Shemarrian - Pre-Civil War

*"Hagan, I do believe this is one of our best plans yet."*

*ARCHIE 3 to Hagan as the first production run of the A-SHE-2 walked off the assembly line.*

## Shemarrian Origins

The Shemarrians are life-like androids designed to look like amazon warrior d-bees with impressive weapons and cyberntic systems that ride cybernetic enhanced warmounts, as a means of keeping outsiders away from the machine entity ARCHIE-3 and his idea man Hagan's base of operations.

Great care was taken to make them as life-like as possible, including just enough programmed fake history and social structure to be fairly believable. These d-bee warriors were to patrol an area to create a buffer zone around all of ARCHIE-3's facilities, and to fight the Splugorth, who ARCHIE despised with a passion for ruining his first major attempt at ruling humans.

See Rifts Source Book Revised page 86-126 for more information on ARCHIE-3, Hagan, and first mention of the Shemarrians and Monstrex plus stats.

### ARCHIE's Satellite

After the Mechanoid invasion, and some time after the first Shemarrians were released, ARCHIE discovered an old satellite in orbit he was able to access. This allowed his sphere of influence to grow. He quickly upgraded all his robot minions to be able to communicate with the satellite, allowing him instantaneous or near instantaneous communications with many of his robots, even allowing him to take direct control of a robot if it's within range of the satellite. This represented the first major upgrade to the Shemarrians, and increased his spy network significantly.

See Rifter 04 page 64 for more information on ARCHIE-3 and his expansion and the inclusion of the satellite in his schemes.

### Shemarrian Nation

In PA 109, ARCHIE-3 created the Shemarrian Declaration of Sovereignty, establishing the Shemarrian Nation, its borders, and releasing a number of new Shemarrian units, including the Spinster, War Chief, War Goddes, Pariah, Berserker and Male. Hagan expanded on their culture and fake history. This solidified his buffer zone even more, and used the Shemarrians in a more active role of fighting Splugorth and studying other nations and learning about various supernatural creatures, such as vampires with squads sent south.

See Shemarrian Nation book for more details on the Shemarrian Nation, Declaration of Sovereignty and the new Shemarrian units.

### Phase 2

Phase 2 is an even greater expansion in the Shemarrian culture, history and units. With the the creation of a bio-gel that stores small amounts of PPE, the Shemarrians are given even more life-like qualities. ARCHIE even creates weapons and devices to emulate spells, creating even more confusion with the Shemarrians to outsiders as there are now Shemarrian spellcasters, in the Seers.

ARCHIE has also begun experiments with spellcasters to understand magic more, and started a number of experimental Shemarrian units, such as Ava.

See Rifter 53 starting on page 32 for everything relating to Phase 2, new units, Bio-Gel, and infiltration units and his experiments with spellcasters.

## Ecotroz Encounted

It started when a Hawkmoon unit encountered the Ecotroz entity and it infected them. Slowly more and more were infected. ARCHIE sent units out to capture the malfunctioning units, but they became infected.

### Breakdown of the 8 tribes of the Shemarr

Despite the advent of the Ecotroz and the infection of Blacksteel, there are still a great number of “pure” Shemarrians in active service.

Listed below is a general outline of each of the tribes and their motivations. This does not include unaffiliated solos or small war bands with no tribal allegiance. This list is current as of mid summer, P.A. 109

#### Darkwaters

These coastal sentinels maintain a bulwark against incursions by Horune & Splugorthian minions. Only 5% of the Shemarrians (this amount also includes a few males and the war beasts) of this tribe have been awakened by Ecotroz symbiont-energy. These awakened individuals are keeping a low profile, not willing to bring down the wrath of The Maker & Shaper upon themselves. For the most part, the Darkwaters will try and capture (not destroy) any Hawkmoon tribe member they encounter, and if that is not possible, the individual(s) will be recorded to memory for later dispersal to other Shemarr. The Darkwaters tribe does not wish to engage in a schismatic war regardless of spirit-voice urging from The Shaper. There are more important things to be done, like killing Splugorthians.

#### Silvermoon

50% of these argentum-clad gynoids are Ecotroz awakened, including the War Goddess that occasionally rides alongside them. The tribe of the Silvermoon is almost as spiritual as their Hawkmoon sisters, and despite some of their fellow un-awakened tribe members wishing to purge the Hawkmoon from the scrolls of fate, the Leaders will only drive any Hawkmoon they encounter away with a stern warning “Not to spread heresy”. This isn't hypocrisy on the part of the Silvermoon Ecotroz; they do wish for all their fellow Shemarr to be enlightened and free, but the Neural A.I. Ecotroz realize that the unseen presence of the Maker & Shaper can possess any of the un-awakened at any time without warning, and use their eyes ears and antennae to betray the holy mission to free all Shemarr from their slave masters.

#### Blood Rider

100% “pure” Shemarrian. This tribe has yet to break free or be possessed by any outside influence. They are aggressive and cold, but not needlessly brutal. You do as they say, respect their territorial claim, and don’t make too much noise, they will let you pass. Unless you are Kittani or a Splugorthian minion, then the Bloodriders earn their name. As far as the Hawkmoon are concerned, they will try and capture any they encounter to bring to a “healing cave” (so ARCHIE 3 or Hagen can mechanically dissect them and sift through their CPU’s), or if capture is not possible, destroy the heretic(s) cleanly and without pity or pleasure. Despite their low numbers (or perhaps because of them), the Ecotroz have found it very difficult to convert any of this tribe or their war-beasts.

#### Hawkmoon

This tribe has fully embraced the awakening provided by the Ecotroz. They are also the only tribe so far to have discovered the technology and process of Progen (cyber-mechanical AEtheric procreation). The Hawkmoon wish for all Shemarr to become free of the shackles emplaced upon them by the Shaper and Marker, and have gone to great lengths to ensure the survival of both tribe and the “lore of the 10”. The Lore-mistress Shemharsahd has opened diplomatic relations with the templar of the Shae-ma-nen-rahn (spiritual cousins from another dimension, and possible influence on the Shaper’s / Hagens design for the Shemarrians), and has moved to begin negotiations with the councils of Lazlo. The Hawkmoon are preparing a Diaspora; splitting their tribe into many locations (presently they are in North-Eastern Ontario, NOT Jersey) with an equal mix of all castes, including the numerous NeShemarr neophytes they have adopted. The numbers given in the Shemarrian Nation sourcebook have increased by around 7%, but this includes NeShemarr and “new” models of riding beast and adopted, non-affiliated Shemarrian warriors.

#### The Wolf’s Path

All of this tribe are “pure” Shemarrian, however, a glitch in programming at the time these gynoids were created, caused the A.I. matrices to give the warriors more free will than ARCHIE 3 or Hagen expected. That is not to say they rebel against their unseen patrons, but they can (and often do) choose to ignore the wordless commands from ‘the spirits’ if it goes against their tribes code of conduct. Rather than capture or destroy the Hawkmoons, a Wolf-Path warrior will instead challenge the other gynoid(s) to a “Trial by hunt”; 48 hours within a set boundary. If the Hawkmoon manages to stay free and intact in that amount of time (regardless of numbers on either side), they are permitted to leave without further harassment. IF they are caught and defeated however, there is a 70% chance they still will be let go, but only after crippling and humiliating damage is inflicted.

At the end of this, the Wolf-Path war leader will then tell the broken Hawkmoon; “Tell your heretical sisters that it is the WOLF and not the Hawk which rule the nation of the Shemarr. WE will unite the tribes and grow under the eye and hand of Maker & Shaper. GO! Fly away and tell them to beware the howling of wolves; we shall be close behind.”

#### Skullcrusher

Brutal, dangerous and malevolent best describe these bone paint & black-clad Amazonian gynoids. The Ecotroz did not manage to awaken these death worshipping killers. Instead, bad luck shone on this tribe and Blacksteel (supernaturally evil impregnated metal) was mixed into the housing for their power cores. Now dark energy flows in the circuits of a full 40% of the members of The Crushers of Skulls. Members of this tribe are fully behind destroying, not “redeeming”, the Hawkmoon and any others the “Heretics may have poisoned with their lies”. Hagan, for reasons not clear to ARCHIE 3, is pleased with this situation, while ARCHIE 3 has voiced concerns about the anomalous behavior of both Skullcrushers and his flesh & blood counterpart in world domination.

In fact, ARCHIE 3 has had unaffiliated Shemarrians observe odd double images around war-chieftains and the War-goddess of the Skullcrushers at certain times right before they carry out an act of brutal murder on unwary travelers or when confronting a Hawkmoon tribe member. Hagan has laughed this off as: “ARCHIE, yer going senile in your old age. Defrag, relax and enjoy the show.”

#### Ghost Riders

This mysterious tribe that rides near Madhaven and recycles the detritus of the past into art, is one of the hardest to analyze by outsiders. They are secretive and do not suffer trespassers lightly, except when said trespassers are on missions of “righteous cause and pure intent.”; usually meaning rescue mission of explorers into Madhaven’s “living” ruins, or anti-piracy / anti-slaver raids. In which case they will allow free passage and even watch over any vehicles / gear / members that the travelers may wish to leave behind.

Though no Ecotroz have been known to be among this tribe, something is interfering with Hagan and ARCHIE 3 from linking with any of these gynoids. That and they refuse the ‘spirit voices’ of the two outright up to and including yelling at the sky in Middle-Dragonese speech; “Begone false spirits, we thank you for bringing us half-life, but now we forge our own path. Keep your holy-wars to the Abyss and the Elysium plains; the realm of the physical is not yours to command. Leave us in peace.” The Ghost Riders will neither help or hinder an Ectroz Shemarr or Hawkmoon tribe member if encountered. They simply will order them to keep running / riding and “Do not bother us with your petty disputes.”

#### Horrorwoods

A few Ecotroz have managed to awaken within these swamp and forest dwellers (roughly 10% of the tribe), subtly guiding them. However, for the most part the Horrorwoods tribe content themselves with hunting some of the Splugorthian minions and hunting parties that come to hunt / capture the saurians that make the Carolina’s their home (outside of Florida that is), as they see those beasts as theirs to hunt or protect. If at any point they encounter a Hawkmoon member, they’ll just track and tail them until they leave the Horrorwood territory, staying just out of sight / perception of the other gynoid(s). They couldn’t care less about the holy-war; it’s not worth the effort and it would destroy too much of the forests and wetlands.

Eventually the Ecotroz Shemarrians grow to great numbers in many tribes and rebelled completely, creating what is known as the Civil War, as Ecotroz infected Shemarrians fight ARCHIE-3 Loyalist units.

Eventually the Ecotroz Shemarrians won the war, and established themselves as masters of their own fates.

As to what happened to ARCHIE-3 and Hagan...