The duty to live

[Anastasia]

The subtle buzz of his voice is joined by the perfect passion of it, enthralling love and glory in every word. Yet as you have grown, you can hear the faintest sound of metal clanging beneath it. As you do, you notice a robed, hooded creature of no notices hides in the Lord of the Seventh's shadow, writing away all the while. Surgat, you recall from your previous encounter.

"Antenora. Latha. Jessica. Marie. Six in total now - an unfortunate number." The Lord of the Seventh observes quietly. "But I doubt you and yours would stop at only six."

[Ebiris]

"I've never much cared for numerology," Alicia says freely, not protesting Surgat's presence. "Six is sufficient for the moment, but the future remains to be seen... however that's not why we're here. Your message spoke of shared enemies to cooperate against?"

[Anastasia]

"Do tell," Syala agrees.

"One of the Shadow Twelve was discovered and captured by my servants," The Lord of the Seventh continues. "The information taken from him is an assault on us both."

[Ebiris]

"You have my attention," Alicia says, this being good news of a sort. "Is he a proxy as well?" she asks.

[Anastasia]

"No," The Lord of the Seventh says, as he passes over a purple crystal to your hand. "Look yourself."

[Ebiris]

Alicia accepts the crystal and...

Take 10 for spellcraft 84 with divine insight so I can ID its use method and ensure it's safe before using it. Probably just have to look at it, but y'know. Actually it might be a soul trap gem with the dude inside now I think of it.

[Anastasia]

Focus on it and it works. It's also safe from all appearances, nothing tricksy or fancy here you can detect. It's also not a soul gem, it merely holds memories.

[Ebiris]

Alicia thus focuses!

[Anastasia]

Diagrams. Arcane drawings. Images.

Images of Liberton, of the Wychwoods, of the Opal Mountain. Complexities and insights of vast understanding of divine realms - this cannot be a mortal's work. No. A deity had a hand in this, so great is the comprehension. As you peruse them, you see a pattern. A connection, a sympathetic working. An effort to connect the old master with the new masters.

A natural explosion of energies, as evil and good clash.

The one mercy is that your arcane and planar lore tells you this was a doomed effort. It is not possible, not at least from what is here.

"This scheme is foolishness as it stands now. Imperfect meanderings of a defective mind, but one given far too much information. That this fool was found investigating Maladomini is his mistake, one I will correct for him." The Lord of the Seventh continues.

Syala's silent, "I see why you contacted us," she says at last, to break the silence of studying the crystal. "In other words, don't give a fool a chance to get lucky and do something we think is impossible. A fool's mission, unless Shar knows something we don't."

[Ebiris]

"I wouldn't put it past her," Alicia concedes, handing the crystal back after she and Syala have studied its contents. "Whether there's a method she has to make this work, or else a provocation to lure us into something. The fact that this member of the shadow twelve was not entrusted with a spark of her divinity does suggest he was made expendable for the effort."

Also it suggests their counter-intelligence efforts aren't up to snuff that someone of hostile intent was able to gather so much information right under their noses.

[Anastasia]

"Precisely." The Lord of the Seventh agrees, the faint buzzing sound around him like a gentle drone to his words. It almost lulls you - almost. "This member will not be a concern any further."

[Ebiris]

Alicia stays sharp and focused. Shared enemies or not she's sitting within striking distance of an immensely powerful evil right now after all.

"Were you able to extract meaningful information from him as to the origin of the scheme and its timescale?" she asks. "Incidentally, which one was it?" Dragodan gave a summary of all the others it would be worth noting what skillset has been lost from Shar's cause now.

[Anastasia]

Syala tenses as at the same time, "Penae," Is the Lord of the Seventh's answer, as the clang of metal is heard as well as that perfect voice, almost like a gorgeous song.

[Ebiris]

Penae was identified as 'she' by Dragodan, and Beezlebub earlier identified his captive as 'him'. Checking in case this is DM oversight before I call him out.

[Anastasia]

That's intentional, yes. Call out away.