| The clash between the Imperial Knights known as the Blood Eagles and the Children of the
Phoenix takes place. The conflict fractures the Children as groups break away to form their own
tribes. This event becomes known as the Splintering. |
| One of the largest tribes to come from the Splintering is the Order of the Dragon. A
disciplined and enlightened group of wise warriors the Order of Dragon follows its leaders into
battle against the other splintered tribes. With fierce skill and growing numbers the Order
claims a large portion of Phoenix space for their own. |
All the planets of this section of space are diverse and beautiful but none's beauty equals
that of Fenecia, new home world of the Order of the Dragon.
A Council of Elders is named to govern over the planets, one elder for each planet of the system.
The size and beauty of the Order's territory becomes the envy of all the other tribes and soon
after settling their borders are attacked fiercely from all directions.
The battles are long and hard fought but the Order manages to defend every one of their planets
with the same skill with which they had claimed them. After years of battle the invading tribes
cease their attacks and give up on any thoughts of conquering the Order of the Dragon. Left in
peace, the Order is able to thrive and grow within its borders. |
Centuries of peace has passed and the Order of the Dragon still lives within its borders.
The four great tribes, the Sword, the Eagle, the Wolf, and the Phoenix, too concerned with their
own wars, ignore the Order entirely. None of the lesser tribes have the strength to topple the
Order and those who try are crushed in their attempt. The Order, content with the beauty of their
planets, does not bother to expand its spacious borders.
Throughout the past centuries of peace the Order has grown to be the most civilized of the
tribes. Its borders remaining constant, with no need to part from its worlds like the other
nomadic tribes, the Order's planets become populated by great cities of overwhelming beauty.
With the exception of the fiercely defended border worlds, its planets begin to seem more and
more like the Terra their ancestors left so long ago, none more beautiful then Fenecia. |
But at the end of this time of peace not all is well within the Order of the Dragon. The many
civilian populated planets, or inner planets as they had come to be called, have begun to quarrel
and dispute fiercely over a number of topics.
While some planets argue over which is greatest in culture and beauty others argue that certain
planets receive higher favor from the Council of Elders and that their planet is being robbed of
their resources. Some planets accuse others of holding the goods of their harvests for themselves
rather than submitting them to be spread amongst the planet, as is the custom, while some planets
accuse others of sabotaging their harvests. Civil unrest is beginning to rise in the peaceful
system of the Order of the Dragon. |
Throughout the past few years the unrest between the inner planets has only grown. Despite
numerous efforts by the Council of elders to dispel the different planets' aggression, the Order
of the Dragon now teeters on the brink of civil war.
Planets amass their own personal armies, each fearing attack from their neighbors. On the 12th
day of the 4th month of the year 3846, Corist Starhammer, highly respected elder of the inner
planet Tamrif, is found murdered, suffocated in his sleep. While the assassin is not caught,
Tamrif immediately accuses the planet Remis, whom they had held numerous disagreements with in
the past month, of the crime and one week after the death of the elder the planets' two armies
go to war.
This conflict ignites other conflicts in a chain reaction and soon all of the inner planets, save
the great capital Fenecia, home of the Council of the Elders, are at war. While the four great
tribes continue to ignore the Order of the Dragon, the lesser tribes see the war as a sign of
weakness and remount their assaults upon the border planets.
The border planets soon find themselves once again under assault from all directions with no
support from Fenecia or the inner planets, protecting against a fierce offensive when what they
defend is in itself a tempest of war. While the border planets succeed in fending off the
assaults and holding their ground, without cooperation with the inner planets for supplies and
reinforcements they realize their efforts are futile.
The Council finds itself encompassed in war; war that threatens to destroy all the Order of the
Dragon had accomplished throughout the past centuries. Realizing they must put a stop to the war
of the inner planets, the Council releases a large number of soldiers from the great army of
Fenecia to gently subdue the other armies.
The inner planets consider this action an attempt to suppress and enslave them. Amongst
fighting themselves the inner planets now assault Fenecia in what seems to be almost a combine
effort.
Fenecia easily defends itself from their combined efforts but the attacks put a cease to the
effort to subdue the war. Now the entire Order of the Dragon is truly engulfed in civil war. |
A year of war, now known as the war of the Dragon's Bane, has passed and the Order of the
Dragon is falling apart.
Many of the great cities have been burnt to ash by the fires of war and hundreds of thousands of
brave tribesman have met death at the hands of their brothers. The border worlds have held their
ground bravely but their inevitable fall to the lesser tribes is not far. Fenecia, once hoping to
stop the fighting, now finds itself defending on all fronts as the inner planets continue to view
it as the enemy for its attempt.
The Council of Elders seeks desperately for a solution but finds itself powerless to the blind
rage of the inner planets, unable to aid the border planets in their fight.
As the Council contemplates their fate and the fate of the once proud tribe they are confronted
by a mysterious being that calls itself the Overlord. The Overlord, a mysterious being from a
region of space unexplored by any tribe, communicates with the Council only through long distance
transmissions. He claims to have observed the grief of the Order of the Dragon throughout the
past year and offers his assistance to subdue the raging armies of the inner planets as Fenecia
had once tried. The council dislikes the idea of opening their gates to the unknown power of
the Overlord but realizes if things continue as they are the Order of the Dragon will soon be
extinct.
Without any other evident option, the Council reluctantly accepts the Overlord's offer. |
Less than twenty-four hours after accepting the offer, hundreds of dark dropships enter the
Order of the Dragons space from the uncharted galaxy of the Overlord. An army of soldiers in
black armor, not unlike the Hoplite armor of the tribes, attacks the warring armies of the inner
planets. With almost robot like efficiency the soldiers of the Overlord set about to subduing
the fierce armies as gently as possible. Within two months the inner planets armies have been
stopped from their own madness with incredibly small casualties.
Peace having returned to the inner planets, much needed supplies and fresh soldiers reach the
border planets and soon the lesser tribes are again defeated in their attempt to take the Order's
territory. The Order of the Dragon has survived the War of the Dragon's Bane, scarred by its
flames but alive.
The Overlord humbly accepts the Council's praise and thanks and turns down any offer of reward.
He informs the council that his soldiers will remain in their territory to act as peacekeepers
until Fenecia has recovered enough to take over. The Council accepts thankfully, relieved to see
their tribe saved from oblivion. |
The inner planets have nearly completely recovered from the war. Fenecia's army is restored
to its former glory and joins the ranks of the Overlords dark soldiers in their role as
peacekeepers.
Oddly enough over the past three years the number of Overlord soldiers has grown to thrice its
original size within the system as the alien dropships came and went with more and more soldiers.
The Council, blinded by its relief and gratitude, do not question this. When the Council sends
word to the Overlord that his help was much appreciated but they are finally ready to take over
as peacekeepers and that his soldiers can leave, no response came to them. |
At least not over the transmissions the Overlord had contacted them through originally.
The response was quick and concise. The dark soldiers of the Overlord turned upon the armies
of the Order of the Dragon.
Within a week the superior numbers and fierce efficiency of the Overlord's soldiers had seized
half of the inner planets. The Overlord gave no explanation; none was needed.
The Council of the Elders immediately realized what was happening and cursed themselves for
having been blinded by trust. The border planets fall next. The brave guardians who had defended
their fortresses against all odds fall quickly to the seemingly endless armies of the Overlord.
Fenecia mounts counter attacks, but the armies are out matched in every aspect by the growing
army of darkness. Pleas for help go out to the other tribes but the centuries of solitude has not
made the Order of the Dragon any friends. The great tribes continued to ignore them and the
lesser tribes have grown to resent them. The lesser tribes now mock the once proud tribe and
leave them to their fate. |
In a year the Overlord's army has seized all of the border planets and almost all of the
inner planets. The Order has fallen to only possessing Fenecia and a small number of planets
nearby. Its armies are outmatched and lie defeated, waiting for the end to come.
The Council of Elders looks to its final resort. A procedure long ago invented by the Order
that had long been cast aside. The procedure was against the firm beliefs of the tribe but in
this time of darkness the Council realized their ethics must be submitted if they were to survive.
The procedure was executed. A procedure to create genetically enhanced soldiers bred for combat.
Soldiers who grew to maturity in minutes not years. The procedure was an amazingly simple one
and in an hours time hundreds of soldiers could be produced, each one superior to the average
warrior in every possible trait. |
The Council of the Elders went to work with the full force of the Order's scientists.
Within a week an army of millions of super soldiers had been raised upon the surface of Fenecia.
They were given the name Order of the Dragon's Talon.
The ever-growing armies of genetic soldiers swarmed the armies of the Overlord, retaking their
space at the same frightening rate they had lost it. The Order of the Dragon cheered for their
champions as the Dragon's Talon cut through the Overlord's army of darkness. The Council of
Elders viewed the progress skeptically, not wanting to be lost in confidence like they had once
been. |
After decades of combat the never-ending armies of the Dragon's Talon and the Overlord have
fought back and forth. Slowly but surely the Dragon's Talon pushes the Overlord's army back from
the inner planets.
The Overlord's armies regroup upon the border planets, allowing the Dragon's Talon and the
civilians of the Order to populate the inner planets. Victory seems to be in sight just as the
Overlord releases his final wrath upon the Order of the Dragon.
Equipped with genocidal weapons the armies of the Overlord mount a final counter attack. Genocidal
weapons are tools of mass destruction that can reduce the populace of a planet to ash within
minutes. Since the first Firetruce use of genocidal weapons have been outlawed amongst the tribes
but the armies of the Overlord do not answer to such laws.
Within hours, like a wave of the apocalypse, the armies of the Overlord wash over the inner
planets, destroying the Dragon's Talon soldiers that populate the planets as well as turning
planets themselves into barren deserts of dust and ash.
Realizing all is lost the Council of the Elders make a grim decision. |
To their knowledge all of their tribe lies dead upon the many worlds they once inhabited.
The elders look to their resources of genetic soldier materials. One sample is left.
Unfortunately the genetic sample is not of full potential and will not be able to create the
perfect soldier that had fueled the Dragons' Talon.
A small tainted sample only enough to create one last soldier who would have to grow to be a
warrior. Before leaving their home planet the Elders create one last soldier, one last child
of the Order of the Dragon.
They name the child Spectre. Taking with them only a sample of Fenecian soil they board a
starship and leave the planet, moments before its destruction. Through some blessing of the
immortals the Elders and their son escape the Overlord unharmed and into the territory of the
Children of the Phoenix. |
he elders look back with heavy hearts as the starship
takes them further and further from their home. The home of their ancestors for nearly five
centuries. Fenecia is lost to them, lost in the darkness of the Overlord. |
In mere moments Spectre has grown to maturity, as all the Dragon Talon soldiers do. Grown
from a tainted sample, Spectre lacks the strength and agility of the former Dragon's Talon, but
has a noble spirit that will never die. The elders place the vial of Fenecian soil in his hands.
They tell him of his roots and of his past.
Of the proud past of the Dragon and its destruction to the Overlord mere hours ago. They tell
him with this vial of soil he will create a New Fenecia from which they will return to their home
and cast out the armies of the Overlord. Once his legions have been destroyed the forces of New
Fenecia shall delve into the unexplored reaches of space, seek out the Overlord and destroy him
once and for all.
Spectre is shown the armor of his tribe, branded with the insignia of the Order of the Dragon.
However this new warrior of the Order of the Dragon's Talon is both arrogant and lacking
experience.
The Elders hope that those who join his side will help him mature into the true warrior he is
destined to become. If they are to succeed in their task then they must seek the help of the
systems truest warriors. |
| And so it is that the Council of the Elders and their final son Spectre search the vast
reaches of tribe space for the warriors that will join their cause. Warriors that will form the Dragon Talon Mercenaries. |
efore Spectre can begin his quest he must first face the tests of the Quomar.
The Order of the Dragon was a proud clan of much valor. One reason their warriors had been so strong and capable was before any tribesmen were allowed to fight they must first pass the sixteen tests of the Quomar. Grueling tests of the body, mind and soul that could tear a man to the limits of life.
The cause of the Quomar is to teach the youth the lessons of humility, courage, loyalty, and honor. Failure to pass all sixteen tests is not an option, for a young man that fails these tests he is given two options. Either take a Kateel, the tribal tool of penance, and end his life or leave the Order in disgrace.
If they choose the Kateel then they are reborn in their sacrifice as a warrior of the Order of the Dragon, their noble sacrifice proving their worth. If they choose exile then they have truly failed the Quomar and are not suitable to be a warrior of the Order of the Dragon.
Through these tests the warriors of the Order of the Dragon became the powerful forces that had defended their borders for so many years. The genetic soldiers that made up the Dragon's Talon were not subjected to these tests due to the urgency of time during their creation.
However if Spectre is to be the final champion he must first be found worthy. Although Spectre is not as strong and as dexterous as most, his noble spirit sees him through each test. Spectre passes the sixteen tests of the Quomar and is granted his Dragon Talon's armor. |
To aid his search for warriors and in order to gain much needed battle experience, Spectre begins hiring himself out to any tribe who requires his services as a soldier.
He joins many campaigns and grows as a warrior becoming more experienced and wise with each passing battle. Still no one joins their cause. |
fter months of searching the Elders and Spectre find themselves upon a rest point on the second moon of a planet within the Diamond Sword territory. They have searched for months in vain and still none have been found willing or worthy to join their cause. In his arrogance and youth Spectre grows inpatient to extract revenge upon the Overlord. |
As the Elders rest within the ship Spectre leaves to go to a small pub connected to the rest point. There he sees an odd couple sitting in a corner of the pub.
One is a young man wearing armor similar to that of Spectre's. Peltast the elders had called it. But unlike his this young mans Peltast armor is stained black all over. His helmet rests on the table in front of him and Spectre sees the man's face, dark blue eyes and a shock of red hair.
The other person is a beautiful female, barely dressed in some kind of prisoners clothing. Spectre eavesdrops upon their conversation and is subjected to a tale of sacrifice and war.
He hears of the death of this man's friend and of the revenge he extracted. He learns of this young man's trials and of his refusal to return to his tribe. In an emotional farewell the women leaves, the young man vowing to see her again.
The soldier, although younger in appearance then Spectre's genetic maturity, seems also to be a battle hardened warrior of great experience. Spectre confronts the young man and asks him if he would like to join his cause, join the Dragon Talon Mercenaries.
Although he is reluctant, without anywhere else to go the young Diamond Sword, FireFro, accepts the offer to aid Spectre and his Elders in their quest and becomes the first Dragon Talon Mercenary after Spectre.
A grunt all his life, FireFro dislikes being looked to for plans or organization but prefers to follow others. Fierce in battle but concise in strategy FireFro is a noble warrior prepared to take on any role and any odds. Good natured and quick to make friends, FireFro gets along with the other good natured members of the Dragon Talon Mercenaries, and even some of the bad natured ones. |
pectre and FireFro joined many war campaigns as mercs for hire as they searched for more people to join their cause. They found little success for some time until they came to a small tavern in a corner of tribes' space known only as the Web, a pub and gathering place for mercenaries where they could come to seek employment.
The two comrades quickly went about the tavern meeting its resident warriors and seeking rumor of mercenaries for hire as well as opportunity for employment. Greatly impressed by the extent of knowledge to be found in this tavern FireFro and Spectre soon found gainful employment with a group independent mercenaries all hired out to a small clan known as the Winds of Flame.
The Wind of Flame tribe was in fierce competition with another tribe known as the SoulBlood tribe and these mercenaries had been hired to assault a nearby moon base of theirs. |
Soon the two warriors found themselves on a drop ship heading down into the orbit of this moon, preparing for a fierce battle. Many mercenaries kept to themselves on the long trip to the enemy base but Spectre could not keep quiet.
It was obvious that these separate mercenaries had no plans to cooperate with one another on this mission and would rather go out upon their own once the time to assault the base came. Spectre knew this would lead to defeat and insisted that they organize a strategy.
The reception to this request was almost non-existent. None of these mercenaries seemed to be listening� save one. |
A veteran warrior in his early twenties came to sit with Spectre and FireFro. "I couldn't help but hear you talking about organizing a plan of attack. I agree with you, these cowboys may not want to admit it but there is no way we can siege this base without a plan," said the stranger.
"Do you have a plan?" asked FireFro intent to hear what the soldier had to suggest.
"Actually yes, I'm familiar with the layout of the base we will be attacking� it's a rather basic design. I think that even with out the cooperation of the others the three of us will be able to sneak in and knock out their generators. I know where to go and what to do, as long as were quick and efficient we can pull this off."
"Great!" said Spectre enthused by the actual showing of teamwork that was forming. "Tell us what we need to know."
Together with the new stranger the three warriors put together a clever plan to infiltrate the SoulBlood base and capture their generator room. With skillful precision and fierce fighting the three were successful and the siege was a success. |
| The next day at the Web tavern the three warriors sat at a table and shared a round of brews to their success, fondly retelling the stories of the attack as well past battles they had been in. When time came for the stranger to leave Spectre finally brought himself to tell him of his mission and of the Dragon Talon Mercenaries he planned to raise. The stranger listened intently and after hearing the story did not wait long to pledge his services to the young Spectre. |
| "It sounds like what I've been looking for all these years," said the stranger with a smile. "The name's Hurricane," he said shaking Spectre's hand. Hurricane is a born leader and skilled warrior. A hero to many of the younger Dragon Talon Mercenaries his head for strategy, pleasant manner, sense of honor and respect for team work makes him the ideal Dragon Talon. As humble as he is skilled Hurricane doesn't accept praise very well but all his comrades hold the highest regard for him. |
pectre, Hurricane and FireFro are upon a cargo ship headed to a planet near the border of Phoenix territory. They have been contracted to help defend a base against a possible Blood Eagle attack.
It is a long trip and to pass away the time Spectre strikes up a conversation with the cargo ship's pilot. The pilot, an older man in his early thirties, is silent and talks little during the trip.
Spectre inquires of the man's involvement in the war of the tribes. The man tells him of how he was once a warrior of the Phoenix and had taken part in the short war between the Phoenix and the Blood Eagle a few years ago.
For his actions in the famous battle of the Lightning Valley he had been quickly promoted to the rank of flame commander but choose rather to retire his armor, not having a taste for any more killing and death. He had spent the past few years running cargo supplies for the Phoenix.
Spectre in turn tells the pilot the tale of is tribe's destruction and the death of his ancestors
to the hand of the Overlord. Perhaps he struck a chord in the retired warrior's heart or perhaps
the man simply felt the cause was a just one, either way Spectre's story ignited something within
the pilot.
Upon reaching the Phoenix base the pilot said he had to finish shipping this last cargo haul but
when he was finished he would seek out Spectre and offer his services as a warrior. Spectre
gladly accepts the man's offer and so it is that Striker joins the growing ranks of the Dragon
Talon Mercenaries.
A serious warrior, Striker's years of experience inspire the younger members of the Dragon Talons
to grow into veterans. |
The Phoenix base the three warriors have been sent to defend is indeed attacked by the Blood Eagle. Fierce bombardments assault the stable fortress as its occupants, mercenary and Phoenix alike, rush to defend. While rushing through the corridors Spectre runs dead into a Blood Eagle Myrmidon.
As he prepares to defend himself he notices the brand of the Phoenix upon the Blood Eagle's armor. It appears whoever this stranger is he is a former Blood Eagle presently employed by the Phoenix.
Spectre departs from the man's company but not for long. With a solid strike to his chest Spectre
is sent flying by the odd Myrmidon, knocked clear of an explosion that would have surely killed
him.
Thanking the stranger Spectre departs once again to help defend the base. However the battle takes turn for the worst and soon the Phoenix forces find themselves rushing to defend.
The base is soon sent upon a self-destruct command and an evacuation is called. |
|
| While the three Dragon Talon Mercenaries escape the fury of the self-destruction the Blood Eagle later captures them. In a holding cell upon the Blood Eagles ship the Dragon Talon Mercenaries meet once again with the stranger who introduces himself as Gangrel. Together the four men organize a revolt amongst the captives and seize control of the poorly defended ship escaping the Blood Eagle by the skin of their teeth. Hurricane and FireFro later confront the stranger and put out their hand in friendship offering him a place with them. Much like any Blood Eagle, Gangrel dislikes Diamond Swords and hates Star Wolves, but his strong sense of honor makes him a trustworthy ally in combat.
Short tempered and easily angered, Gangrel often disagrees with decisions made by others but trusts their sense for battle. Gangrel's short temper is exceeded only by his fierce capability in battle; his killer instinct is one to be feared. |
pectre is defending a Phoenix base upon the borders of the Star Wolf territory. He is alone, the rest of the Dragon Talon Mercenaries spread across the galaxy on various missions. The Children of the Phoenix has rushed to defend its bases, hiring many mercenaries to help fill its ranks. The base Spectre has been posted to is soon struck hard by the Wolf. During the attack Spectre finds himself upon the roof of the base repairing a mutilated solar panel when an exploding disk sends him to the ground.
He rises to see two unmarred and well-equipped Wolf Peltasts descending upon him. Through the pain of the explosion he reaches for his chaingun preparing for what could be the end. Just as the Peltasts raise their weapons to strike, a thud shakes the roof of the base as a Myrmidon lands grabbing all three men's attention. The two Peltasts react quickly but not quick enough. They fall to the Myrmidon's plasma cannon, screaming and firing their weapons, finding their mark, but failing to penetrate the massive armor. Wordlessly the Myrmidon mercenary repairs Spectre and returns to his post. |
A short hour later the Star Wolf retreats, leaving the base in working condition. The night after the battle the Myrmidon warrior sheds his army and travels to a local city.
The mercenary, seemingly drawn to the seedier area of town, goes to a dank pit of a tavern to try and drink away the most recent images of death and perhaps find some new work. On this night however, trouble has found the mercenary. As the mercenary sinks into a chair with a groan he quickly finds himself confronted by four very irate and very armed men.
The mercenary doesn't recognize them, there being so many people in the world holding grudges with him. He does recognize, perhaps a little too late, the danger they pose as they surround him in the dark, dingy bar he ended up in, in a city he would be hard pressed to name. As the four men spring their trap, the mercenary wheels, drawing his concealed chain gun, and fires, looking for an out he knows isn't there. One man goes down. Suddenly, more gunfire and he notes with a detached surprise that he never feels the bullets hit. Two more men drop.
For a split second, both the mercenary and the fourth and final attacker glance over to see Spectre, guns blazing, washed in a wildly swinging maelstrom of shadow and light as bullet-riddled light fixtures dance in the gun smoke. As the last man turns to face the new threat, Grimjack administers last rites. Once the man's lifeless body hits the ground, silence.
"Friends of yours?" inquires Spectre.
"Don't think so. I don't make a lot of friends," comes the reply.
"You saved my life today, and I wanted to thank you. I'm glad I got the opportunity to return the favor."
The mercenary grunts. "Fine by me pal. But there was no favor involved. I was getting' paid same as you. It's what I do, no more than that."
Spectre looks down at the men bleeding at his boots. "We should get out of here."
"Ya think?" returns the merc sarcastically.
Spectre goes to give a ten credit note to the bar keep but is stopped by the merc."Where you from boy? Keep your money. Mopping up dead scumbags is what HE does. Let's get outta here� I'm buying tonight. By the way, names Grimjack." |
| Grimjack is a typical loner. Silent, generally untrusting of others. He is a middle-aged warrior with years of mercenary experience under his belt. A grizzled veteran, the proposition of joining the Dragon Talon Mercenaries seemed to spark an interest in him. Very capable in battle, if not a little foul mannered. He gets along well with the other Dragon Talon Mercenaries as long as they leave him alone. |
lying in the same ship that had escaped the Overlord, the
Dragon Talon Mercenaries pickup a distress call from a small desolate planet. Once held by the
Star Wolf, the planet had been attacked by the Blood Eagle only a month ago and no communications
or contact had been made since. |
| The distress call came from the remains of the Star Wolf base claiming all ships upon the planet had been destroyed and both Wolf and Eagle forces had been stranded on the planet, warring with each other over the past month.
The Star Wolf had all but fallen and only a small group of warriors remained. The call asked for any help that could be provided. |
| Never turning down a challenge the now six members of the Mercenaries turn the course of their ship to the planet (despite Gangrel's protest to aid a Star Wolf).
Descending upon the planet they find the Star Wolf base under attack by a dozen Blood Eagles in a variety of armor. Their radar picks up only one Star Wolf fighting bravely against impossible odds. The Dragon Talon Mercenaries launch a quick, well-organized attack upon the Blood Eagle forces. Coming up from behind they catch their forces completely by surprise and methodically go about felling each soldier one at a time. In a few short moments victory is theirs. |
| The Mercenaries confront the Star Wolf and ask him exactly what has transpired. The young warrior, who had been a new blood when the entire ordeal had begun, tells his tale.
He had spent the last two days holed up in the fort by himself, getting his equipment from a single portable inventory unit waiting for someone to come to his aid.
Spectre offers the now battle hardened warrior a place in the ranks of the Dragon Talon Mercenaries and he gladly accepts. |
| Lowboy becomes the newest member of the Mercenary group. Stout in stature and young in experience, Lowboy looks to others for orders in a battle. However all orders are executed with precise accuracy and Lowboy quickly gains a reputation for being able to get the job done and defeating overwhelming odds.
Lowboy is a good-natured man who gets along well with all the other mercenaries; even the foul tempered Gangrel and cold Grimjack. |
young man went out in the vastness of tribal space with a small group of friends to forge a name as a mercenary. The friends named themselves the group of Elrond and set about hiring themselves off to various tribes through out space.
For many long years they fought by each other's sides, becoming hardened to the terrors of war, becoming wise to the strategy of battle, becoming worthy of the name of tribesmen. Long they grew together but as they grew they began to grow apart.
After years of battle, of learning and of growing they agreed that it had come time for them to split ways. The young man was separated from his fellow Elrond mercs and they set out to make names for themselves as individuals.
He continued to battle for many months, and had grown into a great warrior that commanded great respect and fear in battle. Many campaigns he won by himself, many times he had seen his forces crumble around him.
Months of hard fought battles, some won and some lost, had gone by. The young man grew more and more reclusive, not having befriended anyone since he split from his friends. He grew wary of the fighting. The small rewards and little recognition sickened him towards the combat and war. The fame of a merc was now clearly an illusion to him. He gave up on trying to make a name for himself and retired to the back planets of the smaller systems. |
| One day this young warrior came to rest in the Web. The young man was no stranger to this place. He took a seat and stared off at the hustle and bustle around him, memories of the first time he and his friends had come to the Web flooding his memory.
Nostalgia and alcohol soon dampened his system and his mind drifted deeper into memories. His mind was soon jolted back to present time when he noticed a young warrior had taken a seat next to him. |
The young man looked the new comer up and down, suddenly recognizing the emblem upon his armor from numerous posts of battle that had been floating about the Web for the past few months.
"You're Spectre aren't you?"
"Yup. You're Cold Pizza aren't you?"
"Yes."
"I have read of your campaigns with Elrond and of your recent parting with them. Would you consider joining my cause?"
The two warriors talked long into the night but it did not take long to convince Cold Pizza to join the Dragon Talon Mercenaries. Cold Pizza is a very experienced warrior in battle. Months of solitude has left him with a somewhat isolated attitude in battle but his desire for comrades soon opens him up to the rest of the Dragon Talon Mercs. He becomes a good friend to all of the Dragon Talons and becomes an invaluable member of their organization. |
wo small tribes are warring over a small section of an otherwise Blood Eagle dominated galaxy. Their petty squabble is ignored by all, but both tribes fight fiercely, considering the insignificant prize to be a matter of honor. The Night Fox clan has been long established upon the small planet of Bagdemagus, but the Storm Binders tribe is on the verge of victory. The Storm Binders have filled their ranks with leagues of mercenaries in their quest to take the prize and now little stands in their way. |
| Upon the planet surface a squad of hired mercenaries awaits orders from the main Storm Binder force. Amongst these many mercenaries are Spectre, Grimjack, Striker and Lowboy.
The noble Dragon Talon Mercenaries have had a bad taste in their mouth since the campaign began. Little is left of the Night Fox clan when the final orders come. A few civilian populated bases and even fewer military bases. |
| The final order reaches the mercenary squad. "Destroy the civilian base, leave no survivors." Spectre is infuriated by the order. He protests that the civilians are defenseless and should be ignored.
The Dragon Talon Mercenaries seem to be alone in their argument. The more Spectre argues the order, the more the other mercenaries become cross with him. In moments the once organized squad is on the brink of a fight, with the Dragon Talons greatly outnumbered. |
| The battle breaks out. A young Storm Binder Peltast jumps to the Dragon Talons defense. Although greatly outnumbered, with the help of the young Storm Binder the Dragons prevail.
The young man detests the methods of his tribe and had been waiting to leave them. This attack upon civilian bases is the last straw. |
| Spectre, thoroughly impressed by the warrior asks him if he would consider joining the ranks of the Dragon Talon. The young man gives a youthful grin, not hesitating long to accept the offer. He introduces himself as Napoleon. |
| With urgent speed the five Dragon Talon Mercenaries rush to the civilian base in time to help defend it from other Storm Binders. The overwhelming numbers of the Storm Binders eventually destroy the Night Fox tribe, but due to the acts of the noble mercenaries many escape to live their lives elsewhere. |
| Napoleon, a youthful warrior with a light-hearted humor, is a stout warrior, solid in battle with a gift for teaching. He makes it his cause amongst the Dragon Talon Mercenaries to teach others. He soon becomes the teacher of New Bloods and the trainer of young warriors. Napolean is another good-natured mercenary and has come to be known as a joker of the group. His obsession with blunt steel weapons and salted snacks has made him a well-known member of the growing merc group. |
small planet inhabited by a peaceful tribe lay on the outer reach of tribal space. They lived in peace for a great time upon the small planet of Plyrux upon the outskirts of the galaxy. They lived in peace until the juggernaut that is the Blood Eagle clan turned their sight, and their talons upon the small planet. Its destruction was quick and efficient. |
| The few not slain were made prisoner, and the planet was quickly changed into a military camp.
Few escaped the slaughter and those who did were scattered across the cosmos in their escape. |
| One such man however would not take this slaughter lying down. He took on the armor of a warrior tribesman and vowed revenge upon the Blood Eagle. With nowhere else to go this young warrior plunged into the mad world of wars and destruction of the tribes.
He fought along side the Diamond Sword, learning all the brilliance of their battle plans. He learned guerrilla tactics and how to survive the harshest environments from the Starwolf. He trained and fought along side the great warriors of the Children of the Phoenix.
But he was only a vagabond. |
| Wherever the Blood Eagle fought he joined the opposing tribe and taught all the knowledge he had gained from all the great tribes. After a particularly long battle the warrior leaned against his trusty Gyrfalcon when a shadow cast over him. The warrior looked up, drawing his blaster as he rose. |
| A voice rose from the figure standing over him, "We have been watching you for some time now and we have seen how well you taught each tribe you fought with. We would be honored if you would join us and spread your knowledge for a greater cause."
The warrior caught sight of the man's emblem upon his armor. He recognized it from somewhere, a tale that had been spreading across the tribes for the past months. A tale of a warrior and his band of mercenaries swaying the course of battles across tribal space. A warrior named Spectre guiding a force of Dragon Talon Mercenaries. |
| The warrior put down his weapon and answered in the only manner he could think to. A tear forming upon his eye, the first tear he had shed since the destruction of his planet, he said, "I would be honored." |
| And so it was that Platinum joined Spectre and his cause. Platinum is a resourceful warrior, gifted with the knowledge and strengths of a variety of tribes. He has a carefree manner and a joyful personality but is hardened in battle where his mind narrows to nothing other than the business at hand. |
ow that the Dragon Talon Mercenaries have grown to great numbers the mercenaries begin to operate in great organization throughout the various territories. They gain a reputation for efficiency and before long many tribes of all sizes seek to employ them. |
| Sometimes they are spread throughout the galaxy on separate missions, and often they are found gathered in a single, deadly unit. |
| Upon a separate mission to the fringe planets of the Star Wolf territory Spectre stopped at a refueling station to rest for a short time. There he met another warrior of great acclaim. His name was spoken with respect amongst the warriors of the various clans and his allegiance to his tribe was without question. The great warrior had come to the refueling station with his tribe, whom was on their way to partake in a most grim tribal war in the Blood Eagle sector. |
| They spoke for some time while waiting for their ships to be refueled and Spectre came to tell the great warrior of his mission and his heritage.
Intrigued by the quest and impressed by his code and honor the great warrior told Spectre that although he could not leave his tribe, he would gladly be included in his group of mercenaries and would join their campaigns at every possible chance. Grateful for his support Spectre shook Morpheus' hand as they set off on their separate paths. |
| A warrior of great acclaim, Morpheus is respected for his skill as well as his honor and respect for teamwork. Quick witted and quick to strike he becomes a great ally of the Dragon Talon Mercenaries. While the two young warriors did not realize it when first they met, their destinies were locked together by fate before they were even born. |
he beer flowed like rivers in the Web the night the entire number of the Dragon Talon Mercenaries returned from a great victory against the Blood Eagle. Hired by the Children of the Phoenix to take out a rather large base the Dragon Talon Mercenaries didn't expect success in this most dangerous mission.
Greatly outnumbered and with no support from their employers the Merc group took to their task with great efficiency, and despite the grim odds the Dragon Talon's were victorious. This being their first large triumph alone as a single unit Spectre made a speech to his men. |
| He toasted them for their bravery and honor, thanked them for the loyalty and friendship, and assured them that this victory was just a taste of what they would inflict upon the Overlord when they returned to retake their land. Merry cheers and pleasant tidings flowed through the Web tavern all night long. Late into the night a young man who had been watching their party from the corner of the pub for some time approached Spectre. |
| He introduced himself as a young mercenary looking to join with an experienced group. Spectre eyed the man dubiously for a short time. He inquired as of the young man's name. "Baron Zemo" was the response. Spectre recognized the young man. He had been issued a mission to find this man a short time ago.
It appeared he was no true warrior but rather the son of a noble family who had recently ran away in search of an adventurer's life. He told the young man he would have to return him to his family. The young man refused to go back. |
| He told Spectre if he was not good enough to become a Dragon Talon Mercenary that was one thing but he could not force him to return to the life he so greatly despised and had gone to such efforts to escape from.
Spectre took a moment to appraise the situation. A thin smile came to his face. "Very well," he said. "You can accompany us on our quest to restore the glory of Fenecia. Perhaps in time you can grow to become a warrior like the rest of us." |
| Baron Zemo did indeed grow to be one of them. In almost no time at all he becomes a skilled and battle hardened warrior. Content with the mercenary's life he had sought for so long, Baron Zemo is one of the higher spirited warriors in the field, enjoying life for all it has to offer. He helps lighten the foul mood soldiers often fall into and his sharp mind devices many cunning strategies. |
s word of the Dragon Talon Mercenaries spread about the different warriors and space bars more and more warriors came seeking to join their ranks. Many had great potential and few were turned away. The DTM, as it had come to be called, was a power in the universe to be feared and above all else respected. |
| One such warrior who stepped forth was well known by the ranks of DTM. When he came he was welcomed by many that had known him for a long while. He had been away in combat for a long time and was quite surprised to learn of the DTMs presence upon his return� but they seemed to him to be everything he had sought in comrades in all those long years of fighting.
Sickened by years of being forced to fight with pathetic glory hogs and egomaniacs the new group of mercenaries was like a breath of fresh air. He gladly met with Spectre and was in turn gladly accepted. |
| Hurricane, Pizza, and Striker were amongst the first to welcome Hixzen into the ranks of the DTM. Hixzen is a skilled warrior, brilliant technician, and loyal friend. He is already close friends with many of the DTMs when he joins and quickly becomes friends with those he does not know. He quickly becomes one of the boys. |
pectre sat in the company of the elders. Now that the Dragon Talon Mercenaries had set off and were involved in so many battles the Elders rarely traveled with Spectre and preferred instead to remain in the safety of an inn upon a small moon in the Children of the Phoenix territory where they helped to train the more inexperienced members of the Dragon Talons in the way of the warrior as their ancestors had taught the warriors of the Order of the Dragon. |
| This night they spoke of the future of New Fenecia and beginning the search for a new, uninhabited planet to name their new homeland.
Their conversation was interrupted by the sudden intrusion of a rather large warrior dressed in Blood Eagle armor who gently opened the door to the small inn room and stood nervously in the doorway. The man did not seem to be old but his face seemed to be aged beyond its years, perhaps a child made an adult by the horrors of war. |
"Yes?" said Spectre. "Can I help you?"
The young man introduced himself as Helldog; a warrior recently defected from the Blood Eagle. He tells Spectre his tale, he tells him of how he was taken from his home at an early age and drafted in the Blood Eagle against his wishes. He told him of his recent defection and how he had searched the tribes for the man who led the Dragon Talon Mercenaries. |
"It has taken me a long time of searching through merc halls and taverns to find you but now that I have I would like to join you," said the warrior.
Spectre opened his mouth to answer the man but was cut short by one of the elders.
"Is that your dagger young man?" asked the elder, his voice shaking with excitement.
"Umm� no, actually it belonged to my uncle, he was a defender of my home planet which was destroyed a number of years ago, his name was Brimstone. He gave it to my father after we left our home planet to live amongst the Blood Eagle and my father gave it to me. Why do you ask old man?"
The elder took the dagger from the young man. "Do you know what the name of your home planet is� where it was located?"
"No sir� we left our home when I was very young. My father gave me the dagger but he did not have a chance to tell me much of where it came from before I was taken away by the Blood Eagle."
"This is the dagger of an original Warrior of the Order of the Dragon. Your uncle must have been one of the defenders of our old homeland. Ha ha ha� this is marvelous! Do you know what this means Spectre?" |
Spectre did not. All of the Elders were very excited. "It means that you are not the only descendent of our clan� this man is direct blood of the Order of the Dragon."
There was much rejoicing amongst the elders that night, and Helldog was gladly accepted into the ranks of the DTM. |
| Helldog is a stern warrior and a reliable soldier. He was a very active participant of the organization and was involved in many of the greatest battles of the Dragon Talon Mercenaries. |
he entire Dragon Talon Mercenaries were taking some time to rest after their latest campaign. Many of them had gone to their home planets to visit relatives and loved ones. Many of them had gone to peaceful planets to enjoy the momentary peace. |
| Gangrel had stayed at the Web tavern and had gotten plastered. At the stroke of midnight the tavern owners had gone to bed and all the resident patrons of the bar had gone home or had rented a room for the night but Gangrel merely sat in the dark, chin slumped on the bar. |
There was a noise of a door opening at the entrance of the tavern but Gangrel didn't hear it, he was too drunk and too tired.
A tall stranger dressed in the ridged form of Peltast armor entered the room, helmet in hand, weapons in holster. Gangrel heard the heavy clunk of metal boots against the metal floor of the bar� his head rose from the bar and turning in his stool he looked at the stranger. |
"Bars closed friend� you'll have to come back tomorrow," he said. Even when drunk out of his mind Gangrel still held his cold calm personality in check. He was the kind of person that you could only tell was drunk from the smell.
"I'm not here to drink. I'm here to talk to a Blood Eagle named Gangrel. I heard he was here. Do you know him?" asked the stranger in a young but gruff voice.
Gangrel eyed the man suspiciously at first. "He's gone to bed already� you can talk to him in the morning. Gangrel turned back to slump over the bar.
"I'm afraid what I have to tell him can't wait. Can you take me to him?" said the man in an insistent tone.
Gangrel turned back to him with a frown getting rather impatient with this young man's persistence. "Listen, why don't you tell me what you have to say to him and I'll go tell him."
The young man considered him a moment. "Tell him I have come to speak to him about the Ice and Iron clan from the fortress of Tithonium. Tell him it concerns a young female soldier he once met there."
Gangrel had to think back through the haze of his drunken state to his days as a Blood Eagle. After sometime he remembered the Blood Eagle assault upon the ice planet that held the renowned fortress of Tithonium. That was one tough fortress he thought to himself. But I don't remember meeting any female soldier there. His eyes widened a little at the sudden remembrance.
His mind took him back to the ice planet from his past. Two Ice and Iron patrollers had stumbled upon their dropships� he had given chase and had slain the female one in an honorable challenge� the male had promised he would avenge her. Gangrel looked up at the warrior with wide eyes but quickly reclaimed his calm demeanor. It was too late.
"You're Gangrel aren't you?"
With a groan Gangrel silently rose from his barstool. "So what? Have you come here to murder me? Here I am," he said.
"I wouldn't call it murder. I am an honorable warrior� I do not wish to demean Lizra's honor by murdering you in your current state. I challenge you to honorable combat. I will come again once you are sober and ready to fight.
"What is your name soldier?" asked Gangrel.
"Xtreme Cold," came the response. |
The next day Gangrel found himself upon the surface of the nearby desert planet of Musrol facing the grim face of his opponent. Both were donning their Peltast armor, weapons in hand. "It's not too late to walk away from all this child," called Gangrel through the howling winds of the desert.
"I did not look to this moment for the past years of my life so that I may walk away when I get this close." Many DTM had gathered to give their support to Gangrel in the fight. They stood a safe distance away looking at the fight through the enhanced zoom vision of their armor.
Spectre was amongst them and he did not approve of this combat in the least. He thought it was a waste of at least one good warrior if not two, but he respected the young warrior for his honor and bravery.
The two warriors battled for a long time. Discs exploded, plasma lit the dull gray sky and chaingun fire rattled a thunderous chord through out the desert. They seemed evenly matched in every aspect but in the end Gangrel's years of experience over the veteran opponent prevailed and he found himself looming over his fallen foe.
Xtreme Cold looked up at Gangrel, his face grimacing in pain. His leg had been broken in a disc explosion, his shoulder burned from a plasma wound and his whole body ached. Gangrel wasn't much better but he stood and his opponent did not. "I have tried to avenge you Lizra. Finish it Blood Eagle." |
"You have fought well, I'll make it quick," Gangrel said through a voice racked with pain as he pointed his Plasma Cannon at Cold's head.
"Stop," came a distant cry. It was Spectre; he was running down a dune waving his arms calling for a stop in the fight. "Don't kill him."
"It is alright� I have lost fair and square. I am prepared to die."
"He is right. If I were to spare him he would probably consider it an insult to his honor," whispered Gangrel to Spectre. Spectre ignored him.
"You have proven yourself a great warrior by doing so well against one so skilled. I would be honored if you would join our mercenary group. You may honor the memory of your friend not through dying but for living your life. She would not wish for you to throw away the life she helped keep alive." Although the young man seemed insistent on dying after long moments of arguing Spectre made him see the worth of his life and the he became the newest Dragon Talon Mercenary. Xtreme Cold is a fine warrior and a very noble soul. Good natured outside of battle he gets along well with most members of the mercenary group. His discipline and ferocity in battle is unequaled. |
here was a small fortress in the sand plains of Drejix; a small planet in the territory of a small clan called the Doom Crags. Like so many other small tribes but the Doom Crags found themselves on the brink of extinction as larger tribes took notice of their plot of space. The small fort on Drejix was under heavy siege when the Dragon Talon Mercenaries arrived to help defend it. |
The leaders of the Doom Crags tribe had told Spectre they had little to pay him with but he said they did it for the honor and experience. However the DTM found there was little they could do to help stop the deadly siege.
Although small the fort was built incredibly tough and although not able to stop the assault it found it could easily withstand it.
It had been three days since their arrival and the DTM in its entirety still sat silently in the tactics room of the fortress. They had spent that past days trying to draw up a plan to help stop the assault but had come up empty handed. The combined minds of the DTM's greatest strategists could not find a feasible way to exit the base and effectively neutralize the enemy. It was on this third day that a free lance mercenary also hired by the Doom Crags confronted the DTM with a plan of her own.
"So you think you have a way to crack their defenses without getting ourselves killed or losing this fort," asked Hixzen with a raised eyebrow.
"Yes, it's a bit unorthodox but I think it can work� may I show you?" said female warrior.
"Please," said Platinum leading her to the satellite readout of the area they had on the main screen.
The new mercenary went up to the read out and pointed to the enemy mortar troops. "This is where the assault is coming from." She then pointed to the rear area of the enemy army. "Here is where the main troops for the final assault are as well as the enemies' commanders." She then pointed to a few isolated blips on the screen that ran patterns about the enemy encampment. "And obviously these are the enemies defense patrols."
"We know all that, what's your point?" asked Gangrel impatiently.
"Well all these things are standard units of an enemy encampment but something is out of place," she said as she went up to the console that controlled the video image. Pressing a few buttons she zoomed in extremely close to an area between the Mortar assault troops and the main area of the enemy camp. |
"I spent all of yesterday looking at every section of the enemy camp and for the life of me I could not figure out what this was until just a few moments ago." Where she had zoomed in to there was a great amount of activity centered around a single piece of field equipment.
FireFro went up to the map and squinted at the small area of activity. "I never noticed that there. So what is it?"
Clearing her throat she said, "I believe it's a field generator�"
"No way its way to small to be a field generator. Anyway our reports say they have no power in their camp. It has to be something else," said FireFro.
"Actually your reports are wrong. They do have a number of powered inventory stations at the center of their camp," she said switching the radar to focus on an area near the gathered group of their main troops. She then switched back to the generator in question.
"I've been reading all our intelligence reports from the past few months and I found a small report that claimed there were rumors that this clan had started development on a new compact model of portable field generators. If that is what I think it is then their mortar units are probably depending on it for ammo and if we can destroy it we can cripple their army long enough to raid their camp."
"That's a lot of ifs and probable," said Spectre.
"Do you have a better idea?" asked the mercenary. The room was silent. |
The Dragon Talon Mercenaries with the aid of the new blood Trinity Ash set about formulating a plan to take out the generator and force a retreat upon the enemy army.
With the help of the fortress's soldiers their plan went off without a hitch. The enemy fled the planet in their dropships and the Doom Crag tribe had bought themselves another few weeks to prepare for an attack.
Later Spectre met with Trinity Ash to speak with her about her joining the DTM. She was happy to become one of the mercenary group's lead tacticians. Trinity Ash was almost expelled from her training school on account of low combat skills but her formulaic mind for strategies and tactics makes her an invaluable member of the DTM.
Being one of the few female members of the Dragon Talons does little to effect her high popularity amongst the male members. She is even minded and even-tempered and her good nature has made her friends amongst even some of the most solitary members of the organization. |
he Dragon Talon Mercenaries have become a force to be reckoned with. From all the major tribes the soldiers have come to form the ranks by Spectre's side. Many come from opposing tribes, come from foes to put their differences aside and fight as allies. More join the Dragon Talon Mercenaries and with each new member they continue to grow. |
| Under the tutelage of the Elders they continue to search for New Fenecia. The darkness of the
Overlord still festers in the now distant home of the former Order of the Dragon.
The Overlord and revenge are still far away but with new allies and new hope Spectre is ready to
begin. Now the next chapter for the Dragon Talon Mercenaries can begin. New Fenecia and justice
await him in the depths of tribal space� they are waiting to be found. |
This is the origin of the DTM. Listen to the tales of battle both at the Dragon Talon
Mercenary website, at New Fenecia for more of their history.
More stories of things such as The Dragon's Bane War and Spectre's encounter with the test of
the Quomar and more in depth look at character backgrounds will surely be posted soon. |
