PS: This update should count as yesterday's.
The cold wind of early spring blew into their faces as Aaron, Eleanor, Barrel, Charlotte, and the others officially left Elturel.
As Mama Selûne had said, Aaron and his companions were not yet ready to face Avernus and Zariel. Zariel was a Solar, a bona fide Quasi-Deity. Every Solar was a supreme being qualified to become a god who had never actually taken that final step. Some still had unfinished missions, some were unwilling to become gods and be bound by divine constraints, and others might have abandoned ascension for reasons they could not conveniently disclose. All Solars possessed power comparable to that of a deity.
Typical examples included Morwel, the Eladrin Queen of Stars who had ties to Samir, and the Celestial Hebdomad.
Along the way, at Aaron's request, Barrel told him about another fallen Solar as a point of reference.
The cautionary example was Malkizid, a Solar who had once served Corellon, the Father of Elves. In all fairness, Malkizid had done nothing wrong. He had served Corellon faithfully and diligently, fulfilling all his duties. Later, when Corellon ordered him to serve his Goddess-Queen, Araushnee, Malkizid had obeyed, changed masters, and worked tirelessly for the elven Goddess-Queen.
Then Araushnee joined forces with a group of Corellon's enemy gods and stormed the Elven Court to kill him, only to be driven back. Once her plot was exposed and the Elven Pantheon began discussing how to deal with her, Malkizid assumed it surely had nothing to do with him.
Everything he had done had been under Corellon's orders. He had neither disobeyed the Father of Elves nor participated in Araushnee's conspiracy. Surely none of the blame could fall on him?
The reasoning was sound. The logic held up.
Malkizid was wrong. His mistake