Shikal

## Description

Shikal are artificially bred slug-like Armageddeon lifeforms birthed in climate-controlled hives eight miles below the surface of Armageddon and bred only for war, be it direct or silent. Each Shikal is birthed with a unique power that develops further over time, distinguished by their color. Once a Shikal has reached maturity, it is implanted inside an Armageddeon Battle Exoskeleton for deployment in the field. These exoskeletons are bipedal, six feet and five inches tall and allow greatly enhanced strength, speed and endurance. With these exoskeletons, the Shikal wield Armageddeon Dual-Spears tailored for the specific power of that wielder.

## Lifespan

* Stage 1: Shikal is born and is completely driven by instinct
* Stage 2: Shikal learns to avoid light
* Stage 3: Shikal develops power and becomes defensive (Begins deployment in Battle Exoskeleton)
* Stage 4: Shikal can withstand sunlight for about an hour
* Stage 5: Shikal knows of the will of Armageddon
* Stage 6: Shikal is fully aware of its mission

## Powers

* Accuracy
	+ Stage 1: Instinctively sought out the most vulnerable part of a target.
	+ Stage 2: Able to strike and infect a nearby target perfectly nine out of ten times.
	+ Stage 3: Had the ability to strike a close target with unerring accuracy.
	+ Stage 4: Could strike even a remote target with near-perfect accuracy.
	+ Stage 5: Able to leap and strike with perfect precision, no matter the circumstances.
	+ Stage 6: Could strike the smallest target at a great distance or in any environment or condition.
* Adaptation
	+ Stage 1: Adjusted quickly to environmental extremes such as heat and cold.
	+ Stage 2: Adaptive abilities made it impossible to capture the same way twice.
	+ Stage 3: Had a limited ability to alter its own physical properties to fit new situations.
	+ Stage 4: Able to thrive in any environment, from treetop to seafloor.
	+ Stage 5: Capable of controlling physical transformation to adapt to the unexpected.
	+ Stage 6: Instantly adapted to take maximum advantage of any condition or situation.
* Anger
	+ Stage 1: Caused feeling of general irritation in nearby creatures.
	+ Stage 2: Nearby presence turned friendly conversations into shouting matches.
	+ Stage 3: Radiated anger had the power to magnify mild grudges into furious feuds.
	+ Stage 4: Anger radiance caused all animals in the area to become fiercely territorial.
	+ Stage 5: Had the ability to drive most creatures temporarily mad with rage.
	+ Stage 6: Had the power to turn even Solar Sentinels against one another in anger.
* Chain Lightning
	+ Stage 1: Constantly emitted crackling sparks.
	+ Stage 2: Could severely jolt any creature or object in physical contact.
	+ Stage 3: Had the ability to fire small arcs of electricity across a short distance.
	+ Stage 4: Could fire large arcs of electricity across a moderate distance.
	+ Stage 5: Could fire and control multiple powerful electrical jolts at the same time.
	+ Stage 6: Could control devastating bolts of chain lightning that leap between multiple targets.
* Chameleon
	+ Stage 1: Instinctively adapted a camouflage pattern to blend in with surroundings.
	+ Stage 2: Had the ability to mimic the patterns of a rocky or sandy surface.
	+ Stage 3: Could blend in perfectly with any shadowed terrain.
	+ Stage 4: Could mimic the color patterns of complex surfaces or objects.
	+ Stage 5: Became almost undetectable in all but the brightest light.
	+ Stage 6: Had the ability to become completely invisible in any environment.
* Confusion
	+ Stage 1: Produces a feeling of disorientation in anything that it touches.
	+ Stage 2: Projects an aura that confuses any small-minded creatures in the immediate area.
	+ Stage 3: Aura of confusion is strong enough to make a human forget what they were doing.
	+ Stage 4: Aura of confusion leaves all beings in the area bewildered.
	+ Stage 5: Aura is strong enough to leave an entire village helpless with confusion.
	+ Stage 6: Extended proximity can reduce even a Solar Sentinel to mindless babbling.
* Cyclone
	+ Stage 1: Instinctively influences wind currents for speedy travel.
	+ Stage 2: Able to raise a defensive field of cyclone wind.
	+ Stage 3: Can project short cyclone blasts to blow away enemies.
	+ Stage 4: Has the ability to create small cyclone winds in a limited area.
	+ Stage 5: Can create a powerful cyclone wind, but not control its direction or duration.
	+ Stage 6: Has the power to create and control powerful cyclones at will.
* Darkness
	+ Stage 1: Has the natural ability to become invisible in shadow.
	+ Stage 2: Can project a small field of darkness around itself.
	+ Stage 3: Travels in a large field of total darkness, making it difficult to strike or capture.
	+ Stage 4: Can snuff out any light in the area, whether sunlight or flame.
	+ Stage 5: Can project spheres of darkness onto objects or creatures to temporarily blind a foe.
	+ Stage 6: Has the power to consume all light in a large area; only a Solar Sentinel's light is stronger.
* Density Control
	+ Stage 1: Can briefly increase density to resist physical blows.
	+ Stage 2: Can focus density to concrete hardness, becoming almost impervious to harm.
	+ Stage 3: Can decrease density for enhanced speed and agility.
	+ Stage 4: Has the power to become momentarily intangible.
	+ Stage 5: Has the ability to pass through matter at will.
	+ Stage 6: Complete control over own density and that of any object in physical contact.
* Disintegration
	+ Stage 1: Burrows by dissolving a path through metal, rock or ground.
	+ Stage 2: Can slowly corrode inorganic material from within a touch.
	+ Stage 3: Causes walls, floors and other fortifications to collapse by tunneling through them.
	+ Stage 4: Has the ability to completely disintegrate rocks and plants on contact.
	+ Stage 5: Can completely disintegrate forged metals on contact.
	+ Stage 6: Has the power to reduce even Infinium to dust.
* Dodge
	+ Stage 1: Surprisingly difficult to catch.
	+ Stage 2: Fast enough to evade the most skilled athlete.
	+ Stage 3: Quick enough to crawl circles around an enraged tiger.
	+ Stage 4: Able to dodge faster than a super soldier’s strike.
	+ Stage 5: Skilled enough to dodge even Lightning Man’s speed.
	+ Stage 6: Impossible to physically strike, no matter how swiftly or powerfully.
* Elasticity
	+ Stage 1: Has a stretchy, flexible body that is highly resistant to harm.
	+ Stage 2: Able to squeeze through narrow cracks and crevices.
	+ Stage 3: Has the ability to stretch several times its own length to climb over obstacles.
	+ Stage 4: Elastic enough to withstand and snap back from heavy blows.
	+ Stage 5: Can stretch around even sharp edges without harm.
	+ Stage 6: Can stretch incredible lengths in the blink of an eye to attack a faraway target.
* Electricity
	+ Stage 1: Body emits mild, numbing shocks on contact.
	+ Stage 2: Uses painful sparks to incapacitate anything that it touches.
	+ Stage 3: Constantly surrounded by a protective electric field.
	+ Stage 4: Has the ability to extend its electric field around objects in physical contact.
	+ Stage 5: Can manipulate electric field to shock nearby creatures.
	+ Stage 6: Powerful electrical field can be controlled to surround or stun distant objects or creatures.
* Fear
	+ Stage 1: Creates feelings of vague unease in its vicinity.
	+ Stage 2: Manifests suspicion and paranoia in any being nearby.
	+ Stage 3: Causes any being nearby to inexplicably become very frightened.
	+ Stage 4: Has the power to temporarily freeze creatures with fear.
	+ Stage 5: Constantly emits a field of overwhelming terror.
	+ Stage 6: Has the power to bring fear to the hearts of even the Solar Sentinel.
* Gravity
	+ Stage 1: Uses gravity to hold itself to objects, making it difficult to pick up.
	+ Stage 2: Uses gravity powers to pull small objects to itself across a small distance.
	+ Stage 3: Has the ability to pull large and heavy objects toward itself.
	+ Stage 4: Can increase or decrease the effect of gravity on an object by touch.
	+ Stage 5: Can use gravity to hold an object or creature to the ground from a short distance.
	+ Stage 6: Uses gravity control to crush any object in visual range.
* Heat Vision
	+ Stage 1: Burning hot to the touch.
	+ Stage 2: Can raise the temperature of objects through physical contact.
	+ Stage 3: Can heat objects to the boiling or melting point through touch.
	+ Stage 4: Has the ability to heat up nearby objects by staring at them.
	+ Stage 5: Uses short-range heat vision to ignite nearby objects.
	+ Stage 6: Powerful long-range heat vision can ignite any object within sight.
* Hunger
	+ Stage 1: Has the ability to sap small amounts of energy from the plants around it.
	+ Stage 2: Can leech some energy from small animals on contact.
	+ Stage 3: Has the power to completely drain the energy of a small animal.
	+ Stage 4: Can drain large amounts of energy from humans and animals.
	+ Stage 5: Can completely drain the energy of any animal, human or other large creature.
	+ Stage 6: Has enough strength to drain the energy of a Solar Sentinel.
* Illusion
	+ Stage 1: Shimmers in and out of sight as it moves.
	+ Stage 2: Can project an image of itself across a short distance to confuse enemies.
	+ Stage 3: Camouflages itself inside of a false image.
	+ Stage 4: Has the ability to create simple moving illusions in the nearby area.
	+ Stage 5: Has the power to project a realistic moving image.
	+ Stage 6: Can create and control multiple realistic illusions anywhere within sight.
* Insect Control
	+ Stage 1: Constantly surrounded and protected by a swarm of tiny, stinging insects.
	+ Stage 2: Able to summon small insects to attack its enemies.
	+ Stage 3: Able to control even large insects through physical contact.
	+ Stage 4: Able to control multiple insects without physical contact.
	+ Stage 5: Has the ability to summon insects from all across the land to serve its will.
	+ Stage 6: Powerful enough to control and command an entire hive of insects.
* Magnetism
	+ Stage 1: Can use magnetism to cling to any rock or metal surface.
	+ Stage 2: Can draw trace metals from the ground to form a thin protective shell.
	+ Stage 3: Has the ability to create armor of tough spikes from surrounding rock or metal.
	+ Stage 4: Can hurl stone and metal fragments within a short range.
	+ Stage 5: Has the power to warp, shred or crush metallic objects on contact.
	+ Stage 6: Possesses magnetic powers strong enough to tear a slab of Infinium in two.
* Mind Reading
	+ Stage 1: Instinctive empathetic ability prevents easy capture.
	+ Stage 2: Has the ability to detect and seek out nearby creatures for infection.
	+ Stage 3: Can evade any trap that a nearby pursuer is thinking about.
	+ Stage 4: Able to anticipate and instantly avoid attacks.
	+ Stage 5: Able to read and understand the thoughts of nearby creatures.
	+ Stage 6: Powerful enough to invade the mind of a Solar Sentinel.
* Plant Control
	+ Stage 1: Leaves a trail of slippery, unpleasant weeds wherever it slithers.
	+ Stage 2: Can cause plants to grow strong or wither away with a touch.
	+ Stage 3: Has the ability to grow a thicket of thorny, poisonous plants around itself.
	+ Stage 4: Can summon vines from the ground or wall to ensnare enemies.
	+ Stage 5: Can control any plant that it touches and use fast-growing creepers to spread infection.
	+ Stage 6: Has total control over any plants in the area.
* Plasma
	+ Stage 1: Superheated plasma coating protects body and aids in tunneling.
	+ Stage 2: Can drip plasma like acid to burn through surfaces.
	+ Stage 3: Has the ability to fire small jets of searing plasma.
	+ Stage 4: Can fling dangerous blobs of plasma with great accuracy.
	+ Stage 5: Can superheat objects on contact, melting them or absorbing their energy.
	+ Stage 6: Has the power to instantly melt any object into vapor.
* Poison
	+ Stage 1: Leaves a trail of sticky, sickly slime that is unpleasant to touch.
	+ Stage 2: Inflicts mild nausea on contact.
	+ Stage 3: Has the power to poison the ground so that plants cannot grow.
	+ Stage 4: Creates pools of toxic corrosion wherever it slithers.
	+ Stage 5: Makes any animal or human severely ill on contact.
	+ Stage 6: Dangerously toxic even to a Solar Sentinel.
* Power Scream
	+ Stage 1: Emits a constant high-frequency screech that cannot be heard but sets nerves on edge.
	+ Stage 2: Can emit short bursts of high-pitched sound that causes crippling headaches.
	+ Stage 3: Amplified scream can deafen and disorient other creatures for short periods.
	+ Stage 4: Power scream causes unconsciousness and can be heard for several miles around.
	+ Stage 5: Power scream is strong enough to physically knock an opponent back.
	+ Stage 6: Power scream shatters stone and can be heard all across the island.
* Shape Shifting
	+ Stage 1: Can wriggle free of all but the strongest of grasps.
	+ Stage 2: Has the ability to slither through the smallest passages.
	+ Stage 3: Can flatten or stretch itself to several times its original size.
	+ Stage 4: Has the ability to mimic basic shapes for camouflage.
	+ Stage 5: Can take the form of a small creature or object at will.
	+ Stage 6: Has total control over its own shape, although its mass cannot change.
* Shattering
	+ Stage 1: Has the ability to tunnel through rock explosively.
	+ Stage 2: Can create blister-like ruptures in metal with a touch.
	+ Stage 3: Has the power to make solid objects fall apart on contact.
	+ Stage 4: Has the ability to shatter objects to pieces on contact.
	+ Stage 5: Can forcefully shatter rock or metal on contact.
	+ Stage 6: Has the power to create explosions in the immediate area.
* Silence
	+ Stage 1: Able to move and tunnel in complete silence.
	+ Stage 2: Projects an aura of silence that can disorientate or terrify an enemy.
	+ Stage 3: Can drain all sound from any object or creature with which it is in contact.
	+ Stage 4: Has the ability to absorb all sound in a small area at will.
	+ Stage 5: Can radiate aura of silence over an entire village.
	+ Stage 6: Aura of silence is powerful enough to temporarily deafen a Solar Sentinel.
* Sleep
	+ Stage 1: Able to survive for extremely long periods in a state of hibernation.
	+ Stage 2: Physical contact slows reflexes and makes creatures groggy.
	+ Stage 3: Has the ability to put animals to sleep with a touch.
	+ Stage 4: Can cause any nearby creature to fall asleep.
	+ Stage 5: Has the ability to cause sleep in multiple beings across a small area.
	+ Stage 6: Has the power to instantly put an entire village into deep sleep.
* Slowness
	+ Stage 1: Extremely slow, but difficult to dislodge and highly resistant to physical harm.
	+ Stage 2: Able to anchor itself to a creature and rob it of speed.
	+ Stage 3: Temporarily slows down anything in which it comes into contact.
	+ Stage 4: Has the ability to slow down all movement in a small area.
	+ Stage 5: Has the ability to completely stop all movement in a small area.
	+ Stage 6: Able to rob even a Solar Sentinel of all speed as long as it remains nearby.
* Sonics
	+ Stage 1: Uses sonic vibrations to shake itself loose if captured.
	+ Stage 2: Can use light sonic waves to shake any surface that it touches.
	+ Stage 3: Has the power to knock over objects with short sonic pulses.
	+ Stage 4: Can use strong sonic pulses to shake objects apart.
	+ Stage 5: Uses sonic blasts to pound or shatter nearby objects.
	+ Stage 6: Blasts distant objects with powerful waves of sonic force.
* Weather Control
	+ Stage 1: Moves hidden by a shroud of heavy fog.
	+ Stage 2: Uses short but powerful gusts of wind to buffet attackers.
	+ Stage 3: Has the ability to manipulate existing weather.
	+ Stage 4: Can create heavy rainstorms in the immediate area.
	+ Stage 5: Has the power to summon rain, hail or snow.
	+ Stage 6: Can manifest powerful, dangerous thunderstorms and blizzards at will.