Zariel

[Anastasia]

A thrust of power, wild and ragged. The flames die in an instant, only leaving behind a burnt ruin.

Slowly Zariel sinks to her knees, "Because this is what I am surrounded by now."

[Ebiris]

"Not to mix metaphor with reality," Alicia squats down and drags gauntleted fingers through the ashen earth. "But burned soil like this makes for fertile new growth, doesn't it?"

[Corwin]

"Yeah. You know, I'm a bit of an expert on fire," Seira muses, kneeling next to her and placing her hand to the ground. "I'm just speeding up the process a bit, but that's what comes next after forest fires...."

When she raises her hand, it is to show a seedling breaking past the surface.

[Ebiris]

Alicia looks over at Seira as they both touch the ground and smiles wryly.

[Anastasia]

"They're right," Syala comes to Zariel again, taking her hand. "Kneel. Let's start new life here. You can do it - let go of the past and take the chance for the present."

Zariel kneels with Syala and touches the ground. Before your eyes blossoms and saplings sprout, rising high and fast. All around you the forest regrows, consuming what was gone. "I don't want it to hurt anymore," Zariel breathes out. "I don't want to hurt when I see a forest."

[Ebiris]

"Did you have to ask her to kneel, Syala? That's a bad omen after what we just talked about," Alicia says, repositioning from her squat so her knees touch the rejuvenated soil as well. "Still... this is good. Good natural growth," she looks around. "It's how a forest should be, not the sort of flora you'd see in Hell."

[Anastasia]

"I kneeled with her for a reason," Syala replies lightly, just a faint hint of chastisement. "It is good, Zariel. Look."

"It's lovely," Amaryl follows, kneeling to inspect it as well. "A new beginning, free of the mistakes of the past."

[Corwin]

"The things that hurt will keep on hurting," Seira muses, flopping back on the forested ground and arresting her fall on her arms. Realistic expectations are important when setting out future goals, or you're just setting yourself up for disappointment. "It'll hurt less with time, and you might remember the good times along with the bad, but there are no miracle cures here. Just a lot of progress, a step here and an inch there. Take things one day at a time, and some day when you look back on a forest you'll realize it doesn't hurt as much. You might even realize that the fresh memories of forests you've made starting from today helped with that."

[Anastasia]

Zariel looks about at the regrowing forest, and in a quiet voice, "I think...I'd like to see that forest, one day."

[Ebiris]

"Though I fear we may end up outstaying our welcome here," Alicia admits, rising to her feet. "My realm of Sylica has many forests. And Seira's Cauldron is a conflux of the four primal elements. Either of us would be glad to offer you succor for now."

[Corwin]

"I've been talking with Amaryl about expanding the realm, and a forest could be a welcome change," Seira voices. "It doesn't even have to follow the concept of elemental harmony, since standing out from the norm is fine too."

[Anastasia]

Gimme a Diplo check each, you two. Up to you two how boosty you want to make it and if you want to get into that at all.

[Ebiris]

[20:44] <@Ebiris> roll 1d20+54
[20:44] <Kobot> Ebiris rolled 1d20+54 --> [ 1d20=20 ]{74}

I have greater heroism up still.

[Corwin]

Likewise, though it doesn't seem to be helping.

22:47 <Lucille> roll 1d20+53+4
22:47 <Kobot> Lucille rolled 1d20+53+4 --> [ 1d20=1 ]{58}

[Anastasia]

Not even greater heroism can help with natural 1 vs natural 20.

"I...would like to see both of them," Zariel says, "But the forests first."