I update Jessica and James, then go about my normal routine. Milking myself, a shift selling flight - the staff started complaining about folks not speaking English, so I hit them all with Tongues - then milking myself, disposal of excess milk, updating my buffs (I have 5th level spells now, and can manage CL 13 for the things that don't need metamagic between Create Magic Tattoo, Spell Enhancer, and Mythic casting), crafting useful things (I decided to get a Strand of Prayer Beads, an Orange Prism Ioun Stone, and two Wayfinders (one regular Wayfinder - which can hold one Ioun Stone and still have it work; one Wayfinder of Passage, which can hold three ioun stones and still let them work - either without having them orbit my head like an ioun stone normally does). The set will let me add five to my caster level for my buff routine, so CL 16 for spells with metamagic, 18 without. Which will be pretty sweet: There's a lot of spells that scale well.

I also empower my paintings with the basic crafting feats. No Craft Construct, as I don't want to risk losing control, but Craft Wondrous, Craft Magic Arms and Armor, Craft Magic Tattoo (yes, there's a feat by similar name as the spell), Craft Rod, and all the others that only have caster level requirements.

And then more milking, and disposal of excess milk.

Eventually, it's time for the meeting. I'd like to say that the Dark Dragon is an Italian restaurant, but it's not. It's a steakhouse with a knight and dragon theme. The place has a carved wooden dragon - European style, not Asian - on the roof, "battling" a mounted knight in full armor made the same way. Inside, the bar has a very well made dragon head with a smoke machine inside; it's nostrils constantly stream trails of smoke. The walls are decorated with swords, shields, and lances that seem to be museum quality replicas. There's even a few suits of full plate armor on mannequins inside. And the wait staff wears period costumes.

I was here once before all this started. A friend invited me along for his cousin's bachelor party - the place is expensive, so I wouldn't normally set foot in here. The food is good, but with the prices, they don't get much business.  Which… may be the point, as it's apparently a mob front.

Walking in now with two disguised Trompe l'Oeils (the Occult dragon and the Green Man, plus the Gold Dragon and Solar I'm wearing as rings, plus my familiar and my Mythic Ring), though, I am less sure that these are replicas.  My skills tell me that the two suits of armor are scaled down iron golems, and that the dragon and knight on the roof are both permanently animated objects.

Umm. My museum trip established Magic went away about 4,000 years ago. This is the wrong style to be that old, and yet… well, clearly I am missing something. Maybe some folks kept it up in secret?

… and the mob has it. Oh boy. No wonder these guys are basically untouchable. I mean, even one Ring of Invisibility would allow a crook to have basically unlimited funds, get in and out of evidence lockers easily, dissappear witnesses, "hack" records by the simple expedient of stalking someone with legitimate access until they leave a workstation open and unattended for a minute … and someone can apparently make such things. Someone else. And the Rune of Razing bypasses DR and Hardness. I'm suddenly feeling a lot more vulnerable.

But Alfred Hanlon did run, so… maybe I'm still missing something?  I hope.

Well… no help for it. With my preparations I'm probably OK. I can always run if things go sour, my familiar Minnie or my Mythic ring should be able to fix me up and pull me out if I get compromised, and I still have a Solar back home with its Wish and scheduled contacts. And the Keyhome full of Summoned and buffed Bralani Azatas.

As I step inside, I'm greeted by the same two thugs from earlier. The place has been rearranged, most tables shoved to the sides, and a dozen arranged in a large circle. I'm apparently the last to the party; all but one table has a trio at it already: One man sitting, with two more standing slightly behind on either side. I'm escorted to the empty table, where I sit, and direct my two obvious paintings to take up positions behind me.

I look around: All of these guys have obvious scars, save one, directly across from me in the circle of tables. He registers as magical. Positively glowing to Arcane Sight, although when I focus on him, he doesn't seem to have any magical abilities of his own. The others don't register. I toss out a Discern Lies.

The enchanted man stands: "Greetings Mr. Carlson, and thank you for accepting my invitation. As this is your first time, introductions are in order. I am don Hanlon, and am the host for this evening, as I handle this fine city and those nearby." He goes around the circle, introducing each don in turn, and briefly mentions the city of their influence. The biggest cities in the state are represented, and I get the impression each also "owns" all nearby cities as well.  Both Sense Motive and Discern Lies agree: He's not lying.

He continues, "Before we get down to business, I would like to claim aggrieved status for my great great grandson." The other dons don't react. Seems they know he's old.

He pauses, and I take a guess as to who and what, "Are you referring to Alfred Hanlon?"

"I am." And he's not lying. This just got really interesting.

Well… let's hope this doesn't blow up in my face, "That was a personal vendetta. Some weeks ago, he raped me in an alley, stabbed me, and left me for dead," which I was, but I don't think I want to get into that here.  "No slight was intended upon you or your family, as I assumed he was acting alone and without orders."

Don Hanlon closes his eyes and takes a deep breath, responding simply, "He was not acting under orders," as a tear falls down his cheek. He takes another breath, and continues, "Can he be restored?"

I pause and consider; even if I didn't reflexively toss Fleeting Spell on there, Polymorph effects cancel each other, Abeyance can suspend the curse without a roll, the mind control is easy to deal with similarly, and Wish has Remove Afflictions which can deal with nearly anything … "I am open to negotiation on the matter." And really, she's probably already had that pilot go off in her a dozen times by now. The punishment might have been excessive. I wonder if she's pregnant yet?

"Then shall we discuss the matter in private after dinner? As a personal vendetta, this does not concern the other dons."

"I would like my advisors to be present, but otherwise that's fine."

"That's acceptable. Then let's eat."

Two dozen servers in period costumes bring out carts laden with food, basically everything on the place's menu. They start with me - I suppose I am the "honored guest" - and I select a filet mignon, garlic mashed potatoes, and steamed broccoli. Also a stein of whisky. I can't get drunk anyway. They make the rounds, and all the dons pick something.

I pay more attention to the servers than the meal. They are all visibly busty white women in low bodices with blue eyes,  blonde hair, and perfect skin. They also radiate faint Transmutation, Enchantment, Illusion, and Necromancy magic to Arcane Sight. True Seeing from Glimpse of Truth tells me that they are a wide mix of eye colors, hair colors, skin colors, genders, and ages. Each is wearing a choker that is invisible to normal sight.

After the serving girls make a round with the carts, they make another round, this time with just themselves. I let the first few pass by, and simply observe; yes, they're on the menu too. The dons grab whichever girl strikes their fancy, and casually slip their hands under the girls' clothing, groping and exploring as they eat; the girls seem to enjoy this, giggling, smiling, and giving their "oohs" and "ahs" as needed. Two dons unbuckle their pants and push the girls heads down, and those servers immediately begin serving, licking and sucking the dons' rods, their heads bobbing up and down, smiling all the while and moaning in pleasure.

After the confirmation, I also snag a serving wench, and behave similarly. I grope her chest, spread my legs, push my panties aside, and shove her face into my mound. She is apparently no stranger to carpet service, and her tongue feels divine. But that’s not the point for me: I want a good look at her invisible collar.

Under the pretense of reaching for her chest and squeezing her milk taps as she sticks her tongue in my baby factory - and I do play with her body - I take the time to identify the collar's magical properties. It's uses a combination of Alter Self, Suggestion, and Charm Person to turn anyone into a VERY willing wench as long as the choker is worn. Invisibility keeps the collar itself out of sight while it's worn, and Bestow Curse both prevents removal of the choker and prevents pregnancy. There's also a Delay Disease effect. These girls will be clear of disease, youthful, beautiful, willing, and obedient… until they die, whether by violence, poison, or old age. Then the magic comes undone, and they revert to their unaltered state as the collar resumes visibility and lets itself be removed, so it may again be worn by another. They appear to be attuned to another item, not immediately in evidence. Probably a ring or amulet that identifies their owner. It requires a separate save vs. each effect. The only effects that don't offer a save are the "unremovable" and "invisible" portions. The DC is low, but the wearer must repeat the save every round until they fail, at which point the choker moves on to the next effect. Most people will yield in a few minutes' time. An exceptionally strong willed person might last as much as twenty minutes.

Evil, evil things. I need to wreck this guy and free these poor souls.

… after I go off, negotiate with the dons, and a few other things. The serving wenches think they're happy, so they aren't actively suffering now.

That first step doesn't take long with my extra sensitive body, after which I pull her up and fondle her chest, rear, and slit with one hand while I eat the delicious food and drink my full stein of whisky with the other. I have to keep up appearances, after all.

That's what I tell myself, anyway.