Victorious advance

[Anastasia]

"Danne, a swordsman and scytheman who wields both at once," Dragodan goes on, "A furious blade who scythes and slashes through any foe with arcane fires. The Prince of Shadows, a supreme shadow above even a greater shadow and with powers unstoppable by any of the living. All who face him are doomed to perish and become a shadow under his command - and he commands hundreds of thousands of shadows. Morllar, unholy champion and enforcer of Shar's will and master of the Null Blade."

[Ebiris]

"What's the Null Blade?" Marie asks. "Is it like the Blade of Endings?" If it gets special mention it must be a big deal after all.

[Anastasia]

"It is a bone from Shar's own body," Dragodan speaks in quiet reverence, "It is the shadows and oblivion and it will overcome any it wounds."

[Ebiris]

Okay that's a big deal alright. Do not get hit by that ever, but stealing it would be a tremendous coup.

Also the Prince of Shadows needs to die as well, sounds like one for Latha really.

"And the last two?" she asks.

[Anastasia]

"One recently was defeated and the last is here," Dragodan says.

[Ebiris]

"Who was defeated and who is here? Not counting yourself to whom both apply," Marie says. "Because counting yourself I've heard ten."

Just in case I'm missing something, here's the list

1 Dragodan
2 Zylvelyn
3 Ryn
4 Yull
5 Vetch
6 Asani
7 Sartay
8 Danne
9 Prince of Shadows
10 Morllar

[Anastasia]

Oh dur, I think we were counting differently. Revising his line.

"One recently was defeated and I am here," Dragodan says. "The last is Penae, dark speaker of Shar. She commands the Dark Speech with Shar's own insight."

[Ebiris]

"Thank you, that's educational," Marie says, glad he wasn't after all hinting they have one of them undercover in Sylica. "Do you know anything about the recent attack Shar sent at Sylica with the cloud of shadows?"

[Anastasia]

"It lies within the Cavern," Dragodan says. "I cannot tell you, my beloved."

[Ebiris]

"Okay." Marie pauses and looks at Alicia, who shakes her head, walking over and handing her a wrapped scroll of pristine white parchment bound with a blue thread. She unwraps it and approaches Dragodan. "Please hold still and allow me to cast this spell on you, you won't be harmed," she promises.

She's casting Imprisonment from a scroll.

[Anastasia]

Dragodan moves to speak, but sees something in you. Pauses, hesitates - and the spell is cast.

[Ebiris]

And thus Shar's proxy is sealed far beneath Sylica, suspended hopefully for all time and forever cut off from his divine source - and vice versa.

"It's done," Alicia says, approaching her former familiar and current proxy. "You may not realise it now Marielle, but you've struck a blow against Shar that one day I think all of Creation will have cause to thank you for."

"Well," Marie ends her Beauty Triumphant spell and gives Alicia a small smile, "That does help a bit but I still feel like I need one of Antenora's famous lava baths to scrub the feel of his eyes off of me."

"Go have fun with Antenora then, you've earned it," Alicia claps her shoulder. "Syala," she turns to her wife, "I think this calls for your greatest dungeon yet, but we should ask for some outside help on fortifying this spot besides. I'll ask Mystra, you ask Selune, and... Jessica, why don't you ask Lathander as well? A nice easy diplomatic mission for you to dip your toes in."

[Anastasia]

Antenora comes and hugs Marie after, simply holding her tight.

At the same time Syala smiles faintly, "I think we can manage that. Though - the question of this Cavern and what Naeys remains. Why did Shar let her proxy go without sending an avatar? It would have been within her ability."

[Ebiris]

"The cavern was absolutely a trap," Alicia says. "We need better magic for stripping the thoughts out of people we capture for scenarios like this, she must have thought the temptation of learning his secrets would be too much and... well, I don't know but whatever would have resulted wouldn't have been worth it," she concludes.

"Could she send an avatar though, really?" Marie asks as she leans against Antenora. "I know we get special treatment on that prime because we lived there, but until the last seal gets broken it's still restricted to a degree, isn't it? I was careful anyway, though."

[Anastasia]

"Hm." Syala shakes her head, "I always forget how special your world is. Never mind about the avatar, that's a fair point."

Meanwhile Antenora holds Marie as Jessica nods and departs, planting a kiss atop Marie's head. "I have no doubt it's a poisoned dagger of some variety. The only question is how she plans to stab us with it in the future."