Kainan Wolfe
Shadow of War
- Intent: To expand on the Eternal Empire's order of Force Users with a new piece of equipment
- Image Source: Tom's Prosaic Blog | Activision | Killzone Series (Some banner elements) | Myself (Banners)
- Canon Link: N/A
- Primary Source: N/A
- Manufacturer: Wardens of the Shroud (Each Warden crafts his/her own set of armor)
- Affiliation: Closed-Market | Wardens of the Shroud (Eternal Empire)
- Model: Aegis of the Watch
- Modularity: Yes. Each suit is hand-crafted, as such components and features can be swapped out
Production: Limited
- Material:
- Shell Spider Silk
- Nightshadow
- Phrik
- Classification: Multipurpose
- Weight: Average
- Resistances:
- Kinetic: Low
- Lightsabers: High
- Other: Sonic: Very Low | EMP/ION: Very Low | Elemental: Average | Toxic/Corrosive: High
- Integrated Comms System: The Aegis of the Watch includes an integrated communications system that allows wearers to stay in touch even over long distances
- Voice Alteration Device: Designed to conceal the wearer's identity, each Aegis of the Watch is outfitted with a voice alteration device
- Nightvision Optics: The helmet is outfitted with an optical system which, when activated, enhances visibility in low-light conditions
- Handcrafted: As part of their initiation and training, each Warden constructs his/her own suit of armor from scratch. As such, despite a common visual theme, each suit is unique and has a number of differences
- Lightsaber Resistant: Constructed out of segmented Phrik plates, the helmet, chestpiece, pauldrons, vambraces and shin guards are resistant against lightsabers, although gaps in the armor leave vulnerable spots which can be exploited
- Stealthy: Each Aegis of the Watch is designed to conceal and hide the wearer's identity and as such, it is outfitted with a voice alteration device and the Phrik plates are coated in Nightshadow, reducing the suit's sensor footprint, although not negating it completely
- Resilient: Essentially a sealed unit, each Aegis of the Watch is resistant to toxic gases and corrosive agents and due to the Shell Spider Silk cloth of the coat, the armor offers increased protection against blasters, although gaps in protection exist at the front, where the wearer is supposed to protect himself with the use of a lightsaber
- Nightvision Optics: Integrated into the helmet is a set of optics equipment which gives the wearer improved visibility in low-light conditions
- Low Kinetic Protection: Crafted out of light materials and segmented plating, the Aegis of the Watch is not very good at absorbing kinetic impacts, which are transmitted directly into the wearer's body, rather than being distributed across the armor, as is the case with solid plate designs, despite the usage of Phrik in the manufacture
- Vulnerable to Sonic Weapons: A sealed suit, sonic waves will reverberate across the Aegis of the Watch upon impact, rather than be dissipated into the surrounding atmosphere
- Vulnerable Electronics: The Aegis of the Watch incorporates several electronic systems such as the nightvision optics, voice altering device, comms system and rebreather unit, which can be disabled by EMP/ion weapons
- Imperfect Protection: Constructed out of segmented plates, the suit has several gaps in its protection, especially where the plates meet and at the front, where the wearer is expected to put up a defense using lightsabers. These gaps can be exploited by an opponent to deliver a crippling, or even killing blow
Self-proclaimed successors to the Knights of Zakuul, the Wardens of the Shroud are an enigmatic secret society of Darkside-aligned Force wielders which operates primarily within the Eternal Empire, although their agents have been known to infiltrate other states and organizations across the galaxy.
An informal organization rather than an official state institution, they have a disproportionate amount of influence within the Eternal Imperial politics, with numerous high-ranking state and military officials suspected of being members of the organization, as such they are sometimes considered to be the real power within the Eternal Empire and have been suspected to have exerted some of their influence over Confederate policy and galactic events at large, some examples being the rise of the Ancient Eye and their suspected push for its alliance with the Confederacy, as well as several events surrounding the hunt for Galactic Empire remnants across Confederate space and sometimes beyond.
Secretly dedicated to restoring what they perceive to be the natural order in the galaxy by shackling the Force under their complete control, the Wardens reclusive nature has led them to develop a suit of armor designed to not only offer good protection, but also conceal their identity. The Aegis of the Watch, as it is called, is a distinctive set of armor that is unique to this organization.
Taking a cue from the Knights of Zakuul, each Aegis is handcrafted by the wearer and this process is part of the Initiate's training, taught by their mentors along with the techniques for creating their distinctive black-bladed lightsabers and an Initiate is not considered ready to ascend to the rank of Knight Warden until these items have been completed and they meet the standards required by the organization's traditions. It is unknown who designed this suit and when it was developed, although it must have been early during the organization's history.
Each suit consists of a set of components fashioned from segmented plates of Phrik, augmented with a Phrik helmet and a Shell Spider Silk overcoat which protects the user's sides and back against blaster fire. The helmet contains several technological features, such as a rebreather unit, an integrated comms system, a set of nightvision optics and a voice alteration device to conceal the wearer's identity. Additionally, the Phrik plates are coated in Nightshadow, which reduces the suit's sensor footprint, although not negating it entirely.
The suit comes with several notable drawbacks. Its electronics are highly vulnerable to ion and EMP-type weapons and the suit's design leaves several gaps in protection, mostly at the front in case of blasters, as well as everywhere else in the case of lightsabers, since gaps in the segmented plates can be exploited by a skilled duelist in order to pierce the armor and inflict a potentially killing blow to the user.
Additionally, the flexible, segmented and sealed design also renders it vulnerable to kinetic and sonic weapons, who's impact will reverberate across the armor and will be transmitted directly into the wearer's body, rather than being dissipated across the plating as is the case with solid, one-piece plate designs.
Sporting an easily recognizable white color with gold and black trimming featuring trees and wolf motiffs, these suits certainly attract attention whenever their wearers make a public appearance, while also concealing their identities and thus helping preserve one of the secret society's core tenets: Never share our secrets, or divulge the true nature of our work.
