Loot-a-Palooza Fiesta

[bertinator]

Shortly after sending out the invitations, the day of the party arrived. Minifigures traveled from all corners of the brikverse to attend this epic celebration.




QS Bertinator, host of the party, constructed a brand new bar to facilitate this event. He named it "The Boulder", in honor of the glorious tavern of Vymbourne that was destroyed in the recent war.




It wasn't long before everyone was in and started having a good time.




Like all parties, this is a great place to find common ground with complete strangers.




Or, to do some flirting.




Bertinators' guests are having a great time, making new friends...




... forming alliances...




... discussing the latest fashion trends...




... meeting old acquaintances...




... gallivanting...




... and exchanging tales of epic, legendary, LOOT.




But most importantly, they're enjoying the taste of their Maniak Beers...




... all flavors on tap, and served with a smile.

[bertinator]

"I expect our special guests to arrive shortly."
"Very well, sir."

[bertinator]

QS Bertinator did not have to wait long, as moments later the first VIP arrived. It's Quantumsurfer!




"Hi there, Bert!"



"Welcome!"
"What exactly are we celebrating here?"



"This is Loot-a-Palooza! It's an homage to all the glorious loot in the brikverse. The minifigs that I've invited all have stories to share."



"Stories about what?"
"Loot, ofcourse! About the treasures hidden in their corners of the brikverse. They each have their own quest, searching for some form of loot. With a passion that I find... contagious!"



"All of them? They're all searching for a different treasure?"



"Correct! You should have a chat with some of them. You'll enjoy it, I'm sure!"

[bertinator]

...



...



...



"Hi there."
"Greetings, my name is Quantumsurfer."
"I'm Kit Blister, sir. Would you like a drink?"
"Sure, I'd like that."



"Enjoying the party?"
"Absolutely. But here's the thing, sir. I have no idea how I ended up on the guest list. I've never met Bertinator."

Quantumsurfer surpresses a smile. He nods, understanding.
"Sounds like someone wanted you here."
"I guess so."



"So what do you do, Kit?"
"I'm a space ranger, sir! I patrol the Nocturne Void in my spacecraft, doing rescue and salvage runs."
"Ah, the space under the bed. Sounds cool!"



"Um, right. What about you?"
"I'm a... contest manager! But let's not get into that."
"Okay then."
"Why don't you tell me about your latest mission, Kit."



"My latest mission, phew. Still trying to wrap my head around that one, sir."
"Talk me through it. Be specific."



"It all started with a strange noise on the comms. So I did a P&T and intercepted, expecting to do a rescue mission, right? But instead of a ship, there was only an asteroid at that vector when I arrived."
"An asteroid called to you for help?"
"Not likely. Anyway, the asteroid was on a collision course, so I only had time for a single pass. That's when I saw a small object caught in it's field. Without hesitation, I reeled it in and left the vector as fast as I could. Normally I would never do that but... somehow I felt drawn to this object."
"And you took this object with you?"
"I did, sir. But from my initial scans I can't quite make out what it is."
"I see."



"And now you find yourself at this party..."
"Right. Which makes me wonder... maybe someone here can help me ID the object!"
"Sounds like a great idea."



"Nice talking to you sir. Have a good one!"
"Likewise, Kit!"

[Quantumsurfer]

Yes, good.

[bertinator]

The next VIP to arrive is Bragallot!




He immediately strikes up a conversation with the knight who is standing close by.
"I zit not expect to zee a knight at zis party. Vat is your name, and vat brings you here?"



"I am Sir Bullseye, m'lord. And I came here trying to get back home, to the realm you call Medivo."
"Well, how did you end up here in ze first place? You didn't take ze long route, I presume?"



"No, I traveled in the blink of an eye. I was just now trying to explain this same thing to the lady here."
"Sir Bullseye told me that he used to be one of Cedrics' men. But his ambitions to become a knight set him on a new path. One that crossed the path of Sir Fawkes."
"Herr Fawkes?"



"I met Sir Dis Guy Fawkes on my quest to slay a dragon. He immediately challenged me to a duel. The man presented with a gigantic hammer in hand, throbbing with an orange light."
"And zen vat?"



"He struck me down. In one fell swoop. The hammer smashed against my armor before I had even lifted my sword."



"How zit you survive such a blow?"
"I haven't the faintest clue, m'lord. All I know is that I closed my eyes and fell to the ground. And when I opened my eyes, I was here. In a nation that you call Studland, far far away from the Realm of Medivo, so I've been told."



"Fazinating...", Bragallot mutters.



"Im going to help you, Herr Bullseye! To get back home. For zis, I must take a look at your armor. And you must tell me exactly vat Herr Fawkes' weapon looked like. Come, let uns sit."

[bertinator]

Meanwhile, Quantum approaches one of the guests.

"Dasher, my friend. I've spoken with the space ranger. It is as we expected: an artifakt of great importance has been recovered from the Nocturne Void."



The guest raises his visor, revealing a face that looks slightly worried.
"I see. Does this change our plans?"
"No. Enjoy the party and meet up with Bertinator to hear what he has to say. But keep an eye on Kit Blister for me: don't let anything happen to him."
"I will. And what about you?"
"I must be on my way."
"Where are you going?"



"To find answers."

Quantum leaves the party with haste. He passes Bragallot on the way out, but neither of them takes note.

[bertinator]

Sometime later, the next VIP arrives: QS Dienekes, accompanied by the heroine Elyana, Wielder of the Fire.

"Welcome, Dienekes of Skion! I've been dying to meet you."
"Greetings, Mr. Inator!"


"Unfortunately, I can't stick around. So I'd like you to meet Elyana."
"It's a pleasure, Mr. Bertinator."
"The pleasure is all mine. I've heard great things about you. Welcome Elyana, Wielder of the Fire. And call me Bert."



As QS Dienekes heads off into legendary warfare to defend his homeworld, Bert shows Elyana around.
"Would you like a drink?"



After a brief tour of the venue, Elyana approaches a strange looking figure, singling him out from all across the bar.
"Greetings, sir. My name is Elyana. And who are you?"
"The name is Skulls Mackenzie. And I've got a question for ya. What's worse: fleebnorks or jaw-jaws?"



"I... uh... fleebnorks."
"Harr harr, good answer! Yer a friend, then. Cheers!"



"What does that mean?"
"I travel the brikverse making friends and foes in equal amount. This question is how I decide which is which. It's because I like to party just as much as I battle, and nothing else."



"Why?"
"It's just all I am, girl. They call me the party trooper. I can't even remember what I did before I found the RaveGlaive. Like I said: partying and battling is all that's left of me. When I don't: existential crisis! That's why I want to find the PartyBattleBus."



"The party-battle-bus? That sounds legendary."
"It does, doesn't it? And I happen to know it's whereabouts."
"I'd love to hear more!"

[bertinator]

Meanwhile, QS MadMario has arrived at the bar!



After grabbing a drink, he begins to chat with one of the guests.
"Hello there. My name is MadMario. Can I ask yours?"
"It's M'rani. Nice to meet you."
"Where are you from, M'rani?"
"Ganimet 12."



"Ah, that explains the uniform. Ganimet 12 is a nearby M-Throne mining colony, isn't it?"
"You're not from around here, are you, Mario? Ever since the mines became depleted, M-Throne lost interest. There's nothing left of the Empire on our planet, except for the crippling bureaucracy. We're only M-Throne by name - Nova Kaplania is just an empty shell."



"I see, excuse me. I spend most of my time in the Henndirro galaxy. Allow me to make it up to you by buying you a drink."



The two head over to the bar and MadMario orders M'rani a drink.
"M'rani, I do wonder... why do you still wear the M?"
"It got your attention, didn't it?"



"Is that what you seek? My attention?"
"That depends. What do you know about transparent materials?"



"I know the basics. Their incredible potential. And I know I'm always looking to acquire more. Why?"



"I'm an astrogeologist, Mario. My whole life I researched these materials. But because I had an accident, the corporation has shut me out. So now I want my compensation. And I'm going to get it - in the form of transparent material. A ton of it."



"And let me guess - you need a crew."
"Exactly."

[bertinator]

A little while later, Nervyr joins the party.



"Hi there. My name is Nervyr."
"Hi. I'm Milli."
"So Milli, what have you been up to lately?"



"Thats classified. If I told you that, I would have to kill you!"
"I've died before, I could go for a repeat."



"Anyway, I'm on vacation now."
"That's nice! We should celebrate then. Can I buy you another drink?"



"So any plans for your vacation? Or is that classified as well?"
"I'm going to search for some loot actually."



"Really? What loot?"
"It's looks like a box. But it has 4 dimensions, like, it's multi-layered. The cool thing is that it provides infinite power."



"I'm getting the feeling there's multiple layers to you as well, Milli. This sounds awesome."
"Really, you think so? Most people find this stuff too nerdy."



"Absolutely. Can I ask, where do you hope to find this object?"
"Sigh, it's a long story. But it's probably with a dude named Jam Hackson."
"Interesting..."

[bertinator]

Unbeknownst to Bertinator, theres someone at the party that wasnt invited.



It's Dr. Etanol, an ambitious scientist from the Kingdom of Orlogrod, in disguise.



He finds a quiet spot at the bar and orders his first Maniak Beer.



3 minutes later, he orders another one.



Another 3 minutes later and he's already going for round three.



The bar crew is getting suspicious. They alert the Bar Manager.



Just as Dr. Etanol is being served his fourth beverage, the Bar Manager steps in.



She confronts him and asks to see his backpack.



As it turns out, the doc hasn't even taken a sip: all the Maniak Beers went straight into his backpack!



The doc storms off, losing one of the 4 Maniak Beer flavors he collected.



The bar crew is left behind, puzzled and confused. How would anyone dare to steal Maniak Beers right from under the noses of all these Quantumsurfers? And what for?

[bertinator]

Like all great parties, the Loot-a-Palooza fiesta eventually draws to an end.



As most minifigs are starting to head home, bertinator asks his special guests to stay a little longer.



"A final round on me?"



"Well Bert, it's about time you told us - why are we here?"
"That's a good question, Dasher."



"First of all, since ragnablok, we've all been pretty busy in our own little corners of the brikverse. I'm just glad we were finally able to gather here in one room - I find your creativity inspiring and I'm curious to learn more of you."



"And vy zid you invite all zees ozher guests?"



"I wanted to show you the incredible amount of loot there is to be found in the brikverse. How diverse it's inhabitants are. How interesting their stories can be. And how easy it is to embark on a dozen new quests in a single evening."



"And are you hoping that after tonight we'll go on escapades and help out these minifigs in their petty little quests?"
"Well, you're all heroes. And there's loot involved. So no, I'm not hoping for it. I'm counting on it!"



"Hmmm, you're not wrong, Bert. I met Skulls Mackenzie tonight, and he told me an interesting story about a battlebus."



"BATTLE BUSSSSS!"



"It's in some random farmers back forty, and I'm going with Skulls on a mission to reclaim it."
"Lol, rotting in a field. Somebody has got to want to keep it that way, though, so who defends it?"
"Skulls mentioned a clan of technobandits? Anyway, I could use some assistance."



"I'd love to accompany you. I have some friends with the SpaceCops, some of them will join me. Banditry is against the law, after all."
"I'll put in a small team as well."
"Same, let's do it."
"Auf geht's!"

[Bragallot]

BATTLE BUSSSSS

[Food_Truk]

I heard something about loot and maniac beer so I ran over here as fast as I could.

[bertinator]

Next: Fuss About a Bus >>>