"The mind is its own place, and in itself can make a heaven of hell, a hell of heaven..."
- John Milton, Paradise Lost.
"When you are suffering, know that I have betrayed you."
- Marilyn Manson, Antichrist Superstar.
It was obvious from a young age that I destined to be alone.
My ideas and outlook were always a step above my peers.
The death of my father was cathartic, his death at my hands naturally.
But one set of hands could not do my much needed work alone.
So I simply made more, and set them around the world's throat.
- promo write-up.
A (mis) interpretation:
Name: Darwin
Rothchild.
Alias: The Emperor of Rothchild.
Age: 22 years old.
Affiliation: The Rothchild Corporation - Chairman, CEO, President.
Abilities: Hyper intellect, hyper memory; hyper polyglot; intuitive aptitude; enhanced inventing; science prowess; Kalaripayattu - martial art expert; peak physical condition; deception; cunningness.
Darwin Rothchild is the current CEO of the mega-conglomerate, the Rothchild Corporation. He is the only living direct descendant of the long lineage of the illustrious Rothchild family, originating from Frankonovurd, Germania. The Rothchild family's fortune is found upon establishing a banking dynasty in the early 17th century through issuance of stocks, bonds and debts. They become immensely influential and possess the largest private fortune in the world through financial loans and subsidies after the outbreak of the various inter-nations conflicts. The Rothchild Corporation holds monopolistic or near-monopolistic control over multiple markets, exhibiting both a horizontal and a vertical monopoly. It is so powerful that it can ignore the law, possess their own heavily armed, military-sized private army, hold 'sovereign' territory on Luna, and indirectly act as outright private government. They exercise a large degree of control over their employees, taking the idea of corporate culture to the extreme. All High Lords of the Seven Nations on Terra have a share in the corporation, as well as the Ecclesiarch of Mars himself.
Darwin's father, Walter Rothchild launched and spearheaded the family's steel and technology-based activities, producing a wide range of technology applications from consumer electronics to battleships and space colonies. Known as the "Lord of War", Walter steered the family's company direction more and more towards specialisation in designing, creation of weapons and arms manufacturing. By late 1880s, the sale of armaments represent around 50% of the Rothchild Corporation's total profit. Subsequently, for security reason, the Rothchild Corporation leased and later acquired Luna from the Terra governments. Known as the Rothchild Luna City, the entire moon is turned into a massive industrial complex with numerous manufactorums. Following the outbreak of the Great War in 1914, the Rothchild Corporation become the primary military supplier to various factions, regardless of the issue of conflicting interest. How these came to be is because of the conglomerate immense business structure, comprising at least 500 different subsidiaries and several thousands divisions, which could be contracted out or provide funds to various, warring factions.
Darwin Rothchild is 22 years old when he inherits the massive business empire from Walter, whom died of Luna dust induced cancer. There are rumours circulating during those periods that Darwin plans his father's death for reasons unclear. How those rumours originate remains unknown but those found to be talking about it openly would mysteriously disappear or found dead from various incidents. Darwin's mother died under equally mysterious circumstances when he was 11 years old, although officially announced as an automobile accident. As a young boy, Darwin is a shy, introverted person. He would often keeps to himself, bereft of friends or acquaintances. Like all Rothchild, Darwin is privately educated, tutored and self taught. Although all the generations of the Rothchild family, past and present, are geniuses in their own rights, Darwin is a hyper intellectual, a step removed above them all. He is naturally well versed in all scientific disciplines - formal, natural, social and applied sciences - and immerse himself in various branches of philosophy. Not only does Darwin mastered these important fields of studies, he effortlessly resolved all forms of scientific controversies, and advancing them further through various scientific methods as well as develop new ones. His intellectual capacity is, even at a young age, far beyond the reach of any of the greatest minds past and present, making him possibly the most knowledgeable human in existence. Darwin possesses photographic memory. In a rare interview, Darwin shared that he "stored" them in specific "rooms" within his mind, capable of revisiting those memories whenever he wishes. As such, Darwin is incapable of not forgetting anything, however specific it is. During his free time, Darwin would indulge himself in his own work of art, be it fine art, literature or musical composition. Majority of the architectural design of the hive cities and space colonies are influenced by Darwin, qualifying him as a "renaissance man". He understands the importance of communication, and goes on to mastered 30 languages, 4 of them considered "dead" languages and binary codes. As a well recognised philanthropist and humanitarian, Darwin has won several awards of highest distinction for charities.
Darwin keeps himself extremely physically fit, exercising himself to the pinnacle of human physical ability, taken up and mastered the ancient martial art of Kalaripayattu and practises yoga rigorously. Darwin practises and trains himself in simulated hand to hand combat. It is said he could managed to catch the bullet with his above normal reaction time using just his hand.
Those whom have had the opportunity to see or speak to him said of Darwin as being "charming, well-mannered, impeccably cultured and sophisticated. His voice, choice of words are firm, soothe and assuring, although there seems to be something which words cannot describe behind all the cordial and refined personality. It is as if there was a veil covering a dark persona hidden within.
They are not far from wrong. Darwin may the "smartest man in the world", but his other aspect of persona is well lacking, of which he hides very well throughout his life. In truth, Darwin does not have any empathy nor feeling towards his fellow humankind. He finds his fellow human race to be lacking the intellectual capability and will to power to ascend themselves higher. Darwin sees in himself above his fellow humankind, has God complex and a superior form of life, akin to Nietzschean Übermensch. He deduces that humankind wants sufferance, not interested in being saved and quite content to remain weak, imitative and oppressed. Darwin embraces an extreme form of Social Darwinism, and sees a long, continuous war, apart from profiting greatly from it and binding the governments under his moonboots, would eventually allow a stronger race to emerge, to realise their weakness and, to eventually will themselves of out of misery and descend higher. He concludes that war, in any form, is a necessity and justification to maintain the continuous existence of the strong and elimination of the weaker ones. This ambition of his is matched only by the level of his intellect. Darwin misanthropic and nihilistic view on humankind leads him to the creation of the warbots, of which are sold and deployed in millions throughout the Great War, a destructive legacy which lasts well into 21st century. For Darwin, wars are like playing a game of chess with himself, and a playground of which he plans to lead the weaker humans to total annihilation before the surviving ones ascend to greatness. Within his Luna manufactorums, there are thousands of warbots prototypes and designs awaiting to be unleashed for the Great War.
After his ascension to lead the world's wealthiest corporation and largest private fortune, and upon fending off other close relatives of the Rothchild family, a struggle which was said to be of "Shakespearean nature", the "Emperor of Rothchild" is primarily noted for inventing the warbots, combat automatons which are self reliance instead of being manned by human, through task intelligence system, and later, artificial intellect. He sells them to both Terra Coalition Armed Forces and the Ecclesiarchy of Mars factions, to be unleashed upon the battle fields of Terra and throughout the Sol System. Darwin also invents and implements Melchizedek, a universal matrix of cyber network where external memories and data could be retrieved and stored. Darwin also revolutionised cybernetic engineering, bio-technology and genetic engineering. Darwin secret research in nanotechnology succeeds in creation of nano-bots, though at the expense of turning Mercury into a sea of grey goo.
As Darwin looks upon Terra, blanket in global dimming and other environmental decays from the War, as well as Mars with its atmospheric stations beginning to show sign of irreversible deterioration and beyond repair (even if Darwin could, he wouldn't), he heaves a sigh of relief and feels that the future of the human race is bright indeed.
.....................................................................................
I look upon 003 as a father does his child
I gave 003 its gift, it finds most wanting
I would not be surprised to wake up and find two knives inserted in me
I of course would find no less, if indeed he had found me wanting
I am indeed a proud father
- The Journal of Darwin Rothchild.
Cogito ergo sum
~ René Descartes
Category type: Warbot.
Unit Type: Custom security provision warbot.
Model Type: Caesar.
Designation : R.I.P. 003 - "CALIGULA" the Red Wake of Luna.
Manufacturer: The Rothchild Corporation.
Affiliation: The Rothchild Praetorian Guards - The Rothchild Internal Protection Garrison (R.I.P), The Luna Defence Division.
Height: 8.5 feet.
Weight: 2900kg.
Armour Type: Luna titanium hyper alloy.
Armour Thickness: 150mm.
Power plant: Rothchild Ultracompact Fusion Reactor.
Std. armaments: SMRTGUN - assault rifle x 1; “Harmonic Knife” - power weapon x 2; BIG PAM semi-automatic pistol x 2; “Mountain Shield” - power spaulder x 1; Hyper sensorium; Hyper scanner; Protective mantle; Anti-electromagnetic barrier; Advance anti-tampering system; A.I. (Artificial Intelligence) System.
Upon learning the existence of the terrorist faction known as the N.O.M. Legion and the threat they pose upon his warbots, Darwin locks himself up within his massive, personal laboratory, working feverishly on a new series of warbot. When he is done, Darwin
called them the Caesar series, befitting the ancient Roman emperors of the old ages.
The
first prototype produced is designated 000 or Three Zero. Darwin calls it
Julius the Stillborn, follow by three more prototypes. They are 001 or Zero Zero One, named Augustus the Ascended; 002 or Zero Zero Two, called Tiberius the Black Death and finally, 003 or Zero Zero Three, Caligula the Red Wake. The three warbots follows the colour scheme of white, black and red, of which Darwin specially chose as in combination it gives an aura of power.
A new security garrison is raised, the Rothchild Internal Protection Garrison or
R.I.P., within the Luna Defence Division. The three prototypes become his personal
security guards, known as the Rothchild Praetorian Guards. Once Darwin is
satisfied with this new creation, members of the "Kaiser Projekt" development team are
invited to a celebratory party whereby their foods and drinks are laced with
cyanide.
The R.I.P. Caesar series are designed based on the concept of "over-technology". For years, Darwin has intentionally held back majority of his technological creations from being made available to the warring factions. This is mostly due to the single factor of enabling the Rothchild Corporation to maximise its profits from spare parts and shortened product life cycle.
But the R.I.P. Caesar series changes all that. Their armours are forged from the newly developed Luna
Titanium Hyper Alloy, a super
high-tensile alloy. Non-oxidizing with higher
durability and strength, greater heat resistance and radiation absorbing properties than even the
Armstrong 0G series Luna Titanium Steel Composite Alloy. Its overall composition is much more light
weight, providing greater manoeuvrability with optimum weight to speed
balance ratio. The armour is produced under high-temperature plasma in the zero-gravity conditions of the Rothchild City manufactorum on Luna. The armour is incredibly tough, several times the strength and heat-resistance of
a standard titanium. The refinement process causes the
alloy to become electrically neutral. The alloy also contain many non-ferrous
metals, non-analysed matter as well as elements created by Darwin himself. Its overall compound is adjusted in nano-units, a
process so precise that it can only be done in gravitationally stable Lagrange
Points. The annealing process, which strengthens the alloy, is performed by
electromagnetic waves channel directly from Sol. No other compound is as immutable as this
alloy, making the material almost entirely resistant to change. The nuclei of the atoms themselves are even modified within the hyper
alloy. The R.I.P. Caesar joints are coated with “magnet coating”, a special material when energised would repelled the joints to the point where there is zero friction, increasing their reaction time up to 80%.
A new power plant based on Helium-3 derived fuel is specially created for the Caesar warbot series, the Ultracompact Fusion Reactor. This new power plant gave the R.I.P. Caesar all the powers it could derived to enable it to reach its absolute potential.
The R.I.P. Caesar incorporate A.I. program which enables the R.I.P. Caesars to autonomously self evolve continuously and improve its tasks, objectives and decision making processes. Darwin calls it "Artificial Self Evolvement Process".
The R.I.P. Caesar has an array of assault and defence mechanisms. These include a special
anti-electromagnetic pulse coating directly applied onto the surface of the R.I.P.
Caesar armour. The warbot is incorporated with a hyper-jammer which broadcast disruption field that nullify its targets multi-sensors, scanners and radars, rendering it invisible. Advanced anti-tampering system, propose designed to counter the N.O.M. machine hack/wipe ability, is installed. Known as the Null-System, it was so effective that a N.O.M. psyker would be eliminated before the firewalls could be breached. Hyper-spectrum sensors and scanners are pre-built in each Caesar to detect hidden enemies and see through obstacles. It enables a Caesar to have a 360 degree remote view on its surrounding and well as elimination of blind spots. A newly developed targeting array system was also incorporated into the Caesar. The advance precision targeting system enables the Caesar's aim by automatically adjusting for the target's range and speed. A shoulder armour, known as the Mountain Shield, is mounted on each Caesar. The shield would generate energy field protective barrier, which would repel all forms of projectile and energy based weaponry. The shield could also be used as a melee weapon, ramming its target and crush it to pieces. Protective mantles weaved from monomolecular wires such as those used by the Dropcloth series, are also included.
The R.I.P. Caesar warbots are specially equipped with the newly developed SMRTGUN assault rifle. It is the most advance assault rifle designed by Darwin. It incorporates the newly developed Multi-Lock Tracking System (MLTS), an advanced precision targeting and acquisition system evolve from the Logis Engine System. The SMRTGUN could identified its potential target, plots and plans its firing path, which allow complex firing patterns to hit separate enemies position within reachable distance simultaneously. Its 30mm high explosive tipped ammunition would automatically lock upon the enemy and avoid obstacles in the firing path. The MLTS is mounted on the front nozzle of the SMRTGUN in the form of a miniaturised Bertie. It is remote linked to the Caesar, continuously feeding it information. The SMRTGUN utilises electromagnetic force rather than conventional gunpowder to fire its ammunition at the rate of super sonic speed velocity. It also provides greater allowance for more accurate shooting of the weaponry while on the move and pinpoint with absolute accuracy the weak point of enemy armour. Each R.I.P. Caesar is also issued with secondary weaponries comprise of one close combat power weapon known as the Harmonic
Knife and a BIG PAM pistol.
The Caesar series advance technologies could counter any warbots of its time. It takes at least a company of Berties or Brambles to take out one Caesar. And even in its death throes, a Caesar remains deadly - its Ultra Compact Fusion Reactor would explodes with a mini mushroom cloud with a blast radius of 500 feet, irradiating the area in the process.
Two versions are made - known as "the Domehead" and the "the Flathead". Of the four Caesar prototypes, the Zero Zero Three or Caligula is the one which excites and intrigues Darwin the most. Caligula total disregard for usage of range weaponry and instead opts for singular usage of its specially issued, master crafted and greatly enhanced Harmonic Knives, known as "Hunger" and "Slake", to confront and slash the targets or enemies in close combat assault is highly unusual.
During early field experimentation and deployments into pre-selected battle theatres to test Caligula's potentials, it carved a path of mangled and shredded warbots and corpses. "Hunger" and "Slake" are both modified and fine tuned with higher molecular disruption energy level, and when used by the skilled hands of the Red Beast, the advance power knives are capable of slicing and stabbing through majority of armours with ease like hot knives through soft butter with exceptional dexterity and incredible speed. The effect on humans are gruesome to say it the least. "Hunger" and "Slake" emit blood red lights, giving it an fearsome effect. Both knives emit resonance which is described as akin to an electric guitar sonic feedback as it slices through the air. Known as "The Thirsts of Hunger and Slake", it could disorient and confuse Caligula targets and enemies. Caligula is also equipped with secondary weaponry, a pair of standard issued BIG PAM fully automatic handguns as backup. Caligula never once uses it. Caligula "attraction" to killings and aptitude for brutal, close, confrontational combat style with indiscriminate rage and blood lust, without regard for self preservation, gain it a dark fame throughout the Rothchild Corporation and for those whom witnesses its deadly prowess. There are reports that Caligula would indiscriminately attack and destroy any warbots around it once there are no longer any enemies to destroy. As such Caligula is nicknamed "The Red Wake of Luna". Darwin even installs a kill counter onto the lens of it's helm.
Darwin watches with excitement of anticipation that one of his finest creation would now heap more destruction and death. He self-assures himself that with the R.I.P. Caesar as primary security, Darwin is confident, at least for that particular moment, he would be safe from harm. Darwin would rather let his life ends from the tip of a Harmonic Knife than at the hands of a N.O.M. Legion.
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This is my first 3A warbot, it does not disappoint, except I still kind of trying to get use to the fact that this is a "designer toy", not Hot Toys etc. This is particular true with my other 3A figures and maybe future bots as well, as the primary focus is not to be as accurate to the real thing as possible e.g. Hot Toys. That's the attraction of 3A. It is based on Ashley Wood's paintings and ThreeA best effort to realise it into something tangible. Which is why I'm a-ok with the ball and joint figure. And the "oh so 80s" oil drum body design, like those you see in pasar malam old school robots. Except this time, there's a few "concerns". First, the palms of Darwin looks like he uses too much washing detergents or suffering from gout, making it wrinkly with very obvious molding lines. The ugliest pair of 1/6th hands I seen. And I can't pose Darwin in that pelvic hip thrusting look as in the art by Ashley Wood, ya know, like a hip, skinny tie, cool look. The bot itself is light, in terms of weight and colouration. Weight ain't no prob for moi, but I feel the bot needs a few more additional coating to make it more "solid" looking. And honestly, the "clean" look is kinda flat and very plasticky. And although it comes with a pair of knives and pistols, 3A should have included the SMRTGUN. And the colours are very "toy-like". The pouches and sarong the 'bot wear also had different hue to it. Orange instead of red. Bummer. I still prefer a 3A crazily, heavily, weathered warbot. I look at it this way - 3A is like a hybrid between a true designer toys i.e. urban vinyl stuffs and others in limited quantities but now morph into getting bigger and expanding into getting realistic, looking products i.e. Real Steel, Valve etc. with licensing. It all good. All good. Just hope it would not become another Hot Toys. And of course, not knowing anything about the world of 3A, I "gleamed" all infos from the world of WH40K, ThreeA Wiki, Lexicanum and of course, Gundam Wiki. The personality of Darwin is partly based on Adrian Veidt, of Watchmen, Tony Stark and...Hannibal Lector.
