Shake the dust off your feet

[Anastasia]

I deeply doubt you did, but in case you felt generous: You didn't give him his gear back, did you?

[Ebiris]

Oh no, Marie's holding onto that. I expect a loot post shortly.

[Anastasia]

Yes ma'am, please don't hurt me like the pixie terrors. Whimper.

It's done. The gate is swiftly closed and Mystra watches him go. "Well, what did you learn?" she asks, right to the point.

"Plenty I hope," Syala says, "And I hope Shar paid more for him than she should."

"Yet far from enough," Jessica blows out a breath, "But Shar's debts are beyond reckoning."

[Ebiris]

"I didn't have time to ask everything," Alicia shakes her head. "I know that Chylas was the one who wore my face to murder Snowwind. Yarus ascended in the traditional manner, he's never seen a Godseed. The other deities who serve Shar are Chylas, Mask, and perhaps unwittingly Demogorgon. No word on that Gloom Queen Morwel mentioned, but apparently she plans to have the Infinite Shadow ascend as well," she starts running down the highlights she was able to discern. "Nothing concrete about Shar's specific plans against us."

"Spread the word about this," Marie speaks up. "A lot of people are going to be seeing souls they thought lost arriving in their midst. Maybe even Talona's lost some," she smiles slightly. "Turn Yarus into the key to Shar's treasury. Everyone will want to capture him and see what they can wring out of her that way."

[Anastasia]

"In other words," Jessica surmises, "He has to stay on Shadow now for his own safety. He's too valuable otherwise."

Mystra throws her head back and laughs, long, loud and happy. "What a lovely notion, Marielle."

"Still, Mask," Mystra points out, "I had one of Celestia's diplomats make guarded inquiries about him recently. There may be something more to that as well."

[Ebiris]

"Good idea Marie," Alicia nods in her own show of approval. "As for Mask? He's been living in her backyard, it's not really surprising he's been suborned," she admits. "And he knows there's something planned against Mystra that starts on Shadow. Lines up with Red Knight's intuition but he had no specifics."

[Anastasia]

"It may as much be to keep Mystra away from Shadow as anything else," Jessica points out here, "If Mystra's willing to push herself to the limits of what she can do, she'd be a serious problem for Shar. She knows we tend to sniff out things like this, too."

"It might be so," Mystra merely smiles, "But this time, it doesn't matter. There will be a reckoning, no matter what she does."

[Ebiris]

"All the same, I'm going to trust Red Knight's intuition," Alicia says. "But now I need to pass around some word..." she looks over the items Marie stripped off of Yarus. "Put them all in secure storage for now."

First she'll reach out to, surprisingly enough, Malcanthet.

I didn't have to much to say earlier because I was actually busy in the Abyss at the time, but now I'm out you might be interested in what transpired there.

[Anastasia]

Oooooh? You have my most rapt attention, Alicia.

[Ebiris]

Have you heard of Yarus? A daemon that recently ascended under Shar's tutelage. He's been cosying up with Talona and Demogorgon, and I captured him on Pazunia. He's important to Shar like few are, and she paid dearly for his return. He also believes that Demogorgon is fully within Shar's grasp as her pawn. I'm sure you can make good use of all this information.

[Anastasia]

I can make sublime use of this knowledge, dear Alicia. Aah, you take such good care of me. I can get used to such considerations as you've given me lately.

[Ebiris]

I know at least you don't like Shar, I'll take advantage of that.

"Well I've just told Malcanthet, which should stir up some extra chaos in the Abyss," Alicia says as they all mill around in the crystal grotto.

"Why not tell Zquujaj, too?" Marie asks with a faint scoff. "Actually it's interesting he mentioned calling Pale Night for help earlier, but she never came up when you were going through his head?"

[Anastasia]

"That means it was probably a bluff," Mystra stays as you all linger here, "Nothing but empty threats with a big name."

"It might be," Syala agrees, "It's not like we could confirm it."

[Ebiris]

"I think it was just using a convenient name I had a past history with," Alicia agrees. "Now I need to tell the Queen of Air and Darkness what I've learned."

I've discovered who killed Snowwind. It was a leshay named Chylas who has ascended to divinity as a servant of Shar.

[Anastasia]

Then his screams will soon be heard in the winter winds, forevermore.