A blessed homefront

[Anastasia]

"No, not right now," Mystra says, "Go, make your will known across Creation."

[Ebiris]

"I will," Alicia agrees, heading home.

She asked for Ebony to come over for this, but she'll also get Emmaline and Marchalu and Colke to contribute along with the other deities of Sylica. They need to figure out how to find those three new deities Shar's uplifted and is keeping under wraps.

[Anastasia]

As you prepare, "Saint Alicia," Ebony kneels, "I have a request as well."

[Ebiris]

"Rise Ebony, speak your mind," Alicia encourages after welcoming her back from Aurora for this visit.

[Anastasia]

"While Canderella does not know the extent of our preparations, she is interested. She's requested a seat here," Is Ebony's answer, "With the unspoken understanding that should things go well, she can perhaps persuade Talos more favorably towards us."

[Ebiris]

"I'm not inclined to indulge mere curiosity on an unspoken understanding," Alicia says. "Does she have that kind of sway with her god? And can she make a useful contribution to our planning?"

[Anastasia]

"Some, she's risen in influence thanks to Aurora," Ebony reports, "In all honesty, I doubt she can. If I may speak boldly?" After a moment, "This isn't the first time Canderella's made a move to learn more about Sylica or perhaps gain influence. She has not confessed it to me, but I feel that for whatever reason she's become interested in us. Perhaps it is an expression of Talos's will or her own personal curiosity."

[Ebiris]

"Thank you for speaking boldly on it," Alicia says, nodding to Ebony. "I'm afraid Canderella will have to satisfy her interest from afar, we're dealing with privileged information I don't want to spread around for mere curiosity."

[Anastasia]

"I only request that you at least treat her interest with mercy," Ebony says, "I truly do not believe she means ill by it, even if she has been chastised for it before."

[Ebiris]

"There's no harm in asking," Alicia shakes her head. "I've no reason to be angry at her."

[Anastasia]

"Thank you," Ebony rises nonetheless. "I've seen too many courts in my service to Aurora that are not half as understanding as Sylica." Her smiles shows on her face now, a beautiful thing. "I think all the divine would benefit from a mortal life such as yours, that lets you understand so much."

[Ebiris]

"We're not all so unforgiving," Alicia chuckles, waving it off. "But forgiveness is central to Sylica's thesis anyway."

[Anastasia]

A chuckle from Ebony - an internal thought, perhaps. "For which I am eternally grateful." She goes and takes her seat, "Has divinity settled well on Marie?"

[Ebiris]

"She's taken to it with surprising adroitness," Alicia concurs as they sit. "Her following is small, but she handles herself well amidst her new peers. It's interesting to see her adapt and it's obvious she's been internalising her own thoughts on how a deity should behave for some time."

[Anastasia]

"She's good at adaptation, even if this one will take her time," Ebony considers. "She never expected to get Antenora, to get as strong as she did, to promote like she did, to get divinity."