This Is Totally Not Why I Named Them As Such
For years we've gazed into the Astral Realm attempting to understand it as a place when in fact it has memories, even a will, all of it's own. The Astral Realm is not the abyss, but what stares back, that feeling of being watched, the everpresent eye gazing into your very being. We cannot comprehend the abyss - as water, the harder we grasp at it the more it pours through our fingers. This has been fully realized thanks to the result combined efforts of our ignorance and Mereth's brute-forcing methods in the Mountains. It is now apparent moreso than ever that we must act as the guardians against Mereth's multidimensional transgressions.
In a very hotly debated discussion it was barely agreed to it was decided that we would need to delve into immoral and unethical territory we'd yet to cross into: the recruitment of child soldiers.
As with all levels of Aratamite society, children are subject to CryoStat Treatments. Their bodies have grown in conjunction with the processes performed in the tank, making their bodies and minds more durable than a standard child elsewhere. Their still-forming brains are also very pliable, with initial experiments showing a connection to the Astral Realm that most can only dream of.
In order to facilitate the development of the BioForged Guardian Division we've taken candidates from relatively well-off families (enough so that they've received regular CryoStat Treatments throughout their youth) orphaned by the war - those with a strong will to fight have seen higher success rates, mind over matter being (until recently) the only principle of the Astral Realm we understood. These candidates receive extensive, admittedly painful treatments along the lines of our SEEM Commandos, with their bodies artificially enhanced thanks to some relatively light recombination strengthening bone and muscle as well as modified drug treatments thanks to their smaller size than our standard operatives.
While the bodies of our candidates receive heavy modification, it is the mind that is affected most. Submersion of a developing mind in the Astral Realm can be catastrophic, but no more so than the procedure usually is. The Astrally-affected brain of a BFG Candidate develops a higher concentration of the aptly named astrocytes present in all of us, as well as giving them the ability to control their behavior to a degree. This means that a BFG Candidate is able to exert control over their synaptic transmissions, moderate signals and repair damage to their nervous system, and express near-eidetic memory.
This absolute strengthening of the mind allows a trained BFG Operative to do something we've never done before, and something we must do before Mereth can: projecting a physical manifestation of the human self into the Astral Realm. The BFG Operative does not will itself into the Astral Realm, but instead is willed in. It is theorized that the different forms of the Astral Realm, as experienced by Dranus, are a result of entrants imposing their own thoughts on the realm. When a BFG Operative undergoes sensory deprivation to enter the Astral Realm they are able to willingly cut off all thought and expression of will from their end, and while their entrance into the Astral isn't guaranteed, this means that when they are able to enter they do so in the purest, proper form of the Astral Realm.
BFG Operatives within the Astral Realm act as antibodies would, safeguarding the Realm from the unnatural, foreign bodies Mereth is forcing into it.
On the battlefield these Operatives are a fearsome force to be reckoned with, out-thinking, out-performing, and out-killing even our SEEM Commandos. Classified as "Supernatural Soldiers" by our everyday infantry, we expect their introduction will bring a swift end to Merethian Astral Trespassing, and perhaps even the war itself.
Design: BioForged Guardian Division(Normal) (3+2) = 5: Average
Despite popular belef in Mereth, Aratam nor the BEO are immoral. Just practical.
Unfortunately, the same people in Mereth unable to see the good we do are the ones forcing our hand. We cannot ensure peace in the land with the constant threat of Merethan brutes at our doorstep. We cannot make humanity immortal when so many resources are funneled into keeping our very state alive. We cannot usher in an age of Astral enlightenment when Mereth threatens to tear down the very Astral. They have made our choice for us.
Calling the BioForged Guardians "child soldiers" is frankly inaccurate and suggests an unacceptable level of immortality. Because they're not child soldiers. Candidates are chosen at a younger age than traditionally used for military recruitment, yes, but they do still go into combat at around the recruitment minimum age.
We've been preparing this project for some time due to the nature of age, but now it's both ready and needed. Younger citizens, chosen for their Astral potential, are chosen for the program. Those orphaned by war are preferred for morale reasons. Candidates selected are sent into a dedicated facility built purely to properly facilitate their growth. They spend years here, though many trips to the rest of Aratam are allowed, in order to keep them being humans and Aratamites instead of just living weapons.
Candidates are over the course of years given gradual biological recombination treatments; in many spread-apart tiny doses administered to those whose bodies are still developing, biological recombination can actually work in strengthening bone and tissue. Unlike the disastrous Iron Legion program. Recombination also targets brain matter, making it more pliable and elastic (not as a form of brainwashing in
any way, but rather to make them more ready to properly accept the Astral).
SEEM-like treatments eventually begin, with weeks at a time spent in CryoStat tanks. Like the recombination, the treatments employed here are gentler, less invasive, but more spread out and overall more employed. A single stint inside a CryoStat tank for SEEM treatment for a BioForged Guardian may be nowhere near as intense as
actual SEEM treatment; but combined, all the treatments are far more than what our regular SEEMs go through.
The last piece of the triad is, of course, training. Whenever not undergoing treatments, Candidates are trained heavily in advanced tactics, general combat, Astral techniques, and Astral-enhanced combat. Far more than any other member of the military goes through. Normally training of this caliber would be, albeit useful, not worth the time and investment. Yet combined with everything else, it makes them fearsome soldiers.
Thanks to the neural recombination and gradual exposure (more akin to "welcoming") of their brains to the Astral, Candidates hold a much greater conscious control of their mind and nervous system. They also have increased counts of many cells in their brain and a general enhanced brain structure. Admittedly, while we know a bit more than the rest of the world in neural science thanks to technology like the CryoStat, it's still not a comprehensively-known field by any means. So what exactly changes in their brains, we don't know.
But Candidates have shown to have a
greatly enhanced memory, to the point where practically any Candidates prior screened for better-than-average memories have a level of recollection near-eidetic. Conscious repair of the nervous system allows for easy recovery from otherwise mortal wounds. Increased control of neurotransmitters doesn't allow for complete mental control of the mind, but it lets our Candidates stay much more calm and collected in any situation. They think faster than the average soldier or SEEM as well.
Most importantly, Candidates have a much better relationship with the Astral. Gradually and gently introduced to it, trained to welcome and use it, their brains modified to be more compatible with it, Candidates of the BFG Program are the most in-tune with the Astral of
anyone we've encountered.
Through greater adjacency with the Astral and careful control of their minds, Candidates can actually manifest their awareness in the Astral, much like as reported by Triarch Dranus in the Battle of the Tear. What they see is greater than the ability to verbally describe. Candidates see behind reality; they see through the countless connections between the Astral and consciousness. They see more than we ever could.
In the Astral, Candidates can fight via manipulation of others' consciousnesses (some call these "Souls", and we call these people "not fit to be scientists"). Like a mental battle of the wills. Different techniques are learned and taught, but it's quite an alien yet interesting experience. Attacking others' mental barriers, their weaknesses, their memories, their being, and more. We're admittedly not... really
sure how Mereth's "literal swords in the goddamn Astral" fit into this, but we know that our Candidates will have great chances there. Using techniques similar to what Dranus used, minus "tearing apart reality" hopefully. Against Astral-sensitive Merethans (they have those at a similar rate to us, they just aren't aware of them and don't enhance them), this kind of abstract combat is still greatly biased towards us, but in no way a cakewalk; Candidates can "win" by far most of the time, but even their enhanced minds and Astral abilities don't guarantee anything. Against mundane Merethans, victory is practically guaranteed, yet paradoxically of less consequence. The less one is connected to the Astral, the less they're affected by it.
Complete victory can potentially result in complete braindeath of the loser, or even the allowing of the winner into the loser's former mind for a brief few moments. But more often victory results in near-permanent decreased mental stability and temporary complete mental exhaustion. A regular Merethan soldier dominated by a Candidate is expected to likely be taken completely out of commission for at least a few days if not permanently. Astral combat will result when a Candidate is attacked, or just whenever they feel necessary.
In the real world, Candidates have greater abilities than SEEMs could dream. Conscious control of their minds and a greater mutual relationship with the Astral let Candidates be
fully aware of what comes in the near future, not just unconscious "gut feelings" like SEEMs. Their recombined bodies make them much more durable and stronger in combat. Not quite up to the level of Merethan Bear armor, sure, but far more than even a Military Baseline human. They heal and regenerate any kind of injury much faster, meaning in areas without immediate CryoStat access they can survive much more easily and keep fighting through many more wounds.
Their reaction speed is superhuman, and their Astral awareness lets them "see" the consciousnesses of other humans to a very notable distance. Not only will the Candidates be aware of their presence (and have the ability to Astrally attack them), but we've noticed that they can actually, on some level, feel the thoughts and feelings of other nearby beings. This is mostly too faint and in the background for our Candidates to make out, but in close proximity with Astral-sensitive individuals, Candidates will be able to be aware of some of the other's greater-manifesting feelings.
Candidates, only now being promoted to Guardians, are completely superhuman. And to many, supernatural. They beat anyone else easily in combat, knowing exactly what the other person is planning on doing before they do it. Reaction times that make them perceive everyone else as slow. Extreme memory. Astral combat. Tougher. Smarter. Stronger. Faster.
They're something to behold.
Guardians are just now being deployed, and we expect great things from the long-running program.
They are subjected to a greater deal of rare chemical-requiring treatments than the SEEMs, but the low intensity makes it surprisingly manageable at
6 Rare Chemicals. Recombination makes a requirement for
1 Ore. However, the fact that they must be recruited at a younger age and take so long to train and prepare means that they are
Complex.
All in all, Guardians will be rare in battle, being
Very Expensive.
Transport Capacity: 2/3 (2/2 Oil Imported)
Resources: 3 Ore,
4 Oil,
2 Rare ChemicalsWeapons- "Machete" Pistol: A 6-round semiautomatic pistol semi-accurate up to Short range. Reliable.
[Cheap] 1 Ore - "Jumper" EMA Grenade Launcher: The Electromagnetically Assisted Grenade Launcher "Jumper" is roughly the shape of a very noticeably thicker bazooka-like assembly. It uses inefficient brick-sized SynthOil batteries that provide enough charge for one shot per battery. Once a battery is inserted, the Jumper has to "charge" for roughly thirty seconds before being able to fire, and can fire 1.5 inch specially-made grenades with "average" radii and okay accuracy, silently. It's fairly bulky. The manufacturing of the coilgun adds severe complexity.
[Expensive] 2 Ore, 1 Oil, Complex - HMKR-59 'Osprey': Hybrid Magnetic Kinetic Rifle; a variant of the Pursuit rifle that houses coilgun components to increase the velocity of bullets after conventional firing. Has a slot in the back for a single SynthOil battery, which has enough charge for 10 powered shots (soldiers carry 2 batteries total). Powered shots are accurate to Medium range (unpowered shots to Short range) and have increased lethality and armor piercing capabilities.
[Cheap] 1 Ore, 1 Oil - Tesla Rifle: A "rifle" that fires bolts of ARC lightning at Medium range. Using an inner "Lightning Rod" chamber, it gradually charges from a backpack SynthOil battery - it has four levels of charge, with Level 3 being the optimum Medium range + good lethality and Level 4 being overkill with a chance of explosive backfiring. It takes about 40s to charge to Level 3 (charging can be paused but the charge decays slightly over time), and the battery has enough juice for 5 Lvl3 shots. Extremely lethal against anything conductive, and has a modest area-of-effect as the electricity arcs to other conductors in close proximity. Can be hooked up to external SynthOil batteries as well. Soldiers pre-charge to Level 3 when aware of hostile situations, but are still vulnerable to ambushes.
[Cheap] 2 Ore, 2 Oil - "Storm" GMRL-ECP-61S: A 250lb active radar homing missile with a 6km range and 5m effective blast radius. Fired from 4-rail trucks (with radar) and aircraft mounts. It has a poor resolution, greatly decreasing the reliability of locking onto non-huge aerial targets and making locking onto surface targets next-to-impossible, though large ships prove easy targets. Equipped with an HE or ARC warhead, with the ARC warhead using a chain SynthOil reaction to generate arcing electricity frying electronics and melting metal as it jumps from conductor to conductor.
[Cheap] 3 Ore, 4 Oil - "Red Skies" Multiple Missile Launcher: A 300 lb version of the Storm missile using Inertial guidance and adapted entirely for surface-to-surface use. Has a SynthOil-based incendiary payload that's capable of effectively burning through armor, but is less immediately destructive. Has a range of 15 km. Its guidance allows it to easily and effectively target any ground point, but it can't change course mid-flight and can't actively track any targets; its effectiveness in accuracy mostly is based on what intelligence the operator has when firing. Intended for use as surface-to-surface artillery.
[Cheap] 3 Ore, 4 Oil
Land Vehicles- M3T1A1 Raider: The Raider is a Diesel-Electric tracked APC designed to serve as a base platform for many roles. It has light RHA armor with a sloped front, plus slats. It holds ten passengers and three crew. It has an interchangeable turret, which is very wide and flat with medium armor. Default armament is a Can shredder, plus 6 external Thumper barrels for smoke grenades and an RPG, these can only be reloaded from the outside. It's also chemical warfare protected, and amphibious, with a trim vane and two electric powered propellers. Exits are on large rear hatch and one small top hatch, only latter can be used while afloat.
[Cheap] 3 Ore 2 Oil - Privateer 1 1/2 Ton Truck: An antique Cannalan truck somehow still being used for cargo transport.
[Cheap] 2 Ore, 2 Oil, Provides 1 TC - "Glaive"-Electromagnetic Coil Cannon Battletank ECCB-72: A large silent tank armed with a 120mm coilgun and a Reactor-charged coaxial-mounted Tesla Rifle (capable of firing a steady stream of L1/L2 shots). Has a respectable speed for its size, and the Coilgun turret is powered but manually aimed. Powered by a GMBP Reactor, allowing for unlimited movement and power for Coilgun shots, making the only main logistical concerns for the tank being Coilgun ammunition and crew supplies.
[Expensive] 5 Ore, 4 Oil - "Ettin" Electric-Motor Flak Tank EMFT-61-B: A "tank" where the turret is an unarmored cage on top of the squat chassis where the gunner sits; two self-loading automatic cannons fire automatically in consecutive fashion flak shells to shoot down aircraft and infantry. The turret can be angled downwards effectively to shoot at infantry; limited ammo supply means the gunner has to be somewhat conservative with his firing patterns and can't just fill the sky with flak. Electric computer & radar guidance overlays a digital crosshair on a small sheet of "glass" in front of the gunner that is overlaid on top of the physical crosshair to maximize accuracy, allowing for decent accuracy as long as the aircraft isn't too fast or evasive. The commander and driver reside in the cramped interior and exit/enter largely via a door to the side, with the front of the tank being heavily angled downward for firing angle reasons. The turret is armored, but has poor visibility. Can travel for 10 hours on a full SynthOil battery, and the gun doesn't require power to operate.
[Expensive] 5 Ore, 4 Oil
Air Vehicles- 'Lantern' A-7 Armored Jet: A large jet built with metal-recombinated materials, giving it good structural integrity and relatively good durability. Massive amounts of recombinated armor are present all across the aircraft. Direct hits by Shrike missiles can be survived with only moderate damage, and air-bursts/lasers are much less effective. An integrated Gel-Matrix Bio-Paste Reactor is used to power electrical systems and SynthOil tanks are used to fuel both the reactor and the combustion Ramjets. The heavy weight of the armor give the Lantern a great speed but not quite matching Mereth's Blizzard jet craft. Different systems provide the Torch with great relative agility, but only SEEM Operatives are capable of properly operating the complex controls in the airplane (though their enhanced abilities are a huge boon with speed and agility). 2 always-powered Ospreys are mounted on the front, with no other weapon capacity.
[Expensive] 5 Ore, 4 Oil (Expense can only be as low as current SEEM expense) - 'Meteor' Air Frigate: A gigantic flying vessel, more akin to a boat than any traditional aircraft. Foregoing aerodynamics, it's propelled by 6 (4 on bottom, 2 on back) thrust-vectoring plasma GM-BP Thrusters (based on expelling plasma generated by the GM-BP process seen in Reactors for large thrust) that also produce its power. It can move quickly and isn't too sluggish, being able to easily outpace any kind of ground force yet being much slower than Merethan aircraft. Four Tesla cannon turrets -- 3 on top, 1 on bottom -- with greater range and rate of fire to their counter parts powered by the Meteor's capacitors provide an excellent anti-air screen, being able to fire once per few seconds and being able to intercept missiles and bombs when operated by SEEMs. A coilcannon array on the bottom largely mechanized allows for slow yet respectfully-paced terrific bombarding of ground targets, with mediocre targeting. A full radar suite and command center/bridge inside the hull give excellent battlefield intelligence and this information is distributed via radio to nearby forces, and to turrets on the frigate. Very heavily armored and able to resist constant Shrike bombardment for a relatively long time, yet limited internal space forces any non-essential for short-term operation facilities outside on the hull where they're more akin to fancy camps, providing a convenient target to greatly decrease combat effectiveness of everything but minimal radar operation and Coilcannon operation. Constant firing of more than one Tesla turret fairly quickly drains capacitors, quintupling tesla charge times. Thrust vectoring allows the Meteor to stay in the air with multiple missing thrusters. An internal bridge serves as an excellent mobile field command center.
[National Effort] [8 Ore], [7 Oil]
Navy- Corsair Destroyer: The Corsair is a moderate sized ship with light (for a ship) steel hull armor. It has a light cannon armament of two hydraulic-equipped Nightwind cannons and four Can Shredders. However, its main armament is its Shark Torpedo launchers (it has a couple on each side) and newly-invented Seahorse mines, which use the same warheads as Shark torpedoes but rest on the sea surface, detonating on cpntact with ships. It is powered by steam turbines and easily outpaces battleships like the Kalmar, Kraken and Kurokami.
[Expensive] 4 Ore, 3 Oil - Santos-Class Naval Aircraft Support Vessel: The Santos is a large aircraft carrier. It is about the size of the Khorne but not armored. It's powered by four oil-burning steam turbines. The hangar deck stores two dozen fighters, moved to the flight deck by a hydraulic lift. On deck is an Eagle Eye Radar system, con tower, a few Firecracker AA guns and a miscellaneous autocannons wherever there's spare room. It also has a decent sized flight deck, with an arrester cable for landing aircraft, and two overlapping runways with room for ready aircraft on deck. [5 Ore, 4 Oil]
[Expensive] 5 Ore, 4 Oil - SLS-61 Magpie: A basic landing ship with a bow able to open up with a ramp to allow vehicles and troops onto the shore, and has extremely basic treads to de-beach itself. Has Thin armor and a few mounts for infantry rifles on the top to provide basic covering fire. Powered by Gen 1 SynthOil engines, which requires it to use the majority of its cargo space to hold enough SynthOil to make it across the sea without running out of fuel. Normally has a modest capacity for soldiers (and capable of holding a few moderate-sized vehicles), but the fuel requirement limits it to only a small amount of soldiers and/or perhaps one tank at best.
[Cheap] 3 Ore, 3 Oil - Atlas-class Cargo Ship: A Santos-class with the weaponry and aircraft equipment and just about everything else stripped off. Utilizes SynthOil batteries for general powering of ship, though oil-burning steam turbines from the Santos still power most of it. Uses a system derived from Cryostats to cryogenically freeze perishable cargo as well as people for maximum storage efficiency.
Provides 2 TC
Chemicals & Drugs- Spice: An extremely potent manufactured drug resulting in extreme schizophrenia, delusions of power, frequent seizures, and eventually death. Extremely addictive. Those who undergo the week-long "Goldeneye" treatment in a CryoStat tank become accustomed (and permanently addicted) to low dosages of Spice, enabling very high awareness of surroundings and mildly increased reaction and thinking speeds when under the influence of the drug.
[Expensive] 5 Rare Chemicals.
- SEEM: Systemic Elimination of the Entropic Mind. An extremely intensive and long procedure where top-ranked veterans are subjected to week-long bouts of sensory deprivation in CryoStat tanks, and have their mind essentially transformed into a new form via the combined use of modified Metal Recombinators and Spice. Experienced SEEM Guides facilitate this Journey across the barrier into the Astral Realm. For now, this allows survivors of the treatment to exhibit extreme (much higher than Goldeneyes) awareness of surroundings, visible or not. This awareness manifests itself in many ways, from avoiding traps/bombardments to knowing where to shoot at to knowing when one's being shot at, and more.
[Expensive] 5 Rare Chemicals,
- Combat Drug 'Fury': A Spice-based drug that massively decreases reaction time, and lasts for ~2 hours. Also incites rage, decreasing soldier effectiveness at range and chances of occasional friendly fire. Mild hallucinations are common, preventing users from being effective at recon/espionage/etc. roles. Makes veins much more apparent and red. Addictive, and takes effect >5 minutes after injection.
[Expensive] 3 Rare Chemicals - Metal Recombinators: A special mixture that separates pure metal from ore, obsoleting a large part of Aratam's refining industry. A variant can also be used to fuse metal with (likely) any other matter.
Provides 1 Ore.
Astral- BioForged Guardians: Recruited as children or younger teenagers, these candidates are subjected to long and incremental SEEM/light organic recombination treatments in addition to intensive training. Gradual welcoming of their mind to the Astral along with minor recombination enhancement of the brain allows for greater Astral abilities and full awareness of the Astral, along with conscious control of many brain functions. Superior memory and much stronger/tougher/quick-healing than even Military Baseline. They are consciously aware of events about to happen in the near-immediate future, and have "insane" reaction times in addition to greater smarts. Generally better than SEEMs in every way. Can shunt their awareness to the Astral realm, where they can perform mental combat with others and sense the consciousness of other humans a notable distance away.
[Very Expensive] 1 Ore, 6 Rare Chemicals, Complex - Blackwell Technique: Through channeling Astral Energy into a specific area, an Astral-trained operative can create a reflection of the Astral Realm coded for the astral connection of one specific person (targeted via line of sight or accurate recreation). This person will suffer severe symptoms ranging from death to severe brain damage to memory loss to seizures to full-blown hallucinations to extreme paranoia and more. But permanent affects are rare for those without long exposure times. Non-targeted and non-Astral-trained individuals will suffer milder, all-short-term symptoms only when looking at the Reflection. Looking at a recreation (i.e. television screen) of the Reflection will only affect people who've already seen that exact Reflection, recreating their prior symptoms.
All Astral-trained operatives can invoke this. But it requires intense concentration and 10 seconds to create the reflection, and continued intense concentration to maintain the reflection. - Wadjet Branding: Tactile symbols of the Eye of Horus printed on the exterior of the hands in uniforms for our Astral-enhanced individuals. For some currently unknown reason, focusing on this symbol notably improves Astral effectiveness and safety for the focusing individual. Useful for newbies to practice Astral techniques by feeling the symbol in different ways through extravagant hand motions, apparently.
Other- R.A./M.P. Suit: A metal/ceramic/rubber recombinated suit of armor with heating/cooling capabilities and a quick-inject system where any single one of 6 vials stored in a back compartment can be instantly injected w/ instant effects by a series of buttons on the wrist. Contains a default adrenaline mix, but vials can be filled with FURY, SEEM, or other drugs. A particle filter and visor (w/ internal red lighting) covered by a recombinated hood sit on the head, and a jacket covers the rest of the suit for appearance/morale sake. Light, yet surprisingly durable: survival rates of soldiers are increased greatly across the board, with soldiers oftentimes being able to shrug off light-caliber shots from Merethan rifles. Looks like this, but with a slightly-red-glowing visor instead.
[Cheap] 2 Ore - CryoStat Tank: A large three-meter tall "coffin" with a small glass vertical slit inside showing a tank. A single "set" of machinery required for operation, taking up ~36 square meters of space total, can manage roughly a dozen CryoStat tanks at a time. Basic automation assists technicians, allowing for a single technician to manage many CryoStat tanks. Subjects are put into "stasis" via a numbing solution they're submersed in, and medical drugs in the solution naturally infuse into the bloodstream through the skin. Once taken out. Use is tracked through a computer-assisted bureaucracy dubbed the "CryoState". A day stabilizes minor life-threatening wounds, and a week stabilizes near all wounds. A month starts completely healing scars and generally brings up health status to pristine, and a year can restore lost limbs. Also used for life-extending "rejuvenation" processes by important people.
[Cheap] 2 Rare Chemicals - SynthOil: SMRO-58 "SynthOil" is an advanced form of oil - it's made using a combination of oil and other chemicals, making a much more stable and energy-dense solution. Has a peculiar property - with the right tools, it can directly produce electricity.
Provides 1 Oil - Gel-Matrix Bio-Paste Reactor: A 1m-radius spherical "nuclear-ish" reactor that uses gamma radiation to break down SynthOil into electrical energy. Rather efficient and good at making energy, especially compared with anything else in the world comparable in size/expense, but hard to miniaturize and has a notable radiation poisoning issue with anyone spending a notable amount of time in proximity.
- Stormcaller Circle: A shift-based group of the top SEEMs in Aratam, "bonded" with tendrils of Tesla energy embedded throughout the atmosphere surrounding the continent. They can use their tremendous amounts of Astral energy at store to manipulate these tendrils and thus weather. Every season, the Bureau may vote on a single theatre and single weather phenomenon to invoke there. Our troops will be prepared (with the equipment that they already have, that is) ahead of time, but we can't micromanage the phenomenon to further aid our troops.
Infrastructure- The Refinery: An extremely secretive facility hidden under the canopy in a remote part of the rainforest, identifiable only by its smoke. Contains large liquid storage tanks and refineries for the production of chemicals, well-equipped laboratories, cells for test subjects, a steady supply of test subjects from Aratam's prisoners, and more. Useful as a base for chemical research.
Provides 1 Rare Chemical - The Militarized Baseline: Our soldiers are enhanced above regular humans (in notable, but not major ways) in many categories; namely strength, reflexes, and intelligence. All soldiers now have implanted ports for quick drug infusion, and a logistical structure is in place to facilitate the drug infusion and treatments of the entire Aratamite military.
- The Black Chamber: A giant facility built beneath the Refinery full of specially-modified CryoStat tanks, training areas, niche laboratories, and subjects attempting to reach the world beyond ours: the Astral Realm.
- Embassy "The Brewery": An embassy for Cannalan diplomats that doubles as a highly advanced brewery of Aratam's signature drink, Arachaca. The Cannalans can see the brewing process below through their glass flooring and taps straight form the brewery are available for Arachaca straight from the source. Uses basic electronic systems for very limited automation in conjunction with its general advanced brewing systems.
Author
Topic: Mad Arms Race - Aratam Design Bureau (Fall 1965 - Final Design Phase) (Read 60695 times)