@Darkspleen So spleen I have decided on my three members of EMBER, and they will be introduced via IC. They're kind of interesting I think. Also, I was thinking on which faction of the co-elite squad the leader would belong to.
At first, I imagined the Cybran's would want a member who's brain was augmented toward pragmatism and quick thinking. Of corse on a squad with none aug members an individual who was mostly natural would provide a more 'human' touch that was both familiar and relatable. I even entertained that the leader might be a different individual from each organization each major mission. However, that would reek havoc regarding unit cohesion since its always easier to follow the orders of someone you trust and respect which are both things earned through time.
So the most logical alternative the Iron Council would come too would have it be a member of the Lib who was a follower of The Way. Which would make for a good middle ground, and it's not like every follower is bionic'd up to the gills after all. You have to be fairly deep in the order before you get your first augment anyway. It helps The Way is very similar to the goals of the Lib anyway, I would not be surprised if a few followed it.
I put this here mostly so I would not forget it and so it was not buried in the chat. :K
Yup, I threw Sig the theme song after I found it was pretty perfect for this. :P
I"ve seen Miracles Of Sounds other hits too of course.
Btw, @Sigma maybe think about adding major roadways/highways to the map? Could help with planning routes for folks without the good fortune to find fully functioning planes.
@Oraculum Also it seems our religions share the same name there. The Way seems very popular these days. XD
@Klomster Also, dammit don't post that song!!! BAAAAAAAAHHAAAAAA!
Read my current post and guess way. :P
Also seems we both share the same music circles...
“There is no conflict between the ideal of religion and the ideal of science, but science is opposed to theological dogmas because science is founded on fact. To me, the universe is simply a great machine which never came into being and never will end. The human being is no exception to the natural order. Man, like the universe, is a machine.” Nikola Tesla
Chanting echoed throughout the large oval chamber, the sound vibrating off the walls so that they seemed to rebound and resonate within those within it. Quiana could feel it rolling into her very being as she lay on a steel table in the rooms center. The hard metal felt cold against her skin as she lay mostly naked upon the operating table. She could also feel the unyielding leather straps that bound her limbs to the table's edges-- more to keep her in place than to restrain her. All around her grey-robed iron priest and priestesses of The Way chattered in binary code as they prepared for the induction ceremony.
Circling the group, in turn, were a small platformS that held many surgical tools, most of which were larger ones not already a part of their mechanical apparatuses built into their bodies, or those that extended from the ceiling above. Smaller aid drones scuttled about on mechanized legs carrying one tool or another, often doing so without any vocalization from the priestesses themselves. One deeply hooded priest off to her left retrieved a syringe from the mechanical claws of a drone and held it aloft for a moment-- as if to admire it-- the green lenses of his cybernetic eyes giving no hints as to what he might be thinking at that moment. However, Quiana assumed he felt a certain reverence for the contents of the syringe. Inside was a gray liquid that seemed to slush now and again subtly. It was so slight one might think they imagined it.
While uncertain Quiana guessed that the liquids within were in fact OSN, or less commonly called Organic Shifting Nanites. They were at the moment configured to act as digital microfluidic biochips. It was these very nanites that had allowed the Illuminated Cybran Order to exists as it did today. Even alone it slowly altered the brain chemistry of hosts, allowing one's mind to grasp complex concepts and increase one's memory exponentially. It inherently did not make one more intelligent but allowed one to retain greater amounts of knowledge quickly and more easily. It was the first and greatest gift given by the great Mother of Machines to the orders ancestors. It also allowed any individual once injected to accept bionic implants. It was among the orders most holy of relics and having such a thing bestowed upon oneself was no small thing.
The priest lowered the needle toward Quiana’s left arm, aiming for a major artery with practiced ease. With a rock-steady hand and uncanny precision, he administered the nanomachines. There was a slight pain as the cool metal pierced flesh. Then a light tingling in her arm that seemed to slowly spread throughout her arm before slowly spreading into the rest of her body. At this point forward the iron priest around her ceased to speak in binary-- switching to flesh speech in the language of common Nabushanion with droning synthetic voices. Entering into a chanting prayer that was perfectly synchronized, revealing long years of practice.
“From the weakness of the mind, Mater machinas save us.”
The faint feeling that had overtook her arm now seemed to crawl up her body, the tingling strongest around her throat and soon against the sides of her temples. Soon the mechanical surgical arms descended on her body. She would stay awake for the entire procedure, as her throat was soon cut open to prepare for her respirator implants. Thankfully her sense of pain would be temporarily dampened significantly thanks to the nanites in her body which, also deadened her nerves making it so she could not move even if she wanted to. Her head secured as it was to the table Quiana could only roll her eyes as she silently watched them perform on her paralyzed body.
She had heard tales of a few unfortunate men or women who still held enough feeling in their body that they could feel every blade and cut. Mercifully it seemed she would be spared from such a nightmare scenario as she experienced no pain at all. As they worked, the priests continued to chant in their emotionless almost robotic voices.
“From the fate of entropy, circuitry preserve us.”
A nearby priest seemed to produce from nowhere a mechanical device already perfectly measured to sit just inside her throat where her adam's apple once was. It, in turn, would act as both her new means to take in the air as well as a voice box. Sheets of metal placed over the sensitive inner workings, the metal connecting with her skin as the nanites seamlessly merged inorganic with the organic material-- allowing the both to work harmlessly beside the other.
“From the Rage, of the beasts, Iron protect us.”
As they worked away on her throat and lower jaw, she could feel a slight tingle that ran up her right arm. Even if she had been expecting it, it was still somewhat alarming. One iron priestess had skillfully started amputating her right arm up to the elbow; the wound was then carefully treated as a new mechanical arm was made ready to replace her lost right arm. A small aid drone lifting it up as if to offer it much like a young child might off a gift to the priestess at work. A lightweight model capable of expanding several more digits from the first five fingers would be threefolds faster, and two folds stronger than her previous flawed arm of flesh.
“From the temptations of the flesh, silica cleanse us.”
Much like her right arm, soon both of her left legs were each carefully and surgically removed. Each replaced by cyberlegs that were lightweight and built for speed rather than strength and durability. The model was among the most flexible leg augments regarding upgrade enhancements available to it. At this stage, however, they would serve mostly as a form of locomotion.
“From the ravages of the heretic, Machina anima shield us.”
The last of the implants were soon finished as the Iron priests began to wrap up the end of their ceremonial initiation. All told it had taken a mere hour and a half to fix the last cybernetics into place many of the most complex machines needing to be pieced together at the moment of implantation. The last of the rite ended with a priest dipping a finger in a bowl of holy oils being held up by a small aid drone, then carefully drawing the orders symbol of the cog onto Quiana’s head.
“From this rotting cage of biomatter, Machine Goddess set us free.”
The rite was officially over, and Quiana suddenly felt exhausted, as the last of the nanites not consumed in the surgery had already begun to induce sleep to allow her body and mind to adjust to the radical changes made to it. With sleep came a sudden sense of overwhelming bliss that suddenly enveloped her and she could not tell if it was from knowing she had finally truly began her journey in TheWay or if it was the Mater machinas welcoming in her newest child.
The Great Wastes
++ 12 Years Ago ++
The sound of weapons fire seemed to ring out unceasingly like the wailing of a newborn child. Now and again the sound of an explosion would ring out alongside the cacophony of gunfire that made the ground and walls shake. The small group huddled within a carved out section of the cave where they made their home waited anxiously as the fighting continued. Of those who dwelled within two were adults. One was a man, the only other adult a woman-- his spouse-- and their two daughters.
The man armed with a simple sawed off shotgun felt his heart quicken as the sounds of fighting drew closer and closer. He looked back toward his family as they huddled in the far corner of the cavern. With new resolve, he turned back to the curtain that closed off his dwelling from the rest of the cavern network and unconsciously tightened his grip on his weapon. He raised the barrel toward the entryway as the gunfire came even closer-- his hand unsteady as he breath quickened. Malrick had no idea who had suddenly stormed his people's home in the dead of the night. Yet such an attack on a settlement out here in the vast wastes was hardly an unexpected or rare occurrence. Actually, the only things that mattered when you were raided, not if, was who the attackers were.
Another group of bandits would be something they could deal with like that had in the past. Union boy’s tended to come in loud, kill a few, but most would have to look forward to being dragged off to one of their ungodly prisons. Librarios data worms could always be negotiated with. But if it was the Disciples of Yre-Keltha they were likely all royally fucked. The only ones worse then them would be facing a Yandras CDF death squad. Of course, if he believed in the ghost stories there were always th--
A sudden crash down the dark hall beyond the curtain brought Malrick’s thoughts back to the present. He swallowed and slowly walked forward and hugged the wall next to the archway. It didn't matter who had decided to come calling tonight. If the bastards dared threaten his family, then he’d make sure they paid in blood. The sound of heavy foot steps thudded from somewhere on the other side of the doorways curtain. At one point the footfalls sounded wet, like someone stepping onto a puddle. By the sounds of it, whoever or whatever it was, sounded massive and heavy. Not quite as weighty as a man in power armor and now and again the sound of an iron gritting against iron could faintly be heard.
Malrick listened attentively to the approaching steps, slowing his breathing as he waited. At last, the footfalls seemed to stop suddenly, and from the sounds of it, there was more than one person. And they stood perhaps a mere few feet from the doorway. Malrick slowly inhaled as he gritted his teeth counting down the seconds in his head.
In a sudden burst of movement, Malrick turned, so he stood before the curtain taking aim. Before his finger could even squeeze the trigger a single deafening report of a gunshot rang out, followed by the violent, bloody impact of a 5.56mm round tearing through Malrick’s throat. The bullet practically pulverized most of his neck in a spray of gore. Malrick fell back; a terrible electric current jolted through his frame simultaneously causing his body to enter into a sudden seizure, forcing his finger to pull the trigger in a death grip firing off a buck shot into the stone ceiling just above the archway as he fell onto his back.
There was a wailing scream of panic and shock from somewhere in the distance, but it seemed far away to Malrick’s ears as the world took on a blurry image. He watched with fading consciousness as dark cloaked figures strode into the room, brushing the curtain aside with ease. He could hardly make out anything, but the blazing red lights under hooded heads. He tried desperately to move, bring his gun to bear, curse the sons of bitches. Anything, but his body did not respond, either from the shock to his nervous system or the fact his life blood was ebbing away at an alarming rate. He realized the bullet had ruptured a major jugular artery and he had moments left before he was dead.
He barely registered another vaguely familiar cry, this one a mix of rage and hate. He watched helplessly as Lily, the love of his life, rushed the intruders with a makeshift bladed weapon. They didn't even bother wasting a bullet. Instead quicker than his dying brain could follow the lead intruder's arm snapped up grabbed Lily’s arm by the wrist before twisting it ruthlessly clockwise in one quick, smooth motion. Quickly breaking the arm and splitting the bone as if it was nothing more than a bush twig. Lily cried out again, but this time in pain, a cry that stabbed directly into Malrick’s fast beating heart. A heart struggling to supply blood to a brain it could no longer support.
Malrick cursed these robed men, and his own stupidity and inability to protect his family. The only solace he could take in those last moments as he chocked on his blood was that at least his family would soon follow him into the afterlife. They would reunite in the hereafter. If there was any such place. A swift kick bent a leg out from under Lily causing her to fall somewhere out of his vision. He grimaced when he heard bone snapping again followed by another cry of pain.
He wanted to shut his eyes then and there, to just die, but he stubbornly looked on, knowing what would follow. He did not deserve to look away. Yet instead of gunning down the rest of his family, another figure with a hood that gleamed a bright blue light where his eyes should have been stepped up and looked toward his daughters. Who at this point Malrick realized were crying and screaming something he could not understand. Strange mutterings were produced from the hooded, robed figures that oddly sounded like one of those old communication devices his band had dug up some winters back. A phone he had learned later was it’s name. It was then in a sudden moment of clarity that he realized with a cold dread who these intruders were.
Ruststalkers
That exact moment his suspicions were confirmed when one of metal men spoke in a synthesized voice, “prepare the children for transport and mind scrubbing. Terminate the female.”
As his vision faded to darkness, a single tear born of rage rolled down his cheek. The gods of the wasteland were cruel indeed for any death was far better than the fate that awaited his children. The last thing he ever heard was the wet crunch of a heavy metal boot crushing his wife's skull and then he knew no more.
Nova Alpha
There’s a place in the dark horror stories go to hide. Buried deep underground. Pain and Torment mechanized.
On a Lite up stage.
Natasha awoke in a strange cold place-- one she immediately noticed was void of any light. The next thing she noticed was she was suspended naked by her wrists and legs, with strange coiling metal which kept her spread eagle and several feet off the ground. The last thing she noticed was she was utterly alone. The last thing she could recall was in her parents dwelling with her mother, father, and sister. Then the bad men had appeared, they had hurt her daddy and mom too. She had tried to run-- fight-- like her father had taught her. But they just ignored her kicking and punching. She did remember how strong they were. Binding her with something strong and metal around her legs and wrists. Before a bag was placed over her head. The last memory she had. She had told Megan her younger sister to run through the little crawl space they sometimes used when they played hide and seek.
Just large enough for her sister, and herself if she had time. She couldn't remember if Megan had listened and reached the space or not. She really hoped so. Remembering in vivid detail what had happened she began to cry again. Remembering how her mother had tried to turn their faces when dad neck opened up. No not opened, was blown away like tumbleweeds in the wind. How mother had tried to protect them as well. The sound of her head being crushed would hunt Natasha’s dreams all her life. She was more than old enough to know she would never see them again. Even now she could do nothing to stop the tears that welled up. She wanted to scream, but could not manage more than a sobbing inhaling exhaling full body shudder over and over. She wanted so badly for this all to be a very bad dream. Hoping she would wake up to her and her sisters cot. Where her mother would take her into her loving arms and hush her back to sleep. For her father to check the crawl spaces and insure her there were no monsters with his natural smile that always put her at ease.
Crying alone in the dark she slowly became aware of approaching footsteps. She tried to quiet herself. Hoping against hope that somehow she would not be found. Then red lights illuminated the darkness. Revealing just enough that she could make out shapes but not what they were. The red lights were focused in front of her and a circle about her helpless body. She futilely tried to pull on her bindings but they gave only slightly, and the angle was all wrong. She discovered that despite how cold and metallic the coils were, they were not as hard as metal ought to be. Why this was, or how, was completely lost on her.
When the voice came from some distance away, she nearly jumped out of her own skin with fright. She squawked in alarm despite herself.
“Now, what have the stalkers brought me today? Hmmm?”
The voice sounded like a man, but it was all wrong. It sounded like some mimicry, oddly like a normal voice mixed with static from one of dad's old radios.
“W-w-who are you?” She managed with some effort. Trying and failing utterly to sound unafraid.
The dark shape of the figure soon appeared just outside the ring of lights circling her. He seemed to be also wearing robes like the other bad men. She could not make out anything from under the hood he wore except for some metal sticking out the lower part of his face that looked a lot like her father's old gas mask and an unsettling brilliant crimson glow where his right eye was supposed to be. He also seemed to have a large rod of some kind taller than he was in his left hand which he used to support himself like the older men in her village used walking canes.
“A most anticipated and tired question new meat, but you need not concern yourself-- oh no.”
Something about the man's manner scared her more than anything else which started her crying all over again, only this time more quietly than before.
“Now let's see what we have here…” at that ominous phrase the sound of whirring gears could be heard as the man's back opened up into countless dark shadowy armlike appendages. Like some evil spider of iron and steel. Each mechanical arm was unique and not one shared anything with its brother in appearance except basic functional appearance as a limb. Strange devices and lights at the end of several of those arms light up or opened to reveal some unusual instrument. At the sight of so many arms coming towards her Natasha’s cries became even louder than before. Begging him to not hurt her, to take her to her mom and daddy.
The mystery man tsked and shook his head responding in a voice sounding mildly annoyed, “now, now none of that new meat. I have yet to even begin with my experiments. It is far too soon to vocalize your displeasure. Properly await testing before making a fuss. Normally I would have had your vocal cords removed. But I have decided to try recording specific responses made vocally when different stimuli is applied. I estimate an increase of 3% efficiency in our proceedings, and being allowed to vocalize your displeasure should allow for a 7% increase of you minds psyche. Which will help in resisting the inevitability of you mind breaking under the stress. At such a point you would become useless to me. Fret not! Your biomatter would be recycled and used for other experiments of that have no doubt. Nothing is wasted in Nova Alpha! Or Nova Prime itself for that matter.”
Natasha still whimpered all the same as lights flicked across her fair skin. All the while the data readings the man received seemed to please him as he “hummed” height and “AHha’ed” quite often. All too much time later the limbs receded with the man sounding quite pleased. “Yes, a most excellent specimen. A rarity to find one so healthy out in the wastes! And look at you! No diseases or mutations. Prime untainted human DNA, a rarity I say! A rarity!.”
“Of course the cities hold many healthy individuals as well, but it would be shouldering far too much danger to acquire any of those you understand.”
Natasha was hardly listening at this point. Still reeling from the alienness and suddenness of her current situation.
“W-what do you want?” She asked in barely more than a whisper.
At that moment the mystery man snapped his fingers with his free hand. However, the sound resembled like that of flint scraping against flint. A small spark was produced by the movement, which was followed by, “ah, yes, of course, I forgot to introduce myself! I am Tech Lord Maxima Gasch of Biology and Nano-augmentation at your service. I have been tasked in perfecting new forms of bionic surgery and cybernetic upgrades for The Illuminated Cybran research branch. In you, we will test out countless new bionics to ensure they work as properly intended for our initiates. We can hardly afford to hope for the best after all on new adepts in our order! Such a waste! They must be tested first before being made available. Thoroughly. I do hope you will not disappoint.”
Maxima lightly tapped his stave three times on the ground, the room exploding in a sea of light that stung Natasha's eyes at first. It took several moments before her eyes adjusted to the light. What she saw quickly made her wish the light had blinded her permanently. The entire room was a stage of horrible amalgamations of flesh and steel. Bloated bodies with machinery unnaturally attached or even growing from outside their bodies. Natasha had seen one unfortunate buggy crash once in her life. Yet nothing could have prepared her for the things that were once human hanging over platforms all around her.
“...like so many other before you.” Maxima’s head turned toward one platform to Natasha’s left.
She made the mistake of looking and wished more than even she was blind, for this one particular mass of flesh and steel was altogether too familiar. The sight of it made Natasha feel like her heart broke into a thousand pieces in her chest. The mangled mass of her younger sister, Megan, hung like so much grotesque meat, twisted almost beyond all recognition, if not for the necklace around her neck mother had given to her. Natasha might never have known.
She vomited.
“Now then.” Maxima continued in a cold emotionless tone as if all was right in the world. “Where. Will. We. Begin?”
Still in shock Natasha did not even react when the first coil of metal wormed its way under her skin.
Will start on my IC. Also, I wonder how the long ago the last space hulk was found? As well as the major players in involved. I know the Cybran's would have taken part for sure.
@Klomster I have an interesting idea actually that involves plots that could affect much of the wasteland. All, a part of an end goal by the A.I HS-Mark VII aboard the Nova. The two meeting alone should be fascinating enough. However, I'd rather wait a bit before then since I have a few things I want to do before then IC wise during the start.
@All Btw, we should totally have our own version of rad-storms or emissions. Maybe twisters of black burning ash storms? That give off bits of radiation.
@Klomster You know, given Nova's A.I was a warship it was probably also linked to the MHCM. Though probably given protocols and programming that allowed it a bit more flexibility from the MHCM when in deep space voyages.
Racial Demographics and Population: Most of the members of the many Cybran coven’s are humans, though there exists a few from members of other species of the waste.
Religion: The Illuminated Cybran believe that the calamity was primarily caused by the weaknesses of the flesh, such as emotion and, hate rather than pure logic. As a result of this, the Cybran maidens set about purging those weaknesses from themselves over the decades that followed, smothering their resentment with cold reason and accelerating the process of augmenting their flesh with cybernetics. They have begun to call this process and belief ‘The Way’. The technology found on Nova was some of the last blueprints for cybernetic and bionic technology in the wasteland. The Cybrans’ also believe that the greatest pursuit that exists is the pursuit of knowledge. Only in shedding one's flesh can one achieve true perfection and knowledge. Believers tend to live lives of asceticism, though many would consider it "unnatural asceticism" as it involves slowly replacing one's body with painful cybernetics. The higher members ranking in The Way tend to hardly resemble humans any more. Cybrans’ also revere the Deus Ex Machina, and that their belief that their goddess (see history) exists in all forms of technology. Which is somewhat true due to the A.I’s ability to interface with some forms of technology that are within proximity. Some within the order have taken the belief that becoming more machine like themselves means becoming one with their divine mother. Others have taken to believing that they will transcend their own mortality itself and become gods in their own right.
There are a few ranks that exist within the Maidens of Steel-- from lowest to highest;
Novice Gear: This is the lowest rank within the Illuminated Cybran. The rule of the Orders is harsh and a Novice Sister, or more rarely brother, must endure many hardships during her training. Self-denial, rigid discipline, and religious contemplation are indivisible parts of their training. They are armed not only with skills needed to defend the Novahome but also with training that teaches them to work with basic machinery and technology.
Machina Acolyte: The next stage of training takes place as a novice advances in the Cybran order. They are largely responsible for maintenance of much on Nova Prime as well as dissembling and building gear the order will need. They often get attached to teams sent to oasis cities to aid Forge Masters in their duties in the latter stages of their training. These Sisters often return to Nova Home even firmer in their convictions and honed in their skills.
Machina Advance - In the final stage of the Novitiate, before they are inducted into the full rank of Illuminated Cog, the Novice’s learning encompasses the use of the Cybran’s sacredly ordained equipment and building of their first bionic components. At this level, the Sister confirms her complete devotion to the Machina Creed. Unaugmented as they are; they often act as a go-between with outsiders as they are deep enough within- and knowledgeable enough by their respective coven to be trusted with such tasks.
Illuminated Cog (Or Cog Sister/brother)- The Sister/Brother is the basic rank of the Illuminated Cybran after a man or woman has completed her training and taken her vows to the Deus Machina. When n Iron Priestess deems the novice ready, the novice is asked to join the order. If she accepts, she's given her first cybernetic implant then follows a formal service during which she is given the outer robe (that will one day serve to hide her augments) and veil (to hide her built in respirator) to wear, and (because she is now dead to the world and to be reborn in iron) receives a new name.
Electro Ranger- A special ranking within the order that often is made up of members tasked with far-ranging into the wastes to find old technology or chart out possible sites for recovery teams. Electro-priests are also trained in the orders martial arts and make for fanatical warriors and are tasked with using their cybernetic abilities to support Iron-priest Warriors, Combat Automatons and the Illuminated Cybrans’ dedicated combat mechs, the Cybernetica Guard in battle.
Iron Priestess/Priest- The next level for the Illuminated Cybran takes place some years after the first implant when the Abbess feels the sister has reached a level of augments, discipline, dedication, and knowledge. Once again, in a formal service, the sister is elevated to the "Little Schema" which is signified by additions to her body of certain symbolic bionics. Also, the abbess increases the sister’s access to the grand archives databases. They often specialize in the customization, or building of weapons, armor, and general wargear for expeditions.
Mech Priestess Superior- Equal in rank to an Iron Priest though their duty revolves around the maintaining of the orders walkers, vehicles,and automatons. Many are augmented to better repair larger vehicles, usually by using much larger apparatuses built into their backs A Schema Multis is an Iron priest skilled in mathematics and data analysis which serves in the role of a logistician, data analyst, or statistician. His purpose is to predict future large-scale demographic, sociological or demographic trends and make forecasts about the required expenditure or other strategic needs.
Master of the Forge- The highest rank any male member of the order is able to achieve. As for whatever reason, the A.I has always favored a woman for speaking to directly. It is speculated it has developed a kind of distrust for men from events in its past. In any case, Masters of the Forge are some of the most skilled and talented engineers in the wasteland. Becoming capable in the fixing of anything from most vehicles to wargear, or basic equipment. This makes them something of a jack of all trades, a Master or Mistress of the Forge studies several scientific and engineering disciplines, including chemistry, genetics, metallurgy and more. Their lives are extended thanks to many augmentations to their body they have many decades, and sometimes centuries of experience. The top masters form a kind of advisory court, called the Iron Council who oversee the many days to day decisions of the order.
Fabricator Schema- A major spiritual leader of the order the Fabricator Schema is the second highest-ranking individual within Nova Prime. The Fabricator Locum assists the Abbess Nova Schema with the governance of Nova Prime, including the meeting of production quotas and ensuring the correct devotions to the Deus Machina are observed at all times. Often head of the Iron council of advisers.
Abbess Nova Schema- The head of the order and the voice of Nova Prime’s A.I, who is often referred to as the Deus Machina. She is also the overall spiritual leader of the Order. In military matters, she is assisted by the Mechina Prioress of the Cybernetica Guard.
The Illuminated Cybran have become so infamous for their extensive use of bionics, that they have often been referred to by outsider wastelanders as The Maidens Of Steel, even though there exist a few male members these days. Among the first bionics’ given is that of a synthetic voice modulator that serves the dual purpose of filtering out foul air and dust (as it comes in the form of a built-in gas mask/respirator) but allowing them to talk in binary code. A type of speech that to a purely organic without the right implants hears as garbled nonsense code.
This passion for mechanical invention, lack of access to medicine, and the frequency of industrial accidents in Nova Prime not only means cybran’s seek bionics’ because of their religious beliefs but also out of necessity which leads to a reliance on cybernetics that they are remarkable for today. The cybrans’ have further developed physical cybernetic enhancements in place of microbe theory and blood transfusion, and a vast majority employ significant mechanical bodily enhancement during their lifetime.
Aside from the voice boxes’, replacement limbs and visual enhancement are the most common procedures; however the cybran are also capable of sophisticated internal adaptations, often aimed at combating the health problems they face as a result of spending most of their lives in the claustrophobic environment of Nova Prime. This ability to easily replace defective organs and limbs with efficient cybernetic replacements has significantly boosted the possible lifespan of the average Cybran. However, their population has remained stable as a result of the scourge of industrial accidents in their home from experiments, and the likelihood of newer models of replacement organs going catastrophically wrong due to lack of proper resources.
The Illuminated Cybran were once an order of regular humans who had survived the great calamity. This all-female order of monastic women soon took a pilgrimage through the wastelands seeking a safe heaven as they fled from those raiders who had been born from the Calamity. Soon they found a huge derelict spaceship that had crashed during the Calamity. Deciding to settle the area they order took refuge within the spaceship, named Nova Prime after the lettering on its side. A month later a large group of raiders and scavengers attacked the order hoping to salvage parts of the ship. Pushed deeper into the ship than they had ever been to before, the sisters of the order were desperate and knew their time was close to the end.
So deep within the vessel, the Matriarch of the order discovered a powerful A.I of the ship's central computer systems. Though severely damaged at the time the A.I managed to convince the Matriarch to enter an enclosed chamber. Alone no one knew what the two discussed, but an agreement was quickly made. Shortly after the Raiders breached into the ship proper they were suddenly met with fierce resistance. Not from the pacifist order, but from newly awakened automatons used for the ship's security many ages ago. The unexpected and sudden counter-attack threw the numerically superior Raiders into confusion and chaos, many fleeing from before the Iron Men. In return for saving their lives, the sisters went on to revere the A.I and the machines that save their lives. Over the many decades and intervening years, the order soon merged their old beliefs with that of their new loyalty to the A.I. After the Calamity, and once the Order had recovered from the scavenger attack, the Maidens of Steel became recluses, attempting to find ways to make themselves even stronger so that they would be fit for serving The Way as to bring unity to the wasteland. It was at this point they began the practice to make extensive use of bionic modifications, going so far that there are rumors of some battle sisters being wholly mechanical. Maidens of Steel consider the greatest honor they can receive is to be transformed into exceptionally rare symborgs.
The Cybran have supplemented their numbers with taking in orphans or raid survivors from the wastelands. In the current age, they have begun solidifying their power and seeking out the lost Data cubes at the behest of the A.I Deus Machina.
The military arm of the Maidens is called the Cybernetica Guard. Each of the covens of the Maidens of Steel is responsible for the recruitment through their temple forge or Cybernetica Guard. Those new recruits more attuned toward violence will be taken from nomadic tribes of the wasteland. Only those of great physical and mental strength of will are recruited, and during recruitment, candidates have their "weaknesses" purged from them. Only a few of the Cybernetica Guard are in fact living, members. As the Order has made up for its small size by using Combat Automatons. The Cybernetica Guard are broken into easily manageable fire-teams called Covenants numbering only twenty strong. Often a single Covenant will have an individual walker assigned to it. It takes four such Covenants to make a single War Host which will often number eighty guards. The armaments of such are often widely varied due to the cybernetic nature of augmented weaponry on both guardsmen and combat automatons. These allow even a single Covenant an incredible amount of flexibility. Thanks in part to their smaller size to some of the larger super powers of the wasteland. The Cybran military is composed of guerrilla fighters, assassins, skirmishers and light units who hide in the shadows. They wait for the precise moment to attack, and then unleash small surgical strikes that leave their enemies reeling. Cybran tactics rely not on out-and-out battle, but stealthily destroying as much as possible before their walkers move in for the kill. The appearance of Cybran design bespeaks their enhanced cognitive processing powers, and their critical perspective and their units and structures are efficient and not bound by structural orthogonality.
Infantry-
Assaultrons; The assaultron's body seems to be modeled after that of a female figure. They are highly aggressive, fast, and are specialized in close quarters combat as their arms are equipped with retractable dual combat blades. The assaultron's face can charge with red electric energy when it is preparing its laser beam attack often used right before closing in on the enemy. The dominator variant is also equipped with a stealth field. Assaultrons' weak points are their legs. However, when these are destroyed, the assaultron will continue to pursue the target by crawling on the ground.
Securiton; The Security is a powerhouse, equipped with sturdy armor plating, powerful weapons integrated into its chassis and high mobility thanks to mecanum wheels mounted on its three legs. They are armed with dual arm-mounted miniguns or much more rarely a Gatling laser on the right arm, and a missile launcher on the left arm for anti-armor. They have thick armor plating and are possess surprising amounts of mobility.
Model-1P3X; Among the most fielded and numerous of automatons the Model-1P3X or, Light Assault Bot (LAB’s for short). LAB’s are among the most flexible of the automatons built and fielded by the Cybernetica Guard. They are often tasked on patrol scavenger missions and have become notorious throughout the wasteland as ‘Iron Locusts.’ In their early days of exclusiveness the Maidens often sent out entire squads of these bots to harvest and salvage entire junk yards, or in many cases ‘cleanse’ a area of by driving off living inhabitants in order to take what they needed. Being machines with very crude and simple V.I’s they saw no distinction between a wastelander local and more dangerous fauna or predators. Modern models are slightly more advanced in terms of processing but still require a Iron Priest for more complex tasks.They are unique in that they often field small arms rather than having these grafted into them. Though several models can be configured with arm blades or mounted arm weapons that use galvanic rounds.
Cybran Guard; These men and women who have chosen the path of the warrior to safeguard Novahome make up the main body of cyborg soldiers. They tend to have basic iron breastplates often surgically attached, along with optical sensor augments. Many have also received emotional-suppression surgery.
R-T17 Recon Drone; The Cybran air scout sports an older design and is pretty typical in its functionality. It has a great scan radius, high speed, no weapons and light armor. The R-T17 uses a sonic resonance scanner that is capable of bridging the gap between conventional radar and sonar. In addition, the R-T17 can be set to fly in stealth mode.
Cybran Pioneer; Originally created to discover new suitable locations to set up smaller outpost settlements. Cybran Pioneers later were further specialized to work alongside Electro Rangers and Recon Drones. As automaton’s go they have some of the most advanced V.I among the Cybran machines of war. Many even given vocal communicative capabilities. Pioneers are the main scouting infantry forces for the Cybernetica Guard of the Illuminated Cybran. As light reconnaissance units, Pioneers Teams are the eyes and ears of their Cybernetica Commander in a way no simple Recon Drone can yet emulate. A Pioneers role is not to engage the enemy, but instead to maximise the efficiency of the rest of their Covenants with their light markers which designate priority enemy targets and guide the fire of their comrades.
Ruststalkers; Ruststalkers are the brutal Cybran scout troops of the Maidens of Steel, renowned as perhaps the most sinister warriors of the Cybernetica Guard. They are feared throughout the entire wasteland as heartless killing machines. Heavily augmented into more machine than man, the Ruststalker are a hideous, frightening strike force - the height of The Illuminated Cybran posthuman engineering. When hunting, they emit from the domed section of their helmets a white noise that fills all sensory spectrum's with static, leaving their foe disoriented and helpless. Enemies fall, deafened and blinded by the scree of a brutally disruptive audiovisual assault; battles are often decided before even a single kill is confirmed. Infiltrator covenants can bypass enemy defenses with ease, though not because of their stealth but rather their disruptive wavelengths they broadcast when on the move. The white noise used by these units tends to last only a few secounds, coupled with a short range. These scout squads are led by Electro Rangers. Regular Cybran warriors sent to fight alongside Infiltrators are given null-codes that can transmute their disorientated wavelength frequencies, allowing for efficient combined-arms assaults. However, most of the time automatons are used alongside Ruststalkers as they are immune to these wavelengths. As with their Symborg brothers, every Ruststalker was once a Cybran Guard who was grievously injured in battle. If these fallen are judged still fit to serve the Deus Machina, they are not incinerated but instead taken back to be augmented into lethal killing machines. This process can take place as long as a Iron Priest possesses a head, torso, and some limb-stumps. This makes Ruststalkers exceptionally rare.
Steel Huntress; Steel Huntresses are a type of Cybran infantry used by the Cybernetica Guard. Relentless hunter-killer infantry, they’re religious zealous dedication causes them to hunt their prey across the wasteland for weeks if need be. Mindful of the harsh terrain of the wasteland, their legs have been removed from the knees down, replaced by cybernetic augmentations. This has made their stamina legendary, and they are known to hunt a foe until it exhausts itself. They are primarily used to recover stolen pieces of technology from raiders or bandits.
Mechanite Assassins; First inspired by seekers of the Librarios-- Mechanite Assassins were first deployed to hunt and assassinate rogue iron priest who stole valuable research. Their battlefield role is killing important enemy individuals such as commanders. Working from concealed locations, the risk of retaliation against the sniper by the enemy is relatively low. Both of their eyes are replaced with the "Hawkeye" implant, a prosthetic eye that interfaces with scope optics to allow for shots of incredible accuracy.
Vehicles-
Crab Walker; The Crab Walker is based on the Mobile Universal Land Engine (or M.U.L.E.); itself inspired by the bad-tempered beasts of burden that transported their masters across old Nabushan in ancient times. It is among the few vehicles discovered within a Space Hulk's hanger bay and was originally based off the chassis of a large dune crawler used for mining. The M.U.L.E. was discovered by famed techno-archaeologist Celine Land as a transport for miners but was soon modified into a weapon of war. It was renamed, equipped with armor plating and replicated a couple dozen times. The Crab Walker, rather than being a mere carrier, is absolutely brimming with pre-calamity advanced weaponry that can include a Turret Beamer as a main gun, and a coaxial Heavy MGC mounted for anti infantry duties. It can also be equipped with an Air Sensor Array (ASA), a powerful anti-air package compromising twin Autocannons, a Gatling Flak Launcher and Missile Launchers for use as an anti-air walker.
Longstrider Walker; The Longstriders are used as mobile artillery platforms, they are Gyroscopically balanced. Their mechanized mounts are able to walk on the most hostile terrain. Their plating tends to be lighter due to their walker chassis. However, they possess incredible range in their 155 mm Self-propelled Gun with their 45-caliber gun and automatic loader for loading of both projectile and charge. They're also armed with a heavy MGC mounted the turret.
All Terrain Recon Walker Gear; The all-terrain recon walker gear, or ATR-WG, is a quadrupedal, small arms equipped, manned transport designed for far range patrolling. The Sentinel achieves movement with a two pairs of articulated legs, which allow for both maneuverabilities in dense environments and bursts of speed on open terrain. They are fitted with advanced gyro-stabilizers to improve their balance, and their powerplants include noise-reduction technology for clandestine operation. Though it can't move with the speed of the wheeled vehicle, the Sentinel can run - faster than a horse.
Scout Walker; The Scout Walker is a quadrupedal war walker used primarily for long range travel. They are electric hydraulic ridable quadruped vehicles which by design make excellent scout vehicles despite their lack of armor and heavy weapons. Walker Scouts can also be fitted for more conventional anti-infantry/anti-vehicle combat use. They are capable of quadrupedal movement for greater maneuverability on rough terrain or can fold up and move on wheels for greater speeds on flat terrain. Every model of Scout Walker has two front-facing headlights for greater visibility during night patrols or operations. Scout Walker also can come with two small arms, hidden in the front of their chassis, that wield pistols as backup weapons. Scout Walkers can be well armored enough to withstand small arms fire for an extended amount of time. However, too much damage would eventually pierce the armor and damage the critical components within. The scout walker is also built with speed and flexabilty in mind, it's top speed while in walking mode is roughly that of a race horse at 44mph. It's wheeled mode is almost thrice that at 224 mph at tope speed. Other:
Armaments; The Cybrans’ have managed to rediscover many once lost weapons and wargear over the millennia. Even reconstructing from scratch using Nova Prime's fabrication facilities. Due to their knowledge, the Cybernetica Guard have more advanced weaponry and equipment than their wasteland equivalents due to the technological expertise of their Iron priestesses and Forgemasters. Bionics are quite common and devices such as weapon links and sensory feeds are also common amongst them. Some of these weapons are as follows.
Nova Rifle- The Nova rifle or designated RSPN-101( nicknamed Raspen), is the main rifle of the Cybran Cybernetica Guard. The RSPN-101 represents an out-of-the-box approach to assault rifle design due to improvements made upon it by the Cybran Iron Priest over the years. Like many of the Cybran weapons the RSPN-101 are built from an ergonomic point of view. One of the main advantages of the RSPN is it’s highly modular design, allowing numerous modifications and customization's. The RSPN-101, is chambered for 5.56mm rounds, fired using an advanced galvanic chambering device that allows electro-galvanically driven projectiles that can damage both enemy infantry and armor, with an optimal range of 800 meters. Being easy to disassemble and upgrade with tactical gear, it also supports a 40mm underbarrel GL1 grenade launcher.
Nova Pistol- This advanced galvanic pistol was a favorite among Cybran guards, and is designated R-B4. It possess acute safety features and onboard lockouts that make modern commercial pistols reliable, but weak. This baby still packs a punch, while retaining finesse and precision of pre-calamity builds. It’s electro charged ammunition allowing it to deal significant damage to lightly armored targets.
329-M21 Rocket Launcher- The M21 Surface-to-Surface Rocket Medium Anti-Vehicle/Anti-Air. The M21 CG fires 102mm HEAT shaped charged rockets. The launcher sports a 2x scope and can fire rockets over long distances with devastating accuracy, thanks to its fire and forget missiles. The mechanisms built into the weapon allow it to interface with optical cybernetics, allowing it even greater accuracy in the hands of a Cybran soldier.
Gauss Panther Rifle- The Asymmetric Recoilless Carbine-2000, also known as the ARC-2000 or simply the Panther, is a compact-channel linear accelerator that fires a high-explosive round at incredible speed. The charge time is approximately two seconds and can be fired with only a partial charge at the cost of lesser damage. A direct hit will cut through the thickest armor plates in a single shot after a full charge. This makes them very effective anti-armor weapons. The ARC-2000 is the next step in the evolution of Illuminated Cybran Railgun tech. It is widely considered the best out of all limited production rifles they have managed to reverse engineer, though compared to other weapons, it is still quite cumbersome and requires an augmented body or power armor to use effectively. The followed-on explosive charge in its M645 ferric-tungsten projectile helped keep the ARC-2000 in its high position as a deadly tool of destruction. The weapon is exceptionally rare due to its expensive and complex inner workings. Leaving it as a weapon for more seasoned and elite Cybran units.
Ash Petal Anti-Tank Mine- The Ash Petal Anti-Tank Mine (or Ash Petals for short) is a type of Illuminated Cybran area-denial ordnance that can be described as "flowerlike". It is a disk a quarter meter across with spikes along the rim to stabilize it when buried. The shaped charge may be triggered in a number of ways. A proximity sensor makes the Ash-petal effective against lower hovering vehicles. The sensor may also be enabled remotely and its sensitivity altered for use against infantry. The Lotus anti-tank mine also has a countdown mode. The charge itself is powerful enough to penetrate the armor of a heavy Main Battle Tank like the MT 4a4.
Reckoner NR-4-The Reckoner fires a .416 round which packs a hell of a punch with a very long range. Semi-automatic, the rapidity of firing makes up for the fact that the heavy rifle cannot be silenced, allowing a couple of kill shots to be fired off in quick succession before the sniper needs to change locations. They capable of firing over tremendous distances thanks to an advanced telescopic sight. Utilizing specialized ammunition constructed from heavy-gravity alloys with galvanic chambering, the Reckoner Rifle is capable of penetrating nearly all forms of known armor and can even pierce light armored vehicles.
Micro Galvanic Cannon - A 5.56 ‘micro-gun’ with multiple barrels the MGC can lay down withering suppression fire though it is sluggish to wind up. It has a rotary autocannon, with 6 barrels cycled by an electric motor past a single chamber. The weapon was developed after the sixth Hulk Rush as a replacement for the mini-gun and Heavy Turret Cannon, which had been a common heavy weapon on Crab carriers until then.
Optical Camo- Making use of optical camo cloaks, camo cloaks are hooded cloaks composed of a mesh backing, woven with thousands of ribbons of color shifting and light-absorbing material, weaved for its durability and ability to help hide the wearer.
Battle Armor Implants- Cybernetic Plates is a type of battle armour used by The Illuminated Cybran. These armoured plates are designed to be worn for several years at a time. Secreted under a dermal layer of steel alloy are recombinant cells that harness moisture from the wearer and recycle it. This liquid is transmuted into a gelatinous unguent that coats the inside of the suit, preventing the slow abrasion of the wearer's body. They are designed to protect against both kinetic and energy weaponry thanks to the layering approach used in their construction.
Dermal Armour – Dermal Armour implants thin plates, protective weaves and impact distributors throughout the vital areas of the body, protecting them from harm with less great aesthetic or sense-deadening side effects unlike Cyber plates. As it upgrades the armour implants become more reactive, able to adapt to different attacks.