"Shall we find ourselves some new friends m'dear?" Without missing a beat, Tinker was off Max's shoulder and hopping deftly through the crowd of people. "That's not what I....Tinker?...." Max sighed as he carefully followed her through the crowds and tables. Eventually Tinker hopped up onto a table where a young girl and her bird were and stared at them for a moment. "Are you done, Tinker? I'm sorry m'lady, she's harmless, I promise, she's just rude," Max caught up and apologised. Tinker's head turned completely around to glare at Max, then turned back to the girl to analyze her....and expect a head scratch. Teena looked at the person in front of her.

"That's an interesting coat, and I wonder... why that owl chose to take a seat next to me? This place is crowded. Can't blame them for that," Teena thought to herself.

"Squaakk Squuaakk!!" said Hatchet, the bird that was accompanying the girl, extending a talon to them for them to shake if they wanted. "A lot can be told about a person's hand shake you know," Teena could hear Hatchet say to her in her mind.

"Yes... but there is still so much more to them then just that," Teena replied back in her mind. "Welcome, Please Join us and tell us a little about yourselves. I am not talking and using note cards because I cannot speak well. I hope that's alright. I am here because... well... actually I just found this place. I was exploring some of our woods in Gergisin and happened to end up here by chance. Nice drinks they have here," Teena wrote on large paper and showed it to new parties joining them.

Raine stepped quietly into the busy tavern about then. She paused there for a moment, looking about at the busy tables.

"So many people!" she thought to herself.

"You can say that again," an echo came in her head. Wait, an echo? Raine made a conscious effort to silence her mind, then carefully looked around. No one was looking her way. Raine took one more glance around the room, and spotted a table with an owl, another bird, and a young girl. She decided that table would be as good as any. There weren't any empty tables in the room. They were all packed, as if some kind of convention was going on or something. And this one had more space than a lot of the tables, so maybe she wouldn't have to meet too many new people... She stepped towards the table gingerly, taking an inventory of her emotions as she went. It wouldn't do to let herself get nervous about the packed tavern, the noise, or anything else. No one wanted a thunderstorm or a tornado in the middle of the tavern, just because she couldn't keep her emotions in check!

Teena watched as the girl approached them. She read the girl's mind at the same time, and looked down at Hatchet, who was squawking and giving the newcomer her talon to shake if she wanted to.

"If I read from what the girl said is true.. we're in this for the long haul," she thought.

"Trouble?" Hatchet asked in her mind.

"I don't know... We just have to look out for now and see what happens. If we are in a fight it might help us to have her," Teena replied to Hatchet, again in her mind. Teena waved hello to the girl. "What are you having, and what might your name be?" Teena wrote on a card and handed it to her. Raine shyly returned the girl's wave, then looked at the talon the bird was holding out to her.

"Interesting group," she thought. "That bird seems almost more human than bird!" She gently took the talon in hand, giving it a slight .. though firm -- shake.

"The handshake was good. She doesn't seem all too bad Teena," Hatchet replied to her in mind, as he shook Raine's hand.

"My name is Raine," the newcomer said out loud. "And I would love a nice glass of honeyed ale, to start. Do they have anything like that here? And food! I'm starved." A rumbling sound came then, sounding a bit more like thunder in the room than a rumbling, hungry stomach. As she took a seat at the table, she spotted the man with dark glasses standing near the table. (( Do you want to add something here, maybe an introduction, or you sitting down at the table?))) Her gaze swept across the table, and she quickly read the note card the young girl was holding up. "Hmm... Talking through note cards. That's creative. Have you all already ordered drinks, then?” She glanced around, hoping to spot the tavern keeper. She was famished! She'd been traveling for most of the day already. Time for some dinner, and maybe a bit to drink...

“Honestly, I haven't been here… Ever! This is my first time here. My Name’s Teena and the bird shaking their talon is Hatchet,” Teena wrote on a note card and handed it to her. Teena wrote on a note card, “Can you let me know if these words are said? Tea Kettle Brown Mice?” She handed it to the new comer and to the boy as well. Then, Teena took a deep breath and tried to send those words to the two people to see if they could get her messages through their minds. Before Raine had a chance to read the words on the notecard, she heard a strange echo in her head.

"Tea Kettle Brown Mice", she heard. She looked around to see if anyone had spoken, but no one seemed to have said anything. "Tea Kettle Brown Mice? What on earth does that mean?" she wondered to herself. Before Raine had a chance to read the note card the girl was holding out, the innkeeper stepped up to their table and asked if they were ready to order. Raine quickly asked for whatever the special of the day might be, and some refreshing honeyed ale, if they had any. Teena grinned seeing the girl look around. "I think she can hear me Hatchet," she said.

"Really? rather interesting. It would be your first time being able to telepathy with other people," replied Hatchet. Teena picked up the menu and ordered a drink, a meal for herself and a meal for Hatchet. Hatchet ate and then when done looked at the owl. She liked its white feathers.

Anna walked inside the Wayward Squirrel and breathed a sigh of relief. She felt a sense of calm roll over her and knew it was the right place to be at the time. She looked around and whispered to Midnight, her bird, "This place sure is crowded. I wonder where would be a good place to try to meet new friends?" Midnight looked at her and then scanned the room slowly. Midnight turned back to her and motioned her wings toward a table with more flying animals. Anna laughed out loud, "Of course you would want to make friends with them. Okay, let's go." Anna walked over to the table and said softly, "Hi, my name is Anna and this is one of my closest friends, Midnight. We were wondering if it would be okay to share a table with you. I have heard many stories growing up about this place and am so excited to meet new people and possibly take part in new adventures that I can go home and tell everyone about."
"Of course you can join us," Raine replied. She flagged down the innkeeper to give their new table mate a chance to order, and they all exchanged pleasantries and chatted over their food.

"Wow, sounds like there is some real trouble brewing," Raine replied. Winton agreed, and commented that they would need all the help they could get to deal with everything going on.

"Well, I'm sure all of us here would be willing to pitch in, if you think you could use us," Raine offered. While most of the tables seemed to contain collections of old friends, she could see a few people scattered about who seemed more alone. Perhaps some had helped out with problems like this before, but were returning alone this time, and others seemed new to everything, and as confused as she was. Raine figured that maybe some of those loners would be willing to band together and join her, Teena, the birds, and Max... Winton seemed to approve of the idea. Soon, a group had been formed, a Hink Pink had been written, and the Squirrel Tales had begun. The group delivered their entry to Ertrude, then headed down the corridor to the Gearwork Goose, where they were briefed on the situation at the site of the next day's Vernal Grand Ball. And before the group really even had time to process what was going on, they were being herded onto the behemoth of a ship that would carry them to the site of the event -- and the murder.

Akalia entered the gigantic ship with her teammates behind her, annoyed that Gunther was not at her side. Instead he was following and prancing around Shimmershadow.

"Stupid goat," she mumbled to herself. Taking in her surroundings, she wondered just how much was hers. Then remembered what happened last time she thought that and shook the thought from her head. Her mind wandered to the murder at hand that the team was told about before entering the ship. So an old man is dead.

She couldn't wrap her head around it, until she got an idea. A wonderful idea. An idea that needed a pen and paper. Her eye scanned the room she had entered and found a desk with all the tools she needed.

Valera watched as Akalia ran a bit ahead, the Captain's attention was more drawn to how this 'Aero-Royal Wolf Lounge' was put together. The style of the machinations and how sturdy the vessel was intrigued her. She tried to mutter the name of the ship to herself and in the end gave up because it was just too many confusing syllables. In the end the pirate decided henceforth she was going to call the vessel the "Arooo Lodge" because she misread lounge originally and it stuck with her. Her team would know what she was referring to anyways... she'd hope.

Feng pushed his master forward since without noticing she stopped to gawk at the inner workings of the vessel that she could see. Snapping back to reality, Valera was a bit flustered but continued to march on.

"Oy Lilith! Ye think we can get the blueprints on some'o the tech runnin' in this ship n' help upgrade ours?" The pirate seemed so caught up in this massive ship, she forgot momentarily about the murder they were to solve.

Following the rest of the crew, her faithful companion at her side Lilith too boarded the vessel that would ferry them all to Falcor. The decor and inner workings reminded her of someone from her past. A twinge of sadness pierced her heart as a memory ran like a movie through her mind, her hand brushed a box in her pocket.

A familiar voice brought her back to reality. "I'll see what I can do Val, I'm sure I can bargain for them somehow." With a silent sigh she followed her companions, the heaviness in her heart slowly fading the deeper into the ship they walked.

Valera laughed and offered assistance to Lilith, "If ye be needin some muscle t'git it from them let me know! There might be secrets hidin' n'this Arooo Lodge!"

Right after calling out to Lilith, Val's attention was drawn to a painting adorning one of the walls in the luxurious hallway. "Full red moon? Can't say I'ave seen one o'them before..." The viera scratched her head for a moment before thinking of old tales and stories she heard during her journeys, as well as putting the dots together from this curse having to do with the moon from Djoni.

"WEREWOLVES!" The captain suddenly blurted out. Perhaps this might have had something to do with the murder, perhaps members of her crew would know more since the pirate's knowledge was limited to the old tales and stories.

Videnicse looked around at all the enormous flying machines as she boarded possibly the largest one with Akalia and her other new friends. She was still dressed in the clothes Myra and Krios had created for her from the gold sun hairpin she'd had in her satchel, her dark red-streaked curls pinned up in an enormous updo. Gish rode on the satchel itself, clutching the cover with her talons, fluttering her pale-feathered wings to keep her balance as necessary.

The country to which they were voyaging had so much interesting intrigue going on. Apparently there was a sort of conflict between men and women there, with one group of ruling women pitted against another of ruling men, and a woman who was related to the ruling men taking one side, then the other. The elves who had taught Videnicse about society had said that groups divided themselves up by whatever arbitrary concept they thought was most significant, and here was a fascinating example of that.

"This will be so much fun, Gish," she said to her companion confidently.

The gullah seemed less sanguine. "From one crazy contraption to another. This one is big enough to get lost in."

"At least it doesn't have a rule that I have to stay in two legged, no wings forms," the shapeshifter retorted. "I can fly around with you and we can explore it together once I find somewhere safe to put the satchel and all these clothes."

Myra and Krios followed Videnisce aboard, companions in tow. The friends were content they could have been of help to the girl and hoped she wouldn’t be that wary anymore around their team.

The little demons rode on Shimmershadow´s back and the trio seemed energized after their short nap, engrossed in conversation. Close to Shimmershadow´s side, Gunther was following, silently bleating now and then, which kindled a soothing whiney from the unicorn everytime.

“Krios, look, what a beautiful ship!“ the young alchemist exclaimed, in awe. They weren't accustomed to such a luxury and abundance in their former journeys.

“Perhaps the Aero-Royal Wolf Lounge is well-provided with everything!“ Myra ventured. “Then I could stock up on materials during our travels!“ Excited, she walked faster, eager to explore the innards of the vessel and its wonders.

“Perhaps they have a library with ancient books about werewolf lore, too!“ the red-haired mage pondered. “So Godspeed to us! Let´s get down to business and seize the moment!“ and with that, he rushed ahead, looking for a destination panel.

Lyra couldn't help herself,. She stroked the fine drapes covering the windows, ran her hand over the smooth upholstery, rapped on the sturdy wooden panels on the walls, everything was so luxurious!

She settled herself down on one of the many velvet covered couches to look around and admire the finery. It was such a fine ship, she wondered if Valera and Lilith were getting ideas for their own ship, of course she wasn't implying that the Chimera wasn't a fine ship, just in a different way. She noticed Akalia had gone over to the desk and had found some paper and a pen. Curious, she went over to see what she was doing.

Akalia furiously scribbled on the paper while listening to her friends conversations. She stopped momentarily when she had heard Krios mention that again. Werewolf. She began to turn around to ask him what they were when she heard footsteps approaching.

With all haste she covered her paper and yelled, "It's not done yet!"

The elf looked up and relaxed when she saw that it was Lyra. Her expression turned quite inquisitive when she realized that the storyteller might know, "What exactly is a werewolf?"

Having access to an ancient bibliotheca would have been Krios´ biggest wish at the moment. Fondly, he remembered his exquisite library back home in the castle. Krios closed his eyes and breathed in the imaginary smell of antique books and old pergaments, touching the smooth bindings of ancient first editions in thought and devoured the peaceful sounds of paper turning when studying the old mysteries.

The young mage shook his head and looked around the room they came in, seeing some of his friends gathered already around the big desk in the middle. Secrets, the captain had mentioned. Perhaps also books hidden away?

Carefully, the young mage tapped the walls of the room, you never knew what people stowed away before! Sadly, no telltale noise to be heard. However, in the left corner of the room, an expensive looking wooden armoire spotting the carved insignias of Falcor called for his attention. No key was attached to the lock so he rattled the doors and with some effort and a loud squeak, the leaf doors opened and revealed stacks of old books, much more than you would think would fit into the cupboard.

Krios looked for the literature he came for, werewolf lore. Since Falcor seemed to be connected with wolves, there had to be some written texts about this theme. And indeed, aftmost, he found some sealed antique books which sent out gloomy vibes. He gathered the most promising books in his arms and turned around, looking for Myra.

Videnicse watched Krios looking over the books he had found. She saw one he had overlooked, that she was curious about - a Singani history - and took it to look over.

The young alchemist sat on a low desk flanking the one the captain and Lilith had occupied.

Myra had used the time for preparing more useful tinctures, globulis, salves, fireballs and even venoms since their departure from the elven forest was a bit hasty. In some drawers and cabinets, stopped up to the brim with all alchemistic goods thinkable, she had found useful chemicals yet also minerals, plants and suitable metals. Almost all, Myra smiled, thinking about the vial of unicorn tears which was stored away deeply in the folds of her frock´s left pocket. Gish sniffed the chemicals Myra was preparing. Stinks she had never smelled before! She retreated to Nicsy's shoulder with fluffed feathers.

Myra bent down and patted Shimmershadow fondly, caressing his silky flowing mane. The unicorn stretched his legs and emitted a content noise, eyes twirling in a peaceful hue of blue.

Kronos and Rhea slept on his back, their little demon tails intertwined. What a peaceful picture, the blue-eyed alchemist thought, longing. How long will it take until we´ll be able to share moments like this? Good shall triumph! Myra reassured herself. However, keep your friends in mind, be prepared. She looked over her hodgepodge of most helpful remedies and defensive weapons, satisfied.

Krios encountered the alchemist trying to store all ingredients in a bag which proved difficult and so he quickly added a diminution spell, even when still balancing the stack of old books. Doing so, he missed a step and the books fell, in a cloud of dust. The friends coughed, with red faces, and tried to bat the filaments away.

“Let’s go over to the others to discuss our further course of action!“ Myra suggested, still puffing.

“Yes, I could use a cold drink also!“ Krios allowed and they wheeled around to meet their friends a few steps away.

The pirate glanced over at Akalia scribbling at a desk, curious of what the elf was up to she approached. Hearing her ask about werewolves, Val thought quickly for a moment only to recall that she had never really crossed paths with one knowingly before. To her recollections from stories she's heard that werewolves could be fierce and at times unpredictable, not much else.

Sighing loudly, the Captain knew they had a murder to figure out before they arrived at their destination. Now would seem like the best time to get it sorted out before the team dispersed around the ship. Valera waved the remainder of the team over to continue the discussion around the desk. The shapeshifter and the gullah joined Valera and the rest near the desk Akalia had claimed.

"I'd like to know what a werewolf is too," Videnicse told Lyra and Akalia. "It's got to be some kind of wolf, right? Or at least... look like one. From the name. And anything you know about the place we're going. It sounded very strange, with all the curses, and with the men rule versus women rule politics," she mused.

Gish added, "I would like to know if there's any food or water here," hoping to clear herself of the chemical smell she could still taste.

“I found some old books about werewolf lore in the armoire !“ Krios declared. “Together with the knowledge I gathered back in my youthhood...“ Myra snorted. “Old man, you!“ and slapped him on the back lightly. Irritated, Krios continued.

“Lycanthropy is a serious science!“ the red-haired mage announced but was cut off by Lyra.

"Well," began Lyra, slowly, "the lore behind werewolves is complex and differs over traditions. The general agreement is that the werewolf is a human who has the ability to shapeshift into a wolf. This affliction can be hereditary but also 'caught' by being bitten or attacked by another werewolf. Werewolves can be viciously aggressive creatures. Some believe that transformation occurs only at the full moon whilst other traditions tell of the werewolf transforming at moments of heightened negative emotion"

“Lyra told us already about the origins. There is also the debated possibility of an accomplished metamorphosis through witchcraft or magic spells. Actually, werewolves are nothing else then shape-shifters, even when very limited ones“ Krios added, looking appraisingly at Niscy who was a master of this art.

“Changing from person to wolf and back is possible all the time for this species, temporary or more permanent. However, during the full-moon, it´s harder for them to resist changing. Also, the level of aggression is much higher than and often, it ends in a blood rage. Old families like the baron´s ones should be afflicted more often hereditary. Some folklore says you can find bristles under the tongue of werewolves in their human form...“ the mage speculated yet with furrowed brow, it was not a fact proven in lycanthropy.

“I heard from the elves that werewolves tend to stick with their kind and won't make a noise in the world mostly“ Myra added. “They were hunted for centuries in the area where we live and they are content that they can live in peace now. They feast on deer mostly.”

“You always have the odd black sheep in the family!“ Krios pointed out. “Perhaps they get more vicious with age…”

“Is there a possibility to... cure lycanthropy?“ the alchemist asked, cautious. She was sensible that some werewolves would not take a liking to being cured yet she feared for the safety of Falcor´s citizens, too.

“A wolfsbane concoction, perhaps“ Krios mused “Together with an exorcism spell... could be fatal, too, though.“ Krios admitted. “Yet we can think about that when we have to do it.“ He suggested, not comfortable with the subject right now. “Now we have to solve the murder first."

Akalia listened intently to Lyra and Krios’ explanation as she continued her work on the paper.

“Humans that become wolves… a wolf with a human mind then?” She shuddered at the thought then erased the small stutter that inadvertently showed up on the paper.

“All the wolves I’ve met have been kind creatures, I couldn’t imagine them doing…” She sadly looked at her near-complete work. Gunther bleated in protest and ran to his master, nudging her leg. The elf looked down at the angry goat, “They never tried to eat you!”

Finishing her task she mumbled to herself, “At least I don’t think they did.”

Akalia continued to listen the Krios’ explanation about the werewolves then looked down at her drawing. “Will this help to solve the murder? Though, I didn’t know where to place the niece.” She proudly presented it to the group.

[spoiler=The Masterpiece]

Alchemist Emma-has wisdom, compassion and a sense of humor. Emma found herself rescuing small animals who inhabit the villages and nearby forests as a child. As she grew, she quickly became a friend and ally you'd want by your side.

Bard Willow-is a little awkward and shy until she plays her instrument. She has a round face sporting a large amount of freckles surrounded by curly red hair which always appears uncombed.

Bard May-a sweet, young woman with a lilting voice and a freckled face. Inspired by her surroundings, she constantly creates new musical compositions to sing and play on her lute.

Ranger Kronus-is from the Sharnor Galaxie, and spends his summers breaking horses from mountain areas along with his family.

Ranger Daia-was an orphan but her natural way with animals developed into her prized skill among others that came with practice-usually people in gypsy camps, hunting parties, or medicine makers.

Warrior Chook-is small of stature and got bullied and belted up considerably as a child. She began a routine of workouts and Never again was she bullied, harassed or belted up. When she was of an age to leave the orphanage she decided on a life of a warrior.

Vagabond Pepper-grew up a street urchin, stealing and manipulating her way into never being cold or hungry. She traded her skill in pick pocketing to the craftspeople, they would teach her some of their jobs.

On board the vessel Chook attempted to look at ease. With none of her team mates yet aboard she felt self conscious and out of place. Spotting a seat at the stern of the ship she made her way towards it, hoping that someone she knew would soon be here. Sitting down with her head back she took in the suns rays, and the warmth and the gentle rocking of the vessel soon had her nodding off.

A cold breeze awoke Chook. Looking around and shaking off her drowsiness she became aware that the land was getting further away ... they had set sail to the skies.. Slowly getting up from her seat, stretching her cramped muscles, she began to make her way down towards the galley ... her stomach was growling and demanding food.

On her way she heard familiar voices and looked around. There they were, the Travelers. Her companions, her friends. Slowly she limped her way towards them ... one leg had gone to sleep lying while on the rough plank.

After many heart felt greetings and hugs Chook suggests that they catch up over a round of drinks, and together they make their way to the lounge. Several beverages later and when all the small talk was complete, Willow tentatively brings up the subject of the Prime Minister and his murder. Each one of the group had an opinion on how it was done and who did it. None of them were the same.

After listening to a few of her team mates put forth their opinion as to what had happened, Chook put forward her idea. "I believe it was the Baron who killed him. Don't forget he has a wooden leg which would make an ideal weapon and it would never come under speculation. He was quick to alert the guards to lock up the castle thus casting suspicion away from himself. Besides none of the tools or implements match the injuries. He did this to bring more mistrust upon the House Dragoic, as even after all these years he he still feels they are to blame for the loss of his leg. "

"Now for the claw and teeth marks. Do I think the Baron made those? No, not at all. Far too messy. It would be impossible to bite and claw someone hard enough to draw blood and not leave any evidence on your own body. Now you are asking who did it then? Did the Baron have an accomplice? Again I say no. When I was at the back of the ship, 2 ginormous rats climbed up the mooring rope and went scurrying past. Rats have teeth. Rats have claws. Rats have been known to gnaw on human bodies, which leads me to surmise that the claw and bite marks were made by vermin."

May climbed aboard the Aero-Royal Wolf Lounge and stood at the railing as the ship departed. She watched the land fall away from them as the ship climbed higher and higher into the sky. Once the ship was above the clouds, where the sun was bright and strong, she found the nearest elevator and went down to the animal hold. She searched for several minutes, looking for her shire horse, Dapper. She saw dogs and cats with lavish little animal apartments so they would be comfortable for the long trip. There were also a wide variety of other animals, including foxes, birds, snakes, and rodents. May thought to herself, "I'm going to have to come back down here at some point. There's a song in this assortment of critters." Just then, May was snapped out of her thought when she heard a whicker from Dapper. May picked up her bag and rounded the corner, where she found a row of luxurious stables. "Wow, we need to travel this way more often," May thought. She rummaged around in her bag, digging out a carrot for Dapper. She fed him the green ends and ate the tuber herself, as she was quite famished. "While I would love to spend all day with you, Dapper, I do need to find the other travelers."

And with that, May said goodbye to Dapper, pulled her bag over her head and shoulder, then found the stairs. May climbed quickly for the first three flights, then started to significantly slow down. By the time she reached the floor that the galley was located on, she was quite winded and ready for a rest. She happened to see Chook limping toward her, then turned and saw the rest of the travelers. "Phew," May thought to herself. "I'm glad I don't have to go any farther."

As they made their way to the lounge, May found Willow and suggested that they find time later to work on the duet. May was hopeful that Willow would be as inspired as she was and that perhaps they could have some songwriting time. Upon reaching the lounge, May asked the barkeep for a glass of water and found a low, comfortable chair to slump into. Climbing those stairs had really taken a toll on her. She needed to regain some strength. She listened as her fellow travelers discussed the Prime Minster's unfortunate demise and thought about each of their whodunnit solutions.

After listening for a few moments, May interrupted. "But why couldn't the Baron have made those teeth and claw marks himself? It is possible that he is a werewolf. We've seen odd and unnatural things together on our journeys. Why couldn't that be a possibility? He could have easily packed an extra set of clothes and stashed them nearby for after he returned to human form. And that wooden leg? What if that's really just a hollow piece of wood that he puts around his leg that stays in werewolf form permanently? Anything is possible... He could be the one at the center of the feud between the two houses of Falcor."

After traversing the long corridor and entering the Gearwork Goose, HeiYu listened intently while Djoni and Tanaka talk about Falcor and the murdered Prime Minister. Then quietly boarded the Aero-Royal Wolf Lounge with the other protectors. Exploring the enormous ship with Mee, she wonders what her new companions are like. She also thinks about Falcor's history and what might be the cause of it's current problems. Is it really werewolves, or is someone just trying to use the old history as a cover up?

Later, quietly listening in the lounge while her companions talk, HeiYu silently talks with Mee who is curled up on the floor near her feet. "Well, they had no problem figuring out the Baron is the murderer. That was easy. Although I don't think he's the one who made the claw and tooth mark since he had nothing but his wooden leg to work with. And I don't think they were conveniently made by rats either, at least not the four legged furry kind with long tails. This should be a very interesting ball we're attending tomorrow."

Taking a deep breath hoping she isn't interrupting something, Willow moves closer to HeiYu and sits near yet her companion, giving a wary eye toward Mee stays on the other side of Willow. Giving the mage a smile and a nod, Willow indicates the other Travelers with a encompassing wave of the hand.

"You know, we have been so busy we haven't gotten to know each other much... I just want to say again welcome from all of us, and glad you are a part of the team."

At a return smile, Willow then sighs shaking her head.

"Everyone has a different opinion. I mean on who killed the Prime Minister but suppose it was an accident? I mean, some animal attacked, yes, but maybe he was so busy fighting it off even though not too deep of claw and bite, couldn't his head have hit the ledge hard and caused his death?"

Gazing at the rest of the team, including the silent ones, Pepper and Daia, Willow blushes red at her boldness then leaning down to pet Ginger's head for something to do, the only sound for a long pause was her companion's tail wagging.

As Emma, who was late as usual, looked up and saw the vessel ahead, she contemplated the sheer size of this thing, she realized she never seen a vessel of this type. A bit overwhelmed with it's size and look, she secretly wondered if this was really a safe way to travel. She preferred to keep her feet on the ground. As she continued to take in the multi-story monstrosity she had finally spotted her friends on deck ahead when the ship began to depart, surely everyone in her group must already be on board, a few more steps and yes, she spotted Chook and May. Willow and the rest of the travelers must be close behind. It seemed to have been so long since their last adventure she looked forward to seeing all of them again. She realized she was actually running now, so happy to be with her friends ... "Chook, May" she yelled, a bit out of breath. As they turned she threw her arms around them giving them both a bear hug, as she spotted the rest of the Travelers she made her way to each one greeting them with a hug. She couldn't wait to catch up on all the latest gossip.

Chook suggested a drink in the lounge and Emma quickly agreed, she hoped there would be some food as well but was so eager to hear about all of them, a mug of ale sounded wonderful with or without a bite to eat. As she followed her friends the conversation quickly turned to the murdered Prime Minister.

Listening intently to the conversations, Emma agreed the Baron did seem like the obvious suspect. As Emma started on a second mug and nodding in agreement to May, Emma recounted the comments Tanaka's made ... "I've seen it myself. Human bodies with throats tore out and bodies ravaged, always under a full moon." Emma recalled the story her father told her about Werewolves as a child, Emma admitted she never encountered a werewolf, however, Emma was able to retell the story to her friends as if it were yesterday that her father first told her ... "the werewolf legend has continued to be told from generation to generation, it has spread across borders, even across seas and oceans. Vicious attacks have been reported for centuries, yet during the day no one can find a trace of the creatures responsible. Those who study mythology have long known that few creatures have the power, speed, and mindless slaughtering propensity the way that werewolves do. Werewolves are known to have an uncontrollable rage and hunger. They are driven to kill everyone and everything they encounter..." After a long drink of her ale Emma looked up at Kronus who started laughing, saying there is no such thing as werewolves .... everyone knows they are only a myth besides, if the Prime Minister were attacked by a "real" werewolf he would have been killed and probably ripped apart not bludgeoned on the back of the head. Emma argued, isn't it possible that when the Baron was attacked in the forest, he too became a werewolf, and on the night in question the full moon disappeared before he killed the Prime Minister and he had to use his wooden leg to finish him off?

Chook leaned back in her chair and took in her surroundings for the first time. The room was luxuriously appointed with no cost spared for anything. The ceiling was dome shaped decorated with beautiful wildlife paintings, so well executed that you could believe they were real. She was only half listening to the conversation when something HeiYu says brings her out of her daydream. "Full Moon, bodies ravished', she interrupts, "Maybe it is rats again, only this time it wererats." All at the table looked towards Chook and groaned. Chook smiled, shook her head and told them she was just kidding.

For the first time Kronus piped in..

"What does everyone think of the politics in Falcor then, with all this going on?"

Suddenly there was a lot of coughing, drinking, scraping of feet and was that the start of a tune from May and Willow? Other then that.. no one seemed to be able to answer and finally with a frown and a nod Kronus mumbled.

"I agree, guess we'll find out"

Shortly after that the group broke up. Willow and May discussing visiting the stable to see how May's horse had settled in.The lounge had been something but the cabin that Chook entered was something else. It was sumptuous and no detail had been overlooked. The bed was turned down and the sheets were made of silk. Her possessions had been put away. A bowl of fruit and a box of chocolates and well as one of candied ginger had been placed on a table, along with a wonderful smelling aromatic candle. A carafe of wine and also one of ice ginger beer awaited. Luxurious cushions were artfully arranged on a comfortable sofa...all this for just a four hour trip yet very pleasant. Chook moved a few cushions and sat down to ponder on the discussion.

Suddenly the ship began heaving violently to the left and right, forwards and backwards. They had hit major air turbulence. Chook's stomach began to heave also. Not in sympathy with the vessel but because she suffered from motion sickness. She began to scramble for her tablets but as she was passing the table she noticed several green apples amidst the other fruit as well as some candied ginger. Both of these she knew by experience worked extremely well so very carefully she poured a glass of ginger beer, helped herself to an apple and some candy, lay down on the sofa and hoped for the best. All the luxury in the world is no defense for travel sickness.

Atrueheart escorts her Fallen Angels up the gangplank and onto the flying hotel, lovingly called Doris by Djoni. The majordomo welcomes them as he ushers them inside. "Welcome aboard the Aero-Royal Wolf Lounge! Please avail yourselves of all our amenities and enjoy your stay with us!"

Despite its outwardly somewhat shabby appearance, the interior is like that of the old world style grand hotels. Hethlic gawks with open mouth at the sparkling chandelier in the foyer until Jeice nudges him not too gently. "I've been on ships before but I've never seen anything like that on board!" he states with a sense of awe as they head toward the grand stairway that leads up to the communal area. A bellhop runs up to us before we ascend the stairs and motions to our Companions. "We have special accomodations for these lovely creatures if they will follow me?" he says smoothly with a wave of his hand. Gleep, Calie's lizard companion, quickly ducks back in her pocket and Petya, Hethlic's companion stays secure in his pocket but the rest are told by their companions to follow the bellhop. Jinx, Atruehearts monkey, leaps up onto the bellhop's shoulder who takes a rambunctious monkey in stride as if it happens every day. "I'll take your luggage as well" the bellhop states pointing at a luggage cart. They will be placed in Suite 107, reserved for the Protectors." Dumping their luggage and bags on the cart, Jeice whispers loudly "I guess they don't want any dragons and such wandering around knocking over any of their fancy doodads!" Grinning at Torchy she says "You go along now with Kwixis and behave yourselves!" Torchy eyes round with sadness so Jeice tells him "I'm sure they have enough food for you and all your friends as well!" Hearing that, Torchy and the companions leave with the bellhop eagerly.

Ascending the Grand Stairway, the Fallen Angels continue to look around at their sumptuous surroundings in appreciation. A large mirror faces the top of the stairway and two corridors branch out from the landing. The left corridor has a gilded plaque stating Suites and the right corridor has another gilded plaque stating Dining Room, Game Room, and Observation Lounge. Another attendant stands at attention at the top of the stairs and asks if we are going directly to our suite or availing ourselves of the food and entertainment. Atrueheart looks over her team and before she can speak Jinx nudges her and whispers "Food?" hopefully. Atrueheart nods eagerly and addresses the attendant. "We have a lot of work to do so we will be heading to our suite first. Could we please get some food and drink delivered to our suite?" she asks. "Excellent madam!" the attendant nods. "I'll have a delicious selection sent to your suite!"

Upon arriving at their suite the Fallen Angels see a well-appointed suite with beautiful jewel toned appointments and a deep rich carpet. There are sofas and love seats in rich brocades placed invitingly around the room, a long table with chairs with a communication device sitting on it and several doors leading off to the bedrooms and facilities. Their luggage has been placed near the door. Exotic floral arrangements grace the end tables placed strategically around the room. Jeice plops down on one of the couches and stretches out her legs with a groan. "These Falcorians really do things in style don't they?" she states as she sinks into the couch cushions. Atrueheart shakes her head and laughs as Jinx and Kestra head to the facilities. "We're just going to clean up a bit," states Kestra. Calie grabs her bag and then crosses over to a loveseat and begins pawing through her bag. "They had better not have broken anything in here!" she mumbles to herself. Hethlic walks over to one of the bedroom doors and peeks inside, shaking his head in awe. "They got actual beds in here!" he exclaims, awestruck.

Atrueheart crosses the room over to the table and sits down in front of the communicator. Seeing a light flashing she pushes a button and Laurie pops up on the screen with her companion Hope trying to push her way in front of the camera. "I have that information you needed True." Laurie speaks as she pulls Hope up onto her lap. "It wasn't easy but I found everything I could on the curse of Falcor. I'm sending it to you now!" A port on the side of the communicator spews out several sheets of paper with Laurie's familiar scribble on it. Looking through the two-way screen, Laurie lets out a low appreciative whistle. "I see the Falcorians are putting you all up in style," she says. Atrueheart smiling says "You are prompt and thorough as usual Laurie!" looking over the papers. "They are treating us like honored guests. I could get used to this type of luxury!" Hope taps the screen on her end impatiently and Atrueheart laughingly says "Sorry Hope but your friends aren't staying in the room with us this time. I'll be sure and let them know you said Hello." Laurie pets a disappointed Hope and then states "Anything else you need True don't hesitate to send me a wave!" "Thanks, Laurie!" Atrueheart says. "I wish you were along for the ride this time but I know any info you send us will be invaluable. I hope to speak with you again soon." Laurie smiles and says "Anytime and anything for the Fallen Angels! Laurie out!" The screen goes dark and Atrueheart sits back reading over the materials Laurie sent.

A knock on the door startles Hethlic as both Kestra and Jinx enter back into the living area. Hethlic rushes over to answer the door where two attendants stand pushing two carts loaded down with food and drink. "Foods here!" he states obviously letting them in. The attendants roll the carts over beside the table and then stand there with hands held discreetly out. Hethlic looks at them puzzled but Jeice walks over digging into her trousers pocket and pulls out several coins. "I've got this!" she says laughingly as she places several coins in each of the attendant's hands and then peruses the buffet of food eagerly. Pulling out a plate she begins to load it up with food and the other Angels join her in plundering the buffet. Sitting at the table all that can be heard are appreciative groans and swallowing for a few minutes. "I don't know what kind of meat this is but it's delicious!" Kestra points to her plate. "I've never seen most of this food before" mumbles Hethlic around a mouthful. "It sure beats my old ships rations."

"Wait!" butts in Jeice. "I thought werewolves were a myth or legend?"

"On Subeta that is all they are but here they are very real and a very serious problem," assures Atrueheart. "Now according to Laurie this is the definition of a werewolf: A werewolf, man-wolf, Wolf Man, or lycanthrope is a mythological or folkloric human with the ability to shapeshift into a wolf or a therianthropic hybrid wolf-like creature, either purposely or after being placed under a curse or affliction. They have superhuman speed and strength." Reading further on the pages she continues "Now according to the Falcorian history werewolfism has been a curse on their country for many generations. It not only affects the men but women and children as well. Their alchemists have come up with a formula that alleviates the symptoms of werewolfism but does not cure it. The only cure for a werewolf is death. This curse makes itself evident on a full moon and in that state, a Falcorian is not in its right mind and can do a lot of damage until the moon sets. The curse in Falcor crosses gender as well as Class lines. It is usually caused by being bitten by another werewolf, as in the case of the oldest Baron, but it is also believed that some lineages are affected by it hereditarily, and thus the reason for calling it a curse. We believe this is how Djoni was affected by the curse. There seems to be no origin story as to what or who initially caused this "curse" to come about. Traditionally you must use silver to kill a werewolf." nodding toward Calie Atrueheart reads a bit more to herself and then states "We all know how long-winded Laurie can be and I don't think we really need to know the minutiae of it all." Atrueheart places the papers to the side and looks expectantly to the other Angels. "So... what are we thinking?"

Kestra looks at the other Angels and decides to ask a few questions. "Since I don't know these people as well as some of you, I was wondering if any of you have a clue as to what that green stuff Djoni was drinking back there? It just seemed odd to me that he would pause like that in the middle of important news to drink something."

Calie speaks up "As Djoni was drinking it we will assume he is cursed with werewolfism, for want of a better term. Djoni stated that the alchemists came up with it to combat the curse and alleviate the symptoms. I'm going to get a closer look at that potion and speak to the alchemists about its composition."

Jinx listens intently since she was also new to the group. "I see. Does this mean this affliction affects everyone in the city? Do they all have access to these potions? What if they don't?"

"I'd hate to find out!" Kestra shudders.

Atrueheart speaks reassuringly "I don't think that all of the Falcorians have the curse and after reading Laurie's notes I surmise that some ancient Wizard, Mage or Witch cursed one of the ancestors of the ancient line of royalty long ago for some perceived slight or injury and it spread from there."

"What about the PM's niece? She seemed pretty quick to point fingers. Perhaps she's involved somehow." Kestra speculates.

Jeice shakes her head and states "When your relative is murdered in cold blood, you become extremely angry and quick to judge. She probably just wanted someone to pay for it."

"Yeah, it's doubtful she would want to kill her own uncle. He sounded like a nice guy." Jinx states.

Hethlic murmurs "The Singani people there seem to be a nomadic people and as such are always suspect when anything bad happens. They did send out warnings and as suspicious as the royal families are they would perceive these as threats and aren't they always fearful of being overthrown by the 'little people' of the kingdom?" he asks no one in particular and then quietly under his breath states "I should know as I've always been one of those 'little people' and nomadic in nature."

Calie thinks for a moment, then points out "How can someone with a wooden leg dash up the stairs in such a manner as that? The Baron must possess some kind of unearthly powers to be able to do that."

"I was thinking the same thing!" Kestra cries out. "Do you think he really has a peg leg? Maybe he somehow fools people into thinking he has one, but he doesn't."

"That's ridiculous!" Chuckles Jinx. "I'd like to know how he does that. Do you think he just grew a new leg?"

Atrueheart speaks up "We can assume he has the curse as he was attacked by one of these werewolves in the forest. Maybe when converted to a werewolf his limb is there and that is why the peg leg could be used as a possible weapon?"

"Okay fine, maybe the leg is wooden. It just seems odd to me that he can jump up them two at a time." Kestra sulks.

Jeice sits back in her chair, scowling faintly. After a brief moment of allowing her companions to continue bantering the other suspects about, she leans forward, eyes narrowed. "As Calie pointed out, the Baron is awfully strong for someone with a peg leg. Now we know there's no way he could have faked such an injury, but he doesn't seem to be held back by it very much." She chews her lower lip gently for a moment, then presses on. "I also can't help but notice, though we were told the alchemists were prepared to test every object that could have been used to bludgeon the PM, what about that peg leg?" In the silence that ensued, she smiles grimly. "You wouldn't dare just walk up to someone like the oldest Baron and demand he hand over his prosthetic leg for inspection, would you?"

"That would make sense! He used it to kill the PM, and then put it back on so no one would notice it." Jinx chimes in.

"But what about the claw and bite marks? Do you think the Baron had a companion with him?" Hethlic asks.

Calie speaks up "Well, we know that the potion alleviates the symptoms of the curse. It's possible he missed a dose or went off his meds altogether? In that case he would be able to cause all the damage and even death by himself."

After a little more discussion Atrueheart quietens the Fallen Angels and states "So we are all in agreement? It was the oldest Baron, on the balcony, with the wooden leg! The bite and claw marks occurred after the PM was mortally injured because the werewolf curse kicked in for the Baron and he couldn't help himself. After the murder, the Baron calmed down and the werewolfism became dormant and he was able to return the peg leg to his person and then alert the authorities about the murder. The curse gives the Baron supernatural strength and so he is able to leap down the stairs two at a time and so swiftly." The Angels around the table all nod in agreement. "As to possible motive... we think that the Baron was trying to persuade the PM to cancel the Vernal Grand Ball because of all the portents and warnings were given by the Singani. The PM refused to cancel and that enraged the Baron so much that it triggered his curse. Of course, this is speculation on our part... we have no idea what they could possibly be arguing about but it is a good supposition. Yes?"

The Fallen Angels all nod again and Jeice speaks up "I'd buy that!" The team burst out in laughter, easing the tension that had built up during the discussion.

, Aicha barely raised one eyebrow as she was guided through the secret portal from the Wayward Squirrel to the Gearwork Goose. Why must she always endure such demeaning modes of transportation? A teleportation spell was as basic as a stealing a bottle from an infant, especially if the bottle contained Scotch. The rune itself was merely a circle with a drop of blood in the center to denote her physical form. Still, using he own magic did require an expenditure of energy that she might need later on. She rationalized her actions again, not so much to reassure herself, but to help her keep focused on her real motives. She needed to maintain this ruse of cooperation with her other teammates so that she could continue on her own personal quest.

Still, it didn’t mean that she had to fawn over the others like that weasel-girl Frieda, or the abomination of nature that was her cousin Dace, the otter-thing. She was curious about the new members, Lady Spiderwebby, was she some kind of royalty? She could prove useful if she was. And the one called Sequoia intrigued her, there was some kind of aura about her that crackled with power, even though she was of fox-kind. Perhaps she was magic also. If so, maybe Aicha could turn that power to her own use if the time was right. Teislyn was tolerable, Aicha had worked with her before. Not very useful for her needs, but at least the bard didn’t get in her way. Her lute music was calming, a big plus in the past when some of their battles had become stressful.

Aicha couldn’t get a read on the the other one…the Ranger Jianni. What was he all about? Was he a ‘traveler?' Or worse, was he an elf? Elven ways and their magic often interfered with her own powers. And she could never trust travelers, she was going to have to wait and see what kind of character he turned out to be. The white squirrel looked like trouble, The King of Squirrels? Really? It would be an amusement to have fried squirrel. But,not right away. Don’t show all your cards at once Aicha, she reminded herself.

Aicha greeted Nancy with cool indifference and followed the other Protectors upstairs to meet the rest of the Crystal Pirates. She listened carefully, but with an expression of boredom that gave every impression that she had astral-projected herself into another dimension. Murder. This was a good start. With a little thought, she would have this one solved in no time.

As Frieda, Doom, Buttercup and Dace passed through the portal and entered the Gearwork Goose, Dace smiled to her cousin, “Ah, it’s good to be somewhere familiar this time around.”

Frieda looked about the place with awe, “It’s not familiar to me, remember that it was Donner and Kitcher who were here with you last time.” She gazed down at Doom and laughed at the honey badger’s prancing. “Well, it seems Doom knows her way around this place too. I should have plenty of help learning my way around.”

Dace took Frieda’s arm in hers and introduced her to Nancy who greeted the two young females with warm hugs and welcomes. Dace clasped Frieda’s paw and led her upstairs next and introduced her cousin to the Crystal Pirates, Djoni, Tanaka, Bearman Jack and at last, Captain Lucien. “Mon Ami, you are the spitting image of Little Miss Kitcher Wheezle!” He kissed her cheek and Frieda blushed. “Tell me you are not married to a scoundrel like that Donner character.”

Frieda reassured Lucien that her mate, Lieutenant Commander Weldon George of the Subetan Air Command was a very upstanding and loyal officer and a gentle-weasel and that seemed to reassure the Captain. “I must visit your land, where the young ladies, such as Miss Dace and yourself are so beautiful.” He kissed Daces cheek, and then Frieda’s cheek again. “But alas, for now, it seems that there is trouble afoot. Your help is greatly needed, no?”

Sequoia followed closely behind Lady Frieda and Dace, the whole experience of being called to join the Protectors was a bit overwhelming and she wanted to be able to pick the brains of those who had been here before. The fox-girl was pleased that the Crystal Pirates were so friendly and she was instantly taken by Captain Lucien’s warm embrace and gentle kiss on her cheek. She didn’t mean to act shy, but she was a intimidated by all the new sights, smells, humans and companions. She introduced her own companions, Bonsia, the Kestral and Cypress, the weasel and Lucian bowed while he swept his hat from his head, “I am honored to meet such fine companions to such a lovely lady as you, Miss, Sequoia.” He replaced his hat, took her paw, kissed it and motioned for her to join the others.

Jianni and Giorgi entered the portal, greeted Nancy, then the other Crystal Pirates, the whole time carrying a full tankard of hard cider without spilling a drop. He was quite talkative and charming, though some had difficulty with his strange dialect. He followed the others upstairs, sat and sipped his brew while he listened. There seemed to be many similarities in this tale to events he had seen with his own eyes. This wasn’t going to be as easy of a case as he first imagined.

Teislyn and Lini were the last to enter the portal, mostly because the bard was a bit nervous about teleporting anywhere, it just didn’t seem natural. Here timidity quickly abated when she was greeted by Nancy, the two had become good friends the last time they had been together during the trouble with the Infernal Hourglass incident. She was eager to get reacquainted with the rest of the Crystal Pirates and was soon caught up in Djoni’s tale of murder. She was attuned to the cadence of Dijoni’s speech and quickly committed his tale to memory, like the lyrics of an epic poem or song.

No sooner had Dijoni finished his tale then the Protectors were ushered toward the massive transport ship where they would have time to discuss the case while in route to Falcor. That they were hurried along by Djoni made them feel that he was being impatient, or perhaps desperate.

The transport ship was massive and it instantly reminded Frieda of the pirate ship The Midnight Lamp.

....ah, memories....

When Frieda had first arrived on Subeta as an exile from her tribe, she was merely an adolescent, a healer in training on her home world. The pirates on the Lamp had adopted her as their little sister and had given her the rank of Ship's Surgeon. The Lamp was massive, luxurious, full of hiding places, secrets, untold wealth in her holds and countless mysteries. This transport ship brought back a flood of memories and Frieda teared up, took Dace's arm in hers and held it tightly. Doom scampered aboard and quickly disappeared down a corridor as she explored yet another new place.

Dace had never seen a ship this large before, or this luxurious. Her own ship was a river barge that she plied up and down the inland waterways of California back on Terra. She had a small galley, a small berth, a shower and a head. Everything she needed was compacted into a twelve by twelve cabin and she liked it that way. If she wanted to lounge, that was what the deck was for. Every bit of space was needed for cargo and couldn't be wasted on 'luxuries.' This ship would never make it as a river barge. Buttercup flitted off Dace's shoulder and scratched her behind. "So, they have a bar? I need a drink."

"Oh, what awesome transport we have, maybe not like our turtle ship, but it's still pretty awesome!", Teislyn exclaimed while they boarded. She recalled the fanciful Terrapin Glider from a past adventure and wondered where it was now. Certainly somebody found a good use for it, even if it did cause somewhat of a problem with the fairies. Still...her mind wandered as she was escorted through the different areas of the ship.

ah...even more memories...

Teislyn followed the others to their quarters and met them in the common room after settling in. Lini was exploring the area when Doom suddenly appeared and joined her little friend. Lini sent up small excited squeaks whenever they found something new.

After each of the Organized Chaos Protectors had found their cabins, they met at a very comfortable lounge area near the dining room. They pulled big overstuffed chairs into a circle so that they could discuss the case.

Lady Spiderwebby spoke first. “It’s obvious that there are random animal attacks taking place. Perhaps there is some kind of sickness that is driving the local coyote or wolf population insane and they are attacking the humans.” She sat up in her chair a bit straighter, “You know, like rabies, or mange.”

Teislyn spoke next, “I don’t think that it’s some random sickness. There seems to be some kind of pattern to it. Everything that Djoni said had a certain rhythm to it, almost like a cadence. This attack was planned, not random.”

Frieda spoke after a brief silence, “But what if it is some kind of sickness? Djoni kept drinking a potion that obviously had an immediate affect on him. Maybe he has been exposed to the illness, and the potion is keeping the infectious agent under control.”

“Either that, or he is a lush.” Aicha yawned. “Are you all so daft that you cannot see the obvious? It’s political. You have two warring families that have somehow managed to keep the peace for a couple of hundred years. They celebrate this tenuous peace with some boring costume ball.” She looked around to see if there was a waiter available so that she could order a drink. "So then you have this third party, these Singani, obviously some kind of nomadic band of social misfits living out of caravans. If the two warring families could be driven into open war again, the Singani stand a very good chance of stepping in and seizing power." She waved off everybody else with her hand, "They use some kind of 'traveler' trance on the wolves which cause the animals to attack. It's always the travelers and it's always wolves. It's their way."

The tankard of hard cider sat almost untouched on a side table next to Jianni. His head was bowed, his long curly hair almost veiled his face, and it appeared as if he was asleep or deep in thought. "Motive or mayhem, Cousins?” he asked in slightly accented common speech. "A Prime Minister is a very big target, guarenteed to start a war of epic proportions, but was it a rival nation seeking to kill the serpent by decapitating it or was it an individual acting on his or her own? If it is the latter was it vendetta or were there political gains? An assassination would certainly start a war and war is very good for business, especially when someone else is blamed for the act. Also what weapon was used? Not to poopoo on my GrandMama's 'Go to sleep, Child, or the Skinwalkers will steal you away' stories but a loup garou seems less than likely as the murderer, yes?"

Jianni looked about the group and continuted, "A chainsaw could certainly do that kind of damage but it would be almost impossible to not hear it. Was the slash made posthumously after having been poisoned?" He paused for effect, took a long swig of cider and leaned in close, his mismatched eyes gleamed. "It was . A woman who would slap someone for singing the most beloved of campfire songs is clearly capable of anything, even murder...especially murder."

Jianni took another swig from his tankard. "So, my Cousins, here is my scenario. Lovecraft overheard His Excellency humming Song that Never Ends and so incensed was she that she lashed out with her talons tore out the Prime Minister's throat to silence that hated song once and for all." he chuckled to himself, "Either that, or we have a loop garou on the loose."

Teislyn cringed at Aicha's remark, but turned her attention to Jihanni who had mentioned about Skin Walkers. "Oh, I read about them in a book, one of my teachers let me borrow. Umm, I think it was called, Myth and Legends of the Known World. Interesting reading.", Teislyn went into thought and then spoke, "So then, they aren't a myth. Goodness, no wonder Lini was in a horrible state when we got the summons. She senses things you know..." Teislyn shook her head, "But I have a lot of trouble making the connection between the bite marks and Lovecraft. I think that's pure speculation on your part. Mr. Jianni."

Lady Spiderwebby interjected. "Wait a minute. Now we're talking about werewolves? Isn't that a little far fetched? I mean we really cannot say what the motives were either. I say, let's stick to what we know and not speculate on what we don't know."

Sequoia was a little put off and spoke with a slight rumble in her chest. "Also, I think it's racist and xenophobic to say that it's always the travelers and always the 'not-humans' and as a 'non-human' myself, I resent that line of thinking." Her tails were fluffed up to twice their volume and her lip curled up over her fangs. "I suggest we look at the evidence!"

Teislyn recalled the story, "The Prime Minister was bludgeoned to death. Would a wild animal wield a bludgeon?"

"Do you think that perhaps the blood-letting was made to look like a wild animal had attacked the Prime Minister." said Spiderwebby.

"They found no tool or weapon in the entire castle after it was secured and nobody was allowed to leave." said Frieda. "Could the bludgeon have been a baluster removed from the banister of the balcony?"

"Or a baseball bat, you know, long, tapering down near the end." mused Dace. "Do they even have baseball bats in this world?"

"But the curious statement that Djoni said was that the Baron took two steps at a time to alert the castle. Did Djoni say that metaphorically or did the Baron really take the steps two at a time?" Sequoia asked.

Dace's eyes lit up, "The Baron is a fake!"

"Or his fake leg's a fake." said Aicha.

It dawned on all of the Organized Chaos at the same time. "The Baron killed the Prime Minister with his fake wooden leg!"

Teislyn had a theory, "I think it may have been the Baron. Maybe, when he was attacked earlier, he possibly got infected with some strange disease, so that would explain his own claw marks and bites. Let's see, he was his normal self when he used the wooden leg to kill the Prime Minister, then morphed into a more wolf form to leave the claw marks and spill the PM's blood. While still in this state, he was able to get back down the steps, and by the time he was at the bottom, he had transformed back into his 'normal Baron state' with the wooden leg and limp." Teislyn let out a breath and sighed. "That's my opinion.... and Jihanni, tell your squirrel to stop taking the fruits my room, thanks."

Aicha shrugged her shoulder and waved her hand, "OK, weasel-girl, your the official spokesman...spokeswoman...spokes-weasel of this group, you'd better report to Djoni with what we came up with." She flicked an invisible mote of dust from her gown and said, "And as long as you're off running about this place, can you see if there is somebody here who can serve us some food or some drinks. That's a good little weasel. Off with you and look lively."

Jianni raised his tankard to his lips and turned his eyes to Teislyn, "My Cousin, my Giorgi, he a good squirrel. He no take fruit that no belong to him unless it fermented. Buttons and nuts, yes, it his due as King of Squirrels" That matter settled in his mind, Jianni returned his attention back to his hard cider.

Frieda stood, summoned Doom and left to find Djoni. If she was lucky, she would run into Captain Lucian. She liked the way he talked.

Organized Chaos solution to the murder: The Baron killed the Prime Minister on the balcony with his wooden leg. Motive: Unclear, but possibly political incentive to cause unrest and possibly war.

yells out, "NUTSY DID IT! Because why else would there be a murder mystery in WS when that's HIS thing?" "THAT EXPLAINS IT!" Tea joins in, but both of them quiet down when the rest of the team glares at them.

"It was a joke, okay?" Spring says. "It was?" Tea doesn't sound convinced.

rolls her eyes, "Well, of course, the wolves did it. Isn't there someone here in this crowd, that's a werewolf? NOT saying THAT person did it (side long glance at ), but if we knew who it was, we could ask them questions. You know. Like "Where do werewolves hang out? When they're not attacking people, what do they like to eat? Do they like to roll down hills?" side long glance at

speaks up, "Only one of us here has a record of eating their friends....I mean two of us. BUT only one of us is a proclaimed wolf!" looks at witchy

saunters over Did anyone check on where my wife was during all of this? Also, I wouldn't be so quick to jump on the werewolf angle, pretty sure that's what they want you to think. I mean, the Baron is literally standing on a possible weapon. And how better to throw off suspicion than to alert the guards himself? He found the Prime Minister, he could have easily been the one to bludgeon him. And, after all, if he was a victim of a forest attack, doesn't that give him motive to blame the ones that dwell in the forest?

"OMG! Would you all STOP!" Witchy yells, "It Was An Accident!! I didn't MEAN to eat !" mumbles "Besides, I threw her back up" (Witchy stomps off to pack her bags and pout) "THERE IS TO MUCH WE DON'T KNOW!"

Witchy turns around, and stomps out of the Goose to go and have a smoke, carring her bags with her. Saying over her shoulder, "Oh, Reaper, stop picking on your wifie, you know she didn't do it, WHY do you think she's been so depressed lately? She hasn't been able to eat anyone for AGES!" (or at least, since survival) huff out the door witchy goes, pulling her 'fixins' out of her bag to roll one.

As everyone gathers their bags and gets onto the ship, they continue to discuss the murder.

clears her throat. "It'd be better if we could look around the grounds and especially at the body." Kaiidth paces absent mindedly, while bouncing a bit, like she would be with Baby Rafael.

"It sounds like the bites and claw marks were an afterthought. Most were's, myself included, if we are lost in ourselves the claws would be our first choice. And the way you talk about just finding bodies it seems like they can't control the change. Was it a full moon when he was killed?"

Kaiidth still paces taking sips of her drink. "Wait who takes his job now that his dead? That's a possible motive. With the strange killings it'd be a decent cover if planned correctly. " sighing she lounges in a nearby chair playing with her tail. "I just wish we had more info I feel like a jackhammer is trying to break through my skull right now..."

All of a sudden, jumps in, "I knew I needed to bring a mustache for this event! Or a bubble pipe! Now how am I going to dramatically solve the mystery!?! It was the Baron!!! Beat him to death with his own wooden shoe.. er leg. Let's take his leg to see if there's any blood on it and then we can call him Skip! It was Baron Von Skip Murdering Murder! Dun, dun, dun!!!!"

Sneaking in from having a smoke in the corridor, "OF Course!" exclaims Witchy! "No one has said anything about whether or not the Barons LEG was tested for blood! OMG TEA!!! Did YOU Actually SOLVE this murder! I mean, I EXPECT it of , but YOU?" Witchy looks at Tea in shock. Lovecraft looks around to see if she can find a hill to push Tea down. Shakes her head Witchy, you are SO late, As Usual. REAPER said that 10 minutes ago!"

sighs. "Do you guys have to be so loud? Some of us aren't hard of hearing! Plus we're not the only one on this ship, people are trying to settle in for the trip. I just don't understand any of this."

"And some of us roll really well down hills..." Lovecraft is still looking around and Tea and Terrena roll their eyes and avoid her.

Lovecraft sighs, "So. The Baron did it with his wooden leg? How boring."

Aodh, enjoying the rushing wind on-deck, would never say so outright, but does feel a pang of sadness that his old little band of misfits is not here for the adventure except for Elethia. But at least he has been drawn to new companions. The bard is relieved to know that none of them are from any of the Faerie courts. He has never been to a Grand Ball, and the clothing native to Crystania feels caging. Sinhae's fashion had been better suited to his tastes, and he hopes that he will be able to wear loose fitting clothes again soon. Slíocach is currently flitting around the team, taking time to get to know them all. Right now he hovers above Galaxia, nearly gotting lost in Tana's hair. The topic of talk between warrior and mage is interesting and while Aodh is composing new songs, the sprite decides he will do what he could do best; gather intelligence.

Elethia frowns. Jumping into a situation with fireballs thrown (and hoping that she won't trip over anything while doing it has) always been her mode of operation. Political scandals have always puzzled her since she only believed in treating others fairly and leading a simple life. She looks at Galaxia and says, "Honestly I'm at a bit of a loss myself with these groups of people. It seems that there are a lot of disgruntled factions, and it doesn't bode well with so much discord sown between them." Elethia blushes and then begins to stammer as the group listens closely. "Um, well, the Singani are stirring the pot, the nobles are meddling among themselves, and the common folk are caught in the crossfire and coming around with their own devices. I think we should just help those that we can, and that those that care about their people like Djoni will be able to lead by example." She pauses from the headache with all of this thinking, but does manage to smile as she remembers other balls and dances that she's been to. "This will actually be my first time at the Grand Ball. While I've been to others, I'm looking forward to going to this one. For the murderer, I think we should look at the actions of the oldest Baron. He's the only one that we are told of that has a means to killing the Minister. His wooden leg."

Galaxia nods. "That's a very good point; while others could have thrown whatever weapon they used into the chasm, the Baron's spryness in alerting the guards is a potential clue. As is the previous attack, and his survival. I wonder," the tall woman continues, doing slow pirouettes across the deck as she thinks out loud. "Maybe the blood being spilled into the depths, the placement of the body, is also a clue for that. The Prime Minister may be counted as royalty, for instance, but I'm curious to know how recently the station was declared and elevated. Maybe there's some resentment on the part of the older families, and the disposition of the Prime Minister's corpse is meant to send that message. That his blood belongs to the earth-" She pauses abruptly, her steadily roughening voice choking off. "I can see someone with arrogance in their heart thinking that way, anyway," Galaxia continues in a more subdued tone, taking out and rolling a shining silver pentagonal trapezohedron in her fingers. "Or perhaps the survivor of such a vicious attack feels alone and bitter that those in power were not capable enough to stop it, and does not feel they deserve their authority. Assuming it is the Baron. What do you think, Ameana? Do you know enough about the Singani or the Prime Minister's niece to rate them as possible suspects?" Ameana frowns, trying to think back on the things she has heard. "Sadly Galaxia, I know very little other than what the Baron has said about them and I agree that he is more likely." She stares off into the distance for a minute and then leans in towards her group of new friends, lowering her voice as she tries to put her thoughts into words. "What do we know of this attack the Baron survived? Why didn't he die? What say you, Aodh?” Aodh shakes his head. "I know but rumors, however much I could make them seem like a fine tale. However, I agree that the baron might be the likeliest suspect. Given that nobles like to murder each other for the pettiest of things..." The bard shrugs and then calls Slíocach back softly, knowing that the sprite would delight in the uneasiness that overcame Galaxia at the mentioning of blood belonging to the earth. To him that sounds like some old ritual. "I must confess I don't know much about Crystanian Culture. I never stay too long in one place, too easy to be found."

Tana is already uneasy at the talk of violence and blood, and the lack of trees along with the open nature of the deck is not helping. She starts at the sound of thunder and silently slips below-deck, wondering if her ranger contacts and instincts will be of more service in exploring the chasm at the destination.

Galaxia sighs, watching storms light up the sky in the distance. "Here’s hoping that the murderer is easily located.