FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

"He's getting away!! After him!!!"

Rumbling through the ornate halls, weapons in hand, and attention focused on the runaway royalty. The ragtag collection of a fighter, paladin, rogue and wizard were in pursuit of a robed and crowned lion, cut and bruised. He stumbled through the carpeted halls with a blue and gold toy box in hand.

"Never!! Never!!! I was promised to be king!! It promised ME to be King!! Hehahahaha!!!!"

The shrill cackle echoed through the halls as the prince lion disappeared behind the large maple throne room doors.

"YEEARRRG!!! OPEN DAMNIT!!" Koren yanked at the metal handles. A blacked cloaked rogue pulled from behind the orc as an armored kangaroo paladin tried to pull the other bronze handle.

"We must hurry," Warned Bar'ruuk. "Who knows what madness he will cause with the-"

"NO!!! You're s-supposed to be dead. I demanded it!! I saw it with my own eyes!!" The prince yelled.

The collective party was shocked silent by what was heard on the other side of the doors. The Crimson Bandit Xepher leaned his ear to the door.

"Who is he talking....?"

"W-W-W-WAIT!!! S-STOP IT!!! STOP RIGHT NOW!!! I-I-I-I'M ROYALTY!!! ROYALTY!!" Shrieks of Prince Willam's rang as the castle shook. YOU PROMISED!!! YOU PROMISEDD-AAAAAAHAHHHHHH!!!!!"

A blinding flash of blue and gold light pierced through the cracks in the door, enough for the party to turn away shielding their eyes. The light petered within seconds, replaced with an aura strong enough to give everyone goosebumps.

"Men!!!" Todd barked with mace drawn and shield upheld. "Be prepared for whatever lies beyond the doorway. Do not let yourselves be shaken any further!!"

Todd and Koren reared back before ramming open the large doors. It opened without resistance to reveal a familiar room. Stone gray and marbled throne room. The scenery was accented with decorated glass windows of the kingdom. Four crimson and silver banners hung, each referencing the king of their era. A crimson red carpet leads a large ornate throne chair that is the center focus of the storied room. On the throne was not the stoutly Prince William, but a slender black cat.

Seated is a black furred leopard drabbed in worn blue and dark yellow patterned tunic, sleeves, leggings. He hums a playful tune as he kicks his feet and pats on the top of a blue and gold shiny jack-in-the-box on his lap. Like a child, he rocked his head back and forth, almost oblivious to the new guests.

"Marcel? It can't be?" Todd called.

"You're alive? How?" Xepher lowered his bow in distraught.

"You? Here? But the guillotine....we were....we were all there." Koren questioned, almost dropping his sword.

"Well done!!! Well done!!" The mentioning of the guillotine awakened the young man as he clapped. "Worry not, what you saw was no trick. In fact, it was very real."

Calmly, the leopard grasped the sides of his head and lifted it seamlessly off his shoulders. No blood or bones. As if it was a toy head detached from a figurine. Mouth agape, the party the disembodied head tossed from side to side.

"The guillotine did behead me but it did not kill me." He answered as he put his head back on his neck. His tone became somber as he placed his hand over his chest. "The cause of my death was a broken heart."

A door opened to reveal a cavity of the cracked remains of a glass heart before it closed.

"What is the meaning of this foul sorcery?" Todd shouted with mace and shield drawn.

"Simply put, I had already died when we first met. The dying letters from the dungeon.....it was me. The one recalling the conspiracy behind the second king's assassination. I as well. These halls with all the kings and their fools, weren't my ancestors at all. Hehehehehe..it was just me all along. A new identity with every new king."

Marcel cackled, kicked and banged on the box. Murmurs and moans were heard inside that made the party jump. Hands pressed, stretched against its walls like rubber. A facial facade of Prince Williams was shown briefly, frozen in fear before disappearing.

"Turns out that when you fixed the toy box, you actually fixed my memories. I...I...couldn't believe it either. But something about Prince Willam really....really grinds my gears. How entitled, smug, greedy, and impatient he was. So eager for the throne, THIS THRONE, right here. He put his father, mother, and daughter in harm's way. Conspired to make it an accident. And I....I was forced to keep it secret lest he threatened to kill the last companions I held close. And he still ordered me to be executed!!!"

Marcel growled, his mood flipped from joyous, to anger, to fury within seconds. The group shuddered by the emotional whiplash. Bar'ruuk sensed the environment shimmer with the intense emotion of the enraged feline.

"An illusion?"

"DING DING DING!!! That's right!! But I got something better, wanna see???"

The melanated leopard leaned over the box with childish glee as he pointed below him. The facade of the hybrid wolf dragon pressed its walls. Until his head poked out, coated seamlessly in blue and gold rubber with a fool's cap merged on his head. The hybrid giggled uncontrollably, eyes wide open with constant swirls. It reached out its gloved hands to the party before Marcel pushed the new jester back into the box.

"Hehehe, lucky isn't he? He happened to catch me in the alley making sure my head was on just right. So I had to...put him in the box...and made him just a little...tiny bit....mad. Hahahahaha!!!!"

The party had their weapons trained on the jester, swords engulfed in arcane flame, bows drawn, mace glowing, and hammer wielded.

"Oooo, tough crowd."

'Marcel!! Step away from the box, it is corrupting you, corrupting this room, the entire castle!!" Bar'ruuk called out as the rainbow coloration of the stained glass windows transitioned to blue and gold.

"Corrupting me? No no no, this toy is keeping me alive. It protects me. It's the only thing I have left from my hometown." Marcel surrounded the box with a full-bodied hug, his voice erratic and fearful. His obsidian fur was standing, tail straight and twitching. Rocking back and forth, eyes wide and crazed, glowing bright green. "These songs,sweet folk songs. Played on lyre and blown on flutes...before this kingdom invaded it. Now they are lost to time."

The leopard's finger crawled to the edge of the lid.

"Marcel...step away." Xepher has the arrow trained on a clear shot at the jack-in-the-box.

"I WILL NOT!!! I HAVE BEEN A FOOL ALL MY LIFE!!! MADE TO KEPT SECRETS, LIES, FEARS!! IT'S MADDENING!!! SO MADDENING!!!!"

The castle rumbled. The floor under the party flickered to a gold and blue checkered pattern. The banner of the kings shifted from crimson and silver to blue and gold. Emblems replaced with pawprints and card suits of diamond, hearts, clubs, and spades.

Fuck it!! I'm taking the shot!!"

Before any could object, an arrow whizzed towards the head of Marcel. Marcel looked at the projectile in fear before he was whisked inside the toy box.

"Uhuhuhuhuhu!!! You almost had me there." The voice rang from the toy box growing in size until it towered over the posse. "Almost caught me there. Let's play a game. One more game among friends."

The rogue cursed as he prepared another arrow.

"Friend please, let us help you. Let us break this curs--" Todd pleaded before the ground shook again and the floor started to squeak like rubber.

"I'M!! NOT!!! CURSED!!! I'M MAD!!! MAD, YOU HEAR ME!!!"

Popped from the lid of the box, a crazed cartoonish bi-colored rubber feline jester greeting with a sharp-toothed smile. On top of his head was the golden jeweled crown of the kingdom. Deafening music filled the throne room.

"IF I'M DOOMED TO BE A FOOL, THEN I SHALL BE THE KING OF THE FOOLS!!!

Players. Roll Initiative.