A blessed homefront

[Anastasia]

Just to be clear, on Yarus, right? Have you done a check on him before?

[Ebiris]

I haven't, Seira namedropped him when we talked to Morwel but I didn't get any more details.

[Anastasia]

Yarus is another fiend from the court of Anthraxus. An unknown specimen wrapped in armor head to toe, said to be a master of war plagues and fevers. Camp dysentery, plague, sickness and all the mortal maladies that can destroy an army from within are said to be his specialty. It is whispered he has diseases so terrible that even other fiends succumb to them in short order, and so virulent that even a consecrated paladin can sicken and die from them.

Antenora takes 10 as well.

"I've heard of him," Antenora reflects on that, "He has some control over plagues and sicknesses for armies."

"It's a start, that puts him formally in the camp of the Oinoloth, or at least was in case Shar's poached him," Jessica reasons, "But disease is a little outside of Shar's normal methodology."

[Ebiris]

"Remember when the Adversary bartered knowledge of Rosewater?" Marie pipes up. "He specifically requested Sharran magical items that relate to disease or poison."

[Anastasia]

"Which suggests all sorts of things," Antenora begins. "Logically..."

Ebony almost smiles.

Syala does but listens, "Go on, we'll bring you down to the ground afterwards, Antenora."

"Yes," Colke murmurs, listening.

"Shar's made a quiet move with the 'loths, she's poached him for his knowledge. An expansion? Maybe so, or simply a powerful servant. Logically, the Adversary's looking into this and if Shar's made true progress into this." Antenora reasons. "So it's known in the shadowed realms of the daemons, which means it likely hasn't gone over well. She's rattled the daemons with this aggression and expansion into a domain they have a great deal of control over. Yarus would fit all of that."

Going on from that, "Moreover, it lets him position himself as a potential source of information to work through for us." Antenora continues, "Which both keeps us out of his affairs and incentivizes us to cooperate with him, which neutralizes one possible threat to him for some time. He gave us just enough to lead back to him, and in a way that encourages us to contact him. Clever."

"Is it...possible it's a coincidence?" Emmaline speaks up here, "Talona also has dominion over disease, and I don't doubt the devlis have a noble who oversees sicknesses as well. It's not exclusive to the Oinoloth or his minions, perhaps a coincidence is just a coincidence and not a master plan?"

"Nothing's impossible, and it might well be coincidental," Latha says,  "But the new Oinoloth is a former devil, this is not well known. It's exactly the sort of roundabout and convoluted plot his heritage would favor. However, I favor it for another reason. Sammael has proven far too adept at manipulations and profiting from both sides of a struggle. He has done it to us and others, no doubt. In that respect he has earned the title of daemon. Our enmity with Shar is no secret, it is a relatively simple and wise play to use it to his advantage. Just as he did for our rivalry with Malcanthet, though he used both sides there."

Syala rises and paces a bit, "What I don't like is the implication he's working with both sides, even if to play them. Is he doing the same with Shar and looking to profit off both of us? That's a damned dangerous game. If he is, I think it's well time we flipped the table over. He wants us to need him? Fine. Let's make him need us. We lose nothing if the Oinoloth is dragged into a public feud with Shar, do we? We find Yarus, and if this looks true, we make him make a move against the Oinoloth. Something that can't be denied. Evil turns on itself, let's remind them of that fact and profit from it, instead of letting him profit from us."

[Ebiris]

"I love that idea," Alicia says, pointing towards Syala at the end of the discussion. "But we can't even begin to manipulate Yarus if we can't find him."

[Anastasia]

"That means our goal's simple - we find Yarus." Syala concludes, "I can't solve all our problems, but that's step one."

Colke is quiet, "I'll find him." she announces, shifting a form similar to Jessica, if with more of your facial features instead and Antenora's eyes.

"As will I," Jessica agrees, "Everything else can flow from that."

"For the moment," Syala goes on, "We ignore the Adversary. Track Yarus down and spring our plan. Unless we can somehow destroy him for good, of course. But I doubt we'll be remotely that fortunate."

[Ebiris]

"The hunt is on then," Alicia says, since they can't do anything until a lead appears. "Colke can go places Jessica can't - divinity is radiant and like calls to like even with the best skill in stealth. Just remember Chylas and the gloom are still out there too."

[Anastasia]

"Then, by your leave?" Colke asks.

Jessica rises, "Go on without us - the sooner the better for this." She leads Colke away, the two gone.

Ebony taps her fingers against the table before, "That's step one. The Shadows are still out there, if diminished as well. We have enemies aplenty to target."

[Ebiris]

"Have we managed to find any more leads on them since Dragodan?" Marie asks Marchalu. "I can't really do the Honey Belle routine anymore."

[Anastasia]

Antenora looks up and mouths, 'Thank you.'

Meanwhile Marchalu nods, "Yes. I can have them for you momentarily."

[Ebiris]

"Thank you," Alicia says. "It's possible going after proxies will draw out these new deities as a stronger measure, although Shar might be willing to discard them if she doesn't have to worry about the longer term."

"Honey Belle got results though," Marie insists, not missing Antenora's dismay.

[Anastasia]

"Or she'll have them aid them, too," Latha points out, "Why not have them cooperate?"

[Ebiris]

"That's certainly possible, we just don't know what goes on there unfortunately," Alicia says in response to Latha's point.

[Anastasia]

"It's unfortunate." Latha agrees.

"From what I know, it is possible," Emmaline speaks up, "Ah, while there are rivalries and competitions between us, Shar herself is more than willing to use resources like that if she sees fit."

"So we can't rule it out. Using them as minions now would make a certain sense," Ebony says, "Efficient use of resources and power for her new underdeities to use."