232.2 Seira in Balmuria

[Corwin]

[21:08] <Kotono> ------
[21:09] <Kotono> As Seira prepares to leave home, she finds Donald waiting at the front door. As a few goesbyes pass intot he inn(And stop and stare at Seira in a starstruck fashion), "Oh Seira, wait! I wanted to catch you before you go!"
01[21:13] <Seira> "How about coming along, then?" she suggests, slowing down to allow him to catch up.
[21:13] <Kotono> *As a few people go by. I dunno what the fuck happened there.
[21:14] <Kotono> "Oh, okay." Donald trots at a good speed, "You know what, there's really something about what Celebrimbor had to show me! Just yesterday, I've started feeling great! I have lots more energy now, more than I even had as a human!"
01[21:15] <Seira> "Are you sure it's not Waukeen's favor?" Seira asks, guessing it to be more likely from what she'd heard recently. "It's quite possible she approved of something I've done so much that she gifted you with... energy that makes you feel great."
[21:17] <Kotono> "Really?" Donald scratches at his head as you walk down the hill, past a few horses lead by a tired looking old man, then a cart full of goods. "Wouldn't she give you that first, though?"
01[21:17] <Seira> "She gave me a hug," Seira says with a wide smile.
[21:19] <Kotono> "Oh, she...wait what?!" Donald falls flat over, vaulting onto his face with an OOOMPH! He nearly starts tumbling down the hill, only stopped by good reflexes. "OW!" As he looks up, rubbing his nose, "Oh man. You didn't stop with just a scion, now you're getting that way with WAUKEEN? Seira, you're really scary and impressive!"
01[21:20] <Seira> "It was a perfectly innocent hug," she says, still smiling. "I'm headed to see Abagail. Want to tag along? You might be interested in what I have to say."
[21:22] <Kotono> Springing back up with a leap, "Still, you HUGGED Waukeen? No lying?" He trots along with Seira, "That's unimaginable!" As you reach the bottom of the hill, you see a man with a wooden cart here. He's waving a sheet of paper in the air, several copies of it stacked up. "Read about it! Read about it!" he calls, "Balmuria's first local information sheet, printed every two days!"
01[21:23] <Seira> "Yeah, no lyin-- Hey, mind getting that for me?" she asks, gesturing.
[21:27] <Kotono> Donald fishes out a few silver coins, trading it for a sheet of paper. As the vendor thanks him, "It's written in common. Makes sense," he murmurs as he reads, "Hm. It's talkinga bout current events in Balmuria, as well as other information. Hm. A recipe for mince pie, warnings about the plague in Parsifal, an advertisement for the temple of Gond." Passing it over to Seira, "It's like a collection of various information."
[21:27] <Kotono> "It's like a collection of various information."
06[21:28] * Seira nods to herself. "Make sure you get a copy every time. Or, better yet, the early edition. We can't let ourselves be blindsided, now can we?"
[21:28] <Kotono> "Early edition?" Donald looks odd there, "You mean, like an edition ahead of this one?"
01[21:30] <Seira> "The way I understand the process," she says, continuing along her way, "there must be a basic sheet which then gets copied, much like you would with Amenuensis. So naturally, there would be an edition that gets compiled, first, and only then reproduced. And even that takes place before it is sold, for you can't run out of supply when there's demand.
01[21:30] <Seira> Thus, we could have early warning of anything troublesome being distributed to the populace."
[21:32] <Kotono> "Oh. You mean like monitor them and make sure no one is printing out lies?" Donald asks. "Sure, I could do that."
01[21:35] <Seira> "That is one aspect, but it's not all so... distasteful, really," Seira muses. "Say the Guard is about to arrest a gang of perpetrators, but the writers of that sheet find out about the raid in advance and try to get more issues sold by printing it? Or alert a criminal in some other way? The possibilities are really too numerous to bother recounting."
[21:36] <Kotono> "Oh." Thinking on that, "That would make sense, but wouldn't they just get arrested for aiding criminals then?" Donald says, "But if they could figure out who the criminals were before we could catch them, wouldn't it be better to have them help us?"
01[21:37] <Seira> "That's exactly right," Seira agrees, smiling again. "If we establish a good working relationship with them, they could hand us that information, and in return receive some sort of gesture from us when we make the arrest. Brief access to the prisoners, perhaps? Something to make it worth their while, and help them sell more issues without compromising their profits."
[21:42] <Kotono> "Mmm. That makes sense. You're so smart." With a surprised look at Seira, "Maybe you can have Commander Oberuth talk to them, even, and make it official?"
01[21:43] <Seira> "Take it upon yourself to deal with the situation in any way you see fit," Seira tells Donald. "If that road takes you to the Commander, I see no problems with it."
[21:45] <Kotono> Abagail's eventually found just past the west gate of town. Here several groups of men are working, building new walls and houses outside of the city. A few guards are about as well as she directs everything.
01[21:46] <Seira> "I'm glad to see you so well and vibrant," Seira greets Abagail pleasantly. "Can you delegate your duties for a few minutes?"
[21:46] <Kotono> Abagail briefly chats with a soldier, then steps away. "Of course."
01[21:48] <Seira> "First of all, congratulations. Your work was admirable, as always," Seira says, leading Abagail and Donald away from the commotion into a more secluded spot.
[21:49] <Kotono> You go under a few loose trees, Abagail primly sitting beneath it. "Oh, you mean that affair under the water. It was fine work, though it was somewhat bothersome."
01[21:50] <Seira> "You saved people from a fate worse than death," Seira points out, sitting by her side. "And death as well, eventually, I suppose. You have every right to take pride in your accomplishment, rather than downplay it."
[21:51] <Kotono> "Yes, but it was so bothersome." Abagail grimaces, while Donald grins ear to ear.
[21:51] <Kotono> "Oh, I get it! You wore something tight and it pressed into your chest, didn't it?"
01[21:52] <Seira> "Don't make me regret bringing you along."
01[21:53] <Seira> "I heard you wore a dress to your underwater sortie?" Seira then inquires, turning to glance at Abagail. "If true, I approve. It shows just the right amount of arrogance a mage should display in the face of bandits and other creeps."
[21:54] <Kotono> "Oh come on," Donald leans back with a bigger grin, "You could act like you weren't so haughty, Abby."
[21:55] <Kotono> "I did." Abagail sends a withering look at Donald. "Excuse me for having taste and refinement. I see that your new body does little to repair your boorish country bumpkin sensibilities."
[21:55] <Kotono> "Ah, I have my head on right," Donald goes to lie back in the grass, "But you'll get old early if you always act like the world's such a TERRIBLE imposition on you. You had an adventure! It's not like you went to a funeral!"
01[21:56] <Seira> "Yes, I've all but given up hope on that," Seira admits, ignoring Donald for the time being. "I've taken him to see a Planetar specialist in Lathander's realm, I tried leaving him in the capable hands of an elven archmage... I think it's pretty much a lost cause."
[21:57] <Kotono> Stiffening her back and looking to Seira, "Obviously."
01[21:57] <Seira> "There is actually a reason I asked Donald along," Seira says. "But first...." She holds a pair of scrolls to Abagail, wrapped carefully to protect them from the elements. "In case you are ever in real trouble."
[21:58] <Kotono> "What are they," she asks as she takes them. She stands an curties to Seira. "Thank you."
01[21:59] <Seira> "The magic of Teleportation, and the ability to call for help even if you end up stranded on a different plane. Wherever you are, I will always come to your aide, Abagail."
[21:59] <Kotono> "Thank you," With wide eyes, "Those spells are not lightly made or given."
01[22:01] <Seira> "And once you can safely add these spells to your spellbook, you will have become one of the mightiest mages of the Realm," Seira says in a serious tone of voice. "I would still like to maintain our assosiation at that time, but it would be one of partners, I hope."
[22:02] <Kotono> "...I will remember that," Abagail's eyes shine, "Seira...thank you."
06[22:04] * Seira smiles again, now that the official part is over. "It may seem like I'm teleporting all over the place, nowadays, but I always keep you in my thoughts. You two, in fact, and this brings me to the next topic I wanted to broach. You both know some of my plans for Kesse, I trust?"
[22:07] <Kotono> "Yeah," Donald cranes his neck up, "You talk about them sometimes. You want a presence over there, as well as a magical circle to get people back and forth in the blink of an eye? Oh, and I bet you want a few lairs over there, too."
01[22:08] <Seira> "I'll have you know lairs are the best currency a mage has when dealing with hostile fey and similar beings," Seira says with a huff. "I'm not collecting them because I like it or anything."
[22:09] <Kotono> "Oh yeah. What was that about? AMaryl said something about a N...neve, wasn't it?" Donald looks up at the sun, squinting, "Fey are nature spirits, right?"
01[22:11] <Seira> "Neve, yes. She's very nice, but she has trouble expressing her feelings. But most importantly, she lost her home, and since I had one in the area I gave it to her."
[22:12] <Kotono> "Fascinating. What type of fey is she," Here Abagail speaks up, "I don't think I've ever met a fey. What are it's characteristics? I've read about pixies, for example, but those are weak fey with minorp owers."
01[22:14] <Seira> "She is... quite possibly strong enough to take me out if she were serious about it," Seira tells them, keeping her voice serious enough that Abagail would understand she's not making a joke. "She's a pretty shade of blue, and calls herself the Heart of Winter. When I convince her to visit with us, I'll introduce you."
[22:15] <Kotono> "The Heart of Winter...I'll have to research that. Once I do, could I meet her? The chance to study a fey isn't common."
01[22:16] <Seira> "She can feel insulted by the strangest things, so you'll need to keep treating her properly when you meet," Seira cautions Abagail. "Donald will have to be sent off on a quest somewhere for the duration, of course."
[22:17] <Kotono> "Hmph," Donald laughs, "I can shut up if it's that serious, Seira. Really."
[22:17] <Kotono> "A boor like you? I doubt it!" Abagail huffs, "I sincerely doubt it!"
01[22:17] <Seira> "She's... awkward with people. She's always been alone. It makes me sad just thinking about it."
[22:22] <Kotono> "Yeah, being alone will mess you up." Donald agrees, "Pushing people away by being cold and huffy only hurt yourself."
01[22:23] <Seira> "So!" Seira claps her hands. "We've gone awfully off track. Donald, I've made you participate in the Guard's activities and command others as part of your training. Abagail, your own development and skill inevitably made you cross paths with the Guard as well.
01[22:23] <Seira> But I have other plans for you two, if you would like to go beyond the mundane. You two do excellent work here, and will continue to do so, no doubt. But there are opportunities that... more than once in a lifetime, these once are those that literally come once in an age. And I would like to offer you the chance to participate."
[22:24] <Kotono> "Sure," Donald says, Abagail nodding along. "What are they? You've teased us, so please, share."
01[22:27] <Seira> "The world is far more vast than we have ever considered," Seira tells them. "It might be a secret for now for most of the populace, but the interaction with Kesse, teleportation mishaps I was privy to and the religious quests Alicia and Demedais went on all seem to suggest this. The sheer enormity of the world is staggering.
01[22:27] <Seira> The opportunities awaiting those who would ceize them, endless. The dangers from nasty things left alone to plot, demonstrated all too aptly by Kesse. We need to go out there and rediscover the world our ancestors freely traversed!"
[22:31] <Kotono> "How big IS the world," Donald sits up, "You know, nowt hat I think about it, no one really knows. You might know as far as the sea coast if you're lucky, or to the desert or jungle. Thousands of miles, but no end in sight."
[22:32] <Kotono> "Of course, between the desert, sea, and the wastelands, you can only go so far anyway," Abagail shrugs, "But with teleportation magic now..."
01[22:33] <Seira> "It was almost doubled with the discovery of Kesse, and if what Demedais says is accurate, all that together is less than a single, albeit largest, block of inhabited land in the place Helm sent him to."
[22:33] <Kotono> "Yeah, what Seira said," Donald listens, "...woah. That really is staggering."
06[22:34] * Seira turns towards Abagail. "History is a valuable reservoir of knowledge. Mapmaking skills are invaluable, since the world has been changed in fundamental ways. Both have been sealed off for me by magic too strong to counter without a Wish.
01[22:34] <Seira> It is you who would have to study those subjects, devoting your time to them. You must come up with spells to help us orient ourselves in foreign lands, to help guide us towards civilization after we emerge after a teleport. Can I count on you for that?"
[22:37] <Kotono> "I will," Abagail vows, "I'll start looking into it immediately."
06[22:41] * Seira nods. "As I often tell you, your progress with your current project is quite admirable. However, I hinted at you finding people to delegate the bulk of the work to, previously. If you've taken that advice to heart, it should be possible for you to devote more time towards a new project without a drop in productivity for the former, just as important one."
01[22:41] <Seira> She turns towards Donald, next. "And thus, our teleportation network would grow. For what point is there in making contact with far-off countries if it takes a mage of my level to send even a few people across? And for that, we would need trained men and bolstered defenses.
01[22:41] <Seira> Demedais and myself would take care of the central point, but the Waukeen temples at the destinations and their defense is something I would like you to handle. Are you up to the task? Make sure you fully understand the need for secrecy and the importance of the project before giving me your answer, please."
[22:44] <Kotono> "Okay, but explain it again carefully. If it's that important," Sitting up now and stretching a kink out of his neck, "I want o make sure I have it right, and not just a 'Okay Seira' and mess it all up."
06[22:48] * Seira grins. "That's exactly what I was hoping to hear, Donald. There is the obvious means of preventing a Teleportation Circle from working, although I'd appreciate it from getting out to the general public. The destination can be blocked, such as by a slab of stone. However, how would one prepare to drop it before the portal had already been misused at least once? What of invisible beings making use of it? There are serious security issues involved, and they must be balanced against the complications security measures would give to the legitimate travelers and the costs involved at each point. We can hardly spring for a Hallow at every destination, after all! I had the idea of using animated messenger bird, myself, and it is also possible to recruit trustworthy people whom I would connect with a Telepathic Bond made permanent, placing one at the point of origin and the other at the destination, but that would place a burden on them
01[22:48] <Seira>  There are serious security issues involved, and they must be balanced against the complications security measures would give to the legitimate travelers and the costs involved at each point. We can hardly spring for a Hallow at every destination, after all!
01[22:48] <Seira> I had the idea of using animated messenger bird, myself, and it is also possible to recruit trustworthy people whom I would connect with a Telepathic Bond made permanent, placing one at the point of origin and the other at the destination, but that would place a burden on them.
01[22:49] <Seira> This is what I would like you to tackle and resolve to my satisfaction."
[22:50] <Kotono> "Right," Donald nods at the end of it, "That's a lot, but I think I can manage it.":
01[22:51] <Seira> "We don't really need to diversify our defenses, as long as we keep their nature a secret," Seira muses. "They would also be sufficiently different from the convergence point."
01[22:52] <Seira> "As long as you can find a pattern that works, we'll go with that," she adds.
[22:52] <Kotono> "Got it," Donald says again, then, "I have a few ideas...hmm..." Starting to rub his chin, "I'll see you later then, Seira? I'm going to go think about this."
01[22:54] <Seira> "Just one more thing, before you go," Seira says, and here she addresses them both. "We've gone into the final stage, here. It is a matter of months at the most before the first functional portal is operational. Months!"
[22:56] <Kotono> "Got it," Donald calls back, "I understand that! I won't mess around!"
06[22:57] * Seira waves at him, and then glances speculatively at Abagail. "I will need to draw upon your background for this question," she tells her. "How much would wealthy people pay for instanteneous transportation such as this? A few minutes, most of them spent on checking your papers at each point, and you can be at any major city in the world."
[23:01] <Kotono> "If you can do that reliably..." Abagail considers this for a time, "The very rich could use it for leisure. The more moderately rich would prefer to use it for business ventures. A few hundred is possible, though the exact amounts depend on how rich you have in mind, and how many people you want using these."
01[23:03] <Seira> "Waukeen's caravans would path freely, as a tithe to my beloved goddess," Seira tells Abagail. "But Waukeen encourages trade, travel and knowledge. How could I ever prevent those rich enough to afford the magical transportation the chance?" She grins sneakily. "And however could I possibly not take their money for the privelege?"
[23:05] <Kotono> "Naturally. It's a pass to coin your own fortune, if you can pay the startup costs. Not to mention the control you'll have over the elites. If one offends you, they can't use the roads any more. That's a degree of power that would make you one of the most important people in the country. Well, again."
01[23:10] <Seira> "I can't say I haven't anticipated that," Seira allows. "Which is all the more reason I'm striving to be the first to make such a thing possible."
[23:12] <Kotono> "I'll look into it," ABagail decides, "Ultimately, it will come down to how many people you want to allow to use it."
01[23:14] <Seira> "I'll take a look at Donald's guidelines, when the time comes," Seira says with a nod. "Anyone in government, army and officially belonging to one of the temples assosiated with us, for starters, at a guess."
[23:16] <Kotono> Abagail nods, "It's worth thinking over, but...tonight?" Rising, "I should see how the houses are going."
06[23:17] * Seira nods, deciding to rest in the tree's shade for a while, herself.

[Corwin]

[20:03] <Kotono> ----
[20:04] <Kotono> OoC: You wanted to catch up with Mia and Latha, yes?
01[20:04] <Seira> OOC: Correct!
[20:05] <Kotono> OOC: DEscribe the sending you were going to use then?
01[20:05] <Seira> 'If you have a free day, can you stop by and help me with something, please?'
[20:07] <Kotono> 'As you wish' Is the gist of Latha's reply. Will you have Mia waiting for her? Where do you want to meet?
01[20:08] <Seira> I'll wait home and ask Mia to come and hang out with me
[20:11] <Kotono> Seira's inn is noisy out front. In the private rooms, as Mia and Seira wait, "Nice," Mia looks around, "Could you show me around this a bit?"
01[20:14] <Seira> "This serves as a library," Seira tells her. "It's actually set out very much like the one at the temple. A lot of useful, general knowledge you never know when it might come up handy. The really dangerous or exotic stuff is hidden farther away, of course." She runs a finger across the spine of a book, before withdrawing it.
01[20:14] <Seira> "Basic magical theory, for example. If I had reread it before talking to you the last time, it might have saved us a bit of embarrassment."
[20:15] <Kotono> "Heh, heh," Mia blushes all over, "Yeah well...Oh, do you have any keepsakes around here? Surel you've accumulated several over the years? Those always have good stories."
01[20:17] <Seira> "The mistake was mine, really, so you have nothing to feel bad about," Seira tells Mia openly. It doesn't befit someone of her stature to hide her errors of judgement, or she might serve as a bad example. "And the research I pointed you towards might still be of use, just not quite the way we both expected." She considers the acolyte's question, then.
01[20:17] <Seira> "I have quite a lot of trophies in the dining room of the inn. You saw the spear collection, no doubt?"
[20:19] <Kotono> "Yes. What were they all from? Some of them were so big!" Mia says, "It was so impressive!"
06[20:20] * Seira laughs. "From very bad places, mostly! All sorts of fiends and nasty creatures died so that I might have an impressive display mounted on my wall."
[20:21] <Kotono> "I'm sure each and every one of them deserved it!" Mia chirps.
01[20:21] <Seira> "Of course! Some even begged for it by challenging me to savage combat!"
[20:23] <Kotono> "So tell me about them! The stories have to be legendary!" Mia says, "Please?"
01[20:25] <Seira> However could she refuse? And thus starts the exciting tale of when they took the ancient gnomish fortress in the Desert Fiefdoms away from the fiends who made it their home!
[20:25] <Kotono> At about the midway, as the erinyes warlock is cast back into Hell, there is a knock on the door.
01[20:26] <Seira> "Can you get that, Lagann?" Seira asks, pausing in the tale.
[20:27] <Kotono> The metal doorhinge turns and the door drags open! Latha enters, pushing down her hood. "Good afternoon. You needed to talk to me, Seira?"
01[20:29] <Seira> "Thanks for coming!" Seira tells her, all smiles. "I was just reminiscing, actually, so take a seat. I wanted some help and to ask a personal favor, but I didn't really know where to find you so I went with a Sending."
[20:32] <Kotono> Latha goes to sit, "What is it you need, Seira?"
01[20:35] <Seira> "I'll tell you the rest later," Seira promises to Mia, before nodding at Latha. "First, have you two actually met?"
[20:40] <Kotono> "Briefly," Latha nods to Mia, "She serves Waukeen."
01[20:44] <Seira> "Great!" Seira exclaims, making herself comfortable in an armchair opposite Latha, with Mia to her left. "The two of us have been working on a project to make affordable, endless sources of light for the people of Balmuria. If that succeeded, we intended to go beyond that, beyond even the borders of our country. We were thinking about using alchemy for that,
01[20:44] <Seira> but an off-handed comment by Alicia made me recall that you can basically cheat where it comes to enchanting objects with Continual Flame. Would you be willing to lend your time and powers for this goal, Latha?"
[20:46] <Kotono> Latha blinks as she takes that in, "So you want me to, in effect, make lamps and torches?"
06[20:49] * Seira nods. "In effect. We'll give them to every household, and sell more to those who want extras. And there's a market for accompanying products, since people like shades and all sorts of shapes for their lights. If handled right, it won't even put anyone out of business. Is it too demeaning a task to ask of you?"
[20:52] <Kotono> "Seira." Latha holds a hand up here. "I appreciate the spirit of what you wish, but I'm an angel. I've been sent to this plane to stop Esthan and right wrongs, not be a lampmaker. My place is at battle, not invoking my powers for a trivial matter. Besides, is not continual flame a simple spell for you to cast? Even barring that, would it not make more sense to have a simple lantern archon do this, should you so insist?"
[20:52] <Kotono> simple lantern archon do this, should you so insist?"
01[20:54] <Seira> "I thought it could be fun to do this together?" Seira asks, pouting. "I can always summon a lantern archon, but it feels a bit wrong, because they can't really refuse, while I could actually ask you normally."
[20:56] <Kotono> "Seira." Latha takes a long breath, "I am not a toy to use to make simple amusements. I was created to smite evil. My soul is devoted to this concept from the very deepest depth."
01[20:57] <Seira> "Well, I can take no for an answer," Seira agrees with a sigh, deflating slightly. "Can I still ask for your opinion on something else?"
[20:59] <Kotono> "Okay," Latha settles back down, as Mia snaps her fingers.
01[21:01] <Seira> "I was also hoping you might have an idea for what kind of armor might work well with me," Seira admits. "I know it doesn't directly translate to smiting evil and killing Esthan, but you've seen a lot in your life, and you might've come across something I haven't, because no suit I've tried thus far really felt like it was made for me. It's a sensation that's quite difficult to explain, actually."
[21:05] <Kotono> "No, I understand," Latha smiles in understanding, "I was trained to forge armors, but I can't stand wearing it. Your'e an arcane mage, which makes it even harder."
06[21:08] * Seira nods. "Yet there must be ways to get around that limitation. Alicia has trained her body and spirit to allow it, and the spellgem-granted powers effectively make us sorcerers, but even Demedais's full plate does not inhibit him while calling upon their powers.
01[21:08] <Seira> And I know a mage that compensated for her muteness, so a similar approach heavily relying on stilled spells should also be plausible. And there's always the comfort of mithral. But am I missing something, Latha?"
[21:14] <Kotono> "Donald does thes ame with his training. While good equipment can reduce the interference of armor, it can't eliminate it. Even Celestial armor, forged in the fires of heaven, don't alleviate it. It seems to be a matter of compensating yourself, not relying on armor." She thinks here a few moments.
01[21:16] <Seira> "So this is something you can't pour money at, but have to train yourself to attain?" Seira attempts to clarify.
[21:18] <Kotono> "Yes, as far as I'm aware.  I was only of the fourth circle for crafting. The fifth and sixth deal with the truly powerful and quasi divine. The seventh circle practices just below the bridge of Al-Sihal...The creations of those three levels are forbidden to be known of only by the elite, as it is where the greatest tools of law and good are made. My mace, for example, was made by one of the second layer."
[21:18] <Kotono> was made by one of the second layer." (More)
[21:22] <Kotono> "For practical mortal purposes, it's not possible by our craft." Latha concludes, "If the heavens can not lightly do it, if at all, then I am fairly certain it is unlikely to be possible."
01[21:24] <Seira> "So you have to do something pretty impressive to even have a shot at this," Seira muses. "Alright. What about the celestial armor you mentioned? How does it work?"
[21:25] <Kotono> "It's chain mail that is far less encumbering, easier to wear and allows you to fly. The processes are remarkable, but it's only seldom made, and given out rarely, never sold. It only rarely disrupts a wizard's casting when worn."
01[21:28] <Seira> "I'm torn, really," Seira admits. "It looks great on Alicia. Mithril armor, I mean. And I recently had my defensive spells dispelled in a burst. I can't exactly waste time raising them up against an opponent who could do that to me. It looks more and more like I should invest in bracers of armor."
[21:30] <Kotono> Raising her own bracers, "I wear these. They're very weak ones, though."
06[21:33] * Seira looks disappointed. "I wanted to go against type, you know? Ditch the robes, get some shining armor? But I guess it was not to be."
[21:36] <Kotono> "It can be done. How did those two train?" Latha asks, "Can you replicate it?"
01[21:39] <Seira> "Not for... oh, years." Seira sighs. "I still appreciate knowing, so thanks for filling me in on my limitations."
[21:40] <Kotono> "Sorry I couldn't be much help," Latha apologizes, "Have you asked Alicia? She may know more, having done it herself and studied Mystra."
01[21:42] <Seira> "It's always difficult to approach her," Seira admits. "She's like this big sister figure, so every time I do that it's the same as admitting I can't make do on my own."
[21:43] <Kotono> "Really?" Antenora says, "I thought it would be the other way around, since you out-rank her."
[21:44] <Kotono> *Latha
01[21:47] <Seira> "That just means I've been killing evil stuff longer than she here, in the Baronies," Seira responds. "She has... well, experience, and age, and... it's really difficult to put this in the right words. But it's comforting. And at the same time, I don't like to show her an incompetent side of myself."
[21:50] <Kotono> "Mmmmmm." Thoughtfully pondering that over, "She's a very warm person as you get closer to her. I don't think she's reject you or think lesss of you for help.'
[21:51] <Kotono> *she'd
01[21:52] <Seira> "I can't ask her help with dressing, even if it's for battle," Seira deadpans. She raises from her armchair. "I'll just figure something out. This handles the personal stuff, but I actually had a real reason to ask for you to spend some time with me, Latha.
01[21:52] <Seira> You mentioned Esthan earlier, and I am of a mind to visit the child he had affected. I was thinking that you would like to accompany me on that, as that time we found him."
[22:00] <Kotono> "Of course," Latha says, "Ensuring the child has a life free of Esthan's malice is certainly a good thing."
01[22:02] <Seira> "Amaryl wanted to see the school, I think, so it might be a good chance to show her around and use the pretext to see our friend," Seira muses. "I could teleport us over, if that fits your schedule, Latha."
01[22:19] <Seira> "Seems like we'll have to adjust our plans," she tells Mia, then. "Still, if an angel tells us it's alright to summon a lantern archon, we'll just roll with that. Could you handle the supplies and marketing end of things? The research you've already done into this could probably be channeled into creating an alchemical alternative for firewood, since even the basics can be in demand in all sorts of places."