Tempting Hell (Jaela)

[Anastasia]

Jaela finds Ebony in the new temple to the Hebdomad and Celestia. She kneels there, lost in silent prayer. Her head is bowed and hood is down, hands joined together.

Go ahead, Jaela.

[Corwin]

"Hey," Jaela greets Ebony, leaning on a pew next to her.

[Anastasia]

Ebony opens her eyes and looks up to you, "While I do not serve Mount Celestia, Alicia's teachings speak of the times the archons aided her. They have ever been steady friends to Sylica." She rises and pulls her hood down, "You require my services?"

[Corwin]

"Yes," Jaela responds, keeping it simple. "I'd like you to come with me while I visit Antenora. You've heard about the response regarding Muirfinn, I assume? It concerns that."

[Anastasia]

"I have been informed," Ebony replies, "Do you seek her council on Hell's machinations?"

[Corwin]

"I'd like to hear from you both. Can you check with her if she's got time for our visit while I get things ready?"

Ideally, I'd like Ebony to use one of our mages to use a Sending to Antenora. I'll make sure Priest has everything handled with the refugees and be ready to plane-shift myself and Ebony over if it's a favorable answer all around.

[Anastasia]

Ebony takes care of the sending personally. She kneels and is lost in spell and prayer, her wings flaring out as the spell completes. There are a rush of murmurs all around her, words gathering around her like a shield of sound. "It is done. Antenora will meet us in one day's time. She will send confirmation two hours before via a sending to me. If I do not receive it, it will be pushed back one day."

Ebony rises, hood restored to place. "It means she is away from Sylica. I know not the details but it is probably a mission in Alicia or Syala's name."

[Corwin]

"Longer than I thought it'd take, but we'll wait patiently. Wanna come with me and look over the refugees?"

[Anastasia]

The refugees are being overseen by Priest - the ones in Aurora, anyway. Most are sleeping or eating. Priest meets you with a strong handshake, "They're healing. From conversations, they're mortals grabbed in various raids. Most aren't warriors, those were separated right off."

"Earmarked for the Blood War?" Ebony asks in a soft voice.

"Most likely," Priest confirms, "Most are mortals with useful skills, though that's a minority, as they apparently sell fast." A look of disgust mars his face, "Some were being trained, others were destined to be ship fuel."

[Corwin]

"You know what the efreet in charge of the place told me? That it was a point of pride. They're fine with losing money on this slavery business, but the reason they keep at it no matter the cost is because of their pride in their work. That sort of alien perspective really got to me, and I've had to deal with slaad." Jaela shakes her head. "I'll find a way to break their society yet. Anything the two of us can do?"

[Anastasia]

"Pride is one of the greatest sins," Ebony remarks as she watches the freed slaves. "The efreet are slaves to it, as surely as these souls were once slaves."

Priest considers and shakes his head, "No. Recruiting is going well, many have little to return to and are signing up. Others are adamant to return home, to lost families and loved ones." He smiles then, "Let us handle this burden, Jaela, but thank you."

[Corwin]

"I can understand having a hard time letting go of pride, but I think you're right, Ebony. The efreet are probably too dumb to see how much they've been chained up by it."

She nods at Priest. "Never worried for a minute about your competence. Though if I can make a suggestion, how about a show fight between the Master and Finnegan? Something to display our varied approaches to combat and the heights you can reach if you commit yourself to training? The idea came to me while discussing the future in Thalasia so I want to give it a go."

[Anastasia]

"That's a good-" Priest begins, only to be cut off by Elena appearing. She's frazzled and her hair is sticking out every which way.

"HibusyFinneganwentoutwithMooreandSurraruthrutoslaaddungeonworkingondemiplanebye!" Then she's gone, just like that, speaking a mile a minute.

[Corwin]

"He will, presumably, return," Jaela says, untroubled by Elena's antics. She smiles at Ebony. "Call me when it's time to meet?"

Since her original two ideas got diverted, Jaela decides to find Mirima and look at sponsoring a local shop over a brand new wardrobe.

[Anastasia]

Is that an IC or handwave thing with Mirima?