Mechanius Imperium
From Unofficial Handbook of the Virtue Universe
| |
| Mechanius Imperium | |
| "It is our rightful place to rule over the weak." | |
| Overview | |
| Leader: | First Emperor Surtr |
|---|---|
| Base of Operations: | Jotunheimr Antarctica Base |
| Founded: | May 1, 1995 |
| Allegiances: | Emperor Surtr |
| Agenda | |
| To eliminate and subjugate all natural lifeforms on the planet to make way for machine-kind to rule the planet. | |
| Structure | |
| Hierarchical with the Emperor on top supported by six departments. The six departments are assigned duties of State, Management, Defense, Security, Intelligence, and Research. | |
| Allies | |
| Arachnos | |
| The symbol of the Imperium is divided into two distinct parts. The mechanical gears are arranged as an infinity sign which represents the Emperor and the infinity of the Imperium. The hexagon base supporting the gears, or Emperor, are the six departments that make up the Imperium's government. | |
The Mechanius Imperium is a group created and lead by First Emperor Surtr. The ideals of Nazism have been absorbed and rewritten by it's leader to support the supremacy of machines and to eradicate or subjigate all natural life on the planet. Through the Mechanius Imperium First Emperor Surtr hopes to realize these dreams while making himself the immortal ruler of the world and it's resources in the process.
Contents |
First Emperor Surtr
The current Emperor of the Imperium is it's founder, First Emperor Surtr. Surtr may be one of the oldest AIs in existence today. He appears as robot with black and purple coloring, the same as the group he founded, with an armor shell of firey yellows and oranges. He favors fire based attacks and has modeled his persona after the Surtr of norse myth, taking the theme far enough to name ranks and locations after Norse and German myths as well. He always seeks to create an imposing figure and speaks with deep, booming voice. While the Imperium is setup to that successors may come in the future Surtr has no intention of abdicating his throne, ever. Unbenownst to his subjects, Surtr is actually a nanite colony, allowing him to change his appearance, make almost infinite duplicates of himself, and to mold the world around him. More about Surtr is written in the subarticle about him.
Organization
The Mechanius Imperium is organized like the government it claims to be. Although it currently does not control territory beyond a few bases it is designed so that once the Imperiums goals come to fruition and they gain more territory they already have the required structure and authority to begin the administration of these areas. The Imperium is a hierarchical structure with the Emperor at the very top. Below the Emperor are six departments each run by a secretary of that department. The six departments are State, Management, Defense, Security, Intelligence, and Research. Each department is divided up further into agencies to meet specific needs of the department's function. Each department is usually involved in executing a number of different policies and programs so that it may appear each one runs autonmously; however, each directive must first gain the Emperor's approval before it may be initiated and each department brings progress reports to the Emperor on ongoing activities. All members of the Imperium are considered to fall under the control of one of the six departments. Petitions from citizens must be routed up through their respective departments.
The Emperor
The Emperor is the absolute autocratic authority of the Imperium. While different departments may act to carry out the Emperor's wishes they are all subject to the Emperor's approval. His word is law and his directives are absolute. Every single policy or action that has been taken on by one of the six departments of the Imperium has at some point been given the Emperor's blessing, and they may be terminated without warning by him at any moment. The succession for the position of Emperor is specifically chosen by the Emperor himself. However while the choosing of a successor is a technical possiblity it is not a likely event to occur. The Emperor typically keeps copies of himself fully built in a number of secure locations. Should the Emperor be destroyed and no successor is chosen the next scheduled copy is actived. There are also provisions in place to keep muliple copies from being activated at the same time.
The current Emperor, Surtr is actually a nanite colony. The "copies" of himself are for show rather than acutal replacements as he is actually all of the "copies" at the same time. Thus the provisions about copies and the succession are only in existence to ensure stability in the unlikely event that Surtr should tire of his role as Emperor and cede it to a new Emperor.
State
The State department is charge of dealing with foreign entities, diplomacy, trading, recruitment, immigration, and propaganda. They spend most of their time training diplomats to speak with other groups, most notably Arachnos, and maintaining embassies. Their second priority is to assist robots, who usually are in someone else's control, escape and join the Imperium. They also maintain a series of on the ground contacts who help recruit new machines to their cause. All new recruits, and newly constructed machines, to the Imperium are first processed through the state department before being sent to one of the six departments for assignedment. The State department works closest with the Intelligence department.
Management
The Management department is in charge of construction, infastructure, resources, and maintaining demographical information. Management is in charge of construction projects and maintaining infrastructre. They control mining, manufacturing, power management, and the collection of other resources. They are also in charge of allocating and rationing those resources. To assist in this they are also keep demographical information, some of which is mirrored by the Intelligence department. Most of what other nations would consider regular citizens are in the Management department as all trades fall under Management.
Defense
The Defense department is in charge of the military and waging war. They are responsible for training and equipping the soldiers of the Imperium. As the Imperium is attempting to expand it's territory the Defense department constitutes a large amount of the Imperium's personnel. Defense department personnel are what most people outside of the Imperium see and recognize.
Security
The Security department is in charge of enforcing the Emperor's win within the Imperium itself. They ensure that the Emperor's laws are enforced, mediate disputes, and respond mediate disputes between citizens. The Security department works very closely with the Defense and Intelligence departmnets. It works with Defense to fortify Imperium territory against attack and it works with the Intelligence department to apprehend enemy infiltrators.
Intelligence
The Intelligence department deals with gathering information on outside forces, spying, counter-spying, and the elimination of dissidents within the Imperium. They ensure that enemy agents aren't within the Imperium while simultaneously placing their own agents in those locations. They deal in covert activities such as secretly making a nation a protectorate of the Imperium, assassinations, and manipulation of world powers. Like the Management department they keep information in the populace of the Imperium as well, but Intelligence department seeks information about citizen moods and opinions. Intelligence ensures that those with anti-Emperor sentiment disappear and produce material to keep other citizens in fanatical support for their Emperor.
Research
The Research department deals with developing new technology and equipment for the Imperium. They create the tools that Management uses for construction. They create new weapons and armor for Defense and Security. They build new surveillence devices for intelligence. They even go as far as to build new robots to various different specifications, supplying all other departments with new personnel when recruitment is not enough to meet their needs.
Territories
The Mechanius Imperium currently operates out of 3 major bases of operation. In addition to this they have a number of smaller bases in different locations around the globe, including the Rogue Isles detachment base and embassy. Currently the Imperium does not have territory beyond it's bases though some small countries in Africa have become it's protectorate the largest of which is Buranda. It is continually involved n campaigns to gain territory. This can take the form of military campagins designed to collapse a nation, or covert campaigns which force an already unstable nation to become a protectorate of the Imperium, with most of their campagins involving a mix of the two approaches.
Jotunheimr - Located in Antarctica. The first base constructed and the capital of the Imperium.
Muspelheim - Located on a Micronesian island. The second base constructed. Operations in Asia and Australia typically are tied to this base.
Vigrior - Located in the jungles of the Congo. The third base constructed. Operations in Africa, Europe, and the Americas are typically tied to this base.
In-game Mission Arcs
This group is featured as a part of the below arcs. Remember that Mission Arc articles may contain spoilers. For articles with story information but not spoilers look for articles listed under Related Articles.
Redoubt Operations
A series of arcs that take players through the Redoubt's struggles against the Mechanius Imperium. Despite the name, players may work with Redoubt or the Mechanius Imperium depending on the arc.
In-game Villain Group
The in game enemies that appear in architect missions for this villain group are listed below with their powers and descriptions
General Synopsis and Strategies
The Mechanius Imperium group is designed so that they interact with and support each other. This gives them a sharp curve in fighting ability when facing them in larger number. Groups that are able to minimize each enemies' ability to assist the others tend to do the best. This makes having a good control ability an effective strategy. Typically Tanks teamed up with controllers with AOE holds have done well. Any ability that suppresses toggles also works very well.
Minions in the group all have the shield defense secondary which means that along with some standard types of defenses they also recieve Phalanx Fighting, giving them a defense bonus when nearby their allies. The Lorelei minion tends to be the most dangerous one, if it appears in your arc, due to debuffs from it's attacks.
Lieutenants in the group are typicially the enemies you want to defeat first in any engagement as these are the lynchpin in the group's attack ability. The Lieutenatns include the Einherjar and Valkyrie. The Einherjar is a straight rad/rad debuffer which typically makes things difficult on tanks in the part. The Valkyrie on the other hand has the forefield powerset and can use the dispersion bubble power as well as the Deflection Shield power to buff allies.
The Jotunn bosses in any group are very typical brute types with lots of shields and basic melee attack ability, though some of their attacks do have -recharge buffs associated with them.
Minions
Landsknecht
Powers: Energy Assault / Shield Defense
Description: The average enlisted Imperium soldier is usually a rogue machine that has escaped from another super powered group or the civilian population. Having yet to prove themselves they haven't earned the right to be further modified like higher ranked soldier and are instead equipped with mass-produced armor which is affixed to their existing frames.
Landsknecht are the rank and file of the Imperium's forces. Like all the low level soldiers they have the standard armor and shield equipped. In addition to this they are fitted with plasma generators in their hands to send blasts of energy into their foes.
Doppelsoldner
Powers: Broadsword / Shield Defense
Description: The average enlisted Imperium soldier is usually a rogue machine that has escaped from another super powered group or the civilian population. Having yet to prove themselves they haven't earned the right to be further modified like higher ranked soldier and are instead equipped with mass-produced armor which is affixed to their existing frames.
Doppelsoldner are the frontline troops of Imperium. In addition to the standard armor and shield they are given thick vibroblades cut down their enemies.
Flammenwerfer
Powers: Fiery Assault / Shield Defense
Description: The average enlisted Imperium soldier is usually a rogue machine that has escaped from another super powered group or the civilian population. Having yet to prove themselves they haven't earned the right to be further modified like higher ranked soldier and are instead equipped with mass-produced armor which is affixed to their existing frames.
Flammenwerfer are Imperium troops are fitted with napalm and similar fuels allowing them to rain fire down upon the Imperium's foes.
Lieutenants
Einherjar
Powers: Rad Blast / Rad Emission
Description: Once a soldier of the Mechanius Imperium has proven themselves of value to their Emperor they undergo an intense rebuild process which equips the soldier with various custom parts befitting their various skills and temperaments. Einherjars are soldiers who specialize in defeating the Imperium's number one target: organic life.
Valkyrie
Powers: Dual Blades / Force Field
Description: Once a soldier of the Mechanius Imperium has proven themselves of value to their Emperor they undergo an intense rebuild process which equips the soldier with various custom parts befitting their various skills and temperaments. Valkyrie's are soldiers specializing in blades who are equipped with lighter composite shell armors as oppose to the common solid-block type construction most Mechanius Imperium soldiers have with the intention of making flight easier. To compensate for the lighter armor Valkyrie units are fitted with force field generators.
Bosses
Jotunn
Powers: Icy Assault / Ice Armor
Description: The Jotunn are the shock troops of the Mechanius Imperium forces. Rebuilt into massive forms which shake the earth where they walk these giants are equipped with cryogenic units place through their frames, allowing them to protect themselves and disable foes alike.
Elite Bosses
Spectre
Powers: Claws / Devices
Description: Once a soldier of the Mechanius Imperium has proven themselves of value to their Emperor they undergo an intense rebuild process which equips the soldier with various custom parts befitting their various skills and temperaments. Spectre is one such soldier. Rather than being given raw fighting ability he has had solid hologram generators laced throughout his synthetic skin, giving him the ability to mimic the appearance of anyone he's seen before. Adding to this ability are hidden claw weapons and a variety of equipment hidden inside his frame making him a consummate assassin and spy.
Arch-Villains
Kali Erinyes
Powers: Dark Melee / Invulnerability
Description: Morrigu and Alecto were a pair of replicants built by Warwick Enterprises Ltd. under the direction of Schnieder Bourchier. He kept the two under control by indoctrinating them with a regieme that promoted selfishness, mistrust, and manipulation to exploit them as obedient corporate espionage agents.
Schnieder underestimated the power of the two replicant's hatred of him and their greed. They enacted an uneasy truce to seize control of the company. During this plan the two attempted the theft of a computer viris from the Mechanius Imperium and were caught in the attempt. The two quickly went back to their lies, blaming each other for the plan and praising their captors. First Emperor Surtr saw through these lies easily, but having a perverse sense of humor decided to give them their wish and had them rebuilt into a gestalt, forcing each of them to merge with their hated sibling and to serve his order as Kali Erinyes.
Related Articles
Timeline - A timeline of events which includes Mechanius Imperium activities.
Kalago - Information on Kalago, the setting for Redoubt Operations #1: Fires over Kalago in which the Imperium features heavily.
Replicant - Information or replicants, a type of robot which comprises a significant number of Mechanius Imperium recruits.
Redoubt - The Mechanius Imperium's chief enemy.
