Enyo Typhos
Control
OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
Intent: Revisit Sio's and Enyo's old stomping ground.
Image Credit: Here.
Canon: N/A.
Links: Gehenna, Birth of Fire, Archangel, Bringing Heaven to Hell, The Final Battle, Bando Gora, She Who Fights Monsters, Siobhan, Firemane.
SETTING INFORMATION
Nexus Name: Caverns of the Damned.
Nexus Alignment: Dark.
Location: Gehenna.
Affiliation: Enyo Typhos, Typhos Clone Family, Archangel.
Size: Medium.
Strength: Strong
Accessibility: The nexus is very difficult to reach. For starters, Gehenna is an extremely remote world. It is also an inhospitable death world characterised by volcanoes and deserts. The surface of the planet is lethal, being trapped below poisonous clouds of sulphur-dioxide and carbon-dioxide. The planet is as volcanically active as Mustafar, with constant eruptions caused by the planet’s large moons passing adds further to the atmosphere. The heat, toxic atmosphere and volcanic eruptions make unprotected exposure suicidal.
Assuming a traveller is able to make it into the cave systems, Sithspawn abominations left behind by the Bando Gora remain a threat. The same applie to Bando Gora remnants, as the dark cultists are a murderous lot. Archangel has taken control of the Nexus grounds and built an outpost on top of it. The machine cult is secretive and does not take kindly to trespassers. It has set up turrets as well as land mines and stationed droid troops to protect its interests. The explorer may also risk getting lost in the caves. However, the Nexus acts like a beacon that seeks to attract Force-users...often to their peril.
Description: A network of subterranean caverns located in the depths of the hellish world of Gehenna. It lies in the centre of what once was the Bando Gora's base of operations. The nexus came into being in what was left of the dark cultists' destroyed base. Ruins and the detritus of war in form of skeletons and wreckage surrounded the place. The place is cursed, haunted by ghosts and populated by Sithspawn abominations such as zombies and technobeasts. Nonetheless, there are resources worth exploiting, such as extensive diamond mines. These, as well as rumours of dark artefacts, do attract explorers. Fittingly, there is also a lava lake.
Many Protectorate soldiers and Bando Gora zealots were consumed by it. Archangel mainly uses droids because they cannot be mentally affected by the nexus. Archangel has constructed a sealed outpost, a place of order in the midst of hell. It is almost exclusively staffed by droids, ranging from simple automatons to HRDs.
NEXUS EFFECTS
Nexus effects include insidious whispers, migraines, visions and hallucinations, vivid dreams of being dragged into hell by abominations and areas of unexplained darkness. Long term exposure can cause madness. Exposure to the nexus can also increase aggression and, in extreme cases, induce a violent bloodlust. The nexus was spawned in fire and blood and seems to try to drag visitors into the same abyss that swallowed those who are trapped here. Visitors may also find themselves mentally revisiting the battlefield, making it difficult for them to discern between dream and reality. The area is haunted by ghosts.
POINTS OF INTEREST
Mine: Deep beneath the surface, diamonds are mined. The Bando Gora used slave labourers, but Archangel utilises mining droids. Thus the sadism of the dark cultists has been replaced with the impersonal, rational production methods of machines. Droids are more efficient than organics and not susceptible to illusions, for the Nexus' power can deceive flesh and blood beings. Organics who venture into the mine are often misled by visions of great riches. The perceptive find the bodies of the lost and damned who died down there. Every gem a bone, every glint a lost soul. The illusions attempt to lure the intrepid miner further and further down, until their greed becomes their undoing. Those who persist may find themselves trapped.
Indeed, the visions may cause the landscape to warp to facilitate this, making the visitor see riches that are not there, making it look like entrances have vanished or disappeared, monsters may be concealed or alternately explorers may see monsters that are not there, in order to push them into a direction the nexus wants. Sometimes rocks may suddenly drop. Transfixed by the bright glint of gems, explorers may end up prey. Should the explorer not be alone, the nexus will try to get the interlopers to turn on each other by appealing to their greed and vanity.
Monument of Vainglory: A defaced, badly damaged statue of Siobhan Kerrigan. In the aftermath of her cleansing purge, some of the Bando Gora splinter groups decided to deify her as The Kerrigan, much like the Yuuzhan Vong had done with Ganner. Thus they erected an enormous monument, depicting her as a triumphant goddess of blood and death trampling over her foes. They brought her offerings to show their devotion. The real Siobhan was extremely disgusted by this and killed cultists when she came across them in the Unknown Regions. When Enyo took over the place, she slaughtered the cultists that still remained and had the statue toppled. Only a broken monument remains. She has also renamed it to something she considers more suitable. As may have become apparent, Enyo really dislikes her template. Thalia has defaced it with graffiti. This has in turn also annoyed Enyo because she considers it puerile.
The Maw: Scans indicate that a large Bothrium Beast similar in nature to the creature unleashed on Oricon millennia ago is dwelling in the depths of the nexus. Abaddon tried to master it, but like the Dread Masters he was only able to control it to a degree and influence its direction, but did not have direct command over it. It uses its tentacles to spread corruption, tainting the land, and exerting control over beasts and people. The Bando Gora sent captives to their deaths to appease the beast. High-yield explosives have been set up by Archangel to kill it if need be.
The Well of Souls: Here the souls of the dead congregate. The creation of the nexus has left many of those that perished in the fight incapable of moving on. They curse those who left them to their fate. The well encompasses a cavern marked by the signs of war. In places it can be as simple as a corroding piece of metal or a blaster mark in a wall. Elsewhere though rusted wreckage lies, and the bones of beasts bred by the Bando Gora have been left where they lay. What is most notable though is the psychic turmoil left imprinted on the Force. Though not much is visible to the eye, through the Force spectral sounds can be heard, the occasional glimpse of the fallen engaged in their final battle. Some spirits have held on to their sanity, many have been driven mad by desperation. Should a Force-user try to feed on or dominate them, they might be afflicted by visions of what the spirits have seen and endured. However, the spirits themselves may try to possess an interloper to escape or otherwise lead them to their ruin.
The Brazen Throne: A throne of carved brass atop a mountain of skulls and bones. Once Abaddon sat upon it. The macabre trophies, as well as the throne itself, have been alchemised to ensure they withstand the test of time. This probably ensured the structure remained when the inner sanctum was breached and the ceiling came crashing down. The ground it stands upon is now surrounded by lava. If one gets close, one can hear the beguiling voice of the dead Dark Master. One may also hear the lament of slaves who were sacrificed by him. Those who actually sit upon the throne will be exposed to a powerful wave of Force Insanity.
Ironically, Abaddon himself is imprisoned here. The throne was imbued with his essence and so he managed to bind his spirit to it when his body was consumed by lava. As a result, the Dark Master's spirit is trapped in a state of limbo, not truly dead, but also not alive either. Forced to bear witness to the desolation of his kingdom until he either finds a way to return to flesh or someone banishes his spirit for good. Needless to say, Abaddon is determined to regain a body and will use his powers of manipulation to try and and compel interlopers. His confinement has driven him more than a little mad.
Gehenna Service Outpost 2 - GSO2: Enyo's clone siblings call it Hellmouth Compound, much to her annoyance. Set up by Archangel some time before Enyo's birth. Located in an old Bando Gora production facility. Here the Bando Gora used to produce their drugs and Reavers. Archangel has introduced 'rational' managerial methods. Causing pain and suffering is ineffective and inefficient. Sedation and euthanisation makes more sense, and droids are more reliable than emotional organics. The walls and doors are lined with Voidstone. Archangel uses the outpost to observe the nexus, carry out its mining activities and conduct research. The facility is run by HRDs. It features a processing machine to 'upgrade' the damned. To dispose of the waste, they just need to dump the bodies outside the caves where they burn up. An auto-turret network and sonic projectors have been set up to deter intruders and traps have been laid. It is staffed almost exclusively by droids. A transmitter/monitor station has been set up outside the caves. This station is protected by a heat resistant dome camouflaged to look like the mountain.
HISTORICAL INFORMATION
"Sweet sister, these Bando Gora were barely sentient savages. Simply repulsive. But some of the relics they left behind may be of use to those with more vision. And this is a nexus of power. Imagine the potential..."
"It is a sword without a hilt. And unearned power breeds weakness."
- Valerian and Enyo.
Gehenna is a hellish world on many levels. Being trapped beneath poisonous clouds, the planet itself is lethal. Moreover, it is a volcanic hothouse. Finally, it was the homeworld of the Bando Gora, a depraved and sadistic cult of Chaos worshippers. The planet was originally discovered by Emperor Palpatine shortly after he came to power. The Empire chose the planet as a base due to its remote location and hellish environment. It was an ideal place for a subterranean prison facility, as life outside the base was impossible. Attempts to construct a surface facility were impossible, so the natural cave systems and volcanic tubes were used instead.
The base, named Calvary Depot, was used as one of the Empire’s lesser known research facilities for almost twenty years. Various atrocities and horrors doubtless occurred there, but since it was small in scope it was largely overlooked. After the death of the Emperor at Endor, the base was abandoned due to the proximity of rebel forces, and the Empire’s need for any sort of troops.
Thus the planet was almost abandoned until it was rediscovered by the Bando Gora. This dark side cult had caused some havoc prior to the Clone Wars before being largely wiped out by Jango Fett and Count Dooku. However, some survived the purge, and went underground. One of the cultists, a former Imperial Inquisitor whose name is lost to history, assumed control. Taking the name Abaddon, he declared himself the emissary of the dark gods.
The atrocities that had been committed by the Empire had already left its mark, but it was Abaddon whose efforts would ultimately lead to the creation of the nexus. In order to unlock the secret of eternal life, he committed manifold atrocities. Dark sorcery, blood sacrifices and bargains with eldritch entities were part of his experiments. Though he did not gain true immortality, he did not die and soon became an object of worship for his cultists.
When the Gulag Virus came to Gehenna, he used his sorcery to turn dying cultists into the first Reavers. These twisted abominations were created were created where the nexus lies today. Many perished, but some arose again. Abaddon sent his followers out into the stars to spread terror and misery. In time, his cult clashed with the fledgling Omega Protectorate, which sought to bring order to the rim. Protectorate forces clashed with the Bando Gora in many battles. To an extent, the threat posed by the barbaric cult were also a useful excuse to justify Protectorate imperialist expansionism.
Nemesis came to Gehenna during the term of Lady Protector Tegaea Alcori. Her wife Exarch Siobhan Kerrigan led a Protectorate battlegroup to cleanse the planet and destroy the Bando Gora. However, the battle was a bloody one. The Bando Gora deployed hordes of cultists, Sithspawn and war engines powered by alchemy. Protectorate forces had to fight their way from the surface through the caves. Casualties were very high on both sides. Driven to desperation, the Bando Gora sorcerers conducted dark rituals to raise undead servitors and demons to stem the tide, sacrificing countless prisoners.
Ultimately, Siobhan confronted Abaddon and faced him in a duel. The Dark Master had amped himself up by feasting on the life force of slaves and cultists whom he considered faithless. The fight between the two caused part of the ceiling to cave in. The result was cataclysmic. Part of the ground was torn asunder. Soldiers who could not flee in time were buried in the cave or fell into the lava beneath them. Siobhan herself almost fell into the pit, but was saved by Maelion Liates. Abaddon was not so fortunate and perished. The Bando Gora facilities and temples were left in ruins.
The Protectorate had won and defeated the Bando Gora, but at a staggering cost. 18,437 Protectorate soldiers had been killed or were missing in action, 16,411 had been wounded. And that was just the land battle. Add in a further 9,146 lost in space, and this single day had been the bloodiest the Protectorate had ever known. Five years ago it would have been more employees than the then Omega Pyre had employed.
The mass deaths caused by the battle were the catalyst of the creation of the nexus. The Protectorate lacked the means to eradicate it. They only had few Masters strong in the Light and in any case were soon distracted by other issues, such as conflict with their neighbours. Under subsequent administrations, Gehenna remained under Protectorate control, but it could never truly be tamed, though Firemane launched a campaign to terraform the planet. Unfortunately, the Netherworld Event interrupted their efforts.
The Bando Gora cult would experience a resurgence, as splinter groups periodically arose. Ironically, some of them worshipped Siobhan as a Chaos Goddess. Firemane purged a local splinter group, but could not establish a lasting presence. Firemane soldiers and workers who strayed too far away often went missing or came back mad. However, other parties took an interest in Gehenna.
One of them was Archangel. Founded by Maelion and her colleague Moira Skaldi, the machine cult decided that Gehenna was the perfect place for a clandestine base. They could exploit its diamonds and use the planet as a testing facility for science projects. Being droids, they did not quite understand how the Force worked and in any case were not affected by the nexus. Thus they happened to set up a base on top of it. Conveniently Archangel only employed droids.
They became aware of the nexus when they sent Enyo Typhos and Phaedra Amarayllis to be trained there by Talsir Vanaeth, a rogue Eldorai. Broken war machines and skeletons were not the only thing the battle had left behind. Many of the spirits of the dead were also trapped in the caves. Unable to move on, most of them had been driven mad by their imprisonment. At Talsir's direction, Enyo and Phaedra consumed a few of them. Later, Enyo and Maelion also came across a tentacled abomination that was found to be reminiscent of a Lotek'k. To harden herself, Enyo was exposed to the nexus. It was supposed to feed her hatred against Siobhan, her template. Her final test, a duel with Talsir after being abandoned in the wastes, took place her. The young clone managed to overcome her trials, but what she had seen and experienced cast a shadow over her.
Eventually Enyo rebelled against her creators and took control of Archangel. Thus Gehenna Service Outpost 2 came under her control. She had to clear out abominations and dark spirits that had overrun the area while Archangel's attention was focused elsewhere. The grim Cyborg decided to continue operations. Mindful of the fact that the psychic energies of the nexus made it dangerous to most organic beings, she decided to continue Archangel's policy of staffing the outpost with droids.
The existence of the nexus remained a closely guarded secret in her syndicate. When a group of acolytes learned of its location and tried to infiltrate it in order to harness its power, Enyo had them executed and let Gehenna's merciless heat take care of the waste. In more ways than she would care to admit, her mind works similar to that of a machine. As a result, she is dubious about sorcery or trying to harness the nexus, viewing it as unreliable.
The Cyborg views obtaining power through trinkets rather than through one's own effort and the sacrifice that this entails as a sign of weakness. However, she sees the place and its horrors as a good way to test select acolytes. Her clone 'brother' Valerian, while contemptuous of the Bando Gora, has taken an interest in the place and the cultists' occult research. However, Enyo restricts access and does not let her siblings visit the nexus without supervision.
Approved!