Uhhhh this should do for now.


[hider=Necrodomii]
Name: Necrodomii Clans

Type: Tribe/Faction

Faction/Unit: Independant

Description:

Known throughout the Red Wastes as Tech-Cults and Iron Crows, the seven Necrodomii Clans are an influential yet enigmatic presence in the Avanagashan. They are at once a bastion of knowledge and logic in a world where so much of both has been lost, and a force of chaos and destruction, beholden only to their own whims. To the average Waster, a black-robed tech-cultist is a deadly and capricious entity, a silent emissary of doom. To those with greater knowledge or previous dealings with them, the opinion is much the same, but their fear is justified by the knowledge of their capabilities rather than mere superstition.

The origins of the Necrodomii are lost to time, as is much in the Red Wastes, and the subject is a matter of passionate debate both within and between the clans. Most hold themselves as successors in some manner to the Old Ones, either being the survivors of the cataclysm that destroyed their civilization, or the descendants of the engineer-slaves that maintained their wondrous technology. Regardless of their specific origins, the clans all venerate the Old Ones in much the same manner as gods, and elevate the archeotech they have left behind to the status of holy relics. For the Necrodomii, scavenging and repairing archeotech is at once a noble intellectual pursuit, a holy calling, and a means toward survival in the harsh world that the Old Ones have left behind. Despite their religious fervor, the clans are suitably pragmatic, and possess no reservations toward wielding archeotech for its intended (or even improvised) purpose. While they are loathe to do so, it is not unheard of for them to trade away some of their hoarded technology for critically-needed supplies, or some other purpose.

Divided since ancient times into a variable number of clans (at the present moment seven), the Necrodomii roam the Red Wastes in behemoth sand-crawlers, monumental vehicles that are at once mobile fortresses and the among holiest of Old Ones' relics. Ostensibly nomadic, the clans slowly wind across the desert in looping and intersecting paths, stopping often to scavenge among the ruins of the old world, or terrorize settlements for what little archeotech they may possess. Mercurial in temperament, a tech-cult caravan may trade trinkets such as arc rifles or water purifier chips for food or raw materials, and then years later the same clan may raze the village to take back their "stolen" artifacts.

Even other Necrodomii clans are not immune to this treatment, as squabbles and skirmishes over heterodoxical disputes, perceived slights and centuries-old grudges are common among them, and they will often view each other as tempting targets to raid for supplies and technology. While the differences may be imperceivable to outsiders, the clans vary significantly in their esoteric rituals, societal structure, theology, and scientific philosophies. Despite their lack of cohesion or loyalty, the clans view each other as being infinitely morally superior to any other Waster faction and settlement, and will come to each other's aid against outsiders, but generally only if it is to the convenience of the aiding clan and there is a perceived material benefit to doing so. These alliances are as devastating as one may expect, though there has never been a recorded instance of more than three clans joining forces at once. Even a single clan is a terrifying force should they commit militarily, bringing their centuries of accumulated knowledge and technology to bear in horrific fashion. Mercy and humanity are of no consideration to Necrodomii on the warpath, as they make generous use of weapons deemed cursed or forbidden by most other societies. Frequent use of technological augmentation among their number make them shockingly difficult to kill, and often immune to poisons, flame and radiation.

Greatest among these are the absolute most holy relics to the Necrodomii: the Deus Machina. True weapons of mass destruction, each clan possesses only a single one of these archeotech masterworks, and they are venerated as avatars of the Old Ones themselves. While they vary greatly in form and precise function (usually a result of being cobbled together from pieces and remains of other Deus Machina), they are each a roughly humanoid construct of magic and technology combined. To the Necrodomii, they are the apex of artifice: divinity crafted from base metal. These machine-gods are brought to bear against their foes only in times of the most dire strife, and there have even been occasions where a clan was wiped out before their Deus Machina could be wielded in battle. The resources required to activate them are incredibly rare, and only the highest-ranked tech-cultists have the privilege and skill to maintain them, much less operate them in combat. Indeed, a Deus Machina cannot be successfully piloted by a single operator, nor any number of common humans. Vital to their operation is a Grimoire, a Necrodomius of high rank that has been augmented to have portions of their consciousness replaced by Old One computational matrixes. Typically used as living databanks, Grimoires rely on the fragmented remains of Old One AI in their matrixes to assume control of the numerous subfunctions a Deus Machina must engage to activate.

Beyond the Deus Machina and other scattered instances of magical technology, the Necrodomii treat magic and its practitioners with measured caution and pragmatic distrust. While they may learn of it and archive it where opportunity arises, they pointedly avoid practicing it themselves. The risks inherent to practicing it outweigh its potential benefits in many cases, and some of their more religious subsects consider the use of magic to infringe upon the divine realm of the Old Ones.[/hider]