Ivan picks at the food at the table but finds some of the rarer if the roast suiting his palette. His dignity stung by the dish of cat food, he grumbles beneath his breath through the meal. Everyone else finds the food to be excellent and no one has any adverse effects from eating.

"I be seein' no way to know what door leads to good things, lads. With that in mind, I says we go to the right, as left be bad luck, and them foul rats be waitin' through the straight course."

"Your Right or my right?" Ivan asks, "Cause dude, my right would be the door we came in through and I don't want to be steamed again. Or were you talking the metaphorically right bacuase I lean to the left if you catch my meaning. I'm all for not following the big bad rats though. What is dead and all that. Yuck."

Having enjoyed a hearty dinner and packed as much food as you can into the packs, the party ready for another portal. Mal decides to go for the one at the top of the room, farthest away from the dining room table.

The room is very dark at first. The smell of wood (cedar?) is strong and a musty smell (peat-ish?) as well. Then, candles in sconces around the room light up on their own and you perceive that you are in a 30x30 foot room dedicated to casks and kegs that are stacked on the shelves and in the centre of the room there are two large casks (3’Wx4’Lx2’H) side by side. These are all brandies and cognac.

You have been here before. In fact, this is where you met Ivan for the first time. You are back in the endless corkscrew of the wine cellar but through a different door (west).

Dudley notices that his backpack has suddenly become much lighter. Upon examining it he discovers that the food has all disappeared.

“Whoa.” Says Ivan, “It is Deja Vu all over again.”

At first, there wasn’t much Gamard could do but stand there and try to wrap his head around how they could have ended up in the wine cellar again.

Then Ivan said: “Woah. It is Deja Vu all over again,” and the cleric snapped out of it. There seemed to be no use.

“No,” he said to the cat, “this isn’t Déjà vu. It would’ve been if you were sitting on that keg over there. Now that would’ve been a brain twister.”

He turned to the rest of the group.
“We should go back and follow those rats. Sooner or later we’re going to bump into them and I’d rather have the benefit of surprise than be a victim of it.”

Going back through the doorway he (assuming we’re back in the same room) went to the table and decided to try a little experiment. Running his hand over the table’s surface he said: breakfast. And awaited the results. Not that he was hungry anymore; he was just trying to understand the working of the object.

(OOC: Seriously, how possible is it for Gamard to take this table with him? How big is it?)

As the companions perpared to leave the diningroom through the northern door, Wembley marvelled in all the wonder of the rooms they had wandered through. "Cleaning golems, serving golems, surprising dreams, tables that make feasts on command." The little rogue smiled down at the feline. "And best of all, a talking cat."

Wembley was drunk on wonder. "What a story, what a magical place..." He stepped through the portal behind Gamard, and into...

The wine cellar...
"...deja vu..." said Ivan.

"You can say that again," Wembley quipped.

It didn't take the party too long to decide which way to go. The Khord cleric repeated what Wembley had suggested when they had gone through their first portal... go back through it. Wembley shrugged it off... there was a lot of distance for thought to travel in a sigie's head, it was hard for them not to be a bit dull.

"I'm with you, Gamard," Wembley piped in. "Let's see if the portal will take us back. I'm always up for a bit more food. I wonder if you can put personal requests to that table. Wouldn't it be great if you could just tell the table what you wanted and it would just appear? I'd ask for my momma's hand-twisted, half-baked loavenus. Do you think if it would know the recipe? I don't even know the recipe. I doubt it could make it as good as my momma, though... mmmMMMmm, my momma makes the best sweet bread in all of Kindwell, and that's no lie. It's so good, a Syl once traded my momma his silk vest for two loaves and her recipe. She didn't give him her recipe, mind you... i think her gave her Aunt Aly's recipe, which is close, but not really."

Wembley laughed, "That poor Syl keeps coming back, asking for more of momma's sweet bread and wondering why he can never make it to taste like like hers."

Wembley looked down at Ivan, "I'd ask the table to make you some raw fish, too, friend. What kind of fish would you want, if you could choose?"

... again, Wembley prattled on...

Crow had to admit after his initial misgivings about the food it had been quite tasty and filling. However always the pessimist as he watched the rest of the group fill up packs and pouches, the Elf Ranger himself took only a few strips of jerky. As with all the magic within this maze so far, to Crow, it seemed that each different type of magic was contained specifically to the room it appeared in. He had a hunch trying to take any with them would fail but not to look stupid if his thought turned truth he took enough just in case.

By the time their roundabout continuation of travel once more brought them back to the dinner, Crow’s suspicion about the food had proven correct though he made no remark about it. Remaining quiet as was his nature he waited on the rest to decide where to go next.

(Sorry about the slowness of my posts RL seems not to want to give me a break but I’m still in AL )

Deciding to test a theory, the party exits the wine cellar through the same portal they came through to see if they would arrive in the room they had left. Instead of finding themselves in the dining room as they had hoped, they arrive in a very large throne room.

The Grand Throne room is an awe-inspiring structure, with floors and walls composed of black marble with veins of gold. The pillars lining the room are clear purple crystal and illuminate the room with a purple glow. The dark, starry ceiling is made of lapis lazuli, and has gems worked into fine gold decorations around it. At the head of the room is a raised dais 5’ high, upon which four titanic human skulls, each 10' across, rest facing the opposite end of the hall. Centered between the skulls is an oversized throne, rising an additional 10' above the dais, reachable by a staircase. A bright red light shines down upon the throne. (Yes. It is like a 80’s metal band stage)

The throne is composed of a single block of black jet stone encrusted with rubies and amethysts; its value is beyond reason or counting. The backing and the arms of the throne appear to be composed of hundreds of staffs, wands and rods. It is raised an additional five feet above the dais level, with a series of steps leading up to it.

Ivan says, “Oh! Oh! Oh! I’ve been here. That chair is not comfortable at all and if you sleep on it one of the heads rises up and screams at you to bow. I remember that it scared me and I ran out that portal behind the throne. I came out in the wine cellar! So I had a drink or two and passed out in the barrel dudes. I came in through that north portal after being in a room with a whole bunch of ugly dudes. Not ugly like those guys in the bath but they could be like family ugly. Dig?”

Dudley felt lucky to have so much food now available for the party, they could now move on. As he passed through the portal he recognized being back in the wine room, but his pack didn’t feel right. A quick look showed that the food had disappeared. “Who, that not a good thing. Lucky we still have a little left from before.”

Gamard spoke up, turned to the rest of the group. “We should go back and follow those rats. Sooner or later we’re going to bump into them and I’d rather have the benefit of surprise than be a victim of it.” "I'm with you, Gamard," Wembley piped in then continued babbling. With that followed he Gamard. Then rest of the party followed. Dudley hoisted the pack and joined them.

But instead of returning to the dinning room they entered a glorious throne room. “How lucky to know that these ways don’t reverse. And look at the throne.” Dudley headed for the thone, “I’ve always wondered how it would feel to be a king.” The cleric heard Ivan talking but with the throne in his sites he really didn't hear what he said. Dudley started toward the great chair, bounded up the stair and plopped down, grinning broadly at Wimbley.

Wembley followed Gamard through the portal, his stomach already looking forward to another meal, but, it was not to be...

... It was better!

“Whoa!” Wembley said, for a moment awestruck silent by what surrounded him. “Wow!”

“How lucky to know that these ways don’t reverse.” His kin noted as he also took in the room. “And look at the throne.”
Wembley’s eyes followed Dudley’s to the throne. I have got to get a better look at that!
”I’ve always wondered how it would feel to a king.” Dudley added... almost as if he were thinking Wembley’s thoughts.

The race for the throne was on, but Shinara had seen fit to favour her cleric with a marginal lead. As they moved towards the throne, Wembley could hear Ivan nattering on about something, but his focus was on the race.

In the end, Dudley managed to bounce up the stairs first and plop down on the throne, grinning broadly at Wembley. The little rogue returned the grin with his arms crossed in front of him, one eye cocked, giving an appraising look. “You look good there... how does it feel?” Before Dudley could really answer, Wembley was already scrambling up. “I want to try!”

Dudley had seen Wembley also move toward the great chair, but he knew luck was with him as he reached it first. Taking a regal pose the cleric smiled down on his subject as the little rogue paused before him.

“You look good there... how does it feel?” Before Dudley could really answer, Wembley was already scrambling up. “I want to try!”
"Sure thing," the little cleric piped. "For us there is plenty of room two." With that Dudley scooted to one side and made room for Wembley. "We can rule together, the more the merrier!....I wonder if this comes with magic serving people too?"

The throne is five feet across and has room for two Cidals if possibly two humans. The first thing that Dudley can confirm is Ivan's assessment of the chair - it is not comfortable. No padding, just a big hunk of rock. The arms to the throne arm made of wood staffs, lacquered together. On both arms are three buttons, two yellow and one red in a descending fashion. The buttons are not labeled. (so 6 buttons total)

Wembley squirmed and wiggled his way onto the chair next to Dudley. "Haha! Kings for the day!" he said to his kin.

"Oh! Look at this!" the cidal rogue said, noting the buttons on the chair's arm. "Guys, you have got to check this chair out. It's not very comfortable, but the view is amazing! And, and... it's got buttons!!"

OOC: Last chance, friends... assuming baby doesn't come by tomorrow, if none of you posts calling on Wembley to wait, I'm posting that he touches the buttons. All of them!! Just saying...

Oh! and it reminds me of this

Somewhere... distant, it seemed to the little cidal... Wembley could here a voice. The swashbuckler, maybe? He couldn't be sure. The chair and the buttons were far too interesting.

"I'll push the top, yellow button on my side," Wembley said to Dudley, as he pushed the button. "And now you push yours, and let's see what happens. This is so great!!"

OOC: The deed is done... enjoy the show.

Entering the throne room, Gamard was awestruck with the size of everything. Except for its decorative taste, it reminded him of home. He wondered at the workmanship and couldn't keep himself from taking a closer look. Could it be Khordaldrum work?

But as he pushed his nose against the stonework he caught sight of two of his companions racing each other for the throne.

Uh-oh, he though, seeing that it was the two Cidals. When Cidals were caught up in a joyous game, the world was no longer a safe place. He went after them, hoping to stop them before they could do any real harm.

Too late.

With the buttons pushed, all he could do was pray. Pray like he never did before.

OOC: Looking out from the Throne, I am assuming Dudley on the left and Wembley on the right

When Wembley presses the top yellow button, there is a monstrous roar and the giant skull farthest away on his side suddenly rises up into the air, bursts into flames and then starts to speak in a boomingly loud voice. "BOW DOWN!!!! BOW DOWN IN THE PRESENCE OF LORD PUTNAM THE GREAT OR ELSE DIE A BURNING DEATH!" Then the skull descends back into its spot and extinguishes its flames.

Dudley and Wembley exchange "oh wow" glances and Dudley presses his button. The skull on his side, farthest away lifts off the ground and burns into flames saying in a similar loud voice, "GROVEL INSECT BEFORE THE MIGHTY PUTNUM THE GREAT! OR YOUR DOOM IS ASSURED!

Unable to wait his turn, Dudley presses the next button as the skull lands back in its place. The Skull next to him rises up to burst into a green crackle of energy and booms out, "NOW YOU WILL DIE IN PAIN AND SUFFERING!".

Wembley pushed his button. The skull closest to him rises up, glows with a blue energy and shout out, "PUTNAM IS MERCIFUL, IF YOU SUBMIT TO HIS WILL!"

Dudley presses the red button on his side, unable to contain his excitement. But no skulls rise up or speak. Instead, a pole rises up from the floor on the main floor before the stairs to the throne. It is a silver pole, capped at the top, about 7 feet high, about 2 inches thick and it does nothing special. Very disappointing for a red button.

The die is already cast and Wembley presses the red button on his side, unable to find caution in his body or mind. The room grows dark. Suddenly there are the "pfft" and smoke of teleportation and there are six creatures in the room that resemble monstrous eyeballs with great teeth filled mouths and many eye -stalks. Beholders!!! They growl menacing and start to fly around the throne room making horrible sounds and intent upon corralling the party into the centre of the room. Then there is another "pfft" and a gigantic beholder appears before the throne, three times the size of the others. It looks at Wembley and Dudley in the chair with its huge eye, mouth slobbering with green goo and says, "What is your bidding, my master?"

Wembley pressed the top button.

"BOW DOWN!!!! BOW DOWN IN THE PRESENCE OF LORD PUTNAM THE GREAT OR ELSE DIE A BURNING DEATH!"
"Haha! Yes!" Wembley shrieked with glee. "You try!"

Dudley pressed his button.

"GROVEL INSECT BEFORE THE MIGHTY PUTNUM THE GREAT! OR YOUR DOOM IS ASSURED!"
"Oh hoho! Guys, isn't this great!" the cidal rogue squealed.

Dudley took another turn.

"NOW YOU WILL DIE IN PAIN AND SUFFERING!
"Yikes! Maybe let's not press that button again." Wembley said to his kin. "Now, my turn!"

"PUTNAM IS MERCIFUL, IF YOU SUBMIT TO HIS WILL!"
"Yes! Yes! We are merciful!" Wembley play acted as if he were in authority. "Submit to us, and you shall live."

Dudley presses the red button on his side, but insteand of something amazing, only a pole rises up from the floor.

"Well, that was a little disappointing," Wembley commented a bit glumly. "I sure hope my red buttons more exciting." He stabbed at the red button hard.

The room grows dark. Suddenly there are the "pfft" and smoke of teleportation and there are six creatures in the room that resemble monstrous eyeballs with great teeth filled mouths and many eye -stalks. Then there is another "pfft" and a gigantic beholder appears before the throne, three times the size of the others. It looks at Wembley and Dudley in the chair with its huge eye, mouth slobbering with green goo and says, "What is your bidding, my master?"
Wembley's jaw dropped to the floor. "Whoa!"

For a moment, the cidal was actually speechless...

...but only for a moment. Turning to Dudley, he grinned broadly. "My buttons are way better than yours!"

Turning to the beholder, he gave the mounstrous creature his more severe look and authoritative voice. "I want those creatures," he commanded, indicating the rest of the party, "to be released and left unhindered. They are our guests. Make sure no harm comes to them."