(OOC: I want Eudial to learn how to summon a being!
Please. D: )
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(OOC: I want Eudial to learn how to summon a being!
Please. D: )
EUDIAL
After deciding to learn how to summon a being, Eudial heads down to the library to peruse the magic sections. After rummaging around a bit, she locates a spell in an arcane language she gets the gist of but not the specifics, and tries it out...
and discovers the ability to use a Patronus!
Eudial's patronus takes the form of a "Kirin" - the Chinese equivelant to the unicorn, although is a bit more dragonish than the Unicorn itself. It resembles a Unicorn with light scaling and hair that moves like fire. The Patronus is a potent spirit creature, capable of busting through simpler magics are repelling creatures powered by black magic such as the undead as well as fighting more conventional foes side by side. It only lasts as long as Eudial can maintain sufficient concentration.
The penultimate ship spiralled downwards towards the ground, clearly no longer in one piece, and Twitch paused for a moment, surveying the scene that had just played out. With the help of the Old Worlds Society, and his invisibility spell, he had taken on an entire fleet of ships and creatures......yet they had ended up, and the parrot had almost no idea how......winning.
"Yeah!" he exclaimed, performing a celebratory loop-de-loop, "I can't believe that worked, you guys were awesome!" The macaw spun around to where he expected the Old Worlds Society to be, hoping they were there rather than several yards to his right or some direction like that. "Hey, maybe we can get into the castle now..." he suggested, before flying his way up to the shield, circling the structure to try and find some way in. It looked pretty solid, though, the shield had held up to all that attacking, so Twitch doubted he'd be able to simply fly through it. He came to a stop near a window, however, when he spotted Eudial in what appeared to be the library. He didn't know what she was doing, but at least there was someone he could get in contact with.
"Hey, Eudial! Eudial! Over here!" he called, while performing flips, twists, loops and the like outside the window to attract her attention. "Eudial! It's me, Twitch! Get George to open up the-" he began, before abruptly stopping his acrobatics. "...oh, right, I'm invisible." he said to himself, hoping that the rest of the Society had managed to follow him. "Eudial, I've got the Old World's Society out here as well," he explained to the redhead. Twitch did wonder why it always seemed to be the red witch he ended up running into. "Could you get George to open up the shield so we can get in?"
Well here was a fine ironic twist Gaunt could appreciate. Fight the group of people he came in for whatever this mysterious rift was about. Admittedly he hadn't gotten to know many of them well and as a rule he usually didn't give a damn about other people anyway. However he also didn't think anything positive (for him at least) could come of this Vengeance-clone succeeding. Most annoyingly, death seemed to be waiting for him on either end. Either "fail" his job here or attack the others and probably face a slow-roasting death from that Eudial woman.Quote:
Originally Posted by alex_holt
Gaunt also decided he didn't much care for the attitude of this creature talking to him.
"I see," Gaunt said, his eyes narrowing. "Well if my duties are currently limited to standing around this room then no doubt I could perform them admirably. Somehow I doubt that's what going to happen though so maybe we could just cut to the chase. It seems as if all hell has broken loose already."
TWITCH and GEORGE
George opens up a doorway in the shielding that allows Twitch to access the inside of the castle again, rejoining the team. The three surviving members of the Old World Society have however, already made their ways inside, and are gathering themselves around the Courtyard containing the Timesplitting Oak.
The Botanist is not really interested in the proceedings, but is examining the tree very closely. Twitch notes that the little portals have now closed, and the centrel trunk of the tree is decidedly thicker than before, and there is a quality of ripeness to it that wasnt there even a few hours ago.
LELAND GAUNT
"The interference of the Old Worlds Society has delayed plans somewhat, but it is inevitable that the criminals will counter attack at some point. I'm locating other high class warriors, and for some arbitrary reason, WE WILL RECRUIT ONE EXTRA WARRIOR PER DAY THAT WE HAVE. I'm told it's something to do with paperwork."
As stated, the paperwork has come through for one extra warrior, who is teleported in aboard Lord Vengeance's ship. Usefully, a big flat screen showing a quick bio of him appears next to him:
Dave "Xenothraxus" Poots
Once one of the most feared names in Melded, the living skeleton Xenothraxus struck terror into the citizens using his horrific bone-omancy, used to assemble monsters out of bones, and drain the lift of any he touches. That was until people found out his name was Dave Poots and before he had taken up villainy, he had been a plasterer from Bromley. It's hard to remain threatening when everyone refers to you as Dave Poots, although in a fight he is still dangerous.
Aurelia to Meander:"Meander, as a good detective I feel like I should keep my clients well informed. The good news is that I think I have located your books. The bad news is that they are in the possession of the man currently trying to kill us with hordes and hordes of minions."
Aurelia looks at her equipment. The sword given to her by Caspasian after she saved his life, and the other weaponry connected to him and his fellow members of the Trans-Solar Host.
"George... Anjushree... you are knowledgeable individuals, can you help me get in touch with Caspasian?"
AURELIA
Anjushree eyes the sunsword closely and listens to Aurelia's explaination closely before answering.
"You have made powerful allies there, the Trans-Solar host could certainly make a difference here... I suspect the best way to catch their attention is to fly to the top of the tallest tower in this Castle, point the sword up towards the Sun, and request their aid/state our need in the most melodramatic way you can manage. The more dramatic the better, they'll probably send more warriors the more awesome you make it, although remember not to ramble either - a couple of sentences at most."
With a certain amount of haste, and the customary one or two wrong turns - this time stumbling across a room containing a precisely arranged hat stand, desk, chair, lamp, notebook and cup of tea - Twitch made his way back to the courtyard, appearing alongside the Timesplitting Oak once again. Or he would have done, had he not been under the influence of his invisibility spell.
Taking a moment to examine the tree, Twitch noticed there were no longer the scurrying beetles that had plagued Sally Streater surrounding it. Presumably, he thought, that meant it had gathered up enough of whatever it had been gathering up. He would find out whether that was good or bad later, the parrot imagined, as would the rest of them. Right now, though, there was still the matter of whatever was attacking the castle to be dealt with.
"Okay, I'm back now, I brought the Old Worlds Society, and we're all invisible," he informed the group, hoping that last point wouldn't cause too much confusion, "Anyone want to tell me what the fighting's all about?"
Aurelia flies towards the highest tower of the castle, as Anjushree suggested, and strikes a dramatic pose, her sword held upright.Quote:
Originally Posted by Anjushree
"O TRANS-SOLAR HOST, TRANS-SOLAR HOST, WHERE ART THOU TRANS-SOLAR HOST? LEND ME THY EARS, O WARRIORS OF THE SUN, WHO RIDE FORTH INTO SPACE FROM ITS WARM EMBRACE TO BEAT BACK THE DARKNESS IN THE UNIVERSE, THOU ART LIGHT INCARNATE, RIDING ONWARDS AGAINST THE SHADOWS!
IT IS I, AURELIA, HEAVENLY COMMANDER, ALLY OF THE GRAND CASPASIAN, MEMBER OF THE TRILLIONTH TRANS-SOLAR HOST, HUMBLY HELD UPRIGHT IN MY HAND IS THE TOKEN OF OUR FRIENDSHIP, THE HOLY SWORD WITH IN ITS FABRIC THE ESSENCE OF THE SUN ITSELF, GRANTED BY COMRADE CASPASIAN OF THY RANKS WHOM I SAVED FROM THE JAWS OF DARKNESS SCANT MOMENTS BEFORE.
THIS WORLD IS IN GRAVE PERIL, AND MY FRIENDS AND I, ASSEMBLED BY NAUGHT BUT FATE, HAVE TAKEN UPON OURSELVES THE MAGNIFICENT TASK OF STANDING BETWEEN THIS FINE WORLD AND THE VILLAINY THAT DOST DESIRE TO CAUSE THE PREMATURE DEMISE OF THIS WORLD AND OTHER MAGNIFICENT WORLDS ALIKE.
BEHOLD THE BRAVE WARRIORS IN THE CASTLE BELOW, THEY EFFORTLESSLY THROW THEIR LIVES ON THE LINE FOR A WORLD THAT IS NOT THEIRS, DEEP IN THEIR HEARTS THEY WANT BUT TO RETURN TO WHENCE THEY CAME, YET LO AND BEHOLD, AGAINST OVERWHELMING ODDS THEY FIGHT, THEIR SPIRITS ART WILLING, YET THEIR FLESH IS WEAK, IF NOT FOR A DIVINE INTERVENTION, IN SCANT MOMENTS THEY SHALL BE NO MORE, THEY SHALL CEASE TO BE, EXPIRE AND GO TO MEET THEIR MAKER, BE STIFF, BEREFT OF LIFE, REST IN PEACE, PUSHING UP DAISIES, THEIR METABOLIC PROCESSES SHALL BE HISTORY, THEY SHALL HOP THE PROVERBIAL TWIG, KICK THE BUCKET, SHUFFLE OFF THEIR MORTAL COILS, RUN DOWN THE CURTAIN AND JOIN THE CHOIR INVISIBLE, THEY SHALL BE EX-BEINGS!
TO BE, OR NOT TO BE ASSISTING US, THAT IS THE QUESTION, WHETHER 'TIS NOBLER IN THE MIND TO SUFFER THE SLINGS AND ARROWS OF OUTRAGEOUS FORTUNE, OR TO TAKE ARMS AGAINST A SEA OF TROUBLES, AND BY OPPOSING END THEM? THOU MAY THINK THIS IS NOT THY FIGHT, THAT ASKING THEE TO THROW THY LIVES ON THE LINE NEXT TO OURS IS FOUL, YET SOMETIMES, FAIR IS FOUL AND FOUL IS FAIR.
O TRANS-SOLAR HOST, OOH, THOU ART SO BIG, SO ABSOLUTELY HUGE, GOSH, WE ART REALLY IMPRESSED DOWN HERE, I CAN TELL THEE, FORGIVE US, O TRANS-SOLAR HOST, FOR THIS, OUR DREADFUL TOADYING AND BAREFACED FLATTERY, BUT THOU ART SO STRONG AND, WELL, JUST SO SUPER FANTASTIC, US HUMBLE RIFT TOUCHED ORGANISMS KNEEL BEFORE THEE."
Marisa scooted back over to the tree, to see the tree had changed again. "Heeeey, where did the magical bugs go?" she questioned, examining it like she knew what she was doing while she waited for the others to come back so a plan can be had.
As another day has passed the next villain has been summoned: Jorges Remillard - In recent centuries, the Platypirates had been diminishing - their ways of Montreme piracy becoming more common to hire for childrens parties than to rob someone on the high seas. That, was, until Jorges Remillard was gew up and became a leader among his people - bringing pride back to the Platypirates, he got a whole new generation of young Platypirates interested in their folklore. He is a merciless rogue, master of the cutlass and his own poison spurs.
AURELIA
There is a moment of awkward silence after Aurelia finishes her impationed speech, but then there is a strange glint in the sun... and suddenly shafts of light pepper the upper deck of the Castle, and where each hits, an armoured figure of pure light forms. After a few minutes, 82 radiant members of the Trans-solar Host have materialised before the group.
"We have heard your plea and answered Angel. Your Cause is just, and we will be honoured to fight this threat at your side! Do you have a strategy devised for combating this menace"
MARISA
Although not asked directly to him, the Botanist answers "They weren't needed anymore, they got what the tree needed. He picked a good spot for this tree he did, it's perfect and managed to bring in things from lots of dimensions. When he is reborn, it should be very impressive indeed!"
Another day passed, and the CRB check for Gaston lets him through: When he was a lad he ate four dozen eggs every morning to help him get large, And now that he's grown he eats five dozen eggs so he's roughly the size of a barge. No one's slick as Gaston. No one's quick as Gaston. No one's neck's as incredibly thick as Gaston. For there's no man in Melded half as manly - you can ask any Tom, Dick or Stanley and they'll tell you whose team they prefer to be on.
ESTIMATES ARE THAT UNLESS YOU STRIKE SOON VENGEANCE WILL BURST THROUGH THE FORCEFIELDS TOMORROW
"Isn't Doomface coming out of that thing?" the invisible macaw asked the equally invisible Botanist. "And why are we all fighting?!" he asked the rest of the group without bothering to wait for a response from the Botanist. "And nobody's got the rift here! When Doomface...hatches, or whatever, his memory's going to be wiped, and he's not going to have the rift!" Twitch noticed the rest of the group looking slightly confused at his last remark, so he let out a slight sigh, and began to explain...
"Okay, do you remember when I blew the shell at the beetles? Sally, Eudial, Marisa, you were all there, and I blacked out? I ended up...somewhere, I don't know where, but this Leviathan thing started talking to me, and all I could see was a massive blue eye thing. He told me a bunch of stuff, but I had to do things to get him to, that's why I went flying off earlier. He said that Doomface had tried to cheat death or something, the tree was how he'd done that, and the beetles were going off through a bunch of dimensions and gathering the best bits of all the Doomfaces in all the other dimensions to put together into this one."
"Sally," Twitch continued, "the Leviathan thing told me, ended up with Doomface's powers jumping into her somehow, and the rest of the rift things...which involved the Marranach or something...just wanted to be powerful. We got rid of Sally's rift with whatever Eudial did, but the rest we've gotta kill. Or lock them outside the multiverse, I dunno how to do that."
The invisible parrot paused for a moment, as he tried to recall the rest of what Leviathan had told him. "When Doomface died," Twitch resumed, a little less rambling, "he did something that let him drag Vengeance back here, the rest of us somehow got caught up in that, we all went through rift walls and ended up rift touched...and Leviathan said 'Watch out for the traitor in your team'..."
Twitch hoped the rest of the group would be able to understand what Leviathan had told him more than he would. "By the way, where did you get all the new weapons and stuff?" he added.
"Caspasian! Good to see you and your 81 radiant friends. I wish our reacquaintance occurred under happier circumstances, but there is a job to be done. Let me introduce you to the friends I have made since last we met, The Spanish Inquisition, as well as whoever else is currently in the castle that you haven't met yet..."
*Aurelia informs the 82 members of the Trans-Solar Host of everything she knows, which is presumably more than I, Martijn Maurice Benschop, managed to remember*
"I wonder, Caspasian, in your light form, can you infiltrate Vengancier's vessel through its windows?"
"Maaaan, if we don't fight he'll probably kill us just on principle. He *IS* a bad guy after all, ze." Marisa answered Twitch anyway, "And I have better things to do then get zapped by his evil riftness or whatever."
After listening to the rest of the bird's speech, Marisa widened her eyes, "Oh, guess that explains all the diffrent people in the holes in the tree, there was a bunch of powerful people and then.... some young guy with a glowbox. My head got all weird for a second after seeing that guy, so I had to stop looking. Wish I peeked into the tree a little more now, to see where else the bugs were coming from... (I mean, how cool would it be to see somebody from her own world in there? At least then she'd know who'd be a bad idea to shoot at! Or at least, more of a bad idea then usual.) Oh! and there was a room with weapons and stuff in it. We were kinda in a hurry and just grabbed whatever. Ask George about it."
Marisa turned to the Botanist, "When we get back from blasting the jerk over there, can you teach me more about that tree? I'm curious now. I know about mushrooms, not trees."
AURELIA
Caspasian and the other members of the Trans-Solar Host nod sagely as they are told all the plot details:
"Accessing the ship is no challenge to us, but the upcoming battle will truely test all of our skills"
TWITCH
George points him in the direction of the weapons room and repeats the instructions - limited access time and the ability to pick any weapon and a side weapons or defensive item.
(OOC: one phrase searches please, it'll be a lucky dip within that phrase eg. "big red laser gun" or "ice beam pistol" - I'll try to find something good within that description)
MARISA
The Botanist lights up at this suggestion, clearly he would relish the opportunity to talk abotu plants, and there is a good chance that Marisa will get more than she bargained for.
"This tree is very near to completing its cycle though, you should probably get as close a look as you can now - the energy that will be thrown around here when you start your battle will probably be enough for it to hatch! Very exciting, even I have only seen this a once before!"
Twitch managed to locate the weapons room without making any wrong turns at all, which was definitely worth pointing out.
Okay, he was planning to use his bladed wings to do close-quarters attacking, so ideally he'd want something that he could use easily at a distance. Plus some sort of energy shield for defense and protection. Technically, he only really had that helmet of his at the moment. He also needed to remember when choosing his equipment that he had no hands, that was becoming a real problem...
Gaunt stared at the Vengeance-clone. He thought about pulling out The Golden Gun and firing at him. Subsequently he also thought about a smoking crater appearing where he was now standing and hastily dismissed the idea.. He was convinced that no good would come out of this clone succeeding but he also had no interest in sacrificing himself for anyone. Let some other sap do that if they wished. Of course with more and more hired goons appearing around here, some kind of decisive strike by either side seemed agonizingly imminent. He'd rather not be mistaken for one of this lot if his original group came calling. He decided to make one last attempt to get some real information and approached the crab-creature again.
"It looks like you're doing a good enough job finding recruits so I assume something must be happening soon. Since we're all congregating here it better be something more useful than frontline infantry. There has to be someone here that knows what the plan is. I can't speak for everyone here, but I doubt people showed up to be a part of "Operation Meatshield". Even a general idea would be nice at this point."
(OOC, if I don't get round posting a more detailed tactic, Aurelia and her army will join those that attack Vengancier, at all times being protective over those that are less rift resistant, using them as ranged support mostly)
TWITCH
Grabbing some items that look appropriate, Twitch gets:
CHI FOCUSING RING
Designed as an aid for those who have trouble focusing their Chi naturally, it makes even a novice capable of firing a hadouken. Although intended as a ring, it fits Twitch as an anklet.
ION FIELD PROJECTOR
While activated, this shield projects a super charged ion field in a bubble around the wearer. It's calibrated to be automatically reactive so that any fast moving projectile will be incinerated on impact, while letting slower things pass through. It also provides little protection from energy or anti-matter unfortunatly.
LELAND GAUNT
The Crab blinks at you. You have no idea what this actually means, but it seems disdainful.
"Theres a load of enemies of the guy paying your bill over there. One of them has a dangerous power called the Rift. Lord Vengeance wants to remove that power for everyones safety, but they are not keen. The wielder is too dangerous to engage directly, all you guys in support are basically just to keep the rest of those hooligans occupied while Lord Vengeance deals with the wielder personally. You should be well beyond them, don't concern yourself, just keep out of the range of the rift blasts."
Marisa blinked at the Botanist. She knew it was probably gonna pop soon, but not THAT soon!
"Good point, ze, a good, quick look over the tree should be fine until we get underway, right?"
Having grabbed some stuff that looked like he would be able to use properly, the parrot quickly made his way back to the main hall, but not without going back to his usual habits, and first finding a room chock-full of various cleaning products with the tallest stepladder Twitch had ever seen residing behind them.
"Right," Twitch announced, coming in to land near the middle of the group, "I'll give us all a flash bomb, and then we can attack the...thing. Whoever's left up there." The macaw dipped his beak into his bag of items, pulling out the second of his three Flash Bombs. "I am still invisible, yeah?" he added.
"Keep the hooligans occupied, you say? I think we can do that... but how exactly does Lord Vengeance intend to 'deal' with the rift wielder? Does he even know who in particular he is looking for?"
MARISA
Upon examining the tree closer, Marisa notices the following:
- It's leaves are the distinctive wavy shape of Oak leaves.
- The whole thing has a thick, heavy radience of ambient magic from it at the minute, and being near it now has a strange feeling projecting of hot lazy evenings of late summer
- The whole thing is very slightly starting to take on Autumnal colours.
- Slowly beginning to gather around the canopy of the tree are tiny fleck of gold glowing stuff hovering like fireflies, which Marisa realises are very much like the "fleck of old magic" she acquired long ago. It looks very Ghibli.
CLEO
"He has not bequeathed any such information to me, but I would assume a rift wielder would wade in using their complete powers, why risk dying when you have such abilities at your command?"
"Oh woooow~"
Marisa took the fleck of old magic out, trying to compare it to the gold stuff floating around and to see if it is drawn to the tree somehow.
"Hey, Mr. Botanist, what do you make of those golden flecks up there?"
MARISA
"They are flecks of the Old Magic - the magic created as the Universe was formed - very powerful stuff it is yes. Some few organisms like this Tree naturally attract it and use it. But if your one is unique.... it is not bonded to another organism yet, were you to take it into yourself, you would become connected to this Earth forever. You'd never be able to leave it again or go home to your own world, but the power that ties you to this plane forever would give you access to greater and more primal magic than anyone living."
Well... Either someone from the group had been holding back some information or they'd picked up someone else along the way that Gaunt hadn't had time to hear about. That could be a question for later though. As for the present situation... glorified decoy duty. But since Gaunt had no interest in fighting any of the others it shouldn't be as bad as all that. Since this lot wouldn't be expecting a traitor on their side it would be all too easy. A discrete shot with The Golden Gun here. A smack with this magical sea-staff perhaps. Maybe even a stab in the back with the harpoon. Oh and wouldn't he love to see this crab down the business end of a shrimp fork. Powerful though this Vengeance-clone must be, he probably wouldn't be expecting his hit squad to be taken care of rather efficiently.
Gaunt then addressed the loathsome crab-spider again, but smiled all the same.
"I guess we'll have to leave it at that for now. I think we can handle who ever will be over there. I just generally prefer to have a clearer idea of what the opposition is. Dealing with unknowns is never a very thrilling prospect, but I've worked with less before."
Slammer has no clue what's going on but posts to avoid death :V
EVERYONE
There is a strange Tardisian noise and a strange shop is suddenly there on one side of the courtyard, and Spod tumbles out the front door, having been in the strange places between worlds for the duration of the story. It would seem that most of inventory has been mashed up by spending too long between worlds, but one section has remained miraculously unharmed...
The clothing and outfit section - there is nothing magical or even vaguely helpful defensively here, entirely cosmetic, but you are all about to partake in ultimate battle with the multiverse at stake, this bizarrely comprehensive room will allow you to do so while looking like a stylish badass should you wish it.
________________
Below in the City, shielded by the most expensive scanner blockers an outrageously rich Church can buy, Cardinal Khloe, Head of the Grand New Melded Church of Vengeance, prepares the equally outrageously expensive Faith Artillery, known colloquially as Canon Cannons. Blasting the concentrated faith out as bolts of heavenly fire. She prepares to bombard Lord Vengeance - the False Prophet - to shoot him down should he be targetable.
Just for conveniance (mine as much as everyone elses) the battle stands thus:
TEAM ODDESTSEY
EUDIAL, SPOD, PLAYZOOKI, MARISA, AURELIA, PHANTASMIC SLAMMER, EPSILON, TWITCH Conesnatcher, Goldenrod the Dwarf, Wentworth the Mammoth, Imogen the Leprechaun, Anjushree, Caspasian, the Night Pine, the Catalyst
KHLOE has artillery stationed on the ground beneath.
81 Other Trans-Solar Host
TEAM LORD VENGEANCE
LORD VENGEANCE
Jorges Remillard - the Infamous Platipirate
Gaston - Burly Hunter
Dave "Xenothraxus" Poots - the Boneomancer
Zizzor - The strange Crystal Entity
A Possessed Suit of Power Armour
Tiberius - The Half-Dragon
LELAND GAUNT (of your team, infiltrated ready to work on their team)
CLEO (of your team, infiltrated ready to work on their team)
UNKNOWN
PROFESSOR VENGEANCE is possibly up to something, or possibly biding his time dramatically so it at least looks like he's up to something.
BATTLE
(OOC: All characters on the players side were rolled for to see how they'd come out of this battle, it's not me playing favourites)
In the streets of Melded in the shadow of both the Great Flying Battleship and the Castle of Doomforall, Cardinal Khloe finally gives the signal. The Canon Cannons begin blasting out pulses of pure white light at the great ship, and even as the sky is filled with brilliant silver fire, the great battle for the fate of the Multiverse begins.
The upper level of the battleship is mostly flat to allow other vehicles to land on it, and the group from the Castle arrives in a haze of teleportation energy and quickly scatter to avoid any attack that would hit them all. The Trans-Solar Host summon their sunswords while Anjushree establishes a thick force bubbles and barriers to provide everyone with some cover.
* * * *
Beneath the decks, Lord Vengeance hears the sound of the bombardment and orders his guards into position. Lord Vengeance himself heads onto deck with Jorges, Gaston, Tiberius, the Power Armour and Cleo. Zizzor and Dave Poots head to the observation deck. Professor Vengeance sits at the end of a long table in the room adjacent to the newly vacated control room, his face filled with intense plotting. There are two figures left in the control room, the Spider-crab who is busy at control panels monitoring the situation, and Leland Gaunt who has stopped behind for a moment, apparently to adjust his clothing slightly. He extracts a lighter, a ballpoint pen, a cufflink and a cigarette case - all gold plated - from his pockets and fiddles with them a few moments. The Spider-crab continues monitoring the screens right up until his carapace bursts open from a single close range shot to the back of what count's for a Spider-crab's head. Leland leaves the room, and heads up the stairs onto the deck.
* * * *
From the control tower Dave Poots begins to assemble the footsoldiers of the fight - dozens of chimerical skeletons begin to form on deck - a strange army made of years of bulk purchases from the abatoir mixed in with a few more exotic specimens to add a bit of flavour. The first wave falls forward, but the Trans-solar host takes this on, their Sunswords blazing with solar-flame. This is not a fight to be wasted on lackeys like this - the Rift-Resistant and the Spanish Inquisition will be focusing on the true forces at work here.
* * * *
Even as he comes out onto the deck - the shape of Lord Vengeance is changing - his finery being enveloped in the thick inky black power of the rift - cloaks billowing and the extravagent cane turning into something with an altogether more sinister aspect. What is more surprising though, is that Eudial exhibits powers to match, and even as black armour forms over Lord Vengeance, the raging fire Eudial has wielded in the past is now very distinctly rift energy, and already hurled as a beam of fire towards the would be Tyrant... Rift flies everywhere, and the two seem to lose interest in the rest of the fight...
Even as his foe steps on deck, Twitch hurls down one of his Flash Bombs, catching himself and a few of the Trans-Solar Host in its blast. The Host as beings already very fast appear merely more perky, but Twitch moves at supersonic speeds - blasting through skeletons using his ion field to turn him into a disinegrator missle, heading straight for Tiberius.... only to bounce off him harmlessly - he notes the energy emanating around him, remeniscent of Zizzors glow on the deck above... protecting him. Compromising, he barrels into the deck beneath the dragon-man instead, disintegrating that causing the hybrid to drop down a deck onto his back with a shriek of rage. Finding the other key players similarly protected, he realises he can't do anything until that crystal is taken out.
Elsewhere in the fight, Spod and Playzooki dive towards Gaston as their first opponent, smashing their way through shambling skeleton beasts to do it and find the muscular brawler a tough opponent, and stronger than either of them, even combined, however, wrapping up the Hunter with his nostril hair while Spod begins to pound him, for now they seem to be making some progess...
Jorges Remillard finds himself drawn against Aurelia and the Spanish Inquisition but the deadly fighter proves to be more than worth of his reputation and even outnumbered 5 to 1, still manages to hold his own, although he is surrounded by an aura matching the energy signature of Zizzor in the tower above that seems to allow him to turn aside blows that should be deadly - with a sidestep he dodges a blast from the prismatic dagger of Wentworth the Mammoth and disarms Imogen the Leprachaun before delivering a powerful kick to her that sends her soaring through the air. Wentworth swoops up to catch her, but he tosses a grenade of an exotic energy which causes Wentworth's bubble to implode, knocking the pair unconcious. Jorges charges towards them, sabre drawn, ready to perform a coupe de gras...
Phantasmic Slammer - much lower to the ground than most combatants and thus surprisingly stealthy, has approached the power armour from behind, and with a powerful flip manages to hurl the suit into the air - however with surprising grace, it twists in midair to land on its feet and levels it ludicrously oversized gun towards the robot. However, even as it charges up, Cleo strikes, and reveals her true colours - psyblasting the armour apart. Almost immediatly it tries to reform, but Cleo counters and using her powers - mindblasts the parts until they stop moving...
* * * *
Leland creeps up the stairs, golden gun loaded and to hand, he rounds the corner to the upper room of the tower, and withotu hesitating - blows a hole through the edge of Dave "Xenothraxus" Poots. The Boneomancer drops dead. Unfortunatly, even as he goes in for a melee attack again the other occupant of the tower with his ocean empowered artifact, Zizzor, hovering emotionlessly in the air as he is, fires a massive energy blast in a 90 degree cone at where Leland Gaunt sands - blasting half the tower - and Leland with it - out into the air falling down onto the city of New Melded.
* * * *
Cardinal Khloe didn't have time to react - her Canon Cannons had taken out the weapons of the battleship, and she was just praising the faithful for their success when the remains of the tower dropped across the line of artillery and the people operating it, burying Khloe and her comrades under hundreds of tons of twisted metal...
* * * *
With Dave Poots dead, the skeletons no longer reform when destroyed, although there are still hundreds of them around, the fight is now winnable...
Epsilon catches Tiberius climbing back out of the pit, and spins his hand clean off with his Vortex blade, severing the taloned hand pulling himself out of the pit, but not before the second hand grabs his ankle and pulls him down, slamming his chassis against the deck. A second wild slash with the Vortex blade leaves a long deep cut across the dragoncs face.
Marisa has sighted the target protecting the crew and moves in to strike she wades through the battlefield, destroying Skeleton warriors with her sorcery and finally begins to ascend. the tower quickly with magical assistance, to where one of the key players of this battle still resides. A torrent of "beestings" slams into the side of Zizzor, splintering the odd Gemstone entity into hundreds of lifeless shards on the floor. Across the battlefield, the strange haze protecting many of the combatants fades.
In the high power battle in the air above them, Lord Vengeance is gaining the upper hand against Eudial - though their power levels are very similar, Vengeance has had much longer to refine the use of those powers over a much longer period compared to the inexperience of Eudial. Every fiery torrent is expertly deflected, and Eudial is kept very much on the defensive, forced to conjur shields of rift to protect the fight fown below at the expense of her own advantage. Lord Venegance is merciless, powerful and winning...
Breaking free of Playzooki's nostril hear with a sudden burst of strength, Gaston is suddenly upon his opponents like lightning. There is no time to react as his mighty hands grasp Spod's head and twist. There is a thick snap, and the body of Spod slumps to the floor. Suddenly recalling the voice of spectral Morgan Freeman, so long ago now, Playzooki knows what to do. With every ounce of belief in himself... Drawing the massive GNUTECH XL5 "BUFFALO" CANNON from his back while Gaston is mid gloat, he fires a single spectaular blast and MMMMMMMMMOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOO echoes across the deck as Gaston and a few skeletons caught in the blast radius are sent hurtling towards the deck.
Aurelia is still engaged with the merciless Jorges, and speeds towards him with sunsword blazing and wings beating. Then. The unthinkable happens - it seems to go in slow motion and Aurelia sees it happening even as there is no time to stop it. Drawing two objects from a quiver in his back, a switch is flicked on each and they extend into long needle like harpoons, somehow pulsing with electricity. With a swift movement, he hurls both with precision accuracy, impacting straight into Aurelia's wings, sending her flying backwards and pinning her to the deck. Aurelia can already feel her wings are ruined. Jorges waddles over, slowly draws his cutlass with a beaky grin, ready to finish the Angel with...... "GOLLLDDDDD!"
Goldenrod the dwarf slams sideways into Platipirate like a freight train that loves shouting the word Gold. He repeatedly stabs the Platipirate well past the point where he is very definitly dead. Shouting "GOLD!" with every thrust. What is left does not resemble a Platipus much anymore... Aurelia wathces on, still stunned by the loss of her wings, when she feels the pain increase massively for an instant as the figure of Caspasian looms over her and draws out the harpoons. "No time for that now" he says even as suddenly he presses his sunsword to the wounds to cauterise them.
Even with the losses, it seems like the team is winning, right up until the moment when Eudial is projected downwards like a black meteor into the deck, and the broken halves of the anti-rift lance drop clattering down behind her...
The next moments are hectic, as the rest of the team endeavors to face down Lord Vengeance.... Twitch flies in at supersonic speed - ionic field active and wing blades gleaming - and is plucked from the air by a hand made of rift and held to the ground. Epsilon charges is, vortex blade ready but the horrific speed of of Lord Vengeance is too quick, and a robotic arm drops to the floor, severed before he too is pinned to the ground. Playzooki sends off another MOOOOOOOOOOOOO blast of the Buffalo gun straight at his face, but Vengeance captures the energy orb in his hand as if it was a gentley thrown tennis ball, examines it for a moment, then throws it back with another MOOOOOOOOOO knocking Zooki out cold. Aurelia and Caspasian charge in, sunswords buzzing with heathaze and fury, and even manage to sever a few rift tendrils before they too are overcover. Epsilon staggers Vengeance briefly, but is then lifted off the floor, his wheels spinning frantically. Anjushree summons an airtight bubble around his head to try and suffocate, for a moment he stops, but clasping his hands to the bubble and feeding rift into it shatters it - the feedback knocking the Griffon unconcious.
Far below, the demon form of Leland Gaunt climbs out of the wreckage, having been damaged enough to revert to this form. Looking up, it definitly doesn't look good.
Marisa, the Night Pine and the Catalyst stand as all that are left - the great tree materialised tired to materialise while no one was lookign behind Vengeance, but as simple gesture catches it in a strange limbo - it's tranlucent form trapped as if in a prison of air. The Catalyst proves again to not match the power of the rift, and even though managing to last longer than before, is eventually pinned to the ground by a torrent of inky blackness. Marisa blasts a torrent of magic into Lord Vengeance and he swears in pain and staggers backwards... A second blast sees him grimace as he raises a shield to stop it.
"You have something about your person girl. When this is over, I shall find out what it is, and that power too shall be mine"
Grimacing in pain, as more bolts of magic hit into him, with a great effort the rift shield too blasts forward and wraps around Marisa, incapacitating her hands and mouth to prevent her using any magic.
Lord Vengeance gloats. He stands fully clad in rift-black armour from head to toe, and strides up and down amongst the defeated.
"Don't you see? This was inevitable. There was no way this was going to go any other way. You had some nice surprises certainly, and I'll grant you, you got a lot further than I expected. But really? Your best weapons were some half-trained girls. I've studied this power, learnt everything I can and am prepared to use it in ways that even Doomforall could not! This universe, this multiverse? All mine. Until the end of time itself!"
He pauses.
"And do you know what?"
The rift retracts from his face, to let you see his grinning features.
"The absolute funniest thing about this is..."
He never gets to finish that sentence. In an unremarkable tower back on the castle a few miles away, in an unremarkable window on an unremarkable brown desk, overlooking the proceedings is a small brown wading bird. A very well paid small brown wading bird. With a high power sniper rifle. Who is very professional about his work. Fletcher snopes out the scene to confirm the kill, nods quietly to himself, then cleans and dismantles his rifle. He's earned his keep for the day.
* * * *
Back on the deck of the ship, the others get up and begin to come too, filled with aches and pains and injuries, and not entirely sure what is going on. However for those still not quite awake, the last few seconds of sleepiness are blown aside by the the sound of a very deep and resonating echo of wood cracking open eminating back from the castle...
The rather dead bord of Lord Vengeance lies on the deck before them, with a rather large hole in his head...
Eudial crawled forward, grieviously wounded, but not fatally. She knew what had happened, and made sure to pay her little bodyguard snipe in full for such a service. The entire party too, come to think of it...
She stood up and grasped the front of the dead tyrant, bringing his face in front of hers.
"Bastard..." she gasped. "Half-trained... you wish."
With the last of her strength Eudial punched the shrunken face. The body of Vengancier sailed some distance away. Eudial then fell over onto her hinder and hung her head in pain and exhaustion.
As Eudial's fist touches the corpse there is a strange noise, akin to something like a hurricane, and indeed, a vortex of wind and cloud appears to form about them all - centred in a huge miles wide arc, centred entirely upon the Courtyard back at the castle. Eudial and Marisa can feel magic in the air. Old Magic, and Marisa notes that it feels very much like the fleck of magic in the vial she herself possesses. Ancient Magic from the dawn of time.
A voice echoes through the air for miles around. Not as intimidating a voice as you might think given the context, not very forcefull and with not much in the way of notable accents beyond possibly something vaguely along the lines of BBC English.
"When you are ready, I await you all in the courtyard. It is past time that this affair was ended".
The voice them goes silent, and the winds and grey sky formed by this strange weather buffet the saviours of the Multiverse.
Twitch stood weakly on his own, wings hanging limp by his sides. On the outside, he seemed alright, but dear god, did he feel beaten up. He looked over towards the Vengeancier body across the room, and allowed a smile to cross his lips. He wasn't entirely sure how, but the group had defeated the evil Vengeance and his army. They had killed the final rift source, and saved the multiverse.
They had done it.
And then a voice, calm and smooth, rang through the building. Calling them to the courtyard. Along with it came an unusually strong wind that ruffled the macaw's feathers, and managed to slowly push him across the floor. Probably too strong for him to fly safely. It was just as well, Twitch really wasn't feeling up to it right now. Amidst the chaos, amongst the wreckage, the parrot slowly made his way out towards the courtyard, along with the rest of the group.
Marisa sighed a little and adjusted her hat. It's been a long time since she'd been in a fight that big, and really, then she didn't have near as much help then, just that one stupid red-white miko. She was way overclassed in this battle though....
Marisa took out and looked at her magic flake a little bit, concidering taking it before anything else popped up.
Deciding to hold off, at least until they talked to whatever the voice came from, she started to follow the others, relieved that at least they don't have to worry about some stupid evil Vengance anymore.
Eudial shivered. She didn't want to get up. She was exhausted, she was in such pain that she could barely do more than crawl, and this wind was chilling her to the bone. Nonetheless, after the strange voice had finished its message, she pitifully began to get back up onto her feet - she stumbled a few times - and shuffled after the others, hoping that she wouldn't trip...
Marisa watched Eudial a bit.
"Oooooy, you, Witch!" she called out to her, and walked a bit closer before continuing, "Good work back there, ze. Need a bit of help? Bet you are super tired, I imagine rift takes a lot out of somebody."
She looked at the parrot too, figuring if she caught up to him too she'd offer him a pirch on her boom. Wouldn't do to have any of the crew dying of exhaustion now trying to get back.