It is the year 2173 of the so-called 'New Renaissance' era. Mankind probes beyond the reaches of Earth, entertaining the possibility of establishing colonies elsewhere in the Solar System. Technological developments are at an all-time high and civilization has prospered thanks to the contributions of scientific and mechanical advancements. However, not all is tranquil on our blue planet.

The sovereignty of Earth's countries have given way to the dominance of powerful supranational unions and massive global corporations. The planet toils under the growing demands of its population as businesses churn out products, foodstuffs and other necessities. Hungry for more resources to maintain their growing populations and drive up profit, Earth's major powers turn their gazes to their neighbors.
Strife between supranational powers and corporate entities is a common and expected phenomenon. While no official declarations of war have been declared in recent years, tensions have sparked armed skirmishes across the globe, often in the form of false-flag operations and by means of proxy states.

Caught in the tension between the transnational governments and corporations are dozens of mercenary regiments which sell out their talents to the highest bidder. Often military veterans or deserters, these hired guns do most of their employers' dirty work - keeping their clients' hands clean, for a fee. There are many sell-swords out there willing to do just about anything for money and a bit of thrill, while others are more politically motivated. Mercenary regiments are as diverse as they come, yet one thing's for certain - in a web of intrigue and backdoor deals, the jobs are never in short supply.

"FRAME" is the name attributed to the machines which have taken Earth by storm. FRAME stands for “Fully Reactive Armored Mobile Engine.” They are (usually) humaoid in appearance - comprised of two arms and legs, a torso and head of some kind. These machines are designed to carry out functions which can be done by humans, only on a much larger scale. Initially used for labor, FRAMEs are more often associated with a military context nowadays.

While they are relied on greatly in civilian life, FRAME development has been guided by military-grade research. Within a combat role, FRAMEs are ideal machines for high-speed, high-mobility operations, in which other vehicles would be too unwieldy. They operate not unlike conventional infantry, but upscaled. FRAMEs vary in size depending on their purpose, although most military FRAMEs top off at six meters (approx. nineteen-and-a-half feet) in height. Civilian FRAMEs are considerably smaller.

FRAME squadrons are typically deployed as semi-independent strike units and given objectives such as force reconnaissance, or flanking maneuvers in conjunction with a conventional armor force. FRAMEs are ideal counters to infantry and light armored vehicles, and can easily outmaneuver heavier vehicles in compact urban or jungle environments. They are intermediaries between armored vehicles and infantry, more versatile than a typical IFV and bringing more firepower to bear than a standard infantry fireteam. Despite this, FRAMEs are rather vulnerable individually and hardly ever operate alone.

As semi-modular machines, FRAMEs can be fitted with a variety of equipment and weaponry and can bring an array of powerful armaments to an engagement. Most are armed with autocannons resembling up-scaled rifles as primary weapons. Supplementary armaments can include missile and grenade launchers, rockets, cannons and so on. Most FRAMEs can carry around three armaments at maximum, with the addition of antipersonnel or integrally-mounted weapons. Light machine guns, Gatling guns and canister shells are typical defensive weaponry. While the combat protocol of most militaries pass the notion of hand-to-hand between FRAMEs as unrealistic and impractical, there are mercenaries who try to make use of melee weapons on their FRAMEs, whether for better or for worse. Their effectiveness is dubious, but that hasn't stopped them from trying.

The cockpit of a FRAME is located in the torso and allows the pilot to perceive the outside world through electronic monitors. These displays are connected to various cameras fitted on the FRAME's body; the primary of which is typically mounted on a head unit. A number of sensor suites are also contained within the head unit, allowing it to see in infrared, thermal and night vision. Other systems allow for target acquisition, designation and enable use of GPS. Many FRAMEs are partially controlled through a helmet-mounted display. The pilot is able to slave his machine’s weapon systems to their helmet display, effectively controlling the movement of his weapons with his head, much like the system used by Apache helicopter gunners. Cockpit designs closely resemble that of jets, having control systems that make use of combinations of sticks, throttles, and foot pedals. Overall appearances and controls may vary from one manufacturer to another.

The latest military-grade FRAMEs are powered by miniaturized, thermonuclear reactors and held together by an internal skeleton of sorts, to which armor and components are attached. Myomers, thin tubes of artificial musculature, sheathe actuators, which are essentially the joints of a FRAME. The combination of these components allows FRAMEs to perform precise movements and to an extent, mimic that of the human body at the pilot’s slightest touch. Multiple layers of laminated steel and composite armor protect the FRAME's internals. In comparison to a main battle tank or armored personnel carrier, a FRAME’s armor integrity is rather light by necessity. To remain mobile, FRAMEs sacrifice protection for ease of movement and speed, fulfilling a niche role on the battlefield. While impervious to small arms and machine gun fire, FRAMEs can be damaged by a direct hit from a high velocity 40 mm grenade launcher and will fare worse to anything more powerful. Armor-piercing autocannon rounds can threaten a FRAME’s armor, and anti-tank rockets or missiles will surely knock it out. To protect themselves against guided weaponry, FRAMEs are fitted with smoke, chaff and flare launchers, and most have electronic warfare packages installed. Main battle tanks, and aircraft are a FRAME’s most dangerous adversaries, especially on open ground. Despite this, FRAMEs can just as easily destroy each of these with the appropriate weaponry, especially when cooperating as a team.

FRAMEs are able to operate in a wide range of environments. Common methods of deployment include airdrops from aircraft with sturdy parachutes, amphibious landings by use of underwater propulsion packs, or direct transit via ground-based carriers. All FRAMEs have wheels affixed to the soles of the feet, which are what makes them so mobile. They can use these wheels to “skate” over both short and long distances and perform quick maneuvers or evasion. The style of wheels can be swapped depending on the terrain and can be replaced with tracks. Legs can even be replaced entirely with a tank or IFV chassis. The multitude of options available to FRAMEs makes them truly versatile machines.

This installment of FRAMEs follows a mercenary FRAME unit called the Preying Panthers, presently in the employ of Cradle Dynamics, one of the globe's major corporate powers. What your life was like prior to joining the Panthers and what you’ve been through hardly matters; This is your family now. The Panthers are a collection of folks with nothing to lose, many looking for a last chance at prosperity. There are ex-military and security personnel, ex-criminals, union workers, civil servants, university dropouts. Men and women from many walks of life have thrown their lot in with the Panthers, and in turn have been drilled, trained and whipped into some of the most respected sellswords in the business.