Overview[]
Talu 'Arumachtee is an elite loyal to the covenant. He appears in the 4th (future) RPG, and is killed early on.
Backstory[]
When Talu was very young, he became the subject of an experiment involving the incorporation of a strange forerunner artifact into his brain. When the engineers were finished properly connecting the neurons to the machine, it released a large shockwave of some kind, detached from his brain, fell to the floor, and permanently ceased to function. Afterward, Talu was imbued with the ability to move objects from a distance at will. This telekinetic power stems from the nanomachines in his nervous system. He can manipulate objects up to and including the weight of an M12 LRV warthog. This, however, is his maximum weight allowance and can only "shove" objects this heavy rather than lifting them like other lighter objects like weapons or people.
After his powers were discovered, the high council separated him from his parents, to be christened the "Saint of The Wind". In this manner St. 'Arumachtee became one of the holiest members of the covenant that was not a member of the high council. His ship, the ["Apotheosis"], was created especially for him, that it might aid in his protection.
Talu's powers come with a severe hindrance, however. Talu cannot use energy shields like other elites can. Energy shields play havoc with his powers (and cause him severe headaches), and so he cannot wear any, which makes him more vulnerable.
4th RPG[]
In the fourth (future) RPG, Talu's crew investigates the newly-discovered derelict that is the Persistent Vindicator. As they explore the ship, it becomes apparent that the flood have infested the ship - and may still be on board. As they enter the bridge, they find it empty, and after the Apotheosis shoots down one of the ship's phantoms that was trying to board it, Talu and his squad know they must turn back and flee.
They destroy the control room so that the ship cannot fire on the Apotheosis, and then escape through the hangar bay, which is now full of flood. Utimately, they escape and the Apotheosis opens fire on the Vindicator, which destroys it.
Back on the ship, the captain receives a distress signal from Isaled. The flood have invaded the planet, and need immediate assistance. The Apotheosis slipspace jumps to Isaled's defense along with hundreds of other ships locked in combat with the flood. During the battle, Tatterdemalion boards the Apotheosis with several of his flood minions and attempts to take the ship until he is confronted by Talu. Talu uses his powers to take his largest weapon, leaving Tatterdemalion only with his sword and dual pistols. At that moment, the ["Avatar of The Beast"] arrives on board the Apotheosis as well, causing the captain to engage the self-destruct sequence and everyone to flee the ship.
After fighting their way through many flood, Talu and a handful of others escape with a phantom, but are closely followed by Tatterdemalion. The phantom attempts to lose him in the debris field of the battle, but Tatterdemalion's Seraph fighter is faster and more maneuverable, so it catches up with them quickly. Then the phantom's pilot spots a radiation spike - one of the ships in the debris field has a reactor core that is about to go critical. The phantom leads the Seraph out of the debris field, and safely out of the blast radius. Unfortunately, Tatterdemalion scores several hits on the phantom, which cripples it. The ship is on the verge of destruction when a lone frigate barrels into the debris field and rescues the phantom, while chasing off the Seraph fighter.
The frigate re-joins the rest of the covenant fleet, and prepares to escape via slipspace. Tatterdemalion, unwilling to give up his quarry so easily, charges the entire fleet towards the covenant forces. The frigate jumps, but is soon followed by the Gutrend and several other flood-controlled ships. The slipspace jump is to a random vector, devoid of any planets or the like, and the ship soon jumps back into Isaled's system, but this time near its sun.
Just as the frigate is about to be engaged by the flood battle group, another group of ships sent by the original captain of the Apotheosis jump in between them and distract the flood ships. Another group including the Gutrend comes up behind the frigate, having travelled around the other side of the sun. The frigate jumps to slipspace again, but this time directly underneath the Gutrend. The frigate docks with the Gutrend, and the entire ship's crew boards the infested destroyer. After a seemingly hopeless but largely successful fight to get to the bridge, the Gutrend jumps to slipspace, and Talu's plans of disabling the ship and letting it fall into the sun are shattered. So instead, the group travels to the chamber where the slipspace generator is kept. Travelling through the maintenance tunnels, Talu enters the chamber, and is about to destroy it, when a single flood infection form attaches to his neck. At that point, the forerunner technology in his body activates a failsafe that is set to destroy the host if flood DNA is ever detected in his body. Therefore, Talu is obliterated with a large explosion, which in turn destroys the slipspace drive which causes a larger explosion. Afterward, most of the Gutrend is destroyed, and although the destroyer had emerged from slipspace seconds before the destruction of the drive and Tatterdemalion had escaped, the Gutrend was broken beyond any repair.
Meanwhile, Enba 'Nugolee, Zeta 'Arcadee, Dyca 'Docoree, and a yet unnamed Linghae escaped on board the frigate and slipspace jumped on a random vector. They later arrive in Theron II.
Trivia[]
- Talu is mentioned at one point on the Classic RPG by his brother, Erosh 'Arumachtee, while talking to Kona 'Valkadon.
- Kona 'Valkadon was originally supposed to be a telekinetic elite like Talu, but this idea was not approved by the moderators, and so the idea had to be tweaked and adjusted so that Talu's powers were no longer innate but instead were provided him by a forerunner artifact.