[b]Alina![/b]

This is miserable. You take one step into the storm and it is the worst step. You take another step into the storm and it is the new worst step. You take another step into the storm and it is the new worst step.

The path is narrow and slick with rain, and the wind tears at you like frozen knives, like cruel fingers digging into your fur, like Oberon’s sword in your breast. It takes every bit of your incredible sense of balance and poise, not to mention the leg control of a dancer, not to get blown off your feet into the pounding, booming, horrible storm below.

And that’s when the Nightmare Roc swoops overhead. It’s... it’s [i]worse[/i] than the real thing. You catch a glimpse of black glass illuminated by inner lightning, and huge yellow eyes large enough to drown in. Eupheria intends to [i]punish[/i] you, to make an example of you.

The Nightmare Roc will wait until you have a glimmer of hope, and then it will descend on those huge wings and drown you in the storm. This is how this game works, little kitten.

***

[b]Dandy![/b]

Well, ain’t this a pickle and no mistake? Here you are, hooves sinking into the wet mud grass, and a bunch of poky pikes pointed at you, and Adila being slowly swallowed by a thrashing, furious giant glass snake.

You take a breath and let all the noise fade away. Don’t listen to Adila; your concern won’t save her alone. Don’t listen to the helpless pleas of the sacrificial victims; you can’t save them unless your head’s screwed on right.

You wade into the muck and then lower yourself into the water completely, until your hat’s left bobbing on the surface, and as your heartbeat slows and your held breath stills, and you know calmly that you could stay down here for half an hour if you needed to, but that you won’t be going back up on your own either, you push your arms up to the elbows in the mud below...

And your fingers curl around deep roots.

***

[b]Adila![/b]

Well. This is how you go. You have one claw clinging desperately to a forefang, even as the powerful muscles of the Snake Wife’s throat pulls you inexorably backwards to some terrible fate.

That’s when the swamp explodes upwards at the Snake Wife. There are branches grabbing at her, trees wrapping her in a bear hug, weeds lashing themselves into ropes and thorns nailing them down. You even have one tossed to you, blooming into fresh flowers!

This is Dandy throwing everything she’s got into this plan. She... she might not be coming back up. She’s probably stuck down there, weak as a day-old kitten, tangled up in roots. As soon as she’s pulled up, the plants will go still again, but... but she’s underwater and how long can she hold her breath, anyway???

Go ahead and roll to Finish the Snake-Wife with Sense.

***

[b]Kathelia![/b]

Okay. You examine the keys on offer at Hogarth’s House of Hot Hams, which are whittled from hambone, and relegate them to Subclass D in the notebook you bought at Sheets And More! to keep track of everything. This one is Volume IV. Volumes I-III are in your sparkly pegasus backpack. You rub your eyes exhaustedly, wondering just where Kyouko hopped off to. She was just here a minute ago...

“HEY! LISTEN UP! TEAM KAZELOUKO IS HERE TO WIN!”

Oh. She’s up there on an upside-down tower, shaking her pompoms, standing over... a trussed-up gremlin dangling upside-down over a treacherous drop.

“EVERY HOUR! WE DON’T GET THE KEYS! I WILL CATCH YOU! AND STING YOU WITH BEES! ANOTHER VICTIM, IT COULD BE YOU! IT’S UP TO YOU, WHAT YOU CHOOSE TO DO!!”

Stop gawking up her miniskirt, Kathelia, and pay attention to the fact that Kyouko just declared war against the entire market, and implicated you as her partner in crime. Everybody is staring at you, and a giant deer-centaur is snipping its claws menacingly as it clops dramatically towards you, followed by gremlins carrying carpets and ropes for wrapping you up in, and... oh dear. Where’s Shiva when you need a ride??