"Hmmm. Do you know which angel's sword it is? I might be able to identify it from a description, if not."

"I believe it's Lariel's."

"It could go over well to add something about Lariel right before you bring out his sword!" 

She looks at Sosiel.

"Let me think... 'As Lariel once fought for us, now we fight for Mendev's future'? No, that's a little too generic..."

"Is there much recorded about Lariel's efforts? - and if there is do a lot of people know about it such that a reference will not fall completely flat?"

"Of course! Now, just like with every other great hero, some of the stories people tell about him are exaggerated, but that doesn't mean they all are. If you're looking for something most people in Mendev know about that would go well with the rest of your speech, you could compare this crusade to the time Lariel and Targona defeated the vrolikai mage-general Golrimug and stopped his plans for conquering Drezen? A lot of people had started to think he was undefeatable, but he wasn't, and you could say that's like the Worldwound!"

"Even if that is here a very widely known story I'm not sure it adds much to the speech considering that we do not, at this time, control Drezen."

"That's going to be a problem for a lot of the stories about Lariel, he disappeared before the Wardstones were laid and the demons' territory had mostly been growing until then. Are you allowed to just talk about how he defeated them and skip how they saved Drezen? I know some other stories about him if not, but I'm not sure they're any good for your speech..."

"I think overembellishing will draw attention to my weaknesses as a speaker and that I should keep it short. Identifying the sword as Lariel's at all may suffice for most of what there is to gain here?"

"That makes sense to me. I guess you can't say Lariel supports us, but you could talk about... making sure his sacrifice wasn't in vain?"

"When in the present outline would that go?"

"Right before you draw his sword, I think. If you can find a way to do that while also putting the line about how you're certain it's possible to close the Worldwound last, that would be ideal, but it might be a bit hard to do that without making the sword have less of an impact."

Nod nod.

Guidance. "Ultimate closure of the Worldwound, I am certain it can be done, making good the sacrifice of Lariel and all those like him?"

"Try delivering it all together again? Like you're speaking in front of the crowd, except that you can just mime drawing the sword."

WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYY. Maybe it's like explaining he's ex-Asmodean and it will suck less if he does it enough. "For over a century Mendev's people" nope it still sucks "have faced countless trials out of the Abyss, but time and again its brave heroes have risen to the occasion. Here I have met among the finest allies I have ever fought beside, and this time as we muster our forces I mean to command not a holding action, but the ultimate closure of the Worldwound. I am certain it can be done, making good the sacrifice of Lariel," gesture, "and all those like him."

"Your presentation needs some work, but I think the actual speech is good!"

He would have said it a little more gently, but Nurah isn't wrong. "Do you think you could put a little more feeling into your voice? Less like you're delivering a report, more like you're telling a story."

"You don't think an Eagle's casting will cover that?"

"I think it should help, but it can't hurt to practice!"

IT CAN THOUGH. IT CAAAAAAN. "I am not much in the habit of telling stories."

That sounds like more reason to practice, not less!

"Have you ever spoken to someone, or heard someone give a speech or a sermon or a lecture, who was just so inspiring that it made you want to believe in what they were saying?"

"I can't say that I have."

"Maybe you should demonstrate for him, Sosiel!"

He looks at Blai. "Would that be helpful? I can't say I'm the best speaker I know, but I do have some experience."