225.1 Alicia

[Corwin]

[19:38] <Infinite_Ko_Loop> ----(Epic Ko)--
05[19:41] -sebben.dejatoons.net:@#evildunes- Alicia invited Hatbot into the channel.
03[19:41] * Hatbot (~Hatbot@24.174.114.105) has joined #evildunes
[19:44] <Infinite_Ko_Loop> Alicia afternoon has passed well enough. As the day winds on, she finds herself meandering down a noisy street. As she does, sound springs into her mind. An ethereal voice, whispering in gorgeous murmurs. 'Where are you, Alicia? I wish to make contact regarding Esthan. Please respond, using allied priest for Sending. Latha.'
06[19:50] * Alicia covers her mouth and murmurs in reply as Marie looks on curiously. It could be a trick, but if it is Latha she really can't ignore it - and she did contact Latha via an intermediary cleric herself, recently. "In Baronies capital." No sense confusing her with name changes, "Staying at Lamplight Inn, will be back in Balmuria tomorrow. Will wait for you at inn if coming today."
[19:52] <Infinite_Ko_Loop> Thus the reply is sent. 10 minutes pass, no immediate reply seems forthcoming. OOC - Going to go wait in the inn or...?
[19:52] <Alicia> OOC: yeah, I'll relax in the common room there
[19:56] <Infinite_Ko_Loop> The afternoon crawls into death. The common room of the inn is busy. People eat, drink and act merry here as Alicia waits. There's no immediate sign of Latha as she settles in. However, as she does wait, a familiar face enters the room. Donald stretches and comes in, getting some looks as his armor clanks. On seeing Alicia, he heads over to her. "Tired of the festivities already?"
06[19:59] * Alicia looks up from her game of chess with her familiar, an illusory knight hacking apart a creepy looking wizard as Marie adds a visceral edge to the give and take of their pieces. "Hello, Donald," she nods, the eladrin also giving him a little wave.
[19:59] <Alicia> "I got a message from Latha that she's looking for me, so I told her to find me here if she's coming today. Don't want to risk missing her, so I'll just wait."
[20:09] <Infinite_Ko_Loop> "Oh wow, is that chess?" Looking down at the pieces, "That looks really fun! You're using magic to make it look like a real fight to kill th etime?" A distracted nod to Alicia after, his attention on the gameboard.
[20:11] <Alicia> "It helps Marie practice both her illusions and her tactical thinking," Alicia nods as Marie moves one of her goblins down the side of the board while the wizard blinks away and vanishes.
[20:11] <Alicia> "It also gives her an unfair advantage since I get distracted having to do two things at once," the eladrin pouts.
[20:11] <Infinite_Ko_Loop> "How about I help you to make up for it?" Donald offers, grabbing a chair and going to sit close to Marie. "That should even the odds back up?"
[20:14] <Alicia> "Bishop to E4," Alicia speaks after a moment, gesturing where she wants her man in a funny hat to move so Marie knows which one she's talking about.
[20:14] <Alicia> "Sure, if you want," Marie shrugs as she moves Alicia's piece through sheer mental effort alone.
[20:23] <Infinite_Ko_Loop> The thre settle into game! It's a fairly good game, a half hour passing. One can become lost in it's efforts, which is understandable. Still, it's hard to miss that a cloaked woman is approaching your table, face hidden by a hood.
02[20:23] * Hatbot (~Hatbot@24.174.114.105) Quit (Hatbot)
03[20:24] * Rei-chan (Rei-chan@user-544640c8.lns3-c12.dsl.pol.co.uk) has joined #evildunes
06[20:25] * Alicia is losing, so is quite glad of the distraction. "Latha?" she asks as she looks up, Marie doing likewise as she and Donald box in the last remnants of Alicia's pitiful resistance.
[20:27] <Infinite_Ko_Loop> Donald looks up from furrowing his brow and concentrating. "Oh, hi!"
[20:28] <Infinite_Ko_Loop> Gently pulling back her hood, Latha's face is revealed. She smiles warmly to both, going to sit down as well. "Peace and prosperity touch you," she greets. In a low whisper, "My work to undo Esthan's acts and bring him to judgment continue apace."
06[20:31] * Alicia nods as Marie sighs in relief and lets the illusion dissipate. "We can go upstairs to talk more privately," Alicia offers. "I have a room."
[20:33] <Infinite_Ko_Loop> "Can I come," Donald adds in.
[20:33] <Infinite_Ko_Loop> Latha pulls her hood back up and stands. "Lead on, then."
[20:35] <Alicia> "Of course," Alicia nods to Donald, proceeding to lead everyone up to the single room she slept in last night. "It's good to see you again, Latha," she tells the deva as they head in, while Marie hovers close to the paladin and remains mostly silent.
[20:37] <Infinite_Ko_Loop> Donald grins a little bit and goes to plop down on the bed, armor and all. The bed groans at that, the heavy metal weight bearing down on it. Latha pulls back her hood again, "It is good to see you as well. I wish our meeting was under better circumstances, but I fear that is not to be until Esthan is laid low."
[20:38] <Alicia> "It's only finding him that's the problem," Alicia goes to lean against the window. "Have you had much luck, there?"
[20:41] <Infinite_Ko_Loop> "He leaves a trail. Intentionally, I'm certain of it. A trail of subtle perversions and nudges along towards the path of tyranny and domination. Never a chained or bought soul, only..little pushes. Masterful pushes, but no chains of immediate damnation are shackled to them. Oh no, he seems content to allow them to craft those themselves." (More)
[20:43] <Infinite_Ko_Loop> "For if he wishes not to be followed, he could teleport with ease. We have evidence of that, and attempts to use magic to locate him are a universal failure. If he is indeed a diabolical magus, the strongest shielding magics are a grim reality we have to face. I suspect Mind Blank is at work, and perhaps secondary spells as well."
[20:45] <Alicia> "I suspected that as well," Alicia nods. "And he certainly does teleport, though - to walk from Pallanth to Kelara would take years, but he appears wherever he pleases. Recently he was in Balmuria where he infected a man with a virulent disease simply to send a message to Demedais..." she shakes her head in disbelief.
[20:45] <Alicia> "I have seen - felt - the worst that followers of Jubilex can do in that regard, but even such masterpieces of fiendish contagion can be cured. Not so with Esthan's disease - we went so far as to take the man to Ilmater's realm in search of a cure, but still none has been found."
[20:47] <Infinite_Ko_Loop> With a long, blown out sight. "Were it not for a lack of apocalyptic signs, I would worry that he is a Duke of Hell or something worse. His resources are deep and remarkable. The master he has spoken of intrigues me, for they are giving him resources that even a typical Pit Fiend would not have at beck and call."
[20:47] <Infinite_Ko_Loop> "Oh yeah, like when Agares was about to come or something? Wasn't there a bunch of signs in the desert, or am I forgetting? That entire time's like a mix of being half dead, exhausted or dazed."
[20:48] <Alicia> "No doubt there are schemes at work we can't perceive - certainly something more than that half-baked tale of rebellion he fed us," Alicia nods, before glancing at Donald. "Yes, that whole section of the desert seemed like it was becoming blended with Hell from all that was leaking through the portal."
[20:50] <Infinite_Ko_Loop> Now Latha frowns at that, "That a devil would scheme against Asmodeus is entirely in character. That one so powerful would take an interest here and devote strong resources to it...that speaks ill, whatever fiend is behind it. I wonder...if he obtains access to the Crimson Guard, what can he gain on a scale that would be worthwhile?"
[20:51] <Infinite_Ko_Loop> "Oh yeah, I remember that now," Donald rubs the back of his head, "Well hell, there's a lot of stuff going on. What about that misty-crystal thing that's supposed to be so important? Or what about those ruins outside of town?"
[20:52] <Alicia> "The power of the Daa-vid. It can be nothing else," Alicia replies. "Recall what correspondence we found in the devil's fortress in the desert? They were restricted from interfering in matters pertaining to the gnomes by a power beyond them. If they could use us as proxies, however..."
[20:52] <Alicia> OOC: nix *the
[20:53] <Infinite_Ko_Loop> "If a devil obatined the power that made the God-King so mighty, he could stand against Asmodeus." Latha frets at that, "A terrifying prospect. If a ruler of Hell had that power and the power of Hell proper, what would befall us all?"
[20:54] <Infinite_Ko_Loop> "Eh, that's why we're going to cut his head off and shove it up his brimstone scented ass before he gets that far?" Donald shrugs lightly. "I mean, that's a given, right?"
[20:55] <Alicia> "That's the plan, Donald," Alicia tells him. "But that doesn't mean we can take him lightly, given the massive resources he seems to have at his disposal." She then cocks her head and studies Latha, "So, what was your last lead on him, anyway?"
[20:56] <Infinite_Ko_Loop> "He was raising troubles in the western desert and in Kelara and all the unincorporated lands there. Little things mostly, seeds that would grow into terror in due time."
06[20:58] * Alicia sighs. "But nothing we can use to track him?" she concludes. "Considering how he moves around so much, I honestly don't think it'll be possible for us to confront him unless he wishes it - and as last time he'll arrange an overwhelming force on his side."
[20:58] <Alicia> "With that in mind I almost think we'd be better off going to Hell and taking down his boss directly... except we don't know who he's taking orders from."
[21:01] <Infinite_Ko_Loop> "He's presented a perfect front. As it looks like, our attempts are futile. Without a doubt, that is exactly what he wants. We have no hope except when he deigns to act and show his latest gambit." Now standing up, "Which is why we need to find a way to shatter what he has done in one way or another. Some way to catch him in a situation where we can win. I continue to undo his seeds, while trying to gather naything, something that
[21:01] <Infinite_Ko_Loop> I continue to undo his seeds, while trying to gather naything, something that will give an edge."
[21:03] <Alicia> "If there's anything we can do at all, just ask," Alicia offers. "We have many threats, true, but none more ultimately dangerous than Esthan."
[21:04] <Infinite_Ko_Loop> "Has he done anything to the three of you lately?" Latha asks. "Has anything changed since we last met?"
[21:07] <Alicia> "The diseased man I just mentioned was most recent, and before that he was in Kelara - when I contacted you via Dweomerkeeper Taldeer." Alicia grimaces at that, "Hiring mercenaries to 'protect' my parents because I couldn't. As if a few sellswords could do anything themselves against a Dogai or a Lilitu, anyway."
[21:08] <Infinite_Ko_Loop> "It's the thought that counts?" Donald says hesitantly, "Nothing like rubbing your face into an insult?"
[21:08] <Alicia> "Oh, he rubbed my face in it, alright," Alicia glowers, looking moodily out the window as her mood rapidly sours.
[21:09] <Infinite_Ko_Loop> "I'm worried our best chance may be to throw everything we have at him and hope we can triumph," Latha considers, "That, or...figure out his next move before he does it."
[21:10] <Alicia> "We need to know who he truly serves..." Alicia looks thoughtful, forcing herself to calm down. "He mustered a lot of fiends for that meeting we had with him in Pallanth. I doubt they'll have the same protections he has, so perhaps we could hunt down one of them and force it to provide the information we require?"
[21:25] <Infinite_Ko_Loop> "It's worth a try," Latha agrees, "If we can find any of his toadies."
[21:28] <Alicia> "Seira could likely scry on any of the ones she saw there," Alicia nods. "On another note, you might get some use out of this," she produces a small clay flask and hands it to the Deva. "You remember telling me how water from Arborea had a negative effect on Agares?"
[21:28] <Infinite_Ko_Loop> "Yes." Latha says, "I recall that. Is this the same?"
[21:29] <Alicia> "Straight from Evergold itself," Alicia smiles slightly. "I procured a small source. If you find yourself in a tight spot with any baatezu it should hopefully help you out."
[21:31] <Infinite_Ko_Loop> "Thank you," Latha takes the clay vial, tucking it away into her clothes. "I have had to take stronger measures, or the beginnings of them." Raising up her arms, a pair of strudy leather bracers can be seen. "The magic in these is weak, but it is better than nothing. I found them amid untangling one of Esthan's schemes."
[21:32] <Alicia> "What do they do?" Alicia asks curiously. "I recently purchased a set of bracers myself," she pats the leather straps adorning her forearms, "That let me strike more quickly in combat."
[21:38] <Infinite_Ko_Loop> "They're purely armoring," Latha answers, "Yet without cold metal's way of weighing down my body. Even the best crafted armor leaves me feeling heavy and immoble."
06[21:41] * Alicia nods. "Marie can't wear armour either, but we got some clothes for her that offers some degree of protection... not that it admittedly did much good for her, today," she explains, gesturing to her familiar who smiles and tugs on the silken fabric she wears. "If you need any special equipment, please don't hesitate to ask for help in that regard - I don't want to see you hurt, after all."
03[21:43] * Alicia is now known as Ebiris
02[21:44] * Rei-chan (Rei-chan@user-544640c8.lns3-c12.dsl.pol.co.uk) Quit
Session Close: Sun Mar 15 23:13:22 2009

Session Start: Sun Mar 15 23:13:22 2009
Session Ident: #evildunes
02[23:13] * Disconnected
02[23:13] * Attempting to rejoin channel #evildunes
03[23:13] * Rejoined channel #evildunes
03[23:13] * Topic is 'Marie>Mr. Radafi>Alicia'
03[23:13] * Set by Infinite_Ko_Loop on Wed Mar 04 20:41:02
03[23:13] * ChanServ sets mode: +o Seira
03[23:25] * Ebiris is now known as Alicia
[23:28] <Infinite_Ko_Loop> "Thank you for your generosity. If I do, I will." Latha offers, "My blessings give me most of what I need, while brave mortals struggle with far less. Let me not be the one to take the cup of plenty from those that need it more."
[23:29] <Alicia> "Up to you," Alicia allows. "So, what do you intend to do, now?"
[23:30] <Infinite_Ko_Loop> "Esthan has striken close to home for you. I'm going to Kelara to ensure that no other surprises were laid," Latha says. "I would also like to see your family's home myself. If Esthan has been there...there is no harm in being familiar with it, just in case."
06[23:33] * Alicia nods. "He's made it clear he can strike there at any time," she agrees with a slightly pained expression. "Still, I don't think we're going to find him by just following him. I'll ask Seira about scrying on one of his underlings, since I think that's our best chance of unravelling his schemes."
[23:34] <Infinite_Ko_Loop> "Stay in touch." Latha offers, "My aid is yours on any matter to defeat him."
[23:35] <Alicia> "The same goes for us," Alicia replies with a smile. "On another note, we made a second trip to the Halls of the Vanquished recently."
[23:38] <Infinite_Ko_Loop> "Where's that," Donald speaks up, "It sounds violent."
[23:38] <Infinite_Ko_Loop> "How was it?" Latha asks, overruning Donald's words in a rush, "Did you free the others?"
03[23:39] * Demedais is now known as Taishyr
06[23:40] * Alicia shakes her head as Marie shushes Donald. "No, they've changed the layout since last time, so I wasn't able to find the release commands. The guards have also been increased considerably - for every barbazu that was there when we broke you out there's now a gelugon."
[23:40] <Alicia> "But I've come up with a method that should allow me to free some without needing the command words, so I'll be going again some time soon."
[23:42] <Infinite_Ko_Loop> "If you need a strong arm to aid you, say so," Latha promises. "I will fight to the last breath to ensure that no more are enslaved as trophies."
[23:44] <Alicia> "Thank you for the offer, but if things work as I expect I shouldn't even need to draw my blade," Alicia shakes her head. "I just wanted you to know that something was going to be done, considering your own experiences."
[23:45] <Infinite_Ko_Loop> Latha starts to answer, as Donald mutters something low under his breath. She raises an eyebrow, looking right at him. "Thank you, Alicia.  You have my eternal thanks for this." Turning back to Alicia, "May Celestia bless your efforts.
[23:45] <Infinite_Ko_Loop> "
[23:46] <Alicia> roll 1d20+7 listen, what did he say?
[23:46] <Alicia> OOC: taking 10 for 17
06[23:50] * Alicia decides to just ignore Donald's mutterings. "You don't need to thank me any more, Latha," she smiles. "Anyway, you probably want to get back to chasing down Esthan - we'll be in touch if we hear anything, ourselves."
[23:50] <Infinite_Ko_Loop> Pulling her hood back up, Latha turns to go. "Until we meet again," she says, heading out.
06[23:51] * Alicia waves, her familiar hesitantly doing likewise. "The Halls of the Vanquished was where I met Latha," she fills in for Donald. "It is not a nice place, no."
[23:53] <Infinite_Ko_Loop> "Oh." Donald shakes his head, "Hey, good reason to go wreck that place then, isn't it?"
Session Time: Mon Mar 16 00:00:00 2009
[00:00] <Alicia> "Very much so," Alicia agrees. "Anyway, we don't need to linger here any more, so I think Marie and I will go back out to see how the festivities are going. Have any plans yourself?"
[00:01] <Infinite_Ko_Loop> "I'm kind of tired," Donald yawns, "I didn't do much todya, but I'm sleepy. I don't get it."
[00:01] <Alicia> "I thought elves didn't sleep?" Alicia raises an eyebrow curiously.
[00:03] <Infinite_Ko_Loop> Scowling at Alicia, "I mean tthat I need to ...nevermind, I still think like a human," Donald turns pitch-red. "Just...just..." Throwing his hands into the air, "Maybe I just want to lay low today?"
[00:04] <Alicia> "Go have a nice trance!" Marie encourages him. "You'll feel better afterwards."