Mantle of Deceit

Danger on the High Seas - The Turtle General's Dilemma

Terror struck one of Kiel Hyre's cargo ships when on the seas near Turtle Island, the crew was attacked by the Turtle General and his army. The invading reptiles threw everyone overboard and hijacked the ship, stealing over 400 Million zeny worth of ores and stones. Fortunately, everyone carried butterfly wings, and were able to return to Alberta safely.

Victims claim the Turtle General asked for forgiveness when attacking, making the incident even more confusing. If the General only attacks those who interrupt the peace of Turtle Island, why was he going out of his way to steal a cargo ship full of ores and stones?

Due to the incident, authorities warn those in port towns to be careful, in case the turtles attack again.

Later, the Turtle General attacked Beacon Island. His target: a cargo ship full of ores. As the heroes defended the town, they questioned his reasons for stealing ores. The turtle explained that a dark-robed man came to his kingdom in the middle of the night and stole baby turtle eggs, disrupting the life cycle of the species. He threatened to destroy the eggs unless the Turtle General brought him mass amounts of ores and stones.

The Heroes promised to find the Turtle Eggs and return them to Turtle Island, but first they had an appointment to speak with Lord Matthew in Niflheim.

The following day, Lord Matthew stood at the town square, ready to answer questions regarding the accusations of the Turtle General. Several darksiders offered their alibi, but it seemed not everyone believed the Crimson Lord was innocent.

Determined to prove his innocence, Lord Matthew granted the heroes access to all of the properties he owned in Niflheim. However, in less than one minute, the high priestess Sheena Archer found various turtle eggs in the tool dealer building. When confronted with the possibility of being taken to prison, the Lord Knight attempted to flee. The creator Maya hurled acid bombs at Matthew, forcing him to retaliate, but with the help of Sacerdos Signat and Sheena Archer, they managed to subdue the man.

Now in prison and awaiting a preliminary hearing, Lord Matthew refused to talk to anyone. Several people, not just those from the dark allegiance, claimed the man being framed, but it is now all up to the courts of the Kingdom of Rune-Midgard to decide on the Crimson Lord's future.

Meanwhile, the rest of the Turtle Generals eggs are still missing. The Rune-Midgard Government had offered a reward for whoever finds the eggs to encourage people to help out. The eggs were later to be found at the following locations: Mao (The East Comodo Cave), the Luluka Forest, and at the Border of the Papuchica Forest. Rune-Midgard authorities returned the eggs to the shores of Turtle Island for the Turtle General to take wherever they belong, and appeasing the monster from further attacks away from his Island.

Impending Firestorm

Reports came in that for the past few weeks, Thor Volcano has been spewing more smoke and ash than usual. While it creates splendid sunsets, there have been concerns for the safety of the residents of the surrounding region. People with respiratory problems are advised to wear some sort of mask to protect themselves.

The recent volcanic activity has also been accompanied by minor earthquakes in the region. Some of the volcano-dwelling creatures have been spotted outside of their natural habitat. Travelers were asked to be careful when traveling near the Veins' Wasteland.

Eventually, Thor Volcano spewed ash more than ever, a strong magnitude 4.8 earthquake rattled Arunafeltz and the surrounding areas, prompting a group of heroes to visit the volcano to check what was going on.

Strong mechanical sounds, mainly drilling, were heard from inside, followed by a massive explosion. A hooded man dressed in dark robes ran out of the entrance to the Volcano, with several golems trailing behind him. The man yelled "The Dark Allegiance will prevail!" as he was chased northeast, to Rachel.

The heroes attempted to subdue him various times, but the man would not give up. After much shouts in praise to Erebos he finally made it to Rachel, quickly getting lost within the crowds.

It was revealed shortly after that some of the automatons the man controlled walked into Veins carrying large amounts of ores. They headed for a ship waiting in the south and sailed off before the Arunafeltz Coast Guard could catch them.

The general populace begin to question if Lord Matthew is in prison for having the Turtle General steal ores, who is this other man? Is he a follower of the Crimson Lord, or a man who framed him as some claim?

The Golemancer

Fairy Lucretia and those who joined the Wingless raided the Rekenber Company Laboratory. The Company's spokesperson would not shed light on what the artifact was, and limited himself to only informing that they, “ran out the front entrance, overcoming all security measures.”

Simultaneously, someone else had broken into the Rekenber building, presumably the same scholar responsible for Thor's Volcano acting up. He used golems to steal massive amounts of Orichalcum and other ores. Upon exiting the building and after shouting praises to the god Erebos, he set off a bomb that blew up a section of the second floor, killing three people and leaving approximately five injured. The cloaked man escaped in a warp portal with the ores, leaving several golems behind to cause further destruction.

Search For The Unknown

One of the five members of the Dark Allegiance Council walked out of the Prontera Court a free man at last. Lord Matthew, also known as The Crimson Lord by his followers, or Lord Macho by his fan club, was absolved of the crimes he was charged with, regarding the disappearance of The Turtle Island eggs many months earlier. The weekly protests in front of the Court and Prison did not daunt the Justice System, nor did the clear evidence that the man now known as The Golemancer was actually responsible for the crime.

With a faint smile denoting triumph, he offered a few words to the press.

"Today, I walk out of this house of injustice a free man. My stay here was prolonged unnecessarily despite the evidence absolving me, however, as a sign that I am the better man, I forgive the Rune-Midgard Government, and will not sue them. I will, however, take the opportunity to send a message to this 'Golemancer'.

The Dark Allegiance Council, composed of Ciar, Melot, Rajnish, Tiamat, and I, have decided to use all of our resources to find you. If you wish to make things easier for you, turn yourself over to the International Courts."

During an exclusive interview with Lady Thea this morning, she expressed her worries at The Golemancer's attempts to bring down the relative peace established with the Dark Allegiance. She mentioned discussing with the other members of the Council of the Light Allegiance to help bring The Golemancer to justice, and would announce the results of their talks "soon".

Somewhere in Payon later that evening the Dark Allegiance council met again for the first time together in many months. Lord Matthew did not appreciate that the meeting was not held at his residence in Niflheim, but the soon to ensue argument was quelled by Melot himself. He informed the group that he had recently sent Tiamat to speak with Thea in secret. The enchantress explained that, “Thea only limited herself to saying she would try her best to reach a consensus among her council.” She also added later that Thea also made mention that a member from her allegiance could provide the identity of The Golemancer and a press conference would be held in the following days.

Melot would make special note that it was important they did not let the Golemancer die a hero of the Light Allegiance and to do things by the law this time, or else people will grow to detest the group further.

Behind Closed Doors

It was the Light side's turn to fight monsters for the Allegiance Competition. The participants entered the combat room, while the spectators -- Mostly high-ranking Light and Dark members -- were segregated as usual, watching from their respective balconies.

Shortly after the end of the third wave, a waiter arrived. He offered drinks to everyone, and after Lady Thea took one, he shook her hand and complimented her work for the Light Side. She smiled, and closed her right hand tightly as she waited for the people around her to pay attention to the fights. Once everyone was distracted, she opened her hand and unfolded a piece of paper.

It simply read: "We must talk. I'll be at the old combat room. - M"

With a sigh, Thea walked off for the mentioned room. There, among debris from old monster fights, stood Sir Melot, dressed in a tuxedo like the other spectators.

Sir Melot wanted to discuss with Lady Thea her plans regarding the Golemancer and the full plans on how they would reveal his identity. Thea gave her response, and Melot reminded her that for the sake of their current peace between them that the man must be “ended.” Thea disagreed utilizing the death sentence even against one such as the Golemancer. She added as well that Nereus and Maristella made it difficult to bring the council to consensus on working in an alliance with the Dark Allegiance. She reminded Melot that she already informed Tiamat of the same information.

They then spoke of Odin, and each asked the other if they had received any further news of threats they may face in the far future. But he had not, and was too busy testing the heroes currently to prove their worth to not only himself, but Freya and Loki too. The two leaders tone then turned to worry as they spoke of a seal, and a fiend that hid behind it. But just what they meant exactly would not be spoken aloud as a bell sounded, and Thea decided to return to her seat before anyone noticed her gone too long.

Later that week, a man claiming to know The Golemancer's identity sent communications to several news media. He declared the man had until September 14 to turn himself over to the authorities to face justice for his crimes, or he would personally reveal his identity, and "let the wolves come for him". This man wished to remain anonymous until the 14th.

If he holds true to what he said, The Golemancer's secret identity had its days counted.

Keeping Yuno Afloat

The Golemancer remained hidden, and his identity revealed by a long-time friend of his.

A group of heroes arrived at Thanatos Tower to meet with Arriel, the man that seemed to know who The Golemancer was. He went on to explain the reason why the man was after the dark side.

When Satan Morroc was resurrected, the desert sands of Morroc swallowed The Golemancer's friends. He spent several months in a psychiatric hospital, and was never the same afterward.

Despite the clear evidence the Dandelion group -- not the dark side -- was behind Satan Morroc's awakening, The Golemancer strongly believed otherwise. After explaining the man's origin story (so to speak), Arriel revealed his name: Kushiel. He was last known to live in Lighthalzen.

Ciar, who was with the group, wanted to go visit the house by himself, but the heroes didn't trust him to search for evidence alone. At Kushiel's house, they found a diary. Everyone thought it obviously suspicious that such an important belonging was simply left behind, but listened to Ciar as he read the last entries out loud.

Mostly, the diary talked of Kushiel's thoughts against Fairy Amdusias' invasion of Rune-Midgard, and a dislike of the two Allegiances acting like sports teams. The last entry however, talked of his next target: Yuno's Ymir Heart Pieces. They would, according to him, help make the perfect golems. He would use these to attack the Dark Allegiance's Headquarters and bring about a "new age".

Having apparently not left enough clues, Kushiel also wrote the date of when he'd march into Yuno to take the heart pieces. Next friday, the 20th. Ciar took the diary to allegedly hand it to the international authorities.

Everyone was advised to be on high alert in the following days. If Ymir's Heart Pieces were ever taken from Yuno, the city would fall from the sky.

Later at Ciar’s Mansion...

The scholar paced one of the rooms while Tiamat looked through Kushiel’s diary that they had recently acquired and soon turn over to the international authorities the next day. They shared the notions that clearly the evidence was meant to lead them astray but they had nothing else to go on, and that they cannot let the schemer advance further in his plans.

Tiamat would agree to assist with the upcoming attack against Yuno and Ciar requested that she try to bring back a golem for him to study the memory scroll technology Kushiel employed on his rock and clay creations.

Judge, Jury, Executioner

Dictatorial Masterminds

Just as some suspected, the announced attack on Yuno was not what it seemed to be. It was merely a distraction that allowed Kushiel to march into Rachel's Holy Ground. As the group of heroes stood between Kushiel and the Ymir's Heart Fragments, he delivered a "warning" to the heroes:

"Stay away from me, and live to see another day. Stand in my way, and be destroyed."

In the end, his golems managed to keep the heroes busy long enough to steal several Ymir's Heart Fragments and flee. If his claims to destroy the Dark Allegiance are true, he is one step closer to his goal.

Just after these attacks, Lady Thea announced the Light Allegiance Council decided to join forces with the Dark Allegiance to capture the man.

Then Somewhere in the Light Allegiance's Headquarters in Aldebaran...

The council member and Sniper, Maristella, busted through the doors into Thea’s office to shout her disapproval of Thea’s decision to join forces with the Dark Allegiance and that the leader of the Light Allegiance was quick to always work with them in recent times. The High Priest Nereus, also in the room before Maristella’s outburst then explained on Thea’s behalf that they made the decision without her, and that he himself is responsible.

They then attempt to justify their actions without causing the Sniper further anger by stating she was not the most “level-headed.” This lead to Maristella snapping back and asking for the comment, and Nereus to point out her flaws in handling “Lord Matthew.”

Thea then spoke of the importance of removing Kushiel from acting at large because he was clearly not mentally stable, and tarnishing the Light Allegiance’s image by “playing judge, jury and executioner” on their behalf. Maristella would calm herself and asked that in the future she not be left uninformed.

During the Same time but at the Dark Allegiance's Headquarters in Prontera...

Stalker Rajnish shouted to his guards to watch every corner of the building with their life.

"Yes, sir!" The guards shouted in unison.

Lord Matthew, who was next to him, spoke in a low voice, so as not to be heard and asking if his fellow council member even planned to pay them overtime.

"The hell I am."

Collision

The corridors of the Dark Allegiance's hallways lay desolate. Not only did the traffic of people lower substantially, everything of value had been taken to a more safe location. Only those stationed to protect the building stood by, ever-brave, and ever-underpaid.

Every day that passed without Kushiel attacking the Dark Allegiance, was a day filled with tension, for some feared what he was planning. The Dark Allegiance's council refused to leave the building, as it would allegedly represent an act of cowardly surrender. They also had something in store for Kushiel, the Golemancer...

Far from the haughty bustling Lighthalzen, on an island to its south, the whirrs and clinkering of machines shattered the silence of the overgrown ruins.

A professor, dressed in light blue, spoke through a device in his ear. "We're leaving for Prontera, Amaria. Final status report?"

A female, robotic voice replied through the device. "Running Diagnostics..." The system checked the scholar's machines for any problems. "No issues detected. The recent installment is fully functional."

"Perfect." He murmured, as he boarded his ship and departed from the abandoned laboratory. "Remember the commands."

"Commands already saved. Take care."

Irreconcilable Differences

Kushiel stormed into the Dark Allegiance's Headquarters southeast of Prontera. The heroes had a plan were such an attack to occur, and lured him to an arena, where he was ambushed by Rajnish of the Dark Council.

The two fought fiercely after exchanging words, but in the end, Rajnish managed to defeat him using old magical contraptions known as Seal Forces and Trap Forces. Lord Matthew, with great satisfaction, cuffed Kushiel, who was warped to Yuno to be taken to the International Courts.

No one expected what would happen next, however.

The defeated golems that were left inside the Dark Allegiance's headquarters began to blow up. Everyone ran for the exit as fast as they could, but not all could make it. Currently, more than 25 were confirmed dead, from both allegiances. Several survivors were found in the rubble, among them, Rajnish. These were taken to the nearest hospital.

Reports indicated Rajnish's condition as grave, but stable. Most others were not faring well, however.

The security measures at Yuno's prison have increased drastically since The Golemancer was interned. A preliminary hearing would be held, though some received reports he will choose to waive said hearing and proceed directly to trial.

The sentence for only Kushiel's most recent act is death, but several Light Allegiance members have already raised their voice in protest, with their usual claims against the death sentence. They also claimed Kushiel is not mentally stable (and thus unfit to stand trial), suggesting he return to a mental institution instead.

We tried getting a response from Sir Melot regarding the attack, as well as his opinion on the Lightsiders' opposition to Kushiel's possible death sentence.

"This man is a threat to the world. He has hijacked ships, stolen valuable ores, risked an eruption of Thor Volcano by drilling into it, armed the fairies for their invasion of Rune-Midgard, stole a fragment of Ymir's Heart from Cheshrummir, and now killed all these people to punish us. He cannot possibly be allowed to live. It is an outrage to even have such a thought!"

With The Golemancer captured, the temporary alliance between the two allegiances ends. Only the foreshadowing of possible future conflicts remain, over the life or death of one man.

The Trial of the Golemancer

"Three days ago, I stopped by Lighthalzen to meet a boy. According to his mother, he used to eat his veggies, play outside with his friends often, and cheer excitedly for his father when the man would participate in marathons. Typical, run-of-the-mill boy of eight years. But his behavior and mental health had taken a turn for the worse.

The boy's father, a brilliant scientist and locally famous marathon runner, happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time about two months ago. During an attack on Rekenber Labs, he suffered serious head trauma, and lost both his legs. He could no longer walk, nor perform the simplest of daily activities. Witnessing one's father's health turn for the worse like that does one no good. Imagine how the boy must have felt one month later when his father died. He does not play outside, he does not eat or sleep well, and his grades have dropped drastically.

And now, this man we know as The Golemancer, who openly accepted and flaunted about perpetrating these attacks on Rekenber -- among other places -- stands accused for this laundry list of crimes. ... ... ..."

Just a short bit of the prosecution's 25-minute-long opening statement yesterday. And with that, Kushiel's trial began.

"If trying to cleanse the world of evil is wrong, then so be it. I am gladly guilty of all crimes I'm charged with comitting." Kushiel fearlessly told the judge. "So... do I get sentenced to death or what?"

Meanwhile at the Prontera General Hospital...

Tiamat and Sir Melot stood by Rajnish, who was in critical condition, but with signs of improvement.

"They better sentence him to death." Melot commented. "There's no other option."

"I hope they do as well, but the Light Side wants him to rot in prison instead. We'll have to avoid excessive conflict with them if we want to keep the fiend in check." Tiamat replied, worried about bigger issues than Kushiel.

Melot sighed. "There will be whatever conflict necessary if they choose to let him live."

The High Wizard shook her head in disappointment. "I'll check on the seal, then..." She murmured, leaving the room.

Note: Players were allowed to persuade others via forum post as to why the courts should sentence Kushiel the Golemancer to death or not. Lady Thea and Melot also weighed in and players were given another opportunity to clarify their position.

The Golemancer's Sentence

After long deliberation in The Golemancer trial, the jury came to a verdict: Life in prison.

Dark Allegiance members were outraged, with some threatening to Protest at Yuno starting tomorrow morning. The majority of Light Allegiance members seem to be satisfied with the outcome. We interviewed Lady Thea shortly after the verdict was announced, and expressed her bittersweet feelings regarding the issue.

I am neither satisfied nor disappointed. This won't repair all that The Golemancer has caused, but it will put a stop to him and prevent him from causing more destruction. I hoped he would be sent back to a mental institution, but I accept the Jury's decision. I hope we can find out soon where his hideout was, as well as the whereabouts of his remaining golems and Ymir's Heart Pieces.

We tried to interview Sir Melot, Lord Matthew and Ciar as they exited a mansion in Rachel, but only Lord Matthew made a statement.

We were foolish to trust the International Courts to do what was right. I will rally the masses and protest until they hear us out and revoke the sentence of that madman. This isn't over for him!

Rebellious Retaliation

Keyboard clicks and mechanical blips sounded off inside an abandoned building. Golems stood behind a female figure as she typed.

"Data successfully shredded. Golem systems fully functional..." The female figure thought as she stood up and placed an explosive device on the computer.

"We're coming to save you, Kushiel. You must finish what you started."

As she walked away, a faint magic circle glowed behind her back.

At the same time in the sky floating city of Yuno...

The Dark Allegiance protest the sentence the Golemancer received. Maristella, a group of Light Siders and concerned citizens arriv at Yuno to counter-protest. A heated argument between the leaders Maristella and Matthew begins.

It soon turned into a street brawl between the two allegiances after a hooded woman questioned Matthew's acquired fortune and insulted his brother.

While the two allegiances fought, the guards tried to break up the fights. It was at this time that a woman leading Kushiel's golems attacked the prison and helped him escape. The brawling allegiances teamed up and helped take the woman down, but Kushiel couldn't be found. A dangerous amount of prisoners also escaped while everyone was fending off the golems.

The captured woman was taken to an undisclosed location to be questioned. Once again, the search for the Golemancer is on, as Odin's predictions on this "Cloaked Schemer" ring true every time.

Later...

At a private hospital room in Prontera, Ciar gave a now-awake Rajnish details of Kushiel's sentence, when all of a sudden, a Dark Allegiance messenger barged in.

"Kushiel escaped from Prison!" the man exclaimed.

Ciar's face turned from calm to infuriated in an instant. "What!?" he yelled, accidentally making several lightbulbs blow up.

Still cringing from the "light show", the messenger explained the situation.

Rajnish scoffed. "What the hell is wrong with these prisons nowadays!?" He shouted as he lay on the hospital bed. "They should have listened to us and just killed him... This is what they get!"

Meanwhile...

At a Schwartzvald Federal questioning room in an undisclosed location, the woman responsible for freeing Kushiel sat down. The room, like many of its kind, were enchanted to prevent the casting of spells or usage of dangerous skills. Several guards stood by the door however, for additional security.

Lord Matthew and Maristella entered the room. They looked at her, still bruised from their earlier battle.

"Well, let's start with a simple question. Who are you?" Matthew asked, as he simply just looked at her.

"My name is Amaria." The woman replied, without giving it a second thought.

"Why have you freed Kushiel?" Maristella asked, as stern as Matthew did.

"I believe his goal to do away with scum like that man there is one that he must finish at all costs." Amaria replied, faintly pointing her index finger at the crimson lord knight.

Matthew now glared at her, shaking his head. "You can control his golems. How long have you been working with him?"

"Kushiel created me. Since my birth, I've had full control of his golems."

Maristella tilted her head slightly. "Created you...?"

Amaria nodded, calmly. "I am similar to what Kiel Hyre would call a 'fourth generation robot'. The memory scroll I use was created from Kushiel's memories of his best friend. I look and behave as she would, and even bear her name. My main job is to make sure that his golems, as well as Fairyland's, are working in perfect conditions."

Matthew facepalmed and murmured to Maristella. "Another sociopath that works for the fae." He turned his face to look at the robot lady. "Where is Kushiel?"

"I don't know, and even if I did, I wouldn't tell you." the female bot replied, smiling ever so faintly. "My connection to the golems has been cut off since you captured me. He won't be happy to know he can't find me."

"What are Kushiel's plans now?" The female sniper inquired.

"Tell me, do you visit your brother's grave often?" the robot woman asked Matthew.

The lord knight quickly unsheathed his crimson Naght Sieger blade and stopped it within an inch of Amaria's neck. "Anything else you want to ask me?"

The guards grabbed Matthew and dragged him out of the room, as Maristella sighed and rubbed her temples. Amaria smiled sinisterly, only muttering an ominous comment. "Kushiel will do great things, just you wait..."

Note: There was an event after this for players to assist the authorities in capturing Escaped Convicts and Criminals roaming on various maps.