Cards Reshuffled

As something of a trickster myself, I really should have been paying better attention. I’ll have to claim extended torture, starvation and deprivation, as well as the death of a friend and the loss of another one, as excuse for not recognizing a consummate actress when I met one.

Excerpt from ‘Ruminations Of A Master Bard’

Things had gone very wrong. Aerie paced back and forth, as much as the invisible chain allowed her to, which wasn’t very far. How could my Goddess possibly have allowed this to happen to me? But she knew the answer to her own question. Loviatar delighted in all suffering, including that of her followers. If she wasn’t strong enough to handle this situation, her mistress would savor her pain. True, the goddess wanted her mission to succeed, but wouldn’t fight her battles for her. That, I will have to do on my own. Alone…or by proxy.

Aerie rubbed at her face with clawed, sausage-thick fingers, and grunted with annoyance as she touched warty skin and jutting fangs. Of all the humiliating things that wretched gnome could have subjected her to, he had to go and change her into this! An ugly ogre! The humiliation was unbearable.

I am too good at what I do. That is the entire problem. I should have expected that something like this might happen.

At first everything had proceeded according to plan. Kalah the Illusionist had been so eager to get his revenge on those who had mocked him, so eager to gain the power and respect he desired. And he had desired her as well, once she had put a little effort into sending a few innocent smiles his way. He had been molded into the perfect tool, her instrument in suffering. He would rid her of her ‘Uncle Quayle’ before the gnomish cleric who had taken her in got suspicious of her failure to openly demonstrate the extent of her supposed worship of the god he served, the disaster at the circus with all its pain and suffering would give Loviatar great pleasure, and in the ensuing confusion nobody would ever know that a certain elf hadn’t died along with the other victims. But no. Kalah had to go and get creative.

Once the designated performance had started, and the time for Kalah’s act had come, the gnome had leapt out in front of the audience as usual, waving and bowing. Most people wouldn’t have seen anything out of the ordinary about him. He was wearing a sparkling blue suit with a short cape, and a comical hat with a wide plume that bobbed up and down in a rather ridiculous manner. The audience had laughed, as they usually did, and Kalah had smiled back. But to Aerie, hiding outside the ring, the brittle edge to his smile had been clearly visible; as was the scroll he carried inside his belt.

The show had gone on, and Kalah had performed masterfully, better than he ever had before. White pigeons fluttered out of his wide sleeves, flowers rained from the air, an enormous sparkling rainbow formed inside the circus tent and beautiful nymphs danced across it. It was with no small amount of satisfaction that the Avariel noticed that every single one of the illusions wore her own face. And Kalah had gone on, really exerting himself, becoming more and more sweaty, red-faced and flustered. Eventually, he had gotten so excited that he started making mistakes, as he usually did. He had started losing control of the illusions, they dissolved even as he frantically tried to recreate them. The flustered gnome had dropped his wand, kicking it further away from him even as he tried to pick it up. In the audience, somebody had sniggered, a high and clear sound that carried far. Soon, people were laughing openly at the desperate gnome. It had been perfect.

“You dare mock Kalah the magnificent?!” the illusionist had suddenly shouted, bringing even more gales of laughter upon himself. “Well, you will do so no longer. From now on, I will have the respect I deserve!” He had yanked the scroll out of his belt and started reading it, a wide smile on his face, his hair sticking up in sweaty tufts around his round face. Out of empty air a shimmering vortex had formed, a doorway into another place, a place of swiftly rushing clouds and screaming wind, and then the form of a bronze-skinned, bare-chested man in wide blue trousers and pointed shoes had appeared, watching Kalah with eyes that glowed faintly.

“You have summoned me,” the genie had said. “Make your wish.”

Chortling with glee, Kalah had barely been able to stand still. “My wish is two-fold, slave!” he had screamed. “Power…and revenge! Enhance my powers enough to grant me the means to avenge myself on those who would mock me!”

The genie had nodded briefly. “It is done. What you do with it is your concern.” With that, he had disappeared in a puff of smoke, and Kalah had gone to work.

The magic had flared up like an erupting volcano around the diminutive wizard, outlining him in a flash of blinding white light. Magic had tingled in Aerie’s skin, making her giggle with delight as she heard reality scream and groan with pain, shifting into another, different shape.

Sawdust and candy floss, trapezes and clowns, canvas walls and wooden benches, the smells of horse dung and unwashed people, of greasepaint and sausages, all of them morphed, shifting and taking on new forms and shapes. Distantly, Aerie had been able to hear people screaming, had been able to see them try to run. Such lovely screams… But the magic had caught up with them all, twisting and distorting them into new, humorous shapes. Yes, Kalah had done well. He had changed himself as well, and now he towered far above everybody else.

Aerie had just been about to turn and seek her way out of the former circus tent when a deep voice boomed out behind her. “Where are you going, sweet one? Not thinking of leaving, were you? Not after you helped me come into my own.”

“K-Kalah?” Aerie had said, using her sweetest smile. “I…I was only…”

“You were going to leave me! I cannot allow that, you must stay here to be my queen…forever! In time, you will learn to care for me. As it should be, what was within – shall turn without!”

Just as the elf had been about to blast Kalah to tiny pieces for his impudence she had felt the magic catch hold of her, and she had screamed with frustration as she felt her power torn out of her eager grasp.

And now she was here. Trapped in this…this ridiculous ogre form, chained with invisible chains. She couldn’t even use her magic; the ogre body wasn’t suited for it. Aerie gritted her teeth and hoped that Kalah would give her a chance to wrap her currently massive fists around his throat. She kept pacing back and forth, the smooth marble floor cool beneath her bare feet with their gnarled toes and thick yellow toenails. She couldn’t help but be a little impressed with Kalah’s imagination. The power the genie had granted him had been used to turn the circus into his enchanted palace, and its inhabitants into his playthings. The elf found herself in a vast marble hall, where crystal clear water flowed endlessly beneath delicately arched bridges, and leapt between the hauntingly beautiful fountains as if by magic. Well, it was by magic, of course. Further off along the wall she could glimpse the ‘peasants’. Kalah’s little trap, in case some fool adventurer dared enter this place. I wish there would be one. Some muscular heroic type, with a really tiny head would be ideal.

And then, Aerie heard something. Voices, out in the hallway.

“I cannot believe you, ranger!” a female voice, thickly accented said. Tethyran, it sounded like. “I understand you wanted to help find that child’s mother, but to simply rush into an enchanted place like that, when we are all badly equipped and not in the best of shape? Will you never learn caution?”

“Minsc is sorry,” a second voice, clearly male, boomed out. “But when a true Hero sees the Sausages of Innocence being burnt black on the Grill of Evil, then he must take steps to snatch them out of the fire.” There was an eager squeaking sound. “Yes Boo, I know you like sausages too.”

“No harm done so far, fierce one,” a second male voice said. This one had a strange accent that Aerie couldn’t quite place. “I agree that this is not the course I would have chosen myself, but our leader performed admirable in answering that genie’s riddle, did she not, brave lioness?”

“Maybe so,” the woman said. “But she is still tired out, and really in no shape to do battle. Have you no idea how dangerous a genie is? If that one should choose to attack us…”

“…then there will be nothing we can do but to defend ourselves,” said a fourth voice, another female one. This one sounded younger than the other woman, and rather exhausted. “Jaheira, I know you mean well, but we really have no choice but to go on. That door disappeared behind us, remember?”

A muffled curse told Aerie that ‘Jaheira’ remembered only too well. “Very well. You are correct, child. But promise you will take no foolish risks. You are far from recovered yet.”

“Why, Jaheira!” The second woman sounded amused by this, if still tired. “Whatever makes you think I would do a thing like that? Come on. Let’s see what’s behind that door…”

Aerie braced herself. It was now or never. She knew exactly what an adventurer’s likely first reaction would be upon seeing an ogre, particularly if they were already tense as these people seemed to be. But just let her drip some honey in their ears and she might yet turn events to her advantage…

Of the two men, one was clearly a Rashemani berserker. She had done some traveling in that country years ago, before her disastrous sojourn in Thay, and she recognized the tattoos. The man was a veritable giant, and was carrying an impressive-looking sword. But the priestess also noticed the open and guileless look on his face, and that his eyes were kind and trusting. Perfect. A few smiles, some giggles, that should do the trick. I’ll soon have him eating out of my hand. The small hamster sitting on the man’s shoulder was a bit surprising, but at least that explained the squeak she had heard previously. Filthy little beast. I hate rodents.

The second man was fairly short and slight, but moved with an easy grace that suggested a trained rogue. The dark leathers matched this impression, but the man himself was more interesting by far. Kara-Turan. Now, what would he be doing so far from home, I wonder? The ‘lonely Avariel exile’ act might work well on that one.

Both the two women were half-elves. The older one moved with the confident gait of a trained warrior, despite the fact that her leather armor was rather worn and tatty, and that the quarterstaff she carried seemed only to have some minor enchantment. Her golden-brown hair had been tied back to get out of her face, and she watched everything around her with wary tension. The ‘lioness’. Prickly, not very trusting. But if I allow her to feel superior to me…if I play fragile and inexperienced, and admiring of her skill…that should work. Only not too weak.

The second woman, and the final member of the quartet, made Aerie almost gasp with surprise. She was yet another half-elf, younger than the warrior woman, skinny and dressed in what almost amounted to rags. Bright red hair danced about a firm but still mischievous face, currently hollow-cheeked and with dark circles beneath her brilliant golden eyes. A small black cat walked close to her, constantly watching her, and she was carrying a sword. That one…that is the one my Mistress Loviatar sent me to search out! The Bhaalspawn…Zaerini. She matches the description exactly. And by the look of her, she has already been through some suffering. I can…almost taste the wonderful pain.

The wingless Avariel now knew exactly how much was at stake. Not only her own immediate survival. If she wanted her Mistress’ continued favor it was vital that she infiltrate this adventuring party. Time to put on my best performance…

“Who are you?” Aerie called out, making certain she sounded absolutely terrified. Good people were unlikely to harm somebody who sounded like that, mistakenly assuming that it implied harmlessness. “Oh, whoever you are, you must flee this place at once! He...he's killed everyone else who has come into this place, almost! Oh, please run!” A show of altruism and self-sacrifice to sweeten the bait…maybe I should add in the ‘helpless stutter’ as well? Or is that too much? No, we’re playing for keeps here. Pity this disgusting body is so badly suited for looking cute, but at least I still have my voice.

“You have a very unusual voice for an ogre,” the redhead said, frowning a little. “Who are you? And who’s this ‘he’ that you’re talking about?”

Aerie attempted a dainty sniffle, but through her currently cavernous nostrils it became more of a pig-like snort. “I…I am not the monster I seem to be! I…I am an elf! A winged elf…or at least I was…but I am under an e-enchantment, a terrible and e-evil illusion! Oh, you must g-go before the same h-happens to you!” Go on, ask me about my wings, you know you want to. I’m going for sympathy here, girl! And you’re not going to leave, you know you aren’t. So do I, for that matter. Hero types wouldn’t leave a poor innocent victim in here. I just love heroes…

“A winged elf?” the rogue asked. “I have never heard of a winged elf.”

Aerie made certain to put a little extra tremble into her voice.“I...I come from a race of winged elves...although there aren't many of us left. From the Sundabar Mountains in the far North. My wings were cut off a long time ago, though...” Now ask me how it happened…

And then the Avariel had to choke back an impatient snarl as the warrior woman gave her a suspicious glare. “As far as I am concerned, you look like an ogre,” the woman said. “Have you no proof of your claims? And you still have not explained about this ‘he’.”

Fine. It will work better once I have my real face back. “Oh, I hope you don't end up like...like the others!” Aerie said. I hope you wind up as a disemboweled corpse for doubting me, bitch. “But, alright...m-my name is Aerie. I...work in the circus with my uncle, Quayle...” At least we can hope that Kalah didn’t botch that and decided to keep him alive. “I don't know exactly what happened, but everything changed a few days ago...everything became chaos and turned into what you see here. Although it all isn't real, it's an illusion... The minions...they all say they serve Kalah, so I know he's behind all of this...he's an illusionist in the circus, but I don't understand how he was able to do all of this! He must be stopped! Before he hurts any more people! Please...if...if you release me from my chains, I can help you stop him!” And then I can serve you all up to my Mistress, neatly trussed up and with apples in your wide mouths. Kalah included, for humiliating me like this.

“Oh, the wickedness!” the large man called Minsc said. “An evil wizard is hurting people and putting chains on kind ogres with pretty voices? Such deeds must not go unpunished! Little Rini, we will help the nice ogre, will we not? Minsc doesn’t like seeing people in chains, and Boo agrees.”

The redhead nodded. “You know I don’t like that either, Minsc. But I can’t see any chains as such…” She turned to Aerie. “What chains are you talking about anyway?”

“The chains are invisible...covered by the illusion. And...and they are magical...they prevent me from casting my own spells and they maintain the illusion which is placed on me... You...you need the key to these chains. But...but it won't look like a key! There are a couple of...commoners...in the north side of this chamber... Don't be fooled by the illusion, though...they are monsters! They have a sword which is actually my key...if you get it from them, I can remove the chain and regain my normal form! But please be careful! You...you can't trust anything you see, here!” And isn’t that the truth. But all the same, I really mean for you to trust me, my dear.

“All right,” the half-elf said. “We’ll take a look at those people and see if you’re telling the truth. Like I said, I don’t much like seeing people chained up.”

Aerie smiled, revealing a row of sharp and yellow teeth. “Thank you…thank you s-so much!” she squealed. “Oh, I knew you would h-help me the minute you walked in here, I knew it.” And you will. Once I clap you in chains and deliver you to my Mistress, I will be favored above all others. Yes. Th-thank you. Thank you s-s-so much.