Cross, the Bounty
"Deceiver, deceiver
-Cross, speaking before the destruction of planet Cygni-A
From the sky, you came.
In beauty unknown, in falling rain.
Deceiver, deceiver
You gave me life.
My birth allowed by our endless strife.
Deceiver, deceiver
You made me hate.
The world I loved, the world you raped.
Deceiver, deceiver
Your death is nigh.
By hands my own, or by my children who cry.
Deceiver, deceiver
You make me weep.
For the world you stole, the world you'd keep.
Deceiver, deceiver
Now, you'll reap.
My lance to strike, so my home can sleep."
Cross, the Bounty, known as the Stalker of the Swarm by their disciples, endlessly traverses the universe in the pursuit of the denizens of Tazarak, The Propagation. The current of the Bounty teaches the hunter to find their prey, the arrow to strike true, and, most of all, the sufferer to find their vengeance. After the destruction of Cross' home-world by the arrival of the swarm, Cross ascended to tirelessly guide their people on the pursuit of Tazarak.
Cross & Mortals
Cross, though less powerful than other Numen due to the narrowness of their current, interacts with mortals a relatively large amount compared to other Numen.
Cross blesses a large amount of lancers, favoring those who have been affected by the swarm. Lancers who have been blessed by the current of Bounty generally seek a path of vengeance, hunting down an enemy across the stars.
It is believed that Cross has the largest amount of harbingers in the known universe, with them granting their blessing upon the leaders of the Cygnan Accord. Harbingers of the Bounty wield formidable mechs as manifestations of their divine power, bearing the sole power (outside of Cross himself) to sterilize denizens of the swarm.
Cross & Other Numen
Due to the circumstances of their ascension, Cross has a unique relationship with other Numen.
Tazarak, The Propagation is the sole reason for Cross' existence. Cross' home-world Cygni-A was late to achieve First Contact, with the world developing on its own without the help of the Arbiters for a much longer time than other surviving colonies. However, one day, the Swarm arrived. Like a demon, it took a beautiful form to fool the innocent, with a mesmerizing glowing rain pouring down upon the ignorant planet. Soon enough though, mutated aquatic lifeforms began rapidly overwhelming the oceans, frequently attacking settlements and native lifeforms unaffected by the Swarm's song. As the world seemed to crumble around them for the inhabitants of Cygni-A, hope arrived in the form of the ascension of Cross, who now endlessly seeks the destruction of the Tazarak and the denizens of the swarm.
Utalia, the Plenty has a unique relationship with Cross. Utalia's love of life in all forms and inability to see life perish means that they have both aided and ailed the denizens of the Bounty. Utalia has, in moments, saved the waterwalkers of the Bounty, and in other moments, saved the denizens of the swarm. Her blessing of continual life is controversial in the Cygnan Accord, with some seeing it as another manifestation of Tazarak's endless propagation.
Follower Factions
The Cygnan Accord contains the most prominent and faithful waterwalkers of the Bounty. After the Cygnan people's home world was overwhelmed by the swarm, their people took to the stars on massive ships constructed as their new home in the universe. The Cygnan people were able to work with the Arbiters on their home world, and constructed a new home for them in their fleet, utilizing pieces taken from their planet's core. Once the Cygnan people had evacuated their home, they couldn't bear to see their homeworld become a breeding ground for the proliferation of the swarm. However, Cross heard their prayers and, in one of the greatest manifestations of numenic power, manifested as a massive, planet-sized form, and shattered the world of Cygni-A with their divine lance. Ever since, the Accord's fleet has scoured the stars, eliminating the denizens of the Swarm in the endless pursuit of the bounty.
Smith-Shimano Corpro (SSC) is the primary manufacturer of mechs on the Cygnan Accord's fleet of ships. Originally, their mechs were made specifically for combatting the swarm and were only built for Cygnan pilots, however, upon the outbreak of the Synthesis War among other cosmic disasters, SSC opened up their production for selling on the interstellar market. SSC mechs reflect the influence of the bounty, bearing unique designs meant to hit the hardest and move the quickest.
The Galaxy Rangers are a loose group who follow the bounty but do not possess a strong hatred of the propagation. They uphold justice throughout the cosmos on their own, personal accord, believing in Cross' principle of using violence against violence. Cross is not the only Numen worshiped among the Rangers, though, as there are many who follow Itaka, The Elegance and Volivala, the Journey as well.