A neverending field

[Corwin]

Safe travels

Since it's Abby, Seira also looks into the reasons for her visit. She'd thought that Abagail was content to live in semi-retirement on her Prime.

"Of course it is," she responds to Amaryl, directing a cloud towards them. As it floats over, she solidifies it just as it touches Amaryl's ankles and leans into her to drop the two of them onto the fluffy cushion in the sky. "Towns, huh? I was so sure you'd expand upon the forests."

[Anastasia]

Checking prayers allows you to find the answer easily enough. The tinges of fire are felt around her motivations along with the stirrings of hope. A lead on a powerful magical item thought lost in Fire, hints of legends and stories. Moreso, whispers of shards, stories of the Battle of Father and Son, of a broken artifact cast across Fire. You can feel the embers of hope in her, the thoughts of what she could do with some of those shards.

Amaryl falls back onto the clouds with a soft, poofy bounce and lies back, arms spread out. She looks up at the sky and declares, "Towns of the forest, part of the forest. Do elves not have the Citadel of Light?"

As Abagail walks, elementals move in and out of the flames. Great elementals, a zone of protection around her. It is just as well, for Abagail looks up. In the nightmare fire-sky a half dozen efreet flying carpets fly, each one with a trio of efreet on them. Each is clad in blackened, burnt armor and helmets, faces hidden and scimitars, halberds and flaming crossbows at the ready. "Efreet," Abagail murmurs softly to herself, hand going into one of her spell pouches, at the ready.

[Corwin]

If Abagail acquits herself well on her travels, even should she miss out on a shard of Imix's shield, Seira will provide her with a sample. This engagement is also a chance to see how Abagail's unique summoning choices work in high-level combat, so Seira merely keeps watch for now.

"I thought that making smaller tree-based dwellings would be more interesting," Seira admits out loud, relaxing on their private cloud. "Sort of like homesteads or villas, rather than a sprawling metropolis. But it's certainly true that we can easily have both." Glancing over at Amaryl, she asks, "Do you feel nostalgic for Pallanth? We could take our avatars there and meet with the noble houses."

I'm also curious about the Prime where there is a massive war with hobgoblins. I mentioned looking into the circumstances earlier, but it probably was missed.

[Anastasia]

Sure. I'll cover it in this post. If I don't, say I get sidetracked writing up the post, just poke me to edit.

Amaryl turns her head to you, "In a way," she says at last, "It's home and it isn't. It's nostalgia, but I wasn't happy there for some time. Of all the things, I miss Lord Chillander. I miss the crisp snows on the pine trees there, the villages that endure the cold from the mountains. Most of all I miss the slow days of poetry and music, where I might ponder something with all of my attention. I suppose it means I miss my childhood."

Abagail meanwhile stands firm and at the ready, a long, drawn out moment of face-off. No one reacts for those long and tense moments.

You recall the hobgoblin empire. The Empire of Sasharay, a theocracy ran by the Clergy of the Blackened Hand. This is a cult of Bane made good, an empire of tyranny that would fit right in with Hell. Or Hell would fit right in with them, depending on your particular bias and slant. Regardless, these hobgoblins are civilized, strong and cruel. The Free Nations of the South resist them, unified at last by a threat none of them can ignore.

[Corwin]

"Then we'll definitely find the time for a visit," Seira decides. "It won't even delay our work in any serious sense." She hopes that a new perspective might even shift Amaryl's recollection of a miserable past into something better.

To unify over a common threat such as one posed by the Empire of Sasharay is good and well, Seira speaks to those of her faithful amongst the Free Nations. However, true strength would come from finding a positive reason to band together. One where you would fight for a better future, trusting one another as brothers.

As a mortal, she might have been that guiding hand herself. But now, she wishes to find those who would pick up that banner amidst the locals. Once enough take that important first step, she will be able to support them properly.

[Anastasia]

Diplo real quick? There's about zero chance you'll fail this one, but I want to see how far you hit it out of the park.

[Corwin]

19:41 <Seira> roll 1d20+91 (+2 vs men)
19:41 <Kobot> Seira rolled 1d20+91 (+2 vs men) --> [ 1d20=3 ]{94}

[Anastasia]

You feel hope kindle in your faithful, like a ripple of golden light that passes through all of them. A ripple-storm of it, like a cascading blur of wonder.

Amaryl's answer is almost lazy as she replies, "Hmmmm? Did someone do something good this time, Seira?"

[Corwin]

"I decided to oppose Bane on a Prime. It's been a long time coming, anyway."

[Anastasia]

"That is good," Amaryl's voice is lazy, comfortable, warm. "I'm sure you'll win that, too. Mine are being well today - one of my rangers is hunting a devil. Or a Baneite. Or both. They are similar."

[Corwin]

"They are, except a devil was born that way." Seira shakes her head. "I'm hoping someone uniting the Free Nations realizes that a military victory pales to one where their enemies are won over to their side."

She gives her faithful time to do just that, and keeps her eye on Abagail for now.

[Anastasia]

> roll 1d100 low is good
<Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d100 low is good --> [ 1d100=46 ]{46}

A stare down.

A long one, neither side reacting.

Abagail stands firm in Fire while the efreet do the same. After perhaps a minute of it, one of the efreet makes a curt gesture and the carpets fly on, no battle to be had today.

[Corwin]

"And Abby just stared down dozens of efreet without so much as a single summons by her side," Seira notes cheerfully. "I knew her legend will get out there, even as reluctant as she'd been to operate off-world!"

[Anastasia]

"Wonderful!" Amaryl's all smiles at this as the two of you lie there.

As you do, resting back?

Seira! Are you busy creating trouble?

[Corwin]

Always! she responds cheerfully to Gond. But I'm not so busy I couldn't spare a moment to help my friends.

"How about you arrange our visit to Pallanth through your church there? Or a more direct means, if you'd prefer that?"