Post by Fainis the Sadistic Pansexual on Feb 21, 2011 21:27:42 GMT -5
Name: Kedos Croder (AKA The Demon of the Deep, the Blue Death, the Storm Bringer, Big Blue, Addonson, EXT002)
Height: 83 meters
Length: 178 meters
Wingspan: N/A
Mass: 56,408 tons
Description:
Personality: Kedos Croder is, more than anything else, a creature in the wrong place. He is a physical god in a place where such a thing is not uncommon. As an exceptionally strong dragon, each of which was a titan in its own right, he was once revered as among the strongest entities in his world, seated directly adjacent to gods. His power is still not to be scoffed at, only increasing as he grows older and hones himself, but he is no longer alone. While he was once unparalleled, a god with no equal, he is now merely one of many, many gladiators in a place of giants. While he once won reverence by being unrivaled in strength, he must now fight for it tooth and nail. His rule is no longer unquestioned- far from it, he is among equals. Kedos, for the first time in his long life, is being faced by true hardship. He is being beaten and battered. He is being scorned and insulted. He is being grievously harmed by what should be mere animals before him. Kedos simply cannot wrap his old mind around it, so he dwells deep in denial. Even in the wake of such stark contrast between what he knew and what is now staring him in the face, Kedos maintains his unbearable ego. The great sea drake never fails to demand respect from his enemies and can likewise always be trusted to become enraged when it is not given. The dragon lives in a perpetual state of rage. He curses the organization and people that he believes should admire him, yet dares not make a move against the UCA. Even he knows that is foolish. Croder is by no means to be underestimated though. His naivety does not dismiss him as a threat and might in fact even elevate him above other dangers in the arenas of the UCA. Kedos, ignoring all his tangible powers of water control and armored skin, is immensely strong in spirit. For all his vanity and pride, he is also massively tenacious. He genuinely believes that he is always in the right. There has never once been a recorded instance of the dragon backing down and there is never expected to be. His stubbornness is not expressed through his outdated behavior alone, but also in the form of an undying sense of will. His inability to accept loss often translates to actual victory. This is the greatest power that Kedos Croder possesses, not the ability to bend water or deflect tank shells and clawed swipes. He simple does not, will not, and cannot give up.
Living Quarters: The living space of Kedos Croder is an expansive terrain made up entirely of gold and jewels. A virtual mountainscape of glittering gems, rare metals, and other precious materials fills the whole of the dragon's quarters. In the precautionary absence of any proper pool or other water source for him to immerse himself in, the sea drake must make due and 'swim' through his horde, lying beneath it during most of the time in which he not battling or prowling the halls of the Hub in search of conflict. The damaged remains of the lost pirate ship Fancy marks the mound that Kedos can most often be found underneath.
Attacks:
- Bone Sabers: The thick, scaly arms of Kedos are tipped by five humanlike fingers, complete with a thumb, and each finger ends in a long, flattened claw very similar to a saber or cutlass in shape and function. The savage claws of the dragon are capable of piercing even moderately armored flesh and are wielded with the ferocious hatred that has made Kedos Croder a legend even among giants.
- Bladed Paddle : The flattened sharklike paddle that tips Kedos's muscular tail is not made up of soft cartilage, but is instead stiff and spiny: like a ragged axehead. The sea drake can use his scaly tail tip to hack into metal and flesh as if with a blade. It can also deliver painful slaps, though the broad side of the tail is nowhere near as deadly as the hard edge.
- Snaggle Bite: Although his jaws are hardly the most powerful found among fantastic beasts, the retractable teeth of Kedos are long and sharp, like spears or needles, easily able to pierce unarmored flesh. The longest of the pearly fangs can extend nearly five meters from his pink gums.
Powers:
- Water Control: The sea dragon Kedos Croder appears to be a practitioner of hydrokinesis, a specialized form of telekinesis, or the ability to move objects with only the power of mind, that refers specifically to the nonphysical manipulation of water. Though the navy drake mostly engages in ranged combat by hurling masses of water from existing liquid bodies, he can also extend melee weapons from his limbs by manipulating the water that clogs his bristling scales. It is not uncommon to see the dragon suddenly lash out with whips and sabers that seem to materialize from his hands like spectral slayers of mist and vapor. Though he is very capable of finesse, the true might of Kedos lies in his mental weight bearing prowess. The blue behemoth is able to shift absolutely massive amounts of water at once, lifting entire bays or freezing the sky when it rains on a whim. While the upper limits of the UAE's abilities are currently unknown, there are several definite limitations to his power that have been firmly determined by observation and interrogation of the aquatic lifeform. Croder can freely influence both liquid water and water vapor, but solid ice is impossible for him to manipulate due to its frigidness. This is not a hindering ability though, as dragon is free to change the state of water as he pleases, exercising the ability to freeze or evaporate water, melt ice, and even condense water vapor as best suits him. In a more exploitable weakness, there must also be the smallest degree of salinity to water in order for Croder to 'grasp' it with his supposedly telekinetic mind. Pure freshwater is out of his control. There is no accepted logical explanation behind this. The vain drake himself attributes this flaw to his primal connection to the brine of the ocean, but skeptics reason that his ability might have nothing to do with water, but the dissolved salt in it, or at least require some kind of reaction with the salt. An opposing theory focuses of the idea that the ribbed organs lining the dragon's laterals are like those found on knifefish such as the infamous electric eel and have the ability to generate an electric field around the Hostile UAE. Supporters of this theory propose that Kedos does not manipulate his liquid kingdom through any form of psychokinetic ability, but by influencing the polarity of water molecules through minute bioelectrical discharges. There are arguments that oppose this theory, the most common of which is that the complexity and size of these discharges would be too incredible. The Demon of the Deep is capable of immense feats, the most dramatic of which is the generation of a rainy tempest that can stretch almost four kilometers across. If the dragon is truly an electrical creature, he must generate untold megawatts of energy. As a staunch spokesperson for superstition, Kedos boasts that he gained his powers by killing and eating the heart of another giant creature known as “Kharbios” who once acted as a benevolent water god. This notion is widely disregarded as a hotheaded lie, but there are certain mythological references to such an event: a battle between two sea monsters that resulted in the death and consumption of one. Though certainly, if not entirely exaggerated, perhaps there is a grain of truth to the legends and the lies of Kedos.
- Denticle Armor: Kedos is wrapped in serrated skin, his hide lined by billions of ragged scales that evolved from spearlike teeth. These narrow scales, or denticles, are sharp as they are hard and form a superb defense as well as a cruel, unusual offense that the dragon has learned to wield with glee. The sea monster's hide is not particularly thick, but it is tough and durable, able to suffer through punishment equal to that needed to demolish Kevlar of the same proportional girth. The Demon of the Deep is bulletproof on an Aberrative scale- completely impervious to human attack and exceptionally well defended against other giants. The scales on his belly and neck have fused into a series of flexible armor plates, guarding the areas classically thought to be vulnerable on dragons. And the toothy scales that cover his body do not only protect. By fanning them like the hackles of a cat, Kedos can turn his sleek blue hide into a bristling mass of razors blades, the mere touch of which renders flesh from bone with ease. The entirety of the dragon's surface is a deadly weapon in this puffed up state, although no part is as lethal as his spiny forearms. By spiking up the long scales that lie flat against his muscular arms, Kedos can form two jagged beds of nails that block blows and then peel away flesh like a patch of fish hooks. Because the grooves in his sandpapery hide hold so much water, heat-based attacks are near useless against Kedos. The exaggerated prickles on the dragon's forearms can even break up heat rays, scattering them like light striking a mirror and nullifying the concussive effect of the beam as well as its thermal offensive. The scales on the UAE's forearms have been so soaked in blood, they are dyed a permanent red, forming the famed “Crimson Shields” of Kedos Croder.
- Hypnosis: An ability not yet understood by conventional science, Kedos can induce short periods of muscle paralysis simply by making eye contact with a victim. This paralyzing glare could potentially draw out as long as eye contact is maintained, but its effects fade with time. Furthermore, suggestions or demands by the dragon during this time tend to be followed, no matter the will or well being of the affected. It is suggested by the dragon that his gaze was once much more potent, capable of stealing all free will from a victim, but after they were grievously wounded and left whitened, the effected was weakened to the temporary state that he must cope with today.
- Brutish Brain: Mental attacks do little to phase the Demon of the Deep. The strain that his hydrokinetic abilities have placed on his mind give it strength on such scope that ripping apart telepathic probes into his dark folds is nothing. The focus and willpower required to weave the weather into formations as dramatic as rainstorms and hurricanes is impressive on its own, but when one considers that the drake often does this as a subconscious aside to cruder telekinetic techniques, it becomes almost unbelievable.
- Stout Strength: While it is easy to assume that Kedos, who lacks the intense physicality of many giant creatures, is nothing more than a heavy, plodding beast with no agility to speak of, this is a dangerous mistake to make. Despite the combative prominence of his water control and armored body, the dragon's physical strength is not to be underestimated either. Though far from the most muscular beast on record, Kedos is still extremely strong. His body possess the strength of a reptile or shark and his weight, which is focused in his tail and lower body, makes him stable and well balanced. It is far easier to be knocked down by the demon drake of the north than to knock him down. Even famously athletic monsters can be tossed like mere playthings if caught by the dragon's grappling talons. Kedos, despite his relative sluggishness, is quite clever with his strength. A weighty creature, he is adept at both using his own girth to his advantage and turning the mass of struggling or charging foes against them. It is not uncommon to see rampaging foes sent clear over the dragon's shoulder or run into the ground. It becomes especially difficult to push the old drake back when he flares the spiny scales on the bottom of his feet, essentially anchoring himself to the ground.
- Stone Stubborn: Kedos is tremendously persistent and cannot be kept down by even severe trauma or punishment. The dragon possesses one of the most fierce wills known to all of history and has claimed several victories that simply were not his to take through tenacity alone.
- Aquatic Survival: Not only can Kedos dwell underwater without surfacing, drawing oxygen from his gills, he can survive both the extreme temperate and pressure of the deepest ocean as well as on the surface of the very warmest sea, meaning that there is no corner of the ocean that he cannot gain entrance to. Additionally, the dragon is capable of an impressive water speed, topping the clocks at nearly eighty knots: more than twice the speed of a modern battlecruiser or battleship.
Weakness:
- Kedos's pale, blank eyes do not see well, having been scared to this opaque state from a deep red hue that could burn through fog and dimly lit seawater like torches of hellfire. The dragon can make most things out with what's left of his vision combined with his other senses, but he has lost the ability to track rapid motion. He more often takes blows than evades them for this reason.
- While most conventional weapons and energy-based attacks have little affect on his bladed hide, Kedos has shown a vulnerability to electric discharges. Assumably, electrical attacks and magnetic forces disrupt his hypothetical electric field, throwing him into fits of pain and confusion.
- Though most of his body is hardened and spiny, there are a few key weak spots in his anatomy, most notable his gills and lateral line. These points, while necessary for the aquatic life that Kedos partakes in, represent a rather large combined area of weakness. Unlike the rest of his armored form, these two spots are vulnerable to both physical blows and beam weapons. Attacking the lateral line in particular causes Kedos quite a bit of pain.
- Although he can survive on land for a period of several days, possessing a fully function set of lungs alongside his gills, Kedos is a sea creature and cannot live indefinitely out of the water. As the dragon ventures further from his element, his serrated skin will slowly dehydrate, leaving him weakened and immobile. The monster's resistance to beam attacks also fades as his skin dries. The hide of the dragon is far less durable when devoid of water, allowing it to be breached by even conventional weaponry in its most brittled state. Extreme heat can also produce similar affects in a short amount of time, though such tactics are sure to be combated fiercely by the Storm Bringer's water control.
- The dragon's inflated sense of pride can be neatly pierced and tossed aside by jabs and unflattering analysis, making him prone to senseless fits of rage. While the sheer power behind these tantrums is formidable, there is no thought to back them, thus Kedos becomes vulnerable to thinking foes.
History:
The origins of Kedos Croder were, as would soon become tradition for the northern drake, far from anonymity. Born to legendary ship wrecker Addon Blackbiter and his savage mistress Wraif Venator, two of the most revered dragons to prowl either land, sea, or sky, in 1289, Kedos was always destined to be the target of immense hostility. Killing the heir to one of the greatest draconic lineages ever to exits would bring great infamy to the dragon that managed it, so the sea drake was victim to violent attack almost immediately out of the womb. And he reveled in it. Repelling or evading each attempt on his life, the child drake soon garnered a fierce reputation and an even fiercer pride. With combat experience equal to years of another dragon's life pouring down onto him in a few mere months and an already considerable set of innate skills inherited from his parents, the sea drake quickly became known as one of the greatest draconic champions in all of their long history.
If not by his notable birth or seeming invincibility under attack, then Kedos certainly cemented himself in dragon legend by taking down The Maw, a loric beast from the old days that had seen fit to cast off his proper two part name and adopt a simpler one referencing the one trait that he believed to define him above all else- his ravenous hunger. A bottomless pit of a predator and shameless cannibal, the ancient drake had never suffered a lose since taking on his grand new title. The young Croder, before experiencing even his first mating season, defeated and dispatched The Maw by crawling inside the insatiable hunter and rendering him dead from within. It was a feat worthy of song, and was honored as such by dozens of hymns and chants sung in the lyrical draconian tongue.
As he entered adulthood, eventually finding a mate and equal in the cunning sea hound called Taigrin Peraetor, Kedos turned more legend than reality, his feats being bended and twisted into grand epics by all those that were too embarrassed to admit that they were bested by a mere mortal. The reputation of his strength was only preceded by that of his pride. Kedos, since the day of his birth, had always taken immense pride in his ancestry and accomplishments. There was nothing that enraged him more than a slight against his family line or career of personal achievement. The dragon never stopped defending his honor, even on the day that he mourned his father's death by the claws of a rival or the long week that saw his mother languish into nothing, two of the most tortuous moments of his existence.
But, as is the fate of all those touched by hubris, man or dragon, he eventually paid for his excessive pride in the most horrible of ways.
Kedos and his mate had never been shy about their torment of human populations. Both thought that men were beneath them and did not hesitate to interfere in their lives when possessed by the fury or amusement to. Even when these slants against men brought them into direct conflict with the Five Children of Heaven and Earth, a pantheon of draconic spirits given physical form that took a keen interest in the development of both man and drake, acting as peacekeepers between the two races, the pair never stopped raiding farms, sinking ships, and slaying all humans who dared stray into their path, whether their insult was purposeful or not. Eventually, as man is apt to do, it was decided that enough was enough and a plan of vengeance was conceived against the two. When Taigrin began showing signs of expecting young ones- drakes, who often live in conditions too extreme to allow egg birth, ferry their children within their bodies like mammals until they are ready to emerge and endure the world- a great fleet of ships sailed under the cover of night to their nest in the rocky shallows. Guided by moonlight, an armored convoy of ten score men crept into the liar of the two feared drakes with the mind to slay them both. The task proved easier than expected, as Kedos was nowhere to be found when they stormed the nest- out hunting. Taigrin, who was left slowed and weakened by her pregnancy, was beaten, clubbed, and speared to death under a hundred shields and swords. Swiftly realizing that they had only ensured her mate's wrath, the party fled in fear and foolishly left behind evidence of their identity- bloody blades and boot tracks scattered amongst the shed emerald scales.
It is said that Kedos went mad when he found his love dead. It is said that his mind was lost forever as he bared witness to the terrible image of his children cut from her belly and thrown onto pointed stones to rot and be consumed by the gulls. Some say that he is still mad, still left without reasonable thought or compromise in his damaged folds. But whether or not his madness lingers to this day, it is certain that in that moment, in that lowest point of his life, he indeed went mad. And all who had volunteered a hand in inflicting his madness paid for it. Engulfed by an unstoppable rage that made him invulnerable to harm, the mourning drake rampaged for three days and three nights, first attacking the nearest human settlement, a seaside monastery that had unknowingly given shelter to the warriors that killed his mate, and killing all within. He left no soul intact. He toppled the sacred structure and killed anyone who had sought safety within the walls that night- warrior or monk, he did not care. He only killed. The dragon did not stop killing even after they scarred his eyes white with their weapons and the violence stained his forearms forever red with blood.
This was the famous 1492 attack on Mont Saint-Michel Abbey in Normandy, France, and event which, though banished to legend until the next great age of Aberrations, was etched deeply into the history of Earth H-945. Unlike many other version of Earth, where the island abbey is still a peaceful place, the monastery of H-945 was turned into an armored fortress meant to defend the island commune of Mont Saint-Michel from further attack- just one of the many marks that Kedos has made on human history.
But, even with all of Taigrin's attackers dead, his rage did not end. Insane or perhaps longing for death himself, the grief stricken Croder attacked Kharbios Sulla, the most powerful and warlike of the Five, a living god with control over all water. Though the god was thrice his size and infinitely more powerful, Kedos still managed to slay him for an array of reasons. By either tactic or fate, the mad drake attacked the guardian in water too shallow for him to submerge himself. While Croder was free to evade blows by diving beneath the surface, Kharbios was vulnerable and forced to endure all the maddened blows from the smaller drake. Kedos also wreathed himself in supernatural blue flames so hot that they boiled water on contact, wrapping his body in a bubble of steam that not only allowed him to glide through the water at incredible speeds, but become untouchable to the raging waters of the god as well. Finally, and perhaps most vitally, Kedos fought with something that Kharbios did not- heart. The benevolent titan, sympathetic to the drake's pain, did not battle with all his spirit while Kedos did. His anger making him unable to lose to even a divine creature, the enraged drake attacked with all of his power- perhaps even more- and eventually triumphed, killing Kharbios and then doing more. Wrenching open the chest of the fallen god, Kedos tore out and ate his heart in one guiltless moment of animal fury that awed and horrified of all who were witnessed the unbelievable battle. A god, a guardian, was dead and his very flesh was forfeit. Kedos had achieved the ultimate victory.
In a cruel twist of fate, it was this moment more than any other that brought about the downfall of the dragons.
In fact, each of Kedos's actions in that time and beyond contributed to the eventual extinction of his race. While his behavior before the death of his mate had driven up tensions between drake and man to dangerous highs, a direct attack on a holy structure tread into the realm of outrage. There was no man not furious with the drake after that moment. And, after not only hearing of a dragon killed by a group of men, but watching a god struck down by a mortal swelled with nothing but his own rage, there were no more illusions of inability clouding the eyes of man. They took up arms and, against the wishes of the remaining Five, who were themselves in battle and quickly losing due to the the unexpected loss of Kharbios and the betrayal of their youngest sibling, waged war on the dragons. One by one, they began wiping them off the face of the Earth. Despite their age and tolerance to harm, the dragons stood little chance against the greater numbers and technology of their foe. They underestimated the enemy and, for that, they paid the ultimate price. In a matter of years, the weak pink children of the land had slaughtered all the drakes.
All but one.
Kedos Croder, who had thieved the unimaginable size, unmatchable strength, and infinite lifespan of Kharbios by devouring his beating heart, demolished armies and laid waste to entire nations with his newfound power. Arrogantly, the dragon chose to continue avenging his lost love rather than to defend his helpless people. His pride turned to vanity and his distaste made into pure, venomous hatred, Kedos became a scourge to all mankind, a watery reaper who rose from the sea whenever men drew too close to his shores and stole their souls. Whole war fleets were sunk without even one flash of cannon fire, coastal settlements were drowned dead without mercy, and even kings and emperors were sent running in terror of the dragon's long reached wrath. Eventually his rage ran dry though and Kedos realized that he only wanted to be as far away from all manner of men as possible, so he sunk to the depths and has dwelt there in anger and mourning ever since, seized by a slumber of nearly two hundred years.
That is the legend anyway. Whether or not Kedos truly slayed a god is unknown, though his power and wrath are more than mere myth, as the modern world would become victim to them once again.
An implacable presence rousing him from his slumber in 2024, Kedos reemerged in Stonehaven on May 19th and engaged the Royal Navy and British armed forced, obliterating their ranks until he was challenged by longtime rival Quetzar, who had been revived from his own hibernation only two days earlier. The ancient enemies battled evenly at first, the Sun Warrior holding back in fear of bring harm to human life or structure and the Storm Bringer's most deadly abilities countered by Quetzar's intense radiance, but then Kedos made threat against the trapped civilians of Stonehaven. Growing enraged at the cruel drake's suggestion to hurt helpless innocents, Quetzar entangled the dragon in his coils, flew him out over the sea, and unleashed the full force of his infernal heart against the sea drake, leaving the stunned Croder smoldering and injured, though he managed to slit Quetzar's throat and spill much of his burning blood in return.
Two months later, when the living weapon Strider landed on the Isle of Man and began a rampage that would find it on the streets of London within three days, Kedos and Quetzar joined forces to battle the unfamiliar creature. The two fought will all the strength they could muster, raining down fire, ice, and even dropping a tornado onto the alien entity, but they still bore injuries from their earlier spat and the engineered Aberration was simply too devastating a foe. Even with the additional strength of the Earth monster known as the Sun-Titan on their side, the hero and the devil fell to Strider. But because of the harm they brought to it, it was eventually downed by the hellish wolf Fainis and limber reptile Drakia, with help from human forces. Though his reasons were selfish, Kedos was allowed to leave the site of the battle and return to the sea unhindered due to his assistance in the defeat of the apocalyptic beast.
It was not long after this that Kedos, along with all the other major players of the battle in London with obvious exception for the deceased Strider, were abducted by the UCA- Kedos, Quetzar, Drakia, Fainis, and the Sub-Titan. During his time in the UCA, Kedos has been involved in several feuds, taken part in several notable events such as the disastrous Championship fight in the Volcanic region, and continues to draw attention from spectators and fellow battlers even today by beginning a rivalry with the raging walrus Rosmarus Maximus, AKA Rosie.
Miscellaneous:
Trivia - Steam curls from Kedos's mouth like pale smoke whenever he speaks or breathes. This misty dragon's breathe will swirl about and freeze into flurries when the sea monster is mad enough.
Trivia - Kedos can increase the volume and dissonance of his voice by amplifying it through water droplets in the atmosphere.
Themes - Devil & The Deep Dark Ocean, I, King Nothing, Heart of Vengeance, 56,408 Tons of Awesome (Or Awful) & Battling the Blue Death
Height: 83 meters
Length: 178 meters
Wingspan: N/A
Mass: 56,408 tons
Description:
Personality: Kedos Croder is, more than anything else, a creature in the wrong place. He is a physical god in a place where such a thing is not uncommon. As an exceptionally strong dragon, each of which was a titan in its own right, he was once revered as among the strongest entities in his world, seated directly adjacent to gods. His power is still not to be scoffed at, only increasing as he grows older and hones himself, but he is no longer alone. While he was once unparalleled, a god with no equal, he is now merely one of many, many gladiators in a place of giants. While he once won reverence by being unrivaled in strength, he must now fight for it tooth and nail. His rule is no longer unquestioned- far from it, he is among equals. Kedos, for the first time in his long life, is being faced by true hardship. He is being beaten and battered. He is being scorned and insulted. He is being grievously harmed by what should be mere animals before him. Kedos simply cannot wrap his old mind around it, so he dwells deep in denial. Even in the wake of such stark contrast between what he knew and what is now staring him in the face, Kedos maintains his unbearable ego. The great sea drake never fails to demand respect from his enemies and can likewise always be trusted to become enraged when it is not given. The dragon lives in a perpetual state of rage. He curses the organization and people that he believes should admire him, yet dares not make a move against the UCA. Even he knows that is foolish. Croder is by no means to be underestimated though. His naivety does not dismiss him as a threat and might in fact even elevate him above other dangers in the arenas of the UCA. Kedos, ignoring all his tangible powers of water control and armored skin, is immensely strong in spirit. For all his vanity and pride, he is also massively tenacious. He genuinely believes that he is always in the right. There has never once been a recorded instance of the dragon backing down and there is never expected to be. His stubbornness is not expressed through his outdated behavior alone, but also in the form of an undying sense of will. His inability to accept loss often translates to actual victory. This is the greatest power that Kedos Croder possesses, not the ability to bend water or deflect tank shells and clawed swipes. He simple does not, will not, and cannot give up.
Living Quarters: The living space of Kedos Croder is an expansive terrain made up entirely of gold and jewels. A virtual mountainscape of glittering gems, rare metals, and other precious materials fills the whole of the dragon's quarters. In the precautionary absence of any proper pool or other water source for him to immerse himself in, the sea drake must make due and 'swim' through his horde, lying beneath it during most of the time in which he not battling or prowling the halls of the Hub in search of conflict. The damaged remains of the lost pirate ship Fancy marks the mound that Kedos can most often be found underneath.
Attacks:
- Bone Sabers: The thick, scaly arms of Kedos are tipped by five humanlike fingers, complete with a thumb, and each finger ends in a long, flattened claw very similar to a saber or cutlass in shape and function. The savage claws of the dragon are capable of piercing even moderately armored flesh and are wielded with the ferocious hatred that has made Kedos Croder a legend even among giants.
- Bladed Paddle : The flattened sharklike paddle that tips Kedos's muscular tail is not made up of soft cartilage, but is instead stiff and spiny: like a ragged axehead. The sea drake can use his scaly tail tip to hack into metal and flesh as if with a blade. It can also deliver painful slaps, though the broad side of the tail is nowhere near as deadly as the hard edge.
- Snaggle Bite: Although his jaws are hardly the most powerful found among fantastic beasts, the retractable teeth of Kedos are long and sharp, like spears or needles, easily able to pierce unarmored flesh. The longest of the pearly fangs can extend nearly five meters from his pink gums.
Powers:
- Water Control: The sea dragon Kedos Croder appears to be a practitioner of hydrokinesis, a specialized form of telekinesis, or the ability to move objects with only the power of mind, that refers specifically to the nonphysical manipulation of water. Though the navy drake mostly engages in ranged combat by hurling masses of water from existing liquid bodies, he can also extend melee weapons from his limbs by manipulating the water that clogs his bristling scales. It is not uncommon to see the dragon suddenly lash out with whips and sabers that seem to materialize from his hands like spectral slayers of mist and vapor. Though he is very capable of finesse, the true might of Kedos lies in his mental weight bearing prowess. The blue behemoth is able to shift absolutely massive amounts of water at once, lifting entire bays or freezing the sky when it rains on a whim. While the upper limits of the UAE's abilities are currently unknown, there are several definite limitations to his power that have been firmly determined by observation and interrogation of the aquatic lifeform. Croder can freely influence both liquid water and water vapor, but solid ice is impossible for him to manipulate due to its frigidness. This is not a hindering ability though, as dragon is free to change the state of water as he pleases, exercising the ability to freeze or evaporate water, melt ice, and even condense water vapor as best suits him. In a more exploitable weakness, there must also be the smallest degree of salinity to water in order for Croder to 'grasp' it with his supposedly telekinetic mind. Pure freshwater is out of his control. There is no accepted logical explanation behind this. The vain drake himself attributes this flaw to his primal connection to the brine of the ocean, but skeptics reason that his ability might have nothing to do with water, but the dissolved salt in it, or at least require some kind of reaction with the salt. An opposing theory focuses of the idea that the ribbed organs lining the dragon's laterals are like those found on knifefish such as the infamous electric eel and have the ability to generate an electric field around the Hostile UAE. Supporters of this theory propose that Kedos does not manipulate his liquid kingdom through any form of psychokinetic ability, but by influencing the polarity of water molecules through minute bioelectrical discharges. There are arguments that oppose this theory, the most common of which is that the complexity and size of these discharges would be too incredible. The Demon of the Deep is capable of immense feats, the most dramatic of which is the generation of a rainy tempest that can stretch almost four kilometers across. If the dragon is truly an electrical creature, he must generate untold megawatts of energy. As a staunch spokesperson for superstition, Kedos boasts that he gained his powers by killing and eating the heart of another giant creature known as “Kharbios” who once acted as a benevolent water god. This notion is widely disregarded as a hotheaded lie, but there are certain mythological references to such an event: a battle between two sea monsters that resulted in the death and consumption of one. Though certainly, if not entirely exaggerated, perhaps there is a grain of truth to the legends and the lies of Kedos.
- Denticle Armor: Kedos is wrapped in serrated skin, his hide lined by billions of ragged scales that evolved from spearlike teeth. These narrow scales, or denticles, are sharp as they are hard and form a superb defense as well as a cruel, unusual offense that the dragon has learned to wield with glee. The sea monster's hide is not particularly thick, but it is tough and durable, able to suffer through punishment equal to that needed to demolish Kevlar of the same proportional girth. The Demon of the Deep is bulletproof on an Aberrative scale- completely impervious to human attack and exceptionally well defended against other giants. The scales on his belly and neck have fused into a series of flexible armor plates, guarding the areas classically thought to be vulnerable on dragons. And the toothy scales that cover his body do not only protect. By fanning them like the hackles of a cat, Kedos can turn his sleek blue hide into a bristling mass of razors blades, the mere touch of which renders flesh from bone with ease. The entirety of the dragon's surface is a deadly weapon in this puffed up state, although no part is as lethal as his spiny forearms. By spiking up the long scales that lie flat against his muscular arms, Kedos can form two jagged beds of nails that block blows and then peel away flesh like a patch of fish hooks. Because the grooves in his sandpapery hide hold so much water, heat-based attacks are near useless against Kedos. The exaggerated prickles on the dragon's forearms can even break up heat rays, scattering them like light striking a mirror and nullifying the concussive effect of the beam as well as its thermal offensive. The scales on the UAE's forearms have been so soaked in blood, they are dyed a permanent red, forming the famed “Crimson Shields” of Kedos Croder.
- Hypnosis: An ability not yet understood by conventional science, Kedos can induce short periods of muscle paralysis simply by making eye contact with a victim. This paralyzing glare could potentially draw out as long as eye contact is maintained, but its effects fade with time. Furthermore, suggestions or demands by the dragon during this time tend to be followed, no matter the will or well being of the affected. It is suggested by the dragon that his gaze was once much more potent, capable of stealing all free will from a victim, but after they were grievously wounded and left whitened, the effected was weakened to the temporary state that he must cope with today.
- Brutish Brain: Mental attacks do little to phase the Demon of the Deep. The strain that his hydrokinetic abilities have placed on his mind give it strength on such scope that ripping apart telepathic probes into his dark folds is nothing. The focus and willpower required to weave the weather into formations as dramatic as rainstorms and hurricanes is impressive on its own, but when one considers that the drake often does this as a subconscious aside to cruder telekinetic techniques, it becomes almost unbelievable.
- Stout Strength: While it is easy to assume that Kedos, who lacks the intense physicality of many giant creatures, is nothing more than a heavy, plodding beast with no agility to speak of, this is a dangerous mistake to make. Despite the combative prominence of his water control and armored body, the dragon's physical strength is not to be underestimated either. Though far from the most muscular beast on record, Kedos is still extremely strong. His body possess the strength of a reptile or shark and his weight, which is focused in his tail and lower body, makes him stable and well balanced. It is far easier to be knocked down by the demon drake of the north than to knock him down. Even famously athletic monsters can be tossed like mere playthings if caught by the dragon's grappling talons. Kedos, despite his relative sluggishness, is quite clever with his strength. A weighty creature, he is adept at both using his own girth to his advantage and turning the mass of struggling or charging foes against them. It is not uncommon to see rampaging foes sent clear over the dragon's shoulder or run into the ground. It becomes especially difficult to push the old drake back when he flares the spiny scales on the bottom of his feet, essentially anchoring himself to the ground.
- Stone Stubborn: Kedos is tremendously persistent and cannot be kept down by even severe trauma or punishment. The dragon possesses one of the most fierce wills known to all of history and has claimed several victories that simply were not his to take through tenacity alone.
- Aquatic Survival: Not only can Kedos dwell underwater without surfacing, drawing oxygen from his gills, he can survive both the extreme temperate and pressure of the deepest ocean as well as on the surface of the very warmest sea, meaning that there is no corner of the ocean that he cannot gain entrance to. Additionally, the dragon is capable of an impressive water speed, topping the clocks at nearly eighty knots: more than twice the speed of a modern battlecruiser or battleship.
Weakness:
- Kedos's pale, blank eyes do not see well, having been scared to this opaque state from a deep red hue that could burn through fog and dimly lit seawater like torches of hellfire. The dragon can make most things out with what's left of his vision combined with his other senses, but he has lost the ability to track rapid motion. He more often takes blows than evades them for this reason.
- While most conventional weapons and energy-based attacks have little affect on his bladed hide, Kedos has shown a vulnerability to electric discharges. Assumably, electrical attacks and magnetic forces disrupt his hypothetical electric field, throwing him into fits of pain and confusion.
- Though most of his body is hardened and spiny, there are a few key weak spots in his anatomy, most notable his gills and lateral line. These points, while necessary for the aquatic life that Kedos partakes in, represent a rather large combined area of weakness. Unlike the rest of his armored form, these two spots are vulnerable to both physical blows and beam weapons. Attacking the lateral line in particular causes Kedos quite a bit of pain.
- Although he can survive on land for a period of several days, possessing a fully function set of lungs alongside his gills, Kedos is a sea creature and cannot live indefinitely out of the water. As the dragon ventures further from his element, his serrated skin will slowly dehydrate, leaving him weakened and immobile. The monster's resistance to beam attacks also fades as his skin dries. The hide of the dragon is far less durable when devoid of water, allowing it to be breached by even conventional weaponry in its most brittled state. Extreme heat can also produce similar affects in a short amount of time, though such tactics are sure to be combated fiercely by the Storm Bringer's water control.
- The dragon's inflated sense of pride can be neatly pierced and tossed aside by jabs and unflattering analysis, making him prone to senseless fits of rage. While the sheer power behind these tantrums is formidable, there is no thought to back them, thus Kedos becomes vulnerable to thinking foes.
History:
The origins of Kedos Croder were, as would soon become tradition for the northern drake, far from anonymity. Born to legendary ship wrecker Addon Blackbiter and his savage mistress Wraif Venator, two of the most revered dragons to prowl either land, sea, or sky, in 1289, Kedos was always destined to be the target of immense hostility. Killing the heir to one of the greatest draconic lineages ever to exits would bring great infamy to the dragon that managed it, so the sea drake was victim to violent attack almost immediately out of the womb. And he reveled in it. Repelling or evading each attempt on his life, the child drake soon garnered a fierce reputation and an even fiercer pride. With combat experience equal to years of another dragon's life pouring down onto him in a few mere months and an already considerable set of innate skills inherited from his parents, the sea drake quickly became known as one of the greatest draconic champions in all of their long history.
If not by his notable birth or seeming invincibility under attack, then Kedos certainly cemented himself in dragon legend by taking down The Maw, a loric beast from the old days that had seen fit to cast off his proper two part name and adopt a simpler one referencing the one trait that he believed to define him above all else- his ravenous hunger. A bottomless pit of a predator and shameless cannibal, the ancient drake had never suffered a lose since taking on his grand new title. The young Croder, before experiencing even his first mating season, defeated and dispatched The Maw by crawling inside the insatiable hunter and rendering him dead from within. It was a feat worthy of song, and was honored as such by dozens of hymns and chants sung in the lyrical draconian tongue.
As he entered adulthood, eventually finding a mate and equal in the cunning sea hound called Taigrin Peraetor, Kedos turned more legend than reality, his feats being bended and twisted into grand epics by all those that were too embarrassed to admit that they were bested by a mere mortal. The reputation of his strength was only preceded by that of his pride. Kedos, since the day of his birth, had always taken immense pride in his ancestry and accomplishments. There was nothing that enraged him more than a slight against his family line or career of personal achievement. The dragon never stopped defending his honor, even on the day that he mourned his father's death by the claws of a rival or the long week that saw his mother languish into nothing, two of the most tortuous moments of his existence.
But, as is the fate of all those touched by hubris, man or dragon, he eventually paid for his excessive pride in the most horrible of ways.
Kedos and his mate had never been shy about their torment of human populations. Both thought that men were beneath them and did not hesitate to interfere in their lives when possessed by the fury or amusement to. Even when these slants against men brought them into direct conflict with the Five Children of Heaven and Earth, a pantheon of draconic spirits given physical form that took a keen interest in the development of both man and drake, acting as peacekeepers between the two races, the pair never stopped raiding farms, sinking ships, and slaying all humans who dared stray into their path, whether their insult was purposeful or not. Eventually, as man is apt to do, it was decided that enough was enough and a plan of vengeance was conceived against the two. When Taigrin began showing signs of expecting young ones- drakes, who often live in conditions too extreme to allow egg birth, ferry their children within their bodies like mammals until they are ready to emerge and endure the world- a great fleet of ships sailed under the cover of night to their nest in the rocky shallows. Guided by moonlight, an armored convoy of ten score men crept into the liar of the two feared drakes with the mind to slay them both. The task proved easier than expected, as Kedos was nowhere to be found when they stormed the nest- out hunting. Taigrin, who was left slowed and weakened by her pregnancy, was beaten, clubbed, and speared to death under a hundred shields and swords. Swiftly realizing that they had only ensured her mate's wrath, the party fled in fear and foolishly left behind evidence of their identity- bloody blades and boot tracks scattered amongst the shed emerald scales.
It is said that Kedos went mad when he found his love dead. It is said that his mind was lost forever as he bared witness to the terrible image of his children cut from her belly and thrown onto pointed stones to rot and be consumed by the gulls. Some say that he is still mad, still left without reasonable thought or compromise in his damaged folds. But whether or not his madness lingers to this day, it is certain that in that moment, in that lowest point of his life, he indeed went mad. And all who had volunteered a hand in inflicting his madness paid for it. Engulfed by an unstoppable rage that made him invulnerable to harm, the mourning drake rampaged for three days and three nights, first attacking the nearest human settlement, a seaside monastery that had unknowingly given shelter to the warriors that killed his mate, and killing all within. He left no soul intact. He toppled the sacred structure and killed anyone who had sought safety within the walls that night- warrior or monk, he did not care. He only killed. The dragon did not stop killing even after they scarred his eyes white with their weapons and the violence stained his forearms forever red with blood.
This was the famous 1492 attack on Mont Saint-Michel Abbey in Normandy, France, and event which, though banished to legend until the next great age of Aberrations, was etched deeply into the history of Earth H-945. Unlike many other version of Earth, where the island abbey is still a peaceful place, the monastery of H-945 was turned into an armored fortress meant to defend the island commune of Mont Saint-Michel from further attack- just one of the many marks that Kedos has made on human history.
But, even with all of Taigrin's attackers dead, his rage did not end. Insane or perhaps longing for death himself, the grief stricken Croder attacked Kharbios Sulla, the most powerful and warlike of the Five, a living god with control over all water. Though the god was thrice his size and infinitely more powerful, Kedos still managed to slay him for an array of reasons. By either tactic or fate, the mad drake attacked the guardian in water too shallow for him to submerge himself. While Croder was free to evade blows by diving beneath the surface, Kharbios was vulnerable and forced to endure all the maddened blows from the smaller drake. Kedos also wreathed himself in supernatural blue flames so hot that they boiled water on contact, wrapping his body in a bubble of steam that not only allowed him to glide through the water at incredible speeds, but become untouchable to the raging waters of the god as well. Finally, and perhaps most vitally, Kedos fought with something that Kharbios did not- heart. The benevolent titan, sympathetic to the drake's pain, did not battle with all his spirit while Kedos did. His anger making him unable to lose to even a divine creature, the enraged drake attacked with all of his power- perhaps even more- and eventually triumphed, killing Kharbios and then doing more. Wrenching open the chest of the fallen god, Kedos tore out and ate his heart in one guiltless moment of animal fury that awed and horrified of all who were witnessed the unbelievable battle. A god, a guardian, was dead and his very flesh was forfeit. Kedos had achieved the ultimate victory.
In a cruel twist of fate, it was this moment more than any other that brought about the downfall of the dragons.
In fact, each of Kedos's actions in that time and beyond contributed to the eventual extinction of his race. While his behavior before the death of his mate had driven up tensions between drake and man to dangerous highs, a direct attack on a holy structure tread into the realm of outrage. There was no man not furious with the drake after that moment. And, after not only hearing of a dragon killed by a group of men, but watching a god struck down by a mortal swelled with nothing but his own rage, there were no more illusions of inability clouding the eyes of man. They took up arms and, against the wishes of the remaining Five, who were themselves in battle and quickly losing due to the the unexpected loss of Kharbios and the betrayal of their youngest sibling, waged war on the dragons. One by one, they began wiping them off the face of the Earth. Despite their age and tolerance to harm, the dragons stood little chance against the greater numbers and technology of their foe. They underestimated the enemy and, for that, they paid the ultimate price. In a matter of years, the weak pink children of the land had slaughtered all the drakes.
All but one.
Kedos Croder, who had thieved the unimaginable size, unmatchable strength, and infinite lifespan of Kharbios by devouring his beating heart, demolished armies and laid waste to entire nations with his newfound power. Arrogantly, the dragon chose to continue avenging his lost love rather than to defend his helpless people. His pride turned to vanity and his distaste made into pure, venomous hatred, Kedos became a scourge to all mankind, a watery reaper who rose from the sea whenever men drew too close to his shores and stole their souls. Whole war fleets were sunk without even one flash of cannon fire, coastal settlements were drowned dead without mercy, and even kings and emperors were sent running in terror of the dragon's long reached wrath. Eventually his rage ran dry though and Kedos realized that he only wanted to be as far away from all manner of men as possible, so he sunk to the depths and has dwelt there in anger and mourning ever since, seized by a slumber of nearly two hundred years.
That is the legend anyway. Whether or not Kedos truly slayed a god is unknown, though his power and wrath are more than mere myth, as the modern world would become victim to them once again.
An implacable presence rousing him from his slumber in 2024, Kedos reemerged in Stonehaven on May 19th and engaged the Royal Navy and British armed forced, obliterating their ranks until he was challenged by longtime rival Quetzar, who had been revived from his own hibernation only two days earlier. The ancient enemies battled evenly at first, the Sun Warrior holding back in fear of bring harm to human life or structure and the Storm Bringer's most deadly abilities countered by Quetzar's intense radiance, but then Kedos made threat against the trapped civilians of Stonehaven. Growing enraged at the cruel drake's suggestion to hurt helpless innocents, Quetzar entangled the dragon in his coils, flew him out over the sea, and unleashed the full force of his infernal heart against the sea drake, leaving the stunned Croder smoldering and injured, though he managed to slit Quetzar's throat and spill much of his burning blood in return.
Two months later, when the living weapon Strider landed on the Isle of Man and began a rampage that would find it on the streets of London within three days, Kedos and Quetzar joined forces to battle the unfamiliar creature. The two fought will all the strength they could muster, raining down fire, ice, and even dropping a tornado onto the alien entity, but they still bore injuries from their earlier spat and the engineered Aberration was simply too devastating a foe. Even with the additional strength of the Earth monster known as the Sun-Titan on their side, the hero and the devil fell to Strider. But because of the harm they brought to it, it was eventually downed by the hellish wolf Fainis and limber reptile Drakia, with help from human forces. Though his reasons were selfish, Kedos was allowed to leave the site of the battle and return to the sea unhindered due to his assistance in the defeat of the apocalyptic beast.
It was not long after this that Kedos, along with all the other major players of the battle in London with obvious exception for the deceased Strider, were abducted by the UCA- Kedos, Quetzar, Drakia, Fainis, and the Sub-Titan. During his time in the UCA, Kedos has been involved in several feuds, taken part in several notable events such as the disastrous Championship fight in the Volcanic region, and continues to draw attention from spectators and fellow battlers even today by beginning a rivalry with the raging walrus Rosmarus Maximus, AKA Rosie.
Miscellaneous:
Trivia - Steam curls from Kedos's mouth like pale smoke whenever he speaks or breathes. This misty dragon's breathe will swirl about and freeze into flurries when the sea monster is mad enough.
Trivia - Kedos can increase the volume and dissonance of his voice by amplifying it through water droplets in the atmosphere.
Themes - Devil & The Deep Dark Ocean, I, King Nothing, Heart of Vengeance, 56,408 Tons of Awesome (Or Awful) & Battling the Blue Death
