The troops nodded and murmured varying words of assent, as well as a few muttered comments about her way of speaking and dress. What kind of person wore full medieval armor to fight in a desert? The horse made some sense, but a cape and plate mail? And why did she speak like that? "So-called nuisance who dares foil our cause?" What was that about
It only takes an hour or so of riding under the bone bleaching Syrian sun before the Hammer agent is contacted via her radio by one of her underlings. "Hey boss, hope you're not too hot in that armor. the nameless voice snickered. "Anyway, intel from the Holy Trinity: the good Doctor is traveling in a white Jeep Wrangler with tinted windows and is believed to be accompanied by two private security guards working for Academi, formerly known as Blackwater Security Company. According to files pulled from records, you're dealing with Martin Eichmann, a former US Navy SEAL, and Marissa Short, graduate of the Seaborn Acadamy of Arms. Short is a C ranked Arms User while Eichmann is simply well trained and well equipped. You are advised to deal with both of them in a way that minimizes risk to Dr. Black. Keep riding and report in when you have her subdued."
The call ends and within minutes the target vehicle is in site, dust streaked Jeep barreling down the road and leaving a cloud of dirt in its wake. Nearly two hundred feet off from the armor-clad woman the jeeps veers to the left as if making room for her to pass by.
There was a certain level of finesse that went into running a worldwide organization bent on the destruction of the current order. Smith was the absolute commander of an army consisting of thousands of Arms Users with weapons and vehicles, two major cities and a large swath of the Middle East as well as millions of dollars scattered across the globe in secret accounts and stashes. It was no mean feat managing it all. Shipments of Type 56 rifles from Cambodia, surplus LAW rockets stolen and sold by leftist and rightist factions in South America, an influx of foreign volunteers to train and equip, Soviet era tanks to station at hidden outposts, a horde of mind controlled double agents to put to use scrounging up information and assassinating threats...
Things every leader had to deal with.
Luckily for him his underlings were mostly competent. Amaterasu and Abbadon were both out preparing for the initial invasion, brother and sister setting up some nasty surprises for the Symbiosis bastards. He could also draw on the support on a intelligent and loyal officer corp, dedicated men and women who could lead with the perfect mixture of respect and fear from their troops. One of them was in the perfect position to deal with a couple of problems for him. The dignified man scribbled down a note and handed it off to one of the many junior officers and guards scattered about the makeshift office.
A few minutes later Carmilla's radio buzzed to life, a curt female voice detailing the errands that needed to be ran. "Orders from HQ. You're given the choice as to which one you'd prefer to handle, as long as you do so in a timely manner. You can take ten men with you, please send the remainder back to base. As always efficiency is valued, and failure will reflect poorly on you." It was the standard polite warning: fuck up too many times or even look like you're a threat to the security of the Hammers and you will be dealt with violently.
"The first errand involves a DFS armory holding a variety of small arms as well as explosives and anti-vehicle weaponry. Obviously this material is better off in our hands. You will go to the coordinates sent and'persuade' the militia there to hand over there supplies on pain of death.
"The second option is a one person job. Dr. Leslie Black, general practitioner from Sydney and advocate for healthcare initiatives in impoverished areas, has recently stumbled into business she should keep out of. During one of her visits to the outskirts of Hama to distribute medical supplies and do check ups one of her young patients let slip his father's involvement in our organization. She and an armed guard are currently driving back to Rasafeh, where she might let someone know about what she learned. You will stop her vehicle and take her, alive, to a drop off point."
"So take your pick and good luck. HQ out."
The radio call dies out in a crackle of static, leaving the agent with her choice.
Player Faction: Alhryt-Liu Trade and Lending Company
Contact us for loan and slave appraisal
Founded a little over three centuries ago by a Tian and Xul, both immigrants to Venedig, the Alhryt-Liu Trade and Lending Company (better known simply as the Company) got its start in a modest stall in the Bazaar exchanging currency brought in by the hordes of travlers from all corners of the globe. The pair did well for themselves, making a modest amount of wealth before moving into money-lending and trading. They shipped wool and wine, swords and shoes, anything anyone needed to anywhere on Erde. The pair had been well-off before but now they were rich, both of them attracting good wives and making friends in the higher circles of society. By the time they retired the names Alhrty and Liu were respected in Venedig, known for being dependable and able to investments into steady profits.
As time went on trade and currency exchange took a backseat to moneylending which left the Company with a problem: what to do with people who defaulted on their loans? Sure they could confiscate property and what little money the debtor had but that was rarely worth much. Every time someone wasn't able to come up with the money the Company made a loss, an unacceptable turn of events. So fifty years into it's existence the Company jumped into what people were already doing: the slave trade.
It was simple. Once the time ran out on a contract the debtor was given a week to come up with the money or something of equal value. If they couldn't they forfeited their freedom. They were no longer people but property, a red mark in the ledge suddenly converted to an asset. If their body still couldn't cover the cost their meager belongings were taken as well.
Of course, many tried to run away from their debts but the Company quickly built a network of bounty hunters, trackers and thugs to return escapees. It is rare for someone to evade the Company for more than a month.
Jobs Offered Trackers:People who specialize in find property that decides to run out on agreements. Consisting of a highly paid but relatively small professional core supplemented by temporary mercenaries and thugs. One time contracts pay well enough and contractors that do well are often offered a permanent job with good pay and benefits as well as a pension for next of kin if they die in the line of duty.
Traders: This refers to people that sell slaves as well as those who sell non-sentient property. There are always plenty of assets that need to be sold off and traders working for the Company can expect a 20% cut of every sale as well as plenty of stock provided to them for no charge.
Silencers:By far the smallest of the employee categories Silencers are the in-house spies and assassins used by the company in situation where it might be too awkward, expensive or simply not convenient to hire the Razors. Silencers are expected to keep a low profile but how they handle any particular job is up to them. Whether they kill a target with blade, poison, arrow or magic doesn't matter as long as they're discrete. They are only sent to to deal with things that pertain directly to the company such as bandits harassing caravans or slaves plotting rebellion. The Company never takes contracts as a matter of principle and a sense of politeness towards the Razors.
General Labor:The men and women who serve as general muscle for the Company. They serve as bodyguards for the traders and higher up personal and protecting caravans or bringing in debtors who ran out of time, run messages to the various offices in the city, take care of the horses and repair the wagons. They take care of all the small things that go into running a business that most people wouldn't even think. It's not exactly glamorous but the Company would fall apart without them. The largest subset of the Company, the vast majority of employees start here. They are free to apply for a shift to one of the other positions or might be offered one if they show impressive aptitude in a particular area.
Name: Cocheta Alhryt Age: 27 Physical Description: Cocheta's whole body is coated in scars and burns from fighting, marks from battles with bandits, beasts and people who had to be "convinced" that she was in charge of their lives now. Her arms and legs bulge with powerfully corded muscles, made for propelling fist, feet or blade into the skulls of her opponents. If one caught her bathing or in some other situation where she wasn't wearing her solid steel and leather armor they'd see a strong back and eight pack abdomen, a hard body for a hard life. Her face is a different story. Salesmanship is the single most important aspect of her job and a warm smile is often the difference between someone walking away or shaking hands on a deal. She keeps her face clear of any blemishes, her tusks and the gold nose ring she wears well polished, the thick ropes of her hair done up in neat dreadlocks decorated with feathers and beads. A bit of makeup applied to her lips, cheeks and eyes give her that bit of appeal that can be so helpful in suckering people in.
Important items:
A noble stallion Cocheta raised since he was a colt. Strong enough to carry her and one other person as well as her equipment.
A simple iron tomahawk decorated over the years with engravings and trophies from defeated enemies.
6 feet long and made of black leather, Cocheta wields this cat 'o' nine tails with vicious skill
Steel lamellar armor with thick leather beneath it, it's saved it's owner from many a wound.
Short Bio: Cocheta was born to Delshay Alhryt of Alhryt-Liu Trade and Lending, heir to a banking empire built off the backs of slaves. Her life was planned out for her as soon as she was born: training in the arts of bartering and diplomacy as well as honing her skills in combat to ensure that she could defend her family business. The young Xul took to her lessons very well, memorizing byzantine trade laws and currency exchange rates as well as learning to use a tomahawk and whip. There was a certain symetry she enjoyed about her teachings, being instructed on how to dismantle a person's finances as well as their body. A properly worded contract could be just as devastating a weapon as any blade provided the signer was desperate enough. There was no shortage of people who needed a loan, families trying to keep their homes, mothers who couldn't make enough money to feed their children, men who had gambled away their wages. Her father taught how to get all of them to sign terms they couldn't afford. Short term losses that led to new stock to sell on the block.
And when too many people actually managed to pay off the exorbitant interests rates there was always plenty of people traveling the roads by themselves, hunters that could be snatched from the woods, stock in other countries that could be quietly seized. There were plenty of opportunities to make money once you knew where to look. And she got her chance to start looking at the age of twenty when her father retired.
Seven years later she managed to do quite well for herself, increasing profits by almost fifty percent. But it's not enough. Cocheta is determined to make as much money as she can for as long as she can. Starting Faction: Spell List: None Exceptional Skill List: Exceptional Trade (2) Exceptional Tomahawk Usage (2) Exceptional Whip Usage (1) Exceptional Diplomacy (1)
Name: Blyskawica "Bly" Biala Callsign: Tlaloc Age: 30 Nationality: American DOB/Place: January 2nd 1989, Los Angeles Service Record: United States Marine Corps 3 years (Awarded a Purple Heart) Los Angeles Police Department 5 years, FBI Hostage Rescue Team 4 years
Appearance:
When not on duty Bly tends to wear outfits that most would describe as "grunge", finding herself at home in worn flannel over ragged t-shirts, worn jeans and Doc Martens. She rarely covers her head, preferring to let her dyed blue hair show. She's not exactly tall but is noticeably muscular, standing at 5'6" and weighing 164 pounds.
Profile:Bly is friendly and somewhat soft-spoken in person, preferring to negotiate or try and find common ground in arguments than raise her voice above her normal speaking volume. A trait that set her apart from many of her fellow Devil Dogs it nevertheless served her well when serving as a negotiator for the LAPD. She speaks with her hands, gesturing as she talks animatedly about any number of subjects ranging from contemporary art and pop culture to photography and cinema. She's worldly and cultured, spending much of her free time collecting antiques and curios.
During a mission her primary goal is ensuring the welfare of any hostages or civilian bystanders in the area of operations, a by product of the death of her brother and her training as a police officer and HRT member. She places a premium on extreme aggression in an attempt to ensure that the opposition is crushed before they can do more harm. This reflected in her choice of weaponry, huge amounts of heavy ordance for clearing out hostiles and a nonlethal option for when there are civilians in the AO.
Role:Attack/Defense Bio: Blyskawica Biala was born to family of Polish immigrants to the United States, the second of three children and the first to be born in California. Her childhood was somewhat unremarkable, earning decent grades in elementary and middle school, playing with the family dog (Szalony) and taking part in extracurricular sports such as soccer and softball. Her nickname was given to her by a friend that found "Blyskawica" completely unpronounceable. When shown how it was spelled this young acquaintance decided to refer to her simply as "Bly" and the name stuck.
By the time she was fourteen Bly had decided on her career: she was going to be a photographer. A family friend ran a studio in the heart of Los Angeles and she spent much of her free time there, devoting hours and days to learning about lighting and how to develop her own photos. The young girl had a knack for it, winning multiple competitions and was dead set on studying photography in college until her brother died.
Piotr was running errands and decided to take his little sister with him, the pair patiently waiting in line at a the jewelry store to pick out a necklace for his fiancee when it was robbed. Three masked stormed in, firing guns in the air and demanding that the safes be opened. Police were called and there was a tense three hour stand-off, neither side willing to back down. Bly and Piotr spent the time huddled in a corner, the brother whispering to his sister that everything was going to be okay.
By the end of the third hour the gunmen were clearly nervous, arguing in hushed tones among themselves and brandishing their weapons as they screamed at hostages. A mistake was bound to be made at some point and it took the form of the one of the masked robber's pistols going on accidentally. In an instant the shooting started, windows and drywall being shattered as the police unloaded a hail of lead into the store, the bandits firing back. In less than twenty seconds it was all over. The casualties included the three gunmen, two officers and one hostage: Piotr.
And just like that, Bly's life had changed for the worse. She didn't talk for more than a year after the incident, no longer showing interest in photography or sports or anything besides staying in her room. There was nothing for her anymore, her brother had been cut down by a stray bullet and she wished it had been her instead. But one can't grieve forever and she eventually recovered, albeit now lacking the will to apply herself in school. She barely managed to pass high school and was looking at minimum wage jobs near here when she saw an ad for the United States Marines. On a whim she decided to visit a recruiting office and signed up for active duty. Her parents found out about the decision when she was on her way to Camp Pendleton.
She excelled in boot camp, finding that she enjoyed the rigorous training and daily routines. She passed through basic training and was shipped off to Afghanistan to serve in active duty. The first two tours of duty passed without major incident but on the third she caught a piece of flak from an IED, earning herself a Purple Heart in the process. While not life threatening it made her rethink her decisions. Why was she fighting in the middle of a desert when people back home needed her help? When the time for re-enlistment came she didn't sign the papers, catching a plane back to California and joining the LAPD.
Bly was a good cop, following the book and training herself in preparation for her real goal: the SWAT team. After five years as a beat cop she got the job, receiving training in negotiation and serving multiple high risk warrants. Her track record attracted the attention of the FBI's prestigious Hostage Rescue Team where she served for four years until being inducted into Rainbow.
1. AA-12(Primary) 32 Round Drum Mags (12 Gauge), Sightmark Ultra Shot Reflex Sight 2. KRISS Vector(Secondary) 25 Round Mags(.45 ACP), 9SD Suppressor, SPARC 2 Red Dot Sight 3. Ultimax 100(Primary) 100 Drum Mags (5.56mm) Trijicon MGRS Reflex Sight 4. KSG(Secondary) Dual Tube System capable of holding 15 shells (12 gauge), EOtech EXPS2-0 Holosight 5. Zipties 6.Ka-Bar knife OPERATOR GADGET: INDRA An experimental weapon designed for crowd control in situations where lethal force might be necessary. It has two settings helpfully labeled HIGH and LOW (or RARE and WELL-DONE if going by the bits of tape Bly stuck over them.) LOW is nonlethal, HIGH is very lethal indeed. INDRA has a range of roughly 60 feet and the current can pass through metal or other conductors. This is useful in situations where human shields are involved, allowed the Operator to incapacitate both the hostage and the suspect.
Noble Arm Abilities:Funeral Pyre:Using the sword form of her Noble Arm Amaterasu can cause a sudden burst of heat in a 50 foot diameter around her. Temperatures can reach past 2500°F, hot enough to melt steel. This attack leaves weapons inoperable and flesh literally melting off of bones.
Beam of Light: The spear form of her weapon can project a thin ray of intense light at a target, incinerating any object living or otherwise smaller than a house. Structures bigger than that will receive catastrophic damage and often crumble moments later due to support structures suddenly disintegrating.
Heat Death: Her most dangerous attack by far, Amaterasu can use either form of her Noble Arm to unleash an explosion of pure heat. Her body glows with heat (estimated at 5,000 K or so, not much less than the surface of the sun)before literally crumbling to ash. Anything with 22 miles of her will be instantly vaporized, past that buildings will catch fire and the water in living things bodies will boil until they burst up to a range of 200 miles away. Outside that living creatures will be susceptible to heat exhaustion and at risk of death by dehydration. Many that witness the event from a "safe" distance will be blinded. It's a combination of her other abilities except on a much larger scale.
Faster Than Light: Amaterasu can melt into a blur of light that moves faster than the eye can see for up to a minute. For long distance travel she can hit roughly 300 miles an hour. She has reflexes faster than any person recorded, having once been recorded catching two bullets fired from two feet away from her.
Personality:Amaterasu is loud, dangerous and incredibly violent. According to intelligence her nickname in the Hammer of Masters is "the Dragon" and it's easy to see why. Known for her attacks on banks and government buildings she has a penchant for taking hostages. Those without a Noble Arm are subjected to all manner of physical, mental and sexual abuse while in her grasp but Arms Users are treated quite well and often released to safety (unsurprising considering who she works for.) When given the chance she likes to toy with her victims before killing them, leaving the charred and mangled corpses of known Disablers or the Organization of Disarmament members on their family's doorsteps or hanging from lamposts. Recently she's taken a liking to the so-called "Colombian Necktie", multiple bodies being found with their throats slit and tongues pulled through the wounds in the aftermath of her attacks.
While presumed to be an adult Amaterasu acts and talks like a girl much younger than her. She's only ever been seen in a schoolgirl's uniform and her mask, tugging on the ribbons in her hair while giggling cutely. This makes that much more horrifying to witness when she snaps into one of her violent rages seemingly at random. It theorized she feels some sort of thrill from violent acts due to witness reports. She's been described as "shuddering, laughing uncontrollably, giggling to herself while rocking back and forth, and whispering gentle words into the poor bastard's ear while she did it." Other survivors have claimed that she's overcome by a sort of sexual high when committing such heinous acts. Whether it's a sexual thrill or no, she certainly enjoys it.
*Likes: Unknown
*Dislikes: Unknown
Fears:Unknown
Bio: Nothing is known about her origins. Amaterasu and her brother simply appeared to the world alongside their leader one day, fully formed and ready to kill.
*Current Goal: Cause havoc, make the world fear her.
Noble Arm Abilities:Funeral Pyre:Using the sword form of her Noble Arm Amaterasu can cause a sudden burst of heat in a 50 foot diameter around her. Temperatures can reach past 2500°F, hot enough to melt steel. This attack leaves weapons inoperable and flesh literally melting off of bones.
Beam of Light: The spear form of her weapon can project a thin ray of intense light at a target, incinerating any object living or otherwise smaller than a house. Structures bigger than that will receive catastrophic damage and often crumble moments later due to support structures suddenly disintegrating.
Heat Death: Her most dangerous attack by far, Amaterasu can use either form of her Noble Arm to unleash an explosion of pure heat. Her body glows with heat (estimated at 5,000 K or so, not much less than the surface of the sun)before literally crumbling to ash. Anything with 22 miles of her will be instantly vaporized, past that buildings will catch fire and the water in living things bodies will boil until they burst up to a range of 200 miles away. Outside that living creatures will be susceptible to heat exhaustion and at risk of death by dehydration. Many that witness the event from a "safe" distance will be blinded. It's a combination of her other abilities except on a much larger scale.
Personality:Amaterasu is loud, dangerous and incredibly violent. According to intelligence her nickname in the Hammer of Masters is "the Dragon" and it's easy to see why. Known for her attacks on banks and government buildings she has a penchant for taking hostages. Those without a Noble Arm are subjected to all manner of physical, mental and sexual abuse while in her grasp but Arms Users are treated quite well and often released to safety (unsurprising considering who she works for.) When given the chance she likes to toy with her victims before killing them, leaving the charred and mangled corpses of known Disablers or the Organization of Disarmament members on their family's doorsteps or hanging from lamposts. Recently she's taken a liking to the so-called "Colombian Necktie", multiple bodies being found with their throats slit and tongues pulled through the wounds in the aftermath of her attacks.
While presumed to be an adult Amaterasu acts and talks like a girl much younger than her. She's only ever been seen in a schoolgirl's uniform and her mask, tugging on the ribbons in her hair while giggling cutely. This makes that much more horrifying to witness when she snaps into one of her violent rages seemingly at random. It theorized she feels some sort of thrill from violent acts due to witness reports. She's been described as "shuddering, laughing uncontrollably, giggling to herself while rocking back and forth, and whispering gentle words into the poor bastard's ear while she did it." Other survivors have claimed that she's overcome by a sort of sexual high when committing such heinous acts. Whether it's a sexual thrill or no, she certainly enjoys it.
*Likes: Unknown
*Dislikes: Unknown
Fears:Unknown
Bio: Nothing is known about her origins. Amaterasu and her brother simply appeared to the world alongside their leader one day, fully formed and ready to kill.
*Current Goal: Cause havoc, make the world fear her.
Age: Unknown Nationality: Unknown, presumed British
Noble Arm Name & Appearance: The Web That Ensnares and the Fang That Poisons
Noble Arm Abilities:Entrapment:The knife version of Smith's Arm (referred to as the Web from here on out) can be made so that instead of causing any physical trauma it begins to prey on the victim's fears and doubts. Over a period of time ranging from a few days to a few years the victim will progress through stages of self-doubt, paranoia, irrational fears, auditory and visual hallucinations and in extreme cases violent psychotic outbursts. If not regularly reapplied the victim will eventually lose these effects, although they will be burden with trauma for years afterwards.
Burdens to Bear: A wound from the Web will cause the victim to begin to ruminate on anything they may feel guilty over or have ever felt guilty over. These feelings will intensify over the period of an hour until they're crushing, no matter the severity of the event that caused them A victim recovered from one of Smith's attacks was found doubled over in a pool of their own vomit and tears. When questioned by first responders he would only repeat a single word: Tommy. Subsequent questioning of family revealed that Tommy was a common goldfish the victim had owned as a young boy only to accidentally knock over it's bowl, killing it. The victim was placed into the psychiatric ward after he attempted to throw himself in front of a passing car.
Forfeiture of Will:By far the most dangerous ability of the group, the claymore form (now referred to as the Fang) can usurp control of the victim's free will. For most this process takes seconds but those with stronger wills can fight it off for up to a minute. Once the mental struggle is over the victim is now unable to do anything except what Smith commands them to do. It's theorized that these commands come through a mental link established between him and the victim. It's also believed that he can only control a limited number of permanent "thralls" at a time, due to many of them being recovered later. As a rule, people without Arms are reduced to mindless husks in a near vegetative state, while Arms users suffer a temporary state of memory loss surrounding their actions while in that state.
It's important to note that the link is only stable if John is in the same geographic area as his thrall. (estimated to be 300 miles or so)
Wickedly Sharp: As of now, there is no known material that can't be damaged by Fang and Web. Other A Ranked NAs however can block it.
Personality: All we know about Doe is that he's a genius level intellect, soft-spoken man with an uncanny ability to stay five steps ahead of his pursuers. Police will close in on his location in Portland, Oregon only for him to reappear in a few days in Tokyo, Japan. The man is always impeccably dressed when he makes an appearance on the Internet or takes part in a terror attack, having never been seen without his suit, dress and tie so his appearance is clearly important to him. His stated goal is the establishment of a worldwide government run by Arms Users with non-Arms Users serving as a sort of slave cast.
*Likes:Unknown
*Dislikes:Unknown
Fears:Unknown
Bio: There is no knowledge on his place or date of birth or how he was raised. There are no pictures of anyone fitting his description and the name was found to be, unsurprisingly, a pseudonym. It's presumed that he's an Englishman due to his posh accent but that could very well be nothing more than an affectation.
Tortoise
Fish of Oblivion
Fetzen
Guardian Angel Haruki
