ELEMENTAL KEYS
Once, long ago, Earth was inhabited by several highly evolved, magically powerful, and intelligent beings. Four dominant races lived in an uneasy truce upon that world: demons, angels, deities, and the faye. Soon enough, the human race came along, but they were highly under developed compared to the other races. While humans revered the other races as gods, the dominant species were not always fair to them. While a few humans became legends on par with the other entities, and some of the other entities lived peacefully among humans, this was often the exception to the rule. Humans were treated as pawns and sometimes used as slaves, by the other peoples. This treatment hit an all-time low when a demon/deity half-breed named Bakuryu discovered that he could further his power by consuming human souls. Humans were more or less forced into religious fanaticism, told to give forth their will and their souls to their superiors, in exchange for eternal happiness after death. Many a great crusade broke out among the human race, and as a result, uneasy peace among their masters dissolved into full scale war. It was dark and terrible time to live in, all the more so, if one was a mere human trying to survive among gods.
Then, one day, a mysterious being of immense power named Starbangle appeared; his psychic powers exceeded the might of any member the other races. He was able to separate the human realm from the realms of the other beings. Starbangle chose to end the war by taking away the spoils. And so it was that Earth became separate from the realms of the gods.
Millennia has passed since that time. While the gods of old have not been forgotten, their existence is believed to have been nothing but fiction. Science and new religions now dominate the beliefs of humankind. And somewhere, no one knows and no one cares, the deities, the angels, the demons, and the faye, continue their existence; sometimes they war, sometimes they are at peace. But life moves on, and as far as humans are concerned, all is right with the world.
They say nothing lasts forever, that history is often doomed to repeat itself. This may yet be so…
From the mists of time, Bakuryu has found a way to return to Earth. There, he will gather souls, until his army is powerful enough to conquer the other races. But Bakuryu isn’t the only one making his presence known.
The deities, the faye, the angels, and the demons start appearing in the mortal realm. Though not as powerful in the mortal realm as in their own world, they are nonetheless a fearsome force if they choose to be.
Starbangle reappears. This time, he is unable to actively participate against Bakuryu; Bakuryu has somehow managed to block him. As a result, he must enlist the aid of humans, who have not yet evolved enough to combat the other races. Forging Elemental Keys, which empower the Bearer with vast potential abilities drawn directly from themselves and from the planet, he gives them to nine humans in the hope they will stop the menace of Bakuryu.
The series follows these Elemental Key Bearers as they train up and develop their powers while battling monsters on Earth. Occasionally, they take jaunts into the mystical realms surrounding Earth, which can sometimes have weird side-effects on their powers. The series also takes a serious look at their development as characters and the relationships they have with one another, particularly the relationships between partners. This is especially relevant when dealing with the psychological ramifications of Fusion techniques.
Also explored is the nature of the various monsters and supernatural beings, and the relationships between the various species as well as with humans. Each pair of Bearers ends up with a supernatural mentor or informant of sorts, making the relationships, and supernatural politics, even more complex.
Though they start with only basic super powers, the Key Bearers learn various methods of elemental control. They eventually become powerful enough to manipulate the elements to downright freakish levels, such as creating country-spanning hurricanes, continent-wide earthquakes, lighting the sky on fire, manipulating bio-electric signals to mind control a whole city, etc.
As well, they also have the power to fuse two or more of themselves into single beings, who combine the basic powers of both into one body and unlocking new powers reflecting the nature of the combination, while retaining elemental control. Eventually, they unlock ultimate fusion forms, until they all merge into a single being of cosmic power to defeat the demon lords.
The Key Bearers
Mandi Crane – The Lightning Key Bearer, Mandi’s basic power is super speed. She is a former petty thief who turned her life around and became a business woman. She would rather talk things through than fight and is a bit stiff and proper, but will do what must be done. She is Sarah’s lover, and the two are excellent partners.
Sarah Rose – The Earth Key Bearer, Sarah’s basic power is super strength. She is a martial artist from the rough side of the streets, but has a fun outlook on life. She is Mandi’s lover, and the two compliment one another perfectly.
Jason Wolf – The Wind Key Bearer, possessing the power of flight. Jason is a very serious type, being a police officer who always tries to do right by others. He is pragmatic and the best strategist of the group. His partner is Jesse, which he resents, but tries to make the best of. His basic power isn’t much aid in direct combat, but he compensates with his superb marksmanship.
Jesse Calligari – The Metal Key Bearer, possessing invincibility. Jesse is something of slacker and seems to almost resent being chosen as a champion, even as he takes his powers for granted, acting careless due to his invincibility. He is irritated by Jason, who gets on his ass to be more serious. Jesse eventually shapes up, but its notable that since they hardly ever fused, Jason and Jesse end up not suffering the side effects of fusion which the other pairs had to deal with later in the series.
Ryan Morgan – The Water Key Bearer, his body is malleable like liquid. A college student and also a martial artist, he takes his task very seriously, but suffers an inferiority complex due to being the youngest, and the fact that he has a huge, unrequited crush on his partner Camille, which leads to some of more noticeable fusion difficulties of the various teams. Ryan wields a katana.
Camille O’Neal – The Fire Key Bearer, with the ability to project heat. She is a model and an artist, very gifted and beautiful, as well as intelligent. She has a boyfriend she dearly loves, and thus Ryan’s crush makes things awkward for her, but the two manage to maintain a functional friendship.
Warren Bacchus – The Wood Key Bearer, able to heal living beings with a touch. A botanist and an intellectual, he is gentlemanly and humble, and takes up being the “father figure” of the team. While not much for fighting, his wisdom is invaluable to the group.
Eden Rune – The Bone Key Bearer, she can decay things with a touch. A DJ and punk rock fan, she looks like a goth chick, but is one of the warmest and friendliest people you’ll ever meet. She is the “mother figure” of the group, and the team benefits greatly from her emotional support. She wields a battle scythe.
Akira Tanaka – The Moon Key Bearer, with powers of telepathy, wereform transformation, and gravity control. He wields a massive greatsword weighing nearly 1,000 pounds, made light by his gravity powers. Akira is the lone gunman of the group, the Ninth Ranger, whose Key is separate from the main eight, but still tied to them somewhat. Akira is at first the most powerful member of the team, and fights on his own while watching over the others as a mysterious assistant, however, as the series progresses, the others surpass him. Akira cannot fuse with the others, but he can borrow their power in order to summon elementally themed monsters; the exception is the Final Fusion, of which Akira is the last component.
Other Characters
Starbangle – Starbangle is actually a human from the future. While the faye use magic, the deities manipulate cosmic force, the angels use the divine power of order, and the demons use the infernal power of chaos, humans are destined to become masters of psychic powers. Starbangle’s agenda against Bakuryu is to ensure the survival of the human race, and as a result, his own existence. However, despite his power, he does not want to risk directly fighting Bakuryu, lest this somehow worsen the problem. Starbangle was the one who forged the E-Keys and gave them to the current Bearers; once Mastered, the keys will give the Bearers enough power to rival the gods. The reason the Keys are tied to the elements is because the Bearers are not evolved enough to use the psychic powers humans are supposed to obtain; hence they must draw from an alternate power source. Speaking of evolution, humans may even surpass the other four races, given time.
Yuriko – A female demon sent to sabotage Bakuryu’s operations. Most demons want no part in Bakuryu’s schemes, and most deities want no affiliation with the half-breed. Yuriko has been contracted to take out Bakuryu through stealth, should Raphael and his two agents fail in their mission. Yuriko meets Jason and may fall in love with him. She may help train him and eventually the other Key Bearers. She wields a wakazashi and many powerful physical abilities, along with destructive energy generation.
Illial – Going by the name of “Pixie” at first, Illial is one of the faye. Her human friend, a young girl she plays the imaginary friend to, is saved by Ryan. Illial immediately swears her devotion to the young Key Bearer, and uses her powers to try and reward him. These rewards tend to lead to complications, but Ryan eventually gets Illial to just quit trying to help him, though she remains a friend.
Orpheus – A deity of minor power, he acts as something of a guide for Warren and maybe Eden. He has some personal stake in seeing them develop their powers further, but at least they can use their powers on him without fear of going too far; minor though he is, Orpheus can withstand their life and death powers, so he makes for a safe trainer.
Lialla – A kitsune (demon fox spirit), he is a faye, despite the name. He may travel with Akira, giving him company, and being his confidant or guide.
Villainous Characters
Bakuryu – “The Dream-Eating Dragon”, and the main villain of the piece. Bakuryu is actually a half-demon, half-deity creature. Because of this, demons and deities are more or less immune to his soul-eating power. He can’t consume an angelic soul, because doing so would poison and possibly kill him. The faye are partially immune to his soul-consumption ability, and would give him “indigestion” if he did consume them. Humans are really his only viable source for soul power. Because of their inherit psychic potential, he must first destabilize their minds in order to make them defenseless. This is why he breaks down human minds, through dreams and mental manipulation; doing so paves the way to the soul, now unprotected by psychic powers. Bakuryu has a small army of minions assisting him in this endeavor, most of them demons, though a few are rogue deities and faye. Bakuryu is in fact a criminal in the eyes of demons, so his plans are actually his own; he doesn’t answer to a higher authority. Bakuryu possesses incredible mental power and a wide array of dark magic, combined with minor reality warping skill. As he begins to feed upon humans, they will dissappear from the mortal realm. A sudden rash of unexplanable disappearances is the herald of his return.
Syph – A malevolent djinni (another breed of faye), he takes control of the female Bearers in order to use them to attack the other Bearers. He has struck a deal with Bakuryu: Bakuryu will spare Syph’s homeland if Syph helps him destroy the Key Bearers.
Atiror – An arch-demon who comes to earth to pave the way for Bakuryu’s arrival. His appearance is what prompts Raphael’s initial descent to Earth.
Others – The series features a vast number of monsters, some working independently, but many operating under Bakuryu’s direct control.
E-KEY REDUX
E-Key Redux was an attempted reboot of the Elemental Keys series using a smaller cast, ditching the support characters, and changing the set-up; the previous -Key story posts are all set in the Redux continuity. In this version, the dimensional barriers weaken around a city on Earth as a the ghost demon Deathblade attempts to build his power by stealing souls and psychic energy from humans via his minions. However, even as his own minions make it to Earth, this causes an overall weakening of the barriers, allowing numerous other monsters to begin partially phasing into reality. While mostly harmless at first, they begin to fully manifest into reality and start causing trouble, but due to their supernatural natures, are mostly able to blend into human society through illusions or special cloaking.
Some humans have a special sensitivity that lets them see the monsters’ partially phased forms or see past their disguises. Six such humans are visited by the Dreammaster, an ephemeral god who visits the humans in dreams and gives them the Elemental Keys to empower them.
Unlike the first version, the Keys grant only basic powers and elemental attacks, the activation of which is signified by an aura effect. Other than a power jump in the middle of the series, they Bearer’s do not increase in power, but merely become more effective in the use of their abilities. There is also no fusion for most of the series; the only time a fusion is performed is during the final battle against Deathblade, and later, against the Demon Four, when the whole team merges together to fight them. Overall, the Bearers are more street/city level in this series, whereas in the previous version, the Bearers grew from low street levelers to continent wreckers.
The series still explores the relationships and psychologies of the characters, as well as speculates about the nature of reality, particular the concept of “consensus reality,” as implied to exist via the Dream Realm. Also explored is the idea of how monster society works, and how a good chunk of the creatures not under Deathblade’s employ just want to live peacefully on Earth.
In the first part of the series, the struggles are limited to dealing with monsters in the city up until a direct confrontation with Deathblade. However, after defeating him, Deathblade makes one last ditch effort to rip the barriers between realities wide open, if only to get revenge on the Key Bearers, destroying their home city and causing a massive exodus of creatures to spill into the world. This thus forces the Key Bearers to start roaming the country to defeat the monsters, as several new demons take control of the creatures and begin an active invasion of Earth. Fortunately, this new responsibility comes with an upgrade of power, including stronger elemental abilities and basic power upgrades and expansions, as well as being able do a team-fusion at will when facing the new demons.
Hero Characters
Amanda “Mandi” Zola – The Earth Key Bearer, with super strength and tremor powers. She takes on a dusty/sandy aura when her powers are activated. She is a librarian who keeps a level head and tries to come up with the most practical solution to a problem, seeking a peaceful solution where possible, but resorting to violence when necessary. She is Sarah’s lover.
Sarah Candice – The Fire Key Bearer, she can generate a blinding light and throw fireballs. Her aura appears as flames. She is firewoman who won’t back down from a fight. She falls for Mandi after the woman rescues her from a fire demon and the two become partners.
Maxwell Barack – The Lightning Key Bearer, he has super speed and electrical blasts. His aura is a series of electrical arcs flowing around his body. A serious individual and a police officer, he merely wishes to make the best use of his powers to protect the innocent, but runs himself ragged trying to do so, until he is suspended from duty for endangering his fellow officers. He gets himself calmed down, but remains the most dedicated and focused person on the team.
Gene Ferris – The Metal Key Bearer, he has invulnerability and magnetic/gravity manipulation. His aura gives him a metallic look. He is rather overwhelmed by all the crazy goings on, but is relieved to know he’s not alone in his newfound empowerment.
Ryan Zephyr – The Air Key Bearer, he can fly and create razors or blasts of pressurized air. His aura effect is a whirl of wind and leaves around his body. He is a serious minded martial artist and college student rooming with Even, whom is like a big sister to him. He is unsure of himself, but maintains focus on his newfound duties.
Eve Tallulah – The Water Key Bearer, she can heal people, and her body can become malleable, flowing like water. Her aura effect appears as raindrops falling around her body and gives her a wet appearance. She is a graduate student rooming with Ryan. She is a sweet and compassionate young woman who is something of an older sister figure for Ryan, and an emotional pillar for the group.
Jamin Frey – The Void Key Bearer, Jamin is the lone warrior archetype in place of Akira Tanaka. He appears during the second half of the series, helping the Bearers battle the Demon Four. He can teleport, has ESP, and intangibility. His aura effect turns him into a translucent shadow. He cannot fuse with the others, but they can lend him power to summon elemental monsters.
Villainous Characters
Deathblade – A ghost demon with dark magics, as well as spiritual and psychic powers. He wishes to increase his power by absorbing human minds and souls.
The Demon Four – Four demons who escape to Earth after Deathblade rips open the dimensional barriers. Each controls a “dark element” and set up small kingdoms in cities they conquer in opposite corners of the North America.
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