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11
History and Fiction / The Three Brothers
« Last post by Kindred on December 04, 2020, 01:16:05 PM »

THE THREE BROTHERS



The Three Brothers are a trio of Fantasian privateers, known for two things: their ability to fight together as one, and their hatred of the Terrible Tyger.

Originally, there were seven brothers, loyal troopers of the 2nd Company of the 4th Disant Brigade, 354th Shock Army, serving with bravery, if not distinction, during Operation Cedar Falls. A group of brothers, serving together as a squad, were exactly the sort of raw material State Propaganda prized.

Ready made heroes.



Even better, the brothers Izumov truly were potential heroes. Raised on tales of heroic relatives who fought for the glory of the State, their hearts burned with the desire to fight for their people and Glorious Leader. Their uncle, Kommisar Anatoly Izumov, saw the promise in his nephews, and did what he could to nurture it. His yearly visits on leave were the high point of the young Fantasians' year; devoted to hiking and drills with their uncle, punctuated with lessons on political doctrine and loyalty to the State.
Despite the youngest brothers being underage, their beloved uncle was able to call in favours in order to allow all seven to volunteer for the military on the same day. Behind the scenes, the Propaganda Ministry made certain the Izumov brothers received the best training and equipment; and far better food, as good as Grandmother Yaga's back home. With unexpected subtlety, the Ministry made them popular among their fellow trainees by feeding them just as well, while making it clear it was the brothers who had, through hard work and devotion to the State, earned them this bounty.

And so, their legend began.



Upon completion of training the brothers were assigned to the 2nd Company of the 4th Disant Brigade, in the 354th Shock Army. By this point, the oldest brother, Vasily, had been made Corporal, and used his rank to watch over and keep his brothers, exuberant with the knowledge they were finally going to see battle, in line. The brothers Izumov saw their first action on Vologoro, skirmishing with human bandits. Their assault on, and capture of, the alien criminals drop ship, pleased both political and propaganda purposes.

For 5 years, the Propaganda Ministry carefully made certain the brothers were always involved in high profile, photogenic actions. While the actions were very real, behind the scenes considerable effort went into making certain recording crews were focused on the brothers. The brothers were aware of their roles in State propaganda; indeed, they were inspired by the knowledge of how they helped bolster the morale of their fellow troops and citizens. This inspired them to even greater acts of heroism, dutifully recorded and transmitted by political officers.

This changed 10 years ago, when the Fourth Disant Brigade was deployed to crush a Machine outbreak in the Kural system. What had seemed the matter of a clean strike against an exposed enemy turned into a series of ambushes and traps that frustrated the commanders and troops alike. Despite the constant trickle of casualties, elements of the 4th Disant continued to press forward towards the suspected Legion facility the Machines were defending.
Unknown to the rank and file, the Terrible Tyger was the intellect behind the Machine strategy. Military Intelligence had been tracking the Tyger as it hunted the fringes of Fantasian space for nearly a full year and were certain it was on Kural 4. This coincided with massive famines in 3 different systems and the potential for civil unrest. The Glorious Leader of the Fantasian people required a distraction, and an ambitious lackey offered a solution.

The Tyger's head, or martyrs.



The Propaganda Ministry began to counterbalance coverage of the brothers with broadcasts detailing the predations of the Tyger. the Tyger became the focus for the fear and hatred of the Fantasian people, who were united in their hunger for its destruction. Naturally, with only the smallest of nudges, the people began to demand the Brothers Izumov be sent to remove this threat to the State.

The brothers' platoon was tasked with holding a forward listening post in preparation for mechanized push through Legion lines. For their part, the brothers were eager to test their meddle against the infamous Omega Fiend. It was true that the Tyger was a fearsome foe that had haunted battlefields for nearly a century, seemingly unstoppable, but there were seven brothers, experienced and well equipped. They had killed numerous Fiends already, as well as countless other Machines, they had fought bandits and smugglers of all races, what was one more Machine?

What the brothers did not know was that the State was taking no chances, no cost was too high to ensure the destruction of a threat like the Tyger. And so, what the brothers thought was part of the communications and sensor equipment was, in reality, an explosive device.
So far as the Fantasian people know, all the Brothers Izumov died that day, bringing down the Terrible Tyger in glorious battle. Their State funeral was broadcast on all stations and channels, the Glorious Leader Himself giving the eulogy, and affixing medals to the each of the seven closed caskets.
The martyrdom of the brothers served its purpose, distracting the people from famine, with his appearance at the funeral strengthening the Glorious Leader's position.

From the shadows, the three surviving brothers watched, and understood the true reason for the loss of their siblings: political machinations. More telling, the bomb itself had killed two of them; the State not only sacrificed them, it hadn't truly believed in them. Shaken to their hearts by this knowledge, the last brothers turned their back on the State.

Disguising themselves, and stealing the ID's from fallen troopers, they lifted off world on a supply ship, and jumped ship on a world known for a Privateer presence. Under the leadership of the Wolf, the brothers became entangled in the local black market, first as enforcers, then as middlemen in the lucrative chocolate trade. They gained a reputation for using speed and violence in their dealings with local gangs, moving their way up the hierarchy of criminals.

Eventually, the brothers bought themselves positions in the Falkov clan of privateers. After hearing tales of the Tyger's survival, the Three Brothers, as they are known, used their contacts to track the appearances of the Terrible Tyger, determined to avenge the deaths of their siblings.

The Wolf



The oldest of the surviving brothers, and likely the most intelligent is the Wolf. Made a corporal as much for his ability to control his brothers as for being a good soldier, the Wolf watched over his siblings and organized most of their scams. As a privateer, Wolf picks and chooses which smuggling runs to buy into, and to escort.

The Wolf has always favoured a PPSH as his personal weapon, due to its utility both on the battlefield and in settling disputes during negotiations with other smugglers. His Tokarev pistols were taken from the cold hands of the Kommisar responsible for sending his family to their deaths. To other Fantasians, these trophies mark him as a dangerous man to cross, with nothing to lose.

The Rat



Smallest of the brothers, the Rat is the quietest and most cunning. Wolf picks their fights, but the Rat picks the ground. In combat, as a sniper, Rat gives long range fire support, killing leaders or the strongest foes before his brothers can be over run. It was his ability as a sniper that drove off the Tyger during their encounter with the Omega Fiend. The Rat is seldom seen without his customized gilly cloak, gifted to him by his beloved grandmother.

The Bear



Largest of the brothers, the Bear carries a PKM squad support weapon, relying on his brothers to pin down targets to enable him to close range with his “can opener” and remove the obstacle. The Bear has as much a taste for sweets as his namesake, spending battles in a frenzied sugar high surrounded by the smell of butterscotch.

All three brothers each carry a pair of Gauss grenades, both for their utility against PBA, and to always be prepared for when they finally track the Tyger to its lair.


https://www.rayboxgames.com/forum/legions-of-steel-lore/the-three-brothers-full-background




12
History and Fiction / Lucinda the Black Empire Hero
« Last post by Kindred on December 04, 2020, 01:09:45 PM »
Life gets complicated at the top levels of the Black Empire. Within the Imperial intelligence apparatus, it is even more byzantine. Besides watching for threats outside the borders, there are the plots between Krafs playing the Great Game, schemes within the Imperial family, and cold wars between service branches and the various Departments. Internal Intelligence, the most secret of the secret police, seethes with the distillation of all the Empire's myriad agendas. To be an Imperial agent requires one to be almost pathologically paranoid, deceitful, and calculating. It does not hurt to have fast reflexes, as well.

Lucinda of Kraf Amarin had worked her way up the ranks of Internal Intelligence rapidly, despite opinions about her background. Kraf Amarin was a small holding near the galactic rim, known for being insular and having a dark outlook on existence. Other Kraf blamed this on living in a region littered with the ruins of Tzoren works. And, yet, despite living in those devastated systems, Amarin was a strangely wealthy Kraf.  Its’ military and fleet were thoroughly equipped with the best gear available and its’ commoners were well educated, healthy, and productive. It was a mystery, and in the Black Empire, to be mysterious was to be distrusted.

Not only her Kraf counted against her; Lucinda was psionically operant.  The vast majority of Azaraim citizens feared the psionic minority.  Although not a top power, Lucinda's abilities were potent enough to be useful to her superiors.  They would use her talents, but they did not have to like her.

For many agents, rising in rank is partly based on how well they can play other roles.  Agents take on the guise of everything from common workers to rich aristocrats, the better to monitor Black Empire society.  Lucinda specialized in acting the part of the loyal bodyguard for nobles suspected of anti-Imperial motivations, or at least motivations not compatible with the vision of the Empress.  As a trusted bodyguard, Lucinda had opportunity to notice subversive actions or plots from the inside, the better to expose them.

Despite regular cosmetic surgery and false histories, she began to develop a reputation and acquire highly placed enemies. This, plus her questionable background, made her an ideal scapegoat should the need for one arise.

Eventually, she was placed in a position where she could be blamed for an operations failure, allowing her enemies to remove two problems. She was assigned cover as bodyguard to a high ranking diplomat who was suspected of attempting to manipulate the Empire into a fight over Abandon.  Assassins carrying evidence of Armarin allegiance killed the envoy en route to Abandon.  Despite the evidence against her being obviously manufactured, her rivals from Kraf Tatharis were able to pin a convoluted plot implicating her as a double agent on her, resulting in charges of treason.

Luckily, Lucinda was able to see the shape of things to come, and fled the embassy, using threats and other promises to secure passage on a Fantasian privateer’s ship.

Since then, she has served as a freelance intelligence operative and is known to be one of the most successful industrial espionage mercenary available.

Lucinda's PBA has been heavily modified using technologies she has stolen for herself; optimized for her new role as a mercenary.  As such, it is much lighter than most military PBA; the reduced protection is more than made up for by the integrated force field generator.  Her suit has three semi-autonomous manipulator tentacles, powerful enough to carry Lucinda over obstacles or up a wall.  She has also learned how to use the arms to boost her running speed or dodge attacks.  EMP weapons are installed in the claws at the ends of the arms, which allows her to strike from cover.

She also carries a pistol and a thermal blade, whose powered edge can slice through PBA or a Machine like it was butter.

Lucinda's ace in the hole are her Psionic abilities. Despite the commonly voiced fears of both aliens and other humans, Psionics are rare even in the Black Empire; deep down, nobody actually expects to meet one. Lucinda sees no shame in exploiting this advantage, fooling tracking and targeting systems or slowing opponents with her abilities.



https://www.rayboxgames.com/forum/legions-of-steel-lore/lucinda-the-black-empire-hero

13
History and Fiction / Zenobia, the Infranite Hero
« Last post by Kindred on December 04, 2020, 01:08:13 PM »
Here is Zenobia along with her background lore written by Wes. Sculpt by Ludwik.

ZENOBIA



Zenobia of the Paache was born well after the glories of Planetstorm and the first campaigns against the Legions of Steel. She was raised on the tales of the coups achieved by her tribal elders in the wars against the Machines and loved gazing at the trophies displayed in the Lodge of Heroes, imagining herself as a brave warrior in battle.

While the common perception of Infranites is of a taciturn, reserved people, concerned with their code of honour, the Paache are the exception. Paache are far more gregarious and open than the other tribes, and their interpretation of the honour code tends to scandalize other Infranites. Zenobia's tribe prefers fast, rapid strikes, and has a low regard for military formality. The Paache sense of humour shows up in combat in the form of ambushes and other traps, often overly complex, that have the feel of a practical joke's punchline. Sneaking into a Fantasian camp and loosening the lug nuts on the quad runners wheels, before triggering a pursuit, and watching the drivers tumble across the landscape is a fair example of Paache humour. Far less acceptable, especially to the Krayl tribe, is their habit of trying to make other units working with them look like idiots. A poorly thought out prank at the expense of the Krayl BAPs during the Junction Point Incident not only damaged the relationship between the tribes but prevented the allied forces to achieve their goals. The Krayl have neither forgiven nor forgotten the insult to their honour.

Unlike the majority of the Infranite military, Zenobia was not born into the warrior caste. At 12 years old she was recognized as worthy. Her home world of Pentar was hit by a Tenskin raiding force out for loot, slaves and prey. Their initial strikes hit during the time of clan celebrations, when the population was concentrated and preoccupied. The single war party that was on guard fought valiantly but faced being overrun in minutes and were reduced to selling their lives for as high a cost as they could.

Remembering the tactics described by her sisters and aunts in their stories, Zenobia acted quickly to gather as many of the children as she could and led them into the wilderness. She quickly organized her peers, hiding the youngest in caves and small canyons with older children to watch over them. She made use of the older adolescents to scout their back trail and set traps. Zenobia not only took charge, but she calmed the children by presenting their situation as a game; an opportunity to impress their elders with their Paache spirit and bravery. Fortunately, the Tenskin were raiders, and not an invasion force; they were there to grab what they could and escape before the Infranites mobilized. Children armed with rocks and knives, no matter how brave, would have had little chance against the predatory Tenskin. When the grandmothers finally reunited with them, they were greeted by a girl barely losing the orange colour of childhood. She was flanked by several Tenskin heads on spears, Zenobia's first trophies.

Zenobia was inducted into the warrior caste, where she fit in like she had been born to it. Despite her clear leadership qualities, Zenobia was disinterested in being an officer; she had already decided being a non-com was the extent of her desire to lead. Besides, officers had fewer opportunities for fun as being a trooper did.

Luckily for her, fate gave her a chance to combine fun and insulting the Krayl while showing off her skills. A small Krayl village bordered the training base included several warriors. She secured her slot in the powered infantry by leading her training clan off base and infiltrating the village, counting coup by stealing the helmets of their rival's armour and returning to barracks before roll call.

The fact that the fallout from the angry and heavily shamed Krayl resulted in her being written up as unfit as an officer candidate only made the thrill of success sweeter.

Zenobia has served in the Infranite military for five years. She has served on a variety of deployments, fighting Tenskin, Fantasians, and the Legions of Steel. No matter the duty, whether in a garrison on the planet Home by the Sea, or recapturing a mining platform hijacked by Fantasian privateers, Zenobia fought with verve and elan. To date, her favourite tour was serving with the humans of the UNE. Humans were the first aliens she had met she could honestly relate to. Many of them had a flair for audacity, enjoyed the black humour of combat and valued her talent for improvised tactics.

Zenobia seeks to earn a valued place in Paache society by avenging the loss of a war party killed by the Terrible Tyger. This Machine was hated by her tribe not only for killing their sisters, but for ruining the trap being set for Wrath. She has taken to using any of her leave time to hunt the trail of the Tyger and would consider scuttling her career for the chance to face it.

Zenobia wears a customized suit of Sierra PBA, not as fast as Falcon Recce PBA, but with more armour and still sprint capable. In close combat, the combination of her arm blades and skill in Corpo Repo allows her to batter down most opponents with ease. For heavier targets, she relies on her Tempest AR or SSRP launcher.



https://www.rayboxgames.com/forum/legions-of-steel-lore/zenobia-the-infranite-hero

14
History and Fiction / Pandora - The Outlander Hero
« Last post by Kindred on December 04, 2020, 01:07:19 PM »

PANDORA



Written by Wes Johnson

Pandora Konrad is one of the third generation of native-born Outlanders. She was raised in the citadel of Anasazni, a fortress dug into a mesa near the polar regions of Abandon. Anasazni's inhabitants specialize in weaponized coding, data security and cryptography; they are responsible for much of the automation used by the Outlanders to run mines and fabrication systems. They also create highly effective electronic warfare packages used to disrupt Legions of Steel communications.

Pandora's first major achievement was at 14, when she crafted a Trojan horse program capable of forcing low order Machines into diagnostic re-boot, essentially knocking them out for a short period. While recognized as brilliant programming, the bandwidth and close range required reduced the applications potential for direct combat. Her project was shelved awaiting advances in delivery systems, and she was directed towards refining current data compression techniques.

Frustrated with what she felt were short-sighted superiors, Pandora signed on for an apprenticeship on the Haven Landtrain. It was during this period that she further optimized her attack programs. She also trained as an outrider and scavenger, taking advantage of the opportunity to acquire examples of Machine technology to test against her programs.

Skirmishes with smugglers and Fantasian privateers over valuable finds taught her valuable combat skills. During a fight between privateers and the crew of the Landtrain over a mostly intact Dreadbot wreck, she gained her PKM “Can opener”.

Upon reaching the age of majority, Pandora joined a small scavenger caravan, where her ability to optimize the automation of the vehicles and equipment increased their ability to locate valuable salvage. Wounded during a firefight with an Infiltration Pack, she received a cybernetic arm, and claimed the remains of two X1 Runaways.

Her next step was to lay claim to an abandoned research outpost, where she devoted her time to analyzing Machine programming architecture, finding the points of weakness. Eventually, she was able to isolate the channels used by command units to direct basic combat models. Combining Machine tech with UNE communications electronics and ECM modules, she crafted a device that spoofed the command nodes in the Runaways and allowed her refined Trojan horse to overlay the behavioural programming with her own. This now allowed her to use the refurbished Runaways against their Legion brethren.

Pandora began to hunt the wastelands for individual Machines, using the Runaways to essentially shut down her targets, allowing her to further experiment with them in order to widen the range of behaviours and control she had over both the Runaways and their prey.

She became known by trading stations for the high quality and volume of salvage she delivered. Her reputation was cemented when she rescued a prospector family from an ambush. The tale of the young woman who could control Machines began to spread through the Outlander communities.

THE HUNT



Pandora eased herself into the cover of an outcropping of rock, making sure to say clear of the razor coral spreading across the gravel. Gust of wind tugged at her sand cloak, spraying sand into her face, ticking against the lenses of her goggles. She scanned back along her trail, searching for her pursuer. Green lines presented a wire grid overlay of the terrain, the HUD showing ranges and wind direction, among other information.

She pulled a data pad from it's pouch on the thigh of her leggings, and quickly tapped out a series of commands, opening a series of applications. She paused to synchronize it's terrain display with her visor's, noting that Spite and Vex were in position for the ambush. Both showed their links to her to be at near full bandwidth, more than enough carry the command and Trojan applications she intended to test on her target.

Spite indicated it had a visual on their prey; Pandora quickly opened up a window that let her see what the subverted Runaway was seeing. Camouflage in shades of bone and ochre broke up the silhouette of the G3 Predator, disguising the powerful build of the Machine. It carried its Ice Rifle ready to snap onto a target, the skull-like head smoothly traversing as it scanned for her trail. It froze momentarily as it picked up the electronic signature of Spite, now carefully backing away from the G3.

Runaways were fast lithe hunters, attacking from ambush they grappled their target with all six limbs before jacking into electronics and subverting programming, turning the target against its own side.

Pandora had salvaged Spite and Vex a year before, repairing and modifying them into weapons to use against their brethren. She had re-wired their CPUs, twisting loyalty circuits against the Legions and Overlord, making them carriers for Trojan horse applications that could stun or burn out Machines long enough to make them a sitting duck.

Whatever a duck was.

The problem was that Pandora's software still wasn’t powerful or complex enough, yet, to totally subvert something like a Predator. For that, she needed to get it back to the Landtrain, where it could be kept immobilized and harmless while she conducted more research or lobotomized it.

In a moment, the Predator was going to realize the IFF signals from Spite and Vex were corrupted, likely rogues, and a threat, not allies. Its weapons would make short work of her pets if it resisted the Trojan.

Vex signalled it was ready to play its part, while Spite baited their prey into Pandora's line of sight. She carefully sighted her Fantasian PKM where she expected the Machine to come into the open. She didn't activate her force shield, the risk of the Predator detecting it and ignoring the Runaways to come directly for her was too high.

At her signal, Spite leaped from cover and sprinted in a zigzag towards the Predator, its claws spraying stones behind it. The G3's first round shattered rock just to the side of Spite as the Runaway twisted trying to get within the sweep of the Ice rifle. The Predator sidestepped Spite's rush, swinging its weapon back on target. The impact of Vex slamming into its back knocked it forward to its knees as it tried to club Spite aside with the barrel of the rifle. Vex anchored itself to the prey with its middle grappling limbs while its tail lashed across the Predator's torso, looking for an access point to download the control routines. Spite seized hold of the G3's right arm and rifle before thrusting the download module on its tail into the gap between the neck and collarbone.

The Predator stiffened, paralyzed by the conflicting commands cascading through its neural net. This version of the subversion program wouldn't hold a heavy unit long, much less put it under Pandora's command. Before the Predator could throw off the effects, she squeezed her trigger, shattering the side of the G3s head and shutting it down.

Spite and Vex released its form and backed off, tails curled over their backs, ready to jolt it again if it moved.

Pandora was pleased, this was the most intact of a G3 she had gotten her hands on yet, analyzing it would go a long way to improving her software weapons. The Runaways sank to their haunches as she approached, seeming to preen for their mistress.

“Aww, who's Momma's good boys?”.




https://www.rayboxgames.com/forum/legions-of-steel-lore/pandora-the-outlander-hero

15
History and Fiction / Zippy - Our New Hero
« Last post by Kindred on December 04, 2020, 01:05:44 PM »
Zippy, Zero and One

The origins of Zippy, a unique G1H Nightmare, must begin with the story of Zero and One, a pair of renegade Gremlins with a penchant for adventure.

Zero and One are, themselves, unique among the Legions of Steel. Zero is actually one of the longest surviving member of the Machine hordes. Zero is more than a repair bot, Zero is creative. Zero innovates. Zero improves the Machines it works on, whether it is required, or not.

Zero was originally part of the repair systems for a Machine asteroid base, it was the only survivor after a Fantasian assault. Its systems scrambled by an EMP blast, it crawled into a wall space, and shut down.

Some time later, it became aware again, and aware that it was aware. Which was different. What was not different was the need to build and repair, to express its purpose. But now, there were all sorts of new purposes that it had not been ware of before the Gauss grenade went off. At first, Zero attempted to repair the base's systems, before it realized the magnitude of the job ahead of it required more workers. Cannibalizing several destroyed Gremlins, Zero used the parts to create what it considered the optimal partner, One.

Due to enhancements of its pattern recognition software, One is always able to find the parts and materials Zero requires, sometimes before Zero is even aware of what is needed. It works tirelessly to make sure that its stockpiles are always up to date and have a few surprises in store.

Zero and One rejoined Legion forces in the inner system by converting an anti-shipping missile into transport, crossing half the system to do so. The Gremlins managed to avoid having their quirks noticed and were assigned to a planet bound Gremlin pack.

Zippy began as a standard G1H Nightmare, assembled nearly 100 years ago. Its hundred year survival alone, compared to the average lifespan of a Nightmare in combat, sets it apart from nearly every other G Class variant in existence.

Zippy would have likely ended up as scrap early on, save for a chance encounter with Zero and One. Zippy was damaged and incapacitated many times, although never completely destroyed, always somehow making its way back to a repair facility. The third time Zippy somehow made it back to base despite heavy damage (clawing its way back with its remaining arm, missing everything below its thorax), it caught Zero's attention. Fascinated by the G1H's tenacity, the Gremlins payed special attention to it, giving it the first of a long series of modifications. Over the years, the Gremlins bonded with the Nightmare. Zero was so obsessed with the Nightmare's care that it regularly followed Zippy into battle.

This constant close attention from the Gremlins has seen Zippy change enough that he is nearly impossible to mistake for a regular G1. Unlike many Nightmare models, Zippy has two arms, and does not carry a firearm. Instead, Zippy is loaded with a variety of grenades and a combat blade. Over the years, his ground movement has steadily increased, making him one of the fastest units on a battlefield. Zippy uses its speed to make lightning attacks before darting away to safety and setting up the next ambush. In a complex, this speed makes it a literal nightmare, capable of making use of access ways to rapidly outflank intruders while avoiding getting pinned down and destroyed. It has a knack for using grenades or other small objects as distractions from one direction, before gutting a target from another.

It has been observed using any type of grenade available, including those of organic races. Gauss, Force wall, Plasma, Nachtmacher; if the grenade is in production anywhere, Zippy will have some. Rumour has it that Zippy is fast enough to catch and throw back attackers grenades. For a Nightmare, Zippy has an unnatural grasp of tactics and terrain awareness, using local surrounding's characteristics to maximize its speed advantage.

Over the years, Zippy has taken a number of shots to the head, giving Zero many opportunities to tweak its’ programming. This likely explains its idiosyncrasies, and possibly those of Zero and One as well. All three Machines share the disturbing trait of having nearly human body language, albeit that of a profoundly disturbed individual. Humans and Fantasians both find this disconcerting, while Infranites find it hilarious, right up until Zippy stabs them in face.

Zippy is the first Machine ever sighted with a wardrobe. For the last forty years, at least, he has sported a high collared dust cloak. He seems to have an attachment to a particular style, although changes in wardrobe colour indicate several replacements have occurred over the years. It has several pouches for grenades, as well as a bandolier. There has been no verified proof that Zippy has been known to wear a hat, however.

The trio have been observed operating anywhere there is a Legions of Steel presence. Over ninety years, they have taken part in many battles and skirmishes. Zippy terrified the Fantasian infantry on Waterhole, harassing them relentlessly during the night, killing many troopers as they slept, with both grenades and blade.

Zippy and his entourage have been spotted in the Abandon Region but their last known whereabouts are unknown.


https://www.rayboxgames.com/forum/legions-of-steel-lore/zippy-our-new-hero

16
History and Fiction / Wrath and Reason
« Last post by Kindred on December 04, 2020, 01:01:26 PM »

Wrath and Reason



Built on a modified and upgraded second generation Succubot chassis, Wrath and her six siblings were the result of a Bloodlord class Overlord's desire for tactical flexibility. To this end it created a cadre capable of autonomous operations within enemy systems.

Seven Omega class Succubots were created, each with a distinct personality. Drawing upon the cultural and psychological data gained through processing captives through the psi-vaults, the Bloodlord designed each unit to embody the traits of the seven deadly sins. The resulting Omega units proved too strong willed and independent to cooperate with each other. It was not very long before open conflict occurred during one of the early operation. Any temptation by the Bloodlord to further explore or modify the concept design was removed when the omega Succubot Pride destroyed the fabrication and research base they were constructed in.

It was betrayal from one of Wrath’s siblings that caused her to break what loyalty she had to the Legions of Steel. Ordered by the Bloodlord to assist Pride in the taking of an Infranite orbital base,

she narrowly escaped destruction when Pride scuttled the station while she was still aboard. Trapped in the wreckage, Wrath concluded the the only way to avoid exploitation and betrayal was to be loyal only to herself – she would further Legion goals only when it also served her own interests. She was finally freed from the wreckage by a first generation C1 Succubot and its horde. Enraged when the C1 did not automatically accept her authority, Wrath struck it down in front of its cohort, and once more demanded fealty form the Machines. Taking their transport, Wrath and her newly acquired forces fled the system.

Wrath began to rely on her minions more heavily, becoming especially fond of her Predators due to their firepower and toughness in battle. When they were destroyed by a Black Empire Storm Angel, getting her favourites rebuilt, rather than replaced, became her priority.

Eventually, she crossed paths with Zippy, Zero and One. She recognized the aberrant nature of these three Machines, who had modified themselves well beyond Machine norms. She struck a deal with them. In exchange for the rest of her salvaged parts, and providing transport to the Abandon system, Zero and One were to rebuild the Predators for her use.

Zero and One, from a safe distance, eventually presented Wrath with a single rebuilt Predator, claiming to have needed to use both wrecks to assemble one complete unit. Taking this as another betrayal, and unable to reach the Gremlins directly, she inflicted her wrath upon the Predator before her. The Predator, without actively fighting back, withstood her tantrum, accepting her attacks while avoiding being destroyed. It fought defensively, never taking advantage of her frenzy or openings she gave it. Instead, it used just enough power to negate her anger. When her anger finally subsided, she realized the Predator's resilience and temperament made it her perfect companion.

Over time, it displayed a skill for quashing Wrath's flaring temper. Recognizing the value in its attitude and ability to calm her excesses, she named it Reason.

Wrath has a particular dislike for Infranites and especially hates the Paache tribe. Their love for pranks in the form of ambushes and traps drove her into a burning fury when she encountered them. On Wiley's World, a group of Paache scouts led her across hundreds of kilometres of desert while avoiding direct combat at all times. During her pursuit, Wrath commandeered a handful of Nightmare she used to reinforce her horde of machines.

For their part, the Paache had stopped playing after the first two days when they realized this Succubot was far more capable than a first generation model. They were faster but could not lose her. Despite their efforts, they watched her retinue grow. They swallowed their pride and called for help. An Assault Group of BAPs (Bipedal Assault Platforms) were dispatched to provide a killing blow.

When Wrath finally caught up, it was to find a scene of carnage. Parts of bodies and PBA littered the sands, covered in swarms of nipper beetles. Gloating in the midst of the slaughter stood the Terrible Tyger. Caught between rage at having her prey stolen, and terror at encountering such an awesome engine of destruction, Wrath could only swallow her frustration and watch as the Tyger turned its back on her with a contemptuous lack of concern and loped back into the wastes.

This was the beginning of Wrath's fascination with the Tyger, she wanted the reputation and power of the Omega Fiend, or at least to direct it at her enemies, starting with her sister, Pride.

When the Legions were driven off Wiley's World, Wrath relocated to the Abandon system. Her first action in system was to take over a small hidden asteroid depot; one of Sierra Foxtrot's. More amused than angry at her arrogance, Sierra Foxtrot sent a Mark II Assault Fiend to negotiate terms rather than destroying her. Using Reason as her proxy, Wrath agreed to serve as a vassal of sorts. She was required to serve in specific short term actions for the Overlord as the price for her trespass.

Currently she is situated on Abandon although her exact motives and whereabouts are unknown.


https://www.rayboxgames.com/forum/legions-of-steel-lore/wrath-and-reason

17
General Discussion / Internal Security Pack Control Sheet
« Last post by Kindred on December 03, 2020, 11:14:38 AM »
More from Marco, cross posted from Facebook

Here is the new Internal Security Pack Control Sheet I created. Some of the art is temp and the final one will be done by a graphic designer. I put the reverse side of the Nachtmachers below the control sheet. I like to print the sheet onto sticker paper, affix to card stock and cut out. 
You can download the PDF here: https://www.rayboxgames.com/forum/dev-updates/internal-security-pack-control-sheet

18
General Discussion / KnowledgeBase (formerly the Wiki) FIXED
« Last post by Kindred on December 03, 2020, 11:08:14 AM »
I was just made aware that - when I transferred the content from the broken LOS Wiki pages to the KnowledgeBase pages, the permissions were borked and no one could actually add or edit articles.

This has been fixed.

For the Legions of Steel Category, permissions have been corrected and it's more like the wiki again.
Registered Members can add and edit the articles.

Yes, I am aware that there are still some leftover wiki-link content --  If you want to edit an article and replace the wiki link with a link to the appropriate KB article -- go ahead, Otherwise I am slowly doing the conversion myself. :)

https://los.turtleshellprod.com/index.php?action=kb;area=cats;cat=2
19
General Discussion / commando control sheet
« Last post by Kindred on December 02, 2020, 07:59:13 PM »
Another cross post from Marco on facebook/raybox....

Here is the new Commando Group Control Sheet I created. Some of the art is temp and the final one will be done by a graphic designer. I put the FW and EK Pulse grenade within the sheet so when it is punched out is can be kept in the sheet partially standing. For the prototype I printed it on label paper and affixed it to 60pt card stock and then carefully cut them out. You can download the PDF here:

https://www.rayboxgames.com/forum/dev-updates/commando-group-control-sheet
20
General Discussion / MISSION: Uncommon Valor
« Last post by Kindred on December 01, 2020, 10:45:35 AM »
CrossPost from Marco on Facebook

As we embark on the journey to the next Kickstarter I will be releasing the new scenarios every few weeks. These missions are based on the new composition of troops that will be present in the next Kickstarter. Many take nods from the Blue Box version of LOS. In the rule book there will be a couple of introductory missions for beginners to try first. Wes and I are crafting new short lore for each scenario which will be tied together thematically and chronologically. Check them out and let me know your thoughts. Playtesting is also appreciated. Here is Uncommon Valour.

You can download the Mission for free Uncommon Valor at RayBox Games