Whiterock 9 October 2023: C'mon! I like looking at those!

The murderhoboes

Garreth, half-orc swordsman
    Bleu, droning elf wizard
Zaber, suave and debonaire man
    Logan, wolverine

Polly, cute and deadly elf archer

What they did

We ask Bleu about putting Hasna in a Pentagram and making her dispel Sleep of Ages, which she says Hasna could do, but she would get to resist the Pentagram. So, we bring the flask back to Cillamar.

We go into the Slumbering Drake and I put the flask on the bar. "Hey, Chauntessa, we need to chat."

Chauntessa says, "Yes, Zaber?"

I nod. "It involves your mate."

She grabs me by the collar and drags me to a private room. "Yes, Zaber?"

I hold up the flask. "OK, here's the scoop. The caster of Sleep of Ages is a lamia trapped in this flask. To get her to dispel her spell, it takes eight hours and losing the geas after an hour. Even if we somehow trap her in a Pentagram for eight hours to dispel the spell, and we might not be able to stuff her back inside."

Chauntessa sighs then growls, "Why does that matter? Who cares about the lamia if she frees my mate?" She clutches my shoulder and looks at me angrily.

My eyes widen at her unexpected aggression. "She has a Shadow Jump ability that lets her poof easily once the Pentagram is broken. She'll go somewhere and cause havoc, probably killing innocent people."

Chauntessa scoffs. "Fine, fine, I hire people to track her down and kill her afterwards. I still have some of my horde left."

Garreth, Bleu, and Logan come in the room, having followed us back. Garreth steps between Chauntessa and me, and I smooth my mail, making one step towards Bleu. He turns towards Chauntessa. "We're essentially going to have to make her cast this by choice. We're going to get it done, we want advice on how to best get it done. Do you have a good lead on how to get that done? We just need leverage to make sure we get everything we need done."

I pipe up. "If we somehow send her back to Whiterock, Scithia and her can fight things … what?"

Chauntessa sighs. "Oh, yes, fine, have Scithia kill her." She turns back towards Garreth. "I suppose we can leave her in a Pentagram until she awakens my love or starves?"

Garreth asks, "So, m'lady, can you cast Pentagram?"

Chauntessa nods. "I can cast Pentagram. Do you think that would help?"

I nod back. "Very much so. We should put the town on high alert, though if she gets out, she'll teleport somewhere else. We ready? I just want to have a good offer for her to cast the spell to have less fuss."

Garreth drinks a cup of whiskey like it's water. "We'd want the Pentagram to enclose the party, the sleeper and leave room for the lamia." Then he sits down to meditate while Chauntessa works. I sit next to Bleu and Polly, who has joined us, and smoke some incense.

Chauntessa casts the spell and is worn out, but recovers in an hour or so. "Well, let's get her out and put her to work."

Garreth gets up, and I step into the Pentagram, pull out the flask, and say, "By Almighty Benthos!"

Garreth smiles a wide, fake smile as Hasna shows up. "Hey there, did you miss us? We've got a proposal for you. And you're going to take it."

Hasna looks around her and scowls. "A Pentagram? No way! I'd rather die."

Garreth downs another whiskey. "That can be arranged."

Hasna sneers at Garreth. "You guys are being big meanies like Benthos! I'd rather die than be imprisoned again." 

I shake my head. "Chauntessa? She's too annoying. You can take her out.m There's no way she can pull this off anyways. Sorry."

Chauntessa clutches her fist. "Not until she frees my mate."

Hasna says, "I can! But you're not tricking me into doing it surrounded by a Pentagram." She looks around, seeing everyone around her, then shrugs. "Fine! Explain your deal."

Garreth says, "Step one, you undo the Sleep of Ages spell. Step two, we sing for you. Step three will be determined based on how steps one and two go. I promise you a live concert put on just for you if the spell is removed."

I sigh again. "Chauntessa, all she can do is whine for eight hours straight! It's an Anakin Skywalker-like feat, but doesn't come with cool armor."

Hasna sneers at me. "Kill me or give me a chance to get free. I am not casting the spell trapped in a Pentagram."

I eat a big barbecued rib outside the Pentagram. "Suit yourself! We can leave this Pentagram up forever. Chauntessa has been waiting for centuries. A few more weeks until you starve won't matter much."

Hasna hisses, "I guess I just starve, then."

I munch on the rib. "Suit yourself. It's not like you have any chance of getting this done anyways."

Hasna glares at Zaber. "Can too!"

Garreth says, "Starving to death is no chance at freedom. So long as you live, there's hope." Then he  clamps his jaws shut.

I put my arm around a bewildered Bleu. "If it wasn't your spell, I'd ask the high elf to do it. She'd get it done and is way, way hotter. You just can't do it."

Garreth shrugs. "I suppose she's just afraid of revealing her failure. She's nothing without Benthos."

I laugh. "Heck, she's less than Silhouette." I look at Bleu. "So, Bleu, babe, how long would it take for a silicone lamia to starve?" Bleu calculates this out in precise detail, and asks me to measure the lamia. I sigh and shake my head. "Bleu, she's big and totally not hot. Plus the silicone doesn't count."

Garreth says, "Actually, by casting the spell you gain a measure of freedom. Right now, the flask binds your will. Freeing your will is the first step."

Hasna says, "If I start casting the spell I can't stop without ruining any leverage I have. So I need to make a deal first, before I start casting."

I take a drink. "Why deal? You can't do it."

Garreth shrugs. "Agree to cast the spell and I'll vow that we won't use the flask on you again."

Hasna says, "So just going to kill me? I'd rather die without casting the spell to spite you meanies."

Garreth says, "You might win if we decide to kill you with free will or you might escape. Or you might convince us that you've got something to offer the world."

Hasna says, "Not if I'm stuck in a Pentagram."

I lean forward. "What would you want, anyways? I don't have a list of things I could offer a bumbling lamia with silicone sisters. They don't write that list up for public consumption."

Hasna says, "Well, I really wanted a night on the town and a concert and then to be free to go my own way. And these are all natural!"

I ask, "Who takes you out for that night?"

Hasna says, "Surely there are some cute guys who aren't utter jerks?"

I shrug. "Garreth is pretty darn cute."

Hasna says, "I haven't seen him without his helmet, but he is being such a jerk."

I tilt my head and look. "You might be interesting. I mean, I could swear off elves for a night …"

Hasna pipes up, "I am so hotter than an elf! I mean, meow!"

I ask, "When you say leave, where will you go? I mean, you might be the best date I'll have
And I'll have to look you up. I mean, if you're like a great date and all."

Hasna says, "The desert, totally!"

Polly says, "Maybe she could get a date with Flitwick."

Hasna asks, "Is Flitwick cute?"

I shake my head. "Flitwick isn't into sexy lamia. He's into camels."

Hasna winces, "Ewww! What a loser!"

Garreth says, "You're going to have to cast the spell inside the Pentagram regardless. We need to know it's done before we can risk your escape. Is that understood?"

Hasna says, "Fine, fine, I'll cast it inside the Pentagram. But you and the dragon have to agree I get to go after." She looks at Chauntessa. "Well, I assume she is a dragon, maybe she is just a really kinky elf."

Garreth says, "I agree to let you leave the Pentagram and perform at a concert in your honor once the spell is undone."

I lean up. "Oh, and a good meal at the Slumbering Drake. No sapients!"

Garreth says, "After that, it's catch as catch can? Sound at least interesting? If I kill you, you'll die a free lamia."

Hasna says, "Well. At least give me my stuff back first, but alright, I can agree to a fair chase."

Garreth holds up the bra. "The bra I can agree to. I was looking forward to learning the naginata."

I jerk upwards. "C'mon! I like looking at those!"

Hasna sighs. "Well, give me some decent weapon at least. You want it to be sporting."

Garreth says, "Sure. We'll get you a tricked out mundane one. Best I can commission on this short notice from the best craftsman in the region."

Hasna nods her head, "Fine, alright."

I wink at her. "You're on. And they're fabulous, way too nice to be fake."

Garreth nods. "Done."