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“What they lack in strength, they compensate in strategy. What they lack in tolerance, they compensate in faith. Sapients think they know them and thus judge them for their outline, yet they are as unpredictable as the greatest, most devastating of storms.”
- - Tyraz
The Radeons (Radessic: Radéion - Spode's High Crusaders, plural can be both "Radeon" and "Radeons") are an artificial rodent-like species native to Vendespode, originating from the Intergalactic Rifts but currently inhabiting the Andromeda Galaxy. A prominent and well-known race, they are notable for their advanced technology, unusual biology stemming from their Rades origins, orderly, collectivistic society and their ancient religion which is among the most widespread faiths of the First Gigaquadrant.
For many years, the Radeons have been an important species in Gigaquadrantic politics, having fought along the warriors of the Onuris Alliance in First Xhodocto Wars and subsequent conflicts that followed them. However, this prominence did not come without cost; during the War of Ages, the Radeon species was put to a brink of extinction, slaughtered and scattered across the universe. Because of this, Radeon diasporas can be found in many nations such as the Galactic Empire of Cyrannus, the Draconid Imperium or even the Dominion of the Xhodocto. Currently, however, the Radeons have managed to recover and return to greatness under the guidance of Iovera IX.
History
Planetbound
Vendespode, the first - albeit not the only - homeworld of the Radeon species.
“The Age of Dust: We lived in fear
Of evil darkness that crawled near
Of thorns that bite, of flames that sear.''”
- - Ao-shemaphis Oa, ancient Radeon poet
Being among the oldest spacefaring species that inhabit the modern Gigaquadrant (comparable with the Kicath, the Dracogonarious and some of the Capricyránae), Radeon history is sketchy at best, especially when it comes to their origins. They did not evolve like normal life nor do they owe their existence to divine entities like the Kicath; instead, the Radeons trace their origin to the First Praespero, an ancient lifeseeding machine created by a species of Andromedan precursors known as the Rades. Having been lying deep within the planet inbetween Andromeda and Plazith Rim which is now called Vendespode for countless years, the Praespero became active circa ~180,000 years ago, adapting the 100,000 Radeon fetuses within its vaults for the planet's conditions and then transporting them to the surface, fully grown and with basic knowledge of Rades language and tool usage.
Only having a faint genetic memory of their creators and with little directive to guide them, the Radeons started spreading across the planet, spreading over the great continent of Arion. However, they were not alone on this planet. Vendespode was home to a consciousness of its own, much vaster than the young descendants of the Rades; its plantlife was, in fact, interconnected, self-aware, and above all, hostile towards aliens that had dared to enter its domain. Early periods of Radeon history were thus marred with long wars, both among themselves and against the eldritch, wild things that prowled in the jungle. Victory against this enemy was only achieved after the Radeons had united under a single banner.
It wasn't a Radeon ruler who managed to accomplish such a task, however, but beings from outside the planet. In their endless vigil to maintain their supernatural law, the ascended Isio'Nar noticed the Radeons fighting for survival on their planet, and saw potential. Manipulating the events from afar, they managed to spread certain thoughts, doctrines and philosophies through over the continent, thus setting in motion the events that would lead to the creation of the Divinarium. Over time, the teachings of these prophets, the legendary Al-Khear the First above them all, became unified and turned into a single religious philosophy which is now known as Masaari, as were the kingdoms they now led. With newfound fervour and unified under a banner of faith, the Radeons' Great Enaran Empire marched into battle with the eldritch consciousness of Vendespode. Over several decades, its armies finally managed to splinter the ancient hive mind, sealing the remaining sentient jungles with massive walls of stone and steel.
The destruction of an external foe was not the end to the Radeon struggles, though. As the Enaran Empire expanded and colonised new lands, war gave way to stagnation and corruption. The more the Empire grew in size and advanced in culture and technology, the clearer its incompatibility with the accumulating changes in Radeon society became to the planet's populace. The bloody civil war that started on the continent of Salveron when Enara's extent, opulence and corruption had reached its apex was merely the culmination of this long conflict between the old ways and the new: without any means to resolve it peacefully, the Salveronian terrorists chose war. Declaring the Clericarch of the Enaran Empire, Meleschat Dajalim, a heretic and his clergy tainted beyond redemption, they led a decade-long crusade in which wordly and spiritual causes intertwined into a single, unflinching march that made the very surface of Vendespode shudder with the roars of tanks, the fires of bombardments and the unholy inferno of nuclear strikes. This discordant symphony of destruction which left both factions in ruins was only stopped by the intervention of a third side; Eolania Seranai, now widely appraised as one of the greatest Radeon leaders in history, and her followers, the Deinariim. A child of a Salveronian and an Enaran which admired both but followed neither, compassionate yet merciless, she was proclaimed a messenger of Spode by the common folk, bringing peace and law to the war-ridden land. In the following years, Seranai unified the survivors of the war, aided by her keen political mind and the newly formed Dei'Ar Order (which wasn't afraid to exterminate entire cities if necessary), and was crowned Clericarch thus ushering in a new era for the Radeon species.
The Holy Empire
The Second Praespero is located.
“The Age of Light, arise! We bring
Enlightenment and verity!
Into the endless starless night
We venture with temerity!''”
- - Shio Tainasim, an early Seranaic poet
With social anachronisms of the empires of old eliminated by the new regime, the Holy Empire's culture, technology and science blossomed thanks to Seranai's new socialist market laws and progressive policies, ushering in an all-encompassing social rennaissance unseen since the dawn of Enara. Space was the next frontier. Although early Radeon expedition were met with failure because of Vendespode's location in darkspace (that is, an intergalactic void between Andromeda and Plazith Rim), further experimentation with temporal technology and FTL drives proved successful, and the Holy Empire soon began colonising their home sector, their Rades heritage giving them a head start in development compared to other species that inhabited it. Over time, the Radeons had estabilished themselves as the dominant power in their region of dark space through tenacity, intelligence and of course, faith. Further expansion into so-called star congregations, however, was met with much more problems, both political, economical, and ideological. Not only did the Radeons find a brand new universe ruled civilisations much older than their own, little more than a minnow in an ocean of sharks, they also found things that unraveled the mystery behind their creation, things could shake the very foundation of the core principles of their society...
The first of these things was found in the Milky Way Galaxy, entombed deep within the ancient caves of Sanctuarium. When the first Radeon explorers first descended into the planet's mantle, they were both astonished and consternated; inside was a massive ancient complex filled with billions upon billions of fully grown Radeon bodies fully intact and preserved in temporal fields. When the explorers attempted to investigate the complex, several batches were deactivated; the awakened Radeons seemed to possess some basic survival skills and could even speak in a strange, if archaic, dialect of Radessic. Another such complex was found in the Andromeda Galaxy, on the gas giant moon which is now known as Alkhuse VB. Significantly smaller in size but identical in architecture, it didn't contain any Radeon batches at all; instead, it seemed to be a library of some sort, containing yobibytes of information - most of it undecipherable. The parts that could be translated, however, stated concisely: the Radeons were an artificial species, a project of a species older than stars themselves.
Needless to say, when the news of the discoveries had reached Vendespode, the highest circles of the Radeon society were furious: the foundations of their entire religion were at stake now. Desperate to maintain law, the Conclave and the Clericarch agreed unanimously to keep the information classified, and turned to their allies to ensure that. Soon, several Anointed orders, now known collectively as the Convent of Alkhuse, were dispatched to the two planets, their mission being the research of Rades databases for the good of the Church of Spode - or rather, their masters - as well as the location of other Rades complices.
As conspiracy after conspiracy transpired behind an average Radeon's back, though, the species as whole continued to prosper, expanding into other galaxies and spreading their faith across the Gigaquadrant. The batches on Sanctuarium were eventually released under government jurisdiction (explained as a mutation caused by Sanctuarium energies), eventually becoming a kingroup (see below) in its own right and expanding the Radeon population greatly thus boosting their colonisation efforts (usually hampered by their natural low birthrate). This, however, would not last forever. The devastating War of Ages that shattered the entire universe, hit Radeons the most, destroying their civilisation and scattering them across the Gigaquadrant, splitting them into countless diasporas which had tanked refuge in other nations. The highest-ranked members of the Radeon government and military, Iovera and Tadjamad, led the remains of their people that had not immigrated yet into seclusion on Sanctuarium and exile respectively, erasing any trace of Radeon statehood for a long time.
The Phoenix Reborn
A Radeon oversees an arcology being constructed.
“Hail the Age of Rebirth: yes, we can, yes, we will!
Our destiny calls, and by Spode, we'll fulfill
Its command. Times are grim, and yet still, we won't break
Under storms of calamity. Hers is our fate!”
- - An exempt from the Divinarium anthem
Still, even fallen and disgraced, the Crusaders of Spode refused to simply vanish and give way to other species. As years passed, the Radeon species began reaffirming its strength. After the fall of Tadjamad's military government, the Dei'Ar Theocracy, Sanctuarium remained the only Radeon-majority faction in the Gigaquadrant not subservient to any other civilisation; slowly but steadily, Radeons from other nations as well as from the destroyed Theocracy started to return to her enclave, seeing it as a (as one can guess from the name) sanctuary from persecution they often felt among aliens. Iovera's remnant thus grew and expanded, reclaiming worlds lost during the war. Still, most of the damage could not be repaired: the original territories of the Radeon species were long since gone, destroyed by the wrathful Xhodocto, and they had little military presence to lay claim on territories already within someone's sphere of influence. The only possible solution was to settle in a previously uninhabited sector of space.
Such opportunity did come. After the Xhodocto attacked once more shaking the very foundations of the universe, Iovera decided to do a bold move; while chaos reigned and people died, she laid claim on a large region of space within the Andromeda Galaxy in Segmentum Crepusculum and launched a massive colonial campaign now known as the Twilight Crusade. Through prolonged warfare and political alliances with other Andromedan civilisations, the Radeons managed to achieve legitimacy over these territories; once again they had worlds they could actually call home. Now, Radeons are the leading members of the Divinarium and the Andromedan Galactic Commonwealth, undoubtedly among the most prominent species in the galaxy.
Characteristics
Physiology
If agitated somehow, Radeon eyes begin to glow.
“Goddamn holy rats.”
- - Emperor Fela'thoran
Outwardly, Radeon resemble humanoids, but with rodent-like features and various desert adaptations: rhinarium analogues, large ears adapted for arid environments with sensitive tips (touching them is strictly intimate), rudimentary tails and short claws. Radeon fur is short but very thick, to prevent overheating, and varies in colour greatly depending on the kingroup from the bright yellow of Darkspace Radeons to the dark grey of Tigris Radeons. The only exception is the head, where the hair/fur is usually longer and almost always white in colour. Much like humans, Radeons typically style their hair into various shapes; males typically shave their hair, with the exceptions like Quendor Telnhao being rarities, while females typically tie their hair into ponytails.
By human standards, Radeons are almost supernaturally agile. Since most of their fat is contained in their bloodstream and their metabolism is high they are generally very skinny, and due to the large amount of fascia-like tissues in their bones, they are also highly flexible, capable of performing feats of immense agility that few alien species can match. However, compared to other species, Radeons are also very frail, lacking stamina, physical strength and pain tolerance (although Radeon discipline tends to alleviate the latter). Their non-reliance on physical labour has only made their physical condition worse and as such, Radeons without any mechanical implants are considered weaklings by Andromedan standarts. Despite this, Radeons are fully capable of being dangerous in close combat; many a warrior have dismissed their rat opponents as weaklings only to be beaten by their superior speed and agility. Generally, however, Radeons shy away from using strength, preferring to use their psychic abilities and advanced technology for combat and industry where brute force would be required.
Radeons show sexual dimorphism typical for mammals, with females being more petite and having mammary glands. Although Radeons are somewhat unwilling to provide more information, it is said that they reproduce differently from humans and other similar species, and Essence is involved in the process, both during fertilisation and birth. Females are usually considered to be the dominant gender in Radeon society, with few exceptions, although this sexist behaviour has lessened over time and now both genders are equally respected. Still, the remains of the matriarchal past still remain in Radeon culture and language.
Radeon internal biology is even more complex, courtesy of Rades bioengineering genius. Not entirely organic, all Radeons are essentially cyborgs on a cellular levels, their bodies being hosts to advanced femtobot colonies. Thanks to the materials used in their construction, these femtobots are nearly indistinguishable from their natural counterparts, and appear to be nothing more than strangely-shaped cells to inexperienced scientists. Femtites perform numerous functions in the body. Some of them bolster the immune system of Radeon bodies, purging them of bacteria, virii and cancerous cells at greater efficiency than normal leukocytes. Thanks to this, Radeon lifespan is very long even without technology, although in case a Radeon's femtite colony malfunctions or becomes rampant, (s)he will die quickly unless treated in time.
Radeon femtites are also important for their brain functions. Radeon cranium is larger than that of human, hosting not only the brain but two structures called Riaelai by them. These organs are similar in appearance to sacks of transparent liquid filled with femtites, connected to the main brain. These femtites assume control of certain cognitive functions, particularily related to memory and logic, and as such, increase Radeon intelligence greatly by allowing them to multitask. However, their creativity is slightly impaired as a result; as such, Radeons, while being able to replicate alien designs easily, do not innovate as much as other species do. Radeons are nocturnal creatures, and their eyes are large in order to provide better vision, and can also glow in the dark. The colour of the glow is emotionally triggered, and can change depending on mood.
Radeon bloodstream, skeleton and muscles contain large amounts of aluminium and iron, suitable for inhabitants of a metal-rich planet like Vendespode. This gives their blood and bones a distinct silver sheen, becoming obvious when they bleed. As Radeon organism substitutes femtites for red blood cells, Radeon crystallises upon contact with the air instead of scabbing, turning into a diamond-like structure. These "blood crystals" or netha'daim are important to Radeon culture, and are said to contain a small part of the soul of their owner; it is not uncommon for a Dei'Ar warrior to keep them as mementos.
Kingroups
Although Radeons do not have natural races or subspecies as humans or Zazane do due the artificial nature of their species, they have a similar concept: kingroups. A Radeon's kingroup is usually determined by his/her coat and hair colour (with very slight facial differences), and shows the Praespero from which the Radeon's ancestors originated from. Although some stereotyping exists, intraspecies racism is unheard of in Radeon society.
Abilities & Behaviour
Radeon romance.
“So, essentially, we all wear masks. And only the luckiest ones do not forget there is a face under it.”
Like no other species are the Radeons attuned with Essence, particularily with Elemental energy. It is not limited by mere telekinesis (which all Radeons have): it is part of their life, it shapes them, and they shape it in return. Even the most psychically inept members of their species (save for the Aberrants) are capable of some sort of Essence empathy; they can feel the emotions of those around them and influence them, provided that they are also Radeons or other psychics, while those who are more skilled can read minds (provided that the object of telepathy does not resist heavily) like open books, seeing even the deepest parts of the subconscious. This psychic ability has given the Radeons a unique sense of community, fraternity and devotion no matter what do you feel, its repercussions will be felt by the collective as whole. For a Radeon, all is one, and one is all; this is the cornerstone of their faith as well as of their entire community. Because of this, Radeons typically do not experience personal attachments as strongly and have a strong aversion against egoism, but are also much more conformist than humans: it is very hard for a Radeon to resist ostracism and rejection and very easy to have her devotion turned into mindless fanaticism. The common stereotypical perception of Radeons as of emotionless, disciplined, stubborn zealots stems from this part of their psyche.
This stereotype is not true: Radeons are fully capable of experiencing emotions and feelings like other species, they merely bottle them up when talking with those outside their comfort zone. This is a psychological effect: to prevent feelings from dominoing and thus causing mass hysteria, a Radeon has to hide them. When talking to loved ones and friends, Radeons are generally much more relaxed; in fact, due to constant emotional repression, they can in fact be quite passionate, provided that they know a person well. Radeons usually bond for life and are almost always monogamous, mostly because they form stronger telepathical bonds during intimate contacts thus forming a quasi-hivemind between lovers. Radeons are also quite fond of pets, their simple, instinct-driven minds soothing their own psyches and providing them some shelter from constant societal stress. Two particular Vendespodian species, the Iolestin and the Trasiqar, are particularily popular.
Not all Radeons have the ability to commune with others, though: there are some who are psychically disconnected, their condition akin to human mental illnesses. These unfortunate Radeons are born without any psychic potential whatsoever, and thus cannot join in the mental consensus that all members of their species partake in, effectively cutting them from most forms of socialisation; some of them actually disrupt psychic communication, making them unbearable to be in one room with, let alone talk to. Such Radeons are known as the Aberrants, and if their condition isn't diagnosed and cured during childhood, they are doomed to live a hapless life, forever separated from the one that is all. Many of these Aberrants eventually flee to pursue the life of freedom, either joining other species like Draconis or Zazane or becoming marginals and criminals.
Individuals
Loyalist
“I hope my new position will give me the chance to at last be free from all this bloody work I had to go through.”
- Name - Jahricveredis Telnhao
- Affiliation - The Divinarium
- Status - Active
War Predictor Jahric is the leader of the Ecclesial Fleet of the Divinarium. Jahric is not very old at Radeon standards, but has seen many things in his relatively short life. He has seen war in all its facets, and has often disagreed with the actions of his superiors. Neverthless, he is still loyal to the Divinarium, not out of fear or blind faith but out of admiration and honor.
During the first stages of the Andromeda War, Jahric was leading the armies of the Divinarium into the war. His actions have helped to create a powerful Radeon-Draconis-Zazane alliance that has managed to reign supreme during the Khaxvis Uprising and the Firestorm, and he survived near-death and came beyond during the Darkest Hour.
After Matheoward defected to Br'klakkon and betrayed the Divinarium, Jahric, as the highest-ranked officer after him, was promoted to a War Predictor. While he is greatly honoured with his title, many also wonder will Jahric repeat his predecessor's fate or not.
“Never again shall the genocide of my people repeat. Never again.”
- Name - Iovera IX
- Affiliation - The Divinarium
- Status - Active
Clericarch Iovera is the current leader of the Divinarium, an ascended Radeon with immense psychic powers. She is also a powerful Isio'Nar.
Back when she was a child, Iovera was fairly notable for her elemental powers, quite strong for a Radeon. Unfortunately, she was not able to control them when she was yopung, resulting in tragic death of her whole family. She was then adopted and lived within a monastery, and then ascended the ecclesial hierarchy of the Radeon society until she became an Exarch. After the Annihilation, she took command of remaining Radeons and led them out of the dark age, forming the modern Divinarium. Charismatic and loved by her subjects, she believes with cold determination that her nation would reign supreme - beneath this, however, she is in fact sweet and loving.
“If fighting is sure to result in victory, then you must fight!”
- Name - Mieo Venoriel
- Affiliation - Andromedan Galactic Commonwealth
- Status - Alive
Venoriel is an officer of the Dei'Ar Order and the Andromedan Galactic Commonwealth, most notable for her participation in the Second Borealis Galactic War.
A stereotypical by-the-book Divinarium commander, Venoriel is loyal, strict, and traditionalist. She sees order as the only way to exist and she will follow military protocols no matter what the situation, a cold force of justice. Her status as a veteran of War of Ages only strengthens her resolve, and the fact that she participated in the defeat of the most powerful force in the whole multiverse makes her quite arrogant.
“In war, peace. In combat, serenity. In blood, salvation.”
- Name - Quendor Telnhao
- Affiliation - Andromedan Galactic Commonwealth
- Status - Active
Quendor takes pride in his family and his heritage. His father is, after all, Jahric Telnhao, one of the most famous Andromeda War heroes and the current War Predictor of Dei'Ar. His mother wasn't just a regular Radeon either, for she, Geroniel Vaenai, was one of the most brilliant minds of the Divinarium and Jahric's chief science officer. It was her demise by Artharon hands during the Second War of Twilight that made Quendor what he is now; he's fierce, determined and merciless. While his obsession with violence and justice was frowned at in his own homeland, the Divinarium, it also made him a valuable asset to the Commonwealth.
After the end of Andromeda War, Quendor was invited to join the Guardians of Light, a new military force meant to protect the young Commonwealth and the galaxy as whole. His first was mission was to act as the protector of an AGC expeditionary vessel sent to Andromeda's wild space, the New Dawn, currently acting as its first officer. During the ship's maiden voyage, Quendor became interested in strange messages which were found by the New Dawn's crew. Messages that might in fact signify that his mother is still alive...
“Oh, what destinies have I seen...”
- Name - Tadjamad Al'theless
- Affiliation - Dei'Ar Theocracy
- Status - Dead
“I regard myself as a soldier, though a soldier of peace.”
- Name - Telfar Au'jahali
- Affiliation - Church of Spode
- Status - Dead
“Wow, you look hot... like the Rades artifact I once found in a lava lake.”
- Name - Thessina Venoriel
- Affiliation - Andromedan Galactic Commonwealth
- Status - Alive
Neutral
- Name - Baptarion Light
- Affiliation - Indoctrinate Collective
- Status - Alive
“This artifact ain't gonna study itself. Besides, you should be thankful I'm the only Radeon here. All the others are dicks.”
Baptarion Light is a Radeon archeologist who lives under the Indoctrinate Collective, and is currently the only Radeon to do so. Formerly a scientist of the Dai'Nar Theocracy, he would be frozen by an artifact at the Borealis galaxy when his expedition was attacked by Wranploer pirates. Baptarion remained frozen for over a decade until he was saved by the Dracogonarious once they colonized the region and rebuilt his body to heal his injuries.
A serious but good-hearted individual, Baptarion is loyal and defensive toward the Indoctrinate Collective who has accepted him as one of their own. He has grown to dislike all other Radeon, believing himself to have been abandoned by them to die in Borealis after he was frozen alive. Baptarion is a very well known figure in Borealis, mainly for his efforts in the Second Borealis Galactic War and his involvement in the Ice Age.
- Name - Emperor's Wrath/Telfinne Au'jahali/Jiha'rana Aunai
- Affiliation - Mornûnendur
- Status - Alive
“Two sides of the same coin.”
Among the enemies of the Empire, there are rumours of a deadly, supernatural warrior coming to claim the lives of those who oppose the will of Tyrómairon where even the unlimited power of the Imperial Military fails, the Emperor's Wrath. These rumours are, in fact, true, and the warrior who carries that title is in reality one of Tyrómairon's deadly acolytes. One, however, is not the best word to describe the Emperor's Wrath, for two minds inhabit this acolyte's body: Jiha'Rana, a former servant of the Dark Lord returned from death to prove herself worthy, and Telfinne, a Radeon warrior of the Deathmarch whose body she possessed. Combining Jiha'Rana's vast psychic powers and Telfinne's warrior prowess, Wrath, while lacking in subtlety, is perhaps one of the most deadly Mornûnenduran acolytes in combat.
- Name - Laurinn Ma'fest
- Affiliation - None
- Status - Alive, descended
“The world of the living no longer comforts me.”
Laurinn Ma'fest was the most powerful Exarch in the Divinarium and second only to Iovera herself - a charismatic and malevolent fanatic seeking to bring the bloody times of Jaharan yet again upon the Radeons. In addition to it, he was also the High Master of Hereticon, the Divinarium's intelligence agency.
A master of deception and manipulation, Ma'fest's plans had nearly come to fruition when Iovera IX was almost killed during the war against the Devourer's Chosen. However, the intervention of Iovera's lover, Tyraz, led to Ma'fest's downfall; now cursed with Descension by Tyraz, Ma'fest has been sent into exile, his current fate unknown.
Traitor
“For us or... against us. Use your choice wisely.”
- Name - Althron Quanai
- Affiliation - The Brotherhood
- Status - Alive
One of Khanjar's closest confidants and his second-in-command, Althron essentially serves as the link between the Brotherhood and its voiceless master. Having abandoned his species for "forgetting their true purpose", Althron and his extremistic followers fought against the Church of Spode and the Masaari Crusade for years, until he was at last killed by a squad of Hereticon agents during the Truce. Decades after his supposed death, however, he has returned somehow, now in service of the Brotherhood and craving vengeance for the Divinarium.
A fanatic at heart, Althron is fiercely loyal to his master Khanjar and is a bane for the Brotherhood's enemies. Despite this, though, he also possesses a gentle side, and is known to be a skilled diplomat, always trying to coerce the enemy to surrender peacefully first. To those fools who refuse to cooperate, however, Althron is merciless, for he is also a warrior of unparallelled skill and prowess and a highly charismatic leader.
- Name - Indricarron the Tormentor
- Affiliation - Dominion of the Xhodocto
- Status - Alive
“Cowards! Fools! I will rip you apart! For the Mistress!”
Indricarron Variel Tarcanite is a former Radeon Archon of the Divinarium and leader of Borealis Radeons. He was initially a powerful warrior and a good commander, until Geltastra tortured and fused his barely living body of with myriads of iron plates, arcane corrupted mechanisms and metal boxes, resulting in him becoming the deadly, hateful cyborg. However, a small original part of Indricarron's spirit still lives within his body, struggling within the corrupted amalgamation of steel and flesh he has become.
Indricarron, in battle, is an extremely deadly opponent. While having little ability to control Entropy, he compensates it for his endurance and power. His left arm was removed and replaced with a large chaingun, while his right arm was corrupted and transformed into a huge metallic claw. Exposure to dark essence warped his body to the point mechanical and organic parts of his bady fused completely, meaning he can generate ammunition for his chaingun and his skin became metallic, making him a very dangerous opponent.
- Name - Geltastra Sheol'rephai
- Affiliation - Dominion of the Xhodocto
- Status - Alive
“The Devourer has granted me a new life and the power of gods...I will bless you all with this fruit, and you will enjoy it. You will bow to my feet and call me mistress...”
Geltastra Sheol'rephai is a former Radeon captain who served in the Church of Spode and Masaari Crusade, famous for her cruelty and zeal for her god. However, after returning from a mission, she found her race destroyed, and lost her faith. Shu'wokerama appeared to her and gave her a new god to praise, and Geltastra joined the Corruptus. An exceptional preacher, Geltastra is highly charismatic while at the same time the most powerful servant in terms of Essence prowness, being a mistress in both entropy and elemental energy.
Geltastra is often described as the most successful of Shu'wokerama's servants and with good reason. Completely devoted to her goals, her efforts have brought the Borealis Galaxy to its knees and have caused tremendous damage to the Andromeda Galaxy. Powerful enough to face Clericarch Iovera up-front and win, Geltastra is not to be understimated.
- Name - Matheoward Alvarie
- Affiliation - Mali'Nar
- Status - Dead
“I only did what was neccessary.”
Matheoward was the supreme general of the Divinarium military, and is said to be the greatest warrior of all Radeons - save for Tadjamad, of course. He was said to be favoured by the Iovera for his campaign of conquest of the Twilight Sector.
Matheoward was a bit bloodthirsty, devoted to the war and nothing else. He was a bit cruel due to it, but despite his love of war and conflict, he could be rational when needed, and he was known as the great strategist. When he was bored, he liked to play board games with his subordinates.
However, during the Andromeda War, Matheoward betrayed the Divinarium for the chance to avenge the Brood of War; his plans did not come to fruition, however, and he was killed in the final battle of the war by Br'klakkon's servant Gratz'kaoz.
Alternative versions
“The paradise kingdom of crystal and glass is gone. Now there are only its shattered remains, born to cut and rip and tear.”
The Holy Empire of the Divinarium and the Radeons were not spared during the terrifying cataclysm that turned the Andromeda Galaxy into living hell in Universe 108466, and much like their closest allies, the Brood of War, their government was destroyed in the chaos, the remains absorbed into the Draconid Imperium. The remaining Radeons are thus a broken people, forced to abandon their old beliefs for the sake of survival. The entire Segmentum Crepusculum is now teeming with Radeon criminal groups, extorting and plundering those less fortunate as they seem fit, ruling over countless pirate fleets, casinos and of course, dens of iniquity (using the species's females' famous attractiveness and psychic abilities). The universe of Dysnomia has played a cruel joke on the Radeons' communal psyche; much like they adopted their faith many years ago, they have now adopted the new world of hate with their usual zeal and fervency, without any remorse.
Still, some Radeons remain loyal to the faiths of old, fighting desperately to restore order to the hopelessly orderless galaxy; mere specks in great darkness, they fight a war they cannot win, and this makes them all the more determined. There are also rumours that the Clericarch survived and escaped into the outer Segmentums with her most loyal followers, where they continue to live in peace. Most dismiss that story as a naive legend...
“There is a light at the end of the tunnel.”
A client species in service of the Gigaquadrantic Hegemony, the Radeons are one of the many species who slave under the iron heel of Uriel Ultanos and his Empire of Dranvamus. Persecuted and treated like second-class citizens like all non-Draconis, they are neverthless considered to be useful by their masters thanks to their intelligence and psychic potential, and are thus often found in higher circles of the Empire's society. Both hated and respected, they form the unseen force that stands behind it and safeguards it; they are the Patriarch's eyes, ears and claws, the Empire's spies, inquisitors, surveillants and assassins. Few species have any liking of the Radeons: those client species that are aware of Dranvamus's goverment structure see them as agents of tyranny and oppression while their Draconis masters are aware of how dangerous they can prove to be if they ever lose control and thus are always watchful of their personal hounds.
Radeons in the Mirror Universe thus find themselves in a tricky situation, constantly walking on a thin line, one of the most influental yet at the same the most oppressed species in the Empire. Because of this, many of them turn to crime, either to fight for equality or simply to escape the constant surveillance of the government. This makes the reputation of the Radeons all the more muddled. The most famous of these Radeon criminals is of course the alluring Eolania Menoraim, the Crime Queen of Dranvamus whose schemes span the entire galaxy.
Quotes
“Our greatest creation! Our worst failure!”
- - Rades
“We aren't perfect, yes, but we're not the zealots we are often though to be either.”
“Goddamn holy rats.”
- - Fela'thoran
“I second that.”
- - Lemmo
“Ah, yes, Radeons. Not that I approve of their beliefs, but they're an... admirable species. Rather tenacious, if single-minded.”
“CONTROL IS OURS.”
- - Isio'Nar
“No. CONTROL WILL BE OURS.”
- - Mali'Nar
“Enigmatic, but sophisticated. Their take on communal habitation ensures a spirit of unity far more solid than is possible among the Draconid Imperium's own nobles. With their intelligence, unity and zeal, they posses some advantages over even my own people. It is this mix that makes them an integral part of Andromedan society, the galaxy would be difficult to imagine without them.”
- - Parag'avatus Uriel Ultanos
“I'm not quite sure why we don't like them. There's nothing wrong with them...in my opinion anyway.”
- - Agent Zeta
“It is a testament to the admirable strength of will of the Radeon people that they have weathered each storm that the universe threw at them, no matter how devastating.”
- - Apollo
“I need 20 cc's of rat poison. Stat!”
- - Erissare
“Their faith and loyalty to their values is certainly something to be admired. Such unshakable integrity manifests in their truly unshakable resilience.”
“Stupid zealots!”
- - Koluap
“Radeons are a race truly to be respected. Forged by such life-long conflict has produced an emotionally strong race. They may not be the strongest of the body, but they are titans of the mind. I'd be honored to see one in flesh, much less discuss issues with one.”
- - Bisarko
“Stereotypically, cats chase mice...can I chase one?”
- - Lion
“May spode watch over your kind, Radeon.”
- - Alvona, Leader of the Almonarah Anarchate
Gallery
Trivia
- The Radeons' name is completely unrelated to the videocard name, it's merely a coincedence.
- Both in and out of universe, the Radeons are known as Holyrats because of their rodent-like appearance and strong religious beliefs.
- Notably, unlike species like humans or Draconis, Radeons lack a tradition of drinking intoxicating beverages, in part due to their physiology (alcohol does not affect them so strongly), in part due to the conditions of their homeworld, in part due to religious laws. Instead, in order to achieve a state of altered consciousness, Radeons smoke various herbal essences, most of them from the psychic Amalgam plants of Vendespode. The most common essence smoked is draxite, a powdered extract of the flowers of the Tharaqs hunting vine. It interacts with the mental state of a Radeon, blocking their psychic ability and allowing them to enjoy a state of peaceful solitude while also dulling their senses. Other commonly used essences include qaeri, which hastens one's mind and psychic ability, the taelpha that creates a very short telepathic high, as well as the more conventional psychoactive drugs. Those few Radeon cultures that drink intoxicating beverages include Vendespode herbs into them as well: the resulting brew resembles tea more than conventional alcohol.
- Eldar theme serves as the theme for the Radeons as whole.
