Emancipation

[Corwin]

"It's not exactly ground-breaking. It'd have the common utility of arcane sight to immediately identify the curse and the best methods of dealing with it, as well as some inspiration from legend lore to truly understand the situation. Finally, the spell could be discharged for a powerful, focused decursing. A convenient multi-use spell to have in the field, I think."

[Anastasia]

"Useful, if specialized," Zariel says, "I would know it, but I would also mostly leave it to underlings to perform."

"Of course, we have few underlings," Xera points out, "Better to know and to use, though we've had no great call for uncursing magics as of yet."

"I wish I could say the same," Emily murmurs, "But everything SHE touches may as well be cursed," A shake of Emily's head.

Ianvasah looks down at this, "What is the spell's name?" she asks, rather quietly.

[Corwin]

"Uncursing, because it goes well with Unbinding?" Seira muses in response to Emily's friend. "Honestly haven't decided yet, so suggestions are welcome. Oh, and Zariel, consider a scroll or a rod containing useful but situational spells. It's an approach to combat I'm testing right now. Pay a bit more now, but when you need the spell, you get it at your full power and not a watered-down version via a follower."

[Anastasia]

"For when your own divine will won't suffice," Zariel agrees, "Minions, scrolls, it all ends the same."

Donald pauses his meal to say, "I think the point is that if you don't have support, you do get dead, in trouble or a trophy in some fiend's throne room."

"Such a dangerous life we lead," Ianvasah murmurs, voice picking up just enough to carry.

[Corwin]

"And that does lead in nicely into my next point. I feel like you girls overprep. I'm hardly looking in, but from the spells used and their timing you're preparing like a deity, not like a wizard with finite resources. There's a lot to be said about the sort of hands on practice preparing for a specific enemy each time will net you, or of the risks in having an obvious set of magic precast upfront that enemies can take notice of and prepare for. Besides, magic of the perishable sort is best used offensively in battle, don't you think?"

Seira dips some bread in her beef and potatoes stew, adding to that, "It's clear where the crazy prepared approach is coming from, so I just want to ask the two of you whether you considered the pros and cons and agreed, or if you're just following orders."

[Anastasia]

You mean Emily and Ianvasah here, right? If I'm wrong say so and I'll revise.

"It really depends," Emily counters, "Energy Immunity is precious and worth the trouble. To a large degree it's..." Emily has a bite of her candy-like meal, "One half cooperating and one half our own choices. I'm covering some spells for Alyssa and I don't mind doing that."

[Corwin]

Covering for Emily?

"Is it? Does it make strategic sense?" Seira muses. "I'm unconvinced, though you've no doubt noticed I haven't stopped you from figuring out your own approach to combat. All I wish is that you do have your unique way to plan out a battle against the usual enemies, the both of you, before you even approach squad tactics."

Even Amaryl has that weakness, after all, so it's enough if they think about it later.

"To get back to the subject of spells, I've been toying in secret with one to summon allies over. A variant on that Gate option, except with a dash of that duskblade magic," Seira continues, glancing over at Donald. "You know the one? Short-ranged teleport of allies?"

[Anastasia]

Yeah, just a typo. Fixed.

Emily is quiet as she surely considers your words.

"Yeah," Donald says, "It's useful, but too many serious enemies stop teleportation."

"I find comfort in that," Xera remarks as she eats, a pause for an add on of, "I doubt any of us would feel safe if teleportation was supreme over defenses."

"Tactically it's a limitation," Zariel says, "Far too much a one, but only prudent to address."

[Corwin]

"The day is not far when such wards would have no hold on me, and that got me thinking. Mystra might allow an exception under certain limitations. If the spell were tactical in nature, if the duration were sufficiently short... perhaps if it were keyed to specific people the way Demedais had for his armor? If the focus is narrow enough, perhaps anti-teleportation measures could be challenged. Outside the constants of demiplanes and divine planes, of course. Would do you all think?"

[Anastasia]

Zariel considers that, "We've done a lot of research into that," she murmurs, "No." A scowl, "I mean Hell has, and all sides have. Overcoming teleportation defenses is difficult and usually requires local action."

"That's what I've found," Elle agrees, "Usually you have to dispel something or break a magic item, or deal with something that redirects your teleportation."

"Ah?" Emily murmurs at that, "I've...experimented." As Amaryl raises an eyebrow, Emily blushes. "I mean with teleportation magic! The mechanism of it is that you use the Astral momentarily. Going down that road only does so much when the road is cut off."

"Then we fly over the road," Donald says, "Duh?" Glancing at Emily, "That's the point of flying."

With an exasperated look, "No!" Emily says sharply, "It's a metaphor. There's...it doesn't work that way. Mom, you get what I'm saying?" She holds her hand, one hand going into her palm, "Like hitting a brick wall when you walk down a path. All you can do is turn around. You think you can get past those, Mom? You said you think those wards won't soon apply to you?"

[Corwin]

"Well, incorporating something similar to a dispel into the Summon Allies spell would be one way to try and make it work, and it has the aspect of fairness."

Seira can't quite hide a disgusted frown at that. "I did come up with an alyernative approach. Basically, in a shielded area I cannot summon, call or dimensionally transport allies to my side in any way, correct? Yet I still need distractions for my enemies to get full use of my combat style. What do you think I did to overcome this problem?"

[Anastasia]

"Brought allies with you?" Xera speaks up, "It would be simple and practical."

A few smiles at that, while Kascha murmurs to Ianvasah, "Do you do that much? I've heard of druids who summon a great many monsters to aid them."

[Corwin]

Seira pouts. "My allies would be underused that way. No, I animate what I need. A small elemental can follow simple command like flanking, and so could an animated object, except one of them can't be blocked by existing magic."

[Anastasia]

"Practical," Zariel notes, "If fragile."

"It depends on the on the object," Emily immediately points out, "Something made of steel would work better, or how about diamond? That would be extremely expensive, though."

[Corwin]

"More to the point, what if I had someone possess a golem formed within a dimensionally shielded area? To my knowledge, diverting the course of a soul takes direct divine intervention, with Helm personally fighting the usurpation every step of the way. Yet if a sympathetic link was formed and the soul possession was done willingly, wouldn't we be able to have an ally possess this temporary body and fight at our side?"

Turning towards her erstwhile sponsor, Seira asks Waukeen, "What do you think?"