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
-Phase 7.4: Gods
- Session 444: The God Barrier
- Session 445: The New Gods
- Session 446: Imperial Remnants
- Session 447: No More Gods?
Phase 8: Peace
Phase 9: Collapse
Mini Series: Heart of Terra
For the rest of the world, the last week has passed in Gemet, with relative peace for the moment. Fi'anna trains with Nilla to use her symbiote suit while Ama looks over treats with Di'Neer and Jeanole, a new one with Gelus thanks to Juliet's interests. Zun steps in to announce that Deus has stated that it is up to Ama if she would like to make a treaty with the Demon Realm. Having promised Jubei, she calls for the calendar and marks off post-harvest to negotiate.
In the Empire, however, discussion turns towards the God Barrier once more, picking up where they left off. They need to know more about it, and they need to reach it. The former might be answered by Rose, while the Sky People can help with the latter. While Deus arrives and moves off with Elder Jean to discuss one on one the peace treaty between the Demon Realm and the Empire, Kaelan leads the others out into town to look once more for Rose. The search isn't long however, as they find her out on the street buying some fruit to eat. When they express their interest, she agrees to return to the palace to discuss the issue. E. Jean and Umi meanwhile, settle on agreeing to an armistice treaty with the Demon Realm.
With Rose among them, she explains that the God Barrier was created by Gartareh long ago to supress the powers of Ama and the others inside the Sol system so they would not be as strong, and to lock out their powers and steal the powers within the system and give them out to the others he picked. The barrier extends so far, and only affects those within the field. For example, death and rebirth continues normally outside the barrier. Within the barrier, Gartareh was supreme and could stand up against the darkness he feared.
Rose confirms for them that it isn't keeping anything out, and the group agrees that strengthening the gods would be a good idea if another threat looms over them still. Planning for the trip to the Glittering, Mimi brings up the usefulness of the Anima, it's here that Lia brings up that Animas D, J and Z are still missing, D having been stolen during the Gelus War and never found again. Rachael assures the Catmew that they'll find the missing Anima, to which Lia holds dear as though they were friends of hers.
Taking the airship up into the sky, the group mingles for a little bit, some not happy to be flying. Kaelan and Rose have an exchange where Kaelan apologizes for leaving Rose behind, and Rose seems to shrug it off. She does question if Kaelan really didn't know she wouldn't be coming back or not. They land in the Sky Realm and Tae comes to greet them. Lia wastes no time in explaining
their goal and Tae leads them miles toward mountains, hours of walking pass and they find themselves in a cavern, in front of the last Lightstone known. Young Jean activates it and the group travels up to the Glittering.
Finding themselves in Waystation 3, the group outfits in space suits preserved by the Sky People and take to the glittering. After some adjustment to the low gravity, the group leaps from asteroid to asteroid as they did a little over a year of their time, heading for the God Planet. Reaching one Asteroid, they are beset by what seem to be the ghosts of McTreggor and Autumn. Fighting McTreggor seems to cause him to begin to phase out entirely, until conflict with his own bloodline hints that blood may bring him fully back into phase. Mimi risks her life to douse the cursed sword in blood, and the others add their blood to Autumn's outline. It does, revealing Leon holding the True Blade of McTreggor and Autumn. Leon passes Autumn to the group and ushers them to leave, staying behind to keep the curse at bay as they escape. He gives his blade to Jubei to give to Mimi, who is using her anima to bring the next asteroid closer for them to escape before the darkness/curse consumes them all.
With some effort, they are convinced to go and rush for the final Waygate to the God Planet. Some make it in time, but the rest of the group has to blast their way through the curse to get inside. After which, they head up to Mars itself. Appearing on the landscape, they are able to breathe air, if thin air, once more. They find the palace is exposed in places due to the giant crevacce left from the aftermath of the final fight with Gartareh. Umi climbs down with the others riding her, and they are able to enter a giant hole in the side of the cliff face. Blasting their way down an elevator shaft, they find Gartareh's chamber, time here still slightly disturbed. They quickly cut through the floor of the elevator shaft to go further down and finally come to the God Barrier Machine.
Here, the hearts of 5 dead gods power the machine, giving it the energy to keep the barrier going. Lia, after examining it, is convinced they can use the controls to destroy the machine while freeing the hearts. After one unsuccessful attempt, losing one of the five hearts, despite help from Leruste on the first choice and Angel on the second, Lia finally gets the right choices and is able to recover the final four. Once the hearts are removed, the machine begins to lose power and the unstability of the palace causes the God Barrier to blow up and bring the palace down.
The group rushes for a Waygate, much like the one they used to get up there, to get back down. They leap in with moments to spare and come out on Sky Island. This one is different from the one they left by however, and they find only communities of nude sky people. No airships in sight, they find they are missing one, Rose not having come out with them. As they do the head count, Cersei notes that they are stranded, seemingly no way of getting home.
In Gemet, the gods feel their powers unlocked. Ama and Tsuki find their jiggles at their fullest potential.
The heroes have been given a place to rest by the farmers of the island. They start gathering for breakfast, some eating the meal, some like Fate trying to eat a sheepbaa. Lia begins bringing up ideas on how to get back down to the surface and Cersei informs them that an airship won't be by for three months. After some ideas come up, Lia suggests prayer, now that the gods are fully gods again. Perhaps in mockery of this, Rua tries praying to Deus while Lia prays to Ama.
In Gemet, Tsuki is jiggle partying now that her powers are back when Ama hears the prayer from Lia. Deciding to go help the cat out of a tree, she steps through a mirror, though the group is nowhere near a mirror, the one on their airship some ways away. Ama is able to fly it over, while this occurs, a dark portal opens and Deus steps through. It seems somehow she heard the prayer. Kaelan offers the simple explanation that Deus is at the heart of the willpower of an entire people and it only makes sense that she is in turn becoming a God. Deus, annoyed at being summoned, nearly tosses Rua off the island before taking Lin, who came with her, and leaving. Ama shows up with an airship and they begin to board, Autumn asking to stay behind. They allow her and fly down, and as people are reunited in Gemet, Lia presents the God Hearts to Ama, who is surprised to find that instead of the four hearts that Lia thinks she has, there are only three.
Unsure of when one was stolen, Tsuki is sent to retrieve Autumn, who not only doesn't have it, but is outraged at the thought and goes back without being much of a friend to the group anymore due to their lack of trust and how Tsuki hauled her down roughly. This leaves a simple possibility, one that Kaelan wishes otherwise. But it is wholly possible that Rose took the heart before they crossed the portal. There is no sign that Rose actually survived, but Kaelan has to consider that during the time Rose was lost, that someone reactivated her command functions again and is controlling her just like Lilica was being controlled. Or worse, it's possible Rose is more than anyone supposed, planning herself. Either way, Kaelan nearly loses it in frustration. During this reveal, Jean seems to realize something and rushes through the mirror back to Jeanole, the others follow.
In Jeanole, they discover that Elder Jean is losing he powers, they're all going to the present Jean who is growing stronger and stonger, the Marks are also becoming clearer again during all of this. The conclusion is simple, people who absorbed large amounts of energy, or other such elevations are rising towards Godhood. Truth mentions the NAG Mage Selene, who took the Circuits of hundreds of Male Mages, and coupled with Deus, who absorbed the Demon Matrix, this seems to answer the question. With not much else to go on, the group decides to return to different kingdoms and manage affairs while the Empire investigates.
6.2.2863
In Mercy, Zegretta and Kaelan are reading over reports while Zegretta also trains, they have learned that the conquest of Blantress is long over and Blantress has been combined with Badelf to form a new kingdom called Saelesia. And the new nation is ruled by Saedi and another woman, at the same time there are talks that one of the two has become a goddess. The kingdom is a possible combination of Saedi and Celesia's names. The nobles have returned to Mercy and are back in order and the city is normal, save for the Demons openly exploring, this being their first week there after Kaelan and Zegretta agreed to open trade with Deus' and Jubei's Demon Realm. As the two talk about Tyranna being out with the fleet and Jubei's possible new rule, a servant steps in and informs them that the Empress has summoned them. They put down their work and training and head out, leaving Fi'anna in charge under the guidance of advisors and Lucky.
In Anora, Juliet is starting to show her pregnancy, Mimi standing as head of the Queen's Knights and co-leader herself, to help keep the kingdom united.. Moira is also there, Juliet having put many into new positions and roles in her court. As she dismisses the latest court meeting, Juliet asks Moira again if she really doesn't want to lead the Anora army. Moira restates being unsure. At this point, a man steps in to let them know about the Empress' summons, Juliet sends Mimi and Moira in her place.
In the Demon Realm, Jubei and Deus are returning from a tour of the realm. They discuss Jubei's popularity and her realization over the enormity of her new realm and position when a servant shows up. A serial killer who took the offer to become a slave in place of prison. Jubei gives her sass, but she announces the Empress' summons. Deus sends Jubei along.
In Gemet, Tsuki is STILL jiggling and partying to the wearing dismay of others. A servant steps into the court and announces the summons, espcially for the Gods. They agree to go, Ama going herself this time.
With the group gathered, in Jeanole, Elder Jean relays what they have learned. Gods are rising, Selene has been confirmed a goddess and taken control of the NAG faction under her wing, while Deus' status is also confirmed. It also seems Selene is leaving Jeanole, due to Elder Jean's request, and they have their own Kingdom, a slot of land given to them inside Saelsia, where Selene is gathering all remaining magik users. They have also learned of the Goddess in Saelsia and that there are 13 possible God slots to fill. Ama, Tsuki and Kagu make up a total of six, with Lenneth as the
seventh and the three god hearts may still bring new Gods to the table.
However, this isn't even the heaviest news. Elder Jean shows off how they have combined technology left in the Glittering, Di'neer's Sanctuary and the Empire itself to restore some systems and possibilities, the biggest being a view into space, where they have detected a fleet heading towards Tareh. They bear the title I.L.L.I.U.M. and their technology is similar to the PAX of old.
These seem to be the remnants of the Suisen Empire that fled beyond the Sol System when Earth was destroyed. The question is, is this a family reunion, or an invading fleet driven to madness like those that the Prime heroes encountered?
Session 446: Imperial Remnants
With no way the reach the ships, the group is resolved to wait and see what happens. They discuss possibilities, wild plans, but ultimately agree they're outmatched on this particular problem. As they decide to wait out the evening, the group seperates off to spend what could be their last night with their loved ones.
6.4.2863
The next morning, the group steps out to the palace steps as three ships enter the atmosphere. Two smaller ones heading for Gemet and the Demon Realm, the largest ship setting down in the desert outside the city. They teleport in Illium troopers all over the city and a company comes to meet those on the steps. The way they teleport in and shock troopers come down is th same way Elder Jean's story ended and she quickly got out with Umi. Scanning them, they ask who the leader is and the Elder Jean steps up. They are surprised when the three present gods don't speak up and take Elder Jean away, with Elder Umi and Jubei when she speaks up. The others are wary as the soldiers file in and begin to take stock of everything about them. Gemane makes it plain that the only thing they can really do is make themselves known before Tareh becomes an Illium Police State.
In Gemet, troopers begin to flood the city and Zuzu sends Mugi to warn those at the palace before stepping out with Zun to meet them. Mugi begins to give off her warning with just enough time to allow Kagu to leave and fly off while the palace itself is shrunken down and taken away.
Elder Jean, Umi and Jubei return to Jeanole seeming slightly off, and the others begin to push to do something. They eventually agree on at least checking on the devices and heading into the palace, Angel lets them into a secret room where they've moved the device. Knocking Jubei out when they realize the brainwashing definately happened, the group tries to discuss their options and Kagu warns Ama of what's happened at home. They use the device to peek in on the Gemet Palace which has been returned, but with a fake Hoko. During this, Rua uses her link with Jubei to clear her mind and she reveals that she went before a woman in kimono like clothing and all she saw was a flash before her mind went blank.
Before they can make any real plans, Elder Jean and Illium shock troopers finally find them. However, Ama speaks up an announces who she is, and when the others make themselves known as well, the Illium are left with a moment to hesitate. They move to bring the gods up to the ships, however, the others step up as their retainers and the group as a whole is teleported up to the main Illium ship.
Here, they are brought to the Illium Ship's equivalent of 1-B, where Akycha, a decendant of Erevis and Ama, sits waiting for them. After questioning them for a while, they learn that the Leader of the Illium Empire has been in stasis for a long time, to prolong her life until such a time as she completes her goals. Kagu and Jubei are sent off to meet up with Mizu and Deus respectively.
Jubei meets many of the other young godlings, including Bast. The others follow Akycha up to the Leader's room.
Here they find a massive stasis device connected into the ship with wires and cables. Who they find inside is Iko, aged and old, having spent many lifetimes worth of years attempting to come home to her mothers. And here, finally, she finds Erevis and Ama, and they are able to hold her one last time as she passes away from weariness and old age. She is able to, for the last moments in her life, imagine life with the last of her family once more, and she dies with a smile on her face. Unbeknwost to the rest, Lenneth takes the soul of Iko and readies it for a new life, as Ama's next child to be reborn.
Akycha, back in the other room, agrees to remove the soldiers while she considers what to do with their planet. The others having asked to let them live their lives in peace to their own devices. Akycha, now the Empress succeeding Iko, warns them that there are consequences to choosing life without being an Imperial Protectorate, however, giving them the day to think over it, sends them all back home through a command to the Illium ship's system, TELAKO.
Returned to the Empire, the group is able to take a breath as the Illiums restore their device and begin to file out. The ships remain, leaving the citizens nervous, but no further moves are made. People take the moment to relax, and spend once again, what might be the last day of Tareh together. Selene moves her NAG Mages out of Jeanole finally, Butler and Lia both choosing not to go, at least, right away. Fate and Wyrd finally begin to get married in the old Matias way, Rachael having finished their flower gowns, and Cersei and Rachael, along with Jean, attend the wedding ceremony, happily, since it might be their last day. Jean glad to attend a wedding finally.
In Gemet, the gods are joined by several of the new godlings from above, and a sort of wild family reunion occurs. Ama and Erevis discuss their next child, they will have this one together and give her a happy life. Mizu and Kagu, reunited again, spend it happy and alive, with Thara bawling at seeing her friend.
In the Demon Realm, Deus still reels in indignation at her treatment. Threatened by the superior force, she doesn't trust that they will leave Tareh in peace at all unlike the others, and send Jubei back to the others with Angel. She declares that if she sees them a threat, she will know, and she will act. And on top of all this, Asmodeus begins to make his presence known in Erevis body to Ama, saying she will either get him out, or he'll take over the body and she'll lose Erevis since his will is greater.
The group, awaiting judgement by the Illium, recieve an oppurtunity to spy in on the meeting of the Illium being held at the same time. They are given the choice as a group and the majority are against the sneakiness, so they decide not to use the chance. After which they divvy up, the group going to the meet up with the Illium leaving those who stay in the palace behind.
They approach the ship and the hangar opens, soldiers escorting them aboard where they meet up with Bast, who is playing with Puggy, who somehow beat the group there. They pass by the godlings and Puggy and take an elevator up to a council room where 13 races sit in meeting, some old and evolved, some new, all strange to the people of Tareh. Akycha, the clear leader over the council, speaks with them and delivers their offer. What simplifies to rule by the Illium, in exchange for help recovering their society to a spacefaring state once more. The troubles comes in the fact that the ruling kingdoms would ultimately be dismantled to become a part of the Empire, as several bring up and inquire over. When the offer is analyzed, they ask what will happen if they refuse.
Akycha informs them that they will be left alone, but that also means being left alone to a savage universe full of species that might come to invade. Ultimately, after talking it over, and not very charmed with how Akycha explains things, the group winds up agreeing to part ways with the Illium. They are escorted out after some attempts to retain friendship, which is solved in another way. Ama and Erevis, with Kagu, stay behind and explain that they intend to go with the Illium. Akycha is happy to hear this, and the invitation for any who want to go out and live in the stars if given out. Erevis is given a proper body, freeing a revived Asmodeus as well.
Back in Jeanole, once everything is explained, they rulers largely agree it was an offer they couldn't take if they wanted to. Without even mentioning that they couldn't speak on behalf of the other kingdoms, the choice ultimately would be up to the people as a whole and no one's easily willing to give up their old lives for something so new. Those that accepted would be seperate from those who did not, and civil war on Tareh would eventually occur, something no one was willing to think about after working so hard to achieve peace.
Everyone begins to get home, some choosing to pack up and head to the Illium ship. Aurica leaves with Brony, Rica and Sal, Parita, they join Tsuki, Thara, Ama, Kagu, Erevis, Leon, and a small legion of young boys once they reach Gemet. At this time, Maka, who also boarded, chooses againt going and disembarks with those who got on at Jeanole to say goodbye, sneak scans, or other things. After the ship takes off, Lyn begins to use the Inukami to make Mugi into a goddess. Send help.
6.6.2863
Elder Jean holds a meeting, appointments need to be made in this new Empire of the Angel, and after discussions, a number of positions are appointed. Moira is given the duty of General of the Templars, Truth and Wyrd offered the positions of Generals of the Angel Blades, Leruste becomes the leader of the Black Hands Unit and Rachael appointed Master Mage of a non-Guild order of Mages. Bel is given the position as Admiral of a new Airship fleet to be constructed and Asha made her first captain.
The united followers, minus those now seeing over their own kingdoms, raise glasses and toast to a new era.