Moving on

[Anastasia]

Jarem goes awfully quiet at that, "...and I heard Celestia's having some sort of religious event and there's been murmurings of war." He looks right at Alicia, "That's tied to it?"

[Iron Dragoon]

"I wonder if... There's a limit. One per benefactor... A benefactor's representative team? If the bond is through their power... How much of a strain, or restrictions, is there... Hmm... Jarem's begun researching the bond in earnest, would you mind answering his questions about it? If there are different benefactors, there might be differences in the bonds as well, and that could shed some light of its own."

[Ebiris]

"There are five, and you are the only one supported by Io, at least according to what Zaphkiel hinted. He was somewhat evasive when I asked him," Alicia clarifies. Then she looks at Jarem, "The war is one between Celestia and the Cauldron against the Efreet of the elemental plane of Fire. It's not connected at all with this. Chronias has been more radiant for weeks now."

[Iron Dragoon]

"Well, a sample group of five should be a gold mine for you, Jarem, if we can get them to agree to your investigation. Could the Efreet be getting moved by Shar? Her way of occupying these chosen few? If she's all but destined to win by prophecy, all she'd need to do is simply delay until the right time."

[Ebiris]

"No, the efreet tried to avoid the war," Alicia shakes her head. "Seira and Celestia are the ones who instigated it. Shar will certainly try to profit from it, but the war is for the cause of ending slavery - a great source of misery and hopelessness, the sort of thing that Shar celebrates."

[Anastasia]

"Which means we can imagine her meddling," Jarem remarks, "I do have questions. What do you know about triggering the occurrences of it, and have you noticed any pattern in what's done and what's gained?"

"It's this easy?" Ianvasah murmurs, "I learned so much in a mere hour and now more power comes flowing from Io?"

[Ebiris]

"As I said," Alicia looks at Jarem again, "During moments of personal development and resolve - such as settling on a course of action, or celebrating a deed that reasonates with your ideals. Generally it manifests in minor boons, improvements to one's panoply of magical equipment, or even the wholesale creation of magical items. Never anything on the scale of an artifact or a truly life-altering increase in power, just small incremental improvements. I believe they're simply to encourage personal development and growth in a manner that leaves us better prepared to face Shar."

While she also thinks it likely Zaphkiel will try and push Alyssa to divinity, she elects to keep quiet on that.

[Anastasia]

I'll go ahead and wait for Iddy here, mostly because I just flat had a reading failure for poor Jarem there. Whoops. Go ahead and reply, Idward.

[Iron Dragoon]

"Hm. Nudges to development after direct empowerment. Seems an odd step back. Or going back to working inside the rules. So, Shar. I don't know much of her movements. I'm still entirely new to the machinations of those at this level. I've recently tasked Emily and Jarem to hunt for Sharran enclaves on this world, and was going to head out to meet the Red Knight shortly to discuss things with her. Should we not include her in this? Or Shaundakul since he's who I worship?"

[Anastasia]

Jarem seems content to consider that, listening.

[Ebiris]

"We've no conflict with either but nor do we have any strong relationship with them," Alicia admits freely. "To be frank, everyone has an interest in stopping Shar - that Zaphkiel is invested in Sylica and Io is invested in your school here is immaterial when we have our own agency. Those nudges and boons don't compare to hard won experience and the earned camaraderie of having fought side by side. So while I'm willing to support your efforts, I don't intend to supplant your existing patrons."

[Iron Dragoon]

Alyssa nods. "I don't have an issue with that, other than to not that the Red Knight's domains will likely prove very valuable to any combined effort we may decide on in the future. As I"ve told Sylica, I'm working on turning my Order into a nation. This takes a significant amount of resources and attention. I won't ask for your help in that, but advice on how to improve myself or other things to focus on would be a wonderful boon. I don't exactly have a guide book for being a mortal in the company of gods."

[Ebiris]

"The best advice I can give is don't get tied to a desk or a throne," Alicia says, holding Alyssa's gaze. "You can learn a lot in statecraft that way, and I'm sure this school has no end of educational tomes, but true growth comes from struggle. Test your limits, find wrongs worthy of your power to set right, find foes who can match your strength and defeat them anyway. Only in pushing yourself past what you believe you're capable of will you live up to the expectations now on you."

[Anastasia]

"Like smiting Sharrans," Emily adds in here, "That's always good for growing."

[Iron Dragoon]

"Well... I have plans to head the Order... Until it becomes stable as a nation. I've already had strong thoughts on abdicating on e that's accomplished, though. The horizon gets further the deeper into a chair you sit, after all. I invite you to contact me with any guidance you might have. The Red Knight has given me good advice I think has led to solid growth, and I hope you will as well."

Turning to Emily, "This is certainly going more smoothly than the dinner."