Another possible origin of Mechanon... (Warning: Long)

[SirViss]

Hey People,

 

I had an idea that I wanted to share with you guys.

 

In more than one thread, there has been some discussion about Mechanon, and his origins. Lord Liaden has mentioned that his Mechanon is just an avatar of the real Mechanon, which is based on Mechanon 3000 found in Galactic Champions. I've been mulling that idea, on an off , for months,

seeing if there was something that would jump out at me. Lately, I put that aside, as I was reading about the ancient history of the Champions Universe, if only to find some plot hooks to use with a new PC in my game with a mystic weapon. I was reading about the Malvan-Elder Worm war, and also

about the fact that the Elder Worm has sown humanity with their own genetic material, and *THUMP* something finally jumped out.

 

What if Mechanon was a lot older than we give him credit for? This is the background history I came up with:

******

Circa 195,870 B.C.E.

A war has been waged in this galaxy that would become known as the Milky Way for centuries. When this war started exactly and the circumstances that ignited the conflict aren't important anymore,

but two races were in a fight to the death, the Malvans and the Elder Worm. Each side had it allies, like the Nekhojin and the Thane, but the brunt of the resources of each side was supplied by the the main opponents. The Elder Worms had access to foul mystic powers and the ability to summon monstrosities whose mere existence drove all but the strongest willed insane. The Malvan had plumbed the secret of this universe to the point where their science was equal to, or more powerful, than the qliphothic sorceries that the Elder Worm employed. Though they might have been incapable of summoning up allies the way the Great Enemy could, they demonstrated the ability to build some more allies. Their ship were given intelligence and the some had the ability to produce their own soldiers, pilots and ambassadors, for the conflict was literally waged across the galaxy. It was impossible for the Malvans and their allies to be everywhere at once, and this enemy could not be merely defeated, it had to be eradicated. So some ships received the gift of true sentience and the ability to produce its own robotic troops, if only to defend itself until it could call in for reinforcements if it found an enemy strong point.

 

One of these was dispatched to a quadrant which would include the planet that would eventually be called Earth. It sent out it probes (based on the Mechanon Avatar in Galactic Champions) to scout the various star systems of the area. One of these was receiving its final orders on a direct link to the

mothership, as it was on course for a small blue marble, when the mothership came under attack by some beast that could live in the depth of outerspace. The thing had been brought to this reality through the foul arts of the Elder Worm, and dwarfed even the Malvan war machine. The sentient machine was

calm in its messages to its drone. It calmly instructed the probe to scout out the system, especially the life-sustaining third planet and reports its findings to the Malvan commanders. If it meets any agents of the Elder Worms it is to defend itself, and if possible destroy all those agents itself.

 

At this point, the mothership was in a titanic battle with the beast and it had already sustained heavy damage. In one final heroic effort it overloaded its weapons and struck at the qliphothic abomination. The thing struck back at the same time. The beast-ship died as it was cut in half by the energy barrage the mothership had subjected to. But the qliphothic energies combined with its own overloaded power systems and the mothership died sending its last instruction: “Destroy all qliphothic-tainted life that you come across.” **BZZZZZZZT**

 

There was a feedback from the chaotic energies that the creature had used. It went through the link from the mothership and infused the circuits of the drone. The drone own systems managed to overcome those energies, but not before they corrupted the database which was the mind of the drone. It systems shutdown, darkness engulfed the mechanical mind that was the intelligence of the probe. And instead of landing softly on the third planet it crashed at a velocity's that beggared the imagination.

The impact was astounding. One would expect the drone to be destroyed, but the technology that composed the drone had been developed by the Malvans and was not so easily destroyed. Buried under tons of rock and dirt, the remaining systems tried to salvage the drone. Most of its mass had been

destroyed in the crash, so the repair systems cannibalized ores that were found locally. Unfortunately, the probe finally reached its limit. The power ran out, and the probe went dormant.

 

The centuries went by, and turned into millennia, which turned into ages: The Turakian Age, The Valdorian Age, other ages came and went and the machine remained dormant. Finally, something made the drone stir. Over the lost time, whatever systems that were left had accumulated energy, maybe from the tremors in the earth, maybe from the little heat that made it to its systems, or maybe from an event that had taken place a few decades earlier (circa 1938) in Germany. The systems had power, but it was the reappearance of the Great Enemy that had finally activated the drone, and made it resume its self-repair. One of the Elder Worm had resurfaced. In 1979, the Slug awakened, and later that year he attempted to turn all the inhabitants of New York City into Elder Worms themselves. The foul energies unleashed reached the damaged sensors of the dormant robot and awakened it. It was still too damaged for it to remember who or what it was, but it used what little energy was left make the remaining repairs. It cannibalized its own systems to get critical systems again, up to and including its sensors, and 5 years later it became operational again. At least as operational as its damaged artificial intelligence could get it. It had lost all of it history, and its purpose. The only thing remaining in its databanks was a fraction of its last orders: “Destroy... Life...”. It took its orders seriously.

 

In the last year of it reconstruction, it had tapped into the information flow that surrounded this planet. The information was mostly transferred by means of radio waves, a primitive and easily tapped medium. It learned much about this world. But still,it didn't know who or what he was. The mission

was all. It must destroy all life. So it must not be alive, it was other. It was mechanical. It was MECHANON! And it will destroy all organic life.

******

So what do you guys think?

A few notes:

• I made a note that it cannibalized some of its sensors to repair itself. My thoughts on these sensors are that they could have allowed Mechanon to detect qliphothic taint in creatures. Anyone who thinks regaining the rest of it last orders and its full sensors could save humanity might want to note that humans have been tainted by the genetic material of the Elder Worm.
  
• The mothership would be any appropriate sized ship in the battle order of the Malvan, but I was thinking that it would be one of the gargantuan ultra-dreadnought that sill defend Malva (mentioned in Terran Empire sourcebook). It could become the HUGE Mechanon 3000 head in the future, when the Mechanon of Earth somehow is reunited with the damaged hulk left from
  
• that battle so long ago, and reacticated when Mechanon downloads himself into its computers. You could have this happen in the far future to maintain the present timeline of the CU. Or you could accelerate things and have it happen in the near future... if you find that your characters really have to easy a time in the present campaign, taking on the likes of Dr. Destroyer.
  

 

Gah! This is longer than I thought. I hope you like it!

[Lord Liaden]

Re: Another possible origin of Mechanon... (Warning: Long)

 

I call this a solid, imaginative piece of work. A good use of various canon elements of the Champions Universe to create a consistent background for ol' tall, steel an' scary that could readily be inserted into a CU-based campaign.

 

In case you're interested, we've had other threads discussing possible origins for Mechanon, with many other creative suggestions:

 

http://www.herogames.com/forums/showthread.php?t=12908

 

http://www.herogames.com/forums/showthread.php?t=37502

[Superskrull]

Re: Another possible origin of Mechanon... (Warning: Long)

 

I'm with Lord Liaden here. That's a nice retooling of Mechanon without losing the important stuff like his desire to kill organics.

[SirViss]

Re: Another possible origin of Mechanon... (Warning: Long)

 

Thank you both!

 

There are a few story elements that I like about this background. One is that the Slug might be keeping a lower profile since Mechanon has emerged just because he might recognise what Mechanon is and might actually fear it (he would never admit this, of course). Another is any interaction with Firewing. What if some of the hardwired-obediance codes where still active and Firewing confronted Mechanon. Mechanon (for a short-time) dould simply bow and say: "What do you wish, Master?" Of course, this would only last till Mechanon's AI was able to reconcile the obeiance order with killing all organics, but it would surely scare the PCs!

 

Finally, the fact that Mechanon is older then Takofanes puts a grin on my face. I don't know why, it just does.

 

And LL, those past discussion have much to do with how I came up with this story. I've been tinkering with the origins of Mechanon since that first discussion in 2004.

 

I've also toyed with the Ultivac-origin. but I don't know much about Ultivac except what is found in DH.

[Capt JT Kohonez]

Re: Another possible origin of Mechanon... (Warning: Long)

 

KEWL!!!

 

:thumbup: :thumbup:

 

I haven't played Champions in years but you may have just inspired me to run a Champions game.

 

Thanks.

 

Hey People,

 

I had an idea that I wanted to share with you guys.

 

In more than one thread, there has been some discussion about Mechanon, and his origins. Lord Liaden has mentioned that his Mechanon is just an avatar of the real Mechanon, which is based on Mechanon 3000 found in Galactic Champions. I've been mulling that idea, on an off , for months,

seeing if there was something that would jump out at me. Lately, I put that aside, as I was reading about the ancient history of the Champions Universe, if only to find some plot hooks to use with a new PC in my game with a mystic weapon. I was reading about the Malvan-Elder Worm war, and also

about the fact that the Elder Worm has sown humanity with their own genetic material, and *THUMP* something finally jumped out.

 

What if Mechanon was a lot older than we give him credit for? This is the background history I came up with:

******

Circa 195,870 B.C.E.

A war has been waged in this galaxy that would become known as the Milky Way for centuries. When this war started exactly and the circumstances that ignited the conflict aren't important anymore,

but two races were in a fight to the death, the Malvans and the Elder Worm. Each side had it allies, like the Nekhojin and the Thane, but the brunt of the resources of each side was supplied by the the main opponents. The Elder Worms had access to foul mystic powers and the ability to summon monstrosities whose mere existence drove all but the strongest willed insane. The Malvan had plumbed the secret of this universe to the point where their science was equal to, or more powerful, than the qliphothic sorceries that the Elder Worm employed. Though they might have been incapable of summoning up allies the way the Great Enemy could, they demonstrated the ability to build some more allies. Their ship were given intelligence and the some had the ability to produce their own soldiers, pilots and ambassadors, for the conflict was literally waged across the galaxy. It was impossible for the Malvans and their allies to be everywhere at once, and this enemy could not be merely defeated, it had to be eradicated. So some ships received the gift of true sentience and the ability to produce its own robotic troops, if only to defend itself until it could call in for reinforcements if it found an enemy strong point.

 

One of these was dispatched to a quadrant which would include the planet that would eventually be called Earth. It sent out it probes (based on the Mechanon Avatar in Galactic Champions) to scout the various star systems of the area. One of these was receiving its final orders on a direct link to the

mothership, as it was on course for a small blue marble, when the mothership came under attack by some beast that could live in the depth of outerspace. The thing had been brought to this reality through the foul arts of the Elder Worm, and dwarfed even the Malvan war machine. The sentient machine was

calm in its messages to its drone. It calmly instructed the probe to scout out the system, especially the life-sustaining third planet and reports its findings to the Malvan commanders. If it meets any agents of the Elder Worms it is to defend itself, and if possible destroy all those agents itself.

 

At this point, the mothership was in a titanic battle with the beast and it had already sustained heavy damage. In one final heroic effort it overloaded its weapons and struck at the qliphothic abomination. The thing struck back at the same time. The beast-ship died as it was cut in half by the energy barrage the mothership had subjected to. But the qliphothic energies combined with its own overloaded power systems and the mothership died sending its last instruction: “Destroy all qliphothic-tainted life that you come across.” **BZZZZZZZT**

 

There was a feedback from the chaotic energies that the creature had used. It went through the link from the mothership and infused the circuits of the drone. The drone own systems managed to overcome those energies, but not before they corrupted the database which was the mind of the drone. It systems shutdown, darkness engulfed the mechanical mind that was the intelligence of the probe. And instead of landing softly on the third planet it crashed at a velocity's that beggared the imagination.

The impact was astounding. One would expect the drone to be destroyed, but the technology that composed the drone had been developed by the Malvans and was not so easily destroyed. Buried under tons of rock and dirt, the remaining systems tried to salvage the drone. Most of its mass had been

destroyed in the crash, so the repair systems cannibalized ores that were found locally. Unfortunately, the probe finally reached its limit. The power ran out, and the probe went dormant.

 

The centuries went by, and turned into millennia, which turned into ages: The Turakian Age, The Valdorian Age, other ages came and went and the machine remained dormant. Finally, something made the drone stir. Over the lost time, whatever systems that were left had accumulated energy, maybe from the tremors in the earth, maybe from the little heat that made it to its systems, or maybe from an event that had taken place a few decades earlier (circa 1938) in Germany. The systems had power, but it was the reappearance of the Great Enemy that had finally activated the drone, and made it resume its self-repair. One of the Elder Worm had resurfaced. In 1979, the Slug awakened, and later that year he attempted to turn all the inhabitants of New York City into Elder Worms themselves. The foul energies unleashed reached the damaged sensors of the dormant robot and awakened it. It was still too damaged for it to remember who or what it was, but it used what little energy was left make the remaining repairs. It cannibalized its own systems to get critical systems again, up to and including its sensors, and 5 years later it became operational again. At least as operational as its damaged artificial intelligence could get it. It had lost all of it history, and its purpose. The only thing remaining in its databanks was a fraction of its last orders: “Destroy... Life...”. It took its orders seriously.

 

In the last year of it reconstruction, it had tapped into the information flow that surrounded this planet. The information was mostly transferred by means of radio waves, a primitive and easily tapped medium. It learned much about this world. But still,it didn't know who or what he was. The mission

was all. It must destroy all life. So it must not be alive, it was other. It was mechanical. It was MECHANON! And it will destroy all organic life.

******

So what do you guys think?

A few notes:

• I made a note that it cannibalized some of its sensors to repair itself. My thoughts on these sensors are that they could have allowed Mechanon to detect qliphothic taint in creatures. Anyone who thinks regaining the rest of it last orders and its full sensors could save humanity might want to note that humans have been tainted by the genetic material of the Elder Worm.
  
• The mothership would be any appropriate sized ship in the battle order of the Malvan, but I was thinking that it would be one of the gargantuan ultra-dreadnought that sill defend Malva (mentioned in Terran Empire sourcebook). It could become the HUGE Mechanon 3000 head in the future, when the Mechanon of Earth somehow is reunited with the damaged hulk left from
  
• that battle so long ago, and reacticated when Mechanon downloads himself into its computers. You could have this happen in the far future to maintain the present timeline of the CU. Or you could accelerate things and have it happen in the near future... if you find that your characters really have to easy a time in the present campaign, taking on the likes of Dr. Destroyer.
  

 

Gah! This is longer than I thought. I hope you like it!

[Lord Liaden]

Re: Another possible origin of Mechanon... (Warning: Long)

 

Another is any interaction with Firewing. What if some of the hardwired-obediance codes where still active and Firewing confronted Mechanon. Mechanon (for a short-time) would simply bow and say: "What do you wish' date=' Master?[/i']" Of course, this would only last till Mechanon's AI was able to reconcile the obediance order with killing all organics, but it would surely scare the PCs!

 

I could see this scenario playing out a little like Kirk and Nomad in that classic Star Trek episode. BTW Firewing already has a Hunted by Mechanon, so this is bound to happen at some point.

[FenrisUlf]

Re: Another possible origin of Mechanon... (Warning: Long)

 

Sounds like a great idea to me.

[SirViss]

Re: Another possible origin of Mechanon... (Warning: Long)

 

...

I haven't played Champions in years but you may have just inspired me to run a Champions game.

...

High praise indeed! Thanks!

I could see this scenario playing out a little like Kirk and Nomad in that classic Star Trek episode. BTW Firewing already has a Hunted by Mechanon' date=' so this is bound to happen at some point. [/quote']

Actually, I had the Nomad encounter pop into my mind as I wrote that last post.

 

I had forgot abount the Hunted. Thanks fot the reminder.

[Lord Liaden]

Re: Another possible origin of Mechanon... (Warning: Long)

 

You know, we've never gotten a definition of what the "Golden Hunters of Malva" that fought against the Elder Worms (mentioned in Terran Empire) actually were. It would be pretty cool if they were the originals of what became Mechanon.

[mattingly]

Re: Another possible origin of Mechanon... (Warning: Long)

 

So Mechanon killed the dinosaurs? I bet he got a lot of XPs for that.

[Metaphysician]

Re: Another possible origin of Mechanon... (Warning: Long)

 

I got the impression Golden Hunters were *probably* superpowered Malvans of some type, not androids. Still, it could work.

 

OTOH, would be worthwhile to specify that the Malvan probe had to more or less rebuild its body from scratch, in order to explain why even a damaged form doesn't look more like Dr Destroyer. . .

[FenrisUlf]

Re: Another possible origin of Mechanon... (Warning: Long)

 

You know' date=' we've never gotten a definition of what the "Golden Hunters of Malva" that fought against the Elder Worms (mentioned in [i']Terran Empire[/i]) actually were. It would be pretty cool if they were the originals of what became Mechanon.

 

I always thought they were some sort of elite Malvan warriors, though your theory works out great too.

[Captain Emu]

Re: Another possible origin of Mechanon... (Warning: Long)

 

This is good stuff. I like the take on Mechanon. It also makes him a bit more, well, deep. Not that two-dimensional villains don't have their place, but I like how you give him more a purpose in the cosmos than just a menace.

 

As soon as you mentioned the Golden Hunters of Malva/Mechanon connection, I thought of DC's Manhunters.

 

I know I was going for a slightly similar origin for Mechanon in my current Cosmic campaign project.

[SirViss]

Re: Another possible origin of Mechanon... (Warning: Long)

 

You know' date=' we've never gotten a definition of what the "Golden Hunters of Malva" that fought against the Elder Worms (mentioned in [i']Terran Empire[/i]) actually were. It would be pretty cool if they were the originals of what became Mechanon.

I had a passing thought about that, but it came and went. I was looking up a bunch of stuff when I finally decided to write this up and I forgot the reference. But that would be a good idea. Of course, that would mean that he lost some color over the years.

[SirViss]

Re: Another possible origin of Mechanon... (Warning: Long)

 

...

OTOH, would be worthwhile to specify that the Malvan probe had to more or less rebuild its body from scratch, in order to explain why even a damaged form doesn't look more like Dr Destroyer. . .

Could you explain this please. I don't know what you are trying to say, especially the ref to Dr D. Sorry.

[Lord Liaden]

Re: Another possible origin of Mechanon... (Warning: Long)

 

I had a passing thought about that' date=' but it came and went. I was looking up a bunch of stuff when I finally decided to write this up and I forgot the reference. But that [b']would[/b] be a good idea. Of course, that would mean that he lost some color over the years.

 

People always forget to rustproof. It just seemed like a connection that could be fun to play up.

 

There's also potential here for a NPC or even PC hero origin, too, because if the drone on Earth survived, some on other planets might have done so as well, with their benevolent programming intact.

[SirViss]

Re: Another possible origin of Mechanon... (Warning: Long)

 

This is good stuff. I like the take on Mechanon. It also makes him a bit more, well, deep. Not that two-dimensional villains don't have their place, but I like how you give him more a purpose in the cosmos than just a menace.

 

As soon as you mentioned the Golden Hunters of Malva/Mechanon connection, I thought of DC's Manhunters.

 

I know I was going for a slightly similar origin for Mechanon in my current Cosmic campaign project.

Thank you very much!

 

In my estimation, he is still a two-dimensional villain. After all, he's only goal in life is still only to destroy all life. It's just that now he would be a two-dimensional villain with some history.

 

LL is the one that mentionned the possible Golden Hunter connection. I don't know much of DC's Manhunters, except what I saw on the JLU cartoon. But only knowing that, it still a scary thought.

 

Just for curiosity's sake, what is the origin for Mechanon in your Cosmic campaign? (If you can tell us without your players finding out.)

[Captain Emu]

Re: Another possible origin of Mechanon... (Warning: Long)

 

I was thinking of going for the Manhunters angle myself. Mechanon and his kind were created ages ago to do battle with the Vexx (see my cosmic thread for more), The Vexx being creatures of anti-life, what better an opponent than a machine, advanced enough to think on its won but unliving and therefore not vulnerable to the Vexx's anti-life nature.

[SirViss]

Re: Another possible origin of Mechanon... (Warning: Long)

 

People always forget to rustproof. It just seemed like a connection that could be fun to play up.

 

There's also potential here for a NPC or even PC hero origin, too, because if the drone on Earth survived, some on other planets might have done so as well, with their benevolent programming intact.

Too true. Definetly could lead to some interestin stories and plots.

 

Heck, just thinking about it right now, the "Golden Paint" idea is giving me ideas. Maybe that golden coating was created to give protection from the unholy qliphothic energies that were being bandied about way-back -when. That stuff could actually be instrumental in spoiling the Edomite's plans, or maybe it would be instrumental in stalling the Kings of Edom while he struck his bargain.

[Lord Liaden]

Re: Another possible origin of Mechanon... (Warning: Long)

 

In that case, perhaps the loss of that "insulation" could be what allowed the Qliphothic energies to overwhelm Mechanon's programming. Perhaps he's not just malfunctionning, but actually corrupted by the Shining Darkness.

 

Perhaps Mechanon is the missing fifth member of DEMON's Inner Circle.

[Metaphysician]

Re: Another possible origin of Mechanon... (Warning: Long)

 

Could you explain this please. I don't know what you are trying to say' date=' especially the ref to Dr D. Sorry. [/quote']

 

If Mechanon were an actual Malvan combat robot, I really don't see him being as weak as he is. He'd at least look like the Mechanon 3K avatar.

 

Hence, needing to explain the tech drop.

[Metaphysician]

Re: Another possible origin of Mechanon... (Warning: Long)

 

People always forget to rustproof. It just seemed like a connection that could be fun to play up.

 

There's also potential here for a NPC or even PC hero origin, too, because if the drone on Earth survived, some on other planets might have done so as well, with their benevolent programming intact.

 

Peacekeeper, IOW.

[Metaphysician]

Re: Another possible origin of Mechanon... (Warning: Long)

 

I was thinking of going for the Manhunters angle myself. Mechanon and his kind were created ages ago to do battle with the Vexx (see my cosmic thread for more)' date=' The Vexx being creatures of anti-life, what better an opponent than a machine, advanced enough to think on its won but unliving and therefore not vulnerable to the Vexx's anti-life nature.[/quote']

 

This idea is a good one, too.

[Metaphysician]

Re: Another possible origin of Mechanon... (Warning: Long)

 

Another thought. You could adjust the first appearance of Mechanon so its shortly after some major Qlippothic incursion occured, such as the Demonflame Incident, or the awakening of the Slug ( though he'd really need to be majorly buffed to account for it ). This event's detection being what tripped the damaged probes conditions for going into "planetary cleansing" mode.

[SirViss]

Re: Another possible origin of Mechanon... (Warning: Long)

 

Another thought. You could adjust the first appearance of Mechanon so its shortly after some major Qlippothic incursion occured' date=' such as the Demonflame Incident, or the awakening of the Slug ( though he'd really need to be majorly buffed to account for it ). This event's detection being what tripped the damaged probes conditions for going into "planetary cleansing" mode.[/quote']

 

You mean like:

...

In 1979, the Slug awakened, and later that year he attempted to turn all the inhabitants of New York City into Elder Worms themselves. The foul energies unleashed reached the damaged sensors of the dormant robot and awakened it.

...

I followed what the timeline was in the official CU, so it took a few years for Mechanon to become fully active and powered up. Also, he may have taken this time to get to know the world better before he sallied-forth.