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An adventuring party recruited from Osirion teleports into Azir on the 8th of Desnus. Rahadoum's recruiting contact in Osirion wrote ahead to note they were expected. Couple of guys he's known a long time - a wizard, a ranger - and a new guy, sorcerer, probably to replace the cleric they usually travel with. They spend two days in Azir getting oriented and head out to the front. The ranger wears an unusually high quality amulet of Nondetection; the sorcerer wears a headband for intelligence, which is a bit unusual as sorcerers usually don't need it to cast, but some variants do; they are otherwise unremarkable. Chaotic Good, Lawful Neutral, no reading, which could mean neutral or 'hiding it'. They work quickly and effectively, manage resources reasonably well, get recommended to higher-ups for a closer look on that account.
"Abadar wouldn't ask it of me," he says quietly. "But if I'd been chosen by some other god, when I was ten and going to bed hungry every night..."
"I - had enough information to know that She could be very ruthless. I, just– I wish it felt more like She understood how much value this destroyed. It's never ever going to be the same - it's going to hurt relations between Valdemar and Osirion, because it was our call to bring them in to help at all, and - and I still don't know what mistake I, we, made there, that I could've done different with what I knew at the time..."
"I don't think the pharaoh's going to stop - resurrecting the rest of your war dead and trading you whatever else you need - he can't be stupid enough to blame you or shortsighted enough to want the river of diamonds to dry up -"
"I know. I think it's being handled as well as it possibly could be, and - it doesn't seem like it'll cost Cheliax anything irreparable, in terms of collaboration with Osirion, and Valdemar's...going to be fine."
He looks down at the floor, arms crossed. "I - just - I guess I have some personal feelings here too. They were some of my closest friends, Starwind was one of Savil's best friends - they saved my life, they gave me so much, and - I can't be friends with them after this. It wouldn't mean anything, anymore. Maybe Savil can salvage something there but I feel like I lost all the parts of the friendship that were real, that mattered, and - gods - and I'm so angry with Her. For what it cost them, too, not just me. Poor Moondance. He was just looking like a kicked puppy the whole time we questioned them. Starwind, not so much - I, I don't know..."
Vanyel calms down fairly quickly, wiping his eyes on his sleeve. "Thank you. And, ooh, I almost forgot. I asked the pharaoh to make sure Leareth was doing all right, after I said I'd stay in the demiplane overnight with Starwind and Moondance, and guess what happened!"
"The pharaoh took Leareth on a date! In Aktun. Can you believe it? It's so adorable."
"Honestly I'm now confused all over again about, um, relationship norms here. It's really cute though. Leareth looked so much happier after."
"- Hmm." Vanyel has to think for a moment. "I don't think I'd be confused if it were, I don't know, you. Um, I'd be confused you were interested in Leareth that way, but not... Er, I guess I thought the pharaoh had to be more formal than that."
"Aktun might've been an operative ingredient, Aktun doesn't really recognize Material Plane political divisions. But also, hmmm, there are rules if the pharaoh wants a woman because it'd be a mess if there were a question of paternity? There's not really any need for rules about dates with men."
"That's - convenient, I guess." Vanyel tries to conceal the sudden pang. It's stupid to be jealous of Leareth for getting to have something that it's obvious he badly needs.
"Is it going to be a problem for relations with Velgarth? Leareth said that they - get up in arms about men dating for some reason -"
"Er, not for Valdemar. The Heralds are fine with it. It might be awkward if you wanted a lot of trade relations with Rethwellan, they're - pretty extreme on that front - but I'd expect people to go along with local norms and not make a fuss when they're in a different world." He hopes so, anyway.
"Probably the pharaoh'll keep an eye on that." He shakes his head. "I guess Nefreti was right? Not that that should be surprising..."
"Oh. Right. I'd almost forgotten about that. Although at the time she said 'if not for'...something burdens, I don't remember exactly."
"If not for the burdens they have picked up and cannot put down. ...maybe they're less burdened now? Because Cheliax is conquered and Aroden is back and there's tons of diamonds?"
"Also Leareth seems to have partly gotten over his paranoia about gods, at least with Abadar. That seems relevant to him being comfortable with the pharaoh. And - is more comfortable having allies or friends at all."