Important Call to Actions |
-CtA's Before the Inversion of the Isle- |
Shattered Reality (2) The arrival of Siren in our dimension was marked my a shockwave that began to tear down the very fabric of reality. Worlds became linked to each other, and alternate versions of the Raiders appeared - a female Hardrive, an alternative Ben named Shroud, and others. Siren conquered Station Square and encased the city in an enormous crystal rose. When the Raiders arrived to stop her, they found bodies frozen in the crystal beneath the ground they walked, faces horror-stricken. Siren was defeated after a difficult battle though the artifact she used to cross dimensions, the Veritas Orb, remains missing.Note: This series was dubbed Shattered Reality 2 because the original Shattered Reality was a fan-fic written by Mich. |
Ring War This CtA was actually a war. It was fought for Morier, Void's ring. It was worn by Raven and gave her power over an army of darkness. The Raiders were trying to get it to destroy it. The Raiders had an army of various Mobians, and the evil side, which consisted of Kilamo, evil Blaze, and evil Raven. Raven summoned an army of zombies, griffins, and blade shadows, which she continued to summon once their numbers lessened. The ring was passed to Kilamo, and Android 1 went after her. Raven and Ender fought, and Hardrive and Blaze fought. The rest fought the evil army.Raven and Ender eventually passed out from exhaustion. Blaze did also; both he and Raven lost their evil side when this happened. Hardrive, who was suffering from Bloodlust, almost killed Blaze, though he was saved by Tom and Daerek. Android 1 sacrificed himself by self-destructing, killing Kilamo, who turned into her bubble form, returning to the Master Emerald. Tom took the ring and destroyed it in Infinity Mountain. |
Rise of Urizen An ancient beast that devoured souls called Urizen was awakened from his long slumber. The Raiders, using knowledge from texts written by an prophet of Tolaria's past, used a series of time vortices to travel to different periods of Tolaria's history, searching for the artifacts that would enable them to defeat the beast. Along their way, they visited the prophet himself, called Damus, and brought him back to the present time. Damus had fought Urizen before and directed an alliance between the Raiders and their Gaiden allies that eventually defeated the monstrosity. |
Kraken CtA Though the Kraken CtA was not one of the biggest important CtA's, it was the first CtA where Helios, one of the Council members, first made his appearance. Thus, it became one that should be remembered.The Raiders were asked for help from Princess Kealoha, the leader of a tribe that lived in the Jungle section. They said that Kraken, mile-long sea serpants, have been eating their young when they go out to fish on the ocean, which they lived next to. With small devices that allowed them to breathe, they went under water. Finding where the Kraken came from, their eggs were destroyed, as was the Kraken. On the way back, Hardrive took Mina back early, since she was unconscious. The Raiders found a horrible discovery; Kilamo and a red fox had burned the village, killing everyone and everything. The red fox, Helios, held Kealoha captive. Kilamo held Mina and Hardrive. Hannibal came, telling them to make their decision. The Raiders attacked; Helios slit Kealoha's throat, killing her. Mizz was eventually brought out instead of Kilamo, and Helios knocked Biff, his opponent of the night, out. Hannibal disappeared while fighting Hardrive. They buried the dead in the Raiders Grave, behind SR HQ. |
Fourth Elemental War The Fourth Elemental War was a short one, perhaps because each god desired an end to their constant struggling. A series of events were used to manipulate Hardrive into merging the Guardian Stones with the Elemental Emeralds, thus releasing the gods Cain, Kaios, Imbrium, Gaia, and Thanatos into the world.Once the Elementals had been summoned, they immediately went to battle, dragging the Raiders into the fray to stop them. They were severely outmatched, however, and the war came to one moment largely forgotten by the Raiders, revealed to them in the days following the new year... |
-After the Inversion of the Isle- |
First CtA After the Inversion The Raiders woke up to some place that they did not know in the beginning days of XX03. It had a desert, small jungle, a small sea, a lava section, a plains section, and a place made out of light energy, along with a string of deep craters along the middle. Taro, who was there, found it had the same readings as Element Isle. The last thing they remembered was Hardrive telling them the Elementals were going to war. They explored the plains area, finding a set of stairs leading down into a huge, underground city. They met Raven there, who was as clueless as the others.They all headed to the biggest crater, finding an unconscious Hardrive at the bottom. Taro rushed him to the hospital. Meanwhile, CF touched a rock, which let loose a small, blue spark and entered him. He remembered something that he hadn't before. Getting the idea, the Raiders found three others. They pieced together the memories, remembering the war more specifically. Raven came up with the solution, that, since Hardrive returned the stones to their Emeralds, he unknowingly gave them power. Since the Elementals wouldn't just start fighting for any reason, someone had to provoke them. Mizz brought up the fact that Blaze was still missing. So, they traveled to the hospital to hopefully get answers from Hardrive. Hardrive had awakened and gone berserk. After calming him down, they got answers from him, and they were horrible. They found out that Blaze was, indeed, dead. In his last few minutes, after he suffered a fatal wound fighting the physical form of Thanatos, he and Hardrive had come together, creating an unparalleled power never before seen. They released this power, stripping the Elementals of their abilities, and sent them back to their emeralds. The Power was so strong that it actually inverted the Isle. Raven, extremely depressed, went off to find Blaze's body. She was successful; she found it in the light section. The others came by soon. When they were all there, the god of time, Chronos, came to them. He gave Tom a small hour glass and disappeared. They used it to go back in time, just for five minute. They could not use their powers to heal Blaze, otherwise history would be changed permanently. They said their tearful good-byes and went back. |
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Journey to Narsil The Raiders received a distress call from Anya, a female hedgehog who claimed to be the heir to the throne of a city named Narsil. She said that an evil usurper named Comodos took over her father's throne five years ago by killing him, then threatening to slaughter all citizens if she refused. Everything was fine with him until now. He was ordering more and more executions and more people were being thrown in jail. She said that she escaped long enough to send this signal, and she opened a portal leading somewhere near her city, and she hoped they could come soon. The signal was cut after she said someone was coming.The Raiders traveled to Narsil through the portal. They found themselves in a huge desert with a city in the distance. They found it to be a huge, Roman-styled city made from tan sand and rock. They assumed it was Narsil. They explored, seeing bug-like creatures patrolling the city. The Raiders found that it had a giant coliseum made from brown rock, along with a massive castle bigger than the coliseum. They broke inside the castle, only to get captured and brought before Comodos himself. After the fox examined the Raiders, he sent them to the dungeons. The next day, they were ordered to be executed with Anya in the coliseum. They were chained to tall, stone pillars so that their feet barely touched the ground. Three beasts, one resembling a spider, another a saber-tooth tiger, and the third a scorpion, were set upon them. Meanwhile, Biff busted out of his chains, setting everyone free. They fought the beasts, killing them. Anya, meanwhile, was killed by the tiger. Outraged, the bugs, which were Gorgnakhs, flew down and fought the Raiders. Comodos disappeared soon after. The Colonel of the Gorgnakhs came, saying Comodos was gone and it was useless to fight. The battle ended, and Comodos was never seen in Narsil again. Please note that the ending has been changed to Raven's request to fit her fic better. In the original RP, also in the log, the Gorgnakhs have a different reaction to Comodos leaving. |
Hannibal's Execution CF served as the executor. As the switch was pulled, someone showed up who had something against the Raiders. Hannibal got away, and the newcomer ended up fighting CF. The stranger's powers were amazing and the Raiders HQ took major damage. Hannibal escaped from death, and the Raiders don't know where he is, and left a note:I thank you all for the gracious 'hospitality' you have given me. The execution was quite a delight. I had a lot of fun. But alas, all good things must come to an end. The curtain has fallen, and the first act is past. It is time for the second to begin. Yours Truly, Hannibal |
Dark Tournament The Dark Tournament was set up by the Council, and they got the Raiders to participate. Two people, one from the Council, the other from the Raiders, would fight, and the first to pass out or quit ((or lose all their HP, in mun-cases)) would lose. The winner would get a wish, which they could use on anything.The Tournament was held on Tropos, Ixildor's home island. The Raiders could not leave the castle, where the tournaments were. Tom was killed by Ixildor to the second to last CtA, but it was noted by Ling that he breathed before he disappeared to who knows where. Ling ended up winning the tournament, but gave her wish to Hardrive, who wished for Ixildor to be happy with his wife. Biff used a weapon to destroy the castle, and was killed sacrificing himself for Mina. Ixildor was also killed in the mess, and the wish was fulfilled: he'd be joining his wife in the afterlife. |
Apocalypse After Tolaria was inverted, a few of the Soltari were 'inverted' as well, turning into dark counterparts of their peace loving brethren. The inverted Soltari, in an effort to continue to promote peace and harmony in the world, saw the easiest solution - stop its existence.They chose to enact the apocalypse prophecy, opening gates to energies that should have remained sealed away forever. Their plot began shortly after the inversion, and involved many players. Their first stroke was to 'infect' two beings that they could control that were strongly linked. They chose Tom and Ling due to their relationship, alien nature, and timely 'soul disruption' (see Dark Tournament). Once the energy was released within them, the inverted Soltari began to control them, twisting them into their angel and demon of the apocalypse. The inverted Soltari began to twist others into their deeds. They chose Hannibal to spread deception, Helios to sow the seeds of war, Killamo to poison crops, and Thresh to bring plague. Then began judgment - where Tom, as the angel, began to mark those he deemed 'forgiven' and Ling, as the demon, began to amass an army. Tolaria began to spin out of control. Nearing the end of the apocalypse, a strange city appeared out of no-where beneath Tolaria in the ocean. By speaking to it's keeper, Hasu, a red kitsune, it was revealed that the inverted Soltari had used her pocket dimension as their base of operations, and now they were loose in Tolaria, and able to be fought directly. The Raiders set out to stop them, although they couldn't stop the battle that raged between Tom and Ling. It was only at the very last moment when the final inverted Soltari fell to the Raiders and Mina released her inner power that peace was restored. Tom and Ling were fused into one Being, creating harmony in the energy that had been released into the world. In addition to this unleashed energy was Hardrive's own contribution - a manipulation of the Elemental Emeralds, as well as the Twilight Crystal, into restoring Tolaria to its original form. |
-After the Reversion of the Isle.- |
End of Days In late 2004, the Raiders received a coded transmission from Xeno Village. Upon their arrival, they found that the entire outpost was frozen, including the inhabitants who lived there. Following a trail that led into Miro's Caves, the Raiders confronted a Dark Soltari empowered by ice named Fait who tried to destroy the caves and with them, the Raiders. Escaping through the Wind Gate, the Raiders were left trying to figure out her last words: that this encounter was to distract them from the Dark Xone.Soon the Raiders did indeed explore the Dark Xone only to find that a villain straight from Tolaria's past had resurfaced: Void, the Dark Lord. Together, he and the wind-powered Dark Soltari called Kazi fought the Raiders, tricking Hardrive into releasing the rest of his army from the Shadow Realm. Almost before the Raiders could react, Void invaded the Metropolis, fighting for as much ground as he could get. Kazi led the assault while Raiders such as Raven, Domino, Slang, and Goth tried to hold him off. Hardrive, Mizz, and Killane soon arrived with the Weatherlight to support and rescue the Raiders so they could regroup. At the same time, evacuations were overseen to save the civilians from the war. Void's army swept into the Tolarian Forest and quickly captured Naria Village and the Forest Gate. Rowanoak, the badger lord of the canyon rabbits, led his army to Xeno Village where the Xenologers were drilling through Miro's Cave to reach the wind Gate. As they did so, Raven, Domino, CF, Arisa, Goth, Loki, and Hardrive led a covert assault on Naria to buy the reinforcements some time. Arisa and Raven distracted the occupying force while Loki freed several high-ranking Alastar from the clutches of an electrical Dark soltari called Efavey. Domino led the rest of the Raiders into battle at the gate, soon joined by Arisa and Raven. When things seemed bleakest, Rowanoak appeared and led his forces into battle. Efavey's troops were driven from the village. With refugees from Metropolis still streaming into the Raiders' HQ, contact was made with Luna village to take the displaced citizens off the group's hands. Meanwhile, a war council was called in Naria Village. The forces of the Alastar, canyon rabbits, Raiders volunteers, the Metropolis militia, and even a force comprised of armored bears came together to make plans including one that led to the Raiders ambushing Flamberge, a fire element Dark Soltari, and his troops in the mountains. During the operation, Hannibal was seen as part of Void's force. Annoyed with the Raiders' efforts, Void launched an attack on the Tolarian Forest. Confronting his army at the Earth Temple was Hardrive, Goth, Hype, CF, and Arisa. Loki placed a series of beacons throughout the forest, pausing briefly to talk to Mizz and Chain who were to pass a message on to Hardrive who was in the middle of battling Hannibal. He withdrew and activated the beacons, creating a barrier that would keep the army from advancing into the forest. Following another war council, the Raiders finalized plans to meet in the Elemental Plain to confront Void and his army. The alliance between all the peoples of Tolaria, including several enemies like Rune and Vera, fought to purge the island of Void's taint. As Void met his end in battle, so too did Hannibal, at the cost of many brave lives. |
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Exodus The Raiders were forced to flee Tolaria in response to the sudden appearance of a swarm of Spirit Beasts who devoured the souls of everyone they touched. Volunteering to stay behind, Hardrive, Katt, and Slang remained on the island to keep the beasts occupied. The rest of the Raiders would soon return to pick them up were it not for a vision Tom had in Station Square.Using their newly-completed Flying Fortress, the Raiders soared across Mobius, exploring the temples of an ancient culture that had once, long ago, trapped the Beasts within Tolaria. In the first temple of the Lunari, as the culture was called, they encountered Solis, the Guardian of the Sun, who told them of the artifacts needed to complete an orb that would lead them towards the answers they sought. As they retrieved the pieces necessary to complete the orb, the Raiders discovered that the organization known as Gemini was attempting to find the pieces first so that the beasts would kill all organic life on Mobius. Then the mechanical beasts of Gemini, led by Mother, would roboticize the world. In a high-flying battle above Mobius, the Raiders fought Android 4, an agent sent by Mother, with disastrous results. Unable to defeat him and his mechanical flying army, the Raiders crash-landed on the Aegise islands. Bartering for parts and materials, the Raiders agreed to help the Aegise cleanse their isle of a sudden darkness that had ensnared it. As they purged the various temples, the source of the evil, Nakamaro, appeared to put an end to the Raider's meddling. He would be defeated, however, and the Aegise islands were returned to normal. After repairs were made, the Raiders left to face Mother in her homeland - the mechanical subcontinent called Mecha. Here, they discovered Mother's part in their quest and that Gemini was trying to stop them from completing it. In a massive battle, CF self-destructed to destroy Android 4 while Tom, Goth, Hype, and Eggman went after Mother with the aid of a mysterious stranger. She fled into the mechanical beast called EXE and began to attack the Weatherlight and the Flying Fortress. Without warning, the Dark Angel emerged from Tom to battle the enormous machine while Dominus appeared from the Fortress to help. The rest fled to Weatherlight, thanks in part to Vera's distraction of the enemies. The Raiders proceeded to launch all they had against Mother, but in the end, they were forced to use the Lunar Howl, a gift from Biff, that destroyed the entire sub-continent. Immediately afterwards, Vera confronted Dominus and in the midst of their battle, Dominus was finally purged from Domino while Vera was forced to flee, her battery compromised. The Raiders completed their search for the orb pieces and encountered Lunis, the brother of Solis, in the Temple of the Moon. He directed them to the Temple of Ages, where the Raiders went to settle things for all. In this final temple, Jenet, Goth, Eggman, Courtney, Tom, Arisa, and Mizz navigated the Sun and Moon rooms of the temple. Tom and Arisa volunteered to stay behind while the other five went forward, guided by a Lunari priest named Eldamri and Rave, to the final chamber. Inside, they faced Urza, a living legend from Tolaria's past. Rather than face them directly, he pulled from their minds their own dark sides, and in the following battle, the Raiders emerged triumphant. Urza gave them what they sought and the Raiders returned to Tolaria, sending the Beasts into the realm of the Holy Grounds where they could do no more harm to the living. |
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Shattered Reality 3 Shortly after the Raiders fell asleep one night, they felt themselves drawn into a mysterious dreamworld of twilight skies, glowing white trees, and a mysterious orb acting as a moon. Their appearances had changed and reflected their inner-most selves. As they probed this new world, they engaged in skirmishes with beasts emulating Nakamaro before confronting Karasu, the one responsible for dragging them there. It was revealed that he possessed the Veritas Orb, thought lost since it was used by Siren.The landscaped fractured into a series of floating islets above an ocean of magma. Nakamaro loomed out of the fiery lava in a form that towered over the Raiders like a skyscraper over a go-kart. The Raiders retreated quickly and regrouped to heal, in the process learning that their special skills could not be used against the villains. While they hid in a forest on one of these islets, they realized that they could change their appearance by willing themselves to change. Before they could pursue the discovery a skirmish erupted and drew the attention of Karasu's forces towards them. In the moments before battle erupted once again, they discovered a way to undermine Karasu's will and were able to gain enough power to stop him. In the midst of battle, the Veritas Orb was thought to have been retrieved. The Raiders awoke in the HQ only to find it devoid of life. Karasu waited for them in the courtyard and revealed that he had tricked them into thinking they had the orb when they didn't. He took them next into the World of the Dead, where they fought the combined might of Ixildor, Void, and Comet Alpha. In the midst of the battle, Taro and Biff showed up to take on Void and Ixildor. The Raiders escaped, following Ender, along with Biff, who had defeated his opponent. Finding Karasu once more waiting for them on a mountain, a new battle began. Karasu took on the entire group of Raiders with ease, making use of the Chaos Control and Chaos Spear techniques to turn things his way. The battle ended when Karasu, burned but apparently not injured, mortally wounding Magna. For reasons unknown to the Raiders, he set reality back to normal and left them with the Veritas Orb. Magna barely survived. We have three logs of this series. The first two correspond to the Dreamworld portion, the third, the World of the Dead. It should be noted that we do not have the conclusion of the Dreamworld series. |
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D I V I N I T Y The discovery of a Space Station of unknown origin in orbit around the moon, followed by an encounter with Karasu marked by hints of his interests lying with that station, provoked a joint expedition between the TDF and the Raiders into space.Over the course of four days, the Raiders met with mystery upon mystery. The Station, believed to be a remnant of technology left behind by ancient humans, was already in working order upon their arrival. A tight-stream gravitational beam pulled them into docking position. They boarded the ship, unsure of what they might find but filled with anticipation nonetheless. The discoveries were immediate. The Station was piece of highly sophisticated machinery with mechanisms that went far beyond the capability of the Mobians. A lab of some sort was found with twelve stasis chambers, ten of which contained slumbering creatures who were Mobians of undistinguishable species. The first stasis chamber was utterly destroyed while the second was empty. After a brush with a security system, they gained access to a three-dimensional optical computer database filled with information typed in a language foreign to Mobius yet with unmistakable familiarity. A door in the rear of the chamber, locked tight, was examined in the second day of exploration. Beyond that door was an access hall that led to another room equipped with a computer console. Hardrive was able to get past the original door and access the computer console with relative ease. It was only after he continued on down another passage while the others fought security systems that the Raiders realized that perhaps he wasn't Hardrive at all. In the room he had entered, they found him missing, but a computer informed them, speaking in Mobian Prime, that Project D I V I N I T Y was being enacted. Before their eyes, mechanical pillars emerged from the moon and a breathable atmosphere was created around the barren planetoid, accompanied by an artificial gravity field and a dome marking the entrance to an underground bunker. A massive energy core activated beneath the moon's surface, funneling energy into an unknown area within the bunker. A day past with the Raiders reflecting on how to proceeded. Eventually they decided to investigate the bunker. Riding Hikou down to the moon's surface, the Raiders and TDF began exploring the bunker, discovering first a room filled with misshapen versions of the creatures seen on the Space Station. Beyond this room, at the end of another hall, was a large cavern that stretched far below to the energy core itself. Across a catwalk and beyond a secured door, the Raiders discovered an alien creature called Divinity locked in stasis. The creature awoke and broke free of its stasis chambers, stalking the Raiders as they retreated back into the cavern. As Tomoshibi was struck down by psychic visions created by the creature and pulled back to the ship, Hardrive and Hype fended off the creature and eventually sent it over the edge of the catwalk, where it fell to its presumable death. The Raiders then fled as the moon's atmosphere destabilized. Shaken and filled with questions, they returned home. Meanwhile, on Tolaria, Metropolis was assaulted by a band of highly armed and dangerous mercenaries. They devastated the downtown area, and while they were fought back by the TDF and TPD, the land-bound Raiders arrived to lend a hand. They chased the mercenaries through several intersections, eventually coming to an area where they faced down two of the band's commanders, Gareth Sinclair and the super-powered 'Red'. In the battle that followed, Gareth escaped and Red was arrested. It was during this time that Courtney, previously missing for several days, returned with a way to combat Karasu. Not long after the attack on Metropolis, she and a group of Raiders hiked to Mt. Infinity, escorted by Rave the fox, and down into the temple of Cain, the fire Elemental. It was here that she summoned a Cosmos sprite, which led to a confrontation with Nakamaro. The sprite was safely recovered, however, but Nakamaro escaped. Orbital Log 1 |
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Orb of Thelatimos The Orb of Thelatimos was an artifact on display at the Metropolis Museum of History that was more than a mere display piece. Karasu used it to summon a dragon to attack the Metropolis, and only later was it discovered that the Orb had also released five other dragons, each manifesting in the Elemental Realms connected to Tolaria through the Gates. The Raiders put an end to the dragon plaguing Metropolis before turning their attention to the others.Over several weeks, the Raiders went through the Gates to dispose of the dragons. Even though they existed in separate dimensions than Tolaria, Tolaria was being affected by the dragons' existence. The dragon of air, for example, was causing avalanches in the Ice Mountains of Tolaria proper. The Raiders disposed of the dragons before long, however, taking down the Earth Dragon first, followed by the Air dragon, then the Water, Fire, and finally Death. Worth noting is that during these attacks, the Raiders encountered Raziel, a member of a mysterious brotherhood that protected artifacts that allowed an individual to bypass Spirit Beasts without harm. He illuminated Karasu's ultimate goal based on the madman's attacks: Karasu was after the Twilight Crystal. Metropolis Dragon |
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Advent Rising The Raiders discovered a connection between Karasu and Aleksandr Crow, one of their financial backers, by tracing Karasu's mercenaries to one of Crow's warehouses. Splitting into two teams, one group went to Crow's office to confront Karasu while the other group joined with the TDF to raid the warehouse.The first group found Karasu and engaged him in battle, but he managed to escaped to Mt. Infinity on a stolen TDF airship. The Raiders followed him there, and then into the Holy Grounds via the Fire Gate. In a desperate race to the Twilight Crystal, the Raiders managed to stall him long enough to catch up and prevent him from reaching the Crystal. His planned foiled, he left the Holy Grounds, and the Raiders followed him back to Metropolis. Meanwhile, the other team joined with the TDF in attacking the warehouse. They delved into the building, routing mercenaries as they went, and even confronted three Dark Soltari under his employ. A crash deeper inside the warehouse drew them farther in, and they found the Black Diamond - Karasu had stolen it from Infinity Mountain, where Jenet had landed it, and crashed it into the building. From there, the two teams joined together and pursued Karasu down into the basement of the building. They confronted Karasu in a monitoring room and engaged him, accompanied by a Juicer, in battle. Karasu soon escaped through a steel door leading to a cold-storage hallway and left the Juicer to fend for himself. The Juicer's powers destroyed him, and the Raiders followed Karasu into a cold-storage room. Inside, Karasu released the creature he had been trying to release for months. The creature turned on him and the Raiders were able to take him into custody - but Advent had already been unleashed. Confrontation at Crow's Office |
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Advent Falling Rumors of Advent on the Southern Continent reached the Raiders and they left for Station Square, hoping to intercept him before he attacked the city. His goal was Prison Island, G.U.N. Headquarters, and a distress signal brought the Raiders to the besieged island to help. While the headquarters was torn apart by psychically-controlled soldiers and robots, the Raiders followed a launch shaft deep into the interior where they confronted Advent in a large hanger bay. While he distracted them with security robots, he stole a space-going airship and took flight.The Raiders followed him in Weatherlight and the pursuit erupted in a brief aerial battle. During the battle, Advent launched missiles that were not aimed at Weatherlight, but instead aimed at the Raiders Headquarters on Tolaria. They realized the destination too late and was able to do little more than warn their comrades of what was coming. When they reached Tolaria, they found their home base in ruins. Rescue operations for those trapped beneath began immediately, and by the time night fell, arrangements were made with the TDF for an emergency mission into space - the place Advent told them he was heading before the attack on the HQ. The next day, a team of Raiders joined a team of TDF personnel and flew into space, docking with the Lostech space station. Once onboard, they made their way to the control room, where the station's sensors (hacked into by Hardrive) revealed a presence to be present. They found what turned out to be a psychic projection of Advent there, who shared some of the secrets of the Divinity Reports and Karasu's origins on Mobius. The Raiders were then attacked by security robots, which were easily defeated. Immediately after the battle, they accessed the station's control panel and located Advent on the moon. What's more, he had activated the artificial atmosphere and gravity on the moon, but dropped the gravity barrier that kept the moon's field and that of Mobius' from interacting. The result was the two gravity fields acting upon each other and the moon being drawn towards Mobius. Desperate to stop the cataclysm, the Raiders journeyed to the ancient moonbase Threshold to confront Advent. They found him in engineering and quickly engaged him in battle. His defense seemed impenetrable until a group of them ascended to what amounted to 'Hyper' levels and blasted Advent into the station's power core. Jenet, previously dispatched to stop the moon's plunge towards Mobius, successfully reversed the gravity field. The Raiders returned to the ship just as Threshold blew and discovered the moon to be more or less back in its former position. |
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Empire of Neekohl Following the abduction of Damien Rath, the son of Dom (Vector Rath) and Raven, the Raiders follow a lead to Neekohl, hoping to recover Damien and his father (who left with a group of bounty hunters called the TRIfecta some months earlier). Upon reaching Neekohl, the Raiders are allowed a meeting with the Dominoes, Neekohl's leaders. Hardrive leads the group speaking to the Dominoes while another group explores the city, eventually meeting Chaka Sect, Dom's father, and purchasing new weapons from him.During Hardrive's meeting with the Dominoes, the origins of TRIfecta is uncovered - it was the name of a joint project between Neekohl and the military organization called TRIumph. Long since disbanded, Domino Kazumi Zaiga reveals to Hardrive in private that the project still continues with the support of Dominoes Razgriz and Anders. Furthermore, TRIfecta was currently engaged in an operation called Renegade King, in which Vector Sect was apprehended so that the spirit Dominus could be replicated and merged with soldiers copied from Damien's unique physiology. The location of a warehouse that may have been holding Dom and Damien was soon discovered, leading to a covert raid by the Raiders. Penetrating the building's nonexistent defenses, the Raiders fought their way down to an underground Geofront (a kind of natural geodome used for vacations and/or emergencies). They were forced to fight their way past TRIfecta, the first two battles resulting in the death of their opponent while the last result in grievous injuries done to the enemy. The Raiders acquired information concerning TRIfecta and TRIumph during the assault, as well as news from outside the warehouse concerning the deaths of the Neekohlian Dominoes and Chaka Sect. At length, the Raiders confronted Dominus, who was in complete control of Dom, in the Geofront. A vicious, explosive battle ensued, resulting in several injuries. Dominus was subdued, however, and pledged himself to the Raiders. With their task accomplished, the Raiders slipped away from the tumult in the city resulting from the Dominoes' death and returned to Tolaria. Arrival |
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Initiate Program Acting on a tip given to the Raiders who had stayed behind while the others went to Neekohl, a stakeout of a warehouse was held at the date and time given to the Raiders. The night culminated in a battle against Nakamaro, Flare, Taro, and an unknown combatant. Nakamaro and Flare succeeded in stealing a piece of equipment, despite the Raiders best efforts.Soon after, the Raiders met with an industrialist named Ian Stark who hoped to hire them to protect one of his own warehouses, believing a piece of his own equipment would be the next target. He pointed out that thefts prior to the one the Raiders attempted to halt all had one thing in common - they were high-powered versions of the components the Raiders used to create their magic dampener fields. Fearing that a large-scale dampener was being created, the Raiders took the job and proceeded to stakeout the warehouse for just over a week. Eventually the warehouse was attacked by Comodos and a band of cyborg henchmen. The Raiders attempted to keep them from getting away but Comodos threatened to activate concealed bombs in the building (which was later revealed to have been a bluff). The Raiders were forced to let him escape with the equipment he had come for and discovered that he murdered his henchmen soon after his departure (speculation indicates this was done because he disapproved of their cyborg natures). The Raiders met with Ian Stark once more so that he could pass on information he had gathered since their last meeting. He revealed that a telecommunication company called Xenophon had recently begun shipping unmarked packages to a secluded Xenologer research station, long abandoned, in the Ice Mountains. It was also speculated that due to the various enemies who had engaged in the recent technological thefts a new Council had been formed. Fearing that this new Council would activate their global dampener field, which would destabilize much of Mobius and eradicate several species of life, the Raiders put together a plan of action and proceeded towards the abandoned station. After a dangerous trek through the dilapidated research station, the Raiders confronted this new Council (which had been acting under the commands of Mother.NEJ, revealed to the Raiders as a roboticized echidhog named Jenna). As the majority of the assault group engaged the enemy, a small strike team made up of Ivo, Ramah and Hype went after a broadcast dish connected to the dampener equipment. They succeeded in their task and quickly retreated, the rest of the Raiders following suit. As they left, Hardrive was able to incapacitate Jenna with a network disruption device. As they fled the Ice Mountains, the Raiders created an avalanche to bury the research station in order to keep it from ever being used by the Council again. Stakeout (Missing Opening) |
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I Am the Eggman With the downtime following the events with the Council Hardrive put together a small mission to Robotropolis to confirm reports of someone claiming to be Dr. Eggman operating in the area. The team sent to the mainland consisted of Arisa, Rave, CF, Ivo (as guide), and Jenet (as commander).Once on the mainland they made contact with the local Freedom Fighters and arranged a series of attacks to mask their arrival and departure in Robotropolis. The team moved through the city's outer sectors with little difficulty and was able to slip into the inner sectors masked by a Freedom Fighter assault on another part of the city. With relatively few difficulties the Raiders made their way to Egg Tower, the citadel Dr. Eggman operated from. Upon entering the tower they were ambushed by Eggman and a small army of Swatbots. CF instigated an attack that culminated in the Raiders' capture. Not long into their confinement Eggman appeared to gloat over their capture. He also revealed that following an outburst by CF during the earlier battle he researched the Raiders and discovered who they were. Soon he engaged Ivo in a discussion and the two revealed the existence of Project Genesis. Some years ago, Dr. Eggman put together a project that created a clone to become active were he ever to be killed in action. Not long after the clone was created the Freedom Fighters attacked the facility and destroyed it. Eggman claims to have survived without a scratch and so continued his work to smash the Freedom Fighters while Ivo claims he took injuries in the attack and decided to change his ways. The real clone was never discovered. During the session with Eggman the Freedom Fighters attacked a city power generator, allowing the Raiders a chance to escape. They managed to break out of the tower and meet up with the Black Diamond. After Jenet exacted some disciplinary action on CF for disobeying orders and endangering their lives (which would have repercussions later), they made good their escape. |
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Remnants The Raiders were enjoying a day off in Metropolis not long after the Robotropolis mission when they found themselves under sudden attack by mysterious enemies dressed in black robes and cloaks. The Raiders were startled to find themselves outmatched by the two enemies and were quickly beaten into submission. At the end of the fight one of the figures' clothes were burned away and the figure was revealed to be Biff Shivanski - a long-dead Raiders hero. In the wake of the battle the Raiders were left with a mound of unanswered questions.Not long after the battle in Metropolis the Raiders received a message from Dagger, longtime ally of the Raiders. He was to meet two individuals meeting the description of the enemies the Raiders had faced before. Joining Dagger in his nightclub the night of the meeting, the Raiders confronted another black-clad stranger and Taro, who had been both friend and foe to the Raiders during the fight against Karasu. The two were partners, suggesting a larger group at work, and engaged the Raiders in a challenge - if all the Raiders could stand by their own power after fifteen minutes, then they would answer whatever questions they had. The Raiders lost the challenge, but Taro revealed that he and his comrades were remnants of the strong who had passed away - though what that meant, exactly, was unknown. Their ultimate purpose remained shrouded in mystery but during the battle another familiar face was revealed among the enemy: Goth. As the Raiders recovered from their their battle in the Purgatory Nightclub two of the Remnants visited them at their village (though of course they could not enter the village itself). Goth and Biff had apparently come to deliver a message but issued a challenge similar to Taro's first. The Raiders met their challenge this time and yet another shred of the growing mystery was shared - apparently the Remnants were neither dead nor alive but required strong life energy to return to existence. They had chosen the Raiders, believing that they were responsible for taking their lives away from them. As they left the Raiders at the end of the match they left a note with a date, time and location written upon it. Another shred of information dropped by the Remnants was that unlike the others, Goth was not dead. On the appointed night the Raiders met all four of the Remnants - Taro, Biff, Goth, and an as yet unidentified figure - on the rooftop of an apartment building in Hell's Kitchen, the nickname for the Bowery area of Metropolis. The Remnants then goaded the Raiders into chasing them through the streets towards a dilapidated old church where the final battle was to commence. Inside the church the Raiders confronted the Remnant Master, a figure who was clad in dark clothing and surrounded by a protective yet eerily active dark violet aura. Under his command the Remnants engaged the Raiders in one last battle. During the fight, Taro was reminded of who he was in life and turned on his master, only to be destroyed. Enraged by his comrade's casual destruction, Goth threw himself at master and began to battle with him. The unidentified Remnant struggled to keep the Raiders away from his master but was meeting with little success. Eventually Goth injured Master with a point-blank Gothic Blast, revealing Master to be an unidentified dark blue hedgehog covered in scars with bleached quill tips. Master attempted to continue the fight but was crippled by some internal pain. He was rendered unconscious by Biff, who saw that Master could not offer him what he wanted. As he fell unconscious, the protective aura surrounding Master tore itself free and fled, apparently of its own volition. Biff dissolved into ash and the final Remnant was revealed after injuring Hardrive, just before fleeing into a dark portal as he too dissolved. While his identity is not certain, he resembled a young Hannibal. In the wake of the Remnant battle Goth was taken into Raiders custody while Hardrive and Master were transferred to a Metropolis hospital for treatment of a mysterious ailment the Raiders' rejuvenation tanks could not heal. The doctors later informed the Raiders that both were dying via a highly accelerated form of apoptosis - cellular death. While comatose, their cells (those of Master's internal organs and those radiating outward from Hardrive's Void War wound - incidentally where both Hannibal wounded him and the Remnant touched him) were degrading and not replicating. Surprisingly, Loki recognized the malady as Shadow Sickness, a kind of infection caused by the bite of the Onikage (Shadow Devils) in her homeland. How Hardrive and Master were exposed without the presence of an Onikage remains unanswered. The only cure lies in the Black Orchid flower, the only known location of which is inside Loki's home village, the capital of the Land of Hidden Shadows. While she refused to go for reasons unknown, she did volunteer to the Raiders all the information she could in regards to her homeland. After the Raiders returned from the Land of Shadows (see next arc), both Hardrive and the Remnant Master were treated with a balm derived from the Black Orchid. Hardrive made a full recovery, though the Master's sickness changed into a form of cancer - although he did not continue getting worse, his body could not heal properly. After Hardrive felt strong enough, he and a small group of Raiders questioned the hedgehog as to his purpose on Tolaria. The hedgehog's name was revealed to be Xelas, the brother of the reality-altering Ixildor, whom the Raiders fought years before. Xelas had come from the northern wastelands to avenge his brother's ignoble death using his ability to create artificial creatures - homunculi. On his way down to the island he came across a sentient form of dark energy that amplified his abilities and gave him the power to imbue his homunculi with the memories of the fallen, their strength and clarity of mind depending on how long the subject had been died. Xelas crafted his homunculi in forms the Raiders would have difficulty with. For nearly a year he remained hidden while the Raiders were weakened and finally struck when he believed they were at their weakest. He lost, and adhering to the rules of his culture, he gave up all his desires for revenge. He did clarify that the power had left him prior to his defeat - which explained the energy that had fled his body just before he lost consciousness. This was believed to have caused his sickness. He also said that his homunculi die if his
concentration lapses - with his defeat, all of his creations
crumbled to dust. Taro's Secret A 'Friendly' Spar Chase Through Hell's Kitchen Remnants Recovery |
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Land of Shadows Immediately following Hardrive's incapacitation due to Shadow Sickness, Jenet led a team of Raiders to the mysterious Land of Shadows, Loki's homeland. They hoped to obtain a Black Orchid from the Sheira clan, the country's ruling tribe. Once they arrived, however, they were met with suspicion and paranoia by the traditionalist people. Escorted by a squad of ninja and led by a samurai noble, the Raiders were taken to the palace to meet with the ruler of the Land of Shadows, Kagedaimyo Lady Freya. She met them in her audience chamber, accompanied by a squad of special bodyguards known as the Anbu. It was there that she discovered the Raiders' connection to Loki - whom she referred to as a child-killer and a murderer - and promptly imprisoned the Raiders until she could verify their story, locking their weapons away in an armory. While they were being held captive, they were abducted from their cells in the middle of the night by the Onikage - the Sheira clan's blood enemies, a species of monsters with heightened abilities who can assume the appearance of those who die in battle by draining their life force. The Raiders were dumped into the middle of the Onikage encampment and immediately thrown into battle with the barbaric creatures. The battle was soon interrupted by Fenrir, the Onikage leader, who pulled the Raiders aside so that they might speak privately under the watchful gaze of Fenrir's elite guards, the only Onikage beside himself that could perform the jutsus of the Sheira. They were also discovered to be the four Anbu bodyguards of Lady Freya. Fenrir shared his plan to raid the city in the morning and asked for the Raiders' help. In return, he would procure the Black Orchid for them. With some objection, the Raiders consented, and were sent back to their cells with the threat of death hanging over them should they betray Fenrir. The following morning, just as they were warned, Fenrir attacked the Village of Hidden Shadow. The Raiders broke out of their cells and fought their way through the palace, reclaiming their weapons and journeying to the Inner Garden where the Black Orchid was kept. Along their way they came across the bodies of fallen samurai warriors and the dried husks of dead Onikage-Hedgehogs. Upon entering the Garden, the Raiders came face-to-face with Lady Freya and her guards. While the Raiders were accused of bringing the chaos to the city Fenrir arrived, accompanied by a legion of Onikage warriors. The truth about Lady Freya's Anbu was revered as as Fenrir moved to strike her down one of the Anbu stepped forward to protect her, revealing itself to be none other than Loki. Her appearance sparked a final confrontation with Fenrir while the Raiders fought against his monsters. At the end of a high-speed duel Loki beheaded Fenrir, demoralizing the Onikage and forcing them to retreat. Before the monsters had left, she acquired the Black Orchid and summoned the Black Diamond. The Raider then made a hasty retreat before Lady Freya turned her attention on them. On the way back to Tolaria, Loki revealed the truth behind her history.
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Tower of Babel A simple guard mission turns into a quest to stop an ancient malevolent god from being released upon the world. During a mission to stop Nakamaro from stealing an ancient, well-preserved tapestry, the Raiders discover that the tapestry itself is a remnant of the ancient Cannaean civilization. In the battle, Fraise is mortally injured, and a team takes her back to Aegise to heal her while another team hunts down the archaeologist who first discovered the tapestry. In Aegise, the Raiders successfully track down Fraise's tribe, the Sippicano, and stumble upon Bob near their healing springs who heals Fraise for them. The team tracking the archaeologist discover him and his team to be frauds and that they had stumbled on the painting in the part of the world that was once home to the Cannaeans. Back at home, further examination of the painting itself revealed the location of an ominous tower of great power, as well as a bold pronouncement from the Cannaeans: “Look upon the power of Great Cannae, ye gods, and despair!” Fearing what Nakamaro might be after, the Raiders journeyed to the location indicated on the tapestry and entered the aforementioned Tower. As they fought there way to the top against the both the Council and ancient protective magic, the tower gradually rose higher and higher into the sky. At its top, they found Nakamaro and Mortelle, who was revealed as the mortal incarnation of Dess, an ancient Cannaean death god. Her power - as well as her body - nearly restored, the two engaged the Raiders in battle. At the height of the conflict the Raiders were held back by a powerful spell as the ritual to completely resurrect Dess. Then, at the peak of the ceremony, Nakamaro turned on Mortelle and claimed her remaining power for himself. Gravely injuring his former comrade, Nakamaro turned his attention on the Raiders only to be driven away by the combined forces of Hyper Hardrive and Dominus. The Raiders then fled the collapsing tower aboard the Weatherlight, Mortelle accompanying them, her condition stabilized. Not long after the trip to Cannae the Raiders were visited by Ivy, a Sippicano warrior. She revealed she was Mortelle's sister and had come to take her back to Aegise. After two weeks of interrogation, Mortelle was released into her custody.
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Wevli The Raiders are contracted by the Crystal Power company to guard one of their storage facilities after several attacks on their facilities by Wevli Stormreader - cousin to Ramah Stormset. The Raiders accept the commission and are on duty when the facility is attacked by a cyborg dragon named Flare and a cyber-wolf companion, both associates of Wevli. In the ensuing battle, both are incapacitated, but Wevli escapes with the technology he had sought. Flare is brought back to the Raiders village and is interrogated. From her the Raiders learn of Wevli's plan - to build a device which interrupts the flow of power in a target (both traditional and magical). She also reveals the location of his base - an abandoned G.U.N. facility on a small island off the coast of the southeast continent. Wevli's plan involved firing a missile armed with his device at Tolaria (not realizing that interrupting the magical flow of the island would result in its destruction). A team of raiders led by Killane travel to the facility and confront Wevli. In the middle of battle, Wevli is alerted to a change in his project's parameters by an A.I. program he had been working with by the name of Desmond, a protocol of the .EXE artificial intelligence. The program change would effectively create the Chaos Control phenomenon but interrupt the process halfway through, effectively breaking down the molecular structure of the target. While Wevli was willing to sacrifice anything for his project, he was unwilling to endanger so many innocent lives. While the Raiders were busy battling a robot sentry, Wevli journeyed to the control room and disabled the Desmond unit. Upon the arrival of the Raiders, he flooded the base and destroyed his project. The Raiders returned home empty-handed. |
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Reavers The Raiders were helping out in Elendil Village when the Black Diamond came under attack by unknown assailants, drawing the Raiders into an ambush. In the ensuing battle, a mercenary group calling themselves the Reavers and led by Gareth Sinclair manages to capture Killane, Jenet, Fraise, Tom, and Renshai and escape. |
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Genesis Saga The first hint at what was to come came when Katt, HD's wife, and their children arrived at the Raiders Villa, chased by a creature resembling a zombified version of her husband. As the Raiders engaged, they were quickly aided by female echidhog - the spitting image of their commander - and a dog resembling an older Hype. They helped put down the lunatic chasing Katt and vowed to tell their story once they got to see Hardrive. Called back from his training, Hardrive interrogated the female - who soon came to be called Rom - and found out that all three were actually clones created in a facility in Metropolis. The implications of the clones' existence were startling. Years ago, an Ender from an alternate timeline came back to warn the Raiders of the Genesis War - a devastating war fought by Raiders clones. They thought they had put an end to it, but an entity calling itself War warned them that they had only postponed the inevitable. The Genesis War was coming. Eager to forestall the war, the Raiders investigated the facility where Rom and 'Al,' her companion, escaped from. They encountered Slang and Hybra in passing, the two presumably looking for details on the cloning process used by whoever created Rom and Al. At length they reached a lab and had to fight clones of Vector, Arisa, and Crystalis. Once the later two were defeated, Vector put aside his weapon and destroyed the facilities. The Raiders barely escaped. The tip wasn't a total waste, however, as the Raiders did manage to escape with the location of a complex designated Site-2, located in the Rock Canyon Zone. The Raiders quickly investigated, finding the facility hidden underground. Upon entering, they were greeted by Dr. Thaddeus Blonsky and Emil Erskine (known as the Hypnotist): the two responsible for the clones. After enduring Blonsky's taunts through his television screen, the Raiders split into two groups: one to destroy the facility's data and the other to find Blonsky. In the first batch of labs, the Raiders encountered clones of Jenet, Nearon, and Ramah. Farther in, they encountered an 'anti-Raiders' group consisting of Hardrive, Hype, Tom, Arisa, and CF clones. After a close battle, the Raiders pushed onwards, eventually discovering the other group had been soundly defeated by a traitorous Al and the mysterious Alice, a kitsune familiar with all the Raiders' fighting styles. The Raiders quickly engaged them (as well as the cloned Hardrive, who had escaped earlier) in battle while a small portion of them went directly after Blonsky and the Hypnotist. While initially falling prey to the Hypnotist's illusions, the Raiders eventually overcame the two, and freed Alice (who was under the control of a mechanical collar). Alice then provided the Raiders a brief chance to escape while she destroyed the lower levels, in which a horde of clones lay gestating into egg-like chambers. The TDF arrived during the Raiders' exploration and quickly subdued the facility's security forces. They also rounded up the remaining clones and imprisoned them in their high-tech Triskelion facility. Note: There was a lot of information not covered during the actual plays. This information was located on the Raiders forum in the Genesis Saga echoes. The accumulated echoes is provided below.
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Enter Chaz After finding themselves stuck with a supernatural case they could not solve, the Tolarian Police Department turned towards the Raiders for help. Hype took a team to the headquarters of the precinct the murders in question were committed to gather more information: the murderer was a grey kangaroo (later discovered to be a wallaby) who had an unknown method of killing his victims, all of whom were ravers who frequented the Purgatory nightclub. While in discussion with the officer working the case another murder was committed and the Raiders (along with the TDP) hurried to investigate. here wasn't much in terms of new information, but it was discovered that the perpetrator drains his victims of lifeforce. With little concrete information to work with, the Raiders set up a revolving stake-out around the Purgatory nightclub that culminated in a joint Raiders-TPD operation to ambush the perpetrator. The Raiders used Rave and Fraise as bait, luring the wallaby into the open, with hopes to ambush him - hopes dashed by the untimely interference of Slang. The wallaby ran and the Raiders pursued, following him onto the roof where a battle took place. Sadly, Chaz's eagerness to escaped resulted in his throwing himself off the roof and impaling himself on a fence. After his death, the case was closed. It was later reported, however, that his body was stolen from the morgue... |
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The Resurrection of Hannibal Darkholme Act I: Fallen Gods Prior to the investigation that would dominate the Raiders' time and effort over the next few weeks the Raiders had a run-in with Lucien, an ancient Lunari evil who, surprisingly, was thieving from the Tolarian Museum of History. He trounced the Raiders and sent Rave into shock before vanishing with five Elemental idols in tow. Not long after, the Raiders were called in by the TDP to investigate a bizarre murder in the New Haven district of Metropolis. A 1 1/2 mile circular area had been completely overrun by plant-life with the body of a dead echidna at its epicenter. The Raiders discovered the cause of the growth to be a massive explosion of Earth -based elementalism, likely released by the victim in death. Traces of entroph energy at the scene and signs of the victim being murdered with a scythe pointed towards a ritual killing. As the Raiders pondered this, a crimson-bandaged Mobian by the name of Jonas appeared, passing them the Idol of Thanatos - one of the five Lucien had stolen - and pointed them in the direction of Dagger. Visiting Purgatory before it opened for the night, the Raiders questioned Dagger, who seemed reluctant to share anything he might know concerning the Idols. He did tell them that he had discovered the presence of several power spikes around the island, similar to that emitted by the murder victim. The spikes were found in three different locations: Xeno Village, Luna Village, and in the vicinity of Kyren's Forge. That same day Hardrive took a group of Raiders with him to pay a visit to the Flower Maidens, a religious sect who worshipped Gaia based in the ruins of the Gaia temple. They met with the head priestesses of the Maidens - Saria and Meeka - and told them what had happened. Hardrive had discovered that the victim was a Maiden named Algiza, one whom Saria and Meeka both cared deeply for. She was rumored to be the next head priestess and possessed considerable earth magic, though she had never been able to use it. The Raiders left with mixed feelings and a new companion - Camitzal, a jaguar from the mainland who had spent some time observing the Flower Maidens. She had befriended Algiza and as such offered her assistance in finding the killer. Finally acting on Dagger's information, the Raiders went to Xeno Village, the closest location of the aforementioned power surge to the murder in Metropolis. They arrived in the middle of a battle between the Xenologists and a group of unidentified assailants led by an unidentified dragon. The Raiders joined the battle and quickly located their target, a red-tailed hawk by the name of Jacob. He was also the target of the attackers, who were unveiled as Algiza's murderers. The Raiders beat a hasty retreat after acquiring Jacob and their enemies, who spoke to the Xenologists of a crusade against elementalists, vanished into the mountains. Just before the Raiders left, the enigmatic Jonas appeared and gave Hype the Idols of Imbrium and Gaia. Having at last identified their enemies and experienced battle against them first-hand, the Raiders split into two groups to locate their next two targets. One group went to Forge and located a blacksmith named Gran while the other went to Luna Village and discovered Stargazer, a mermaid with a hedgehog form resembling Mizz. This group ran into the Crusaders before they were able to escape and forced them into a retreat before returning to the HQ. Jonas once more appeared and delivered the remaining two Idols - one of Caine, one of Kaios - to Jenet. Having figured out what was going on by now, Hardrive dispatched Rave to the Gaia Temple to prepare a ritual that would unlock the magic within their three charges. By this time it was realized that these individuals were vessels for the slumbering Elementals, and armed with that knowledge, the Raiders were able to locate the final two vessels (Dagger and Meeka) and meet them at the Temple. Once there, the Raiders were immediately attacked by the Crusaders and held them off until the ritual could be complete. Rave performed admirably and before long the Elementals were free to once more walk Tolaria. As for the crusaders, their leader, Archbishop, was turned to stone after expending too much energy. Two of his followers, Terrence and Derrick, were taken to the Triskelion for safe-keeping, while his third associate, Carbun, remains at large.
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The Resurrection of Hannibal Darkholme Act II: Men and Monsters A late night murder draws the Raiders to Metropolis. Harold Dresden - a famous Aegien artifact collector - and his dinner guests had been murdered in a method reminiscent of Hectapol's Scream, a trademark technique of Kilamo's. Considering how several Aegien artifacts were stolen, the instigator behind the crime was assumed to be Nakamaro. Worried that the two ex-council members had reunited, the Raiders used Dagger's extended contact network - led by a bluejay named Tara Reid - to search out leads that might reveal the villains' whereabouts. The first lead the Raiders followed led them to an abandoned subway station where they found not Nakamaro or Kilamo, but Mortelle - alive, well, and back on Tolaria. Her minions - Juicers - were quick to attack the Raiders and Mortelle escaped during the scuffle. A few nights later, while investigating an unusual amount of Shadow Beasts congregating in the Hell's Gate area, the Raiders came across a suspicious individual who was seen attacking a woman in an alleyway. The Raiders followed him to a construction site where the stranger was revealed to be Chaz, a wallaby thought to be dead. He had unwillingly led the Raiders to the site of a meeting with none other than Nakamaro. A brief battle ensued, and during the battle Rave was able to question Nakamaro about his recent activities - but much to the Raiders' chagrin, he claimed no responsibility for Dresden's murder. Soon after the encounter the Raiders received information concerning a mysterious cult recruiting from among the Metropolis elite. They essentially sold their souls for immortality - a heavier price than they realized, as seen when the Raiders crashed one of their meetings. Kilamo was unveiled as the head of the cult and immediately sent her minions after the Raiders. The battle was brutal and the truth behind her offers of 'immortality' were revealed. Her cultists were little more than zombies, unable to feel pain, their severed limbs acting of their own accord - and yet they were still alive. The cathedral the meeting took place in took heavy damage during the battle and Kilamo was questioned but she, like Nakamaro, claimed no involvement in the murder. Kilamo soon gained the upper hand on the Raiders but before she could end their lives Jonas appeared. He interrupted Kilamo's Scream and stole a sphere of dark energy from her. Taking advantage of the Raiders' momentary disorientation, he revealed himself as the true orchestrator of Dresden's murder in order to find Nakamaro and Kilamo. On his way out of the cathedral, Jonas took a similar sphere from Jenet. Hype attempted to prevent his escape but was in turn stopped by Lucien. Jonas escaped and Kilamo slunk away, leaving the Raiders with unanswered questions and a dangerous new enemy.
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The Resurrection of Hannibal Darkholme Act III: Devil's Due During a routine patrol of the city one night, the Raiders encounter the Holy Purifiers of the Divine Tentai, a religious sect using magic and technology to clean up Metropolis. Accompanying them to their church, the Raiders discovered the sect to be led by a reformed Cloak, former Disciple of Light. He revealed not only the person controlling the Shadow Beasts but her whereabouts as well: Morgan, an ancient witch and practitioner of Old Magic. Though she lived in the city, only those she wishes to speak with are allowed to find her.
The Raiders take up the challenge and go searching for Morgan. To their surprise, she agrees to see them, and offers them a deal: in exchange for Akuma's Ring, currently in Cloak's possession, she will either call off the Shadow Beasts or reveal Jonas' location, hinting that he is the greater threat. Giving the Raiders a week to decide, she quickly dismisses them and leaves them to their thoughts.
The Raiders consult Cloak and realize that the best way to save the people of Metropolis is to make the deal, despite the power inside the ring. Morgan's assurances that she would not use it in a way to provoke the Raiders did little to assuage their worries. While they discussed their options, they were attacked by Lucien, who was attempting to steal the ring. The Raiders defeat him and resolve that the ring is too dangerous to leave in Morgan's hands.
With ring in hand, the Raiders visit Morgan and make the trade - only to provoke a battle with her in order to steal it back. With the help of an indebted 'customer,' Ghost, Morgan fights off the Raiders, surrendering only after Lucien's attack is revealed. In addition to fulfilling her end of the bargain, Morgan also gives Jonas' location to the Raiders, presumably because Lucien's interference went against a bargain she had with Jonas.
Now that they know his whereabouts, the Raiders fly to the Elemental Plain to confront Jonas. Their effort toush him is foiled by Lucien and a brutal battle ensues. During the fight, Jonas draws out a mass of darkness from Hardrive and uses it in conjunction with a bolt of lightning to overload an alchemical machine and absorb the dark, seething mass contained within. As Lucien is defeated and his tower is destroyed around him, Jonas absorbs the power and pulls off his bandages, revealing his true identity to the Raiders:
Hannibal Darkholme.
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With a Cold Mind's Madness The Raiders answer a call from Rom urging them to get to Westopolis as soon as possible - Mizz and Kilamo are fighting and pulling no punches. The Raiders arrive to find the city in ruins, cloudy with dust and debris and puncture by dozen of crystallized chaos obelisks. The Raiders descend into the city and proceed to track down the two combatants, locating Rom and witnessing the devastation first hand. A brief skirmish nearly gets the best of the Raiders and they are forced to regroup before tackling the two again.
After resupplying, the Raiders move out, slowed only by the sudden appearance of Slang and Mizz's transformation into her true form: a giant bird composed of chaos energy. The Raiders subdue Mizz while Dominus takes down Kilamo, finishing his assault by an attempt to siphon Kilamo's essence into the Soulstaff. The attempt backfired and Dominus tapped into the link between Kilamo and Hectapol and was struck into unconsciousness by the force of the link. Left with no alternative, Hardrive used the Water Stone to merge Kilamo and Mizz once more.
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We Are Legion Hannibal broadcasts a message across all of Metropolis, effectively calling out the Raiders and placing a bounty on their heads to be claimed by any meta-Mobian strong enough to defeat them. The stage is set in Metropolis and a no-holds-barred match spanning an entire month is unleashed on the unsuspecting populous.
Over the course of these four weeks the Raiders fought a number of villains ranging from weak to devastating. A trio of women with the powers to dampen or increase special abilities and advanced telekinesis. Velkyn, Kilamo's brother, now in the discarded body Kilamo left behind when re-merged with Mizz. A zealous gunslinger out to eradicate meta-Mobians with the help of a very special revolver. A Nekohlian warrior out to challenge the renegade king. A trio of warriors of the Inukenden clan wielding the powers of fire, water and sound. The host of a malevolent shadow spirit. An assassin. A napalm-spewing red panda and a raven wielding dark magic. Even Lucien emerged from hiding, stronger than before, but even more surprising was the reappearance of Chaz and Lusa, hinting at possibly being involved with Hannibal.
The Raiders sustained numerous injuries but fought on until at last the threats subsided and the city was safe once more. Fighting beside them were the TDF, the TDP, The Purifiers, a group of meta-Mobians unaffiliated with any faction, and even Morgan the witch and her companion, Ghost. By the time the legion of villains was put down, the Raiders were exhausted and left wondering just what Hannibal hoped to accomplish with all the chaos he had unleashed upon the city.
Femmes Fatales - Chloe, Pearl, and Crystal Clan Inukenden - The Hydromancer (No Log) Of Napalm and Darkness - Garnet and Daroch Koronis Clan Inukenden - Homura the Flame Clan Inukenden - Inuha the Melody
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Shadow of EXE Shortly after the battle with Chaz and Lusa, the Raiders were approached by Ian Stark, billionaire telecommunications industrialist, to look into an attempted theft of his Chaos Drive, one of three such machines on Tolaria. The theft occurred during the month-long siege of Metropolis and had been handled by the TDF, but there were elements he had not fully disclosed to them. Among these was the fact that his security team had destroyed one of the thieves - a robot whose head was salvaged and presented to the Raiders. It was of the same style used by Jenna for her minions. Furthermore, Stark revealed that the Mobians who had worked for him and arranged the theft were being controlled by devices attached to the back of their necks. They had declared themselves to be working for the Brotherhood of EXE, but once the nodes were removed, they regained control of themselves and confessed to have no knowledge of the past two months.
Shortly after their meeting with Stark, the Raiders received a distress call from the TDF. Upon reaching the Triskelion, the TDF base of operations, they discovered that the nearly impregnable fortress had been attacked. Their electronic defense systems had been disabled by an outside force, allowing a group of assailants to attack the holding cells and freeing several inmates from TDF custody: Inuha and Grog Inukendan, Chloe, Crystal, Emil Erskine, and Makoto Rath. Kreig himself escorted the Raiders to a temporary command tent where they were able to watch a video recording of what happened inside the cell block. Lucien, Velkyn and Hannibal were clearly identified before the camera went down, indicating that the new Council had made their first move. It was then that a GUN officer approached the Raiders and asked for their help in destroying EXE, a vicious A.I. Jenna had built (and now served) and a world-wide cyberterrorist. GUN had tracked him to Tolaria after a virus they had sent after him crippled his programming, forcing him to seek an isolated network within which he could heal himself. The Raiders agreed to help and were given a copy of the virus, stored in a flashdrive. Kreig vowed to go after the escaped inmates.
Stark sent word out to his colleagues about possible attempts to steal Chaos Drives and was quickly answered by an automobile maker who had reports of strange behavior in some of his most loyal factory employees. The Raiders went to investigate and stumbled upon a handful of Mobians serving the Brotherhood of Exe and a team of robots in the process of stealing the Chaos Drive. A battle ensued, in which the Mobians were quickly disabled and the droids captured until a second team ambushed the Raiders. In the ensuing battle, one of the droids escaped with the Chaos Drive, but not before a device was placed upon it that could track any signals it was receiving back to their source. While the Raiders called the TDP and attended the Mobians, they were able to track the signal to a power plant on the edge of Metropolis. Once the TDP arrived, they were able to follow the signal and confront Jenna.
They arrived at a power plant that appeared to be controlled by the Brotherhood. A small team, led by Hardrive, slipped into the facility, only to be quickly identified by more Brotherhood members. After a brief skirmish, the Brotherhood was put down, but not before one of their number escaped to warn Jenna, leaving an electrical barrier in his wake. The Raiders found an alternative route and drove deeper into the complex, only to have the walkway they were crossing electrified by an E-100 Series Eggman Repair unit. Once they overcame the obstacle, they confronted the droid and quickly destroyed it, pausing just long enough to regroup before moving forward.
The Raiders were inevitably led to a control room where Jenna had set up a throne upon which the physical body of EXE sat in the midst of having his consciousness downloaded into it. Two guards were present and a battle broke out. Hardrive attempted to bring Jenna to her senses to no avail. The guards were quickly put down Tom was replaced by the Judge in the process. Hype had inserted the virus, but when the Judge's attack on EXE was interrupted by EXE himself, it was revealed that the Raiders had been seconds too late to upload the virus. Jenna was disabled but several of the Raiders were wounded, making the timely arrival by Mizz carrying Imbrium's Elixir all the more heartening. Hardrive and Jenni attempted to carry Jenna out while Ramah, who had arrived with Mizz, joined the Judge in combat against EXE. Both were repelled but Jenet, having taken advantage of EXE's distraction to construct a portable energy canon, was able to sneak in an attack that blew up her weapon in the process. EXE met the attack with his own but had not focused enough energy into the blast. As a result, he was blasted out of the control room and into the generator room, smashing into one of the power units and critically damaging the others near it.
Claxons blared their warnings but at this point the Raiders had fallen into chaos. Ramah and Mizz went after EXE only to find themselves at the epicenter of a the generators' critical failure. The other Raiders hadn't gotten farther than the hallway outside the control room when the explosions tore through the complex behind them. Ramah and Mizz arrived in time for Mizz to protect everyone with layers of shielding that kept them safe while the power station collapsed around them. Minutes later, Hardrive deactivated the pocket dimension he had erected earlier and returned the power station to normal, but EXE was gone. The Raiders met the waiting TDF with Jenna in hand, but had barely escaped the encounter with EXE with their lives.
Jailbreak
Factory Ambush
Infiltration Pt. 1: Enter at Your Own Risk |
-All Good Things...- |
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Chapter I: The Rising Tide |
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It began with an ambush that led to Kilamo's return. Then came the theft of Osaru's sword and Morgan's murder. And then it climaxed with the most devastating event to befall Mobius in recent history: the return of Hectapol.
The Raiders, assisted by Ghost, Makoto and Rune, went to the Mystic Ruins upon learning that Hannibal planned to bring Hectapol back to Mobius. He succeeded, although Lucien was killed in the effort. On the Raiders side, Rave was lost after her soul was stolen and crushed when she pushed Hardrive out of that same attack's path. The Raiders then pushed themeselves to their limits in a battle with Hectapol and Matzos, her eldest child, only to be soundly defeated. In a last ditch effort to destroy Hectapol and stem the flood of Shadow Beasts and her Nocturnus followers, the Raiders called upon the Lunar Howl - only to witness its destruction at the hands of EXE. Hectapol's children was released, Angel Island sank beneath the ocean, and the Chaos Emeralds shot off across the globe. The Raiders returned home with their tails between their legs.
At Rave's funeral, the Raiders learned that Hectapol was on her way to Tolaria. They flew out and met her assault over the Elemental Plain, where Hardrive brought out the Veritas Orb (presumed to be destroyed) in order to send her back to wherever it was she came from. The Predator, an airship used by the Council, drove the Weatherlight to ground and while Chaz and Inuha distracted the others, Hannibal and Emil Erskine made a move against Hardrive and the Orb. In the wake of the encounter, Hannibal claimed the Orb with a burnt skeleton that may or may not have been Hardrive at his feet. He then used the last of its power to transport himself away and claim the Twilight Crystal (discovered soon after), thereby turning back Hectapol's advance by eliminating the threat she came to alleviate. The Orb wasn't finished, though, and brought a gaggle of young adults who claimed to be the Raiders' children from the future.
Seeing as how Hectapol and Hannibal were threats to all of Mobius, let alone Tolaria, the Raiders hosted a summit, inviting all the Tolarian leaders to attend. As they discussed recent events, Damus declared his support and was about to assist the Raiders when Urza appeared to deny him. With little alternative, the two began to fight and took their battle to the heavens. Immediately after, Hannibal appeared. Dispatching the meager assaults against him, Hannibal demonstrated his new power by banishing all the Tolarian leaders back to their homes and then gave the Raiders an ultimatum - leave within twenty-four hours are the island will suffer. With little alternative, the Raiders decided to leave, but that night they were attacked by Nakamaro and one of Kilamo's siblings. Nakamaro had discovered their base after Hannibal destroyed the wards protecting it and stopped by to abduct Arisa's children and break the magic that binded her sprites to her. Miraculously, there were no fatalities.
The next morning, loaded up with as many supplies as they could carry, the Raiders left Tolaria. Onboard the Exodus, Vector decided to return to Nekohl after rumors of war reached his ears. Arisa, upon awakening from her magical injury, decided to go to Aegise to find her children. With nowhere to go and only the vaguest goal presented to them by Damus before his disappearance - that the Chaos Emeralds had to be found to combat Hectapol - Killane authorized a pair of missions before guiding the Exodus to relative safe harbor in the southlands.
Prologue 1: Kilamo's Reawakening
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Chapter II: Into the Storm |
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Stage One: Empire Risk Upon learning of the discord in Nekohl, Vector accompanied a team led by Tom back to his homeland to see if there was any way they could help alleviate the situation and possibly secure allies among the Nekohlians. They were met by Suzie Q, a local contact, and escorted up to a public forum where they witnessed the three Dominoes - Xhing of Clan Zaiga, Marcovia of Clan Daan and Daiga of Clan Rath - angrily confront each other about the course of the civil war. The leaders were angry and the situation was further inflamed by harsh words on behalf of the council and accusations thrown at the Raiders. Before a serious discourse could be held between Tom and the Dominos, the meeting hall was attacked by an angry Daan dissenter.
The Raiders rushed outside of the hall to find the dissenter, after cutting a swathe through the guards with a shadowscythe weapon, engaged in a duel with another Daan warrior - the blind swordsman Xen'Hua. After gravely injuring the warrior, the dissenter was then put down by three of the children from the future - but not before he succeeded in devastating the capital city of Bast with pre-set charges. Marcovia, enraged by the attack, refused to see reason and retreated to resume Daan's attacks on the other tribes.
Tom then sought to broker peace with the other Dominos but they too refused to see reason. It was then that the councilors was attacked from within by one of their own, quickly revealed to be Velkyn in disguise. Many of the councilors were killed before the Raiders engaged the Shadowkin, who shed his mortal body in favor of his true form - that of an enormous shadow serpent. Mocking their efforts at harming him, Velkyn retreated to oversee the destruction of Nekohl personally.
The Raiders met with the remaining Dominos and councilors inside the ruins of the meeting hall. It was there that the council revealed their complacency in the fall of Nekohl - they had been behind both the War of Vector Sect and the rise of TRIumph in their country. Now they had sided with Velkyn in the hopes of purging their country and starting anew. The Dominos, disgusted by the manipulation decided to work with the Raiders to bring down Velkyn before more harm could befall their country.
After a brief rest, the Raiders embarked via jeep across the warzone to Dorgenois, the closest entrance to LastHope, the enormous Geofront beneath Nekohl that was believed to be Velkyn’s hideaway. As they approached the Gateway, they were attacked by Marcovia and his personal guard. In the lull before they actually engaged the Nekohlian, he revealed to be in possession of a Chaos Emerald, one of the Seven Servers – and then hid it away, denying its use during the battle. He and his guards were then promptly defeated.
The Raiders proceeded down into LastHope and came across a Nocturnus camp built around a large emerald. They were spotted as they planned their ambush and quickly engaged the Nocturnus, drawing their attention away from the emerald as Kyren and Damien snuck past to destroy it. As Kyren aimed to deliver a crushing blow and destroy it, Velkyn appeared and swallowed the emerald. The Raiders then fought against the Shadowkin, who proved more than a match against them, preying on their emotional state as much as their physical one.
During the battle, Suzy Q arrived carrying the Chaos Emerald, which she promptly passed to the Raiders. A combined assault ending with Dominus’ Infinity Empire technique was enough to slay Velkyn, but not before his final attack nearly destroyed them all. Shields were raised in time and the Raiders barely survived. Kyren then destroyed the emerald left behind by Velkyn’s demise and Hectapol’s influence on Nekohl weakened to a state of near complete ineffectiveness.
As Nekohl edged away from the brink of self-destruction, the Dominos loaded the Weatherlight with supplies to take back to the Exodus. Furthermore, to repay their valiant efforts, the Dominoes pledged their aid in the final battle with Hectapol. In a quiet moment onboard the ship, Aidan confided to Kyren that he and his comrades had lacked the power and focus to maintain a shield against Velkyn’s final attack – and that someone else had been present. A short time later, as they left Nekohl, Tom approached Aidan and an explosive argument broke out concerning Aidan’s insubordination during key diplomatic moments with the Dominos.
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Stage Two: The Darkened Isle
The Islands of Aegise was the destination of a team led by Hype as the Raiders accompanied Arisa and Goth in their mission to reclaim their children from the hands of Nakamaro. They arrived to find the islands cloaked in heavy mist and shadow. They gained the shore in time to defend a Gilafoue village alongside a band of pirates known as La Masquerade and a dragonkin named Precip. After the battle, the Raiders learned that Nakamaro had moved in and conquered the Aegien islands in less than three days. With thick, viscous-like dark matter blocking many of the routes deeper into the island, the Raiders accompanied La Masquerade's captain, Bastien, west towards the Gilafoue capital.
On their trek westward the Raiders encountered a sprite-like being resembling Arisa who challenged them to a game of sorts. Upon winning, the creature was discovered to be one of Arisa's tails - the physical representation of her magical ability - previously lost in an encounter with Nakamaro. After retrieving the tail, the Raiders continued on to the capital where they met with Blake Stormwell, Ramah's father. After a night's rest and a restocking of their rations, the Raiders set off to the northern capital of Aegise atop a breed of pack-bird called Koz. Their journey was interrupted inside the Aegien wetlands by an enormous lake-creature coated and thick, inky magical pollution. The Raiders fought diligently, but upon exposure to the substance Mirrai transformed into her dark form and Loki lost control of a shadow clone. Temporary corruption aside, they were able to defeat the beast by targeting its exposed eye and, upon its destruction, purified the lake and its immediate environs. In the wake of the battle the monster was discovered to be yet another of Arisa's missing tails.
The Raiders survived the trip to the city of Aegise and were met by the Aegien Kitsunes, who were keeping their city pure through magical means. They were reunited with an old comrade, Kitsue, and soon met with a city elder who further explained the current predicament to them. They were told that Nakamaro had taken up residence on an eastern island called the Isle of Three but were asked to assist a group of Runners as they checked in on the northern Sippicano tribe. The Raiders agreed and pushed forwards, only to encounter Nakamaro himself at the foot of Roost Mountain, sitting at a table in the guise of a kitsune and ready to offer them tea and crumpets.
Bewildered by their unpredictable enemy, Nakamaro spoke to them of Hectapol’s agent in Aegise – Zychni - and shared his plans of forging Aegise into an army with which he planned to use against the dark goddess, even going so far as to invite the Raiders to join his cause. In the resulting conversation, Nakamaro confirmed his location on an eastern island as well as claiming responsibility for the corruptive fog enshrouding Aegise, citing it as a way to scare the Aegiens into aiding him. He also dropped word of searching for a sun deity of some sort and confirmed the location of Hectapol’s Shadowkin. Little more was gleaned from the conversation and Nakamaro left the Raiders without word on the state of Arisa and Goth’s missing children.
The Raiders pushed onward, finding their way into a series of ruins deep within the mountains. There they came across a Nocturnus camp defending one of Hectapol’s nodes. The Raiders attacked, but halfway through the battle a horde of Nakalings descended on the ruins and drove back both the Raiders and the Nocturnus. The Raiders were force to flee, continuing their journey to the village of the Sippicano. Upon arriving they were immediately swept up in a conflict between an army of Nocturnus and the local Sippicano. The Raiders were able to assist the porcupines in the defeat of the foreign enemies. Before promising their support, Ivy of the Sippicano tells the Raiders that they must speak to the tribal elders, secure in another location. The Raiders venture out to find them and discover Zychni, one of the Hectapol's Shadowkin, already attacking the Sippicano. They intervene and are able to destroy the Shadowin. Upon approaching the elders, the Raiders are promised support in dealing with Nakamaro.
The Raiders join the Sippicano on their way south and stumble into the path of a Nakaling horde. They fight their way through and rejoin Goth and Arisa (who spent much of the battle dueling her final escaped tail). only to face a giant dark sprite. Cyrus is able to deal with the sprite with a Spirit Bomb and the group continues south. In the Aegien City, half of the Raiders seek out rest while the others attend a war council to discuss how best to deal with Nakamaro.
A plan is reached and the Aegien Coalition attacks Nakamaro's horde on the Isle of Three. While the Aegiens occupy the majority of the Nakalings, the Raiders set themselves down deep in Nakamaro's territory, fighting their way through mages and berserkers on their quest to track down the monster. Goth and Loki are the first to encounter Nakamaro after they become separated from the main group of Raiders, themselves occupied by a pair of corrupted Aegiens - Bastien and Thorne. Both battles are intense. Nakamaro dispatches Goth and steals Loki's Shadow Clones only to have her wrest control back and hit him with everything she has. Goth adds insult to injury by adding his own Gothic Blast after an assault by the Black Diamond fails. Nakamaro rises still. Goth falls.
Elsewhere, the Raiders overcome their opponents but not before Gregor is gravely injured. Jenet is able to infiltrate Nakamaro's temple and retrieve Arisa's children - as well as a Chaos Emerald. Kitsue arrives and begins to duel Nakamaro, the two fighters cutting a swath through the Nakaling horde and nearly bringing the temple down on itself. In the end, as the Raiders gather together, Nakamaro slays Kitsue - revealed to be his own brother. Kitsue explodes into a cloud of sprites and everyone in the immediate area is transported to a sprite Zone.
Kitsue's destruction bombards the Raiders with visions and they engage Nakamaro with renewed vigor. Meanwhile, Jenet tapped into the Chaos Emerald to unlock her latent magical potential and proceeded to open up a portal to Hell. The Raiders chipped away at Nakamaro until he was forced to rely on Juice to give himself a power boost. When the fight started turning in his favor, Arisa, possessed by the Aegien Sun Deity, engaged him in a duel. When the final blows were dealt, Nakamaro hesitated and allowed Arisa to impale him. He then shattered and pieces of himself were sucked into Jenet's portal. Arisa was released and the Raiders were transported back to a now-purified Isle of Three.
In the wake of the battle, Arisa discovered a young child named Crevon. He was brought in under Arisa's care for his own protection.
With their mission now more diplomatic in nature, the Raiders approached the Aegiens for support in the fight against Hectapol. The Aegiens were loathe to respond, but Bastien of La Masquerade and Ivy of the Sippicano, both accompanied by members of their tribes as well as the Chogozi tribe, returned to the Exodus with the Raiders.
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Interlude: Temple of Broken Swords
Killane and the crew of the Exodus head to the Temple of Broken Swords on Resonance's suggestion. With her help, they are able to locate the village and are met by Ucion, an old friend of the Raiders. He welcomes them to the village and helps them get an audience with the elders of the village, who allow them to resupply and use the Temple as a temporary safe haven. The Raiders spend much of a week there awaiting word from the away teams. Tom's team is the first to return and report their findings. Shortly after their return, Hikou, Tom's dragon/ship, lands in the village and Ling emerges, reuniting her with Tom for the first time since they were separated some time ago.
The following day, Aidan reconciled with Tom and submitted a mission proposal to Killane. Hype's team returned the day after and immediately transferred Goth to the Exodus' detainment cells to keep him from pulling apart. Cyrus, Serrah and Hype formed a team to nurse Gregor back to health. As Killane was supervising the unloading of cargo and personnel, the Raiders received an encrypted transmission carried on a Starktech server. Comodos was calling to request their aid but ensured their cooperation by threatening to release their location to a nearby TRIumph control. The Raiders then set off and a war council was held to discuss their options. They discussed what they knew of the Shadowkin and a mission to Crescent Isle, based on Aidan's original submission, was established. This secondary team was to be composed primarily of the future Raiders while the contemporary ones went to deal with Comodos.
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Chapter III: Reap the Whirlwind |
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Stage Three: The Fall of the House of Eldamri
Acting on a mission outline submitted by Aidan, Killane dispatches a team of Raiders to Crescent Isle to request aid from the Lunari. Hype and Vector unanimously decide to put Aidan in charge of a team composed primarily of his friends as a way to test his capabilities. The Black Diamond arrived and found not a settlement of peaceful tribal mages but a full-scale Nocturnus rebellion. With little time to spare, Aidan decides to ally the Raiders with the Nocturnus defending the Lunari Temple of Ages and his team disembarks to assist them.
Once on the ground, the Raiders quickly ally with Shade, commander of the rebellious Nocturnus. Together they push towards the center of the settlement, where a node siphoning energy to Hectapol was placed. They fight through Nocturnus troops and heavy Centurions until ambushed by the Shadowkin Slythax, a monster a mile in length. He animates the bodies of the fallen Nocturnus and turns them upon the Raiders while assaulting their minds with his dark aura. In the chaos of battle, Aidan orders Hype and Ko to do a summoning, using Damien as a host for Light Energy and Vouse as a host to Chaos Energy. Meanwhile, Iria and Shade drive towards the node in the hopes of destroying it, only to find an unidentified ally already present. Further aid comes in the form of the Nocturnus technomage Imperator Zachary Finitevus, wielding a Chaos Emerald as a method of distracting Slythax.
Upon completing the summoning, Damien, Vouse and Aidan (siphoning the power of the storm through a Chaos Emerald) triple-combo Slythax and seemingly destroy both him and the node. Their victory is short-lived, however, as Slythax appears high above them, apparently unharmed. Rather than attacking, he simply leaves. Aidan, electrocuted by his own attack, falls to earth unconscious but is saved by the combined efforts of Eden and the unnamed stranger, who promptly vanishes. Damien, exposed to a grave amount of mana burn, is taken onboard the Diamond and nearly dies. Everyone takes a moment to recover before Shade escorts them into the Temple of Ages for further discussion.
As they move, Shade explains the reason behind the rebellion. Having become disillusioned with the current Prelate's goals for the Nocturnus, Shade had been planning a rebellion for some time and surrounded herself with like-minded allies. She was instrumental in the overthrow of the zealot Imperator Pir'Oth Ix and as such was under close watch by the Prelate who sent her on missions that would keep her from the allies she had made during the conflict. Upon entering the Temple of Ages, Shade's resolved hardened and she turned against the Prelates forces immediately.
Shade further explains a mystery that faced the Nocturnus upon their arrival on Crescent Isle: the lack of Lunari presence. Only one of the lupines remained, sealed behind a crystalline barrier that dissolved at Hype's touch. Eldamri, the prophet-chieftain of the Lunari (and apparent possessor of Planeswalker-level power), reveals that he barricaded himself to protect his people, whom he had transferred into the Globe of Edges - a crystalline sphere that radiates golden light and always hovers near him. Before further information can be shared, a warning is raised among the Nocturnus and the Raiders flee the Temple in time to witness Hectapol's Maw - a sphere of dark energy that increases in size and power as it vacuums matter into itself.
During the resulting evacuation, Matzos, the eldest of the Shadowkin, appears to oversee the Maw's power. He toys with the Raiders as they frantically transport Nocturnus onto the ship but their efforts are not enough to save all of Shade's kinfolk. A third of her people are swallowed by the Maw - as is Crescent Isle itself. The last sight the Raiders see as they flee the homeland of the Lunari is its complete and utter destruction.
The Fall of the House of Eldamri
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Stage Four: Empire of Ashes
The Raiders arrive in tiered city of Corinth, New Narsil's capital, and are met by a welcoming party composed of wealthy industrialist Anthony Stark and Alice, a clone who assisted them during the Genesis Saga and was assumed dead. Stark explains how he's more or less a pampered prisoner while Comodos has access to his sub-orbital satellite network and Alice admits that she is working for Comodos as a way to discover her true self. They escort the Raiders from their landing zone inside the Coliseum to Comodos' citadel, where they meet with the ruler inside of his grand hall.
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Interlude: Miracles and Madness
On their final night in Narsil, the Raiders were called to the holodeck by Eldamri, who had spent his time since his arrival preparing a ritual to retrieve Hardrive from a plane he referred to as the Endless Expanse. Hype, Vector and Tom were chosen to represent Hardrive's Mind, Body and Heart while Hardrive's family was used to bridge Mobius to the Endless Expanse. Using their bonds of friendship and the power of their memories, Eldamri was able to cross the veil and retrieve Hardrive from his exile. Hardrive reappeared, his upper body covered in fresh, severe burns - time does not flow in the Expanse and he had been living with the wounds Hannibal inflicted on him ever since his exile there. His family quickly brought him to the medical bay to recover in a Rejuvenation Tank. Having collapsed during the ritual, Serrah was also brought to the medical bay to recover. Soon after, unable to concentrate, Aidan approached Tom for a late night sparring session.
Later that night, as the Raiders relaxed and enjoyed a well-earned peace, Goth, secluded while he recovered from his injuries in Aegise, pleaded with Arisa to turn off the dampeners holding him together so that the constant pain he felt would finally come to an end. Unable to see him in so much pain, Arisa complied. By destroying the dampener, Goth's mind snapped and he began to transform into a cracking, volcanic-like beast who quickly went on a rampage through the brig, going so far as to even hurt Arisa and Vouse. Those Raiders nearest to the brig quickly responded and, under the command of Cyrus, began to engage Goth.
Cyrus quickly discovered that Spirit energy could be used to stabilize Goth's condition. While he gathered the individuals necessary for a kind of sealing, Ramah and Mirrai fought to keep Goth sedated while Gregor searched for Hype. Gaining no response to her hails to the brig, Jenet quickly locked down the area and turned on the dampener fields in that level. The Raiders began to converge on Goth's location, following him as he ran rampant through the brig levels until Jenet's security finally brought him to a stop with their dampeners. Alice then kept him subdued while Cyrus gathered energy from those closest to him in order to perform a technique meant to stabilize him, realizing later that the technique was actually a Soul Shatter. Arisa, Vouse, Alice, Loki and Hype lent him their spiritual energy and Cyrus used it on Goth, purging his body of its impurities and reforming the spriteling in a new, stable body. As Goth fell unconscious, Disill - controlling Ramah's body - appeared, prompting a battle with Loki, Jenet and Hype. The three of them were able to quickly subdue him and bring Ramah's persona back to the surface.
A meeting was called in the wake of these events, during which Killane outlined their new missions, welcomed back Hardrive, and composed a list of Raiders requiring mandatory psychological evaluations before they could return to the field - Ramah, Goth, Mirrai, Gregor, Fraise, Loki and Hardrive. Ucion struck up a friendship with Alice after the meeting. Of those that were interviewed, only Ramah was forced to sit out, his connection with Disil being a problem that needed correction before he could return to the field. Mirrai would have also been held back as well were it not for Cyrus' speaking out on her behalf. A change had been noted in Goth's demeanor and after his interview was completed, Arisa was called in to answer some difficult questions, as she was identified as the one responsible for Goth's rampage. She bore the scrutiny of her commanders and, in the end, was allowed to return to service.
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Chapter IV: Fight Back the Dark |
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Stage Five: Midnight in the Garden of Light and Shadow
Jenet's team arrive in the Land of Shadows in the midst of an unearthly blizzard. As they approach Edo, capital of the Sheira clan, they are attacked by a Nocturnus Helionaut - their first glimpse of the battle raging below. A brief gap in the wall of snow allows them to see the Sheira's ninjas and samurais at war with the Nocturnus, the Onikage, and Shadow Beasts. As the Black Diamond provides cover fire to allow them to force their enemies back out of their city, Finitevus leads his Nocturnus troops down to join the battle. Just as the order is given for the Raiders to disembark, the ship is wrenched from the air and pulled towards the palace by the gravity-manipulating arts of Yahiko, one of the Kagedaimyo's elites. Upon landing, Yahiko escorts the Raiders to the Kagedaimyo's audience chamber.
The Raiders met with Kagedaimyo Lady Freya and quickly learned the details of the situation in Edo - the Sheira were quite capable of protecting their city so long as the river that runs through it, their only source of fresh water, was secure. Recently, that river boiled away, leaving no water behind and placing Edo in a dire situation. The Kagedaimyo accepted their help but before they could exchange information their audience was broken up by a scuffle in an adjoining chamber. Durzo, one of the Kagedaimyo's Anbu, entered carrying an invisible eavesdropper. Kagedaimyo Freya proved all too willing to do away with her but Aidan spoke out on her behalf, claiming her secret involvement with the Raiders ever since Nekohl. The stranger was then forced to reveal herself. Beneath the snarling lupine mask, the intruder was identified as... Eden. Or rather, a perfect twin of Aidan's younger sister.
The young girl was questioned but refused to say anything beyond a name they could refer to her by - Luna. Jenet pressed the issue and nearly provoked a fight with the girl until stern words from Kagedaimyo Freya and Tom brokered an uneasy truce. Meanwhile, upon learning of the Shadowkin and their possible connection to the war in Edo and the boiling of the river, the Kagedaimyo decided to investigate the matter herself, leaving her handmaiden, Kaede, and her second most powerful Anbu, Kyler, disguised as the Kagedaimyo herself and her personal Anbu guard, Durzo. With preparations made should the coming battle turn against her, the Kagedaimyo led the party out of Edo and into the Eastern Wood. Luna was passed into the custody of the Raiders, accompanying them as they ventured towards the eastern mountains and the lake that fed the now nonexistent river.
As they traveled through the forest they came across a pair of scouts, strung up by chains, bait for an Onikage ambush. A raiding force twenty-five strong then attacked the party. The Raiders acquitted themselves well in battle though it was the Kagedaimyo and Durzo who were responsible for most of the Onikage deaths. Putting the battle behind them, the heroes pushed on until they reached the edge of the forest and the foothills of the eastern mountains, encountering a new twist in their journey: a thick miasma was spreading out from a mountain range far larger than what ought to have been there. Unsettled but no less determined, the Raiders pushed onwards, discovering the miasma to be an amplified version of the Shadowkins' aura.
Summoning wards to keep the negativity at bay, the Raiders hiked up into the mountains, passing the bodies of several dead scouts, eventually reaching the large lake that fed the river - and finding it frozen. Above a waterfall that fed the frozen lake was glimpsed a large Node and the sky above them was lit by a scrawl of glowing sigils in the language of the Sheira. The Kagedaimyo moved across the lake just as the node's guardian appeared - a Tengu by the name of Shiki. As Aidan attempted to fly over the multiple sword-bearing hedgehog, Shiki went on the attack, Aidan's life spared only by the Kagedaimyo's intervention. The battle then began in earnest, the Kagedaimyo attacking the creature directly while the Raiders circled past him and approached the Node itself - a jewel the size of a house, encircled by a glowing script outlining a contract with Shiki - that he is to protect the Node with both Life and Sword.
The Raiders test the Node and discover it to be surrounded by a barrier that reflects any attacks used against it. Meanwhile, the Kagedaimyo's battle with Shiki reaches new heights when she captures him in a genjutsu trap. Just before she delivers the final blow, he hurls his sword up into the heavens. His death lowers the barrier and summons the Shadowkin Zarlash, who promptly destroys the lakebed - and, apparently, the Kagedaimyo. The Raiders and an enraged Loki then unleash a barrage of attacks on the Node but succeed only in cracking it.
Aidan and Tom set out to distract Zarlash, Chaos Emerald in tow. The Raiders resume their attack on the Node and are soon joined by an unharmed Kagedaimyo Lady Freya. As Zarlash begins to gather energy for tempest-like attack, the Kagedaimyo assists in a renewed assault on the Node. When the Node still refuses to yield, she then summons Amaterasu, the Sun Deity. Using the shape of a great wolf, the summon crushes the Node in its jaws before leaping into the tempest to deal with Zarlash. The tempest implodes, the lake is ruined and Zarlash's tail is seen vanishing into the clouds.
The battle won, the Raiders return to Edo to find the city in ruins. With their capital devastated and the river dammed for the foreseeable future, the Kagedaimyo expressed her fear of a civil war in the Land of Shadows. With the threat of further war on the horizon, she expressed her thanks by giving the Raiders a Chaos Emerald her scouts had discovered and pledged to support them in the coming battles.
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Stage Six: Malevolence of a Dead City
As the Exodus journeyed south towards Station Square, the Chaos Emeralds remaining on the ship began to glow and pulse in reaction to the presence of a similar energy source in the nearby ruins of Westopolis. The Weatherlight ferried a team down, led by Vector and consisting of Hardrive, Cyrus, Mirrai, Damien, Vouse, Ko, Goth, and Gregor. They ventured into the city, soon hearing voices and feeling the effects of a Shadowkin's aura but did not see anything of note until they approached the center of the ruins, where an enormous Node, its size on par with the skyscrapers around it, within which was Mizz in her true form. As the Raiders approached, Kilamo emerged from the shadows of the city in her own true Shadowkin form and unleashed Hectapol's scream upon them. A shield was summoned to protect them against the Scream and Dominus was dispatched to draw her attention while Hardrive called in an air strike. The Raiders then scrambled for cover, their team split in the chaos, while the clocked ticked away the minutes until the Weatherlight's bombardment.
The Raiders finally regrouped and retreated from the site just as the Weatherlight unleashed an Alpha Strike against Hectapol and the node, the weapons just barely cracking the jewel and bringing down a handful of surrounding skyscrapers. As ash, debris and collapsing buildings fell, the Raiders were forced to seek refuge in an abandoned hotel to ride out the devastation. Hardrive, Goth, Damian and Ko bore witness to the ship's lack of effect on the Node while Cyrus purified Mirrai upon her request. Meanwhile, Kilamo, damaged by the Alpha Strike and Dominus' attacks, retreated for the briefest of moments before returning to attack in full once more.
The Raiders regrouped and Damien was dispatched with the Chaos Emerald to deliver to his father. Just as Hardrive was about to call in another Air Strike, a GUN transport ship arrived, piloted by Rom and Al. The Raiders bordered the ship and a new plan was hatched based upon Mirrai's Chaos abilities. She and Hardrive climbed onto the roof of the Hopper just as Kilamo exploited the link between Dominus and herself, stalling him into inactivity by channeling her obedience to Hectapol through him. Damien was able to break the spell by attacking Kilamo - and promptly drew her attention to him.
Damien dove for the Hopper with Kilamo just behind him. Vector attacked Kilamo, once more drawing her attention, and Damien delivered the Chaos Emerald to Mirrai. With Hardrive holding her steady, she unleashed a Chaos Spear deep into the riven Node. The attack awoke Mizz and she was able to break free of the Node, although she used the last of her strength in the process. As she fell to earth, Mirrai leapt free of the Hopper to catch her with Hardrive right behind her. The Chaos Spear tore through Kilamo's head and after reforming she began gathering strength for a final assault against the Raiders. Damien recovered in time to pick up Mirrai and Mizz while the Hopper did a fly by and Goth grabbed Hardrive. Vector attempted on last strike at Kilamo but the attack was disrupted. Surprisingly, so was Kilamo's.
Matzos strode out of the shadows. Kilamo retreated. Unwilling to pursue a battle with the eldest of the Shadowkin, so too did the Raiders.
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Interlude: Truth and Consequences
Killane, Hardrive, Tom and Jenet meet with Aidan and Luna to determine the enigmatic feline's fate. In a forced compromise, Luna was allowed to stay and work with the Raiders so long as she remained under close supervision. Later that night, Hardrive and Jenet met with Rom and Al to find out why they were in Westopolis. The clones admit to tracking them for several days and had just gotten lucky in meeting them in Westopolis. They reveal that Station Square has become a battlefield. Taking advantage of the chaos caused by Hectapol and her children, TRIumph moved against the city and forced GUN into battle. Soon after came the Nocturnus, drawing GUN's attention in another direction. With their attention split in two different directions, GUN was forced to rely on mercenary bands to help protect the city.
One such mercenary band was led by Hunter, an occasional ally of the Raiders. They helped Rom and Al and shared news on a bounty, issued by Governor Kazanachou, for any mercenary band able to assist the Raiders. Rom and Al slipped out of the city and made contact with a GUN base where they were able to secure the Hopper. In addition to the grave news in Station Square, rumors had begun circulating prior to their departure of a war brewing between the Kingdom of Acorn and the Eggman Empire.
When their report was concluded, Hardrive pledged to assist both trouble spots. Rom and Al then left to prepare their departure and bring word to Hunter. Following the meeting, Jenet encountered Aidan in the hallways and gut-punched him to square his debt in keeping information regarding a stowaway on her ship secret. Meanwhile, Damien confessed his feelings for Ko to Goth and Arisa - and walked away in one piece. In a private discussion, Arisa made a startling confession, claiming to be Anika Amaritsu, sister of Kana and Nakamaro's former fiancé. Later that night, Goth sought advice on his new nature from Cyrus and Aidan sparked a fierce argument with Eden over Sol.
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Chapter V: Before the Dawn |
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Stage Seven: Advent of Destruction
Guide by Kyren's steady hand, the Weatherlight cuts through the clouds and dives into the war zone that is Station Square. GUN and TRIumph do battle in the air while the Raiders punch through, leaving the Nekohlians and La Masquerade to fight TRIumph while the ground team is dispatched. In an abandoned corner of the city, Tom and Killane lead their team into the streets while the Weatherlight takes off to rejoin the aerial war. After exploring the empty, battlescarred street, an object flying through the fog of war blocks away crashes into a nearby car. That object is discovered to be Shadow the Hedgehog, stunned but conscious, who climbs to his feet as explosions and gunfire come from deeper in the fog.
Advent Arisen Agents of Chaos
The Ultimate Lifeform
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Stage Eight: Eggpocalypse Now
Jenet's t
Mobian Heroes
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