DR2220 Mission 6 Report: When the Good don't talk,the "Ugly" wins at the Tomb Factory


#1

Prologue part 1: The Night Before the battle

Major Set’gal, a K’iou Vampire, is the bulldog of General Brakus. He is sent on special assignments that aren’t pretty but need to get done. A brawler more then a thinker Set’gal got promoted due to his kill count in battles rather then brilliant tactics. Favoring the straight forward approach has gained a reputation which is feared by many even in the military. If a rogue zombie lord is abusing his power over zombies, or a thrall is abusing the living Major Set’gal is sent to quickly resolve the matter generally resulting in the death of the offender. Major Set’gal holds a major grudge against the Scarlet Hammer and proudly displays the heads of several which he killed in his office. He uses a Scarlet Hammer as his main weapon as he loves to see his victims explode in gore with the repeated hammer strikes.

Major Set’gal of Wintermute was an ornery K’iou vampire on a normal day, now with having General Brakus sending him to the Goblin Lands and told that he had to walk across the sea floor made him extra ornery. He placed the Neliff Jammer in his ear and ordered the rest of his army to do so…not that he expected the Skeletons actually needed them as they had no brains to be controlled but the Herald used the vast majority of his budget for the Goblin Lands to purchase them so he had been very emphatic about them being used.

As Wintermute was a land locked kingdom they didn’t possess a navy, nor did they really possess much of an air force aside of a few airships designed more for transport then combat. Besides according to his information the enemy had the sea and air under their control so any naval or air force would be a waste. Thankfully Neither the Set’gal nor the vast majority of his army actually needed to breathe so beneath the ocean wouldn’t be much of a problem and the few Reanimators that had been deployed had been given artifacts which allowed them to breathe under water for this mission.

To draw less attention the forces from Wintermute would move during the night and then allow the battle to start before moving into the water. They avoided large patrols of Red Furs and Warmonger’s Dead that seemed endemic to the southern Goblin Lands.

As they watched the sun set over the bay of Holys they were amazed by the beauty. The Crimson Tower stood lofty and proud above the Island Fortress that also acted as Factory and the current Tomb of the once powerful necromancer and nightmare surgeon known as Holys of the line of Vul.

Set’gal wondered at the power hidden in the island fortress that dominated the bay. For the past year it had been held proudly by the Redeemers of Unit 817. They had held firm against Dead Unit’s attempts to retake the fortress, against tomb raiders and tomb robbers and even a small vampyr army. Each time they had succeeded. But it had been the Redeemers first real victory against the Armies of Ceroj the Red that had cemented their hold of this region.

On the coast behind the island, Set’gal could see the burgeoning City of New Holys. It was beautiful in the light of the setting sun, and how it stood across the painted sky. Set’gal wondered if he should reach out to the Redeemers after the battle. An alliance between this New Holys and the Shadow Dome of Wintermute…err…Karov, would be a benefit to the entire region. And it would allow him to personally flex his muscles with his army.

Meanwhile aboard the Heavy Frigates of the Cult fleet, Grizool Grizane sat in front of a pair of chained down Pelebor. Both Pelebor bore the animal headed hands of a Poison Claw Clan member, but neither had lost their Pelebor curse.

One opened his eyes and yelled to the top of his lungs before turning and biting out the throat of the other. As the spasms of rage passed the Pelebor who was still living looked up at Grizane and said,
“Archwing Pelos must be told, the armies of Undead of Wintermute come this way. They march at night and the memories of their leader Set’gal tell me that they will sneak under our ships during the height of battle. They will grapple up to our vessels and set explosives.”

Grizane loved having Pelebor among his crew that he could force to extract memories from the minds of enemy commanding officers. It was the main reason both the Poison Claw Clan and the Warmonger Cult had evaded every nation hunting them. And now in the hours of evening before the attack, Grizane had rooms like this set up on every ship in the fleet. All day and now all night the two selected Pelebor in each room would search the stream of conscious and deliver what they found. The quicker one lived, the slower one died, so it was a competition.

Grizane muttered, “Rez the slower one, and give them both some water and rations and set them up for the next round. I want to know the plans of the Redeemers before the morning light shines upon us.”

Then he turned to Neliff the Messenger and said, “Neliff warn all crew to be ready to go airborne at a moments notice. We will give them our frigates if we take the Island, it will be an easy trade.”

Neliff the Messenger said, “We will do so. Neliff the Orthodox also wishes Neliff to impart that the Pelebor have discovered the EEFer plans. The EEFers informal forces will set up a mine field in the water, and release explosive balloons in the air and begin sniping our commanding officers. And their formal Submarines will be at stand off distances and firing torpedoes and cruise missiles. The cruise missiles into a sky filled with exploding balloons, and the torpedoes into their own mindfields?”

Grizane smiled, “A brilliant plan, I wonder if their Wintermute allies are aware of it?”

“Considering they will be grappeling up through the torpedo laced minefield… Neliff doubts that conversation ever went on,” said Neliff the Messenger with reason.

“Tell Neliff the Orthodox I would like him…her…Neliff? To leave the frigate with some Neliff, go to the area where the EEF Subs are heading, go submerged and take their vessels from them,” said Grizane, “I love the Pelebor curse, I mean unless you really dislike murder and gore, is it really even a curse?”


#2

Prologue Part 2: The one rule in the Tomb Factory of Holys is Don’t Wake Holys…

The Redeemer’s forces welcomed all forces that came to aid in the defense of the island. Any allies that attempted to land on the island itself were to be inspected by Redeemer forces before being allowed off their vessels. As a result there was a ring of unknown vessels currently trying to dock with the Tomb Fortress of Holys. The Island was never designed for water access, only air access and access by the tunnels leading under the bay to the mainland. As a result there were no docks, no mooring stations. It was a chaotic mess.

Torlok’ab was manning the control room of the Crimson Tower ( the absorbed remnants of Ceros’s asteroid) using the full defenses of the tomb. But the defenses did little good to help his Redeemers sort through all the boats that had come from Drewsport and Unen and the other places the Redeemers had defended over the past three years. Luckily these vessels had arrived before an unknown foreign force had decided to mine the entire bay, trapping these allied vessels dangerously close to where the crashing waves could split the boats open on the rocks of the island. Or to crush them directly against the walls of the Tomb Factory.

It was a mess.

Torlok’ab felt remorse that he simply had not had the time organize his allies. Preparing his own defenses had made the most sense but he had allowed the Warmonger Cult to cut himself off from his allies, but he knew with pride he would never allow that to happen again. Through allies and through subordinates like Nameless Finality, Torlok’ab had been able to see the value of friendship and teamwork. They were and always had been stronger working with their allies than alone.

Again here, he saw how not communicating with allies resulted in them working at cross purposes. They could have set a grand ambush with each side working in concert, but instead, already it seemed friends would harm friends far more than their enemies would.

Torlok’ab sighed. Protecting the tomb factory had been too much, he realized. But on this day he would give his all to make sure the Cult never reclaimed this place.

Meanwhile the brave Nameless Finality was going towards the most forbidden and dangerous room in the entire Tomb Factory. To get to this point, he had passed through five groups of Redeemers packing the corridor with their magi cannons and pair in each upgraded as Warmachines.

This deep under the island, he hoped the enemy would not be able to burrow. But he understood why the brave, loyal and wise Torlok’ab had stationed these soldiers here. They would cost the Poison Claw Clan deerly for every inch of corridor they took.

Finally he arrived at the door to the chamber. He saw the box of expensive tools the Redeemers had to ship in from Drewsport next to the door. It had only been opened so he could complete his part of the process. As a Dead he did not need to breath. But he was worried about every foot step.

He took the first five foot steps into the room, and saw the entire wall was dedicated to Holys. Like some ancient Pharoah on Old Earth, Holys had many carvings and beautiful artwork installed in this chamber by his Illuminated Priesthood.

Nameless Finality wondered how much of the modern Illuminated Prros dated back to the servants and direct ministers of Vul, Holys and their kindred. As he crept closer he noticed something odd. Instead of being back by the toolbox, the lid of the tool box was a few feet to his left, and tilted up. Inside it he could see a shadow that did not waver in time with the light streaming in from the corridor. Odd, he would have to call up on his commcrystal about it once he left the room. But Nameless Finality knew better than to activate his commcrystal and make noise in the presence of the sleeping Holys.

Looking up the dark cloaked figure of Holys, he noticed Holys was pinned by a single Zela spike. Nameless Finality would have taken a deep inhale if he were a living being, because the sheer terror instilled by a living hole in our reality was intense. This Holys was no mere K’ias anymore…he was a Blackhole Warrior, a living demi-dimension that could annihilate anything it wanted at will. And Nameless Finality was rather attached to his existence.

He reached up and began hiding Neliff Jammers around the great person’s being. He wondered if he felt Holys stir. So he began to back out of the room, but to his chagrin as he turned towards the doorway to leave, there was a Neliff waiting there.

He wanted to ask, how did you get here? Then he remembered the top lid of the tool box. A truly brilliant ploy. If he were to guess, he’d say an annihilation artifact designed to rip any wards in the room followed by a Shadow Walk sized perfectly for a Neliff to crawl through. Glancing back at the lid, he saw another Neliff crawling through dragging a larger shadow tarp.

Nameless Finality realized he had but a moment to leave the room, alert the forces that the Neliff were already inside. But behind him he heard a most ominous sound. It was the sound of a Zela Spike clattering to the ground.

With Magi Cannon pointed at the Neliff by the door, Nameless Finality turned and looked upon the cowled blackhole face of Holys as the old monster pulled himself off the wall. He was about to say something, to explain their predicament when Holys opened his cloaks and the pair of Neliff and Nameless Finally were flung towards him, being sucked into the darkness of his being.

There was a ripping noise and Nameless Finality found himself on the floor, his shoulders and head had been severed from his body which now was consumed by Holys. Many of his items and artifacts were strewn across the floor. His arm, severed as well, still held his magi cannon, and was a few feet away. Nameless Finality didn’t like this at all.

He liked it even less when he saw Holys had done a similar trick to both Neliff. Then he saw the fingers of Holys split into extra digits with almost insect-like movements. The extra fingers picked up tools hidden in the carvings around the room. With his surgical tools restored to him, Holys walked over and closed the door. The blackhole warrior was humming to himself, as he attached and connected tubes and leads into each of the common metal instruments to the ends of his fingers. He pulled an apron of Nightmare leather on, and began cutting deep into the first Neliff’s skull, while whispering to the second, “Show the Neliff what I am doing, they will know…let them feel some fear for once after terrorizing these poor Olgogs and Earthers.
I may have slept and I may have dreamed but in my dreams I saw this world and many others. Timelines eternal, ripe for my experiments. I felt the call to awake when the Da’uhnb queen was slain, but I slept still wishing not to return to this existence. I dreamt the Neliff were coming and I considered letting the Neliff take me, to free me from the cycle of experimentation. But I knew it was a for a greater purpose I was waking.

But first I need a Timeless servant to serve me.” He began extracting parts of the Neliff brain, and with the deftness only allowed by his extra fingers cut open his own head and implanted it there. He began to drool and foam with black ink flowing from beneath his robes for a bit. But when the blackhole in the center of face began to occilate with regularity again, Nameless Finality could tell Holys was in control once more.

Holys stood up and announced to the room, “Neliff the Orthodox, send for Lord Pelos, tell him Holys has been captured and is willing to run the experiment.”

Nameless Finality was filled with terror, and glanced this way and that, searching for any way to send message to the Tomb Factory above them.

Holys unrolled the shadow tarp the Neliff had brought through and waited. A Massive Pelebor mutant appeared. Under the Neliff shapeshiftings, Lord Pelos had gained the full six tentacles of a neliff and had a crown of horns extending from his head. His wings were now covered in sharp, almost bladed feathers. Lord Pelos had been turned into a dream of the Neliff, a new Hivelord.

But Holys was waiting behind the tarp, dropped it to prevent any other from joining their master here.

The blackhole warrior leapt onto the back of Pelos, and created a blade of annihilation and swiftly severed head from body. Pelos’ body twitched and rocked and finally stopped moving.

Holys began pulling more parts from the dead Neliff’s head and installing them now into the body and head of Lord Pelos. By the end, Lord Pelos looked even more monstrous and began finally yelling hoping someone anyone would hear them and be alerted. But to his horror, the door was too good at keeping sound outside and sound inside to prevent others from waking Holys so his screams never alerted anyone.

Nameless Finality was forced to watch as Holys build himself a hiveking from the Neliff and Lord Pelos, and then used a tentacle of nightmare flesh to plug directly into the brain of his “Neliff the Timeless”

Nameless Finality had saved Holys from becoming slave to the Neliff, but it had turned the tables in an unexpected way…


#3

Prologue 3: Ryuk’s here? But he didn’t even Post to this mission.

Ryuk awoke with a start in his bedroom. There was immense pain from his skull, right where his Unity uplink was implanted. He took a few steps towards the mirror in his bathroom, and saw flashing images of horror and had to lean into the nearby toilet and throw up.

As he rose back up suddenly the feelings of pain and nausea subsided and was replaced by the feeling of being held in someone’s grip. He straightened up, even though all he wanted was to go back to bed. He began to walk, and as he exited his chambers he saw members of his Rabble marching alongside him. They had expressed many of their supplicant technology traits like cybernetic eyes and railgun arms. He had no such onboard weaponry to express, but Ryuk did not…categorically did not…like anyone controlling his body other than him.

He watched as the entire connected populace of Coral City converged on the unmarked storage area where Mayor Lucia M. Largonel had stored the body of the Da’uhnb Queen. Across the city skyline, he could actually see Neliff. Suddenly Ryuk realized they must have been smuggling away on his supply ship runs and orphanage runs to the mainland. He had heard of the dangers of Neliff from the Unity but never faced them like this. How were they controlling him and his Rabble? He wondered, but as he looked at them floating around the city he began to suspect they were equally being controlled by something far more powerful.

Ryuk and the Rabble tore the doors off the storage facility and began turning on equipment. To his anger and rage, it seemed like the entire populace of Coral City had been turned into a brain network to study the information collected by the machines attached to the body of the Queen.One final experiment was conducted that destroyed the Da’uhnb Queen’s body utterly and completely and that final data gave them the precise use of annihilation Leyas that would allow the user to control time.

The cruelty and the betrayal flogged his soul, and Ryuk roared despite the control preventing him from doing anything else. He watched as the data he had sought after for years involving Chronomancy flowed through his fingers for but a moment and was then snatched away by the same force controlling his body.

Ryuk used all his will to follow that force, back to its source and but for a moment he could see through the vision of Holys, see the tomb factory around them. He could feel the power building up in the Hive King that Holys was plugged into as Holys forced all the Unity, all the E-strain, all the Quall Hives (except Ayx’s) and even the Fleets of Fate to focus together on the timeline as Holys wished it.

And our timeline shattered…


#4

Part 1: The Battle of the Bay of Holys

At the start of the battle, Eli “My Ego Is Bigger Than Yours” McGraw stands on top of the mini sub which floats in the middle of a sea full of deadly mines. Behind him is the Lucky Weeb Squad’s Freighter, having been just dropped off by the MDK. The massive robot caused a huge wake as it rocketed towards the heavens to join the battle there, and looked fantastic with the halo of radar decoy explosive balloons they set aloft around the freighter.

So far the Lucky Weebs Squad had done right by Eli. And Lurry had promised a minefield to Eli and here it was. He takes a focused sniper rifle called shot to the head on the closest Heavy Freighter captain to blow it clean off. And luckily for him there was a big Pelebor with a large hat and ribbons on his uniform standing tall on deck, and barking orders at the other Poison Claw on deck. When that Pelebor in the big hat’s head popped, Eli yelled,

“Got your attention you regressive monsters? We’re gonna show you… the power of the Refuge’s people! The Redeemers fight not alone today or tomorrow. Like reason, we’re going to kick you to the curb. Come get some butt wooping!”

At that moment, he popped the top on his mini-sub and got in, and he was so thankful he could do so.

Right behind where he had been standing the first salvo of rockets were launched on the deck of the Lucky Fate Squad’s Freighter towards the closest Heavy Frigate. APCs stationed on the Freighter had to aim and fire in unison, but their first salvo had crippled the closest frigate. The pelebor and Neliff onboard took to the air flying towards the Isle.

From the firing decks of the Crimson Tower, Redeemers filled the sky with beams from Magi Cannons. Cutting beams struck Neliff and Poison Claw alike and they fell from the sky.

At the same time a strike from over the horizon shattered the furthest freighter out. It was a domebuster and its blast and the wake it created caused all the vessels to threaten to list.

Eli dived below the waves, and was shocked to see a whole hidden army down here. There were hundreds of undead carrying waterproof explosives marching from one side, and Scarabs Necrostriders coming from the others.

This was great…if he had heard about it before the battle. Eli thought, the idiots are marching right into our crossfire. What the hell?

Hundreds of Grapple lines from the undead flew upward and tapped onto the bottom of the frigates, each pulling up an undead loaded with explosives. Yet at that moment a school of torpedos also rushed in underwater from another direction.

Some of the torpedoes struck the undead, which turned them into underwater mines, which caused a chain reaction.

As Eli gulped, Snowy Touch growled, and Lester Colt muttered, the trio watched as two hundred and fifty underwater bombs went off as once, which then triggered the minefield dropped by Eli’s own allies. If only the two undead armies had reached out to them…it could have been glorious instead they walked into the trap set for the enemy and made it much…much worse.

The mini-sub was struck by a pressure wave and began to toss and turn and tumble under the water. Eli nearly blacked out.


#5

Part 2: Damoclese Platform 22

The Damoclese Platforms were not space stations by any means. They were walkways with sections attached to moor Damoclese projectiles and sections designed to protect the platform, and sections designed to intake commands from the EEF ground forces. It was this final section that was crowded with EEFers in Space Suits, Warmongers Dead Spacers and Neliff soldiers. The Neliff were armed with Magi Cannons, and were using the EEFers as human shields.

The MDK flew up into Orbit above the planet Refuge. The giant robotic poop monkey, was the vessel of the Lucky Fate Squad and was delivering the Candidate Daron to what they hoped would be his inevitable victory both here against the Neliff and against his fellow Candidates on the ground.

Off to their right they could see Space Assault Vehicles with Blackheart Security Solutions markings also taking extensive video of the assault on the platform.

With its massive fist, the MDK smashed through one section which moored the Damoclese Projectiles. Each projectle was smashed into four parts preventing their guidance systems from working properly. Aboard the MDK, the team cheered!
Toriel,the red pilot, smiled and said, “Let’s see them not get distracted by that!”

Fundisha, the blue pilot interruptyed and said, “Toriel, if they fire those projectiles now they will be largely unguided and basically act like a kinetic shotgun across the ENTIRE coast!”

Heart Attack, the yellow pilot said, “But that Coastline is where I keep my stuff.”

“Well say good bye to it,” said Loo Tla, the green pilot “Because each of those debris sections of the projectile will do the damage of an asteroid strike.”

Mag Yi, the orange pilot said, “If we dropped it, we better go pick it up, right? Isn’t that what makes us…the Heroic Pilots of the Metal Discord Kue’lo!”

They cheered, did a backflip off the Damoclese platform and raced the broken sections of the Damoclese projectiles down towards the surface. To the MDK pilots’ relief, a Gunship deployed a Detour shield which caught a few of the scattershot, giving the MDK a real chance at disabling the rest.

Meanwhile Daron, Naeil, and their camera crew had just landed on the platform and used their magnetic boots to attach on. Or at least Naeil and the crew did using Godart’s old spacesuits. Daron was having a worse time of it. He had little to no zero G training, and without magboots he was forced to use his shapeshfited claws to grip himself to the platform the hard way.

Now finally seeing the top secret EEF Damoclese platform in person they both realized they had planned on assaulting a “space station” not a catwalk in space. Across from then landed the DRRT which were using EEF Interplanetary Gunships to deploy. Moose wasin a set of WARG power armor with Lurry on his shoulders and they were fighting alongside six teams of EEF exorcists, equipped with darkside space equipment and leyas generators, supported by three remote operated Warg power armor suites.

On the other side of the plaform landed “Dunesphere’s Finest”, Red Bishop Jamie, Engineer Huang Shi, Dr. Azai Yukimura and Dr. Leonard Bones. In spacesuits covered in the fetishized crosses and regalia of the Church of One, they charged into battle caring little for the human shields that had caused Moose, the Exorcists and the other teams to hestitate. Once all the human sheilds were well and truly killed, the Church of Oners had to fall back. The sustained firepower of the Dead Spacers was impressive.

The Exorcists stepped up, using their hellforged shotguns to suppress the Dead long enough for the WARGs to get into an advantageous position and leap upon the Dead knocking them from the platform with strikes like a bulldozer. Lurry was quick to blast any of the Dead floating away with his twin magi cannons before they could continue to be a threat.

Neliff cleanup was easier without the Dead getting in the way, and both Blackheart and Naeil got amazing footage both of the danger of Neliff battle and the success of Daron the candidate personally
and the EEF as a whole.

The last Neliff floating alive on Damoclese Platform 22 said to them, “Fools, don’t understand? This weapon was Neliffs safeguard in case Neliff could not control the deadly and dangerous Holys. It was targeted at the Holys so the Holys could be destroyed if it rose.
Neliff cannot stop the Holys now. Neliff cannot stop you all, but Neliff already knows all you know. Neliff has watched you for a year, learned your habits your beliefs. Your weaknesses. Neliff is ready to take this world and every world when Neliff is ready.

Neliff must keep talking, Holys is trying to hack Neliff mind. Neliff must…Neliff must become Neliff the Timeless.”

They watched as the Neliff’s own semi-etheric tentical turned on its head and pierced it multiple times until the body stopped moving.


#6

The danger of the Neliff was apparent. Protection from their mind control had not stopped every single person on that mission except the WARG pilots had suffered infection by Neliff parastic eggs. The WARGs had gotten away unscathed only because they had immutable operators with bodyglove control units piloting them remotely.

They all had to be kept in EEF Quarantine for the next 72 hours and their eggs were surgically extracted and taken by the EEF for study. It was nerve wracking for most of them, because they weren’t allowed to find out what happened. Then finally they were allowed holo-net access to some Refuge News nets. But it seemed they were just replaying the candidates messages leading up to the attacks.

They saw Lord Grimaldus.

"Good day to all, as you may be aware the Warmonger Cult has resumed it’s attacks upon the southern territories. They are invading the headquarters of the Redeemers, this is a foul turn of events, Lord Grimaldus and I had hoped that with the death of their leader the Cult would begin to see reason, sadly this is not the case. We believe that the EEF should intervene before the Warmonger Cult can gain a vital foothold in the region, if they do then they will next begin to attack the southern provisional colonies causing the deaths of many innocents.

As colonial representatives we have a responsibility not only to full fledged colonies but to the Provisional Colonies as well. Lord Grimaldus himself is orginizing resources in Absolam to aid the Redeemers in their plight. I say to you my friends we cannot let things spiral out of control. We have fought too many expensive wars and need to nip this problem in the bud.

Now, I know many of you are uneasy about the concept of more war, this is why Lord Grimaldus is developing a plan to minimize the risk to our brave EEF soldiers and local forces. Maximum impact to our enemies, minimal cost in equipment and lives. We want our sons, our daughters, our brothers, sisters, mothers, and fathers to return home safely serving our great colonies without sacrificing their lives. I ask of you, join with us, help us protect our boarders from rampaging remnants from the past!"

They saw Field Marshall Strykker.

“I view the developing situation at the Tomb of Holys with great concern. It holds many dark secerts and technology from a time best left in the past. I know that many people think that since its so far away the tomb and what it holds cannot be a threat to the Colonies. They are mistaken. The possible danger of that place is hard to estimate. It is for that same reason that I feel attempts to destroy the site are misguided.

There are things locked away in that are simply best left alone. Any group that seeks to safeguard the tomb and prevent it from being abused is a group that we should support. I know it may seem strange to many people to even consider supporting a group of freed warmongers dead but since being freed Unit 817 has only acted to protect innocent lives. I think the Colonies should stand ready to provide support should they request it.”

They saw Yildor Roren.

“My fellow Colonists. We are at an impasse here. The people of the colonies are led to believe the interests to the south are worthy of our lives and our coin. In exchange for what? If it is a real threat we should just erase it from existence with a damoclese strike.

Had we just damoclese striked this location over a year ago when the EEF first learned of its dangerous potential, we would all be safe right now. Field Marshall Strykker does not have the balls to do what is necessary. We must shut down these old world dungeons. They are not places for our adventerous youth to play. They should be assessed for danger by military trained units, and if dangerous should be destroyed.

This is what I promise I will do if I am given the rights as Colony General. I will publicly reintroduce the Variable Light Assault Division to secure sites like the Tomb Fortress. If they fail, at least good EEFers were not lost. If they report back trouble, we level it once they leave.

We take the tech, the lore, the science and give it to our brightest minds like my daughter Mina, to interpret and use on our battlefields.

In fact after seeing the sad use of corrupt demon weapons in the hands of our brave EEF Exorcists I have tasked my daughter to design a new SPG based power source energy weapon that they can use that our soldiers will know is safe.

These are my promises.

Now I know you all notice Candidate Wendyr has dropped out of the race. Apparently the pressure was too much for him. He knew his lies about my character could not go on. Who is going to send money to a fellow like that? We need to build our fellow colonists up not break them down.

But can you blame him. You know success breeds jealousy. And what greater jelousy than when you see a man about to become the next Colony General. Everyone one knows I’m leading in all the polls that matter. Joe the Nightmare Hunter understands why I’m trying to make the Colonies safer. Joe the Loremancer knows I’m trying to get his business to thrive. And Joe everybody is going to be a winner when I am in charge. And don’t you just need a win right now?”

And to everyone’s surprise it seemed some of the footage of the space battle leaked out, including Daron turning to Naeil’s camera before the fight and saying,

“I know of the Redeemers from my time traveling in the Southern lands. They help protect all in Drewsport. They don’t look at the race or who they protect. And what they guard is worth protecting and keeping out of the hands who would use it for evil.

If the redeemers should fall, the Security of the colonies will be in affected.

We should STAND with the Redeemers in this battle.

Now, I must go. This is a time for action.”


#7

Part 3: Radiation…under the sea…

Back during the Battle of the Bay

King Blood’Og II had sent the great Goblin King Omar Biggunz and his five Goblin Kings and their twenty raiders to bust some heads and get some loot during the battle. Goblin King Omar would have a raft and so would each of his Kings. The rafts would be made from bits of driftwood and wood scavenged on the march. They would be tied together by strips of Mak Hoblok cloaks. Then the rafts would be powered out using fire Leyas like a jet. Like a primitive jet boat. or a Jet skiff, or a raftjet?

They would be aiming for the biggest prizes. Nothing would be beyond their reach. The Mak’Laltor was marching to war. Rafting to war?

They even lucked out in seeing the friendly fire moment that cost so many allied troops. The underwater explosions had devastated all the vessels in the water. King Omar could see Hekeriki and the crew of the Lucky Fate Freighter repairing the hull of their vessel. He could see the crews aboard the enemy frigates had already taken flight, or at least their survivors.

As they rafted out on their first attempts at building rafts, they noticed ship building was quite a bit harder than just tying drift wood together. Some rafts fell apart. Some held together and moved slow, others were more aerodynamic but not stabilized and flipped.

King Omar found himself alone on the water in the moments after the explosions of the minefields had cleared. The water was surprisingly clear considering. He saw five Striders under the water, the tops of their crew compartments had been destroyed by the exploding undead. Two hundred and fifty explosives had devastated the sea floor. Again King Omar wondered how the water wasn’t all choppy it should be.

The more his brain worked out that he shouldn’t be seeing the damaged vehicles so clearly, even though they were definitely there, the more his vision of them got distorted by swirling sand and debris. Then he looked up and saw his Gogs all converging on a nearby vessel. King Omar felt something looked wrong with the frigate, it was greenish. As if something had heated it up with green flames but been interrupted by…something. Somehow King Omar knew he was sure it was the explosion that stopped whatever was causing the freighter to glow mid glow. Something about radiation and thats why he shouldn’t get any closer.

Finally he fell to his knees on the raft, knowing something out here was fucking with his head. He refused to move, refused to act, even as he watched to his horror as some of the Gogs who served under him were falling over vomiting on the deck of the irradiated ship. The ones who survived the boarding party dragged a body of a Neliff off the ship and then for some reason unknown to King Omar they converted their life to bring him back.

Meanwhile those poor mind controlled Brezan gogs thought they were diverting to the ship to save King Omar himself. They had been illusioned into believing their squad was bringing him back to life, because just like King Omar they were firmly under the control of the Neliff who had swarmed them when their rafts first set foot on the water. They had no jammers, no protection and were easily swayed. In fact it had been their rush to get King Omar to lead his soldiers into battle that had caused their fatal error. That and the fact that the entire Hivemind of Neliff the Orthodox was under assault by the telepathic link created and maintained by Holys through Pelos Hiveking.

The Neliff needed soldiers, and needed to take the Isle before Holys fully unlocked the other dark arts hidden in the Hiveminds he had hacked. These Brezans were strong, and would birth new Neliff well.

To Remmie the spy who was hidden on the shore, he could make out the Neliff floating over their olgog prey. He watched in disgust as their tentacles pierced the Olgogs flesh time after time until it was filled with egg sacks.

Both Remmie and King Omar were shocked when the Frigate in question was suddenly blown out of the water by the cannons of a vessel of very different origins. They looked to the rear and could see the edge of the prow of a vessel at the mouth of the bay, trying to use the coastline to block their line of sight. Then it passed behind the coast again, and was gone, but its cannons sounded again and another of the irradiated frigates dropped into the deep.

King Omar looked up as waves crashed around him from cannon shot. And suddenly saw the sky was filled with massive birds, then looking closer they weren’t birds. They were hundreds of Pelebor with long dark wings in the sky above them, and between them flew Neliff.

King Omar was horrified by what he saw, but then another thought intruded in his mind. Which creatures were his allies? The Neliff which sought to hurl down the UtR and crush the Uf Mag’og? Or the Redeemers who had turned their cannons on Brezans and the Mak’Laltor in defense of smaller gogs time and time again? Neliff the Berzerker let his tentacle drape over King Omar’s shoulder in a comforting way, and asked, “King Omar, how about we kill your enemies?”

King Omar grabbed up his axe and hooted to gather the attention of his few Olgogs who weren’t dead from radiation poisoning or drowned by cannon splash. Together they converged, making their way towards the only freighter not yet destroyed. It was the freighter owned by the Lucky Fate Squad.

And as Ani G and Hekeriki saw the rafts speeding towards them on Leyas propulsion, covered in angry looking Brezan Olgogs who themselves were covered in Neliff and Neliff eggsacks, they both wondered if they were going to survive the day.

Meanwhile in the skies above them Grizool Grizane was ever happy he had warning through the Pelebor curse of the plans of his enemies. Had they not known, his entire Poison Claw contingent would have gone down on those ships. Instead they had been under tarps on the deck and ready to spring to action at the first attack by the defenders of the Isle.

They leapt into the air using smoke and clouds from the battle woven together to keep themselves hidden. Grizane ordered them to wait until the Lucky Fate Freighter was distracted by their Neliff allies under Neliff the Berzerker. As Maxwell’s Moniter shelled their vessels, Grizane waited for the signal from one of his Neliff and then signaled a pair of Poison Claw Pelebor who dropped from the cloud cover and carried with them one of many tarps used to hide them on the decks. And as Maxwell’s Moniter was distracted sinking their damaged frigates on one side of the formation, these pelebor flew to the damaged frigate closest to the front of the pack.

The tarp was dropped onto the hull of this damaged frigate, and another tarp was held by another pair of Pelebor pointed squarely at the Tomb Factory of Holys. As the next Domebuster round struck the lead frigate’s hull, unlike the previous thee it had sank, this one passed smoothy through the shadow walk created by the two tarps.

The domebuster round was redirected right squarely at the walls of the Tomb Fortress. The ancient K’ias structure had survived wars against the Nightmare Lords, the Aegelis, the Sylvan and the Falosini. But the Domebuster was designed to crack Dome Cities open for invasion and it succeeded admirably here as well. A tunnel was punched through both sides of the fortress near its island base, below the Crimson Tower.

The Domebuster round carved through the rear side too, flying through the air across the bay in seconds and smashing a long furrow into the coast and through the center of the city of New Holys.


#8

Part 4: New Holys, a View at Herculaneum.

Administrator L’gani sat and met with Synne of the Line of Holys. The pair of K’ias had been meeting and discussing for over a year now, mostly about the city of New Holys. Synne had a desire to return to his chambers inside the Tomb Factory to recover some items of sentimental value. L’gani didn’t trust the child of Holys anywhere near the Isle. But Synne was one of the few K’ias living, and as a result L’gani did cherise their meetings where they broke bread and shared stories of the week. Even if every meeting ended in upset and Synne politely storming out, L’gani could not blame the younger K’ias for trying.

Today was a little different than their usual meetings. Because as they sat in the Administrator’s office overlooking the Bay of Holys, they watched a full on battle consume the seaside. The explosions from the water shattered the windows, sending glass into their tea and wine and breakfast.

Synne seemed puzzled why L’gani wasn’t at the fighting.

L’gani responded, “My faith is with the Redeemers of Unit 817. They declared responsibility for the Tomb Factory. We will see if they can hold it.”

Then the Domebuster round punched through the tower and cut a fullow in the city a few blocks from their current location. Sea Water rushed into the furrow and suddenly a section of the city found itself with canals instead of streets much to L’gani’s chagrin.

His only happyness was the knowledge that only Dead currently lived in those sections of the city. He thanked his lucky stars that the Olgog quarter had not been hit nor the Falosini towers.

L’gani lifted up his commcrystal and radioed to the Redeemer Airfleet, “My friends, New Holys is reciveing a bit of collateral damage, please send an airship my way, I no longer feel I can stand by as a figure head when the city I am responsible for Administrating over is currently being hit by Domebuster rounds.”

He received and affirmative, he and Synne and L’gani’s personal guard boarded the Redeemer’s Carrier. It was similar to the UtR models with some obvious changes. L’gani reached the bridge of the vessel and demanded control, a rare move. He immediately set a course for the Crimson Tower. L’gani would see this battle end with no more loss of Life.


#9

Part 5: Grizane is Defeated…and the Battle is won!

Grizool Grizane felt the magi cannon blast sever his wing. He fell back, hiding for a moment behind a stone pillar to catch his breath. Since cracking open the side of the Fortress with that one lucky shot with the Domebuster redirect, his Poison Claw had been seeing win after win.

They had used their shadow walk tarps to redirect a bunch of cruise missiles that would have wiped them out, instead into the five Deadwing aircraft the Redeemers had sent out to shoot the Pelebor down. The sheer amount of firepower unleashed upon them would have made Warmonger proud. Too bad the old worm had put his faith in a fool avatar.

Grizane was happy he was now in charge. His army of Poison Claw and Neliff would take the Tomb Factory, awaken and control Holys and forge a new destiny using the power of all the Hiveminds in this timeline all focused on one goal. Of course Grizane did not know Holys was already awakened. That Holys had stolen Neliff the Orthodox’s plan and turned it on its head. Nor that even now Grizane’s own Neliff allies were slowly falling under the control of Holys.

But as the last of the cruise missiles redirected through a shadow smashed into the last Deadwing and sent in tumbling into the sea, Grizane had a hearty laugh and led his troop into the hole in the fortress wall.

It was a cake walk until they reached the tunnels leading to Holys himself. Every tunnel was a deathtrap with enough magi cannon fire to quickly reduce his force of hundreds to only a handful. The last of their Neliff shock troops was popped and finally with the fingers of many of his clan in his pack, Grizane finally ordered a full retreat.

He turned and ran from the Tomb Factory, when he reached the wall he dived, using his one good wing to try and glide out into the deeper water. As the water closed over his head and he began to swim, Grizane realized his plan could never have succeeded as planned. Those tunnels simply could not be taken while the Redeemers held them. There just wasn’t enough room to manuever and their weapons too powerful, stripping shields and flesh with ease. They had no ammo limitations and being undead would never get tired and never stop firing.

Grizane gave them credit. In the end the Warmonger Cult simply could not retake the Isle of Holys from the Redeemers.

He swam and he swam, the pain from his damaged wing nearly unbearable. But Grizane had suffered much, and would not be stopped yet. They had lost contact with Lord Pelos at the beginning of the battle, and Neliff the Orthodox has gone commsilent.

But Grizane did meet up with Neliff the Orthodox at their assigned rondesvouz.

And Neliff the Orthodox had secured two EEF Ballistic missile submarines during the battle.

Upon entering the captains quarters on the formerly EEF Submarine Strykker’s Pride, Grizane nearly laughed to see Neliff the Orthodox dressed in a heavily modified Naval uniform. The EEF insignia had been cut off, but its blue and anchor was Earther in design.

Neliff the Orthodox welcomed him in and said, “Neliff have taken three of the submarines and their crews. They did not expect us to use Pelebor to know their plans. But they were fast and quick. They destroyed one of the subs before we could escape. And we returned the favor and destroyed one of theirs. Two have come with us, and their crews are all secured for use as breeding materials. A new Neliff colony will be bread here and in our sister ship.”

“What about the Hiveking? What about Lord Pelos?” asked Grizane shocked the Neliff would give up on their own plan so easily.

“Holys has become Hiveking. He controls all Hiveminds now, except the Quall of HiveQueen Ayx. He has ordered Neliff to withdraw, and Neliff will follow that order and hope Holys returns soverignty and freewill to Neliff again.”

Grizane was terrifyied as he looked at Neliff the Orthodox and realized all the Neliff onboard were staring at him in a deeply concerning way. He excused himself to some private quarters and began converting his Poison Claw Clan back to life, and together they planned their next steps after this horrific loss.

Hidden among the shadows aboard the vessel was Remmie, spy of Jemison Post, though as he watched the crew of Strykker’s Pride being used as hosts he wondered if he had gotten himself in a bit deep. He listened and watched as the Poison Claw were dropped off on the edge of the Nightmare Moors. To Remmie’s concern he overheard Neliff the Orthodox telling Grizool Grizane that the Neliff would be heading to the Far continent to claim a new army among the Illuminated and their slaves. Remmie even made marks on his map of the position the two Neliff controlled Submarines parted ways. They were still near the colonial coastline, so Remmie wondered if Neliff the Orthodox had doubled back and sent the other sub ahead to the far continent.


#10

Part 6: The MDK cuts up some Heavy Metal Rods into tiny Metal Shards

The Metal Discord Kue’lo raced through the atmosphere using the gravity of the planet to pull it into a dive that would tear the wings off most vessels. But the MDK was tougher than that and reached the first rod section, swinging its tail in an arc the broke the section into bits. This high up the bits diverted and cooked sparks off the atmo. The second section of rod was also easily dispached, but each time the MDK slowed down a little and the rods got further into the atmosphere.

The MDK swooped in an another group of rod shards and Toriel the Red Pilot suddenly regretted attacking the launcher. It might have been better just to grab the rods in its big arms and fly away that destroy them. In fact Toriel suddenly had fantasies of the MDK carrying a bandolier of Damoclese projectiles on its back like big javelins.

Heart Attack interrupted the fantasy saying, “Toriel get your head in the game. The rods are getting to close to the ground.”

The MDK did a few more tail whips but now instead of a bunch of rods it was faced with a cloud of tungsten alloy flying at a dangerous velocity. The MDK tried to grab the cut down segments but, it just dispersed the cloud farther. Most of the cloud it finally had grabbed into a pile of tungsten bits held tight to its chest and began to pull up aiming for a point out at sea.

It struck just over the horizon and huge wave formed at that impact point.

Brilliant spikes, tungsten shrapnel barely longer than a meter, was all that was left of the cloud of Damoclese projectile bits that threatened the coastline. One of these brilliant spikes struck a Hovercoper flying over the location cloaked. It sheered through its rotor and the vehicle crashed into a tower in the Falosini district of New Holys.

Another of these brilliant spikes struck the water near the Lucky Fate Freighter causing the deck to bob and saving Hekeriki inches from getting impaled by a Poison Claw Pelebor’s infectious arm spike. Ani G delivered a fatal counterstrike with a pistol bayonet to the Pelebor’s throat before kicking the mutant monster overboard.

Another of the Brilliant spikes smashed through the roof of the Crimson Tower…


#11

Part 7: The Tomb Factory of Holys was designed by Holys

Inside the Crimson Tower, Torlok’ab struggled to keep aware of all that occurred on the battlefield. There were so many disaparate forces, and so many of their attacks were being turned on each other. It made him sad. At first he wanted to blame them because they just did what they wanted to do.

But Torlok’ab had to step back for a moment because seeing all these sentients attempting to be allies spoke to his own training as a member of the Bladed Sun.

These people all wished to help him, to support him, to do right by him. They may just not know how, but their deep desire to show friendship and loyalty were some of these sentients most redeeming traits. The traits that were as far from the Warmonger as one could get.

They needed just an ally to help guide them, as a hand guides an arrow in a bow so that all this joined passion, joined loyalty and joined friendship could actually strike true against their mutual enemies. Rather than mock them their faults or blame them for not being good enough, it was time to open the hand of friendship and accept others with their faults and their limitations…and their immense strengths and potentials that just needed cultivating.

Torlok’ab realized these forces allied here could form the bonds of a new friendship and a new force for freedom and good in this region. But only if they worked together. If they planned together, played together, and fought together.

Torlok’ab realized he had not heard from Nameless Finality in quite a while, and he activated his commcrystal stepping away from the command console for but a moment. That call to check up on Nameless Finality saved Torlok’abs life. Because when he stepped but four steps away it took him away from the quickly collapsing roof and the tungsten rod that struck the command console and area around it with enough force to leave a five foot crater. The jaw of Torlok’ab fell open in a very living gesture unlike him, had he been standing there he would have been turned to dust.

He closed his jaw and turned to look at his now dust covered commcrystal realizing he could hear a voice and it worried him. It was not the voice of Nameless Finality. But it was the voice of a much more ancient being.

“I see they let Unit 817 out of storage. That is nice to know. As you have probably guessed this is Holys of the line of Vul. This island and everything in it belongs to me. I thank you for keeping it safe for me, and protecting it from those who would use my inventions to serve evil ends. But the time for sleep is over. It is the time for my experiments to begin anew.

There was a flash of red light and in the Bridge of the Crimson Tower stood Holys of the Line of Vul.

Torlok’ab found himself frozen and unable to move.

Holys said, “I have stopped time around you, but you will be able to hear all that I say to you. I do mean it Unit 817 soldier. All the Dead Units were made to serve the K’ias to keep them safe and their homes safe. Yes I know it was a dark mirror, a limited expression of what the Sylvan did with their own Undead Soldiers. But I surmise it was worth it, because here you are keeping my home safe.”

On the horizon a wave rushed towards them and Torlok’ab noticed that Holys did not yet seem to notice. Then to Torlok’ab’s shock a third arm extended from Holys back, this one an obvious surgical addition long ago. But the arm deftly raised a palm and the entire wave stopped in motion.

“I control all of time, Torlok’ab. I control the Quall Hives, the Unity, the E-strain, the Fleets of Fate and the Neliff,” said Holys, “I can see all of time and I can control all of time.”

The wave began to recede until it reached its source far out at sea, and the MDK and its ball of superheated and then cooled tungsten suddenly sprang from the water. The Pilots of the MDK were held in the temporal stasis field but could look around and see the wierdness of the time changes.

Back in the Crimson Tower, Torlok’ab could see the annihilation Leyas flowing from Holys. He was a fountain of it and was using it to alter time left and right. Torlok’ab could even feel the stress fratures as our reality was crumbling away into multiple timelines under the pressure of the power being weilded by Holys.

Suddenly he was able to move again, with Holys saying, “I can sense my K’ias kin are coming this way. You will soon leave this place along with Unit 817. Your services will no longer be needed as I have come to reclaim my home.

And if you are thinking of using your weapons to try and kill me, you should know I can draw in the artifacts in this room alone and explode into a star consuming this entire planet and everyone on it.

And using the power over the Hives I could simply will myself back into physical existence. You have your Ascended Beings and your Descended beings but I am now beyond both those. I am the truth of experimentation taken to its ultimate form.

I am Holys, and I am eternal.”

Then through the hole in the roof dropped a rope ladder and on it was Administrator L’gani and Synne.
The pair dropped down and eyed the Blackhole warrior with concern.

L’gani said, “Ahh cousin Holys, it is I, L’gani, and I hope you aren’t planning on experimenting on any of my Unit 817 soldiers.
They are mine as regent under the Redeemer, and as you know, a fellow K’ias would not want to be seen denying ownership at a time like this.”

“I was excited to experiment on a few of these Unit 817 soldiers. They seemed to have developed some unique abilities I wish to know more about. But you may take this Torlok’ab and any Unit 817 still walking around of their volition. My own personal guard will be returning soon,” said Holys looking out across the Bay.

And with perfect timing, seven ships came across the horizon, and approached rapidly. There was one which resembled a carrier craft, and on its deck were Deadwing airships. There were three that resembled battleships, with a trio of earther-style 16 inch naval guns and a pair of huge magi cannon emplacements that could possibly even reach orbital targets. The last three naval vessels were smaller light frigates with lots of smaller magi cannon emplacements and a few earther style howitzers for shore bombardment.

L’gani deftly negotaited, “I don’t want to suggest you would dare turn those guns on my holdings on the coast? New Holys is a proud city I would hate to see desecrated more than has already been.”

Holys stopped and if he could smile he would have, “New…Holys? I like that. And you, L’gani did this? Make this independent city in my honor?”

“I would be a liar if I took all the credit. I have proudly administrated it since its inception, and built it into a city beloved by all races. But its inception would not have happened if not for Torlok’ab and Tormog’ru of Unit 817. Their entire Unit deserves the credit.”

Holys looked upon Torlok’ab with new eyes, and said, “Go proudly with L’gani to this city of New Holys as its protectors. Do as good a job as you did protecting my home and the City of New Holys will live throughout all time as a place of independent thought beloved by all races.

I grant it planetary immunity. None may make war on New Holys, or I will defend it with all my forces. None may threaten it, neither old races nor new. And as long as New Holys does not plot against me, it will maintain these protections. So that my legacy remains unsullied.”

Torlok’ab was about to respond, to call Holys the tyrant as he saw him, but he was cut off by an overtly polite L’gani who said, “Thank you for your gracious immunity. I will withdraw with Unit 817 to New Holys where we will begin rebuilding from todays unfortunatenss.”

Torlok’ab followed L’gani’s lead knowing the old K’ias knew Holys’ temperments quite well and would be better able to know when was a good time to make an ordered retreat.

But Holys was no fool and he saw the look in Torlok’ab’s eyes, and said, “And let it be known that Unit 817 never failed in their defense of the Tomb Factory of Holys, as it was only when its builder and original owner returned that they had to give up their stewardship of this Isle.”

Holys hoped to eventually turn them into allies, that much seemed apparent.

But as Torlok’ab watched Unit 817 board the Mirror Crystal Carrier, he felt a sense of dread. Holys had not just awakened but he had been given the technology to conquer the Neliff and through them conquer the Quall,and through the Quall any enemy who might try and face Holys.

Aboard the carrier craft, Torlok’ab began asking around and realize no one knew where Nameless Finality was. The heroic soldier had disappeared before the fighting began. And was not among the on their feet soldiers who had been guarding the Tomb Factory. Torlok’ab worried that perhaps Nameless Finality had been killed in Holys awakening. Or worse still, the young Dead was still trapped somewhere below the Isle, disabled and despairing as he heard Unit 817 begin its ordered retreat…


#12

Part 8: Letting the Ugly win at the Bay of Holys

One thousand Warmonger’s Dead, bearing the symbols of Unit 111, the personal unit of Holys of the Line of Vul, stood in ceremonial presentation on the many catwalks below the Crimson Tower. They saluted their master, awakened after aeons of slumber. Their master was inducting Pelos Hiveking into the machinery of the Tomb Factory. It allowed a sentient mind to control and empower all the defenses of the tower.

It glowed on the horizon like a beacon of swirling Leyas. A leyas storm surged above the isle, and from it Holys drew power down into the factory.

From the massive naval carrier stepped Amm’t T’Shesh. He was dressed in a combination of his barbarian pirate attire now marked by a grey carapace armor chestpiece that bore no symbols. His shoulders and arms were banded by armor obviously carved from the grey carapace helmets of the many Dead Units he had crushed under his fist and then forced under his flag.

He walked up to Holys without fear and without trepedation.

Holys said wickedly, “Who are you to deign to rule over my soldiers?”

Another man would have balked at that moment. Some from fear. Some from confusion over ownership. Others simply because the words were an obvious trap. Any man or woman who cared for their life would have proceeded with care and safety. But Amm’t T’Shesh had long ago learned that the color of his skin meant that no one would have a care for his safety and would always see him as an animalistic brute useful for grueling, heavy labor, and dying in combat, and that was about it.

He said simply and with authority, “I am King Amm’t T’Shesh, and I am the living heir of Mar’un’ga. I am by rights of bloodline, the heir to the K’ias Empire. All these lands, all these troops, the very authority you claim over these lands are based on an ancient blood covenant with my predecessors.
The curse of Warmonger has been cleansed from our line, and I, Amm’t T’Shesh am ready to take the reigns of leadership over all the lands on Refuge and on other planets and dimensions my Grandfather Mar’un’ga and my Mother Y’vhv once held.”

Holys sat back, using his newely aquired powers over Time and Space to see all of this Amm’t T’Shesh’s futures and pasts, and picked a few he really really liked and forced them into place around the Cambion. They should have changed the cambion’s memories of his past, yet they didn’t which fascinated Holys to no end. A new unexplored benefit of fuzing K’ias and Da’uhnb genetics into something less powerful than either but more resilient than any seemingly mortal being that Holys had studied. A unique ability of this King T’Shesh or an ability any of his species could develop ? Holys still did not know. But he did know that allies would be beneficial in this and many timelines.

He said, “You intrigue me King T’Shesh. If you will honor me by appointing me Lord Regent of this Island, I would be honored to recognize your authority over many many lands…including the Far Continent of the Sea Kings.”

Amm’t T’Shesh was surprised so great and powerful a being would bow to him in that moment. And when Holys literally bowed as if waiting for T’Shesh to recognize him officially, T’Shesh was filled with pride. His gambit had worked. Both sides defeated and now he stood ready to claim his throne.

Amm’t T’Shesh stood proud and announced, “Let all who sail the Sea, Let all who walk on land hear that King T’Shesh, Executioner of the Impure, recognizes Holys the Great as Lord Regent of the Tomb Factory that bears his name, that he built and that he now resides in.”

Holys grew loud so that even those still fighting on the boats below could hear them.

“Holys, Lord Regent of this Isle, recognize the authority of King Amm’t T’Shesh as rightful heir of both Mar’un’ga, K’ias Emperor, Conquerer of Worlds. I recognize King T’Shesh as rightful heir of the Lady Y’vhv, rightfully titled General Y’vhv the Strategist. She who was more insightful than the all seeing Eye of Falos, called the Bladed Sun by its bearer, and called blessing.

His lands extend as far as Illuminated hold court and even to this coastline.

And all the coasts of Refuge except those of Port Unen, and the lands held by the Olgogs of the United Tribes, the Olgogs of the Hobtla Mag’ol, the Olgogs of the Der’al Collective. Let these natives be given their homelands so they might be safe cared for in their lands.”

Holys was wise and cunning.

King T’Shesh could not deny him in that moment, “Yes of course my noble Lord Regent. The Lands of the Olgog are sacred and to be untouched. But the Lands of the Northern Kingdoms which denied my hand in friendship and alliance, the lands of the Earthers that hunt my kind for sport for centuries, the lands of the Warmonger Cult which sully the sacred names of my forebearers all are claimed by me.”

“Yes of course my King,” said Holys bowing and pressing his face to the ground before the now bewildered Cambion King.

Holy then asked, “My great King, might I incur a boon? I worry that with all these enemy vessels nearby and such a recent Warmonger Cult attack, it might be wise to create a blockade around the Island for protection.”


#13

Epilogue

For a full month Holys controlled the Hiveminds and the Connected. His mind control went beyond the powers of a simple Neliff or even an Ascended Being as he used the collected will of those already controlled to break the realities of those resisting.
Some beings he bansished from this dimension or from this timeline. A few he annihilated because they threatened him.
Some were wiped from these timelines completely such was the immense and barely restrained power controlled by Holys through his Hiveking and its uplink and his necromantic technologies combined.

And yet instead of marching on all the different settlements of the world as Warmonger would have done, or many of the Lords and Ladies who now controlled Refuge might have done. After his month of control, Holys set all the beings under his control free with the message, simple and dangerous though it may be.

“Each of you must gift unto me, Six of your bravest and brightest and six of your dullest and dimwitted, and one so unwanted that your society is already wishing you could give them up so that I might experiment upon them as I see fit. Deny me and no army will come marching but instead your futures will be turned inside out, and harm will come to all.

You must decide what you will do. I can reclaim control of the connected in a moment, and use their powers to do anything I wish. But you need not fear me. Each Thirteen given to me will be treated with the respect of a patient, but will never be freed until after their experiment is over. Anyone who tries to rescue someone from an experiment will be forced into an experiment of my choosing.

All decisions regarding experiments are decided by me.

And before you balk and say I would cull all creavity and virtue and greatness from your society, you need not give me those beloved among you. And instead may substitute any who volunteer willingly.”

A similar message was delivered to the leaders of every nation and every locale. Some balked at the idea of twelve people a year. But even the colonies and the UtR when comparing their population numbers seperately realized it would only take a handfull of people each year to make the threat of Holys go away.


#14

Losses

Unit 817

Loses control of the Tomb Factory of Holys but retains control of the city of New Holys.
All Necrostriders and Deadwings were damaged and sunk into the bay of Holys. They can be recovered and repaired if a creative way is found to recover them from the bay in the next few missions. All crews aboard those vessels are equally at 0 HP and cannot be restored to unlife until those vessels are recovered. Nameless Finality is trapped like a head in a jar in the old tomb chamber of Holys but could be rescued as well. If Nameless Finality is not rescued within 2 Missions, then Holys will turn him into a loyal Holys Dead. The water near the bay is currently irradiated and will horribly kill off sea life if not addressed quickly.

Lord Grimaluds

Loses one Hovercopter permanently (utterly destroyed in the crash), the crew has been rescued by the Redeemers at New Holys.

Lucky Fate Squad.
The MDK has been Temporally Marked by Holys. Which means he and his servants can track its comings and goings throughout the Timeline(s). It also means the T.E.A. and the I.R. Four Horsemen can also temporally track the MDK. Worse yet the Pilots and all allies have no idea its giving off this tracking signature. But the MDK did make it out alive

Strykker

Loses 3 Subs. One totally destroyed. Two taken by Neliff, with a compliment of Torpedoes and Cruise missiles aboard. Red Level Threat to the Colonies.
Damoclese Platform 22 is destroyed as a weapons platform by the MDK. That leaves a huge hole in the orbital defense grid. Especially at a time when now there are far too many hours of the day the EEF does NOT have a clear shot anymore at Holys…

Mak’Laltor
Loses 20 Raiders and 5 Goblin Kings and King Omar to Neliff control. They may only be roleplayed as part of the enemy team planning sessions, and are completely loyal to Neliff the Orthodox’s mind control. King Omar gains FS 8 while under Neliff control.

Ryuk, (BUT HE DIDN’T EVEN POST?)
Created Chronomancy while being mind controlled, only to have it be stolen away by Holys of the line of Vul. In the process of the creation of Chronomancy it consumed the last remains of the body of the Da’uhnb queen. Ryuk must decide now that he has been freed a month later by Holys if he will go to Holys to beg to learn Chronomancy and serve as Holys’ Pet Villain or will he try and convince the Good Guys to take his aid in taking Holys down. Ryuk is terrified of what could happen if Holys used his powers to make the Rabble attack allies or other people at a cost to Ryuk’s guild pardon. So he either need ally up, or defeat him. One or the other.

Wintermute
Set’gal’s Pyrric Victory
The losses were high, but Set’tgal could be assured he won the battle. Half the soldiers and half the communicators had been blown up by friendly fire from EEF torpedos. He didn’t know if he should be angry at the EEF, or the damn higher ups who waited till too late to alert EEF high command of their underwater attack.

Rewards:wink:

Lucky Fate Gang. The MDK now has material for a new weapon. A ball of melted tungsten that could be fashioned into (A a pair of thick short swords, B) a unique spear, C) a pair of Nnghai and Elbow and knee spikes, or D) Ball and chain style weapon.
Naeil and her 5 Camera Crew gain +1 emotional control. Being awake during Neliff egg removal surgery makes you much tougher.
The MDK pilots unlock, Time Stasis Dodge. And can make dodges against Time Stasis attacks IF they know they are coming. Not against surprise attacks.

Lord Grimaldus. MacDowell’s Moniter gains Hardened Crew. When their crew is active on the moniter they count the V.A.R. as 20 higher just because they are so good at keeping the ship in combat.
Also gains +2 bonus to hit on triangulation attacks on future combinations of Bastion strider and Hovercopter spotters. Dunesphere’s Finest gain +1 to their Health stat (a bonus +3 H.P.) to each member. They also gain +1 emotional control. Being awake during Neliff egg removal surgery makes you much tougher.

Daron gains +1 emotional control. Being awake during Neliff egg removal surgery makes you much tougher. He also gains SURGE In the Polls. Daron once an underdog looks like the thriumvirate front runners along with Yildor Roren and Jeremiah Strykker. The three of them are poised to duke it out for Colony General. With this surge comes some cash moolah, which can be spent on A) an Event Center in Chooru for a Grand Gala with the other candidates, B) A Concert in Zelga for the People,

Unit 817 gains final and full recogniton of New Holys by Lord Holys himself. They also gain titles of Protectors of New Holys in both standard and Sea Kings literature and laws. This neutral territory designation now means they regularly Sea Kings traders arrive and sell Sea Kings goods including trade goods like metal, cloth, wood and stone. While the loss of the Tomb was a blow to the pride of Unit 817, their loss to Holys himself and not the Warmonger cult is remembered as a great service to Refuge.
They have now fully embraced the Carrier gaining a +10 V.A.R. and may rename it.

Wintermute gains Underwater Undead Shock Troopers. All the survivros are now called Set’gal’s Sea Serpents, these underwater trained undead enhanced by Neliff jammer technology gain +3 H.P., +1 F.S., and +1 attack to their total statline and are considered elite undead. They cannot be mind controlled. They are armed with grapple guns, and a variety of underwater explosives.
In fact upon hearing of the threat of Neliff in the south, and as an olive branch the Kingdom of Borvis has donated four Sea Serpent Wargiants to be used as underwater assault craft by Set’gal’s Sea Serpents.

Lurtor gains Remmie is an epic spy. Remmie now knows how to sneak around Sea Kings and Neliff settlements and gains a +1 bonus to Profession Spy when in these settlements.
Lurtor as Lurry gains +1 emotional control. Being awake during Neliff egg removal surgery makes you much tougher.

Eli McGraw gains Friendship forged in the heart of being nearly drowned. Snowy Touch and Lester Colt gain a +2 bonus to hit and dodge when they are backing Eli’s play. Eli gains +1 to his pilot submarine skill (if he didn’t have that skill he gains an equivalent at skill level 2).

Godart gains The Ghost of Godart. From the moment the timeline shattered in three directions, Godart found himself awake again for the first time since his death. But he realized quickly he was awake but not alive. He was the Ghost of Godart a time remanent really, and was trapped between timelines. But he could speak to Naeil and the rest of the Lucky Fate Squad through mirrors and reflections.

Strykker gains, authorization to for General Map’el to move a Carrier group to the south sea to onbserve the fleet actvity near the Bay of Holys. This authorization allows Strykker to design and build a new Carrier at the Dumbar forge to replace the carrier sent south to check on the Isle. OR Strykker may build 1 nomad city transport with a full vehicle compliment. His choice.

Lalder gains a full Map of the entire battle, location of all downed allied ships, and paths of all “ugly” vessels, and the locations of all downed enemy vessels as well. He also knows the full ship compliment of the “ugly” forces occupying the Tomb Fortress with Holys permission

Holys gains all the dead except the redeemers’ dead at the battle are converted into Holys Dead (Warmongers Dead loyal to Holys instead). Many bearing the Unit Marker Unit 111.

Blackheart gains so much freaking moolah its not even funny over 60,000 ghaz in trade goods etc all from the trade thread means Blackheart doesn’t need an additional reward. Neliff the Timeless and Neliff the Orthdox have death marks on Childeen Blackhearts head, but Neliff the Radical does not. This money must be spent on Refuge, on Refugian operations, contact Narrator for specifics. Bring it offworld and it will get hella taxed by the IR.
Childeen gains enough Footage to convince the IR that the Neliff are a real threat and gets a long term contract to provide Jammers to Neliff-Hunting Brethren missions.


#15

After the credits roll: Eli wakes up on the beach of a different continent.

Eli woke up as the water splashed his face. He was surprised to see tropical trees and a gorgeous beach. The land near the coast of Holys was mostly rocky shores not white sand beaches.

He looked up to see an Illuminated being held up on a palanquin. The illuminated was male and dressed in golden shimmery robes. At his side like a pet cat was a Neliff currently making an unsettling purr as the Illuminated stroked his chin.

Eli felt up and was happy his hat, and the crown underneath was still on. He saw Snowy Touch was at his side, and as was Lester Colt. But their Mini sub was beached for sure. It would take a little repair work to get it ready for a deep sea dive. But looking at the Illuminated his seven Cambion guards, the small chained pack of Olgogs at his side with collars round their necks and the Bestial eyeing him like tonights main course Eli was a little worried.

Then a trio of Mutants walked up. They looked like straight up monsters, with snakes and lions for hands, and corpselike faces. They looked over at the Illuminated and said, “Great one, these humans, this white fur are ours.”

Buying them enough time to get over to a nearby hut and close the cover. One of the Mutants motioned for the other two to stand guard outside. Once outside, the remaining mutant released some Shapeshift and turned into the form of Remmie, whom Eli knew to be one of Lurtor subordinates in the Jemison Post defense force and spy network.

They both were deep in enemy territory on the far continent, in the middle of a camp where the Neliff were slowly converting the local Sea Kings populace to their cause. Back in the colonies it would be as simple as tell everyone about the Neliff, but both Eli and Remmie, Snowy Touch and Lester Colt would be considered foreign spies and killed on the moment of such an outburst before any would consider it realistically.

Remmie knew that Neliff the Orthodox’s sub was moored nearby under the sea.

So they had a few choices. Rescue their own sub and make for open water. Try and sneak back aboard the Ballistic Missile sub that Neliff the Orthodox stole. Or simply call home and hope someone, anyone can help…


#16

Continued in Eli, Remmie and Friends on the Far Continent


#17

http://dr-forum.whitestarhosting.net/showthread.php?1935-Across-the-Sea-with-Eli-Remmie-Snowy-Touch-and-Lester-Colt-(DR2220-Post-mission-6)&p=13359#post13359