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[Arcalian]

They had almost reached Athkatla, were in fact in sight of the city gates, when a new puzzle presented itself.

Just outside the gates was a circus. Adrian had seen it when they first left the city, but then it had been boisterous and lively, filled with music. Now it was quiet. Granted, the snowfall would've put a serious damper on their business; but the place did not have the look of being shut down due to inclement conditions or for the season. Especially not with sevreal Amnish guards standing in front of it with frowns on their faces.

Adrian looked at the party in a poll of their opinions. Most of them didn't care one way or the other; but Anomen had that "concern for justice" look on his face, and Jan also looked curious.

Adrian already knew what Anomen would say if asked, so he turned to Jan. "You have something to say, besides a tale?"

"Most of my tales are true, actually, or at least based on truth. But I know a fellow in this circus. Part owner actually. Named Quayle."

"Quayle? Now where have I heard that name before....ah." Adrian snapped his fingers. "Would this be a fellow Gnome?"

Jan brightened. "You know him?"

Adrian smirked lightly. "After a fashion. Only met him once, when another Gnome, a Cyricist named Tiax, was knocking him unconscious."

Jan's smile faded. "Tiax is also known to me," he said.

Anomen opened his mouth as if to speak, but Adrian waved him back into silence. "Yes Anomen, I know what you would have me do."

Adrian turned back to the circus. When it had been running normally, it would've been the sort of place Imoen would have loved. that decided him.

He stepped to the Amnish guard. "What happened here?"

The guard made a sour face and shrugged. "We don't know. All went silent in the middle of a performance yesterday, shortly before the snow began to fall. Three guards we have sent in, none have returned."

Adrian made a sweeping gesture taking in his party. "Mind if we try?"

"Be my guest, just bear in mind it's your own necks."

Adrian smiled bitterly. "We're used to things like that."

The party stepped through the tent flap...into what was a much larger place inside. Vast windy darkness greeted them, reminding Adrian of the gateway to the Plane of Air inside Irenicus' dungeon. A long, blue-green pathway seemingly made of marble stretched away to another tent, far larger than the one they had already entered.

Jan whistled softly, and flipped his goggles down over his eyes, staring intently around. "Adrian, this is serious business here. This is a very powerful kind of illusion magic. Really, it's not even illusions anymore; reality itself has been distorted here to make this happen."

Adrian nodded slowly. "Can we fight in here?"

"If need be. Just watch your step. Some things are what they seem; others are definitely not."

"The Gnome speaks truth," Edwin added. His robes and skin were almost back to normal. "The Zulkir of Illusionists, back hom in Thay, could perform arts such as these."

"You don't think your fellows have come for you, do you?" Adrian asked with real concern.

"Not like this. There were many other places they could've ambushed us without such elaborate set-up. Nevertheless, that is no comfort. A mage of power of this sort who is not from my homeland is a frightening concept in it's own right."

"Oh yes, Thay are the only true practicioners of magic, eh?" Anomen sneered.

"As if the anti-magic bigots of this country would know the first thing about it!" Edwin snapped back.

"Shut up, both of you," Adrian snarled. "This is not the time."

"And what be more," Korgan added, "I be less then interested in hearin more garbage from either of ye. I canna kill ye, Adrian would nae like it. But that be all right; I can hurt ye just fine."

Both the wizard and the priest looked ready to answer that; but Adrian's heartfelt "Thank you, Korgan," shocked them both into silence.

The party moved forward.

A genie materialized in front of them; the parallels between this and Irenicus' dungeon were now too alike for Adrian's comfort.

The genie began to speak a riddle, but before he was even halfway through Edwin interrupted him. "The princess is 30 and the prince is 40. Obvious. Anyone with intelligence knows that one." The genie looked miffed, but nodded and dissapeared with a harrumph,

The party had not quite reached the inner tent when a new kind of Shade, quite different from the ones they had faced near Umar, attacked. There were four of them, obviously ghosts of slain circus performers, their ghostly costumes still stained with blood.

They charged the party, two from each side, crying in fell voices that chilled the blood.

[Weyoun]

"Most of my tales are true, actually, or at least based on truth. But I know a fellow in this circus. Part owner actually. Named Quayle."

"Quayle? Now where have I heard that name before....ah." Adrian snapped his fingers. "Would this be a fellow Gnome?"

Jan brightened. "You know him?"

Quayle travels fast, doesn't he?

Adrian smirked lightly. "After a fashion. Only met him once, when another Gnome, a Cyricist named Tiax, was knocking him unconscious."

Jan's smile faded. "Tiax is also known to me," he said.

Why am I not surprised.

Adrian nodded slowly. "Can we fight in here?"

Laska : Sure why not? Hey, you can fight everywhere except in my house.

The party moved forward.

A genie materialized in front of them; the parallels between this and Irenicus' dungeon were now too alike for Adrian's comfort.

The genie began to speak a riddle, but before he was even halfway through Edwin interrupted him. "The princess is 30 and the prince is 40. Obvious. Anyone with intelligence knows that one." The genie looked miffed, but nodded and dissapeared with a harrumph,

LOL! I got that one wrong three times the first time I saw it.

The party had not quite reached the inner tent when a new kind of Shade, quite different from the ones they had faced near Umar, attacked. There were four of them, obviously ghosts of slain circus performers, their ghostly costumes still stained with blood.

They charged the party, two from each side, crying in fell voices that chilled the blood.

Great stuff,
---Weyoun

[Arcalian]

Laska : Sure why not? Hey, you can fight everywhere except in my house.

Ahem....

CLEAVAGE!

[Laufey]

They had almost reached Athkatla, were in fact in sight of the city gates, when a new puzzle presented itself.

Just outside the gates was a circus. Adrian had seen it when they first left the city, but then it had been boisterous and lively, filled with music. Now it was quiet. Granted, the snowfall would've put a serious damper on their business; but the place did not have the look of being shut down due to inclement conditions or for the season. Especially not with sevreal Amnish guards standing in front of it with frowns on their faces.

No, there are better reasons than weather for it being shut down...

Jan's smile faded. "Tiax is also known to me," he said.

And I take it he doesn't like him much...

Anomen opened his mouth as if to speak, but Adrian waved him back into silence. "Yes Anomen, I know what you would have me do."

The party moved forward.

A genie materialized in front of them; the parallels between this and Irenicus' dungeon were now too alike for Adrian's comfort.

I always wondered if all these genies were somehow connected.