Shake the dust off your feet

[Ebiris]

What hold does Shar have on Demogorgon?

"Negotiations aren't going well," she adds for her tense audience.

Yes I'm dictating terms, because I have something you want. I realise it's so rare anyone gets to do so to you that it must be astounding. I'm not asking you to kill yourself or go against your nature. I'm not asking you to give up every prisoner you hold, only those you claimed at the moment of death when they should have gone elsewhere based on their nature or faith. All you have to do is let go. It should come naturally.

[Anastasia]

Raw Charisma check again, +1 bonus.

[Ebiris]

[17:29] <@Ebiris> roll 1d20+25
[17:29] <Rei-chan> Ebiris rolled : 1d20+25 --> [ 1d20=9 ]{34}

[Anastasia]

The ones that remain.

Meanwhile, you get answer answer.

Demogorgon wishes to destroy. He believes he can resist Shar and still destroy, that he will not be overcome.

"Be strong, Alicia," Syala says, coming to your side, a silent support.

[Ebiris]

What is Shar giving Demogorgon to help him?

"Might be some give in her, she wants him badly," she says aloud, getting what information she can in the meantime.

If there's anything at all left of them. Yes not even you can return someone from oblivion, but I know you like your trophies and warnings.

[Anastasia]

Free him immediately and you can have what little remains.

Power, information and support. Also useful against Orcus, Graz'zt and other demons he routinely wars against.

[Ebiris]

OOC a sec, but so I can have Alicia talk without sounding stupid. When trapped souls are released, do they go to the Well of Souls as if they'd just died?

[Anastasia]

Generally yes. Exceptions are if they're on the plane they'd go to anyway or if something unusual would influence it.

Like if mortal Alicia had died she'd go to the Well unless she died in Dweomerheart, in which case she'd already be home.

[Ebiris]

Helm, the Well of Souls may be seeing an imminent surge of new arrivals from those Shar has unjustly taken. Can you please let me know if that happens?

"We have an agreement in principle," she says aloud, getting more out of Yarus while he's here.

What is Shar's plan for defeating Mystra?

If I trusted your word I'd have demanded you stop stealing souls in the future as well. As soon as Helm tells me of the long delayed arrivals in the Well of Souls, I'll put Yarus right back where I found him.

[Anastasia]

You will instead send into Shadow.

He isn't aware of the details, but he knows one thing - from a stray comment, it will begin on Shadow.

[Ebiris]

Shadow is acceptable, I'm sure anywhere's fine.

What is Shar's plan for defeating Alicia?

"She wants me to send him to Shadow. I'm waiting to know from Helm if those souls are being released... of course there's no way to verify she's being honest and not keeping some back, but the numbers will have to be substantial all the same," she says aloud for the benefit of Mystra and the others.

"I wonder if she's got any gnomes there?" Marie muses, thinking of empty Bytopia.

[Anastasia]

'It has begun.' Helm's voice, plain and to the point.

Meanwhile?

To make her kill herself. She wants to see the hope in Alicia's eyes die and watch her do it herself. Each and every time she strikes at Alicia is wonderful, because it's building towards that. She is going to destroy everything Alicia holds dear until she finally breaks, so that all that's left behind is the weeping, heartbroken wife seen when Hans and Felix died. She anticipates the moment when Alicia gives up, when she lets oblivion take her willingly, utterly defeated for all time.

[Ebiris]

Not much of a concrete plan she can react to, is there?

"She's holding up her end, do you have everything you need?" Alicia asks Mystra now, of course going to hold up hers.

Why did Shar choose you?

[Anastasia]

"More than enough," Mystra nods slightly, "Go."

I accepted her truth that the end is almost here, and agreed to serve her for power until the end. There is nothing else but power and destruction.

[Ebiris]

Alicia's quick about it.

Quickened gate opens to the plane of shadow, the same place where she arrived when taking part in that attack with Selune recently.

Quickened violent thrust telekinesis sends Yarus skidding out and away.

Gate closes with a moment's thought.

Swift, swift, standard in order there. Just in case anything exciting were to happen.