Shake the dust off your feet

[Ebiris]

"Sure, we make a good team," Marie says to Jessica. "We'll sneak in, cause some chaos of our own, find this Yarus, and then decide what to do. Lets send our avatars actually, since if we do it right no one will know we were there so using them doesn't reveal much, and if it is a trap and we lose, we don't lose anything important."

[Anastasia]

"Let's go set it up," Jessica agrees and rises, going off with Marie.

After a moment and they're gone, "We're confused," Colke finally says, "All the stories we'-I've heard about Marie paint her differently than she's acted there."

[Ebiris]

"Few celestials rise in stature as quickly as Marielle has," Alicia says, looking over to the door. "She's adapting to great changes in herself," a tap of the side of her head, "And her position. To be an equal co-ruler of Sylica and not a supporter in the background. There's a degree of familiarity breeding contempt in her tone of course," she allows with a wry smile, "But it's also a conscious choice to assert herself, to step boldly forward."

She stands up herself now. "Do you know much about fallen celestials? There's a lamentable number of them to study up on of course. Arrogance and ambition is a common thread. Marie has always been ambitious, even as a coure she sought to challenge herself and rise higher. It's no sin, I believe her motivations have been and remain pure. And I don't believe she's truly arrogant, she's simply speaking more boldly to ensure we all understand she's an equal partner now. So that familiarity doesn't breed contempt on my end and I keep treating her as merely a servant."

[Anastasia]

"Ah. In other words, she's overcompensating a little bit?" Colke concludes from that. "To ensure that you remember what she is now?"

[Ebiris]

"That's a good way to put it," Alicia smiles approvingly. "Marie has always been a valued confidante and part of my inner circle, but her role has been much more of a passive supporter in recent years. We're all adapting to a new equilibrium."

[Anastasia]

"I understand," Colke agrees, "And of my service, Lady Alicia? Do you require my services further at the moment?"

[Ebiris]

"I think Marie and Jessica have this matter well in hand for now. I suggest you take a break, rest from your recent journey," Alicia offers a dismissal.

[Anastasia]

Okay then, what's Marie's grand plan?

[Ebiris]

I never bothered fully stating an avatar Marie so quick check...

-1 to all rolls
-1 to all stats, all odd except con so -38 hp, -1 fort save
-1 domain SLA DC
Lose immunity to fire and sonic energy, lose immunities to disease, poison, stunning, sleep, paralysis, death effects and disintegration

That cover everything?

When it's just Marie and Jessica she asks, "What kind of demon do you want to disguise yourself as? I'm going as a balor."

She would lay down serious money that if Alicia were going she'd be a half-fiend of otherwise similar proportions to herself. No wonder G'renna instantly spotted her back in Androlynne! Well, that and the zombie fairy familiar. Marie will hear no bad words said about her acting of the part however.

[Anastasia]

That sounds right, but I'm going to check tonight since we shouldn't hit combat this afternoon. I'll correct this in the event I'm mistaken.

"Show me first? I want to see yours so I can tailor mine to it," Jessica remarks thoughtfully, "Balor and succubus is a classic combination and the change is minimal. I've had luck pretending to be a hezrou as well, but that disguise was more complicated. Maybe not a demon at all, I could make a passable elemental servant if I do it right."

[Ebiris]

"No succubi," Marie says flat out. "It's far too obvious and it's tempting fate too. Here's what I have in mind," she uses a major image to craft a representation of her preferred disguise, intending to use veil on the both of them when they actually set out.

And it's a balor alright. A hulking brutish demon with ragged leathery wings, skull pushing through the skin of its head with gleaming white bone and eyes of blue flame. The skin is red but faded to a sickly greenish hue in places, almost seeming like it's running off his frame with a sort of gelatinous quality. No effort is made to preserve modesty, and while he's at least proportionately 'gifted' there's nothing healthy looking about what's down there. Certainly looks like he'd be at home in the kind of demiplane Jessica described, as well as half a dozen other Abyssal locales Marie could name off the top of her head.

Greenrot is the top spot, if you're curious.

[Anastasia]

"It's simplest to play something you know - and it's easier to be a female than a male or something stranger yet. Good disguises are ones that are believable. A person who sees what they expect won't think to look past the surface." This gets Jessica to examine it and make a face at the end, "Well, you'll fit in," she decides, "Perhaps even be the dashing stud of the ball there."

A long moment.

"It is art, though, and you'll stand out. Did you have one in mind for me? You have a certain, uh...artistry." A moment more, "I could have gone ages without seeing a balor like that, though." A blown out sigh, "No doubt at least we're prepared for the Abyss now after seeing that horror."

[Ebiris]

"You'll see worse when we get there," Marie says with grim certainty. "But yes, it's a believable disguise because no one's going to want to look any deeper at that." She vanishes the illusion, the impression made. "For you then... Hezrou would match well but it's hard to pull off the stench by yourself, and the size difference is harder for you to overcome. I'll be cheating of course. I think a Nabassu would be good."

She forms a fresh illusion, this time of a gargoyle-like demon with facial features rather like a bat, eyes glowing a sickly yellow and with dirty grey fur that's fallen off in patches to reveal greenish pustule-ridden flesh underneath, its bat wings leathery and ragged much like the balor's. The fur at least leaves one part to the imagination at least, just a sexless nasty disease-ridden demon of gaunt but mostly humanoid proportions.

[Anastasia]

"Of course I will," Jessica agrees, "But...there's no polite way to say it, but I don't savor having to see balor dick." A long breath out, "A Nabassu? That'll do." Jessica decides, "Your magic for this is better than my disguise skills anyway."

[Ebiris]

"You and everyone else we meet, that's the beauty of it," Marie says. "Metaphorically speaking anyway. But yes, a pair of diseased greater demons tromping about there won't garner any suspicion, and no one's going to give us trouble either. We need names too. I'll be," unintelligible guttural noises accompanied by a high pitched whine that makes the teeth rattle, "How about you? You look like a," frantic clicking sounds and the faint echo of tearful cries. "I'm going for an obscure deep abyssal layer feeling with the names. You know how those are."