Spectrobes - Depths of Darkness

It was seven years ago that Rallen and Jeena defeated Krux in the Kaio system, destroyed the Krawlosphere and the ultimate Krawl, finally laying down the hammer on the vile Krawl once and for all. The Krawl have since all but completely vanished, their scourge now so thinly spread and weakened, it poses no threat anymore. It seems the war has been won.

Now senior officers, Rallen and Jeena have inspired most of the young hopefuls of the Nanairo system to become Planetary Patrol officers and are heroes in several star systems. However, it has been a very long time since either of them has seen any real action, and the Spectrobes haven't been called to arms since.

However, whilst travelling in the distant reaches of their star system doing routine work, Rallen reflects on the times he and Jeena used to have, and how he wishes those times could be back. When preparing to return to HQ, Rallen finds he cannot command the ship to reverse course. Instead, it simply continues. When he tries to force it out of autopilot, his hands become stuck on the controls and force it into accelerating beyond the ship's capability. When Jeena tries to override the controls, she too is unable to do anything about, instead shutting down the communication array to prevent a distress signal being sent and activating portal control to a set of unknown co-ordinates.

Hurtling through space at speeds beyond the ship's control, Jeena, Rallen and Komainu are sent further than they've ever been before. When they finally emerge from the portal, the structural integrity of the ship begins to fail and is forced to land on the nearest planet within sight. The ship crashes, the ensigns and crewman aboard the ship are dangerously injured, whilst Jeena has been knocked out cold by the impact, and the shock forcing Komainu back into his fossil form.

Rallen, Jeena and Komainu are carried to safety, and the ship's systems finally fails, causing it to go up in flames. Fatigued, burnt and a long way from home, Rallen finally faints on the grassy verge near to where the ship crashed. Hours pass and he awoken by a human face who has been tending to his wounds. Asking where he is, the local villager who has been taking care of them says this;

"Nanairo is far from here, very far from here. In fact, i'd say it's on the other side of the galaxy in respect to where you are right now stranger."

As Rallen hears of this revelation, a villager calls out from outside the temporary infirmary.

"Maleef scouts! Arm yourselves!"

The stranger runs out of the building, pulling away his sleeve to reveal a Cosmolink which Rallen happens to catch a glimpse of and follows outside. Peering from behind a wall, he sees as several people rush into the scene wielding Spectrobes! Doubting his eyes, Rallen watches in disbelief as the many monsters fight against the oncoming threat of dark monsters, not unlike those Rallen had seen before.

The threat has been held back; for now. Now Rallen has some questions.

"What kind of Krawl was that? And how did you use Spectrobes?"

"Krawl? Those weren't Krawl; Krawl haven't existed in this sector of galaxy for centuries, this is the species that forced the Krawl to extinction; they are the Maleef!

You seem confused of the sight of our use of Spectrobes, have you never used them before?"

Rallen replies quickly.

"Well, yeah. I am a Spectrobe Master, or at least I was. I haven't used a Spectrobe for a long time, in Nanairo, me and my partnet Jeena are pretty much the chosen ones."

Jeena comes to and follows outside to see what the commotion is and that is when the stranger reveals all.

~

"You are in another sector of the galaxy, very far from your own home system. In terms of distance, your star is but a dim glimmer in the night sky. From the remains we found of your ship, the propulsion will unlikely get you home within your lifetimes, unless you find a shortcut. How did you come to be here in the first place?"

Jeena replies.

"We were simply doing a routine procedure for the Nanairo Planetary Patrol; we're both officers. We were about to return to head quarters when the autopilot failed to respond. When we attempted to take control, our ship lost control and sent us hurling through space using the portal controls to force open a portal."

The stranger speaks up.

"That name again; Nanairo."

Jeena - "You heard of it?"

Stranger - "It's a small star in our sky, like I said. I never knew that species actually lived there. What kind of people live there?"

Rallen - "People like us, you know? Humans?"

Stranger - "Any other species? It's just that we're normally used to non-human company."

Jeena - "How many human cultures are there here then?"

Stranger - "Only us, I'm afraid. Most of human kind was decimated when the Maleef first came. We are segregated and isolated to this planet and maybe a couple of moons, but that's it! Our culture doesn't extend far or settles down well."

Rallen - "Who are the Maleef? Are they linked with the Krawl?"

Stranger - "Allow me to tell you from the beginning..."

~

"Centuries ago, humanity flourished throughout this system. Many planets welcomed us and we carefully performed our work on some of these worlds. Then the Krawl came.

The Krawl came as a large storm of blackness, devouring and destroying all in its path until the Spectrobe Masters came from out of the shadows with the mighty Spectrobes at their command. The battle was fought valiantly and it looked as if we'd won.

But from an unchecked source of darkness, another race emerged. We originally believed it was some kind of new advanced Krawl they had bred to even the odds on their side, but we found out the intentions of this new race fairly quickly. The Krawl were completely outnumbered by this new race; those that attacked on survival instinct were slaughtered, those that retreated and acted on the same principle were hunted down and exterminated by this new race.

It was clear from the start this race had no intention of helping us, pretty much it wanted to take advantage of our distraction and destroy us, to take over this section of the galaxy. Human kind was attacked and most killed; the Spectrobes put up a fight, but them and their masters began to fall quickly to the Maleef menace.

About several decades ago, a strange creature, this mysterious leader of the Maleef made himself known and then began to search our people's history. When he discovered of other systems, some which were weaker than us in other sectors of the galaxy, he set out to spread his darkness to the rest of this uncharted stellar map. Our final act back then was to declare this entire sector un-safe and unfit for habitation and we set up a temporal barrier trapping everything inside, so we wouldn't exist to those outside and the enemy would be sealed in.

As time went on, we've had to expand this prison as the Maleef keep trying to break the quarantine we set up. It now covers several solar systems, most are now dead which leaves only us in the fight for survival to stop the Maleef from attacking all other parts of the galaxy.

We have no idea why or how the Maleef appeared, they just came to us like it had all been part of their plan, and since that day we've been forced to adapt as best we can. As a result, pretty much everyone can use Spectrobes, but only a Spectrobe master can lead our people.

From what I know of you already, you have the ability to fight against the Maleef and could be a great asset to us."

~

And thus our story begins.

OMG, SpectrobeS!!!!! What Pokémon whould be if I made it.

In this new Spectrobes game, there are several new additions or differences to the gameplay.

New planets - In this distant solar system, there are a variety of worlds, each unique. Some are populated with cities, some are terraineous and a couple are almost inhospitable to "normal" life. Each has their own challenges, culture and design.

New Spectrobe challenges - Whilst the previous game only used Child Spectrobes to go through mazes or solve puzzles, Adult and Evolved Spectrobes can also compete, not only in races, but also doing everyday tasks, similar to how Spectrobes involve themselves in daily life in this distant quadrant.

New Spectrobes - A new selection of Spectrobes native to this sector can be reborn, trained and used in a variety of circumstances. Each has their own unique appearance and ability.

Spectrobe trading - Now you can trade between other Spectrobe players, both on the DS or on the Wii. This even allows you to transfer Spectrobes from Spectrobes Origins onto Depths of Darkness. Even NPCs can trade with you to help you.

Universal Database - Before leaving Nanairo, a prototype database was designed so that all Spectrobes could be listed and their data stored. Once you complete the main story, the universal database will be booted up not only to list the Spectrobes native to this quadrant, but those also native to the Kaio system and Nanairo.

Spectrobe Master Battles - In some cultures, status as a warrior is displayed through righteous combat, and the same applies to some of the planets in this system. Some Spectrobe Masters will issue a challenge to any other users of Spectrobes to combat, for which a valuable prize is won. Defeating this Spectrobe master in combat against a certain element will allow you to recieve an honour from them, which is crucial to travel to some planets in this system. All of the masters need to be defeated in order to travel to the outer planets, for such experience is necessary to travel this deep into uncharted territory.

Spectrobe Apprentices - Spectrobe masters in this sector use a device called a Cosmolink, which allows them to call upon Spectrobes that they have trained. It also can link with Prizmods and other Cosmolinks to allow what is called a Spectrobe Apprentice. In the coming battles, there is safety in numbers, so Rallen and Jeena can recruit other Spectrobe users to help them out, each with their own preferred type which will allow said type to perform better on the field.

There are many more additional features to this game, all of which will be mentioned in due time.

One of the planets visited is Lagunaagua, a rare kind of planet covered in water.

The landing platforms are the only known traversible surfaces on the planet, all the civillians and life forms live within the enormous ocean. For 90% of its long solar year, it rains very heavily.

The people of the planet originally lived on the diminishing land before the Maleef invaded. The Maleef drove the inhabitants into the oceans so they could take the planet for themselves using vicious storms, which still rage today.

The inhabitants were amphibious at the time, but after salvaging wreckage on the ocean floor, the Amphios were able to build a city under the water's surface. The Maleef have continued to try and invade the planet, by lurking in the depths of the ocean, preying on the Amphios that stray too far.

As Rallen and Jeena arrive, their cosmolink is detected by the monument on the surface and they are given a Spectrobe fossil that will allow them to travel underwater, at least until their suit is upgraded. Their timing was perfect, the Maleef were breeding a leviathan to destroy the settlement of the Amphios and take the planet for themselves.

The Spectrobe Master who will challenge Rallen and Jeena is Myriad, the leader of the Amphios. She uses Water property Spectrobes and is renowned to have an interest in using freezing attacks. She is reserved character who is willing to hear others points of view, whilst others of her court are unwillingly to trust "land walkers".

The planet Robotasphere is one of the largest planets in the sector within the inner rim. It is predominantly home to Sky Property Spectrobes and enemies.

The planet was once occupied by humans up until a robot named X-01 led the androids to overthrow the humans and take the planet for themselves.

The planet is highly advanced, with a pale, white sky, and vast cities. Sadly, organic life forms are disliked on the planet and X-01 will sometimes refuse to challenge organics, meaning Spectrobe Masters will find reaching the outer sector very difficult. However, the law against organics has been held fairly loosely lately, as X-01 has disappeared. In this case, an android named VU-098 alpha, can offer you a Spectrobe capable of manipulating the unusual technology; a Gorzopod.

The Spectrobe Master who challenges visitors is X-01. X-01 dislikes organic lifeforms and will usually not even give them the justice of a battle, making travel to the outer sector very difficult. X-01 was a prototype to test whether Spectrobes could in fact obey and befriend a robot. It perfectly worked and X-01 became the first robotic Spectrobe master. Once that came about, X-01 overthrew the humans and now the planet is entirely controlled by robots.

The Maleef have been operating in a section of magnetic anomalies, where the weaker robots don't trespass because of the intense magnetic field over that small area. It's here that the Maleef have been disturbing the local wildlife, and trying to build a large monster, capable of swiftly destroying the city of the robots. X-01 was due to investigate but was not seen after that stage, eventhough the magnetism would have barely even affected him.

The planet Toxelles exists in the outer sector, and is only available once all the inner rim Spectrobe Masters have given their permission.

The planet's atmosphere is pure poison, humans and most Spectrobes can only survive minutes in the atmosphere before succumbing to the poison. It is here that Xelles Krawl have been cultivated to make medicines, as their spores have impressive regenerative properties.

The leading scientist here, Dr. Vira, has led crews across the planet's surface and found there once was a civilization here at one stage, but a runaway industry caused the atmosphere to become unbreathable, but it gives clues as to how the Maleef originally came to appear within this quadrant of the galaxy. Whether the pollution was intentional, once this is revealed, is brought to question.

It is also here that Rallen and Jeena meet an old enemy once again, former High Krawl Maja. However, she is no longer Krawl, but rather a resurrected Maleef; her DNA, mind, body and soul all extrapolated and recreated in a new body that now serves a higher purpose than that of the Krawl.

The planet Toxelles can only be properly explored with the use of a survival suit which will allow unlimited access to the planet's surface. Here, a large number of Dark Spectrobes and Grass Property Spectrobes can be found.

Care to explain me about Spectrobes please?

The planet Pyrotrope is a medium sized world, recognised as the largest refinery and ship building planet in the sector. It is home to a reptillian race called the Pyrotrope, who make a living out of building the ships and weaponry for most of the sector in the war against the Maleef.

The planet is volcanically active and the largest continent of Sijoni is the location of the Pits Peak, one of the largest volcanoes in the quadrant. It is here that a lot of the industry is focussed, with mining, smelting, building and testing all happening within miles of each other. In order to land here, your ship needs to be tested for volcanic ash and smoke resistance.

The Pyrotropes are a very strong and quite ingenious race, but centuries ago faced losing all their culture altogether. Their language is an unusual one, and rival clans demanded having different languages whilst those trying to unite couldn't make them merge. It came to an extent where written word was changing every day. Eventually, the cultural leaders came to an agreement, language would be fixed, depending on height above or beneath base magma level. In other words, their language would shift one letter forward the higher you went or one letter back the lower you went.

In terms of appearance, the Pyrotropes are reptillian, with pale, thick and rubbery skin covering most of their body, save for their darker and scaly fingers and toes which are adapted to resist heat exceeding 500 degress centigrade. They lack any external body hair and so cannot survive well in colder conditions, notably those of deep space or of Lagunaagua. They usually have spines on their long tails and males have a horned crest on the back of their head that can be raised as intimidation. However, they are skilled markmans and can build some of the finest weapons.

The Spectrobe master of the Pyrotropes is Skolig, a renowned warrior and leader of the industrial operations. He is known for his strong and firm decisions, his bravery but also him unparralled temper. He uses Fire property Spectrobes.

Prior to Rallen and Jeena's arrival, the planet was feeling some strong tremous near the volcano, which had begun to divert the magma feeds. Skolig and a small group of others had also been reported missing, having not returned from testing a new variety of ship. It is later established that their bodies were found, their armour and clothing gone and wrapped in their own shed skin (a typical tradition of preparing deceased Pyrotrope for burial or cremation). Forensics confirm the worst, death from Maleef venom. Skolig's body was not found, nor his armour with the other Pyrotropes, so it becomes a rescue mission to find where he had gone.

The planet Adorienz exists in the outer rim, and was supposedly built by human kind during the original Krawl invasions as a relief post for Spectrobe Masters and their allies in combat. When the Krawl were driven from the quadrant, the human population was banished and most perished in the civil war that followed afterwards.

The planet is a rich and fertile world, famed for tropical resort designs and rare plants said to emit soothing and healing energies, preferred during the war as a healing for physical and psychological trauma. Whilst one large part of the planet was solely reserved for soldiers, the wealthy of the neighbouring systems would occupy the other part as a popular luxury holiday destination.

When the Maleef came to the sector, the planet was conquered by two species, the Insurrection and the Greys. Since that time, both races have fought an enormous civil war over the planet, deciding whether killing the human population was justified. Recently, the Insurrection have gained an upper hand in the civil war, and are believed to have Maleef sympathies.

As Rallen and Jeena arrive to the planet, a treaty between the Maleef and the Insurrection is due to be signed, allowing Adorienz to become Maleef territory. As they begin to investigate, the true nature of the planet is revealed and its purpose made apparent.

Within the core of the planet is one of the most impressive super computers of the galaxy, possibly even the universe. It was safely sealed inside the planet by human designers as so to protect it from rebels many millenia ago when it was first constructed. According to ancient blue prints, it acquires its intelligence from the minds of every visitor of the planet and can sense thoughts and ideas across the entire quadrant, but cannot lock on to a precise thought pattern to acquire privy information without consuming enormous power and the target may become aware and block it out.

It is at this stage, that Rallen and Jeena access the Adorienz super computer in order to discover the Lord of the Maleef's location and discover their plans to a specific detail until the Lord initiates a surge to force the computer into shut down. Reactivating it now would completely drain the patrol ships power reserves and could compromise structural intergrity of the planet such that it would be noticed, so it was left inactive.

So here's how it looks;

Sun of the System

INNER SECTOR
1. Pyrotrope (Fire)

2. Villistai (Starting planet)

3. Krenkan (Plant)

4. Lagunaagua (Water)

5. Robotasphere (Sky)

6. Obsidia (Earth)

7. Sovora (Dark)

8. Malaskor (Maleef Controlled)

OUTER RIM

9. Toxelles (Plant)

10. Adorienz (Water)

11. Forge (Fire)

12. Yokai (Maleef Controlled)

DEEP SPACE

13. Morg (Maleef Controlled)

The Insignia are medals awarded to Spectrobe users as a symbol of triumph, victory and approval. In order to acquire co-ordinates to distant planets and have landing permission, one needs an activated insignia, only handed out by the Spectrobe masters who are defeated in honourable combat. Each insignia has an additional effect in addition to a computer interface;

Astral Insignia - The astral insignia increases the owner's speed in combat. The insignia also set off a strange spark that can be used to infiltrate computers and technological locks, allowing the player to break into terminals.

Aurora Insignia - The aurora insignia contains a minimal photonic rejuvinator. This allows rice balls to be converted into edible food for Spectrobes, allowing them to be healed in battle. More nutritious rice balls will gain the added effect of having a slight chance of cancelling out inflicted statuses.

Corona Insignia - The corona insignia allows players to have reduced prices on ship parts. Whilst ship parts would cost extra minerals and ore to cover delivery, the insignia allows the shipping charges to be discounted.

Dark Insignia - This insignia allows the carrier to modify their Spectrobe weaponry. At certain stalls across the sector, blasters, gloves, swords, axes and shields can be modified to increase their power, speed and accuracy.

Flash Insignia - The Flash Insignia allows a player to swim without the aid of a water-dwelling Spectrobe. When worn across the nose and mouth, it acts like a rebreather, allowing Spectrobes of multiple properties to be used under water without concern of drowning.

Profiled.