Playable Classes: Human Varigator Prism and Escriman Seeker
by Wedge, Co-Creator
7) Human Varigator Prism
The rise of the Varigator soldiers can be traced back to the discovery of an unassuming invertebrate creature discovered on the planet Panklima Beta dubbed the Vertemora Leech.
Roughly two feet in length, less than an inch thick, and coated with thousands of fine hairlike bristles the Vertemora Leech creeps around like a overgrown centipede. It secretes a slick gelatinous substance as it travels across the ground which was found to have potent stimulant and hallucinogenic properties. Indeed the Vertemora Leeches were originally trafficked in illegal narcotics circles for the potent hallucinogenic properties of their secretions. Eventually a few overzealous junkies found that the Vertemora Leech could be coaxed to attaching itself directly to the spinal column of an individual giving them a permanent fix to the high they craved. This resulting express feed of the Leech's chemicals directly into the users blood stream is a supremely euphoric experience. In fact, it is more than that. The Vertemora Leech turned out to have the ability to actually integrate itself into their host's body, creating new organs in the host and radically changing their appearance.
Junkies who left the Vertemora Leeches attached for long enough began to report that they could see the electromagnetic waves that pass through all spectrum of light, and more remarkably they began to manipulate these same waves. The symbiotic relationship formed between the two creatures actually allowed the host to absorb, manipulate, and emit electromagnetic radiation at will. From these hopelessly addicted junkies the first Varigators were born.
The powerful Hexumvirate government were the first to see the possibilities in these Vertemora Leeches for what it truly was, and they exerted their considerable wealth and influence into annexing the planet Panklima Beta into their small yet elite empire. The Hexumvirate Royal Champions setup a extensive scientific research facility on the planet with the goal of creating viable Human-Vertemora Hybrids which could consciously use the powers granted by the leeches.
The project was code named: Varigator.
The process of hybridization with a Vertemora Leech is a very intense procedure that leaves many hosts crippled or dead. If the Vertemora Leech accepts the host, the two will hybridize and create a organism that is truly unique in the known universe. During first phase of hybridization, the Vertemora Leech attaches itself along the hosts central nervous system (CNS), most commonly along the spine in vertebrate subjects. It then inserts fine anchoring hooks into the host's skin, and through these hooks, neurons are threaded directly into the CNS of the host's body. During this phase the Vertemora Leech produces a large number of antibodies that identifies itself as a friendly organ, so the host's immune system does not attack the foreign tissue and ruin the hybridization procedure.
Once CNS fusion is complete, the Vertemora Leech begins the second phase of hybridization called metamorphosis. The Vertemora Leech begins to invade the ocular nerves of the host's eyes, and releases a set of tailored viruses that attach to the optical cells and transform them into organs that are able to sense the full spectrum of electromagnetic radiation from infrared to x-ray. This new input is fed directly into the hosts brain. Over the course of the next several months the host learns how to interpret these signals, and to perceive these new forms of visual stimuli. At the same time crystal focusing lenses are grown in the host's extremities. The location of the lens varies by species, but in Humanoid races the lens is found in the center palm of each hand. Concentrated beams of electromagnetic radiation can be channeled through these lenses, and manipulated with the heavy metal deposits which are placed in the host's fingers. The Varigators hands become their weapons and serve as their primary tools when expressing their power.
The third and final stage of hybridization is unification. The epidermis of the Vertemora Leech hardens, and forms bone like protective plates along its exposed exterior surfaces that serve to protect the Vertemora Leech from external trauma and also helps protect the hosts CNS in turn. A thin fiber like sheet begins to grow around the edges of the Vertemora Leech's hard shell. The sheet covers the host's epidermis with a second layer of skin which clings tightly to the host and is filled with light absorbing photo receptors which allow for the absorption of electromagnetic radiation mostly in the visible light spectrum. The entire surface of the host is covered by this sheath, which functions as a battery for absorbing and converting light into energy.
The Vertemora Leech has now completed hybridization and the Varigator is born.
Varigators are unique in that they have the capacity to observe all forms of electromagnetic radiation, and also control it. The Varigators are a new class of soldier which harness the power of the natural electromagnetic radiation around them and wield it with awesome destructive force. The energy absorbed through their skin turns them into living power plants, and the crystal focusing lenses in their hands allow them to manipulate electromagnetic radiation, twisting it to suit their needs. Producing light bending camouflage across the entire epidermis, creating magnetic bullet deflective shields, and reducing enemies to cinders with Gamma Rays are just a few of the many tools that Varigators are able to employ thanks to their hybridization with the Vertemora Leeches. Electricity, Magnetism, and Light are primal forces which are now bound to the will of a fully trained Varigator.
Elite Varigator units have formed in most major military organizations around the Universe. Individuals who are able to access all three avenues of a Varigators true potential (Light, Electricity, and Magnetism) are aggressively sought. These few are known as the Prism, and their legends have spread to the edges of the known Universe.
Game Play Overview: Varigator Prisms are masters of electromagnetic radiation granting them powers over electricity, light, and magnetism. Erect potent barriers to shield yourself from attack, tear apart enemies equipment, and distort your opponents perceptions allowing you to hide in broad daylight. Become an organic battery of destruction as you absorb the natural light in your environment and mold it to your will. However, these formidable abilities come at a cost. Your body generates so much static electricity as a byproduct of your powers that you are unable to use most high tech weapons and devices.
Iconic Character: Ambrose Cain IX (Male / Human Varigator Prism) Former Varigator and Prism Commander in the Hexumvirate Royal Champions Ambrose is a ninth generation clone with aristocratic sensibilities despite his fall from prominence due to his brother Hock's treasonous actions. Ambrose is nevertheless a loyal Marshal of Ash.
8) Escriman Seeker
Haling from the lush world of Arnis, Escrimans are jealous caretakers of their home world which boasts over 2.3 billion unique species of plants and animals. Escrimans are physiologically the most similar known alien race to humans, which has sparked a number of debates about the possible parallel evolution of the two species. Geneticists claim that the two races exist somewhere in the grey area of speciation, largely reproductively isolated with the exceedingly rare hybrid produced. Escrimans are on average shorter than humans standing between 4 to 5 ½ feet tall. They have skin tones similar to humans, with a broad spectrum of hair colors, and solid red eyes that fluctuate based on mood: orange when calm, pink when embarrassed, dark red when sad, bright glowing red when upset or angry. Their tails, ears, and feet are similar to that of a spider monkey although they have a natural fluidity and grace that surpasses any monkey species ever recorded. Thanks to their uniquely omni-directional joints and colossal carbon tube muscles they are magnificent specimens with incredible muscle definition possessing a speed and agility untouched by any other alien race.
Escrimans are an ancient race who explored the stars for eons watching countless alien civilizations the likes of which would now be completely forgotten were it not for the Escirmans strong oral history whose age is rivaled only by the Agasoo and Vin-Jin. Despite the great success of their culture they did not follow a path of rapid technological reliance and advancement that is so common to races influenced by Humanity's colonization. Indeed Escrimans believe that no technology can surpass the capabilities of a well honed body. To this end, all technology they use only seeks to enhance their existing natural abilities. Elegance and utility are the defining principles of Escriman design as evidenced by their unique double sided portable personnel shields, as well as a wide variety of transforming melee weapons such as the telescopic extending panabas and the boomerang kukri. A strong martial culture is rooted in Escriman society, and they have enjoyed continued success in warfare despite their almost complete reliance on melee weaponry and focus on person to person combat. This is thanks in no small part to the fact that Escrimans did not undergo the "civilizing" of genes that humans did - where more wealth and conveniences lead to flabbier bodies and dulled senses. Beauty in Escriman culture is tied directly to fitness of survival. Individuals with defects and otherwise debilitating traits are not able to attract mates and end up falling out of the gene pool. As a result Escrimans have developed traits that other races must use cybernetic implants to achieve. Their senses are so sharp that humans often describe them as having a 6th sense. Escrimans are able to process a wide variety of sensory data so quickly that they leap to instinctual conclusions far before the more cognitive and deliberate human brains do.
Such a competitive culture has bred some interesting partices, perhaps most notably is a tradition known simply as The Seek. A Seeker is an individual in Escriman society that has been singled out for greatness by the patterns which emerge from a small marking each Escriman is born with, much like a dark tattoo, that is referred to as a blaze. The shape and location of the blaze is believed to hold a prophecy for their life. As an Escriman grows the blaze spreads, leaving the elderly almost entirely covered from head to toe. The study of Escriman blazing is a lifelong endeavor and a great deal of attention is paid to the blaze pattern of an adolescent Escriman who grow up in traditional societies. Only a rare few Seekers come along in a generation, but those that do are almost unanimously bound for a life of notoriety. A Seeker follows a path that is incomprehensible to those around them, but their vision and purpose drive them to accomplish extraordinary feats.
It was an Escriman Seeker who made first contact with the Lurkers of the Deep and returned to give form to their legend.
It was an Escriman Seeker who discovered the only known source of Dark Sun Carbon.
It was an Escriman Seeker who defeated the last Banx Warlord in single combat dealing a crippling blow to their devastating crusade across the Quirr Galaxy.
You are an Escriman Seeker, what will be your legacy?
Game Play Overview: Enjoy the highest coordination score in the game with supreme mobility and an array of specialized melee weapons that allow you to compete with the widely ranged-centric battlefield. You will confound foes who are unable to keep up with your dizzying pace as you cleave a path through your enemies. However your supreme agility comes at the cost of low armor values and a small pool of hit points, making you at once deadly and delicate.
Iconic Character: Mata Inasanto (Female / Escriman Seeker) A free spirited thrill seeking young Escriman woman who is a skilled hunter and beast handler eager to explore the Universe Mata embraces her role as a Marshal of Ash since it keeps her in a steady supply of new experiences.
