Cosmic Centurions

[BobGreenwade]

Re: Cosmic Centurions

 

As a bit of a boost, I've posted The Starkillers on the "Create a Villain Theme Team" thread. These guys ought to give the Centurions a bit of a challenge.

[Major Tom 2009]

Re: Cosmic Centurions

 

Enemies of the Cosmic Centurions

 

The Darkhunters

(Messengers of Night Eternal, The Handmaidens of Entropy)

 

(Warning: long post)

 

Of all those who serve Lord Dark Matter, none instill such a sense of dread in the hearts

and minds of the military and political leaders of the free worlds as do the Darkhunters,

the elite commando assassins who serve the Emperor of the Infinite Reaches. Simply

hearing the phrase "A Darkhunter is coming for you" is enough to cause even the least-

concerned military or political leader to immediately increase his or her security measures,

in the hope that enough obstacles can be placed in the way of his or her would-be

assassin to discourage her from the attempt. Unfortunately, by the time the victim

recieves such a warning, it's usually too late, as the Darkhunter is already within

striking range and ready to execute her mission. A garrotte around the neck, a dose

of fast-acting poison, or a dagger through the back of the head -- any of these meth-

ods of killing will do, once the Darkhunter gets close enough to strike; a simple enough

matter, as all of them are mistresses of disguise, able to impersonate a member of the

opposite sex if necessary. More often than not, however, they choose to disguise them-

selves as a trusted friend or family member in order to accomplish the mission.

 

Sometimes, though, they choose to kill their victims in a somewhat less personal and

up-close fashion; preferring to kill the target with a well-placed shot to the head from

a Gauss rifle from about 3,000 meters away.

 

Military bases and fortified outposts fare no better when it comes to dealing with the

Handmaidens of Entropy; ever since their appearance on the battlefields of the free

worlds, numerous armed patrols have set out from their fully-intact and functional

bases, only to return hours later to find their base or outpost in flames, and their fell-

ow soldiers and officers slaughtered like sheep. Few indeed are those who have sur-

vived such a visit from the Darkhunters; fewer still are those who have seen them

and lived to tell the tale.

 

Other than their methods of assassination and wholesale slaughter, virtually nothing is

known of the Darkhunters; the few pieces of information that have been uncovered

were gained at a terrible cost in lives -- the Darkhunters take their secrecy very

seriously. That they are, without exception, all female, is the one piece of information

about them that was gained without any bloodshed whatsoever; every other item of

intelligence about them that the free worlds has managed to acquire thus far has cost

the lives of dozens of their best agents.

 

One of the most important facts that has been discovered so far is that, although

there are sufficient numbers of Darkhunters to form a Legion-sized unit, Lord Dark

Matter has not done so; there is speculation that, in spite of their importance to

his plans of conquest, Lord Dark Matter is wary of having all of his most elite com-

mando assassins in one group, where an ambitious underling might be tempted to

try and subvert the unit en masse to his or her side. For this reason, it is believed,

Lord Dark Matter has broken up the Darkhunters into smaller units and distributed

them throughout his forces, which has had the result of allowing him to have a Dark-

hunter presence anywhere that he needs to in his theater of operations. The largest

unit which has been allowed to exist is the 5th Cohort of the 1st Shadow Legion.

 

Another, more recent discovery has been the names of two of the more prominent

figures in the Darkhunter hierarchy. The first of these is an enigmatic young woman

named Shae Sussari, who has been tentatively identified as the Commandant of the

Darkhunters; this would imply that she has the responsibility for training the killing

machines who serve Lord Dark Matter with absolute, fanatical loyalty. Sussari is the

only Darkhunter whose face is known to the intelligence agencies of the free worlds,

as she does not wear the identity-concealing, skull-like helmet of her graduates.

 

Shae Sussari appears to be in, what would be for an Earth female, her early thirties,

with black hair worn in a ponytail, dark eyes, pointed ears (not as pointed as Night-

veil's, but noticeable nonetheless) and a slightly tan complexion. She usually wears

the officer's uniform of Lord Dark Matter's forces, with the trim being a lighter shade

of red than that common to the Nth Legion. The only weapon she is known to carry

is a commando-style dagger.

 

The second figure who has been identified as being of considerable importance is the

commanding Tribune of the 1st Shadow Legion's 5th Cohort, a woman known only as

N'Hila. Nothing whatsoever is known of her appearance, as she has never been seen

without the "alien death's-head" helmet that is the trademark of the Darkhunters. On

the few occasions that she has been out of uniform (usually during an assassinaton

assignment), she has been disguised so effectively that identification of any kind was

impossible to make. As a Tribune of the Shadow Legion, N'Hila wears the officer's uni-

form of Lord Dark Matter's forces, but with the purple trim of the 1st SL. Like Shae

Sussari, Tribune N'Hila only carries a commando-style dagger; if she carries any other

weapons, they have not yet been discovered.

 

Appearance: the Darkhunters all wear the standard uniform of Lord Dark Matter's army,

with the addition of what some have called the "alien death's head" helmet, which

completely conceals their facial features, as well as details like hair color and style,

and the shape of their ears.

 

Weapons: Darkhunter officers tend to carry a light weapons load -- usually no more

than a dagger or a Gauss pistol, sometimes both at once. The 'enlisted' types, on

the other hand, pack a heavier load: a Gauss rifle (useful both for eliminating enemy

soldiers as well as enemy armored vehicles), a half-dozen "Blacklight" grenades (to

blind and disorient the enemy; Darkhunter helmets have special optics which enable

them to see in the "Blacklight"-induced darkness), and a pair of daggers. When a

particularly vicious massacre is called for, a machete-type blade is added to the load-

out.

 

Tactics: regardless of the assignment they are given -- assassination, commando

assault, or (on rare occasions) a mission to kidnap someone of importance to Lord

Dark Matter's plans -- the Darkhunters approach it in the same way as any other

assignment: with great patience, meticulous planning, and absolutely ruthless effic-

iency. When operating as a group, they will make effective use of distractions, al-

lowing a teammate to accomplish her mission while they keep the opposition busy.

 

Where an assassination is concerned -- the only kind of mission where a Darkhunter

will be operating on her own -- disguise and role camouflage (acting whose purpose

is to make an enemy see who or what they expect to see) will be used until such

time as she can get close enough to her target to carry out the assassination. Some-

times the Darkhunter herself will let it be known that an assassination attempt will be

made, for the purpose of causing enough of an upheaval in the target's security to

give her the opening she needs to strike. Once the mission is accomplished, she then

makes her way to where she can escape; if escape is impossible, however, she will

kill as many of her enemies as possible in an attempt to force them to kill her, so that

she cannot be made to reveal any secrets.

 

 

Major Tom 2009

[Major Tom 2009]

Re: Cosmic Centurions

 

Late last night, I got a PM from The Arc about a character related to LDM's forces, and

he's left it up to me to come up with a backstory for her. So here it goes:

 

Enemies of the Cosmic Centurions (Warning: long post)

 

Shamballah the Huntress

(Seeker of Vengeance, Mistress of the Creeping Death, Emissary of Lord Dark Matter)

 

Throughout the unwritten history of the universe, there have been advanced races --

Precursors, Preservers, Progenitors; call them what you will -- whose mandate has

been to ensure that the most advanced and peaceful societies of any world that

harbors intelligent life have the opportunity to develop further and to thrive. To this

end, they have taken parts of these societies and planted them on other habitable

worlds, and allowed them to develop on their own without interference.

 

One such society was a group whose ancestors had been transplanted from Earth

centuries ago, and was made up of people from the most peaceful and advanced

tribes of the African continent. Over the centuries, this society had progressed

very far in its cultural and scientific development, to the point that they eventually

developed spaceflight technology. There were, however, still groups on the their

world who continued to live according to the ancient traditions of their ancestors,

growing their own crops and hunting game animals for food when necessary. And it

was to one of these communities that a great tragedy -- in the form of the Nega-

Centurion -- befell.

 

Striking without warning of any kind, the Nega-Centurion laid waste to the small

community, destroying homes and killing anyone who tried to stop him -- as well

as anyone who tried to run. One such group that tried to defend the community

was led by a young woman named Zaraya, one of the most skilled huntresses in

the community. Leading a charge against the Nega-Centurion, Zaraya narrowly

avoided death when one of the Nega-Centurion's energy blasts exploded nearby,

knocking her unconscious and sending her flying into a pile of wreckage. Being

hidden by the wreckage as she was was all that saved her from joining her family

and friends in death as the Nega-Centurion finished destroying her home.

 

Hours after the destruction of Zaraya's home, a small reconnaisance party of Nth

Legionnaires landed secretly on the planet, close to the remains of the small com-

munity. As the party searched the remains of the community in an attempt to fig-

ure out what had happened, the Decurion commanding the party found Zaraya,

who had begun to regain consciousness by that time. Although she couldn't under-

stand his language, Zaraya understood from his tone that he was asking what had

happened, and in response, drew a five-pointed star on the ground with a diagonal

slash running through it.

 

Realizing that the Nega-Centurion was responsible for the devastation all around

him, the Decurion also realized that this sole surviving woman represented an

opportunity for Lord Dark Matter -- an opportunity for what, he didn't know, but

he knew without a doubt that his master would find it. Calling their retrival ship,

the recon party took Zaraya with them to Lord Dark Matter's personal starship,

where her injuries were treated, and where she was surgically implanted with a

universal translator, enabling her to understand and to speak in other languages.

 

Eventually, Zaraya was brought before Lord Dark Matter who (surprisingly enough)

treated her kindly, asking her what had happened. As the young woman began to

relate her story, Lord Dark Matter listened intently, the beginnings of a plan already

taking shape in his mind. By the time that Zaraya finished telling her story, he knew

exactly what he was going to do. Lord Dark Matter told her that the Nega-Centurion

was the enforcer for a band of ruthless tyrants who called themselves the Cosmic

Centurions, and that it was their normal procedure to send the Nega-Centurion to

destroy those who would dare to stand against them. He also told her that he and

his forces were all that stood between the Cosmic Centurions and their conquest of

the galaxy, and that had he known of what had been planned for her world, he would

have done all in his power to prevent it.

 

Enraged by what she'd been told, Zaraya pleaded with Lord Dark Matter to help her

to get revenge on the Nega-Centurion and his Cosmic Centurion masters. He told

her that, while he himself couldn't give her what she needed to take her vengeance,

there were those who could. The day after their conversation, Lord Dark Matter

introduced Zaraya to Shae Sussari, Commandant of the Darkhunters, who accepted

the young woman as a Darkhunter trainee in spite of the fact that she was older

than the average trainee. Fueled by her determination and desire for vengeance,

Zaraya quickly mastered every facet of Darkhunter training; indeed, she went thr-

ough the curriculum so quickly that her instructors actually had time to give her

advanced training in the use of her favorite weapon, the spear.

 

Upon the completion of her training, Lord Dark Matter decided that, instead of mak-

ing Zaraya one of the Darkhunters, he would send her out into the galaxy as his em-

issary -- his ears, his eyes, and his voice to those who would oppose the Cosmic

Centurions. On the day of her graduation from the training facility, Lord Dark Matter

asked Zaraya if there was any name by which she wished to be known by. Zaraya

replied that the woman she had been died along with her family and friends on that

day, and that now and forevermore there was only Shamballah the Huntress. For her

first assignment, Lord Dark Matter sent her to find the group known as the Starkillers,

and to become their liason with his forces.

 

Appearance: Shamballah, although trained as a Darkhunter, is not one of them, and

therefore does not wear the Darkhunter uniform. What she does wear is a stylized

version of her world's traditional garb for women: a sleeveless black top with a pur-

ple skirt that reaches to her ankles, and which is slit up the left side and shows the

left leg. Her midriff is left bare, and she wears a pair of purple-and-black bracers on

her wrists; an identical pair of bands are worn on her legs just above the ankles.

She normally goes barefoot. Shamballah has black hair, which is worn in a large bun,

brown eyes and light brown skin.

 

Skills and Powers: Shamballah has recieved complete training as a Darkhunter, and

is more than capable of acting as an assassin should Lord Dark Matter require it.

She is also a skilled natural gymnast, which skill she uses to great effect in combat.

While she has recieved training in the use of every weapon used by the Nth Legion,

the 1st Shadow Legion, and the Darkhunters, her weapon of choice is the spear.

In terms of powers, she has only those abilities which have been given to her as a

result of advanced biochemical treatments: enhanced agility and coordination, im-

munity to aging and disease, and high resistance to damge of any kind. She is also

capable of running faster than a normal human being, but is not a speedster.

 

Weapons: Shamballah carries only one weapon -- a spear made from super-strong,

unbreakable alloys, and which incorporates two items of high technology. The first

of these is a molecular compression field, which enables Shamballah to reduce the

length of the spear from six feet in length to just under a foot long (about the same

size as a dagger). The second is far more deadly: a nanoweapon delivery system

concealed within the tip of the spear. All she needs to do is lightly jab an opponent

with the spear, and a small amount of nanobots is released into the victim's blood-

stream, where they rapidly spread throughout the body, replicating themselves and

slowly destroying the victim's body in the process.

 

EDIT: I was slightly rushed for time this afternoon, and missed adding certain skills

to Shamballah's description. It should be noted that, because of her previous life

as a huntress, her tracking skills are very highly developed, and she is skilled enough

to track her prey across any terrain. A ground-bound person will find it next to im-

possible to shake Shamballah from his or her trail once she goes on the hunt. She is

also a master of entrapment, able to construct snares capable of trapping even the

strongest prey. Add the technology of Lord Dark Matter to her skills, and you have

a truly frightening adversary -- one who doesn't quit until she gets her prey.

 

 

Major Tom 2009

[The Arc]

Re: Cosmic Centurions

 

Shamballah the Huntress

(Seeker of Vengeance, Mistress of the Creeping Death, Emissary of Lord Dark Matter)

[Major Tom 2009]

Re: Cosmic Centurions

 

Well, @$#%...

 

I had just gotten through typing up the backstory on the latest minion of Lord Dark

Matter to be made by The Arc, and was just about to post it when the bloody

machine suddenly decided to boot me off. End result: everything I'd been working

on was gone when I got back on.

 

I'll try to get the backstory posted tomorrow, as it's getting a little late to start

over now.

 

Major Tom 2009

[Major Tom 2009]

Re: Cosmic Centurions

 

And now, here's the latest minion of Lord Dark Matter, courtesy of our fiend -- er,

excuse me, I meant friend -- The Arc ().

 

 

Enemies of the Cosmic Centurions (Warning: long post)

 

Tribune Arakhnos

(Commander of the 2nd Cohort, 1st Shadow Legion, Weaver of the Shadow Web)

 

It is a generally-accepted fact that the Tribunes who command the Cohorts of Lord

Dark Matter's Legions are among the most ruthless beings in the known Universe,

ruling their subordinates with an iron hand and enforcing discipline through a mix of

fear and merciless brutality. There is one among their number, though, whom even

they fear enough not to anger, and pray that they never become the focus of his

attention. That being is Tribune Arakhnos, commander of the 1st Shadow Legion's

2nd Cohort. An arachnotaur (spider centaur) from a world as-yet undiscovered by

explorers from the free worlds, Arakhnos was recruited by Lord Dark Matter himself

to serve as one of his Tribunes, and is the only member of his species known to

serve in any capacity in the forces of Lord Dark Matter (a fact which his fellow

Tribunes secretly give their most heartfelt thanks for -- and quite often).

 

As the commanding officer of the 2nd Cohort, it is Arakhnos' resonsibility to supervise

the counterintelligence operations of the unit, whether it involves the dissemination

of manufactured intelligence data designed to mislead enemy intelligence agencies,

or the organization of operations whose purpose is to expose and capture intelligence

agents from the free worlds in order to interrogate (and ultimately eliminate) them.

He is aided in this endeavor by a Centurion of the Legion, a demonic-looking woman

known as Z'a'Dahn the Inquisitor, a.k.a. the Breaker of Souls. It is Z'a'Dahn who con-

ducts the pre-interrogation torture sessions for Arakhnos -- sessions that, depend-

ing on her mood, can take several hours, and which are extremely painful for the

captive. This is because she makes use of a device called a neural agonizer (similar

to a neural disruptor, but designed to stimulate a victim's pain centers, causing ex-

treme agony, but without leaving any marks), which appears, at first glance, to be

a simple rod.

 

Once the captive has been worn down by the torture sessions, Arakhnos begins the

interrogation by injecting him or her with a special type of venom from his poison

glands. Known as "truth venom", this compound has an interesting effect on its vic-

tims: if they attempt to lie, a biochemical reaction occurs within their bodies, caus-

ing them to suffer excruiciating agony. The more they try to lie, the greater the

agony becomes. Once the process begins, the only way to stop it is to tell the truth.

Small wonder then, that captured agents subjected to Arakhnos' interrogation tech-

niques break under the pressure, giving up all of their secrets.

 

As far as the fate of those captured and interrogated by Arakhnos is concerned, one

thing is known for certain: the bodies of some of the captured agents were event-

ually found, with wounds consistent with death by firing squad. Yet others -- mostly

female operatives -- were seen later in the company of several of Lord Dark Matter's

high-ranking officers, and appeared to be enslaved in some manner. There are, how-

ever, several agents whose bodies have never been recovered, or who have ever

been seen again, and there is horrifying speculation that Arakhnos himself has dis-

posed of them -- possibly by devouring them.

 

Appearance: Arakhnos is a hybrid of humanoid and spider -- the upper body being

that of a huge, heavily-muscled humanoid, while the lower body is that of a gigantic,

eight-legged spider. His skin is gray, and his head resembles that of an orc from fant-

asy literature -- hairless, pointed ears, and having a prognathic jaw from which two

tusk-like teeth project. The only difference is that, instead of having just two eyes,

he has four faintly-glowing red eyes. As an officer in Lord Dark Matter's forces, he

wears a modified officer's uniform, which takes his extra limbs into account. The

uniform also provides a somewhat higher level of armor protection than the stand-

ard version.

 

Powers: Arakhnos possesses those abilities common to those of his race -- the abil-

ity to scale and cling to virtually any surface, regardless of orientation; the ability

to spin webs with which to capture prey -- and which, thanks to advanced biochem-

ical treatments given to him by Lord Dark Matter's scientists, are now even stronger

than alloys known to the science of any world; and the ability to inject one of two

different types of venom into a victim. The first of these -- his "truth venom" -- has

been described previously. The second type is essentially identical to that of an Earth

spider, and has the same effect upon a victim: instant paralysis followed by gradual

liquefication of bodily tissues. Victims of this venom are still alive and conscious, but

unable to move or speak -- and therein lies the horror: that Arakhnos' victims are

very much alive and aware, even as he slowly comsumes them. By the time he's

finished feeding, only the outermost layers of the victim's skin are left.

 

Arakhnos possesses one other power, and it is that power which was responsible for

his being given the title of "Weaver of the Shadow Web": the ability to create and

mentally control an energy-construct resembling a huge, jet-black spiderweb. When

facing an opponent that he wishes to capture alive, and with a minimum of fuss, he

starts by focussing his victim's attention on himself while creating the energy-web

behind his victim. Once the web is created and ready, Arakhnos causes strands to

extend from it and wrap themselves around the victim's neck, torso, and limbs. Once

that happens, he then causes the strands to retract back into the web, thus

pinning the victim in place against it, where even more strands wrap themselves

around him or her. Only when the victim is securely bound by the web does its pri-

mary power come into play: to drain its victim's strength and endurance. Under

normal circumstances, it can take as long as ten minutes for the draining process

to complete itself; if the victim is actively struggling to free him- or herself, however,

the draining process is considerably faster. In any event, once the process is com-

plete, the victim is left unconscious and easily handled.

 

Personality: The one word that best describes Arakhnos' personality is 'Machiavellian'.

His talent for manipulation and misdirection is one that any Earth-based intelligence

agency would kill to have in its service -- assuming they could trust him, that is.

Under normal circumstances, Arakhnos comes across as being a refined and cultured

gentlebeing, able to hold discussions on such things as the arts and musical trends.

When pursuing an enemy agent, however, a different facet of his personality comes

to the fore: that of a relentless hunter with the patience to do the job right.

 

Skills: Arakhnos has the skills and training that are common to the forces of Lord Dark

Matter, and is an expert with every weapon in use by the Nth Legion and the 1st

Shadow Legion. However, he has a marked preference for heavy weapons, and

has had an anti-armor rocket launcher specially made for him, which he is able to

use like a sniper rifle. He is also a skilled counterintelligence agent.

 

 

Major Tom 2009

[Major Tom 2009]

Re: Cosmic Centurions

 

Enemies of the Cosmic Centurions

 

Man, The Arc just keeps springing more and more baddies upon us,

doesn't he?

 

Anyway, here's the latest of Lord Dark Matter's minions, who has a

way of doing things that's all his own...

 

 

Grand Censor Mal'ar

(Bearer of the Black Book, Chronicler of Lord Dark Matter, the Light of Oblivion)

 

No one knows who the man known as Grand Censor Mal'ar is or where he comes from,

and neither is it known if his position is religious in nature, or if it is somewhat

more secular. What is known, however, is that he is one of the most feared beings

in service to Lord Dark Matter at the present time. This is due, in no small part, to

an item in his possession which is known only as the Black Book. This object appears,

at first glance, to be a large, black leather-covered book with red-bordered pages,

and which has a huge, pulsating red crystal on the front cover of the book. It is only

when Lord Dark Matter sends Mal'ar to personally deal with some troublesome individ-

ual that the true nature of the Black Book is revealed.

 

On occasion, there have been those who, in some way or another, have hampered

the plans of Lord Dark Matter. Normally, he would have such individuals killed in re-

taliation, but the possibility of creating martyrs is enough of a possibility that other

means of dealing with them become necessary. When this happens, he sends Grand

Censor Mal'ar to deal with it, preferably in a highly-public fashion. Mal'ar will wait un-

til his target is in a public place with plenty of witnesses; only then will he confront

the target. Addressing his target, he tells him or her that "the time has come for you

to be inscribed in the Black Book of Lord Dark Matter," passing his right hand over

the crystal as he is speaking. Once his brief statement is complete, he then opens

the Black Book so that the open pages are facing the target. An instant later, a red-

dish-looking cloud comes out of the Book, and heads straight at the target, enveloping

him or her; once the target is enveloped, the cloud quickly returns to the Book, drag-

ging the target along with it and going inside the Book. Mal'ar then turns in a slow

circle with the still-open Book, showing the witnesses that the target is trapped

inside it, but still alive. He then closes the Black Book, saying "Thus is the fate of

all who would dare defy the will of Lord Dark Matter!" before walking away from the

now-terrified crowd of witnesses.

 

Appearance: Grand Censor Mal'ar is an albino, having white hair and skin, as well as

pink eyes. While he is not a strong man by any standard, there is nonetheless an im-

posing presence about him which causes those nearest him to feel both awe and un-

ease. As a member of Lord Dark Matter's forces, Mal'ar wears the standard uniform of

the Legions, but trimmed in white; he also wears a hooded white cloak.

 

Paraphenalia: Mal'ar only carries one item with him whenever and wherever he appears:

an item known only as the Black Book, which has been previously described. It is not

known how the Book does what it is apparently able to do under Mal'ar's direction,

but one theory suggests that the Black Book is, in part, a portal to another dimen-

sion, one to which Mal'ar transports his targets against their will, and from which

there is no known means of escape at the present time. If the Black Book has any

other powers, they have not yet been seen.

 

Personality: Unknown at present; Mal'ar tends to keep to himself and out of sight,

only appearing when Lord Dark Matter requires his advice, or when an "example"

needs to be made of one of his enemies.

 

Skills: None known at the present time; it is possible that he has had some small-arms

training.

 

 

Major Tom 2009

[Major Tom 2009]

Re: Cosmic Centurions

 

Enemies of the Cosmic Centurions

 

Yep, I'm back, with yet another product of The Arc's evil genius.

And so, let's get our feet wet and take a look at:

 

Tribune Daggo

(Commander of the Black Abyss Cohort, Nth Legion of Infinity, Stalker of the Trackless Depths)

 

Most of Lord Dark Matter's attacks have, for the most part, taken place upon worlds

with sizeable land masses bordered by oceans or seas. But there are a few worlds in

the part of the galaxy which Lord Dark Matter has invaded that are completely cov-

ered in water, with few or no land masses of any size. At times, forces opposed to

Lord Dark Matter have established bases on these waterworlds, using them to both

hide from his patrols and to carry out guerilla-style raids on Legion bases on nearby

worlds. Most military leaders, when confronted with such a situation, would simply

order the total bombardment of the planet from high orbit in an attempt to destroy

the guerillas; Lord Dark Matter, on the other hand, has no real desire to destroy

territory which he intends to one day claim as his own.

 

Therefore, whenever there is a group of undersea guerillas that needs to be found

and eliminated, Lord Dark Matter assigns the task to a true expert in the field: the

commander of the Black Abyss Cohort, Tribune Daggo, a.k.a. the Stalker of the

Trackless Depths. A native of a waterworld himself, Daggo is a 'fishman', a hybrid

of fish and humanoid with tremendous physical strength and the ability to survive

underwater, as well as the ability to function even at the greatest depths. How-

ever, he is unable to survive out of the water for any length of time; in order to

function normally out of the water, Daggo wears an "enviro-suit", which creates a

watery environment within the suit, and which has mechanisms which both clean

and re-oxygenate the water within the suit.

 

The unit which Daggo commands -- the Black Abyss Cohort -- is Lord Dark Matter's

equivalent to such Earth-based units as the British Special Boat Service and the U.S.

Navy SEALs, and deals with its enemies just as ruthlessly as either one is wont to do.

Their training is roughly analogous to that of the two Earth-based services, with

the exception being that the Cohort has access to a higher level of technology. A

prime example of the technology at their disposal is the impeller suit that they wear

during an operation. Essentially a miniature submarine in the form of an armored suit,

the impeller suit is equipped with a sophisticated life-support system, a HUD in the

visor which displays the time, compass direction, and a GPS-style location system.

The suit makes use of a backpack-sized magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) drive system

on its back, enabling the Legionnaires of the Black Abyss Cohort to move silently

through the water. Where weaponry is concerned, a Gauss rifle which has been modi-

fied to work underwater is given to each of the Cohort's Legionnaires, along with a

waterproof commando knife. Daggo has no need for an impeller suit; his natural

abilities are more than sufficient to enable him to not only keep pace with his men,

but also to outswim them.

 

Where personal weaponry is concerned, Daggo carries but one weapon: a trident

whose head is blood-red in color, and which has been modified to silently fire a

dart into a victim, which has been coated with a fast-acting lethal toxin. This

part of the trident works just as well underwater as it does on land.

 

Because of the need to be able to communicate underwater without radio communi-

cations (which could be detected), Daggo has trained every member of the Cohort

in a form of sign language, which they use to 'speak' to each other when under-

water. Unfortunately, the occasional need to divide his forces for an attack means

that Daggo needs a way of communicating his orders to scattered groups of his

Legionnaires. He is aided in this task by one of his Centurions, a half-humanoid/half-

shark woman known as Syryn of the Screaming Death, who is able to rapidly swim

to each of the groups of Legionnaires and convey any changes in their orders to

them.

 

Appearance: Daggo is a hybrid of fish and humanoid, with scaly skin, large eyes, and

a secretion created by certain glands in his body which makes it difficult to keep a

firm grip on him. He spends most of his time in his "enviro-suit", however, so most

people don't really know what he looks like outside of it (the only person who does

is Syryn, and she's not talking). He's very tall (about 7 feet tall) and extremely

muscular in build.

 

Paraphenalia: Daggo makes use of an "enviro-suit" when he has to work above the

water. This suit creates a watery environment within itself which is kept clean and

re-oxygenated by mechanisms within the suit. It also provides a high level of armor

protection for its wearer.

 

Personality: Daggo presents the image of a consummate professional to the world at

large, one who is totally committed to carrying out Lord Dark Matter's will anytime

and anywhere that it is required.

 

Skills: Daggo is a fully-trained member of Lord Dark Matter's military, and is also an

expert in underwater operations and warfare.

 

Weapons: Daggo's trident has been previously described in the above text.

 

Note: Although described as one of the Cohort's Centurions, Syryn is actually a Darkhunter.

As she doesn't wear the "alien death's-head" helmet, it can only be assumed that she is

wearing some form of waterproof disguise.

 

 

 

Major Tom 2009

[Major Tom 2009]

Re: Cosmic Centurions

 

Enemies of the Cosmic Centurions

 

This time, we're going to take a look at Lord Dark Matter's home life;

to be specific, at someone very close to him.

 

Discordia

(Adopted Daughter of Lord Dark Matter, The Breaker of Bonds)

 

It is unknown at this time who the young woman currently known as Discordia is, or

who her original parents were prior to her adoption by Lord Dark Matter; what is

known at this time is that wherever Lord Dark Matter has appeared, Discordia is al-

ways close at hand, sometimes serving as an advisor, and other times being his per-

sonal bodyguard. What is also known is that she has the power to project reddish-

colored energy beams from her hands at a target, beams which are capable of

disintegrating matter, whether organic or inorganic in nature.

 

She has also been seen to be ferociously protective of Lord Dark Matter, and has, on

occasion, faced numerous enemies bent on attempting to assassinate him. That none

of them succeeded, or were ever seen again, is a testament to her skill as a body-

guard.

 

Appearance: Discordia has black hair, which she wears combed back, and which hangs

down to just below her shoulders. She also has black eyes, and a red 'caste-mark'

type of marking just below the "widow's-peak" of her hairline. Normally, when not

serving as Lord Dark Matter's bodyguard, she wears civilian clothing; when acting

as his bodyguard, however, she wears the standard uniform of a Nth Legionnaire,

over which is worn a sleeveless dress-like tunic, the skirt of which is slit up the left

leg. She also wears a chain-link style belt around her waist and a pair of gold hoop-

style earrings.

 

Personality: When she's being a civilian, Discordia is very much the loving daughter;

when acting as Lord Dark Matter's bodyguard, however, a different aspect of her

personality makes itself visible: that of a consummate professional, one who is ever

watchful for any threat which may present itself, and who is prepared to deal swift-

ly and ruthlessly with it.

 

Powers: Discordia has the power to project beams of energy from her hands, energy

that is somehow able to neutralize the forces which hold matter together, causing

it to disintegrate. Normal matter of any kind, whether organic or inorganic, is affect-

ed by her power; it is not yet known if materials with extraordinary properties --

indestructible super-alloys created by advanced science, or objects created by

extradimensional beings (gods, demons, etc.) -- are affected in any way by her pow-

er.

 

Skills: As the adopted daughter of Lord Dark Matter, Discordia has not only recieved

an education comparable to that of a Earth woman of similar social status, she has

also been given a version of the military training given to the soldiers of Lord Dark

Matter's Legions, to better enable her to serve as his bodyguard.

 

Weapons: Discordia doesn't use weapons of any type; in fact, she hates them with a

passion, especially guns. The reason for this hatred is unknown; it is entirely possible

that her original parents were killed by gun-wielding assailants.

 

 

Major Tom 2009

[Major Tom 2009]

Re: Cosmic Centurions

 

If I haven't posted anything to this thread lately, it's not because I've lost interest in

the thread; I've just been busy with other things (bedrooms do not, after all, clean

themselves). Rest assured, however, that I will be back with descriptions of the rest

of LDM's flunkies later today (and maybe, just maybe, a few allies of the Cosmic Cen-

turions as well).

 

 

Major Tom 2009

[Egyptoid]

Re: Cosmic Centurions

 

If I haven't posted anything to this thread lately, it's not because I've lost interest in

the thread; .... of the Cosmic Cen-

turions as well).

 

What he said.

[Major Tom 2009]

Re: Cosmic Centurions

 

I was somewhat busy this weekend, so I didn't get to work

on the backstories of the LDM-related characters that The

Arc has tossed at us over the last few days. But I'm back

now, and more than ready to pick up where I left off. And

so, I present to you the latest of Lord Dark Matter's many

minions, a fellow whose pets redefine that age-old phrase,

"Bad Kitty!"

 

Enemies of the Cosmic Centurions

 

Haidan the Stalker

(Personal Huntsman of Lord Dark Matter)

 

It is known that Lord Dark Matter has many minions -- men, women, and beings that

are neither -- that are more than able and willing to carry out the desires of their

lord and master, and in any way that he wishes of them. For the most part, these

minions carry out the commands and plans of Lord Dark Matter with great care and

finesse -- understandable, when one considers that Lord Dark Matter has what a-

mounts to a "zero tolerance" policy when it comes to failure. There is one, however,

who takes an entirely different approach to carrying out his master's wishes. That

someone is Haidan the Stalker, personal huntsman of Lord Dark Matter and tracker

without peer.

 

A beast-man from a savage world in the region of the galaxy from which Lord Dark

Matter originally came, Haidan has been in the service of his master since even before

they came to this part of the galaxy, and is one of the few beings whom Lord Dark

Matter trusts implicitly. Haidan's services are called upon fairly often, especially when

there is someone whom Lord Dark Matter wants stalked, terrorized, and eventually

captured. He is aided in this task by his two Saberclaws (feline predators that are

roughly analgous to Earth tigers, but huge -- almost the size of horses), which he

has raised and trained from birth to assist him in the hunt. They accomplish this by

flanking their prey, taking up positions on either side of their target and making their

presence known (but remaining unseen).

 

Once Haidan is prepared to take the target, he signals the Saberclaws by means of a

ultrasonic whistle, which emits a sound too high for most beings to hear. Once the

Saberclaws have heard the signal, they begin to move in on the target, driving him

or her back toward Haidan; as soon as the target is close enough, he lashes

out with his whip, wrapping it around the target's neck while simultaneously trigger-

ing the built-in neural disruptor. Once the target is helpless, Haidan takes the time to

securely bind him or her before taking his "prize" to Lord Dark Matter. In the case of

targets known to posess metahumanoid or psionic powers, Haidan uses inhibitor tech-

nology (devices that suppress or completely neutralize the use of super-powers) to

keep his captive(s) under control.

 

Thus far, no one who has been so targeted by Lord Dark Matter has been success-

ful in eluding Haidan the Stalker, no matter what measures they have taken to throw

him off their trail.

 

Appearance: Haidan is tall and powerfully built -- 7' tall and 400 pounds of pure muscle --

yet is capable of moving with great speed and unearthly stealth. As a member of a

race that evolved from a feline predator, Haidan posesses the features of such a life-

form: short, golden fur covering his entire body with longer, light brown hair on his

head, and with what on a human being would be muttonchop sideburns and a mou-

stache (he has no darker hair on top of his head, though), black eyes with red pu-

pils, and retractable claws in his hands and feet. He also has fangs and pointed ears.

As a minion of Lord Dark Matter, Haidan wears a stylized version of the uniform worn by

the Legions: a sleeveless black top with red trim, leather straps with red studs on his

arms, and a red-trimmed, downward-pointing black loincloth held up by a black, red-

studded leather belt. He also wears a pair of specially-made black boots, which have

red buckles and studs. The boots are designed in such a way as to enable him to move

across any terrain without leaving any trace whatsoever.

 

Personality: As a native of a primitive and savage world, Haidan is most uncomfortable

whenever he has to deal with the trappings of civilization for any length of time; give

him a hunt, though -- or even a worthy adversary against whom he can test himself --

and he's very happy. He's also something of a (pardon the pun) party animal, and can

often be found with an entourage of no fewer than a half-dozen young women (apparent-

ly, there's something about Haidan that women find irresistably attractive).

 

Skills: Haidan's skills are the result of an entire lifetime spent being a hunter and a

warrior, and have not been lessened in any way by the time he has spent in civil-

ization. Unlike most of Lord Dark Matter's minions, Haidan has not recieved any

sort of military training; Lord Dark Matter felt that he already had what he need-

ed to do his job. His skill with unarmed combat is likewise a result of his upbringing;

it has no recognizable techniques, making it (and him) highly unpredictable in com-

bat. He is also a skilled animal trainer and handler, able to control the most danger-

ous of wild beasts. Haidan is also an expert in the creation of traps, and has often

captured his prey by such means. Indeed, of all of Lord Dark Matter's minions, only

Shamballah the Huntress comes close to being Kor's equal in the arts of hunting.

 

Weapons: Haidan is a consummate master of weapons that most of Lord Dark Matter's

forces consider primitive: blowpipes, bolas, clubs -- if it's muscle-powered, he's probably

used it at some point in time. His favorite weapon by far, however, is his whip: fifteen

feet of very strong and durable synthetic materials, which conceals an even nastier surprise --

a neural disruptor with sufficient power to render even a Cosmic Centurion helpless.

 

Allies: Haidan is accompanied by a pair of huge, tiger-like feline predators called Saberclaws,

which he has trained in much the same way that Earth hunters of the past trained their hunting

dogs. They have been trained to obey any of a number of signals, whether spoken aloud or blown

on a special whistle. Saberclaws have red furwith pale green stripes, and their claws are capable

of shredding steel.

 

 

Major Tom 2009

[Major Tom 2009]

Re: Cosmic Centurions

 

Here's one of the scarier minions of Lord Dark Matter,

one who makes most of his other minions look like

kind-hearted social workers...

 

 

Enemies of the Cosmic Centurions

 

Grom Jabar

(High Executioner of Lord Dark Matter, the Dark Blade of Judgement)

Whenever Lord Dark Matter has a captured enemy whom he wishes slain in a

particularly ignominious -- and very public -- fashion, or an underling whose

failure has caused a major setback to one of his plans, thereby requiring that

an example be made of said underling, he assigns the task to his High Execut-

ioner -- Grom Jabar, a.k.a. the Dark Blade of Judgement. Jabar is infamous for

his use of what have become known as "execution machines" to dispose of

Lord Dark Matter's enemies. Designed by Jabar himself, and built by the cyborg

technologist Techamachus, these devices are designed to do one thing, and

to do it well: kill its victim in the most dishonorable fashion known to his, her,

or its race (occasionally, a member of a genderless species will have the mis-

fortune to experience Lord Dark Matter's "hospitality"). Jabar has extensively

studied the beliefs of the various races inhabiting this region of the galaxy, in

order to have his executions cause the most massive and devastating psycho-

logical impact upon those watching them.

A confirmed sadist, Grom Jabar takes great delight in showing his soon-to-be

victims how they're going to die, usually by means of a live demonstration --

involving the use of a live prisoner in the execution machine. Not surprisingly,

his favorite victims are Cosmic Centurions and their allies; as a result, rescue

missions aimed at freeing their comrades-in-arms from Jabar's clutches have

wound up becoming some of the most vicious battles fought between the

forces of Lord Dark Matter and the Cosmic Centurions -- and those battles

where both Grom Jabar and the Cyan Centurion have been present have been

some of the bitterest ever fought.

Jabar doesn't limit himself to performing executions; on occasion, he'll accompany

one of Lord Dark Matter's counterinsurgency units during a search for resistance

fighters. When such a group is found, Jabar is one of the first to engage them in

combat. Unlike the Legionnaires, who are simply out to kill the resistance fighters,

Grom Jabar is out to capture as many of them as he can. Knowing full well what

to expect from Grom Jabar if they're taken alive, many resistance fighters will

often turn their weapons upon each other rather than become one of his "demon-

strations".

Appearance: Grom Jabar is, without a doubt, one of the stranger-looking minions

in service to Lord Dark Matter. Looking like a gigantic head to which some semb-

lance of a body has been attached, Jabar has blue eyes which are set in the

middle of his face, which appears frozen in a perpetual scowl. He stands about 8'

tall, and is powerfully built. As a member of Lord Dark Matter's forces, he wears

the uniform of a Legionnaire, black armor with red trim.

Personality: Grom Jabar is a sadist of the worst sort, taking a depraved pleasure

from the suffering of others, whether he's the one responsible for it or not. His

sadistic and cruel nature is such that not even his fellow minions can stand to

be anywhere near him; only Lord Dark Matter, who appreciates Jabar's creativity

when it comes to disposing of his enemies, spends any time in his company.

Skills: Jabar has the skills and training of a member of Lord Dark Matter's military,

and is a formidable combatant, both with armed and unarmed combat. He is also

a master axeman.

Weapons: While Jabar is trained in the use of all weapons in the arsenal of the Nth

Legion, his signature weapon is a long-handled, double-edged black battleaxe. This

weapon, forged from a unique alloy known as Entropium, has a property which all

sentient beings who are aware of it fear: any object, whether organic or inorganic,

which is struck by the axe, begins to suffer a breakdown of its molecular structure.

Where inorganic materials are concerned, the result is a visible and steady decay

which ultimately ends with the destruction of the material or object in question.

Organic materials, on the other hand, appear to be attacked by a rapidly-spread-

ing form of gangrene poisoning, with death being the end result unless some way

of stopping the decay can be found before that point is reached.

Major Tom 2009

[Major Tom 2009]

Re: Cosmic Centurions

 

Here's the next minion of Lord Dark Matter, a

fellow who takes a "nuts and bolts" approach

to both his work and life...

 

 

Enemies of the Cosmic Centurions

 

Techamachus

(Chief Technologist of Lord Dark Matter, Entropy's Blacksmith)

 

 

The cyborg technologist now known as Techamachus was once wholly flesh and

blood, with no artificial parts of any kind in his body. He was also one of the most

brilliant scientists in the service of Lord Dark Matter, and was responsible for the

creation of many of the weapons used by the Legions. This state of affairs would

most likely have continued had it not been for a project which was being develop-

ed by the scientist: an attempt to create what he called an "entropic bomb" -- a

weapon with the capability of wiping out both people and buildings, without leav-

ing behind any radioactivity that would render the area uninhabitable for decades

or centuries to come.

 

Deciding that such a weapon as well as its creator were too dangerous to be al-

lowed to exist, the intelligence agencies of the free worlds set a plan in motion

to destroy both the weapon and its creator. The plan involved sending a military

task force to attack the planet and bombard the location of the weapons lab from

high orbit -- at least, that's what they wanted Lord Dark Matter's intelligence arm

to think. The actual plan was for a squadron of stealth-capable starfighters to

slip in under the sensors of the planetary defense grid while Lord Dark Matter's

fleet was occupied with the task force. Once the squadron was past the sensors,

they were to proceed to the weapons lab and destroy it with precision-guided

bombs and missiles.

 

The plan worked, but only to a certain extent. While the task force managed to

distract the planetary defense fleet from the real attack, and the starfighter

squadron did succeed in its mission to destroy the weapons lab, they did not

succeed in killing the scientist. He was, however, seriously injured -- both legs

missing, his arms mangled beyond repair, and suffering from severe head trauma --

and was not expected to survive for much longer. Lord Dark Matter, however,

did not wish to lose such a valuable resource, and brought in his finest surgical

team as well as his most skilled cyberneticists to save the dying scientist.

 

Over a period of several hours, the scientist was, for lack of a better term, re-

built. His legs were replaced with an anti-gravity flight module, and his upper

body was replaced with a robotic torso and arms, with specialized support mech-

anisms for those organic parts that his brain needed to continue to function.

His damaged skull was gradually repaired by medical nanomachines, which also

used special materials to reinforce it with a metal casing, essentially armor-plating

it, thereby protecting the brain. The cybersurgeons also implanted advanced

computer processors in the scientist's brain, greatly enhancing his intelligence and

enabling him to think and process information at computer speeds. Once the surgery

was complete, the scientist's condition stabilized, and spent several days afterward

in recovery.

 

After he was trained in how to use his cybernetic parts and allowed to return to

his job, the scientist attempted to resume his work on the entropic bomb, only

to discover to his horror that he no longer posessed the knowledge of how to

construct it. And because all of his written research had been in the lab when it

was bombed and destroyed, there was no chance of recreating his project. Al-

though he believed that Lord Dark Matter would be angry at the loss of his ul-

timate weapon, he was surprised to learn that the loss of the entropic bomb was

something that Lord Dark Matter had expected, considering the extent of the

head injuries that he sustained in the attack. He was also surprised to discover

that Lord Dark Matter considered him to be even more valuable than ever before,

now that he had been cybernetically augmented.

 

Relieved that he wasn't going to be executed for the loss of the weapons project,

the scientist turned his new abilities toward the task of devising new and more

powerful weapons for Lord Dark Matter. To commemorate his "rebirth", the scien-

tist took the name of Techamachus for himself.

 

Appearance: Techamachus' body from the waist down is a sophisticated anti-gravity

flight pod, and is capable of moving at great speed. His upper body is fully robotic,

and is equipped with manipulator arms which are capable of the full range of human-

oid motion. It has also been designed to resemble the standard uniform of the Legion:

black armor with red trim. His face looks much like it did prior to the attack: bald

with black eyes.

 

Personality: Outwardly, Techamachus projects a calm and mildly dispassionate

front to the outside world. On the inside, it's an entirely different story. Techa-

machus would love nothing better than to have the pilots who nearly killed him

captured and brought before him, so that he can use them for what he euphem-

istically refers to as "occupational therapy". Only when he's involved with some

project or another does he show anything resembling pleasure.

 

Powers: All of Techamachus' abilities are derived from his cyborg body. His flight

capability comes from the anti-gravity pod that has taken the place of his legs.

Controlling the pod by direct mental command, Techamachus is able to perform

maneuvers with it at speeds that no normal pilot could hope to match. His robot-

ic upper body gives him considerable physical strength, yet he is capable of deli-

cate and precise movements when using his "hands", able to exert force as light

as a mild pinch or as strong as a hydraulic press. His mental capabilities are every

bit as impressive. Not only can he process information at speeds comparable to

those of a mainframe super-computer, he is also capable of multi-tasking, and

can work on several different projects at the same time.

 

Although he doesn't usually engage in combat, he recognizes that, on occasion,

it is necessary for one to defend oneself. To this end, he has created a pair of

items that he uses in combat. The first of these is a dual, shoulder-mounted

missile launcher, which consists of two four-shot pods that can be fired one

shot at a time, or all eight at once. The second is a pair of shield generator pods,

each of which has its own power source, which connect to the upper body of

the anti-gravity pod.

 

Skills: Techamachus is a trained scientist, and is a master of many disciplines.

Since the attack, he has also been given a certain amount of military training

in order to allow him to make the most out of his cyborg body.

 

 

Major Tom 2009

[Major Tom 2009]

Re: Cosmic Centurions

 

Here's a bit of a change from the bad guys that

have been covered thus far. Saying that this

guy has an explosive personality doesn't even

begin to scratch the surface...

 

Allies of the Cosmic Centurions

 

 

Dyrakk, the Positronic Man

(Pamun Dyrakk, Technologist First Rank of the Elysian Science Council)

 

Pamun Dyrakk, a brilliant physicist and one of the leading members of the Science

Council of the planet Elysia -- one of the free worlds that have banded together

to oppose Lord Dark Matter's invasion -- was working in his lab one day on an

experiment involving antimatter (matter whose polarity is opposite that of normal

matter, and which reacts violently when it comes into contact with normal matter),

when a squad of Nth Legion commandoes broke into the lab complex on a mission

to steal any weapons-oriented technology that they could get their hands on, as

well as to kidnap any scientists who could be made to serve Lord Dark Matter's

plans of conquest.

 

Acting quickly, Dyrakk hid himself in the containment chamber of the mechanism

that he used to create antimatter for his experiments. No sooner than he had

hidden out of sight, the commando squad burst into his lab, looking for weapons

technology. Finding nothing that even remotely resembled a weapon, one of the

commandoes became frustrated and began shooting everything in sight, with

several of the blasts striking the antimatter generation machine. The machine

suddenly activated itself and began to create antimatter, with Dyrakk still within

the containment chamber.

 

Dyrakk tried to escape from the chamber, but to no avail; the weapons fire from

the Nth Legion commando had damaged the door mechanisms, jamming the door

and making it impossible to open. Before he could do anything else to try to get

out, the antimatter created by the mechanism came into contact with his body.

Whether because of the insulative force fields inside of the chamber interacting

with some unsuspected quirk of his physiology or some other cause, Dyrakk was

not annihilated when he was struck by the antimatter; instead, he was somehow

transformed into a being of living antimatter.

 

Using the power of his newly-transformed body, Dyrakk managed to get out of

the chamber before sending blast after blast of anti-energy at the Legionnaires,

reducing them to smoldering piles of ash. By the time that Elysian security forces

arrived at the complex in response to the attack, the commando squad had been

utterly destroyed. In the aftermath of the attack, the Science Council was faced

with a quandary: on one hand, none of their advanced technology had fallen into

Lord Dark Matter's hands; on the other hand, one of their most brilliant and respect-

ed scientists had been transformed into one of the most dangerous beings alive.

 

While the Council attempted to decide on what course of action to take, Dyrakk --

together with some of his friends and fellow scientists -- set out to find a means

by which he could function in the world without posing a danger to everyone. The

solution that was eventually arrived at was a novel one, to say the least. By com-

bining several different technologies -- an armored exoskeletal suit, a miniature

hyperdrive and normal-space flight system, an energy-weapons system capable

of using the power generated by his body, a forcefield projection grid, and a mini-

aturized computer with the processing power of a super-computer mainframe --

Dyrakk and his scientist friends were able to devise a containment suit which

would allow him to have contact with the everyday world without running the risk

of a massive antimatter explosion.

 

On the day that he demonstrated his containment suit to the Science Council,

Dyrakk informed them that, due to his current condition -- and until such time

as a means to restore him to his original, normal-matter state could be found --

he would be taking an indefinite sabbatical from his duties on the Council. He

did, however, reassure them that the planet would not be without his services:

he was merely switching over to the Elysian Planetary Guard, where he would be

in a better position to defend the planet against future expansionism on the part

of Lord Dark Matter or his forces.

 

In the days since the incident which gave him his powers, Dyrakk (or the Positronic

Man, as he is sometimes referred to as) has proven to be one of Elysia's greatest

protectors, and has since become a faithful ally and friend to the Cosmic Centurions,

who value his intellect, scientific skills, and powers both in and out of combat.

 

Appearance: Outside of his containment suit, Pamun Dyrakk appears as a humanoid

composed of bright, bluish-white "anti-energy", and looks much like he did when he

was a material being. When in his containment suit, he resembles a high-tech knight

in armor, and stands 7' tall when he occipies the suit. The suit is a two-tone purple

in color, with the helmet, breastplate, gauntlets and boots being dark purple with

red highlights, while the torso, arms, and legs are a lighter shade of purple. The

armored skirt around his waist is also dark purple with red highlights, and the belt

is red with gold highlights. The hyperdrive/flight system attached to the back of

the suit is likewise dark purple with red highlights. The visor of the helmet is a re-

flective gold in color.

 

Paraphenalia: The containment suit which Dyrakk occupies is an amalgamation of

several different technologies, all of which have been combined to confer several

advantages upon the wearer. Not only is it a containment suit which insulates

him from the positive-matter world, it is also a combination battlesuit and com-

pact FTL-capable starship. Perhaps the most important item of technology in the

suit is the forcefield projection grid which lines its inner surface, and which when

activated, keeps Dyrakk from coming into direct contact with it. The armored

exoskeleton not only provides protection against attacks that could potentially

penetrate the suit, it also provides the occupant with a considerable degree of

superhumanoid strength (it is capable of lifting weights of just over 50 tons).

 

The suit not only enables the occupant to fly at supersonic speed when in atmo-

sphere, it also enables him to travel across interstellar distances by means of

hyperspace travel, courtesy of the miniaturized hyperdrive which has been in-

corporated into the flight system. The suit's offensive capability lies in the energy

projectors that have been built into the gauntlets, and which are powered by

Dyrakk's own anti-energy (as are the various other systems in the suit).

 

All of the suit's various systems are regulated by a miniaturized computer system,

one which, even while regulating the normal functions of the suit, has sufficient

processing power to perform several different tasks at once.

 

Personality: In spite of what has happened to him, Dyrakk has managed to remain

very optimistic about life in general. With regards to his situation, he believes that,

as it was a scientific accident which transformed him into his current state, that

it will be science which will ultimately provide the means by which he which he

will one day be restored to his original flesh-and-blood form. Until that day comes

to pass, however, he patrols the space nearest Elysia; at other times, he lends

his considerable scientific acumen to various groups of scientists throughout

the free worlds.

 

Powers: Dyrakk's anti-energy form provides him with a number of powers; most

notably, the power to fire bolts of pure anti-energy at his foes. His powers are

self-regenerating, meaning that he doesn't have to worry about running out of

energy in the middle of a fight. He can also increase the power level of his bolts,

but he runs the risk of destroying the suit if he does so; for this reason, several

copies of the containment suit have been produced and are kept in storage in

the event that he needs a replacement for a destroyed suit.

 

Skills: Pamun Dyrakk is, first and foremost, a brilliant physicist; however, as a

ranking member of the Elysian Science Council, he is also a master of several

scientific fields ranging from organic chemistry to quantum physics. Since his

transformation and his subsequent internment in his containment suit, he has

also had to become proficient in combat as well.

 

 

Major Tom 2009

[The Arc]

Re: Cosmic Centurions

 

Warning, Lost Post

 

Lord Dark Matter desires anything that he doesn't possess. This includes the power of the cosmic centurions. However, try as the Dark Tyrant has tried over and over again, he's found that he cannot corrupt the Guardians of the Cosmos. He has thrown countless lives at the Cosmic Centurions seeking their deaths, and while he has ended a few of their careers, the victory that he seeks over them eludes him. It was time for a change in tactics.

 

Under the advice of Discordia and Techamachus a new plan emerged. The Shadow Legion were unleashed upon the universe. Their mission to track the comes and goings of as many of the Cosmic Centurions as possible and report back to Lord Dark Matter. In most cases the Shadow Legion either failed, were foiled, or defeated. This was to be expected, as all things are expendable to Lord Dark Matter.

 

In a remote part of the cosmos it was discovered that the Crimson Centurion recently became wounded after an encounter with the Nega-Centurion. This was the news Lord Dark Matter was waiting for.

 

Admiral Garm and a contingent of the Nth Legion were immediately dispatched to capture the Crimson Centurion at all costs. General Skorne, Kor the Hunter, and Grom Jabar included themselves in the assault. Also unknown to the rest, except for Lord Dark Matter, Senior Tribute Phantos the leader of the Darkhunters secreted himself amongst the rest.

 

On a rocky planet barely big enough to be worthy of the name, the Crimson Centurion went to nurse his wounds. If this little planet had any worth it was its' hot springs, said to heal even the most grievously wounded. His battle with the Nega-Centurion had depleted his powers and had wounded his body. To make matters worse he was far far from the Source. A little relaxation was definitely in order.

 

Crimson Centurion had doffed all this clothes except for his gauntlets, which he couldn't take off anyways, his mask and a pair of swimming trunks had just settled into a pool that would boil the skin off the average human, when a humungous ax came crashing down mere centimeters from his head. Rocks shattered and flew in a thousand directions.

 

“Come little centurion,” a grumbling voice came from the vapor, “It is time to die.”

 

At first the Crimson Centurion thought the being coming out of the vapor was his fellow centurion the Cyan Centurion, but that centurion never looked like this. In an instant he knew whom he faced. It was Grom Jabar the executioner of Lord Dark Matter.

 

In an instant Crimson Centurion called upon his powers and flew from the pool the waters instantly vaporizing. Using the power of the Source, he was surrounded by crimson light and as the light faded a little his costume was once against snugly tight around his body.

 

“By the Source,” Crimson Centurion mouthed. “How in the cosmos did you find me here?”

 

A chuckle emerged from Grom Jabar's head-like body.

 

“None escape the notice of Lord Dark Matter foolish centurion.”

 

The Crimson Centurion was about to wipe the smirk off of Grom Jabir when he was hit in the side by the largest Cyber-claw that he had ever seen. It was only by the power of his gauntlets that he wasn't shredded in an instant. Instead the centurion and the cyber-claw slammed into more rocks creating an instant crater with centurion on the bottom. Cursing a little under his breathe the centurion unleashed a powerful burst of energy sending the big psychedelic cat flying away in a hissing rage.

 

“Here now,” came the voice that sound almost like the roar of a cat. “Harming my pet does anger me. An' angering Kor the Hunter is something no being to be wantin'.”

 

The tendril of a whip wrapped itself around the Crimson Centurions' ankle as he took once again to the sky. This time, however, the centurion refused to be grounded. There was a grunt from Kor as the beast man had to let go of his weapon or be dragged off the ground. Kor shared a few choice curses at the Crimson Centurion.

 

Crimson Centurion only had a moment to activate his distress beacon before a burst of silvery energy slammed him once again into the ground. He felt instantly weaker and barely had time to get up on his hands and knees to see General Skorne striding across the rocky ground a malevolent look upon his face. The energy that struck the Crimson Centurion had felt familiar, almost like it came from the source.

 

Before Skorne could reach him, Crimson Centurion regained his feet. He would face this servant of Lord Dark Matter on his knees.

 

“That's alright Crimson Centurion,” General Skorne said coming nearer. “I prefer my foes to be on their feet so they can better see their doom at my hand with their fearful eyes.”

 

General Skorne hefted his ax in one hand and silver energy coalesced in the other. Crimson Centurion was about to fly forward to engaged General Skorne when he felt a stabbing pain in his hip. He looked towards his hip seeing a strange syringe like device sticking in his flesh. How it got past his defenses he couldn't imagine. Just as quickly the device was wrenched out and flew a few yards into the waiting hands of Senior Tribute Phantos. Crimson Centurion almost fainted from the pain.

 

In a calm measured voice Phantos spoke. “Admiral Garm, execute Razed Horizon.”

 

“Razed Horizon,” General Skorne said nearby and that is all he had time to say.

 

In the nearby Obsidian Throne, the admiral received the message from Lord Dark Matters' spy and gave the command to his troops. In a blink all of the assets of Lord Dark Matter were transported back to the Obsidian Throne, and with another flick of his hand every mounted weapon on the Obsidian Throne opened fire upon the unknown planet. The barrage only lasted a little while, but the entire planet was vaporized. However, the Obsidian Throne didn't stick around to see the aftermath.

 

Hours later, lights of orange, pink, and green popped into existence not far from where once a small planet orbited an unassuming sun. The Orange, Pink and Green Centurions had heard the call of their fellow centurion and had made all haste.

 

“Where is he?” the Pink Centurion asked, her green hair waving in the zero gravity of deep space.

 

The Orange Centurion frowned in concentration, while the inhuman Green Centurion looked perplexed.

 

“Where is he?” the Green Centurion communicated. “Where is the planet?”

 

“Obviously,” the Orange Centurion said scanning the area. “It's no longer here. Wait, over there.”

 

“By the Source,” the Pink Centurion mouthed after the trio had finally located the unconscious Crimson Centurion. His power barely providing him life support. “What could have happened to him?”

 

“Dunno,” the Orange Centurion said, “But it's obviously dangerous around here. We need to get him home.”

 

In the darkness of space three bright lights winked out and darkness reigned supreme.

 

Thousands of light years away on the Dark Throneworld the Obsidian Throne had dropped off its passengers in the capital city of Despair. However, only Senior Tribune Phantos seemed to be happy. The others would've slain the tribune will in space if it wasn't for the sealed orders that Phantos carried. Orders signed by his dark majesty.

 

Phantos stood on a platform overlooking the glory of the city of Despair when a nearby elevator opened and three beings disembarked. In the lead came Discordia the adopted daughter of Lord Dark Matter and a step behind her came Techamachus floating with the aid of his anti-gravity pod, and striding beside him came Za'Dahn the Inquisitor. The scientist and the torturer seemed to be lost in their conversation.

 

Discordia marched up to Phantos and looked up at the Shadow Legionnaire in his environment suit.

 

Scowling she said, “Do you have it.”

 

Phantos gave a little bow and presented Discordia with a vial of reddish fluid with some bits of white floating in it.

 

“Excellent,” Discordia said taking the vial. “Father will be most pleased.”

 

That fool Crimson Centurion will pay for spurning me thought Discordia as she turned to Techamachus and Za'Dahn. Instantly the two stopped conferring.

 

“Here Techamachus,” Discordia handed the scientist the vial. “How long will it take.”

 

“Not long m'lady,” fawned Techamachus. “With the aid of Za'Dahn for programming and my own genius, not long at all.”

 

Discordia frowned at Techamachus. She didn't entirely trust the man, but what choice did she have if he were to get her revenge on the Crimson Centurion.

 

“It better not,” Discordia said, “I have little patients for failure and my Father has less.”

 

Techamachus bowed as best he could as did Za'Dahn before Discordia strode off.

 

“This'll be fun,” Za'Dahn said slapping the scientist on the shoulder.

 

In the end it took Techamachus three months to perfect the clone. Using vats similar to the ones used to create the Nth Legionnaires a full grown clone of the Crimson Centurion was developed. Za'Dahn provided the necessary programming to make this Blood Centurion a willing servant of Lord Dark Matter.

 

However, when the clone was brought out wearing his new blood red infinity armor something went wrong. The Blood Centurion broke free of the mental restrains put upon him by Za'Dahn. Before he fled from Despair and the Throneworld he destroyed three cohorts of the Nth Legion and damaged Techamachus enough to put the scientists in a coma for the next three days.

 

As the Blood Centurion fled into the dark skies over Despair he shouted out, “Who am I!”

 

Nearby in an unremarkable tower the light of the Blood Centurion fell upon four faceted eyes before the head turned to his work.

[Egyptoid]

Re: Cosmic Centurions

 

You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to The Arc again.

[Major Tom 2009]

Re: Cosmic Centurions

 

Allies of the Cosmic Centurions

 

The Cosmic Centurions are not alone in their battles against the evil

of Lord Dark Matter and his minions. Not only can they rely upon the

aid of such powerful beings as Pamun Dyrakk -- the Positronic Man --

they can also rely upon the assistance of other groups of superpow-

ered beings as well.

 

One such group is a team of five young people -- each from a different

world -- who have been chosen and brought together to become defend-

ers of the galaxy, and who have been granted the ability to tap into the

energies of a offshoot of the Source. Their mission: to battle cosmic evil in

all its forms, and to defend the innocents of the galaxy.

 

They are...

 

The Star Centurions

 

Several years ago, before the arrival of Lord Dark Matter and his forces in this region

of the galaxy, an Elysian exploration vessel that was charting an unexplored re-

gion of space suffered a catastrophic accident which caused it to go off course,

crash-landing upon a habitable world. Of all the vessel's crew and passengers,

only the leader of the exploration mission -- Arvan Dyrakk, father of Pamun Dyrakk,

the Positronic Man -- survived the crash. With both the disaster beacon and

subspace communications irreparably damaged, and no way to repair the ship,

Arvan set out to ensure that he would survive, at least until a search and rescue

mission could find him. After burying his colleagues and the ship's crew, and gath-

ering what food and water supplies he could carry with him, he set out to find an

adequate shelter from the elements. Two days later, he found what he was look-

ing for -- and much more.

 

Deep inside a mountain cave, Arvan Dyrakk found the entrance to an advanced

scientific complex, a complex whose technology was every bit as advanced as

that of Elysia itself; indeed, some of the technology was even more advanced

than anything he had ever seen before. Exploring the various levels of the com-

plex, he came at last to a huge, domed chamber, which contained only one

thing: a globe some six feet in diameter, which was floating in midair above a

circular, stepped platform, and pulsating with a yellowish-white light. Stepping

onto the platform, he examined the globe closely, eventually touching it. The

instant he did so, his consciousness made contact with an even more power-

ful one inhabiting the globe.

 

Identifying itself as the Starsoul, the consciousness told Dyrakk that it had

once been part of an energy known as the Source, but that it had become

separated from it during a great cataclysm in the far-distant past. As the

ages passed, the fragment grew in power, eventually becoming as powerful

as the Source, and becoming self-aware in the process. In its travels through

the galaxy, the Starsoul came across the complex it now inhabited, and which

had been built by one of the member races that had been part of a great all-

iance thousands of years ago, but which had come to an end during the same

cataclysm that had split its essence from the Source. The Starsoul also told

Dyrakk that, in the course of becoming self-aware, it had developed precognitve

abilities, allowing it at times to see momentary glimpses of the future.

 

One such glimpse was particularly frightening: a vision of a great darkness seek-

ing to encompass the entire galaxy, trying to impose its evil rule upon everything

that lived. The Starsoul told Dyrakk that, while the vision it had seen had not

yet come to pass, it would, and that champions would need to be found and pre-

pared to face the darkness. Unfortunately, the Starsoul itself could not leave the

complex to find and recruit the champions that would be needed in the not-so-

distant future; it needed to remain where it could use the advanced technology

of the complex to watch for the arrival of the enemy. What it could do was to

empower an agent with a fraction of its power so that he or she could travel

throughout the galaxy in search of suitable candidates to become galactic pro-

tectors.

 

Arvan Dyrakk knew what was about to be asked of him: that he become the agent

of the Starsoul, seeking out worthy beings who could be entrusted with the power

necessary to combat the approaching darkness. Knowing that to do so meant that

he would be forever giving up his chance to return home, Dyrakk nevertheless off-

ered his services as an agent to the Starsoul. Accepting his offer, the Starsoul

bestowed a portion of its vast power upon Dyrakk, transforming him and giving him

extraordinary abilities and powers. Not only could he now travel through space

without the need of a spaceship or bulky life-support equipment, he was also able

to know exactly where he was in the galaxy, and could travel invisibly, so as not

to attract the wrong kind of attention. So that he would be able to communicate

with the Starsoul across interstellar distances, his latent telepathic abilities --

which he had been unaware of -- were activated and enhanced. In addition, and

as a result of being given part of the Starsoul's power, Dyrakk was now immortal.

The only outward sign of his transformation was that his hair had turned pure white

in color.

 

To reflect his new role -- that of being not only a recruiter, but also an instructor

and counselor to those being chosen as galactic protectors -- Arvan Dyrakk took

for himself a new name, that of Mentor-Prime. He then began the task of finding

the first of those who would become "guardians of the light", as the Starsoul put

it.

 

(Next: covering the backgrounds of the Star Centurions).

 

 

Major Tom 2009

[Major Tom 2009]

Re: Cosmic Centurions

 

Allies of the Cosmic Centurions

 

The Star Centurions (continued)

 

The first of those chosen by Mentor-Prime to become a galactic protector

was a young member of the Drakhari (a race of, for lack of a better term,

dragon-people) named Viridios. Although he was only 900 years old (for a

species whose members can reach the age of 10,000 years or more, 900

years is young), Viridios was considered by many of his people to be one

of the best of them; not only was he a scientist as well as a scholar, he

was also one of the planet's finest warriors, and lived by a code of honor

and nobility that would not have been out of place in Earth's distant past,

when knights fought battles for their king and country. After secretly ob-

serving Viridios, Mentor-Prime decided that he would indeed be a worthy

first candidate. His wisdom would help to shape the development of the

first group of galactic protectors, and hopefully others as well.

 

Making himself known to the planet's ruling family (the Drakhari were ruled

by a hereditary royal family -- not unlike England on Earth -- which were

advised by a democratically-elected Council of Representatives), Mentor-

Prime introduced himself and explained the reason for his visit. While they

listened to what he had to say about his reason for being on their world,

the King and Queen of the Drakhari were understandably skeptical of his

story (until Mentor-Prime's arrival, the Drakhari had no knowledge of life

on other worlds; for all they knew, he was a spy sent to prepare the way

for some kind of invasion). It was only when Mentor-Prime asked if there

were any telepaths among the Drakhari and voluntarily offered to be scan-

ned to prove the truth of what he had told them, that the royal couple

began to believe that there might just be truth to his story.

 

Bringing three of the planet's most powerful and skilled Truthseekers (the

Drakhari term for those with telepathic powers) to their court, the royal

couple directed them to scan the mind of Mentor-Prime to determine the

truth of his story. Within minutes, the Truthseekers had the answer that

the King and Queen wanted to know: that Mentor-Prime had indeed spok-

en the truth about what was going to happen, and that he only wanted

to help. Satisfied that Mentor-Prime was indeed a friend, the royal couple

asked what they could do to help. After learning that Mentor-Prime had

decided that Viridios would be an ideal candidate to become the first of a

group of galactic protectors, the King and Queen summoned Viridios, direct-

ing him to come directly to their private chambers.

 

After his arrival, Viridios was introduced to Mentor-Prime and informed about

his reason for being on their world. Like his sovereigns before him, Viridios

was skeptical about Mentor-Prime's story; it was only when the Truthseekers

shared what they'd seen in the Elysian's mind that Viridios accepted that

what he'd been told was indeed the truth. Although he accepted the truth

of what Mentor-Prime had warned them about, and of the necessity for a

force to combat what was about to descend upon them, Viridios was torn

between accepting the responsibility that was being offered to him and his

oaths of loyalty and service to his sovereigns. Seeing his indecision, and

accurately guessing its cause, the royal couple told Viridios that he would

not be abandoning his responsibilities to his people by accepting the respon-

sibility of being a galactic protector; he would, in fact, be serving them in a

way that no one had ever dreamed of doing before. They also told him that

if he did accept, he did so with their full approval and blessing.

 

Relieved by what the King and Queen had told him, Viridios accepted Mentor-

Prime's invitation. He was ready to leave then, but Mentor-Prime told him

that there still others that he needed to find. He did say that he would return

once he'd found the other candidates; in the meantime, he suggested that

Viridios get his affairs in order. With that, Mentor-Prime departed, leaving his

Drakharian candidate to prepare for the journey of a lifetime...

 

Appearance: Viridios (Star Centurion codename: Draco) has those features

common to his species -- large wings, a tail, red eyes, and an extraordinarily

tough hide. He also has a ridged crest that runs from the top of his head to

just above his shoulders, and a pair of horns set above his eyes. He stands

9' tall, and weighs 1,000 lbs. His wingspan measures 19' from wingtip to wing-

tip, and he has claws in his hands and feet that he can extend or retract as

need be.

 

Personality: Viridios is something of an anomaly in a medieval-style culture:

he is a warrior who values intelligence more than strength or martial prowess.

His core belief is that, while strength is necessary to fight one's battles, it's

far more important to be able to use that strength intelligently, in order to

not only minimize the damage to one's surroundings, but also to minimize the

danger to any innocent bystanders. As the leader of the Star Centurions, he

has been largely successful in imparting that basic philosophy to his team-

mates (he was pleased to discover that Powerstar has a similar philosophy,

which lessened the amount of work that he'd had to do with regards to teach-

ing them to fight in an intelligent and disciplined manner).

 

There is also the part of him that is a pure scholar and scientist that is delighted

by the chance to see and to learn new things; partly for the sheer joy of discovery,

but mostly because he believes that his world needs to know about the larger cos-

mos that lies just beyond their skies, before either his people found out what was

out there, or what was out there found them.

 

Powers: Viridios possesses those powers which are natural for his kind -- the

ability to breathe flame, and the power of winged flight. Since being given the

power of a Star Centurion, however, those abilities have been considerably

altered. Not only can he breathe a jet of stellar-intensity plasma (the hottest

state in which matter can exist without becoming energy), but he can now

traverse interstellar distances by means of hyperspace travel. Folding his wings

close to his body (the way that he would if performing a high-speed power dive

in atmosphere) enables him to enter hyperspace; extending them to the "cruise"

position (both wings extended straight out from side to side, as if he were glid-

ing) allows him to make the transition back into normal space.

 

In addition to the aforementioned powers, Viridios also possesses enhanced

senses of hearing and smell, as well as the ability to visually percieve cert-

ain wavelengths of the electromagnetic spectrum -- infrared and ultraviolet

radiation, as well as such things as x-ray radiation. He also possesses the

ability to know exactly where he is in space, allowing him to safely navigate

the cosmos without fear of becoming lost. His physical strength, which was

considerably greater than that of an Earth human, has been increased even

further by the power he was given; he is able to lift approximately 80 tons

under Earth normal conditions. Only Powerstar has greater physical strength,

with Ursus, Starstorm, and Dwarfstar coming in at third-, fourth-, and fifth-

strongest, respectively speaking.

 

Next: the second of Mentor-Prime's recruits.

 

 

Major Tom 2009

[Major Tom 2009]

Re: Cosmic Centurions

 

Allies of the Cosmic Centurions

 

The Star Centurions (continued)

 

After leaving the Drakhari homeworld, Mentor-Prime traveled to a world he

had visited in years past, back in the early days of his career as a tech-

nologist. A jungle world inhabited by a race of cat-like humanoids known

as the Felani, it had been his first assignment from the Science Council,

who were at that time involved with the first-ever survey of neighboring

star systems to be conducted by them. Although the intent was to survey

the various worlds of the systems to be visited without actually contact-

ing their inhabitants, the mission of which Dyrakk was part failed in that

regard when the landing of their ship was spotted by one of the planet's

natives: a teenage girl named Shayna, the daughter of the chieftain of

the J'bata clan, one of several such groups that called the world home.

 

Although frightened by the arrival of the Elysian ship -- the Felani had long

been the victims of interstellar slavers, many of whom had become extremely

wealthy through the capture and sale of exotic Felani women -- Shayna was

also curious, and decided to secretly watch the "sky-people" in order to find

out what they were up to. She watched them for days, managing to avoid

being spotted by any of the expedition's members, until one day when she

and Arvan Dyrakk literally stumbled across one another while the latter was

conducting a geological survey near the expedition's base camp. Suddenly

coming face-to-face with one of the "sky-people", Shayna turned to run, but

before she was able to go very far, she tripped on a tree root and fell, not

only breaking an arm but twisting an ankle as well.

 

Terrified and half-expecting to be harmed by the "sky-man", Shayna was in-

stead surprised when Dyrakk gently picked her up and carried her to his ship,

where the expedition's doctor treated her injuries. While the kindness with

which they were treating her went a long way toward convincing her that the

"sky-people" meant her no harm, it was only when they gave Shayna a trans-

lator device so that she would be able to communicate with them, and explain-

ed why they were there on her world that she realized that these people were

friends. Since she wouldn't be able to go anywhere until her injuries healed, she

offered to help the expedition with their survey, by identifying the various plants

and animals of her world, and how they were used by her people. With her help,

the expedition managed to complete their survey of her world ahead of sched-

ule. A side benefit of her time spent with the expedition was that, by the time

they were ready to leave the planet, Shayna possessed the full knowledge of

how to both speak and write the Elysian language (Elysian translator mechan-

isms not only translate spoken languages so that their wearers can comprehend

what's being spoken to them, but also impart a working knowledge of both the

spoken and written forms of the Elysian language upon the minds of the wearers).

 

Now, a decade later, Arvan Dyrakk was returning to the Felani homeworld to find

the young woman who had come to refer to him as "Uncle Arvan", in the hope

that she would prove to be a suitable candidate for the Starsoul's proposed team

of galactic protectors. After landing on the planet, Mentor-Prime used his newly-

awakened telepathic powers to search for Shayna. It wasn't long before he lo-

cated not only her, but her village as well. Deciding that a face-to-face meeting

with both Shayna and the village elders -- one of whom was Shayna's father --

would help to impress the importance of his quest upon them, he set out for her

village. It wasn't long before he found it, startling the sentries at the entrance

and causing them to point their spears at him. Before anything unpleasant could

take place, however, a familiar-looking young woman stepped up to the sentries

and persuaded them to lower their spears, telling them that the "sky-man" stand-

ing before them was a friend.

 

In the ten years that had passed since he had originally met her, Shayna had

grown into an extraordinarily beautiful young woman, and a strong one as well.

After greeting one another, Mentor-Prime told her that there was a matter of

great importance that he needed to discuss not only with her, but also with

her family as well. Knowing from her past experiences with "Uncle Arvan" that

he rarely said anything he didn't mean, Shayna quickly took him to meet her

parents, the Clanchief and Shamaness of the J'bata clan. After being intro-

duced to them, Mentor-Prime told Shayna's parents of the Starsoul's warning,

and of how champions would need to be found, and given the power and train-

ing to fight the coming darkness; he also told them that he believed that their

daughter had the very qualities that would make her an ideal candidate to be-

come a galactic protector.

 

Somehow knowing that what Mentor-Prime had told them was the truth, the

Clanchief and Shamaness asked their only daughter an important question:

did she trust Mentor-Prime enough to not only believe him, but also to go with

him to become a defender of the innocent? As befitting a Clanchief's daughter,

Shayna's answer was direct and to the point: absolutely, and without question.

Realizing that it might be years before they ever saw her again, but proud of

her for choosing to stand against evil, Shayna's parents gave her their blessing

and wished her the best in all things. Mentor-Prime informed them that there

was time enough for them to get Shayna's affairs in order, and to spend the

remaining time before she had to leave as a family. He also told them that there

were others that he needed to find before he returned to take her, and that he

would contact them when that time would come.

 

With that, he took his leave of them, and proceeded to his next destination...

 

Appearance: Shayna (Star Centurion codename: Starstorm) has those features

that are common for her race -- short, soft fur which covers her entire body,

with light-colored fur on the majority of her body, and dark-colored hair on her

head; vertically-slitted eyes; short, razor-sharp retractible claws on her hands

and feet; slightly large, pointed ears. As is common for her clan, Shayna's color-

ation is similar to that of an Earth cheetah: light, golden-brown fur with black

spots covering most of her body, with shoulder-length honey-brown hair on her

head. There is a patch of white fur that extends upward from her lower torso,

eventually covering her face. Unlike Earth cheetahs, however, Shayna does not

have the 'teardrop' markings on her face that are characteristic of cheetahs.

Her eyes are gold in color, and she stands 5'10" in height. She is the equivalent

of 23 Earth years old at present.

 

Personality: As the daughter of a Felani Clanchief, Shayna was taught about re-

sponsibility at an early age, and that actions have consequences. She was also

taught that rash actions have the most serious consequences of all, and are as

harsh to innocent bystanders as they are to those responsible for them. For this

reason, she is very careful not to act in a way that would cause any harm to the

innocent. She used to have her people's innate distrust of "sky-people", until an

act of kindness shown to her by members of an Elysian survey team taught her

that not all "sky-people" were evil, and that there were those deserving of trust.

She is also very curious about things which she knows absolutely nothing about,

which trait has sometimes gotten her into some awkward situations at times.

 

Powers: Shayna possesses those abilities that are natural for her race: sensory

capabilities beyond those of normal Earth humans (and related humanoid species);

most notably, low-light night vision, as well as enhanced hearing and smell. She

is also able to run at speeds of 75 to 80 miles per hour for short periods of time

(a maximum of two minutes, no more), and is able to leap higher and farther than

an Earth human of similar size and build.

 

Those powers which she possesses as a Star Centurion are as impressive as they

are destructive, mimicking as they do the effects of a solar flare: a high-intensity

plasma discharge with an electromagnetic field which severely disrupts the funct-

ion of any unshielded electronic equipment. The energy blasts which Starstorm is

capable of firing from her hands come in one of two forms: either as a cone-shaped

blast of flame which can melt most metals and alloys, save those which are comp-

osed of extradimensional or extraterrestial substances; or as a massive bolt which

has been brought to the point of fusion, creating a blast of tremendous explosive

force which few things are capable of withstanding.

 

Starstorm is also able to generate a plasma field around herself and, by flying

around an opponent, attack him or her with extreme heat.

 

She also possesses those powers which all of the Star Centurions do: the ability

to fly at faster-than-light speeds by traversing hyperspace, super-strength, and,

as a result of the energy which grants her her powers, is immune to aging, disease,

and the rigors of space travel (she has the ability to function in space without

the need for life supprt equipment). Starstorm also has the extrasensory power

to determine where she is in outer space, making it impossible for her to become

lost.

 

Because of an accident in which she was exposed to the energy-field of an

alien psionic device, Starstorm now shares a telepathic link with her team-

mate Powerstar.

 

 

Next: the third person to be recruited by Mentor-Prime.

 

 

Major Tom 2009

[Egyptoid]

Re: Cosmic Centurions

 

anyone drawn a pic of a Star Centurion yet?

 

what do they dress like Major Tom ?

[Major Tom 2009]

Re: Cosmic Centurions

 

anyone drawn a pic of a Star Centurion yet?

 

what do they dress like Major Tom ?

 

 

As they're supposed to draw their powers from an evolved offshoot of the Source,

I thought that it was only appropriate to give them a variation of the uniform worn

by the humanoid members of the Cosmic Centurions. Here's a list of the Fabrica

costume elements that I used for the Star Centurion outfit:

 

Mascara #82, Camisa #48, Ombros #3, Cintura #16, Punhos #5, Pernas #22,

Luvas A: #23 / B: #2, Botas #7

 

Their symbol is an eight-pointed yellow sunburst (Simbolo #39, IIRC) superimposed

on a circular red field (use the minus key on the menu to shrink it down about 3 or

4 times). For the insignia to turn out right, the circle needs to be put down first

and then shrunk down, then put the sunburst onto the circle.

 

As for the uniform itself, I decided to go with a standard color scheme for all five

uniforms: blue for the arms, legs, the mask and the 'hourglass' shape on the torso

(the shade of blue that I used is same as what's on Superman's uniform), to which

I applied the 'starfield' texture (which slightly darkened the blue color); the rest of

the outfit is silver (OK, there's no silver color anywhere on the palette, but the

shading which is already on those areas should be enough to get the idea across).

 

The belt is black, while the outer trim and the inner studs are a yellow-gold in

color, and the wristbands are the same yellow-gold (that's one of the things

which differs the SC uniform from the CC uniform: the wristbands don't have

the studs on them the way that the CC wristbands do).

 

EDIT: In checking to see if I had described the color scheme for the SC uniforms

correctly, I found that I had screwed up a little bit: the 'hourglass' shape on the

torso is actually white, not blue.

 

 

Major Tom 2009

[dmjalund]

Re: Cosmic Centurions

 

you do realise that for every cosmic centurion, there should be 100 cosmic soldiers for him/her to lead?

[Major Tom 2009]

Re: Cosmic Centurions

 

Allies of the Cosmic Centurions

 

The Star Centurions (continued)

Once more traveling the vast distances between the stars, Mentor-Prime

continued his search for those who would be worthy candidates for the

role of being a galactic protector. For two weeks after leaving the Felani

homeworld, he visited a number of inhabited systems, but found no one

who met the necessary criteria for selection. Finally, after turning core-

ward to search the as-yet unexplored territory in that region of space,

he came across an inhabited system with two life-bearing worlds --worlds

which were inhabited by a race of ursinoids (bear-people). The innermost

world, which he learned was called Arcasian Major, was the most advanced

of the two worlds, having as it did the necessary infrastructure to support

space travel -- indeed, the Arcasians had just begun to commence the

first interstellar voyages that would take them beyond their home system.

Arcasian Minor, the world at the outermost limit of the system's life-bearing

zone, was in the early stages of being prepared for colonization, with the

only inhabitants being construction workers, farmers, and scientists -- all of

whom were working to make Arcasian Minor suitable for habitation. Because

the world was also home to several species of large and overly-aggressive

predators, there were also several soldiers stationed on the planet to protect

the pre-colonization workers from them; at least, that was the official story.

The real reason for the presence of the soldiers was because in the not-so-

distant past, slavers had raided the Arcasian system in order to capture a

shipload or more of young and healthy Arcasian males -- a valuable commod-

ity on the interstellar slave market.

Although he had hoped to find a suitable candidate on Arcasian Major, it was on

Arcasian Minor that Mentor-Prime found who he'd been looking for without realiz-

ing it: Arktosian F'l'va, an officer commanding one of the companies of soldiers

that had been sent to protect the workers. Secretly observing the young Arcas-

ian officer, Mentor-Prime soon discovered that he possessed the necessary qual-

ities to be one of the Starsoul's galactic protectors: courageous and intelligent,

ferocious in battle when need be, yet capable of showing compassion and mercy

even to an enemy. Deciding that he'd found his third candidate, Mentor-Prime

made his presence known to Arktosian. Although he was startled by the sudden

appearance of the alien visitor, Arktosian was also astounded by the fact that,

out of all of his fellow Arcasians on both worlds, that it was he whom Mentor-

Prime wished to speak to.

Listening intently to what Mentor-Prime had to say, not only about the coming

evil but also about the need for champions to combat it, Arktosian knew that

he couldn't stand by while countless innocents were about to be enslaved by

a terrible darkness. Unfortunately, as he told Mentor-Prime, he couldn't just

pack up and leave. If he was going to become a galactic protector, he'd need

to talk to his superior officer to not only explain what was going on, but also

to ask to be allowed to resign from the service. Mentor-Prime agreed with him

that it was only right that he speak with his commander on this matter, and

accompanied the young Arcasian to the headquarters of his unit. Securing an

audience with Arktosian's CO, Mentor-Prime explained to him the reason for his

visit, and of the need for Arktosian's services as a galactic protector. Under-

standably reluctant to believe the story he'd been told, the Commander only

relented and agreed to the request after being shown the same precognitive

vision that the Starsoul had shared with Mentor-Prime.

Granting his junior officer permission to resign from the Arcasian military, the

Commander asked Mentor-Prime if there was anything else that was needed,

to which the reply was yes: that Arktosian be allowed to finish his remaining

duties before his resignation took effect, and that he be sent home to his

family so that he could not only spend the remaining time before his depart-

ure with them, but also to put his personal affairs in order. He also told them

both that, when he was ready to pick up Arktosian, he would send word prior

to his arrival. With his final instructions delivered, Mentor-Prime resumed his

lonely journey through interstellar space...

Appearance: Arktosian (Star Centurion codename: Ursus) resembles nothing

else so much as a 7' tall, humanoid brown bear. Covered with brown fur over

his entire body, Arktosian has sharp claws in his hands and feet, as well as

razor-sharp fangs in his mouth, all of which he is able to use with great effect

in close-quarters combat. Add his natural speed and strength to that, and you

have a combatant that no sane being ever wants to face in combat. His eyes,

normally black, glow with a bright yellowish-white light when he's in his Star

Centurion identity. He is the equivalent of 25 Earth years old at this time.

Personality: A trained warrior with the soul of a poet, Arktosian is happiest when

he's in the midst of a peaceful activity; but let him catch sight of innocent people

being harmed by evildoers, and the part of his personality that the minions of Lord

Dark Matter have come to fear most comes to the fore: that of a ferocious and

unstoppable fighter who doesn't stop until the last enemy has fallen, or is no long-

er capable of fighting. The only circumstance under which he shows no mercy

whatsoever to an enemy is when children have been endangered or harmed. In

such cases, and to use an Earth expression or two, it's Katy Bar The Door and

God help the unfortunate perpetrator he catches in the act.

Powers: Even before being enhanced by the Star Centurion power, Ursus' natural

weapons -- his fangs and claws -- were formidable weapons in their own right;

since being given his powers, however, they are now capable of piercing and out-

right shredding superalloys* and weaker metals. His sensory capabilities -- specific-

ally, his senses of hearing, sight, and smell -- have also been enhanced, to levels

beyond what even his fellow Arcasians are capable of detecting.

Like his fellow Star Centurions, Ursus has unique powers beyond those possessed

by his comrades-in-arms; in his case, the power to control and project gravimet-

ric forces. He can use this power to either make objects float above the ground

at any height he wishes, or he can increase the pull of gravity on said objects,

making it impossible to move them from their position. This works equally well on

living beings. In addition, he can fire gravitic force bolts from his hands, which

strike his targets with immense force; as well as use what has become known as

the "Black Hole Defense", in which he creates a field of powerful gravitational

force around himself (and anyone standing close enough to him to benefit from

this protection), which is powerful enough to cause energy blasts and physical

projectiles -- bullets, missiles, etc. -- to turn away from him and strike the ground

around him instead. Recently, and with Powerstar's help, he has developed a new

way to use his power. By focusing his gravitic power into a sheath that complete-

ly surrounds him, not only does he gain a kind of force-field protection, but the

sheath also acts as a kind of 'energy exoskeleton', enabling him to exert twice

his normal strength in combat (his normal strength is sufficient to allow him to

lift in excess of 75 tons; with the sheath active, he can lift well over 150 tons).

As with his fellow galactic protectors, Ursus' Star Centurion powers not only enable

him to fly at faster-than-light speeds by means of hyperspace travel, they also en-

able him to survive the rigors of space without the need for life-support equipment.

He also possesses the ability to know precisely where he is in space, and is incap-

able of becoming lost. The Centurion power also enables him to project blasts of

pure energy at his opponents, and is self-regenerating.

In addition, and because of the energy which gives him and the other Star Centur-

ions their special powers, he is not only immune to nuclear, biological, and chemical

agents, he has become immortal like his teammates.

*This only refers to those alloys which use normal metals which exist naturally,

not unusual alloys like the various forms of Adamantium which exist in the

Marvel Universe, or alloys created in extradimensional realms.

Next: Mentor-Prime's fourth recruit.

Major Tom 2009

[Major Tom 2009]

Re: Cosmic Centurions

 

Allies of the Cosmic Centurions

 

The Star Centurions (continued)

 

Continuing his coreward voyage, Mentor-Prime eventually came upon an

Earth-like world, one which was inhabited by a humanoid race whose mem-

bers were characterized by their pale blue skin, slightly darker blue hair,

and slightly pointed ears. They also stood between 8 and 9 feet tall, and

were, technologically speaking, at the same level of development that his

own people had been at some five centuries earlier (approximately where

Earth was at in the late 1940s and early 1950s). Learning through a low-

level telepathic scan of the inhabitants' minds that their world was known

as Cerolon, Mentor-Prime began his search for the next galactic protector-

to-be. Using his telepathy to search through the minds of the Cerolonians

one by one, as he had done at Viridios' and Arktosian's homeworlds, he look-

ed for someone who possessed the qualities necessary to be a candidate.

 

A full day and half the planetary population later, Mentor-Prime at last found

what he'd been looking for: a Cerolonian with the right qualities to become

one of the galactic protectors. Traveling to where he'd sensed the candidate

was at, Mentor-Prime was surprised to discover that she was a teenage girl,

not much more than 14 or 15 years old. She was also very short -- only 5'

tall -- compared to her fellow Cerolonians, a group of whom were mercilessly

tormenting her about her lack of height, calling her such names as "little runt"

and "bluebug". It was only when the girl's tormentors switched from verbal to

physical abuse that Mentor-Prime intervened, using his telepathic powers to

trigger a fear response in their minds, causing them to run from the scene in

terror. Once they were gone from sight and the girl was alone, he dropped his

invisibility and introduced himself to her.

 

Although startled by the sudden appearance of a non-Cerolonian, and under-

standably so -- the idea of intelligent life in the cosmos other than their own

was, at that time, as impossible for the Cerolonians to believe in as it was for

the people of Earth -- the girl's shock quickly turned into excitement and curi-

osity, as she realized that she was the first of her people to meet an intelli-

gent being from another world. Introducing herself as Arielle, the girl asked if

there was anyone important on the planet that Mentor-Prime wanted to speak

with, only to discover to her astonishment that it was she that he had come

to find. As he had done with the previous candidates, Mentor-Prime shared

the vision given to him by the Starsoul of the darkness about to befall the gal-

axy, and told her of the need for champions to combat it. Arielle didn't know

what frightened her more: the idea that such powerful evil could exist, or the

fact that Mentor-Prime had identified her as someone capable of facing that

evil.

 

For his part, Mentor-Prime was reluctant to ask someone barely out of child-

hood to accept the responsibility of a job that would not only require her to

risk her life fighting a monstrous evil, but also run the risk of dying a horrible

death; nevertheless, he had to ask her: was she willing to become a galactic

protector, and risk her life to defend not only her own world, but countless

others as well?

 

Arielle considered his question for a few seconds before giving Mentor-Prime

her answer: she was indeed willing to accept all that being a galactic pro-

tector would mean for her, for good or ill. Relieved that she was willing to be-

come a galactic protector, Mentor-Prime told her that they would have to

speak with her parents before anything else was done; to which Arielle replied

that that wouldn't be necessary, as she had no parents or any other family

left alive -- they'd been killed in an accident years ago, leaving her alone in

the world. Since there was no one with whom she could stay until he was

ready to begin his return journey, Mentor-Prime asked Arielle if she'd like to

travel with him on the last part of his journey, before traveling with him and

the other candidates to where they would be given their training. Eager to

see other worlds and new things, Arielle gladly accepted his invitation, and

together, the two of them left Cerolon and embarked upon the last leg of

the journey, and the search for the last of the candidates to become galactic

protectors...

 

Appearance: Arielle (Star Centurion codename: Dwarfstar) has many of the

features which are common to Cerolonians -- pale blue skin, slightly darker

blue hair, blue eyes, and pointed ears -- save one: her height. In a species

whose members can sometimes reach heights of 10' tall, with the average

being between 8' and 9' tall, a height of 5' is considered the mark of a dwarf.

 

Personality: Although she used to be sensitive about her lack of height com-

ared to others of her own kind, her time spent among people that are as tall

as she is (with more than a few being shorter or taller) has gone a long way

toward helping her to realize that it isn't how tall or short a person is that

counts most in life -- it's what a person does in life that matters most. The

friendship of her teammates -- people who accept her for who she is, instead

of what she is -- has only helped to reinforce that realization for her. As a

result, her outlook on life has become a great deal happier than it had been

previously, in spite of the danger she faces as a Star Centurion on an almost

daily basis.

 

Powers: As a Star Centurion, Arielle has a set of separate, yet interconnected

powers which she is able to activate simultaneously -- not only can she shrink

in size to a height of just under 5 inches, she can also increase the density of

her body to the point where she weighs a little over 14,000 pounds. Surprising-

ly, she is still able to fly even with her increased density, which she puts to

good use in combat, along with her reduced size. Her physical strength is also

increased in her shrunken, increased-density state: normally, she is able to lift

1,800 pounds; at her reduced size, she can lift a little over 112,000 pounds.

 

When in combat, Arielle uses her small size to not only avoid being hit, but also

to maneuver her opponents into positions that leave them at a disadvantage

with regards to being able to attack her teammates; this has the result of frus-

trating her opponents to the point where they become angry, and begin to make

mistakes which either she or her teammates can exploit. She tends to hold back

on using her enhanced strength in a fight, preferring to keep it in reserve as a

"secret weapon" (her reasoning is that most opponents don't have a reason to

suspect that someone of her reduced size could be so incredibly strong; it's

only when she winds up using an opponent as a melee weapon when all else

fails, that her enemies start to realize that there's more to Dwarfstar than they

knew of).

 

In addition to her special powers, Arielle/Dwarfstar possesses the same abilities

as her teammates: the ability to survive in space without the need for bulky life-

support gear, the ability to fly at faster-than-light speeds by means of hyper-

space travel, the extrasensory ability to know precisely where she is in the cos-

mos (ensuring that she can never become lost), the power to fire bolts of pure

energy from her hands, immunity to disease and nuclear/biological/chemical

agents, and -- as a result of the energy which grants her her abilities and pow-

ers -- has become immortal.

 

 

Next: Mentor-Prime's fifth -- and final -- recruit.

 

 

Major Tom 2009