A New Beginning

[Yuthirin]

'I blame the gnomes.' Tryll replies.

"Ohh, good group to blame!" Calleigh adds helpfully.

[Anastasia]

"Who cares about some rump humping midgets?" Dana snaps, "I didn't get a damn fucking thing from the training, either! What sort of shit is that?"

Ebony closes her eyes as she savors her tea, and quietly adds, "It is a mystery. That was not remotely natural. Either Miranda made the greatest breakthrough of a thousand lifetimes, Dana is the best teacher ever known or something odd is afoot. I suspect divine involvement."

[Yuthirin]

"Prob'ly." Calleigh says, "Ohhh, do you think it's the Queen? I haven't talked to her in a while!"

[Anastasia]

"It could be, but this isn't quite her dominion," Ebony says, "The Red Knight, perhaps, but this isn't her style. She's more about teaching and learning the hard way." Another long sip before she puts her glass down, "I don't really know for certain who could have done it."

[Yuthirin]

Calleigh shrugs, "Does it matter?"

'What brought you to us today, Ebony?' Tryll asks.

[Anastasia]

"Yes," Ebony says, rather calmly, "A patron like that is best understood if possible. This was no random act of whimsy. This was a gift of great worth. Moreover, because...I know of another who has recently experienced the same unthinkable growth, thanks to Balyss."

A moment's pause, "Calley, Sylvie's son, went from being a mere young child to knowing a great deal of magic - perhaps all of Sylvie's gathered magic and abilities. In the blink of an eye, he learned an immortal's lifetime as if he always knew it."

"Why didn't you fucking tell me that shit?!" Dana whirls on Ebony, eyebrows twitching.

With the faintest smile, "You never asked, nor wanted to give me a word edgewise."

"No kidding," Miranda mutters, voice carrying.

"So that is another possibility that must be considered, and of course only one thing Sylvie has could even conceivably do that." Ebony continues.

[Yuthirin]

Calleigh pauses from taking notes on a scroll, throwing the paper into Dana's face. "Wait, you think she gave 21 to her KID!?"

[Anastasia]

"Hey!" Dana grouses, "Aim at Ebony, not me!"

"Hardly," Ebony says, "Nor did Balyss think so. However, that doesn't mean she couldn't have done it with 21. That's one of the theories I'm working on, and now Miranda's sudden advancement is another data point."

"I don't have this 21, whatever it is," Miranda calls over. "If anyone wants to explain what's going on, feel free!"

[Yuthirin]

"Hooboy. Okay. Quick and dirty. Balyss is a Lunatic. Selunite kind, not an actual crazy person. She's got an occasional direct line to Selune, who stuffs her full of prophecies. Sylvie is a mortal who abandoned her kid on Balmuria and turned herself into some sort of celestial. Something. She's also in possession of 21, which is a weird thing that uhhhhh," Calleigh's eyes go glassy a moment, "Wait, what, REALLY? Okay. So that's a big secret. Also, terrifying why did people let her keep it???? Okay. Okay. So she works for Oghma and has a really scary ancient weapon that destroys evil on contact. Apparently it's maybe been used to edit reality?"

[Anastasia]

Miranda listens to all of that, finishes her drink and reaches to the side of her chair. Another full mug of ale is there, which has a healthy drink from it. After that and a few moments to consider, Miranda eloquently says, "What."

[Yuthirin]

"Sister, you're tellin' me. It's been a weird couple'a months."

[Anastasia]

"Why me?" Miranda asks, plaintively, then finishes off another mug of booze.

"Eh, why the fuck not? You got the skill and someone approves, so you're in now," Dana pipes up, "Better than pissing around Ysgard and watching dead warriors fight every fucking day."

"Mmm." Ebony considers, eyes closed shut. "As fascinating as this entire discussion is, I do not want to forget to go into why I am here."

[Yuthirin]

"It was fate!" Calleigh crows.

'Please, go on, Ebony.'

[Anastasia]

"We received intelligence that there is trouble in Langersun," Ebony continues now, eyes opening to gaze at Tryll. "It involves a paladin champion who serves Raziel, a succubus soul broker, an ultroloth information broker, Imix or agents thereof and possibly Shar. Not to mention your father, naturally," Ebony concludes now, glancing over at Dana. "Alicia commanded me to investigate and recruiting you is logical, Dana. In fact, Alicia herself suggested it."

"So okay, Daddy will beat their asses like a succubus in the Fourth Hell," Dana says, "You want me to go with you and add more bullshit to that mess?"

"In essence? Yes," Ebony smiles faintly, "Be it a full group effort from all of you or not. Alicia has made me her proxy in this matter, I will be heading to Langersun personally. If our information is right, this may be a disaster in the offing purely because of everyone involved."

[Yuthirin]

"...huh." Calleigh says, rummaging around through Miranda's personal belongings and only paying token attention.

'Sounds like we might make things more complicated, not less.' Tryll replies.