The Grand Sultan

[Corwin]

"A truly tempting invitation, Akil," Seira tells him, voice tinged with sorrow, "yet I must regretfully decline. Going over the Grand Sultan's draft proposal will likely require all of my mental faculties, not to mention all evening to comprehend properly."

BTW, it was suggested that we will receive said draft, but if it's not being given to us please let me know so I could raise it IC.

[Anastasia]

"Very well," Akil says, "In that case, let us all retire for the evening. Copies will be available in your rooms." He doesn't press it beyond that, accepting with a calm expression.

From there everyone is escorted back to your palatial quarters, Barachiel still presumably with the Grand Sultan. Jetina takes a long breath out and says, "Are these sort of meetings always so stressful?"

"By Tyr's maimed eyes, yes," Vel Custos says, staying standing with his armored arms crossed. "We are polite out of diplomacy and hospitality, but it does not mean our issues are quelled. Justice still hangs heavy over them."

Elle rests in a chair while Lady Honeydip perches on her shoulder. "A pain I know well. On occasion we would treat with vile things in Androlynne, if only because the alternative was complete destruction and the enslavement of our souls. Things that make a mockery of civilized discussion and wear it like a savage wears bearskins." Lady Honeydip replies, resting her head against the side of Elle's ear. "Is Shar worth this unholy alliance?"

"That is not for me to say," Cresiel speaks up here, staying by Jetina, resting one large hand on her shoulder. "But the deepest logic of it is sound. We of Hope's Landing have seen firsthand what Shar brings. No. It is only a question of how we will oppose her and how we will stop her."

[Corwin]

"Shar is not worth the continuation of the status quo," Seira states. "The idea of this devil-aligned court of efreet is not much of an improvement on Nessian ideals, and we weren't ready to hand them Benfal or Lifasa. Whether we could arrive at an agreement, however, depends on how well we work to convince the other side there is no better alternative for them."

[Nephrite]

"I'm not sure that I'd trust any of them to keep their word ultimately anyway." Moore says. "I suppose for the time being we should see what the Sultan is actually proposing. I imagine it's going to be something like a non-interference pact where we stay off of Fire and "let them handle" Sharran agents."

[Anastasia]

"The devil is in the details," Xandra speaks up here, "Is that not always the truth of it?"

"Let us examine the document," Vel Custos declares, "I am a trained judge and versed in the means of the law, both celestial and in the greater planes. I offer my expertise in understanding what is put before us."

[Corwin]

"By all means," Seira agrees with Vel Custos, intending to review the documents herself to get a real estimate of how much of this she can catch.

[Nephrite]

"Absolutely." Moore agrees.

Presuming it actually is Profession (Judge), Moore will take 10 for 70, including all of the other bonuses from the team and himself. For everyone else, he'll make some magic to give everyone everyone a +8 morale bonus to skill checks and a +5 untyped bonus to the same thing, so everyone basically gets +13 to whatever they're trying to do here.

[Anastasia]

Honeydip will motive Wisdom to add +14 more unless Moore's adding the same and I missed it. Seira, going to add anything else to the boosting? We have +8 morale, +5 untyped and +14 untyped from a marshal aura.

[Nephrite]

I was factoring in Honeydip's, just for reference!

[Nephrite]

Also, I'll add in Share Talents for everyone, which gives everyone an extra +2 on top of everything else.

This is a note to myself to make a better version of Share Talents later.

[Corwin]

Okay. Vel Custos, Moore and myself will enjoy the following via channeled spells:
Divine Insight for +15 insight to any one skill check
Improvisation for +16 luck to any one skill check
Guidance of the Avatar for +20 competence to any one skill check
Marshal auras like Lady Honeydip's are a circumstances bonus.

Assuming this is acceptable, I would like to use a Craft or Knowledge parallel to the relevant profession myself.

[Nephrite]

Due to Share Talents, you can make the Profession (Judge) check untrained, if you're so inclined.

In that case, that brings Moore's total up to 104.

[Anastasia]

Go for it, Seira.

[Corwin]

Knowledge: Legal Documents and Contracts is automatically trained for me, so taking 10 +15int +15insight(BA) +20competence(GotA) +16luck(Improv) +14circumstance(aura) +15Moore = 105

[Anastasia]

That'll do. Onto the rolling.

> roll 1d20+77 (+8 morale, +5 untyped, +14 marshal, +2 share talents)
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 96 > [d20=19]

147 after Seira boosting.

It is a rather long document, written densely and with some jargon, though Moore and Seira's are pretty sure it's not meant to be truly obfuscating as much as simply involving a lot of precise terminology.

In short, the proposal offers the following.

1. Celestia, The Cauldron and the Efreet Empire will cease direct conflicts until the time Shar is deemed adequately checked, defeated or slain. There will be a grace period of 3 years thereafter for all sides to recover and adjust before this agreement dissolves. This includes influencing allies against each other. Minor conflicts amid mortal followers and worshipers are deemed inevitable and understandable, but no side will escalate a situation that occurs naturally nor will they openly charge their follows to continue it.
2. Celestia and the Cauldron will ignore the slave trade. In return, no escalations or further reprisals will be instigated by the Efreet Empire or any allies of the Efreet Empire over slavery.
3. All sides of this agreement will make a good faith effort to uphold all aspects of this agreement. Previous matters of contentions are agreed by all parties to be tabled until this agreement is dissolved.
4. The Efreet Empire, the Cauldron and Celestia shall share intelligence related to Shar and Sharran activities. A good faith effort by all parties will be made to share information. Information that directly exposes or compromises other interests may be held back, so long as a good faith effort is made to not abuse this. To establish this cooperation, a bureau will be created to facilitate this transform of information, with the details to be resolved at a later date.
5. A joint commission will be established to mediate any conflicts that arise from this bureau or related matters of this agreement. It will be manned by three parties - one to represent the interests of the Cauldron and Celestia, one to represent the interests of the Efreet and one neutral party chosen in agreement by all sides of this agreement. In cases of dispute or disagreement, the rulings of this commission will be final. All sides agree that no effort to suborn or magically enchant the members of this commission will be attempted.