Silken touch

[Ebiris]

Yeah, get Marchalu too since she's good at the spy/intelligence stuff.

[Anastasia]

Thus everyone gathers. It's a quiet and solemn meeting as Jessica begins, "Since we last challenged Shar, I've received words that several Sharran sects have been preparing for combat at the least and war at the most." She stands in front of everyone, "These sources are reliable, and further supported by several of these confirming one another. It's hard to imagine that it's anything less than a general offensive against Creation in some way."

"One cult or sect does not often know what the next does, something like this takes Shar or one of Shar's personal servants," Emmaline says, "While sometimes a region or even a world has a unified church, the structure is usually more dispersed. It takes someone who can work with Shar's blessing, or Shar herself, to do that."

[Ebiris]

"She could simply be directing things with visions and answered prayers in the right places to move it along," Alicia posits. "That would be easier, if less mysterious, than having a servant travelling around spreading the word for her."

"So where are they?" Marie asks. "Are they all on primes, or elsewhere? Do you know of any identified sects that aren't making these kinds of preparations, or is it wholesale across the entire faith?"

[Anastasia]

"Several. One on the Deep Ethereal, one in Acheron, two primes and one somewhere on Vacuum," Jessica concludes. "Iy haven't heard of any who are explicitly not doing this, but it's hard to prove a negative."

[Ebiris]

"So I think we should go forward on the basis that there's a broad front being pushed here," Alicia says. "But for what? Open warfare isn't normally their stock in trade."

Speaking of, does she feel anything with her portfolio sense on the subject?

[Anastasia]

Nothing imminent, at least.

"Which is why I'm not sure," Emmaline says, "It could be coordinated attacks, or it could be a ruse. After all, Shar needs no army to challenge anyone one on one."

[Ebiris]

"Well..." Marie considers. "It could be diversionary. Have them create as much chaos as possible, both by usual Sharran methods as well as all out attacks, as a cover for something else?"

"She'd basically be throwing away her entire church by doing so," Alicia says. "So the reward would have to be immense, or things have reached a point where what happens afterwards is immaterial to her."

[Anastasia]

"Which is why I lean towards ruse than diversion," Jessica says, "I don't think Shar's that far ahead of us yet."

[Ebiris]

"We can hope, but she's certainly been talking like she is," Alicia says, drumming her fingers on the table as she considers. "A ruse then... to draw us into pre-emptive attacks while she acts elsewhere unseen?" she speculates on what Shar's angle is.

[Anastasia]

"Logical," Antenora says, "Make us jump when she knows she has our attention, then counterpunch. Yes, I see the logic of it."

"Sacrifice a pawn to capture a queen," Syala agrees, "Classical, and she knows we have to be rattled and concerned."

[Ebiris]

"Still, then what? We just wait and see what happens?" Alicia asks. "I dislike how we have to cede so much initiative to her."

"Better if we can figure out what her real goal is so we can interrupt her actually important planning," Marie pipes up after that.

[Anastasia]

"We know what her ultimate goal is," Antenora reasons aloud, "So logically it's something that advances her aim. Unfortunately that does little to narrow it down."

"Shar wants people to hurt," Latha points out, "That informs us as well. She wants to win, but she wants it on her terms and her way. We can disregard plans that don't fit that requirement to narrow away some possibilities.""

[Ebiris]

"So does anyone have any ideas from the information we've gathered?" Alicia asks.

Because said information is so vague and large scale I'm pretty much relying on an NPC to give some direction here.

[Anastasia]

Jessica considers, "It seems widespread, but..."

After a few more moments, "Vacuum has to be a feint. There's not enough there to matter. The primes are too indecisive and too contested. Acheron doesn't make sense. The Deep Ethereal, the realm of dreams and memories. Perhaps Morwel through there?"

[Ebiris]

"Does it connect to that demiplane we went to with Phoebe?" Alicia asks, looking at Jessica's information.