Exceleior Lntertainment Proudly Preeents~

Project Development & Game Design:Thomas Talarnlni

Cover Artist:Paul B ~ n n e r

Lead Rules Development TearBill King and Daniel E a p

Cover Design:ThnmasTnlqmini

Rules Development Support Team:Marshal Caspian. Andreas Engstrorn. Patrick Mollerstrom, John TFnrrey, Jim Williamson

Miniature Sculptors:Tim Prow, Phil Lewis, Neil McKensle,Werner KFocke. Mark Kay, Roy Eastland, Mark Copplestone,ThomasTalamini.Peter Flanne~y. Kevin Adarns, Kev Whlte & Bob Naisrnith.

Statistical Analysis & Empirical Progr:Daniel Earp

Miniature Painters:Kevin Adams, JackieAppletan. Tim Prow.Mark McNaught, Daniel Conde

Senior Writer & Archivist:

Playtestors:

Writir

~ rTeam t.,.-

Andreas Engstrorn,Patrick Mollerstrom, Daniel Earp, Scott Nethey,Adam Thompson, Mark Mettner, Hal Gibson, Trevor Lee, Jim Wllliamson, John Tnney, Ross Franks, Tim Edaror, Betty Earp, Marshal ill Refsfsland, Hans Schmeider, Kevin Ludwig.

Paul BE . - - :aKley.filav LOWSIII, rere rlannery, Matt Farbeck. Nils Gulfiksson,

?ns!ey, Mark Metzner. Thomas Rooney 11 Magnus Seter, Sh;me Lacy HE 1, Nev~lle Stocken. Henr~ck Strandberg.

;ruofaare Thanks:George Vasilakos (always a good friend and sounding board), Lance KaE, Doug Rawley, Chris Schroeder, Francesw Pino & Solo per Gioco, Paul Lipori, Kev~n Ludwig, Hans Schrnieder, John Silio, Wolf Trlp, Klrk Carroll. Mark Theurer, M~ke Tisdale, Kevlar, Cortez, fabio. Konrad Soslqskl and WARGAMERS, Dave Jones, Mark Santillo, Jon Albin, Bill irk Murray. ME Sirnmons,Neville St ocken, Robi & Cindi WE tigand, Hyrurn Savage, D, 'The Skriv" Webb, I Ja Karmteg + Michael GI 1 Lukasz ave r 0 , 1 s Kopczyk. P~ k o Buky, L.ee Butman and the follts at Diarnolnd Comrcand Book Dist.

Editor:Mark M

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port Teal 'Editorial Sup1 . . , ,, .. Auam r roy I nornpson, aery tarp. dm flillfamson. Hooe Metzner, Marshal Caspian'

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Interior Illustrators:Paul Bonner. Peter Bergting. Paoro rarenre,Aleswnom norley, lbny Bagge. Cuillaume, Fournier, Simon B~sley, Jens Jonsun, Jeny Oakes, hliklas Brandt, John Haward, Mark Debeau, Stefan Thunberg. Patrik Magnerius. Adriani di Wncenlis. Davide Fabfi, JonniTe~ttinen, Tom Olsson. Jeft Miracola. John Matson, Alvaro, Tapia. Jonas Mases, Marcus ~larnini. 3rt Beel, Les Edwards, ILuca Zontin11. Stui Thorell,Thoma? TT~ James Ellis. Codeic. Thomas FCooney 111.

nore infcjrmation, contact:r..--1*:** cxu=lslur Entertainment Clifton Heights, PA 19018

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USAPhone: 610-622-3181

Design:Teny K. Aml

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A Splecial Th; rnks frorn Thorn:I The!re are mar~y tests of ;man's chcaracter, many challenges he must face in the pursuit of excellence. If he is lucky, he will not have to : make lhls arduousjwmey ;~Ione.In this regard I am a lucky man. This was the most challenging projectto assemble and a real testament - .A for to m e dedication ana ----.-.-_--ui involved. I want to offer my personal appreclat~on a few special people. I would like to thank my perslsrence family and friend: ; who endured much vvith supportive kindness: my brothers Jcrhn , Vlto and Sed who made sure I had an!, life outside t h ~ s projecl:, Fred Maltnberg and the ParadcIX crew whose supporl and encouragement has spurre,d us onward, Damel 2lnd Mark w hose tireless rative from the dedication, contril~ution encouragement were invaluableto this effort: t h e Crusaders and 1fans who have suppolted our init1 and , . . , . -. beginn~ng, tne many stores wno oelieved In 11s. And most importantly to my parents, wno have never failed to encourage and support my and dreams, I love you both. Th~s boak is dedicated l o a Sew supporters who could not be here to see this book in print, John Di Ostitioand Susan Rooney. hlay they look down on ourefforks with pride. We miss you.

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mark 2003.All rlghts reserved. nd Developed by Excelsior Entertainment under Heer~ s e Trade1 . Mutant Chronicles is of Parador Entertisirment anrf is developed underlrcEnSB. se i nmerfy Game System tw and Warzone Un~vei Under Siegew' ' PInperty of Erccelsior Enl ertainmenf"J

Chapter 7 Cybertronic :

Introduction

Welcome .......................... ............................................ 3 Fighting a Table-Top Wargame ...................................... 3 3 Why a Hobby Game? ...... Getting Started ................. .. 3 4 What do I need to play? ... Do I need a lot of Models? .............................................. 4

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The Cybertronic Megacorporation ................................ 321 The Cybertronic Military Battery ...................................337 The Cybertronic Armory ................................................352

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Chapter 8: The BrotherhoodThe Brotherhood, A The Forces of Llght The Brotherhnncl AI?

...............................401 408A 4

Faithful ................ ...............................

Chapfer P: The Saga of the Mutant Chronicles

Chapter 9: The Cartel

From the Journal of Lain Mathmoi ................................. 6 The Chronicles ..........................................................10

The Cartel ..................................................................... The Cartel Security Forces ......................................... The Cartel Armory .............................. ................ The infernal Legions af the Dark Soul ................. Minions of the Enemy- The Dark Legiol The Dark Legion Armory ...................... The Tribe: of Dark Eden Euri s The Tribe:j: of Euras;ia ............ ;ian Armory ............ The Eura!

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: Chaptev 2 The! Rules o f War O- An Overview of Play .................. ............................... 31 .

Chapfer 70: The Legjons of the Dark Sc

1- Some Bastc Concepts ........................................... 31 ............... 2- Understandir1g Your TT 32 ............... 3- Amout Your Fwmy ........ b 36 4- GaIme Terms1 .............. ............... 38 . . . . 5-Usrng Actlons ............................. 40 40 6- Available Actions ........................ 45 7- Movement, A Closer Look .......... 8- Close Combat ...................................... ................... 48 9-Ranged Combat ......................... 52 56 10- Fire Missions 8 Forward Observ 11- Morale ........................................ 65 12- Special Abilities ......................................................... 68 13- Channeling. 83 14- Vehicles ................ 89 15- Field Engineering ....... 95 ... 98 16- Mines, Demolitans IC Mjlleu ...... 13 0 17- Deploying Your Army 18- Scenarios ...................... 113 79-Weapons & Equipment ......................................... 120

Chapter 71: The Tribes of Dark 1

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Guide to Short F

Regret .... Due Pmcess .......... Damned.

Other (................

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Memoriesrardut? ................... Man's Gotta Eat Liberation lrnnv ..... . -.., ....................................*.............. Journals of Sgt. Carter, AFC . ** Roach Company Psych Pr Hold the Line ......................... Valley Forge .......... ................ A Case for the Wolrires ..........----A-

Retrieval

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Chapk!r 3: Caflit01 The Cijpitol Meglacorporation ........................................ -. ne r;apltol war macnrne ......................................... - ...... , , Im L

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The Capitol Arm1

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Chapter 4: Bat

The Eauhaus M e y d ~ u r p ation ....... u~ The Bauhaus Mlnlsti-y of War .......... The Bauhaus Armory ...................... The Imperial Megacorporation ........ 229 14 7 The lmparial Regimental Army ....... The Imperial Armory ..................................................... 271

Stand ..................... Life is a Mountain ..

Chapter 5: lmperial

Chapte!r6: Mis,himaishima Me!gacorpor: The MI ............................. 273 ... Tho hA; .,,, ,.,rshfman ~ r m .................... . y . .................... 283 She Mishiman Armory ................................................. 316

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Unexpected Problefrls ........... Spay Games ..................... ................ ................ A Matter of Pirde .................. Fire at Will ............................................................. United WI2 Stand ... Have Mer cy on Us i Human Nature ....... The Prize . . . . . Survival of the Fittest ........................................... The Last Charge .......................... . . ................... ........................... ........................... Cot~ntermeasures . A Simple Request .................. Lucky ..................... ................ ** Pron~rnciation I ide to the Gc Nepharitek Rage .....................................................

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Chronicles and as such will present a limitless selection of options for YOU to enjoy. Once you have decided upon your army, it will be time to select the troops that you will lead into battle. Ultimate Warzone {UWZ) isn't a game that relies on the strengths of only one model, but rather the abilities of a diverse collection of soldiers all working towards a common goal. The unique synergy that you create among your soldiers will be the key to your victory on the battlefield. You will populate your army with Squads of warriors, soldiers trained in all manner of weaponry from swords to machineguns. You will command mortars or even mighty war machines, powerful Units that will rain death down upon their enemies in great volleys. In addition, Individuals, like Captains or fearsome monsters, will lead them. Whatever the case, you will create a diverse army with which to recreate the titanic struggles of humanity in the dark retro future of the Mutant Chron icles"'. Tcr do this. you will 1populate your forc es with miniat1 ures and rmodels available fro rn Excelsior Entertainment. These rnc~dels will represent your owrI style of waging .A ., . kn,,n r , waran" .=,:Rl L * * W I I I uc selected for ~ U U rastes. Once ~ I J U1 1 - v ~chosen I your soldiers you will need to paint them. A well-painted a n y will bring your games to life and seize your imagination with the various battles you will recreate. There are many resources to help you learn how to paint your miniatures and we recommend s that you practice and try new techniques- the r~ s u l t will well be worlh it. UWZ is a game that brings players deep [nto the action of tabletop battle. Warzone's unique design and game play, combined with the rich depth of the Mutant Chronicles'" universe, provide a truly exciting gaming experience: a game which flows smoothly and is unrivaled in its flexibility and the rich hlstory of the troops who Iive and diie at your command. U W has a comprc:hensive ;and detailed rules system. These rules are extensive but are quite simple to learn Tqtn yo111 i l l l as YUU l e a d tlle~e l ~ rules and digest them one s~tep a at time. The depth of your options with each army will evolve over time, as will the unique conibinations of troops you will assemble...A, 0-

mbat K BUM need b pla(l7 I~You will need a few things to begin your epic journey into the realms of the Mutant Chronicles"'. Most Important is this rulebook (so you are half way there already), some UWZ miniaturesfrom the extensive Mutant Chronicles: Warzone" h e , Squad Unit Cards (which come with each model), a twentysided die, a ruler or measuring tape, and a pen. In addition to these items, you may need some of the counters and templates found h the back o this book. f Next, you will also need a place to engage your armies In battle. This can be an inspiring custom war game table that you have spent a great amount of time creating, or it can be as simple as a dlning room table or a stretch of noor. The sight of a well-designed table however, with your armies spread out before you will do wonders to fire the imaginations and invigorate your game play. There are numerous resources for how to create battlefields and just as many manufactured resources to draw upon. Excelsior also makes a line of battlefield accessories that can be u sed to adr1 character to your games. Ya Iu should be able to find Excelsior Entertainment miniature!s and WE :nty-sided djce at any well-stocked hobby or .. game store. If you have any problems obtarning your miniatures, t please feel free to contact Excslsior E n t e r t a ~ n n - e n directly. The contact information is at the front of this book.

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Obviously you can't recreate the epic struggles d the Universe Under Siege without soldier; to fight for you. The beauty of this game IS the flexibility of its desicn, meaning that yoti can start playing Ultirnale Warzonem w ~ t has little a s 7 models, though we are sure this will only be the beginning. The engine or mechanic that controls this game is versatile enough to allow you to enjoy dynamic and fast-paced battles w~!h anywhere from a few models ta hundreds. It will grow with you!

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Wlierc once there were natiimr dimXed6~geagrapfiy, there rare onCy ~egaco~orations-~~antic,~scaltitI;esttrXng now nns humanity, betiding a r t o their desires-In thk c o ~ o r a t system, tfu Negrrc~orutwns e manufacture maythiry,fjnm foodsttiffs tafireams, andthcir wor@orces ure turnb be red in the tens of 6iRims. 5% Ee an empToToycr! LI %egacorporarEora is i io adopt of n coTomtt way o cfi, to commit your sg your wely hobnmidandsou[ t o a smg6 rrrztsc, t n Ijefim andforemost, n C'itizet~, f e Eucty moment of eveg day, Citizetrs qf the jeegawpratioiolrs are bom6urded Iiy tfieir wriphyes's prapaga~lda,orrdfor them, the company line i~ comlmedm eanan[y asfnodor air. Cjtizmsare indoctsinatedthat orb their Megacorprwation fi s u p ~ m cthat on(>( , tliair %egncorpurtltio~t .i7 right, that on4 t h i r coqmrate way o lf isgood f ie f i e emph+yeesf democratic C a p P t o ~ ~ ntmtu t h q have t h f i e e d o m to purme their own dreams, sew re i n thr o r t ~ n w C e t $ e that tljq persona@ mun a m a r p a r t o t h ~ iCoporation. So~ue.r,er, ownerdtip conla with h a y f this recponsiiiifi&s. Capitoh huge armies, endhriy hairti*, ore romrnitredto t i c .rtie[fire of its mphyees andthe & f e w ofthefrrcdorns t h g mzjoy. Cor~currert~ljl, i r mmsi-r~r th nred;r~: andmrert&nment irattr~st~ .rvatc@tQ mail:taiu Ct~pitafs derfing i t ~ r q t . ciy ~ t a r ( ~ c o n the nhjects o (Bauhaus's a r k t o m 7 know that AT n* mmnmdedGy eelrernies who c m t tlieil, trast, f wedh and superior craJrsmamhip. Fmm the fowfiest subadimry to the great Elkctor Xotrses thfimch~e.~, mauhmrs f;rfl~u?r their ancient rrnditions and fit&, ensurig h t h the i n t e p i t y of their pmt aldgrinrnntming tl~eir~loninis future. Gegetrcralj o Bauhaus's t~rtriousmifitay or& -tuorfi~liardtopreserve f tlieir~veaftliarr46unorandmaintain f , . , 49; ..I their corporatron :r dominance in rnanufcictrtling andproductinn. fiose who .rerue the Cod- ofthe iei.rriitnilrrrt %egacofporatin tr Know that onry they uut~derstmdt m nreatring of he e honor andthat the universe tesrs that liolzor d i v To the Wi~lii7nan, evils of the ieni~~erse part of a natura, u[. the ala or&< uvhikh nrfi the ,wtaKand t m P e f ithe strnt~g. e i r rincitn t t m d i ~ i n sco,nhi~risbrvitli a , their ingenwiq ar~dstifi, ma& Mi~hirnn corporation r i d thn+,es on oh$@. 5 reti,~ueso f t he ruhg LodYfein wiiliir,g[ypfuc tlieir f i r m o %the ~uodds o f

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Ti wlEos@ n t h contn6rttioru alrmued humanity to conp r the stars triemsehes andtscapt the toqc amosp fiere cot; e " L/ofir)or@din ar Negacorporafiiv~ T~nd"'ompmsatqforwliat r h q &&in sf e andsofidan'q with detminal-tbn i 's nndqgrtssiveness, by pr~ot'ndtheir stre7lgtli d 4 andevar~ding tlieir empire 6 j constalit conquest andguih.-

'hcertai~ro- f o n-h one t h i q that & ir hordandtieir sunrivaf w ' C ~ O ~ rlienpb or m-ib.mare are t6c inhmxs rum8 1

aiarnet rim& oypmed to thc Wi~himimnn catplornte qr.rtem, the jwteb in&pendr~lt yeoph o Imnpen'al f

Finno, the esnipatic members of Cyhrtmnic *technical expertise, coupled with their

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encounter a power that defied all human understanding and would forever alter the fate of man. Before this power, every aspect of their civilization seemed doomed.

2 2 Harbinger of Darkness .Ever driven by the spirit of expansion, the Imperial Corporation began to look past the normal boundaries of man's domain. First, they seeded the Asteroid Belt with their people, and then the pioneering division of their Clans, the Conquistadors, pushed out even further into the Solar System.Soon, Imperial outposts stretched past Saturn and Uranus. In the closing decades of 2400 AD, Imperial launched two major exploratory missions. One mission :adnaught, sent a massive sjssault sp;acecraft, k.mown as 2a Dreadnaught, past the edge of the Solar Systerr1. This D ~ E christened the Zephyr, wa s sent out at the sa me time as a Conquistador frigate, the Harbinger', landed crn Pluto. Imperial blegan the I 3rocess 01 bing immediately upon landing on Pluto, having ha d practic:e with the . - . techntques during the creation of its capital, Victoria, and its numerous Clan domains within the Asteroid Belt However, construction teams found something underneath the surface of Pluto that defied their understanding

somethins that should not have been there, somethina totallv alien.

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was nearly weightless. A second team of scientists desperately attempted to decipher the strange engravings upon its surface, believing they would hold the keys to unlocking the tablet's mysteries.

mad. The soil around the artifact site heaved as anearthquake of coiossal proportions lurched forward in cascading waves across the surface of this forsaken

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A whisper, almost imperceptible wafted soundlessly across the void of space, wen the blessed silence of the deaf was not proof against its insidious presence. The Dark Mother had awakened and from that day fonnrard, the wondrous Solar System,with all its teeming trillions of human beings was changed forever. This was the beginning of the end. T ~ u s it was that the Dark Symmetry was , introduced to Mankind, and "Mother Ilian" became a curse on the lips of the faithfut and unfaithful aTike. Dire events began to occur as the complex technological systems that virtually ran mankind began to fail. Power plants, long automated and self-sufficient, exploded, annihilating whole cities in their destruction. Defense Cornpulers ran amok. turning their automated weapons against the very human population they were designed to protect. The great electronic credit webs of the Megacorporations collapsed, bringing the economic system to its knees. New plagues emerged from cornputer-mntrolled biological labs, spawning new forms of death and pain upon a populace that had grown fat and happy in their prosperity. Everywhere was rumors of sabotage. The Megacorporations blamed each other, leveling allegations and insinuations with growing vitriol. Evil "influences" saturated the core computer network, portraying rival Megacorporations to be at fault when ley were, in fact, innocent. It soon became common lowledge that the astral filth emanating from beyond

Pluto and spreading like a ravenous cancer through the Solar System was the fault of Imperial. The other corporations were quick to exact retribution. In the ensuing confusion, lies became indistinguishablefrom truth. Men had become so reliant on machines that they still believed this digital deity, even when the evidence their eyes witnessed told them otherwise. As the darkness fell about them, mankind collectively held their breath in anticipation of something even worse.

Part 3- A Discovey from the Chaos"The Harbinger and the Zephyr, our brightest and darkest discoveries have changed evetyfhing. " -Ryan Matthews, Lunar News Network Lost now amid the immensity of the Harbinqer debacle was an equally significant discovery. FI3 ~ l o w i n ~ the final transmission from the Imperial frigate Harbinqer, and before the computer network (In Luna .n+,",m,4 ran a&k, the imperial areadnaught Zephyr scnle. .vuru more dangerous affair than before, with a miscalculated of a amazing discovery. The transmission log recorded the last words of the Oreadnaught's Captain, Phillip course leading to the loss of entire ships and crew. Realizing their immediate military applications, the Harrison: Corporations used these Rifts to allow their Dreadnaughts "bVe have discovered an opening, a gate to to quickly mobilize and set up orbit around planets, moons another place...." and stations of their desire, creating an unknown scenario TIhe rest o f the transmission was lost as the that put fear into all. A:---..--* Zephyr u ~ a a ~ ~ e a from Luna's sensors. At the same red As technical system after technical system moment, the Steel Tablet's image was downloaded into controlled by the computers began an unstoppable the central computer and the Solar System sunk into cascading crash. deeds of ownership were lost, and chaos. invoices and contracts ceased to exbt. Suddenly, all of Throughout the Sotar System, space-faring the Solar System's Corporate boundaries and regulations vessels vanished. Some would reappear elsewhere in evaporated, leading to a mass scramble to obtain as the System without a crew, the ship aging centuries much of the planets' wealth as possible. All of the within the span of a heattbeat. Other ships were lost, Corporations attempted to take what was not theirs, tired never to be seen or heard from again. A precious few of having to rely on their rivals fox what they lacked, having would reappearfat from their original position, traveling to pay for what they needed to survive. Now was the time a distance that would normally take months in mere to assert their domination. moments. These ships became highly sought after by Ac:ross the ! Solar System,conflagrations arose as the Corporations, who realized the potential profit in corpomt~ militasy ,Forces apF>earedthrough the Rifts into e this unexpected situation. their riv: 31's territo~ ries. Whiff2 the situafion for humanity . .. After arduous study during this chaotic time, an was at .. . . . 11sbleakest, Mrs open hostility quickly escalated important discovery wa s made. Throu gh the Into war and a new dark age fell upon mankind as it was examination of these ship':5 logs an(j sensors, it was plunged into utter chaos. determ~nedthat the appt:a ra n ces of these "Rifts" . . The First Corporate Wars had begun, followed a att tern that occurred when certaln alanets within the solar System were at a particular iolnt in their rotation. The ability to chart this phenomenon could 2 3 The Flrsf Corporate Wars .attaw the Corporations to greatly increase their rate of Throughout the civilized world, wars were fought supply and mobility. The only question that coufd not with insane Ferocity betweer1 every Cc~rporation. With all be answered was why this was now possible. Popular ~ m r d of ownership gone, the Solar System e'as open s sentiment was that the dis~overy the Steel Tablet had to the taking and the nrle od might replaced thl2 rule of of . . . .. . . somehow ufilock@d method oftranspoflation used by a law. Imperial, wha for more rnan a century , . to settle naa a lost, ~ T ~ v ~ Q U S ~ ) ! unknown civilization. Whatever the for the crumbs of the big three Megacorporations, found case, something wondrous had occurred. themselves portrayed as the villains and in retaliation this Spacial Riff technology was a saving grace began a savage campaign of conquest, aggressively amid the murderous bedlam that rocked the known gaining property and digging in throughout the planets. worlds. This technology allowed the Megacorporations Mishima quickly annexed all other corporate h mdings on o l to chart the Rifts, to plot their schedules and most of Mercury in a ruthless campaign, the very . . their destinations. However. what should have been a r i nature of their underground kingdom wondrous boon to mankind had, l~ke many others of so - -lallowing the Corporation to repel all man" creations, turned dark. Space travel became a ' , , - aggressors. On the Southern regions ofA. ,

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It was on Luna, the political center of the Solar System and the eir religious movement, rands gained the most itriking plower an d influence. Jathaniel , full of conviction, .visdom ana presence, spoke to the zt people from the stre1 comers and the places of worsP.il3. He spob:e of I the C 3yrnmetry, an energy unleashed lpon mankind to corrupt them and their machines. According to his ctrine, the Dark Symmetry was the cause of the rrent chaos that gripped the Solar System and Imperialfought for control of that territory. On the Graveton threatened to destroy mankind. It had come thrcrugh Archipelago of Venus, a titanic stmggle between Bauhaus, the satellites that connected the planets togeths?r ~n Mishima, and Capitol erupted across the Thousand communication, and it now resided in the complex Islands. The only thought that dmve this madness was computers that dominated thr? various Corporations" akso the only thought that kept the Corporations from actions. He irlustrat ed with F~owerfullogic how the ad e employing weapons of mass destruction: greed, and the Thinking Machines h, becorn1 its tools, how they had desire to own the Solar System; the distant memories of been infected with the essence of pure evil and had Dark Eden reminding them of the lessons of nuclear turned on their human former masters. His messages were always simple; namely, to stop the war and lake New alliances formed whenever eFther side could the power from the hands of the machines. At first, the Meglacorporalt i ~ n s choseta lgnorc:the see a temporary advantage. Such alliances ended just as swiftly when another opportunity arose. It was an age of Durands. although their inSIuence th roughout the . c tembk treachery, breeding Mtred and resentments that populace was gmwir~ gThis p Aicy of dis8rnissai ickly .-..qu lasted for centuries, some of which have not healed to changed when the arorners conslsrenrly sropped this day. It was an age of insane violence where corporate military operations, actions that were Corporation smote Corporation over the slightest supposed to be completely secret, by being at the provocation. Fighting bred hatred, violence bred location ahead of the corporate landings. To the officers vengeance, and fear fuelled it a[l. Fear that the darkness of the corporate military, this 1was an n possible feat, would descend forever. Fear that technology was now as there was no wa!f that the brothers Icould possibly !cret m a dlinations. r mankind's enemy. Fear that in this new and barely have knowledge of tl~ e itop SE . ama~tiousof tne vurands' ,. .. understood universe, with its disturbing R i b , there would One of the most not be enough resources for one Megacor~oratf~n+ interventions occurred when corporate military officers let alone them all. ordered their soldiers to stand down and leave the area, following a closed meeting with the brothers. This was the firs1 time a ranked farce commandelr met with and 2.4- The Founding of the Brotherhood acquiesced to the demands of a civili;jn cornrncrner. Following what was later called the Menick Accc~ r d s , .. , sen that we were starin ginto the brother's sanks of followers swellea. to an ourse'ves " unprecedented size, one even the Megacorporations and am saved us Major Corbin Andrews, Fifth Airborne Squadron could not easily ignore. Back room politics and opportunistic seizures suffered under the growing power lnta this dark and corrupting Age strode a man of ofthe b-others' movement. In a time ofwarand camage, hope and vision. His name was Nathaniel Ourand and Re Nathaniel and his brothers gave people hope and the emerged from the jungles of Venus along with his two promise of stability, a thing far more precious than brothers, the burly Alexander and the insighwul Peter. Their anything that could be conquered or mass-produced, st was unkmown, having been lost during the "Fatl",but The Megacorporations could ignore the brothers no !ir future Mtas evident within the first few months of their longer,so they sent their "emissaries" to meet with them. pearance. Assassins the -. n ,e hers' renown grew exponentially amongst promise of vast were sent afier the brothers withthat wealth and power to the men ~ roth bounty the people of the Inner Spheres due largely to their positive brought in the head of Mathanfel. C~rporate message of hope and their uncanny ability was posted in the millions of credits as the 1Megamrporations were determined to have the threat to predict corporate maneuvers.There was : i to their dominance removed. s ~ r n e t h i n gsafe and comforting in their: messages, and their repeated accuracy ant As improbable as it was, many of these ruthless : >\2 I '

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