallie: I could walk on winds and cross, but what about the cat?
Norel: We're not leaving her behind!
Lion: Grrr.
Nigil: Maybe we could toss Danic across?
Danic: Nobody tosses a dwarf!
Nigil: Heh. Just kidding.

While the party debates, Tron quickly strings a line across the gap using a grappling hook and 
crosses. He makes the line fast with pitons. Danic follows, carrying a second line, and also brings 
his backpack across.

Norel: Well, we still need to get my lion across.
Lion: Grrr.

Finally Laurallie uses her Airwalk and Stone Shape spells to create a thin bridge of stone across the 
gap. The party crosses, one at a time to avoid stressing the fragile bridge. The mountain lion bounds
across last, barely making it as the bridge shatters behind her.

Lion: Rrrowwww.
Tron: Now what?

The only way off of the balcony is through the portal, which shimmers with rainbow colors. Tron 
throws a rock at it, but it bounces back. Laurallie tries doing the same thing with an enchanted rock
but the result is the same. The learned party members confer.

Danic: I think it is some sort of prismatic wall.
Laurallie: If you say so.
Torquann: Hmm, I don't have all of the spells required to bring it down.
Danic: Nor do I.
Tron: Try touching it with the medallion.
Danic: No way! That could be dangerous. You try.
Tron: Ok.

The elf touches the glowing portal with the medallion, and it changes to red.

Danic: Ah!
Torquann: Of course!
Tron: Huh?
Laurallie: Touch it again.

The elf keeps touching the portal with the medallion. Every time he touches it the wall changes 
color, from red, to orange, to yellow, to green, to blue.

Torquann: Hold it. (casts Magic Missile at the portal)

The prismatic wall vanishes, and the party sees a corridor, tiled in red and black, stretching ahead 
into darkness.

Nigil: Magic.
Sapphire: Pah!
Torquann: "And arcane magic as a key". Well, at least that makese sense now.

The party goes down this red and black corridor, with Tron leading the way checking for traps.

Norel: I don't like red and black.
Nigil: It's certainly a color combination we've run into before.
Laurallie: I look better in earth tones with my spring complexion.

The corridor continues for some distance and ends in a high-ceilinged room. There are four openings 
in the room, the lowest of which is twenty feet in the air. Beneath each opening is a bas-relief of 
an evil-looking vulture-headed humanoid.

Nigil: Oh, this looks bad.
Sapphire: Let's get ready to rumble!
Tron: (steps out into the room, then quickly back)

As the elf steps into the room, the eyes of the bas-reliefs glow bright red. There is the sudden 
beat of mighty wings and a giant vulture-headed humanoid swoops down towards the party.

Danic: A demon!
Norel: Let's go!

The party runs into the room and takes up positions around the creature as it swoops down. Soon they 
are in combat.

Vrock: (emits a deafening roar, stunning Sapphire, Nigil, and Torquann, then claws Danic badly)
Norel: Have at thee! [swish]
Tron: (in perfect position for a backstab) [swish] Dammit!
Danic: VaanDrager! [swish]
Nigil: Take that! [swish]
Laurallie: I'll get it! [swish]
Torquann: [bzort bzort bzort bzort bzort]
Lion: Mrowr?

The party seems to be having some strange difficulty in hitting the creature. And when they do, their 
attacks do not do much damage.

Tron: Norel, take my magic dagger!
Norel: Thanks! I'll get it! [Stick] Got it! If eet bleeds, ve can kill eet.
Nigil: Laurallie, your longsword is magical! Let me use it!
Laurallie: I have a feeling we're going to have this conversation every time we're in a battle, 
soo...
Nigil: Give me the freakin' sword! I'm an expert with the longsword! I'll take this thing out in no 
time!
Laurallie: But it's my sword!
Nigil: I'll give it back to you after the fight!
Laurallie: Well, ok. (gives him the sword)
Nigil: Now, take that! [swish] Dammit!
Torquann: Ahem. [bzort bzort bzort bzort bzort]
Vrock: Screeeeaach!!!

The fight continues for a few more seconds, but the almost total inability of the party to hit the 
creature, and another blast of magic from Torquann, force the vrock into action. The demon switches 
its attack to Torquann and charges into the tunnel after him.

Torquann: Oh crap.
Vrock: [bite claw claw claw claw]
Torquann: (miraculously almost unscathed, he dodges past the vrock and flees back into the room)

The party attempts futily to melee the creature, but in the end, another blast of magic from Torquann 
takes the demon down.

Tron: That was totally embarrassing. I've never tripped over my own feet so many times before. And I 
think I dropped my lockpicks somewhere.
Norel: I must be getting old. Or something.
Nigil: (returns the sword to Laurallie) Yeah, well, usually I'm pretty good with the longsword.
Laurallie: Uh-huh.
Sapphire: Now what?

Using her Air Walk spell, Laurallie "walks" to the highest opening in the tall room, and hammers in
pitons for Tron and the party's last unused piece of rope. Tron, Nigil and Danic invesitgate
down the corridor. They step around the corner to find the way blocked with rubble.

Tron: Well, I didn't find any traps. But the way is --
Danic: Duck!!!
Nigil: Whu?
Using her Air Walk spell, Laurallie "walks" to the highest opening in the tall room, and hammers in
pitons for Tron and the party's last unused piece of rope. Tron, Nigil and Danic invesitgate
down the corridor. They step around the corner to find the way blocked with rubble.

Tron: Well, I didn't find any traps. But the way is --
Danic: Duck!!!
Nigil: Whu?

Suddenly the rubble at the end of the passage levitates into the air, and is flung towards
the party at blinding speed. Tron and Sapphire are each hit by a large rock. Nigil, unluckily,
is hit six times.

Nigil: Ouch! That really smarts. (bleeds from the ears and shakes his head)
Tron: We should be more careful.
Laurallie: Obad-Hai can grant you a gaseous form -- you will be able to fly up to the other passage ways
and investigate traps without danger of setting them off.
Tron: Okay.

Tron investigates the other passages. The lowest at 20' and the one at 30' are trapped or look dangerous.
He investigate a shortways down the other 30' passage and finds an untrapped door. He wills the
gaseous form to cease, and bangs more pitons in allowing all except Norel and his 
lion to climb up, where they camp for the time being.

Laurallie: Having that door down the hall makes me nervous.
Nigil: At least this an easily defensible place.
Sapphire: What's that... smell...
Norel: Sorry... she's marking her... uhhhh... "territory".

TO BE CONTINUED...