Gracemaria quest 10

[19:13] Knight the Wanderer: Over the next couple days, you manage to grow closer towards the great green crystal spires and the great mountain. You are now close enough that you rest in its shadow for the entire morning, or well, would rest in its shadow if the sun broke through the clouds. Compared to it, you are feeble, this great stone monument to the strength of the natural world...
[19:14] Karen Aido looks up. "And we intend on taming it... such is the ambition of our nation." Well, more or less. We climb.
[19:18] Knight the Wanderer: You still have yet to pass the great green spires, or even tackle the roots of the mountain. It looks to be at least two to the nearest spire, and from there another four or so days to the mountain... "This time table we have seems horrible. How are we to make it to the top before then." [Its only a theory. The main thing is we must be at the mountain by the tenth day, otherwise it will have been all for naught. That is, unless we can do something to these spires, they seem to have some significance with Aeons given their pure green color. They must be separated from the dragons influence for some reason.]
[19:20] Karen Aido: "Maybe they'll have something we can use. Let's find out, because we aren't going to make it, even at our maximum speed."
[19:23] Knight the Wanderer: "You think they might be trying to transform the mountain or something inside of it. The spacing looks to be...A hundred miles or so per spire. Perhaps some ritual circle." Eric says, speculating from the back while Nameless continues to rest. [Possibly, if this Citlial is how your brothers described him, he is not actually a horror.]
[19:24] Karen Aido begins guiding us towards the tower, no matter how fucking stupid it probably is."Oh? Then what is he? Clark thinks he's Knight, what do you think he is?"
[19:26] Knight the Wanderer: [Also Knight, but from the reports traded at the last battle he took part in, Knight was doing things no non-magic user should be able to do. Summoning weapons from the air, controlling them from a distance along with animating several suits of armor. Knight might have unlocked or been blessed by the goddess, and now Aeons seeks to steal this ability.]
[19:28] Karen Aido: "I thought he was always capable of doing that sort of crap? Plus, I can throw and call my hammer back to me now. I'm not sure how, I just tell it to come back, and it does."
[19:28] Karen Aido: "I don't think I've seen him manipulate armor since we were here though."
[19:30] Knight the Wanderer: [Your hammer and you are bonded at a spiritual level, plus the psychic abilities gained from the beast you merged with have augmented that ability. Its true that Knight could do some things before, but it was unlike anything witnessed from him.]
[19:31] Karen Aido shrugs. "Don't know. Do you know anything about a guy named Argus?"
[19:37] Knight the Wanderer: [Limited records from your companions and you. Argus is a fabled child from the stars, or was claimed to be, historical records from accounts of the true history say he is the surviving child of union from the brothers of light and dark. He apparently had many children with the locals, but all were supposedly rounded up and slaughtered by Aeons to goad him into fighting. He eventually fought Aeons and became a horror trying to steal his power from the throne and since then has only rarely squared off against the great leader of the horrors. That is all I have pieced together...If what I think is true, from observations in the physical appearance of Knight and these natives, Knight is from Gracemaria and is related somehow to Argus who seems to have been able to summon weapons as well.]
[19:38] Karen Aido: "Oh.... huh... Think Citlial killed Argus for his power?"
[19:40] Knight the Wanderer: [Mercy killing. The dragon is the source of root control for all Horrors. Eventually or with great force, Aeons could have ordered Argus around or even kept him still enough to absorb his power. All speculation, we'll need to ask Citlial.]
[19:42] Karen Aido: "Great. I was thinking a ritual like what we saw back when the Queen first turned giant, but I guess it could be something else altogether."
[19:44] Knight the Wanderer: "Whatever the ritual is, I can feel the earth itself being pulled into the spell." Eric says, pointing at a large section of floating islands and large broken trenches in the earth near the pillars.
[19:45] Karen Aido: "Great. So it's fucking massive." shake my head. "We'll have to do something about it, assuming we can at all."
[19:52] Knight the Wanderer: "We don't know what it is." Nameless says waking up and switching places with Eric quickly. "For all we know, it could be part of this world and have nothing to do with Aeons."
[19:52] Karen Aido: "Yeah, but it's green, it's certainly afflicted with Aeons' power."
[19:53] Knight the Wanderer: "Look out, the grass shall slay us all then." Nameless dryly remarks.
[19:54] Karen Aido: "And then we were murdered by fucking grass. Exactly how I thought I'd go out: ignominiously."
[19:59] Knight the Wanderer: [Bickering will help none of-evasive maneuvers recommended, alter course ninety degrees and increase speed to max.] Talisman says suddenly with Nameless following the orders and bringing you four out of the path of some giant ray of blue light.
[20:00] Karen Aido ducks down and surveys any damage that may have been caused by the light.
[20:04] Knight the Wanderer: The light luckily missed you all and has petrified the ground, great a petrifying ray...From the tower? [There is a powerful mage atop the tower, guarded by a very strong horror The mage used all his power and needs to rest before casting. We should use this time to get close to the spire. Nameless, I recommend shedding your fake skin now, the only people you would have surprised anyway are these two.]
[20:05] Karen Aido looks alarmed at Nameless. "You what now?"
[20:14] Knight the Wanderer: "Whats up with Nameless-" Eric starts to say before flesh, bone, and rock burst from his body, revealing something that looks like a mix between a soldier and Grok, though nowhere as tall. The armored plates shift around and reveal brightly glowing organs for a moment before settling into place. "I wanted to say something earlier, but Eric started transforming so I tried holding mine back." "Holy shit man, what happened to your gear through!" Nameless holds his hands forward, there they have merged with his Gloria infused gauntlets. "I still have most of it, just, part rock troll or something like that now."
[20:16] Karen Aido scowls. "... Damn you! just fucking say so when something weird is afoot! I can't make sure you're taken care of if I don't know anything's wrong. Fucker." careful to not raise his voice.
[20:20] Knight the Wanderer: "Well sorry, we have all been changing since that damn wolf, no offense Cerberus, bonded with you and you did little to warn us what was happening!" He says, raising a counter point, though both of you are quickly slapped and bapped by Eric before he directs your attention to the Green spire. "Mage first, yelling at each other afterwards?"
[20:20] Karen Aido: "I didn't know anything was happening until it was too late.
[20:20] Karen Aido:  Yes, mage first."
[20:26] Knight the Wanderer: Nameless takes two large spikes and-wow he just stuck them deep into his sides before attaching them to the cart and taking off at a full sprint on his elongated arms and legs, pulling you all towards the spire quickly before the mage can get its mana back.
[20:27] Karen Aido wishes he knew divination, he'd just hurl the hammer in after the mage. Since I can't do that, I'm going to begin scanning the structure for entrances and other means of security. Is Nameless bleeding?
[20:32] Knight the Wanderer: Divination would work, if not for the mage being at the top of the spire. Nameless seemed to have been bleeding for a moment, though that quickly stopped and hardened into a new section of armor around the spikes.

The Spire is still some distance, but you can see small buildings carved out of the same material in the form of walls and towers about its base.
[20:33] Karen Aido calls out just loud enough for Nameless to hear. "I assume we're just going to leap over all of those structures?" I do not sound like I'm kidding. "Or are we going through?"
[20:38] Knight the Wanderer: "WHEN I HIT THE WALL WE'LL FIND OUT!" Great answer, you are excited to be here...
[20:40] Karen Aido picks a spot on the wall where we're most likely to impact. "Not so damn loud man, whisper, I can hear just fine!" I'll throw my hammer at that spot when I think we're close enough for that to be viable.
[20:45] Knight the Wanderer: The hammer sails through the air and impacts with the wall, bouncing off but cracking it. The next moment You are rushing through it as Nameless plows on through, breaking it easily while roaring onward through the heavy blast the nightmares rain upon him. Strange enough it seems their blast do little to nothing to his armor, and any that do quickly heal up as though nothing happened.
[20:45] Karen Aido: Yeah... I'm still killing as many of them as I can without getting off the cart.
[20:49] Knight the Wanderer: Which won't be many as Nameless is quickly running through barricades and healing any damage he has sustained before smacking right into the base of the tower, cracking a crystallized part of it open.
[20:53] Karen Aido: I suspect he can't fit through the crack. "Nameless, hold the line. We'll be back in minute. Take care, brother, if it gets too heavy, flee." Is this tower tall enough to get enough altitude for Talisman? If so, I'll take him with me as we go into and up the tower, if not, then we'll park his ass inside.
[20:56] Knight the Wanderer: Nameless makes the hole big enough for him to enter, and then does one of the most painful things you have ever seen, He tears apart his back and pulls the armor from his flesh, only to slam it against the hole in the wall. He then takes his blood and begins to use it like a plaster to seal the holes and help it harden while his muscles and flesh start to regenerate...Ouch.
[21:06] Karen Aido winces. "Ow, cripes man, don't do that again. Okay, let's go." I'll start looking around to see what's up, maybe there's an elevator.
[21:10] Knight the Wanderer: There is a large sort of floaty platform with waist high dividers spread out randomly atop it with a pedestal in the center that is protected by none of the cover. [That looks like an ambush waiting to happen. Nameless, after you recover some, there is an energy field through the far wall that raises and lowers mana, your armor chould be able to hold under its power.]
[21:11] Karen Aido thinks about it for a second. "Hmmm... What if we got off a few floors beneath the top? Think they'll have sealed off the elevators completely?" I'll look for some stairs.
[21:14] Knight the Wanderer: "I think that I am going to need to maintain contact with the pedestal to get it to work, and that its going to advance slowly while Nightmares stationed about the spire fire at us as we rise upwards towards the top." Eric says looking at the floating platform.
[21:16] Karen Aido: "Oh, fuck that then." Gotta find another way up. "We might need to climb." My kingdom for proper climbing gear. "Or... Nameless could hurl us up?"
[21:21] Knight the Wanderer: "I am going with Talsiman's plan." Nameless says, punching the wall and starting to break through its hard surface. "Its going to hurt, but the enemy won't expect it, will they?" [Very unlikely, though if we want to do a surprise attack, we should split up then, Two into the Mana field, two on the elevator with the mana field party breaking out to attack the enemies that will assault the elevator party.]
[21:23] Karen Aido frowns. "Alright, fine, just be careful, damnit." Oh, if only I had the agility of... well... anyone but me in this party... and/or a Preventor.
[21:26] Knight the Wanderer: Which way did you want to go? Also none of the others have your tinkering or mechanical skill so there is that, nor your ability to phase through materials with Cerberus. Or mind reading.
[21:29] Karen Aido: Hmmm.... How powerful is Talisman's current frame? I'm thinking about taking the elevator, because I can sense people.
[21:30] Knight the Wanderer: Its nice and strong, it just can't fly, other then that it should be able to fire its gatlings and Rail cannons.
[21:30] Karen Aido: Oh, holy shit, yeah, I'll take the elevator then.
[21:33] Knight the Wanderer: Eric takes his place at the pedistal while Nameless works on getting a large plate of armor for Talisman to ride ready. [Ready to lift, please be careful...Lifting. Proceed upwards now and guard Eric as I expect he shall mostly be stationary.] Talisman says while you sense it and Nameless rising up the shaft.
[21:36] Karen Aido: "Yeah, yeah, I kinda pieced that together from him saying he can't move as he does this." I'll pay attention to my telepathy, looking for any mind, no matter how simple, and no matter how complicated. "Hey, if you see anything mindless, say something, and I'll deal with it." I'll try to pay attention to nothing and everything. I'll have Cerberus help, we'll each cover 120 degrees.
[21:40] Knight the Wanderer: Cerberus takes his position, not armed with any ranged weapons but at least able to hopefully deflect or distract. With a large rumbling, the elevator takes off-SIRENS! LOUD BLINKY AND YELLY OH BOY JUST WHAT YOU NEEDED! [I was right about it being trapped] Talisman says while crystallized platform after platform begin to expand and jut out over the empty air, granting a small clearance for the elevator and plenty of cover for the nightmares manning the platforms.
[21:43] Karen Aido: "Great. We're leaving this platform, Eric." Is there another place I can move him to? Preferably out of line of fire. If not, I'll start chucking my hammer at the highest platforms, trying to arc it so they'll collapse on the lower platforms, and I'll have Cerberus start brutalizing the near platforms.
[21:51] Knight the Wanderer: The elevator goes all the way to the top, leaving it is silly, especially since~

"Uhh...Nic, my hand is trapped to the pedestal." The nightmares above you take aim and-*THISK_CKRACK-THOOM* The platform they were standing upon explodes outwards as the rail guns from Talisman fire and break through the wall, exiting the tower and possibly impacting upon the mountain or hopefully another spire. [Cooling magnets, switching to short range armor penetrating rounds.] The Nightmares of the next platform turn about and try to figure out what just happened.
[21:53] Karen Aido chucks the hammer. "Shit!" keep my body between as many Nightmares as I can while trying to figure out how to free Eric.
[21:55] Knight the Wanderer: To be clear, the nightmares are on platforms above the elevator, aiming down, well the next platform was aiming down at you but is instead aiming towards the wall now.
[22:02] Karen Aido grabs the arc gun and start blasting away at them, starting with whoever feels like they have the best lock on us.
[22:07] Knight the Wanderer: The Nightmare's backs aren't as armored as their fronts, allowing the arc gun to zap directly through the plate and into the soft meaty organs inside. From one to another it jumps, reducing the nightmares from thirty to twenty three as a large hail of armor piercing rounds showers upon them, knocking a few from the platform to the elevator where Cerberus eviscerates them before they can try to fight back.
[22:09] Karen Aido: Recharge, you zappy bastard! Recharge! If I have a smoke grenade, I'll use that. I don't know if they have special senses, but I know I do.
[22:17] Knight the Wanderer: You don't have many smoke grenades left, but you are nearing the end, one way or another really. Tossing them out you obscure yourself and Eric, allowing any shots that do approach to go wide. Something big and powerful approaches, you can sense it gliding down the elevator shaft towards you all.
[22:20] Karen Aido sighs. "Shit." One arm the gun, other hand on the hammer. When I get a good shot on it, I'll take it, ditch the gun, and time my strikes with Cerebus. <I think this is the bodyguard, Talisman.> I'll try to highlight it in Talisman's mind.
[22:23] Knight the Wanderer: [Two minutes until railguns are back online. Air cooling is much more preferable to this.] Talisman says while something large lands to disperse the cloud of smoke...Its John, the high Templar armed with a magnificent pike with a banner depicting his crusade upon the handle just behind the blade. "Relent and place down your arms foul beast. There is no need for bloodshed this day." Welp...
[22:27] Karen Aido grumbles irritably. "Ahh! Damnit, John. Why? Why can't you stand aside? You know we're fighting for the right cause. What's this facility for anyway? Also, we aren't foul beasts. We're former paladins, we accidentally stumbled onto something that transformed us...." I'll try to show him who we are with my powers. Gotta stall for time, especially since he's not likely to throw the first punch.
[22:30] Knight the Wanderer: The pike suddenly is thrust right towards your chest, seems he is likely to throw it like this. "You try to show me you are true, only to strike at my mind to enchant me! Die beast so that the paladins soul trapped inside of you might be freed!"
[22:34] Karen Aido rolls away. "Oh, damnit, why the fuck does everyone assume that's an attack and not me trying to talk! I'm a psychic now you psychotic old goat!" Cerberus, stay back for the moment, I'm gonna try dodging him for the interim, help me out with that. "I'm far truer than you are now, John, please, cease this at once." gotta use words, I very seriously doubt I can take him in a straight fight. If he's been this corrupted, then even his light power is twisted, and goddess knows how that's going to affect me. "Answer my question!"
[22:37] Knight the Wanderer: You get a glimpse from his eyes at you, you look hideous, malformed and writhed in darkness where as his allies are cast in bright white and silver armor, fighting in a blessed golden spire. You don't even look anything human to him, thats how deep Aeons control over them all is.
[22:39] Karen Aido: Shitballs. "Answer my damn question!" Don't disarm him, that's just another path to getting a corrupted light-splosion. Gotta find a way to incapacitate him, without killing him, I don't need Aeons using him again.... I'll actually try a psychic attack.  Try to make all his motor nerves seize up. Cerberus will play distraction as I do this.
[22:41] Knight the Wanderer: Cerberus follows your commands, struggling to gain the Templar's attention whilst you try to breach the impressive willpower that is John the Gentle...Also your efforts seem to be for not, as the Mage, the Chosen actually intervenes, attacking your own mind with his foul sorcery.
[22:42] Karen Aido: "Fuck." Close the connection! Close the connection! <I thought you said he'd be out of gas!>
[22:45] Knight the Wanderer: [He was when we were charging, this tower is full of mana, not to mention he could have simply cut something open to drain their mana.] Talisman says before signaling his lock on the High-templar. Thirty seconds till he fires through, with John's attacks getting closer to piercing you every strike.
[22:49] Karen Aido: "For fuck's sake." I'm going to try to make an opening, by grabbing his spear (hue), drawing it away, and then I'm going to hit him on the collar with the hammer.
[22:49] Karen Aido: I don't expect to disarm him, but I'm going to hit him and force him to do something aside from stab at me.
[22:53] Knight the Wanderer: You manage to grab his spear(Hue) but not before he manages to penetrate you(Hue)r thigh. With him kind of where you want him you swing your hammer towards his head-his large black wings sweep at the sides and buffet you with the hard bones within, bending armor and knocking the air from your body.
[22:56] Karen Aido: "Oof!" <Fire!> I'll have to inflate my lungs in a second. Cerberus, attack the base of his wings! I'll see if I can't convert his deflecting momentum into a spin, so I can bring the hammer around, and up, into his diaphram.
[23:05] Knight the Wanderer: [Ten seconds] Talisman announces, trying to get a steady lock as you and Cerberus try to double team the High Templar known for his undefeatable defense. Still he has never faced a beast as Tenacious as you and Cerberus. Really you chould be down after that assault from his heavy wings but ignoring your broken bones and armor you manage to turn one of his attacks into a spin brining your hammer in a two handed grip right towards his chest, knocking him over Cerberus so that he starts to fall-*THISK-CKRACK-THOOM* The powerful blue lance of energy from the rail guns punches through the walls of the spire and impacts against the armor of the High Nightmare. For a moment you think his armor will somehow hold, but you watch as the heavy rounds eventually slam through the side of the chest plate into the soft organic material of the high templar. The rounds which had so much trouble breaching the armor are unable to escape, instead forced to bounce around inside of the armor while carrying the High Templar through the spire wall and towards a great tremendous drop to the earth, or possibly an even greater fall into the dark caverns alongside the spire.
[23:08] Karen Aido: Ow ow ow. Fuck. I hurt in so many ways. Can't speak. <Well, we'll be seeing him again, possibly real damn soon.> Focus through the pain, go free Eric, then fight the mage.
[23:08] Karen Aido tries to re-inflate lungs as we do this.
[23:11] Knight the Wanderer: You manage to think about how your body should be and it starts to slowly mend itself, one of your lungs is punctured by a rib but Cerberus helps remove the broken bone so that the lung can stitch itself. A rocking clunk lets you know you have reached the top of the elevator shaft and Eric is suddenly freed from the pedestal. A moment later Nameless breaks out through the wall and then pulls Talisman's frame through the hole after him.
[23:13] Karen Aido clears his throat of blood, coughing, swallowing, whatever. Deep breath. "Okay, let's finish this up." Look around, the mage is here somewhere. All sensors up!
[23:19] Knight the Wanderer: There is a long ramp leading towards the top of the spire, you can actually see some clouds. "He'll be above us, now the question is can we defeat a chosen that is able to use a large beam to petrify a large area?"
[23:21] Karen Aido: "Cerberus and I just beat the High Templar John. I think we should be okay."
[23:30] Knight the Wanderer: [Yes, all by yourselves.] Talisman adds while Nameless starts to drag the golem up the ramp with Eric leading the way and you taking the rear so that you can take some more time to recover.
[23:32] Karen Aido: "Shhh, my bells been pretty well rung again, and I'm kinda freaking out that I didn't die when fighting a Nightmare High Templar!"
[23:36] Knight the Wanderer: [You would have without further intervention. I recommend not squaring up against them directly from now on.]
[23:37] Karen Aido: "I'll have you know, I didn't want to do this in the first place, but it has to be done and maybe, just maybe, we'll be able to find a way up that friggin' mountain in here."
[23:50] Knight the Wanderer: [Dodging is an acceptable stratagem, I recommend employing it further against the larger enemies.] Eric and Nameless are looking about the top of the Spire, the Chosen should be here but there seems to be nothing that they can see. Looking around, you can feel him here but he seems to be missing...
[23:51] Karen Aido: "I was dodging! Now shush." I will focus to try to narrow him down. Did he meld into the structure?
[00:04] Knight the Wanderer: Hes....Oh he is above. Looking up at him you see the Chosen point at the Spire which then starts to shudder. Looking towards the noise you can see the entrance seal shut, trapping you on top of the spire with the floating Chosen. [color=black]"Well well, two lost lambs returning back to the warm graces of the church. It took you two long enough to try and come home."[/color] The empowered nightmare taunts while slowly floating to the spire, a wicked smile plastered, no wait it seems its face consist entirely of a large fanged mouth now...
[00:08] Karen Aido points up. "Yes, we're trying to come home, so we can then replace home, with a crater, because seriously: fuck home. The road is where we belong, it's where we truly live. It's where people like us, those with power, belong. Because we have a responsibility to use that power for as many people as we can. We have power and thus, we must make sacrifices." I'll share the image with the others and I'll wait for the opening to attack.
[00:15] Knight the Wanderer: The Great Horror's feet touch on the ground and split into many different black and green tendrils which dance upon the stone. [color=black]"Oh, keep lying to yourself. All you want is revenge and...Oh to mate with that grey skinned woman. Did you know that horror with the magma wyrm was corralling those women to a single location. In fact the true paladins and Crusaders should be preparing to launch a strike on their 'hidden' city right now. Its good that you saved a few, for in a few hours your wife and those tributes will be the only grey skinned bitches left, but even then we'll fine...Alexis soon enough."[/color] The Chosen says while the mouth upon its face stretches all the way towards the back of its head in a sickening grin.
[00:21] Karen Aido growls. Fuck, he got all that info from me, and is now mobilizing against me. "Keep lying to myself? No no, you fail to get me just as you failed in Holais. Revenge is just icing on the cake!" I'm gonna look for something important to smash as I wait for the rest of the team to provide me an opening. "I am more than a paladin. You gave up everything to Aeons, for what? Power? Immortality?! I know you'll get your comeuppance just as all the others will. You have sinned. The Goddess is angry. She will not be denied her vengeance forever."
[00:33] Knight the Wanderer: The rooftop is empty, the mana from the spire flows from all around to the chosen. This is the least helpful scenario... [color=black]"The problem with that is, the goddess will have to chose, eternal war with Aeons in order to eventually punish us all, sacrificing all those weary souls trapped by Aeons magic, or losing this war and world. She can't save the day and eat her cake. And even if she does chose to punish me, I shall win for she will be in torment over the suffering of many innocents. She is trapped in checkmate, and soon we shall complete the ritual, she will not be able to win.[/color]
[00:39] Karen Aido: "Only two options, eh? I think you're forgetting one. The one where we defeat you here, stopping the ritual, she finds Knight, and then she defeats Aeons." Come on! Show a damn weakpoint. Anything he seems particularly interested in guarding? If not, then it's time to take him to asswhupping central. "Then we rebuild the world with her guidance. You, however, might be lucky if you get to be a dumb golem core." Fuck it, fire the arc gun at him. Tired of hearing him talk and he's gathering mana.
[00:42] Knight the Wanderer: The Chosen waves a hand to his side and five large clock hand shaped blades materialize in the air before each swings towards a member of the group. Eric manages to start parrying and knocking the blade attacking him around, while Nameless struggles to hold the blade in a hand and prevent it from jerking around. Talisman's frame seems to somehow repel the blade, though it does manage to swing by and just barely knick the paint of the golem on each pass, that leaves the last two blades for you and Cerberus-Oh god the Chosen is closing in with another blade held in his hands along with large strange sucker tendrils!
[00:45] Karen Aido: Okay, nope, don't want any of that shit. Cerebus, take me over the clock blades, go incorporeal as we do it, he likely knows about it, but I want altitude for dropping the hammer.
[00:57] Knight the Wanderer: Cerberus jumps onto your back and the both of you warp past the blades and above the Chosen, he looks around and you land upon his skull with the hammer, knocking him towards the ground while a Tendril darts towards you to knock you away while he recovers.
[00:59] Karen Aido: We split, don't let up. No recovery for you asshole. Try to get him between us and the blades. Once I get a shot, we'll try to deliver him into the blades. <Get out of there guys, I don't think I can hit him hard enough to kill him.>
[01:09] Knight the Wanderer: You, you are actually managing to keep the Chosen from recovering properly, you have to take a few hits but his floating blades are faltering, enabling Nameless to charge through their spinning attacks and slam his giant fist into the Chosen, knocking him into the spire and trapping him in the stone. The Chosen smiles and laughs weakly. [color=black]"Didn't see that coming, expected a strike to my back not from above hehe. Don't worry, next time I'll be ready to face you all."[/color] Nameless stands to the side, letting you take the final blow.
[01:13] Karen Aido: "Attacks to the rear are overused and contrary to the use of a hammer." finish him! If he's laying down, slam the hammer down on his throat, assuming I can line it up with the length of his body. If not, his head's already damaged, give him a face full of Gloria.
[01:14] Karen Aido: Err, not face. Belly full. Derp.
[01:18] Knight the Wanderer: Throat or stomach?
[01:19] Karen Aido: Throat.
[01:19] Karen Aido: Wanna shut him up.
[01:23] Knight the Wanderer: You raise the hammer high over your head letting your arms charge up the power to strike the Horror down. With all the rage you can muster, for those the Horrors have harmed, for all the evil the chosen have done your hammer slams downward, crushing the Horror's throat and sending its head though the ceiling of the spire. For a moment everything is quiet, then the sound of dirt shifting through stone, then pebbles falling against stone, finally heavy rock hitting rock begins to sound through the air. The spire is collapsing.
[01:26] Karen Aido: "Well, fuck. This isn't a way up to the mountain at all." to the group "Do we have anything for this aside from riding it all the way down? I don't think we're high enough, even with our full strength, to get Talisman enough speed, but I'm not sure where you clock in Nameless."
[01:34] Knight the Wanderer: You are very high up in the air, Talisman will be able to fly from here, the only question is. [Who am I taking?] "Nic, He has a wife now, and I got to punch one of the Chosen. If we die as this thing collapses I'll be happy." Nameless says, shoving you towards the golem. "He is the leader of the squad, and the only person necessary for the mission." Eric says whist patting you on the shoulder. "Though we'll both do our damndest to survive. You need to find Citlial and make your way up the mountain while Talisman needs to head home." [I could sta-] "And possibly get show down again. It will be easier to share your information at close range. And to launch and get real repair." Eric adds.
[01:41] Karen Aido: "You're idiots. I have a wife, but I also have a soul gem. However, you aren't nearly as fucked as you think you are. Remember: we're on top of the building, not at the bottom, so you'll have most of the building to relatively cushion our fall. Though... You might not be in the best condition when you land. Hmm... You know what? I think we can do this. Everyone have a knife and some rope? How much can you carry, weight wise, Talisman? And what if we used you to ease our fall? Think you could do that? You wouldn't be keeping all of us, we'll drag you down, at the right point, you'll start pushing away, and when their momentum is changed, they'll cut the rope." I'll be setting up our harnesses as I say this. Can't Cerberus make me float?
[01:44] Knight the Wanderer: Cerberus crawls along the ground while carrying large loads, you are a large load. [I would fall faster, but the chances of me recovering from the dive to build speed are very unlikely.] "We'll risk falling down the building, also the soul gem seems kind f moot if the Grey daughters are under siege or captured."
[01:50] Karen Aido: "I'm just really fucking hoping that's a bluff. Even if it's not... how long will it take to get people over here, Talisman?" Hmmm.... we never tested whether or not he drops like normal carrying me, this isn't the time. How far are we from the nearest tower?
[02:00] Knight the Wanderer: Hundred miles or so between each so...About a hundred miles and two hundred feet, since you are at the center of the spire.
[02:00] Karen Aido: Fuck.
[02:01] Karen Aido: Any nearby tall buildings?
[02:06] Knight the Wanderer: Nothing even close. Are you going to board Talisman or ride down with your brothers. Mission or squad.
[02:11] Karen Aido roars in frustration. [b]"DAMNIT!"[/b] I'll fall to a knee, shaking. "I'm sorry. I can't get you guys out of this. You should be relatively alright, but this is fate of the world crap, why we became Avengers. Don't fucking die." I'll hop on board Talisman. "This is fucking bullshit!"
[02:22] Knight the Wanderer: Your brothers each lay a hand upon your shoulders. Nothing they can think to say will comfort you but you know that if they had to do this all over again, they would still embark upon this mission with you.

The Spire shakes heavily and begins to fall apart rapidly now. With a careful push your brothers send Talisman over the edge, with you gripping on tight for dear life. The ground races towards you, growing larger faster and faster. A sudden while and powerful thrum bring you racing right along the grass so that if you moves ever so slightly, you could rub your face against it. Suddenly you are moving higher and higher now, climbing up into the sky and above the dark green clouds to feel the sun shine upon your skin once more.
[02:25] Karen Aido is blinded by my own grief and shame, hoping that hey managed to survive the drop, I'll scan for them with my telepathy, searching for those familiar minds.
[02:27] Karen Aido will try to maintain a link with them throughout their trip.
[02:30] Knight the Wanderer: They are too far away to connect to, through they were still alive when the spire was falling. Eric is far to dexterous to be crushed while riding something that large, and Nameless's body is part troll now, he should easily be able to regenerate and smash rubble out of the way to survive the trip down.
[02:32] Karen Aido: Should isn't the same as 'is'. Once the tower has fallen down. I'll try my comm. "Are you guys okay down there?" voice is kinda shaky.
[02:34] Knight the Wanderer: [The clouds are blocking our comm devices. I would go down but I detected Spitfires, the agile interceptor dragons. I can't carry you and fight them at the same time. The forces gravity would enact upon your body would be very likely to render you unconscious and then the possibility of you falling increases.]
[02:36] Karen Aido harumphs. "Fuck." I'll hold on for dear life. "At what altitude can we transmit. I didn't fucking leave my brothers down there in the middle of an enemy base for a joyride."
[02:41] Knight the Wanderer: [I am establishing a connection to Laputa, or trying but as you see, the mountain is in the way. So I am going to drop you off onto the mountain and engage the dragons that are trying to follow us in the clouds.]
[02:44] Karen Aido resolutely. "Mission first."
[02:46] Knight the Wanderer: [I should be able to drop you off somewhere above the half way point of the mountain. From there you have to reach Citlial within the time limit.]
[03:03] Karen Aido: Yay!
[03:03] Knight the Wanderer: [I should be able to drop you off somewhere above the half way point of the mountain. From there you have to reach Citlial within the time limit.]
[03:08] Karen Aido:  "Yeah. Check in on them for me will you? If you can, tell them I said to make for the house. They'll know what I'm talking about."
[03:10] Knight the Wanderer: [I'll have to loop back, but I can at least try.] Talisman says while the mountain grows closer. Three and a half days...Thats all the time you have to reach Citlial and stop whatever ritual Aeons has planned.]
[03:14] Karen Aido: Yup, set myself in for the long haul. Try to eat while I can, take naps instead of sleeping or even going offline, gonna need to make sure my alarm's ready, keep the sensors on, tie them to an audible alert, and press on.
[03:16] Knight the Wanderer: You and Cerberus work on resting for now, knowing that once you land, its going to be a mad scramble. Hell the surface of the mountain might even be crawling with horrors and nightmares as the sun sets....Best not to worry about it now, just think and remember the reason for this.
[03:20] Karen Aido takes it easy and rests, if need be lashing a rope to Talisman on the way up so I don't fall off.
[03:26] Knight the Wanderer: Cerberus is attached to your back, fused nice and tight. You don't want to dream, you don't want to remember or think about what happened you don't want to...

"Like this?" A familiar voices ask something not to far away. "Yes, if you are bound by your soul, you two should be able to communicate through the gems." Replies...Its Alexis and the Blue Haired Kitsune! "Darling, I have no idea where you are, but I felt you earlier, your heart was like glass and seemed to be shattered. I know things might be tough, but we must be strong, only the strong survive in Gracemaria. Please, be strong for me, so that we can have daughters and children that don't need to grow up relying only on strength."
[03:34] Karen Aido: "I-I'm sorry. I had to leave my brothers behind, I don't know if they survived, but... it is for the future, for all the people of the world, that I left them. It's why I was even able to leave them. I... I need you to figure out how to get a message back to the village. You and they might not be safe anymore. One of our enemies plucked the information from my mind. I tried stopping him and I've killed him, but I don't know if he was bluffing or not. You need to see to your people, I don't know if they can find you where you are now, but they know of that house's existence, and location."
[03:39] Karen Aido: "What bothers me is that I'm not sure if he was bluffing about the stuff he had in place to attack the village and leaving the mansion will put you at risk."
[03:39] Knight the Wanderer: The dream fades as a red beam grazes past your brow. [Hope you weren't doing anything important, The dragons are firing from the clouds and I am doing evasive rolls to prevent any damage.] Talisman says while you finish waking up. You can see torches and buildings along the slope of the mountain with horrors and nightmares marching upwards. You are soon going to be dropped. A few seconds later your soul gem shines brightly, you know she got your message. That is at least taken care of.
[03:44] Karen Aido: "Bah, son of a bitch. I was doing something important, but it was completed, so I needn't worry any more than I already am." Smashing the Chosen is so much less satisfying when you realize you're going to have to fight the bastards again, later. I'll retrieve my rope and prepare to leap as far towards the peak as I can.
[03:47] Knight the Wanderer: [Going inverted, aim for something squishy.] Talisman says, flipping over and letting you hold on with your hands while your feet nearly graze the sides of some of the empty stone buildings along the mountain. You are going really fast, you might fly off if you do this wrong, or even break something. But with those dragons beams getting closer you don't really have another option.
[03:50] Karen Aido: Find something that looks like it'll break before I do, a lot of somethings, wanna hit this at an angle so I'll skip if it's a solid surface, or if it's disguising one, and then I'll leap off, tucked into a ball. I'll see if I can't have Cerberus ease this any, if not, then I'll have him bail.
[03:51] Knight the Wanderer: Rickety buildings that look rotten, or....A line of weaker looking horrors ferrying supplies up the mountain.
[03:54] Karen Aido: .... Buildings. Not all the Horrors are bastards and those are very likely slaves.
[03:57] Knight the Wanderer: Drop in five, four, three, two.... Letting go you try your best to create some momentary wind resistance to slow you down before engaging in human cannon ball-*CRACK!* Right through the rotten wood and-*Brak* Into a solid stone wall. Coughing to yourself and slowly sitting up you can see Talisman spinning upwards before plunging down into the cloud line. Seems none of the Horrors saw or noticed your entrance. Doing a quick self check, nothing is broken and Cerberus is fine. You'll just need a moment, that you don't have to recover.
[03:59] Karen Aido: We'll take that moment in the form of walking up to the door of the house to sneak a look outside, make sure noone will see me when I start running, and if it's clear, start running, if it isn't, find a different path and start running that way.
[04:06] Knight the Wanderer: Limping towards the door, you look outside to see a couple Nightmares pointing and stopping a few horrors. They all seem confused until a large rock tumbles along the side of the mountain-Ahh shit*Wham* Right into your chest and knocking you to the ground. "Just rocks, Keep moving." You hear while nursing your chest. How much more are you going to get fucked up?
[04:08] Karen Aido: Oh, probably dead. Gotta find a path.
[04:09] Knight the Wanderer: You can try to sneak into the mob going up the mountain, or check deeper into the building.
[04:10] Karen Aido: If it's a hovel, I'll try to sneak away, if it's a larger building, I'm gonna poke around in it a bit.
[04:14] Karen Aido: If it's a larger building, there's no hidden path I can take, and I'm more or less recovered, I'm going to abandon stealth altogether, and embrace what little speed I have.
[04:16] Knight the Wanderer: Its a larger building, it might have been a church, it could have been a resting place.
[04:17] Karen Aido: Check by where the alter would logically be, see if there's anything over there, if not check in that portion of the building.
[04:20] Knight the Wanderer: Its deeper inside most likely. Cerberus leads the way while you use the walls for support. Its dark, dusty and...And are those spider webs? No bugs but spiders? Joy to the goddess for a flaming blade with no hilt...Cerberus doesn't seem to mind so it should be safe.
[04:22] Karen Aido: Alright, follow the dread critter I found and bonded with, Cerberus seems to know what's up.
[04:25] Knight the Wanderer: You can hear something, voices faint and hushed...women...Human women not horrors! Horrors have heard of spiders to the east, great deadly beast that attack even Aeons in their stupidity, laying some webs about would cause Nightmares and horrors to turn back. Well you also learned the east coast is worst coast by far from all this information.
[04:26] Karen Aido: Huh. Alright, let's take a look. If I have dark vision equipment or sonar, it's time to make use of it.
[04:32] Knight the Wanderer: You sneak quietly forward, peaking around the corner as the two women quietly talk to each other in their prey language, carrying a large rack of meat with them up a winding wooden ramp hanging over a bottomless chasm...Looking from where you are to them...You can't make that jump. You could possibly grapple onto the platform, but it might break under your landing force.
[04:35] Karen Aido: hmmm... Find a way to climb over, even if I have to use what little climbing gear I have, some ingenuity, and Cerberus' powers.
[04:37] Knight the Wanderer: You are far to injured to climb along the roof. Looking to the left and right...Cursed creatures, like that city...One of them is breathing in your face with its claws raised above your head...
[04:40] Karen Aido arc gun in it's grill, pushing it into the wall behind it, and my other hand locking it's claws above it's head. "If you want to live, you'll calm the hell down, and work with me."
[04:41] Knight the Wanderer: The creature actually seems smart enough to listen...Or maybe its mindless enough and Cerberus was keeping it stunned until you took control.
[04:41] Knight the Wanderer: Yeah Cerberus was keeping it stunned.
[04:42] Karen Aido tries to draw information from it, get the layout of this place.
[04:46] Knight the Wanderer: These hidden caves were not once hidden. Great spires and buildings used to rest inside the caves and all around the mountain. Hell the city spread across from coast to coast with great Terraces for farming resting above the people so that the sun could provide them with life. How ever a darkness came from the east, from the spread out islands and the Horrors rose forth, devouring and pillaging. Humans that sides with the horrors lasted a little longer, Humans that fought died, Humans that would pick no side and awaited a savior, were cursed and their cities were transformed. The great farms wilted and dies, falling upon the ground, or the city sunk into valleys and canyons with the population trapped in a timeless calamity, resurrecting and  living out their punishment forever.

Holy fuck this place really went to shit when the Goddess started winning back home long ago...
[04:50] Karen Aido: Yeah, gonna let this thing live, it knows more about what's going on in the immediate vicinity. Make it guide me up the mountain, through whatever means I have to take to get to the top.
[04:58] Knight the Wanderer: The creature leads you about, and you probe its mind for more information, seems there are hidden relics that repel the beast and allow outsiders to rest safely, lucky blades forged to repel the horrors and grant...Luck. There should be one ahead, allowing you to recover and renew yourself, or possibly the blade could somehow be reforged or merged with something to make a powerful weapon or piece of armor. After each use, the blade stop changes its location preventing someone from resting at it and then trying to take it.

So...Looking at the twisted slagged blade...Powerful heal or sweet new item when you get the chance...
[05:00] Karen Aido: Powerful heal, my immediate future and mission is more important than hypothetical swag.
[05:03] Karen Aido: Plus, that whole 'can come back later' thing.
[05:03] Knight the Wanderer: Kneeling at the blade, you rest your hands upon its hilt and witness a moment from the past, as warriors garbed in feathers and steel did battle with clawed horrors, beating them back while the spires underground fell to the abyss. As the screams of the dying leave your ears, you don't feel horrible, instead pride flows through you. As their world fell around them, they fought to the last without surrendering. I mean, it doesn't bode well for you, but then again they were normal humans not augmented avengers.
[05:05] Karen Aido: "Right, learn from the mistakes of the past, to build a better future." We ride... Bob... and by ride, I mean haul ass up this fucking mountain. Hop too, bitch.
[05:11] Knight the Wanderer: Your armor and body repaired, you follow... Bob as it leads you up hidden passageways, over dangerous wires, through infested caves. You can't tell how long you have been down here, and you really really don't want to check your watch and find out time has accelerated or stopped, either is bad.
[05:12] Karen Aido: Grah, there isn't even really a faster way either, according to the poking around I'm doing in his head, and shit changes a lot down here, so running's a stupid fucking idea.
[05:15] Knight the Wanderer: A change happens when Bob walks into a woman carrying a jug of water-Wait! THIS IS THE CIRCLING RAMP AROUND THAT HUGE SPIRE YOU SAW THE OTHER WOMEN USING! The girl seems afraid before realizing that she bumped into one of the cursed creatures. She says something in the prey tongue before she notices you and drops the jug which looks very fragile.
[05:16] Karen Aido dives to catch it "Bob, sit." I'll point to a spot and have Bob sit facing the wall. "Good Bob."
[05:17] Karen Aido: If I caught it, I'll hold it up for the lady.
[05:22] Knight the Wanderer: Bob does what Bob does best, follow orders while you manage to catch and present the jug. Oh right, you are an anomaly as humans don't speak common here, only Horrors do, and you are probably the only other man she has seen besides. "CITLIAL!" She screams while tossing the mug at your face and running past you-Fish oil! Really! Bob turns around and helps clean off pieces of jar and fish from your face while the girl screams and tries to escape towards...A makeshift elevator of some sort.
[05:24] Karen Aido: "Citlial? Citlial?!" Hot damn! I'll walk after her. Bob's basically a creepy, mindless, not to mention dangerous, monster right? Think I'll just toss his ass off a cliff.
[05:25] Knight the Wanderer: Bob will jump off if you tell him too, though how many minions do you own right now?
[05:25] Karen Aido: Hmm.... Eh, I'll make him come along then, he might be useful for something.
[05:30] Knight the Wanderer: Bob obeys like a good thrall. You rush up to follow the girl who seems to be busy trying to cut a counter weight that will shoot her up towards a higher level, all the way to the top really!
[05:31] Karen Aido: Oh, hey, yeah, let's hop aboard. I know it will fucking terrify her and I don't mean to, but there's no getting around that shit right not, best I can do is patiently have my entire group look out from her, like the horrid guardian I am.
[05:35] Knight the Wanderer: Bob takes the lead and stops the girl from cutting further, granting you time to board before she can finish cutting through the rope, though once you step on, Bob slices the cord, sending the three of you right down to the floor of the cart as it races through the sky upwards to the mountain top.
[05:36] Karen Aido: "Hot damn!" Shit, this is gonna hurt isn't it?
[05:40] Knight the Wanderer: Your advance is halted by a large scaled hand-Oh god its a nightmare, a whole bunch of them. "Stay down beast, and we shall spare you." They say and they have the opportunity to easily take care of you it seems, what with their weapons pointing at you- Hey why are they helping Bob and the woman up. Hell, they seem to be treating her like she is a normal woman and they are normal Paladins. Ahh, looking through you can see they see her as a normal woman, and Bob as...An old slightly mental old man.
[05:42] Karen Aido: "Oh, for fuck's sake guys. Give it a rest will you?" <Citlial! Can you hear me?>
[05:44] Knight the Wanderer: [color=black]<No, he can't hear you.>[/color] Comes a chilling reply. Looking at the ground you can only see part of his boots, but you know who they belong to from this Aura. [color=black]"Men, let the poor beast up, he was just trying to catch a ride."[/color] Hands quickly lift you up to a kneeling position so that you can confirm your fears. Its Aeons standing before you.
[05:45] Karen Aido: "Well, fuck. This backfired horribly."
[05:50] Knight the Wanderer: [color=black]"Oh I don't know about that. I mean, you destroyed one of my Spires, caused a large ruckus with the Dragons, helped demolish my northern invasion base, and wounded Saint John. I would say you are lucky to be alive. Wouldn't you?"[/color] Aeons ask while shrugging his shoulders as two Nightmares help you stand up while bushing you off.
[05:57] Karen Aido sighs. "Eh, that wasn't the end of my plans." Okay, Bob, time to make like an old man and wander off. "The end obviously being dying of old age surrounded by grand kids, maybe great grand kids if the goddess so smiled upon me. I don't really believe in luck all that much, frankly. If I'd been truly lucky, I'd have either died in blissful ignorance or been born in an era where my homeworld isn't a hellhole, where the worst thing I'd have to put up with is criminals, and I'd be able to get my adventuring kicks by, you know, adventuring, exploring places no man, woman, or child has ever been."
[06:01] Knight the Wanderer: Bob wanders off, they really don't seem to be paying him any attention, indeed all eyes are literally on you.

[color=black]"Mind if I chime in. See, I did all that once. It never feels real. Happiness without strife, joy without punishment...Its empty, just as your world will be when the Goddess 'succeeds' for if she somehow managed to win here, I still win on Seventy nine other worlds. The victory will be hollow but luckily there will be no victory for you all, and you can continue striving to live in pain and misery."[/color]
[06:06] Karen Aido: "You have no idea what I get enjoyment out of, for all you know my favorite thing in the world could be fucking gardening like poor Saint John. You think he enjoys this shit? Get real, the only time he ever went out to do anything else, was when we needed him to, and let me tell you: no one was happy about making him go out into the field. Besides, if you can't guarantee a victory here, how can you possibly guarantee victory on seventy-nine other worlds?"
[06:07] Karen Aido: "Except Angerdoba, I bet he got massive kicks out of making Saint John run around outside his preferred environment."
[06:15] Knight the Wanderer: Aeons looks shocked for a moment, covering his mouth with his hand as he begins to giggle lightly. [color=black]"You...You really think that he enjoys the Gardening he did? Therapeutic yes, but the blood, the fighting. Worthy opponents and pain. He wasn't one of the first humans to fight horrors, but he sure fought like them. After all you have to remember, he killed his brothers of his own free will, to become the guiding Templar for the hero, so that he could absorb all their power and live forever. Or did they not tell you that little fact when you were freed? Just like they forgot to tell you that you all could have been here so much earlier to help.[/color]

Bob mean while meanders about through the camp, looking for...What?
[06:20] Karen Aido: Citlial, duh. Or at least a map that might show me where Citlial is, so I can guide Bob that way. I'll shrug. "A man doesn't do something that long, eschewing potentially worthy opponents for that long, without enjoying it. Not unless there's some secondary benefit he was enjoying the shit out of in the process, like money or women. Don't try to give me that therapeutic bullshit either, he'd do it more as a hobby, have a little garden he attended every now and then, rather than manning the entire fucking garden at Castle Aido, have you seen that thing? It's fucking huge, I got lost in it's foyer once. Not the castle's foyer either, that's far more straightforward."
[06:31] Knight the Wanderer: [color=black] "Its because he felt guilty over what he did. Because your queen and others like her labels his actions to find freedom for himself as sinful. He didn't martyr himself so he shouldn't live. Under my rule he has been free to act as he wishes, from a simpler, easier time before the judgmental gazes of his brothers and lessers transformed him into a coddled monk."[/color]
[06:33] Karen Aido squints at him. "Did you miss her whole speech thing where she flat-out forgave us our sins from the point of conversion? I'm pretty sure that's the one she told the entire fucking world, so I find it damned hard to believe you, of all people, missed it."