FactionsFreemen:https://youtu.be/fE4zdYtHJG0When the world broke, many of those with some knowledge of the occult and unworldly scrambled to hide or defend themselves from the onslaught of dimensional distortions unleashed by the breaking. Some turned to eugenics, ruthless witch hunts, ancient rituals, or simply embracing the change. And then there were those who did none, who simply persisted stubbornly through the changing and came out the other side still swinging. These peoples, disparate and disunified though they are, share one name. The Freemen, those who did not bend the knee to warp nor man. A stubborn and fractious lot, each nation is a unique culture unto itself, with its own values and way of life, though they all tend to subscribe towards similar ethical codes. Of course, this stubbornness did not come entirely without a price. Though as a whole the Freemen carried on as they always have, the taint of the change is ever corrosive, and periodically seeps into the populace in various ways. Sometimes its relatively harmless, spawning troglodytic Throwbacks or towering Bunyans. Other times it can imbue random newborns with fantastical supernatural powers, like it does with the fearsome Flameslingers or probability-altering Spellgamblers. Sometimes it takes a turn for the sinister with the zombie-summoning Revenants or malformed Halfhags. But most numerous of the Freemen’s mutant population are the wretched and despised Ghouls. Incapable of love or procreation, these gaunt mutants are a strange and addled lot, often prone to fits of serial murder or other madness, and routinely purged from the population despite making up a fifth of it. Generally regarded as a menace to both public safety in general and a threat to the continuation of the human species in the long term, there are few who protest the genocide of these unlucky souls. But despite these internal struggles and chaotic population, the Freemen remain some of the most common and widely spread peoples that can be found in the known world, their stubbornness allowing them to survive in almost any locale.
Freeman battleframes:Most of the freeman states make use of the models referred to as “mercenary” types. Cheap, practical, and versatile, ranging from the inexpensive Wrangler to the walking fortress that is the Alamo model. While they can fill a wide variety of roles, they do tend to underperform when matched up against more advanced and specialized faction-specific battleframes. However, the gap is not so vast that a skilled tactician could not win the day, especially when combined with some of the more powerful and deadly mutant breeds the Freemen can utilize.
Skinwalkers:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBllZEjhzR4The natives had legends, so old only the wisest and oldest tribes remembered them. Legends of the thing under the west, the progenitor of calamity. When it came, they were the first to feel the strangeness in the air, the sign of the chaos to come as space and time began to fray and the dark forces started to stir from their slumber. And these tribes united and made a pact with spirits marginally less cruel and duplicitous. A rite once reserved for shamans and esoteric warlocks became forced upon and entire people, forever altering them. The native American tribes became Skinwalkers all, those who take the form of beasts. And since then, all their kind have been born with some manner of animal trait, such as horns, a tail, or some other mark. Culturally they have split apart, the necessity of the great unification only lasting until the ritual was complete, the changed tribes going their separate ways to establish their own nations, copying the systems of the American settlers in a bid to secure safe havens in a world that was rapidly growing far too dangerous and predatory for their old way of life. So far, they’ve had some measure of success, though they still lag behind other cultures technology wise, still using muskets and spears compared to the revolvers and rifles of modernized nations. That said, they have peerless skills at guerilla warfare and defensive tactics, and through these techniques retain independence and even dominance in some regions.
Skinwalker Battleframes:In keeping with their occult traditions, the Skinwalker civilizations went their own way when it comes to battleframe technology. Their war machines are not machines, but rather carefully grown and tamed nature spirits, walking trees with layers of armor and deadly weapons implanted into their bodies. This unique configuration gives them a unique advantage, as they do not need to worry about the complexities of mechanical engineering in their designs. For this reason, Skinwalker battleframes tend towards a more organic and humanoid appearance, more like monsters than vehicles. This is something they take advantage of, with several more advanced models sporting lethal jaws of iron that can crush through armor and pin down foes.
Americans:https://youtu.be/1AH_KGHrTmwThe generals of the Union tried their best to keep order, they really did. But things grew worse and worse, people succumbing to madness, mutation, or simple fear. The ranks of the army were depleting fast, and something had to be done to preserve the military might of the United States, until such a time as the outside world could be re-settled. The Bunker Hill project was initiated, the last order of the acting president sent by telegraph before all contact was lost with the White House. The army was to focus entirely on the construction of fortified bunkers and fortresses that could house entire cities, and create a subterranean society under military rule, waiting, rebuilding, and evolving until such a time as the surface could be reclaimed. And eventually that time came, with the army, now simply calling themselves Americans, breached the surface once more. But they were not what they once were. Life in the underground had changed them, giving them white-gray skin with equally uncolored eyes and hair, like walking ghosts. A complex system of eugenics kept random mutation and genetic deterioration at bay, at the cost of freedom and privacy. Science had greatly advanced, with the American fortress-empires sporting some of the best war machines in the world. But most feared of all modern inventions are ones that breathe. Built into the genetic code of American citizens is the capability to produce weapons of war, the Union Homunculi. Incredibly strong and tough figures that can shrug off bullets, a Homunculus is deadly enough in its human form, but can attain an even more monstrous level of power by draining a human of blood, using it as fuel to rapidly transform into a massive biological war machine on par with any mechanical one. Combined with the armor and infantry of the American army, they make for a threat few can face on the open battlefield. And the sheer lethality of American combined arms is essential, for they face many enemies and are critically outnumbered. If they wish to reclaim their birthright, they must use every tool at their disposal to restore the glory of the United States.
American Battleframes:Often referred to as Union models, battleframes of this civilization are highly sophisticated, and focus on overwhelming firepower. American battleframes have thick armor and universally come with some manner of mounted gun, allowing for their mechanized divisions to obliterate enemies at range. However, they are definitely lacking in the melee department, relying on steel fisticuffs and the odd mounted harpoon to handle close-range encounters. The reason for this is partly because of their reliance on the deadly Homunculi, which as previously explained can transform into biological war machines on par with battleframes through the consumption of human blood. It is these living weapons which make up the melee component of the Union’s battleframe stratagem. Roughly speaking, a Type-C Homunculus’s “war form” is equivalent to a Type-I frame, a Type-M to a Type-II, and a Type-E to a Type III.
Confederates:https://youtu.be/2tN875A3Bj8Just as the civil war neared a close, the calamity struck. As the country fell into chaos, the belligerent leaders of the southern states rose up once more to take advantage of the chaos, seceding in truth as the embattled union armies dealt with mad cultists and unnatural creatures springing up from every shadow. Though these same troubles plagued the nascent confederacy, they were a far cry from the long, brutal war with their brothers that they had previously endured. The stubborn men of the confederate states fought fiercely to secure their new homeland, eventually establishing safe zones and quarantined fortress-cities. But that same weakness that lost them the war plagued them even after it had ended; the lack of industry in the south made it difficult to keep their military working up to modern standards, with many soldiers being unable to find bullets for the high-end guns they were lucky enough to have. A compromise was reached. After all, they were not fighting an enemy that used modern weapons, or even tactics. They were fighting monsters. And monsters didn’t give you the courtesy of staying at range or dying the first time you shoot them. The Confederacy’s style of war evolved, or devolved, into an ancient and previously forgotten art, the way of the sword and shield, knight armor and blunderbuss, weapons that could be forged by a smith or craftsman instead of produced in a complex factory. In this way they persevered, becoming the only nation to completely embrace this archaic style of warfare, though it did serve them well in the fight against their most common foes. In addition, they too managed to secure their bloodline from taint, though it was done with bloody purges and witch-hunts rather than sophisticated eugenic science. But in the end, the confederate states decayed into decadence and feudalism, forgetting their past and becoming a collection of independent kingdoms in all but name. All most people know of them now is for their reputation as monster slayers and their lethal heavy infantry, the contentious past of their brother war a distant memory. For all but the Americans, that is.
Confederate Battleframes:Battleframes of Confederate nations are surprisingly advanced, with a decent number of models sporting semi-human designs rather than simple biped frames. That said, their choice of weaponry definitely speaks to their lack of industry, with the most common mech types completely devoid of any ranged weaponry, a luxury present only in models of Class-II or higher. Confederate battleframe squadrons typically prefer fighting up close and personal, with most having some manner of close-quarters weapon like giant chains or massive hammers. The exceptions are the Sumter and Virginia lines, which both have a quartet of lovingly maintained cannons with a surprisingly high fire rate. For the most part Confederate battleframe tactics are a salvo of shells from their artillery models followed by a blood-curdling war cry and a charge into melee.
Mormons:https://youtu.be/bJa-e_xQG4gOriginally localized in Utah, the Mormon faith always emphasized community and preparedness to an extent some considered paranoid to the extreme. But when the calamity hit, they were ready. United in will and faith, they weathered the storm and the chaos that followed, withstanding all the trials and tribulations sent their way. But they did not emerge unchanged. Perhaps responding to the unbreakable Mormon will, the fraying reality touched the people as one, spawning not a menagerie of unique mutants, but slowly changing the entire flock into something more fitting with the determination they had displayed, shaped by that very will to persist. Growing into something more than human, they embraced the change wholeheartedly as a sign of their spiritual enlightenment and the next step to divinity. The Mormon today is hairless and violet-eyed, subtly alien in ways one has difficulty describing (though to be clear, others can convert to the religion without being of the Mormon species). In addition to words and gestures, the species is linked by a complex network of pheromones that allow them to discern both the location of their fellow Mormons, allowing for complex maneuvers and cooperation that seems supernatural to outsiders. Some say that the pheromones do more than help them communicate and serve as a sort of mind-control system to ensure a hive-like obedience to the ruling caste. But that, of course, is ridiculous. Conspiracies aside, the Mormon nations are some of the friendliest and most welcoming toward outsiders, their embracing of the unnatural giving them a high degree of tolerance for outsiders, and their pacifistic nature encouraging harmony rather than warmongering. That said, the legends of Mormon preparedness are not to be understated, and those who see these odd posthumans as easy targets will find themselves astounded by the fierce resistance they can put up. In the modern era, Mormons are primarily found in fortress cities similar to those put up by the Union, and indeed these two cultures have come into contact with each other more than once. Sometimes there is war, other times a tentative alliance. Regardless, the Mormons don’t seem like they’re going to go away any time soon.
Mormon Battleframes:As a people of peace, the Mormons have used battleframe technology primarily for the purposes of construction and goods transportation, with Ox models carrying loads of supplies across hostile lands and nimble Honeybees carrying scouts and messengers. There are of course fully military-grade frames as well, but even they are used more often for mundane purposes than they are for combat. Furthermore, Mormon models tend to be more lightly armored, and while this does mean they can take less hits before going down, they are also frustratingly agile and can dodge attacks at a significantly greater rate than other types of battleframe. For the most part however, Mormon civilizations try to avoid conflict to any degree, and so few know the true combat potential of their machines, though many know of their efficacy in towing plowshares and carrying trade goods.
Mexicans:https://youtu.be/UcqcH-Db1X0The calamity, as is known, was an event that allowed numerous supernatural beasts and phenomena to reawaken from their long slumbers or arrive from parts unknown. Nowhere is this more evident than in only race of humans to colonize the dreaded deathlands wholesale, the Mexicans. Descendants of a country south of the US, their people were overtaken by parasitic spirits who used them as a means to enter the material world, warping them into fearsome servants with blood-draining fangs and crimson eyes, though they are not immortal or supernaturally strong as certain myths surrounding them suggest. However, they will periodically produce avatars of death, the Calaca skeleton kings who lord over their mortal vassals and in their pride and ambition seek to tame both the inhospitable deathlands and the mortal realms beyond. Mexicans exist with a foot in both worlds, with the potential to either serve the forces of death or rebel against them. And indeed, each nation of Mexicans seems to have its own culture and values, though they are all universally ruled by the immortal unliving. Intrigue, drama, and chaotic power struggles are omnipresent as century-long schemes are plotted and counter-plotted by the skeletal overlords of this strange people, and anyone visiting a Mexican nation may well end up drawn into them. Perhaps because of their destitute situation, artistic expression in these nations tend towards the depressing. Few fault them for it.
Mexican battleframes:Mexican battleframes are most notable for their grim and skeletal designs, an iconic sight on the battlefield. In terms of equipment, the most common armaments are either cannons or their own limbs, claw-tipped to rend and tear. Furthermore, all battleframes are capable of advanced wrestling and striking techniques, and are the best models for unarmed combat. Overall they are as lethal as their skeletal forms seem to suggest, and should be treated with caution. The primary weakness of the models is that their claws are built of the same material as their body instead of proper steel, so they do less damage even if they can dish out a lot of it. Engaging at range or with specialized melee divisions is recommended, as a straight-up brawl is what Mexican battleframes excel in.
Formorians:https://youtu.be/wYrxwoGVjiwIt is said that the mythical nation of America, from which all species of humanity are descended, won its independence from a mighty and terrible empire from across the sea. This is, of course, truth. But what most don't know is that this ancient nemesis has once more made its presence known. In the far-off land of the United Kingdom, the apocalypse was no less ferocious in its reshaping of reality. Ancient powers stirred and reasserted themselves on the people of the isles. Those who called themselves Victorians found themselves the slaves of an even greater power that had ruled these islands immeasurable centuries ago and intended to do so again. The ancient giants known as the Formorians, cruel and vain monsters standing two hundred times the size of the average human, swiftly overtook the nation as it sank into anarchy, violently re-establishing order from chaos. Their bloodline commingled with that of their subjects, producing lesser Formorians merely the size of elephants, and powerful halfbloods standing twice the size of a man, and with enhanced social privileges to match. With a world in turmoil and contact with almost all their prior territories lost, the new rulers of the British (now Formorian) empire seek to return the nation to its former glory under their new management, and have sent fleets of airships across the world to establish new colonies in foreign lands. Some of these fleets were lost and destroyed, but others arrived at their destinations. And now Formorian fleets have begun to arrive on the shores of what was once the United States. If they are not stopped, all of the new world may once again fall under the dominion of a foreign power.
Formorian battleframes:The formorian aristocracy despises battleframe technology due to the power it possesses to topple their regime, as it gives their lowly human thralls the firepower to go up against even the largest of their kind. However, they are not above using captured battleframes should they acquire some, gifting them to the most loyal servants they possess. However, Formorian airships are unmatched in power and quality, and with their overwhelming aerial firepower they are more than capable of dealing with most foes.
Cajuns:https://youtu.be/C3kBRDf0NmcThere was once a unique and vibrant region on the southern coast of the united states, prone for revelry and crime alike and home to a diverse array of cultures. The apocalypse struck it all at once, forcing the inhabitants to adapt or die. And adapt they did. The Cajun of today is gilled and amphibious, with more than a few sporting a greenish skin tone. They are a culture of freedom and independence, fiercely protecting their soveriegnty against more powerful and advanced nations through tactical guerilla warfare and a complex network of deals and alliances. For the most part they are a minor power with few settlements or nations of their own, but as a race that has claimed the swamp as their home there are few others who are particularly inclined to settle in such an unpleasant location, so they have better luck than most in staying independent. Cajuns find a role as messengers, smugglers, and explorers due to their ability to breathe water, and one who finds themselves in a majority Cajun town will find a quaint but enjoyable community with strong bonds between its members, though it often masks criminal enterprises of various levels of nefariousness lurking below the surface.
Cajun battleframes:The Cajun civilizations are too unindustrialized and moist to properly produce battleframes, but have made up for it in other ways, the most notable being the breeding of a biological counterweapon. Cajun civilizations can field gigantic crocodiles as a means to combat enemy mechanized divisions, and furthermore they possess unique, specialized infantry weapons like portable hydraulic pikes and motorized saws to destroy enemy mechs. This tactic is reserved only for the elite or the insane due to the risk it possesses, but these heavy infantry weapons are undoubtedly effective.
Invaders:https://youtu.be/gHDGYnD9lZYThe Dzulums:In places where the world’s boundaries grow thin, marked by unnatural scorching heat and endless fields of death, the Dzulums make their home, in their endless mazes and spires that dot the burning skyline. With their legions of skeletal slaves and monstrous cousins, they wage their ceaseless crusade against the living, marching out from the deathlands to bring horror and chaos. Some say they are grim spectres from another ghastly realm, here to drag our own to the depths of hell, while others say they are the damned souls of old escaping that same hell, and yet others theorize were always here, always watching and waiting for the boundaries to break so they could return. The truth is unknown, but they and their ilk have contaminated vast swathes of the known world, and show no intention of stopping. That said, they do not seem to entirely be united, as small pockets of Dzulums and other deathland inhabitants rarely join up with civilizations of the living, serving as mercenaries or enforcers in an increasingly brutal world.
The Wendigos:In the cold and hateful north dwell the most terrible of ancient spirits, the cannibalistic monsters known as the wendigos. Standing taller than a men (with ancient specimens growing thrice that) and with the strength to match, these gaunt ogre-things periodically raid the south in great numbers, depleting entire civilizations of life and bringing terror to all others. Most feared of the wendigo hordes are their monstrous god-beasts that both populate the cold spots across the frontier and also join their cannibal cousins in great hosts, a nightmarish alliance of freakish despoilers. But with superior technology and stout hearts, these monsters can most certainly be driven back to the wastes from which they came.
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Topic: Dwarf Fortress: The Fallen Frontier 1.4 (Read 13618 times)