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magisteriaexe2024-12-21 04:58 pm
magisteriamods) wrote in magisteriaexe2024-12-21 04:58 pm
Event #004: Symphony of Disruption, Part II and Conclusion
🌠 The Symphony of Disruption 🌠
Part II: The Darkness (Continued)
Okay, guys. Here is the conclusion of the event.
After this event, there will be an epilogue with info drops explaining the nature of the Phantom entity. This event itself contains a couple of info drops. I was going to do more, but it's already so long, lol. I put some of the monologuing under dropdowns so that people can engage with it or scroll by to get to the action if they prefer. As this event constitutes a year's end send off to the game, I think of it as a holiday/end of year gift to you all. Thank you all very much for being a part of this game with me! I've had fun and I'm excited to continue in the new year. I hope you will all have fun with this event! As always, if there is anything I can do to facilitate or if you have any questions, please do reach out.
City in Turmoil
Otherworlders who have survived until now will find that time no longer seems to have meaning. Has it been hours? Days? Weeks? The strangeness is that time has passed, and yet it has not. By now, most of the locals are nowhere to be seen. Even the dancers from before seem to have faded into the background or disappeared altogether.
Otherworlders, both those who were corrupted, and those who have managed to resist the corruption and/or save their comrades, will begin to perceive that they mostly seem to be alone within the city streets. It's as if the people of the district simply vanished, leaving no notice. Before, it was assumed that most of the natives were making their way to Evergreen Terrace, or that they had already done so, but now, there may be an aura of uncertainty. For the first time, High Rise Village is truly a ghost district.
Still, the twisted, discordant notes of music play on. Frequently, the notes become sharp and off-tune, each note jarring the senses. To Otherworlders, there may seem to be no rhyme or reason to any of this, mere anarchy, but it might also be supposed that the musical accompaniment to the day's events holds some kind of power unto itself, as if it is part of the vehicle of the Disruption.
Other than the music, which comes and goes with no apparent purpose, much of the once-vibrant High Rise Village now lies in eerie silence, punctuated only by the distorted echoes of distant crashes or bursts of chaotic magic.
The glow of Bios is still present, yet it's strangely smudgy amid the atmosphere of fog and greyness. For the first time, Magisteria begins to look more like a conventional cyberpunk city and less like a more Utopian rendering thereof.
At the center of the city, the gates of the Elysian Grove have closed once more. The spirits cannot be accessed.
Soon, buildings appear distorted or slightly "off," with jagged, glitch-like edges, as though the district itself is fragmenting. Occasionally, walls flicker between solidity and transparency, revealing fleeting glimpses of people -- or are they shadows?
The smog continues to grow denser and even begins to seem almost alive, shifting in ways that block vision or cause the streets to feel labyrinthine. Throughout the air, ash drifts down like snow, covering everything in a thin, gray layer that muffles sound.
All around, elemental chaos continues to wreak havoc. Flames burst unpredictably from broken infrastructure, water from ruptured pipes flows uphill, and gusts of wind howl through narrow alleys like wailing spirits. The assumption that the locals fled to Evergreen Terrace no longer holds weight: even those who were clearly running for safety earlier -- store owners, children, citizens -- are now nowhere to be found.
As you walk through the district, it is entirely possible for paranoia and stirrings of madness to begin to take hold, even if you have managed to fight off the full corruption. The problem is that the district itself seems to have become corrupt.
The twisted notes of music persist, though the source remains maddeningly elusive.
No matter the efforts the Otherworlders expend in fighting off the corruption that has overtaken the district, everything seems to deepen. Flickers of black veins appear on reflective surfaces -- mirrors, puddles, even polished steel -- hinting at the digital corruption encroaching on reality. Occasionally, an Otherworlder might hear their own voice echo back at them, distorted and filled with malice.
The twisted notes of music suddenly crescendo, shifting from discordant to a piercing, overwhelming cacophony. Reality begins to unravel. Streets shatter like glass, replaced by jagged, pixelated voids. Buildings flicker, glitch, and distort, their forms merging and splitting in impossible ways. Blackened, crackling veins of corruption spread rapidly, consuming everything they touch. The corruption affects the Otherworlders directly, blackening their skin with digital scars and fragmenting their perception of reality. Those infected experience hallucinations, such as:
Familiar faces taunting you, accusing you of failure.
Visions of loved ones or past mistakes.
Distorted versions of yourselves laughing mockingly.
The fire surges become sentient, coiling into serpent-like forms that lash out at anything nearby. Tornadoes twist into spiked vortexes, ripping apart anything in their path. Waves of water surge unnaturally, crashing down from above as if the very air is drowning the city.
Your sense of time and space becomes unreliable.
Endless Streets: They seem to run in circles, until you find yourself back where you started.
Reality Overwrites: Walls shift mid-step, closing paths or leading into danger.
Reality fragments, and the jagged edges close together as the city collapses and presses down, as the pavements and buildings and surfaces upend themselves, and even the strongest Otherworlders will find that reality itself is a cutting, immovable force of pure pressure, capable of rending limbs and tearing at the mind and body and leaving nothing but blood, despair, hopelessness... a vortex of shadows and
From everywhere, from nowhere, a voice taunts:
“̴̢̨̯̝̭̲̹͔͓͇͚̪͚̠͑͒̈͊̄͑̀̅̓̀͘͜͝W̶̬͕̩̰͐͑̀͐͐̊̂͝͝ḥ̵͔̻̹̞̜̪̲͎̳̉̂̓̈́͠͝a̴̛̹̽̑̈́͋̋̃̃t̴̡̡̛̛̗͍͙̪̗́͗͗̋͐̃̋͝͝’̷̢̢̻̬̠͖͓͇̭̞̹̀̋͋̈̚͜͝s̸̨̡̺͉̠̙̩̣͎̆͂̃̆͋́̅̇͝ ̷̡̡̟̠̼̰̳̇w̷̡̢̢̛͍̺͖͕̜̥͉̤̲͙͓̠̏̊̿̾̑̋͠͠ṙ̴͇̓̒͒͊̿̽͌̊̂͒͐̚͘͝o̸̺̱̥͕̮͜͝n̵̛̛̥̤̟̞̼̗̜̐͛͒̌̈́͊͂̈́͋͘͜͠g̵̞̼̟͚̞͒̇?̵̳̺͓͎͕̝̦͕̩͔̮̜̘̘̏͂̋̍̌͝ ̴̛̜͇͖̖̦̑͛̏̀̍̃̍͠L̶̡̞͙̫͉͚̫̉̐̑̅̑̀͑͂̒̚o̷̺̠̖̘̬͋́͆̂͝ş̴̪̝̜͎̗̊͂̽̈̾̃́̀͋̓̽͗̈́̕̚ͅĭ̸̢̨̭̬̟̥̜̳̘̩̼̱n̴̢̧̧̮͇̤̦̊̄̈̓̈́̎́̇̄̄̿͜͠͝ģ̴̪̗̲̲̳̂̾̐̔̐͗̉̾̇̋̆̀͋̈͘ͅ ̷͖́̂͠ÿ̸̛̙̺̟̟̙́̄̎̎̏̀͋̈́́o̷̧͙̲̘̔̉̇́̎́̑̅̾̿͠ư̷̜͐̇̈́̂͋͘ṛ̷̨̡̨̨͇̻̪̠̫͔̭͉͋̂̆̾͛͗͆̒̈͋͠ͅ ̸̨̯͙̜̜̘͓̮̬̭̠̩̩͍̘͒͗͋̈́̈̓̄̾̔͝g̷̭̘̖͕̝̋̀̍́͗́͐̏͊̑̐̕̚r̸̦̠̩̪̿í̶̡̲̺̮͇̭̳̔̾̿̽̀͑̐͛̃̍̓̈́p̷̗̳͍̝̙̺͎̀͗̏̍̌̚ ̶̛̛̘̝̮̘͎͚̭͉͚̳̒̔̃̀̿͊̅̓͛̓̕ǫ̷̹̭̫͂̇̄͒̊̂͌̑̈́̒̉̕̕͜n̵̨̧̢̛̩͕̩͈̼̗̞̙͍̙̙͗̇̔ͅ ̶̧̼͚͍͖̞̳̳̺̲͈̹͈̭̇y̷̖̬̱͐́̈̐̋̃̈́̂͜͠ọ̵͙̟͎̮͇͙̳͔̳̓̈́͌̀͜ŭ̷̘̻̭̞̒͋̂̏̈̽̾̎̋͌ͅṟ̴̛̯̪͂͆̀̅͘͘ ̷̣̥͈̦̮̹͂͐͊̾̈́̈́͘͠ͅŝ̷̯͙̦̼̥̈̓͊͠ö̶̡̡͇̦̖̣̱̪͚́̂͊̐̅̊͑͑̒͘̚̕͝-̴͍̭͕͕̯̲͉̩͑̇̽̎̈́͌́̇̆͝č̷̡̨̰̝̙̘̦͚̦͓̗͚̯̻̱̈́̈̒̅̄́͒̌̾̀͘͝ą̶͓͚͎͚͉̪̈́͆̀̕l̴̨̡̜̗̘̼̜͙͉̩̦͒̌̈́̔̅́͂̏̏͋͜͝͠l̷̢͇̭̫̥̖̣͎͕͍͐ͅȩ̷̫̣̟͙̄͌̑́̃͗͑͋́̌͛ḑ̸̬̯̦̈́͗̄̊͑̀̿̕ ̶̟͛̾̊͂͗̅̑͑̌̕r̶̢̖̫̖͖͈̼̮̝̰̺͈͉͇͆̎͛̅̀e̵̻̰͖̯̠̟͚͔̗͙̿̐̅̎̓̍͜ȃ̸̡͇̙͍̥̥̝͍̦̰̄͌l̴̠̪͑̀͐̑͑̕͝i̸̛̠͇͙̾̏̄̈́̆̿̐̑ṭ̶̌̏͋̉͑͗̇y̸̨͔̳͈̣̥̥̗̺̝͍̘͒͐̕?̷̨͈̥̤͉̻̀̀́̃̀́̽̿̓̍͋͠
"Don’t worry -- I’ll help you break free. Permanently."
🌠 The Symphony of Disruption 🌠
It's a little hazy, at first -- the change. It's like when you begin to awaken from a dream which lingers on the edge of your consciousness.
For the first time, you hear a sound besides the discordant music and the agony of the city in its state of upheaval. It's a voice. A familiar, mirthful, electronically-tinged, but distinctly feminine voice.
If blackened veins of corruption were streaking your arms or legs, you will now find them abating. If you were dead, or bleeding, or bereft of a body part (one or more), you will find yourself suddenly, jarringly whole, present, alert. More than coming out of a dream, it's a pure jolt to the system: like awakening on a surgical table after general anaesthesia has worn off.
All around you, whether holographic or real, there are familiar faces.
A figure appears, perhaps a projection, encased in a halo of pure golden light.
As Arwyn speaks, Otherworlders will behold a flash of golden light. Like the colors they first beheld on entering Magisteria, it will even suffuse behind closed eyelids. The world itself seems to pause as all who are present witness the vision of something monumental. Amid the manifestation of pure Bios, brighter than ever, there's a sense of presence, the shared memory of the beings of Magisteria working together. Otherworlders will see glimpses of the vast and labyrinthine technology of the Aetherium District, and they will also behold Soraya, not riddled with anxiety, but elevated to her undiluted state when in the stabilizing presence of her Master, as a being of raw celestial power.
In the distance, beneath the fire-tinged sky... it awaits you all...
Inside of the Central Control Center [the “brain” stabilizing elemental magic and technology for High Rise Village], Otherworlders will encounter a chaotic environment: flashing simulations and erratic outbursts of corrupted code manifesting as physical hazards.
The unstable terrain morphs, revealing phantom screens that flash cackling, shifting faces. Most contain the skeletal features that are Phantom Cipher’s trademark, though some appear monstrous, like shadows. Fragments of consciousness are rendered on full cinematic display through the power of Magisterian simulation.
The voice echoes throughout and amid the structures. It is drenched with derision, which, this close, Otherworlders will feel, but they will also perceive flickers of uncertainty: feelings of rejection and confusion.
And the broadcast cuts off.
The digital projections commence into a final splintering, shattering, with the flickering lights and the unsteady, shifting terrain coming together to at last reveal the hidden figure(s) whom everyone has been seeking.
Otherworlders, both those who were corrupted, and those who have managed to resist the corruption and/or save their comrades, will begin to perceive that they mostly seem to be alone within the city streets. It's as if the people of the district simply vanished, leaving no notice. Before, it was assumed that most of the natives were making their way to Evergreen Terrace, or that they had already done so, but now, there may be an aura of uncertainty. For the first time, High Rise Village is truly a ghost district.
Still, the twisted, discordant notes of music play on. Frequently, the notes become sharp and off-tune, each note jarring the senses. To Otherworlders, there may seem to be no rhyme or reason to any of this, mere anarchy, but it might also be supposed that the musical accompaniment to the day's events holds some kind of power unto itself, as if it is part of the vehicle of the Disruption.
Other than the music, which comes and goes with no apparent purpose, much of the once-vibrant High Rise Village now lies in eerie silence, punctuated only by the distorted echoes of distant crashes or bursts of chaotic magic.
The glow of Bios is still present, yet it's strangely smudgy amid the atmosphere of fog and greyness. For the first time, Magisteria begins to look more like a conventional cyberpunk city and less like a more Utopian rendering thereof.
The Ghost City
At the center of the city, the gates of the Elysian Grove have closed once more. The spirits cannot be accessed.
Soon, buildings appear distorted or slightly "off," with jagged, glitch-like edges, as though the district itself is fragmenting. Occasionally, walls flicker between solidity and transparency, revealing fleeting glimpses of people -- or are they shadows?
The smog continues to grow denser and even begins to seem almost alive, shifting in ways that block vision or cause the streets to feel labyrinthine. Throughout the air, ash drifts down like snow, covering everything in a thin, gray layer that muffles sound.
All around, elemental chaos continues to wreak havoc. Flames burst unpredictably from broken infrastructure, water from ruptured pipes flows uphill, and gusts of wind howl through narrow alleys like wailing spirits. The assumption that the locals fled to Evergreen Terrace no longer holds weight: even those who were clearly running for safety earlier -- store owners, children, citizens -- are now nowhere to be found.
As you walk through the district, it is entirely possible for paranoia and stirrings of madness to begin to take hold, even if you have managed to fight off the full corruption. The problem is that the district itself seems to have become corrupt.
The twisted notes of music persist, though the source remains maddeningly elusive.
The Breaking Point
No matter the efforts the Otherworlders expend in fighting off the corruption that has overtaken the district, everything seems to deepen. Flickers of black veins appear on reflective surfaces -- mirrors, puddles, even polished steel -- hinting at the digital corruption encroaching on reality. Occasionally, an Otherworlder might hear their own voice echo back at them, distorted and filled with malice.
The twisted notes of music suddenly crescendo, shifting from discordant to a piercing, overwhelming cacophony. Reality begins to unravel. Streets shatter like glass, replaced by jagged, pixelated voids. Buildings flicker, glitch, and distort, their forms merging and splitting in impossible ways. Blackened, crackling veins of corruption spread rapidly, consuming everything they touch. The corruption affects the Otherworlders directly, blackening their skin with digital scars and fragmenting their perception of reality. Those infected experience hallucinations, such as:
Visions of loved ones or past mistakes.
Distorted versions of yourselves laughing mockingly.
The fire surges become sentient, coiling into serpent-like forms that lash out at anything nearby. Tornadoes twist into spiked vortexes, ripping apart anything in their path. Waves of water surge unnaturally, crashing down from above as if the very air is drowning the city.
Your sense of time and space becomes unreliable.
Endless Streets: They seem to run in circles, until you find yourself back where you started.
Reality Overwrites: Walls shift mid-step, closing paths or leading into danger.
Reality fragments, and the jagged edges close together as the city collapses and presses down, as the pavements and buildings and surfaces upend themselves, and even the strongest Otherworlders will find that reality itself is a cutting, immovable force of pure pressure, capable of rending limbs and tearing at the mind and body and leaving nothing but blood, despair, hopelessness... a vortex of shadows and
“̴̢̨̯̝̭̲̹͔͓͇͚̪͚̠͑͒̈͊̄͑̀̅̓̀͘͜͝W̶̬͕̩̰͐͑̀͐͐̊̂͝͝ḥ̵͔̻̹̞̜̪̲͎̳̉̂̓̈́͠͝a̴̛̹̽̑̈́͋̋̃̃t̴̡̡̛̛̗͍͙̪̗́͗͗̋͐̃̋͝͝’̷̢̢̻̬̠͖͓͇̭̞̹̀̋͋̈̚͜͝s̸̨̡̺͉̠̙̩̣͎̆͂̃̆͋́̅̇͝ ̷̡̡̟̠̼̰̳̇w̷̡̢̢̛͍̺͖͕̜̥͉̤̲͙͓̠̏̊̿̾̑̋͠͠ṙ̴͇̓̒͒͊̿̽͌̊̂͒͐̚͘͝o̸̺̱̥͕̮͜͝n̵̛̛̥̤̟̞̼̗̜̐͛͒̌̈́͊͂̈́͋͘͜͠g̵̞̼̟͚̞͒̇?̵̳̺͓͎͕̝̦͕̩͔̮̜̘̘̏͂̋̍̌͝ ̴̛̜͇͖̖̦̑͛̏̀̍̃̍͠L̶̡̞͙̫͉͚̫̉̐̑̅̑̀͑͂̒̚o̷̺̠̖̘̬͋́͆̂͝ş̴̪̝̜͎̗̊͂̽̈̾̃́̀͋̓̽͗̈́̕̚ͅĭ̸̢̨̭̬̟̥̜̳̘̩̼̱n̴̢̧̧̮͇̤̦̊̄̈̓̈́̎́̇̄̄̿͜͠͝ģ̴̪̗̲̲̳̂̾̐̔̐͗̉̾̇̋̆̀͋̈͘ͅ ̷͖́̂͠ÿ̸̛̙̺̟̟̙́̄̎̎̏̀͋̈́́o̷̧͙̲̘̔̉̇́̎́̑̅̾̿͠ư̷̜͐̇̈́̂͋͘ṛ̷̨̡̨̨͇̻̪̠̫͔̭͉͋̂̆̾͛͗͆̒̈͋͠ͅ ̸̨̯͙̜̜̘͓̮̬̭̠̩̩͍̘͒͗͋̈́̈̓̄̾̔͝g̷̭̘̖͕̝̋̀̍́͗́͐̏͊̑̐̕̚r̸̦̠̩̪̿í̶̡̲̺̮͇̭̳̔̾̿̽̀͑̐͛̃̍̓̈́p̷̗̳͍̝̙̺͎̀͗̏̍̌̚ ̶̛̛̘̝̮̘͎͚̭͉͚̳̒̔̃̀̿͊̅̓͛̓̕ǫ̷̹̭̫͂̇̄͒̊̂͌̑̈́̒̉̕̕͜n̵̨̧̢̛̩͕̩͈̼̗̞̙͍̙̙͗̇̔ͅ ̶̧̼͚͍͖̞̳̳̺̲͈̹͈̭̇y̷̖̬̱͐́̈̐̋̃̈́̂͜͠ọ̵͙̟͎̮͇͙̳͔̳̓̈́͌̀͜ŭ̷̘̻̭̞̒͋̂̏̈̽̾̎̋͌ͅṟ̴̛̯̪͂͆̀̅͘͘ ̷̣̥͈̦̮̹͂͐͊̾̈́̈́͘͠ͅŝ̷̯͙̦̼̥̈̓͊͠ö̶̡̡͇̦̖̣̱̪͚́̂͊̐̅̊͑͑̒͘̚̕͝-̴͍̭͕͕̯̲͉̩͑̇̽̎̈́͌́̇̆͝č̷̡̨̰̝̙̘̦͚̦͓̗͚̯̻̱̈́̈̒̅̄́͒̌̾̀͘͝ą̶͓͚͎͚͉̪̈́͆̀̕l̴̨̡̜̗̘̼̜͙͉̩̦͒̌̈́̔̅́͂̏̏͋͜͝͠l̷̢͇̭̫̥̖̣͎͕͍͐ͅȩ̷̫̣̟͙̄͌̑́̃͗͑͋́̌͛ḑ̸̬̯̦̈́͗̄̊͑̀̿̕ ̶̟͛̾̊͂͗̅̑͑̌̕r̶̢̖̫̖͖͈̼̮̝̰̺͈͉͇͆̎͛̅̀e̵̻̰͖̯̠̟͚͔̗͙̿̐̅̎̓̍͜ȃ̸̡͇̙͍̥̥̝͍̦̰̄͌l̴̠̪͑̀͐̑͑̕͝i̸̛̠͇͙̾̏̄̈́̆̿̐̑ṭ̶̌̏͋̉͑͗̇y̸̨͔̳͈̣̥̥̗̺̝͍̘͒͐̕?̷̨͈̥̤͉̻̀̀́̃̀́̽̿̓̍͋͠
"Don’t worry -- I’ll help you break free. Permanently."
🌠 The Symphony of Disruption 🌠
Part II: The Dawn
For the first time, you hear a sound besides the discordant music and the agony of the city in its state of upheaval. It's a voice. A familiar, mirthful, electronically-tinged, but distinctly feminine voice.
So this is what Cipher is capable of, eh? I have to say, I'm actually kinda impressed despite myself. I might even have to visit him in the holding facility after all this. It's not often we get enemies who muster a real challenge, so you guys'll forgive us for being kinda excited... yeesh, though I wonder if his Boss is augmenting his powers here?
In any case, I find it hard to believe he thought he could win against Lord Valethorn.
It's an impressive effort, I grant: this level of destruction would have an ordinary city in shambles for weeks, months, or maybe longer. But, yanno, as we keep saying, we're not exactly an ordinary city. It's an impressive effort, but against the people who battled █████, you gotta up your game, son.
Anyway, sorry to keep you guys waiting! It takes time to create a Miracle!
It's an impressive effort, I grant: this level of destruction would have an ordinary city in shambles for weeks, months, or maybe longer. But, yanno, as we keep saying, we're not exactly an ordinary city. It's an impressive effort, but against the people who battled █████, you gotta up your game, son.
Anyway, sorry to keep you guys waiting! It takes time to create a Miracle!
All around you, whether holographic or real, there are familiar faces.
Ava: I've managed to analyze that music. As you might expect, it contains something like a virus which is affecting the algorithms and digital interfaces of the city. Basically, it's creating a twisted simulation which is trying to overtake and re-shape the reality of High Rise Village. That's what you guys have been dealing with... and some of it has in fact become frighteningly real.
You have all done well on this day.
Otherworlders, I have come here to speak to you about two matters. One is the restoration of High Rise Village and the other is the final confrontation with the entity known as Phantom Cipher.
First, I thank you for your efforts so far. You need not worry about the district itself any longer: going forward, I shall be restoring order and restoring the people to themselves. As the arbiter, this is my duty.
Now, you may witness the nature of our Miracle.
Otherworlders, I have come here to speak to you about two matters. One is the restoration of High Rise Village and the other is the final confrontation with the entity known as Phantom Cipher.
First, I thank you for your efforts so far. You need not worry about the district itself any longer: going forward, I shall be restoring order and restoring the people to themselves. As the arbiter, this is my duty.
Now, you may witness the nature of our Miracle.
As Arwyn speaks, Otherworlders will behold a flash of golden light. Like the colors they first beheld on entering Magisteria, it will even suffuse behind closed eyelids. The world itself seems to pause as all who are present witness the vision of something monumental. Amid the manifestation of pure Bios, brighter than ever, there's a sense of presence, the shared memory of the beings of Magisteria working together. Otherworlders will see glimpses of the vast and labyrinthine technology of the Aetherium District, and they will also behold Soraya, not riddled with anxiety, but elevated to her undiluted state when in the stabilizing presence of her Master, as a being of raw celestial power.
Let me explain. Knowing that an attack of this nature was coming, we coordinated with the Council for Technological Advancement to create a digital replica of every structure and person within High Rise Village. I am now augmenting Soraya's powers so that she may channel her magic to restore the organic essence to all that we have translated as digital blueprints of code. All those who have died or been grievously injured will be restored to their previous state. Our city's structures will likewise be reconstituted.
Of course, Soraya and I will both be greatly weakened afterwards: to revive the dead and reset the world is indeed a Miracle typically belonging only to the domain of the gods. And make no mistake, weakening me was always the true objective here. But... perhaps it is fitting. Everything that has happened... the events involving the Fractured and the entities known as Lysa the White Phantom and Phantom Cipher... it is all because of me. Focused only on the pursuit of a perfect world, I have myself made grievous errors -- errors which have resulted in this outcome, and after this day, I must try to make matters right with these beings.
Seeing you all fighting valiantly, I realized I could not let you do all the work. The nature of the paradise city cannot be mere talk, nor confined to the awe occasioned by fancy clubs and flashy technological innovations. The true Magisteria, what you now behold, is the ideology of my old mentor, the Architect, who believed that greatness is found only in the will of all beings to care for one another.
Now, I will point you in the direction of the Central Control Center, the Elemental Nexus, where the final battle will transpire. Do not worry. My colleagues and I will not steal your thunder. I am not asking you to fight our battles, but... this is your battle, your moment of glory for the spark of heroism that lies within each of you.
Emet-Selch, you have questioned why you may walk such a path within our world. You had as well question why any being may live at all. The end and the purpose are the same. Seeing the relationships between you and Azem, Rhea'li, Elidibus, and Erichthonios, I am reminded of the bonds between the great beings and the spirits of Magisteria in the days of old. I thank you for the respect you have shown our spirits and our world. Azem and Erichthonios, I thank for their kindness to our world's creatures. Rhea'li, I thank you for the grace you have shown my workers. Elidibus, you have done well in rescuing lost souls during this time. I say this also to Libra, Musashi, and William.
To the newcomers: Katsuki and Ochako, you have fought with incredible bravery irrespective of your youth. Great shall be your rewards for the assistance you have fearlessly brought, and so soon after your arrivals to our world, nonetheless. Katsuki, your protective spirit towards Alice is commendable. I shall see that you all have a chance for peace and rest after everything. Please see to it that Sunny is also able to have rest. This has been quite the beginning, and we must make it up to you all.
Lucy Kushinada... you are correct to retain some cynicism. May that be your shield, but do not be afraid to embrace the philosophy of our city-state. Heroism is not limited to beings who wear this title formally, such as Gilgamesh, Musashi, William, or Rhea'li. It is a trait which every person is capable of finding within themselves should a spark and an occasion arise. Among the Otherworlders, your technological abilities are needed. Remember, it was you that Phantom Cipher challenged directly.
Musashi, your fearless dedication to challenging adversaries regardless of their strength is to be commended. You truly embody the will of a Magisterian. Just as those who have not called themselves heroes may yet find that spark, may those such as yourself and Gilgamesh, who have already won that title, make this your moment.
Dr. Ratio, thank you for acting as a companion to our Librarian. It is not often that such a being may find camaraderie in another. Your intelligence and adaptability to technology will also be needed on this day of our peril.
Crowley, Sparkle, thank you for bringing entertainment to the beings of our world. Do not be afraid to seek room for your talents amongst us.
And lastly, Sakura, thank you for asking for the insight of our dear Seraphine. She will be following up with you and the others shortly. The next generation... that is our future.
Finally, as the one who has overseen your gifts and your journeys here... I am proud of you all, and I think in the core of each of you lies the will of our city-state. Thank you for visiting our Magisteria.
Of course, Soraya and I will both be greatly weakened afterwards: to revive the dead and reset the world is indeed a Miracle typically belonging only to the domain of the gods. And make no mistake, weakening me was always the true objective here. But... perhaps it is fitting. Everything that has happened... the events involving the Fractured and the entities known as Lysa the White Phantom and Phantom Cipher... it is all because of me. Focused only on the pursuit of a perfect world, I have myself made grievous errors -- errors which have resulted in this outcome, and after this day, I must try to make matters right with these beings.
Seeing you all fighting valiantly, I realized I could not let you do all the work. The nature of the paradise city cannot be mere talk, nor confined to the awe occasioned by fancy clubs and flashy technological innovations. The true Magisteria, what you now behold, is the ideology of my old mentor, the Architect, who believed that greatness is found only in the will of all beings to care for one another.
Arwyn Valethorn's message to the Otherworlders, Before the Final Conflict
Now, I will point you in the direction of the Central Control Center, the Elemental Nexus, where the final battle will transpire. Do not worry. My colleagues and I will not steal your thunder. I am not asking you to fight our battles, but... this is your battle, your moment of glory for the spark of heroism that lies within each of you.
Emet-Selch, you have questioned why you may walk such a path within our world. You had as well question why any being may live at all. The end and the purpose are the same. Seeing the relationships between you and Azem, Rhea'li, Elidibus, and Erichthonios, I am reminded of the bonds between the great beings and the spirits of Magisteria in the days of old. I thank you for the respect you have shown our spirits and our world. Azem and Erichthonios, I thank for their kindness to our world's creatures. Rhea'li, I thank you for the grace you have shown my workers. Elidibus, you have done well in rescuing lost souls during this time. I say this also to Libra, Musashi, and William.
To the newcomers: Katsuki and Ochako, you have fought with incredible bravery irrespective of your youth. Great shall be your rewards for the assistance you have fearlessly brought, and so soon after your arrivals to our world, nonetheless. Katsuki, your protective spirit towards Alice is commendable. I shall see that you all have a chance for peace and rest after everything. Please see to it that Sunny is also able to have rest. This has been quite the beginning, and we must make it up to you all.
Lucy Kushinada... you are correct to retain some cynicism. May that be your shield, but do not be afraid to embrace the philosophy of our city-state. Heroism is not limited to beings who wear this title formally, such as Gilgamesh, Musashi, William, or Rhea'li. It is a trait which every person is capable of finding within themselves should a spark and an occasion arise. Among the Otherworlders, your technological abilities are needed. Remember, it was you that Phantom Cipher challenged directly.
Musashi, your fearless dedication to challenging adversaries regardless of their strength is to be commended. You truly embody the will of a Magisterian. Just as those who have not called themselves heroes may yet find that spark, may those such as yourself and Gilgamesh, who have already won that title, make this your moment.
Dr. Ratio, thank you for acting as a companion to our Librarian. It is not often that such a being may find camaraderie in another. Your intelligence and adaptability to technology will also be needed on this day of our peril.
Crowley, Sparkle, thank you for bringing entertainment to the beings of our world. Do not be afraid to seek room for your talents amongst us.
And lastly, Sakura, thank you for asking for the insight of our dear Seraphine. She will be following up with you and the others shortly. The next generation... that is our future.
Finally, as the one who has overseen your gifts and your journeys here... I am proud of you all, and I think in the core of each of you lies the will of our city-state. Thank you for visiting our Magisteria.
🌠 The Final Conflict 🌠
Inside of the Central Control Center [the “brain” stabilizing elemental magic and technology for High Rise Village], Otherworlders will encounter a chaotic environment: flashing simulations and erratic outbursts of corrupted code manifesting as physical hazards.
The unstable terrain morphs, revealing phantom screens that flash cackling, shifting faces. Most contain the skeletal features that are Phantom Cipher’s trademark, though some appear monstrous, like shadows. Fragments of consciousness are rendered on full cinematic display through the power of Magisterian simulation.
Impressive light show… VERY impressive, if I do say so myself! Though the REAL miracle here was hearing our unelected overlord admit they fucked up… never thought I’d hear 'em make such a confession… well, you Otherworlders really are something, huh?
Really throws an anarchist off his game, yanno? You go out to fight the POWER and the POWER just… says they want to make up and shit. Bet that never happened in Night City, eh, Luce? Guess Magisterians really are built different…
Really throws an anarchist off his game, yanno? You go out to fight the POWER and the POWER just… says they want to make up and shit. Bet that never happened in Night City, eh, Luce? Guess Magisterians really are built different…
The voice echoes throughout and amid the structures. It is drenched with derision, which, this close, Otherworlders will feel, but they will also perceive flickers of uncertainty: feelings of rejection and confusion.
Still, it’d be anti-climactic to just walk away without a fight, huh? After you guys came all this way, you COOOOOL Otherworlders, I’m itching to test your mettle…
And you want answers, right? Want to know how I
b̸͓̑͐́͛͌̐e̴͍͔̤̼̩̹̠͂ͅc̶͖͙̫̦͚̙̀̀a̸̹̱̥̭̽̍̈̋͑̽̄m̵͈̰̦̉̋̄̒̎̏̔͒̽̇̔͂̈́͘͠͠è̴̜̣̮̮̳̥̤͎̯͕͎̫͆́̈́̄̇̊̓̀ ̶͖̩͚̭̰͉̫̣̩͉̪̜̥̲͕͍̐͆̅̅̔͑w̴̆̍̂̍̌̓͐̎́͒͆͜͠͝h̷̢̢̥͎͖͙͚͉̰̞̭̯̺͍̊̒̈́̆͂͑̕͜ͅͅą̷̢̫̠͖̙̰̜̲͖̊̆̊͗̇͒͆ͅt̶̝̳̹͚̩̗̄͑̎͋̈͝ ̶̙̹͈̟̠͊͘i̴̡̦̝̪͎̥̝̯͚͖̫̘̹͙͇͙̅̀́̈́̇͝ͅ ̸̺͇͕̬͙̮͙̼̗͉̬̉͒̔͑̋̃̐̈́́̅͐͛͌͊͝͝ạ̵̱̞̭̤̈͂̃̽̋͝͝m̶͕̻̣̐͊̿̈́́̉̽̐́̕͝
RIGHT?
LOOK AROUND YOU...
b̸͓̑͐́͛͌̐e̴͍͔̤̼̩̹̠͂ͅc̶͖͙̫̦͚̙̀̀a̸̹̱̥̭̽̍̈̋͑̽̄m̵͈̰̦̉̋̄̒̎̏̔͒̽̇̔͂̈́͘͠͠è̴̜̣̮̮̳̥̤͎̯͕͎̫͆́̈́̄̇̊̓̀ ̶͖̩͚̭̰͉̫̣̩͉̪̜̥̲͕͍̐͆̅̅̔͑w̴̆̍̂̍̌̓͐̎́͒͆͜͠͝h̷̢̢̥͎͖͙͚͉̰̞̭̯̺͍̊̒̈́̆͂͑̕͜ͅͅą̷̢̫̠͖̙̰̜̲͖̊̆̊͗̇͒͆ͅt̶̝̳̹͚̩̗̄͑̎͋̈͝ ̶̙̹͈̟̠͊͘i̴̡̦̝̪͎̥̝̯͚͖̫̘̹͙͇͙̅̀́̈́̇͝ͅ ̸̺͇͕̬͙̮͙̼̗͉̬̉͒̔͑̋̃̐̈́́̅͐͛͌͊͝͝ạ̵̱̞̭̤̈͂̃̽̋͝͝m̶͕̻̣̐͊̿̈́́̉̽̐́̕͝
RIGHT?
LOOK AROUND YOU...
🔥 Final Confrontation Activities 🔥
🤖 Reclaim control of the Elemental Control Center’s core systems, which Phantom Cipher has locked down. PCs will need to bypass digital defenses, such as firewalls and encrypted code. These defenses might include shifting digital puzzles like matching binary sequences, reassembling fragmented code, or deactivating traps that might unleash elemental attacks. Corrupted code fragments in the form of monstrous digital glyphs might attack the PCs’ tools/weapons.
🤖 Reprogram elemental generators: rebalance elemental energies spiraling out of control due to the sabotage. There will be console interfaces PCs can access. PCs may encounter “false data” introduced by Cipher. Success will stabilize the district's firestorms, floods, or earthquakes.
🤖 Track Phantom Cipher’s projections: Identify and disable Cipher’s projections to prevent his illusions from interfering. Cipher uses false holographic duplicates or corrupted constructs to mislead and stall the PCs. Tech PCs must analyze patterns in his projections to isolate the real Cipher or his key systems.
🤖 Deploying a counter-virus. Introduce a program that nullifies Cipher’s corruption. Design and deploy a virus while facing off against digital counter-attacks. Phantom Cipher can adapt quickly to PCs’ actions, and his consciousness controls the systems, so this forces quick thinking and skill.🌟 Magic Activities 🌟
🪄 Restore balance to the corrupted elemental energies flowing through the control center. Magic users can perform rituals or cast stabilization spells in key nodes. They may face resistance in the form of corrupted elemental manifestations (e.g., shadowy fire spirits, glitching air elementals).
🪄 Dispel hexes. Cipher’s code weaves hexes into the fabric of the control center, behaving like spells, making objects behave unpredictably (e.g., walls turning into tendrils of code or rooms looping endlessly) Magic users can decipher runes, undo glyphs, or even re-purpose Cipher’s hexes against him.
🪄 Creating magical buffs. Enhance the abilities of tech allies or NPCs to succeed in their tasks. Enchant terminals to increase their responsiveness or ward them against Cipher’s interference. Empower other PCs with temporary resistance to elemental damage or corrupted code.
Meanwhile, The Audio Broadcast . . .
I guess I could give you guys a few clues, huh? Don’t want to tell the whole story yet… I’m sure the Boss will want to go into more detail when you guys meet, but after all this, you Otherworlders have earned a little knowledge. So here we fucking GO …
… you’ve probably already guessed it, right? That, in a city as advanced as Magisteria, there’s abundant experimentation, including human experimentation. Did you fuckers never wonder about the presence of half-human, half-AI girls? Hinting at a truth hiding in plain sight: designer babies, children born with the expectations to push at the boundaries of what is humanly possible.
But unlike the worlds that some of you came from, this wasn’t done for a bunch of corpos. Don’t get me wrong; corpos do exist even in the “paradise city,” but after meeting Arwyn and getting a glimpse of the CTA, you can tell our leaders are a different breed.
No, in the quintessentially Magisterian fashion, everything was done in the name of love.
Because, since ancient times, Magisteria is meant to stand as the bulwark against the threats to other worlds, to the multiverse itself. Maybe this hasn’t been made clear to you guys, so let me spell it out: when another world faces a crisis, they call the Authorities here. Why do you think Minister Brennam is always so busy, or Arwyn had fucked off for so long? Haven’t you ever wondered what’s keeping the “Authorities” so preoccupied?
… oh, there’s something brewing in the background, all right. Something fucking HUGE.
But that’s all shit for later. Like I said… in the name of pride, in the name of love, the people of Magisteria dedicated themselves to creating the most superior citizenry, bringing in Otherworlders – like yourselves – heroes, and creating children who were expected to become Great.
… of course, you might suspect in a ruthless meritocracy, there’s still a lot of fucking red tape. Not everyone was born with the same Bios potentiality. Not all AI or inorganic beings were “created equal.”
In a ruthless meritocracy, everyone wants to be Great. Everyone must be Great. But suppose not everyone can access the “legitimate” channels, like receiving patronage through our overlord “benefactors”... well, then what does one do? How does one move up in the ranks?
You probably already guessed it, huh?
… you’ve probably already guessed it, right? That, in a city as advanced as Magisteria, there’s abundant experimentation, including human experimentation. Did you fuckers never wonder about the presence of half-human, half-AI girls? Hinting at a truth hiding in plain sight: designer babies, children born with the expectations to push at the boundaries of what is humanly possible.
But unlike the worlds that some of you came from, this wasn’t done for a bunch of corpos. Don’t get me wrong; corpos do exist even in the “paradise city,” but after meeting Arwyn and getting a glimpse of the CTA, you can tell our leaders are a different breed.
No, in the quintessentially Magisterian fashion, everything was done in the name of love.
Because, since ancient times, Magisteria is meant to stand as the bulwark against the threats to other worlds, to the multiverse itself. Maybe this hasn’t been made clear to you guys, so let me spell it out: when another world faces a crisis, they call the Authorities here. Why do you think Minister Brennam is always so busy, or Arwyn had fucked off for so long? Haven’t you ever wondered what’s keeping the “Authorities” so preoccupied?
… oh, there’s something brewing in the background, all right. Something fucking HUGE.
But that’s all shit for later. Like I said… in the name of pride, in the name of love, the people of Magisteria dedicated themselves to creating the most superior citizenry, bringing in Otherworlders – like yourselves – heroes, and creating children who were expected to become Great.
… of course, you might suspect in a ruthless meritocracy, there’s still a lot of fucking red tape. Not everyone was born with the same Bios potentiality. Not all AI or inorganic beings were “created equal.”
In a ruthless meritocracy, everyone wants to be Great. Everyone must be Great. But suppose not everyone can access the “legitimate” channels, like receiving patronage through our overlord “benefactors”... well, then what does one do? How does one move up in the ranks?
"But... enough talk... like I said... it'd be anti-climactic if I just let you clean this place up without even putting up a fight, huh?"
And the broadcast cuts off.
The digital projections commence into a final splintering, shattering, with the flickering lights and the unsteady, shifting terrain coming together to at last reveal the hidden figure(s) whom everyone has been seeking.
🔥 BOSS FIGHT 🔥
READY, OTHERWORLDERS?
Phantom Cipher's fractured psyche, which has taken over the Central Control System, augmented by the powers of the Cipher Key, apparates as multiple figures.
[note: these are not official names, just shorthand so you know which iteration is being referred to. all the above pictures are iterations of the same entity, Phantom Cipher. however your character would identify them is fine. ]
#1 The Mecha Monster: skull canon artillery, can stomp the floor to create shockwaves, massive AoE attack that disrupts positioning
Arena Effect: Platforms rise and fall, forcing PCs to move constantly to avoid being crushed or electrocuted.
#2 Feral Android Ver: Along with the "Grim Reaper" form, these two versions are the ones most likely to guard the Cipher Key, so those who go to disable the Cipher Key are likely to encounter them on the corrupted leyline of Vplane. This version can create data spikes and viral vortexes, appearing and disappearing as a glowing, amorphous figure made of shifting code.
#3 The Shadow Creature: Teleports between PCs, slashing with shadowy tendrils. Splits into smaller, weaker shadows that swarm the PCs.
Arena Effect: The room is shrouded in darkness, limiting visibility and forcing PCs to use light sources or magic to locate Cipher.
#4 The Toothy Cyclopsaka Venom Cosplay Cipher: This iteration of Phantom Cipher can launch corrosive, acidic projectiles. It can also drain power from PCs, voraciously "eating" Bios and magical spells.
Arena Effect: The floor becomes covered in sticky, corrosive slime, slowing movement.
#5: The Grim Reaper Throws cards with different effects (e.g., healing himsel(ves), summoning Fractured, or dealing random technological or magical damage).
Death Sweep: Wide, arcing scythe attack that deals massive damage to anything in its path.
Reality Tear: Creates temporary rifts that deal damage and teleport players randomly.
Arena Effect: The battlefield fractures into floating platforms surrounded by endless voids. Falling means temporary banishment until allies can “pull” you back.SUGGESTED STRATEGIES and PC OFFENSE
For this battle, PCs can bring in up to THREE AoEs/ults from their canon powers, but use them JUDICIOUSLY: remember, the "Cyclops" form of Cipher can actually eat powerful attacks/magic/Bios and will try to do so. PCs with brute force fighting abilities -- tanks -- are advised to battle the mecha monster first and disable it. PCs with light affinity or general magic types are going to be strong against the Shadow Creature.
TO FULLY WIN, PCs must disable the Cipher Key [image 2]. It exists on a corrupted area of the Vplane. Magic/tech cooperation will be useful to remove the leyline corruption on the Vplane and then use technological hacking/prowess to peel away the defenses of the Cipher Key. The Cipher Key is the "heart" of Phantom Cipher's power. Augmented by his mysterious "Boss," it allows him to flex these powers. Until the Cipher Key is disabled, Cipher will keep using it to supply Umbra, allowing for all these manifestations. Once the Cipher Key is disabled, Cipher's forms will weaken and begin to collapse, allowing for ease of victory. The challenge is distracting each form while simultaneously going after the Cipher Key.What You Can Use
PCs can use everything from the game so far: they can use advanced Magisterian tech weapons, any tech knowledge they've learned, their Blessings from the spirit Grove, the Bursterflies and Lepidoperatives, their Gifts, and they can even tap into drawing power from the NPCs. Each PC is currently being augmented by Arwyn's latent Manifestation of "Absolute Perfection," meaning every PC will be functioning at 120% of their savvy, intelligence, skill, etc. There will often be a feeling of "knowing exactly what they must do," even if they're not as tech or magic savvy normally; PCs can share powers via Synthesis or even tap into the powers of NPC allies; because the arena is charged with the power of High Rise Village "Writ Large," literally everything in High Rise Village can be tapped into as a power source, and NPCs are passively lending psychological/spiritual support in the background. Literally everything in the game so far and a high amount of canon powers are fair game.
The anti-corruption technology PCs gained from their battles with the Fractured may also come in handy... though in some cases, it might also come in handy to try to reverse the theory -- that is, creating/implanting a counter virus in some of Phantom Cipher's forms. Wink wink: have fun, go wild, get creative.
MOD QUESTIONS
Bakugou Katsuki | My Hero Academia
💣 ii. Our Fight Song 💣
ii
The city is unfamiliar still, even restored by the miracle, but she follows the sound of music to the central public square where Katsuki is set up and broadcasting from and sets straight to work. She doesn't dare interrupt Katsuki or anyone else performing. She does make eye contact with him and nod with grim determination.
Carmina stands before the performance, facing away, and breathes deeply. She lets herself remember the people she used to fight for. She feels her sadness for their struggles and her fury at their oppressors. No matter where she goes, people are hurting, and someone is always denying that truth. It's not like she knows Katsuki, really...but his words tell her a lot. That he has seen that oppression, that denial of the truth, that suppression of the common man. That he has fought against the unjust and the cruel, on the behalf of the hurt and the frightened. She has done so in the only way she's ever known - protest, demonstration, empowering the voices that are drowned out, making the truth unedniable and visible even when people try to avert their eyes.
Carmina lets the tip of the Inkspire glow an iridescent reddish-pinkish hue with the heat of her conviction, and then with bold, broad strokes in the air, she dances to the song and she makes her art.
Dozens of inky crows, pulsing with an almost bloody spectral sheen that seems to move with the beat of the music around them, take flight from the quill's tip. They carry the sound with them as they soar, amplifying the music and carrying it through the streets, across the roof tops, into the alleyways. She imbues each crow with her intention to protect and empower those who hear Katsuki's song - anyone can harness one of these enchanced crows to strengthen their own bios temporarily simply by reaching out towards one in flight. It will dive down to be absorbed willingly.
She will do what she does best. What she has always done best. She will stand with the people who refuse to be intimidated into silence. And she will make these people heard. ]
OOC Plotting for: Carmina Mora (The Artist)
- Carmina is harnessing Katsuki's song to empower her bios and share it freely during the height of the event by sending out more inky crows that are glowing with an ephemeral red sheen. They carry the literal sound of the music Katsuki's playing and can be heard flying throughout the city.
- Anyone can harness one of these enchanced crows to strengthen their own bios temporarily simply by reaching out towards one in flight. It will dive down to be absorbed willingly. If you'd like to absorb a crow as a momentary power up, DO IT. Whether you use it to strengthen an attack, empower a utility skill, ward against an effect, or even heal a bit, go for it!!
- (Also consider replying here if you do so I can snoop excitedly. This is a purely selfish request so I can bounce up and down about being helpful and see what you do with it.)
- That will take up like almost all of her actual bios probably but if you need someone to just quite literally have a knife in combat, she can make her hand a knife instead of a hand, so like. Tell me what you need and we can figure out how she can show up and help!!
Carmina will be focusing on defending and empowering others this event in general, but has some powers thanks to her welcome gift that may be of particular use if anyone wants to coordinate a direct effort to get at the key or stabilize an area:
- She can draw glyphs to suppress magical energy, which may allow her to slow down or halt corrupted nodes within the Elemental Control Center’s core systems.
- She may be able to add lines to Cipher's hex glyphs to repurpose/hijack them for our purposes.
- She can create crows that can scout ahead - maybe even send what they're seeing back to a private network channel?
I'm going to put up an open top level, but if anyone wants to organize a multi-person thread with Carmina to go after a specific objective with a plan, just say the word here!!!
lucy kushinada | cyberpunk: edgerunners
[ Being in an empty city is fucking unnerving.
Lucy's seen Night City in all different shades and flavors -- the sunset post-work rush, the midnight revelry, the dawn almost-stillness -- but she'd never been truly alone in it, not even in back alleys at 3am, not even in her own apartment. Magisteria's new state is disturbing, but in a way, Lucy's glad that the civilians are gone. She knows that Arywn and Soraya are working on something to restore the city from this corrupted state, and until then, it's good that the civilians aren't here having to deal with this.
Until then... it's pretty fucking lonely. Lucy likes it.
She's prowling the Entertainment District to make sure that there really is nobody left, poking into bars and nightclubs just to see if there's any poor bastards trying to hide from the chaos. Her Bursterfly is fluttering above her, outputting a harmonious hum to combat the discordant notes blaring throughout the city, and alerting her to any incoming glitches. The very air itself seems thick with ash that glitches when it hits the ground, back alleys snaking into figure eights, windows breaking and re-forming and re-breaking as she walks past them.
When she encounters another Otherworlders, Lucy comes to a stop, head tipping up to look at the sky. Fire is burning through the buildings in a serpentine shape. ]
If that drops on us, we'd better fucking run. You got me, choom?
[ Back home, Lucy had been trusted with jobs before, but never anything like this. As a kid, her Arasaka handlers had given her the more challenging dives into the Old Net, directing her towards the areas with the most jagged ICE and the worst of the old AI, knowing she could handle it. As a netrunner, her old boss Maine had trusted her to be the backup, knowing that she could hack into just about any system she'd laid digital eyes on.
But when she'd gotten her gift upgraded, it had come with one hell of a responsibility.
The gem she'd been given, she's strung on a necklace and hidden under the high collar of her white and purple bodysuit. It'll allow her to perform a crazy upgraded version of Synthesis, which is one fucking good weapon to have tucked up her sleeve. Having been tasked with fighting the big boss, the Phantom Cipher, well-- that's a pretty big job. Bigger than she's ever been given.
Standing at the entrance to the Central Control System, Lucy cranes her neck to look up at the skyscraper. Phantom screens are flickering to life outside the doors, a grinning face beaming outward. His voice is crackling around them, and despite herself, Lucy is smiling.
He really does sound exactly like an edgerunner. It's a pity he's attacking everyone, and not just the people that deserve it.
She turns to look at the person that's volunteered to go with her, pupils glowing digital orange as she reaches feelers into the building. ]
There's all sorts of techno fuckery going on inside there. I can't tell you exactly what, yet, but he's got everything going. Puzzles, digital disrupters, probably every kind of reality glitch he can think of. You ready?
Libra | Fire Emblem: Awakening
Final Confrontation
[ooc: I'm also up for wildcards, if someone wants to come to him for healing or find him somewhere... His hair still glows, he has a battle axe, and wears his canon clothes, so he's easy to find.]
The final confrontation
He can't help but flash Lucy a cocky grin; after all he's been through...]
I'm more than up to the task.
[He remembers what Arwyn had said about Lucy and his grin widens, mirroring her smile. Certainly he may already have the title, but it is now time for her heroism to shine. Though his bursterfly is upon his back, the gun that he had last time they were on a mission together is absent while his grimoire is at his hip. She's seen a little of his magic but he's eager to not hold back.]
Let us make short work of this, hm?
[Lead the way!]
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Anyone and everyone is welcome to listen, to participate, to sing, to just enjoy. Cipher can't mock them, make them cower, because...as fucking cheesy as it is, when people are united against a common foe, they are unstoppable. He's seen it firsthand, so many times, his classmates being the first group that he would protect and care for with every goddamn cell in his body. They are less a group now and more like pieces of one singular entity - they know one another and work together like a well oiled machine. But past that...so long as a message rings true, harmonizes with the whole, even regular people can resonate. He only clocks that weird bird lady for a moment, their eyes meeting for a second before his gaze is back on his drums, but in that moment, that second, the young Hero could feel the spark behind that woman's dark eyes. It exists in everyone, and it can be a small ember weathering a fierce storm, or a powerful inferno ready to consume all in its path. This? This felt something like a bonefire - big, bright, wild, but warm. Intended for an audience.
And oh, what a performance. He can only catch bits and pieces from the corner of his eye as he plays, but painting and music are both alive. There is a certain flow to each, and they can be wild, messy, and vibrant. It's why art, in all forms, is so personal. He twirls his drumsticks, tossing one up to one of the inky crows, which flow through it and coat the tip with that color...and it starts to splatter over his face, his arms, his drums, his shirt. It's a mess, but it's theirs.
It's alive. It's free.]
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They step into the lobby, which is a mess, to put it charitably.
A bank of ghostly screens on one side flickers with wildly roving eyes, all of them locking onto the pair. The ceiling seems to light up with an array of magical glyphs that Lucy couldn't even begin to decipher, and an ice-cold breeze flows through the lobby, threatening much worse. ]
Can you do something about those? [ Lucy points upwards to the glyphs. ] Because I'm guessing they're not friendly. I'll work on taking down some of the firewalls.
[ Oh, and: ]
And while you're at it, tell me all about what you can do with magic. Might come in handy.
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My magic is designed to take energy from my foes and shape it into power. Constructs of fire, earth, or wind. Explosions and beams of energy. Protection and healing.
[Though the latter isn't his forte. Lucy would have seen the earth construct before... but that was the small version. How should he put it...]
One such as Phantom Cipher must draw upon a vast amount of energy, yes? [It doesn't matter what kind, it really is all the same to him.] Gods are the same. This is the magic that slayed gods. You will succeed.
[And his bursterfly can provide light and enhancement to others. He gazes up at the glyphs lining the ceiling. He might not be trained in the local magic but he's not unfamiliar with magic with a foundation in structure; the magic he had originally trained for was based in mathematical formulae and he was good at it, even if it's a part of the brain he doesn't exercise often.
With a hand outstretched, he channels energy towards the glyphs, hoping he understood them correctly and could override them with his own instructions to disable them. And, well, if that fails, he can always blast open the ceiling; the glyphs won't be a problem if he damages them beyond repair, yes?]
Emet-Selch | Final Fantasy XIV
2. Dispelling hexes
3. The Shadow Creature
4. Wildcard
i
[ This tired, possibly unwanted comment from the same mage who Katsuki had fought with earlier. Emet-Selch points towards some rubble that the younger man had just passed over. There's no sound indicating a living person beneath it, but the mage doesn't rely on such pedestrian senses when it comes to disasters like this. They're alive - but that may not hold for much longer if they don't get them out soon. ]
ghost city
He lifts his gaze to the coiled fire in the sky, squinting at it for a little while. ]
...I'm sure I could undo it before it immolates us. It is only fire.
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Okay, so you're a bit of a grab bag of everything. Nova.
[ That'll be good to know. If they do get to a point where they need to perform Synthesis, that knowledge will be vital to have -- especially with her preem new gem. She won't have it forever, so she intends to get some good use out of it.
While Rhea'li works on the sigils, Lucy starts deconstructing some of the tower's digital defenses, working deftly and silently. ]
What do you think of the Phantom Cipher? [ The question bursts out before she can stop it. Shit. She may as well commit. ] I mean-- his goals, stuff like that.
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[ Lucy's question comes with a scoff, because that's a big fucking fire serpent dragon thing, and Lucy has absolutely no defenses against it. At best, she could hope to fire up her short-term flight implants and get herself out the way, and that's it.
She cranes her head back, shading her eyes with a hand as she stares up at the imposing figure winding between buildings. ]
Shit. How can we tell if it's seen us or not?
wildcard-ish?
"Emet-Selch," he calls as he approaches, unaware of his current mental state. "How do you fare? I hope you didn't get into too much trouble with the Umbra..."
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Oh. Hm. It seems to be changing its patrol pattern. ]
I believe it already has. Brace yourself.
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Don't struggle!! I'll get you out, but you need to stay still!
[He can hear the person now that he's close enough, using his strength to push away fragments of buildings and heavy beams with the utmost care. He can't risk shifting things too much - even a tiny flux in how things are stacked might bring the entire thing down. If only Uraraka was here...her quirk would make easy work of this. He should have brought her along...]
Oi, jiji. [That's you, Emet.] You got magic, aa? Can you make any of this fl--...levitate?
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He had known that Magisteria considered itself something of a caretaker of other worlds... But... when his star had faced its destruction, the end that near all others stars had suffered, there were no Authorities to call. Would the Ancients have petitioned Magisteria's aid had that possibility been known to them? Would he have done it?
Though he's spent time along the population, it's clear to him there are many cogs in the machine at work here. Rhea'li won't hope to pretend he knows enough to make a judgement on that. But...]
Those like Phantom Cipher don't take such lengths unless there is a fire inside drives them. A wrong that must be made right. A pain so deep they see naught else.
[He can think of a few people like that. He can't be alright with the massive loss of life -- were it not for the miracle -- but...]
It isn't difficult to feel some kinship with that.
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"...I wouldn't know. I was incapacitated for...a while."
He doesn't know how long it's been since Rhea'li put an end to his rampage. He hasn't spoken to the Warrior of Light yet since his resurrection. Or rather, reawakening?
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"Incapacitated? Would that I'd known..." Then again, he did have his hands full with the one person he did end up cleansing of the corruption at the time, who fought him tooth and nail to the last. "What happened to put you in such a position?"
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Whatever the case, Emet-Selch follows at a plodding pace and takes a moment to frown at the pile of debris. As the boy is aware, uncovering buried victims isn't as simple as throwing aside everything haphazardly until you reach them. Even if you make the work easier through levitation. ]
I can, but if you're expecting a miracle then I must disappoint: I'll need to remove the pieces one by one.
[ The entire pile looks too heavy to lift all at once. ]
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"Carelessness. That's all."
Typical Emet-Selch evasion.
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"You understand I am asking as a friend concerned for your well-being, yes? I noticed you seem somehow distracted. I cannot help but feel like there is something more to this that you don't want to tell me. If you prefer not to speak of it, though, I could always make an educated guess..."
There's only so many things he'd be so gloomy about, so pressed to hide from him. Elidibus is sure his station as the Emissary doesn't help matters, but he is genuinely concerned that something ill befell him in the time they were apart.
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(Something Emet-Selch himself has forgotten.)
"...I was dead for a short while. That's all," he mutters.
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And yet, he can't bring himself to nag him about it with him acting like this. It'd just be a spark to his dried-up patience. "You still seem upset, given you are a being for whom death means less than it might to a mortal creature. Pray forgive me for pressing; I fear I'm already wearing on your nerves, but I must ask anyway."
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He can't loose control.]
Aa, that's fine. Any weight off the top will reduce the impact in case the worst happens...and make it easier to dig through the rest. [If you take something apart, you start at the top, right? Otherwise, everything comes crumbling down.] ...If you do anything that'd endanger anyone though - me or the civilian - I'll turn you inside out, you got that?
[He doesn't trust you, but he's got no other choice. Uraraka's not here right now - she's doing her part elsewhere.]
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Is the Emissary going to pester him until he gets answers? Emet-Selch suspects so.
Through gritted teeth, he continues, "Rhea'li was the one who killed me, Elidibus. Does that satisfy your curiosity?"
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He can hazard a guess -- why else would Rhea'li need to kill any of them? -- but it'd be better to hear it from Emet-Selch directly.
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[ He sighs and turns away, rubbing his eyes with a knuckle. It's fine. This attitude is nothing new. One might go so far as to say he deserves it.
After composing himself, he approaches the large heap of debris and spends a moment looking it over. If only he did have the strength to lift all of this off someone at once. But even if he doesn't, he can still lift more with magic than a manual labourer.
He points a finger at the top of the pile and starts levitating broken masonry and other pieces off to the side. ]
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"Rhea'li was attempting to help civilians. I was not," he finishes tersely. He trusts Elidibus can fill in what is unsaid.
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He glances at the console for a moment, considering how best to approach this. "I am well aware it's not as simple as scolding you to do better in a situation like that. From the sound of it, those who were taken control of had no recourse. I was only lucky because I was given the ability to cleanse the corruption, but would that I had known sooner..."
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His tone, however, is exasperated. "What, do you think you could have bested me in combat? May I remind you that I am still a peerless mage? 'Twould have been no contest at all."
Well, if he's making retorts like this then he can't be completely depressed.
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Again, that hollow feeling when he reaches for the specifics and comes up empty. But he shakes his head and smiles, hoping perhaps the unspoken invitation will lighten Emet-Selch's mood some.
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You know what? Maybe a spar would do some good. There are few people he can let loose against and he has some frustration to expel.
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He huffs, setting down the thing he had been working on.
"When and where? Best pick somewhere out of the way lest our magicks damage the surrounding buildings."