[Game Thread] Chapter Six: Be Careful What You Wish For

[SpatulaOdoom]

”Well in the case of L'arabiel there were a lot of very difficult to replicate catalysts that may have been involved. Having a vestige to bind, a spark of the subject's divine essence, the sword containing the soul of the vessel, a seer who had recently contacted the subject on the other side. Are you certain he can just start bringing things through all willy nilly or are you assuming?”

The mage moves to give Val'erin's coin over to Lekkar, but pauses. His free hand goes to the amulet at his throat.
”Hmm. Looks like I might have a small vision.”
He clasps Lekkar's hand, passing over the coin as he does so.

[Makenshi]

"Not 'willy-nilly', but finding items tied to the monsters from our past is not as difficult as you might think and only makes the crossing easier, the same for when he is bound to their Vestige. It's all about connections. The more connections the easier it is for them to find the right 'reality', but it is not a requirement."

Lekkar takes the proffered coin, examining it for a moment. "Mmmm, as I thought it's-" He cuts off as he looks at the glazed look on Morgan's face. "-rather redundant to say it might trigger a vision now, isn't it?"

When Morgan returns to the world, Lekkar holds out the coin to him again. "Just in case you hadn't already guessed, the coin is connected to that realm. I can feel it. I'm not sure how much you can rely on or control it, especially given who's coin it is, but it's better than being blind." There is a wryness to that comment, and a degree of familiarity to the tone, as if he was talking about an old friend.

~MTWC

[Acathala]

Nallaul turns his attention back to the drama with Morgan. "Fascinating. You received a vision just by touching the coin? Long ago Arachnomancy was divination via the study of spider webs, rather than generalistic term for spider magic it is now. Who's coin is it?"

[Makenshi]

[Acathala]

[Makenshi]

[Acathala]

"Ah wait, I recognise the symbol now. The Magnificent Bastard. Xufaer had a tome on him that was an interesting read. Isn't there some uncertainly over his death, or am I out of date?"

[SpatulaOdoom]

Morgan rides out the vision with relative ease, swaying a little on his feet as he holds onto Lekkar's hand. A half dozen breaths later his eyes open.
”Hmm well.” He mutters to himself. ”Not exactly the revelation of the century, but it'll do.”
Morgan might not trust that Val'erin's words are completely truthful or straightforward, but he does trust the ex-god's intentions.
The mage gives his head a shake, trying to clear it.
”Well it seems that the Zodiac disagree with you too Salorne. They believe that Xu'Deln must be protected, that he'll be instrumental in saving... something. I'm still a little fuzzy on what exactly. Now. Nothing you've said so far has suggested that the best course of action is to kill him. Everything I hear says that we should be doing our best to give him a little peace and make sure he has the information, understanding, training, and wisdom to control this unique power and live his life as he chooses. We do that and not only are we minimizing any risk he may pose, but we have potentially a powerful ally and aren't being utter jackasses who kill people for daring to exist.”
Morgan crosses his arms. For lack of a better focal point he looks down at the makeshift symbol of Salorne he'd dropped on the table.
”The question now is whether you're going to be listed under ally or enemy in this. One gets kept in the loop and a chance to offer advice and opinions, the other gets the cold shoulder and sharp pointy things in the squirty bits if they try anything.”

Nallaul answers his own question before Morgan can get to him, but the second is an interesting thought.
”Well there was some debate over his death. I had a chat with him in the afterlife when I was dead the other day. He gave me the coin before I went back to the land of the living. Being there is no guarantee that he was himself dead, but it seems pretty indicative. Nice enough guy, but I think he may have manipulated me into arranging L'arabiel's return with a fake vision.”
It hadn't occurred to Morgan that the vision with a vision hadn't been genuine. Then again Morgan had never been dead before, so he'd been a little distracted.

[Makenshi]

There is another long pause before Salorne replies. "Very well. I will leave the abomination alone, but when the day comes that he becomes a threat to our existence I hope that history remembers this day."

"What a delightful God." Zilira remarks dryly before glancing to Morgan. "I almost wish that those Children hadn't released him."

On the matter of Val'erin Lekkar still seems somewhat distracted when he talks. "Val'erin is...a uniquely capable being I would say, who has accomplished more with guile and trickery than most Gods have with their...well God-like powers. He is also not above making sacrifices to accomplish a greater good if he believes he must, so it is certainly possible."

Zilira frowns. "You sound like you know him. Are there memories of him in that Hybrid mind of yours then?"

Lekkar gives a start, breaking out of his distraction and frowning. "I..." He seems almost surprised by his own words. "...I think I do. It almost seems like a different Val'erin though...younger...I...something about him and L'arabiel-" As if summoned by her own name (which she could well have been), a flash of lightning streaks down the corridor in an instant, forming into the Lionheart and Theofan.

"Finally." Tall, with long blonde hair tied into a thick braid falling between two similarly coloured large feathered wings, decked out in full plate and carrying a tower shield with her own likeness on it, L'arabiel was certainly a striking figure. That her blue eyes seemed to crackle and flash like a storm only added to the Goddess' presence. "The Fiends have started their attack."

"But they're not attacking the Saviours or even any of the nations, though from the reports from Sei around the world they're all over the place." Theofan sighs in frustration. In ordinary circumstances the brown-haired, winged Rudaa would likely have drawn more attention, but these were strange times and he was in stranger company. "By all accounts, they seem to be attacking places and people at random, but Jester thinks that we're missing something. This is too organised to be an opportunistic attack."

~MTWC

[Acathala]

"Well it looks like if you were manipulated, it benefits you. Though in the underdark we have a saying. Help unasked for, is not help."
On the fiends, he says "I concur. The attacks are unlikely to be random. Do we know which fiend god leads the attack where they're attacking? There might be a clue there."

[Makenshi]

Theofan shakes his head. "They're attacking on more than one front. Reports indicate that six of the Seven are out and about though, judging by the chaos, as well as Deimos. There's no sign of Ira or Dea though, and if Anteros of Ashtarte are involved they're keeper a lower profile."

"Deimos is in the capitol of SharakTrusharlan, Acedia is in the capitol of IkraCalarin (although Ciilla is currently fighting her and her hoards), Avaritia is in the capital of NihlJracht, Gula is in the capitol of TsuunJharaverd, Invidia is in the capitol of PhareFeid, Luxuria is in the capitol of ElernArsinoh and Superbia is in the second largest city in HalvaMayasoris." L'arabiel explains, looking towards Lekkar, Kala and Zilira. "Needless to say, we are likely going to be needing all the help we can get. Whatever is allowing the Seven and their armies here obviously hasn't equalled the playing field by allowing the Saviours or anyone else to get directly involved."

~MTWC

[Acathala]

"I don't know if this is revelant or nor, but Fisali knew about the Drow from at least the time of the troubles. Probably longer.." He pauses. "Would Fisali's caveat applied if the Yanker pulled the demons in? Assuming the Yanker exists."

[SpatulaOdoom]

Morgan takes a deep breath, trying to blow out the heavy feeling of dread sitting in the pit of his stomach. It doesn't work.
”And so the storm breaks.”
He'd felt the pattern drawing together some time ago. Too many powers, old and new, stirring all the the same time. A nexus forming. Since then it had been a scramble to draw together as many allies and as much power as he could, that they could present a united front and weather that storm. He'd had some success, and made mistakes as well. Hopefully it would be enough.

"No idea." Was the only response he could offer to the drow's question.

Morgan's heart sank yet further as he thought about all those who would die, were dying right now, no matter how quickly they acted or what preparations were made. Was there anything more he could do other than take up arms and fight?

The mage looks indecisive as he wracked his brain for the solution as to what he could do.

[Blue]

Mrith had been silent during most of the exchange and stuck with the rest of the less talkative folks, occasionally exchanging glances with Triss, Felynda, Eloise and Rhys, Kala and even Mortimer.
When things heated up she felt even less like getting involved in the whole Powers thing.
By the end she still wasn't convinced that letting Xu'deln able to do whatever he does with that other realm was a good idea. Killing him wasn't the right solution but whatever Val'erin said didn't feel like something to really be trusted just because it was a nice truth to take.
Perhaps the Oracle would have more details. Probably not.

The news of the attack caught her interest. It could actually affect her.
L'arabiel was a little intimidating to have around. Moreso than Lekkar was or even Salorne. That she looked little like the body that she had been cast into felt a little stranger now. It was certainly because her presence directly affected her own destiny somehow. Lekkar made her uncomfortable mostly because there was still that off-chance that Nevh would end up in a similar state. Not a place she wanted her mind to wander.
She held her breath when Theofan began to name the regions attacked, knowing that an attack on Quall could perhaps change the Circle of Storm's position on the whole thing faster than it normally would at the cost of scarring the nation.
It was a relief that it had been spared. She could now think on the nature of the attack. What it actually meant.
Nevh exchanged ideas quickly with her but the dragon missed most of them.
"You say chaos. It could be a camouflaged manhunt but this is happening where they are bound to get as much attention as they can from the most powerful countries in Aheka. Maybe this is to disorganize us or they are looking for the last dagger or something. ...could we consult someone on this? Inanna, perhaps? I hear there are people in your group with the right connections to question her."

[Acathala]

"Dagger? Why would they be hunting for a dagger?" Nallaul looks genuinely confused. "Is it some sort of artifact? But they already have immense powers. What would the dagger gain them? More godlike power?"