The Celestial Conquest, Ch02: The War Begins
Disclaimer: I own nothing but my original characters and works; all other characters and worlds belong to their respective owners. I'm just playing with them.
Betad by Beans, priapus, Mike God of Lore
The Celestial Conquest
Chapter 02: The War Begins
– PHO –
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♦ Topic: New A-Class Threat Declared
In: Boards ► Capes ► Threats
Bagrat (Original Poster) (Veteran Member) (The Guy in the Know)
Posted On Mar 17th 2011:
The PRT has declared a new A-Class threat, currently located in Brockton Bay.
Pharaoh and the Black Pyramid have been deemed a major threat, and the PRT has put out a warning for everyone to avoid the Black Pyramid [img] that is currently located above Brockton Bay.
Pharaoh has been confirmed to be able to bring back the dead as minions. Dragon reported that he had close to a hundred reanimated skeletons inside his 'throne room' when she made contact, but given the size of the Pyramid (estimated to be eight hundred meters tall and proportionally wide), it is assumed he has more within.
For those unaware, the Black Pyramid first appeared in March of 1996, approximately fifteen years ago, while the Teeth were still located in Brockton Bay. It appeared suddenly above the city, directly above where the Teeth were holding one of their infamous pit fights, and promptly landed on the city, crushing thousands of people before it flew into the air and disappeared.
It has recently reappeared in the exact spot it first vanished from, and after a failed attempt to communicate (with Pharaoh attacking Dragon's mech and destroying it), Pharaoh unleashed a horde of giant skeletal vulture-like birds upon the heroes while also firing lightning bolts at them, striking Laserdream directly and gravely wounding her (though Panacea was able to save her life).
Glory Girl attempted to attack Pharaoh after seeing her cousin's injuries but was unfortunately bested as Pharaoh first struck her with lightning and after it seemed not to work, switched tactics and bypassed her shield.
It has been confirmed that Pharaoh summoned burning hot sand inside Glory Girl's lungs, which was rapidly refilling and suffocating her while burning the insides of her lungs and throat. Panacea was able to keep her sister alive until the effect wore off, but it is confirmed that Glory Girl was declared brain dead due to a lack of oxygen to the brain (which Panacea cannot affect).
Pharaoh has been given a Kill Order, both for his actions here and as he has been charged for the deaths his Pyramid first caused due to his refusal to communicate with the PRT and declaration of war.
The Pyramid has shown the ability to travel, flying through the air, and they fear that any attempt on Pharaoh's life at the moment would cause the Pyramid to come crashing down on the city, its colossal size and weight making it essentially a meteor that would devastate the city. If the Pyramid lands, do not approach under any circumstances; Pharaoh has been shown to be highly aggressive towards 'intruders'.
Be safe, everyone.
(Showing page 1 of 194)
►Space Zombie
Replied On Mar 17th 2011:
I speak for everyone when I say, fuck it, kill him and stop him from using the Bay to get an army of undead capes. Brockton Bay isn't that important anyway.
►Feychick
Replied On Mar 17th 2011:
Oi, I happen to be able to see the fucking thing on clear days, directly above my house. I'd rather not have the giant pyramid come crashing down on me, thanks.
That said, I hope the PRT has a plan because Nilbog but a Necromancer sounds horrifying since I can see his lair from my window. The pictures don't do the Black Pyramid justice, it's so fucking large. It's so high up, but it still looks massive.
►Acree
Replied On Mar 17th 2011:
Just have the Triumvirate go and kick his door down, grab Pharaoh and force him to land the fucking thing far away from civilisation.
►Clockblocker (Verified Cape) (Wards ENE)
Replied On Mar 17th 2011:
Yeah, tiny issue. A kill order means he's getting Birdcaged at the very best, so why would the maniacal villain do anything he was told to? More likely, the psycho who just left Glory Girl in a coma would go all scorched earth and take the city with him.
Things are crazy here, I can't believe Glory Girl is in such a bad state...
►Iblis
Replied On Mar 17th 2011:
Honestly, a fair point. Why would someone with a death sentence agree to anything? He could pilot the pyramid straight into the town if the Triumvirate even showed up.
And all Pharaoh has to do is stop whatever is holding the Pyramid in the sky. If Pharaoh dies, we don't know for certain that his Pyramid would vanish; there are plenty of examples of creations outliving the cape who created them, so his death could mean a borderline apocalyptic event.
►Mane Magenta
Replied On Mar 17th 2011:
Where has he been for fifteen whole years? You'd have thought that someone would have noticed him flying around in a giant pyramid
►XxVoid_CowboyxX
Replied On Mar 17th 2011:
He's an alien! Everyone knows the pyramids were built by aliens (the same structure has been found through loads of civilisations!!), and now the mothership has come back.
I suspect he went back to his people, teleporting his pyramid back to his planet, and now he's come back to conquer us
►Aloha
Replied On Mar 17th 2011:
Uhuh.
Figures the conspiracy theorists have already shown up. I'm old enough to remember them screaming about aliens when the Pyramid first appeared
►Dawgsmiles (Veteran Member)
Replied On Mar 17th 2011:
Yeah, I'm gonna go with fuck that.
Some crazy lunatic with an army of the dead, sitting in a pyramid high above the city? I really need to move.
►PRTools
Replied On Mar 17th 2011:
Congrats to the PRT for fucking up the first contact so amazingly!
►Thatdude
Replied On Mar 17th 2011:
Dude, it was Dragon who went in, and she's known for being very diplomatic. Pharaoh attacked anyway. Some people are just crazy; the PRT can't be blamed for that
End of Page. 1, 2, 3 ... 192, 193, 194
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– King Darius –
Feat Achieved: Become PHO Infamous (100cp). 450cp needed to unlock [Time Stop]
100cp granted, 350cp needed to unlock [Time Stop]
Looking down at the city from my seat of power, I frown to myself as I consider my options. The truth is, I lack manpower. My forces are few, well-suited to protect my Tomb from invaders but a strong enough cape could tear through them.
My [Magical Warding] is strong enough to prevent most Capes from even getting into my Tomb, but in this world of unpredictable powers, I am sure that many could find a way to infiltrate my Tomb and wage war against me. My [Ironclaw Cunning] confirms it; I cannot wage war against the entirety of the PRT and come out on top, and yet I will not run and hide like some craven dog.
I require more points so that I can continue empowering my system. As such, the only path I see before me is to go on the attack. And yet, I cannot risk landing my Tomb in my current state because I have no doubt that they rightfully fear it falling from the sky and destroying the city below. I cannot yet leave because I would be swarmed by heroes; many would die in the attempt, but that would be little comfort to me as I faced my final death or imprisonment.
So, how does a King confined to his Tomb, unable to deploy his forces, wage war?
Through magic, of course. The Lore of Nehekhara holds many secrets, and while I am not yet a true master of the Lore, I have access to the knowledge I need to start my holy war upon the capes who have infested the city.
I have thought hard upon who I wish to turn my ire towards first, tempted to attack the heroes who dared to challenge me… but in the end, I found a better target. I am not familiar with the current gangs that inhabit the city, and as of yet, I lack the knowledge I need to properly understand the current cape scene of Brockton. I don't exactly have internet access up here.
I should grab some slaves and interrogate them for information when I get the chance.
But there is one gang that remained in Brockton Bay while I went missing for over a decade, the Empire Eighty-Eight. The Neo-Nazi thugs have managed to weather the tests of time, but they will not survive me. The Teeth may have grabbed me, but it was one of the Empire's captured skinheads that beat me to death.
I've sent the undead birds to scout around the city and have a vague idea of where the Empire makes roost; just the regular birds, not my Carrions. So, I have my target; I know where they hide, and now all that remains is to deliver my first blow and let them know that they are not welcome in my city.
Even in my time, people of colours and castes that the Empire saw as unworthy would frequently be attacked or go missing, and rumours of the Empire demanding their new recruits kill a minority or otherwise marginalised group to join their ranks spread throughout the city. I do not know how true these rumours are, but I can feel the death permeating the city; Brockton Bay is a place where suffering and death have happened in great amounts.
Smiling to myself and gripping my new staff, I look down at the city from the edge of my pyramid, gathering power as I begin to cast Djedra's Incantation of the Eternal Dead. It's time those dead return to right the wrongs dealt to them.
– Tammi Herren (Rune) –
The first sign something was going to go fucky was the giant-ass pyramid moving above their territory, but Kaiser waved them off. He assured them that Pharaoh was just moving around constantly to make his not-so-secret lair harder to approach.
He was fucking wrong.
The next sign was the chanting echoing through their territory coming from the pyramid. Foreign, exotic words made her body shudder in a fear she would never have admitted to.
The third and final sign… was the fucking ghosts.
She'd been at a rally, a show of force to convince the gang not to panic about the pyramid, so she'd been on the stage and got to see firsthand when they started to float out of the very ground, and she'd quickly realised that incorporeal did not mean harmless.
The ghosts all looked different, but most of them shared a certain appearance that made her stomach drop. They looked like the kind of people that the Empire would target: Blacks, Asians, and Hispanics, usually wearing ragged clothing.
And they all looked like they'd died in agony, blood stains, bruises, even missing limbs, and every single one seemed furious.
She'd fled, not even caring about how it looked as she tore a slab of the stage off and used it as a platform, hearing the screams and fighting from below as the spirits set upon the crowd, slaughtering indiscriminately, and her one attempt at helping left her watching as a watermelon-sized rock flew through a ghost's body and did a grand total of nothing beyond making the ghost charge her.
So she continued to flee on her airborne platform, abandoning her fellow Empire capes who couldn't fly to fight off a horde of enraged spirits. She'd heard Hookwolf cursing her as she left, but as the majority of the horde swarmed his metal form, she figured that wasn't going to be a problem.
She did have a problem, however, because she'd flown up to escape the spirits… and someone else was already occupying this airspace. Dodging desperately, she watched as one of the dozens of giant vultures soared through the spot she had just left, massive talons able to rip through metal clasping as it glowered at her out of an empty eye socket.
Swerving as best she could, she looked down, and her eyes widened in terror at the sight of Legions of spirits soaring through the streets, attacking anyone who looked Empire. Certain death was below her; almost certain death was above her.
Spotting Pharaoh, she realised her mistake as he extended his hand. She was able to flip her platform sideways to intersect the deadly bolt of lightning that struck it, but before she could right herself, clinging on for dear life, the vultures came for her.
Snatching her right off the platform, one of them flew her a few feet away from it and then let go, sending her plummeting to her death. Another vulture swooped down and caught her as she screamed before it flew into the skies and let go as it hit the peak of its soar, sending her flying through the air, unable to call her platform as another tore it to pieces.
Pharaoh watched her, his golden mask hiding his expression, as she was used as a toy for the birds, tossed around as their talons tore into her robe and slashed at her body, leaving a dozen small cuts across her before one dove down and grabbed her, once more throwing her.
This time, nothing caught her; they didn't need to as she landed face-first on the platform in front of the Pharaoh, who stared down at her from behind that intimidating mask. She placed her hands on the ground as she heaved from the nauseating movements, trying to use her power.
"My Tomb obeys me, and me alone. Cease your attempts unless you wish to invite the wrath of the deserts upon you," Pharaoh commanded, his voice booming despite how he was speaking almost casually.
She stopped immediately, going to rise before he raised his hand.
"No, kneel," Pharaoh demanded, making her gulp as she lowered herself again. "You know the capes of this city, yes?"
"Y-yes," Rune agreed, her heart pounding. She'd seen a recording that looked just like this right before he'd kicked Glory Girl off the pyramid with her lungs full of burning sand.
"You will serve me," Pharaoh decided, and her mind briefly reminded her that he had a Kill Order and she would be fucked if she joined up. "In life, or beyond it."
The idea of him puppeting her corpse around made her shudder, nodding rapidly as she looked up at the deadly cape.
"I will, I'll serve you," Rune agreed, dread filling her veins as she looked upon his pitch-black skin and golden visage.
He gestured for her to rise, turning and walking back into the tomb as she gave one last look toward the city before she obediently followed behind, head bowed. He already had a kill order, so nothing was beyond him. No rule mattered anymore; he could do whatever he pleased until someone managed to take him down. All she could do was hope that she could play the victim when, or if, that time came.
– Victor –
As a skill thief, he was an essential part of the Empire. He could do essentially anything Kaiser needed as long as he could find the right volunteer to give him the skills he needed.
Firing his gun, he watched as the bullet flew through the spirit, who grinned at him with malicious intent as it rushed towards him, clawed hands extended. He turned, pride forgotten as he tried to make a break for it, but bony hands burst from the ground and gripped his legs.
Unable to break free, he let out a yell as the hands grabbed at him, pulling him halfway into the ground despite his desperate attempts to resist. The spirits didn't hesitate to dive at him, ghostly hands wrapping around his throat as the skin they were touching started to turn black and rot under the clawed fingers tearing into his flesh.
– Alabaster –
He was immortal; nothing could truly kill him. He enjoyed boasting about his immortality, letting people deal deadly blows to him just for fun. He'd got Empire men to shoot him in the head just to show off how unkillable he was.
As the skeletal hands dragged him down towards the core of the earth, he could only struggle helplessly as he suffocated, only to reset and suffocate to death all over again. No matter how he fought, they dragged him deeper still, entombing him in tons of dirt and stone.
As he struggled, for the first time, he wished he could die, the hands leaving him buried under God knows how much dirt. He didn't know where they had taken him or if anyone would ever find him. Let to die forever, he suffocated in his earthen tomb and reset once more.
– Justin (Crusader) –
He had used his ghosts to kill countless of the Empire's foes, perfect for arranging 'accidents' or 'suicides'.
He thought he recognised some of the ghosts that were now swarming him, overwhelming his own ghosts through force of numbers, despite their ability to fight back. It wasn't so funny on this side, feeling their spectral hands gripping him as they started to yank, dozens of ghosts gripping his limbs. He screamed in pain, feeling his bones creak and his muscles tear as they began to tear him limb from limb.
He could see Menja getting swarmed, ghosts scaling her enlarged body as she was pulled to the ground, her sister screaming at the sight of Menja being overrun.
Nobody could help him, each dealing with their own problems, and before long something had to give. In this case, it was his left leg which was torn off mercilessly, to the sound of cackling and ghostly cheering, celebrating his death as they successfully tore each of his limbs from his body, dropping his already-rotting body to the ground as he coughed up a mouthful of blood, watching them move onto their next prey.
Vision darkening, he watched as one of the massive birds swooped down and, in a swift, smooth movement, picked up his dismembered body and carried it into the sky, but his consciousness failed him as he gave in and surrendered to death.
– Max Anders (Kaiser) – Later –
As the day of the dead came to an end, he sat in his office in complete shock, the surviving capes gathered around him. All were equally shell shocked, except Hookwolf, who paced with a furious expression, covered in blood.
Fenja didn't even look towards him, staring blankly into the distance. Fog was the least affected despite his wife's death, broken as they were. Stormtiger and Cricket switched between anger and fear, Cricket bearing several new scars. Othala was utterly subdued, having witnessed her husband's death.
"Why? Why did Pharaoh target us?" Fenja asked, and Kaiser had no answer.
For the first time, his talented words failed him. They had lost around half their capes in a single attack, not to mention how many of their rank and file had been slaughtered by the horde of ghosts.
"Because he's an unhinged lunatic, that's fucking why," Brad growled, clenching his fists. Hookwolf had seemingly been a priority target for the spirits, and being forced to flee as the spirits ignored his metal armour entirely had hurt his warriors pride badly.
They all knew how Hookwolf had escaped, charging through loyal Empire men and women and blendering them in an attempt to get away faster. He may have killed more of their rank and file than the ghosts. Still, it wasn't the losses that had Brad so furious, but his wounded pride. He broke and fled, with his tail between his legs.
Kaiser himself had only survived because Menja had thrown him into the air, where Stormtiger had caught him and managed to carry him away from the scene, dodging the vultures.
"We have to strike back; this can't go unanswered," Brad demanded, and Max just gave him a stern look. Did Brad think he didn't know that? The Empire had been dealt a devastating blow.
"Obviously, but we've just been cut deeply. Lung will smell blood, even the Merchants might dare push into our territory. Besides, only Stormtiger and Fog can fly; we can't send them up to the Pyramid alone. I'll need to rein Kayden in; we can't afford to have her playing hero when we are looking so weak. I might be able to get more support from the Gesellschaft, but with Krieg's death, that is a questionable thing at best," Max explained. "Brad, once you're back to one hundred percent, head towards the border we share with the ABB; it won't be long before they try something. Kill any chinks who cross it; send a message," Kaiser ordered, clenching his fists in sheer rage.
Pharaoh would pay for this attack, Purity would blast that pathetic pyramid to pieces, and then they'd rip the coward from his hiding place.
– King Darius –
Feats Achieved: Kill Victor (100cp), Kill Krieg (100cp), Make Alabaster Beg For Death (100cp), Kill Menja (100cp), Kill Crusader (100cp), Kill Night (100cp), Enslave Rune (100cp), Devastate the Empire (100cp). 800cp granted. 350cp spent for [Stop Time]. 450cp banked.
[Stop Time] - 800cp
Do you want to move without limits? Using a slight sum of your magical energy, you can bring time to a complete halt around you. Anything that isn't touching you is frozen in time. Initially, you can maintain this state for about a minute at a time before having to 'renew' it with another chunk of energy, but you can eventually maintain it for a few minutes longer after some practice.
Djedra's Incantation of the Eternal Dead is a powerful one, and in truth, using it over such a large area left me feeling spiritually drained, but the exhaustion I feel is worth it to deal such a fatal blow to my chosen enemies.
I had no control over the spirits; I gave their hatred life: a chance to return and inflict suffering upon the gang that had killed them. Some killed aimlessly, fatally jealous of the living, others hunted anyone wearing Empire colours, and some targeted the Empire capes exclusively.
Were I a true High Priest, I could have easily summoned and controlled all the spirits that are lingering in Brockton Bay, keeping them bound to me for all time. As it stands, I managed to bring a fraction of those spirits back to life for just a few hours. It was enough for now.
Some of the spirits even managed to move on, their vengeance sated by the deaths of the capes and thugs they slaughtered.
Looking at the sight before me, I smile to myself.
Five sarcophagi are lined up, with five special bodies within. I have more bodies, of course, but my new pet identified the capes from the corpse pile I had my carrion collect for my army. They are vultures, after all, and it is in their nature to scavenge the kills of others.
Victor, the skill thief. Kreig, the kinetic manipulator. Menja, the Valkyrie. Crusader, the discount Ghost summoner (I think I've established my dominance in that field). And finally, Night, the abomination, shame she couldn't take on her monstrous form with the eyes of the dead upon her.
Rune stands beside me, looking over the bodies of her allies with terror in her eyes. This may not kill the Empire, but these racist fools have survived for decades, and in a single day, I cut their numbers in half.
"What do you think this Kaiser will do?" I ask, getting Rune's attention away from my collection. "Prove you are worth more to me alive."
"I… I guess he'll try and get reinforcements from the clans and the Gesellschaft, our European allies. I don't know if they'll help. Krieg was his main contact with the Gesellschaft, but the Clans might come to his aid," Rune explains, hesitating. The triforce upon my staff glows, and she suddenly remembers how to speak. "Purity, he'll go for Purity. She's one of the strongest Blasters around, and she 'left' to play hero. He'll want her back before he does anything else."
"And where can I find this… Purity?" I ask, watching Rune tremble before me. "Is her life worth yours?"
"I… I know where she lives. I've babysat her daughter," Rune admits, voice cracking as she betrays her ally. "Her name is K… Kayden, Kayden Anders."
"You have served me well, Rune. Unmask," I order, watching her slowly pull down her hood as the terrified teenage girl looks up at me. "You may live as long as you continue to serve me. If you attempt to flee the Tomb, you will wish for death. I may even grant it, eventually."
Rune nods rapidly, her face pale as snow and her eyes wide.
"I require knowledge, on my rivals. The gangs, the 'heroes'. You will provide me with the information I need to crush my enemies," I demand, gripping her chin as she gulps, eyes wide. "What is your name."
"T-Tammi, I'm Tammi Herren," Tammi answers, too afraid to disobey. "I'll tell you what I know."
Turning away from her, I look over the collection of Capes with a small smile beneath my mask. Kayden Anders, was it?
My eyes settle on one of the five, my decision made up. Crusader may be inferior to me, but I cannot deny his ghosts are useful, even if he's currently lacking his limbs. It's fine, I can stick some extra ones in their place and Djedra's Incantation of Summoning will see him rise again.
With so many bodies, I can add several units of Skeleton Warriors to my roster, inferior to my Tomb Guard in every way, but useful all the same. They will make good fodder.
Before I start the ritual, I roll again. I have points to spare and I need every weapon I can get in the coming conquest.
[Tough] - 200cp, 250cp remaining
There is not much to say. You have a particularly sturdy body or magical defence, and are able to absorb a lot of damage, making it especially useful against multiple weak attacks. Death from a thousand cuts is not something you have to worry about anymore.
More durability is never going to be a bad thing. I am already durable, the magic animating my body ensures I am difficult to put down, but this only makes me more resistant to damage.
[Cloak of the Dunes] - 200cp, 50cp remaining
A long brown cloak originally created by Khsar, the God of the Desert Winds. When worn, the user can transform themselves into a living sandstorm, whirling across the dunes at great speed. Not only is the sand storm violent enough to strip skin and muscle from bone in under a minute, a large trail of whirling sand at almost the same speed is left behind the wearer as he travels, allowing him to trap people in dangerous sandstorms. This form may be held for a few minutes at a time, needing a short rest in between uses before the cloak will allow the user to transform again.
Ah, and this is a worthy purchase. The cloak appears upon me, worn like a cape so as to not cover my glorious golden armour, and I can feel the power within me. Yes, this will do nicely.
Tammi watches as I raise my golden staff, chanting once more as I focus on the body of Crusader. Rise again, in service to a greater King than Kaiser. Rise, and kill for me.
— Bonus Scene — Amy Dallon (Panacea)
Sitting in her bedroom, she stared out of the window at the sight of Black Pyramid, hovering above the city arrogantly.
She'd learnt several things about herself after Vicky's… defeat. Firstly, she had more power over the PRT than she thought, and she was willing to use it.
She demanded the Kill Order, swearing she'd never heal another person again if they didn't place a Kill Order on Pharaoh. Carol oddly enough had supported her, and it had gone far enough that the Chief Director had to be called.
She couldn't tell if Piggot was happy or enraged to have been blackmailed into giving Pharaoh a Kill Order, but Costa-Brown agreed after some negotiations. She couldn't skip Endbringer battles anymore, or S-Class incidents, if they happened she would be picked up by the PRT and taken to them as long as she could reasonably reach their location. It was worth it, in exchange for knowing that Pharaoh was going to die for what he did.
She also learnt that she was not nearly as bound by her rules as she thought, because despite having sworn never to use her powers on someone's brain… she was so tempted. But, the brain was what made Vicky, Vicky. Any mistake, any temptation, and she could change Vicky completely. It would be someone else, some caricature wearing Vicky's face, and she didn't trust herself enough to make Vicky right.
It would also expose that she'd been lying about not being able to do brains for so many years, but she cared little about that.
Glaring up at the Pyramid, she cursed the PRT for their cowardice. They wanted time to make a plan, meanwhile Pharaoh was only growing stronger as he slaughtered the Empire and stole the bodies of their capes.
Not that she'd mourn some Nazi fucks, but didn't they see that they needed to attack and kill the bastard before he could build an army? If she could get her hands on the psychotic bastard she'd…
Amy paused, eyes narrowing as she clenched her fists. Everyone thought she was only a healer, Pharaoh would have no reason to fear her getting close. She just needed a chance.