21

[Corwin]

20:13 <Seira> roll 1d20+12+19+2+3
20:13 <Penuche> Seira invokes Penuche's magic: < 45 > [d20=9]

[Nephrite]

[blockquote]Rolled 1d20+31 : 14 + 31, total 45[/blockquote] Moore
[blockquote]Rolled 1d20+27 : 2 + 27, total 29[/blockquote] Xandra

[Anastasia]

> roll 1d20+34 Amaryl
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 38 > [d20=4]
> roll 1d20+27 Kascha
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 30 > [d20=3]
> roll 1d20+25 Ranbar
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 37 > [d20=12]
> OOC: +11 more since brain over brawn applies.

This the party proceeds. It's careful movement, yet everyone manages it. You all head along this cliffside path, past the trap. As you go, "It's the same as before?" Kascha looks up, "With the white lava and blue clouds. But why blue?"

[Corwin]

"Stands for both the sky and the oceans? Water is life, the cornerstone of Creation? Because we visualized the Beyond as a white wave crashing against the shores of Creation, and as it's being filtered we switch it in our minds to the proper color oceans tend to have?"

[Nephrite]

"I just figured white represented Beyond because we didn't really understand it, but the blue may be just that, refer to life and Creation itself or something." Moore says.

[Anastasia]

"Does that mean she wants to stand for life?" Ranbar asks.

"Or that life is preferable to what lies Beyond," Xandra points out, "The creatures there seem alive, but they are still anathema to us."

[Corwin]

"She did speak in both white and blue, so perhaps it represents Sylvie belonging to both at present?"

[Nephrite]

Moore nods. "Like being stuck in between."

[Anastasia]

"Like someone holding such a thing no mortal was ever meant to," Kascha murmurs quietly.

Meanwhile ahead the path begins to widen, slowly giving you more space to walk.

[Nephrite]

"Yes, please do consider that when judging her." Moore says. "I'm here to get her out of here and hopefully break whatever hold 21 has on her. Or... at least make her stop punishing herself."

[Anastasia]

"Can we?" Kascha asks, "Can we stop something 21's begun?"

[Nephrite]

"We're here, aren't we?" Moore asks.

[Corwin]

"You know, that's a pretty complex matter," Seira muses. "She's not one of mine nor did I have any particular personal connection to her, but Sylvie does come from Balmuria and I've kept an eye on Whimsical Sweets and the Aurora Crusade for other reasons. If we're talking of judging her over her poor life choices, those have started way before 21 entered the picture. They haven't really improved, either, as far as I can tell. On the other hand, even terrible people deserve to be rescued from a bad fate, and for all her rudeness she's actually petty rather than bad. As for the self-punishment? I think I'm with you there, Moore. Self-flagellation is something only Ilmater's people do unless it helps with self-reflection, so either it's already done its part or it's hopeless with her. Either way, needless suffering is needless."

Kascha's asked the most interesting question of whether they can affect 21, but discussing that honestly would probably lower morale so she better not. Instead, Seira cheerfully heads onwards! And keeps on checking for traps or hidden entrances.

Perception 10 for 105, again.

[Anastasia]

Kascha follows, "I don't think she's petty, Seira," she remarks, keeping her eyes above, on the lava that's blocked by the clouds. "You did start it by saying you wanted to hurt her." Her voice is kept quiet but she goes on, "She always excelled on Aurora, but I think that was her downfall, like she said. Someone with less talent would have learned to accept failures. Someone with less talent would have at least been barred by their own inability to do what she's done. All the talent she has isn't worth much if it leads to a bad fate, is it?"

"Pettiness and pride are common sins," Xandra speaks up here, "No, I would believe Seira on that, regardless of if she was provoked." Her own gaze stays ahead, on the widening path. "I believe she understands that now, with what she wrote and her choice to give her talents to another. A confession and a penance is what I see there, even if her choice of recipient is poor. No, she was never a destined hero. She was never meant to be what she became. Sylvie is merely a woman blessed with talent and strangled by that same talent, taken too far by that talent."

Kascha's quiet throughout that, before softly, "Is that what we're seeing? Moore called it a battle for a soul, and 27 once called 21 the battle for a soul. Is it now a battle for Sylvie's soul? One voice felt resigned and burdened by her destiny, the other feels as her and yet...she seems to care only a little. She sought not to structure this, but to allow us to approach all of this as we want."

[Corwin]

"I'm not actually a big fan of destiny this or fate that," Seira muses as she advances down the widening path. "And on reflection, perhaps we should save our commentary on Sylvie's character and past actions until we've saved her? A bit was fine, especially as she was answering, but it might be mean to keep at it as we go."

She claps her hands all of a sudden. "So! Isn't it a hilarious coincidence, Moore, given our talk about One and Ascension?"