Guardians/ Haans-Chowdhury Productions
The alien and eldritch Endless and their Monarchs were not the first to come to this world; the Geodics laid that claim long before our world had been given form and the molten rock cooled. They lain dormant for eons, hiding near the mantle and awoke to a world full of biological life, of chaos and emotion, a world that they sought to tame.
These crystalline beings, resembling floating gemstones, laid the foundation of the Beneath, the realm that would serve as their staging grounds as they brought the chaos under their heels. They took captives, creatures to experiment on and possibly bring into their service, to better understand the world that they landed in. It was small scale abductions, people that would not be missed, and not so many all at once. Most were frightened, easily bent, converted… but a few always remained recalcitrant. These were often eliminated before they became a nuisance
But one fateful morning the found one of the prisoners having escaped, stealing with him one of Geodics’ prized battlesuits, thought and will receptive armor large as an elephant but in the shape of a man. He tore his way through security, liberating more of his violent ilk, getting them to take more armor. By the end of it all, the aliens had to cut their losses and self-destructed the facility to prevent them from looting even more. The prisoners escaped, carried by technology that was never meant for them.
When they reached the surface, the prisoners spoke amongst themselves, wondering what to do. They knew that their captors would come for them again, especially with the armor they stole, but at the same time, did anyone else have the power to stop more abductions?
The original escapee, their liberator was plagued by this conundrum. Being a young Indian man who only just did what he could to escape, he sought the advice of a guru high in the mountains, a sage who was more in touch with the forces greater than men. He brought his prize to the wizened sage to show him what he had with him. The enlightened sage did not so much as blink as he was told the story. His reply simple: “I do not see the problem. You liberated your fellow men without thought. What makes it so hard for you to continue doing so?”
That was all the young man needed to hear. He left the sage and spoke with the other men who stole armors as well as many of the other prisoners. He did not know how the armor functioned, only that it responded to what he desired. And what he desired was simple: to stop these tormentors, these creatures from Naraka. Many of the other agreed, extending their armor’s limbs to pledge.
From then on, they were simply the Guardians for they saw it was their duty to protect their communities.
For decades, they waged a war against these invaders in the realm under the earth. With each victory, they took more of the strange thought receptive machinery and began to understand it. They learned secrets through meditation, growing stronger with each pillage. They became able to better take care of the machines they stole. They were not expert machinists nor did they know how to make more battlesuits, but they knew enough to repair damage using replacement parts from other, destroyed suits.
To their surprise, the war ended. The Geodics stopped raiding, no more facilities were found, no more prisoners taken. They stood vigil and turned their attention to other threats, combatting them with the same zeal and determination as they did before… only to find that without the Geodics to provide them with more parts, the ones that they had right now were irreplaceable.
Decades later, a new type of invader showed up… the British. These travelers from the West came and destroyed their homeland through a war fought by coins and gold rather than engines of war. The Guardians were helpless, for although they knew they could use their battlesuits to defeat some British forces, any damage they took was not going to be easily repaired. They were forced to remain in the shadows.
At this point in time, most of the remaining battlesuits were barely shells of their former selves. Many of the Geodic parts were too decayed or damaged from use to continue functioning. Brass and bronze replacement parts were fashioned for them, but they were always inferior to the original pieces. Even then, that could only slow the decaying and deterioration. And of all the parts, the heart at the center of every battlesuit was impossible to replace….
Slowly, the Guardians faded into oblivion, losing much of its power as the technologies it was founded on became impossible to replace.
A hundred years later, that changed. As the world slowly began to realize the devastating power held within the atom, the few remaining Guardians observed an event, a clash between two parties in the Beneath, both of which bothered them. Not only did it seem their ancient enemy arise from the grave, a new horror, this one of changing flesh and wielding tidal waves of armies, seemed to operate in the same manner as their enemies did. The fact that they fought each other was cold comfort to the realization that the world need them once again…
After the battle, the Guardians took their first influx of new Geodic technology in many life times, this time, intent on doing more with it than their ancestors ever did. They brought in an English family of machinists into their ranks and asked them to help them better understand the technology that they had… so that future generations would be able to stand on their own. The family accepted… but first they would need more money… and more manpower.
Together, they formed a company, to act as their face to the world: Haans-Chowdhury Productions named for the English family and the for the Indian surname and title meaning “Four way burden of responsibility”. These days, the Guardians are heavily bound within the company as it is their primary supplier and armer, though no one brings them up at every Board meeting when discussing “extraneous” expenses...
The company mostly focused on manufacturing, but they are also a leading supplier and research group for robotics and cybertech… largely due to having first hand experience with advanced robotics. They have gotten better at replacing Battlesuit parts, largely due to advanced fabrication technologies making it easy to fabricate armor. While they collect parts and remnants from Geodic battlesuits, they aren’t merely interested in replicating the technology… no, they intent to improve upon it, especially since they know there’s more out there than their old foes.
The Enemy
The Foes the Guardians face are the kind that ordinary Hunter groups, even most Conspiracies, would be massively outgunned by. Thankfully, most contact with them sticks within the Beneath, keeping their collateral damage minimal. Still, topside battles are expected.
The Geodics are a threat for historical reasons. The Guardians still consider them the primary opposition, fearing that should they be left unchecked entire cities would be taken. Even still, the public should be left out of the machinations that happen underground.
The Monarchs or… the Hivers as they call them are not as important, but that’s only relative. The Guardians lack the means to make use of the creatures that constitute the Endless, but they see the threat posed by an invasion force that could perhaps flood the world in numbers. They have to be culled.
Hunters
Your ancestors were part of the original membership, though admittedly your family was not too consistent about its membership. That didn’t matter to you or your employers. Turned out you had a knack for piloting that you didn’t know you had. Some say it might be genetic… others say it’s more to do with you finishing a job you helped start in a previous life.
You lost your arm a while back. But that doesn’t stop you from being a warrior. Inside your armor, that didn’t matter so long as you still had the ability to think. You had plenty of thoughts. Maybe it was Karma… Or was it Dharma?
You’re one of the growing number of non-Indian, non-British employees in HCP, but unlike the rest, you’re not there to push pencils. Now, if only half of your team wasn’t as strict on the meditation policy.
Status:
0 - You just made it into the Guardians. You’re now a full member in the secret club that hides just beneath the surface of the organization. You are issued your first tactical battlesuit free of charge, though take care that it is not lost.
000 - You’ve gotten quite good at fighting with the armor on. The Guardians trust you enough now that if you desire a Deavic battlesuit, they will allow you to use it. Just be wary.
0000 - Some say you’re the reincarnation of one of the founding membership, others say you must be some sort of new hero. It does not matter to you. You didn’t get this far by being some layabout.
Stereotypes:
The Union - Our job wouldn’t be as hard if the employees would stop threatening to strike.We need the money to pay for their protection... At least they aren’t much of a thing outside of the West.
Taskforce: Valkyrie - The English world has their own soldiers, that much is known, but I doubt any of them ever fought a foe that outnumbered them a dozen to one, maybe more...
The Cheiron Group - We’re here to stop our world from being overrun by monsters… and these people want to make more of them. Such idiocy!
Endowment: Battlesuit Tech
The Guardians are the inheritors to a small cache of alien technologies, of which the battlesuits are drawn from. A collection of thought reactive technologies, battlesuits are able to be operated even by pilots missing all limbs and being ignorant. Still, HCP does understand that being competent at it requires a good deal of training, much like any soldier.
Each is in the rough shape of a man, maybe leaning more towards gorilla, but their power is what tipped the Geodic war into mankind’s favor.
Earlier models of battlesuit, the few surviving original units that largely are in the control of descendants of the original pilots, are partially crystalline and brass, the remnants of the original creators and of the salvaged modifications made to keep them operational respectively.
More modern battlesuits are a whole different ballgame, resembling more modernized with chrome or grey armor, with minimal Geodic parts, largely to make them cheaper and to stretch the amount of Geodic tech available. With HCP wanting to surpass their originators, they also made them to be more modular, with parts that could be added to improve or modify the Battlesuit capabilities.
Of the two main types of battlesuits, both with separate parts due to the vast differences in size. The smaller, cheaper, and more common units are called “Tactical” battlesuits. They resemble more heavy, self moving armor that the wearer… wears. Every “proper” member of the Guardians has one.
More rare due to expense, and reserved for proven operatives and even then restricted mostly to Beneath operations due to size and risks of collateral damage, are Devic battlesuits, named so to honor the gods due to their power. In such pieces of equipment, the man operating it “rides” inside of it, though he perceives the suit as his own body when operating.
Both types can be modified, swaping out or adding to the base battlesuit more capabilities or even weapons. However, there is a limit to what parts can be equipped, most notably is that all parts take up specific places on the armor. In addition, Devic and tactical battlesuits may not use parts meant for the other type of battlesuit, each having their own list of equipment.
Regardless of the expense., Battlesuits are necessary, for otherwise man could not hope to stop the forces above them.
Tactical Battlesuit (0 or 1, replacement)
A modern development from the more traditional Devics, both to save costs and be more easily deployed, Tactical Battlesuits are more akin to armor. Every “real” member of the Guardians possesses a tactical battlesuit. Able to be used in most environments and is used for in hunts, the suit helps make up for the weaknesses humans have.
This suit is treated as “armor” that covers the wearer.
Features:
3/6 Armor
No speed, initiative, or defense penalty due to obeying the wearer’s whims. Effectively no penalties due to weight.
Environmentally sealed, oxygen recycling and waste processing.
Built-in lights and radio
5 Slots: Legs, Left Arm, Right Arm, Torso, Head
72 hour operational time. Recharge requires new power cells.
Devic Battlesuit (4)
Reserved for elite Guardians, this massive armor is more akin to a vehicle than actual armor. Still, using it is a necessity for larger forces in the Beneath. Many times, entire Squads operate entirely Devics for really bad engagements.
The Guardian's traditional Battlesuits, Devic units have a higher percentage of Geodic technology within them due to their complexity. Many older units are made of archaic metals or even possess a small fragment of original crystalline armor.
Treated as a Mech: See here
Features:
Strength 8, Durability 5, Size 15, Structure 20, Speed 40, Handling -1. Power 0 (none)
Melee Attack: 5 Damage
Operated using Brawl and Athletics instead of Drive.
Environmentally sealed, oxygen recycling and waste processing.
Built-in lights and radio
6 Slots: Legs, Left Arm, Right Arm, Torso, Head, Back
24 hour operational time. Recharge requires new power cells.
May not receive Mech Upgrades, but can receive Battlesuit Parts.
=====
Notes. I'll be adding the various parts later. Right now, I just wanted to Publish this Conspiracy that has to do with my recent Fansplat project.
I admittedly need to make them more grey though.
Still, it was one of the best ways I could think of to have Hunters able to face down really large numbers Monarchs could field or the overwhelming destructive power of Geodics, by giving them armor that might well be overkill to other factions. And they're supposed to get better.
The alien and eldritch Endless and their Monarchs were not the first to come to this world; the Geodics laid that claim long before our world had been given form and the molten rock cooled. They lain dormant for eons, hiding near the mantle and awoke to a world full of biological life, of chaos and emotion, a world that they sought to tame.
These crystalline beings, resembling floating gemstones, laid the foundation of the Beneath, the realm that would serve as their staging grounds as they brought the chaos under their heels. They took captives, creatures to experiment on and possibly bring into their service, to better understand the world that they landed in. It was small scale abductions, people that would not be missed, and not so many all at once. Most were frightened, easily bent, converted… but a few always remained recalcitrant. These were often eliminated before they became a nuisance
But one fateful morning the found one of the prisoners having escaped, stealing with him one of Geodics’ prized battlesuits, thought and will receptive armor large as an elephant but in the shape of a man. He tore his way through security, liberating more of his violent ilk, getting them to take more armor. By the end of it all, the aliens had to cut their losses and self-destructed the facility to prevent them from looting even more. The prisoners escaped, carried by technology that was never meant for them.
When they reached the surface, the prisoners spoke amongst themselves, wondering what to do. They knew that their captors would come for them again, especially with the armor they stole, but at the same time, did anyone else have the power to stop more abductions?
The original escapee, their liberator was plagued by this conundrum. Being a young Indian man who only just did what he could to escape, he sought the advice of a guru high in the mountains, a sage who was more in touch with the forces greater than men. He brought his prize to the wizened sage to show him what he had with him. The enlightened sage did not so much as blink as he was told the story. His reply simple: “I do not see the problem. You liberated your fellow men without thought. What makes it so hard for you to continue doing so?”
That was all the young man needed to hear. He left the sage and spoke with the other men who stole armors as well as many of the other prisoners. He did not know how the armor functioned, only that it responded to what he desired. And what he desired was simple: to stop these tormentors, these creatures from Naraka. Many of the other agreed, extending their armor’s limbs to pledge.
From then on, they were simply the Guardians for they saw it was their duty to protect their communities.
For decades, they waged a war against these invaders in the realm under the earth. With each victory, they took more of the strange thought receptive machinery and began to understand it. They learned secrets through meditation, growing stronger with each pillage. They became able to better take care of the machines they stole. They were not expert machinists nor did they know how to make more battlesuits, but they knew enough to repair damage using replacement parts from other, destroyed suits.
To their surprise, the war ended. The Geodics stopped raiding, no more facilities were found, no more prisoners taken. They stood vigil and turned their attention to other threats, combatting them with the same zeal and determination as they did before… only to find that without the Geodics to provide them with more parts, the ones that they had right now were irreplaceable.
Decades later, a new type of invader showed up… the British. These travelers from the West came and destroyed their homeland through a war fought by coins and gold rather than engines of war. The Guardians were helpless, for although they knew they could use their battlesuits to defeat some British forces, any damage they took was not going to be easily repaired. They were forced to remain in the shadows.
At this point in time, most of the remaining battlesuits were barely shells of their former selves. Many of the Geodic parts were too decayed or damaged from use to continue functioning. Brass and bronze replacement parts were fashioned for them, but they were always inferior to the original pieces. Even then, that could only slow the decaying and deterioration. And of all the parts, the heart at the center of every battlesuit was impossible to replace….
Slowly, the Guardians faded into oblivion, losing much of its power as the technologies it was founded on became impossible to replace.
A hundred years later, that changed. As the world slowly began to realize the devastating power held within the atom, the few remaining Guardians observed an event, a clash between two parties in the Beneath, both of which bothered them. Not only did it seem their ancient enemy arise from the grave, a new horror, this one of changing flesh and wielding tidal waves of armies, seemed to operate in the same manner as their enemies did. The fact that they fought each other was cold comfort to the realization that the world need them once again…
After the battle, the Guardians took their first influx of new Geodic technology in many life times, this time, intent on doing more with it than their ancestors ever did. They brought in an English family of machinists into their ranks and asked them to help them better understand the technology that they had… so that future generations would be able to stand on their own. The family accepted… but first they would need more money… and more manpower.
Together, they formed a company, to act as their face to the world: Haans-Chowdhury Productions named for the English family and the for the Indian surname and title meaning “Four way burden of responsibility”. These days, the Guardians are heavily bound within the company as it is their primary supplier and armer, though no one brings them up at every Board meeting when discussing “extraneous” expenses...
The company mostly focused on manufacturing, but they are also a leading supplier and research group for robotics and cybertech… largely due to having first hand experience with advanced robotics. They have gotten better at replacing Battlesuit parts, largely due to advanced fabrication technologies making it easy to fabricate armor. While they collect parts and remnants from Geodic battlesuits, they aren’t merely interested in replicating the technology… no, they intent to improve upon it, especially since they know there’s more out there than their old foes.
The Enemy
The Foes the Guardians face are the kind that ordinary Hunter groups, even most Conspiracies, would be massively outgunned by. Thankfully, most contact with them sticks within the Beneath, keeping their collateral damage minimal. Still, topside battles are expected.
The Geodics are a threat for historical reasons. The Guardians still consider them the primary opposition, fearing that should they be left unchecked entire cities would be taken. Even still, the public should be left out of the machinations that happen underground.
The Monarchs or… the Hivers as they call them are not as important, but that’s only relative. The Guardians lack the means to make use of the creatures that constitute the Endless, but they see the threat posed by an invasion force that could perhaps flood the world in numbers. They have to be culled.
Hunters
Your ancestors were part of the original membership, though admittedly your family was not too consistent about its membership. That didn’t matter to you or your employers. Turned out you had a knack for piloting that you didn’t know you had. Some say it might be genetic… others say it’s more to do with you finishing a job you helped start in a previous life.
You lost your arm a while back. But that doesn’t stop you from being a warrior. Inside your armor, that didn’t matter so long as you still had the ability to think. You had plenty of thoughts. Maybe it was Karma… Or was it Dharma?
You’re one of the growing number of non-Indian, non-British employees in HCP, but unlike the rest, you’re not there to push pencils. Now, if only half of your team wasn’t as strict on the meditation policy.
Status:
0 - You just made it into the Guardians. You’re now a full member in the secret club that hides just beneath the surface of the organization. You are issued your first tactical battlesuit free of charge, though take care that it is not lost.
000 - You’ve gotten quite good at fighting with the armor on. The Guardians trust you enough now that if you desire a Deavic battlesuit, they will allow you to use it. Just be wary.
0000 - Some say you’re the reincarnation of one of the founding membership, others say you must be some sort of new hero. It does not matter to you. You didn’t get this far by being some layabout.
Stereotypes:
The Union - Our job wouldn’t be as hard if the employees would stop threatening to strike.We need the money to pay for their protection... At least they aren’t much of a thing outside of the West.
Taskforce: Valkyrie - The English world has their own soldiers, that much is known, but I doubt any of them ever fought a foe that outnumbered them a dozen to one, maybe more...
The Cheiron Group - We’re here to stop our world from being overrun by monsters… and these people want to make more of them. Such idiocy!
Endowment: Battlesuit Tech
The Guardians are the inheritors to a small cache of alien technologies, of which the battlesuits are drawn from. A collection of thought reactive technologies, battlesuits are able to be operated even by pilots missing all limbs and being ignorant. Still, HCP does understand that being competent at it requires a good deal of training, much like any soldier.
Each is in the rough shape of a man, maybe leaning more towards gorilla, but their power is what tipped the Geodic war into mankind’s favor.
Earlier models of battlesuit, the few surviving original units that largely are in the control of descendants of the original pilots, are partially crystalline and brass, the remnants of the original creators and of the salvaged modifications made to keep them operational respectively.
More modern battlesuits are a whole different ballgame, resembling more modernized with chrome or grey armor, with minimal Geodic parts, largely to make them cheaper and to stretch the amount of Geodic tech available. With HCP wanting to surpass their originators, they also made them to be more modular, with parts that could be added to improve or modify the Battlesuit capabilities.
Of the two main types of battlesuits, both with separate parts due to the vast differences in size. The smaller, cheaper, and more common units are called “Tactical” battlesuits. They resemble more heavy, self moving armor that the wearer… wears. Every “proper” member of the Guardians has one.
More rare due to expense, and reserved for proven operatives and even then restricted mostly to Beneath operations due to size and risks of collateral damage, are Devic battlesuits, named so to honor the gods due to their power. In such pieces of equipment, the man operating it “rides” inside of it, though he perceives the suit as his own body when operating.
Both types can be modified, swaping out or adding to the base battlesuit more capabilities or even weapons. However, there is a limit to what parts can be equipped, most notably is that all parts take up specific places on the armor. In addition, Devic and tactical battlesuits may not use parts meant for the other type of battlesuit, each having their own list of equipment.
Regardless of the expense., Battlesuits are necessary, for otherwise man could not hope to stop the forces above them.
Tactical Battlesuit (0 or 1, replacement)
A modern development from the more traditional Devics, both to save costs and be more easily deployed, Tactical Battlesuits are more akin to armor. Every “real” member of the Guardians possesses a tactical battlesuit. Able to be used in most environments and is used for in hunts, the suit helps make up for the weaknesses humans have.
This suit is treated as “armor” that covers the wearer.
Features:
3/6 Armor
No speed, initiative, or defense penalty due to obeying the wearer’s whims. Effectively no penalties due to weight.
Environmentally sealed, oxygen recycling and waste processing.
Built-in lights and radio
5 Slots: Legs, Left Arm, Right Arm, Torso, Head
72 hour operational time. Recharge requires new power cells.
Devic Battlesuit (4)
Reserved for elite Guardians, this massive armor is more akin to a vehicle than actual armor. Still, using it is a necessity for larger forces in the Beneath. Many times, entire Squads operate entirely Devics for really bad engagements.
The Guardian's traditional Battlesuits, Devic units have a higher percentage of Geodic technology within them due to their complexity. Many older units are made of archaic metals or even possess a small fragment of original crystalline armor.
Treated as a Mech: See here
Features:
Strength 8, Durability 5, Size 15, Structure 20, Speed 40, Handling -1. Power 0 (none)
Melee Attack: 5 Damage
Operated using Brawl and Athletics instead of Drive.
Environmentally sealed, oxygen recycling and waste processing.
Built-in lights and radio
6 Slots: Legs, Left Arm, Right Arm, Torso, Head, Back
24 hour operational time. Recharge requires new power cells.
May not receive Mech Upgrades, but can receive Battlesuit Parts.
=====
Notes. I'll be adding the various parts later. Right now, I just wanted to Publish this Conspiracy that has to do with my recent Fansplat project.
I admittedly need to make them more grey though.
Still, it was one of the best ways I could think of to have Hunters able to face down really large numbers Monarchs could field or the overwhelming destructive power of Geodics, by giving them armor that might well be overkill to other factions. And they're supposed to get better.
Yay, they're here! And you even kept my 3/4-assed name.
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