Fantasy World Creations

Location: Golden Wing Inn
Date: Day 5 - Time: 6:00 AM

Morning soon came around.

QuoteState what time you plan to wake up.

Leela awoke to a knock at her door and someone calling through the door something about breakfast. She was not sure what time it was, but since she was sure Abi would like to have food, she nudged the imp - drooling as usual - until she woke up.  Groggily, she checked the imp over to make sure her hair was still up so that it hid her horns and then crawled out of the bed. Oh how she hated mornings. And people. And breakfast.

The poor serving maid outside the room found herself being stared down by a half-awake princess when the door opened. Without a word, Leela stood to the side of the now open door and waved her hand in, indicating that the serving maid could bring the food in. She snatched up one of the cups of juice from the tray as the serving maid walked in and sipped at it enough to wet her mouth and throat.

"What time is it?" She asked the inn's employee. "Also, my knight will be eating breakfast with us, so you may bring his breakfast in here as well." Leela hoped that, if they had already woken him up for breakfast, that he had not destroyed anything. If they had not yet visited him that morning, she would send Zephyrus to check if he was awake - and dressed - or not. She glanced around casually to check if the wind spirit was there.

"Is there any word from Bishop Mateo or some other government official about meeting with me?" She asked after taking another drink of the juice.

QuotePerception requested

You could not find Zephyrus at all. At the very least, you didn't see him in the room.

"It's just after 6 in the morning, ma'am. I will bring the breakfast here then." The demihuman maid said as she rolled the cart in. Like the night before she started to setup the food. It was a large breakfast, that consisted of a variety of food. It wasn't an american breakfast either. There was a sponge-like cake, long bread sticks that looked like they were covered in sugar and perhaps something similar to cinnamon, a sandwhich filled with meat, a pie-like item that looked like it was made of potatoes and eggs, lastly there was a side of what looked to be diced vegetables, salsa if you were to guess..

"There's been no news from Bishop Mateo. Though, last night he did tell us to tell you this morning that the meeting will likely be held today. He is to come by around 10 this morning to confirm."

Leela stared at the maid blandly when she was told it was only six in the morning. "I think, if we end up staying more nights here, that we would like our breakfasts delivered at a later time than six in the morning." The food looked interesting. Perhaps she would try some later in the morning. She did have four hours until Bishop Mateo planned on coming by, after all.

"I see. Thank you for the information."

[spoiler]Perception: [blockquote]Rolled 1d20+4 : 2 + 4, total 6[/blockquote]

Spellcraft Perception: [blockquote]Rolled 1d20+23 : 2 + 23, total 25[/blockquote][/spoiler]

[info]Perception: 25
You felt the presence of mana around you. It was familiar, it was the presence of Zephyrus in his wind form.[/info]After that, the maid nodded and closed the door, leaving the food inside.

Well, she was relieved that Zephyrus had not disappeared from attempting to use up all his mana over the night.

"Zephyrus?" Leela called out a few moments after the maid had left, giving enough time for the demihuman to walk away.

Location: Golden Wing Inn
Date: Day 5 - Time: 6:00 AM

It took longer than usual for Zephyrus to respond. And his voice sounded dazed and distant. "Princess Leela... I think I'll... be like... this... for a bit more..." You heard his voice echo around you softly.

Zephyrus was usually fairly quick to reply. His slow response had worried her. She was relieved when he finally spoke, but it still worried her that he sounded so exhausted.

"Are you okay? I guess using your mana up affected you differently than we had hoped. I'm sorry." At least they knew what would happen if he ran out of mana. It was definitely not something they should let happen again.

"How long do you think you will need to recover?" They at least had four hours before Mateo would come.

Leela moved over to the door that separated her room from Efrit's and knocked loudly.

Location: Golden Wing Inn
Date: Day 5 - Time: 6:00 AM

"I don't know..." He said again. After that he was quiet, though you felt his presence just the same.

When you knocked on the door, you heard some groaning.

"Breakfast is here. Come in whenever." She called through the door when she heard his groans of annoyance. "Bishop Mateo is apparently coming to update us on things in roughly four hours, so you can sleep in a couple more hours if you want. I'll try to keep Abi from eating all the food before then."

With that done, Leela moved over to the table and sat in the chair she sat in the night before. While she was not hungry, she was thirsty, so she could at least enjoy the juice while she watched Abi eat. She also wanted to set aside food for herself for later before letting the imp dig in, so she selected the items she thought looked good and moved them in front of her. "You may eat now, Abi. Make sure to save some of each food for Erik."

She was still worried about Zephyrus and wondered if he ate food if that would help him regain mana quicker. But he had to have a physical body to eat... Did he eat other things as sustenance? Thinking about it, she had realized she hadn't seen him eat anything yet. She would have to ask him later, when he was feeling better.

The moment you had given her permission, Abi cheered. "Yay! You're a great master, Leelasama! Leelasama you're the best!" She said, echoing words that she had said the day before. "I will make sure to save him food to eat! Some food! Okay maybe a little bit of food!" Abi declared as she started to chomp down on the food. You had noticed it earlier, but the imps did have sharpened teeth, that looked jagged as if they could cut and tear into things. It wasn't too noticeable when she was normally speaking, but it was a lot more evident when the imps began to chomp through things.

QuoteIf you have any actions to that you want to do in the next 4 hours, let me know, otherwise we'll have a time skip forward.

"You will save him as much food as you eat yourself."

"By the way, Abi, when we go out, don't eat anything. I am not sure how people here would react to your sharp teeth."

[info]Leela will work on ethereal magic training.

After 2 hours, if Efrit still didn't show up for breakfast, she will wake him up so he has time to eat and get ready for the day.[/info]

Training: [blockquote]Rolled 1d20+13 : 18 + 13, total 31[/blockquote]

With the reading material you were given, you were able to continue learning about the ethereal. By the end of it, you felt like you had a good grasp of it.

QuoteTreating the above as 2 hours of training. You have 2 hours left of training.

Training
Knowledge (ethereal): Learned

You heard some movement coming from Efrit's room.

When you mentioned about not being able to eat once you were all out, Abi looked at you sadly. "O-okay..." She said dismally.

Finally, Leela felt like she was comfortable with her knowledge on ethereal magic. It was definitely easier to just learn from the material Zavan had given her than it had been with Efrit's help. She hoped he was better at teaching things he actually knew well.

With her learning done, it had been roughly two hours since she had tried waking up Efrit for breakfast. She quickly checked to make sure Abi had left food for the ifrit and then moved over to knock on the door. This time, he had to wake up. They had two hours until Bishop Mateo was supposed to arrive. Just as she was about to knock, she heard the movement coming from the other side. Leela decided to knock anyways.

"Are you awake?" She called through the door after knocking.

Location: Golden Wing Inn - Leela's Room
Date: Day 5 - Time: 8 AM

"I'm up! I'm up." Efrit's tired voice came from the room. You heard a yawn then as well. Behind you Abi was simply bouncing around. Zephyrus' presence was still there, along with this was as light breeze that you could feel around you. Given the fact that this was indoors, more than likely it was Zephyrus.

'Same.' The young woman thought when she heard Efrit yawn loudly through the door. Not only had she been woken up at an ungodly hour that morning, she also had been waking up much earlier than she usually did since she had been summoned. Honestly, she was surprised she had been able to study in her sleep zombie mode. She guessed that was probably in thanks to her stupid early morning classes back in her own world... Nope. She could not think about her own world right now. Tired Leela and thinking of her own world would only lead to an ugly scene.

Forcing her mind away from her own world, she concentrated on Zephyrus and the light breeze she could feel. Leela glanced around the room to see if other things were affected by his presence or if he was just... clinging to her. Huh... She wondered if that ability of his could be useful to keep her cool if the weather was hot. One of the books she ready once, a girl could control wind and she would use it in that way, making all of her friends jealous. It would probably be rude to ask the wind spirit to hang out her just for that, though... And besides, she had magic now. She could probably alter her wind shield spell to do the same thing. Although that would drain mana...

"Come in whenever. There's still food." She finally called back through the door before moving back to her chosen seat. She was still thinking about Zephyrus and using wind magic to keep her cool or warm.

There was as light breeze of wind through the entirety of the room, given the fact that some of the curtains were rustling. However, the room itself was too small to figure out if Zephyrus was specifically clinging to you, or if he was just simply around the room.

"Give me a moment!" Efrit called out from his room near your door. "Unless you liked what you saw the first time we met." His voice had a hint of mischief in it.

Leela paused in her steps at Efrit's response. This was part the reason she had not just burst open the door to wake him up. But his words left two things to consider. Either he normally slept in the nude in the privacy of his own room - which she had no opinion of as long as he remembered to put clothes on before leaving his room - or he had spontaneously combusted in his sleep and burned all his clothes off, as he had mentioned happened sometimes. The latter was what she worried about most. She did not need the inn's staff wondering why half the room he had stayed in was scorched.

"You didn't burn the bed or room, did you?" She called back, her worry obvious in her tone of voice.

"Of course not!" Efrit responded back. There was no more response from him after that, and in a few more minutes, he walked in from his door, thankfully clothed.

"You said there was food?" Efrit asked the moment he was through the door. It didn't take him long to see the cart. Abi had already had her fill, but the imp had been looking longingly at the food still. "I'm glad the imp didn't eat everything already. Even a demon general such as I require sustenance..." Efrit said, his eyes locked onto the cart. He started making his way towards it then. He was moving at a quick and driven pace. Too driven.

With Efrit now awake, dressed, and ready to eat, Leela decided she might as well eat the food she had set aside for herself. It was definitely a much smaller portion than what the imp had eaten and what was left on the cart, considering the inn staff had brought up much more food than necessary again.

"I'm pretty sure if Abi ate all the food they provided, she would explode." Honestly, she was surprised the imp had not exploded already from the amount she had eaten. But considering she had told Abi not to eat anything once they were out in public, she figured it was okay to let her eat her fill.

"I hope you obtained the amount of beauty sleep that a general such as yourself requires, as well." Leela smiled at him before taking a bite out of one of the pastries. She was jealous that he had gotten to sleep in, but there was nothing she could do about it now. She could have gone back to sleep after accepting the food, but then there would be no one to keep Abi in check. Not to mention, she was not sure she would wake up before Efrit had if she had gone back to sleep and it would not be fair to keep all the food hostage just so she could sleep in... At least she had made good progress in her studies.

With the amount of food that was consumed, it didn't seem possible that Abi had managed to fit it all in her stomach. The content just didn't seem to add up at all.

"Oh yes. The beds here are actually pretty good." Efrit said as he stuffed his mouth. For once, there was no sarcasm or teasing in his voice - he was too engrossed in eating the food presented to him. "Human food isn't that bad either." He stated. "We need to... bring a lot of it... for my cuties." He continued in between bites.

"Indeed. I wish I could have enjoyed mine more. I told the staff who brought up breakfast to not wake us so early for breakfast if we stay another night. I wish I had known that they thought six in the morning was the best time to wake guests up." She was disgusted at his eating behavior so early in the morning and made it a point to not watch him eat as she nibbled at her own food.

"It is my hope that negotiations will go well and that the Orthodoxy leaders will accept a trade agreement with us. If so, your desire to share such food with your... cuties... is more likely to come to fruition." And then she would not have to experiment with the bland food they had back in Roshandan. Or perhaps she still could and try to pass it off as a delicacy to people here... she would have to determine toxicity levels first, though. She did get a title for surviving food poisoning after eating that first bland, purple fruit. So if it was toxic or poisonous to humans, then that would not work out... Unless she made it out to be like poisonous things people ate in her world. Wasn't pufferfish poisonous if not cooked right? But people still dared to eat them.

"Speaking of negotiations with the Orthodoxy leaders, I don't know if you heard me the first time I knocked on your door, but the maid servant said that Bishop Mateo will be here around ten. So we have an hour or two until then."

"Around 10? Got it." Efrit said, taking a big bite from a dish that looked very much like some sort of frittata. He chewed for a few seconds and continued after. "Though, I'm not sure how formal my clothes could be for meeting with leaders." He shrugged. "Demons never really needed fancy clothes, but humans usually have more pomp to them when it comes to things like these..."

It was around that time, when Zephyrus finally appeared. Abi nor Efrit noticed him of course, but he seemed to have yawned and blinked lazily at you. "Good morning Princess!" Zephyrus said, some excitement in his voice. "I found out what happens when I force myself to hold a physical form... I become like... a slow moving slime." Zephyrus said, trying to explain.

"You don't really need to look formal. You just need to look like my knight, accompanying me for my protection." She paused for a moment. He certain did not look like a knight, with no armor or even a sword. Eh, that was fine. They knew nothing about her world and people. She could make up whatever she wanted. Besides, in her modern world, people could be knighted and only have to wear a fancy suit to the royal court. Besides, with his fire abilities, she could say he was a mage knight.

"If you want to dress up, though, we can see if the men's clothing I brought from the castle fit you." She had, after all, picked out the nicer stuff to show off what they had to offer trade as far as textiles went.

Leela rose and retrieved the clothing in question from her backpack to show Efrit.

"Zephyrus!" She exclaimed at his sudden appearance and chipper greeting. "You're okay!" She was glad that he had recovered already.

Leela listened to Zephyrus try to explain the results of his experiment. He had already said that trying to become physical made him feel sluggish the day before, but she was still not sure if that was just how he felt from the physical form or if that was how he felt from using his mana. By this point, though, she was pretty sure he had to use mana to hold a physical form. "You mean you become extremely sluggish and lethargic when you use up all your mana?"

"Sure. I am your knight after all. I might as well look the part too."

"Yes, that's exactly it!" Zephyrus exclaimed.

QuoteStats some actions for the next 2 hours before Mateo's arrival.

Leela handed the clothing over to Efrit. She hoped that they fit him or were adjustable enough to look like they fit him. "I might be able to alter them a little before Bishop Mateo comes if needed."

"I'm sorry the test did not result in you getting to experience sleep, Zephyrus. At least we know what happens when you use up all of your mana, though. I think it would be best to avoid letting that happen again. But you should definitely keep on practicing!"

[info]-If alterations are needed on the outfit, Leela will spend time working on that and chatting with her companions.

-If alterations are unnecessary, Leela will ask Efrit if he knows any Ethereal spells he can teach her.[/info]

Efrit took the clothes, and waving goodbye, went back into his room to change.

"I will keep practicing for you, Princess Leela." Zephyrus said as he smiled softly.

After another few more minutes, Efrit came back out of his room.

"You don't have to do it if you don't want to, though. I don't mean to force you into doing anything." Leela was worried that it might not actually be something he wanted for himself. She barely knew him, after all. Maybe the reason he had never practiced before was just because he did not want to.

Leela eyed Efrit when he came back in from changing, looking over the overall fit of the outfit. He did look good in that style, though.

[spoiler]Perception/Tailoring to see how well the clothes fit Efrit.
Perception: [blockquote]Rolled 1d20+4 : 19 + 4, total 23[/blockquote]
Tailoring: [blockquote]Rolled 1d20+13 : 5 + 13, total 18[/blockquote][/spoiler]

"I want to! Before I didn't have a real good reason to. Even if I became able to physically touch things, no one was able to see me anyways. Now though it's different. Because of you and Zavan."

[info]Perception (clothes): 23, Profession (tailor): 18
The clothing was a bit tight in some places, making you think it was originally made for someone a bit smaller, but for the most part, it fit well.[/info]

That was true. She did remember him saying that when he tried before, the people ended up thinking it was a ghost haunting them because they still could not see him.

"I'm glad." Leela smiled at the wind spirit. He was not just practicing for her, he was practicing because of her. Well, because of her and Zavan, but he seemed to interact with her more from what she had seen.

Leela grinned at Efrit when she finished her evaluation. "Still flat."

"In all seriousness, though, you look good in that. If the original tailor left enough seam allowance, I can loosen up those areas that fit a bit tight. If you want."

[info]Heroic Action point earned[/info]Like usual Efrit had been grinning, especially since he must have thought that he looked pretty swell in the new suit. At least until you finished the first two of your evaluation. And after that he was only scowling.

"If it's tight, doesn't that mean that I'm not flat. My body is simply rippling with muscles." He winked at you.

Abi giggled. "That means you're fat! Fire man is flat fat! Fat flat!" Abi chanted as she popped in and out of existence in a puff of smoke all around Efrit.

"Are you saying you have muscle man-boobs and are proud of it?" She teased. There was a faint blush blooming from her words and their conversation.

"Abi... that doesn't make any sense. He is definitely not fat." She was pretty sure the imp had just decided to start saying that because it rhymed.

"We are well aware of your... proportions..." The blush increased in intensity as she remembered their first meeting and she looked away from Efrit. "Anyways, if you like your clothes tight, I won't see if I can loosen them. Personally, though, I think it is better to leave some things to the imagination rather than accentuating them with tight clothes."

"Man boobs isn't quite what I was going for..." Efrit locked eyes with you. "I can show you exactly what I mean later tonight though if you'd like." Efrit said grinning.

"But if you really prefer something a bit more loose, I can have you work on them now, we still have an hour? Up to you Great Princess. Personally, I think this is nearly as good as my fire form." He shrugged.

The blush on her face was no longer just a slight change in color. She could feel the warmth of her blush as it intensified at Efrit's words and tried to hide it by looking down at the table as if to see if there was any food or drinks left.

As the title she had gained on the day she met Efrit proclaimed, she had already 'seen it all' from the fire man. Sure, she liked pictures of her favorite anime guys all shirtless in sexy poses and liked to read fan-fiction about them, but this was different. They were fictional characters on paper or her computer screen and she did not have to actually interact with them or anyone, meaning it was just her and only her with no uncomfortable situations. Seeing a well-built man shirtless - and whatever else he had planned at the suggestion - in person and 'later tonight' was just too embarrassing.

"N-no, thanks."

'Note to self, when deciding to tease Efrit, be better prepared for his counter attacks.' She really had brought it upon herself, considering the sorts of things he had said in the last few days since they had first met.

"If it doesn't bother you, then I won't make alterations. We can have one tailored specifically for you when we get back to the castle, anyways." The spots that fit a little tight on him were minor enough. She had mostly offered to make alterations for his own comfort. "Preferably a fireproof set, if I can find a way to make that happen..." The last bit was more of a mutter to herself.

"Since we do have a bit of time left, do you know any Ethereal magic spells you could teach me? I did more studying when I woke up this morning and think I have a good enough grasp of it to try out some spells."

"Learning about the ethereal with the first part." Efrit said. "After that... well, there are various techniques that I could teach you, but if you mean spells... Transformative spells, correct? I know magic that augments my own abilities as an ifrit. The magicka is called 'sensory magicka', it's a field of magic that changes your body."

QuoteKnowledge (sensory magicka) -> Sensory Magicka Spells

"Well, I originally started learning it so I could do something similar to Zavan's ability to turn his nails into blades to attack. But since my ability got increased so I can use abilities I copy for up to a week without seeing them again, it might be better to learn other things that I haven't copied yet." She shrugged. She supposed she might as well learn whatever Efrit was best at for as long as he was her teacher. Hopefully he would be better at teaching things that pertained to him more. "So how does sensory magicka change your body? Might as well go over the basics of it all in the time we have left."

Training with Mag Modifier:
[blockquote]Rolled 1d20+14 : 4 + 14, total 18[/blockquote]

Location: Golden Wing Inn
Date: Day 5 - Time: 10:00 AM

You attempted to start learning Sensory Magicka, but you weren't able to make any progress. As you were finishing it up, you heard a knock at the door, it was the bunny demihuman maid.

"Excuse me, my lady, Bishop Mateo is here and waiting for you at the lobby."

Well... This was it. Efrit was definitely a terrible teacher. Or perhaps the subject matter was just too difficult for her to grasp the idea of in such a short amount of time. Or both. She had pretty much thrown Efrit into teaching her. Perhaps he was the type to need to prepare himself for teaching. Hopefully, he would be better at going over the things she had told him she expected reports on, since she was giving him plenty of time to prepare those. With a small sigh, she packed away her notes into her backpack after telling Efrit it would probably be best to save it for later.

At the sound of the knock, Leela quickly looked over her two visible companions to make sure they looked presentable, specifically Abi and her hair. The imp's hair had gotten a little messed up from all her bouncing around earlier, which Leela was not surprised considering her fixing the imps hair that morning had been hasty and when she was half asleep still.

"We will be right out." She called back to the maid servant, then turned her attention to the imp, fixing her hair so that the buns would not come out if she hopped around.

"I don't know if we are going to the leaders right now, but feel free to join us or search the city, Zephyrus." Leela said just loud enough for the wind spirit to hear as she worked on Abi's hair.

When she finished, she grabbed her backpack. There was no way that she would leave her backpack anywhere. It contained many valuable things to her from her own world and she would not risk losing it. That done, she opened the door and led her companions out and down to the lobby.

"Good morning, Bishop Mateo." She greeted the man as she neared. "I hope you have good news for me?"

You heard an affirmative from Zephyrus. "I'll see where it is first, then I'll continue my search."

---

Heading down the stairs, you saw the fat bishop sitting in one of the chairs.

"Princess Leela Steading of America!" The bishop started smiling broadly. "I'm excited to let you know that the cardinals have agreed to meet! We take new countries appearing near our lands quite seriously, especially with the demon threat. By chance would you or your knight be familiar enough with the records of your own country? I've been tasked with gathering as much information as I can to present to the cardinals before the meeting. I'm to bring that to them by noon. Your meeting with them will be at 1 PM later today."

"I am happy to hear that." She smiled back at him. "Regarding your request for more information on my country, I would be the person to ask such questions of." Leela felt the request was rather... rude? She was not entirely sure what he meant by 'records' of her own country, but it made it sound like he wanted information that may not be open to public knowledge if he was asking her how much she knew of it. The good news was... she could always say that something was strictly confidential if she felt he was prying too much. But she would definitely have to be on her toes about all this... And try to remember as much as she could about politics from her home world.

"But first, I would like to know what they said about the negotiations that I mentioned before?" She stared at him with her hands clasped together gently, still putting on her "politician's" smile as she waited for an answer. Actual country or not, she was not willing to provide any more information than she had to, especially if the other party had no intention of even considering her main request.

"I see..." The bishop looked troubled. "You would be able to answer questions like what your country used to import and export from neighbors? Products and goods that the remainders of your country can now do? How about population? We'd prefer to have information on the demographics of America as well. The percentage between humans and other races. What religion is practiced there, if any. And if its the religion of the Light as we follow... Information on your currencies that you use, and if they have any intrinsic value. What infrastructure you may have left in your country? How are the roads maintained, or the amount of soldiers and knights your country employ. That sort of thing. The more information I can provide earlier, the smoother the meeting will go later today." Mateo explained.

"Anyways... the demon..." Mateo lowered his voice. "I mentioned to them of your request for the release of the demon. They had flatly refused. Though, one of them had considered it, if there were things you were willing to offer up in exchange. When I told them of your dealings with the demons of 'Roshandan', they too think you are being fooled, and simply mislead. We fear that you are being manipulated by them... They have been debating what to do with the demon they had captured, but they've chosen to schedule its execution in a week's time. We've also recalled our hero from the front-lines, as insurance in case things go awry. He should arrive perhaps in a few days. Unfortunately he's coming in from the south gate, rather than the east one..."

Leela's eyes narrowed as he listed the sort of information he was requesting. While she could understand they wanted to know as much about a possible ally as they could learn, she could not help but wonder if they had ulterior motives. After all, they had taken in a bunch of the demi-humans as part of a deal with their country and seemed to be using them primarily for less desired work. Servants, builders, and hard-labor jobs if they dissatisfied their employers. And, to add insult to the prying, he was implying that she would not know such information. She had told him that she had been inspecting the defenses of a border town at the time of the shifting. So why would any ruler send one of their heirs to perform such duties if they did not have a decent grasp of the rest of the country. Perhaps this Bishop Mateo was being sexist, implying that she would not know any of the things he was asking about because she was a woman. That just ticked her off.

His reply about 'the demon' fueled her annoyance. So, someone comes asking for them to release a captive and they decide to schedule that prisoner's execution instead of putting such an idea on hold. At least one of them was 'corrupt' enough to be willing to consider the demon's release if she was willing to offer things in exchange. However, that was also a worrying thought, as she tried to think of things she could possibly offer. She also did not even know if the demon they had was even Ashaki, as they made no mention of the demon's gender.

"I can assure you, Bishop, that if I, Princess Leela Steading, heir to the throne, cannot answer such questions, no one else will." Her politician's smile remained as she spoke. She wondered if he would catch her use of 'will' instead of 'can' and the implications behind it. "However, I do not believe an inn lobby is the appropriate place to discuss political matters." Mateo may feel comfortable conducting such business standing in a public lobby, but she did not care for it.

Leela looked around the lobby and caught the attention of an employee on duty in the room. "Does this inn have an office or other such room for guests to conduct meetings in?"

The employee you caught was the same one who had brought up the food the couple times. The bunny demihuman nodded and lead the way into another room. Assuming you follow, both you and Mateo would get there without much trouble. It was decorated much the same as the rest of the inn, with stained glass windows for lighting, and the use wood trimmed with silver or gold. The bunny demihuman bowed once before leaving the five of you alone.

Bishop Mateo waited expectantly for your response to his questions.

Seating herself comfortably at the table, Leela looked directly at Bishop Mateo. "Considering the precarious location of what I have left of my country, I am assuming the cardinals wish for more information about it to see what they may benefit from working with us. That is understandable." She led the conversation, deciding to show authority rather than anything that might be considered weakness. Again, she could hear music that seemed to come from nowhere, this time it had started when she started speaking. She decided not to let it affect her and keep on going with what she had planned to say.

"First, I will reply to your question of our religion. I already told you that our country is under God. He is the one and only God, who created the heavens and the earth and all living things. He is three parts, the Father who rules in Heaven, the Son who came to earth and sacrificed himself to save all of humanity for our sins, and the Holy Spirit who resides within us to lead us and help us reject the temptations of sin. He is our Lord, our Savior. He is Life and He is Love. He is the Light of the world and the Lamp unto our path." And unfortunately, she did not have a Bible or any way to retrieve one to prove anything she said. Unless... Leela wondered if the Bible app on her phone would still work in this world. Assuming the battery had not died. Not that anyone here would be able to read it even if it did work, since it was in English.

"As far as demographics go, the world from which we have come is made up of one-hundred percent humans. Every other living thing that is not human is an animal. There are no demi-humans, elves, dwarves, centaurs, or whatever else this world has. If there are, then they did a fantastic job of keeping themselves and their homes completely undiscovered for all these years, which would be a major feat in our world, considering the levels of technology we have- had available to us." She explained.

"And as I mentioned yesterday, the City of Grants Pass that was shifted to this world was a border town in our previous world. That being said, at the time of our shifting, it was being used as a military base to deal with issues that we had with our bordering neighbor, which is why I was there inspecting the town's defenses. The last I checked the census for Grants Pass, we had about a hundred-thousand residents, including the military force, however they were still taking a census of how many had come with us with the shifting when I left." She knew she had drastically overstated that number, but figured combining the numbers of outlying towns and even the nearby city of Medford would probably get around that number... Still, it was nowhere near the size of a place like Portland. She could not even begin to guess how many lived there. She wondered briefly how many goblins Efrit actually had under his command... Because they were most definitely her 'residents' of Grants Pass at this point in time. That was probably something she should have asked Efrit the day before or this morning... Whoops.

"My country... In our own world, we could wall ourselves up and have everything we needed without any outside influence. We grew and raised enough food to export it out to other countries that could not supply enough food for their populace without help. We had farms a plenty for producing all sorts of textiles. We had scientists and inventors researching and creating so many things that we were the leading country in technological advancements." All of this was truth, she knew. Unfortunately, she also knew that only certain states actually produced all that food. Without California, Texas, and Nebraska they probably would not have enough to actually help support other countries. And then a lot of their cotton and wool also came from California, Texas, and a few other states. And Grants Pass was in none of those states. It was part of Oregon, whose primary export was... well, trees, farming machinery, and electronic parts. And in reality... she had none of those to offer up, either.

"The only things we imported from other countries were cheap labor and cultural foods and luxuries." Yes, China and its cheap labor factories... Design the product, send it to a China factory, receive said product made at the lowest cost possible. At the expense of the poor laborers who were treated horribly and barely made enough to survive.

"Unfortunately, with the land that shifted here, things appear to have been changed. I hate to admit that, separated from most of the rest of our country, we are not the super power that we once were. We can offer quality clothing, as you can see from the finery that I and my companions are wearing now. And of course, we still have knowledge on technological advancements from our own world that we may be willing to offer in trade as well." Ha... That was going to be fun. She had knowledge of plenty of technological advancements. But actually knowing how to replicate them... Well, she can at least tell them about things and then tell them the specifics of it is lost knowledge. If they wanted knowledge on things, she can always claim to need to speak with her council about such things before she could provide them. She at least knew of simple things. Like... maybe they don't have or even know what a printing press is. That right there was quite an invention. Oh, and typewriters. She was pretty sure she could reinvent sewing machines, too. She assumed they already had agricultural knowledge, but who knew. Perhaps she even had knowledge on that that they might find useful.

She was sure Mateo had asked other questions when they were out in the lobby as well, but there had been so many, she only answered the ones that she remembered off the top of her head. Besides, she also had another matter on her mind. How to rescue Ashaki when these people had already scheduled her execution. Assuming she was the one they had scheduled the execution for.

Leela shook her head sadly. "I am afraid, Bishop Mateo, that I did not make myself clear enough before when I told you that the fate of my people and possibly even yours hinges on the condition that I bring the captured demon back alive to the demons of Roshandan. Everything I could tell you about my country and what has been brought over into this world will be pointless information if it all ends up being destroyed, which will surely happen if I cannot uphold my end of the bargain - the main condition for the alliance in which they will protect our country from the other demons."

"It is true that they may be manipulating us to get what they want, however, I ask this. Have they ever, aside from the incident I spoke of yesterday, crossed your borders to attack your people? They claim to have no desire to partake in the war against humans that the other demons pursue. If this was a lie, I would assume that your country would be defending not only its southern borders, but its eastern borders as well. No one was guarding the borders when I crossed. In fact, it was very peaceful along the border. Your country is lucky that mine appeared when it did and the Roshandan demons took advantage of that to ask us for help in resolving things peacefully, as they had been preparing a full-scale attack to retrieve what is theirs. I have no doubts of what will happen should your cardinals continue with this plan to execute her. I do doubt, however, your hero's ability to defend both the southern and eastern borders should the worst occur."

QuoteDiplomacy check requested. Specifically for Make Request of:  I do doubt, however, your hero's ability to defend both the southern and eastern borders should the worst occur.

Diplomacy Check
[blockquote]Rolled 1d20+7 : 1 + 7, total 8[/blockquote]

Using 1 Heroic Action Point to reroll Diplomacy.

[blockquote]Rolled 1d20+7 : 10 + 7, total 17[/blockquote]

At first Mateo started to look indignant, especially when you called out their hero's skill, or lack there of. But before he was able to reply, a notification appeared.

[okay]You wish is granted.[/okay]At that moment, Mateo eased up instead, and only seemed to nod approvingly at your suggestion. "Yes, yes... That makes sense. Perhaps I was not able to tell all the details properly to the cardinals earlier. But you do bring up a good point." Mateo stopped to think about it for a moment as he collected all of his notes that he took while you were in discussion with him. "I'll be sure to bring that point up, if we were indeed fighting on two fronts, even with our heroes help, that would severely tax our resources. I'll talk to the cardinals."

QuoteThis will result in a positive circumstantial modifier for your meeting with the Cardinals.

With that, Mateo finished packing up the stack of papers, and putting them into a folder.

"Is there anything else you might want me to bring up to them? Your audience with them is at 1 PM, it'll be at the Grand Cathedral, located at the center of the city." He handed you what looks to be a medallion. It has the symbol of a cross on it. "With this you should be able to go through the guards and they should let you in."

Leela wondered briefly if Bishop Mateo expected her to know of the powers of a hero as she studied his reaction to her words. She was sure that he did not like hearing any of the last bit she had said about the demons of Roshandan and was a little surprised that it took doubting their hero's abilities to get that indignant expression. She had hoped that her words would cause him to see reason and understand the dangers of the cardinals' plans-

Before she could get any further in her thoughts on the matter, a strange notification appeared. 'My wish is granted?' She was so confused. But now was not the time to allow her confusion to show and she quickly turned her attention back to Mateo, who suddenly seemed more agreeable to what she had said.

"I am glad that you understand." Her politicians' smile broke into a true smile. "I can only hope that the cardinals will be as reasonable and understanding as you have been, Bishop Mateo." She wondered just how much of his reaction was tied to this 'granted wish'.

"Oh, you are not taking us there?" Leela inquired. She was confused at how much... well, freedom they gave. She had thought that they would have someone escort her there or something, but she accepted the offered medallion anyways. "In that case, we shall see you at the Grand Cathedral?"

"There is one thing I would like to request before the meeting. I would like to be able to confirm that the demon that you are holding is the same demon that I have been requested to negotiate the release of. If it is not the same one, then there will be no point in continuing such negotiations. They did show me the likeness of the one that they wish returned to them, you see, so I only need to have a look." Perhaps... if they showed her where they were keeping Ashaki, then she could teleport there and then teleport back out with the demon girl. Abi could teleport holding stuff, after all. Surely, Leela could hold Ashaki and teleport her out. This would be her next option if she was unable to negotiate Ashaki's release.

As she thought about Ashaki's release, Leela realized something. Mateo had said that 'something vile' had been captured by their hero just the day before. But not to long ago, he was saying that they were recalling their hero from the front lines of the battle with demons to the south and that he would be arriving in a few days... So... either they had more than one hero, they send the hero back to the front lines and then decided to call him back, or they were lying about it. She was beginning to wonder if Ashaki had simply turned herself in to make up for her father's mistakes.

"I am also curious about your hero. You seem to put a lot of faith in this hero, but I do not understand how he could be any more special than a high ranking official with many honors. What is it that makes him special?" Leela questioned. Since Mateo seemed to nearly worship the hero, she figured she would give him the opportunity to gush about him. And then lead him into questions about how it was possible for the hero to bring in a demon ravaging the city when he was supposedly on the front lines of battle.

Diplomacy
[blockquote]Rolled 1d20+7 : 3 + 7, total 10[/blockquote]

Using 1 Heroic Action Point to take 10.
(10+7=17)

"The hero is indeed someone special!" Mateo said, his eyes wide. "I had the honor of shaking his hand before, on one of the few occasions he went to the east gate. His type of power allows him to be anywhere he pleases in a short amount of time. He's perhaps the fastest hero. And it may be different for your own people... But the heroes are from the goddesses themselves, so they are an entity much like the cardinals, actually even higher than the cardinals. That's one of the reasons why I asked so many questions before, if the cardinals see it fit to aid your country, the hero of Xalaster would come to your aid and perhaps even vanquish the demons!"

"Well, I can get one of the servants here in the Golden Wing to escort you there if you would like. But I have a lot of work to do today you see... The medallion should give you entry though. As for confirming the demon... Hmmm... I'm not sure that's-"

Like last time a notification appeared. [okay]Your wish is granted.[/okay]Bishop Mateo nodded instead. "Very well, it makes sense that you'll need to see the demon to ensure it's the right one. There's all kinds of them after all that need to be exterminated." Mateo smiled. "Let's make a stop there first before I give the report to the cardinals with what we discussed."

Hmmm... Leela was beginning to worry that the charm she had in her own world was less effective in this one. Perhaps because she had been summoned by demons... Zavan had said that he had been 'just' a dark elf before he had been summoned. Was this an effect of her starting to become one herself? But it seemed her attempts to will her words to work were being seen as wishes by... something. Whatever it was that was giving her titles and the other strange notifications.

Her smile had lessened when Mateo seemed to not like the idea of showing her the demon they held in custody, but it returned to a full smile of happiness when he nodded and agreed. "Indeed." She wondered how many demons they actually had captured.

Leela paid close attention to the things the bishop said about the hero. So, Zavan was definitely correct in that this hero had a super speed. Imagine the hero's surprise when she copied that ability. What caught her interest the most, however, was that the hero was being described as higher than even the country's leaders. All because he had been blessed with special powers by the goddesses that they worshiped. Or so they claimed. Leela wondered, if summoned heroes where blessed by gods or goddesses of this world, which one had put her in this situation with these abilities. She certainly had a thing or two to say to them.

"Wow! He certainly does sound different from those we call heroes in our own world." She was starting to wonder if they would be more willing to do as she requested if she told them she was also a summoned hero... But if they asked for proof, she did not wish to give away knowledge of her power. She would have time to think the idea over before the meeting. Until then, she would continue to pretend she knew nothing of summoned heroes. "I would be honored to meet him."

"You say the heroes are from the goddesses themselves; how do they come into being? Are they just born special or do the goddesses pick someone to bestow special powers upon? Does every country have one? What does it take for a country to be bestowed its own hero?" She asked these questions as they rose and exited the building, walking beside Mateo as he had said that he would show her there on his way to give his report to the cardinals. With the Orthodoxy's ability to travel quickly, Leela decided not to bother asking who exactly had trapped Ashaki. For now.

Bishop Mateo's eyes brightened up when you started to ask about heroes. "Oh you happen to be talking to the resident expert on heroes." Mateo boasted. "The goddesses grant heroes their abilities, this is true. But they aren't born here in this world. These exists sites in our land that is full of natural energy. At these sites there are old ancient runes. Coupled with the summoning ritual passed down to us from our ancestors, we can then summon a hero. The heroes are granted blessings and boons from the goddesses, and they represent the hope of all mankind."

"Not every country has a summoning ritual... But there have been many here in our new world that do."

"I see. So anyone with the knowledge of the summoning ritual can summon a hero using the ancient runes in these sites? You mentioned that heroes are even higher than the cardinals, does that mean I should actually be talking with your hero instead of them?" Oh, boy. Now she really wondered what Mateo would say if he knew she was actually a summoned hero. Would it actually make things easier? Or would it cause trouble? With the Orthodoxy's hero being a few days away, there was nothing he could do... Well, it was something she could consider. At least more and more options seemed to be opening up in how she could handle this. She wished Zavan could have joined them in the city so she could run her ideas by him. Efrit mostly acted like all decisions were on her and he was just along for the ride. Zephyrus knew nothing of tactics, he was just excited to be helping her in a rescue mission. And Abi was totally useless.

"Could there be ancient rune sites in demon lands, too?" She asked, though she made it sound more like she was just thinking out loud rather than actually asking a question. She, of course, knew the answer to that, but she figured now would be a good time to get their opinion on that matter. If Mateo freaked out and said that could never happen or something along those lines, then perhaps she could use herself having been summoned by the demons of Roshandan as a way to prove that they were not bad. After all, how could bad guys summon a hero blessed by these goddesses that they worshiped?

The bishop thought about it for a second. "Hmm... The hero's approval would always be good to have. However, we tend not to bother him with the mundane details of our own country, and instead he focuses on driving back the demons. He too doesn't have a thorough knowledge of all of our country's needs, so these sort of decisions are best left to the cardinals." The bishop explained.

"Summoning sites of the goddess on demon lands? Heaven forbid... If that were the case, then surely the goddess has a reason for putting them in such places. But no, the heroes are for the humans, and therefore would be found in places where humans live."

Leela nodded her understanding, wondering if their hero told them to do something if they would do it or if they would hold a council first to decide. Just how much power did they give their hero? Or did they make it sound like they gave him power when he was actually just a puppet doing what they told him to do?

She wanted to ask 'what if there was a site on demon lands and demons summoned a hero of their own who only wished to have peaceful relations with everyone'. However, she still worried that he might question why she was asking such things and she still did not want to give away her secret.

"What about the other heroes? Are they as esteemed in the countries they were summoned in? You mentioned another hero visited recently, what was she like? Do the heroes hold their own council to discuss plans of action?" The princess asked after walking in her pondering silence for a few moments.

As they continued walking, Leela watched the buildings, roads, and people around them. She was curious as to which building housed the captive demon, but she also wanted to keep tabs on her surroundings so that she could use the map Mateo had given her of the city to find the place again later on.

[spoiler]Ready to start scene at wherever Ashaki is being kept.[/spoiler]

Location: Golden Wing Inn to Grand Cathedral
Date: Day 5 - Time: 10:00 AM

"Yes! Well... They should be. 'In times of trouble and woe, a hero will come to grace the land. Come forth from the goddess herself, they will lead the people to prosperity. Blessed is he who treats the messenger as king, for he too will be rewarded.'" Mateo recited.

QuoteYou can roll Knowledge (theology and philosophy) if you have it for more insight, or a straight INT.

"The other hero that visited was one of the heroes from the Felencorp United Alliance. She didn't stay for very long, but she was friendly! There isn't much more I can say though..." Mateo admitted. "Usually the heroes are busy enough with the war that getting them in a single place for council hasn't yet happened. There are skirmishes and battles every day along the borders."

---

Location: Grand Cathedral
Date: Day 5 - Time: 10:30 AM

Eventually you made your way towards the center of the city. Efrit and Abi were with you as well. Instead of going through the main gate however, Mateo continued his way around the cathedral to one of the side entrances. There were two guards posted there. Both had full armor, and looked more akin to knights than simple guards.

"Bishop of the east gate!" One of the knights said, recognizing Mateo. "This area is prohibited for entry..."

"Oh fear not sir knight. These are my guests, they're to see the... you-know-what in the... you-know-where." Mateo replied, lowering his voice.

"But bishop..." The knight said confused. "I must insist you get written permission or orders from one of the cardinals."

Although she got the feeling that Bishop Mateo was a huge fanboy of the heroes, she could not help but to smile to herself at the words he spoke. She assumed he was reciting them from something, perhaps their holy book, from the way he said it. Depending on how things went during her audience with the cardinals, perhaps she would make it known that she was a hero. She had a few hours to decide on how to best go about it. "I see."

[spoiler=INT Check][blockquote]Rolled 1d20+2 : 1 + 2, total 3[/blockquote][/spoiler]


So... it seemed they were keeping their prisoner in the Grand Cathedral where Leela's meeting with the cardinals was to take place. She had expected them to keep such a prisoner in a well-guarded place, though she wondered why they would choose to house something that was supposedly extremely dangerous in a place where their leaders did business and possibly lived.

The princess stared at the nights as the blocked their entry. They seemed confused that Bishop Mateo was trying to show her the demon. She waited a moment to see what would happen before stepping forward to address the knights.

"I, Princess Leela Steading of the great country of America, have come to see for myself if the demon you hold prisoner is the one I am here to speak with your Cardinals about. If it is not, I do no wish to waste my or the Cardinal's time on the matter when I meet with them later today." She said this with confidence, but kept her voice low, having taken the hint that Mateo did not want others to know about it.

Even though you spoke in a hushed voice, the knight placed a finger up to his lips. "Shh! Not too loud!" He said whispering back fiercely.

QuoteRoll a diplomacy check for Make Request. State whether you are the primary roller, or using Aid Another on Mateo's attempt at diplomacy.

[spoiler=Aiding Mateo in Diplomacy][blockquote]Rolled 1d20+7 : 19 + 7, total 26[/blockquote][/spoiler]

"Sir knight, we will be meeting with the cardinals later today, and this is a matter of importance between our nation and the princess of America." Mateo responded. "I can indeed get one of the cardinals, though that would delay with our proceedings..."

The guard looked worriedly for a second, but he eventually sighed as he moved aside and opened the lock on the door. "Very well. By the goddesses' light!" He said saluting.

"May she be with us all." Mateo responded as he walked in beckoning you and your two retainers with you.

The passage was surprisingly dark and it was a tunnel that headed underground. Deeper and lower in elevation as a few torches lit the way every now and then. It didn't really light up the passage brightly, but it was enough to walk through it. It contrasted sharply with the city above, where everything was kept clean and in order, where most of the buildings were white with silver or gold trimmings on them. In here, they used simple stone and cobblestone, without much flare or decoration.

Eventually the tunnel opened up and revealed a larger room, with prison cells on either side. There was a knight sitting on one of the chairs on a table in the room, and the moment he noticed the both of you, he stood up, then saluted. "Bishop! I wasn't informed of your visit. Anything I can help with?"

Mateo waved his hand as he continued walking. "We're off to see one of the prisoners." He explained, to which the knight nodded and sat back down.

Eyes stared back at you from the prison cells, and it was then that you realized that most, if not all of them, were demihumans. They each had animal ears of some sort, and they were all dressed in tattered and torn clothing. Their eyes were sunken, and their visage was saturated with a somber and depressing tone.

Leela stared at the knight, her face unreadable as he shushed her. She chose not to speak more, figuring Mateo would be more likely to persuade the knights than she could if they knew who he was. Besides, he must be a diplomatic enough fellow to be positioned in a station where he would be the first to greet important people coming in through the East gate. It was clear to the princess by this point that she was not as charming and diplomatic as she had been back in her own world, considering the fact that "wishes" being granted had most likely been the only reason she had gotten as far as she had since arriving in the Orthodoxy.

Luckily, putting her faith in Mateo's diplomatic skills turned out to have been a good decision. She gave a smile of appreciation to the saluting knights as she followed the bishop inside. She was surprised at the sudden change in lighting. It was definitely not what she had expected upon entering a part of the Grand Cathedral. When they came across the knight seated at the table inside, she gave him a nod of acknowledgement as she continued to follow Mateo past him.

Feeling eyes watching her, Leela could not help but to look around at the occupants of the prison cells as the passed. She could feel the unpleasant sensation of her heart sinking as she saw the conditions of them. But surely, there was a good enough reason that they were in prison and being treated like this... She moved closer to Mateo so that she could speak to him quietly, hoping the demihumans ears would not pick it up, but doubting their footsteps and the sounds the prisoner's made were loud enough to cover it up.

"I cannot help but notice the amount of demihuman prisoners there are." She muttered to the bishop. "Are they really such a dangerous race that there are this many of them in prison?"

The bishop nodded. "Unfortunately, it is true. You see, Princess of America, the demihumans have claws, or fangs, akin to animals, but it's not just that, they too have more animalistic urges that consume them. When this happens we take them here, so they can be kept safe from themselves and others." Mateo explained. "They don't need clothing up to par as it's just them down here, but they are fed. When they repent of their sins and we feel they have really committed themselves to the goddess, we free them for work outside the city. In this way they can still be productive citizens. Did you know their country actually enslaved humans? It's quite preposterous."

Leela wondered exactly what these animalistic urges were and if they involved horrible crimes such as murder and rape or if the issues were more of... them just doing or saying things that the Orthodoxy just did not like. Such as them simply not believing in the same deity. Or saying certain things to a foreign ambassador. She chose not to inquire farther on that.

"Slavery is a terrible thing. Although it was abolished in my country hundreds of years ago, we still see the unfortunate side effects of it in the form of racism today." She sighed sadly, hating that such a thing still existed. She also could not remember exactly when slavery had been abolished, but she knew it was at least a hundred years and that was good enough for her.

As she continued to follow Mateo, Leela considered the possibility of offering to take some of the demihumans off their hands. Her dilemma was that if any of them were actually murderers or whatever, she did not actually want to take them. Perhaps she would bring up the idea to Efrit later... Although it would be better to discuss it with Zavan, considering Efrit's amount of advice on most things she asked him about had been minimal, if not disappointing.

Mateo nodded. "That is true... it's sad, but even those demihumans look towards human with hate in their eyes, not letting the compassion of the goddess enter their lives..."

---

The group went down a flight of stairs, and though there were other doors that lead off to other levels, you continued your descent at least 5 floors downwards. There were guards at various points as well, who simply nodded at the bishop and gave you a questioning glance, but did not say anything.

There were a couple of gates that you went through, the security on the entire place was tight. Eventually Mateo lead you to a room with a single individual with her hands shackled and chained to the wall. She looked pretty battered. There were two robed men in the room as well, and when your group entered, they nodded. The girl shackled to the wall looked just like the busts of Ashaki that were plastered all over the place back at the Roshandan castle. Efrit's eyes widened as well, but instead of going forward, he simply stood further behind. Abi's eyes widened too.

Leela kept mental note of how far the traveled, hoping that if she needed to, it would fit within the range of her ability to teleport. She had not tested out how far she could teleport, but remembered Zavan telling her that they could teleport roughly a hundred feet at a time. If she could not teleport all the way from the surface to where they were keeping Ashaki, then she would also need to remember areas that could be stopping points. With the amount of security they seemed to have the farther they went down, she did not think they would be able to just storm the place to free the demon.

As they entered the room in which Ashaki was being kept, Leela glanced back at Efrit, giving him a warning look to remind him not to do or say anything. She also moved her hand to Abi's head, hoping the imp would remember not to say anything, either. She then turned her attention to look over the battered creature shackled to the far wall. The girl certainly did look like what Leela had seen back in that room. She was certainly a lot younger looking than Leela had expected a hundred year old demon to look, but that was the least of the princess's concerns at that moment. What concerned her most were the facts that Ashaki wore practically nothing and there were two robed figured inside the room with her. She eyed the robed men, trying to determine why they were there.

QuoteNote, when you teleport, roll Autohypnosis (or straight INT) if you remember exactly where you plan to teleport, not usually an issue for open areas, or areas you can see, or are familiar with, but these are tight corridors, and is unfamiliar to you.

Also, you have an implicit Perception made, feel free to roll that when you can.

"Well... Princess of America? Is she the one you are looking for that would help forge alliances better?"

[spoiler]Reg Perception:
[blockquote]Rolled 1d20+5 : 1 + 5, total 6[/blockquote]

Spellcraft Perception:
[blockquote]Rolled 1d20+21 : 6 + 21, total 27[/blockquote][/spoiler]

[info]Perception: 6, Perception: 27
It was too dark for your normal eyes to see much of any details of the two men. However, you did get a sense of the mana in the room. You could tell that the demon girl, Ashaki, had a lot of mana in her. Mateo too had a surprising amount, more so than the regular knight or guard, even though the man did indeed looked like he sat around all day. The two men's amount of mana though, that was something else, from them you could feel a large amount, more than yours, but not as much as Ashaki's. You also noted that a couple of their clothing articles and gear they wore exuded mana.[/info]

"There is no doubt, she is." Leela stated, turning her gaze back to stare expressionlessly at the demon girl when Mateo prompted her for an answer. The demon hero wanted to talk to Ashaki, to find out her side of the story, but not with so many others around. Besides, she had told Mateo that she only wanted to look at the captured demon.

"I strongly recommend you have your people cloth her properly and discontinue any foul treatment until further notice." She looked around the room once more as she said this, her eyes landing on Mateo as she finished speaking. There was a hint of a cold, threatening undertone in her voice as she spoke, strongly implying that she would not accept no as an answer. The longer they had walked in this dungeon, the fouler her mood had seemed to become. She did not know exactly what all those demi-humans she had passed by had done, but if she had not already been clued into it before, there was no way she could miss the obvious racism portrayed in the dungeon. Between that and her desire to get what she wanted without relying on some god-like being granting her wish to be diplomatic about things, she decided she was done being nice for the moment. Intimidating them into doing what she wanted sounded much more agreeable to her in her current state of mind.

That done, Leela reached down to grab Abi's hand and forced herself to turn around walk away, back the way they came from. She spoke softly to Efrit as she stepped closer to him. "Come, Erik. We must finish preparing for our meeting with the Cardinals."

[spoiler]Intimidation:
[blockquote]Rolled 1d20+14 : 15 + 14, total 29[/blockquote]

Also, good to move on to when they exit the dungeon unless Mateo has things to say as they go back up. Leela will keep a closer watch for parts of the dungeon that she could use as points to teleport to if needed.[/spoiler]

The clothed men shifted under your intimidating gaze. It may have been a trick of the light, but they looked as if the color drained from their faces. Once you started to head out, Mateo quickly nodded his head in greeting or perhaps farewell to the other priests, then ran up to catch towards you. Heading back out of the complex would be simple enough, though Mateo took to leading the group again.

QuoteState any other plans before the meeting

"Thank you for allowing me to confirm that she was the one, Bishop Mateo." Leela said once the group exited the final door of the dungeon into the outdoors. "We shall see you at the meeting?"

[info]Leela intends to spend the hour+ they have before the meeting having a last minute meeting with her companions about their plans and options for if things do not run smoothly.[/info]

Mateo shook his head. "Unfortunately no... After I send in this report to the cathedral, I'll be heading back to my post on the east gate." He started to mull over his actions though.

QuoteIf you want him to be at the meeting, roll Diplomacy

[spoiler=Diplomacy][blockquote]Rolled 1d20+8 : 6 + 8, total 14[/blockquote][/spoiler]

The bishop eventually shook his head again. "There is too much work to do! Plus I'm the esteemed bishop of the east gate as well... But after their meeting, do swing by my office later in the day, or let one of the servants know when's a good time to stop by. Being a leader of your country, and us being your closest neighbors, means that there'll be times we see each other again!" With that nodding once, he begins to head back to the gate.

QuoteYou can still call out to him, say specific things, or actions if you like.

Leela smiled at the bishop, although she did not like the idea of going to meet the cardinals without someone they both knew. "I understand. Sorry to keep you from your duties for so long. We will see you later, then."

When Mateo turned to walk away, the princess turned to her companions. "Lets head back to the inn. There are a few things I would like to discuss with you before the meeting."

[spoiler=Spellcraft Perception to see if Zephyrus is still hanging around them.][blockquote]Rolled 1d20+21 : 12 + 21, total 33[/blockquote][/spoiler]


When the group returned to Leela's room, she had everyone join her sitting around the table they had been eating at before.

"I'm sorry I took your mission away from you, Zephyrus." She started, knowing how excited he had been about helping her by trying to find Ashaki for the rescue mission. "But if things do not go well diplomatically, it is a relief to know her exact location as well as the level of security they have her under."

That said, she turned her attention to the group as a whole. "When I was talking to Bishop Mateo on our way there, he mentioned that their hero is coming to oversee the planned execution of Ashaki. The execution is scheduled for a week from now, but he is expected to be here in a few days. He also said that because heroes are from the 'goddesses themselves', they are as equal as, if not higher than, the governments that they work for. I'm not sure how the cardinals actually think about that, since Mateo seems to be a hero worshiper, but he did say something that sounded a lot like some sort of scripture from their holy book. It was something along the lines of... a hero will come forth from the goddess in times of trouble and lead the people to prosperity, so "blessed is he who treats the messenger as king". That being said, if the cardinals all feel the same way about heroes, there is a chance making my being a hero known to them will increase the likelihood of them doing as I request."

She paused for a moment to let that all sink in before continuing. "I am still hesitant to consider it, though, as that would give away any advantage of surprise then not knowing provides me. I imagine they would ask for some sort of proof that I am a hero, in which case I would have to either come up with something using what I have already copied with my actual 'blessing' or tell them the truth of it."

"So, my plan A is that we will attend this meeting and I will do my best to secure the release of Ashaki in the way that I have started, as Princess of America trying to return their captive to her home in the hopes of protecting her people and forming alliances. Mateo did already say that they flatly refused when he brought it up to them, so I do not imagine this working as I hoped."

"Plan B is, if they seem to be of the same mind as Bishop Mateo about heroes, I reveal that I am one and apologize for keeping it a secret. Then try to negotiate Ashaki's release officially as a hero."

"Plan C is, if they reject all my attempts at negotiation or decide they want to wait until their own hero has arrived to talk it over with him, I took note on locations I could teleport to within the dungeon. Since she is small enough that I might be able to carry her, I can try to teleport down there and then teleport out holding her. I imagine it would be possible, since Abi can teleport holding things. I figure doing it this way, before the hero arrives, would give us the best chance of success so that we do not have to worry about their hero on our tails as we flee. The only problem with this is that we would have to wait for night to sneak around easier and I would be alone unless Zephyrus can meet me there or come with me somehow as I teleport."

"Plan D is... well, all out combat in which we fight our way through to rescue Ashaki and then flee once she has been successfully obtained."

"Abi, if you hear me say "Abi Gale" during or after this meeting without being asked by someone what your full name is, this will be a key word for you to teleport immediately to Zavan, tell him what is going on, and either have him ready the nightmares for flight or bring him and the other imps back to us to help us fight. If we do end up in combat with the Orthodoxy, I also want Zavan to send one of the nightmares to Roadmarech to tell him to have all the nightmares come as soon as possible to help as well." She stared intently at the imp. "This is very important, so you must remember this. I want you to repeat to me what I said."

You felt Zephyrus' presence. It was faint, but he was around. You felt his presence seemingly in small quantities in a large area around you.

"Umm. Ummmmmmm. Ummmmmmmmmmmmmm." Abi said wide-eyed. "Plan A... is ummm..." She mumbles something incoherent under her breath. "Plan B..." The little imp looked like she was about to cry.

"The princess meant the key word." Efrit said, sighing.

At this, Abi immediately lighted up. "Oh! I knew that, of course Abi knew that. Abi knows what Leelasama is saying! Leelasama! When I hear... Abi Gale... I go to master Zavan!"

"Hmm... We should decide on a secret word too where I can blow everything up, while I take you to safety in my arms." Efrit suggested flashing a grin towards your direction.

Unsure if Zephyrus had heard what she had said to him with how spread out he seemed, she decided to let him do as he wished rather than ask him to do anything special. He did not seem to even notice when she mentioned him in her Plan C.

Leela had not expected Abi to think that she wanted her to repeated everything she had said since the start of the meeting. Luckily, Efrit pointed out Leela's actual meaning to the imp and the tears forming in the imp's eyes immediately disappeared.

"That's right. When I say your key word, you go to Zavan. What do you tell him if we are fleeing the city without fighting? What do you tell him if we are fighting?" She encouraged the imp.

There was a faint blush on her cheeks as she turned to consider Efrit for a moment. It probably would not be a bad idea to have a keyword for him to have permission to attack all out if it was necessary. Though, unless she was unconscious or otherwise unable to use her powers, she would just telelport away rather than let him carry her.

"Fine." She said to him. "If I say "Erik Lief" without being asked by someone what your full name is, then you have permission to fight, but you must keep casualties to a minimum and not to destroy the city. If I say "Efrit" before we leave the city, then you have permission to go all out, regardless of damage to the city or civilians. If I am knocked unconscious, put to sleep, or otherwise unable to move on my own during combat, you have permission to carry me to safety." She paused for a moment, then added, "This does not give you permission to burn off my clothes, by accident or not, so try to remember to avoid becoming a living fireball."

Location: Grand Cathedral
Date: Day 5 - Time: 11:30 AM

"Umm... If we are fleeing the city... then I tell Zavan to bring the nightmares and other imps! But if we're in combat instead, Zavan will send one of the nightmares back to summon the rest!"

Efrit continued to grin as his eyes sparkled. "Fear not Great Princess, when it comes to it, you can count on me. However, even if your clothes burn off, I will still ensure your safety."

QuoteState plans for until meeting.

Leela had been about to correct Abi in that she just wanted Zavan to prepare the nightmares for departure, but decided to leave it. If he brought the nightmares to them, then they wouldn't have to look for wherever he and the other imps are hiding.

"Good. Make sure you remember, as it will be very important." The princess pat the imp's head affectionately.

"I think, as soon as we get back, I will start researching how to make completely fireproof clothing..." Leela muttered in response to Efrit.

Once the plans were fine-tuned and she was sure everyone knew their role, Leela decided to spend the remaining time they had before the meeting checking out the market. She checked out fabric and clothing shops, hoping to find something that fit her desire for fireproof clothing. They avoided the food, as she did not want Abi to forget herself and show off her pearly white fangs. She made sure to keep a close eye on the time, making her way back to the Grand Cathedral so that they were ten minutes earlier than the specified time.

[spoiler=Training]Leela will be training her perception while she is exploring the marketplace.[/spoiler]


"I am Princess Leela Steading of the great country of America. I have an appointment to meed with the Cardinals at 1pm." She declared to the guards of the Cathedral, showing the medallion that Bishop Mateo had provided her with to gain entry.

[spoiler=Perception Training for 1 Hour][blockquote]Rolled 1d20+5 : 9 + 5, total 14[/blockquote][/spoiler]

[info]Exploring the Markets
You were able to find some fireproof gear, but they were bulky and not at all pretty. It reminded you of some old-style firemen's clothing. Apart from that, you were able to find anything else that you needed. There was nor magical wares, except for a single place that sold items from the 'Idorian Magic Kingdom', though the prices were quite expensive for what little they did. For example, a teapot that poured hot water, a pillow that continued to emit heat, a vase that spewed air which was apparently used to keep cool during warmer seasons, and other minor items.[/info]

---

Location: Grand Cathedral
Date: Day 5 - Time: 1:00 PM

The guards saw the medallion, and looked at it carefully, after nodding once, they opened the gate to let you through. From there, you were ushered into a waiting room, where one of the nuns brought you a tray of simple treats, and a drink. They said to wait just a few more minutes, and that one of them would show you in.

Leela chose not to buy anything in the markets. Nothing seemed to be worth her time or money and she was sure Efrit would not wear the bulky fireproof gear she had found. She certainly wouldn't.


Giving Abi a look to remind her not to touch the offered food, Leela left the drink and snacks on the tray. After all, she had told the imp to only eat when she ate and it would not be fair to her to enjoy such things in front of her after telling her not to eat anything in public. She did, however, motion to Efrit that she was okay with him partaking of the food if he desired.

The Princess sat in silence as they waited, looking around the room as she continued to go over in her head the plans and possible scenarios.

The nun said to you. You couldn't help but notice this one looked just like the one back in the Golden Wing. With that, she beckoned your group forward and began to lead the way.

---

Location: Grand Cathedral
Date: Day 5 - Time: 1:15 PM

The nun continued to lead the way into the church, and soon enough it opened up into a grand hall, and it took you a moment to realize it was a hearing room. There were multiple seats and chairs that were high above the rest. You noted that one of the seats were empty, but the rest were occupied with both men and women who were richly adorned. The nun ushered you over to a set of seats nearer the center of the room. This chair was much lower in stature, and though still ornate, not nearly as ornate as the ones that the cardinals sat on.

Once you and the rest of your group were seated, the nun who had ushered you in went into the last empty chair, and sat on it.

Leela studied the nun. She was either Aidia or... "Do you have a twin?" She decided to ask rather than simply follow silently.


As soon as they entered the room, Leela took in her surroundings. She took note of the lack of both introduction of herself and greeting from the cardinals upon her entry. Two could play at that game. Head held high, Leela silently walked over to the chair the nun had indicated was for her. Before seating herself, she placed Abi in one of the nearby chairs, whispering a casual reminder for the imp to be on her best behavior and try not to draw attention to herself. That done, she sat in her own seat. She did not indicate to Efrit whether he should sit or not. If he were a true personal knight, he would already know whether he was allowed to sit or expected to stand in such a situation without her telling him. Since she had failed to bring it up to him earlier, the princess decided it best to let him decide.

After arranging her skirts so she could sit comfortably as well as fashionably, Leela looked at the cardinals seated before her. For a moment, she pondered commenting that in her country, meetings such as this between such important people were done at a table so that no one could claim they had been slighted by being given unequal standing. In the end, she decided to hold off on that for now. After all, they most likely did look down on her, considering the situation of her 'country' as they had been told of it.

"Cardinals of Xalaster." Leela decided to take the initiative. She greeted them in the only way she could, not knowing their names. "I am Princess Leela Steading of the great country of America. I believe Bishop Mateo has informed you all as to why I have asked to meet with you?" As she spoke, she studied each of them in turn, starting with their face, their hair, their clothing, and finally the way the seemed to hold themselves. A new alternate plan was slowly forming in her mind.

The nun shook her head as she lead you towards the hearing room. "No, I do not have any siblings. I am Aidia, the Innkeeper of the Golden Wing..." She explained.

---

Efrit decided to remain standing, and stand at attention further behind you. Abi took a seat quietly, and was starting wide-eyed at everyone in the room. There were 7 cardinals altogether. Each of the imposing in their own way.

The first one from the left was a man, he looked fairly young. His eyes gave off an impression of being calculating, and how he stared at you made it seem like he was measuring your worth.
(https://i.gyazo.com/79cde51978165565228321156a260acf.jpg)

The next cardinal was smiling. Though, it felt like a weird smile; it wasn't one of mirth or happiness at all. But one that the cardinal had simply done in a well-practiced motion.
(https://i.gyazo.com/2c5c207f69aa06faabc9f96e2ad1ac3c.jpg)

The third from the left was Aidia. She had a pleasant smile, and you couldn't help but notice that she was the most plainly dressed out of all them.
(https://i.gyazo.com/ad9aaab0ba34f4bc187ab63d4c0c5ebd.png)

The one seated at the center looked the most regal of them all. Sporting a bishop's headpiece that looked more like a crown than anything else. She had clear red eyes, pale skin, and white long hair.
(https://i.gyazo.com/a27d27a27b809ef92f814f2276606a2e.png)

The fifth from the left, and third from the right was an older man. This one however, seemed to be perpetually scowling. Unlike the first one who stared at you in a calculating manner. This one seemed to be full of contempt. How his eyebrows furrowed told you that he seemed to not be in a good mood at all.
(https://i.gyazo.com/bdae5c8a6ec09a3b38f0a79790ad7d19.jpg)

The sixth one was also an older man. Though, this one had a smile too, much like the second cardinal. Just like that second cardinal, this smile looked completely fake.
(https://i.gyazo.com/c3555b719f7b364637b01dc9bbc4c5ab.jpg)

Lastly was a woman who seemed to have too revealing of a dress to fit in as a bishop or cardinal, but she looked at you sternly. Like the first cardinal, she looked upon you with interest.
(https://i.gyazo.com/756862518b75103c43384385e2b44fbc.jpg)

The one at the center spoke.

"Welcome to our city, and country, Princess Leela Steading of the Great Counter of America. We are the cardinals of Xalaster. Though individuals are we, due to the grace of the goddess, we are of one mind. Bishop Mateo has indeed informed us of America's plight, along with a proposed alliance was neutral demons."

"However... We are worried for your own safety, and the guile of demons. Princess Leela Steading... We are afraid that you are under the influence of demons."

Diplomacy: Shift Attitude (Using 1 Heroic Action Point to add +8 bonus.)
[blockquote]Rolled 1d20+15 : 6 + 15, total 21[/blockquote]

Diplomacy: To form an alliance between the Great Country of America and Xalaster Orthodoxy. Through this alliance, the Great Country of America would use the advanced knowledge of things from their own world to make things to trade with the Orthodoxy that would prove beneficial for both the church and the common folk.
[blockquote]Rolled 1d20+7 : 20 + 7, total 27[/blockquote]

Diplomacy: To clear misunderstanding caused by the Roshandan demons attempt to trade and establish a trade agreement, if not a full alliance, between them and Xalaster Orthodoxy. The demons of Roshandan can provide fine cloth (such as what Leela is wearing, plus the other clothes that she brought along to show them) and they also said they had weaponry and armor they could offer in trade. If the Orthodoxy agrees to an alliance, this would also put an extra buffer between the Orthodoxy borders and the demon domains on the other side of the Domain or Roshandan.
[blockquote]Rolled 1d20+7 : 14 + 7, total 21[/blockquote]

Diplomacy: To release the demon they hold captive into Leela's custody. Whether they are willing to establish a trade agreement or alliance with Roshandan or not, this would be show of goodwill between them and make it easier for Leela to persuade the demons to still act as a buffer. If they refuse to release the demon they hold captive, Leela fears not only for her own people, but all of the Orthodoxy.
[blockquote]Rolled 1d20+7 : 14 + 7, total 21[/blockquote]

Diplomacy: To take into custody or to purchase demihumans from the dungeons.
[blockquote]Rolled 1d20+7 : 13 + 7, total 20[/blockquote]

---

During the talk, there was mention of Matteo's involvement along with a brief overview of what the negotiations would be about. The central cardinal mentioned they trust well Matteo's advice, as there was a time when the portly bishop had once been considered to become a cardinal.

[info]Shift Attitudes
Calculating Cardinal:         Friendly    DC 10
Young Fake Smiling Cardinal:  Unfriendly  DC 20
Aidia:                        Helpful     DC 0
Central Cardinal:             Friendly    DC 10
Contempt Cardinal:            Unfriendly  DC 20
Old Fake Smiling Cardinal:    Hostile     DC 25
Stern Cardinal:               Friendly    DC 10

Form Alliance DC: -5
Calculating Cardinal:         Agrees, 4 successes, send aid with Leela
Young Fake Smiling Cardinal:  Agrees, 2 success
Aidia:                        Agrees, 6 successes, send aid with Leela, petition other cities to send aid as well
Central Cardinal:             Agrees, 4 successes (x2), send aid with Leela
Contempt Cardinal:            Agrees, 2 success
Old Fake Smiling Cardinal:    Agrees, 1 success
Stern Cardinal:               Agrees, 4 successes, send aid with Leela

Average Total: 3.86 success
Verdict: As part of the alliance, they are recommending setting up an embassy at your nation's capital. Due to their willingness for the alliance, the cardinals agree to send aid back with you on your trip home to seal the deal for the alliance.

Trade Agreement with the Roshandan demons DC: +5
Calculating Cardinal:         Agrees, 2 success
Young Fake Smiling Cardinal:  Disagrees, 1 fail
Aidia:                        Agrees, 4 success, offers to work with the merchants of Xalaster
Central Cardinal:             Agrees, 2 success (x2)
Contempt Cardinal:            Disagrees, 1 fail
Old Fake Smiling Cardinal:    Disagrees, 2 fails
Stern Cardinal:               Agrees, 2 success

Total: 1.14 success
Verdict: Eventually, it was agreed to have limited trading. They would allow merchants to purchase a license to trade with Roshandan, and inspection on the goods going back and forth from the demons. Merchants will be notified, and they suspect the first merchants will make the journey within a week.

Release Captive Demon into Leela's Custody DC: +10
Calculating Cardinal:         Agrees, 1 success
Young Fake Smiling Cardinal:  Disagrees, 2 fails
Aidia:                        Agrees, 3 success, offers to release them to you today
Central Cardinal:             Agrees, 1 success
Contempt Cardinal:            Disagrees, 2 fails
Old Fake Smiling Cardinal:    Disagrees, 3 fails, questions your involvement
Stern Cardinal:               Agrees, 1 success

Total: 0 success
Verdict: It was a tough conversation, and felt like negotiations could go one way or another. They don't question you further on your involvement, but no verdict was given. Most of the time spent was talking about this topic. By the end of it, it was decided to leaves things as status quo. However, they admit, with a sizeable payment from America, they will release the demon into your custody. They also note that any damages to the city, while the demon was under your care, would be billed to America.

Release Demihumans in Dungeon into Leela's Custody DC: +5
Calculating Cardinal:         Agrees, 2 success
Young Fake Smiling Cardinal:  Disagrees, 1 fails
Aidia:                        Agrees, 4 success, offers to work with other cities in the country for their demihuman convicts
Central Cardinal:             Agrees, 2 success (x2)
Contempt Cardinal:            Disagrees, 1 fails
Old Fake Smiling Cardinal:    Disagrees, 2 fails
Stern Cardinal:               Agrees, 2 success

Total: 1.14 success
Verdict: Releasing the demihumans who would otherwise simply take up their countries' resources seemed like a good idea. That would ship out the demihumans in their city of Xalaster to America within the week.

Purchase Demihumans in Dungeon into Leela's Custody DC: +0
Calculating Cardinal:         Agrees, 3 success, offers to work with other cities
Young Fake Smiling Cardinal:  Agrees, 1 success
Aidia:                        Agrees, 5 success, offers to work with other cities, allow the purchase of future demihuman convicts/slaves.
Central Cardinal:             Agrees, 3 success (x2), offers to work with other cities
Contempt Cardinal:            Agrees, 1 success
Old Fake Smiling Cardinal:    Disagrees, 1 fail
Stern Cardinal:               Agrees, 3 success, offers to work with other cities

Total: 2.57 success
Verdict: They agree to let you purchase the demihumans. Not only that, but they will also work with other cities in their nation for America's purchases.[/info]