At'lar the Giant

At'lar the Giant was a Coral Titanoform war hero from the planet Aquillis in Earth-1010.

His date of birth is unrecorded, theorised to have been around 850 Aquillian years ago (~708UE). His date of death was the 45th of Sunfall 134PBP, executed aboard a Pyronite Battle Cruiser.

Appearance
Prior to his involvement in the Pyros-Pisciss War, At'lar was a young-appearing Titanoform or peach-coloured rock. Deep orange Shallow Tearsea Anemone dotted his body, giving him a softer silhouette than would be typical for his kind.

For the latter months of his involvement in the war his appearance was far different. The Anemones were long since dead. An explosion had claimed his left eye, with that half of his head scarred and bleached white. A large, shallow gash of bleached white coral strikes across his left pectoral region. His damaged and dying body was usually hidden beneath his armour, which itself was permanently bent slightly where the damage had been done previously. His head, however, was permanently exposed. The deathly gaze of this one-eyed Coral Titanoform was the last sight of many a Pyronite Torchbearer.

Personality
At'lar was described during the earlier periods of his military service as a kind and self-sacrificing individual who went to great lengths to get to know all of his fellow soldiers before being deployed.

Later accounts, however, describe him as aggressive, short tempered, and extremely eager to fight. His tactics, techniques, and commands were brilliant and hugely successful, and it is often noted by multiple sources- both primary and secondary- that the sight of him fighting in the field was a massive inspiration to all those fighting alongside him.

Powers and Abilities
Use of a Titanoform's abilities for aggressive combat techniques was unseen before At'lar took to the battlefields on Pisciss. He is a master of his natural abilities and a brilliant fighter.

Equipment
At'lar wore modified Vaxasaurid battle armour purchased and altered by the TMCA (Teslamorpha Military Corp of Aquillis). This armour was strong and did not inhibit his movement. It provided cooling gel directly to his joints that allowed him to move faster than he would normally be able to even in his natural habitat.

He was given a powerful chaingun that he wore on a strap around his neck, and he carried the ammo reserves on his back. He could wield it one-handed, but was much more skilled while using both hands.

Biography
9.5 Aquillian Years ago- about 34 Earth Years- Apollo began the Pyros-Pisciss War in an attempt to set himself upon the galactic stage and define Pyros as a superpower. Thanks to the Hydraborne-Alliance Concord, Aquillis was drawn into the conflict and the Teslamorpha immediately set about providing military and technological support for the people of Pisciss.

This support proved critical, and the Teslamorpha quickly brought the playing field back to being level. Unfortunately, word travels fast in wartime. The atrocious conditions of fighting on the front lines made the people of Aquillis incredibly angry at their government for upholding the Concords and sending their young soldiers to suffer- fights in or near bodies of water where the Teslamorpha could excel were rare and most spent their time struggle to move across rough and rugged land without help or transport. Vehicles to move troops were often full to capacity, most built for the Pisciss species yet full of Teslamorpha anyway. Walker Pods were expensive and rare on the battlefield, not to mention fragile and difficult to repair especially in a pinch. None of this helped by the allegations that the government had kidnapped several Coral Titanoforms and sent them to fight in a war that was not their concern.

At'lar, however, was moved to tears at the news of the suffering soldiers- of any allied race- in the war. He immediately climbed to Blue Pavilion (where no Titanoforms lived or travelled to at the time, this was the first time a member of his race had set foot here) and he demanded he be allowed to sign up and fight for his people. He was the first of his species to participate in TMCA basic training and was sent to fight.

He very quickly made a name for himself- becoming known as 'the Giant'. He was an invaluable asset to anyone he fought with. Although his shields could not stop heat from penetrating them, they still made almost any attack the Pyronites could throw at him (or whatever he was protecting) completely futile. Before long the TMCA took notice and immediately set about creating specialised gear to help him achieve far more than he already was.

With his new custom armour and chaingun his presence became devastating. He towered over everything- people and war machines alike. He carved his way through the Pyronite lines, single-handedly creating spearhead formations that smashed through his opposition and in his wake allowed his allies to bleed in and retake their land. He was quickly promoted through the ranks as the TMCA rushed to match his rank with his actions as they did not want to admit to their troops that he was disorderly and insubordinate.

As such a pivotal character in the war, the Pyronites took great notice as well and in the later months of the war they set out to capture At'lar. The first of these operations was a total failure, with the Pyronites misjudging the proximity of the nearest reinforcements and being forced to retreat. The second time, however, was a far more covert operation. Elite units were quietly deployed to take out the base's security while At'lar slept. By the time the alarms were raised the rest of the Pyronite troops dedicated to the operation had arrived for a frontal slam into the Pisciss-Aquillis forces stationed there. At'lar was dragged away kicking and fighting.

On the fourty-fifth day of the Sunfall month, 134 Aquillian years since the founding of Blue Pavilion, At'lar was executed in an all-frequency extranet broadcast aboard the Pyronite warship the B.C. Escalation. He was decapitated live on air by Apollo, wielding the blade of Ascalon. His last words were: "Hatred burns but fires extinguish. You cannot kill me in any way that matters. What I am to them cannot be erased."

The war ended on the 17th of Coralbloom 135PBP with a ceasefire and a full pullback of Pyronite forces out of the Pisciss system.

On the 45th of Sunfall that same year, a statue of Pisciss Gold was erected in the centre of the cultural and inter-species relations hub of Blue Pavilion depicting At'lar the Giant in his armour, holding his helmet one hand and holding a Pisciss Volann child's shoulder with the other.

Trivia

 * It is extremely rare for a Titanoform to take a proactive approach to fighting, even rarer when the fight is not in defence of Aquillis or a territory therein. At'lar was the first Titanoform to join the Pyros-Pisciss War willingly.
 * Although unmentioned above, the Lytrasapiens and Alpha Lytra were also drawn into the conflict by the Hydraborne-Alliance Concord as well. Unfortunately the positioning of Lutra meant that the supply routes from Lutra to Pisciss were easily and quickly intercepted and cut off by Pyronite blockades. The Lutra forces took the position of running supplies to the front lines rather than wasting resources trying to reinforce them. This was a lengthy and minimally effective process due to the far-out route that needed to be taken, but it still helped.