There was nothing for her to do.
Allura Vysoren looked about the war room. She had returned from the wyvern pens to find that most of the assembled clerics had departed. Scalebearer Vord remained but his aides had brought armour which he was currently being helped into, still planning troop movements through the city, his long sword and shield now in easy reach.
Whilst she had been gone, the map of Vasselheim had been replaced with a crafted model of the city, with a scale version of the titan visible just outside the wall. Runners in light armour were lined up as a secondary means of communication and the priest who had crafted the model would periodically update the location of the titan, and the forces of Vasselheim arrayed against it. Scryers and message senders still waited as needed but the Arcanist was not needed here. The city had had many hundreds of years to work on its defences and she had not ever factored into the preparations.
Instead, Allura returned to the balcony. The two guards had slung their long-bladed spears onto the backs and now had cross bows at the ready, watching the skies. One of the runners took a position near the balcony entrance, where he could watch developments and shout them back into the room.
Almost all the cities aerial defences were now in play: flights of giant eagles and wyverns swooped through the sky with their riders, skimishing with the gloomstalkers under the dark clouds swirling over head. Dragon headed ballista were raised to the sky, raking gloomstalkers as they came into range. Trebuchets on the outer wall were already flinging load after load at the titan, in what was quickly becoming a vain hope of toppling the gargantuan creature before it reached the walls
At a quick glance, it seemed like the city forces outnumbered the undead creatures but for every gloomstalker cut from the sky, it seemed like another would take it's place and the brutal aerial combat continued.
Allura looked out over the city - though the people were like dots to her, she could see citizens still streaming from the north west wall, headed to temples, or where-ever was considered safe quarters. Stoic figures headed towards the wall, Bastions answering the call to serve their city and here and there the flash of colour and shine that indicated paladins, or monks, or clerics, boosting the faith of the defenders.
As the titan continued to approach, Allura could feel the floor she stood on begin to shake every so slightly from each weighty footfall, the sheer mass of the creature ever more apparent.
One of the guards shouted a warning and all on the balcony looked to see three gloom stalkers appear around the building, their shrieks chilling even at this range. First one then the other crossbow sung as the guards methodically began to shoot at the incoming creatures. One gloomstalker was silenced as a bolt entered it's gullet and it dropped from the sky. The other two came closer and the bolts continued to fly, ripping the wings of a second, the guards taking turns to fire and reload. Then one guard swore as the mechanism on his crossbow locked suddenly, and the third gloomstalker was fast approaching.
There was a feminine cry and Allura brandished her staff, arcane energy rippling out and striking the creature as it made a final swoop. The energy blasted into it and the creatures shriek was silenced, dissolving to ash as it too fell from the sky.
Both guards nodded respectfully at Allura, as the one send the runner to find a replacement crossbow. A flight of eagles glided by and began to circle a few hundred yards away, obviously setting up another line of defence to protect the temple overlooking the city, and the Dawnmarshall within.
Allura speculated idly if the temple of Sarenae had been afforded a Dawnmarshall and had a moment of amusement at the thought of Pike taking up the role but the thought was fleeting and solemnity quickly returned.
Long minutes passed as Allura, and the others nearby watched the aerial battle, and watched as the titan came ever closer.
"It's going to breach," breathed the runner awestruck, as the titan did not so much breach the outer wall but rather crushed it under foot without a pause. The next footfall brought the whole entity within the wall, several streets reduced to dust underneath. Siege weapons fired at the titan, the dragon mouthed ballista and large scale trebuchet but the impacts continued to have no effect. With it's next step, the titan sank to one knee and for one wild moment, Allura wondered if major damage had been done then she realised that a swarm of creatures were emerging from holes in the titan, racing to engage with the defending forces.
Horns sounded out and Vasselheims defenders met with the undead horde emerging from the beast. A cohort of Bastions slammed into the encroaching creatures and stopped the charge only for a dark shadow to cover them before a huge fist slammed into the area, pulverising everything beneath it, leaving only a crater as it lifted. Another of the titan's fists came crashing down and Allura could see that down who weren't flattened by the impact were sent flying from the shockwave, living and undead alike.
She turned her face from the carnage and saw magical lights deeper into the city.
Whirling, she yelled at the runner - "Gate spells. The enemy breaches further." He looked wide eyed then darted back into the room, speaking hurriedly to the group around the model. Through the window, Allura saw the model change again, crafted into an update of the city. She turned back, desperately looking for signs of Kima though she knew that she could not identify anyone at this distance, hoping that her love yet survived.
She lost track of how long she watched the titan decimate the area of the city, the dark forces pouring out, the horns and drums of the Bastions rallying the forces and the crescendo of shouts that rose like a physical wave from the city, thousands of voices crying, screaming, raging and merging into a noise that Allura wished would stop. The clouds overhead blackened, reducing visibility further and enshrouding the city in a dusk-like twilight, lit from below by a multitude of fires with the sudden stabbing strobes of magic.
Despite the heaviness in the air, and aware of the guards shouldering their crossbows, Allura found her attention drawn to the city on the back of the titan before her. The portion of the barrier that had shielded Thar Amphala as it was carried here had been destroyed facing towards Vasselheim and the Arcanist could see the layout of streets and the tower of Entropis in it's midst. The top of the tower was obscured by a twisting, writhing green cloud though it looked like the upper portion of the cloud would sometimes reveal what lay instead, though Allura could make out no details, and didn't dare risk using magic to enhance her gaze for fear of attracting the attention of a literal god.
But she could see the small bronze shaped of Devo'ssa now circling the maelstrom surrounding the tower, as if waiting for a cue. And could she see a pair of wyverns following his lead ...?
She stared at the tower sensing something was about to happen, disregarding the combatants below and around her.
The Message spell arriving in her head caused her to gasp but it was GIlmore's accented tone she heard
In Whitestone. Cassandra and Kaylie here alive but grievously wounded. Vox Machina were with us. What in the name of all the hells is going -
That Gilmore had forgotten the word limit of a Message spell spoke to his distress but Allura was glad to hear his voice and quickly thought a reply before the spell faded.
Vecna has ascended. Vox Machina our final hope. Will send update if I can. Stand fast.
Allura didn't know the details but Vox Machina had somehow found their abducted people and got them to safety. Allura hadn't know about Kaylie but her capture made sense in the context of the ties to the party. But there had been no mention of Velora, and Allura had to hope that Vox Machina would be able to rescue her as well.
As she returned to what transpired before her, she began aware that the maelstrom around Entropis had again appeared to recede. What followed was something that she would never be able to explain but felt like her spirit partially detaching from her body and she became aware that she was able to regard the top of the tower, though as if from a distance. She could see the three orbs on their stone spires that Vox Machina had described and she became horribly aware of the the figure, wrapped in darkness, with glowing green eyes and hand, regarding the city before him, floating above the top of the tower.
Then there was movement and figures appeared behind him, one pulsing briefly and causing Allura, or her spirit, to turn from a light that seemed impossibly blinked, squinted and realised that she was still on the balcony but there was a white light fading on the tower.
Unbidden, the words came to her lips, "Blessed of Pelor."
Then there were rips in the sky above the tower and four meteors came flying out. Three of the meteors flew out across the city and Allura was aware of the people in the room behind her shouting as they tracked them across the city, their impact raising above the commotion
"One's hit the temple of Kord" shouted a person; "The Raven Queen's temple has been damaged" shouted someone else; "Was that the temple to Saranae?" a third asked loudly. Allura ignored them all her gaze riveted to the top of Entropis.
One of the guards approached her. "Perhaps you should go inside," he said, reaching as if to escort her.
"Look at the tower." She said softly.
"What?"
"Look at the tower." She repeated, more loudly and pointed with her staff. The details were obscured by the maelstrom but even from here, it was clear that the top of the tower had been sundered by a meteor strike. She turned to look at him, and at the runner behind. "Vox Machina are there. They have reached Vecna."
She turned back and was almost relieved to see flashes of magical light at the top of the tower, indicating life. Ignoring the shouts of the runner to those inside, her gaze was caught by Devo'ssa angling straight towards the maelstrom that again hid the tower and plunging straight in, the impact leaving odd ripples in the cold green light.
After a moment, Allura was sure she could see two shapes, as if that of wyverns, follow. The ripples were again clear though Allura was left convinced that more than two creatures had passed through.
For long seconds, there was nothing else visible, punctuated by the terrible sounds of the titan's fist striking more buildings, reducing them and everyone in the vicinity to dust.
Then it seemed like the maelstrom cleared again, and Allura had that strange sensation of her spirit being taken from her body. She heard her own gasp as if from a great distance as a second set of fissures opened in the sky and more meteors came crashing down on the tower top. It was apparent now that the top of the tower had been split into sections which only remained aloft from the green tendrils of energy that snaked up the height of the tower and seemed to be holding it together.
A force cage was visible and Allura was dismayed to see a bronze dragon within, thrashing madly in a vain attempt to escape. She could clearly see winged figures, tiny in stature compared to the Whispered One darting around the new god.
An explosion near the Quadroads again pulled her back into her body and she looked away from the tower for a moment as a large fireball erupted, sending a plume of black smoke into the air. Other fires were visible across the city and she could see the defenders had pulled back from the titan to deal with the waves of undead as wyverns and eagles continued to engage gloomstalkers in the ever more murky visibility. But the explosion put her in mind for one brief moment of Percy's guns though she couldn't think why anyone would have anything even remotely similar here in Vasselheim.
There was a third impact on the tower pulling her attention back.
A third Meteor Swarm she thought to herself blankly. He is but an avatar of his true ascended form and he already has that kind of power? What on Exandria could possibly hope to deal with him?
The green lit clouds of the maelstrom swiped again and she became aware of her spirit again being pulled.
And what she saw made her awe-struck.
Though part of her knew that it was Vox Machina fighting desperately to banish the newly ascended god from the prime material realm, what she saw was a truly divine battle. She saw an avatar of Kord strike a trammel into the chest of the would be god. She saw an avatar of Melora recoil as a trammel shattered in her hand. She saw an avatar of Erathis striking down mere skeleton minions, building power before releasing it at the undead god, even as Pelor's avatar unleashed another blast.
She was aware of an avatar of Saranae, wings glowing golden, fill the air around the tower with a healing light before transferring a trammel to the Kord avatar. The avatar of Melora was joined by the Champion of the Raven Queen, harassing Vecna as the last trammel was plunged into the lich's head. She saw an avatar of Ioun, standing aloft a purple hand release a counterspell and she saw an avatar of Tiamat wrestling with the archlichs arm. The last shocked Allura and she instinctively turned, seeking some assurance from the those who should be sharing the balcony. Instead, the guards, the runner and even those within the war room seemed frozen as Allura instead found herself staring into the eyes of a platinum dragon.
The dragon regarded her a moment before answering her prior question.
"Yes, she," and the contempt in the voice was beyond measure, "seeks to assist and for this time only shall I not interfer. But Vecna must not have dominion over our creation. Her avatar will betray them if this works." Here the platinum face returned to the struggle before him. "But if this should work, we require witnesses."
Allura blinked and the world came back, a cacophony of sound and noise and movement and dimness. She looked back towards Entropis and the view was clear.
No avatars were visible but she saw Scanlon hold a book aloft. It was as if the world paused for just a moment then continued and Allura realised with shock that an arm of the titan was raising up into the air, fist unclenching and unmistakenly with the intent to totally crush the top of the tower which would undone all the work and damn the world.
She raised her staff as if to cast a magic but somehow knew deep down that despite the clarity of her vision, that she was far too far away. The planatar figure swooped away from Vecna (Allura noticing curiously that it had antlers) and hovered behind the gnome bard on Bigby's hand. Vax, truly the Champion of the Raven Queen, pivoted in mid air before the pair as Grog, dangling precariously from the ribcage itself of Vecna smashed one of his Titanstone knuckles into Vecna's face. Though she could not see the face of the planatar, Allura somehow knew that she (for it could only be Keyleth with those antlers) was in turn reading from the tome.
The world paused again then Allura blinked and her view returned to that of the balcony. Entropis was far away again but as she looked over, she realised that it was easier to see for the clouds immediately over the tower had parted. A globe of golden light began to expand from the top of the tower, the maelstrom vanishing instantly then it rapidly expanded outwards, first encompassing the tower, then Thar Amphala then spreading out across Vasselheim. As the wave of light raced outwards, Allura could just see every gloomstalkers touched by the light disintegrate and as she shielded her eyes, she could just make out a pillar of light rocketing up into the sky and beyond as a scream of immense anger and frustration and rage was pulled away and up to the heavens.
Just like that the golden light was gone, replaced instead by the soft sunlight of daytime streaming over the shape of the titan as the arm locked in place and the entity frozen. Wyvern and eagle riders hovered and swooped but could find no traces of their enemy.
There was a moment of silence then a new noise raised and filled the air as with one voice the inhabitants of Vasselheim cheered as their salvation from the Whispered One became apparent.
Allura sagged, finding support on the balustrade where her wife had been mediating just a few hours before, relief making her legs weak for just a moment. She stared awe-struck as the cheers continued around her, as the Tower of Entropis broke apart from the top down, an ever expanding cloud of dust and rubble.
The clear sight she had experienced did not return but she noticed a gleam of white and purple light racing down ahead of the destruction of the tower, pause a moment at the base then accelerate ahead of the cloud of debris, only coming to a halt beyond the final radius of the cloud as the tower finished it's final collapse.
Allura let out the breath she didn't realise she had been holding.
"Thank the gods," she murmured.
And for just one second, she felt a breath of wind across her form, as if from a pair of divine wings as if a dragon ascending to the sky.