The duty to live

[Anastasia]

An independent Marie. We're all doomed.

> roll 1d20+5
<Kobot> Kotono rolled 1d20+5 --> [ 1d20=11 ]{16}

Round 1: It indeed has thoughts.[/i]

The spider skitters back from you, a hissing language Marie can easily understand. "No! I didn't bring a prisoner!"

[Ebiris]

She waited a couple of rounds before revealing herself so that they'd be on round 3 and surface thoughts when conversation begins.

[Anastasia]

Okay. Round 2: Intelligence 11.

Round 3: It's panicking and wondering what you're talking about.

[Ebiris]

"Then you don't recognise this?" Marie holds up the box. "It was in your sack." Said sack is now vanishing since she's no longer concentrating on the illusion.

[Anastasia]

A blank stare, "No! We just grabbed whatever we could when we fled," is the answer. "In case we needed money!"

[Ebiris]

"Hmm," Marie hums, but since she doesn't sense any deception in the spider's thoughts she's fine with it. "In that case I'd like to buy it from you. This is a magically enhanced re-usable spell component for the Trap the Soul spell, one that's currently in use and holding someone."

How much would the box be worth for sale? She'll make use of Sylica's limitless wealth to buy it at a fair price.

[Anastasia]

400k is ballpark.

The spider regards you, "Could you help us set up a lair instead? A big lair for many eggs where no one will hunt us?"

[Ebiris]

"This is worth a lot of money, so that's worth a really good lair," Marie agrees with those terms. "Do you prefer forest or underground?"

[Anastasia]

"Both?" It asks right back. "Forest that has caves?"

[Ebiris]

"I can make that happen," Marie agrees. "Keep following the river that way," she points further up along Sylica's border with Ysgard. "You see those woods there? They'll be set up and waiting for when you get there."

Then she can teleport ahead and alter the divine reality of Sylica to make a nice cave network underneath the forest for the spiders to lair in.

[Anastasia]

The spider goes off and...

Before I move you along, anything special about the lair?

[Ebiris]

Not really, she's just setting up the space for them to then web up and furnish how they like. Plenty of natural water sources underground for them. She'll get some local phase spiders over to help with acclimatising them afterwards.

Then of course she's going to let Hund of Pargal out.

[Anastasia]

The lair is set up easily enough.

Thus Marie lets out the soul of Hund. It flees from the container and floats there a few moments, wisps of memory and meaning. You can almost feel an entire lifetime pass before you as it does, all before the soul flies off and away, towards the Yggdrasil.

[Ebiris]

Doesn't the material body usually reform when that happens? Well, Yggdrasil should welcome him, it's fine with Marie really. She'll go put the box away somewhere safe and go get praised by Alicia for her good work!

[Anastasia]

As Marie goes, she hears a particular prayer from Lysanderoth. 'Heaven's helper, help me break through!' He's training away hard on Ice, the cold bitter and sharp around him.

At the same time Alicia gets a message.

Jessica will cease.

She may continue if you successfully determine whom has falsely implicated Imix to the Queen of Air and Darkness, as well as to Sylica, and then inform me of who dares.