Invasion, Part 15 - A Taxing Discussion

<DM>	*LAST TIME ON ZURPG - Pirate Edition*
<DM>	*You encountered a ship full of Zola Pirates and braced for worst! Instead, the Zolas were braced with a meteor, frying the fishies on board and sending the rest off in a hurry, save for one. Darte was able to engage in fish-based contact with the Zola, and you found out the reason Zolas are extra hungry thanks to Mad Lady Memphis blocking off the river, cutting off their ability to return to their usual food sources.
<DM>	*As you took over the ship and tried to figure out how to repower it, an attack struck from behind. Deku Babas and Gohmas struck from afar as Stalchildren climbed aboard. Melizea, thankfully, was able to recognize the tech behind the ship's mysterious Lightning Orb, and with help from Darte and the Zolas, you got it up and running. Eventually, you managed to fend off the attackers with a lightning-enhanced Trident Turret, albeit with aid from an Elder God.
<DM>	*As you tread upriver, you plan on how you're going to convince the Keatons to join your forces, as well as how to handle Mad Lady Memphis...
<DM>	-=SESSION START=-
*	Sephiroth resumes his position in the Crow's Nest, sipping tea and scouting with scopes.
<DM>	*After cruising upriver at shocking speeds, thanks to the full power of the Lightning Orb going ham, you round the full river bend, manage to head north annnd reach a dead end.
<DM>	*Up ahead, where the river should continue onwards towards the back end of Zora's Domain, it's just... rocks and rubble. A whole lot of them, and for quite a while on end.
<DM>	*Whoever's steering your ship wisely stops the ship, before it splatterkills itself on the rocks.
<DM>	*Sephiroth, from up on your perch, you can see that there's even supposed to be a split-off towards another river to the east, but that too is just rocks and rubble.
<Melizea>	"Hmmm..."
<DM>	*It's as if the earth there was, well, unearthed, and a mountaintop fell on top of it for good measure.
<DM>	*Your new Zola friend points and scathes at it.
<DM>	[Zola]: There! Big rocks. No river.
*	Darte frowns. "Well, they weren't kidding about the river being stopped up..."
<DM>	[Zola]: Not unlike big blazing rock earlier. Fell from sky on us. Bad luck, we have.
<DM>	[Zola]: Keaton Fortress...
*	Melizea turns to Darte "Got any ideas?"
*	Sephiroth puts down his scope and clambers his way down out of the Crow's Nest.
*	Darte muses. "We could try digging a new channel, but... that would take far too long. Rivers take too long to carve themselves."
<DM>	*He points to where the split-off river should be, then aims south just a bit. You see something poking up from out of the treeline, no more than half a mile's walk from here.
<DM>	[Zola]: There... Fort Reikon.
*	Darte 's eyes flick thataway. "... Time to negotiate, then? If they made this mess, they might be able to help undo it."
<Melizea>	(i forgot what the area looked like)
<DM>	*He grasps his trusty Shock Trident and hops off the ship, diving first into the water before emerging on the riverside.
<DM>	[Zola]: Accompany you to Fort Reikon, I shall.
<Melizea>	"I suppose I have a plan."
<DM>	[Zola]: Speak on way. Must go now.
<Sephiroth>	(Zola: https://i.insider.com/5e32f2a324306a19834af322?width=900&format=jpeg&auto=webp )
<DM>	(Add some teeth to that, and it's more or less accurate.)
*	Melizea follows Darte.
<DM>	*Mido hollers at you all.
*	Darte 's eyes narrow. "As do I. As do I." He splashes on after the Zola.
*	Sephiroth follows Darte.
<DM>	[Mido]: Hey, don't take too long! We'll hold down the fort!
<Melizea>	(where's a map when you need one?)
<DM>	[Mido]: ... I mean the ship.
<DM>	[Mido]: The ship. We'll hold down the... whatever, you know what I mean.
<DM>	*Okay, vague map of the area is... lemme lazy paint this up.
*	Melizea takes out two Hylian Masks "I was considering, we disguise ourselves for the negotiation."
*	Darte considers, then grins toothily. "That's... sly. How's that? Do we have illusion magic for it?"
<DM>	Lazy Map - https://prnt.sc/td39if
<DM>	*Zola looks at you, perplexed.
<DM>	[Zola]: I no understand.
<Melizea>	"Affirmative. I disguise as a tax collector, the rest of you could be guards."
<DM>	[Zola]: ...
<DM>	[Zola]: Nevermind, confused I stay.
<DM>	[Zola]: Hand me masky.
*	Darte 's smile freezes. "A... tax collector?"
<Melizea>	"We show them a notice on how the Keaton haven't been paying their taxes, and then negotiate."
<DM>	*Darte, you're suddenly reminded of a certain incident involving vacuum cleaners...
<Darte>	(I'm certain I've blanked that from my memory)
*	Sephiroth accepts the Hylian Mask and equips it.
<DM>	(No you haven't. Where Dex is concerned, you have all the memories.)
<Orithan>	(Was Darte even in that quest?)
<Sephiroth>	37h, 14m | Nayru's Love: 100h | Hylian Mask Equipped
<DM>	(I'm pretty sure he was...)
<DM>	(I'll look it up later.)
<Darte>	... Taxes. Right. For... Hyrule Kingdom?
<Melizea>	"Consider it as if the taxes are to be paid for resources."
<Melizea>	"Military, as one such resource."
<Melizea>	"Land protection and shelter, food, etcetera."
<DM>	[Zola]: Second thought, I lead you there. You talk, I stay back.
<DM>	*Congratulations, you've successfully confuzzled your Zola friend, and it if it works that well on him, imagine what it'll do to the Keaton.
<DM>	*Well then, with all you having Hylian Masks, are you ready to depart?
<Melizea>	15h, 5m | Thunder Materia and Regeneration Shield Equipped | Wearing Hylian Mask | Force Meter: 25 pts
*	Sephiroth drinks one of his Full Rejuvenation potions.
<Sephiroth>	37h, 36m | Nayru's Love: 100h | Hylian Mask Equipped
<DM>	*One potion down, more than a dozen left to go!
*	Melizea downs a Chateau Romani to bring herself up to roughly maximum magic, and then casts a few Illusion of Disguises on Sephiroth and Darte to slightly alter their look.
<DM>	*Okay, between the Hylian Masks and the Illusions of Disguises, you all now look like a party of bonified tax collectors!
*	Darte chugs potions to recover to non-guts condition.
<Sephiroth>	37h, 36m | Nayru's Love: 100h | Hylian Mask Equipped | A few illusion of Disguises to slightly alter his look
*	Darte feels the mustache on his disguise. "Is this... necessary?"
<Melizea>	"Are you wishing to have it removed?"
<DM>	*Melizea, the forefront, is the most dignified. Sephiroth still has silky long hair, though it's been turned blonde. Darte now looks like thin Monroe, except with a full Monroe-sized mustache. Mah boi.
*	Melizea also takes out a piece of paper or two and writes up a notice for the Keatons.
*	Darte grumbles. "I suppose not; it probably makes me look less like... me."
<DM>	*He's even starting to grow a fishy beard...
<Melizea>	(not sure how much magic all of that should cost)
<DM>	(pfft, listening to star wars music in the background, and the Ewok theme just came on. Particularly fitting for Darte's new stache and guise.)
<Darte>	:buckteeth:
<DM>	*Mido chucks a Magic Potion at you from afar, recovering that magic back. He gives you a grin and a thumbs up, then proceeds to start yelling orders to his lackeys on the ship.
<DM>	*You decide not to stick around, for fear of becoming "one of those lackeys" yourself.
<Melizea>	"Okay, Darte, you'll be Daltus Faraday, and Sephiroth can be Sebastian."
<DM>	*You find the name Sebastian particularly fitting, as his silky blonde hair gives him quite the air of prim-and-proper elegance.
*	Melizea starts heading to the relevant location.
*	Sebastian follows behind Melizea
<Melizea>	"As for myself, I'll be Margaret Carter."
*	Darte groans. "Fine, fine. Sooner we get this over with, the better." He feels for the swords at his side, then follows Mel, taking up a familiar guardsman posture.
<Orithan>	(The Sebastian I was thinking is all red with a chainsaw)
<Melizea>	(i don't know any Sebastian, i just whipped up the name from nowhere)
*	Daltus mutters to Mel, "I'm calling you Maggie, then."
<DM>	(oh my)
<DM>	*Not wasting time, the trio of you head on over to Fort Reikon, led by your Zola friend. Along the way, you notice the trees become more scarred, both by blades and explosive blasts, missing some of their leaves and branches. It would seem Saria's spell doesn't quite extend this far out.
<DM>	*Once the walls of the fort become visible through the treeline, your Zola friend stops and bids you good luck.
<DM>	[Zola]: Get us food. Good luck.
<Margaret>	"Indeed."
*	Sebastian bows and continues following Margaret
<Daltus>	"Food, and open waters for both our peoples.
<DM>	*He proceeds to stand guard of the spot while you... oh, nice name changes.
<DM>	(Let's see, from Battle Tank quest... nope, there's no exterior description. Time to make this up.)
*	Margaret hands the notice to either Daltus or Sebastian, "Just hand this to me when I mention it as such."
*	Sebastian accepts the notice and pockets it for now.
<DM>	*With your esteemed parchment scrolls at the ready, detailed with copious amounts of tax notes (they came free with your brilliant disguises), you march gallantly up to the front gates of Fort Reikon.
<Daltus>	(What a savings.)
<DM>	*A great structure stands before you, complete with battered stone walls and battlements. It's not a terrible tall fort, but you'd find it hard-pressed to simply leap over the walls, especially with what appears to be bloodied spikes atop the walls.
<DM>	*From above the gate, there's a small gatehouse. A window opens, and you see a Keaton peer out of it at you three.
<DM>	*Even though you're not super far away, he takes out a scope and eyes each of you meticulously before calling out to you.
<DM>	[Keaton]: Hylians, eh? Wot brings yew three out here at tha edges of Kokiri Forest?
<Margaret>	"We'd like to speak with you and your leader, if possible."
<DM>	[Keaton]: Oh? An' wot business would yew three 'ave with our esteemed Lady Memphis?
<DM>	[Keaton]: Ah'll 'ave ye know, if yer from the Hylian Guard, they're up ta no good, sees! They sents in SPIES to us afore!
<DM>	[Keaton]: Yew here ta SPY on us, HMM?
<Margaret>	"Relax, we come in peace."
<Margaret>	"Just want some negotiations to be made."
<DM>	*You notice this particular Keaton has... a twirly mustache. That's right. The furry fellow has a mustache with more fur to be twirled. He twirls it as he eyes you inquisitively.
*	Daltus eyes the mustache jeal-- dangit, no, he is NOT jealous of someone else's mustache!
<DM>	[Keaton]: And on what grounds do you intend to negotiate on? HMM? Is it about supplies? Weapons? ... MUSTACHES?
<Margaret>	"Aid, to be more precise."
<DM>	[Keaton]: Orders from Lady Memphis herself! No outsiders are to be permitted inside without explicit-
<DM>	*He pauses for a moment.
<DM>	[Keaton]: Aid, you say?
<DM>	*He twirls his stache some more.
<DM>	[Keaton]: What... kind of aid?
<DM>	[Keaton]: Aids? Bandaids? KOOLAID-
*	DM slaps Keaton over the head.
<Margaret>	"Well, we do have a tax notice here, says your group hasn't been paying up. We'd like to know what's going on and see if we could come to an agreement."
*	Sebastian procures the parchment scroll and presents it to Margaret.
<DM>	*The Keaton closes the window, and with your Spirit Vision, he runs up to someone else. You hear, thanks to your slightly heightened Hylian ears (they're not quite as good as the real thing, but enough for the situation), some gibbering and gabbering.
<DM>	*After a pause, he opens the window again.
<DM>	[Keaton]: T-t-taxes?! I.. I had no idea we fell under Hylian jurisdiction!
<Margaret>	"Well, I suppose you could say we do want to protect our people."
<DM>	*Mustache twirling intensifies, not out of doubt, but out of fear. It becomes frayed and dry. Darte- err Daltus, you become less jealous.
<DM>	[Keaton]: I-I'll want some proof. PROOF, you see, before I let you enter!
<Daltus>	27h 16m | Less Jealous
*	Sebastian procures the parchment scroll and presents it to Margaret.
<Margaret>	"Well, you could look over this notice, if you wish."
<DM>	*You procure the scroll once, you procure it again, and Margaret ends up presenting it once, but twice over!
<DM>	*The worried Keaton quickly eyes it with his scope, not once, but twice over, and twice again for the other scroll! Sweat drops quickly form and drop from stache to fur.
<Margaret>	"Alternatively, I am uncertain if you've noticed, but there has been some commotion elsewhere."
<DM>	*He closes the window, and you can hear him yell out to someone from within.
<DM>	[Keaton]: CHARLIE! INFORM THE LADY! There are... TAXES... to be discussed!
<DM>	[Keaton]: And get Aila up here, immediately!
<DM>	*He opens the window once more, motioning to you to step forward.
<DM>	[Keaton]: We're opening the gate now. But our Overseer is watching you all. She watches better than I do, even with three scopes to my eyes! No tricks, y'hear?
*	Margaret bows towards the Keaton "Indeed."
<Daltus>	https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YABUN0NF9o
<Kefka>	YouTube: Oeo Oeeo - Wizard of Oz - Views: 18,666 - Length: 12 - Uploaded: 2017-03-02 - User: 素晴らしいですSubarashidesu - Likes: 69 - Dislikes: 8
*	Margaret motions to the others to step forward, proceeding to do so herself.
<DM>	*Through your Spirit Vision, you wallhack a bit to see half a dozen Keaton running rampant inside, freaking out to each other about taxes. A pair of them get up to the gate controls from the inside and proceed to wind the gates open.
*	Sebastian steps forward, staying in formation with Margaret.
*	Daltus preserves formation as best he can as they pass through the gate.
<DM>	*The gate before you opens inwards, revealing itself to be a pair of great doors. There's some open grounds ahead, followed by the doors to the interior of Fort Reikon itself. Before you're able to proceed, another Keaton, of shorter stature, appears before you.
*	Margaret bows before the Keaton.
<DM>	*She's got golden fur, and some sort of white mask obscuring the top part of her face, making it appear as though the top half of her face is of white fur. Peering into her soul, you can see that it seems malformed, and she lets out a giggle and a smile as she inspects you all.
<DM>	[Keaton]: Greetings, esteemed Hylians. I am Aila, though you may call me The Overseer.
<DM>	*She gives you a curtsy bow.
<Margaret>	"Greetings to you, too."
*	Sebastian bows towards Aila.
<DM>	*She seems to give you a good stare, as if peering into your own souls. She finishes her personal inspection, then gives you an uncomfortably wide smile.
<DM>	[The Overseer]: I see that you're all who you say you are, teehee!
*	Daltus keeps one hand just touching one of his blades as he leans into a formal bow.
<DM>	[The Overseer]: I have been expecting your arrival. Ever since the Hylian Guard sent in a group of spies to steal one of our... assets, we haven't quite recovered, you see. And I'm sure we're behind on tax codes.
<DM>	[The Overseer]: Surely you three aren't from the Hylian Guard exactly, yes? Perhaps... one of the New Royal Court families?
<Margaret>	"Glad to be your acquaintance."
<DM>	[The Overseer]: Being quaint about which one specifically, I see. Well, no matter, I'm sure such dealings will be revealed with Memphis. Please, allow me to lead you in.
*	Margaret bows again "Thank you kindly."
*	Sebastian bows as well.
*	Daltus narrows his eyes as he bows, but keeps in formation with Maggie and Sebastian.
<DM>	*The Overseer twirls her violet robes, which, as she wanders into one of the shadows, you see white spots on it shine beautifully like starlight, as if she becomes part of the night itself. She opens the door and leads you in.
<DM>	*You head inside, passing by more Keatons, each branding their own weapons, not bothering to hide them to you. You pass by a much larger room, containing what appears to be some sort of vehicle, but you're lead down some stairs before you're able to take a better look at it.
<DM>	*Heading down the steps, you see some blast marks. You're led into a hallway, round the Mess Hall and Barracks, and at last, you end up in front of an important lookin' room.
<DM>	*The Overseer taps on the door with a specific rhythm. From inside, you can tell there's someone inside with quite a mad soul!
*	DM pokes Orithan.
<DM>	[The Overseer]: Lady Memphis! I've brought the three Hylian Tax Collectors, as requested.
*	Margaret bows before Memphis.
<DM>	*You bow before the door.
<DM>	*Congrats.
<Margaret>	(oh, didn't see that the door didn't open)
<Memphis>	"Bring 'em in."
<Margaret>	(... or wasn't open)
<Daltus>	(She's just practicing.)
<DM>	*At her command, the door itself opens, as if beckoning to her whims. Inside, you see... hang on.
<DM>	*Awaiting inside the Command Center is Lady Memphis, a middle-aged Keaton with blast scars over the visible parts of her frayed body.
*	Margaret proceeds to bow before Memphis.
*	Sebastian bows before Lady Memphis alongside Margaret.
<DM>	*Without the door in the way, you notice you're having trouble looking directly at her with your Spirit Vision. You're not entirely sure how to turn it off, either.
*	Daltus bows as well.
<DM>	*Entering, you end up in a small well-decorated room; the stone walls and floor covered in cloth bearing the Salvadman Coat of Arms. One can see the same statues as the one in the hallway towards the back; a few small beds to the side, a small desk in the centre and a large bookcase towards the back; pushed out of the way of a doorway.
<Sebastian>	(What's a centre?)
<DM>	(It's like a colour, but centre'd.)
<Margaret>	(opposite of center, clearly)
<DM>	(... I'm about to get kicked.)
*	Sebastian kicks DM out the window.
*	You have been kicked from #zurpg by Sebastian (You have been kicked out the window and you landed on a saw blade! OMG, it's turned on! «20,388»)
*	Memphis bobs her head around, looking at each of the three Hylians bowing before her. "Care to introduce yourself to the esteemed Lady Memphis?" she asked gingerly, skeptical of their arrival
<Margaret>	"Pleasure to meet you, Lady Memphis."
*	DM reconstitutes himself after getting split it half from the saw blade, and returns to his now bloodied perch from within the Fourth Wall.
<Margaret>	"I am Margaret Carter, these two are Daltus Faraday and Sebastian."
<DM>	*The Overseer walks over to her side, giving her a quick report.
<DM>	[The Overseer]: I can assure you, Lady Memphis, these three... *giggles* are exactly who they say they are.
<DM>	*She returns yet another uncomfortably wide grin at you all before returning to her usual composure.
*	Daltus tries to skim the rest of the room surreptitiously
<DM>	*Daltus, skimming the rest of the room, you notice the bookcase looks a tad... out of place. The sense of space around it feels untidy, compared to the rest of the room. Perhaps there's something behind it?
<DM>	[The Overseer]: Now, if you three would present your case. Lady Memphis has little time for games, so if you're here to waste her time, you can be sure you won't be collecting taxes much longer, teehee.
<Margaret>	"Indeed."
*	Memphis raises an eyebrow to the Overseer's behaviour before continuing on with her speech. "I don't think I have heard of Hylians with such names. Must be the result of... cultural diversity within Hyrule nowadays." she spoke as she looked at the three in turn and locked onto the tax parchments.
<DM>	*The wide-grinned Keaton steps to the side, overseeing the conversation. Margaret, you notice she's staring particularly at you with quite a perplexed look, for some reason.
*	Margaret presents the tax notice to Memphis "Affirmative."
<Margaret>	"We want to know if there's been anything going on that may have rendered you unable to completely pay off the taxes."
<Margaret>	"And, perhaps, come to a compromise with both parties."
<DM>	*You present your tax notice, and it includes all sorts of overdue dues, some notes about the unsightly presentation of its scarred walls, lack of proper care to the place, and other notes you've been scribbling with your mind since entering.
*	Memphis scoops the tax notice up with her clawed hands, resting the parchment on her paw pads before unraveling it in front of her face to read it.
<DM>	*Memphis finds that everything with the tax notice is indeed... legit. Though, it's some curious timing, considering the state of things out there..
*	Memphis looked over to Margaret. "If only Lady Stella was around... She'd have your heads in a heartbeat for even insuinating we have to pay tax. But such is life, I guess we will have to find some way to repay these taxes... of the things we should have been able to fix."
<Margaret>	"Well, it is possible to provide some exemption, if necessary."
*	Daltus pipes up quietly beside Maggie. "The royal family is nothing if not gracious."
<Orithan>	(Daltus, the name "Stella" brings you some minor PTSD when Jabu-Jabu's nightmare got invaded and mind corrupted)
<Daltus>	(Indeed.)
<DM>	[The Overseer]: Hmm? The Royal Family themselves, you say?
<DM>	[The Overseer]: Correct me if I'm wrong, but... aren't they directly affiliated with the Hylian Guard? In fact, I was under the impression the Hylian Guard served under them...
*	Memphis turns to Margaret with a stern look, her eyes beginning to appear to light up on fire. "If Princess Zelda and Gustaf are still in the Royal Family, I want no business with them. They denied Thoughter of his rite of passage!"
<Margaret>	"Well, that is troubling. However, we may come up with a sort of compromise for all of this."
*	Daltus 's eyes squint, and he suppresses a hiss under his breath.
<DM>	*The Keaton shorty puts a hand on Lady Memphis' shoulder.
<DM>	[The Overseer]: My Lady, do not fret quite yet, I am merely bringing up a suspicion. We may yet benefit from this. I recommend we carry forward with...
<DM>	*She gives you another really wide grin before turning back to Memphis.
<DM>	[The Overseer]: Negotiations and compromises.
<DM>	*Each time The Overseer gives you that grin, there's a bit of a flare up in her soul. Though, that might just be a result of close proximity to Lady Memphis.
<Margaret>	"While it is true that some actions in the past may have been... questionable, to say the least, we could perhaps figure out something for the best of us."
<Margaret>	"After all, we do want to provide our citizens with utmost safety and shelter."
*	Memphis turned back to Alia and then back to Margaret again. "I'm sure we will be able to strike some negotiations with the Hylian Royal family. Maybe trading some technology and... science as part of our tax payment. I'm sure Hylians would like a bit more technology to help keep them safe."
<DM>	(Tech sounds nice, though you recall the Zola specifically asking for food...)
<Margaret>	"Speaking of which, could we perhaps help you in creation of these technologies?"
*	Daltus frowns, leaning forward to speak to Maggie, then recalls his role and bends himself forcibly back into posture.
*	Memphis reaches into her pockets and pulls out a bunch of three fruit that look like large cherries. Plump and blood red in colour, the fruit smell delicious but also you feel uneasy about the possibility of eating them*
<Margaret>	"Perhaps maybe some food and shelter for some of our forces, while we provide labor to help out your own forces?"
<Memphis>	"These lovely fruit, what we like to call Forbidden Fruit, is a creation of ours. Not only are they delicious but also they are great in combat as food or as bombs."
<DM>	*Your eyes twitch as you hear "food" and "bomb" used interchangeably, but you're nonetheless curious.
<Margaret>	"It may prove to be useful against enemies, is there any potential... concerns about this fruit?"
<Daltus>	(It's not FDA approved.)
*	Sebastian kicks Daltus out the window.
*	Sebastian has kicked Daltus from #zurpg (You have been kicked out the window and you landed in an asteroid field! «20,389»)
<DM>	(who'd be the FDA in this case? The Deku Scrubs?)
<Daltus>	(Gorons. They're the only ones who'd qualify rocks as food.)
<DM>	(POINT.)
*	Memphis chuckles for a moment. "Be careful of who eats them - they can be violently addictive when given to the wrong person"
<DM>	[The Overseer]: It sounds like a deal in the making. Would you all like to inspect our crop?
<Margaret>	"I see... Are there perhaps any other food, such as meat? Nutritional diversity would be beneficial for good health."
*	Daltus leans forward, whispering to Maggie.
<DM>	[The Overseer]: *raising an eyebrow* Meat? Uhh... well, we Keaton do enjoy such a delicacy from time to time, though... I'm not so sure of how much we have...
*	Memphis cackled a bit. "We also have the technology to augment our farm animals. Produce extra meat... especially pork." she pipes up, chuckling as she reaches into her bookcase
<Margaret>	"Well, an alternative may be doing something about the compromised river."
<DM>	[The Overseer]: And... what does the river have to do with anything?
<Margaret>	"Well, perhaps one may want to utilize the river to travel and make trade."
*	Memphis snaps her attention back to Margaret, raising her eyebrows after she pulled a set of blueprints out of the bookcase. "...Are you by chance working for those Zola folk?"
<Margaret>	"Gather resources if you will."
<Margaret>	"Well, we have heard their side of the story, but we also thought we might want to hear your side of the story."
<Daltus>	(Ooooooh no.)
<Margaret>	"Wouldn't be much of a negotiation if we didn't consider potential sides."
*	Memphis looked back for a moment, giving herself a time to breathe for a moment before returning to Margaret. "As you see... the Zola have been harassing us, Taking my men as food. I cannot allow that to happen anymore. As punishment for attacking us one last time, we blasted the river and blocked it off."
<DM>	[The Overseer]: Margaret, was it? Lady Memphis, do you mind if I accompany her to show her the damage caused by the Zola? Of course, I'm sure these other two are more than sufficient to continue... *grinning once more* Negotiations.
<Margaret>	"Hmm... I see... Well, perhaps we could have them hunt for other food instead? Do you perhaps have any suggestions?"
*	Daltus 's eyes glint at the phrasing, but he can't quite bring himself to meet Memphis' gaze, somehow.
<DM>	*That mad glow from within her seems to lash out at you as the talks go a bit... awry.
<Margaret>	"Although, now that I am reminded of it... I did hear from the grapevine that the Deku Scrubs wanted to steal something from the Keatons... Uncertain what that is about."
*	Memphis nodded to Alia. "Go ahead. Show them the pelts we managed to return home from the Zola."
<DM>	[The Overseer]: Deku Scrubs, eh? Those conniving salesmen are always on about something. Always after Lady Memphis for her technology...
<DM>	[The Overseer]: Now then. Shall we, Margaret?
<DM>	*She opens the door back out to the hallway, offering a free party split.
<Margaret>	"I suppose so, perhaps we could discuss about some... unusual activity."
<Margaret>	"That is, if you are willing to comply."
*	Memphis growled a little in response to the Deku Scrub thing. "Ah yes. The great rumour that has been running around recently like a bunch of Gossip Stones. Yes, the deku scrubs want that drill we have."
<DM>	[The Overseer]: Yes. Quite unusual. Daltus and Sebastian, if I got your names correct, if you two would humble Lady Memphis while I accompany Lady Margaret.

-=MEANWHLILE=-

<DM>	*Margaret, the Overseer leads you down the hallway, makes a turn, and heads "past" the food stores. She waits for another Keaton to pass by, out of earshot.
<DM>	[The Overseer]: May I ask you a question?
<DM>	[The Overseer]: Who are you? What's your real identity?
<Margaret>	"Well, you caught me, though I suppose that was to be expected."
<Margaret>	"I am named Melizea Fiammetta, if you must know."
<Margaret>	"Not from around these parts, as you may have already guessed."
<DM>	[The Overseer]: Melizea, eh? And... from where do you come from?
<DM>	*As she looks at you, it's as if she's staring into your soul. Again.
<DM>	[The Overseer]: Yes, and in your party, the mustache-man is a Zora, and the blondy is a Gaian, very likely to be "the Menace with Silver Hair".
<DM>	*She taps her mask, and you sense an overflow of spiritual power from it.
<Margaret>	"Yes, indeed."
<DM>	[The Overseer]: The mask gives me Spirit Vision, so please, no need to tiptoe around me anymore. But worry not, I'll let you continue your... "tax plan". I'm curious to see how our Lady Memphis will respond. It's so... exquisitely intriguing.
<DM>	*The way she says "exquisite" feels out of place. There's more flare-ups with her soul, even though Memphis isn't nearby.
<DM>	*She leads you back up the stairs and finally into the Garage, a grand room housing multiple technological marvels. Wooden constructs that look like they could be weapons.
<Margaret>	"Funny you mention that, since we're kind of in a bit of a tough place, with all that's going on outside this area."
<DM>	[The Overseer]: Magnificent, are they not? These here are the fruits of our Mad Lady's ingenuity. It's a pity they're not as useful as they seem, without something to power them...
<DM>	[The Overseer]: You said you wish for food, yes? We'll be willing to give you all the food necessary, along with some of our technology. In exchange though...
<DM>	[The Overseer]: Would you happen to know of a power source? One that can power...
<Margaret>	"Hmm... Well, I suppose the usability would be sufficient, given the right circumstances."
<DM>	*She points to the one that looks like it's a cannon atop a small bunker with wheels.
<DM>	[The Overseer]: That one.
<DM>	[The Overseer]: And what circumstances would those be?
<DM>	[The Overseer]: Please, with the war out there coming towards us, we're in desperate need of greater defenses. Of greater... weapons.
<Margaret>	"Well, it depends on the situation, you could say. Like what Lady Memphis described."
*	Margaret looks towards the cannon "Hmm... I wonder..."
<Margaret>	"Do you mind if I inspect it?"
<DM>	[The Overseer]: Of course, of course! I'm sure the Hylians in particular have something in mind that could power it.
*	Margaret goes over to the cannon to inspect it.
<DM>	*It appears to be a decent size vehicle, twice the size of a traditional carriage. It looks like it can hold maybe 3 on the inside. As for the oversized cannon, it looks like it can rotate like a turret. And you're not sure what exactly it fires, but whatever it's capable of, you're sure it can blast open a wall with ease.
<DM>	*Your smile-loving friend calls out to another Keaton, and returns with some keys. She opens the hatch to the vehicle.
<Margaret>	"I apologize for the further inquiries, but do you perhaps mind explaining some of the functionality and intent behind machinery?"
<DM>	[The Overseer]: We call this vehicle a "Battle Tank". This here, you see, is the second version. The first, unfortunately, perished in an unfortunate incident.
<DM>	[The Overseer]: Well, from what our scouts report, some of those creatures from the war coming to our doorstep are quite formidable in size. This here, if only we had a power source for it, could protect us from such foes.
<DM>	[The Overseer]: It could even clear out the blockade on the river, if you so wished.
<DM>	[The Overseer]: I'm sure Lady Memphis would be more than happy to accommodate you for anything you asked for in return for a simple favor. Afterall, you said you were chatting with the Deku Scrubs. Surely they know of something that can aid us, yes?
<Margaret>	"Is the build plan top-secret? Perhaps it may be useful for finding a suitable power source, such as electricity."
<DM>	[The Overseer]: Electricity? I've never heard of anyone using electricity as a power source before...
<DM>	[The Overseer]: Something like that is incredibly unstable. Who has the ability to harness such a thing?
<Margaret>	"Well, it may require some metals, such as gold or silver. Copper is also a viable choice, and with proper insulation methods, electricity can be usable for a lot of things."
<DM>	*She eyes you inquisitively once more.
<DM>	[The Overseer]: ... from what land did you say you come from, again?
<Margaret>	"I have never mentioned it, but if you must know, I come from Geulia."
<DM>	[The Overseer]: Geulia... Geulia... Hmm....
<Margaret>	"Combined some Picori technology with some of our own findings, led us to some advancements in society and the like."
<DM>	[The Overseer]: I've never heard of such a place. It sounds... quite grand.
<Margaret>	"You'd be surprised, we can even channel some magic if we wanted to."
<DM>	[The Overseer]: I see, I see... About the electricity. How would you channel it into powering this tank, for example?
<Margaret>	"Well, for one, we could have there be a main engine to allow powering the wheels and cannon."
<DM>	[The Overseer]: An... engine? I'm afraid I don't know what that is.
<Margaret>	"Perhaps even allow for additional mechanisms if you wish, like a shield."
<DM>	[The Overseer]: Do you have one nearby? Perhaps you could take me to it.
<Margaret>	"An engine is basically a generator, if you will."
<Margaret>	"Of course, we'd want such systems to be contained in such a way to prevent electrocution."
<Margaret>	"Hence the insulation."
<DM>	[The Overseer]: Well then, if you'd like, you can inspect the interior here.
<DM>	*With the hatch opened, she motions inside.
*	Margaret follows through.

-=MEANWHILE=-

<DM>	*The Overseer leads your lead negotiator out of the room. Daltus, all of a sudden, you realize your mustache doesn't hide you as well as you think. And Sebastian, although your hair is quite fine and would make Loreal blush (because you're worth it), you're not sure your hair alone can do the talking.
<Daltus>	(Are you sure he's not using conditioner? Because his hair speaks /volumes/.)
*	Memphis sighed to get some air for a moment "The deal we had going for the Zola before they attacked us one last time was that they would trade their lightning generator for our secrets to augmenting pigs to get more pork out of them" she explained with an uneasy smirk on her face.
*	Daltus sweats just a little, watching where they depart, just in case. "Drill, Lady Overseer? I can't see why scrubs would want such a thing when they seem perfectly, ah, suited to drilling on their own."
*	Memphis glared at Daltus. "The Deku Scrubs are super super touchy about who touches the underground and how. They don't want us to have the drill so we can't drill into the underground"
*	Daltus opens his mouth to protest, biting his tongue at the last second. He takes a breath, hoping his fury doesn't show on his face. "I... understand. We will see if we can apply any pressure on that front. Certainly, we may have requests of our own regarding /where/ you dig, but I'm sure the Royal Family is... amenable."
*	Memphis sweats a little herself. "We have been digging about our territories to find mineral deposits for us to mine. The Deku Scrubs see that drill as a threat to their territory"
<Daltus>	"A mediation may be in order, if you would permit. We would be glad to serve you in that station, for the greater stability of Hyrule's people."
*	Memphis looked over to Daltus, focusing on his moustache. "And what will you two bring to the table. Time is not on our side."
*	Daltus narrows his eyes. "I believe the offer is to mediate between you and the Deku, in exchange for a large excision from the taxes due. The precise amounts are, of course, for Margaret to finalize. But I am authorized to frame the offer."
*	Sebastian nods.
*	Memphis nodded. "Be very careful when negotiating with the Deku Scrubs. They've tried to trap a few of our men"
*	Daltus looks to Sebastian. "We've... had troubles of our own, yes. We'd like to think we've learned a couple of tools for... dealing with them, now."
<Daltus>	(He has /no idea/ how true that is)
*	Sebastian nods.
<DM>	(Welcome to Bluffing 101)
*	Memphis squinted at Daltus inquisitively. "So we shall pay a share of our tax and then negotiate with the Deku Scrubs to see what can be done to ease our relationship between them? Done deal?"
*	Memphis looked over to the door and back. "What's taking Alia so long? The pelts are currently stored in the store room awaiting to be buried at a safer time."
<Daltus>	"A reduced share. We'll consider the mediating role sufficient payment for that portion. And that is in addition to damages that may be credited to you, due to our inability to contain the Zola."
*	Memphis looks at the paper. "I guess this is a deal then." the said.
*	Daltus raises his brow. "I believe Margaret will be pleased to hear. She can refine the terms when she arrives, in case her estimates are not to your liking."
<DM>	*With a quick look of Spirit Vision to wallhack, it seems as though both Margaret and The Overseer are nowhere near back yet.
*	Memphis nods. "I guess we don't need to be twiddling our thumbs waiting for Margaret and Alia to return. I'll take you to them then" she piped up, looking for Alia again.
*	Memphis moves over to the door and enters through it, standing outside of the room awaiting Sebastian and Daltus before moving ahead.
*	Daltus nods. "Seems reasonable. Do lead the way, Lady Overseer. We can have this business wrapped up quickly."
*	Sebastian bows and follows after the Lady Memphis.
*	Daltus nudges Sebastian ahead, making sure his own silhouette is framed in the doorway before making a furtive golden dash to the bookcase.
<DM>	*You allow Lady Memphis to lead you out. She takes you back around the hallway, and then peers into the Food Stores room.
<DM>	*It would see your friend is not in there.
* Memphis peers into the storage room looking past the stores of food, which include more of those fruit and plenty of ham that looks particularly dark in colour, and pelts. "... what is Alia and Margaret up to now? They better not be where I think they are..."
* Memphis nods and turned back to see that Daltus is not around... "Daltus isn't here... did he get lost?"
* Memphis scans the mess hall for signs of Keaton activity.
<DM>	*Sebastian, looking around, Daltus has very conveniently gotten "lost".
<Daltus>	(*innocent whistle*)
<Memphis>	(Are there any Keaton in the Mess Hall?)
<DM>	(Yeah, let's say... two of em. Lazing around, eating some of that "modified pork", and playing cards against each other.)
*	Memphis looks over to the two Keaton. "Wilbur! Thomas!" she called to them to get their attention.
<DM>	*The two look up with smiles, realize it's Memphis, then scurry to hide the cards before scampering forward to be called to attention.
<DM>	[Wilbur]: Aye, miss!
<DM>	[Thomas]: Wot's up, Cap'n?
<DM>	[Wilbur]: *smacking Thomas upside the head* Yew idiot, she's tha boss, not a ship cap'n!
*	Memphis nodded to them with a slight grin. "Get on patrol. We have a guest who has gone missing. A scrawny lanky Hylian with a massive moustache. Fetch him and bring him back to me in the Garage" she ordered the two soldiers before looking back to Sebastian and walking towards the exit to the hallway
*	Sebastian follows Memphis.
*	Memphis then goes to the Garage, presumably with Sebastian in tow
*	Sebastian follows Memphis to the Garage.

-=MEANWHILE=-

<DM>	*Margaret, you hop on down into the tank, seeing some small windows to see out of. There's some cranks and levers for movement, and a steering wheel for turning the cannon. Systems-wise, it's crude by your race's standards, but you're pretty sure you could hook up that Lightning Orb to it.
<DM>	[The Overseer]: So, would it work?
<DM>	*It looks like there's plenty of insulation as well. Almost as if it was designed for the Lightning Orb...
<Margaret> "Affirmative, and, if you wish, you could potentially mix and match energy sources to allow for functionality."
<Margaret> "I particularly remember mana being able to channel through gold and silver rather effectively."
<Margaret> "Of course, that'd require enough material to be able to use these things."
<DM>	[The Overseer]: I see, I see. I believe we have those metals from.... previous expeditions. But of course, that's no good without a... power source? Did I get that right? I think I understand it...
<Margaret>	"Yes, indeed. We could have alternative backup energy sources if necessary."
<DM>	*The more that The Overseer speaks, the less she sounds like the elegant, watchful eye of Memphis, and the more she sounds... foreign.
<Margaret>	"However, we do want to be careful with the amount of energy passing through, too much may compromise the system, and too little would make it not viable."
<DM>	*You notice The Overseer looks down at the ground, seemingly at nothing, then back at you. She hastens the conversation forward.
<DM>	[The Overseer]: Yes, yes, I see, I see. Now, this all sounds good and all, but ultimately, we cannot adhere to your wishes without something in return. And you know now, especially now that I've given you the good grace to inspect this personally, what it is we desire.
<Margaret>	"Well, we're still negotiations, of course. If you wish, we could help out the Keatons with advancement and other matters."
<Margaret>	(negotiating*)
<DM>	[The Overseer]: I'll need more specifics than that...
<Margaret>	"If you wish for us to help build more of the machinery, we may be able to provide."
<DM>	[The Overseer]: Yes, yes, but machinery is nothing without power, you see, yes?
<Margaret>	"Indeed, energy transfer and conversion will be considered."

-=MEANWHILE=-

<DM>	*Daltus, meanwhile, you booked it for the bookcase, and pushing it aside, you indeed find a hidden passageway!
<DM>	*Where it leads, you're not sure...
*	Daltus books it down the passage; no time to scan ahead, though he does try to see if there's any nasty surprises visible with Spirit Vision. "In and out," he mutters.
<DM>	*You rev it up the passageway, climbing a quick half-spiral staircase, then seeing what appears to be a chute. You dart yourself through the chute with a single leap, and you land in the Armory, a room filled with not just of weapons unforetold, but of great cannonballs. There's also some more of those fruits.
<DM>	*Okay, checking out the weaponry, there's... enough explosive ammunition in here to take down a whole castle. And more.
<DM>	*However, it seems very secure. Without an incredible impact, you don't think you could pierce the casings.
*	Daltus examines the firing mechanisms, to see if there's a way to disable them at least. If only Mel was about, she'd probably understand these things better...
<DM>	*As you check them out, you notice something off with your Spirit Vision.
<DM>	*Looking towards the west wall, you can see your friends are in the room on the other side, along with Memphis and... well, you think it's The Overseer, but frankly, the intensity of madness coming off it...
<DM>	*It actually reminds you of someone else. And that smile... that Chesire smile she keeps doing from time to time. Reminds you of someone indeed...
*	Daltus growls quietly. "Patience. Patience. Focus on the war at hand. There'll be time for dealing with this later. Just gotta get the food, open the river, and get moving." He leaves the weaponry be for now, looking up the way he'd come. "Not a chance I'm making it back up there, so..." He finds a place to hide, and begins winding his Magic Clock, one hand tucked to a certain sword at his side.
<DM>	*You find a nice place to hide inside of.... a chest?
<DM>	*Well, what's the worst that could happen here?
<DM>	*Would you like to enter the chest?
*	Daltus will do that, downing a green potion before doing so. He has a plan...
<DM>	*You pop open the chest, take the plunge, and close it in over your head.
<DM>	*You find the inside of the chest to be... roomier than you previously thought. In fact, you've got room to spread your limbs.
<DM>	*You hear the door open from outside. There's some footsteps, along with a Keaton remarking to himself...
<DM>	[Wilbur]: Huh, the shoot's open.
*	Daltus charges Slipstream, with the aid of the magic clock (if DM sanctions it)
<DM>	(go nuts)
<DM>	[Wilbur]: Hmm... nothing's out of the ordinary here. Oh wait, the chest, of course!
<DM>	*You hear someone uhh.... courtesies of a suggestion from #zurpgchat
<DM>	*You hear a key fiddling around from just outside the chest.
<Daltus>	(Going to try to use it to slide into the hallway outside the Garage, since the door's open and the area's connected?)
<DM>	(From... inside the chest?)
<Daltus>	(Indeed)
<DM>	*You try to slide around, but now that you're locked inside the chest, you end up uhh.... sliding your chest across the floor. The Keaton outside audibly stumbles to the side.
<DM>	[Wilbur]: W-woah-hoh, what in the-?! This chest is HAUNTED!
<DM>	*You somehow make it to the door, and while still stuck inside the chest, you barrel through the door.
<Daltus>	(Welp. Was intending that to be /through/ the slipstream portal. This is going to be weird to explain to the team.)
<DM>	(oh no)
<Margaret>	(did he unintentionally merge himself with the chest)

-=MEANWHILE=-

<DM>	*Sebastian, following Memphis, you head on up the stairs, and you find yourselves at the Garage, where you see The Overseer chatting it up with.... someone inside of the Battle Tank. Sebastian, from your Spirit Vision, you can see that it's Melizea- err Maggie, inside of the tank.
*	Daltus curses. "Jabu's caviar, not getting back through there easily. Nothing for it." He peruses the place, frowning. "May need to... do some work here."
<DM>	*Also, looking to the side, through the east wall, you can see your fishy friend- I mean bearded friend clamoring around inside a nearby room.
<DM>	*The Overseer looks up at Memphis, and calls out gleefully.
<DM>	[The Overseer]: Ah, My Lady, I apologize for the delay, but as it turns out, Lady Mel- Margaret here, is actually a skilled mechanic! She says she may be able to figure out the issue with our tank, particularly in regards to its power source. I figured I'd just show her the ropes, but of course, she's already figuring it out so fast, teehee...
*	DM punts Daltus to #zurpg2.
*	Memphis 's face darts around. Fighting to bite her tongue in rage, she turns over to Alia.
<Memphis>	"Alia, you must obtain my permission to talk about engineering the tank. You've been acting strange lately, almost like my experiments are finally taking a toll on you."
<DM>	*There's another flareup in her soul as she responds. As you look at it, the madness in her soul seems... arguably more intense than even Mad Lady Memphis.
<DM>	[The Overseer]: Teehee, wellll it's your experiments, of course you'd know me best, teehee! It's just, well, of course, the umm, well... Negotiations! I thought we might speed things along. After all, a war is coming to our front door, and we need all the power we can get!
<Margaret>	(where are we in relation? not sure if still in the tank or not)
*	Memphis shook her head in disappointment. "I thought you'd be more calm and collected than this. You'd never give someone you don't know access to the tank before"
<DM>	(You're still in the tank, and The Overseer is positioned atop it, seemingly blocking your escape.)
<DM>	[The Overseer]: But you said it yourself. Without power, the tank is useless. And well, if she does possess the power to use it... wouldn't that make her useful to us?
<Margaret>	"Only as much as necessary, that is."
*	Memphis barks "All matters involving the tank must be run by me, or anyone who I approve to run it through. In this case you have no rights to give people access to the tank on your own - that person may be very well a mole sent by the Hylian Guard to steal the tank like what happened last time!"
<DM>	*She gives an elongated sigh.
<DM>	[The Overseer]: Fiiine fine. Just figured we'd speed things along, is all. Mel- err Margaret, if you don't mind, could you please exit the tank?
<Margaret>	"Indeed."
*	Margaret attempts to climb out the tank.
*	Memphis readies her focus on the lid of the tank...
<DM>	*You exit the tank, and she closes it up. With such close proximity, you see her throw the key back at the other Keaton nearby. However, you see that The Overseer still is carrying "the key", slipping it into her robe.
*	Margaret silently keeps that in mind.
<DM>	*She hops off the tank and slowly walks back towards Memphis.
<DM>	[The Overseer]: My apologies, Lady Memphis, for the way I've gone behind your back. It's unbecoming of me. I just wanted to know more about that Lightning Orb, you see. I think Maggie here knows where it is.
<Margaret>	"As intriguing as the tank is, I do not wish to steal it from its rightful owners."
*	Memphis stared at Alia in surprise "... I thought you knew about the lightning orb. You were around for when the Zola attacked us last? You saw the lightning bolts, you saw its potential when properly harnessed. Why are you asking about its existence now?"
<Margaret>	"Perhaps more unusual phenomena is at hand."
<DM>	[The Overseer]: Well, yes, of course, I know about it, I'm just wondering where it is. And it seems Margaret might know a thing or two about it.
<DM>	*The Overseer stops in her tracks, no longer closing the distance to Memphis.
*	Memphis looks at Alia's mask more closely, noticing the cracks it has. "I am thinking it is the results of my experiments... but the amount of power needed to crack this mask is something else. Something beyond the scope of my experiments"
<DM>	[The Overseer]: Nonsense, nonsense, you possess all the power in Eastern Hyrule, My Lady!
*	Memphis backs off a little in fear. "If this is my experiment, it's gone horribly right. So right that it's actually bad"
<Margaret>	"Is it a bad time to ask how the negotiations went so far?"
<DM>	*A full semicircle forms on the visible part of her face. Suddenly, you notice through Spirit Vision, her very soul itself smiling back at you two.
<DM>	*Suddenly, from a nearby door, a treasure chest suddenly slides out and blasts through it.
<DM>	*A befuzzled Keaton stumbles out, tripping over the sliding chest.
*	Memphis barks out as an alarm call, raising the alarm, before pulling out her Poe Lantern.
<Memphis>	"We need to contain Alia! Now!"
<DM>	[Wilbur]: THIS CHEST IS HAUNTED! IT'S MADDENING, EVEN BY YOUR STANDARDS, LADY MEMPHIS!
<DM>	*You notice, somewhere inside that chest, via Spirit Vision Wallhax, it's none other than Darte.
<DM>	*Because of course his Daltus-sized stache would somehow get himself locked inside of a chest.
<DM>	*As for Alia, well...
*	Daltus scrambles to change armor inside the chest, cursing.
<Memphis>	"Deal with the chest later. We have have more pressing matters on our hands!"
*	Margaret sighs at the shenanigans with the chest.
<DM>	[The Overseer]: Hold on, no need to apprehend me, you should apprehend these three! They're not who they say they are. Three Hylians? Of course they're not Hylians, they're outsiders!
<DM>	*Daltus, you somehow manage to change armor inside that thing.
<Margaret>	"Well, you were asking quite a number of questions yourself."
*	Daltus becomes the Living Blade.
<DM>	*Meanwhile, with sirens sounding from above, a dozen Keaton come storming in. They first look befuzzled at the sliding chest, but with Memphis giving them some mad glares and pointing them in the direction of the now very sketchy Overseer, they surround her, weapons out.
*	Memphis growls "I don't care who they are at this point. What I care about now is you Alia! You are more of a threat to us right now with your madness!"
<DM>	[The Overseer]: Wait, you can see that? I thought for sure you lacked Spirit Vision...
*	Daltus rattles inside the chest.
<DM>	*The chest rattles once, it rattles twice, it rattles thrice...
<DM>	*The chest is evolving!
<DM>	*Guess that Pokemon!
<DM>	*It's...
*	Sebastian cancels the evolution
<Margaret>	(LMAO)
*	Memphis casts Mind Burn on herself and then drinks a jar of Honey!
<Memphis>	Mind Burn
<Memphis>	    SELL VALUE: 1000 Rupees
<Memphis>	    REQUIREMENTS: Fire
<Memphis>	    COSTS: 6 Magic
<Memphis>	    DESCRIPTION: Accelerate your or an ally’s mind; giving them a big attack boost but it also causes horrific pain over time.
<Memphis>	        EFFECT 1: Target gains 8 Attack Dice
<Memphis>	        EFFECT 2: However, target also gets stacks of Bleeding equal to 33% of their Maximum Hearts (minimum of Bleeding x7).
<Memphis>	Honey
<Memphis>	    Amount: 3
<Memphis>	    SELL VALUE: 75 Rupees
<Memphis>	    DESCRIPTION: A dose of honey from the remains of a Bee. While the Bee isn’t tasty, the honey is a sweet treat for sure.
<Memphis>	        EFFECT: Consume this to recover 4 Hearts & 2 Magic, and remove all Bleeding & Magic Bleeding from yourself.
<DM>	*You slam cancel on the evolution with a boot footstepped onto the chest, to prevent it from transforming.
<Memphis>	Memphis: ??h 19m | +8 Attack Dice
<DM>	*Daltus, you get halfway transformed into a blade, when suddenly, it just... stops.
<Memphis>	Now... I... am... mad...
<DM>	*Congrats, the lower half of you is now a handle, and the upper half is a mustache wielding fish.
<DM>	*Oh, and you finally have Slipstream charged.
<Margaret>	"We should proceed with caution."
<DM>	[The Overseer]: Aww, guess the gig's up. I suppose I'll have to go find that Lightning Orb for myself... though...
<Daltus>	(I dunno if that works, since Slipstream was attached to the Golden Armor)
<DM>	(.... HMM)
<Margaret>	(well, uhhh... guess you somehow merged both armors?)
<DM>	(I'll allow it. Though, you're gonna have to find a way to remove that boot that's preventing you from reaching your next evolution.)
<DM>	[The Overseer]: I guess that shouldn't be that hard anymore. Afterall, my forces will soon be here, so there should be plenty of chaos to go around...
<Memphis>	YOU! MONSTER! HAPPY MASK SALESMAN! PREPARE TO BE BURNED TO THE GROUND!
<DM>	[The Overseer]: Oh come on, at least let me remove my mask!
<DM>	[The Overseer]: Come on, no dramatic reveal? *sighs*
<Margaret>	"You don't need a mask anyway."
<DM>	[The Overseer]: Well then, since the gig's up... why don't I return the favor? How about you burn to the ground, instead?
<Margaret>	"If you have all this power, then why need a mask?"
*	Daltus rattles harder, and makes sad bubbling sounds.
<DM>	*The Overseer kindly removes the mask, and standing up from under the fur of what used to be The Overseer, a tall, skinny man in a purple suit stands up, dusts himself off, and snaps his fingers quite loudly.
<DM>	[Mask Man]: My pet, if you would kindly arise already...
<Margaret>	"You claim to have all this power, yet you call upon other things to do your bidding."
<Memphis>	Now's not the time for negotiations! Smite the masked man!
<DM>	*Before the Keaton are able to attack, the whole ground rumbles. Suddenly, vines and roots rip through the ground, and a familiar oversized Deku Baba emerges, except now it's got its flame breath back. And worse yet, standing atop the Boss Baba is none other than...
<DM>	[Fran]: WHO'S READY FOR DINNER?
<DM>	*The Boss Baba opens its mouth to fire a-
<DM>	-=LOADING=-
<DM>	-=LOADING=-
<DM>	-=SESSION END=-