Shadow rondo

[Anastasia]

What a fascinating idea. Accepted.

[Ebiris]

No sense wasting time, so Alicia's avatar goes to retrieve Violet and G'renna's soul crystals from their prison underneath Penance. Perhaps there's more hope for them if they're out and have freedom to reflect on their actions, but sending them back to Shendilvari likely isn't going to give them much quality introspection.

Regardless, she made a deal, and it was true from her end despite all the lies around it. Her actions have meaning and thus consequences, even ones she'd rather avoid.

Come to Dxun, on the astral plane. We'll make the exchange there. No sense waiting, I'm sure you're eager to see such experienced demons re-enter your service.

She selects an isolated location on the astral plane, an island of time frozen jungle shrouded in a potent anti-magic effect. Not that it'll bother her or Malcanthet.

I just made a place up that seems reasonable, if it's a problem let me know.

[Anastasia]

It'll work. Any prep for this trip out? Antenora will come just to see the end of this through.

[Ebiris]

We're still pretty well buffed up so lets just go now.

[Anastasia]

> roll 1d100
<Rei-chan> Kotono rolled : 1d100 --> [ 1d100=70 ]{70}

Dxun is a fragment of jungle preserved like a ship in a bottle. Amid the lush greenery a throne has risen, a throne of razors. The trees around it have become sharp, brighter, angular. Here Malcanthet sits, seemingly alone.

At least to mortal eyes. You can feel another presence. A great, looming fury behind her. A balor, overshadowing the Succubus Queen like a mountain. He is nude, no weapon carried but both hands huge, strong. Branded into his forehead are six letters of Abyssal, a word of the Dark Speech unthinkably foul.

Malcanthet wears naught but a few wisps of silk and an indulgent smirk, none of which cover her in any meaningful way. "Alicia, so wonderful of you to see good sense."

"We keep our word, even if we dearly wish we did not," Antenora says coolly, eyes on Malcanthet. "Where's Urvala?"

The balor produces a cloth sack, "It's in there," Malcanthet waves a hand, "You're welcome to confirm it's in there."

> roll 1d20+69 planes, +15 DI
<Rei-chan> Kotono rolled : 1d20+69 planes, +15 DI --> [ 1d20=4 ]{73}

"And the balor is?" Antenora asks, shortly.

"Oh, a new friend," Malcanthet lightly declares, "A surprise to all of Creation, so don't be surprised that you don't know him. It seemed only fair to bring him - Alicia brought one of her girl toys, I should bring one of my boy toys."

The balor stays silent, a glare like an impending meteor swarm about to burst down on you. He slowly cracks his knuckles - and Malcanthet stops him with the barest murmur. "Now now, you are strong, but a demon who doesn't respect the divine is soon consigned to oblivion. Don't imagine you can intimidate them. I'd hate to have to replace you already."

[Ebiris]

Alicia had hoped to get here first, but Malcanthet probably came over while they were talking.

"And of course any hostility would ruin the entire arrangement," Alicia says, a ruby and an amethyst held in her hand. "Hand over Urvala then, I'm sure you'll get lots of use out of these two even without its aid."

[Anastasia]

The bag is tossed over and Antenora catches it. She peeks in and simply says, "It's in there."

"Now then," Malcanthet merely awaits you, seemingly content to agree with the word of a paladin. "Unless you'd rather keep G'renna around. Perhaps as my first official diplomat to Sylica? I'm sure she'd find a suitable position to serve you in."

[Ebiris]

"No, in fact I'd view her return as a violation of our truce," Alicia says, trusting Antenora and of course knowing that if they do discover they've been given a fake it will also end that truce and she'll respond violently.

An unbinding spell releases Violet and G'renna both from confinement, lilitu and succubus both appearing before Alicia.

[Anastasia]

Violet lands in a crouch, eyes dazed, empty. She blinks them clear immediately and looks about, before a slow smile blossoms on her face.

G'renna is far more out of it. She lands face down on the ground and doesn't rise right away.

Both come to Malcanthet with a snap of her fingers, pulled over by her ill. Violet turns, her gaze nothing but contempt. G'renna looks up at you - blank for several moments, before a look of sorrow passes over her features.

"Too bad," Malcanthet says, "Then if there's nothing else?"

[Ebiris]

"We're done," Alicia says, her own expression controlled. Given the state G'renna was in when she had to be sealed away, the sorrow rings hollow as an affectation.

"Oh. That bounty you have on us? Get rid of it or put it up to something actually worth the risk," she adds to Malcanthet before she and Antenora plane shift back to Sylica.

[Anastasia]

Malcanthet's laughter echos with you as you depart.

I think we can do away with such a thing, don't you?

Once home Antenora exhales. "I...admire your conviction to keeping your word, Alicia, even if we were flagrantly manipulated. I'm not sure I would have kept it if it were up to myself. I wavered."

[Ebiris]

"Isn't it funny how it all worked out?" Alicia asks. "We never would have had anything to do with 666 if Malcanthet hadn't dangled that bait in front of our noses, and now here we are. The Abyss looks after its own."

She scoffs and takes a look at Urvala for herself. "I hope Colke is worth the trade, but he doesn't really matter. I had to stand for the truth, even amidst so many lies. There is meaning in what we say and do."

[Anastasia]

"We stood for what we were. We won today," Antenora agrees. Quieter, "Chronias changed you, or perhaps you carry a little of that light in your soul now. I wish to go, but I fear that even veiled I may not return." She goes to the nearest couch in this quiet bedroom and sits, and invites you over with a gesture. "I remember when Latha spoke of the Apex of Prayer. This struck me as the same thing, but in reverse. A monster birthed from every vile wish and hateful desire that finds its way to the Abyss."

[Ebiris]

"The Abyss doesn't have the same structure for such a figure to lead, but all the same it's a counterpart to Zaphkiel much like Asmodeus is," Alicia sits down as well, taking a moment.

"Our roles in Creation give us power, but they bind us too. We embody what we stand for, even to our detriment - but my hope is that the value of truth will win out in the long term, that the impression we left behind us in the Abyss will resonate in ways we can't predict or see in the short term, but nonetheless matter."

[Anastasia]

Antenora takes your hand. "I'll be there to see it with you when it does," She promises, "I'll-"

"Okay, you're laying it on thick, even for you," Syala quips as she appears at your other side. "Are you well, Antenora?"

"I haven't known true fear in a long time," Antenora confesses, "But when I grasped what we saw, where we were and what we faced? I knew the blackest fear. It affected even us. We glimpsed something that not even a deity is meant to see in Creation. The only thing that saved us is that we didn't bend to it. We stayed truthful."