The Red Realm continues to shake with The Court of Stars being stretched across time, but before our heroes can enter the wormholes to jump timelines, The Celestial Herald tries to attack them with a swinging starlight attack
Zaylee, Celestial Herald: The time of your end is nigh
Atlantic: I don’t suppose we can convince you not to kill us?
Zaylee, Celestial Herald: No
Atoll: Looks like we’re going to have to temporarily fight so we can get to the portals
Anmai: I’m fine with that
Thosmrr: I’m not
Fight against Zaylee, Celestial Herald
When she is at 90%, Zaylee’s attack wavers as Corcan is able to temporarily trap her in a Red Cage
Court of Stars: This can’t hold our herald for long
Corcan: We don’t need long
Acantha: Hey get back soon
Corcan points to the nearest portal and The Party rushes into it
Timeline 1
As the party enters this new timeline, they see a the ruins of a fallen city, with light monsters roaming the streets and the Court of Stars pulsating in the center of the city
Atoll: What happened here?
???: You tell me?
Atlantic: Who said that?
The strange figure reveals themself as another Atoll
Alternate Atoll: You know me
Atoll: Wow you look a lot older then me
Corcan: So what is this place?
Alternate Atoll: Optica and her armies of light wound up destroying this place before we sent her to her own demise
Thosmrr: Ah so in this timeline, a full powered Optica destroyed the city and killing a bunch of people
Alternate Atoll: Sounds about right
Anmai: Well Other Atoll, have you seen a giant mass of celestial energy, probably chanting silly judgements?
Alternate Atoll: Oh yeah, it’s down on 4th street
Atoll: Lead the way other me
Follow The Alternate Atoll to the Court of Stars Distortion
When you’re 50% of the way there
Atoll: So other me?
Alternate Atoll: Yes?
Atoll: What happened to the Century Corps here?
Alternate Atoll: Most of them perished in the final battle against Optica
Atoll: I figured, do you wish that they could still be here?
Alternate Atoll: I do wish, but I also am grateful to have served them for the time I did and now I lead a new guild
Atoll: Sounds like the people need it
Continue following The Alternate Atoll
When he stops, the party sees The Court of Stars remnant
Court of Stars Remnant: We will not go
Atoll: I INVOKE THIS COURT BE DESTROYED
The Court of Stars Remnant pulsates and glows before exploding into cosmic dust
Alternate Atoll: What the heck?
Anmai: Hey it looks like the remnant had no resistance because it was alone
Corcan: Ok, but now wh-
Suddenly, the cosmic dust boots The Party back into the Red Realm
The Red Realm
The party is booted out the portal they came through, and Acantha’s purple soul light is dancing around all flickering and stuff
Acantha: Hey guess what!!
Atoll: What?
Acantha: I can feel the Court of Stars getting weaker
Thosmrr: Oh really?
Court of Stars: We are still strong
Zaylee: Hey, I-
Zaylee’s body begins glowing gold again
Zaylee, Celestial Herald: You can’t ever stop fate
Corcan: That’s what they keep saying until it happens
Atlantic: Do we have to constantly fight gods in this guild?
Atoll: It sure feels like it
Zaylee, Celestial Herald: You’re going to not be so smug soon enough
Fight against Zaylee, Celestial Herald again
When she is at 75%, Corcan once again traps her in a red cage
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Corcan: Ok, so which portal should be go into now?
Acantha: Ok ok, I got it
Acantha’s purple soul light begins glowing around a portal spot
Anmai: Thanks for showing us the way
The party once again rushes towards an oncoming portal and enters through it
Timeline 2
The party lands in another timeline, one that seems to be overrun by darkness and night
Thosmrr: What the hell happened here?
Monsters of the night appear, with a dark aura surrounding them
Alternate Zenial: You dare step into this world
Atoll: Zenial?
Atlantic: Who?
Corcan: Yeah Atoll who is this guy?
Atoll: His name is Zenial, I think he allied with us even though we killed his brother
Alternate Zenial: I was a pawn of the white witch, but here I’m free and took over the world with an endless night
Corcan: Why would you do that?
Alternate Zenial: Because I would finally get respect and finally break free from the chains that held me down
Thosmrr: I get that, but did you really have to condemn all these innocents to suffering?
Alternate Zenial: Innocent now, but eventually everyone turns against me
Corcan: You know that’s gonna happen anyway with how you are conducting yourself
Alternate Zenial: I’m sure you’re here to end me like all the rest, so why don’t you make it quick
Anmai: Well if you insist
Fight against Alternate Zenial
When you win, he turns into purple smoke and floats off
Corcan: What a weird fellow
Atlantic: Wait, weren't we supposed to destroy the Court of Stars here?
Atoll: Oh yeah we were
Corcan: Let’s go find it
Begin Darkness Path
When you’re 50% of the way down the path
Atoll: These twisted worlds are a strange experience
Corcan: It’s showing us the world is like without The Century Corps and what you do
Thosmrr: Well aren’t you a member too
Corcan: In the past, but not the present
Resume Darkness Path
When you’re done the path, the Court of Stars remnant is sitting their, recoiling in pain
Corcan: There it is
Court of Stars Remnant: It hurts, the loneliness
Atoll: I INVOKE THIS JUNCTURE DESTROYED
Court of Stars Remnant: Fine, We’ll-
The remnant explodes like the last one, and the explosion knocks them back to the Red Realm
The Red Realm
The party lands out from where they came in and they see the cosmic energies flowing in and out of Zaylee
Zaylee: I don’t want to hurt fellow guild members
Court of Stars: YOU WILL DO AS WE SAY
The energy reenters Zaylee, transforming her back into the Celestial Herald
Zaylee, Celestial Herald: Death is coming
Atoll: We’ve got to continue chipping away, we can let it rot away
Atlantic: But first we have to pacify the herald again
Fight against Zaylee, Celestial Herald again
When she is at 50%, Corcan once again traps her in a cage
Corcan: Acantha, where too?
Acantha: I’ve got you
Acantha lights up the portal area and the party begins rushing to her but the Court begins to react
Court of Stars: ENOUGH
The Court’s radiating energy begins pulsing
Thosmrr: We’ve got to move
The light blasts Acantha into the portal along with the rest of the party
Timeline 3
The party winds up in a room with the Court of Stars Remnant, with someone familiar sitting on a Purple Throne
Alternate Acantha: Looks like I have visitors
Acantha: What led to this?
Alternate Acantha: Well you see other me, I had to be prepared for every scenario, so that meant taking over the city, so nothing could ever threaten it. I care about innocents so this is designed to protect them
Corcan: Acantha you’re not gonna do this if you go back down?
Acantha: Not at all, this is messed up, but I assume this Acantha is also subject to Optica’s whims
Alternate Acantha: I killed that bum and used her power to make the city a better place for everyone
Atoll: You’re sick and twisted
Alternate Acantha: Only to you maybe
Atlantic: Well we have to get back home
Alternate Acantha: Can’t let you, you are now a threat to my order, I got to kill you now
Atoll: Oh easy
Atoll fires a dart into Alternate Acantha’s side but she simply stands tall
Alternate Acantha: Those parlor tricks don’t work on me
Anmai: Well shit
Fight against Alternate Acantha
When she is at 75%
Corcan: Acantha, is every version of you a crazy nutcase who tries to take over the city?
Acantha: Listen I had no idea this would be a reality?
Corcan: You see how I have to keep you locked up
Acantha: You kinda sound like this other me, trying to keep other people in their place because they “present a threat”
Alternate Acantha: Yeah I killed the other Corcan so he couldn’t stop us
Corcan: Well this other you isn’t helping your case very much
Resume against Alternate Acantha
When she is at 50%
Corcan: Acantha, promise me you won’t do this if you escape the Red Realm
Acantha: I swear on it
Alternate Acantha: I wouldn’t make such binding promises if I were you
Acantha: Listen, why don’t you shut the fuck up and let us kill you
Alternate Acantha: Never
Resume against Alternate Acantha
When she is defeated, she falls on the ground and Atoll just as quick fires a dart through her skull
Atoll: I don’t feel that bad about this
Atlantic: How did that dart cleave through her skull?
Atoll: Reinforced with steel
Acantha: Damn that’s hardcore
Corcan: Let’s get out of here
Atoll: I INVOKE THIS JUNCTURE DESTROYED
Court of Stars: As you wish
The court destroys itself there, sending the party back to The Red Realm
The Red Realm
The Court of Stars is pulsating rapidly, as Zaylee once again tries to break free
Zaylee: YOU CAN’T HOLD ME FOREVER
Court of Stars: Quiet
The Court once again takes over Zaylee’s body
Zaylee, Cosmic Herald: We will not go until punishment is achieved, even if we are hanging on by a thread
Fight Zaylee, Cosmic Herald again
When she is at 25%, Corcan once again places her in a red cage and the Party enters the final portal
Timeline 4
This timeline is a strange one, with a swirling cauldron of darkness sitting at the center of it
Atoll: Where are we?
Acantha: We are in a strange place
Thosmrr: Alright, let me make the room more visible
Thosmrr fires a disk of light at the ceiling, illuminating the room, revealing strange technical instruments
Acantha: Well this is weird
Atoll: Let’s look for the Court of Stars so we can go back
Corcan: Let’s do that
Look for the Court of Stars remnant
When the party is 50% through looking for the remnant, a large blaring noise is heard
Optica.AI: An extratemporal anomaly has been detected, deployment of forces to deal with the anomaly are imminent
Atoll: What happened here?
Acantha: I think Optica put herself in the walls
Thosmrr: Let’s just get out of here
Continue searching for the remnant
When the party find the remnant
Corcan: Well, it’s time to wrap this up
Acantha: Do the honors
Atoll: I INVOKE THIS JUNCTURE DESTROYED
The destruction of the remnant once again boots the Party back to the Red Realm
The Red Realm
The Court of Stars can no longer hold its grip over Zaylee as she finally breaks free
Zaylee: Heh, you can’t control me anymore
Atoll: Alright!!
Acantha: Nice going guys
Corcan: This is how we roll
Court of Stars: Impossible
Anmai: We have one more thing to do
Court of Stars: WE INVOKE LAST RITES
Suddenly the Court begins glowing red as a bunch of stellar warriors appear as The Court motions to destroy itself
Thosmrr: Well this isn’t good
Atoll: Let’s not panic, we’ve already done so much, let’s finish the job once and for all, and finally go home
Corcan: Sounds good
Zaylee: I’m down for the finale
Atlantic: Let’s do this
Acantha: You go
Anmai: One more dagger into the void
Fight against The Star Harbingers
When you win, the Red Realm spins and turns, but eventually, a massive portal of stars opens in the Realm
Atoll: The way back home
Zaylee: When we go back through it, we will lose our memories of this place
Anmai: How do you know?
Zaylee: The Court often resets the memories of those who rebel against it successfully, so when it regenerates and if it encounters you again, it has an advantage
Thosmrr: So we’ve made enemies of the heavens?
Zaylee: Well yeah, but it doesn’t matter at all, they are not vengeful, just cautious
Anmai: We are good to head back then
Zaylee: Well you should say your goodbyes
Corcan: I think I will, goodbye everyone
Acantha: You’re going back?
Corcan: I am due my happy ending on Earth, I want to forget this place
Acantha: Well goodbye comrade
Corcan: See you on the other side
Atlantic: I’m ready to go back home
Atoll: This will be one lost adventure for the ages
Everyone goes back home except for Acantha, who is left in the Red Realm
Acantha: Guess I’ll also make my way back, but in another sense
Acantha decides to slink back into the Chamber of Souls and enter a vessel, heading back to the Earthly realm in a newborn, ready to begin life alongside someone new hoping that she can emerge eventually
