Battle Armor

Stenza battle armor comes in two inter-locked layers, not counting the Insulating Mesh which serves as a lining to a battle rig. The first layer is a reinforced mineral coating which runs from the top of the neck downward, characterized by a "ribbed" or "coiled" look that has the effect of masking the joints. Attached to it are plates of the same mineral, but doubly reinforced. The plates come in seemingly senseless segments and attach at odd places, all designed to deflect blows to non-vital areas or off the body completely. A hexagonal-patterned mask affixes to the skull cap, which serves the purpose of hiding and protecting the face as well as sports two mounts for breathing hoses for wear in particularly hostile environments. Almost always, a cooling pack is mounted on the back to siphon off moisture and excess heat.
While for the Leadership Challenge this rig is worn as is, for combat weapons and supplies can be mounted within easy reach of the wearer or their compatriots. This results in a Soldier looking like a bulky robot rather than an organic individual.
Although unintentional, all of this combines into a pretty startling visual for an enemy across the field from Stenza forces. The face-concealing mask and distribution of necessities across the body create the impression that one is witnessing an army of robots, and has led several to speculate that they are not dealing with organic people at all. That impression is then broken in favor of another when and if the mask is busted off in a hand-to-hand situation, revealing a blue face full of someone else's teeth. (Notably, Tzim-Sha tried to invoke this effect with the Doctor while she interfered with his Leadership Challenge. It had the desired effect on her human companions at the time.) Several languages throughout the empire have a word for the Stenza which translates to something like "blue demons" as a result.

Item type

Armor

Subtype / Model

Uniform

Used by

• Environmental Protection Suit

Manufacturer

The Nine Systems

Related Technologies

• Insulating Mesh

Owning Organization

The Nine Systems

Rarity

Common

Weight

60lbs