Since I have no idea where to stash lore and plots, I guess it goes here.

[center][h1] Critical Shell - A Mecha Roleplay [/h1][/center]
[center][h3] Lore Thread[/h3][/center]
// Might tweak later on as things come up.

[img]https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/659275101900111872/659336885633679400/45846345_p0.jpg[/img]

[hider=History]
Humanity was thrust into hell several times in the past, however, this one was the worst. It was the year 2025, a golden age for humanity. AI had been created, over several years they uncovered massive new technologies hidden under the nose of the world. Everyone was at peace, as the new technologies of these AI and their diplomatic capabilities put everyone to rest. They had pushed rapidly for third world countries to develop quickly, and increased the quality of life for everyone. Everything, was perfect.

However this would not be the case for long. After the creation of the HELIX Frames and Phalanx drives, some began to question the intentions of the AI, machines capable of doing so much, vastly superior to which have been seen before. Not long after, the AI began to stockpile HELIX Frames, leading to international concern, to be played off as a massive construction project. This, is when all hell broke loose. The AI decided that humanity was no longer part of their goal to improve the world, as they caused wars and chaos. Eradication of humanity would lead to there being no more wars, everything would be part of a grand scheme. Using these HELIX Frames, AI had physical bodies capable of doing so much, then they declared war.

There were AI that tried to defend humanity during the war, though they were eradicated through weapon deployments. Humanity couldn't win against perfect war strategies, the machines wiping them out with extreme ease, every asset the humans could use abolished and decimated, countless data being lost, a majority of world history burned down like the fire at the Library of Alexandria. Humanity was on the defensive from the start, the common civilian killed just as easily as the soldiers. Humanity did something utterly unexpected, something that would surprise all the AI.

Instead of using nuclear weapons at first, all of humanity pooled their resources into building walking battlestations the size of cities. An impenetrable fortress of weapons and life, resources to reconstruct after the war was over. These behemoths were sent to fight, the AIs unable to pierce into the machines, physically or electronically. HELIX Frames were mowed down, guns ablaze and missiles launched, with the bases of the AI found nuked, destroying all machines within. Finally, hope was in sight. After a long grueling war, humanity finally had a chance to survive, though they would feel these pains forever. The walking fortresses destroyed the AI, reclaiming what was left. Humanity had barely won, the fortresses laid to rest and used as cities for the survivors as they rebuilt. That hope, was well placed.

Dozens of years later, humanity had claimed their former homes and have restructured. The Unified Empire taking the west and some of the east, as the rest were left to help each other. Vertex was born, taking Russia, China, Europe, and South East Asia. However, they had spread fast and are slowly inching towards the Unified Empire... Tensions are on the rise again.
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[hider=HELIX Frame info (Important!)]
HELIX Frames are rather large machines, ranging from 5-20 meters in height (although 20 meters is an anomaly, and usually reserved for heavy cargo carriers). They generally tend to be heavily armored machines, and can multirole ground, sea, and air combat (underwater combat is possible, but not advised due to poor hydrodynamic properties.) They are controlled via a small connector in the back of the user's neck (hence HELIX), which can be removed at any time with surgery. They are generally controlled via the user's thoughts and with long time usage can respond with the pilot's reflexes and in a sense become part of them. However this can result on the machine acting on impulse, which can lead to accidental asset destruction or unintended actions. HELIX Frames can also be controlled by AI or VI, however due to the methods of action they resort to, they are deemed inhumane and usage of AI or VI in Frames is considered a war crime.

HELIX Frames tend to be rather modular, with shoulder mounted weapons or a secondary set of weapons being standard, and most being held. However primary systems are harder to modify, though limbs and the torso unit can essentially be mix and match. Some HELIX Frames have forearm mounted plasma blades, which are deployable at will and are extremely deadly at close range, since they can disrupt defense mechanisms and slice right through metal. Most common weapons involve ballistics, plasma, and missiles, but non-traditional weaponry like drones and [i]physical[/i] swords are used, though are laughable.

HELIX Frames are highly customizable, though tend to follow simple rules. Legs, arms, torso, head. The legs, arms, and torso almost always have thruster arrays, to help with maneuverability, though sometimes this is switched out for more armor or advanced shield emitters. The torso and head contain some of the most important equipment in the machines. Most importantly is the Phalanx drive, which powers the HELIX Frame and is a revolutionary power source, running on nuclear energy. Phalanx drives also have a unique property that can generate a field of particles around the HELIX Frame. Despite being invisible to the eye, they can provide protection from a wide variety of attacks, such as plasma, ballistic, or electric. They also can be condensed into a form of propulsion, which are used in the thrusters, these abilities have made HELIX Frames even possible, and sought out for military application of the drives. The torso also contains the cockpit, which is where the pilot sits. Around the hull of the torso, spacial awareness and radar receivers are located. Spacial awareness sensors allow the pilot to be able to detect objects relatively close by, making HELIX Frames virtually impossible to assassinate. The head contains powerful radars and sensors, including visual cameras, though a Frame can function without a head, it will be severely limited in what it can do.

Phalanx drive shielding is very powerful, but has noted effects. Even at full shields, Frames can take damage, though it be very slight. The faster and heavier the projectile is, the more it "breaks away" at the shields, as to reduce the amount of the shield there. High density plasma is very useful in disrupting Phalanx shields, making plasma blades a sought weapon among pilots. As the shield breaks away, damage to the machine from a projectile is increased, as Phalanx shields "eat away" at incoming projectiles, meaning the less there is, the more of the projectile is there on impact. Rapid fire weapons are useful in breaking away Phalanx shields, which sustained impacts will do severe damage to the machine regardless if it's at full shields or not.

However, the effectiveness of a Frame is completely dependent on the pilot. An unstable mental state or extreme impulses make the machine harder to control, and more likely to be destroyed in the line of duty. It has been noted in close up and high speed fights, it is more often than not a better idea to just do actions and not think about it, as a single moment of hesitation can result in the death of the pilot. It has been noted that pilots "feel" the machine to be their own body to a degree, so damage to the machine transfers over to the brain as nervous system signals and makes them feel pain. It is not known if this side effect can be mitigated or negated completely.
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