EPSILON

This is the fifth armor from a series of 14 armors that I've designed: the "Alpha-Omega series", that have some role in a larger story (which I used to call as CUETZPALIN Mythos but is still far away from being completed). You can follow this project's progress through my gallery and also follow my work through Behance | tumblr | instagram | facebook

Background Story:

EPSILON
Created by ABEL Inc in 1980
Power: Makes user able to create seismic impacts and manipulate rocks
Current user: Drake Sonck (LIT)

Currently owned by the private institution known as AXIS Military Academy, which mission is protect Tredius from demon-related threats (actually, an initiative by Ulhaden Corp & ABEL Inc, two major weapon industries that have created the Alpha-Omega series armors. The AXIS is more likely an academy for young bounty hunters who're unknowingly testing a likely inhuman technology, and doing the firty job for the UN to "cleanse" everything dangerous that escapes its hidden slave pits).

Drake Sonck, born in 1991, is one of three heirs of the wealth of the house of Sonck, a family of nobles from Lithuania that have supported the opposition against the Socialist Revolution of Palarokhiel in the late 19th Century, and from that have earned the enmity of the Valtheran family of nobles, and after that, of the entire State of Palarokhiel, the first which would be part of the economical block known as UTSST (United Topakar-Socialist States of Tredius) in the late 20th Century. The Soncks and Valtherans, however, have a common history as their riches came through similar means, that is the use of magic. Time for a "CUETZPALIN History Class" here. Before the Socialist State of Palarokhiel has taken the Institute of Alchemy based in the Baphomet's Tempel (founded, some say, by a rogue cell which split from the orginal Palarokhian Secret Society around the 13th Century), several magicians, alchemists, chemists, sorcerers, witches, necromancers and warlocks are said to have built, visited, contributed to the spread of knowledge through the Temple, that has only reached an aboveground popularity because of rumors that claimed the Temple guarded Nicolas Flamel's Philosopher's Stone, and also because it became a haven for witches throughout all Europe during inquisition. In the matter of decades, the founders of the Temple had created a truly prodigious work of education in the magic arts which interested noble families, but so had the Palarokhians, who also had noble origins, and intended to take most of the lands from the European Kingdoms through their magic, like during the Black Death. The original territory of the Kingdom of Palarokhiel, actually, has only risen around the 14th Century, when the members of the Secret Palarokhian Society had established their domains over those of disputing kingdoms in the Eastern borders of Europe, like in Eastern Teutonia, Lithuania to the North, Slav territory to the South (by the 14th Century, there was still resistance of independent Slavic peoples against the expansion of both Eastern and Western Christian Churches. Actually, they were also the bigger resistance against the expansion of the Palarokhian Empire during the Black Death, becoming allies of a pack of bandits known as the Schwarze Ritter, or Black Knights, that were enemies of the Christian Kings and the Palarokhian warlocks alike). Even after the fall of Emperor Yulmar, Umbra's successor, and the end of the Black Death Epidemics, the Palarokhian Kingdom, backed by its nobles and its own ruling secret society, kept existing, just a little advised by the presence of Black Knights and other anti-Palarokhian mages in the Baphomet's Temple. Between Russia and the rest of Europe, the next Palarokhian rulers knew better than mess up with the Holy Roman Empire or the Slavs anytime soon, however they also knew what could bring these nations down - take advantage of their own inner disputes, divide and conquer. Despite the Baphomet Temple claimed to be independent, and in majority against the use of unethical magic, like the "Topakar Magic" (necromancy, telekinesis, calling of Black Holes to devour reality, altering of gravitation) professed by Palarokhiel's highest ranking mages, it was known there were Palarokhians there, were they citizens, mere academical figures or even military figures. The Holy Roman Empire, however, was more troubled with its infighting for petty titles, so the Eastern Kingdoms, like Lithuania, saw better what was to let the Palarokhian rebuild their own and plan a next attack. The Palarokhian Kingdom also had its infightings, and between the 17th and 19th Centuries its ruling class became more and more close to the Christian authorities, adopting christian identities and letting its national sovereignty suffer a little more because of personal riches, what has been an insult to the original project of Palarokhiel, according to the Valtheran Family. Aware of this, the Soncks, who had begun a fine lineage of magicians studying shape-shifting abilities in the Baphomet's Temple since the 16th Century, have risen to prevent the Valtheran reclaiming their influence over Palarokhiel and putting their agenda -a new breakout of Black Death, the Imperial expansion and the installment of a magocratic dictatorship throughout all Europe, and then the world- into practice, but have gradually failed, being unable to prevent the fall of Baphomet's Temple, its Institute and the Philosopher's Stone from falling into the hands of a Socialist Dictatorship backed up by insane warlocks and with the same old pro-nobility military standing at its frontlines. The Soncks, who have produced werewolves for centuries, have made of themselves a last bastion of nobility against the Palarokhian Invaders, taking an anti-communist stance and being brought closer, in the 20th Century, to conservative nationalists, not from Lithuania, but anywhere else far west, like Teutonia, seeking support against the rising communist revolts which wold later, in a similar manner, bring the Soviet Union into being. The State of Palarokhiel has supported the Soviets for some years, however didn't have a common goal or a concrete, official allegiance. In this context, on the late 20th Century, the Soncks have directly supported a rising anti-soviet initiative, Ulhaden Corp, headed by Jorgen Zimmermann, and later to the independence of several nations from Soviet rule, but not too much from the Palarokhian one. Several towns from Eastern Teutonia were still part of Palarokhiel, and would remain as such for most of the time after that.  

In 2000, Johan Sonck, taking matter into hands, has used the Mi armor developed by Ulhaden and embarked on a mission to locate and kill Tupaq Amaru III, the governor of Tahuantinsuyu, a Socialist Dictatorship from South America allied to Palarokhiel. On a battle of epic proportions that took place on Tupaq's current location, Bermeja, a Mexican island at the time occuppied by Cubans and Americans alike, mainly because of its oil, the Ulhaden's agents have fallen, and for Drake, it was time for revenge. His brothers sought to leave Lithuania and spend their money elsewhere, while Drake believed he should "continue the defense of liberty and honor", applying to the military of Lithuania, but seeking way more than that. In the same year, the AXIS initiative has been created by forces behind the UN as a result of the failures on Bermeja and Arizona (that was being invaded by UTSST military for some time, in an act interpreted by the US government as a military offense). In 2006 Drake Sonck has been approached by Zimmermann and invited to join AXIS, which he couldn't refuse, and from then the young warrior honed his military skills, looking down to others and perceiving, with time, he had come to better results than most of his fellows, or so he liked to think. He's also perceived that the AXIS wasn't what he thought to be, it was more likely a school of bounty hunters rather than UN's official elite (the closer to it may be the Interpol. His impression of the Interpol would also change during missions when AXIS and Interpol collaborated, for AXIS' technology seems superior). According to Drake, the AXIS Agents should "behave more like soldiers than as sell-swords", an opinion that would sound friendly to another agent, Benjamin Phillips (the user of the Zeta armor). For some reason, Sonck found his senses told Ephraim Frére, AXIS' Academy Director, had something against him. In battle, Drake always try to keep cool, but when things get out of control, he uses his abilities, transforming into a werewolf and killing any demon he can find. He believes Frére may have something against him because of this, for a werewolf may look like several demons the AXIS fights out there, but he ensures he's not a demon, and he likes to think he's "using their weapon against them", just like the logic of the Soncks against the Palarokhian. Despite from Lithuania, Sonck derives from Dutch and Belgian nobles, who were forced to move during the Palarokhian Empire's expansion into Western Europe by the 14th Century. Despite respecting Phillips, who's an AXIS "Magister" (the highest ranking an AXIS student can get, who has the right to lead other agents on missions), he's not as obedient to the current user of the Ni armor, Lana Bridges, another Magister, what may hint at his own seemingly mysoginist way of thinking. Since 2009, when a new student, the prodigious Nina Roux, who's defeated the other competitors looking for the rights of using the Upsilon armor, and later became a Magister herself, has become somewhat popular in the academy, Drake expressed his distaste for her, believing everything for her was handled, and she made no real effort to get it. But Nina often don't care about Drake's offenses and sees it as mere jealousy, what has put the both of them at odds and rivalry in some missions. Overall, Drake is a guy who cares a lot about honor and what others think about him, always trying to get the better grades and skills, however always find frustration on little things, mainly because of his own goals. He's also vengeful, yet collected. He's also friends with Kai Taylor, the user of the Rho armor, who's not half as serious as he is.

Hope you like it, constructive feedback is always welcome