What? The World needs saving AGAIN? IC Thread 9

[Xihirli]

Spoiler: Tanaquill

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Is there any chance she would find time spent in my afterlife before being brought back acceptable? You can promise her that.

In the scry, Tanaquill tripped over her words for a second. "Apologies. Now as I was saying..."

---

"I think that would work. Scry-and-fry tactics." Anaweir looked down at the paste that was the tadpole.

[Valmark]

Sirthis blinked and turned to Malyanna "Can you be brought back?" he asked her "Actually she's asking wether there's any chance you'd accept staying in her afterlife while waiting to be brought back, but I was under the impression that you wouldn't be able to come back" otherwise why make it a big deal. Well alright it was horrible but Sirthis had never tried dying and saw a lot of people come back to life completely fine, so he didn't give it much thought.

He turned back to the scry "She does recognize the matter though, she lost her words while talking. Also she has swore that you WILL be brought back"

---

"I've been too overzelous" Eris frowned and started scraping the tadpole from the ground to put it in a bag and give it to Anaweir "Sirthis said he was meeting Malyanna in his Grove. Let's go" she looked at the door and said "Actually Leff, can you tell Malyanna to wait for us there? It might take a while before we reach it going through the maze. Tell her we're going to go back to the ship to crush the Elder Brain and Tren Krom and we'd like her help. She can have the Brain"

[Xihirli]

"As long as it's within a year, probably," Malyanna said. "And... considering my options, this might be the best. Piscaethces returning over uncontrolled conditions is... awful for me even if it doesn't kill me." She sighed. "I'll have to accept. Alright, are you going to keep staring at your wife or shall I extract some memories?"

"Now, to begin this, there is something perhaps I should have told you long ago. Regarding your mother and I."

---

"Every Sending is a Fireball I don't have when we fight Tren Krom again." Leff reminded her. "Are you sure?"
"I don't know what happened, but I haven't a drop of magic left," Elakian said. "I cannot help you."

[Valmark]

"...can you wait a bit?" Sirthis asked eyes wide "I think Tanaquill is about to tell the Queens who's daughters are they. Can't you like... See what I'm seeing reading my mind?" he looked nervous.
"I feel like Tanaquill telling Titania right now will cause untold problems"

Homewever he did reach with an arm to hold Malyanna against himself.
"Bet it isn't such a problem waiting" he whispered, slowly sitting down to allow her to wait comfortably.

---

"Let's just try to hurry then, no Sending" Eris said, going for the door. She stopped briefly to turn towards Elakian "Wait for us here, then please. I... We have some things to talk about. I'm sure Marû especially" she then started pushing the door open to leave.
"And I mean... Nnnngh... In the Fortress, not specifically in this room..." not that she had any authority to tell Elakian where to go.

[Xihirli]

Malyanna didn't look like she really cared, but she leaned on Sirthis and held him close.

"It was I who gave twins to your mother. I... am your parent."
Titania leaned forward. "You lie."
Tanaquill began to sing.
"My Golden Lily
So soft, so frail
Why do you cry
Why do you wail

Your mother’s here
Holding you tight
Ready to love you
E’ry night

Sweet Golden Lily
So young, so strong
Take on my blessing
Hold it long

I’ll kiss your boo boos
Count all your toes
Hug your closer
Poke your little nose

Dear Golden Lily
Though I go away
My love for you swells
And doesn’t stray

Sweet Golden Lily
On you I fawn
For as long as you’re here
I live on

My Golden Lily
Though I say good-bye
I’m happy to love you
Oh Baby Mine."

Titania wiped her eyes, her lips quivering.
"You're really... you..."
Mab nodded. "She is."
Titania wept.

---

Marû looked back at Elakian as they moved. "He has suffered too much, and too long. He deserves to rest."
Leshruf followed close behind.

[Valmark]

"Oh" Sirthis looked surprised "I... I thought they hated each other. But Titania seems... Moved? I... Guess a mother is still a mother?"

If Sirthis had a third hand he'd write the song down, but he was resigned to having to keep it in mind.

---

"Maybe the magic left due to the metal. Isn't it taboo for druids?" Eris asked trusting that Xelphilia would lead them out of the maze "Elakian did look like it had somehow hurt him. Think it'd be dangerous for you and Sirthis too, Marû?

[Xihirli]

"How much do you think your babies could really hate you?" Malyanna asked, then kissed his neck.

"And with all the gravity that requires, there is an urgent matter... the matter of Piscaethces. Her return is upon us, and I believe I have a plan for how to mitigate the damage."

---

"Taboo, yes. It is not so much that we can't put ourselves in contact with metal. Sirthis uses a silver bell for his focus, as do many Moon Druids. We simply do not cover ourselves in it. It is not that it is impossible, it's that we will not. Like a vegetarian. They can eat meat, but a vegetarian who does not eat meat isn't a vegetarian anymore."

[Valmark]

"If my parents were horrible people by my standards I would've no issue hating them" Sirthis mused, snuggling up against Malyanna at the kiss while keeping his eyes on the meeting.

---

"That is... Confusing" Eris said, her mind working double time to get the comparison "I mean, alright you won't. But is there any repercussion to it?" she asked "Let's say a druid is captured and forced to wear a metal armor. Do they lose their magic or something? A vegetarian that eats meat stops beng a vegetarian, but there's tipically no actual penalty to it"

[Xihirli]

"What if part of you knew your standards were bull****, like Titania's are?"

"You and those pledged to you are sworn not to interfere in godly affairs, like the Blood War and the Living Gate. I, however, am not. I ask that you have your armies pledge themselves to my service – temporarily – so tomorrow we can fight our way into the Abyss and summon Piscaethces there, where she will only deal damage to Demons."
Titania and Mab looked to each other. "How do we know this isn't some trick to get our armies to turn on us?"
"As part of their vows to me, we can include a vow to never harm either Queen."
"I think this is acceptable," Mab said. "My son Stelus has been sharpening his blade without anywhere to strike with it for nearly a year now. This seems like a fitting final charge of the Faerie Court." She looked to Titania. "The United Faerie Court. Of the Double Throne over the Twin Horizon."

"Okay are you done with that? I figured you'd pay more attention to me the day before I died."

---

"You are no longer a druid," Marû said. And with that cryptic statement, he said no more on the subject.

[Valmark]

"Give me a second more" Sirthis pulled his eyes off to look at Malyanna and kiss her cheek "Almost done. Mab accepted, I need to hear Titania's reply. She still doesn't trust them" he looked back at the mirror, although he didn't actually need it to hear.

"Meanwhile explain that to me. Titania thinks her standards are bull****? Aren't they the whole point of the Seelie Court?"

---

Eris had nothing else to say since it looked like Marû didn't want to elaborate on it and hurried to the Grove.

And that really meant pushing Leff because she knew the road there, not Eris.

[Xihirli]

Titania drummed her fingers on the table.
"Fine printing my way out of my oaths... it’s something a devil might do."
"Please, Titania. All of reality is at risk if this doesn’t work." Tanaquill pled with her daughter.
"I need a personal oath from you. That when all this is over, you recognize me as Queen of the Fey, Scion of Titania I. Formally."
Tanaquill looked at Mab, whose eyes widened in shock.
"That will not make the Unseelie beholden to you, Titania."
"I know. It will be of no consequence whatsoever." Titania leaned over the table, looking right at Tanaquill.
"So it should not be a problem."

---

Eris, Leff, Leshruf and Marû passed by Jade as she was exiting Sirthis’s grove. "Hi, Eris!"

[Valmark]

"You might not have to die tomorrow, Malyanna" Sirthis said "Titania in exchange for her help is asking that Tanaquill recognizes her formally as Queen of the Feywild. I think we both know what that means for Tanaquill herself" he tapped his earring.

Is it truly without consequence? If yes... I guess somebody should try convincing Tanaquill. I understand her view but this isn't the time to turn this into a family fight. The Feywild has had enough of that. Homewever I'm afraid that Titania being recognized as Queen would piss off many of the Unseelie... And likely some of the Seelie too.

---

"Hi Jade! Sirthis and Malyanna are in there?" Eris asked her "We need urgently to talk to both"

Spoiler: Ooc

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Anaweir's not there?

[Xihirli]

Spoiler: OOC

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**** you yes she is

It won't be great. Borra's position in my Queendom will look suspicious. Many Unseelie will fear that I will subordinate their court to the Seelie. It's messy politics, but nothing I can't deal with. Mab let go of her earring. "I find this acceptable, mother."
Tanaquill pursed her lips. "Then I accept, Titania."
"When shall we mobilize our forces?"
"I need them ready by tomorrow."
Discussion fell into specifics – for how long the forces would be under Tanaquill's command, what the exact oaths would be, that sort of thing.

---

"Yeah, they're in there. It was getting too snuggly for my tastes. That Sirthis isn't just Mab's corkscrew, apparently he's everyone's corkscrew!"

[Valmark]

Of course you can deal with everything. Love you. Will be pulling away from the Scry now.

Sirthis put his mirror away "Alright, all fixed, the armies will be moving tomorrow. And now I'm all yours" he smiled at Malyanna.

---

"He tried to flirt with me and Leff before we got together too, so nothing new" Eris groaned "Anaweir too. I'm surprised he hasn't flirted with you" she looked at the entrance "What was Sirthis' password again? Fairly sure Leshruf would be attacked by the Grove"

[Xihirli]

Malyanna smiled and kissed him, pushing him onto the ground.

---

"It's Ditto!" Jade said. "Who's that lady?"
"This is my mother, Leshruf." They went inside, Leshrfu saying "ditto" as they did, and came upon Sirthis and Malyanna just as the elf was getting into it.
"Is there something I can help you with?" Malyanna asked angrily.

[Valmark]

"You're finally in a safe place with hot water and you don't go do it with your wife? So disappointed" Sirthis actually stared at the Lelahinns in disappointment and a bit of anger. Lots of judging going on for sure.

---

Eris blushed and turned away, stammering on her words "I-I... Uhm... Sorry, we brought Anaweir and... We wanted to enlist your help. We have a tadpole that comes from the Elder Brain on the ship and wanted your help for a... Anaweir called it Scry-and-Fry. Defeat the Elder Brain and potentially The Eldest, if she's there. Hopefully that'll sink the ship and free the Tarrasque before the Neothelid possesses it" she explained.
"Sirthis did tell you what happened right?"

[Xihirli]

"Parts. If the Eldest is there you don't want to bring me or Sirthis, she knows our true names." Malyanna waved good-bye and started trying to kiss Sirthis again.
Leff's hand tightened around Eris as she blushed a deeper shade of red.

[Valmark]

"Didn't she knew it when we first fought her? Didn't look like it did anything to you" Eris insisted, still looking away.

---

Sirthis wanted to ask how did she know his truename if he didn't know it himself, but preferred kissing Malyanna.

[Xihirli]

"She learned mine last time, exactly half a second too late, and she learned Sirthis's when she mind-****ed him. Go away?" She suggested.

[Valmark]

"Ugh, fine" Eris scowled and went out. In part because of the embarassment though.

"Great. That means we aren't just without more allies, we have less then we started with. Tanaquill would have the same problem, since she already got screwed over by Tren Krom using Druidic and her name" she frowned "What could she do with it Marû, anyway? Any idea?"

The last thing was said only if Marû went out too for obvious reasons.

[Xihirli]

"I am unsure how the aboleth would have learned Druidic. It can only be taught willingly, it could not have taken the knowledge from Elakian" Marû said, frowning. "But True Names can be dangerous things. Used in the proper way, they can strip away the abilities of the spoken name, or even take full control of them regardless of their mental defenses. Malyanna is right – near Tren Krom is the last place we want her."

[Valmark]

"It may have been how Elakian lost his magic" Eris said "...I guess we should stay away from her, then" she looked at the four of them "What do you think? I... Admit I could be a bit too angry to judge correctly. In fact, without Sirthis I don't think we have any way to escape if things go south" Eris nodded at the tadpole's bag "How long can it be used to teleport?"

[Xihirli]

"Not sure. Probably not after it decomposes. And the pool might have gorgon's blood in it, too," Anaweir said.
"How much of that stuff can one person have?"
"How willing are they to torture gorgons?"
"That... very, I suppose."

[Valmark]

Eris sighed. Then she screamed and punched a wall. Again. A third time too, bruising her knuckles.
"Leff, tell Stacia we aren't coming back tonight and that we leave tomorrow's student to her. They want to learn with Polly, Zorne and Kavi so it shouldn't be hard to handle their first day. Then we're leaving for Darroch Castle" Eris said with anger "I need to fight someone that can take all this frustration on without dying and Boss usually has fun doing that"

Spoiler: Ooc

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Eris has wanted to fight Stelus again since at least three level ups ago.

Then she added "Well, I guess I can go by myself. But you know how I end up when I fight him"

[Xihirli]

Leff took Eris’s hand. "Yes, let’s go."
And suddenly they were in a training yard. Winter Eladrin sparred with weapons of all types while Stelus oversaw them from a balcony of ice.
"Eris Lelahinn! It’s good to see you, I just received a message that I require advice on."

[Valmark]

"Whoa, didn't expect you'd use one of your precious teleports" she kissed Leff's cheek.

Eris smiled up at Stelus "Do I get a fight afterwards?" she asked, spreading her wings and lifting off, sliding an arm around Leff's waist to bring them towards the Prince of Frost "After the day I had I need to vent. What's the message?"

[Xihirli]

"Just don’t lose a limb." Leff wrapped Eris in a hug, and as they landed by Stelus’s side the ice platform extended to accept them.

"Apparently the Fey are to fight in the abyss yet again. Mab has requested that I swear temporary fealty to Tanaquill. The specific terms are... troubling."

[Valmark]

"Again? Did it happen once before?" Eris asked curious "What are the specific terms? Or at least the troubling parts. I'm already aware of why you're going there if it helps- we'll be joining too. Although I wish we could grab the potions and take Aklah with us"

[Xihirli]

"Why yes. Tanaquill and Titania the First were the ones who defeated the Obyriths. Have you not heard the tales?" Stelus asked.

[Valmark]

"Uh... No" Eris said "All I know about the Obyriths is related to them corrupting Tharizdun. And I don't even know everything about it- oh and about the Shard of Evil generating the Abyss"

Spoiler: Ooc

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I know Pazuzu's an Obyrith but I can't recall if that was established in-game or if Eris doesn't know.

"I didn't even know who Tanaquill was before coming to the Feywild"