A new order

[Anastasia]

You can see two nearby.

The first is lead by a nude celestial. A woman that rather resembles Selune, lustrous white hair and ethereal features. She seems to be as much moonlight as flesh, growing bright with it before fading away almost entirely. She is eight foot tall and yet of a slight and fragile build. She floats in the air, indifferent of her nudity. She has the sort of beauty that looks like it will crumble away if touched.

With her in that group is a man in full armor head to toe, shining with that same moonlight. He carries a mace in each hand, no shield to complement his armor. He's close to six and a half feet tall, an imposing man yet dwarfed by the celestial with him. In constrast to the winged celestial, he is utterly solid, like a mountain. He simply seems to be there, as permanent as the stones of the Gates of the Moon. His armor is engraved with the sigil of Selune, which fades and glows with the celestial's own fading and glowing.

The third figure with that group is familiar. A golden skinned celestial, short, female and notably busty. Balyss is equipped and ready to fight, expression distant, seeming to be lost in her own thoughts. In one gauntleted hand she holds a scrap of something bright - silk or the like, perhaps, a handkerchief? At times she looks up to the moon, losing herself in its beauty.

---

The second group is lead by a familiar face. Empress Sulia leads them, as familiar as ever. She looks at peace, simply waiting now.

The next one is a tall, well built man in full armor. It is decorated with images of roses and doves, beautifully engraved in gold and pure, milky white gemstones. The only thing he lacks is a helmet, long brown hair flowing in the breeze, perfect. He's handsome to the point of being pretty and feminine. He has a longsword at his side, as well as a quarterstaff in hand.

The third of this group is clad in a great deal of jewelry. Rings on every finger, sparkling with wealth. Anklets, a circlet, earrings, piercings, bracelets and more. She is wearing nothing else, dark skin the color of burnt caramel. Her black hair is cut short, down to her shoulders. She carries no weapon, yet beads and rivets of magic gather in her hands, flowing up her arms like electricity. She's always moving, going side to side, comfortable undressed as she is, gems and jewelry sparkling in the moonlight.

The last is a man in golden armor and ermine cape, a golden crown on his head. He is older, a wise king rather than a young warrior. Broad of body and not yet gone to fat, he has a closely kept beard and stands with a regal aura notable even from afar. He simply looks like royalty, catching your attention right away. He draws the eye to him, the sort of easy charisma you know from so many of your friends.

[Ebiris]

Alicia goes towards Empress Sulia first of course, since they're already friends. "Sulia," she greets her with a smile. "I hope today goes as well as the last time we fought together. You know Latha from back then of course, and Antenora and Marie. Introduce us to your friends?" she invites.

As luck would have it, Marie is dressed in red silks, the robes of the plainswalker that Mystra remade for her after she captured Dragodan. "Good to see you again," the eladrin chimes in, "Mystra remade the old robes for me recently, they were always some of the most comfortable clothes I owned."

[Anastasia]

Sulia comes forth and embraces Alicia, kissing her cheeks. "I confess to nerves," she says to you quietly, "This will be one of our greatest challenges yet. It's good to see all of you again." Parting from Alicia, she says, "This handsome man here is Martan."

The tall, well built man bows deeply, "Martan Falinor. I was chosen to aid the Empress in this battle, and I will not fail her."

The jewelry wearing woman smiles, "I'm Galya Forteau, Mother Regent of House Forteau and Princess Regent of the Sandstretches, and current Lady in service Empress Sulia, as well as Archmage of the Wastes, with the merits of sand, water, heat and thirst."

Antenora goes over to her and offers her a hand, "Antenora Reynes, Opal Angel of Redemption." A moment, a pulse of Antenora's sheer divine presence. To this Galya laughs a little, a sound of joy.

"Congratulations, news of your ascension reached ears in Brightwater, as surely as the winds carry the rains from the mountains." Galya declares. "Is that your royal banner, Antenora?"

"A moment's feeling is worth an ocean of words," Antenora admits, "And a river of feelings is worth a single decisive action."

"Such a vigorous and vital woman," Martan Falinor declares, "It is as if a shining jewel lies amid the dark sands of the desert now."

"Then you know of the sun?" Latha asks, but is interrupted.

"Before you go further, our third is the Imposer King. Excuse his lack of words, he was mute in his mortal life and speech is still seldom his choice." Empress Sulia declares, going to him and resting a hand on his arm. It's enough to make the armored man incline his head forward, "The honor is ours, to be taken from the corpses of Sharrans."

[Ebiris]

"Well met Martan, Galya, and your majesty," Alicia says to the three Sulia has chosen to stand with her.

"I'm Marielle, seneschal of Liberton and evoker of magic missiles par excellence," Marie gives her own introduction, tossing her long purple hair and smiling at the other proxies. "Whether it's as a familiar or as a proxy, I'll always be at Alicia's side."

"And we're lucky for it," Alicia says warmly. "This will be a test, for all of us. I've battled stronger deities like Glasya and the former Grand Sultan, enough to have held my own, but I'm craving a win and this is a big step up."

[Anastasia]

"Claim the head of something powerful and send a message," Empress Sulia advises.

"What will be a win here, Alicia?" Antenora asks, "We should know that before we commit to the battle in Shadow."

Meanwhile Galya smiles to herself while Martan adds, "Why, claiming the heads of powerful minions and Sharrans, of course. Perhaps even a proxy or avatar, would that not be splendid?"

[Ebiris]

"Taking from Shar something that she can't easily replace," Alicia tells Antenora. "An avatar, great as the prize might be, won't take too long to replace. But another proxy, especially if we can capture them or Selune can trap their spark would be a considerable setback."

Meanwhile Marie goes to say hello to the other group nearby. "Phoebe, right?" she says to the big naked woman. "I'm Marielle, proxy of Alicia. I hope we can count on each other's support," she goes on, doing her best to sound like this is just another day at work for her. "I haven't met your friends, but I recognise Balyss - Ebony mentioned you a lot in her letters from Aurora."

[Anastasia]

'Dear,' Antenora sends to Marie, voice warm, 'I talked to one naked woman so you had to match me?'

Meanwhile Empress Sulia declares, "There's truth in that," she declares, "Fine, noble wisdom. We'll take a proxy then, hurt her more. Though," A pause, "We must also protect our own here."

"We all have an interest in surviving," Martan agrees lightly, "I'd hate to have Shar impose on that, it would be so rude of her."

Latha's lips move up in a smile, "I can assure you that Shar's graces have never included good manners."

Meanwhile, Phoebe turns to Marie. "Marielle," she murmurs, an ethereal, fading hand going to cup Marie's cheek. "Congratulations on capturing a proxy." It feels like cool moonlight on Marie's cheek, a feeling of summer night sand chasing others about a forest, a fragment of forgotten memory.

"Marie? It's good to meet you - I think we met in passing once," Balyss comes forward, "Selune called on me to serve, so here I am."

[Ebiris]

"Spent a while tracking him halfway across the prime but it paid off," Marie says proudly to Phoebe's praise. "He was a tricky one!" Then she turns to Balyss, "Oh yes, I was a lot smaller then. Good memory!"

She thinks back in Antenora's direction, 'Just being sociable, dear!'

"Very true," Alicia says to Martan. "This whole endeavour's for nought if we expend our lives against Shar, the goal is to change the balance of power, not just take a reduction on both sides. I can be very mobile on the battlefield, so I'll work hard to keep anyone from getting set on alone - we'll all work to support each other."

[Anastasia]

'I can hear you,' Phoebe sends, 'I have telepathic interception magic active.' Her voice is discreet, simply pointing it out without judgment.

As Antenora coughs into her hand in the meanwhile, Balyss offers her hand out, "Then it'll be an honor to fight with you. You've promoted?" She smiles a bit, "Same here, proxyhood's always a promotion, even if temporary."

Meanwhile to Alicia, Martan says, "Treasure as well - a treasure taken is a treasure lost for them."

"Unnoble." The Imposing King speaks up here, to which Martan smiles.

"Nonsense. Sunder them if you can. Shar will have no such dignity not to leave the fallen with their treasures." Martan declares.

"Bitch," Galya says, "To deprive the dead of their possessions in final rest is contemptible. May a dozen swirling sands flay at her back."With a narrow-eyed look and a gesture to the moon, "Empress, there is no nobility with her."

"None," Empress Sulia confirms. "We fight an enemy who cares nothing for what is right and good, nothing for what is higher in life."

"More reason for us to shine," Latha adds, hand curling around the handle of her mace, knuckles turning white.

[Ebiris]

Marie gives Phoebe an embarrassed smile before shaking Balyss's hand. "Yes, Ebony and I have it permanently unless something goes wrong, but going from coure to tulani and familiar to proxy so quickly is a bit dizzying!"

"Yes, nothing's beneath her it's important to remember that," Alicia says as everyone gets their hate on towards Shar. "Denying her powerful treasures or artifacts is another way to shift the balance of power with this sortie."

[Anastasia]

Phoebe seems content to let it drop at that, not commenting further.

"You married up, way up," Balyss admits with a little, teasing smile, "Though the real break was being summoned by Alicia. The stories I've heard of your time there and the house you lived in, are they true?"

The armored man with maces speaks up now, "A little thing like you made it this far? That's a story to itself," he declares, a full and strong voice. "It's a fight to make most courre clean up after themselves, let alone make it that far."

Meanwhile, Empress Sulia agrees with, "Smash them when you can, take them otherwise." As Galya's expression turns tense, "Galya, your world's traditions are commendable, but Shar is not part of that and has no such protections. She will use them to hurt others, to crush the noble and the valiant."

"Yes, my Empress," Galya closes her eyes and bows her head, "I still do not like it, but I understand."

[Ebiris]

"Never mind cleaning up after myself, I had to clean up after everyone else in that house," Marie tells the mace-wielder. "They'd never treat a cat familiar that way, but if you've got arms and legs you might as well be a maid! I don't think we've been introduced by the way," she offers him her hand.

Back with team Sulia Alicia just nods. "We should take care to not become like that which we fight, but in acting with violence we've already thrown civilized behaviour out. If you'd wound someone then you're already willing to take what is theirs... and I'll not mourn the destruction of an unholy weapon any more than I will the death of a sadistic murderer."

[Anastasia]

Balyss laughs a bit, "You two have fun, I want to talk to Alicia before this starts," Balyss says, going off.

"Luneli," The man introduces himself, "Along with a last name dust in the wind for eons. No one cares to ever use it, anyway."

Meanwhile Balyss comes over, interrupting. "Alicia?" she says, "Balyss of Selune," she comes over, "I've worked with Ebony a lot on Aurora."

[Ebiris]

"Yeah, two names, who needs 'em right?" Marie nods understandingly to Luneli.

Alicia turns at the interruption and nods approvingly. "Good to see someone else from Balmuria's made it this far - Ebony always spoke well of you. Did you hear about Lyris and Marianne's recent triumph?" she asks, offering Balyss her hand.

[Anastasia]

A handshake is given, Balyss's grip strong as eyes are on the two of you. "Selune mentioned," she says, "I heard it was a savage fight."

"Horrid," Empress Sulia declares, a hand to her cheek, "Savage and unrelenting bloodshed, a song of praise to Tempus."

Meanwhile...

Luneli smiles just a bit, "It's comfortable but I outgrew it. I'm no longer a knight of anything, just a servant of Selune. Though...did you not take Antenora's last name?" he muses aloud.

"Are you even married?" Phoebe asks at that, "I have not heard." She fades in and out, seeming to be nothing but a wisp of moonlight as she says, "The two of you seem happy together."

'It will be soon,' Selune's voice sends, 'Most have arrived now.'