Svarogar

*“You think NeShemar Rajeshar Evans is the maniac in that group? You could not be more wrong; Evans is practically comatose by Blood Rider standards of manic. The Renarii has to constantly egg him on to get his berserk up. No, the madman in that whole bunch is the Svarogar, Akumo...that guy challenges fire dragons to duels. He walks into burning buildings, hell, he FIGHTS in burning buildings. He even fought in a volcano caldera...an ACTIVE volcano caldera! That helldog is a certified walking menace with a love of fire, even more so than certain midgets I’ve had the unfortunate acquaintance of.”*

*“I MAY FALL BUT MY HONOR BURNS ON!!! MY EXISTENCE ENDS BUT MY LINE CONTINUES AND YOURS SHALL KNOW NOTHING BUT ETERNAL DISGRACE FOR THE DESTRUCTION I HAVE WROUGHT UPON YOU THIS DAY!!!! WITNESS MY END BUT KNOW YOUR SUFFERING HAS ONLY BEGUN!!!! EVEN IN DEATH I CARVE MY NAME IN -FIRE- UPON YOUR UNWORTHY FLESH!!!!”*

----Svarogar Flameclaw Yamato, just before kamikazing on the forces of Hell Lord Rune, in the Battle of Lansing Meta-Tower Ruins.

*“RAGNAROK NOW!!!!!”*

---Svarogar Steelfire Nevsky’s response to a call upon his entrapped squad to surrender.

## Svarogar, Shemar Blood Rider Oreseme

aka ‘Hellhounds’, ‘Burnerai’, ‘Blood Dogs’

When the Wolf’s Path Tribe gifted the Silvermoons with a pair of customized ‘Adalwulf’ (‘Noble Wolf’) Oreseme in recognition of the Silvermoons’ bravery, the Wolves inadvertently started a fad of sorts. The Silvermoons were so taken with their new ’Beorhtwulf’ (‘Bright Wolf’) guardians that the ‘Moons’ WarGoddess took them with her to all her diplomatic and leadership functions, and soon asked the Wolf’s Path to produce a full squad of them for her Tribe. The Wolf’s Path Orseme were recognized as being more than just window dressing; their fierceness in battle spoke well of the Shemarrian programming/spirit built into them, and few Shemarrians soon doubted the Beorhtwulf had rightly EARNED their position as trusted guards of the Wargoddess. It became a common joke that if the Shemarrian Wolf was a Shemarrian’s best friend, than a wolf-Oresheme was a Shemarrian’s best right-hand guard.

The Blood Riders, ever a competitive sort, saw the Wolf’s Path endowment upon the Silvermoons as something of a challenge. If great bravery and heroics earned the uptight Silvermoons battle honors and suitable combat-gifts from the Wolf’s Path, could the hot-blooded Blood Riders do any less? But simply challenging the cagey Wolves for the Adalwulf was too direct, and simply copying the Wulfgar, itself a copy of Northern Gun’s NG-DX-001/HX002 Thunder Hound Power Armor, for themselves missed the point of the challenge. So the Blood Riders commenced a relative quiet campaign of gallantry to impress the Wolves and at some point claim a boon from them.

The Blood Riders got their chance when the two Tribes confronted a Black Steel Warlustress and spawn in the old Kentucky territories. The battle was fierce and in the middle of a raging forest fire, but the Blood Riders held their ground, while the Wolf’s Path circled the techno-abominations and pinned them in place long enough for the Blood Riders to burn out the infection. At the end, the triumphant Blood Riders had indeed impressed the Wolf’s Path.

Long suspecting the Blood Riders’ gambit from the envious looks they cast at the Adalwulfen and Beorhtwulfen, the Wolf’s Path decided to grant the Riders the boon of their own version of the Wulfgar. The Wolf Tinkers were admittedly eager for some time to undertake the challenge of customizing the Wulfgar to the Blood Riders’ fighting style. That the Wolf’s Path Alphas gave them permission to outfit the Wulfgar variants such that the temperamental Blood Riders would not have reason to think that the Path did not truly respect and honor them was all the icing the Tinkers needed to do themselves proud.

The resulting Svarogar is a generous mishmash of technologies and cultural mythologies; it is named for a Slavic fire god, but resembles the Thunder Hound as imagined by Japanese engineers channeling samurai folklore, and using Kittani technology. The original power armor is, itself, dressed up in a heavily stylized overlay appliqué body armor patterned after traditional samurai armor, but made of heat-resistant armor tile (copied from pre-Rifts Golden Age spacecraft reentry shielding). Actually, from a distance, the exotic armor and revised styling make the Svarogar look less like a modified power armor of Northern Gun design, and more like a heavily armored d-bee, and that is indeed how it has been reported in Coalition States intelligence briefs. Even many in the Lazlo community believe the Svarogar to be d-bee mercenaries or allies of the Shemarrians. Even when some of the strange similarities to ancient pre-Rifts human cultures are pointed out, many Lazloites assume the Svarogar to be a variant culture of Wulfen who have had contact with ancient Japanese culture instead of Roman society.

Compared to its parent Adalwulf design, the Svarogar is slightly heavier and slower, but more heavily armored and programmed for close- in combat. Svarogar are tough, well-protected, and staunchly resolute in holding the line or facing down
opponents. Svarogar are seed-programmed to be idealized forms of the stereotypical samurai; cultured and studied noble poets when not fighting, and absolute do-or-die warriors in combat, In fact, many have wondered if the Wolf’s Path wasn’t poking a bit of fun at the Blood Riders’ ‘wild and crazy’ lifestyles by giving them warrior-boons that were a bit TOO straitlaced for off-battlefield fun, and almost Skullcrusher-like in their grimdark near-suicidal dedication to winning in combat. However, most people agree that the Blood Riders’ subsequent Ecotroz Awakening of their new Svarogar legionnaires wipes away any intended jibe by making the robowarriors utterly insane when it comes to battle-crazy and glory-hounding.

Even taking into account their seeking of just such a boon, the Blood Riders are delighted with its reality and the special attention the Wolf’s Path gave it. So enraptured with it that the Blood Riders quickly made themselves several companies’ worth, deploying them with their NeShemar line units. In Blood Rider service, Svarogar are less honor guardians and elite defenders, and more armored berserkers, backing the regular Berserkers and Elites, and stiffening the NeShemar ranks. They are regarded much like the N’R’Mar, as a ‘society within a society’, with their own language, customs, and ‘traditions’ (actually a mix-up of bastardized Japanese and Asian motifs and etiquette, colored heavily by Shemarrian norms). Svarogar have been observed in their own small groups in Blood Rider encampments carrying out what appear to be ablution rituals, meditation, worship (they appear to worship variously the fire, the sun, and their ancestors), martial exercises, and even various forms of tea ceremony (proving that the EShemar are perhaps even better at creating full cloth cultural facades out of thin air better than ARCHIE and Hagan).

Whether or not the examples of the Adalwulf, Beorhtwulf and Svarogar encourage other Tribes to seek their own Wulfgar is, for now, unknown.

## Abilities

Changes/Modifications to the DX-001 stats:

Svarogar can wear most other cyborg armors, up to Heavy types, with the appropriate penalties, but rarely wear anything other than their specialized ‘traditional’ armor.

### Leaping

Identical to the DX-001; 20 ft up/across standing jump, increase by 50% with a running start. 60 ft up/across with jet boost, again increase by 50% with a running start. Can drop safely from 200 ft; anything greater (up to 400 ft) and roll 1d20: on a 1-10, takes 4d6 MD to the legs (internal structure) and lose 1d4 melee rounds getting back up. 11-20 is a safe (if shakey) landing. Fully armored, though, reduce leap distances by 25%.

### Water

The Svarogar can swim at about 25% of its normal speed or walk along the bottom of a body of water (max depth 1,000 feet/305 m) at 10% of its normal speed. Fully armored-up, though, it sinks like a stone.

Standard DX-001 Power Armor Systems, plus:

### Sensors

#### Enhanced Olfactory Sensor Tracking & Targeting

The Svarogar incorporates an extra-sensitive molecular analyzer system with multiple redundancy channels working in parallel
to check trace olfactory clues.

* Range: 6 miles (9.6 km).

* Can Track by smell at 84%, and Recognize scent at 84%

#### Enhanced Stereo Sonic Sensor

Retained from the Adalwulf, the Svarogar has a powerful auditory pickup and analysis system, as well as a sonar echolocation system, installed in the head.

* Range: 4 miles (6.4 km) for effective auditory ranging, 100 ft range for motion detector. Each ear provides an effective 45-degree field of sensitivity(hence the Svarogar’s ears are always twitching in watch-mode).

#### PPE Sensor

This is identical to the SNARL System deployed as a gun sight by the Rifts Earth Japanese military. Slightly more sensitive with a PPE trigger threshold of 40 PPE. Effective range of 200 ft, with 50% margin of error beyond that out to 500 ft.

### Special Systems

#### Heat Shielding

Svarogar traditionally wear special thermal-resistant body armor, and their dark skinning is a modified form of copied thermal-kinetic armor. The dark, leathery skin takes HALF damage from Mega damage heat and plasma and concussive explosions, impacts, falls, and projectile weapons only do HALF damage as well. The samurai-styled armor plating takes only 1/4 damage from heat and plasma-based attacks.

#### Heat Booster

When most things heat up, they break down. The Wolf’s Path Tinkers knew that the Blood Riders like to mix it up and get in the thick of battle where it gets hot indeed, but can’t afford to break down. The Tinkers therefore decided to throw in an experimental system that stores up overheat and converts it back into usable energy to boost performance. Since the Svarogar is normally so well insulated from heat- and plasma-attacks, if this system kicks in, it’s likely because the situation is so dire that the Svarogar NEEDS a second wind to survive and triumph. For every 15 points of MD heat damage that somehow get through the aforementioned armoring and insulation, the Svarogar has the choice of boosting one of the following stats for 1d4 melees:

* +1 strike in melee combat
* +2 MD to melee attacks (boosts physical strength)
* +10 MPH to running speed
* +1 dodge
* +1 parry

These bonuses are cumulative, but max out safely at 4 enhancements (+4 to strike, +8 MD, +40 MPH, etc...). Boosting a stat beyond this is possible, but runs the risk of doing damage to the ‘bot’s systems; 20% cumulative chance per additional enhancement boost, without a chance to cool down, of some internal component seizing up. If strike/dodge/parry has been redlined, then the Svarogar loses HALF of its HTH bonuses. If its physical strength redlines, then it will subsequently do HALF its normal hand to hand to hand damage and lifting/carrying ability. If Speed is the redline stat, then the Svarogar is reduced to 25% of its normal speed and leaping ability. These penalties last until the ‘bot can be repaired by a Tinker.

Note: It is possible for a Svarogar to safe-max one stat and use any additional absorbed heat damage to boost another stat for the duration. So a Svarogar warrior takes 75 MD of heat damage (plasma attack) and can decide to boost running speed by 40 MPH and its strike ability by +1 so it can close with its attacker and counterstrike.

#### Self-Destruct

Svarogar retain the self-destruct systems of the old ARCHIE-made Shemarrians. Again, this is made to look like the Svarogar have a ‘death before dishonor’ clause in their warrior code, and they self-immolate (actually an internal thermite/plasma charge) if destroyed or incapacitated in danger of ignoble capture. In fact, some Svarogar even ask the Blood Rider tinkers to ENHANCE the self-destruct systems in them to inflict greater damage (up to the equivalent of a medium plasma missile warhead), the better to claim enemies ‘even in death’.

### Weapon Systems

#### Weapon Head

The original NG-X9THK9 power armor’s helmet was meant to be a multi-weapon platform and sensor unit, with sonic stun-shock emitter, electricity taser jaws and vice-like bite attacks. The design and mechanics of the Thunder Hound were particularly noteworthy, and this design was carried over into the Adalwulf. The large front fangs and smaller vice teeth are silver plated. The powerful hydraulic jaws are capable of biting, crushing and tearing through M.D.C. hides and armor like a mechanical bulldog would. Inside the mouth is a powerful Sonic Emitter to use against humans, animals and monsters afraid of or vulnerable to loud thunderous or ultrasonic noises. Built into the lining of the jaws is an electrostatic taser that delivers powerful jolts of electricity to bitten and seized adversaries. The entire weapons package remains unchanged on the Svarogar, as even the fully human-looking Blood Rider EShemar and even some of the NeShemar have been known to bite opponents when locked in close combat (a tactic of which the Wolf’s Path wholly approves).

##### Assault Jaws

 Damage
 Damage2
 Damage3

The NG-X9THK9’s/Adalwulf/Svarogar’s deadly hydraulic jaws can exert a bite that can penetrate M.D. hides and steel, snag flying power armor and creatures, and bite or latch onto monsters, cyborgs, drones, power armors and even some smaller robots in hand to hand combat.

Power Bite & Lock Grip – 4D4+4 M.D. from initial power bite plus a 01-50% chance of holding on to its opponents in its teeth. This enables the Thunder Hound to hold on with its locked jaws and deliver an additional damage by shaking its head and neck violently. Each pair of shakes count as one melee attack, does 2D4 M.D. and does not require a roll to strike because the Thunder Hound is latched onto its prey with its vice jaws and teeth. To pull free, an opponent must roll 17 or higher to parry and pull free, but takes 3D4 M.D. in doing so! Otherwise, this lock grip (via only a power bite) automatically shakes lose at the end of the melee round (unless the locker Stabilize pylons are extracted). If the pylons are successfully engaged then the Thunder Hound and the victim caught in the vice are secured until the victim manages to successfully pull free by rolling a 17 a or higher for the next following 2D4 melee rounds or is released by the pilot. Note: In the alternative, the Thunder Hound/Adalwulf can simply hold on to its prey inflicting 1D4 M.D. by maintaining its grip or shock and electrocute it with its taser in its jaws.

##### Shocker Taser (aka ‘Lightning Bite’)

 Damage
 Rate of Fire
 Payload

The Thunder Hound was meant to be able to bite with superconductor teeth that would deliver a powerful electrical zap into an engaged opponent. The Adalwulf (and the Svarogar) retains this ability (and indeed, often intimidates opponents by showing a toothsome open-jawed grin with electricity sparking between its teeth).

Damage: Inflicts an electrical shock that does 1d6 SDC/HP per jolt. However, this is STUN damage and not tissue-damage. Save at 16 or better or be -6 to strike, parry, dodge, and roll, HALF speed and APMs, for 1d4+1 melee rounds, +1d4 if the ‘Wulf was able to bite soft tissues (like the neck, lips, back of the knee or inside of the elbow. Being shocked five or more times, or with less than HALF hit points remaining, and failing a roll of 15 or better means falling unconscious for 2d4 melee rounds, and suffering stun penalties for a minute (4 melees) afterwards.

##### Thunder Sonic Emitter

 Range2
 Damage
 Rate of Fire
 Payload

Despite some opposition in the Wolf’s Path about handing over this weapon to the Blood Riders, on the basis that it was a ‘proprietary’ technology of the ‘Path, it was ultimately decided that this weapon would be carried over from the Adalwulf to the Svarogar. It was pointed out that sonic weaponry was appearing independently in a number of other Tribes and fringe tribes, and besides, a sonic stunning weapon fit with Far Eastern concepts of mystical martial arts acoustic attacks, particularly Kaijutsu. Much as some Blood Riders would initially have liked to have a flamethrower or plasma weapon breath attack, they’ve come around that the Thunder Sonic adds both variety and presence to the Svarogar’s combat capabilities.

Damage: 2d4 SDC and save versus non-lethal poison (12 or better) or be stunned for 1d4 melee rounds; -5 on initiative, -4 to strike, parry, and dodge. DOUBLE effects and duration for those with particularly sensitive hearing (including, ironically, Dog Boys). It also produces a window-shattering sonic boom in a 45-degree arc along its path out to 100 ft, temporarily deafening those caught in the area of effect (those without ear protection will be -4 to initiative and -1 to parry and dodge for 1d4 minutes, while those inside EBA, light MDC vehicles and power armor will only be deafened for 2d4 melees.

#### Chainsaw Sword (w/ silver-plated teeth)

Unchanged from the original (if anybody loves a good messy chainsaw melee weapon, it’s the Blood Riders) and held in a back-scabbard. Can be, but rarely is, replaced by other weapons, such as magic blades. More often replaced by a Kittani-style plasma chainsaw (6d6 MD).

#### Yumizar Plasma Bow (1, shoulder)

 Range2
 Damage
 Damage2
 Damage3
 Rate of Fire
 Payload
12 shots eclip/36 long eclip

The Wolf’s Path decided to replace the ‘barker cannon’ sonic weapon mounted on the shoulder with something else; a high-tech folding long bow that locks into operational mode and presents itself to the hand of the Svarogar, further reinforcing the image of a techno-samurai hellhound. However, the yumizar seems to steal an idea off the Native Americans’ Na-LB1 laser bow; instead of each pull and release of the bow string firing off a laser beam, though, the yumizar fires plasma bolts! Furthermore, with but a thought-command from the Svarogar holding it, the yumizar can shoot barrages of smaller bolts, or exploding bolts! In reality the weapon is powered directly and boosted by the Oresheme ‘bot; the bowstring-pulling is simply for show.

The yumizar CAN be detached from the Svarogar and used by others but in this mode it reverts to pull-action (though it can be e-clip powered) and only a less powerful basic plasma bolt mode is available.

Detached Pull-powering a shot takes 2 APM and a P.S. of 12 or better. For standard e-clip-fed operation, it is single shot, ECHH. Single
shot, but conditionally unlimited using the pump-action.

#### Combat Pylons (2)

To help secure and hold down the seized opponent, similar to the Glitterboy’s pylons, the Thunder Hound has retractable stake-like pylons built into its legs that can jettison into the ground to help stabilize and lock the power armor and its seized adversary into place. Seeing this stabilization device applied brutally in combat thrilled the Blood Riders to no end! The Svarogar similarly uses these pylons to better stand its ground against opponents who would simply try to muscle it aside. If the Svarogar decides to step on a fallen or grounded opponent and inject the pylon into them it causes 1D6 M.D., plus the victim will be impaled unless they pull themselves free with a successful roll of 18 or higher, causing an additional 2D4 M.D. of damage!

#### Forearm Vibroblades (2)

 Damage

Same as for the Wulfgar/DX-001. The Svarogar consider these weapons ‘butter knives’, but retain them as a backup weapon, especially since they are often silver-plated. Some even have the mounts modified to launch the blades (100 ft range).

#### Forearm Weapons (2)

The Shemarrians have grafted over the ability to mount the same forearm weapons as the HX002 (the human-piloted version of the DX-001) and made it modular, so the Adalwulf/Svarogar can plug and shoot the same HX022 Forearm Lasers and HX122 Ion Blasters as the production model NG power armors (indeed, they are often sourced from battlefield salvage or hijacked spare parts supplies). Other favorites include mounting standard cyborg forearm weaponry, such as machine guns, flame-throwers (Range: 250 ft for napalm gels, Damage:Wellington plasma napalm---- 3d6 MD burst, MD Gel---4D6 MD Upon contact, burning for 1D6 rounds doing 2D6 MD per round. Anything that the character touches also starts on fire. Any combustible materials within touching distance, clothes, brush, etc. also ignite. Rate of Fire: Standard. Payload: Enough fuel for 5-10 blasts, Special Features: \*Multi-Fuel Capacity), Juicer
Vambrace Grenade Launchers, and standard Shemarrian gauntlet lasers.

Accessory Weapons

The Svarogar can pick up and use any appriopriately-scaled weapons. Given their skill programming (and this can be upgraded if required), the Oreseme can use a variety of available types. Svarogar favor Kittani-style plasma weapons, with traditional Japanese styling, so it is typical of a Svarogar to carry a long plasma sword (2d6 MD un-powered/4d6 MD powered) and a shorter version of the same (2d4 MD un-powered, 2d6 MD powered), in imitation of the ‘Daisho’ ’long and short’- katana and wakizashi. High-tech bows and crossbows are also popular backup weapons. Like their Blood Rider ‘hosts’, Svarogar particularly like weapons they have ‘earned’, i.e. taken off dead or conquered opponents.

### Programming/Skills

Svarogar are typically programmed with modified AIs pulled (or copied) from the ARCHIE-3 A-63 All-Purpose Heavy Robot. As a combat ‘elite’, they have also been upgraded with the following skills:

* W.P. Staff (starting at 8th level proficiency)
* W.P. Spear (starting at 8th level proficiency)
* W.P. Forked (starting at 8th level proficiency)
* W.P. Archery (starting at 8th level proficiency)
* Replace Pilot Airplane with Pilot Boats: Sail Types 88%
* Replace Pilot Helicopter with Pilot Hovercraft 86%
* Replace Pilot Combat Helicopter with Pilot Boats: Motor and Hydrofoil Types 88%
* Replace Pilot Tank & APCs with Horsemanship: Exotic Animals 84%
* Wrestling
* Boxing
* Fortification 78%
* Camouflage 40% (+5%

per level of experience)

* Trap & Mine

Detection 40%(+5% per level of experience)

* Paired Weapons

Svarogar also speak a fictitious language blended of Russian, Japanese, and Chinese (a speaker of any of those languages has perhaps a 15% chance of figuring out anything of meaning hearing it).

### Combat

 Dodge
 Parry
 Auto Dodge
 Roll
 Pull Punch
 Disarm
 Entangle
 Critical Strike
 Full Punch
 Power Punch
 Kick
 Judo Throw-Flip
 Crush/Squeeze
 Leap Attack (2attack)

A typical Svarogar will fight like a Berserker, getting close and slashing all foes they see. They especially love fighting within fire.

### Awakened

Ecotroz-‘Awakened’ Svarogar have all the traits and psionic abilities of regular Awakened Shemarrians, including learned Secondary Skills (many Svarogar learn Domestic/Cultural skills like Calligraphy, Go, Poetry....a cyberoid warrior writing poetry can be one MEAN bastard....and even Bonsai). Some even go so far as to have themselves reprogrammed/retrained in Hand to Hand: Kendo (especially with information coming in from Japan, via Clan Shinden).