"We will accept the minimal amount of collateral damage necessary to shut down the devils' attack. I desire zero damage to anyone besides the devils, and no long-term damage to the functioning of the city." Azri said, clarifying what she expected from the city. She had no idea what exactly it was capable of, but this would - hopefully - be enough.
The workings of the gears clicked up a step. "With those criteria in place," the voice replied slowly, "I am unable to complete this task. The first option would require flooding the area, but would cause considerable harm to the water system. The second option involved collapsing the area, but at least one non-Infernal creature is sensed in the area, and would have significant impact on the system relating to that area."
The crystal flows to a green colour, and the rooms glow changes as well. "An alternative, Councillors? From the limited perception I have of events I do not believe the circle to be permanent. Further more, a force of Celestials led by a Titan appears to be approaching the area. I do not believe destruction is required, only containment. Although I have only a fraction of the power I had available at peak, I believe using some half of the remaining Tower Guard and one of the operational defence systems will allow the remaining devils in the area to be contained. I cannot do anything regarding the secondary force, however. They are already beyond the reach of any remaining defences."
Well, it was what it was. There was no sense getting upset about it - not that she felt emotions very well to begin with. "All right, contain them, and if possible ensure the Celestials know we're friendl." she said. "Where is this secondary force, and what does it consist of? Could we strike at it ourselves?"
"Attempting to contain them now." The gears whirled faster once more and a grinding sound could be heard in a tower a little further away. "It is suggested that anyone does not look directly at the cannon as it is firing. Attempting to use Detect Magic on the cannon may result in certain feedback issues. It should also be noted, I have insufficient power to fire the cannon at full capacity. However...I believe this will distract them."
A beam of roar force errupts from the nearest tower with a noise like molecules sizzling. On the blue crystal in the centre of the room it shows the impacts - most of which is dispersed by a roar and back handed gesture from the monstrous Pit Fiend. But the shot hurt the creature, and among the lesser demons the figures of the Tower Guard are appearing...and disapearing...and appearing again, striking and slashing with swords that appeared with them.
It certainly causes confusion within the pit.
"Secondary targets would be a Garugin Devil and several sevitors of some kind. I believe the devils remaining at the circle are primarily there to draw a response from the manor, to defend the circle, and to allow the Garugin -which can become invisible - easier entry. I am unclear as to its target. The Garugin is near the Northern Gatehouse, but no defensive systems remain in that area."
"Garugin? What is that?"
"Blood Reavers." Azri answered unhelpfully. "Tough, but we can take it. Let's go - the less time it has to complete its plan, the better. City... if another significant threat appears while none of us are here to guide you, you're authorized to independently react to it, with the long-term safety of the city as your highest priority, and minimizing the amount of damage, especially to people that aren't enemies, as your second priority. Any solutions you implement should fulfill those directives as much as possible." With that, she started heading towards the gatehouse.
Nigrum was getting annoyed with the stone, he was well aware that was foolish. He didn't care, he swung again.
Apparently his break in focus made his blade slide off the very stone before him just as one of the towers seemed to explode with energy of some sort. After following through heedlessly he ponders the new turn of events. Should he remain or seek out the tower.
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Satisfied enough with Azri's instructions, Ayreth starts to follow Azri when it hits her that they just woke up a living city. Wow, that's amazing. She stops suddenly and turns.
"Nexus, are there any other issues that need attention in the immediate future? And can we contact you, or you contact us, without being in this room?"
"Let's go kick this devil's ass, then." Selena nods, thinking back at what the tower just said.
A Titan? Is that bad for us? Good?
"There are...many issues. I am unable to find a system that is not critcally damaged, woefully underpowered or both. However, I do not believe any of them are of a more pressing concern than the current problems." The lights shifted to blue. [/b]"Instructions are acknowledged. My suggestion for intercepting the intruders would be to use a Potion of Flight to land on the Northern edge of this Island. Once they are on the soil I will be able to hinder the ability to use Invisibility."[/b]
Azri glanced back at the others. She still had her own Flight spell, with a bit of time left on it - but she wasn't sure about the others. Did the city have some on-hand...?
The great gears slowed for a moment. "No. At least, I cannot be certain they are still where they were placed and viable. Given time is an issue, I would not advise it. I can, however, use the spell. It will limit how much else I will be able to help, beyond what has been stated."
The witchwolf sighed, considering the information, and still not liking the idea of going out a window hundreds of feet into the air, even more with fireballs and potentially more hazards, but - as the Nexus themself had said - time was an issue.
"So, someone needs to get Nigrum and his Alerdene to assist Ayreth and myself with the not-flying-is-too-slow issue and to get him and anyone else away other than devils from the circle, and then go find and deal with a possibly invisible Garugin and whoever is with them while the Nexus very helpfully tries to deal with the circle with minimum collateral damage which will hopefully snap everyone back where they should before anything too awful happens, particularly whatever Khaul wanted if anything beyond this. I think finding more permanent ways to deal with that annoying parasite is going to become higher on my priority list...after all of this. Is there anything else we need to do during this?" Aibek questioned, hoping they had not forgotten anything.
"I think I can find Nigrum: I'm pretty sure I cast fly faster than you or Foxy, Az." Selena nods, and exits the room to find Nigrum and getting him caught up on the situation.
Yet again he tries to cut the foundations and send the ruin down below.
The section of wall Nigrum has been working on crumbles, but the building itself still seems solid enough.
"I'll come with you, Selena. There's safety in numbers and if we're going to split up, I'd rather it be two groups of three."
That, and I'm not going to take that 'faster than you' claim sitting down.
As Selena departs, Mihara assumes fox form, and dashes off after the succubus, using the speed increase granted by her smaller form to keep up.
Flying at Selena's side, the dark-furred animal offers a playful smirk, its three trails fluttering in the wind.
Azri's fly spell was still up - although not for long, since some time had alreadypassed - and she simply soared out of the window and headed towards their new destination. Whatever this devil was doing, she wanted to stop it... and she was tallying every offense in her mind for later study.
Aibek looked at Ayreth with slightly raised eyebrows and casual if confused voice "Alerdene can carry and fly yourself and myself down, as was suggested earlier. Unless you would prefer to walk it, which actually would be my preference if not for the time issue, in which case I would happily walk with you though you and I would obviously be pretty far behind the others and I'm not sure the fastest way down - will need to map these Towers after this. Whichever way you think is best, Ayreth, I won't and I doubt anyone else would make you ride on Alerdene if you did not wish it..." finishing with a shrug and an attempt at a comforting smile, mind trying to pull together their knowledge of the Towers so far to figure out different routes...
"Aw, that doesn't count!" Selena smirks back at fox Foxy, flying around to find Nigrum.
"" the half-fiend shouts when she sees the swordsman in the distance...hacking at stone?
"We'll get Nigrum. He's probably hitting something or someone with Tsui. You guys know how he is"
Looks like he's trying to become a lumberjack?...Stonejack?
"Come with us! We've activated Nexus, but we've got a couple of Devils we got to care of ourselves!"
He made a mental note to break the building later, it was the principle at this point. He bends his knees and jumps in the same direction as his comrades fly. Alerdene would carry the others that could not fly or jump as far as he could.
It doesn't take too long to arrive where you're going. This section of the city is deserted, and looks like something detonated here sometime ago. The buildings here are hollow shells, and in areas sheltered from the wind evidence of some kind of explosive mark can be seen. Still, the fountain in the area has flowed back to life, and glows with an eerie red light.
"Although I can sense most of the city," the dry voice of Nexus whispers from the fountain, "I can only be spoken to from one of these fountains, or via a specially prepared gem of which I currently do not possess. Sadly, it was dubbed not needed to include such an ability with a Symbol. As soon as they pass over I will remove any invisibility and hamper teleportation, but at that my abilities will be at an end. You may have a short time to prepare."
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"See, Aibek, no misadventures. And we didn't need to jump out of a window."
Ayreth looks around at her friends, wanting to heal their wounds while there is a spare moment. Her eyes roll back and energy pulses out from her and heal almost everyone's wounds.
"Ohhhh, that's new. I wonder if I can do that again." She can, and does. "I wonder if that's from them, or it." She waves vaguely at the mist at her feet.
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Azri nodded and, as her flight spell ended, she focused on examining the area around them. Invisible demons probably weren't going to emphasize being stealthy, so maybe she could figure out where they might be... if, say, they'd left tracks around or something. Or maybe she'd just find them anyway.
(She wasn't worried about the channeled energy - it was aimed at the living, not the undead, although it was weird watching it flow over her with no effect.)
Now that I think about it, we DO have seen a lot of fountains around.
"I don't know, but that's pretty nice, sis." Selena grins, her wounds closing.
Nigrum could put enough of the story together without being told of it. The others had somehow awakened the city.
"Can you inform the heavenly host that is nearing of this threat. They may send aid or at least someone to bare witness to our actions. Less they think us enemies."
He saw no point to keep secret the threat of the devils or hide from the locals.
"An excellent idea, sir knight." There was a pause. "None are currently close to one of the fountains, but should such occur I will summon them at once."
Allowing shadows to pool around the shadow archon's fingers, Aibek carefully advised Ayreth with a small nod, "It can still be hard to tell sometimes when something is myself and what is them, especially the newer parts, but as long as you are unharmed, I find working to smooth, connect, and understand them all brings about a good balanced symbiosis that makes the difference clearer to see... before starting to turn and look around the space in thought.
"Some type of...ambush or trap or something that would catch them off guard would give a better chance of handling them." Aibek says warily, the idea of facing a Garugin and whoever they were working with made the witchwolf feel uneasy, especially with little idea of the size of the group or how well everything would snap back once the Nexus broke the circle or how they would be seen by the far stronger creature on either side of this conflict. Aibek pondered their options.
"...what kind would work well in the time and space we have...any ideas?" the witchwolf said, glancing at the others.
The remains of the buildings would make decent hiding places. It might be possible to co-ordinate with Nexus as to where to bring them down, perhaps into a trap or more physical ambush. And of course spells to prepare for combat could be cast to ease the battle now.
The most important bit was destroying the creature's invisibility - once that happened, Azri was fairly certain they could handle the rest. Notably, she was planning to wreck its defenses as fast as she could...
A minute or so later something rippled from the fountain and with an outraged scream a tall, reddish skinned creature with golden eyes fell to the ground in a heap. Four odd looking constructs landed with it, each looking as though they were barely held together and carrying heavy packs on their backs.
The creature rose to its feet. "Remove yourself from my presence, mortal scum, and remove the magics that prevent me flying. Else you shall surely perish." It holds a massive flail in its blood-stained claws, and stares at you imperiously.
Aibek stood gripped with fear for a moment at the sight of the large creature. Mental wheels turning while carefully looking at the creature and their constructs, Aibek slowly moved deeper into a shadowy patch before their mouth opened, "It is the magic of Khalharum that binds you and not us." Aibek said, motioning to the space around them, shadows spinning around their feet and hands as Aibek's tried more to hold back their anxiety than the shadows. "Maybe Khaul left out that detail of the powers this place they've bound Elysium and your entrance to has when like this. The city seems to be close to shattering the circle as well..."
Aibek did not want to fight these unless absolutely required. Trying to convince them a far greater power was in control seemed the best bet to the shadow archon - and attempting to turn their rage against the annoying parasite just felt right.
Nigrum smiles below his silvery dragon menpo. He studies the fiend while preparing for the inevitable attack.
Azri smiled slightly.
"Been there and done that." she said. Unfortunately, that flail would probably cut right through her resistance to physical damage. Sigh. Not that she wanted to get close to it anyway... but what was up with those constructs? "I have a better offer. Return to the pit from whence you came and we'll not ensure Elysium's armies know exactly who to target for retribution."
Mihara opts to simply smirk silently. How mighty a foe brought low by the city's power. That had been an amusing fall to witness.
That's... not Ayreth's usual voice, is it?
The Devil focused it's eyes on Aibek. "The thrice-cursed broker failed to mention this. My master will flay him for the rest of his days. And I shall feast on your souls myself." It advanced, the heavy weapon spinning.
Azri shrugged slightly, then focused her eye on the creature. It was fairly tough... so her goal for the moment was to bring it down a little and ensure everyone else could do what they needed to.