Part 1: The Escape from Bartsport
Ryuk sat in his offices. A fine woven basket sat next to him on his desk. A gift from Lord Mada.
Lord Mada, Kasanthian Noble in charge of Bartsport, had been negotiating with Leftenant Ryuk regarding Ryuk’s work here in the city. Bartsport had grown thanks to the funds generated by The Sierra Mada, a Casino that specialized in laundering money for the Olgog pirates along the coast. It had been Ryuk’s idea originally, but while he had suffered in EEF custody, his casino had been claimed by the government of Bartsport.
Ryuk didn’t like it, but the rules and laws of the Kasanthians allowed the aristocratic lord to claim such properties and Ryuk could do little except try and convince Lord Mada to relinquish it. Lord Mada had different plans, obvious from the letter that accompanied the woven basket and the bottle of wine.
It was a fine wine, an IceWyrm Wine created from Binber fruit by the IceWyrms of the Glacial Wastes. One of the many things that Lord Mada had returned with from his visit to the trans-government prison colony in the new kingdom of Jemison Post.
Ryuk enjoyed another draught and looked at the letter. Inviting him to take part in classes and training at Lord Mada’s expense in the highly regarded training program at Jemison Post. The letter was very clear that a carriage was being sent for him at a specific time and he was ordered to enter it.
Ryuk finished the bottle allowing the time to come and pass, and stood up when a knock came to his door.
He opened it, knowing many concerning things could be on the other side.
Instead was a member of the kasanthian lesser aristocracy, a Nightmare Slaver known as Hharmuuz, and at his side a beautiful seductress known as Leyana Coque, and the pair escorted one of the elite Knights of Orloc.
The Knight of Orloc was a true monster, a nightmare-kuliek, created en mass by Grand Magi Orloc Nightshade during the early days of the Kingdom of Kasanth. In these thousand years, Orloc had perfected the creations, and they served him loyally and without question.
The Knight introduced Hharmuuz and Leyana, and explained to Ryuk that Lord Mada wished him removed from these lands for not being able to follow orders. As was his right as an aristocrat. But Grand Magi Orloc did not yet wish to see Leftenant Ryuk in the collar of a prisoner of Jemison Post and sent these guards to help him escape.
Leyana immediately tried to seduce Ryuk but found the K’iorn seemed almost asexual. Despite her advances, and her incredible looks, the Leftenant seemed only amused by her.
Counting his lucky stars and wondering what favor the Grand Magi would eventually ask of him, Ryuk quickly gathered his belongings. Pre-planning was everything, and he had made sure his office was in sight of the roof of one of the dockyard buildings.
A simple shadow walk took him, and his two new bodyguards from the room. The Knight of Orloc stayed behind to delay the VLAD hydraulic knights who burst into the office. Ryuk’s last sight of the Knight was watching the Hydraulic Knights deliver a warrant to the Knight for Ryuk while the Knight held his ground.
Not wasting any time, another shadow took Ryuk and the pair down to his ship waiting by a stone dock. But as they popped out of a shadow on the deck, Ryuk was concerned to see fifteen armed and armored Kasanthian Mercs step from shadows cast by crates on the docks.
Hharmuuz alerted him they were surrounded, but Ryuk knew his rabble always kept the ship ready to set off. Creating a shadow ward to prevent the mercs from boarding his vessel, he signalled to the Rabble through his unity uplink. Leftenant Ryuk instantly coordinated his rabble and within seconds the ship was rapidly leaving Bartsport, with the writhing vampyr mercs still on the dock not sure what had happened.
Hharmuuz had been equally injured by the Shadow Ward, as it weakened and sickened his own cursed vampyr nature. Leyana Coque took the opportunity to torment the Vampyr Slaver, by using a trick of the Leyas to confuse his weakened mind. Making him think everything was better, Leyana reveled in watching him try and struggle against the weakness imparted by the Shadow Ward.
After a day’s travel out at sea, Hharmuuz and Leyana were shocked and terrified to see a wave crash against their vessel, and out of the depths of the sea rise a nightmare city. It resembled a nightmare turtle, as if someone had a turtle described to them, but never seen the true animal. Its armored shell extended up in buildings large enough for a full populace, and down deep into its body to form tunnels connecting them.
Its head turned towards the ship and its massive mouth, easily able to consume the largest cruise ship, came crashing down behind their small freighter.
Hharmuuz was freaking out but Ryuk simply laughed. It was after all, his own plan.
Inside there were docks to which the freighter were moored, and Ryuk and his two bodyguards disembarked the vessel. At the docks of Turtle City, they were met by some cheering members of Ryuk’s Rabble. Again Leyana was surprised by the loyalty of these strange ruffians. Among the Rabble was another Knight of Orloc, who had arrived by boat with what looked like an androgenous Unity Combat Clone.
The Knight introduced itself and introduced the Unity Combat Clone. Called Gami, the combat clone quickly assured Ryuk of its intentions to serve him and to specifically hunt down VLAD Agents. Ryuk found this a comfort considering Lord Mada had sided with VLAD agents in the past.
Ryuk found three of his Rabble had rose to the top. True subcommanders he could count on. The first was Haplo Stoneheart, an Earther. The second was Ocean Misugami, a k’iorn and she had been raised by Earthers. The Third was Rune Axehand, a brute of a man, who seemed to take a liking to Leyana.