Sephulchre (Category War)

**" " -The Cabinet**
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## Sephulchre

### Main Enemy

The Pillar Lord, Jonathan, The AllianceSephulchre

### Main Setting

Jonathan's homeworldCube Co. headquarters, Hollow Moon of Borsellus IV

Gobelketh

The First Battlefield

### Release date

March 31-April 14, 1978May 25, 1980 (novelisation)

### Next

Decay

Sephulchre was the first episode of Category War

It featured the first television appearances of many of the characters in Category War. For some, though, this was not their first appearance as they had previously appeared in Cristian Curtjaaz's novel "A Confusion in Time"

## Synopsis

"This is war!"

The Trident Foundation: A major interdimensional corporation. Its main rival is Cube Co.

Soon, however, both companies will have to put aside their rivalries. The forces of the Pillar Imperium - a tyranical military state - are massing.

The location for the first battle has been decided - and a weapon is being developed that could bring the war to a screeching halt.

## Plot

### Genesis (1)

The episode begins in the dark recesses of Vesharti space; on one planet a being emerges from a swamp made mostly of a dark ooze-like material.

Three days later; the members of an interdimensional corporation called "Cube Co." join in the main business office of Cube Co. Their leader; an insectoid being who calls himself "A" talks to them about the new product; two cuboids that have been combined. That is when the meeting is interrupted by the sudden materialization of a white cabinet in the middle of their offices, someone steps out - that someone is a being that resembles a humanoid rabbit with yellow fur. They are quickly apprehended by Cube Co. security and are revealed to be an assassin from Cube Co's main rival The Trident Foundation; however; she claims not to be on her job of murder, she gives a warning that an interdimensional war is coming. One that will bring both companies together.

Two days later: the members of The Trident Foundation (the CEO - Poseidon, a human guard named Hadley, and a Marfakian named Deel) and Cube Co. (A, a Kral>karth named Fel!lexi\_gel, and a Caphi named Mokral) meet on the planet Gobelketh to discuss a new threat to both of them - a being that has very quickly gained power and has allied with the Pillars; who are also enemies of both of them. They realise that they will have to join forces to defeat them.

One day later: on a planet with red skies and brown rocky ground; two forces meet each other, one of them is a Pillar; they resemble statues with a cylindrical head with multiple rounded horn-like growths on the top; the other is a humanoid being with orange skin and four eyes. They each manage to shoot each other, with the humanoid being killed and the Pillar taking major damage. This is watched by the being from the beginning (who is named Jonathan) and another Pillar; the ruler of the Pillar Imperium; they decide to go to war with the forces of Cube Co. and The Trident Federation, with Jonathan remarking that when they are done both of them and all of their employees will cease to exist.

Meanwhile; on a laboratory on the same planet; two Pillar scientists are working on something called "PROJECT: SEPHULCHRE", one of them states that the Sephulchre is de-stabilizing; however; the second manages to re-stabilize it. They say that if they hadn't re-stabilized it, everyone on the planet would have died.

Ten members of the combined forces of Cube Co and The Trident Federation are flown down to the planet; they include A, Poseidon, and Ankarstian. They also include a humanoid fish named "Craig Fishe" - a major member of Cube Co, the right-hand man of Poseidon - who is named Hydrium, and a being with a cuboid head and four arms named SANTACLAWS. They all enter into a building with the six named going into a conference room. They discuss the current situation and reports of "PROJECT: SEPHULCHRE", a weapon made by the forces of Jonathan: who call themselves "the Alliance"; which could utterly destroy them. Just then, a being that resembles a walking rubix cube steps into the room and warns them that Alliance weaponry has been fired on them and there isn't enough time to evacuate.

### Project: Sephulchre (2)

The weaponry turns out to be multiple laser beams. On a suggestion from Poseidon they put up reflective shields around the base, this manages to stop the lasers, however, the reflective shields are nearly destroyed so they decide to look for whoever was firing the lasers.

The source of the lasers turns out to be a Pillar warship that is stationed over the tomb-like laboratory that Project: Sephulchre is in. The two Pillar scientists bemoan having to work long hours and mention that they should have been replaced by now. The Pillar Lord states that they will; however; he gives the order to execute them and then replace them. The Pillar scientists are led away while asking for mercy and forgiveness.

While looking for the Pillar warship; Poseidon and Ankarstian discuss that there isn't one answer as to what Project: Sephulchre is that lines up with another. This leads them to believe that Project: Sephulchre isn't actually real.

One of the other Pillar Leaders; an admiral called Quartz (who is named because he is made of quartz) says to the Pillar Lord that Project: Sephulchre is an abomination that should be killed; however; the Pillar Lord dismisses him, telling him that it will win them the war.

The group eventually gets to the laboratory that the warship had landed at. By this point, the warship is gone, however, They decide to enter anyways. The Resistance members quickly find the room that Project: Sephulchre is housed in, or rather was, as it has broken out. They decide to look for whatever it was that housed for it. While doing this, however, it quickly finds them and attacks.

The Pillar Lord surveys from a monitor on the warship - stating that soon his worst enemies will be dead, and him and Jonathan will be free to rule over all of reality

### Feeds on Blood (3)

Ankarstian is nearly killed by Sephulchre but, she is able to distract it using a vial of blood. While recovering from the injuries she got in the fight she realises what it is - a Pellidreiyn. She says that unless they manage to stop it it will feed on every single lifeform with blood on this planet and then move on to the next planet until it has feasted on every single planet in existence.

Ank and Poseidon decide to lure it out into the open with a fake body filled with blood and kill it using android soldiers (as they don't have blood), however, this fails due to it managing to destroy the androids.

The Pillar Lord watches them escape and angrily sends some of his troops out to find and destroy them.

The troops eventually find the members of the Resistance(as they have dubbed themselves); however; they are both found by Sephulchre and they briefly fight together; however; once the Sephulchre is driven out they then begin to fight amongst themselves.

The Pillars are eventually defeated; however; they leave behind a tablet with information on the Sephulchre on it. The information that is most valuable is how to defeat it - that being shooting it in the head with a railgun. There's just one problem. They don't have a railgun on hand. The closest thing is a rod placer that cannot be moved

The Resistance leaders then decide to lure it into the range of the rod placer using synthesized bloodstains. They manage to lure it into the range of the rod placer (which is manned by Hydrium), however, he misses the first shot and the Sephulchre attacks him. While it is attacking him he manages to kill it with a second shot. The members of the Resistance then decide to leave the planet; finding that it has no strategic value whatsoever.

The episode ends with the Pillar Lord and Jonathan starting work on a new project, Decay.

## Cast

* Poseidon - Chris Barrie
* Ankarstian - Lesley Dunlop
* A - John Scott Martin
* The Pillar Lord - David Gooderson
* Jonathan - Denis Lill
* Admiral Quartz - John Leeson
* Hydrium - Jeff Rawle
* Fishe - Bill Mitchell
* SANTACLAWS - Gerald Flood
* Mokral - TBA
* Deel - TBA
* Hadley - TBA
* Fel!lexi\_Gel - TBA
* Cuboid - David Banks

### Uncredited cast

* second board member - Cristian Curtjaaz
* fifth board member (Kieli) - Susan Engel
* seventh board member (Agg Agbra) - Marek Anton
* Pillar operators - David Banks, Mark Hardy, Brian Orrell

## References

### Locations

* Vesharti space is an area of space owned by the Vesharti
* Borsellus IV is a gas giant that has several moons orbiting it. One of these is the "Hollow Moon".
* Ankarstian was told a premonition about the Alliance-Resistance war on Aldrius 4

## Notes

* Sephulchre was originally going to feature the Fendahl, however, they weren't used as the BBC wouldn't allow Doctor Who characters or species to be used in Category War until Season 3
* Many members of the cast were famously unimpressed by the Sephulchre costume, with Cristian Curtjaaz even stating "when i asked for the costume of a skinless monstrosity to be made, i asked the Costume Department not the Canteen"

## Continuity

* Decay is mentioned at the end of the episode (CW: Decay)
* The Dreiyn would face off against the Resistance again in *The House on Rutley Lane*
* The First Battlefield would be revisited in *...Must Come to an End*
* Agg Agbra would re-appear in *The Flights of Luxury*
* Kieli would re-appear in *The Relics of Sutekh*, where she becomes a member of the Resistance
* The second board member is a Xedaph. Another Xedaph appeared in *Genesis*
* Aldrius 4 is mentioned. Aldrius 4 is next mentioned in The Water Monsters

## External links

* Sephulchre on Wattpad
* Sephulchre on the\_review

**Sephulchre**, Decay, The Children Shall Rule, Operation: Earth, Deathdays, The Loop, Reach, Genesis, Parasite, The Relics of Sutekh, Nova Six, Siege

**Seasons 4 and 5**
The Final Sanction, Sultanate, Hunters, Legacy of the Dead, Art, The Vault, The Curse of Tau Ceti, The Great Interstellar Train Robbery, The Shoal, Ice Screams, Hephaestus, The War Makers

**Season 6**
The Wall, The Water Monsters, War and the Daleks, Song of Death, The Maze, The Raid

**Seasons 7-9**
Planet of the Evil Ones, The Evolutionary Episode, Liberation, The Labyrinth of Karakarat, The Corruptor, The Woodworks, The Dark One, The Core, The Obsidian Archipelago, Breath, The Wheel of Metal, Death in the Light, Diamond Dogs, Hotel Hell, Legacy

**Season 10**
Planet of Bones, Men of the Earth, The Eight Soldiers, The Orb of Cestala, The Palace of Death, The Time Storm, Angel of Time, The Flight of Luxury, The Fine Game of Nil, The Haunting of the Epsilon Zone, The Horrid Circus, The Last Day at Eridan, Town of the Damned, The Jester's Trial, Concealment, Death Masks, The Last City on Earth