The Zenith Fund is a Stel Columnar organization that produces experimental technology. Incubates, defends, and offers testing for teams pursuing cutting edge projects in a wide range of fields including medicine, environmental science, infrastructure, culture, and emerging military hardware. Aids with major projects across every other Stel, including Apostolos’ Glory Project. Its main rival in the field of mech manufacturing is Adamant Arms and Artifice.
Like the rest of Columnar, the Zenith Fund is increasingly tied to the Pact of Necessary Venture.
Columnar magnate Exanceaster March spent some time as the chair of the Zenith Fund at some point prior to the events of the Road to PALISADE.
Mech Models
Zenith Fund mechs are divided into projects based on the Stel for which they were produced. Mech developed under each project are given themed names.
Hollows and Hallows
Zenith-A Hollows and Hallows are generally named after Greek philosophical concepts, Zenith-N mechs after European musical terms, Zenith-C mechs after tools and simple machines, and Zenith-K mechs after architectural elements. No Zenith-O mechs are ever shown; Stel Orion presumably prefers AdArm machines.
There is also the Occult Project, which is not associated with a Stel and appears to have had magical names. These mechs were prototypes stolen from the Zenith Fund by Callister Drive Callister.
Zenith-A Project
- Eudaimonia
- Mow (prototype)
- Unknown model
- Katalepsis
- Stray Dog (prototype)
- Kalatepsis Mk. II
- Kosmos
- Pneuma
- Cloud
- Kathēkon
Zenith-N Project
- Cadenza (prototype)
Zenith-C Project
Zenith-K Project
Occult Project
Altars
Although Exanceaster March left the Zenith Fund, taking his research with him, before the Altar was produced, the engineers who remained behind were able to develop their own machine to rival it: the Wizard. Subsequent Zenith-C Altars are based on the Wizard model and named after things a wizard might use, while Zenith-A Altars are designed in collaboration with Stel Apostolos and named after lethal parts of an animal.[1]
Zenith Fund Altars are powered not only by Kalmeria, but also by stolen and "upscaled" Equiaxed designs.[2][3]