The eternal battles forward

[Anastasia]

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

The bear stumbles. It falls flat on its face as it chases, and like a spring, Clara pounces before she even reaches the vines. It's one quick strike but a perfect one, the bear's brain given a new hole from Clara's rapier. That finishes the job as Clara sighs in utter relief. It's over.

Malcanthet catches it as they all watch. The doll is put on the table and Malcanthet lays a hand atop the orb. "The doll is not sexy." Instantly, with no magic from the orb or the doll, ti is different. It now wears silken lingerie and is much more filled out, a gorgeous imitation of an actual woman.

"The doll is affected by gravity." Malcanthet says next. A moment later the doll floats and drifts about, as if weightless and free to fly about.

Vlaakith's gaze is on the orb, stone silent, but she regards it herself.

"It is said something on the 666th layer can make all lies true and all truths lies," Malcanthet says, "This fragment of it has that same power." Slowly the doll floats in your general direction, at least until Syala snatches it out of the air and inspects it.

"No magic on it. Alicia?" she asks, passing it to you.

Takes 10 on all Spellcraft checks here.

[Ebiris]

Well done Clara! Now please don't end up getting killed by the assassin vines after that.

As for Alicia, has she seen any magic on the orb or the doll during any of this?

[20:07] <@Ebiris> roll 1d20+41 CL on arcane sight if needed
[20:07] <Penuche> Ebiris invokes Penuche's magic: < 57 > [d20=16]

[Anastasia]

There is - it's very, very sneaky. At least it works through the Weave. It just changes things. It's a magic sublime and terrible, something that seems to simply work in spite of any other logic.

"There is but one limitation. Do not use it on something three times." Malcanthet speaks, then, "The doll is purple." In that instant the doll is gone, as if it was never there. It reminds you of a blackball, but not quite. It comes from the inside out, not from the outside in.

[Ebiris]

"It uses magic, so it's no tool of the incarnations or their guardians like other things that have come from that layer," Alicia says right off. "An interesting curiosity however."

[Anastasia]

"It can be yours, too," Malcanthet says, "Away from grasping demonic hands who may do far, far, far worse with it than I ever would." She smiles ever so faintly now as she caresses the sphere with her hand. "Imagine what a clever fiend could do with the ability to transform the truth into a lie and lies into the truth."

There is something to this, Alicia. Something like this came up when Kina-ja finally made her move. To quote:

"6, 6, 6. She cannot defeat her nemesis. Not without aid. She sought what lies there and found it. He is many and none. His appearance and history are the greatest lies of all. He is the terminus. He is where it will end. He is one of hers. Do not speak his name. It is a lie. It is a lie wrapped in a lie, given to a lie told by a liar. Do not speak his realm's name, for it is lies from the liar. The absolute light can dissolve it, but it will fail when you need it most, because it is not your story. Kina-ja is truth, but her lies will become lying truths if not stopped. It is a sign that all lies will become real, and all truths will become lies. The terminus will swallow both."

We can't let Violet out.

I know. You remember what happened when Malcanthet interfered in the Kina-ja battle and what happened to Ithea. Her mind only barely survived.

Do you think Malcanthet used Kina-ja to get this?

I don't know. It's also not what's important - we need to reckon what the limits of this thing is first. Can you tell how far it goes, Alicia?

[Ebiris]

She wonders how the whole thing interacts with Antenora's ability to discern lies.

"Likely less than what even an unimaginative fiend could do with Violet's skills," Alicia observes. "Can it do anything of consequence or just parlour tricks?"

Since I can see the magic on the thing can I figure out its full capabilties and limitations?

[14:02] <@Ebiris> roll 1d20+74 spellcraft, divine insight
[14:02] <Penuche> Ebiris invokes Penuche's magic: < 75 > [d20=1]

[Anastasia]

Malcanthet snaps her fingers. With a soft clatter a silvered dagger drops onto the table. It is a holy dagger, enchanted with the power of the Heavens. With a hand on the orb, "This is a holy dagger." the succubus queen says. In that instant the dagger becomes darker. A shadowy shine to it, as it is now an unholy dagger.

"All truths will become lies," Malcanthet states, "Do you think it's limited to just parlor tricks?" Malcanthet then crooks a finger forward, "Come and try it."

You examine it. You believe it can affect objects of all kinds, but not living creatures. It seems like just a fragment of something larger, key pieces missing from it. The magic, dreadful as it is, is not complete.

[Ebiris]

"Antenora, hold this," Alicia creates a simple mace, a wooden haft and a sphere of iron for its head with a starburst of spikes protruding before holding it towards her friend. "Guard it as you would any prized possession."

Attended objects resisting magical effects as well as their owner does is a well understood phenomenon after all. Rising up, she walks around their table and crosses the room to Malcanthet's side, leaning forward to place her hand on the orb and seeing if she feels anything in particular from it before she says, "Antenora's mace is spiky."

[Anastasia]

Malcanthet watches you rather amusedly as Antenora holds the mace.

Nothing happens. The sphere itself feels like touching cold metal, but the mace doesn't change. "I felt something," Antenora agrees, "It tried, but being attended is sufficient to offer it protection."

"Mmm, yes," Malcanthet agrees. "A deific paladin would be able to resist such a thing. Hardly a surprise, it would take incredible power to affect you with anything."

[Ebiris]

She returns Malcanthet's amused look with an ambivalent one of her own, lifting her hand from the sphere and walking back to her seat between Antenora and Syala. "An interesting item for certain. You're not wrong that it could be useful even with its limitations. But ultimately it's not so dangerous as Violet is."

[Anastasia]

"It might not be," Malcanthet doesn't argue the point, "But that's only one thing I have to offer."

[Ebiris]

"But in the end can you offer anything that compares to what Violet represents? A number of legendary combatants limited only by how many warm bodies you can throw at her?" Alicia asks. "As a transcendent mage she's dangerous enough to make this negotiation unlikely, but it's her ability to multiply the power of any force she's aligned with so heavily that's the real sticking point here."

[Anastasia]

"I could offer you her services," Malcanthet suggests, "Imagine what you could gain from it."

[Ebiris]

"She already offered that herself, I'm aware of the downsides," Alicia makes a dismissive gesture with her hand. "It's fine if you don't care about the health of your servants... or your own," she looks dead on at Malcanthet there.

[Anastasia]

Malcanthet meets that gaze, and with a coy smile, "Is that a threat?"