Dragon Quest III [ME6]

[Cyprian Kircheis]

(Is this the top floor? Are there any indications there are further reinforcements somewhere else within the tower?)

[Akh Uur Hoon]

"I see that you find your neutrality precious. The very notion is contentious but at this layer, of all places, somehow justifiable? Have you at least come to like the environs? So many bones and corpses, it almost feels like the Negative Plane."

[Makeshift]

It is not the top floor, the staircases continue upward, the tower by height can surely accommodate a lot more floor. No indication of anything else living on this floor at least, and you can't hear anything moving upstairs either.

[Makeshift]

"I see that you find your neutrality precious. The very notion is contentious but at this layer, of all places, somehow justifiable? Have you at least come to like the environs? So many bones and corpses, it almost feels like the Negative Plane."

"Justifiable?"

A hollow wretched laugh.

"My lady, nothing in the multiverse is justified. There is only what you can take, and what you cannot. Through trickery, deceit, violence, usury... No greater casus belli exists."

The nalfeshnee stands to it's full height, grunting in pain as he does. His body is twisted and he stands crookedly, the spikes in his back groaning in a metallic agony.

"I am past caring about high way robbery in my own domain, for that I do not feel anger, just giddiness for your souls. If you be mercenary, though, and you merely stand there rattling my pride.... Well I shall warn you. And as for the corpses... Us outcasts have a habit of defending our safe havens till the bitter end."

A large grin full of hellfire.

"After all... Where else would we go?"

[Illiam'iira]

Illi looks between Akh and the nalfeshnee, and then pipes up softly, "We are no mercenaries, and seek no harm upon you."

There's a pause. "You're an outcast?"

[Makeshift]

The nalfeshnee looks at you all blankly for a moment and then begins laughing, a laugh with too many teeth behind it.

"My word... You truly do not know where you tread... This is the Fortress of Indifference . All of us here had grander ambitions than this out of hand petty feud between devils and demons. And for that... The baatezu grew suspicious. So... They set out to decimate us. So we wouldn't be of any use as a military asset, not that we would ever have deigned to curry favor with any of those close minded sods that get bogged down in the blood war..."

The nalfeshnee sighs.

"But since I am licking my wounds and would set about rebuilding... I need to get rid of you mortals... So why exactly are you here? At my hour of defeat?"

[Akh Uur Hoon]

Akh looked at the skull.

"We do know a few things... A silver dragonling may have died here."

[Makeshift]

The Nalfeshnee's smile widens, if he was mortal, his jaw would be falling off. And again with the teeth... Like they never stop... He raises the skull and looks at it quizzically.

"Oh... This little trinket? It was to be the lynchpin of my Grand Design, my next project, to bring awe and glory to our little faction here... Those Baatezu really ruined things... I'll have to start all over... Well I suppose some of my former subject's might have parts I can salvage..."

He laughs heartily again.

"But my lady, this is the Abyss... Many things die here."

[Ikkit the Bastard]

Ikkit rolled his eyes.

And then tried his Abyssal.

"Not that your lingering self-pity isn't utterly thrilling, but this collection of tall idiots I have stupidly agreed to join on this escapade are pretty hung up on that particular skull. They're trying to make the universe just a little less awful, you see. Is there something we could offer you for it? You might not look like you're in much shape for a fight, but fools though we are, we're not stupid enough to think you're playing an open hand."

He shrugged.

"We get the skull, we leave, and you can go back to... whatever it is you do around here."

[Makeshift]

The nalfeshnee raises and eyebrow, and then regards Ikkit, with his hungry, gaping smile.

"Well, well, well, isn't this something... I will have to tell Kho-riz... This skull is quite precious to me, comfort and solitude will not be enough... I will require a replacement. If you give me something of similar... esthetic value, I could be convinced to part with it."