The Mazkertis Paradox (story)

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The Mazkertis Paradox is an ongoing epic written by BZPB members Klak, Kon, and Nif. It is a direct continuation of the story arc of the same name, which served as the final arc of the BZPB RPG.

Background
In 150,032 CMT - 52 years before the end of the BZPB RPG - Zev Raregroove, heir to the throne of Jurai, travelled into an alternate universe known as the Dark Mirror Universe and helped an alternate version of Klak - D-Klak - subdue a wizard named Mazkertis, who planned to use the Keruvim to manipulate time to his own advantage. After a vicious battle, Mazkertis was defeated and imprisoned by the Great Beings. He swore that one day, he would return and finish what he started by ridding the timelines of both the Dark Mirror Universe and the Original Universe of Zev, Klak, and anyone else who grieved him - but especially Klak, the one responsible for orchestrating his defeat.

Now, Mazkertis has returned, freed from his nether cell by Figlio di Armechio. In response to this threat, Klak formed the Claws of the Phoenix, an elite task force of heroes tasked with stopping Mazkertis by whatever means possible. Unfortunately, the hero who knew Mazkertis best, D-Klak, had been killed in an event known as Ragnarok two years ago. To remedy this, Quolas, a member of the Claws and the last remaining member of the mysterious Sha'lythe Sect, an ancient organization of time guardians, retrieved a version of D-Klak from the past (3 years ago, to be precise) and brought him to the present to help them against Mazkertis. While such an action would usually be in violation of the Sha'lythe's code, their masters, the Living Stars, disappeared without warning two years ago, leaving Quolas relatively free to do what he pleases.

Elsewhere in the universe, Coro had the same idea, and retrieved another version of D-Klak from the past (this one from 4 years ago) with the help of TPK and Walternate.

Soon after these events, the Battle of Saskana brought everyone together and fully awakened them to the threat of Mazkertis. Where others saw death and destruction in Mazkertis, Gabriel Ascheron - leader of the Republic of Luria - saw opportunity, and so gained an audience with the wizard. By forging an alliance with Mazkertis, Ascheron intends to be by the wizard's side as he reshapes the timeline, making the Republic of Luria a hundred times more powerful than it ever was before.

Unfortunately, Mazkertis seems not to be the only threat to the safety of the universe: some have reported seeing an armored warrior calling himself "Monarch" capturing many, seemingly-random characters and trapping them in a pocket dimension known as The UG for "storage". To Klak's chagrin, some of these characters are founding members of the Claws of the Phoenix: Kakamu, Etende, Micros, and Masaharu. Kakamu awakens to find himself face-to-face with Monarch, who tells him that his "master" approaches.

In the wake of the Battle of Saskana, two large gatherings take place on the water world - the first on the Takemikazuchi flagship Divine Providence, and the second on the Makuta Anima's vessel, the Cabana. On the Divine Providence, Rokubungi Gendo, Prime Minister of the Takemikazuchi Empire, attempts to moderate a discussion between Makuta Blackout of the ZFT and Lord Malygos of the Dominion, with little success that is only compounded by the sudden arrival of Figlio di Armechio, head of HYDRA. On the Cabana, Ynot and the Anima host Coro, TPK, Axalara, the Knights of the Keruvim who survived the battle, and Nadle, Klak, and D-Klak. The rest of the surviving participants of the Battle of Saskana - such as Strika, Niflheim, Captain Eurobeat and his Full Frontal Fighting Force - have been granted shelter in the Saskanan cities by the planet's leader, Baron Alfred Ernst von Budberg, as a reward for their heroism.

From there, the story continues... in The Mazkertis Paradox.

Timeline
To see a timeline of events that occurred in The Mazkertis Paradox in chronological order, see The Mazkertis Paradox timeline.

Chapters

 * Chapter 1: Harmony, Disharmony
 * Chapter 2: Calm
 * Chapter 3: Freedom
 * Chapter 4: Homeward Bound
 * Chapter 5: Power Play
 * Chapter 6: Maskirovka
 * Chapter 7: Zugunruhe
 * Chapter 8: The Enemy of My Enemy...
 * Chapter 9: ...Is Not My Friend.
 * Chapter 10: As Time Goes By/The Secret Within
 * Chapter 11: Dejected - The Fall of Datrio
 * Chapter 12: Breakout
 * Chapter 13: Never Say Don't Ever Again
 * Chapter 14: Spark