Mini-Grand 5802 [Round 1: The Heat Death Lounge]

The Freedom Brigade (Working Title) passed by Merucira without comment. Though guided by the same force their purposes couldn’t have been more different. Merucira watched the odd group as they traipsed through the snow towards the door she had entered through. Though she was used to seeing odd people in Heat Death there was something different about the Freedom Brigade (Working Title).

Merucira quickly arrived at the border, a small snow covered kiosk in which a gnome rocked precariously only his chair and read the latest copy of the Aranina Gazette. A plank painted yellow and black blocked the way into town. Merucira had never really gotten along with law enforcement and since the gnome was far too interested in the opinions of the buxom half-ogre on page three, she decided to just sneak past the border station. However as she tried to walk past the black and yellow pole something prevented her from doing so.

This elicited a chuckle from the gnome border guard, who promptly folded up the newspaper. “You’d be surprised how many o’ you outsiders can’t tell when they’re coming up against powerful warding magic.” The gnome said. “Or maybe you wouldn’t. You don’t look that bright.”

“Hey!” Merucira protested.

“Sociability ain’t in my job description lady.” The gnome casually retorted. “If you want to come up to the counter then maybe we can see about getting your immigration processed but if you’re gonna stand there and stare at me like some kind of broken down golem then you’re gonna be there for quite some time.”

Merucira did just stand there and stare at the gnome like a broken down golem for a little while, before the compulsion that had brought her into Aranina in the first place made her go up to the counter as requested.

“Well lookee here who decided to be a big girl and do things by the book.” The gnome said. “You wanna immigrate into Aranina you’ve gotta answer some questions. Is that okay, do you understand? You can just nod if speaking is hard for you.”

“I can speak just fine.” Merucira snapped.

“That’s good for you young lady but I’m burning daylight here.” The gnome replied, not missing a beat. “You want in yay or nay?”

“I want in.” Merucira folded her tendrils huffily.

“Okay. First up are you or have you ever been a nuclear bomb?” The gnome asked.

“What?” Merucira asked.

“Are. You. Or. Have. You. Ever. Been. A. Nuclear. Bomb.” The gnome repeated in a slow voice for the hard of thinking.

“No.”

“Are you carrying the illegitimate offspring of an Incubus?” The gnome asked.

“Pardon me?” Merucira asked, her eyes widening. “No I am not.” She added before the gnome had a chance to repeat the question back to her.

“Will you at any point in your stay in Aranina be making an attempt on the life of Queen Wyntara?” The gnome asked.

“No.” Merucira replied.

The gnome paused, tilting his head to one side. “It’s okay if you are you know.”

“I’m not.” Merucira replied sternly.

“Well if you feel like having a go at her later go and see my cousin at the Apiary.” The gnome said, as he stamped forms. “He’s always coming up with these crazy plans to assassinate Wyntara and is usually in need of dumbass volunteers to give them a go.” Merucira said nothing, fuming silently at the obnoxious gnome. “Anyway there you go.” He slid a sheaf of papers over the desk to Merucira. “You should look into investing in some warmer clothes, I don’t know if you noticed but it’s a bit chilly here in Aranina.”

Merucira glanced down at her miniskirt and tube top combination, which had been fine for Heat Death but which was really not up to snuff for the perpetual winter of Aranina.

“There’s a bureau de change on the corner opposite the alchemist’s.” The gnome said. “Tell them Namnock sent ya… or don’t I guess they aren’t going to give you a special exchange rate just because you dropped my name.” A momentary pause before: “Now would you mind you’re holding up the queue?”

Merucira turned to see that rather surprisingly a queue of prepubescent children had formed up behind her. They were dressed in their nightgowns and had the look of kids going off on some marvellous adventure. She left them to it, waiting for the magical bar of warding to lift and finally entering Aranina proper.

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In the Heat Death Lounge The Freedom Brigade (Working Title) were straining under the weight of the wardrobe. Ka’then’ge, the illithid illusionist, strode ahead of the group, randomly opening doors and declaring for various reasons that that was not the right place to store the wardrobe. After a lot of grumbling from the other members of the Brigade he eventually agreed to hide it in the women’s toilets using his illusion magic to disguise it as an occupied stall.