make the most of wherever we are now

Fighting a lich is not something one does lightly.

Jubilost keeps arguing that maybe they shouldn't try it at all, it's not like it's good for their lifespans or their souls, but - Sivetrys can't, actually, just leave it alone.

(Technically, she could, but. Emotionally, she can't.)

There are a lot of reasons for this. The ones she uses first are the logical ones, but she's aware that's not really why she can't leave the lich alone. It's just why she can justify the choices she already wanted to make, to herself, to her adventuring party (friends), to fucking Lastwall itself.

Vordakai is an old lich, which usually means extremely dangerous, but in this case it means he's, technically, changed species. A demilich is different from a lich in several ways - in a couple, more directly dangerous - but in others, it is much, much easier to deal with. He's lost circles, for one. For another, it means that they don't have to find his phylactery; he doesn't have one of those, anymore. The process for permanently killing him is still complicated - and Sivetrys has written to Lastwall for assistance on the logistical details of making that death final, along with asking them to please send her a paladin - but not as complicated as hunting down a phylactery in a demiplane underneath several dozen protections.

Secondly, because he is an old (demi)lich, from before Earthfall, his spells are out of date. Oh, he still has some dangerous ones, Dominate Person is a sure one they've confirmed, and her party is systematically trying to put a list together of what those are, but he's missing modern ways to reduce the circles of certain spells. His spells are old and inefficient, and in life and undeath he was never able to competently steal the greatest spells from the Azlanti Empire, else he wouldn't have hidden underground at all. With his demotion to demilich, and the loss in circles that came with that - he can't quite cast his worst spells, anymore. And he doesn't know what modern spellforms are like. Because there has been a steady march of progress, despite Earthfall, entirely because of Aroden's efforts, and all the genius casters after him that really want that high circle spell nownownow.

But of course, this also means that it's a race against time. He is awake, now, and has been since his tomb was disturbed, and some nebulous trinket stolen, and he is learning quickly. There's no mighty Azlant to throw back his own thievery, just these pathetic shreds of what remains after Earthfall. He's already captured one wizard, a third circle one, and he is definitely looking for more. For their spellbooks, for new slaves in his 'justified' rise against the thieves who disturbed him, for their new magical items.

There is no better time to fight him than right now, now that he's awake and actively scheming. The closest people that can maybe win in a fight him are - well, her, and her party. At least, they're the only ones who might, who also care enough to show up. The world is very big, and very dangerous, and liches do tend to stop, after a while. Reach their old borders, sate the atrophied greeds they'd had as mortals, gather enough undead slaves that gathering more becomes tiresome. As dangers on this planet that holds Rovagug go, they're not, objectively speaking, the worst.

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Jubilost Narthropple

"Ah! Hello! Kingsblood will be fine, thank you. Our sorceress should be done with her preparatory spellcraft in, hmmm, half an hour or so, by my estimation? Glad to hear your mysterious errand went without incident."

Zanmi Modra

there-by-your-side

Zan lets go of Umakhi's hand so she can dig into the bag of holding and pay her new friend back. "We had a powerful demonic weapon that we needed to sell to a trustworthy buyer, and we did! And now we are acceptably liquid for our endeavors."

to-the-silence

Oooooooooooh, preparatory spellcraft?

Is that happening... in this room?

Jubilost Narthropple

Jubilost accepts the money quite happily! (And lets Umakhi into the suite to find the appropriate side room that spellcraft is happening in.)

"Very responsible of you," he says approvingly.

But he is still facing the whole 'boredom' problem, so: he's going exploring for the little time he has, nothing personal! He gives a farewell nod, and then he's off.

Ekundayo

Ekundayo is inside the main suite's room, doing general martial preparation. (Checking which retrieved arrows need repair or re-fletching; it is very important that they all be up to his standards.) And drinking coffee.

And inside this little side room:

Yep! There is a sorceress carefully drawing on the floor in powdered silver, completely oblivious to the outside world, or the way that her dress's revealed cleavage is maybe causing something close to a wardrobe malfunction when combined with crawling around on the floor.

Linzi was looking at the sigils, promise.

She gives Uma a little wave and a, "Hello!"

to-the-silence

Oh, it's the tiny bard with the memory spell! Linzi gets an awkward wave before all of Umakhi's focus shifts to the runes.

She drops into a crouch to get a better look. (Her wings fold up above her, keeping her balanced on the balls of her feet without disturbing the delicate work.)

They're very neatly made, though some of the choices she made in what she puts where are very nonstandard. She clearly has an excellent grasp of both Celestial and spellcraft, to use an angelic rune to make a trap for one, but it will definitely still work, at least if she keeps following that interesting pattern she is. Which she seems to be.

to-the-silence

Oooooo. She hasn't seen anything like this before! This is delightful!

Her wings twitch happily. (Sivetrys is still working - she doesn't want to interrupt.)

not-quite-alone

Luto peeks her head in and waves happily at Linzi,

not-quite-alone

and Gods that is - quite a view - of the sorceress she already knew was very hot -

The extremely hot sorceress has noticed that people are in the room, and mumbles a, "Hello," but is otherwise engaged!

At last, though: someone else understands what being around Sivi is like!!!! She just does this! While wearing that!!!! It's taken Linzi years to become innoculated to it - and don't even get her started on how Sivi doesn't wear pants or leggings despite constantly flying around. That one only started being really apparent once she got access to Overland Flight!

Anyway, she was actually legit looking at the sigils, but. Yep. She understands. Poor Luto. Faced with Suddenly Sorceress. She has this disaster lesbian's sympathies.

not-quite-alone

Luto will manage to stop staring after a moment or two! And then manage an awkward "Ah. Hi." and make eye contact with Linzi, because, like. Hello?

to-the-silence

Oh!

Umakhi points to an empty space three away from Sivetrys is currently working. "[Stillness|Void]!", she pronounces triumphantly.

Yep. Yep. Yep yep yep yep. Linzi heads over and gives Luto commiserating pats. It's hard, to be confronted with Suddenly Sorceress.

".... hm?" says Sivetrys, at the pronouncement, looking up.

to-the-silence

"[Stillness|Void]! In that spot over there." Umakhi is really very sure of this. It's the only way the last two runes make sense. And

"It's clever! Are you self-taught?" She would have never done it like that!

not-quite-alone

("is this... normal...", Luto manages to whisper to Linzi.)

[Stillness|Void]...?

"Oh, you mean I'm going to use the rune that doesn't let anything wiggle? Is that its proper name? I know the - shape of them and what they do, but - yeah, I'm mostly self-taught. I've ever talked to a wizard or two, but a lot of what they were talking about seemed like a really roundabout and overly complicated way to think about things, and mostly it's - just - this is what makes sense?"

It is genuinely very nice to see Uma perk up this much, though.