The Menhir Irregulars - Faction Information

[The Menhir Irregulars]

"The Menhir Irregulars"

"Products of oppressive psychic influence, Thralls represent the first stage of eternal servitude to the Nomads. More often than not, they make up a large portion of The Wild's ranks as expendable combatants."

"Sometimes, these individuals form up communities and families who seek to support The Great Work in their own way, or are deliberately assigned together by their masters as specialized groups meant to fulfill a particular role. One such family is The Menhir Irregulars - servants with traits considered by the larger Wild population as undesirable, obtained post-abduction or already existing before their minds were turned inside out by unrelenting psychic influence. Highly distrustful towards outsiders, they act as raiders and scavengers for hire, often supporting unlawful elements within the Houses for their own goals."

Ⅰ. GENERAL CONCEPT & INFORMATION

The Menhir Irregulars are an introduction to old tactics employed by the Nomads during the Colony Wars, and an attempt to expand on Wild lore as detailed by @jammi in The Nature of Nomad Infiltration. No war was ever won through sheer, brute force and a seemingly unlimited amount of supplies. The number of incubi that can be employed to the creation of Wild Agents should also be fairly limited. They can't be harvested like sunflower seeds on a farmland.

This faction employs the idea of non-infected humans enthralled by the Nomads through psychic manipulation as opposed to every Agent acting as a host to incubi, or even wilful subjects who were coerced into betraying Humanity for one reason or another. As such, they gain no psychic abilities, heightened reflexes or otherworldly endurance. This allows them to act covertly within the Houses' Underworld population with the intent to siphon resources and further enable their masters' insidious plans. They can do so either through cargo piracy or deals with different factions on a case by case basis (ex: Unioners, Mollys, Hessians...etc). They might as well be considered some sort of pseudo-Wild mercenaries.

In addition to what is predominantly a snub-focused group and a Gunboat here and there, a few transports also carry out logistical needs between remote hideouts on demand or as haulers for when an unlucky trader is stripped of their loot. This completes the circle of a piracy, trading and "mercenary work" kind of faction.

Ⅱ. TECHNOLOGY

Because of their nature, The Menhir Irregulars have access to a multitude of ships and weapons, though more often than not smaller 'gangs' begin to form under the official banner based on ideology and former affiliation. As such gems or 'perverse creations' akin to a Gaian sporting the weapons of a Red Hessian are unlikely, and those who do employ such a practice may often find themselves taken out by their very own.

Hybrid vessels such as the dreaded Scorpion or the Northern Fleet's 'improved' fighters are treated with heavy skepticism and fear rather than revered, just like the many other abominations who birthed by Kaarst's drydocks. The only image they embody now is one of unavoidable death - a divine punishment brought upon those who stray from their objectives.

Ⅲ. HIERARCHY

Unlike their smaller predecessor, The Irregulars had to adapt some form of leadership - one officially recognized by Altair Command and trusted to carry our orders to a fault. These leading figures are often called 'Overseers'. These are thralls who proved their devotion and loyalty and received unique rewards in return as proof of their outstanding performance.

Thralls who serve under 'Overseers' are usually called 'Proselytes' -- regardless of their ideology within the bigger family. They are made up of both fresh recruits and veterans alike, and the only way to distinguish the two is through experience alone.

Ⅳ. NAMING CONVENTION

The current naming convention is pretty simple. Most ships have a tendency to follow either region-specific folklore creatures (Kusari, Bretonia, Rheinland), though adding a personal touch isn't expressly forbidden.

Gunboat Prefix: MCV-
Transport Prefix: MSV-

Ⅴ. LESSER GROUPS

At first, Noth Squadron only had a select few to be concerned about, limiting internal conflicts to an individual level. Since the sudden increase of numbers, some thralls chose to create their own sub-families where they share the same ideals. The positive and negative effects of this development have yet to manifest, but there are already signs of internal friction which happens on a larger scale than before.

• Erlking's Servants - A group of thralls with who seek apotheosis through both biological and technological augmentations, as well as unveiling the mystery behind the disappearance behind the Daam K'Vosh. The current leadership focuses a large portion of their resources in raiding ancient artifact sites across Bretonia, the Omega Region and sometimes even the Omicrons. Out of all other groups, The Erlking's Servants are the most technologically advanced, but also have fewer numbers. This imbalance classifies them as a scarce resource to Altair Command. IDENTIFIER: Bretonia Roundel on the left side. • Die Nebelhunde - Convinced that Chancellor Florian Niemann will return one day to bring salvation and order to the Sirius Sector, some thralls decided to group together and quietly pursue the what they believe are the Chancellor's last orders before disappearing into the unknown. It is theorized that one of these orders specifically demands the completion of his designs in the realm of hybrid technology and employ it to pave the way for his arrival, however this proved to be a difficult task since the bulk of Die Nebelhunde is made of Military deserters, deluded civilians and criminals. They are in direct ideological conflict with Erkling's Servants who believe that the Chancellor is not coming back anytime soon, as such they have brought it upon themselves to ascend humanity and chase the Daam K'Vosh wherever they went with the intent to claim the ultimate prize: divinity. IDENTIFIER: Delusional Roundel on right side. • Noth Squadron - Considered to be the last batch of "rejects" to be graced with the mercy of unknowingly serving the Nomads' inscrutable plans, Noth Pilots find themselves at odds with all other subgroups. They have an existential crisis as more and more of their pilots migrate towards ideals they feel more familiar with, while the few who remain are ridiculed for simply being "bad product". Despite this, Noth Pilots remain feared for what reputation they have left as unpredictable wildcards who often follow their own individualistic goals rather than those of a collective. The only thing left to bind them now is their survival instinct. IDENTIFIER: Noth Squadron Roundel / No Roundel.

Ⅵ. TRIVIA

• The Menhir Irregulars are not bound to one region. They are recruited from all over Sirius and as a result their individual ideologies, beliefs and superstitions have a tendency of causing internal conflict.

•Back when Noth Squadron had no more than thirty pilots, every one of those had their own number which was not necessarily unique to the one individual who wielded it. These numbers could be lost, traded, gained or passed on to the next thrall who joined the Squadron. As such, behind every given number lays numerous generations of thralls. This became a fading tradition ever since Altair Command had brought in a new influx of thralls.

• Noth Squadron pilots follow their traditions with almost the same kind of fanatic zeal as they show when serving their leaders. Disgracing the pack in any way often results in the perpetrator becoming an outcast and eventually executed. The number they once wore becomes taboo until the replacement passes the 'Rite of Proving' -- a ritual in they have to provide the Family with an offering so valuable that their transgressions are forgiven. They may not return to their current base of operations without said offering.

• Rumors have started to spread among Wild Agents. Some speculate that the Squadron traces its roots back to a group of pirates who at some point based out of Freeport 2. They engaged in piracy against both Liberty and Rheinland convoys to earn their keep, thus earning themselves a reputation for being efficient suppliers of the Freeport's new administration. However after the Station's destruction, the original members of this group were forced to migrate toward new lands. The lack of a place to call home and dwindling supplies forced them in a Faustian Pact with the Nomads. The first ever pilot to call himself One was promised that their group will live on forever in exchange for their service. As such, One became the first betrayer who brought ruin (or enlightenment depending on how one views the story) upon every one of his brothers and sisters. In the end Noth Squadron got to live on, but none of the original members have remained alive.

• The number Four is considered to be the most cursed out of all ever since one pilot who sported this given callsign has challenged an aged fifth generation One in combat for the right to lead the Family. The man in question, Kwabena Kyauta, sabotaged the fight in his favor in order to win. As such he became an outcast among his own and later charged with fratricide. The sentence resulted in public execution. Nowadays the number Four is seen as a symbol attributed to social pariahs who face constant ridicule at the start of their careers as faithful servants of the Nomads. This insult to tradition is considered to be the very first in the Squadron, but not the last.

• Although seen as inferior compared to The Wild's infectees, this doesn't stop The Menhir Irregulars from dispensing their own superiority over beings, factions and individuals who are treated even lower than themselves. Those who seek to bring peace between Nomads and Humans are often called "dreamers". A common practice among Menhir pilots is to cut off

• There was a time when The Outcasts revered the Nomads in their own way. These traditions have been dead for years now, although some of them choose to stick to the old ways. These outliars are often ridiculed for their made-up belief and are often seen as deadbeats who should've been burned alive in the very same temples they used to pray from -- an ironic, yet fitting end for those who mock the Nomads with putrid practices.

Ⅶ. RELATIONS

Because of their covert nature, Noth Squadron maintains a dynamic reputation sheet. Depending on the situation, they can choose to align with any one faction in Sirius however they see fit or asked to by their superiors (such reasons can be: loot harvesting, recon, abductions, sabotage and manipulating the ongoing conflicts in the Sector towards a direction that best suits the Nomads' efforts to reclaim their inheritance). There are, however, factions to whom they cannot pledge their allegiance to. The Order and Vagrants / Wendigo are such examples.

Ⅷ. NOTES

• The Faction evolves over time. From a mere squadron it has all the chances to become something bigger. New features may appear over time -- some are aimed at players who wish to explore the possibilities of covert RP with greater freedom.

• This thread is subject to small changes over time to adapt, fix or improve what has been built so far. The main idea of the faction however remains and will not change.

[Petitioner]

Where did the name "Noth Squadron" come from?

This looks awesome, I always enjoy reading your forum RP and I'm hoping to encounter you guys ingame soon enough.

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Recruitment | Task Force Prometheus | ICN FIRESTORM

[The Menhir Irregulars]

Where did the name "Noth Squadron" come from?

This looks awesome, I always enjoy reading your forum RP and I'm hoping to encounter you guys ingame soon enough.

There are different meanings of the word 'Noth'. Most fit the faction's identity. Some meanings include: bastard, spurious, hybrid. 'Bastard' needs no introduction. 'Spurious' refers to not being what you claim to be. A fake, or false. And hybrid? Well. That needs no introductions either. Although the last one is a loosely associated word, as it can be linked with the fact that you can have former Hessians working with Kruger employees here. Or Corsairs and Outcasts. Said characters can definitely continue disagreeing with one another and hold grudges.

All three words can be associated with different aspects of Noth Squadron, but not in the most direct way.

As for why 'Squadron'? You don't give Nomad Thralls access to big ships or let them gain higher advantages over actual Nomad infested agents for the same reason you don't give your toddler a gun. It can backfire in a lot more ways than you think. Noth are exclusively infiltrators, not an entire battlegroup that can or want to jump into fleet fights.

The chances of a Thrall breaking away from Nomad control are no longer a flat out zero in comparison to Incubi-infested Agents for example. Things can go horribly wrong if a whole cruiser somehow escapes control.

[Einbeck]

Cute concept. Great write-up. Stellar BBcode. What more could one ask for...?

[Madvillain]

Nice writeup! I like the forum rp you guys do, I do hope that your faction doesn't become a single focus one (as in just around for stomping sairs) but becomes a menace to many in its own right.

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Baila Morena | Toilet Trouble | Elder Presidente[TBH] | The Titan Combat Manual | Confession
♰ Join the Corsair Brotherhood ♰

[The Menhir Irregulars]

Nice writeup! I like the forum rp you guys do, I do hope that your faction doesn't become a single focus one (as in just around for stomping sairs) but becomes a menace to many in its own right.

The Corsairs are just a convenient enemy right now. Noth are not exactly a stationary bunch.

Cute concept. Great write-up. Stellar BBcode. What more could one ask for...?

This:

[The Menhir Irregulars]

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Updates:
-Technology chart updated to fit recent changes in what we tend to fly. (In short its basically anything the ID allows and fits the character. You won't see a Hessian in a Banshee, or a Bounty Hunter in an Odin.)
-Expanded information regarding Hierarchy. What do the numbers mean and what Altair Command is in short.
-Fixed some writing errors post replying to the thread. Autocorrect is a bitch.

To-Do / Upcoming:
-Further explanation on how the infection system for thralls work. The system exists, its just not entirely public - not yet, anyway.
-Gunboat naming convention (I have no idea yet.)
-Short lore bits for all Noth- owned transports. Every one of them has a little story attached to their hull. Sometimes they tie to the current Noth characters in the game.
-Update more aspects of the general overview.

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[Aazalot]

Well impressed with this group so far. Its nice to see

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