Iron Chef - Alexandria

The temple area is abuzz with activity. Each of the temples has decided to get involved with the cooking event! All the extra food will go to feeding the poor, the homeless, and needy families in general. So all the stops have been pulled along with some very large budgets put into place. The temple of Eluna is working on setting up their station, with lots of flowers and moon themed pastries. Cooking stations are being set up for anybody who wishes to enter into the competition, you can use provided ingredients or bring your own.

Razen arrives early, practically before the temples are even getting ready, and watches the hubbub as things begin to get interesting. He paces around the area nervously, watching anyone that looks to be like they might be cooking today with perhaps too much interest and clearly trying to figure out where the judges - if there are any - are going to be.

Mikilos arrives a bit late, muttering quietly to himself as he sets up a small booth. The elf a a little of the rumpled side... more than usual... alert but fairly distracted.

Morgan is helping the temple of Eluna set up the booth and seems to be in a good mood "No sister I have one dish that people might like." said to one of the female clerics of the temple. "I am not a good cook, and I only make simple things for my self."

Alik wasn't actually on his way here at all... somehow he has completely failed to notice any of the city's activity around the Maggot Man. He's on his way back from the Temple of Reos when he sees the crowds and, curious, wanders in.

Sandy, of course, is totally passing through. There's cooking? Perhaps it's the smell that's luring her closer. Either way, she's arrived in the district.

Mikilos sets up rapidly enough, a few spells doing most of the difficult parts. Wizards. Soon enough he has a couple of hot skillets ready, sprinkled with infused oil and sauteing sliced vegetables.

The traffic in the district grows as the smells of cooking food start up. A man dressed in someber grey robes, a priest of Vardema stands up and speaks in a loud magically enhanced booming voice, "We are getting ready to start the cooking competition, please sign up over here." His voice is low, his tone somber, and could put crowds to sleep. The man could not possibly be any more boring as he steps down. Several people move to sign up at the stand.

Alik regards the hungry Sil. "Pardon," he says, approaching her. "It is that you are being the Lady Sandiel, is it not? The undead shopkeeper?"

At this Razen heads over toward the signup sheet, waiting in line patiently but nervously and then signing his name in large blocky but very neat letters with an expression of uncertainty. When he is done he heads back to where people are setting up and notices Morgan. Seeing her he walks quickly toward her side. "Morgan! I did not expect to see you here. Are you cooking?" Standing beside the other Vardeman is Arubesh, his cassock style robe more the cut of a different land but still in the somber grays and blacks. Even he yawns as the other priest speaks, and he quickly disguises the insulting action by pressing his gold-rimmed glasses higher on the bridge of his nose. He hands the sign in board to those that come, offering quill and ink. "Sign here, please," he orders each participant.

Mikilos mutters absently, but takes a few moments to set his efforts aside and join the line to sign up formally. When it comes his turn to sign, the magus doesn't use a pen, just gestures, his 'writing' glowing faintly with a silvery arcane light. Show off.

Morgan nods "I am making the one and only thing I can make worth it. That and I will help the temple sell zucchini bread that I helped made."

Priest Brier nods to Arubesh, "Thank you for the assistance, are your glasses falling off?" Looking at the man with the bland expression. Glancing to the signups he nods, "Please write what you will be cooking, if you brought your own materials and..." cutting himself off as he leans down and picks up a maggot, "Is this a joke?"

Razen is about to say something more when he hears the priest's exclamation. Even at a distance he can tell what it is and it makes him shudder. "Well then." He looks around for any sign of the sharp-toothed bloody-staff wielding demon he saw once before.

Morgan notices her friend seem a bit jumpy "something wrong?" she does know some of Razen’s triggers.

Mikilos returns to his booth, and heats the oil again, adding a few mushrooms before starting to fried thin slices of pale meat. "I'd like to note this is not my actual submission. My actual submission is an arcane contact which uses very rare ingredients. The result for the one eating will be mildly similar to this cervelle de veau, but on a far grander scale."

Priest Brier looks to Alik and nods slowly, "You are right, we did announce we were feeding the poor and homeless, to be expected." Holding out the maggot to initiate, "Take care of this." Then snaps his fingers to another initiate who feel asleep, "you are always falling asleep during your lessons. Do I need to give you extra chores?"

Another man a little ways off steps on something and goes eww, "Was that a maggot I stepped on?"

"Maggots." Razen whispers the word to Morgan like it's a secret, his eyes darting suspiciously around the area. Catches sight of the man who says he stepped on something for a moment and Razen's frown deepens. "This is practically a festival in the things honor, I am hoping... That it will show up."

Priest Brier glances to the other man and shrugs. Then motions to the another table that is being set up, "We have selected seven people around the city to be judges. We are only missing one, I do hope Lady Sandial got her invitation to be a judge."

Morgan gives the area a nice look "I don’t think he would be here not with my mentor and two other powerful casters here.... and I am not counting my self." she thinks she needed to stated that so she does not seem vain.

Alik travels through the space, looking at the various people setting up. That a cooking contest is being set up is obvious, but... everyone seems very _serious_ about it, which seems odd.

Priest Brier calls off a name, "our first contestant, Arch-Mage Mikilos please come forward. We drew these randomly." he offers and motions to the judges, "You said you were ready to yes? Please offer your dish to the judges." A acolyte is sent to retrieve the missing judge, Sandy.

"...wait," says Sandy.

"I'm a judge?"

She heard that. "Well, then. Why didn't someone say so?" She's fine with this, really.

"It is not as if it can die. What does it have to fear? Besides the whole point of this is to feed it." He stands uncomfortably near her without any sign of ingredients and clearly in no hurry to cook. He watches as the first contestant is called and frowns. Randomly? This bodes ill.

Mikilos sighs softly, and mutters a few phrases, his voice sounding with arcane enhancement. "As I understand the contest has three points; a willing sacrifice, not even a king can afford, never tasted before. My true submission is an aracne contrace with an outer planar chef. One read in full, the contact grants a willing subject a meal crafted by this chef. The meal shall be fried in oils of the poppies from the Eternal Elysian Fields, flavors with herbs from each of the elemental planes, and drizzled with sauces from the celestial realm. I note that unto themselves, each of these things are nearly flavorless, but instead enhance and accent the main ingredient, thus making each meal a unique experiences. Two slabs of pork cooked in the same way would result in different flavors, as each piece of meat is unique unto itself.

These ingredients are quite valuable, but a suitable wealthy individual can afford them. Of course, that is not the true cost. The chef is an Erinyes, a devil of hell, and when the contract is entered she will remove a section of the subject's own brain, and that piece will be the main ingredient. The process is swift and painless, though I've been assured by the chef she is quite willing to make the process long and painful. Claims it enhances the experience. The loss of brain matter of course damages cognitive ability, and limited memory loss. The exact effects of course depend on the precise bit of brain removed. The lost intelligence might be replaced with magical effects, but the memories and skill forgotten are gone for good. Even the least cerebral barbarian can't afford to forget how to swing a blade, and certainly no king can risk such a cost.

The practice is actually common on the infernal plane. A torment of gluttons. A small piece of another's meal is offered upon arrival. A the taste is... divine. They crave more, but no the result. Most resist, for a time. Months, years, but eventually they give in, and enjoy the bliss of a meal. One meal. And then stave again. The second meal comes after a time, and then a third. Each a little sooner than the last. Eventually, only an empty shell remains, unable to dine at all, let alone enjoy the meal. So instead it's given to new arrivals, and the cycle begins anew."

"Who is it who it is not as if they can be dying?" Alik asks where was speaking before Mikilos' cooking started.

Vaalyun emerges from the Althean temple to see the competition to cook a meal for the Maggot Man. He doesn't seem to be participating with the Altheans, who are doubtless baking, as is their wont. They're going to make bread one way or another, might as well make something special of it. He walks alongside another priest, and comments, as he does, "I have a bad feeling about this." He catches some of the explanation of one of the meals and visibly winces. "Gods help us."

Alik seems _very_ intrigued. "Is it that the consumer gains the memories and skills?"

The judges stare Mikilos, and then at the dish, and give it a sample as they are all clearly delighted. Except judge six, because that and Sandy, and seven taste it and grumps, "I can die happy now." A man wearing ragged robes stands nearby and grabs himself a sample, tasting it and hmmms, "I am reminded of a wizard... four hundred years ago,did a dish similar to this... delightful, amazingly wonderful, but not something I have not had before." Pulling back his hood to show sunken eyes, and a very aged complexion, a few maggots falling off him in the process, "A start, a little sleepy I feel, but more do I need." glancing to the next person in line, "Will you state my hunger, perhaps offering yourself to my palate?"

Mikilos shakes his head. "No no, typically the person is eating their own brain. The memories and skills are destroyed forever."

Sandy also stares at Mikilos. She then puts her hand to her face.

Just like that.

Razen stares firmly at the demon, clearly having expected this development. "That. That is the thing that can not die."

Morgan goes off to cook her meal in a private area, but the sweet smell of cooked meat and grease can be smelled. "Oh, boy." is all Vaalyun can say. The only thing more revolting than the possibility of eating brains is that the gluttonous Maggot Man is actually /here/. It's enough to make him wish that he'd brought his mace with him, just in case. What could possibly be next?

Alik observes the old man. Perhaps rudely. It's hard for him to be sure.

The maggot man moves over and takes up a seat at the judges table and offers one simple word, "Next."

The 'Maggot Man' is eyeballed.

Sandy just sort of /eyes/ him.

The maggot man is sitting right next to Sandy, "I am reminded, I met your great grandmother, she says hi." The priest clears his thought, "That man is not to be touched, things will get bad if he is killed here. Uhh next, Razen, your up."

The half orc looks around and eyes Morgans tent. "I promised a friend that I would let others go before me. So if there are any other cooks..."

The priest gives Razen a deadpan look, "Very well. Morgan."

Morgan comes out of the tent and says "I don’t mind going." She comes out with a basket "now mind you I am not a cook, but I do love a challenge." she places a grilled cheese sandwich in front of the judges. "Now what I taken two slices of bread covered one side each with a nice amount of lard. Then I put slices of Lucht siuil cheese in it. I also added chunks of ground up hamburger seasoned with lemon pepper on it." She then takes a step back hoping to get a whatever review of it.

Alik watches this carefully. "It is not a devil being, this dish?"

The judges each take a bite in turn and offer approving nods, "Not as exoctic as the last entry... but delicious in its simplicity." The maggot man takes a bit and closes his eyes, "Ahh reminds me of a grandmother's cooking a millennia ago, similar but has its own unique taste to it. Should try some slightly higher quality beef, would improve the taste." Then offers a yawn, "Starting to get tired."

Razen watches the other cooks go before him without success and when it's just him he nods and meets the gaze of the creature he helped to release. "Demon. You asked /me/ once to feed you and I should have then." He moves forward and unhooks the armor around his left arm. "I told you once to eat, and you failed to do it." He rolls up the sleeve of his tunic and unhooks the gauntlet around his fist and lets it clatter to the ground. "So I offer you a willing, living sacrifice which no man or king could afford and which I know you have not eaten for I have it yet. My arm." He holds it out toward the creature fearlessly.

Sandy grimaces at the 'maggot man'. She /eyes/ him.

"IS that right. I still want to kill her, you know," she adds.

Alik seems intrigued. "Can be a good rate on artifice replacement offering," he observes.

The priest goes through several more entries, each of them getting harsh criticism. As razen comes up the Maggot man looks to Razen, "A arm would not suffice, it has to be all of you. I am nearly asleep child, a little more and I will sleep for a while yet. At least until somebody wakes me up again, like the lich did." offer casually with a yawn, "Come you must have something?"

Morgan looks to Razen like she will knock him out for what he just offered.

Razen frowns at the thing, takes a deep breath. "My arm is what I have. It was good enough for you once it should be good enough for you again." If not...

"Ahem," says Sandy to Razen. It's clear she does not like what he's doing here.

Vaalyun turns and murmurs to the younger priest next to him, "Did he just say a lich?" He shakes his head, but seems pretty happy to not have to worry about someone's arm getting bitten off. He bites his lower lip hard. "I knew I had a bad feeling about this."

"More than a lick, I am thinking," Alik comments to Vaalyun, "if entire arm is to be eating."

The Maggot Man glances to Sandy, 'Every age, every decade, there are people like him. Rushing in, good intentions.. by Animus sometimes I wonder." glancing to Razen, "The arm happened to be there, but never was the whole a willing sacrifice."

Razen frowns. "No, the whole /is/ willing. So eat me you demon coward."

"Don't you /dare/," says Sandy, pointing at Razen. "I am going to beat the shit out of him if picks that up. You're not eating anyone. No people eating." She's on her feet.

Morgan looks to Razen "you stupid prat there are better ways you twit."

"Entire self, cannot be artifice replacement crafting," Alik notes, single-minded.

Razen glares at Sandy and then at Morgan and lastly the demon. "It is. And I choose this." He's not backing down even a little, his face deadly serious.

"I am /not/ letting you eat someone," says Sandy, firmly, to the maggot man. She's up.

The maggot man inches up to Razen and licks his face, "Tasty, but no no this will not due. You are willing, but the world around you does not. The last condition is missing, the will of the whole." stepping back, "A pity, you are tasty." then glances to Sandy, "I must sleep, I cannot activate the blessing of Animus upon my form to rest until my hunger has been stated. I will continue to consume... and consume... there is one thing I can think of that I know would fill my hunger." A wide toothy grin crossing his face, his teeth razor spikes, "A bone of a lich."

Razen shudders at the contact but watches the demon carefully. He'd have to get permission from /others/? That hardly seemed to be right to him, but the idea of something else that could be eaten... He can get behind that. "A lich?" He grins across the space to Morgan and then Sandy as if this makes everything even.

Morgan sighs "well anyone know where a Lich is?"

Alik looks to Sandy. "It is that you are a lich ancestor having, is it not?"

"It's not like they have a guild, Morgan, or go around putting up posters. 'Dark Magicks at reasonable prices. No demiplane too small.'" Vaalyun quips, as he steps away from the temple as the discussion turns to undead magic users.

"I do not know if this is important or not, but did he not say a lich woke him up?" Not Razen; the half-orc had been listening to that part too.

Morgan keeps stairing at Razen "We are going to have a talk about being a marter."

The maggot man offers another yawn, "A year at most I think... maybe less. I am tired enough to sleep for a short bit. You have a break from my curse. I suggest you pray to Animus you can find this lich and get a bone." with that he turns and starts walking out north.

-End-