CHOCOLATE DESTINY

Without a moment's hesitation, all four currently present members of the Coterie face their liege, jab both middle fingers skyward and chant
"TURNT UP!"

Amos returns to the receiving room. There is no Baron there, but there is a butler.
"Do you hear that? Dinner is about to be served, you should go inform your liege."

"VERY GOOD, MY NIGGAS. We gotta stay loyal in tha hood, you hear me? Keep an eye on each other and shout if anything weird happens. False niggas tryna snatch our people up. Climbin' up dem muhfuckin windows and shieet. We gon' go get dat muhfuckin Baron. He don't even gotta come and confess, he thru, nawmsayin? He's gotta be at the dining hall gorging his fatass on some juicy bitches. Let's catch him with his pants down."

Ali, Coterie, and Lucas head towards Dining Hall.

"WHERE IS HE!?"

"Calm down, master wayne!" the butler chides. "Why so serious?"

Meanwhile, Lil' Prince Ali and Lucas van Luft burst through the double doors into the dining room, furnished with three long tables and hanging lights.

Two people stand directly before you. The first is a smiling man with a pointed beard wearing fancy red and green livery. He is talking to Skuld, who is wearing a comfortable suit and pants.

"Friend Skuld! How did you acquire that comfortable suit? I have no clue how but I know that suit is comfortable! And waste not a second, this could be a matter of life and death!"

Thanks to Maestro's quick thinking, Ali realizes that the woman in the comfortable suit cannot be Skuld, and he jumps into action.

"WHAT'S HAPPENIN'?!!!" screams Ali, drawing attention to himself and his armor.

[Shining Swagg activates]


Ali and Coterie rush towards the imposter. Ali draws Zulfiqar, aiming at the imposter's neck.
At the same time, 2 Coterie members run behind the imposter to position for Ali's backstab bonus, and 2 Coterie member surround the strange smiling man, grabbing his arms to imobilize him.

Hearing the men rushing from behind her, she ducks into a roll to the side drawing her sword as she rises and turns to meet her attackers. Seeing that they are her allies she switches to a defensive stance. "THE FUCK IS YOUR PROBLEM?!? THIS IS WHAT I GET FOR PREPARING DINNER FOR YOU!?"

Having just recovered from Shining Swagg's hypnotic draw and boxed in by the Coterie, Skuld barely manages to dodge Ali's sword, the edge shooting past less than a centimeter from her neck. The rest of the Lil' Prince's not so lil' bulk slams into her, sending them both to the ground.

The "smiling man" is not so fortunate, as his eyes were virgins to the glory of Ali's armor. He snaps out already in the custody of the Coterie members, and starts struggling vigorously. "Tell your slaves to unhand me, Prince Ali! I will not be held captive in my own home!"

Reactomg quickly while under him she holds her blades edge to his throat. "Now of you'll be so kind, TELL ME WHAT THE FUCKS GOING ON HERE!"

Amos frantically heads to the dining room trying to see if he can catch any more news about the Baron.

"WHOAAAAA! BACK, BACK, BACK IT UP," says Ali, rushing to disentangle himself from what seems to be Skuld, seeing as she didn't slit his throat immediately.

Ali snorts as he gets back on his feet and assumes the Swaggafid Battle Stance. His gaze darts back and forth between Skuld and the smiling man, gears turning in his mind.

Before two seconds have passed, Ali raises his sword again-
"Explanations can wait"
-and brings it down across the smiling man's chest.

"This yo crib, huh? You must be the Baron."

His smile disappears at the sight of Zulfiquar at his chest.
"Yes, I am," he shouts, "And how dare your lowborn servants lay hands on me! You've shown great disrespect to me in my own home, and so are no longer welcome in it! Put your swords away, and leave my castle! That goes for all of you!"

Before the last word leaves Kurloz's mouth, Ali plunges Zulfiqar through his chest, twisting it hard upon penetration.

"Nice to meetchu, bitch. Sorry, but my servants are worth much more than two-faced barons like you. Now bend ova, make yo knees touch ya elbows."

"NO- " *urk* The Baron's eyes grow wide and he coughs blood. Amos Daniels rushes into the dining room just as the sword goes through.

"Milord! We heard your voice, what's going on?!" The sound of shouts and numerous footsteps echo from down the hallway.

On the far side of the room, the kitchen doors open to admit a man clad in half-helm and chain mail shirt. Amos recognizes him as the sword-wielding guard from their arrival.

"Ohhhh my," the swordsman drawls in a bored tone, "How did this come to pass?"

Amos draws his sword at the sight of the mayhem and carnage.

"I take it we aren't going to get to leave peacefully?"

The sentence is as much a cynical remark made against Ali as it is a question directed to the guard.

Skuld stands up and facepalms. "Please tell me you didn't just kill our host."

"Hopefully Ali just slew a shape changer." Lucas thumbs his bandolier holster, eyeing the scene, especially the newly eviscerated Baron.

She sighs and holds her sword in an offensive stance just in case she is attacked.

The swordsman shrugs. "Ah, who knows? You could make a run for it down that hall; that'll be spearman amateur hour. But me, I got no backup coming over here, all on my lonesome. Whatever shall I do?"

Amos goes for a plate on the dining room table and hurls it like a discus at the pretentious but suspicious guardsman.

"Is this place up for sale then? I've got a golden camel statue in town to buy this place with."

The Baron collapses to the floor, his shirt becoming stained with a darker shade of red. Lucas keeps a close eye on him.

On the other hand, the swordsman doesn't move an inch as Amos' plate flies past him and hits the wall, shattering into pieces.
"Looks like you'll need to come a lot closer to hit me, boy." He places a hand on his sword hilt.
"But I wonder, what is his royal Majesty's command?"

The voices in the hallway get louder.

"Watch my back, homies."

Ali takes the blob of flesh, which used to be the maid's head, and walks slowly towards the swordsman.

"This belong to you?"

"The fuck is that?" she says more to herself than anyone else?

The swordsman stares at the blob with a mixture of disgust and fascination. "Looks like a fat man's belly fell off and ran away by itself. Where'd you get it?"

Ali stops 5 paces away from the swordsman and holds the blob up high.

"But bellies don't just fall off, do dey? This used to be the maid's head."

"We was walkin' to da Baron's study to say wassup, when we overheard him talking with the maid. He was growlin' at her like he was real mad or somethin'."

"Suddenly, the bitch let out dis horrible scream, and by the time we broke in, her head had been chopped from her body, and the Baron had bounced. Moments later her head turned into this gooey shit."

Ali points to Lucas.

"My badass nigga here is a monster hunter who's seen some fucked up shit. He says a horrible curse has been busted out on yo' castle, turnin' errbody into goo. My crew is safe, cause Lucas is castin' a protection spell, but I ain't so sure bout the rest of you. In fact, I'm inclined to kill anybody who gets too close without bein' purified. Unfortunately for the Baron here, he was at risk of infecting my friend Skuld."

Ali tosses the blob at the swordsmans feet, splattering grey flesh over his boots.

"Now, you can either call off yo dawgs and run wit' us, or end up like dis otherwordly slop. Yo' choice homie."

"Ey' Ali, if this guy says he'll help you out he's just going to stab you in the back man. Let's put him down before he causes any trouble."

The swordsman toes the blob. "Interesting tale, highness. Might tell it at the pub later. But the fact o' the matter is, you killed my liege, so-"
The Baron's body jerks, each ripple through the skin changing his face until it too is a featureless blob, confirming Lucas' theory.
"What?"
Five spear wielding guards arrive behind you in the hallway. Their view of the room is obscured by all the people in the doorway, but they are nevertheless on edge. They jab their spears and shout. "Drop your swords!" "Back up against the wall!" "What have you done with milord?!"

The swordsman's voice carries across the room. "HOLD! HOLD."
He draws his weapon. The blade is polished to a shine, and has a gilded pattern just above the hilt.
"Time's up. Explain yourselves, for the benefit of the men here. No tricks, no lies."

"Just as the innocent prince here was saying. A curse of monsters has beset the keep and only we who hunt them are safe from suspicion. Ali was only trying to save the souls of this castle and you have done nothing but question his good will. Instead you should round up the servants, guards and knight if any are present."

Lucas steps forward and clears his throat.

"I am Lucas Van Luft, a hunter of the un-dead and a man of medicine. It was my belief that some foul presence had claimed this fort as its own. I admit I was predisposed to believe it was the taint of the vampire, but it appears I was wrong. The Prince's explanation is partially correct; people are becoming goo, but if I were a betting man I would say only those who were truly a weirdling meet this fate. We are besieged by shape changers! Baron Kurloz is a role shared by these creatures, like a costume worn by different actors. The real Baron, if there ever was one, has probably been disposed of by his doppelgangers. We know not their purpose, only that they assume the form of Kurloz and his personal aides. We have found something of theirs, however; a sigil."

Lucas motions to Ali to show the stone with a spiral pattern from earlier.

Ali takes the stone out of his pocket and raises it high for all to see.

Lucas continues. "If you wish to find the truth of the situation, as we do, I recommend you have your men stand down, and direct us to the records of this place. Armed with such knowledge we may better be able to combat this weirdling menace. And as friend Amos said earlier, it would help to have all guards and staff rounded up to better weed out friend from foe."

Skuld puts away her sword. "Shows me not to go cooking again."

Amos whispers to Lucas:

"What's actually going on here hunter-san? Is there actually a shaperchanging man - I mean shapechanger, incursion happening? It could just be the two of them no?"

"This curse seems like an awfully convenient excuse to kill who you want."
He sheathes his sword as well.
"Well, I'm starving. If your cause is truly just, put away your steel first, and let's have a nice chat over dinner."

"Uhhhh, mysterious guard captain who has yet to introduce himself, is food not a little besides the point right now?"

In the middle of the awkward silence Amos decides to take action rather than let action be taken for him. He wraps his fingers tightly around the handle of his blade and dashes forward sending a valiant lunge in the direction of the guard captain.

"HELL YEA A.D.," says Ali, also tired of waiting for a response. He tosses his cape to reveal the dazzling armor underneath.
[Shining Swagg activates, stunning guards, servants, and guard captain]

In the same instant, he charges towards the guard captain, and chants "Bararum Dum Dum," immobilizing the guard captain with Crunk Power.
[Get Low activates]

"BREAK YO' SELF, MUTHAFUCKAHHHHH," roars Ali, as Zulfiqar flashes through the air, striking at the guard captain's neck. (Ali will change direction depending on Amos' path and target.)

While this is happening, Coterie members get ready to bodyblock incoming guards, and they prod Skuld and Lucas to draw their weapons. The Cook looks down at the red-haired boy they had picked up before, and grabs his hand firmly, looking him in the eyes.

"My son, are you ready to become a Hero of Justice?" asks the cook, a single tear dripping down his cheek.

The red haired boy gazes back, confused but calm, into his older companion's resolute face.

"Yes...father. Yes I am. But...people die when they are killed..." says the boy, squeezing his adopted father's hand for courage.

"I know, my son. I know."

"Fighting on an empty stomach is no fun." He draws his sword and assumes a stance, locking a serious gaze on the charging Amos.
Amos gets into range and strikes. The swordsman parries his blow, catching the blade with his own. He quickly twists it around and sends it flying to the side.

Triumphant, he opens his mouth to speak but nothing comes out, as his attention is now captured by Shining Swagg. The Coterie parts to either side, allowing the guards in the hallway to gaze upon Lil' Prince Ali's flexing posterior.

The Crown Prince of Crunk skirts around Amos and takes off the genuflecting man's head in a single swing.
Lucas, Amos, and Skuld break free of Shining Swagg's effect, and the guards will do the same in a moment.

Amos dives to the ground for his sword and rolls across his back to end propped on one knee with this sword aimed up towards potential offenders. Amos is glad to see Lady Fortune smiles on him, the armored foes are still entranced by prince Ali's bizarre powers while his own mind is free and focused on their bloody demise. Amos bounds forwards towards one of the spearmen and guards along the inside of the spear with a traditional ox-guard and attempts to follow up with a rising cleave combo'd into a vantag strike.

The guards snap out of their Swagg induced daze right as Amos is upon them. He deftly slips past the leftmost guard's spear while the rest get in each other's way trying to stop him. His upward cut bisects the guard's torso from waist to shoulder sending a brief spray of blood. He moves past the falling corpse and strikes down another with impunity. The remaining three manage to untangled their spears and start backing up.

More shouts and steps echo from down the hallway.

Amos screams out at the fleeing guards with a guttural and bloodthirsty ferocity:

"IMPUDENT FUUUCKERS! A.D. Ali and the rest of US are coming for BLOOD! None of you are going to raise weapons at us and leave with your lives!"

He makes half a motion to give chase but gets a hold of himself and checks on his allies and surroundings instead of rushing headlong into what could be small legion of guards.

Skuld walks forward and places a firm hand on Amos's shoulder. "Gentlemen what we hqve hete is a Berserker who can and will kill you even after he has died." She then motions to Ali. "And this is a man who can sap your will to anyrhing away with but a few words. Now will we talk this out or go back to killing you"?

(using bluff skill)

(Bluff fails, they saw what happened to someone who tried to talk it out)

The guards grip their spears tighter as they turn and bolt for the exit.
"Help! The guests have gone mad!"
"They killed Sir Tanvor and probably did away with the Baron too!"

Ali checks the kitchen for an exit path.

The kitchen is empty. Pots, pans, and dishes lie strewn about, the cooks having left in the middle of preparation. Ali checks a narrow door in the side of the wall, but it leads downstairs. He then finds another door that opens out into another hallway.

Lucas investigates Sir Tanvor's corpse to see if he will morph in his death throes as well.

Amos stands guard by the door, listening for the raucous of armor near the doorpost. If no sounds come from immediately around the corner Amos peeks out to keep watch for oncoming guards.

After waiting for the same interval it took to reveal the Baron and the maid, Sir Tanvor's body does not change.

"Alright homies, where should we go? Skuld, you and A.D. was explorin' separate parts of the castle right? How we gon' get outta this place?