(BF18) Encounters in the Void

BrikWars fiction in long-prose form. Trigger warning: Walls of text

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Nemoto-Sensei
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(BF18) Encounters in the Void

Post by Nemoto-Sensei » Fri Dec 14, 2018 2:20 am

Tattered, white sails billowed in the cosmic gale, rippling violently like the waves of a raging ocean. The stillness was absolute, save for the rhythmic creaking of the metallic hull and the gentle whistle of the wind. 



Raxus Nikolai, Captain of the Bijou, gazed out into the Nether-realm from his podium on the quarter deck. HIs bushy beard swelled like a patch of moss, rank with the musky stench of hard liquor and expired bratwurst. His purple robe was dotted with holes and the frayed ends extended sinewy tendrils like the creeping grasp of an abhorrent beast. An array of rusted medals and brooches clung to the lapel, a testament to the captain’s glorious deeds; all in the past. Once an esteemed and feared pirate captain, he is now but a shell of his past, a stalwart and grim shell at that, but nonetheless nowhere near his former prestige. Decked to an assignment in the Nether-realm aboard an old, decrepit trawler and accompanied by a crew of inept, gouty imps was a slap in the face to this proud man. The old captain resented every minute spent in the realm, eagerly looking forward to his retirement — a seemingly unreachable goal. Raxus’s aching joints creaked as much as the Bijou; sending waves of pain throbbing through his leg, a plethora of creases and wrinkles plagued his pale skin; he wheezed like a ghoul in his slumber. Raxus felt old and tired. Heaving an exasperated sigh, he swiveled around and headed for his quarters. Perhaps the next day would be better, not that he could tell in this god-forsaken vale of darkness. Little did he know of the horrifying titan that lurked ahead in the deepest folds of the Brikverse…



“Captain! Captain! Ere’s sumthin’ up ahead!” One of the imps hobbled into the room, shrieking as it pointed outside with its stubby finger. The sudden intrusion sent the Captain reeling as he toppled out of the hammock. There was a deafening thud as the floorboards groaned in agony. 



“Blyat! What the heck do you want ya nincompoop!” Raxus growled, clutching his head in pain as he seethed. The imp yelped, cowering in fear as he vigorously pointed outside with his bony arms. Shoving the petrified imp aside, the Captain lumbered out of his dormitory. “Quartermaster! What in tarnation did ya wake me fer huh!” Raxus blustered, craning his neck in an effort to spot his officer.



“Captain, look in the sky! It’s all red and… swirly…” The Quartermaster replied, waving his arms about madly from the crow’s nest. The Captain gazed up into the sky, his thick eyebrows curving quizzically like the sable tail of a squirrel. The sky was a mess of RT and black, swirling and pulsing in clusters of vortexes. Hordes of manta ray-like creatures soared overhead, screeching with a ravenous zeal in a deafening cacophony. Sections of the exotic firmament had tears in them, each acting as a portal to another dimension. They were all rimmed in pure translucent elements, scintillating and spectacular. From his position atop the bridge, Raxus ogled at the magnificence before his eyes, wondered yet confused. This momentary euphoria from the breathtaking sight soon dissipated and evolved into rage as he racked his brains trying to figure out where in the Brikverse they were. Clenching his teeth, Raxus’s eyes burned like flaming embers as he turned to face the Quartermaster. Narrowing his steely gaze, the Quartermaster stared meekly at his shoes. If looks could kill, he would have withered there and then, right under the spot of his fiery gaze.



“How the hell did we end up here you debil!” He roared, storming up the steps to the stern as he wrung the scrawny Quartermaster by his neck. “Did we go into some portal ya knucklehead!” The rest of the crew fell silent as they eyed the unfolding chaos. Captain Raxus was a disciplined man who was notorious among the shipmates for his cruel punishments, and there was little leniency towards negligence.



“I ave’ no idea sir! Please don’t hurt me cap’n, we just sorta sailed in ere’!” The poor man sniveled, clasping his measly hands together as he groveled for mercy. Not entirely convinced, the Captain relented and released the terror-stricken Quartermaster who dropped to his knees instantly, sobbing and quivering in fear.



“We shall push on, but I won’t tolerate any more silly mistakes! What are ya waitin’ fer ya rascals!” The Captain declared, his brooding voice echoing through the hearts of the men and turning them frozen with fear. There was a brief pause before the crew pounced back into action, scuttling around the deck like timid mice as they avoided the Captain’s dagger-like glares.



Sailing along the eternal void, there was a sense of anticipation and danger among the men. Something was brewing ahead, and it gnawed at their souls like a vicious hound. Like a bolt out of the blue, streaks of RT lightning tore the heavens asunder, jolting the sailors out of their reveries. The wind howled like a feral wolf, its mighty wisps dragging the rickety ship forward as it creaked and groaned. In the distance, a massive, hulking mass towered over the chaotic scene, ominous storm clouds whirling around it in a frenzy. Its rubbery, obsidian skin had a series of veins running through it, coursing with pure, crimson RT that scintillated with every pulse. Bearing the countenance of a gargantuan humanoid, the creature’s head had the countenance of an octopus, a mangled web of feelers and tentacles that lashed out and twitched rhythmically. Its forehead was adorned with two golden antlers, reaching into the heavens like a pair of outstretched and withered hands. Its wings were poised in a majestic yet terrifying manner; webbed, translucent sheets of membrane that created a treacherous gale with every reverberation. Emitting a deep, menacing growl, it extended a muscular arm, seizing the entire ship with an iron grip, its ruby eyes flickering as it gazed intently at the Bijou and its crew.



“Who dares to trespass in the Realm of Brikthulu! The vale of terror! Your inescapable DOOM!” Brikthulu bellowed, its tentacles coiling around the ship like a menagerie of serpents, slowly constricting the flimsy metallic hull. 



“All guns fire portside and starboard! Let’s blast that damned octopus to hell!” Raxus roared, drawing his cutlass as he rallied the men. The roar of all twenty-four of the Bijou’s cannons filled the air. Buccaneers scuttled across the deck, hastily grabbing their muskets as they hollered out orders to one another. Volley after volley of cannon shot hurtled towards Brikthulu, only to bounce off harmlessly like rubber pellets.



“HAHAHA!” Brikthulu guffawed, “This is the most pathetic thing I’ve seen yet!” Your measly cannon balls can’t even make me wince!” Brikthulu’s grip around the Bijou tightened as it drew closer. The tentacles gyrated and slashed, violently rocking the ship around before unfolding, revealing row upon row of jagged OT blades, dripping with its pus and other revolting secretions.



“Yaargh!” Raxus bellowed, drawing his hand cannon as he blasted one of the swishing tendrils. “You’ll rue the day you messed with Raxus Nikolai!” Pouncing atop a pile of wooden crates which creaked under his mighty girth, the haughty captain rallied the crew with a blustery cheer, spurring them to battle Brikthulu with newfound vigor. Brikthulu’s slippery eyelids fluttered. The massive monstrosity blinked, before parting its lips open, slowly revealing an abyssal maw, its walls teaming with thousands of serrated teeth. Raxus craned his neck, peering down into the ravenous gullet below. At the very bottom of the pit, he spied an immensely powerful maelstrom, churning a jumbled fleet of derelict vessels in an endless cyclone. The air was rank with the fetid stench of decay, noxious fumes emanating from the creature’s ravine-like mouth. Raxus gagged, reeling backwards from the sudden assault of his nostrils. “All cannons fire upon that mutant's piehole! Davai!” He shrieked, twirling his hand cannon before firing a second chamber of buckshot into Brikthulu’s maw. The twenty-four canons of the Bijou sang their deadly aria once more, to much greater effect than the previous volley. Craters dotted the chasm, with shards of the creature’s tooth having been smashed out by the ferocious assault. Brikthulu’s maw resembled a chaotic matrix of explosions, with chunks of the creature’s pink flesh bouncing of the walls followed by spurts of gleaming OT blood.



“ARGHHH! Scurvy ridden fools… woe to you, for kindling my WRATH!” Brikthulu roared, his tentacles temporarily releasing the Bijou from his vice-grip as he staggered with pain. The mangled mess of tentacles drew back sharply, wisps of OT electricity crackling and radiating from sucker to sucker. With an ear-piercing, almost ethereal hum, the tentacles whipped forward, latching onto the hull of the Bijou with a resounding thud and causing it to shake like an agitated snake, poised to strike at its aggressor. With the Bijou within his deadly grasp, Brikthulu drew it closer, once again opening his jaws of death and revealing the humongous graveyard of ships that was his maw, a portal to the realm of the decaying and forgotten…



Thus endeth the tale of Raxus Nikolai, the fearless and stalwart ship captain who was respected throughout his life, up until his encounter with the monster Brikthulu. And in this age, with many great heroes and kings falling from high, memories of them forever distant in the form of archaic monuments and ancient tomes, the bulwark that once protected the Brikverse crumbles to pieces, an omen of the looming horror that lurks in the dark void beyond…
Last edited by Nemoto-Sensei on Sat Dec 15, 2018 12:45 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Quantumsurfer
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Re: (BF18) Encounters in the Void

Post by Quantumsurfer » Fri Dec 14, 2018 7:38 pm

Minor Edits incoming, with my permission.

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Re: (BF18) Encounters in the Void

Post by baconquistador » Thu Jan 10, 2019 6:30 pm

Concept/Theme: 9
Impending Ragnablok doom? Check. Excellent worldbuilding? Check. Love it
Form: 8
This battle took place in a short enough timeframe (Ship is sailing, BrikThullu shows up, boom pow done) that despite the good forward motion of the story, it was like cotton candy. Sweet for a couple seconds aaaaaaaaand it's gone.
Voice: 8
I love the consistency of Raxus's dialect and how it painted him as a character. BrikThullu himself had kind of cheesy dialogue tbh but I think that actually leaned into his role as the antagonist of all antagonists.
Style: 18
Colorful descriptions, clever translation of naval activity to a sci-fi setting, and a compelling (albeit small) cast. Well done!
Resumé: HAS BECOME CHAOS CHICKEN

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Re: (BF18) Encounters in the Void

Post by DayBoost_ » Fri Jan 11, 2019 7:38 pm

Concept and Theme- 8
Form- 8
Voice- 9
Style- 17
Presentation- 9

This was fun and I will always take more ragnablok related items

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Kommander Ken
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Re: (BF18) Encounters in the Void

Post by Kommander Ken » Sun Jan 20, 2019 10:39 pm

Concept/Theme: 9
Form: 8
Voice: 10
Style: 16

This story was super entertaining and I loved the way you described Nikolai.

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Re: (BF18) Encounters in the Void

Post by Venge » Tue Sep 24, 2019 5:21 pm

Facing down Brikthulhu like a boss? :byzero:
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