World Tree MUSH

    The seal is released, and the path forward is a mist-shrouded path between the pulsating roots of the Ambrosial Arbor... the ground is an invisible membrane, and Dan Heng leads the way, turning subtly as if following a path through a winding forest. "Remain close, friends... the Arbor roots are just up ahead."

    They come, eventually, upon a large lotus-like flower, with a familiar green-yellow flame roaring within the petals.

    The voice of Phantylia speaks, "Oh?" she giggles acid-sweet. "Has the general of the Luofu chosen to grace me with his presence?" she asks.

    March growls softly. "That witch! She was waiting for us the whole time. Show yourself!" she demands, drawing her bow, but having no target to aim at.

    "And the benefactors too? Oh, patience, patience, let me make myself presentable~." she coos.

    Jing Yuan's playful demeanor shifts instantly, and a glaive appears in his hand. "Ready yourselves. Dan Heng, guard my back. I'm counting on you."

    Dan Heng replies by summoning an orb decorated in a yin-yang pattern. "Understood."

    Phantylia's flame, drops into the 'cup' of the flower, setting it ablaze. The whole thing rises up and begins to shine like a new star... and then, becomes the center piece of a truly massive feminine figure's headdress, the body emerging from the mist as if it were there all along.

    Into the mists...
    Clara follows furtively on the heels of Svarog and Grey, nibblong on her lower lip. And then they all reach the flower.
    Then Phantylia speaks. Clara cringes at the memory of Tingyun's neck making that horrible snapping sound as the woman emerges from the mists.
    She calls that presentable.
    That sheer size is menacing.
    "Stay behind me, Clara." Svarog says and as usual the girl scurries to the back row as Svarog raises his hand and unloads a high-heat high-energy laser from his palm.
    No further words. He doesn't need them. He speaks with his actions here.

    Jessica hears the taunting voice speak about making herself presentable, and then the giant manifestation arises from the flame. It leaves the catgirl speechless, staring at the enormous woman that has arrived. And then she twitches an ear.

    "Oh. Good," Jessica mumbles. Her hand goes to load some originium slugs into her pistol as she moves up beside Svarog, raising her weapon to unleash several shots of the powerful toxic mineral toward her new foe.

    "This really would have been a lot weirder if you'd showed up naked!"

    Bi De is not sure what will happen first, but makes a calculated guess. He doesn't rush in, nor try to do anything else that would be an attack. Against a giant foe that he knows nothing about, that seems unwise! Yet he can still make some assumptions.

    The main one is that she won't take this laying down.

    The chicken weaves around Clara and Talia, then up to stand between Svarog and Jessica. Bracing himself, he breathes in Qi... then releases it all in a burst, tossing up a barrier of the life-giving power as soon as he senses any counterattack.

    Well, that's a giant lady. Talia gives Jessica a very bemused raise of her eyebrow before she rushes to action. "I can't help but feel a bit ignored. It's rather rude." She remarks. Her lightsaber flashes to life as she prepares for battle, and flame is present. Through the Force, Talia focuses herself. It's time to lock in, it's big boss fight time.

    Phantylia adjusts her posture, leaning on one elbow in a bored looking fashion. "Benefactors, behold this beautiful body. The miracles of Abundance live up to the na--" she begins, only to get Originium slugs and a Heat Ray to the face. "... so rude. Do you not know what it is to appreciate true beau--" she begins to retort, only for Talia to slap her with a force attack, and March to loose some ice arrows.

    Welt shifts his position, and plants his cane. "You know nothing about the weight behind this power." he begins, and 'releases' something on the cane... it erupts, and a miniature Black Hole appears behind Phantylia, gravity waves raking across the giant Emanator's frame, pulling fragments away from the unstable gravity sheer forces. "Survive or be destroyed. There is no other choice." Welt slams his cane back on the ground, sealing it again, the black hole dissipating moments later with a surging POP of released energy.

    Phantylia, for her part, swipes the giant fan she holds in one hand to try and knock the group away and disrupt their formation... but Bi De's Qi barrier negates the force. "Annoying insects... no matter." she gestures almost casually, summoning smaller versions of the flower she was 'maturating' in when the group arrived... these ones glow of their own power, and with a drawing in of energy... seem to sap some of the strength from Grey and Svarog, glowing a little brighter for it.

    That's right, Phantylia does not get to speak right now. Svarog lowers his hand, still glowing hot red from the heat of his laser emitter while Clara remains hidden at the back of the group. Thankfully Bi De negates that fan attack but what does not help are the summoned flowers that start sapping the mechanical duo's energy.
    Svarog takes a step back to recover, while Grey goes storming in, swapping places with the ancient construct to lunge at one of the flowers and try to pummel it to death.
    "Beautiful?" Clara huffs, "You're kind of terrifying."

    "I mean, I do hear some like them large," Jessica says pragmatically. "But I also hear some people say someone is more woman than they could handle, and I'm not sure that's a good thing!"

    Her prattling is interrupted by an actual attack, which makes her squeal and flinch... except Bi De actually blocked it, so she spends a moment blinking, before recovering quickly and dropping to kneel, sending a few bullets toward one of the smaller 'draining' flowers.

    "On an objective level? Yes you're quite beautiful, but I think you trying to kill us all is really putting a damper on this." Talia admits, before she rushes the giant and does a flying leap into the air. Talia's saber strikes at Phanty's draining flowers, cutting through them with ease. "No more of that, I think!"

    Bi De clucks as his barrier counters the attack, and gives him some breathing room. He strokes his wattles with a wing and considers. The rambling of the woman seems to be rather narcissistic, and Jessica is getting to her. That could be something he could use. Bi De decides to keep his foe off balance with a similar strategy!

    Unfortunately, he is a chicken.

    "I do prefer a hen to be considerably more plump," he states firmly.

    This will probably not have the effect he wants.

    Fortunately, he is also darting forward, talons slashing at any 'flower' he can, and looking for an opening to actually attack Phantylia herself.

    The flowers are pretty fragile... even if they do regenerate rapidly, they don't have the defenses to withstand Grey's heavy strikes, Bi De's talons or the sheer destructive power of Talia's lightsaber. Jessica's bullets punch through and through, overpenetrating and doing minimal damage, but as each flower is damaged to the point that they cannot continue to regenerate, they gather up, and 'explode' in a rush of rejuvinating energy that replenishes the energy drained, and even gives a boost to everyone else... the Arbor is rebelling, perhaps?

    "Your attacks are meaningless... this body was forged by the Arbor... you are nothing but ants." asserts Phantylia, though she lifts her fan skyward. "However, crushing such insignificants with the power of a star? How extravegant."

    Her colour scheme changes, and the small, weak flowers grow... and Phantylia herself seems to morph reality for a moment, growing to immense size and grasping a 'world' that the heroes are standing upon... she cups this world in a hand, then pours a star into it, causing it to explode.

    This illusion shatters but the lingering heat and force of the blast still lingers... she may become too much to handle if she's allowed to continue this way.

    Talia is more concerned with destroying the flowers, using her lightsaber like a boomerang as she hurls it at them. Not to be outdone, her blaster also begins firing as she tries to shoot down more and more of the flowers. But it seems like Phanty's changing in color. Does this mean the team's doing good, or just making Phanty mad?

    The vision of a star colliding is...well, unpleasant. Talia winces in pain as the illusion shatters, but she regathers her resolve. "I won't break." She says stolidly.

    She's one with the Force and the Force is with her. Talia rushes Phanty again, this time going for her arm as she runs up it and delivers a hail of slashes along the way.

    The sudden reversal and wash of energy over the robots is good. What's not good is that once the flowers are destroyed that Phantylia unleashes a disastrous attack that, while may be illusory in nature...
    The damage is done.
    When it comes to an end, Svarog and Grey are smoldering as they loom protectively over Clara... Clara who is not moving; limp and unconscious in his arms.
    "..."
    Svarog is silent for a long beat before he gently lays Clara down by Grey's feet.
    "Watch her." He orders the other automaton as he stands to his full height menacingly.
    Slowly Svarog storms towards Phantylia, every step measured with killer intent as his shoulder ports open.
    And he unleashes a barrage of micro missiles. More than he should reasonably have, it's a lot.

>> GAME >> Clara spends an Edge for: PUNISH COUNTER. Stay Away From Clara.

    Even if Bi De is spiritually aware, that doesn't mean he's immune to illusions. His shield flares, the aegis blossoming in front of him in an attempt to block the oncoming... star? What is going on here?

    Shaking himself and looing a lot more crispy than before, the rooster stays silent this time. He leaps... and splits into two, one silvery and one inky black. Instead of diverging, the black rooster grapples the silver, and in a quick flip, hurls him toward Phantylia's face!

    Silent and angry, Bi De aims for one of the giant woman's eyes with crowing slashes of his talons!

    "EEEEEE!"

    YEs, Jessica hunkers down and... as the sight clears, she's sprawled back, and it is NOT a comical look. Sputtering and picking up a little Xianxia juice from Bi De, she spits up blood and then rubs her eyes, fumbling for her pistol.

    It isn't immediately in reach, so while searching for it, she pulls out her OTHER pistol. It's normal gunpowder, but it does shoot several bullets while she's stumbling around looking for her real power. "I-Is everyone okay?"

    Obviously not.

    Stelle and the Nameless pick themselves up from the sheer force of the Destruction. Stelle spikes her Lance into the ground, and puts up a shield to help cover while everyone else recovers, while March and Welt add their ranged attacks to Jessica's covering fire.

    Phantylia huffs, swatting away Bi De as he manages to tear at her face a bit, and Talia even manages to slice into her side.

    Jing Yuan comes in next, summoning a giant warrior made of golden lightning. ALongside Svarog's unrelenting rage-fueled barrage, the Warrior's glaive stabs down, knocking the wind out of Phantylia's sails. This, combined with Dan Heng coming in, after finishing his CloudHymn preparations. A giant dragon made up of the waters surrounding the roots roars and surges in, knocking the Emanator of Destruction back a step... and this, seems to make her angry.

    "A Scion of Permanence? Have you finally remembered your duty of watching over the Arbor?" she asks, a snarl gripping her voice.

    "Are we still ants to you Phantylia? So much effort to crush us, met with such little success..." taunts Jing Yuan. "I wonder what the other Ravagers would think if they could see you now."

    Phantylia's colour pallete shifts again, becoming burning gold, like molten starlight. She /stands/, rising up into an aggressive pose, where she was previously bored looking, almost relaxed. "I'm afraid you won't get the chance to meet them.

    "Out of ideas already Phantylia? Radiant Spirit, Heed my call! SHOW NO MERCY!" As the giant Ravager looms, and makes to strike the ground and knock everyone around, Jing Yuan directs his giant Warrior summon to slice across her, disrupting flowers, her strike and the roots surrounding the battlespace.

    "Even thorns can fell a giant." Talia retorts. To prove her point, she grabs ahold of Phanty's large shoulder, before she builds up with the Force before lunging herself towards the giant's face, grabbing onto what she thinks is an eyelash.

    Talia flings herself higher until she spears the giant's forehead with her saber, using momentum to cut downwards.

    Jessica's pistol is... probably not doing much now, but she peppers with bullets! It's a little annoying sting, and the catgirl sputters a few times as it plinks at the giant and very bright woman, forcing Jessica to squint.

    And then the sound of the gunshots alters as she swaps guns, the stinging bullets replaced by carefully-aimed shots that 'follow' the gunpoweder-propelled bullets with the originium versions, in a double-shot attack.

>> GAME >> Jessica spends an Edge for: Precision Shots

>> GAME >> Talia Kyras spends an Edge for: Talia does an epic stab!

    Brilliant light washes over everyone... and then Bi De counters with a silver glow, emanating is own Qi in an attempt to soothe the wash of yellow that roars over those present. It's mostly to support the others making their big assaults, so he isn't trying to put everything into his own attack.

    "Your own power rejects you! Without harmony you cannot hope to truly win!" At least he's hoping that's what the earlier sign with the flowers was.

    No matter. He's already spinning in an arc forward, a move meant to disembowel a larger creature.

    Eventually... Svarog runs out of missiles to fire.
    For now.
    He backs off, however when the woman's color shifts and she gears up for a big attack, moving to resume protecting the unconscious Clara with Grey.
    However... As her attack is interrupted, there is a momentary lull. Grey looks to Svarog. Svarog looks to the other automaton as it gently passes Clara over to him.
    "... What are you doing?" Svarog asks as though some wordless communication passed between them in that moment.
    "... I see. Farewell." Is all Svarog says next as Grey turns his back on the pair and starts trudging towards the Ravager. Every step comes faster and faster until the machine is sprinting towards Phantylia.
    Grey lunges; latching onto the giant Ravager woman and latches onto her body, arms spread wide before they come together in a crushing hug.
    Energy builds, rapidly coalescing into a brilliant glow that overtakes the automaton's body.
    Before Grey goes off in a huge explosion while attached to Phantylia.

    Phantylia staggers, the flowers surrounding her wither away... and as everyone's big attacks strike, she's cut, slashed, shot, stabbed and then, exploded...

    Somehow, this still doesn't put her down. It's almost like... none of it even affected her.

    "Such futile resistance... now, for my next trick, I shall turn each of you into my Voidrangers... The Power of Destruction will eat away at your flesh and transform you into pawns of the great Nanook.

    She points at Jing Yuan, and the two larger Destruction blooms spin away like shruiken, encapsulating him. "Let's start with this arrogant Xianzhou general..." she says, smugly grinning as she wafts Talia away.

    "I wonder if the transformation of such a one, would cast the Xianzhou back into chaos." she purrs, leaning in as green-yellow fire seems to engulf Jing Yuan.

    However, the attacks have left her weaker than she thinks, and with a burst of determination, Dan Heng throws a spear at Jing Yuan, imbuing him with CloudHymn, while the Lightning Lord warrior stabs Phantylia in the back with its glaive, pushing it through where Grey detonated and left a weak spot.

    The giant form collapses, burning away from its own power running out of control, and a tiny wisp of yellow-green flame hangs in the air, taunting the group. "Not bad, General of The Hunt, and you too, Benefactors... but all I lost was a body, stolen on a whim. And you... how much longer can you last?" she taunts, "The Destruction of the Xianzhou... is nigh."

    "Begone, pawn of Destruction... and tell the Legion, the vengeance of The Hunt will fall upon them." retorts Jing Yuan, as he stands, and backhands the flame, to cause it to dissipate away.

    Phantylia just chuckles darkly... but leaves, defeated for now.

    Talia lets herself fall from the giant as she lands gracefully, just in time to see Grey make his sacrifice play. She can't even try to stop him, he's just too darn fast for her.

    The explosion leaves Talia's ears ringing, but she regains composure after momentarily shaking from the blast, narrowly avoiding shrapnel by ducking her head. After the fact, she slowly approaches Clara and places a hand on her shoulder.

    "He served us well." She says softly, nodding to Svarog. She's sure he'll agree with her on that much.

    As for Phantyylia, the giant appears to have been vanquished, and it's been a long time coming too. "I suppose that concludes things, for now."

    "Hubris is the fall of many," Bi De murmurs, landing on his feet and shaking his burnt feathers. "I will... need some time to recover, I'm afraid. This has exhausted me, and I will need to assess my injuries."

    He looks over toward the remnants of Grey, clicks, and bows his head.