Advancement

[Ebiris]

'Can you tell me what you plan, then?' she asks. 'You know my coming here wasn't coincidence. Mystra was concerned over what your presence could portend and asked me to investigate for her.'

[Anastasia]

'I must go and learn, act and be. I must be.' The creature says, 'Everything will come from that.'

[Ebiris]

'Where will you go, then?'

[Anastasia]

'Where all refugees wander to find a plane: The Astral.'

[Ebiris]

'Then I wish you safe travels. Seira would surely welcome you at her Cauldron, and you are free to visit Sylica as I said before. Good luck, and - if you'll allow my preference? Be more like Sylvie and Canderella than Gathgorian,' Alicia stands to the side, symbolically offering a free pass out of the Deep Stacks.

[Anastasia]

Here the being pauses.

'Gathgorian hates you,' He says, 'But more than that, he pities you.'

[Ebiris]

She cocks her head to the side. 'An interesting insight. Does he pity me for my wrong-headedness, or for my eventual fate?'

[Anastasia]

'He sees that you have no future.' Is the answer you get.

[Ebiris]

'Then he is blind,' Alicia replies to that. She's not conceited, but her understanding of reality is superior to that of a blinkered devil, even one shepherded to becoming One by Eblis's tuition.

[Anastasia]

'...no.' Here the being warns you, 'The terror of Gathgorian is that he is not blind at all. He sees more than most. He has obtained a great drive and greater purity of purpose.'

[Ebiris]

That sort of single focus can more easily blind one to the bigger picture, Alicia thinks. But still, 'Then what in particular lends him to believe I have no future?'

[Anastasia]

'...I don't know,' Is the answer at last, 'Only that he is certain of it.'

[Ebiris]

'There is much that he does not know himself. Still.... thank you. For warning me. I will take it in the spirit it's given,' Alicia inclines her head towards the androgynous being.

[Anastasia]

A nod given in return, 'I wish to go to the Astral now. How can I best get there?'

[Ebiris]

Alicia casts a gate spell, aiming for the middle of nowhere in the astral. They'll know how it works to get anywhere once on the other side. 'You can use that.'