You all awaken in a fairly comfortable bed, stuffed with some material to give it a plush soft feel. The bedding is soft to the touch as well, the sheets silken and smooth, the blanket a fine spun wool. Outside of the bed, the furnishings of the room share similar luxury, an exquisitely carved wooden chest, studded with shiny metal rivets that hold similar silvery banding in place, sits at the foot of the bed. Inside, it contains some of the belongings you previously had.

Against a wall in a corner opposite from the door, sits a table with a large mirror, and small boxes sit ontop on either side of the mirror. To the left of the table is an armoire carved from a rich dark brown wood. Inside are various garments made to someone's, likely the owner of this place, rather opulent taste.

As you begin to move around a knock is heard at the door. A voice can be heard stating that a meal will be served soon and that you should gather all you wish to bring with you. The meal is to be served in an hour and your presence is required.

After you prepare yourself and leave the room, a sense of which direction to go leads you to a massive hall where seven masked figures stand in small clusters near a banquet table. Several fireplaces crackle with warmth along the walls as servants tend then and bring food and drink to the table. The smell of roasting meats and vegetables, exotic spices, fresh hot bread, pastries filled with fruits or meat, and rich wines full the air.

At the head of the table a man, fair skinned and pale haired, dressed in a flowing long sleeved green silk shirt and black linen pants, wearing a bronze mask made to look like a fox, turns to face you, opening his arms to you all in greeting.

"Ah, our honored guests have finally arrived. Please be seated and help yourself. My servents will bring you whatever food or drink you desire. After all it is the least I can do for you, my honored guests" he motions to the other masked figures to sit as well. Once all are seated he sits down and motions for the feast to begin.

"I am Mortimer, owner of this fine residence and host of this event. Now some of you are aware of what you are here for. Some of you not so much. For those who do not, you are about to take part in a most wonderful game that some acquaintances of mine wish to partake in. Unfortunately it is something that many look down upon believing to be wrong. They can keep that to themselves, after all why should those with the means to do great things be inhibited by those who do not" Mortimer pauses for a few moments, taking a drink from his nearby chalice. "However that is irrelevant to today. Today you all will have the opportunity to participate a most legendary hunt!" The line is delivered with a sense of importance and pride. "Now a few of you have made arrangements with some of my contacts that in exchange for your participation you will get something, should you survive and honor your terms of the contract. As for the rest of you, well should you desire to make a deal I'm sure some arrangements can be made before we begin. Within reason of course." The man says with a wide smile as he looks over the group. "Now please eat, drink, and be merry for today is such a special day. If you have any questions I will answer them to the best of my ability."

In a moment his expression changes to one of a more serious nature. "Oh and for those of you who might be thinking, 'I'll just kill these people now and be done with it'. There are protective magics in place to prevent any early and unwanted violence and killings. That would ruin the fun for those who have paid to participate in the grand hunt. It would also be bad for business should any of my guests die before the game could begin."

After giving the last bit of information, Mortimer begins to eat. The other masked individuals follow his lead and begin to eat as well.




@rush99999@Guardian Angel Haruki@Vertigo@XxFellsingxX@N3v3rM0r3

A growl rumbled deep in Barghest's chest, a low, guttural sound that was more of a vibration than a noise. His crimson eyes scanned the room, darting from the masked man at the head of the table to the other silent figures, his hands twitching with the primal urge to tear and rend. He took in the opulent surroundings, the soft fabrics, the rich food—all of it foreign, all of it weak. A faint, almost imperceptible scoff escaped his fanged mouth. This was not a feast; it was a cage.

When Mortimer spoke, his voice was smooth, too smooth. The word "guests" tasted like poison on Barghest's tongue. He was no guest. He was a weapon, a tool brought here for a purpose. Mortimer spoke of a "wonderful game" and a "legendary hunt," and Barghest's feral grin widened, revealing jagged teeth. Yes, a hunt. He understood that. He understood the thrill of the chase, the scent of fear, the glory of the kill.

The part about contracts and deals made his lip curl. Words, empty words. A weak human's way of trapping others. He had his own contract, one written in blood and marked with the scars of his torment. He had made a deal with his own curse, not with some pale-skinned man in a silk shirt. The man's final warning about protective magic drew a silent, mocking laugh from Barghest. He wasn't afraid of their parlor tricks. He was the one they should fear. He was the beast in the hunt, and he wouldn't be the prey.

Barghest didn't sit. He wouldn't. He remained standing at the edge of the hall, a coiled spring of muscle and malice. He eyed the table and the rich food with disdain. He didn't need their weak food or their even weaker wine. He was fed by blood and the thrill of the hunt. He just had one question for the man in the fox mask.

"Who are we hunting, man with the mask of a fox?" he rasped, his voice a low growl that carried through the room. "And who is hunting us?"

---

While she had been living with her aunts, Annie had been used to a very torn-up mattress and a room so small one would be forgiven for thinking it was just a large closet. Not pleasant, but it had meant the switch to sleeping rough once she had left hadn't been too difficult for her, and she'd adjusted to the nighttime sounds, sights and smells of the coastal marshes and jungles that part of the Feywild offered.

So when she awoke to find herself in a luxurious room devoid of damp, rot, pests, dirt and various wild animals who had mistaken her for fresh carrion, she thought she was dreaming and her to rub her eyes repeatedly before she was convinced she was, in fact, awake.

Had she finally found her way to the Material Plane? This certainly didn't feel like the Feywild anymore, though there was something about it that felt... odd? She couldn't quite put it into words, at least not ones that would make much sense to others. It was this vague, almost crawling feeling on her skin. Maybe that was just bed bugs? Though this bed looked much too nice to have such things.

Maybe that's just what the bed bugs want me to think, Annie thought to herself. After all, one of the first things you learnt growing up in the Feywild was that nothing was ever what it seemed, and even if she wasn't in the Feywild anymore, that lesson she was not going to discard to easily.

She got up, taking a moment to side-eye the bed so it knew well that she was onto its games, and began inspecting the rest of the room. It was weird to her how... clean it was. Even her aunts' own room - which if anyone asked, she'd never been it, not once in all her life - were not devoid of wear-and-tear, pests or moss. She'd even swear that Aunt Ivette's room had barnacles growing on the walls - though obviously, she'd never been in there, but you know, she just had a gut feeling that that was the case.

As Annie was inspecting the room, someone knocked at the door, causing her to jump slightly. Apparently, a meal had been prepared for her by her mysterious hosts. As is to remind her that it had been some time she had eaten proper food, her stomach gave a whine.

Well, she wasn't going to be much use if she was hungry so she exited the room, down the hallway to a dining area where she found other people - some wearing animal masks, which she thought was quite neat - gathered round the largest feast she had ever beheld in her life. There wasn't really much in the way of the seafood she was used to eating, but beggars couldn't be choosers so she sat down and immediately began tucking into the food in front of her, only half-listening to the conversation going on around her. A man wearing a fox mask was apparently in charge and had brought them all here to participate in some sort of game... a hunt? Hunting what?

Apparently she wasn't the only one wondering this as scarred goblin, who for some reason was not partaking in the food, asked who they would be hunting, and who would be hunting them.

Something clicked in Annie's head. Oh, so it was like hide-and-seek! Annie used to play that sometimes with her aunts, usually after she had done something bad she would go hide somewhere, and if one of them - usually Ivette - found her, they'd smack her silly upside the head. Sometimes worse. One time, before her gills had started to grow, Ivette had held her head under the water for an extended period of time. She'd been bedridden for a long time after that.

Swallowing her current mouthful of food, Annie raised her hand. "Erm, I have a few questions as well!" she said. "First off, where exactly are we? Is this the Material Plane?"

Eleanor stared at the ceiling for a good moment stoically. She had been attacked on the road, and she put up quite a fight, if the bruises on her person were of any indication. Of course, all of her belongings were taken, except for something important she hid away on her person. Every bit of nature that hid her appearance is now gone.

A small smile breaks onto her face.

The plan worked.

Now...it's all a matter of whether her faith is misplaced or not.

She moves to the armoire, filled with clothes suited to the owner's opulent taste. After inspecting the clothes carefully, she decided to wear a refined dress. Not only did it show her bruises from her fight, but it also could be adjusted for better survival, considering what is to come.

She exits the room to see her soon-to-be compatriots. Just seeing them...her goals clearly became just a little more difficult. But she'll have to manage. She listens as the goblin, the aquatic looking woman, and an impatient man, clearly referring to the servants as food, speak. Indeed...her goals just became drastically difficult.

She sighs quietly. Well, there was no use in putting off her entrance any longer. Especially after seeing that glint in Mortimer's eyes. While she did get a little schadenfreude in knowing that he's realized the underlings' massive screwup, she knew better. Knowing Mortimer's nature, she needs to be careful here...

For now, she will have to be as pleasant as possible...

She then clears her throat, and she speaks up with a practiced and polite smile on her face, "While I do not appreciate how...roughly I was handled while I was on my way home, your hospitality is greatly appreciated,"

She moves deliberately to sit across a figure wearing the bear mask.

She knows it's too late to turn back. But she wanted to be seen before everything takes place. She wanted the horror to sink in.

Mapogo was the last to arrive at the table and was wearing little more than a simple pair of trousers taken from the armoire in his room. He quietly made is way over to an empty chair, sat down, and listened in silence as other people made conversation around him.

"Only some acquaintances of mine. They have paid a good sum to partake in this hunt. A few at this table may also be partaking, should they choose to." The masked man replies to Barghest while motioning to a nearby servant. Mortimer whispers something to them and they take off to another adjoining room. Mortimer shifts slightly to look at Annie with an amicable smile.

"Oh, by the gods, no. This is not the material plane at all. We are in a specially created space, one of my colleagues here, " he gestures to a woman in an eagle mask "made specifically for this game of ours. Due to what we are doing, we wanted a plane that could be secured against unwanted persons. Or unwanted escapes. While it does make bringing people here problematic at times, it is a measure that has allowed us to keep our sport going."

The servant Mortimer had whispered to, returned from the room with a silver chalice inlaid with crimson gems in hand. He makes a beeline for Cedess, offering it to the impertinent man. Mortimer looks over to Cedess with a flat expression. "Will this do or do you require it more 'fresh'? If so, take your pick from the servants. Spare the dramatics of going for the neck if you would be so kind. It makes an awful mess and would ruin the upholstery. Why go through all that when you can draw from an arm no?" A thin smile starts across Mortimer's face. "You can do it yourself yes? Or does Benjamin need to fetch a blade to open a wound for you?"

While Mortimer is addressing the others, the man wearing the mask of a bear looks at who sits across from him. Eleanor sees the realization in his eyes, and his expression turns to anger. He shot a glare down towards Mortimer, mouthing something at the host while fidgeting with a copper ring. Mortimer makes eye contact with him, replying with a gesture signifying it would be discussed later, before he directs his attention to Eleanor.

" Apologies my dear. Normally, Stefan knows how to handle all participants with care. He must have gotten a bit overzealous. I can have someone tend to your wounds should you wish."

The rest of the masked individuals quietly look around the table while the conversation continues. Some seem to be evaluating the new arrivals, almost like they are deciding which one they might want to pursue. Two others notice the tension between the bear man and Mortimer, quietly waiting to see what would unfold. All are eating from the food at the table drinking fresh-poured wine.

Annie's eyes lit up at Mortimer's answer. She looked over at the eagle-masked lady. "Wow, you made this whole plane yourself? That's pretty impressive! You must be a very powerful mage!" She beamed at the woman.

She wasn't sure if she should try and engage with any of the others guests who had been brought here. She thought the goblin was kind of adorable, but he seemed far too serious about this whole situation. He wasn't even eating any of this amazing food!

He wasn't the only one either. The leonine wasn't touching his food either, and this one seemingly-human man didn't seem satisfied with the selection on hand and rather rudely requested for something else. If Annie had done that at her aunts' table, she would have been in a lot of trouble!

Finally, there was another woman, also seemingly human, who seemed the most polite of the bunch. Annie smiled at her, though a much shyer one than that which she had directed at the eagle-masked lady.

As soon as the man in the bear mask recognizes her, her eyes grew slightly misty with sadness while her gaze meets his. The sadness is evident, but she did her best to retain her polite demeanor. If only things hadn’t come to this…

She noticed how he mouthed words to Mortimer and fiddled with a ring. Was he simply being silent, or was the ring magicked in some way?

Eleanor is able to recover, and set her question aside, as Mortimer speaks. She tilts her head slightly in response to Mortimer’s words at first.

The fish girl is first to respond to his answer to her. Eleanor mentally noted that the woman with the Eagle Mask is a mage. They’d have to be especially cautious of her. She also notes how kind and sweet the aquatic woman seemed to be. When the young woman smiled shyly at her, Eleanor returned a kind smile back. Her gaze had softened towards her as well.

I’m sorry you got caught up in this mess,

Eleanor thought as she looked at the young aquatic woman.

She then takes her opportunity to answer Mortimer’s words, “How generous of you. But really, you should teach Stefan the meaning of the word, ‘No’,” Her polite face is still up, but her eyes towards Mortimer held a more defiant light.

She then chuckles lightly, as though she was about to tell a joke, “But then, what do I, a savage, barbaric, and primitive druidess, know about proper language, etiquette, and the finer things in life?”

As she echoes the rhetoric she’s heard in the past, her practiced actions not only deliberately answer the questions, but they also spit on that rhetoric.

She uses what she learned about the very topics from him. She uses the correct silverware and table manners as she eats some of the food.

Her words were threefold in purpose: She wanted to make sure that Mortimer can’t say that she agreed to join this game as prey to her father, and he also can’t dehumanize her as a mere savage. She also hoped that she gave her compatriots a good idea of the rhetoric spread about them.

Once the conversation had begun in earnest, Mapogo put some of the food that had been laid out on the table near him onto his plate and began to eat. All the while he continued to listen. Continued to absorb the information being given away by the words and actions of those around him. The most notable of this information being that the hunt would take place in a space outside the Material Plane created by the hunter in the eagle mask. Such an undertaking could only be performed by a mage of great power. Mapogo made a note to be wary of her. As the conversation continued, Mapogo looked to each of the other hunters in turn as he tried to discern anything in the way of useful information by how they carried themselves. Whether they were casters like the eagle woman or more martially inclined like Mapogo. Whether they were weak or strong. Whether they were battle-hungry and looking for prey who fought back or cowards who simply wanted to see strong quarry driven before them without any risk to their own safety.

The woman in the eagle mask nods to Annie giving a faint polite smile. "I am indeed. While I do not particularly care for the sport as some here, I do take it as an opportunity to test new spells or theories."

The blood in the silver chalice is quite fresh, still warm and humanoid to the taste. Someone who was still in their prime and healthy from what Cedess could tell.

At the verbal reprimand from Eleanor, Mortimer shakes his head some. "My dear child, if that were to be the case then Stefan would likely become the next participant in these games. I'm sure he would rather keep earning a decent income." he waves his hand at her commentary of being a savage and primitive druidess. "Now we both know you are not such. Perhaps you should give up the..."

The man in the bear mask abruptly gets up from his seat drawing the attention of the other masked individuals. They all stop and watch the interaction between this man and Mortimer. "Please excuse me. I have just realized I have some other matters to attend to before our game. May you all get a good night's sleep before heading out." He looks to Mortimer, anger clearly present in his eyes. "After these festivities I ask for some of your time. There are sone matters I wish to discuss with you in private."

Mortimer nods and the bear masked man leaves the hall. "Pleaee excuse my friend. There are some matters at present that seems to have bothered him." He forces a small smile. "I suppose that I am prone to my own dramatics of sorts. Such in the nature of my work. Please eat and enjoy yourselves. Tomorrow we will begin our game. The other guests will be arriving tomorrow while you all are preparing yourselves. he gestures again to the table before everyone.

Eleanor easily notes how the Eagle Masked woman does not care for hunting others for sport, but she sees this horrid event as an opportunity to learn new magic. So if this event doesn't provide new knowledge, than the Eagle Masked might help them...hopefully. She also notes the others at the table. She isn't sure if they can be persuaded to give up this game, and she knows that she would have to be ready to fight back and take a life if need be during this 'game'.

Regardless Mortimer answers her earlier words. She gave a smile and a raised eyebrow at his words about how he would put Stefan in the game as punishment. She knew he just contradicted himself as he was trying to frame this game as something to look forward for this entire meal. Before she could answer, the man in the Bear Mask abruptly stood from his seat and excused himself. She watched the man in the bear mask leave sadly, before she turns her attention back to Mortimer with that same defiant light in her eyes again.

After Mortimer bids them to enjoy the feast, she does finally get to answer his earlier words about Stefan, her sentence spoken in finality of the topic, "Very well, then. For the future: I'm sure Stefan will be more than happy to regale you with how he managed to overpower me in our fight after I gave him my refusal,"

At Mortimer's request, Mapogo turned his full attention to the meal that had been prepared for them. As he ate, the leonin digested what he had insights he had garnered. The large man in the boar mask had shown a great deal of interest in Mapogo, so it was likely the two of them would clash at some point during the hunt. The man in the boar mask was a strength based melee combatant by the looks of things. How he did so specifically remained to be seen though. Aside from him, the eagle masked woman likely wasn't the only caster among the hunters. Figures in dragon and leopard masks looked to be of a similar methodology. On top of that, the man in the bear mask seemed to be inclined towards stealthy approaches. Mapogo made a mental note of all of these things before finally focusing entirely on eating.

[Center][h1]

"Duely noted." He replies with a tone of mixed annoyance and boredom.

Mortimer stands up from his seat rasing his chalice to those in attendance. "Please excuse me. I believe there are some final preparations that I need to attend to. Should you need me for anything just simply ask one of the servents. As I stated before should any of you wish to negotiate some prize for you participation and survival of our little game, negotiations for such can be done now or at the end of it. I bid you all a restful night." He lifts his drink a bit higher before draining the contents and setting it back on the table.

The other masked figures seems to quietly talkn among themselves, some even starting to make more obvious stares and looks at the newer group. Should anyone of the unmasked people engage with them, they keep pleasant and answer questions to some degree.

Once everyone is done eating and drinking their fill, the masked figures slowly filter out of the room. You eventually find your way back to your room for the evening, resting however well you might.



Sunlight, or at least it appears to be, slowly fills the room waking you from your sleep. After preparing yourself and leave the room you find yourself walking into a dense forest rather than the hallway from the night before. Mortimer stands in a clearing near a fallen oak tree patiently waiting for everyone to arrive.



@Guardian Angel Haruki, @fellsing, @rush99999, @Vertigo, @N3v3rM0r3

For the dinner, Eleanor was mostly quiet. She realized that she probably overplayed her hand regarding Stefan with Mortimer, but alas, it was too late to take back her words now. She took a moment to silently remind herself that this part, taking part in the game, is now a matter of survival and faith. She takes a moment to look at the hunters and her soon-to-be allies.

Her gaze lingers on her allies for a moment. There is much that she needs to tell them so that they can truly understand the horrific situation they're in. But, she knows that doing so immediately in front of these hunters is not the best idea. So, she decided to wait for them to approach her and ask. After all, she's certain that her verbal sparring with Mortimer would have tipped them off that they know each other.

Unfortunately, nobody approached her. So, she is going to have to talk to them later. When dinner is finished and everyone retires, so does she.

The next morning arrives, and Eleanor prepares herself.

This is it...

She is marching to her death, all for the hope of saving her family...

She opens the door of her room to reveal the dense forest instead of the hall. As comfortable as she is with nature along with civilization, it is still jarring to see the bedroom jump right into the forest like this.

She spots Mortimer standing by the fallen oak tree, and she realizes what that means. Upon seeing him, she doesn't approach him...yet. She waits for the rest of her companions to arrive before she fully approaches him.

She is going to make sure that whatever he has to offer goes for all of the 'prey', not only for one.

The rest of evening went quite well. In fact, Annie would even go so far as to say it was one of the better evenings of her life. She ate more than she had ever eaten in one sitting - to the point she felt uncomfortably full by the end of it - and the company she was with, while unfamiliar, was pleasant. Granted, none of them really engaged with her, but they didn't threaten her, or make nasty remarks, or whack her upside the head for no particular reason, so they were already miles ahead of her two aunts.

That being said, as dinner came to an end, and everyone went their separate ways, Annie felt herself feeling a little... odd. She couldn't quite describe it, but as she returned to her room, she felt a peculiar feeling within herself as she took in her surroundings. The room was still the nicest room she'd ever stayed in, but the more she looked at it, the more she found herself thinking about her old, muddy mattress back at home. That made her think of her aunts, and while she was still very upset with them for their deceit, she couldn't help but wonder...

... did they miss her?

Better question, did she miss them? She was certainly feeling their absence right now. Surely they must be feeling the same way about her, in their own way. Because without her, who would they shout at? Who would they laugh at, or threaten, or make scathing remarks to? Well, she supposed they could do that to each other, but it wasn't the same. Surely, they were angry she'd ran off on her own and were making plans to locate her... but what if they weren't?

What if they decided they were better off with just each other? Maybe they'd find another hag to complete coven, or worse, find another girl to raise and take her place among them. That latter thought made her her stomach hurt...

Ow. Yeah, her stomach was actually really hurting right now. In fact, she felt kind of sick. Was this that thing she'd heard of? 'Homesickness'?

... no, wait. It was actually just regular sickness.

Annie quickly put her hands over her mouth and rushed out of her room in search of the nearest bathroom.

---

After an uncomfortably long time in the bathroom, Annie found herself able to sleep the night away quite easily. She technically didn't need to sleep, but sometimes she liked to. It felt comforting, reminding of her when she was younger, before her aunts' magic had fully taken hold of her and made her what she was now. Not that didn't like how she was now. Being able to breath underwater had made things a lot easier for her, and her looking the way she did made her stick out less in the Feywild. She supposed she would stick out a lot more once she got the Material Plane.

She found herself thinking a lot about the Material Plane when she got ready in the morning. She probably should locate one of Mortimer's cohorts, ask them if she could be sent to the Material Plane if she won the game. She probably should have done that last night but she'd been, uh, a little preoccupied, to say the least. Her stomach still felt off. It wasn't hurting anymore but it was... squishy. She'd have to restrain herself when having breakfast.

After preparing, she heads to the thicket that Mortimer had told them to arrive at, and she finds she's not the first to arrive. That wild-looking human woman who had returned her smile was there first, though she hadn't tried to engage Mortimer in conversation yet. Realising she should probably introduce herself, she approached her.

"Good morning!" Annie said as cheerfully as she could manage. She put out a webbed hand to the woman. "We didn't really get a chance to talk last night. I'm Anenome! But, err, I know that can be hard to say, but you can just call me Annie!"

Eleanor looks towards Annie upon hearing her greet her. She returns the small kind smile back to Annie as she introduced herself and stuck out her hand. Eleanor accepts the hand and gives a hand shake in return, as she returns the introduction, "It's nice to meet you, Annie. My name is Eleanor. I am of the Druid Circle of Shepherds,"

She looks to Mortimer and she informs Annie, "It appears that Mortimer has something to say to us. Let's wait for the boys to arrive before we approach him, shall we? That way he can address all of us at once,"

After Annie gives her answer, an apologetic look comes across Eleanor's face, and she finally tells Annie, "Annie, you seem like a genuinely kind person. I truly am sorry that you got caught up in this..."

She had to stop herself before finishing the sentence with 'sick and twisted game', considering that Mortimer is nearby.

Annie tilted her head at Eleanor's response. 'Kind'? Huh. That was the first time anyone had described her as that... and why was she apologizing? "I mean, this situation isn't all that bad," she said brightly. "Everyone's polite... enough." She added the last bit when she remembered that blood-drinking man's atrocious manners, grimacing a little before moving on. "We all got a nice meal, slept in proper beds, nobody's thrown us into a lake with anchor tied to us, or locked us in a metal chest, or threatened to feed us to a kraken..." She counted each of these reasons off her fingers, each with same casual, cheery tone.