"...Brusque? Impatient? She seemed very busy, though. She - said that she wished she could pay more attention but there was the situation at the Worldwound, whatever that was, and also Aroden was - making it costly for Her, somehow? Maybe because of having us here?" 

“Well, it’d make it impossible for anyone else, so I guess maybe that would make it costly even for a god.” 

"Mmm." And Leareth doesn't particularly have the energy to reply further. 

A minute or so later, Malduoni Plane Shifts back into the demiplane. 

(Leareth has his eyes closed and no Othersenses, and so doesn't immediately react.) 

Carissa has been thinking about this and decided not to kneel. Instead she steps back from Leareth and inclines her head slightly and then looks back at him. And his...a ninth-circle wizard doesn't need a bodyguard - wife?

Leareth opens his eyes when she moves away, and then immediately scrambles up. His body is suddenly thrumming with tension again, the instinctive urge to orient stymied by his lack of Othersenses. 

"I apologize for the delay," Malduoni says. "And for interrupting you. This is my daughter, Zahra. Leareth, I was hoping she might accompany you back to Velgarth - she is aware of my plans and can fill you in on everything." 

What. 

Leareth gives Carissa a perplexed look. 

Carissa has no idea what to make of that!

"Nice to meet you" says Zahra. "At least, I'm assuming it will be. Iomedae told Dad to release you with apologies and send me back with you to explain the plan while the two of them consult. We will maybe also be accompanied by some paladins, I'm excited, I've never met one."

"Were you, uh, raised in his demiplane for paranoia reasons? They're not rare."

"Dad banned all the gods and their followers from his entire country."

...Wow, that's oddly relatable.

"I wish that were possible to do in Velgarth," Leareth says dryly.

He nods to Zahra. "Leareth. Pleased to meet you." Which is hopefully true. He isn't sure; his mind is mostly not producing emotions right now. Which makes his elevated heart rate even more annoying, really, what's the point of that. 

"Iomedae also said that I should give both of you my nicest intelligence headbands, as an apology gift," Malduoni says, a little stiffly. "So give me a moment, please."

He turns to unlock a magically-locked cabinet and rummage in it. 

Both of them???? Why both of them???????? (She wants the headband very very much and is absolutely not going to protest or even make a facial expression). 

"The paladins are coming to consecrate some ground and help Iomedae establish a presence in Velgarth?" Leareth asks Zahra. "How does consecrating ground actually work? I am not sure we have the concept." 

"There's a spell, Consecrate, that blesses ground and makes it easier for a god to work miracles through. I don't know much about it but using it to cut Asmodeus off from his temples is in the invasion plan if we have Good churches helping."

"...Huh. Are Evil gods not able to do that, or do they do a different thing instead?" 

"Same thing, but it's called Desecrate."

"We did it when we took temples to Vkandis. Not sure if it worked but it's cheap to try."

"Interesting. I would be curious to watch the process." 

Leareth feels oddly as though he's watching himself speak and interact from a long way away. 

Malduoni seems to have found the headbands he was looking for; he makes a satisfied sound and re-locks the cabinet, then crosses the room to them and holds them out, one in each hand. "Here you go. Do you have any questions?" 

Leareth shakes his head, and then has to remind himself to actually reach out and take the headband. He mostly just wants to not be here. 

HEADBAND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!