" But of course, I apologize English is my first language and even that I am no master of Frau Doktor Doktor Jones " He seems to say the last portion almost perfectly in German. His smile however standard becomes accompanied by a Death Stare " So I must now ask.. What is your goal... and how easily can you be corrupted? I have already seen two of my allies either defect or suddenly disappear after interaction with.. Evil artifacts ... And they were the intellectual-types like yourself, Even Radsworth seems.. odd at times.. So tell me.. What are you? " he says with a Cold Stare but a warm fanged smile.
Allison's smile faded she raised an eyebrow at the paladin's comments, I am a healer, Herr Stonesmith. And I could easily question the motives of you as well. You kill without effort and lead a band of individuals who all seem just as eager to take life.
I was a surgeon and researcher before... all of this. Until meeting the Fierce Ones I was fighting for my life in Antarctica and was the sole survivor of the forty individuals at my research station emerging through the horrors of the City of the Elder Things. Now I am gifted with some rather unique arcane and divine abilities to stop the Old Ones and restore what I can of humanity.
Allison waded over and out of the spring, formed a towel via prestidigitation, and proceeded to dry off while sitting on the edge of the water.
" And you would be wrong, for every life 'I' have taken was evil in its purest form, not once have I taken the life of something that could be saved and needed help or did not deserve it. If you noticed I did not even participate in most of the earlier fights, particularly one with the Sphinx and Argus. Taking life is something every living creature does and I chose to take the lives of the beings that are raping this world. I do not engage in wanton murder.. I am a skilled warrior, I have trained to be this strong, I am this way to be able to PREVENT the horrors YOU went through. Before all of this is was a recently graduated college Student who worked his family's smithy since he was 13 years old and had many friends and close relatives.. what you went through with 40 researchers cannot compare to the sight I had to behold... and being just strong enough to watch the weak be slaughtered or changed as well. "
Derrik's visage softens somewhat but the stare remains.. one of a person who had gone through hell yet was the only one who stood. " I simply wanted the power to protect.. I didn't ask to be a reincarnation, I didn't ask to be a Leader, I didn't ask to be the one who has to do this now. But No one asked for the world to become this Hell. And that doesn't matter.. its what we CAN do, that's important. As I have told you.. I have seen people warped and changed even Fierce Ones. You went through horrors and Exhibit power similar to another who came back n the side of Cthulhu.. I'd rather not make the same mistake twice "
Derrik's eye scanning the Doktor figuring out her aura and factoring the possibility.
" And before you ask.. Yes I could tell if you are lying and No I did not soley make items to harm.. most of them were tools to create.. I also am knowledgeable in the healing arts and a bit of lore, I also know how to fend for myself in the Wild. So I am Sorry if my Inquisitive reaction offends you.. I truly am. "
Space.
Planetary bodies, darkness, and solar radiation bombarded Radsworths inner vision. He was there, so it seemed to him, watching the creation of all that was. As he withdrew his consciousness further from the solar orgy, he noticed things.. signs.. patterns of repetition. He caught some things he had missed before, and quickly brought the observations into his active mind to store for later need.
Another part of the whole.
Soon he felt thatthe ability to unravel or reconstitute what the fabric of everything would be at his fingertips. He simply needed to wait and survive until then. Then mankind could live again, in relative safety from anything that upset their tiny little niche in the universe.
Hearing his name brought his tumbling back down to the present.
"Ahem. Yes, well. You all did well. I'm certain that even without Derriks timely charge, victory would have been certain.."
He begins to prepare a teleport spell.
"Are we ready to return?"
Allison slipped back into her lab coat before pulling her boots back on her real and artificial legs. As she stood up and grabbed her satchel, she smiled widely at Derrik, You are quite... blunt, Herr Stonesmith. I appreciate that. I am bound by the Hippocratic oath, and more so I am divinely bound to uphold any oath I make. Your ability to sense when I am lying will be of little use to you for as long as you are true to your goal of what is right, I swear that I will be an ally as well.
She walked over to Radsworth, Ready whenever you are, Herr Professor.
Yingzen bathes in the spring, his black feathers taking on a nice shine
the golden dragon flies down and drinks from the water
Daisy dives into the spring....
+5 Wisdom
When all nine of the FOs have bathed or taken a drink of the divine spring water, they gather for Radsworth's teleport back to the Castle....
Back at Pandora's Box in the Castle, the FOs have a chance to rest and discuss their future plans.
I've been wondering about the people at the movie theater back in Sarasota.... Whether they are still there and still alive and well.... We could go check in on them, and maybe recruit them to help us refit the Silver Tower as a more secure shelter?
That's not a bad idea, Daisy.... And Derrik mentioned something about wanting to go back to Lido Key and clear it of monsters so it can be repopulated by human survivors....
Allison has been working on rudimentary clockwork constructs after returning back to Pandora's Box.
She wasn't keen on the idea of leaving Germany, but from what the others had mentioned of the Silver Tower she had to admit it could be a viable base of operations.
Alright. When do we ship out? I must say, teleportation has proved to be a far nicer method of transport than I expected...
Other bands of survivors the FOs have knowledge of, that could also be checked on, are:
The Glass Onion Brigade at City Hall in London (where former RAF airman Tyler Green resides, along with the brewer and others....);
The Parliament People at the Parliament Building in London.
Of course, they could also seek out unknown groups closer to their new home, perhaps searching among the ruins of Berlin, Munich, Hamburg, Frankfurt, etc....
Then, there are many other European cities the FOs could visit--Paris, Vienna, Rome, et al.... The world is their sandbox!
Marcus floats around the room like he's kicking himself leisurely through a swimming pool.
"Yeah, the Silver Tower would be great. Maybe we can put a swimming pool where the Dodecahedron of Doom was!"
"I do not know much about this Silver Tower but what I do know is that it was filled with evil of all kinds. Are we sure there is not some lingering taint that cannot be scrubbed away?"
When Derrik returns to the Black Forest he seems to have a different air about him, something more enticing than before and more commanding. He goes around approaching many people even other FO's to speak with them personally or in groups to gather knowledge. When he notices the Doktor Allison fiddling with gears, he asks her to accompany him to Devin Cox, " You seem to have capability.. join me if you wish I have plans " along with Radsworth and Merlin.. and any other crafty individual.
He approaches Devin with this entourage "Mr. Cox, I have a preposition for you if you would have it. I assure you it would be interesting and just as exciting as your current projects. " a confident smirk upon his face and an alluring disposition as he awaits a response.
But of course, Herr Stonesmith. My grandfather was a clockmaker who made some fabulous automatons, and I inherited his tools and a fair bit of his knowledge from when I was a child. I've always wondered if that plus my new-found magical crafting skills could create some wonderous beings, but so far I have lacked the facilities and funds to truly try.
Derrik smiles at this news, an inviting smile mixed with recognition of skill. Carrying his helmet in the left arm, Derrik pats the mystical contraption at his waist and back that seems wholly integrated in his armor. " Excellent, My Dear Frau Doktor Doktor Allison Jones, I had but a glimpse of your skill but I knew there was something somewhat special of it. And now that we have gotten the Inquisition out of the way earlier, I trust you. You do not have to call me Herr Stonesmith if you wish, Derrik is fine. Arthur was also appropriate if need be; Titles were never something I had too much weight in. Now I'm sure you have seen this in action, truth be told it is somehow the manifestation of the way the Ithaqua sailed through the skies and hunted its prey. The very same one we slayed, the Mythical Wendigo. It offers great mobility... and I wish to do something involving it. "
What do you have in mind, Derrik?
Derrik nods and looks to Mr. Cox." As you well know this place offers the possibility of better material and fine craftsman from among the Black Forest. I am going to seek strong-hearted individuals like us who still have a burning passion to fight against the evil in this world. Those of any caliber as long as they have the will and I want to give them something to even the playing field. Much like the crossbow and gun made up for the vast difference between the well trained/rich and the poor weak; My idea will make up for the difference in power of man and these creatures now. I have tested it many times in combat myself to be sure.. and something more deadly than brute force.. is mobility as well. "
He slams his hand upon his contraption again. " Agility, Precision, Power.. these things make a warrior dangerous. This item I have came from a Great Old One's soul. It uses a system of chains and spikes to anchor into and then pressurized air to position and launch me at terrifying speeds. Such has given my blows increased deadliness beyond normal. It has also allowed temporary flight to heights such as 40 ft easily and allows me to travel around with ease. This however something created from a beast. I want you to make one anyone could use.. with a Mixture of your Engineering skills and the magicks around.. think of it as the next step in technology. A way to fight abominations! " a grand smile rising from him as he Slams down some of his rookie Blueprints.
" You will have to find a way to compact it because my form of it is too heavy and is meant for Heavy armor, but Im sure there are lighter materials here. The chains can be replaced with a strong nano-tubed cable and hooks of some type. There is also an area to Holster weapons on it.. I call it the 'All Terrain Multi-Dimensional Gear' or ATMDG for short. You will also have to recreate the steam with enough pressure to send the recipient flying. I guarantee you however if you come on board with this your name will go down in history. " Nodding mostly to Andy and himself.
Derrik shows them all the various blueprints and tell him of the inner workings.
Blueprint 1
Blueprint 2
Blueprint 3
Blueprint 4
Blueprint 5
Blueprint 6
After he shows them he speaks " So.. what do you think.. I worked real hard on this the last week.. and if you can make this.. I'll find those to test it right away.. "
Vell then, Derrik it is. Und you may call me Allison.
As Derrik began going over his plans, Allison set aside the section of clockwork construct she was tinkering with and pushed her multilensed craftsman glasses up onto her forehead.
Hmm... Seems quite doable overall. Assuming I have access to materials of course. My present funds are a little thin und have been diverted into this new project, ja? she said gesturing her still rather formless clockwork creation.
The master engineer studies Derrik's designs for several long moments....
This is incredible, Derrik.... Everything I've seen here so far seems feasible.... Of course, equipment of this kind would require careful training.... The operator could easily be harmed or killed if this kind of contraption were used incorrectly.... But that applies to all of my previous designs anyway.... To many things, really.... Let me show these to my colleagues and assistants.... I think we could make swift progress, given the amount of mithral we've recently acquired from the fallen star....
Andy smiles with genuine excitement at the prospect of developing Derrik's plans....
Derrik seems overjoyed at both Allison's and Andy's reactions, he may not have been the brightest but Derrik was always good at art and math. His college study was useful even in a time like this. It made him somewhat proud. During this elation he also noticed some of it came from.. Doktor Allison herself, very rarely did he find an individual who could understand his thought process let alone speak with authority much like him. And something about the German accent.. He had to shake his head a bit. Jewels... Jewels stayed by him and he shook off the advance of a Nymph, t-this should be fine as well.
" A-Allison, Alright we shall be more familiar from this point on. Truth be told, my first name might have had some Germanic origin. Regardless I am glad I have you both on the project. I, of course, will also assist in any way I can, I am still a practiced Blacksmith! Mr. Cox go right away, I must speak with Merlin and some others as well. There are a multitude of plans I have to set in motion. I wish for Humanity to not only survive, but push back this situation. It is not something or Organization can do alone, people have to change and fight as well. Allison by helping me here, I will of course help you in your project as construct and automaton research is not to be underestimated. "
Derrik then bows to them both as well as anyone else involved, turning away his crimson cape flowing behind him crossed Black and White wings emblazoned in the center upon his back flowing from the wind of his departure. " I'm off, Let's all change the world for the better! MERLIN I WISH TO SEE YOU " He shouts right after he exits.
Derrik finds Merlin in the courtyard of the Castle, sitting with Radsworth and watching Hell-No Kitty training Sun Mi, who wears a blindfold and is trying to anticipate and dodge tennis balls thrown at her by her catfolk sensei....
Hello, Arthur.... Young Sun Mi is really becoming quite good at this ninja business.... What can I do for you?
Mikey watches Marcus as he "back strokes" through the air in the fest hall of the Castle, and sips elvish ale from a pewter stein decorated with griffons battling unicorns....
So.... Where do you suppose Levinson has gone off too, Marcus? Do you think she's turned to the Dark Side? She seemed awfully intrigued by that lich's phylactery, and the whole lichdom concept in general.... I mean, I can understand the desire to live forever.... If you can call that living.... It's really more like "unliving".... I died recently, as you know, and I gotta tell ya.... It wasn't all that bad.... I don't remember much of it.... Just a sense of peace.... Like whatever was going to happen to Earth and humanity and all that didn't ultimately matter, and wasn't my problem anymore.... That's gotta be better than being an undead monster, right? By the way, I think the swimming pool is a great idea, man! We could have a water slide, too.... Although pools are kind of a pain in the ass to maintain, especially in a post-apocalyptic world where all the pool supply stores are permanently closed....
Daisy spends some time administering to her people in the Navajo camp outside the Castle, blessing the crops they have planted in several acres of fertile meadowland, and tending to the sick and frail. She has become a highly respected leader among the tribes despite her tender age. She recounts her adventures with the FOs in Babylon and the Hall of Trials, and the Navajo storytellers rework the accounts into poetic ballads destined to be told around campfires for generations to come....
Mikey watches Marcus as he "back strokes" through the air in the fest hall of the Castle, and sips elvish ale from a pewter stein decorated with griffons battling unicorns....
So.... Where do you suppose Levinson has gone off too, Marcus? Do you think she's turned to the Dark Side? She seemed awfully intrigued by that lich's phylactery, and the whole lichdom concept in general.... I mean, I can understand the desire to live forever.... If you can call that living.... It's really more like "unliving".... I died recently, as you know, and I gotta tell ya.... It wasn't all that bad.... I don't remember much of it.... Just a sense of peace.... Like whatever was going to happen to Earth and humanity and all that didn't ultimately matter, and wasn't my problem anymore.... That's gotta be better than being an undead monster, right? By the way, I think the swimming pool is a great idea, man! We could have a water slide, too.... Although pools are kind of a pain in the ass to maintain, especially in a post-apocalyptic world where all the pool supply stores are permanently closed....
"Yeah, not sure why anyone would want to be so bony and icky myself either. Suppose lichdom has its perks, but surely there are cleaner paths to immortality? And hey, that's what magic is for! Get Daisy to purify water or something on it every few weeks and presto! No more Fierce One funk. Besides, all the stores being closed just means we can go in and take whatever anyway."
Hmm, ya.... You're right! So the pool is a go for sure.... What else will we need? A theater with a huge HD screen and surround sound? A weight room so Koran and Derrik and I can keep our manly physiques up to par.... A game room with pool tables, darts, hoops, and consoles.... We'll need generators and lots of gas.... There were at least four generators in the Silver Tower already.... We should really get back there before someone loots those.... An armory for the high-tech weapons and gadgets Andy Cox is crafting up.... A mess hall and kitchen, of course.... Living quarters....
Mikey drains the ale from his stein and rises to get a refill....
Meanwhile, thousands of miles away on the coast of China....
Once, the city of Hong Kong sprawled along the coast of the sea.... It's name literally translated to "fragrant harbor".... But the aromas that now hung in the air where Hong Kong once stood were anything but fragrant.... Now, the cyclopean ruins of another city crouched on the coast, and the charnel odor of death rose from its labyrinthine streets and alleys.... Dim Carcosa now loomed over the waters.... Carcosa, corpse-city of the King in Yellow.... No longer did it reside on the shores of Lake Hali on that distant, alien world in the Hyades.... The King in Yellow had brought Carcosa to Earth, displacing Hong Kong, which now languished on that nightmare world where Carcosa had stood for untold eons....
Now, the monstrous courtesans of the King in Yellow scoured the surrounding countryside, gathering traumatized Chinese survivors from their hiding places and herding them to Carcosa, where they would become the unwilling audience for a singularly sinister play performed by mysterious actors wearing ghastly masks that concealed even ghastlier faces.... A play that would strip the audience of its remaining shreds of sanity and turn them into raving disciples of Hastur, the King in Yellow!
Derrik walks over to Merlin, slowly approaching as he watches the other two training, his heart somewhat bold and softened simultaneously. He waves to Merlin, " Hail, Merlin the Great, I can see that she is becoming a fine ninja already. The teacher is limber as ever as well, not going easy. However what I wish to speak about is quite important and to my knowledge something only someone of your power could do. " He smiles a fang from his right side exposed contrasting the warm gesture.
" Merlin, as you have searched out us during this trying time I believe there are still those out there who can fight, for the Fierce Ones cannot do so themselves. I would like you to contact every safe haven, every known resistance force, every group of survivors you can muster; Tell them Derrik Stonesmith of the Fierce Ones makes a call out to those who wish to fight back, to rid the world of this chaos and suffering, to join the a massive front, a powerful army lead by this Fierce One! The Jaeger Legion! Those who will hunt down evil like the beasts they are! Send this message to every country and if possible bring them here so that they can be trained and equipped, Our base in Sarasota Florida.. the Silver Tower, shall be their proving grounds. Tell them the most brave and determined will have the honor of joining the Rank of Panzer; Elites of the Jaeger Legion! Merlin do you think you can do this? " Derrik leaned in close as to be more quiet, " How has Hell-No Kitty been these past moments, I am still worried for her. She may be strong on the outside, but I know she was close to Kinyama. Has she gotten over her loss and instead instilled her resolve in the precocious Sun Mi? sigh, maybe I am too soft and there is nothing to worry about? Nevermind. "
Derrik backs away nodding to the grand wizard. " I trust you with this Merlin the Great, I have faith in your power; However the Fierce Ones cannot do this alone, Humanity itself must rise up. " He moves over swiftly to were the two, Sun Mi and Hell-No Kitty are training and places his Helmet on the ground nearby greeting them both. " Well it has been a while Hell-No Kitty; Little miss Mi; I think I would like to help out with her training.. by giving the instructor a workout as well. Sun Mi think of this as multiple opponent training. Suuyaaah! As Derrik gets into a Sho Dan martial Arts pose and kicks at Hell-No kitty as she strikes at Sun Mi, the back and forth testing her reaction time much more.
He does this for several hours, simultaneously asking on their well-being and giving obvious worry and tender affection to them both, informing them of his announcements as well.
When Derrik proposes to join her training, Sun Mi's gulps and wipes sweat from her brow.
Ah crap! It's him! Dad .. er.. Radsworth says this guy is brutal!
Once the training began, however, she relaxed a little. Derrik was obviously skilled, but refrained from smashing her into little pieces. It was about the toughest training she had experienced thus far, but the multiple opponent aspect opened her eyes to a new concept of battle she had yet to see.
She towels her forehead and gives Derrik a smile and a big thumbs up.
"Thanks man! That was intense. Kitty swears that if I'm doing it right, those freaky cultists won't even know I'm stabbing them. Still, Rad's told me about things that can see in all directions and spells that keep you from sneaking up. I guess versatility is the key for you guys."
After the intense training Derrik could not help be be impressed.
At the beginning she seemed nervous, but as it went on her reaction speed and instincts kicked in. It helped that I focused mainly upon the teacher instead. Hrm did she think I was going to be brutal? Heh.
Derrik nods seeming completely fine. He reaches out an hand and places on Sun Mi's shoulder a warm glow permeating from his grasp as she feels completely relaxed and energized the bruises and wear gone.
" Sun Mi I must say you have far exceeded my expectations. It must have been your first time experiencing multiple enemies, you were slow in the beginning and distracted easily. You however adapted quite nicely. Clearly this is due to your hard work, talent and your experienced instructor's guidance. Professor Radsworth is correct however, there are creatures that can see your attacks with supernatural abilities, and warriors of my caliber that can read your movements and emotions. Versatility is truly a means of survival. I am living proof of such. If you ever want to do LETHAL training I am always available, you would want to experience that ahead of time and I am most likely the best for such a lesson; Hell-No Kitty is of course invited as well. " Derrik then stretches a bit before looking upon Sun Mi thoughtfully. " Sun Mi, Tell me, do you wish to fight back against the evil in the world? Are you strong of Will? "
Sun Mi is quiet at first, thinking to herself.
"Strong of Will? I wonder what he means by that. Rad calls me stubborn a lot..."
She frowns and fishes a small shuriken, the first one she had ever thrown, out of her gear bag.
"I dunno about strong willed. I mean, at first I started learning from Kitty because I thought I was gonna go help out Rad. But then you guys just kept doing stuff more and more amazing all the time and I realized I had no place with you guys. Then I started doing it out of boredom. But now? I dunno. Seeing more and more people out there trying, I've been thinking of sneaking off to try and find survivors from time to time, the same way you and Rad found us at Lido Beach."
She struggles to find her point.
"People should live with people. REAL people with feelings, not like those cannibastards you found us with. I'd like to help look for them from time to time."
She hesitates a moment, then adds.
"And to kill cultists and cannibals. I'll leave the demons and spawn to you and Rad, but the humans... the humans who turned their back on us...those are monsters I WANT to kill. Does that make me a bad person? That I want to go kill certain people? I don't even want to redeem them. I just think they should die and I wouldn't mind doing it myself or helping someone else do it to them either."
Derrik allows her time to see his face as he analyzes her, listening to the girl's worries her mindset. After taking everything in he responds with an understanding grin.
" Sun Mi, let me say this. I am proud of you in this moment. What you describe is your Force of Will. Your drive to live and do good. Every person has those things they hate, and yours is justified. As long as you will help anyone in need like we did for you to protect, to become stronger I think it is fine. You have great potential. So I must now ask you Sun Mi.. Would you like to Join us, To join me, Derrik the Stubborn, and create the Jaeger Legion? A force against the evil. Your drive may very well make you a competent leader. I need people like you, people who can fight. Not every mission has to be about Demons and Devils... but it does make it any less important. People need to see Hope.. Will you be a part of it? I assure you I will train you to be what you seek. "
Derrik places his hand out in a welcoming gesture.
Meanwhile, in the Australian outback....
The winds blew away the desert sands, shifting the dunes to reveal the cyclopean masonry that no human hand had made....
The winds were not Earthly winds.... They were the fey winds long feared by the aborigines of that primordial land.... The winds that came not from any movement of the Earth, but from the black inner depths of those ancient prisons the Elder Things had tried to keep secure for eternity.... The winds of those inimical Others who had predated even the Elder Things.... Those warlike horrors from the cold void beyond outer space....
The stars had come round to a significant position once again in the vast epochs of time.... A position that allowed the Great Old Ones to exist once more, as they had in eldritch spans of forgotten cycles....
Shub-Niggurath had returned! The Black Goat of the Wood With a Thousand Young was giving birth to new horrors.... The Dark Young of Shub-Niggurath stomped the Earth once more, under the silently screaming moon.... The Dark Young and flying polyps were the spawn of Shub-Niggurath, and they scarred the world with their presence yet again, as they had in forgotten epochs of madness!
Herr Cox, if you don't mind, I vould like to see your armory so I can begin working. I have a... Rather intensive project in mind, but I vill need a hefty supply of clockwork supplies to proceed... Maybe you vould know where ve can go for this? Allison inquired as Derrik left to instruct Sun Mi.
She pondered for a moment, Or... Maybe it vould be better to talk to Herr Merlin und see if any new evil has breached the world... It seems as though ve never go long before a new incursion, ja?
Sieg spends much of his time training as they rest and wait for the new threat.
In particular, getting used to his new, even greater strength and senses, and practicing a new move that could save his life one day.
"They will never know what hit them..." he says, and smiles, as he perfects the fluid motion necessary.
Marcus spends much of his time with Radsworth, working on Rads' "secret project".
"Man, this thing is looking sweet. We're going to need a ton more cash though. Is it callous of me to say we should go save some more people from horrible monsters just so we're not broke?"
Sun Mi doesn't waste any time. She looks at Derriks outstretched hand and slaps hers down on top of it.
"Hell yea! Working with you and Da.. er .. Ra.. Dadsworth will be pretty awesome!"
She gracefully spins through the high five and turns on foot, sprinting down the hall to tell Radsworth the good news.
Well it's news, anyways. Whether or not he thinks it good? Who knows!
Aaron watches Sun Mi speed down down the hallways, jumping over, sliding under, and tumbling through any obstacle or person she meets.
"Huh. I wonder what she's all excited about?"
"I agree. Supplies and Requisition, always. I don't think we are THAT far away though."
He had seen Derriks plans and was interested. He wasn't sure how much difference the harness would make, but anything was worth a try. Powerful as they were, he still didn't think they held a candle to the Great Old Ones yet.
Derrik beamed as he watched Sun Mi dash off to to tell the professor the good news. It seems she was simply waiting for a moment to prove herself, though he admitted it seemed comical that Radsworth was a father to anyone. Maybe he had softened over all this time?
He stretched one again bowing to Hell-No Kitty " I'm sure I can count on your efforts in the future, isn't that right? You didn't train her simply on a whim most likely.. though the feeling of a Sensei and Student is a wondrous one. I wonder if Aaron would as well.. It might not seem fair to involve both of them, but it will ultimately be their choice, Andy will have the prototypes up very soon and I WILL need people to use them. I just wish they had a better childhood, maybe we can ensure that in the future generations? "
For the rest of the Spring season, Merlin and Derrik travel throughout the ruins of Europe, seeking out and recruiting brave survivors with the will and ability to join the Jaeger League and fight for humanity against the Great Old Ones and their monstrous hordes.
Andy Cox, Dr Allison Jones, and several skilled elven crafters busily work on constructing Derrik's special equipment for the soon-to-be formed League, as well as Dr Jones' clockwork automatons.
As Summer comes on both Earth and Alfheim (the two worlds share the same seasonal cycles), the growing Jaeger League is about halfway through basic training, including many hours of training with the newly developed gear that would hopefully give them the edge needed to give them a fighting chance against the evil alien horrors plaguing their world....
During the next three months, a workforce made up of Navajos, survivors from Germany and Sarasota (including those dwelling at the Royal Palms Cinema), and even some elves, works on fortifying the Silver Tower. All broken windows are removed from their frames and boarded over with plywood looted from a Home Depot in nearby Bradenton, and several thousand square feet of corrugated aluminum siding removed from warehouses and other structures in Sarasota and Bradenton are transported via a working truck found in the parking garage adjacent to the Tower, and screwed into place over the lower story windows. Gun turrets with tripod-mounted .50-caliber machine guns are placed at the four corners of the Tower's roof. The internal structure is reinforced, with load-bearing walls replaced on the fifth floor where the cultists had unwisely removed them, and the 10th floor, where the Spinning Dodecahedron had been housed, is fitted with an indoor swimming pool (but alas, no water slide), looted from a pool factory in east Sarasota....
Yingzen takes the time to work with the scouts and sentrys, helping them improve their abilities and slow them what to look for.