Another stolen Idea

The Armageddon. That’s what they call the end of the world. The day when fire rained from the Heavens, burning the land, scorching the people. The planet trembled, heaving in pain like a feverish person in agony. And though Gaia endured, it was forever changed.

When the Armageddon occured and the Bygone people perished, they took with them ten thousand years of culture. The survivors scavenged and fought for food and clean water. Empty-eyed, they stared at the rotting vehicles of their ancestors, wandering aimlessly through the ruins of a once great civilization. A civilization they had shed long ago, casually, a matter of fact, like a snake shedding its skin. Free of morals and ethics, as naïvely as children they looked upon their devastated world, upon landscapes tortured by the elements, upon toxic restricted areas. They only knew that they must hold their ground against this new environment or succumb to it.

Time passed. The smoke above the great craters blew away, and the people had once more erected a cultural framework around their lives. It was still shaky, and the nails were few and far between. Now and then, a civilization crashed down with a din – but the building blocks were reused. Botch jobs, but a new start after years of decline.

The year is now 2594, 521 years since the Armageddon, and Elmhan has fractured into many opposing factions. The Spitalians bring Humanity back from the brink of sepsis. The Chroniclers pore over relics from the Bygones. The Hellvetics watch over the world from their mountain fortress. The Clanners roam the wasteland, ekeing out lives beneath the red dust. The Scrappers collect bits of metal and technology to sell for Argents. The Neolibyans ply their trade across the broken land. The Apocalyptics sell, swindle, and steal. Beneath it all, a new race rises, a race of people who have been blessed by the infection, whom have gathered powers beyond humanity's comprehension. The Aberrants.

One country, eight factions, countless Clans. Which peoples, philosophies, or faiths will prevail? Those that conjure up past glory? Or those that have erected a brave new world upon the ruins of human arrogance?

During the Armageddon, asteroid impacts reshaped Earth, triggering continental shifts, desertification, and a new Ice Age, causing massive deaths. The catastrophe was overshadowed by a more profound horror: the Primer. Contained in asteroids, it released microscopic spores, altering host DNA to spawn a new species, Homo Parodyx.

Pale, tumor-ridden beings emerged from impact craters, eyes blind and sewn shut yet filled with visions. Superior and bloodthirsty, these creatures, corrupted by the Primer, threatened humanity's survival. However, mankind was not ready to yield without a fight.

sepsis
Decades after Armageddon, the Primer sparked a fungal invasion near the impact craters. This spread of fungi, called "Sepsis" by humans, blanketed the craters, burrowing deep into the earth.

As the fungi matured, the mycelium network supplied nutrients until fungi erupted from the ground, creating clusters of white caps. These caps hardened and released spores before crumbling. This cycle of growth, spore release, and subsequent crumbling expanded the mycelium field from the crater center.

Years later, the fungal spores cover the landscape of Elmhan, forming large, rippled valleys and walls, much like ripples from a stone tossed into a pond.

mother spore fields
The enormous spore fields, kilometers wide, are shrouded in a curtain of Sepsis. After multiple cycles of growth, each bloom advances further. Each cycle deepens the rings and heightens the walls, rendering the field's concentric design more pronounced.

Simultaneously, magnetic anomalies appear, with compass needles waveringly pointing towards the center. Thus, the transformation into a Mother spore field is finalized.

burn
The Mother spore field produces hardy, dusty purple cusps containing seeds capable of ensnaring humanity under the Primer's control. Those who consume these Mother spores embark on an indescribable journey through vivid colorscapes, their human needs diminished.

These Mother spores, known globally as Burn, are both a powerful drug and a subtle, dangerous menace. Upon inhalation, Burn invades the body, spreading from the lungs to the bloodstream, leading to distinctive red rashes and vein patterns on the skin. Over a few days, the transformation is complete. Anyone who inhales the Burn becomes Infected within the week. Only fire cleanses burn from the landscape.

psychovores
An asteroid skimmed past Elmhan, generating a pressure wave that devastated the continent and left a scar over 1,245 miles long and 185 wide. Amid the debris rain, plant life, along with asteroid residue, fell to Gaia.

Over time, vegetation re-emerged, infected and altered. Leaves formed geometric shapes, branches sprouted thorns, and trees bore fragile, glassy fruit. This strange flora, known as Psychovores, seized East Elmhan and surrounding land, posing a significant threat to Elmhan. These plants are dangerous maneaters, and pose as one of the biggest threats to Elmhanner existence.

discordance
The Sepsis and the Psychovores are both variants of the Primer, but wherever they meet they contradict. Plants rot, fungi wither away. Torn from their Earth Chakra, these spore fields grow subterranean feeding pods.

Those who step on the pod’s neural points fall into the Feeding Cusps, wrapped up in thorny gills and drowning in the influx of digestive fluids. Within days, the dissolved victim is pumped into a womb sac.

There, bizarre figures grow in gelatinous bubbles. After days, a membrane-covered creature rises up into the air, but rots within hours and falls to the ground, a stinking mass. Evolution breaths old and rejected designs back to life. It’s out of control.

This is the Discordance, a belt of contradictory evolution thousands of miles wide between the Sepsis invading from the north and the Psychovores pushing from the south.

epigenesis
An adult’s cells are completely formed. The Sepsis eats through them as if they were nothing but food for a new spore field. An unborn baby’s cells, on the other hand, are full of potential.

Babies born close to Mother spore fields are different. They grow the same as any other human child, but parents soon notice strange things in their presence. Maybe they spurt flames from their fingertips, or emit light from their eyes. Every child's power is different, but many parents know only one thing—their child is either a curse or a blessing. An Aberrant.

portents and wonders
As Aberrant children grow, symbols slowly grow incinerated into their skin. Ancient, identified, and recorded, these symbols have been passed down and taught by humans for thousands of years and were derided by modern scientists as nonsense. If the Spitalians could check one of these children’s bodies now, they’d find that feverish heat radiates from the organism, emanating from one focal point on the body’s axis. Its position and the symbol exactly correspond to one of the energy nodes described by the ancient people – a Chakra.

Seven of these energy nodes are aligned along the center of the human body, from the coccyx up to the cranial vault. They all are ascribed special attributes and together form the character. According to the old texts, they need to be in balance for a person to be happy and healthy. But within the Aberrants, only one singular Chakra glows. The others are cold, black holes. This singular Chakra outshines every other aspect of an Aberrant's life, exactly lighting the way into his or her future. For them, it’s an endless fall into the extreme of their Chakra’s attributes.

chakra: sahasrara
the crown


Aberrants with the Sahasrara chakra shining from the top of their head find their can powers relate specifically to consciousness, dreams, the self, knowledge, and wisdom.
chakra: ajna
the third eye


Aberrants with the Ajna chakra shining from their forehead find their powers can relate specifically to the future, the past, time, light and darkness, and awareness.
chakra: vishuddha
the throat


Aberrants with the Vishuddha chakra shining from their throat find their powers can relate specifically to song, voice, sound, hearing, and space.
chakra: anahata
the heart


Aberrants with the Anahata chakra shining from their chest find their powers can relate specifically to the air, weather, electrical manipulation, magnetic manipulation, the atmosphere, and emotions.
chakra: manipura
the solar plexus


Aberrants with the Manipura chakra shining from their solar plexus find their powers can relate specifically to fire, the sun, energy, growth, development, and transformation.
chakra: svadhishthana
the naval


Aberrants with the Svadhishthana chakra shining from their naval find their powers can relate specifically to water, death, life, the moon, creativity, and art.
chakra: muladhara
the root


Aberrants with the Muladhara chakra shining from the base of their spine find their powers can relate specifically to earth, plants, animals, minerals, and nature itself.

the reaper's blow


Everything is in motion. Firelight sweeps across the clouds, the sky is aglow. Past solidified lava rivulets, through kneehigh ash drifts and across cliffs and chasms, geysers spew steam and boiling water. The earth trembles, rock shelves break away with a crash, tilt, splinter and push on top of each other. Magma gushes over the edges and casts a reddish glow onto the devastation. The soil that once bore golden grain is hard as coal and just as infertile. Puddles of slag boil and emit yellow plumes of smoke. Without breathing protection, lungs will blacken and wheeze. Humans and animals alike are burnt and crushed to soot.

Nothing can survive here anymore.

This is the Reaper’s Blow. It’s a tectonic phenomenon starting high in Elmhan‘s icy north, then cutting through the Snowcaps in an southward arc to reach the coasts at the bottom of the Thalassian Sea. Along this line, the ground is torn asunder, giant sheets of rock the size of cities form a scar many hundreds of kilometers long. Rivers were torn from their beds, fell down across the edges to reappear as geysers elsewhere. Magma chambers bloat right beneath the surface and discharge into volcanoes.

Elmhan was cut in two by the Reaper’s Blow – like twins, both parts share the same memories of the Bygones, their beliefs and cultural roots. But the people west of the Reaper’s Blow differ from those of the east, for the twins had to spend their youth separated from each other.

west elmhan


The great northern sea has fled, and where it once was, glaciers are cutting southwards. Snow falls almost all year long. In summer, the glaciers sweat drinking water that floods into a vast network of ancient ditches and forms rivers and lakes. These waters cannot wash away enough of the salt from the soil, so this land only feigns fertility.

Further south, nature returns with a fight.

Cotton grass and meadows of moss and lichen break the bleak tundra with yellow and green dots. Birches and spruces hunker in the slipstream of the broken cities.

It’s getting warmer, steppe grass sways in the wind, lakes glitter in the midday sun. Red dust dances in the air. It coats the brush and forms dunes where the wind deposits it. Wild, doglike beasts – the Gendos – roam the ruins, digging for rats or following the trail of Scrappers who dig for the Bygones’ treasure.

Asphalt roads criss-cross the land, cutting through stone labyrinths. The further a wanderer goes south, the higher the monoliths rise.

The clouds are a heavy russet. The land chokes on dust. Storms whip it up, drive it along in long veils, entering every crack. Eyes crust and become inflamed. Lungs collapse. Only those who wear goggles or masks and protect themselves with dust scarves can survive here. The animals are smarter than humans. They feel the rust veils approaching and hide in time. Even the insect swarms retreat into underground tubes.

The dust rises from the Wupper Crater or other smaller impact points, but the days when it terrorized people are gone. The storms have become rare.

Nature has become used to the dust and binds it into the plant roots. Spruce forests comb it out of the wind. Only in the urban wasteland does it form dunes and go underground.

The Elmhanners adapt. Clad in layers of heavy cloth and furs that make even a weakling look like a colossus, Elmhanners do their daily work. Tens of thousand spread out every spring to mine West Elmhan’s treasures hidden in the ruins: scrap. They scratch their mark into the concrete walls, marking areas as plundered or warning against savages. They carry their bounty into the cities, where precious artifacts are bought by the Chroniclers and the rest is melted down, reforged or stacked in the Scrappers’ quarters in the hope it becomes valuable later.

Metal is everywhere, and it’s cheap. Bridges are built from it. Doors and walls are bound by it. Pathways are paved with it. Rust creaks under boot soles. Wind chimes made from scrap adorn the buildings. Soup is eaten from tin bowls. Wood, on the other hand, is rare and must be imported from afar. Close to the settlements, all that remain are swamps and the forests that have eluded the axe are far off the normal routes between cities.

justitian


Elmhan’s largest metropolis can be found at the heart of the scrap craze: Justitian, the Righteous Fist, the source of law and order in this wasteland and a truly charismatic place.

The city’s Providers mark their parcels of land with reed fences and fight back the dust. After the harvest, they face the Spitalians. If the grain is spore free, it is certified and the sacks are stamped and sealed. If the grain is infected, the Provider has lost a year of hard work.

The Providers are milked everywhere. They buy fungicides from the Spitalians and water from filling stations that only flow as long as they insert the Chroniclers’ metal chips. But enough is enough. The Providers gang up, wail, discuss. One of them stands up and creates the Providers’ Collective. They still slave under Justitian’s yoke, but the fuse is already burning.

In Justitian’s Downtown, everything converges. Apocalyptics put out feelers in all directions and monopolize all forms of sin. Street kids have conquered the Stukov Quarter and divided it up between their gangs.

The Chroniclers’ speakers tower above the town houses, the shacks in the Guest Quarter, and the Neolibyans’ tile-adorned buildings. Boisterous music blares from the speakers, only interrupted by announcements: “CITIZENS, THE CLUSTER SPEAKS!” The Judges patrol on battlements and bridges made of rusted plates, smoking tobacco and staring into the crowd below, exerting absolute control.

Amidst a maze of corrugated iron sheets, gangways, walls made of coaches and machines, and tarpaulin-covered dens, a truncated monolith has risen. Approaching this leviathan, its façade falls away, more mountain than ruin: Tech-Central. Thousands of Scrappers nest within like cockroaches, digging into it, expanding tunnels and reinforcing halls, shaping it. Here, those that like solitude unite. Dust coated Lone Wolves drag sacks full of artifacts, coughing ceaselessly, Cave Bears look for a bride, among humans for the first time for many winters, Mice scuttle around the Badgers, doing tricks to market their agility. The Manufacturers in Tech-Central are known far beyond Elmhan’s borders. From their workshops, they produce not only weapons or highly complex locks and traps, but legendary mechanical wonders, aimless constructs that are nothing more than a testimony to their creators’ mad genius.

Another stone colossus seems to guard the Uptown plateau: the Steel Monolith. The Steel Masters’ hammer blows ring down, providing the city with a beat. The forge fires blaze. Here, gun barrels are made, stocks are carved, fittings are chiseled and refined by a “Fiat Lux”. Every Judge’s musket has passed through the Steel Masters’ hands.

Uptown is home to the Judges, Chroniclers, and Neolibyans, with their Bank of Commerce. It is situated on a plateau and can be reached only via an engine-driven elevator platform when you come from Downtown. In Uptown, the Judges’ legislative power is focused on official buildings and the Judiciary. Amidst the Judges monumental architecture, the Chroniclers’ Central Cluster is only a short walk away. The triangular solar panels, the railway wagons, the steel towers with megawatt lights and speaker batteries, the winding halls and domes: it all seems like a place from another time.

the spital


In Elmhan's southern ruin fields, there is an area simply called “the Spital” by many. It is separated into several regions, the outermost of which is called the Appendix. Here, the afflicted are treated and checked, sent to sick quarters strictly separated by pathogen. Medics and doctors cater to them, prescribing medicine or changing bandages.

Safe behind towering walls, the Corpus begins. This inner ring with its laboratories and warehouses is restricted to the Spitalians and a few chosen others. In its center, the Spital itself rises, a massive concrete block surrounded by buildings that were erected by the Bygones hundreds of years ago. It is here that the Spitalians conduct their most secret research.

The Spitalians have other bases in Elmhan as well. Near Isseroda, birds rot on the access roads, rats and insects lie next to them, dusty and quiet. Only tree stubs remain. The area is tainted – one of the many good reasons to stay away. But there is another, better reason. In the fortress of Isseroda, the head of the Preservists resides with their retinue. The Spitalians’ warrior caste has made camp here and they prefer the solitude.

Nearby, the Preservists breed their horses at a farm called Newcrest. The Spitalians own this land as well, and allow no access to anyone they don’t completely trust.

ferropol


Every day, kilometer-long dust veils crash down on Ferropol as it rests on the western slopes of the Wupper Crater, wafting through alleys, sanding stone and metal. Dunes push across the plazas. Whole quarters disappear for days or have to be dug out. Palm-sized bugs called Ferrites roam the area. With their ichor, they dissolve iron, ingest it and deposit it in their carapaces. “Interesting”, say the Spitalians, but what they mean is “critical”.

For years, Ferropol was a massive forge city until the Steel Masters were taken to Justitian. Now they live and work there in the Steel Monolith, under the Judges’ watchful eyes.

In the years after, the Judges brought outlaws to Ferropol, incarcerated them and forgot about them. The city had lost Justitian’s blessing. The Apocalyptic Apok had helped the Judges for years, but now he finally made himself ruler of the city, lasting until he was killed in 2585.

Now, Ferropol is a haven for all those who are lost and unwanted by Justitian. Here, everyone and everything can be bought, if you know the right people and have enough Argents.

the rain


A river bed dissects West Elmhan from the Snowcaps to the Ice Barrier. Much like the country’s artifacts, it is simply a relic of a better time because its river, the Rain, has dried out.

In the Snowcaps, its bed is still fed by mountain creeks and glacial meltings in the spring. It winds through its ancient basin as a stream and later as a rivulet. Birches line its shore, the water underwashes their roots and cuts deeply into the river sand. Here, the grass is green and high. Every now and then, the stream becomes a swamp before it finally returns to its bed.

The stream leads under lonely piers and sagged roads up to the famous ruined city of Noret. Ears of corn rustle in the wind. Wild wheat grows in the old river bed, a line of gold in the dusty gray and red all around. The wheat follows the Rain up into the north, growing in force in front of Cathedral City and struggling to reach the same levels in the shadows of the Great Aqueduct, conquering the dried up pools of the old river’s branches.

Once, ships plied the Rain. Now, their weathered remains jut out of petrified mud. Although it could not carry a ship anywhere these days, it is still considered a trade route. On the shores and in the river bed, there are tracks where wheels have dug deep gouges. The way to Liqua is dotted by stone towers.

Since the Clans’ uprising, most routes have been deserted and plundered. Others are in the hands of Clans who approach anyone passing by with their hands on their blades, demanding a road toll.

hellvetica


The Alpine Fortress is Elmhan’s bottle neck. Its passages and bridges guarantee safe transit from West to East Borca and vice versa.

The Hellvetics’ strongholds block valleys and glaciers alike, jutting out of mountain flanks, leaving only shadowy passages between concrete massifs.

Bridges span the fire in the mountains, tunnels dig deep into the rock and only emerge into the blinding, snowy light of the Snowcaps a days’ march later.

Those who want to pass must queue up with the rest of the travelers moving toward one of the doorways. Concrete monoliths and gun emplacements behind steel blinds frame the entrance. Thousands trying to get in are divided into four columns by the Hellvetics and must pay to enter. Those unable to do so are taken aside. “What’s the matter, stranger?”

They are, of course, welcome to cross the mountains on their own, but those who dare to do so will need to hide from sharpshooters in the deep snow, dodge slabs of falling snow and ice, warm themselves against the devastating cold, and even face savage mountain tribes. It’s not worth it, most people say, and simply pay the toll.

east elmhan


In the west, the Chroniclers examine every artifact the grumpy Scrappers show them. They turn them with shaking hands, place them into various contraptions, watch the light gauges, then huddle together and whisper to one another. They name their price and the Scrapper had better damn well accept it. Of course, no one who has this sort of influence is considered fair. Yet the Chroniclers have fostered an economy and they keep it going.

In the east, the Chroniclers were never able to establish themselves. A delegation of high-ranking members – the Fragments – disappeared there years ago. At least this is what the records say. Since then, some Chroniclers have gone to East Elmhan, but they have not managed to start a scrap craze there either.

The East Elmhan people have returned to a more primordial way of living without technology. They accepted the annual cycle, followed the muskox herds, or retreated to the pine woods in small communities. While metal is rare here, wood is only an arm’s length and sharp axe away.

In this place the cities of Bygones are green labyrinths hidden under moss and guarded by spruces. Whereas Scrappers need only dig away dust in West Elmhan, should a Scrapper hunt here he’ll need to cut through a dense network of roots. Yet true treasures can be unearthed here in these cities untouched by humans for centuries. Only the most valuable ones are taken and brought to West Elmhan on wearisome and expensive roads through the Snowcaps.

the apocalyptics
the lords of desire
Apocalyptics live a pure and unbridled life. They appear in Flocks, swooping into gambling dens and nesting in bordellos. Their distillate is stronger, their Burn more potent, their women more beautiful. Any vice finds a welcome home with them. They live in the present. All emotions are sacred to them and equally celebrated as if they were the last.

They name their Flocks for their origins or way of life. They earn the name of a bird that embodies their character. Knife fighters are Battle Crows. Prostitutes and thieves are Magpies. A Woodpecker expands the nest, running taverns and smuggling routes. Above all, the Raven leads the flock. They knows how to interpret the cards of the Apocalyptic Tarot and, with much flair and drama, shows everyone the future that they most desire.

The cards are an arbitrary tool, waiting to be directed against anyone opposing the Raven. In the Judges, the Apocalyptics have found their nemesis. Whenever law and order crosses paths with crime and excess, tensions inevitably flare.
flock of birds
Apocalyptics are migrants. They appear in large Flocks, pick their fill, and fly away again to restart somewhere else. They name their Flocks according to their provenance or way of life. Whether they call themselves Dust Riders, East Wind, Splinter Hawks, or Carrion Birds, the Apocalyptics carry their Flock’s name as proudly in their hearts as if they had been born with it.

Individually, they earn the name of a bird reflecting their nature. A cunning knife fighter becomes a Battle Crow, a thief a Magpie, an innkeeper a Woodpecker. Those who flinch from every blow get their daily dose of humiliation as Finches, while those who guide the Flock through hardship as a wise fortune teller may walk the paths of this world as a Raven.
thicker than blood
Blood relations always lead to dynastic pageantry. The strong ones don’t lead, but the old ones. Fresh blood curdles at the fringes, hoping for recognition. The Apocalyptics are different. They buy or sell children, have them fight the dogs for their food. Everyone gets a chance to prove themself and rise every day. Brawls and knife fights spoil the daily routine, and there is only one rule: fighting fairly means not taking your opponent seriously.

If a Flock leader shows weakness, they may be attacked. Usually a duel in the dust in front of the tents ensues, consisting of lightning-quick blows and kicks. The Flock roots for the combatants, cheering as they form a circle around them. It’s a great spectacle that has only one winner. The loser will leave the Flock to lick their wounds in the wasteland. Their days are numbered.

The pecking order is subject to continuous change. Usually a broken nose or rib is enough to knock a pretender down a peg. A knife in the throat is not a welcome sight but instead proof that the attacker has lost control and all respect. Get rid of them!

For Apocalyptics, physical fights are a way to strengthen the Flock and end useless debates.

Hotheaded like puppies they have been fighting from an early age: now they have learned to love the law of the jungle. For an Apocalyptic, loyalty towards the Flock grows from respect, dependency, violence, and submission. To betray it breaks his wings.
nesting
Even migrants need nests to recover from their journeys and raise their young. That’s the Woodpeckers’ job. They open up brothels, meeting points for smugglers and secret lairs where Burn cusps will soon amass. They bribe Judges and court Scrappers and Clanners.

Most nests are established on forbidden ground, in the heart of settlements or in forgotten tunnel sections – smack in the middle of life. They are starting points for raids, as well as retreats and attractions. Here, the Flock’s Raven will read the future from the cards and gather their Battle Crows. A nest can be a bane for its surroundings, but also offer great opportunities. Gambling, the selling of distillate, and baths promote physical and spiritual hygiene. When Judges raid such a nest, they risk a Scrapper rebellion.
ranks


The Apocalyptic ranks are ordered by numbers, with each higher number denoting a higher rank. These ranks are unique to each Flock in the Apocalyptics.

01. FINCHES — What is a Finch good for? It pecks, it flies, it dies. Now and then it also squeals – like when a Judge steps on it. Thus, Finches are at the lowest rank of Apocalyptic hierarchy. They have achieved nothing and are pushed around by their brothers and sisters. Only a trial of courage to prove they are of worth to the Flock frees them from this miserable life.

02. BATTLE CROWS — In murders they rise above the battlefields, screaming woe, only to dive down at foes and peck out their eyes. They are cunning and swift. With knife and Blade Bracelet they kill the Flock’s enemies.

02. MAGPIES — A barkeep stealing from their clients, a cunning Burn dealer, a ruthless highwayman– those who have adopted the thieving bird’s qualities may name themselves after it. Stealing from its own Flock, though, leads to a Magpie with broken wings.

02. VULTURES — Vultures are Apocalyptics who brave the ruins together with the Scrappers to get the best pieces in the end, but also frauds who attack the victims of intrigue battles and scavengers. To show weakness to a Vulture means to become their next victim.

02. CUCKOO — A Cuckoo is a deceiver and trickster poaching in other Factions’ domains. They can live as a Judge or Spitalian before becoming fed up with their role and shedding it like a snake’s skin to adopt a new one soon after. They're always teetering on the brink: only their thousand masks keep him aloft.

02. OWLS — They only attack at night. They're merciful in their precision – the victims don’t suffer, they can’t even scream. Then they take flight, carrying their victim in their talons, and disappear into their nest. Owls are assassins and raiders. They ambush and shirk back from open conflict.

02. WOODPECKER — They are the first to enter unexplored terrain. They scout, watch, and cast their nets. They bribe, they build, and they secure. No nest is without a Woodpecker.

02. STORK — Storks steal children to make them part of their own Flock, or send them to work picking Burn in the spore fields. They are cunning manipulators, recognizing every emotion and knowing how to use them to their own benefit.

03. RAVENS — The Ravens amongst the Apocalyptics are leaders and fortune tellers. Obviously, at least someone has to consider the future. They determine the Flock’s destiny, for better or worse.

X. PHOENIX — A Phoenix is a fallen Raven. They had the world at their feet, but fate had other plans for them. Even if their feathers are ruffled, the Phoenix’s spirit shines. They rise from the ashes, spreading their wings, taking flight, and circle upwards again. Their cry echoes across the land. Even if their Flock is gone, they are unbroken.

the spitalians
the last bastion
Any human on the side of humanity, and therefore the Spitalians, must answer to their interrogations. The Spitalians are doctors. They live by strict rules, shaving their faces and rubbing themselves down with limestone. In the cities they enforce strict hygiene laws to ensure the populace remains uninfected by the scourge of the Sepsis. Any healing beyond what is absolutely necessary is a privilege that is earned through purity.

However, they are more than just physicians: the Spitalians are the warriors fighting for humanity. Any sign of Burn is persecuted, and the Burners are sterilised with fire. The Spitalians cannot afford mercy: their legions of Preservists and Famulancers wade into swamps or trek across desolate plains to fight the consequences of leniency across Gaia every day.

The host of all Spitalian operations lies in the Spital, which resides in the inner city of Justitian.
field work
Day by day, hosts of Spitalians walk through the wasteland, exploring the Infected's domain, fighting the Sepsis and aiding people in the daily battle against diseases.

They are clad in impermeable neoprene suits. Holes in the suit covered by membranes in the crook of their elbows, their upper arms, and on their neck make injections of adrenaline or antibiotics possible without the need to disrobe and come in contact with the plagueridden atmosphere. Their faces are obscured with gas masks, air hissing through the filters as they cleanse it of airborne spores. Urine is channeled into a bottle fixed to the thigh via a tube to be checked for germs and spores in the Spital later. In areas overtaken by the Sepis, an ample supply of disinfecting lime is mandatory. When there is danger of infection, it is smeared over the whole body, especially unguarded areas like the skull.

saviors of humanity
The Spitalians see themselves as the last bastion against the Primer and its ilk. If they fall, the world will fall under the assault of the spore-afflicted. The human era would be over. Who would dare criticize or stop them under these circumstances? In the end, everyone must answer one question and one question only: are you with the Spitalians or with the Infected and thus against Humanity? Time runs out, the battles get increasingly brutal. There is no more time to explore the depths between those two extremes. Choose carefully.

The Hellvetics watched the Infected with amazement for a long time, but they ignored their expansion. Probably too long, for the Infected already cut into the Alpine Fortress, sending a stream of sepsis into endless tunnels. Who knows what the mountain already breeds at its core? For the first time, they have asked the Spitalians for help. It’s not going to be the last time.

Other factions have not chosen sides yet, or spread Sepsis through negligence or by choice, like the Burn smugglers among the Apocalyptics. They cannot expect mercy from the Spitalians.
ranks


The Spitalian ranks are ordered by numbers, with each higher number denoting a higher rank.

00. VILLAGE DOCTORS — The Spital consumes enormous amounts of food and energy to keep up the health machinery in the Appendix. While their ill patients cover their costs, the Spital does not generate enough profit to afford expeditions into the wastes. Of course the Justitian Protectorate would gladly – and not completely altruistically – take care of the Spital’s needs, but so far, the doctors refuse to surrender completely to the Judges. Thanks to the so-called Village Doctors, surrender isn’t necessary either. The Spital rents doctors to foreign villages and cities, demanding food, oil, craftsmen, and mercenaries in exchange for services rendered. Village duty is generally considered a punishment. Merely the threat of having to work amongst the uneducated, vulgar savages is reason enough for many Spitalians to work harder and ruthlessly score off potential competitors. Doctors straggling in their studies or of dubious opinions quickly find themselves in a remote village, far from worthy company. However, some Spitalians take this as an honorable position, helping the people in the wastes.

01. RECRUITS — They are young, smart and have been noticed by the Spitalians. Put in a suit, they fulfill the menial tasks of the Hospitals. After their shift, they plough through Bygone texts, especially the spelling book. Their goal is to learn the written language. Those who are not fluent in it after two semesters are dishonorably discharged. “Stupidity is a disease that even we cannot cure.” Pressure is high, bloodshot eyes tell of long nights of studying and diseases mark the exhausted bodies. Many cannot bear it and collapse. This weakness is often seen as “apraxia”, the truant laziness – a severe accusation that can only be punished by exile. Only a small, hardcore group makes it to the exams after four tough semesters.

02. ORDERLIES — They can read and write, understand simple medical books, have mastered the triage and act upon it. They change bandages, open purulent blisters, put broken limbs in splints. It will be a while until they can leave the sick bays for the Corpus, but they are on a steady course.

03. FAMULANCER — Shoulder to shoulder they stand in front of the eight Consultants, saluting snappily, while the Spitalian banners crackle in the wind above. They are Famulancers now – medical students. They can move freely within the Hospitals, spend day and night in the libraries, or offer their services to the other departments. Those who do not get a job with them or seek adventure outside are sent out into the dust with the platoons, armed with a Splayer and a Fungicide Rifle.

04. FIELD MEDICS — An ill-respected department of the Hospital, Field Medics fight side by side with the Famulancers, crawling through the mud to patch up torn bodies. In the Hospital, they are the diseased’s first contact, diagnosing and naming the price for treatment. They have a broad medical knowledge.

04. HYGIENISTS — Be it germs or Sepsis, in the end it’s contamination that harms the people and the land. The Hygienists check if the hygiene laws are being followed. They certify and protect food and rooms. They maintain the security doors in the Hospital and the disinfection basins in Justitian. They are everywhere, pressing test strips to lab desks, measuring germ and spore infestation, attacking spore fields and hunting Infected. They counsel and punish.

04. SURGEONS — Complex operations that Field Medics cannot perform are the Surgeons’ domain. They are masters of the scalpel and know human anatomy like no one else, delving into the body to save patients in even the most dire of states.

04. EPIGENETICISTS — Epigenetics is the study of trigger molecules within human genes and the specific molecules the Primer modifies. Led by by the Epigeneticist Consultant, the research department is dominated by the Epigenetics research group. Epigeneticists depend on technology in order to analyze genomes and synthesize highly complex inhibitors. Training in the Bygone’s procedures is just as important as the knowledge of genetic and epigenetic basics. Yet to be able to develop inhibitors and epigenetic surrogates, this practical branch must obtain tissue samples or even whole Infected. Their need for these experimental agents predestines them to fight the Infected.

04. PHARMACISTS — In every public hospital and even in the Spital itself, the Pharmacists are charged with maintaining the drug supply. They have free access to the pharmacies. The center of their work is the consultation hall of the Spital’s huge pharmacy, the so-called Community Pharmacy. There, they take drug orders and hand out compounds. But that is just the tip of the iceberg. The true work is done at the vats and fermenters in the pharmaceutical factories, and in the field where they look for samples, catalog them, and attempt to grow them in the Spital’s greenhouses.

04. HIPPOCRATS — Hippocrats represent the Spital to the outside world and serve as the consultants and watchers of Justitian’s Senates. The Hippocrats monitor the departments‘ cooperation and watch the research groups. They are the Spital’s conscience: its moral and ethical foundation who follow up on any complaints about its doctors.

\ 04. ANESTHESIOLOGISTS — Intensive care is their forte. Anesthesiologists send their patients into a dreamless sleep and watch over them while the Surgeons do what must be done. Then in the days after, they care for the weakened bodies. Anesthesiologists, however, do not only save lives. They also take them. The poison gas cartridges that have destroyed many an Infected also come from their labs and deft hands.

04. PRESERVISTS — In spite of its sober and scientific approach, the Spitalian organization is a hotbed for numerous legends. The Preservists are a very real one. On black stallions with gas masks, they lead platoons of Spitalians into battle against the Sepsis. With their Preservalis sword, they cut through the Infected ranks. Their faces behind the gas masks may show fear, but their deeds speak of ruthlessness. They are long since beyond any doubt. The Preservist Corps does not take orders from Hippocrats, Consultants, or Elders. It forms its own group within the Spitalians, independent but with strong ties to the leading echelon. Its HQ is the fortress Arnsberg: there, aspiring Preservists are trained after their appointment, receive the sword hallowing, and ride out to fight.

05. REGISTRAR — The Registrar works for several Consultants and oversees the work of the doctors in the Spital and the Cor. Particularly, they must watch for compliance to the Spital’s moral and ethics code. Their professional qualification is that of an experienced doctor. Should a Consultant die or quit due to their age, the Registrar takes their place, and a doctor chosen by the remaining Consultants becomes the new Registrar.

05. COMMANDO PRIMES — The Provost is aided by the Commando Primes, each of them closer to hell than to heaven. The Spitalians do not want bulldogs, but individuals willing to use their personal intelligence and experience to damage the enemy as much as possible.

06. CONSULTANTS — Standing at the top of the Spitalian hierarchy, the eight Consultants are considered the Spital’s undisputed rulers. The Consultants pull the strings behind the scenes without revealing their motives. They give new directives and set the organization’s course without tolerating any debate, and they possess the power to see their decisions through. It remains a mystery where this course will lead, how it will be implemented, and which means will be used.

06. THE PROVOST — The Provost is the leader of the Preservist Corps, and is technically bound by the orders of the Spitalian Consultants. Of course, few past Provosts have ever listened to the Consultants—what do they know of war?

X. ELDERS — The only age-related title in the Spital, which every Spitalian receives after 60 years of hard work. It entitles them to name a proxy for taxing jobs and field work. Mostly, a doctor aspiring to be a Registrar is picked..

he chroniclers
the omniscient
The internet once extended over the world and touched every mind. It recorded and catalogued every moment, the pure, digital knowledge of mankind bundled in its evolutionary algorithms. Deep down, at the bottom of this sea of data, something stirred. Humans sought it and found something that they didn’t understand, but that they could believe in.

The Chroniclers are the descendants of these Netters. The Armageddon made the Internet dry up, petrifying the sea of knowledge. The Chroniclers continue its work, buying artifacts from the Scrappers and fueling an entire market as they search for the remainders of the past, and the last Internet servers. One day, they will reactivate the Internet and lead humanity back to the light. Until then, they must be strong and resist the unruly Clans and Factions.

They are not fighters, but with voice amplifying Vocoders, cascades of light, and shock gloves, they are feared as gods in the wasteland. People in the cities consider them strange: their language is riddled with archaic technical expressions and they prefer the companionship of machines over humans, but that shouldn’t fool anyone. They are watching, collecting data on everyone and everything, and advising and manipulating the world until it dances to their whims.

Many Chroniclers live in Clusters, big complexes in every major city, as detailed below.
life in the cluster
In the Cluster, there are only Chroniclers. They speak the same techno-language and share a dream of fully reactivating the Stream so that it can reach the whole world and fertilize it with knowledge. The air in the Cluster seems to shiver with excitement. Everyone considers himself part of a great, sublime endeavor.

A barcode tattooed on the forehead links each Chronicler to the many databases of the computer systems, which register and constantly update everyone’s value, or "Score" to the Cluster. The tag serves as an access code for restricted areas and a means to follow a Chronicler’s career.

The Chroniclers do not believe in chance. Human life is considered predetermined and expressed in an equation. The movement pattern and course of action are registered and entered into the central computer, which in turn enters it into a fractal global formula. This formula is said to be able to calculate each Chronicler’s fate. The fate of any human in fact, if only the database could one day surpass the critical mass of information.

Communication between Chroniclers is very focused on information, free of idioms and full of ancient computer commands. Words are chosen carefully. A Chronicler prefers to speak slowly and deliberately, avoiding any slips of the tongue. Syntax errors are considered brain malfunctions. The brain is viewed as a machine, and the mind its operating system. Only constant patches make it possible to adapt to an ever-changing world.

beyond the stream
In Justitian, everyone knows them, and without them, Tech-Central would not exist. Who else would be interested in all the scrap? Yet even beyond the trade routes, their services are held in high regard. Wherever they are, Scrappers appear, followed by the Apocalyptics, and trade blooms. Every child knows their larger-than-life barcodes, painted on walls in chalk to mark their presence. Their technological knowledge is as legendary as their skills as advisors, emissaries, and informants.

Although they mingle with humans on a daily basis to evaluate and purchase artifacts, they can hardly be considered down-to-earth. Their appearance is aweinspiring and intentionally intimidating with their distorted voices and face-concealing masks. Their bizarre demeanor raises them above the common people. Mysterious superbeings, that’s what they aspire to become. And they are seen as such. Is it any wonder that many a Chronicler lives up to this role a little bit too much?

Reserving judgment and without drawing any conclusions, Chroniclers seem to be over-motivated techno freaks whose connection to reality has suffered due to countless electric shocks. Everything Bygone makes them hyperventilate, the Scrappers say. Mostly harmless.

While Chroniclers have been hoarding technology for centuries, everyone knows that they do not dance around it like some idol. From Bygone fragments, a technologically advanced world can arise. Unseen by ignorant eyes, the Clusters eat themselves into the ground, expanding. Knowledge – unfiltered and unsorted – flows through their digital hearts. In this way, the Chroniclers have long since pulled the strings from behind the curtain. In powerful city states like Justitian, they wield true power from behind the throne, preserving society by keeping the peace or bringing war with nothing more than information.
ranks


The Chronicler ranks are ordered by numbers, with each higher number denoting a higher rank.

01. BITS — Freshly arrived, the barcode on the forehead still bleeding. A virginal score of zero points makes the Bit practically an invader in the Cluster. For the first days, they have to beat the sensors, find a mentor and force them to give up their technological knowledge – and award the Bit some scraps of score. After a few weeks, the Bit automatically becomes an Agent. The imminent struggle for their life is over. Welcome to the Chroniclers!

02. AGENTS — The everyday duties in the Cluster are carried out by the Agents. With their basic knowledge of electricity, they repair broken sensors and jammed keys at the terminals without being electrocuted. Most of the time at least. Only rarely are they allowed to leave their Cluster, most often when the exit scanners are in a defective mode.

03. MEDIATORS — Mediators are constantly coming and going in the Clusters. They are given jobs in the wasteland, leading them to other Factions and into the enclaves: making contact, delivering messages. Score++. In the settlements, they do a preliminary analysis of the debris dragged in and estimate a price. The Fragments have already allowed them a first visit to the Static Internet of the Central Cluster which raised their knowledge to a new level. They are hungry for more.

04. INTERNETERS — Their knowledge of the Internet and the powers in the background is enormous: every Interneter has enough information to make life a living hell for high-ranking people in Justitian or the Factions. They have only reached this rank by not using it. Discretion is their prime imperative. That’s why the Cluster tags them with the functions of “emissary” or “advisor”.

05. FRAGMENTS — Little is known about Chroniclers of this rank. They mainly stay in the Cluster’s center and have little interest in direct contact with lower ranking brothers or sisters. It is common knowledge that they can access almost all of the Cluster’s database. Their knowledge must be immense.

05. PARADIGMAS — The Cluster is too cramped for them. They want to go to the wasteland, into the uncontrolled grids. When the capacitors under their pauldrons hum and energy discharges in bright flashes, when they tune their voices from infrasound to the audible range and order the almost naked Clanners to kneel down, they correct the image of the somewhat weird, but harmless Chronicler. Paradigmas are illusionists with only one thing on their minds: appear as a God to the savages and use them for the Cluster.

03. SHUTTERS — The Chroniclers of the Cluster are a special breed, most of them cannot survive on the outside. Agents who understand that in time are different. Some enter side branches of the decision tree leading away from the official hierarchy. Like Interneters, they get jobs in the wasteland, but they have different goals. They require sanctioned, deadly, technology. If they accept, they are registered as Shutters and do the dirty work in the Cult’s deepest shadow.

04. FUSES — Successful Shutters become Fuses. The Cluster sees the Fuses as security measures against any kind of threats that will not hear, and so must feel. Fuses are injected with a transponder. Thus, they get access to secret parts of the Cluster and wasteland hideaways. Sanctioned technology waits for them there to be used for their jobs. Now, Fuses know quite a lot, especially uncomfortable things with lots of blood, gore, theft and infiltration. This could be a problem for the Cluster should they want to get out. The transponder is not just a transmitter—it's also a bomb. But only the highest ranking Chroniclers know that.

05. SCALARS — Shutters fly under the radar, the results of their missions are saved in bits and pieces on local memory. Even a Chronicler with the highest level of access could not trace all movements and actions of a Shutter. That’s why Shutter operations often escalate. Scalars are the best example. They handle Shutters and Fuses, juggle identities and coordinate them. Everyone gets jobs ideally tailored to their abilities. In return, the Scalar gets part of the score and the Drafts. That is beneficial for everyone, for the rapidly increasing score gives access to better technology that they supply everyone with.

05. SCALARS — Shutters fly under the radar, the results of their missions are saved in bits and pieces on local memory. Even a Chronicler with the highest level of access could not trace all movements and actions of a Shutter. That’s why Shutter operations often escalate. Scalars are the best example. They handle Shutters and Fuses, juggle identities and coordinate them. Everyone gets jobs ideally tailored to their abilities. In return, the Scalar gets part of the score and the Drafts. That is beneficial for everyone, for the rapidly increasing score gives access to better technology that they supply everyone with.

00. ZEROES — Zero Score. Once the score falls to zero, the Chronicler is automatically removed from the system. However, the Cluster cannot take their knowledge away from them: Zeros still use the Cult as a deposit of resources. The sheer possibility of their secrets being exposed is reason enough for the Fragments to give Shutters extermination orders. Zeros live a dangerous life that rarely lasts long.

X. NEEDLES — Zeros can go far and aspire to do as they want with the knowledge they have from the Chroniclers. As a Needle, they are just that, a needle in the Chroniclers’ flesh. Their followers protect them against the Fuses while they expand the knowledge of the Internet and build an arsenal of sanctioned equipment. Needles are rogue Chroniclers, individuals outside of the Clusters, who no longer answer to the orders of the Fragments.

the hellvetics
brotherhood of arms
Deep within the Snowcap Mountains, they expected the Armageddon. They were not spared in the ensuing inferno, however. The Reaper’s Blow cut through their Fortress, tearing open ravines and belching magma. As hellfire swept through their lands, the Hellvetics confronted nature’s wrath. The Snowcaps may have been broken, but the Hellvetics were not.

Decades later, they stepped out of the mountains and followed their orders. As the remnants of the Bygone's military, they were in charge of the security of the old countries. They expanded the Alpine Fortress and opened transit tunnels for those who had to cross the mountains - and have been demanding money for passage ever since. Hellvetics are soldiers to the core. Their Doctrine ties them to weapon, comrade, and country, and every unnecessary shot weakens the Fortress. Every miss is punished. No one can match them in their defenses, and no one can oppose their assault rifles: the Trailblazers.

In their Alpine Fortress, with its guns and defensive corridors, the Hellvetics consider themselves unassailable. However, the world around them has changed. Infected phenomena crystallise to razor sharp filaments in the tunnels. Grotesquely misshapen creatures hurry through the wasteland section, opening high security gates with a gesture. The people resist the military government and rise up. The Hellvetics must now march out into the world. They must watch, learn, and strike.
merits
Documents from the Hellvetics’ first years prove that the ancient army’s grade structure was mostly preserved. What has changed, though, is how to climb the hierarchical ladder as a Hellvetic. Central storage needed a simple assessment system for soldiers to optimize the use of ammo and gear. Ever since then, Hellvetics have been graded on their combat performance based on being awarded and penalised merit points. This score, together with workshops they have taken and skills they have acquired and demonstrated, determines a soldier’s grade.

After every tour, all Hellvetics involved must face a public assessment and judgment in their section. To this end, their Trailblazers have a socket at the base of their receiver so that they can be accessed via a computer port in front of the drill hall’s plasma screen. The number of shots fired is recorded, as well as the rate of fire or any overheating by continuous fire.

Once the weapon has been checked, the soldier turns to his comrades and awaits their judgment. Behind him, his data flickers across the wall-sized display, accompanied by his combat statistics and his commander’s effectiveness assessment. The reactions vary from respectful silence to scornful humiliation.

At the end of these assessment ceremonies, the section computer determines how much ammo is left for this month and creates a new ranking of the most efficient sections. This shows if the unit needs to undertake dangerous outdoor missions to gain ground.
austerity
Every Hellvetic in the Alpine Fortress must swear to austerity. In spite of their own workshops and profits from the transit fees on the Alpine passes and transfer tunnels, Central storage claims that it is challenging to keep a military apparatus of several thousand men and women at an operational level. They may be right, for there are no mass production facilities for the Trailblazers’ precision ammo. In fact, the amount of ammo given to soldiers has been strictly regulated for decades. But this is not restricted to war gear alone. Any equipment is considered property of the Hellvetic army, so using it thoughtlessly and unnecessarily is theft.

To spread the resources evenly and effectively, Elmhan has been divided into two territorial regions. Each of them is entitled to a percentage of a monthly storage output. The amounts also depend on the effectiveness of the Hellvetics stationed in a section. If one of them botches a mission or they cannot meet Central storage’s demands with regards to profits from transit fees, drastic cutbacks ensue. The section gets less ammo, and special support weapons and vehicles are suddenly not available anymore. If the soldiers cannot discipline the comrade responsible and get him up to speed again, the whole section’s survival is placed in danger.
ranks


The Hellvetic ranks are ordered by numbers, with each higher number denoting a higher rank.

01. SOLDIERS — Young soldiers are recruited from the families of soldiers or from volunteers from the cities. At age 18, drills to shape the body and soul begin. After the first year, the soldiers get their Trailblazer. The weapon will be with them for the rest of their lives. The first grades of Private and Lance Corporal are assigned for obedience, service at the fortress and good fire quota.

02. CORPORAL — Corporal is the first noncom rank, followed by Constable and Field Officer. With them come the first executive functions. Autonomous guard duty at the passes or in tunnels in the periphery as well as commanding very small groups are typical deployments. An intense briefing on formation tactics is mandatory. As a higher-ranking noncom officer (i.e., Constable and Field Officer), the Hellvetic must specialize and join a branch

03. SAPPERS — No matter if a tunnel collapses or the enemy amasses a defensive line: call the Sappers! They are the army’s demolition specialists. They plant their packs and wait for them to detonate, safe behind their Tunnel Shields. Those who are used to blowing big holes only rely on their Trailblazers in cases of emergency. Sappers are trained to use heavy weaponry like grenade launchers and machine guns.

03. GRENADIERS — Grenadiers are the largest branch. Armed with a customised Trailblazer and perfectly trained, the first shot is usually a hit. They are trained in survival techniques and thus mostly operate outside the Fortress. For the Hellvetics, they are the archetypal soldiers.

04. SPECIAL DETACHMENTS — Grenadiers and Sappers are recruited into the Special Detachment for extraordinary achievements and called Specialists in the Hellvetics’ lingo. They answer directly to the Corps Commanders and go on politically charged missions. For example, they protect highranking representatives of allied organizations who visit as emissaries within the Alpine Fortress. They are also requested for deployments on foreign territory. They have access to a stubbed version of the Trailblazer and carry lots of ammo on sanctioned deployments.

03. SENTINELS — They know every bunker with an observation slit trained towards the Snowcaps, watch the passages and decide who may pass and who has to turn around. They man the Alpine Fortress’s cannons, and if they step out into the white day, then it’s only to hide demolition packs in snow slabs. If these packs explode, the mountain shakes, and avalanches thunder down toward the valley. No attacker stands a chance against this force of nature. A fortunate side effect is that this lowers the Sentinel’s ammo consumption. Sentinels, as the last line of defense, have access to the heaviest Harnesses. At the same time, they are responsible for internal security and serve as a sort of police force.

03. RADIO BEAM UNITS — It would take weeks to walk from the first to the fourth Territorial Region, even through the well-kept subterranean passages. Still, this area must be kept under surveillance, the Corps Commanders must always be informed about any enemy movement, and orders must be passed down from above. This is the Radio Beam Units’ job. They maintain the network of radio masts, cables and relay stations. Without them, the Hellvetics would be blind and deaf. Their understanding of communications electronics is on par with high-ranking Chroniclers’ – but Radio Beam Units can also radio for help or artillery support.

03. SPOTTERS — The Alps’ rugged slopes and the wasteland’s ruin fields are the Spotters’ home. They are lightly armed, well camouflaged and tough. They watch and take notes.

04. INFILTRATORS — They blend in. They hide their Recon Harness under local garb or remove it completely. They are trained in the use of trickery and sabotage identifying ringleaders and weakening the enemy’s defenses.

05. P-2 SQUAD — Project 2 is the successor organization of a Bygone arrangement of the same name that organizes the resistance in case of a defeat of the Bygone army. The 2 refers to the two halves of Elmhan. These are supposed to be led back into the Hellvetic Federation, quite forcibly after the latest insurgencies. The P-2 operatives work in cells of 2 to 4 Infiltrators. Through propaganda and sabotage, they influence the mood within the people to the Hellvetics’ favor. They ridicule ideological hotheads – or kill them. Every P-2 action aims at a high symbolic value, but more important than anything else is that they may never weaken the Hellvetic heartland.

03. MEDICS — Those who go to war will see blood. If it’s their own, a Medic better be around. Medics are part of the fighting personnel and stand at the side of the Grenadiers, but their special skill is treating the wounded.

03. GENIES — No one knows the Alpine Fortress better, for they have built it. They are experienced bridge engineers and fortress builders and ensure the Hellvetics’ mobility. They repair passages and tunnels and maintain the vehicles. Large endeavors are impossible without their logistical skills.

03. FORAGERS — Foragers are surplus officers and quartermasters, organizing the food and war gear supply. They can access the Alpine Fortress’s data ports and directly address Central storage or the sections’ computers. Foragers are experienced technicians: they can circumvent digital roadblocks and open sealed doorways.

04. SUBALTERNS — The Subaltern officers’ grades of Lieutenant and Senior Lieutenant must prove themselves as platoon leaders before they get to command whole units of several platoons. Captain is the highest-ranking Subaltern grade. They are responsible for all soldiers within a section. While Subalterns have to live a military life, too, they are highly privileged: they live in private quarters and are guarded by a Grenadier whenever they are outside the Alpine Fortress. They are Hellvetica’s ambassadors and are held in high regard.

05. FIELD OFFICERS — Only the Field Officer grades of Major, Lieutenant-Colonel and Colonel are higher-ranking than the Subalterns. They assist the Corps Commander in managing the troops. According to the Doctrine, they can put every civilian on confederate ground under martial law and judge them accordingly. This has led to disputes time and again in the past.

06. CORPS COMMANDER — They command the entire troop of Hellvetics and lead them towards victory.