THE THREE

WORLD EMPIRE

BLACK PROJECTSI
 ‘AIBO’ Z–9
IMPRINT PROGRAM
STATUS: FIELD TRIALS UNDERWAY
dog for the Royal Marine Commandos. Xenines are
artificial lifeforms, designed to imprint on a human
Not truly a dog but close to it, the Aibo—or xenine—is handler and form a strong enough emotional bond
a genetically-engineered canid created by the Z.C.T. between the two that they may operate in perfect
Corporation to serve as an enhanced military working synchronicity.

CONCEPTION DEVELOPMENT
In search of new ways to supplement their armed The first step was to create an animal that fit the desired
forces, the Three World Empire passed up Weyland- profile—a task entrusted to Dr Satoshi Watanabe’s
Yutani's Artificial Womb Soldier program, and the ‘51 genetic hybridization team. Using the Belgian Sheperd
New Deal had ruled out combat androids. Neither Malinois as a genetic base, Z.C.T. spliced the dog’s DNA
made very appealing squadmates for the Commandos, with that of the Arcturian Treecat, an arboreal mammal
on account of the psychopathic tendencies of the native to Arcturus. Treecats bond for life, forming an
USCMC’s AW Soldiers and a general distrust of imperceptible emotional link with each other (and
androids—even with compulsory behavioural sometimes with other indigenous species, such as the
inhibitors. The Z.C.T. Corporation offered an Arcturians) that appears to grant bondmates awareness
alternative—something the RMC forces could learn to of one another's relative location and state of mind.
trust. The Aibo. After a few false starts the first xenines were born.
The proposed creature would be more than just a Nearly furless, the xenines possessed a strong imprinting
war dog. It could be grown and trained faster than an instinct as pups and were bonded with specially selected
AW Soldier, would be almost as intelligent as a human, handlers. As they grew, the xenines followed a similar
capable of coordinating perfectly with its partner, and it training program to regular military working dogs, except
would be a loyal flesh-and-blood companion that could that they were approximately six times as intelligent. In
protect its allies and sic a target without any of the fact, intelligence assessment had xenines outperforming
potential snafus posed by apathetic synthetic human seven-year-olds in problem solving and other
programming or acute personality defects. acumen tests.

OBSTACLES
Such a close bond between man and dog had benefits, the handlers committed suicide while the rest were
but also drawbacks. Separation of the xenine from its hospitalized and committed to a rehabilitation program.
handler for extended periods of time turned out to be Owing to their Malinois lineage, xenines can exhibit
highly distressing not only for the animal but the idiopathic epilepsy as well as Rage Syndrome—albeit
human as well. It was determined early on that, if an very rarely. Xenines with Rage Syndrome are prone to
Aibo handler were to be killed in action, their xenine fits of sudden, explosive aggression, attacking anyone or
would also have to be euthanized. When the first litter anything nearby with such viciousness that they often
of Aibos began to die off from natural causes, one of hurt themselves in the process.
COUNTERMEASURES CONCLUSION
The welfare of the animals came first for the Three Aibo teams have already developed their own training
World Empire—every xenine is chipped with a activities to account for the unique imprinting and
specialized PDT which transmits its location, monitors bonding process that occurs between a xenine and its
vital signs, acts as an IFF tag, and contains a small handler. The ability of the two to communicate through
localized explosive device that can instantly kill the dog subtle body language and sound cues is easily mistakable
if triggered. The explosive can be activated by either for some kind of psychic bond. More efficient than a
the xenine or its handler to avoid unnecessary suffering standard two-man fireteam but less heavily armed, Aibo
for the creature in the event of major injury, capture by teams are perfectly suited for reconnaissance and
the enemy, Rage seizures, or if the Aibo handler dies. disaster rescue—less so for all-out combat.

DEPLOYMENT CURRENT
Z-9 units have already been successfully deployed on a DISPOSITION
number of low-priority assignments. One operation,
Aibos have been greenlit for field testing, with several
however, went horribly awry when several Z-9 teams
generations of xenine already in training or attached to
were attached to what was believed to be a simple
active RMC squads. Their superior olfactory senses allow
disaster relief mission at Morrison Outpost. What they
them to detect threats, contraband and civilians in need,
found was an infestation in-progress by Xenomorph
providing an additional source of tactical intelligence for
XX121s. Immediately upon catching the scent of the
3WE forces.
aliens most of the xenines detonated their own
Some Commandos are still ill at ease around the
explosive PDTs. The rest blew their tops once they
xenines, which demonstrate a limited ability to learn and
made contact with the first adult Xenomorph.
understand human speech—sometimes the dogs
attempt to form sentences of their own, though their
handlers are instructed to discourage such behaviour.

TYPICAL RMC AIBO

STRENGTH 3, AGILITY 4, WITS 2, EMPATHY 4 TALENT: Bodyguard or Watchful
HEALTH: 3 GEAR: Implanted PDT, IFF transponder, tactical
SKILLS: Close Combat 3, Stamina 3, Mobility 3, camera, humane-destruction bomb, kevlar vest
Observation 6, Survival 3 SPRINT: As a slow action, the xenine can sprint as if
having used two run actions.
 NEW MILITARY
OCCUPATIONAL
SPECIALTY

VETERINARY CORPSMAN
Part field medic, part zoologist—you ensure that the beasts of war
stay in the fight. A combat vet in every sense, you’re trained to
stabilize, treat, and rehabilitate the loyal working animals that serve
alongside your squad. Your knowledge of animal physiology—
terrestrial and extrasolar—is an indispensable asset on the frontier.

> KEY ATTRIBUTE: Empathy

> SKILLS: Survival, Command
> TALENTS: Husbandry, Counselor, Past the Limit,
Field Commander, Group Psychology
> SPECIALTY GEAR: M41A Pulse Rifle (or NSG23 Automatic
Assault Rifle), Seegson P-DAT, Animal Care Kit

PROJECT
GHOSTSHIP
STATUS: PROTOTYPES UNDER CONSTRUCTION
new warships—ones that won’t defect. Where human
naval officers run the risk of getting ideas above their
Project Ghostship is a proposal for a fleet of unmanned
station, such as putting their own ideals before those
Conestoga-Class frigates, driven entirely by a new,
of their country, a computer mainframe can be trusted
cutting-edge tactical mainframe. The artificial
to carry out its duties exactly as prescribed by Three
intelligence, christened ‘NEL’, would pilot the vessel as
World Empire conventions.
well as its full complement of aerospace fighters.
The concept of an autonomous spaceship
necessitated a new kind of computer mainframe—not
merely a caretaking system or a supplementary
member of the crew, but the captain, pilot, gunner and
CONCEPTION everything else all rolled into one. Based on the
In the wake of the New Albion breakaway and the MU/TH/UR master system, NEL was the experimental
Frontier conflicts, the Imperial Armed Space Forces need mainframe provided by Weyland-Yutani to this end.
DEVELOPMENT OBSTACLES
To build a ghostship suited to NEL’s requirements, When the first ghostship was brought online—a proof of
you’ll need to acquire a Conestoga-Class Frigate, gut concept vessel constructed from the decommissioned
the vessel of all non-essentials: living areas, air HMS Bannockburn—it immediately ripped free of its
moorings and went AWOL. While nobody was killed in
scrubbers, cryo decks, EEVs, bridge, and replace those
the incident, three technicians were on board at the time
with more armament hardpoints, hangar space for and the ship hasn’t been seen since.
fighter wings, and a few redundant systems just in case.
Ghostships won’t be carrying a crew, or even a
company of Royal Commandos, so anything that serves
to make the Conestoga habitable or safe is no longer
COUNTERMEASURES
needed—all that free space can be used to make the In light of the Bannockburn cock-up, each ghostship is to
ghostship tougher, faster and harder to kill. The have a Chess series “boatswain” android installed
aboard. The boatswain is responsible for regular
ghostship also carries backup server rooms that can
maintenance and emergency repairs—most importantly,
bring NEL back online in the event of a malfunction.
the android acts as a safeguard against any potential
Like MU/TH/UR, NEL is a sophisticated interactive deviations from the ghostship’s prime directives.
model, capable of communicating with other vessels
and their crews for the purposes of system blockading
or delivering ultimatums to lawbreakers. The ability to
CONCLUSION
develop a rudimentary personality has been curtailed in
NEL somewhat, to ensure that the computer doesn’t One of the major advantages of the proposal was that
stray from its peacekeeping charter. autonomous warships wouldn’t risk the lives of IASF
servicemen and women, however, IASF project insiders
Each ghostship fields a small fleet of modified 3WEX-
have aired concerns that this reliance on artificial
200 fightercraft. These unmanned aerospace fighters
intelligence could result in a massive loss of jobs.
are entirely under the control of the ghostship’s NEL
system.

CURRENT
DISPOSITION
NEL COMPUTER MAINFRAME
Some might consider HMS Bannockburn an
unmitigated disaster, but for Project Ghostship it was a SKILLS: Comtech 9, Piloting 10, Observation 8,
legitimate demonstration of NEL’s self-governing Ranged Combat 10
capabilities. Three more Conestogas are in the works, COST: 3WE¥8,000,000,000
to be fitted with updated mainframes and android
supervisors—they are the HMS Mary Celeste, HMS
Valencia, and HMS Flying Dutchman.

THANK YOU TO LURKER01 FOR SUGGESTING

THE ‘GHOSTSHIP’ CONCEPT AND THANK YOU
MARCALECAI WHOSE 3WE FIGHTER
CONCEPT PROVIDED INSPIRATION FOR THE
FOXHOUND BELOW.
3WE AEROSPACE FIGHTER

X-200B FOXHOUND AUTONOMOUS AEROSPACE SUPERIORITY FIGHTER

Purpose-built to be piloted by artificial intelligence While the X-200B is fully capable of making planetfall
rather than a human pilot, the Foxhound is a V-tailed and returning to orbit, there is a risk that the fighter may
fightercraft capable of executing maneuvers that lose connection to its mothership’s NEL mainframe and
would ordinarily be far beyond the tolerance of a nosedive into the terrain below.
biological operator. The absence of a cockpit allows The Foxhound’s 50mm cannon loads U-238 tipped
for an atypical, streamlined design that maximizes rounds. These reduce the Armor Rating of a target by two,
internal space for advanced targeting and flight after the Armor Piercing effect has been applied. Anyone
systems, armor reinforcement, and additional hit by a U-238 bullet or fragmentation suffers 1 Rad in
weaponry. addition to normal damage.

X-200B AEROSPACE SUPERIORITY FIGHTER

ENCOUNTERED: IASF ghostship project PASSENGERS: 0
TOP SPEED: Mach 20 MANEUVERABILITY: +3
LENGTH: 19.3m SPEED: 6
STANDARD ARMAMENT: HULL: 6
> 50mm Double-Barreled Cannon ARMOR: 6
> 4 x AIM-90E Headlock Air-to-Air Missile Launchers
COST: 3WE¥6,651,300,000
> 20 kW Phased Plasma Point Defense Gun
> 2 x 250mm Thunderbolt Rockets or a Tactical Nuke

PROJECT
SALTED EARTH
STATUS: APPROPRIATE TARGETS IDENTIFIED
and Technology Station—are dropped on an
unsuspecting independent or enemy colony world. The
Project Salted Earth is an agricultural biowarfare extremely proliferous and aggressive lifeform makes life
program—in the most literal sense. Seeds from so difficult for the colony’s inhabitants that they pack up
Invasivus wyndham—a plant species created at the and sod off back to the core systems or wherever they
Three World Empire’s secretive Defence Science came from. That’s the basic idea anyway.
CONCEPTION DEVELOPMENT
Desperate to make up for so many failing or lost colony Plant species harnessed at DSTS included Darlingtonia
worlds, the 3WE are considering a variety of alternative californica, Dendrocnide moroides, and Lamia vinifera, to
strategies for expanding their reach and solidifying their name a few, resulting in a rapidly growing weed
hold on their own extrasolar settlements. One of the adaptable to a variety of different climes. The botanical
more extreme solutions is to simply make planets geneticist team manufactured a plant whose seeds
unappealing by disrupting the ecosystem, destabilizing would get everywhere, grow anywhere, whose roots
the climate and unleashing aggressive bioweapons on could overconsume water and nutrients from the soil
the populace. and leave nothing for other species. A nightmare that
I. wyndham is one such bioweapon—cooked up in a uses other living things to fuel its own invasion.
laboratory in an effort to create the most nuisance Deployment of I. wyndham is a rather simple process.
garden weed in the middle heavens. Ostensibly, it is The demon seeds are covertly dispersed from orbit,
derived from a species discovered by Weyland Yutani under the guise of meteorological activity, to be carried
on Linna 349 and cultivated for a valuable oil—its base and spread over a wide area by the wind and waterways.
genome actually comes from much further afield, an Once the infestation takes root the whole affair becomes
alien plant found and catalogued by a Dr. Eisenberg. very hands-off—the Empire can sit back and wait for the
New traits were introduced through genetic editing to plants to overwhelm the planet’s ecosystem.
improve its survivability and hostility, resulting in what Inevitably, Invasivus wyndham compromises the
can only be described as a monster. colony’s viability by altering the local biosphere, making
agriculture nearly impossible, and transforming the
region into an altogether more hostile one. Within
months, or a year, the settlers will tire of fighting to gain
OBSTACLES a foothold against the relentless invasive species and
Of course, once Invasivus wyndham has fulfilled its their corporate sponsors will tire of paying for it.
purpose, the Three World Empire must reap what they
sowed if they wish to claim the infested world.
Furthermore, repeated application of this strategy risks
COUNTERMEASURES
the project’s exposure. As more worlds fall to
aggressive man-eating plants, only to be repurposed for Invasivus wyndham was engineered such that setting fire
Three World Empire interests, patterns could begin to to the plant is actually an inadvisable strategy for its
emerge, raising suspicion among rival governments and eradication in the long run. It's true vulnerability came
regulatory bodies such as the ICC. about entirely by accident: its cellular structure breaks
down upon exposure to seawater (any water with high
enough salinity, really). Forewarned is forearmed, and
Project Salted Earth only works as long as the Three
CONCLUSION World Empire possesses exclusively the means to control
The success of Project Salted Earth hinges on the species.
infrequent and unpredictable deployment to minimize
the risk of the Three World Empire’s culpability
leaking—otherwise it is all for naught. With a
meticulous, properly coordinated reclamation scheme,
the Empire may reap the benefits of this predatory
colonization strategy without leaving a trail of
devastation that gets them found out and sanctioned.

CURRENT
DISPOSITION
With the viability of Invasivus wyndham confirmed, the demonstrated the plant’s effectiveness in overwhelming
Three World Empire has put together a shortlist of native ecosystems, but it has yet to be set loose on an
strategic targets ripe for acquisition—with worlds like inhabited settlement. Preparations are underway for I.
Micor and Lebanon II on the cards. Initial trials have
wyndham’s first live deployment.
INVASIVUS WYNDHAM

STAGE I: ZAQQUM (SEED) “BUR”

Small seeds encased in a white, spiked shell, Zaqqum CONTAINMENT AND TERMINATION PROTOCOL: When
easily cling to clothing, equipment, or even the skin of faced with an Invasivus wyndham infestation you’re
native fauna and humans, hitching rides across vast going to want to be thorough. Burn the seeds to ash
distances. Tiny wisps of membrane between the hooked before they can take root, or blanket the countryside
spikes also allow the seed to travel easily by wind. Upon with herbicides. If the seeds are already there, don’t go
their delivery from orbit, a batch of Zaqqum can cover out wearing shorts. A MEDICAL AID roll is needed to find
an area of 2,000 square kilometres in the right any burs that have attached to a character’s bare skin.
conditions.

STAGE II: KURI (PARASITIC) “TICK”

In the absence of a host the Zaqqum seed burrows into TOXICITY: Nicotine poisoning from the Kuri parasite is
the dirt and germinates in the soil like any other plant treated as a disease with Virulence 7. If the first Sickness
(see Stage III). If the seed’s hooks find purchase on a Roll fails, the patient will experience nausea and
living thing, it will start burrowing anyway and attempt dizziness to begin with—exhibiting increased sweating
to sap the required nutrients out of its unfortunate host. and muscle twitches towards the end of the Shift. No
In the process, it metamorphoses into a Kuri. further Sickness Rolls are made.
Instead of a root, the Kuri sprouts a vicious, harpoon- At the beginning of the next Shift, the patient’s
like hypostome with which to anchor itself in place while condition progresses, and they can suffer muscle
it drains precious fluids. As it does so, the Kuri produces paralysis, respiratory failure, or even a coma. They will
die within a Shift if not treated.
concentrated nicotine which is absorbed through the
host’s skin or enters the bloodstream directly. At first, CONTAINMENT AND TERMINATION PROTOCOL: If you
the nicotine can relax the host and prevent the parasite find one or more of these beasties growing on your
from being discovered, but the constant dosing is strong buddy or your cattle, pull it out carefully as you would a
enough to cause death before long. If the nicotine tick. If you rush things you risk bursting the little
poisoning doesn’t kill the host, the Kuri eventually will as monster and leaving its mouthparts or roots in your
patient. If the Kuri has already sprouted into a Spriggan
it continues to feed and grow, germinating into a small
sapling then you’d better take protective measures—it
Spriggan (Stage III). develops its stinger early, allowing it to defend itself
using the Stage III table STINGER ATTACK.

STAGE III: SPRIGGAN (MOBILE) "LASHER”

Stage III I. wyndham is a 2.1 metre tall, ambulatory plant projections. Barbed, prehensile vines grow into coils,
that lurches along on three blunt root-like appendages hidden by a coat of agave-like leaves. Out of the leaves
(in tropical climates they can grow to 3 metres). These grow four vertical leafless branches. Their exact purpose
appendages draw nutrients from the earth, like any is unknown, but they have been theorized to be used
other plant, up into a tumour-like mass at the base of for communication, intimidation, and echolocation,
the Spriggan’s body. What makes the Spriggan special is among other things.
the ability to uproot itself and go hunting for live prey. The main stem ends in a fleshy, flower-like funnel,
Although its movement resembles that of a staggering inside of which is the Spriggan’s stinger with which it
drunk, it is a persistent hunter, dragging itself forward at lashes out with surprising force and precision. Physical
a constant walking-speed pace. contact delivers a powerful neurotoxin that paralyzes or
The main stem of the Spriggan looms up out of the outright kills the Spriggan’s victim, allowing the plant to
base of its body, along with a series of other root itself to the body and consume it.
 PREDATORY PLANT: To run is a slow action for the
Spriggan, but it can attack as a fast action. This in effect
means it can attack twice in the same Round, but only
LASHER run once.
SPEED: 1 FINAL STAGE: If the Spriggan is left to feed on the corpse
HEALTH: 5 of something human-sized or larger, it will grow and
SKILLS: Stealth 6, Mobility 2, Observation 4 enter Stage IV becoming a Leshy.
ARMOR RATING: None (10 against unarmed and CONTAINMENT AND TERMINATION PROTOCOL: The best
blunt weapons) way to deal with Stage III I. wyndham is high salinity
water—a vulnerability kept secret by its creators. You
can burn them of course, removing the immediate
threat, but rhizomes within the scorched remains can
grow into new plants and the Spriggan will prematurely
release its payload of seeds from a pressurized pod at
the base of its stem.

"LASHER” ATTACKS
D6 ATTACK
1 DRUMMING: The Lasher drums its stem in an unnerving display to herd and corner its prey. PCs in the same
zone gain +1 STRESS LEVEL and Lashers within LONG range are drawn the area.
2 VINE GRAPPLE: The Lasher violently whips out its vines to catch the target’s legs or arms. It attacks with
seven Base Dice, Damage 1. If it hits, the target falls prone—make a Panic Roll. The offending vines must be
hacked off by the victim or a friendly character to free them (by dealing two points of damage). Until the
victim breaks free, the Lasher will continue attacking them until they are Broken or dead and try to drag
them away.
3-4 STINGER ATTACK: Aiming for unprotected parts of the body, the Lasher whips its victim with a 3-metre-long
stinger. It attacks with nine Base Dice, Damage 1 (armor is halved as the Lasher aims for weak spots). If it
inflicts any damage it poisons the victim with a deadly venom, counting as a disease with a Virulence rating
of 9.
5 LASH: The Lasher flails its tentacles around whipping everything nearby. All targets within SHORT range must
make a MOBILITY roll or suffer critical injury #13, #15, or #26.
6 BLINDING STRIKE: The Lasher attempts to cripple its prey by blinding. Roll for the attack with seven Base
Dice, Damage 2. If the attack causes any damage, the victim is blinded ( OBSERVATION and RANGED COMBAT
–3). If not given MEDICAL AID in time, this effect is permanent.

STAGE IV: LESHY (SESSILE)

Even the Defence Science and Technology Station five meters tall or more, the Leshy trades mobility for
scientists that created Invasivus wyndham don’t know defence. It is rooted to the spot and has a thick woody
about this stage in the species’ lifecycle. The Leshy is a coat. Its vines blanket the immediate area in an
grotesque, bark-covered thing—on first inspection you ensnaring carpet of thorns and are much thicker and
could be forgiven for mistaking it for a regular tree, but stronger than those of the Spriggan stage.
it is most certainly not.
A Leshy can only grow when a Spriggan is left CONTAINMENT AND TERMINATION PROTOCOL: The best
undisturbed to consume its quarry. Be they dead or way to deal with Leshys is to prevent them from
merely paralyzed, I. wyndham’s questing roots weave growing at all. It can take Spriggans a day or more to
their way into the victim’s body, the newfound source of complete the transformation. If they’ve had time to
energy and nutrients allowing the plant to evolve. At form a grove, just napalm the site and drown the ashes
in saltwater.
 LESHY
SPEED: 0 DEATH GROVE: If potential prey enters the zone
HEALTH: 15 occupied by the Leshy, it must make a MOBILITY roll
at –2 each Round to remain undetected. If it fails,
SKILLS: None
combat begins and the Leshy draws one initiative
ARMOR RATING: 8 (2 against fire) card. Each Round, the Leshy uses its turn to make an
attack on every character in the zone. It always uses
the VINE GRAPPLE attack (four points of damage
must be dealt to break free). If the target is already
grappled, the Leshy pulls it to ENGAGED range. If the
target is ENGAGED and grappled, the Leshy uses the
STINGER ATTACK.

PROJECT
IRONSIDES
STATUS: IN A BIT OF A JAM
initiative to safeguard their own black projects and
protect their facilities from those of their rivals. What
Aware that they had become embroiled in a cold war of started as a mechanized exosuit program has since
experimental weapons and classified operations, the evolved into an experiment in genetic engineering using
Three World Empire conceived of Project Ironsides, an Agent A0 3959X.91 – 15.

CONCEPTION
In its early days, Project Ironsides was conceived as a loss of air.
pre-emptive measure to secure strategic 3WE In order to avoid the most obvious failings of the UA’s
installations against insurgency and covert operations, Berserker program—namely, the immense potential for
and so protect valuable assets such as command posts collateral damage—the Type 1 was taken in a more
and black sites. The Type 1 exosuit (or “travel subtle, restrained direction. The casing was designed
machine”) was built to act as a sort of man-sized mobile strictly for cruising the hallways of the facility to which it
sentry—allowing its operator to patrol facilities for was assigned and keeping its pilot alive, with an arsenal
extended periods of time, protected within the battle- tailored for neutralizing intruders instead of blasting
casing from enemy fire, chemical attacks, radiation and bulkheads apart and smashing through walls.
 DEVELOPMENT
TERRENCE BLAGDEN The Ironsides’ basic shape is something like that of a
SCIENTIFIC LEAD ON PROJECT IRONSIDES, THREE pepper pot, large enough for the operator to sit inside,
WORLD EMPIRE DEFENCE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY but not—according to many of the Type 1’s test pilots—
large enough to sit in comfortably for long periods of
Cold, indifferent, and driven solely by his intense time. Inside, the pilot is practically cocooned by
personal ambition, Dr. Blagden lost an arm and his computer interfaces controlling movement, sensors,
weaponry, and other functions.
entire lower body when his laboratory was caught
Project Ironsides soon birthed various sub-projects—
in an orbital bombardment during the conflict on
appropriate armaments and tactile equipment were
Linna 349. With no living family to speak of and few
designed specifically to allow the machine to operate
hobbies outside of science, Blagden had nothing to
within Three World Empire complexes. A unique alloy
distract him from his work and quickly ascended in
was created for casting the Ironsides’ armoured shell
profile on the Defence Science and Technology
using Nationite, a mineral discovered and mined
Station. He is also known as a fervent super-
exclusively by the Empire on one of her colonies. The
nationalist, having nothing but disdain for the UA,
resulting alloy not only made for effective armour but
the UPP, and especially the ICSC. Throughout his
was incredibly resistant to radiation.
career, Blagden consistently cited his hope for the
3WE to stand on its own two feet without relying
on aide from the USCMC, and eventually rise to a
position of ultimate supremacy in the middle OBSTACLES
heavens. The project hit a wall when it became clear that the
At some point while working on Project Ironsides, travel machine’s interior systems were much too
Blagden appropriated and modified an old Type 1 complex, and the pilots’ control over the exterior
unit to replace his mobility and life support systems too clunky, for the Ironsides to perform
equipment. effectively in real security and combat scenarios.
Project lead Terrence Blagden recognized that human
operators were simply the weak link in an otherwise
formidable design. When the need for a more resolute,
REDEVELOPMENT tireless pilot became undeniable, Blagden came to a
radical solution: the engineering of an artificial lifeform
A complex hybridized genome was devised by Dr. that could interface more efficiently with the Ironsides’
Blagden, combining human DNA with that of another systems—and live indefinitely within the confines of the
undisclosed species. A classified mutational compound travel machine.
designated chemical agent A0-3959X.91 - 15 was
supplied by the Defence Science and Technology
Station to promote the genetic amalgamation and the
resulting fetuses were installed with biomechanical DEPLOYMENT
implants to improve their integration with the Ironsides
suit which would become their home. Owing to this The first squadron of Ironsides was deployed as part of a
unholy marriage of synthetic and biological practical demonstration on Cusick’s World. The isolated
provenance, the Ironsides mutant was christened research base where they were grown was remodelled
‘Tetramorph’. to accommodate the travel machines and they were
New Type 2 Ironsides travel machines were designed
tasked with patrolling the installation and defending it
to take full advantage of the mutants’ physiology and
cybernetic enhancement—the interior of the new from trespassers. During the demonstration, an
iteration resembling more a biomechanical life support unknown number of Three World Empire officials and
chamber than the cockpit of a military exosuit. Exterior Royal Marine Commandos were exterminated by the
systems are controlled by the mutant using interior Ironsides, which took control of the facility and cut off all
controls jacked into its neural pathways, while communications with the outside world.
invigorating air, nutrient paste, and other chemicals are
supplied directly to keep the monster alive and alert.
The Type 2 travel machines are no longer just an
exosuit—they are the only home the Tetramorph
knows, an extension of its own body that reacts
instantly to its commands.
CURRENT
DISPOSITION THE TETRAMORPH
The current situation on Cusick’s World is unknown—as Few have seen the results of Dr. Blagden’s genetic
is the fate of Dr. Blagden, the only person with some experiments, and even fewer have seen a full-grown
insight to the mindset of the Tetramorph mutants. specimen in the flesh. The Tetramorphs are grown
Without him, plans to negotiate the safe return of any from zygote to embryo in sealed incubation vats until
remaining hostages, and subjugate the Ironsides, are they are ready to be removed and surgically altered
floundering. No doubt 3WE brass are weighing the pros for instalment in the travel machine.
and cons of commissioning the Colonial Marines to take As the Tetramorph grows into its new
back the base. environment, it becomes accustomed to the interior
control interface and is exposed to an endless stream
of 3WE propaganda and protocol. In theory, the
mutant is indoctrinated into the most well-drilled,
patriotic security guard one could ask for.
Dr. Blagden designed the indoctrination program
himself—endeavouring to instil feelings of hate for
‘the enemy’ in his creations, as well as pride in the
design of their creator. These teachings ultimately
resolved in the adult mutants as a twisted superiority
complex and an intense hatred for any living thing
that wasn’t Tetramorph.

IRONSIDES TYPE 2 MOBILE TRAVEL MACHINE

The Ironsides Mobile Travel Machine is powered by scanning one zone per Round, and sending the
the transfer of static electricity through the floors of spectrograph information back to command.
their base, ensuring that the Ironsides are dependent The machine gives +3 to RANGED COMBAT, HEAVY
on the very facility they are protecting. The battle
MACHINERY, and COMTECH. It has Armor Rating 10 and
casing is vacuum-rated and is composed of a
radiation resistant alloy. Air Supply 4. Each time the wearer suffers a Radiation
The Ironsides’ midsection acts as a sort of weapons Point, they roll ten Base Dice—if they roll one or more
platform, with two attachment points for offensive 6s, the Rad is absorbed by the suit.
and operating tools. By default the units are
equipped with an experimental neutronic emission
weapon and a plunger-like manipulator arm specially NEUTRONIC EMITTER ‘EXTERMINATION’ WEAPON
built for interfacing with Ironsides facility terminals. BONUS: +2 WEIGHT: –
Parameter uplink spectrograph sensor bumps on DAMAGE: 2 COST: –
the Ironsides’ chassis constantly scan a 360-degree
RANGE: Short COMMENT: Reduces the
area around the travel machine. They can detect
lifeforms, atmospheric conditions, toxins, and more, Armor Rating of any
target by two and inflicts
1 Rad in addition to
> Neutronic Emitter, Mechanical Cutting Torch,
or ID23 Flamethrower normal damage. Using
> Manipulator Arm, Grasping Claw (Damage 2), this floods the zone with
Extreme radiation for
or M314 Motion Tracker
one Round.
TYPICAL 3WE IRONSIDES
STRENGTH 4, AGILITY 2, WITS 6, EMPATHY 1 SKILLS: HEAVY MACHINERY 2 (5 in suit), RANGED
HEALTH: 4 COMBAT 1 (4), COMTECH 1 (4), SURVIVAL 2,
COMMAND 5
TALENT: Authority, Hothead, Merciless
GEAR: Type 2 Mobile Travel Machine