Regiment 648

*"They called themselves "Regiment 648." Even if this division does not exist, the people who assisted me in Dezhao and Kanzazi were definitely real. Make of that what you will."*
*~Liberty Tezeru Mežkiel 4~*

Regiment 648 is a Krippan military division infamous for purportedly (and officially) not existing. It had surfaced and disappeared many times over the 197th Age, although who leads it, who is part of it, and where in Krippa it originates from is still a mystery. Different people have different accounts of the division, including aspects such as its size, the soldiers that comprise it, and the persons who lead it. After the construction of Zulera City, the division began to appear more and more throughout the city, protecting it with a similar vigilance to that which they protected Krippa with, despite 'Zulera having no official affiliation with the Krippan Empire.

## History

When Krippan Military Divisions were first revised and modernized in 0533 of the 197th Age, a total of 966 regiments were formed from Krippa's massive but fairly stable population. For reasons still unknown today, the numbers 1-967 were used, apart from #648. It is recorded that a Division 648 existed at one point, but the last records of the division appear on 21 Mzani 1182, and no further records of its existence have appeared since then. These records reveal that the men and women of the original 648th regiment defied orders to stand down from a conflict, instead choosing to defend their country and going down fighting to the last man, woman, and child. While these actions were unsanctioned, historians agree they saved many lives in the long run, which is believed to be what led to the covert revival of the division an unspecified amount of time later. Despite these resurgences, it has never been officially on Krippa's books since then, although it is believed that Krippa still has a hand in the division's use and function.

Regiment 648 appears to surface more frequently when a republic is fading, and Krippa is in the early stages of an empire emerging from the ashes. It appeared during the Siege of Shangda-Fei, and was also there as Krippa made its sweep through Krawvill and conquered the country. Where it went after that was unknown, but individuals bearing the '648 banner were later spotted in Zulera City.

## Naming & Function

Despite its obscurity, it is accepted by historians that Division 648 has its basis in fact and history, considering that there was no other logical reason for the number to be skipped. While the number 648 now has inside meaning among Krippan military circles and the likes, it has no other cultural significance any more than the numbers around it.

### Name

The "official" name of the division is the 648th Krippan Regiment, although most of its members as well as those who see them usually just call them "Regiment 648". Other names include "Ghost Division", "Red Night", "'648" or "the Sunset Soldiers". Similarly, there are sometimes orders among certain military officers that include "648" as a verb (such as "to 648" or "648ing"), which is a reference to operations that are usually covert or unofficial/unsanctioned in nature. The legality of "648ing" is often called into question, although it usually depends on the leaders in question. Emperors and Empresses tend to use these commands much more than Republic Chiefs.

### Function

Regiment 648's primary function is the support and defense of Krippa, much like the rest of the country's other 964 standard military divisions. They are known for their unsanctioned and unofficial actions, although they currently also hold a reputation of being powerful defenders of Krippan interests. They were a major player against the Jalenga in the war of the same name, even if records of their actions remain minimal. Officially listed as a renegade or vigilante division, it is believed that this is an excuse used by Krippa, particularly the Krippan Empire, when they wish to covertly get their hands dirty and then claim that these soldiers were not acting under official Krippan authority.