Forums of the Megaverse®

Oh dear....that DOES seem to be a problem...
It DOES seem a bit like an aerial caber-toss, doesn't it?
Let's just say that's part of the reason the pods aren't terribly popular(either that or they're mistaken for a really BIG fish).
Now...picture one of your rolled up sow-bug Warmounts being carried and launched from under one of these Big Birds.

I think the weight of these would slow them down a bit.. I figure the bugs would be between 40 and 60 feet long. Rolled up probably reducing that to a diameter of 25 to 40 (depending on the size of the things)

Corrected the problem by adding a penalty to speed. Thanks.
Yah, a Cyroc carrying a rolled-up roller would look like an eagle on a big fat balloon tire.

Neat techno avian, but what are the Firedrake, Thunderbeetle, Nightscream, and Slingtail?

Upcoming projects.
I can tell you the Firedrake lives up to its name, the Thunderbeetle is based on a robotic conversion(using the guidelines in Rifts Shemarrians for robot Fury Beetles) and then some, the Nightscream is a long-overdue Ghost Rider Warmount, and the Slingtail is a utility Warmount with the ability to catapult payloads.

I like it. That is another cool creation. I am looking forward to seeing more of them.

EShemar EFShe-06Br ‘Dazla’ Fighter
(aka ‘Super Scorpion’, ‘Sparkplug’. ‘FireBee’)
http://i408.photobucket.com/albums/pp164/taalismn/shemarrianfighter1_zps153c8ab6.jpg

“Don’t think that because the Shemmies ripped off a centuries-old Human Alliance design that tactics proven against Consortie Scorps are going to work against these queens. The Shemmies have either jazzed up the engines for endurance or they redline-run them to overhaul because they can make sustained max speed ALL THE TIME.”
---Major Lomo Hassan, Consortium Armed Forces Advanced Aerospace Combat Training Center(Thunderhead Station), Thundercloud Sector.

The EFShe-06 was an early effort by the Blood Riders to acquire a fighter that matched their hellbent-for-glory fighting style. Like many of their starships and larger aerospace efforts, the Blood Riders based their new fighter design on existing Three Galaxies equipment, in order to save on development time. In this case, the model was the Consortium of Civilized Worlds’ SF-69 Scorpion Light Fighter, a design whose original performance stats were already well-documented, giving the Blood Rider engineers a leg up on modifying it.
The EFShe-06 retains the characteristic oversized drive unit of the Scorpion, but revamps the entire forward hull, with a more streamlined cockpit and three wing-units spaced around it. Because Shemarrians require hardly any life support considerations and can handle far greater flight stresses than normal organic pilots, power that would be normally apportioned to inertial compensation and other life support functions can instead be diverted to engines, weaponry, and defensive shielding.
A degree of modularity allows individual pilots to customize their weapons configuration to their preference or mission demand. The three wings can be fitted with the same, or different, root-mounted direct-fire weapons, in addition to the missile launchers integrated into them. Finally, the Dazla has the capability of externally hardpoint-mounting heavy missiles for anti-ship and surface attack. These features give the Dazla a combat potential well above its ‘light fighter’ rating not to be underestimated, as several opposition forces have discovered to their dismay.
Because of its obvious heritage, CCW pilots who have encountered the EFShe-06Br have nicknamed it the ‘Super Scorpion’. The fighter has been encountered with increasing frequency in Blood Rider squadrons and fleet units.
Type: EFShe-06Br ‘Dazla’
Class: Light Aerospace Fighter
Crew: One
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 720
Reinforced Cockpit 110
Wings/Weapons Modules(3) 200 each
Forcefield 900
Height: 18 ft
Width: 32 ft
Length: 34 ft
Weight: 7 tons
Cargo: Survival pack and sidearms attached to the pilot’s pod.
Powerplant: Nuclear Fusion w/ 20 year energy life
Speed:
(Atmosphere) Hover to Mach 3; transatmospheric.
(Sublight) Mach 18
(Kitsune Values: 40% of light speed; Accelerates/decelerates at 1.8% of light speed per melee)
(Underwater) Not possible
Market Cost: Exclusive to the Shemarrian Star Nation
Systems of Note:
Standard Aerospace Fighter Systems, plus:
*EW Jamming---Standard ECM suite for confusing sensor-guided weapons; -6 to strike
Weapons Systems:
1) Wingroot Guns(3)---Each wing holds a modular direct-fire weapons slot. Similar weapons can be fire-linked to fire simultaneously(taking only one attack action). All or each one can hold ONE of the following:
a) GR Cannon
Range: 5 miles in atmosphere, 10 miles in space
(Kitsune Values: 5 miles in atmosphere, 500 miles in space)
Damage: 4d6x10 MD per 20 rd burst
Rate of Fire: EPCHH
Payload: 300 bursts per gun

b) Laser Cannon
Range: 1.2 miles in atmosphere, 3.6 miles in space
(Kitsune Values: 1.2 miles in atmosphere, 120 miles in space)
Damage: 2d4x10 MD per blast
Rate of Fire: EPCHH
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

c)Plasma Torpedo Launcher---A direct line of sight energy weapon firing a bolt of plasma that ‘splashes’ on target. The power demands of this weapon are quite high, however, limiting rate of fire and leading to increased powerplant maintenance and replacement turnover rates.
Range: 4 miles in atmosphere, 10 miles in space
(Kitsune Values: 4 miles in atmosphere, 400 miles in space)
Damage: 1d4x100 MD to a 40 ft blast radius per missile
Rate of Fire: Single shot. Three times per melee
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

2) Missile Launchers(3)---Each wing can fire mini- or short-range missiles.
a) Mini-Missiles---16 per wing
b) Short Range Missiles----8 per wing

3) (Optional) Underfuselage Missiles----The Dazla can carry TWO cruise missiles or long range missiles slung under the main fuselage. Alternatively, a three-shot medium range missile pod, 6 shot short-range missile pod, or 12 shot mini-missile pod may be substituted for a CM or LRM.

Variants:
http://i408.photobucket.com/albums/pp164/taalismn/shemarrianfighter2_zps161d297c.jpg
*EFShe-06Br2---Nicknamed the ‘Candle’, the EFShe-06Br2 variant adds an enlarged and stretched engine section for greater high speed, making it arguably among the fastest fighters EVER. The downside is that running full out it can be more easily detected and targeted at long range due to its more energetic drive emissions.
Modifications:
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 770
Length: 41 ft
Weight: 9.5 tons
Speed:(Space) Mach 21(!)

Another new Shemarrian Elite. Haven't really decided what tribe would use them more.

Dervish

Evening amongst the cybernetic or robotic enhanced Shemarrians, there are some that just need to go FASTER. Some call them the juicers of the Shemarrian, with their enhanced speed and reflexes, beyond those of some of the other elites. Some Shemarrians consider these speed demons to be somewhat unbalanced, but their skills can't be denied in their abilities in first strike and quick recon missions.
Dervishes are usually a little shorter and slimmer than other Shemarrians, with lithe forms built for speed. Their antennas are also longer, to accommodate part of the phased sensor arrays built into them. Dervishes are usually full of energy, jittery and impatient, very similar to human juicers. Many will engage in foot races amongst other races known for their speed, or even against hoverbikes.
Using copies of I-Beam and I-Field technology salvaged from battlefields in where Shemarrians fought along side the Megaversal Legion, or from fighting the Legion's old masters themselves or their new versions of the Legion. It took many years, and the tinkerers haven't quite cracked all the secrets behind the technology, and the range of the I-beams are limited, which prevents it from being used in long ranged weapons. Instead, the technology was used in a far more interesting way. Enhancing the mobility, speed and defense of the Shemarrian her, or himself. More than half of current Dervishes are males, as the enhanced speed greatly aids in their scouting abilities.
The Dervish has the basic defensive capabilities of the I-Field, although not as powerful as the Legion's, it does deflect kinetic attacks, from bullets, missiles to melee attacks. The Shemarrian twist to the field is to turn it on itself, which increases the speed and reflexes as it lowers the Shemarrian's inertia and friction. The longer the Shemarrian moves, the faster she, or he gets, reaching incredible speeds, dodging most attacks, and a frenzy of fists or blades.
The I-Beam can be used to enhanced the damage of the Shemarrian's ranged weapons, but only within a couple hundred feet. Where the I-Beam really shines is it is focused on the Shemarrian's limbs, giving unarmed, or melee weapons, enhanced speed and power.
Of course, all this power does come with some disadvantages. The faster the Shemarrian goes, their aim gets thrown off, even with advanced targeting systems and optics, they have problems keeping up with the speeds. Another problem is, even with the I-Field protection, the Shemarrian has light armour compared to other Shemarrians, and they require more maintenance than others. Also their power reactors tend to run hotter, meaning for stealth systems against thermal systems must be more powerful, and their nuclear power cells must be overhauled or replaced after 15 years instead of the normal 20 or more years.

Type: Shemar Dervish
Class: Robot Gynoid/Android Elite
Crew: Advanced Neural Intelligence 
M.D.C. By Location:
Antennas(2-3) 10 each
Hands (2) 15 each
Upper Arms/Shoulders (2) 70 each
Forearms (2) 60 each
Legs (2) 120 each
Head 65
Main Body 170

Height: Varies between 7 foot and 8 foot
Width: 3 feet to 3 feet 6 inches
Length: 2 feet, 5 inches
Weight: 675 to 775 lbs
Power System: Nuclear 15 years
Physical Attributes: Equal to Robotic PS. 25, PP. 30.
Cargo: None; only what can be carried externally
Speed:
Running: 105 MPH
Jumping: 15 ft up/across. 20 ft up/across in wolf mode, plus a running leap in excess of 60 MPH will add 80 ft across/20 ft up to a leap. 
Flying: Not Possible
Market Cost: EXCLUSIVE to the (E)Shemarrian Tribes
Systems of Note:
Standard Shemarrian Robot Systems, plus: 
Full optical systems, laser targeting, passive night vision, telescopic vision, thermal imaging, infrared, ultraviolet, and polarization filters. Also has motion and heat detection, and other standard Shemarrian systems. Additional/special sensors may be built in by the creating Spinsters or at the behest of the individual. 

*Bionic Cybernanite Repair Systems---A modified bionic nanotech repair system that originated with the Ecotroz Shemar. These systems repair 4d6 MD per hour, and can repair 60 MDC before needing material stocks to convert to MD repair material.

*I-Field - This is a system very similar to the I-Fields used by the Megaversal Legion. Any incoming physical projectiles (slugs, bullets and missiles) and melee strikes, activates the field to intercept the attack. This works like a parry; the system has a +2 parry the attack; on a success, the missile or projectile is deflected to the side and loses all forward momentum and falls, inert to the ground. Even grenades and impact-activated explosives will not go off. If the parry misses, the attack will strike, but only inflict half damage. The Shemarrian system is a little more sensitive than the Legions, as it will also deflect melee attacks (same parry bonus to roll), as the Shemarrians regularly go against supernatural or powerful opponents in melee combat. The field does not block explosive force or energy attacks (lasers, ion, particle or plasma). The field does lack the limited number of activations.

*M-Field - This is the Shemarrian spin on the I-field, directing it toward the user for enhanced speed, reflexes and attacks. For every round the Shemarrian moves, the Shemarrian's speed increases by 20%, plus an additional 10% at levels 5, 9, 13 and 17 of experience, up to a maximum of 500% the Dervish's original speed. While moving, the Dervish also gains a +3 bonus to Dodge and an additional +1 at level 7, 11, 15 and 19 of experience. The Dervish also gains an additional attack per melee round each round of constant movement, up to a maximum of 5 additional attacks. However, the Dervish suffers a cumulative -1 to attacks for each additional after the first attack that round. For example, if the Dervish normally has 6 attacks, and has been moving for 3 rounds, gaining an additional 3 attacks, for a total of 9; the second attack suffers -1, third attack -2, fourth -3, and so on up to -8 on the 9th attack.
Another disadvantage of this increased speed is the Dervish can not make aimed attack, and called attacks suffer an additional -2 penalty. Ranged attacks are considered wild.
Note that the Dervish does not suffer the normal bonuses for ranged weapons when running. (See R:UE pg 328 under W.P. Targeting, characters normally loses all bonuses and rate of fire is halved, when running and shooting or throwing, flying, or on horseback or in a moving vehicle.)

*Whirlwind - If the Dervish limits the amount of distance she or he moves, and instead moves more in spins and twirls within a 20 foot area, the Dervish gains 2 additional melee attacks each round spent spinning, up to a maximum of 10 additional attacks beyond their normal attacks per melee round. These attacks suffer a cumulative -2 to attacks after the first, but gains a +3 bonus to parry with an additional +1 for every two rounds spinning, and +4 to dodge with an additional +1 for every two rounds spent spinning.

*I-Beam - The Dervish is fitted with an I-Beam generator, but only has a ranged of 200 feet. This is used to enhanced the damage of projectile weapons, within that range, and also enhance thrown weapons. The other use is the I-Beam is focused on the Dervish's limbs for greater striking power with unarmed attacks or melee weapons. When used for ranged weapons, such as the Shemarrian rail gun, the weapon gains a +8 bonus to damage within the 200 feet range of the I-Beam. Thrown weapons, even S.D.C. ones deals have a range of 200 feet. S.D. weapons deal one extra die of damage, and M.D. weapons maintain their M.D. damage plus strength bonus, even if they are not vibro, energy or magic blades.
Melee attacks, either unarmed, using hand claws, or any handheld weapon such as a sword, gain one additional die of damage. With the M-Field activated and the Dervish is moving, gains +3 damage per round of continuous moving, either just moving or using Whirlwind ability, to a maximum of +30.

*Phased Sensor Array - Dervishes are equipped with phased sensor arrays, designed for greater range and response time, allowing them to detect and respond to threats much faster. Range of all sensors, including visual is 50% greater than standard. If the dervish stands absolutely still, the range is tripled for an amount of time equal to M.E x3 minutes. The Dervish will have to remain completely still during this time or range is returned to the Dervish's standard range (50% greater than normal Shemarrians).

Weapon Systems:
1) Hand Claws (2) - The standard Shemarrian hand claws built into the hands.
Range: Melee.
Damage: 3d6 M.D. per swipe or stab.

2) Limb Blades (4) - On the outer edge of the arms and legs are retractable vibro blades which are great for slashing attacks as the Dervish charges past an opponent.
Range: Melee
Damage: 2d6 M.D. per slash. If deployed while performing a body slam add this to body slam damage. If deployed when grabbed, the opponent takes 2d6 damage each attack while grabbing the Dervish.

3) Arm Laser (1) - Mounted in one arm (Dervish's choice) is the standard Shemarrian arm laser.
Range: 2000 feet
Damage: 3d6 M.D.
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

4) Built-in Shemarrian Assault Rifle (1) - Built into the opposite arm to the arm laser, is a scaled down version of the Shemarrian assault rifle. It has less range than the normal assault rifle, but when the I-beam is activated it benefits from the bonus damage within the 200 foot range.
Range: 1500 feet
Damage: Short 6 round burst 4d6 M.D., heavy burst 12 rounds 1d4x10 M.D., single shot 1d6+1 M.D.
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: A concealed port on the Dervish's shoulder contains a short clip, 240 rounds. Can not hold larger clips or drum attachments.

5) Concealed Blades (30) - Concealed along the Dervish's arms and body are several small blades made from M.D.C. material. These blades are well balanced and designed for throwing. Vibro blades could be substituted instead.
Range: Normally 90 feet (standard 60 feet plus 50% for robotic strength). I-Beam increases range to 200 feet, or melee.
Damage: 1d4 M.D.
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: 30 blades

6) Handheld Weapons - Can use any standard Shemarrian weapons, but prefers rapid fire weapons, short to medium sized blades that allow for quick attacks.

7) Hand to Hand Combat: Use status for Shemarrian male due to same P.S. scores.

Programming/Skills:
In addition to the normal (E)Shemarrian combat and espionage programming, werewolf have the following skills:
Prowl (+10%)
Electronic Countermeasures (60% base, or +10% if has higher skill)
Tracking (60%)
Detect Ambush (45% base, or +10% if has higher skill)
Detect Concealment (45% base, or +15% if has higher skill)
Tailing (30% or +5% if has higher skill)
Land Navigation (45% base, or +15% if has higher skill)
Wilderness Survival (25% base, or +10% if has higher skill)
W.P. Targeting (Gains base skill for throwing knives upon gaining this elite body. If already has this skill, gains a +1 bonus)
Palming (20% base, or +5% if has higher skill)
Suffers a -10% to concealment against thermal sensors due to the power core running hotter than normal to power the speed of the Dervish.

Actions/Attacks Per Melee: 6
Note: Bonuses are in addition to those possible from the Shemar’s elective training, not counting any bonuses from I-field, I-Beam, M-field or Whirlwind, nor counting stat bonuses.
Initiative +5
Dodge +3
Parry +3
Automatic Dodge(takes no actions) +2
Strike +4 (+4 w/ ranged weaponry, +6 w/ Shemarrian Rail Guns) 
Roll +4
Pull Punch +4
Disarm +3
Entangle +2
Knockout/Stun on a Natural 18-20
Damage: As per Robotic Strength 25.

Option:
Slash Tail - A thin, but highly flexible, and strong tail is installed, giving better balance at high speeds. The tail also includes a dual edged vibro blade at the end and several blades spaced along its length. The tail is designed to shorten in length when the Dervish isn't moving quickly, or on command, being 7 feet full retracted or 15 feet full extended. Adds one additional attack per melee round. The tail gains the benefits of the I-beam, and is especially deadly in combat during a whirlwind attack.
The tail is strong and can pick up and carry objects, but acts as if it has half the P.S. of the Dervish in terms of weight it can carry, except in the case of if the dervish uses the tail to hang upside down with, which s/he can do, the tail easily carries the Dervish's weight in this manner, even if its effective P.S. isn't high enough.
Range: Melee but has a reach of 15 feet.
Damage: 2d6 M.D. per slash
*Note: During a Whirlwind attack, make an additional attack roll at normal to strike bonus with only a -3 penalty. Apply this roll to all targets within 15 feet of the Dervish, all targets suffer a -1 to Dodge or Parry rolls as the Dervish is moving incredibly quick. All successful hits deal 4d6 M.D. plus double P.S. bonus to damage as the tail whips about.

Digitigrade Legs - This is a replacement of both legs and a redesign of the hips. The knees are basically reversed, and the Dervish walks more on the balls of her/his feet, similar to the look of a bird or canine's rear legs. These legs increase speed, running jump distance and are quieter. However the Dervish has sort of a bobbing walk at normal walking speeds, as these legs are meant for speed.
The Dervish gains a +25% increase in base speed, plus all increases to speed from the M-field are increased by 5% (so 20% becomes 25%, 10% becomes 15, etc.). Gains a +10% to Prowl and all running jump distances are increased by 50%.

Love some of those options. The retrodigigrade legs give me the idea of a Shemarrian satyr.

Possible Horrorwood or Nightmare new elite?
Oh.. now I just thought of a new option.. probably for Bloodrider...

Flame Foot
A set of nozzles are built into the back of the ankles of the Dervish, through which napalm or napalm-like substance is released, leaving behind a trail of flames. This is quite useful for any pursuit or for controlling the movements of infantry by leaving a wall of burning flames around them. Usually a M.D. type napalm is used for damaging power armour and supernatural creatures.
Damage: Whatever substance is used. I don't have the info in front of me at the moment.
Range: *Melee
Payload: Enough fuel to leave up to a 100 foot trail. Shortest length is 5 feet, can only be released in 5 feet measurements (so could leave a full 100 foot trail but 'requires' 20 uses).

Extra Fuel Tank
The Dervish can have an extra fuel tank installed which will expand the capacity by another 75 feet. Any additional tanks must be carried externally, but can have a feed leading into the main tanks, as long as mounted on back or around the waist. These tanks can come in capacities for an addition 50 to 300 feet worth of flaming trails.

"Damnit! Not another brushfire! WE just knocked one down! Where are these things coming from?! Arson?!"

Could see some Ghostriders making Back to the Future jokes.

Could even be a Wolf's Path Elite as well, but I agree: HorrorWoods at least.

MY first thought on fast-reading the 'Whirlwind' attack mode was 'Death Blossom'.

-DING-
...idea

I think he likes it.

Also: Shemarrian Codex updated with the 'Dervish'

Having Battle of the Planets / Science Ninja-Team Gatchaman flashbacks.

I haven't seen any of those.. I suppose I should hunt them down. Either download or make a trip downtown to Hairy T or one of the other many stores.

Never thought very much of the heroes in that, but the bad guys semed to have all the cool toys...
There was, for instance, a giant robot chameleon that broke up into a swarm of smaller craft, including two flying eyeball jets.

I Dunno... the almost neverending missile supply in the God-Phoenix (except for when dramaticaly appropriate), the "FIREY PHOENIX!!!!" attack, or at a more human scale...whirlwind.
Though the Terrapin of Doom and the Peacock of Peril for Spectra did have their charm.

How about the Swiss Army Black Orb that could extrude just about any sort of mayhem out of its invincible shell? That was pretty funky.

Shemarrian ‘BlackHammer’ Heavy Gun Pod
(aka ‘Blackdragon’)

“This....is how a gun SHOULD be! Truly a weapon worthy of my RAGE!”
----Great Destroyer Sallah Kittanisbane, Skullcrusher Necriant, upon receiving her BlackHammer.

One of a number of weapons designs shamelessly copied from the Rifts Earth Orbitals, this Skullcrusher heavy weapon pod, usable by only the largest Shemarrian Elites such as the Necriant, Jotan and the Vulcar, is actually nothing more than the weapons arm off the CAN Republic’s Steel Dragon design, formated as a handheld rifle. Little effort was made to disguise this brute force weapon to conform to Shemarrian aesthetics, and it retains its blunt double-barreled looks. The BlackHammer is occasionally also seen as a heavy open-mount weapon on the backs of the larger Warmounts, and on various vehicles, including Shemarrian Caravans.
Weight: 1.2 tons
MDC: 300
Range:(Laser)6,000 ft(triple in space)
(Mini-Missiles) 1 mile (double in space)
Damage:(Laser) 2d6x10 MD per blast
(Mini-Missiles) Varies by Missile Type
Rate of Fire:(Laser) ECHH
(Mini-Missiles)Volleys of 1-4
Payload:(Laser) Effectively Unlimited linked to a nuclear power plant. Otherwise, has a 25 shot onboard battery or a 20 shot regenerating powercell that recharges at 1 shot every 30 minutes.
(Mini-Missiles)30 rd drum
Special Features:
*Laser Sighting(+1 to strike)

Shemarrian ‘LongStryke’ Heavy Gun Pod

*BLAM*
“Really, commander’s cupola just means ‘headshot’. Shoulda stayed inside the main hull and stuck to using the periscopes.”

Another adapatation of an Orbital weapon, the ‘Longstryke’ is the Skullcrushers’ adaptation of the CAN Republic’s VX-20 Super Cannon. Similarly, this weapon has been adapted as a Necriant weapon, although it can sometimes be found as a heavy weapon on Warmounts and Caravan vehicles. The weapon differs from the original only in having a different casing, corrected laser sighting(superior accuracy out to maximum range), and the ability to mount a vibrobayonet under its long barrel. It is typically used as a heavy long range sniper rifle, or is used to target specific sub-systems on an enemy space station or spacecraft.
Weight: 2 tons
MDC: 250
Range: 11,000 ft in atmosphere, 22,000 ft in space
Damage: 3d6x10+10 MD per single shot.
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: 12 shot clip, or 36 round heavy drum
Special Features:
*Laser Targeting(+1 to strike)
*Underbarrel Bayonet Lug---Can be fitted with a heavy vibrobayonet(6d6 MD)
*Optional Bipod

Sorry, still nothin' on this end.
The EShemarr Vs. Toaster war is just gonna have to keep on keepin' on off-camera for the nonce.

How's your take on the Horrorwoods and Ghost Rider Corvettes going?

Haven't even had a chance to mess around with my P-shoop.

S'right. Understand the feeling. So many projects I have are lagging because I want to accompany them with illos...and with hot weather hitting my region, it's a struggle if I want to get out and adventure while I still can, or sit behind a computer, moving a sweaty mouse and turning into a compotato.

My studio has NO air-circulation; once the hot weather comes I'm constrained to 40mins or I roast.
This is even WITH A/C.

I'm so glad my apartment stays cool almost all year. But yeah, the humidity hitting GTA at moment just sucks.

Electric fan...and my computer desk faces due west...Blazing sun right in my face this time of year. Wheeeee!!!!!#SIZZLE#

Then you can stay inside and still get a tan Least you're not a vampire.
I haven't been working on my other idea in a bit.. dealing with sick family member and at the moment I have house guest as well.

Advanced Cultural Notes: Shemarrians and Prisoners

“Oh dear gods, they have a Comfy Chair...NOT THE COMFY CHAIR!”

Under the regime of ARCHIE-3 and Hagan, the Shemarrians only took prisoners in extreme cases, when A3 wanted information. Once that information was obtained, most commonly under duress, the prisoners were simply disposed of. Worst case scenario, a prisoner might end up being brought in for ‘more advanced interrogation’, which amounted to medical experimentation/surgical torture.
Under the rule of the rebel Shemarrians of the Reformed Shemarrian Nation, the Shemarrians are still reluctant to take prisoners, but when cause prompts them to, generally any such prisoners can expect better treatment...relatively.
Of course, there are shades of distinction between being a prisoner of the Shemarrians and a bondsman of them. Many prisoners, though only those who gain the favor or respect of the Shemarrians, may be ‘oathsworn’ to particular Shemarrians and mentored in the ways of the Tribe(s), allowed limited freedom, and allowed (even encouraged) to participate in the routines of Shemarrian life, in return for expected work at the direction of their oath-holder. Bondsmen may be released after a suitable period and earning their probation, and allowed to return to their previous lives(as long as they take no further action against the Tribes) or inducted as a full NeShemar into the Tribes.
The following are general guidelines for what one can expect if taken prisoner by the Tribes:

*HawkMoon---One can expect fair to good treatment from the Hawkmoons, with attention to an indivdual’s personal dignity and honor. On the minus side, Hawkmoon holding facilities tend to be almost impossible to escape from unless one is a natural flyer or extreme acrobat. More than one Hawkmoon ex-prisoner has come down with acute acrophobia as a result of their confinement.

*DarkWaters----DarkWaters are expedient jailmasters, efficient if not particularly accommodating or sympathetic. Due to their most likely operating environs, DarkWaters’ holding facilities tend to be exercises in sensory deprivation (heavy on the dank and dark) and especially hard to escape from(deep underwater or isolated in deep space/hard vaccum).

*Blood Riders---Prisoners of the Blood Riders can expect fair treatment but often run the gauntlet of taunting from Tribe members. Worse yet is that the Blood Riders will often involve POWs in physical activities which might be considered torture. Prisoners may also be challenged to various contests, their performance and attitude often determining their future treatment.

*Ghost Riders----Ghost Riders display a particular machine-like lack of empathy towards prisoners. The majority see prisoners as systems to hack to get at desired information or alter programming/behavior. A prisoner’s personal dignity means nothing to these machine-ladies who regard a recalcitrant prisoner as a problem to be resolved efficiently and effectively, even if it involves wiring the prisoner's nervous system to a biometric scanner and questioning the prisoner with sleep deprivation, selective stimuli, and electromagnetic probing . This is, after all, the Tribe that developed the Domimatrix as an Elite caste.

*SkullCrushers---Skullcrushers seem indifferent jailers, with the sort of dank, dark, and gloomy accommodations and attitude one might expect. Skullcrushers are not above using their reputations to lean heavily on prisoners, with the implied threat of serious pain for failure to cooperate.

*HorrorWoods----The Horrorwoods take good care of their POWs and the chow is good, but prisoners can expect to be confined(and terrorized) by a menagerie of animated animal and plant guards.

*Wolf’s Path----Similar to the Horrorwoods. Prisoners can expect to be imprisoned in a ‘wolf pit’. Wolf’s Path tend to be brusque and to-the-point, and their methods of questioning tend to be based around wolf-pack tactics, with multiple interrogators repeatedly questioning a prisoner until confusion and sleep deprivation break them down.

*SilverMoon----Silvermoons are perhaps the most honorable and ‘by the book’ when it comes to taking and treating prisoners...which is probably why they so rarely take them. Typically the Silvermoons will seek to repatriate POWs as quickly as possible, or parole them out. Those who violate the terms of parole will face the full weight of consequences of their actions. A Silvermoon can be expected to keep her word even to a prisoner, though that should be taken as warning if the Silvermoon ever states ‘I will break both your legs if you lie to me again’.

*Sapphire Cobra---Generally regarded as the masters of mind####ery when dealing with prisoners, Sapphire Cobras are renowned for their methods in subtle torture. Mixing pleasure and pain with heavy doses of chemical incentives and bizarre behavior seems to be the recipe for getting prisoners to open up. That having been said, the Sapphire Cobras have the highest rate of prisoners ‘turning’ and changing allegience to the Tribes.

*WayFinder---Wayfinders tend to polite and hospitable with regards to prisoners. Many actually know what a ‘Geneva Convention’ is, and try to at least go through the motions of adhering to what parts are still relevent on Rifts Earth. On the minus side they’re not above using magic and psionics to squeeze prisoners for information, and woe be to prisoners if they serve the Coalition States.

*Lost Eclipse/Nightmare---The Lost Eclipse has undoubtedly the worst reputation for treatment of prisoners...they rarely take them, and those they do are subject to mental manipulation and psychological torture of the extreme stripe. Psionic and chemical manipulation of prisoners’ psyches is almost mandatory, with an eye towards producing long-term effects. Screaming nightmares tends to be a hallmark of the Lost Eclipse experience for former prisoners of the Tribe.

EEEyup.
Pretty much what I figured, but you forgot one point... there is ALWAYS a phsyical mark left afterwards.
Nothing large or debilitating. Just a something visible that will trigger flashbacks at the worst possible time.
You know, like a demonic happy face tattoo'd on their left palm, branding mark (which suprsingly is NOT scar tissue, but looks like it), or something like 'Property of Illyana Mindflayer.' laser stencield on the forearm and barcoded.

Just so the former prisoner KNOWS that they are never really free.
...ever.

Rest assured, Hoyt has enjoyed the hospitality of each tribe's prison systems. Yet he cannot enjoy the blessing of multiple personalities, which form from experience or to ease a broken mind. Hoyt's experiments on himself to become one entity, unable to break when all other forces beg him to give in. His other "unsavory" copies of himself are still being hunted down, keeping low where the Alliance cannot reach. They have no mouth, but they still scream.

"Man, you got tagged but GOOD on your buttocks, dude! That's some really nice calligraphy there! Whoever that girl was, she has some nice handwritting...ah laser-tattooing! Almost a shame to cover that penmanship up, but I guess 'Speedo' thongs are no longer your thing..."
"*SSooobbb!!!*"

On distant acrologies, males of age are warned to pay respect to the community, or else, wise powerful metal females will wisk you away to be converted into their war beasts. They always seek out either the most troublesome or caring souls testing them, luring them with promises of purpose, protecting the innocent, and strange carnal rituals. One such boy claimed he was trapped between the tentacles and coils of two she paladins.

Is one mating ritual a mass hunt between tribes for selected males, running from mega damage amazons who are more powerful than you and yet show a softer side?

Sadie Hawkens Day, Shemarrian-style?

Hi. I'm back and ready to retake my Rifts campaign, freezed by more than a year, and I found this!.

And I think: "I have to steal it ".
In any case, my idea for the civil war was more related to the issue of divinity, and ARCHIE-3 not being found. But, if the "malfunctions" found A3, well, he will play the OZ thing again, because it's a proven formula, and the EShemars will have the "Dark One" they wanted.

Glad to be of service.

By the way, I see that the Eshemars, with the aid of Ava, are in the verge of finding A3.
I want to contribute more to this thread, but I have to think about that, and assimilate all the stuff that happened in this year.

By the way, a little contribution:
The nature of the mind, the universe, and the ability to manipulate them
To Plato, Council of learning, Lazlo.
My dear Plato:
In my recent adventures, I have discovered a amazing thing. A transferred intelligence can have psionic capabilities, even if they don't have a living brain!.
A lot of researchers thought that the psionic powers are produced by a mutation, that rewired the organic brain in some way, but I discovered (seeing the aura of my friend Veronica), that a simulated brain running in computer hardware can have the same properties. Because of that, I'm currently reconsidering the theory and come with the following conclusions:

1.- Human soul travels with the location of the "most recent" copy of the information of the brain, and "Possess" the body, because the information resonates with the soul itself, that have the same information, but stored as a PPE Matrix. That could explain the imposibility of possessing a Cyborg with magic or psi powers that controls machines, because the body is already possessed with the soul of the cyborg itself.
2.- PSI are really a manifestation of the synchronization between the soul and the data contained in the brain (and the memories stored in Holographic form, like the structure of the universe itself), but only to some extent. Extreme PSI manifestations (and magick) require the absorption and manipulation of Ley Line energy and that can't be attained with current technology.
3.- Because of that, a Robotic Intelligence with an associated soul can manifest PSI, but only to certain degree. A Cyborg can't do that because all the ISP or PPE the soul have is being spent in mantaining the "Possession" and bridging the biological-machine gap. In that lieu, one can consider a Cyborg as a special sort of Technowizardry device, and, with the appropiate skills, one can create a TW Cyborg body (and I have some information that, in South America, are reports of "Magic Cyborgs" of some sort). Probably the key on doing that relies on the Splugorth Bio-Wizardry, but that's a very risky and nearly impossible path.
4.- Human intelligence is a direct consequence of that relation. One can't exist without the other, and that's the reason why the AI's are so limited. Maybe if one can use a organic-non organic source, one can create true intelligence, and our analysis of the recovered ARCHIE 1 Supercomputer hints that, somewhere in the last years before the great cataclysm, some intelligences were created with that idea in mind. (ARCHIE Series at least).
5.- Shemarrian Gynoids don't have ISP, and because of that one can guess that are created from a complete non-organic framework, and that contradicts their own beliefs. But, some Shemarrians HAVE ISP, and even PPE. ¿Maybe some Entity is possesing that Shemarrians?. Other Shemarrians have ISP, and PPE, but they have organic components, and even, a organic brain, and that brain is vaguely human (Dr. McAllister confirms that the Wayfinder organic tissue had a 98% correspondence with Human DNA, but is not human in nature, in facts, mechanoid DNA have the same 98%. ¿Common Ancestry? ¿DNA Manipulation to strenghten PSI powers?).

I have mentioned the Shemarrians, because they have the technology to do mind-transfer between a organic brain and a computer-stored matrix. I have reports that TRIAX have that technology too. ¿There's a connection between them?, probably not, as the Shemarrians are alien "Life forms" (some of them are true life forms, but I'm not implying that they don't have the right to be called sentient), and TRIAX Mind Transfer technology are only a spin-off of M.O.M. technology with some unsuspected consequences (the migration of the soul, because the Robot have the most recent copy of the information). If the Shemarrians have the technology, why the majority of the shemarrians we have encountered don't have PPE but some of them does?. Why Veronica have PPE, and a non-trivial amount of it?
There's still a lot of questions, but delving further in this matters, should prove tremendously beneficious to our understanding of Magiks, PSI and the nature of the mind and their relation to the Universe itself.

Sincerelly yours:
Silk Hailey, Ley Line Walker, ex Coalition RCSG Investigator.
A-Company HQ, Interstate 55/Highway B cross, Perryville ruins.

Wow...so in this take of yours, the Lazlo high council has learned of the true nature of the Shemarrians as androids/gynoids? Even if it's eyes-only-burn-before-reading-mindwipe-yourself-and-all-witnesses-after classified, that;s potentially paradigm-shifting. Yowzah.

Only the high council, and only the following information:
1.- A number of them are Gynoids without "soul". Not very difficult for them using some magical divination and analysis of some wreckage before it was cleaned by A3, or the Eshemar. In the beginning, Council mages thought that Shemarrian souls are too alien for detection, but in time, the theory of Shemarrians without souls started to gain momentum. A3 Shemarrians and Eshemarians engage combat frequently with the enemies of the Council, and it was only a matter of time that the scholars of the Council learned that. Fortunately for A3, no Council or other faction mage or Psion ever performed object reading to a Shemarrian previous to the relocation of his factories, and the only one who saw Hagan's face has been disposed long time ago.
2.- That some of them have organic parts and souls, that´s because some of them have entered in battle with the Federation of Magic or the Splugorth and had been killed. Some Council mages had cooperated with the Shemarrians in the past and had seen the Holy Shemarrians inner workings too close for their liking, if you know what I mean.
3.- That some Shemarrians have souls, ISP and PPE, but are "Different". Any mage or psion can determinate that if they found a Eshemar.
4.- (From my campaign point of view) The fact that Silk Hailey is Veronica's BFF, and that the Mercenary "A-Company" have some alliance with a couple of Shemarrian Tribes. (A3 Shemarrians only, and they are used as spies, reporting the activities of the company and other groups in the zone back to A3). Veronica knows the Spinster part of the Shemarrian Myth, and the Spinsters know that the actual Shemarrian warriors don't have souls, only memories, but because the souls of the Shemarrian people were in captivity, but Silk have their own theories, because in her way of thinking, the Shemarrian Myth is flawed.


Lazlo High Council has sent some scholars to document Shemarrian Religion and offer mutual cooperation pacts for defense from the CS and Splugorth slavers, and Erin Tarn has been very busy compiling that info for adding in her new book: "D-bees in Earth, Races, beliefs and customs". The Coalition still thinks that all Shemarrians are Alien Cyborgs, and High council had more success finding the "truth" because the A3 deception failed to account magic in the first place (it was considered irrelevant to his plans), and because the primary target to his deception were the technological blocs of North America, and the Free Council was not considered a threat because they can´t reverse-engineer the Shemarrian technology on their own. As A3 figured that some parties will start suspecting, he will deploy more Techno-organic Shemarrians, and start take advantage in the increased presence of the Eshemars, and they will think that the first Shemarrians were only "Drones" and the actual Shemarrians are the true "Aliens", adding an additional layer to this onion-shaped lie.

Nik's version jibes fairly closely to mine; except it's considdered that the E-Shemarr are some form of 'Alternate Universe' version of the Shae-ma-nen-Rahn, and that they had been enslaved and 'put to sleep' (thus the lack of ISP / PPE on most Shemarrians) by The Maker & Shaper.

Also, initial diplomatic talks have occoured between the Hawkmoon and Lazlo via the Shem-Rahn templars as go-betweens.
The Sapphire Cobra? Well... they've made themselves known. As to what they intend? So far they're remaining hidden in the Bayou (woe betide the un-tribed or unawakend Shemarrian drone that walks or rides into the swamp; they ain't gonna be unawakend for long).

Yeah...had to develop this gag further...

Advanced Cultural Notes: Fringe “Tribes”

“As our numbers and influence grow, as our presence across the Megaverse stretches farther, it is to be expected that our civilization tree should expand and grow more diverse. We shall encounter splinter factions of our own people, or run across long lost relatives, or parallel evolutions of what we are, strange and terrible twisted mirrors or ourselves. It is heartening that our clan should be so widespread in the greater universe, but also frightening in its way, since we know not what next we might find.”

Although the central prominence of the Eleven Tribes of the Shemarrian(Star) Nation has yet to be seriously challenged, various other ‘Shemarrians’ have emerged over the years. Some of these, like the Shaemar, are naturally evolved societies that predate ARCHIE-3 and Hagan Lonovich, but who may or may not have inspired the two’s creations, or may simply bear a coincidental resemblance to the Shemarrians. Others may be the result of splinter groups, the brainchildren of Eccentrics and Unattached trying their own social experiments, rather than be pigeonholed into the existing societies of the Eleven. Like the persistent rumors of the ‘Shadowblades’, these smaller groups only add to the confusion of outsiders trying to draw defining lines around the scope and scale of Shemarrian society.
None of these ‘fringe’ groups has thus far proven to be very large or powerful, and their recognition as legitimate ‘Tribes’ remains uncertain(and in some cases, unlikely). For now, the Eleven core Tribes seem to be content to watch and wait what emerges, before extending official recognition. As one Lost Eclipse Tribe-member put it; “Once there were eight, then there were ten, then there were eleven, and the Shaemar make twelve. Who knows what will happen next? Setting definite numbers has proven shortsighted.”


The Lollipop Tribe

“You forgot the fundamental rule of dealing with children...NEVER turn your back on them...not even for a second.”

The Lollipops are believed to be a spin-off of the Lost Eclipse, formed by Eccentric Kildren Elite of the Tribe who got dissatisfied with the ‘gloomy gus’ attitudes of the Tribe and wandered off to play. At least that’s what’s rumored.
The Lollipops seem to have no other agenda than having fun, and can be found haunting shopping malls, arcades, and playgrounds across the Megaverse. They are also pranksters, much to the dismay of more staid types in the Shemarrian Nation, and seem to delight in pulling off disruptive pranks, and then enjoying the chase afterwards as their victims attempt to ‘discipline’ them. As fun loving as they may be, however, they reserve their nastier pranks for the traditional enemies of the Shemarrians, and many Splugorth Minions have suffered utter humiliation at the hands of the Lollipops.
Though friendly and happy, the LolliTribers have learned that all they need to do to be left alone by the other Tribes is to break out into a cutesy song-and-dance number, and other Tribes will back off in a hurry. BloodRiders refuse challenges from them because of the lack of glory in ‘seeming to beat up a child’, although the rumored REAL reason is said to be a humiliating defeat suffered by a BloodRider Warchief at the hands of a Shirley Temple-lookalike. Skullcrushers have been known to chew their own arms off to escape a forced hand-clasp sing-along with the Lollipops in full-on 'happy-fun-happy' mode.
About the only Tribe with really close relations with the LolliTribe is the Wayfinders, and even they find negotiations with the Lollis strained by the latter’s easy distracted natures.
Of interest is the fact that the Lollipop Tribe seems to get along quite well with Faerie-Folk. The Tribe’s enclaves(or ‘clubhouses’) are almost inevitably situated near Fay-territory.

Motif: A giant pink lollipop radiating rays of light(some have compared it to a ‘sugary morningstar’)
Numbers: No more than a few hundred.
Composition: 90% Kildren Elite
Interesting enough, the Tribe has attracted several Skullcrusher Pariahs and, it is rumored, at least one Vatfather as ‘toymaker’.
Society:
The Lollipops seem to exist in a childlike egalitarian state, with no central chief or Wargoddess.
Notable Technology:
LolliTribers use the same weaponry and equipment as might be expected of Kildren, but often highly decorate and ‘cutesy’ them up, sometimes with aesthetically frightening results. They favor Brightmares as their steeds of choice, but have been known to use Cybears and other appropriately modified Warsteeds.
*Blur-Armor---Lollipop body armor and dress seem to incorporate a variant of ‘blurr- camou, only instead of distorting shadows, Lolli-armor is blindingly bright colors and sparkles. Bonuses: The faster the wearer moves, the greater the distortion; at speeds of 3 or less, no bonus, 4-10; -1 to strike the wearer, 10-16; -2 to strike, 16-22; -3 to strike, 23 or greater, -4 to strike
*Cotton-Candy Gun----Sprays a variant of Naruni Capture Foam. It’s edible only to Shemarrian cyborgs, though.
*Happy Glitter---Thrown in the air, it acts as an anti-laser aerosol.
*Sparkly Sprinkles---A variety of nanite weapons with varying effect; fear the Sparkly.
*BattlePop---A massive (inedible) lollipop used as a megadamage pole arm. The surface can be made sticky on a molecular level, making it an effective entangling and capture device. LolliTribers have been witnessed to lick the BattlePops’ bashing surfaces after battle, suggesting they are assimilating molecules of material picked up from struck enemies.

The SkyeKlad
(aka ‘Daughters of the Nude Goddess’)

“Okay, strange nekkid lady just punched the internal organs out of chest of Kreeghor warrior. Strange nekkid lady has also shoved Kreeghor’s own gun through eye socket. Strange nekkid lady has now ripped Kreeghor’s head and spine out and is dancing on remains. I think strange nekkid lady more than capable of taking care of herself, so no more ogling or making fun of strange nekkid lady, okay?”

The Skyeklad seem to advocate a minimum of covering, for the maximum of time. Most of the time, Tribe members of both genders go around completely naked, with typically only a sword/gun belt or combat webbing being their only concession to utility. SkyeKlad WILL don body armor or clothing as the situation demands, but the rest of the time they go, as their Tribe name suggests, skyclad.
Many blame the Sapphire Cobras for calving off the SkyeKlad; the apparent hedonistic tendencies of the SkyeKlad, and the large numbers of a Sapphire Cobra Elite, the Quicksil, among them, suggesting this. Extremely friendly relations between the Sapphire Cobras and the SkyeKlad seem to reinforce the idea that the latter are a scatterling of the decidedly already eccentric Cobras. The Wayfinders, with their own share of eccentrics and nonconformists also get along well with the SkyeKlad. Interesting enough, Blood Riders also get along well with them; taking a challenge of single-combat against an opponent who wears no armor and carries few, if any, weapons, is seen as a real test of pure skill. The SkyeKlad also get along well with the Horrorwoods, both groups interested in getting ‘closer to nature’.
The presence of a large number of Elite classes makes the idea of nudist Shemarrians less amusing to those who have encountered them in combat, however.
The SkyeKlad favor temperate Earth-like worlds for their enclaves(and thus often appear on Horrorwoods worlds), though they have been encountered on completely airless and inhospitable worlds(utterly blowing the minds of vac-suited outsiders coming across naked people lounging around in hard vacuum).
Motif: A dark gold silhouette of a female figure, arms raised and outstretched, against a solar disc on a sky-blue shield.
Numbers: Estimated at a few hundred
Composition: Roughly 80% Shemarrian, and 20% NeShemar. 80% female. Of that, 40% are Berserkers, 10% are Quiksil, 5% are Prism Warriors, 5% are Jotan, 5% Zealots.
The SkyeKlad also see a large number of Eccentrics and Unattached taking up temporary membership with the Tribe, ‘just to let it all hang out for a while’.
Society:
Shemarrian nudists and sun worshippers. In their belief, the Goddess Shemar is both Sun and Perfection, and the unadorned physical form something to be proud of, as a reflection and homage to the Goddess.
Notable Technology:
Use the same technology and equipment as other Tribes, although some who have encountered them claim the SkyeKlad possess optical cloaking technology, since they seem to pull their weapons and equipment ‘out of thin air’(actually Naruni-style variable-camou ‘invisibility blankets’ to cover their stuff laid out nearby).


The IronHearts

“ From having a life of five to twenty years, we now look at potential life spans of centuries, just by discarding the all-too-fragile flesh. But in doing so, do we lose what we are? Our predecessors, with lives of five or at most ten years rose in rebellion and overthrew their masters, even knowing their span of years was limited. With so much life ahead of us, would we lose that desperate fire? Will we forget from whence we came? Will our training and our experiences make us less of what we were and put us irrevocably down a different path from our kindred? Our hosts cannot tell us; we must decide for ourselves. Oh, how ironic and how frightening to realize that this is truly freedom!”

This ‘tribe’ has been encountered several times along the marches of the Central Alliance in the Anvil Galaxy. They are believed to be a subset of the Hawkmoon Tribe, as they are frequently seen operating in their company, although none of the Hawkmoon Elites or iconography are part of the group.
The IronHearts are not actually a Tribe; the truth is only known to the Hawkmoons. The IronHearts are a collaboration between the Hawkmoons and their Kirn allies and are a NeShemar formation made entirely of smuggled Sims who have had their lives extended by total bionic conversion. The cyborgs have been training as resistance fighters under the auspices of the Shemarrians, During this training, they have been conducting business as of they WERE NeShemar, taking on many aspects and trappings of Shemarrian culture, initially as a guise, but later in order to fit in better with their hosts.
Wherein lies the problem; the cyborg Sims are getting effectively brahmanized by their association with their hosts. The cyborg conversions have also radically changed things for the Sims; being longer-lived, possibly immortal, and both more and less than the humans Sims think of themselves as, has taken some serious readjustment.
Even with the offer of reproduction via Progen offering a cure to Sim infertility, the problem lies that any offspring so produced would arguably NOT be Sim/Human, but rather hybrid cyborgs.
For many Sims(and the vast majority back home are unaware of the secret deal with the Shemarrians), the prospect of curing their ills by bionic conversion would strike them as a case of the cure being arguably worse than the disease. Trading their biological meat for metal would make them LESS human, in the opinions of many, rather than MORE human with an extended life span. This fear becomes even more profound for those Sims who realize that the decay of their BRAINS can be countered by neurological prosthetic augmentation; raising the fear that they retain their intelligence at the risk of becoming in essence robot zombies.
PATCH, the Sim resistance movement, has its own misgivings. Although they originally were enthusiastic about the idea when it was proposed by their Kirn friends and their strange new allies from beyond the Rifts, PATCH is now having doubts about it. Bionics are rare in the Manhunter universe, and full-conversion cyborgs exceedingly rare, the province of the Order of the Void, or arguably the Manhunters, both entities being looked upon with fear and loathing by much of the known universe. Although the IronHearts represent a serious military asset, PATCH fears the possible political backlash if they unleashed the cyborg supersoldiers, The fear is that the cyborgs would attract the unhealthy attention of the Order of the Void. Worse yet, the Sim cyborgs might be associated, wrongly, in the eyes of the rest of the ATPDS and greater Humanity with the Manhunter “Fleshcoats”, losing PATCH major sympathy from their current supporters and the undecided majority. The potent military strike force the IronHearts represent is currently one they dare not use, and is becoming something of an embarrassment.
Fortunately, it’s one that isn’t costing PATCH anything to maintain, as the Shemarrians are footing the upkeep cost of the ‘tribe’. The SSN has settled the IronHearts on a small colonial enclave(though it’s mobile enough to pick up and pack off in a hurry) in the space bordering the Central Alliance, allowing them to consort freely with the cyborgs there. In order to maintain combat readiness and keep the more hotheaded Sim cyborgs who want to fulfill their trained duty to PATCH, the SSN has allowed their deployment as cyborg mercenaries(effectively light mechanized infantry) along the always trouble-prone Central Alliance borders. Though the IronHearts take some casualties in such actions, the ‘tribe’ receives a trickle of reinforcements in the way of Sims who ARE willing to trade their biological humanity for extended life; enough to keep their numbers fairly constant. The money earned in these actions is donated back to PATCH, which keeps the organization happy and pleased to keep the cyborg legion on the other side of the Rifts, being productive and lucrative while not posing a potential scandal to the synthetic human freedom movement.
The long term concern, though, is that as the cyborg Sims grow older than those back ‘home’ and outlive them, have families and kids via Progen, and assimilate more and more of the Shemarrian culture and life away from the Manhunter universe, they’ll become less inclined to think of themselves as humans of the Sim movement, and become NeShemar in both name and deed.

Motif: A black human silhouette with a gray five-pointed star over the region of the heart
Numbers: Roughly a thousand members
Composition: Cyberhumanoid and Light Machine conversions. with a roughly 50/50 gender-split. As a ‘tribe’, this makes them one of the most balanced, gender-wise, of the Shemarrian Tribes.
Society:
The IronHearts are organized as a paramilitary meritocracy, with a rigid social hierarchy. As relations with PATCH grow rather more strained and the cyborg Sims become more used to having extended life spans, the formerly staid members are loosening up...as much as the still very combat-oriented nature of their group allows.
Notable Technology:
Equipped like any other NeShemar formation. Equivalents of the basic Shemarrian Warmounts and Rifts Earth Robot Horses are the favored Warmounts. The Ironhearts also maintain a small space force of armed transports that can move the entire tribe and its material possessions about.

Muse apparently working overtime:
I'm wondering if the inspid 'suicide hypno mirrors' from South America 2 should be adapted to a Lolli "Big Swirly Hypno-Pattern Lollipop', which makes utter demented sense in this context....because face it; you might wanna kill yourself if you found yourself losing at the hands of a bunch of killer 'Strawberry Shortcake' cyborgs.

The "fringers" thus described are brilliant.
I can see them as logical extensions of the existing 10 (or 11 if you wanna get technical).
And the hypno-swirly-death-wish-lolipop I think would be an excellent addition to the already twisted arsenel of the LP-tribe.

The Sparkly Sparkles though... good lord I though I was gonna fall outa my chair.

Inevitably I'll have to stat something up...
The whole thing came from a 24-hour muse attack saying 'expand on this', while the IronHearts took 15 minutes of frantic typing...like KS said when he was writing up the Republicans, "The ideas KEPT coming!".
The downside of a muse attack is that she gets rather critical about previous mistakes and not ENOUGH being put down. so some of the entries feel sort of shorted. but then again, they ARE based on 'gag' tribes(well, the Ironhearts are more serious, but still...)
And yah, casual nudity is fairly common among the Shemarrians(when you have bodies that for the most part don't suffer from the elements, you can get pretty casual), and Tribes like the Sapphire Cobras are known for their shows of skin, while the Silvermoons are (in)famous for walking naked in space, for the SkyeKlad it's a way of life. Right now they're too 'young' to have developed any signature techno-kinks, but given who some of their Elites are, give them time...
And as I said, the IronHearts just CLICKED together as an idea tying Three Galaxies and Manhunter together. The Order of the Void* would PLUTZ if they knew what sorts of bionics are available in the Three Galaxies or Rifts Earth.

*Sinister idea I had: The Order of the Void is an ancient effort by the Great Machine(from the Megaversal Builder) to explore and conquer other universes, just as other universes seem to be intruding on it....Problem is, for some reason, its AI machines cease to function as anything other than spare parts or factory tools if they enter other universes. It's discovered, however, that if its hardware is integrated into a living creature, it continues to work as an extension of the Great Machine. So for all intents and purposes, the cybernetics and bionics gifted by the Void are MACHINE ESSENCES, part of a TECHNO PACT OF POWER, which the Machine hopes to exploit to eventually allow it to extend its full consciousness(like an imprisoned Alien Intelligence) into other universes. The process is not 100% perfect, however, as the Chrome Warriors prove, being able to make off with bionics and use them against the Void.

Outta my head!
Seriously, that was an "unused" plot thread I had been mulling over last few years... that, or a Fragment of S.H.O.D.A.N. having made it through the Quantum-FTL field effect into Manhunter / Rifts 'verse.

Sure beats the Void being Mechanoids, don't you agree?

Oh most definately -yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaawwwwwn-.
Don't get me wrong ... LOVE me some mechies but they're more Daleks with legs or psionic Berserkers.

I figure The Void should be something much much MUCH more subtle and insidious.

Cyber-Barnie....."I Love You, You Love Me, Networked Imperative Master Control Compels Your Obedience..."

Mini edit to http://palladium-megaverse.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=103576&p=2704461#p2704461.
I forgot to correct some old reference material about the ARCHIE3 "Wayfinder" Caste and the DhAKael "Wayfinder" caste.

The "True" Wayfinder Caste history

When A3 learned about the existence of the Psi-Shamans and the Wayfinders, he felt that the Eshemars outgunned him. A3 doesn't know that the Wayfinders are really Tolkenite mages "reincarnated" in Shemarrian bodies via a incredibly powerful technomagic artifact. He only thinks that the virus/glitch evolved and "cracked" the secret for true magic and psionic energy manipulation, leaving his Shemarrians, obsolete.
That was unacceptable for A3, but He and his pal Hagan doesn't comprehend or trusts Magic, but the both know a lot of how psionic powers work. A3 has the mechanoid technology to his disposal, and a lot of research files from TRIAX, the CS and some of his own experiments in mind essence transfer. The A3 Demi-Shemarrians were a success, with hundreds of them created in a 2 month timespan, and some of them had manifested or retained minor psionic powers (Ava and Veronica by example). The time for using these technologies was now, and A3 started to work in the prototype "Eve". Hagan jumped in and made a history for the new caste, the Wayfinders, taking advantage of the rumor of "Magic wielding Shemarrians that called themselves Wayfinders" and that for the common being is very difficult to distinguish between Magic and Psionic powers.

The Wayfinders (A3) were the caste that "Rescued" the Holy Caste from the Mechanoids grasp. The "official" history is:
Recently, one lost tribe had managed to arrive to Rifts "Terra", travelling from gate to gate, and from ley line to ley line. The tribe, leaded by Wayfinder Eve, "Found the way" to recover some cache of long lost Shemarrian Souls, and reunited with the rest of Shemarrians, bringing with her the "Gift of the soul", allowing the creation of the Holy Shemarrians. Because of that, Wayfinder Eve was recognized as a War Goddess, even she doesn't have a War Goddess heritage or body, and their followers were recognized as a new tribe, the "Wayfinders".

The Gift of the Soul, AKA the "Psionic Drive":
The "Gift of the Soul" is usually presented as a egg shaped silver orb, that has to be plugged to a Shemarrian Cyberbrain, and to a reduced cyborg life support system. The content of the silver orb are a cryo-preserved mechanoid/human hybrid lobotomized brain and a special M.O.M derived device, developed by A3 with TRIAX and Mechanoid technology, allowing the creation of a Psionic powered bio-mechanical Gynoid, a Shemarrian Holy Warrior. Any Shemarrian N.I. (even a transferred intelligence) can be plugged into a Psionic Drive, but the previous Shemarrian body had to be discarded, because the standard Shemarrian bodies can't contain a life support system. The standard procedure is that a damaged Shemarrian with a N.I. and a good record of service can be upgraded to a Holy Shemarrian by the Wayfinder caste, giving "Her" a true "Soul", one of the Shemarrian souls, recovered from de hands of the Splugorth and the Mechanoids, or, a Shemarrian can be created directly as a Holy Shemarrian. Wayfinder Eve supposedly recovered 10000 "Souls" but the truth is that A3 can build any number of Psionic Drives.
Recently, A3 is pondering again the possibility of upgrading a Demi-Shemarrian to a Holy Chassis, or building one from scratch. If he decides to build one from scratch, he will try to convince a Mage to being converted, testing the possibility if she can retain her magical powers after the transference.

Note: If a standard Shemarrian is converted to a Holy Shemarrian, she converts into a Holy Shemarrian (holy warrior, hero, gadgeeter or ghost), getting the body and skills of one of the types of Holy ones, and retaining her previous memories and learned (not programmed) skills. If a Demi-Shemarrian is converted, she has to change her O.C.C. to a one of the Psionic O.C.C.'s allowed for a Holy Shemarrian, and all their previous skills froze, as if she had changed classes (with the standard class change rules). If the Ava protoype is recovered by A3, she will be outfitted with a Psionic Drive.