The Juggernaut was a monstrous, magical siege machine created by Morganem. It was built as a trump card to break through dug-in enemy lines, obliterate fortifications, or kill particularly tenacious opponents.
Physical Description[]
The Juggernaut is a towering, elaborate machine about three storeys high. It moves about on enormous spiked wheels, and is protected from attack by thick metal plating, given the shape of a monstrous horned skull, and can attack with a massive forward-facing cannon.
Its elaborate inner workings are a combination of powerful magic and advanced clockwork mechanisms, built around a Chaos Fire generator at its core.
Properties[]
The Juggernaut's complex magical and mechanical inner workings give it a form of artificial intelligence, allowing it to move and 'think' on its own without the need for any pilot. Though its sensors provide it with a considerable amount of information, how the AI uses this information is quite simple: the Juggernaut will decide upon a designated target and then pursue it relentlessly until said target is destroyed.
The Juggernaut is slow-moving but incredibly resistant to damage, shrugging off even direct artillery hits. Its size and weight mean it can simply roll over most fortifications, crushing them with ease.
Its generator exudes intense heat, which the Juggernaut channels into the surrounding air. This allows it to scorch and burn the landscape around it, as well as any enemy that gets too close. It also concentrates this fire into powerful area-of-effect projectiles that have exceptional range and inflict heavy damage, as well as being able to instigate intense localized Chaos Firestorms that incinerate anything caught within.
Perhaps its most deadly weapon however is its built-in summoning beacon. With this device, the Juggernaut can teleport Dharuk reinforcements to its location to accompany its assault and counter any attempt to stop its advance. While it can only teleport one soldier at a time, the beacon recharges very quickly and can call in troops from within a radius of several kilometers, allowing for a constant, focused assault.
The amount of time, materials and effort needed to create the Juggernaut were prodigious and second only to Khaal Spire itself, so Morganem never built any more of them, finding the lone one he had to be more than adequate for his needs.
History[]
The Juggernaut was built by Morganem prior to the events of To the Bitter End during his efforts to subjugate the Plane of Ithia. It was built specifically to break any particularly troublesome sieges and stalemate battles. It was rare that it was required, but when it was, the Juggernaut always proved decisive.
After The Companions were defeated during their initial assault on Khaal Spire and banished throughout Ithia, Morganem's scrying managed to track Cameron Aileron to the world of Veraduin. Not wanting to leave anything to chance, he sent the Juggernaut and a large contingent of Dharuk through a Warp Gate to track Cameron down and kill him.
The Juggernaut and the Dharuk troops eventually managed to locate Cameron and pursued him relentlessly, but fortunately it was thrown off track when Cameron was saved and magically hidden by Eivahin and the druids of Heart Grove.
At this point, Soul Reaver and Fei Serumen arrived via Warp Gate, and together these companions aided Eivahin in gathering magical acorns needed to summon the armies of powerful Treemen to oppose the Juggernaut.
The Juggernaut eventually located Cameron and made a beeline for Heart Grove, identifying Eivahin as a priority target whose death would take out the Companions as well. However, the Companions, Treemen and druids managed to wear down and finally destroy the machine before it could complete its gruesome task.