T.E.D.
T.E.D. stands for Totally Extreme Drone, and they are the little buddies of Animus Engines. They first were designed to support work needs, moving supplies, fixing things, etc. It was soon after their creation, when armies found that strapping weapons onto them made a good little fighter. Animus Engines are amazing weapons but are quite costly. T.E.D. on the other hand are quite cheap and they can be seen used in missions and activities that are higher risk. T.E.D. are about the size of a 1-story building, about half the size of an Animus Engine. But don't let their size fool you, they can be quite deadly. With the right weapon, a T.E.D. could even defeat an Animus Engine.
T.E.D. are controlled via a smart artificial intelligence called FAIL 3000. FAIL standing for Futuristic Artificial Intelligence Library, which is a core software that utilizes thousands of interconnecting software libraries. The science behind the name 3000 is a bit of a mystery. This AI was accredited to a Hoppite scientist name Dr. Cottontail. FAIL 3000 lets T.E.D. operate on it's own, however, override controls are given to Animus Engines so they may command and direct them if needed. Just like Animus Engines, T.E.D. have seen a ton of combat and are a huge part of societies as they are still used to do the dirty jobs. Plus, not all T.E.D. look the same. They may mostly have all the same components, but they became more unique over the years, almost giving them some personal charm.
When the Arena Brutalis was first created, T.E.D. were left out. After several years, Lord Midaz had the idea to include them in the games as a pregame type show. The crowd enjoyed it so much, they eventually made their way into the big games with the Animus Engines. When Lord Midaz died, and the Arena Brutalis stopped, Animus Engines were cast aside but not T.E.D. People became so reliant on these robots that if they ceased to use them, civilized society would cease as well.
As Golden Quinctus recreated the Arena Brutalis, T.E.D. were there to help. Not only were they gladiators in the events but they also were responsible in creating the arena itself on the islands of Sanguines. They are used for all kinds of things. Need your car washed, call a T.E.D.! And just like Animus Engines, they received a universal port to to accept any weapon. But remember, T.E.D. are great fighters but are limited. They have limited health, limited defense, and limited weapon slots. But as sidekicks to the Animus Engines, they are the perfect companion.
So, have you met T.E.D.?
Meowkin T.E.D.
The T.E.D. created by the Meowkin are the epitome of an 80s robot. They roll around on small tank tracks, have a glitchy little voice, and move in a very robotic way. Meowkin created this T.E.D. based on older human designs, and it actually existed prior to the creation of the Animus Engine. However, in the beginning, Meowkin T.E.D. were fairly dumb and only could do what they were programmed to do. They weren't the cool little robots they are now. Most T.E.D. were used in cities, operating in the service industry. Can I get fries with that? After the Animus Engine was created, the Meowkin started to weaponize them. Hold the fries! When word got out about the FAIL 3000, Meowkin sent spies to obtain the AI software. Quickly they succeeded and deployed it on all their T.E.D.
Meowkin T.E.D. became a really good military robot. They could always be seen next to their Animus Engine counterpart in battle. When the first Arena Brutalis was created, Lord Midaz didn't think highly of them since they were not piloted by a person. He was always wary about the AI and feared a robot revolution. But that didn't last long as the fans wanted more T.E.D., and King Midaz granted their desire.
Surprisingly, over the years Meowkin T.E.D. haven't changed all that much. Other than the addition of the universal port, they are mostly the same. Why fix something that isn't broken?
Meowkin T.E.D.
Caninian T.E.D.
Caninian T.E.D.
Unlike the Meowkin variant, Caninian T.E.D. look a little more futuristic. These T.E.D. are sleek and designed for heavy lifting. They are bipedal with an egg-shaped head/body. Some even call them Egg Walkers. Before they were T.E.D., these robots were piloted leg walkers, replacing the egg-shaped head with a seat and a pilot. Caninian used these walkers as farming equipment, tilling the soil and removing weeds. Around the same time as the creation of the Wags Animus Engine, Caninian turned their bipedal walker into the T.E.D. it is now. Many speculate that the egg-shaped head was derived from an old broken Meowkin Animus Engine head, salvaged from war. It didn't take long for the Caninans to use a T.E.D. for military purposes. But the T.E.D. were too dumb to do anything other than cover fire. Basically, a walking turret.
When the FAIL 3000 came out, Caninia bribed Dr. Cottontail and obtained the AI. Apparently, Dr. Cottontail loves diamonds, really big karats. With the FAIL 3000 integrated, these T.E.D. finally became a decent military robot. But unknown to Caninia, other empires had the same AI system installed on their T.E.D.
Just like Meowkin T.E.D., Caninian utilized these little guys in the Arena. Over the years, Caninian would improve the T.E.D. making it cheaper and easier to repair. Caninian created the first large T.E.D. factory to mass produce the robot. Eventually, these T.E.D. were so tightly integrated into Caninia society, they were doing almost every job. Now, most Caninians are either military personnel or robot technicians.