"I would tend to agree, depending upon what is revealed to us during the meeting with the Empress." It was a bit too early to tell for sure, but Ashelia was clearly prepared for the worst.

"In the grand scale of Calamities and Heroes and Goddesses and Fiends, they will carry out their plans and we will react and, more often than not, triumph," Ashelia said, tone a little more flippant than what might be appropriate for the subject matter. "However, there are more immediate gains to be made here. Ways we can make the coming months, perhaps years, more bearable. Extend our reach. Expand our bases of operation. Gain clout. Accrue what influence we can, that we may have the resources necessary to weather the rising tide. That starts now. Here."