[b][url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTMxyQZy6I8]Hall of the Innocent Blade, Arkham, Aeolus[/url][/b]

The Council of Emperors was underway. In a small room, furnished floor to ceiling with dark, mirrored tiles, and dominated by a large, round meeting table, seven of the most powerful sorcerers alive met to begin the proceedings. They gathered around the circular table at equal intervals, leaving a conspicuous space open between the the sixth and seventh person at the table. Still dressed in his usual attire from earlier in the day, the Grand Master of the Order of the Innocent Blade, Leviathan Corex, began the proceedings.

"I call this meeting of the Seven Emperors to order." He spoke the usual ceremonial dialogue. Some considered it a waste of time, but it was a tradition as old as the Order itself, and troubled times rested well on tradition. "I summon the Seven Emperors, who may now make themselves known."

To his right, a tall, thin man with dark skin and golden hair spoke. "Augustus, Emperor of Gold, answers your summons, Grand Master." His rich was tremendously deep, his accent casting a growl over his well-enunciated speech. Augustus dressed in his usual suit, complete with his favorite articles of jewelry and other such effects. He casually smoked a cigar, but otherwise granted the meeting his full attention.

To the right of Augustus, a shorter, more heavily set man in a fine, grey suit spoke. "Vespasianus, Emperor of Beasts, answers your summons, Grand Master." Vespasianus stood with one hand on his gnarled cane, the other stroking his bright, red beard. A man fond of embellishment such as this, he was clearly in no rush to get through the opening ceremonies.

To his right, a much older, muscular man in a hooded robe and sunglasses spoke. "Claudius, Emperor of Wind, answers your summons, Grand Master." Claudius had a harsh, dry voice, and had no trouble expressing his exasperation with these time-wasting traditions in his tone.

To the right of Claudius was a man in simple, dark clothes, built lithely like a predatory beast, and with no fewer than four swords hanging at his waist. "Titus, Emperor of Steel, answers your summons, Grand Master." He, too, seemed to be at odds with this ritual, and stroked his chin in an irritated manner as he announced himself.

A towering man in a skull-shaped mask and a harlequin coat stood to the right of Titus, and spoke next. "Caligula, Emperor of Fury, answers your summons, Grand Master." Caligula's booming voice held an obvious sense of reverence for the ceremony, as he owed to the Order all he had in life.

To Caligula's right stood- well, bounced- a moldering, fly-ridden clown. "Tiberius, Emperor of Worms, answers your summons, Grand Master." Tiberius bounced from one foot to the other as he stood, making him look as though he were dancing in a sense. His voice was horrific to hear, sounding like oil being poured through gravel. Luckily, none of his corpulent, rotting flesh was visible, his face covered by a reptilian, grinning, green mask.

To the right of Tiberius was an empty space, left open out of reverence for Nero, who lay bound in her dungeon at the deepest level of the Hall. All turned their attention to the empty space expectantly, as though still expecting her to announce herself. Rather, a sort of psychic distortion permeated the room, like a static buzz in each of their minds. This signified that the Emperor of Secrets was present at the meeting, if only spiritually.

Attention now turning back to Levi, he recited the next part of the ceremony. "The Seven Emperors have assembled, and our council may now begin."

Before the actual start of the meeting, however, each attendant continued to stand, and recited the Oath of the Innocent Blade, together as one.

[i]"From the hate-scorched sky.
With righteous anger in our hearts.
We draw forth the sword that smites evil.
Thou art the Innocent Blade."[/i]

The Seven Emperors took their seats, and the council began.

Augustus spoke first, as he was wont to do in recent days. "I will get straight to the point. This meeting was called due to the looming threats on the horizon. This 'Council of the Damned,' and to a lesser extent, 'the Order of Three Lights.' Yesterday we caught another of the 'Council's' spies. That makes three this month. The 'Order' has been somewhat more polite, sending couriers, but they grow more aggressive with each message. I suspect they will soon begin to take matters into their own hands."

Vespasianus, another figure of authority among the Seven Emperors, was next to speak. "I have made my own inquiries into these organizations, yes, my own inquiries. The 'Council' seems to be more at odds with our own goals, at odds, yet this 'Order' could be an ally, an ally yet."

Claudius spoke, moving down the line of senior members of the Order, "The 'Order' will turn on us the moment they find us at odds with their own ideals. We cannot afford to trust zealots."

Vespasianus rebutted, "We cannot afford to trust anyone at the present moment, anyone. I merely suggest we focus on the more pressing threat, merely suggest."

"A preemptive attack?" Offered Titus, now curious.

"I would say not." Declared Augustus. "We only have six functional Deus Machina, and Crusade is currently tracking down Therion and Conquest. Our offensive capabilities are too limited to rush into a blind assault. They are too numerous and too well-resourced to attack without information, not to mention that we would leave ourselves widely open to counterattack."

The mention of Therion stung Levi's heart, but he had an idea. "So a reconnaissance mission would be best? Perhaps plant our own spy?"

The entire council "hmmm"ed at this, but Claudius spoke up. "Yes, that is a possibility. We wouldn't gain enough information by infiltrating their lowest levels, but a spy at their higher strata would yield a sufficient amount of information."

"So one of us, is what you're saying." Caligula had a talent for saying what everyone else was thinking.

"From my research," Levi spoke up, "This 'Council' is quite a foul and malevolent body. One would need to pass as the lowest sort of warlock to infiltrate their ranks."

All eyes in the room turned to one person. Tiberius looked around, momentarily confused as to why everyone was staring at them. Realization hit him like a brick. "What? Oh, me? Well, I'm flattered, really, but I can't say I'm much of a spy. I don't seem the subtle type to you, do I?"

Titus spoke. "Only you would be foul and vile enough to not be seen as conspicuous among their ranks."

"As well," added Caligula, "Should you be captured, they would have an easier time getting blood from a stone than information from you."

"Ah, well, I suppose that's true." Tiberius seemed bashful and still hesitant, though the rictus grin on his lizard-like mask still betrayed nothing.

"We'll finalize these details at a later point, Tiberius, but in any case, I would start packing." Levi closed that issue, and the council seemed satisfied with it. "Now, regarding these espionage attempts... Augustus?"

Turning the discussion back a page, Augustus elaborated on the matter. "Yes, we've caught three of their spies so far, trying to access our schematic records. Each was posing as one of our hired metalworkers, and had stolen Weiss Industries identification papers. Mind you, these have only been the spies we've caught. There are likely still more, among our general staff and hired sorcerers."

"I'll discuss the matter with Doctor Weiss soon, perhaps he can instate some control measures in the more sensitive levels of the Hall, and we can install some more proactive security." Only members of the Seven Emperors were traditionally permitted to attend these meetings, which meant that this discussion with the Chief Artificer would have to be held in another secured, debugged and magically warded room separate to this one.

"Very well. The rest of us will just have to keep vigilant. If you must discuss sensitive matters outside of a secure location, use Sending rather than talking aloud about it." Augustus closed that discussion.

Levi brought up a new point. "Now, you mentioned Crusade earlier. Have we heard any word from her regarding... Therion and Conquest?" It was almost difficult for Levi to say, and he felt as though the others knew it. Still, he couldn't show weakness to them. Whereas the rest of the Order was very impressed by his title of Grand Master, these men were not, and knew him for exactly what he was.

Claudius answered. "I received a brief report from her the day before last. Still no sign of them. Wherever they are, they must be either deep underground, or masking Liber Legis' presence." A Deus Machina was a difficult thing to hide, but if anyone could do it, Therion could. "She says that she will cancel her search by the end of the month if she has not made any further progress, and return her to reevaluate her tracking algorithm."

The search was dead cold, they all knew it, but Crusade wasn't even close to being willing to give up on her brother. It scared Levi; he had always known the angel to be as willful as iron, but this was different. She wasn't just being stubborn, this was obsession. He had never seen her like this.

"Hmm. Very well." Levi would have to speak to her when she returned. "In other matters, how is your grandson, Claudius. Is Domitian's training proceeding smoothly?"

Claudius harrumphed. "That eager to get rid of me, eh? Well, don't get too comfortable with the idea. The little bastard's training is giving me more difficulty than your own, which is no mean feat, I can tell you." Some members of the council rolled their eyes. Claudius the Sorcerer was gone, Dr. Shrewsbury the professor now sat at the table. "Still, he has a decent handle on his toy Deus Machina. Not anywhere as fast as Ambrose, but he could give any of you a run for your money."

"I see." Levi said, slightly perturbed by the sudden scolding. "Are there any other matters to discuss.?" The council expressed a negative to him. "Very well." He stood. "I call this meeting adjourned."

[hr]

[url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrYcNFj9CL0][b]A Secretive Cave, Karanos[/b][/url]

Deep beneath the earth, Azrad worked steadily. Locked in a pose of deep meditation in an expansive, subterranean chamber, the sounds of metal and machinery echoed all around him. It had been difficult to persuade the Ifrit of the desert to assist him in this project, but the payoff had been well worth it. He would never be able to assemble a Deus Machina on his own. The schematics he had acquired shortly after his excommunication from the Order of the Innocent Blade; apparently some discarded project that the previous Doctor Weiss had concocted.

While being forced to abandon Deus Machina Ogre was an unfortunate setback, Azrad was more than pleased by the advantages this new machine god would bring. All of those blades... and some manner of clock? Only another few months or so, and it would be in working order. However, he was still missing a vital component; a Grimoire to power it. While Deus Machina were fairly well-known entities, their inner workings were closely-guarded secrets. One of these secrets was that of the Grimoire, the arcane power source at the heart of each Deus Machina; a wellspring of magical power, these ancient and legendary tomes could fill a single sorcerer with apocalyptic power... or bring to life an artifact god.

For now, he meditated in the bowels of the earth, feeling out for tendrils of power that could lead him to such a Grimoire worthy of his Deus Machina Al Azif. His white robes swayed as the ether flowed through him; his usual fine suit that he was so fond of was far from practical in his hot, sandy homeland. He was progressing steadily, but he could not afford to slack. Great things loomed on the horizon, great and terrible things, and he was not one to miss out on them.