#kontio

TIL someone in the Rasalhague dominion decided they'd had enough of all this Zellbrigen shit and they wanted enemy mech pilots to die terrified and sucking alien air. To that end they made the Kontio, AKA 'what if an Imperial Eversor assassin from Warhammer 40k was 30 feet tall and fusion powered?'

This thing is psychotic in only the way the modern Dark Age/Ilkhan era mechs can be. It has Stealth Armor to close, something it does terrifyingly fast with a combination of a 280-CXL fusion engine, a supercharger, and triple strength myomer. Once in range and ready to fight it has a mean arsenal of clan-spec pulse and ER small lasers that do well in double duty to modulate heat and break appart an opponent's defenses, but the real coup comes in the fight phase. Look out, folks- Ghost Bear finally has a signature mech with claws that work, and with TSM active it gets to roll twice a turn on the punch table to turn an enemy mech's head into a headn't.

Otso is a bear spirit in Finnish mythology. It goes by many names, including Ohto, Kontio and Mesikämmen. It is kalso called friend, brother and uncle, and is sometimes said to be a relative who fled the community and was transformed into a bear in the wilderness.

Bears are important in Finnish mythology, with tradition stating that if a bear must be killed, its skull is to be kept in a sacred clearing and brought offerings.

Image source.

Monster master list.

'The Guardian' #Kangasniemi, #Finland

Karhukalenteri / Bear calendar

Where was the bear born?

Where was the beast made?

By the moon,

with the day,

on the shoulders of the Plough

Then lowered on silver chains,

let down on golden cords

In Finnish mythology the bear was believed to be of divine origin or an embodiment of the forefathers, and as such, deeply respected. So deep was this respect that even calling the bear by it’s real name (karhu) was a taboo. Mesikämmen (mead-paw), Otso, Kontio,  Metsän kultaomena (the golden apple of the forest), Nalle (teddy),  Metsän kuningas (king of the forest) are just some of the names that this enigmatic animal was given. If ever a bear was killed, a great feast had to be held in it’s honor, it’s skull to be taken way up a special pine tree and special spells to be said, to make sure it’s spirit would be born again to the forest. Still today you can see the bear everywhere in Finnish everyday life. It is not only our national animal, but we also drink Karhu beer, wear Karhu sneakers and our morning porridge is made with Nalle brand porridge oats.