On the prowl (Ithea)

[Anastasia]

"Mmmm, yes, but that mortality of yours," Sharess comments languidly as you walk along, no one seeming to bat an eye at the two and the strange conversation. Or even notice you, simply moving out of the way without stopping what they're doing as you go along. "Thinking about what you've accomplished, Ithea. I like followers who go out and do things like this. So many take the most carnal meaning from that and think they're making me perfectly happy."

[Merc]

"Oh. That. Huh...My friends Sylvie and Balyss suggested that might be the case when I spoke of growing old some day," Ithea admits.

"I guess that still kind of surprises me given my stance on deities not that long ago. I used to be so bitter about Lifasa..." Ithea notes, before smiling. "But I suppose I just needed to have some better experiences to change that, and I did. Speaking of better experiences, thank you so much for that dream before that Astral thing. That helped a lot. Really."

[Anastasia]

"You're welcome," The feline sniffs, "Now if you were still on Lifasa and went this far without exploring the planes, you might age and die naturally. But there's really no point letting you waste away like that here, is there? Even if you did, you'd just waste time being old and then end up right here anyway." Sharess hops back onto your shoulder, sitting there and shrinking a bit to fit perfectly. Her fur turns midnight black, her tail swishing against your shoulder.

"Mortal life's meant to prepare you for all of this. But what's the point when you've already learned, grown greatly and made your choice? You know why that friend of yours got away with what she did? Because she'd already made her choice, too. She's going to be a good little battle librarian until the end of time. People like yourself, her, and your other friends? There's no point to mortality and you're too valuable for it."

[Merc]

"That's what they both said," Ithea says with a nod of understanding, making a mental note to pass the comment on to Sylvie.

Out of curiosity, how does that work outside of devices like Medi's? I'd assume Ithea would know something about that or could make a knowledge check to have some passing knowledge without just having to straight up ask Sharess?

[Anastasia]

Sure, make K:P and clarify your question.

[Merc]

[12:30] <Merc> roll d20+42+11 K:P+inspiration - What does Ithea know about 'promotion' from deities, specifically deities making mortals into outsiders?
[12:30] <Penuche> Merc invokes Penuche's magic: < 63 > [d20=10]

[Anastasia]

Most mortals live and die normally, then become outsiders or petitioners. That's fairly routine. The occasional exceptional mortal ascends far higher than that. So valuable and worthy, they are directly transmigrated into an outsider by the deity they serve. This is a great honor and a mortal promoted this way retains memory of their mortal life. They aren't reborn into a new life as an outsider like normal mortals.

You know it's also used to protect powerful mortals. At the point you're at, a mortal of that standing has earned the attention of the planes. Not all of this attention is good and groups opposed to you and your patron can and will try to take you out. If they can steal your soul, convert you or otherwise prevent you from passing to your deity's realm, they've stripped them of a powerful servant and reap the rewards of triumphing over an opposed ethos or ideology. This becomes far harder once a mortal becomes an outsider and means less (unless they convert the outsider, which is also much harder than converting a mortal).

In short, it says two things: Sharess is fond enough of you to want you around forever and she wants to protect you against those who would interfere with that.

A quick side note: Becoming an outsider through your own power is possible. There are certain ways to do so (rituals, acquired templates, prestige classes and so forth) and that's your prerogative. It is your soul and if you have the power to remake yourself, so be it. Medi's device doesn't make that distinction and can transform anyone who cares to be transformed. That sort of meddling goes over poorly with deities, as it's directly interfering with what they do. Medi's warning is there for a good reason, as doing that sort of thing can get you personally smited by an avatar or summoned bodily to account for yourself to the deity you've offended.

[Merc]

Ithea scratches Sharess' ear and thinks.

She doesn't really have any reason to reject what Sharess is offering, and it's not like she was going to change in any way that matters.

At the same time, it's kind of awkward to just say "Sure, go ahead and remove my mortality. I'm happy working for you for eternity."

[Anastasia]

"If you have to think about it," Sharess purrs, "You probably aren't ready for it."

[Merc]

"Oh, it's not that I'm thinking of saying no actually, I just wasn't sure how to respond," Ithea answers and voices her thought. "It's definitely an honor, and I guess it's not something that really changes who I am, just what I am. Just...it feels a bit weird to talk about giving up my mortality. I guess I'm wrapping my thoughts more around not the fact that I'm giving up something, but that I'm gaining something."

[Anastasia]

"Oh, it changes you. Make no mistake about that," Sharess remarks, as you head down the street into a sunny, bright square. Cats are everywhere, lounging about and napping. No cobblestones here, gone in favor of soft grass. You've been somewhere like this before, as you recall.

"How much it does depends. Some are like your little battle librarian friend and don't change much. Others change greatly, taking on the race and powers of a spirit. Like how those traitors you deal with became pit fiends."

[Merc]

"I don't imagine changing much, and if I did, I can't see it being a negative way. Perhaps those traitors changed by falling under the thrall of the Duke of Destiny, but you're a different being to Taelfagn just as I differ from those traitors," Ithea says with certainty. "Besides, aren't I already changing in some ways just by being your champion and just by living my life and experiencing what comes my way? It's the nature of beings, mortal and outsider to change, to not remain stagnant. Just the length of the lifetime to do it in seems to change, and the speed of that change."

[Anastasia]

With a leap, the cat is gone from your shoulders. As it flies through the air, it transforms into a large, snow white tiger. She lands perfectly and curls up, as if taking a nap in the sun. "Yes, everything changes." The cat agrees, resting her head on her paws. "But not everything changes at the same pace or same time. Change when you are ready, Ithea."

[Merc]

"How would I know when I'm ready? I...kind of thought I was?" Ithea asks. "Or at its worst, I might have thought that I was taking a leap of faith."

[Anastasia]

The cat chuckles, "Then if you say you're ready or want to take a leap of faith, come here," Suddenly the cat is gone, a curvy, beautiful woman in dancer's silks standing before you. Her hair is dark, long and curly. She is without a doubt the most beautiful woman you've ever seen, enthralling to glance at. She crooks one finger forward, "Come here then, Ithea."