Before starting their was one last ally who had to choose her path, Ashima-Shimtu was torn she offered to stay and fight alongside Nevla but also thought that she could be of value seeking out Heavenly allies to bring back to help the team. Nevla decided she should go and try to bring back allies, and Nevla would be here when she got back with a final embrace Ashima-Shimtu planeshifted to find allies.
Then Manuel Master of the night took advantage of the world being in perpetual night and crept onto Axis Island, with a stealth total ovr 80 nothing on the island could percieve him , not even the ground beneath his feet noticed his passage. Soon he was beneath the Ajax and Nevla was removed from the Web and used a Spiralling Ascent spell to appear on the bridge of the Ajax alongside Manuel. On the bridge where Lya and Kasavarina, some of the crew started to produce weapons but Lya gestured for them to stand down, she asked why Nevla was here and Nevla explained they had a plan to complete the ritual and thought that Nic was going to implement some sort of crazy Watchmaker solution, after a moments pause Lya agreed that she could no longer follow Nicodemus the Ob had turned much darker than the group she had supported. Kasavarina stepped forward and breifly hugged the reincarnation of her daugher, Manuel noticed she was pocketing the components for her Chain lightning spells as she did so , apparently if Lya had not backed Nevla she had been ready to help.
As Lya agreed to aid them Nicodemus awoke Bourne
“Borne my boy,” Nicodemus says, and his voice is heard by everyone in the
entire world. “We were sabotaged, but you were perfect, indomitable. Before you
fell, you nearly completed our grand design.
“The world we created truly is better, thanks to you, but outside forces were able to move against us.
I have restored you, son. I know you are confused and have questions, but you have
to trust me. Together, you and I, we’ll finish this ritual and set it all right. Do you understand, Borne?”
The colossus turns his head to scan the entire horizon. He pauses at the
sight of the Gyre, but only a moment passes before he narrows his eyes in a
confident smile.
“Guide me, father.”
The players were dismayed by this but they had a contingency plan, Grappa was on the Coaltongue, the prime philospher of the Sons of Pala was on standby and they had Bourne's mother Kasavarina onside. They had to at least persuade Bourne to stand aside or help because they needed one of their ships to move the seal and it could not do so while avoiding Bourne.
Nevla cast her Miracle including Bourne in the targets, she carefully crafted the stream on memories to show how Nicodemus was responsible for the state of the world, his order to destroy cities, his murder of fellow conspirators, his histroy of treacherously decieving Kasavarina everything to show his allies he was a scheming villain no longer the once enlightened philospher he pretended to be, also she shared the groups dream of a better world and freedom for all and asked them to stand aside and let them save the world.
As she did so Kasavarina flew out to hover near Bourne and begged him to join them and build a world worthy of his efforts and sacrifices. Nevla's miracle flowed the new memories into Bourne and he turned to look at Nicodemus "Father is this True"
Nicodemus replied
“Son, don’t listen to them. I made you, and you trust me. It’s
a damned combat, Borne, not time to discuss the nuances of
philosophy. I can hear them, son. Millions of people crying out
for you to save them! We finish this now.”
“Order. Justice. That’s what I’m creating. Selfishness will no
longer destroy what is good when free will is no more. People
will be moral because they’ll have no choice. For a thousand
years, chaos will be no more, and when the watch’s hand winds
down, yeah, then I’ll give these worthless people their freedom
back. But they won’t know suffering. I’ll have been their god,
one who can truly answer their prayers, who won’t have to let
evil into my world. I’m creating heaven, where no man will fear
tyranny. Whatever empty value you place on ‘free will’ pales to
the paradise this world will be.”
Bourne paused then turning his back on his Father he said "Mother , I will aid your allies , let us build a better world"
Han's airships launced white signal rockets the signal for his forces to stand down.
On the ground below there were some brief struggles as Ob loyalists were restrained by their fellows. Nic stood alone
"Fools all of you. You are unworthy of a better world , you have no vision petty squabbles and short sighted goals , I will build a better world You will not stop my, I and my allies will make this world worthy of my efforts"
The players were wandering what allies when ......
Dimensional portals opened up and the Shining legion began to deploy out onto Axis Island Lord Oswyn the magnificent in charge , flanked by Generals Marcus and Grumblejack. Marcus pointed his sword at Ulvaar and announced he had come for Ulvaar's soul (Interestingly Marcus is the former PC of Ulvaar's player).
At this point they linked with their selves from the Gyre and Ulvaar knew who Marcus was and why Marcus hated him.
The former Ob forces began to organise themselves to resist the Legion as the Coaltongue and Queen Nevla arrived to provide fire support accompanied by Pembertons Dragonfliers. Pemberton himself in his true draconic form lead the formation, Lord Kulp and Harkover launched themselves in Draconic form to take positions on his wing. William was heard to say if he gets killed in this fight we'll owe him a ressurection.
William and Manuel headed down to the ritual sight as between them they could manage all the difficult combinations of planar icons, Xambria and Livia Hatfield accompanied them as advisors which got them the maximum bonus for helpers I was allowing. Ulvaar flew off to one side away from everyone else so Marcus and his fear aura would not bother anyone else and challanged Marcus to come and get him. Kasavarina squared off with Nic and Nevla challanded 'Ozy' and moved to attack him, all agreed Oswyn hated disrespect and so fixed his attentions on Nevla.
While the allied force fough the legion Bourne and the ritual team raced to get the ritual completed before the Legion could break past their allies and intefere.
I was running this in an abstract manner strictly speaking it would take several rounds for each Piller to be changed , but that would mean the fights with the enemy commanders would end long before the ritual was done so it was one round of combat per pillar.
Ulvaar and Marcus was a slugging match, Ulvaar had more hit points but Marcus hit harder and the two hammerred away at each other. Nevla hit Ozy with an Implosion spell which failed and in return took a harm and a Destruction spell which hurt her.
Manuel juggled Gloriana, Celestia and Dunkelveiss carefully while Bourne shifted the pillar, as it was reseated three more portals opened from the first emerged the Lifeguard cavalry of Gloriana (In armoured cars), accompanied by the Grenadier guards and some artillery above them was the Gloriana dreadnought HMS Warspite with the magic of the Queen glowing from it. The second portal released three large and powerful Imperial dragons accompanied by a company of Iron Golems and a few Adamantine golems from Celestia. Both of these forces moved to attack the Legion and protect the ongoing ritual, from Dunkelveiss a Single eagle came through carrying Eriana the dwarven bard who moved to encourage her love Ulvaar.
Lya is seen duelling a Pit fiend atop the Ajax , while the Libery burns, the Airships are escorting the Risuri flying battleships which are beset on all sides by flying devils and a dogfight whirls around them as the Dragons and Dragonflyers aid the mighty ships. The ships pummel the Legion ground forces with Silver and Cold-Iron laces shells from their massive main guns.
Round 2
Nevla used a mass Heal on herself, Ulvaar , Marcus and any incidental allies in range. Ozy hit her with more spells and they noticed a female devil coming to his aid, his paramour a Wizard devil of signinfigant power.
Ulvaar and Marcus exhanged blows.
Nicodemus stopped attacking Kasavarina
Nic groans in confusion, “Who are you? Get out of my mind!”
Then his voice changes slightly. “I’m who you should have been. We
opposed the holy war because the hierarchs cared more about victory
than following any sort of moral code. Now you’re just like them, and
just as blind. Our arrogance caused the Malice. You should have been
horrified by what you’d done, but you were too proud to stop fighting.
Well dammit, I’ve spent five centuries with the ghosts of those you
killed. Feel what they lost.”
He stumbles and screams,
snaps free of his confusion. His posture
changes to guarded optimism. Miller, now in control of the ghostly body,
calls to the party. “I have only a moment. For now he’s overwhelmed,
and I’ve ended his link to the sacrament. Quickly, destroy me. I don’t
have time to apologize for it all, but I can help you stop him. Kasavarina I am sorry”
With his defenses down Kasavarina hits him with Chain Lightning and his spirit disperses .
Nevla his hit with wracking ray's which leave her almost helpless.
Manuel finishes the Air Pillar with Hendreiki and Winghome, as the Pillar slides into position he see's a third icon appear and is confused for a moment. Three portals open from the first a flight of Dragons emerges and tears into the Ob Horde, from the second a force of Flying barbaric warriors lead by a women with what looks like a Blazing star on her forehad emerge and attack the flying devils from the second a nearly naked redskinned women riding a castle sized giant Crimson Mutant bat emerges which starts to feast on Devils while the woman casually slaughters any which come in reach. None of the pc's have any idea who these last ones are they did not come from any Gyre plane they remember
Round 3
Nevla heals herself and is hit by more wrackign rays, level drain and the Wizard hits her with a Meteor storm, she is hurt
Kasavarina moves to help her but is attacked by Grumblejack and is unnable to reach her.
Ulvaar and Marcus pound each other, both are hurting
William and Manuel seat the fire pillar , there are no suprises this time Etheax and Wulfendyne are in place. Two giant Airships the size of a town emergy Castle Wulfenberg and Castle Hetrodyne, the second one has more Death Rays than cannon it also cackles maniacally as its guns annihlate devils.
Most of the Danoran airships are down by now, Lya stands atop the Queen Nevla duelling a pair of Pit Fiends
Round 4
-- Too be continued