[@BurningDaisies][@Xaltwind][@Rockin Strings]
[hider=Team Floofs and Goblins]
There was a wave of fear spreading amongst the cultists at the plague of spell and steel waged against them, flesh rotting, eyes boiling, blood spilling, and each and every single life spent brought the group of three closer. There wasn’t any real challenge whatsoever, especially with the buff spells provided by Lord Chompy Bits. At least, not until the epicenter of these ritual sites was reached. At a certain point, the trees ceased being trees, and the flesh stopped being man’s own as sloughs of human remains were cultivated into intimate structures resembling a tree of bones and blood, with eyes for fruit and stems made of grasping fingers drinking deep of the blood polluting the land. 

Put simply, Lord Chompy Bits would HAVE to find out who decorated it. Either to get tips, or to sue for infringing on his designs.

It was getting harder and harder to believe that anyone could hide such a thing of this scale; A woodlands borne of mankind’s flesh and blood, spun into a maelstrom of madness that drank of itself and drew in corpses like flies, with the gargantuan oak in the center bearing the outline of hundreds of faces, as if lovingly grown by Zouyu, hell-bent on driving someone mad just by looking at it. There wasn’t a single thing right about it...save for the amount of blood one would expect to fill the small puddles around the trees. While the goblins would likely be fearful of such a place, the threesome could sense little amiss save for that nearing presence that Ashara sensed. [url=https://i.imgur.com/nlEH89V.jpg?1]Stooped low before the great tree of Flesh was one who could only be expected to be its arborist, who, touching the quivering soft roots of his tree, hurriedly turned his head towards the group’s direction.[/url] The claw attached to his hand would streak across the eyes of one of the faces carved into the try, the eyes leaking a strange liquid with the consistency of mercury. 

The face would screech quietly, its very wails full of timbur, with a sound that no humanoid could ever hope to make in its gargling anguish. Slowly the eyes that were borne as fruits opened, turning bloodshot as they turned in the direction of the three, regardless of distance, whether something was between them and the eyes, or if they were invisible. 

[b]”You. Trespassers. I. I. I. I…”[/b] the Tender’s voice rumbled behind his mask, a wet groan escaping him. 

[b]”I will not allow...anyone to disturb his creations.”[/b]
[/hider]

[@Stern Algorithm][@Lucius Cypher]
[hider=Team Maid and Monster]
Mamoru’s clever thinking, and that letter of recommendation would cause a slight change in the Lord’s tone, as well as a certain change in his eyes. Oh, it was far from a look of sympathy for her situation, or the passing of a man that held a title similar to his...it was a look of utter disdain. It seemed that despite Lord Therod’s similar, or perhaps greater status, the Duke of Amberden’s disdain was great. In fact, this death might have been the best news he’d heard all week.  [b]”I see. Well, if you were in the service of a Lord, then you must be worth having around. Even as a Dragon-Sworn. Celia, guide her to the boarding house. You’ll start work tomorrow, and report to Merivia, the Dragon-Scarred woman there. But be warned: Any mistakes, and I’ll throw you out, Uskbemin,”[/b] he would say, pointing out a maid from the lineup with an almost perfectly human appearance, save for a set of pale blue scales that covered her hands to the wrist, and the draconic tail kept in check underneath her uniform...distinctly lacking a hole for which it could slip out and be comfortable with. Mamoru could assume that such would be her uniform as well.

Celia would lead Mamoru away towards the boarding house, looking back at the dragonoid and sighing. [b]”My sincerest apologies. Our lord gives the Dragon-Scarred maids a hard time...and he’s never even considered hiring a Dragon-Sworn. Why of all places did you come here?”[/b] the older maid would question, half concerned for Mamoru’s well-being, and half annoyed at the extra work that would go into training the new maid. While it did seem that numerous races existed in such a pluralistic culture, there was still the very same issue present in every reality:

Every species thought they were the best. And everyone else, was just “The Others”.
[hr]

Salem’s espionage would soon allow him to come across the Duke’s personal office, a small, quiet rodent proving more than sufficient to slip right through an open door as a maid exited, her job done, and paving the way for Salem to snoop as he pleased. While it may be difficult for a rat to try and snoop for documents, it wouldn’t be difficult for him to slip away into a dark corner. Finely manufactured stained wood furniture lined the walls, with the Duke’s rather comfortable looking chair with plush cushions pushed beneath a marvelous desk the likes of which suited someone official. 
[/hider]

[@Archmage MC][@Lucius Cypher]
[hider=Team Homebodies]
[color=f7976a][b]"Come at me with everything you have, Light. Death isn’t a concern here. After all, I can’t expect you to have fun with one hand behind your back,”[/b][/color] Rodias said, flipping his knives around, juggling them before returning to his stance. High dexterity was cool, sometimes.

However, what should have been a starting signal to an exciting bout was instead the sound of an ESPER wing’s thrusters sputtering as it landed right in the arena, landing before Rodias. Before Rodias could even ask for a report he would receive it...and there was a palpable air of tension that Light could see from the shift in his expression. Light could hear even from where she was the general details of the situation...namely, that whoever Rodias was having monitored was coming, Isolde was defeated, another ESPER was nearly destroyed, and that this petrifying laser-shooting monster was leagues stronger than Rodias was. Which by extension largely meant that it was above every individual member of the Chateau’s personnel, half of which were currently out on assignment and would not be able to come back before this individual managed to attack. 

Clutching his face in his hand, Rodias would clench his teeth, frustrated at the situation as a whole before quickly saying: [color=f7976a][b]"Sound the alarm. I want every single Chateau member on full alert. If I can’t manage to win her over peacefully, I want every Chapter Keeper, butler, and other personnel to gather in the Climax Hour. If I can’t win, everyone’s best bet is to fight together.”[/b][/color]

Having forgotten what he was even doing, Rodias turned to Light and remembered just what he’d promised. Looking both sorry for Light, and just the faintest bit afraid, Rodias would give a weary looking smile, saying: [color=f7976a][b]"Sorry, Light. I really did mean to make today enjoyable for you. I’ll make it up to you. I promise,”[/b][/color] Rodias would say, before leaving, the ESPER wing dashing past him in order to raise the alarm...only for Rodias to see that the stranger was quite literally at his doorstep.
[hr]

Gliding across the treeline, mountains, roads, and grass leading up to the Chateau seemed to be easy as breathing for the golden-eyed medusa, her footfalls soon crashing down onto the carefully mowed, maintained, seeded, watered, and weeded front lawn that Zouyu lovingly cultivated. It wasn’t like she was burning it or anything...it was just that she was ignoring the “KEEP OFF GRASS” sign. 

Spotting the strange skeletal being that was Bone Daddy, she paused in her stride, trotting to a stop before looking at him, slowly tilting her head. [color=9370DB][b]"Oh wow...you look cool. So, is this place like, some kind of horror mash-up? First a mimic, then a bunch of robots, and now a skeleton? Oh wow, there’s lots of skeletons,”[/b][/color] the golden-eyed woman would say, the last bit being punctuated by a complete shift in the color of her irises as some sort of scan spell was cast from her eyes, peering into the Chateau. [color=9370DB][b]"Are these for me?”[/b][/color] the figure would ask, pointing at the table full of refreshments, a thin, serpent-like tail gently wagging to and fro behind her.
[/hider]

[@Lugubrious]
[hider=Team Nefarious Hand Rubbing]
With tented fingers Graft absorbed and gauged Rodias' response. The dhampir certainly did downplay his ambitions and abilities, a disarming move if ever there was one. If he truly harbored no interest in domination, of course, Graft wouldn't mind rising to the occasion. That bit of negotiation could come later, though. For now, he concerned himself with the Sable Lord's unwillingness to make use of his guild's resources. Surely he couldn't have a sentimental attachment to every ounce of metal in the whole place? A stance like this, nostalgia or no, struck Graft as inflexible and unwise. Why did he treat the other Sable Lords with such reverence, anyway? More than likely Rodias felt more kinship with Brushen Penn than Graft did himself, though he could not remember the two ever spending much time together. Of course, Penn played the role of the intentional loner, so that shouldn't be surprising.

Rodias did, however, interpose into the conversation a counter-proposal. "A false hero, eh? I confess, the thought did occur to me before, but I always leaned toward leveraging our material assets versus our living ones. Ease of replacement and all that; easier to write off a candelabra than a kitsune, after all. Hopefully this land is accustomed to paying its protectors top-dollar and not doling out gratitude as compensation." Leaning back in his chair, Graft read between the lines. Rodias approved of his plan, clearly, just not the source of funds he'd proposed. The Sable Lord's suggestion tantalized a singular question, begging to be asked. Graft scarcely needed to say the words aloud, but time was money, so he did. "So, who do you propose? I have a guess as to the perfect fit, given the job's requirements of power, intelligence, and ability to play the part convincingly. Surely we are in agreement." Tilting his head down behind his tented fingers and looking up from beneath his brows, Graft smiled.

Rodias would smile at Graft, feeling that despite how similar a conclusion the two of them had reached, Rodias had a more...esoteric pick for who would serve best to champion this world in Bandersnatch's name. Rodias would close his eyes, pondering whether he even SHOULD give his answers to Graft for fear of protest, before he opened his eyes again.

[color=f7976a][b]"Tabula may well be our best option. But, I wouldn't want to put her in danger. She is, after all, the most vulnerable of anyone in this Chateau. But, in regards to who can best fit the part...Violet may be the best fit. A sweet, kind-hearted and adorable girl with the strength of a giant...its a folk tale in the making, is it not?"[/b][/color]

"Heh," the Director chuckled. "You had me worried for a moment there, sir. In terms of mental development, common knowledge, and ability to play the part, Tabula is woefully inapplicable for the job. Even were she fully built, she is a far cry from human. I'm sure you only meant to flatter us, which I do appreciate." He smiled. "Your true choice is the right one, given a question that you've now answered for me. Ashara was also a prime candidate for the role, but I thought that something about the previous task that you assigned her might occlude her from taking on this new persona. And by suggesting Violet instead, you confirmed it. So we are in agreement." He nodded, leaning back in his chair. "If you don't mind, see that her adventure begins soon. Waiting to begin enacting my plan for want of funds is painful."

Rodias would smile, glad that Graft had the same idea he had. Bowing ever so slightly, Rodias would say: [color=f7976a][b]"Indeed. It may take a few weeks, but I can almost assure that Violet will be heralded as a hero. It will probably do wonders for her self-consciousness, too,"[/b][/color] Rodias said, before turning to leave Graft's office, smiling happily at this resolution. 

[color=f7976a][b]"But, I didn't mean to flatter in the slightest, Graft. Tabula could use both the experience, and the self-confidence from being such a hero. Ideally, I want each of our fledgling developing Chateau members to have a chance to live, out there,"[/b][/color] Rodias said, starting his leave at last to entertain Light.

[/hider]