The Prison of Awesome Doom

This location has been well known for what it truly is, as the ridiculous name took away any credibility it had. The prison is nothing more than a castle fashioned into a horror themed Inn that randomly takes in travelers and the homeless that are within the territory of the castle. Though you are free to leave from the moment you are brought in, for none of the "guards" are particularly invested in pretending to stop you.

You have your own reason for being here. Perhaps you were passing through and needed a place to stay, perhaps it was a dare, but all the same you are within the walls of Castle Augustus. And as you wander through the "Prison", your story begins. And little do you know what your future holds for you.

But all you know for sure that a boy named Magnus, the apparent "Warden" of this prison, is ineptly flirting with most of the women in the castle, attempting (and failing) to intimidate the men, and nervously blushing around those who are non-binary.

Daenae had arrived with her people not too long ago, only really planning on staying for the night because she heard the stories about this place. Namely that it gave free boarding and food because the vampire running the place had little else to do with his money. Or at least his Sire did. Apparently the kid was accidentally turned and didn't want to leave his house, so now he is an annoying little shit with a castle that was pleasantly dark.

Well Daenae thought it was pleasant.

Though she definitely wasn't a fan of how the skeletons littering the foyer were painfully fake. And she couldn't exactly pin what they were made of either, but it was utterly fake. She sighed and turned to her travel mates and spoke, signing along for Crystaria, "We're only staying fore the one night, do not entertain the owner of the establishment because I really don't need a kid hanging around us. Ok?"

She gave a smile to the two, "We just need to pick an available room."

"Oooh are we sharing? I call dibs on getting a bed!" Sina bounced on her toes, looking around. The "prison" was pretty different from anywhere she'd been before; for one, no one else kept fake bones lying around. Sina wondered briefly why they didn't just get real ones, and then remembered that humans tended to bury or burn their dead, and had a thing about digging them back up. Mayyybe not the best idea.

"What kind of kid runs an establishment like this anyways? That seems kind of weird." The siren frowned, hands on her hips. She just couldn't fathom a child in charge of a castle full of bones - fake or not. But if Daenae said they were a kid...



Behind them, the castle doors suddenly swung open with a bang. "Another prisoner, milord!" was announced, in a particularly bored voice. A large, cloaked figure was dragged through the entryway, struggling between two guards.

"Unhand me!" the "prisoner" snarled. "Unhand me this instant, or I'll hex your noses off! And where is my bird!?" At the first mention of hexes, the guards immediately let go and fled the area, just before the arrival of a gigantic, white bird through the still-open doorway. "There you are, Sylvi. And why did you let those fools get the drop on me, hmm?" Sylvi nuzzled its beak into the large person's chest, and they scratched under its chin.



"Oh! Are you a kidnapped guest? Daenae mentioned those, but I wasn't sure whether to believe her or not! I'm Sina and this is Felix!" Sina gestured to the cat around her shoulders. "Who're you?" she asked cheerily. A new person to meet! That was always exciting.



"...My name is Gwenderyn, and I suppose I am," the stranger said, in a rather grouchy tone. "This useless lump is Sylvi, if we're giving introductions. Should your companions introduce themselves as well? I was trying to avoid this place, but I suppose I ought to stay a night or two since I'm here anyways..." The last part was said in an undertone, almost as though Gwenderyn didn't mean to say it aloud.



Sina gasped. "Do you want to stay with us? We were about to look for a room! I called dibs on a bed already, though! What do you think, Daenae? Crysta?"

Crystaria found herself staring at the decor in their environment. Her eyes drifted towards any source of light they could find, she was distracted by it for a moment, before snapping back to the matter at hand. <Do you not like children, Daenae?> Crystaria signed, tilting her head in confusion. She made a soft clicking noise with her tongue and took a seat on her obscenely large Bee-like creature. <I'm fine with whatever room you are fine with. If I must, I can sleep with my familiar for the night.>

She continued to sign even after someone else had been brought into the room. The trio - now a quartet - seemed to fill the room with a lot of noise, even though only 2 people were talking. Crystaria's antennae drooped and she fought against trying to cover her ears. She'd get used to it, she told herself. It would be fine.
The unseelie fey scanned over the new person, and their...strange bird, and waved to them with her sleeve-covered hand. The excess fabric of which, made a soft flapping noise as she waved.

The Bee-like creature made a strange noise that sounded like the bleating of a sheep, and turned to look at the newcomer as well. It gave them it's attention for all of 3 seconds before ceasing to care and turning back around, more interested in it's surroundings.

Kareltje sighed as he trudged through the corridor. He and Audric had lost a bet (again) and would be stuck here for a week. He could appreciate aesthetic as much as anyone, but the purposeful layer of dust and grime over most everything in the castle was going to send him into fits.

He brushed a sconce with his fingertip and frowned at the gray layer of dirt on it. "Disgusting. Absolutely disgusting."

Aster nudged against his back with her muzzle, white ears folded back. She wasn't about to let him get too distracted by the things he disliked about this place. He'd get caught up in his own head and they'd get nowhere.

Sighing once more, he reached out his clean hand to scratch at the large she-wolf's neck. "I'm sorry, my darling. I suppose I should make the best of this, right?"

She wuffed softly, the sound coming in a gentle rush from her fluffy chest. One of her perfectly triangular ears twitched towards another hall, detecting something of a ruckus. Kareltje looked in that direction and heard a cacophony of female voices chirping like a tree full of birds.

"I don't think so, missy," he tutted, turning to go the opposite way. "There's no telling what sort of people voluntarily come to such a dismal place."

Aster whined, a growling note in it reminding him that he came here voluntarily and that there was no room to judge others.

"Yes, but I lost a bet. Oliver knew this place would annoy the hell out of me, and I think that counts as being here under duress."

She snorted and turned down the side hall, headed towards the noise. Her long legs and enormous paws ate up the distance as she loped away from her person.

"H-hey! Come back here you miscreant! I know you're just off to cause mischief," he scolded, chasing after her at a much less casual pace.

Reaching the hall filled with people, her pink tongue lolled out and her fluffy white tail wagged in intrest. All of these new people to meet and strange things to smell! Kareltje would forgive her for preferring this over stone and dust.

"I don't see us needing to share a room, but it'd be convenient to find a few rooms in a row, don't you think. Shasha would hate to be without me." She smiled at the large abomination that many knew to be the Southern Marsh Wampus. His one working eye looked to his owner and made the tell tale rumble that Daenae knew to be a purr. She gently scratched under his oversized chin as Crys signed to her, Daenae pausing at the question.

<I dislike children if they're like this one.> She said with a nod and her brow knitting, letting Sina just not know what they were talking about. But Daenae jumped as the door behind them swung open, accompanied by a loud crack as the handles smacked into the walls. Daenae frowned and watched the scene unfold with a woman being dragged in by uninterested guards, whom of which dropped her and all but ran at her threat. Sina immediately bound up to the mysterious woman and Daenae shared a look with Crystaria.

<Amazing how our guard starts to make friends.> She rolled her eyes for emphasis, snapping to attention at the irritating nickname Sina gave her. It took a moment for the words to register in her brain as Sina offered for the new woman to join them in staying here, "Wha- Sina why-? I-"

She sighed heavily and pinched the bridge of her nose, "How do we know she'd want to spend time with three strangers she knows nothing about? Honestly Sina..." Dae approached the woman with the best smile she could muster, "I'm... I'm sorry miss... Uh. Miss."

Mistmera had gone quite a ways from home. She was out collecting materials when Myrros began to growl. Looking around, the dwarf tried to find what was upsetting her wolf, but before she could-everything went black.

If she were more familiar with the area, Mistmera could possibly tell where she was being taken, but alas, she wasn't. No matter how much she struggled or how loud she yelled, there was no one around to help her. Not that anyone would help some stranger. She could hear Myrros barking from behind but knew she was too much of a coward to attack. Mistmera couldn't blame her though. If this person was strong enough to overpower a large dwarf like Mistmera then they probably weren't someone to be trifled with. She rather Myrros be safe anyway.

After being dragged along for who knows how long, they appeared to have finally reached their destination. The sound of doors swinging open was followed by Mistmera's vision returning as the bag that was obsuring her vision was removed. She appeared to be in some ancient castle. Where the hell was she?

"Gwenderyn," the stranger repeated tiredly, muttering "I'm already reminded why I avoid crowds" under her breath. Pulling her hood back, Gwenderyn revealed pale skin and long, stark white hair. "It's quite alright, I know children can be excitable. While I'd love," she drew out the word almost sarcastically, "to stay and chat, I am rather tired and would like to find a room for the night. Perhaps we will meet again before we leave this place." She turned to Sylvi and held out an arm, which the bird immediately hopped onto. With a nod, she made her leave of the group.



"Awww," Sina pouted. "I was hoping for more travel buddies. You never know who wants to be travel buddies, Dae... Wait, did she call me a child!?" The siren crossed her arms angrily, but failed to look any more serious than before. "Whatever, I guess we should find rooms too... IS THAT A PUPPY?"

Sina immediately went over to greet the panting wolf in the doorway, offering it a hand. Felix, who was just beginning to wake up from his travel nap, let out a hiss of surprise. "What do you think you're doing, you stupid bird! That's a wolf, not a common mutt!"

The level of activity in the room was starting to get to Daenae, her head spinning as Sina zipped off in a direction, another person was brought into the foyer and the white haired woman with a bird mentioned something about avoiding crowds. Something that Daenae wish she could do at the given moment.

Daenae rubbed her temples and immediately forgot what the white haired woman's name was. She'd find out eventually. Probably.

But for now she had to chase the excitable bird woman who was now badgering some man with a wolf. And deal with the blooming pain of a headache.

And what didn't help was Sina's cat making it's presence to a wolf that could likely eat it in one bite. She let out an unamused sigh and pushed Sina forward, "Go find our rooms, I hired you for a reason..." She glanced at the man with the wolf, "I'm sorry for the intrusion. She's excitable and rarely focuses on any one thing..."

Kareltje caught up with Aster and found her sniffing with interest at a feathered woman and her naked cat. He knew she was friendly, but strangers might just see a large wolf with matching teeth.

"Oh! I'm terribly sorry," he exclaimed, throwing his arms around his wolf's neck. "She didn't mean anything by that. She's just curious."
He didn't dare say that she was harmless because she wasn't. Aster was as much a fighter as any Jotun, and just as brutal on their enemies.

He blinked at the fae with the dark hair as she approached, adjusting his spectacles from where they slid down his nose. "Oh, no it's fine. I thought I was the one intruding on you," he replied with a nervous chuckle. There was something about the darkness of her eyes and the pattern of her feathered wings that made his Stone want to creep up his neck.

Crystaria sighed and gripped the soft chitin of her Beep, trying to ignore the loud noise that came from the siren's excitement. She gave the large insect a hug before dismounting and walking over to Daenae, her small feet tapping gently on the hard floor. She snapped thrice to get her friend's attention. <My friend, you know I care for you deeply, but I question why in all the gods' names did you hire this child? > The darker fey frowned as she signed, obviously looking concerned.

She took notice of the large man, a Jotun, if she remembered correctly. She offered the stranger a soft smile and a cautious wave before addressing Daenae again. <Nevertheless, we should probably locate her and make sure she doesn't get into trouble, and also perhaps find where we're staying. But it's up to you my dearest friend. You're the leader of our little group as far as I know.>

Sina looked behind her as Daenae spoke. "Go find our rooms, I hired you for a reason." Oh dear, had she made the woman mad? Sina scratched behind Felix's ear with one hand to console him, and snapped into a salute using the other.

"Yes ma'am! Right away!" she yelped, anxious to please. This was her chance to become a real knight, she couldn't get kicked out of her job now! Plus it would probably pay pretty well. With a glance and an apologetic smile to the giant and his wolf, the siren jogged down a random hallway. Sina had no idea where the rooms were, but figured she'd find them eventually if she just kept going. Maybe she'd run into the white lady, too! That would be nice.

Felix grumbled something about being jostled.

Daenae sighed loudly as Sina seemed to comprehend that her patience was wearing down, saluting and running off before finding some rooms. She was excitable and irritating, but ultimately Daenae couldn't find it in her heart to be mad at her for long. Maybe it was the years of being a priestess for the Void, or maybe it was just that she was nicer than she let on.

Crystaria snapped to get her attention and signed, Daenae opting to actually speak to her now that Sina was off getting rooms for them, "I hired her because she was the only one willing to travel north with me. I don't know if you noticed but we're not particularly imposing. Besides, I trust she's smart enough to find a room. That and she's eager to please. Gods know she wouldn't want to mess up."

Her attention turned back to the man Sina bothered moments ago.

Something about him was odd. Unique. He was definitely not a human, too tall for that, and he was certainly not a giant he was too sleek. She noticed something dark creep up his neck and she stepped closer to look at it, the dark spot growing and she realized it was stone.

Jotun.

She glanced up at him curiously, and gears turning in her head, "Jotun. You're a Jotun."