The Merry Mod-mas Knight

[Jest_A_Clown]

Edition 7 Part 2: Rough Defense

[][][][]Yay! I has the luck of the dice tonight![][][][]

"Why isn't he falling?! He's not even tired! Kill him! Kill him now!" one of the hot-tempered Techs shrieked as Dreiyan continued to beat back their advances on the Modmas tree. They were starting to get more furious in their attempts, Dreiyan now thought it appropriate to strike back instead of defending. "Your feeble minds are driven by hate. You can never hope to crush Modmas beneath such a blind emotion." Dreiyan intoned in a righteous voice as he began pushing forward into the six Techs. One tried to blind him with a torch thrust, Dreiyan's blade severed the offending arm and quickly followed up with a stab to the chest. The others were, like their comrades previously, stunned by the attack. They were even more stunned when their fallen Tech burst into a shower of golden holiday dust right before their eyes, and was swept away by a gust of wind. The remaining five attacked in pairs then, coming at him with axes and trying to land a hit anywhere they could...and failing miserably. Dreiyan allowed them a little hope by pretending to be beaten down by the blows, then began laughing uproariously as he clove the axeheads from their hafts, rendering them unarmed. Not allowing them time to regroup, he dispatched one with a swift beheading, and the other with three stabs to the chest. Now only three remained.

The bravest of them rushed at Dreiyan full speed, and Dreiyan severed him without breaking stride, advancing slowly and menacingly towards the remaining two Techs. The higher ranked, if there were ranks, among the two imparted a message to the other, which took off at a dead run out of town. The other stood his ground resolutely in Dreiyan's path, torch now extinguished on the ground but axe at the ready. "You will pay for this...whatever you are." he hissed as Dreiyan drew closer. Dreiyan wished to cut him down, but as part of the spirit he was infused with, the very thing that granted him this power, he knew it wouldn't be right unless attacked. "Go now and return to your master. Your kind has no place upon this holiday's merriment, although you'd surely be welcomed if you would act civil. I'll not impede your progress if you leave quietly. Now." Dreiyan said, only a foot or two from the lone Tech. He then turned his back on him, awaiting his departure, and surely inviting a stab in the back.

Tech # 1342 didn't know what to make of this. Never in his career had he encountered such lenient mercy...or absolute stupidity. His foe stood before him, his back exposed, and expected him to leave. His keen eyes surveyed the piles of golden dust that were dashed upon the ground, the fine layer of golden dust that seemed to cling to the being's weapon...he smelt of pine trees and a mixture of all things one would simply label under 'the holidays'...it was quite pleasant. Not quite knowing what to do, he lowered his axe, and let it fall to the ground. The figure did not move, not even a flinch, as he backed away slowly, but before turning away, he had to ask. It was as much for his own curiosity as for needing something to report back to 1337 and Gambino. "...Just what are you? Why do you fight for something so...trivial?" he asked in a low voice, knowing full well that fraternizing with the enemy could cost him dearly.

Dreiyan smiled and chuckled heartily in the frosty air, pleased that he wouldn't be striking this particular Tech down like the others. "Trivial? If it brings joy to the people of this wonderful town, puts a smile on your face, gives you a reason to celebrate, I'd hardly consider it trivial. The holidays should mean something to everyone, if it doesn't, then they need to really 'experience' the holidays firsthand. I don't suppose you celebrate Modmas where you work do they?" Dreiyan asked rhetorically, knowing full well that, among the many things that went on in Gambino Labs, Modmas was not one of them. Turning towards the lone Tech, he asked quite sincerely. "Mmhmm, I thought so...Right now it's a bit hectic, what with you attacking us and all, but I'm sure after it's all said and done, Modmas will carry on quite unchanged. We'd be happy to have you with us if you like." he said, leaving the offer open. The Tech's eyes widened at the prospect, but Dreiyan could see the raw fear churning inside, disobeying their master was a thought these Tech's couldn't quite handle yet. "N-No, I can't. It's...this isn't how things turn out. I'll thank you for sparing me but no more. You have your Modmas...I have master 1337 and Gambino." the tech replied, with the tiniest hint of regret.

"Suit yourself." Dreiyan replied, a little regretful himself that it didn't turn out the way he'd planned either. "Then, sad as it is, we shall remain enemies. Gambino and his dis-illusioned cronies against the Modmas Knight and all of the Gaians...Good luck, you will need it." he said as he strode away around to the front of the tree where the battle still waged on.

"The Modmas Knight..." the Tech said, as if trying the name out for himself, "This will definately be a problem..." he finished, and then quietly departed Barton Town.

Attack Report:

2nd day: attack 2 out of 2

AC rolled: 13, beating the Labtech's AC of 12

Damage rolled: 17, detracting from the Labtech's HP of 53

Attack Rating: A crushing blow!

Enemy HP remaining: 31

End of Attack 2: 12/13/2010

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In the Next Edition: A Knight's Duty

Expected Release Date: December 14th, late afternoon

 

[Jest_A_Clown]

Edition 8 Part 1: A Knight's Duty

[][][][]![][][][]

As Dreiyan made his way back to the front of the tree, he could still see the Gaians mobbing the initial group of Techs. At that precise moment, one of the Tech's failed to block an attack from Ian, the weakness did not go unnoticed. Several Gaians set to work on that one Tech and eventually he fell, the group was now completely vulnerable as they were literally pushed apart and singled out. But Leon was no barbaric warlord, he ordered them bound, tightly, and to be detained while under a vigilant watch. It seemed that the second wave of attacks on Barton Town had failed.

Dreiyan, still brimming with his new-found power and quite aware of it, went to each of the captives. He inspected them each, but saw hatred or rock hard lack of emotion in each of their eyes. In their subordinated leader, he saw sheer defiance, which made sense, he was bound twice as much as any other Tech and had his own personal guard. "This isn't over. Gambino will realise the attack failed, and he will send more and more of us to deal with you. You don't stand a chance, even with your powers!" he yelled in a rage at Dreiyan and lunged against his restraints, trying to get at him.

"A shame you aren't so reasonable as your backup you called in. Two of them walked away unharmed because they went peacefully. I'll not deny it, there are two sides of this war we're fighting, but that doesn't mean we have to be enemies." he said calmly. But the Tech wasn't in any mood for discussion, even bound head to foot, he still managed to shake off the two guards holding him and launch himself like some angry bandaged worm at Dreiyan. The Tech's teeth sank into his arm with quite real pain, powers or not, if someone bit you with the intent to remove a chunk of your person, you were gonna feel it. Dreiyan grunted as he pryed the manic Tech from his arm and then took a good look at his teeth. He started to chuckle, then bust out in full laughter, the Tech's teeth were striped red and white, like a candy cane. "Oh ho ho!! Hahahaaa! Look at the rabid Tech! His teeth turned into candy canes!" he said, almost doubling over with laughter. His powers were really quite incredible, just in a holiday sense. He'd never expected something like that was going to happen.

The Tech was re-restrained and set back into place by the guards, who were also snickering a bit. It was pretty funny, a full grown angry man in a labcoat with a mouth full of fearsome candy cane teeth. Oooh Scary! He was now moaning in pain, because, as any Gaian could figure out, if enough candy could rot your teeth, having your teeth turned into candy would have you begging for a dentist and a set of false teeth.

Dreiyan looked at his arm, still smiling. The Tech had left a nasty mark, and he was bleeding. For all his power he was still mortal. But Dreiyan did not care, a mortal is most fit to carry the spirit of Modmas anyhow. Because mortals knew how to celebrate and enjoy things to the fullest!

Attack Report:

2nd day: attack 1 out of 2

AC rolled: 6, not beating the Labtech's AC of 12

Damage rolled: 0, not detracting from the Labtech's HP of 31

Attack Rating: Lol! It was worth getting bitten.

Enemy HP remaining: 31

End of Attack 1: 12/14/2010

 

[Jest_A_Clown]

Edition 8 Part 2: Seriously?

[][][][]This could take awhile...[][][][]

The Tech's were thoroughly demoralized and beaten, and the Gaians were in a rather chipper mood with the victory. They couldn't 'get rid of' the Techs in cold blood, they were unarmed (though that didn't count for much) and beaten. With the danger passed, Dreiyan could feel the power gently residing as his regular form took its place. His eyes lost their ethereal glow, the aura that had surrounded him dissipated, and the strange weapon dissapeared from his hands. "...Sweet! At least I get to keep the cool outfit!" Dreiyan remarked as he twirled his cape in a classic hero 'woosh!' movement. Everyone was bustling about, quite preoccupied with repairing what was broken, readying for the attack they all knew would be coming, and if there was time...a little celebrating. They had earned a small respite in this hectic day.

Dreiyan searched for Leon, and found him quite harshly surveying the prisoners, as if he would be anywhere else. However, he hailed Dreiyan with a hearty wave and a smile when he saw him. "Wow, I've had many days as a defender of this town, but I've not seen something quite like that before! Just what the heck happened?" Leon asked, as quietly as they could, the people nearby gathered a little closer to hear as well without being to obvious. "Well" Dreiyan began, "When the fight broke out, right after you tackled that crazy Tech chick off of me, I got knocked in the head...kinda hard." he said, rubbing the knot on the back of his noggin that had formed. "I looked to the star on top of our tree, and I sent out a prayer to someone, anyone that was willing to help. And sure enough, someone answered." Dreiyan said with a happy tone. "It's the usual with these supernatural God types, great booming voices, never showing themselves, speaking cryptically and whatnot, but I know my mission. They gave me this power so that I could protect our precious Modmas holiday from the forces of evil! Looks like it happened just in time right?" he finished as he surveyed the scene of the epic battle that had taken place.

Everyone voiced their agreement, some shaking his hands and offering thanks, then departing about their tasks. None of the captured Techs would meet his eyes, whether out of defeat or denial he could not tell. Before he also left to take care of some business, he pulled Leon off to the side and told him that little extra suspicion he'd gotten about the supposed 'Gods'. "Hey Leon, while I was being granted this amazing power by those two Gods, I think I figured out who they were..." he said mysteriously. Leon arched an eyebrow and quietly asked, with much contained excitement, "Ok shoot. Who were they?" After a dramatic pause Dreiyan whispered into his ear. "Eh...Mintaka and Rigel...for real." Leon's face gave an odd expression, and he could only stare at Dreiyan and said one thing... "Seriously?" with a tone of disbelief.

They both knew of the two...'interesting'...Demi Gods, they'd made several odd postulations, spectacles, and appearances in no predictable manner over the years and had a certain level of pompousness in them that seemed to rival Gambino's on certain days. But hey, if they were starting to understand the things mortals treasured most, and were even willing to help out with it, then Dreiyan wasn't complaining. He just wondered why they'd sounded so embarrassed when he asked their identity. "Awww, THEY DO CARE!!!" he thought happily.

Attack Report:

2nd day: attack 2 out of 2

AC rolled: , not beating the Labtech's AC of 12

Damage rolled: , not detracting from the Labtech's HP of 31

Attack Rating: No attack made

Enemy HP remaining: 31

End of Attack 2: 12/14/2010

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In the Next Edition: What could possibly go wrong?

Expected Release Date: December 15th, late evening

 

[Jest_A_Clown]

Edition 9 Part 1: What Could Possibly Go Wrong?

[][][][]omg! I'm not makin much headway here.[][][][]

Drinks and quickly-made meals were distributed all around. Everyone was enjoying themselves, except for the Techs of course, and making merry. Rufus had picked up a violin from who-knows-where and started to play some lovely holiday music. Several of the Gaians had left the square to help clean up and check on things at home while others had stayed to help the wounded and partake of the celebration.

Dreiyan was no stranger to a good celebration and made the best of it, dancing a few jigs and enjoying a mug of nice hot cocoa, freshly brewed by Agatha along with some ham. As was the holiday spirit, the hostage Techs were offered much the same, though on paper plates and styrofoam cups so they couldn't harm anyone with it. Most rejected the kindly offered food, though a few took theirs quietly and ate in silence. The Tech who had suddenly developed a case of 'candy-tooth' was being seen to by a doctor, who was unceremoniously pulling the teeth from his head. Served him right.

Though it was still a few days more until Modmas, who was to say they couldn't celebrate it a little early? After all, today was a hard-fought victory, and it was still only around three in the afternoon. Dreiyan was just glad he'd not lost any of his friends to the attack and came out relatively unharmed himself. In fact, he'd come out of this ordeal a sort of hero. Who wouldn't want that?

Attack Report:

2nd day: attack 1 out of 2

AC rolled: 3, not beating the Labtech's AC of 12

Damage rolled: 0, not detracting from the Labtech's HP of 31

Attack Rating: Intermission

Enemy HP remaining: 31

End of Attack 1: 12/15/2010

 

[Jest_A_Clown]

Edition 9: Continuation of Part 1

[][][][]Omg, finals are over! I'm so happy!!![][][][]

People were enjoying themselves, but no one was fully relaxing. No 'strong' drinks were passed around, and there was a constant rotating watch on the lookout for more attacks. If Gambino was going to try something else, he'd have to send an army. Which, knowing the usual thought process of the man and his resources, that was quite a possibility. Still, songs were sung, stories swapped, and everyone's mood was improved greatly whenever they looked and still saw their magnificent tree standing. It glistened and glittered with the multitude of ornaments that were hung on it, all Gaian-made. It was a beautiful sight to behold, Dreiyan couldn't understand why anyone would want to destroy it.

All things considered, it wasn't that heavy of an attack. A large group of Grunnies set loose about the outside of town, and a followup of Techs to clear out the tree. It seemed a little to easy. Gambino had to have something else up his sleeve, especially with an order that outrageous. "Gambino's Day...Hah! What a laugh. As if anyone would willingly celebrate something like that. Who does he think he is? Our yearly holiday designator?" he remarked to a group of Regulars who got a good chuckle out of it. Dreiyan looked over to Leon, whom Moira was showing how to perform some sort of dance. He had to look away and restrain his laughter at seeing him try to stomp and twirl about in his full armor. But he was at least enjoying himself, as was Dreiyan and everyone else.

In all the excitement, the guards watching the Techs got a little too distracted, and so did not notice several of the Techs slowly breaking down their bonds, including the now-toothless leader Tech.

Attack Report:

2nd day: attack 2 out of 2

AC rolled: , not beating the Labtech's AC of 12

Damage rolled: 0, not detracting from the Labtech's HP of 31

Attack Rating: No Attack Made

Enemy HP remaining: 31

End of Attack 2: 12/15/2010

 

[Jest_A_Clown]

Edition 9: Part 2: Fool Me Once

[][][][]Booyah! I love events that give me an excuse to RP![][][][]

No one noticed anything was wrong until the Techs were already halfway across the square, Toothless at their head. The guards who were er... 'guarding' the Techs had been incapacitated and were unconcious in the snow. There were six of these Techs, and all of them looked quite unhappy. They were making a mad dash towards the tree, their destructive intent obvious as they rallied together to ram the tree.

Leon and Dreiyan were on their feet immediately, hoping to cut them off. One of the Techs broke off from the group and headed straight for Leon, sacrificing himself so the others could accomplish their goal. In a rather unorthodox manner, the Tech turned himself into a living projectile with a somewhat epic flying kick that Leon could not evade nor defend against. He took the kick full force and was sent flying backwards, with the Tech recovering quickly and keeping him busy. "Stop them Dreiyan!" he shouted, a bit winded, as the Tech began to follow up in his attacks. The five remaining Techs were fast approaching the tree, and Dreiyan wasn't anywhere near them. He could feel the desperation, the endangerment of Modmas, and through that, he felt the source of the power he was now able to tap into at will. "In defense of Modmas!" he yelled while still at full sprint. The holly-blade appearing from nowhere and the ethereal aura returned to cloak Dreiyan's spirited form.

In one fluid motion, he hurled the double-bladed weapon like a spear. Right before everyone's eyes, it bent in half and folded upon itself, sprouting more and more spiky holly that flattened upon itself to create a razor edge. The finished result was a weapon that had changed from a naginata to a boomerang in mid-air. Said boomerang swept in a wide arc ahead of the Techs, and came sweeping back with gale force directly into them. Toothless went sprawling face-first in the snow to avoid the cut, the Tech behind him leapt to the right and suffered only a tear in her lab-coat. The third, fourth, and fifth, however, did not end up as lucky. The third was beheaded, his body not realising it until a gust of wind came to finish the job. The fourth attempted to dodge the boomerang, but lost his arm in the process. The fifth and final Tech, being at the back of the group, didn't anticipate just what was happening and was neatly divided in half. The holly-boomerang returned to Dreiyan, being deftly caught in one hand without suffering so much as a scratch from it's razor edge.

The remaining two Techs at the tree watched in horror as their numbers were reduced instantly to half. Even the fourth, who'd only lost an arm, was done for. No blood came from the wound, instead, his wound spread slowly up his body, reducing it to golden dust. The fast-disentigrating Tech reached out with his remaining arm, trying to voice something to his comrades, but soon the process overtook the rest of his body, and he ceased to exist. While they had watched, Dreiyan had calmly caught up to them and now stood between the Techs and the Tree: an insurmountable foe, a divine sentinel, the spirit of Modmas incarnate

Attack Report:

2nd day: attack 1 out of 2

AC rolled: 20, beating the Labtech's AC of 12

Damage rolled: 8, detracting from the Labtech's HP of 31

Attack Rating: That'll teach em. 3nodding

Enemy HP remaining: 23

End of Attack 1: 12/16/2010

 

[Jest_A_Clown]

Edition 9: Part 2: Till the Bitter End...

[][][][]Yay for an epic finish.[][][][]

Dreiyan stared down the two remaining Techs, Toothless and a female Tech who'd only gotten a tear in her lab coat. His gaze was not remorseless, but it was full of pity. He didn't want to do away with them, but they'd proved they were committed to their cause. This left no room for mercy. His holly blade morphed from a boomerang to an imitation of Dreiyan's previous lance, with much more green. He leveled it with the female first. He saw her laugh, even with wild fear in her eyes, spiting him even now. She rose from her feral crouched position and before Dreiyan could stop her doing otherwise, she pushed forward,running herself through on the lance. She kept moving forward, placing her hands around Dreiyan's neck and attempting to strangle him even as her physical form trickled away. Dreiyan could only watch her with sad eyes as nothing but hate emanated from hers, even as they too turned to dust.

Toothless stood his ground as well, giving Dreiyan the same hate-filled and defiant stare. Though the humiliating loss of his teeth left his speech somewhat difficult to understand, Dreiyan got every word he spoke then. "You must feel high and mighty right now with some deity backing you up. Pathetic!" he spat. "If yours was a holiday worth protecting, you wouldn't need this 'power'. Which is why it will fall to us! Through thep ower of our own minds, our own effort, we have achieved much. Science and Gambino's near limitless resources has given us the edge, and we make successes and failures on our own merit. We don't lean on some petty divinity for support. Not now. Not ever." he finished bitterly, smiling as if he'd won a victory. But who was to say he hadn't?

"Do your worst, puppet-knight. My master's revenge will apparently not be mine for the taking. But you can guarantee someone will. And so I fight...to the bitter end." he said as he reached into his lab coat with shaking hands and withdrew a vial of some bright glowing liquid. "Science conquers all." he hissed as he hurled the vial at the base of the tree with full force where it shattered, releasing its contents onto the tree. "Petrous oxide!" he yelled in triumph as the tree began to grey in the areas it had been splashed. It was slowly starting to spread upwards. Dreiyan looked at it in horror, the tree wasn't dying from poison, it was being petrified to stone right before his eyes.

A subtle rage filled his eyes as he turned back to the triumphantly grinning Tech. "As you said, 'Till the bitter end'." he said harshly, and without hesitation, stabbed the Tech in the foot.

He was surprised when the Knight had given him such a paltry wound in the foot, but realised one scratch was all it took. Already sensation was fading from that extremity as it turned to shimmering golden dust. It was spreading slowly up his body and would overtake him soon. But the Knight had no interest in watching him die, he'd already turned away! What insolence! He was attending to his precious tree. Hah! as if anything could be done for it. Once the petrous oxide had taken hold, the effects were irreversible. The tree was stone gray almost halfway up now...Mission Accomplished. "...What is he doing?" he thought to himself as Dreiyan drew close to the trunk of the tree, careful not to chip any of the branches that stemmed from it. The Tech worriedly looked up, and his unease vanished. The grey had reached the star atop the tree, and even that was starting to grey out due to touching the tree. It was quite possible even the Knight would turn to stone himself if he didn't get away. He began to chuckle dryly, his body was now gone below the waist. "As I fade away, so does your precious tree! Hahahaah!!"

His laughter trickled off as he began to lose conciousness. But he began screaming in rage as the last things he ever witnessed were burned into his waking memory. A soft glow was emanating from the Knight as he wrapped his arms around the tree. Slowly but surely, whatever he was doing was reversing the petrification process. The grey began to leech out of the tree as if it had never happened. "NO! NO! NO! NO NOOOOO!" he screamed in a fury. Using what little strength he had, he began crawling with his arms, pulling himself toward the Knight, he didn't get far though. The very last thing he saw was Dreiyan turning towards him and waving goodbye, with a jolly smile on his face and a perfect green tree behind him.

Attack Report:

2nd day: attack 2 out of 2

AC rolled: 12, beating the Labtech's AC of 12

Damage rolled: 12, detracting from the Labtech's HP of 23

Attack Rating: FATALITY!!!

Enemy HP remaining: 11

End of Attack 2: 12/16/2010

 

[Jest_A_Clown]

Edition 9: Part 3: Devotion has its Price

[][][][]Victory is mine!!![][][][]

He honestly hadn't known what he was going to do when he placed his hands on the petrified tree. It's not like his powers came with an instruction manual or anything. But he felt such a profound sense of loss and pity for the tree that he couldn't just watch it turn to stone. He was barely aware of the glow surrounding his hands as he placed it on the solid bark, and simply willed the tree to heal itself. Much to his surprise, that's what happened. The grey was dissapearing from the limbs and boughs of the tree rapidly, and it's normal vibrant green color was returning.

Dreiyan turned back with a triumphant smile of his own to face the last Tech he'd put down. He was nearly gone, only his torso and head remaining, looking like he'd attempted to crawl his way up to the tree. Dreiyan just watched with the perpetual look of joy on his face as the Tech vanished from his presence. The crowd of people that had watched the entire spectacle went wild with joy, cheering and clapping as, once again, the Modmas Knight had saved their tree. Leon had shown up too, the Tech that had distracted him taken care of, and was clapping along with the rest of them.

Everyone's clapping slowly quieted and died away as one figure boldly strode up the road and into the square, clapping his hands slowly and rythmatically. Before all of them stood the leader of the Gambino Lab Techs, Tech # 1337 himself. Aside from his tall stature, confident gait, and his unique and commanding voice, there wasn't much to distinguish him from any other Tech. "You know, at first I didn't believe it when a little tech came running up to me blubbering about some vengeful modmas spirit eradicating my entire squad of techs. But low and behold, here he stands." he said in a forceful tone. "It dissapoints me that my techs were unable to stand against you. Apparently I must handle this demolition job myself." he said as he withdrew a vial from his labcoat, popped the cork on it, and drank its contents with no hesitation. A visible shudder went through the leader tech as he swallowed. "Ugh...Experimental serum #109B. Needs work on the flavor, but it should do the trick here. Prepare for defeat, Modmas Knight!" he yelled as Dreiyan stepped forward to meet his opponent.

1337 began shuddering violently as his muscles bulged, tearing through the labcoat and pants. He began growing taller reaching almost eight feet and a good three feet wider. His skin had turned a dull grey, spotted with veins all over. He'd essentially turned into a massive Hulk in a matter of a few moments, but seemed perfectly lucid in his transformation. Roaring in a bestial, barely human voice, the transformed 1337 spoke. "GAAAH!! That really hurt!! But it looks like the results were worth it. Behold your opponent Knight, fear me!" he finished, bashing his overly large fists together menacingly.

Dreiyan was more disturbed by the transformation than horrified. Who would willingly do that to themselves just for this? Regardless, Dreiyan was now faced with the largest foe he'd faced yet, but if his powers indicated anything. Size didn't matter. "Yeah...real impressive and all. But we were having a nice little celebration when you guys decided to ruin things, and I'm sure we'd all like to get back to it. Goodbye." he said dismissively as he hurled his lance at the beast's massive chest. The tip barely penetrated through the thick skin, but it stuck. That was all that was needed to seal 1337's fate.

"Ha! Just who do you think you are?! Turning your back on me, I'll show you!" he yelled as he plucked the lance from his chest and prepared to hurl it straight back at Dreiyan. "..Eh..what's this?" he said in astonishment as he looked at his chest. Golden dust was pouring out of it like a sieve. "AAAgghh!! What did you do to me?! Im disentigrating into dust!!" he said, his deformed voice now filled with panic. A large hole was now forming in his chest, and he was powerless to stop its spreading. "YOU!!" he roared in a fury, "WILL PAY FOR THIS!!" and charged at Dreiyan, moving like a gorilla for its massive arms.

Dreiyan knew his effect would take time, but he'd hoped his foe would be too busy trying to stop it than attacking him. He turned around just in time to get hit with a fist that looked and felt the size of two cinderblocks. Dreiyan bounced and skidded off the pavestones in the square, eventually coming to a halt on the far side. He'd barely gotten to his knees when the 1337 beast was upon him again, this time smashing him into the ground multiple times before getting tossed yet again. The crowd had retreated to a safe distance and was watching with dismay as the 1337 beast decked the halls with their Modmas hero all over the square.

Dreiyan was able to get to his feet this time, but only because 1337 had lost his legs to the holiday-effect of his weapon. That didn't slow him much though, as he simply thundered across the square using his massive arms as legs instead. He was picked up high in the air, those massive fists closing in around his body, attempting to crush the life out of him. 1337 was fading too slow, Dreiyan would be dead by the time he fully dissolved. He needed his weapon dearly, looking over to where 1337 had first transformed he saw it laying on the ground. He managed to wriggle one arm loose and reach toward it, hoping someone in the crowd would get the message before it was too late.

Thankfully, they did. Leon was out on the square in a flash, scooping up Dreiyan's weapon and running at 1337's back full speed. 1337 was fully occupied with Dreiyan, and both of his hands were full, so he had no way to defend against the crippling blow Leon struck to his head, leaving the weapon lodged inside up to the shaft. In pain and surprise, 1337 dropped Dreiyan, who landed as gracefully as he could manage while taking a deep breath of fresh air. "Th...Thank you...Leon. He...nearly had ...me." he said between breaths. The body of 1337 had gone still, quietly turning to golden dust amid a silent crowd and gently blowing wind.

"VICTORY!!!" Dreiyan and Leon yelled as they raised their fists. They had defeated Gambino's top Tech, his right hand man, 1337. Surely now he would give up on his endeavour to destroy Modmas...

VICTORY!!!!

Attack Report:

2nd day: attack 1 out of 2

AC rolled: 16, beating the Labtech's AC of 12

Damage rolled: 14, detracting from the Labtech's HP of 11

Attack Rating: EPIC FATALITY!!!

Enemy HP remaining: 0

End of Attack 1: 12/17/2010

---------------------------------------------------------------

In the Final Edition... "An Epic Battle for Modmas: Advent of Gambino!!!"

Expected release date...sometime tomorrow!!!

 

[Jest_A_Clown]

Edition 10: Part 1: Advent of Gambino

[][][][]O to the M to the G! It's Gambino Time!!![][][][]

No one had quite expected such a quick respone to the defeat of the infamous 1337, but nonetheless it came. Though Gambino himself did not appear, it was quite obvious it was he who sent it. A thunderous roar was heard in the sky, which immediately clouded over on a perfectly clear and crisp winter day. From the mass of roiling black clouds directly overhead hazy glowing lights were seen flashing repeatedly. Suddenly, a bright light pierced the clouds, shining directly down on a space in the square which quickly cleared of anybody nearby. A thunderous 'THOOMP!' was felt more than heard as something was launched from what Dreiyan assumed was a ship hovering above their town. Whatever object it was, it came fast, a black blur that slammed into the ground like a missle. The impact rocked everyone present to their core, rattled the tree, and send dust flying everywhere. When the haze cleared, a large cylindrical obelisk stood alone in the square. A door suddenly opened, flooding the area with bright light, and a robotic version of Gambino's voice was heard.

"Modmas Knight. Thus far you have thwarted my attempts to 'reform' your holiday by eradicating my forces. Well I've had enough of it. This battle will settle once and for all who shall win. Despite what people say, I'm an honorable man, if you defeat me, you shall have your...Modmas..." it said, with much audible disgust even through the robotic overtone. "Step into the teleporter, Knight. I shall test your mettle against a true opponent. With the whole of Gaia able to watch in this one-time only televised event." he said, as the lights dimmed a little to reveal an interior just big enough for one person to fit in. Then, in a tone of voice that startled most people there, including the one it was intended for, Gambino boomed: "Donovinh! If you are still out there get yourself in the station and use the link I have provided to make the broadcast happen. I'm sure everyone would like to see the outcome of their holidays firsthand." he finished with a tone of finality, and then the voice cut off, leaving everyone looking to Dreiyan with hope, and Cindy Donovinh running for the station.

Attack Report:

2nd day: attack 1 out of 2

AC rolled: 7, not beating Gambino's AC of 16

Damage rolled: 0, not detracting from Gambino's HP of 70

Attack Rating: No Attack Made

Enemy HP remaining: 70

End of Attack 1: 12/18/2010

 

[Jest_A_Clown]

Edition 10: Part 2: Advent of Gambino

[][][][]WTH? Same exact roll TWICE?!![][][][]

With a silent farewell wave to all of the Gaians and Mods that were supporting him, Dreiyan did not hesitate in his march to the teleporter. As he stepped inside, the door whisked shut, and a great whirring of machinery being powered up was heard. A great burst of lightning shot from the teleporter to the skies above where Dreiyan was transported to whatever location the hovering ship had set the coordinates to. Subsequently, the teleporter down below fried itself so that no one else could use it to interfere.

Dreiyan was sore all over, he'd been mobbed by rabid little grunnies, tossed about and roughed up by Lab Techs, nearly throttled to death by a mutant 1337, and was quite bushed. But this would be it! The final battle! And then it would be over. He offered a silent prayer to 'the ones' that gave him this magnificent power, and asked them to give him the strength to pull through this one last feat of determination.

In a flash, he was there. Having himself disentigrated into little shiny particles and reformed within seconds was a bit disorienting, but he soon got his bearings and took in his surroundings. He was in a large, dark area. He couldn't see the ceiling and the place felt so vast. Tentatively, he called out into the darkness: "Hello? Anyone there?" In response, a series of bright lights flared up, each coming to life with a hollow 'thump' noise and flooding the room with light. Shielding his eyes as they adjusted to the brightness, he discovered he was not in a room at all. He was in an arena. Shifting his feet beneath him, he discovered the floor was made of sand, he could see the sky above, and the stands surrounding the large arena. "Holy Zomg!!! I'm in the Coliseum!!" Dreiyan said in awe. He'd only just heard of it's big reveal on the news days before. He had no idea it was already functional...but sure enough, with Gambino's cash, it most certainly was. The stands were filled with several of Gambino's henchmen. Pencil-pushers, clerks, twisted experiments, un-happy looking Gaians that looked like they were being paid to root against Dreiyan, and a large number of Lab Techs. The Techs were in their own section of the crowd, waving vulgar signs and shouting several blasphemies at Dreiyan for the killing of their precious 1337.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, I, Johnny K. Gambino, now present to you tonight's entertainment. The Defeat of the Merry Modmas Knight, former Barton Regular, Dreiyan!!!" A blaring voice erupted over the intercom system, and several news cameras zoomed in, showing Dreiyan's face to the hopeful faces of hundreds of Gaians, so close and yet so far away. One of the gates at the end of the arena started to creak open and Dreiyan caught the eyes of a scary looking beast within.

"HEY GAMBINO! What gives? You said I'd be fighting you to determine the fate of Modmas. What about being honorable. Huh?!" he yelled in anger at being cheated. Gambino simply replied in a mocking tone. "I never said you would be fighting me first. And this is honorable, putting you to the test in this glorious new coliseum, battling waves of enemies with the whole of Gaia hanging on your every move. Who could ask for more honor? ....Enjoy your first opponent, Dreiyan. We're all watching you..." he said deviously as the intercom clicked off and the gates finished opening to fully reveal the first opponent.

Attack Report:

2nd day: attack 2 out of 2

AC rolled: 7, not beating Gambino's AC of 16

Damage rolled: 0, not detracting from Gambino's HP of 70

Attack Rating: No Attack Made

Enemy HP remaining: 70

End of Attack 1: 12/18/2010

-------------------------------------------------------------------

The next exciting edition will be out tomorrow, just like all the other ones. Let's hope I get some good numbers stare  

[Jest_A_Clown]

Edition 10: Part 3: An Un-even Playing Field

[][][][]If this battle drags out forever, I just might need some RPing inspiration to keep it going...[][][][]

Dreiyan hadn't expected the thing that came roaring out of the open gate. His first reaction was of mixed horror and appreciation. Gambino had actually put some thought to this. He was using the Animated against him, and he didn't have any rings on him to fight with. Dreiyan didn't know if his dust-power worked on the Animated, but it was worth a try.

The Animated that had been chosen to fight Dreiyan was The Lawnmower. Dreiyan had fought one of these kinds before, but never one so large. This was an industrial sized lawnmower, armed with some pretty gruesome looking blades. The crowd was going wild, all cheering for the Animated. All he could do was ready his weapon and wait for the machine to charge. Sure enough, it did.

Picking the best weapon for the situation, Dreiyan stuck with his lance. The huge thing roared its way toward him, spraying sand everywhere as its blades cut through it wildly. Dreiyan backed up as far as he could to the wall and waited for just the right moment. At the last possible second, he turned, ran up the wall, and flipped backwards as the Lawnmower crashed straight into the wall with full speed. Landing neatly atop it, Dreiyan was not about to wait and see if the crash had disabled the thing, he raised his weapon and struck down hard. The blade physically cut the metal, a little, but he did not see the disentigrating effect present. Dreiyan's heart lurched and dropped into his stomach...he was now faced with the impossible: Kill an Animated with no rings.

Since he wasn't quite up to that task, he sought out the next best option: Disabling an Animated with no rings, a much easier task. "Oh this is such bull." he said in annoyance as he took his next best option, jamming his weapon into the blades to stop them from turning, which also seemed to hamper it's movement greatly. He hopped down neatly from the Lawnmower amidst a shower of 'boos' and hisses from the crowd. He knew that his foe had been disabled quite easily, his lance was firmly wedged in the blades, and though it looked very...organic, in nature, the weapon showed no signs of breaking. "Your first opponent was a sham Gambino, give me something better!" he yelled challengingly. Knowing he was unarmed, he turned back to his weapon. If he removed it, then the Lawnmower would be free, he didn't want that.

Upon closer examination, he saw that the sprigs of holly normally sprouting from his weapon had produced little red berries. Following his gut instinct, he plucked a berry from his weapon and placed his will upon it. In a flash of light, the teensy red berry elongated and transformed into a mirror image of his first weapon. "Impressive, Knight. But let's see you handle this!" Gambino's voice said over the intercom as another gate was being raised.

Attack Report:

2nd day: attack 1 out of 2

AC rolled: 11, not beating Gambino's AC of 16

Damage rolled: 0, not detracting from Gambino's HP of 70

Attack Rating: No Attack Made

Enemy HP remaining: 70

End of Attack 1: 12/19/2010

 

[Jest_A_Clown]

Edition 10: Part 4: An Uneven Playing field.

[][][][]So difficult to string this out while remaining epic...[][][][]

The second gate revealed another deadly animated...the WTFOMG! A crazy, screeching animated with sharp pointy legs and a loud maw that came forth. Dreiyan was in no mood for this, he wanted Gambino! Not some Animated pet to soften him up. Dodging around the beast's first charge, he ran around back to the gate which had released it. Knowing it was coming back around, Dreiyan simply waited for the right moment and jumped, grabbing a hold of the gate while the stupid Animated rushed right beneath him and back into its cage. Using his weight, Dreiyan managed to pull down the gate, sealing his opponent inside without much resistance, and with alot more boos from the crowd. He cut the chain mechanism to the side of the gate to prevent them from raising it again.

"Away with these pests Gambino! It's you I'm after! Since you won't realise for yourself that Modmas is going to carry on with or without you, I'm gonna have to beat it into your thick skull!" he shouted to the surrounding walls. The Lawnmower was still stuck in position, whirring a little in anger, but still immobile. There was no way to remove it from the ring. Finally, his opponent spoke. "Very well then. Open the third gate!"

Attack Report:

2nd day: attack 2 out of 2

AC rolled: 13, not beating Gambino's AC of 16

Damage rolled: 0, not detracting from Gambino's HP of 70

Attack Rating: No Attack Made

Enemy HP remaining: 70

End of Attack 2: 12/19/2010

 

[Jest_A_Clown]

Edition 10: Part 5:Insurmountable Odds

[][][][]OMG! Christmas so close I can taste it!!![][][][]

The gate started to open, Dreiyan could almost see the figure of Gambino himself within the shadows. He eagerly stepped forward to meet his opponent...and was completely blindsided from behind as Gambino's fist struck the back of his head. The impact itself hurt, but he felt like he'd been hit by a lightning bolt mixed with a bullet train. Gambino had used the gate as a diversion, simply to gain the first strike by leaping from the crowd and into the ring.

Dreiyan went sprawling amidst the cheers of the crowd, who began chanting 'Gambino, Gambino, Gambino!" he was seeing stars from that blow and was having a hard time moving. Outside the ring, around hundreds of televisions, Gaians voiced their disaproval of Gambino's cheap move, willing their champion to get back up. Gambino planted a boot on Dreiyan's back, pinning him to the ground. He'd come fully dressed for battle: A tight, militaristic vest hugging close to his large and well-muscled frame, glowing metal plates encircling both arms and encasing his fists, giving off a static shock every now and then.In a loud, dramatic, and overstated voice, as usual, Gambino began the ever cliche'd, villain's monologue.

"See your champion before you Gaians! He's mortal like the rest of us. He's no god or spirit sent to protect your modmas holiday. This is just some cheap prank, conveniently wrapped up in a costume. It is here you see who holds the real power. The power to WIN! To DOMINATE!" he said while shaking a fist in the air. "I am the one who controls the fates of many. And so I should, who else is better fit to rule than I, Johnny K. Gambino?" he said with a question, daring anyone to speak against him. "Your Modmas Knight is a sham, and I'm going to prove it to you...very harshly." he finished as he removed his foot and picked up Dreiyan with one hand. The metal glowing gauntlets he was wearing were one of 1337's last pieces of work. They greatly enhanced Gambino's strength and would shock the opponent severely upon contact. A definitely unfair advantage.

Pulling back one fist, he let fly a punch straight to Dreiyan's face, sending him flying back into the Coliseum wall, where he crumpled to the ground, struggling to get back up. "Pathetic! How could you put your faith in someone like this Gaia? What's more, how could you not put your faith in me? After all I've done for you. This is how you repay me? Denying my one smallest Christmas request, to abolish one measly little holiday and replace it with a more favorable one? I'm ashamed of you, Gaians. And so, it is with a heavy heart that I will destroy Modmas myself. By destroying it's champion."

All the Gaians watching cringed as Gambino began mercilessly laying into Dreiyan with punches and kicks. Dreiyan was powerless to stop him as the blows rained down faster and harder than ever, Gambino laughing maniacally the whole time. Things did not appear good for the Modmas Knight...or Modmas.

Attack Report:

2nd day: attack 1 out of 2

AC rolled: 11, not beating Gambino's AC of 16

Damage rolled: 0, not detracting from Gambino's HP of 70

Attack Rating: No Attack Made

Enemy HP remaining: 70

End of Attack 1: 12/20/2010

 

[Jest_A_Clown]

Edition 10: Part 6: Insurmountable Odds

[][][][]I don't think I'm gonna beat him before Christmas... crying [][][][]

When he had finished, Dreiyan lay bloody and beaten upon the gritty Coliseum sands. Gambino was posing for the cameras and crowd, revelling in his self-righteousness. If anything could be said for Johnny K. Gambino, it was that he was a Grade A egomaniacist, who loved his attention. In fact, Dreiyan was quite sure that was what brought this whole thing about. The hadn't gotten this sort of fuss last year when Modmas came. But this year, Gambino must've thought he was losing some major attention, and so he wanted to re place Modmas with something in his name. Yes, it made sense that way. That was definately something Gambino would do.

He stuggled to his knees, and then rose until he was standing tall. The crowd went silent, and Gambino turned to face Dreiyan, hateful malice glinting in his eyes. Before he could launch into another tirade, Dreiyan cut him off in a loud and defiant voice. "You're right! I'm no champion of Modmas! I never was! The higher powers who granted me this are, for lack of a better term, still 'getting the hang' of things we mortals come to understand on our own. Their intention was good, but I now realise the truth for what it is." He said while staring intently into Gambino's eyes. If that pompous fool had any inkling that Dreiyan was giving up, he had another thing coming. "You are the fool Gambino! To think you could crush a holiday by tearing down a tree, or defeating someone who represents the holiday in public." he scoffed, giving Gambino a smirk that oozed superiority, something he knew would rile the man more than anything. "You are so very right in saying I'm no more than a mortal. I'm not a god. I'm not the spirit of Modmas. But I DO carry the spirit of Modmas within me, as does every single Gaian out there. Tell me Gambino...how do you crush that spirit? And if you supposedly could, would you DARE have the NERVE to try and do so to EVERY SINGLE GAIAN OUT THERE?!!" he yelled. This question was met with an incredibly dumbfounded silence. Gambino's cronies began whispering amongst themselves, Gambino's eyes darted from side to side, seeing that dissent was forming among his ranks. Still Dreiyan continued. "I will not fight you as 'The Modmas Knight', Gambino. I will fight you as Dreiyan, the Barton Regular, standing as the spokesman of the people whom you've been oppressing this fine holiday with your 'Attention-Complex'." he spat with disgust as there was a collective 'gasp' from the crowd.

Dreiyan could see the veins throbbing on Gambino's forehead, the red tinge that was the onset of a true fury. Dreiyan had just baffled, proven wrong, and completely demoralized the masthead of this 'Anti-Modmas Scheme' in a few sentences, while sweeping out the purpose for doing so under his feet and dangling it in front of him for everyone to see. Gesturing widely to all the cameras he knew were watching, Dreiyan declared: "That's right Gaia! You heard me! I fight Gambino as MYSELF! No powers, no inhuman phenomena, just Dreiyan and his lance." Standing back in the center of the ring, Dreiyan uplifted his hands and weapon, holding them high. "Thank you, Mintaka and Rigel, for this gift you offered. A true spectacle to show us your appreciation for the things us mortals hold dear. But this is a trial I must face on my own merit. And so, I relinquish this wonderful gift you have given me." he said and threw his hoilday weapon on high. In the back of his mind, he heard the simultaneous reply of two voices. "Ok ok it was us already! Seriously though, we aren't allowed to mess with the free will of mortals and all, but...you're in for a world of hurt. We're talking to father and seeing if there's any sort of loophole we can exploit here. Good luck, Dreiyan!"

In a brilliant flash of light, Dreiyan was standing there as he first was at Barton Square. His eyes and body no longer glowed with an inhuman aura, his outlandish holiday attire was replaced with the standard Barton Regulars Armor, and as his weapon fell back into his hands, everyone could see that it was his regular lance. "Bring it Gambino!" he shouted, and took the first strike by opening a solid gash across the man's chest. All over Gaia, the gaians were cheering wildly, while the Coliseum itself was deathly silent.

Attack Report:

2nd day: attack 2 out of 2

AC rolled: 16, beating Gambino's AC of 16

Damage rolled: 12, detracting from Gambino's HP of 70

Attack Rating: Finally! A hit!

Enemy HP remaining: 58

End of Attack 2: 12/20/2010