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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.
"If the alarm that told us dangerous creatures had been summoned hadn't recognized creatures from your Abyss, the first person to go check up on the sudden burst of magic would've opened the door to get medical aid to anyone trapped inside. What would have happened then?"
"They would probably have died. And anyone nearby. Then you would have raised them from the dead."
"Is that why you decided to do this in my home, instead of in some other place."
"Mostly it was the opportunity available to meet Leareth face to face in a place where he would not be expecting an attack. If we had asked him to come to the Worldwound he would have been too wary."
"Our Goddess - did not specify. I suspected She had some plan, there, but - we did not need to know it."
His answer comes with no hesitation. "I would have taken him back. By negotiation, by - persuasive use of force - or, if necessary, by destroying Her entirely. I expect the last would be very difficult to accomplish, but we know that gods can die."
Long pause.
"Also I suspect Abadar would have done something rather drastic. I do not know Him well enough, at this time, to guess at details of what."
"If," he says to Starwind and Moondance, "any servant of your dangerously stupid goddess is found in my country again, under circumstances where the Heralds might find out about what happened to them, they will die."
"Herald Vanyel, you are a good person and I respect you immensely, so I am not going to answer that question and if there is any chance you might learn of what happened to them the answer will be that they were quickly and cleanly put to death."
That - doesn't really clarify things at all and also sounds concerning - but Vanyel doesn't press.
"What–" Moondance is blinking hard, biting his lip. He swallows. "What are you going to do to us now."
"Honestly if it were up to me you'd be eaten by demons. Leareth says it takes a very long time and hurts very badly. However, all of these other people either like you or consider the wellbeing of all sentient life their personal responsibility, so we're sending you home. Tomorrow; I don't have a Gate in me today."
He glances at the other half of his demiplane. "The fruit's edible."
Savil stays next to both of them. Her expression is pinched. She's not looking at the pharaoh.
Vanyel will stay because he said he would but this is going to be the most awkward night of his life.
- Also he's now feeling kind of bad and worried about Leareth, and he can't tell Khemet privately with Mindspeech because, one, his ridiculous shield, and two, he can't Mindspeak at all right now.
"Something I want to tell you," he says instead, in a low voice. "Can we, er..." He gestures vaguely at the still-boring side of the demiplane.
Oh, that's useful. It still feels very awkward to request help from the pharaoh of Osirion of all people about this, but...
"I'm concerned about Leareth, is all. He seems really unhappy and - I said I'd stay with Starwind and Moondance here and I'm going to, but I'd feel better if someone were checking in with him and - I don't know if Aroden counts."
"He is really unhappy. He gave a try to - trusting people, cooperating, believing it was possible to be safe any way other than being ten steps ahead of everyone at all times, and they learned and destroyed his immortality method while he was standing there trying to work out a spell for them and then murdered him horribly." His voice is shaking. "I don't know how to fix it."
"Gods." It's a really good description and also awful. "I - I don't either - I don't want him to just, just go back to the being ten steps ahead of everyone and be fine with it, like it's okay that nothing else is safe, but - I'm scared that's - just actually the right strategy for him. If even here he's still a target."