Burrowing ahead

[Corwin]

I chose to help them because that means I can save a girl who needs it, and through her shift the balance of the planes for the better, Seira speaks only to the Guardian. I have faith that my choice will lead to a Creation with less suffering in it.

[Anastasia]

"We will advance," Gathgorians declares, as if that says it all.

If Bel speaks to the Guardian, you do not hear it. Perhaps he used the same tack as you.

For tomorrow, the destruction of chaos and conquest. Hardly united goals.

How will each of you use the seed?

[Corwin]

I will hand the first three charges to them, as agreed upon. Should there be more, those go to me. In that case, since I have a charge left to help my daughter should she need it, I plan to use it for personal advancement.

[Anastasia]

Gathgorian merely looks ahead, focused.

Bel does not speak aloud either, but the silence is not unrewarded.

I see.

I reject this wretched place.

I have seen only scraps of happiness in this part of Creation, the leavings of ravenous dogs.

I want to see Creation continue.

I want to live.

None of you wish for ultimate destruction. I can accept that.

Prepare yourselves.

[Corwin]

That's a sadly low bar that she's stayed ahead of, given this mess. But she should stay positive, Seira tells herself. There will be good as a result of her choices, not just the tyranny and oppression her temporary companions want to bring forth!

If init, I'll go with supreme init dvr2

[Anastasia]

Gathgorian smiles darkly and raises his blade.

Bel is at the ready, poised to strike.

What appears before you is a chess board. White and black, a simple carved chess board. A pawn moves forward at this.

It is your move. Choose wisely.

[Corwin]

"To confirm, the rules are regular chess?" Seira inquires, meanwhile asking Bel and Gathgorian, "Any of you plays more than casually, or should I take it?"

[Anastasia]

Bel declares, "I am a master." He steps forward, "We are far beyond this challenge!"

Gathgorian merely steps back, "A mere amateur," he admits, "There is more glory in battle than before a board."

Bel just set motivate wisdom for +16 wis checks and wis based skill checks.

[Corwin]

Seira nods at Bel. "Let's work together, then. I'll show you the next hirty moves I intend to make, and if you disagree with a strategy let me know and we'll reconsider."

[Anastasia]

Give me a relevant skill check.

[Corwin]

As approved, Profession: General applies here. I'm taking 10 for 113 after including Bel's aura. If Divine Insight can be applied as well, that's 128.

While the following will fail against the Guardian unless he wills it to work, it should help defuse Bel's bad plans if he suggests any since he didn't have any epic divination busters when I looked at his spells:

Yet the greatest function of the diadem is future seeing, allowing the wearer to have an instinctive grasp of which of her strategies are wise. This grants a +20 competence bonus to any check related to leading soldiers and planning battles, as well as the ability to 'sense' flawed plans. This works through powerful divination magic, able to foil any non epic protections to provide this, even if a plan would appear sound with the information the wearer has on hand.

[Anastasia]

Okay, one more question then. What sort of style are you going to go for here? Offensive? Defensive? Aggressive? Patient? Whatever really, just looking for a general philosophy of play.

[Corwin]

The playstyle will be aggressive.

[Anastasia]

Perhaps to your surprise, Bel agrees with you.

That will do. His efforts will be crushed.

[Corwin]

Seira purposely chose an aggressive style to avoid conflict with Bel that would lead to their loss. And, again, to give him a false impression of how she usually operates.

But it's a genuinely good strategy and after securing Bel's support she moves the black pawn against white's move!