!!!! (Surraruthru, 88 days left)

[Iron Dragoon]

The Cauldron.

[Anastasia]

Okay. Plan there in detail?

[Iron Dragoon]

I can gate there if Sylvie can get back to Aurora on her own. While there I mainly want to check in and see if Seira has anything she wants me to do or things that can help, and about the Golem; originally Yuth and I wanted to ask for help getting the cash for the golem, but since Moore hooked us up with the adamantine, we need less with that except for having another diety helping. I can't imagine she's not interested considering Bel, but she doesn't exactly have a direct representative she can talk through like Selune and the other gods did.

[Anastasia]

> roll 1d100
<Serith> Kotono roll for Serith < 68 > [d100=68]

The trip to the Cauldron? Uneventful. Kascha has enough rank to smooth over any problems getting an audience, and soon enough you're meeting with Lady Amaryl. She smiles warmly as you come in, "Surraruthru. Greetings, how is your magic? Your new spells named after Seira meet with approval."

[Iron Dragoon]

Surraruthru chuckles.

"I thought they might. She has no clergy in Aurora, something you should look into perhaps, so I figured something on the books in her name would be an easy way to please her. My magic is coming into its own more and more. I've developed a new ability. It hasn't fully come into its own yet, but I had a bubble of power that consumed a Spell Turning spell so it's a matter of time."

[Anastasia]

"Excellent," Lady Amaryl says, "But to cleave to the point as we are aware of your limited time, why have you come visit?"

[Iron Dragoon]

"A few reasons. The various other gods who are invested in Aurora all had representatives to speak through after Bel walked Lifasa. Seira lacks clergy in Aurora, so I'm here to see if she had anything to relay. Secondly, I understand she has ties to Waukeen. Tryll and I have come up with a plan to construct an adamantine golem resembling a Terrasque. Originally we were going to entreat for monies to purchase the adamantine for the golem, but another of our companions, Moore, has already acquired that. As such, I'm simply going to inquire whether or not she would like a hand in the project."

[Anastasia]

"We're aware of what Bel did," Amaryl says, "We are preparing to send more troops as well, as what Bel did cannot go unchallenged." Here Amaryl gives you a look, "What I am to say next does not leave this room."

[Iron Dragoon]

Surraruthru nods.

"On my name."

[Anastasia]

"There are rules that the divine follows, a grand game and competition for souls. The Competition, as we call it," Amaryl begins, voice clear, commanding. It's easy to listen to, be drawn in. "A deity who too flagrantly breaks the rules draws all our ire, because breaking those rules tends to be needlessly self destructive. A deity who comes to the Prime, not just an avatar, will wound it beyond measure. Bel gambled much to win Lifasa in a single stroke, or at least to cripple your Crusade. He failed and has drawn a response. We do not go challenge him directly, for the battle would be catastrophic and draw the rest of Hell into it."

A pause here as Kascha listens, in the right places nodding.

"However," Amaryl goes on, "Bel has escalated. We will escalate in turn. To drive a Lord of the Nine to that desperation? You have done well, even if it is events in total and not Aurora alone. So we will ensure Aurora is more than supplied, we all will. All deities have a vested interest in ensuring The Competition's rules remain inviolate, otherwise we lose much and gain little. You will find aid coming faster than before, with less limitations and caveats."

[Iron Dragoon]

Surraruthru nods.

"I see. That's heartening to hear, even if I can't exactly pass it on. Something you mentioned, the wounds Bel caused on Lifasa. I'm taking steps to mitigate, if not heal it, and to prevent what happened with Benfal having to be done again. I'm confident in the theory and spell work, and I have a number of Aurora's top mages helping. Baleruk is helping with raw power as well, but I'm concerned that my plan may not be fast enough, depending on what Bel and the devils do. Is there anything else I can do to ensure the memory tree works as, and when, we need it to?"

[Anastasia]

"Explain it to me," Amaryl says.

You don't have to go into full details, just a handwave is fine, if you choose to tell her.

[Iron Dragoon]

"It's going to copy the memories of Lifasa as it was before the invasion from as many survivors as we can. We then implant the tree with all its memories into a ley line nexus on Lifasa. The hope is that the planet's natural energy will use the memories as a template for restoring itself."

[Anastasia]

"I believe it is sound, though it will depend on what condition Lifasa is in," Amaryl says after you explain it all, "Much as food and rest can heal a man, but someone too close to death's door may still succumb."

This gets Kascha to close her eyes, "I was worried about that myself, but we have contingencies. So there's merit in striking sooner than later?"

[Iron Dragoon]

"Hm. Is there anything we can do? Perhaps... Some sort of ritual placed on other ley lines to make it more effective? I may be a dragon but restoring a planet is a bit outside of my normal daily activities."