TheKawaiiEdition/Brambles

The Mask of Vintners and Brambles

Only a few months after the disappearance of the Neo-Empress, the forces of Mask of Vintners took over the city of Brambles (located on the eastern coast of the Inland Sea, south of Cut'n'Shoot) in a near bloodless coup during the annual Wine Festival. The city was originally a colony of Cherricola and followed its practice of 'rule by the best wine maker'. Mask won the wine contest, became ruler, snuck undead into the city, and then suddenly took over one night. A shadowland erupted as his undead massacred millions of grapes in a single night. The results were quite tasty, too.

Imperial Forces tried to retaliate, only to have their fleet sink when the navigators got drunk. The Ineffective Commonwealth of Independent States demonstrated how they got their name by sending an expedition; its commander chose the wrong night to throw a victory party after some initial skirmishes, and the whole army was caught throwing up from too much drinking, taken captive, and turned into more grape-crushing labor.

For now, both sides maintain a wary truce while the Mask tries to corrupt the Old East with his death and demon and evil tainted alcoholic drinks.

Mask of Vintners is a tall man in dark armor, wearing a mask which is covered with images of wine bottles, vines, and grapes. He is usually drinking. He is known to be a potent sorceror and to have a feud with Walker, Undead Ranger, another of the Lords of Cute Angst. He prefers to first corrupt, then conquer.

He is served by at least three known Gothic Lolitas--The Maiden of the Giant Bosom (Elegant Euthanizer), Stomper of Grapes (Keeper of Shadow Lore), and She Who Can Sell Ice to Abominable Snowmen (Merchant of Death), and by a renegade (?) Helping Goddess, who calls herself 'The Green Death', 'Pluto', or 'Goddess of the Underworld', among many other names. She is his spymaster and is infiltrating the ranks of Walker, Undead Ranger's servants. Or maybe she works for Walker and is tricking him. Or maybe she's really working for Heaven after all by helping these fools to kill each other. Or perhaps she has so many cover identities and has told so many lies, she can't actually remember her real goals any more...