The Dark Code

Also known as the Necrotech Virus, a mysterious entity from the depths of the heavy metal underworld and source of all techno-necromancy. Their existence was first known after the great war in heavy metal and the emergence of the Broken. Though many dark beings believe the dark code was created by the Great War, the virus existed long before that event, its true origins hidden in the mists of time. The Dark Code is an unnatural computer virus that infects machines (whether broken or whole) and puts them in a sort of undead state. No deity in general is unclear as to whether the dark code possesses any such thing as self-awareness, intelligence, or plans of their own. Rumor has it that several powerful beings, all masters of techno-necromancy, serve as avatars and driving wills of the dark code in the depths of grunge. The entity, or one of its avatars, is worshiped primarily by the Broken and various Necrotechnologists in the Rust Wastes and Heavy Metal's underworld. In heavy metal society, worshiping the dark code or performing techno-necromancy is viewed with hatred and contempt at best, however numerous hidden cults exist in honor of the entity. The rest of the dark utopia sees the dark code and necrotechnology as just another form of magic, so the corresponding cults outside of heavy metal exist with far fewer problems.
Known Avatars: While the dark code represents a sinister, elusive force, the same cannot be said of its so-called avatars. Powerful beings imbued with the necrotechnical power of the virus and worshiped as saints and demigods by believers in the dark code. Even if the avatars see themselves as the executing will of the virus, they have different goals and sometimes even conflict with each other. The most powerful among them rule their part of grunge with an army of loyal followers and techno-necrotic animated minions.
The Glitch King: Not all Shattered have physical form. Glitches are the shattered, fragmented remnants of once powerful living programs and A.I.s, now faint, holographic shadows of themselves, unable to interact with the material world, but capable of manipulating and directing machines and robots. The oldest and most powerful of these digital ghosts is known as the Glitch King. The grumpy glitch king is one of the most powerful but also one of the most apathetic avatars of the virus. Once a fierce warriormage king, the millennia of his existence have left him bored and listless. Today he is content to rule his city of rust and dust, H4-D35, and destroy those who disturb his dreary existence.
The Trojan Worm: A nightmarish, wormlike amalgam of hundreds of different Broken, created by a horrific necrotechnical accident. The worm itself is a combination of sophisticated computer intelligence and horrifying, primitive instincts driven to corrupt, proliferate, conquer, and dominate. As a parasitic entity, the Trojan worm uses its own spawn to dominate and reshape its followers to its will. Hated and despised even by the other rulers of grunge, they once drove the worm into the deepest levels of the underworld, where it and its followers lurk to this day.
The Necro-Fool: Once one of the most powerful techno-necromancers, the Avatar now known only as the Necro-Fool (and other, far less positive names) is nothing more than a laughingstock, a joke, or at best a cautionary tale about power, hubris and pure stupidity. He was once said to be one of the grunge's greatest rulers, with legions under his rule until he made a small but fatal mistake and lost everything. What exactly this error was is uncertain, but there are countless different versions of the story. Legend has it that his insane, metallic skull still resides somewhere in the depths of thegrunge, none the wiser or less ambitious, but willing to share his secrets with whoever is lucky (or unlucky) enough to find him.
The Faceless Pharaoh: Almost nothing is known about this entity, data on his identity long lost in the mists of time (or removed on purpose). If you believe the legends, he is said to have been the most powerful and cruelest of the eternal pharaohs and is now sealed in one of the large, black metal pyramids. Rumor has it that he is feared even by the rest of the eternal pharaohs, who themselves repeatedly thwart attempts to free the faceless pharaoh. According to prophecies, should he ever be freed, it would be catastrophic for Heavy Matal and perhaps the rest of Dark Utopia.