Keplica

Keplica, Iva's bio-organic armor

*"Pain is the gauge and blood the mercury for which success is measured" - Keplica's incoherent mumblings to Iva.*

*"You are the prodigal mother to which derelicts are born" -Keplica's whispering to Iva*

Keplica is the name for Iva's bio-generative armor suit. Named from the root word of the verb "Kep", which means to intercept or to catch. It is a sentient living being, like many of monster's Iva creates, and that means that over time it has actually been listening to the conversations around Iva and has gradually learned the ability to speak English.

Keplica has also studied and come to understand it's attachment to Iva through it's own meta-cognition. In this way, for starters, it knows it's place in the world is to serve Iva (which calls her "mother"). It is unquestionable in it's loyalty to her since it's very existence ties to her, and similarly, it is one of the few things Iva trusts completely into. This also means that it has adapted to Iva's connection to it and now similarly has a connection to Iva. Over the weeks it has grown to feel the things Iva physically feels, and also can recall Iva's own memories.

Keplica can only be heard when someone puts on the armor, in which they can hear the nonstop whispering and rambling of Keplica in their ear. The whispering and mutterings have no effect on anyone other than Iva, because they are being specifically directed to her, but these whisperings and mutterings serve to aggregate, frustrate and annoy Iva into a sense of anger. Subconscious messages feeding on Iva's worst ideations darken her personality. It's constantly egging her on to get in hotter and hotter waters, partially because of it's death drive which we will discuss later.

Think of it as an inverse relationship of Columbia and Roland: Columbia informs Roland when he's in over his head, and Roland ignores it. Keplica and Iva's relationship is the opposite. Keplica informs Iva that she's worthless and not doing enough, and Iva doesn't ignore it, acting in a more aggressive manner.

## Personality

This is the voice reference for Keplica

Keplica could be described as a masochistic/sadistic discontent. It is never happy unless it is hurting someone or, more-so, being hurt. This is usually why Keplica has started to urge Iva into violent, volatile situations. There are many theories as to why Keplica has this urge, and uses Iva as a way to satisfy it. It regards Iva as "mother" and it does whatever it can to save Iva

Iva is the only one who is capable of hearing Keplica, since she's the only one to wear the armor. However when someone else puts on the armor, they could hear it's whispering and muttering. However because it's mentally attuned to Iva, only when Iva is wearing the suit do these subconscious messages actually do anything.

When the suit is breached, broken or damaged, the internal voice of the suit can be heard at it's actual volume, which is in a loud shouting, screaming fashion. The reason why it sounds like a whisper to the wearer and screaming to anyone outside the suit when it breaks is unknown. Several postulate that the voice within the suit is so loud and unnerving that the human brain automatically diverts attention away from it, and thus it sounds like a whisper. Other's postulate that the voice located inside the helmet and the voice located at the site of a suit breach are two different, but identical, voices.

## Physiology

It is still unclear how the armor actually has a personality or brain to speak of. Other creatures of Iva require sustenance or some form of energy to keep alive, just like any other natural creature. For example Iva's bone gun requires substance in order to produce osteoblasts to shoot.

Keplica seems to have a parasitic relationship with Iva. Keplica supplies Iva with protection and ability, but at the same time, Iva's vitals such as her energy are used by Keplica to keep itself alive. However Keplica has it's own personality, emotions and thought processes. How then does Keplica actually have cognitive processes? Some would argue that, clearly, Keplica's deranged personality and understanding is stunted, and are only the echoes of a lesser, automatic neural function. A feedback system that's letting Iva know what it's feeling, and what's around it.

However, we do know that Keplica does not necessarily have any one spot on it's form where the "brain" or central cognitive ability is located. This means that major portions of Keplica's cognition, memory and personality is actually spread out widely throughout the entire organism. In other words, it's brain is actually spread out throughout the entire suit in a liquid, almost malleable state.

When chunks and pieces are blasted off of the suit, it loses a slight amount of it's mental power temporarily. However when the suit heals over, what is left is a literal, physical mental scarring. A reformation of it's mind made in pain, a brain scab. The result is that it is now, emotionally speaking, made of pain itself. Forged by the act of losing and healing, over and over again.

It is capable of walking and navigating on it's own volition, if Iva were to let it. However without someone in the suit, it is very slow and lethargic. It is almost incapable of fighting without a host for it to use as energy.

### Suit Modes.

Keplica has now adapted to have several "stages" or modes to the armor. No one stage is better than the other, but certain stages are more suitable for carrying out certain tasks. Each stage is named out of the material the suit is made from. Additionally, there is roughly a one minute wait period between switching armor sets, and the armor cannot cycle through multiple stages at once without seriously crushing or damaging the wearer.

(idea by will <3)

*smooch*

#### Chitin Armor

This is the standard armor form, and the most common stage the armor happens to be in due to it's properties. In this form, a shell of hard chitin grows over the suit in a kind of exo-skeleton, and protects the wearer from most common forms of threat such as blades, punches and gunfire. The armor has calloused over time and has increased in durability. Currently it can handle ammunition that is 7.62x39mm and below, but not 7.62x51mm ammo or above such as .303s and .50s. It can stand most blades that are not mono-filament or just extremely sharp, and is extremely good at absorbing blunt impacts such as cars, clubs or fists.

#### Muscle Armor

This mode is slightly more rare, in that it is more offensive than defensive. In this mode, huge muscle tissues and thick muscular fiber envelop the armor and give an incredible amount of strength to the wielder. In this mode, Iva is capable of jumping several dozen feet into the air, running at incredible speeds, and can punch through solid objects such as steel car doors, brick walls and thick wood. This armor is pretty durable and can still handle blunt force trauma very well with some slight bruising. However, this armor is not very strong when it comes to sharp blades or gunfire. Any handgun cartridge higher than .357 caliber or any rifle cartridge 5.56 or above can pierce through the muscle, and most blade can cut through the armor in this form.

#### Pain Armor

This mode is even more rare, not because it's particularly any stronger but because it is volatile and unpredictable. In this stage the armor suddenly opens up and leaves Iva's torso, head and legs unprotected. The arms however are turned into adhesive whips of dendrites that stick to things it touches. These dendrites are capable of delivering serious electric shocks to things it touches. However, this form is rarely controllable and floods Iva with adrenaline, making her unpredictable and confused. Additionally it isn't very absorbent for piercing or blunt damage of any kind, since most of her body is unprotected.

#### Skin Armor

This armor is very rare, for the same reasons mentioned above. This armor morphs into a skin tight form over Iva, and allows her to disguise as any humanoid that Keplica has been exposed to. However the armor does not replicate voice, so Iva is unable to speak in this form unless she is to give away her disguise. She is not protected at all during this form, however, transitioning out of this form causes the skin to peel off and drop to the floor in bloody strips. The disturbing display intended to perhaps scare people enough to give Iva enough time for an escape.