Date night

[Anastasia]

"Regardless, it went in our favor," Valar cuts in, "The dao are holding well in Earth and making some gains, but so far that's been the secondary theater.

[Ebiris]

"Then we'll try and force them out of the war," Alicia declares. "Have the Cauldron or Celestia taken the fight to Earth much? What do we know about how they're arranging themselves?"

[Anastasia]

"Some, but it's been a secondary front on all points," Valar admits, "There's been resistance from the xorn thanks to Seira, but right now the dao are getting the better of that."

Syala sits back, "What about everything else?"

A pause, Valar getting another sheet of paper out and checking it. "There were widespread distraction and occupying attacks against Celestia's interests, clearly an effort to keep Celestia occupied. Celestia used strike teams and reinforcemetns to help mitigate this, though losses and setbacks across the planes did happen. On the better side, a particular ancient vampire was slain and soul captured thanks to Duke Moore and his allies. He doesn't seem to have been related to this beyond given a nudge at the right time to take action."

[Ebiris]

"Lots of ancient vampires are being scared out of hiding by Aurora's current crusade," Alicia notes. "Hopefully more will follow that one's example."

[Anastasia]

"A win, if incidental," Valar agrees, "Speaking of Earth, you may well do better intervening there."

[Ebiris]

"That's what I'm hoping. Tell me about any targets you know of but haven't been able to remove and I'll see what we can do about them?" she invites.

[Anastasia]

"Right now the xorn could use reinforcement," Valar begins, "Beyond that, the Great Dismal Delve is essentially unassailable right now - it's defended and at a massive advantage against any attacking force, far more so against those who can't glide through stone. That sort of attack infeasible for the foreseeable future. We're concentrating on targets outside of that - gem mines, military installations, trading posts, anything that affords the dao power."

After a pause, "There's one we could stand to have neutralized, because both the xorn and the native elementals can't handle it well. It's the Abyssal Lake, a massive pocket of toxic water from a region where Ooze borders Earth. The dao have purified the center of this lake and have found means to extract precious materials from the waters in safety, where great palaces of stone sit in the purified, water free center of the like. All of the native forces are at a tremendous disadvantage trying to fight in, and our forces aren't in position to deal with it."

[Ebiris]

"That sounds like something we can deal with," Alicia agrees. "Have any previous attempts been made at attacking it?"

[Anastasia]

"A few over the eras, none that ended in anything better than total defeat," Valar says, "Few creatures of water who can manage to maneuver in those waters wants to stay once they're in it."

[Ebiris]

So none recent, that's fine though they can do their own reconnaissance. "I'll investigate it before we attack then, see exactly what we're likely to be up against. In the meantime if you need us to reinforce a weakening front or help push through a faltering attack, don't hesitate to call on us. We're in this now after all."

[Anastasia]

"And call on us if you need our aid," Valar agrees, as...

Anything else to add here?

[Ebiris]

We'll go home and then I'll ask Jessica to go recon the place for us.

[Anastasia]

When you arrive back, you find Jessica waiting for you.

"Sister," shes ays, "Your timing's good. This just arrived for you."

[Ebiris]

"Oh, what do you have?" Alicia looks at either what's in Jessica's hands or what she's pointing at.

[Anastasia]

It is a scroll, one that crackles with flames. "This," Jessica says solemnly, holding it.