Through Barsunala-Vision, the hall is just slightly less garish, with the flames appearing as bright silver. The occupants likewise have slightly silver auras around them, which helps Alptraum to spot them even in the shadowed areas behind the oversized pillars. His dark-haired 'barbarian' elf escort brings before the throne, and introduces him to the seated Lord: "My Lord Baneweed, this Reaper demon requests your leave to rest in your Hall, having taken a wrong turn."

The bored looking elf on the throne, waves a hand, and says, "Granted. Maybe he will be entertaining. And remind me to file another complaint about the shoddy replacement Gate with that meddling dragon."

"Entertaining? Few view a visit from a demon of death as entertainment. But no matter, my gratitude for allowing me inside; well, what gratitude I can offer at least," Alptraum says with a curt nod of his head. "This may prove to be a useful wrong turn, unlike the last few. Your kind may provide me some service."

"Eh, for service go to the shadows behind the pillars," the high elf says, dismissively.

The Barsunala snorts. "I will amuse myself with your guests in some manner or another, be assured of that," he remarks dryly. The demon spins with a rustle of tattered wings and walks off into the hall. His head snakes about as he looks through those gathered in the room. "If any of them are already actively looking, it may be easier to approach them… " he thinks.

The shadows are not particularly deep to Alptraum's vision: he can see many sets of silvery eyes in dark faces watching him from the sidelines. One group of Dark Elves in particular seems to find him interesting. They are seated in a circle pattern behind one of the pillars.

The edge of Alptraum's muzzle turns up in a slight smirk. "Well, there's the first group. Let'sgo see what they're up to? And Kaira, if you're watching, I hope you're enjoying my show of being demonic… " he thinks. His ears snap towards them so he can listen to them as he approaches. He walks with a purposeful, yet slow, gait towards the gathering.

The elves make no attempt to hide their interest, staring openly as the demon-bat approaches them. Up close, a few differences can be made out: three of the elves, a male and two women, have a 'mature' look to them (even if it's otherwise impossible to tell physical age differences with dark elves) while the six others facing them in the circle seem definitely younger in attitude and dress. They all wear the same mishmash of barbarian pelts, but the mature ones seem to wear them with more dignity.

Alptraum dips his muzzle. "I will join you for a time," he says, "I am tired of the gates." The Eeee then settles himself down near, or in the circle if they will let him. His wings curl around his body, draping the strips over his shoulders. "I presume you are also travelers from one of the worlds in this accursed prison?"

Two of the junior elves make room for the apparent demon, so that he's seated between two girls. The older male elf gives a slight 'hmph' sound before saying, "We have always been a part of this court, such as it is. Where do you hail from? You have the look of a demon from Gehenna."

"I doubt I am of any world you have heard of; as I was one of the dragon's more recent acquisitions. The cursed creature's desire and use of powers similar to a reaper drew him to me," Alptraum answers with a small wave of his hand. "I have never been to a place called Gehenna, but it sounds curious if there are Reapers such as I. Perhaps I will see it some century. If you wish, you may call me Reis. Who am I addressing?"

"Call me Silvain," the man says, and gestures to take in the others. "These are my wives and children," he notes, but goes no further in introducing them.

Alptraum nods. "Well met, Silvain," he says. With a glance to his two daughters on either side of him, he adds, "You have raised brave children; few are willing to sit this close to me." To each of them, he says with a curt nod, "Reis."

"What do the dead have to fear, besides oblivion?" the girl to Alptraum's right asks with a teasing grin.

"Plenty, child. Eternal torment; the slow rending of your soul throughout the infinite comes to mind. There are far worse things than dying," the Barsunala comments with a gaunt and fangy grin. He reaches out and slides a single claw lightly down her cheek, then adds, "But you do not have that to fear from me. I wish to save such exertions for others who have earned my animosity. Here, well, all I wish for is company and perhaps some information about other denizens of this realm."

The girl practically purrs at the cheek-stroke, while one of the women (her mother perhaps) asks, "Why are you curious? Are you on the rumored 'blacklist' of those who will be left behind to share the dragon's fate?"

"That I could not say; though it would not surprise me," 'Reis' says as he takes a moment to trace the girl's face with the claw and mentally compare it to what he remembers of Ravenia. "But that is not my reason. A few imprisoned here have decided they wish to 'play' with me for their amusement; they called themselves Sidhe I believe. Whatever they call themselves, I do not tolerate such abuses."

The girl does resemble Ravenia – in fact all of the female elves do to some extent. They don't seem to have a lot of variation in their features compared to what Alptraum has seen of regular humans.

"You travel through the realms of the Unseelie," Silvain says. "It is our nature to play with any whom we find weaker than ourselves. And demons can be trapped by many magics."

"As you no doubt have noticed, I am blind and am not easily fooled," 'Reis' says, "But it does not mean I cannot see in a far more powerful way. And yet they … can cloud even that. Their powers can pierce and affect even my senses," The demon-Eeee says as he unfurls his wings and then actually drapes them around each of the girls. "I wish to know how to see beyond such illusions. Will you impart such knowledge to me?"

"What do you offer in return for this knowledge?" the elf asks, while his daughters snuggle up to Reis within his wings.

"I could relieve you of the burden of your daughters," 'Ries' offers with an amused smirk. "But then I am not sure what use a reaper would have for them. But beyond that, I have abilities to manipulate the souls of others depending on the target and my senses grant me the ability to 'see' many aspects of others. From your auras, I knew that these two were younger than you, for example. Aside from what everyone in this world wants, escape, is there something specific that you desire?"

Right on time, Lord Baneweed screams from the back of the hall when his wife stabs him through the heart for trying to sacrifice her to the dragon in life. "Yes, could you stop that woman from doing that every evening?" the elf father asks. "I have no care for how Baneweed suffers, but his caterwauling and complaining grate on the nerves after the millionth time. Sometimes she stabs him again in his sleep, waking the entire hall."

"Hm. Perhaps," 'Reis' says as his head cranes towards the throne. "If I manage this, you will share the secrets on breaking their illusions? Good." Turning his head back, he asks, "Another question; have you had many dealings with our 'caretaker', the dragon?" On the word 'caretaker' a look of disgust crosses his face.

"Not since the destruction of our original Gate," Sylvain says. "It is my experience that dragons are best avoided."

"Indeed. I only ask because I am seeking weaknesses in her as well. Anything to accelerate my release is, of course, important to me," 'Ries' comments. "I have heard rumors she works with a mortal. Perhaps I will be able to get my claws into the threads of his soul some day; perhaps not."

"Rumors are many and contradictory about her," Silvain warns. "I suspect she circulates many of them herself. It is wisest to never trust any rumors about a dragon. Their paranoid minds run in complicated knots."

Ries smirks as he leans over and actually licks one of Silvain's daughter's ears. "Ah, the taste of the dead; it is always sweet," he murmurs briefly. Returning his attention to Silvain, he says, "Again, also true. Now, excuse me, I will see what I can do about your noise problem."

"Hurry back," the licked girl says.

Smirking, Reis draws his claws lightly along the underside of the elf's chin as he stands up. "Planning to capture a demon?" he asks her.

"Just a little," the girl promises.

"Then I expect an appropriate and attractive collar. After all, I won't serve just anyone unless they can show themselves worthy," Ries comments, looking moderately amused. He snaps the remains of his wings around himself and walks away from the group. He can't help but glance around, wondering if people were actually spying on that odd conversation. "Okay, how am I going to manage getting her to quit stabbing him? And get out of here without actually getting caught for that matter?" he wonders as he walks towards the 'queen'.

Lady Baneweed is a fair-skinned, dark-haired High Court elf like Baneweed himself. Whatever prettiness she might possess is spoiled by the grimace she wears now as she struggles with her husband for the obsidian knife she'd just plunged into his chest.

Holding his head up high, he approaches the struggling couple. "Lady Baneweed, a word, please," he states when he gets closer to the pair. He doesn't move to interrupt the struggle yet, though.

The woman glares at the interruption, then asks, "I didn't summon you, but are you hear to carry off this useless coward?"

"If I were not trapped in this world, I would," 'Ries' comments coldly. "But it does not mean I do not wish to discuss his fate once we are free of this place. Your anger is palpable, I can taste it in the air around you and it has drawn me. Walk with me." He extends one of his gaunt hands towards her.

With a sound of disgust, the woman pushes back on the knife to dig it in deeper before letting go and taking Reis' hand. "Fine, better a demon than a failure!" she claims, spitting onto her husband's face. Lord Baneweed just sighs and wipes it away.

"It pleases me to hear you have respect for demons," Ries says as his hand closes around hers and he leads her away from her husband. He 'looks' around for a door to a balcony or the like. "Your husband does not deserve someone with the beauty your aura radiates. I may be a reaper, but I can appreciate the beauty of a soul."

"Well, come this way then," the elf woman says, cheering a bit at the flattery. She leads him to a hallway entrance set behind the throne, which leads to various closed rooms. The one at the far end is open, however, and proves to be the Lord's bedroom. At least, the amount of dried blood on the bed 'hides' suggests it is.

"From what others have told me, your husband did a greet injustice to you in life," Reis remarks as the two walk down the hall; the demon bat drawing close to the elf. 'Seeing' the stains as they go, he's grateful that he doesn't see in much color. "And of course, some level of justice has been dealt him, as it did not spare him from this fate."

"He's a bastard!" the elf woman says, and sits on the edge of the barbarian 'bed' that is little more than a mound of fur pelts and hides. A brazier improbably lights the chamber with an even glow. "He tried to sacrifice me!"

"A man willing to sacrifice such beauty is beyond contempt," Ries says with a nod as he sits down near the elf. "And your rage is understandable. Tell me, if you could have anything befall him now, what would it be?"

"To be left behind!" the woman says with a cruel grin. "Let him sit alone on his throne while the world comes apart around him! That would be fitting."

"Well, well," Ries muses and rubs his chin. "That would require placing him on the rumored blacklist' I have heard about. I am not certain by what measures the dragon uses to put people on that list. I would imagine it would require the being to have been immeasurably evil. Given he sought to sacrifice you; I believe that should qualify him. Of course, how to make sure becomes the question."

"You know the dragon?" the elf asks slyly.

"She interviewed me once. I have abilities similar to the dragon that made this place. She wished to determine how much of a threat I was," Ries says with a small wave of his hand. "I imagine I could speak with her again with some effort."

The elf puts her hand on Reis' chest, and leans closer. "You would put in a word for my situation?" she asks.

"On one condition," Reis says and lifts up a claw, then holds it in front of her nose. "I would ask that you quit stabbing him. I have to deal with some Sidhe that seen to annoy me and to counter them I need some information Silvain holds. He will not speak with me so long as Lord Baneweed's screaming interrupts his sleep. As beautiful as you are, Lady Baneweed, I am a demon and I require payment for services rendered. If Silvain will impart his knowledge to me, I will consider it paid and do what I can to speak with the dragon on your behalf."

"I suppose I could strangle him instead," the woman says, sounding a bit disappointed. "It doesn't generate the same sense of satisfaction, but it is silent." She draws a little circle on Reis' chest with a sharp-nailed (and still quite bloody) finger. "Is that all you require?"

"Require, yes, but I would of course consider anything else you wish to offer as further incentive or perhaps a payment for other services," Ries says with an amused smile. "Is there anything else you would require of a reaper such as I?"

The woman grins and asks, in a whisper, "Can you give my soul a little… pluck?"

"I have not worked with the souls of your kind before, but I could try to see what I could do with your soul. A simple nudge, pluck, or suggestion should be an easy matter," Ries remarks as he sits back and 'looks' more intently at the woman. "What are you offering in payment?"

"What would you like?" the elf asks. "What are the pleasures of a demon of death? You could kill me."

"I have found pleasure in many things," Ries says, "But that is something I will have to dwell on to come up with something creative and worthy of an elf. When I have decided on a suitable payment, I will return and fulfill your wish to be … plucked. But for now I must tend to the matter of the Sidhe before devolving into my more … hedonistic desires."

"Hmm," the Lady Baneweed huffs, and pulls back a bit. "Well, I won't be going anywhere soon," she says.

Ries leans forward and actually lightly kisses the elf's lips. "Patience, Lady Baneweed. I promise I will decide on a payment that will be as enjoyable as the service you wish," he promises. "I merely do not wish to have a distraction in my mind so I can completely enjoy you." The demon then stands and offers her his hand again, asking, "Shall we return?"

"Very well then," the woman says and stands up to take the offered hand.

Reis walks hand in hand with the Lady back to the main banquet hall. "Kaira was right about these people," he thinks to himself, "Dangerous. Interesting in may ways, but dangerous."

Once out in the hall, Lord Baneweed says, "Ah, even a demon could not stand to be alone with you for very long, eh Leucrotia?" Lady Baneweed releases Reis' hand to go up to the throne and start throttling her husband. The elf lord flailed about in his throne, but made no more than a few soft 'gack' noises. "Perhaps I will cut out your tongue first next time, my Lord," hisses his wife.

Ries smirks. He makes a slight nod towards the two, then turns and walks back towards the circle of Dark Elves. "And I thought Kaira was blunt. Wow," he thinks.

"You must be very persuasive," Sylvain says to the returning demon.

The demon bat returns to his seat between Silvain's daughters. Toe the one he licked earlier, he flashes a gaunt, fangy, grin. "It is a matter of desired goods and payments," he notes with a small wave of his hand. "Her wishes were not outside of possibility, so in trade for a demon working on her behalf, she will strangle him from now on," he says. "Will you now explain to me how to cut through the illusions?"

"Very well," Sylvain says with a nod, and begins to lecture. "The first key is to know your own senses. It is common to discard information that does not fit, or does not seem important. This is what allows the mind to be fooled; by having it fill in the missing sensations to make the illusion seem real… "

Reis curls his wings around the two daughters as Sylvain speaks. "Seek out that which does not fit," he repeats with a curt nod. "For example, a fire that gives off no heat, I presume?"

Sylvain waves to the braziers. "Yes, or which gives off the wrong amount of heat." He goes on to give other examples, and touches briefly on glamours, which can fool the senses indirectly by projecting a particular emotional vibration, such as attraction or fear. These feelings then cause the mind to reinterpret what its physical senses tell it.

Throughout the lecture, Ries sits quietly and nods now and then to indicate his understanding. But eventually, he realizes he must be going before Kaira gets worried and actually sends someone looking for him. When Sylvain finally finishes, Ries dips his head, saying, "Payment received; agreement fulfilled. Is there any other service you wish of me before I retire to the gates once more?"

"How do you kill people?" the girl to Reis' left asks. "Do you bite them and drink their blood with those big fangs?"

"How depends on my mood," Ries answers to the girl on his left. "Why do you ask?"

"It's always interesting to learn a new way of killing," the girl says, smiling brightly. "It sounds like it would be slow and mildly euphoric… "

"I could demonstrate," Ries offers, "The loss of blood brings a mild feeling of euphoria, yes. As the body fails the senses report strange things. The initial bite is painful, but it is not overall a painful way to die."

"It's a shame we can't feel it now," the one of the other side of the demon laments. "But once we are free of this hell… "

"I could show you thousands of ways to experience death and the pleasures it can bring," Ries says with a chuckle. "Providing I am ever released, of course. So, tell me, what is your favorite method?"

"I like working with knives," the left-hand girl says eagerly. "And straps. If you tie off a limb, you can cut it in several places, and then release the tourniquet and watch it gush!"

"Knives are fine, but I do prefer more natural weapons," Ries says and flexes his claws for the girls. "It is more personal when it is a part of you inflicting the wounds. It is a connection with the doomed; I do not know if I could explain adequately to someone who isn't like me."

"Well, killing is what you're for though," the right-hand girl says. "You're a Reaper. We have to make do with weapons… "

"I've got silver chains in case I ever catch a werewolf," one of the other 'children' pipes up.

"True, true," Ries agrees, "I am a living weapon and harvester. Perhaps if I am ever free of this place and as are you, I would be willing to consider signing a pact with you. I imagine we could learn many things from each other." To the one who mentioned werewolves, he asks, "What about other were types? Are you prepared for them as well?"

"Prepared?" the boy asks. "Do you need different traps for them? Wolves are best. They howl when you skin them. What other were-creatures do that?"

"I have seen other shifter types, yes. Each are weak to different things," Ries says as his attention shifts to the boy. "As for which howl, only the wolves do that. So if that is what you seek, then you are prepared." With a smirk, he then asks, "And what about demons? What do you have for trapping them?"

"You have to summon them," the boy comments, sounding bored. "No challenge there. It's not like they just wander past for the… taking… " he says, and then gives Reis a contemplative look. Several of his siblings begin to as well.

Ries smirks and pulls his wings away from the girls. "Remove those thoughts before they get you into trouble," the demon bat notes as he stands up. "I will leave you now. The evening was not without entertainment," he adds with a small nod to the group.

One of the girls reaches up to grab the Reaper's rear, but 'Reis' is already half insubstantial and her fingers pass right through him.

"Visit again if you pass this way," Sylvain offers.

"Of course. Next time we should find more things to pass the time than just talk," Ries says as he fades from existence in this room. "Boy do I have to say a few things to Kaira. And ask her! And probably get a lecture about my behavior here," he thinks. "And play a silly game. We always play a silly game."