Cerebrus Rex

Sssethas Ruul

Primitive cultures have little understanding of just how fragile life can be. Beyond the simple day-to-day struggle for survival, so much depends on the whims of cosmic chance. A single stellar event or planetary collision can spell the end for entire species, or wipe out all life on a world. In cases where they do not, such disasters fuel the fires of evolution, and it becomes change and adapt... or die.
Such was the case in the distant past, when a series of meteor strikes changed the environment of a primordial Earth. The colossal reptiles that ruled the world were forced to adapt, as were the small mammals they hunted. Both grew increasingly larger brains and learned to use tools. In time, the Saurian civilization developed language, agriculture, and cities, and went to war against the Simians. They enslaved their enemies, and built up the foundations of their civilization upon their labor.
The great Saurian nations explored the world, put down slave rebellions, and warred with and conquered their neighbors. After many millennia, three great power blocs emerged. The war between them lasted for thousands of years, off and on. The conflict drove evolution and adaptation: the development of new technologies for communication, medicine, travel, building and, most of all, for destruction. Sssethas Ruul was widely considered one of the most brilliant Saurian minds in history. His capacity for invention was matched only by his patriotic fervor. He devoted his work to victory for the Allied Saurian Republic over its enemies, including rogue Simian slaves. When the Final War ravaged the world and left civilization in ruins, Sssethas Ruul rededicated himself to the survival of his people.
He developed advances in cybernetic life-support and machine interface, shelters against the radiation and toxins permeating the biosphere and, most important of all, his research probed the fabric of reality for other worlds, places where the Saurian civilization might survive and build anew. Eventually, he made contact. Imagine his shock when he discovered the civilization on the far side of the portal was made up of Simians! Still, the Simian scientist named Zed was eager to learn more about Saurian technology and Sssethas believed it would be a simple matter to manipulate him.
Things did not go as planned and, rather than lose the one promising connection he had found, Sssethas made the transition to this new world. Now he must prepare the way for his people, to secure a future for the Saurian race.

Physical Description

Special abilities

Cerebrus Rex’s saurian form makes him larger, stronger, and tougher than a human. He wears an exo-suit equipped with a variety of technology intended to allow him to survive visiting other worlds, but true to his name Cerebrus Rex’s greatest ability is his brain, cybernetically enhanced even beyond the capabilities of his species. He is an inventive genius, capable of cobbling together earthly technologies to create far more advanced weapons and devices. His most common are “robosaurs”—robotic artificial dinosaurs he uses as shock troops to carry out his plans, and a dimensional controller built into his gauntlet, allowing him to warp the fabric of space and dimensions in various ways. He can release cascades of energy from other realms or produce a spatial distortion that stresses and shocks the target’s systems. A similar dimension controlling device is installed into his lair, making it far more spacious on the inside than the outside, while still concealing it from casual inspection.

Mental characteristics

Intellectual Characteristics

Even among his own kind Cerebrus Rex is arrogant. When dealing with “ape primitives” like those infesting this world, his superiority knows no bounds. He is coldly logical and pragmatic, but also believes he is always right. He sees himself as the savior of his people, ignoring his role in bringing about the end of their civilization. The idea of cooperation or peaceful coexistence with humanity is entirely foreign to Cerebrus Rex; one might as well ask a hungry crocodile to peacefully coexist with a gibbering horde of monkeys.

Social

Contacts & Relations

Cerebrus Rex forged an alliance with Professor Zed that allowed him to reach Earth, and he is willing to propose similar trades of knowledge and technology with others to further his own goals. However, the sinister saurian has no intention of upholding any agreements with ape primitives. He tells his erstwhile allies what they want to hear then, once he has what he wants, he turns on them.
Unsurprisingly, Cerebrus Rex has made few friends on this Earth. He is hunted by the authorities and seen as a threat by anyone who values the survival of humanity. Even other megalomaniacs and would-be conquerors consider Cerebrus Rex a danger to their long-term plans.