A new sultan?

[Anastasia]

Thus Seira, Moore and Alicia meet deep in the Cauldron, along with...

Just note who you brought or invited, all. This will mostly be directed by the three of you and take as little or as much time here as you want. Assuming an offensive happens with no interrupts, this will be directing your next challenges, so work under that assumption.

[Ebiris]

Alicia arrives with Syala and Antenora in tow, Sylica left under the watchful care of her and Syala's avatars as well as Jessica, Latha, and Marie.

"Seira, first of all congratulations," Alicia greets her friend. "But there's no time to properly celebrate, is there? I can feel that the City of Brass has changed hands, and devils were deeply involved."

[Nephrite]

Moore will arrive with Cresiel and Xandra and nod to all the others gathered.

[Corwin]

Seira greets her guests with Valar and Honeydip! "Thanks!" she tells Alicia. "And you're right, there's no time for conventional celebrations. So I was thinking that we all celebrate by hitting the largest efreet slave camps and taking them over as our bastions upon Fire."

[Ebiris]

"So you're not expecting the new regime to sue for peace?" Alicia asks. She doesn't mind continuing the fight of course, devils just make them more reprehensible. "We were planning on assaulting one of their ship-building installations if hostilities resumed."

[Anastasia]

Quick note: Storms in case I vanish, Neph.

Once everyone gets comfortable, "That is a concern," Antenora says, "But do we think there's any chance Hell will surrender, just like that that?"

[Corwin]

"I fully expect them to make us an offer," Seira responds. "However, how good the offer is would depend on our relative strengths, and we would be fools not to press ahead while they are fighting amongst themselves for control. And if devils are involved as much as I fear, their offer might be unacceptable."

She nods slowly, musing out loud, "Taking away their ability to make ships and do maintenance on them would be pretty great. I think we should hear from Valar on other possible targets as well...."

[Ebiris]

"If it means they can consolidate their puppet ruler on Fire for a few decades they might," Alicia points out reasonably. "Give up on the slaves to mollify us, get the efreet working for them with 'contracted' labour instead, and take their time solidifying before the next inevitable conflict? It works out in the long term better than throwing themselves into a proxy war right now."

[Nephrite]

Moore nods to all that. "My team is at your disposal for this. I'm sure we will meet Commander Nasir whenever we go."

[Corwin]

"I might be able to live with that," Seira tells Alicia, flashing a smile at Moore. "In that case, however, having a foothold from which to run future campaigns becomes even more important."

And my previous post was a prod to Valar to elaborate on available targets.

[Anastasia]

Short delay, stomach and I are having a quarrel.

[Corwin]

.

[Anastasia]

"They might," Valar agrees, "Alicia, I was informed you already have a target?"

[Ebiris]

"The Blackstone Galleys," Alicia supplies for Valar. "Where they make their floating ships. It has light defences and relies primarily on the environment, a local blue flame that only creatures native to fire are immune to."

[Anastasia]

Meanwhile, Seira is aware of something - her avatar is given a report that a squad of nine efreet approach the Cauldron, bearing a white flag of truce.

"A fine target," Xandra speaks up, "If you can endure the flames."

Antenora's gaze is quickly on her, "You're aware of it, Xandra?"

"I came across stories of it researching the efreet recently," she says respectfully, "Blue flames that burn hotter than anything else on Fire."