CD Issue 10: Mirror Mirror
General Summary
We carry on with our heroes in the wake of the shocking discovery that Siren's father was Albion, Covenant Prince of the Center. Paladin was surprisingly excited by this revelation, and wondering if she was able to officially knight him. Siren was busy reeling with the fact that the mysterious covenant force that had hunted them their entire life was now dead. The group pressed on, meeting a new teacher of the School, Nona. Nona was much younger than the older teacher, who had disappeared. She was also much friendlier, with bouncy blond hair and welcoming eyes. Nona guided them down a bizarre maze of escher-esque staircases, each with their own unique set of doppelgängers making the same journey. They brushed close with one group, almost able to touch them. The mirror Riche that passed close revealed a far more dangerous looking Paladin with lots of pointy bits and a green error, far more build and dangerous looking than his Dissidents self. The dark Siren was decked in regal combat armor bearing the Covenant markings of a princess. Aliena saw her self inverted, with dark energy bleeding through dark cracks in her skin. Malware was the most toned down, lacking their extreme technogear and punk attitude: mundane but reeking in affluence and wealth. At the end of the path laid a door through which Nona could not pass through the door since she was not a child. Richie was a bit put out at being called a child, but kept it under wraps. Inside the door was a circular white chamber with four mirrors, known as the Soulforge. In each mirror they saw themselves as they are. In a harsh moment a wave of bad juju flooded the room, tearing away all that is good from the young heroes. Riche took it the worst, and his mirror image inverted, reaching out and pulling him through the portal. Within the team faced a very different Richie, who had evolved into Knightfall. The city was a scarred battlefield, and the evil Paladin circled them with weapon laden energy drones, challenging their beliefs about how they were fighting their war against crime in Terminal City. Siren threw up a magical wall to protect the group from a smashing blow, and Aliena transformed into a giant dragon to distract their foe. But it was to no avail. Before the dark warrior could press his advantage, time froze and voice spoke out: "Torchbearer, transgressing the laws of the universe. Thief, stealing fire from the gods, power from another universe, stealing sand from the river of time. Punishment is withheld until this act concludes" They found themselves back in the Soulforge, where Aliena grabbed Richie in anger over his assault on the team. Richie remembered nothing of what the team had seen, but before he could open his mouth, Aliena's mirror image reached out and grabbed her. With they found themselves in a burned garden, under an alien sky with two suns. An alien woman, very different from the Aliena they knew, was barely recognizable as a Deyan. Her skin crackled with dark energy, an inverted flame licked from her fingers. She questioned the teams morales, pointedly challenging their heroic self image. She called Richie a traitor and abomination, provoking Paladin to admit that Knightfall's methods are right. The boy responded, giving a very good speech about while he and his elder villainous self, the one thing they had in common was they both were willing to do the work to get it done. But Paladin insisted that his means and ends were good regardless. The dark Deyan exploded in a cataclysmic flame, the garden roaring into flame. Siren threw up a wall, blocking the shadow flames out. Their foe pressed her face against the dome, suggesting that even her own Dissident self had dark secrets they knew nothing about. As the dome started the crash, the flames froze in the mid-air and the voice spoke again: "Exile, carrying the burden of the sins of her people" Next they fell into the dark world of Malware's making, their twin grabbing them and pulling them through there. The team inside was invited to a most regal dinner in a palace atop the Aerie. Styx, dressed in high fashion, ordered them to sit. The table was set with the most expensive, yet cruel, food options possible. In the nearby anti-chamber the team saw Covenant Barons making plans to conquer the nearby people. Dark Styx had supported the invasion, and now worked with the Covenant for personal gain and power. They insisted that Covenant citadels hovered in the sky outside, and as their guns blazed time froze and the voice rang out: "The traitor, who may yet end this place" The final world was that of Siren. Within they found themselves small children, trying to escape a covenant facility, hounded by armed soldiers. The scene shifted to a hotel room, with them all a bit older, and a woman (Rhiannon Ikarys) sheltering a small girl they could only guess to be Siren. As soldiers kicked the door down, guns blazing, Sirens energy exploded outwards, and the scene shifted once again. The powerful wave did not stop, though, and the team found themselves in a Arilia army. Across the battlefield stood a fully adult Siren, armored and leading legions of demonic foes clad in Covenant armor. The forces clashed. Richie got real big and Aliena transformed into a dragon, and they slammed some demons. Siren tore the earth asunder, and the sky filled with freakish nightmares. Everything froze one last time, and the voice said only one word: "Gatecrasher" They had finally run the emotional gauntlet, and come out more or less intact. As they attempted to collect themselves from the mirrors psychic assault, Aliena decided to ask her question of Nona: "Why are my people on Earth?" she asked. "They are here hunting an ancient foe of your people, and if they find them they will burn this planet and everything on it"
Rewards Granted
Malware took C'mon Lucky
Missions/Quests Completed
Siren passed her second trial to get into the magical Parca School for the Arts. Aliena discovered what the Deyans are doing on Arilia
