Laeraz is one of the most technologically advanced locations ever constructed on Ayenee. Built by Taer Ayen's top scientist Rastler Grenadia, it is home to Rastler, his army and their main headquarters, which dominates the city skyline. Thanks to the city's eight Mana Reactors, the city's massive power demands are easily met, but at a cost: the surrounding countryside has become a wasteland lacking any vegetation. Being ruled with an iron fist

Laeraz was built over Castle Ayenee as well as eight tiny villages that had sprung up in it's wake, the names of these cities have now been lost. These eight towns now make up the eight sectors of the Laeraz Slums where experiments Rastler certain experiments and lower level employees live. Construction of the Plate, Mana Reactors, and Grenadia Tower began in order to provide residence for Rastlers's growing investment and employment base.


Laeraz is a large circular structure divided up between two main layers: the paradise above the Plate, and the miserable slums below. The city itself is "floating" above the ground, supported by massive pillars in each Sector. Above the Plate live those Rastler has deemed worthy, his investors, higher ranked members of his military and research team. The upper layer has fine architecture, cobblestone streets, and flawless entertainment The city is divided up into 9 Sectors. Sectors 1 through 8 all refer to the eight areas around Sector 0, which holds the main headquarters of Rastler's research department.

Being surrounded by walls that block access from the outside and divided up into sectors and layers, Laeraz is difficult if not impossible to travel through on foot. The two layers are completely cut-off from each other outside of hidden paths made of various wreckage and junk. Instead, commuters have to use the extensive glyderail system to go to other parts of the city, all run on Ayen Standard Time, the only known Time Zone. The center of the lower layer is made up of a giant circular rail track, that spirals up to the top of the city. These rail systems are heavily monitored by the city's security system. Those without proper ID are instantly arrested by the Grenadian Security forces. The upper layer has highways that lead to and from Sector 0.


Miles beneath the city, Rastler's darkest secrets lurk. There is an entire hidden city that is home to his most sevretive of inventions.

Beneath the ruins of Taer Ayen and the final incarnation of Castle Ayenee, he sat pondering the inevitable.  The effects of entropy were typically slow, time consuming, but  with utmost certainty would come to pass, draining  a society slowly of its lifeblood. Ayenee—and subsequently Taer Ayen, had been too long without it’s King. Without a trueborn heir of Queen Natasha or her son, Elysia Soreln, the nation had collapsed. The duty he had been tasked with had proven too difficult, even for one of his vast intellect and drive.

 

As a boy, he had always believed in the supremacy of the Soreln line, had ever put his faith in his Queen and her son. His love for the royal family had rivaled that of his own and, in truth, he regarded King Elysia as his brother first and his ruler second. How then, could Rastler Grenadia look Elysia in the eyes and tell him he had failed…that his quest for truth and power had resulted in the collapse of an empire? The Realm had once again been thrown into a chaos that Rastler had thought it beyond. Surely, after a generation of structure and order man’s humanity was destined to manifest itself and an era of true and genuine peace would arise? Would it not?

 

Only too late did Rastler realize his foolishness; peace, was not in man’s nature. Peace was a grand idea, but an unattainable one. The last of the Cores that powered the underground city of Laeraz would be non-functional by week’s end and Rastler had no one else to draw on as an energy source.

 

“It is a risky thing,” One said, “I can protect you. This is unnecessary.”

The living suit of armor was poor company, but better than nothing—not that Rastler was the sort of man who required human interaction. It was well known, rather it had been, amongst Taer Ayen’s Council that Elysia’s Chief Advisor was prone to spending weeks in his laboratory on end. 

 

“I have little choice in the matter,” he reminded the golem. “We’ve located the artifact, but I have no idea how it will affect the bonding of your soul. It could very well nullify it entirely and you’ll be useless to me.”

 

His tone was not cruel, simply matter-of-fact.

 

“This artifact,” Rastler began, sliding away from his work desk and raising his hand—the teacher standing before his students “Is older than anything I’ve ever dealt with. It could, indeed, be primordial and in possession of a power that we not only do not understand, but are incapable of controlling. Regardless of this, if it can restore order to Taer Ayen, it is my duty to lay claim to it.”

 

In all truth, it was for the golem’s own good. Rastler’s protectors had a way of meeting an unfortunate end…a fact the good doctor still remained quite curious about. His lithe form contorted as he stretched to claim the serum in it’s vial from his workdesk. Holding it up he marveled at it. The concoction of pure mana, Elysia Soreln’s blood and the Crystallys cells he had discovered was his only chance now. Rastler did not doubt it’s safety, he had used a less potent mixture for all of the KNIGHT candidates and a majority of the soldiers lived with little-to-no side effects.

 

Sharp aristocratic features, complimented by high cheekbones and deep set eyes, softened for a moment as doubt crept in and took hold of him. Raster Grenadia shoved it away.

 

He had no use for doubt.

 

He only had use for power and this was the fastest feasible way to gain it. Unlike so many of the ‘heroes’ who had wandered this Realm, Rastler had ever been a horrendously poor combatant. His life had been spent within libraries and institutions of learning, not upon a battlefield.

 

Taking a firmer grip upon the vial, Rastler rose from his seat and crossed the laboratory to an empty cylindrical chamber composed of steel and glass. Removing his coat and tunic—despite one’s lack of humanity, there was little sense in impropriety—Rastler stepped into the chamber and shut the door.

 

“Wait until I’ve administered the serum, then activate the chamber.” One’s helm tilted in a nod. Removing a hypodermic needle from within his pocket, Rastler removed the protective covering and inserted the tip into the vial’s opening. Drawing out all of the serum, Rastler wasted little time in injecting it. “Now,” he commanded.

 

The room was filled with the hum of mana-powered machinery, the lights flickered off, leaving only the dim glow of the chamber’s gauges.

 

Rastler was dimly aware of someone screaming, he was only partially aware of the ice cold sensation that coursed through his veins, or the feeling of his body contorting and changing. No, what had grabbed Rastler’s attention was the sensation of pure mana being sprayed upon his skin. Each drop felt as though it had been composed of exceedingly potent acid. Rastler refused to reach or comfort his burning flesh, in fear that his skin might slough off. Writhing and screaming, he fought against his instinct to keep his eyes shut and peered at the gauges spinning overhead. The pain would pass, it had to. Rastler’s vision blurred and refocused, blurred and refocused, blurred and refocused.

 

When he could stand the pain no more, Rastler Grenadia reached for the Chamber’s glass door, only to be enveloped in darkness. 

 

Even in death…all I feel is agony.

"This shouldn't hurt a bit..."

"I've heard that before."

"It'll be a pinch, I promise. It's a larger gauged needle, but your veins are like sewer mains..."

"So I've been told. Make this quick."

"I must advise you, as it is my job, Vincent. This procedure -- it could have negative effects."

"Can it doc. If I die, I'm blessed. If I live, I'll be history, right?"

"You will indeed be the first to take this many doses. Something about your genetics is much stronger than a normal human's..."

"Well then, let's get started. I have things to do today."

"If this is successful, your plans will be changing."

"Excuse me?"

"Let's get started..."

---

The room was cold, hard metal. The droning sound that seemed to vibrate the room was calming to an active mind like Vincent's that thought of the encrypted message that the physician had delivered to him before the sedation. It dulled the mind and calmed the spirit so that the fusion went much smoother than usual. The chair he was resting in was well padded, but the buckles and fasteners had been enhanced much more than the typical chairs. Vincent wasn't the typical infusion soldier, but something different -- all together. Historically speaking, only one or two other individuals were at the dose of mana that he was, and this current project would put him at the top of the list, regardless of life or death.

Comfortably strapped into the chair, the room dimmed as the energy draw from the core of the reactor was pulled into a conduit which transferred the purest of mana into an infusion tube. The lines glowed from the reactor, illuminating the room in a vibrant hue of aquamarine. It filtered into the machine where a centrifuge was located to ensure the quality of the mana injected and to sift out any imperfections or foreign objects. Vincent took a deep breath as the scrubbed in man approached with what looked like a small hand gun, armed with a needle point. Locked into the chair by other assistants and physicians, Vincent's eyes lolled slowly from the anesthetics.

Pressing the needle to a vein in the man's arm, the doctor pushed and it punched through the skin with ease, penetrating a vein and linking up. Taped into place, the man moved and repeated the procedure on the other arm and then checked to see if all the security devices had been set into place. Double restraints for all four limbs and a head strap included. Three chest bands, including one that seemed to be made from a particular metal and they were set! Flipping a switch, the teal liquid plunged into the man's veins and for a few moments he laid their motionless. The suspense and breath was caught in the air as they all watched. Waiting. Tension. A heavy silence in the atmosphere.

A muscle spasm started the transformation as it pulsed through his arms and then his entire body convulsed hard against every strap that was pinning his body to the chair. The metal groaned angrily. The pressure increased and the reactor whined and flickered vibrantly. A mouth-guard was inserted into Vincent's mouth to keep from clenching so tightly that it could possibly crack his teeth and have them splinter inside of his mouth. He snarled and his eyes flashed open. The glow of the amber had literally begun to illuminate like a light bulb, pulsing energy and potential that had never been documented or recorded before. And just as soon as it started, it was over.

The heaving rage within the man had been contained and with a heavy exhalation, Vincent's back pushed into the chair. He sighed. The doctor removed the needles from his arms and turned around to set the instruments into place. The sounds of unlatching caused the doctor to turn around, his mouth agape to yell at an assistant for stepping out of line, only to see them undoing themselves. Buckles had been undone. The metal about his chest was warped from the infusion, and now torn in half, bent outwards like feeble, thin aluminum. Vincent rubbed his wrists and stood slowly, moving to the coat rack to lift his jacket without a word spoken.

"... Vincent?"

"Yes, Doctor?"

"How do you feel?" His voice shook with a nervous curiosity.

"Would you like to do more tests, or see me in action? Frankly, I'm tired of being a guinea pig."

"We have a perfect environment for you to be tested in and watched, without running any further tests on you, Vincent."

"I need to get back to work then ..."

"On the contrary, Vincent. You have been reassigned."

"Nonsense, my work under the plates are crucial, to keep the rebellions quelled from doing anything stupid."

"Grifter has been assigned to that. You have a new assignment."

Vincent turned and frowned, lacing up his upper jacket. "Excuse me? Under whose authority?"

"The Ruler of Ayen." The doctor said anxiously.

"Rastler?"

The doctor nodded, "You are the first to reach the Elite KNIGHT infusion. He wishes you to his side immediately to watch over you and examine you for himself. You are to be his bodyguard. Protect him from anything or anyone who wishes him harm."

Vincent sighed heavily and frowned, his milky eyes searching the grated floor. Lifting a hand, the hilt of his blade came to his hand from it's resting place on the counter, which was then snapped to his hip and he nodded softly. This new assignment was a blessing indeed, but Vincent was the sort of man who desired to see something through to the end and not working to eradicate those working against the empire that he strove to protect disagreed with everything that he was. However -- he was Sworn to Taer Ayen and the throne. Mr. Grenadia was the rightful ruler, in his eyes and would be protected as such. Vincent nodded softly.

"It would be my honor then, good Doctor."

"How do you feel? No one has ever received this dosage and really handled it as well as you? Your vision ... has it ...?"

"No. I'm not worried about that, but you know that. And I feel ... powerful. Strong. I'm surging internally."

"Excellent..." He shuttered with excitement. "There is a shuttle waiting to take you to Rastler. I'm sure he will find you a project so that you may curiously prove yourself..." Vincent nodded respectfully and bowed. With a turn, he'd exited the inner room and began his way around the exterior walkway of the reactor. The station was in it's peak, giving them the purest and most refined mana that the planet could deliver, through all of the individual filtration systems that were expertly placed by years and years of mana engineering. On the edge of the desolate, dark building was a small vessel awaiting Vincent personally.

Some time ago...
Evening had come and gone, ushering  in the dawn with little in the way of pomp and circumstance. Still the otherworldly light cresting the horizon served as a constant reminder to the professor that no matter the magnitude of his machinations, he was barely an atom within the molecule that was their universe. 

"Still," he whispered softly to himself "Quite the noteworthy speck."

"Hrm?" She asked, lifting her head off his chest. 

"Simple internal musings..." he explained, running his fingertips along the base of her spine. 

"I'd best get going," she said with a soft smile, swinging her legs out of bed and slipping into her skirt."The research division thinks they've gotten a lock on the subject's position."

Drusilla was certainly a sight to behold, but she was not the love of his life. His Daniella had been a creature of beauty to marvel at for hours upon end...but it was pointless to dwell on such thoughts. 

"If Corban Saezar cared a whit about his son in the first place, he'd have stayed in Ayenee."

"He's a Guardian Rastler, his responsibilities--"

"Are of no concern to me. These Guardians of Ayenee, assuming they even reside in this realm anymore, are things of the past. It is my intellect, my will, my love for my King that will insure the survival of the realm."

Buttoning her blouse, Drusilla sighed."I hope you're right, but Ethan misses his mother..."

"And wouldn't know his father even if Corban returned. Cease putting your faith in myths and legends...a new age is upon us."

Straightening her hair, Drusilla nodded her head. "If you say so, Doctor."

When she had gone and he was well and truly alone, Rastler peered out of the window at the riding sun and pondered things. There was nothing some Guardian could handle that he couldn't. 

"I'm the new protector of the realm...and I will insure its safety at all costs."

---

It wasn't genuine pain so much as a dull ache that had settled into his bones, a soreness that he was certain would fade in time.

Rastler was alive, he was certain of that, but it was with a great deal of reservation that he slowly opened an eyelid to see ONE's helmed head peering over him.

"Are you alright, Dr. Grenadia."

Sitting up, Rastler tested his basic motor functions. Moving his fingers and toes, touching fingertips to his nose, before he rose to his feet. The sight that greeted him almost took him aback.

Rastler recognized himself, his features were present within the face staring back at him, but his lithe and slender form had been replaced with a body befitting a KNIGHT, test subject. 

That was the idea though,wasn't it?

Marveling at his own brilliance for but a moment longer, Rastler grinned at ONE and crossed the room to tug a jacket on.

"Of course the physique of a warrior does not make me one, so you will still be necessary ONE."

The large suit of armor nodded. "Of course."

"Make preparations, we leave to reclaim the relic in the morning."

"It is Morning, Dr. Grenadia." ONE pointed out.

"It is? Oh... Tomorrow morning then. It will be just like old times, an expedition for the glory of Taer Ayen."

"The KNIGHT you requested is being sent up," the golem intoned, peering at a monitor. 

"Ah another success! I was getting rather tired of burning the bodies...Can't stomach the smell of burnt human fat."

"Shall I remain with you?"

Running a hand along his jaw Rastler shook his head. "Go enjoy yourself, make ready for our journey. Tomorrow we save Taer Ayen."

With that the golem dismissed himself and Rastler began pawing through his laboratory gathering vials and parchment, along with numerous other gadgets and nicknacks.