Caterpillar Hearts

Background

The Scourge

In 1493 under the old calendar, the Scourge of God fell upon the world - the newly dead reanimated with an unquenchable thirst for blood and hunger for the living. The spread of the Scourge brought an age of darkness, turmoil and devastation. Still, the world was merely judged; not ended. In the east, the Holy Church spread a new religious orthodoxy and organized vast crusades and pacification campaigns of continental scale and astronomical cost in lives and resources. The resulting Holy Empire brought an unprecedented unity across much of the known world. In the west, the cities of the coast formed the League of Satella and survived the threat with fortifications and, eventually, an industrial revolution.

The Holy Empire

The theocratic Holy Empire rules much of the continent directly from Spiro and has some influence over much of the rest. Since the Age of Crusades, they have stagnated but remain the preeminent force in the civilized world. Internally, the empire is brutal and repressive, regularly engaging in atrocities to 'fight death with death'. The priesthood dominate society along with the pre-Scourge nobility, mandating cremation and religious ceremonies for the deceased, placing a heavy tax burden on the general population. Heresy is punishable by summary execution. In the past century, they have had to contend with the rise of the League as well as tackle the Corrupters - people born with the ability to escape notice by or even control the undead. This is considered heresy and is punishable by mass execution. The empire's first two wars with the League gave it impetus to industrialize but also heavily destablized it. The empire as a whole is rumoured to have gone into full blown anarchy after the winter of 422-23

League of Satella

The League is the most powerful country in the world besides the Holy Empire and fought two successful wars with them in 370 and 395-398, overcoming the odds each time with technological and industrial superiority. The League is a one party democracy dominated by the Free Will party which is funded by a vast trust of wealth derived from the still valid last wills of long deceased nobles, merchants, financiers and industrialists. The League has no religious bent and views reanimation as a scientific phenomenon though actually studying it in any detail is banned due to public risk and the entrenched interests of the influential 'dead rich'. While the vast legions of urban poor are cremated, the wealthy in the League are embalmed to prevent reanimation and interred in fortified crypts beneath the cities. By law, this allows their wills to retain legal weight long past death. A typical last will amongst the League upper class leaves many responsibilities but little of substance to living descendents. Instead, it is a thick and massive volume prepared by a specialist class of lawyers starting long before death. The document stipulates in fine detail how the trusts may be utilized and political influence peddled after death.

The League-Imperial Wars

The League and the Empire first came to blows in 470 in a brief conflict where outnumbered but technologically superior League forces routed Imperial templars, first demonstrating the lethality of modern arms. Wars up to that point had always been contained affairs due to the difficulty of dealing with battlefield dead in time during war conditions and two sides quickly negotiated a settlement. The Empire came again in 495 and this time the fighting was more serious. The Empire's numbers stalled the League counteroffensive, forcing the two sides to the trenches. Late next summer, the world's first simple tanks busted the trenches and substantively ended the war again in the League's favour. While the armistice came in 498, in truth the last two years was mostly a cleanup of the large numbers of war dead and some from that war still stalk to this day. Once again, the negotiations left further conflict almost inevitable.

Because of the difficulties, lethality and consequences of industrial war and the strategic limitations of the much smaller League, both sides decided the third war would have to be the last and developed grand, megalomaniacal plans for a final victory. This left neither side any room to hold back when the two sides mobilized and clashed once more in 522 in the war to end all wars. The extremity of lethality and bloodshed surpassed description. After one full year of war and a brutal winter, there was no longer anything to be fought over. Instead, what remained was a vast gulf of No Man's Land stalked by millions upon millions of war dead joined by decimated populations as entire cities were overrun by unprecedented hordes. The empire fell into turmoil as long suppressed uprisings swept across the vast dominion while the League lost much of what precious little hinterland it held, with a mostly destroyed military and on the brink of starvation and mass shortage.

96th Armoured Scouts, "Caterpillars"

It is now the year 524 of the Judgement calendar. The 96th Armoured Scouts is a penal division of the League army thrown into No Man's Land in order to ascertain the extent of the situation, report on and hinder any Imperial activity in the area and also start the task of clearing the undead. They are equipped with second line armoured vehicles deemed obsolete at the start of the war. But hey, a tank is still a tank against the risen, probably. In order to prevent combatants from inadvertantly contributing the problem, all armoured scouts will be chained to their vehicles.

Characters

There are four girl slots to start with, as well as one tank who might be a girl if you squint quite hard.

Tinker
You are a literate girl from the countryside who attended a vocational school to become a tractor mechanic. The winter before last, you became part of the horde of refugees fleeing to the coast, which is better than being part of the horde of zombies, you think. Thrown into the penal division for being a refugee.

Tailor
You were deemed what the Imperial priesthood call a Corrupted. Your entire family was executed but you escaped in the chaos of war. Thrown into the penal division for being a refugee.

Soldier
You are the only actually legitimate soldier of the group, probably thrown into the unit for the unauthorized retreat from a very very large number dead people.

Spy
You were a college student from the struggling middle class of the League. You were arrested for illegal thinking, which could include on such topics as Communism or corruption and conspiracy amongst the oligarchy or anti-dead sentiments. A political prisoner is the best sort of prisoner to be!

Tank
The Carol-Lloyd tankette is a 6 ton armoured fighting vehicle designed for a crew of three. While considered obsoleted from front line combat by its more powerful descendents, the devolving military situation has forced it into a new lease on life. It was the world's first 'cruising tank' and is powered by an alchemical battery using water as a catalyst. Charging is accomplished either by stopping the tank in shallow water or throwing the cables and charging pile down a well. A full charge lasts more than half a day but unfortunately takes as long to charge as discharge. A trailer can be hitched to the back, which holds supplies as well as your fourth person. On a good day, on good terrain and perhaps a stiff tail wind, she can manage 30km/h. Armament consists of a short 37mm cannon mounted in the hull and a 7.5mm machinegun swivel by the roof hatch. The vehicle also carries a few other utilities including two searchlights though their use is not often recommended.

Rollables

Strength
Agility
Dexterity
Stamina
Perception
Intelligence
Wits
Charisma
Manipulation
Luck

Fate, Will and other expendable points do mostly the same thing in slightly different ways - conferring all successes on any roll or an absolute defense.