Imperial Rangers

## Description:

“I recognize that by joining this sacred bond that I am forfeiting my earthly possessions to a greater cause. I know no house, no wives, no fear, and no loyalty to any other than the Empire. I will fight and die with an enthusiasm unparalleled by anyone other than my Brothers in Red. Mercy is not in my vocabulary, and I will show no hesitation in the face of danger, I will openly and gladly throw myself into it. I will be professional in dress and in battle, and the enemy will know our cry as we charge towards their doom on the field of battle. All blood I spill will be in the name of the Empire and its glorious people, not for myself. All flesh I consume will nourish the Empire for I am its corpus, serving as the sharpest talon on the right hand of the Empire. All screams I earn will be heard from the depths of the Red Maw to the highest tower of the Umbral Citadel, and the euphoria induced by their screams will carry me forward on the Winds of Battle. For the Empire and the Rangers!”

* Imperial Ranger Creed

Working in tandem with the Imperial Armed Forces, the Armiger Horde of the Imperial Rangers, commonly referred to as the Rangers (Sótásántzáscz), Imperial Rangers, or the Red Ravagers (Vírós Usczávótzáscz), is an Imperial Special Operations (ISO) throng composed of the Plasma Thorn and Antimatter Rangers, two units of elite career soldiers that were selected from application pools from the ranks of the regular Imperial Marines to serve for life as the Spravac Empire’s most prized and numerous special operations unit.

Founded with the distinct goal of creating a more professional and uniform force, the Imperial Ranger Horde is a brotherhood in its own right, with the Rangers serving as elite shock troops that spearhead invasions and offensive campaigns, and are prized amongst the spravac people and the Imperial War Cabal’s leadership as some of the most skilled warriors in the known galaxy.

## History:

“This new force will be the apex of our Empire, the peak of warfare, and the finest bringers of death in the Great Black.”

* Didact Sgcûld Ápfor, key founder of the Imperial Rangers

Founded in 4980 CE, the Imperial Rangers are the brainchild of Didacts Sgcûld Ápfor and Maigcá Tzártzá, two generals who would go on to be key reformers of the spravac military system and Imperial Government. The so-called “Ápforí-Tzártzáscz Reforms” saw the creation of the Rangers, the primary reform that the two didacts proposed. They argued that while the current Imperial Army was effective at prolonged warfare, there would be times when the enemy would need to be swiftly destroyed and broken in a matter of minutes in order for the battle to be won. Thus, the Rangers were formed for this purpose. Selected from a pool of the most skilled marines and trained by seasoned Incubus instructors, the Rangers were issued a standardized set of crimson red armor in order to be more recognizable amongst the myriad colors and armor variants of the marines.

Inspired by ancient Válíric warriors, the rangers’ doctrine was built around two initial basic concepts; speed and mutilation. To meet these two goals, the two Didacts had their new army trained in aerial mechanized warfare (Gcóp Vigtortz), training with speeders, light dropships, and various small arms, including two new firearms designed by themselves specifically for usage by the rangers; the Kraken and the Deathshard Carbines.

The Rangers spent their first 47 years of existence acting as forward security for the spravac’s naval patrols as well as hunting parties for rogue spravac warlords and pirates. The Rangers saw their first active duty deployment on Jino, Iut’s largest moon. Acting more as a support and advising force for the Shadow Ark Corsairs engaging the grontasic militia on the moon, the Rangers suffered no casualties and fought in one singular engagement over the course of the 7 month conflict, that being the Battle of Balos Canyon, in which the 80 strong force ambushed a militia patrol, killing 116 without a single casualty, wounded or otherwise. This expertly executed attack was primarily a field evaluation to see if the rangers were fit for duty, which they proved with flying colors.

Following their successful operation on Jino, they were immediately deployed in large numbers in the final weeks of the Vossitanye War, in which 28,000 Rangers took on a force of 80,000 vylas insurgents at the Battle of Laritsyn. Though they took 503 casualties, not a single one was fatal, while the rangers killed all 80,000 of the vylas through devastating speed and tactics. Using their specialized Ranger-Class dropships, the Rangers assaulted the insurgent front from behind their lines, disrupting their communications and killing hundreds within minutes of their attack, with an additional damage to morale due to their bright red jagged armor and mutilating weaponry, with the embedding plasmic spikes of the Deathshard having a particularly damaging psychological effect.

Following their true Baptism by Fire, the Rangers saw consistent combat throughout the following Spravac-Beta War, testing their skills against the volkhouri and grontasic armies. Though casualties were high at times, the Rangers won nearly every battle they fought, driving back foe after foe and army after army with every blood-soaked victory.

Their effectiveness in the field saw the creation of dedicated training facilities on Sprava, the most notable of these being the Red Maw, a massive fortress where the Rangers would train their new recruits and manufacture their specialized equipment.

Following their exploits in the Betaverse War, the Rangers saw extensive reforms to their equipment and training. With the advent of antimatter weaponry, the Rangers adapted their arsenal to be even more powerful than before. Though the Kraken and Deathshard were never phased out entirely, they took a backseat as a support arm to the newly manufactured Zgevescz, particularly its lever-action cousin; the Aquila. This new weapon was beloved by the Ranger trial testers, and was integrated into the Rangers’ arsenal as their new battlefront armament.

The Rangers also saw a new variant of their troops created, the heavily armored and more specialized Antimatter Rangers, who primarily serve as anti-vehicular and siege specialists, armed with heavy and automatic antimatter weapons, the Antimatter Rangers would go on to be integral to the Empire’s military successes in future conflicts.

With the outbreak of the Spravac Crusades in 5839 CE, the Rangers would go on to see as much combat as the regular imperial forces, losing and killing billions throughout the 1,000 period of conflict in the Gammaverse. Though they took heavy losses, the Rangers once again established themselves as a force to be feared and reckoned with, winning a hefty amount of key battles on Spaasa, Volunru, and Nyn. Nyn’s capture is often attributed by the galactic community to the Ranger’s exploits.

While the Crusades raged, the sheer extent of the Empire’s military capabilities was put to the test, as they would wage multiple wars simultaneously with a handful of different factions and empires of varying degrees of power. The rangers saw action during the Vylas War of Reclamation, with one million of them taking the pirate world of Jeni for the vylas in 6039 CE. Through the 2 month battle the rangers contributed greatly to the battle, though the spravac Blood Alchemist in charge of the invasion, Bûnsczró Tválác, believed that the losses taken by the Rangers were too high for who they were up against. Despite the losses, the Rangers nevertheless contributed to the victory on the planet, once again reminding the galaxy of their capability to start and end wars quickly.

The rangers were further used as a pacification force for squabbles and civil conflicts within the Empire, acting as a force to put down a series of rebellions during the interwar periods of the Spravac Crusades, most notably being deployed on Palis to end the Palister Insurrection of 6236 CE, making surgical strikes at all of the PALP’s bases, slaughtering the rebels inside and flaying their leadership alive. The Rangers were sent to war again in 6260 CE and were set upon the rebellious Reaver Count of Nelkan, Tzósczé Pálscz, who had attempted to start a war with the rival Reaver Count of Spaasa, Gzárá Triscz. In fact, it was because of this infamous feud that Reaver Counts are not permitted to go to war with each other over land due to the destruction that it caused.

Before the feud, there was no social law preventing nobles such as Spine Princes or Reaver Counts from warring with each other over land rights, but there had never been a case before the war. After the two counts mobilized their forces, it became abundantly clear that the two sides would destroy each other and severely damage the Empire’s strength. The Primes then stepped in, demanding that the two sides settle their differences through a duel. Triscz agreed to the ultimatum, but Pálscz denied it, believing that he was above the tradition and instead wished to beat Triscz through war. As punishment for his defiance, the Rangers were deployed, as they held no loyalty to any house other than the Empire itself. The Rangers, along with Incubi within Pálscz’s own ranks, attacked his lands, razing them and slaughtering any that flocked to his side. Soon, Pálscz’s own family members were turning on him until only he was left within his massive palace, the Monolith of Elucidation. The Siege of the Monolith was a bloodbath as hordes of spravac clashed against each other. The Suzerain of the Rangers at the time, Zgell Rosczé, dug a tunnel from the Tzintrí River into the catacombs of the palace where Pálscz was hiding, drowning him and his men.

Following the death of Pálscz, his son, who was present at the siege to ensure he was killed, was put in his place. With his ascension as Reaver Count of Nelkan, the Declaration of Pálscz was made by the Primes, stating that Spine Princes and Reaver Counts were forbidden from going to full scale war with each other, preventing the devastation of future conflicts. The reason that so many nobles listened to the new declaration was in large credit to the Rangers.

The Rangers would see further combat during the Ravager’s Crusade, of which the Crusade earned its infamous name. Led by the Suzerain Átzuvai Vegc the Ravager, the Ravager’s Crusade prompted a massive increase in the manpower of the Imperial Rangers, which was about 400 million strong at the time. Vegc believed that the Imperial Rangers were capable of winning entire prolonged conflicts by themselves, so he instituted the “Vegc Reforms”, which greatly altered the organization of the Rangers and increased its manpower to over 3 billion, as well as a personal Grand Armada known as the Crimson Fleet and a Raivó (Corps) of armored vehicles, namely Manticore Tanks and Leviathan War Barges. With these additions, Vegc’s new Imperial Rangers carved a path through the Drow Empire from 6322 CE to 6360 CE.

Though the Rangers won hundreds of battles on Nero and Daleras, they were shown to be ineffective at waging prolonged conflict, and by 6345 CE the rest of the Empire had to step in to supplement the Ranger’s weaknesses. Despite these weaknesses being revealed to Vegc and the rest of the command, they made no efforts to reform the doctrine of the Rangers, coming to the realization that the Rangers were more effective as an invasion force to pave the way for other elements of the Imperial Hordes, serving as offensive shock troops meant for breaking enemy lines and blitz warfare (Vaitóré Vigtortz).

After the conclusion of the Ravager Crusade, the subsequent Nero Crusades, and the climactic Third Gammaverse Crusade, during which the Rangers’ exploits continued to be many and bloody, the Spravac Empire began its golden age, which has persisted into the present day. The Rangers next major conflict was the Spravac-Delta War, a pivotal war that substantially changed the course of Galactic History. During this war, the new Suzerain of the Rangers, the famed Étvác Vólóm, made himself known during the war as an expert commander of both the Rangers and the Incubi.

The Rangers’ exploits during the war gave them a variety of nicknames amongst their foes, including Red Devils, Blood Hawks, and Raptors amongst the Ures Empire. They were known as Red Beasts or Red Razors by their karis allies and enemies, as well as Jasims, Red Death, and Rock Biters by the Tayrigo Empire. A common saying amongst the allied forces has become so common that even the Rangers use it; “Anyone who says they do not fear death is either lying or a spravac.”

While some of the Rangers fought against the Deltaverse, other elements fought against the NRR, with Vólóm eventually taking full control once the Delta War ended. Under his command, the Rangers took the NRR world of Rhotek, now Rotec, as well as the planet now known as Sindell. In light of their successes and efforts, a secondary headquarters was built on Sindell called the Bloodred Redoubt. Acting primarily as a factory for future Ranger weapons, the smiths of Sindell now are the primary designers of new Ranger weapons and armor, constructing the new and improved Gloaming Ravager Panoply for the Imperial Rangers, taking elements from Vólóm’s infamous personal set of armor; the Shadow of Iut.

With the introduction of their renovated equipment, the Rangers were utilized extensively during the Orion Spur Wars, where they were used in several offensive campaigns against the Ures Empire and the Karis Republic, assisting Vólóm in his conquests of Grace and Ures herself.

When the Union of Independent Humae States launched their invasion of the Milky Way in 7073 CE, the Spravac Empire immediately entered to assist their newfound NRR allies in the war effort, being the first non-NRR faction in the Milky Way to do so. The Imperial Rangers won a series of decisive victories against the Union, particularly in the Battle of Tratastea in September 34 AUA, where the Ranger’s near constant suicidal charges and mutilating weaponry crushed the thus far unbeatable 12th Storm Army, nearly annihilating the force and placing the General’s head on a pike, which was delivered to Emperor Gabriel of the NRR later that day.

## Recruitment and Training:

“Move those weak bodies you Whelps! If you’re gonna kill for our glorious Empire than you better be ready to kill the old you, for a new killer will be born from the ashes of your pathetic corpse, an Imperial Ranger primed to descend upon his prey!”

* Chief Dominator Liscz Rig addressing the next batch of Tyros on the first day of the Red Line, the recruit training of the Imperial Rangers

The Imperial Rangers take up their recruits from within the ranks of the Imperial Marines and Shadow Ark Corsairs. Recruits that demonstrate particular skill and valor are selected, and Ranger Scouts are often embedded within Marine units in order to evaluate potential candidates. Scouts typically approach marines with a propensity for melee combat and highly suicidal high risk missions, nominating them as a candidate after usually about a month or two of evaluations. Patterns have also shown that Scouts tend to gravitate towards marines with at least five years of service rather than gifted rookies, showing that they value sheer survivability and skill over simple dumb luck in suicide missions.

Upon recruitment, candidates are then transported to the Red Maw or the Bloodred Redoubt. These two major bases are often at odds with each other for support and prestige, with the Maw boasting incredible discipline while the Redoubt produces extremely intelligent combatants, as well as a higher percentage of Antimatter Rangers than their Plasma Thorn brethren.

Despite this difference, the training is identical regardless of where they receive their instruction. Despite demonstrating their skill and discipline prior to their recruitment, Ranger candidates, or Tyros, are treated as lowly Whelps upon entrance, intent on breaking down any preconceived notions of grandeur and arrogance before they are rebuilt as Rangers during the Red Line, the eight week long training process ending in the graduation of that Ranger Class.

The Red Line is divided into four distinct phases; the Climb, the Thorn, the Fall, and the Forge. The Climb is the beginning stages of the Line, characterized by near constant physical conditioning and discipline building. During this time, Tyros are drilled in marching, most notably the intricate Dread March, a march used during military parades and even sometimes in combat. Physical conditioning is usually characterized by obstacle courses, which are always lethal, and discipline building exercises that seek to beat out the spravac’s innate desire to inflict and endure constant pain in a similar vein to Incubi training.

After the Climb, which lasts two weeks, the Tyros enter the two week long Thorn Phase, during which they are taught much of their combat tactics and skills. Tyros are taught a modified version of Válíric swordsmanship with a specialized blade called a Vóvbrézgáscz (two edges), a historical straight blade used by ancient warriors of Válír, thus leading to the nickname of Válírísczívávon (Valiric Saber). Tyros are also taught a Gegcensczí martial art known as Vétztortz, a brutal hand-to-hand combat discipline also utilized by the Incubi known for its focus on strangulation and breaking bones with single rapid punches. The Thorn Phase also sees the Tyros practice their marksmanship with the Zgevescz (as well as the A2), the Aquila, the Kraken, the Deathshard, the Raptor, and the Ravager Pulse Rifles. In order to progress, Tyros must get at least a 90/100 on all weapons at 400, 600, and 1,000m. They must also score a 100/100 with the Vóvbrézgáscz and Vétztortz since Rangers are so frequently thrown into close quarters and melee combat.

The Ranger Treatise is also studied heavily during this period, during which Tyros will memorize and immerse themselves within the war doctrine of the Rangers. Though no simulations are practiced during this phase, the Tyros must demonstrate proficient knowledge in the tactics for the future.

This knowledge is then implemented during the Fall Phase, a three week long period during which the Tyros will test their knowledge in actual combat scenarios and drills. They will engage in simulated combat jumps from Dropships as well as assault entrenched positions and urban buildings. OpFor is manned by actual Rangers as well as Incubi, who are instructed by the Suzerain to treat the Tyros as their actual enemy. Because of this, training is used with live ammunition, and the Fall Phase is named as such because of the high attrition rate of Tyros killed during this phase.

After the Fall, the Tyros enter their final trial; the Forge. The Forge is a week-long trial of constant physical exertion and training. Tyros must utilize their previous training to survive in the wilderness of Sprava along with constant attacks from Incubi determined to kill all of them.

Following the completion of the Forge, the newly inducted Rangers conduct a Dread March parade through the Maw or Redoubt before being presented with a Ranger Brand, in which the Ranger Seal is branded into their left shoulder with a plasmic burner.

## Tactics and Doctrine:

“Give me an army of marines and I’ll win the battle, give me a squad of Imperial Rangers and I’ll win the war.”

* Didact Maigcá Tzártzá, key founder of the Imperial Rangers

The doctrine of the Imperial Rangers is built around two overarching concepts; speed and mutilation. This is achieved through their usage of aerial and mechanized warfare. The rangers use an exclusive roofless dropship that allows them to rappel down from the air out of the view of soldiers directly below them. The dropships are often lined with rangers armed with spears and other melee weapons who will typically jump down without even a chain or rope to hold onto, weapons brandished.

The dropships always deploy over firefights and thick combat in order to surprise and disorient the enemy. Though casualties are always heavy, the rangers wear the blood as a badge of honor as they shred apart the unfortunate enemy they have been set upon. Ground assaults are done in tandem with bombers, typically broadsword and bonesaw class bombers because of their anti-armor capabilities. Bonesaws also come with a bowshark speeder complement, which rangers mounted on speeders will deploy behind enemy lines to disrupt especially deadly emplacements and positions.

Despite acting as a form of stormtrooper unit, the Rangers most prized weapons are precision based long range rifles and carbines. This is mainly because of the lethal ammunition that they shoot, which achieves the other aim of the rangers; mutilation.

A common tactic employed by the rangers is known by their commanders as “The Laceration”, a combined arms frontal assault that few foes have been able to stand against, even zyyntoreans have failed many times to hold back a Laceration Maneuver. The tactic begins with a heavy bombardment of lance mortars from broadswords and bonesaws. These powerful bolts of steel explode on impact in a torrent of antimatter, vaporizing everything in the direct vicinity and heavily damaging others.

Speeders follow next, bowshark mounted rangers fly over the enemy, cleaving off their heads and burning them away with antimatter and plasma. If the enemy has not been completely annihilated by these previous attacks, then the deadliest part of the Laceration begins with a raucous charge from the rangers. They harry the enemy with their rifles before drawing their swords, lances, and bayonets and charge straight at the enemy. What follows is the butcherswork that rangers are most infamous for. Their masterful ability to leave any corpse they touch unrecognizable is paralleled only by Incubi.

In urban warfare, rangers will typically split apart into smaller units to clear out buildings and alleyways, only coalescing when assaulting open areas such as parks or city squares. As such, urban infantry tactics are conducted on the platoon level, where Dominators will usually be much more cautious than when they are assaulting as a mass of thousands. Different ranger squads will be armed with a menagerie of different weapons, but the principle of speed and mutilation remains unchanged, and platoon or company level raids are still a force to be reckoned with.

With the introduction of their armored corps, the rangers modified their Laceration tactic into the “Steel Tempest”, a maneuver that is mostly identical to the stratagem that inspired it save for the addition of armor to the final wave of the assault. Because ranger doctrine is centered around causing as much damage as possible, these armored assaults are always composed of manticores, SHAO patterns, and leviathans, which have the most devastating weapons in the Empire’s terrestrial arsenal.

In melee combat, the Rangers are typically armed with their signature Vóvbrézgáscz. Originally practiced by Válíric swordsmen, Rangers train extensively with a modern translation of the Tzívá Ná-Sczmír (Book of Death), a swordsmanship treatise that the Rangers use as their framework for fighting with a Vóvbrézgáscz. The treatise was modified so that the sword could be used in tandem with other weapons, namely pistols, daggers, and other small offhand weapons. As such, it is actually more common to see a Ranger dual wielding weapons than to see him using just one, though Rangers armed with the sword itself are by no means less deadly.

The sword is typically used as a cutting weapon, placing an emphasis on wristwork. The stance generally calls for the swordsman to crouch, minimizing his silhouette. Quick and precise footwork is also required, with many of its signature strikes requiring the swordsman to leap into the air or strafe from side to side. The most common and iconic of these is the Válártziv-Torótvá Sczrátzic (Gliding Razor Strike), in which the warrior leaps into the air on his non-dominant foot, holding the blade in the reverse grip before landing his other foot onto the chest of the target before slashing or plunging the sword into the head, killing the target outright if done correctly.

This move is so popular with the Rangers that they often use it as a synonym to making a frontal melee assault, as it is typically the first move in a traditional forms play.

## Organization:

“They were a massive red wave. First they were here, then they were gone, with only mountains of the dead left.”

* Sergeant First Class Skolovick after the Battle of Laritsyn

When the Imperial Rangers were first formed, they were little more than an elite Livûníón (Over-Army) of soldiers, numbering at about 400 million strong. Upon their formation, they were divided into smaller units identical to the Imperial Marines and the Corsairs. It wasn’t until the “Vegc Reforms” that they began to heavily distinguish themselves from their black-armored brethren.

This new unit, known as an Armiger Horde, is a massive formation of 4.3 billion rangers, both Plasma Thorn and Antimatter. The Armiger Horde, named so because it takes up the Imperial Standard as its symbol, is then split into the Dread Legions, deployments of 100 million soldiers that are the most common unit seen in war. Dread Legions are supplied to act as their own self-sufficient armies, and are capable of deploying throughout an entire Verse for invasion. There are approximately 43 Dread Legions within the Armiger Horde, each of them named after their number and the combat doctrine that they practice (e.g. 1st Plasma Thorn Legion, 4th Antimatter Legion). The first 400 million rangers were organized in the first four Dread Legions, and as such each of those four legions hold the most prestige amongst all 43.

Tyros, upon completion of the Red Line, are placed within the same Dread Legion due to the comradery that they shared during their training, ensuring maximum unit cohesion in battle. Dread Legions are further broken down into Cabals, units of 1,000,000 that typically invade planets alongside other elements of the Imperial Hordes. There are 3,300 Cabals within the Armiger Horde. Cabals are distinguished between strictly infantry based and armor based units, which usually work in tandem with each other when conducting combat operations. Beyond those distinctions, the Imperial Rangers general follows the marine organizational doctrine with slight modifications to size and naming conventions, the same can be said for their ranks;

The fleet of the Armiger Horde, the Crimson Fleet, is a unique grand armada designed specifically for transporting the rangers and providing them with overwatch over the battlefield alongside the Armiger Wing, the air force of the rangers. The Crimson Fleet is a grand armada of approximately 240 ships. The composition of the fleet is as follows;

The Crimson Fleet notably has its own Genocide-Class supercarrier, the Carnal Annhilator, as the flagship of the entire armada, and is recognizable along with the rest of the fleet for its distinct bright red color. All of the ships within the armada have been painted in the distinct blood red of the rangers’ standard issue armor.

## Equipment:

“See this, this is by far the most brutal thing I’ve seen in this war, believe me or not. I’ve seen the spravac tear men apart by hand, I’ve seen them cut men in half. Hell, I had to watch them burn an entire town to the ground when I was on patrol, but this is as brutal as it gets.”

* Drow Sniper on the Zgevescz Rifle

There are few distinctions between the Rangers and the Marines when it comes to the weapons that they use. Like the Marines, they utilize the Zgevescz LRBR and A2, Kraken and Deathshard Carbines, the Aquila, and the Raptor, Lacerator, and Ravager Rifles. Most rangers tend to gravitate towards the Zgevescz and the Deathshard, as they most exemplify their namesake.

The Zgevescz Long Range Battle Rifle (Type 28 LR-BR) is a mixed ammunition double action operated battle rifle designed by Tvaigcár Zgevescz in 5035 CE. The rifle was originally designed as a labor of love by its designer. Zgevescz took many of the mechanics of the Antimatter Crossbow to implement a revolutionary and horrifying weapon that is known for maiming many victims to the point of death in every case. Even people who survive initially getting shot by a Zgevescz never survive the wounds that follow.

Zgevescz studied the technology of the iridium-copper coils that run through the barrel of the crossbow. He admired the crossbow but believed that its splaying arms and low ammunition made it an ineffective weapon for most encounters. He took the iridium coils and coiled them within singular cartridges. The cartridges have two primers. The first primer is used to propel the cartridge forward, the second primer is a destructible pin at the end of the round. When the second primer collides with a surface, it pushes into the bullet and punctures a small electromagnetic well that holds seven volumetric grams of antimatter. The antimatter is then propelled forward by the short iridium coils and is released into the surface, be it flesh or otherwise. Zgevescz designed the bullets so that the second primer would only discharge after it had embedded itself inside a surface, ensuring that it would always cause maximum damage to whatever it came in contact with.

The box magazine that houses these rounds does not protrude out of the rifle’s body like most other weapons, rather, it is stored inside an under-barrel compartment that slides into place on a pair of magnetic rails that ensure that the volatile mechanism never becomes dislodged before the compartment closes and connects to the alloy shell draped over the top of the barrel, giving the rifle the nickname “Crocodile Rifle”.

Zgevescz went through twenty-eight iterations before the finished product was developed. His biggest challenge was designing the cartridges in the way that he envisioned. The cartridges would frequently discharge prematurely and destroy his prototypes, it wasn’t until he thought to use premade crossbow coils that he managed to keep his charges intact. The trigger acts like the release on a slingshot, when the cartridge becomes primed for discharge, the trigger releases a burst of kinetic energy that causes the electromagnetic rail system to kick in and propel the round at a speed twice that of a standard ballistic.

The bullets are not stored within shells, rather the entire cartridge acts as the projectile, exploding upon impact and releasing shrapnel, antimatter, acid, or any other dangerous substances that the spravac wants. Zgevescz designed the chemicals and substance stored within the cartridge to be interchangeable with any other. The cartridge’s head, which the hollow interior is coated with an ablative film, splay out upon impact to ensure that the antimatter flies out in all directions. As the tip expands and spreads out, it causes further damage to whatever it hits. This is especially devastating for fleshy targets.

Zgevescz also intended the rifle to be an automatic rifle. His twenty-eighth version, the final model, accomplished this. With a rate of fire of 650 rounds per minute.

The Zgevescz-A2 or the Advanced Zgevescz, Type 29 was designed fifty years after Zgevescz’s death in 5100 CE. The Primes wanted to create a more powerful iteration of the Zgevescz that could effectively fire pure antimatter automatically. They accomplished this by converting the box magazine into a large antimatter well.

They lined the inside of the barrel with iridium copper coiling and created a small opening for a T-Charger to regulate heat buildup. The magazine is filled with so much antimatter that the rifle can essentially fire indefinitely, with the T-Chargers now acting as ammo that degrades with prolonged firing. Since the rifle fires with an automatic function, T-Chargers are degraded at a much faster rate, meaning that the rifleman must carry double what a regular crossbowman must, which is primarily the reason why the rifle hasn’t completely usurped popularity from the Zgevescz A1 and the Antimatter Caster.

The T-4 ABR, or Zgevescz Aquila, is a powerful lever-action variant of the Zgevescz LR-BR. Holding 80 rounds within its considerable magazine, the Aquila is beloved amongst the Imperial Rangers. The rifle’s barrel shroud is lined with spines, which are primarily cosmetic but can be deadly if used effectively. The forearm of the rifle features a specialized cooling-tube that funnels excess heat generated from the Hollow-point dischargers into the built in bayonet underneath the barrel.

This heats the bayonet up to degrees in the thousands, allowing the user to viciously damage anyone who gets in range of this superheated blade. The blade can also be discharged from the gun as a sort of harpoon or grappling hook, and a powerful cable is coiled around the heat-tube for storage. This, coupled with the superheated qualities, allows the operator to easily scale walls with this easily embedding blade.

The heat also causes the hardy bayonet to glow bright red, leading to many people nicknaming the rifle the “Glow Beak”.

As a lever-action rifle, the weapon has a considerably slower rate of fire than a regular Zgevescz rifle, as well as being unable to fire in automatic mode. The weapon’s bolt system, unlike some other lever-action rifles, doesn’t protrude out of the back of the receiver, instead it ejects spent shells out of the right side of the receiver. The lever also acts as a lock to keep the magazine in place. When the user needs to reload, he simply pulls back the lever to release the magazine, allowing it to fall out. The inner matrix of the magazine is programmed to detect when ammunition is spent, this means that it will not fall out if the user accidently pulls the lever back too far when in combat. Once the magazine has been replaced, the user simply pushes the lever back into place, which in turn immediately primes the gun for its first round, thus eliminating any spare time in between magazines, thus increasing the rate of fire of the weapon.

Despite being designed as a hardy storm rifle, the Aquila has an effective range of up to 1700m, meaning that the weapon can be an effective sniper weapon.

The Kraken and the Deathshard, though they have been largely overshadowed by the Aquila and LRBR in recent centuries, are still wildly popular within the ranks of the Imperial Rangers. The two similarly designed weapons were designed by Didacts Sgcûld Ápfor and Maigcá Tzártzá, who designed the two weapons with the intention of arming the newly formed Rangers, of which Ápfor and Tzártzá were its founders and principle designers, the Kraken and Deathshard are known for the characteristic ammunition that they fire, both of which are long, metal spines that are enhanced by plasma.

Finalized in 4984 CE, the Ûpósczáctziv-Sczurv Juntzá (US-J 6) or Embedding Bolt Slinger, was designed for three years after Tzártzá proposed the formation of a specialized assault based fighting force for the Imperial Hordes. With the formation of the Rangers, the two didacts began designing the unit’s namesake; the Kraken Karbine. Taking inspiration from a ballista, the US-J 6 is built around two electromagnetic rails that propel the ammunition, a carbon spike, at extremely high velocities.

The trigger mechanism is a lever that activates a claw system that suspends the spike within a magnetic field. Upon pulling the trigger, the claw releases the spike through the magnet, which in turn reverses its polarity to increase the velocity of the projectile. As the spike is shot forward, it is coated in an adhesive ionized gas compound, coating it with plasma residue and turning it into a bright blue bolt of death.

The spike alone would be enough to horrifically maim or kill a target, with the addition of the plasma coating, the spike burns and cauterizes the wound, fuzing itself to whatever it was shot into, thus earning its “embedding” qualities.

Following the creation of the Kraken Karbine, it was adopted by the Rangers almost immediately, with the rangers taking its name from the “Plasma Thorns” that the US-J fires.

Though the Kraken was well received by the Rangers for its effective performance in battle, it was slightly inaccurate due to it only being able to fire in automatic mode. In response to this, Tzártzá and Ápfor went back to the workbench to design a conceptually similar, precision based battle implement to complement the Kraken’s rate of fire. The rails were lengthened from 46.5 inches to 50 inches to increase the effective range of the weapon from 500 to 700 meters.

The carbine no longer fires in automatic mode, rather in semi-automatic and burst fire. The shards that it fires function identically to the Kraken, though the carbine’s longer length also necessitated longer spikes to have maximum effectiveness.

The armor worn by the Rangers, the Gloaming Ravager Panoply, is a lightweight but highly durable set of jagged segmented armor that covers nearly all of their body while still maintaining optimal articulation. The red armor’s silhouette is best recognized by its large triangular pauldrons, which are adorned by large razors that frame the Ranger’s head. Most Rangers also wear elaborate crested helmets, the crest is much more of a serrated axehead than a decoration, and many Rangers have cleaved foes in two with a powerful headbutt. The helmet’s eyes have retractable optics that enhance the vision of the wearer, providing a heartbeat sensor, an infrared mode, and a 25x magnification scale.

The armor starts as darksteel (Gcairésczai) like other spravac armors, but is spray painted in a resilient dark red enamel overlay as opposed to the regular black coating that is layered onto other spravac armors, giving the Ranger’s their unmistakable red armor.

The back of the armor is wreathed in a characteristic cowl that serves as a ceremonial badge of service that Tyros earn following their graduation from the Red Line. The cowl forms into a pair of narrow swallowtails, and is worn along with a simplistic long-tailed coatee that is worn underneath the armor as a gambeson and dress uniform for parades. The gambeson is made of a thick, quilted cloth and leather material that acts as a form of defense against melee attacks in areas unprotected by plate while still offering excellent flexibility.

A utility pouch is fastened to the sides of the waist, which is filled with plasma grenades as well as five spare magazines for the Ranger’s weapon. Each Ranger is issued a two edged Vóvbrézgáscz for melee combat, as well as a small molecular whetstone for resharpening. Though they most commonly use that sword, Rangers are not averse to using the other myriad blades of the Empire, even brandishing jagged bidents and hand axes. Regardless of whatever weapon they choose to hack their foes to pieces with, the ancient spravac proverb holds true; “a blade that is brandished may not reenter its sheath until it has tasted blood,” (Tzun-von tzóljé-vígágcétziv gcinvil osczlóvérá velevlon amíg tó-bûnscz sgcázgisczálóltzé).

As a two-edged weapon on the shorter side, the weapon is best used as a slashing or hacking blade, honed specifically to hack off limbs and cut through most armors with little effort. The blade typically has a straight false-edge with half of it being sharp. The blade broadens in length from the handle, with the thickest point acting as the primary cutting edge. The true edge of the blade is concave, though the strong of the sword does become thicker again, nearly as thick as the small of the sword (hence the name “Two Edges”). Most renditions of the sword have no visible fuller, though some may have an external fuller. The steel of the sword is made of Gcairésczai, the same material used to construct most spravac armors. The steel is coated in a protective seal that gives it its muted black color, protecting it from rust, corrosion, and scratches.

The handguard is minimalistic, and the pommel is usually spiked. The handles are typically made of a steel core set within heat-treated Cairémávárá (Black Wood), which is soaked in sealing oil and bathed in the sun, hardening it to be as strong as iron. The handle is then wrapped in a black and red leather, alternating in a cross-hatching pattern for gripping.