Magus Wars : Honesty

**Magus Wars : Honesty** is a Story Arc of the the Exteria Multiverse. It takes place in a **Virtual World** in Interra and follows the perspective of Divine Servants Leonardo da Vinci and Annabelle Zera. It is a sequel to Magus Wars : Compassion and is followed by Magus Wars : Insight and Magus Wars : Irregularity.

## Story

### A Cruel Game

Leonardo and Annabelle are summoned by Fianna Persona and Pegasus Noachia, respectively, in a mysterious virtual reality similar to a video game. While at first Fianna believes the game to be a simulation, with Leonardo a virtual aide to her plans, she quickly realizes that the 'interactive game' promised by programmer Keith Astler is in fact a trap meant to force a Servant War upon innocents.

The four unite in order to investigate on the various actors of the war, fighting at first with Gilles de Rais, a criminal responsible for several massacres, then encountering the helpful Omega and the slightly hostile Carmilla Voldaren. They also briefly meet with Bobby Mueller, an insufferable pro-gamer tied with the mysterious Basarab, the independent Ludo, as well as the enigmatic wizard Vaati alongside Dahlia Thorne.

### The Dragon's Presence

The group must however quickly unite against the existence of Nicol Bolas, Divine Servant of Leo, who taunts all his opponents, claiming to be powerful enough to crush all of them. This prompts an alliance against him, with Leonardo meeting with Loste Woodrow, as well as Erudessa, in order to organize an assault on NIcol Bolas's massive palace. Even Gilles joins the group, after his motives are explained.

Leonardo's guidance and Annabelle and Gilles's prowess allow to weaken Bolas enough for Omega to unleash his true power and seemingly vanquish the dragon. However, taking advantage of the confusion, a mysterious being known as XENOS horrifically kills Bobby, and takes Basarab for him, before leaving the group confused and fearful.

### Against the Machine

Quickly, the party realizes that XENOS is the real organizer of the war - a rogue AI and an self-proclaimed Divine Servant of Libra. After a brief meeting with the war's arbiter Lambda - who claims to be powerless in the face of the situation - the group is taunted by XENOS who forces Basarab to assume his true identity - Vlad Tepes, origin of the myth of Dracula, and dies tragicallly in front of the group.

As the group retreats, Ludo deeply traumatized by the action, even more complications arise as XENOS taunts Erudessa into becoming berserk after learning of Gilles's murder of children. This forces Leonardo to calm Erudessa, then investigate on ways to turn XENOS's reality-warping powers against him. Meanwhile, Annabelle defeats Carmilla, earning her respect in order to join them in their last endeavors.

### Twisting the War

Using her last powers as a Pisces, Leonardo manages to twist the war's nature itself - if XENOS desires to antagonize the entire world, then the war itself must reflect this, making XENOS the sole opponent of the war. The party is then joined by a surviving Bolas who promises to grant everyone's wishes should his own wish be granted first - and albeit somewhat doubtful, for lack of options, the party accepts.

Using Ludo's essence as a willing sacrifice to break through XENOS's defenses, the group invades his last realm, where he unleashes his last resort measures - turning Omega against the group and using Lambda, in fact his ally from the beginning, in order to gain an edge against them. However, these plans eventually fail through a combination of force of will and planning.

This allows the group to finally access XENOS's last bastion and challenge him. Despite his taunting words and use of the group's painful memories through simulations and mind-games, the powerful AI eventually falters and crumbles, leaving Bolas with his full powers - allowing Anabelle to return home, and granting Gilles de Rais's long-lost wish, while taking Leonardo, Vaati, Dahlia and Erudessa with him.

## Characters

* Leonardo da Vinci of Pisces
* Annabelle Zera of Gemini
* Erudessa of Cancer
* Nicol Bolas of Leo
* Vlad Tepes of Capricorn
* Gilles de Rais of Virgo
* Ludo of Aquarius
* Carmilla Voldaren of Sagittarius
* Omega of Taurus
* Loste Woodrow of Scorpio
* Lambda of Ophiuchus
* Vaati of Aries
* XENOS of Libra
* Dahlia Thorne
* Yuna Kleine
* Fianna Persona
* Pegasus Noachia

## Trivia

* This storyline's name of honesty is somewhat ironical, as the entire premise of the war is dishonest.