Deus Ex Machina

Deus Ex Machina is a Vanguard of the Zwei XIII Legion and a Divine halfbreed of unknown origin. His divine origins have granted him exceptional physical, mental, and spiritual prowess that is unmatched even among the best of the Endymion. However, such vast power coupled with his young age have prevented him from mastering them. Given time, it has often been predicted by his Legion-Master, Zwei, that the boy has the potential to become one of the greatest Endymion to have ever lived. Nonetheless his halfbreed origins have branded him as a freak of nature among the Endymion, and he is regarded with much prejudice even among some of his own Legion. Deus' dedication is relentless regardless of such discrimination among his allies, working to realize the goal of the Endymion and The Creator's true vision of The Order.

Biography
Deus Ex Machina's origins are unknown. He was found as an infant in suspended animation during an attack to claim a territory in The Sanctuary by members of the Bishop I Legion. When given a bio-genetic scan, the data revealed the child to be part homosapien. This marked Deus as the second member of Homo Sapien origins to become inducted into The Order during its 7-billion year reign.

The Dark Beginnings and The Fated Meeting
Deus' childhood was not a joyful one, even among the Endymion. Lacking any true blood-relatives and having been "born" during the age of decay in The Order, Deus was moved from institution to institution along with other orphans like him. Life then was hard, for he and the other orphans were subject to harsh training by uncaring and unqualified Overseers. They were then pitted against the neophytes of the Legions whom had recieved better training from the Legion-Masters themselves. Nonetheless, Deus proved himself worthy in all of the trainings presented to him. His harsh upbringing had taught him to become resourceful in his endeavors, and he willingly shared his knowledge with his momentary comrades. Through his efforts alone, the ragtag team of orphaned recruits were able to beat the odds time and time again, although they were ultimately still no match for the disciplined Legion neophytes. With each defeat, Deus and his comrades suffered much humiliation, with Deus himself often being blamed by the very comrades he sought to fight alongside. Through his experiences, his warm yet naive heart quickly turned to stone. While his skill grew and grew, and the orphaned neophytes quickly came to respect and follow him, his heart shrunk and froze with each passing moment. He eventually became but a shell of his former self, driven only by the need to beat the odds and show his worth to the only home he had ever known.

However it was during this time that he met Kana Xanadu, another Endymion orphan who had lost her parents to The Fallen Ones who had begun to threaten the universe once more. Between Deus, who never knew the love of a family, and Kana, whom had lost the only form of love in her still-young life, a close bond soon formed, both out of necessity and mutual pity. Over time the girl's warmth slowly began to affect the stoic young warrior. Little by little, Deus began to learn what it meant to have a true companion and friend that he could trust to watch his own back. Lacking an adequate form of social interaction, Deus reciprocated the friendship awkwardly, providing subtle support whenever he could. Motivated by what he felt was the true desire to protect his comrades, Deus changed from a stoic and heartless individual into a distant but caring leader. Through these endeavors the young Endymion slowly learned the meaning of happiness. Together with Kana, they forged many lasting bonds between both themselves and their new comrades that would eventually lead to the renowned solidarity of the Zwei XIII Legion. Deus and Kana quickly became an inseperable pair. Together with their growing skills, experience and quality of their leadership, the two orphans along with their ragtag detatchment were soon noticed by Legion-Masters Bishop and Zwei.

The Awakening
Unfortunately, this stage in Deus' life would not last forever. With his age a terrifying power soon began to grow within him. After a freak training accident with a group of neophytes which left all but he and Kana dead, the horrifying truth of Deus' half-blood origins were revealed: he was a descendant of the union between a Fallen One and an Endymion. With the coming of the Fallen Ones wreaking havoc throughout the universe, the news of Deus' divine origins were not recieved favorably. Once again Deus found himself the target of The Order's hate. He was quickly shunned by those whom he had once considered to be close comrades, many who were orphaned because of The Fallen in the first place. Even his closest companion, Kana Xanadu, had suddenly shunned him, her parents having been killed by The Fallen Ones while they were on duty. The alienation soon returned Deus to his previous demeanor, a cold, distant, and untrusting individual, only this time he was heartbroken, possessed unpredictable power, and was stronger than even the best of the Legions' neophytes.

Eventually The Order soon issued an execution order against the young Endymion. Utilizing his only companion, Kana Xanadu, against him, Deus was ambushed by a squad of Overseers during a set-up meeting with his companion. This betrayal destroyed what remained of the relationship between the two, and removed any hope that Deus had left in his heart of a life of happiness. In a blind fit of uncontrollable anger and sorrow, the full extent of Deus' divine powers were unleashed. Deus' cry echoed throughout the universe as he killed the Overseer squad. As his power echoed into the far reaches of existence, they alerted The Fallen Ones and revealed to them the location of The Sanctuary.

On the Run
Coming soon!

Personality
Deus is often described as a stoic individual who often follows orders (most notable those of his Legion-Master) specifically to the point. This does not mean he is emotionless however. While he is often quite socially awkward due to his negligence in training this skill--even at the behest of Legion-Master Zwei, who originally convinced him it was a necessary skill to master--he is known to have a rather dry sense of humor during rare moments. Nonetheless, due to the nature of his past, Deus tries to keep most of his personal life to himself. Even those within his Legion do not know very much about him, the closest having only fought him in sparring practice.

Deus' favorite pastimes are making and drinking tea, and tending to herbal plants that are used to make tea. This trait is inherited from his master Zwei, whom often took him on his "Tea Pilgrimages" during his early years as an XIII Legion Neophyte.

Appearance
Deus Ex Machina appears as a youthful humanoid being with five-fingered limbs and is of average height, about 1.75 meters, with a slim frame suited for his role as a Vanguard unit. His hair is wild and short, and is a somber gray in color. On the left side of his head hangs a hair braid that he wears in honor of his Legion-Master. His face often wears a serious, emotionless expression that mirrors his seemingly apathic demeanor. His eyes are dichromatic, with his right eye being a ruby crimson color while his left is a deep blue. An interesting characteristic noted by many Endymion in his Legion is that Deus' blue eye is always emitting a dull, ghostly glow. Zwei believes that this may be due to his emotional state, as well as the nature of his being.

When channeling existence, Deus' eyes glow dimly. Energy also surges and arcs about his hands and forarms. If Deus manipulates more power than he can handel, a pair of straight, swept-back horns begin to grow from each side of his head. The horns appear to be crystalline in nature and assist him in controlling his power, although often at this point he is in a dangerous berserk-like state. His crimson eye also shines more brilliantly, nearly extinguishing the glow emanating from his blue eye.

Abilities and Traits
Being a part-divine in origin, Deus has been gifted with an unnatural level of attunement to the flow of Existence in the universe. This ability has granted him more control over existence manipulation, allowing him to form constructs with almost surgical precision. Nonetheless, his split biologies do not work well together. His sapien-half does not take well to the levels of energies that his divine half can manifest. As a result, his control is limited, and should he focus too intensely will result in an uncontrollable flux in his power. This attunement has also granted him the ability to seek out Fallen Ones, solidifying his position as a Vanguard Unit and assisting The Order significantly in searching for the lost Divine One, Acedia.

Deus' hybrid biology also grants him increased physical strength, dexterity, and mental capacity. As a result he is naturally stronger, faster, and possesses faster reflexes than the average Endymion Overseer. Nonetheless, as he is still a Neophyte, his skills have yet to develop fully to match those of the full-fledged Overseers.

Caster Rifle
Deus' Caster Rifle is a conventional single-loader, customized for balance and consistency. The barrel is kept long enough and wide enough to allow prelonged fire and absorb recoil while providing ample power and accuracy, requiring fewer bolts to down targets. The Blade kept to a moderate size as to provide an offensive and defensive approach in close quarters. Such specifications allow him to engage opponents on any front, often to his advantage.

Variable Blade
Deus often utilizes his Variable Blade in the short-blade or long-knife configuration, as his heightened senses permit him to engage comfortably at much closer ranges than most Endymion Units. He often wields the blade in tandem with his Caster Rifle.

SBAS (Shell Barrier Armor System)
Deus possesses the Mark VIII variant of the Shell Barrier Armor, a highly experimental prototype that makes use of the recent innovations in the understanding of Existence-Theory and the Vita Particles. As such his armor has increased regeneration capacity, augmentation capacity, and overall performance. The Caster Modules as well as the Gen-Plug modules are also capable of generating barriers composed of pure existence, although this severely drains the armor's energy supplies. The suit is also 20% more efficient in energy management and consumption, as well as amplifying the existence manipulation capabilities of its operator.

Friends and Allies

 * Legion-Master Bishop: Their relationship is not as close as that which is present between Deus and Legion-Master Zwei. Nonetheless, Deus holds a high level of respect and gratitude towards the Legion-Master as Bishop was the one who spoke up for Deus during his execution.
 * Legion-Master Zwei: Being his mentor, savior, and father-figure, Deus holds him in high regard. Having enlisted Deus into his Legion in addition to speaking up for him as well during his execution, Deus has sought to repay his kindness in any way possible. As a result the young Endymion follows his master's will without hesitation and question.
 * Kana Xanadu: Although they were close once, a tragic turn of events have driven them apart. Heartbroken by the betrayal of what he considered to be his first love, Deus has distanced himself from her ever since. Although they have reconciled since joining the XIII Legion for the sake of a greater cause, their relationship still remains strained and cold in comparison to the warm, loving feelings they once had before Deus' execution. While Deus cannot truly let her go, he finds it now hard to trust her despite even what Zwei says in her defense from time to time.

By

 * "I'm... not one of them... I'm not one of them! I'm not one of those monsters!"


 * --Deus, as a child during his trial.


 * "Kana... you believe me don't you? After all... aren't we friends?"


 * --Deus, as a child.


 * "Kana... why? You--! You would betray me like this!?"


 * --A tearful Deus confronts Kana as he is about to be executed


 * "Our order has become contaminated with scum and corruption. Why aren't you doing anything to change it Master!? Didn't Master Bishop teach us to do better--to become better!? Why must we sit idly by and watch our home--our duty--tainted by unworthy outsiders!?"


 * --Deus, as an Endymion Vanguard


 * "I haven't watered my plants in over ten years..."


 * --Deus, aboard the Myrmidon

About

 * "Perhaps in another life... we could have been more... I... want us to be more... Is that wrong?"


 * --Kana Xanadu