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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Ziona" data-source="post: 206973" data-attributes="member: 484">Order in the Court!The group congregated at the other side of the portal.  They appeared in a corridor that had no beginning.  There was no door or opening, just a hall that lead into the maze.“Hullo, everyone!”Lox was standing at the other side of the corridor, blocking everyone from entering the maze.“My name is Lox Lumley!  This is my friend Nuttin, and that’s my other friend, Dent Masterson.  Who are all of you?  We should get to know each other before we get going, don’t you think?”“That’s not a bad idea, little one,” said the man with red hair.  “I am Venus Xyzx of Calim.  My scimitar is here to aid in the effort to defeat the maze.”“Calim? Isn’t that a desert?  So that’s why your skin is so red,” blurted Lox. “My heritage as a fire genasi is reflected in my hair and skin tones, if you must know,” Venus replied flatly.“Wow, did you hear that, Nuttin? A genasi!”“And you milady?” asked Dent, trying to shut Lox up.“I am called Prynne,” she replied. “I have come to obtain the True Wish.  If that means assisting you with my skill in the short swords and shadows, so be it.  But do not expect my loyalty outside of the maze.”“Very well,” said Dent, “Just as long as you are a trustworthy ally.  I don’t think we’ll be needing any more enemies down here in the maze.”“You’ll not find an enemy in me,” Prynne added, “But I am not here to make pals,” she said eyeing Lox.“Nor am I,” said the man in black. “I am Belasco Banre.  Shall we enter the maze, or should we sit and entertain the halflings some more?”“Now, just a minute, youngster,” started Nuttin. “You show some respect! We’re all here together.”“And if we plan on getting out of here, Grandpa, we better get started,” snapped Prynne.  With that, she strode forward and lead the group into the maze.“Ha! She called you Grandpa, Nuttin! And you aren’t even a Grandpa yet.  This onetime, my Grandpa…””LOX! Not now,” said Dent, “Let’s get moving.”Nuttin took up the rear, mumbling about “baldy” and “respect for elders.”The group traveled in silence for a short time, when they came upon two doors.  Prynne turned to ask which door they would like to enter, when Lox came running to the front of the line.“I say we open this one,” he said, already picking the lock.Before anyone could protest, Lox had the door opened and was already stepping inside.  As the party followed Lox into the room, they saw a large sculpture that looked as though it had finger-like appendages sprouting all over it.  “Whoa, look at this,” said Lox.”It appears to be wearing rings,” said Prynne.“Seven rings for seven competitors,” said Dent.  “Though since we don’t know what they do, I wouldn’t suggest putting them on.”“Too, late, I’m afraid,” said Nuttin. “You lunkhead, Lumley!”“Well, I feel fine, and I put a ring on. Can I put on another one? You know, this one time, my cousin Lorne put on a ring and his finger turned green and fell off, but that didn’t happen to me, see?”Lox held up his hand for all to see, and nothing seemed to be happening.“Perhaps they are merely silver rings,” said Nuttin, “just part of the treasure to be found.”“Or, perhaps the commoners outside the Keep spoke the truth,” said Belasco.“What do you mean,” asked Venus.“I overheard people talking in the marketplace about magical rings.  Perhaps these are the ones they were referring to,” he replied.“I heard that, too,” remembered Dent. “Something about rings that keep you from starving.  Do you feel hungry, Lox?”“Not at all, actually.  Do you really think the rings are magical?”Each adventurer took a silver ring and wore it.  None of them felt any different.“We’ll see in a few hours if you youngsters are right,” said Nuttin.They continued on to the next door, which Lox cheerfully opened.  Without hesitation, he entered just as cheerily.“Oh, hullo,” he said to the balding human sitting behind a bench with a gavel.  “I’m Lox. What’s your name?”“You are guilty of high treason against Lord Korvish,” he shouted, striking the gavel. “You are to be tried by a jury of your future peers!”The man motioned to the jury box to his right, where eight fleshy skeletons sat.  They looked angrily at Lox through empty eye sockets.  Next to the jury box stood two jailers, who each held shackles.  They too, looked angrily upon the group.“C’mon, guys! Look at this!”“Order in the court! You are guilty of high treason against Lord Korvish! Be seated so that the trial may begin,” shouted the insane judge.By this time the party was mostly inside the room, keeping their hands near their weapons.  Nuttin was the last of the group to enter, and once he crossed the threshold, the door slammed shut behind him.“BE SEATED!”Lox quickly grabbed a seat at the left side of the judge’s bench.  “This should be very interesting,” he said.The rest of the group decided to go along with this madness for the moment, and sat in the seats near Lox. “How do you plead?” boomed the judge’s voice.“Not Guilty!” shouted Lox.The judge looked to the jury.  One skeletal figure rose out of it’s seat and hissed, “GUILTY!”“This is a waste of time,” said Prynne, getting up from her seat and advancing towards the door.“Order in the court! Order in the court,” cried the judge.Just then, the jurors sprang to life, extending their undead hands towards the group.  The rest of the party leapt up from their seats, weapons drawn, while the judge continued to shout, “Order in the court! Order in the Court!” The Adventure Continues…</blockquote>

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