Phase 0: Transitions
Phase 1: Choices- Phase 1.1: Prophecy
Phase 1.2: War
- Session 37: The Wheels of Fate
- Session 38: Please Have Mercy
- Session 39: New Faces and Places
- Session 40: Slavers and Sex Trades
- Session 41: The Chill That Will Not Go Away
- Session 42: Escape By Sea
- Spotlight Session 5: Lorelei's Big Adventure
- Session 43: Adrift
- Session 44: Sneaking into Seren(ity)
- Session 45: Digging into the Church
- Session 46: Ruining the Church
- Session 47: Southward Bound
- Session 48: The Consequences of Decisions
- Session 49: Personal Wars
- Session 50: Fallen Angel
- Session 51: A Group Divided
- Session 52: Prisoners
- Session 53: Prisoners of War
- Session 54: Maximum Security
- Session 55: Breakout
- Spotlight Session 6: Big, Bad and Black
- Session 56: The Ruins of Soniere
- Session 57: The Navarro Desert; The Rush to the Angel
- Session 58: Arabian Nights
- Session 59: Plans of Action
- Session 60: The War is Only Beginning
- Spotlight Session 7: John McCormick's Day Off
Phase 2: Divisions
Phase 3: Quests- Phase 3.1: Tides
- Phase 3.2: Destiny
Phase 4: Darkness
Phase 5: Light- Phase 5.1: Searching
- Phase 5.1.2: Events
- Phase 5.2: Headway
- Phase 5.3: Truths
Phase 6: Changes
Phase 7: Hunts
Phase 8: Preparations
Phase 9: Prophecies
- Phase 9.1: Holy
- Phase 9.2: Night
- Phase 9.3: The First Trinity
Phase 10: Godwar
Phase 11: Others
Act 2: Consequences
Mini Series: Heart of Terra
Session 37: The Wheels of Fate
Location: Nuege Royal Palace - West Side
After resting in the luxury of royal apartments for an evening and enjoying the many fineries the Prince has to offer, the group rouses and begins to head to ready for the day. Zeal organizes a hot all female bath orgy in which she plots and succeeds to steal the uniform right off of Mercy, the Prince's maid. During this enjoyable time Dahok barges in claiming the need to wash baby while Kaelan attempts to save him from certain death at the hands of the zealously chaste Zeal. Dahok and Kaelan follow the Prince and Rachael down to breakfast while Zeal wraps up her amazing bath adventure. Kaelan and Dahok both confirm their desire to help the prince, for no better reason then to free the various elves the King holds prisoner for experiments and abuse. When Jean and Zeal join them at the table, a debate erupts when Rachael is included in the plan to assasinate the King by acting as a rebellious elf in the effect of preventing anyone from associating the Prince or the Angel with the King's demise.
While Zeal fervently refuses Rachael's desire to do the act, Dahok backs up Rachael while Kaelan attempts to find a compromise between the two warring sides. During this conflict Dahok suggests anyone who doesn't want to help should leave, and Jean complies. Kaelan follows after her attempting to talk to her while the two continue to debate. Shortly thereafter Kaelan percieves that Jean having locked herself away in Zeal's room has somehow gotten away and cries out, answering the cry are Mercy and Dahok, followed shortly by Kyle, the Knight who brought them to the castle. Mercy unlocks the door and indeed, Jean is nowhere to be found and a rope of sheets has been made to climb out the window, Zeal's bow and quiver are gone. Kaelan has Mercy alert the two who continue to talk alone, unaware, while the remaining three go to the top of the tower to try and spot her, to no avail. Zeal and Rachael decide the best course of action is to find someone who can get to the King faster, they think of Carly, which leads the two to race to a brothel where Zeal met up with her the previous night.
Kyle brings the other two to the brothel as well in time to see Zeal being teased by Carly. They end up striking a deal with Carly to have her take out the King, as they head to the castle they devise a plan and send Carly in disguised as Kyle, who then changes her shape to appear like an Elf and kill the King while the others wait outside. Feigning ignorance they are allowed inside sometime later to find out what happened, and find Jean safely in her room, not remembering a thing that happened since breakfast. They wait for now, to find out the consequences to their choices.
Location: The Prince's Tower
After being made to wait nearly a whole day, the group is invited to dinner with Arcane once again to discuss matters. However, at the meal before dinner the group starts to show rising tensions between one another, the time of quiet has brought out their differences and while some try to make peace with everyone, others begin to push themselves away. After a quiet afternoon, quiet because everyone avoids one another entirely, the group sits to dinner with Arcane and they discuss the matters at hand, the church has arrived warning the city of the Angel and the possibility of making it into the church is now highly unlikely. Jean is strangely quiet and distant as well during the conversation but at the end Arcane concludes that they need to lay low until after the corronation, after which he can speed them on their way north. Everyone moves back for their rooms, Jean's tension seems at an all time high when her normal amiable attitude has vanished entirely.
As the group talks, questions they ask one another bring everything to a boiling point. Kaelan and Zeal wondering about the Prince's interest in Rachael end up making Rachael feel insulted, as though she was some whore. Kaelan and Dahok discuss the differences everyone is having and Kaelan, afraid they are bringing out a darker side to Jean, attempts to talk to Zeal about everyone getting along. Zeal, taking it personally and acting as though being indited for crimes, shoves Kaelan away. As a result of this, Kaelan's drive and normal stance of looking up to Zeal fade. The evening ends as the day began, with tension in the air and dissapointment in one another at a high. The next morning Rachael and Jean appear to be missing, Mercy believes them to be with Arcane and Zeal and Kaelan as if in sync worry for the honors of the two other girls. They attempt to get in to see Arcane with no luck, and just as their attempts are failing an explosion rocks the castle. After some deal of confusion where the remaining members to the team attempt to look into the situation, Rachael is escorted in letting them know that an explosion "killed" all the elves in the jails.
With the attempt to save the Elves complete and Jean still missing, the group settles down to wait and hope she returns from assumed wandering about the castle. The next morning Rachael is gone, having left a note saying she was going into town and the others decide to look for Jean, who still hasn't returned.
Session 39: New Faces and Places
Location: The Castle
After an evening where Kaelan matches wits with the Other Jean and eventually gets the Angel to stay and not abandon the group, a new member of the group, Nephilim the Elven Rogue,returns to the inn Kaelan is staying at with Jean, bringing Rachael. After Kaelan attempts to explain the turn in Jean's personality and a black eye that Jean accidentally got in the process, the group returns to the castle to meet up with Zeal and Dahok. Kaelan attempts to explain to the group that their infighting and disagreements with one another, including her own actions and feelings, are tearing Jean apart. After she attempts to get them to cooperate and talk out their problems, Jean offers a solution to hold the team together which no one can find strong enough an argument with. She takes charge of the team and the position of leader, ordering everyone to hug and get along. The group's tension finally breaks and they seem to be forming into a team once again.
Later the group attends a dinner, kept out of sight of the various nobles and church officials who have also come to see the ceremony. Arcane is crowned as the King of Nuege and everyone cheers him on. The group quietly discusses what they might do. After the ceremony the group is ushered into a side room to meet with Arcane. Arcane thanks them for their help and regrets being unable to get them into the library, however he notifies them he has made all the arrangements for their journey north. He offers them a reward of any single request as a group that he will grant them, after some quick deliberation, Dahok does the romantic thing and suggests that Mercy be given a night to herself to enjoy the glittering once a week. This request quickly turns into a debate over freeing the girl from her servitude, ultimately this is shot down and instead of such simple requests the group asks for the supplies they need to keep going. Rachael seems very upset over the idea of Mercy kept in servitude even moreso then Zeal or Dahok. So much so that the group takes their time getting out to the carriages awaiting them.
There they begin to pack and get ready and Kyle offers them a chance to recruit Mercy for the trip north, which Kaelan nearly screws up when, not getting it, offers herself or Rachael to cook. Quickly she downplays their abilities and soon Mercy is allowed to come with them. The group sets out in the carriages, heading northward.
As they set up camp an arrow comes flying down towards Baby, who ferociously hides behind others for safety. The arrow turns out to be fired from the bow of a local Hunter named Seth, who after apologizing for the confusion, not having realized the bearoar was tame, joins the group on their trip north.
Session 40: Slavers and Sex Trades
Location: ????
Dahok awakes to find himself alone in a carriage which is about to go over the edge, struggling he drags himself to safety and lands in the snow to find carnage. The other carriages are gone, the guards are dead or missing and a frozen girl lays in the snow. To Dahok's relief, the girl is Carly (who is always frozen), nearby the two find Seth laying in the snow unconcious and bleeding. Carly decides to tell Dahok what happened...
Travelling in the endlessly unchanging snowy plains is suddenly interrupted when the group's carriages come to meet a chasm in the plain. As they move along the troubling drop their progress is halted when a small army of men rise from the snow, attacking and taking down the guards and overwhelming the group in an instant. The attackers round up the women, as they attempt to take some of them, resistance causes problems. Baby attempts to defend Jean and is killed, thrown down the chasm. Kaelan finds herself at the tip of a lance and submits when told to surrender, seeing no other path to freedom at the moment. Zeal attempts to argue the situation and nearly finds herself skewered for taking her time, eventually all the girls are bound and taken away. Seth attempts to escape when Carly strikes out at the remaming guards after the others leave, Dahok also attempts to break free but is thrown into the carriage and knocked out.
Dahok finds a mark on his arm telling him which way to go to find Jean, and presumably the other women. Joined by Seth, who awakens after the tale is told and a one armed Knight who survived the attack, the three strike out with Carly to attempt to find the others. After journeying through the snow for quite a distance they come upon a village which needs the aid of some Hunters to handle a Tigroar infestation. Agreeing to a deal, they set out to kill the Tigroar pack in exchange for horses and supplies to speed them to the others. The intrepid heroes valiantly battle the entire pack including a Mother Tigroar who gives them quite a bit of trouble. Heavily using magic to finish the encounter, Dahok feels Jean fade through their connection.
Meanwhile...
At the slaver's headquarters, the girls are divided up based on virginity and quality, some of the girls seperated to be used and others kept for sale. The slavers discover Jean is the Angel, which is only confirmed when Zeal attempts to use it as a threat to get them free. The slavers decide to use her before handing her over to the church for a reward, Kaelan and Zeal both attempt to take her place only to be shamed out of their attempts by Jean, who has fully crossed over the Angel personality during the situation. Nephilim and Rachael begin some hardcore snuggling to distract the guards while Nephilim does the locks to her cage, Kaelan steals a key off a guard and gets herself loose at the same time as her elven friends. Using makeshift weapons and surprise magical attacks, the three take down the guards left in the room and as they are about to head to free the others, the slaver leader show up and overwhelms them with strength and numbers in reinforcements. Just as things are about to take an even worse turn, Nephilim proposes a deal and trades her cooperation for the freedom of Zeal, Rachael, and Kaelan.
Session 41: The Chill That Will Not Go Away
Location: Icy Plains of Nuege
Three girls find themselves led blindfolded out into the chill of the snow plains, their clothing ravaged and stuck together on a horse. Kaelan, Zeal and Rachael are soon let free, but not before another sharp blow is dealt to Rachael's head when she refiuses to go silent. Kaelan shows a cold calm as the takes charge, counting out the time till they are allowed to take off their blindfolds. When they do, they slavers are long gone and the girls are lost in the snow. Zeal is in pieces over her recent violation and Rachael is slowly losing it herself. Kaelan decides to find them somewhere warm to make a camp, and as they're about to settle down a shape appears in the distance. Thinking the slavers are coming back for them, Kaelan resolves to stay and keep them busy while the other two girls run. Zeal protests this sacrifice to much Kaelan is forced to take control of the horse, as they're ready to turn away, Rachael orders her to stop. She does, and as the figure draws close, Rachael lashes out at the figures with a Wind Blast, knocking Dahok, Carly, Seth and the Knight down into the snow. After they recover and realize who each other are, the group sets up camp and starts a shelter and fire for Rachael and Zeal who are in no condition to go on. Kaelan and Dahok try to stall long enough for Seth to finish setting up a place for the girls, after which the three strike out with Carly out after Jean. The Knight stays behind with the girls.
The newly formed rescue team approaches the miniature mountain which serves as the slaver's base, after sneaking and stealthily taking out the guard, the group enters into the inner areas of the fortress, taking down a large number of slavers in combat before freeing the horses, carriages, and finding a prisoner to question. Dahok threatens the location of the girls from the slaver before ending his life in simple, cold justice. The three make their way into the slave quarters, which Kaelan chillingly remembers from her time there. They free the Knights who weren't killed and press onward after arming them. They find Nephilim punishing a man about to violate Mercy, and Dahok ends that man's life as well with his sword. Sending Mercy and Nephilim to the carriages with the Knights. Kaelan, Dahok and Seth enter a final area ready to battle for Jean, when they find the girl nude and looking terribly drained. Still in the Angel personality she informs them that the leader is gone, and won't be coming back. They all return to the carriages together.
Angel then declares she will do something before they leave, she moves over to Mercy. She declares that if anyone interrupts her in what she's doing, no matter what is happening, she will leave each person who does so behind when they reach the port town. She touches heads to Mercy and the girl screams, together the two seem to battle with pain as the shrill screams disturb everyone around them. Kaelan and Seth stare in shock and Nephilim looks on with curiousity, Dahok meanwhile loses his patience and just as the screams start to die away, he pulls the two apart. The Angel is vehement but says nothing else as they pile onto the carriages. The Knights remark that the Angel is truely the one who will destroy the world, the party's sharp glares and Kaelan's order to remember their duties silence the guards. Before they leave to return to camp with Zeal and Rachael, Dahok destroys the Slaver HQ with Anima T.
Location: En Route
As the group nears their destination, Angel orders the carriages to stop, getting out, she looks around, as though sensing something. Kaelan steps out with her to take a look, and finds the voice of a goddess echoing in her head. The goddess Lenneth, Goddess of Heroes, contacts her, urging her not to give away what's going on. She explains that they are all in danger and that Harbinger has set a trap for them. She persuades Kaelan to meet her at an inn in the city to discuss a possible means of ending the conflict between the Church and the Angel without anyone dying. Kaelan insists that Angel go off on her own with Carly when Angel says she should infiltrate on her own, and once they get back in the carriages, Kaelan relays the message to the rest of the team. Slightly taken aback to find that Kaelan is still connected to the gods, they hesitantly agree to watch the Knights and get the boat ready, learning they have only an hour before Harbinger will make his move to seize them all.
Approaching the gates they are searched by the Templars, an orb which detects those who have met the Angel glows bright, but before the guards can act on their discovery they are interrupted. Thomas shows up in a Templar uniform and takes over the search, claiming the group to be witnesses carrying valuable information on the Angel to him. The head of the guards, Odin, doesn't seem to buy the story but lets them through. As they enter the busy marketplace, Kaelan sees the oppurtunity to get out of the carriage and looks to Zeal, who was placed in charge, for a decision on whether or not to go see Lenneth. Zeal, who is still dealing with her issues from her time with the slavers, seems hesitant to decide anything, Kaelan pushes her into reacting and Zeal tells her to just go. Dahok and Nephilim accompany Kaelan into the marketplace. The rest of the group rides the carriages to the ship. Before anyone can rally or act, several knights retreat into the town while the others all help load up the ship.
Kaelan, Dahok and Nephilim find the Inn of the White Tigroar and are directed upstairs to meet their "friend". Lenneth sits in wait and explains the situation and how she got Harbinger to wait an hour so she could make this attempt at a peaceful resolution to the conflict. She gives Kaelan a collar, saying that if the Angel wears it, it will make her a mortal woman who would be no danger to the gods, and that Harbinger would abandon his hunt of them if she wore it. Kaelan accepts the collar quietly and promises only one thing, she will never allow the Angel to bring about the end of the world. Angel arrives at the docks wondering where the others are, the hour quickly closing in, seeing the Templars gathering at the marketplace edge, ready to strike those getting onto the ship, Angel orders them to get ready to make way. Kaelan, Dahok and Nephilim find themselves trapped, the Templars blocking the way to the docks. Dahok and Nephilim attempt to lure the Templars away and Kaelan, seeing that the templars are focused on the docks, starts to make her way through to the docks before they're closed off, too late however. The three attempt to battle their way to the ship as it starts to move off, Angel deciding to escape while they still have a chance.
Dahok fights his way to a small boat and readies to make his own way after Nephilim is captured and Kaelan is thrown across the water by Harbinger and slammed into the mast of the ship, landing on the Angel's vessel in critical condition. Dahok attempts to catch up to the ship while a giant whirlpool spreads, attempting to swallow the Angel's vessel and is swallowed up. After they make their escape, the reamining crew deals with the assumed loss of Nephilim and Dahok, while Kaelan is treated for her injuries. Kaelan upon awakening finds herself marked by the Angel, and when asked what she was doing with Lenneth, confesses everything, giving the collar to the Angel to do with it as she pleases, stating she would never stab someone in the back like that. The Angel tosses the collar out into the sea to be swallowed by the waves.
Spotlight Session 5: Lorelei's Big Adventure
Location: Mansion Base
Another quiet day at the Mansion as Chad and Aya head back up to the PAX after visiting for Aya's birthday party. When Cheryl gets inside however, things become quite loud when the family realizes Lorelei is missing. In a panic they start searching the house, surprisingly even Ariel joins in the search, having recently begun to be active as though coming out of a coma. When their search turns up nothing, Zephyr confesses she sent Chad's motorcycle to the PAX as a joke to see if he'd ride it around the station. Putting two and two together, they decide that Lorelei may have snuck itno the giant box containing the motorcycle and they call ahead to the PAX. Cheryl takes the full Elite Unit, minus that Cole person, up to the PAX to search for her baby.
Upon arriving, Chad has a large box checked and confirms, after Lorelei riding on a motorcycle tears up the hangar bay, to Cheryl that Lore is indeed on the station. Lorelei flies off the cycle when it crashes right into a teleporter, widing up at the Bar. Here people cry in shock as a small furry thing runs about their feet. Thinking it a mouse, Athena leaps to the rescue, chasing it about, while Leyaeh stares in confusion, her burger interrupted at the growing chaos. Spotting the girl leaving the bar, she takes off in pursuit, with Athena and Elwyn accompanying her. The team arrives and follows the trail, and Katrina's directions as they race after the girl, who hops a tram ride towards the poor section. Elwyn valiantly leaps onto the tram and holds on for dear life while the others all teleport over to the Poor Sector. Cheryl searches for her child and leads the chase as she follows the girl to a vent, where Athena chases her into it, and Cheryl follows the vents to Engineering. They bypass the guards quickly thanks to Leyaeh, whom they recognize as a security officer, sadly not recognizing Chad Winters.
The chase goes through Engineering to the Gardens, and from the gardens to a little known secret port, which leads outside the ship to a small little area under the command tower. Here they find Lorelei looking up at the Earth, reunited, everyone calms down, Erevis inviting them all to stay for a quick meal and an hour of interaction. Here everyone relaxes and spends some time together, two teams reunited for a brief moment. Aya inspects Lorelei with interest, explaining about the girl's unique genetic structure and her flucuating powers. Seeing a need to teach her, Cheryl invites Elwyn to move into the mansion to become Lorelei's tutor. The group leaves, sans Elwyn who needs time to consider and plan.
The next morning, Lorelei has escaped her crib again.
Location: Unknown
Nephilim wakes up in a jail cell, chained to a wall, having been dreaming of being chased by Harbinger, but escaping him. After some inspection and looking about, she finds a trap door, which opens on it's own, to reveal Thomas, holding a small glowing orb. He uses it to free her from her chains and guides her out of the jail. He expalins that her ability to resist Harbinger means she has the ability called the Light, and this mysterious ability means she can't be controlled or mastered, and that she can use ancient devices, it was one fo the reasons the Gods crushed the ancients in the past. Together the two agree to go after the others, Thomas suggests they return to Nuege, where a device exists that can teleport them from place to place, but only users of the Light can make use of it. They journey to Nuege, hoping they can make it to Seren in time. Nephilim and Thomas discuss many things, one important thing comes out is Thomas' interest in Zeal.
Dahok finds himself lost at sea, adrift and while he has a lot of fish, he has no water or means to cook the fish with. In danger of dehydration and starving, he finds himself in luck as a ship approaches. Unfortunately the ship is a Templar ship, and after getting thier attention Dahok finds himself forced on board and put in chains. Odin greets him with a smile, so happy to find a useful hostage. Dahok is taken below, to whatever fate awaits him.
Meanwhile, on the Ship of the Angel, Zeal spends her time trying to reconstruct clothing while Rachael helps, Jean, now free of the Angel once again, fishes. Kaelan observes the ocean with her, keeping a close watch while Seth spends his time maintaining his gear. This peaceful time is interrupted when Jean catches something, nearly being yanked off the ship, Kaelan grabs her and calls for help, and soon she's grabbed and held fast as well when the caught fish rises, revealing itself to be a giant squid. Between Seth's arrows and Zeal going wild using Kaelan's sword and stabbing the thing repeatedly, the beast is vanquished, calamari for all! However, all is not over, as a much larger tentacle towers over them, and the momma squid appears, wanting revenge. Zeal, Seth, Kaelan and Azhren battle the giant squid together. Zeal finishes the beast off with a well placed arrow in it's vital spot. The group licks it's wounds while Seth leaps into the sea after Mercy, who fell overboard, and is rescued by the very same maid, Azhren pulling them both back up onto the ship.
Afterwards, they cook the tentacles and attempt to enjoy the feast. They converse, nearing Seren they have to get ready for what is to come. Jean reels, feeling something painful, she tells them all that Dahok has been smitten, changed like Kaelan once was, and runs off to mourn. Kaelan chases after her and comforts her, attempting to sing to her, which helps the girl rest.
Session 44: Sneaking into Seren(ity)
Location: The Boat of Love
The Ship of the Angel nears land, after a shakey night in which Kaelan allowed Jean to remove the Mark of the Angel from her, leaving Jean in a worse state then ever. As they near the shore, Angel breaks from Jean's personality shortly to warn the group that Dahok awaits them, she urges them to kill him without hesitation, her message not fully clear, but it leaves the group bewildered. They reach shore and disembark, Kaelan urging the sailors to get their ship away and to safety, Azhren hauling Mercy off the ship to prevent her from going back to certain death in Nuege. What awaits them on the shore is indeed Dahok, who immediately begins to fling the team about with Wind Magic. The magic drains Jean quickly, allowing Harbinger, who appears to be controlling Dahok's body to overcome her. Kaelan charges Dahok with an attack, only to become shocked when Dahok doesn't defend himself and allows Kaelan to get in a terrible strike. She falls back in shot while Seth launches into the assault, taking the Angel at her word and pieces Dahok in the chest and head with arrows.
Harbinger refuses to give up his pursuit, the rest of the team attempting to pin and slow down Dahok to keep him from Angel, who is slowly being buried alive by wind and sand. Rachael and Seth manage to slow him down with arrows to the arms and legs, and Zeal, seeing Seth's initial attacks had already doomed thier friend, puts Dahok out of his misery with a shot to the neck. The team begins to recover, the Angel explaining that due to her lack of energy there was no way she could save Dahok from Harbinger, which is why she ordered the kill. Seth shows little remorse while Kaelan begins to break down, the others growing cold. It's then that the corpse of their friend suddenly latches onto Jean's neck, holding her up, becoming something twisted, dark, undead. Kaelan seeing only a damned spectre of her fallen friend charges in and slices the monster apart, while Zeal fires an arrow into his seal, causing the monster to be destroyed.
The party chooses after reeling from the horror they just experienced to move on, Kaelan growing silent as she begins to take the blame for the death of Dahok on her own shoulders. They walk until they find need to rest for Jean, hiding among the trees, they rest, Jean rousing to tell them she was speaking to Dahok in her dreams, how he blames them all for his death. Kaelan retreats within herself while Rachael comforts Jean and helps her back to sleep. Seth then announces his own guilt, taking the blame for Dahok's death, and rightly so due to his indiscriminant attacks on the man. The group harbors their own feelings as they make their way to the village where they planned to go all along, finding it quiet, they get rooms at the inn and retire for the evening. Nephilim and Thomas show up, meeting up with the others having used the Light Stone in Nuege to teleport to the town.
Session 45: Digging into the Church
Location: Seren - Inn
Dahok awakens after what seems a strange dream, only to find himself snuggled into Nephilim, and in the pain wracked, sickened body of Jean. After some minor confusion, he and Nephilim catch the attention of Seth, who was sitting guard outside the room. Dahok sees the man responsible for his death and repays him with a blow to the crotch. Seth, realizing who's behind the eyes of the Angel begins to apologize, and after a short time, limps his way out to find the others. Meanwhile, Thomas and Zeal walk in town together, discussing matters when Thomas goes down on one knee, begging forgiveness for abandoning Zeal when she could have used his aid. Kaelan arrives to find the two in such a position and attempts to get Thomas to stand and calm down, seeing the embarrasment it's causing her friend. Together the two finally convince Thomas all is well and he rises. Seth limps in to tell the three that Dahok is back, an announcement which has Kaelan running off before he can even finish telling them that Dahok is in Jean's body.
Seth explains to Zeal and Thomas and the two also set out to see him, and Seth limps off to find the still missing Rachael. Kaelan arrives in the inn and after some confusion, realizes her lost crush is in the body of the girl she has recently started to call a sister. She can't stop herself from crying, which Dahok begs her to do, the act causing Dahok's resolve to weaken, then Angel mentally trying to get contol of her body back. When Zeal and Thomas arrive they talk with Dahok, Kaelan begging for forgiveness, something that Dahok helps her put behind her. As they wait for Rachael, who doesn't show, Dahok begins to feel the Angel working harder and harder for control, so the others say their goodbyes to Dahok, and he lets her take power again. She immediately punches Kaelan in the nose and sends her sprawling, then announces she'll do that to Dahok next time she gets the chance. Rising, she informs them that Harbinger is below the town already, attempting to awaken an Anima below them and destroy them all. Worse yet, he has Rachael captive, which Seth shortly confirms, finding out that she was taken away by some men and left a very suspicious note behind.
The team rushes out to stop him, quickly trying to figure out how to get into the ruins below the town. They grab up weapons, Kaelan taking Anima T with her, and meet outside the Digger's guild. Angel goes into her own head, smacking Dahok around a little for taking control, then demands to know if he can get them into a ruins. Taking him at his word, she gives him control of her body again, he awakens to inform the group of the plan. Nephilim sneaks into the Guild to acquire licenses for the team while Dahok, Zeal and Kaelan use the fake liscenses they already have to gain entry and locate the information on the particular ruin they need. The three girls must suffer the attentions of a lecherous old man to get what they need, and after they get out, they all meet up again, prepare their documents, and set out to go digging, even as the ground shakes below them.
Session 46: Ruining the Church
Location: Seren
Collecting what they need, the group prepares to head out, grabbing items from the shops as they go, in particular Kaelan buys a set of bikini styled armor which oddly protects more then it seems to. After the group finishes preparing they head out to the ruins. Angel takes over again in order to offer all of them, except for Kaelan, a simple choice, to take on her mark or not, and whatever advantages and disadvantages it gives them. Without hesitation, and to the surprise of even the Angel, Seth volunteers to take the mark right away, and Nephilim quickly follows suit while Zeal chooses not to bear such responsibility and Thomas of course abstains. After marking her two new Knights, the Angel returns control to Dahok and the group makes their way into the ruins. Moving down into the largely unexplored, and strangely unguarded ruins, the group is stopped by the Angel once again, drawing strength from her new champions, she busts a hole in the floor and directs them down. Leaving Dahok to handle the pain in her hand, she resumes giving him control and Seth opens the way a little more.
In the hole they find a small chamber and room for a few people. Thomas, Dahok, Kaelan and Seth pile in, while Nephilim slips past them into a crawl space she locates. As she slips by, the room shakes and falls a short distance, crashing open into a new hallway. After retrieveing Zeal, the group heads through the revealed crawl space and into a larger hall, which leads to a semi open doorway, beyond which they find Harbinger, attempting to get information out of Rachael. He stands before a new Anima, which is guarded by a barrier. Frustrated at her lack of usefulness, Harbinger moves to make Rachael his newest puppet, only to be interrupted as the team moves in to take action. Seth distracts him with an arrow, the god moves swiftly, catching it from midair, however, Thomas comes to realization when Harbinger chooses to taunt him. Thomas identifies Harbinger as a false god, indeed, actually a God General of the church named Cletus. Harbinger reveals Thomas is the son of a great Knight who would be named a God General as well, and taunts him for choosing the side of the Angel, while Thomas explains that the prophecies actually speak of capturing the Angel, not killing her as the God Generals intend.
A fight erupts, Thomas identifies the source of Cletus' power to be a ring he wears, and calls for the team to get it from him. As the team attempts to attack Cletus, many of their attempts, especially those by Kaelan and Zeal, are found to do more damage to allies then foe when Cletus turns their attacks against them. Inspecting a device, Thomas tells the team to lure Cletus into it's firing range, the device some sort of cannon. Most of the team is beaten back, leaving Nephilim, Kaelan, Zeal and Seth to battle, however as Kaelan attempts to strike Cletus, she's constanly forced into positions where she hurts Nephilim, who is grappling with him instead. Seth becomes disabled as the Angel uses his life force to keep Nephilim alive. Finally Rachael, having been knocked out early in the fight, rises and finds enough of a second wind to use a blast of air to force Cletus into the path of the weapon, Zeal's firing of the weapon stuns him, and trying to capitalize on the stun, Kaelan rushes in to take the ring. Kaelan instead finds herself held by the throat at a quickly recovering god's mercy, Zeal fires the cannon again, and Kaelan is directed into it's path. Dropped, Kaelan begins to die while Cletus recovers. Zeal finds herself too distraught to fire again before Kaelan is caught up again and killed by Cletus, who then moves for Zeal.
Just as all hope seems lost, the Angel is suddenly healed to her full strength, as are her marked warriors, and Rachael pins Cletus to the wall with wind magic, Nephilim impales him to the wall, and after a caution to preserve his ring from the Angel, Seth fires the cannon and ends Cletus' life. He starts to regenerate and Nephilim takes his ring, preventing it from happening, Angel then tells Nephilim that Kaelan can be revived with the ring, and it's put on her hand, restoring the girl to life. Kaelan however seems broken now, with an eye that looks dead, she however doesn't seem to notice her own problems as the group recovers. The Angel passes by the exposed Gauntlet for Anima D and moves for a crystal similar to the one they found in Nuege. As the Angel reaches the crystal and touches it, it vanishes and the ruins about them begin to collapse. Kaelan takes the Anima D and summons it, carrying the group through the collapsing ruins, jumping from falling land mass to falling building, even over some unsuspecting, doomed villagers to get to the surface. The group makes it to safety to find the prophecy fulfilled, the land swallowing up the people, and they have caused it.
Jean begins to run away from the ruins while Zeal, Rachael, and Thomas reel from what has taken place. Kaelan runs after Jean without hesitation, followed closely by Seth and Nephilim, and behind them, Mercy and Azhren, who safely escaped the village before it was destroyed. Jean is ambused by templars, who are quickly dispatched between Seth's arrows and Kaelan's staunch defense. The Angel questions them why they follow, revealing that Dahok's essence was used to heal her back in the ruins, claiming she killed him. Kaelan unabashedly takes responsibility for the events that occured as much as the Angel could, and says that she believes Dahok gave up his life, rather then the Angel's claim. Finding the girl twisted, Angel carries on without further protest. Zeal and Thomas resolve to continue on at Nephilim's urging, Angel telling them all that the remaining Templars mean to hunt them. They rush to get to a boat provided by Carly, but find the Templars in their way. As they attempt to plan using the Anima's, mostly delayed by Zeal's hesitation to use one, they are ambused by the templars, quickly finding Magic using templars closing in on them. Odin stands before them, ready for the kill.
Location: Island in Nuege
The group is seperated as the ground erupts under them, Odin stands ready to claim his kill of the Angel and her companions. Kaelan tosses Zeal the Anima D, and after fumbling with Anima T, hands it off to Seth while she rushes to the aid of Jean. Jean is cornered by several Templars, constantly taking blows to the head, overwhelmed. Nephilim and Rachael are seperated from the others and caught under the hail of arrows from snipers in the bushes. After some struggling, Seth figures out how to activate Anima T and is able to rush to Jean's aid as well. Kaelan slices her way through templars to help Jean, but too late to prevent her from taking heavy injury. As Seth approaches in the monstrous Anima, she spots an injured Thomas and drags him out of the way as Seth comes down hard on the remaining Templars.
Meanwhile Zeal struggles with Anima D, trying to figure out how to activate it while Odin focuses on her, using magic to trap her in quicksand. A trap that nearly swallows her till she hears the called out advice of Seth and touches the rune on Anima's gauntlet, bringing D to life around her, the sand trap instantly useless. Zeal makes quick work of Odin, sending him flying out over the water with a solid blow, then turns her attentions on the Templars coming ashore on their boats, she scatters them before they can unleash a powerful magic attack, but finds herself under the fire of some sort of ancient cannon fire. As Zeal holds off the Templars, Seth scoops up the battered Angel and interpreting her unitelligible yells as a warning, collects the others. Rachael goes down to an arrow wound while Nephilim loses her focus, and Nephilim goes after the snipers for vengance, needing to be called back while Kaelan and Thomas secure Rachael and Jean on Anima T's hands.
Seth makes for the western waters away from the Templars once the party is safely aboard, while he moves them out carefully, Zeal continues to battle the ships, dealing with depth charges and cannon blasts, until she manages to disable the ship and make for an escape that's hard to track. The group makes it to a boat, the King's ship, which it turns out did not leave entirely and waited for them. After unloading the injured, which Zeal rushes to help Rachael over. Angel, barely making sense, stumbles away with a weakened command, she orders the ship make for Navarro. She sequesters herself so the others cannot see her tears, though that is quickly foiled by the concerned of Nephilim and Kaelan. Angel seems to lose her ability to speak in their language, making little sense. Zeal moves on to care for Jean's wounds as everyone begins to settle down for the journey to rest.
Later the group sits in the galley, discussing what they are to do next. Thomas informs them that to go anywhere else, the ship will have to go to Navarro to resupply, and the group tries to decide how best to disguise Jean and Kaelan, since they're both blonde and due to Kaelan's injuries, she now has a dead looking eye. Kaelan becomes withdrawn, not steering as she usually does, and leaves when Carly changes the subject to sex. Thomas, also flustered, leaves and the two head up to the upper decks. Seth declares, after Mercy asks once again for a new master, that he will take her on as his servant, something which Zeal quickly objects to, taking on the responsibility instead. Seth seems pleased, having purposefully goaded Zeal into doing just what he wanted. Kaelan finds the Angel looking over the water and attempts to talk with her, discovering the Angel's distress to be over what she claimed to be responsible for with Dahok. Thomas cautions Kaelan in the cruelty of pushing her to talk about it, since the Angel knows that Dahok's death deeply affected Kaelan.
The ship makes it's way for Navarro, the place where the prophecies started, the heart of the hunt for the Angel, and the one place the team hopes that the Church will never expect them to approach.
Session 48: The Consequences of Decisions
Location: Ship
After a 5 day journey that was largely uneventful, the group approaches Navarro by boat, seeing that Navarro's fleet has readied itself for invasion. As they near the port, Zeal and Mercy work to disguise Kaelan and Jean by dying their hair to black and red respectively. Finally approaching, a guardship intercepts theirs and Thomas and Seth talk their way through the guard, Thomas using the ruse of being diggers thanks to the previous raiding in Seren. The group docks and Thomas continues his master spywork by convincing the dockmaster that they are Templars on a mission, avoiding the amazingly deep price for docking the ship. They disembark and make their way to an inn, the journey interrupted by Soma and his desire to claim all the fish on the docks for his dinner. Rachael appears preoccupied, looking towards the Noble District, Seth asks her what's wrong but she claims that nothing is. After some antics the group reaches and inn and gets set up in rooms.
Rachael takes the initiative in planning by splitting the group into three in order to gather supplies for the trip south. Rachael quickly volunteers herself to gather food and makes her way out before anyone can protest, turning down Seth's advances to join her with a steely glare. Kaelan is tasked to locate tools and general supplies while Zeal takes the duty of clothes shopping. Zeal kidnaps most of the remaining party, Nephilim having snuck out to join Rachael. Kaelan finds herself stuck with Seth and they embark out into the shops together.
Rachael and Nephilim enter the Noble District, Rachael moving with a purpose, she explains to Nephilim that Valen's father had an estate in Navarro and her plan is to look into what's left of the family inheritance. The two approach the house and with a bit of convincing finally prove to the guards that Rachael is a rightful family member and she's admitted inside to see the lord of the manor. The lord, in fact, turns out to be Valen, alive and well, claiming to have not been able to find the others when he came to and explaining how he returned to Navarro to claim his estate. Rachael agrees to stay with him while Nephilim, not liking the situation, leaves.
Kaelan and Seth are browsing shops when a noble company exits a shop they're heading to, Lord Kalo and his entourage, accompanied by Kaelan's father, Tam Di'neer and Seth's sister, Templar Sally Vimes. Seth steels himself and winds up pulling the shellshocked Kaelan aside, preventing her from revealing herself to her father. Seth vehemently explains to her that her very presence is a danger to him. Kaelan attempts to listen and understand, reeling from the idea that her executed father is alive and well. They press on to finish their shopping, not revealing themselves to passing family. Zeal and company shop for clothes, Jean going wild on cloth shopping and Thomas finding himself embarrased by the whole affair.
When the group gathers again, they note a lack of return in Rachael and Nephilim, Thomas decides to go out and look for them, the others, agreeing to fill Jean's sudden desire to see bar wenches, go out to a tavern. Back in the Noble District, Nephilim attempts to sneak back into the manor, finding something hard hitting her in the back of the head, her world goes black. Valen stands over her, annoyed that she didn't go back to the group, having hoped she would lead him and the church to the Angel.
Location: Navarro - Tavern
Zeal, Kaelan, Jean, Mercy and Seth sit in a tavern, enjoying their meals while Jean attempts to get a bar wench to feed her milk, and not the kind found in cups. Seth sweet talks her into a glass of regular milk before Jean switches to alcohol, and then dancing. In her usual high spirits, she soon infects the entire room with a desire to dance and have fun, Seth joins her and sticks close, keeping her away from maurading no good lechers (that is, except for himself). Zeal and Kaelan start talking when Kaelan notices Karen, Zeal's former apprentice leading a group of Templars nearby. Zeal fails to remember Karen in the slightest, and starts to persue Seth and Jean after her attempt to get Mercy to stop them is foiled. Karen takes notice of the noise and steps into the bar with her company and demands to know why people are celebrating in a time of war, in a typical Templar solemn fashion. Seth attempts to keep Jean quiet by pulling her out of view, he leans in close to whisper instructions to her, and she mistakes it for an attempt to kiss, screaming and running out of the inn.
Seth moves to persue her and is stopped by Karen, coming to a maiden's rescue. Seth plays the good boy and apologizes, keeping Karen busy while Kaelan attempts to cut off their waitress, who has started to recognize Zeal from the wanted poster Karen shows the crowd. Kaelan attempts, foolishly, to bride the waitress who then exclaims they're there. Seth falls back and acts like he isn't part of the group as Karen and her cronies close in on Kaelan and Zeal. Zeal leads Mercy out the back as Kaelan draws her sword to defend her friends, Zeal claiming she won't forgive Kaelan if she harms the Templars. Karen has no such reserves however and charges Kaelan, Zeal is forced to pull Kaelan out of the fight and take her place. Kaelan stumbles into the alley as Mercy runs out of it, and two guards follow her out. Seth meanwhile chases Jean again and finds her under the attentions of four men, Seth uses the Templar presence to convince them to go away, reaching Jean. She warns she senses Rachael in danger, but Seth focuses on the danger at hand and leads her to the alleyway.
Zeal attempts to talk Karen down, however Karen cannot be swayed, forcing Zeal to act. Mercy, having snuck around behind Karen, tosses Zeal her weapons and attempts to take out Karen. Karen beats Mercy back and soon Zeal and Mercy are fighting Karen and the remaining guards. This causes Kaelan to act, refusing to surrender while fainting that she intends to. Zeal ends up killing a Templar with Karen's sword, drawing Karen's ire. The other guard is overcome and soon Zeal and Karen grapple for their lives, Zeal finally beating back Karen and stunning her, allowing Mercy and her to flee.
As they enter the alleyway, they find Kaelan starting to lay down her arms, she uses the movement as a faint, Wind Jumping up to the roof above the alleyway. The guards instead charge Seth and Jean, Seth shooting at one man's legs while Kaelan attemps to fall on the other. The first refuses to go down easily and closes in on Seth, who uses an arrow as an impromptu weapon, slashing the man's throat. Kaelan meanwhile is forced into a hard place and barely manages to defend Jean as her attack is turned around on her, acting quickly, she guts the Templar with her dagger, killing the man. Seth meanwhile attempts to slow his target, who starts to run for his life, Kaelan pursues him, but fails to stop him before he alerts people outside the alley. As the mob closes in, Jean rushes into the inn to cover Zeal and Mercy's escape with a blinding flash, then she turns the power on the mob approaching Kaelan. Thomas arrives with a carriage and the group piles in and takes off.
The group heads to the Noble District, following Thomas' leads and making plans to escape. When they arrive they find Kalo and his men setting up an ambush, and Rachael and Nephilim making their escape, having attempted to flee after Nephiilim awoke to find herself in Rachael's company. Nephilim escapes over the wall and charges at Kalo, having personally taken out a thiefcatcher. Rachael runs out the front gates, persued by the brainwashed Valen. The enemy closes in as the group finds themselves faced with the rescue of their friends.
Location: Navarro
Battle erupts, Nephilim charges at Kalo with a fervor in her eyes, intent on paying back the man for his slights towards Kaelan. Seth calls attention to the Templars closing around Rachael by letting an arrow loose at them, a useless gesture, but it does get their attention. Sally Vimes turns to see her brother, and with a look of disgust, orders her troops forward. Rachael grapples to get free of Valen's grasp while Kaelan, Zeal, Seth and Jean are forced into battle. While Kaelan attempts to stall her opponents, Seth finds himself facing off against his sister, who charges him without hesitation. He attempts to avoid her attacks, but opens Jean to a strike to her middle, seeing Jean about to fall, Seth rushes in to shove her out of the way of a second blow, winding up with a blade in his back. Sally attempts to get him to surrender. Nephilim finds herself outnumbered as Tam Di'neer and Kalo's guards back the arrogant Lord Kalo up. Zeal fights off her opponents and Kaelan, seeing others in trouble, breaks her defense to join in the fight. As she struggles between two soldiers, Seth finds himself freed thanks to Jean's intervention, Sally goes down, but then starts to strike at Jean. Seth stabs her in the middle to drive her off Jean, begging her to flee, Seth lets her escape into a nearby alleyway.
With no time for anyone to reel over Seth's sudden violent action against his family, the fight is interrupted as...
Athena sits in the yard in 1B, reading up on knights and medival times as she plans her next concert. Jennifer joins her in peeking at the book, commenting that they need a princess for a Knight cosplay, Athena enjoys revealing Isis, tied up nearby and forced into a princess outfit. As Jennifer move to free the poor girl the PAX suddenly drops out of subspace. Erevis, meditating nearby the girls is interrupted and questions CHIP, who informs her that a panel of the ship has come loose. The PAX halts, taking orbit around the nearby planet to run a full diagnostic, after all, it would be rude to rain down more parts of the ship on unsuspecting planets...
...a large chunk of metal falls from the sky, landing on Kalo in flames. The confusion allows for the group to make their escape, Kaelan and Seth heading up the rear, having to dodge fireballs that the Templars start flinging at them. They race away with Seth taking a bad burn to the back. The others are cut short in their escape as Valen shows up with a carriage, pulling and locking Rachael inside. The team battles Valen and tries to force the lock open as the two remaming party members catch up, bringing fire flinging mages with with. Seth and Zeal retaliate against the mages with arrows while the others struggle to get Rachael free and to safety. Kaelan, helping Jean up, comes under magical attack only to be pushed out of the way by Jean. Kaelan and Mercy then take Jean to safety, Kaelan looking for medicines to heal their wounds while Seth and Zeal finish the fight and run for it. Seth having taken further injury from the mages during the fight.
Some time later, the group is sneaking through the city towards the inn that Thomas asked them to meet at, when a pillar of flame erupts in the center of the city. Alarms ring and the city is under attack, the coming Nuege invasion hitting swiftly and silently. The group bribes their way into a privy and through it into the underground waterways, where Jean suddenly feels drawn to another ruins. Following her through a hole, or rather, Seth and Jean falling through a hole into an abyss, the others follow down to find a platform suspended on a tower above the darkness. After some navigating they find a 30 foot jump in the direction they need to go. Kaelan bravely Wind Jumps the gap and propelled by a Wind Blast from Rachael, makes it to the other side with a climbing line, securing it, the group follows her and then inspect the ancient room they find themselves in. Rachael makes claim to a new weapon, a glass eteched staff with sharpened ends. The group continues on until they find a room containing a magic crystal. After finding a roundabout way inside, as they enter anotehr group enters the room, a group of Nuege Knights. With some quik talking, Nephilim and Seth avoid a fight with the knights, and through use of magic, mainly from the elf accompanying them, they retrieve the crystal, which unlocks Fire Magic. They also find a mysterious sword handle, which Kaelan covets and takes, over Nephilim's desires, claiming interest as a smith.
The group agrees to help the team of Knights by using a Light Stone to reach the palace. Teleporting over they find Kyle directing the attack and they make their own way out of the underground and back to the war torn streets of Navarro. They make their way to the inn and manage to find the carriage and a very relieved Thomas, who shows his undying love for Zeal. Getting in the carriage with Seth driving, the group heads towards the city gates, when a magical blast strikes the carriage, overturning it just outside the church. The group struggles to recover as mage Templars move in, causing the ground under them to turn to entrapping mud. Seth begins to slay the mages with arrows, needing help out of the mud from Rachael. Once they are all on the steps, Zeal joins the shooting, attempting not to kill as opposed to Seth's simple objectives, his arrows landing fatal hits. Inside the church, where Jean rolled in alone, Lenneth appears with a God General, and the God General secures Jean as Lenneth places a collar around Jean's neck. The group is suddenly cut off from their powers and left useless, they refuse to surrender, despite Lenneth offering them all pardons for their crimes now that Jean is "tame". Jean resists the collar for a breif moment, restoring their powers and sending most of the group, Thomas, Azhren, Mercy, Kaelan and Seth outside to safety. Safety is a relative term, as at that moment the fighting nearby is broken up by a canon blast, taking out the escapees, causign them to black out.
They wake in cages, in a hot desert, thier equipment and belongings gone. They and many Nuege soldiers move towards a mountain, a terrible prison from which there has never been an escape. They try to make sense of what has happened as they near the jail. Seth swears that he will escape the prison and find Jean, his optimism strangely strong, he seems to really believe it. Zeal and Rachael find themselves in a church, praying for forgiveness as Jean is brought out to them, made blank, her mind erased, an empty shell to fill with Templar knowledge. Zeal is offered a spot back in the Templars, on the agreement that she train Jean to be their dog. She agrees, and finds herself under the rulership of Bishop Braddock, her now sworn to be husband, provided she obeys like a good servant. Lenneth watches them go, then looks over a book. The Book of Prophecy writes the future even now as it begins to happen, the words appearing on blank pages...
Location: Soniere Prison
Kaelan, Seth, Azhren, Mercy and Thomas find themselves approaching the prison, a great fortress from which there is no escape, enclosed in a ravine and with only a single drawbridge entrance. Upon entering they are filed out of their cage along with the Nuege soldiers, placed into a line and they meet for the first time, the Warden. He inspects the troops, now prisoners, offering any that wish the chance the kind oppurtunity to explain their innocence. In response, Azhren attempts to absolve Mercy of her crimes by claiming he kidnapped her, this backfires when he identifies her as a citizen of Nuege, the Warden has her taken to his room to be used as a whore. Azhren then provokes the wrath of the Warden further with his lip, finding himself beaten and given further punishment for his impunity. The Warden explains that they are all now his to do with as he pleases, letting them know they will be under constant lock and key, let out only twice a day for meals and once a week to bathe. The four are led through the impenatrable walls into the depths, where their cell awaits. With some quick and careful shuffling about, the four manage to place themselves in the same prison cell. Once inside they take a rest, Kaelan having fallen sullen and Thomas distant. Seth lectures Azhren on being more careful with his words and actions, lest he get another person in trouble, Azhren takes it in stride however, feels he is in the right for what he does.
Meanwhile, Nephilim sneaks back into Valen's estate to find Rachael, they attempt to figure out together what has happened. Nephilim reports that Jean and Zeal are okay, but she cannot find the others. They begin to draw up plans to check on Zeal and Jean, as well as discover the whereabouts of the others.
Back in prison, the crew is lead out to the cafeteria area where all the prisoners enjoy their half hour of food. Well, mostly, the food is a slop which pigoinks would unlikely even eat, crawling with bugs and maggots, so bad that Thomas cannot even look at it. Azhren eats and Kaelan, after picking at the food, stomaches it as well. Seth oddly treats the meal as a feast and encourages Thomas to try and eat while he can. Some nearby prisoners see Thomas' hesitance to touch the food and use it as a chance to pick a fight with the new boys. Azhren stands in to his defense and the leader of the prisoner group, Oretooth, characteristically with a missing tooth replaced with ore, picks a fight with them. As two attempt to take holds of the hulk that is Azhren, Seth moves in and clouts one over the head with a bowl, turning it into a weapon. This doesn't stop Oretooth's charge however as he tackles Azhren down, breaking a table between them as they fight. The guards move in and haul Azhren and Oretooth off to solitary.
Location: Soniere Prison
Kaelan, Thomas and Seth are led back into the mess hall 12 hours later for breakfast, and Azhren is returned to them after his night in solitary. The group meets to eat once again, Kaelan less picky this time but Seth continues to refuse eating. Thomas attempts to speak to a guard, the group following a plan to gain favor with the guards to aid in their escape. His attempt is met with a fist in his face and a bloody nose. He stumbles back and together they decide Azhren should try a less brutish looking guard, offering his information about Nuege. Azhren begins to trade words with a guard who is hesitant to even look at him. Thomas questions Seth about his past and his convictions, Seth gives Thomas most of his life story, glossing over some parts and seeming to change some information to suit him, but does express his regret over putting his sister's life in mortal danger over Jean. Seth reinforces his strange dogmatic following of Jean, while trying to dismiss the talk about the uncomforterable subject. Azhren meanwhile manages to play cat and mouse with the guard long enough to get his attention, after some talk, Azhren starts to gain the trust of the guard.
The group is led after the meal to the showers, which turn out to be a collection of water buckets from which they can soak themselves on. As they begin to wash, Oretooth's buddies crowd the group. Seth diverts thier attention and raises their ire, and when they move in focusing most on him, he changes drastically. Taking one man out with a blow to the crotch, he struggles like a wild animal between two others, starting to sing as they taunted him to do. Thomas finds himself busy with a guard as does Azhren, the men leaving the lone woman alone. Azhren and Thomas deal with their guards as Seth deepens his struggles, buiting flesh, kicking and slamming, he starts to deal with the two men all on his own. Kaelan emplors for Azhren to help Seth, when he finally does, not going to refuse the requests of a lady, Kaelan sneaks around and dispatches one of the men with her fists. As the others start to fall, another group reaches out and starts to take Kaelan away, she bites and struggles, crying out. As she is about to be violated, the others move in, causing the men to abandon her and back off. Kaelan runs back to their bucket, working off the shock as Seth scares the others away from them. Seth explains they'll escape trouble because the men will have to claim they injured themselves if they want to escape rape charges.
Returning later to the mess hall for dinner, the group eats again, this time Kaelan coaching Thomas to get down the food, forcing him to stomach it and comforting him. Seth starts reinforcing his "psychotic" reputation with odd looks to anyone who looks threatening. Azhren meets with the guard again and learns the group is in danger, that evening, Oretooth plants to break into their cell with a weapon and kill them all in revenge. Forwarned, the group discusses this at length when they return to their cell and makes plans to deal with the man, and what to do with his weapon. Seth brings up the suggestion that they start a prison revolt. Thomas in turn remembers a prophecy that says they are going to free a legion of murderers and rapists, evil men into the world to escape. After considering how far they are willing to go, they all agree to continue down their path despite the possible consequences.
Rachael informs Nephilim that Valen is storing all of the gear and equipment that belonged to the group, as well as the interesting artifacts they recovered from under the city. Nephilim reports the progress Zeal is having as Jean's personal tutor, that the two seem to be well and doing fine, however between the two, they have no idea the rest of their friends are facing a life in prison. Nephilim states she's going to try and find out information, receiving a cautionary warning from Rachael.
Location: Soniere Prison
Late at night, as the group slumbers, Oretooth infiltrates the cell room withou making a sound, his blade pierces the flesh of Azhren, who begins to bleed to death. Hearing the sound the breaks the silence of the cold murder, Thomas leaps out of bed and tackles Oretooth to a wall, at the same moment Seth leaps from the other bed to take the knife out of Azhren's cold form. Oretooth sees the crazed man coming and tries to make a break for it, only to be tripped up as Azhren uses the last of his strength to trip the man and dies.
The guards burst in as Seth sinks the offending dagger into Oretooth's chest, taking his life in retribution for Azhren's. They seize Seth, who doesn't put up a fight as he's led out. A short time later, Thomas and Kaelan find themselves under the guard's scrutiny. They demand the two testify that Seth murdered both men, Kaelan and Thomas refuse. The guards hold the two and stab Thomas, Kaelan kicks out at the blade on her turn, causing it to come loose. In the confusion she fights to break free and ends up further held. The men offer her the choice to whore herself to them in order to have another chance to testify for them. She seems to submit so a guard leaves to get new papers as the men let her go to begin enjoying themselves.
In desperation she kicks one man in the privates, weaving around the other to tackle the third, she wrestles for his blade to no avail, as the other two recover and draw closer to kill, she leaps out of the cell. Seizing the keys left in the door she runs off in panic, opening the nearest cell, freeing two soldiers and two criminals. The criminals take the key from her and start to free more prisoners. The guards, seeing the freed men, make a run for their lives. Kaelan ducks back into the cell as chaos begins to grow outside.
She finds Thomas attempting to bring Azhren back to life, having felt a slight pulse, the man beats rythmn back into Azhren's heart with his fist, before collapsing in his own blood. Kaelan uses her top to fashion life saving bandages for the both of them, then encourages them to rise. As they start to recover, Nuege soldiers gather around the room, rallying about Azhren to lead them to victory. Azhren makes deliberate moves while Kaelan attempts to move them all forward in urgency.
The three prisoners make their way lower and lower into the prison towards the guards area. Formulating a plan to capture the Warden and use him for bargaining, they try to forge through the chaos to a place where they can capture a live guard. Finding five such men, they also find 6 thugs with weapons, getting ready to kill the subdued guards. Kaelan halts their progress and Azhren uses chiding logic to convince the men to stand down, when they look about to turn on the Nuege soldiery, Azhren ends all such thoughts with a solid blow to the thug leader's head, bashing his skull in. The soldiers and Kaelan grab up remaming swords as the thugs swear their alliegance to the royal guard. Now the question remains, will the guards trade thier lives over the location of a back way to the Warden?
Location: Soniere Prison
Kaelan stands over the guards, a sword gathered in her hands. Azhren attempts to bully the men into giving up the information they need, seeing this fail, Kaelan attempts to intimidate the men by threatening their lives. She spooks the guards with an intentionally stopped blow and begins to work them up more when Azhren takes the blade from her and kills the first of the three guards in cold blood. Thomas looks away in repulsion and Kaelan suppresses a reel as she pushes the men further, causing one to whimper with fright. Azhren moves to kill the older of the two remaining guards and Kaelan, ready this time, stops him from his attempt and pushes him away. As the prisoners begin to get roudy, looking ready to kill, Kaelan waves them off by reclaiming her sword. She then manages to talk the younger of the guards into revealing that the kitchens include a back stairway to the bottom floors. The guards locking themselves into safety, the party, with their Nuege soldiers and new prisoner recruits move onward.
At the kitchens they find a gang which calls themselves the Dragons, Kaelan attempts to try and get the Dragons to let them past, perhaps even to help with the assault, but her attempts are jarred by the sight of raped women and haughty words from the dragons. A Nuege soldier charges in and is promptly murdered by waiting Dragons. Azhren allows this to happen by not issuing orders, then moves to challenge the leader of the Dragons, goading him into a fight. After too much talk, the Dragon leader orders an attack, the Nuege soldiers join in. Seeing the hopelessness of the situation, less then a dozen soldiers against well over thirty gang members, Kaelan and Thomas make their way out of the room, calling out to Azhren. After some hesitation, Azhren rushes out and they shut and seal the door. They walk, not discussing the 11 extra deaths as they go a floor lower and find more Nuege soldiers. Among them is a girl who treats the nearly fatal injuries the two men have endured, and Kaelan brings the Nuege captain up to date.
They proceed to the next kitchen only to find the guard they befriended under attack from criminals. With some quick words, Kaelan gets the men to run off and Azhren is united with his new buddy. The guard agrees to help, but only on the condition that the Nuege soldiers promise not to return to war. Instead of deception, Azhren outright denies this possibility in the soldiers, who seeing that they are following a man who doesn't follow Arcane, leave on their own. The guard then informs them of the way to the Wardens, and using the battle the soldiers start below, slip past the guards and into the Warden's tower. Climbing the tower they find and free a slave girl, and find food. They finally reach the holding cells where Seth is, and come face to face with four guards. Kaelan holds them off as Azhren mulls over his options, Thomas pies one man in the face and Azhren takes him out after a moment, too late to prevent Kaelan from taking a sword blade in the shoulder.
Seth joins the fight after using the keys they found to get out of his cell, leaping on a man and beating his head into the floor while Azhren deals with a second, and Kaelan dispatches the guard attacking Thomas. As the men fall, they move on and above to get the Warden, the key they need to escape this hellish cage.
Location: Soniere Prison
After discussing their plans, Thomas, Kaelan and Seth move out into the central room to face the guards. Slowly they attempt to draw the much better armored and armed foes towards them, under the chandelier. The three slowly make their way back when Thomas is beaten back, Kaelan moving to his aid. As Seth tries to play dirty he starts to take blows. The guards slowly lured out, things become critical when Kaelan and Seth find themselves outmatched. Seth spots Thomas about to fall under the sword and moves to push him out of the way, taking the blow for him.
Seth escapes with critical damage, an arm rendered useless. However, the guards having begun to circle him for the kill find themselves under the chandelier when Azhren finally tosses a broken glowstone at the chandelier, causing the stone to explode. The Chandelier falls, and too late does anyone notice the Guard is still under it as well. Azhren's new friend perishes under the explosions and flames, along with the Warden's elite guards. They treat their wounds and grab up some of that superior arms and armor before moving into the Warden's chambers. There they find a slave girl, by the name of Faile and free her. She keeps the collar about her neck, her look towards the Warden intent on killing.
The Warden bursts from the closet with a dagger ready as the still slightly crazed Seth taunts him. Seth turns aside the dagger as Azhren lays the man low. They bind the man and Kaelan lectures him on how his corruption was the real downfall of the prison. They take the Warden to the gate, where they find prisoners already at work holding guards hostage, killing them slowly in attempts to get the outer wall guards to lower the bridge. They take the Warden from the group and use him to threaten, to the Warden's luck, this works and the bridge is lowered. On the other side, the leader of the Dragons gets ready to cut the Warden to pieces when Azhren is goaded into challenging him.
As they two trade words, it seems a challenge won't happen up until Faile attacks him, using her chain as a weapon she causes a horrible blow to the man. Azhren, impressed with the woman, joins the fight and strangles the leader of the Dragons with her. In response to this kill, the prisoners rally around Azhren, proclaiming him their new boss. The Warden is shoved into one of his own cages as they group takes up horses. The surviving prisoners move out into the desert, heading for the shore and freedom.
Spotlight Session 6: Big, Bad and Black
Location: The Bar
Paladin finds himself sitting in the bar awaiting Leyaeh's arrival. Today is a church day and he's invited the girl to come to service with him to experience the wonders of worshipping the Lord. Leyaeh arrives, dressed in her finest, while Naone, her neice and the newest waitress at Marcus' Bar serves them. Elwyn and Billy peek in on the meeting to comment on Paladin's religous beliefs, and the commentary only gets worse when Paladin seems to take note of Iceheart and Katrina as the two talk. Paladin excuses himself and Leyaeh follows him out.
At the service, after the usual nonsense of a service, the people begin to discuss problems on the ship. Leyaeh finds herself questioning the opinions of the churchgoers, who seem deeply biased against Erevis and the PAX crew. Leyaeh tries to apply logic and reason to their thoughts, but it turns ugly as she's recognized as a security officer and poorer members of the congregation scatter. The service cut short, Leyaeh seems ashamed and Paladin agitated. His mood only becomes worse when Elwyn tells Paladin off, accusing him of doing nothing to help the poor, a vast majority of which are Earth citizens.
All this is interrupted when a meeting is called for the Ambassadors. Paladin finds himself in a meeting with an agitated Erevis, as Kyun announces to the gathered ambassadors that he has purchased a large number of living zones. The ambassadors demand to know what's happening, murmuring accusations that the Tsiv plan to purchase the PAX out from under the command crew. Kyun assures them otherwise, gifting a majority of the areas to the ship's poor. Erevis, feeling ostrisized as the villain over the Poor Zone issues, reluctantly agrees, as the ship needs the income Kyun's plan will generate. The Atlean Ambassador, Ziranth, and the Vapaad Ambassador, Keiran, are especially vocal about this matter, and wind up praising Kyun for his efforts, insisting on throwing their own efforts into the project.
Later on in the Poor Zone, Paladin walks along, observing the poor while incognito. He happens across Athena's soup kitchen effort, she and Jennifer passing out food to the poor. Dissenters begin to speak to the crowd gathering, speaking about how Erevis was angry over the gift of space the Poor are about to recieve, talking about how much the crew doesn't care for the poor. Athena does her best to ignore the growing dirty looks and suspicion. When Jennifer is caught attempting to give quick checkups to the kids she's serving, a free service she provides while helping Athena, the dissenters use this to enrage the crowd, claiming she's doing something wrong. Paladin, seeing what's about to happen, grabs the girls away from the soup and drags them away from the possible mob. Athena struggles the whole way while Jennifer follows her former commanding officer. Paladin watches in regret at the growing anger, teleporting the girls to safety.
Paladin finishes evening service with Leyaeh again, who came a second time in hopes of a better experience. The much smaller, muted session seems mulled over. Leyaeh remarks on Paladin's possible mounting paranoia, the very aware Famfrit noticing the gun he tries to keep hidden. Paladin lets his opinions coming out, feeling he is a failure as Earth's Ambassador and considers going back to the military or in joining security. He remarks that he can't even keep track of Eve, who is a day late in making her reports to him. Leyaeh tries to get him to think it over and consider not giving up on his job. Paladin gives her his bible, hoping it'll do her some good before walking off to have a drink and consider his future.
Session 56: The Ruins of Soniere
Location: The Cave
Kaelan, Azhren, Thomas and Faile journey to a nearby cave in hopes of finding food, leaving Seth to bravely guard the Warden. The four enter into the darkness, Thomas leading the way with a glow when he suddenly vanishes. Azhren adding a second glow into the mix, they see that Thomas slipped down a landslide and the three zip down after him. Coming to rest, they find an underground stream and evidence of monster tracks leading deeper into the caves.
As they move deeper and deeper inside they find a series of ruins, undisturbed and seemingly never before discovered by Diggers. Rooting about they come across a pack of bone armored and deadly clawed Tigroars. The caveroars are taken by surprise when Azhren rushes at the lot of them with his glowstone, roaring at the top of his lungs. As they're stunned, Kaelan, Thomas and Faile rush in to join the fight. Kaelan finds that the monsters are indeed very well armored, and the group struggles to keep an upper hand. Faile's chain proves highly useful in stunning the beasts. As Azhren cleaves one down with raw strength, Kaelan runs one through the eye. The three remaining are dispacted as Faile takes on two at once, Kaelan running a sword literally up the rear of one monster while Faile and Azhren together choke down the other.
The fifth overpowers Kaelan, driving her into a wall, just as it's about to bite into Kaelan and have itself a snack, Thomas cuts it's legs, causing it to fall. Together Azhren and Kaelan finish it off with a slice to the gut and a table to the face. Victorious, the party begins gathering up the beasts to bring back to their troops for food while Thomas wanders off in his lust for ruin exploration. When the entire place begins to tremble, Kaelan's worries for him going off on his own are confirmed, the three rush together to find him.
They find Thomas in front of a pillar, on which is an odd amulet. Around him, the floor is giving way, only small paths leaving themselves behind to get back through. Clutching onto the amulet, Thomas is guided back over to the others in a death-defying race against gravity and rock, his friends leading the way for him with advice and shouts of warning. At the last moment, he leaps for safety, to be caught by Kaelan, who in turn is caught by Azhren. The group returns to the surface and the waiting prisoners.
After a night of rest and the feasting over the fallen monsters, the group continues on to the shore where they find a boat filled with innocent sailors. Before they can decide a plan of action the prisoners charge the boat, starting a slaiughter. As they struggle with a plan, guilt for not keeping the prisoners under control, and in the case of Seth, a slightly insane need to encourage, they are interrupted. Some force causes the ground under them to erupt, sending the party sailing onto the deck of the boat. The suddent event causes all to pause, in which Azhren calls all to order, halting the prisoners from further slaughter. Confused and worried about Templars on their trail, the party makes way with the ship, prisoners and surviving sailors alike serving as crew.
Seth seems to mellow the further he gets from the prison, soon reverting to his old good humoured self, much to Azhren's dismay.
Session 57: The Navarro Desert; The Rush to the Angel
Location: Ship
The party makes it ashore on Navarro's mainland, as the prisoners run off to safety, or at least, others current safety and their future prospects. As they clear the decks, the party wonders if there's anything they could have done to stop them, then dismiss the matter when a remaining prisoner speaks up. The mysterious woman calls herself the Fallen, and through closed eyes shares her wisdom with the group, befriending Thomas and Kaelan quickly, Seth even quicker as he attempts to get friendly. They head out into the desert to the east, hoping to make their way to Navarro as quickly as possible. Entering the wilderness they start their journey, getting to know their newer companions a bit better while they rest. They come to find the Fallen has actually Aschae the Fallen, a former noviate of the Church who killed her master while learning to use magic too quickly. Thomas is surprised to find that Aschae knows his father and Azhren recognizes the name and her crimes, but with the intervention of the others, is prevented from doing anything about it. Aschae also shows off an extrodinary ability in curing the injured when she heal's Seth's horribly damaged arm back up to fighting strength.
As they grow hungry, the group finds they need to hunt for more food, Seth, Faile and Azhren move out to hunt, coming upon a group of ligroars. Faile goes off on her own to hunt leaving the men to the beasts, they plan their attack and before they can take action, the ligroars pounce. However, so does Faile, as she leaps down to take a Ligroar for her own, she provides a chance for the men to take out the remaining two, Azhren and Seth leap into action, taking down the monsters before they can regain their compsure. They take their kills back to camp, where Aschae teaches Kaelan a new form of cooking. Antoehr hunting trip as they near the desert involves scorpions, which Seth swears could be good eating if properly cleaned... or so we hope. Meeting three men on horseback at the edge of the sands, they are directed to a nearby city, two days walk in the heat to reach it, but with the promise of supplies and horses waiting there for them to claim. They journey out, hoping they weren't lied to.
Location: Desert
Two days later, they begin to wonder if they were lied too, the last of their water gone, the group has seen several mirages at this point when they all see a city ahead of them. Peliah awaits them and as they pass the gates, the guards only point and laugh at the group of fools who went by foot over the hot sands. Finding water the group drinks deep in relief, and as they collect themselves and plan where to go, Thomas suddenly keels over, out cold and sweating horribly. The guards identify the issue as desert fever, and help the group to get Thomas into an inn. Kaelan sets them all up in rooms, after which she, Azhren, Seth, and Faile head out to find the healer. As they travel through the town where directed, an urchin lifts Seth's wallet, and Seth gives chase. Crossing rooftops and landing in the square, the party surrounds the boy who gives up the wallet, ten gold lighter then it was before. Muttering, Seth leads them on to the healer, an old woman with a spunky attitude, and her clumsy assistant.
They return to the inn and the old woman begins treatment, waiting for the assistant to catch up with herbs. As the woman begins to treat him the group gathers around Thomas, hoping to see him well. The girl, named Ingrid, arrives and helps the healer put Thomas to rest with herbs and poultices. Properly treated, Thomas rests, the healer leaving Ingrid to care for him, Seth, eager to meet more beautiful women, lingers to spend time with the girl. He discovers over time she was a recue job of the healer and works for her out of a sense of gratitude. She lost her leg, replaced with a peg leg, and desires to learn medicine to save others from suffering her fate. The otehrs meanwhile head out shopping, Kaelan heading out last, swearing she can see Nephilim in the corners of her vision. As she catches up to Aschae and Faile, the elf ambushes Kaelan, and the two hug happily in reunion. Nephilim relates to them new happenings, and they go to get a wash in the public fountain.
They buy new gear at the local blacksmith and head back to find Thomas' fever has broken. They group rests and the next morning Thomas seems somewhat better, and Nephilim explains they can all go back to Navarro through a Light stone. Kaelan however, forces Thomas to wait, insisting he get well and rest before they go out to face destiny. Thomas gets her to let him go check out the city library, Seth and Ingrid heading out with him to see the place too.
Location: Pelia
Heading back from their time at the library, Seth, Thomas and Ingrid make their way through the streets as a storm brews. Thomas finds a sudden, urgent need to get rid of the girl accompanying them as the storm grows worse. Seth seems to catch on as they get close to the inn, they gather up with the others, Kaelan, Aschae and Faile awaiting them outside the inn, observing the various vendors and the storm. Nephilim, enjoying some climbing on the nearby rooftops notices a group of approaching Templars and signals the others. Kaelan, Seth and Thomas move into an alleyway to hide while Ingrid heads inside the inn, her job done she plans on getting her things to go. Faile and Asche, await the templars, and the Templars in turn, not yet knowing about either of the two new followers ignore them as they head into the inn. Inside the innkeeper greedily lets the Templars know of the heroes presence and pointing out Faile, allow her to make the group of soldiers give chase. A single soldier remains to question poor Ingrid, who manages to tell the truth through her fear and is let go.
As the group remaining waits, with Faile working to lose the soldiers, they begin to make plans to leave when a war gong calls the entire city to attention. Someone is attacking the city and just to make matters worse, Azamo calls out a warning, informing the citizens of the presence of the Angel's knights. He claims the group is leading an army of enemy soldiers and criminals against Navarro and calls for their seizure. The group moves quickly, heading for a gate with the only desire to get out of the city. As they continue on, a couple of horsed Templars run their mounts down the street and Kaelan spots a young boy about to be trampled. She breaks her cover to save the boy and her reward is to be hit by the horse herself, landing roughly. The Templars recognize the one eyed blacksmith for who she is and call her out, turning to face her when the others come to her aid, dismounting and taking out the enemy soldiers. Seizing two new mounts, the group piles onto the horses, with Azhren and Nephilim remaining on foot due to lack of room. Ingird at this time hobbles up to join the group, wanting to get out of the city. Nephilim leads the group to the gates, where ten Templars stand in their way. Faile takes out the rider of another mount to which Azhren can take charge of, while Seth snipes Templars as they become a danger.
Riding out past the gates the group finds their way into the desert. A sand storm suddenly kicks up behind the group and they race against the tide of the storm, Azamo excersizing his powers still in an attempt to squash them. Dodging boulders and sand, the group weaves their way out of the storm when it suddenly halts. They pause only a moment to wonder why before rushing on for the Light Stone that Nephilim used to get to them. The ride takes some time and they camp for the night, as they rest they find Ascahe turning her magic against the group, which through Kaelan's unsteady guesswork and Thomas' expertise, they determine may be due to a binding magic all Church acolytes must undergo before walking the Light and recieving their magic. All safe however, the group decides to press on rather then wait, continuing for the Light Stone. As they approach however, the ground starts to give way as Azamo forms himself out of the sand to claim them. Faile finding herself in trouble begins to sink into the sand only to be grabbed up by Kaelan, Kaelan stubbornly holds onto the girl, refusing to let her go, as they others daisy chain themselves to the Light Stone. Nephilim activates the stone and sends them to Navarro.
Coming out of the Underground Access in Navarro where previously they once met up with Kyle and his troops, the group finds and inn and begins to make plans following Nephilims intel on the situation. They decide to drop word to Zeal that they plan to take the Angel back and depend on her to get Jean to safety while the others break into Valen's mansion to reclaim Rachael and their gear.
Session 60: The War is Only Beginning
Location: Navarro
Thomas and Kaelan watch from their vantage point as Nephilim makes contact with Zeal, playfully stealing Mercy's basket and bringing the two girls to give chase to her as they leave Valen's mansion. Nephilim returns the basket and whispers the plan to Zeal before making her escape. The two then move on for the Templar Compound, while Nephilim rejoins the two. Zeal enters the Compound to find Lenneth awaiting her. Lenneth asks if the group has contacted her and she readily admits to it. Zeal is then offered a simple choice, remain in the compound and take her place at Jean's side after Jean takes the final oaths, or leave unheeded to rejoin her friends and make whatever attempt she wants at helping them, knowing the gods are ready for them and they have no chance to succeed. Zeal lowers her head and accepts the offer presented to her, resolving to stay by Jean's side in order to keep her word about protecting the girl. Outside, Thomas, Nephilim and Kaelan begin to make their way back to the inn to conduct their plans as Nephilim informs the pair that Zeal has been acting very strange, seeming to take the side of the Templars and upsetting Rachael. The two however don't believe in the end, Zeal might work against them.
When hearing that the Oaths are going to be taken that very evening, the group finds they have no time left and resolve to go together to start the plan by taking their things back from Valen's mansion while the resurrected man is out at the compound to watch the Oath ceremony. Rachael meanwhile attends an early gala-event at the compound with her brother, and there attempts to talk Zeal into taking their side, proclaiming she won't allow Jean to become a puppet and will indeed go down fighting an impossible battle to stand for her beliefs. Zeal merely continues to tell her that she plans to follow Jean, the woman downcast but resolved to follow her oath, which Rachael reminds her she made to the real Jean, not the mindless puppet the Church is turning the girl into. Rachael leaves with a bitter taste in her mouth, surprised at how far her sister could fall.
The group quickly dispatches Valen's guards and breaks right into the front door of his mansion. Inside they are attacked by a surprisingly skilled servant who is overpowered after cutting Seth, outnumbered and outmatched by so many at once. The group then finds their gear, reclaiming weapons, armor, and most importantly, Animas.
Two Ore-Monsters assualt the Templar Compound as Rachael breaks free of her brother's grasp and finds herself surrounded by Templars. The chanting and prayer of the Oath ceremony fills the background before Anima T, driven by Kaelan and Anima D, driven by Seth assault the compound, crushing soldiers and templar mages alike. Their assault is cut short when Lenneth appears outside, striking them both with holy power, the Animas are trapped under D's energy shield, when Fail sends a dagger flying into Lenneth's back. Lenneth turns to pay retribution to the girl, largely saved by Azhren who steps in the way of the attack for her. As this happens, the gigantic sword formed by Anima T swipes Lenneth from the air, sending her crashing. D moves forward to strike the woman while she's down only to find it's arm destroyed by Lenneth's power. At this time, Rachael is nearly taken by a fire spell as Zeal leaps in the way of the blast, taking a blow meant for her, Rachael reels in shock and a measure of pride for her redeemed sister, then rushes on into the ceremony. Lenneth becomes distracted again as an explosion rips out through the compound, Seth takes another swing and gets in his blow, but also blasted out of his Anima and onto the ground, Kaelan moves to take up position. Rachael uses the moment to rush in on the woman with the Angel's collar in her hand. Kaelan swings down her sword to distract the goddess, a move which almost puts Rachael in a bad end, however a yell from Zeal saves Rachael from that fate, Lenneth showing mercy. Kaelan however is blasted out of her Anima as well. Seth rises, feeling the Angel's mark returning, as do the other marked heroes, while Kaelan pulls herself up, the two witness as Zeal moves to Lenneth's side, taking up the collar, while Jean stands before her and Lenneth.
Zeal apologizes for what she's done, her ruse at an end when she pulls the collar around Lenneth's neck, sealing her powers. The group reunited, they gather and begin to make their escape, Seth insisting on getting them to safety before allowing time for reunion joy, Kaelan ushering the lot of them out of the gates. As they collapse the gates, Seth notices that Thomas is missing and after a quick sense of shock, Jean orders them all on, insisting she will get Thomas to safety. The group agrees, reluctantly for the most part, save Kaelan, who oddly gives Jean her fullest confidences and leads the others on out to the Light Stone, where Nephilim and Aschae await them. The group gathers, Jean behind them sporting fresh wounds and an injured Thomas, they begin working on healing as they decide where to go. Seth suggests Matias as it's not as strongly under Church Rule and they will likely not be hunted there so quickly. The others slowly agree, except for Nephilim, who after some coaxing and the urgency given by Azamo once again announcing their presence, agrees and sends them on their way to Matias.
Spotlight Session 7: John McCormick's Day Off
Location: Mansion Base
To Be summarized one day.
Tareh Minis RPed during Prime sessions covering the dates of 2389.5.24 - 2389.5.28 have been gathered up here. Due to the fact Phase 2 was much shorter, I will try to place as many minis I can find below.