The lost fortress (Afina, Jaela; 85 days left)

[Anastasia]

You find Balyss - waiting for you by the portals. "Afina, Jaela," she greets, her voice many and one. "Walk with us."

[Ebiris]

Walk is surely a figure of speech, so Afina flutters along at Balyss's shoulder height alongside her, not saying anything and letting the divine moutpiece speak what she will.

[Anastasia]

The two of you walk out and into the courtyard, no one around you - somehow. Everyone's just elsewhere, in spite of Balyss glowing with bright moonlight.

"You understand what an abomination is?" It's half a question and half a statement.

[Ebiris]

Taking 10 for 51 on planes to confirm if Afina knows about the epic monster stuff of the same name.

[Anastasia]

You do, you have Baleruk who is one so you have first-hand knowledge on top of it.

[Ebiris]

"Beings divine but cursed," Afina summarises her knowledge of such things. "Like Baleruk, a God of Dragons who no dragon can ever worship."

[Anastasia]

"Yes, or the Hell's Pawn, whom you have heard of before as the True King of Hell, or the Voidchildren, Shar's damned offspring," Balyss says. "Also the Father, the spawn of Demogorgon and Pale Night."

[Ebiris]

"I take it that such a being is what's trapped under Syrel?" she reaches the obvious conclusion.

[Corwin]

"Those tend to have pretty specific conditions for dying, don't they?" Jaela muses, drawing on her memories for the plan to deal with the Father permanently. "Do you know who's down there, under Syrel, and how to kill them?"

[Anastasia]

"We do not, they are often hidden from many eyes, even our own," Balyss speaks, "We were not directly involved in that incident at that time, nor has knowledge of it come to our faithful. We understand what it is from our lack of vision, but there are many abominations, both those myriad in number and those a single, unique and cursed blight."

[Ebiris]

"Hmmm," Afina hums and glances at Jaela. "I don't think we have time to go trawling through every other deity that might have had followers in Syrel at one time or another in hopes of them knowing. We'll just have to hope we can get in and deal with Apasa before he wakes it up, whatever it is."

[Corwin]

"Syrel wasn't in elven territory, was it?" Jaela asks. "That would be one source of knowledge we could afford to approach, if so."

[Anastasia]

"It was not," Balyss confirms. "It is your choice if you pursue knowledge first and sacrifice time to do so.  If you choose to do so, do so wisely."

[Corwin]

"In that case, I'm with Afina. Let's hit it right away."

[Ebiris]

"Yes, there's no guarantees anyone we ask will know more than we already have. If it does awaken we can retreat and at least have what it looks like and how it behaves to research it more fully for ways to kill it," Afina agrees with Jaela. "Lets get the Master and Mei and we'll set off."