Geography time!

...This is very much not the map of Creation she remembers. 

Well. That's kinda awkward.

...Yeah.

Either someone's changed her memory, or - she's very lost.

...How long has the Dreaming Sea been there.

Since forever. Approximately. Records from before the Great Contagion aren't super reliable.

It's been centuries since the Great Contagion, in the reality she's used to, and they don't have that sea...

...It is technically possible something that'll get called the Great Contagion happened multiple times, and the landscape got massively reordered in or before one of them. Which is a very depressing thought, but.

She's also used to there being pretty decent records at least back to a few centuries before, though accessing them can be difficult if the Empire doesn't like you.

'Likes' might be stretching it, but Prasad and the Realm aren't enemies. Eridani went to school on the Blessed Isle for a couple years, even. They didn't really have more records there.

" - Any kind of friendliness with Lunars would be weird with that where - I'm used to. The Scarlet Empire is at war with all of the Lunar kingdoms in campaign range."

"It's called the Samira Empire."

"...I think we might just have different empires."

"The Scarlet Empire was founded by a Fire Aspect dragonblood, who'd been one of the soldiers defending the borders of the Blessed Isle from an invasion of raksha before she abandoned her post and seized control of the Realm Defense Grid, which hadn't been functioning. She used that to kill the fey and then anyone trying to argue with her right to form an Empire about this. She apparently can't project force with the grid infinitely, though, so instead she's just been at war with everyone who isn't her Empire or one of its colonies for the last few centuries. She's had a leg up on that, since the Blessed Isle was unaffected by the raksha invasion, and somewhat less affected by the - our - Great Contagion than some places."

"There's rumors she's vanished within the last few years, and we're seeing a dramatic surge in shadowlands, restless dead, Deathlords, Yozi cults, and raksha activity. And also since it's widely suspected that no one other than her can operate the grid, everyone who hates the Empire is now trying to actually invade toward the Blessed Isle, not just keep the imperials out of their business. The Lunar kingdoms have had the most success with that, especially since the Wyld Hunt is faltering, and there's been an explosion in the number of Exalted causing problems everywhere."

"...Yes but also no. The empress isn't Exalted, she hasn't disappeared, the raksha got all the way to the Imperial Mountain before she got inside with the help of her Solar and Lunar mothers working together one last time to save Creation, and then after that she was basically the only person left who still knew what they were doing so she just kind of made an empire by accident? Not really, but it's hard to summarize."

"There has been more weird stuff happening the past couple years, though."

"...I don't - know what to make of the differences."

"It's like you're from an alternate reality."

"I haven't heard of that happening before, but - yeah."

"...I'd also rather that than 'the very distant past,' since. It implies my reality might still exist."

"Yeah. Maybe you can figure out how to get back."

...She snorts suddenly, then: "Hopefully before my girlfriend rips a hole in both realities while looking for me."

"Is she the possessive type, then?"

"More the forceful type. She's been quite willing to share, historically."

"Oh, good."

"It's pleasant."

"Is she as pretty as you?"

Dopey grin. "She's the most gorgeous woman in Creation, so, even prettier."

"Sounds like a sight to see."

"Very much. I'll have to introduce you."

"Bet that'd be fun."