Ready to roar

[Iron Dragoon]

Alyssa looks a little alarmed at that last part, "I think that'd cause a war."

[Corwin]

"I've done great things on my own, and I'm not just resting on my laurels," Seira tells Emily, deciding to be even more direct since she hadn't responded to her second question. "But I wasn't the sole savior of the children of Androlynne. I wasn't the one to triumph over Malmuth or the abominations from Beyond or the Neverborn. I haven't single-handedly saved my Prime of birth from the Dark Six. I rescued Zariel, which is something you might've missed while on Alyssa's Prime, but I hadn't done it myself either." She pulls Emily closer, running her free hand through her daughter's hair. "They are all still my triumphs, but I hadn't done them on my own. And I'll let you in on a little secret. I have never wished for that to have been the case, either. I was happy to fight alongside my comrades. The sense of accomplishment that comes from the sum being greater than its parts... it gives you a different sort of pride. One that I think it more real, one that you'll treasure forever. It's why the first rule is to always be ready to ask for help, not just while in mortal peril. It's bonds. That's the most important lesson, because it's the most powerful weapon in your arsenal."

Seira's true self peers over at Vayley in the meantime, before glancing over at Alyssa. "You know the risks of inviting me to step in more directly, while the benefits should be obvious. To name one, the Sharran will be cleansed. I'll leave the choice up to you, though you can defer answering until we're finished with dinner."

[Iron Dragoon]

"I'd have to defer further than that. While I'm the head of my Order, I don't rule it. The council will have to weigh in."

[Anastasia]

"So it's about bonds?" Emily finally says to you, "LIke the ones I'm making with Jarem and Alyssa?"

Meanwhile Vayley smile winsomely at Alyssa, all sharp teeth ready to eat anything.

[Corwin]

"Some bonds are enforced artificially, like that," Seira's avatar agrees. "The outside source must be Incarnation-level. But some bonds are like the bonds between you and Amaryl and I, or between you and Donald and Elle and Sanzha and Kascha and Xera and everyone else who loves you here. Some bonds can be formed out of a chance meeting, and some can be forged in battle. But their very existence means that seeking out solitary glory leads us down the wrong path."

"That's another thing," Seira muses to Alyssa. "The more information you tell them, the more likely it is that the Sharran will learn of it and make his or her own preparations. Even if you are certain of their character, they might have lovers or close friends, or let something slip in their sleep to a servant, or even be caught at a weak point and questioned with magic. If you don't rule over your Order while serving as its head, ask for provisional powers for the duration of the crisis to do just that. Ruling via committee during a true crisis rarely works well."

[Iron Dragoon]

Alyssa nods. "We have provisions for it, which is why I've been able to put the things into place that I have. But provisions like that can only be pushed so far before they snap back on you. We're discussing arranging a trip for the council to Celestia while the assassin is dealt with. It might be that they will agree to having someone come in to clean house, so to speak, while they're there, but I have to be cautious with it. If I don't get clear agreement, they could try to use it to unseat me, at which point it becomes easier for outsiders to interfere with the chaos however they'd like."

[Corwin]

"I never had to deal with that issue since I established my own academy, but exactly under which grounds can they remove you? From my information, even leaving aside being chosen by the dragon of perfection, from a purely secular viewpoint your grasp of magic outshines theirs by decades. In fact, your very presence on your world, as is my Emily's, I must admit, is nothing short of bullying compared to the abilities of Prime-bound mortals. Are those on your council extremely foolish or filled with a rare avarice, to dare chase you away?"

[Iron Dragoon]

"Practically, you're entirely right. If they wanted to unseat me and I chose to resist, there'd be little they could do outside of a complete assault. Even though I'm exceedingly powerful now, I'm not a deity, so the right spells in the right way would still eventually win out against me, though I have no idea what that would take on either side. There aren't any hard rules for it in the Order, as the situation has never happened before. However, the Order is the place I grew into my own and that, effectively, produced me and nurtured my talent. When I was newly empowered, they helped me develop and understand it, and even when you have power until that power is trained and understood, you're still vulnerable. They kept with me as one of their own. I'm loathed to shatter it simply to make it suit me better. It might be a matter of tradition, but most positions of power are that as well."

Alyssa pauses to take a drink, "Plus, if I were to simply disenfranchise them, I suspect quite a few of the council and order would go to the Mageorcracy out of spite, and with their resources, they might become a true threat."

[Corwin]

"Looked at from another angle, aren't you afraid of taking the next step?" Seira asks Alyssa. "It would involve taking responsibility for your entire Order, and might cut down on travel chances. Not a lot of those for the pure pleasure of traveling or to draw maps once the running of the entire thing rests squarely upon your shoulders."

[Iron Dragoon]

Alyssa smirks, "There might be a bit of keeping unfettered, too. Is it a surprise? I follow Shaundakul, after all. And regardless of my power, I'm no deity to have the Order follow me. We're mortals, and function as such. Though I've been worried about how the rest of the prime will react. I've asked Emily about demi-planes, just in case I have to break away clean."

[Corwin]

"You don't really need to be a deity to lead a small country. In fact, quite a lot of kings are upset at you right now for suggesting it!"

[Iron Dragoon]

"But that's another thing. We're not a country. We've no political influence anywhere. In fact, the only reason we're left alone is because of that. The rest of the prime has enough dealing with the Mageocracy."

[Corwin]

"Do you not have a defined land? A population that considers itself part of the whole? Leadership, laws, justice? Are you not bound together by a shared goal, a shared destiny? I would say you more than meet the criteria for a country."

[Iron Dragoon]

"All of that is true, but if the other lands leave us alone by not acknowledging it, well, then our research is done uninterrupted."

[Corwin]

"Astonishing." Seira finds herself briefly speechless, before changing topics. "I don't know much about this Mageocracy. What sort of power can they bring to bear? Do they follow mortal traditions and fight with armies of conscripted peasants augmented by casters who double as officers?"