Iribenü / Kena

Iribenü was the first shell to be created. A similar creation to ISO or Setari. Iribenü or "Shell 1" was a small walker tank, implanted with a brain cage to control it. it was designed by the late Empress Setari, who had a new found thirst for war.

Physical Description

General Physical Condition

Iribenü was a Kena class Shell, with a 60mm gun an two 20mm machine guns on its left and right flank. It had 6 spider like legs, with quite thick armour to stop bullets hitting the main body. They were agile and fast, reaching a top speed of 50mph. Their leg joints wore out fast and had to be replaced at least once a month, a painful procedure.

Mental characteristics

Personal history

Iribenü started life as Kena, a homeless child, orphaned and left to fend for himself on the streets of Advar city. He had to steal bread just to get by. Kena was picked up by Borhaus, a Hokran Setik in service to the Empress. He had just been promoted and was celebrating when he caught Kena stealing food from the pub. Borhaus gave Kena a choice between Jail, a Duel, or to join his Kod as a soldier.
Kena knew he didn't really have a choice, and picked the latter option. So began the requisite 3 years of practice, battle drills, and sparring matches. Kena never saw the point of using a sword when guns were so prevalent now. He was terrible with a sword, but outdid most of the other recruits in gun accuracy. By the end of the training Kena was 18, eligible to join the army or navy. He'd been training in Lord Verta Enpasinü's domain, and decided to join her army. Verta was good friends with the Empress, who had recently had her brain transferred to a new body.
In 3019, Kena notices strange devices and equipment being moved into the base. He investigates by breaking into the building containing the equipment during the night. What seem to be giant metallic arms, legs guns are all neatly arranged in sections along the walls of the hangar. He reaches the center of the room, which holds a combination of the various different part, a spider like creature made of metal with gears and wires hanging out of it like viscera. A noise cuts the moment short, and Kena turns to see what it was. A similar creature, smaller, yet taller than him, more humanoid, but with 4 arms and fiercely glowing eyes. It is flanked by 2 men, one a horned cyborg, the other a stout man with a horribly burned face. Kena recoils, startled by the monstrous appearance of these people.
As it turned out, that 8 foot, 4 armed, metallic monstrosity was actually the Empress and her two bodyguards. Yet again Kena was caught in the act and was given an ultimatum; Jail, Duel, or Join. Kena, knew he had no choice again, but asked her to elaborate on what "Join" meant, he was already in the army. The Empress told him that everything in the warehouse, the sneaking about, the midnight supply trucks, they were all in preparation for an experiment. She was going to give all the soldiers at the base a choice to volunteer for the experiment. This experiment was to create a war machine, that could traverse any terrain, and have extremely good awareness and dexterity. The only problem was getting the control mechanism: Human Brains. The Empress was still trying to get permission from various lords and house heads to use criminals fated with execution, but it was a slow process. If she could only show them what her the power of this war machine...
Kena was shocked. Using human brains to control war machines? He was terrified at this point, he didn't want to become some heap of metal. He chose to Duel, hoping he could somehow win. The Empress laughed a tinny laugh, before getting jabbed in the side by her horned protector to keep quiet. She readjusted herself and whispered to the man with the burned face, who then walked closer to Kena, hand on his sword. Kena would have been killed for sure if he had to fight the cyborg or the Empress herself. The man with the burned face announced himself "Fiero Soria", he didn't look cybernetically enhanced. Kena felt good about his chances.
"Kena." "Just Kena?" Fiero questioned. "Yes, I have no family." "You soon will." Fiero grinned.
Kena had little time to be confused as the Empress called a start to the duel. Fiero charged at him, sword raised to the sky, Kena only just managed to block a heavy downward slash that stopped his opponent in his tracks. Perhaps his luck was turning up after all. with a flash, Fieros' sword burst into flame, to the surprise of both Kena and his opponent. Fiero turned to look at the horned man, glaring at him angrily. The horned man just chuckled. "This should even things up" He yelled, and Kenas' sword was set alight too.
"You better hurry up before they get too hot to handle!" The horned man grinned. With a series of arcing slashes that left a trail of flame, Fiero quickened his assault, Kena barely managing to parry them as he retreated backwards. Was Fiero afraid of fire? It made sense. Kena tested his theory with a counter taught to him by Borhaus, narrowly missing Fieros head. Kena followed up with a series of slashes of his own, pushing Fiero back to the center of the room. Before Kena could make any more moves, Fiero charged again, sword poised to impale him. Kena dodged to the right, and gave a mighty swing of his sword to finish the duel. But it was deflected as Fiero came to a full stop, followed by a thrust that nearly caught Kena in the throat. The tip stopped an inch away from his jugular vein, the flames licking his cheek.
With that masterful move, the Duel was declared over, the flames were extinguished, and Kena was left to the mercy of Empress Setari. The surgery began that night.
When Kena awoke, he had fuzzy memories. He felt like he was floating in the void, completely paralyzed and numb, apart from his head, which ached like never before. It was maybe an hour, maybe two in the void before an impossibly bright light suddenly blasted him from all sides at once. After a minute the light died down, and he could see a blurry, messy room. A figure walked over to him, and started poking around his eyes with some kind of tool. With a clicking sound his vision adjusted until he could see clearly. The figure was Setari. After a few more nights motionless, Kena was moved by truck to some sort of forest clearing.
He could now move freely, but gained no pleasure from stretching his heavy steel legs. He'd been brought to the forest to acclimatise to his new body, which still needed some work until it was finished. It was strange having more than 2 legs. His sense of balance lied to him, perhaps needing adjustment. At first he crawled about the area, and with some practice over the span of a week he could even run at quite a speed, demolishing the dense forest floor, which became a muddy area devoid of plants by the end of the week.
Kena spent time getting to know his new body as well as his new friends, Fiero and Guy, who seemed to be as dangerous as mice to him now. One day he saw Fiero eating lunch, delicious sandwiches filled with aromatic ingredients cooked to perfection. Kena couldn't smell, taste or even chew food anymore, but he was somehow obsessed with it. He would sit near Fiero and query him about his lunch, what it tasted like, the texture, even how it was cooked. Fiero put up with it for the most part, likening Kena to a hovering dog begging for food.
Finally the day came to reveal Kena to the other soldiers. They were in aw of Kena, who had been introduced as Iribenü, the first shell. They asked him questions about his new body, then there was a demonstration of his destructive capability. Kena had a 60mm main gun, that could turn in a small arc, he also had 2 heavy machine guns which could swivel 200 degrees, covering his left and right flanks, and a even forwards. After the demonstration was over, the Empress asked if any of the soldiers would volunteer to become like Kena. Only a few said yes.
With the demonstration complete, Kena became part of the bases forces again. Over the coming months he would do several more demonstrations for various lords, proving the technology was indeed possible and effective. There were many teething issues with intergrating with humans, being such a behemoth. He took shelter in the hangar from that night, which would soon become a factory to create more like himself.
In 3020 Kena finally joined Borhaus to defend the Rezakian continent from Ikrevian and Arlerik invasion forces. He is joined by 3 other Benü of the same class. Kena and his comrades make short work of enemy bases. They could go places that normal tanks couldn't reach. Their appearance was wholly unexpected by Arlerik forces. Propaganda is made, glorifying their work to the Mregian and Rezakian public, it asks for more volunteers all over the nation. The campaign is a massive success, gathering support for more Benü to be produced.
Eventually the Invader war begins, and many of the newly produced shells are destroyed by superior alien weaponry.
In 3033 Kena dies from old age, his shell is re-used, but the fact Kena died at such a young biological age throws doubt onto the morality of Benü. It seems that the transfer from human to mechanical body drastically shortens life span. But the war machines were being produced on an industrial scale now, nobody was willing to throw away such an asset.
Iribenü is eventually decomissioned, and put in the Advar Museum of Warfare, alongside the body of Setari, who died shortly after Kena.

Education

4 years of military school, basic combat training.

Employment

Kena was employed by O.M.E.F for 18 years

Accomplishments & Achievements

Kena became the first shell, and was awarded several medals for fighting in 2 separate wars, defending imperial citizens, and destroying over 400 enemy vehicles.

Mental Trauma

Kena gained a personality trait when he was transferred to his shell body; Obsession with food.