The duty to live

[Anastasia]

"I'd give him forty percent," Syala says with a little hm, "I'm surprised the entire plot worked at all. I wonder if that was the first time our trouble maker tried it?"

[Ebiris]

"I'm not sure. If I caught someone pretending to be another deity, even one I'm not fond of, I'd tell people as a public service. And because it relies on severely upsetting the third party to the point they'll want revenge on us, catching them out should make them want to mess with the fake's plans even if they didn't care about me," Alicia speculates. "Though if caught out before being able to murder anyone so that no harm is done, maybe at that point they wouldn't care and just be happy to see it go ahead with someone else as the victim?"

[Anastasia]

"You might, but not everyone," Syala reasons, "My hope is that they tried this before and failed, and that we can find proof of it."

[Ebiris]

"Lets get Jessica's opinion on all of this?" Alicia suggests. "She has a better head for the kind of subterfuge involved and might have ideas on how to go about it."

Thus in short order the two bring Jessica over and bring her up to speed on what just transpired!

[Anastasia]

Jessica's not hard to bring up to speed.

"I'm surprised that worked, sister," Jessica says at last, "That's a difficult gambit to play, but not impossible." She sits with the three of you as you enjoy light refreshments and the afternoon sunshine in your gardens. "But it could be done, it's all about not arousing the deity's suspicion. Don't force them into something that makes them identify you. Give them something they expect to see and then something that stops them from thinking about it rationally."

A pause for a sip of tea, "A conman may blind a victim with seemingly sincere and real promises of great wealth, only to walk away with every coin the victim has. The principle is the same, if it works it's because they're swept up in it and out talked and out played by another. Should the victim be wise to it or merely think enough to ask the right questions, the entire lie may fall apart. It ultimately comes down to guile and charisma."

A low whistle, "So he or she tricked a fairy queen? That's no small feat." Syala agrees, "All with words and presentation?"

"A good scoundrel needs nothing else," Jessica points out in agreement. "They made it work long enough for the Queen to get angry, and at that point her wrath distracted her from better questions. It would have worked if you didn't get her to stop and think long enough to see the holes in the lie. You're very lucky the Queen didn't open by smiting Yun directly, rather than a more restrained measure."

Syala sits back in her seat, a breeze from nowhere cooling her. The scent of plants and the earth is smelled, of flowers and sweetness. "It makes me wonder if it was someone like Mask or Cyric, or perhaps a daemon. Only the best liars would have any chance at all."

"As to your other question, maybe." Jessica admits, "It depends on who it was tried on and how they reacted. The Queen's obscure enough to us that it's possible she was a second or third choice. A good conman always has backup plans if the original con falls through. The Queen being chosen is a slight nod to Imix, because they'd never agree as it is, but it's hardly conclusive. It also could have been the first choice for reasons we don't know."

After a few moments Jessica looks up and more quietly adds, "All you can really know is that someone wishes either you, the Queen or both of you harm. Or that's it an even more complex gambit than that and Imix is the actual victim, but at that point in your reasoning, all you can conclude is that it's devil's work and only more knowledge will point you to a solution, not more guesswork."

[Ebiris]

"We can't really just go around asking all the powers we never talk to if they recently met a fake seeming Alicia, we'd have no way of trusting or verifying the answers we get if we get any at all," Alicia says, thinking over it.

"As far as magical solutions go... theoretically a resurrected Snowwind could attempt to cast scrying again and again and again on the one who slew him, that link has enough significance to tie them together even absent a name or description. An avatar could fall victim to it by good luck, absent any typical precautions against scrying. But we know they could manage a nondetection strong enough to block the Queen of Air and Darkness and that's likely a thing kept up every day because why wouldn't you?"

[Anastasia]

"Which means short of great fortune, it's a fruitless path," Jessica agrees.

I disagree. I believe Imix is the victim. A tussle with Imix could stir up Fire again, and in turn draw Baator through the efreet into that. Who would benefit from both you and the devils being occupied?

Malcanthet, of course. It hinders Hell and it hinders us, both to her benefit. Naturally, she knew her peace negotiation would fail, and even if it and this scheme succeeded, it was too obscure to convincingly convict her of. Should the negotiations fail, she has an immediate revenge and chance to plunge us into strife. Should they succeed, the rest of her actions and the layers of deception shield her from serious suspicion. It's really a very competent plan, better than I would suspect for her. Perhaps someone she laid with rubbed off on her.

Jessica takes a long breath out, "Which makes a certain sense, but we have absolutely zero evidence to support it."

Antenora steps in from nowhere, joining the three of you and taking a seat. "There is a strong logic to it, however."

[Ebiris]

"Hello Antenora," Alicia smiles at her friend. "You present a compelling argument. The problem when you reach multiple layers of deception is that it's impossible to solve without cutting open the whole damn onion." She sighs. "It's a frustratingly deniable operation that without a confession we're never going to be able to obtain reliable proof around."

[Anastasia]

"We also have no onions to slice," Antenora agrees and matches that sigh, "I favor Malcanthet greatly now, but I'll never be able to prove it as it is, or perhaps ever."

Syala leans over and gives you a hug, and then repeats for Antenora. "So, can anyone think of anything else productive to do for this, or are we merely grateful it didn't get out of hand?"

[Ebiris]

"Keep a listen out for anyone using the specific phrases the fake Alicia used? The urge to throw 'subtle' taunts and revel in inside jokes can sometimes undo an otherwise perfect gambit," Alicia volunteers after gratefully accepting the hug. "Woe to us when we can only rely on the self-sabotage of our enemies, but we really are stuck without any physical evidence so lets be grateful it didn't get out of hand."

[Anastasia]

Antenora rests against Syala several moments, eyes closed, "It could have been so much worse," she concurs, "We did as best as we could with what we have. Let us be satisfied with that."

Jessica smiles and says, "I'll keep an ear open in case I hear anything. I would hope most deities are too wise to brag, but perhaps fortune will bless us."

[Ebiris]

"And it goes without saying to look carefully at any unfamiliar avatars who show up on our own doorstep from now on," Alicia adds.

Lets move on?

[Anastasia]

It is not long that you sense it, hear it. Amid your senses of war, battle and justice, Nial's prayer is heard. "Protect us in this battle," he prays softly, as he usually does before combat.

[Ebiris]

Alicia blesses Nial with her approval, looking over Aurora and his environs to see what he's likely to be up against.

[Anastasia]

You see Nial and about 10 other soldiers travel behind Tannin. They're deep in the wilds of Ysgard, in a thick mountain side forest. Tannin looks out from behind a tree, then looks back at them and nods, the points and mouths, 'Go!'