The Eternal Dawn

The Eternal Dawn
System Info
World Name: Rebirth Map ID: White 25 Surface Gravity: 11.3 m/s2 Climate: Tropical Atmosphere: Nitrogen/Hydrogen/Methane/Carbon Monoxide, 81 kPa
Population:  40.0 million Population Breakdown: 100% augmented Capital: Conception Type of Power: Magnate Continuum
Infrastructure
Domestic Support: High Wealth: 450 + 240 (690) CIP: 750 + 320 (1070) PIP: 850 + 320 (1170) Delta Dust: 150 Delta Dust Logistics:

History

Alshain's refugees fled to More to create their own society there. However, drastic differences in beliefs and sociology meant that integration with the managed society of More would be unlikely at best and violent at worst. Instead, they put their lot in with the growing "war faction" between Delten and More, offering their services, experience fighting bloody urban battles, and transgenic R&D capability for the cause.

And most importantly, they offered their arkship.

Gimlet

The colony of Gimlet had been created from a "failed" Longshot, a colony eking out a small safe zone in the middle of a hell-forest, where the predators and biotoxins were no less dangerous than the environments of many hell worlds. In fact, many would have said more dangerous, since radiation is predictable, but a tiger-sized octopod with serrated poison blades, 360 degree multispectral vision, and multiple redundant organs isn't, not in attacking, in territory, or in even dying when shot repeatedly. Even with advanced technology, battlesuits, and armored vehicles casualties were not unexpected as they tried clearing the brush. On the other hand, it created a very hardened group of colonists.

However, eventually natural disaster struck in the form of a bacterium that had mutated enough to become hostile to human life as well as indigenous life. The Dawn brought an answer to that with their advanced transgenic technology. An invasion of sorts it was, but it was as much humanitarian as it was militant. Of course, the Dawn often saw little difference between humanitarian interventions and outright invasion. Many died, but more would live with the help of the religious leaders, the scientists, and the genetic engineers who provided Gimlet with the technology they needed to survive their planet's revenge.

The Eternal Dawn was born on the planet, which they rapidly renamed Rebirth. The Dawnies ventured out into the forests, sometimes to hunt, other times to be hunted. They built and expanded, landing the New Dawn on the planet, allowing the vessel to grow into its new capital city.

Rebirth

The fauna on Rebirth is unlikely to be entirely naturally occurring-many of its adaptations are exceedingly complex, and most of the animals lack legacy code that would imply natural evolution. Even though the higher radiation levels from the sun and the lack of an ozone layer and weaker magnetic field make the radiation levels higher and evolution quicker, it's doubtful that something as hostile like this could be natural. It might have been precursors, or an unknown xenosophont, or something altogether more obscure, but most have accepted that Rebirth's fauna is engineered.

Occasionally, a very few scientists are allowed temporary passports to study the fauna and flora of Rebirth. This, outside of a small trickle of exhumans, is the primary reason anyone travels to Rebirth.

Rebirth itself is a dense, tidally locked world, with a gravity of 1.22 Gs and a hostile, poisonous atmosphere. Combined with the weaker magnetic field, radiation resistance is a must for long-term habitation, which nevertheless has its rewards, as Rebirth itself is exceedingly rich in many resources (although not, sadly, in Delta Dust), especially (and primarily) heavy metals. The majority of its radiation is received in the IR spectrum, and so Rebirth gets little light, what does appear being dim red illumination.

History Paths

Hell World-Radical Morph. Change-100 CIP, 100 PIP, RMC [+5 Transgene]

Limited Precursor Relics-150 Dust, +5 SP

Limited Feral Drones (terrestrial)-30 Pop, 50W, 100 PIP

Observation Posts-100 CIP, 10 SP [+2 FTL]

Hub World (for Exhumans)-60 Pop

Longshot-2500 military, 100 PIP, 100 CIP, 20 SP) +5 spending limit on SP

Inner Rim-30 Pop, 150 PIP, 50 CIP, 100 Fabs, 25 SP, 20 TG

New Freedoms-20 TG [+4 Transgene]

Pod People-180 Pop, 300 W, 100 CIP

Seperatists-2500 Mil

Civilian Sponsored-60 Pop

Fleeing Transgenes-20 TG

Natural Disaster-+Morale

Na'vi Helljungle Attack-200 Wealth, 2500 Military

Go Weird-40 TG, 100 CIP, 4 Logistics, 10,000 Military

I'm A Magnate-100 CIP, 15000 Mil, 20 SP

Exhumanize-100 CIP, 50 Transgene, 300 Supersoldier [+5 Transgene, +5 Xenotech]

Series VII Replicants-+2 Ground Apps, +2 Ground Doctrines, 100 Supersoldier [+3 Ground, +3 Transgene]

Future Government-20 TG, +2 Morale

Found Religion-+1 Morale, -100 Wealth

Communism!-100 PIP, -100 Wealth

+3 Physical: 1.6x Population PIP

+2 Reactions: 1.4x Population CIP

+2 Intellect: 1.2x Population Wealth, -10% R&D Costs

+1 Soc: +1 DAP, +1 Support, 1.2x Trade Income

Totals

'Final Stats Tech Indices

SP: 96 :Shipbuilding: 16

SP Limit: 25 :Parasite Construction: 45

Population: 545 Base bonus: 272.5 :Carrier Construction: 16

Trangene: 240 :Aviation Warship Construction: 16

Morale: 9 :Aerospace Construction: 16

Wealth: 400 + 327 :Mecha Construction: 16

PIP: 670 + 436 :Ground Construction: 23

CIP: 850 + 381.5 :Projectiles: 16

Fabbers: 100 :Lasers: 25

Delta Dust: 0 :Railguns: 20

Theta Dust: 0 :Particle Weapons: 16

Military: 32500 :Mega Particle Weapons: 16

Doctrines: 70 :Missiles: 16

Logistics: 60 :Propulsion: 16

Global Tech Level: 16 :Power: 18

Applications: 400 :Materials: 16

Stockpiles: 0 :Shields: 16

Debt: 0 :Electronics: 16

:Stealth: 16 :Transgenics: 42 SP Expenditures :Mass Production: 20

Additional Limit: 0 :Civilian Technologies: 16

Wealth: 0 :Xenotechnology: 35

PIP: 17 :Basic Theotechnology: 16

CIP: 0 :Advanced Theotechnology: 16

Dust: 0 :Floating Points: 0

Theta: 0

Pop: 25

Mil: 0

Tech Indices: 0

Apps: 10

Transgene: 24

Doctrine: 20

Logistics: 0

Technical Advancement

General Tech Level: 16

Railguns +6 (22)

Materials +6 (22)

Transgenics +28 (46)

Ground +7 (23)

Xenotech +19 (35)

Collarize +14 (30)

Sociology

Eternal Dawn Slang

Land of Dreams

The idea of transhumanism to both enhance strengths and shore up weaknesses have made the Eternal Dawn a civilization which has dedicated itself to not only constant self-improvement, but also to allow its people to reach its dreams. A significant part of their ideology dedicates itself to the idea that people should not settle for what they're born into, but should only settle for achieving their dreams.

The government of the Eternal Dawn agrees, and subsidizes just about any reasonable improvement or training (up to and including enhancement) necessary for someone to achieve their dreams. Although it means a lack of liquid wealth, the job satisfaction-and mass popular support-are both boons to the government and its citizenry, who have record job satisfaction ratings.

Religion

The Dawn are a melting pot of extreme exhumanist variants of various Earth religions, including Islam, Christianity, Judaism, and Buddhism, as well as a handful of secular exhumans similarly dedicated to extensive self improvement. By far, most of the Dawn are religious, with less than 5% of the society being secular, although not all are fanatically or significantly religious. Interestingly, the extreme pro-trahsuman sects of various religions were originally some of the most liberalized, but their involuntary exile have caused a rather significant backlash and the warning signs of religious extremism.

Government and Economics

The Eternal Dawn are a weighted-vote democracy backed by a council of experts. As a "weighted vote" system, people's educational backgrounds, previous voting histories, and a host of other factors are checked to give each citizen a variable score of their "weight" on a topic. Notably, these weights are set topic by topic, rather than universally,

The multiple councils of experts and religious leaders provides guidance and oversight as well as analysis. Notably, to be part of the Closed Council, the highest oversight group, one must give up much, as the Council requires heavy cybernetic alteration to even interface with-to become part of the Closed Council shows you have the skills, mindset, and willingness to sacrifice everything for the nation and its people.

Panopticon

The Eternal Dawn have everyone willingly hooked up to a constant data network, which records their movements, transactions, and more or less all security-relevant data. This renders non white-collar crime near-nonexistent in the Dawn, as well as rendering its facilities and civilian populace highly secure. Despite popular culture images of the Magnates being dim gray dystopias, Rebirth is on the surface no less lively than any other world.

Economy

The Eternal Dawn use a controlled market economy as is semi-standard across many Sphere worlds, providing all citizens with the basics for living (food, water, education, and living space) and rations for limited amounts of items such as entertainment. In theory, it is possible to live without working a single day in one's lifetime, but heavy socialization and indoctrination against this prevent significant amounts of malingerers.

Money in the Dawn can be earned by most jobs and used to purchase amenities such as entertainment, living quarters larger and more lavish than the government-guaranteed barracks, decorations, and so forth. The government pays and employs polity-critical employees, however- employees in manufacturing, education, research, and military service are all Dawn-backed and government-employed. Dawn mercenary units are merely units which have command approval to work for causes the government deems acceptable in exchange for renumeration.

Style and Architecture

The Dawn's cities are generally built beautiful-it is a point of pride to many architects among the Dawn to build beautiful, as they are after all, creating utopia. There are no rectangles of concrete and polymer windows on Rebirth, and all architecture is designed for aesthetic appeal. Most popular styles emulate Renaissance or Medieval architecture although there are styles from all over the globe and through most timelines, but obviously with significantly higher technical advancement. The timeless nature of the Pancreator, who exists in all times simultaneously due to its acausal nature, is what the Dawn seeks to emulate, by blending modern technologies with ancient style.

Similarly, clothing on Rebirth follows similar norms, blending smart cloth and active materials with styles not out of place in the Renaissance or early Industrial Revolution for the most part.

Eternal Dawn Augmentation

"You are only minimally modified. We can help you correct this." -Abraham Watts, Advancer cybersurgeon

The path of the faithful of the Eternal Dawn is marked with continuous cybernetic enhancement, but there are generally two approaches to this. There are those who, out of vanity, personal reasons, or for any of a hundred other rationales, preferred to look outwardly human, replacing and rebuilding internal organs, skeletal structures, and other components to improve ability. There are also those who preferred extensive, obvious cybernetic modification, replacing entire limbs with smart-alloy metal and myomer musculature.

There are sufficient amounts of both parties in control of the interpretation of the holy texts that both paths have been considered acceptable-as long as one continually modifies oneself on the road to improvement, instead of staying back and accepting stagnation, any means were necessary. Eternal Dawn cities are extremely cosmopolitan, almost as if they were out of a space opera, as the alien-looking exhumans who wholeheartedly embrace the cult of augmentation mix and mingle with the majority, who eschew significant enhancement for a slow process of optimization and convenience-based implants, whether biotech or nanotech or cybernetic.

The shared doctrine of every Dawn religion is built around the continuous improvement of the self. Doctrinal differences and (comparative) conservatism or full exhuman tendencies tend to alter the method which people seek this self-improvement by, but nevertheless the improvements are sought, and the slow process of Upgrade continues as minor improvements stack up generation by generation, and the older generations upgrade themselves in turn to keep up with the younger ones.

Biology and Biotech

The Eternal Dawn does a healthy black-market trade in biotech, as Dawn-built machinery is often absolute bleeding-edge in this category if nowhere else.

Eternal Dawn Transgenics

"Some of the human race criticize us for going too far in our modifications. To them, I say that the difference is not that we have gone so far, but that they have stayed behind, failed to grasp the divine fire of gods and angels when they could. Either they refuse to push their bodies to what science can give them, or they use their technologies to reinforce social structures created by the failings of baseline humanity. And eventually, they, too, will learn that the path of the faithful waits for no-one."
-Eternal Dawn Prelate Phillip Masse.

The constant self-improvement, competitiveness of transgenic sciences (human enhancement is literally the unifying religion of the Eternal Dawn) and common use of enhancement cybernetics in the Dawn have split its population into easily a half-dozen different variants with varying traits. However, due to the constraints of the world they chose after their exile to transform into paradise, each of these templates is roughly similar, no matter what the methods used.

Every member of the Dawn has heavily enhanced physical capability, as well as reaction and cognition speed, and intellect. Furthermore, all Dawn are designed with some level improved social bonding. Due to the sheer hostility of the environments and many of them working off of a survivalist template, they are additionally heavily resistant to toxins, disease, and radiation, and can survive for longer in vacuum than most. Finally, because of the light the sun of Rebirth gives out, virtually all Dawn citizens are enhanced with thermographic vision. These traits allow them to survive in their hostile high-G world without undue difficulty. Superior error-correction and higher precision as well as their physical conditioning make it so that the Dawn's citizens tend to also be stunningly attractive due to higher symmetry.

More worryingly for League powers, many members of the Dawn take it even further than the basic packages plus a few occasional upgrade retrovirii, and the Dawn are some of the leading theorists and engineers in the field of R-grade military cybermodification.

Dawn Subspecies

Isolate: The survivalist members of the Dawn have a complex template that fully eschews postnatal cybernetics in favor of heavy genetic adaptation to oncoming threats. The obsession with species survivability without technological aid over personal viability means that long-term problems are common-Isolate genomes are notorious for manifesting multiple exotic cancer modes around the 80 to 100 year mark, which require significant expense and difficulty to treat. They are also generally "primitive", gaining much of their increased strength and durability by relatively crude methods such as multiple redundant organs, sheer size, dense "armor plating", and so on.

Exalt/Demi: One of the more common adaptations, the 'demi' (short for "demigod", although officially renamed the Exalt) is less viable outside of technological civilization than the Isolate due to lower efficiencies, but makes up for this in being smaller and generally much more difficult to identify than Isolates, as well as having fewer issues with senescence.

Uplift: Although the term "uplift" brings images of making octopi or dogs or ravens sentient, the uplift is nowhere near that dramatic. What it is is a semi-standardized set of cybernetic augmentations which, when applied to a baseline or near-baseline (such as an Alpha or a Spacer) can provide them with roughly identical performance to a common Dawn citizen. Bone lacing, ocular implants, dermal weave, and synthetic muscle grafting, as well as a complex set of neural enhancements, provide these improvements, but the surgery is relatively expensive and therefore fairly rare (although a significant minority of the Dawn are ex-baselines). Finally, the modifications do need regular maintenance and the body around it often needs some as well.

Transgenic Template

Tentative

Primary Attributes (57 pts)

Enhanced Physique 3 (21)

Enhanced Reactions 2 (15)

Enhanced Intelligence 2 (15)

Enhanced Socialization 1 (6)

Secondary Attributes (10 pts)

Boosted Durability 2 (7)

Combat Reactions 1 (3)

Tertiary Attributes (4.5 pts)

Attractive 1 (1.5)

IR Vision 1 (1.5)

Survival (Vacuum) 1 (1.5)

Survival (Bio/Radio/Chemical Resistant) 3 (0)

(71.5 ~ 71 * 4 = 284 - 46 = 238)
2 points spare = 10 WU

Combat Replicas

Originally developed in the Gimlet invasion, the original Replica was little more than a flash-grown Adharan (or Dawn member) given neural-induction training in communication and combat tactics. Although effective at rapidly building a military, the original Series I Replica was incapable of matching a trained soldier and was quite vulnerable when they weren't being used in overwhelming numbers-they might have had the raw skills but not the experience.

The original Series Is, in fact, were essentially identical both intellectually and physiologically to any other member of the Dawn and many of them ended up reintegrating with society successfully, or forming the core of the Templars after they were given remedial education in civilian matters. However, these actions provied that Series Is had 'souls', as they could adapt to changing situations and do anything they set their mind to. The doctrinal questions this produced, as well as many Templars finding their importance suddenly threatened by these new machines of biology, created a strong argument against their further use.

To avoid the questions about slavery and removal of choice from sentient beings (both abhorrent to Eschatonic ideals) Replicas down the line had gradually reduced free will and intelligence, and greater skill and experience burned into their minds while they were still gestating, while their physical augmentation increased after each iteration. On paper Replicas were excellent soldiers, perfectly loyal, superior in combat skills, and with a purity of purpose that no other soldier could match. In practice they sometimes lived up to this, but more often did not due to their lack of lateral thinking and creativity, the sole two skills that could not be created by neural induction. Even attempts to engineer in superhuman creativity a la the Harawayian Blue Caste failed entirely, as the neural induction method used to rapidly teach them, and their lack of actual life experience, were far more critical factors than their brain structure.

The Eternal Dawn used the Series II to the VII in the Magnate War. The IV and VI were prototypes.

Series II

Adharan (and therefore Eternal Dawn) physiology is highly delicate in its formative stages (although extremely trauma-resistant afterwards) and difficult to accelerate to full maturity as a proper "bioroid". Series IIs were designed with multiple shortcuts to fast-accelerate such growth, which generally caused physical deformity and stunted mental growth, especially when combined with the neural induction method used to teach them. Their physical deformities were rarely significant handicaps when compared to the majority-baseline worlds they assaulted, although approximately 10% of the Series IIs built did not survive decanting and their average lifespan even not considering combat was exceedingly short.

However, they could be produced and armed en masse and were used extensively to shore up Magnate forces. Initially used in support of Templars, the IIs eventually ended up being obsoleted by the III.

Series III

Prototype for rapid cybernetic integration into a Series II to make up for some of its most glaring weaknesses, that being stunted mental growth and physical handicaps. This prototype was designed to replace the Series II and did so successfully.

Series IV

ARAD's first serious bid to compete with the Templars was the IV, which used experimental biotech to ensure fast production with a greatly increased lifespan (approximately 180 months). However it was not judged viable for more than experimental, limited-issue deployment.

Series V

ARAD's production model Series IV, with further cybernetic enhancement to enhance and replace brain systems. Brainstem functions relegated to computer control, and entire nervous system outside of brain was replaced with synthetic augmentation. Although too expensive and complex (like the IV) to build in-field, Vs were perfectly capable of being constructed offsite and used to secure a beachhead in lieu of Higher Templars.

Series VI

The VI was an experimental, and essentially unsuccessful, attempt to adapt Replicas to special forces duties. The cost and time it took to mature a Replica capable of the individuality, freedom of action, and creativity necessary for special operations was prohibitive, although the handful which were built all had distinguished combat records and postwar records, reintegrating flawlessly with Magnate society, a few even emigrating to other Magnate worlds. However, they were only slightly more effective than the Lux Dei despite costing far more, who also had heavy political pull which further made the program untenable.

Series VII Combat Replica

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Series VII Combat Replicant, 2170s model, in experimental-type coloration. Note similarities with Adharan battle armor design due to analogous culture.

The Series VII is, no better than anything else, the 'face' of the Magnate war, battle-armored League or ZOCU troopers fighting brutal urban combat against an enemy which does not think, does not feel, does not second-guess. Deployed nearly as soon as The Eternal Dawn became a co-belligerent with the Magnates in the quest to acquire Theta dust, the VIIs were to phase out imperfect transhuman soldiers with a machine that did not have the same problems. It did not hate the enemy, it could not fear, it could not concern itself with trivialities except for this battle. It was an organism engineered for war, nonsapient, mating a highly edited human brain to a powerful cybernetic implant computer, the brain being trained by neural induction instead of physically learning in its new body. Its body was similarly hybridized, a reinforced skeleton and cybermotors supporting living xenobiology, artificial computer implants managing hormonal levels as well as its complex augmentation system.

Physically the Series VII stood approximately 1.8m tall and massed 120 kilograms without its nearly-symbiotic suit of battle armor, heavily built to carry greater loads into combat and survive greater injury. Every survivability augmentation that had been pioneered by the Adharans and enhanced by the Dawn had been packed into its frame, creating a machine that could survive significant organ trauma and blood loss before its biological systems shut down-and even then, its cybernetics, powered by emergency backup batteries, often would allow the corpse to extract bloody vengeance on its killer. VIIs virtually lived in their battle armor, with bioelectrical organs to recharge it when not in combat, and could live off the land by consuming virtually any organic matter for fuel due to their toxin filters and powerful digestive system.

The initial deployments of the VII were overwhelmingly successful-their tactical deployments had not been mapped, their combat responses new and not trained for. Without knowing how to fight them, how to exploit the flaws that cropped up in their tactical programming, they were devastating foes with expert-level marksmanship, a complete lack of fear, and a strongly developed altruistic sense. However, once the initial shock wore off, post-combat analysis quickly started finding flaws in their design. Their brain was limited in complexity to increase thought speed, and paired with an advanced computer to provide tactical and decision-making assistance, but this made them predictable. It was easy to lure VIIs into an ambush if one knew how to set it up, and it did not take long before the tables had turned.

To counteract this, two projects were initiated. The Series VIII and IX projects, the latter being a full successor and the former being an "officer" design with sentience built back in. Series VIIIs (or Series VII Officers) have their skulls, which were originally heavily reinforced with armor plate, thinned significantly to allow the use of a brain which is significantly larger, although still smaller (but more efficient) than a human one. VII Officer-types are generally roughly equivalent to Alphas or other common transhumans in intellect, although they still have the same instinctual mastery of combat tactics and marskmanship common to all VIIs. VII Officers were fully sentient and capable of advancing past their station, and as such did not have the same "terminator" genes built in as they were not war materiel. The consequences, however, of the VII Officer and the IX are interesting as they are not volunteers, which means that their slavery is unconscionable in the Dawn religion. Therefore instead of being fully engineered they are mind-patterned after willing volunteers, who in return gain additional respect and reputation. After the mindstate's fixed military service, it is free to take any career it wishes, change its body, or do anything it wishes to.

Proliferation

The VII had been quickly adopted throughout the Magnates before its flaws came to light, but even then it was more than adequate if properly employed, whether with Magnate officers there to keep them from running into traps, or with the officers designed to lead them. Their success, as well as their programmable loyalty, precision, and lack of sentience to question its orders, made them desirable for several other nations in the Sphere as well. It's always nice to have some bodyguards who will never question you, or think for themselves, or do anything but watch out for you.

A black market trade rapidly developed in this advanced combat bioroid, causing the design to proliferate throughout the Rim, although only a handful of powers have the technical know-how to do more than maintain them, as their complex genetic code is prone to failure if edited, and their birthing requires significant high-tech infrastructure that most Rim powers do not have.

The Eternal Dawn Military

The Eternal Dawn military is where you generally find the highest proportion of Advancers to Highers in service, as those who abandon pretenses to humanity for heavy combat augmentation generally find themselves significantly more combat-effective than those who do not. The Dawn Military is divided into three rough components:

The Templars

The Eternal Dawn Templars run the primary manned branch of the Eternal Dawn military. They provide the commanders for any major operation, the "nonspecialized" (not Replica) forces, and take care of prisoners of war as well as the recruitment of "nonspecializeds".

Although the Templars require all members to be religious, in practice there has never been an incident of a Templar being thrown out for religious violations-those who are nonpracticing are only told to pay lip service to the issue and show up when meetings are being held. Most of the Dawn are practicing, however, so this is only relevant to a small minority.

Templar Rank Structure

All Templars have a rank, and a grade in a rank, ranging from I to VI, which represents both one's paygrade and seniority within the rank. Promotion upwards in rank is generally done by showing drive and qualification, while promotion in grade happens over time with the accumulation of experience. The Templars also generally promote soldiers upwards from enlisted ranks to act as officers instead of training officers up from scratch.

Ranks are given with their rough equivalents in a Core military, PACT to be specific.

Noviciate (Recruit)

Acolyte I-VI (E-1 Private to E-2 Private First Class)

Lector I-VI (E-3 Lance Corporal to E-5 Sergeant)

Cantor I-VI (E-6 Staff Sergeant to E-7 Sergeant First Class)

Curate I-VI (E-8 Master Sergeant to E-9 Sergeant Major)

Vicar (Officer Candidate)

Subdeacon I-VI (O-1 2nd Lieutenant to O-2 1st Lieutenant)

Deacon I-VI (O-3 Captain to O-4 Major)

Archdeacon I-VI (O-5 Lt. Colonel to O-6 Colonel)

Bishop I-VI (O-7 Brigadier General)

Exarch I-VI (O-8 Major General)

Patriarch/Matriarch I-VI (O-9 Lt. General)

Cardinal I-VI (O-10 General)

The Lux Dei

The elite of the Templars end up joining the Lux Dei, the "Light of God" as it were. These special operations units operate as any other special operations unit in the Sphere. Lux Dei members must be religiously faithful and extremely dedicated to the cause, as they often undertake high-risk wet works operations in dangerous situations, and signing up with the Lux Dei is signing up for a tour of duty which measures at least two decades and often more.

Procurement

Dawn Procurement deals with R&D, budgeting, and industrial manufacture. Procurement is also responsible for the Eternal Dawn Combat Replicant Program, and has significant influence in the Magnate Continuum due to the wide-ranging export of these. It technically has its own military forces but it lacks commanders, putting its mass-produced soldiers and war materiel under the command of the Templars. Procurement operates a handful of special operations units as well, which are independent of the Templars and their Lux Dei.

Advanced Research And Development

Advanced Research And Development (ARAD) is the organization in Procurement which runs its covert operations arm as well as funding all cutting-edge Dawn research. Its covert operations units are generally employed for operations involving capturing technology to reverse-engineer, sabotaging enemy research, and recovering artifacts.

Joining ARAD's direct action units is interesting, as one must successfully join Procurement, which involves some level of scientific and technical know-how. To join ARAD's direct action arm, one must pair that with extensive willpower, dedication, and a mind well-suited for combat operations. ARAD's "commando scientists" might not be doing much of the latter but have despite the odds proven themselves to be quite capable of the former, although not with their occasional extreme failures-the largest of which was failing to prevent the reverse-engineering of the Aleph architecture by ZOCU.

Procurement Rank Structure

Procurement has a paramilitary system of rankings based off of its psuedo-academic, paramilitary functions. Although Procurement members are not expected to deal with active combat, any members are expected to be familiar enough with military weaponry and tactics that they do not get in the way, and ARAD trains with the Lux Dei and other Magnate SF units.

Associate (E-1 to E-9)

Researcher (O-1 to O-2)

Senior Researcher (O-3 to O-4)

Project Leader (O-5 to O-6)

Rector (O-7 to O-9)

Provost (O-10)

The Faithful

There are those who defend while the Templars are away-the legions of the Faithful are a defensive militia, numerous but less well-trained and equipped with weapons and armor that are generally built for reliability and cost-effectiveness rather than individual combat superiority.

On the other hand, they're a defensive force and can often count on weight of numbers due to the difficulty of transporting a significant invasion force anywhere.

Other Stuff

Peace Given To The World