Diplomatic aftermath

[Anastasia]

"I'm talking to Sealtiel about it - or well, I'm talking to him and he's listening a lot." Lathander laughs, "You know him, all stern looks and patient listening. Yes yes, I'll know soon but not yet."

[Corwin]

If there's anything you're interested in doing in the now, and without getting Kossuth all grumpy with you, would you consider buffing my defenses on the home front? If Shar doesn't think she can make a play for the Cauldron with all those light-wielding clerics, I can strike deeper into the efreet camp.

[Anastasia]

"Hmmm...." Lathander makes a noise, as if deeply considering it. "Spiting Shar, you say?"

[Corwin]

If she doesn't try anything, I'll lose all of my nonexistent respect for her! She's such a hard worker, and me sending most of my army to free the largest slave camps will leave the Cauldron relatively defenseless, so it has to be a golden opportunity for her. Darkened opportunity? You know what I mean.

[Anastasia]

A laugh follows, then, "I do. I think I have some forces that are due military exercises in the Astral Plane."

[Corwin]

I'd actually prefer if we were overt about it, Seira muses. I've contacted Vlaakith about denying the efreet or devils a foothold in Astral, so she might think I tried to trick her if you have people who just so happen to wander Astral. What goes on about my realm, however, is my business.

[Anastasia]

"In that case, let me talk to Chauntea about it, she has ideas and opinions about this," she says, "She's rather cross with Shar lately."

[Corwin]

Alright! Let me know!

And then Seira decides to actually take care of her elemental allies and entrusts Sanzha with contacting Zaaman Rul and the others to coordinate their participation in this war, should they choose to act. Entemoch and Sunnis in particular could achieve a great deal, given the dao threw their lot in with the efreet.

[Anastasia]

So Sanzha goes and does all the diplo there, basically?

[Corwin]

I asked her if she wanted to be our foreign minister, she said yes! So yes, she's contacting the elemental princes and princesses of goodness~

[Anastasia]

As you see to that?

Be warned: The efreet are attacking Lunia. The Cauldron may be next.

[Corwin]

Will do, thank you for the warning

Seira leaves her avatar at the Temple of the Golden Flame as her reserves, and then invites Amaryl, Donald, Elle and Honeydip with her to the entrance. Celestia should be able to weather any half-assed invasion, and if they actually struggle they will call on her and she will come to their aid.

A few things I'd like to sort out. First, have we started out own actions against the efreet? Ie, is Valar hitting them somewhere already, or he and his army are still home?

When the realm was upgraded on Amaryl's ascension, the Cauldron was made with only a single direct entrance at the top of the volcano (the official one), and due to folded space and demiplane bullshit there's no tunneling through walls or teleporting in.

The portals to it are from reasonably secure spots (usually a temple to Seira or to Waukeen or an embassy). I can't recall if I stated it outright, but the intent was that those who wish me harm cannot use the portals (barring a ridiculously high epic Moore level 'pretend to be my friend' bluff on the system). If this is actually impossible and we had a communication short, I'll have the portal travel monitored at a minimum, and shut down if there's a threat that one might be overrun by a would-be invading army. I'd appreciate confirmation of which is in play.

We actually do have stated strategies in place that handle an attempted invastion, including hidden weapons storage rooms and one-way portals from the barracks to the top of the volcano. I presume Na'lith will know and use all that for the regular troops, being in charge of defense.

[Anastasia]

That all sounds in line, barring someone forcing their way. If someone can do that (say an invading power or deity) that's on another level, but all of that sounds in order.

[Anastasia]

Valar and the army are prepping and preparing.

[Corwin]

Seira takes care to prepare her companions with the usual pre-combat spells, while her avatar does likewise in preparation as it waits next to her high priestess.

"Just as a note," she tells Amaryl and the others. "If a regular army attacks us, let me head out there first and strike. You really wouldn't want to be int he radius of my spells for that, so support me once I give the signal that I'm done with that." Peering out at the Silver Sea, she muses, "Of course, that suggests we'll get some visitors, which is hardly certain. Let's give it an hour or two?"