Aeon Guard

The mighty Azlanti Star Empire maintains authoritarian rule over dozens of subject star systems through the combined military might of its Imperial Fleet and the notorious Aeon Guard. Fiercely loyal and highly trained, Aeon Guards are feared throughout the galaxy; their presence in any star system puts everyone on edge, as it can only mean one thing: the Azlanti Star Empire has staked its claim. Aeon Guards serve as marines aboard the Imperial Fleet's starships, protect imperial installations, quell dissent, crush rebellions, and spearhead invasions into new territories, whether to destroy the enemies of the Aeon Throne or to conquer new territories for the ever-expanding Star Empire. The Aeon Guard traditionally accepts only human citizens of the Azlanti Star Empire among its ranks. Sihedron Guard Over multiple decades, the high priest of Lissala, Ishmerai Ophir, secretly trained a new force that he would eventually use to overthrow the Aeon Throne and take command of the Azlanti Star Empire: Sihedron Guards. Raised on brutal “mission worlds” and trained to obey Ishmerai and Lissala above all others, these troops were an essential component of Ishmerai's coup. In some places throughout the empire where loyalists to the old ruling Ixomander family remain, Aeon and Sihedron Guards fight against one another. However, most Aeon Guards have fallen in line with Ishmerai, and even high-ranking Aeon Guards bow to the authority of the mighty Sihedron Guard. Geared-Up Aeon Guards The Aeon and Sihedron Guards presented here are outfitted for generic engagements with typical enemies, such as Veskarium soldiers or rebels at the fringes of the empire. However, the Azlanti Star Empire has vast resources, and its forces can afford nearly any item suitable to the environment, terrain, or enemies they're dispatched to contend with. Use the following suggestions to customize Aeon and Sihedron Guards to suit the needs of your campaign. In general, when adding items and upgrades, it's best to use the creature building guidelines and the Safe Items table to avoid creating an imbalance in the amount of gear you award to the PCs when they encounter these guards. Replace the Aeon or Sihedron Guard's grenades (or other weapons) with an equal number of grenades of another type that's more suitable to their role, such as electromag grenades for Aeon Guards sent to suppress a robot uprising. Add environmental protection armor upgrades to the Aeon or Sihedron Guard's armor that are suitable to the area. Add augmentations such as gill sheaths or ultralight wings to allow the Aeon or Sihedron Guard to exist (and fight) more comfortably in a variety of environments. Because augmentations can't be removed and reinstalled, you can safely add augmentations to an enemy without unbalancing the encounter's rewards; just remember not to make the enemies too powerful! Give the Aeon or Sihedron Guard more consumable items to represent a specific combat role, such as hypopens, serums, and other medical items for a medic. Members Aeon Guard Commander (Creature 7), Aeon Guard Trooper (Creature 3), Aeon Guard Trooper (Creature 3), Sihedron Guard Specialist (Creature 11), Sihedron Guard Thunderstriker (Creature 5) Aeon Stones Aeon Guards make frequent use of aeon stones to enhance their combat abilities, survive harsh environments, and increase their options in battle. Losing an aeon stone to an enemy is considered a grave offense, and a squad of Aeon Guards typically fights with greater enthusiasm against foes who they know are in possession of aeon stones, especially those taken from their fallen companions. Star Empire Comm Units Like other tech armor, every suit of Aeon Guard or Sihedron Guard armor includes a comm unit. These comm units often contain the unit's current orders and are always heavily encrypted, typically requiring at least one Computers check to Hack the comm unit before accessing any records stored inside; use the DC for a check of the Aeon Guard's level, or a very hard check of a Sihedron Guard's level. The Vesk War In the Azlanti Star Empire, the current conflict with the Veskarium is simply called “the Vesk War,” rather than the “Vesk-Azlanti War,” reflecting the Empire's self-centered perspective. To win this war, the Imperial Fleet and Aeon Guard forces have begun to adapt Veskarium tactics and technologies— though they call these adaptations “improvements” and aim not only to defeat the Veskarium but to shame all vesk by showing their superior skill in warfare and weapons development.