Meeting the light (Moore, Jaela)

[Anastasia]

The three head out into the Astral and the light. By the time the three do, a single archon awaits just oustide Aurora. A hound archon, clad in silver armor and carrying a greatsword on its back. He kneels briefly as the party emergies, "Sirs and ma'ams," he says, "I have instructions to take you to Lord Domiel immediately."

[Nephrite]

Moore returns the kneel with a proper bow himself!

[Anastasia]

"Greetings and thank you," Morniel inclines his head towards the hound archon. "I am Morniel of the Throne and Tome. This is Jaela of Aurora and that is Moore of Aurora, who serves Erathaol."

[Corwin]

Jaela raises her hand in greeting as Morniel introduces her, saying, "We were thinking the same thing."

[Anastasia]

"I am Morning's Vigor," The hound archon says, leading the way to the camp. Here you see celestials come and go in a constant stream, groups flying off to sphere of distortion around you. Many of them stay at the edge, intoning spells around it. You can easily identify ones such as dimensional anchor and dimensional lock being repeatedly cast. Others return from the affected area, bloodied and sometimes carrying allies.

Below you the camp is forever busy. There's not a moment wasted by any of them. Wounds are healed, strategies are prepared, gear is repaired and spells are cast. In the precise center of the island sits a stone cathedral. It is too big to fit where it is, far too big, and yet space accommodates it. As you fly down, suddenly all is golden sunlight. A trumpet's note echos in the air, clear and beautiful, as tremendous waves of white energy fly forth from the cathedral in all directions.

Morning's Vigor quickly bows his head, "Lord Domiel continues to perform miracles to speed our victory. He ensures that life will spread to any who oppose us and strip away the unholy protections of undeath."

[Corwin]

"In that case, we won't take much of his time," Jaela states. "Let's just make sure we're all on the same page about the plan and get going."

[Anastasia]

The cathedral's gates open wide as you approach. Within it is empty, save for celestials moving about. Amid the center it stands Domiel, his presence hitting the party like a blast of heat from a furnace. He stands well over 7 feet tall, a figure made of warm brass and gold made flesh. He is perfectly trim and muscled, every part of his body a masterpierce. He is nude save for a simple loincloth and painted gray-black runes and tattoos all over his body. He carries a sword of burning fire in hand. His expression is calm, giving orders in a measured, quiet voice that is impossible to not hear.

Near him sits two figures. The first is a gray creature with barely a face at all. It wails and sobs, shadows appearing all over it only to burst into flames and burn away. Jaela and Moore can both recognize this figure as an ultroloth, the greatest of the yugoloths, akin to a pit fiend or balor. Next to it kneels a winged angel, who listens to the fiend. It confesses sin after sin, only stopping when its sorrow is too much.

The moment the doors open, Domiel's voice carries to all of you. "Aurora. Come forth, my friends," he says, the celestials in the way smoothly moving out of it.

[Corwin]

"We wish it could be under better circumstances, Lord Domiel," Jaela says, heading inside at the invitation. The sobbing ultroloth gets a gaze of curiosity and, if she's honest with herself, a touch of jealousy as well. But while she's not there, she is probably on the right course, at least, and Jaela consoles herself with that. "Have you been informed of our plan to deal with this rift?"

[Anastasia]

"Yes, though not the details of your plan," Domiel says, "Our own plans are to open up a steadily expanding zone of control as long as we can hold the area stable. Reports are that resistance grows as you head deeper in, many of our strike teams have come back wounded or not at all. We will need more pressure than a handful of capable agents probing within to seal this calamity."

[Nephrite]

"There's a lot to be concerned about." Moore says with a glance to Jaela for her explanation. "I suppose it's best to leave the astral dreadnoughts alone unless they put themselves in front of us, as it seems like they harry both sides equally, unlike Lixer's forces."

[Corwin]

"Aurora's elite mages, aided and protected by our skirmishers, will contest the center of the rift and then seal it with Wish and Miracle-grade magic. The rest of our mages are to play a supporting function through enhancing your own forces and those of the Cauldron in stopping the rift across its periphery with Dimensional Anchor and its like," Jaela relates. "If you have an expedition heading in, we could join in it."

[Anastasia]

"They care only about themselves and have been seen attacking anything in their way," Domiel confirms. "Be wary of them, they are strong and smarter than normal for their kind."

"Our own attacks are spread out," Domiel confesses, "But our next brigade will join yous. "Bear in mind it is approximately 10 miles to the center of the rift through chaotic and contested territory. We advance slowly so that we can minimize that disadvantage as much as possible. Also," He pauses a moment, a hound archon approaching the party from the side. He bears five scrolls. Four are of creamy white paper and bound with golden ribbons, while the fifth is made of plainer paper and sealed with a wax binding of a strange rune. "These spell scrolls will aid you. The last is not ours, but one of the githyanki's spells. They instructed that one go to Aurora if we encountered them."

[Corwin]

"We did have some contact a while back," Jaela muses. "What's in the scrolls? And what sort of terrain can we expect within? Death Ward is obvious, but should we ward our forces in other ways beyond that?"

[Anastasia]

"Two scrolls that will allow the creation of a landmass in the Astral. Two will allow swift healing or regeneration to function in the Astral for a time. The last is a githyanki spell - one of the Lich Queen's own." Domiel's express shifts at this, a slight hint of a frown. "It is called Vlaakith's Haste and enables great speed and dexterity in the Astral Plane."

[Corwin]

"So a haste that works on Astral?" Jaela nods. "Our thanks." Thinking about their situation, she says, "Tepen will be commanding the bulk of our spellcasters at the edge of the rift. He will be coordinating with your forces, be it to hold the perimeter or a steady advance along with your own troops. Any suggestions relating to closing the rift itself? A proposed refinement of our basic approach?"