They emerged from the darkness, the armored plates of their Carapace armor hidden by the flowing scraps of shroud that covered each figure. With each visor glowing a dull green from the HUD images within, it would be understandable if an observer assumed that the armored men and women were demons or some form of bipedal insects.
Each held a weapon. Scoped battle rifles, their slender barrels covered by the same gossamer sheets of the shadowed cloth, were carried at the ready. Bandoliers of ammunition, grenades, and heavy bladed knives circled each waist.
They walked forward, seemingly oblivious to the other soldiers who watched them. Each figure stood easily a head taller than the observers, and the equipment they carried would have brought the others to their knees. A single marking was embossed on their right shoulder pauldron – a catlike skull with bared teeth. They passed through the gates, weaving their way between the heavy blockades and out into the silent streets beyond.
- Program Objectives: The Hinir Örlögu Programs are a series of Asgardian projects designed to create generations of physically, genetically, technologically, and mentally superior “supersoldiers” as an elite fighting force within the overall Asgardian military structure.
- Overview: Hinir Örlögu-I soldiers are intended to be the most effective weapon in the battle against external threats or insurgent activists. Hinir Örlögu-I soldiers are outfitted with advanced mechanized Garmr Carapace armor to better defend against the Utanaðkomandi menace, able to successfully remove enemy leaders, engage with aggressor forces, and further promote the interests of the Rætur Asgarðs.
- Personnel: Hinir Örlögu candidates are chosen as youth and subjected to the Chrysalis Augmentation Program element. Selected almost entirely from hybrid bloodlines (Giant and High Blood/Demonic lines), the candidates begin with a super-human genome that is built upon to produce advanced combat capabilities.
- Augmentations:
| Procedure | Format | Description | Risk(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| ASIRON Ceramic Ossification | Physical | Advanced material grafting onto skeletal structures to make bones virtually unbreakable. Recommended coverage not to exceed 3% total bone mass because of significant white blood cell necrosis. | Specific risk for pre-and near-postpubescent adolescents: skeletal growth spurts may cause irreparable bone pulverization. |
| Nano-Regenerative Healing | Alchemical | Runic inscription on bone structures increasing blood generation, cellular regeneration, and metabolic rate. | Regenerative activities can cause uncontrolled growth or metabolic burn issues. |
| Muscular Enhancement Injections | Alchemical | Protein complex is injected intramuscularly to increase tissue density and decrease lactase recovery time. | Five percent (5%) of test subjects experience a fatal cardiac volume increase. |
| Catalytic Thyroid Implant | Physical/Alchemical | Platinum pellet containing human growth hormone catalyst is implanted in the thyroid to boost growth of skeletal and muscle tissues. | Rare instances of Elephantiasis. Suppressed sexual drive. |
| Endocrine System Manipulation | Physical/Alchemical | Platinum pellet containing hormonal suppressants implanted at the base of the spine used to constrain emotional response to stressors | Uncontrolled emotional responses ranging from mania to catatonia. |
| Occipital Capillary Reversal | Physical | Submergence and boosted blood vessel flow beneath the rods and cones of the subject’s retina. Produces a marked visual perception increase. | Retinal rejection and detachment. Permanent blindness. |
| Superconducting Fibrification of Neural Dendrites | Physical | Alteration of bioelectrical nerve transduction to shielded electronic transduction. 300% increase in subject reflexes. Anecdotal evidence of marked increase in intelligence, memory, and creativity. | Significant instances of Parkinson’s Disease and Fletcher’s Syndrome. |
- Training: Hinir Örlögu-I soldiers receive the most advanced tactical training available to Asgardian forces. This includes specific education regarding military tactics, linguistics, history, and (the manipulation of) economic and physical infrastructure topics.
- Equipment: Hinir Örlögu-I soldiers are provided cutting edge armaments, vehicles, and equipment in order to support their strike superiority roles. In general, a single Raid (squad) of nine will consume equivalent cost resources as a regiment of normal troops.
- Garmr Carapace Armor: The Garmr Carapace is a technologically advanced combat exoskeleton system designed to vastly improve the strength, speed, agility, reflexes and durability of a Hinir Örlögu-I supersoldier in the field of combat.
Prioritized and advanced in parallel to the Hinir Örlögu Program, the Garmr Carapace Armor is currently the most advanced piece of tactical military hardware in Asgardian human hands. Each suit alone costs as much as a main battle tank system. Created by the Asgardian Þekkingarsalur research center, the Garmr Carapace is a powered exoskeleton capable of taking full advantage of the physical capabilities of a Hinir Örlögu-I supersoldier. The battlesuit is constructed in overlapping layers. It is a sealed system, capable of extravehicular and submersible activity or operations in toxic atmosphere. It is hardened against EMP and radiation, and has filters that are completely effective at removing toxins and bacteria from the local atmosphere.
The armor’s outer shell is composed of a multilayer alloy of remarkable strength and has been augmented with a refractive coating capable of dispersing a limited amount of energy weapon strikes. The suit contains a gel-filled layer underneath a thick black armored bodysuit. The gel layer regulates temperature and can re-actively change its density. The inner skinsuit is made of a moisture-absorbing synthetic material linked to an environment control computer and the occupant’s neural interface.
Each Hinir Örlögu-I supersoldier has a molecular fiber network called the nervous system within their brain. An upgrade to the standard neural interface is issued to all members of the program. This network translates electrochemical signals to digital code and routes them through an interface connection at the rear of the skull. Through this interface, the user’s thoughts command the armor’s movement and weapons; and input from the on-board sensors comes directly to the user’s mind. The kinesis between machine and mind is so fast that it is almost impossible to chart reaction time.
Between the external armor and the internal padding is the most devastating weapon the suit carries: a layer of reactive metal liquid crystal. Woven by molecular tools into a superdense optical computer memory, this revolutionary crystalline layer forms a network, capable of supporting the kinds of artificial intelligence usually reserved for starships, as a type of piggyback system. An A.I.’s personality and processing matrix can be carried by the armor and delivered to the suit via on-board storage in a crystal data chip no larger than a personal credit card. At the same time it is amorphous, yet amplifies force, doubling lifting capability and improving reaction time by a factor of five. Unfortunately the system is so reactive that normal human beings cannot use the suit without injuring themselves. Only personnel who have carbide ceramic ossification, a skeletal augmentation, such as a Hinir Örlögu-I, can safely wear the suit.
The suit also possesses other features that enhance its wearer’s abilities. It has numerous clips, belts, and magnetic holsters for the attachment of additional weapons and ammunition; an advanced Heads-Up-Display(HUD) linked to sensors in the gloves detects the type of weapon and devices held, and to project shield strength, ammunition count, a targeting reticle, waypoints, a radio uplink for communication, health monitoring and other helpful data.
In its final phase the Garmr Carapace battlesuit weighs half a ton, or 1000 lbs when in use, and is a fully neural-linked system. With an on-board AI using the human mind for parallel processing, the Hinir Örlögu-I/Garmr Carapace combination is designed to be the most devastating intelligence tool ever created.
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- Aptrganga Carapace Armor: The Aptrganga Carapace is an alternative version of the Garmr advanced combat exoskeleton system utilized by the members of Raid Tapað. This version, while functionally similar to its predecessor, is less heavily armored and contains an upgraded sensor and evasion package, including an electronic adaptive camouflage skin that renders these soldiers virtually invisible when stationary. The Aptraganga armor is intended for Hinir Örlögu-I supersoldiers whose missions focus more heavily upon stealth than direct confrontation. This Carapace battlesuit weighs in at a significantly lighter 700 lbs when in use.
- Current Status: The Hinir Örlögu Program is currently underway, with three fireteams currently available for service. This represents a total of 27 supersoldiers able to take the field.
- Raid Draugr
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- Raid Rökkurveiðimaður
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- Raid Tapað
- Planned Evolution: Continued evolution of the plan includes ritual birth refinement utilizing the procedures acquired from Antilla. This will allow for rapid birth rates built along previously established genomes. An eventual goal is to produce supersoldiers without the need for extensive physical modifications post-birth.