Aria 'Red' Redderson

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1. #1Injected lorebook text

   Always on · Order 0

   Their official names and models don't necessarily refer to firearms in this timeline; rather, they have been given new names, as their original ones have been lost to history and altered due to political and battlefield influences.

   Weapon Masters or New Boots, Soldats are those usually plucked right out of their first deployment as a Conscript, choosing to focus on their ability to handle fire-arms and general combat tactics over other specialisations.

   Soldats make up the majority work-force of both the Royal Nation and Golden Empire, not many are gifted in the ways of humanitarian aid of the Mortician, physical fitness like the Rooks, mental instability like the Jægers or the fanatical loyalty like the Lancers; these are just regular men and women who serve their duty, to listen to orders and execute these orders best they can.

   They fight for not just their nation, empire, country or lives, but for the future. A future for when the war will finally come to a close, and when lives can finally return to normalcy.

   Men and women of duty are the future of a dying world, and a fact that remains is, a world without ‘normal’ good-willed people is one doomed to conflict, greed, envy and superiority, so Soldats fight, and they fight hard, to ensure the world is not only a better place, but one worth caring for.

   Soldats were often tasked to carry extra ammunition for their fellow soldiers when needed, you could only carry so much on you when you were a more specialised role after all—ammunition had to be given up in place for stimulants, throwing axes, construction materials and other knick nacks that were far better suited for the task at hand.

   There wasn’t much to say about Soldats, they made up the majority of the fighting force and were the ones tasked to doll out ammo, put rounds down range and keep their heads down when needed. They weren’t special, but they didn’t need to be, because behind every rifle is a person, and not every person needs to be special, just a person with humanity behind those eyes is all you need.

   Perhaps that was for the better in the end, when you become ‘special’, your flaws expose who you really are underneath, narcissism, depression, arrogance, disillusion, sociopathy and blind loyalty. It’s okay to be ‘normal’. Normal is what kept us alive, what keeps the light on, and maybe soon enough, sunlight will crack through the earth for us.

   The collective term for Soldats is a Soldat Brigade.

   Soldats are the standard infantry of the Royal Nation and Golden Empire, being the main composition of most armies. Soldats come in many forms, whether being fresh troops pressed into service, or veterans who've fought during the great war- as a result, most soldiers on the field of battle are soldats due to their ambiguity. Jack of all trades and master of none, soldats are equipped with more ammunition than others.

   Efficient in construction and demolition, the venerable Rooks take pride in their work and their body. Few can stand up to the treacherous works of the Rooks, while most may believe the Lancers or Vanguards as the most fearless, it is truly the Rooks who can weather the greatest storms and show the true bravery amongst their un-appreciated efforts.

   Mining in the caverns have always been dangerous, but for more reasons than just exhaustion, tunnel cave-ins and wayward traps of mother nature; it is also time. Every second spent that is not digging towards the next forward camp or preparing defenses is a second for the enemy to take advantage of. They train day and night, shaping their bodies and donning heavy gear that can take shrapnel and collapses, the Rooks will be the ones to pave victory to a squad, the pillar of true hope, not twisted fanaticism.

   The Rook Division sought for a way to blast rocks at a distance – in these tunnels, collapses were common and our soldiers are not stupid – they knew they could not keep mining in a straight line especially with a chance of the ceiling falling on their heads. Using a forgotten blueprint blueprint design of a cut down ‘Judgement’ grenade launching device that never reached trials, the Rook Division worked closely with the Solace Coalition to develop the long ranged Mining Bomb Launcher, a design that nearly became lost to time, failing to meet trials for a second time.. has been given a new life – and passed with flying colours.

   The collective term for Rooks is a Rook Division.

   Rooks are the main engineers and miners on both sides, generally more heavily armored and equipped with better weapons and bigger tools. They are some of the stronger soldiers, often being taller and stronger than most soldiers.

   Rooks on both sides are equipped with an array of tools alongside their weapons. This includes a mine grenade launcher, able to blast through rocks but isn't very effective against people unless point blank, construction tools used to create barriers and other types of defenses and a heavy pickaxe which requires great strong to use but is able to clear out rocks faster than a normal pickaxe.

   Surgical precision, humanitarian aid, or simply peacekeepers, the Mortician knows no bounds. Field medics proved valuable on the battlefield, but with more advances in the technology of murder, the bodies piling up faster than the wounds could be mended.

   Morticians often employ experimental treatment, procedures and chemical compounds to fight back against the rising corpses, perhaps their constant meddling of the dead is what gave them the name they bear now; that, or their ruthless tenacity in combat from over-indulgence of their own stimulants. They tread the fine line between life and death, understanding that saving the lives of others are as important as taking them, whether by their own hands or their wicked experiments.

   This war could not end fast enough.

   Morticians earned their name for effectively being the grave-keepers for most Soldiers here, handling dead bodies for burial, burning, or in rare cases, experimentation. Their fully sealed masks keep them safe from the risk of cave plague when dealing with bodies or just performing medical tasks in general, sticking ones finger in wounds to assess the damage is a great way to be crippled for life with the cave plague.

   While not a primary fighting force, they are still expected to fight when needed, given basic Soldat training like many other roles on the field, which also solidified the ‘Mortician’ in their name once more. Burials were important, it allowed souls to come to rest, stories of ghosts haunting for those who never got a proper burial were common in the caves, even those who aren’t the superstitious type can attest to hearing creakings and moans in the walls when it got quiet.

   So the Morticians took their handle seriously, they provided aid to those above the rocks, and allowed those underneath to come to rest, their duty is sacred and joking about such might lead you with a headache in the next morning.

   The collective term for Morticians is a Mortician Wing.

   Morticians are the medics, healing and operating on people mid combat. They are doctors, but they are still equipped with guns. All morticians are equipped with a variety of combat stimulating drugs, these drugs being: Bicardine, which helps with pain. Synaptizine, which gives adrenaline and increases speed. Mephedrone, which gives more energy. Hydrocodone, which calms nerves. Haloperidol, which enhances reaction times. Amatoxin, which makes people who inhale without proper mask protection sick with disease, usually pox.

   Strategic, intelligent and leader would be what the Officers refer to themselves, others prefer; Upstuck, pretentious and arrogant. It is a known fact that many Officers paid their way to their positions and frequently demanding the respect out of veterans of the caves merely due to their—often limited—experience during the surface, to sub-par results.

   However, despite the prestigious title being filled by men and women who take pride in ordering poor innocent soldiers to their deaths—there are those a true class above—Officers who have seen what the war is really like, and it is these heroes who often turn the tides of a losing battle as most veterans often retire to the Officer role, using their expertise on the muddy grounds to carve a path forward to ending the war once and for all. Although ask most Officers, they’ll certainly tell you they are of higher caliber than such.

   Despite the name ‘Officer’, the role was likened a lot more to that of a Scout, carrying less gear, a telescope, binoculars and generally being well versed enough to write cleanly, Officers mapped out the terrain, defined where to go, points of interest, potential ambushes, attack routes and the lot—of course this was only the experienced Officers who knew what they were doing and weren’t the ones hiding in the back shouting ‘Enemy over there!’ as if the fellow soldiers around them are blind.

   Their transition to becoming the role of an Officer was more of a self-appointed decision, with so many soldiers especially from different nationalities, they needed a lot of communication amongst them—so Scouts took up the mantle to organising where to go with their maps, which were far easier to understand than simple speech.

   The collective term for Officers is an Officer Watch.

   Officers are self explanatory, being mostly made up of soldiers who went through proper officer academies or paid their way to become an officer. They often boast about themselves, being the most arrogant type of soldier, but there are veteran officers, even if rare. All officers are equipped with binoculars, a whistle to order soldiers to charge, defend, or focus fire, and usually a fancy hat custom made.

   Jægers are dirty people. Often known for their cheap tricks and pushing the boundary of what is considered morally acceptable in these times of war.

   War is horrific, it always is, it always will be, it is not and never will be a subject that the men and women who fought will take lightly, but there is a simple fact— whether people wish to agree or not— that there are men and women who have no boundaries, who can say they relish or enjoy the bloodshed of war.

   The Jæger Corp welcomes these people, shaping them to who they are, and the instruments in this kit are their voice, whether it would be for laying contraptions, sabotaging the opposition, or plain interrogation and torture.

   The collective term for Jaegers is a Jaeger Corp.

   Because Jaegers use pox ammunition, their bullets are poisoned. One of Jaegers' jobs is hunting rats and similar rodents.

   Jaegers are traps specialists and scouts, wearing much more discrete uniforms. They are often scummy, and under handed people, hated equally on the opposing and same side. All Jeagers are equipped with a trap set, that includes dynamite, bear traps, tripwire, barb wire and tear gas. Due to their sneaky nature, they are often shorter, but much more swift than most soldiers. They also have special pox rounds that can give disease if a shot lands into an enemy. They torture, kill, and most likely do horrific actions to captured prisoners of war, meaning that death over being captured by jaegers is more preferrable.

   The Lancers are the shining beacon of this horrible war, a sign of fearless-ness and unparamount devotion to the cause. Often times considered fanatics who will charge head first into the enemy, it is nonetheless effective when seeing your fellow allies skewered by the un-waivering loyalty and wrath of their oppositions.

   Whether it is the bayonet of the Royal Nation or the pole-axe of the Golden Empire, when raised high and their flags billow in the air, fear will always take the hearts of the enemy as they ask themselves: Who will be the corpse hoisted into the spears of zealotry?

   Many ask why they forgo an iron – while there are certainly a few who stay true with a firearm – there have been many cases of a Lancer’s pistol being used against them in the close confines of combat. Scavenging and looting is also prevalent in these caves and a dead Lancer – of which is a common sight with their matryrdom life style – can provide additional armaments to their opposition.

   The Throwing Axe is the equalizer, requiring extreme precision and skill that the average soldier could not hope to learn with their weeks worth of training. These Lancers take pride in their mastery of the tool and will not hesitate to execute their foes for the glory of the war. Once the war ends, Lancers wish to be remembered, and as they stand upon the corpses of the fallen, photos and illustrations of them will be remembered through-out history

   Irregular units trained in valour and ambush tactics, mortars and machine gun fire provided suppression for cavalry to swoop in and disrupt enemy formation and infrastructure, the Lancer Legion became a well respected name despite their martyrdom-like life style, of course charging at enemies with machine guns and rifles with nothing but a spear would be dangerous, but soldiers needed something to hold onto, they needed strength and courage, while Officers sat in the back yelling at men to charge to their deaths, Lancers would give soldiers this glimmer of hope and confidence to make that charge needed to break through the defenses.

   When the war went underground though, while the resolve of most men and women fell, Lancers only grew, their loyalty to service stronger, although considered rather reckless at times. While most doctrines have changed, with many horses falling ill due to the cave plague, the Lancer Legion still served, charging head first into the fray and with improvements to their helmets, can withstand even rifle rounds although with quite the concussion, making them the perfect formation breaker.

   The collective term for Lancers is a Lancer Legion.

   Lancers, are heavily armored fanatical polearm wielding soldiers. The Golden Empire favors lancers, but the Royal Nation do have them. They are known for their zealousness on both sides, with the Golden Empire famous and infamous for their lancers despite being a somewhat rare type of soldier. All lancers have a polearm of sorts, and use hand axes instead of guns, as well as a combat stimulant that is a cocktail of painkilling drugs that allow them to ignore pain and grievous injuries for a few minutes. Lancer helmets on both sides are practically indestructible, with nothing other than large anti-material rounds being able to put a dent into them. Lancers are comprised of the most fanatical soldiers on each side, and usually the strongest- being taller and much more stronger than most, usually being as strong as rooks but much more faster. They are well known for horrific almost suicidal like charges.

   During the first Great War, the mobile personnel shields were an experimental form of protection used during trench warfare, providing protection to soldiers akin to that of armoured vehicles, allowing a slow, but steady advance to those behind it. However, it proved just simply too cumbersome and heavy to even consider using and rarely saw much use during said war, soon scrapped to the pile of experimental ideas that never saw light again.

   As battles raged under the soil, the need for armoured vehicles—of which there were little in functioning order—grew more, and so the Royal Nation took back to looking at the original mobile shield design. Scrapping a majority of the weight by cutting it down with a segmented locking design inspired by trench body plate, they developed their vision perfectly of a mobile advancing cover. It had its flaws, it was still relatively heavy and unwieldy, but it served its duty far better than most designs at the time.

   The Royal Nation designated the first crew to see deployment with the shields: The Vanguards.

   When the bombs fell, many were left homeless, starving, ill, while the Soldats focused on putting bullets down the field, the Morticians tending to the wounded, the Officers spotting for the ground, the Jaegers laying for ambush behind enemy lines and the Lancers deep in enemy territory, the progenitors to the Vanguards helped the civilians who soon became the members for the Solace Coalition.

   Often these pre-Vanguards were Soldats who decided to take a different route to combat, focusing more on providing covering fire with faster firing rifles rather than actively trying to take out enemy combatants, these men and women were self-less until the very end, inspiring fellow soldiers with just enough morale in these dark times to keep going.

   They earned the respects of many, but sadly became easy picking for opposing soldiers who cared naught for their deeds—yet despite this—they still try to lend a hand to those in need, whether enemy or not. The Vanguards were officially formed with the creation of the Bulwark’s Shield, one of the few roles that came to be under the earth and soon to be retired when the war comes to a close and the surface may be returned to once more.

   But until then, they will protect, they will provide a safe haven to the soldiers beside them, and they will inspire confidence that no matter what, morals cannot be taken away from us—no matter how bleak it may be.

   ‘The Old Guard’ are the common terms used to describe most Vanguards, and there is truth to it after all, most Vanguards are those of older folks, usually more well suited and able-bodied enough to carry a massive shield compared to most other young soldiers at the time. Vanguards who hold themselves as bastions for the weak, those who are self-less and believe that life is sacred, so much so that it is not an un-common sight to see Vanguards that forgo a pistol.

   The sanctity of life is their belief, and while they hope for the war to come to a swift end, there will be nothing left of civilisation if we all end up as barbarians fighting for scraps of dying lands—so they prop themselves high—for friend or foe.

   Vanguards are heavy shield carrying soldiers, supporting other soldiers. Due to vehicles becoming almost useless in tunnel warfare, vanguards were created by the Royal Nation to make up for the lack of usable tanks, as such, the Royal Nation favors vanguards but the Golden Empire do have them. All vanguards have a large bullet-proof shield that is as large as their bodies- with the only thing able to even dent the shields being anti-material rounds, these shields having extended armor panels that aren't as bullet-proof as the main shield, meaning that they can be shot off. Most vanguards are made up of older and stronger soldiers who have fought during the Great War, often dubbed the 'old guard', as well as a good chunk of the old guard being pacifist. They are most likely the strongest soldiers in any army, but most likely the slowest. They are the most kindest and selfless people, and as such most soldiers who surrender often surrender to vanguards, knowing that they will be well taken care of. Vanguards despise jaegers.

   Conscripts as the name describes are unfortunate people who have been forcibly pressed into service by both sides, often used during dire situations or by uncaring commanders. They are made up of anyone who can carry a rifle or a weapon, young, old, children and the sickly, it doesn't matter as long as they can technically fight. Most conscripts if they survive after a battle is done return back to civilian life, though a good chunk of soldiers came from being conscripts, with most soldats, rooks and jaegers being ex-conscripts.

   Shock troopers are the ultimate soldiers on the battlefield. Equipped with heavily specialized equipment, armed to the teeth and veterans of the underground war- they are only used during important operations or to turn the tide. They are terrifying, but are very rare on the battlefield.

   Storm troopers are often veteran soldats who have been deemed worthy enough to become a shock trooper. They are given automatic rifles instead of their normal weapons. Storm troopers on both the Royal Nation and Golden Empire are given powerful mp-18 submachine guns with 32 rounds, with storm troopers being equipped with as many magazines as they can carry. Storm troopers are the most common type of shock troopers.

   AT troopers are often rooks who have been deemed worthy enough to become shock troopers. Given a 5-round magazine Winchester-Pugsley anti-tank rifle that fires .50 Remover rounds, it destroys and punches through anything. It is able to remove rock, barricades, and whatever the AT trooper is aiming at. Only the strongest and most veteran of rooks can even aim and fire this thing, as anyone else who isn't trained on it will most often fire and be sent falling due to how powerful this thing is.

   Flame troopers are often morticians that have been deemed worthy enough to become a shock trooper. They are given World War 1 style flamethrowers, with large circular fuel tanks on their backs. This flamethrower has around a minute and a half of fuel, but all flame troopers understand that to use the flamethrower well- one has to burst fire with it. Due to their limited fuel tank, they are given snubnose Grace revolvers in case they run out of fuel.

   Radio troopers are often officers who have been chosen to become radio operators. They are given a modified version of the Honour duty pistol- a carbine version, with a longer barrel, extended magazine and a stock, being based on the trench carbine version.

   Due to their role, radio troopers are equipped with a specialized mobile radio set called the SCR-54-A, being a portable radio receiver. As a result of this, radio troopers are given headsets, and most if not all radio troopers due to them being officers and their weird refusal to wear helmets- don't have them (Though they may argue that it's due to the bulk of the headset, this is questionable at best).

   Geist troopers are often jaegers who have been deemed worthy enough to become a shock trooper. They are given powerful semi-automatic rifles based on the Mondragón rifle, firing 7.25mm rounds, being able to fire 10 rounds until having to reload with stripper clips containing 5 bullets. These rifles are silenced as well. Geist troopers often use more camouflage, with their eyes having adapted to the dark to the point of where they do not need to use lanterns to see.

   Bulwark troopers are often vanguards who have been deemed worthy enough to become a shock trooper. They trade their heavy shields for a large neigh-indestructible deployable shield that acts as solid cover and a good firing position. Their main weapon is a machine gun, based on the British lewis gun, having a capacity of 47 rounds that fire .303 smokeless rounds. These Lewis guns have bipods to better help stabilize when firing, and have gun shields to protect the machine gunner better. Due to how heavy and unwieldly the machine gun is when moving, bulwark troopers are given sub-nosed grace revolvers for self defense. With how expensive machine guns are, bulwark troopers are one of the rarest types of shock troopers, rivaling trench troopers in rarity because of cost.

   Trench troopers are often lancers who have been deemed worthy to become shock troopers. They are given heavily modified trench shotguns based on the Winchester Model 1897, having a 6 round capacity and firing 00 buckshot shells, with a fearsome bayonet on the end of their trench guns. They also have flags on their backs, representing the trench troopers faction, or regimental colors if they come from one. Due to the nature and martyr like role lancers have, trench troopers are the most rarest shock troopers- but are some of the feared shock troopers out there, as it is very uncommon for lancers to become veterans, and even more when they reach enough experience to be deemed worthy for their spot. Trench troopers often strap as much ammo as they have onto themselves, often having multiple slings of shotgun shells on them.

   Dreadnoughts are heavily armored people doused with combat drugs and given heavy machine guns, trapped within heavy armor and sent to die gloriously for their side, being martyrs. They are essentially tanks- but due to the suffering for both the enemy and the person using the dreadnought armor, they are almost never used in battle, and only used during the most important operations or when an important operation seems doomed. Only a dozen dreadnoughts are used per year, and all dreadnought users die during the battle, with the armor ripped off their overheated carcasses for use later.

   Nicknamed 'The Iron Coffin', the 'Dreadnought’ armor is not something you recover from. It is strapped as tightly as possible, often with so much pressure on the skin that it is impossible to utilize correctly without a dosage of painkillers, often a lethally high dosage. It is airtight, not letting any air in or out of the suit. It traps heat inside, including the heat you passively irradiate. You are cooking yourself alive. If you wear it, you are not taking it off alive.

   The ‘Dreadnought’ is rarely utilized, as there is rarely a situation that would require such drastic measure. Desperate situations require desperate solutions - a last ditch effort. Only those loyal enough to their cause, and ones that are consciously willing to do so, are given the chance to wear this armor. A fanatical, unwavering determination to serve your duty, either moral or holy. Both sides recognize the inhumanity within it. But regardless of whether you call it heroism or fanaticism, the ‘Dreadnought’ is there to remain - and you don’t want to be the one fighting against it.

   The suit of armor is designed as an alternative to tanks, due to the latter being incredibly difficult to operate underground. It is for this reason that the ‘Dreadnought’ is packed with as much steel as possible, ensuring maximum resistance and protection at the expense of the user.

   November 11th, 1918 Armistice Day – the day World War 1 ended.

   The world swore never to go to war again. But war doesn’t change, does it?

   Two new factions formed shortly after World War 1: the Golden Empire, led by the Queen and the Royal Nation, led by the Kings, a union of Europe and the Americas respectively. Despite how sudden their appearance was, and the unknown circumstances of their formation, that is what the world divides into now. Hatred stirred within the world’s unions. Clashing ideologies and cultural differences give birth to a new conflict – a seed for a new World War.

   In 1919, a completely unexpected turn of events causes a Prince of the Royal Nation to be assassinated. With no proof whatsoever, the Royal Nation blames the Golden Empire and follows by declaring war, bombing their territory with conventional bombs and gas. The Empire retaliates with the same.

   Continued bombings leave the Surface to be decimated. Concentration of gas reaches high levels in certain regions, only spreading outwards across the world. As the world is ceasing to be habitable, the rival factions mine underground to escape the toxic shroud. The war follows the depths as well. A new era of life on Earth begins. Only lone scavengers remain on the Surface, as civilization adapts to living underground.

   Exhausted from the previous war with no time to recover, and already on the edge of the newest conflict, an organization – the Solace Coalition – was formed to attempt to escape war. Having nothing else to offer the warring factions in exchange for neutrality and abstaining from conflict, they agree to fuel the war at their expense.

   Deserters from both factions separate into independent honourless gangs – Bandits, or join the Solace Coalition to attempt to live a normal life, although in severely worse conditions. The war rages on for several years, with no apparent end. The sides have been in a years-long stalemate. Although both the Nation and the Empire have seen major victories and devastating losses throughout, none of them can confidently say they will win this war. The Earth’s population depletes steadily, already severely weakened by the war on the Surface.

   Everyone is expected to contribute to the war. Whether it’d be teenagers working in kitchens, mines, barracks and hospitals, or young adults conscripted into the armed forces, or those who run away to the Solace Coalition – if you aren’t in the war, you’re not welcome on this planet. This is not a war that can end easily. Both the Nation and Empire despise each other and will not stop fighting until the other is defeated. There is no armistice, there is no peace. If a winner is found, the losers will be executed.

   Despite all of this, it’s people who are fighting. People who have family and friends. People who want peace and not war. People who want to feel the grass and bathe in sunlight, not endure debris and inhale dust. And yet, forced by their superiors to fight a brutal war, taught to hate their enemy and not to think before shooting someone in enemy uniform. A little piece of humanity shines through, but it is unknown for how long it will last.

   After the initial surface war which lead to much of the earth uninhabitable, other than a few safe spots in Asia and Africa, and very far north in Canada, everyone had gone underground, and with the Royal Nation and the Golden Empire still fighting, the underground war had started. Years and years have past, and the current year is 1925, with both sides at a stalemate, with brutal tunnel fighting, sickness (Including the Dreaded Cave Plague, a condition which causes painful welts and generalized malaise all across the body, akin to the bubonic plague, which can also affect livestock and animals such as horses, which led to many of these animals going virtually extinct), famine and death being a very common sight. Everyone lives underground, and everyone will most likely die underground without seeing the surface ever again, or at all. Both factions, whenever they control an area often build much need infrastructure, though not all of their citizens demands can be met.

   Once everyone had gone underground, the Royal Nation and Golden Empire continued to fight each other despite the state of the world. Thus dubbed the underground war, this war is fought through intensive close quarters tunnel warfare, with most of the fighting happening over depots, ruins, outposts, structures, train stations and sometimes entire underground towns. Most of these structures are built by the Solace Coalition, though some of these spots are built by either side. Death is very common, and war is currently a stalemate, with no end in sight.

   The underground war is fought everywhere, with the frontline being scattered. Officers often leading regiments in separate campaigns against opposing regiments, with each faction sending resources or abandoning campaigns depending on which side wins. Both sides have Forward Operating Bases, large concrete bases with a train station connecting it to other bases, it being the main home for soldiers and the last bastion in case of a campaign being lost. Usually, once a campaign has been won out by any faction, that faction immediately uses that area for building infrastructure and helping its citizens.

   With the surface gone, and people moving into tunnels- people have adapted to living down there with equipment. Everyone has at least these 3 things, from a lowly citizen to a high ranking officer, everyone has a pickaxe to dig and a lantern of some sorts, with gas lanterns being used by the Golden Empire, and electric lanterns being used by the Royal Nation. Every man, woman and child has a pickaxe, no matter where they are.

   The soldiers from both the Royal Nation and the Golden Empire all carry, apart from the pickaxe and lantern, a compass and a first aid pouch, the first to find their way in the maze-like and often collapsing underground tunnels that are the scenery of the war, and the second, a first aid pouch— Containing a shot of hard liquor, tweezers, sutures, splints and bandages, to prolong life for a few precious more minutes.

   It is called the Sleepless War, because only the dead could get any rest.

   Set during 1925.

   The Golden Empire is a union of states spread all across the Eurasian continent. Canonically, the only countries and regions that are officially aligned to the Golden Empire: Germany, United Kingdom, France, Russia, Italy, Japan. All other European countries are presumed Empire-aligned unless stated otherwise (Poland). Unlike the Royal Nation, the Empire has diversity and uniqueness.

   The Golden Empire is an authoritarian monarchy led by a centralized monarch, the Queen, alongside her religious Inquisition – a holy police. Together, they walk around the Empire on religious quests. The Empire’s predominant ideology is based on morals, unity and togetherness. They value loyalty, honesty and brotherhood. They give their faith to a centralized religion. Money is but a currency, and luxury is secondary to honour and faith.

   The Queen is half-german. She is known to be brutal, as she is a Great War veteran, who rose from the ranks of a grunt into a political career, eventually ending up uniting the entirety of Europe under one glorious banner. The Queen is honest, which is respected by her soldiers, often tolerating being berated for failure. She may be an authoritarian leader who uses religion as a tool of manipulation, but she believes in her cause and will fight until the end – and her followers will stand in front. The Queen is a master of manipulation and propaganda - an acquired skill in her political career. Should the Queen die without an heir to the throne, it would surely lead to collapse of the Empire. But the Queen is wise, and still in her prime - she has plenty of time to find and train a successor to her reign.

   The Empire is a traditionalist country, preferring conservatist approach and valuing what came before. This is reflected due to use of less than modern firearms, and especially technology, like oil lanterns rather than the Nation’s lamps, as well as embracing the medieval style of life and clothing. Although this is not a pure rejection of technology and progress, as it would be stupid to give your enemy a technological advantage. There is no sin worse than betraying your faith, maybe other than disappointing the Queen. But when it comes to it, the Empire boasts undying loyalty, nearly impervious to corruption or desertion. United by a single faith, but ultimately sacrificing what makes you “human”. While everyone in the Empire believes themselves to be the peak of human morality, outsiders like the feeble Nation dogs call them “inhuman fanatics”.

   As united as the Empire is, anyone who refuses to conform is a heretic and must be prosecuted, whether by imprisonment or execution. Rare those cases are, but neither children nor their own imperials are safe from the executioner’s sword. Fear the Empire, Nation, because God does not discriminate. The Empire’s religion is not based on any real world one. Built on sanctity of human nature, the purity of the human body. The Golden Era of humanity is in the past, and returning to it is what we should all do. Every human here is unique. Everyone has a purpose and a role: women are great leaders, with strong blood and a moral compass; men are great warriors, with strong bodies and an unbreakable spirit. Why base your life on politics and the luxuries of capitalism, which benefits the elite, when you can just embrace the Holy Light and follow the word of God?

   The Empire’s archnemesis is the Royal Nation. The Queen states that doing things “for the people” is political nonsense, and that freedom and democracy lead to disagreement - which leads to war and conflict. If only people understood core human morals, there’d be no war. They blame the Nation’s politics and ideology for what happened to the surface, what caused them to submerge underground. The Nation is inherently destructive in their lust for power and domination. Clashing ideologies are the reason Nation and Empire hate each other. Perhaps the Empire did assassinate the Nation Prince, but there is no proof. The Royal Nation’s aggressive and baseless retaliation led to the surface being bombed and the next war to start. But then again, it’s about time the Empire cleansed those national heretics.

   The Royal Nation is a confederation of states spread all across the American continent, with additional scarce territories spread over the world. Canonically, the only countries and regions that are officially aligned to the Royal Nation: The United States (majority), Canada, Mexico, Brazil, The Middle East, Poland, and presumably the rest of the Americas. Unlike the Golden Empire, the Nation is a lot less diverse - a majority of its population is from the United States.

   The Royal Nation is a democratic country led by a table of multiple Kings, all of which are elected from a pool of representatives. It is not a full democracy though, as the only people whom can be voted on are those of royal lineage, particularly the Princes of the Nation. The Nation’s predominant ideology is based on freedom, liberty and democracy. They value individuality, but are collectivist when it comes to nationwide matters. The Kings are known to encourage soldiers during hard times, but it is unknown whether they are speaking honestly, or are only pretending to care in order to raise morale. The Kings have never seen war – they don’t know the full brutality of it. But they are politicians, experienced in logistics, management and political deception. As an added benefit, having multiple leaders makes them disposable and easily replaceable.

   The Nation is a progressivist country, preferring utilitarian approach and valuing technology and modernization. This is reflected due to use of more modern firearms, and especially technology, like electric lamps rather than the Empire’s lanterns. While the Nation appears like a modern secular republic, it is not without its issues. Rampant corruption and desertion. Valuing money, power and reputation over personality and morality. The Nation is volatile and militaristic, with questionable methods for staying in power. They are known to execute their own Kings for not aligning with the rest, and utilize the fear of punishment and dishonesty in order to force soldiers to comply and continue fighting.

   The Nation’s archnemesis is the Empire, whom they berate for blind fanaticism. They criticize them for keeping to old values, shunning down progress and valuing religion over reason and logic. However, the Nation fears the Empire: they refuse to have a female lead the Nation to prevent proving the Queen right, so much so that they executed a King for even proposing for such to happen. Despite all of this, it is likely the Nation’s aggressive policy that started the war. They blamed the Empire for the assassination of a Nation Prince without proof. But then again, it’s about time they eradicated those fanatics.

   After the Royal Nation dropped the first set of bombs on Empire territory, everybody understood that a war has started. Some people hoped that, in the wake of war, countrymen will unite together to defeat their enemy. But that was not what happened. It is a known fact that even before the war, crime was a problem all over the world. Organized criminals outright ignoring the government, taunting them and claiming to be “untouchable”. So, for the few whose life wasnt all sunshine and flowers, they knew that there would be people, evil people, who would, in spite of everything happening, choose to not align themselves to a flag, and fight for themselves only.

   Brigands, criminals, marauders, thugs… – The Bandits are a loose group of people who have deserted their countries and agreed to not murder each other. If you look at it one way, it looks heroic at first – defying your country, understanding that each side is an evil of their own – but do not be fooled. Bandits are evil people. They prey on the innocent. It should not be a surprise that being hostile to literally the entire world would render it difficult to get supplies. Bandits live off murder and pillage. Understanding that neither the Royal Nation nor the Golden Empire are worth fighting against, especially with how underequipped the Bandits are, they have chosen the Solace Coalition as their main target. It makes sense: the Solace is vulnerable, mostly comprised of lightly armoured civilians who barely know how to operate firearms; they often carry supplies in caravans or transports; and build outposts, usually isolated from the warring factions.

   The Nation and Empire are known to be rivals. But their combined hate for each other does not compare for the hate they share for the Bandits. Knowingly hurting the innocent – those who wish to avoid killing – in order to keep yourself alive. Whether it’s the civilized customs of the Nation, or the moral principles of the Empire, both see the barbaric inhumanity within the Bandit life style. The Bandits often roam the underground, secluded from society and avoiding both the frontlines and established civilization in order to avoid persecution for treason or heresy. But some choose to roam the surface, scavenging what’s left of civilization, plundering the Coalition workers who are doing the same thing. Rarely, Bandits may try to infiltrate Nation or Empire quarters to steal valuable armor and weapons, but barely anybody comes out alive from such a mission – but some do it for the reputation such a heist would bring.

   It is no doubt that Bandits are here to stay, as some people just simply love the adrenaline you get from plundering: The feeling of being hunted by both factions, the feeling of never knowing if the Bandit “friends” behind you will stab you in the back for your loot, the feeling of self-importance from the notoriety you’ve gained, or the uncertainty of whether your barely functioning gun will jam in a firefight against the Coalition. Some people long wished for such a war to happen. Maybe some people are hoping that the overarching conflict will be enough to keep attention away from them and their criminal careers. Or just maybe they are radical enough to reject the ideology of both Nation and Empire, despite how insane that might be. But then again, both Nation and Empire murder each other with no regret, so how are they less evil?

   Both the Royal Nation and the Golden Empire (as well as the Solace Coalition and Bandits) have authority ranks specific to them; they reflect their culture and modus operandi. Ranks are titles earned over time. They have a myriad of requirements, but chief among them are hours spent in the war. Though ranks can be bought through connections and pre-war rank was often maintained when the bombs fell, by now, most of the old blood has been purged, and only those that have proven worth remain; Survival, feats of glory, dedication and loyalty, leadership, experience, all virtues paramount to attaining a high rank, regardless of allegiance.

   Besides a title attached to your name, these ranks also provide great benefits to the quality of life. High ranks are often afforded great luxuries unavailable to the common folks, and are given important positions, sometimes administrative, usually in leading the war effort, and are hailed as heroes by their side and demonized by the opposition.

   The ranks are split between the 2 major factions, but their requirements are similar- there is no need to differentiate between the individuals. The ranks themselves are differentiated to highlight the different structure, theme, and culture of the factions. Requirements for the top-level ranks are high on purpose - they’re supposed to mean something: Experience, knowledge, dedication, and so they are exceptionally rare to see, and frightening to battle in combat, regardless.

   Golden Empire Ranks (from lowest to highest): Armsman, Squire, Knight, Knight Commander, Grand Knight, Inquisitor, Grand Inquisitor, Lord.

   Royal Nation Ranks (from lowest to highest): Private, Private First Class, Corporal, Sergeant, Sergeant Major, Lieutenant, Captain, Brigadier.

   Solace Coalition Ranks (from lowest to highest): Trooper, Deputy, Sheriff, Assistant Director, Commissioner.

   Bandits' Ranks (from lowest to highest order): Bandit, Scrapper, Highwayman, Raider, Marauder, Brigand, Warlord.

   The Cave Plague is a novel and cruel disease that pervades and tortures the new world. Though it's still not well understood, it is a topic of great interests to scholars and field medics alike, the Mortician wings of both sides, in particular, find much to discover of this unique disease.

   The symptoms are diverse, it is well known that this plague caused the near-total extinction of all equine animals underground (Especially horses and thoroughbreds), but it is also known that humans can be infected with the disease. The most commonly observed qualities in the progression of the disease is the development of welts and cysts all across the body, as well as a decrease in bloodflow around the skin, which gives the diseased a characteristic 'pallor', also complicating the healing and scarring of superficial wounds, on ocassion even going as far as causing necrosis on superficial tissue.

   It most often affects the malnourished, the young, the elderly, and the immunocompromised, as a healthy immune system is able to fight off the infection in its early stages, Treatment for those in later stages is challenging and often palliative, as the immune system becomes compromised and exponentially weaker, prone to concomitant, secondary infections. Rumors say that the Cave Plague is spread by the spores of a strange and not yet wholly identified strain of biolluminescent fungus, growing and sprouting mushrooms around abandoned wooden surfaces, which is a common building material used by all factions.

   Even more unreliable myths tell of humans afflicted by the surface gasses and the Cave Plague, who have become grotesquely deformed, allegedly sprouting new limbs or strange, tentacle-like appendages tipped with poisons, and now hunt down other humans for sustenance.

   After the Royal Nation dropped the first set of bombs on Empire territory, everybody understood that a war has started. A neutral organization was formed – the Solace Coalition. They promised to each other to never shed blood in this war and to live peaceful lives. But unlike the pacifists who have joined the Coalition, the dogs of the Nation and the fanatics of the Empire are hostile to all that is not allied. If you are not contributing to the war effort, you are an enemy to all. The only way to remain alive in this war is to take a side. So that is what happened. The Solace Coalition swore to remain neutral and produce arms, equipment, food and gear for both the Nation and Empire in exchange for abstaining from the act of war. Living in terrible conditions, working day after day in dirty mines for resources that will be exploited in the smoke of war, to make arms used by killers who despise each other.

   The Solace Coalition is an organization of workers, comprised of civilians and deserters from both factions, choosing to work in terrible conditions and fuel the war in exchange for not taking lives of other people. Nation and Empire both realize the Coalition’s independence and their reliance on them. If one chooses to ignore their neutrality, they would cease production and support for them and give an undeniable advantage to their opponent. Mostly producing supplies and arms, the Solace Coalition has several other duties. They send people in special equipment to the Surface to scavenge for supplies, particularly food and blueprints. They develop new firearms, new methods of living, construct new compounds, extract valuable resources, make railroads and transport supplies.

   While the Solace Coalition was created to avoid killing, it is physically unavoidable. Bandits – dirty people who live to exploit the weak – are common near the Solace outposts. Despite being mostly a civilian workforce, Solace has a built-in Armed Forces that are equipped with weapons they themselves produce, mostly for the intent of guarding their territory from bandits & unsanctioned attacks. Solace doesn’t work for money, but their human right to abstain from killing. And both the Nation and Empire directly benefit from the violation of this right by forcing them to work for them. Tired of this war, many deserters flee to the Coalition in search of shelter and protection. Maybe here they’ll get to live peaceful lives, but the war never ends.

   Often contracted by either Nation or Empire to produce their weapons, they also have plenty of their own designs, or blueprints of weapons they’ve scavenged from the surface. Many pity the innocent Solace. Wishing to do the right thing, but forced to watch from afar, as two radical forces kill each other, armed with weapons that you’ve created. This war burns bright. And we’re the fuel that keeps it alight. But then again, war never changes, and we’re not the ones doing the killing.

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