"Ken would you elaborate on your theory? What's a Faceless God? And what's his lair?"
"How should I put this...."
Faced down with multiple questions, demand an answer by his Terrarium comrades to explain the unexplainable. Though they knew or at least have awareness of Fallen's Abominations, but it's something greater than that, something, Ken struggled to explain, he himself barely knows the complex web of mutant's creed and religion that existed for thousands of years, even millennia. Lair surrounded by warm luminous black biomass, rose from the surface like a large banyan tree with countless tendrils hover over.
"You know the Ruinous Abomination of the Fallen? And the Reredos?"
"Yeah. We know that part. Ruinous Abomination of the Fallen, Reredos are the same thing. short term used by the people and military of the Human that means "monster" and "alien." Often used by the Brittonia to signify mutated beings who aren't regular Mutants, though they share some similarities, but a horrific deconstruction of their genetic materials, creating hostile non-mutant forces."
"Well. Captain Hiden is half right... Most common example of Reredos: Vector, Veryan, Colossal, Behemoth, Scissor Heads etc. Though there are countless other intelligent unknown species, most of them hostile, that Mankind has encounter till this day. There is a cancer eating at the Imperium. With each decade it advances deeper, leaving drained, dead nations in its wake. This horror, this abomination, has thought and purpose which functions on an unimaginable, global scale and all we can do is try to stop the swarms of bio-engineered monsters it unleashes upon us by instinct. All manually worshipped 'The Black Faceless God' otherwise known as Zhikanis in those Lairs, but if it is aware of us at all it must know us only as Prey if we went down there."
"What all those creatures do exactly in the lair anyway? For decades even more."
In curiosity Masamune inquired Ken, while the rest, have their heads messed up. Ken gave a straight explanation.
"I don't know. Eating, breeding, waiting maybe? Worship the Faceless God"
"How... Exactly? They are... Unlike Fallenborns, they are non-intelligent beings, non-sapient?"
"How much did ya know First-class Knight Lord Masamune?"
While Ken opened his eyes, sharp sky-blue stared Masamune,
"There is an invisible value placed on the existence of non-human characters in fiction, compared with the value of the life of a human. Killing/destroying one may or may not be the same thing as killing a human. Because of the fear and confusion, they worshipped Faceless Black God or Zhikanis. Protect their species from outsider, like us."
"How? The first time we hear about this Faceless God."
"You have no notion about what Zhikanis's powers. The God of all Reredos creatures who isn't an intelligent sentient being, like the regular mutants. An Arch-enemy whatever deity Mutants worship in RMS. They are crazy cultists, mutant fundamentalists, monarchical fanatic who believe their beliefs are right, and anyone who does not believe as they do is stupid, crazy, evil or all three. Royalists of the RMS are right, you are wrong, and being right is the only thing that matters. Get what I mean?"
"Yeah."
"However, the Black Faceless God much horrified by comparison."
"How so?"
"Because it has a physical form. This guy I interrogate a year back, even as a regular Mutant who glimpsed at the Red Faceless God, worshipped by all monsters even they're mindless, animalistic, this God control all the monsters with his intelligence, series by series thousands and thousands elaborate lairs, underground strongholds or undiscovered ruins, are made by his honour; a pure version hellhole where the Faceless Black God dominated them. According to his description--"
Through Suit's system: Ken read out the witness's testimony from Brittonian criminal database's archive.
"A tall, lean man of dead black colouration but without the slightest sign of negroid features: wholly devoid of either hair or beard, and wearing as his only garment a shapeless robe of some heavy black fabric. Sticks right into fleshly red chair at top, who resembles an ancient Egyptian pharaoh. Seemingly gathering legions of followers for the end of the world, through his demonstrations of strange and seemingly magical or uncanny instruments. A "Demonic Egyptian Pharaoh" watching over his "children" with his terrifying gaze like endless void of emptiness. His feet were indistinguishable because of the table and bench, but he must have been shod, since there was a clicking whenever he changed position. The man did not speak, and bore no trace of expression on his small, regular features. He merely pointed to a book of prodigious size which lay open on the table.... While the monsters driven by their basic instincts. Black God however, is active and frequently walks the Earth in the guise of a human being, usually a tall, slim, joyous man or woman. He has "a thousand" other forms and manifestations, most reputed to be quite horrific and sanity-blasting. Uses human languages and can easily pass for a human being if he chooses to do so. Finally, most of them are all-powerful yet evidently without clear purpose or agenda, yet Black Faceless God seems to be deliberately deceptive and manipulative, and even uses propaganda to achieve his goals, control his minion like pawns. In this regard, he is probably the most human-like among the mutated creatures. Some say Faceless Black God related to the Mutant God; their "messenger, heart and soul", "the immemorial figure of the deputy or messenger of hidden and terrible powers."
"Scoff. Quite the terrifying story. Fits perfectly in our world."
"You don't seem to understand captain. The dude was paranoid, terrified for had only a glimpse of Black God. Kept saying, babbling to me, warning me-- "Don't fail to see "Black Faceless God" if he comes to Providence. He is horrible — horrible beyond anything you can imagine — but wonderful. He haunts one for hours afterward. I am still shuddering at what he showed. I had never heard the name BLACK GOD before, but seemed to understand the allusion. Zhikanis said to be is a powerful "wizard" magic caster, was a kind of itinerant showman, magician or lecturer who held forth in public halls and aroused widespread fear and discussion with his exhibitions. These exhibitions consisted of two parts – first, a horrible – possibly prophetic – cinema reel; and later some extraordinary experiments with scientific and electrical apparatus. I seemed to recall his figure was already in Providence.... I seemed to remember that persons had whispered to me in awe of his horrors, and warned me not to go near him.... As I left the dungeon of torment, I saw throngs of men plodding through the night, all whispering affrightedly and bound in one direction. I fell in with them, afraid yet eager to see and hear the great, the obscure, the unutterable beast of terror." All of those under the service suffered damnation. These tortured creatures are numb to all joy and experience, bound solely to the will of their masters, and requiring constant direction to fulfil their purpose conjuncted by the Faceless God. Nevertheless, he or it has many, more names - The Warping Chaos. The God of a Thousand Heads, The Black Pharaoh, The Black Fallen, The Woman, The Master of Misery. The Dark One, The Dweller of Darkness, The Faceless God, The Incomprehensible Horror, The Haunter of the Dark, Face Eater, Planet Eater, Father of All Terrapinos, The Howler in the Dark, The God of the Bloody Reign, Etc. Etc. The list goes endless."
"Alright. We are going in. Steinbach open the hatch!"
"Eh?"
"Ah but... c...captain!?"
A strong objection, argument aroused from Hiden's squad.
"Do it! Whether or not Chinese Confederate knows, plan the whole thing it. Our mission is to clear this region from Mutant's military and any Reredos, clear?"
"What if we encounter the Faceless God? Or any of his creatures?"
Kurt inquired, as he the only Knight who concerned about Ken's findings.
"Scoff. Like you believe any of his nonsense. He's just as
Steinbach taunted him as well as Ken.
"Ya won't smiling right now if you interviewed or even saw the guy's picture like I did,"
With extreme contempt, Ken retorted Steinbach's taunt. The ungrateful and spiteful Knight he just saved.
"True. Was a little sceptical but never a fucking brainless and ungracious."