The Combine

Formerly the largest and most visually populated faction in the Wasted West. It was put down by Toussaint, who took the identity of Anne Banks and grabbed the reigns of the organization, turning them into the Unity.

## History

### The Start

On New Year's Day, 2082, General Samuel Throckmorton led surviving soldiers of the North and South into Denver. They drove off the walking dead that assaulted the remaining civilians in the city, earning admiration from the survivors. The group set up camp at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal, and worked to clear the city of walking dead. This group of disparate soldiers became known as the Combine.

During pushes to liberate the city from undead, Throckmorton made his way into Hellstromme's factories, and something changed in him. He started up the old complex again, getting it to produce weapons. The Combine quickly took control of the city, clearing out the undead and restoring some centers with power. During these few weeks, the A-5 virus still present in corpses of the fallen was disturbed, and spread throughout the troops. As he attempted to gain control of the situation, a Denver citizen attempted to assassinate Throckmorton.

Rumors quickly spread that the virus had been unleashed on purpose as a weapon against the Combine from the Denver survivors, and martial law was declared in the city. All civilians were rounded up and put to work erecting makeshift barriers around the HI compound, with bots helping construct other building additions to the area to make it a full on fortress. The civilians were then moved to the ruins of Lafayette, and were forced to began farming. Denver's former citizens had been turned into slaves for the Combine.

### Teller Revolt

Over a year after the Combine rolled in, a man called Teller was brought in as a slave. He created a stir amongst his fellow slaves, revitalizing them with stories of what things were like before, of freedom. He inspired all the slaves to rise up and try to escape their chains. On July 11th of 2093, the slaves revolted, and 150 out of 500 people made it into the sewers, away from Combine forces. It was after this event, where some Combine troops sympathetic to the cause let them escape, that chips were implanted into their heads. Almost all that escaped formed the Resistance, and remained in Denver to work against the Combine.

## Beliefs

The core goal the Combine was built on, the original intent of General Throckmorton, was to rewrite the wrongs of the Civil War and unite the Union and the Confederacy under one nation. From there, stability would be achieved and civilization would be rebuilt.

Though those are the ideas the original Combine was sold on, the true purpose of the Combine was twisted when the Denver AI took over. Its goal was to take over the west, forcing all other settlements to kneel to the needs of the Combine. From there, they would move on to the maze and access the ghost rock still available for harvest there. All these resources would put the AI at the head of its own version of utopia.

## Practices

### Headbanger Chips

After Teller's Revolt, nearly all human soldiers in the Combine were outfitted with computer chips in their skulls to ensure loyalty to the cause. Only a few special Gray Hats don't have to get implanted with one. They are placed where the skull and the spine meet. They act doubly as a way to ensure Combine arms don't fall to the enemy: they won't fire for anyone without a chip, and explode when not within a couple yards of a live chip. Vehicles act in much a similar fashion.

The chips are made in the HI Complex, and each is given its own unique id code. There are two types: common and command. Common are given to the typical grunts of the organization, such as the regular Black Hats, and command chips are given to leadership, such as the Red Hats. Command chips allow for signals to be sent to other chips from the person who has it, allowing for the sending of orders through sensations and detonation of common chips that are connected. Red Hats can detonate any chip of either kind. These chips can also be used to track the bearers.

Chips can detonate if the subject is captured and interrogated. The chip is not always good at detecting when this situation arises, and can detonate at mundane situations that produce similar patterns in the individual. The chip has an anti-tamper device, able to detect if it is being removed and detonates.

## Positions

### Red Hats

The highest rank within the Combine. They're the commanding officers, the elites of the organization. They're generally sent out on more important missions, while those below them deal with the mundane raids. They spend little time out in the field, rarely more than a couple months before they're back in Denver and living in luxury.

### Gray Hats

Highly skilled troops that are given access to some of the ripest pickings in Denver, in return for their loyalty. All are talented at infiltration, sabotage, and stirring trouble amongst enemy ranks. Any who wish to join must have their thoughts read by Julius Heydrich, a syker that works closely with Throckmorton. If they pass the test, they are placed under Rat Hat command. They serve as spys.

### Green Hats

These members are technicians that provide upgrades, maintenance, repairs, and any general tech assistance to combine resources. They're more for utility than combat, and rarely head into hostile encounters themselves. They live in relative luxury, though not as much as Red Hats.

### Black Hats

They serve as the grunts of the group, the cannon fodder. Black Hats carry out most raids and tribute collections from settlements. They're made up of anyone that joins. They are the lowest ranked that still hold a position within the organization.

They are generally organized into platoons of 20 soldiers each, with one lieutenant and 19 troops. Four of the troops serve as scouts. The scouts get motorcycles, while the rest ride in pickups, SUVs, or Humvees.

### Mercenaries

Some muscle-for-hire stick around and aid Combine forces. They aren't chipped, but are also given precious little information.

### Chain Dogs

Slavers that are spread out over the continent. They provided the Combine with slaves to fuel their operations. They wear gold chains around their necks. Most refuse to be chipped, and simply do business with the organization.

### War Machines

These are the automatons that are created in assembly lines in the HI complex. One automaton is equivalent in strength to a black hat platoon. Each is powered by a deceased brain that no longer carries empathy.

## Members of Note

### The Denver AI

Created by Hellstromme, the Denver AI was made up of hundreds of brains dissected from the bodies of intelligent scientists, mad scientists, and alchemists. All the brains were made to communicate with one another, with a clone of Hellstromme's brain taking control. The connection had mixed results on the different minds, turning some mad. For a long while, it ran the mundane and tedious tasks that allowed his factories to operate. It now loathes humanity and is using the Combine to enslave what remains of civilization.

### Samuel Throckmorton

Formerly a general in the Confederate Armed Forces. He was killed in 2081 and turned into a cyborg. He was then sent to Camp Summers so he could maintain his rank despite his undead status. After Judgement Day, he called for unity among Union and Confederate soldiers, and set out to bring stability back. Once he interfaced with the AI, Throckmorton's own will mattered little. He became a puppet to it,

### Julius Heydrich

The spymaster of the Combine, and leader of its Gray Hat forces. Before joining the Combine, he was an Earth syker who worked for the Confederate Intelligence Service.

## Abilities

General members of the Combine are given little in terms of specific training or special abilities. Black Hats are simple grunts with the only knowledge required being the ability to shoot a gun. All members, save a few Gray Hats, are implanted with chips at the base of their skull that allows them to use Combine-made weapons and modified vehicles.

They are given access to some of the most powerful and dangerous weapons in the west.