Act 1: Choices
Act 2: Consequences
Phase 1: Effects
Phase 2.1: Ramifications
Phase 2.2: Cold
Phase 3: Clashings
Phase 4: Crossings
-Phase 4: Dust in the Wind
Phase 5: Thrones
-Phase 5.1: Enemy Lines
-Phase 5.2: Game of Thrones
Phase 6: Strikers
-RS Arc 7: Holiday Wars
Phase 7: Corruption
-Phase 7.1: Leylines
- Session 426: Jubei Silas, Leader of the Rose Knights
- Session 427: Quest of the Leylines
- Session 428: Parita vs. Leruste
- Session 429: Gemane's Darkside
- Session 430: Thieves, Pirates, and Demons
- Session 431: All Leylines Lead to Hell
-Phase 7.2: Dark Magik
-Phase 7.3: Angels
-Phase 7.4: Gods
Phase 8: Peace
Phase 9: Collapse
Mini Series: Heart of Terra
Session 426: Jubei Silas, Leader of the Rose Knights
A wedding between Wyrd and Cersei marks the day. While the two are wed, a commotion breaks out at the buffet, and a naked Maka is discovered. Lia brings her to a seat and checks in her while the ceremony runs. Cersei and Wyrd make their vows and they are wed, the objections only met when someone in back, a small, petite someone, pointedly leaves and vanishes before Bel, who goes to see who it is, can catch her. The group parties and celebrates the union.
2.2.2863
Jubei is in her mother's office, as the temporary leader of the Rose Knights hands his position to her, the rightful leader by right of having restored the Rune Blade. Now with command of the Rune Knights and Rose Knights, Jubei agrees to take him as interim leader while she leaves to fix the leylines, and agrees with Jean to look into Knight recruits for the mission.
Arriving in Port Regius, the Umbal party is finally in the Empire but without Mirrors will have to make the long trek across former Sinai to get to Jeanole. This opens an oppurtunity for Jean to spend time away from the influence of the Empire's priestesses, however, Tsuki shuts one possible door when she acts like a bitch when Ama and Truth suggest having Tsuki checked out for her corruption and Jean pipes up that the Empire's people can help out and Tsuki tells her she will never let them lay a hand on her, thus making Jean retreat within herself.
2.3.2863
The group in Mercy gathers to discuss their plans going forward when there's a crash in the courtyard. They move outside to find Anima E standing there, and it soon is dismissed into it's gauntlet by it's pilot, Mimi McTreggor, who has Ro'an with her. With the two returned and news of at least one Anima not in the hands of the Tribunal, the group is a bit more at ease. Juliet and Zegretta then outline the plan for two groups to go after the Leylines and the Demon Realm, and the group divides as such:
Empire-Demon Realm's group: Kaelan, Lessa, Jean, Umi, Asha, Cersei, Wyrd, Mimi, Sal, Rica
Leyline Team: Jubei, Angel, Moira, Lia, Lyn, Kohna, Lin, Bel, Narok, Fate, Finn - with Maka, Urr and Cleo tagging along.
The leyline team departs by ship, as they begin to cast off, Fate suddenly expresses disinterest in going and departs. Angel theorizes that Fate only claimed to be going this way to that she could misdirect Wyrd, feeling like a third wheel now that her sister is married.
2.14.2863
Arriving in Ametsune, the group encounters a festival where people trade chocolates for hot loving. A caravan is prepared and the group departs for the trip to the capital itself.
2.22.2863
In Al'hryl, Jean's group stops at the location of the old city of Sinai, a new city built on it's ruins. Here they check in for an inn and Truth suggests they take a look around to find if there's any interesting sites where people may have sealed off ruins. While they do this, the team finds statues of themselves in many... colorful choices of manners and water spout effects.
The Leyline party arrives in Gemet, where they are greeted by Hoko, Zuzu and others and they present the letter from Juliet asking to help them find the Sky People. Lyn is finally home, and Hoko promises to help how they can.
Session 427: Quest of the Leylines
Having a meal in glorious Gemet, Jubei's team is treated to the dolcette tones of the Sky People horn. Tones that last until Hoko's monstrous lungs destroy the horn, causing her to need to ask for another one. The Sky People come down in a glorious airship and ask for what they want. Besides a new horn, the others ask for the right to fly in the skies and the ship needed to do so. They pause, but agree on the condition they pass a trial. Boarding the ship, Jubei's team takes to the skies.
On the way up, the sky people cloak their ship to avoid a gigantic flying monster like a serpent queen, a leviathan of the skies. Passing by it they arrive at a temple filled with more Sky People. It becomes more than apparent that the Sky People are doing something to guide their true forms. They are warned the trial will challenge them and possibly destroy them in the process, then given mana water to drink and led into the trial.
They first encounter a Vision Jubei, who challenges Jubei with the flaws of her goals, that she isn't on the quest to save the world or the leylines, that she merely wants to get what she wants in her own selfish desires. Again, the warning that the Mana Egg will work, but cause massive tragedy to do so is given, Jubei meets her challenger with anger and the vision slashes at her, Lin taking the blow and falling, seemingly dead. As if her part is over, she is warned again that her current path will lead to the ruin of others. Moira's trail vision comes and challenges her isolation, how she refuses to get close to others and doesn't form relationships. Jubei interrupts this, attacking the vision, and is cast out of the trial.
Moira accepts this, but doesn't seem to say she intends to fix it or try to get to know the others better. But because she doesn't lash out in anger at taunts, she is allowed to stay with the group, even if she fails. Next comes Belit's vision, which challenges her manipulative personality and her always defaulting to trickery before trying anything else. This attitude causes others to have difficulty trusting her, and that reality is met without doubt from Belit. However, like Moira, she expresses no interest to change in her ways, she says that's the life of a pirate. Another failts, but is allowed to continue.
Finally, Angel and Lia are met with their visions. Angel is confronted with the reality of her position and the gravity of the fact that her mission is only a temporary respite, the cage she feels is real and she will have to return to it some day. Though she knows what she wishes, she also accepts the winds of change and that she must eventually set herself back in the place she doesn't want to be. This seems acceptable, she is given her lesson and seems to accept it.
Lia is confronted by her vision which tells her she is dependant and needy, that she relies on others for her strength. She overreaches and in turn puts those she takes on at risk, and risks her relations with them trying to get all she can grab. Because of this fault, she is due for failure and doom. Lia acknowledges this, accepts that she has already gone too far in trying to fill the hole in her life left by Rory. She knows her path dooms her and not only acknowledges the need for change, but says she needs to accept what she has and start sorting things out. The vision is in agreement with her, and advises her to continue questioning herself, to not overreach, to not try and take on more, and she as well is given her lesson and accepts it.
With at least two of them passing the trial, the group awakens to find it was all a spirit walk. THey are given access to the Leyline where Jubei gains Wind Mana to add to the Rune Blade. They are accepted and invited to join the Sky People at their city, where they will learn more about them. But first, they take the two vessels they are given and head back down for Amatsune. There they will go after the Holy Leyline, and add another element to the blade.
Session 428: Parita vs. Leruste
After another meal at Gemet, the leyline party strikes out a mile north to Zuzu's home, where the Holy Leyline is near. Extraction is simple here, and Jubei is able to stick the Rune Blade into the mana and fill not on, but two slots of Holy Energy, keeping extra for the road. There is a noticable dip in the Leyline when the Rune Blade extracts, showing that it is possible for the Leylines to deminish as energy is taken. The group returns to Gemet with their findings and discusses the trip they will have to take with the various leylines each country has.
Di'Neer - Ice
Anora - Lightning
Badelf - Fire
Blantress - Water
Al'rhyl - Holy
Demon Realm - Darkness
Sky Realm - Wind
Ama'Dorei - Earth
Umbal - Unknown
In Mercy, Zegretta and Juliet are making final preparations when there's a commotion. Outside they find the second air ship with a note that says that since the other team got permission of the Wind, they have been given temporary license to use an airship. Seeing as this allows them to send a small group in advance of the army, the team chosen to head to the Demon Realm boards. Some make their goodbyes, but are interrupted by Mimi, who tries out the wind crystal causing the ship to start taking off. The group boards and flies off, heading for the Empire.
Crossing Sinai, Empress Jean's group is hot and dealing with it, when a sinking sand pit and a sand worm to sink the Templars. The group spots Parita riding the worm and Jean, in a rage, uses a new Wind Bullet technique to rocket after her, the group having to give chase. Jean arrives before them and enters the ruins that Parita ducks into, the others following. The others however, find not Jean but an archive that survived the religious cullings when the Angel religion rose. Butler and Truth gather up some documents before Parita arrives and explains to them she was trying to distract everyone from these archives. That's when the Templars, unharmed and freed from an underground prison by Jean, show up. They see the 'heretic' building and begin to move to destroy it when Parita arrives.
Parita and Jean get physical, Parita punching Jean in the nose. Parita then uses the moment to slip away and Truth heals Jean's nose. However, Jean is relentless and takes off after Parita, this time, Truth and Butler following attempting to use Wind Magic to copy the Wind Bullet technique, which Jean teaches them along the way. They arrive at the caravan, that Parita is disabling, and wind up having to fight her off. The others in the group following, Rachael is left alone to distract and direct Templars who set fire to the archive while she saves what she can from it that seems important.
Parita begins to make her exit, leaping on her Sand Worm, when Ama shows up and sets the thing on fire after Leruste lets her take the beast if she spares Parita. This however, is not good for either, the worm becoming Roasted Worm and Parita vanishing into the flames. The group finds gold and a Worm Seal in the sand. As they depart, Leruste and Rachael leave jugs of water for Parita so she can follow, and Truth tries to leave the seal so she has a ride, Butler snagging it and earning the ire of several of her companions for the act, however, Butler makes it right later by sending a Skurr off to give Parita a ride.
2.25.2863
Jubei's group flies out past Undercity towards a Leyline. Here they nearly lose Maka due to the dangerous climb down into the Leyline to stick the blade in, with Maka volunteering. Lia finds, when Maka slips, that her psionics don't seem to function inside the Leyline, and it's Bel and Narok who manage to leap down to tentacle her, Lia's attempt at a magical grab resulting in a small explosion that rockets them back up to the others. They learn here that generally using magic this close to a leyline can be somewhat suicidal, or especially lethal if directed right.
After deciding to check out the special tower nearby, they find evidence that the place was closed off, intended only to be for the Angel's followers. Climbing the tower and moving past legions of skeletal Badelf soldiery remains, they pass through finished challenges to find a vault up top. Here, Phoenixplume uses an orb to take life energy from the last of his soldiers so he can claim the vault contents. After some effort and many cut off limbs, the group manages to subdue and kill the male channeller and a long time bother. Narok lucks out as his tranformation seems to return his missing arms, Finn going sword form so his can be repaired by Moira, and Lia having to use powerful sorcery to reattach Bel's arm.
Their prizes are Whispering Grass, now identified as the Emerald Sword, and a spell Orb with the power of Wind. This is given to Lia, and allows her to use the Angel Wind Spells, a Wind Slash, 10 Tornadoes at Once, an extended Wind Jump and Hurricane. They learn there are other towers just like this that contain similar treasures as well.
In the Empire, the Demon Realm team lands outside the city of Jeanole to let Jean and Umi off, their plan to enter quietly and in disguise, and work to preserve their past selves relationship before coming forth and showing themselves. The others lift back up and head to Jeanole, where they will find out just what sort of reception awaits them as they ask for help in their quest to stop the Demon Realm's threat.
Session 429: Gemane's Darkside
Jubei's group flies into the Badelf regions south from the tower, after some debate they decide to check out the Western Coastline for a leyline. Arriving at a volcano near the Port City of Narven, which is the new capital for the Badelf survivors, the group decides to set down on the other side of the volcano. They land and head out, encountering a small group of elves up top that flee when recognizing some of them. This leaves them free to check out the Leyline, and Lyn, using water from Lia and Jubei, is able to use her Mystifae to go down with the blade and fill it up with Fire Mana in one slot. Extracting her, the group is able to move on, heading for Blantress.
2.27.2863
Entering North Sinai, Empress Jean's group looks around town when the spot Gemane. Moving over and greeting her, Gemane seems very surprised to see them at all but welcomes them and gets them a nice room. They try to catch up, but Gemane excuses herself for some errands and moves off after settling them in. They soon all relax and rest up.
2.25.2863
Having dropped off Future Jean and Umi with the kids outside the city of Jeanole, Kaelan's group makes their grand entrance and after several of them identify as Followers, they are escorted to the Palace of Jean. Here Lin Erica greets them and offers them hospitality, Kaelan getting business out of the way immediately by letting her know their intentions and their request for help. Lin Erica expresses natural interest as the Demons are direct enemies of the Templars. However, she says they will have to wait for Jean to return so she can make the final decision. Kaelan relents, choosing to use the time to ready them all.
2.28.2863
The group enters Blantress and after some deciding, choose to head and check out one of the two ruins in the area, the Ruins of Lilica. Landing, they are surprised to discover Elven troopers waiting outside. Bel approaches and attempts to manipulate her way inside, however, it doesn't go so hot and Jubei and Lia step out to try and quell the situation. They learn that the group belongs to Saedi, and they are asked to disarm and get naked before getting in. They comply and head in. On their way finding murals that seem to indicate that Lilica is behind the thefts of the Anima, and that she works with the conspiracy.
What they find is an Anima holding the Water Orb. The group tries to convince her to hand it over, and in doing so they figure out that it's not Saedi, but Celesia inside the ore monster. She explains that she wanted the Orb in order to quell the remaining resistance as she has taken over most of Blantress. She says it's so she can do it without killing, but the group, hearing only the conquest,
begins to move for conflict. Jubei, who is frozen up at being naked and forced into a situation she doesn't like, slips away as Finn and Narok become blades and Moira and Bel charge in. Lia joins in the fighting because he allies do, and the three fight an Anima, 20 troopers, and a hidden Saedi.
The fight is fast but bloody, resulting in Celesia being broken out of M only to kill herself, using Blood Magic to Death Mark everyone involved in the fighting before she falls. The fight ends without more death, as the people who were only trying to restrain her are stricken from what they have done. Ro'an seems to have slipped off during the fighting, and Angel and Lyn, who did not fight, decide to leave the group for their actions. Jubei leaves her things behind as she heads off with Angel, leaving the Rune Blade in her Mage's hands.
They hobble off back for the ship, questioning their own actions and wondering if they're really as good as they have thought they were. However, they do not abandon their quest, planning to seek out aid for their death marks, then getting back on track. All of them knowing their guilt. Except maybe Narok, he's a bastard sometimes.
Morning for the Empire group comes and they are greeted by Gemane, who seems very eager for them to be on their way. Due to Rachael suspecting something strange about Gemane, Truth asks Gem some questions about her research. When Gemane answers only with vague answers and dodges a direct question about what she's doing, Truth comes to a conclusion, she isn't Gemane. 'Gemane' makes her exit and Tsuki points out who she might be due to a slip when 'Gemane' stated she was over a thousand years old. It was Lilica, and the group learns later that Anima C is seen escaping the city.
Session 430: Thieves, Pirates, and Demons
The airship lands outside Oshan, Blantress, the north east port city, where Lia's group is headed to get their Death Marks taken care of. What they find however is a group of dominatrix warriors standing in their way. Said warriors prove Saedi still has some degree of compassion, or at least, an agreement with Jubei and the others that left. They're handed a map to a leyline and told to get out of the country after visiting it, to never return to Blantress on pain of death and they have 24 hours to do so. Lia acts as the group speaker and agrees, and asks they relay a message of their regret before they leave. As they leave, a group of Mason Mages joins them, having to leave their homes behind permenantly, and while the Guild is not exiled, this small group from the clinic is to chose to go with the group to heal them.
They fly off to the forest city of elves, and it seems untouched by the conflict, yet, however, the group isn't about to tarry long. A dominatrix clad woman with a Serpent Queen drops off Jubei, who has rejoined the group. Lia gives her the sword and those marked for murder wait in the ship while Jubei and Maka go to the leyline to harvest the Water Mana. After which, the group takes off for Ama'dorei, receiving some help from the Mason Mages on the way, who are able to weaken their Death Marks, but not remove them, perscribing Blood Magik to do so, something only the NAG can offer.
In North Sinai, after some investigation they learn that Lilica has indeed left with Anima C, and Truth expresses her worry because as far as the group knows, Anima C was in the hands of the Gelus Royal Family. The group boards the caravan and carries on for now, heading towards Jeanole. Jean is frightened from sex when the scurrs mate.
3.4.2863
Arriving in Kerthal, Ama'dorei, the Leyline group heads to the palace where they are greeted with honors and allowed by Queen Tina to see the leyline. This attempt goes a little messier than normal as Jubei slips when climbing down and nearly falls into the Leyline itself, however, at the last moment, Lia is able to toss a knife into the wall that Jubei can grab and she is able to be pulled back up. Jubei's boot melts against they leyline and the proximity gives Jubei mana poisoning.
Lia remembers the NAG and after they recover, urges that they stay for the night so they can arrange healing. Which they later learn will take the better part of a day to get prepared and have done to their marks, however, this allows them some time to relax in Kerthal before going after that most serious of final elements, the Demon Realm's Dark Mana.
3.6.2863
Empress Jean's group arrives back in Jeanole to be greeted with the Demon Realm team awaiting her. Jean is upset however, when she discovers that several of the group have had large life occurances without her around - such as getting married without attempting to invite her, and shuts herself off in her room after greeting them, giving an avoiding agreement to their stay. She does however fully authorize every Templar they can spare to help the group in their assault. Future Jean and Umi make their investiations and choose Rachael as a vessel to help them guarantee the future. The group rests for the evening, planning to launch the next day when Kaelan relaizes Jean isn't going to spend any real time with them, and the war is pressing in.
3.7.2863
The next morning, Lin Erica lets the group know that the Templars are mounting an offensive to distract the Demon Realm from the true force's entry point. As they group readies to leave, Jean comes to see them off, some giving sad goodbyes, but a positive sign is seen, Umi holding hands with Jean, hints that they might be getting together, a sign of relief for all those that know that the Evil Jean in Jean's nightmares isn't the one from the future. As far as they know, at any rate.
Session 431: All Leylines Lead to Hell
After acquiring the Earth Mana and spending a night with the NAG to get their Death Marks removed, the group sets back to their ship to get ready to leave. Considering the nature of the mission, Lia is given the choice between NAG Mages and Mason mages, she asks if they'll work togther and gets at least that the Masons will visit the NAG tower, but healers are not as useful as Battle Mages so the NAG Mages come along - Selene and Sel with them. After settling in, the group realizes a problem, they have no clue where to look for the Dark Leyline. After talking, the agree it's time to visit the Sky People's city and see if they can help.
Heading up into the clouds, they narrowly avoid the Sky Leviathan and pass him to get to the city. There, they are examined and found to have souls that have grown darker, Lia explains that they went through a terrible ordeal that left them scarred. They seem to take this as explanation enough. They do not know where the Dark Leyline is either, but offer a chance to gain aid. They are told they can challenge the Sky Champion and win his help in the effort.
The Sky Champion, Con, is aided by his Wind Magic weilding sister, Tae. And Con fights with Anima T, the Champion of the Sky People, T's story of never falling back to Tareh turned out to be true, it landed among the Sky People. The group faces off against Con and working together, manage to knock out his sister, reduce his barriers, and force T to dismiss. Con is beaten and Lia takes hold of an Anima, thinking she may give it back to Kaelan if they ever meet again, but for now, the group has gained the boon of the Sky People, and an Anima with which they can assault the gates of the True Demon Realm.
In Jeanole, Rachael is won over by Future Jean and Umi using the most powerful of all weapons, cute fuzzy babies. After she agrees to help them get Jean and Umi together, the two are given disguises as Enforcers and one of the Enforcers rooms to stay in. They bump into Future Jean, who is fooled by their clever disguise, the two note hardening in Jean's character. Truth and Leruste meanwhile, recruit themselves to help Aurica with her research into exactly what's going on in the Empire.
3.9.2863
Arriving at the Nymph city, Kaelan's group decides to go ahead of the assaulting army and scout out the enemy. Exploring in deeper, they decide to drill through the surface Demon Realm into the realm below, deciding that lakes mean possible weak points, they drill through the side of a lake, heading underground.
Jubei's mighty warriors arrive above the heavily guarded Abyss gate. They begin to plan an assault when Jubei offers a smart plan, using a spell gas spell provided by Selene, they will use their mages to spread it about the Abyss Gate with Wind Magik. This works surprisingly well, and the group is able to walk through the city to the lift and take it down into the heavily populated undercity. Here, Lia uses Anima T to fly them out of the city and away from the Demons. The group has to run and head off a caravan which they take over and ride away from persuing demonic forces. In doing so, they find the caravan has a captive demon, one very much like Asmodeus, only female, she identifies herself as Deus and agrees to lead the group to the Dark Leyline, in exchange for helping her destroy the Matrix.
Kaelan's group breaks through to the underworld, just over a volcano, they pull up in time and fly to a nearby wood to hide the airship. Kaelan realizes that the Leyline group must be coming soon, however, she cannot feel them anywhere through the terror and suffering of the lower realm, which is currently running rampant with Dark Leyline energy.
Across the realms, Male Mages suddenly amass in numbers, far greater than anyone ever suspected, males who previously showed no noticable talent suddenly having much as they attack the Guilds in various cities, focusing on the Mason Guilds. In Gemet, Ama and her people realize something is wrong because the males acting this way are completely out of character, the Mystifae guardians and the Masons there work hard to shut down and contain the mages as Gods begin to march into the battle. In Anora, Juliet watches as the NAG mages, who don't hold back, start slaughtering the attempts in their city, but Juliet worries about her baby's father, hoping he's okay out there in this madness.
In Mercy, Zegretta and Fi'Anna watch as Males attack the Tower grounds, the castle prepares for battle even as the Tower works to stop the Cabal, the one place which has been on high alert for Male Mages. Among their numbers are freed mages from the Sanctuary, Rory among them, who finds he is surrounded; when he tries to stab two near him, the mages near him deal with him in a bright light.
In Blantress, similar is happening, but the armored elven soldiers Celesia and Saedi were training move out and begin to slaughter the males, but only after they'd destroyed the recruitment center and heavily damaged the clinic. Guilds around the world appear to be suffering in some move to remove the magical arm of Tareh. Who will survive, and who will come out of the ashes? Can the males be freed? Will anyone realize what's happening? Everyone wants answers, and what they find out may not be what they wanted to know.