Shadow of Ages

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"We've stalked the shadows of your "universe" since the first days of its existence. We have witnessed the rise and fall of titans and would-be-conquerors. We have changed the course of destiny itself to suit our purposes. Would you expect anything less from the future rulers of existence?"

―Unidentified Shadow of Ages member

Shadow of Ages

Group
Base	Chrone
Leader	Millennium
Group	Active
Allies	Shadow Syndicate, Skorr
Enemies	Order of Mata Nui, Dark Hunters, Teridax (formerly)

The Shadow of Ages is an ancient and shadowy cult founded by the mysterious entity known as Millennium.

History[]

Millennium fortress — Millennium's fortress on Chrone

The Shadow of Ages was originally founded 100,000 years ago by the being known as Millennium, an entity who possessed a great amount of influence over fabric of time. After emigrating to the Matoran Universe, Millennium established himself on the island of Chrone, where he took the time to take greater insight into the potential of his powers. After a great deal of research, Millennium discovered a way he could increase his own powers to the point where he would become nearly unstoppable. This involved learning how to foresee the future, and prophesying major events. He would then have to alter the future in a way that would prevent the prophesied event from ever happening, and then feeding on the potential energy of the days that could have been. Knowing he could not perform such acts alone, Millennium began recruiting a number of beings such as ex-Dark Hunters, Skakdi, exiled Vortixx, and other beings generally disliked by the rest of the universe.

Over the course of a few years, Millennium had succeeded in amassing his own secret army of warriors and spies. He then proceeded to scatter his agents all over the universe into several civilizations and factions, and had them infiltrate every level of society on most (if not every) land, leaving them with the instructions to detect potential points in time which the group could alter. Millennium then began watching the events of the universe unfold. Gradually, over the passage of several centuries, the Shadow of Ages integrated itself into the myths and legends of the universe.

Millennium would later influence the powerful Xevthian High-King Alxor to conquer the Mersion homeland of Versuva. Despite Millennium's unseen involvement with this campaign, Alxor himself was not an actual member of the Shadow of Ages, as he was both unaware of the cult's existence and that his mind had been tampered with in the first place. Eventually, Alxor succeeded in claiming Versuva under the banner of the Xevthian Empire as Millennium intended. Secretly, Alxor's brutal rule over the Mersion was part of a plot enacted by Millennium to ensure Versuva would not support the Order of Mata Nui in it's future war with the Brotherhood of Makuta.

The plot failed when the Hand of Artakha defeated Alxor, whose mighty empire crumbled soon after his defeat. Despite this failure, Millennium felt the loss was not a major blow. However, a Mersion scholar named Kulant eventually managed to discover Millennium's influence over the warlord, and traveled to Chrone to learn more of his existence. He was captured immediately upon arrival, though instead of killing him, Millennium convinced him to join the Shadow of Ages.

Later, around 79,500 years ago, they approached and paid a bounty hunter known as Lethal to join them and create the Shadow Syndicate, a mercenary guild that served as a front organization for the Shadow, and had it perform dangerous public missions that would otherwise expose Millennium and his group to the rest of the universe. In exchange for having them spy on their enemies, stealing arms for them, assassinating and abducting potential rivals and more, Millennium rewarded the Syndicate with new weapons, information, and much more.

Some time after, Millennium decided to alter the destiny and future of a Toa of Fire later known as Shadowplayer and subjugated his life to his temporal experiments. Wishing to exercise his influence over history, he sent his agents to kill Shadowplayer's team and bring him to his hidden island of Chrone. The interference with Shadowplayer's history resulted in his future, timeline, and destiny all being dramatically altered, with Millennium ensuring Shadowplayer's history would not follow the direction it was intended to go. Upon arriving on Chrone, Millennium decided to make him into a soldier and follower of the Shadow of Ages, and began conducting brutal and painful experiments on him. After being exposed him to Pit Mutagen and Hordika Venom, partially mutating him, and undergoing massive mental damage and trauma, Shadowplayer finally snapped and was driven insane. Deeming him too unstable, Millennium declared him a "failed experiment," and discarded and abandoned him on an island deep in the Southern Islands. His memories were also clouded and partially erased from Shadowplayer's mind, in order to prevent him from hunting down the Shadow of Ages in vengeance.

Several hundred years ago, one of the Shadow's paradox-related experiments went terribly wrong, resulting in the subsequent time distortion being detected by the Order of Mata Nui member Mersery. After searching for the source of distortion for several weeks, Mersery soon found himself in direct contact with members of the Shadow on a chain islands east of the Shadow's base of operation.

After overcoming the agents sent to eliminate him, Mersery arrived at the Shadow's headquarters and encountered Millennium in person, mere moments before he was about to create a larger, more destructive paradox. After preventing Millennium and his allies from creating the paradox, Mersery and Millennium fought. Whilst the duel was close, Mersery eventually managed to emerge victorious over the maddened tyrant. Sensing great potential in Mersery, Millennium offered Mersery membership into the Shadow of Ages, and the role of his apprentice and second-in-command. Though Mersery was deeply tempted by the power he could wield, he declined the offer, knowing how corrupted he could become with such power at his disposal.

Angered, Millennium attempted to kill Mersery, though only found himself being aged by hundreds of years by his opponent's time powers. Weakened, and in no state to fight, Millennium vowed revenge on Mersery, though was unable to prevent him from escaping. Millennium then underwent a slow, painful process that returned him to his natural age and restored his original power. Unfortunately, this took a course of 2,000 years, during which the Shadow splintered into small groups led by power-hungry agents. After having his age restored, Millennium forcibly retook control of the group. During the time he spent healing himself, Millenium had all detailed records of the Shadow's existence erased in order to prevent being tracked down by the Order of Mata Nui and other powerful factions.

Later, Millennium sent one of his minions to the Brotherhood of Makuta's headquarters on Destral. There, the agent was instructed to capture Makuta Dredzek, and deliver him back to the Shadow's base. The agent succeeded in defeating Dredzek, and brought the Makuta before Millennium. There, Millennium offered Dredzek membership into the Shadow of Ages, an offer Dredek accepted.

Recently, During the war between the Order of Mata Nui and the Brotherhood of Makuta, the Shadow of Ages ordered his agents within the Dark Hunters to destabilize it in order to prevent the Shadowed One from assisting the Order of Mata Nui in their war. However, this attempt was foiled by the Dark Hunter master, who interrogated the agents until they broke down and revealed who they worked. The agents were killed soon after by the Shadowed One when the refused to supply him with any more information. In order to prevent the hunters from discovering him, Millennium had his remaining operatives create a false record of a non-existent group led by a being called "Millennium" in order to throw off suspicions and mislead the mercenary group.

Millennium later contacted the Zeverek bounty hunter Skorr, and sent an emissary to hire him on the Tren Krom Peninsula. The outcome of these negotiations remain unknown.

Later, shortly after the Brotherhood of Makuta's defeat at Metru Nui, Millennium teleported Dredzek and his Matoran assistant, Corzakx, to Chrone in order to protect them against Teridax. Following this, Millennium shielded his agents and servants from Teridax's watch. He then instructed Dredzek to amass an army of Rahkshi for the his purposes. After Teridax was killed, Millennium sent his agents to infiltrate the new society of the Agori and Matoran on Spherus Magna, whilst he remained on Chrone to attend to his plan. He also sent Dredzek to form an alliance with a group of Skrall lead by Tervok, and after much negotiation, he succeeded in securing their allegiance.

Known Actions[]

Built a fortress on the island of Chrone.
Discovered a way to create temporal paradoxes.
Recruited several beings into the Shadow of Ages.
Scattered agents of the Shadow throughout the universe.
Influenced a powerful warlord to conquer Versuva.
Recruited Kulant.
Attempted to punch a enormous paradox in the fabric of time.
Sent several members to kill Mersery.
Attempted to improve the process that created their first major paradox.
Offered Mersery membership into the Shadow of Ages.
Restored the natural age of Millennium.
Erased all detailed records of their existence.
Captured and recruited Makuta Dredzek.
Sent several members to infiltrate and destabilize the Dark Hunters.
Sent an emissary to employ the bounty hunter Skorr.
Rescued Dredzek following the Siege of Metru Nui.
Recruited Corzakx into the Shadow of Ages.
Shielded their presence from Teridax.
Ordered Dredzek to create and recruit Rahkshi for the Shadow's purposes.
Had their agents migrate to Spherus Magna.
Infiltrated the new Agori, Matoran society.
Recruited the Skrall Tervok and his forces into their ranks.

Members[]

Shadow members are typically solo and scattered throughout the Matoran Universe and Spherus Magna. Members range among several species and races. Below is a list of those members who are known:

Millennium - The group's grand master.
Dredzek - Makuta of Versuva and Millennium's adviser.
Corzakx - A Shadow Matoran and Dredzek's personal assistant.
Faceless - Mysterious Dark Hunter
Hanzek - Agori bandit of the Iron Tribe.
Kulant - Mersion scientist.
Velnax - Former Brotherhood of Makuta servant.
Several agents who are scattered throughout the universe.
Several members who were sent to eliminate Mersery.
A number of members who assisted Millennium in attempting to creating paradoxes.
An unknown number of members who were sent to infiltrate and destabilize the Dark Hunters.
An agent who was sent to negotiate with Skorr.

Servants[]

Shadow Syndicate
- Lethal - A fearsome bounty hunter and leader of the Syndicate.
Tervok - a named Skrall of the Elite Warrior class
- Several unnamed Skrall warriors whom Tervok commands.

Infrastructure[]

Members of the Shadow of Ages are trained to have their minds shielded from telepathy and other forms of mental probing. Some of the most high-ranking operatives bear limited foresight, allowing them to see future events which they could alter. However, their visions can be somewhat inaccurate at times, due to the large amount of concentration required and mental pressure that builds during such visions. This means only Millennium is effective at perceiving future events, and figuring out ways to exploit them.

Agents of the cult are encouraged to fanatically fantasize the creation of temporal paradoxes, or are otherwise brainwashed into doing so. The group practically worship this act, not just for the idea, but the power that a paradox evokes. They are also made to revere Millennium himself, believing him to be an avenging bringer of dark order, and the one to bring law to a chaotic universe. Such practices are frowned upon by the inhabitants of both the Matoran Universe and Spherus Magna at the very best, and agents of Millennium are forced to carry out their beliefs in secret from others.

In some special cases, Millennium has sleeper agents planted into societies for espionage, and ensures that these agents are brainwashed so they are not aware of their true connections until a specific command is given to them for which they can recall their true history. After their memory-wiping, these agents unknowingly provide Millennium with the information and knowledge he desires through sub-conscious commands to prevent possible risks that his servants' loyalties are unearthed by external factors.

The structure of the Shadow of Ages is very rigid, and all agents are required to be members for life, and possess no other loyalties that might distract them from their objectives. Betrayal to Millennium is punishable by excruciating physical and mental torture or by death. The organization is ran by a small circle of trusted advisors and fanatical followers, though overall command belongs to the grand master, Millennium.

As an organization, the group operates as something of a spy network due to it being a small faction, and prefers to strike out from the shadows at their enemies rather than openly revealing themselves. Because of this, the Shadow of Ages avoids outright conflict, generally preferring sending assassins and agents to perform the majority of their more public operations under their own names.

This said, the group prefers to use deception and infiltration as the primary method of achieving their goals over battle.To suit such secretive missions, Millennium's agents specialize in manipulation, subterfuge, intimidation and assassination. In order to carry out more public operations, the Shadow of Ages relies on front organizations they have established, such as the Shadow Syndicate. After years spent infiltrating the universe's numerous cultures, the group has cultivated a considerable information network, one of the largest in existence.

Trivia[]

The Shadow of Ages was based off the the Trickster's Brigade, a faction from the British science fiction series, Doctor Who.
It was also inspired by Faction Paradox, another time-meddling cult from both the Doctor Who series, and the Faction Paradox series.
The name, Shadow of Ages, was suggested by user Toa Hydros.

Appearances[]

Storyline Appearances[]

Journeys of Darkness (First Appearance)