Eoten for his part, bellows a challenge and wails away with both fists into the leg of his towering foe;
Gracie leaps at the dragon, turning her blade to slice through the creature as she flies past it, before landing on the other side, behind a crumbling wall.
"Serena. What's happened here? Una is tearing up our prime dimension. Tell me everything." Max blurts out searching for his love and answers to questions.
He turns around searching for her looking with his magical senses. Then, he opens his third eye to reveal anything hidden.
Max turns and opens his senses, and Lady Seven is revealed behind him. The lining of her cloak is violet rather than yellow, and her eyes glow with a purple light. Her in her domain, she doesn't wear a mask as she does when back home in the Prime dimension.
It is clear that the power that tethers her to this Netherworld, that she has spent so much time restoring, that all of it has been tainted again. Magic pours from the Titan into the fabric of the realm and into Serena herself.
"No, Max. You are mistaken. Una isn't tearing anything. She is creating...recreating. She is going to end all of the chaos, all of the turmoil. No more fighting, Max, no more struggle. We can be together. No more wasting our time guarding far away dimensions."
Eoten for his part, bellows a challenge and wails away with both fists into the leg of his towering foe;
The glowing motes in the eyes of the skull that was Malador flick for an instant toward the giant at their feet.
Two purple skinned heavily muscled demons, muscles rippling, horns burning toward the sky, claws burning, appear surrounding Eoten.
The lash out with clawed hands, but Eoten easily bats away their attacks.
Gracie leaps at the dragon, turning her blade to slice through the creature as she flies past it, before landing on the other side, behind a crumbling wall.
Max's jaw drops a little. "Oh, Serena. What has she done to you? By Avanahm's Nine Circles," which sounds like a epithet but instead triggers a spell with gesturing hands and fingers to attempt to eliminate the magical control from his Love's mind. Because surely, Una has affected her in some way.
Gylfir snorts at the Titan's assertion that godhood would be "its alone". "Attaining the godhead requires more than raw power. Nor does it derive solely from worship, else we'd see a new deity born any time one of these 'heroes' arose from obscurity. It requires something else that neither you or I yet possess."
His eyes sharpen and he stares at the creature. "Unless you think you've found it? Whatever I need to take the final step?"
"What is it you think you've found? Surely it's not here in the city, hiding under our very noses? That would be too easy."
Grace pants, aware time is passing and there is the rest of the city... and Win... to save. She charges, almost overshooting, but manages to arc her sword backwards and slice it against its flank, this time landing on the other side of its body, in the shadow of its own wings.
Max's jaw drops a little. "Oh, Serena. What has she done to you? By Avanahm's Nine Circles," which sounds like a epithet but instead triggers a spell with gesturing hands and fingers to attempt to eliminate the magical control from his Love's mind. Because surely, Una has affected her in some way.
Una's energy doesn't even buckle as waves of Max's will crash into it, seemingly connected to an amulet she is wearing around her neck. Seven's wrists bend backwards as her hands scribe circles in the air.
Flying purple circular sawblades slice through Max's magic."Really?! Max, Avanahm? That's the best you've got? How about we try the Abjurations of Abbridon" She moves her right hand as if cracking a whip, and several green lashes wrap around Max.
Gylfir snorts at the Titan's assertion that godhood would be "its alone". "Attaining the godhead requires more than raw power. Nor does it derive solely from worship, else we'd see a new deity born any time one of these 'heroes' arose from obscurity. It requires something else that neither you or I yet possess."
His eyes sharpen and he stares at the creature. "Unless you think you've found it? Whatever I need to take the final step?"
"What is it you think you've found? Surely it's not here in the city, hiding under our very noses? That would be too easy."
[dice=Persuasion]1d20+12
"We are one with the magical fabric of worlds upon worlds, billions bow to us. This world provides a Nexus to focus this power. We possess all that is needed. You possess a rabble of disciples and an invest-ment port-folio."
Gracie is whittling away at the dragon, but for now it is still up.
The dragon is hurt, confused. Gracie is right next to it. Its head whips about, seeking its prey, nostrils flaring.
Just then the world erupts in fire. Not dragon fire, but something more conventional, as a small rocket slams into the dragon's side.
The dragon cries out in gurgling death as its boiling blood spills onto the concrete. Its death rattle would be deafening if you weren't already deafened by the explosion.
Grace turns toward the source of the rocket to see six figures in UNISON armor standing atop a ridge of rubble. One holds a smoking rocket launcher, a second reaches out to slot another rocket into the launcher. Their face plates flip up. Grace recognizes the soldier's stance before she sees her face. Alex, in all her human self, and the other...Winifred Bianca Free, looking totally badass with her attack squad of heavily armored soldiers.
She smiles and yells, "You done playing with the big lizard? If we don't get off the street soon, the heli-demons will be all over us."
Max shakes off Serena's spell like magical droplets. "Abbridon didn't work either. Looks like Una controls you through that amulet. Let's try a different tack. Be bound by the Crimson Bands of Cyttorak!" He calls out triggering red ribbons of magic to streak from the illuminated sigils rotating around her wrists and attempt to restrain the love of his life. The bands attempt to secure his mouth and hands to shutdown her ability to use magic and that amulet, so he remove it.
Another strand of red ribbon encircles the amulet and attempts to remove it from Serena.
Seven's sorcerous shielding deflects the Crimson Bands, sending the red ribbons writhing into the air around her.
But Max redoubles his concentration, and the ribbons wrap around her. Her back arches in anger as she contorts herself in an attempt to escape.
Seven strains against the Crimson Bands, but cannot escape.
As the demons surround the enraged Giant, he flashes a broad toothed smile;
He lashes out, pummelling his fiery horned foes!
Th brute downs the first, then pulverises the second.
Max concentrates on his red ribbons keeping them tight and depriving Serena of her magic, but not too tight to hurt the love his life. "Fight it, Serena. Let me take that amulet." The mage encourages her.
He causes red ribbons to encircle the amulet and try to take it.
Max concentrates on his red ribbons keeping them tight and depriving Serena of her magic, but not too tight to hurt the love his life. "Fight it, Serena. Let me take that amulet." The mage encourages her.
He causes red ribbons to encircle the amulet and try to take it.
Violet light bursts from the amulet, radiating in all directions like blades, cutting through Eldritch's spell. Released from the magical grapple, Serena falls for a moment before her flight captures her.
"Max, poor thing. There is nothing to fight. This is who I am. Who I was always meant to be. I am a herald of a god! What are you, a pretender to the title? Master Mage."
As the demons surround the enraged Giant, he flashes a broad toothed smile;
He lashes out, pummelling his fiery horned foes!
[dice=Close Power Attack (Unarmed vs Demon 1)] 1d20 + 3 - 2 [dice=Toughness]1d20+10
[dice=Close Power Attack (Unarmed vs Demon 2)] 1d20 + 3 - 2 [dice=Toughness]1d20+10
[dice=Hero Point Reroll Close Power Attack (Unarmed vs Demon 2)] 1d20 + 3 - 2
Th brute downs the first, then pulverises the second.
Eoten smashes the demons with ease, leaving him with nothing but a burning city a vengeful god to deal with. And hundreds of other demons, dragons, and, based on what he smells, zombies and vampires. And fishfolk? There is a lot to smell here.
"Now I know that's not you, Serena, because I don't pretend to be a Master Mage. That amulet is Una's chain on your mind. Can the Crimson Bands of Cyttorak take it from you?" The mage rhetorically asks as glowing sigils appear in a snap rotating around his wrists causing red ribbons to reach out for the Una's amulet, but are easily deflected.
Fire rocks Gracie backwards, a blow shoving her hard against the wall and rattling her.
Dazed, she blinks as the ash and heat clears and slowly recognizes that it didn't all come from the direction of the dragon. Her eyes drift up and through the haze she sees Win and Alex.
"'Bout damn time!" She grins, in spite of how much her burnt face hurts. She straightens and moves toward them, moving to embrace Win. She also says to Alex. "An' you've no idea how glad I am to see you... I've got a story to tell you later..."
Then she winces hard, as she tries to get herself walking again.
"Ow. Okay, okay, I'm moving, but can you cover me a minute? I need to grow a layer of skin or two back..."
If the UNISON group provides her some cover, she dismisses her armor and sword so she can allow herself to heal.
"We are one with the magical fabric of worlds upon worlds, billions bow to us. This world provides a Nexus to focus this power. We possess all that is needed. You possess a rabble of disciples and an invest-ment port-folio."
Gylfir rolls his eyes.
"Your worshippers will forget about you the moment you're gone, there's no true loyalty there. What are you going to do with all those unwilling souls? Are you really going to put in the effort to harness all that defiant energy?"
As he converses with the Tripartite being, he spins off a part of his consciousness to touch another's: Eldritch, and in turn the rest of the team.
<"You may have guessed by now, but the Titan is looking to harvest the Nexus. Doing so will allow it to become a true god. It should go without saying that this is a bad outcome for everyone involved.">
"Reward loyalty, crush resistance. Those unwilling to follow can be ground down, thrown into a soul furnace, or enslaved. Defiance is just as useful as obedience for one who knows how to use it."
Grace shakes her head as Deadman's voice fills her mind. "They're... Una... that Titan thing... I've just got a message from the team. I think Deadman's near the Titan, probably best to group up with the team, but... I know this is a weird question, but can you send someone or something to report if anything unusual is happening around the 7700 block of Ditko Street?
She scratches her forehead as the odd sensation of her eyebrows regrowing hits.
Grace shakes her head as Deadman's voice fills her mind. "They're... Una... that Titan thing... I've just got a message from the team. I think Deadman's near the Titan, probably best to group up with the team, but... I know this is a weird question, but can you send someone or something to report if anything unusual is happening around the 7700 block of Ditko Street?
She scratches her forehead as the odd sensation of her eyebrows regrowing hits.
Alex replies first, even though Win is probably more important.
"We aren't exactly a well provisioned team, Good Knight. It was all we could do to get to you. We can move to Ditko Street together if you want."
Win abandons her sense of decorum and rushes to wrap Gracie in a hug. Under other circumstances, it might be described as a bear hug, but as Winifred is substantially shorter and more slight than Gracie, that description doesn't quite apply to the result. "I want to say Oh My God, but I'm not sure whose attention that will attract, so I'll just say, 'Where have you been, Gracie?" We have been out here fighting demons with power armor and holy water rounds, and you know how much I hate powered armor, right? Mechs and all of that shit. We could really have used a super powered knight in our corner!"
Grace returns the hug with gusto.
"I got sucked into an alternate dimension based on 4 color comic books. As you do. As best as we can tell, most of Freedom City's heroes were trapped the same way, but we found a way out. Problem is it was hard to collect others to bring with us--folks in that dimension get mind whammies you pretty hard to think you're in the real world. Even though the version of Alex there is nowhere as cool as the real deal. Once we found a way out, I...' Gracie blinks. "I've got an idea. But I need to get to Eldritch the Mage. I expect he's closer to the Titan. If you want to come with me, do. If you need to help others, go."
"Now I know that's not you, Serena, because I don't pretend to be a Master Mage. That amulet is Una's chain on your mind. Can the Crimson Bands of Cyttorak take it from you?" The mage rhetorically asks as glowing sigils appear in a snap rotating around his wrists causing red ribbons to reach out for the Una's amulet, but are easily deflected.
Serena's face contorts in anger at Max's words. Una's domination of her will is clear. She stretches one hand forth, and it is wrapped in a magical symbol of a circle in a triangle inside a larger circle, all spinning and stretching out toward Max, but Max barely dodges to the side, the magic tearing the sleeve of his coat.
Grace returns the hug with gusto.
"I got sucked into an alternate dimension based on 4 color comic books. As you do. As best as we can tell, most of Freedom City's heroes were trapped the same way, but we found a way out. Problem is it was hard to collect others to bring with us--folks in that dimension get mind whammies you pretty hard to think you're in the real world. Even though the version of Alex there is nowhere as cool as the real deal. Once we found a way out, I...' Gracie blinks. "I've got an idea. But I need to get to Eldritch the Mage. I expect he's closer to the Titan. If you want to come with me, do. If you need to help others, go."
Win shakes her head, "We'll leave getting close to the manifestation of Triune to you. Besides, we couldn't keep up with you anyway. But we will get as close as we dare..."
Grace says to Win, "You're... you're amazing, have I ever said that?" Grace pauses a moment, overcome, and then remembers the rest of the UNISON team members are there. "No, I wouldn't ask you to do what you can't. And the people of this city are going to need you--even with Eldritch's magic, we can't be every place at once. I know you had to scrape together resources, but if we all get separated, do you have a way I can reach you?"
She is moving toward the Titan as they speak, and after she finishes sorting things out, she looks for Max. If she can't find him, she'll try to get to Deadman.
Gracie attempts to send back to Gylfir.
:I've got a UNISON team with me at the moment to help. Where are you, Deadman? Is Max there?:
Max barely dodges the Netherworld Master Mage powered attack. He was not going to stand against the Master Mage for long, and the Master Mage was not powerful enough to escape Una's control. He needed help.
:Una's controlling Serena with her amulet.: Max's grief-stricken voice finally replies to Gylfir's inter-dimensional communication.
:I need help, Eldritch. I'm going to try to lure her to our prime dimension. Can you get that amulet off her? We need her to defeat Una.: Max
"By the craft of Anog the Keymaker, I open the doors to the Prime dimension." The mage opens another dimensional portal in as many minutes. "Serena! Catch me if you can!" With tears streaming down his face, he retreats from the love of his life into the ruinscape of the primed dimension looking for his teammates.
Grace says to Win, "You're... you're amazing, have I ever said that?" Grace pauses a moment, overcome, and then remembers the rest of the UNISON team members are there. "No, I wouldn't ask you to do what you can't. And the people of this city are going to need you--even with Eldritch's magic, we can't be every place at once. I know you had to scrape together resources, but if we all get separated, do you have a way I can reach you?"
Win leans her head in, putting her ear to ear with Gracie, "Let's keep a stiff upper lip in front of the kids." And then she steps back.
"We will follow as close as we can in case you need something Take this communicator. Your phone will be useless, electricity is out and even the towers that haven't been changed into something else don't work. But the triple god thing doesn't seem to think much about outer space. Things in orbit are still functional, comm satellites are working."
Fists dripping in demonic ichor, Eoten's broad nostrils flare as he bellows his findings;
He lumbers to where Gracie speaks to the UNISON agents;
Gracie attempts to send back to Gylfir.
:I've got a UNISON team with me at the moment to help. Where are you, Deadman? Is Max there?:
<I'm with the Titan. She has me, quite literally, in her clutches. Thankfully the part of her that's closest to Una is very chatty.>
Gylfir decides his situation can't get much worse, so why not needle the nigh-omnipotent creature?
"Well, I've heard Una's opinion on the matter. Does she speak for all of you? The other two of you are awfully quiet for some kind of tripartite being. I wouldn't have thought the opinion of some upstart who was bested by a group of mismatched malcontents would hold so much sway."
:On my way, Max. Just tell me where to be:
"Eoten!" She greets the giant as they approach. "Can you distract the Titan? Maybe it'll help Deadman?" She turns and asks the team. "Can you cover the giant?"
"Well, I've heard Una's opinion on the matter. Does she speak for all of you? The other two of you are awfully quiet for some kind of tripartite being. I wouldn't have thought the opinion of some upstart who was bested by a group of mismatched malcontents would hold so much sway."
The Titan responds, all mouths in unison (not that UNISON):
"Speaks the fool of a living dead man. You fail to understand that this was the plan all along. Not defeated by malcontents. Everything your motley band accomplished was part of the plan. In death, Eldrich had blocked us from the magical fabric of this dimension, but you lot wove our power into the very fabric of this universe. Una became one with this reality, the Nexus was opened. Our other parts were also thwarted by Eldrich, blocked from power, blocked from their treasures. Now we have All. Now WE are ALL."Just then, a portal crackles into existence nearby, the very air hissing with magical energy. Max flies through the portal, followed closely by the black and purple cloaked Serena Vervain, sometimes known as Lady Seven, Master of the Netherworld, and current Herald of Triune, the tripartite god.
The hulking brute nods his shaggy head, cracks his bloody fists with a peg toothed grin then turns back toward the looming Titan...
Max closes the portal behind Serena when she enters the prime dimension cutting from her Netherworld power source. He pivots in mid air surveying the ruinscape looking awesome. He spots Gracie and Eoten nearby and calls out, "ready, you two? Get her amulet off."
With a twist of his fingers and illuminated sigils rotating around his wrists, while he closes the distance with Serena, he creates a powerful portal of Portheus in front of Serena, the knight, and giant.