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
-Phase 7.2: Dark Magik
-Phase 7.3: Angels
- Session 438: Empress Jean
- Session 439: Jean Squared
- Session 440: Umi's Heart
- Session 441: Dark Jean
- Session 442: Future's End
- Session 443: Angels
-Phase 7.4: Gods
Phase 8: Peace
Phase 9: Collapse
Mini Series: Heart of Terra
Session 438: Empress Jean
(it might have been minied)Following the attack on the NAG HQ, things have calmed down some what; it is clear that Rachael has a clear case of insanity brewing but is managing it somehow, possibily due to her Angel Mark or sheer will so if you didn't know her, you could never tell - even if you did it would be hard to spot the signs. But the one clear sign is that she refuses to let the NAGs near Nephilim to treat her. Meanwhile, Young/Empress Jean and Umi spend time working on their friendship, but it's clear Garald is a thorn in the side of it becoming more than that because oddly enough Empress Jean works on getting Young Umi further along in her relationship with him, even though it's clear it hurts her, like a good friend would do she tells Truth at one point, and that she will not abandon Umi again. Despite this being horrofiying to the Elder Umi and Jean.
Butler spends her time at the NAG HQ mostly instead of the palace during the weeks, helping them get their things ready and learning spells, and Aurica tries her best to learn what she can alone while Leruste runs the roads with Parita, who is struggling with her own mild insanity and seems to do better with him around. Gemane, herself, spends time with Truth, observing things and not talking about why she's there yet, though her face says she wonders if she has made a mistake coming here.
On the 22nd, the entire NAG group heads out and Butler leaps out of the palace to follow them without a word, moving to quickly catch up before they reach their ships. Jean and the others watch after them and Parita makes a face, since that means baby Nephilim definitely won't get treated now since Rachael put them off this long.
3.25.2863 - 4.10.2863
Following Butler leaving with the NAG Army, Aurica begins to spend less time studying due to her baby growing faster since Empress Jean spends more time wanting it to grow, and for some reason she lets her. Vixen meanwhile has begun to do more than become discolored, but is fading out to the horror of her parents and Future Jean decides to take matters into her own hands. Since Empress Jean is trying to be good friends to Young Umi and get her to marry Garald, in fact having practically convinced Garald to propose to her in the next few days so that Jean can give Umi a big wedding and become her best girl, she makes plans to stop Garald - permenantly. Since all signs point that the wedding will go through.
As Empress Jean accelerates the baby growth, and Young Umi is getting sunlight, Future Jean moves along to get to at Garald, poisoning his drink with something that will kill him painlessly and stepping out, quickly. As Future Jean begins to move off she pauses and grinds her teeth, heading back to stop what she did, unable to do so when Garald enters the room and maids begin to head down the way, forcing her back.
Meanwhile, Truth holds onto Jean's arm, not liking to her see her sad and wanting to help her out, studying her worriedly, when there are shouts from Garald's room. They move up quickly, along with Templars, Enforcers, and Lin Erica. Umi has already busted into Garald's room where a dead maid is on the ground and Ajan and her sister bust in, peering down at the girl, one of their friends. It seems Garald didn't want the drink and gave it to her to have, since it was expensive. Young Umi's lips curl in anger at someone trying to kill him and she hugs onto Garald, glancing around and Empress Jean's lips thin, turning to Lin Erica and demanding everyone be questioned until they have their person found.
While Empress Jean vows to find who killed her maid and attempted to kill her Umi's lover, no matter what it takes, or how long it takes, vowing to protect Umi with her life if need be, drawing a long hard look from Lin Erica, both at Jean, then at Umi and Garald, Future Jean sits back on the bed, rubbing her face, and looking at Vixen who is fading through, and simply cries, but is from killing an innocent girl, or failing?
With tension rising, Jean's witch hunt continuing for the killer of the maid, Jean herself has withdrawn. Future Jean struggles to keep Vixen in the timeline, but even with a bubble protection she is fully faded through. Garald and Umi discuss matters while Truth attempts to ask Jean about her dreams. Jean dismisses Truth's attempts at learning about her dreams, stating it's too late to learn about them and that people haven't tried hard enough to learn about them, and that learning about them is too painful to do so at this point for nothing. Truth leaves, hurt, as if the insult was directly pointed at her. Garald, meanwhile, asks for Umi's hand in marriage and she accepts.
As Truth leaves, she senses something and rushes for Aurica's room as assassins strike, attempting to kill Aurica. They target her and her research, and Truth and Brony arrive to fight them off. Aurica is injured and poisoned, rushed to Rachael for healing, while the others attempt to save what research they can while Leruste and Parita attempt to persue the surviving assassins. The assassins turn out to be demons, but their interest in Aurica's research and Aurica herself are highly suspect.
In saving Aurica, the pregnancy is forced and Aurica gives birth to a baby boy, Ben. Truth manages to recover some of the research before the Templars take over the room.
4.14.2863
Aurica, awake, goes over her notes recovered with the others. What they were able to tell, was this: After Bishop Gyro made Sinai a place of religious exploration and freedom, Crim and Phoen moved there to live. Phoen, who was dying like Lenneth was after losing Gartareh's Blessing, performed a ritual to tie herself to the leylines to extend her life. However, after the plague wiped out most of humanity, sometimes sparing those married to other species, the Alrhylites rose and were able to slowly overtake the other religions in a bloodless coup. They did this under the influence of Bishop Canaan.
The Phoen-Spear clan became the Autumn-Spear clan during the rise of the Empire. At this time, Autumn was known to marry Canaan, and as best as the group can guess it, Phoen became Autumn for political reasons. Aurica suspects Phoen was playing some sort of long term game, but whatever it is seems lost, what they do know is the noble families that married in are noted to bear a Shieldish crest with a Spear on it. The true bloodline is marked with red hair and blonde streaks. These truebloods traditionally seem to make the position of High Bishop. There are at least 12 cases where another house took the title, but they are scattered between them.
Lin Erica Spear is an interesting case, being from one of those lesser houses, but also having the hair that marks her a true blood. Rachael notes there's something familiar about Lin's name, but she can't quite put her foot on what. Truth concentrates on that as they go on. They mark down four houses which also carry the blood, survivors in what seems like a quiet game to thin the bloodline. The group agrees to look into these houses, Truth taking the tasks, Gemane, Parita and Leruste joining her in the efforts. Gemane finally reveals that she is on the trail of the Tribunal.
Jean and Umi discuss Umi's wedding, and Jean expresses her feelings of loneliness and abandonment by her team, at least recognizing that a few have stood with her. Umi also reveals her worry, that she is giving up her independance for Garald and is unable to really imagine herself doing so. Jean considers her words and stays close to Umi.
4.19.2863
The wedding has been tactically delayed by Jean, while the group has checked 3 of the 4 houses and so far, the lead is a bust. Future Jean and Umi watch as Vixen fades away completely, taking her essence into themselves so that if they fix the timeline, they can bring their daughter back, as they do, reality bends and shifts for a moment, changing so that no one else remembers Vixen ever even existing. It's this, most probably, that the others felt in Gemet. Puggy begins to color fade, time is short, and a change is needed.
4.20.2863
The group in Gemet packs up, Kaelan packing some mirrors blessed by Ama to reconnect the kingdoms. With everyone packed up, people part ways and say goodbye for now. The ship takes into the sky and they head for the Empire. As they do so, the Leviathan comes down from the skies and persues them. They attempt to outrace it, but a fight is inevitable. Fate hurls Narok into the Leviathan's eye while Asha speeds toward the ocean, attempting to get it to crash into the ocean, and it splashes into the ocean. Asha quickly brings the ship up to avoid the crashing waves and escapes damage, the Leviathan defeated much quicker than anyone expected. Narok gets solo EXPs as he dies from horrible crushing depths.
In the Death Realm, Lenneth brings Narok back using his one death card. He gets all the loot from Leviathan as well and asks to be sent back to Gemet for his son's wedding.
The group, not knowing Narok's fate but hoping for the best, carries on to the Empire.
4.21.2863
The group arrives in Jeanole, and find they are strangely inspected to be verified as really being themselves, unaware of the whole Lilica incident. They group is then led to the palace where they inform Lin Erica that for once, they are not there for favors, but specifically to see Jean. They are given rooms to wait and meet up with the other members of the team while Jean is informed. During this, Future Jean buys a love potion, hoping to shift Garald off Umi so Jean and Umi can get together.
At dinner, the group is waiting for Jean, who stalls to make a late appearance. They begin to talk and discuss things. When Jean arrives, Kaelan informs her about how they fixed the Demon Realm issue, the news of the Templars still fighting surprises them, and Kaelan presents them with the information about Jubei to assure them that a parlay can be made. While this carries on, Future Umi slips the love potion into a drink for Garald and has it sent out to him. While they begin to report what happened to the Mage War, Garald drinks and his eyes fall on Truth. He interrupts everything by moving over to her and declaring his love for the loyal follower who always seems to play second fiddle. He dumps Umi, saying he can't cage her free spirit or marry her when he has this love on his heart.
Truth, scarred and bewildered, simply acts stunned even as Umi tears across the table to slap Truth and scream at her for always being the one to get in Umi's way. Truth, even more upset, shrinks back and Rachael takes to her for comfort. Umi moves out and Jean follows, the two talk and Umi requests that Jean treat Garald good and give the two the wedding she and Garald were going to have if Truth accepts the love. Umi says she needs time to herself to sort herself out, and leaves. Jean lets her go, then snarls and pulls up a barricade, locking herself away from everyone else. The marks turn a new dark color and shift in shape a little as she withdraws from everyone and into her own darkness.
4.23.2863
The next morning, Jean is gone to Amatsune for a wedding, alone with only Enforcers and priestesses. Truth wakes to find Garald hanging outside Rachael's room waiting for her, and attempts to ask her out on a date. She asks for time to think things over and he walks off, dejected, but determined to win her heart. Truth, unable to bring herself to crush the man, and torn with how Umi's heart was broken, seems to be in a pickle.
Umi is travelling along when Future Jean steps out to meet with her. She explains the situation and what has really been happening, that Jean and Umi were supposed to get together, the kids, and what they did to Garald. Umi expresses her doubts about returning and F. Jean explains to her that she's loved her all along, that the initial thoughts about Truth were not about love, but her need to go explore and be herself. Umi ends up agreeing to return to her Jean, and makes a plan to draw Jean out to her. She sends Libel ahead with a story that she lost track of Umi.
In the Demon Realm, Juliet crashes down and "lands" the airship. This allows Jubei, Angel and Lin to disembark and return to Deus. Zegretta ushers them out of there and as they head up, the queens ask the man in the ship where they should go. As a whipped husband, James agrees with Juliet that they should head to the Empire. Zegretta decides to send the ship back to Mercy on Autopilot with the extra mirror when they arrive.
Empress Jean has returned from the wedding, and during this time, at the Palace, Garald attempts to lure Truth out with fruit. She accepts to go on a walk with him while the others prepare to move out. She asks him some questions and then says she needs to ask Jean for her blessing before making a choice, accepting this hopefully positive move, Garald gives her a fruit ring and heads off, freeing her to join the others. Ler and Rachael look over their child and discuss his going along with the group. Jean and Kaelan speak, Kaelan trying to apologize for the long absence, Jean acts cold, though she does extends a new friendship treaty with Di'Neer. She explains her inability to be sure she can trust Kaelan (and likely the others) anymore, but Kaelan keeps the olive branch extended. She heads off to join Lin Erica in the Empress Room, one of the two places the followers are kept from going.
Aurica, Parita, Gemane, Truth, Leruste, and Lia head to the last address in the Noble District. Here, they finally get a break, discovering a woman who looks like Seth and Carly, and a man who looke like Crimson and Phoen. They identify as Selthe and Crim respectively, and let the group inside. They learn that Seth and Carly lived long, but Seth found a way to die with Carly so he didn't have to continue without her. They confirm that Phoen indeed hid her identity as Autumn, and that Phoen long suspected Canaan of having ulterior motives to starting the religion.
They also learn that the Erica family was a more recent marriage (if still ages ago) into the line and her emergence was both quiet and different from the other High Priestesses. They do not know if Lin Erica can be trusted, but there is one simple fact that after the Ericas married into the line, all of the High Priestesses came out of that family. All women of the pure blood. The line seems not hereditary so much as a legacy, the Erica family keeping secrets that guaranteed their hold on the position.
They also suggest that the Angel was suggested to take over the world and bring it to peace, but under the last Erica to rule before Lin, things seemed to become strange with the way the religion's mantra worked. They know only one thing, the real answers are hidden in the High Priestess Room and the Empress Room. They need to gain entry to those to get the truth.
Location: Mercy
The airship returns to Mercy on autopilot, the note attached telling Tyranna to have the mirror packed on board set up. Rory and the other males and mages are being reorganized, a smaller tower coming up as the larger one is dismantled, the mages who can no longer use magic rejoining society. Tyranna, running the country while Zegretta is away, notes to Butler that the others have gone to the Empire and she should head there.
Location: Ama's Palace
The Empress leaving Amatsune triggered a change in the mirror used for travel, becoming cloudy and murky with a darkness that lingered much like the corruption did before. While the group decides on what to do about it, Fi'anna leaps through after announcing her willingness to test it and no one stops her. Some attempt to go after her, by sticking their heads through like Belit and get darkness on themselves and into their very souls, and have to have mystifae and whatnot get it off. Aso Erevis oddly walks right by without a word or look and leaps through, not even acknowledging Ama. A handful agree to go through it after her. Ama uses her power to create a holy passage through the mirror, cleansing it, this leaves her drained and the others go through. Mugi decides she wants to go, but as Mugi insists, Zuzu offers her a kiss and knocks her out to spare the danger.
Location: Jeanole
The Followers in the Empire currently are relaxing and deciding how to investigate the lineages of Lin Erica and head priests of the Empire when Fi'anna comes flopping through the mirror suddenly, covered in a corrupt darkness. When trying to remove it with Holy Magik it causes Fi'anna pain, however, flings poor Truth around a little. The darkness suit remains on Fi'anna, and the other group members step through one by one, following Aso Erevis through. Fi'anna cleanses the mirror and is taken back through by Ama with a yelp. Aso Erevis absorbs some darkness from the mirror and Fi'anna's splattered suit from hitting others, as the others come through.
That night in Aurica's chambers, the rest of the followers discuss the Empress' Room and the High Priestess' hidden areas, and what secrets are still being witheld within. It's decided best that they finally make a move and see what lies beyond, but doing so will incite the fury of the Templars and most assuredly the High Priestess.
They quickly learn that using abilities tied to the Angel will alert their adversaries because of their own connections and through sheer skill and finesse, break their way through the outlying Templars. To the surprise of all, especially Leruste, Leruste craclks the code on a series of theological-based combinations locks. They get into the inner parts of the Empress' room and find evidence through a journal and three very curious chairs that Lin Erica's true persona is that of Lily Erica, the person who Jean was before CHIP converted her into the faux Angel replicant to replace Lorelei. Over the years since her revival, she grew bitter about who she was, and how her other self would some day come to take all the glory again.
It's then that Genvere walks into the room with more Enforcers and starts to confront them, revealing she's been in on Lily's plans all along and in fact supports it. With quick wit and tongue, they convince her Enforcer allies that the Angel they're serving is the one they truly wish to serve and Genvere is subdued after a quick fight. They ask the Enforcers to get the others who are not with them to aid them in the final battle.
They rush to the Empress Chamber and Mimi uses Anima E to keep the Templar and Enforcer guards busy while the others rush onward. Reaching the room they find the machine apparatus to draw the corruption from Tareh and expel is already active, Lin Eric pushing the Angel to finish it quickly, with the arrival of the others, she tries to cast them as the traitors, some attempt to contradict her, but with the Future Jean with them and Jean's nightmares of a Dark Jean, she has trouble beliving them. The group rushes to stop Lily, attacking her with poisoned darts and blasting her, even as she armors up, as she makes her final move, throwing energy at the machine. Lily suddenly looks confused before the attacks hit her, as though something suddenly changed in her.
Before anything can be said or done, the machine overloads and the entire section of the palace explodes, rocking everyone, as the others rush to find out what happened thanks to the Enforcers rousing them after letting the others go. As the other group comes to investigate, they're greeted by the gaping emptiness from the explosion, a Jean teaming with darkness lands in front of them rises, declaring herself ascended, the true Goddess Jean.
Thrown high above the palace from the explosion the group comes to enough to see down towards the city, and realizing their impending doom. When they slam into an Airship coming in from above. Desperately, some of the team tries to slow themselves down from being taken by the pull of gravity when Butler begins hauling them onto the deck.
The group, given a second to recover, finds that 'Lily Erica' is with the, convulsing from poisons and wounds. The group heals her up but she still seems to be writhing from some sort of conflict. Rica insists that she saw a surprised look on the woman's face just before the explosion and thinks that the woman with them might actually be Jean. Aurica, Cersei, and others rest on the deck, their bodies numb from the damage of the explosion of the device still.
The Future Jean decides now is the time to let them know what happened in the past, as having reached the moment of change, her memories are recovered.
6 Months Ago, Alternate Tareh Timeline
Things began to go down quite differently, Jean was in the Empire with the majority of her followers, having started using the palace as their base of operations. The Badelf forces invaded Gelus, killing off the members of the Gelus family with the exception of Julianne. Zegretta was killed by Kapister in his hostile gake over and Kaelan narrowly escaped, injured but with Fi'anna as a ward.
Moira and Cersei are the main Generals of Jean's army, though all the Followers are 'generals', with Moira having taken over the Templars and tempered them finally and Cersei leading the Enforcers, guiding them. Kaelan arrives in Jeanole, cold, bitter and angry, and has her wounds healed and Fi'anna looked after. The group together meets and decides to split the forces accordingly and go after the rising issues in Neer, Gelus and Umbal.
3 Months Ago, Alternate Tareh Timeline
Jean pulled the inukami from Tsuki alone, not Asmo Erevis' help, who was never recovered from the Demon Realm. The darkness that splashed inside her changed her somehow like before. Moira helped the Templars retake Gelus from the elves in a sea of blood, while Kaelan and the Angel Blades, Fate and Libel, freed Neer from Kapister, killing the man, but at the cost of Fate and Libel's lives, as well as Michelle and Genvere.
Kaelan returns with Truth, having taken Neer in Fi'anna's name. Umi announces her pregnancy and National Tail Day is made a thing.
1 Month Ago, Alternate Tareh Timeline
At this point, Lin Erica had Jean secretly experimenting in the machine. Saying it was to cure the corruption of Tareh. Moira returned from her campaign and Badelf's leadership was broken. Ama is noted to imprison Tsuki in a holy barrier to keep her at bay, having gotten deeply infested at this point and going mad. Jean is distracted from this fact however when the babies are born.
The five children are born together and Jean commits those in the room to make babies of their own.
The group at this point in the story, notes that something is off, and here they learn that Vixen has been erased. This makes them more eager to find a means to stop this from happening and get the two together.
3 Weeks Ago, Alternate Tareh Timeline
Jean entered the Empress Chamber to attempt the cleansing with Erica. However, once the process started, Erica began to laugh, her plan going into action. That is, until an elf with white hair slit her throat with a crystal blade. As she died, shocked, the machine itself exploded. The heroes, stirred awake from the twisting corruption, race to help Jean. The explosion killed Rachael, but Jean was able to reconstruct her, awakening as a full blown goddess.
1 Week Ago, Alternate Tareh Timeline
In two weeks, with omnipotent powers, Jean has forced peace on the world. Her friends have tried to talk her down but to no avail, and on this day, she returns home after a day of watchdogging to find Umi packing. Umi tells her off for how she's been acting and using her powers, and Jean finds she's about to say Umi can't leave and doesn't have a choice when she realizes what she's doing. Scared of what she's becoming, she begins to question herself when suddenly the planet begins to shake. Something eclipses the sun and a beam fires into Tareh, figures landing on the surface.
Jean sends Umi and the kids through a portal and sends them into the past. She herself heads into the Heart of Tareh and takes Lorelei's body, reconstructing it and placing herself into it before leaping into the portal. Her act caused the barrier around the core to fall, and Tareh was destroyed as she left.
Present Timeline
She finishes explaining this to those with her and they agree one simple things, Lin Erica, or Jean, whoever is down there, needs to be stopped. Rica holds that the "Lily Erica" with them is Jean, and when Jean wakes, she seems to confirm it. Cersei keeps wary as Lin Erica has already proven a clever actor.
They decide to plan their attack and get ready to move in, Rica reminding them that while the Mark seems tainted, and Lin Erica may have control, Lin seems to have forgotten an age old fact about the Mark, it works both ways. F. Jean says she'll do her best to keep the Dark Jean's influence from them, but the worry that their allies might already be under her thumb is troubling.
Down below, Present day Umi races toward the steps of the palace, as hard as she can and up the steps into the palace, determination in her eyes as a storm brews around the skies of Jeanole.
Dark Jean stands before the heroes in the palace and demands for everyone to bow before her. A number of the group members are confused, seeing behavior that is absolutely unlike Jean Al'rhyl. However, as they try to reason with her, it seems impossible, and Juliet and Zegretta decide it's time for them to leave, not liking this situation. With a thought and a wave of her hand, Dark Jean sends them back to their kingdoms, and as an afterthought, sends James to Juliet. The others, seeing the power, and knowing they need to bide their time, begin to kneel. Dark Jean 'blesses' them with Dark Marks and then vanishes to begin to correct the world with her power.
Umi arrives and when she learns what happened, insists on going up the palace tower saying she's going to bring Jean down, probably meaning back down to Tareh. The zealous Templars however, raise arms and block her way. The group tries to talk her down, while Yuel dismisses her Dark Mark, deciding she doesn't want it. The others seem unable, and the group can sense Jean moving around Tareh fixing things. Kaelan remarks this is odd, because up until that moment, a Mark as far away as Jean was should be impossible to track due to the interference. Umi is about to charge her way in when Rachael hears something, asking her to wait.
On the airship, Cersei eyes her mark and attempts to remove it, it seems to fade back into the true mark for a moment before vanishing. Lia tries to reason out how they're getting rid of it, but is unable to pick up on the quality that Cersei has that makes her able to resist. She suggests they link up as a group and try to purge it, but Moira dismisses it for the moment. They begin moving down to the palace on the airship, when they find the others on the other side of a window.
Seeing the airship, Rachael leaps through the glass and onto the ship and the others begin following. Templars actually attempt to attack them and the ship, Lia forming a barrier to protect them as Asha takes them back into the sky. Once free, they again begin to work and removing the dark marks together. Moira has a brilliant idea of linking people together to try it, while Lia stares, and tries it with Cersei. Asha as well seems able to remove her mark with aid. LEaving the question of what Yuel, Cersei, and Asha have in common.
Linking with Cersei does the trick where it didn't work with others, and from there, they group is able to chain break one another until the Marks are cleared of the Dark influence. They are left to consider what to do next with Jean-Lily among them. They consider and decide that she must be the real Jean, Wyrd and Truth establishing their bonds with her again. However, just as this is
done, Dark Jean appears on the ship and chides them for removing her marks. As she does, Parita tells her to fuck off and gets flung a mile out into the sky.
Rica without a thought drops off the ship and takes Sprite to go after Parita, Sal with her, when Dark Jean hurls them into a whirlwind. She holds Parita's life hostage for them to bow and ask forgiveness, but the group doesn't budge. It's Umi who moves forward and attempts to calm Dark Jean down. The effort nearly fails when Butler tries to take a cheap shot at D. Jean, but the group, and Umi, manage to dissuade that error. As they talk, Mimi sets Parita, Rica, and Sal on the ground and begins to head up after the others.
Lia, sensing the approaching Anima E, sends Mimi a mental signal to hold back and Umi is able to begin to break the Dark Jean's shell. This causes the entire group to wonder which is the real Jean when a blast from the palace blasts at the ship and begins sending it down. This nearly sends Dark Jean into a rage but the others convince her that they didn't do it, and work together to land the ship.
Once landed, helped by Dark Jean and Kaelan in Anima T, the group moves into the palace which is start to shake and collapse. They group surmises that the Tribunal member they lost track of, Lilica, must be using an Anima inside to attack. Lia uses her sense again and points her out down below, and the group races through the palace. They save a group of servants and guards from being crushed before entering the depths blow.
There, they find Lilica in Anima C, she uses a strange bubble of cloth to capture Dark Jean inside it, and the others rush into the fight. Mimi, Lia and Kaelan fight in Animas E, L and T respectively and are given a real challenge when C splits into two and combines into a Super Anima C. The fight continues with the party attacking and holding off C while Dark Jean struggles in her bonds.
A charging Anime C and T go crashing through a wall and Leruste and Moira get caught in the rubble. They have to sneak into Anima C and battle Lilica while Kaelan, who's Anima is dismissed by a powerful hit, uses her immunity to Lightning Mana to do her own nasty work with Earth Magik and then uses Ice Magik to attack the core.
Anima C is dismissed and Kaelan stops the four from being crushed with Earth Magik as the others work to unbury them. While all this occurs, others work to try and free Dark Jean. The cloth seems to keep the corruption trapped inside with Dark Jean as it eats her alive, forcing her to regenerate and use up more and more of it, using different elements, they find the cloth is strong as steel and slowly adapts to the element used to cut it. Rachael divvies out the Orbs, the Emblems, and other items to the group and Kaelan uses Libel to create a faux Rune Blade by imbuing her with every element via spells. The group then strikes as one with the help of Ama and the others gods, brought in via a mirror.
Together, they not only destroy the cloth, but annihilate the corruption around Jean, and Bel who was sucked into the trap during the efforts. the corruption is destroyed. Lilica, who was pulled from the rubble is reabsorbed into Gemane, and in a very similar move, right after, Dark Jean rushes at Lily Erica-Jean and they meld, becoming one, then splitting apart into Jean and Lin/Lily Erica respectively.
Kagu and Lia work to brace the palace as the others head out, Lin Erica seems to be given a forgiveness card, though some make plain they'll need her help fixing all the damage and uncovering who was controlling Lilica. The day won for the present, the groups are reunited, have time to relax and rest up, contact their loved ones, and lick their wounds. With Jean and Umi now close once more, Vixen comes back into reality, the kids reunited.
5.2.2863
With the palace still under repairs, James, Juliet and Zegretta are back and the group meets to discuss things. The Future Jean suggests they look into the God Barrier, as Gartareh put it up and it weakens the gods. Jean confirmed with Future Jean that she previously said it isn't keeping anything dangerous out. Kaelan offers her suspicions that despite that thought, the fact that Future Jean's story closely aligned the barrier being destroyed with the Eclipse that attacked Tareh way too close for comfort. They seem to agree to investigating. Lily Erica has seemed to backed down from her evil ways and gone to being Future Jean's advisor, since Jean doesn't want to lead anymore, and has given the Empress leadership to the Elder Jean and the younger Jean plans to marry Umi and travel the world with her.
Elder Jean informs Kaelan that someone matching Rose's description has shown up, later than they throught, but she's been checking into the researchers who look over the God Barrier. Kaelan agrees to go find her and see what she needs, and Zegretta agrees to go with her.