#ethermade

Dropped for you!

"Heaven...?" Lilli thinks to herself, biting her lip. "Where I'm from, we have seven of those. And, I guess, seven hells to match." She looks away, shrugging.

"I guess it's not up to me to decide who goes where. But if I were in charge..."

"Call me a bleeding heart, but I don't think anyone deserves eternal punishment. Even the worst people have some good, don't they...? Or at least the capacity for it, if they tried. I think it's really hard to categorize people like that, don't you? It's not so black and white."

She laughs, scratching the back of her head sheepishly. "...or something like that! There are probably people smarter than me that could weigh in. I dunno, I like to see the best in people, or at least extend them a hand. But I guess that isn't what you asked, is it?" She looks at Them.

Ah, philosophy- Malchior's familiar with this sort of thing, because philosophy always bordered on riddles, the latter of which dragons were always fond of, and the former being the domain of the great mages. Always wondering about the nature of the world, because to wield great magic, it was important to understand as much as possible.

This one speaks of free will, and Malchior thinks of the flow of magic. Wild and free on its own, but to harness it meant to make a conscious effort. At least on the part of human mages. Dragons simply performed magic, which made up their entire beings.

❝ Free will? I think that it certainly exists in some aspects- there are many forces that would not be seen as sentient by most, but they operate as they wish- like the magic that flows through the world. Nothing dictates how it must exist, it simply does. ❞

❝ Say, then, that a person desires to become a mage. That person will learn to redirect the flow of magic, which arguably could bend it away from its own will so that it serves the purpose that the mage wishes it to. ❞

@ethermade asked: "Do you believe in fate? Destiny?" Fae leans back, arms crossed. "Do you believe that something, anything, could be truly inevitable?"

fiyero crosses his arms and looks up at the sky. it's not as though he's actually expecting to see anything up there. the gods travel in many ways, most of which fiyero will never experience, not in the same way. planes he can't access, magic he will never achieve. in between the layers of the clouds, the sound of the wind, the rays of the sun. his eyes as they are can't catch them.

   he hesitates, makes a 'chk' sound smacking his cheek.

   ' i believe the gods are stubborn. '

   fate, destiny. it's an awfully dreadful idea, isn't it? the gods are already bad enough, powers so much larger than that of the people of faerûn. sometimes it feels as though they exist at their whim. waiting for a temper tantrum or a lover's quarrel to destroy the world as they know it. struggling against a current they can't control.

   ' they do what they want, and once they've set their mind on something, it's hard to change their decision. ' would mystra call it fate, when she told gale to sacrifice himself with the orb she put in his chest? that this was his path from the beginning, that it was meant to be that way? fiyero shakes his head, frustrated.

He creases his brow slightly.

"I don't think I'm the best to consult on this question." After all, he was a soldier made to follow rules, not dictate them himself. "But my compatriots and I in the military have been raised to serve a purpose since our birth."

"We exist to be used, and our usefulness determines our value. What is the value of those who burn in Hell?"

He doesn't know much about religion, but diligently reviews his knowledge to come up with a logical answer. "I thought of fuel...but if they cannot die, then Hell is burning itself to sustain them. If it is to cleanse their sins...then there is no end to it if they never escape."

His gaze turns thoughtful.

"Yes, of course."

"I won't deny that it doesn't—only that it is unimportant that it does. But in this case I am speaking of the love between mortals—or kindred spirits—the more commonly known 'romantic love' that humans obsess over excessively.

"There is also the love for friends, families, and all other aspects that make life pleasant. Love opens minds and warms the heart; it is an essential part of mortal life that makes things all the more bearable.

“It is also the source of the cruelest pains and deepest hurts. If a soul is to be truly free, it would be wise not to get too caught up in such emotions. As for being fated to love someone…

“Yes to that too. Why not?

Ain't that a question.

"It is." He states, as if it's a fact. "Though, the details aren't really all that interesting if you ask me. All that counting... Better leave it to people whose job it is."