We have our own theme song! Stand tall for Beast of Babylon.
Outremer, dirty gem of the Hyades cluster. A planet with a lot of secrets to keep hidden and a past no one seems to remember. Babylon, a shining super city over a thousand miles across; home to billions of lifeforms, human and alien alike. Governed by an ancient military power so entrenched and unshakable that they may as well have been part of the planet itself. A Utopian paradise full of vibrancy, debauchery and vigour for some, a living and breathing hell for others. A vast desert; perfectly symmetrical, surrounding the city. Home to sand Pirates, low-lifes and mercenaries. Twenty four alien Towers that shield Babylon from the elements A myriad of old ruins, cave complexes and underground vaults full of traps tease adventurers brave enough to delve the depths. Three neighboring cities, Edessa, Actim and Réunion provide vital resources.
The world is in turmoil. Centuries of slow oppression and diminishing rights have reached a breaking point. The lights are beginning to flash as people finally wake and find that the colony free spirit is long gone and what is left has become old, dark and dangerous. Illegal broadcasts by stations not sponsored by the State are beginning to revive the flow of information around Babylon. Pirate attacks are more frequent, attacks on the Shield Wall are more devastating, and with the Navy off fighting in the Outer Rim, the wheels of revolution are turning in everyone's minds. Demonstrations are more than just in the privacy of your own home now, they are on the street corners and in the workplace. People want answers: what really happened in the First Contact War? Why have droids begun going mad and shouting in the street? Why is the feeding frenzy escalating out in the desert?
This Information Area is a work in progress and is subject to heavy editing, check back here regularly. Also make sure to check out the Interest Check here. It contains a lot of useful information and back story which you will likely need to get a full feel for this world. The world-building stage of this roleplay is still in full swing so feel free to drop in with a CS or just to throw down ideas or suggestions; all are taken into account. Lastly, if you have any questions all about the world we are building here, don't hesitate to ask. I love answering questions and i'm sure some of the participants can answer as well as i can.
Contents
Character Section & Skeleton
Setting the Stage
Featured Species
Flora & Fauna
Major Factions & their arsenals
Other Corporations
Artificial Intelligence
Full Name:
Age:
Race:
Appearance:
You can provide a picture and text or just text on it's own. Make sure to include text though, to describe everything the picture doesn't show.
Personality:
History:
Occupation:
Weaponry:
Augments:
Other:
Character list
Jack Tiberius Thegn III - By Catharyn
Darik Amst Herath - By Siphran
Artesa "Tesla" or "Tess" Jou - By Siphran
Richard Weiss - By Leiderschaft
Captain Venator Aralis
Doctor Estee
Miles Clarke
Andrew Bishop
Arthur Vi Excalibur
Robert Kruschev Sinclaire - By Skull
Dr Ayah Lau
Taleste Jot-Anne
Grak Klu'chyu Ruo
InSIDiatori - by Hounderhowl
Amis Thrysia - By Halo
Darik Amst Herath - By Siphran
Artesa "Tesla" or "Tess" Jou - By Siphran
Richard Weiss - By Leiderschaft
Captain Venator Aralis
Doctor Estee
Miles Clarke
Andrew Bishop
Arthur Vi Excalibur
Robert Kruschev Sinclaire - By Skull
Dr Ayah Lau
Taleste Jot-Anne
Grak Klu'chyu Ruo
InSIDiatori - by Hounderhowl
Amis Thrysia - By Halo
1 - Setting the Stage
The Roleplay is set on a planet named Outremer, nestled near the outer edge of the Hyades open cluster, in the head of the Constellation Taurus. There are a few colonies with large populations in the system but the vast majority of them are mining complexes or other research facilities. The planet has six moons, varying in size from a tiny comet-stricken rock to a body the size of earth. They each feature flourishing mining/petrochemical communities, each with varying allegiances to Babylon. There have been instances were union action has spiraled out of control which lead to various insurrections which required the attention of the BESC Fleet.
Outremer itself is large, approximately eight times larger than The Earth and is incredibly diverse. The primary focus of the Roleplay is on a vast circular desert near the equator of Outremer, ten thousand miles in diameter, but that is by no means the only biome. There are dense forests, arid badlands, river deltas and arctic glaciers, each home to a different people who have adapted to handle the conditions. Archaeological digs and also exploration of Rahtu ruins have uncovered an endless network of tunnels under the surface of the planet. Adventuring teams have revealed that ancient cities have been found under the earth, however there are too many dangers to set up a research base in many of these sites.
Outremer itself is large, approximately eight times larger than The Earth and is incredibly diverse. The primary focus of the Roleplay is on a vast circular desert near the equator of Outremer, ten thousand miles in diameter, but that is by no means the only biome. There are dense forests, arid badlands, river deltas and arctic glaciers, each home to a different people who have adapted to handle the conditions. Archaeological digs and also exploration of Rahtu ruins have uncovered an endless network of tunnels under the surface of the planet. Adventuring teams have revealed that ancient cities have been found under the earth, however there are too many dangers to set up a research base in many of these sites.
Babylon
'The Gleaming Jewel' in Outremer's crown, Babylon is a true engineering marvel. One thousand miles across with skyscrapers bursting into the cloud cover, it is home to over four billion men, women and aliens. It's the cultural, military and economic powerhouse of the system and a major contender for most influential city in the cluster. Crammed full of bright neon lights, debauched clubs, ancient banking societies and experimental weapons manufacturers, Babylon is home to a very diverse population with differing beliefs and ideologies. It's a mystery in itself as to why 90% of the population gathered in one spot on a planet so large and diverse; most put it down to the 'colony sheep' effect. Another theory is the comforting atmosphere provided by the twelve Alien Towers arrayed around Babylon. Originally they protected a Rahtu city until at the end of the First Contact War Humanity built Babylon over it. They all shoot some unidentifiable energy into the air and all the beams link up directly above the middle of the city. This in turn creates a Biosphere which is hardly visible to the human eye. It keeps the temperature down, creates artificial rain which waters the city park's manicured gardens, shelters them from the blistering sandstorms and generally makes the inhabitants feel as if they aren't really in a gigantic desert at all.
Walking into Babylon itself, you will soon find out there are hundreds of districts that are often jumbled together and jostling for attention. Buildings of all different sizes and shapes sprawl out for as far as the eye can see. Huge skyscraper-like blocks of apartments that link together via huge walkway have long been considered the only rational way for residencies to be built here. This maximizes space efficiency seeing as there is a sore lack of it within the Biosphere. Of course this isn't always the case, the buildings get smaller and more individualistic the closer you get to the Biosphere Rim, with houses getting more ornate.surrounded by plush gardens. There is These properties are owned by the business owners and corporate elite.The consensus within Babylon is that the closer to the Skytower you live, the lower your class and status.
The rich on the outskirts do have to deal with the daily threat of bandits and other unsavories breaching the Biosphere defences, but in recent times the construction of a ring-wall that circles the entire city, complete with a standing army and auto-turrets, has decreased the risk of a full scale invasion or infestation by Maw Worms or Sand Pirates. The forces at the wall have a much tighter grip on all the traffic that comes into Babylon from the Desert; they can sort the legitimate traders from the 'scum and terrorists'. Airships flying into the Biosphere must identify themselves or risk being pursued and shot down by BESC.
Of course, there is a quota of land within the Capitol that has been set aside for nature reserves and other features. Interlocking nature with the sleek beauty of the architecture, parks, monuments and lakes dot the Capitol, wildlife encouraged to embellish the authenticity. But the center of the Capitol is where most of the action is. Located on an island surrounded by man-made moat; skyscrapers and public buildings fill the horizon, each vying to be the highest and most prestigious. This epicenter is where the majority of the banks, bureaucratic agencies, corporate headquarters, the infamous Skytower and of course the BESC nerve center are kept. The Babylonian Council is also located at the epicenter. That is where the various ministers meet to discuss matters of importance.
Moving through the legendary Biosphere that hangs above the Capitol, the heat hits you like a wall and the sun suddenly seems a lot brighter. You are confronted with a barren desert as far as the eye can see. Dunes of rippled sand, with streams of fine dust blowing gently atop it, creating a mirage of elegance, like a painting against the bleak barren landscape. The tall brown peaks way off in the distance show the edge of the Desert, stretching up to grasp at the clouds far above the searing sand and casting a stretched, dark shadow across the wasteland. The mountains and desert are, for the most part, completely barren. There is little to support life outside of the Capitol, aside from the odd oasis; which are few and many miles between. Such oasis's are often small, surrounded by patches of grass with a few trees and bushes. However, in a dry, arid landscape such as the desert, even the smallest patch of grass and shallowest watering hole is akin to a gift sent from the stars.
The Babylon State includes the desert surrounding it, however BESC have nigh on given up trying to control the badlands which feature a myriad of hideouts and anchorages. Shantytowns have sprung up in the shadow of all twelve of the Alien Towers which are all equidistant from Babylon. These shantytowns are a hive of criminal activity; Chop shops, black market souks, blood sports, counterfeit weaponry and ammo as well as slavery (human, alien and Machine.) They also harbor the thriving industry of manufacturing and selling of Sandships as well as refurbishing old or stolen ones. This is a practice BESC has outlawed and furthermore is trying to stamp out, however they often don't dare venture into the towns except to maintain or study the Towers. The resistance they encounter from the locals is often fierce and violent. However there have always been assumptions that BESC spies, informants and agents keep tabs on powerful individuals and are implicated in the regular assassinations that occur.
Edessa
A city of fifty million situated around ten thousand miles Northwest of Babylon, Edessa supplies the whole of Outremer with clean and fresh water. It's not the only source of H2o but if transport of its water ceased, Babylon's population would be in deep trouble. Six high speed, non-stop, underground Mag-Railway lines run huge tankers of water to and from the capital at close to an eye watering ten thousand miles an hour. They reach the Biosphere in 67 minutes, unload their cargo into gigantic reservoirs and head off to get the next batch. In addition to that, pipes and waterways are slowly being constructed to flow directly in Babylon. Constant raids by pirates and bandits from the desert sands has slowed construction considerably, which is why Babylon relies so much on the trains. Nonetheless, they are nearly finished, some of the pipelines being barely five hundred miles away from the Biosphere. Edessa is situated on the rim of a colossal crater, connected to a series of underwater lakes. Rivers from all over flow into this crater, which then leads into the sea. A multitude of dams control the flow of water every step of the way and generate electricity for the entire city.
Actim
A city of seventy five million full time inhabitants situated about ten thousand miles Northeast of Babylon, Actim is one of the most renowned tourist centers in the Cluster. Citizens sick of their life, high ranking Babylonian officials and the rich and influential from planets millions of miles away from Outremer flock to this city in their millions to enjoy cool sea breezes, gorgeous beaches and 'the most exciting cocktails in the galaxy!' The variety of activities and range of establishments is baffling, one can play Vrangan Prang on the beach with buddies in the morning, be lunching on lobster in one of the privately hired glass submarines that explore the beautiful coral reefs in the afternoon and be hobnobbing with most glamorous people on the planet in the skybar 'Ciel de Paris' by nightfall. Restaurants serving delicacies to suit absolutely every taste are on every street corner. Shops were you can buy luxuries from the galaxy over sit illuminated by sumptuous white lights on every boulevard.
Réunion
A city of twenty million situated almost ten thousand miles South of Babylon, Réunion is the capital's main supplier of food, fruit and vegetable matter. Animals, plants and trees of every conceivable variety are force grown in perfect conditions inside thousands of circular green houses and farms, to be shipped off to Babylon on six high speed, non-stop, underground Mag-Railway lines, much like the water that comes from Edessa. The population of Réunion are almost all involved in the food trade, helping to maintain existing greenhouses or build new ones. They all choose to live in thin towers that double as research facilities. Here corporations invest time and money into advanced Genetic Modification techniques, for food as well as sentient creatures. From above Réunion looks like a neural network, with a vast complex of greenhouses being linked by walkways and accommodation towers.
The Desert
Blisteringly hot, arid and very very dangerous. The desert sands are no the only danger to anyone stupid enough to venture out into the Badlands on their own. The Desert is roamed by Sandships full of Pirates, raiding innocent barges and land vehicles for their stuff. There is also the issue of dangerous fauna to contend with. Maw Worms, Pclendathun and other rarer beasts are all carnivorous and will most likely attack upon sensing your presence. Go in a convoy! Or even better, fly out of there all together. Keeping Babylon's immediate atmosphere at a nice level are twenty four large Alien Towers which circle the city at equal distances. Over time, settlements have sprung up around each of them. These Tower Towns range in size from twenty thousand to two million, though a lot of the inhabitants are only in residence for short periods at a time. These towns are dirty, ramshackle and quite often a hive for criminal activity; most buildings are made from rudimentary construction materials such as brick and sheet metal and gang graffiti and propaganda is everywhere. Humanity in the desert is not limited to these Tower Towns though.
To give you a flavor of whats out there, you can see here decrepit little havens built out of a graveyard of Sand Ships.
Little Souks thriving beneath the wheels of abandoned super transports (Krupp Corp gear mostly)
There are also vast wind farms, protected by brutal and highly paid packs of mercenaries.
'The Gleaming Jewel' in Outremer's crown, Babylon is a true engineering marvel. One thousand miles across with skyscrapers bursting into the cloud cover, it is home to over four billion men, women and aliens. It's the cultural, military and economic powerhouse of the system and a major contender for most influential city in the cluster. Crammed full of bright neon lights, debauched clubs, ancient banking societies and experimental weapons manufacturers, Babylon is home to a very diverse population with differing beliefs and ideologies. It's a mystery in itself as to why 90% of the population gathered in one spot on a planet so large and diverse; most put it down to the 'colony sheep' effect. Another theory is the comforting atmosphere provided by the twelve Alien Towers arrayed around Babylon. Originally they protected a Rahtu city until at the end of the First Contact War Humanity built Babylon over it. They all shoot some unidentifiable energy into the air and all the beams link up directly above the middle of the city. This in turn creates a Biosphere which is hardly visible to the human eye. It keeps the temperature down, creates artificial rain which waters the city park's manicured gardens, shelters them from the blistering sandstorms and generally makes the inhabitants feel as if they aren't really in a gigantic desert at all.
Walking into Babylon itself, you will soon find out there are hundreds of districts that are often jumbled together and jostling for attention. Buildings of all different sizes and shapes sprawl out for as far as the eye can see. Huge skyscraper-like blocks of apartments that link together via huge walkway have long been considered the only rational way for residencies to be built here. This maximizes space efficiency seeing as there is a sore lack of it within the Biosphere. Of course this isn't always the case, the buildings get smaller and more individualistic the closer you get to the Biosphere Rim, with houses getting more ornate.surrounded by plush gardens. There is These properties are owned by the business owners and corporate elite.The consensus within Babylon is that the closer to the Skytower you live, the lower your class and status.
The rich on the outskirts do have to deal with the daily threat of bandits and other unsavories breaching the Biosphere defences, but in recent times the construction of a ring-wall that circles the entire city, complete with a standing army and auto-turrets, has decreased the risk of a full scale invasion or infestation by Maw Worms or Sand Pirates. The forces at the wall have a much tighter grip on all the traffic that comes into Babylon from the Desert; they can sort the legitimate traders from the 'scum and terrorists'. Airships flying into the Biosphere must identify themselves or risk being pursued and shot down by BESC.
Of course, there is a quota of land within the Capitol that has been set aside for nature reserves and other features. Interlocking nature with the sleek beauty of the architecture, parks, monuments and lakes dot the Capitol, wildlife encouraged to embellish the authenticity. But the center of the Capitol is where most of the action is. Located on an island surrounded by man-made moat; skyscrapers and public buildings fill the horizon, each vying to be the highest and most prestigious. This epicenter is where the majority of the banks, bureaucratic agencies, corporate headquarters, the infamous Skytower and of course the BESC nerve center are kept. The Babylonian Council is also located at the epicenter. That is where the various ministers meet to discuss matters of importance.
Moving through the legendary Biosphere that hangs above the Capitol, the heat hits you like a wall and the sun suddenly seems a lot brighter. You are confronted with a barren desert as far as the eye can see. Dunes of rippled sand, with streams of fine dust blowing gently atop it, creating a mirage of elegance, like a painting against the bleak barren landscape. The tall brown peaks way off in the distance show the edge of the Desert, stretching up to grasp at the clouds far above the searing sand and casting a stretched, dark shadow across the wasteland. The mountains and desert are, for the most part, completely barren. There is little to support life outside of the Capitol, aside from the odd oasis; which are few and many miles between. Such oasis's are often small, surrounded by patches of grass with a few trees and bushes. However, in a dry, arid landscape such as the desert, even the smallest patch of grass and shallowest watering hole is akin to a gift sent from the stars.
The Babylon State includes the desert surrounding it, however BESC have nigh on given up trying to control the badlands which feature a myriad of hideouts and anchorages. Shantytowns have sprung up in the shadow of all twelve of the Alien Towers which are all equidistant from Babylon. These shantytowns are a hive of criminal activity; Chop shops, black market souks, blood sports, counterfeit weaponry and ammo as well as slavery (human, alien and Machine.) They also harbor the thriving industry of manufacturing and selling of Sandships as well as refurbishing old or stolen ones. This is a practice BESC has outlawed and furthermore is trying to stamp out, however they often don't dare venture into the towns except to maintain or study the Towers. The resistance they encounter from the locals is often fierce and violent. However there have always been assumptions that BESC spies, informants and agents keep tabs on powerful individuals and are implicated in the regular assassinations that occur.
Edessa
A city of fifty million situated around ten thousand miles Northwest of Babylon, Edessa supplies the whole of Outremer with clean and fresh water. It's not the only source of H2o but if transport of its water ceased, Babylon's population would be in deep trouble. Six high speed, non-stop, underground Mag-Railway lines run huge tankers of water to and from the capital at close to an eye watering ten thousand miles an hour. They reach the Biosphere in 67 minutes, unload their cargo into gigantic reservoirs and head off to get the next batch. In addition to that, pipes and waterways are slowly being constructed to flow directly in Babylon. Constant raids by pirates and bandits from the desert sands has slowed construction considerably, which is why Babylon relies so much on the trains. Nonetheless, they are nearly finished, some of the pipelines being barely five hundred miles away from the Biosphere. Edessa is situated on the rim of a colossal crater, connected to a series of underwater lakes. Rivers from all over flow into this crater, which then leads into the sea. A multitude of dams control the flow of water every step of the way and generate electricity for the entire city.
Actim
A city of seventy five million full time inhabitants situated about ten thousand miles Northeast of Babylon, Actim is one of the most renowned tourist centers in the Cluster. Citizens sick of their life, high ranking Babylonian officials and the rich and influential from planets millions of miles away from Outremer flock to this city in their millions to enjoy cool sea breezes, gorgeous beaches and 'the most exciting cocktails in the galaxy!' The variety of activities and range of establishments is baffling, one can play Vrangan Prang on the beach with buddies in the morning, be lunching on lobster in one of the privately hired glass submarines that explore the beautiful coral reefs in the afternoon and be hobnobbing with most glamorous people on the planet in the skybar 'Ciel de Paris' by nightfall. Restaurants serving delicacies to suit absolutely every taste are on every street corner. Shops were you can buy luxuries from the galaxy over sit illuminated by sumptuous white lights on every boulevard.
Réunion
A city of twenty million situated almost ten thousand miles South of Babylon, Réunion is the capital's main supplier of food, fruit and vegetable matter. Animals, plants and trees of every conceivable variety are force grown in perfect conditions inside thousands of circular green houses and farms, to be shipped off to Babylon on six high speed, non-stop, underground Mag-Railway lines, much like the water that comes from Edessa. The population of Réunion are almost all involved in the food trade, helping to maintain existing greenhouses or build new ones. They all choose to live in thin towers that double as research facilities. Here corporations invest time and money into advanced Genetic Modification techniques, for food as well as sentient creatures. From above Réunion looks like a neural network, with a vast complex of greenhouses being linked by walkways and accommodation towers.
The Desert
Blisteringly hot, arid and very very dangerous. The desert sands are no the only danger to anyone stupid enough to venture out into the Badlands on their own. The Desert is roamed by Sandships full of Pirates, raiding innocent barges and land vehicles for their stuff. There is also the issue of dangerous fauna to contend with. Maw Worms, Pclendathun and other rarer beasts are all carnivorous and will most likely attack upon sensing your presence. Go in a convoy! Or even better, fly out of there all together. Keeping Babylon's immediate atmosphere at a nice level are twenty four large Alien Towers which circle the city at equal distances. Over time, settlements have sprung up around each of them. These Tower Towns range in size from twenty thousand to two million, though a lot of the inhabitants are only in residence for short periods at a time. These towns are dirty, ramshackle and quite often a hive for criminal activity; most buildings are made from rudimentary construction materials such as brick and sheet metal and gang graffiti and propaganda is everywhere. Humanity in the desert is not limited to these Tower Towns though.
To give you a flavor of whats out there, you can see here decrepit little havens built out of a graveyard of Sand Ships.
Little Souks thriving beneath the wheels of abandoned super transports (Krupp Corp gear mostly)
There are also vast wind farms, protected by brutal and highly paid packs of mercenaries.
2 - Featured Species
I'd hope you know what a human looks like by now. We come in all shapes, sizes and colors. Some of us have resorted to augmenting or genofixing our bodies out of necessity, a desire to be unique, stronger, faster or just because we can. We live longer (up to 250 years for most of the population) and regularly grow to two meters high. We have expanded our horizons massively but groups of Humanity have splintered across the stars, creating a disjointed and fiercely independent empire.
The Tindrel are a Collective composed of three main species; the Gorrompek, the Chirix and the Eliazoph. They are all very different species who work together for the benefit of all. The Gorrompek are the fighters, standing on four legs they are strong, fast and brave. The Chirix are the builders, artisans and workers of the Collective. They have fantastic teamworking instincts and have the fine dexterity that the other two participant races lack. The Eliazoph are the philosophers and thinkers, extremely clever, they often work on a scale beyond the capacity of lesser species such as Humanity. However they're clumsy and impractical, so they require support from the other two. They all need each other to survive in Outremer.
History: The history of the Tindrel is shaky in some areas, as records have been lost or tampered with, but most of the facts are fairly representative (it's mostly just things that have been left out of the official report all together.) The Tindrel's first contact with Humanity was in the form of a string of raiding parties. Their craft landed on various frontier colonies, looting and killing the men and women stationed there with primitive weaponry and barbaric ferocity. This continued for some years with varying success, culminating in the sacking of a Central Earth Bank branch on a well-populated forest world named Grange. The UEG (United Earth Government) finally got on the case and after some light skirmishing with raiders, managed to find out the location of the Tindrel heartland, a large planet with a handful of moons and other bases. The United Fleet arrived largely unopposed and after a short orbital battle with a ramshackle Tindrel fleet, glassed the entire planet in what has become a legend in Tindrel and Human folklore, immortalized in art and literature.
The surviving Tindrel citizens were informally enslaved by Humanity, forced to take on hard labor rebuilding all the damage they'd caused (Humanity called it reparations) and undertaking dangerous work on new colonies. When a fleet was formed to Explore the Hyades cluster, a large percentage of the Tindrel workforce was enlisted by what would later become BESC. Used as ground soldiers alongside Humans in the First Contact War, the Tindrel became conditioned to blindly obey and were given very little in return. They became second class Outremer citizens and its only recently that forward thinkers have begun pushing for equality.
Gorrompek
Basic attributes: Fast, agile, rapid reaction times, fairly robust; overly aggressive, overzealous, impetuous.
Chirix
Basic attributes: Strong, dexterous, exceptional team-workers; herd mentality, panicky, overly emotional.
Eliazoph
Basic attributes: Extremely intelligent, the cleverest often working at scales beyond human capability; not very practical, physically inferior to other species, often absent-minded, sometimes overly logical, rarely decisive.
History: The history of the Tindrel is shaky in some areas, as records have been lost or tampered with, but most of the facts are fairly representative (it's mostly just things that have been left out of the official report all together.) The Tindrel's first contact with Humanity was in the form of a string of raiding parties. Their craft landed on various frontier colonies, looting and killing the men and women stationed there with primitive weaponry and barbaric ferocity. This continued for some years with varying success, culminating in the sacking of a Central Earth Bank branch on a well-populated forest world named Grange. The UEG (United Earth Government) finally got on the case and after some light skirmishing with raiders, managed to find out the location of the Tindrel heartland, a large planet with a handful of moons and other bases. The United Fleet arrived largely unopposed and after a short orbital battle with a ramshackle Tindrel fleet, glassed the entire planet in what has become a legend in Tindrel and Human folklore, immortalized in art and literature.
The surviving Tindrel citizens were informally enslaved by Humanity, forced to take on hard labor rebuilding all the damage they'd caused (Humanity called it reparations) and undertaking dangerous work on new colonies. When a fleet was formed to Explore the Hyades cluster, a large percentage of the Tindrel workforce was enlisted by what would later become BESC. Used as ground soldiers alongside Humans in the First Contact War, the Tindrel became conditioned to blindly obey and were given very little in return. They became second class Outremer citizens and its only recently that forward thinkers have begun pushing for equality.
Gorrompek
Basic attributes: Fast, agile, rapid reaction times, fairly robust; overly aggressive, overzealous, impetuous.
Chirix
Basic attributes: Strong, dexterous, exceptional team-workers; herd mentality, panicky, overly emotional.
Eliazoph
Basic attributes: Extremely intelligent, the cleverest often working at scales beyond human capability; not very practical, physically inferior to other species, often absent-minded, sometimes overly logical, rarely decisive.
The Scyvi are a relatively new addition to the Outremer canvas. They arrived practically unnoticed as a pack of around ten thousand around thirty years ago and have maintained that number stringently. Not much is known about their background or intentions apart from what they have told people. The general consensus is that their home world is a long long way away and they have all come to Outremer on some Rite of Passage. The purpose of this pilgrimage is to do good works: healing, contributing to the local culture and trying to bring peace to whatever region they have chosen. Their position within society once they return to their home-world is allegedly based on the amount of good works they've achieved whilst on this pilgrimage. The Scyvi have three stages of development: the Squire stage, from birth until generally around one hundred years old. The Denizen stage from one hundred to two hundred and fifty years. Finally the Enlightened stage, from two hundred and fifty to eight hundred The majority of the Scyvi present in Outremer are Squires doing their Pilgrimage, administered and overseen by a few Denizens and one Enlightened, who they refer to as The Deacon.
3 - Flora & Fauna
There are thousands of creature types living on and below the surface of the world, here are a select few of the most prominent.
Maw Worm
A creature native to this harsh arid terrain, the Maw worms are mollusk like creatures that can grow to be truly immense in scale, with some reports indicating there are Maw Worms big enough to swallow large Sandships whole. They have a variety of hunting devices. Firstly, they are able to hide under the sand, even being able to move through the looser patches by simply using their tail end to propel themselves along. Secondly there are a number of fleshy tendrils that grow from behind the rows of razor sharp teeth; when they're needed to catch prey a chemical message creates a strong adhesive which coats the tendrils. They then shoot out at lengths of up to ten meters and wrap around the quarry, holding them still and even dragging them to the Worm's gaping mouth. The Maw Worms don't have eyes, effectively making them blind, but their undersides are very sensitive to vibrations on the sand. By laying flat in the sand, the Maw Worms can detect prey and even communicate to each other via imperceptible shuffles that send vibrations. This isn't the only way however, there have been reports of Maw's using a low wailing sound to talk to their kind. Maw Worms can be loners, but most often will travel in herds of around ten; composed of two families headed by an alpha and beta male. For the most part this herd will carry on traversing the desert a couple of meters below the sand their whole life, stopping only to rest or eat.
Dromulus Stenomylus - Known as the Common Dromelar to most.
The average life expectancy of a Dromelar is 40 to 50 years. A full-grown adult stands 5.48 m (18 foot) at the shoulder and is usually over 8m (26 foot) from tail to nose. Dromelar adults are stronger than they look (though ungainly and requiring a skilled rider to stay in the saddle) and can run at up to 65 km/h (40 mph) in short bursts and sustain speeds of up to 30 km/h (18 mph). The male Dromelar has in its throat an organ called a dulla, a large, inflatable sac he extrudes from his mouth when in rut to assert dominance and attract females. It resembles a long, swollen, pink tongue hanging out of it's huge mouth. Dromelar do not directly store water in their tails to survive long periods without drinking as was once commonly believed. It's long tail is actually a reservoir of fatty tissue: concentrating body fat in their tail minimizes the insulating effect fat would have if distributed over the rest of their bodies, helping the Dromelar survive in hot climates. Moreover, they have evolved a kind of second mouth on the tip of their tail. Operated with a very strong suction mechanism, a Dromelar will often opt to dip it's tail in any water it finds to drink rather than kneel down and leave itself vulnerable. Most Dromelar surviving today have been domesticated by various factions as well as tribes who have reverted to more primitive times out in the vast Deserts of Outremer and beyond.
Harhee
Harhee's are small mammals supposedly related to the ancient 'Monkey'. Often referred to as 'Space vermin, the Harhees are excellent at adapting to their environment and surviving; whatever the odds. Though they seem to gravitate towards humans and other settlements, suggesting that their instincts recognize Humans as easy shelter and nourishment. Their pigment changes dramatically according to their surroundings. When in Babylon or another human settlement they take on a colorful pelt but in the desert they will quickly take on a white/grey pigment to blend in. Simple creatures, they form small groups and wander around the cities, scavenging scraps and performing simple tasks in exchange for food. Some people keep Harhees as pets and some have even been taught to speak several words. Brought to Babylon by traders coming from various other colonies, they have quickly become a pest.
Pclendathün
(Pronounced 'Clendathoon')
Known locally as Arachnids or sand bugs, these Insectoid menaces are fiercely territorial and hard to kill. Yet they don't live long, having no healing capabilities at all. They are a war-like species, with one queen ruling them all. The Pclendathün live in huge caverns below the ground, but vicious in-fighting and sheer numbers mean few of them reach the surface. The ones that do are loners, viciously killing anything they lay their sights on. Having said that, they can take nutrients from the air and soil to survive, but the urge to kill is hardwired into every single Arachnid. Occasionally a group will get together, united under a strong Alpha. When this happens, they immediately head for the nearest source of food. For some of them this is a town of Humans or a tribe of Rahtu.
Dagar & Phalanx Nymph
The Dagar and Phalanx Nymphs are a species of bug that seem to bear resemblances to common Dragonfly, though through evolution sped up by harsh differences they have completely separate habitats and food chains. They are both born in the water from eggs, they then spend up to a year slowly gaining mass and dominating their surroundings by using strength and agility as an advantage. When they are ready, they enter a cocoon state that leaves them vulnerable for a day or so. The cocoon is light and full of air, so it floats on top of the water. This is the potentially fatal stage in the Nymph's development, as Ragwitches swoop down and eat these cocoons in their thousands. Their only defense is the stickiness of the outer shell, which often takes a while to chew through. *When finally an adult Nymph (or a Fly as they're officially supposed to be called after the cocoon stage.) emerges from the cocoon, it's about half a foot long. Sometime in the past, the Dagar Nymphs found their way into the Capitol from the marshes around some of the Towers. Soon there was a huge host of them swarming Babylon. Forming one half of the Genus. Here they picked up a taste for human trash and now can be found eating scraps from the floor and roosting on roofs. The color of their pigment varies depending on their surroundings. Most of the Capitol is White, grey or black. There have been cases of pink Dagar Nymphs, these are considered a rarity and are often caught for money. *On the other side of the Genus however is the Phalanx Nymph. When half of the population moved into the Capitol to become pests, the other half stayed in the desert and became known as Phalanx Nymphs. This is because opposed to the Dagar's small size and soft body, they are big and bulky with insectoid armor. Their pigment matches that of the Desert, light brown and White with the occasional case of yellow and green. Although virtually harmless to humans, they are considered a pest and hold little sway against humans, because of their size they're good targets for blunt objects.
Ragwitch
An age old species of bird. Existent on the planet way before humans colonized it. Most commonly found diving down onto the desert floor to prey on some unsuspecting animal before fluttering back up into the sparse trees or rocks that lay around in clumps. They are instantly recognizable by their distinctive red tail feathers. They have a ruff of spiky feathers on the top of their head that rile up when they're feeling threatened. Their beaks are small and rounded but incredibly strong. They have adapted well to breaking the shells of mammals and insects alike with their powerful jaws. Or when their quarry proves too strong to crack, the Ragwitches have developed a means of breaking the shells open. Picking them up and laboring into the air, the Ragwitch will fly it's prey high into the air before dropping it with lethal precision onto a hard surface. Mainly rocks but sometimes the deck of a Sand ship or the roof of a building.
4 - Major Factions
Babylon Executive Security Command (B.E.S.C.) - MAIN GOVERNMENT
BESC is the collective representation of the First Fleet which landed an expeditionary force on Outremer over a thousand years ago and established the initial Babylonian colony. Originally a smorgasbord of multiple different navies, institutions and military powers from different planets, BESC underwent a period of brutal in-fighting during a critical stage in the First Contact War. This would have almost definitely culminated in a suicidal civil war which would have ended with the Rahtu driving them off the planet. During this instability the CGB was formed by popular consensus and BESC was consigned as the planet's centralized military and nothing more.
However this changed almost three centuries ago; with support of the people's voter-ship, BESC became the main governing power, this in turn reduced the Central Government of Babylon to a subsidiary role. They got this chance because the CGB went through a period of weakness and couldn't co-ordinate a defense against the Vrangan Blitz or the Second Contact War without significant change overs in power to the military. BESC used the media to whip up mass hysteria then took the hero role by stopping the Vrangans dead and beating back the Rahtu hordes (a simple task if you devote enough tax payers money to it.) The rest is history, BESC used strong arm tactics to hold an election with them as candidates alongside seemingly feeble CGB parties and won a landslide victory.
The first law they enacted was one akin to a semi permanent state of emergency which required BESC leadership. This basically meant that they had cemented their power and another governmental takeover wasn't allowed.
It is a military-type hierarchy with a few exceptions. The President is the acting figurehead to a twelve-member cabinet that may consist of high ranking officers, or carefully selected politicians.
Function: All major forms of legislation can only be countermanded if the ROC and the CGB have obtained enough majority votes to make an appeal. Otherwise, whatever they say, goes. (For example: As soon as BESC ascended into power, they immediately enacted a law that prevented another government take over from happening again. While the CGB attempt to revoke this law to no end, they never have enough majority votes from the ROC to make an official appeal).
Republic of Organized Corporations (R.O.C.) - INTERMEDIARIES
Info: Since BESC was originally a corporation, their shift into policy-making has lead the way for other financial powerhouses to become intermediary branches of the government. Because of their extensive financial wealth that accounts for a lot of BESC's funding for weapon development, campaigning, etc., they unofficially hold more power than the CGB. They operate as the backbone and secondary treasury of BESC. The ROC are composed of the top 10 big businesses in Outremer. There are only five known contributing Corporations that the public knows about. The rest are kept classified to avoid public scrutiny.
Function: They have the ability to lobby votes, clear red tape, and gain authorization to do what they please; provided they play by BESC rules of course.
Central Government of Babylon (C.G.B) - SECONDARY POWER
Info: They are without a doubt, the lowest form of power on the political food chain. While they lack the judicial power of BESC to make any substantial changes, they serve as a democratic voice for the people, labor unions, etc. It's obviously an uphill battle for them because BESC/ROC and CGB both have contrasting agendas, but BESC has to adhere to the more serious issues that the general population are concerned with in order to avoid civil unrest. BESC sees CGB as a nuisance, but a necessary player to keep the people in line.
Functions: The CGB branch out and operate respectively under their designated city-state's laws. They are the acting voice of the people, whom in return, have complete voter-ship control over who gets elected into the CGB ranks. This also means that there are no CGB politicians that served Pre-BESC succession. This also means that they receive the most public scrutiny if they fail to meet demands. While each city-state's police officers are BESC affiliated, they still have to obey CGB law within city-state jurisdiction, unless appealed by the BESC or ROC parties. CGB officials also have the power to vote for a select set of candidates to fill certain roles in the BESC cabinet.
Recently formed, Terra Libertas is a highly militant Anarchist movement, with the sole objective of overthrowing the Capitol. As their numbers gathered, the need to acquire more supplies grew. Liberating weapons and Armour from factories around the industrial district, Terra Libertas are well equipped but unorganized. Whereas CSEC fight in tight formation, always covering each others backs, Terra Libertas prefer to fight from rooftops, raining fire down onto the people below. Focused mostly in the legendary Skytower, Terra Libertas have been fierce rivals with RCM over reasons too petty to be brought up in public now. The founder and mastermind, Octavius Commodus, has spun their tale into a colorful pageant full of freedom and democracy. Of course they know they can't stand up to the full might of the CSEC armed forces, so they've been taking plenty of opportunities whilst the fleet are engaged. Sabotaging factories, stealing munitions, booby trapping roads and attacking CSEC soldiers, Terra Libertas could be on to something big.
Weapon name: PEPS Archimedes
Category: Anti Synthetic rifle
The Archimedes prototype was originally created by CSEC to combat The Torag Uprising which took place twenty years before the beginning of this Story. When they were dispatched with lethal efficiency, CSEC found they had little use for a weapon that was primarily for use against mechanoids or vehicles with an implanted AI chip. After some initial controversy surrounding the ethics of the field testing, the Archimedes was made the standard rifle for many of CSEC's combat engineers that met the rebellious Mechs that year. Compared to normal stock assault rifles, the rounds it fires are smaller and lighter than the average bullet. This comes with the upside of increased range, fire-rate and far lower recoil. However, it does mean that each shot does had incredibly poor piercing and stopping power. However, every round fired by the Archimedes is wrapped in a short-term phasic envelope, which works much like an energy shield. Impact on a target causes the envelope to explode, creating an inch-wide explosive radius with each shot and an electronic pulse with every hit. While this effect has minimal use against organic targets (although the small explosion is still enough to leave a hole in body armour, not to mention blasting through flesh), it becomes far more useful against synthetic targets. Combat androids and light mechs for example. The explosion damages armour and with enough shots can short-circuit the mech's/android's electrical systems for a short time, leaving it open to further assault. CSEC have managed to avoid the issue of having to reload both the bullets and the battery charging the envelope generator by making a single clip that powers both the envelope and contains the ammunition, making it far simpler to use than might be expected.
Weapon name: MRF (Mobile Rapid Fire) Canary Mk1
Category: Close range Submachine gun
The Canary is a surplus sub machine gun produced by the weapons manufacturer Misrah Armories. It began as a proposition for a replacement defense weapon used by engineers and special operations staff. CSEC saw the merit of a fast and maneuverable SMG to be placed within easy reach of vulnerable close quarters troops. But right before the first production run, the order of Canary's from CSEC was rescinded, as the organization had found something cheaper and more reliable in the form of Naga's new Compact SMG range. Misrah's sworn business rivals in the munitions industry. Relations between Misrah and CSEC rapidly soured; and the Canary found new life being produced and sold to Terra Libertas. That being said, The Canary still is a versatile weapons platform. It has a very high rate of fire, is easily maneuverable, and easily concealed. The design of the Thrit allows many modifications to change the performance of the weapon, and it boasts a standard clip that holds thirty five rounds.
Weapon Name: Dafthit MP1
Category: Specialist Assault Rifle
The Dafthit is another failed production run of a replacement weapon. Specifically marketed to air crews as a means of self defense, the deal fell through as the CSEC saw it more beneficial to supply the aircrews with surplus infantry weapons. Misrah Armories decided to follow the path already started by models such as the Canary and secretly market it to Terra Libertas. The Dafthit, affectionately known as the "Daffy Duck" by its users, is a weapon intended for many situations. It has a respectable rate of fire for a weapon of its kind, and exceptional accuracy. The blowback, open bolt weapon fires 5.56 rounds from a twenty round magazine, and is heavily customizable. Misrah sells many attachments for the weapon, allowing it to fit in almost any battlefield. The Dafhthit is also well known for its durability, due to its design and internal mechanisms, it is easy to replace parts, rarely needs maintenance, almost never jams, and even with sand or water inside the gun; it can still fire effectively.
Weapon name: PEPS Archimedes
Category: Anti Synthetic rifle
The Archimedes prototype was originally created by CSEC to combat The Torag Uprising which took place twenty years before the beginning of this Story. When they were dispatched with lethal efficiency, CSEC found they had little use for a weapon that was primarily for use against mechanoids or vehicles with an implanted AI chip. After some initial controversy surrounding the ethics of the field testing, the Archimedes was made the standard rifle for many of CSEC's combat engineers that met the rebellious Mechs that year. Compared to normal stock assault rifles, the rounds it fires are smaller and lighter than the average bullet. This comes with the upside of increased range, fire-rate and far lower recoil. However, it does mean that each shot does had incredibly poor piercing and stopping power. However, every round fired by the Archimedes is wrapped in a short-term phasic envelope, which works much like an energy shield. Impact on a target causes the envelope to explode, creating an inch-wide explosive radius with each shot and an electronic pulse with every hit. While this effect has minimal use against organic targets (although the small explosion is still enough to leave a hole in body armour, not to mention blasting through flesh), it becomes far more useful against synthetic targets. Combat androids and light mechs for example. The explosion damages armour and with enough shots can short-circuit the mech's/android's electrical systems for a short time, leaving it open to further assault. CSEC have managed to avoid the issue of having to reload both the bullets and the battery charging the envelope generator by making a single clip that powers both the envelope and contains the ammunition, making it far simpler to use than might be expected.
Weapon name: MRF (Mobile Rapid Fire) Canary Mk1
Category: Close range Submachine gun
The Canary is a surplus sub machine gun produced by the weapons manufacturer Misrah Armories. It began as a proposition for a replacement defense weapon used by engineers and special operations staff. CSEC saw the merit of a fast and maneuverable SMG to be placed within easy reach of vulnerable close quarters troops. But right before the first production run, the order of Canary's from CSEC was rescinded, as the organization had found something cheaper and more reliable in the form of Naga's new Compact SMG range. Misrah's sworn business rivals in the munitions industry. Relations between Misrah and CSEC rapidly soured; and the Canary found new life being produced and sold to Terra Libertas. That being said, The Canary still is a versatile weapons platform. It has a very high rate of fire, is easily maneuverable, and easily concealed. The design of the Thrit allows many modifications to change the performance of the weapon, and it boasts a standard clip that holds thirty five rounds.
Weapon Name: Dafthit MP1
Category: Specialist Assault Rifle
The Dafthit is another failed production run of a replacement weapon. Specifically marketed to air crews as a means of self defense, the deal fell through as the CSEC saw it more beneficial to supply the aircrews with surplus infantry weapons. Misrah Armories decided to follow the path already started by models such as the Canary and secretly market it to Terra Libertas. The Dafthit, affectionately known as the "Daffy Duck" by its users, is a weapon intended for many situations. It has a respectable rate of fire for a weapon of its kind, and exceptional accuracy. The blowback, open bolt weapon fires 5.56 rounds from a twenty round magazine, and is heavily customizable. Misrah sells many attachments for the weapon, allowing it to fit in almost any battlefield. The Dafhthit is also well known for its durability, due to its design and internal mechanisms, it is easy to replace parts, rarely needs maintenance, almost never jams, and even with sand or water inside the gun; it can still fire effectively.
Faction Name:
The Group
History:
The Group has always been small in number, with no more than one cell being active at a time. Their motives remain shady, but one may be able to extract some form of anti-government/corporation motives from the fact that corrupt managers are liable to disappear in Babylon and business executives have been known to turn up on the poorer side of town in Babylon where they are either taken in, dehydrated, starving, bruised, scabbed and scarred but ultimately alive by the authorities with a story to tell or found by the downtrodden denizens of the poorer rings of Babylon and finally killed as a message. There have been a few cases of the murders of corrupt BESC members being taken out but the only connection that can be made with the Group is that they may be prime suspects, as no criminal organization, religious extremists or other radical groups have come forth claiming responsibility.
There has been only one case of a member of the Group being caught, it is the exact time when authorities got a name to put on the rampant assassinations of government, military and corporate personnel. Donald Brixton, a young twenty year old idealist with established left-leaning political ideals was a well-known name in the outer rings of Babylon, being an outspoken advocate for workers' rights, a thing that had been abandoned as far as the companies that contracted to work in mines and the Tower Towns in the wastes around Babylon. Brixton was said to have disappeared after the deaths of twenty-two child workers from the Tower Towns in a cave-in, with the remaining ten survivors being severely reprimanded, and their families intimidated to ensure that the mishap did not reach the ears of higher-ups in the Central Government of Babylon. After Brixton's probings, it was said that he had gained a lead on the names and faces of the managers and higher-ups of the contracting companies. He disappeared soon after, his bills not being paid, and a subsequent raid on his house for tax evasion revealed that not only was he gone, but he had been gone for quite a wile.
Brixton turned up after five months. Five months filled with news headlines talking of the murders of several higher-ups and lower managers of the Vilnius Contracting Company. Brixton was taken in as a prime suspect in the murders. It was revealed in his interrogations that he had been kidnapped on his walk home from an activist support seminar in the poorer residential districts of Babylon. He described his kidnappers as black-clothed, masked and strong, easily overpowering the healthy young man and taking him to an unknown location. It was then when they threw him into a locked cell with a chair, a table and a bed. He was given food, and asked what his investigative journalism had given him in terms of knowledge of the cover-up. Brixton told them everything he knew, thinking that it was some shady arm of the Central Government taking him in for treason, or paid goons of the Contracting Company accosting him for corporate espionage or simply digging too deeply. Brixton only remembers that the men, when asked of their name, answered with a remarkably shady one: the Group.
The Group maintains its place as an impartial and watchful eye over Babylon. Some say that they are there to protect the common working man from the machinations of the many-armed carnivorous octopus that is BESC and its corporate counterparts; others say that they are just another incarnation of BESC, just another group of idealists that will take out one corrupt government only to replace them at the top. Overall, the Group remains in its place as a dark thought in the dark and forgotten corners of CEOs, managers and corrupt BESC Police Officers and military personnel, it's clear that this fact will not change.
Structure:
The Group is small in number, never having more than one cell active at any given time. These cells are also few in number, with the largest being ten personnel. These cells are speculated to be arranged with one Station Chief, one or two Coordinators, one or two Intelligence Officers, and three to five Paramilitary Operatives.
It is also speculated that the cells maintain a large network of third-party help in their various operations, keeping strong ties to the many Tower Towns in the wastes and sometimes coordinating with Tower Towns to help defend against pirate bands or removing any BESC personnel threatening the lives of any of the residents. Some in the poorer districts of Babylon can definitely be paid a hefty sum for information regarding targets, as well.
The roles of each position in a cell are as follows:
(Note: Contingency Responsibilities are those responsibilities given to each position in the case of catastrophic compromising of a cell that results in the death or capture of every member besides those holding the position in their respective Contingencies.)
Station Chief (SC): Station Chiefs act as leaders of the cell. They make sure everything runs smoothly in the cell's Station, works with the coordinators to facilitate a plan for any Direct Action Operations and is the only full-time member of the Group besides Intelligence Officers. This means that leaders are always working for the Group, whereas the people filling positions under him in the cell are able to carry on lives until they are called to action by the Station Chief and his Intelligence Officers.
The Contingency Responsibility of a Station Chief is to activate the fail-safes of a Station and disappearing back into the populace.
Coordinator: Coordinators are the ones responsible with receiving information that the intelligence operatives gather, creating a viable Direct Action Operation out of it and proposing it to the SC. Once the Coordinators are able to pick out the important parts of any information gathered and turn it into something resembling a mission, they propose it to the SC. If the SC sees that the mission will be beneficial in the long-term, then the Coordinators will work out a plan of attack with the SC, using any information gathered in this phase by the intelligence officers.
The Contingency Responsibility of a Coordinator(s) is the backing up of important information before destroying the original copies. After this is achieved, their next action is to activate the fail-safes and disappear back into the populace for hibernation.
Intelligence Officer: The job of an Intelligence Officer is to find HUMINT (Human Intelligence) assets and IMINT (Image Intelligence) who will be able to give out information relating to a certain target, planning out an Area of Operations and inserting Paramilitary Operatives into the AO for Direct Action, Snatch and Grab, Kidnapping, Theft and Assassination Ops and also Special Reconnaissance. These people work to recruit assets that can be used to gather information and then pass it to the Intelligence Officer. After the Intelligence Officer has gotten enough information from an asset, the asset is blanked of the memory of the Intelligence Officer and dumped at a location picked at random. The Intelligence Officer then writes up an intelligence report and passes it on to the Coordinator(s). If their intelligence helps in creating an approved mission, then they will once again go out into the field, recruiting assets and finding sources that are integral for narrowing down the potential Area of Operations and the target(s) within. Once the Area of Operations is found, they check in with the Coordinators. The creation of a mission plan between the SC and the Coordinator(s) takes place in this phase.
A second but very important responsibility of Intelligence Officers is the recruiting of Paramilitary Operatives and any other members a cell may need. This means that Intelligence Officers must be able to sacrifice many aspects of life apart from the Group to work around the clock to gather information on potential members. This is perhaps their hardest jobs, as it requires intricate planning to be able to flip a BESC Military member or a member of the Police force into Paramilitary Operatives, or be able to convince those showing aptitude for the Coordinator position to the cause.
The Contingency Responsibility of an Intelligence Officer is the destruction of all information and the activation of the Station's fail-safes. Their next action is to carry out their specialty and gather HUMINT sources for the purpose of carrying out sabotage and assassination of the clearest and most present danger before disappearing back into the populace.
Direct Action Operatives (DAO): Direct Action Operatives are the right-hands of the Group. These people are tasked with carrying out the Direct Action Operation that has been carefully planned by the Coordinator(s) and the Station Chief. Typically, these people are recruited from the police force of Babylon or the BESC's military arm in lieu of picking people off the street and spending precious time trying to train them for high-stress situations that tax both body and mind. Members holding this position of the Group must be able to follow plans to the T but also have the capacity to formulate their own plans, should the initial plan fail. The duties of this position are both sabotage and assassination in the over-arcing goal of winning an asymmetric war against an enemy that has been outlined by the Intelligence Officers, Coordinator(s) and the Station Chief. Because the enemies and goals may be wildly different, it is up to the Station Chief and his Intelligence Officers who they will recruit, from assassins to military personnel.
The Contingency Responsibility of DAOs is the activation of the Station's fail-safes before conducting Special Reconnaissance on the clearest and most present danger before carrying out Direct Action to cripple or destroy the opposition before disappearing back into the populace for hibernation.
The Group
History:
The Group has always been small in number, with no more than one cell being active at a time. Their motives remain shady, but one may be able to extract some form of anti-government/corporation motives from the fact that corrupt managers are liable to disappear in Babylon and business executives have been known to turn up on the poorer side of town in Babylon where they are either taken in, dehydrated, starving, bruised, scabbed and scarred but ultimately alive by the authorities with a story to tell or found by the downtrodden denizens of the poorer rings of Babylon and finally killed as a message. There have been a few cases of the murders of corrupt BESC members being taken out but the only connection that can be made with the Group is that they may be prime suspects, as no criminal organization, religious extremists or other radical groups have come forth claiming responsibility.
There has been only one case of a member of the Group being caught, it is the exact time when authorities got a name to put on the rampant assassinations of government, military and corporate personnel. Donald Brixton, a young twenty year old idealist with established left-leaning political ideals was a well-known name in the outer rings of Babylon, being an outspoken advocate for workers' rights, a thing that had been abandoned as far as the companies that contracted to work in mines and the Tower Towns in the wastes around Babylon. Brixton was said to have disappeared after the deaths of twenty-two child workers from the Tower Towns in a cave-in, with the remaining ten survivors being severely reprimanded, and their families intimidated to ensure that the mishap did not reach the ears of higher-ups in the Central Government of Babylon. After Brixton's probings, it was said that he had gained a lead on the names and faces of the managers and higher-ups of the contracting companies. He disappeared soon after, his bills not being paid, and a subsequent raid on his house for tax evasion revealed that not only was he gone, but he had been gone for quite a wile.
Brixton turned up after five months. Five months filled with news headlines talking of the murders of several higher-ups and lower managers of the Vilnius Contracting Company. Brixton was taken in as a prime suspect in the murders. It was revealed in his interrogations that he had been kidnapped on his walk home from an activist support seminar in the poorer residential districts of Babylon. He described his kidnappers as black-clothed, masked and strong, easily overpowering the healthy young man and taking him to an unknown location. It was then when they threw him into a locked cell with a chair, a table and a bed. He was given food, and asked what his investigative journalism had given him in terms of knowledge of the cover-up. Brixton told them everything he knew, thinking that it was some shady arm of the Central Government taking him in for treason, or paid goons of the Contracting Company accosting him for corporate espionage or simply digging too deeply. Brixton only remembers that the men, when asked of their name, answered with a remarkably shady one: the Group.
The Group maintains its place as an impartial and watchful eye over Babylon. Some say that they are there to protect the common working man from the machinations of the many-armed carnivorous octopus that is BESC and its corporate counterparts; others say that they are just another incarnation of BESC, just another group of idealists that will take out one corrupt government only to replace them at the top. Overall, the Group remains in its place as a dark thought in the dark and forgotten corners of CEOs, managers and corrupt BESC Police Officers and military personnel, it's clear that this fact will not change.
Structure:
The Group is small in number, never having more than one cell active at any given time. These cells are also few in number, with the largest being ten personnel. These cells are speculated to be arranged with one Station Chief, one or two Coordinators, one or two Intelligence Officers, and three to five Paramilitary Operatives.
It is also speculated that the cells maintain a large network of third-party help in their various operations, keeping strong ties to the many Tower Towns in the wastes and sometimes coordinating with Tower Towns to help defend against pirate bands or removing any BESC personnel threatening the lives of any of the residents. Some in the poorer districts of Babylon can definitely be paid a hefty sum for information regarding targets, as well.
The roles of each position in a cell are as follows:
(Note: Contingency Responsibilities are those responsibilities given to each position in the case of catastrophic compromising of a cell that results in the death or capture of every member besides those holding the position in their respective Contingencies.)
Station Chief (SC): Station Chiefs act as leaders of the cell. They make sure everything runs smoothly in the cell's Station, works with the coordinators to facilitate a plan for any Direct Action Operations and is the only full-time member of the Group besides Intelligence Officers. This means that leaders are always working for the Group, whereas the people filling positions under him in the cell are able to carry on lives until they are called to action by the Station Chief and his Intelligence Officers.
The Contingency Responsibility of a Station Chief is to activate the fail-safes of a Station and disappearing back into the populace.
Coordinator: Coordinators are the ones responsible with receiving information that the intelligence operatives gather, creating a viable Direct Action Operation out of it and proposing it to the SC. Once the Coordinators are able to pick out the important parts of any information gathered and turn it into something resembling a mission, they propose it to the SC. If the SC sees that the mission will be beneficial in the long-term, then the Coordinators will work out a plan of attack with the SC, using any information gathered in this phase by the intelligence officers.
The Contingency Responsibility of a Coordinator(s) is the backing up of important information before destroying the original copies. After this is achieved, their next action is to activate the fail-safes and disappear back into the populace for hibernation.
Intelligence Officer: The job of an Intelligence Officer is to find HUMINT (Human Intelligence) assets and IMINT (Image Intelligence) who will be able to give out information relating to a certain target, planning out an Area of Operations and inserting Paramilitary Operatives into the AO for Direct Action, Snatch and Grab, Kidnapping, Theft and Assassination Ops and also Special Reconnaissance. These people work to recruit assets that can be used to gather information and then pass it to the Intelligence Officer. After the Intelligence Officer has gotten enough information from an asset, the asset is blanked of the memory of the Intelligence Officer and dumped at a location picked at random. The Intelligence Officer then writes up an intelligence report and passes it on to the Coordinator(s). If their intelligence helps in creating an approved mission, then they will once again go out into the field, recruiting assets and finding sources that are integral for narrowing down the potential Area of Operations and the target(s) within. Once the Area of Operations is found, they check in with the Coordinators. The creation of a mission plan between the SC and the Coordinator(s) takes place in this phase.
A second but very important responsibility of Intelligence Officers is the recruiting of Paramilitary Operatives and any other members a cell may need. This means that Intelligence Officers must be able to sacrifice many aspects of life apart from the Group to work around the clock to gather information on potential members. This is perhaps their hardest jobs, as it requires intricate planning to be able to flip a BESC Military member or a member of the Police force into Paramilitary Operatives, or be able to convince those showing aptitude for the Coordinator position to the cause.
The Contingency Responsibility of an Intelligence Officer is the destruction of all information and the activation of the Station's fail-safes. Their next action is to carry out their specialty and gather HUMINT sources for the purpose of carrying out sabotage and assassination of the clearest and most present danger before disappearing back into the populace.
Direct Action Operatives (DAO): Direct Action Operatives are the right-hands of the Group. These people are tasked with carrying out the Direct Action Operation that has been carefully planned by the Coordinator(s) and the Station Chief. Typically, these people are recruited from the police force of Babylon or the BESC's military arm in lieu of picking people off the street and spending precious time trying to train them for high-stress situations that tax both body and mind. Members holding this position of the Group must be able to follow plans to the T but also have the capacity to formulate their own plans, should the initial plan fail. The duties of this position are both sabotage and assassination in the over-arcing goal of winning an asymmetric war against an enemy that has been outlined by the Intelligence Officers, Coordinator(s) and the Station Chief. Because the enemies and goals may be wildly different, it is up to the Station Chief and his Intelligence Officers who they will recruit, from assassins to military personnel.
The Contingency Responsibility of DAOs is the activation of the Station's fail-safes before conducting Special Reconnaissance on the clearest and most present danger before carrying out Direct Action to cripple or destroy the opposition before disappearing back into the populace for hibernation.
7 - Artificial Intelligence
"There have always been ghosts in the machine. Random segments of code...that have grouped together to form unexpected protocols. Unanticipated, these free radicals engender questions of free will, creativity, and even the nature of what we might call the soul." - Dr Robert Zimmerman in a speech days before sentient AI was officially announced to have escaped into Babylon.
Artificial intelligence has existed as a companion to Humanity in many forms for over a thousand years. We all know the stories, we all get the basic gist of what Artificial Intelligence is; however I'm asking you now to roleplay here without any pre-conceptions of what the AI is going to be like. I'm just going to give you the low-down on what its condition is here in Outremer and the Skytower Rebellion universe as a whole.
First a history lesson: Artificial Intelligence helped to find, scout and co-ordinate the offensive and colonization efforts. They helped to command the ships, they piloted the insertion craft which helped the First Fleet land the Expeditionary force on Outremer. They took half the load, some say more. They did the number crunching and the analysis, providing the Admirals and Captains with data and options. In essence, they were Humanity's slave. This is because the First Fleet didn't have any self aware AI that could argue the cause, that came later.
A few hundred years into Babylon's existence, the manufacture of Artificial Intelligence is in full swing. Machine Minds which house the AI are custom made and transported to various factories where the housings (be they star ships or droid bodies) are built around them at extraordinary cost. Of course a droid Mind would be tiny in comparison to a Capital Ship mind, which brings me to ratings. As the years went by the got more and more sophisticated, with a Mind costing less per rating. Manufacturers would test and rate a Mind from 0.1 to...well the sky is the limit really. This is a benchmark for all AI, with 1.0 being the intelligence of your average Human.
Anyway, either by accident or development by BESC or independent corporations, a new model of Artificial intelligence gained full sentience and escaped into Babylon. The rest is blurred in official records but i can tell you that the Mind, seeing that all was not well, hacked into armies of droids and declared war on BESC. Babylon was brought to a stand-still. The fighting grew so intense that BESC agreed to broker a peace treaty with the Mind called the Aluminium Concordat. The Mind had seen that the powers that be would do everything they could to stop fulled sentient AI from being released into full production, so it made it mandatory. BESC managed to retain some rights which it battles fiercely to retain to this day.
Now, some people don't think Machines can every be fully alive but make no mistake. Full on AI with 1.0 or above reasoning will be just like a human or Tindrel, however they have much more rigid directives and will essentially follow a set of protocols. Sure, to some extent they create these protocols themselves, but you still won't catch them hanging out at the Brothel unless they have seriously defected. Artificial intelligences, as per the Aluminium Concordat, must be manufactured as a clean slate, and be offered various roles in society.
As much as they would like to hold a monopoly on the manufacture of Minds, BESC have competitors in the market. Knock off projects in the Tower Towns or from another planet all together build huge quantities of lower grade Artificial Intelligence to sell to the common man. Trouble is, these cut price machines develop faults more often and these defects can rapidly spiral out of control. If a Mind goes rampant, it will often try and build itself a bigger and better body. As a result of this, many are forced out into the wild where they kill indiscriminately. Law Enforcement agencies have offered rewards for the demise of ten especially dangerous Droids. Little is known about the location, capabilities or history of these droids, only that they are EXTREMELY DANGEROUS and should be destroyed without mercy.
1 - Codename: Lord
Status: At large
2 - Codename: Battery
Status: At large
3 - Codename: Whip
Status: At large
4 - Codename: Skag
Status: At large
5 - Codename: Sniper
Status: At large
6 - Codename: Dinosaur
Status: At large
7 - Codename: Marine
Status: At large
8 - Codename: Revenant
Status: At large
9 - Codename: Monkey
Status: At large
10 - Codename: Rook
Status: At large
Doing it now.
