The laughter of oblivion

[Anastasia]

"I can," she says, "Syala?"

"Hm?" Syala glances over at her. "If you're asking why I came, I wanted to talk to Alicia, and for some reason my attention slipped." With a wry smile, "So I went with it."

[Ebiris]

That's what their avatars are for. The hidden avatars are never away from each other so they can talk whenever they want!

"And I thought you were just worried about my safety," Alicia says dryly.

[Anastasia]

"Alicia," Syala turns, "You're a big, strong woman. You can take care of yourself...but thank you." She leans in and steals a kiss, "I can feel creation and the urges for that from you now. We may yet get even better art out of you."

[Ebiris]

"Yes, I'll need to update some of my doctrine and encourage some of my clerics to take up the new domains as well," Alicia smiles, looking forward to that.

[Anastasia]

"When this is all over," Syala lingers close to you, a little whisper that does nothing compared to Latha's divine hearing, "We can see about the creation of our family, my favorite type of creation no less." She reaches up with a smile, a single finger lightly pressed against your lips for a moment.

[Ebiris]

One might think that for Alicia to be hesitant about having a family it would be thoughts of her long dead son that hold her back, but the truth is ever since she became a goddess any thought of having children is accompanied by the horror of the Neverborn, the child of Malcanthet and Talos cursed by Ao in his mother's womb. She knows Malcanthet would never accept her pity, and she doesn't want to have any soft feelings for the succubus queen, but it's there all the same. And even seeing Seira and Amaryl's two children come out healthy and grow up strong doesn't change the cold fingers of dread Alicia feels on her spine whenever the topic of having children comes up.

"When it's all over," she repeats firmly.

When they no longer have to live in fear of Ao's judgement.

[Anastasia]

"When it's over," Syala echos, meeting your eyes with her own. A long moment together, perhaps more unspoken than spoken.

"Now," Syala says once you part, "To the Cauldron."

Anything else to knock out or just waiting on Seira's end?

[Ebiris]

Marie wants to make Mazef her proxy.

[Anastasia]

Okay, how does she plan to do that?

[Ebiris]

She'll go visit where he's been living on the Opal Mountain, see if he's feeling well, then ask him if he wants to follow her.

[Anastasia]

Mazel, incidentally.

You find Mazel on a cliff overlooking the forests of Sylica below, in which well worn paths weave through the otherwise wild stretches. He sits on that cliff, perhaps lost in his own thoughts, for he makes no reaction to your appearance.

Oh wait. After a moment he says, "Lady Marielle," he says, solemnly. "Congratulations."

[Ebiris]

Mazel, right.

"Thank you," Marie says, getting a look at the formerly emaciated titan to see how he's recovered as she approaches the cliff's edge herself. "How is your convalescence going?"

[Anastasia]

He's put on weight -  muscle weight, the good sort. He's still slender but far more than he was now. He opens up a sack at his side and pulls out a loaf of fine bread. "Lady Jessica insists on feeding me," he remarks, offering you some.

[Ebiris]

"That's good eating!" Marie says with a smile, reaching over to break bread with him before she sits down next to him and has a bite.

"It's strange being a goddess with no faith. I'm confident it'll come, Mystra is helping me like she helped Alicia, and I have the support of all of Sylica. Still, the best way to see what you want happen is to make it happen," she turns her head to look up at him. "When I woke you from your long nightmare you called me Queen. Do you want to serve me, Mazel?"

[Anastasia]

A chunk of the loaf is down in one bite, a long chew and swallow before he answers. "You saved me," He says it, simple and to the point.