A light filled wandering

[Iron Dragoon]

Nah, not really. Just regular stuff.

[Anastasia]

Thus you take your allies to Io's abode. On reaching the stairs Dolmaya looks around, "Whatever are we going to meet here?" she finally asks, as Bastian merely follows.

[Iron Dragoon]

"Our patron, so to speak."

Alyssa heads up!

[Anastasia]

On and up, up and on.

It is then that you arrive. It is then that Dolmaya comes to a complete stop and Bastian stares, as the full size of Io looms far above the party. "Alyssa," he says quietly, "You have returned."

"Io," Dolmaya manages to get out, though nothing else. Instead she bows to him, "Dragonfather."

Bastian merely takes it in stride with a breath, "Io, is it?" Bastian bows deeply, letting that stand on its own.

[Iron Dragoon]

"I have. These are my new companions. We needed a safe place to explain everything to them, and I wanted to consult you about an issue."

[Anastasia]

"Then speak," Io invites to you.

[Iron Dragoon]

Alyssa turns to the others, "I was chosen by Lord Io here to be part of a struggle against Shar. She's been empowered to destroy all of Creation. All of it. Ao's grown tired of it and has appointed Shar to destroy everything and everyone. Seira is another who's been appointed to help stop that. There are others, and we're all working separately for the same goal, helping each other as needed. Lord Io's told us about something called The One, a sort of... Higher and alternate power to divinity, which I am aiming for. Any questions so far?"

[Anastasia]

"...many," Dolmaya says, "Finish first." Her voice is short, to the point, commanding you to simply, "Explain."

Bastian crosses his arms, "Go on," he says with a grunt.

[Iron Dragoon]

Alyssa chuckles.

"My Order had a test to achieve rank. It was a labyrinth that turned out to be the lair of one of Lord Io's aspects. I was the first to actually get through the labyrinth and find that aspect. As such, Lord Io here granted me power, which is how I gained the magic I have.

He's been gone out into the... whatever it is beyond Creation to learn more of what is. Ao made Creation for a purpose but has now grown bored of it. He wants to free himself of it, or to start over, I'm not really sure. But either way, he's granted Shar power and purpose to destroy it all. But it seems like by doing so, he's giving Creation a chance to save itself. Namely, us.

Each of the chosen champions like Seira and myself are creating groups to fight against her. Each of us was chosen for a reason. Lord Io picked me because of sheer, raw potential. This is part of why I'm able to, with some difficulty, learn the Words of Creation even though I'm not exactly the most sanctified person to try. It also helps with how wide my range of skills are, and my views on Creation, Good, Evil, Law, and Chaos, I believe.

Shar targeted me before, but I don't think she's fully aware of what I am, or it would have been a significantly more focused effort than a single assassin. That, however, gave me enough time and room to get things established and to leave my plane. No one outside of the chosen few and their groups, like you, know any of this. And to speak of it outside of here, or Moore's home, is to alert Ao and Shar."

[Anastasia]

"Which means you must not, on pain of the death of everything," Io intones, "This is the gravest commandment I give you: Do not speak of this. Do not speak of this save in places of absolute security, such as here."

Dolmaya nods tersely, "What else, then?"

[Iron Dragoon]

"That's about it. The bond we share is some expression of the power and the struggle, but other than that... Just defeat Shar and disrupt Ao's plans. Now's the time to ask questions."

[Anastasia]

"So," Dolmaya begins to tick off fingers, "We have to kill Shar, stop Ao and somehow save Creation. That's the summary?"

[Iron Dragoon]

Alyssa claps and smiles happily, "Yes?"

[Anastasia]

A long breath in and out, "Insanity! How? How can we even contemplate such a thing? You may as well ask the sun and stars to come dance at your command, then have the oceans go embrace a snowstorm!" Dolmaya declares.

Bastian is silent, watching, perhaps lost in his own thoughts.

"We're getting stronger for now," Emily says, "More's coming later."

[Iron Dragoon]

Alyssa raises an eyebrow, "You have something more important to do? You have two choices: do nothing and die, try and maybe win. Unless you have a better option?"