Netherworld 2: Back Through the Portals

Story Summary for Netherworld 2:

The Architects launch a plan to take over the Netherworld, led by Dr. Curtis Boatman, the head of the CDCA (Cross Disciplinary Convergence Association for those of you without Feng Shui rulebooks). They set up the Thunder King to attack his siblings with their help, and also set up the Darkness Queen and the Lotus to attack the Jammers. They plan to betray all sides at an opportune moment. Meanwhile, their Conversion Drones will begin capturing and converting the population of the Netherworld into abominations.

The Purists warn the Lotus about the impending treachery, and ask for help in their scheme to kill Dr. Boatman. The Ascended intercept the Purist's message, and instead set them up to lower the defenses of the Biomass Reprocessing Center while the rest of the Architect forces are busy with the Jammers and Monarchs. Then the Ascended arrange to have the Hand and the Dragons attack the weakened Biomass Center.

The Baron discovers the Architect's plot with the Thunder King, and warns the Prof. The Dragons and Jammers plan to break into the Biomass Center. Then Lusignan the Fool tells the Dragons that they must rescue a man with no name from the Thunder King's dungeon.

During the rescue attempt, the Baron kills Lucius Centares but is badly wounded, and Lusignan apparently falls to his death (later we learn that it was not Lusignan, but his Automaton). The Man With No Name is brought safely back to Lusignan's tower.

When the fighting begins, the Thunder assault against the Fire Pagoda initially goes well, but is stalled by the forces of the Ice Queen. The fight between the Jammers, Darkness, and Lotus devolves into a three-way mess when all the various treacheries take place. In the battle, Furious George kills The Silent Scream but is badly hurt himself. When the Darkness Queen arrives, the battle rages across the Netherworld and reaches the Fire Pagoda and becomes a five-way mess.

Meanwhile, Lusignan changes the Man With No Name into the Once and Future Champion, and the other Dragons take the Champion to the battlefront.

The Lotus summon a huge demon, the Burning King, but lose control of him. He kills both Je Pai and Chui Fa, then is killed by the Champion. Lusignan convinces the Monarchs that they were duped, so they set off to attack the Biomass Center.

With the help of Hung Hei Kwon, the Dragons make it inside the Biomass Center. The Purists unleash the Paradox Beast to kill Dr. Boatman. The Dragons and Hand attempt to stop it; finally Wu Ming Yi pushes the Beast and himself into the Center's reactor core. The Dragons capture Dr. Boatman and with his codes they deactivate the Conversion Drones. Then the Ascended arrive to take Dr. Boatman.

The Monarchs assault the Center. Dr. Boatman escapes in the confusion, and activates the self-destruct device. The Champion funnels the Four Monarch's power to contain the explosion, but is destroyed in the process.

This story summary was written by Stefan Vincent, and can originally be found on his website, here.