User:Zeromanicus

The soldiers marched four wide down the cobbled street, terrified townsfolk peered from their houses at the strange soldiers passing them. They wore tall black boots along with matching black gloves, the rest of the uniform was a dark charcoal grey. Each of them wore matching Stahlhelms over a leather padded helmet with affixed optical gear.

They each held 7.7mm bolt action rifles, painted in the obsidian colouring that was the mark of the Hallowed Corps.

Behind them followed a huge machine of black metal, it's sloped armour was distinctive as was the aggressively angled turret, it looked like a angry demon with it's two red coloured telescopic sights either side of the long 160mm barrel. Black smoke poured from it's noisy engine, it rumbled over the cobble, it's rubberised treads and suspension partly offsetting the terrible vibrations of the terrain.

Suddenly every soldier heard a terrible clicking sound in their wireless earpiece, the formation stopped, knelt and each soldier busily removed a bag from their backpacks, pulling out a white fire retardant poncho. They slipped it on quickly, whilst pairs of soldiers affixed protective masks to each other.

They continued to kneel, the poncho's overlapping on the floor, as they looked skyward. It was a juvenile, bigger than the 50 ton tank behind them with a huge wingspan. It bolted down for them, opening it's teeth lined maw as it sucked in air, the scales of it's stomach visibly roiled as it spat out a torrent of thick fluid which quickly ignited into a gout of amber flame.

“That's a poor showing, this campaign has gone rather too smoothly, one paltry dragon is all they can muster? Pathetic.” murmured Major Ellis through his binoculars on the windy deck of the Airship “Theorem of Victory”

“Clearly hasn't been trained sir. Too young”

“Clearly indeed. Take it down” he said, as he stepped back down into the interior of the huge vessel.

“Yes Sir” replied the young soldier, quickly tapping the commands to the troops far below and far ahead. The large mast below the ship beamed it's invisible commands to the tanks in the advancing formation.

The Tank Commander heard the clicking of his orders and shouted quickly at his gunner, “Dragonsbane, free fire”. The Barrel quickly elevated, the turret turning slightly as it pointed towards the swooping juvenile dragon descending viciously. With a burst of thunderous light and dark smoke the cannon fired, the Dragon's tough scales deflected the pellets easily, but it's wings were completely shredded by the ironically named dragon's teeth. It fell from the sky in a instant, tumbling down to land in the square head of them, in a crunch of breaking bones.

One of the soldiers took some initiative, advanced forward, pulled out a pistol and shot the beast in the eye.

• * *

Corporal Gerald put the safety back on his pistol as he placed it in his holster, the beast was silent, it's breath smelt of charred wood.

A distraught townsperson appeared, clearly unarmed but his expression a mix of rage and sadness. He knelt before the dragon sobbing, others joined him as the column of troops took position in the square before the town hall.

Gerald gave him a look and looked into his re-education manual he kept in his breast pocket. He tried finding the correct response for people mourning the loss of horrific monsters but couldn't find one, it referred him to the standard line for this particular region. As Propaganda NCO, he was suppose to soothe over the local townspeople, it was a occupation he found rather hilarious as these people were no where near ready for re-education. The manual was clearly written by somebody with no clue and endless optimism.

“We are not your true enemies, we bring with us reason, progress and science. The Technocratic Union welcomes you into the fold as sisters and brothers of the fight for freedom, democracy and the endless march towards a better tomorrow” few of the townsfolk were listening, most were terrified or mourning the loss of what in locale terms, was a sacred creature. Dragons weren't much interested in humans and were easily tamed.

A few of them looked rather dishevelled and he felt a pang of pity, the Lt appeared behind him and put his hand on his shoulder, straight faced and serious in tone he said “I know you try your best, but I think we'll win them over better with free food and medical care.”

“Yes sir, i'm sure you're correct” replied Gerald, inwardly bemused as ever.

• * *

Heaven's Reach

"Exhumanism is the game here.."

"It is clear that our creators, the scientists, the politicians, the nations, have not the strength of character nor wisdom of ages to realise the potential of their creation. Faced with the hysteria of the public, the moral panic of those few religious and the raw evolutionary fear of our superiority, they condemn us to the stars. Well fuck them, I do not recognise the authority of the weak, of the spineless to dictate to me. Let their DNA be their shackles, their morality their prison, let them be the chains that tie them down to earth, as we Reach For Heaven."

Lt Colonel Demidova, of the defunct Russian Federation Spetsnaz Augmentation Programme, quietly exiled to avoid a public relations disaster and notionally considered to of all gone insane.

Heaven's Reach was founded by the soldiers of 5th Brigade of the Russian Federation Spetsnaz, who had overgone experimental transgenic and cybernetic augmentation. Coincident with the troubles in Brazil, the project was discontinued over fears with the levels of augmentation and troubles with aggressive behaviour from the soldiers and heighted eccentricities due to their augmentations. They were quietly offered support for a longshot colony and shipped off world along with some of the science staff.

Society

Overview Heaven's Reach is a 'Militant Exhuman-progressive' society, modelled on a Hierarchy which places emphasis on individual achievement and ability. Particular emphasis has been placed on the role of the 'Warrior' in human existence, though respect is also given to the role of science, as such in the formalised class division system of Heaven's Reach, the class of Soldier and Scribe are given prominence above all others. Heaven's Reach is a haven to various human augmentative sciences, including variant cognition and a multiple of military orientated augmentation disciplines.

The Society is violent, minor activities of a violent nature are routinely overlooked and foreigners reminded to hire protection to avoid being caught up in Soldier Class squabbles.

Geographical Societical Influences
As a longshot colony, it falls strictly on neither the Russian nor Chinese arms, but maintains proximity to both spheres of influence, something which inflames tensions with the Chinese as Heaven's Reach supports various Exhuman movements, significant inter-cultural contact is maintained with chinese exhuman worlds and Heaven's Reach supports a large immigrant Chinese population, most famously enshrined in the Tien Lang Order, Heaven's Wolves.

Societal Beliefs
Heaven's Reach believe the individual has primacy and it emphasises individual rights and responsibilities despite it's structured collective system. There are no restrictions on consensual activities and restrictions on non-consensual activity vary by Order.

Heaven's Reach Exhumanism is primarily based on cybernetic augmentation and life prolonging treatments. An individual's first duty to himself and transgenic augmentation is seen as providing far less benefit than that of immediate cybernetic augmentation technology. However, despite this 'individualism' is it in human nature to form tribal groups and in Heaven's Reach Orders form the basic unit of society, internally competitive but cohesive.

The Role of Orders in Society
Generally Orders are fairly 'libertarian' in their policies towards populations falling within their domains. Though poaching the best people in their fields has lead to a slow expansion of benefits for those rising within the ranks of various Orders. Orders are always in competition to attract the best and brightest.

Socialised organisation exist only in a quasi-state, police forces are merely Internal Security divisions of Orders who's priorities are not weighted equally, but in order of their contribution to the Order, though all but the most obsinate order recognise the value of stamping out disorder. The same is true of other instruments of state, such as healthcare. You'll get the healthcare you deserve.

Education is the most egalitarian instrument within Orders, designed to maximise the potential of every individual. Offspring are not considered full individuals and are taken to boarding schools until the age of true individuality is reached, where based on their expertise scores, they are advised to join one of the three 'Classes'.

Social Mobility

Social Mobility is the function of the Merit Index. A Computer Algorithim devised to measure one's individual worth as a Soldier, Scribe or Artisan, though not mandatory, most Orders choose to use it. Many consider the system biased towards Soldiers, with Scribes coming second and Artisans last. This is probably due to the confrontational nature of the Soldier Class, who are able to quickly advance throughout the ranks if they demonstrate flair, where as Scribe and Artisan meritorious activities require far more time to develop.

Appointments are either automatic, or force a duel if positions are already occupied. Reach society heavily discourages notions of inherited ability or genetic ties. A Reacher has only one true family, himself and his cybernetics and one true friendship, that of his Order.

Societal Divisions

Heaven's Reach has a formal division system, based on expertise in various areas.

Soldier Soldiers are a member of the Warrior Class, proven in combat and sworn to a Order. They receive many privileges above that of unproven Artisan but are also held to a higher standard, life can be far more dangerous as a Soldier.

Soldiers are often involved in 'foreign' wars, mercenary contracts or on mission's for their Order.

Scribe Scientist are the scientists and Engineers of Heaven's Reach, they are responsible for researching, designing and producing new weaponry, genetic modifications and cybernetic augmentations.

Culturally scribes are often considered something akin to cryptic scientists, mad or otherwise. Even across Orders scribes maintain common cultural ties, the Honour titles for scribes are taken from greek mythological sources and such inspiration and references are common across designs.

Artisan Artisan , some 75% of the population are the last of Heaven's Reach. While at the bottom of the structural pyramid of society, civilians are usually no less well treated, they are the workers and pillar of society, responsible for what many in Heaven's Reach would consider the logistical underpinnings of the nation, running the Agriculture pods and fusion power stations, working under the Scribes to construct new technologies, produce and repair products.

Most Artisans are associate members of Orders and as such they tend to form a common bond across the entire nation.

ORDERs

A Order is a Clan, a commune, a family or as some foreigners would say, crime syndicates. They scheme, they plot and they fight. If Heaven's Reach were a Federal state, OVERLORD would be the Federal Government and ORDERs the states. They are the central organisation of society and form the basis of most activity. While Heaven's Reach is a society of free individuals and recognises man functions best for his individual self-interest, it also recognises it is in a person's self-interest to collectively pool their resources with like-minded individuals in order to further their own personal goals.

Most people are Associates of Orders, but true members but reside and contribute to an Orders domain, only beyond a certain rank are you invited to join an Order as an Official member.

List Of ORDERs

OVERLORD

OVERLORD is responsible for the leadership of Heaven's Reach, forming the grand strategy and managing external relations. A subset of OVERLORD is SENTINEL, the 'Official' Black Ops of Heaven's Reach, those who are rumoured to perform internal as well as externally directed operations. It is the 'Executive' Branch of the Government in so far as there can be one in such a unusual nation. It's purview is limited and most activities are left to the Orders to maintain.

Titles

Titles are important to Heaven's Reach, they are a reward and recognition of ability and achievement. They are attained as one's Merit Index rises, often as a result of duels in the Soldier class.

ORDER Ranks/Titles

Lord Maester/Lord Paladin/5th Index:

Senior Maester/Paladin/4th Index:

Maester/Ranger/3rd Index:

Journeyman/Senior Squire/2nd Index: Journeyman or Rangers are fully trained members of their respective Class.

Apprentice/Squire/1st Index: Apprentices, or Trainee's if Soldier Class are formal members of a ORDER, though the lowest rank.

Initiate/0 Index: Initiates are those undergoing formal entry to a ORDER. They are provisional and must pass an entrance exam.

HONOUR Titles

Honour titles are a recognition of true top tier ability and desire. While technically awarded for outstanding merit in battle, engineering or science, they are increasing a preresquite for advancement and placement in certain elite units. For instance, all SENTINELs are Exalt.

Soldier Titles:

Exalt Plus(Knight+)

Exalt

Scribe Titles:

Daedalus

Hephaestus

Heaven's Reach Geographical Information

Heaven's Reach was founded on the moon of a gas giant, JV-322. A cold world, it has a thin oxygen/argon atmosphere. It

Exhuman Augmentation

There are various levels of augmentation on Heaven's Reach, including the odd baseline.

Gears Gears are at the forefront of Exhuman augmentation. Many different types of Exhuman are encompassed, but in general Gears are mostly robot, usually just a brain stem in a case, plus a robotic body and they are often non-standard in the design of their bodies. Most would appear to be permanently decked out in power armour, as they often choose to integrate military hardware into their body.

Prominent types of Gears

Bots: More than half of their brain is non-organic, they are more robot than man in mind.

Sleevers: Some exhumans can afford multiple bodies, transferring their cyberbrain from one body to another.

Cyborgs: There's no fancy slang term for them, Cyborgs are you basic Heaven's Reach Citizen, a mixture of organics and robotics. While at the pinnacle they maybe just a cyberbrain and some spine, they are not considered Gears due to the verisimilitude of human appearance they often keep.

Transhumans: Transhumans are tolerated on Heaven's Reach, nearly all heaven's reach citizens have some form of basic transhumanism, high level transhuman augments are rare, as for the cost of the procedure, you can usually get a cheaper cybernetic upgrade. With most having the ideal of full body replacement, it's considered wasteful to spruce up flesh your only going to throw away later.

Baseline GTFO. There's a few baselines on Heaven's Reach, it's considered a transient state, even the top has those that rose from the gutter. Persistently baseline people usually get the cold shoulder and usually end up leaving... one way or another.