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[Corwin]

"Obviously, although to my regret I can't use it effortlessly yet," Seira responds. "That said, I'm not aware of anything that ends it early short of antimagic. Is that the answer here?"

[Anastasia]

"Yes. Sometimes the hammer you have is the hammer you need," Chrona states, "It's the simplest way by far."

[Corwin]

Surrounding herself with an aura of antimagic, Seira attempts to step forward!

[Anastasia]

And like that you advance forward smoothly, no resistance at all.

Atop the stairs is a room with a simple shield, made of steel and wood. It awaits you.

Kascha follows, writing away all the while.

[Corwin]

Seira cheerfully examines the shield!

[Anastasia]

Shield of Yesterday

This shield is a heavy steel shield+2 in the present. When in the past, it becomes a heavy steel shield+8, temporal fortress. A temporal fortress weapon grants a +6 bonus to saves versus chronomancy.

[Corwin]

"You just know this and the sword are going to get used," Seira mutters, before stepping back into the past to practice a bit with her new toys. The shield is animated to float protectively at her side, while she summons a melee training dummy sufficiently warded that it won't collapse from a single strike.

[Anastasia]

You find them to be finely made and balanced arms and armaments.

As you do Kascha watches, "Hmmm, this has been really informative. Thank you," she turns to Chrona. "I've learned so much. Haven't you, Seira?"

[Corwin]

"Definitely," Seira agrees, freshening herself up with magic. "Is there more to find here, or are we done for now?" she asks Chrona. There will always be a chance to ask for a refresher, or join Amaryl on her own excursion, after all.

[Anastasia]

"You're done," Chrona says, "Someone will contact you shortly about the agreement you made."

[Corwin]

"Thanks!" Seira chirps, and then decides to use this chance to explore a few other variants via her book.

Seira takes a look at a timeline where she made a different choice in seeking Akil bin Faheem out to size him prior to meeting with the sultan during the summit. When his offer came much sooner, and she and Barachiel agreed to work with him to depose the Sultan and achieve their goals....

I want to see whether I can make an alternate history with two consecutive differences.

The next timeline, once the book had been recharged, explores Seira convincing Istishia to let the various sides choose their own allegiance in the Abolition War.

Another timeline, after a fresh recharge, looks into Seira and Amaryl stubbornly staying at Lathander's side rather than withdrawing with his proxy during the confrontation with Mephistopheles.

A final timeline explores the consequences of Seira succeeding to trap more of Zariel's divine essence after their flight from Avernus.

Effectively, DvR1 Zariel from the point of rescue.

[Anastasia]

Choosing two separate differences doesn't seem to work - it goes right to fog and indistinctness.

As Chrona watches, you try the second one. You are able to see forces rise and go forth - and the moment Water steps into Fire, it becomes too indistinct to read, all at once.

The third one is fairly short: Mephisto ultimately chooses to withdraw and from the book's text, Lathander was 'genuinely angry and driven to wrath' towards you, thoughts towards what he had lost and come close to regaining in a moment. Relations between the House of Nature and the Cauldron cool rapidly.

Finally, it doesn't look different from here, at least greatly. Perhaps Zariel's time has not yet come.

[Corwin]

About the last one, was it actually possible to gather the divine essence better? I'm curious about pointers for how I could've done that (or could do it in the future).

Seira tries two more timelines to compensate for the first failure! In one, she keeps the first divergence of meeting with Akil to size him up during the summit.

In the other, her change is solely that Akil approaches Celestia after the attack upon it by Fire's forces got repelled.

[Anastasia]

The book doesn't go into enough detail there.

History doesn't seem to meaningfully change from that meeting - but then again, it wasn't far past and war was probably inevitable with the personalities involved.

The second shows that Celestia essentially rejects the offer, as it did before. Not a huge amount of change.

[Corwin]

The book is recharged in case Amaryl wants to play with it, and then Seira waves at Chrona and takes herself and Kascha home!