Chronias

[Anastasia]

The faintest smile crosses the Lord of the Hebdomad's face, "I am the highest authority on law and cheating on Celestia. You may use it and it is not cheating."

Afterwards, "I suggest that you continue but proceed carefully, and ask me before you confront Primus with anything. You may yet find something worthwhile in there, but a soft step is demanded."

[Corwin]

At Alicia's offer, Seira blinks and says, "Since we're swapping secret special techniques, we've cracked the Prismatics back at the Cauldron. Plus our old specialty of perfected elemental harmony is there, in case you want to study the elements."

She nods to Zaphkiel, allowing others to ask more questions for now.

[Ebiris]

"Do you know or can you speculate why Ao has permitted the ascendance of myself, Syala, Seira, and Amaryl?" Alicia asks as she returns her attention to Zaphkiel. "It seems counter to his embrace of evil as the answer to elevate more good aligned deities. Going back further there's Sulia as well, as Seira said. Given yourself and Asmodeus and Primus have been a part of Creation for so long I don't imagine many remember it being otherwise, he's had a long time as the sole Incarnation with that mindset to guide him."

[Anastasia]

"I've thought about this a long time," Zaphkiel says, "I believe it comes down to one thing - a thousand deities don't matter if he's chosen Shar to end everything, unless we triumph. There's merely more to suffer and fail before him. I believe he allowed it so that there are more cries of anguish and death before the end. Sacrifices to his own amusements. The same way a sadist may allow a captive to escape, only to hunt them down."

[Corwin]

"So why not allow Pale Night's kid to ascend only to torture it after? Why us, specifically?" Seira presses on. "Is it just that everyone stopped trying in the past century or so?"

[Anastasia]

"I do not know entirely," Zaphkiel says, "Our reasons for rejecting or accepting divinity have always been more than the mortal mind perceives. Perhaps your role in the matter of the God-King interested him."

[Ebiris]

Alicia isn't terribly surprised by the simple sadism answer, really. It's still disappointing and she's worried there's a deeper mystery they're losing sight of by focusing on such a simple answer, however. She doesn't have any other immediate questions.

[Corwin]

Maybe Sulia's suffering made him happy, too? Whatever.

"Can you please tell us more about the Arbiter? Why did he appear before us? Was it coordinated with you? Just how is he restricted? Will we ever see him again?"

[Anastasia]

"The Arbiter is a tool used for Ao to his own ends. Anything the Arbiter did to aid you was the Incarnation of Balance weakening his cage," Zaphkiel says, "It may be we see him again, or we may not. It will depend on that and how events unfold."

[Corwin]

"So if we see the Arbiter again, it might not be under Balance's control but Ao's?"

[Anastasia]

"It may be so, but the Incarnation of Balance will do all it can to protect us," Zaphkiel says. "As always, use your wisdom."

[Corwin]

Seira nods. "I guess what I would appreciate knowing now is whether you're still searching for an Answer, or if you've already found it. And if Good's your Answer, will it change if you somehow reunite with your other pieces? It won't do for us to take Ao down only to leave Asmodeus in charge."

[Ebiris]

"The Arbiter cautioned that if Ao knew of our plans against him, endless catastrophe would follow," Alicia speaks up now, interest roused. "What could Ao do to destroy Creation if he tired of waiting for Shar? What form would it take and how long would it take to pass? Would we have any chance at all?" An Incarnation would know what an Incarnation could do with no holding back, and grim or not she'd like to know.

[Anastasia]

"I am. I have found my Answer, but it is not an Answer Asmodeus will accept, nor will I accept his," Zaphkiel says, "Were it otherwise, we would be saved because we could reunite at last and restore ourselves. The center of our dilemma is that we have still not found an Answer transcendent of those concerns."

Afterwards, "Whatever he wishes. Should he wish, Creation would shatter in a moment. The only chance would be to pray that it is painless, or that you are able to escape to Beyond and survive there." Zaphkiel meets Alicia's blindfolded eyes in that moment, and it feels as if she is about to burst aflame. "Or an eternity of misfortune and torment before he deigns to allow you the escape of oblivion. Our only chance is that we are all powerful, but not all knowing."

Here Zaphkiel turns, looking skyward. "An Incarnation is not a stronger monster or a supreme deity. An Incarnation is. The perfect Enaction of Will, beyond all limits save for two: The ability to overcome out limitations in knowledge through our will, and our inability to return to whence we came."

[Corwin]

"Why can't you return?" Seira asks him bluntly. "And can't we go out into the Beyond and find other Incarnations? Ones that might take our side?"