The metropolis of Cog Town has a special kind of defense force that protect the city’s perimeter. They are called Clockwork Knights; battle armor optimized for halflings that gives them extra strength, protection and powerful weaponry. Halflings trained to become part of the Clockwork Knights are usually new generation halflings, young and enthusiastic to carve a place out in the new world for their people.

Some older Clockwork Knight armor is actually sold to highest bidders in Cog Town once a newer model is built that’ll be more effective in perimeter defense. This “retired armor” usually gets donned by other small races or enthusiastic halflings wishing to seek adventure or provide independent services outside of the militant order’s jurisdiction. These Clockwork Knights are painted black opposed to the raw brass, iron and wood components of their original state.

There is a group of knights centered in Sanctuary who exist to serve Lady Celine. Many of these knights are the original warriors who fought along side Celine during the civilian march out of Terra Nova. The ranks are always filled when a knight passes away or dies in combat. The actual total of knights isn’t 1000; it sits between 800 and 1100.

Many act as defenders of the region around the City of Sanctuary but also set up Militant Outposts along trade routes or political borders; these knights are normally lead by Knights of the Trumpet. Some even go as far as Macedon and Cog Town, either through political agreements or voluntary action; these are normally led by Knights of the Spear. Celine still has a certain power over the ranks but lets each knight make the choices they need to make in order to protect the innocent.

The main notion that remains constant and consistent amongst the Thousand Knights’ ranks is the ability to maintain communications and co-ordinate offensive and defensive action when necessary; the top most rank of knights who help organize the different sects and lead massive operations are the Knights of the Chalice.

The Yokozan Empire has a faction of elite soldiers dedicated to preserving the law. These soldiers are created with high science and necromancy. Soldiers injured (but not killed) in combat are given medical attention and stabilized. Once stable they go through a bureaucratic process to see if they are eligible for the Biodroid Program.

Many passionate soldiers look forward to being upgraded in this manner. Some go through it because they feel it’s part of their life duty—no matter how long their life lasts. A few still, have no choice—it just is what it is.

Some biodroids “reject” and flee the Yokozan Empire looking for a new purpose to life. Some go insane through this process, the machine taking the dominant role, the humanity slipping away.

In the early years after Cog Town was estalished as a major city and the Hellfire Wars were over, fiends and dragons went silent—and in a time when peace was given the chance to prosper, the taint of evil managed to retain a lingering hold on the darker fringes of society.

Street gangs, secret societies and city leaders carved out sections of Cog Town for themselves, ironically helping the city grow faster by increasing its “underworld” framework. During a turf war, the Worthington family was caught in the middle of the struggle and all died but one young teenage boy by the name of Cole.

That teenage boy became obsessed with death—how it happened, what came afterwards, where spirits went for peace, and other such topics. He trained his body and mind in a hidden cave up a cliff side that over looked Cog Town. Every day he thought of those who had died, those who were still dying, and those who had Death on their heels. He would watch them for years until the day when his mind opened up to the spirit world and all of its secrets.

The next night came and he entered into a section of Cog Town now called Black Feathers by the locals. This was the place where the Moore family was killed—and the gang that killed them resided. First he would let Death guide his hand in dealing death upon those who offended life. Cole would leave a raven’s feather at each scene of death to let the locals know that the judgment was done fairly and by the hand of their protector. Second he would claim Black Feathers as his section of town, under his protection, under his laws.

Enemies now fear the one people call Raven Nevermore. Civilians believe it is the revenant of the dead Cole come to rid the city of evil; they feel safer under his piercing eyes and silent protective resilience; their protector of the dead and spirit guide to the afterlife.

When the Hellmouth erupted a mysterious unidentified object broke through Erath’s atmosphere and crash landed in a wheat-filled, catastrophe-riden, countryside of The Dustlands. The object turned out to be an alien shuttle, and in it was an infant boy.

A couple, Marian and Herold Joseph, who just lost their two young children in an earthquake the previous day witnessed the “falling star”. The couple took that as a sign from the heavens to seek it out. Once they arrived at the location of the alien crash site they knelt and prayed to the roaring sounds of the hellish cataclysm across the country side. When the shuttle opened up like a metalic flower, the sound of a crying infant was the only sound that the couple could hear; the cataclysm nothing more than a room full of whispers.

They took up the young boy as their own and named him Adam Joseph. As he grew up, he got stronger and stronger, tougher and tougher, faster and faster. His adoptive parents hid his abilities from the countryfolk, but when the fiends of the Abyss started scattering across the land, Adam Joseph wanted to help. Being totally indestructible, he joined the Dustland Resistance with a mask to hide his identity. It was during this time that his fellow soldiers gave him the nickname: Godman.

Godman is dedicated to protecting the freedom of the Dustland people and sees them as his own kin that he is destined to protect.

In the slums of Cog Town there has been an increase of murders and disappearances. Some of the best halfling detectives have investigated the case and in some cases even closed the books on finding the murderer. A month or so later a new victim would appear and the investigations would begin anew.

No matter how many murderers get captured or killed, there seems to always be another to take their place. the only consistency is that their victims are always female and always “non-pure”. In the cases where bodies where actually discovered, they’ve always been sliced open from the clavicle to the lower abdomen with their hearts missing.

The main adversary of these atrocities–unknown to Cog Town’s population–is a fiend simply called “Jack” by his followers; a cult of dedicated power mongers who vow to bring Jack the body or heart of a “tainted maiden” once a week. This sacrifice allows Jack to empower his followers with special abilities and maintain his secret headquarters in the deep Gutter Zone tunnels of Cog Town.

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