Hidden truths

[Anastasia]

"Many questions, few answers," Sylvie says as people come and go, but a bare bit of divine will provides both privacy and a lack of interruptions. "But you'd be happier without my opinion."

[Nephrite]

Moore grins at Sylvie. "If I didn't value your opinion, among other things, I wouldn't have kept hoping to find you one day. You're the logical counterpoint to my belief in hope - the reality of the harshness of Creation, just like Xandra is the wisdom of the unseen, and Cresiel is the worried parent."

[Anastasia]

"The funniest part?" Sylvie says wryly, "There's plenty of love and mercy in Creation to counter that harshness. The problem is that it's matched by cruelty and evil. Plus like reality, I have a habit of punching things in the face when it isn't expected."

[Nephrite]

"There is. Too bad love and mercy isn't going to work on Shar." Moore says. "But we'll find a way. It may just involve punching her, though."

[Anastasia]

"I look forward to it," Sylvie smiles rather tightly, "She has a lot of punches to the face coming."

[Nephrite]

"She does." Moore affirms. "More than we have fists for. But we just have to find a way." He says. "I wonder if any Sharrans are in the Prison. I guess we'll find out."

[Anastasia]

It's not long. Vel Custos arrives in a blur of magic and kneels, not a word said, merely awaiting your leave.

[Nephrite]

Moore nods and will invite him inside!

Once settled in, he will show him the two prisoners they have and tell him what they know about them.

"It's... troubling." Moore says. "What do you know about that place?"

[Anastasia]

"Very little, though Lord Barachiel recently informed me of some details," Vel Custos replies once the three of you are somewhere more private, a comfortable little room. "If they are truly shorn of their memories and have no innate inclination towards evil?" A pause and a thought, "Allow them to live freely on Lunia. Those who come to us from the Styx and cannot be restored partake of this strategy."

"There's no point in treating them like a prisoner if there's no malice in them," Sylvie listens.

"Just so," Vel Custos bows his head to this words momentarily. "My work is for those who remember their sins. Those washed so completely anew are more than adequately served by life on Lunia."

[Nephrite]

"Well, there's... quite a few of them there who still remember, at least, there were the last time we were there." Moore says. "Ancient horrors and yet things even more unspeakable. I... am not personally of the opinion that they should stay in that place forever. Even a devil... a demon, a daemon, does not deserve to be shorn of who they are over infinite millennia and reduced to some sort of husk that is barely even a thing. Should we be able to bring any back here, do you have an opinion as to whose care they go to?" He asks.

"Ultimately, I do not simply wish to bring you thousands of prisoners just for the sake of saving them from that fate. This is... going to be a big operation - honestly, we may not even be able to ever accomplish it, the First Prison may literally be infinite." He says.

[Anastasia]

"In my opinion, those down there that are not captives are exactly where they need to be," Vel Custos speaks plainly, "They did not end up in a Lower Plane after death without a good reason. Rescue the souls who were unjustly taken there and let whatever torment comes to the wicked come to the wicked. Every willing fiend, every soul accursed through their own actions bears deep sins that were bought through the suffering of others."

"Let those who truly wish to repent come to us," Vel Custos goes on, "But my heart does not quail for those who earned it, or those who rose from the primal evil of those places. Leave them in the care of the torment they deserve. In the end, being rendered to nothing is a kinder fate than many of them deserve."

Sylvie listens to that, a half smile on her face. "And yet you have a reputation as a believer in rehabilitation and purification."

"For those that are willing to," Vel Custos says, "Were a fiend to come to me and ask for it, I would not deny them. Those are the exceptions. For every Lady Antenora there are untold millions of schemes to allure the unwise, or those who forget wisdom in favor of hope. Lady Sylvie speaks of my own work - and know well that while I work with many, I fail far more often than I succeed, and to many times over with fiends." Here the Authority of Wardens turns to Moore, "I can provide a chance, but I cannot make them take it."

[Nephrite]

Moore nods. "I... don't agree fully with the idea of leaving them there forever, but I..." Here he closes his eyes for a moment, as he thinks about something and pauses for a moment.

He opens his eyes to continue, "I suppose even in my own sins of the past, I tried to amend them at some point. There is a great deal to be said of the difference between good and evil in that regard - there's a reason there are no spells which simply force an evil creature to be good... that isn't how 'being good' works. I understand where you come from in this."


He clears his throat. "With that said, though... I believe the powers that kept the fiends there to be weakening in some capacity, or perhaps I am simply stronger now than I was before... it could be one, both, or neither. I worry that the defenses of that place lay dormant in the absence of the warden. If I find that to be true, I may speak to the Hebdomad of installing our own there to prevent the demons, devils and their ilk from taking any out." Moore says.

[Anastasia]

"As you will," Vel Custos says, no argument to your words. "Though I believe a serious detachment to Carceri to be madness."

"Considering the local conditions, I agree," Sylvie points out, "We're beyond such things Moore, but remember that the plane entraps those who go there, good or evil. It's not something to be done lightly."

[Nephrite]

"Just because something is difficult doesn't mean it isn't worth doing." Moore says with a smile. "But let's take stock of what is there first, figure out what we can, then see if there's any merit in dealing with it."

[Anastasia]

Okay, quick OOC check on what your plans are here.