[Stormrift] Korr Invasion Tactics

The Korr prefer to meet enemies head on, relying on physical strength and overwhelming numbers to win battles. The Korr’s disdain for ranged weaponry caused them to suffer heavy losses during the initial days of the invasion as their living war machines withered under the barrage of Earth’s guns, missiles, and artillery. The tide of battle began to turn, however, as the voss slowly eroded Earth’s defensive capabilities.

Now that major opposition has been crushed, the Korr have begun a more systematic conquest of Earth’s inhabitants, using a variety of biotechnology and bioengineered creatures. The scope of the operation is stunning---the Korr will not be satisfied until humanity has been subjugated and almost every trace of human civilization has been destroyed. Having successfully completed several such conquests in the past, the Korr believe they have the time and the resources to accomplish this goal. Although the Korr remain confident of victory, the unexpected strength of human resistance has grudgingly forced the Korr to alter some of their time-honored tactics.

Korr invasion tactics take place in four separate stages: Reconnaissance, Conquest and Extermination, Eradication, and Withdrawal.

Stage I: Reconnaissance
Stachek (a.k.a. Scouting Parties)
The Korr deploy scouting parties across the countryside, searching for large human cities, towns, settlements, and refugee havens. These parties vary in size and makeup, but are always led by at least one korrital warrior. Korr scouting parties map out the location of all human havens and are authorized to exterminate any smaller havens or bands of humans they encounter. Larger havens and towns are left for raiding parties to handle.

Rakatorr (a.k.a. Raiding Parties)
Raiding parties are similar to scouting parties except that they are typically larger and better equipped for confrontation. A raiding party’s primary mission is to disrupt human activity and destroy organized resistance. Raiding parties are often deployed to an area before a major assault begins, usually sending skreel hunter-killers ahead of them to infiltrate enemy camps and create havoc before the attack.

Korrtalar (a.k.a. Assault Parties)
Assault parties are deployed during invasion efforts involving large towns and small cities. Assault parties consist of at least one ganj juggernaut which may or may not be supported by an arejjik mothership floating overhead. The juggernauts deploy their forces and attempt to eliminate any major opposition using standard Korr invasion tactics.

Stage II: Conquest and Extermination
When the Korr are ready to launch a major assault against a large city, a stormrift appears over the target area. After about an hour, a mothership floats through the rift and begins deploying korrtalar assault parties. These forces vary in size and makeup, depending on the size of the city. At least one ganj juggernaut oversees the assault, but as many as twenty can be used to cover a city as large as New York for example. The korrtalar then sweep through the city, destroying all resistance and killing any humans they discover. Any major organized resistance results in the deployment of additional forces. In the unlikely event that all of the mothership’s assault forces are destroyed, the Korr open a stormrift and retreat to regroup and resupply.

Stage III: Eradication and Cleanup
Once major organized resistance has been dealt with, bolog sweep teams scour the city, spraying voss mist into the air to hasten corrosion. Once the voss is disseminated (the process typically takes a few weeks to blanket a full city), sojor rumble teams are sent to collapse buildings and reduce structures to rubble. Hiri harvester teams are then sent to pick through the rubble and remove any wood or wood products for processing and consumption. During this time, dimwo continue to scour the city in search of survivors while scout, raid, and assault parties fan out from the city in search of smaller towns and havens.

Stage IV: Withdrawal
Once the city has been reduced to ruin, the survivors slain, and wood products harvested, the Korr return to the mothership. The mothership then either leaves through a newly opened stormrift or moves on to the next target if one presents itself close by.

Battlefield Developments
Korr Bases
The OLS Resistance has proved to be a major thorn in the side of the Korr invasion force. The korrital were initially content to launch assaults from the safety of the arejjik motherships, but constant pressure from the Resistance has caused Korr leaders to alter their tactics. The Korr have recently begun establishing temporary bases on the surface of the planet inside ruined buildings such as walled compounds, open-air sports stadiums, etc. These bases make it easier for the Korr to launch forays against smaller Resistance cells without tying up the resources of an entire mothership, however, the bases also provide the OLS with viable targets to attack, destroy stores, kill servitors, and capture supplies. The Korr’s disdain for human society makes land-based duty an unfavorable assignment.

Communication Concerns
The Korr communicate in their own language using their own equipment and wireless radio frequencies. It is uncertain whether or not they are aware of the range of human frequencies. Many believe they simply do not care. The Korr have thus far disdained learning the human language, believing that learning the language of a lesser species is beneath them. After suffering several coordinated and devastating Resistance attacks, however, a few nomen have proposed the idea of utilizing a human interpreter or perhaps an electronic translator to monitor human communications, but the proposal has been met with derision and skepticism, particularly by the korrital.

Verem Servitors
The Korr have made use of more verem servitors during the invasion of Earth than in any other war. In addition to overseeing bolog, sojor, and hiri teams, verem are now being used to ferry supplies back and forth between land bases and arejiik motherships. They are also used to scout for human havens and report the locations back to their masters. A takari-backed proposal to arm the verem and program them for war has been brought before the Kaladri Council, but the korrital swear to cease fighting if the measure passes as there would be no honor to be gained in a war won by servitors. Arming the verem would cause a host of other problems as well, especially if they are not truly the near-mindless servitors the Korr believe them to be not to mention that an army of verem could prove to be valuable allies to the OLS Resistance.

Current Operations
Satisfied that Earth’s major armies have been neutralized, the Korr have begun their systematic conquest and extermination process. The Korr have successfully eradicated a number of small towns and cities and have moved on to larger targets. In North America, Washington D.C., San Francisco, and Chicago are currently in the process of being wiped out. The Resistance has all but abandoned D.C. and San Francisco, but is fighting hard to drive the invaders from Chicago.


Korr Invasion Forces

Ground Forces (a.k.a. Tagken)
Ganj
Ganj juggernauts form the backbone of any major Korr invasion. The Korr mothership deploys its ganj in an open area and the juggernauts begin advancing on their targets almost immediately, unleashing kirai flyers and using their great tentacles to deploy tagken ground forces. The long, earthshaking strides of a ganj juggernaut have a demoralizing effect on many defenders. Ganj are designed to absorb the brunt of any resistance, using their raw power and brute strength to tear buildings apart, crush vehicles, and flatten enemy positions.

Chark
Charks are frontline assault beasts controlled by an interfaced tagken korrital warrior. Charks race ahead of the ganj and plunge headlong into battle. A chark’s thick skull makes an excellent battering ram.

Dimwo
Dimwo are frontline assault beasts bioengineered to assist charks in battle. Clusters of dimwo scrabble along behind their assigned chark, attacking anything in their path, and swarming over enemy positions. Dimwo are also sent to clear buildings and root out Resistance fighters and refugees from tunnels and sewers.


Air Forces (a.k.a. Kirai)
Arrejik
Arrejik motherships provide the Korr with mobile bases from which to launch major assaults. Arrejik have no armaments, but their skin is extremely tough and resistant to damage. If attacked, an arejiik launches flyers or uses its massive tentacles to swat enemy aircraft out of the sky.

Kajii
Kajii are alien flyers controlled by interfaced korrital warriors. Kajii often provide air support for tagken ground forces, usually focusing their attacks on the largest and/or most dangerous foes. Kirai korrital rush to attack enemy aircraft, considering it a great honor to destroy enemy flyers. Although kajii cannot match the speed or firepower of Earth’s fixed-wing aircraft (airplanes), they are more than a match for its helicopters. More kajii are being bred each day as the Korr believe the invasion of Earth would be much simpler without the humans’ air superiority.

Jikka
Jikka are alien flyers bioengineered to assist kajii in battle. Flocks of jikka flit around their assigned kajii, attacking on command. Jikka give little thought to self preservation and have been programmed to impede aircraft by damaging vital systems, obscuring pilots’ vision, and diving headlong into engine turbines. Jikka also pose a threat to enemy ground forces, swooping out of the sky to attack.

Sea Forces (a.k.a. Fraasa)
The Korr have yet to unleash a major seaborne invasion, but the OLS suspects that a host of bioengineered servitors have been designed specifically for the task.

Other Korr Forces

Cachell (a.k.a. Capture Parties)
Cachell teams are occasionally sent to capture humans and animals for experiments, research, and entertainment. Cachell parties typically consist of a welka overseer, a dozen dimwo, and a number of verem aboard a hoverskiff.

Hiritak (a.k.a. Harvesting Parties)
Harvesting parties consist of 3-6 hiri attended by a welka overseer and a number of verem servitors. Harvesting teams may be encountered in wooded areas or on the outskirts of towns and cities, tearing down structures such as isolated farmhouses to harvest wood and wood products.

Ta’Bolog (a.k.a. Bolog Sweep Team)
Bolog sweep teams are sent into towns and cities after most of the fighting is done. These teams consist of large bologs that are attended and controlled by a dozen or so verem who use biomechanically attached hoses to spray voss into the surrounding area. Bolog sweep teams are often protected by 1-6 dimwo. One welka overseer is usually placed in charge of several ta’bolog.

Sojorri (a.k.a. Sojor Rumble Team)
Sojor rumble teams are usually deployed after bolog sweep teams have weakened the steel supports of surrounding structures. Sojor are attended and controlled by 2-4 verem. One welka overseer is usually placed in charge of several sojorri.

Akri’daan (a.k.a. Doomsday Recon Forces)
The Korr know that pieces of the Akorras have appeared on Earth and special teams known as the akri’daan have been organized to seek out and recover these shards. These commando-like squads are made up of 5-7 skilled members of different castes who work together to accomplish their mission. Akri’daan typically travel about on charks or hovercraft.

[Stormrift] GD3 Version

Well, it's official. There will be a Genrediversion 3 (GD3) version of Stormrift released in the near future. I've got most of the writing finished and most of the setting-specific system elements ironed out, so really it's just a matter of compiling the artwork and then waiting for Brett Bernstein of Precis Intermedia to handle layout, printing, and distribution.

GD3 is a fairly rules lite game that uses a stat + skill roll over mechanic. It's a great game to run because stat blocks are small and NPCs are easy to create. Precis has its own fanbase, which is always a plus, and I believe Stormrift will be GD3's first complete setting so that should also turn some heads.

More info can be found at the Precis website: http://www.pigames.net/

As you can tell I'm pretty excited about it. Time to get back to writing . . .

[Stormrift] Voss (a.k.a. Rust)

Voss is a tiny biomechanical nanobacteria produced by bologs as an odorless, tasteless, liquid. The bioorganic voss feed on common metals and metal alloys causing them to become brittle and more susceptible to rust. The more complex the metal, the longer the process takes (i.e. steel takes longer to break down than iron). Voss is a self-replicating organism that is constrained only by its food source. This means that voss spreads quickly over metals as the bacterium feed and multiply.

High concentrations of voss gas were introduced into Earth’s atmosphere after meteors made of solidified voss struck the earth. Further applications of liquid voss are regularly dispersed by bolog sweep teams during Korr eradication efforts. Liquid voss that is not attached to a food source evaporates under heat and is carried up into the air, descending again with the rains. Large quantities of water dilute liquid voss’s effectiveness, but the gaseous form can spread over a wide area without losing its potency.

Effects of the Voss
Human technology has suffered enormously from the effects of the corrosive voss. Power stations are down. Many electronic devices such as television sets, radios, and computers have become inoperable. Steel supports for skyscrapers, bridges, and tunnels have become compromised. Without constant maintenance, vehicles, gear, and weapons cease to function. Voss is the most demoralizing weapon the Korr possess as it reduces cities to ruins and strips men of the tools to fight off the invasion.

Combating the Voss
The corrosive effects of the voss are not instantaneous. Corrosion occurs over a period of days, weeks, and even months, depending on the concentrations of voss in the area. In many cases, humanity has had time to adapt and find alternate sources of metals for necessary items. Humans have also discovered a number of ways to counteract the worst effects of the voss.

Regular oiling and cleaning can stop voss corrosion. Liquid voss may be killed by certain oils, cleaners, and other lubricants (including gasoline and other petroleum-based products), which prevents further damage, but does not repair damage that has already been done or prevent recontamination. Metal coatings such as paint or enamel delay corrosion, but a simple scratch is all that is needed for voss to take hold.

Motorcycles and older vehicles with simpler engines and items such as Ham radios that contain fewer electronic parts are being sought by the Resistance as they are easier to clean and maintain. OLS technicians have also designed specially modified sprayers that give “oil baths” to the small number of functioning large vehicles such as cars, tanks, helicopters, and fighter planes that are still operational, but these vehicles grow weaker each time contact with voss is made.

Since voss gas is lighter than air and disperses with rains, deserts and other regions with low precipitation tend to be less affected by the corrosion. Many airtight facilities such as underground bunkers and bomb shelters have also resisted the worst of its effects. Basements and sublevels have also proven valuable, particularly for storage of items such as weapons, medical supplies, and canned goods.

Voss in the Campaign
Voss is a plot device designed to shake up the gameworld. It is up to the director to decide how much voss contamination is present in any given area and what equipment, weapons, and vehicles are still usable. In general, major cities have higher rates of voss contamination than rural areas, but this may be affected by a variety of factors including weather conditions, proximity to voss craters, and recent Korr operations.

Jury-Rigging
Jury-rigging refers to makeshift repairs or temporary devices made with whatever tools and materials happen to be on hand. In the Stormrift setting, jury-rigging has become a common practice, as metal parts are replaced with those more resistant to voss corrosion. Jury-rigging requires not only mechanical skill, but also the ability to think “outside the box.”

Jury-rigging need not always be relegated to an abstract die roll. Roleplaying game players tend to have a diverse amount of knowledge and may know how to do something the director does not. This is not only understandable, but should actually be encouraged. Let’s face it, if you include rules for jury-rigging in a game, everyone at the table suddenly turns into MacGyver. In a world where technology has taken a huge leap backwards, any gaming group worth their dice is going to try to push the envelope and try to find ways to make things work. In fact, humanity’s resilience and ability to overcome hardships in the face of adversity is one of the major themes of the Stormrift setting.

Directors should encourage creative use of pursuits and gimmicks and be flexible with their rulings. Don’t bother poring over old weapons manufacturing texts to decide whether or not a Sten gun can be made from piece of copper tubing and some wires. If it sounds cool, let the character make a roll. Jury-rigged items have a limited lifespan, so at the very worst you’ll end up with a slightly overpowered device that is extremely unreliable and prone to fail at the most inopportune times.

[Stormrift] Korr Servitors

The Korr make use of a number of alien servitors in their everyday life as well as during the invasion of earth. Korr servitors are implanted with cybernetic nanoborg technology and bioengineered and bred for maximum efficiency. The cybernetic nanoborgs deaden natural impulses such as hunger, fear, and pain, and provide the Korr with a means of control. Depending on their size, Korr servitors are fed either intravenously or orally with a nutrient paste. Korr bioengineers consider each creature to be a living work of art and no two servitors appear exactly alike.

Although Korr servitors are looked upon as little more than tools, they are not complete automatons. Living war machines such as the ganj and chark have been known to stubbornly refuse Korr commands and the verem in particular are capable of higher thought processes. The Korr punish disobedience by sending excruciating pain impulses through the host’s nanoborgs. Repeat offenders are either sent to fight in one of the Korr’s deadly games or publicly liquidated as a warning to others.

The creature descriptions below contain both the Korr name and the nickname given them by the OLS Resistance.

Arejjik (a.k.a. Motherships)
Arejjik motherships are enormous living war machines that resemble earth’s jellyfish. Arejjik float through the sky at a height of about 500 meters. Arejjik average approximately 1500 meters wide, with dozens of retractable tentacles that are capable of reaching the earth's surface in minutes. These hollow chute-like tentacles are filled with a gelatinous fluid that enables the arejjik to rapidly and safely deploy Korr ground forces like the ganj.

Arejjik serve as mobile bases for the Korr while they are away from their homeworld. An arejjik’s soft tissues are riddled with networks of tunnels and chambers that are occupied by Korr invasion forces. Arejjik are controlled from within by teams of interfaced Korr that must be frequently rotated due to fatigue.

An arejjik’s outer surface is decorated with one or more stylized identifying markings. These markings are also carved or branded upon the Korr and any servitors assigned to the vessel. Arejjik markings are also used by the OLS Resistance to track Korr forces and monitor the invasion’s progress.

It is believed that only a hundred or so motherships are participating in the invasion of North America. A few of these were destroyed outright and several were severely damaged during strategic nuclear strikes launched by earth's defenders. Prior to the earth invasion, the Korr had never lost a mothership in battle with a lesser species.

Sidebar
The OLS Resistance identifies motherships by their alien markings. Examples of mothership names include:

3-18
3. Three Trees
4. Yin-Yang
5. Ocean Waves
6. Five Eyes
7. Many Teeth
8. Rocky Mountains
9. Black Spirals
10. Medicine Wheel
11. Quetzalcoatl
12. Three Pyramids
13. Broken Moon
14. Many Stars
15. Fishhook P
16. Many Blobs
17. Black River
18. Kokopelli

Ganj (a.k.a Juggernauts)
Ganj juggernauts are giant living war machines that stand approximately 30 meters tall and measure 60 meters in length. A ganj’s head contains two curved tusks surrounded by a dozen or more tentacles. Six slender crablike legs extend from the ganj’s torso, ending in thick clawed elephantine feet that shake the earth with each step and give the ganj a long, plodding stride that is deceptively fast.

Ganj serve as frontal assault beasts and troop transports. A ganj’s soft tissues are riddled with networks of tunnels and chambers that house various assault forces including kajii and jikka flocks, chark and dimwo clusters, and bolog, sojor, and hiri teams. Organic assault bays are carved into the ganj’s underside and the ganj uses its massive tentacles to carry these forces to the ground. Ganj are controlled from within by an interfaced Korr.

In the wild, ganj are herbivores who feast on wood and wood products and the Korr sometimes reward them by letting them feed on earth’s foliage.

OLSR: These are the workhorses of the Korr army. They say you can see them coming miles away, but they’reon you before you know it. When we had tanks, artillery, ICBMs, and all that other heavy firepower, the juggernauts didn’t stand a chance. Now, if you see one, you’d better call in air support.

---Greg Holston, OLS Central Command

Kajii (a.k.a. Big Flyers or Flyers)
Kajii are living war machines that resemble winged, lizard-like crustaceans. Kajii are carnivores that measure approximately 5 meters tall and 15 meters long, (30 meters long counting the tail). They serve as aerial assault vessels that are controlled through an interface cavity located on the creature’s back. The korrital consider it a great honor to be chosen as a kajii rider. Kajii are capable of transporting a number of jikka that cling to its sides during flight.

OLSR: The bug flyers look like a cross between a crab and a dragon. Our planes are too fast for them, but I’ve seen them bring down choppers, attacking from underneath so they won’t get chewed up in the rotors. On the ground, if we see a flyer, we run for cover and try to pick them off at range. Get too close and they’ll have you for lunch. I once saw a flyer swoop down, pick my sergeant up, and then tear him in half as it circled back around for more. I don’t want to go out like that.

---Soldier Kenneth Greene, OLS Cell TN334-RG4

Jikka (a.k.a. Little Flyers)
Jikka flyers are living war machines that resemble tentacled manta rays. Jikka are omnivores that have a wingspan of approximately 2 meters and measure 5 meters long from head to tail. Jikka serve as aerial assault creatures and often accompany kajii on missions. Dozens of jikka can be controlled directly by a kajii-interfaced Korr or the jikka can be programmed to attack on their own.

OLSR: They’re not too dangerous one-on-one, but you get three or four of them on you and you’ve got problems. Us pilots hate them. The bugs send them flying straight at us to get hung up in helicopter rotors or sucked into jet engines. We’re seeing a lot more of them these days. The big flyers are no match for us in the air so the bugs are using the little ones to help even the odds.

---Pilot Sergeant Cam “Uptown” Sandhill, OLS Air Corps

Chark (a.k.a. Crushers)
Charks are living war machines that resemble blunt-headed, wormlike crustaceans. Charks are herbivores that measure about 5 meters tall and 15 meters in length. Equipped with a pair of curved, ram-like horns and capable of reaching speeds of 30 kph, charks are often used to break through defensive lines and tear down fortifications. Charks are controlled through an interface cavity located on the creature’s back and are usually accompanied by a dozen or more dimwo.

OLSR: We call them “crushers” and that’s exactly what they do. At Abingdon we had received advance notice of a bug raiding party--reports said six crushers and about three dozen crabs, but it was really about twice that many. We’d already fortified our positions, blocking off the streets with rubble and setting up ambushes at various choke points. We dug in and waited, but the bugs decided not to play our game. The crushers swarmed over the rubble and crashed headfirst through our barricades--I saw one explode through a bus that a fire team was using for cover while another demolished the church tower that housed our best snipers. With our flanks exposed, we tried to retreat and regroup, but the crushers were so fast they kept us on the run for the rest of the day as the crabs mopped up the stragglers. Only a handful of us made it out of the Abingdon alive.

---Sergeant Harold Tucker, OLS Cell MD16-11FF

Dimwo (a.k.a. Crabs or Crab Walkers)
Dimwo are living war machines that resemble giant alien lobsters. Dimwo are carnivores that measure approximately 2 meters tall and 5 meters long. Dimwo serve primarily as ground forces. They are ruthless killing machines that are easily recognized by the distinctive bone-rattle click of their legs as they walk. Dimwo are always hungry and receive -2D to all actions when in the presence of fresh kills as their appetite-suppression programs are forced to work overtime. Dozens of dimwo can be controlled directly by a chark-interfaced Korr or the dimwo can be programmed to search and destroy targets on their own.

OLSR: The crabs attack in swarms. They’re big, dumb, and brutal and they’re always hungry, so if you can get ‘em thinking about food, they’re less effective. They’re also extremely susceptible to booby traps and most of the times they’ll just walk blindly into an ambush. But they keep coming. I’ve seen them crawl over dozens of their own dead just to get mowed down themselves. Of course, all the firepower usually brings the flyers and crushers running, so I guess they serve their purpose, which is to locate our positions and flush us out.

---Sergeant Mike Ganowitz, OLS Cell GA665-YT1

Skreel (a.k.a. Stalkers or Worms)
Skreel are solitary agents of death that resemble biomechanical wormlike creatures. Skreel stand just over 2 meters tall and measure over 4 meters in length from head to tail. Although they possess only slightly greater than animal intelligence, they are skilled hunter-killers who are capable of learning and adapting to their surroundings. The stealthy skreel are most often sent to scout, infiltrate, and eliminate dangerous human targets such as charismatic generals and other leaders of the Resistance.

OLSR: I’ve only seen one of these and that was enough. I was taking a SITREP to our commanding officer, Captain Kowalski, when I heard a cry from inside her tent. I drew my sidearm and ran in only to find her impaled on the end of a stalker’s blade. I cursed and fired, but the worm cut the main post in half with one slash of its other blade and the whole tent came down around our heads. By the time the rest of C Company helped me free, Kowalski was dead and the worm was gone. We still don’t know how it penetrated our defenses.

---Sergeant Gary Rosenberg, OLS Cell SC667-43T

Bolog (a.k.a. Slugs or Slug Bags)
Bologs are living war machines that resemble giant, slug-like creatures with gelatinous, voss-filled bags on their backs. Bologs vary in size, measuring approximately 5-15 meters tall and 5-20 meters in length. Larger bologs are attended and controlled by a dozen or so verem who use attached hoses to spray voss into the surrounding area. These bolog sweep teams are deployed to hasten the destruction of earth’s cities and towns. Bologs are bred to be nonviolent and flee if attacked. Bolog sweep teams are often protected by 1d6 dimwo.

OLSR: The slugs are the source of all our problems. They make the stuff that makes stuff go kaput. They’re easy to kill, but the bugs never send them out until most of the fighting is already done. At Freedmont, some bright boy in Command got the idea to have us dig in and wait for the bugs to sweep the city and then take the slug teams out before they started spraying, which basically would have meant leaving the locals to die at the hands of crushers, crabs, and flyers. We just couldn’t do that. We managed to slow the assault and get most of the people out, but we eventually lost the city and I got busted back down to Soldier. I still think it was worth it.

---Soldier Jim Eagleton, OLS Cell TX154-Q

Sojor (a.k.a. Sweepers)
Sojor are circular, clawless crustaceans who measure approximately 2 meters tall and 5 meters long. Sojor produce a subsonic vibration in a 360 degree field that causes glass to break, and rocks and minerals to separate into smaller fragments. Sojor are attended and controlled by 2-4 verem. Sojor are usually deployed after bolog sweep teams have weakened the steel supports of surrounding structures. Sojor are bred to be nonviolent and flee if attacked.

OLSR: The bugs routed our forces at Castleton Hills, killing everyone except for the few of us who managed to hide in an old root cellar. The sweepers came in after the crushers and crabs had moved on. Trapped behind enemy lines, we decided to take them out before making a break for safety. I could feel the vibrations the sweepers put off as we maneuvered into position, but as far as I know, the sounds are harmless to the human body. The fight was over fast and we started a retreat before the bugs could send reinforcements. Unfortunately, by then, the sweeper vibrations had so weakened the surrounding buildings that three good men got caught in a collapse.

---Sergeant Frank Loma, OLS Cell GA176-RR

Hiri (a.k.a. Harvesters)
Hiri are living war machines that resemble long, centipede-like alien creatures. Hiri measure approximately 2 meters tall and 15 meters long. A hiri’s long back is covered with numerous cage-like spiny ridges that are used to store logs, lumber, and other wood products. The hiri possess two long, powerful claws that are used to sift through rubble and cut trees and lumber down to manageable size. Hiri are attended and controlled by teams of 3-6 verem. Hiri harvest teams are usually dispatched once bolog and sojor teams have reduced an area to rubble, however, they may also be found harvesting trees in the wild. Hiri are bred to be nonviolent and flee if attacked. They are often attended by 2D6 dimwo.

OLSR: Talk about efficient! Imagine a living machine that can traverse any barrier, cut down, limb, and transport trees and you’ve got a harvester. I watched three of them mow through a whole swathe of forest in just a few short hours. I wish I had one of those back when my company was logging the Northwest.

---Dustin Barnaby, Mooreland Refugee Camp

Verem (a.k.a. dogmen, bugmen, lizardmen, fishmen, molemen)
The verem are actually several races that have been enslaved by the Korr. Verem appear as emaciated humanoids implanted with Korr biotechnology. They possess animal-like intelligence, but can be programmed to perform specific tasks. Every now and then, a verem displays signs of higher independent thought and must be punished or destroyed. A few psions have noted that this type of thought appears to be present in many verem they have encountered, and there are some who believe the verem keep this carefully concealed from their Korr masters. There are currently five types of verem--canid, reptoid, insectoid, sea mammal, and burrower. It is assumed that humanity will also be added to the Korr’s collection of verem.

OLSR: The bugs from the Yin-Yang mothership had established a base in the old train yard and we’d been watching resupply hoverskiffs from the mothership for several weeks. We hit the last supply caravan just after dawn, blasting the lead skiff with IEDs and killing all of the dogmen on board. The dogmen on the other two skiffs jumped ship and tried to run as we cut them down. I know they’re just slaves, but they’re helping the enemy so we can’t get too sentimental. Anyway, they’re supposed to be near-mindless and entirely concerned about their own self-preservation. Funny thing though, I had one of them in my sights and he wasn’t a drone like the rest of them. He seemed to be herding the others, almost as if he was trying to get them to safety. It caught me off guard seeing one act that way and by the time I lined up my shot, he and his followers had disappeared into the woods.

---Sergeant Jeff Womack, OLS Cell NJ66703-44G