The eternal battles forward

[Ebiris]

She can't fault Vlaakith for the decor, even the text is well represented. Looking back at Malcanthet with her own singularly unimpressed gaze, her eyes flick to the side when the gith queen makes her appearance. Walking over she claims the middle seat for herself at their side, waiting for Malcanthet to do the same. "Well, you invited us here Malcanthet. Lets hear it," she invites.

[Anastasia]

Syala takes your right side and Antenora your left. You notice the holy symbols match that seating order precisely.

"We're ever so ready to hear it," Syala says, a hint of sweet sarcasm in her voice. "Do tell."

Malcanthet sits and smiles, comfortable in her chair. "Worry not, Vlaakith dear. You need not mediate much here, we can handle this from here."

Vlaakith merely stays where she sits, and in a soft, raspy voice declares, "Then speak," she commands openly, unimpressed by the succubus queen - or the three of you, for that matter.

"First of all, we can both agree the Adversary used both of our sides," Malcanthet offers, an open question to you.

[Ebiris]

"What of it?" Alicia asks back, leaning forward with an elbow on that ornamented wooden table. "All of us sought to gain something from that whole endeavour, none of us are friends. He just managed to achieve the most for the least effort."

[Anastasia]

"Isn't that just infuriating?" Malcanthet says, a faint scowl on her face as she leans forward, both elbows on the table. "Again, a devil uses others." A look dead at Antenora at that.

Antenora returns that look without the slightest hesitation. "Isn't that just infuriating? A succubus harlot tries to manipulate others instead of seeking atonement for her sins and her slutty choice of outfit."

Syala smiles tightly at that, "Malcanthet, dear, she is so right. How many times have we seen this now? Frankly, G'renna was better at it than you were. At least she kissed Alicia. We'll deal with the Adversary as we see fit when we see fit." She reclines back on her chair, a catty little smile on her face. "Your revenge is your own business. But I'm sure you're used to taking care of your own business after another in a long line of failures and rejections, hm?"

[Ebiris]

Did Syala really have to bring that up?

"It was annoying but these things happen. Did you invite us here just to vent and commiserate?" she asks to try and get things on some kind of track.

Really she's far more annoyed at Malcanthet predicting her actions so well to set that whole Violet empowering scheme up, the Adversary's hand in it all was far more expected double dealing.

[Anastasia]

Malcanthet's expression become stony for a few moments before she nods. "Let's get to the point," she agrees. "I want Violet back and I'm going to give you enough to make that happen."

[Ebiris]

"Are your stolen monk and sorcerer powers not enough for you, or is it just for want of a good mage?" Alicia asks. "Violet is already far stronger than any of your other radiant sisters - and I'm sure new ones coming in to replace the old are even further behind. Add in just how destabilising her Styx techniques are in general? No, I'm quite happy to keep her out of circulation for the foreseeable future."

[Anastasia]

"Then I'll just have to...convince you," Malcanthet says, "Tell me, Alicia, how much is the peace of mind knowing I will no longer darken your doorstep worth to you?"

"A promise to leave us alone?" Syala asks back, "There's just so many other poor souls you can go after, though."

[Ebiris]

"And so many catspaws you can plague us with whenever the mood strikes," Alicia adds. "Such a promise is worthless, I'm afraid."

Rather than just let Malcanthet keep lobbing offers at them she asks her in turn, "Aren't Violet's simulacra good enough for doing her work anyway? The one I slew seemed to manage fine for empowering that customer I found her with." No one's claimed the bounties she put up on killing them either, yet.

[Anastasia]

"They are...." Malcanthet pauses, "Indisposed."

"So someone stuck a knife in their back?" Syala asks back, drumming her fingers on the table.

Meanwhile you hear a familiar voice amid your prayers. Clara prays, "Alicia, Alicia, Alicia," rather needily, as you see her sprint across a long chasm, running on a downed, rotted tree. Hot behind her is a dire bear, on its hind legs and following with surprising speed. Clara's bloodied already, a claw-gash on her forearm that spills blood down to her hand. "Don't let me become a bear's lunch," she pleads.

That's when the bear lets out a puff of green acid, which Clara dodges. Mostly. A bit still stings her back, but she's still running.

[Ebiris]

Wait, Alicia remembers something like that. But wasn't that dragon out in the jungles west of Kelara?

Is there more than one? How awful!

In any case she roots for Clara and acts only subtly, ensuring the tree now further weakened by acid doesn't break until she makes it to the other side. At that point nature can take its course and hopefully it'll collapse and send the bear down with it to the bottom of the chasm.

Anyway, she's pleased to hear that bit of news from Malcanthet. "I can see how they wouldn't be popular, even if by association."

[Anastasia]

> roll 1d100 low is good
<Penuche> Kotono invokes Penuche's magic: < 4 > [d100=4]

It works perfectly. Clara just barely hops off and then the tree gives way with a snap of wood, and down the bear plummets. Clara collapses her knees and breaths heavily, hand on her wounded arm. Gentle light mends the wound as she prays, "Thank you thank you thank you thank you," she blurts out. "The next time I'm in Balmuria I'll make the biggest donation I c...Lizard shit!"

Clara has a problem. The bear slowly flies back up, wings extending from its back that weren't there moments ago. On the plus side, it's visibly banged up and has a bleeding wound on its hip now. "I hate dragons," she groans, before leaping up and fleeing, the bear in pursuit. She draws her rapier and glances back as she flees, "Saint Alicia, what is wrong with dragons?!" she wails again.

Meanwhile, on your matter of focus, Malcanthet smiles icily. "It is unfortunate, but needs are what needs are," she says, "I have all sorts of holy weapons and trinkets heroes so graciously give me as presents," she declares. "I even have a wonderful two bladed sword that would be perfect for you. Would you like to see it?"

[Ebiris]

She has a wider look around Clara's area so she can try nudging her towards anything that might help provide a distraction or hazard for the bear while being theoretically safe for Clara. She really has gotten herself in it, hopefully her party's okay.

"Malcanthet," she interrupts softly, weighing that offer up against the one she was recently given of a sword with no equal promised by the Guardian at Bytopia. "We both know, Violet's the sort of talent that doesn't even come around every millennia. Not only is she a mage with personal power that few can match outside gods and demon lords, her ability to freely copy the power of those once every millennia talents to your other followers makes her an absolute game-changer in any balance of power. I can understand why you'd want to have her back, and so I can't understand why you'd offer 'trinkets' for such a prize."

[Anastasia]

With a little smile, "Have we beaten you so badly you truly have nothing superior to offer us?" Antenora asks. "You can just say so."

Malcanthet meets your gaze, smile dimming away. "How about....this?" A soft question. Before you Malcanthet places a perfect black sphere on the table, perhaps the size of both of your fists. It floats there, not the slightest reaction to anything.

"Which is?" Antenora says, but her voice has a note of wariness now. "Do you wish to pass us Shar's rejects?"

"It's not Shar's," Is Malcanthet's smile, "It's a piece of some black thing, from the 666th layer of the Abyss. I'll show you how it works. Create me some minor trinket or object."

Clara is meanwhile deep in Pallanth. Her party is over a mile away, enjoying lunch together. There's only one hazard ahead - some assassin vines lurking on the only footpath ahead.

[Ebiris]

Any discernible magic on the orb?

In any case, Alicia creates a plush doll fashioned to look somewhat like Malcanthet. It's entirely wholesome, wearing a black dress over its rounded body, no meaningful anatomical features but boasting cloth wings and tail and horns to go with its button eyes and stitched on smile. Hefting it up she tosses it across the room to Malcanthet's table.

Meanwhile she watches Clara's progress and if she fails to spot the assassin vines will give her a little prod of danger before she enters their striking range. She should be able to figure out what to do from there.