I was hoping to get this finished in time for Halloween but looks like I'm not going to make that deadline. So if anyone's reading bear with me, we will get there in the end but right now there's a lot going on in RL.


Chapter Two

Costumes

Ayla stood in front of the mirror in her room and considered her outfit. Like most young women, sometime during her teenage years, the desire to look "hideous" in her Halloween costume had morphed into the desire to look "hot". That narrowed the choice down considerably. Rejecting the "sexy witch" costume because it seemed in bad taste after the party's innability to save Dynaheir (let alone prefering not to be accused of cultural appropriation) that left the "sexy vampire". There had been one other in the shop, "sexy nurse", but as she had no idea what a nurse was let alone a "sexy" one, she thought better to steer clear. So vampire it was, well it was a classic after all. White face powder, dramatic red lipstick, a long black wig and high heel shoes completed the outfit. Though she couldn't help but think that most of the undead they had met didn't look quite so healthy or whole as they were often missing bits and pieces and tended to be rather green and smelly. Deciding against wearing her sword as it would spoil the vibe of "vampire mistress who doesn't need weapons and instead uses her devastating charisma to ensnare her victims", she made her way downstairs to the main common room.

Ayla joined the group at their usual table, ordered more wine and surveyed her companions, three of which were dressed as they usually were,

"Don't tell me Edwin, let me guess, almost got it... ummm... wizard?"

"You have only just managed to work that out (the woman must be even more stupid than I thought)? Evil Wizard, just as you instructed" Edwin answered ticking off points on his fingers, "scary, magical, evil, (you get devastatingly handsom thrown in for free)"

"You could do with a hat though, people won't realise you are a wizard without a hat, (should be one big enough for that head though it would be a stretch)" Ayla mused thinking of the gaudy hats she had seen in the costume shop, (what...oh no, he's got me at it as well).

"Worry not, I will not hesitate to persuade them of my qualification as wizard" Edwin grimaced, "would you have me dress like that fool Elminster?"

"Good point" she answered distractedly already thinking about how she would get him to wear the dark blue one covered in silver stars and moons she had seen earlier.

"And Viconia,"she asked turning to her, "Drow?"

"Drow Priestess, you said we should look frightening, can you think of anything more likely to strike fear into the heart?" she answered looking smug. And Ayla had to admit she had a point. Viconia had borrowed the shadow armour and was dressed head to toe in black and with her long silver hair loose she was a striking sight.

And then there was Kivan, dressed in his usual long brown cloak, hood up, long bow close to hand, he wasn't even evil which at least the other two could claim. Just hopeless, she sighed to herself, well at least Korgan had made an effort. Though she wasn't sure what he had been hoping to emulate. Something between a goblin and an elf she thought judging by the false pointy ears, the green and red striped leggings, the floppy hat and the green, pointy shoes with the toes turned up,

"So Korgan you're a ...?

"Pixie, the ones in the tales me Mother used to tell before she were brutal slain by scum that called themselves family and hid nature with false smiles as they planned murder. The like of which as never been seen in the Realms. When they showed themselves akin to monsters from the Abyss and only a bloody axe stands between ye and the evil found in man and dwarf..."

"(Ye Gods, you've set him off again) So Pixie it is then, very nice"

"Nice? nice? Ye useless over tall lollygagging waste of space... I've killed for less. Pixies be evil promising children sunshine and rainbows when all they can look forward to is a life of pain and the only thing you can depend on is the strength in yer arm as yer weild yer axe..."

Ayla thought quickly and desperately for something to distract Korgan. Usually when he got caught in this loop they would direct him at something to kill, not an option here. Things were going south rapidly as Korgan advanced and Edwin was starting a spell but then... a woman's voice rung out from the top of the stairs,

"Ho-Jo-To-Ho, Ho-Jo-To-Ho, Heiha, Heiha"

Branwen appeared, carrying a large wooden, golden shield adorned with the picture of a large lady on a horse on her arm, and her golden hammer held aloft in the other hand. As she made her way down the stairs, she carried on singing loudly, silencing everybody in the room, and Ayla was sure she could hear a full symphony orchestra accompanying her (though she may have imagined that),

"hojotoho! hojotoho! heiaha! heiaha!
hojotoho! hojotoho! hojotoho! hojotoho!
heiaha ha! hojoho!."

Branwen made her way to the table through the stunned patrons of the bar and stood before them. Her costume, although it resembled armour in places, would do little to protect her seeing as there was so little of it. A breastpiece of a couple of metal cones. Then nothing much between that and a leather skirt (though skirt was a generous use of the word, belt would have sufficed) and then further, nothing below. Atop her windswept hair she wore a small winged helmet. She looked magnificent and the effect she had was not wasted on Kivan. He stood eagerly to greet her but then seemed unable to talk.

"I hope you like my outfit, I'm dressed as a Shield Maiden that our Northern legends tell us carry the fallen from the battlefield to the halls of the Gods" she announced to all of us.

We all agreed that the outfit was amazing, Edwin asked if she would carry him to her bedroom, Korgan wondered where he could borrow a stepladder, and then she turned to Kivan,

"So do you like my outfit?" she asked giving him a generous smile.

Kivan swallowed hard before answering hesitantly,

"It's very becoming," (and we all held our breaths), "very warrior like".

And in the background Ayla heard the full symphony orchestra strike a loud discordant sound before falling silent (though she may have imagined that).

Branwen turned away looking dejected and Viconia moved to her side and gave her arm a gentle squeeze,

"Ignore the Darthiir, he's a fool like all men," she whispered, "though if you want I could charm him for you?"

Branwen shook her head, "No but thanks all the same. What you could do is get me a drink".

"Aye, that be sounding right" Korgan agreed, his earlier anger having been forgotten, "I maybe an evil pixie but yer OK for all of being far too tall to be decent".

The group sat and ordered more drinks and Ayla explained the basic principles of Trick or Treating. No they couldn't burn people to a crisp if they asked for a trick, no they couldn't chop them into little pieces if they didn't give them sweets, no they couldn't blind them, shoot them full of arrows, smash their skulls with a hammer or generally inflict pain and suffering. Tonight they were going to be on their best behavior. As she explained, Ayla made a mental note of the various inns that they could stop off at on their way and sent a silent prayer of thanks to any God who was listening for the Ring of Human Influence she was wearing.

By now it was beginning to get dark and it was time to hit the streets. Just before they left the Elfsong, Ayla excused herself and ran to the shop she had visited earlier returning quickly with a paper package tucked under her arm. From it she produced the tall pointy hat covered in silver moons and stars she had remembered earlier and presented it to Edwin.

"For your costume, so that people know you are a wizard" she prompted, carefully avoiding looking at Branwen and Viconia who were trying hard not to laugh at the sight of the tall pointy monstrosity.

"You want me to wear that ridiculous item? Absurd, it will mess up my hair for a start off"

"No it's not, it suits you, gives you gravitas." Ayla leant forward and whispered in his ear, "I would be very grateful", as she signaled to Branwen and Viconia to help her out over his shoulder.

Edwin wasn't convinced and held the hat gingerly between his fingertips, "As if I would fall for that, I know you far too well".

Damn, damn, damn, Ayla thought but then Branwen spoke up,

"Well, you know what they say, 'jo javers whatsit whitsit' which means 'the bigger the hat the bigger the..."she stopped and gestered vaguely towards her lower half.

Ayla looked confused, "they do?" she started before receiving a quick kick from Viconia who was quicker on the uptake,

"Indeed, in the Underdark only the skilled males are allowed to wear headgear,"

"And why do you think Mystra takes an interest in Elminster?" Ayla added catching on.

Edwin looked at the hat then at the three women, who all nodded encouragingly, "I suppose in the barbaric lands you occupy you need some indication as you are unable to appreciate the advanced subtleties of Thayvian Technique". He placed the large hat carefully on his head and proceeded to fuss around adjusting it. The three women by this time were finding it hard to keep straight faces and hurridly made their excuses that they needed the bathroom before leaving.

"So Branwen, what did that phrase really mean,?" Ayla asked.

"Roughly translated, hmmm, let me think, oh yes, 'there's a sucker born every minute'", she answered as they burst out laughing.