The Eloh had been traveling the universe for hundreds of years, openly sharing their knowledge of Logos with any race capable of understanding. But everything changed after their encounter with the Thrax. A warlike and xenophobic race, the Thrax used the Eloh’s gifts of knowledge against them and though the Eloh emerged victorious and the Thrax threat was contained, the damage done to the Eloh society was a wound that would never heal. After the Thrax War, a group led by a charismatic Eloh named Samael, began to question the way the Eloh had been exploring the universe and sharing their knowledge openly with other races. In their opinion, it was a dangerous practice, which was evident based on the way the Thrax used the knowledge they had been given against the Eloh. In their opinion, these less advanced races needed guidance, not full disclosure. They believed the Eloh should only teach them what they deemed worthy for them to learn and then guide their development for the greater good, as defined by them.
They set their philosophy in motion on a planet called Mycon. An industrious people, Sameal and his followers only shared knowledge that increased their productivity, and in return, only asked that they have access to their rich supply of resources. In this way, they created “willing slaves” who willingly submitted to their “benefactors” superiority. Encouraged by the experiment on Mycon, Samael turned his attention back to the Thrax, and began “guiding” them to their true purpose. Through genetic manipulation and mechanical engineering used to enhance their natural aggressive and warlike tendencies, the Thrax were modified to become the perfect Army.
When the Eloh Council learned of Samael’s experiments with the Thrax, a schism based on morality began to form. The Eloh condemned Samael’s actions, while a growing number of the individuals that would ultimately call themselves the Neph, were supportive of what he had done. The Neph, led by Samael, declared war on those who opposed him and with the help of the Thrax, was able to overcome their adversaries and take control of the Eloh homeworld, killing any Eloh that opposed them. Once victory was theirs, the Neph began aggressively pursuing their plans for the universe, one in which they use dominance and subjugation to shape a Universe of order and abundance where “lesser” races exist only to serve their vision.
It is that philosophy that has led to the creation of the Bane Army. The Bane is a collection of creatures, both sentient and not, collected and genetically and/or mechanically altered by the Neph to be part of their ultimate army. It started with the Thrax, but was soon expanded to include any creature that showed promise as a force of destruction or in some way could be exploited to give the Bane an advantage. Some of the most elite Bane forces are included in this briefing. Knowledge is power, so be aware when you encounter them and don’t hesitate to shoot to kill.
Thrax
The Thrax Soldier is the basic fighting force of the Thrax forces who, if they live long enough, might be promoted and bio-enhanced to a higher rank. The Thrax Soldier is generally considered a disposable resource and is dropped onto battlefields in large numbers. As Thrax Soldiers are not engineered for high intelligence, they are not found in roles that would require decision-making. They act primarily as direct attack troops but at most may be found in low-level guard positions.
The Thrax Technician is the ‘intelligent’ branch of the Thrax fighting forces. Technicians perform a number of roles within the Bane army: bio-enhancing conscripts, bioengineering new constructs, leading scientific expeditions, etc. Technicians are bred and bio-enhanced for their intelligence rather than strength, and as such are rarely found without a protective escort of soldiers or conscripts. What Technicians lack in bulk, they make up for with their exceptional Logos abilities.
Thrax Officers are the highest-level of the Bane army below the Neph. Given the Thrax history as a highly predatory, competitive species, to achieve officer status Thrax must be the best-of-the-best. They are the largest, fastest, and strongest of the species. They are also likely bio-enhanced or robotically-enhanced as befits any superior Thrax.
The Bane Linkers are members of the Thrax species that are the most capable in using Logos abilities. Most of their abilities are focused in doing damage as quickly as possible. One of the Linker’s more dangerous abilities is to draw energy from other nearby Linkers doubling or tripling the power of their attacks. It was group of Linkers numbering in the thousands that laid the most devastation on the Eloh home world when the Thrax invaded. It is for this reason that Linkers are somewhat rare as the Bane keep a limit on how many Linkers can be amassed in a given region.
Some Thrax soldiers are trained to Pilot Bane Striders. They are controlled by a single Thrax operator seated in a turret on the top of the Strider’s “head.” Unlike Stalkers, Striders are not robots. They are non-intelligent biomechanical mounts. Although balance and terrain negotiation are minimally handled by the vehicles small “brain,” higher functions are controlled by the operator.
Caretakers
The Bane Caretaker is a creature born and bred to keep the wounded Bane troops on their feet. Vaguely similar to human reptiles, the Caretakers are able to regenerate their health at an alarming rate. When the Bane found out about this property, they tried to use it to their advantage.
A Bane scientist began to experiment with a way for the Caretakers to lend their regenerative properties to other species in times of need. The scientist altered the antibodies of the Caretakers to be proactive and airborne, such that the antibodies will heal whatever genetic code is fed into the Caretakers, creating living, mobile health units.
Hunters/Howlers
The Bane Hunter is a solitary creature who is at home surviving in the wilds. They serve as forward recon troops for the Bane. The Hunter is an expert in trapping and killing foes with gangs of wild creatures. Their knowledge of animal behavior and physiology is unparalleled. What drew the Bane interest to the Hunters was their ferocity and tenacity in battle.
Although the Hunter’s resisted the Bane at first, the soon realized that they would be stronger working with the Bane, rather than fighting against them, they willingly submitted to the Bane assimilation plans to augment their own survivability. They now control packs of Howlers, a dog-like creature that was captured and mechanically enhanced by the Bane to use biological and electric energy to propel their naturally powerful voices. Their jowls have been braced open to encourage their cries (as has intense training by the Bane) which empower the troops around them while at the same time terrorize enemy forces.
Lightbenders
Light Benders developed a unique camouflage mechanism that allowed them to capture and store radiation in their ‘quills.’ The Light Benders can turn this radiation into the visible light spectrum. With the unique movement of their Quills, the Light Benders can bend light around themselves, becoming naked to the visible eye. Their eyesight is very keen, and their eyes eventually are capable of 360 degree movement. Their eyes telescope to view approaching prey from great distances
The Light Benders were the dominant species on their planet before the Bane found their world. With their telescopic vision and camouflage capabilities, the Bane enslaved the Light Benders and made them ‘stealth’ units.