Torumekia Profile

*I own nothing, Nausicaä belongs to Studio Ghibli and Hayao Miyazaki. No, not Disney, this is from the manga which Disney does not own! 
**Also, I submit this profile for both Planetary Conquest and Kingdom Conquest. Since the rest of the world is largely uninhabited due to being irradiated/burnt wasteland, this could work for PC, and for KC, well, we could always go with a place for the most powerful of factions.

Name: Torumekia

Quick History

In a few short centuries, Industiral Civilization had spread from the western fringes of Eurasia to sprawl across the face of the planet. Plundering the soil of it's riches, fouling the air and remolding lifeforms at will, this gargantuan industrial civilization had already peaked a thousand years after it's formation: Ahead lay abrupt and violent decline. The cities burned, welling up as clouds of poison in the 'war' remembered as the Seven Days of Fire. The complex and sophisticated technological superstructure was lost; all of the surface of the Earth was transformed into a sterile wasteland. Industiral Civilization was never rebuilt as mankind lived on through the Twilight Years....

The God Warriors, artificially created Gods (insert Evangelion reference here) and the performers of the Seven Days of Fire, thankfully now dead... Unless one can find a way to turn them back on....

But life always finds a way to go on. The genetically engineered creatures of mankind expanded and multiplied, creating a whole new ecosystem to replace the old. Chocobo's Horseclaws replaced Horses:

And also look more badass in armor

And birds and... basically every other animal ever, were replaced by giant insects dwelling in 'The Toxic Jungle', a giant mass of fungal trees and plants that emit a deadly fog-like 'Miasma' that fills the lungs with blood and if exhaled more, liquefies the lungs (although if you're quick and can remove the blood from your lungs, you may be lucky enough to survive). The only things that live there are the insects and the People of the Forest, mysterious and possibly psionic individuals who treat nature with respect, and cannot live outside of said forest (normal air is like Miasma to them). But they are not the only humans who still exist, as various Empires and Principalities exist out amongst the 'Wastelands'. 

But, as human nature dictates, humanity must expand and claim land. Guess things will never change, even with the apocalypse nearly wiping out humanity... Eight times over, since the Toxic Jungle has expanded and destroyed the remnants of civilization that many times, due to humanity enraging the Ohmu (Don't worry, I'll explain what those are in a second) to the point that they blitzkrieg anything in their path, die, and the spores from the toxic jungle erupt from their bodies and make a new jungle.

Anyways, a thousand years have passed since the the mammoth Industrial Civilizations of the past had diminished, and vanished into the dark vastness of time. It is now the closing of what is be one day called The Ceramic Age, and war is brewing between the Torumekian Empire and the Dorok Principalities.

And now due to the Cruel whims of the Portal Maste- Hold on, is any of this sounding familiar to anyone else?

... Eh, must be my imagination. Anyways,

Due to the insidious Portal Master, two factions have now dropped onto the land of Torumekia to battle each other for dominance. In the end, only one shall survive.

Here's hoping the Blue Clad One will come to save us!

Try and find more fitting music, I dare you.

===GEOGRAPHY===

Torumekia is a large subcontinent that seems almost designed to be deadly to humans: A latent airborn sickness that poisons 9/10 children in the womb, a poisonous miasma around the Sea of Corruption, numerous acidic lakes and little farmland, Torumekia is near inhospitable if not for the fact of the occasional fresh water and healthy farmland with various villages being formed around these, as well as large mountains or sea breezes that can repel the sickness.... Or at the very least, dampen it. You can also find the occasional relic of the Industrial Age: nearly destroyed cities, long-dead God Warriors overgrown or partially submerged, a 'sanctuary' of human knowledge with clean air and animals, etc, etc.

Also, the Sea of Corruption holds a rather interesting secret: It's trying to clean the Earth. You see, the 'trees' suck up the various poisons excreted by the insects and fungi, eventually becoming sand. These trees form the ground of the forest, and provide little nutritional value to the fungi. So in a few centuries or so, unless the jungle expands with another Kudaisho, the Toxic Jungle and Miasma could be gone forever!

And with it, the Ohmu...

Speaking of Ohmu, we are now at the point to discuss the Factions of this land!

And boy, are there quite a few....

===THIRD-PARTY FACTIONS===

The Torumekian Empire

A Regal Ouroboros, Devouring Its Young

A heavily militarized aristocracy, the Torumekian Empire holds the most land in Torumekia (As you could guess from the name), but also hold the smallest population thus their warlike habits. They hold in their access mighty airships like the Bumblecrow:

(Big one in the back) Can hold about a hundred men... And only has small mounted turrets as a defense

And highly trained and loyal Knights acting as the primary infantry (although they do have more basic soldiers with equipment similar to what you'd expect from WWI- but with swords taking prominence):

  

The Torumekians are no strangers to the act of war. Also noteworthy is that although they hold the largest amount of land in the wasteland, they (seemingly) have the smallest population, and likely wouldn't be over a million. They're also the most likely to make allies with others, although only if they get a benefit from said alliance.

Dorok Principalities

Basically Caesar's Legion, but more unified...
Kind of.

The Dorok Principalities is an assemblage of 52 various tribes scattered across the wasteland, united under a banner of a single empire and have the largest population of all the factions excluding the insects (I'd bet at LEAST 6 million people in total, and a couple odd hundred thousand soldiers...). Created some odd 200 years ago by a former farmer who was able to acquire Heedra from a pre-SDoF reserve, the unknown farmer became the first Dorok Emperor and became one of the most powerful forces on the planet.

Something Namulith tried to copy, with less favorable results

 This power was heightened even more so when he acquired the Crypt of Shuwa as a Holy Palace, of sorts and gained an immortal and modified Heedra body, making it more human and eliminating the weakness of needing to destroy a center eye to kill it.

Unfortunately, said body fell apart one day in front of his son, Miralupa. Since then, the Dorok Principality has been mainly ruled by the Order of Monks, spreading the idea of the Emperor (Namulith) and his brother being Gods. The Dorok Principality is one of the most dangerous factions. Although they have wooden airships (although these ones come with giant guns), the Dorok have a much finer grasp on scientific advancement then their Torumekian foes (capable of creating artificial Miasma that can kill even insects, and go through all but the heaviest of filters, for example). The only problem they have is that due to the numerous tribes, tensions are rather tense between everyone, and many of the tribes secretly worship the religion of the White Bird: A Deity of Death that shall lead away the faithful and bring them to a glorious afterlife.

There's also the fact that Namulith is a bit batshit insane and homicidal, and isn't above going Stalin/Gulage on anyone who angers him.

Crypt/Monk of Shuwa

This is the Crypt after getting hit by a blast in the high megatons. That scar is all the damage it did. It can regenerate that damage rather easily though, after about a few minutes... Oh, it also has a laser weapon that also measures in the megatons.

As one can imagine, the titanic Industrial Civilizations of the past left numerous secrets: Immortality via Heedra, the way of creating artificial life, creating monsters that could end the world. Such power is a tempting thing, but there is no remaining blueprints or instructions on how to make such things!

Except in Shuwa. Home to an order of immortal Monks (Yeah, whole Heedra shtick), the Monks worship a large 'biological' orb simply called The Crypt of Ancient Knowledge, which every Summer and Winter solstice has a line of text come into being on it: The Monks in turn struggle to decipher it. Even when they had the vast resources of the Dorok at their side, the Monks still struggled to decipher a single line from it. 

But when they succeed at reading a line, the reward is well worth the effort, revealing secrets of ancient mankind, such as the Heedra. These Monks also don't really care for what happens outside of their Crypt. The Dorok are essentially just bodyguards to them, a powerful force that can protect them while they decode the secrets of the Crypt. In return, they give these secrets to the Dorok and grow Heedra for them, to act as personal guards of the Emperor (or make a new body).

A religious order dedicated to creating clones and biologically engineered monstrosities. Something about this sounds familiar to me, I swear....

Anyways, if a faction were able to defeat the Dorok or prove themselves as much more powerful, the Monks would offer their services to the more powerful faction. All they ask in return is the ability to get more people to add to their order, and help with deciphering the Crypt of Ancient Knowledge, and they will certainly offer these secrets to said faction.

The Insects of the Sea of Corruption

Living in the fittingly named Sea of Corruption, or Toxic Jungle, the insects of the jungle are truly monstrous creatures... When angry. The various insects of the Sea of Corruption seem to hold a form of Hive-Mind, living in relative tranquility with another (and the People of the Forest, who treat the insects with respect and take only enough to survive, an agreement the insects are okay with) in the Jungle. That is, until something kills an insect.

What happens when you kill an insect? Well....

"Breaks? On the rape train? Foolish mammal, WE DON'T HAVE BRAKES ON THE RAPE TRAIN!"

Yeah, the result of pissing off the insects is that they enter an unstoppable bloodlust, that won't end until a) they kill whatever killed their own b) they can't find said killer, c) are calmed down via Bug Whistle (something only the Valley of the Wind has) or d) they die of exhaustion/starvation. The only insects that are a (sort of) exception to this are the Ohmu, a race of sentient and telepathic insects.

Who are also adorable

The Ohmu tend to only attack when they are directly provoked or if they feel some grand threat occurring. And once they exit their homicidal bloodlust of RIP AND TEAR!!!, they feel a great remorse for they are pacifists at heart, but they will do anything to protect themselves and the forest as a whole, even if it means they must die.

And since various fungi live on or within the insects, the forest will always regrow from their corpses. 

MISCELLANEOUS

There are many factions in Torumekia, from the mercenary Slug-Handlers (Descendants of the civilization that caused the last Kudaisho, can talk to and tame slugs the sizer of a doberman), the People of the Forest (Peaceful and telepathic individuals that live in the forest and have a very Fremen way of life but less killing, and are revered by the Slug Handlers), and the Periphery (People who aren't Dorok or Torumekian, although they are much better friends with the Torumekians and help them in war), as well as people from countless small cities and villages throughout the land. 

===IMPORTANT INDIVIDUALS===

Nausicaä

Like an Ohmu, when she becomes threatened she is filled with an unspeakably profound rage and power. And then filled with a heart-shattering regret

The 'warrior' princess of the Valley of the Wind, Nausicaä is a kind hearted and hopeful young girl somewhere in her teens, and the only surviving child of her mother (the others died from that 'die in the womb' disease that's in the air). She's a skilled reader of the Winds and pilots a device known as a Möwe.

She also holds a special curiosity towards the Sea of Corruption, and was able to discover that if the various fungi are given healthy water and soil, they're actually utterly non-toxic! Perhaps due to this revelation that even the most deadly force in Torumekia can become inert, she views all life as equal and almost never fights.

When she does though, it's not that dissimilar from an Ohmu in a berserker state: A force of nature, swinging ceramic blade (can cut through almost any known material) to and fro, cutting through the armor of a Torumekian Knight like butter. Afterwards though, she is filled with a deep remorse. 

Also, due to her Möwe and blue outfit, she is believed by the Dorok and Slug-Handlers to be a kind of Messiah, although she isn't too onboard with that. She also seems to have a 'calming' presence around her, making people put her first and try to rescue her, or calming down savage insects.

Kushana

Will she walk the Path of the Warrior, or the Path of the Asura (In Torumekian mythology is a War-Demon of Suffering)?

The only daughter of the Vai Emperor, Kushana did not have a good childhood. At a royal banquet, her mother accidentally took a sip from her daughters drink, which had been poisoned. Her mother went utterly insane, believing a mere doll to actually be her daughter while screaming at the presence of her actual daughter.

Okay, why does that sound familiar? And no, that's not likely a coincidence, since Hideaki Anno read the manga before making Evangelion.

She found out shortly afterwards this had been a plot by her own father to kill her, and when it failed her simply told her this was how life was in the Nobility, and that he and his sons would very well do this to her numerous times.

And I thought the Lannisters had family issues....

Naturally, Kushana decided she'd rather die at the hands of an enemy then her own family and threw herself into a 'Warrior Princess' role of sorts, training a regiment of Torumekian Knights called 'The Third Army' into being the most effective cavalry soldiers in the Empire, and gained massive amounts of respect from the soldiers, to the point where they serve her as opposed to the Empire.

Now with the war between Torumekia and Dorok starting, she has been separated from the Third Army and sent to the Valley of the Wind to gather soldiers, all the while having to deal with an officer who's been tasked with killing her (something he's likely not to do).

His name is Kurotowa, he was hired by the Vai Emperor to kill Kushana but Kurotowa realizes if he did that, the Emperor would kill him before he can get a reward. He may have the appearance and mannerisms of a coward, but he would die for Kushana if the need came, and provides tactical advice.
He's also the best damn character in the manga.

 She would also eventually become the (forced) Bride of Namulith, before she 'killed' him. Confused on the air quotes? Well, let's talk about the Bastard Emperor, shall we? And no, he's not actually called that.

Namulith

"I know what you're thinking. You're thinking 'doesn't he get tired of all this killing?' And the answer is I don't."

There are few people as despicable as Namulith. The leader of the Dorok Principalities for over a century, he has lived for so long due to having inserted his consciousness into a modified Heedra body seven times over (Although immortal, his body is rather fragile and decayed). He lives mainly in the Crypt of Shuwa due to an agreement with the Monks there, and has for over a century. As you can guess, this has not went well with his already demented psyche, making him a vicious and sadistic monster. 

A good example of this is when his brother was (or would it be will? AHHH, TIME IS CONFUSING!) put into a chamber of preserving fluids and connected to various life support systems, he poisoned his brother and watched laughing as he slowly died, while he ineffectually tried to kill him by strangling him with said life support cords, and immediately afterwards assembled an army of Heedra and loyal soldiers (and a slumbering/half formed God Warrior) and planned to make his own empire.

He would later die when the God Warrior (No, I'm not listing him here. This is before they find that monster) awoke and mistook Nausicaä as it's mother and flew off with her, with the air currents launching his still-living head out of Kushana's grip, off the airship and down to the Earth below.

Miralupa

Fun fcact: He used to be a kind man, trying to unite the whole world in peace and such and find a way of making everyone adore the Dorok... After twenty years of people being idiots, he decided to become a tyrant.

The twin brother of the Emperor and public face of the Dorok Principality, Miralupa differs from his brother in two important ways: One, he doesn't have a Heedra body because he witnessed their father die due to his Heedra body splitting apart at the seams and making him fall apart in a pile of gore... This happened when he was a child. The downside is though his body is ridiculously frail and he requires to be bathed in preservative fluids numerous times so he doesn't die.

Secondly, Miralupa has access to psionic abilities, able to have his soul exit his body and move as an almost invisible writhing mass, capable of interacting with the mortal realm.

I need an adult!

That being said, any damage that occurs to it also occurs to his body, and if he were to die in this state he'd be stuck in the shadow form permanently and go insane.

Guess what happens to him in the manga? Thankfully though, Nausicaä is able to lead him to Heaven... Or something.

The Vai Emperor

Why must the internet be so ignorant of this manga!? WHY!?

The emperor of the nation of Torumekia, the Vai Emperor is a cruel and uncaring man, who mainly cares for power, although he also despises cowards. Known as the 'King of Serpents', he is despised by Kushana, although he did all of the terrible things (Sending her into a hostile part of the world, having her brothers try and kill her, having the Third Army stuck defending a Besieged Castle outpost, etc, etc.) was all for the greater good, to mold her into something stronger.

Tough love, huh? And this attitude is also the same for the various Noble houses, seeing that they must be struck down with fear or else they collect like Trash.

Still, the man shows no fear (when the God Warrior threatened to kill him, he remarked that he was excited for feeling a tinge of fear!) and is a cunning and respect warrior, so you have to give him that.

Lord Yupa

Yes, I know this is from the anime and I said I wouldn't use stuff from the anime. But you try and find me MANGA pictures of Lord Yupa!

A mysterious traveller and good friend of Nausicaä's father, Lord Yupa is renowned throughout Torumekia as a Master Swordsman, able of fighting off men in 20-1 odds with a knife and winning! He is a man who always tries to find peace in a conflict however, and regularly travels the wastelands to see if he can find people to help. But with the continuing sickness, where children die in the womb from breathing in toxins, and the spreading of the Toxic Jungle and Miasma, there are less and less people out there....

DANGER STATUS: 5/5: What with the warring factions of Dorok and Torumekia, added with the ridiculously deadly toxic jungle and it's inhabitants, Torumekia is a savage and deadly land where only the strongest can survive or hope to conquer the land. The only respite is that, although they have airships, they haven't learned how to make Aerial Bombs or how to make (good) guns for said ships, besides small turrets. And the Torumekians can be reasoned with, and the Monks of Shuwa provide technological secrets and Heedra to anybody willing to provide them security while they unearth the secrets of 'God' (Actually an A.I inhabiting a biomechanical blob (although it can posses anyone of weak will), with the collected knowledge of all mankind within it... Unfortunately, said A.I wants to kill current humanity, since they're actually artificially made (The people in the forest are normal humans.... Think about that for a second) and need to be killed so humanity can live again.

Explained better here

"Oh by the way, the clean air of a good Earth will kill you all, due to your genetically modified bodies finding that stuff toxic.... HELP US TO MAKE A NEW TOMORROW!"

"Why does God need a spaceship?"... Wait, wrong series.

"Nausicaa, Destroyer of hope and saviour of mankind."

So yeah, to the people fighting in Torumekia, I have but one thing to say:

GOOD LUCK!

Mars (Destiny) Planetary Profile

*Note: I own nothing here, Destiny belongs to Bungie and Activision, blah blah blah.

"The wind wiped away our footprints. When the storm had passed, we found something shining beneath the sand..."

Mars. The Red planet which for so long had been inhospitable to mankind... And then The Traveller arrived, making the desert world into a garden of Eden: Forests rose around the renewed dead sea's, and mankind sent an expedition force to the world.

Only small parts of the planet still look like this.

There they discovered the Traveller, and the Golden Age for Mankind began.  Once, populating Mars had been but a dream for humanity, but with the arrival of the Traveler a thriving metropolis named Freehold came to dominate the skyline of the world, a bastion of human life in the red dunes. With the coming of the Darkness, nearly all of the city was "swept away" and the sand claimed what remained.The city now lies buried beneath the dunes of Mars, with only the peaks of its once-soaring skyscrapers poking out of the dust as evidence that they ever existed.

This however is almost the entire planet

In the several centuries that passed after this downfall, the Vex and Cabal arrived on the world.

Why the Cabal are here is an enigma. Perhaps they are expanding their empire, perhaps they are fleeing a grand and malicious force. Pehraps both? In either case, Mars is now a scorched desert world, occupied by Cabal forces who control the Exclusion Zone, a heavily industrialized and toxic beachhead for these aliens.  An unsettling sign of there effects on the planet is the moon Phobos, which has had its orbit dramatically altered by Cabal planetary engineering and supposedly the strength of their grandest weapons, The Flayers and now fills a significant part of the sky, one day destined to crash into the world. Supposedly this is linked to the discovery of large "planet-cracking" munitions among the Cabal's already devastating arsenal.

The Vex also have a small but powerful presence on the planet, and engage in frequent skirmishes with the Cabal, whom they are at odds with. They're motive for why they are here is seemingly unknown, although they may be vanguarding the entrance to the Black Garden, home to a powerful fragment of the savage Darkness known as the Black Heart, which they revere as sort of God. They will not stop their assaults until the Cabal and any other forces are swept clean from the red world.

At least it's a nice looking hellish alternate universe/dimension

So, the former utopia world Mars is now a contested world between two vicious foes: An unstoppable force versus an immovable object.

And now, due to the mad whims of a powerful deity-like being simply known as 'Portal Master', this world has been snatched away for two grand armies to battle upon it for his own amusement, and then thrust back into the original location to let the faction run free.

In the end, only one will remain and the Solar System will either fall or rise again from the dominating force on Mars when this battle ends.

This should be fun.

Third Party Factions

The Cabal

Don't you just love concept art?

Cabal, sometimes informally called "War Rhinos" or "Space Turtles", are a race of giant bipedal humanoids presently located on Mars. The Cabal empire is a military-industrial complex determined to expand and conquer, and is characterized by size, with everything about the Cabal being massive, from soldiers to equipment and vehicles Cabal are a large, rhinoceros-like, bipedal race with thick grey skin, a flat nose, conical teeth, small eyes, and black blood. Despite being unable to breathe the Martian atmosphere without their armor, the Cabal appear to exhibit an affinity to desert-like terrain. The race expresses a complex understanding of technology, seen with advanced armor, weapons (Comparable to Bolters from Warhammer 40K), vehicles, and the art of space-faring, almost all which contains an unknown black sludge which human laboratories have yet to find a way to synthesize, and is presumably what has it going. They also seemingly have weapons powerful enough to destroy planets (Related fun fact: If a planet or asteroid field gets in the way of a Cabal fleet, they don't go around it. They blow it up!), a weapon they already thinking of using on Mars against the Vex. So yeah, it’s safe to assume the Cabal language doesn't have a word for overkill.

Anyways, the Cabal has the heaviest presence on this world, with various factories and military installations bedazzling the world or half-built into the remaining towers and cities of humanity.

The Cabal are similar to the Roman Empire (not only in naming of units), as their military is split into various detachments and sub-units, which shall be discussed shortly. First however, we must discuss what exactly the Cabal has to offer, just to give everyone a good idea of what these guys are like.

Name: Legionary

Weapon Type: Explosive Machine Gun (Slug Rifle)

Armor Type: Power Armor

Mobility: 3 (5 with the booster pack)

Training: 5

Max Range: Assault

Preferred Range: Assault

Classification: Frontline Soldier

Propelled by jump packs and wielding powerful slug rifles, Legionaries are the Cabal's line infantry and the backbone of their military power on the ground. Common Legionary tactics center on the bounding advance - some units attack the target while others close the range or find new firing positions.They are well-disciplined, although they seem to only know one tactic: “Slow Advance”... Sadly for any opponent, they’re really good at that.

Name: Phalanx

Weapon Type: Explosive Machine Gun (Slug Rifle)

Armor Type: Power Armor and ‘Power Shield’

Mobility: 3

Training: 6

Max Range: Assault

Preferred Range: Assault

Classification: Defensive Frontline Soldier

Phalanx soldiers are nigh identical to a Legionary, but as opposed to a Jetpack to give them mobility they carry massive shields, used for both attack and defense. While this protection is nearly impenetrable, clever opponents can bait the Phalanx into flanking positions, or sneak shots around the shield. The shield itself is built to the same spec as Cabal hull plating, and this tactical shield is nearly indestructible to conventional weapons. It has integrated sensors that relay information not only to the shield bearer but also the Cabal battle network, allowing nearby units to coordinate more effectively.

Name: Centurion

Weapon Type: Explosive Machine Gun (Slug Rifle)

Armor Type: Power Armor

Mobility: 3 (6 with Jetpack)

Training: 6

Max Range: Assault

Preferred Range: Assault

Classification: Commanding Officer

Centurions are tactically intelligent, highly skilled field commanders. Their armor boasts a formidable array of combat electronics and deployable munitions, such as small deployable rockets. Centurions serve as the guiding force in any assault, although killing them does little to affect Cabal morale or efficiency.

How big are these guys you ask? Well….

Meep. (And Titans are around 7 feet in height, give or take)

Name: Colossus

Weapon Type: Explosive Gatling Gun (Heavy Slug Thrower) and Rocket Pads from Backpack

Armor Type: Heavy Power Armor

Mobility: 3

Training: 6

Max Range: Assault

Preferred Range: Assault

Classification: Infantry So Heavy and Destructive it would be a f**kin' Armor unit to some factions

Towering over already enormous Cabal at a staggering 15 feet (give or take), Collossi are equipped with rapid-firing heavy weapons and nearly impenetrable armor, the Colossus is the most devastating heavy infantry unit in the Cabal order of battle. Where a Colossus stands, all others fall.

Name: Psion

Weapon Type: Explosive Machine Gun (Projection Rifle)

Armor Type: Light Armor (Higher ranked Psions come with Energy Shields)

Mobility: 5

Training: 5

Max Range: Assault

Preferred Range: Assault

Classification: Scout, Infantry and Support

Psions are smaller than all other Cabal morphs, and may be an unrelated species. Hyper-intelligent, fast and unpredictable, they possess strong psionic capabilities - including the ability to emit disorienting and deadly psychokinetic Arc blasts.

Type of Aircraft:  Gunship

Purpose of Aircraft:  Rapid insertion, dropship, Resupply

Classification: Troop Carrier

The blocky, dull exterior of the Cabal Harvester belies the grace and power with which they maneuver. Guardians have described them dropping in aggressively from low orbit with a deafening boom, kicking up dust storms and swooping through the silent skyscrapers of Mars' dead cities. Harvesters often remain on station after deploying Cabal troops, providing support fire with their turrets.

Armor Type:  Heavy

Type of Support:  Scout and Harassment

Classification: Cabal Mini-tank

What Bonus do they give?: Recon, Defense and Light Cavalry

Though they lack the speed of a Fallen Pike, and their unwieldy shape cannot match the maneuverability of a Guardian's Sparrow, the Cabal Interceptor more than makes up for both shortcomings with firepower - a pair of low-velocity, high-yield anti-personnel/anti-armor cannons on articulated mounts.

Powered by a variant of the same boosters used in infantry jump jets and the massive Goliath tanks, Interceptors skate over the dunes of Mars, keeping close watch on the Cabal Exclusion Zone.

Weapon Type:  Energy Cannons (2), Machine Guns/Slug Rifle Turrets (3) and Energy Grenades/Mines

Armor Type: Heavy Armor plating

Classification: Heavy Tank

Basic Description: With a few blood-curdling exceptions, the Goliath is the single largest piece of ground-based ordnance the Cabal has deployed in the solar system. These huge armored vehicles sport an incredible arsenal of weapons, tailor-made for massive area denial. The Goliath's main gun is almost certainly capable of engaging spacecraft.

Four massive boosters keep the Goliath mobile. This locomotion system makes the Goliath surprisingly agile, but it is also a weakness. Targeting the boosters should allow a quick mobility kill, rendering the Goliath vulnerable to follow-up attack.

Alright, now that you know what the Cabal have to offer, let’s discuss the various factions of the Cabal!

Sand Eaters

The Cabal formation first and most frequently encountered by Guardians, the Sand Eaters represent the numerical bulk of the Cabal presence on Mars. Their equipment, tactics, and morale all show the weight of a long deployment - but they continue to pursue their objectives with dogged, weary determination.

Dust Eaters

Highly trained and heavily conditioned, Dust Giant soldiers seem to be recruited from veteran Sand Eater infantry. The Cabal order of battle positions them as a mobile reserve and shock force, rolled in to blunt major Vex offensives and reinforce crumbling lines.

Siege Dancers

The Cabal's elite forward unit, the Siege Dancers are deployed into unsecured areas to take control and set up fortifications. Their tactical doctrine allows more freedom to unit commanders - perhaps because their missions face much greater unknowns. Siege Dancer engineers have been observed to compete in demolition challenges. Whether this represents training or a form of recreation is unknown.

Blind Legion

The Cabal presence on Mars is locked in an endless war with the Vex - and at the heart of this war is the Blind Legion. Deployed to defend vital artifacts seized from the Vex, the Legion holds its ground with fanatic zeal.  Blind Legion soldiers brave one of the most thankless, grueling assignments in the Cabal order of battle: descending into buried ruins and black catacombs to sweep for Vex presence.

Somewhere among their forces, the Cabal hide one of their most powerful weapons, the Psion Flayers, the most powerful of all Psions in the Cabal army, although thankfully they are limited to three individuals: Kolar, Numoc and Vatch. The extent of their ability is still uncharted, but Cryptarch studies and Warlock fears have led the Vanguard to classify them as a serious threat.

Many among the Warlock orders believe the Flayers pulled Phobos from its natural orbit, holding it in place, and are waiting for the order to release as a weapon and play the galaxies largest game of Whack-a-Mole, with the Vex being the Mole and Phobos being the Hammer.

And now to discuss their fiercest enemy on the planet Mars:

The Vex

This is the sound of you dying, over and over and over and over.....

The Vex are architects of ancient and complex structures thought to be buried within every celestial body within the Solar System and possibly beyond. They also seem to have a much finer grasp on the concepts of space and time, capable of teleportation anywhere and anywhen. Linked by a network unlike any on Earth and infinitely more advanced than anything known to humanity, they operate in unison, directed by a single unfathomable purpose although it seems that they wish to exist in every single point in time and space- become an algorithm of the universe, and essentially Gods. The 'why' is the unfathomable part of this.

The Vex have a rather small, but still quite powerful, presence on the Red planet and is mainly in subterranean catacombs with mind-bendingly complex Vex installations, or exploring the sand-covered and now-partially submerged cities of Mars.

They are a fierce and cunning foe, with the most advanced technology in the Solar System. They are also rarely surprised, as even the lowliest Vex unit can process simulations of any force through minimal contact, and be completely right... Unless it comes to a fully sapient A.I (best comparison would be Cortana Durandal, of Marathon fame), which are a more tricky thing for them to process on how those would work. But with an organic foe, they will know their every move, personality and actions. Suffice to say, the Vex are the ultimate psychiatrists. To fight them is to fight an opponent that will know your every move and be able to fill in all of gaps through watching and hearing you. To beat them you need either overwhelming fire power or be unpredictable in combat... Thankfully, the Cabal has both, but even that has lead to (at best) a stalemate.

Anyways, let's discuss what these goddamn tin cans have, shall we?

Name: Goblin

Weapon Type: Plasma(?) Weapon (Slap Rifle)

Armor Type: Light metal plating

Mobility: 4 (9 with their 'Blink' ability)

Training: 4

Max Range: Assault

Preferred Range: Assault

Classification: Mass-Produced Infantry

The Goblin is the basic unit in the vast computational network that is the Vex. Shattering the large, fan-shaped head does not seem to cause lasting damage but sends the Goblin into a crackling frenzy. They also have the ability to teleport short distances, beaming in and out in a bright flash of light. They do this mainly as a defensive move, as they are not quite good at close range attacks.

Name: Hobgoblin

Weapon Type: Plasma(?) Weapon (Line Rifle)

Armor Type: Light metal plating

Mobility: 5

Training: 6

Max Range: Sniper

Preferred Range: Sniper

Classification: Mass-Produced Infantry

Specialized for sniping, this lean, tough Vex model is fitted with improved optics and acute sensors in its horns. Like the Goblin, the Hobgoblin contains a milky radiolarian fluid that seemingly powers it.

Attacking a Hobgoblin often triggers a defensive reflex, although it is not the teleportation reflex it's Goblin kin hold. Instead, when it is damaged the Hobgoblin seals itself in a stasis mode (an invincible but temporary energy shield), and waits for help.

Name: Minotaur

Weapon Type: Exotic Particles Gun (Torch Hammer)

Armor Type: Heavy metal plating

Mobility: 5 (9 with the Blink ability)

Training: 6

Max Range: Assault

Preferred Range: Assault

Classification: Heavy Vex infantry and... Architect!?

Minotaurs pack brutal heat, but most of their processing power is devoted to the physics of building massive Vex complexes, suspected to extend through multiple dimensions. Minotaur models are thicker and harder to crack than any other bipedal Vex, and they use their teleportation capability aggressively.

Name: Harpy

Weapon Type: Bolts of energy

Armor Type: Light metal plating

Mobility: 9

Training: 4

Max Range: Assault

Preferred Range: Assault

Classification: Vex aerial unit and harassment

The fastest and most mobile Vex, the Harpy is an airborne unit often deployed in flocks on patrols and scouting missions. They must stop and stabilize before attacking, and also fire from the red eye piece, meaning they must stop and open their shell to use their weapon, and is their prime weakness.

Name: Hydra

Weapon Type: Exotic Particles Gun(s) (Torch Hammers)

Armor Type: Heavy metal plating and indestructible energy shield (Only protects the front of the Hydra, sides and back are unshielded)

Mobility: 9 (Although is very slow)

Training: 8

Max Range: Assault

Preferred Range: Assault

Classification: Vex command unit, rarely seen

The Hydra is a miniature fortress. Despite its physical slowness, it is a rapid processor of the data fed to it by other Vex, and what it lacks in mobility it makes up for in impregnable defenses and rock-melting firepower.

Name of Defense: Cyclops
Type: Anti-infantry primarily

The Cyclops is a huge, stationary Vex construct with a powerful Void weapon. Guardians think of Cyclops as gun platforms - batteries installed to protect key points with devastating mortar fire. But some evidence suggests that the Cyclops is in fact an enormous sensor or beacon, and that its weapons capabilities are secondary. What the Cyclops senses remains unknown, although its mind core is vast. It may play a role in the Vex networked intelligence, or in navigation across space and time.

A damaged Cyclops can be forced into a state of punch-drunk confusion, its inputs overwhelmed by hostile fire. This can result in fratricidal kills on other Vex units.

And now to speak of the factions of Vex on Mars: Only three here, two of which lie in the transdimensional Black Garden.

Virgo Prohibition

Mars is wracked by an ongoing theater-level conflict between the Cabal and a Vex subtype known as the Virgo Prohibition. These aggressive, relentless Vex constantly test the Cabal exclusion zone, apparently heedless of losses. In spite of the Vex onslaught, the Cabal have managed to expand its beachhead and maintain a hold on several mysterious Vex structures, and the Prohibition's tactics seem to be failing in the short run.

But it seems unlikely that an organization with the sheer computational scope of the Vex could be dragged into a losing war of attrition. Is it possible that the Vex are trying to draw out the Cabal strength? Or that their surface losses are a distraction from a deeper strategic ploy? The most likely explanation is a chilling one: The Virgo Prohibition isn't just trying to fight off the Cabal- they're also trying to hold off the Sol Divisive, Vex ensnared by The Darkness and worship it as a God, a trait that was/is/will once more widespread throughout the Vex until Atheon was/is/will be born, and viewed the Darkness as inferior and it's followers incorrect.

Thus, to combat the madness of Sol Divisive, the Virgo Prohibition arrived and also began to fight off the Cabal.

Ikora Rey, psionic and 'leader' of the 'Warlocks' subfaction of the Guardians, has proposed that the Vex units can best be understood as algorithms - each a unique mapping of inputs to behavioral responses. The Virgo Prohibition is simply the wrong algorithm for its environment and largest foe, and its failure will drive the greater Vex network to adapt and improve.

Sol Divisive

Beyond the towering Meridian Bay gate lies the Black Garden, adrift in time and space. And within the Garden dwell the Vex of the Sol Divisive, frozen in rapture. We have precious little insight into the Divisive's behavior. They seem central to Vex actions in the solar system: the Garden is clearly a place of enormous power.

Legends and scant field reports all indicate that the Divisive Vex behave religiously. Why would a hyper-intelligent and time-spanning thought mesh exhibit religious behavior? The answer seems as obvious as it is chilling: if the Vex found worship and devotion more effective than any other behavior, they would adopt worship. Whatever the Vex found in the Garden, it transcends even their power.

And the Vex as a whole are more then a bit annoyed that some Vex have went to this arguably higher power.

The Sol Divisive are also special in their fanaticism: Whereas most Vex slowly trudge to the enemy followed by a Blink jump, the warriors of Sol Divisive charge into the fray, cutting down their enemies. Hell, an significant portion of their Goblins are decapitated, putting them in an endless frenzy, and these special Goblins (called Fanatics) literally ooze with Darkness, eating away at the soul and body of their foes, and can't be cured except by the most purest ways ('Good Magic'/Light). Otherwise, dead.

There's a damn good reason the Virgo Prohibition is quarantining these monsters.

Sol Progeny

"To Commander Zavala - My Thoughts on Recent Events

Zavala -
How like you to ask me for the bad news, even in this moment of triumph. I've finished going over that Ghost's report.
It is my hypothesis - a hypothesis at best - that the Vex saw the abominable presence at the heart of the Garden as a divine power. I can hear your protest already: how can machines have a god?
The answer is simple. The Vex, for all their voracious intelligence, could not understand or decipher what they found. They searched through all available reactions, and they settled on the course with the greatest payoff...to worship this power, and to remake themselves in its image.
I believe the three Axis Minds found in proximity to the abomination were Vex machines built to serve as vessels for this power: a way to extend its reach across space and time, binding it to the Vex, and the Vex to it. If they had succeeded, I cannot begin to guess what horrors they would have unleashed.
Attend carefully. There is cause for hope. When endangered, the abomination activated these vessels and defended itself. This tells us that it was threatened. Whatever it was, Guardians could harm it.
And it activated only a single vessel at a time. Its strength was limited. Whatever it intended, it was not ready yet.
We must assume the abomination was part of something greater. And we cannot flinch from the terrible, obvious comparison: just as the Traveler acts through us, this power was able to act through its own servants.
Let us be wary. There may be other abominations, and other vessels.
Ikora"

The Sol Progeny is a very small subfaction, three rather extravagantly designed and larger Minotaurs (20 feet, give or take). They are fierce and deadly foes and are the absolute finest the Vex has to offer, augmented by the shadowy powers of The Darkness. If let loose, the Sol Progeny would be quite easily destroyers of armies. Thankfully though, they are only seen protecting the Black Heart in the Black Garden, and the Black Heart can only activate them in sequence.

Also, of small note, is the presence of the Fallen on Mars. Based in Olympus Mons is a detachment of Fallen from the House of Exile, or Shattered House: A selection of exiled and shamed Fallen from the numerous Houses, like the barbaric House of Devils, the arrogant House of Kings, the reclusive and deadly House of Winter or the near extinct House of Wolves.



They don't hold a powerful presence on the world though, and seem to stay mainly at Olympus Mons, which they clutch onto eagerly. Why they're here and why they stay there is anybody's guess...

Also of note, the House of Exile is the most alliance-eager House of the Fallen, and the most savage. Not surprising, as they're based on Earth's Moon, which holds the darkest and deadliest forces in the galaxy...

But that's a tale for a different world.

And now, finally, let us discuss the people present on this world.

Important Individuals

Valus Ta'aurc

From his armored seat of power upon the Grand Imperial Battle Tank, essentially a fortress on tank treads, Valus Ta'aurc has claimed more ground on Mars then any other known Cabal commander. His name is feared throughout Meridian Bay (The Vex stronghold on Mars), and the tread-marks left by his tank have come to signify the expansion of the Cabal's ever-widening Exclusion Zone. He's a Titan of a Colossus (20 feet), and is the most powerful one there is.

Primus Sha'aull

No one knows what fascination the Vex hold for the leader of the Blind Legion, but Primus Sha'aull has put his command at great risk by pushing into lands occupied by the machines, specifically Meridian Bay and the dangerous Gate that lies there. If he and his Legion were able to fully stamp out the Vex guarding the gate, and it's powerful gate lord, they would be able to strike the Black Heart directly, and halt Vex production on Mars permanently...

Bracus Tha'aurn

Bracus Tha'aurn appears remarkable among Cabal Commanders for his interest in the glories of humanities Golden Age, with a good deal of his time not fighting the Vex (On the front lines), but instead diving deep into the abandoned cities of mankind and searching for technology, be it merely aesthetic or something more... Like a Warmind A.I... Given the fact he has also only ever been seen in the company of Psions, the Vanguard (Leading faction of the Guardians) believe he maintains some sort of control over their deployment.

Bracus Tho'ourg

Reports of the one they call Bracus Tho'ourg began in the earliest days of contact with the Cabal, some time in the 24th century. The first Guardians who faced him are long lost, but the legends speak of a powerful commander who secured the Buried City, the then Vex stronghold, with merely a fraction of the Cabal's forces on Mars. If these reports are accurate, they provide clues not only to Tho'ourg's tactical prowess but to the Cabal lifespan.

Prohibitive Mind

Vex Axis Minds are individual Vex hulls that contain local instances of superordinate Vex goal sets. This cryptic phrase means something reasonably simple - the Axis Mind contains a copy of all the information required to pursue a particular objective.

This allows other nearby Vex to focus on their local tasks, leaving global planning to the Axis Mind. Of course, this also introduces a centralized weakness for enemies to target. But the Vex seem to consider the tradeoff worthwhile.

The Prohibitive Mind seems to coordinate Vex action against Cabal positions in Meridian Bay. The current Vex operational plan - to the extent that one can assume the Vex have operational plans - appears to involve an attritional campaign on the surface, supplemented by disruptive use of gates to bypass Cabal hardpoints.

Zydron, Gate Lord

The intelligence we call Zydron seems to exist in a liminal state, stretched between gates in the Vex network. It manifests as a physical being only when called. Moments before Mars was snatched away by the Portal Master, the Vex Network was able to call in the Gate Lord to protect the gate that led to the Black Garden, with the Gate only able to be unlocked by the head of Zydron. And thus it shall stand there vigilantly, and repel any foe foolish enough to try and breach The Gate.

And within the Garden exists foul and treacherous Vex...

Undying Mind

"We are starting to believe that time is home to the Vex, and somewhere in those unmappable voids dwell their undying minds." - Maya Sundaresh, Fragmented Entry 10938, Ishtar Collective Archive

Commander Zavala: And you believe it's different than the others.
Ikora: I know it is.
Cayde-6: Let me guess... Chasing more Vex "minds"?
Ikora: The readings from nearby surges hold no time function. It could quite possibly be resealing the Black Garden back into whatever void it once hid.
Cayde-6: Any more Hidden intel?
Zavala: Negative. Just some old Osiris riddles.
Cayde-6: They are starting to feel like the same thing.
Ikora: We cannot just ignore it. We have to keep the Garden here, among the Light. We are just beginning to match its pathways to this fractured data from the Archive.
Cayde-6: Interesting, undying, huh? What do you suppose they meant by that.
Zavala: I'll alert the Speaker. Let's find out.

Undying Mind is the Axis Mind of the Sol Divisive, and in the original timeline where the Guardians were able to defeat the Black Heart and take control of The Garden (so they could have a more challenging area to perform Crucible, a live-fire training exercise where Guardians fight to the Death and are subsequently revived by their Ghost), and would engage the remaining forces of Sol Divisive against the Guardians in a war of overwhelming numbers: A war that has yet to end. It is a powerful and destructive Hydra, and oozes with the deadly powers of The Darkness, and in the absence of The Black Heart controls the Black Garden completely.

And speaking of the Black Heart,...

The Black Heart

The Black Heart is a fragment of the Darkness that unifies all Vex minds under it's control as one. It is located deep within the Black Garden, a realm outside of normal Time and Space, that the Vex (specifically Sol Divisive) use to manufacture their grand armies, and is fiercely guarded by the Sol Divisive, a very religious programming of Vex who worship the Black Heart as a God.

 Near the Black Heart are three massive Vex who collectively make up a programming called the Sol Progeny: The Eschaton Mind, who represents the future and end of the world; the Imminent Mind, who represents the present at any moment; and the Primeval Mind, who represents the past and the beginning of time. 

These three defenders appear in some type of stasis until struck by the powers of the Black Heart, allowing them to reincarnate as normal Vex and fight off any intruders. The destruction of all three Sol Progenies will result in the destruction of the Black Heart.

---

And there we go, the profile of the Red Planet Mars and the Black Garden: A former city world now struck with fierce sandstorms, enormous dunes, an overly militarized and corrupt race of Rhinoceros aliens, and a Lovecraftian dimension filled with calculative/insane robots that worship a being that is best described as Destruction incarnate, being repelled by calculative robots that defy a literal god, since it's too weak.

Have fun.