The laughter of oblivion

[Anastasia]

No, it is not needed.

You see divinity. What would you do with it?

[Ebiris]

Alicia pats Marie's hand as her offer to sing is rebuffed. "We'll use it to further strengthen our pantheon in Sylica," she says. "We know well the responsibilities and duties that come with godhood and can better serve Creation with it. If you deliver us your charge? It will be used for the direct benefit of myself, Antenora, and Syala. I intend to use the power that comes with my use of it to broaden my portfolio into the realm of creation itself. As one who directly opposes Shar's entropy, who wants to create a better future full of life and promise for all, and to guard Creation itself from all threats."

[Anastasia]

Then I will pose questions of morality to the three of you.

Marie, a child is stolen from a the cradle by kidnappers. The kidnappers are slain but the child is lost, and adopted by a loving family. Years later, the mother of the child finds her child and demands him back, yet the family that adopted him refuses. They are unable to compromise and approach you to decide who gets the child. They live in separate nations and the one denied the child will not seem the child again.

Who shall have the child?

[Ebiris]

"If it's just an object I'd say the original owner gets it - just because you didn't know it was stolen goods when you bought it is no excuse. But it's a person, so I'd ask the child and go with what they wanted," Marie answers. Just because you're young doesn't mean your opinion is invalid.

[Anastasia]

Alicia, you are in a loveless marriage forced on you for political reasons. One day you meet on a man who is everything you desire. It is quickly clear there is a mutual attraction between the two of you. Yet your region and religion will both condemn you if you break your wedding vows, no matter how unhappy you are in your marriage. You feel this is your last chance to have a happy life. You are certain to be caught should you choose to break your wedding vows.

Shall you have an affair?

[Ebiris]

"No," Alicia's answer comes as easily as Marie's did. "My vow will not be broken, even if to keep it brings me pain."

[Anastasia]

You claim that you will strive to reduce suffering and sorrow, yet you will not address your own pain?

[Ebiris]

"Words matter, actions have consequences," Alicia says, unmoved. "It's a lamentable situation you've trapped me within for this example - I would hope there is potential to improve my situation even if as you say this is my last chance, but if I made a vow then it must be kept."

[Anastasia]

Latha, a mother and baby lie dying and you have but a single healing spell. Should the mother die, a child will grow up heartbroken without a mother. She shall learn to lash out and ultimately reject everyone but herself. It is a path that will lead her to the yugoloths and an eternity of torment for her sins. Should the child die, the mother will descend into heartbroken grief. She will learn to lash out and accept only vengeance. It is a path that will lead her to the devils and an eternity of torment for her sins.

Which shall you save?

"Both." Latha says, "Sylica never stands alone." She steps forward, "Guardian, should I not be enough to avert tragedy, then all the others will be there to make up for it."

You cannot.

"Then the mother," Latha says, "The child's soul will fly to Chronias. I will tend to the mother's health and break this cycle."

You cannot.

"To Hell with what cannot be done," Latha says, "Were we that, we would listen to her song and go silent." Her voice is sharp, "Do you think us the type to yield?"

To resist the limits you cannot overcome is foolishness. You are a creature of limitations.

"Yes, and one limitation is that I will not accept a repeat of tragedy," Latha insists, "I won't stand by and let Bytopia suffer, nor would I let Alicia sorrow in solitude as she falls to Hell." She looks ahead, "You asked before how we broke the cycle: We refuse to accept it."

[Ebiris]

"I don't like to go outside the limitations of these questions because it defeats the point," Alicia speaks up. "They're supposed to force you to think uncomfortable things and challenge your beliefs. But you overplayed your hand with the guaranteed knowledge of mother and child's ultimate fates. Not having perfect foreknowledge of what's to come is a limitation we have to accept in our every action."

[Anastasia]

Very well.

Alicia, what would you give for this seed?

[Ebiris]

"That's very open ended, isn't it?" Alicia asks. "It may be easier to say what I wouldn't give. I'm prepared to give of my time and my effort, but even those have limits. If you ask me to wait here for a hundred years and give up my time that way? A century for guaranteed divinity is an utter bargain by any standard, and yet my time is so valuable I would have to demur."

Left unsaid, but with the implied timeframe Zaphkiel and Asmodeus are operating on they may not have a century.

"Ultimately anything I give would have to be expressed through time and effort. Those are the ultimate coins of Creation, most other currency is just a distillation of those. If I paid in money or magical artifice, I would simply be paying through the time and effort I spent acquiring those. The only other way of paying, the currency favoured by the lower planes, is principle. Would I give my principles for the seed? Would I betray a friend for it? Would I harm an innocent for it? I would not."

[Anastasia]

Marie, what would you sacrifice for this seed?

[Ebiris]

Marie straightens up as she's addressed. "Well, I'd sacrifice some of my life force, my health, my skill... but well, to a point. We want the seed so we can use its power to further our goals and ideals. If I sacrifice so much I can't contribute or help, then it's not worth it. That's the thing, we're just doing this for power and convenience. As wondrous and precious as the seed is... it's just a thing. A shortcut for what our own efforts could achieve in time. I could walk away and not feel guilty."

[Anastasia]

A moment of silence before...

I would offer you a weapon of great power to turn away from this seed, Alicia. A sword so great you will never find an equal.

I would offer you a shield of great power to turn away from this seed, Latha. A shield so great you will never find an equal.

I would offer you a specter of the one you mourn to turn away from this seed, Marie. An offer so great you will never find an equal.