The laughter of oblivion

[Anastasia]

Okay, so OOC start to this one. You want to invite Sulia over to talk. Anyone or anything else involved?

[Ebiris]

Just the two of us for now, can bring in more people if expertise is needed or Sulia wants to see the freshly promoted deities for herself, but we'll start off in a nice sitting room with tea and biscuits.

Shar is not invited.

[Anastasia]

Sulia enters with a warm smile on her face, "Alicia," she greets, coming right to you. A gentle hug is your reward, warm and smelling of tasteful amounts of sweet perfume. "You must simply tell me what has gone on here."

[Ebiris]

Alicia hugs Sulia back before they sit and... oh.

Ordinarily she'd have Marie here serving tea, being a demure maid-like incredibly powerful eladrin archmage. But of course now she's busy with her own thing as a goddess in her own right. It's for the best but still she misses it a bit.

"It's not the same trick Antenora used," she admits. "As we considered that one is dangerous, and only works for the first apotheosis. But we got thinking of other ways to ascend outside of the usual, and Jessica chased down some old legends about the source of divinity being at the bottom of the Infinite Staircase." Sitting down and pouring tea for them both she goes on, "The lillend discounted such fairy tales but still helped us look. And we found it, a guardian left by the Incarnation of Balance, and a seed of divine potential waiting to be earned."

[Anastasia]

"You found such a wondrous thing?" Empress Sulia gasps, a hand to her mouth. "Amazing! Can it be used again?"

Meanwhile, there is a knock on the door.

[Ebiris]

Who's there? "It had limited charges and we exhausted all of them along with a lillend we found there who hadn't been able to complete the trials alone," she tells Sulia before holding up a hand to forestall this topic when someone's about to interrupt.

[Anastasia]

It's Antenora, primly dressed as Marie usually does for such things. She has a warm smile on her face.

Sulia politely waits a moment at your request.

[Ebiris]

"Ah, it's just Antenora. Come in," Alicia calls.

[Anastasia]

Antenora enters, a tray of tea and snacks in hand. "Marie's busy now, but allow me," she offers.

Sulia smiles and rises, "How lovely of you! I did miss Marie's presence. Come, join us."

[Ebiris]

"Thank you Antenora, having to serve myself just isn't the same," Alicia says, leaning back in her seat with a smile. "Marie's busy being spoiled by Mystra right now so we have to make do."

[Anastasia]

Antenora gets a hug from Sulia once she puts the tea down. A bit of magic serves all of you as she sits and joins you, "Let her enjoy these happy days," she concurs.

Once she is properly served, "Now then, you expended all of its charges?"

[Ebiris]

"Yes, it's a limited use item carrying the Incarnation of Balance's approval for any who use it to rise up as a deity - or elevate an existing one. There are others hidden around Creation - Asmodeus has one though I think it will be expended soon. Once used they vanish as if they never were," Alicia explains what's safe to have disseminated. "And their guardians after seeing any pass their tests leave Creation forever based on the Incarnation's command."

[Anastasia]

"Even more amazing," Sulia says, "Alicia, do you know where the others are?"

[Ebiris]

"Some, but it's not for me to say," Alicia admits. "The one at the bottom of the stair we found with our own exploration and deduction, but earlier today we were told of others by one who has long guarded that information. Sulia I'm telling you this much because we're friends, and because what's happened in Sylica can't be hidden regardless. But this knowledge and my possession of it is dangerous. Forces greater than we can resist may come seeking these secrets."

[Anastasia]

Normally I wouldn't do this, but I feel this is important enough that raw Charisma matters. Gimme a Charisma check.