Shepherds and Soldiers Showcase

Long ago, when the Earth was still young, and rock music wasn't ruled by crappy boy bands, there lived the ancient cult known as the Shepherds of the Earth. These diversely raced and creeded men and women protected the world from hostile forces from on and off world. They did this both through their coveted spade-swords, and also especially the carving and creation of 100 mighty warriors of differing purposes, sizes and shapes called the Soul Soldiers! But there was a lingering threat to the world that not even they could purge: the evil wizard, and former Shepherd Tunango. He sought to manipulate the Soul Soldiers for his attempts to conquer the world, so the Shepherds scattered them across the Earth, not knowing that a newcomer would become the leader of these grand warriors!

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Soul Soldier 033: Inkantation

Soul Soldier 033 Activated

Primary Function: Venomous Swordsman

Description: Easily one of the most bizarre of the Soul Soldiers concept-wise, 033 is also one of the deadliest. He was originally designed to be a highly dexterous fighter of insurmountable armies.

At the time, he was created during the Shepherd clan's early days of trying to find and defeat the traitor Tunango. Created from a combination of a sea snake and a blue-ringed octopus, virtually all of his weaponry revolves around his venom and poison, the latter being used on his six katanas.

But of course, those who've seen his great power are aware of his strangest, and most powerful weapon at his command. Enter the massive paintbrush strapped to his back. Said brush is as long as 033 is tall, and is tipped with a hyper-poisonous paint colored a subtle purple.

It can be used as a club, as well as painting enemies with various runes that cause great pain and death to those who touch it. There is an antidote, fortunately, but only the Shepherds knew its secrets.

Because he is essentially a superweapon, modern day Shepherd George Olivier has chosen to reactivate 033, but not have him engage any enemies say for the Star Children working with Tunango. Now named Inkantation, 033 hones his swift techniques, as well as enjoying certain aspects of modern day.

Specifically (to avoid unfortunate implications), he gained a sweet tooth and has been known to go on sugar binges. But make no mistake, 033 has never lost his warrior's edge, and he'll defend his allies til the day he dies.

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Soul Soldier 032: Njordypus

Soul Soldier 032 Activated

Primary Function: Guardian of the Forgotten Reef

Description: Now here's the last thing you'd expect on a dive into the Great Barrier Reef! 032 was designed to protect the Pacific Ocean, especially an area known as the Forgotten Reef.

This reef is a highly restricted area, only able to be even seen by Shepherds of the Earth, and whose wards proved hard for most humans to break.  Because of this, Timaneus himself once referred to it as an undersea Garden of Eden, walled off far away from much of man's influence.

And keeping this secret alive was arguably one of the largest Soul Soldiers yet made by the Shepherds of days gone by. The sculpting alone took nearly a decade due to the materials needed to make her form.

As such, 032 also has a rather simple loadout; the ankle-barb associated with platypi, similar limbs to one, and the ability to summon whales to assist in defending her turf.  She does this by channeling a whale's song through her vocal chords. This can be heard for over 20 miles, and most humans mistake it for an actual whale.

She also naturally has strong physical defense, making her hard to take down by most weapons. Because of both her conspicuousness and how large the Pacific Ocean is, she was never fully dismissed during the Great Annexing.

She hid in depths only a select few creatures can withstand. It helped that her form is also a deep blue and white on the bottom, which helps camouflage her from above and below. When she sensed that 077 was awakened, 032 quickly signaled to him that she was ready to resume her vigil. On a final note, she has a soft Irish voice similar to a loving mother.

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Soul Soldier 092: Xi Wangmu

Soul Soldier 092 Activated

Primary Function: Dignitary Courier

Description: As majestic as a sunset, this fluffy dragon is perhaps one of the gentlest of the Soldier lineup. 092 is a relatively recent Soldier, created as a luxury service for Shepherd dignitaries, as well as those of eastern countries such as China, Japan and Southeast Asia.

Resembling an amalgamation of various mythic creatures, she is named after the Motherly Goddess of the West, and it shows. She is highly affectionate, especially to Shepherds, and can even speak telepathically to those strong enough to pick it up.

She was among the first of the Soul Soldiers to be revived, along with 020, 091 and 013. 092 is still used as transport via personal usage, but she has a weight limit, and so massive journeys are used by Number 077.

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Soul Soldier 027: Sandsnip

Soul Soldier 027 Activated

Primary Function: Toxic Tank

Description: A Bounty Hunter staple, this massive arthropod was meant to be part religious symbol and part spy. At first glance, however, 027 doesn't have stealthy qualities. However, he has been upgraded over the centuries, and his most recent form is modeled after a modern tank.

Noted varieties included a chariot and battering ram version. But of course, this means nothing if its weaponry wasn't as powerful, which it is. Its weapons too have varied, but the modern version has claws that can extend or squeeze tight in order to attack. Noted weaponry included snipping and slashing variants, with its tail acting as a toxic explosive force. The toxins don't kill upon impact, but they do 'poison' the enemy vehicle to prevent escapes.

As of nowadays, he serves as a wandering agent, keeping an eye on Egypt and the surrounding desert environments. His surprisingly gentle nature also makes him a favorite among the children, and has even play-fought fellow desert giant 026 in a kaiju-like fashion.

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Soul Soldier 050: Kunapipi

Soul Soldier 050 Activated

Primary Function: Deceptive Musical Guru

Description: A beautiful Aboriginal woman plays the didgeridoo out in the deserts of the Outback. At first, this seems fairly innocuous, if a bit bizarre. But once a threat to this world appears, she springs into action, using her mighty instrument as a bazooka, literally blowing them away!

Meet Kunapipi, a warrioress named after the Aboriginal goddess of motherhood. And like any good mother, she's got kindness and wisdom to back up her strength. And if her didgeridoo's range isn't enough, she can use her instrument as a bo staff.

She belongs to a group of Soul Soldiers known as the Bounty Hunters, and her note-like, fiery projectiles can burn through almost any object, say for diamonds and actual fire.

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Soul Soldier 062: Narses

Soul Soldier 062 Activated

Primary Function: High-Speed Pursuit

Description: When your prey/enemy is going quite faster than you, there's usually a great solution to capturing it, especially if you're a Shepherd of the Earth. Enter 062, a.k.a. Narses; an incredibly fast Soldier designed to locate and hunt down threats before they become so.

He's named after a famous eunuch from the Byzantine Empire that helped salvage much of it during the 500s A.D.

That cape on his back is more than just a neat accessory, as it gives him the ability to turn invisible while running. On top of this, besides the usual claws and teeth, 062 is also good at stunning opponents with a high-pitched shriek, though it takes a lot of recharging.

In modern day, 062 has been assigned as a desert scout, keeping eyes on the American Southwest, especially the mysterious Area 51.

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Soul Soldier 087: Titus

Soul Soldier 087 Activated

Primary Function: Hyperactive Diplomat and Advisor

Description: Perhaps the least threatening in appearance of the group that create the secret Soldier Augustus, 087 is also a surprisingly gentle fighter. Of course, he has his high, hyperactive speed afforded by his hummingbird appearance, and his beak can easily impale enemies like a shishkebab. However, his main role is primarily to be a hidden advisor and diplomat, and was able to mirage his appearance into that of a human to prevent suspicion.

He served several rulers over his tenure, including Catherine the Great and her platonic partner Grigory Potemkin. When revived in more modern times, Titus was placed as a teacher to a few new Shepherds that were inducting during George's time fighting off Tunango.

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Soul Soldier 097: Sinatra

Soul Soldier 097 Activated

Primary Function: Suave and Secretive Gunslinger

Description: Here's a strange Soldier that would fit right at home in the Great Gatsby; with a classy suit and a voice resembling Sean Connery's, this unusual gunsman was meant to be a sort of covert spy to better infiltrate different nations as part of their advisors. To a degree this worked, as despite appearances, this is not his only method of attire.

He was specifically meant to work with the American government along with one or two other Soul Soldiers such as Number 083. Of course, looks are not his only quality; Sinatra's best attributes are his wits, speed and surprisingly strong firepower. It helps that his weapons are not your garden variety pistol or revolver.

These literal handguns shoot fingernail-shaped bullets that, while they cannot kill outright, they can easily stun enemies with the voltage yield of an electric eel. His reflexes are on par with that of a martial arts master, making him more than a match for most opponents. He's the first so far shown of a group known as the Bounty Hunters, dubbed so by George Olivier as meant to track the movements of Tunango so as to hopefully prevent any surprise attacks by him and his Star Children allies.

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Soul Soldier 022: Scamander

Soul Soldier 022 Activated

Primary Function: Dual Elemental River God

Description: In Japan, there is a mighty dragon god known as Ryujin. This powerful sea god controlled the sea, and it is said that he kept the tides in line by using twin jewels. As for this surprisingly cute creature, 022 has no jewels, but can perform tidal techniques and more!

This is Scamander, originally meant to create hot water for both attacks and help keep the Shepherd bathhouses up for daily routines. He's about the size of a beagle, and just as affectionate.

As for how he works, he can secrete special chemicals from his skin, acting both as a slimy coating for his skin, and if combined, can create either boiling hot water, or a burst of fire! He's surprisingly fast on land, and is even faster in water!

When he was revived from his deactivation, he was upgraded from simple water heater to the mascot for a string of spas across the Mediterranean. And believe me, places like Greece need all the financial help they can get!

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Soul Soldier 037: Achilles

Soul Soldier 037 Activated

Primary Function: Immovable Object of the Queen

Description: Although Timaneus of Djinn is perhaps the best known name regarding the Shepherd leadership, he would not have been as long lasting had it not been for his wife and fellow strategist, Theodora of Daria. Besides being a great tactician, and proven to be a great preserver of the order during the plague of the 520's, but she also made her fair share of Soul Soldiers from the 10s onwards.

Perhaps her closest personal friend among these is this big fella, Number 037. Resembling something out of the Ice Age, this giant tank of a beast has armor that has the same durability as solid granite, and he can be surprisingly mobile by using both his tail and a full-body spin move to defeat anyone brave enough or dumb enough to attack Theodora or Timaneus head-on.

However, being as sturdy as the strongest rock also means he's about as slow as one, too. His spin move mainly involves attacking, as otherwise he goes about as fast as a tortoise. On top of this, a precise attack to his legs can fell him, similarly to his  inspiration, the Greek and Shepherd warrior of Troy, Achilles!

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Soul Soldier 015: Prisma

Soul Soldier 015 Activated

Primary Function: Colorful Confusionist

Description: Now here's a really unusual Soldier for this early on in the list; this strange arthropod is known as Prisma, a Peacock Mantis Shrimp about the size of a bulldog that can create levitating crystals from her exoskeleton. Her powers include telekinesis and hypnosis, the latter being useful for halting nearly any being exposed to her dazzling display.  

015 was originally meant to be a security guard for a small base for the Shepherd order in the Pacific Ocean nicknamed Atlantis after the supposedly sunken city. And she certainly handles her task with great skill; besides creating crystalline projectiles, she can also perform the mantis shrimp's main form of defense and offense, the forelimb punch!

By generating a bubble of loud air with her claws, Prisma can not only stun enemies, but also create enough power to break reinforced glass! The only downside is that Prisma can be pretty brittle in terms of armor, making her a literal glass cannon.

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Soul Soldier 008: Irrigator

Soul Soldier 008 Activated

Primary Function: Hydrokinetic Gardener

Description: Now here's a critter that would make the late Steve Irwin go 'CRIKEY, WHADDA BEAUTE!'. This is Soldier 008, created to be both a sister to 004, Flora, and a literal irrigator of crops for the Shepherd people.

Of course, she's more than just a glorified sprinkler system. She can also fire icy blasts from her mouth and hands, flood camps, and put waterfronts between the Shepherds and their enemies!

Although not made with one, she would eventually gain a southern accent, acting like a beautiful swamp queen. Speaking of, that's her main base of operations, hiding out in the bayous in order to protect a special hidden relic called the Broach of the Bayou.

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Soul Soldier 089: Pan

Soul Soldier 089 Activated

Primary Function: Nature's Personal Bodyguard

Description: If there's one way to describe this powerhouse, it's bizarre. Pan was technically made back in the days of the ancient Greeks, but was not brought to life until the death of Shepherd explorer Vendradt Carmue during a through-hike across the Klondike.

Said to be the embodiment of the Ice Age itself, this unusual beast has guarded the wilds of Canada from 1826 to the Great Annexing.  He was reactivated by George not long after the defeat of Tunango, and was tasked with protecting Earth's wilds until a time comes that he could walk among man without causing fear and terror. Turns out looking like a giant monster doesn't really give you much of a good following when you're trying to appeal to the often paranoid governments of the world.

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Soul Soldier 088: Agent Flower

Soul Soldier 088 Activated

Primary Function: Ninja Geisha

Description: One of the ninja's main bread and butter is the ability to disguise yourself as an ordinary person, and only kill when absolutely necessary. And while not the biggest personification of ninjutsu, 088 certainly has those two traits down to a science! Agent Flower serves as a part of the Soldier Police Force, or SPF for short.

Her main bosses are the top brass of the Shepherds, as well as Number 006, Grimm. To combat opponents when needed, her main weapons include her flower shurikens that she can generate, as well a special parasol that acts as both a melee weapon and a temporary shield. As of the modern age, Flower remains a ninja-like figure serving Number 020 in espionage tasks.

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Soul Soldier 084: Calypso

Soul Soldier 084 Activated

Primary Function: Beautiful Ka Lau Vessel

Description: While named after the similarly named Greek nymph, this beautiful lady is more linked to the last Hawaiian queen known as Liliʻuokalani. She was even imbued with her spirit to give her life, and retained some of her philosophies. Her arms are not just for show, as originally, she was meant to be a partner of Soldier 078: Shivubis.

And to clarify, partner meant fellow fighter, not love interest. Shippers can ship who they please, but for now, that's digressed. Calypso is both diplomatic and wise, and is considered by many to be the embodiment of various ka lau across the Hawaiian archipelago. She serves as a symbol of peace in Hawaii, often assisted by the hummingbird Soldier 087: Titus.

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Soul Soldier 039: Lucky Bounty

Soul Soldier 039 Activated

Primary Function: Undercover Vigilante

Description: Undercover work is a common theme among Soul Soldiers, primarily because seeing their society in its entirety could easily spell doom due to the more ambitious and paranoid sections of Earth wanting something like this to die.

Enter the likes of 039, who can change his clothing and even face to avoid attracting attention. In his case, he serves as a North American vigilante, using his card-themed weapons to defeat actual criminals at their own game.

He would eventually marry Number 040, and they would together maintain the western/southern theme of their outfits.

Notable weapons for the appropriately named Lucky Bounty include an ace boomerang, spade daggers in metal gauntlets, diamond wrist shields, club bolas, a small sword and heart throwing darts.

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Soul Soldier 040: Rogue of Rouge

Soul Soldier 040 Activated

Primary Function: Undercover Accomplice

Description: Due to the Shepherds' list of enemies being rather vast considering their thousands of years of existence, it should come as little surprise that they've made a few undercover agents out of Soul Soldiers. These include the married couple and formidable Numbers 039 and 040: Lucky Bounty, and today's Soldier, Rogue of Rouge.

Despite looking like someone who just stepped out of the 19th century, the Rogue, also known as Savannah, is far more powerful than she first appears. On top of this, she actually changes her outfits to fit with the trends of the centuries and places she patrols. However, Savannah usually prefers this official default outfit for its overall elegance and vintage charm.

Besides looking good, some of her power is in her arsenal as well. She has a hat pin on her head that makes for a good up-close stab attack, and she conceals two extra weapons in the form of twin-revolvers and a sword-spear hybrid disguised as an umbrella.

She and Lucky are currently on assignments all over the world alongside Number 097: Sinatra. The three act now more like secret agents, taking inspiration from the Bond films to become the perfect spies on those who would vow to destroy the recently revived Shepherd Clan.