PRT Threat Assessment: Apep
The Ides of March - Apep destroys São Luís in its first appearance. Estimated casualties:1.5 million.
Name: Apep
Alias: Serpent of Destruction, God of Death, Endless Chaos, Bringer of Eternal Night, The Final Endbringer
Disposition: Endbringer/Abyssal monster
Location: Unknown. Assumed Abyssal Plane.
DELTA BLACK CLEARANCE: It makes its home primarily on what’s left of Earth Aleph, surrounded by Abyssal monsters.
Date of Emergency: March 15th, 2006
General Information: The Final Endbringer, Apep, first appeared in São Luís at 02:14 Zulu time. No defense was mustered in time. Apep consumed and corrupted the entire city and surrounding countryside, enveloping it in Abyssal Fog within minutes.
This was followed by the first use of what is now called a “Divine Nail” by Zion, which completed the destruction of the State of Maranhão in Brazil. Estimated casualties are around 7 million, with one million falling to Abyssal corruption.
This marked the beginning of what is now called the 2006 Abyssal Incursion. Unlike the earlier 2005 Abyssal Incursion, which was relatively quickly contained, the 2006 incursion lasted for six months. Apep attacked multiple cities in Latin America, South America, Africa, and Oceania. Time between attacks varied: Sometimes it was mere days, other times weeks. There were also always secondary attacks. Even as Apep itself devastated São Luís, Abyssal incursions in the Kuril Islands, Finland, Kazakhstan, and New Moscow occurred, occupying the Archon nations with their own defenses. Protectorate forces were also busy defending an incursion on the Big Island of Hawaii in Hawi, meaning that Brazil was largely on its own.
As the attacks went on, the Protectorate created a Task Force, led by Miss Militia, to defend other nations suffering from Abyssal outbreaks. This Task Force, code-named Operation Lighthouse, was successful in containing and suppressing Abyssal attacks, earning much international goodwill.
Ultimately, Apep was defeated by Task Force Lighthouse, with assistance from President Alexandria and Director Costa-Brown, and some cooperation from elements of a joint Archon alliance. With Apep defeated, there is a possibility of a resurgence of attacks, but now that stratagems have been devised, the Protectorate is confident we can repel any further attack by Apep, similar to our defeat of the Alpha Behemoth and the Twin.
DELTA BLACK CLEARANCE REQUIRED TO VIEW:
We’re having issues with our Abyssal harvesting and containment sites. No matter how much Abyssal energy we harvest, it always seems to result in more. Our third-generation harvesters should be online soon, taking lessons we’ve learned from the Archon’s purification rituals. This should prevent further problems from cropping up.
Addendum:
The 2007 Abyssal Incursion has already begun, less than three months after the end of the previous incursion. Apep has increased the pace and scale of attacks. The Dragons were defeated. Gods help us all.
Addendum:
Previous stricken, Analyst Goodman has been taken for evaluation and reeducation.
Personality: Similar to the Leviathan or original Behemoth, Apep does not seem to have a personality. Voices and visions that are reported are general Abyssal induced hallucinations, and probably not communications from Apep itself.
Nevertheless, some clues can be gleaned: Apep is a predator with an endless appetite who appears to prefer to strike from ambush at weak targets. It has no problem retreating if a defense that might harm it is rallied, such as its abortive attack on Casablanca, where the Hydro Archon was lying in wait.
Instead, Apep prefers to let its minions and large-scale Abyssal corruption powers do the fighting. When it was finally brought to battle at Pago Pago, it was soundly defeated.
Note: This further supports the supposition that Focalors is by far the most dangerous and combat-capable of the Archons, surpassing even the Raiden Shogun. See that page for further analysis.
Addendum:
We were sorely mistaken regarding Apep’s capabilities. It was merely testing us. Now that it has fully revealed its combat prowess, models indicate that not even Focalors would be able to defeat it in solo combat.
Classification:
Mover 8, Shaker 11, Brute 8, Master 10, Blaster 5, Thinker 4, Striker 7, Stranger 7
Mover 8: Apep has global range teleportation through the Abyssal Plane. It can appear at nearly any point and at any time. It has not been known to move terribly fast in combat, but it can fly and hover at speeds of up to 50MPH.
Shaker 11: By far Apep’s most deadly ability is the incredibly wide range of its abilities. Upon its initial appearance, within minutes, several square miles are instantly contaminated by the Abyss, and that amount increases rapidly to a level of thousands of square miles within hours. The poison fog, appearance of many Abyssal monsters, and rapid corruption of all life forms and terrain is incredibly dangerous. Only capes with Class IV or above invulnerability powers or PRT Abyssal Containment gear rated as Class IV or above are sufficient to prevent corruption.
Brute 8: Apep appears to be one of the less durable Endbringers, about on the level of the Simurgh. Any high-rated Blaster power and even some tinkertech has proven effective against it, and can drive it off if concentrated. The main issue is getting close enough to bring the firepower to bear, due to the large range Apep corrupts.
Additionally, the sheer size of Apep makes it somewhat harder to fight. While its size seems to vary wildly, at its smallest, it dwarfs all other Endbringers, at approximately 300 feet in length. At its largest, it’s actual size is difficult to calculate, but is likely in excess of several miles long. This alone makes Apep hard to damage significantly, as its sheer scale requires the kind of firepower better suited to destroying large structures than individual targets.
Master 10: Apep has a double dose of Master powers. The first is the Abyssal corruption, which can and will subborn any one without some sort of resistance within seconds or minutes, depending on proximity. This is even more deadly than the Simurgh’s abilities, and the counter is less obvious than simply sending them to Ziz or Nahida. So far, the best solution is to let Zion drop a Divine Nail, but that comes with its own host of issues.
The second is the massive number of minions that Apep summons. Hundreds within minutes, thousands within hours, all pouring out of Abyssal portals it summons. These are used for both offense and defense, further adding to the problems in successfully driving off Apep. These minions range from simply monsters that PRT troopers can handle independently, to deadly beasts that need an entire Protectorate squad to handle.
Blaster 5: Apep’s Blaster rating is lower primarily because the danger comes from the Shaker/Master aspect, not direct damage. If defenses are high enough to resist those, its direct attacks of poisonous fog and some long-range beam attacks are not in and of themselves particularly deadly. They are still more than an average PRT trooper can handle, but with proper gear and preparation, they can be weathered and dealt with in the short term. It is the long term insidious nature of the Abyss that is the problem, but again, if a suit can withstand that, it can withstand the direct attack as well.
Thinker 4: Apep has some form of scouting with Abyssal monsters, and while the Abyss is not a hive mind, Apep does seem to have minions that report back to it on particularly ripe targets, and it has some level of cunning in its ability to determine targets, similar to the Leviathan or early Behemoth. However, it is not particularly intelligent, and its stratagems are brutal and simplistic, if effective.
Striker 7: Direct attacks by Apep are deadlier than its long range beams or poison gas. It can hit with the strength to topple buildings and shatter stone, and its attacks all have a corrosive element to them thanks to its poison and Abyssal nature. Only the strongest Brute capes should engage in direct conflict. All others are advised to stay at range, and weather the significantly weaker Blaster abilities.
Stranger 7: As with all Abyssal corruption, Apep’s nature is insidious and quiet. Even the smallest breach in protective gear can and will result in an opening for its Master abilities. It also has minions and agents that it can use to scout out and infiltrate likely targets. Modern defenses can detect these agents, but there is an ever escalating war of stealth and counter-stealth going on against the Abyss. Additionally, Apep’s ability to appear seemingly anywhere at will makes it remarkably hard to detect for an Endbringer the size of a small mountain.
Addendum: We have severely underestimated Apep’s abilities. New classifications suggested:
Mover 10, Shaker 12, Brute 10, Master 12, Blaster 7, Thinker 7, Striker 8, Stranger 10
Recommended Strategies: PRT troopers are to evacuate civilians and enact containment protocols, while not engaging Apep directly. At most, deal with the Abyssal creatures Apep summons and gather intel. This is for our strongest capes to handle, not a PRT Trooper, even with top-of-the-line gear. Newer Endbringer shelters should be sufficient to keep out the worst effects until Protectorate forces arrive.
Addendum:
DELTA BLACK CLEARANCE REQUIRED
All personnel who previously came into contact with Apep need to be rescreened and subject to Class V containment protocols. Any PRT troopers who have come into contact with Apep will need to undergo PATRIOT protocols, or be contained themselves.