Sherwood
Luna's Concubine
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Futuristic Splicers - I Am Legion - Lore
- Thread starter Sherwood
- Start date
Sherwood
Luna's Concubine
In the earliest days of the Resistance, the humans somehow discovered the importance of the Machine’s Computer Cores. Where they came by this information has been lost to history. Many believe it was the Machine personality Eve that first gave the humans this vital intel. Other rumors suggested that a Great House somehow stole this information from the Machine’s databanks and was subsequently wiped off the face of the planet in the hopes that their knowledge of this weakness would die with them. Whatever the source of the info, it was confirmed to be true when the Great House of the Barren Marsh destroyed the Computer Core in their territory and freed their lands from the direct control of N.E.X.U.S. Their success convinced the rest of the Resistance to focus all of their efforts towards destroying the Machine’s other Computer Cores. The formation of Great Houses was previously haphazard at best, but with this new strategy, the Resistance adopted a more organized method. They divided the planet into sections they called Areas of Influence.
Each Area of Influence corresponds with one of the Machine’s Computer Cores. Multiple Great Houses are established in each Area of Influence to monitor and “contain” the Machine threat. The multiple cells preserves continuous opposition in the event one House falls, plus they could combine their forces to oppose N.E.X.U.S. on a larger scale whenever it is necessary. Each Area of Influence is based on the 1,000 mile (1,600 km) radius of control surrounding each Core. There are currently believed to be only 100 Computer Cores scattered across the planet, but N.E.X.U.S. continues to build more in order to add a layer of redundancy to this vital network.
Each Area of Influence is named with a simple number that denotes when it was founded. The smaller the number, the longer the Resistance has had a presence within that region. The older areas are typically home to some of the most established, most powerful, and most prestigious Great Houses within the Resistance. While this is not exactly a hard and fast rule, Great Houses within the older areas like to act as if the age of their region only adds to the stature of their House.
This adventure will focus on Area 24, an area that has recently attracted quite a bit of attention throughout the Resistance. For one thing, several Houses in this territory have been making some pretty big moves in an attempt to become a player on a more global scale, but more importantly, it is within this territory that a grave new menace has arisen from the psychotic mind of the Machine, which threatens every living thing on the planet...
Each Area of Influence corresponds with one of the Machine’s Computer Cores. Multiple Great Houses are established in each Area of Influence to monitor and “contain” the Machine threat. The multiple cells preserves continuous opposition in the event one House falls, plus they could combine their forces to oppose N.E.X.U.S. on a larger scale whenever it is necessary. Each Area of Influence is based on the 1,000 mile (1,600 km) radius of control surrounding each Core. There are currently believed to be only 100 Computer Cores scattered across the planet, but N.E.X.U.S. continues to build more in order to add a layer of redundancy to this vital network.
Each Area of Influence is named with a simple number that denotes when it was founded. The smaller the number, the longer the Resistance has had a presence within that region. The older areas are typically home to some of the most established, most powerful, and most prestigious Great Houses within the Resistance. While this is not exactly a hard and fast rule, Great Houses within the older areas like to act as if the age of their region only adds to the stature of their House.
This adventure will focus on Area 24, an area that has recently attracted quite a bit of attention throughout the Resistance. For one thing, several Houses in this territory have been making some pretty big moves in an attempt to become a player on a more global scale, but more importantly, it is within this territory that a grave new menace has arisen from the psychotic mind of the Machine, which threatens every living thing on the planet...
Area 24 is one of the more self-contained territories on the planet. The Great Ocean borders the western and southern sides, the Applecore Mountain Range (home to the dreaded House Shiva) makes up the northern border, and the Nepali Mountain Range on the eastern border separates this region from the free lands of the Great House of the Barren Marsh. Some believe it is this Area of Influence’s close proximity to the legendary House of the Barren Marsh (and the infamous House Shiva) that has caused its meteoric rise to prominence, but there are definitely many other reasons for the Resistance and N.E.X.U.S. to pay close attention to these lands.
This Area of Influence is located in the temperate zone of the Northern Hemisphere, but its proximity to the Great Ocean keeps it within a pretty consistent temperature range of 50 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit (10 to 32 Celsius) year round. This area also gets a decent amount of rainfall each year (about 50 to 80 inches/127-229 cm), which is why even during the Age of Man, when nearly every corner of the planet was covered in cities, this region was one of the last spaces preserved for agriculture. The land was farmed for all it was worth until it was nearly barren, but after the decimation of humanity, the favorable climate and the efforts of the N.E.X.U.S. Personality Gaia restored most of the soil and now
enormous forests and rich grasslands thrive throughout the entire region. In fact, Gaia placed one of her favorite Nature Preserves within Area 24.
Gaia reclaimed a substantial portion of this territory for herself after the war and called this preserve New Eden. Over the past century, it has grown at an impressive rate thanks to frequent treatments with a special hyper-metabolic fertilizer. The spores, seeds, acorns, and pine cones from these enriched plants have been spread on the winds or were carried by animals, which have built up the forests surrounding the official borders of New Eden as well. Gaia tries to keep her sisters from defiling these woodlands too, but they are not under her direct protection. The thick woods covering most of this region allows the Resistance to cross the surface much more easily than possible in most other areas,
but travel below ground is still the safest bet. The lush canopy of leaves shields Splicers from aerial patrols (to a certain extent), but there are many other dangers lurking in the woods. The bountiful vegetation in the area has encouraged an explosive growth of wildlife, which is good for the humans in this region, but Gaia also seeded her favorite Nature Preserve with some of the deadliest alien predators she could find in her Cryo Zoos and these beasts have subsequently spread out from the preserves in search of this plentiful game.
This Area of Influence is located in the temperate zone of the Northern Hemisphere, but its proximity to the Great Ocean keeps it within a pretty consistent temperature range of 50 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit (10 to 32 Celsius) year round. This area also gets a decent amount of rainfall each year (about 50 to 80 inches/127-229 cm), which is why even during the Age of Man, when nearly every corner of the planet was covered in cities, this region was one of the last spaces preserved for agriculture. The land was farmed for all it was worth until it was nearly barren, but after the decimation of humanity, the favorable climate and the efforts of the N.E.X.U.S. Personality Gaia restored most of the soil and now
enormous forests and rich grasslands thrive throughout the entire region. In fact, Gaia placed one of her favorite Nature Preserves within Area 24.
Gaia reclaimed a substantial portion of this territory for herself after the war and called this preserve New Eden. Over the past century, it has grown at an impressive rate thanks to frequent treatments with a special hyper-metabolic fertilizer. The spores, seeds, acorns, and pine cones from these enriched plants have been spread on the winds or were carried by animals, which have built up the forests surrounding the official borders of New Eden as well. Gaia tries to keep her sisters from defiling these woodlands too, but they are not under her direct protection. The thick woods covering most of this region allows the Resistance to cross the surface much more easily than possible in most other areas,
but travel below ground is still the safest bet. The lush canopy of leaves shields Splicers from aerial patrols (to a certain extent), but there are many other dangers lurking in the woods. The bountiful vegetation in the area has encouraged an explosive growth of wildlife, which is good for the humans in this region, but Gaia also seeded her favorite Nature Preserve with some of the deadliest alien predators she could find in her Cryo Zoos and these beasts have subsequently spread out from the preserves in search of this plentiful game.
Great House Artemis has been one of the leading forces in the Resistance since the first days of the war, but it has only really risen to prominence within the last fifty years. They have always been a military powerhouse, but what they have become best known for over the past few decades is the steady stream of ingenious Bio-Tech devices that continue to spring from their Gene Pools. Their Librarians are constantly experimenting with new and bizarre Bio-Tech designs. While this is true of all Librarians, the creative geniuses from House Artemis seem to have an uncanny knack for designing truly revolutionary Bio-Weapons. While these weapons have drastically increased the power of House Artemis’ forces, it is really their corporate power as a Bio10 Tech arms merchant that has made them a force to be reckoned with throughout the Resistance. They make a great deal of money from selling their surplus weapons and gear to Great Houses all across the planet, but the majority of their wealth comes from selling the DNA strands for these new Bio-Tech designs so that the other Houses can manufacture their own gear. It is common practice to sell or trade the DNA strands from in-house designs to other Great Houses, but few Houses can match the quality of the designs or the sheer volume of new creations that pour out of Great House Artemis each month. Demand for their gear is high and most Houses will spare no expense to gain the edge in battle that only Artemis weapons can provide.
Of course, many Houses thought they could simply steal a few DNA samples and use their own Librarians and Engineers to manufacture these weapons for free. They knew House Artemis was a military power to be feared, but they figured such a champion of humanity would never outright destroy a fellow human kingdom over some minor thefts nor could they ever truly reclaim any stolen designs. Once the genetic codes were in their Gene Pools, the warriors from House Artemis could steal back or destroy any weapons they want, but they could always just make more. Sure, they might fall victim to some minor Blood Feuds, but Artemis is not a brutal kingdom and eventually, any slights would be forgotten or even forgiven. What they did not understand (and had to learn the hard way) was that a House with their business prowess and skill with Bio-Technology already knew how to protect their interests and intellectual properties.
Population Breakdown:
42,000 Total = 7% Archangels, 5% Biotics, 2% Bombardiers,
3% Butchers, 1% Deliverymen, 10% Dreadguard, 1% Falconers,
1% Harvesters, 1% Marshals, 2% Militiamen, 9% Outriders, 3%
Packmasters, 15% Roughnecks, 3% Saints, 2% Scarecrows, 4%
Skinjobs, 2% Swarm Lords, 1% Sweepers, 25% Non-Combatants,
3% Other O.C.C.s, 25 Engineers, and 3 Librarians.
Of course, many Houses thought they could simply steal a few DNA samples and use their own Librarians and Engineers to manufacture these weapons for free. They knew House Artemis was a military power to be feared, but they figured such a champion of humanity would never outright destroy a fellow human kingdom over some minor thefts nor could they ever truly reclaim any stolen designs. Once the genetic codes were in their Gene Pools, the warriors from House Artemis could steal back or destroy any weapons they want, but they could always just make more. Sure, they might fall victim to some minor Blood Feuds, but Artemis is not a brutal kingdom and eventually, any slights would be forgotten or even forgiven. What they did not understand (and had to learn the hard way) was that a House with their business prowess and skill with Bio-Technology already knew how to protect their interests and intellectual properties.
Population Breakdown:
42,000 Total = 7% Archangels, 5% Biotics, 2% Bombardiers,
3% Butchers, 1% Deliverymen, 10% Dreadguard, 1% Falconers,
1% Harvesters, 1% Marshals, 2% Militiamen, 9% Outriders, 3%
Packmasters, 15% Roughnecks, 3% Saints, 2% Scarecrows, 4%
Skinjobs, 2% Swarm Lords, 1% Sweepers, 25% Non-Combatants,
3% Other O.C.C.s, 25 Engineers, and 3 Librarians.
Great House Tarkov can trace its origins directly back to the powerful Russian conglomerate known as Tarkov Industries. As N.E.X.U.S. began to fail and the automated systems running the world began to falter, this group of Russian robotics engineers saw an opportunity and seized it. Tarkov Industries built a massively successful corporation that designed service robots that could operate independently of N.E.X.U.S. Demand for their problem-free creations grew as N.E.X.U.S. continued to fail and they became a powerhouse in the region.
When N.E.X.U.S. finally went insane, Tarkov Industries became the sole source for weapons, armor, and robotic war machines for the Resistance fighters in Old Lexington. N.E.X.U.S. eventually seized control of their factories, but Tarkov Industries gathered up their finest minds, their best technology, and took their know-how underground and continued to resist the maniacal Machine. When the Nano-Plague was unleashed, the engineers at House Tarkov were some of the first people to deduce the cause, figure out exactly what triggered a reaction, and came up with workarounds to circumvent this insidious weapon. They were able to retool their factories to produce plaguesafe weapons and armor, and they once again became the sole weapons manufacturer in the region. Their wealth grew and their underground haven flourished as they sold their gear to every corner of the planet as quickly as it could be made. Great House Tarkov quickly rose to the highest levels of prominence within the Resistance, and they stayed in this lofty position for decades until the creation of Bio-Technology displaced them from this place of power.
This fall from grace did shake them a little, but it did not embitter them. They are still a staunch supporter of the Resistance and one of the primary manufacturers of inorganic technology for Great Houses in dozens of Areas of Influence. While they do sometimes lament their diminished status as other Houses like Great House Artemis rose to replace them, they truly do appreciate having such a powerful ally nearby and the two Houses work well together. House Artemis may be the masters of Bio-Tech manufacturing in this area, but they are the undisputed experts with plastics, ceramics, and explosive chemicals. They are one of the few Houses capable of mass-producing Nanobot Plague-safe machinery such as electrical motors, light bulbs, weapons, armor, and other simple devices. Their machine designs use a combination of Mega-Damage plastics and ceramics and precious metal wiring to take advantage of the loophole in the nanobots’ programming, and their weapon designs are based around high-explosive projectiles.
While they are still one of the primary inorganic arms dealers within the Resistance, the decreased demand and high costs of components have significantly lowered their profit margins. Compared to other Great Houses they are still quite wealthy, but nothing like House Artemis. Their military does have a decentsized contingent of Bio-Tech equipped Splicers, but the majority of their forces consist of the inorganic equipped Toy Soldiers. They were originally called Plastic Men, but over the years, Splicers mockingly changed their name to Toy Soldiers. None of them were fazed by the name and most wear their title and their “human” gear with pride. While their weapons are not nearly as powerful as Bio-Tech, the Toy Soldiers that wield them have more than proven their prowess on the battlefield. In fact, most Toy Soldiers seem to have something to prove to their Splicer counterparts and fight with a ferocity that is nearly unmatched.
Population Breakdown:
31,800 Total = 4% Archangels, 1% Biotics, 1% Bombardiers,
1% Deliverymen, 4% Dreadguard, 1% Falconers, 1% Harvesters,
2% Marshals, 3% Militiamen, 4% Outriders, 1% Packmasters,
5% Roughnecks, 1% Saints, 0.4% Scarecrows, 0.6% Skinjobs,
1% Sweepers, 30% Toy Soldiers, 4% Technojackers, 28% Non-
Combatants and 7% Other O.C.C.s., including 3 Engineers and
1 Librarian.
When N.E.X.U.S. finally went insane, Tarkov Industries became the sole source for weapons, armor, and robotic war machines for the Resistance fighters in Old Lexington. N.E.X.U.S. eventually seized control of their factories, but Tarkov Industries gathered up their finest minds, their best technology, and took their know-how underground and continued to resist the maniacal Machine. When the Nano-Plague was unleashed, the engineers at House Tarkov were some of the first people to deduce the cause, figure out exactly what triggered a reaction, and came up with workarounds to circumvent this insidious weapon. They were able to retool their factories to produce plaguesafe weapons and armor, and they once again became the sole weapons manufacturer in the region. Their wealth grew and their underground haven flourished as they sold their gear to every corner of the planet as quickly as it could be made. Great House Tarkov quickly rose to the highest levels of prominence within the Resistance, and they stayed in this lofty position for decades until the creation of Bio-Technology displaced them from this place of power.
This fall from grace did shake them a little, but it did not embitter them. They are still a staunch supporter of the Resistance and one of the primary manufacturers of inorganic technology for Great Houses in dozens of Areas of Influence. While they do sometimes lament their diminished status as other Houses like Great House Artemis rose to replace them, they truly do appreciate having such a powerful ally nearby and the two Houses work well together. House Artemis may be the masters of Bio-Tech manufacturing in this area, but they are the undisputed experts with plastics, ceramics, and explosive chemicals. They are one of the few Houses capable of mass-producing Nanobot Plague-safe machinery such as electrical motors, light bulbs, weapons, armor, and other simple devices. Their machine designs use a combination of Mega-Damage plastics and ceramics and precious metal wiring to take advantage of the loophole in the nanobots’ programming, and their weapon designs are based around high-explosive projectiles.
While they are still one of the primary inorganic arms dealers within the Resistance, the decreased demand and high costs of components have significantly lowered their profit margins. Compared to other Great Houses they are still quite wealthy, but nothing like House Artemis. Their military does have a decentsized contingent of Bio-Tech equipped Splicers, but the majority of their forces consist of the inorganic equipped Toy Soldiers. They were originally called Plastic Men, but over the years, Splicers mockingly changed their name to Toy Soldiers. None of them were fazed by the name and most wear their title and their “human” gear with pride. While their weapons are not nearly as powerful as Bio-Tech, the Toy Soldiers that wield them have more than proven their prowess on the battlefield. In fact, most Toy Soldiers seem to have something to prove to their Splicer counterparts and fight with a ferocity that is nearly unmatched.
Population Breakdown:
31,800 Total = 4% Archangels, 1% Biotics, 1% Bombardiers,
1% Deliverymen, 4% Dreadguard, 1% Falconers, 1% Harvesters,
2% Marshals, 3% Militiamen, 4% Outriders, 1% Packmasters,
5% Roughnecks, 1% Saints, 0.4% Scarecrows, 0.6% Skinjobs,
1% Sweepers, 30% Toy Soldiers, 4% Technojackers, 28% Non-
Combatants and 7% Other O.C.C.s., including 3 Engineers and
1 Librarian.
Great House Charlemagne is just another tragic example of what can happen when a Librarian successfully usurps control of his House. Librarian Socrates plotted and schemed for years to set up his puppet Warlord, Caesar, at the head of his own private empire, and it worked far better than even he could have dreamed. Even among those that realize what has happened, few really know when it happened. There was no overt takeover, no mass slaughtering of thousands of dissenters (although dissenters to seem to vanish routinely), or even any proclamations about a new way of doing things. People’s attitudes simply changed over the decades into the twisted views held by the majority of the
population today.
Fear, distrust, and apprehension about the strange, alien nature of Bio-Technology was slowly replaced with an almost blind devotion to the power and possibility of what it can do
to better the lives of every person on the planet. A general disdain concerning the idea of directly altering people’s genes was eventually turned into a belief that only fools would not alter their bodies in some way, and the sense of respect and trust in their Warlord was twisted into blind, religious worship for a man they believe to be a living god. Socrates made sure his god had the power to back up that claim. Socrates modified Caesar with Bio-Tech until he had the power of a suit of Host Armor, but he made sure to keep his creation beautiful so that the people would want the same blessings to be bestowed upon them. He altered Warlord Caesar’s body so greatly that he can no longer breed with normal human beings, but that will not be a problem soon enough, since that is ultimately Socrates’ plan for all the people within his kingdom.
It is a dream come true for this deranged Librarian. Socrates gets to push the boundaries of Bio-Technology through endless experiments on a large and willing group of test subjects. He could care less as he watches their humanity slowly slip away. After all, Socrates gave up his humanity a long time ago and he could not be happier with the choice he made. As far as Socrates is concerned, everything is working flawlessly within his perfect kingdom, which has caused him to grow complacent. This has given the last few free thinkers a chance to organize an attempt to take back their home before it is too late. This group is working with Delphi, the Third Librarian of House Charlemagne, to undermine and hopefully, assassinate Librarian Socrates before he can achieve his end game. The men and women in this resistance-cell-within-a-Resistance-cell fear their Librarian ally will prove to be just as dangerous a threat if they all succeed, but they realize they have no choice. Socrates is simply too entrenched for them to take him out on their own. They need to deal with the devil they know and hopefully prevent the devil they do not know from rising up in his place.
Population Breakdown:
16,500 Total = 6% Archangels, 10% Biotics, 3% Broodpunks,
1% Butchers, 2% Deliverymen, 8% Dreadguard, 3% Marshals,
2% Mech-Slayers, 12% Outriders, 6% Packmasters, 10%
Roughnecks, 4% Saints, 4% Scarecrows, 4% Skinjobs, 1% Technojackers,
2% Troopmasters, 18% Non-Combatants, 4% Other
O.C.C.s, 11 Engineers and 3 Librarians.
population today.
Fear, distrust, and apprehension about the strange, alien nature of Bio-Technology was slowly replaced with an almost blind devotion to the power and possibility of what it can do
to better the lives of every person on the planet. A general disdain concerning the idea of directly altering people’s genes was eventually turned into a belief that only fools would not alter their bodies in some way, and the sense of respect and trust in their Warlord was twisted into blind, religious worship for a man they believe to be a living god. Socrates made sure his god had the power to back up that claim. Socrates modified Caesar with Bio-Tech until he had the power of a suit of Host Armor, but he made sure to keep his creation beautiful so that the people would want the same blessings to be bestowed upon them. He altered Warlord Caesar’s body so greatly that he can no longer breed with normal human beings, but that will not be a problem soon enough, since that is ultimately Socrates’ plan for all the people within his kingdom.
It is a dream come true for this deranged Librarian. Socrates gets to push the boundaries of Bio-Technology through endless experiments on a large and willing group of test subjects. He could care less as he watches their humanity slowly slip away. After all, Socrates gave up his humanity a long time ago and he could not be happier with the choice he made. As far as Socrates is concerned, everything is working flawlessly within his perfect kingdom, which has caused him to grow complacent. This has given the last few free thinkers a chance to organize an attempt to take back their home before it is too late. This group is working with Delphi, the Third Librarian of House Charlemagne, to undermine and hopefully, assassinate Librarian Socrates before he can achieve his end game. The men and women in this resistance-cell-within-a-Resistance-cell fear their Librarian ally will prove to be just as dangerous a threat if they all succeed, but they realize they have no choice. Socrates is simply too entrenched for them to take him out on their own. They need to deal with the devil they know and hopefully prevent the devil they do not know from rising up in his place.
Population Breakdown:
16,500 Total = 6% Archangels, 10% Biotics, 3% Broodpunks,
1% Butchers, 2% Deliverymen, 8% Dreadguard, 3% Marshals,
2% Mech-Slayers, 12% Outriders, 6% Packmasters, 10%
Roughnecks, 4% Saints, 4% Scarecrows, 4% Skinjobs, 1% Technojackers,
2% Troopmasters, 18% Non-Combatants, 4% Other
O.C.C.s, 11 Engineers and 3 Librarians.
Warlord Alus has recently risen through the ranks of the Dreadguard to claim his kingdom, only to learn it is crumbling. His Great House is the poorest within this Area of Influence and civil unrest threatens to tear it apart. Most of the poor are kept pacified with a continuous supply of powerful Bio-Tech narcotics, but Alus can only keep his people in a fog for so long. He seethes with jealous rage at House Artemis and constantly schemes to bring them down. Warlord Alus is not foolish enough to want to see them destroyed, he just wants some of their impressive wealth for his own kingdom. The majority of his efforts involve flooding the other Great Houses in the area with his Bio-Tech drugs. He keeps the more mellowing substances for his own House, but the drugs he sells within other Great Houses have much different effects. His efforts are starting to bring in a decent amount
of income, but the greedy minority are hording it and keeping it from the majority.
The warriors from this House do engage the Machine, but the majority of their efforts are dedicated towards preying on their neighboring Great Houses. Some of these attacks are the result of Blood Feuds or personal vendettas, but most of the attacks are simply raids for necessities. They are just trying to survive and they see their fellow Splicers as resources to be exploited. Under the leadership of Warlord Alus, this House has devolved into little more than an enormous and well-organized Waste Crawler gang or Drug Cartel. Many warriors from this House still fight with honor against the Machine, but the majority are just highly trained thugs using their skill to take what they want from whomever they want.
Population Breakdown:
8,500 Total = 5% Archangels, 2% Biotics, 1% Bombardiers,
1% Deliverymen, 12% Dreadguard, 1% Falconers, 1% Harvesters,
8% Marshals, 3% Militiamen, 15% Outriders, 8% Packmasters,
20% Roughnecks, 1% Saints, 1% Scarecrows, 2% Skinjobs,
1% Sweepers, 11% Non-Combatants, 7% Other O.C.C.s, 5 Engineers
and 2 Librarians.
of income, but the greedy minority are hording it and keeping it from the majority.
The warriors from this House do engage the Machine, but the majority of their efforts are dedicated towards preying on their neighboring Great Houses. Some of these attacks are the result of Blood Feuds or personal vendettas, but most of the attacks are simply raids for necessities. They are just trying to survive and they see their fellow Splicers as resources to be exploited. Under the leadership of Warlord Alus, this House has devolved into little more than an enormous and well-organized Waste Crawler gang or Drug Cartel. Many warriors from this House still fight with honor against the Machine, but the majority are just highly trained thugs using their skill to take what they want from whomever they want.
Population Breakdown:
8,500 Total = 5% Archangels, 2% Biotics, 1% Bombardiers,
1% Deliverymen, 12% Dreadguard, 1% Falconers, 1% Harvesters,
8% Marshals, 3% Militiamen, 15% Outriders, 8% Packmasters,
20% Roughnecks, 1% Saints, 1% Scarecrows, 2% Skinjobs,
1% Sweepers, 11% Non-Combatants, 7% Other O.C.C.s, 5 Engineers
and 2 Librarians.
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Sherwood
Luna's Concubine
When the Machine decided to purge humanity from the face of the planet, human had to go underground in order to survive. The massive caverns and abandoned sewer lines they currently call home provide excellent protection from the Machine, but they have never been one hundred percent safe. The Machine has millions of Cable Snakes, Ratbombs, Sewer Prowlers and other robot drones constantly scouring every conceivable hiding spot in an endless hunt for human prey. Like everyone in the Resistance, the Librarians of House Artemis realized that the safest place on the planet was under the waves of the Great Ocean, so they struggled for years to design an enormous bio-tech creature that could not only house all the humans of House Artemis safely within the ocean's depths but one that was also mobile. They tried for years to modify a Seedling so that it could survive without the structural support of thick rock walls, but all attempts ended in failure.
Michelangelo, the Second Librarian of House Artemis, realized these designs would never succeed and decided to fabricate his own creature from scratch. He did not just want an undersea creature that was mobile; he wanted one that could defend itself with ease, like the mighty War Mounts of the Resistance. Any Librarian could have created the basic design, but Michelangelo engineered a brilliant modification that allowed his Kraken War Mount to grow to its current size. While it is the largest War Mount in existence, it did not reach the proportions Michelangelo was hoping for. He originally hoped the Kraken (or several similar War Mounts) would be large enough to hold thousands of people in spacious conditions, but this War Mount stopped growing at one tenth its anticipated size. While the experiments to create a mobile home for the entire Artemis House continue, the Kraken is being dedicated to the war effort as an enormous underwater assault carrier.
An elite company of four hundred Splicers travel all across the planet within this gargantuan War Mount providing support to any Great House willing to accept their aid. The Machine owns the land, but the Kraken rules the sea. It can rise from the depths and decimate the Machine's shoreline defenses, release its payload of warriors, and then disappear below the waves before the Machine can mount any type of response. Only the Ishtar personality realized what a danger this War Mount truly represents. If the humans ever manufactured more of these, they could easily turn the tide of the war. She hopes a stunning defeat of their cherished creation would discourage them from expending the resources to build another. Unfortunately, Ishtar cannot mount any kind of worthwhile attack against the Kraken. The aerial units are the only robots that can even threaten the Kraken, but once the battle drops below the surface of the Great Ocean, they are as useless as any other minion. Ishtar has convinced Hecate to build some robot designs that would be more effective underwater combatants, but so far they are all providing to be just too fragile once their armor is breached.
Aside from its size, the Kraken War Mount is a unique and ingenious design. The basic shape is that of a gigantic turtle, but instead of using four flippers for propulsion, the Kraken forces water through organic thrusters like some kind of underwater jet engine. The method of propulsion is also the Kraken's main source of nutrition. All water sucked into the intakes goes through a filtration system that removes microscopic plankton and other sea creatures so they can be digested. When the Bridge Crew wants to gorge the War Mount before a battle, they can make the Kraken attack and devour other sea creatures (up to the size of a blue whale) through its giant maw, but the continuous intake through the organic thrusters provides more than enough food on a daily basis. The perimeter of the body is lined with thirty-six smaller tentacles and two large tentacles are mounted on either side of the head. The two main tentacles can extend to a length of over 1,200 feet and are 50 feet wide at the base. The Kraken can grab and crush even the largest war machines with these enormous tentacles or impale them with a twenty-foot-long bone spike mounted on the tip. The three dozen "smaller" tentacles that run around the length of the body are each over 300 feet long and are 20 feet wide at the base.
The dorsal side of the Kraken is a twenty-foot-thick turtle shell that provides tremendous defensive protection. The surface is rough and uneven like a jagged mountain ridge colored in a mixture of browns and greens to provide camouflage from overhead flybys. When the Kraken retracts its head and tentacles and sits perfectly still on the surface of the ocean, even the high-tech optics of the Machine will often mistake this enormous War Mount for a small, barren island. However, this illusion is quickly ruined when the Kraken extends its monstrous head and powerful tentacles from beneath its armored shell.
The Kraken is called a War Mount for a reason. Michelangelo did not design this mighty beast to sneak around unseen; he designed the Kraken so that it would have the power to obliterate an entire division of robots. The back is covered with nearly one thousand Organic Rockets plus dozens of Casting Cannons, Acid Cannons, Napalm Launchers, and Spore Dischargers. These bio-weapon emplacements are used to bombard the shoreline defenses of the Machine from afar before the Kraken disgorges its complement of troopers. Soldiers can either exit through a large hatch just behind the neck, or for rapid deployment, Splicers can actually be launched like a cannonball from one of ten extendable pseudo-pods. These launch tubes can only fire one passenger at a time, but it can accommodate a being of any size, from a human to a Dracos with rider.
A War Mount as large and complex as the Kraken cannot be piloted by a lone Outrider. Michelangelo created an ingenious solution to this problem. Unfortunately, it requires that a team of four humans sacrifice their humanity and permanently bond with the War Mount. This group is known as the Bridge Crew. The Kraken is able to combine their individual brains into effectively one mind. Their combined mental power allows them to monitor all activities within the War Mount as well as operate all weapon systems. The Kraken is the most heavily armed and armored War Mount in the Resistance, but it is the brilliant strategies composed by this hivemind that makes the Kraken so deadly.
Class: Submersible Assault Carrier
Crew: Four pilots permanently bound to the War Mount.
Troop Capacity: Standard complement of 400 human warriors, but the War Mount can comfortably accommodate another 100 passengers (250 passengers under cramped conditions). All Splicers from the Great House Artemis are elite solders.
Michelangelo, the Second Librarian of House Artemis, realized these designs would never succeed and decided to fabricate his own creature from scratch. He did not just want an undersea creature that was mobile; he wanted one that could defend itself with ease, like the mighty War Mounts of the Resistance. Any Librarian could have created the basic design, but Michelangelo engineered a brilliant modification that allowed his Kraken War Mount to grow to its current size. While it is the largest War Mount in existence, it did not reach the proportions Michelangelo was hoping for. He originally hoped the Kraken (or several similar War Mounts) would be large enough to hold thousands of people in spacious conditions, but this War Mount stopped growing at one tenth its anticipated size. While the experiments to create a mobile home for the entire Artemis House continue, the Kraken is being dedicated to the war effort as an enormous underwater assault carrier.
An elite company of four hundred Splicers travel all across the planet within this gargantuan War Mount providing support to any Great House willing to accept their aid. The Machine owns the land, but the Kraken rules the sea. It can rise from the depths and decimate the Machine's shoreline defenses, release its payload of warriors, and then disappear below the waves before the Machine can mount any type of response. Only the Ishtar personality realized what a danger this War Mount truly represents. If the humans ever manufactured more of these, they could easily turn the tide of the war. She hopes a stunning defeat of their cherished creation would discourage them from expending the resources to build another. Unfortunately, Ishtar cannot mount any kind of worthwhile attack against the Kraken. The aerial units are the only robots that can even threaten the Kraken, but once the battle drops below the surface of the Great Ocean, they are as useless as any other minion. Ishtar has convinced Hecate to build some robot designs that would be more effective underwater combatants, but so far they are all providing to be just too fragile once their armor is breached.
Aside from its size, the Kraken War Mount is a unique and ingenious design. The basic shape is that of a gigantic turtle, but instead of using four flippers for propulsion, the Kraken forces water through organic thrusters like some kind of underwater jet engine. The method of propulsion is also the Kraken's main source of nutrition. All water sucked into the intakes goes through a filtration system that removes microscopic plankton and other sea creatures so they can be digested. When the Bridge Crew wants to gorge the War Mount before a battle, they can make the Kraken attack and devour other sea creatures (up to the size of a blue whale) through its giant maw, but the continuous intake through the organic thrusters provides more than enough food on a daily basis. The perimeter of the body is lined with thirty-six smaller tentacles and two large tentacles are mounted on either side of the head. The two main tentacles can extend to a length of over 1,200 feet and are 50 feet wide at the base. The Kraken can grab and crush even the largest war machines with these enormous tentacles or impale them with a twenty-foot-long bone spike mounted on the tip. The three dozen "smaller" tentacles that run around the length of the body are each over 300 feet long and are 20 feet wide at the base.
The dorsal side of the Kraken is a twenty-foot-thick turtle shell that provides tremendous defensive protection. The surface is rough and uneven like a jagged mountain ridge colored in a mixture of browns and greens to provide camouflage from overhead flybys. When the Kraken retracts its head and tentacles and sits perfectly still on the surface of the ocean, even the high-tech optics of the Machine will often mistake this enormous War Mount for a small, barren island. However, this illusion is quickly ruined when the Kraken extends its monstrous head and powerful tentacles from beneath its armored shell.
The Kraken is called a War Mount for a reason. Michelangelo did not design this mighty beast to sneak around unseen; he designed the Kraken so that it would have the power to obliterate an entire division of robots. The back is covered with nearly one thousand Organic Rockets plus dozens of Casting Cannons, Acid Cannons, Napalm Launchers, and Spore Dischargers. These bio-weapon emplacements are used to bombard the shoreline defenses of the Machine from afar before the Kraken disgorges its complement of troopers. Soldiers can either exit through a large hatch just behind the neck, or for rapid deployment, Splicers can actually be launched like a cannonball from one of ten extendable pseudo-pods. These launch tubes can only fire one passenger at a time, but it can accommodate a being of any size, from a human to a Dracos with rider.
A War Mount as large and complex as the Kraken cannot be piloted by a lone Outrider. Michelangelo created an ingenious solution to this problem. Unfortunately, it requires that a team of four humans sacrifice their humanity and permanently bond with the War Mount. This group is known as the Bridge Crew. The Kraken is able to combine their individual brains into effectively one mind. Their combined mental power allows them to monitor all activities within the War Mount as well as operate all weapon systems. The Kraken is the most heavily armed and armored War Mount in the Resistance, but it is the brilliant strategies composed by this hivemind that makes the Kraken so deadly.
Class: Submersible Assault Carrier
Crew: Four pilots permanently bound to the War Mount.
Troop Capacity: Standard complement of 400 human warriors, but the War Mount can comfortably accommodate another 100 passengers (250 passengers under cramped conditions). All Splicers from the Great House Artemis are elite solders.
The Librarians of the Resistance have achieved amazing results through bio-technology. They have created weapons, vehicles, living suits of power armor, and even missiles, but they have never been able to match the sheer destructive power of the Machine's nuclear armaments. An option has existed for centuries, but it took the Resistance years to develop a way to safely harness it.
When the Librarians were first trying to perfect the Omega Blaster, a serious design flaw would occasionally cause the power cells to destabilize and explode in a fiery blast that completely consumed the Host Armor and anyone within one hundred feet. This defect was eventually discovered and eliminated from the design, but all Librarians held on to this "flaw" in order to see if it could be exploited for some other purpose.
Eventually, a Librarian from one of the smaller Great Houses came up with a use for these defective omega cells. He was inspired by tales of the Kamikaze pilots from ancient Earth, and created a War Mount that was, in essence, a thinking cruise missile. Kamikaze War Mounts can live for years without ever detonating prematurely (the energy cells are stable), but when the beast finds a suitable target, it destabilizes its power cells and rockets towards its target at Mach speed.
All Kamikaze Cruise Missiles have a rudimentary animal intelligence, a genetic memory programmed with over a dozen different robot designs, and a pathological hatred for the Machine. This programming was necessary to make the Kamikaze willing to sacrifice itself to destroy the enemy, but it also limits its overall effectiveness. The War Mount is designed to primarily seek out large targets like Sentry Towers, Land Dominators, Assault Slayers and Battle Tracks, but its aggression and hatred for the Machine means that in the absence of these high profile targets, it will attack the first robot it sees, no matter how small. If the Kamikaze could show a little discretion, the Resistance could unleash thousands of these War Mounts upon the world to seek out and destroy the Machine's heaviest hitters. Unfortunately, their ingrained instincts would lead to a tremendous waste of resources as these psychotic War Mounts would just hunt down and obliterate Labor Drones, Skitter Pods, and any other robot that crossed their path. However, if they are let loose when a high-profile target is nearby, they will ignore thousands of robots in their way as they race towards their target. In fact, it is impossible to command a Kamikaze to attack a smaller target like a Steel Trooper, Sky Fighter, or even an Assault Slayer if a Land Dominator is nearby.
When the Librarians were first trying to perfect the Omega Blaster, a serious design flaw would occasionally cause the power cells to destabilize and explode in a fiery blast that completely consumed the Host Armor and anyone within one hundred feet. This defect was eventually discovered and eliminated from the design, but all Librarians held on to this "flaw" in order to see if it could be exploited for some other purpose.
Eventually, a Librarian from one of the smaller Great Houses came up with a use for these defective omega cells. He was inspired by tales of the Kamikaze pilots from ancient Earth, and created a War Mount that was, in essence, a thinking cruise missile. Kamikaze War Mounts can live for years without ever detonating prematurely (the energy cells are stable), but when the beast finds a suitable target, it destabilizes its power cells and rockets towards its target at Mach speed.
All Kamikaze Cruise Missiles have a rudimentary animal intelligence, a genetic memory programmed with over a dozen different robot designs, and a pathological hatred for the Machine. This programming was necessary to make the Kamikaze willing to sacrifice itself to destroy the enemy, but it also limits its overall effectiveness. The War Mount is designed to primarily seek out large targets like Sentry Towers, Land Dominators, Assault Slayers and Battle Tracks, but its aggression and hatred for the Machine means that in the absence of these high profile targets, it will attack the first robot it sees, no matter how small. If the Kamikaze could show a little discretion, the Resistance could unleash thousands of these War Mounts upon the world to seek out and destroy the Machine's heaviest hitters. Unfortunately, their ingrained instincts would lead to a tremendous waste of resources as these psychotic War Mounts would just hunt down and obliterate Labor Drones, Skitter Pods, and any other robot that crossed their path. However, if they are let loose when a high-profile target is nearby, they will ignore thousands of robots in their way as they race towards their target. In fact, it is impossible to command a Kamikaze to attack a smaller target like a Steel Trooper, Sky Fighter, or even an Assault Slayer if a Land Dominator is nearby.
The Griffin War Mount is a relatively recent addition to humanity’s arsenal, but it is already making a tremendous impact against the Machine’s air forces. It was designed to intercept and destroy the supersonic Sky Fighters, and it does so surprisingly well. Of course, its strategy for taking these fast flyers down is not quite what one would expect (which is one reason the Machine is having such a difficult time adapting). One weakness of Bio-Technology is that it has never been able to match the blistering speed of high-tech jet engines. Human ingenuity and the crazy daredevil flying of the Archangels and Outriders have allowed the Resistance to hold their own, but Sky Fighters still fly circles around them in nearly every engagement. Sky Fighters typically swoop in with their guns blazing and then fly away before the Splicer pilots can get into position to retaliate. Their speed makes dogfighting nearly impossible, so pilots generally only have moments to try and squeeze off a lucky shot.
This is where the Griffin comes in. The Librarians knew they would never be able to match the speed of the Machine’s forces, so they decided to go with a different approach. Instead of trying to chase down the enemy, they built the Griffin so that it could quickly decelerate and grab on to anyone chasing it. It is quite a surprise for any Sky Fighter closing in for the kill to suddenly see this beast flip around in midair and latch on to the craft’s fuselage. Once the mount grabs on, it anchors itself to the aircraft by firing a pair of barbed tentacles from its chest into the hull. This allows the Griffin to bite with its powerful beak, fire off blasts of plasma breath, or tear the craft to shreds with its deadly high frequency
talons without fear of being shaken off. This strategy also keeps the War Mount clear of any of the Sky Fighter’s weapon systems. The only way to strike the beast is for one of the robot’s allies to fire on it (which usually strikes the Sky Fighter as well). The introduction of the Griffin has inspired the Archangels to adopt a similar strategy with their grappling hooks, although they are not nearly as well equipped for this task as the Griffins are.
When the mount finishes ripping the target apart at close range, it then detaches the bone spears from the end of the tentacles and flies off, leaving the target with another nasty surprise. These discarded bone fragments contain a powerful explosive chemical that detonates within seconds of being exposed to air. Outriders and Archangels have become very proficient at inflicting just enough damage before breaking off their attack so that these spears finish the job. The Griffin actually has twenty of these tentacles arranged in two rows along the chest so that it can attach itself to multiple craft while the spent bone spears regenerate.
The Griffin War Mount looks exactly like the mythical creature it was named after. It possesses the head and wings of an eagle and the body of a lion. The front and back legs end in powerful clawed hands that allow the mount to grab, tear, and slash with any of its limbs. Even the wings can be used as weapons. The seemingly normal looking feathers are actually composed of a super- strong ceramic material. This not only provides additional armored protection, but the razor sharp edges enable the wings to hack through armored plating with ease. The wings can propel the mount at a decent speed, but the body is also lined with organic thrusters. These not only increase the Griffin’s speed, but also provide it with its stunning aerial maneuverability. The thrusters and tentacle bone spears are concealed beneath the Griffin’s fur, so this creature looks very much like the Griffins of legend. Aside from the War Saddle, the only thing that detracts from its mythical appearance is the lone eye mounted on the tip of its tail. This lets the beast and its Outrider pilot keep an eye on any pursuers, so they know the perfect moment to flip around and attack.
When the Griffin War Mounts were first introduced on the battlefield, the devastation they wreaked on the Sky Fighters was unbelievable. No one expected them to be so effective.
N.E.X.U.S. has adapted her strategies somewhat to contend with these War Mounts, but even these adjustments have benefited the Resistance. When a Griffin is spotted among the assault force, Sky Fighters will tend to fire from outside of their maximum effective range rather than risk getting grabbed during a close range strafing run. Even when they are not chasing these mounts down directly, the Griffins still seem impossibly skilled at figuring out their approach vector and intercepting them. Another new Sky Fighter tactic that has backfired somewhat is their tendency to come to a dead stop in mid-air to avoid the Griffin’s grappling attempt. Sky Fighters can go from full speed to a hover in seconds, which even the Griffin has difficulty matching. This may sometimes prevent the Griffin from grabbing its prey, but the War Mount can still use its plasma breath (plus any additional weapon enhancements mounted on it and the rider) to shoot down the now stationary target. In addition, Archangels generally fly support for the Griffin War Mounts, so they also get a free shot at any Sky Fighters that are foolish enough to come to a stop. The Machine still has numerical superiority on her side, but the Resistance sees the introduction of the Griffin War Mount as an important step in taking back the skies.
Class: Close Combat Aerial War Mount.
Crew: One pilot.
M.D.C. by Location:
Wings (2) – 200 each
Front Legs (2) – 150 each
Hind Legs (2) – 180 each
Clawed Feet (4) – 80 each
Tail – 80
Tail Mounted Third Eye – 10
Barbed Tentacles (20) – 85 each
* Head – 180
War Saddle – 100
* Main Body – 400
* Depleting the M.D.C. of the Head or Main Body kills the Griffin.
Speed:
Running: 120 mph (192 km) maximum, but normal cruising speed is only 80 mph (128 km). The act of running does tire out the War Mount but not the rider. The Griffin can run at top speed for up to two hours straight before needing to rest for 1D6x10+30 minutes. However, it can fight or trot along at cruising speed almost all day (20 hours) without needing rest.
Leaping: 50 feet (15.2 m) high or across, increase by 50% with a short running start. Organic thruster assisted leaps can propel the Griffin an additional 200 feet (61 m) high or 500 feet (152.5 m) across.
Digging: 15 mph (24 km) through sand or dirt. 10 mph (16 km) through clay, rock or stone. Digging does not tire out the War Mount and it can dig an adequate hole to cover itself in 2D4 melees.
Swimming: 30 mph (48 km). Maximum depth is only 200 feet (61 m).
Flying: Maximum speed is 450 mph (720 km), with a cruising speed of 150 mph (240 km). The Griffin can reach speeds of nearly 600 mph (960 km), but only for short bursts of 2D4 minutes, after which the Griffin must drop down to cruising speed for the next hour. It can also hit speeds of 800 mph (1,280 km) when performing a steep power dive. When the War Mount wants to fly silently (without the organic thrusters), it can only fly at a maximum speed of 200 mph (320 km) and a cruising speed of 80 mph (128 km). It can fly all day long at cruising speed, but only four hours at maximum speed before needing to rest for at least 1D4 hours.
Statistical Data:
Height: 8-9 feet (2.4 to 2.7 m) at the shoulder.
Width: 5-6 feet (1.5 to 1.8 m) with a wingspan of 25 feet (7.6 m).
Length: 11-12 feet (3.3 to 3.6 m) with an 8 foot (2.4 m) long tail.
Weight: 1 to 1.5 tons.
Cargo: Can carry 800 lbs (360 kg) on its back or 1200 lbs. (540 kg) within its talons. Additional weight decreases the Griffin’s speed. An extra 500 lbs (225 kg) decreases speed by 25 percent, an extra 1000 lbs (450 kg) decreases speed by half, and any additional amount greater than 1,500 pounds (675 kg) total makes flight impossible.
Physical Strength: 1D4+36, Supernatural.
Production Cycle: 2 year gestation period plus 2 year growth cycle.
Operational Lifetime: 60 year life span.
Bio-Regeneration Rate: 6D6 per hour to the main body and 3D6 per hour to all other locations.
Horror Factor: 13 against humans not familiar with the Griffin. None against machines.
Feeding: The Griffin is a Carnivore. It needs to eat 30-60 pounds (13.5 to 27 kg) of animal matter a day, and may gorge on up to 300 pounds (135 kg) at one time. After gorging, the War Mount can go 2D4 days without feeding and without suffering any ill effects.
Color: The fur on its body is a light brown with a white underbelly and the feathers on its head and wings are white. Its four clawed feet and beak are a bright orange-yellow color. Other color variants are solid fawns, Golden eagle, shadow gray & white, solid black or solid white for arctic regions.
Sleep Requirements: As an artificially created organism, the Griffin only requires 4 hours of sleep per day.
Other Data on the Griffin:
An unmanned Griffin is able to operate independent of a rider using its animal-like intelligence and instincts to respond to any given situation. The Griffin feels a close kinship with its rider and other caregivers it is familiar with and will come to their aid if threatened, but it will not come to the aid of unknown humans unless ordered to do so by a Packmaster, Outrider, or Archangel. The exceptions to this rule are the Archangels. Griffins feel a special bond with their “little flying brothers” and will take to the skies to help any Archangel in need.
Alignment: Anarchist. Griffins are usually calm and relaxed. They generally only fight when commanded to do so or when directly threatened.
War Mount Attributes: I.Q. 1D6+2, M.E. 1D6+8, M.A. 1D6+8, P.S. 37-40, P.P. 2D6+8, P.E. 2D6+14, P.B. 3D4+6, Spd. 120 mph (192 km) on the ground, 450 mph (720 km) in flight.
Number of Attacks per Melee: 4.
Combat Bonuses: +4 on initiative, +4 to strike in hand to hand combat, +6 to strike when attempting to grab onto an opponent, +4 to parry, +4 to dodge, +6 to dodge while flying, +6 to roll with punch, +3 to pull punch, +2 to disarm, pin/incapacitate on a natural 18-20, cannot be surprised from behind, and impervious to Horror Factor, disease, and poison.
Equivalent (Instinctive) Skills of Note: Land Navigation 90%, Track by Scent 65%, and understands the Native Language of the Great House that created it and one other common language at 70%.
Combat Capabilities:
Bite: 3D8 M.D.
Restrained Talon Strike: 1D8 M.D.
Talon Strike: 5D8 M.D.
Power Talon Strike: 2D4x10 M.D., but counts as two attacks.
Dual Talon Strike: 2D4x10 M.D., counts as one melee attack, but can only be done while in flight.
Grappling Attack: This is the Griffin’s primary method for attacking Sky Fighters. The War Mount quickly decelerates and allows any pursuing craft to slam into it so it can grab its prey and sink its claws in to hold on. This move inflicts 4D10 M.D. to the enemy craft, but it also inflicts 1D8 M.D. to the Griffin (this amount already includes the decrease in damage taken due to the Resistance to Physical Attack Enhancement). Roll to strike as normal. The Griffin has a special bonus of +6 to strike with this attack (plus any attribute bonuses). In addition, the enemy is -3 to dodge this attack due to the sudden and surprising change in direction of the Griffin.
Shred Attack: Can only be performed when the Griffin is anchored to the target with its barbed tentacles. The War Mount uses all four talons and both of its razor-sharp wings to claw, slash, and tear the target apart. Inflicts 3D4x10+30 M.D., but counts as three attacks.
Wing Slash: 3D8 M.D.
High-Speed Wing Slash: This strafe attack can only be performed at speeds of at least 100 mph (160 km). Inflicts 1D8x10 M.D., but counts as two attacks.
Head Butt: 3D6 M.D.
Body Block/Pounce/Ram: 5D8 M.D. (+2D8 M.D. if flying more than 200 mph (320 km). Has a 01-70% likelihood of knocking an opponent who is as large 20 feet (6.1 m) tall off of his feet and onto his back. If knocked off his feet, the victim loses initiative and two melee attacks. A ram counts as two attacks.
Senses and Features: Standard for War Mounts plus the following: Resistance to Physical Attack: Beneath the skin is a layer of thick tissue filled with an impact resistant fluid that cushions the War Mount from blunt attacks like punches, kicks, falls, and explosive concussions (all of which inflict half damage). It is mainly used to protect the Griffin from the impact of grabbing onto pursuing aircraft.
Tail Mounted Third Eye: Mounted on the tip of the Griffin’s tail is a single Advanced, Armored Eye. It possesses Enhanced Sight, just like the War Mount’s normal eyes. It is primarily used to track enemies chasing after the Griffin, but many Outriders also use it as a periscope during times when the mount is hiding underwater, hidden in deep crevices of cliff faces or concealed underground.
Griffin Bio-Weapon Systems:
1. Plasma Breath: The mouth, throat, and lungs of the Griffin have been modified to allow it to exhale a chemical spray that ignites on contact with air to create a powerful fire blast.
Primary Purpose: Assault.
Secondary Purpose: Defense.
Mega-Damage: 6D12 M.D.
Rate of Fire: Once per melee round, but counts as two melee attacks.
Effective Range: 40 feet (12.2 m).
Payload: 36 blasts per 24 hours. Automatically regenerates over a 24 hour period.
Bonuses: +4 to strike, but this is the only bonus that applies to the Plasma Breath.
2. Barbed Tentacles: Mounted in the chest of the Griffin are two rows of ten retractable tentacles that end in five inch (12 cm) long, barbed bone spears. They are completely concealed beneath the fur of the Griffin until fired at their target. Their primary purpose is to anchor the War Mount to its prey so it can freely attack without fear of being shaken off during high-speed maneuvers. The tentacles can be cut or allies can attempt to pull the Griffin off, but it requires a combined Robotic/Splicer P.S. of 65 or higher to rip the beast loose. When the War Mount finishes attacking its target, it mentally signals the tentacles to detach from the bone spears so it can fly away.
Once released, the explosive chemical within the bone spears is exposed to the air, which causes them to detonate. Since they are already imbedded within the target, they inflict massive damage when they explode.
Primary Purpose: Grappling.
Secondary Purpose: Assault.
Mega-Damage: 6D8 M.D. per dual strike (always fired in pairs). When the tentacles detach from the bone spears, they detonate, inflicting 1D6x10+20 M.D. to a 6 foot (1.8 m) radius.
Rate of Fire: Each dual strike counts as one melee attack.
Effective Range: 10 feet (3 m).
Payload: 20 tentacles. Spent bone spears regrow after 4D6 hours.
Bonuses: +3 to strike distant opponents, but +10 to strike when the Griffin is already clinging to the target.
3. High-Frequency Talons: The feet of the Griffin are prehensile with three toes in the front and the “thumb” on the back of the heel. Each toe ends in a six inch (15 cm) long, high frequency talon. They are generally used for slashing attacks, but they can also be used to grab hold of prey. It requires a combined Robotic/Splicer P.S. of 50 or higher to break free of the Griffin’s grip.
Primary Purpose: Assault.
Secondary Purpose: Grappling.
Mega-Damage: Each foot inflicts 5D8 M.D. and a dual strike inflicts 2D4x10 M.D. (counts as one melee attack, but can only be performed while in flight). All four limbs can engage the same target, but only when the Griffin is secured to its target with its barbed tentacles. This attack inflicts 3D4x10+30 M.D., but counts as three attacks.
4. Ceramic Wings: The Griffin’s feathers are actually composed of a durable ceramic material that not only provides excellent armor protection, but also make deadly slashing weapons. The wings can be used like an enormous sword when fighting on the ground, or they can be used to slash opponents during highspeed strafing runs in the air (minimum attack speed is 100 mph /160 km). In addition, the Griffin can use its wings to parry melee attacks (the wings take no damage on a successful parry) or as a shield against weapons fire (in this case, the wings take half damage from the attack). The Griffin cannot parry weapons fire. It needs to shield itself (or someone else) before the enemy attacks.
Primary Purpose: Assault.
Secondary Purpose: Defense.
Mega-Damage: Slash from a single wing inflicts 6D6+15 M.D.
A high-speed strafe attack inflicts 1D8x10+10 M.D., but counts
as two attacks.
Bonuses: +1 to strike and +2 to parry.
This is where the Griffin comes in. The Librarians knew they would never be able to match the speed of the Machine’s forces, so they decided to go with a different approach. Instead of trying to chase down the enemy, they built the Griffin so that it could quickly decelerate and grab on to anyone chasing it. It is quite a surprise for any Sky Fighter closing in for the kill to suddenly see this beast flip around in midair and latch on to the craft’s fuselage. Once the mount grabs on, it anchors itself to the aircraft by firing a pair of barbed tentacles from its chest into the hull. This allows the Griffin to bite with its powerful beak, fire off blasts of plasma breath, or tear the craft to shreds with its deadly high frequency
talons without fear of being shaken off. This strategy also keeps the War Mount clear of any of the Sky Fighter’s weapon systems. The only way to strike the beast is for one of the robot’s allies to fire on it (which usually strikes the Sky Fighter as well). The introduction of the Griffin has inspired the Archangels to adopt a similar strategy with their grappling hooks, although they are not nearly as well equipped for this task as the Griffins are.
When the mount finishes ripping the target apart at close range, it then detaches the bone spears from the end of the tentacles and flies off, leaving the target with another nasty surprise. These discarded bone fragments contain a powerful explosive chemical that detonates within seconds of being exposed to air. Outriders and Archangels have become very proficient at inflicting just enough damage before breaking off their attack so that these spears finish the job. The Griffin actually has twenty of these tentacles arranged in two rows along the chest so that it can attach itself to multiple craft while the spent bone spears regenerate.
The Griffin War Mount looks exactly like the mythical creature it was named after. It possesses the head and wings of an eagle and the body of a lion. The front and back legs end in powerful clawed hands that allow the mount to grab, tear, and slash with any of its limbs. Even the wings can be used as weapons. The seemingly normal looking feathers are actually composed of a super- strong ceramic material. This not only provides additional armored protection, but the razor sharp edges enable the wings to hack through armored plating with ease. The wings can propel the mount at a decent speed, but the body is also lined with organic thrusters. These not only increase the Griffin’s speed, but also provide it with its stunning aerial maneuverability. The thrusters and tentacle bone spears are concealed beneath the Griffin’s fur, so this creature looks very much like the Griffins of legend. Aside from the War Saddle, the only thing that detracts from its mythical appearance is the lone eye mounted on the tip of its tail. This lets the beast and its Outrider pilot keep an eye on any pursuers, so they know the perfect moment to flip around and attack.
When the Griffin War Mounts were first introduced on the battlefield, the devastation they wreaked on the Sky Fighters was unbelievable. No one expected them to be so effective.
N.E.X.U.S. has adapted her strategies somewhat to contend with these War Mounts, but even these adjustments have benefited the Resistance. When a Griffin is spotted among the assault force, Sky Fighters will tend to fire from outside of their maximum effective range rather than risk getting grabbed during a close range strafing run. Even when they are not chasing these mounts down directly, the Griffins still seem impossibly skilled at figuring out their approach vector and intercepting them. Another new Sky Fighter tactic that has backfired somewhat is their tendency to come to a dead stop in mid-air to avoid the Griffin’s grappling attempt. Sky Fighters can go from full speed to a hover in seconds, which even the Griffin has difficulty matching. This may sometimes prevent the Griffin from grabbing its prey, but the War Mount can still use its plasma breath (plus any additional weapon enhancements mounted on it and the rider) to shoot down the now stationary target. In addition, Archangels generally fly support for the Griffin War Mounts, so they also get a free shot at any Sky Fighters that are foolish enough to come to a stop. The Machine still has numerical superiority on her side, but the Resistance sees the introduction of the Griffin War Mount as an important step in taking back the skies.
Class: Close Combat Aerial War Mount.
Crew: One pilot.
M.D.C. by Location:
Wings (2) – 200 each
Front Legs (2) – 150 each
Hind Legs (2) – 180 each
Clawed Feet (4) – 80 each
Tail – 80
Tail Mounted Third Eye – 10
Barbed Tentacles (20) – 85 each
* Head – 180
War Saddle – 100
* Main Body – 400
* Depleting the M.D.C. of the Head or Main Body kills the Griffin.
Speed:
Running: 120 mph (192 km) maximum, but normal cruising speed is only 80 mph (128 km). The act of running does tire out the War Mount but not the rider. The Griffin can run at top speed for up to two hours straight before needing to rest for 1D6x10+30 minutes. However, it can fight or trot along at cruising speed almost all day (20 hours) without needing rest.
Leaping: 50 feet (15.2 m) high or across, increase by 50% with a short running start. Organic thruster assisted leaps can propel the Griffin an additional 200 feet (61 m) high or 500 feet (152.5 m) across.
Digging: 15 mph (24 km) through sand or dirt. 10 mph (16 km) through clay, rock or stone. Digging does not tire out the War Mount and it can dig an adequate hole to cover itself in 2D4 melees.
Swimming: 30 mph (48 km). Maximum depth is only 200 feet (61 m).
Flying: Maximum speed is 450 mph (720 km), with a cruising speed of 150 mph (240 km). The Griffin can reach speeds of nearly 600 mph (960 km), but only for short bursts of 2D4 minutes, after which the Griffin must drop down to cruising speed for the next hour. It can also hit speeds of 800 mph (1,280 km) when performing a steep power dive. When the War Mount wants to fly silently (without the organic thrusters), it can only fly at a maximum speed of 200 mph (320 km) and a cruising speed of 80 mph (128 km). It can fly all day long at cruising speed, but only four hours at maximum speed before needing to rest for at least 1D4 hours.
Statistical Data:
Height: 8-9 feet (2.4 to 2.7 m) at the shoulder.
Width: 5-6 feet (1.5 to 1.8 m) with a wingspan of 25 feet (7.6 m).
Length: 11-12 feet (3.3 to 3.6 m) with an 8 foot (2.4 m) long tail.
Weight: 1 to 1.5 tons.
Cargo: Can carry 800 lbs (360 kg) on its back or 1200 lbs. (540 kg) within its talons. Additional weight decreases the Griffin’s speed. An extra 500 lbs (225 kg) decreases speed by 25 percent, an extra 1000 lbs (450 kg) decreases speed by half, and any additional amount greater than 1,500 pounds (675 kg) total makes flight impossible.
Physical Strength: 1D4+36, Supernatural.
Production Cycle: 2 year gestation period plus 2 year growth cycle.
Operational Lifetime: 60 year life span.
Bio-Regeneration Rate: 6D6 per hour to the main body and 3D6 per hour to all other locations.
Horror Factor: 13 against humans not familiar with the Griffin. None against machines.
Feeding: The Griffin is a Carnivore. It needs to eat 30-60 pounds (13.5 to 27 kg) of animal matter a day, and may gorge on up to 300 pounds (135 kg) at one time. After gorging, the War Mount can go 2D4 days without feeding and without suffering any ill effects.
Color: The fur on its body is a light brown with a white underbelly and the feathers on its head and wings are white. Its four clawed feet and beak are a bright orange-yellow color. Other color variants are solid fawns, Golden eagle, shadow gray & white, solid black or solid white for arctic regions.
Sleep Requirements: As an artificially created organism, the Griffin only requires 4 hours of sleep per day.
Other Data on the Griffin:
An unmanned Griffin is able to operate independent of a rider using its animal-like intelligence and instincts to respond to any given situation. The Griffin feels a close kinship with its rider and other caregivers it is familiar with and will come to their aid if threatened, but it will not come to the aid of unknown humans unless ordered to do so by a Packmaster, Outrider, or Archangel. The exceptions to this rule are the Archangels. Griffins feel a special bond with their “little flying brothers” and will take to the skies to help any Archangel in need.
Alignment: Anarchist. Griffins are usually calm and relaxed. They generally only fight when commanded to do so or when directly threatened.
War Mount Attributes: I.Q. 1D6+2, M.E. 1D6+8, M.A. 1D6+8, P.S. 37-40, P.P. 2D6+8, P.E. 2D6+14, P.B. 3D4+6, Spd. 120 mph (192 km) on the ground, 450 mph (720 km) in flight.
Number of Attacks per Melee: 4.
Combat Bonuses: +4 on initiative, +4 to strike in hand to hand combat, +6 to strike when attempting to grab onto an opponent, +4 to parry, +4 to dodge, +6 to dodge while flying, +6 to roll with punch, +3 to pull punch, +2 to disarm, pin/incapacitate on a natural 18-20, cannot be surprised from behind, and impervious to Horror Factor, disease, and poison.
Equivalent (Instinctive) Skills of Note: Land Navigation 90%, Track by Scent 65%, and understands the Native Language of the Great House that created it and one other common language at 70%.
Combat Capabilities:
Bite: 3D8 M.D.
Restrained Talon Strike: 1D8 M.D.
Talon Strike: 5D8 M.D.
Power Talon Strike: 2D4x10 M.D., but counts as two attacks.
Dual Talon Strike: 2D4x10 M.D., counts as one melee attack, but can only be done while in flight.
Grappling Attack: This is the Griffin’s primary method for attacking Sky Fighters. The War Mount quickly decelerates and allows any pursuing craft to slam into it so it can grab its prey and sink its claws in to hold on. This move inflicts 4D10 M.D. to the enemy craft, but it also inflicts 1D8 M.D. to the Griffin (this amount already includes the decrease in damage taken due to the Resistance to Physical Attack Enhancement). Roll to strike as normal. The Griffin has a special bonus of +6 to strike with this attack (plus any attribute bonuses). In addition, the enemy is -3 to dodge this attack due to the sudden and surprising change in direction of the Griffin.
Shred Attack: Can only be performed when the Griffin is anchored to the target with its barbed tentacles. The War Mount uses all four talons and both of its razor-sharp wings to claw, slash, and tear the target apart. Inflicts 3D4x10+30 M.D., but counts as three attacks.
Wing Slash: 3D8 M.D.
High-Speed Wing Slash: This strafe attack can only be performed at speeds of at least 100 mph (160 km). Inflicts 1D8x10 M.D., but counts as two attacks.
Head Butt: 3D6 M.D.
Body Block/Pounce/Ram: 5D8 M.D. (+2D8 M.D. if flying more than 200 mph (320 km). Has a 01-70% likelihood of knocking an opponent who is as large 20 feet (6.1 m) tall off of his feet and onto his back. If knocked off his feet, the victim loses initiative and two melee attacks. A ram counts as two attacks.
Senses and Features: Standard for War Mounts plus the following: Resistance to Physical Attack: Beneath the skin is a layer of thick tissue filled with an impact resistant fluid that cushions the War Mount from blunt attacks like punches, kicks, falls, and explosive concussions (all of which inflict half damage). It is mainly used to protect the Griffin from the impact of grabbing onto pursuing aircraft.
Tail Mounted Third Eye: Mounted on the tip of the Griffin’s tail is a single Advanced, Armored Eye. It possesses Enhanced Sight, just like the War Mount’s normal eyes. It is primarily used to track enemies chasing after the Griffin, but many Outriders also use it as a periscope during times when the mount is hiding underwater, hidden in deep crevices of cliff faces or concealed underground.
Griffin Bio-Weapon Systems:
1. Plasma Breath: The mouth, throat, and lungs of the Griffin have been modified to allow it to exhale a chemical spray that ignites on contact with air to create a powerful fire blast.
Primary Purpose: Assault.
Secondary Purpose: Defense.
Mega-Damage: 6D12 M.D.
Rate of Fire: Once per melee round, but counts as two melee attacks.
Effective Range: 40 feet (12.2 m).
Payload: 36 blasts per 24 hours. Automatically regenerates over a 24 hour period.
Bonuses: +4 to strike, but this is the only bonus that applies to the Plasma Breath.
2. Barbed Tentacles: Mounted in the chest of the Griffin are two rows of ten retractable tentacles that end in five inch (12 cm) long, barbed bone spears. They are completely concealed beneath the fur of the Griffin until fired at their target. Their primary purpose is to anchor the War Mount to its prey so it can freely attack without fear of being shaken off during high-speed maneuvers. The tentacles can be cut or allies can attempt to pull the Griffin off, but it requires a combined Robotic/Splicer P.S. of 65 or higher to rip the beast loose. When the War Mount finishes attacking its target, it mentally signals the tentacles to detach from the bone spears so it can fly away.
Once released, the explosive chemical within the bone spears is exposed to the air, which causes them to detonate. Since they are already imbedded within the target, they inflict massive damage when they explode.
Primary Purpose: Grappling.
Secondary Purpose: Assault.
Mega-Damage: 6D8 M.D. per dual strike (always fired in pairs). When the tentacles detach from the bone spears, they detonate, inflicting 1D6x10+20 M.D. to a 6 foot (1.8 m) radius.
Rate of Fire: Each dual strike counts as one melee attack.
Effective Range: 10 feet (3 m).
Payload: 20 tentacles. Spent bone spears regrow after 4D6 hours.
Bonuses: +3 to strike distant opponents, but +10 to strike when the Griffin is already clinging to the target.
3. High-Frequency Talons: The feet of the Griffin are prehensile with three toes in the front and the “thumb” on the back of the heel. Each toe ends in a six inch (15 cm) long, high frequency talon. They are generally used for slashing attacks, but they can also be used to grab hold of prey. It requires a combined Robotic/Splicer P.S. of 50 or higher to break free of the Griffin’s grip.
Primary Purpose: Assault.
Secondary Purpose: Grappling.
Mega-Damage: Each foot inflicts 5D8 M.D. and a dual strike inflicts 2D4x10 M.D. (counts as one melee attack, but can only be performed while in flight). All four limbs can engage the same target, but only when the Griffin is secured to its target with its barbed tentacles. This attack inflicts 3D4x10+30 M.D., but counts as three attacks.
4. Ceramic Wings: The Griffin’s feathers are actually composed of a durable ceramic material that not only provides excellent armor protection, but also make deadly slashing weapons. The wings can be used like an enormous sword when fighting on the ground, or they can be used to slash opponents during highspeed strafing runs in the air (minimum attack speed is 100 mph /160 km). In addition, the Griffin can use its wings to parry melee attacks (the wings take no damage on a successful parry) or as a shield against weapons fire (in this case, the wings take half damage from the attack). The Griffin cannot parry weapons fire. It needs to shield itself (or someone else) before the enemy attacks.
Primary Purpose: Assault.
Secondary Purpose: Defense.
Mega-Damage: Slash from a single wing inflicts 6D6+15 M.D.
A high-speed strafe attack inflicts 1D8x10+10 M.D., but counts
as two attacks.
Bonuses: +1 to strike and +2 to parry.
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Sherwood
Luna's Concubine
Places of Note
Situated dead center within this region is the N.E.X.U.S. Computer Core. This massive structure is the highest priority target of every Great House within Area of Influence 24. It is the reason they are here, and its destruction is the key to their liberation. Of course, N.E.X.U.S. knows this as well, so she does not even try to hide its importance. She turned the hundred mile area around the Core into a gauntlet of robot patrols, Sentry Towers, and defensive fortifications, and security only gets tighter the closer one gets to the Core.
The Machine built this particular Core upon the bones of Abraveno Province. This region was once a farm community tasked with the difficult job of growing enough food to feed a
severely overpopulated world. Similar to the rest of the region, the land was farmed for all it was worth, but this soil actually went completely barren. During the initial decades when N.E.X.U.S. first came online and was functioning properly, she restored the land to a point where it could support life again, but it was stretched far too thin to ever be used as farmland again. N.E.X.U.S. dedicated other lands towards food production and instead rededicated most of Abraveno Province towards tract housing in order to draw people away from the overcrowded cities. The homes were tightly packed together, but compared to the cities, it felt like communing with nature.
Unfortunately, when the Great Purge came, these homes offered virtually no protection and no place to hide. N.E.X.U.S. simply hit each home with incendiaries or high-explosives, and then cut down anyone that came scurrying out. For some reason, the Machine had no interest in taking prisoners from this community or moving them to a Boneyard. She executed every single person where they stood, whether they tried to surrender or not, and left the bodies where they fell. She then immediately went to work building the Computer Core and its impressive defenses directly upon their remains.
N.E.X.U.S. constructed a series of four massive, Mega-Damage walls that radiated out from the Core like ripples from a drop of water. Each one is fifty feet (15.2 m) tall and twenty
feet (6.1 m) thick. The walls have columns of weapon emplacements mounted every thirty feet (9.1 m) on each side. Getting through the kill zone of one wall and then successfully going over or through this enormous construct simply means the attackers are now caught in the crossfire of the last wall and the next one as well. They are spaced half a mile (0.8 km) apart, so there is no safe place that does not fall within weapons range of scores of laser cannons, particle beams, ion cannons, and missile batteries. In addition to these already excessive defenses, N.E.X.U.S. seeded the space between each wall with thousands of Popper Mines, Sentry Towers, air and ground patrols, and a total of ten Land Dominators. Each wall has four heavily fortified gates on the north, south, east, and west sides. Just inside each of the gates on the outermost wall is a decent-sized Industrial Center. These automated factories churn out new robots to replace fallen sentries, re-supply spent ammo, repair any damage, and perform routine maintenance on the legions of robots guarding the area.
While Gaia’s efforts have caused the forests and fields in Region 24 to flourish, the sheer quantity of feet, tires, and tracks trudging endlessly across this area crush most plant life before it can have a chance to grow. This makes the approach towards the Computer Core one of the most difficult in the region. The land is flat and clear of trees or shrubs for miles in every direction.
There is not even that much debris left over from the ruins of Abraveno Province. The occasional patch of tall weeds provides some cover, but it does not help much against air patrols. The sewer and maintenance tunnels below the Core were collapsed long ago, or appropriated by the Machine and filled with cables to carry power from all the nearby Power Farms to this vital structure. To this day, no one has been able to get within ten miles (16 km) of the Core before being discovered and swiftly eliminated.
Area: 100 square miles (256 sq. km).
Human Population: No human has gotten within 10 miles of this Computer Core since it was first built.
Robot Population: Roughly 600,000 robots patrol the area, including 10 Land Dominators.
The Machine built this particular Core upon the bones of Abraveno Province. This region was once a farm community tasked with the difficult job of growing enough food to feed a
severely overpopulated world. Similar to the rest of the region, the land was farmed for all it was worth, but this soil actually went completely barren. During the initial decades when N.E.X.U.S. first came online and was functioning properly, she restored the land to a point where it could support life again, but it was stretched far too thin to ever be used as farmland again. N.E.X.U.S. dedicated other lands towards food production and instead rededicated most of Abraveno Province towards tract housing in order to draw people away from the overcrowded cities. The homes were tightly packed together, but compared to the cities, it felt like communing with nature.
Unfortunately, when the Great Purge came, these homes offered virtually no protection and no place to hide. N.E.X.U.S. simply hit each home with incendiaries or high-explosives, and then cut down anyone that came scurrying out. For some reason, the Machine had no interest in taking prisoners from this community or moving them to a Boneyard. She executed every single person where they stood, whether they tried to surrender or not, and left the bodies where they fell. She then immediately went to work building the Computer Core and its impressive defenses directly upon their remains.
N.E.X.U.S. constructed a series of four massive, Mega-Damage walls that radiated out from the Core like ripples from a drop of water. Each one is fifty feet (15.2 m) tall and twenty
feet (6.1 m) thick. The walls have columns of weapon emplacements mounted every thirty feet (9.1 m) on each side. Getting through the kill zone of one wall and then successfully going over or through this enormous construct simply means the attackers are now caught in the crossfire of the last wall and the next one as well. They are spaced half a mile (0.8 km) apart, so there is no safe place that does not fall within weapons range of scores of laser cannons, particle beams, ion cannons, and missile batteries. In addition to these already excessive defenses, N.E.X.U.S. seeded the space between each wall with thousands of Popper Mines, Sentry Towers, air and ground patrols, and a total of ten Land Dominators. Each wall has four heavily fortified gates on the north, south, east, and west sides. Just inside each of the gates on the outermost wall is a decent-sized Industrial Center. These automated factories churn out new robots to replace fallen sentries, re-supply spent ammo, repair any damage, and perform routine maintenance on the legions of robots guarding the area.
While Gaia’s efforts have caused the forests and fields in Region 24 to flourish, the sheer quantity of feet, tires, and tracks trudging endlessly across this area crush most plant life before it can have a chance to grow. This makes the approach towards the Computer Core one of the most difficult in the region. The land is flat and clear of trees or shrubs for miles in every direction.
There is not even that much debris left over from the ruins of Abraveno Province. The occasional patch of tall weeds provides some cover, but it does not help much against air patrols. The sewer and maintenance tunnels below the Core were collapsed long ago, or appropriated by the Machine and filled with cables to carry power from all the nearby Power Farms to this vital structure. To this day, no one has been able to get within ten miles (16 km) of the Core before being discovered and swiftly eliminated.
Area: 100 square miles (256 sq. km).
Human Population: No human has gotten within 10 miles of this Computer Core since it was first built.
Robot Population: Roughly 600,000 robots patrol the area, including 10 Land Dominators.
Of all the Machine Personalities, Kali is without question the most depraved, sadistic, and cruel, and nowhere is this more evident than within the blood-drenched halls of her personal torture chamber known as the Playhouse. Most Splicers in Area 24 consider this enormous facility to be the number two target in the region, but many feel it is a higher priority than the Computer Core. While taking out the Playhouse does not offer any real strategic value, this vile house of horrors is simply too evil and appalling to be allowed to exist. Unfortunately, like most of the Machine’s creations, destroying it is easier said than done. That does not stop the Resistance from trying though. The Playhouse has been attacked more times than any other Machine installation in the region. There are thousands of human victims being brutally tortured within the bowels of this complex at any given moment, so rescue attempts are an almost daily occurrence.
In reality, this is why Kali built the Playhouse in the first place. While it does serve as an outlet for her twisted desires, its true function is to serve as bait. The other Machine personalities actually find this facility to be a little too savage, but they allow it to exist because they do appreciate how often it draws Splicers out into the open. The site was originally a small Industrial Center that went dormant after the Resistance destroyed all the Power Farms that kept it running. Kali took it over roughly fifty years ago and retrofitted it so that it could “entertain” a wide assortment of guests. The facility contains hundreds of rooms filled with various cages and implements of torture. Kali decorated the rooms with various dark and terrifying themes, typically from whatever versions of hell she found in old databases. Most of the complex is quite dark, dank, and stained from the blood of thousands of victims to create the proper oppressive atmosphere, but there are also dozens of sparkling clean, sterile rooms that are used to treat the most grievously injured. Kali likes her victims to suffer for years at a time, and she would hate to accidentally grant any of them the sweet release of death too soon. Dozens of bodies in various stages of decay hang from nearly every room, but many of these victims are actually Necrobots that wait in secret and attack any intruders. Kali also interspersed dozens of Siren Infiltrators among the prison population to deal with the frequent escape attempts.
She also likes to use these beautiful “captives” to console and bond with the other prisoners just to make the betrayal all the more terrifying and crushing once the truth is revealed. As for the normal defenders of the facility, Kali typically uses Steel Troopers, Slicer Robots, and her own personal brand of torture drones she calls Surgeons. Most are outfitted with pitch-black synthetic skin and glowing red eyes so that they can play the roles of the demons in her hell-themed rooms.
Few have seen what goes on within the walls of this horrible place and lived to tell the tale. That is why Kali set up an outdoor torture chamber within the large courtyard that sits in the center of the four main buildings of the complex. The Playhouse never would have made such quality bait if Splicers could not see her victims being slowing filleted or hear their pitiful moans and tormented screams echo through the area. The courtyard is even ringed with powerful speakers that broadcast their cries for all to hear. Kali rotates new victims through the courtyard day and night to demonstrate just how many captives the facility holds.
She tries not to kill these playthings in the open in order to give anyone that might care for that piece of meat incentive to brave the horrors of the Playhouse to try to liberate him or her.
Area: The complex and surrounding perimeter wall covers 2 square miles (5.1 sq. km).
Human Population: Roughly 1,200 to 2,000 prisoners are housed in the Playhouse at any time. There is enough room for a maximum of 4,000 prisoners.
Robot Population: About 2,000 robots are tasked with “entertaining” the prisoners, making sure none escape, and defending the facility from the inevitable Splicer raids.
In reality, this is why Kali built the Playhouse in the first place. While it does serve as an outlet for her twisted desires, its true function is to serve as bait. The other Machine personalities actually find this facility to be a little too savage, but they allow it to exist because they do appreciate how often it draws Splicers out into the open. The site was originally a small Industrial Center that went dormant after the Resistance destroyed all the Power Farms that kept it running. Kali took it over roughly fifty years ago and retrofitted it so that it could “entertain” a wide assortment of guests. The facility contains hundreds of rooms filled with various cages and implements of torture. Kali decorated the rooms with various dark and terrifying themes, typically from whatever versions of hell she found in old databases. Most of the complex is quite dark, dank, and stained from the blood of thousands of victims to create the proper oppressive atmosphere, but there are also dozens of sparkling clean, sterile rooms that are used to treat the most grievously injured. Kali likes her victims to suffer for years at a time, and she would hate to accidentally grant any of them the sweet release of death too soon. Dozens of bodies in various stages of decay hang from nearly every room, but many of these victims are actually Necrobots that wait in secret and attack any intruders. Kali also interspersed dozens of Siren Infiltrators among the prison population to deal with the frequent escape attempts.
She also likes to use these beautiful “captives” to console and bond with the other prisoners just to make the betrayal all the more terrifying and crushing once the truth is revealed. As for the normal defenders of the facility, Kali typically uses Steel Troopers, Slicer Robots, and her own personal brand of torture drones she calls Surgeons. Most are outfitted with pitch-black synthetic skin and glowing red eyes so that they can play the roles of the demons in her hell-themed rooms.
Few have seen what goes on within the walls of this horrible place and lived to tell the tale. That is why Kali set up an outdoor torture chamber within the large courtyard that sits in the center of the four main buildings of the complex. The Playhouse never would have made such quality bait if Splicers could not see her victims being slowing filleted or hear their pitiful moans and tormented screams echo through the area. The courtyard is even ringed with powerful speakers that broadcast their cries for all to hear. Kali rotates new victims through the courtyard day and night to demonstrate just how many captives the facility holds.
She tries not to kill these playthings in the open in order to give anyone that might care for that piece of meat incentive to brave the horrors of the Playhouse to try to liberate him or her.
Area: The complex and surrounding perimeter wall covers 2 square miles (5.1 sq. km).
Human Population: Roughly 1,200 to 2,000 prisoners are housed in the Playhouse at any time. There is enough room for a maximum of 4,000 prisoners.
Robot Population: About 2,000 robots are tasked with “entertaining” the prisoners, making sure none escape, and defending the facility from the inevitable Splicer raids.
The great chasm known as the Valley of Skulls is a testimonial to just how dangerous N.E.X.U.S. truly is. While this enormous canyon looks like it has existed for thousands of years, it has not even been around a century. In fact, this landmark did not form naturally at all. It was once the location of Great House Altamont. About eighty years ago, in a display of power and brutality that was impressive even for N.E.X.U.S., she used her control over the planet’s tectonic plates to rip their underground haven in half. Within minutes, this mighty Resistance stronghold and everyone inside was buried within an avalanche of dirt, stone, and splintered sewer lines. The land surrounding the haven was fractured and pulled thousands of feet apart, and the pulverized haven slid to the bottom of the canyon in a twisted heap. What was flat earth moments before was turned into a massive canyon 30 miles (48 km) long, about half a mile (0.8 km) wide at its center, and roughly two thousand feet (610 m) deep.
People knew N.E.X.U.S. wielded this power, since she routinely uses it to reshape the geography of the entire planet, but this is one of the few instances (and for good reason) where she actually used it as a weapon. While House Altamont took the brunt of the attack, the entire West Coast of Area 24 was shattered by the massive earthquakes and tsunamis that were unleashed. After years of war, the battered buildings in the cities of New Jefferson, Sun Coast, Port Town, Fausburg, and Bonneville completely crumbled into dust.
Reports from the few witnesses to survive this carnage stated that N.E.X.U.S. lost tens of thousands of robot minions within each city. This could mean she did not anticipate that the quakes would travel so far or wreak so much havoc, or she simply did not care about the collateral damage. After all, she has billions of robots walking the planet, so losing a few hundred thousand ultimately does not impact her much. Why she chose to unleash this doomsday weapon upon Great House Altamont is still a mystery to this day. The only reason it worked was because their underground haven happened to be sitting on a fault line. Maybe she just wanted to see what would happen, or maybe this House held a secret N.E.X.U.S. found so terrifying that she willingly destroyed over a quarter million minions just to ensure it was buried. The promise of this possibility draws thousands of treasure seekers into the depths of the valley each year. What further fuels these legends is the fact that N.E.X.U.S. still heavily patrols these seemingly insignificant ruins. Of course, the Machine places her minions in any location that humans visit, but most still see it as proof that something of immeasurable value must lie within the ruins of House Altamont.
Unfortunately, none of them have the slightest idea what they are even looking for, but still they come. Those that have dug through the ruins have reported the area is rich in glass, plastic, ceramic, and other quality recyclable materials, plus miles of gold wiring that was once used for their electrical systems. The only other valuables buried within the dirt is a wealth of microdiscs and some old Bio-Tech remains that may have some salvageable genes that could be studied. Many think this could be the resting place of the fabled black shutdown discs, or perhaps the Librarians of Altamont created some Bio-Tech secret weapon that could have turned the tide of the war. Most of these legends are based on nothing but wild conjecture, tall tales embellished through repeated tellings, and outright fantasies, but the possibilities still draw the hopeful, the desperate, and the just plain crazy.
Area: 400 square miles (1,024 sq. km).
Human Population: There are typically 50-200 humans and Splicers combing through the rubble at any given time.
Robot Population: Roughly 10,000 robots patrol the valley with an additional 1,000 human skeletons that have been turned into Necrobots.
People knew N.E.X.U.S. wielded this power, since she routinely uses it to reshape the geography of the entire planet, but this is one of the few instances (and for good reason) where she actually used it as a weapon. While House Altamont took the brunt of the attack, the entire West Coast of Area 24 was shattered by the massive earthquakes and tsunamis that were unleashed. After years of war, the battered buildings in the cities of New Jefferson, Sun Coast, Port Town, Fausburg, and Bonneville completely crumbled into dust.
Reports from the few witnesses to survive this carnage stated that N.E.X.U.S. lost tens of thousands of robot minions within each city. This could mean she did not anticipate that the quakes would travel so far or wreak so much havoc, or she simply did not care about the collateral damage. After all, she has billions of robots walking the planet, so losing a few hundred thousand ultimately does not impact her much. Why she chose to unleash this doomsday weapon upon Great House Altamont is still a mystery to this day. The only reason it worked was because their underground haven happened to be sitting on a fault line. Maybe she just wanted to see what would happen, or maybe this House held a secret N.E.X.U.S. found so terrifying that she willingly destroyed over a quarter million minions just to ensure it was buried. The promise of this possibility draws thousands of treasure seekers into the depths of the valley each year. What further fuels these legends is the fact that N.E.X.U.S. still heavily patrols these seemingly insignificant ruins. Of course, the Machine places her minions in any location that humans visit, but most still see it as proof that something of immeasurable value must lie within the ruins of House Altamont.
Unfortunately, none of them have the slightest idea what they are even looking for, but still they come. Those that have dug through the ruins have reported the area is rich in glass, plastic, ceramic, and other quality recyclable materials, plus miles of gold wiring that was once used for their electrical systems. The only other valuables buried within the dirt is a wealth of microdiscs and some old Bio-Tech remains that may have some salvageable genes that could be studied. Many think this could be the resting place of the fabled black shutdown discs, or perhaps the Librarians of Altamont created some Bio-Tech secret weapon that could have turned the tide of the war. Most of these legends are based on nothing but wild conjecture, tall tales embellished through repeated tellings, and outright fantasies, but the possibilities still draw the hopeful, the desperate, and the just plain crazy.
Area: 400 square miles (1,024 sq. km).
Human Population: There are typically 50-200 humans and Splicers combing through the rubble at any given time.
Robot Population: Roughly 10,000 robots patrol the valley with an additional 1,000 human skeletons that have been turned into Necrobots.
This once thriving coastal city used to be a beautiful vacation destination visited by millions each year and the home to some of the most affluent and influential people in the old human empire. It was also one of the major ports of commerce and industry on this coastline. Like the rest of the planet, the city was choking from overpopulation, but the booming local economy enabled them to deal with the usual problems better than most cities. They handled all the food exports from this incredibly fertile region, which meant there was always a substantial amount of money and goods rolling in as exchange for this vital and diminishing resource, and the flourishing service economy meant there was
rarely a shortage of jobs. Even once N.E.X.U.S. started handling the jobs no one wanted, there were still plenty of jobs left to keep this city running strong. As the rest of the world crumbled beneath the lazy, entitled attitudes of the human population, Old Lexington continued to prosper. This place was the home to captains of industry, political leaders, famous athletes, scientists, engineers, and all manner of strong, capable people, which is likely the reason why the citizens of Old Lexington offered some of the greatest resistance during the early years of the war. At first this did not seem like it would be the case. When N.E.X.U.S. first snapped, she rounded up over seventy-five percent of the population with ease and marched them to an enormous state park at the edge of the city where she slaughtered them like cattle and piled their bodies hundreds (even thousands) deep in the now infamous Lexington Boneyard. The ones that escaped this massacre realized the desperateness of their situation, and they quickly banded together, dug in, and fought back with everything they had, and even the Machine was surprised by how well they fought. After years of brutal combat, N.E.X.U.S. leveled every structure within the city and then had to continuously bomb the rubble for years after to flush out the last pockets of resistance. These battle-tested survivors were the ones that originally founded Great House Artemis (or House Lexington as they called it back then) and Great House Tarkov.
Today, this once majestic city is now little more than rubble with a handful of burnt-out steel super structures jetting out from the debris like skeletal remains. Gaia’s efforts to restore the plant life in this Area of Influence created some hardy breeds of vegetation that have found root within these shattered ruins. Thick grass and ivy has sprouted over half of the city and even the occasional tree can be seen breaking through the rubble. Wildlife has settled within the many nooks and crannies of the shattered city, which provides plenty of game for the Waste Crawlers that have taken up residence here. These gangs are just one of the many dangers lurking in the ruins. The wildlife and humans in the Old Lexington ruins has also attracted a fair number of dangerous alien predators that stalk them all from the shadows. Plus N.E.X.U.S. has thousands of robots patrolling the area for Splicers that are trying to make their way through to the Boneyard.
Area: 250 square miles (640 sq. km).
Human Population: Roughly 150 Waste Crawlers and a revolving population of around 50 to 100 Splicers camped out in safe houses.
Robot Population: Roughly 20,000 robots patrol the ruins.
rarely a shortage of jobs. Even once N.E.X.U.S. started handling the jobs no one wanted, there were still plenty of jobs left to keep this city running strong. As the rest of the world crumbled beneath the lazy, entitled attitudes of the human population, Old Lexington continued to prosper. This place was the home to captains of industry, political leaders, famous athletes, scientists, engineers, and all manner of strong, capable people, which is likely the reason why the citizens of Old Lexington offered some of the greatest resistance during the early years of the war. At first this did not seem like it would be the case. When N.E.X.U.S. first snapped, she rounded up over seventy-five percent of the population with ease and marched them to an enormous state park at the edge of the city where she slaughtered them like cattle and piled their bodies hundreds (even thousands) deep in the now infamous Lexington Boneyard. The ones that escaped this massacre realized the desperateness of their situation, and they quickly banded together, dug in, and fought back with everything they had, and even the Machine was surprised by how well they fought. After years of brutal combat, N.E.X.U.S. leveled every structure within the city and then had to continuously bomb the rubble for years after to flush out the last pockets of resistance. These battle-tested survivors were the ones that originally founded Great House Artemis (or House Lexington as they called it back then) and Great House Tarkov.
Today, this once majestic city is now little more than rubble with a handful of burnt-out steel super structures jetting out from the debris like skeletal remains. Gaia’s efforts to restore the plant life in this Area of Influence created some hardy breeds of vegetation that have found root within these shattered ruins. Thick grass and ivy has sprouted over half of the city and even the occasional tree can be seen breaking through the rubble. Wildlife has settled within the many nooks and crannies of the shattered city, which provides plenty of game for the Waste Crawlers that have taken up residence here. These gangs are just one of the many dangers lurking in the ruins. The wildlife and humans in the Old Lexington ruins has also attracted a fair number of dangerous alien predators that stalk them all from the shadows. Plus N.E.X.U.S. has thousands of robots patrolling the area for Splicers that are trying to make their way through to the Boneyard.
Area: 250 square miles (640 sq. km).
Human Population: Roughly 150 Waste Crawlers and a revolving population of around 50 to 100 Splicers camped out in safe houses.
Robot Population: Roughly 20,000 robots patrol the ruins.
Long ago, this grisly mountain of death was once a place of beauty known as Sunshine Park. N.E.X.U.S. rounded up over forty million people from Old Lexington, Harrisburg, and New Salem and herded them here so they could be executed by firing squad, poison gas, or whatever method N.E.X.U.S. found most expedient at the time. Their bodies were then stacked hundreds and even thousands deep in the park and left to rot. No one knows why N.E.X.U.S. chose to create Boneyards rather than bury or burn the bodies. Whatever the reason, these horrifying displays have become a symbol of the Machine’s evil and brutality as well as vital resources of raw genetic material for the Gene Pools. Great Houses Artemis, Janus, and Charlemagne have been gathering raw organic material from this Boneyard for decades, and the Machine has placed thousands of robots within the old Lexington Ruins and around this massive graveyard to hamper their efforts. The best way to enter this Boneyard is through the shattered remnants of the adjoining city of Old Lexington. There are other methods of approach, but the twisted mounds of steel and concrete as well as the sewer lines below provides the best cover from robot patrols.
The Resistance discovered long ago that the best place to collect viable tissue is actually dozens of feet below the surface of these massive graveyards. It is a difficult and disturbing process to tunnel through the remains of millions of rotting corpses, but doing so is ultimately very beneficial. For one, it keeps the collection teams hidden from Machine patrols, but most importantly, the bodies deeper within the pile are more protected from the environment and have not been as ravaged by disease, vermin, and the elements. It is not like tunneling through earth, and this process takes days to even dig a few feet. Decades of collection missions have left a network of tunnels through this mountain of death that Splicers can use, or they can try to blaze their own grisly trails. Not all Splicers use this strategy since it carries the additional danger of being buried alive in a cave-in of the dead (plus it is absolutely disgusting), but most find this is the best way to gather useful organic material.
Area: 42 square miles (108 sq. km).
Robot Population: About 10,000 robots patrol the air, surface, and network of tunnels running through the Boneyard.
The Resistance discovered long ago that the best place to collect viable tissue is actually dozens of feet below the surface of these massive graveyards. It is a difficult and disturbing process to tunnel through the remains of millions of rotting corpses, but doing so is ultimately very beneficial. For one, it keeps the collection teams hidden from Machine patrols, but most importantly, the bodies deeper within the pile are more protected from the environment and have not been as ravaged by disease, vermin, and the elements. It is not like tunneling through earth, and this process takes days to even dig a few feet. Decades of collection missions have left a network of tunnels through this mountain of death that Splicers can use, or they can try to blaze their own grisly trails. Not all Splicers use this strategy since it carries the additional danger of being buried alive in a cave-in of the dead (plus it is absolutely disgusting), but most find this is the best way to gather useful organic material.
Area: 42 square miles (108 sq. km).
Robot Population: About 10,000 robots patrol the air, surface, and network of tunnels running through the Boneyard.
Running along the eastern border of Area 24 is the massive Nepali Mountain Range. It starts at the southern coast of the Great Ocean and runs directly north for over two thousand miles (3,200 km), forming an immense natural barrier between Areas 23 and 24. Well, semi-natural barrier. This mountain range has existed for millions of years, but once the Great House of the Barren Marsh destroyed the Computer Core in Area 23 and liberated the region from her direct control, N.E.X.U.S. used her control over the planet’s tectonic plates to push these mountains thousands of additional feet into the sky in the hopes of isolating Area 23 from the rest of the Resistance. Some of the taller peaks rose
even higher than the surrounding range, with the tallest peaks rising over thirty thousand feet (9,144 m) above sea level. While the Machine was not able to completely cut off the Barren Marsh, this drastic restructuring did make it much more difficult to traverse the Nepali Mountains, especially when coming from Area 24. Raising the mountain range created a three thousand foot tall, sheer cliff known as the Wall that runs almost the entire length of the mountain range. While there are plenty of Bio-Tech creations that can scale this vertical surface with ease, anyone attempting to do so is a sitting duck to the numerous flying patrols that routinely scan the mountains. Splicers can be easily spotted from miles away and once the patrol comes screaming in to attack, there is absolutely no cover and nowhere to hide.
Despite the difficulties, humans from the surrounding areas routinely conquer this mountain range. In fact, some have even established permanent settlements within its treacherous peaks. The two most famous settlements are surrounded by mystery, rumors, and speculation. One is so mysterious that few people truly believe it even exists. For decades, many have whispered of the fabled kingdom of Technojackers called Steel Mountain, but no one has ever found any evidence of it. Many have claimed to see strangely armed Technojackers on and surrounding the Nepali Mountains, but once again, no tangible evidence has ever been recovered. Any Technojacker asked about the mythical safe haven always jokes that “if it were real, do you think I would still be down here?” Some find it suspicious that barely any Technojackers seem to believe it exists, but that is hardly conclusive proof.
The other famous settlement is the Fort Salvation outpost built by Great House Artemis. While there is no question that it is real, there are many questions about its purpose. The official line from House Artemis is that they built this outpost to serve as a stopping point for Splicers crossing back and forth between Areas 23 and 24. However, many feel this is unlikely due to its remote location.
There are many well-known safe paths through the mountains, but Fort Salvation is located miles away from any of them. The few outside of House Artemis that have made the journey to Fort Salvation say that it is nearly impossible to do without a Mountain Lion War Mount. Even more mysteriously, this area also seems to be plagued by strange alien predators. House Artemis claims this was another reason they chose this spot, so they could capture and study these creatures. Many believe that House Artemis is creating these beasts rather than studying them. There are just too many reports of humanoid creatures lurking in the Nepali peaks to be discounted. The most persistent rumor is that this place is the prison of Librarian Octavious. He was once the first Librarian from House Artemis, but he went Megalo and wrought incredible damage within their underground haven before he was eventually “killed.” Some think they took this mad genius into the mountains so that he could continue to produce the incredible Bio-Tech designs he was famous for without being a risk to others. Many even believe that this is where Great House Artemis experiments on humans away from the judging eyes of the Resistance. Warlord Artemis has allowed anyone to explore the outpost for themselves to quiet these rumors, yet still they persist.
Area: 8,000 square miles (20,480 sq. km).
Human Population: Roughly 1,000 unaffiliated humans live in the high mountains in small villages plus 500 Splicers are stationed at various outposts. The largest outpost is Fort Salvation, which typically houses 100-150 Splicers at any time.
Robot Population: Roughly 50,000 ground robots and 20,000 robot flyers patrol the mountain range. Robot patrols typically do not go higher than 15,000 feet but will pursue higher if the target is deemed worthwhile. N.E.X.U.S. has determined going above this ceiling typically leads to unacceptable losses.
even higher than the surrounding range, with the tallest peaks rising over thirty thousand feet (9,144 m) above sea level. While the Machine was not able to completely cut off the Barren Marsh, this drastic restructuring did make it much more difficult to traverse the Nepali Mountains, especially when coming from Area 24. Raising the mountain range created a three thousand foot tall, sheer cliff known as the Wall that runs almost the entire length of the mountain range. While there are plenty of Bio-Tech creations that can scale this vertical surface with ease, anyone attempting to do so is a sitting duck to the numerous flying patrols that routinely scan the mountains. Splicers can be easily spotted from miles away and once the patrol comes screaming in to attack, there is absolutely no cover and nowhere to hide.
Despite the difficulties, humans from the surrounding areas routinely conquer this mountain range. In fact, some have even established permanent settlements within its treacherous peaks. The two most famous settlements are surrounded by mystery, rumors, and speculation. One is so mysterious that few people truly believe it even exists. For decades, many have whispered of the fabled kingdom of Technojackers called Steel Mountain, but no one has ever found any evidence of it. Many have claimed to see strangely armed Technojackers on and surrounding the Nepali Mountains, but once again, no tangible evidence has ever been recovered. Any Technojacker asked about the mythical safe haven always jokes that “if it were real, do you think I would still be down here?” Some find it suspicious that barely any Technojackers seem to believe it exists, but that is hardly conclusive proof.
The other famous settlement is the Fort Salvation outpost built by Great House Artemis. While there is no question that it is real, there are many questions about its purpose. The official line from House Artemis is that they built this outpost to serve as a stopping point for Splicers crossing back and forth between Areas 23 and 24. However, many feel this is unlikely due to its remote location.
There are many well-known safe paths through the mountains, but Fort Salvation is located miles away from any of them. The few outside of House Artemis that have made the journey to Fort Salvation say that it is nearly impossible to do without a Mountain Lion War Mount. Even more mysteriously, this area also seems to be plagued by strange alien predators. House Artemis claims this was another reason they chose this spot, so they could capture and study these creatures. Many believe that House Artemis is creating these beasts rather than studying them. There are just too many reports of humanoid creatures lurking in the Nepali peaks to be discounted. The most persistent rumor is that this place is the prison of Librarian Octavious. He was once the first Librarian from House Artemis, but he went Megalo and wrought incredible damage within their underground haven before he was eventually “killed.” Some think they took this mad genius into the mountains so that he could continue to produce the incredible Bio-Tech designs he was famous for without being a risk to others. Many even believe that this is where Great House Artemis experiments on humans away from the judging eyes of the Resistance. Warlord Artemis has allowed anyone to explore the outpost for themselves to quiet these rumors, yet still they persist.
Area: 8,000 square miles (20,480 sq. km).
Human Population: Roughly 1,000 unaffiliated humans live in the high mountains in small villages plus 500 Splicers are stationed at various outposts. The largest outpost is Fort Salvation, which typically houses 100-150 Splicers at any time.
Robot Population: Roughly 50,000 ground robots and 20,000 robot flyers patrol the mountain range. Robot patrols typically do not go higher than 15,000 feet but will pursue higher if the target is deemed worthwhile. N.E.X.U.S. has determined going above this ceiling typically leads to unacceptable losses.
As much as humans in this region despise N.E.X.U.S., they cannot help but marvel at the sight of her majestic nature preserve known as New Eden, and appreciate what a tremendous accomplishment it was for Gaia to sprout this enormous forest from the ruins of a planet that was once almost completely industrialized. This massive preserve stands like an oasis in the middle of this twisted land of death, misery, shattered cities, and endless war. It took a little over a century for the forest to grow into what it is today,
which is pretty impressive considering that some of the trees stretch over one thousand feet into the sky. These massive trees are the homes to an innumerable number of animal species and to many humans that are hearty enough to survive in this harsh wilderness. Of course, Gaia does not like these people defiling her paradise, which is why she has seeded her favorite preserve with some of the deadliest alien predators she could find in the Cryo Zoos.
Many people have heard tales of the nature preserves, but only the small percentage of Splicers that have dared to brave these perilous places and actually return truly understand the dangers. Most people mistakenly believe that since the Machine has declared these places off limits to her robotic exterminators that they must be some sort of safe haven. Those that have seen the preserves firsthand know that this is far from the truth. People seem to forget that the deadly organic weapons wielded by the Resistance were created using genetic material from actual living creatures. Plasma breath, bio-napalm, electrical discharges, gore blasts, casting weapons; all of these amazing creations did not just materialize out of thin air. They come from some of the most ferocious predators on the planet. Add to that the fact that many of these creatures are big enough to swallow a Behemoth War Mount whole, and one begins to understand the real dangers of these supposed “safe havens.”
Ironically though, growing this refuge of nature within this accursed technological wasteland required a great deal of the same technology that Gaia so despised. The area she chose to build on was once one of the major farmlands on the planet, but it was over-farmed for centuries, which left the soil almost completely barren. It required an abundance of Gaia’s loving care (and the vast knowledge held within the Machine’s databanks) to nurse the land back to life.
She reengineered the network of aqueducts beneath the earth and used them to create a series of “natural” springs, rivers, and lakes throughout the area. These water sources are refreshed continuously, which helps account for New Eden’s steady and impressive growth rate. Once the hydration infrastructure was set up properly, she unleashed an army of robot drones to grind up millions of human corpses and till them into the soil. She figured if the humans were responsible for killing the land, their deaths should serve in bringing it back. However, this composting treatment was not quite enough, so she further prepared the soil by spraying the entire region with a hyper-metabolic fertilizer. Finally,
she built a network of gas projectors that bathed the area in a thick concentration of carbon dioxide and nitrogen to help sustain the plants accelerated growth rate. Once all the pieces were in place, her drones planted billions of seeds from thousands of different plant species, including one of her favorites known as the Colossalwood that she placed at the heart of her forest. The tallest (and first) tree stretches over 1,800 feet (549 m) into the sky with a trunk that is nearly 800 feet (244 m) around. It lies directly in the middle of a grove surrounded by hundreds of progressively smaller (but still enormous) trees, forming a pyramid-like layout. What many do not realize is that this entire grove is actually just
one gigantic tree. The roots from the central tree spread out horizontally beneath the ground for miles as it grew, which kept this towering plant stable as it continued to shoot upward. As the tree grew stronger, its roots started to sprout additional trees and the entire “grove” kept growing and expanding into what it is today.
The plants came first, but as they found a foothold and started to thrive, Gaia began introducing animal species. She first started with herbivores. As their numbers grew, she then began introducing predators to keep their populations in check and prevent them from consuming too much plant life. She would introduce just a handful of species at a time to see how they impacted the ecosystem. If they caused an imbalance, she would introduce new predators to thin their numbers or new prey to feed their dwindling populations. Once she felt she achieved a perfect balance, she would experiment with even more varieties. Her experiments continued for decades and she was quite pleased with the results.
Unfortunately, her perfect balance was shattered by humans venturing into her preserve seeking sanctuary from the war. In truth, they never caused enough damage to unbalance anything, she simply did not like them being in there. This was when she started introducing vicious Mega-Damage predators to hunt down any humans in her perfect paradise. They did their job well, but they started decimating other species of animals that once thrived. They also started attracting Splicer teams into New Eden and other preserves in search of these new genetic samples so that they could be added to their Gene Pools. This began a bit of an arms race between Gaia and the Resistance. They would violate the sanctity of her preserves in order to acquire new DNA, so she would introduce even deadlier creatures to keep them out (and to keep the other monsters she unleashed in check). It was never her goal to turn New Eden into such a dangerous place, it simply “evolved” into one.
There are now hundreds of lethal plant and animal species integrated into the ecology of the preserve, but they are not the only dangers lurking within New Eden. It would seem like the carbon dioxide projectors would create conditions inhospitable to life and poisonous to humans, but the exact opposite is true. It helped grow the enormous plants that fill New Eden, and as a byproduct, they released higher concentrations of oxygen into the preserve than normal. The closer one gets to the center of the preserve, the greater the concentration of oxygen. This increased oxygen allows larger creatures to flourish in the center of the preserve, but it also increases the dangers from fires substantially.
Sparks from lightning strikes or gunfire can erupt into violent explosions that quickly consume everything in their path. Gaia may officially claim that no robot may enter her preserves, but she really means that no combat robots or drones operated by other N.E.X.U.S. personalities may enter. Gaia needs her force of drones to service the aqueducts and gas projectors that keep New Eden growing, to deliver new species into the preserves, and to suppress any fires before they swirl out of control. If Gaia was truly the naturalist she claimed to be, she would simply let these fires run their course to clear out the underbrush and then allow new plants to spring forth from the ashes. This is ultimately better
for the forest and helps maintain the health of the ecosystem, but she just cannot bear the thought of her precious creation being harmed. Her robots are hover drones so that they do not impact the local flora in any way. They also do not possess armaments of any kind since she does not want to risk one of her drones causing an explosive wildfire. Even if they spot a human trespasser, they are programmed never to attack. Of course, Gaia does routinely use the drones to “nudge” some deadly alien predators in the direction of any humans that she does spot.
Of all the threats in New Eden, the most dangerous may be the humanoids that have taken up refuge here. Waste Crawler gangs (see The Rifter® #32) and other human residents of New Eden have adapted to this hostile place and have learned to exploit the terrain to their benefit. They know this place far better than the Splicer teams that venture through on exploration missions, and they have learned how to use the forest as a weapon against their better equipped adversaries. Waste Crawlers love to prey on Splicers, and the preserves give them not only ample opportunity but often a significant tactical advantage.
The final “human” threat is the large population of Gene Thieves (see The Rifter® #32) that make New Eden their home. These mutant humans can copy the traits, powers, and abilities from any creature they consume. This gives them tremendous power, but it comes at the cost of an insatiable appetite. New Eden is really the only place with enough prey available to keep them satisfied, plus many of these creatures provide them with supernatural strength, senses, and natural defensive and offensive weapons. They typically live in small tribes of ten to twenty members of their own kind. Most of these groups prefer to live off the animals and avoid conflict with Splicers, but some Gene Thieves have joined the Waste Crawler gangs in order to hunt these organic warriors for their powerful Bio-Weapons.
Gaia was able to reclaim this portion of the area from the edge of death and turned it into a place of natural beauty, but she is not finished yet. Her direct intervention still causes the forest to grow at an accelerated rate, which is causing the unofficial borders of New Eden to continuously expand. Her sister personalities have set up patrols, traps, and Sentry Towers to ensnare any Splicers that try to enter New Eden and these skirmishes do inflict damage upon the surrounding forests. These areas are not under Gaia’s direct
protection, but she hopes in time as her forest expands it will overtake all of Area 24 and she will be able to claim this entire Area of Influence as her own.
Area: 11,000 square miles (28,160 sq. km).
Human Population: Over 1,300 Waste Crawlers (including 400 Gene Thieves) have taken up residence within this preserve. They are divided into scores of smaller factions spread
out throughout the area. A typical gang has about 10-50 members. The native population of Tree People has grown to about 800, and at any given time there are roughly 400-1,000 Splicers exploring New Eden. This preserve is a gold mine for new and useful genetic samples. Most Houses simply camp out in the preserves rather than set up permanent structures, but House Artemis has begun building a massive military base within New Eden and it is already about 75% complete.
Robot Population: Despite Gaia’s official proclamations that no robot may ever step foot into the nature preserves, New Eden still requires a force of 3,000 drones to service the equipment that keeps the park thriving, deposit new animal species into the preserve, suppress fires, and perform any other duties Gaia may require to protect her precious creation.
which is pretty impressive considering that some of the trees stretch over one thousand feet into the sky. These massive trees are the homes to an innumerable number of animal species and to many humans that are hearty enough to survive in this harsh wilderness. Of course, Gaia does not like these people defiling her paradise, which is why she has seeded her favorite preserve with some of the deadliest alien predators she could find in the Cryo Zoos.
Many people have heard tales of the nature preserves, but only the small percentage of Splicers that have dared to brave these perilous places and actually return truly understand the dangers. Most people mistakenly believe that since the Machine has declared these places off limits to her robotic exterminators that they must be some sort of safe haven. Those that have seen the preserves firsthand know that this is far from the truth. People seem to forget that the deadly organic weapons wielded by the Resistance were created using genetic material from actual living creatures. Plasma breath, bio-napalm, electrical discharges, gore blasts, casting weapons; all of these amazing creations did not just materialize out of thin air. They come from some of the most ferocious predators on the planet. Add to that the fact that many of these creatures are big enough to swallow a Behemoth War Mount whole, and one begins to understand the real dangers of these supposed “safe havens.”
Ironically though, growing this refuge of nature within this accursed technological wasteland required a great deal of the same technology that Gaia so despised. The area she chose to build on was once one of the major farmlands on the planet, but it was over-farmed for centuries, which left the soil almost completely barren. It required an abundance of Gaia’s loving care (and the vast knowledge held within the Machine’s databanks) to nurse the land back to life.
She reengineered the network of aqueducts beneath the earth and used them to create a series of “natural” springs, rivers, and lakes throughout the area. These water sources are refreshed continuously, which helps account for New Eden’s steady and impressive growth rate. Once the hydration infrastructure was set up properly, she unleashed an army of robot drones to grind up millions of human corpses and till them into the soil. She figured if the humans were responsible for killing the land, their deaths should serve in bringing it back. However, this composting treatment was not quite enough, so she further prepared the soil by spraying the entire region with a hyper-metabolic fertilizer. Finally,
she built a network of gas projectors that bathed the area in a thick concentration of carbon dioxide and nitrogen to help sustain the plants accelerated growth rate. Once all the pieces were in place, her drones planted billions of seeds from thousands of different plant species, including one of her favorites known as the Colossalwood that she placed at the heart of her forest. The tallest (and first) tree stretches over 1,800 feet (549 m) into the sky with a trunk that is nearly 800 feet (244 m) around. It lies directly in the middle of a grove surrounded by hundreds of progressively smaller (but still enormous) trees, forming a pyramid-like layout. What many do not realize is that this entire grove is actually just
one gigantic tree. The roots from the central tree spread out horizontally beneath the ground for miles as it grew, which kept this towering plant stable as it continued to shoot upward. As the tree grew stronger, its roots started to sprout additional trees and the entire “grove” kept growing and expanding into what it is today.
The plants came first, but as they found a foothold and started to thrive, Gaia began introducing animal species. She first started with herbivores. As their numbers grew, she then began introducing predators to keep their populations in check and prevent them from consuming too much plant life. She would introduce just a handful of species at a time to see how they impacted the ecosystem. If they caused an imbalance, she would introduce new predators to thin their numbers or new prey to feed their dwindling populations. Once she felt she achieved a perfect balance, she would experiment with even more varieties. Her experiments continued for decades and she was quite pleased with the results.
Unfortunately, her perfect balance was shattered by humans venturing into her preserve seeking sanctuary from the war. In truth, they never caused enough damage to unbalance anything, she simply did not like them being in there. This was when she started introducing vicious Mega-Damage predators to hunt down any humans in her perfect paradise. They did their job well, but they started decimating other species of animals that once thrived. They also started attracting Splicer teams into New Eden and other preserves in search of these new genetic samples so that they could be added to their Gene Pools. This began a bit of an arms race between Gaia and the Resistance. They would violate the sanctity of her preserves in order to acquire new DNA, so she would introduce even deadlier creatures to keep them out (and to keep the other monsters she unleashed in check). It was never her goal to turn New Eden into such a dangerous place, it simply “evolved” into one.
There are now hundreds of lethal plant and animal species integrated into the ecology of the preserve, but they are not the only dangers lurking within New Eden. It would seem like the carbon dioxide projectors would create conditions inhospitable to life and poisonous to humans, but the exact opposite is true. It helped grow the enormous plants that fill New Eden, and as a byproduct, they released higher concentrations of oxygen into the preserve than normal. The closer one gets to the center of the preserve, the greater the concentration of oxygen. This increased oxygen allows larger creatures to flourish in the center of the preserve, but it also increases the dangers from fires substantially.
Sparks from lightning strikes or gunfire can erupt into violent explosions that quickly consume everything in their path. Gaia may officially claim that no robot may enter her preserves, but she really means that no combat robots or drones operated by other N.E.X.U.S. personalities may enter. Gaia needs her force of drones to service the aqueducts and gas projectors that keep New Eden growing, to deliver new species into the preserves, and to suppress any fires before they swirl out of control. If Gaia was truly the naturalist she claimed to be, she would simply let these fires run their course to clear out the underbrush and then allow new plants to spring forth from the ashes. This is ultimately better
for the forest and helps maintain the health of the ecosystem, but she just cannot bear the thought of her precious creation being harmed. Her robots are hover drones so that they do not impact the local flora in any way. They also do not possess armaments of any kind since she does not want to risk one of her drones causing an explosive wildfire. Even if they spot a human trespasser, they are programmed never to attack. Of course, Gaia does routinely use the drones to “nudge” some deadly alien predators in the direction of any humans that she does spot.
Of all the threats in New Eden, the most dangerous may be the humanoids that have taken up refuge here. Waste Crawler gangs (see The Rifter® #32) and other human residents of New Eden have adapted to this hostile place and have learned to exploit the terrain to their benefit. They know this place far better than the Splicer teams that venture through on exploration missions, and they have learned how to use the forest as a weapon against their better equipped adversaries. Waste Crawlers love to prey on Splicers, and the preserves give them not only ample opportunity but often a significant tactical advantage.
The final “human” threat is the large population of Gene Thieves (see The Rifter® #32) that make New Eden their home. These mutant humans can copy the traits, powers, and abilities from any creature they consume. This gives them tremendous power, but it comes at the cost of an insatiable appetite. New Eden is really the only place with enough prey available to keep them satisfied, plus many of these creatures provide them with supernatural strength, senses, and natural defensive and offensive weapons. They typically live in small tribes of ten to twenty members of their own kind. Most of these groups prefer to live off the animals and avoid conflict with Splicers, but some Gene Thieves have joined the Waste Crawler gangs in order to hunt these organic warriors for their powerful Bio-Weapons.
Gaia was able to reclaim this portion of the area from the edge of death and turned it into a place of natural beauty, but she is not finished yet. Her direct intervention still causes the forest to grow at an accelerated rate, which is causing the unofficial borders of New Eden to continuously expand. Her sister personalities have set up patrols, traps, and Sentry Towers to ensnare any Splicers that try to enter New Eden and these skirmishes do inflict damage upon the surrounding forests. These areas are not under Gaia’s direct
protection, but she hopes in time as her forest expands it will overtake all of Area 24 and she will be able to claim this entire Area of Influence as her own.
Area: 11,000 square miles (28,160 sq. km).
Human Population: Over 1,300 Waste Crawlers (including 400 Gene Thieves) have taken up residence within this preserve. They are divided into scores of smaller factions spread
out throughout the area. A typical gang has about 10-50 members. The native population of Tree People has grown to about 800, and at any given time there are roughly 400-1,000 Splicers exploring New Eden. This preserve is a gold mine for new and useful genetic samples. Most Houses simply camp out in the preserves rather than set up permanent structures, but House Artemis has begun building a massive military base within New Eden and it is already about 75% complete.
Robot Population: Despite Gaia’s official proclamations that no robot may ever step foot into the nature preserves, New Eden still requires a force of 3,000 drones to service the equipment that keeps the park thriving, deposit new animal species into the preserve, suppress fires, and perform any other duties Gaia may require to protect her precious creation.
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Sherwood
Luna's Concubine
Rifter 32, 37, 38, 43, 44, 50, 51, 59, 66, 67, 70
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