Planeside 3

[bc56]

Scorching Depths
"We made you an exit at least. If you don't remember the way to the courtyard from here, that's not our problem," The leader replies, almost mockingly. The passage stands open for Braon should she desire to use it.

Sekhmet's Court
"What if I don't let her go?" Sekhmet leans forward curiously. "She told me about the heart-eating specifically, but I could guess at other things." And she's increasingly sure judging from what she's learned so far, that Braeg most likely killed Braon's father and abducted her to be his "niece," which, if true, is despicable, but doesn't excuse Braon's actions.

[Ironsmith]

[Scorching Depths]

Braon nods and starts through the passageway, trying to find her way back through to the courtyard. Of course, if the guards outside her room were any indication, Sekhmet might have stepped up security... assuming there wasn't any spatial trickery going on with the palace itself, either. If she lucks out and neither happens to be the case, she'll come bursting through the doors, furious.

[Sekhmet's Court]

"Then you don't let her go." Braeg replies evenly. "You clearly are not the sort of captor who believes in executing troublesome abductees, so short of gross abuse, I'm not particularly compelled to force the issue." He smirks. "Of course, you've seen what she's like. If you don't release her, you have the alternative of handling her, and I don't envy you the headache that will cause you."

[Recaiden]

[Brefaisil]

"My husband is not recieving any visitors." The horned woman replies coolly, giving what is clearly a well-rehearsed response. "Whatever business you had with him is now with me." She pauses and gives a dry little smile. "...Fortunately, you appear to have landed right on top of my bedchamber."

Seth scowls. No part of this situation sat well with him. "This isn't right." He mutters to Marcie. "We can't make arrangements with a f-"

"With your queen?" The horned woman interrupts.

Seth's scowl deepens, but he says nothing further.

"Then we're glad to have met you so soon." She straightens up and gives a salute to the horned woman.
"I am called Atorre Marcie. I hail from another world, where we have just today discovered the difficulties you all have had, and come to see if we can help."

Seth should feel something, a pressure, the hair on the back of his neck standing up, and then words without any sound...
Tell me about the queen. Why should we not deal with her?
Concentrate on words and intend for us to hear you, and we will.

[bc56]

Scorching Depths
The narrow passage exits into an adjacent hallway. It's not hard for Braon to begin a mad dash towards...

Sekhmet's Court
"Better that she's 'handled' and not a danger to anyone, herself included. I can stand a headache." And she can delegate the handling to her minions if necessary. "So far I haven't found your argument very convincing."

[Ironsmith]

[Brefaisil]

"Then we're glad to have met you so soon." She straightens up and gives a salute to the horned woman.
"I am called Atorre Marcie. I hail from another world, where we have just today discovered the difficulties you all have had, and come to see if we can help."

Seth should feel something, a pressure, the hair on the back of his neck standing up, and then words without any sound...
Tell me about the queen. Why should we not deal with her?
Concentrate on words and intend for us to hear you, and we will.

[Brefaisil]

The answer Seth wants to give immediately is Because she's a fiendling!, but he knows Marcie won't go for that. He sighs and forces himself to hammer out a saner response.

...Call it a gut feeling. The King usually attends to diplomacy himself. If he isn't doing so, it bodes poorly for us.

The horned woman returns the salute; she has no idea what it means, but the context implies this is the appropriate response. "Breoite of Clan Lesserwood, Queen of Maesda." She replies in greeting. "I would say your arrival could not have been better timed, if not for the past ten years." She smiles ruefully.

Oh Lords, she thinks she's funny...

Scorching Depths
The narrow passage exits into an adjacent hallway. It's not hard for Braon to begin a mad dash towards...

Sekhmet's Court
"Better that she's 'handled' and not a danger to anyone, herself included. I can stand a headache." And she can delegate the handling to her minions if necessary. "So far I haven't found your argument very convincing."

[Sekhmet's Court]

Braeg nods. "No, I suppose you wouldn't. Thus far, we've only been discussing the abstracts. Clearly, she isn't here solely to protect me; I neither need nor want that. So, then, why have-"

The doors slam open to admit a certain furious fiendling. "Uncle!" Braon barks. "I've waited too long for-mmmph!"

Braeg doesn't even spare her a backwards glance. He barely seems to have noticed she came in at all. As everyone can plainly see, the constrictor snake forcing its way out of Braon's mouth and coiling around her to prevent her from doing more than flail helplessly is the real item of interest here.

"As I was saying, before I was so rudely interrupted..." Braeg continues. "Why are you holding her here, hm?"

[Earl of Purple]

Prison Realm

Nothing will occur to distract her in those several minutes; Kiun may feel that, wherever she is, she's the only living person here. It's certainly true for the entrance hall.

The book is a visitor's log. It doesn't list who they are visiting, instead those that sign only need to write down their name and title and a reason for the visit. There's only been a handful of signers, the most recent five years ago. Only four residents are visited- the Weevil of Antwerp, the Blazing Bishop, the Skull of Am-het, and Stofia, the Eater of Innocents. Most visitors are the Detective Answell, who gives no further information, but also the Monika the Priestess of Bloodied Blades and Master Emile the Godless.

[Recaiden]

[Brefaisil]

If the king were already gone, would we know? They'll have to be on their guard.

Marcie smiles; the queen is funny.
"Well, we had best make up for lost time."
"Do you have a clearer picture of how this all started, just what happened to Adea?"

[Prison Realm]

Whatever writing implement is beside the log will pick itself up and clumsily add a new entry.
Visitor: 'Marquess Kiun'. Reason for Visit: 'Curiosity'.

Honestly neither the prisoners nor the visitors have names that make her feel better about this. But it is what there is to do here...
And now, on towards the door.

[Earl of Purple]

Prison Realm

Kiun opens the door and sees a narrow walkway. There's no handrail, and nothing on either side, above, or below- the room she just left, the walkway, and some other rooms visible vaguely in the void. It's dark, and there's not much light, mostly from burning torches mounted on poles attached to the walkway.

The walkway continues onwards. If Kiun sticks to it, she'll eventually find a small room on the left. The room doesn't look very big, about the same size as the lift that brought her here. The front of the room consists of steel bars, with a gate of the same material in the middle. In the room there is a bed and nothing else, and standing inside is a rather attractive individual, apparently human and apparently male. He's wearing a pair of denim jeans and a black t-shirt. He smiles as he sees Kiun, and approaches. "Hey, pretty lady. What're you here for? Just visiting, or are you a release officer? I've served my time, I'm a good... boy, now." He's on the edge of supernaturally persuasive, enough to have an effect whilst also subtle and easily resisted.

[Ironsmith]

[Brefaisil]

At this point, no. But it's hard to imagine under what circumstances he would delegate the job if he was well and present.

Breoite's expression hardens slightly. She hasn't stopped smiling, but it doesn't reach her eyes. Marcie might get the impression that she's offended her. "...Perhaps we should discuss this inside." She replies evasively. "You must be cold, and there is much to discuss."

Without waiting for an answer, Breoite (and her guards) will lead them through the door to the another balcony, this one overlooking an ornate bedroom, with a set of wrought-iron stairs spiraling down the wall to the floor below. The stairs stop by an oversized bed with red silk sheets and curtains. Breoite will stop a little past that, at a heavy oak desk littered with parchment. She offers the chair there to Marcie, before taking a seat on the bed herself. Seth will be left to stand, it seems.

"Now, then." Breoite frowns. "You wanted to know what happened to Adea. I can't truthfully say I know. I can't even tell you that I know for certain something did happen to her. The Lovers are immortal, in all senses of the term. It should not be possible for one to die."

[Recaiden]

[Prison Realm]

Kiun follows the walkway. The prospect of flying out into the void does not appeal to her.

She steps up to the gate, eyes glimmering with pink light as she tries to magically divine the man's motives. Obviously, he wants out of his cell, and to paint himself in a good light. Does it go any deeper?
"Just visiting." He's handsome, but that usually doesn't mean anything, she reminds herself.
"Why are you here?" If the book is right, he won't have seen anyone for five years. Quite a long while to be alone in that cage. Not so small, but not enough either. Yet he seems so composed.

[Brefaisil]

There may be a good reason for him not to be present. As in, maybe the king being here would make things worse, not better.

The queen likely expects a whole host of formalities that Marcie doesn't know. Hopefully it won't harm their cooperation with / speed up her sudden betrayal of them. Or maybe she just didn't appreciate the visitor's sense of humor.
"Of course, Queen Breoite. We appreciate the hospitality."
Marcie follows along smoothly and takes the indicated seat, leaning forward in the chair.

"We can all see that many of Adea's gifts no longer reach the world."
And it seemed quite clear from Inari's divine perspective that the creator goddess was dead. Perhaps she's only mostly dead, sealed away or waiting to be reborn? But either way, the queen seems to have less to say on that topic than Seth did.
"Allow me then to ask about the state of your city and domain?"

[bc56]

Sekhmet's Court
"Isn't that a bit much?" with a small wave of her hand, Sekhmet transforms the snake into ordinary ropes, still binding Braon, but not in such a disturbing manner. Stay quiet, don't attract attention. Get closer to him if you can. she subtly sends while continuing her conversation aloud. "Because she's dangerous, and this is a place to keep dangerous things."

[Ironsmith]

[Brefaisil]

There may be a good reason for him not to be present. As in, maybe the king being here would make things worse, not better.

The queen likely expects a whole host of formalities that Marcie doesn't know. Hopefully it won't harm their cooperation with / speed up her sudden betrayal of them. Or maybe she just didn't appreciate the visitor's sense of humor.
"Of course, Queen Breoite. We appreciate the hospitality."
Marcie follows along smoothly and takes the indicated seat, leaning forward in the chair.

"We can all see that many of Adea's gifts no longer reach the world."
And it seemed quite clear from Inari's divine perspective that the creator goddess was dead. Perhaps she's only mostly dead, sealed away or waiting to be reborn? But either way, the queen seems to have less to say on that topic than Seth did.
"Allow me then to ask about the state of your city and domain?"

[Brefaisil]

"Little doubt of that." Breoite amends. "What I meant was that we can't be certain that's because she's dead. Adea is not known for her constancy, or her love for conflict; between that, and recent events, it may be possible she has simply abandoned us."

Which Inari would know not to be the case; however, for the queen, the issue was far more obscure and a question of faith, with relatively few facts to go on.

"By 'recent events', you wouldn't happen to be referring to Huelwen's Rebellion, would you?" Seth grumbles.

Breoite nods. "The same." She turns her attention back to Marcie. "Before the curse fell, Lady Huelwen, daughter of the previous queen, led an insurrection against me. She claimed that my regency during my husband's illness was invalid, and wanted to lead our peoples herself. Many of the Lords agreed with her. I-"

"Illness?" Seth interrupts. "What illness? King Arnbaith is as healthy as a horse. Or so the word from the palace has always been." He scowls.

Breoite gives a tight-lipped smile. "As a wise man once said, 'the first casualty of war is truth'. Arnbaith has been ill for quite some time. He kept word of it from leaving the palace walls to project an image of a strong leader out to our people. When Huelwen made her move, I maintained the official story. It was just as well; Huelwen was a popular figure, and I was not. The only thing keeping the remaining Lords by my side was a sense of loyalty to my husband. While the conflict was between him and his rebellious, power-hungry daughter, I could possibly eke out a victory. If the truth ever came out, that she was attempting to overthrow me, she would have been able to storm the palace gates the very next day."

Breoite stiffens. "It hardly matters now. The war raged for five years; Adea has turned her face aside for less. We claimed victory a little over a month before the curse fell; by then, the damage was done. Farmlands ravaged in various sieges. Good men and women slaughtered by the thousand. Our Lords and Ladies still divided, even as the traitors were silenced. I did what I could to rebuild, but even with the fighting stopped, I fear it may have been too late."

She shakes her head sadly. "Which brings us to now. Brefaisil was still recovering from the resource drain when the curse fell. The lower sections of the city were infested with criminals, emboldened by our commitment of soldiers elsewhere and further empowered by the curse. We have had to seal it off to protect our citizens, which has also left the upper sections more or less cut off from the rest of the realm. With the food all rendered inedible, my people turned on each other for sustenance. My soldiers were able to prevent anarchy, but at the cost of legitimizing their predations, organizing them. Morale is low and getting lower. I try to keep their hands busy with various projects, including a network of tunnels to drive our moroi population into. Brefaisil has held out for nearly a decade, by my reckoning, but I have never been certain about the next day." She sighs. "...And as for the rest of our realm... word is scarce. Few of the messengers I send out ever make it back to me. Those who do never bring back good news. Hallower's Rest has fallen, and with it, our best chance at reinforcements. Our northern border has been broken by fiendling incursions and raiders are within striking distance of Brefaisil. No settlement smaller than a city has even survived to this point. Fifteen of our Lords are still unaccounted for. And the priests predict Absum will burn it all, in the final judgement of our land."

Seth scowls. I knew a fiendling queen was a bad idea. 'Altar diplomacy', my eye.

Sekhmet's Court
"Isn't that a bit much?" with a small wave of her hand, Sekhmet transforms the snake into ordinary ropes, still binding Braon, but not in such a disturbing manner. Stay quiet, don't attract attention. Get closer to him if you can. she subtly sends while continuing her conversation aloud. "Because she's dangerous, and this is a place to keep dangerous things."

[Sekhmet's Court]

"With all due respect, your highness, I'm fairly certain I just demonstrated the superficiality of that position." Braeg gestures back toward his bound niece.

"Hate you. Hate you both." Braon manages to whine, curled up in a fetal position with ropes around her. Sekhmet might have traded her bonds out, but she was still in shock from Braeg's treatment of her. She does start crawling toward Braeg once his attention is away from her, though.

"So, perhaps you would care to enlighten me further." Braeg smiles. "She will never be any less dangerous than she is now. Yet it does not appear as though you intend to detain her indefinitely. Under what circumstances would you consider her release?"

[Recaiden]

[Brefaisil]

It does seem she has no influence on the northern fiendlings today. But the king likely had no clue of this calamity approaching. Would Huelwen have done any better?

So Adea is dead, but even this fiendling queen doesn't know the hows or whys. Maybe one of her Lords would have more information, if they'd been in this world the whole while.

Marcie listens to the story, a touch of disappointment showing on her face.

"First, you should know that the curse can be lifted." Perhaps Seth has something to say about that. Or maybe it shouldn't be mentioned, lest everyone here try to eat him. "Of course, without a real food supply, that's worth little on the scale of a kingdom. But our hope is to eventually bring back the sun and the seasons and real living. And in the last resort, we can offer a way to a better place." There's probably no reason to hide these broad facts from the queen.

"Fifteen missing lords...how many still present? And how many people shelter in the upper city?" 'Upper sections' seemingly something they mean literally, here. Force or magic could reclaim the rest of the city, but would that help anyone? They surely couldn't secure the whole place.

There are two more things they know to ask of, but they don't want to push the queen in too many directions at once.

[Ironsmith]

[Brefaisil]

By her own admission, a large part of the reason we're in this mess is because she fought Huelwen. A good queen would have sooner abdicated than allowed her realm to be torn asunder. But then, nobody ever accused fiendlings of being 'good' in any sense of the term.

Breoite stiffens. "...I... see." She says, after a brief pause. "...What you propose is certainly ambitious, if not ludicrous." She makes a gesture to her guards, who wordlessly advance on Marcie and Seth... they're not aggressive, yet, but they are in good seizing positions if Breoite didn't like what they had to say next.

"And how do you intend to accomplish all of this?" Breoite asks, a sour undertone in her voice. "To restore our lands, break the curse, and mend the heavens themselves?"

She stands and produces a lacquered wooden box from her nightstand, opening it to reveal a few fist-sized chunks of granite.

"Am I to believe you will call on the might of some forgotten god?" She asks, pulling out one of the stones and letting it clatter- no, squish onto the floor, pulses of light flickering across it distressedly.

"Perhaps you know a ritual. Fiendish magic that can be used to restore what has never before been broken?" She lifts a second stone from the box and drops it as well, where it lands with an ominous squelch.

"Or possibly, a sufficiently ambitious Lord can take the place of our missing goddess." She lets the box tumble to the floor, a number more of these stones rolling out- along with a few of what look to be disembodied hearts with vaguely crystalline growths on their surface.

"Do tell. I'm curious to hear how you intend to miraculously heal our kingdom." Breoite watches Marcie and Seth coldly, waiting to hear their answer.

[Recaiden]

No, if all good rulers did so, then soon they would be replaced by those most willing and able to cause civil war.

Marcie has several powers granted by the magical jewels she has with her, which she has not felt she needed to employ yet. But now things are getting weird, so she glances at the oddly squishy granite, and should learn the entire history and current state of the stones (the petrified hearts?) in a flash.

"There are several ways the land might be healed; I do not yet know which is best; that is why I've sought to speak with you, oh Queen." Marcie remains in place, on the edge of her seat.

"You seem skeptical; would you like some demonstration that I am not wasting your time, nor planning to make things worse? I know no forgotten gods of Maesda, and I need no fiendish rituals. There will be miracles, but I can explain them to you with some time."

Although they had considered an ambitious lord replacing the goddess, but admitting to that right now probably wouldn't help the queen's state of mind.

[Ironsmith]

[Brefaisil]

...We should probably continue this conversation later. Seth warily glances between the guards, waiting for them to make a move.

Marcie will soon discover that the stones Breoite casually dropped on the floor are, indeed, petrified hearts... and a little worse than that. She'll quickly learn that Maesdan magic draws no distinction between "heart" and "soul", so what she's seeing amounts to a dozen or more people trapped without bodies, unable to move or even percieve the world around them. If she listens closely enough, she can probably hear the insane ramblings of these trapped souls... and infer that she's likely to join them if things go wrong here.

Though thankfully, Breoite doesn't seem to be in the habit of doing this often. The two she singled out were charlatans who both tried to ingratiate themselves with the queen and seize power through scandalous means. Neither of them got away with it, obviously. The others are all Lords (and Ladies) who either collaborated with Huelwen or started revolutions of their own; all failed.

"That would be best." Breoite replies curtly. "Show me one of these 'miracles' of yours."

[Recaiden]

Marcie slowly stands up from the chair, not wanting to alarm the guards, and puts her hands together, and begins weaving together sources of power. They want a nice impressive miracle here.
A glowing aura of orange light, just the same shade as the stone in the ring on her hand, envelops her.
She calls on a forgotten god. Not one of the ones the queen was worried about (hopefully) but the powers of Etra, from the world of Vhaere on the far side of the Nexus.
She calls on her own strength, of what she is, that unrevealed nature, and on the world that was before history changed itself.
She calls on something else too. Marcie, she is not as powerful as Inari. It's not even close. There are very large numbers involved in describing the difference. But there are some commonalities, such as the access to some amount of unbound creative potential, the fruits of divinity.

The result of all this should be that the clouds seem to part, and the sun to stream down upon the balcony (no problem if the sun is gone; they can provide their own sunlight through that portal), that life and purity should pour into the queen and her guards (just them, not the whole city or even the whole palace), returning them to humanity (or fiendling...ity?) just as happened to Seth and his men.

[Ironsmith]

[Brefaisil]

Seth, seeing this coming, is rather nonplussed by the sudden presence of divine power in the room.

Breoite and her guards, however, at first only see a beam of sunlight where it shouldn't be. Immediately, they interpose themselves between the sunbeam and their queen. The sudden appearance of daylight in this room defied all logic, but they knew how lethal it

...wouldn't be.

In fact, it felt sort of nice.

Breonite steps back from the sunlight, a furious expression building on her face, before she stops and strokes her cheek. "I'm... warm." She manages to say, her eyes lighting up as the implications sink in. "...Absum almighty..." The queen gasps. "After all this time, you..." She clasps her hands together and gives Marcie a little bow. "Forgive my mistake. I've seen too many liars come to me with what you've promised. I could not bear more false hope."

[Earl of Purple]

Prison Realm

He wants out of his cell, he also wants out of this realm. He also wants to avoid the wrath of the prison guards, and a very deep intention, one that motives his desire to escape, is that he wants to lay his eggs in people- not Kiun, as he won't be able to escape without her. "Oh, it's all a big misunderstanding. People died, and some people who weren't dead blamed me. Detective Answell was behind it. I just want what's best for my children, who doesn't? The people who died weren't my fault, or that of my children and the Detective had no proof otherwise. They chained me down, paraded me through the streets, then brought me here and locked me up. I haven't seen a person in a long time, just the guards patrolling the walkway, and they don't count, really. I talk to them, sometimes, but they can't talk back. I don't know how long it's been. It's hard to keep track of time here. My children- the ones who survived, anyway, if there are any- would have grown by now, have children of their own, ones I've never seen." The man doesn't really look old enough to have adult children, but he's still exuding that supernatural aura of persuasion, subtly encouraging Kiun to ignore any discrepancies and that he truly is innocent of the deaths.

[Recaiden]

[Brefaisil]

The glow around Marcie fades, and after nodding to the queen, she sits back in the chair.
"Of course. You've had a difficult position."

"Now, we have seen that Adea is indeed dead - though not why or how, and without something to make up for this fact, your land is doomed."
"It's possible, as you said, that her death is less than final."

"The priests here, those foretelling a final judgement - how ... close, are they to their god?" Maybe talking to Absum directly is not as hard as they imagine?

"And, before I get carried away, how immediate is the danger from the northern raiders?" They came here hoping to get help from King Arnbaith, but they found a city worse off, if larger, than the place they started from.

[Prison Realm]

"So you were, hmm, what's the word?" Framed, she means.
It's all clearing up now. A prison, where individuals keep their enemies, or their peoples' enemies.
This man isn't a human, because humans don't lay eggs and don't grow up that fast. So that's a little interesting.
His innocence doesn't really matter.
"Who and what are you?"

[Earl of Purple]

Prison Realm

"I am Adrie of Antwerp. Detective Answell called me 'the Weevil'. I'm a person, an innocent person." The 'person' bit is true, and Adrie doesn't have any obvious tells for lying, not human ones anyway, but he's lying on the innocent part. His children are at least partly responsible for some of the deaths; eating their way out of the host once they'd hatched can kill, if the host is unlucky. "I... can't tell you more than that. I don't know any more myself. I did not know my parents."

[Recaiden]

"It's not nice to lie." Kiun tells him.
The things he's wanting from her, they don't fit together quite right.

"But I think my family might like to study you. So maybe I'll see if you can get released, if you'd be willing to help." There was something they used to have, that this Adrie reminds them of. Maybe they could make a good Weevil-weapon in the end?

But then she turns and continues along the walkway. Will there be many empty rooms (cells, aren't they called, despite their square shape?), she wonders, or is one of the other three prisoners soon to appear?

[Fenric]

Palace of Orochi
"Uh, they're devils. Mostly succubi. They seduce people and tempt them into corruption, then take their souls. Uh, that's what they're supposed to do, but I don't want them to do that. Some of them are, uh, sort of indirectly created by me, and those ones are, uh, okay. But the ones that were around when my mother was in charge, uh, don't respect me at all." Because they're more beholden to Sekhmet's will.

Orochi looks thoughtful

"I would point out that in general, succubi go after persons whos souls are already essentially doomed: they are just working to bring them to your realm rather than to any of the myriad other unpleasant destinations they could go. Would you rather the souls go to horrific torment in the Nine Hells? Or perhaps to become playthings of the fiends in the Pits? Perhaps, if you looked at what they are doing as one of the better options for the people in question, you would find it less distasteful. I do think you should reconsider your opinion of your subjects."

Then he shakes his head

"Respect is always a difficult thing. But do remember that respect is a two-way street: if you do not respect them, you will never earn their respect either. It is not a given, and eventually you may have to deal harshly with some who hold out against you. But you really should start by treating them as valued and knowledgable members of your court, not as terrible demons that you need to somehow redeem."

Then, another thought strikes him

"You keep saying succubi, but that is only one of the ranks of that sort of devil. Do you know if you have any proper hierarchy? If you don't know, then I do suggest you make finding out one of your higher priorities - if you are treating them all the same, indifferently, you may very well be giving serious offense without even intending to. A Pleasure Devil will not take kindly to being called a Succubus, for instance."

[Ironsmith]

[Brefaisil]

The glow around Marcie fades, and after nodding to the queen, she sits back in the chair.
"Of course. You've had a difficult position."

"Now, we have seen that Adea is indeed dead - though not why or how, and without something to make up for this fact, your land is doomed."
"It's possible, as you said, that her death is less than final."

"The priests here, those foretelling a final judgement - how ... close, are they to their god?" Maybe talking to Absum directly is not as hard as they imagine?

"And, before I get carried away, how immediate is the danger from the northern raiders?" They came here hoping to get help from King Arnbaith, but they found a city worse off, if larger, than the place they started from.

[Brefaisil]

Breoite frowns. "I can't say for certain how close the priests are to Absum. Presumably, very... they are priests, after all. But the church and I are not what you would call 'allies'. We have had to maintain a certain distance, and I am not entirely familiar with their inner workings."

"As for the raiders, the immediate danger to Brefaisil is minimal." She walks over to her desk and starts shuffling through the parchment. "In this case, one problem solves another; they would have to go through several of the same obstacles we would to do any real damage."

[bc56]

Palace of Orochi
Sekhmet looks confused. "The court is, uh, mostly succubi and incubi as far as I can, uh, tell." She's never heard of the other hells or types of devils Orochi describes. "And, uh, they've definitely been going after the, uh, non-damned."

Sekhmet's Court
Sekhmet looks askance at Braeg. "But if I release her, she is free to cause terror again. No, I will let her go free when the time is right. No sooner."

[Recaiden]

Breoite frowns. "I can't say for certain how close the priests are to Absum. Presumably, very... they are priests, after all. But the church and I are not what you would call 'allies'. We have had to maintain a certain distance, and I am not entirely familiar with their inner workings."

"As for the raiders, the immediate danger to Brefaisil is minimal." She walks over to her desk and starts shuffling through the parchment. "In this case, one problem solves another; they would have to go through several of the same obstacles we would to do any real damage."

Not a great endorsement of the priests, there.

"I understand. Still, I will need to meet the the church sooner rather than later."

Marcie tightens her expression somewhat.
"Am I correct in thinking that the more access there is in and out of the city, the greater the danger from the raiders as well as moroi. You mentioned a system of tunnels - what does that project need to progress?"

"And, leaving aside political considerations, would your husband's illness be amenable to outside help? We are involved with a goddess of healing, but as I understand he was ill before the curse even fell, I'm sure all efforts have already been made."
If Breoite is secretly poisoning him, or of he was born with a degenerative problem, or if he is just personally very ill, those details don't matter, only how they impact the question of what the kingdom can actually accomplish.

[Earl of Purple]

Prison Realm

"The guards have the keys, they know you're here, and they're looking for you now." Is called after Kiun after she leaves the Weevil of Antwerp.

The next cell is identical to the last, save the door is open and it's also mostly empty. A sapling is growing in it, emerging from a crack in the floor and forcing the stone wider. Its wood is iron, the leaves are copper; the bark is also iron, but touched by iron oxides so it has gone reddish, whilst the leaves are touched with greenish verdigris around the edges. There's a few nuts growing on it, they look a bit like acorns.

[Ironsmith]

Sekhmet's Court
Sekhmet looks askance at Braeg. "But if I release her, she is free to cause terror again. No, I will let her go free when the time is right. No sooner."

[Sekhmet's Court]

"...What kind of answer is that?!" Braon demands.

"A very revealing one." Braeg smiles. "Thank you, your majesty. That is all I needed to hear. I'll take my leave now." He waves his hand and disappears in a cloud of earthy green smoke.

Braon scowls. "Gods damn it. He was right there!"

Not a great endorsement of the priests, there.

"I understand. Still, I will need to meet the the church sooner rather than later."

Marcie tightens her expression somewhat.
"Am I correct in thinking that the more access there is in and out of the city, the greater the danger from the raiders as well as moroi. You mentioned a system of tunnels - what does that project need to progress?"

"And, leaving aside political considerations, would your husband's illness be amenable to outside help? We are involved with a goddess of healing, but as I understand he was ill before the curse even fell, I'm sure all efforts have already been made."
If Breoite is secretly poisoning him, or of he was born with a degenerative problem, or if he is just personally very ill, those details don't matter, only how they impact the question of what the kingdom can actually accomplish.

[Brefaisil]

"All efforts within our capabilities, yes." Breonite replies. "But you have already achieved the impossible. If you are willing to turn your miracle to my husband, I emplore you to try. He will know how best to proceed." There's an undercurrent of weariness in her voice; her reign had clearly taken a toll on her, and if she could find a way to end it without a suicide or disaster, she'd take it in a heartbeat.

"Our moroi containment project continues smoothly. One of the few things in Brefaisil that does so. I expect we will not need any help on that front." She adds quietly.

[Fenric]

Palace of Orochi

Sekhmet looks confused. "The court is, uh, mostly succubi and incubi as far as I can, uh, tell." She's never heard of the other hells or types of devils Orochi describes. "And, uh, they've definitely been going after the, uh, non-damned."

Orochi looks patient

"My apologies: this is the Nexus, where all things exist... but as a queen of devils, you may want to learn about the Nine Hells rather quickly - they consider themselves the sole authority on such things and you may find yourself in a very bad spot. But regardless: whatever your people may be called, whatever they may do: you will find it difficult to earn their respect until you respect them in turn, and trying to change the very nature of your subjects is highly unlikely unless your are far more divine than you appear.

Even Inari cannot change the nature of the Nogitsune, I suggest that your chances of changing your people are far lower.[/color]

Clearly, he has no concern whatsoever that her devils may be tempting those who have yet to fall.

---

[Dho Chladach]

Yi yawns and stretches in the manner of canids everywhere, and continues her vigil curled up on the avatar's feet like a fuzzy white blanket.

[Recaiden]

Prison Realm

"The guards have the keys, they know you're here, and they're looking for you now." Is called after Kiun after she leaves the Weevil of Antwerp.

The next cell is identical to the last, save the door is open and it's also mostly empty. A sapling is growing in it, emerging from a crack in the floor and forcing the stone wider. Its wood is iron, the leaves are copper; the bark is also iron, but touched by iron oxides so it has gone reddish, whilst the leaves are touched with greenish verdigris around the edges. There's a few nuts growing on it, they look a bit like acorns.

Oh? Do the guards disapprove of visitors entirely? She did sign the guest book and all.
No, the weevil is likely confused.

The metal tree, Kiun thinks, is much more intriguing at first than the persuasive man. Look at it, those different metals blending together. It's lovely, and - Did it grow like this? - it could be very useful.
She folds her wings in close and steps into the cell, circling around the tree a few times with wonder.
Then she'll try picking a few iron-corns (using her somewhat-clumsy telekinesis).

[Brefaisil]

"All efforts within our capabilities, yes." Breonite replies. "But you have already achieved the impossible. If you are willing to turn your miracle to my husband, I emplore you to try. He will know how best to proceed." There's an undercurrent of weariness in her voice; her reign had clearly taken a toll on her, and if she could find a way to end it without a suicide or disaster, she'd take it in a heartbeat.

"Our moroi containment project continues smoothly. One of the few things in Brefaisil that does so. I expect we will not need any help on that front." She adds quietly.

"That at least is good news. I would suggests that securing routes to Dho Chladach might be a priority, but. But first-
Marcie rises from the chair once again-
"If I could be shown to the king, and told what you know about his illness, I'll do what I can."