Balors

Towering, brutish living siege weapons Balors were created by Commonwealth science during the latter stages of the Otherworld conquest when the affect of the magical interference on Earth made equipment meant their most potent weapons of war would be ineffective, Balors are a fusion of magic and science, inspired by the Formorian Giant of legend.

Genesis

Dr. Peter Damiroth pioneered the "living weapon" program, seeing the war effort falter as the megacorp backed armies struggled without the support of their Earth made weaponry. Undeniably potent, the sophisticated weapons, cybernetic augmentations and drones simply could not function long in Otherworld without breaking down. Magic, as much as the men of science hated to admit it, was real and permeated Otherworld affecting sophisticated computer computer equipment. For a time the Earth forces were able to suffice with more simple firearms and artillery, but men like Damiroth saw potential for a fusion of science and magic.

Inspired by tales of giants, in particular those of Irish myth and the monstrous Formorians, Damiroth worked to create living siege weapons. Giants existed on Otherworld and Damiroth saw in them the ideal base stock for his work. Giant clans were herded up, the weaker ones enslaved and made to serve as heavy labourers with the strongest were lobotomised and subjected to horrific surgical treatments. Human, Giant and animal DNA and compotents were spliced together and the first few generations were abominations that had to be put down, sometimes at great cost, but rapidly the procedures and methods were perfected and the first Giant Shock Troops were unleashed, providing a much needed boost in strength and decimating the Elnorian soldiers they crashed down upon.

But Damiroth had greater plans.

He toiled weeks on end, trying to perfect his greatest creation, inspired by the Balor of Irish myth. Countless Giants suffered and perished in his laboratory pens as he worked to fuse flesh with arcane science. Finally, he succeeded and the first Balor was birthed.

Fifteen feet, heavily muscled, its grotesque bulk sporting mithril metal plates and artificial limbs. Its head was encased in a helm dominated by a single cyclopean lens that would unleash a hellish blast of magical fire, a beam of intense power that would reduce flesh to ash and carve through stone and rock.

The Balor was released during the Siege of Castle Caemelin, a formidable bastion whose Elnorian defenders had managed to throw back every single attack, inflicting heavy losses on the besieging armies. Controlled by Damiroth directly through memetic implants and pain triggers the Balor unleashed blast after blast from its eye, breaking the fortress walls and allowing the mercenary armies to sweep in.

Needless to say, the megacorps were very pleased with Damiroth's work and offered him lucrative grants and prestige to create more.

An ambitious, ruthless man, Damiroth agreed.

The prototype Balor became the progenitor of a new clone program, spawning dozens of copies. Damiroth continued to tinker with the breed, fine tuning the potency and form until the latest generation, the Seventh, embodied the ultimate expression of the project.

Balors remain terror weapons unleashed upon the enemies of the Commonwealth, their presence alone often enough to dissipate rioting mobs and those who wish to free themselves from the Commonwealth yolk.