Flamecrow
From Unofficial Handbook of the Virtue Universe
| |
| Flamecrow | |
| Player: @Conquerer Worm | |
| Origin: | Technology |
|---|---|
| Archetype: | Corruptor |
| Threat Level: | ' |
| Personal Data | |
| Real Name: | unknown |
| Known Aliases: | none known |
| Species: | unknown; may be mechanical. |
| Age: | unknown |
| Height: | 5'9" |
| Weight: | ca. 275# (armored; unarmored weight, if applicable, unknown) |
| Eye Color: | unknown |
| Hair Color: | unknown |
| Biographical Data | |
| Nationality: | unknown |
| Occupation: | Tactical Assault/ Psychological Ops. |
| Place of Birth: | unknown |
| Base of Operations: | Sin Enterprises (?) |
| Marital Status: | unknown |
| Known Relatives: | unknown |
| Known Powers | |
| Flame-based weaponry; aerosol chemical agent dispersion | |
| Known Abilities | |
| Flight, stealth | |
| Equipment | |
| Powered armor (?); Customized Commando-style combat knife | |
| ' | |
Contents |
Deathbird Singing in the Black of Night...
The 'original' Flamecrow was a US Special Forces defector, Carolina Perrone, who had served for several years in a deep-black tactical psy/terror ops unit of the same name. Grounded after a severe nervous breakdown, Perrone continued to act as a logistics officer and communications intel specialist for various parts of the Special Forces community.
Her betrayal stunned her fellow officers and has never been clearly explained, though it apparently had something to do with the death of a colleague during a failed operation. On arrival in the Isles, Perrone entered service as a security officer for Sin Enterprises. After several severe clashes with Arachnos forces, she and her then-lover, Burning Psyche (rumored to be a former Arachnos agent himself), were reported killed in Brazil in suspicious circumstances.
After Perrone's supposed death, Flamecrow was inactive for several months. 'She' has since reappeared, with an equipment upgrade, but the identity of who, if anyone, is piloting the distinctive suit of assault armor is unclear. Sin Enterprises admits freely that Flamecrow does contract work for them, but, as per their procedure, refuses to discuss specifics of any employee's identity or employment terms. As one mechanical Flamecrow duplicate has been used in a suicide assault on an Arachnos stronghold, there is some question as to whether the suit has a human occupant at all.
Because of the ruthlessness and violence of Flamecrow's assaults, she, or it, has become a bit of a legend, even a bogeyman, among certain groups in the Isles. A number of improbable or impossible exploits have been laid to her credit, and things are often blamed on her that happened when she was nowhere near. But there is no denying that there are few survivors, living, mechanical, or structural, of a Flamecrow onslaught. This extreme behavior seems to make it unlikely that she is any more than a mercenary, taking Sin's coin to do dirty jobs they'd rather not have handled by their more aboveboard staff.
History of the Flamecrows
"Fire is one of man's oldest tools; it is also one of his most terrible weapons....The Flamecrow project was based on earlier documented concepts of 'Shock and Awe' produced by saturation bombardment. To this was added the atavistic reflex-terror of angels, devils, and similar supernatural threats through the association of a humanoid form with approaching mass destruction..."
-extracted from 'Battlefields of the Mind: A Survey of the Operational use of Psychology and Fear.' , Lt. Colonel Dava Marles, PhD. (retd.)
From Jane's Review of Special Operations Forces:
"The Flamecrow program was perhaps the most controversial Special Operations initiative of the late twentieth and early twenty-first century. The United Nations went so far as to declare the use of BFAX (Ballistic Flame Assault Exos) a contravention of the rules of warfare, and attempted to have the United States declared a rogue state for their use in E. Europe...
As one might expect, Flamecrow was buried in the fog and 'black tape' that surrounds many operations of the sort. While all unit members were technically officers of one branch or another of the U.S. military, for deniability the units were listed as independant mercenary contractors. 'Crows and their officers were paid through a number of fronts and cutouts, from various blacked-out intelligence budgets...
Flamecrow CoC seldom if ever aligned with that of regular units, even those operating in the same theatre. Objectives and doctrine were set most often by an NIO (National Intelligence Officer), or, in some cases by a non-US SIA (Secure Intelligence Asset) from the country in which the unit was operating. The unit then operated autonomously to achieve the stated goals within given operation parameters. This system inevitably resulted in friction with regular units in the area, and a number of friendly-fire events were attributed to Flamecrow operations in proximity to regular units. In addition, given the low level of oversight and accountability, it is no surprise that constant allegations surfaced of 'Crow units wildly exceeding their operational authority...
The majority of 'Crows were female, for two reasons. First: smaller body mass and size, as well as a lower center of gravity, made them more suitable, in general, for operations in the BFAX. In addition, they were somewhat more resistant to the heavy acceleration curve of the solid boosters used to get them to assault altitude.
The second, and somewhat darker reason, was psychological. Speaking again in general terms, it was found that women formed stronger bonds to their units, as opposed to the Services they were drawn from, or any abstract conception of duty. Their fellow operatives and officers over time became a family, one for which they would do almost anything. Standard psyops precepts could thus be used to formulate orders in terms of the needs of the family; in that mindstate, operatives would then be more willing to carry out questionable or even illegal directives...
Flamecrow units suffered from extremely high attrition rates: nearly 67% fatalities, with another 11% discharged seriously wounded or with psychological problems rendering them unfit for service. The high rate of complete nervous collapse among 'Crow operatives has never been adequately explained, but it has been theorized that the nature of their orders, working in isolation and without recognition, and their complete ostracization by soldiers in regular units were all contributing factors.
Of the fatalities, roughly 79% were due to combat activity. 3% were attributed to training accidents, another 5% to illness or non-combat injury- less surprising than it might be if one considers again that these units were operating in complete secrecy and isolation, often in very out-of-the way places; 1% to accidental friendly fire; 12% to 'other'.
A closer examination of this last category reveals some chilling facts about life in this force. It includes: death by suicide, summary execution for aberrant behavior or assault on an officer, 'questionable' friendly fire incidents, and simple murder by fellow operatives or members of regular units..."
The Tactical Support Exoskeleton, Light (Flame) [TSEL(F)]
Old Spec Ops joke:
"What did you bring us for backup?"
"Just me, my TSEL(F), and I..."
- A standard-issue TSEL is a non-rigid myofiber bodysuit, with ablative ceramic-composite inlays protecting chest, spine, groin, joints, and the weapons system. A solid molded-ceramic helmet with steel reinforcing plates protects the head and provides targeting and commo HUD capability, as well as enhanced visual and auditory range and resolution. A number of weapons systems can be integrated with the suit's hardpoints and stability-correction aiming system, including LAW/LAA rocket pods, 5.5 mm rotary guns, the Varifeed Pyrogel system, and several non-lethal options.
When activated by a force of [classified], the myofiber system responds with an amplification factor of [classified], enabling the solider to easily mount and carry the suit's insertion and weapons systems, as well as engage in highly effective HtH combat if necessary.
While the ceramic inlays are capable of stopping rounds of up to [classified] caliber at a muzzle velocity of [classified], and the myofiber itself gives a certain resistance to ballistic and thermal weaponry, as well as energy weaponry in the transfer range of [classified], this iteration is defined as a 'light' or 'support' suit, as opposed to a true assault system. Survivability in an armor- or artillery-rich combat theatre is extremely low.
- Although the mercenary operating in the Rogue Isles under the moniker 'Flamecrow' appears to be using a standard military-grade pyrogel system, the armor itself has undergone several upgrades: A hard body shell, unknown visual and EM spoofing technology, an overpressurization mode for gel delivery, allowing a firing range far outside of spec, and, most notably, self-propulsion by means of integral jets and semi-rigid airfoils. While the 'wings' on this armor may seem whimsical, they appear to be cutting-edge reactive lift surfaces, allowing a high grade of manueverability. Observers have reported this suit pulling out of dives at over 3G, with no apparent degradation in integrity or handling.
- The addition of the body clamshell has also lifted this specific suit out of the light/support classification. The modified suit may be safely classified as a MAE(F) [Medium Assault Exo, Flame].
- Recent encounters have indicated that the suit has also been fitted with a kinetic-ablative energy shield, intended to slow or even stop incoming physical weaponry, and to a lesser extent disperse the effects of energy weapons.
What other modifications may have been made are a matter of speculation, but assuming known technology, it is almost certain that the current Flamecrow is a wholly mechanical construct. There would be no room in the armor for a human pilot, given the added weaponry, flight system, and ECM equipment.
Insertion, Assault, and Recovery
Unlike standard infantry units, Flamecrows neither walked into battle nor rode mechanized conveyances. Rather, each 'pilot' and suit was fitted with a single-use solid rocket, flew at high speed over the assault site, then jettisoned the booster and floated down on armored parachutes (all ballistic exo troops go through standardized paratrooper training). In fact, 'Crows were treated more like artillery than infantry; their dispersal patterns were essentially identical to standard arty barrage patterns- box, creep, time-on-target, etc.
There were several reasons for this irregular method. Firstly, since 'Crow units were usually small, and operated outside standard military CoC and refit/replace chains, risking an aircraft for a relatively slow, precise insertion was not practical. Secondly, TSEL(F)s are intended as AoE and suppression weapons systems (attempts to have them classified as WoMD by the UN failed by a small margin), and so the slow drift down with a clear field over the entire objective point made them far more effective. Finally, there was the psychological component. Like the howl of WWII Stuka dive bombers, the distinctive 'tearing canvas' noise of the boosters of a 'Crow flight had a terrorizing effect on ground targets, once they became familiar with what it presaged. "It gave a whole new meaning to the old boast of 'death from above'," said one anonymous military commentator. "An aircraft or artillery assault could kill you just as dead, sure. But it couldn't hunt you as you ran for cover..."
While both suits and 'chutes were proof against even fairly concentrated small-arms fire, it should be obvious that a 'Crow flight was horribly vulnerable to well-sited AA defenses, heavy weapons, or helicopter gunships. By far the majority of fatalities in these units were sustained in the air, often before an officer had even managed to sight her burn point.
Once a strike force was on the ground and had secured (or destroyed- far more often the case) its objective, recovery was most often made via an unmarked heavy armored vehicle. Numerous theories exist regarding the reasons for this doctrine- the most macabre one was is it was to keep friendly troops from shooting at the returning 'Crows as they passed back through their own lines. Much more likely is that, though only three nations ever fielded ballistic exos in any number, and the United States foremost among these, the anonymous vehicle allowed the units to preserve a certain level of deniability.
On occasion, and only in thoroughly-pacified areas, recovery might be made by cargo chopper, seconded to the unit by local authorities.
A strike force that was for some reason cut off from its recovery vehicle in hostile territory was left to its own devices, and the officers were expected to destroy their suits rather than let them be captured. On rare occasions, 'Crows did manage to walk out of enemy-held territory (it is rumored that Carolina Perrone was one, carrying out an injured teammate), but their suits, while highly resilient, could not generally keep them alive in a heavily-active theatre without the twin elements of altitude and surprise to protect them. Like any predatory bird, once on the ground, they were at a terrible disadvantage.
Varifeed Pyrogel Delivery System [VPDS mk2]
Current military pyrogels are a classified set of compounds based around 1-1-5 napthelene. Lighter than old-school napalm, these gels have fewer drip issues, and are more easily metered for precise delivery, while still having superior cling, coating and burntime to basic petrochemicals such as kerosene. Properly handled they also have far fewer vapor flashover issues.
Flamecrow suits make use of classified-design pressurization cells, two to each wrist assembly, with computer-controlled needle nozzles at both intake and ejection ends. Precisely measure fuel amounts are injected into the cells, pressurized according to task, and ejected through the igniters. The igniters are merely small open-flame nozzles, always burning during combat, much like a traditional flamethrower. A number of experiments were performed with compression or electrical firing of the fuel load; the former proved to be too dangerous in theater use, and the latter too unreliable- electrodes either corroded or clogged too easily.
The result of this meticulous and elegant design is versatile and deadly weapons system, capable of pinpoint strikes, suppression fire, or massive area of effect destruction (jokingly referred to as 'dial-a-yield'):
- Zippos: Named by SpecOps troops in honor of older fire-based weaponry, the technical term for this metamode is Rapid/Suppress. In this most commonly used mode of the system, each cell is charged in turn, pressurized lightly, and released. Though range is limited, and penetration and concussion are virtually non-existent, rate of fire is very high, interrupted only by the cell safety cooldown and recharge cycle. Gel cohesion provides decent accuracy, and resource consumption is low, making this range the workhorse setting for suppression/anti-personnel, brush clearing, anti-vehicle (soft), and anti-structure (soft) firing, depending on fuel load.
- Area of Effect Supression: AoES mode is sometimes called a 'fire rose' or 'boomer' by suit users. Both cells in one arm unit are charged with a large load and released slightly out of sequence. This imparts a spin to the ignited mass, keeping it stable until it impacts a solid object. Then the fuel spatters over a large area. Penetration is still low, but the injection of air into the center of the mass when it destabilizes causes some expansion concussion; ignition of everything flammable in the target area is likely, and oxygen-leeching effects are highly noticeable. Frequently used against buildings, hardened vehicles, or lightly-armored Red Force troops.
- Point Defense: Intended to clear the area immediately in front of a suit wearer quickly, such as in an ambush or urban combat scenario, Point Defense mode floods all four cells and pressurizes them with the nozzles wide open. This results in a short-range but devastating burst of fire directly in front of the suit pilot, and extending out about 35 degrees from each arm. No penetration, high ignition, high concussion, and likely to cause almost instant anoxia. Soldiers who have had to resort to this mode universally call it the 'Oh Shit! button.' EXTREMELY resource-intensive.
- Aerial Tactical Dispersion: AirTac represents the epitome of flame weapon engineering. Through a classified proccess, full loads in two of the cells are pressurized to the point that the fuel becomes semi-solid. The load is then ejected into the air with the igniters suppressed. Superheated and oxygen starved, the mass expands after less than half a second, and ignites in a manner very similar to a hypobaric weapon- a veritable rain of fire. Concussion is high only at the point of impact, but ignition and extreme oxy leeching are widespread. This mode is often called 'popping a cap' by field officers, perhaps because the compressed fuel in flight looks remarkably like a large painkiller gel capsule.
- Unknown High-penetration Mode: As mentioned earlier in this report, the Flamecrow exo currently in service in the Rogue Isles has been outfitted with a fifth mode. Apparently similar in principle to AirTac mode, firing results in a semi-solid lance of flame with extreme range. Penetration is extreme, and concussion and ignition are quite high; there are no noticeable airleeching effects, however. How this is accomplished within the confines of the suit's engineering is still undetermined.
Enterprising 'Crows have been known to find ways of overriding the computerized metering and charging system, and forcing the weapon to do unintended, but often quite useful things. One of the most impressive is the so-called "Hell's Halo": by tinkering with fuel release and ignition timing,a pilot can surround herself with a mass of fuel, igniting it close to the target area with a Zippo. The result is spectacular, tremendously destructive- and generally suicidal for the 'Crow.
Chemical Agent Dispersal (Aerosol) belt [CAD(A)]
The CAD[A] belt is an add-on, non-lethal weapons system, originally designed to make the TSE line more attractive to non-military organizations. Intended to convert the TSE platform from an assault system to police and anti-riot purposes, the CAD[A] nonetheless found its primary usage on the battlefield.
Using technology similar to the VPD chambers, the CAD[A] stores various chemical agents- smoke, nausea gases, sleep gas, etc.- in high-pressure cylinders mounted on the belt. The component compounds for each agent are usually stored in separate cylinders, for safety in case of a belt puncture. The permeable-metal-membrane valving system is computer controlled, mixing the agents on demand and dispersing them in either a cloud centered on the TSE wearer, or in a targeted stream. Supposedly, the nature of the membrane valves makes it impossible to use the CAD[A] for dispersal of gases of large molecular complexity, such as nerve agents, but that claim has been widely disputed.
A typical non- military loadout might include:
-Chemical smoke, tailored for visible light, infra-red, or low-light UV blocking;
-A nausea or retching agent, such as tear gas or concentrated pepper oil vapor;
-A weakening or soporific agent.
Military users, especially Flamecrow units, augmented this with a classified series of vaporous analgesics and airborne steroids, for field treatment of minor injury and fatigue. Later, it was learned that several of the chemicals used in this manner were highly addictive, a factor which may have contributed to the high incidence of mental instability in these units.
No Sparrow Shall Fall...
Needless to say, Carolina Perrone did not die in Brazil. Wounded near death, she was carried out of the jungle by Burning Psyche and Eve, a shadowy agent high in the confidence of the Directors of Sin Enterprises. After a long and agonizing recovery, she resumed her duties as Flamecrow, growing in strength and stability, and earning trust and even a certain degree of friendship from Angela and Kira Sin.
Ever adept at operations planning and concealing her identity behind a cloud of confusion, Flamecrow remained a behind-the-scenes force at SE for some time, specializing in intelligence gathering and Psyops, rarely taking the field openly unless overwhelming force or sheer terror and overkill was called for.
Finally, however, the strain of her activities and personality took a huge toll on her physical health. Felled by a massive stroke, she lingered, crippled, for over a month, before marshalling the remnants of her strength and rather dramatically taking her own life. Her body was cremated and disposed of to prevent any possibilty of identification, and a small private service was held for 'Carol Bliss'- one of her many pre-generated identities. No one outside of Sin knows to this day that Flamecrow is dead, or that Perrone survived Brazil for as long as she did.
Any queries directed to Sin Enterprises regarding Flamecrow are met with the same polite response: that agent's tenure of service with the company has expired. Flamecrow is no longer an employee of Sin Enterprises. No further data is or ever will be released.
