◆ S P I R I T S ◆Spirits are sentient apparitions that exist in the elements of nature, animals, and other forces of the universe. Many believe them to be the remnants of Etro, whom created existence from itself. Spirits can possess good and evil characteristics, but are inherently neither. Similarly to human beings, spirits are shaped by the impressions and interactions of the world around them.
Etro is an impersonal energy from which existence originated. It demands no praise or prayer from its creations. Spirits constitute the world’s notion of deities. A spirit that is respected will return love and fortune, but a spirit that is disregarded will return destruction and disharmony. However, their supremacy is not of equal weight. The spirit of a tiny river cannot match a mighty spirit of a mountain.
People revere spirits in one way or another. There are different thoughts as to how, when, and where the practice is appropriate, but temples and shrines are a common sight. While most spirits are harmless even if agitated, the unique physical manifestation of thousands of spirits congregated can be extremely dangerous. These beings are known as Eidolon, and they often seek to rule a domain of their choice.
When many spirits congregate, they create a force known as magic. Beings that are possessed by a high density of spirits can therefore wield that force as a weapon. However, spirits only ever gather in a single entity on two occasions: to create Eidolons or protect themselves from external threats. The former cause is often synonymous with the latter. If spirits possess human beings in large quantities, those individuals become known as Guardians.
Guardians are extremely strong and agile. They are able to withstand impacts that would otherwise be fatal, their pain threshold is much higher, and their tissue recuperates at an incredible rate. Guardians will continue to absorb new spirits throughout their lives and grow exponentially stronger, as spirits are attracted to entities that can protect them from threats.
When a spirit leaves its natural embodiment, that embodiment continues to exist. A flash of lightning possessed by a spirit may strike in the same location for an infinite amount of times, as the spirit dictates its movements and behavior. Without the spirit, however, the flash of lightning returns to the natural order of the world and behaves in accordance with Gaia and nature.
Gaia is a physical element that generates energy and life. Varying densities of this substance reside throughout the crust and core of celestial bodies. Most living entities are infused with it. Some believe that it is the blood of Etro, but there is no physical evidence other than the element itself that supports the existence of this being. However, spirits and the supernatural abilities exhibited by Guardians make the theory of Etro plausible.
◆ M O R D R E M ◆The alien threat was named Mordrem because of their parasitic nature. The name means
parasite in the old language. They thrive on the consumption of all organic matter that has traces of Gaia. Nests and hives usually have enormous, worm-like creatures that burrow deep into the earth to extract Gaia in its pure form, which is similar to what Nexus Industries do in their reactors across the world.
The presence of these parasitic creatures caused a great migration of spirits, which in turn caused a sudden surge of Guardians in the world. Any child that shows signs of high spirit density is recruited into special programs at military academies, where they train to become the super soldiers of tomorrow. However, there is always the suspicion of Stigma infection.
Stigma is a disease that came along with the Mordrem. The alien creatures appear to be immune to it, but most things on Libra are not. The disease corrupts everything it comes into contact with. It also appears to be the antithesis of Gaia—negative energy and death. The infection adapts and evolves according to the attributes of the host and prominent elements in the area during the incubation period. Some may transform into vicious monsters, but most will remain inanimate husks. There is no known cure for the Stigma infection.
Due to the massive loss of Gaia over the years, the environment of the world has drastically changed for the worse. Many coastal regions suffer severe floods, volcanos are more active and violent than ever, and massive storm systems wreak havoc wherever they please. There is also an alarming food and water shortage around the world.
Areas of the world that have been completely lost to the Mordrem are known as Dark Zones. In addition to high Mordrem activity and regular artillery bombardment, these areas are lawless and home to numerous outcasts and criminal gangs.
◆ N E X U S I N D U S T R I E S ◆While conventional governments have all but vanished, Nexus Industries assumed global dominance shortly after the incident. Its current president, Bogdan Gilgamesh, was the chief scientist at the research facility for displacement experimentation and a survivor of the initial contact with the Mordrem. He has become obsessed with the parasitic aliens and where they come from.
Nexus Industries funds and undertakes research in fields such as radiation, rocketry, theoretical physics, lasers, experimental propulsion, robotics, genetics, applied mathematics, weapon systems, extra-dimensional displacement, cosmology, and a wide spectrum of classified practices. The extent of its inner workings and many divisions is only known to the president and his advisors. Nexus is also the primary supplier of electricity, firearms, and manufacturer of displacement devices. They create energy through extraction of Gaia by massive reactors. Many believe this practice to be unethical and harmful to the planet.
The shady practices of Nexus Industries include bio-engineering and artificial implantations. Members of their private security force usually undergo vigorous modifications and alterations, which results in a highly mobile and adaptive army. Nexus Soldiers use memory replacement agents in the form of gas and liquids to mask their various missions. Nexus Industries also apply mass surveillance and strong propaganda to control the public.
◆ O A K R I D G E A C A D E M Y ◆Oakridge is a fortified military base turned academy in order to train soldiers for the army. It is one of the most prestigious educational institutions in the world that offers a wide selection of programs for its students. The academy’s niche is that it trains Guardians in addition to ordinary soldiers.
The academy complex is massive. It has hundreds of classrooms, live-action training grounds, combat simulators, recreational areas, physical education facilities, and obstacle courses. It also runs on independent power supplies, enough stored rations for months of isolation, and the ability to completely lock everything down.
There are about five thousand students in rotation at any time, of which roughly three hundred are Guardians. The headmaster of the academy is Cid Dysley, an old army general. Along with essential personnel and instructors, the faculty consists of two hundred men and women.
Guardians have the chance of being admitted into Oakridge’s private military force known as the Special Warfare and Reconnaissance Group (WARG). It operates on a higher level in order to influence the war efforts. Their missions are classified and often impossible for ordinary soldiers to complete. At the top tier, Guardians work in small packs in the Dark Zones. The emblem of this elite military group depicts a timber wolf.
◆ T E C H N O L O G Y ◆The most advanced technology in the world is displacement, or teleportation. It was originally developed by the transportation industry to eliminate certain costs of shipping large amounts of or particularly heavy units. The technology was soon thereafter militarized. The attempt to extend the range of displacement technology resulted in the incident that led the world to ruin. However, teleportation is still widely used within the range of the planet.
Medical Gel is the standard medical application within the army. It is widely used by emergency personnel and it combines several useful aspects: a local anesthetic, disinfectant, and clotting agent. It can be digested or applied directly onto a wound, and it is also sealable against liquids, contaminants, and gases. Medi-Gel is invaluable when a Guardian with healing spirits is unavailable. If a person finds himself recently infected by Stigma, medical gel can be injected into the heart in order to slow down or stop the disease from spreading. However, proper treatment thereafter is still required.
Assistant drones are small, spherical objects that hover in the vicinity of a person. They have verbal capabilities and keep track of whatever the user might desire. This can include appointments, important dates, time, reminders, alarms, access to various information, storing personal or other information, and so on. It can also take measurements in three dimensional space, estimate risks, estimate weather changes and patterns, decrypt basic data clusters, along with many other utility functions. However, the Assistant Drone has no offensive or defensive capabilities.
Melee weapons have proved to be effective against the alien threat. The obvious advantage is that one never runs out of ammunition when swinging a sword around. While ordinary soldiers still prefer ranged weapons, Guardians almost exclusively use melee or ‘trick’ weapons. A trick weapon is a melee weapon that can shift between two modes. This gives the wielder a lot more versatility. At Oakridge Academy, Guardians are given the chance to build their own trick weapon.
◆ F A C T I O N S ◆Fanatics: These people have strong religious affiliations. They believe that the Stigma infection must be exterminated on all levels, and that there is no cure and never will be. Fanatics are most frequent in the Dark Zones, where they wear hazmat suits, gas masks, and cleanse everything with flame throwers. While they can be somewhat reasoned with by Guardians, they are usually hostile towards anyone who doesn't share their beliefs.
Aggressors: These are former Guardians who have adopted the Mordrem's method of forcefully absorbing spirits from defeated foes and the environment. Aggressors predominantly consist of WARG agents that have gone mad in the Dark Zones. However, Aggressors are not necessarily evil. Most of them claim to still work for WARG, the army, and humanity. It's simply a philosophical difference concerning Gaia, Etro, and spirits.
Husks: These are entities infected by Stigma, usually humans or animals. They wander the Dark Zones, aimlessly, and devour whatever organic matter they can find. There is no presence of intelligence, only primal instincts. For all intents and purposes, husks are walking corpses.
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