Island of Maniacs 1

[secretskull]

OOC: I think Beladere deserves colored speech too.

Beladere has been a bit busy near the end of the battle. His last attack had been a bit too much for his Rocket Launcher, and a few repairs were needed. He was confident in his allies' ability not to die horribly in the few moments he was busy.

As he was blown clean off the cliff by Akane's shockwave, his theory was proven to be correct. Hastily casting a spell, he floated gently down to the ground, grinning from ear to ear. "Well that was big fun, wasn't it?" He declared loudly, cocking his (now repaired), rocket launcher.

Smoothing down his hair, Beladere sidled over to Rem. "Hey Boss." He began. "These reinforcements that are going to chase us, what exactly can we expect from them?" In his mind, Beladere was already picturing the epic battle between himself and the enemy forces. And the subsequent gratitude of all nearby women. "You know, just in case we meet up with them."

[Astral Harmony]

This Post In a Nutshell: Relax and ask Raine questions or talk to other people. This RP will pick right back up after a while.

"Don't worry, they won't chase us," Rem said with confidence. "I trust our beautiful pilot in the giant mechanical armor."

-----

The journey leading out of the trench and heading generally in a northern direction was uncomfortably hurried, but brief. Night was fast approaching when the Veronica raised her right arm, the hand closed.

"This is a good spot," Rem declared. "All right, darkness is fast approach. Saren, you're first watch."
"Count on me."
"Luco. Lulu. Nyam. Please get to hunting."
"Of course. Let's go, girls."
"Ezra? Cooking."
"I'll put my whole heart and soul into tonight's meal!"
"Bertz, could I ask you to gather some firewood?"
"Of course."

The Veronica kneeled and the chest opened up, revealing where the pilot controlled the mecha from inside. "Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you...Raine."
Raine had to be a Breaker. No other class wore that much armor. Only the face under her brow and her expertly-cut black hair were visible through the pink armor plating with black underarmor protection. "Well met, all of you. I am Raine, former mercenary of the Crimson Splash based in the Rubellian Empire and currently self employed as a merchant of death."
"And what're you doing all the way out here?" Radian said with edge in her voice. "Red Island is completely off limits."
Raine shrugged lightly. "Stupid shit like that has never stopped me."
Radian reached for her lance without drawing it. "What was that?"

Rem stepped between them. "Please stop it, Lieutenant."
Radian frowned at Rem. "Rem, how do you know this bitch?"
"We were both here six months ago," Raine explained. "Business and all that. I have several clients who're paying top dollar for any technologies I can salvage from Red Island."
"But that's highly illegal!" Radian nearly shrieked. "It's capital punishment!"
"Enough, Radian!" Rem said, cutting across formality. "You won't do a thing to Raine and that is final."
Raine smiled. "Yeah, just get off your high horse already. Oh wait, you're biologically attached to your high horse, ah ha ha ha."
"You're not helping, Raine."
Radian looked on the verge of exploding, but simply grabbed her lance and left the group, obviously going to find something to skewer. Raine sat down by the campfire while Rem sifted through the wagon, finally producing something Raine desperately needed.

"My favorite brand!" Raine squeeled, withdrawing a cigarette and lighting it. "God, you couldn't possibly imagine how much stress I've been under. Y'know, you're kinda lucky that you found me, Remmie. I was just leaving the island."
Rem was a little surprised by that. "Something spooked you?"
"A whole lotta shit's spooked me, girl. Hideous monsters, unnecessarily violent animals, insane soldiers, killer robots, women in kimonos with special powers...I swear, Remmie! This whole place has become a big ol' island of maniacs."
"Hence the RPG's name." Rem observed to no one in particular. "Are you still trying to leave?"
"Yeah, I won't stay long," Raine apologized. "Normally, Veronica wouldn't have any trouble with the Dark Nation, but you saw how I performed back there. Veronica was shit on ammo even before the fighting, and the lights haven't been all green for over a week."
"I won't try to keep you long, Raine, but I do have a few questions. First, did you happen to encounter Supreme Commander Shevenston or Princess Rosalith during your retreat or perhaps before?"
"Nope. The only people I've encountered as of late have been...well, you all."

"What about those insane soldiers and the kimono girls?" Ezra asked while heating up some water. She sure had sharp ears.
"Not human," Raine said while shaking her head slowly. "Couldn't possibly be human. Both forces are close to Necrith. Remmie, you're kind of crazy, so I might be willing to bet my lovely Veronica that you'll try to go there. All I can say is please don't go there. Necrith's a warzone that doesn't know a moment's peace."
"I'll take your advice seriously. Second question. Is Miu still around?"
"Sure. But she's pretty pissed off at you for not staying in contact since you left."
"Can't be helped. Oh, but I did bring something that should smooth over the reunion. I'm going to need her help in order to catch up with Shevenston and Rosalith. The two of them can move faster than our whole force, so I'm going to need Miu's help to close the distance."
"I'm sure she'll be very willing to help if you got her something really nice. Anything else?"

Rem looked to everyone else. "What do you know that I don't about the island's...condition?"
Raine finished her cigarette and drink some water. "Remember the Godling level spells that the Overlord unleashed four-hundred years ago?"
Rem nodded.
"Side effects. Really, really, REALLY fucked up side effects. All those statues that were caused by the Grimstorm spell? They're hatching, and the things that are coming from them are seriously messed up. I heard from the Dark Citizens that the Dimentia Shroud spell surrounding Necrith is doing crazy shit to the Red Army Viris put there. The wildlife is attacking anyone they can get their teeth or horns or whatever into. I don't know much about the robots or the women I mentioned earlier as they're pretty much concentrated right near Necrith."
"Must have something to do with Necrith's black secrets," Rem said. "That's about all the questions I have for you, but the others in the party might have something to ask. Could you stay a while longer and provide information while I go plan our next move?"
"Sure, I don't mind. It's the least I can do for the carton of cigarettes."
"There's another carton of your favorites in the wagon."
"Really? Oh Remmie, marry me!"

Rem winked. "Sorry, but unlike most of Armored Bishoujo's female characters, I'm straight and perfectly happy to remain straight."

[batgirl]

Akane got up from the explosion no worse for wear, but looking slightly paler and covered in sweat. That attack took some out of her, and as such she could only manage a couple of them per battle before she was completely drained. She stood for a moment catching her breath before moving on with the others. As they reached camp, she found a good spot by a tree and sat, taking her coat off and folding it over her lap and rolling her sleeves up. As Rem and Raine talked, she fished for a smoke out of her pocket and lit it, inhaling slowly. It was almost as if the cigarette itself was telling her she did a good job. Looking up after the conversation between Rem and Raine had finished Akane flicked some ashes on the ground and piped up. "So, how far have you been into this island? Obviously it gets worse the further in you go, and I'd love to be prepared."

[Astral Harmony]

"Eh, I've been through most of the southern region," Raine said, gesturing to the Veronica. "It's where all the tech is. At least, it's where all the worthwhile tech is."

Here, she lays down a map...if you could call Raine's shitty artwork a map. "Snigger all you like, but here's how it goes. The big circle is Red Island. This X mark in the center is Necrith. This circle inside the Red Island circle is the limit on the Dimentia Shroud. I've gone close enough to actually see it. Big ass red shroud of fog. The dead are reborn there, and I don't mean as simple zombies. One of the Red Army called them Traumas...y'know, before he lost it and became a Madsoldier and I had to kill him."

"Closer to us is the result of the Grimstorm spell. Basically, when the fanatical armies of the superpowers in the archipelago of four-hundred years ago began their invasion of Red Island, hundreds of thousands of swords rained down from the skies. People who were impaled were turned to stone. They'd been statues ever since then, but now they're hatching."

Raine dragged her finger across an X mark she didn't discuss and a point on the southern end of Red Island. "You're here, and here is the only Dark Citizen village Rem and I know about. Between here and there, you're going to run into the results of the Grimstorm spell. I call them the Implanted, because those cursed swords that impaled them in the first place are still sticking out of their bodies and actually present their greatest weakness. If Rem can get on Miu's good side, you should all be able to avoid a lot of combat against the Implanted."

She smiled. "The Traumas, the Madsoldiers, and the Implanted are all grouped into a formidible suppression force called the By-Products. I'm sure they're tearing apart the Red Army currently residing in Necrith, so that may be good news for you because I have a feeling Rem's going to ask you all to go there. Oh, and-"

Now Raine was pointing between the Dark Citizen Village X mark and the Dimentia Shroud ring. "This area was where I saw a fight between the robots and some woman in the kimono. Both sides are very strong, and opposed to each other, and they're both opposed to the Red Army and the By-Products. Throw in the crazed animals and once you get beyond the Dark Citizen Village, it's going to be one crossfire after another. A large scale Battle Royale, if you will."
"Fortunately, they have me," Rem said with confidence, taking a seat and handing Akane a fresh pack of her favorite brand of cigarettes. The tactician had done her research. "If we plan it right, we can let the opposing sides beat the crap out of each other and mop up the rest with little effort, though we can't hope that it would always be that easy. Therefore, I plan to have a talk with someone who can help us. Possibly that woman in the kimono."

Raine leaned back. "Isn't that a little risky?"
"Letting Viris gain any greater of an advantage is riskier," Rem answered. "I'm willing to risk my life for success. Hell, I wouldn't be here if I didn't intend to do what was necessary. But right now, I need Miu's help in order to catch up with Shevenston and Rosalith. Your information is invaluable, Raine, but I can always use more. Maybe they know something."
Raine nodded. "I haven't been to the Dark Citizen Village in some time. It is highly possible they have a better grasp of the situation closer to Necrith that I do."
"Then it's settled," Rem said. "Ask anything else if you like, but our path is clear. We're entering the wasteland where Grimstorm hit, we'll battle our way through the Implanted, and then I'll have Miu provide us a much needed shortcut to the Dark Citizen Village. We can plan our next move there."

[Malkadocian]

Leraje had been sitting upon a tree stump in the clearing where the party had begun to recover and rest, after the conflict. His elbows resting upon his knees, with his head hanging down.. his hair cascading around his head like some bedraggled waterfall. His thoughts were a flurry of motion.. running over everything that had just occurred, multiple times. It was... comforting. The combat... the rush of life as it flowed around him, the adrenaline, the endorphins... all of it. And it was only going to get better.

He had only been offhandedly listening to the conversation between Rem and the mech pilot, Raine. He heard talk about monsters, a city in the south they were going to visit, and something about a "Miu"... but it didn't matter, he wasn't going to argue with the orders he was given, and Rem was the one in charge. It was the only anchor he had.

With a glance over to Lulu... one of the soldiers sent to watch over him in transit here, he felt his emotions begin to boil again, though he changed directions, and turned his gaze towards Raine, instead. With a firm voice, he asked a question to her. "How do you power that thing up? Does it take batteries?" He paused momentarily... "Because it seems like you're running on fumes, as is... or am I wrong?"

[Astral Harmony]

"Truth be told, I don't know much about her inner workings myself," Raine admitted. "I found her inside an armored transport vehicle by sheer luck, but unfortunately her previous owner didn't think to leave any technical manuals in the cockpit where they probably should've always been stored. All I had to go with was the Operator's Manual. Which means that when she breaks down, I'm most likely going to have to abandon her since I don't have any idea how I could possibly repair her. All the OpMan ever told me was that she functions off of something called an Infernal Driver, whatever that means."

[ApatheticFoxboy]

Night fell like a ton of bricks. Rudy saw Nyam go off hunting, with his own plans to follow shortly afterwards. If not for the more interesting mecha holding his attention, he would've immediatly rushed after the catgirl. For a quick look, He sleathly ran up to it and stuck his head into the chest cavtity. He looked at the serious hardware. Lights shined on displays. Most were flashing red by failing critical systems. The workings of the mecha were a mystery to him. He turned back to the mercenary pilot and noted her dainty figure in cumersome pink armor. For a moment he thought about drinking her.

Setting his head straight, can't think about food right now, he climbed up the mecha's shoulders and sat on the machine gun turrent. Rudy listened intently to her brief Rem and the rest of the group on the hored of baddies. The Dimentia Shroud sounded peticularly appauling, A land of red fog where the fallen rise again. It was too fantastical. He tore himself away from the convertsation, wanting to hear more but knowing he had things to do. He leaned back on the turrent and flipped down the mecha's backside. Planting his feet on the ground, he looked through his pack. He had taken the Marionette's string. The rest of the arm broken during its beating. That with the life after death contract, the Dimentia Shroud... He gave the whole thing a cursiory pondering, but didn't come up with anything.

He went where Saren was keeping watch. She was standing by a modest fire looking deeper into Red Island. Rudy stood besides her silent. With his vampiric night sight, he gazed into the seemingly supernatural darkness ahead of them. In the distance the vampire swore he saw wolf spying on the camp. It disappered behind the trees.

Rudy broke the silence, "Saren, what do you think about all this? We've just broken through the first in a long series of blockades, turbulent waters really. And at the center of it, more havoc than all the winds of the sea could muster up, with centuries lasting magic boiling over it like a kettle. Are we really fighting to recuse the princess? I think we're the ones who need recusing."

[Astral Harmony]

Saren released a breath she must have held for a while. "Rem says you all are the best. In other words, if there's someone who can walk into this mess of an island and back out with four limbs and a head all attached to a torso, it's all of you."

She continued to polish her sword. Just like most Breaker classes, Saren gravitated towards big, heavy weapons that looked unwieldly. "In basic training, we're told that part of being a soldier is never questioning orders unless they are stupid or clearly wrong. Personally, I'd never thought I'd hear orders of either type, but here I am after having made a choice between an order of each type. Her Highness Viris's order is evil, Rem's order is insane, and each of us in the military has to make a choice."

She decided to take off her choker and then the white bandage underneath, revealing the two tooth marks where she had let Nyam drink her. "But it's easy when there's a third factor, and for me that's Nyam. She and I were inseparable ever since we've been paired up in basic. Granted, we were never in a war, but we've had some pretty exciting missions that put our lives on the line and even more securely joined us at the hip. And since she'd gladly follow you into the mouth of hell that is Red Island, I guess you can count on me as well."

"I'm also very stupid," Saren admitted, holding her blade towards the moon in order to check her work. "Yep, very stupid to want to walk right into the most one-sided battles one could possibly imagine just because I'm addicted to the thrill of battle and slaughter. Bertz told me it was a battle fetish, like apparently I need pitched combat with lots of blood to get off. Maybe I should've become a mercenary or an adventurer. They see so much more combat than I do."

-----

Chapter 3: First Brush With the By-Products

The rest of the night was almost intolerably uneventful, and the dawn that came the next day didn't speak of fair weather. A storm was brewing in the sky.

Rem and Raine hugged each other. "Take care on your way out of this hell," Rem said.
Raine nodded. "Take care on your way into this hell," she said. "Oh, one more thing. A statue hints that it is going to hatch into an Implanted when the statue's eyes glow red. Be mindful of that."
"Thanks, Raine."

The dirt trail gave way to healthy green grass and some strange scenery. "The effects of the Grimstorm Spell," Rem observed to anyone who was listening.
Numerous swords dotted the landscape, plunged into the ground or into any of the many human statues that littered the place. It looked pretty bad for anyone who would pass all of these potential enemies without so much as setting a trap, but none of their eyes were glowing. Rem silently prayed that they never awaken.

Farther down the way, the party began to enter the outskirts of a forest. The trees weren't totally dense, and that fortunately allowed the party to see that just ahead of them, trouble reared it's ugly head. Nyam sprinted towards the party. "I'm sorry, Master Rudy! Everyone!"
It was one of the Implanted, a flying creature that resembled some kind of very pale bat. Bertz's Scytherang went out and the creature went down. Nyam quickly turned around and slaughtered it with her claws using brutal efficiency.
"Nyam, are you alright?" Bertz asked.
"They don't rely upon their eyes to detect foes," Nyam said. "In fact, none of the three types I've seen ahead of us even had eyes. Here, take a look at this."



Luco frowned. "This Miu girl...how close are we to finding her, Lady Rem?"
Rem looked around. "I could try getting her attention here, but she doesn't like many of the animals here, and I'll bet the clothes on my back that she definitely wouldn't appear with the Implanted in the area. I'll need the battle zone cleared of all enemies in order to talk to Miu."

Rem turned to everyone. "Is everyone ready? All we know is that those magic swords stuck in their bodies may be a weakness of theirs, like a heart or other vital organ. Leraje and Belidere should make quick work of their Chasers, while I'll need Rudy, Akane and Radian to make certain the Weeping Willies and Spitters don't hurt them. Setting the forest on fire may disrupt their attacks. We'll play it that way until we discover anything new about these enemies. Move out!"

Enemy Data

Human Statue - An immobile, nearly indestructible statue of a once-living human recently impaled by a sword summoned from the Grimstorm spell. The eyes of the statue glow red when the statue is about to hatch and birth a new Implanted into the world. It is impossible to determine just what Implanted will emerge from which statue, but one can determine how powerful the Implanted will be by the number of swords in the statue. Simply put, more swords mean more dangerous.

Weeping Willie - Barely humanoid and definitely no longer human, Weeping Willies are slow but extremely durable. They resemble huge, disgusting brown flesh bulbs with two stocky legs to support them and two broad arms that end in terrible claws. They possess no orifice of any kind and the only sound they make is one of muffled wailing. Somehow, it has a special sense that allows it to detect new victims without the need of any other senses.

Spitter - Spitters have a three-part maw that accurately ejects a highly corrosive fluid that eats through clothing and armor and softens meat for consumption. They are somewhat similar to Willies, except with more elongated bodies and thinner legs. They possess no arms and instead have a kind of stabilizer fin on each side that makes them kind of resemble a cobra.

Chaser - Flying monsters that resemble pale skinned bats, Chasers have few features other than their long, stretchy wings that are formed between their long arms and small legs. Each arm and leg ends in hook claws for grabbing hold of a victim and shredding their flesh. They do not have heads, but a suction-like hole in the upper torso must be the mouth, and judging from the small, razor sharp teeth, the Chaser is a vampiric creature.

[ApatheticFoxboy]

This Post In a Nutshell: Rudy continues the convo from last night. Flashes to the present where Rudy uses Assassinate on Weeping Willie.

"Long ago, I wasn't a vampire. I could cross any ocean in the world without fear." A ember busted in the fire. It gave Rudy a start. "Ridiculous, I am deadly afraid of fires, the ocean. I have nightmares of falling overbroad and being swallowed Levitation scale waves. Damn Grandfather Douglas's Curse! They call us Data Leeches, that we're a bane to the sacred Divine Data. Enough is what I say."

He pulled a letter addressed from Grandfather Douglas from his pack. "This is why I'm here. A blasted contract nobody can make tails of. It mentions a lot of messed up things. Red Island being one of them. On this island, more than any other in the Archipelago, is the key to reversing my vampirism. The more I hear about the Dimentia Shroud, the more I quiver."

"You're not the only one who's stupid." He took the choker and twirled it on his finger. "Those thrills you describe ring true with my nature as well. Sometimes it doesn't matter how much self-control I think I have, I do the most terrible things. How many combatants do you know who actually maul their opponents? But Nyam, she is truly a blessing. So devoted and so willing. And with you following her on this mission, I feel invincible."
----
Cautious Rudy treaded the terrifying trek of petrified carnage. Swords littered the earth like a thousand exclamations points. When Nyam reported back to the main group, Rudy walked straight up to the frenzied scout. "Nyam, you're much too hard on yourself." After seeing the bloody spot of gore she had left brutalizing the bat thing, he crouched excitedly over the corpus. "This is great work. I swear you've ripped apart every vital organ that thing had!" He wadded his feet into the stained grass painting them red. Grabbing a bloody stump that had once been a wing, he held it above his head and let a few drops spill into his greedy mouth.

"Yeah, that quenches better than any energy drink in the whole Archipelago." The fired up Rusher rushed to Assassinate the first enemy he saw.

The unfortunate victim was the barely human Weeping Willie. His red feet hardly touched the blades of green between the gore and the stocky By-Product. Rudy seized the Weeping Willie by its thin neck and crashed it against the trunk of the nearest tree. His jaw unhinged revealing several rows of shredding teeth. Bringing his razor fangs down, the Weeping Willie's bulb head separated from its stalk body.

[secretskull]

OOC: Curse your awesome comics AB! How am I supposed to post in school?

Beladere surveyed the battle-field carefully. It looked as if he would have to choose between killing one of those bat-things, or he could set the forest on fire. Boring. He hadn't spent years mastering the art of magic to waste time splitting up his actions. This would require another stroke of genius. But it wouldn't be interesting without an audience.

He walked forward regally, passing by everyone, and raised his rocket launcher, aiming a shot. "Ladies?" He called over his shoulder. "How much gratitude will this earn me?" He grinned, firing up a single rocket in a high, high arc. It reached its apex, and as the air around it began to shimmer and bend from gravity magic; it began to plummet back, hurtling towards one of the Chasers.

The magic around the rocket intensified, amplifying the gravity around it. The rocket wouldn't hit the Chaser anymore. Not quite yet. First, the intense gravity would give him a very scenic view of a nearby tree. Then it would hit him.