Items of interest:
The Phage
Originally just a mundane Enemy germ warfare product concocted by
a Royal Researcher in the service to the Race (the Lizards/Enemy's name
for themselves). Minestus had come to the conclusion that any native sickness
he could get his claws on, even if modified by his gifted hands, would
be easily countered by any would be human mage savior. Just as the Researcher
was lamenting about how sad it was that his brainchild proved to be useless
because Intelligence resources had uncovered proof that the Alliance already
had counteragents to this bio-weapon.
So, when Minestus went on a….fishing expedition for an offworld disease
that had the punch he was looking for, and too alien to be countered…..he
got the Researcher and his bioweapon……
The Researcher and dragon seemed to hit it off (well, not really….it
only appeared to be so…..).
Minestus magically mutated the bioweapon into a bastardized creation
that was neither fully science based nor magical based…..it was a lethal
combination of the two (with the added feature of being able to somehow
generate it’s own magic source for itself……go figure). Now, it can go anywhere
in the multiverse.
This combination prevents the easy cure by either magic or science.
Is there a cure? Can it be found within the adventurers lifetime?
Who knows.
I don't.
The Golems (the Alliance).
A coalition of parallel Earths united. Dedicated in defending itself
and defeating the Enemy.
Original democratic governments more or less collapsed under the
strain of Enemy attacks. Only a collection of corporations had the means
to rally and keep things together.
The Alliance is a Corporacy, run by an interdimensional collection
of international corporations. Think of these worlds as your basic cyberpunk
science fiction storyworlds (like Bladerunner and such) to get the idea
of the environment.
However, throw out the dog eat dog mentality when it comes to the
military, despite the clash tradition of "Honor, commitment, courage" with
the Companies…..profit motivations.
The military doesn't like or approve of the situation, but realizes
that without the Corporation, the Alliance is dead…..
So the military serves a strange government. Mostly honorable
men and woman (and other) dedicated in the defense of humanity and the
final defeat of the Enemy, these zealots fight on….and on…..
Just figure these jokers tech level on par of what you've seen in
the Terminator, late 21rst century weaponry and equipment. See major advances
in cybernetics and communications (tachyon transmission between Avator
(Terminator) and human (or remote AI) controller.
Another major leap in tech here is space and interdimensional travel.
Ships on par with Enemy craft.
The Race/Enemy/Lizards
Strange reptilian beings who are asexual (produce eggs at will).
Fanatically loyal to their Emperor, all things and people belong
to the Empire, and all the Empire belong to them (and the Emperor is the
personification/deification of this concept….).
Believe totally that they are the only beings with souls. All others
are only smart animals, and as such should be used as cattle.
Have been known to herd captured humans for food consumption.
Believe that when a person (one of the Race) dies, is reborn in Paradise.
Do NOT believe in ghosts.
Personal weaponry, and computer tech behind that of the Alliance,
but make up for the disparity in the quality of the weaponry (and poor
training of the average soldier/grunt) with quantity…..LOTS of quantity
(i.e. they produce soldiers as quickly as they can, give them a gun and
minimal training, and send them out to serve the Race).
Outstanding individuals are promoted out from the grunt status to
officer. Given a name/number. Considered a GREAT honor. Officers are given
much better training and education……
Tiberium
A commodity as common as dirt on this Terra, but extremely
rare and valuable elsewhere.
Is the life fuel of both Alliance and Enemy civilizations.
Terra would have been a fatal blow to the Alliance if the Enemy had
been successful with their draconian plans…..but……
Minestus actually did some good….unintended as it was. But
because of the deadly nature of Phage, and the resilience of disease to
all attempt to kill it……
Terra is currently considered a loss to both sides (well, until
recently,.,,,,)
Colors range from blue, blue/green, to out and out green. Grow in
large crystalline “groves.” THE MANIMALS
Fred and the Pack have stepped into the realm of the supernatural,
whether they like it or not.
They are no longer lycanthropes, but they still regenerate like lycanthropes
and have the immune systems that can't be beat, hands down!
Also, there was one side effect that effects all manimals that is
just another small things, but could be important. At the scene found where
Fred reasoned out that the geis that prevented the Pack from reading and
writing had died with the creator (Moreau), he wrote on the Council hall
wall in front of the anxious Pack: I AM NOT AN ANIMAL. All the manimals
could read it....including the ones who had been born manimals....and thus
never got a chance to learn....Manimals can read and write all languages
not intentionally encoded.....due to a quirk in their magical makeup.
They are also VERY empathic, more so than before…… Before, they had
a touch of it due their lycanthropic nature (it made getting along together
in such a diverse group of beliefs and backgrounds possible). The time
period that this story is taking place in is not one known for cultural
enlightenment. Unless force force and fear had been used to keep the Pack
members in line, Carradene would have found himself in charge of a smaller
Pack…..if it wasn’t for empathy smoothing over the rough areas……
The plot:
Fred was dithering and worrying about which path to take into the
cavern that (supposedly) contained the Dragon of the Southern Cavern. He
takes the tunnel to the left, and ironic that he did. Something out of
left field is going to come and change Fred's life forever! Fred greets
and joins forces with an apparent victim of the Dragon, a teenage boy by
the name of Vellus, who's now a tiny dog. They both go down another set
of tunnels and find a naked princess who calls herself Astra. Before Fred
can free her, we see that Astra is something of an unwitting bait/trap
for would be heroes such as Fred. Vellus transforms into a hellhound, and
before Fred could attack…. Yep, Fred is facing a Hellhound who used to
be Vellus (but is actually Minestus in disguise). The wizard (Minestus)
got off a spell that echoed in Fred's skull. He found himself on an unknown
island....and changing into an anthropomorphic fox.
Fred meets Alicia, and has that pre-nuptial disagreement about getting
married since Fred had sex with her while under the sway of his fox instincts.
We hurry along past the fight between that Forsaken wolf who almost
killed Loam, to where Fred, Alicia, and Loam go to Moreau's cave to find
out just how a metal forbidden to the Pack and the Forsaken got on the
island. They find Moreau had been killed, and a strange Golem tells them
about how Minestus released a Phage that's killing humanity. The golem
is wounded badly, but succeeds in blowing up the cave.
The news of what's happening is greeted by shock by the leaders of
the various beastmen clans and the Pack Leader (There are catpeople, bearpeople,
foxpeople, wolfpeople for the major clans....with a smattering of weasel
people and raccoon people). At first the Pack can only see death coming
in the form of Minestus, who's going to flip out from grief at the loss
of his dear sister (in all but blood)...he's going to take out his feelings
on the Pack!
Fred leaps to the front, and gives the Pack hope of escape and life
by revealing that there still is the pirate ship out there....with charts
that tell how it got here and where land is (an unknown to almost all of
the Pack). Carradene had known, but had known that spells and such cast
by Moreau prevented escape from the Isle...until now. Now the Pack can
read and write, because the dragonness is dead and her gies is lifted.
They can't speak the human tongue because they have muzzles....not human
mouths.
Anyway, after the last night of the full moon, we see indications
that the Pack is in the process of mutating into the new race that Minestus
wanted them to be: manimals. The Pack figures this out latter (and by that
time...).
The Pack load everything they could onto the ship, Kattie's Smile,
and also tie up rafts and such from the last ill adviced escape attempt
(failed miserably...and those who had gone out never survived).
Minestus comes, finds his sister dead, and goes insane from the grief.
He torches everything, and driven even further into insanity by the frustration
of not being able to talk to the Pack to find out who had killed Moreau
(he'd kill them anyway, but.....).
After a long trek, the ship makes landfall, and the Pack gets to
stretch their legs....and run (Fred's eyes twinkle when he says that....yep,
the manimal nature is in blossom here).
Fred and Pack finally land on the island fortress of the pirate ship,
and find all are dead, or nearly so. They discover what at first glance
appears to be werewolves from another Pack, but in reality are just bodies
of discarded Golems too wounded from battle (Some Golems got really ticked
at these pirates for how they treated their prisoners....and ripped them
apart). A search party stumble across Golems giving Willian and Astra first
aid (they'd been capture by the pirate after the two adventurers had escaped
the forces of Drederigo, who was in the process of invading Aquallaria).
Shocked at his cousins changes, Will and Astra still accept Fred and the
Pack as friends (and Fred as family and friend).
Latter, there's the question of what to do. Many pirates had bit
the dust from the Phage (just like the ones that died after they had anchored
off the coast of Moreau's Isle). The Golems had told the truth (wisdom
saying that only a fool would trust a Golem....so when the Golems had said
what they had.....).
Fred has been elected Leader of the Pack with the stepping down of
Carradene (remember him, the mage/wolf who had tried to get Malachi to
get the Pack off the Island?) He elects to go try to take a small band
of manimals and explore the nearby mining/port city of Panaras (sight of
a silver mine operation).
Fred goes and finds that the city is a charnel house. Also runs across
the Enemy. Pall kills Nine the Lizard (Enemy) by accident. Fred concludes
that Panara, with it's older sections of town still surrounded by fort
walls, is perfect for defense (and coupled the walls with Dragonbane lace
ammo....a dragon would have a rough time taking the Pack).
About this time while we see the initial packing beginning, Synizn
the former dragon but now manbear, convinces the Golems that not all dragons
are allied with the Enemy (so please stopping attacking!) He then helps
the Golems by making them invisible so they can waltz in and slaughter
a group of over a hundred Lizards who came down to see why their forward
station isn't responding.
Ghost of Nine goes nearly insane trying to get Lizards attention,
but fails due to the fact that Lizards don't believe in ghosts. Nine's
body is left in the freezer, so he won't get release from the ghostly planes
until he's taken out and burned.
Golems slaughter Lizards, and then blow up field of Tiberium to deny
it to the Enemy. Then the Golems take Synizn to Pack to meet up.....
Then Enemy soldiers start to drop dead. The Enemy figures out that
Minestus is killing them through the Phage since the Enemy screwed with
him by tricking him....
A nuclear device who's cargo blast pattern would have incinerated
the Pack, instead plows into the ground 50 miles away from the Pack. It
still does do what it was intended to do by destroying Enemy equipment
by becoming a manmade meteor. It also nearly kills Minestus, who just happened
to be hiding out up there. The wyrm nearly doesn't make it, and spends
minutes/centuries floating in limbo....able to finally calm down. His mind
is somewhat healed by the immersion into Limbo. Minestus sees who had really
killed Moreau: the Lizards by setting the Golems off.
Fred and Alicia's relationship advances greatly during their time
together. The soon are wed by Padre Fin (a 4 foot something humanoid raccoon).
Loams the best man.
When the full moon rolls around again, the Pack separate into their
clans so as to not hurt each other....but this time we see that they are
no longer slaves to the cycle of the Moon. They can also shift back and
forth from humanoid to full animal without loss of human intellect and
control.
After a failed attempt to contact Malachi for possible help, we see
Fred organizing an adventuring party to go out to try to find a cure for
the Phage and lycanthropy (one isn't good without the other for the ones
who want there human form back.....at least at this time).
Will taps out the combo on the slipgate, but the team ends up in
Ethiopia. They find Malachi there trying to relieve the suffering of the
sick and dying (the victims had been near the Arabi sight of the nuking)
We see Alicia resigning her rights afford her by her station as Princess.
This is done to protect her marriage and Fred. Ethiopia has been cut off
from those boys in Rome.....so still calling themselves the Church....it
was their brand of faith. Fred's not of that Church....and would have been
stoned if it was well known he wasn't of that Church and had married the
Princess. The people didn't even ask her, however. They see Malachi as
a gift from God. They also want her to be their new leader/protector. At
first she was too shocked to speak, and then got a case of stage fright
(not something that she'd admit to in public). But Synizn convinced her
that if she really wanted to help humans...then help here by being this
city's leader and protector (and eventually the Regent/Queen of Ethiopia).
. Malachi does become leader/protector of the survivors of Ethiopia,
and sees in her heart that one last thing is needed in order to REALLY
have the best chance of success. She combines her Hoard with the coinage
of the Land. This mystically connects her with it. She now has her finger
on the pulse of the people, and can tell much about them….and see where
problems are occurring (re: 2139) for full details).
Soon is sailing down the river to the Sueze Channel, a marvel of
Atlantian engineering that connects oceans and will cut months off adventurers
travels. Channel hasn't been sailed by human ships for over 10,000 years….due
to dark rumors and happenings that happen inside (any ship that tried never
came out). Turns out that a bunch of Atlantian golems kept following their
last given orders by their masters…..and sent the ships via magic gates
to other worlds.
But, Fred and others decide to risk this, so……. They head off in
a boat provided by Malachi, and is crewed by them and some humans from
the city that Malachi is in.
They soon come across a bunch of mad blood covered were-jackal who
had set a trap (re: 1766 ).
The were-jackal soon lose interest in shouting at the ship, and try
to convert a bunch of rocks to their cause.
The ship soon approaches the outskirts of the place where the nukes
fell. The ship is near what is left of the city of Gilgil, the place where
what was left of Alicia's family was in the process of relocating so as
to better manage the crisis at hand…..when they got caught…..in the blast.
One man in particular was horribly burned….but…..
Fred sees the city, and wishes to see for himself what the
Enemy did to it, up close and personal (in order to know his enemy). Well,
Alicia wasn't too thrilled with the idea so stayed behind. Never having
seen the horrors of nuclear weaponry (nor having any idea what it had done
to the castle defense……see these episodes: 1766 1771 , 1772 ,, 1809 , 1810
, 1811 ). Fred and the others inside Gilgil barely escape from a hoard
of carnivorous beatles and venomous snakes.
After mourning the dead and celebrating the living, Fred and
the adventurers have a conference to discuss what they've learned and discuss
insights about the nature of the Golem and Enemy equipment: 1815 , 1818
, 1819 ).
After all is said and done, Fred and folks retire. Fred has nightmares
brought on by the anxieties stirred up again by what he saw in Gilgil.
He awakens and sees himself and the manimals as monsters, unnatural. This
hurts Alicia badly, but she endures it silently (ain’t love grand). 1820
.
We then find out who I was talking about who got burned in that blast….but
survived. It is the former king of Ethiopia, Natthias. At first he had
grieved for his lost daughter, Alicia. Eventually, though he wanted dearly
to depart the lands in search for her, he stayed because duty called (Muslims
put a crimp in his plans by attacking….again). Then when the Phage hit,
had tried to relocate family and self to Gilgil to be better located to
route resources to handle crisis. Was very stressed about his people's
suffering. Then….the atom bomb struck. Still alive but horribly burned,
Natthias saw what was left of his family dead….Gilgil in ruins….the people
dead. This was too much for the noble man, and he went insane!
Wanting only to die, he crawls to the riverbed. But was captured
by mad were-jackal who would have eaten him….but bit him and pissed on
his leg. He became yet another were-jackal. At least he was happy….until
he saw and recognized Alicia on a passing sailing ship (the guy has special
powers due to him being a Paladin or something….saw who Alicia was despite
her new form). This angered the mad king. She was supposed to be in a better
place, so why was she here? He vowed that he'd send Alicia to the Better
Place, so nothing sad or bad would happen to her….ever again.
Went off on his own, and ambushed the ship at a turn in the river.
In the meantime, Will and Astra caught wind of what happened with
Fred and Alicia….about what he called himself and the rest of the manimals.
Both are royally honked! They proceed to quietly but firmly state their
case against Fred's beliefs about him being a monster.
Natthias, in hybrid form (man/beast due to his inner violent emotional
state), leaps aboard and proceeds to attack. A swat by Natthias breaks
Wills back, and a swipe of his deadly claws is about to rip open the still
unprepared Alicia.
Now, Fred's new form is an amazing piece of work, if nothing else.
His nature allows him to do amazing, superhuman things at ordinary times.
At times of HIGH STRESS or danger, like when his soulmate is endangered……he's
an absolute horror! He has sword out and flying before Natthais can connect
with Alicia's throat, and nails the mad king to the railing. The were-jackal
manages to free himself and get away, but that doesn't matter to Fred.
His Alicia is safe. His children that she carries (a boy and a girl) are
safe.
They snap out of their own little world when Astra's sobs cut through……
Latter, we see that Synizn doesn't give Will more than a month to
live, and even if he does live, he's paralyzed from neck down. Astra quickly
sees a solution, but unfortunately things changed……( 1854 , 1855 , 1856
, 1953 , 1954 ). One good thing does come out of this, however. Will does
convince Fred that Fred and the manimals ARE NOT monsters. They are still
people….and still loved by the Powers that Be. The true monsters are those
like Duke Drederigo D'Honaire, Minestus, and the Enemy (for obvious reasons).
Now, Natthias survived his failed attack, and was in route to yet
another ambush sight when, Probe spots him. Probe is asking what the loons
doing out in the middle of the desert like this when Natthias jumps him.
The cyborg coldcocks him, and binds him up. Medical scans prove to reveal
signs of lycanthropic infection. Probe had spotted Fred's sailing ship,
and decided to see if anything for his poor charge could be done. But before
he can do that, he spots a bunch of golems (real ones) doing something.
He lands and finds that the magical constructs are getting ready
to transport Fred and folks to another place…another world entirely. Probe
sees the danger of spreading the Phage, and gets the golems to shut down.
That's possible because Probe is as much a curiosity to them as they are
to him (both are artificial in nature….just probes science based and the
golems are magic based….and neither had ever met anything closely like
the other). In the discussion, the golems learn from the Golem about what
happened to Atlantis (10,000 years out of the loop….sad). Probe learns
a bit about why lycanthropy was created in the first place, and how golems
and lycanthropes interact when they get near each other (see 2118 ). Probe
gains the golems trust by doing a masterful job at recruiting for the Alliance
(a golem in this world has religion). Their religion is serving their Master/Creator.
Without any purpose, the golem goes mad. Probe gave them purpose….so…..the
Alliance is their new religion. They’d also go mad if they’d found that
their creators weren’t perfect after all, but flawed…. Anyway, they shut
down the transport system, and go with another AI, Seeker, to get properly
indoctrinated .
That taken care of, Probe takes his mad passenger to Fred's ship,
and a disturbing family reunion takes place in 2133 . Synizn is able to
heal Natthias' mind with a technique only dragons know (and the adventurer
catch his references to the Dragon Circle and the nature of the healing).
We then see that though Natthias is restored, his self control a tower
of strength and all, Astra ain't happy. Kingy almost killed her love, paralyzed
him, and Astra won't forgive… nor forget (2126 "> ).
We then find that Probe joins the adventurers because he wants to
help. He arranges for faster (Alliance) transportation, and then they all
end up in Wallants ( 2132 , 2140 , 2141 2142 , 2143 , 2144 ).
Between the episode between Probe's arrival and Will finally getting
healed (and changed). We see the true plans of Minestus for himself, the
manimals, and the world he wants for himself (the would be god in 2133
.
We see why Probe does what he does at 2134 , 2135.
We see Synizn finally reveal the truth about what he was, and we
see the "many minds, one heart" aspect of the Pack ( 2139 ). We see that
Synizn has….succumbed to the draw of the Pack.
We learn of the dark underbelly that Drederigo is a part of while
Probe's winding up to attack at 2147 . The man was part of a vile project
to produce super soldiers….out of the dragon's research on human subjects.
Then before all Hell breaks loose, we see that the top brass and the Corporation
has sent some people to look after things (and the plot thickens when we
see some side communication between an AI and a human) at 2147 also.
A few grenades latter, the Duke's troops are truly up the creek without
a paddle. In the process of running to rally the troops, Dred gets a call
he can't refuse….from Minestus (his boss). Damaged in mind, but still able
to act, the drooling duke runs and grabs a horse, then rides off like one
possessed. Fred and folks give chase while the female AI is freeing the
prisoners in the dungeons and in process of securing the castle from the
duke's forces (who are pretty much out of it with the tear gas).
Fred finally is able to catch up with his father, and is shocked
to see what has happened to him. The man is a drooling idiot….and agent
to Minestus! Seeing the man's damaged mind, Fred decides to let the Duke
get into the Southern Caverns and lead the adventurers to Minestus….letting
Dred lead them safely around or safely through booby traps. Re: 2172 ,
2173 , 2183 , 2188 ).
Shocked at turn of events, the adventurers search for the means to
follow. Meanwhile, the dark wyrm is winding up for the summoning spell
(despite a few complications…. 2193 ).
We end this long winded letter with me telling you that what happens
next is 2230 ….and the chaos that follows….. The chaos of lives ripped
away from their homeworlds and dumped into a strangely familiar…..but drastrically
altered….mirror of there homes.
Then we see that the analogs must at least come up with a plan on
what to do next with their scrambled lives….and even nicknames for themselves
and their twins. (Re2282, 2294, 2330 (is there yet another problem coming
down the pike for the Pack?), 2233, 2377, 2279, 2387.
Yep, long wasn't it (but it covers the basics). Less time consuming
than reading over 100 episodes, eh?
More on it's way soon.
Tisbitt looks up at the staring Ajax, and smiles.
”Before you ask, we’ve had a few unwilling transportees from worlds
that are in the ‘20th century.’” The ghostly knight smiles. “I talked to
a few of them and…..got a better grip on the situation here on Terra. And
as for the journal entry references, any reader can go and read the long
form of my report that way.”
-
 Ajax mutters something,
a bit disgruntled at being called a fanatic, but instead decides to just
have Tisbitt continue…..
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