Liliana Vess Defiant Necromancer

Once again, the gate that blocked off the bottom end of Phoenix Way was opened, inviting everyone to the creepy (though much less abandoned) mansion. This time, however, instead of being guided around to the gardens, the lit path led them to the front door, where the a tall figure in a tattered robe and deep cowl gestured for them to step inside the door and get onto a...boat? Once people had climbed in settled themselves, the ferryman began to guide the ship down the River Styx. Or, okay, their long entrance hallway, with blue lights to either side of their boat to mimic water and bathing everyone in an eerie blue glow. (Yes, okay, the boat perhaps wheeled down the hallway rather than floated, but they had not refinished this house just to flood the hallway for verisimilitude. Even if Liliana had considered it for a few minutes.)

The double doors leading to the ballroom were opened, with thick fog rolling out of the doorway. And through that doorway, people could descend the stairs into the Underworld proper. Black and gold were the prevailing color, with deep red nods to a pomegranate motif. Gold coins and loose gemstones added to the decor, a nod to Hades' wealth - but even amidst all the dark opulence, touches of other colors could be seen: tucked away in various corners and small niches were flowering plants, a surprise kiss of springtime to be found in the least likely places. Rather than one large chandelier, they had several, creating areas of both light and shadow around the ballroom.

Welcome to the Underworld, dear friends.

For once, Liliana hadn't made too much of a fuss getting up early. Today was the Midsummer Music Festival at her alma mater, Strixhaven University, and as a thank you to Prompto for finishing the job of teaching her to drive, she had invited him to go see it. Which, of course, had turned into an invitation to his family, and there was no way that Ignis wasn't going to come along, and also no way that Prompto would stand for leaving anyone out, and so it was a merry party of seven that stepped through the portal. Liliana had asked folks to wear nothing too Earth modern and explained that very few people, if anybody, they would meet knew about other planes (many, many, many Quandrix theories aside) and to please keep it that way. Once any questions were out of the way, they stepped through a portal...

...And onto into a large walkway made from gleaming white stone. A short staircase led up to a park, full of greenery, fountains, and comfortable benches. In the center of the park was an imposing statue of a magic user made of white marble and curving over its head was a arc of huge stones, the largest easily hundreds of feet long, hanging in the air in a perfect arch. Above them shone two suns, beaming brightly down, though the heat was not particularly oppressive. The area was crowded with people, though there was still enough room for people to walk without being pressed against anyone else. "Welcome to the Archway Commons," Liliana said, possibly grinning more broadly than any of them had ever experienced, save Ignis. "So named because of the star arch above there - the second largest star arch on campus. The largest is the Dawnbow, over the Bibloplex. Star arches get their name from their irregular spokes evoke the radiating lines of a shining celestial star. They're found all over Arcavios, made from spokes of natural materials that float in an arch shape, with a precise inner curve and a rough and irregular outer arch. They can stand straight or lie at an angle; they can be small or enormous, whole or broken, grown over or mysteriously clean. Their origins are a mystery lost to the Dawning Age, though many people have said that they've seen an arch appear to them at a critical juncture in their lives, helping them understand a lesson or answer a burning question in their mind." She laughed. "It's important to note that I've never had a star arch manifest in front of me, so I can't say for certain how accurate that is, but there are plenty of theories about them."

Arm laced through Ignis', she led them forward through the central campus, pointing out various landmarks, though there were a few that she clearly didn't recognize, like the Strixhaven Stadium where it seemed like some kind of game was underway, the stands maybe half full of cheering people. The large crowds continued as they went along, an excitement in the air.

"I see the popularity of the Midsummer Music Festival has grown since I was a student here," Liliana said with an almost apologetic smile. Almost. Liliana Vess didn't apologize. "It was large even then but not like this!" Strange what a difference almost two hundred years could make. "Anyway, I brought us early enough that we'd have enough time for quick tours around the other college campuses if you'd like? We can also go right to Prismari, there's plenty to explore there and we can get set up."

[For thems what are here! NFB for awayness.]

It was Ignis' birthday today and between his general desire to not make a fuss over himself and her own desire to throw an island-wide celebration, Liliana had compromised on throwing him the smallest dinner(ish) party ever, just the six of them (seven, counting Noctra, which Liliana was if only to pad the numbers), and also Summer, who Liliana had managed to sneak in as the secret eighth guest in by calling her the bartender for the evening - even if she was one of the people on the island who had known Ignis the longest. Still, Liliana consoled herself, baby steps. This year, a tiny dinner party, next year a tasteful garden party, the year after that, absolute extravaganza.

And she could always demand absolute extravaganzas for her own birthdays until then, anyway.

Err. Not that she was making plans that far in advance, mind. Just, hypothetically, that would be the general progression of things, ahem.

Since they weren't actually sitting down for a meal and there were so few people, Liliana had set everything out in their large parlor with her steward on duty to rotate food from the kitchen to the sideboard before anything had a chance to sit out too long. Setting up an impromptu bar had taken a little finagling, but the clever use of a high table and an unused china cabinet (as well as the fervent wish that she'd tasked Prompto with entertaining Ignis all day so Gladio would have been available to hoist heavy furniture around) had given her Summer a corner of the room to work her magic, as well as plenty of room for the bottles of wine and jello shots she was bringing with her, which would join the bottle of excellent bourbon and the array of non-alcoholic beverages that Liliana had provided. Soft music was drifting out from several discreetly-placed speakers, kept low enough to not interfere with conversation, and there were plenty of comfortable places to sit. A last minute reminder from her steward meant the room had even been baby proofed, both in the sense of 'dangers removed for baby's safety' and 'valuables removed from baby's reach.'

Liliana liked her belongings intact and drool-free, thank you.

And now with the house prepared and the hostess ready, all that was lacking were people!

The courtyard Liliana and her undead escort walked out into was beautiful. It resembled an ornate garden with stands of fruit trees and gold-and-white flowers clearly cultivated with painstaking care. Directly in front of them was the Tree of Redemption, an ancient, sprawling tree with crimson leaves. It was beautiful and welcoming - at least until one looked closely enough to see the nooses that dangled from the branches.

"This is where you'll end up with Avacyn's grace," the corpse of Kelse said from where she was flanking Liliana's left.

"Well, she should really get right on that," Liliana said, striding forward under the tree. As she passed under the boughs, the nooses burned with black fire and fell to ashes to the ground. A stupid waste of power. Rope was cheap and it wasn't like she cared about anyone who'd ever been executed on this tree. But it was the principle of the thing and right now Liliana's principles extended a hearty fuck you, to the Church and anything resembling 'Avacyn's grace.'

As they passed beneath the tree into the heart of the garden, the fruit trees gave way leaving an open view of the rest of the courtyard. The Kirch Falls thundered beneath them down into the Lake of Herons, but even the massive falls couldn't take attention away from the focal point of the back of the courtyard: ( The Helvault )

For a moment, all sound ceased.

Then cracks appeared in the Helvault, rays of light piercing through the night from within. Then a blast obliterated the ghouls, knocked the cathars to the ground, and flung Liliana and Thalia backwards off their feet. A helix of golden light streaked skyward from the remains of the Helvault, illuminating the sky with its brilliant glow. The sundered monolith, fell to pieces and ribbons of dark Æther flew away in all directions; a host of demonic entities now freed of their prison. A tall gray-skinned, white-haired kor woman staggered out of the remains of the rock and vanished in a resounding boom. Liliana raised her eyebrows - a Planeswalker had been imprisoned in the Helvault? And then a guttural cry sent shivers through their very souls as a ten foot tall demon with huge bat-like wings that seemed to blot out the sky and arms that ended in wicked scythes pulled himself free.

Liliana struggled to her feet, mouth forming his name, but Griselbrand didn't wait, vaulting himself into the air and flying away. She stared after him, mouth agape as her prey once more escaped her grasp, and only realized there was still one last being in the Helvault when the assembled cathars gasped and pushed themselves to the knees in reverence as a luminous being soared from the wreckage.

Avacyn, the Angel of Hope: pure, whole, and eternal.

"Rise, my cathars," she said in a voice like a golden balm, spreading warmth and healing to all who heard it. They did, all except Thalia, who stayed on her knees, head bowed. From the golden spiral that pierced the sky, hundreds of angels came pouring out, voices raised in song and praise, their despair thrown off at Avacyn's return. "Go, my sisters," Avacyn commanded. "I feel a wrongness in my city, our people need you." Swords held high, the angels turned and arced away towards the remaining undead army in the Outer Ring.

Well, Liliana thought. This might just get awkward.

***
"Oh, good," said Prompto, with a deeply exhausted sigh and a sway on his feet that wasn't even entirely dramatics, "the actual cavalry is finally here."

And indeed they were, and they were remarkably quick about it, too, in a way that made Gladio feel a flash of anger, though he kept swinging his sword to clear up what the angels hadn't gotten to yet. "About damn time," he murmured, shaking his head and taking a moment, to watch the swiftness of just how quickly this particular tide had turned. He was feeling pretty exhausted, too, but mostly just irritated, and he went to fill Ignis in on all that had been happening in the meantime, since he could only imagine what filling in those blanks must have been like for someone only hearing and feeling all of this and not actually getting to see it.

"So what now?" asked Prompto, still somewhat vibrating from the sudden shift in the rush of adrenaline and the relatively sudden cessation of it, or perhaps that was just a shudder from the sudden chill of aftermath. "Do we help? Find the survivors, make sure everyone's okay?"

"I feel like we've done enough cleanup for these guys," Gladio grunted, his sword swinging back to rest on his shoulders for a moment before looking over toward Ignis. "Specs?"

( See? Angels are useless )

[Yet another installment, though the next one is the last! Still, y'all know the drill: NFI, NFB, OOC is great, heap praises on the head of chef_chocobro! Bits taken nearly verbatim from Angel's Rise and Demon's Release by Doug Beyer, but others parts twisted, spindled, expanded and smashed back together. Follows this post and this post and is continued here]

(Personal journal of Thalia, Thraben Guard; 48th of Hunters Moon, Ava. 716)

Thraben is a carcass and the buzzards have descended upon us. To the heavens, the undead army must look like a swarm of ants, devouring all that is good and leaving a black stain in its wake. The ground shakes beneath my feet. I hear the outer wall crumbling under the assault. Without Avacyn, stones that have stood a thousand years will crumble into dust.

I have a plan, but Lothar is nowhere to be found. I must make him hear me before the outer wall is breached. But it's as if devils have plugged his ears and reason can no longer sway him.

Thalia, newly appointed Guardian of the City after her predecessor had been found dead, looked over the outer walls of the city and tried to remain impassive, the way Lothar would have if he'd been here. 'Never let the people under your command see how nervous you are. It will destroy their morale.' But does it matter what Lothar would have done? she thought bitterly. How much worse can their morale get, finding the body of the last Guardian of the City on the rocks surrounding the outside wall? Her friend and mentor was gone and here she was, staring over the walls at an army made up of the living dead, wailing and snarling and slamming their hands against the gates.

A roar from behind their ranks sent grown men flinching behind their shields. Grimgrin was there, as well as hundreds of skaabs, pieces together bit by bit from who knows how many people. Was there anyone left alive on the Moorlands at all? Or had they all been sacrificed to these insane twins and brought back as ghouls?

( Now what? )
***
Ignis' mind was a whirlwind, in a way that almost made him grateful that he didn't have the added distraction of witnessing the mounting trouble with his own eyes, though that was exactly the crux of one of his concerns in that moment. This was an unfamiliar city, filled with people he couldn't trust, and he was at a significant disadvantage. A part of him felt the pull toward just finding Liliana, hoping she finally got what she needed to out of Volpaig, and leaving, but it barely managed to tug at him before it was immediately dismissed. He couldn't just do that. He couldn't just abandon something where he could do some good, especially on a plane where there was still no doubt more work to be done. But he also couldn't do it alone, and his eyes here might still be quite entrenched in matters far more important to her, and he knew Liliana well enough by now to suspect that her singular focus would be unshakeable.

And if he handled things out here, then that would grant her that lack of distraction.

There was, however, some hesitation. It would be late, back in Fandom, just as it was late here, but he reminded himself, of pacts made years ago, when they started drifting apart in Noctis' absence, that they would always come when the others called. He thought of battles and raids in the past, liberating conclaves beset by the threats of daemons, shepherding people to safety, even all the way back to the evacuation of Altissia, where the determined efforts of Gladio and Prompto had helped usher in a near miracle of limited casualties, though the city itself had not fared nearly as well.

When one had resources, it was wise for one to use them, and so drawing in a breath, Ignis pulled out his phone to make a call.

( Gods, he was never going to hear the end of this one... )
***
Liliana stalked around Volpaig's living room like an angry tiger. She wanted to leave immediately, to strike out for the Cathedral and shake down Mikaeus for Griselbrand's location, but she was waiting for Ignis to return. Even as impatient as she was, she knew that leaving him behind with no word where she'd gone in the middle of some city-wide emergency was a cruelty. It wasn't as if she could leave a note, and with Volpaig a pile of ash and his soul locked away in some demonic prison, she could no more bind his soul to act as a messenger than she could force it to reveal its secrets.

"The least you could have done was remain a body," Liliana huffed to Volpaig's fled spirit. "Just so I have something to kick when I think of all the ways you have inconvenienced me."

A rattling at the door drew her attention - "Finally!" - and she flew to it, throwing open the latch and wrenching the door open without much care of who was on the other side; either it was Ignis or it was someone about to have a truly bad night. To her relief, however, it was her paramour, and she realized, belatedly, that some of of the discontent she'd been feeling had been worry, genuine concern for him, outside of how it would affect her. "'Nys," she said, tugging him inside the door and into her arms. "What's in the Abyss is going on out there?" Her embrace was tight, hands checking him over for injury.

( Not goodbye, just see you later. )

[Again, NFI, NFB, and OOC very welcome! Stay tuned for some liveplay in the comments. Preplayed with the magnificent chef_chocobro pulling triple fucking duty like a champ. Follows this post and this post, with the next post here.]