One step forward and many to go

[Anastasia]

After dropping Elegy off - "Why thank you for this," Elegy says, "It's shame about the looting, but I think keeping my skin here is a reward." - the two of you return back to the Cauldron. Donald's whistling as you appear just outside of it, starting to fly on up. "Geez, I thought you were getting a bit too domestic," he says, "We needed that! Though Glasya was a total bitch, wasn't she?"

[Corwin]

Elegy got to be a part of history, and the recording of Lixer slaying Bel that she slipped into his things via some very sneaky sleight of hand should make for a nice consolation prize, given his affiliation.

"Domestic," Seira echoes, snorting. "You don't say. As for Glasya, I'm afraid I missed all of the excitement due to fighting Lixer and his loser lich squad-- hey, do you think their phylacteries went up in flames after all that happened?"

[Anastasia]

"Maybe, depends if they were there," Donald hums, as you feel a connection with him. A line of power, connecting you to him and others, glimpsed as you feel it thrum between the two of you. My blessing to you.

You cleared a node goal. Go read the update and post that you have in your next post.

[Corwin]

Seira extends her fist for Donald to bump. "Good times were had by all, except Lixer and family." As they clear the Cauldron's entrance, Seira nods at the guards and exerts her influence over her realm to form an animated scene of her dramatic confrontation with Lixer! Him standing there menacingly, her appearing out of shadows to stab and burn him, and Lixer fleeing after giving her that constipated-looking angry face.

"How about you? Any scene you'd like to immortalize for our visitors?" she offers to Donald, ready to draw upon her powers to make it happen.

Node read.

[Anastasia]

Donald starts to and pauses, "Hey Seira, did you feel something?"

Meanwhile you make the images as desired, appearing at your command.

[Corwin]

"You felt that, too?" Seira asks in surprise. "Maybe it's because I proxy'd you."

[Anastasia]

Note since I didn't include it and I probably should in node update posts: Donald got +1 strength there.

"..maybe? Hey, isn't that the sort of thing you should know?" Donald asks right back. "That was new to me, too."

[Corwin]

"I kept waiting for the right guy~" Seira delivers in sing-song. "And it only took him a couple decades to be halfway passable."

She raises an eyebrow, eyeing her outstretched fist. "Come on, don't keep a girl hanging. And give me a good battle scene from your side, so we have a fuller picture!"

[Anastasia]

A bump and a bump. Once done Donald hums, "Sure, it was probably nothing anyway," he says. "Here, I got Glasya once with a jumping slash across her forearm." Donald leaps and swings Guardianil, a short and sharp swing. "Yah! Like that. I think she meant to deflect it but it caught her just right."

[Corwin]

"Focus on the memory, I'll use my ridiculously unfair magic to draw it out of your current thoughts," Seira promises, doing just that. Once the image of Glasya's perfect skin being marred by Donald's expert hand joins the humiliation of Glasya's brother, Seira muses, "I do actually know what happened, if you're interested. Wanna hear about it?"

[Anastasia]

"Go on," Donald steps back and marvels at the image, smiling.

'Seira," Syala's voice sounds in your head. 'Have you felt any unusual sensations lately, a connection between you and another, and a possible gain of power?'

[Corwin]

'I have,' Seira responds. 'Hold on a sec, let me tie Donald into this as well since I was planning on doing it.'

As Seira proudly leads the way down the grand staircase inset into the Cauldron in homage to the Infinite Staircase, passing by colorful stalls that operate around the clock, she speaks in Syala and Donald's minds. 'I'm a goddess, and I'm saying this for Donald's benefit, since it means there is a part of me which is not just more than what I used to be as a mortal but utterly alien to it. It's the part that allows me to stay true to my ethos and to draw on the hopes and prayers of my faithful, as well as render them aid when I feel their need. Until now, I've only been able to do this when the need spikes or the amount of worshippers gathered together is great. Recently, however, I've started feeling the worries of my closest friends and family. I thought it was related to Amaryl being close to her own divinity until you contacted me, Syala. Am I to take it that you've experienced it as well?'

[Anastasia]

Noise.

The noise of people calling your name, of business done and concluded, of laughter and merriment, of the click of coins. Donald keeps on walking down the stair, Guardianil slung over his shoulder at a jaunty angle. He sidesteps a Waukeenite in rich robes, ducks past a dragonborn and then a mercane and elf squabbling over prices, all while others move out of your way in respect.

'Yes, myself and Alicia and now Latha and Alicia,' Syala sends back. 'This time Alicia got a new spell from Latha, her sunmantle spell.'

'Yeah, I feel stronger after it happened with Seira and I,' Donald says, then blinks, 'Please don't tell Elle if this got you pregnant, Seira. I'll be stuck sleeping on the floor for a month!'

[Corwin]

'Well, it's clearly not following my wishes, or Donald would be feeling wiser,' Seira muses, deciding to be upbeat rather than upset about the whole thing. 'I think he's my first strengthened link because I finally settled on a proxy before we went to Avernus, but I can definitely feel others. I hypothesize that others I'm close to would eventually manifest the same link, and it is merely a matter of time.'

All the practice in splitting her attention between multiple spells and later multiple selves has honed Seira's ability to smile at her guests and followers and greet them as she descends, stopping here and there to follow up on a previous inquiry as part of her effort of keeping a hands on job where it comes to her worshipers.

[Anastasia]

'We can only make miracles so large,' Syala banters back as Donald protests with a loud, mental, 'Hey!'

'Alright, I'll tell Alicia. Let us know if you come on anything else like that happening?'