[center][img]https://www.mariowiki.com/images/thumb/b/b2/Koopa_Troop_artwork.png/658px-Koopa_Troop_artwork.png[/img]
[h2][color=FD0000]The Koopa Troop[/color][/h2]
[b][color=FD0000]wordcount:[/color][/b] 1,571  (+3) (+15)
[b][color=FD0000]Bowser: Level 10 [/color][/b] EXP: [color=FD0000]/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////[/color]/////// (93/100) 
[b][color=SpringGreen]Bowser Jr: Level 8 [/color][/b] EXP: [color=SpringGreen]///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////[/color] (116/80) 
[b][color=DeepSkyBlue]Kamek: Level 9 [/color][/b] EXP: [color=DeepSkyBlue]//////////////////////////////////[/color] ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////(33/90) 
[b][color=FD0000]Location:[/color][/b] Bottomless Sea – Gateon Port - Carcass Isle
Feat: Rika
[/center]


[hider=level ups and Maw effect]

Bowser:
Power: Flash Cannon (Blastoise): Draws in light from the surrounding area into the tentacruel domes on his shell where it can be held (though not indefinitely) in order to fire out light based attacks. Bowser can either send the charge to his mouth, in order to fire off a large [url=https://cdn2.bulbagarden.net/upload/b/be/Grant_Onix_Flash_Cannon.png]beam laser[/url] or load it into his many beak-cannons to fire several barrages of smaller photokinetic [url=https://cdn2.bulbagarden.net/upload/4/4b/FlashCannonPE.png]shells[/url] at foes.

More powerful/faster to charge under intense light, and will actively blacken darker areas in an almost ominous fashion as the shell steals much of the light from the already dim area. Bowser can also charge before entering a dark area and in so doing use his back mounted tentacule domes as a light-source (bleeding stored up charge in the process)

Attacks are strong vs creatures, like pokemon, with an elemental weakness to steel type, as well as being effective against creatures that fear the light.

[url=https://mario.wiki.gallery/images/0/0a/SM3DWBF_Screenshot_Fury_Bowser_3.png]Fury Spike Torpedoes:[/url] Bowser launches the spikes on his shell (which now rapidly grow back) offensively. While his normal size, Trento’s influence has turned the spikes into aerial torpedoes containing small timed explosive charge (making them extra nasty to be stuck by or just missed by) and propeller on the back that gives it limited maneuvering. That last point gives the volly's flight path more of an arch than a straight up straight down affair of their usual affair. Giant Bowser’s spikes meanwhile retain their vertical bombardment and rectangular platform creating properties. 

Jr:
Power: Fire Breathing (Kid sized): Jr can huck fireballs like his pappy, but they are, of course, smaller, weaker and less numerous than the big man’s own affair, but they do come with some special tricks up their sleeves. Come in two flavors: quick and bouncy like a certain plumber’s hand thrown fireballs or slow and homing with the added benefit of leaving a patch of fire when they hit the ground. He also has a regular, if again comparatively weak compared to his dad’s, fire-breath for short ranged roasting.

(level up postponed)

Kamek:
Power: [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMAscFnf1uY&t=37s]Dark Energy Mines (Cia)[/url]: Kamek can create circles of dark magic, about 2 meters in diameter, on the ground around himself. These magic circles will charge for a second or so, and then once powered up can be detonated explosively whenever the caster desires or be triggered by them being stepped on by a foe. An interesting part of these mines is that while they can only be created on the ground very close to himself horizontally, the vertical range, especially downwards, is far longer, allowing the mage or his red clones to ‘bomb’ the area beneath them with these remote explosives. Each bomb is fairly mana intensive to set up, but relatively self sufficient once placed.

Strength: [url=https://youtu.be/nMAscFnf1uY?t=50]Shadow Blasts(Cia)[/url]: Kamek can use a bit of extra mana to increase the speed, penetration and size (but not damage) of his basic projectile magic by injecting them with Cia’s style of arcane. Makes shots much easier to hit, especially at longer ranges. Increasing the size also defuses the damage throughout the volume, meaning grazes can occur where only the edge of the shot hits the target while the rest flies on harmlessly.

Kamek, Bowser and Jr (and Rika and Mimi) all gain:


(Maw Strength) Stronger Together: The experience within the Maw has brought the Koopas closer together both with each other and with those that shared the experience with them. All of them gain increased confidence and constitution when in close proximity to other survivors of the Maw, knowing that they can trust their backs to be watched, and going the extra mile to make sure they can do the same.

(Maw Weakness) Supernatural separation anxiety: If unity is strength then separation is weakness and the Maw has taught that weakness will not be tolerated. Those with this curse become increasingly agitated, nervous and jumpy without someone around to watch their back as the horrors of the Maw supernaturally claw their way out of the depths of their memories to assail them with reminders of their vulnerability and visions of false horrors in the shadows. Most extreme when out on their own, but even becoming separated slightly in a battle can cause the fear to start creeping in. (Minions, such as summons or pokemon, provide only a coping mechanism rather than a solution to this problem).

The effect also causes them to empathetically worry about other maw survivors who are out on their own in a similar way, plaguing them with visions of their possible fates and seeing ghosts of threats where there are none. Tends to cause reckless rushes to their aid.

Bowser, Jr (and Mimi) gain Feast

Kamek (and Rika) gain Famine

[/hider]

It was over. Or it was supposed to be anyway. The cursed prince silently raged as it became clear that the death of the malevolent mistress of the Maw was not going to undo its bayful polymorphs, leaving them all still trapped by her and her minion’s magics despite their demise. In the end there was nothing really for it but to move forwards once more and pray salvation lay on the bridge of the ship. The dancers in the dark were joined by the last remaining chef bro, baring the spirits of his fallen comrades.

The bridge, sadly, did not hold a cure (only some stranger who seems to be acting like a living battery for the vessel) but it did have one bit of good news onboard. It turned out that the hat wearing child had really been all over while they struggled through the Maw, to the extent that she had already commandeered the bridge and turned it towards their destination. Unfortunately, it looked like the kid was something of a jinx when it came to piloting.

[color=FD0000]”So, is crashing ships just a thing for you kid or...?”[/color] Bowser asked Hat-kid, casually referring to the state of her own ship as the Maw began to share its fate, the vessel running aground with the shallows around their destination and beginning to violently shake apart beneath their feet

[color=DeepSkyBlue]”Oh no, not again! not again!”[/color] Was Kamek's far less relaxed response as he hurriedly glanced around for an exit as the Maw went the way of so many a koopa airship and began to crash after its boss was defeated. Lacking his trusty broom which would normally get him out of this kind of mess, he ended up pulling himself and Jr towards the closest thing akin to a lifeboat onboard the cursed vessel (Rika) right before everything went to hell.

[hr]

Calling what Rika had done to save the two smaller koopas ‘holding’ was generous, due to her hands being too constrained to really hold anything while wearing her gauntlets. Instead, the two (still rather small even back at their old sizes) turtles were found clinging to her waist where they were straight up lashed to her body via Hook’s chain. Undignified? Yes. But it meant that the ship girl had been able to focus her everything into guarding them all from shrapnel  with her gauntlets and righting herself, rather than on holding onto the pair and increasing the risk of getting sunk by the carnage in the process. She got thanks from Kamek for her aid and childish insistence that he [color=SpringGreen]”Would have been fine”[/color] from a red faced Jr as they were released to the blighted shores upon which the Maw had run aground.

The rest of the troop not lashed together had been scattered all over said beach, and finding them all had its fair shares of relief and tragedies.

Bowser was found awkwardly trying and failing to climb down from the back of a massive whale with Peach in his arms, the king looking over the edge and failing to find a bit of ground he trusted to survive the impact of him just jumping down. It was a situation that was resolved with the princess extracted herself from his unwelcome grasp and parasol floated down to join the others on her own, leaving the king free to cat claw slide down the side of it. The resulting mess marring his temporary fur was rapidly lost to the rain.

Mimi was found cowering under Jr’s clown car (both having become separated from the prince during his return to his old self midway through the crash) her state an early warning of the lingering effect the Maw had had on the Troop. She practically threw herself at Jr when he discovered her, the little mon taking back her spot at his shoulder despite the lashing rain. The clown car, still dead from whatever had knocked out all their electronics, was going to need some work to reboot, and so it was hauled back and left by the impromptu camp along with Hook.

The fate of the final chef bro was found in a cluster of four softly glowing spirits, which Jr claimed for his army of strikers.

Finally, of Tyrant there was no sign, nor any of the other of his ilk: BB. The prince’s pig had fled into the dark during the battle with the lady, so it was unclear where he had been even before the crash. That didn't stop Jr from searching and trying to call out to the beast, though a certain lingering fear meant he insisted he be accompanied in his attempt, by Kamek in this case.

[color=DeepSkyBlue]”Young master, we should take a break. You’ll catch a cold if we don't get out of this rain soon”[/color] Kamek, once again old and now really feeling his age thanks to their brush with youth, suggested after they had been at it for a while.

[color=SpringGreen]”But-”[/color] Jr attempted to protest, only to be interpreted by the sodden false head of Mimi bapping against his cheek. The picture of drenched misery staring up at him from his shoulder caused him to reflect on his own soaking state and to reconsider what he was doing. [color=SpringGreen]”-fine”[/color] he conceded, not happy with just leaving the Baby Behemoth out there, but understanding that he collapsed from the cold there’d be no finding him.

Kamek sighed with relief before optimistically suggesting that [color=DeepSkyBlue]”Perhaps your father has managed to start a fire by now? That will be a relief. It won't do for us to freeze to death after all we’ve been through after all”[/color] 

His optimism was misplaced. They returned just as Delsin showed his face and offered firewood. Sakura gladly accepted, while Bowser merely huffed that [color=FD0000]”Not going to help though. Nothing here wants to catch!”[/color] before demonstrated by flame roasting a sodden pile of ship junk he’d collected, and getting nothing but smoke for his efforts. Not that his firewood was exactly a choice collection, he had just ripped bits of nearby sailing ship up and dumped unceremoniously on the ground and believed that with enough flame anything would burn. In this he was wrong. 

[color=DeepSkyBlue]”If we could get out of the rain, that might help. So hold onto that for us would you, whoever you are”[/color] Kamek suggested as the sodden mage walked right by the man, entirely unafraid of the stranger, using his drooping broomstick as a walking stick, and followed closely by Jr.

“Only place with an inside is the Ship” Rika pointed out, nodding back to the sinking Maw “I don't think going back is a good idea” despite the fact she was entirely capable of doing so, she was loath to go back to it on her own “for anything other than checking for survivors?”

[color=SpringGreen]”The other ships are junk too,”[/color] Jr complained, glancing round at the wrecked sailing ships [color=SpringGreen]”So I guess we’re just stuck here? On this soaking wet ship scrap heap”[/color]

[color=FD0000]”We’ve still got the airship”[/color] Bowser pointed out offhandedly, and was immediately pressed by the rest of the Troop, who had not know this ,on as to why he hasn't shared this information before, to which his awkward back of the head scratching reply was [color=FD0000]”Well, uh, it came back in my hands when I turned back, but it was the ship or Peach so...”[/color] 

A few minutes after that revelation, the shrunken airship had been hauled up out of the surf by Bowser and Kamek’s magically summoned minions, dumped next to their impromptu campsite and resized back to its true dimensions by the magi-Koopa. The brief spot of hope for escape (or at least benign able to turn the heating on) was dashed a few moments later when it became clear that something was foiling up the drive core of the ship, and it wasn't anything internal.

[color=DeepSkyBlue]”There’s something off with mana in this place. I can feel off somehow, though I can't exactly say why”[/color] Kamek concluded after he and the prince had had a look at the arcane engine of the vessel. 

[color=SpringGreen]”What does that even mean? Does it hate ships or something?”[/color] Jr asked, before the two glanced outside at the ship graveyard, shared a look, and gave up on the vessel as a means of escape for now. 

What it had provided was somewhere out of the rain that would fit them all, namely the cargo bay, and some dry-ish material in the form of a torn up mattress that Bowser ended up combining with Delsin’s firewood in an attempt to give them some kind of heat that wasn't burning his (or Jr’s) stamina reserves for a quick blast of fire. 

As far as food and rations were concerned, it turned out most of those had been left on Shippy, an oversight that left them with basically the continents of Jr’s clown car’s glove box for sustenance, something the prince was loath to share. Car sweet weren't exactly a meal either, but a bit of sugar might take them going a little bit longer while Bowser worked on the fire (to which he ended up added 2 molotov cocktails worth of gasoline after finding those in his pockets). As he did Jr worked on using Mimi as a spark plug to restart his clown-car while Kamek and Rika mostly just tired to get dry and warm, which resulted in the former abyssal sitting with her diminutive first friend sitting in her lap, while the porcelain doll she’d impulsive carried all the way out of the Maw leaning against her side with the unused winged key sitting in its lap.