Attack on Sylica

[Ebiris]

"You could well be right about Sylian," Alicia nods to Antenora. "The devil Gathgorian was present with Eblis as well, nursing a nascant spark of divinity of his own. It seems he and one other have attained such under Asmodeus's orders, and there's still a third waiting to be chosen."

[Anastasia]

"We can't waste this chance," Latha finally says, after a pause. "Otherwise, I don't doubt another fiend will get the chance. As much as it galls me to rely on someone so blighted as Eblis, this is an opportunity that will not come again."

"What do you think, Alicia?" Syala asks you, "You talked to him. Is it a trap?"

[Ebiris]

"I don't think it's a trap, but what do you mean by opportunity that won't come again, Latha?" she asks. "It doesn't really matter what any fiends do aside from the fact it generates more potential enemies for us. This isn't about accessing a limited resource, it's a personal transcension - and one that appears to engender a degree of self-centredness and megalomania."

[Anastasia]

"Granted," Latha says, "But one is hardly given a chance ot ascend without Ao's oversight," she says, "That's what I mean."

Antenora hms at that, "It could also be a poisoned chalice, that no matter how sweet, the poison beneath is lethal. Or perhaps Eblis is flawed or his nature is independent of it. We just don't know."

[Ebiris]

"I think - and I'll grant this is only my supposition," Alicia begins with the important caveat, "This route only magnified what was already there in Eblis's case. A slight degree of arrogance and self-absorption magnified many-fold by the profound realisation of how Creation is a flawed tool of the Incarnations that he could now stand above. I think it'll depend a lot on your core beliefs and who you truly are when there's nothing to restrain you."

She looks around the other three and adds, "For all his fury and pride though... Eblis is sad. He spoke of being able to survive even if Shar destroys Creation, but he'd be alone and I think he recognises that. One is the loneliest number - and we ourselves have gotten where we have because we've stood together against so much."

[Anastasia]

"I think you're right," Antenora finally says, "When you're Beyond, all you have of Creation is yourself. It would stand that what you are becomes more, rather than that you become something new. Eblis was already flawed or damaged."

"Sad? Was it obvious?" Syala questions, "Or perhaps he realizes that for all he is one, he is alone because he is one."

[Ebiris]

"I wouldn't say he's screaming it out, but... yes, there were tells. Of human vulnerability. He almost flinched when I said One is the loneliest number - being giant size makes your tells more obvious too," Alicia explains. "But I think if he hadn't become what he is, Eblis would have eventually fallen one way or another. Like Triel or so many others."

[Anastasia]

"Something in him was...hollowing out?" Antenora frowns, "I swear someone said that there, but I can't remember who. Evil hollows out."

"It's not wrong," Latha remarks with a heavy shake of her head, "We all know it. That loss of hope, that loss into the darkness, where hollowness is failingly filled by a thousand horrors."

"Yes. Emptiness," Antenora looks at you, "An empty fire, one who stands alone because there's nothing good left in him. Someone who seeks something they can't build themselves, not as they are."

[Ebiris]

"Yes," Alicia nods to Antenora. "I can only hope I managed to kindle some hope in Eblis's heart that things can be better, that he needn't give up on Creation. Time will tell what fruit it brings. The question then is: what do we do now? Do we take a chance on one of you undergoing this transcension?" she looks between Latha and Antenora. "The Beyond is frightfully dangerous - Eblis was already greatest among the angels when he went there. And I'm not sure how long it'll take."

Though probably not that long if Gathgorian did it.

[Anastasia]

"Does he brood because he's given up on Creation, you mean?" Latha asks, "Why he does so little is a long standing question for planar observers."

"I'll do it," Antenora says right away, "Because if there's any hope to reach him, any hope to save him, then I have to try. Maybe I can be the one to soothe his wounded soul."

"Just be objective," Syala says right after, "Don't make me have to smack sense into you because you went too far trying to help him. You'd be far from the first who gets in trouble trying to save a bad boy." Hefting her Blessing of the Twelve up, "Don't make me."

[Ebiris]

"Hmm... I want to say that you're going into it with the wrong mindset," Alicia says thoughtfully. "That focusing on helping Eblis is the wrong way to go about becoming One, since you need to express that consummate nature of yourself. But wanting to help others is who you are, and self absorption probably leads to a twisted mindset. Very well then - we'll try this tomorrow. Syala, shall we send our avatars out with Antenora to deal with any denizens of Beyond that might interfere?"

[Anastasia]

"It's a date," Syala smiles right back to you, "More importantly, this means Eblis has a reliable way to get to the Far Realm. That's not common knowledge."

[Ebiris]

Oh, I figured we could get there somewhat reliably ourselves either with Gate or with god-trickery. I guess I shouldn't take it as a given if we can't!

"I might be able to replicate the teleport mishap that sent Latha and I there before, otherwise yes it might take a little more work..." she admits, furrowing her brow.

Spellcraft or knowledge check on replicating the teleport mishap?

[Anastasia]

Okay, misunderstanding here then. Are you planning to go to the Far Realm and try this on your own, then?

[Ebiris]

Yeah, the idea was to do what Eblis did. Was that not clear?