Dice Rifts - The Thirteenth Mystery - Lore

[Epiphany]

Tolkeen

Overview of TolkeenThe city of Tolkeen is like something out of a book of fairy-tales. It is surrounded by an old defensive wall of stone 40 feet (12 m) tail and 15 feet (4.6 m) thick, but the hundred year old fortification is dwarfed by the megalithic towers and buildings that have grown up behind it. Tolkeen is built upon the ruins of pre-Rifts Minneapolis. Where skyscrapers once stood are great domed citadels and towers of stone and magic that surpass anything that has come before. Gargoyles (some carved, some real) peer down from the rooftops while flying chariots, dragons and winged creatures take flight overhead. On the streets below walk wondrous creatures from a dozen worlds and alien dimensions intermingling with humans and mutants — all free and accepted as equals.

The newer, inner defensive wall is 200 feet (61 m) tall and 50-80 feet (12.2 to 24.4 m) thick with defenders' garrisons, barracks buildings and homes built right into it. The average building stands 400 feet (122 m) tall, but they sit in the shadow of others that reach 600-800 feet (183 to 244 m).

The tallest of them all is the King's Tower at 1100 feet (335.3 m). It represents many things to many people.
The upper levels are the King's Palace, below it are the chambers of government and justice, followed by other government offices and meeting rooms (including foreign affairs and military defense). The middle section holds several floors for entertaining and celebrations, as well as quarters for visiting dignitaries and diplomats. Toward the bottom are the Halls of Magic and Learning, each floor occupied by the largest and most influential of the magical brotherhoods of Tolkeen. It is here that the Circle of Twelve live and work, away from the seat of government but close enough to have an influence. Toward the base is the University of Learning and Wisdom, the largest and oldest of Tolkeen's many places of higher education and instruction about the world, the universe and, for those so inclined, magic. Tolkeen is still a great place of knowledge and learning, except open-mindedness and tolerance for all has been replaced with hatred and loathing for the Coalition States — a new lesson taught at the universities today.
The lower levels offer a sprawling three floor museum with art and relics from this world and others. The second floor is a great ballroom for public addresses and festivals, while the ground floor is filled with shops, restaurants, cinemas, and small public offices.

Three intersecting ley lines enclose the city and neighboring Freehold (on the ruins of St. Paul) it in a triangle of power. This mystic triangle has served as a source of power for the thousands of diverse practitioners of magic, as well as a means of travel. The ley lines have helped the citizens of Tolkeen and Freehold to build, maintain and defend their kingdom.


The Circle of Twelve
The Circle of Twelve are the greatest of Tolkeen's sorcerers, but greatness is not measured by age and experience alone, but by such intangibles as leadership, wisdom and imagination. It is the Circle of Twelve who helps appoint Tolkeen's King (usually from one of their own, requiring a 12th man to be selected to replace him). They also serve as chief advisors to the King and his War Council, and are involved in all things regarding matters of state.

• Robert Leonard Creed, Arch-mage and King of Tolkeen. High level Ley Line Walker, renowned poet, scholar and amateur historian. He is a natural leader and clevers strategist. He was appointed by the Circle of Twelve, from within the Circle itself.
• Corin Scard (pronounced "core in scarred") is the Warlord of Tolkeen and Supreme Commander of the Tolkeen Defense Force, making him one of the most notable of The Twelve. He is bold, fearless, driven and hard as nails. He is both respected and feared by his men, and trusted implicitly by the King. It is said that Warlord Scard and the King are the opposite edges of the same sword, both committed to the destruction of the Coalition at all costs.
• Mida Elektis is one of three women in the Circle. She is a 12th level Earth & Fire Warlock with a keen sense of the world and elements around her.
• Malik Savant is the youngest of The Twelve, an idealistic protege with a good heart and sharp mind. He is one of the few who is not so certain that the war is such a good turn of events and has doubts about their chances for total victory. However, he stands by the King and contributes to the war effort in every way he can. It has been Malik who has helped to design some of the new magic war machines.
• Baarrtk Krror (pronounced "bear rock crow" with rolling R's) is the representative from Freehold. He is a crusty ancient dragon and one of the banished Dragon Kings. His heart is like stone and he lives for vengeance and war.
• Anya Svetska, rogue Mystic Kuznya from Russia and chief engineer of Tolkeen's city defenses whose pure warrior mettle has earned her the respect of all Tolkeenites.
• Glorissa Trenshire, Conjurer and the ultimate guerrilla warrior whose experience fighting in the 'Burbs gave her the skills to make the Coalition's invasion of Tolkeen a costly one.
• Denwyn Ironheart, a Ley Line Walker who has transferred his living essence into the body of a great Iron Golem, becoming the kind of mystic and monster the Coalition fears most.
• Rostigor Dur Grola, a winged reptilian Battle Magus for whom the war in Tolkeen has been nothing more than an extended exercise in honing the battle skills of a nation.
• Salkind, a Shifter whose alliance with the mysterious Drolian race has transformed him into a frightful and fearsome kind of Techno-Wizard cyborg.
• Cervega Klister, possessing incredible psychic and magic powers, this figure remains enigmatic even to the other members of the Circle of Twelve.
• Kueda the Grey, the "Sage" of Tolkeen, who has spent his life being Tolkeen's sole voice of reason in a quest to chart a peaceful course for his people.
• Maxim Current, a Warlock of water, this natural leader is also an expert in small-scale blitzkrieg tactics and has put many Coalition invasion units through a living hell.

 

[Epiphany]

Freehold, City of Dragons

Overview of Freehold
The City of Dragons is roughly half the size of Tolkeen in land area and the height of its buildings, but has only 20% of its population. The size of dragons and the often giant, inhuman creatures with whom they associate, dictates that the city is huge and sprawling with large buildings, wide streets, towering archways and buildings with massive domes, entrances and windows. This "giant scale" gives the city a deserted appearance and makes most humans feel like small children in an adults' world. Unlike Tolkeen where the streets are filled with people, voices, laughter, and excitement, and where voicing ideas and opinions is encouraged, Freehold feels empty, cold and oppressive.

The dragons tend to keep to a low profile and often assume humanoid identities to prevent human enemies like the Coalition States from ever recognizing their true numbers. Even Lazlo and the Federation of Magic believe there are half as many dragons as really are present. These powerful creatures of magic rule the city and all nondragons are regarded as second-class citizens. Nondragons are treated relatively well, and have a voice in Freehold society, but it is the banished Dragon Kings, and their Princes and Heirs who have the final say in all matters. It is the dragons who rule the city-state and serve as lawgivers, judges and administrators. All inhabitants know to give dragons, young and old, the utmost respect or pay the price. Only the most powerful supernatural beings, creatures of magic and practitioners of magic are given their due consideration, but even these powerful beings are rarely considered true "equals." To the Dragon Kings, all lesser beings are to be viewed as amusement or tolerated like an adult might tolerate an annoying child. All of this contributes to the cold and rather oppressive aura of the city — at least to most humans and D-Bees.

Among the supernatural and magical inhabitants, many of these come and go on adventures and pursuits of knowledge, expeditions to unlock the secrets of magic and to acquire precious magic items. This is also true of many of the younger dragons, but most of the elders and the ancient Dragon Kings spend their time at Freehold. With the outbreak of war, the majority have come "home" to defend their kingdom and show the impudent humans of the Coalition States something to fear.

Dragon Population
19 Ancient Dragons - The Dragon Kings (only 4 are female).
101 Adult Dragons - The Princes (33% are female).
252 Dragon Hatchlings - The Heirs (40% female).
Note: An additional 2D4xlO Hatchlings (typically ranging from l-4th level of experience) and 4D6 Adults (1D6+3 level of experience) are likely to be present at any given time. These are transients and travelers who come to Freehold to visit, rest, trade goods, exchange information, or learn new things.

Estimated Breakdown of the non-dragon population:
Note: Peacetime population is around 170,000.
1,200-2,000 Megaversal residents with another 1D4x100 visiting at any given time. Temporal Raiders, Thornhead Demons, True Atlanteans, Kittani and demons, among others) and creatures of magic — only a thousand or so humans. Magic is very common.
2,000-3,000 Gargoyles
1,000-1,500 Gurgoyles
I,200-2,000 Brodkil
520 Simvan (two tribes, the River Lords and Blood Fang)
61,500 humans
57,000 D-Bees
II,000-15,000 others

 

[Epiphany]

Map of the Continental United States circa 105 PA

 

[Epiphany]

The Future That Was - Part 1

And So It Begins

Spoiler: 88 P.A.: Farewell to the King

Quite unexpectedly, Tolkeen's king, champion and protector, the mighty warrior-mage Gravander Henchu falls ill. Within a matter of hours he dies from a rare disease not thought to be native to this world.

For the length of a year, the Kingdom was ruled by the Circle of Twelve in absence of a king. In the end, facing increased Coalition aggression, they opted for a strong, militant leader and appointed Robert Creed as King of the Realm. He would make Tolkeen a nation and fighting force worthy of recognition, and he would teach the Coalition the meaning of fear. This, he said, was only the beginning. As Creed consolidated his power within Tolkeen, he began pushing the Kingdom into a more war-ready state. He ordered much of Tolkeen's industry to produce military items, and he began training and recruiting practitioners of magic of all kinds and teaching them to work as a coordinated team in the defense of the kingdom. Before long, Tolkeen would have the means of meeting the Coalition head on in battle, and then it would be their turn to suffer, just as the sorcerers of this land had suffered under the Coalition boot for so long. Most of these changes the people of Tolkeen accepted grudgingly at first, but with time and incursions by the CS, they warmed to King Creed's "wisdom" more and more.

Robert Creed has held frequent rallies and speeches in which he warned his people that he feared war was inevitable and they would one day have to make a stand or run with their tails between their legs. He has fanned the people's fear of the Coalition into a raging bonfire of discontent for the so-called Empire of Humanity. The people of Tolkeen seem to have forgotten their tolerant ways and the reluctance with which they had engaged the Coalition in the past. Convinced by their King that war was inevitable, they would welcome it when it would finally come.

Spoiler: 100 P.A.: Terrible Secrets

By this time, the people of Tolkeen have come to know that King Creed is a changed man, increasingly hard, merciless, cruel, and unforgiving, at least when it comes to the Coalition States. Rumor has it that he has made overtures with demonic beings such as the Brodkil and Neuron Beasts, as well as villainous mercenaries and even the Federation of Magic. While such a turn of events does not sit well with many Tolkeenites, they turn a blind eye to the ominous goings on, focusing on the support they enjoy from Lazlo, New Lazlo and the Cyber-Knights. Besides, the majority of Tolkeen's people feel that if they are to survive the coming Coalition onslaught (which they figure is any day now), then they would have to do things King Creed's way.

Tolkeen, by this point, is well on its way to a kind of kingdom-wide hysteria, utterly convinced that the Coalition States represents the face of true evil. In this frame of mind, twisted by decades of constant military threats from Chi-Town and spiked by the loss of the one person who seemed to keep the Coalition at bay (King Gravander Henchu), the people of the kingdom, like their new King, became willing to cut any deal with the devil to save themselves.

Spoiler: 101 P.A.: The Tolkeen Agenda

The year before, Emperor Prosek and his son, Joseph II (master propaganda expert and heir apparent to the Coalition seat of power), began laying the groundwork for an ambitious military campaign called the Crusade for Humanity. An endeavor which entailed the expansion of the Coalition States into a contiguous band of human-held territory stretching from Texas to southeast Canada. The first phase of this effort, the Campaign of Unity, would require the defeat or subjugation of all of the Coalition States' enemies. Initially, Tolkeen fell someplace in the middle of the "priority enemies list." It presented a danger, but there were other powers that needed dealing with first. Shortly thereafter, however, Coalition spies within Tolkeen brought news that King Creed was building new fortifications and magical machines of war, and collecting magic artifacts and weapons for war with the CS. Tolkeen rose to the top of the list.

Meanwhile, Free Quebec has fallen out of favor with Chi-Town. The Emperor and his regime see the state as a spoiled, selfish child who dares to question CS authority and challenge the Emperor's will. This leads to the decision to cut Free Quebec from the loop and to consider it as an uncertain and hostile ally. CS spies at Old Bones learn Free Quebec's Glitter Boy legion is easily two or three times larger than originally reported, and that the Quebec government is working to put into place deals to increase their Glitter Boy legion and armed forces even more. The Quebec Government denies these allegations, but the Emperor knows better. The rift of distrust between these two powers continues to widen.

101 P.A.: A Point of No Return
In the months preceding the month of June, the King Robert Creed had put out calls for citizens, adventurers, mercenaries, patriots and anyone who saw the Coalition as a danger to come to Tolkeen. On June 13th, he planned to address the rising danger with a public address all were invited to hear.
At 9am, June 13th, King Robert Creed spoke at the Ringwrought Stadium in Tolkeen to a crowd of tens of thousands. He rolled out his plan by announcing a reorganization of Tolkeen's military as well as the introduction of incentives for the manufacture of magical weapons and techno-wizard tools of war. For any attendees that represented foreign governments, they were formally invited to join him at a banquet in the King's Tower that evening. Last, he announced that it was the position of the government of Tolkeen not to run and abandon their city in the face of the Coalition. Many marked this as the moment that fleeing the Kingdom ceased to be an option anyone considered.

At 9:01am, June 13th: A number of the attendees begin to fulfill the Thirteenth Mystery.

Spoiler: 102 P.A.: The Lady Prosek Incident

On July 4th, terrorists from the Federation of Magic attack the Emperor's wife, Lady Jo-Anna Prosek, and kill the Emperor's youngest son, Jason. Believing her dead, the Coalition States mourn their lost Lady for weeks while Emperor Prosek and Joseph II vow revenge. Although the assailants are positively identified as agents of the Federation of Magic, all magic using communities are suspected to have played a part in the incident, Tolkeen chief among them.

The Coalition's suspicions are not entirely without basis. While the attack was devised and carried out by the Federation of Magic, Tolkeen's spies had learned of the plot but did nothing to intercede. Elements within Tolkeen had always held that if the Prosek family were assassinated, it would effectively "decapitate" the Coalition States and vastly reduce the danger it presented to Tolkeen and other magic communities. Until now, such talk was purely hypothetical, but it was worthwhile to see what might occur if some outside force proved to be successful. In addition, this would be a good opportunity to study the Coalition's defenses as well as their responsiveness to a terrorist attack when they were tested. As a result, Tolkeen agents watched the events unfold from the shadows.

Unknown to most, the assault against the Proseks would be bungled. At the last second, the Federation operatives became confused as to whether they were to assassinate the Imperial family or merely kidnap it. As a result, Lady Prosek was taken alive, but her son was killed. Most of the assailants died and were traced to the Federation of Magic. Tolkeen was not directly implicated, but it might as well have been.

Lady Prosek was wildly popular with the Coalition citizenry, and the thought of her being killed or mistreated by D-Bees and magic users drove them into a frenzy. The public called for justice, and in response, the Coalition military sent a number of skirmish groups into Federation territory, killed a great many mages, and brought some back for public execution. But it was not enough. Tolkeen too would have to pay. From this point onward, the Emperor knew that whenever he launched a full-fledged attack upon Tolkeen (or the Federation), it would have the public's complete support.

Spoiler: 103 P.A.: The Skeleton Raiders

Lady Prosek would be thought dead until 105 P.A., when the Cyber-Knight Lord Coake and an elite team of heroes rescued her from her Federation captors. In the meantime, Emperor Prosek put even more energy into his Campaign of Unity, especially the upgrading of his military's weapons and equipment. Prosek chose Minnesota and other enemy strongholds as the proving grounds for his new "Skeleton Raiders," as he liked to call his prototype units. Wearing striking skeleton-style armor, the Coalition Military prototype troops conducted raids deep within Tolkeen territory, Arkansas, Lone Star and elsewhere in a year-long exercise to gauge the effectiveness of this new hardware. The tests went off well enough to merit full-scale production of the new equipment, and Emperor Prosek's new army was finally on the way.

Those in the know at Tolkeen were deeply troubled by the Skeleton Raiders, which they assumed were some kind of Coalition secret project. Despite its best efforts, Tolkeen never captured or retrieved a body from the "Skeleton Raiders," which left them to wonder exactly what kinds of weapons the Coalition was developing. Never had they been able to cause so much damage so deep within enemy territory.

These raider units also delved deep into northern Minnesota and determined the southernmost extent of the Xiticix Hivelands. The Xiticix, a dangerous race of alien insect beings, had been reported by CS Scouts as spreading over Canada and the north central U.S. like a weed. When the Coalition gained further intelligence on them, they realized they had a very, very serious enemy to face before long. In the interests of Chi-Town, the CS would have to capture Minnesota and build a militarized buffer against the Xiticix. To do that, Tolkeen had to be pacified — and soon.

To that end, the two field armies already deployed on Tolkeen's borders gathered into large strike forces and Tolkeen itself braced for imminent invasion. Now it would see if all of its preparations would be enough to stem the Coalition tide. Although war has not yet been formally declared on Tolkeen, in effect, the Siege on Tolkeen has begun.

Spoiler: 104 P.A.: Chalk's Folly

Emperor Prosek assigned a Coalition field general, Phineas Chalk, to the Tolkeen front in early 104 P.A.. Upon arriving on the Tolkeen front, the brash commander
put his battle plan into action without consulting the Coalition High Command first. Thus commenced Operation Fullbore, his ill-fated attempt to storm the city. Fullbore
opened with a vicious aerial bombardment in which the city was hammered from above and from a distance by air and ground littery in a relentless barrage that lasted nearly three full days. Spotters could not tell how badly the city had been hurt, and reports that its outer walls stood intact were largely disregarded. Convinced that the city lay mostly in ruins, Chalk led his army in a massed attack upon it to clear out the surviving militants and reduce any other buildings to rubble.

The outskirts of the city had indeed been obliterated. Even the rubble had been reduced to rubble. But the demolished buildings seemed to be rebuilding themselves, slowly but surely, even as troops watched. As they pressed forward they realized the large core of the city remained unscathed, protected by a massive dome of arcane energy. Rows of strange Techno-Wizard (power?) armor stood ready to meet the invading force and turrets and gunmen lined the base of its fortified perimeter wall, all powered up and aimed squarely at Chalk's doomed advance. As if to foretell their doom, a black storm rolled in overhead — moments later the soldiers realized it was no cloud but a swarm of aerial defenders lead by scores of dragons.

The opening barrage of spells and gunfire butchered Chalk's first line within minutes, slaying thousands of his most seasoned troops before they got a chance to fire a shot. Chalk's air brigade fell to Tolkeen's flyers like chaff caught in the wind. Elementals made of earth and brick rose up from the debris fields and engulfed the troops. Chalk's Army was decimated, cut down like sheep led to slaughter. The entire battle lasted less than two hours. Survivors would tell a tale of swarming magic war machines, bizarre armored warriors, hideous demonic servants, and all manner of other strange forces, many designed or trained to pick apart the Coalition troops as they advanced.

Of the 28,000 soldiers, 6,000 Dog Boys, 3,000 hired mercenaries and 48,000 Skelebots that charged the gates of Tolkeen, a pitiful 1489 humans survived. The rest are presumed dead or missing in action. General Chalk himself disappeared during the first minutes of fighting and was subjected to a fate unknown. The Coalition Military has officially declared him dead. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Information (and Propaganda) has had its spin doctors turn General Chalk and his men into martyrs. The official story is that he was lured to the gates of Tolkeen and ambushed by enemy forces that included magic wielding demons, dragons and monsters that outnumbered his forces five to one.
Thus was born Operation Juggernaut, the current strategies and objectives of the Siege on Tolkeen as they are carried out today. A plan to build a force that vastly outnumbers Tolkeen's military defense. A force that will cautiously and methodically advance to Tolkeen's doorstep, figure out a way of cracking Tolkeen's defenses, and then overrun the heartland of the country in a single, massed offensive. The CS Army's slow circular sweep of the region, obliterating all opposition and enemy supporters on the way in, should enable them to eliminate the fear of enemy pincer tactics and coordinated ambushes. Each Coalition victory — each town, city and band of defenders destroyed — would weaken and diminish the power of the kingdom and remove one more resource, so in the final battle, the defenders should be at half strength and vulnerable.

Spoiler: 105 P.A.: The Juicer Uprising

The now-infamous Juicer Uprising occurred throughout the year, as the Vallax aliens pit the Coalition against an army of renegade Juicers over the existence of a fictional cure to the lethal side-effects of the Juicer conversion process. For much of 105 P. A., the Juicer warlord Julian I would evade and defeat elements of the Coalition Army in an ongoing battle that would end only when the existence of the Vallax is revealed. (For a detailed account of this event, please refer to Rifts® World Book 10: Juicer Uprising™.)

The Juicer Uprising proved to be more than a mere black eye for the Coalition Military. While it hardly dented the million-man force the Coalition had assembled by this point, it did reveal weaknesses in what many considered an invincible war machine. Tolkeen in particular took stock of this, and launched a fierce propaganda campaign throughout its own kingdom as well as neighboring kingdoms to publicize the details of the Uprising and to offer refugees political asylum in their country. Tolkeen hoped that by spreading news of the Juicer Uprising far and wide, it would encourage the "fence-sitting" kingdoms in the area to join with Tolkeen if and when the Coalition invaded.

By year's end, it seemed as if Tolkeen's propaganda offensive had worked, as many towns, villages and kingdoms in Minnesota pledged their support, along with many immediately outside Tolkeen. An unexpected result was the flood of Juicers, Crazies, Headhunters and mercenaries (many of whom had participated in the Juicer Uprising) and others with a grudge against the Coalition for any number of reasons, that arrived by the thousands! With them also came D-Bees, practitioners of magic, and others persecuted by the CS and hungry for revenge or a chance to be part of a historic Coalition defeat. Practically overnight, Tolkeen's armed forces would triple in size and hundreds more would trickle in to join the battle every day through the last days of the war.

Spoiler: Summer 105 P.A.: Tolkeen must fall!

Emperor Prosek formally announces the start of the Crusade for Humanity and the Campaign of Unity. The Coalition also reveals surprise alliances, unveils new war machines, and declares war on Free Quebec as well as any other power who dares to oppose the "advance of humanity." Coalition Intelligence orders its spies to gather as much field information on Tolkeen as possible, including data on King Robert Creed, the Circle of Twelve and the Dragon Kings of Freehold.

The Coalition Military puts into motion plans to add another three full armies to their forces in the region. Military units are given strict orders not to let anyone enter or exit the borders of Minnesota unless otherwise authorized. Violators of that policy are to be destroyed on sight. The encircling and containment of Tolkeen is to remain in force indefinitely, pending the outcome of the war with Free Quebec. Once victory has been achieved in Quebec, the Tolkeen invasion will begin. As much as Emperor Prosek wants to defeat this upstart kingdom, he fears that opening up a two-front war will sap the Coalition's resources and strain the war efforts of both campaigns.

By July, however, the war in Free Quebec has already hit a major snag. Despite the vast military resources dedicated to that conflict, Free Quebec's superb defenses hold firm and resistance is great. The CS troops are reluctant to battle their fellow human supremacists and the Quebec Military is much better prepared than expected. Free Quebec refuses to fold to the Coalition aggressors, and digs in for the long haul. Nearly all of the Coalition's plans for a blitzkrieg-style victory crumble. The only viable strategy left is that of prolonged warfare. Military analysts are unable (and unwilling) to estimate exactly when the Coalition will achieve victory (if at all), but the most conservative guesses entail at least another 2-4 years of heavy fighting.

For Tolkeen, this is the best news they've heard in many years. As long as the war in Quebec drags on, their kingdom should be spared all-out war. Warlord Corin Scard uses this opportunity to launch another armaments drive and instigates several raids against Coalition outposts and patrols. Spirits run high throughout the kingdom, and soon rumors begin circulating that the "mighty Coalition Army is afraid of them." Cruel jokes and jibes suggest that the Coalition Military should force a Necromancer to bring back the ghost of Joseph Prosek the First, because Karl and his Generals lack the nerve to do anything but rattle their sabers. Another rumor claims that the "soul" of the Emperor's youngest son, Jason, is imprisoned in a soul gem that has come into the possession of Tolkeen's Warlord Corin Scard. Whether true or not, it enrages Emperor Prosek to the point that he decides that Tolkeen must be brought to its knees immediately.

The Coalition High Command has also heard enough from their brash nemesis and eagerly welcome the challenge. Despite the extraordinary costs of waging two full-fledged military campaigns at once, they marshal their forces. Half the troops they will send to the Western Front are effectively coming from outside the CS as thousands of volunteers from the 'Burbs sign up for military duty. They are perfect cannon fodder to mitigate the potential loss of CS manpower. Additional field armies are soon dispatched to supplement those already deployed in Tolkeen territory, with more on the way. There, the forces are to immediately begin Operation Juggernaut, a full-scale invasion of the kingdom, not stopping until the cities of Tolkeen and Freehold are destroyed and Warlord Scard lies dead or captured.

Meanwhile, Coalition units already deployed around the outskirts of the Kingdom of Magic swing into action, engaging Tolkeen perimeter forces and the outermost settlements. Guerilla warfare accelerates as Tolkeen defenders use hit and run tactics to harass the invaders. While many Tolkeen settlements are reduced to rubble, militants reoccupy the shattered ruins, forcing Coalition troops to enter these hot zones to root them out at point blank range. Tolkeen's fighters dig in and throw everything they have at the CS troops even in the face of death. Monstrosities summoned from other dimensions only add to the difficulties the CS legions face. The fighting, as anticipated, goes slowly and casualties run high, but the Coalition forces make headway one bloody footstep at a time. In the end, the Coalition High Command believes their superior armaments, manpower and other resources will eventually win the day.

Despite it all, the Coalition Army fights with incredible tenacity, and deals out as much damage as it receives. Although fighting remains intense in the outer territories on Tolkeen's borders, for the time being, the campaign remains in a state of effective stalemate — neither side able to make serious headway against the other. It is as if both sides are awaiting the introduction of a new factor to the war to tip the scales one way or the other. Perhaps something as small as a single band of heroes or hardcases whose talents or luck may break the stalemate. Only time, and a great deal of bloodshed, will tell.

Spoiler: 105 P.A.: The Escape of Lady Prosek

It would not be until February, 105 P.A., that the Lady, with the help of Cyber-Knights, would escape the clutches of the insane Dunscon and be reunited with her family. The details of her incarceration would only fan the fires of hatred and vengeance. If any CS official had known that the King of Tolkeen knew that she lived and where she was held, war against Tolkeen might have been declared then and there. As it was, war would come several months later. Rumor has it that Lady Prosek opposes the war and the entire Crusade for Humanity, and is kept in seclusion because of it.

 

[Epiphany]

The Future That Was - Part 2

No Surrender, No Retreat

Spoiler: 106 P.A.: The Tolkeen Invasion stalls

Overwhelmed and disoriented during the first months of combat, Coalition troops were easily routed, divided and vexed on every front. For each CS triumph there were two or three losses. For every Tolkeen defender slain the enemy claimed two CS soldiers or a dozen Skelebots. When the Coalition Army successfully won a position, shortly thereafter the enemy would reclaim it, or if the CS troops managed to hold it, the cost was high.

Several months into the conflict, the Coalition Army remains stalled at the border. The CS can claim to have moved forward several miles and survived everything the enemy has thus far thrown at them (all true), but "surviving" is a far cry from winning.

Key factors in their setbacks include:

• The Coalition's military experts and tacticians barely considered the fact that despite isolated and contained clashes with the reviled Federation of Magic, the Coalition Military had never faced an "entrenched" magic wielding army of this magnitude or preparedness. The siege on Tolkeen is war on a scale the CS has never conducted in its entire history. Nor has the Coalition ever faced such a well organized and diverse enemy with so many D-Bees, dragons and supernatural beings, from demons and Elementals to creatures of magic.
• Additionally, conventional "augmented troops" such as Juicers, Crazies, Headhunters, Cyber-Knights, power armor troops and mercenaries have joined the Tolkeen defenders, providing the enemy with conventional military capabilities as well as powerful magic weapons and spell casting.
• The fact is, the majority of the Coalition troops are (or at least were) "green" — inexperienced — in fighting magic wielding opponents, particularly in mass combat. The soldiers in the field were simply not prepared for what to expect. Consequently, when faced with the impossible, magical and demonic, the Coalition Army panicked, stumbled, suffered high casualties, folded and retreated to its border positions.

This results in a year of warfare in which little progress is made on the Coalition's part.

Spoiler: 107 P.A.: The Second Wave - Operations Hardball and Spoilsport

The sheer horror of sustained, brutal war against magically powerful adversaries takes its toll on Coalition soldiers. This leads to extreme overkill, where CS troops fight like men possessed, towns and cities are turned into rubble, farms torched and the enemy slaughtered — even when they try to surrender or flee. Retreating enemy forces are hunted and put down like mad dogs. Worse, there is no distinction made between warrior and innocent, all nonhumans and practitioners of magic are gunned down, including women and children. Few prisoners are taken unless they are needed for interrogation, extortion, a trap, or other sinister purpose.

This year also marks the advent of the Second Wave approach, which endorses genocide and war crimes as tools for victory, led by the Second Wave's de facto leader, General Micander Drogue. Drogue's vision of how to regain control of the Tolkeen offensive includes Operation Hardball, which plans to decimate Tolkeen's civilian populace, and Operation Spoilsport, a campaign to insert hundreds of Special Forces teams, spies, saboteurs and assassins behind enemy lines. This causes internal division among the Coalition Military Command, many of whom think this is too far. Ultimately, Emperor Prosek endorses the Second Wave and it's carried out.

Operation Hardball has two phases.

• Phase One consists of a "scorched earth" campaign to destroy every, town, village, farm and homestead occupied by Tolkeen supporters or citizenry (taking reasonable care not to torch honest to god CS supporters stuck within the so-called Kingdom of Tolkeen). This tactic only requires chasing Tolkeenites out of their homes and into the wilderness with no place to return to, but extreme prejudice is advised to put down any resistance. This often leads to the (unofficially sanctioned) slaughter of entire communities.
• Phase Two involves the reintroduction of that pre-Rifts instrument of genocide, the concentration camp. General Drogue wishes to build a network of camps that will eventually house the entire Tolkeen civilian population, which will have been captured by the advancing Coalition Battle Groups. While all known practitioners of magic will be separated and "pacified" the rest of the Tolkeen human population will be sent to work camps, and D-Bees who have managed to have lived this long to other "camps" reserved specially for their kind (Death Camps). The main three camps inclue Camp Prosek, the flagship camp designed to incarcerate and pacify D-Bees (it currently holds around 5,000 people), Camp Purity, another D-Bee pacification camp (secret death camp) that currently holds about 3,000 people, and Camp Victory, a work camp for humans that currently holds about 3,000 people. Half a dozen more camps are under construction during this time period.

This approach gives the Coalition slow, incremental but steady progress in its invasion, beginning to shift the momentum of the invasion back to the Coalition's advantage.

Spoiler: 108 P.A.: The Sorcerer's Revenge

In the spring of 108 P.A., Tolkeen conceived and launched an all-out assault on the Coalition invasion force, sending a full 80% of their combined army in a 72 hour full engagement of the enemy.

• The Revenge began with the Dragon Kings of Freehold revealing a never-before-seen ability to create 'shadow dragon' mirrors of themselves, effectively quadrupling their known number. They then devastated all heavy combat elements on the ground, using teleportation to bypass radar detection, leaving no corpse when slain. This was a wholly unknown power of the Dragon Kings, considered forbidden dark magic, no one knew they could do this prior to 108 P.A. This also leads to some kind of spiritual corruption, turning the Dragon Kings into psychotic monsters for the rest of the war.
• Air Iron Juggernauts, Gargoyles and all Tolkeen aircraft all join up to attack Coalition power armor and aircraft that react to the Shadow Dragon assault, as well as strafing ground troops.
• Along with the air assault, Tokeen Water Iron Juggernauts, Aquatic demons and Water, Air and Earth Elementals attack all CS water vessels and troops encamped along the banks of the Mississippi and other bodies of water. This effectively sinks half the Coalition fleet, sends the rest running and opens the Coalition ground element to salvos from the water.
• Within 10-20 minutes after the blitzkrieg attack from the air and waterways, the ground troops are expected to join the combat. The giant Daemonix and ground based Iron Juggernauts will lead the charge with powerful demons and Elementals at their side to punch through Coalition lines and fortifications.
• Divided, scattered and constantly under fire, the CS has no choice but to retreat and regroup miles and miles east of the Mississippi. Tolkeen forces split in two in response. One half focuses on finishing off the troops that try to hold their ground and demolish the rest of the CS fortifications, base camps and combat machines. The other half spreads out and follows the fleeing troops to keep pressure on those in retreat and to keep them from quickly regrouping.
• General Jericho Holmes is forced to seize command of two field armies and is driven north into the Xiticix Hivelands, to disappear and presumably be wiped out by the bugs.

Seven teams of assassins were also dispatched to Chi-Town.

• The first team, spearheaded by an Auto-G shapechanger, was uncovered and the shapechanger captured and slain after interrogation.
• The second team also consisted of an Auto-G shapechanger assassin but no contact has been received in the last year.
• The third team was foiled when they made a suicide run on the Emperor. Their attack was futile as they never even came close to their target, the team was destroyed and not one CS soldier was seriously wounded, although six civilians were injured and two others were killed.
• The fourth team is an all psychics squad who leveraged an IC registered Burster working with NTSET on internal security to break into the Emperor's compound. All were killed and no reliable data exists on what kind of damage they managed to inflict before perishing.
• The remaining three teams each targeted high ranking officers and members of the Military High Command, with only a single success.

All told, the Tolkeenites estimated more than half a million CS troops perished in the conflagration; possibly two or three hundred thousand more than that. Among them, the legendary General Jericho Holmes, consumed by the Xiticix in the north. He and half the CS Invasion Force were (presumed) lost in a foolish attempt to flee the attacking Tolkeen forces. The rest of the army splintered into a thousand frightened bits and scattered to the winds. Thousands more were slaughtered in a carnage of bloody revenge in the days that followed.

A mass exodus followed among the volunteers and mercenaries of Tolkeen. The Warlords and King of Tolkeen cautioned that it was too soon to determine whether or not the Coalition States had been vanquished. Thus, it was important to maintain the army, ford up defenses and ready themselves for an "unlikely" counterattack. Many patriots lingered anxiously for several weeks, but after two months of calm and peace, they could not contain themselves and began to leave the army in droves.
Between the heavy casualties of the Sorcerers' Revenge and the exodus that followed, the Kingdom of Tolkeen saw its army reduced by nearly two thirds. Among those who remained, a full half were demons and other inhuman monsters not so quick to accept victory.

Spoiler: 108 P.A.: Quebec's Betrayal

Two months after the Sorcerer's Revenge, Tolkeen sent an army of some 6000 demons and sorcerers (the equivalent of a full field army in terms of raw power) to join a force of approximately 2100 mercenaries already in place behind the Coalition line. Quebec troops were invited to join them, part of a secret alliance struck with Free Quebec. Together, they would launch a coordinated pincer move to crush the CS troops between them and the Quebec Army. A contingent of the Free Quebec Army circumvented the Coalition line, and a brigade of Violator SAMAS (2000 troops) and two Divisions of Glitter Boys (over 1200) joined the Tolkeen forces (supposedly) to "insure the success of their joint operation."

As soon as the demonic and mortal mercenaries began their advance on the unsuspecting Coalition line, the soldiers of Free Quebec opened fire - on them. Their allies! Suddenly it was the Tolkeen hordes who were caught by surprise and from behind. Free Quebec contacted the Coalition and asked for permission to send reinforcements. The Coalition declined but sent their own troops to reinforce. Their engagement forced Tolkeen's forces to flee.
For Tolkeen, only 20% of the monsters perished in the deception, although more man two thirds suffered grievous injury.
For Quebec, out of 3200 power armored soldiers, 1900 met their end that day, and only a few escaped injury.

This led to Emperor Prosek making a public address announcing the war against Free Quebec to be a tragic mistake, leading them to instead concentrate all military actions on Tolkeen.

Spoiler: 109 P.A.: The Final Siege on Tolkeen

The Second Invasion Force swept back through Tolkeen land, largely made up by armies from the northern front, no longer needed with the war at Free Quebec brought to an end. The coordinated offensives started as a crescent-moon formation from the southern lowa-Chi-Town border swinging up, northeast into the Coalition's old front line in Wisconsin. Pushing north and west into Minnesota, the formation turned into an "L" shape which quickly became a sideways "V" closing in on the heart of the Kingdom like the blades of a scissor. Methodically, the CS advanced, razing one Tolkeen town, city or military stronghold after another.

The Invasion Strategy was a two-pronged strike. The Southern Army pushed northward into Rivereen and Mizereen and then into the heart of the kingdom, the cities of Tolkeen and Freehold. The Eastern Army moved in from the east (Wisconsin) through The Barrens and then northwest into Freehold and Tolkeen.

The outer communities and military strongholds on the Kingdom's perimeters dispatched distress calls to Tolkeen and Freehold calling for support, back up or evacuation. No help came. None was available. The Tolkeen Army was now too small to spread itself out along its nation's borders. Their only hope was to make a stand at the heart of the Kingdom, at the cities of Tolkeen and Freehold, where they were at their strongest. Any other tactic was folly. Thus, the only reply it could issue was: "Support is not available. Recommend all civilian and combat forces withdraw to the City of Tolkeen for consolidation of our forces. Make a stand, and you must stand alone."

The Barony of Rivereen had little to offer in the way of resistance and did nothing to slow down or hurt the Southern Army. Mizereen offered spirited resistance, but the weight of the Coalition's Southern Army rolled over them like a bulldozer. Only The Barrens offered a real fight. Here the eastern third of the Southern Army was joined by the full force of the Eastern Army to flank and hammer The Barrens and Elemental Alley along the Mississippi River. The Coalition is ultimately successful, losing 2-3 soldiers for every Tolkeenite killed but with 62% of the defenders slain.

When the dust settles, 320,000 Coalition soldiers, 100,000 Dog Boys and 316,000 Skelebots (started with 500,000 of the bots) grind to a stop, some fifty miles (80 km) away on the outskirts of Tolkeen and Freeholds. The troops form a crooked "V" shaped formation ready to close on the heart of the kingdom from the south and east.

Spoiler: 109 P.A.: June, 109 PA - The Final Siege on Tolkeen

Even as the main Second Invasion Force pauses before the final push, General Jericho Holmes and his army of 308,000 presumed dead soldiers reenter the war. Somehow surviving the Xiticix Hivelands, they spend weeks doing recon on Tolkeen and identifying all targets of magical and military value. Then all their air forces mass-rush the city, using all missile and ammunition available to completely destroy Tolkeen's power grid before the city can raise its magical defense shield. Their ground forces join in the siege within 3 hours while finally informing the Second Invasion Force of their success.

The Federation of Magic refuses to send reinforcements, thus condemning Tolkeen to stand alone. Meanwhile the city's mass transit system and teleportation systems shut down or become erratic, as does its power grid.

Half of the Southern Coalition Army presses the attack on Magestock while the rest rush to engage Tolkeen itself. The Eastern Coalition Army attacks Freehold, with a third of its ground forces circle the City of Dragons to pressure Tolkeen's eastern quadrant.

This is the end.

 

[Epiphany]

Spoiler: Map of Tolkeen Territory

Spoiler: Regional Map of the Conflict Area

Spoiler: Map of Tolkeen Baronies, CS Prison Camps

Spoiler: Layout of the Three Cities

Spoiler: Final Siege - Attack of the Southern Army

Spoiler: Final Siege - Attack of the Eastern Army

Spoiler: Final Siege - Attack of the Northern Army

 

[Epiphany]

The Unkillables

Background and Operational Methodology
The Unkillables were founded by the Unkillable, a man commonly believed to have been alive at the time of the Cataclysm. The original members included a great horned dragon, a juicer, a ley line wizard and a silhouette assassin. More than a century old, three of the founders remain, having recruited other Megaversals as 'Field Operatives' while Colonel Armitage himself saw to organizing and recruiting for a home base of operations.

The Company has an unusual portfolio among other mercenary companies. With hundreds of employees, it has vastly more infrastructure and support than most 'elite teams' have. However, the Unkillables don't field significant numbers of infantry or armor in battle either. Instead, the Colonel has leveraged centuries of experience combined with pre-Cataclysm military education to use sizeable numbers of humans to support Megaversal operatives in the field. The combination is uniquely expensive and uniquely successful.

Currently, the Unkillables field about 3-4 teams made up of 4-5 Megaversal Operatives. All Megaversal members are encouraged (and incentivized) to actively train with the conventional human military membership as well as with each other. The company culture permits cadres to form but mostly encourages bespoke teams based on mission parameters.

• As paid jobs come in, the Colonel coordinates with his XO and Head of Intelligence to plan out how to meet the assignment parameters.
• He then assembles the Megaversal Operatives based on skill set, picks a Team Lead and briefs the team on the request and his high-level plan of approach.
• Team Leads are then encouraged to coordinate with Intelligence, Logistics, Medical, Ordinance, Communications and Vehicle Management to meet their needs, based in the assignment parameters.
• Typically, Megaversal Operatives are driven/flown to the area of assignment and provided with supplemental fire teams, mission specialists and assets as needed to meet their objectives.
• Communications and available reserves based on anticipated need provide additional support once the mission is underway. The Unkillables have several aircraft and can typically pull together an additional Megaversal Operative team for extra firepower within minutes of the request, with high-speed flight time the only barrier to Megaversal reinforcements.

Headquarters: South side of Tolkeen, established almost 50 years ago and considerably built up in that time period.
Company Logo: A clenched fist, knuckles out, raised in the air, silver with a red background surrounded by a silver border and 'Unkillables' in silver stencil at the bottom.
Mascot: A terrier named Rags.


Elite Personnel
Company Commander: Captain "Colonel" Jason Armitage*
Executive Officer: 1st LT Rico de la Garza (Blaster)
First Sergeant: 1st Sergeant Hiro Tanaka (Borg)
Intelligence Commander: Iionque Andara (Silhouette)

Key Megaversal Operatives:

• Neva (Spirit of Light - Seraph): Decades ago, this divine warrior crossed paths with the Colonel and she had an infrequent association with the Unkillables back when they were an adventuring band of mercenaries. About 20 years ago, she came to Tolkeen to ask for their help in destroying a vampire infestation that'd taken over a town. She's remained ever since, appearing as a woman with fire for hair, white feathered wings with silver accents, and dark eyes with sparkling red specks. In battle, she wears golden armor and wields a magical flaming sword. She's known to be able to turn invisible, change her appearance, speak all languages and cast a variety of fire magic.
• Dora/Nollie Jade (Altaran Gunfighter): One of the famed Blind Warrior Women of Atlantis, Dora met the Colonel when she was hired to kill him. Surviving the attempt, he hired her instead. That was ten years ago and the relationship's worked out so well, Dora 'had' a 'daughter' named Nollie Jade two years ago and Nollie opted to stay on with her mother, backing her up on missions. Both famously shun the wardrobe of the Blind Warrior Women, preferring to stare down an adversary with their unseeing eyes. Dora wears a Millennium Tree Leaf in the form of a pancho while Nollie wears an actual pancho over a suit of NG "Range Rider" Riding Armor. Both favor a pair of of Bandit IP-10 Ion Pistols which rest in holsters on their hips.
• Adult Great Horned Dragon
• More to come

The Unkillable

Colonel Jason Armitage claims he was born in a city called Boise, studied at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, and had a long and successful career in the United States Army. He admits to having been the commander of the Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington State and was in Seattle when the nukes dropped. As the only apparent survivor of the blast, he found himself mysteriously changed, seemingly indestructible and unaging and possessed of extraordinary strength. Those who want to hear about the long years before he founded the Unkillables had better pull up a chair, it's going to take a while. Finding success in the mercenary life, the Colonel found himself itching to get back to the career he knew best over the last century and put together a full mercenary company. As companies of his size are typically run by Captains, per Tolkeen military organizations, he's referred to as Captain Armitage in all exterior-facing interactions with Tolkeen, its military and its civilians. But within the Unkillables, he remains the Colonel. He typically wears a Black Market knock off of the heavy Coalition "Dead Boy" Armor painted matte black instead of the CS's usual blue-black and he carries a C-18 Laser Pistol normally holstered on his waist.

Executive Officer

1st Lieutenant Rico de La Garza was born in Chi-Town and served in the Coalition Army for a time. He's never explained how he gained his psychic powers or how he met the Colonel but the two seem to be connected and the rumor mill never stops on the subject. He's a charming middle-aged soldier, Hispanic, with thick dark hair and a neat beard. He favors a suit of NG-EX10 Gladius LIght Exo-Skeleton Battle Armor in the field, uses Coalition rifles but he's famed for a psychic ability to cause explosions with his mind.

1st Sergeant

1st Sergeant Hiro Tanaka is a lifelong Tolkeenite. He's also a career Unkillable, joining the maintenance staff as a kid and eventually working his way up to joining a fireteam. He spent 25 years in the thick of it, until Injuries sustained in the field should have retired him out. Unsatisfied with calling it quits or not giving the group his all, Hiro opted to undergo Juicer Conversion to get himself back into the fight. He made it six more years before choosing to punch out by holding back a platoon of Coalition soldiers singlehandedly in order to allow the rest of his team to escape with the D-Bee refugees they'd been chasing. Rescued but permanently crippled and nearing the end of a Juicer's lifespan anyway, the Colonel personally footed the bill to allow Hiro to become a full conversion cyborg. Now, Hiro is in charge of all the headquarter's enlisted and heads up their training regimen, while selectively being tapped for Megaversal Operative assignments.

Intelligence Commander

Iionque Andara is one of the three original Unkillables still in action. She's admitted to coming from another world entirely, having trained and worked as an Imperial Security Agent for something called the Transgalactic Empire. While undercover on Phase World, she crossed paths with the Colonel who'd apparently arrived there by accident. The two ended up in some kind of rebellion together, by the end of which they'd fallen in love. Iionque followed him back to Rifts Earth a century ago and has been here ever since. Although their romance came to end decades ago, the two remain tight. She's a skilled spy, slicer and known to have both magical powers and a kind of reflexive ability manipulating shadows.

Conventional Personnel
Size: Free Company
The Unkillables boasts a membership of nearly 300 members. This is organized by departmental areas:

• 1st Rifle Platoon (36): Represents those Unkillables pulling infantry duty, able and willing to support Megaversal Operative assignments on demand.
  • Motor Pool Squad (10): A group of pilots and daredevils who handle driving ground vehicles and piloting aircraft under field conditions.
• Base Security Platoon (36): Comprised of three Squads of twelve that collectively provide 24 hour security (typically nine roving, three monitoring security cameras).
• Intelligence Platoon (36): Includes a mix of scouts, field agents and on-base intelligence analysts as well as supporting a variety of covert operations.
• Standard Logistics Platoon (36): Responsible for obtaining, maintaining and distributing all manner of gear including: Sensors, communications equipment, computers, translators, recorders, cameras, fuel, parts (vehicle, hardware, miscellaneous), uniforms, medical supplies, construction and building supplies, food, etc.
• Medical Facility Platoon (36): Three medical doctors, one psychic healer, one magical healer, two cyberdocs, two counselors, eight paramedics, twelve nurses and miscellaneous support staff handle the company's medical needs.
• Ordinance and Armaments Squad (10): Handles weapons and armor storage, maintenance, repair, recharging of E-Clips and all vehicle ordinance.
  • Special Operations Logistics Team (4): Able to upgrade/modify armor, create on-demand uniforms and apparel for all kinds of operations.
  • Unique Operations Logistics Team (4): A team of four techno-wizards who build and maintain a variety of techno-wizard innovations used by the Unkillables.
• Communications Squad (10): Includes two electrical engineers and nine full time communication specialists providing 24 hour support.
• Vehicle Management Squad (10): Performs maintenance and repair of all fleet vehicles, ground and air.
  • Robot Management Team (4): Two specialized in conventional robotics/mechanics, two specialized in techno-magical robots and power armor, mostly crosstrained and will borrow additional labor from the Vehicle Management Squad on demand.
• Kitchen Squad (10): Includes 5 cooks, 5 support positions.
• Administrative Squad (10): Handles personnel management, accounting, procurement.
• Training Squad (10): About a dozen NCOs who see to the operational readiness of all Unkillables.
• Utility Services Squad (10): Handle water treatment, sewage plants, nuclear reactor and power distribution, etc.
• Facilities Squad (10): About a dozen staff who perform various functions (property manager, general building maintenance, pickup/delivery for specialized inventory, etc.)
• Commissary Team (4): Operates a company store.
• Recreation Facilities Team (4): Laundry for gyms, rotating bartender for the onsite bar.
• Tolkeen Council Representative: TBD

Group Compositions:

• Team: 4 soldiers (E4 Corporal commands, E4 Army Specialist, two E-2 or E-3)
• Squad: 2 teams of 9-10 soldiers (E-5 Sergeant commands)
• Platoon: 2-3 squads 36 soldiers (O1 2LT commands, E7 Platoon Sergeant assists)
• Company: 3-4 platoons of 200 soldiers (O3 Captain commands, O2 1LT assists)

Facilities

• Administrative Facilities (includes correctional facilities)
• Ammunition Depot
• Commissary
• Medical Unit
• Barracks
• Mess
• Military Intelligence and Communications Facilities
• Fuel and Chemical Storage Depot
• Recreation Facilities
• Training Facilities
• Vehicle Repair, Maintenance & Storage Facilities

Company Features - Per Rifts: Mercenaries Book
A. Sponsorship: Government
The Unkillables are headquartered in the City of Tolkeen but are generally known as publicly available for hire. Their founder is said to have a fortune he's invested into building and running his company his way, and the Unkillables command a high price in the mercenary market due to their demonstrated excellence.

It's a well concealed secret that the City of Tolkeen unofficially sponsors the Unkillables, mostly by offsetting a variety of expenses and waiving a variety of taxes. In exchange, the mercenary team passes intel onto Tolkeen's military while also undertaking offensive action against enemies of Tolkeen under the guise of being hired to do so by independents, giving Tolkeen plausible deniability.

B. Outfits: Gimmick Clothing
A full range of uniforms and body armor (medium in the 40-55 MDC range, heavy in the 60-80 MDC range), plus concealed body armor (such as Triax "Plain Clothes" armor), specialty suits and helmets with advanced electronic, communications, homing devices, optics and surveillance gadgets are available. Light exoskeleton battle armor/power armor may be provided to high ranking officers and special operatives. Special gear, such as SCUBA diving suits and equipment, radiation suits, and contamination suits, are also available. Availability, replacement suits and repairs are reasonably good.

C. Equipment: Unlimited
The company is a high-tech operation equipped with high quality electronics, computers, communication systems, sensors, optics, cybernetics, bionics and all equipment needed for the operation and logistics of the company. High ranking officers and special elite troops can have a personal vehicle of choice and lD4 +2 cybernetic implants (conventional and black market). In addition, there is a superb mobile mini-hospital that can accommodate as many as 40 patients, has six life support systems, three surgery rooms and one cybernetic surgery unit (cybernetics can be repaired and replaced safely) . Two medical doctors , one psychic healer, two cyberdocs, eight paramedics and twelve nurses comprise the medical staff. Plus one million credits' worth of common cybernetic items in stock and an emergency medical fund of 20 million credits.

D. Vehicles: Combat/Fleet Vehicles
The company maintains a fleet of tanks, light Armored-Personnel Carriers (APCs; 404 x 10 M.D.C. main body) as well as trucks , trailers and motor-homes. 70% have mega-damage armor and light to medium weaponry (machinegun, beam weapons, mini-missiles). 20% are heavy combat vehicles such as tanks and heavily armored vehicles, and 10% are aerial combat vehicles such as the Sky King, helicopters and jet packs. In addition, individual characters of officer rank will be assigned their own personal hover car, hover cycle, jeep or land rover (all with one or two weapon mounts). An expense account of 500,000 credits is set up for special travel needs (such as hiring additional transportation, fuel and repairs).
Up to 20% are Techno-Wizard vehicles.

E. Weapons, Power Armor & Bots: Extensive Weaponry
High-quality energy weapons are issued to all personnel, including ID4 grenades, energy rifle, and energy sidearm (pistol or other). 40% have heavy weapons including missile launchers, rail guns, particle beam and plasma weapons, etc . 30% of the group will be issued powered armor suits (50% if very cheap suits are used) . At least a company of 3D6 +6 assault robot vehicles or tanks will be on service with full crews, or one fighting vehicle for every 5 line soldiers, whichever is greater. Techno-wizard and alieniD-bee equipment may also be available. All weapons are of the highest quality and damaged or lost items are immediately replaced or repaired. E-clips are recharged as quickly as possible and ammunition is readily available (35 million credit budget) .

F. Communications: Superior Communications
Every tent and major vehicle is equipped with a short-range (6 mile/9.6 km) radio and language translator, plus there are four long-range radios on line, and all personnel have a shortrange walkie-talkie available to them . All radios have scrambler capabilities and one of the long-range radios has a laser booster system that doubles its range (1000 miles/1600 km) . All officers have a full size computer as well as the PC-3000 and a language translator. Soldiers have excellent access to a variety of commercial audio and video disk recorders and players. A public announcement system is wired throughout the camp, and a full sound and video recording studio trailer monitors and controls the music and announcements piped through the PA system. All equipment is of the highest quality and well maintained.

G. Internal Security: Iron-Clad
In the Field: Alert security guards, electronic alarms, and roving patrols secure the company site from intruders. A watch is organized and operates 24 hours a day. In potential combat situations, the whole camp is in a state of readiness (soldiers sleep with their weapons at hand, at least 25% of all company members are "on duty" at all times, etc.). A rigid check of possible employees reduces the chance of enemy infiltrators to 15%.
Supernatural safeguards include security teams familiar with common supernatural and magic occurrences and how to handle them (items such as silver crosses, garlic and holy water are available). The security detail will have at least some psi-stalkers/Dog Boys, or other magic and psychically sensitive soldiers, including at least one magician.
At Headquarters: Every entrance and exit is under constant video monitoring and guarded by a security team. Besides the precautions outlined above, picket lines and outside guard-posts provide a security blanket as far out as several miles around the camp site, including air reconnaissance.
Other security measures include high-quality locks and alarms in all vehicles and facilities, hidden compartments/safes, floodlights, emergency generators, motion detectors, heat sensors, mini-radar, and camera surveillance of areas of importance. Magic wards of alarm or incapacitating magic are strategically placed with an eye toward stopping supernatural infiltration. Magic/supernatural security is otherwise as above.

H. Permanent Bases: Fortified Headquarters
A permanent headquarters with several permanent buildings, including barracks (enough for half the troops), shooting range, garage (for vehicle and bot repair), meeting hall also with smaller conference room(s), several storage buildings, commissary and arsenal (at least half are light to medium M.D.C. structures). The place is surrounded by a wall or fence. The location can house 100% of its troops and has enough supplies to last a twelve-month siege.

I. Intelligence Resources: Extensive
The company has a variety of Special Military Operatives, including CS military specialists, elite robot or power armor pilots, borgs, juicers, crazies, bounty hunters,
spies and any Mercenary OCCs. These special operatives are not only used to gather information, but to infiltrate, spy on, sabotage, confuse and engage the enemy in covert operations.
Additionally, the Unkillables employs a variety of magicians and psychics including the line walker, mystic, temporal raider or wizard, and other practitioners of magic, druids, dragons, faerie folk, creatures of magic, mind melters, mind bleeders, and major and master psychics. Specialized members may also consist of psi-stalkers, mutant animals, simvan monster-riders, tattooed men, mechanoids, shape-changers, teleporters, and other beings with strange abilities.

J. Special Budget: Large Loans
The company has up to one million credits to kick into any important missions.

K. General alignment of personnel: Unprincipled and Scrupulous.

L. Special Units: See below
1. Con Man (1). An expert fast-talker who fools people into financing wild schemes, granting bad loans, or otherwise parting with their hard earned money. May also be used to sell substandard weaponry or equipment (useful for moving bad stock the company has somehow acquired).
6. Expert Assassin (1). An evil, ID4 + 4 level, warrior who specializes in murder; can be any Men of Arms O.C.C., including borgs, crazies, juicers, psi-stalkers, wilderness scouts, and particularly the new master assassin and bounty hunter O.C.C.s.
7. Psychic Enforcer (1). A psychically powered individual whose job is to enforce the wishes of the commander and the needs of the company. Assignments include torture, interrogation, frightening and hurting people, ferreting out spies, detecting supernatural menaces, working as an elite bodyguard, protection and murder. Typically a ID4 +2 level mind melter, mind bleeder (see Rifts Africa) or burster.
8. Special Forces. In this instance, a pair of super warriors used for special missions such as assault/raids, sabotage, and murder. This group is treated as a special unattached unit under the direct control of the company command. Typically a pair of ID4 + 3 level crazies, juicers, borgs, or a dragon (or other supernatural powerhouse) and a psychic or mage.
9. Safecracker/Locksmith (1). A demolitions expert and mechanical engineer who uses his talents to "crack" safes, open security doors, break out of jail, avoid/bypass or disarm security systems and similar feats. See the new safecracker O.C.C.
10. Forger (1). A brigand with a knack for art and forgery . He will use his skills to create false passports, citizen's papers, identity cards, credit cards, invoices, and other documents. This rogue is also familiar with photography and video/film equipment and recording. See the new forger O.C .C. elsewhere.

M. Reputation/Credentials: Excellent Reputation
The company has a reputation for being reliable, efficient, and lethal. This reputation is likely to means that the company has rarely lost an engagement, are excellent fighters, rarely fail at their assigned tasks, and may be known for some heroic, impressive or daring feat(s).
The company has a reputation for always fulfilling their contracts and can be trusted by their employers. By the same token, any employer that betrays the company knows that he will be branded as a treacherous fiend, causing most other reputable mercenaries to avoid him like the plague. Furthermore, this mercenary group may decide to teach him a lesson and/or extract justice (and payment) by any means they deem necessary . The company with an excellent reputation commands much more for their services and gets it (50% to 60% more than the average soldier of fortune, but they are worth it!).

N. Salary: Excellent Salary
In addition to all the standard supplies and needs of a mobile army and access to the company's good facilities, the mercenaries receive an excellent salary. Soldiers sign on for a three to six year period.
Average Week's Pay: 500 credits for line soldiers, 600 to 700 for noncommissioned officers, 700 to 900 for medium-grade officers, and 2000 to 5000 for high ranking officers and special operatives.
Hazardous duty bonuses of lD6 x 100 is paid to the troops every month (double for officers and specialists), plus all soldiers receive a ID4 x 1000 credits bonus on successful completion of a contract (2D6 x 1000 for officers and specialists).
A pension for soldiers killed or incapacitated on duty may also be available to the soldier or his beneficiaries; this is equal to 30% of his standard pay for 3D4 years.