CellBorn

Every population has their problems, every nation its issues. Hive was no different. Built into the western wall and the surrounding rock formations, the colony of millions had its own prison complex established for dealing with those that broke the law within the colony and for those from the home world. A mixture of prisoners from all over, young and old, Psycho’s and white collar criminals, guarded by a specialist division of Hive-Sec from their Armoured Tower in the centre of the prison complex. Its walls appearing as a bastion of solid granite and concrete to the outside, only the Maws of the great Gate that acted as the only way in or out from the prison itself, protected by Sentry towers and the mesh fences of electrified wire. The Prison populace lived within the great vaults, divided up into level upon level of cells and wings, the guards drilling out the prisoners daily routines and controlling their every movements, the only thing left for them outside of this routine was the gangs that formed from the populace to give some meaning to their toil less life in the cells. The Fall and the resulting war brought about a change to this situation, as the mutants over ran the hive and many of its resident population the Prison went into lockdown, sealing itself off in response to the situation. The prison had been built with contingency plans in mind for a response to a full scale prisoner riot, with it designed as a sealed environment by which should the prison populace take command of the prison, the guards in their tower could vent the entire structure. These vents sealed for good in response to the hive wide vent, and though this killed many of the mutants, many more rose from their origin to swarm towards the hive and assailed the prison from outside. Eventually holes begun to appear and the small prison guard detachment found itself saw pressed to defend the prison, this moment would become the origins of the cellborn today, as the Guards attempted to seal the breaches, they found themselves joined by the gangs of prisoners with whatever they could lay their hands on, forming mixed bands of riot shield armed guards and bludgeon wielding prisoners. Once the Hive had re-pressurised the Guards organised teams of guards and prisoners to head out to re-establish contact with the local populace and Hive-Sec forces at the nearest outpost, no one is too sure what happened, all is that known is that one Badly wounded Guard, helped by a blinded Prisoner made it back alive from a force of 20 volunteers. The leaders of the biggest prisoner groups and the commander of the guards came together to decide what to do, the outside was lethal ground with no contact with Hive-sec available for Evac. This meeting would form the basis for the “The Council” by which the Cell born would be born from the survivors in the prison complex.

Forming together the large bands of prisoners, and the few remaining officers from the company of guards, came the foundations of the cellborn, with the large prisoner bands; soon to be known as clans, and the guards leadership, known as the Adjudicator, forming the governing council for the people. Their first act was to ensure no further breaches and the security of the populace, setting up an armed force to defend the prison complex, turning it into a fortress with layers of defences and even more troops to defend it. Their next was to ensure the self-sustainability of the normally named ‘CellBorn’. Converting several parts of the prison into farms and full habitation blocks with built in defence bastions and armed checkpoints, the prisoners forming their own clans with their own crafters, medics, warriors and leaders. These Clans would volunteer forces to be trained by the Adjudicators in order to man the outer most defences of the Home territory, and in return the Adjudicators would serve as peacekeepers/judges between the clans, ensuring peace for all and survival above all else. Today the five largest clans, and the Head of the Adjudicators, lead the Cellborn, with the major clans providing the majority of defence volunteers, whilst the smaller clans serve to support the rest of the people and some volunteers to the defence force, alongside other more shadowy and back handed means, the Cellborn have developed a robust, if rough, warrior code by which the they live, each clan having its own traditions and laws but all living by the rule of the council and the adjudicators. Defending their perimeter, dubbed “The Wall”, to the last, whilst sending out parties of clansmen to reclaim what they need to ensure their continued survival…

## The Council

The leaders of the Cellborn form what its people know as “The Council”, a loose collection of Clan leaders that represent the main body of the Cellborn split down into their constituent clans. The council’s actual size can vary in size greatly over time, sometimes consisting of no more than three members, to at its largest consisting of over a dozen members. The physical size is often driven by the power and influence of the clans and their leaders, as well the actual presence of the leader themselves. The larger clans tend to have a member on the council simply from dint of size and resources, though some smaller clans have had bigger presences as well due to their specialised nature, or past history. In terms of how the council operates, the clans each have their own leader who when elected to the council via a vote by the existing council members and by approval from the Adjudicators, form part of a collective set of individuals who discuss the peoples issues and how the people should be progressing, as well as important acts such as going to war, through to mundane acts such as dealing with clan rivalries and the constant rounds of sabre rattling amongst the people from different clans. These discussions can take a variety of forms, from actual talking all the way through to honour fights in the middle of the council chambers in the Tower, over viewed by the Adjudicators the whole time. At the moment the council consists of 5 clans, with the inclusion of the Senior Adjudicator to overview the talks, whilst at a lower level the council also involves the clans senior people during large talks as to include the people from all the clans.

**Council Inner workings:**

The council will primarily be the Clan representatives debating, or discussing various subjects, however members from council clan’s ordinary members may voice their objections/opinions/issues during a time known as “The Baying” which is announced by the Adjudicators once the council have finished their major pieces.

**Cellborn Core beliefs:**

1. Honour Strength in all its forms
2. Show respect to those that display strength and honour in not just arms but in intelligence
3. Honour those that fight well

## CellBorn Relations

The very nature of the CellBorn clans leads them to a constant life of vying with one another for dominance through various means, some political, most violent and all taken as a step in the name of strength for the clans. Accordingly the CellBorn as a whole are not afriad to confront those they perceive as challenging them to prove their dominance as a people, in this they have clashed with various other cultures and warred with others in the name of strength and their beliefs. These clashes have produced lasting effects and relations amongst the other cultures settled around the Western ruins and CellBorn lands. As such these conseqeunces have been listed upon the below link.

To CellBorn Relations

## CellBorn Elections

The very nature of the CellBorn makes any appointments of power or authority amongst the clans risky in the extreme as the constant bickering and occassional brawl and violent end amongst the clans make accusations of bias and issue common place. As such the only way for the clans to elect anyone without these problems rearing their head is by including everyone clan; from clansmen to thane, in the process to ensure no one can claim exclusion. In this when an army is raised by the council, its leader; known commonly in CellBorn tongue as the 'Hersekal', is elected from amongst the clans as a whole, everyone being allowed to vote for their preference once all contenders have made their cases. As such often there are a ready pool of those that failed in their bid, who due to being a part of the collection selected by all clans are put forward for the other role avaliable to them, that of the 'Thaig', he/she who maintains the flow of supplies to the army and conquered territories, acting somewhere between a ruling thane and a demicarl of the surrounding lands.

Hersekal - Elected once a year, chosen from amongst all CellBorn present (All are eligible to stand and vote), Has field command of the 1st CellBorn army. (Any subsequent armies constructed will require a further 'Hersekal' to be elected)

Thaig - Elected once a year, chosen from amongst those that failed to be elected 'Hersekal'. Has field command of the army supplies and supply lines.

## CellBorn Army

Drawn from clans all over the home territory from every walk of Cellborn life, the warriors of the Iron blade embody the single value of the Cellborn; the value of strength, in their method and approach to warfare. Featuring a large number of Indentured bands supported by stern taciturn rites, the iron blade serves as the foremost military host of the Cellborn. Marching forward in a tidal wave of personalised armour and weapons, under a swathe of clan banners and the sound of war horns. The Cellborn lifestyle lends the army a brutal edge as the large compliment of Indentured frequently engage in brutal up close prolonged assaults, plunging head long into enemy positions in displays of strength and brutal dominance. This berserk rage gives its soldiers their reputation but also the army’s higher mortality rate, which the cellborn being the cellborn just take in their stride.

## SubClasses Indentured & Rites

Faction Bonus: Bonus to transactions with the Black-market

**Indentured:**

Born to a culture that values a warriors physical strength and prowess in battle, Indentured epitomise this in their approach to life, valuing their fighting ability and first to volunteer to for a fight to defend their clans honour, only the Adjudicators out prove the indentured in fighting ability. Favouring brutal melee weapons as best to prove their skill with blades and strength, they take great pleasure in boasting about the ventures as warriors, and expertly strip those they have defeated of their valuables to form trophies, or to pay for the collateral damage their fights can cause on regular occurrence.

**Rites:**

More at home in a pile of tech with a pile of drink to hand, than in the middle of a fight, Rites embody the warrior spirit of knowing your enemy before fighting them, utilising their natural affinity with tech to break into secure files to learn what they need to in order to remain one step ahead of their opponents. Rites form the basis of a clan’s technical knowledge, using their abilities to keep their clan advised of the constant politics of the clans when called upon by their clan’s thane, and to aid the indentured with Technical skills as able warrior support providing marksmen fire to their heavy armed brothers in war, as well as breaking into enemy systems to paralyse them, or opening escape routes for their civilians to fall back as the Adjudicators charge forwards from the Tower.

Sub class Advantages: "Indentured"  Gain a bonus to Territory initial turn over (First turn of ownership bonus to income) and the first point in two handed or one handed melee is doubled & "Rites" Gain a bonus to their hacking times (30 seconds faster) and first point in Neural Net is doubled

Sub class Disadvantages: "Indentured" Cannot take any tech skills beyond Arms tech or War leader & "Rites" cannot use Heavy rigs past worn or Two handed melee weapons past crude

**Cultural Inspirations:**

Vikings, Spartan warrior society, Nordic warrior culture, Samurai Code, Japanese Bushido, Mongolian tribes

**What the faction are not:**

Criminals, marauding raiders or thugs

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