Deep into the Infinite Stair

[Ebiris]

"I do," Alicia confirms, looking ahead to see where the roots go to as they spread out from that platform. What do they look to be made of?

[Anastasia]

They spread out everywhere before subtly fading into the darkness between the stairs.  They look to be made of what roots usually are made of - plant stuff.

"Beware, beware, beware, beware," The Queen says, "It's coming."

[Ebiris]

"Thanks for the warning," Alicia says, a hand on her sword as she makes sure her and Jessica's protections are current.

Spoiler: ShowHide

Alicia HP: 772+20/772
Active spells:  Many moments of prescience (CL 34), extended mind blank (CL 35), extended nondetection (CL 35), greater heroism (CL 34), sensual blessing (CL 34), recitation (CL 34), righteous wrath of the faithful (CL 34), foresight (CL 34), extended spell turning (CL 35), extended freedom of movement (CL 35), keen edge (CL 34), repelling shield (CL 34), extended ray deflection (CL 35), greater visage of the deity (CL 34)
Defences: AC 86, CMD 103, spell resistance 49, energy immunity (fire and cold), status immunity (polymorph, petrification, disease, poison, stunning, sleep, paralysis, death effects, disintegration, energy drain, ability damage, ability drain, mind-affecting, and fear), nondetection (DC 49)
Stat buffs/penalties: +4 morale attack/saves/skills, +25 competence perception, +3 luck AC/attack/saves, +3 morale damage, +2 insight AC/reflex, +9 shield AC, +4 str, +2 dex, +4 con, +2 int, +4 wis, +4 cha
Perceptions: Arcane sight, perception +82
Sorcerer spell slots: 6/16/16/11/8/9/13/9/8/6/8/7/5/6/4
Duskblade spell slots: 6/23/23/20/11/7/9

[Anastasia]

Jessica readies her rapier as the voice of the Guardian is heard.

"Strength. Will. One." The Guardian says, "Yet you approach, with visions of a world enslaved against its nature. I see now what your inhuman ally chose to do with the Fairest Star. He chose life and freedom. Is that your choice as well?"

"Yes." Jessica answers right away, "The chance to live and the freedom to live the lives we choose. We have chosen those virtues again and again against evil."

[Ebiris]

"What was done to that world was an abomination," Alicia says with conviction. "The gods were fools to have concocted such a scheme, their greed blinding them to the great victory it handed to entropy even before Daa-vid laid hands on it."

[Anastasia]

"Your convictions need no test," The Guardian says at last. "I have seen you and yours now. Antenora stands as One as well, to further prove them."

[Ebiris]

Alicia nods wordlessly in respect to that. She doesn't know if that skips a test or if the guardian will just make a fresh test to fill out the numbers after all.

[Anastasia]

Down the two of you walk, down to that platform at last. Roots are everywhere here - but they part to reveal another stairway, heading deeper.

"We're getting closer," Jessica agrees, pausing to study one of the roots.

[Ebiris]

"Closer, but we don't know how far it is to go," Alicia says, pausing while Jessica examines the roots and making sure they have a safe path through the strangely twisted space here to reach those stairs before continuing down.

[Anastasia]

The path ahead looks safe and clear.

"What strange things. They seem identical to a tree's roots." Jessica opines.

[Ebiris]

"It's not very thematically consistent. We have stairs with brick and mortar architecture, and then arboreal roots. Wouldn't a foundation make more sense?" Alicia asks, leading the way down now.

[Anastasia]

"I'll be sure to complain to the Incarnations," Jessica cracks a faint smile. "What it makes me think of is Yggdrasil."

[Ebiris]

"When it comes to giant plane-defining trees that's where your mind would usually go," Alicia agrees.

[Anastasia]

"I wonder if Queen Morwel knew of this, and was inspired?" Jessica says as you tread down this new path.

[Ebiris]

"That rather diminishes Yggdrasil, doesn't it?" Alicia asks."Compared to a few scant roots at the bottom of a stairway..."