Jernwerks

                To see a Jern is to witness the power to change worlds. Their steel hearts burn with cosmic fire we stole from giants, their weapons strike as the club of Herakles, and the sound of their feet is the sound of Raijin’s war drums. A Jern is a hero and a titan, a force of nature bound to the will of mortal man who holds back the darkness that seeks to consume us. To name them war machine or mecha is to give them a grave insult.

                Modern Jern are a melding of biological material and technological weapons and armor to give them shape. Every Jern is a unique investment, even those classified as mass produced are painstakingly crafted by masterful artisans known as Scrimshander. These legendary smiths bring together the flesh of Jotnar and the most bleeding edge technology to create a Jern. Jern are able to move as extensions of their Baghatur’s bodies, working more as grand suits of armor than vehicles in their modality. Standing alone against the dragons at our gates, a Baghatur is no mere soldier or hunter but a hero of old resurrected. Jern commonly serve for centuries, being upgraded and maintained throughout their lives as they pass from Baghatur to Baghatur as family heirlooms or conquests of war. Over these long lives they not only drift from their initial designs to suit the heroes that pilot them but also develop reputations and legends of their own. A Baghatur may achieve fame but Jern make myths.

                Let me tell you a story. At the height of the Great Hunts a single Jern rose to crown the world in her brilliance. Aglaea’s Baghaturs have long been lost to history but tales of her radiance are still told around bar tables and vid-casts alike. She was a 08 model, produced by the Sons of Ivaldi to lead their warbands in search of ever greater bounties. She was 18 meters tall with wings of light, her core crafted from an Elder Lamassu that let her shone like a sunrise over the Teeth of Zahhak, and silvered armor graced a pearl white body. Rather than the panoply of weapons usually mounted to a Jern of her class she instead wielded a single blade imbued with a secret Exotica that was never identified, a simple silver sword of immense size. When she descended to the battlefield it was truly as if a goddess of light graced it with her presence, ensuring even the most desperate fights were filled with the festive radiance of her namesake.

                Her legend, however, did not come from her power or grace. She was commissioned and employed by the Board in general and the Edda group in specific, a corporate mascot for the profit push they had just begun. She was to be nothing more than a publicity stunt, a beautiful show horse for all the newest technology Edda had to offer. She was never to be sent on dangerous missions, a princess playing at war rather than performing the actual work of monster hunting. Aglaea however set her priorities early, priorities she would maintain for the next century of her service before the great tragedy of her legend came to fruition.

                Aglaea’s first launch was everything one would expect from the unveiling of a new product. A small border town, one with no corporate allegiance or economic value, was being attacked by a starving Bunyip. The Jotun was large to be sure, and much too powerful for the 66 Jern that was stationed in the town, but clearly it hadn’t eaten well in years. Easy prey for a new masterwork from the greatest Scrimshander on the planet. It was gaunt and vicious, using its great claws to tear through the walls of the town while 100mm rounds ricocheted off its coarse fur from the town’s defenses. It was the perfect PR opportunity, our glorious Board coming to save the disenfranchised at the last moment as the Bunyip breached the walls. The headlines would write themselves as the literal white knight defeated the monster attacking the peasants. They would of course let the town suffer somewhat to remind them why they needed corporate sponsorship but no more than 10% acceptable losses. A well balanced accounting sheet and free good will for their new captain. Her Grace had other plans for this mission.

                Rather than landing amidst the cover of the town square Aglaea activated her flight pack far above the panicking crowds, a ball of blinding light shooting down from the clouds. Even the Bunyip was distracted from its assault as it shielded its eyes from the Jern. Before it could adapt to the light, Aglaea tucked her wings and swooped into the Jotun with the force of a meteor, driving the beast out through the hole it had torn into the walls. Tossing the beast aside with contempt she faced the Jotun on the ice fields outside, a place with nowhere to hide from the Bunyip’s claws and raw strength. The most basic rules of hunting a Bunyip is to never engage it in open, unencumbered combat where it could bring its might to bear. The beast as no special powers but it is able to tear even the most powerful Jern to bits in an instant if it can lay hands upon it. Standard practice is to bait the Bunyip into tight corners where it can be flanked or to be engaged at extreme range with exceptionally high caliber weapons. Aglaea spurned this advice, facing the creature in the open field with not backup or ranged firepower at all. And during the whole fight never once let the Jotun come between her and the town. The Bunyip was old and canny, more than twice her height and many times her weight but she refused to back down, refused to allow the creature near its prey. With nothing more than a great glowing blade, she slew the beast even as it rent her armor asunder and tore one of her wings from her back. Finally, she stood alone, the town suffering no fatalities, the damage to her far outpacing the repair of the town’s walls, and a monster laid low. The town named themselves in her honor, the people rejoiced at a new protector, and a legend was born. The Board had their new captain but they would never be able to control her, her propensity for saving people only matched by the sky high cost of her repairs.

                Aglaea began an era, so it is only fitting that she ended it. At the height of the Great Hunt Ladon awoke from its slumber and began wreaking havoc across the planet. Unlike most Ancients who would ignore their human charges or at worst accidentally destroy the occasional building Ladon sought out human settlements whenever possible. The great drake stood half a kilometer tall and more than 10 times that in length with a jaw of teeth the size of Jern and a perpetual thunderstorm at its beck and call. Its wrath was terrible, destroying all in its path with the fury of a supernova. Whole cities were laid low, Ancients were awoken long before their time which led to panicked exoduses all across the Teeth of Zahhak and the deaths of millions. Each member of the board sent their best hunting parties but not a single one could harm the creature, and most would never return to their homes. Finally, after almost a decade of devastation Aglaea rose again, uniting 300 Jern behind her in the largest single grouping of Jern since the Reunification of the Khaganate four centuries earlier. Fully 80% of all Jern active on the planet at the time were united in a single armed force to subdue Ladon. Surely such a force would be unstoppable, even for an Ancient.

                Ladon however did not stand alone. Dozens of Jotnar had joined the giant beast though to claim it was organized was considered an impossibility by most wise men. Whether they were united in cause or not, however, was irrelevant, the truth of the matter was that the peak of Zahhak had become a roiling mass of giants. It was impossible to see the ground through the teeming mass of Jotnar,  but the true terror was that there were many species of monster roaming that mountain. Jotnar that would usually prey on each other, here rubbed shoulders and directed their ire outwards at the fools that refused to leave the mountains. Any who approached were destroyed before they could even radio for aid and so the horror grew on Zahhak’s Shoulders. Most claimed it was the end, that a wave of flesh and rage would wipe the planet clean of the filth humanity had brought to it.

                Aglaea stood as the sole light in the darkness, brandishing her sword aloft as she shouted, “They lay under my wings. And even if I am torn asunder you shall not have them.”

                The battle raged for weeks without stopping, a gigantomachy out of myth played by dragons the size of towers and knights carrying the fury of the gods in their hands.  Siege cannons had to be melted down after they failed from the strain of bombardment, their barrels warped beyond repair. Machine guns ran dry of ammunition and were used as impromptu clubs against the Jotnar that engulfed the Jern with fire and lightning and radiation. A dozen times the Jern line threatened to fold and a dozen times Aglaea rose to rally them. Like a firefly before a hurricane she stood defiant but the Jern were failing. Replacements could not be gathered, supplies ran thin, and Ladon in its rage called lightning from titanic storm clouds to ravage whole corps of Jern. Eventually even Aglaea’s light started to flicker. And in that moment of total darkness, she did the unthinkable.

                She chose two others and named them Euphrosyne and Thalia, giving them each a blade like her own and swearing them to a Geas none would speak of. Aglaea was in ruin, her wings mostly torn from her chassis, a great tear running through the armor of her head, and all her body plates covered in ash and rust from the weeks without maintenance. Still, she shook off the wear and lit her Lamassu core one final time. She led her three Graces on a final ditch assault, driving towards Ladon without regard to their safety, the shining blades piercing only the Jotnar without the sense to get out of their way. Somehow, they made it to Ladon, blades slick with the ichor of a dozen Jotnar, their glow dimmed in the eternal darkness that Ladon brought with it. But pierce it they did, until the three of them stood alone against the Ancient, surrounded by Jotnar. They knew then what was required of them, and none of them hesitated.

                Aglaea struck the final blow. Her sisters were laid low, their blades shattered, and their Jern rent to pieces but they had held fast. Ladon’s forelimbs were shredded and it was brought to its knees, roaring defiantly as Aglaea struggled to her feet. Her wings long gone, a gash through her core, and an arm laying on the ground at her side, it was a miracle she could move. But she did move. And with a final burst of effort she flew one more time, driving her blade deep into Ladon’s side.

                The World went white that day. The explosion was observed 500 km away, the effects felt at twice that as it shattered windows in homes and shook the foundations of even Asgard. The peak of Zahhak was blown away, creating what is today called the Blasted Heath, vaporized by the force of an Ancient’s core going critical. Of the 300 Jern that joined Aglaea on her quest, less than 50 survived, having been sent back for repairs long before the explosion. Of the Graces there was no sign, their light being consumed by the fireball of Ladon’s end. So, Aglaea fell and the age of the Great Hunt came to an end.

Product Classification: Semi-Autonomous High Tonnage Combat Exoskeleton.

Product Designation: Jern

Product Cost: Variable. In excess of 2 billion credits on average.

Product Lifespan: If regularly maintained may last centuries. Average lifespan for a front line unit is 25 standard years.

Product Description: A single pilot vehicle, usually of humanoid shape. The standard Jern archetype is 15 – 20 meters tall with a bipedal gait and two humanoid articulated hands. The mecha is made of composite synthetic materials as well as unique biological components that provide near human dexterity. Weapons are made to be interchangeable and handheld, with the most common loadout being a chemical propelled projectile weapon and a backup close combat weapon. Mounted defense systems or weapons are available on an individual design basis. Please refer to the Jern Classification Chart attached to this report for greater clarification.

Product History: Jern were first fielded in the Solar Conflicts between the first Theo-corporate interests and the Terran Sphere Council (T.S.C) in the early days of space colonization. The first mecha were created and shipped by Iron refineries in the outer asteroid belts. As the crates were labeled “Jern” (Iron) the name was eventually applied to the weapons within.

                Designed with zero-g combat in mind they were large, bulky suits roughly 12 meters tall made of proprietary composite armor. The use of a humanoid shape was chosen as a training aid as it would allow a human pilot to maneuver and maintain their agility in zero-g without the necessary skills of an assault pilot. This theoretical benefit would be largely unsupported in field trials until later generations of Jern with improved control interfaces and mechanics {Attached Edda Ordinance Weapon Trials: Jern Mark I}. The humanoid build did however allow for a single unit to perform various missions with equal skill by changing loadouts on an action-by-action basis, much like Special Operations in traditional military. This adaptability provided niche but important utility over more traditional fighters or ships of the line in these early Solar Conflicts.

                After the initial Solar Conflicts and the creation of the Exploratory Board of Theo-Corporations (E.B.T), Jern generally fell out of favor in the militaries of the galaxy. They found another small niche in the industrial sector working on building the massive capital and colony ships but had very little research or development invested in them. This would only change with their innovative use as deep impact shock troops during the Reunification of the Terran Khaganate {see Baghatur Combat Doctrine}. This new generation of Jern was then further refined and became the premier combat vehicle in most theaters of war after the reintegration of planet 4412 (Vanaheim – Edda Colony 7). The Mechanics of Vanaheim (Ft 1. “Scrimshander”) used the unique biology of the planet to fully realize Jern potential, modifying the mechanical suits to utilize biological materials to overcome shortcomings in the design. These weapons yield both the highest cost and profits for their manufacturers, with the highest quality work being the exclusive property of the Khaganate. Rumors of more esoteric suits being withheld on the planet’s surface are to be discounted.

Notable Products: Aglaea. Model Designation 08 this experimental Jern was built using the core of a Pantera Helios (Common name Lamassu) which provided exceptional power output and a distinctive aura of light when in use. It also used a blade reinforced with an unidentified Exotica only labeled as *******. The White and silver Jern became synonymous with the Development Rush of the 7th century PK.

Notable Product Actions: Aglaea was utilized in many peacekeeping and resource acquisition missions for over 100 standard years of service. The most important addition to her record took place in the year PK 627 during the pacification of the Jotnar identified as Ladon. Nearly two dozen settlements were destroyed with damage estimates in the 1.6 – 2.2 trillion credit range {see report Ecological Impact of Mass Hysteria and Jotnar Activity by Altman et all.}. Leading a coalition of Baghatur from several Corporate interests as well as many independent groups, Aglaea led the final assault on Ladon at Vanaheim peak 6 (Zahhak). Final resolution was achieved with the destruction of Ladon with 70% losses (approx.) and the complete disappearance of Aglaea. Total figures for financial impact are inconclusive but Public Relations indicates a positive public connotation with the model. Licensing fees generated by the likeness peaked at 25 billion credits last year alone.