If you’re looking for a new sci-fi TTRPG for your next campaign, you might want to back Free League Publishing’s newest roleplaying game, Coriolis: The Great Dark, on Kickstarter.
Synopsis
Refugees escaping the horrors of war attempt to settle in the forgotten reaches of the galaxy. Expeditions are led into ruins of ancient civilizations in search of supplies and salvation. Venture through harsh desolate space in grand ships and search for a new beginning. What adventures lie within The Great Dark?
Kickstarter
While Coriolis: The Great Dark to The Third Horizon, this will be a stand-alone game with new and unique rules and mechanics. The Great Dark uses the Year Zero system and will focus on the thrill of adventure and exploration. I like the idea of playing space archeologist. It is an interesting approach to the genre, and knowing Free League’s proven track record, it is bound to be flavorful.
I’ve run a few games that use the Year Zero system and thought it was a great transition from D&D. The system is easy to learn, and it introduces some fun and interesting mechanics. Everything I’ve received from Free League Publishing has been of a high quality with lots of flavor. If you enjoy physical media and like the theme in The Great Dark, this is a safe bet.
If you’re a fan of the original Coriolis, you’re probably already following the campaign. If you’re still on the fence, it doesn’t hurt to follow for the notifications. The campaign goes live on March 19. Backers who pledge on levels with physical rewards will receive a copy of the PDF early and a secret bonus reward.
I’ll probably get a copy for review, so stay tuned for that. Until then, don’t forget to follow the campaign! If you enjoy these updates, please leave a like, comment, and share this with your friends. Don’t forget to follow the socials:
I was sent a copy of Myth of Empires for free to review for my blog. While I am very grateful for the opportunity, I won’t let it sway my opinions. This will be my honest review. If you enjoy my reviews, please leave a like, comment, and share this with your friends. Don’t forget to follow the socials!
Myth of Empires is a beautiful open-world survivor sandbox game out on Steam. It gives players the absolute freedom of a sandbox with the promise of epic PvP battles. Gather your resources, build your base, work together to defend against enemy players, and build the Empire that will dominate them all.
Gameplay
Myth of Empires features massive maps filled with content. Players start the game with a blank character. Slowly, they’ll gather resources, level their character, and build their empire. The game does have a hunger mechanic, but it isn’t as punishing as something like Don’t Starve. The game gives players the freedom to enjoy the content they want by creating PvE and PvP-specific servers. I don’t really like PvP in these kinds of games, and I appreciate it when I have the option to enjoy a chill survival game.
The game offers beginner friendly settings and a tutorial to help ease new players into the game and its mechanics. Unfortunately, there is a bit of griefing that occurs, but that is to be expected with games of this genre. There are options for solo play, but you’ll need to have your own server.
Thoughts
Myth of Empires is a beautiful game. I love all the detail that went into making this game look so good from the way the wind moves the plants to the way the sun creeps over the mountains. I dig the aesthetic of the world from the weapons and armor to the structures. The character creation has a decent amount of options, and the character design is pretty cool. This game is going to make your computer hot, but it’s going to look amazing if it can render everything.
Unfortunately, I found the gameplay disappointing. While I did enjoy the survival aspect of the game like gathering, hunting, and crafting, the combat system in this game needs some work. The swings feel wild and clunky, and the hitboxes are weird. Fights are decided by who can land the first hit, and it is frustrating. I didn’t even try PvP because the system frustrated me so much. Maybe it isn’t so bad in more experienced hands, but Enshrouded does it better.
Another issue I had with the game was the gathering. While it starts as a relaxing experience, the busy environment made it difficult to see what I was gathering. Eventually, I would just run around the map spamming the gather button in the hopes I was picking up materials I needed.
The biggest issue people have with this game is the griefing. I didn’t experience any when I played, but I also tried to pick empty servers to get a feel for the rest of the mechanics. If you do get into this game, bring some friends.
Another issue people will have with this game is the grind. Myth of Empires feels slower and more grindy than other sandbox games I’ve played. I enjoyed it for the first hour, but it started to feel repetitive. Joining a more populated server might remedy this, but I rather be playing Enshrouded.
It’s difficult to recommend this game because while it looks pretty, there are games that do this better. The only reason to get Myth of Empires is for the massive PvP battles it promises, but that doesn’t seem possible at the moment. Maybe it will get there with enough support, but I don’t have the time to wait for that future. If you like the aesthetic, have the friends to back you up, and don’t mind the grind, go for it. Otherwise, you have better options.
You can pick up Myth of Empires on Steam for $49.99.
I was asked to cover the Viel of Shadows demo for my blog. I’ll refrain from review it too harshly because the game isn’t finished yet. That said, everyone reading this should add this demo to their rotation.
What is Veil of Shadows?
Viel of Shadows is a retro-style action adventure roguelike coming to Steam.
Sirene wakes up in a mysterious forest without her memories. She must now venture through this strange new world and reclaim her memories. Bloodthirsty creatures lurk in the shadows, and Sirene must fight to stay alive. Can she uncover the truth and escape this nightmare?
Gameplay
Players will move between checkpoints shooting, dodging, and kiting enemies with a bow and arrow. Enemies will occasionally drop loot like potions and gear, but they are sparse so use them carefully. The biggest challenge of the game is moving efficiently to avoid attacks to stay alive. Death isn’t permanent, nor does it have a significant penalty other than resetting the level. I think the game is hard enough as it is, but maybe they’ll add harder game modes if there is demand for it.
There is a leveling system that allows players to put points into three categories: Damage, Agility, and Precision. Each level into a category provides a stat boost, but you also get a special ability for every five levels you invest in a category. This allows players to build towards their playstyle without it being overly complicated.
One thing to keep in mind is that this game, like many others in the genre, will be repetitive. You will die a lot and run through the same mobs of enemies by design. I always find this repetition soothing, but it is something to note for people unfamiliar with the genre. That said, based on the demo, Viel of Shadows doesn’t feel as grindy as other games in the genre.
Thoughts
I’ve been enjoying the retro resurgence I’ve been going through, and Viels of Shadows is no exception. The game has a great art style, some nice flavor, and fun gameplay. The demo runs great, and while I do wish I got a boss fight, I had a lot of fun trying to get through the mobs. I like that the game offers enough of a challenge to keep things engaging without being impossible.
Viels of Shadows supports keyboard and mouse and controller configurations, but I recommend using the controller. While neither option is objectively better, playing a retro-style game like this with a controller just feels right.
If you’re looking for a new game, you need to check out the demo. It is a fun retro game with a lot of heart and flavor. It has a promising story hook, cool art, and a chill yet challenging gameplay loop. Whether or not you enjoy roguelikes, there is no harm in trying the demo.
I will be getting my review copy at launch, so stay tuned for a more detailed review. So far I am excited. If you enjoy my content, please leave a like, comment, and share this with your friends. Don’t forget to follow the socials!
In a bit of a nostalgic shock, I’ve discovered that there is a Runescape ttrpg and board game available now! Runescape was my first MMO and a very influential phase in my gaming history. I still go back to Runescape from time to time to relive some of that nostalgia, but nothing will ever beat being a poor kid in the library, grinding levels with my friends. Now it is time to take this nostalgia to the tabletop in a pair of games you’re going to want to add to your collection.
The games come to us from the good folks over at Steamforged Games, who have steadily been building their repertoire of excellent licensed games over the years. They’ve got well-known titles such as DARK SOULS, Monster Hunter, and Resident Evil, but have also seen success in their own IPs like Bardsung, Epic Encounters, and Animal Adventures. With a catalog this good, I have faith in their Runescape line of products.
RuneScape the Roleplaying Game
RuneScape Kingdoms: The Roleplaying Game promises to capture the spirit of the source material in a streamlined 1-5 player experience. The book takes players and GMs to the world of Gielinor and gives them the tools they need to run a successful campaign. There is a crafting, magic, and prayer system as you see with the MMO and a bestiary full of enemies and bosses to fill your next adventure.
The game uses a 3d6 system, which is always a nice change of pace. The game seems pretty easy to learn, but to put it simply, you roll your dice and pray. You can check out the official Steamworks video for a more detailed dive into the book.
The corebook is 200 pages and comes in a standard hardcover edition and a beautiful collectors edition. If you’re looking for a new fantasy RPG with a detailed mechanic and a whole lot of nostalgia, you might want to pick up RuneScape Kingdoms
RuneScape the Board Game
In RuneScape Kingdoms: The Shadow of Elvarg is a 1-5 cooperative narrative game where players work together on iconic quests from the video game. Fight monsters, complete side quests, and do a lot of crafting. This unique board game experience allows players to build their characters however they want, regardless of the miniature you choose. That means you aren’t tied down by the preconstructed archetypes you see in other games and only limited by your imagination. The game looks fun, the minis look like they’re good quality, and there seems gaming included in the box. Check out the official Steamforge dive for more, and pick up your copy today!
The Drakantos devs just dropped their February Dev log, and I am hyped! We still don’t have a release date, but we get closer every month. There is a lot to be excited about, but make sure you read the official log. Make sure you join the growing community of anticipating on Discord, and show some love to the developers by adding Drakantos to your wishlist on Steam.
If you enjoy these updates, please leave a like, comment, follow, and share this with your friends.
Ojore Teaser
Brawlers rejoice with this heavy-hitting, earth bending, hero. Ojore hits hard, and those dashes are bound to set up some amazing plays in PvP. The voice acting is also pretty spectacular. He is a little too close-quarters for me, but I can see the potential.
Ranked PVP Confirmed
Whatever you may think of PvP, it is important for the health of the game. PVP will be 3v3 arena-style matches which is perfect for a mobile game. The devs intend to make a PvP experience that is more skill-reliant than gear, but we will have to wait for release. We do know there is a ranking system for those of you who need the incentive.
The Preset System
In an interesting bit of news, the developers have worked on implementing a preset system. Players will be able to save four distinct load-outs on each character so they can easily switch to an appropriate build for a desired activity. This is such a cool and generous quality-of-life feature that I welcome with open arms.
Boss Fights!
This month marked the completion of 16 boss fights, with two more coming soon. It is safe to say that every hero will work as a boss for the game, and I can’t wait to see teasers for the actual fights. I’m interested to see how creative they get with the moves and mechanics.
Ozul Boss Fight
Pet Contest Winners
Last month the developers asked the community to submit their ideas for in-game pets, and the winners have been chosen. Congratulations to all the winners, but it is really cool to see such an excited and involved community. I hope the Devs continue this type of engagement with their players.
More Sneak Peaks
Finally, we got a lot more visuals and previews for the game. WE got to see a sneak peak of the Guild Hall, some more mounts and animation, and a better look at the UI. I’ve been following this game for a while now, and I get more excited with each bit of news. I can’t wait for an open beta! Until then, enjoy the last bits of visuals from the Dev Log and don’t forget to add Drakantos to your wishlist!
The Guild HallThe UIThe Donkey!More Mount Animation
If you’ve been running Dragonbane and need to spice it up, consider preordering the Bestiary released on February 27. The book includes roll tables, random encounters, adventure hooks, and 67 new monster blocks. The book is available in a hardcover Standard Edition and a faux leather cover with gold foil print Collector’s Edition. The collector’s edition looks very pretty and will look amazing on any shelf. Both versions come with instant PDF access to the Bestiary. You will be able to purchase the PDF on DriveThru RPG at launch if don’t care about physical media.
Free League Publishing is also releasing cardboard Monsters Standee Set ($24.62) for folks in need of miniatures with the Dragonbane flavor. I can’t speak on the quality of the standees, but at least they look cool.
I was sent a free copy of the Bestiary PDF to cover for my blog. I haven’t had a chance to run any of the monsters as I finish my current campaign, but I am planning on running a couple of one-shots soon to close things out. I did flip through the book, and I remain impressed with the art and flavor.
The book includes nine chapters of monster types: Nightkin, Rare Kin, Insectoids, Trolls, Giants, Beasts, Undead, Dragons, and Demons. Each monster introduces new lore, an adventure hook, and a random encounter for when you need it. At a glance, the stats and mechanics of the new monsters seem fun and fair, but I’ll need to test them to know for sure. For those of you who love Dragonbane and need access to new lore and monsters, go preorder the Bestiary. For those of you who don’t mind waiting, you can pick up a copy of the Standard Edition on Amazon for $39.99.
I will be posting a more detailed review once I run a couple of encounters, so stay tuned for that. If you enjoy these updates, please leave a like, comment, follow, and share this with your friends.
I was sent The Book of Warriorsfor free to review for my blog. While I am very grateful for the opportunity, I won’t let it sway my opinions. This will be my honest review. If you enjoy my reviews, please leave a like, comment, follow, and share this with your friends. You can also always buy me coffee.
What is The Book of Warriors
The Book of Warriorsis a cute little fantasy roguelike RPG out now for PC. Lead your party through the dungeon as you search for power, treasure, and fame. How much of the dungeon can you clear before your adventure ends?
Gameplay
You start each run by choosing a hero. There are nine different classes, each with unique abilities. Your run won’t end if you lose your initial hero. You then make your way through your dungeon, clearing procedurally generated rooms, unlocking upgrades, and recruiting heroes to your party. Upgrades, loot, and heroes you recruit are random, but occasionally you can choose the type of upgrade you can unlock. For the most part, the RNG is fair, but there are runs I lost because I was unlucky.
To clear a room, you either need to clear the room of enemies or lose your heroes. Maps will have hazards or cover that offer buffs and debuffs. Although not all the maps are fun, it does give combat enough complexity to keep things engaging.
Combat is simple. Heroes can move and perform one action per turn. The type of action changes as the characters level. The game feels a bit like a mobile game, but it is fine for the casual experience that it represents.
Like most games in this genre, the game is a little grindy, especially at later levels. You do unlock permanent upgrades the more you play, but enemies at later levels do feel like damage sponges. This is only a problem when you’re stuck on a bad run.
Thoughts
I enjoyed The Book of Warriors. The art is cute and the gameplay is relaxing. I enjoyed it for the change of pace that it offered, but I don’t see it being my main roguelike. While I appreciate the simplicity, the grind gets old after a while. You’ll get $8 worth of fun from this game, but it isn’t replacing anything in your current library. I would pick this up if you want a break from your current rotation but don’t want a massive commitment. If you enjoy tactical RPGs, or simply want to get into a new one, this is a solid option. You can pick up The Book of Warriorson Steam now for $7.99. It is currently on sale for $5.59 for the next 48 hours of writing this.
With only a few sessions left in my Dragonbanecampaign, I think now is a great time to release the review. Please note that I did receive a free copy of the pdf and foundry module, but I was planning on at least running the quickstart guide eventually. That said, this will be my honest review.
If you enjoy my reviews, please leave a like, comment, follow, and share this with your friends. You can also always buy me coffee.
Dragonbane is a fantasy tabletop RPG based in the Mysty Vale It features unique races, an interesting combat/initiative system, and a less limiting class/character creation system than a traditional RPG. The game is easy to pick up, and fun to play once you’ve adapted to the Year Zero engine.
Initiative
Dragonbane uses cards for initiative, and I love this system. While I love rolling dice, nothing beats the randomness of drawing cards. While some characters and creatures might go multiple times in a round, there are no initiative bonuses in Dragonbane. Instead, the creature or player who pulls the lowest card goes first.
This order isn’t fixed. Players can switch initiative cards with each other or enemies for an advantage, and the initiative resets after each turn. It felt like my players were no longer waiting around for their next turn, but instead were adapting to change, or planning to gain the advantage.
Combat
I love the combat system in Dragonbane. As a GM, I love how the system handles monsters. Monsters come with a roll table of abilities and attacks they can perform each turn. During a monster’s turn, GMs roll for the action. The randomness of this system makes combat a lot more exciting. I either roll for the TPK (I never did), or I waste a turn on a useless debuff. There are some monsters I’d tweak for future campaigns, but combat generally had enough fun and suspenseful drama.
From a player’s perspective, I love how strategic the action economy is. A player can use their action to attack, aid a party member, or evade/parry an attack. I like that players aren’t waiting around for damage, but can instead use their action to mitigate it. Waiting and evading a deadly attack is so satisfying.
Classes
It’s important to note that classes in Dragonbane are more like templates. While other systems limit the abilities and skills available to a character based on their class, Dragonbane gives players the freedom to play their character how they want. Classes in Dragonbane are only really to help players allocate their proficiencies and skill points.
After a player starts the adventure, players have the freedom to allocate skill points wherever they want. This means you can be a wizard who is proficient at swords, or a knight who can cast magic (depending on how your world handles magic). To people coming from other systems, some of the classes will feel underwhelming, but I always let my players change their character if they don’t like what they come up with the first time.
Leveling
Leveling in Dragonbane is based on five questions:
✦ Did you participate in the game session? ✦ Did you explore a new location? ✦ Did you defeat one or more dangerous adversaries? ✦ Did you overcome an obstacle without using force? ✦ Did you give in to your weakness? (Optional)
At the end of the session, the GM asks players these questions. I didn’t use the optional rule for my campaign because we didn’t want to deal with keeping track of weaknesses. For every yes, players get a point they can spend on attempting to level one of their skills. They then roll a D20 for every skill they want to level. If they roll a number higher than their skill, the skill increases by 1.
There will be sessions where players will level every skill they roll against, and in others, they won’t get any. The higher the level, the harder it is to upgrade which is what gives the game the system its balance. My players loved this system because they got to roll dice, and they had the freedom to customize their character to fit their plays tyle.
I loved the questions because they forced my players to play differently. My player who didn’t usually participate was suddenly roleplaying and encounters that would have usually resulted in murder were resolved peacefully. It was such a nice shift, but it also meant I needed to be ready for anything.
Adventure
The prewritten adventure is a great way to get you started in the system. GMs get access to a well-structured template of adventures, and players get a solid sense of what to expect from the system.
The adventure is a collection of quests loosely tied by lore, but they can exist independently. I changed a lot from the adventure because that’s how our narrative flows. If you’re thinking of running Dragonbane, and don’t know where to start, the adventure in the core book is fantastic. Like all prewritten adventures, use it as a template, and don’t be afraid to go off-script.
I always start with these prewritten adventures, but we usually veer way off and have a lot of fun doing so. This adventure was no different. I liked the adventure. The flavor was good, the lore was neat, the encounters felt balanced, and there was enough content for a long campaign.
Conclusion
We had a lot of fun with Dragonbane, and it’s going to be hard switching to another system. With the new Beastiary coming out in March, I’ve got a few more sessions planned, so it isn’t goodbye just yet.
I loved how easy it was to jump into this system and pick up all the rules. I love how easy of a transition it was from 5th Edition. Some mechanics took some time to get used to, but nothing that I would call impossible. It has a neat leveling system, a fun combat system, and unparalleled freedom in character creation.
If you are looking for a fantasy TTRPG, you need to look into Dragonbane. I recommend it to anyone who loves fantasy, or just needs a break from 5th Edition burnout. Pick up your copy of the rule book in PDF from Drivethru RPG ($24.99), but the art is so beautiful you’re going to want a physical. You can pick up your physical copy from the official site ($41.98 +shipping) or Amazon ($49.99 shipping included.) It is currently on sale on Amazon for $45.69.
This week’s been crazy, but I’m doing my best to keep up with the daily releases. Make sure you support the original. If you enjoy this project, please leave a like, comment, follow, and share this with your friends.
Ryusenji cackles at the threat.
Eiji opens a private chat. “Stay sharp Loogamon. We don’t know what he’s planning” Loogamon nods as he moves to a defensive stance.
METAL CANNON
A cannonball flies towards the pair. Eiji jumps to the ground. Loogamon jumps out of the way, narrowly dodging the projectile. Dorumon stands at the source of the attack and glares emotionlessly at the pair.
“What are you doing?” Loogamon shouts, but Dorumon doesn’t answer.
Eiji turns to Kosuke for answers. Kosuke had broken under the weight of the professor’s revelation. He had become lost in his grief, but Durumon’s sudden attack slowly breaks him free. He lifts his head towards the commotion and mumbles, “Durumon? What are you doing?” He is on the verge of tears.
The Source Domain shakes violently.
“What’s going on?” Kosuke shouts. Dorumon answers with an empty blank expression.
“Dorumon can’t hear you now.”
“But how? We’re still mindlinked?”
“You don’t need to be mindlinked to control Digimon. How shall I put this?… I cracked your connection. Dorumon is mine now.”
Kosuke helplessly looks through this watch and attempts to take back control, but his efforts are fruitless. Words fail him as his world crumbles around him. The great Code Cracker Tartarus was powerless.
“Now Digivolve,” the professor barks. Dorumon nods and digivolves into Dorugoramon.
Dorugoramon
Dorugoramon towers over the pair. Its blank emotionless stare remains fixed on them as it stands at attention, gripping its blade, ready to attack.
The professor smirks as he takes a step next to the Mega Digimon. “This is your last chance your chance Eiji. Join me, and all is forgiven. Work for me and I can promise you a nice apartment, great benefits, and a steady salary. Imagine how impressed Hatsune will be.”
“How did.?” Eiji becomes overwhelmed.
“You have ten seconds. Then I’m taking the offer off the table.” He begins counting down.
Eiji wrestles with the offer. This was everything he ever wanted. A steady job, a good college, and maybe even a girlfriend.
“You can’t be seriously considering this,” Loogamon snarls.
“It’s tempting..” Eiji crouches down next to Loogamon and begins petting its head. “You don’t know what it was like before all of this. I’d have stability…I mean I wouldn’t even have met you if it wasn’t for him…”
“Sure, but…”
The professor extends his arm. “I knew you’d understand. Now-“
Eiji shrugs, “But then again, I was never in it for stability.” Eiji stands and turns to the professors. “I came here to make my mark on the world because, at the end of the day, I’m still a code cracker.”
“Well said Eiji.” Loogamon’s tail wags as it perks up enthusiastically.
“How disappointing…”
“Shut up old man,” Loogamon growls.
“Don’t get me wrong,” Eiji adds. “I still respect you as a mentor, but I was wrong to put you on a pedistal. In other words…”
“Get out of our way!” Loogamon barks.
The professor remains silent. His smile had disappeared as he glared at the pair. “Well if you insist on losing, don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
Eiji lifts his Digilinker and cycles through the commands. “You’re not stopping us.”
“Let’s fucking go!” Loogamon howls.
“Digivolve!” Eiji disappears into the Digicore as Loogamon digivolves into Soloogarmon. Bright flames pour out of his shoulders with great intensity. it groups at its mace and lets out an earth-rumbling howl.
Character design/illustration illustrator: malo
PROMINENCE LASER
A white-hot beam of plasma erupts from Soloogarmon’s hands and washes over Dorugoramon. Dorugoramon takes the hit head-on without flinching. It remains unphased as its armor loses its red-hot glow.
“What the?” Soloogarmon shouts.
“Very impressive,” Ryusenji commends.
“That was just the warm-up,” Soloogarmon scoffs.
“Careful Soloogarmon, we didn’t see their fight. We don’t know what we’re up against.”
“Durogoramon has a shockwave and charge attack that make it effective at long and short range. There are no obvious openings to take advantage of either attack. In your current form, one hit will likely fry your Digicore.” Yulin interjects.
“It’s taking commands from a tool, there’s no way it can be that strong,” Soloogarmon rebuts.
“You should listen to the captain on this one. Tools or not, the professor is on the other end of the terminal.”
Soloogarmon swings its massive mace as it readies for another attack. “We don’t have the luxury of being catious.”
“Right,” Eiji says, trying to psych himself up. “Let’s give him hell!”
The professor smirks. “I guess I need to start getting serious.” Dorugoramon absorbs Ryusenji’s projection.
DORU-din
A shockwave of energy roars through the Source Domain, but the attack is too slow. Soloogarmon howls as the engines on its shoulders come explode with energy, and shoot him into the air. Soologarmon hovers over the battlefield with a smug smirk as it braces for the next attack.
Dorugoramon stalls for a moment, searching the battlefield. It smirks as it turns its attention to the center of the circle where Pulsemon and Black Agumon remain suspended. It begins charging its next shockwave.
SKOLL RAGE
Soloogarmon shoots toward Dorugoramon without hesitation, leaving a trail of hellfire in its wake. It closes the distance and takes a swing with its mighty Vanargand.
“Predictable,” the professor says. Dorugoramon stops its charge to swing at the charging wolf. The strike sends Soloogarmon flying back. “You have to do better than that.”
Eiji felt the force of the strike, the sting lingers in his abdomen. He peers over his screens. Their levels remain in a normal range.
“What an annoying prick,” Soloogarmon growls.
“Lets try this,” Eiji says, imputing commands into his virtual console.
Soloogarmon releases another laser, but Dorugoramon deflects it easily. Soloogarmon follows with a turret of blasts, slowly engulfing Dorugoramon in flames. The flames never catch. Smoke billows off Dorugoramon’s body.
“Nice try, but you’ll need to be more imaginative than that,” Ryusenji sneers. “But I’ve wasted too much time playing with you, I have to get back to work.”
The smoke around Dorugoramon’s body begins to clear, revealing an empty space where Yulin, Ryudamon, and Black Agumon stood. Only Kosuke and a Tyrannomon stand at the altar.
“Tyrannomon? Where did you come?” The Professor asks incredulously.
Tyrannomon stands next to Kosuke, looking concerned. Kosuke remains frozen in place.
“Kosuke, you have to move,” Eiji whispers.
“Using your little Tyrannomon under the cover of smoke, very clever Eiji.”
“Get out of there Tyrannomon!” Soloogarmon orders.
Tyrannomon doesn’t get a chance to react. An attack pierces through its shoulder and brings the Tyrannomon to the ground. It lets out a pain-filled roar.
“Such a weak Digimon,” the professor says. Dorugoramon had refined the shockwave into a fine point, making it like a bullet.
“Tyrannomon!” Eiji shouts.
“Dorugoramon is too powerful.” The professor looks down at the trembling Tyrannomon. It is too terrified to move. “Poor thing. I think I’ll put it out of its misery.”
Dorugoramon launches a salvo of focused attacks. The Tyrannomon shuts its eyes, waiting for a hell of fire that never comes. It hears the attack connect but doesn’t feel it. Tyrannomon opens its eyes slowly and finds itself unharmed. Around it, the earth is filled with clusters of deep impacts. Soloogarmon hovers over the Tyrannomon, its arm hangs limp to one side. Scorch marks run up its arms like a sleeve and steam bellows from the injury. Soloogarmon gives the Tyrannomon a warm reassuring smile.
“You saved my Tyrannomon…” Eiji whispers.
“That’s what packs do.”
Eiji feels the pain running up his arm. Senses the heat of the thrusters from his shoulder. His lunges fill with the scents of the battlefield. Loogamon’s anger, frustration, and determination had become his and Saloogarmon felt the same. At that moment, all their remaining reservation melted away as they became determined to win.
Energy begins to build within their core as the two become one. Soloogarmon begins to glow.
“Lets show this asshole what hell really looks like,” Eiji says.
A bright light engulfs the pair. Out of the light steps out a new Digimon, Fenriloogamon.
I’m going to try to keep up with the daily releases, but it’s looking like it’ll be a busy week. Make sure you support the official release. If you enjoy this project, please leave a like, comment, follow the socials, and share this with your friends!
“You’re lying!” Kosuke shouts. I saw the facility. I saw her…” His voice trails as he is overcome by emotion.
“Such a predictable reaction. I needed you to believe she was alive. How else was I going to get you this far?” A smile creeps up on his face.
Shock sets in and brings Kosuke to his knees. The world around him starts to spin as he feels the warmth of vomit creeping up his throat.
“Isn’t this, the Black Agumon you’ve been looking for?” Eiji says as he makes his approach to the suspended Digimon. “So you’re the Digimon everyone’s been looking for.”
Eiji’s words pull Kosuke from his trance. He turns his attention to the black Agumon. There it was, the Digimon he spent half his life looking for. He was so close, he could reach out and touch it. Kosuke shakes off the shock. “I don’t believe you!” he growls.
“Hm”
“I refuse to believe Saya is dead. Not until I see her with my own two eyes.” He walks towards the Black Agumon. A virtual syringe materializes in his hand. He grips it tightly.
“Go ahead,” the professor adds. The professor’s sudden encouragement stops Kosuke. “That Black Agumon is hers, there’s no doubt about it. But that medicine can’t cure death. Are you willing to face those consequences?”
“What consequences?”
“I thought you were smarter than this,” Ryusenji shakes his head. “Suppose you wake her up inside Black Agumon’s core, but she has nobody to return to. What do you suppose would happen then?”
The syringe falls from his hands, landing with a hollow clang. Kosuke had clung to the hope that Saya was alive. The hope that he could bring her back. But here he stood with a choice he couldn’t crack. The medicine would either save her life or seal it. It was too much to bear.
“Data Sector Decryption Complete” the Source Domain’s voice announces.
An anguished scream rips through the air. Dorumon bends backwards, its head snaps violently until it collapses. Kosuke rushes over. “Dorumon!” he shouts as he drops to his knees beside his partner.
“Kosuke….”
“Forgive me Dorumon. You deserved better.”
“It’s not your fault. We chose the right path… I never suspected Ryusenji would betray us….” its voice trails off as it offers a weak smile. The glowing gem on its forehead continues to fade.
“How touching,” the professor says with a dry laugh. “And what were your plans with the data?”
“I would have given you all the credit. All I cared about was getting Saya back.” Kosuke’s voice trails.
“I appreciate your love for my daughter,” the professor says flatly. Kosuke groans and clutches at his chest. “I’ll make sure you look good when all this is over. I don’t want to lose you just yet.”
“Why bother?” Kosuke asks bitterly.
“You’re my prodigy. You still hold some value. Now if you’ll excuse me, I must get back to work.” He summons his virtual console and begins typing in commands. A code stream flows from the vaccine object into Ryudamon’s interface.
“Decryptin Vaccine Sector” the metallic voice announces. Ryudamon begins to convulse. It’s too weak from the battle to struggle. Yulin sits helplessly. She no longer has the energy to Mindlink.
“Why are you doing this? How can you abandon your daughter so easily?”
“What happened to Saya was…unfortunate,” Ryusenji’s response is clinical and without emotion. “But it will all be worth it when I find the Source Digimon.”
“What’s the Source Digimon?” Eiji asks.
“The Digimon born at the same time as our world. It is the seed from which all other Digimon come from.” Ryusenji’s fingers move quickly across the keyboard.
“You can’t…. it’s too dangerous!”
“You’re quite right.”
“Then why not leave it alone?”
“Because I’ve come too far. I’m going to make contact with the Source Digimon, communicate with it, and…become one with it.
“You want to take the most powerful Digimon for yourself and then what?” Eiji’s voice shakes with anger.
“Progress,” Ryusenji sneers.
“I thought I had found the chance of a lifetime when you offered me this job. I thought I had finally found something worth fighting for. You gave my life purpose!” Angry tears begin pouring down his cheek. “I would have followed you anywhere…”
“I’m sorry I couldn’t fill you in sooner but…”
“Yeah yeah, d4 classified.” Eiji wipes the tears from his eyes. “Was I just a convenience?”
“No, you had some aptitude in code cracking, and your compatibility with Loogamon didn’t hurt. But had I told you everything from the start, you and Loogamon wouldn’t have grown.”
“Whatever.”
“Do you ever shut up old man,” Loogamon snaps as it rises to its feet.
Character design/illustration illustrator: malo
“You were watching when we fought Kazuchimon, weren’t you? When Loogamon turned into Helloogarmon…You could have stepped in, but you didn’t.”
“Loogamon’s Digivolution was more important than Leon’s life. Rather, it was more interesting.
“He was your student! He trusted you.. we tursted you.”
“Insulent boy! You were nothing when I found you. I pulled you from that squalor. I gave you purpose, and this is how you repay me? You betray me?”
“That’s rich coming from you. After everything you’ve done to Leon, Kosuke, and Yulin…” Eiji’s voice shakes with anger. He takes a soothing breath. “You know? I used to want to be just like you. I respected you…”
“Do you hate me now?”
Loogamon’s restraints begin to tighten. He stumbles as he resists the pressure.
Eiji shakes his head. “Ready Loogamon?” Eiji touches the gem on Loogamon’s forehead. The gem lights up as an invisible code flows between the two. Loogamon gains a sudden burst of strength. With a quick flex, it breaks through the restraints, sending bits of broken chain in every direction.
“How?”
“I’ve got hellfire flowing through my veins. Your little virus didn’t stand a chance.” Loogamon sneers. The pair begins to glow as an aura of magical flame surrounds them. “This isn’t going to end well for you,”