A storm on the silver sea (Everyone)

[Anastasia]

Morning follows with a gathering - all the generals save for Jaela and the officers not lost in the planes. The only exception is Rosa, who is still recovering. Breakfast has been laid out, pastries of various sorts and drinks. A few people are eating as everyone streams in. Morniel and Gisfal are preparing, talking quietly together. Elena blinks about, doing this and that and seeing things set up.

Just as everyone gets in, "Good news-" Elena begins, as Jaela, Vivantha and Canderella come through the portal and in. "Oh, that. They're back."

[Merc]

"Yay?" Ithea asks amusedly. "Welcome back. Now we just need Adrian and the rest of his group. Maybe they'll match Jaela's timing?"

Ithea pauses for a second and waits. "...maybe not then."

[Iron Dragoon]

Surraruthru looks up from a pastry filled with a red substance of some sort smeared across his jaws and teeth, give the new arrivals a gruesome smile with a cheerful chirp of, "Hello!" before turning back to the massacred breakfast food.

[Nephrite]

Moore waves at the arrivals!

"Hello, welcome back!"

[Anastasia]

"Welcome back," Morniel says, "Are you aware of the current situation?"

[Yuthirin]

Calleigh is valiantly attempting to devour a mango the size of her torso. She waves a sticky appendage at the newcomers in greeting, not slowing in the least.

Huh, can Tryll benefit from the Heroes' Feast effect?

[Anastasia]

Can he consume food?

[Yuthirin]

He's incorporeal. So probably not.

[Anastasia]

Then no. Heroes feast augmented with transdimensional spell would be kosher, as would a custom version designed for incorporeal creatures.

[Corwin]

"Better make a recap," Jaela says, nodding at the greetings before claiming a seat and a pastry for herself. "My info's a day old by now."

[Anastasia]

"In short," Morniel begins, "Ithea's mission was largely a success, though Rosa fell. She has been called back but is traumatized from her soul's brief brush against Lixer. She won't be available for today's mission. Afina's squad succeeded beyond any expectation. Through chance and fortune, all of Hopelorn was destroyed by opening a massive rift into the Astral. There is more to it and that is why we are here today. Afina, if you'd fill in the blanks there?"

Once that's done, Morniel clears his throat. It gets attention, eyes on him. "Onto Operation Silver Shield. We have recently received intelligence from Mount Celestia that will explain the current situation. The Mercy-Bringer Domiel has been alerted by Erathaol to the danger of this rift and has gathered an army to seal it. Unfortunately, it is far too late for an easy solution. The rift has expanded many times over." Morniel snaps his fingers, an image appearing in the air. It is of a sphere of pulsing chaotic energies, changing colors like an ever-moving rainbow.

"The current area affected is a sphere approximately 20 to 25 miles in diameter. It seems stable for now and various forces have taken pains to cement this stability, enough so that launching offensive operations into the affected area is feasible." Another finger snap has a white dot appear on the upper northwestern side of the sphere, just beyond it. "This is where Domiel's forces have a camp established. We have an invitation there should we wish to take it. Recent divinations and the information provided by Celestia both confirm that gating or otherwise teleporting into the area affected will fail, due to the damage to the Astral from the rift. The only way ahead is through, we must fight our way into the rift."

A pause for a few moments, "Therein lie the problems. First of all, Hopelorn seems to have expanded. Reports from elements within the rift are that new buildings and structures in the style of Hopelorn are spontaneously appearing in the affected area. It is not a coherent city, more akin to fragments and buildings being generated. Secondly, the surviving creatures in the rift have all mutated. Many have gained daemonic, slaadic or demonic traits, mindless undead in particular have evolved into intelligent, malicious creatures. To the last, they oppose any efforts or intrusion into the rift."

There's a pause here, everyone listening. A quiet tension fills the air, until Simmer says, "So what you're saying is that they needs more fire."

Morniel's lips twitch in a smile, "Yes. Raziel blesses your initiative, Simmer. But as I was saying? Thirdly, wild terrain of all types has appeared. It's akin to uncontrolled Limbo, except the areas created sometimes have a fiendish tint to them. Fourthly, finally and by far the more importantly, is that this rift has been akin to a gong sounded across the planes. The disturbance has drawn the attention of entities far and wide. Many have chosen to intervene, be it to help seal this rift, to defend it or even to expand it further. My friends," Morniel says, "We are entering a war."

"A war that can be won," Kascha speaks up, "We have friends there that are helping."

"Precisely," Morniel lightly clears his throat, Kascha quietly eeeping and going silent with a fierce blush. "We have information on several groups that have been identified."

[Nephrite]

Moore stays quiet for now since Morniel seems to want to continue.

Would he be familiar with Domiel?

[Anastasia]

K:R.

[Nephrite]

Taking 10 for 48.

[Anastasia]

Domiel is the second of the Hebdomad. He focuses on the destruction of tyranny and the undead, as well as the safe and eternal rest of those heroes who give their lives defending others against evil.

I can go into more detail if you want, that's just the basics. I'm not sure how much you know OOC about him, so I won't repeat myself if you're already aware of him.