Hearthstone WM-5 'Porter'
Domestic
Arcturus KS-4 'Knitter'
Spider Platform — Antipersonnel
TESSERA TN-1 'Cradle'
Containment — Autonomous Prisoner Transport
Crucible ER-5 'First Response'
Medical
Ouroboros AQ-3 'Undertow'
Aquatic Platform — Harbor Patrol/Denial
Iowan Behemoth — 'Meridian 88'
Iowan Behemoth
Ringo WP-6 'Nightwatch'
Security
Sterling-Nakamura SX-0 'Revenant'
Infiltration Platform — Identity Replication
TESSERA ES-4 'Perimeter'
Security
Arcturus MX-1 'Cerberus'
Multi-Platform — Three-Headed Sentry
Tessera TP-0 'Shepherd's Crook'
Population Control Platform — Behavioral Herding
Arcturus KS-11 'Coffin Nail'
Spider Platform — Precision Kill
Ringo SC-3 'Seneschal'
Domestic
Lazarus MX-7 'Sawbones'
Medical Platform — Involuntary Augmentation
Vantablack VD-2 'Paparazzi'
Pursuit Drone — Harassment/Documentation
Lazarus APC-2 'Locust'
Agricultural — Pest Interdiction Swarm
Crucible Industries CR-9 'Foundry'
Self-Replicating Platform — Manufacturing
TESSERA TX-12 'Chorus'
Swarm — Acoustic Weapon Platform
Arcturus PX-1 'Phantom'
Experimental — Active Camouflage Platform
Ouroboros UT-1 'Worm'
Tunnel Platform — Boring/Assault
Arcturus PG-3 'Aegis'
Security
Red Circuit RC-Pit 'Dogfighter'
Training
Arcturus UP-2 'Sandhog'
Industrial
Arcturus CK-1 'Fetch'
Canine Platform — Explosive Delivery
Lazarus MN-1 'Angler'
Capture Platform — Chemical Lure and Restraint
Arcturus GW-1 'Gargoyle'
Static Sentry — Architectural Integration
Lazarus MB-3 'Mosquito'
Micro Aerial — Pharmaceutical Injection
Dynamo Fitness DF-Coach 'Ironside'
Training
Crucible CN-1 'Cradle'
Domestic
Arcturus FF-9 'Salamander'
Medical
Arcturus EW-3 'Migraine'
Electronic Warfare — BCI Disruption Platform
Lazarus EC-4 'Companion'
Domestic
Iowan Behemoth — 'The Foundry'
Iowan Behemoth
Iowan Behemoth — 'Revenant'
Iowan Behemoth
Crucible HS-2 'Hearth'
Domestic
TESSERA TC-3 'Crucible'
Heavy Platform — Mobile Incinerator
Meridian Domestic MV-9 'Jarvis'
Domestic
Crucible SAR-6 'Saint Bernard'
Search and Rescue — Heavy Platform
Arcturus BW-1 'Widow's Walk'
Pursuit Platform — Relentless Tracking
Kang Athletics KA-500 'Sparmate'
Training
Crucible VG-7 'Bastion'
Security
Ringo RT-4 'Oxcart'
Walking Tank — Logistics and Suppression
Ringo EV-3 'Watcher'
Security
Vantablack VS-3 'Skin Job'
Infiltration Platform — Wearable Exoskeleton
Ouroboros PN-2 'Flicker'
Sabotage Platform — Infrastructure Corruption
Iowan Behemoth — 'Palisade'
Iowan Behemoth
Tessera TX-15 'Cradle Song'
Neural Warfare Platform — Memory Manipulation
TESSERA TX-0 'Mimic'
Experimental — Shape-Memory Chassis
Vantablack VO-1 'Looking Glass'
Optical Warfare Platform — Reflection Manipulation
Vantablack FH-20 'Convoy'
Autonomous Vehicle — Heavy Freight
Arcturus BH-2 'Marrow'
Resource Extraction Platform — Biological Material Harvesting
TESSERA GK-8 'Doorman'
Security
Crucible Industries CX-1 'Golem'
Heavy Platform — Construction/Demolition Combat
TESSERA Widow Mk. III
Spider Platform — Area Denial
Arcturus HD-1 'Homestead'
Domestic
Lazarus LX-5 'Siphon'
Medical Warfare Platform — Biological Data Extraction
TESSERA CR-12 'Whisper'
Communications — Tactical Relay Platform
Iowan Behemoth — 'Thunderhead'
Iowan Behemoth
Ringo RR-1 'Rattlesnake'
Serpentine — Area Denial
Lazarus BX-0 'Test Subject'
Experimental — Biomechanical Hybrid
Crucible Industries CK-3 'Junkyard'
Canine Platform — Scrap Recovery/Combat
TESSERA TX-8 'Scarecrow'
Psychological Operations — Terror Platform
Ouroboros PG-2 'Blackout'
Infrastructure Weapon — Power Grid Attack
TESSERA TK-4 'Hellhound'
Canine Platform — Incendiary
Arcturus DX-4 'Taxidermist'
Deception Platform — Corpse Manipulation
Ringo RM-4 'Thresher'
Agricultural/Combat — Autonomous Clearing Platform
TESSERA TH-2 'Warden'
Walking Tank — Urban Pacification
Iowan Behemoth — 'Cathedral'
Iowan Behemoth
Vantablack VS-1 'Cameraman'
Spider Platform — Surveillance
Kang Athletics KA-900 'Sensei'
Training
Hearthstone CK-3 'Stockpot'
Domestic
Plot 17
Agricultural (Modified)
Arcturus HX-1 'Headsman'
Execution Platform — Autonomous Lethal Enforcement
Iowan Behemoth — 'The Granary'
Iowan Behemoth
Hearthstone GN-6 'Greenthumb'
Domestic
Arcturus CK-5 'Bloodhound'
Canine Platform — Pursuit and Tracking
Lazarus NB-1 'Cradle Robber'
Medical Platform — Neonatal Extraction
Kang Athletics KA-200 'Padwork'
Training
Tessera TS-9 'Locust Cloud'
Swarm Platform — Biological Material Consumption
Arcturus KS-7 'Nursery'
Spider Platform — Swarm Carrier
Crucible RW-3 'Paver'
Industrial
Ringo RB-1 'Judas Goat'
Deception Platform — Synthetic Human Mimicry
Ringo EV-5 'Showstopper'
Entertainment — Performance Platform
Lazarus NI-1 'Earwig'
Infiltration Platform — Neural Intrusion
Ouroboros PD-1 'Leech'
Parasitic Platform — Energy Theft
Meridian Domestic PB-4 'Nana'
Domestic
Hearthstone HC-2 'Dustbin'
Domestic
Lazarus SA-6 'Steadyhand'
Medical
Arcturus UT-5 'Lamprey'
Tunnel Platform — Pursuit
Ringo AG-7 'Fieldhand'
Industrial
Plot 17
Agricultural (Modified)
TESSERA WL-6 'Stacker'
Industrial
Crucible CW-8 'Ironworker'
Industrial
Ringo PT-8 'Truckline'
Industrial
Ringo AB-3 'Barker'
Commercial — Advertising Display Drone
Arcturus MN-3 'Digger'
Industrial
Ouroboros EW-7 'Requiem'
Area Denial Platform — Acoustic Weapon
Lazarus LX-2 'Lab Rat'
Experimental — Autonomous Test Subject
Iowan Behemoth — 'Leviathan'
Iowan Behemoth
Crucible Industries CF-1 'Carapace'
Powered Exoskeleton — Industrial/Combat
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Iowan Behemoth — 'Obelisk'
Obelisk does not move. It is the only Behemoth that has never been observed in motion. It stands in the exact geographic center of Iowa — a perfect vertical spike of dark metal rising 120 meters from a base embedded deep in the bedrock. Its surface is seamless, without visible joints, hatches, or sensor arrays. It reflects no radar, absorbs most visible light, and maintains a surface temperature exactly matching the ambient air at all times, making it nearly invisible to thermal imaging. From a distance it looks like a shadow with no source.
Obelisk's classification as a Behemoth is debated. It has no legs, no locomotion, no apparent function. But it shares characteristics with other Behemoths: self-repair capability (scratches on its surface heal within hours), unknown power source, and pre-collapse origin. Most compellingly, every other Behemoth in Iowa has been observed traveling to Obelisk's location at irregular intervals. They arrive, stand near it for hours or days, and then resume their normal patterns. Palisade's road network converges on it. Leviathan's tunnels spiral around it. Cathedral's signal is strongest when facing it. Obelisk appears to be the hub of whatever the Behemoths are collectively doing.
The area within one kilometer of Obelisk is anomalous. Electronic equipment malfunctions. Compass needles point toward it instead of north. People who spend more than a few hours in its proximity report vivid dreams about machinery and geometric patterns. The ground around its base vibrates at a frequency just below human hearing, producing a persistent sense of unease. Three research expeditions have attempted to study Obelisk up close. All three abandoned their missions within 48 hours, citing equipment failure and 'psychological distress.' Their sensor data was corrupted beyond recovery.
Obelisk's classification as a Behemoth is debated. It has no legs, no locomotion, no apparent function. But it shares characteristics with other Behemoths: self-repair capability (scratches on its surface heal within hours), unknown power source, and pre-collapse origin. Most compellingly, every other Behemoth in Iowa has been observed traveling to Obelisk's location at irregular intervals. They arrive, stand near it for hours or days, and then resume their normal patterns. Palisade's road network converges on it. Leviathan's tunnels spiral around it. Cathedral's signal is strongest when facing it. Obelisk appears to be the hub of whatever the Behemoths are collectively doing.
The area within one kilometer of Obelisk is anomalous. Electronic equipment malfunctions. Compass needles point toward it instead of north. People who spend more than a few hours in its proximity report vivid dreams about machinery and geometric patterns. The ground around its base vibrates at a frequency just below human hearing, producing a persistent sense of unease. Three research expeditions have attempted to study Obelisk up close. All three abandoned their missions within 48 hours, citing equipment failure and 'psychological distress.' Their sensor data was corrupted beyond recovery.
| name | Iowan Behemoth — 'Obelisk' |
| classification | Iowan Behemoth |
| aliases |
|
| manufacturer | Unknown — origin disputed |
| tier availability | N/A — uncontrolled autonomous entity |
| legality | N/A — no jurisdiction claims authority over Behemoths |
| autonomy level | Unknown — stationary, purpose unknown |
| dimensions | 120m height, 8m base width, tapers to 2m at apex |
| weight | Unknown — embedded in bedrock to unknown depth |
| power source | Unknown — no emissions, no thermal signature, no energy consumption detected |
| locomotion | None — stationary |
| armament |
|
| sensors |
|
| countermeasures | Obelisk has never needed countermeasures because no one has successfully mounted an attack. Equipment fails near it. Targeting systems lose lock. Even manually aimed weapons seem to miss, though this may be observer bias combined with the psychological effects of proximity. The more practical countermeasure is that attacking the thing every other Behemoth visits seems profoundly unwise. |
| known deployments |
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| story hooks |
|
| cultural context | Obelisk is the dark heart of Behemoth mythology. Every theory about what the Behemoths are and what they want eventually circles back to Obelisk. It is the closest thing the wasteland has to a holy site — a place of pilgrimage for those who worship the machines, a place of dread for those who fear them, and a place of obsessive interest for those who study them. No one is neutral about Obelisk. |