The laughter of oblivion

[Anastasia]

Loot.

[Ebiris]

"All this time..." Alicia marvels quietly. "I wore you in front of Mystra and never any clue. Alright, lets try a fresh start together." She plucks off Exoticist's Friend to put in the portable hole and slots the True Ring of Eternal Celerity on her finger.

"Marie, are we still on course?"

[Anastasia]

"It's said the God-King defeated Mystra with the Fairest Star," Latha matches that marvel, "Perhaps he defeated her again by hiding that?"

[Ebiris]

"I'm sure he had the ability, but still... all these years wearing it and I never knew. I just thought it had a bad attitude," Alicia says as Marie starts guiding them onwards to Memorial again through the now hopefully calmer Bytopia.

[Anastasia]

The ring's power fills you, bolsters you.

Alicia gains the following benefits:

Her paladin level is treated as 10 higher for the sake of smite evil, both for daily uses and damage.
Spell power rises by 3 and now also applies as a bonus to damage for any duskblade spell you cast.
Mettle becomes improved mettle.
Your caster level for sorcerer spells rises by 2.

[Ebiris]

This would indeed have been good to have years ago. A fresh start is a nice thing!

Now they just need to get to Memorial and overcome whatever challenges await them there.

[Anastasia]

"I never would have imagined," Latha admits. Now Bytopia is quiet - dark and cloudy, but it's not expanding any further. It's just...quiet. Quiet as a graveyard at midnight.

"Alicia," Latha asks, "Is it worthwhile for you?"

[Ebiris]

"Oh yes, now it's bolstering me considerably in myriad ways," Alicia says. "The tales of its owner single-handedly decimating entire fortresses during the war make more sense now."

"You always had such a grudge against that ring, didn't you?" Marie asks.

"Marie. It's just a magic item, having a grudge would have been silly," Alicia chastises her without actually saying yes or no.

[Anastasia]

"It's okay, Alicia can be silly without admitting it," Latha says warmly, "She's good at that."

[Ebiris]

"Seira and Demedais had their fabulous resort sword and shield, you wanted something special too didn't you?" Marie presses with a sly smile.

"Well, I managed just fine either way, wouldn't you say?" Alicia replies, fighting back her own smile to maintain a composed demeanour.

[Anastasia]

Latha reaches out and gently ruffles Alicia's hair. "They got a fancy sword and shield, you got all of us. Dear Alicia, I say that you came out on top in that exchange."

[Ebiris]

"Well said Latha!" Alicia nods briskly, putting up with the ruffle of her silky black hair. "That's exactly why I'm all the more enriched for having you with me."

[Anastasia]

"Yes. But Alicia...do smile." With her own smile, you feel Latha's divine will, as little tickles spread all over you, as if you're being tickled by a dozen skilled hands.

[Ebiris]

Alicia's expression does break a little bit into a smile before her own divine will flexes to ward off those tickles. "Yes but remember we're approaching a Memorial. Lets try and have a little decorum?"

"You're right. It's nice to relieve the tension but... lets not have Bytopia think we're taking it lightly after we just made progress," Marie says, looking up at the inverted landscape above them.

[Anastasia]

You look up.

Hills.

In the hills are burrows. So many little burrows. Marie's divine vision can see more. Each burrow is a home, a home to gnomes. A family of gnomes, burrow after burrow near each other and linked, stretching as far as Marie can see. An entire community thriving and alive - and in a moment it fades, a distant memory bleached out.

You hear the gentle murmurs of family, home and hearth. The happiness of children as they play, the contented sounds of family enjoying a meal together. Gnomes tucked into their warm beds in their deep, safe burrows. All a momentary glimpse Marie gets.

Sorrow.

Sorrow fresh and pure is felt, like an echo of tears that resonates throughout her.