Act 1: Choices
Phase 0: Transitions
Phase 1: Choices- Phase 1.1: Prophecy
- Phase 1.2: War
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
- Session 218: The Night Before Part IX: Christmas Evil
- Session 218.1: Reporters
- Session 219: New Year's Evil
- Session 219.1: Planet of the Weird
- Session 219.2: Princess Maker
- Session 220: Happy Times, Evil Times
- Session 221: Horizons of Evil
- Session 222: Falling Apart
- Session 223: Separate Journeys
- Session 224: Preparations
- Session 225: Declarations
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
(will come back to this)
The Night Before Part I: The Teeny Tiny Mischevious Kitty-Mas
Ako and Iko get prepared for the Christmas Party, going around the PAX making various purchaces and business deals. As they intersect with the lives of various people, making them brighter and gaining gifts to give out, they will face an ancient evil unlike any the PAX has ever seen.
The Night Before Part II: Love Hard
Leyaeh Cridhe has to face the fact she screwed up and lost Ao Zhenmei by cheating with Mem. As she spirals deeper into depression and alcohol, Ulieah Cridhe tries her best to set her on the path to finding her way out of the darkness before she becomes like Naone.
The Night Before Part III: Some Like It Hot
Miyuki, Kasha, and Isis spend the morning together, reconnecting and growing closer together through hot sex, overcoming the pain of the past few months and moving onward - toward orgasms.
The Night Before Part IV: A Goddess' Holiday
Ever since she destroyed hyperspace, Erevis Zhenmei has been dealing with the crushing weight of her decision. Has she done the right thing in throwing the galaxy into chaos by wanting to delay the Others, only to give rise to the Order? Her new lover, Ama, plans to show her how things could have turned out if she didn't go forth with the decisions of her life.
The Night Before Part V: A Very Hale-y Christmas
Hale wants to get laid; Cheryl has hidden the key to Emeralda's chasity belt. While trying to solve the clues and avoid his parents, Hale must outsmart his boss.
The Night Before Part VI: A Dragon's Christmas
Cheryl Mizukazi has been in a funk ever since Christmas has approached, not feeling in the mood. As she reflects in the past while chasing down Di'jinn and trying to prove he's the guilty Senator that was behind the incident at the political party, she has to face her own ghosts and troubles and how sometimes we make our own monsters.
The Night Before Part VII: Hearts And Family
Jennifer Carmichael explores a time of peace and happiness, so rarely found in her life anymore, and plans a little surprise for Lemon, reminding her that she's not alone when it comes to romance and love, she'll always have Jennifer there, somehow.
The Night Before Part VIII: A Furry Adventure
Summary to be done soon when written.
Session 218: The Night Before Part IX: Christmas Evil
The friends and family of both Cheryl's team and on the PAX gather together in Katrina's Bar to celebrate Christmas Eve, with a large party going on, complete with a sexy Santa contest, food, and Secret Santa gifts to be given out. As everyone settles in to have some R&R and family time together, complete with Cheryl doing an auction for various women to have a night with - in which Lemon is bought by Jennifer and Athena, and Angela by a Gitari named Mi'Na. While the fun and gift giving goes on, however, the lights go out and when they come back on, all the gifts are missing and so are Aurica and Lenneth. Tracking the two down using Megumi and Zephyr's bond link to Lenneth, they find them in a hidden corridor in 1B with all the gifts.
Assuming the two babies stole the gifts, their parents punish them only to learn that it was all a ploy as Lorelei is suddenly missing and the drone Lenneth was on, and uses to get around in due to being a baby who can't walk, is also gone. They quickly follow the drone to security where they see it floating over a Tsivirxsh teleporter, with a few others activated. Once the drone detects them it quickly flies for the Earth teleporter that is also on but is destroyed by the group, but not before the black box is taken. Vowing to look into whatever caused this, the team returns to the party, albeit with less cheer than before.
Also during this, Miyuki reveals to Isis that Hi'Saa wishes to mate with Miyuki and Kasha, having fallen for Miyuki. This greatly upsets Isis who runs off to the bathroom after rejecting such an idea and feeling Hi'Saa's crushed heart. Following her there with Hi'Saa's gift, Miyuki forces Isis to open it while talking about it, and eventually they go to see Hi'Saa about it, where Isis says that if Miyuki's happiness is all that matters to her and if being with Hi'Saa will make her happy, then Isis will accept it if they mate together, though she admits she is unlikely to want to be there when it happens, not willing to go that far. And Rose and Thomas finally make love together, having been dating for a while now.
Stardate: 10-592.12.25 - 12.30
Session 218.1: Reporters
Looking into the drone, the PAX security discovers that the drone, being in the bar a lot playing waitress with Lenneth in it, has been around a lot of people, including guest nanites of visitors, meaning it could be visitor that had time to hack it while the bar was busy. It seems unlikely, though possible, that a resident could have done it, but there's no proof, though the nanites of residents near the drone when it was likely reprogrammed is being traced at all times now. Though, as Cheryl stated when she learned, it could have been done by someone who never went near the drone and thus wouldn't be in the search grid.
During all this, Hi'Saa and Miyuki continue to get closer, with Kasha sometimes tagging along, sometimes just them. However, a reporter begins to report that Miyuki is cheating on the Princess of the Suisen Empire, referring to Isis being the daughter of Empress Erevis Zhenmei, and that she is doing so with a Gitari diplomat's daughter who is to their place one day. Encountering a reporter who takes their picture, he manages to get away back to Earth but is blacklisted by Erevis so he can never come back. Hi'Saa and Miyuki decide to take it slower, and the next time they encounter a female taking their picture a few days later, they track her down to an apartment building and destroy the film. Hi'Saa then conforts her and they learn the girl was going to have her debt cleared by the Order if she took their pictures, having a huge college debt; Hi'Saa takes her to her mother who states they will pay off her debt if she works for them for a year, which the woman agrees, having little choice.
Session 219: New Year's Evil
While everyone gathers again to celebrate the end of one year and the beginning of the next, as well as Zephyr and Aya's birthdays, strange things begin to happen, including lights flickering, and people begin to act strange. First Beverly, the daughter of the child abuser from many months ago, doesn't show up; then Zephyr, who was acting drunk and happy wanders out of her own party. The team finds her hanging from the rafters, but thankfully Dragoons do not need to breathe when they get her down. Miyuki begins to suspect something supernatural, so she and Kasha, along with Isis, begin to lead the two teams into investigating the matter. As one group heads to Fiore's resturant to find her, after she's been missing a while, and find her trying to cut herself; they manage to stop her while Robb, Del, and Ulieah lead another group to Bev's room, finding her drowned in the tub. They manage to bring her back with CPR.
Both teams then corner the spirit at a dead fish market area, where 8 months ago they find out the Order raped and killed a woman in her bedroom hidden in the area, leaving her there out of sight. The woman's soul grew angry and displeased until all the emotions on the night woke it up and it lashed out. While one group battles a possessed Curali, the other takes on the spirit and Miyuki and Kasha manage to dispel it.
Session 219.1: Planet of the Weird
10-593.1.1 - 1.12
Before the events of the Planet of the Weird, both groups continue to go through their own daily trials and tribulations. Growing closer, like Hi'Saa and Miyuki, working out issues, like Ao and Leyaeh - the former giving the latter a pink collar with gem stones to show that Ao is in control of the relationships, and more. Yasha begins to desire to try to find the original Erusian Homeworld, and with Shretrav's encouraging, asks Erevis for permission to begin working toward such a goal, and she is given it. Katrina and Mem continue to grow closer, with each of them getting into trouble every day, but not the bad kind. X and Del begin to grow closer as friends, having had brief conversations with each prior to this, but now spending time outside the base, like at the park, and at a parade where they see floats of Cheryl and Chii, comical style, much to Cheryl's irate who is drunk on eggnog.
Also, Lilien, one of Athena and Jennifer's kids from the dream reality, remembers something Zephyr told her 8 months ago and brings up to Elwyn that Zephyr had a message for her. Seeking out Zephyr, Elwyn learns about Zephyr's ability to enter the dreams to go into the drifting "fourth" reality that is currently in the Alternate Universe, and she reveals in a sense Elwyn's Billy survived by merging with Alt Billy. Elwyn, conflicted at hearing her lover is alive, feels unsure what to feel with the news, considering she thought her to be dead and wondering why if she survived Billy didn't keep her with her. Zephyr tells her the message the Billy gave her: she misses her and loves her dearly, thinking of her every day, and that she was going to ensure that Freyja and Iceheart boinked somehow to make an Elwyn in that reality, and that she would look over her and love her. Conflicted on what to feel about Billy with another Elwyn, Zephyr points out Elwyn is with another Billy, and offers, when she makes the trip to the dream reality, trying to bring Elwyn along. She mentions how last time she used information given to her by Cheryl 8 months ago to delay the Alpha Protocol killing the Alphas at 16, but had been waiting on Cheryl to fully break down the code to go back to fully stop it. Elwyn agrees to travel with her when the time comes.
1.15
Erevis, using starmaps they took when they raided the shipyards near the Guardian Planet, arrives at a planet that has the rare crystals needed to keep the PAX running. Since these crystals are the only thing that can channel the streams of hyperspace that run the ship, they are vital to it's operations and with only 2 spares, if they were to get into a battle with the Others, things could end diasterously. However, scans show a group of humanoid pre-medieval people living there where they need to mine, which leads to Thomas Aduxley saying they cannot mine there, depressing the Empress. However, after talking to Jennifer and Megumi about it, they decide they should go down and try to trade for it. While preparing to go, Miyuki tells Isis that she has discovered the location of Mir and they can finally move against her when the time is right.
A group of people consisting of Ao, Leyaeh, Thomas, Miyuki, Kasha, Isis, Rin, Jennifer, and Justice go down to the planet and Isis is disturbed after they begin to leave to find her datapad having errors due to something in the atmosphere that didn't show up on scans. Also, they discovr Ako and Iko snuck along, so the group travels until they encounter a terrible looking lizard creature the size of a dog; however it turns out to be friendly and Ako and Iko begin to ride it. Then a cute cuddlely bear like creature comes out - and viciously attacks. As they run from them, and their poisonious spikes, the team loses soon arrives at various fruits that look like something out of a fairly tale; eating them makes Justice/Truth super hyperactive as she runs around; then arriving at a river that looks syrupy, and appears to be LSD based after Justice drinks some despite Miyuki and Thomas' warnings not to.
The group then manages to get around the river and begin to approach the village of people.
Session 219.2: Princess Maker
Miyuki manages to guilt trip Cheryl into going shopping with her and others, so Miyuki, Cheryl, Kumiko, Eluere, and Lorelei go shopping. On the way back, they begin to notice lights flickering, which is unusual since Mega City was newly rebuilt just two years ago. When the smell of burnt plastic begins to fill the air, Cheryl grows suspicious and begins to send orders to the base to have them scan reports for anything unusual. But when they suddenly encounter a young man in a school uniform traveling on the power cables, and the Nue twins recognizing the uniform, all hell breaks loose. While Del messages Cheryl about a six year old girl having been taken 10 hours ago, and seeing the man is holding a bag with red hair, they realize they have stumbled upon the kidnapper by chance. Doing battle with him and finding the boy's body to be practically boneless the way he moves, and trying to chase him on various motorcycles, that Del rides in, and shuttles, they still manage to lose him, but at least manage two things. One is they rescue the girl and Kumiko's healing manages to bring back her cut out eyes, which horrorfies and angers Cheryl. The other is they learn this a boy that Miyuki and Kasha killed when they were in high school 300+ years ago; Cheryl learns the tale of the psychopath and how obsession with Kasha and how Miyuki, in trying to stop his obsession, is trapped by him with runes and almost raped before Kasha kills him and dumps in the river. Cheryl vows to destroy the son of a bitch and crush him, and when she hears Miyuki and Kasha feeling like monsters for what they did, tells them she would have, and plans to, do much worse to him.
Session 220: Happy Times, Evil Times
Despite it being Isis Zhenmei's birthday, Cheryl's team is gathered in her briefing room, along with Isis who has come to help Miyuki and Kasha face this demon from their past. Cheryl goes over what they know about destroying the creature, a bullet to the head and fire, and the fact his body was no longer in the river, just the bag he was dumped in. They go over the number of known girls that was taken by the guy and his MO, taking girls between 6 and 10, who fit certain parimeters of his sick obsession with taking parts from. His codename is the Princess Maker. Using the data they have about how he draws power and uses electricity, the teams split in two to handle possible locations. Telling Hale that he is in command of the group staying in Mega City, and that Peter will be with him to supervise and take over if Hale's commands are stupid, Cheryl assigns Miyuki, Kasha, Isis, and Tabetha to Hale, while she goes to Japan with Del, Josephine, Angelos, Eluere, and Curali. Also, during all this, Lorelei runs off after listening in and goes up to the PAX, claiming to be attending Iko's birthday, but in reality teleports down to Erevis' home in Tokyo, which is under Cheryl's name. Fearful of the Princess Maker targetting it to get revenge on Cheryl for interrupting the last kidnapping, Angela and Kumiko go to keep an eye on the kids.
In Japan, after searching a few places, they discover the Princess Maker's lair. After solving his passwords and getting inside the building with a few girls, some dead, some in critical, they discover that each area has it's own theme and the girl matches it. While Angelos teleports the children out to the shuttle, Cheryl has Kumiko have Vodka teleport to the house via the PAX and then ripple both of them to the shuttle to heal the kids who are in critical. While Angela sees Kumiko off, something takes Lorelei, who made herself look 6 to be in the target range, and put a fake Lorelei behind to fool Angela. While the kids are being healed, Del and Josephine discover the area where all of the tools are used to do surgery, as well as documents. Taking the documents, they accidently trigger a self-destruct and the group hurries out to the shuttle, with Curali flying them away; scanning the kids, Cheryl finds black boxes on them and tosses them off before the countdown hits 0 and destroys the area the evidence was at. Going through the documents, they see bank statements where the man was getting huge payments regularly and Eluere, tracing the accounts, finds they go to dummy corporations. Based on the fact that Aurica and Lorelei's pictures were found in the lair, despite the fact they have kept Aurica out of the public except on the PAX (where they assume the picture was taken), they fear that either Steel or Angelus was paying the Princess Maker for his experiments on the children and to take Aurica and Lorelei.
Back in Mega City, the others are attacked by cables from the ground while President Darien casually watches the city from his office, deadpanning at the sight of the latest madness. Fighting the cables, the team struggles to find the source, with Hale issues orders and traveling underground and Isis above ground, using Zephyr and Megumi who came out to help to search the area; Isis discovers the power drain is coming from the Executive Building, so Hale arrives there underground to deal with the generator while Peter calls the power company and has them shut down the power. Afterwards, they do battle with the Princess Maker, but find that he has Lorelei, demanding a trade of Kasha and Miyuki for her. As everyone lines up their shots, Miyuki steps forward to do it, only to get punched by the man with a strange move that takes away her kitsune features. Tabetha catches Lorelei as she's dropped and Zephyr and Peter blast away the Princess Maker, while Chii, who arrived after Lorelei was taken, uses her powers to destroy the remains.
Rushing Miyuki home, they have Jennifer and Ferah, the doctor who made Curali and Eluere, examine Miyuki. Deciding her powers are only temporarily blocked, everything seems okay, despite the fact Cheryl is in a dark mood and Angelos leaves the mansion, preparing to set up a new base for Hermes, with Elder going with him with their daughter Revi. He vows if it is Angelus behind this, he will destroy him. Angela, who tries to comfort Cheryl in her dark mood, is called to the Executive Building by Darien, who tricks her into signing documents to become the Vice President, which he says will be announced shortly - much to Cheryl's anger at him, though Curali and Eluere decide they can see some logic in appointing her, taking the wrong logic points such as "loyal dog" and "easy target". Mi'Na, who is allowed onto the base later that night by Eluere, is surprised to learn of Angela's status - and by the fact Eluere is trying to hook them up, having been reading romance novels again.
1.19
Mem and Katrina hook up with Mah'huun and Fey, two Gitari, after Mem tries to trick Katrina into a threesome with the male Mah'huun. Mem finds herself drawn to the two, becoming closer and opening up about her past in ways she hasn't with anyone but Katrina, telling them about her darker side. The two seem to accept it and enjoy having the casual and wild sex, bringing a sense of contentment to the married Mem. She begins to find herself hanging out with them even when Katrina is too busy for the foursomes.
Also, Cheryl begins to put into motion plans to begin to take power from the enemies that are out to get them, especially after news of her daughter being kidnapped by a serial killer breaks in papers, with an image of Lorelei being held, though she can't be made out. And Lorelei, meanwhile, begins to ask each person on the base to train her, despite only being a few months past one year of age. She begins with Del for guns, then begins to move onto others, including Elwyn who already teaches her how to use her kitsune abilities. And Ako and Iko bring up a race of fish people called the Aqua to Thomas, suggesting they be brought to the PAX due to the fact records from CHIP state they are all alone out there and would be easy prey for the Others. Have the set in motion something bad, due to the Famfrit love of fishies?
Session 221: Horizons of Evil
About to head out on an operation to check out a possible lead as to Steel's hidden facilities, the Military Team's plans are interrupted with the news that the President and several senators have been taken hostage by the Order. The terrorist group is demanding that EarthGov share it's prototype Light Engine technology or they will kill Darien as well as the other Senators. At the same time, Darien's mansion sends out an alert that it's under attack, the very place holding the prototype Light Engine.
The teams split into two, Cheryl going along with Peter, Hale and Kumiko to the mansion, the rest of the team moving in to rescue the politicals. Josephine taking command of the rescue mission, the group lands and enters a tunnel where the terrorists were last scene. Rescuing some hostages from a rigged van, the group then faces some snipers and must then rush into the inner workings of the tunnel's maintenance areas, due to alerting the terrorists. Thier quick actions save most of the senators, but some are shot in the process.
Darien is found fighting a terrorist, and saved at the last moment by Eluere. Extracting the survivors, the team heads over to join Cheryl.
At the same time, a meeting on the PAX is held to discuss a mounting problem. A number of Other ships have been spotted, munipulating Black Holes, the theory is they are building gates to expedite the fleet. Due to the location being so near where Yasha wants to look into her people, Ao and Leyaeh mount an expedition force to head out to check on the Black Hole ships. As they get ready to go, a call comes in from the Military unit requesting backup, Thomas, Robb, Jennifer, Fi, Mem, Typhoon, Em, and Zephyr head down to Earth to join them.
They arrive and move in on the base, where Angelos and Kumiko show up to help. Kumiko helps Em get past the security and as she gets in and disables it, they find that there is no army storming the mansion, but a single Other. The Other tries to flee with the Light Engine but the group manages to destroy it and causes the Other to flee.
Back out in space, Ao's group is unable to get close to the Other ships, however, a Legionite which has become a blob of corruption comes out from the shattered Famfrit world nearby, and is taken aboard an Other ship. What this means, only time will tell.
Session 222: Falling Apart
Some time has passed since Thomas' betrayal. The team sits in shock over the dead body of Anne. Jean attempted to take in her soul, but her success is uncertain. As people begin to recover from shock, Jean allows Zeal and Thomas to leave in peace. After they exit, the group heads through the PAX, passing damaged sections to the Iron Paw. Finding it, they board and explore the ship.
Here they meet the ship's AI, Ulieah 4.0, she shows the crew how to operate the ship after adjusting to them and assigning them as her crew. A day later, the group launches out into the sky. Below, they see the Elven Forest in flames, no life signs in the village. Templars swarming, in a moment of cold fury, Jean orders them annihilated. The group appears hesitant to slaughter in return, however, Aschae happily hits the shiney red button that wipes out the legion of Templars. The group flies off, moving to meet the Hope.
Here, they find the Hope under attack from a group of pirates. Tension mounts between Sia and Aschae when Aschae carelessly shoots the pirate ship down with Ulieah's cannons, with some of their own people on that ship. Luckily, no one is killed, and after everyone is gathered, the group gets the Hope on Ulieah and plans out their next move. Ruun takes a group: Nephilim, Seth and Leruste, to try and find Parita, or at least the mysterious Gypsy she believes to be Parita. Moira leads a group to find Revi, taking with her Crim, Kohna, Haru, and Lucky. The rest either agree to go back to the Hope, which will transport the groups, or with Jean to Islen to begin plans to take back the Holy Rune.
Session 223: Separate Journeys
At the Island Nations Capitol, Jean, along with Sia, Aschae, Wyrd, Truth, Rachael, Yewn, Wynne and Moira 1 disguise themselves as Gypsies and establish themselves as a group of performers. Preparing to get into the temple presents many issues, so they decide to wait for the next big festival before making any moves, work for a living and take time to prepare a grand Temple Heist.
In the meanwhile, Sia takes training from Aschae, Aschae and Bel take a trip out to Nuege to speak with Queens Mercy and Kaelan, and to ask Lenneth about the secret entrances into the temple.
Heading into Matias, two groups make their way out from the Port City as it comes under the attacks of the Empire. Moira 2 seeks out Revi with the assistance of Crim, Lucky and Gemane, Kohna having gone off to chase a False Angel. They are joined by McTreggor as they ready to cross the Matias Forests with a guide.
Ruun's group however gets sidetracked when, thanks to Ty, they rescue a large group of survivors from the town. Taking them on, they begin to head towards the elven woods, both to follow a lead on the Gypsy and to provide the people with them a safe haven in the event that the Empire makes it even deeper into the continent.
Session 224: Preparations
In Islen, the first of two major festivals has started. Sia, who has been trained by Aschae in the ways of being a priestess, is used for her first covert mission into the Temple while the others attempt to locate a secret entrance. Truth spots their goal and the group distracts a guard and slips in, finding a broken grating and a tunnel leading straight in. At the same time, Sia winds up impressing the priestess on duty so much she's made an Acolyte, and taken into the temple's training areas.
When the group gathers again to discuss what they found, they learn the distressing news about Sia, who is effectively captured, being unable to return to them. However, as she is in a position of influence, the group opts to leave her where she is, keeping in contact with her. As she can be a very useful spy and a very useful scout for when the group plans their attack. Over the time they spend planning now, they also have to convince Charles she's safe and will be fine, the man waits for his pregnant fiance with worry.
Ruun's group gives chase into the Elven Forest, and just when things seem their bleakest, navigating a drought plagued forest filled with strange vines, the group finds the Elven Village from which Rachael came. Here they learn that the others have gone into hiding and are being hunted. Resting the people and feeding them, they press on and find the Elves, whom they aid in the defense of, things going wild when a third faction appears to show up to cause problems. As the Elves retreat further into the woods, with their new refugee companions, the group learns that their Parita, or possibly not Parita, has gone to Manus Dei's lair.
Opting to follow her, Nephilim, Ruun and Leruste head back the way they came, leaving Seth and Ty who decide to stay and help the Elves fight off the remaining Templar forces.
Moira's group has taken another route and as they head through the woods with McTreggor, they discover a Super S Class monster spider who is the source of the vines pressing in on both groups. As they near the edge of the forest, they are set upon by the monster and together, the team takes down a legion of smaller spiders and slays the Super S Class monster, taking it's loot and the glory, and securing a much easier passage.
As the group back in Islen makes preparations to further the inciting and intelligence gathering they've been working on, Pheon appears to them and warns them that Manus Dei is about to use a weapon to destroy half of Matias in a single blow, killing everyone there. Jean heads out to Ulieah, Truth deciding to stay to keep Sia in contact. As they board and fly off, Aschae pushes to have her mark increased again to the 7th level, and Bel and Rachael step in with her to face the challenge of Lorelei.
Coming out in one piece, and Aschae now able to keep in contact with Sia, they choose to bring Truth to them, Aschae using a favor with Pheon to send Truth straight to them after they land the Iron Paw.
Session 225: Declarations
Entering into the depths of Manus Dei's lair, Jean, Aschae, Truth, Belit and Narok come face to face with the situation left to us what seems so long ago. Rica falls to the ground, slowly being erased by Manus Dei's power. Jean informs Manus Dei that she knows nothing of free will. Manus Dei then begins to question Jean's actions, how she must enjoy bringing about people's downfalls by letting them die for her. How they will all meet their ends due to wanting to help her, just like a woman named Athena did so many years ago.
The group begins to break up the little monlogue, realizing, like Jean does, that Manus Dei is only stalling them to have the device powered up. The group attempts to get at Dei but a magical barrier seems to be blocking them. Try as they might, they cannot get through, Dei even demonstrates an ability to lock down the forms of the Demon Blades as they attempt to attack her. Just when everything seems lost, Manus Dei turns her head to see...
The other groups gather above, tending to the wounded, they realize Jean is in trouble, most of them heading down into the depths of Manus Dei's lair. They emerge onto the chaotic scene and begin to rush Dei. Close to overwhelmed, Dei shatters the ground and creates a rift to seperate the others and the device. Nephilim and Bel manage to reach the other side and pull Thomas and Aurica off it it, but too late, the machine goes off, a blinding light fills everyones vision.
And stays as they find themselves in an empty place, the feelings of the Mark vanish and they all seem to be dead. Dei informs them that this was the trap all alone, no explosion, a soul severing device made to seperate them so Dei could do as she pleased. The group rallies, and Gemane says she can bring someone back to stop Dei if she can consume a soul. Crim volunteers, and just as he begins to say his goodbyes, Gemane reaches into his chest, and channels her own power into him, not sacrificing him, but herself.
He awakens, and rising, finds Dei is unconcious as well. Figuring she must have severed herself or something, he rushes to the machine and with Cersei's help, reaches the other side and pulls a lever, bringing everyone back. It's then he realizes Dei's body was there, but not Jean's. Jean awakens in Dei's body and Dei greets her new servants, in the body of the Angel. The group panicks a moment, then Truth reminds them that the bond works in two ways. They fight to prevent her from using Disadvantages agains them and rush out of the lair before it collapses.
Up above, the group enters a soulspace to attempt to overcome Dei. Here they meet Dei's guardian and learn that Dei, like Lenneth, was once a good person who was altered by Gartareh. Navigating her memories, they find the point where she turned after being made to kill her own parents. Aschae talks her down as Dei's inner self appears and fights the group. The group holds her off as Aschae continues to try to get her to turn back. She says something convincing, and the group awakens, Jean back in her own body. Dei gone in a flash of light.