Kaiju Invasion: Lore Release

Hello Fellow Trappers!

Here's the lore post for June's release! Enjoy the preview of what's to come!

Alastair Scottlewhit: 

An Introduction Salutations, Trappers! My, oh, my, is it a pleasure to meet you finally. I would like to apologize for not being here sooner as I have been quite engrossed in my current studies regarding the creatures residing within the eastern lands of Okinja. Oh! Don’t you know who I am? Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Alastair Scottlewhit, and I am a learned Bard originally from the renowned Consortium of Inquiry in Stoica. For the sake of brevity, I will just say for now that I have a keen fascination with getting up close and studying creatures, which is what brought me to the Lodge as the new Lore Keeper. Now that my brief introduction is out of the way, we can get to the good stuff. Here are my notes regarding the elite Trappers of Okinja and their magnificent quarry, the Kaiju.

Dragon-Koi

Legends speak of a Kami named Dorogo who took pity on mortals being subject to the chaos wrought by the Kaiju, so he willingly fell from the sky and into the ocean to serve as a hidden guardian. It took a meticulous investigation to finally seek out the elusive Dragon-Koi and find the legends proved themselves to be true-- at least regarding the Kaiju being hidden in the ocean depths section of the tale and unfortunately not a mortal-defending guardian. Being about the size of an Atakebun, the Dragon-Koi is undoubtedly the most enormous creature lurking in the depths. It comes across as passive, so long as you stay above the surface. The moment you touch the water is the moment you should make peace with death. It unleashes a frost beam to freeze the surface and trap you underwater, leaving you to either freeze to death or drown-- whichever gets you first. It prefers remaining deep within the ocean, so you should lure it to closer the surface by dropping depth bombs to heat the water and make it escape to the top as it hates the heat. It can, however, absorb radiation from the sun to harness either a solar beam attack or a blinding flash attack, so don’t let it draw too close to the surface either. If you damage it enough and don’t keep bringing on heat, it can freeze itself into a shell of ice to restore its abilities and regulate its temperature. If the complete legend speaks true, then the Kami has undoubtedly lost its sense of identity and is genuinely a Kaiju to be feared amongst the others.

Kazankeshi

The King of Kaiju is simply the only appropriate title for the Kazankeshi. This gargantuan volcanic monster is a force to be reckoned with. Ruler of the Island of Beasts, Kazankeshi reigns with a flaming fist that even leaves the other Kaiju reeling in fear. It has an array of devastating attacks, from unleashing an area of effect attack of ash and heat that incinerates and suffocates anything in a short but wide range; it has red-hot claws that can slash and sear flesh down to ashes with a single swipe, as well as a giant tail cudgel that can crush boulders. It can even concentrate on building up magma and release a long-range lava beam attack. DO NOT, and I repeat, DO NOT let it get into the ocean… we thought it would be a great strategy to cool it down, but in reality, that allows for it to unleash a steam storm, causing it to harden itself into a hibernating shell for protection, while simultaneously scalding everything in a half-mile radius. Your best strategy is to use concentrated ice attacks on its legs to prevent steam from hurting Trappers and use bludgeoning attacks to break its legs and effectively immobilize it. The lava is its life source, so creating leaks to drain it can theoretically kill this Kaiju.

Inazu

If you fancy glassblowing, you can track its origins to explorers who discovered Inazu, the fearsome storm Kaiju as it struck a beach with its lightning, leaving behind magnificent glass craters for the explorers to study. As all Kaiju come from the Eastern Sea, you can find Inazu on smaller mountainous islands, claiming the summits as its own. It is by my HIGH recommendation that you avoid sailing near islands without observing the peaks from a distance first because if an Inazu catches wind of your scent, it will initiate a hurricane by summoning stormclouds and even typhoons to protect its turf. If you don’t drown, and it catches you swimming towards land, it uses its nasal horn to attract lightning and electrocute-drenched enemies to death. Good luck surviving, unless if you can make it to land and survive in hiding long enough for Inazu to leave for another summit. Ironically, the Inazu puts itself at a disadvantage if it brews too strong a storm, as it provides cover for enemies to close in and attack. Use the storms to your advantage if you can and if you get close enough, aim for the horns, which is the source of its power, so if you can break them, you render its powers useless. From there, it’s a battle of attrition, so best of luck out there.

The Gilded Spirit

The Kaiju Trappers are always on the move to scout the most dangerous areas of Okinja for intel and potentially defend against dire threats, so they created a portable Lodge to utilize while traveling far away from the main Lodge in Okinja. As soon as Miku was granted permission to make the Kaiju Trappers initiative, he immediately sought out the best craftsmen in Okinja to construct an airship worthy of such an elite team. With balloons weaved with magically jaded thread meticulously developed in the Deva Opulences; A sturdy hull crafted from solid red hinoki wood found only within the Oni Badland, and reinforced with gilded cold-steel forged from the Furokami Shogunate. It had a magically infused cannon to enhance firepower crafted by Kaze himself and special Hanja painted on by Kondo to add traditional spiritfolk enchantments for protection such as auto-repairing mundane materials and location displacement for evasive purposes. The Kaiju Trappers named their ship, The Gilded Spirit, to pay respects to the craftsmen that put so much care into making a marvel of a ship that would serve as a shining reinforcement of their morale for the battles to come.

Hakanchu

One Kaiju is already bad enough, let alone two working together. The infamous Hakanchu is known to lurk around the Eastern Sea, consistently seeking out prey to infect and start insect colonies. Hakanchu consists of 2 organisms attached to each other, forming a symbiotic relationship. The female is the larger of the two and is known for her sharp attacks that can cut through stone, while the male has sharper instincts due to psychic power, allowing it to sense prey in a large radius. The male attaches to the female’s back to better communicate with the female and guide it towards prey. Without the male attached, the female is blind, mindless, and animalistic. Without the female, the male is defenseless and severely immobilized. If you are caught by surprise or your attacks aren’t warding them off, then RUN. Even if you’re alive and just injured, the Hakanchu will inject their eggs in you to incubate larva, which is a pain so immense, you will be begging for death as a mere mercy. The best way to take them on is to blast off the male to break their connection and pick them off separately while they're vulnerable.

Kaze

Hailing from the Ryutori Shogunate in the far East, Kaze is the bastard child of the Shogun and, therefore, faced extreme prejudice for being an Oni-Ka despite being of royal blood. If there were one thing Kaze could do to prove himself, it would demonstrate his worthiness in combat. He trained vigorously with his father’s guard for years until a Dragon Turtle abruptly attacked their island. It demolished several ships within minutes, leaving Kaze in the shogun’s vessel as one of the remaining few to stand as a defense. Having grown an affinity with black powder weaponry, Kaze stored the ship full of explosive barrels to use as a defense. The Shogun was preparing to commit seppuku after failing the shogunate when Kaze proposed a plan and convinced him to use the black powder to ward off the creature as a last defense. The Shogun commanded the personal guard to follow Kaze’s orders, anchor, and put the cannons on one side to create a defensive position against the imminent danger. Kaze ripped off a cannon to use in one hand and commanded the others to fire at once, creating cover through the smoke, so Kaze could safely jump through and land on the creature. He proceeded to the back and set off the cannon at the nape and severely stunned the Dragon Turtle, granting an opening for the other cannons to shoot it while its maw was opened and killing the creature. Because of Kaze, the day was won, and his father offered him the honor of being officially named a samurai--- which he declined, as he now knew his value and it wasn’t worth serving under those who never respected him before. News of his achievement caught the Lodge’s attention and offered him a position as a Trapper amongst a new, welcoming, diverse family. Over a decade, Kaze earned the title of Veteran after aiding in the handling of several creatures and the development of new black powder equipment to allow for better offensive maneuvers that led to decreased fatality rates amongst the members of the Lodge. With honed Samurai combat skills, masterful black powder engineering, and unwavering courage in the face of death, Kaze was selected by Miku to join the Kaiju Trappers team. He was given a Jade Katana that magically produces smoke for Kaze to use as cover to prevent enemies from seeing where he’s shooting from with the trusty cannon that he kept all these years.

Kondo

Kondo is a Spiritfolk from a quaint fishing village on the coast of the Seishi Kingdoms. He grew up sailing and fishing, believing it would be a simple yet honest career, and he was content with it. One early morning, Kondo had caught a fish too big for him to handle and got thrown overboard, getting swept away with the current. Kondo tried his best to swim for as long as he could until he passed out from exhaustion. Upon waking, Kondo found himself on the shore of an island filled with ruins, alit by a strange pale green moon. He made his way through the ruins and found a temple where he met-- to his surprise-- his late grandfather, who revealed Kondo had a solid connection to the Spirit World and was able to save himself by subconsciously navigating here in his sleep. His grandfather spoke of ill omens spoken amongst the spirits that Kaiju would eventually invade the mainland. He revealed an ancestral power to use elemental magic as a Shugenja. He taught Kondo how to use his connection to the spirit world to aid navigation and reading omens. Upon leaving the Spirit World after training, the young Shugenja sought out the Lodge, relayed his experience, and demonstrated his abilities as proof. He was initiated as an official Trapper and eventually earned the title of Veteran after spending over 30 years mastering his magic to manipulate elements into controlling any natural disaster that easily aided in defeating enemies and even creating defenses such as molding the earth to create a coastal wall. Kondo’s elemental prowess, expertise in navigation, and his honed relationship with the spirit world caught the attention of Miku, who asked him to join the Kaiju Trappers team. Kondo was granted a Jade Staff that allowed him to summon spirits to create protective barriers.

Miku

Miku was once a humble glassblower from the prominent Windkin city of Ottowasashi within the Dragonkin Nations until the war began when the Shendo Empire stole the Dragonkins’ sacred Dragon Eggs. Miku felt it was his duty to contribute, so he became a Sohei and learned Naginatajutsu. Miku was later involved in a naval battle along the coast of the Kitsune Provinces that took a nasty turn when a hurricane appeared, followed by a pack of Raiju that caused chaos amidst the struggle for both sides. A Raiju killed Miku’s captain with an electric blast and tore a hole in one of the airship’s balloons, causing it to start falling out of control. Miku took over command, then guided the crew to focus on repairs. At the same time, he navigated the airship directly towards enemy lines, which made the Raiju’s missed attacks hit enemy Empire ships as Miku would evade them. This tactic disrupted the enemy’s primary defense and allowed the Dragonkin to make a final push towards victory. Miku and his crew had then taken a defensive position to ward off the Raiju together until backup arrived. The Dragonkin won the day, recovered the artifacts, and Miku was named a hero of Okinja. As a reward, he was given magical boots that granted flight by the Windkin Magistrate that allowed him to fly. Miku decided to dedicate his life to studying nature’s enemies and discovering new strategies to protect his people, which led him to join the Lodge. For over a century, Miku had become renowned as the longest surviving member in the Okinjan Lodge-- known for his humble demeanor, masterful leadership skills, expertise in flying Naginatajutsu, and swift tactical capabilities. He developed the Kaiju Trappers initiative to create an exceptional team of Veteran Only Trappers to work together when threats of the world’s worst creatures pose a threat to their lands. Each member received a specially crafted weapon to aid in their ventures, with Miku sporting a Jade Naginata that magically unleashes thunderwave blasts when attacking a creature.

Adhira

Adhira lived a life of isolation in the mountains, much like most of the Tendua tribes within the Felis Kingdom do. Her life was one of peace, comfortably disconnected from the politics and disarray amongst nations in Okinja. However, after the King of the Vyaghr dynasty was killed, his son, Koja, took over and was mad with power. Soon, on her way back from gathering wood, Adhira found her tribe burning as Koja was invading, breaking the sacred treaty and enslaving her people. The town elder found Adhira and pulled her into hiding, bringing her to a sacred temple. He introduced the Tenduan hidden art of Ghost Ninjutsu, so she could go after Koja and save the Tendua people. She trained throughout the entirety of her childhood until she was ready as an adult to complete her mission. After making her way into the capital by phasing through buildings, seeing through walls, and slicing through guards without being seen-- Adhira finally found Koja, who turned out to be a Warlock and sensed her presence. Koja wounded her, affecting her mobility, but she ultimately won. Due to her injury, she couldn’t escape quickly enough and was captured by palace guards. Her people became free again under the new king, but justice had to be served for her actions. Adhira could choose to die or join the Dragon Trappers Lodge and serve until death. Adhira became a Trapper and quickly became an asset by utilizing her skills to precisely and rapidly take out aggressive creatures. With her unique ghost abilities, uncanny stealth abilities, and deadly ninjutsu, she eventually was named a Veteran after single-handedly taking on most contracts. Miku selected her to join the Kaiju Trappers team and was given a Jade Talisman that magically allowed her to see a creature’s vulnerable points and jade armor that magically prevents her from being critically wounded.

May Your Blades Stay Sharp and Your Flesh on Your Bones!