Sylica: A New Beginning

[Ebiris]

"Ysgard has been good to us, but Elysium would be more appropriate," Alicia says after a momentary consideration. "Syala would like it as well, I think." Being by the House of Nature suits her interests anyway. "Thank you, Mystra. When the time comes we'll be glad of it."

[Anastasia]

"To the future," Mystra concurs, raising her glass once more.

Anything else to add here? If not, next move?

[Ebiris]

We're good for this bit.

After departing Mystra's library they return to Alicia's embassy only briefly, before adopting a few changes. Alicia takes the guise of a pale-skinned elf with a slender body and platinum blonde hair in a braid down her back, her armour exchanged for dark robes contrasting her colour. Marie also goes for the elf look, shapeshifting herself to humanoid proportions and giving herself bright red hair in a messy bob, dressed up like a roguish sort in light armour. With Naeys also adopting an incognito appearance they can play the adventuring party stereotype and teleport elsewhere in Dweomerheart before scouting out rumours and tales on Avernus's new state.

Will take 10 for 76 on diplomacy/gather info (using alter reality to throw in divine insight and greater heroism for +15 insight/+4 morale to the check). If Marie and Naeys aid we can hit DC 80.

I mean I doubt even with that we'll get more than we got straight from Mystra, but it might still get some extra context or hints.

[Anastasia]

Okay. Roll and post 1d100 real quick, in case you run into any shenanigans by pure luck.

[Ebiris]

[18:49] <@Ebiris> roll 1d100
[18:49] <Rei-chan> Ebiris rolled : 1d100 --> [ 1d100=87 ]{87}

[Anastasia]

Naeys joins you and appears as a slender male elf, in light leathers and with a spell pouch belt joining the blade at his waist. Like this...

- You hear Avernus is now dark. Or green. Or the fireballs have stopped. Demons rise to fight over demons as undead demons. Or maybe just mind control? But it's greener now. But maybe there's black fireballs of pure unlife! Sam heard it from Weyeth who heard it from Miscobar who heard it from his cousin, who insists it's true!

- More stable whispers speak of ghostly spirits tearing apart any enemies of devil kind on Avernus.

- For whatever reason, Hellcats seem utterly unbothered by any of the undead there.

- There is one thing - Lixer's gathering ingredients for necromancy and paying good money for it. Quietly, paying more for silence sometimes.

[Ebiris]

Content enough with what they've heard, Alicia's party soon teleports back to her embassy and resumes their natural guises. "Well now we have a better idea what we're up against. Lets go home and see what Syala's learned," she says, Gating them back to Sylica.

[Anastasia]

You have the rest of the day until she gets back, she was gonna keep to that unless you send her a message to hurry up. If you do say so, if not, do you  have anything you want to do with the time?

[Ebiris]

I assumed GIing took some time. No major plans while waiting.

[Anastasia]

The next day you meet Syala on the same balcony. She appears in a shimmer of light, stepping forward. "That was fun," She says, "Sharess wanted to hunt. How'd you do?"

[Ebiris]

"Caught some rumours, simple things about the fireballs being gone, fallen demons rising as undead on the battlefields," Alicia begins, turning to Syala. "Mystra was more detailed. A few raids have already been tried but none that got in deep, the Bronze Citadel - sorry, Noir Jardin it's called now," she says the new name in an unimpressed tone, "Aside from the usual defences you'd expect it's full of magic to bolster the undead, warding them from positive energy and causing them to reanimate even when slain."

[Anastasia]

"Noir Jarden?" Syala makes a face. Her lights fade as she conjures a comfortable chair, sitting. "I heard the Abattoir, but the source was unreliable. I think I liked that more than Noir Jarden. It has all the charm and intimidation of a dead rat."

[Ebiris]

"I'm sure Lixer has lots of familiarity with dead rats," Alicia says dryly, sitting herself on the armrest of Syala's chair. "Turn up anything interesting in Brightwater?"

[Anastasia]

Syala rests her head against your hip, smiling at that. "Empress Sulia had a few bits - she says hi by the way - about Lixer trying to take some of her knights as hostages, probably for sacrificing. The plot was foiled because one of Sulia's proxies happened to be in the area."

[Ebiris]

"Lucky timing for them. How is Sulia anyway?" she asks, smiling herself.