The Menagerie (me-NAH-jeh-REE)

The not-so gentle beasts...
After destroying the greater metropolitan area with a subterranean nuclear blast, Emperor Talpa planned to capitalize on the resulting mass chaos and feed off despair of those civilians displaced by the evacuation. However the emergence of an entirely new faction threw his centuries-long carefully-executed scheme into disarray. Led by the enigmatic leonine demon Beastlord, this powerful confederation of anthropomorphic beasts seeks nothing less than the complete and total eradication of all humanity: both in their homeworld of Gurvangoth, and the Mortal Realm.

Structure

In addition to being the leader of the Flaeyr clan, Beastlord supervises the whole of the Menagerie. Command of other clans and units he delegates to his trusted generals, known colloquially as the "Big Four".

Notable Clans

Flaeyr

Feline caste led by Beastlord. Seldom seen on the front line and left in Gurvangoth to maintain pressure on Human opposition found there. Agile warriors able to scale sheer cliffs.

Ursoi

Comprised of various species of bears. Led by the Kodiak-like Rvembeth. Provide main muscle alongside Buva and Ekku shock troops.

Cevod

Antlered deer species specializing in marksmanship-either front-line or sniping. Led by Cerastus. Close allies of the Canir.

Buva

Umbrella clan hosting any manner of cow, sheep, or goat species. Led by Kranus. Prominent in both support and infantry roles.

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Kranus of the Buva by Mardrena

Rough ink sketch

Marzok

Marsupial species of all sizes and stripes, including varieties considered extinct in the Mortal Realm. Led by Kangor, the most belligerent and outspoken of the Big Four. Provide support and reconnaissance.

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Kangor, of the Marzok by Mardrena

Rough ink drawing

Canir

Proficient archers that coexist alongside the Cevod. Cited as a preeminent example of coexistence among the Menagerie. Formerly led by Ragh (deceased).

Ekku

Equine species of a more beastly appearance compared to Native Thangiens. The primary source of muscle in the front lines. Formerly led by Caur (deceased).

Avar

Greater raptors such as hawks, eagles, and condors. Specialists in aerial scouting and harassment. Formerly led by Kysir (deceased) then Peigar (also deceased).

Sehoui

Smaller songbirds dedicated to surveillance and espionage. Unable to vocalize like other clans. Leader unknown.

Chiori

Bat species serve alongside Avar as aerial fighters and sentries. Able to channel high-powered screams but highly vulnerable to ultrasonic frequencies. Leader unknown.

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Chiori Attacks by Mardrena

Rough pencil sketch

Gwuirhalli

Lesser poultry birds such as chickens, geese, and ducks. Provide nourishing eggs to feed the troops. Leader unknown.

Brahta

Greater flightless birds such as ostrich, cassowary, and rheas. Serve in support capacity. Leader unknown.

Ruda

Rodents such as gophers, moles, mice, and rats. Smallest of all clans, even smaller than Sehoui. Can serve as spies and siege assistants. Provide manual labor in food production as well.
It is implied there are other clans on the mainland in Gurvangoth and that some have been exterminated entirely. For example there are no swine-related clans nor pachyderm clans. Reptiles, fish, and amphibians do not appear to be sentient.

Symoi

A splinter faction owing allegiance to no one operating under the guise of a neutral party. In reality, they relish in capturing Human refugees and delivering them to Beastlord's forces either as food or amusement.

Culture

The Menagerie operates with strict martial discipline built on a sense of camaraderie against a mutual foe: Humans. Every species, every beast great and small has a place and purpose. Carnivores and herbivores set aside their baser instincts to pursue a common goal. The Menagerie rampaged unchecked in Gurvangoth, driven by the promise of a world free of oppressive Humans.

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Beastlord and the Big Four by Mardrena

Rough pencil sketch

Public Agenda

Under the command of Beastlord, the Menagerie seek the complete and total annihilation of Humanity wherever found. Even with Humans mostly confined to the Hawaiian archipelago and the Kurtora, the Menagerie confiscated man-made vessels and crisscrossed the seas until they found this last pocket of Human resistance. When rifts opened up a path to the Mortal Realm, rather than remain focused on crushing the Kurtora and claiming Gurvangoth completely, Beastlord ordered the Menagerie to mobilize and traverse the gap in search of more Humans to slay.

Assets

According to the Queen of the Kurtora, Beastlord and his Menagerie slew all of the ruling nobility, seizing their wealth and domains for themselves. The forces encountered in both the city and at the Siege of the Kurtora comprise but a fraction of the full army.

History

The Blood of Demons

In the alternate Earth known as Gurvangoth, the Gentle Beasts came into existence after the death of the powerful arch-demon for whom the Realm is named. At first they coexisted with Humans, but as men gained greater power and influence, their capacity for cruelty only increased. Resentment among the Gentle Beasts stewed and simmered until being brought to a boil by the uprising led by Beastlord. Pompous nobles sat fat and happy in their castles padding their food-stained lips with napkins ignoring warnings brought to them of the Beast King rampaging through the countryside. One by one each noble found their heads mounted on pikes and their bones picked clean of flesh.
The uprising reached a critical mass with entire kingdoms being leveled and more and more beasts flocking to Beastlord's banner. The royal family fled to the Kurtora and refugees evacuated to the archipelago in whatever boat they could find. Unwilling to let a single Human live, even on the most remote island on the open seas, Beastlord commanded his troops to search the whole of the oceans until they finally found the Kurtora and the last known Human enclave.
The Kurtora proved a very tough nut to crack with its multi-layered fortified defense and the sheer desperate resilience of the Humans entrenched within. Not only did the counter-resonance generated by the crystal cluster negate Beastlord's innate power, the precision of Human defenders and lack of substantial casualties within only served to stymie efforts to breach the citadel. Meanwhile the Humans inflicted staggering casualties against the Menagerie due to both the long-range trebuchets, keen-eyed crossbowmen, and the guerrilla tactics of the Rangers. Unknown to Beastlord, the Humans had enough ammunition and rations stockpiled to endure a prolonged siege for years, while Beastlord had to wait for reinforcements from the mainland to replenish his troops. If he had devoted enough time and effort, eventually the Kurtora would have fallen.

Enter the Beast King: Invasion of Earth

The sudden eruption of the Tower of Fire-the seething volcano the Menagerie had used as their staging camp- changed things drastically. Beastlord took it as an omen to withdraw and assess the situation and discovered a series of portals nestled in volcanic passages. Leaving his Flaeyr clan in charge, he led the Menagerie through into a deep pit seemingly blasted open by a terrific explosion. All around they found the ruins of Human habitation: toppled skyscrapers that dwarfed the most opulent noble's castle, empty streets paved with ground stone, abandoned horseless carriages made of metal. Beastlord determined that Humans existing in this new world had grown so reckless and destructive they jeopardized themselves. He mobilized the Menagerie to establish a base camp and recon the area.
His forces initially encountered legions of mechanized warriors seeking to claim the area as their own. While impressive in number, the Menagerie quickly dispatched these foes, leaving the metal men mangled and their flying ships splintered. Later they would encounter a smaller group of Human warriors they mistook for the Rangers of the Kurtora. However, these warriors provided staunch opposition aided by the powerful Armors they wore. For all of the sheer numbers the Menagerie fielded, these handful of Humans wielded spectacular powers capable of wiping out entire columns of beasts. The first major skirmish ended in a draw with both sides suffering significant casualties and fatalities. Beastlord decide to bide his time and further establish his command center within the ruined crater called The Pit.
The Menagerie would see limited engagement throughout their campaign in the Mortal Realm with Beastlord prioritizing infrastructure and assessment of vulnerabilities. A second large skirmish unfolded when Beastlord attempted to beguile one of the warriors with his power and sway him to his side. This ended in failure as not only did the warrior defy his power, but attempting to capture him by force resulted in the death of large swathes of troops. Beastlord withdrew once more to the Pit to reorganize.

All Guns Firing: Rout in the Pit

Not only did Beastlord overestimate his army's might, he underestimated the resources at the disposal of the Human warriors and their many allies. Before Beastlord could expand his reach into neighboring still-populated cities, the warriors launched a full-scale attack deploying everything from dragon-men to riders astride mechanical horses to a towering dragon to a gigantic ship that sailed the sky. At a loss for words, Beastlord could only watch as Sky Platform Argonauth ruthlessly rained fire upon the main army camp, throwing the Menagerie into complete disarray and forcing them into full retreat through the rifts.
Efforts by the Chiori and Avar to assail the ship ended in failure due to the presence of Human defenders on the deck. The White Dragon blocked off one of the main exits and harried the beasts pitilessly. With his forces scattered, Beastlord had no choice but to admit defeat and join his generals back in Gurvangoth.
Cataclysm War Ch. 14

The Ronin Warriors summoned full Armor, revealing the power they had held in reserve until now. Rock crunched underfoot as they trudged up the slope past smoking vents and glowing fissures. Armor protected them from the smothering heat of the Tower. Ryo halted when an arrow struck the ground at his feet. He looked up to see hundreds of Canir and Cevod archers atop rocky ridges.
“How DARE you! How DARE you come here!” Kranus tightened his grip on his mace.
“It wasn’t enough you chase us down; you deny us a beautiful new world!” Cerastus accused.
“YOU HAD THIS WORLD!!” Ryo bellowed and lashed his arm out to the side. “You could’ve had this world all to yourselves! You weren’t satisfied with driving humanity to the brink of extinction, you had to bring your war into our world?! The people of the Kurtora had no intention of attacking you! They couldn’t! You had everything you claimed you wanted, and it still wasn’t enough! Your cause stopped being righteous the moment it became about bloodshed instead of survival.”
“You will not take our little ones! We’ve sent them far away from here!” Rvembeth declared.
“That’s just fine, because we’re not here for them: we’re here for you!” Ryo drew both swords and joined them at the pommel. “NO HOLDS BARRED! DON’T HOLD BACK! THEY’VE MADE THEIR CHOICE TO STAND AND FIGHT! WE PUT AN END TO THIS: FOR NOW AND FOR ALL TIME!!” Ryo swung the double blade forward and smote the slope forcefully. “MAGMA CRACK!!” Fissures spread up the slope and the colossal lava plume subsided suddenly.
Beasts all up and down the slope glanced about, puzzled as the ground beneath them started shaking. Vents opened up beneath them and blasts of hot air sent them staggering. The Tower of Fire seemed to recognize Ryo’s authority and the magma chamber emptied out beneath the ground. Sprays of magma clung to fur and beasts screamed as it seemed the mountain itself betrayed them.

Siege of the Kurtora: Healing a Broken World

Unbeknownst to Beastlord, the Human warriors had entered Gurvangoth in secret and made their way into the Kurtora. Beastlord reunited with his main force at the Tower of Fire and resumed his assaults on the crystal citadel, where the warriors witnessed the true scale and scope of Beastlord's bloody crusade. Determined to put a stop to Beastlord's mad vision, the warriors used one of the remaining airboats found in the Kurtora and journeyed to the Tower of Fire with the intent of bringing a decisive end to the conflict. Backed into a corner, the Menagerie fully intended on standing their ground against the Human invaders.
The warriors unleashed the full might of their Armors and brought not only the Menagerie to its knees, but the volcano itself. Beastlord met his end underground, and without their mighty leader, the Big Four fell into despair and surrendered. The Queen arrived shortly after to present a offering of peace to Rvembeth, the de-facto leader of the remnants of the Menagerie. The Ursoi chieftain gratefully accepted, pledging to honor the truce and end all hostilities. The Human warriors eventually returned to their own Realm, confident in the peace they secured, however resentment still brews among some of the beasts...

Disbandment

With peace formally brokered between Rvembeth and The Queen, the Menagerie officially disbanded, returning to their roots as the Gentle Beasts. As long as they do not hunt and are not hunted by Humans, the peace will hold. While Rvembeth, Kranus, and Cerastus readilly accepted the truce, Kangor clings to delusions of grandeur and plots in secret to revive Beastlord's legacy...

DISBANDED/DISSOLVED

“The Menagerie will crush you and any who oppose us! From your ashes we will create a new world order!”-Caur

— Cataclysm War Ch. 3

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Beast Clans by Mardrena

Rough pencil sketch

“Based on audio collected by WILDCAT and Red Thunder, we’ve determined this army is divided into clans based on various animal species, and each clan is lead by a general."-Bak Thraplek

— Cataclysm War Ch. 5

Type

Political, Activist

Alternative Names

The Gentle Beasts

Demonym

Beasts

Leader

Beastlord

Notable Members

• Beastlord

“Quiet, here they come. My illusions will hide us from sight...” Dais hissed as they spotted the alien trio approaching down the street. They began heading up the steps to the entrance of a building. All of a sudden the Fienloran stiffened and his tail went rigid and ears raised.
“Kier, what is it?” the Thunthen Common asked. The dark-furred Fendahu’s nose twitched.
“But not from smell. I think we’ve been busted!” Kento whispered.
“Something is wrong...I-” the Fendahu growled, eyes wide and pupils contracted.
“WELL LOOKIE WHAT WE GOT HERE!!” Both Ronin Warriors and aliens looked up sharply when they heard the loud triumphant cry. “Looks like we got ourselves a trio of trespassers!” Kangor, leader of the Marzok, crowed as he stalked out of the shadows, followed by the rest of the Big Four: Kranus, Cerastus, and Rvembeth. More beasts from the Menagerie emerged.

— Cataclysm War Ch. 6

“He rallied the freed slaves of the castle then led his forces from keep to keep, mansion to mansion. He dubbed his army ‘the Menagerie’ in mockery of the pompous nobles. Word spread throughout the lands of the mighty Beast King, and many of the beasts flocked to him. The strongest nobles scoffed at the notion of rebellion. One by one, Beastlord laid waste to them all.”-The Queen

— Cataclysm War Ch. 14