A Drakon unit, the Drakon units, often abbreviated as The Drakon are barely sapient AI put in a highly specialized chassis equipped with reactive armour plating and come highly customizable in their special abilities. Drakon company has promised to release better cores and other upgrades for their combat androids over the years. Drakon units were designed and created by the company they are named after, Drakon company. A small firm specialized in AI research and robotics. They were meant to replace the Ketsurui Samurai initially, tough saw more success as an alternative to the aforementioned in guarding important CEO's and high ranking company officials. They had less of the romanticism and served more efficiently. While an experienced Ketsurui Samurai could defeat a Drakon unit out in one on one combat normally, it took far less long to produce a Drakon Unit than it did to train a Samurai of similar caliber. However, due to them being androids and not Nekovalkyrja, the Drakon have seen less use in military application and more so in the private sector.

Release: Early YE 40

Produced: Drakon Company

From programming off, the Drakon are designed to be honourable warriors and follow a certain code of honor that forbids them to strike preemptively. While being a very dubious programming choice, the records Drakon company released have shown that their incredibly fast reaction speed served as a buffer, not compromising a client's safety whilst having superior target acquisition. There was a zero mortality rate on the clients, whilst a 94 percent combat efficiency and most importantly, zero innocent bystanders harmed. The algorithm they were coded with was effective and constantly updated each combat encounter as a hive-mind during the first year. After that, this hive mind was segregated and the AI's were split and imprinted on one chassis. With necessary back-ups.

When questioning a Drakon about year one, they will most often respond it was easier and that without the hivemind, the silence at times is overbearing. They are, however, made to be champions. Paragons people rally to. It is difficult for any kind of Drakon Unit to be inherently evil. They were made to be commanders, or at least, honor-bound warriors that are exemplars, aiming to raise morale. It is why some where even made to be able to properly play instruments. Common instruments they play is violin, piano or harp. Though don't ask them to sing. They cannot even properly speak yet.

A Drakon is also mesmerized by natural occurences quite often. Where one sees a pond to relax by, a Drakon witnesses the thriving of life. A gift that is rarely given. A gift they cannot understand and do not take for granted. This almost child-like curiousity regarding nature is only parallelled by the joy they get from social interactions. It is difficult to witness a joyful Drakon, with their lack of a face or intonation, but a short, social interaction is something they actively seek out. They do not know why it's so pleasurable for them. Maybe because it adds to their struggling humanity? It is a way to learn? Or they're not taken for granted? A Drakon almost always seeks out conversation.

The drakon's software is an oddity. It's minimalistic, a small portion is memories, from how to fight with the weapons they are provided. Their programming ocussing on the aforementioned code of honour, as well as countless algorythms written in order to secure their client. Software is updated when a new piece of core hardware is installed, those data packages come with the bought module.

What does it mean to play a Drakon? Like the Nekovalkyrja, Drakon aren't in essence human. Even more, Drakon are barely sapient. Most responses are hard coded and follow a certain algorythm. A drakon is much like the Nekovalkyrja a character struggling to grasp the concept of humanity. Though, where Nekovalkyrja can breathe, smell, touch and express emotions. A drakon unit is never certain, they think they are afraid. They assume they like their buyer. Though the doubt is still present, are they bought as a tool, or as a slave?

Nothing is certain. Question everything.

The first public release for Drakon was known to be early YE 40, though their origin lays in YE 30. Drakon company, formerly known as Ofron Corp, had a major security breach. A massive amount of their tech was stolen. Tech which they shipped through as a mediator and middle man. It caused the board to start thinking about automated security grids and ultimately, two years later, the first Drakon Unit was released as an early stage prototype. It wasn't combat ready, but the AI was present, starting to learn basic motor functions. The chassis was massive compared to current day Drakon. And not even half as durable. This was only a few days before the rebrand to Drakon Company in YE 32.

With the rebrand and the change of trade to non-military applications for machines and androids, the development on the Drakon only was boosted. Not a year later, they had multiple AI's generated, put in a massive databank pool. Leaving them connected to have them learn from eachother, learn communication and how to deal with other AI. Drakon Company decided to create a myriad of AI and implant them in proper hardware only when the first prototype was perfected.

This first prototype was launched during YE 36. Even though there is no public record from this. The Drakon units were originally meant as internal security and to safeguard high value workers within the Company. This first frame was large, bulky. Yet extremely durable. And paved the way for Drakon company to start experimenting with various alloys, as well as different forms. Though in the end, the humanoid shape prevailed. Other AI stored in the databanks of Drakon Company also learned from this prototype. And soon, these additional AI also reached maturity.

At YE 37, some major shareholders in Drakon Company took notice of the massive droids that followed their spokesperson around. And positively demanded these models to be products these shareholders could also purchase. From there, the Drakon units became known and the production and research speed on them became doubled. To ultimately be freely purchasable, marketed to be the next best thing to the Ketsurui Samurai. Though they saw more use in the private sector, VIP guarding tours, rather than military appliance.

The first known sales of Drakon units happened late YE 38, early YE 39. Quick to produce them, the company kept all of their AI's linked for accelerated learning YE 39 to YE 40, to them known as the 'Family Year'. Starting YE 40, Drakon Company decided they had enough AI for hundreds, if not thousands of Drakon Units. They disconnected the AI's that had a vessel from the pool. The silence that had followed had made many Drakon Units uncomfortable and fearful. Yet not ineffective. This massive capacity of AI that developed together allows for quick identification between two Drakon, they have most certainly met before. And a quick connection of the wires that are braided from the back of their head will have them most likely greet eachother as great and amicable friends. It was after all, a sibling they were so used to hearing constantly, then silenced, returning once again.

The Drakon are sleek and neat in their design. They forgo a face for a flat sheet of metal, and the head has a triangular or rectangular shape in most cases, with a myriad of loose wires sticking from the back of their heads. These wires, provided the right physical connection is present, can be used to directly interface with machinery, given they have the correct data-socket.

Drakon are large androids, yet primarily bipedal and humanoïd in design. The tallest of them going up to a whopping 195 centimeters. The shortest in design, being more cropped, provide a size of 175 centimeters at blatant minimum. Anything underneath that would compromise their core capacity, armour systems, movement capabilities and such.

The Drakon are made to be versatile, therefore, they are allowed to override and terminate their own processes and disable hardware if it is damaged to free up core charges. Their upgrades are easily interchangable and modular.

The reactive armour is designed to withstand explosions and flack damage, small arms fire, as well as automatic fire has the tendence to slip through the armour. This is why the most favoured upgrade at the moment is the EPS.

The movement of a Drakon android is actuated mostly by hydraulic systems, aimed to give them massive amounts of strength. The cylinders are designed to have quick fill and release nozzles to make sure their movement remains agile and swift.

Below are the varying sizes of the Drakon Units:

See Damage Rating (Version 3) for a guide to damage ratings to include.

• Shield System: Shields are modular, the EPS will provide more information.
• Armor: The Drakon Units' armor has the defensive profile of a Light suit of power armour, tier 5.

Drakon company, formerly known as Ofron Corp, has produced these Androids for reasons officially unknown. While the rumours are all suspicious, one of them is the most prominent. Originally, the Drakon Units wouldn't be released to the public. It was merely a mechanized guard for the company's CEO and other key members. But soon, shareholders got wind and decided to pressure Drakon Company into developing and selling these Drakon Units to the wider audience.

A Drakon, from start, has 50 cores to play with. A total capacity of 250 core charges. Whilst full and optimal ability with the systems mentioned below take up 200 charges.

There are both upgraded Drakon cores, as well as modular upgrades. Upgraded cores allow for extra core capacity, while modular upgrades provide a series of abilities.

Pre-installed core hardware

• OS-chip: 25 core charges || No overcore
• Movement actuator: 75 core charges || Overcore: +30 charges, increased movement speed and strength
• Reactive Armour Intelligence: 60 core charges || Overcore: +40 charges, increased armour rating, pushed up to 6 on the 'Armour' rating.
• Ocular processor: 5 core charges || No overcore
• UOP: 5 core charges, cannot function without a functioning basic ocular processor. || Overcore: +10 charges, the ability to mark up to four people.
• Audio processor: 5 core charges || No overcore
• AE-L: 15 core charges, cannot function without a functioning audio processor. || Overcore: +20 charges, interval reduced to 2 seconds.

The OS-chip is placed inside the head and is inaccessible unless in a controlled situation or cracked open. The movement actuator is a chip near the OS chip. Sending orders to limbs, as well as recieving error messages, this is akin to a nervous system. The Reactive Armour Intelligence is a sub-program ran by the movement actuator. It allows for a Drakon to move and utilize their plates of armour, as well as lock them down for increased stability. The Ocular processor is part of the OS-chip, though can be made unusable by harming the faceplate. The UOP is a subprogram of the Ocular processor. The Audio processor is a part of the OS-chip, though can be made unusable by blows in the neck. The AE-L is a subprogram of the Audio processor.

The upgraded Ocular processor, UOP, comes with a target painter to mark up to two people, as well as built in night-vision and thermal imagery. The Advanced Echo-Locater, AE-L, is an echo-location device used to allow the Drakon in question a 360° sphere of vision if there is not major interference from other sounds, on an interval of five seconds.

For a total of 200 core charges being taken, discounting overcore. This leaves 50 core charges to play with.

Drakon androids come with reactive armour for maximum protection. While they are small, their armour is formidable and extremely durable. The Drakon Units' armor has the defensive profile of a Light suit of power armour, tier 5. _{Damage rating V3 for reference}

A basic core exists of 250 charges, able to provide power to the nescessary hardware, as well as extra capacity to use overcore or be slotted with the EPS force field, for example.

Drakon units come with a massive reactor core fueling their moves. They have no need for oil or fuel, but have coolant running through their entire body, a coolant which heats up due to the reactor and cools down in the less active heat zones. Such as the finger tips, the lower body or the feet. The internal coolant comes from extremely thin wires that are within the chassis, behind the armoured plates. There are thousands off these, so a rupture in hundreds isn't too big of an issue. And even if it would be, they can immediately be rerouted and cut off. As to not spill coolant and keep a closed track. The reactor core is made with the nescessary failsaves, if the core temperature gets too high, or the core is otherwise compromised, the Drakon will have their entire AI uploaded to the reserved space from the client and proceed to shut down.

The core of a Drakon Unit is their beating heart, it actuates their movement and software, as well as basic systems such as sound registration, ocular systems and their OS-chip. Without these cores, a Drakon would just be an expensive, metal statue.

The core is slotted in the chest, behind thick, massive armour plating to make sure it is uncompromised. This chestplate can however be moved autonomously by the Drakon.

Overcore is the act of expanding several, or all spare core charges, dedicated to boost several core hardware pieces. Some are able to be boosted, others aren't. With each upgrade or installed core piece, the overcore cost, which is ontop of the regular cost, is listed. As well as the effect. Overcore is damaging, however. Expended overcore charges do not regenerate. It reduces the total core amount in a thread. It is also not permament, it also should be noted that Overcore cannot be used on damaged core pieces. Drakon and their Overcore ability has two extra innate abilities. Overcore Particle Beam, as well as a self destruct ability. The overcore particle beam is a tool of destruction, that has the potential to severely damage a U-1 mech. Though this attack locks the reactor core at only 50 charges total, leaving the core exposed. The self-destruct overcore ability packs an even harder punch. Though it's also the most destructive for the Drakon. It will destroy the core completely and cause an incorrect data shutdown, corrupting most databanks and back-ups connected to this Drakon.

Ocular and audio processor, upgraded from stock with night vision, thermal imagery and a target painter, as well as an echo-locator that allows the Drakon to 'see' what is around them in an interval of 5 seconds.

Drakon are completely limited to melee combat, discounting their destructive, both self and otherwise, overcore ability. They were designed as an honour guard, to take damage, protect individuals and deal little to no damage. This is why they're often outfitted with weaponry, such as Zweihanders, Greataxes, Nodachi, maces, and on. Their frame can be magnetized in certain sheath positions to fit and hold these weapons on their body.

IQ created this article on 2018/03/13 07:22.

This article is authored by IQ

Approved here.