"Deekin could make it work," Deekin says confidently. "If that be main concern of Belmarniss."

"I have entire wagonloads of concerns. That's one of them."

"I worry that if we engage the high priest out here, there might be collateral damage to the villagers," Jojo says. "If he were to channel negative energy, for instance, and he had any significant level of skill, it could be instantly lethal to any civilians gathered in a thirty-foot radius - a thirty-foot radius like the paved area around this gong."

"That's a good point. Okay. Merch some rags, let Deekin sell it, attack inside?"

"I'll miss my armor for the fight, but it's better than potentially getting these people killed," Garrus admits reluctantly.

The rag merchant, a duergar, sizes them up as they approach. "Bric-a-brac!" she barks. "Things we scrounged, things we stole, things we cobbled together from the first two. What can I do for you fine folks?"

"We'd like to be very wrapped up so no one can tell how much swag we have."

"Excellent choice, excellent choice. I've got rags, rags, and more rags. What can you offer me in exchange?"

"Two gold pieces," Garrus says.

"Don't be an asshole," the duergar says immediately. "This cloth may not be pretty, but you need it and I'm the only one who'll sell it to you within ten miles. I want ten."

"You're insane. Five?"

She worries at her lower lip. "Six. And a bowl of gruel from that Sustaining Spoon you've got hanging from your belt."

"How'd you know it was a Sustaining Spoon?" Garrus asks, taking out his coinpurse.

"You have a spoon on your belt," she says. "If it wasn't a Sustaining Spoon I was going to have to re-evaluate how crazy you are."

"I have a little fudge left. I was saving it for a special occasion."

"Never had fudge, and I'd love to try it, but the gruel staves off mushroom rickets for another day. Maybe you've got Prestidigitation and you can make the gruel taste like fudge? I'd knock off a gold piece."

"Can do. Prestidigitation."

The merchant eats her gruel ravenously, then returns Garrus's spoon and starts sorting through rags. "Saving up for one of those, you know - when I've got enough cash from all this ragpicking I'm headed to Menzo to see if I can get one enchanted for me. Fudge flavor's good, maybe my next goal'll be to get a little bauble of Prestidigitation."

With Deekin's guidance, she provides Belmarniss with a rough spidersilk dress that has seen substantially better days; Deekin with a refitted burlap sack that covers his Celestial Chainmail; Jojo with a dingy hempen robe to wear over his nice white linen robe; and Garrus, the most obtrusively armored member of the party, with a sort of burqa.

Deekin nods decisively and gathers the party back at the gong. "Story is, we be escaped illithid slaves with problems. Belmarniss be drow named Sabliss. Trained to be house slave but illithid messed up and made her not able to talk anymore. Jojo be Markius, trained for fighting pits but illithid made him want to die, not fun to watch in fighting pits. Garrus be Valssk, trained as bodyguard but like blood too much and kill uncontrollably when in fights. Deekin be Urko, trained for entertainment but scheduled for execution because illithid caught Urko telling story of great Vix'thra and Drearing's Deep. All four in cell to be executed, but Urko organize escape and bring party to Drearing's Deep, so all can be sacrificed and live on in Vix'thra's name. Thoughts?"

"Sign language or no sign language, for the inability to talk?"

"Mm... yes sign language, Deekin can Comprehend Languages and gives us good way to communicate."

She finishes putting on her rags and signs 'okay'.

Deekin casts Comprehend Languages on himself, Greater Heroism on Garrus and Jojo, and Greater Magic Aura to hide how blatantly enchanted everyone is. Then he breathes in deeply and closes his eyes

An entirely different kobold opens them. "Urko ready for the Ceremony," says Urko, and he rings the gong. Bats squeak as they're scared out of the nooks and crannies where they've made their homes.

The villagers begin trickling in, looking resigned. After they're assembled, the doors of the temple open and a vampire with a bone staff capped by a swirling void walks out, flanked by the mohrg guards.

"The gong has sounded," he says grandly. "A Ceremony has been called for. Vix'thra turns his ancient gaze upon us. Mighty is his will, and great his hunger. Vix'thra, Sage Protector, our safeguard against all peril... To thee we offer one of our own!"

He looks directly at Deekin. "Kobold. You have rung the gong. Do you offer yourself to Vix'thra?"

"Urko offers himself and three companions," Urko says with a gesture. "We are-"

"Vix'thra approves," the priest says perfunctorily. "Follow me." He turns and walks back towards the temple, still flanked by the mohrgs.

A little flash of Deekinly disbelief flashes into Urko's eyes, replaced by Urko's slavish devotion as he scampers after Sodalis, followed by his party.

"Wow," signs Belmarniss.

When they enter the temple, Sodalis turns to the mohrgs. "Strip them and bring them to my chambers. Vix'thra grows impatient with us, and we must sacrifice a victim to the pit without del-"

Jojo leaps up and kicks him in the face. The vampire shrieks with rage and starts casting something very nasty.

"Dispel Magic."

The counterspell does its best, but this vampire means business. "Horrid Wilting," Sodalis casts, and follows it up with a wash of negative energy.

Apparently, having a significant amount of the water evaporated out of your body and then getting hit with the exact opposite of healing really hurts. Deekin wails in pain, then with a heroic effort, turns the sound into the first few notes of his fight song while he stabs a mohrg.

Garrus hisses, then starts shooting Sodalis. "Fucking wizards," he growls, "I am always being surprised by people with fucking wizard levels!"

The vampire shrieks as the arrows pierce his heart. He tries to keep himself together with another jolt of negative energy, but another arrow sinks into him and he dissolves into mist, which whispers through a nearby door.

The mohrgs advance on Jojo, who hits one of them with a glowing fist which causes it to explode into bone fragments and bits of organ. He then turns his attention to the second, which doesn't last much longer.

"Alright," Jojo says, breathing heavily. "Deekin? Path of Glory?"

Deekin creates a glowing patch of floor, which starts making everyone feel more like people and less like dessicated corpses. "Deekin not like Horrid Wilting at all," he rules.

"Me either. Do we have time for me to have at the decanter for a sec."

"We're not catching up to that cloud any time soon, so sure."

Garrus takes a hefty swig of his own and hands her the decanter, which does its job. The water tastes like not being horribly dehydrated anymore, which is to say fantastic.