Necrotic Amalgamations

SOME HISTORY



Despite global efforts towards the expansion of robotics and biomechanics, it was not until the UAC's unofficial takeover of the World Union that the tech exploded. Advanced biomechs and cyborgs were created, or spliced together from human and machine. Androids came into their own, refined to be as human-like as possible. Robotics entered a new age of labor, picking up the heavy work humans no longer cared to do.

By 2068, current Midian time, all of this high technology has trickled down to everyday use. The old war machines have been decommissioned, and the average citizen is more likely to have some form of biomechanical augmentation than not. Eyes that see in the dark, a new sense of balance, neural net interfaces, and even bizarre cosmetic enhancements-- all possible for the right about of money.

All is not perfect for the mechs and otherwise augmented. Parts don't come cheap and are often stolen or bootlegged. Those without scruples will harvest their own kind for vital pieces. Experimental prototypes abound, usually on the run, and plenty of illegal mechs and replicant have had to flee to the free towns.

The whispers in the dark insist mechs have the upper hand in Midian City. Maybe they're right. Strength, speed, and the ability to take a couple rounds in the chest are only a few of the attributes of this burgeoning race. The upper hand is paid for dearly in a town with few options for repair, upgrades, maintenance. Fear and prejudice linger in the shadow.

You're going to need to figure out who you can trust.



II. The Basics





• Mechs, biomechs, and others in this category may have what can be considered special abilities. They occasionally exhibit strength, durability, agility, and speed, but not all at once. As a general rule, those designed for speed and agility are more vulnerable and a bit weaker. Those designed for strength and durability are slower and less agile. These abilities need to be tempered by common sense! Those throwing cars and dodging large sprays of bullets will get you called out as overpowered. And that's a bad thing to be.



• There are a variety of power sources available to mechs. While biomechs and replicants will get as much energy as they can from doing things like eating, drinking, and sleeping. However, the more mechanical bits, the more likely you'll need something extra. Mechs may be powered by fusion or fission, so long as it's used solely for a power source. Other power sources include high tech batteries and fuel cells.



• Most mech pieces and augments for the organic are made of various plastic and light alloyed metals. While tougher, nothing here is bulletproof.



• Sensors can do many things, but they may not allow a mech to see or hear through walls and heavy cover, hear beyond chat distance, reveal species or blow the masquerade, or allow a mech to automatically hit a target. Recording of scenes via camera requires a mech to notify the parties involved and to seek consent. The recording’s beginning and the ending should be noted in the emote.



• You'll probably need repairs at some point! Repairs, especially post-combat, should be roleplayed out whenever possible. Use of nanotechnology for healing and repairs must be done after a combat scene is over. Nanites are expensive and rare and may be purchased at Straylight Electronics. Nanotech may not be used to created armor or weapons.



• Many things are possible with the use of CONSENT. Many mech capabilities, such as using a neural interface to hack someone's systems or injecting Gila monster venom from under your fingertips, require the consent of the other party.

III. In conclusion...



In playing a mech, the possibilities are huge, as are the responsibilities. This is a role that helps give the sim its shape and adds that futuristic, cyberpunk flavor. And there's a lot you can do with a mech, whether you plan for primarily combat scenes, city politics, a series of one night stands, or drug-fueled espionage. The possibilities are endless.

What the sim asks of you is to use your common sense, pay attention to consent, and to be considerate of other players. It might be fun as hell to play a giant cyborg that bench-presses cars while bullets rain from the catwalks, and then walk off unhurt. It is also rude as hell to the other players, who deserve to enjoy a scene just as much as you do, and it's rude to your fellow mech players, who will have to deal with fallout re: overpowered mechs.

Keep this all in mind, and go out there and be the best damned metal-plastic kind of person you can be.

1.) Biomechs and their counterparts must have a dedicated power source. Most on the market are one or, or a combination of, three types:

· Nuclear: May be either fission or fusion. This power source cannot be used to make a bomb, nor can the mech use it to ‘self-destruct’.
· Electric Battery: Power sources of this type may require recharging. They might also draw power from motion, or organic processes in the mech’s body.
· Fuel Cells: A usual supplement to electric batteries, fuel cells commonly run on hydrogen, ethanol, and other natural gases.

2.) Mechs and biomechs are constructed primarily from lightweight metals and plastics. This means that prosthetic limbs or organs tend to be very similar in weight and density to their organic counterparts. They are by no means bullet proof or capable of superhuman feats unless specifically designed so. In addition, Hybrids may not add to their natural abilities with the use of augmentations.

3.) Cyborgs, Androids, and Robots are capable of the occasional superhuman act, but not without drawbacks. Like energy drainage, which tends to make them much slower and less agile until they recharge. They are also not immune to bullets, explosives, electricity, electromagnetism or plain brute force. And, while gene therapy and nanotechnology can attempt to mimic these attributes, those with organic parts cannot have the same durability or strength as those made completely of metal and machinery. Relative size, weight, and density must be taken into account when considering a mech’s abilities.

4.) Mechanical parts and augmentations must be constantly maintained. Materials and parts are often difficult to find and without the proper training, resources or funds many repairs are nearly impossible. All maintenance must be done out of combat and come with a proper down time for your character. You are encouraged to seek out other role-players or respective factions to repair your character. Nanites are not a cure all. Also, all mech in Midian must be made of known earthly materials. No augmentics may be made fully of nanites.

5.) Through sensors or otherwise, mechs are not capable of outing a masquerade bound character or revealing the identities of various supernatural groups in Midiam (Lycans, Vampires, etc.). They would likely be viewed as a simple genetic anomaly or sensor malfunction. It should be noted once more though that anything supernatural is not known to the public at large.

6.) Androids and Cyborgs may have superior agility or speed to a human, comparable to that of a hybrid but such a build drastically reduces their durability, making them as vulnerable or even more vulnerable as a human/hybrid in regards to strength or durability.

7.) Various sensors cannot allow the mech to meta-game otherwise secretive information without consent and will not allow them to automatically hit a target in a combat scenario. Mechs are also not allowed to transmit any form of disease, toxin or poison without the consent of the victims. They may not harbor any form of heavy weaponry inside their augmentations. Melee weapons of reasonable size are, however, permitted.

8.) Software for mechs will not allow them any form of clairvoyance or precognition. Although data jacks and interfaces are possible, the software will also not grant any mech instant knowledge or automatic skills. Also, no Lycan or Vampire may have mechanical parts as their body chemistry will automatically reject the augmentic.

9.) Mechs with implants that allow them to interface with computer systems belonging to another player must role-play the intrusion as an attack, and allow the opponent to respond. However, not all players are interested in role-playing this sort of combat, so a player may simply decline the RP. This does not imply the attack is impossible; it is simply that the player chooses not to pursue that RP. It is left for players with a mutual interest in this sort of role-play to work out the scene.

10.) Regarding medical play and repairs: There are generally two paths for repairs: metalworking and engineering, which covers ‘body work’ and external repair, as well as more delicate internal work, and nanotechnology. Nanotech is behind much of the technology inside mechs, however, it is not to be abused. While it may be required for many types of work, nanotech may not be made into a weapon of any form, nor can they be used to engineer skin, muscle or anything the Midian Rules would consider armor. Actual nanite is only to be used to repair tissues and complex workings. Certain factions in Midian may also use them in engineering or bioengineering research. They are not used as a ‘quick fix’ for combat or RP purposes.


An android is an advanced robot designed to look and act human to the point of being nearly indistinguishable. They're built lighter than cyborgs and may have no visible markers that they’re a mech. Their personality depends entirely upon their programming: some may express no emotion or personality outside their function, and others may be programmed to laugh, cry, and love as best they can.

Androids can be prone to hacking (as per consent), and though they are more likely to escape notice from others, they also take more damage. It's vital for an android in Midian to know where it can get repairs and who it can trust with these repairs.

The world was aging rapidly and though the population was booming the needs of the elderly and ill began to far outweigh what the younger working class could provide. This problem was first answered by machines. In the years before The Last Great War Also known as “World War III" (This was a battle started by the World Union to further their own personal gains and played out as a war between corporations. Many lives were lost and wasteland cities such as Midian were born from it. Though some may suspect that The World Union caused the war, even more, believe they were the saviors. Those who whisper against the WU often find themselves banished to free cities or killed) humanoid robotics was starting its first great leap. Early model androids were beginning to roll off the line and they were the precursor to a technology wave that would crash across the entire world.

Though the early models were rudimentary at best, the rapid advancement in sensors and the later breakthroughs of Biomech technology would propel the original mechanical creations into a very advanced labor force for the masses to purchase and discard at will. On the mainland, androids would quickly become commonplace due to their abilities to blend into everyday life. Open source programming and cracks became as common as you would see for current cellphones and tablets today (though still illegal). Though these creations never reached the infallible human likeness you often see in movies they did reach a point that they would often be mistaken for being completely human. This confusion was the main reason androids began to host the most expensive parts and software in the world.

No advancement comes without error, however, and it wasn’t long before android viruses and illegal open source mods on the computer race gave birth to the rogue AI. It wasn’t unheard of for an android to end up hacked and sent on a tear through a business, or that an over dedicated tech geek ended up programming himself a robot that in the end decided he was not worth hanging around. Most of these androids, once identified as a rogue, were hunted down either by freelance groups or the Mainland Military Police and executed with extreme prejudice; much to the dismay of their once owners who saw their pricey possessions reduced to scrap metal. Those androids who escaped often fled to the borders and the free cities (A city that is outside of direct World Union control. These exist in small pockets across the globe. They are small enough to not pose a real threat to the World Union, and those who do somehow manage to gather enough means to be seen as dangerous often find themselves the victim of a raid by the Union’s military. There is a long standing argument over why these cities are allowed to survive. Some say it’s a sign of the humanity left in the corporate hearts. Some say it’s because they fear the rise of the world in outrage at senseless murder. There are whispers they’re nothing more than prison camps to be used for experimentation and the Union’s own sick causes.) that waited.

In the end, these models became slaves to advancement. The rogue versions clustering in free cities began to pass data back and forth between them in order to further their knowledge and programming. It became an episode of trust as these data files could hold viruses or other such code contaminates. The problems were even more common in free cities where information inside the city limits was unregulated. TechsA cyber repair worker. Most often these people specialize in either the hardware or the software. Much like with current computer technology it is possible for people to know the basics to both, but as in real life to specialize it requires in-depth study. A common code tech may be able to hook up a cyber arm, but building in controllable lights might be beyond them. A hardware tech might be able to program out a basic AI, but making it human like would be beyond their skillset. became even more necessary for the android on its own. Those who view Android as tools instead of independent creatures have been known to try and sneak rewrites into their coding to slave them to their own causes. Life as an android is an art of learning who you can trust. You only know what you’ve been programmed to know and that makes paranoia a way of life.

An Android is a very advanced, very expensive robot designed to look and act just like a human for the purpose of integrating into society and making human life easier. The higher quality of build an android has the more human they look. This can scale anywhere from low grade versions with digital screens for faces to high quality work that looks and feels just like a normal person and all levels in-between. Please make sure that your android, should you chose to make one, does look reasonably humanoid. If you are in doubt over the appearance of your character you can contact a member of the staff or submit a form for Character Creation Help with a picture.

Much like their body types, Android intelligence levels can vary to several degrees. They can mentally house anything scaling from simple minded models with almost no emotional range to a full set of emotions that mimic human reaction startlingly well. Keep in mind, however, in the end your character is still a creation of coding and programming. At some point in time someone had to sit down and write out the programming that made your character sentient. Your android character will not be much of an independent thinker due to the fact that their thoughts are governed by an artificial intelligence (AI). Often this can be a fun goal for your Android to work toward and give a rewarding sim experience as your character seeks deeper understanding into human life.

You’ll also want to be wary of the fact that your character is much easier to hack than almost any other race in the mech group. All hacking of your character will require you to consent to it, of course. If you do not consent to a hack that someone is trying to do on you please drop them an IM letting them know you’d rather not be hacked at this time and emote the hack as unsuccessful. It’s okay to not be open to doing a hacking roleplay with everyone who attempts it.

Androids also have the possibly of housing a reasonable number of current technology pieces in their chassis. This can include communication, netlink technology, optics, and scanners. Keep in mind when using any type of internal communication method one must emote in post that they are using the connection. This can be done through the characters zoning into space, reacting as if they were hearing something strange, a light blinking, or other such means. The how and why of this is explained further here.

You will also want to make sure you are not dependant on your scanners to work every time. No matter the advanced technology you have installed on your android all of the information you get from using any sort of optic or scanner on another character or building is consent based. This means you will need to IM the person and request what, if anything, you can learn through such methods. If someone is not comfortable with you collecting information with your scan you’ll want to try and think of a creative reason you were not able to get anything. This can be something as simple as becoming distracted before the scan could complete or as complex as an internal issue that later sends your character to a repair shop where you can meet new people while you are fixed.

Lastly, and while we are on the topic of repair, androids are typically made of lighter materials than any other character type in the mech class. The heaviest weight we allow for a mech is four hundred pounds (181.437Kg ), so even though some androids may have metal in them, keep that number in mind on character creation. Even with metal based androids, plastics or synthetic tissue are more commonly used for outer coverings as they can appear more human like. Because of this, androids are far less durable than any other mech type. Blunt damage can be a serious issue as androids parts can be very expensive to replace if they’ve become irrevocably damaged. These characters are not creations made for war, but for jobs in the human world at hospitals, science labs, offices, or even as toys for sexual pleasure.



The nuts and bolts



With all that reading you’ve just done in mind, androids can be broken down into a few bullet points of note.

· Androids require an AI or some sort of programming to run and only mimic human emotion. They do not feel.

· Androids can be hacked if you consent to such.

· Androids are often made of plastics. Some may have metal in them or on them, but even those who do cannot weigh over four hundred pounds (181.437Kg ).

· Androids have the possibly of housing a reasonable number of current technology, the use of which on any character other than your own will be consent based.

· Androids must look basically human. Two arms. Two legs. One torso. One head.

· Androids, like all characters in the mech class, are governed by the Ten Mech Rules.

· Androids cannot be both fast and strong. They are very rarely superhuman.

Biomechs are humans or hybrids who have been augmented with cybernetics and other prosthetics. Though augments are extremely common in Midian and the world beyond, one or two augments does not a Biomech make. A Biomech has several augments, usually vital to their survival.

Biomech parts are usually lighter than the parts found in a full mech or cyborg, and often require some kind of neural implant to link the nervous system to the cybernetics. There is a high possibility that at least one of your parts, as a biomech, is illegal.

We have gone through the trouble of writing this down, please, at least take the time to read the information about the character you’re going to play.

Biomechs were born from war and limb sickness. As people began to lose limbs the replacements for these became increasingly advanced. They were streamlined, upgraded and pushed forward by the moral gap provided in The Last Great War so that those who lost body parts could come back even stronger than they were before.

Private contractors took the idea and ran with it, making so that the cybernetic limbs could host any number of additions. After the war ended, however, the World Union (The controlling the body of government for any city that is not free. This body is made up of several corporations that constitute the One World Government.) cracked down on these advancements, seeking to move the population down to a less dangerous tech level. After all, there is no bigger danger to a ruling body than if their people are able to arm themselves just as well as you are.

Most of the cybernetic limbs were toned down, and the World Union because to seek out any private upgrades to collect the information they had learned before they would discontinue the creation of these possibly dangerous items. Biomechs already holding these advancements would find themselves often detained by the World Union, and in the case of a particularly dangerous addition, they might even find their tech confiscated.

The black market began to host a wide array of custom modifications for the now illegal technology, and the world Union found themselves hard pressed to keep up. Some biomechs sought the freedom of cities like Midian to continue to advance themselves in private. Even if these cities hosted a dangerous people that were likely to try and steal their cybernetics for the money they could bring in. Others stayed and accepted the restrictions, content to give their power up for the security the World Union could provide.

“Part Human or hybrid, part machine.” Biomech are humans or hybrids who have been augmented by cybernetic technology, most exclusively various forms of robotics and they are the most common. To be considered a Biomech, one must have 40% of their person enhance through cybernetics. The 40% is a rough estimate but basically, if you possess more than just mechanical limb the more likely you are to being labeled a Biomech. Another way to phrase such classification is if 40% of body weight is synthetic or mechanical in some fashion then one may be labeled a Biomech.

Cybernetic Enhancements could play a great role in making a person a superior fighting force with many technological components offering better than average replacements for their flesh counterparts. Often a neural interface device with computer chips will help link the nervous system/brain to these processes and microchips which in turn may power these implants if not otherwise bio-engineered to be copies of the original organ. However, it should be noted that most Biomech augmentation result as a necessity to save someone from otherwise grievous injuries or sickness. Also, maintenance and the repair of a Biomech are neither easy nor cheap.

It should also be noted that many Biomech parts are usually comprised of much lighter alloys and various plastic prosthetics that are comparable to the human body as far as density and weight. Entire limbs made of industrial steel would prove too heavy for normal human or hybrids to carry, even if anchored to the skeletal portions of the shoulder blade etc. Also, the more mech you are the more you will have to find ways to attain what is considered normal bodily functions and nutrient vital for your organic parts unless those specific prosthetic fit a singular function such as lung replacement. Keep in mind Biomech will feel pain just as any being of flesh and blood in most cases. You are not an unfeeling or soulless droid in any shape or form.

Again, cybernetic enhancements are recognized as a viable replacement and/or enhancements to the human or hybrid body. While the trade in the computerized mechanical parts is heavily regulated by the World Union, it is rumored that there is a vast underground network engaging in its illegal trade through various black markets. Fully fledged Biomech, those who have chosen to alter 40% or more of their bodies with cybernetic enhancements are considered a high-level threat to society by the World Union, and while they are not hunted down like their replicant counterparts, if discovered on the mainland they are occasionally detained.

If one is augmented to the point where they are nearly 100% machine that they have slipped from a normal Biomech to a Cyborg.


When a biomech has become fully augmented-- we're talking nearly one hundred percent mech-- they become a cyborg. Often, cyborgs are fully mech-bodied with their brain intact. They started out life as either human or hybrid, and due to circumstance or the UAC (United Aerospace Corporation. The previous military that the World Union used before the Asian Coalition was put into place.), have become a full mech.

This is not an easy or fun process, with a high chance for cyber-psychosis (Something happens when you start adding metal and plastic to people. They start to change. And it isn't pretty. In the 2000's, we call this cyber-psychosis; a mental disease in which the addition of Cybernetics causes an already unstable personality to fragment. At first, the victim begins to relate more to machines than to humans. Soon, he starts to ignore people - parents, friends, lovers. Eating, sleeping all become less important. Finally, human interactions begin to irritate, culminating in a terrifying rage that consumes the victim entirely. The character becomes driven by a maddening hatred of other humans or living things. At this point, there is no turning back and when the mental illness is in its final stage the sick will display the worst attributes of a murderous, mechanized psychopath, called a cyber-psycho. Not all cyber-psychos are the rampaging type. Many exhibit more subtle symptoms; compulsive lying, kleptomania, sadism, brutality, split personality and extremely violent mood swings). Not only does the cyborg struggle with the question of whether they remain human or a person, there's the trauma of losing so much of the original body. Cyborgs are generally deemed emotionally unstable, though exceptions exist.

It will be difficult for a cyborg to receive enough nutrients or other forms of power to stay alive. This would be one of the first concerns you would have upon arriving in Midian.

The chip that all people were embedded with on their birth was sent a programming update to warn the World Union if their host crossed the line that had been put in place. This was the beginning of a witch hunt for mechanical parts. Some, in an attempt to save themselves, fled to Free Cities. Others remained and tried to fight, only to end up as scrap parts. They were murdered without care under the guise of another dangerous creature being taken out.

Religious groups applauded this. After all, how could these creatures be human if they had no soul? Other groups called them Gods and sought to emulate them, pushing toward their own goals despite the laws limiting technological augments on the mainland. In the end, the cyborgs became a rare thing. They were all but nonexistent on the mainland, but whispers sounded that if you went to the right free city at the right time, you just might meet something crazy. Something possibly without a soul.

As the Last Great War aged and the fighting sides found their soldiers becoming increasingly robotic through prosthetics, a new creature began to surface. As the homage to the media that had once birthed these creatures in their imaginations, they were dubbed the Cyborg. They also came with a whole host of issues.

When the first people ventured well past the mark they began to discover that they were leaving humanity behind. As more of their bodies were replaced, leaving them nothing more than a human mind in a machine prison they lost the ability to interact properly with the world. Debates surfaced if these creatures were even human. Many believed they had no soul, having given that up with most of their body, and cited this as the reason they were acting so violent and off key.

Cyberpsychosis became a real, documented thing, and it became something almost off of the mostly mechanical creatures were suffering. They didn’t go crazy right away, and all of their ailments took the different form, but in the end, they all had to be taken down.

The World Union reacted to this, not because it was a danger to the people, but because it could be a danger to themselves. Cyborgs could be embodied as war machines and were difficult and costly to stop. A mainland ban was put on anyone who had crossed the limit from Biomech to Cyborg, and these creatures were hunted down without pity.

Cyborgs are what happens when a person has moved past the Biomech point and become almost one hundred percent machine. They are basically a brain in a case. These characters will often have a large assortment of different ad ons, or body plating, than can make them some of the most advanced, heaviest, and complex tropes to play in Midian.

You’ll want to keep in mind that if you’re not above eighty percent mechanical, you’ll want to review the Biomech rules as you do not classify as cyborg. If you are above that percentile, however, then there are a few other points you want to keep in mind.

Your cyborg can have any number of advanced parts because these are the most recent of technological advancements in the Midian world. They will often have advanced netlink options, optics. Keep in mind that these devices, scanners, or anything like will be subject to the consent rule. This means you cannot gleam any information from any character unless you message them OOCly and ask them what information they are comfortable with you collecting. Other players do have the right to deny the collection of any information and in such cases you can take several paths to work story around the problem. Perhaps you suspect your scanner (or other random device) is malfunctioning and this sends you to Straylight to have the part checked out? Maybe something distracts you from the scan before it’s complete? All in all, this will be up to you.

Any internal communications through a netlink or synthetic telepathy will need to adhere to the rules on Comms and communications. This means you will need to emote, however subtly, that you are sending out some sort of communications in adherence with these rules so review them carefully before using these abilities.

As a cyborg you also have the option of having metal plating to help you resist damage. Be aware that if you do have a lot of heavy plating your cyborg cannot be over four hundred pounds. Also, if you are a heavy plated cyborg who can take large amounts of gun fire and damage you will not be able to move quickly. You will be more of a slow moving wall of durability. This almost means you will not be able to jump well, if at all, or do any type of hardcore acrobatics. The same also applies if you are a cyborg who is extremely strong. Having the machineware in your to provide for your super human strength will make you just as slow. The stronger you are, the slower you will move.

There exists an option for the lighter version of cyborgs. The armor on these types may be more durable than human skin, but they will not have much resistance to things like bullets. These types can be super humanily fast though they are often not above the maximum of human strength. You do not want to try to mix box fast and strong into any cyborg character. This often causes issues during combat roleplay and if it becomes a repeat complaint among the player base you might end up with a mentor messaging you in order to help you format your character a little more fairly. This is something put in place to help you.

Cyborgs often have a very high chance of developing cyber-psychosis This is due to the fact that they are humans who now do not have the ability to experience the world as humans do. They cannot touch, hear, see, or speak in the normal sense. Imagine yourself wrapped in a bubble and only getting to experience things through what a computer tells you it feels like. It would be a little maddening, right? This is one of the main factors that make these type of characters extremely advanced to play.

With all that reading you’ve just done in mind, cyborgs can be broken down into a few bullet points of note.

· Cyborgs are anyone over 80% mech with a human mind. They are a brain in a case.

· Cyborgs cannot be hacked realistically as they are controlled by a human mind.

· No cyborg can weigh over four hundred pounds (181.437Kg ).

· Cyborgs have the possibly of housing any number of technological advancements the use of which on any character other than your own will be consent based.

· Cyborgs must look basically human. Two arms. Two legs. One torso. One head.

· Cyborgs, like all characters in the mech class, are governed by the Ten Mech Rules.

· Cyborgs cannot be both fast and strong.