Critical Mass
Zorian would be lying if he said that interacting with Quatach-Ichl again didn’t fill him with dread. Aside from the fact that the ancient lich had reached an unfathomable level of expertise in soul magic and could possibly detect residual damage on their souls, their current trade offer was fundamentally different from their last interaction with him. Before, it was Quatach-Ichl who approached them, blindsiding them with his sudden visit. He had the initiative right from the start, which doubtless helped lessen the level of threat he felt from them. This time, it would be them who would blindside him… and Zorian was not at all sure the ancient lich could take that gracefully.
Yet, Zorian knew he had to risk it. The fact was, their current initiatives were insufficient. E
