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Description
From the Desk of Frank Womack

Kaiju File # 019

Dainue

First Seen: Kyoto, Japan
Last Seen: Mt. Fuji Peak, Honshu, Japan

Primary Range: Honshu, Japan

Dietary Preference: Electrical Energy, Gath Tech

Description: Bearing an appearance straight out of old folktales, the colossal mammalian creature Dainue is an intimidating presence known for a manic glare and a penchant for extreme territorial behavior. As morphology goes, it is not the most abstract concept to convey, it greatly resembles a mixture of simian and feline traits, with a dash of reptilian thrown into the fringes and extremities. The head is near to hairless, pinkish red in hue and tapering down almost in a manner akin to horses, with a maw full of sharp, curved teeth and a pair of outward jutting tusks on the upper jaw. It's ears extend outward in jagged, asymmetrical points, several meters in length, and its large eyes show a manic intelligence. Covering most of the body is a thick coating of orange fur with black strikes much resembling the tiger, with large, powerful arms ending in hominid, clawed digits and catlike, clawed feet holding its mammoth bulk upright. Its back is laced with irregular, jagged spines, each often pulsing with electrical energy, but this all ends at the abdomen, where the body takes on a hard green, keratin texture and extends down to a wicked, grasping limb of a tail. This mythic resemblance to the Nue of Japanese legend is thought by many, myself included, to not be a coincidence, for along with the appearance, it has the reckless, bloodthirsty personality to match it. Truly few kaiju can claim to be as hungry for combat as this great ape, and few have the skill to match its raw ferocity and command of the storms, which even exceeds the like of Giganuuk and Stormback, who can merely summon them. All in all, this is one beast that keeps its domain exactly the way it likes it, and the years Central Japan has had to endure in perpetual storms and darkness will be one we the human race will remember forever. We all saw what happened the last time we decided to discount our myths.

Defense Protocols: There is little modern ordinance can really do to Dainue, its ability to manipulate electrons make it especially difficult to target and even harder to damage. Larger ordinance such as Rigel can be effective but only in significantly advantageous circumstances. About your only hope is that a larger kaiju will appear and make it go away. Which, as hard as it is to say, rarely happens. A few are bigger than he, yes, but even fewer are and can hold their own against him.

Noteworthy Abilities:

-Electro-Manipulation: Taken a step beyond several familiar skillsets we've seen in other kaiju, Dainue can not only call the stormclouds, he can also direct the lightning itself. In more natural environments this can cause widespread ecological damage as well as intensive self-buffs to it's own offensive potential. In modern cities, however, this makes it nearly impossible to do combat with, as he can use buildings as conduits and summon lightning down on foes at a level of intensity most kaiju cannot gain much energy from. This usually leaves all areas in his vicinity indefinitely without electrical power, all of it going instead to itself for the sake of whatever sick whim it has next. Most shockingly, it can use this to fly great distances inside of a dark thundercloud. The less you think about it the better you'll feel.

AUTHOR'S NOTES: So, let's talk for a moment about our Precursor friends, shall we? I'm sure many of you are curious, assuming you don't already know a fair bit yourselves, about these mysterious puppet masters I've mentioned on a few different occasions. Most people know that they constructed Rigel , the war machine that kills its pilots, and the lesser known but more fearsome reliquary guardian Unuk . What we do know is that their presence was global, and dated back all the way, as far as we can tell, to the Jurassic Period of the Mesozoic Era, the better part of 200 million years ago. Their stark white, seamless architecture, well hidden and buried by the slow movement of the earth around them, is made of molecular composites likely once meant for interstellar traversal, and thus could withstand the ravages of time and space far beyond anything around it. And their command of the forces of nature and physics was nothing short of godlike even by the scientific standards we know today. But for all we know, there are a few things we don't. We have no idea what they were, how they survived so long, and especially where they are now. Their ruins, code-named after global mythical underworlds, dot the globe, with more being discovered every decade. And each comes with a series of immense puzzles we simply lack the perception to put together. Often we stumble into a higher function of such a place by accident, such as finding Rigel deep in Site Naraka in Bhutan, or we spend decades deciphering them in attempt to only learn the baby steps, such as the tireless, heinous works of Doctor Okiura around the globe. We still have a lot to figure out, but apparently some of this ancient knowledge is not unknowable to man, but instead forgotten by all but a select few. And that brings me back to the central topic at hand.

Apparently, ancient mankind found one such site right smack in the middle of modern Kyoto a long, long time ago. The city was originally built around it, despite claims to the contrary. One of those 'history for only a privileged few' things, I guess. We now call it Site Ame, but boy howdy let me tell you it's a weird one even by their standards. It held many weapons and devices that seemed built for subjugation and pacification, most of which were destroyed in the battle. Apparently it was genetically locked to all but members of an ancient, forgotten bloodline, and someone (I'm not saying it was Okiura, buuuuuuut...) made great pains to discover exactly where that bloodline could be found. And find it they did. I mentioned in Gumoto's entry text that there was a violent coup of the Japanese Parliament during her battle with Kabu Khan, with a young woman wearing Precursor garb and wielding weapons designed by their hands killing those who resisted and... somehow controlling the others through brain wave manipulation. Her name was Kirie... Kirie Okiura. I don't know enough of her story myself and the UNDER team that did battle with her (with aid from the Order of Saint George, amazingly enough) wouldn't share any details. If there was relation I know not, he might very well have manipulated her into the act, but she believed herself the rightful ruler of mankind as a whole, and seemed poised to use Site Ame and it's wonders to impose her dominion. And she might have succeeded, which admittedly might have made the ensuing destruction of the Syyd go more smoothly. But there were... unforeseen complications. Her strategy was to power up the dormant machines in Site Ame through use of the SOL, killing the pair of problematic kaiju in the process and making as grandiose a statement as humanly possible.

But once again, the internal functions of the facility held an unknown secret. As the colossal pillar of light faded out, leaving a smoldering crater in the middle of the city, Gumoto emerged, barely able to stand. Kabu Khan was nowhere to be seen. Many wondered if the creature was indeed vanquished. But something else was standing in the smoke. Something Site Ame was built to keep locked away. Lightning flashed as thick clouds began to move in over the cityscape, creating billowing clouds of steam from the impace crater, but in between these gouts of darkness, a large, bipedal form could be seen. It's body crackled and sizzled with electricity, and it's eyes flashed and glowed with a manic glee. The great destroyer Dainue had been released from genetic captivity, and given a supercharge of energy to kickstart its regeneration into overdrive. I have no idea why the Precursors were keeping genetic material for something like this down there, but I'm inclined to believe one of two things. One, it was intended to be a weapon of mass destruction, unwilling to discriminate, or it was sealed away to keep it from ever harming another living soul. Either way, the box was now open. With a single, deafening shriek, every light went out in a five square mile radius, and in a flash of lightning, Gumoto was accosted by a much larger foe. The great orange simian creature, only known through a scarce amount of footage and eyewitness accounts, fought with a savagery few kaiju could match, using both its brawn and brains to pick apart the great spider one leg at a time, often waiting for the limb to regrow before pulling it out again. It was too robust to be overpowered and too clever to be restrained, and with every roar the great beast seemed to level another entire block of the city. It even claimed Kirie's life, and from what we know she seemed just as confused as we all were at it's emergence. This monster was at a level comparable to the greatest of them, from the slumbering bear in North America to the great destroyer in the world's oceans, and if we had any hope of stopping it before it's rampage continued, it would take everything we could throw at it. Rigel was immediately prepped and deployed, but many feared it would not be enough.

Fortunately, we never got that far. We didn't need to. As the great spider fell, seemingly at death's door, a pair of gilded, clawed arms emerged from underground, grasping and outmuscling the ape to submission. A towering, golden, familiar sight emerged from the dust. Kabu Khan's far more desirable form had returned, perhaps due to the blast from the SOL giving it a much needed boost of energy, and it towered over the smaller aggressor. The battle that followed was a slugfest for the ages, with both combatants bruising and battering and buffeting the other with the strength of thunderclaps. The great ape, now dubbed Dainue (Great Nue, after the mythical beast it bears great resemblance to and likely inspired) took to the skies through bolts of lightning, and lapped around the great beetle warrior with impressive speed. Fortunately, Rigel arrived swiftly and helped even out the odds. Kabu Khan could not match it in the air, and could do little besides swipe at it ineffectually, so the mech's greater mobility was immediately useful. But the real turn of the battle came with Rigel stumbled into the Site Ame remains, and began to glow. Suddenly, the great machine's form began to shift, gaining greater bulk on its back and one arm, and as the light faded, it had two new weapons attached, both now considered iconic parts of its ensemble. One was the Bridge of Heaven, a ring of metallic plates resemblng wings that floated around its back and served as multi purpose weapons and mobility aids, and the other, the Shishio, a blade-like weapon that could function up close and at range. Using these, it did something none who witnessed it have ever forgotten. The wing plates gathered around the giant beetle and lifted it into the air, dropping it right on top of the thunder ape from immense height. On the way down, Dainue was pierced by several arrows, and by the time it landed, it was unconscious. Unfortunately, Rigel couldn't finish the job on any of the three fallen kaiju here, it's energy reserves were spent and it's pilot perished. Nothing else within range could make the killing blow, which prompted many conversations.

Eventually Gumoto and Kabu Khan awoke with the morning, regarding each other for a moment before going their separate ways. Gumoto went west, eventually settling into Qinguan's territory, and Kabu Khan went south, eventually settling in New Guinea just before the Syyd incursion began. The Japanese public never forgot this beetle's two pronged appearance, and thus in a rare move it's official name was changed to what we know now. Kabu Khan. King of Beetles. Fitting, isn't it?

As for Dainue, it woke up too. Sensing no enemies, it headed east to Mount Fuji, where it now resides to this day, keeping the region of Honshu in perpetual, powerless darkness under its erratic storms. The SOL can't target it and Rigel can't beat it alone. No conventional weapons work. So for now, it's allowed it's domain, but make no mistake. That won't last.

---------------------------------

Alright, I'm almost back at a set schedule now! So, it may come as a shock to you, but the Nue of Japanese lore is one of my favorite monster designs of all time. It has that perfect blend of danger, larger than life personality and thought provoking consequences going for it.

So I knew I had to make one of my own someday, and about a year ago the first sketches of this big guy were born. It really hasn't changed much from it's earlier looks. But either way, glad to finally have this plot line done. Now there's nothing standing in my way. That's right kiddos, Part 1 of the Fathom Files is nearing an end. There's nothing standing in the way of me and... the Syyd! Hope you all enjoy what's coming! And enjoy what I've got now, obviously! Later!

(Also before I get Well-Actually'd, Japan's central government moved to Kyoto in this setting after the UNOS rogue AI incident. It was more a symbolic, returning to cultural roots gesture than anything to boost national morale after several world leaders, their own included, were assassinated by drones and electronics. The writer of this in setting regards this as common knowledge, because in their world it is.)

Description
From the Desk of Frank Womack

Kaiju File # 019

Dainue

First Seen: Kyoto, Japan
Last Seen: Mt. Fuji Peak, Honshu, Japan

Primary Range: Honshu, Japan

Dietary Preference: Electrical Energy, Gath Tech

Description: Bearing an appearance straight out of old folktales, the colossal mammalian creature Dainue is an intimidating presence known for a manic glare and a penchant for extreme territorial behavior. As morphology goes, it is not the most abstract concept to convey, it greatly resembles a mixture of simian and feline traits, with a dash of reptilian thrown into the fringes and extremities. The head is near to hairless, pinkish red in hue and tapering down almost in a manner akin to horses, with a maw full of sharp, curved teeth and a pair of outward jutting tusks on the upper jaw. It's ears extend outward in jagged, asymmetrical points, several meters in length, and its large eyes show a manic intelligence. Covering most of the body is a thick coating of orange fur with black strikes much resembling the tiger, with large, powerful arms ending in hominid, clawed digits and catlike, clawed feet holding its mammoth bulk upright. Its back is laced with irregular, jagged spines, each often pulsing with electrical energy, but this all ends at the abdomen, where the body takes on a hard green, keratin texture and extends down to a wicked, grasping limb of a tail. This mythic resemblance to the Nue of Japanese legend is thought by many, myself included, to not be a coincidence, for along with the appearance, it has the reckless, bloodthirsty personality to match it. Truly few kaiju can claim to be as hungry for combat as this great ape, and few have the skill to match its raw ferocity and command of the storms, which even exceeds the like of Giganuuk and Stormback, who can merely summon them. All in all, this is one beast that keeps its domain exactly the way it likes it, and the years Central Japan has had to endure in perpetual storms and darkness will be one we the human race will remember forever. We all saw what happened the last time we decided to discount our myths.

Defense Protocols: There is little modern ordinance can really do to Dainue, its ability to manipulate electrons make it especially difficult to target and even harder to damage. Larger ordinance such as Rigel can be effective but only in significantly advantageous circumstances. About your only hope is that a larger kaiju will appear and make it go away. Which, as hard as it is to say, rarely happens. A few are bigger than he, yes, but even fewer are and can hold their own against him.

Noteworthy Abilities:

-Electro-Manipulation: Taken a step beyond several familiar skillsets we've seen in other kaiju, Dainue can not only call the stormclouds, he can also direct the lightning itself. In more natural environments this can cause widespread ecological damage as well as intensive self-buffs to it's own offensive potential. In modern cities, however, this makes it nearly impossible to do combat with, as he can use buildings as conduits and summon lightning down on foes at a level of intensity most kaiju cannot gain much energy from. This usually leaves all areas in his vicinity indefinitely without electrical power, all of it going instead to itself for the sake of whatever sick whim it has next. Most shockingly, it can use this to fly great distances inside of a dark thundercloud. The less you think about it the better you'll feel.

AUTHOR'S NOTES: So, let's talk for a moment about our Precursor friends, shall we? I'm sure many of you are curious, assuming you don't already know a fair bit yourselves, about these mysterious puppet masters I've mentioned on a few different occasions. Most people know that they constructed Rigel , the war machine that kills its pilots, and the lesser known but more fearsome reliquary guardian Unuk . What we do know is that their presence was global, and dated back all the way, as far as we can tell, to the Jurassic Period of the Mesozoic Era, the better part of 200 million years ago. Their stark white, seamless architecture, well hidden and buried by the slow movement of the earth around them, is made of molecular composites likely once meant for interstellar traversal, and thus could withstand the ravages of time and space far beyond anything around it. And their command of the forces of nature and physics was nothing short of godlike even by the scientific standards we know today. But for all we know, there are a few things we don't. We have no idea what they were, how they survived so long, and especially where they are now. Their ruins, code-named after global mythical underworlds, dot the globe, with more being discovered every decade. And each comes with a series of immense puzzles we simply lack the perception to put together. Often we stumble into a higher function of such a place by accident, such as finding Rigel deep in Site Naraka in Bhutan, or we spend decades deciphering them in attempt to only learn the baby steps, such as the tireless, heinous works of Doctor Okiura around the globe. We still have a lot to figure out, but apparently some of this ancient knowledge is not unknowable to man, but instead forgotten by all but a select few. And that brings me back to the central topic at hand.

Apparently, ancient mankind found one such site right smack in the middle of modern Kyoto a long, long time ago. The city was originally built around it, despite claims to the contrary. One of those 'history for only a privileged few' things, I guess. We now call it Site Ame, but boy howdy let me tell you it's a weird one even by their standards. It held many weapons and devices that seemed built for subjugation and pacification, most of which were destroyed in the battle. Apparently it was genetically locked to all but members of an ancient, forgotten bloodline, and someone (I'm not saying it was Okiura, buuuuuuut...) made great pains to discover exactly where that bloodline could be found. And find it they did. I mentioned in Gumoto's entry text that there was a violent coup of the Japanese Parliament during her battle with Kabu Khan, with a young woman wearing Precursor garb and wielding weapons designed by their hands killing those who resisted and... somehow controlling the others through brain wave manipulation. Her name was Kirie... Kirie Okiura. I don't know enough of her story myself and the UNDER team that did battle with her (with aid from the Order of Saint George, amazingly enough) wouldn't share any details. If there was relation I know not, he might very well have manipulated her into the act, but she believed herself the rightful ruler of mankind as a whole, and seemed poised to use Site Ame and it's wonders to impose her dominion. And she might have succeeded, which admittedly might have made the ensuing destruction of the Syyd go more smoothly. But there were... unforeseen complications. Her strategy was to power up the dormant machines in Site Ame through use of the SOL, killing the pair of problematic kaiju in the process and making as grandiose a statement as humanly possible.

But once again, the internal functions of the facility held an unknown secret. As the colossal pillar of light faded out, leaving a smoldering crater in the middle of the city, Gumoto emerged, barely able to stand. Kabu Khan was nowhere to be seen. Many wondered if the creature was indeed vanquished. But something else was standing in the smoke. Something Site Ame was built to keep locked away. Lightning flashed as thick clouds began to move in over the cityscape, creating billowing clouds of steam from the impace crater, but in between these gouts of darkness, a large, bipedal form could be seen. It's body crackled and sizzled with electricity, and it's eyes flashed and glowed with a manic glee. The great destroyer Dainue had been released from genetic captivity, and given a supercharge of energy to kickstart its regeneration into overdrive. I have no idea why the Precursors were keeping genetic material for something like this down there, but I'm inclined to believe one of two things. One, it was intended to be a weapon of mass destruction, unwilling to discriminate, or it was sealed away to keep it from ever harming another living soul. Either way, the box was now open. With a single, deafening shriek, every light went out in a five square mile radius, and in a flash of lightning, Gumoto was accosted by a much larger foe. The great orange simian creature, only known through a scarce amount of footage and eyewitness accounts, fought with a savagery few kaiju could match, using both its brawn and brains to pick apart the great spider one leg at a time, often waiting for the limb to regrow before pulling it out again. It was too robust to be overpowered and too clever to be restrained, and with every roar the great beast seemed to level another entire block of the city. It even claimed Kirie's life, and from what we know she seemed just as confused as we all were at it's emergence. This monster was at a level comparable to the greatest of them, from the slumbering bear in North America to the great destroyer in the world's oceans, and if we had any hope of stopping it before it's rampage continued, it would take everything we could throw at it. Rigel was immediately prepped and deployed, but many feared it would not be enough.

Fortunately, we never got that far. We didn't need to. As the great spider fell, seemingly at death's door, a pair of gilded, clawed arms emerged from underground, grasping and outmuscling the ape to submission. A towering, golden, familiar sight emerged from the dust. Kabu Khan's far more desirable form had returned, perhaps due to the blast from the SOL giving it a much needed boost of energy, and it towered over the smaller aggressor. The battle that followed was a slugfest for the ages, with both combatants bruising and battering and buffeting the other with the strength of thunderclaps. The great ape, now dubbed Dainue (Great Nue, after the mythical beast it bears great resemblance to and likely inspired) took to the skies through bolts of lightning, and lapped around the great beetle warrior with impressive speed. Fortunately, Rigel arrived swiftly and helped even out the odds. Kabu Khan could not match it in the air, and could do little besides swipe at it ineffectually, so the mech's greater mobility was immediately useful. But the real turn of the battle came with Rigel stumbled into the Site Ame remains, and began to glow. Suddenly, the great machine's form began to shift, gaining greater bulk on its back and one arm, and as the light faded, it had two new weapons attached, both now considered iconic parts of its ensemble. One was the Bridge of Heaven, a ring of metallic plates resemblng wings that floated around its back and served as multi purpose weapons and mobility aids, and the other, the Shishio, a blade-like weapon that could function up close and at range. Using these, it did something none who witnessed it have ever forgotten. The wing plates gathered around the giant beetle and lifted it into the air, dropping it right on top of the thunder ape from immense height. On the way down, Dainue was pierced by several arrows, and by the time it landed, it was unconscious. Unfortunately, Rigel couldn't finish the job on any of the three fallen kaiju here, it's energy reserves were spent and it's pilot perished. Nothing else within range could make the killing blow, which prompted many conversations.

Eventually Gumoto and Kabu Khan awoke with the morning, regarding each other for a moment before going their separate ways. Gumoto went west, eventually settling into Qinguan's territory, and Kabu Khan went south, eventually settling in New Guinea just before the Syyd incursion began. The Japanese public never forgot this beetle's two pronged appearance, and thus in a rare move it's official name was changed to what we know now. Kabu Khan. King of Beetles. Fitting, isn't it?

As for Dainue, it woke up too. Sensing no enemies, it headed east to Mount Fuji, where it now resides to this day, keeping the region of Honshu in perpetual, powerless darkness under its erratic storms. The SOL can't target it and Rigel can't beat it alone. No conventional weapons work. So for now, it's allowed it's domain, but make no mistake. That won't last.

---------------------------------

Alright, I'm almost back at a set schedule now! So, it may come as a shock to you, but the Nue of Japanese lore is one of my favorite monster designs of all time. It has that perfect blend of danger, larger than life personality and thought provoking consequences going for it.

So I knew I had to make one of my own someday, and about a year ago the first sketches of this big guy were born. It really hasn't changed much from it's earlier looks. But either way, glad to finally have this plot line done. Now there's nothing standing in my way. That's right kiddos, Part 1 of the Fathom Files is nearing an end. There's nothing standing in the way of me and... the Syyd! Hope you all enjoy what's coming! And enjoy what I've got now, obviously! Later!

(Also before I get Well-Actually'd, Japan's central government moved to Kyoto in this setting after the UNOS rogue AI incident. It was more a symbolic, returning to cultural roots gesture than anything to boost national morale after several world leaders, their own included, were assassinated by drones and electronics. The writer of this in setting regards this as common knowledge, because in their world it is.)