Walking to Rosewater

[Ebiris]

"That's quite a catch, she's competitive with Aurora's generals from what I heard," Alicia says. "Good showing by Violet to take her out so easily. She's also unlikely to be missed too much so we can't really leverage that. What about the monk?"

[Anastasia]

A monk. A beaten, broken, faceless thing tossed in, wrapped in chains. It is human sized and twitches on the ground, blood dribbling from various wounds. A confident voice is heard, if the speaker is not seen.

"Near as I can tell, it's 'loth problems," The masculine voice says, "Don't have a name to put to the lack of face, but me money's on a half blood augmented further. Put up a hell of a fight, only got 'em because he blew his energy facing down that kraken. Dead by the way, confirmed the kill."

Violet looks the creature over, a hand laid on his head as words of magic are murmured. "Stop that." A single command, uttered peevishly.

"Yeah, yeah, m'lady bitches and whines," The voice laughs before, "Is this better, Violet? I get results, once again. The 'loth's just a bonus."

"No name, no identity," Violet hmms, "He has memories, there's simply not much there. He got put in the Styx at least once already, on purpose no less. Wipe away the past and train him as an unthinking weapon, no identity at all? Robeaux, kindly see to the rest of his kin. The Unnamed Monastery, it's hidden past the Corpse Grove. Work it out and kill all of them. I have no need for second rate imitators.."

"Hardly the same thing," Robeaux replies, almost flippant, "Fine, I'll see to it. Won't be cheap or easy if he's any sign of it."

"Get it done," Violet repeats, "If anyone resists your efforts here, kill them."

[Ebiris]

Any knowledge on the unnamed monastery?

[Anastasia]

K:P works unless you have K:L for Hades.

[Ebiris]

Take 10 for 100 on a buffed up planes check then.

[Anastasia]

You've heard whispers of it, unconfirmed stories.

Monasteries that destroy the mind again and again, the Styx washing away everything but hard won skill. Whispers of clans of monk-assassins who know nothing but the arts of death and murder, personality-less killers and enforcers. Sometimes put to the 'loths, sometimes Shar, sometimes other things yet. A sort of death nihilism, where all becomes lost in favor of molding them into assassins.

Knowing the 'loths at least, some version is likely true, though this certainly would lean towards confirming it.

[Ebiris]

"No story behind that one, whoever it was had long ago been washed away by the Styx. Can't gauge the talent either," Alicia says. "Ask Marie's question about the skills working through avatars?"

[Anastasia]

As Naeys does so, "Not unexpected," Antenora says, "So Malcanthet has the skills of a monk and a sorceress now as well." She considers this a brief time, "That will complicate any battle with her greatly, though not past manageability."

[Ebiris]

"The problem - that I was actually looking forward to educating Violet on, is that even with all those talents and skills, there's a limit to what you can do at once," Alicia says. "I'd rather fight one person with the skills of five, than the original five."

"To a point, but there are synergies. Malcanthet can dodge better now, or land a lot more deadly punches and claws if she comes at your flank,, and she'll have more beneficial spells cast ahead to make herself stronger," Marie points out. "I mean combining physical and magical strength is your entire thing, Alicia."

"Well yes, but still there are limits," Alicia insists. "And some things don't synergise nearly as well. Violet's bragging about her druidic magic earlier for instance, fighting a sorcerer and a druid at once is more dangerous than fighting a person who can simply cast a lot of spells from either tradition. The skills she gave to Malcanthet unfortunately do merge well together with her original abilities."

[Anastasia]

"Malcanthet is no fool," Syala concurs, "Violet was likely drunk on power, or sees something we don't."

"Either way," Latha says, "This art cannot be allowed to go on, no matter how useful it is. It is an abomination."

[Ebiris]

They need to learn all they can from Violet to do that, so... avatars, do they benefit? It's a trivial question but it was asked and there's no harm in knowing.

[Anastasia]

"Lovely," Malcanthet's voice, Violet's eyes closed but heard. "It works all across now, with the adjustments and adaptations."

A simple snippet this time, little else.

[Ebiris]

Alicia nods. "Ask if the grafted skills can be improved naturally as the recipient trains and grows in power?"

[Anastasia]

Another memory. Cuddling in bed, nude and warm. Malcanthet holds Violet as she asks her, "And improvement?"

To this Violet smiles, "Difficult in the extreme. It may not be impossible, but it would take an extraordinarily long time. Or more honestly, impossible for lessers. But for you, Malcanthet?"

The smile you get back is all the answer Violet needed, apparently.

[Ebiris]

"They're very lovey-dovey in these moments, aren't they? If you forget who they are it's almost sweet," Marie speaks up.

"Can see why Violet was so sure Malcanthet would be charging to the rescue, I suppose," Alicia says more neutrally. She can see Malcanthet doing all sorts of intimate things but always with a dark twist. Cuddling just feels sublimely wrong. "Lets get back to today's events. What was the overall plan for their trap and the aftermath?"