Ares Firewatch

Ares. Anyone who hears this word invariably thinks of one thing. Ares Macrotechnology; one of the largest megacorporations on the planet. Run by Damien Knight with an almost iron fist, it has become synonymous with three things. The only American megacorp, Guns, and Knight-Errant. Knight-Errant is one of the most respected and widespread security enforcement agencies in the world, and is second only to Lone Star in municipal enforcement contracts in North America, but number one worldwide. It also hires out their services to any number of corporate enclaves, research facilities, and private homeowners through Knight-Errant and Hard Corps. However, there is one part of Knight-Errant that many have heard of, but few have encountered in combat. That group is called Firewatch. They are Ares' own Special Operations Group.

Something similar to the UCAS Navy SEALs or Sioux Wildcats, made up of veterans of national wars, Desert Wars, etc. People who are called in when and only a specialist is capable of doing the job. They are a combination of a counterterrorist group, a strike team, and an extraction squad. Whenever a threat like an airliner hijacking is occurring, Ares will send out one of the three current Firewatch teams as their own liaison to the crisis if any Ares assets are involved. Each group is a combination of magically active and heavily cybered individuals who are trained to eliminate any possible threat to any member of Ares Macrotechnology.

They also serve as free PR for Ares Macrotechnology, especially in the UCAS and CAS. The people see them as a group of military good-guys, people who are the next best thing to [insert deity name here] sometimes. Whenever Ares wants to prove something, or else they feel like making themselves look bigger, out comes Firewatch with a long list of accomplishments in tow. Anything to make Ares look good; the time they saved a group of Tir delegates, or the Suborbital Terminal incident in Detroit, or the time they made a daring Maglev rescue in Houston. But, if they really want to shame the other megas, they whip out the Chicago Incident. How a large group of Knight-Errant guards and soldiers, combined with one of the Firewatch teams gallantly fought off an impending attack by insect spirits, allowing as many people as possible to escape before the Containment Zone walls went up. And when the CZ wall did go up, how the Firewatch team set up a shelter at the Wrigley Dome for anyone who wanted to stay safe from the Insect Spirits or the warlords who controlled the Containment Zone. Now that the Containment Zone is gone and the quarantine is over, Firewatch and Ares have become international heroes, and Firewatch Team Two has become a critical resource in the establishment of a combined magical security force.

History

Firewatch was created by Damien Knight himself in 2045. After having set up a reputation for excellence with Knight-Errant, he wanted to prove that he was not only better than the other megacorps, but that he was a patriotic citizen of not only the UCAS, but of America. He was willing to prove this by doing what no other megacorp did openly, create a kind of Hostage Rescue Team, composed of the best and brightest Knight-Errant had to offer and then some. To that end, he made a phone call to the UCAS and Sioux Presidents.

Ares Macrotechnology and the UCAS, CAS, and most of North America, except Aztlan, were in an interesting situation. Ares was the only American megacorporation, and seeing that, most of NAN and what had originally been the UCAS plus Hawai'i tended to give breaks to Ares that they wouldn't allow for other megacorps, in return for certain privileges of their own. Plus Hawai'i owed Ares a huge favor for its part in Hawai'i's secession, a favor that might never be repaid. That combined with the decline in certain, ah... values coupled with a weaker influence that none of the nations could compare to the former United States of America put the nations in a position to hold a favor over the head of one of the most powerful and respected megacorps on Earth and at the same time give the people something or someone(s) to look up to. That something was Firewatch.

After that, the North American nations allowed Ares to use their areas for training and even helped out with additional instructors from various militaries, as well as some select troops. In exchange, the nations had a megacorp giving them free PR, and helping them out in 'special' situations.

The first Firewatch team was introduced to the public on April 3, 2047 at a press conference for Ares America. The media was nearly drooling at the mouth at this new public-oriented Special Operations Team, and Damien Knight, Roger Soaring-Eagle, and many others were eager to show off their new toy. They had also announced that several North American nations had accepted their appearance, and welcomed them to the nations. Those nations that were mentioned included:

United Canadian and American States

Confederate American States

Republic of Quebec

California Free State

Pueblo Corporate Council

Sioux Nation

Salish-Sidhe Council

Ute Nation

Caribbean League

From that day on, Ares began a multinational press tour of Firewatch. And they merchandised the group for everything they were worth, which, needless to say, was a lot. They marketed everything from T-shirts and keychains to a fraggin' video game. The group was extremely popular, and when they were not training or on a mission, they would be on a publicity tour, on some talk-show, or hocking some more of their products or someone else's product on commercials and infomercials. The members of Firewatch became media whores, and they even had agents who set up all their contracts for them. They had become the most famous non-music group in the world, and after every successful mission their ratings grew with their successes. The highest of these being a rise in popularity polls rose from 70% to 98% after the events in Detroit and Houston on May 16, 2048. In less than 24 hours, the group had participated in two extremely dangerous situations, and had come out of them nearly unscathed. After that the media began to refer to Firewatch as "Superheroes", and the publicity from those events put Ares, Knight-Errant, Firewatch, and several other people very high in the popularity polls. Of course, the group did go through some tough times, like when several members of Firewatch and the Sioux security forces were killed in a shootout after a communications mixup gave both groups the impression that the other was the enemy during a standoff in Denver in December 29, 2048. There was also the time when one of the team members, Sgt. William Daniels, committed suicide on national television during a publicity game of football between Firewatch and the Seattle Seahawks. In the process he also injured two Seahawks and killed three others, including another teammate, Capt. David Reilly, who had tried to talk him out of suicide. At this time the burnout rate of a member of Firewatch was 18 months.

In 2049, the second Firewatch team was unveiled after they program had gone through a total of 40+ members in less than two years. This team was created to solve the problem of burnouts and over-exposure. This group was to receive half of the first team's publicity, and Ares re-evaluated their policy of endorsements and appearances after several nations threatened to cut the deal unless something drastic was done about Firewatch. They had gone out of control, and along with the other incidents, the group had committed various illegal acts in all of the host nations at one point or another, ranging from assault and vehicle theft to rape and manslaughter. This time, Firewatch was put on a short leash, and was curtailed from doing as many extranormal activities such as endorsements and celebrity events, as they had before. They were also kept more quiet to the public, and were not as high-key anymore. That's not to say that they weren't still publicity figures, but instead were reduced to 'normal' celebrity figures.

After that, the Firewatch teams began to 'normalize' themselves so to speak. The teams didn't have the massive exposure they used to, but they still remained "... icons of hope and a beacon of safety." They were able to get the respect that they once held, back after serious reworking of the chain of command and their abilities. The lifestyles of the members of Firewatch improved, and there were much fewer burnouts. However, noticing the rise in the need for Firewatch, Ares decided to create yet a third team.

The third team was unlike the first two groups. Activated on June 17, 2052, the group consisted solely of ex-UCAS military and Wildcats (This must have been a diplomatic nightmare). The groups were then rearranged a month later with two-thirds of the group going into another group, and the third team becoming active immediately. They had extensive combat experience and were put into the Firewatch team, and practiced some very unconventional combat; especially in regards to magical combat. What no one knew was that they were practicing to fight off insect spirits and shamans.

During the 2050's, Firewatch spent most of its time either training or battling insect hives, and the celebrity lifestyle had been put to the side, although it was still quite present in a non-saturative form. The sales of Firewatch merchandise went on strong, and the occasional member would visit a talk show or some other type of media event every couple of months instead of weekly, like they used to appear. The teams began to need more members again, although this time it was due to attrition from fighting the insect spirits. By 2055, only ten members of the original two teams were still active. That year was when the drek was about to hit the fan.

In August of 2055, Ares sent out a large number of Knight-Errant security personnel And Ares America security personnel to Chicago. Joining them was Firewatch Team Two, led by Captain Anne Ravenheart. They were sent to destroy what they believed to be the largest Insect Spirit Hive in all of North America. The raid was conducted on August 22, 2055 by Ares America, Knight-Errant, and the Firewatch teams. They lost; badly. The Insect Spirits contained inside the Hive overwhelmed the small army of security personnel, and killed most of them. However, the Firewatch team remained intact, and with the help of other surviving members of the attack force, and a mage named Kyle Teller, they were able to successfully destroy the secondary hive set up in an abandoned peak load facility that used to be used to help power the city when it was needed. The hive inside was quite large, but the group was able to rescue more than sixty innocent victims from being hosts for the insect spirits, as well as destroying the hive using a subtactical nuclear warhead. The group later set up a sanctuary at the Wrigley Dome, allowing anyone who wanted protection from the Insect Spirits or warlords that controlled the Chicago Containment Zone. That all changed the day President Kyle Haeffner gave the State of the Union Address. The Containment Zone has been freed, and the Firewatch team is in Detroit working with Ares and Knight-Errant to prevent this incident from ever occuring again.

As for the other Firewatch teams, they have become heroes again. After a revival of terrorist activity arose after the Chicago incident, the Fire Strike teams became very busy. They were also responsible for halting further violence during the riots after President Dunkelzahn's assassination. The PR people and spin doctors had to be recalled to get the people's hopes up again for the fate of Firewatch, and they have become more public and media intensive. The group has become a set of heroes to people who have nothing else to look forward to, and as the executioners of the people who attempt to break that spirit. Ares created a fourth team to replace the team that was trapped in Chicago. They are still around, while the Chicago team works behind the scenes to prevent an incident like in Chicago from ever happening again.

Recruitment

To recruit into the Firewatch program only has one requirement: You must be an Ares Macrotechnology or subsidiary of Ares Macrotechnology employee. After you apply, you will go through several tests to evaluate your potential as a member of Firewatch. The main point of the program deals with physical training, and applicants must be able to perform several tasks and pass many types of tests, including doing a specific number of push-ups, sit-ups, distance running, speed racing, an obstacle course, and other test depending on the person's speciality, which also includes tests for shooting, rapelling, swimming, martial arts, and other forms of hand-to-hand combat. The applicants are also subjected top several psychological evaluations and extensive background checks into their personal history. They must also face an interview board conducted by high-ranking members of Knight-Errant and veteran Firewatch members, all who ask several different questions to determine an applicants aptitude in several different subjects ranging from politics to art to popular culture and historical figures. The interviewers also like to ask questions like, "When do you plan to screw up this interview?" and evaluate their answers. After all this, the media relations people judge the applicants on likeability, sex appeal, and overall personality. This is because Firewatch is a Special Operations Group with a media flair (They've changed from being 'PR first, SpecOps second' to being a SpecOps team with a great public image). If the applicant goes through the whole process and succeeds, the can proudly call themselves one of the few existing members of Firewatch.

Training

The training process for Firewatch begins like that for normal Knight-Errant personnel. They must go through the four weeks basic training and evaluation process where they learn teamwork, self-esteem, and courage as they must face several difficult obstacles. The course was developed by several ex-military officers from the UCAS Marines and Navy SEALs, and the CAS Green Berets. The process is used to weed out the people who are going to be in Knight-Errant. After this process is completed, the ones who pass then go on to specialized training. They have a choice of several fields to choose from. In municipal protection, they learn policing techniques and crime solving methods. Here they also learn specialized forms of police work such as detectives, patrol(including foot, car, bike, and air), undercover, vice, corrections, SWAT, QRT, etc. They can also go into the corporate protection field where they learn similar procedures as law enforcement, plus the management of security systems and other related systems. Another field is the Desert Wars field. Here they learn military tactics and procedures to use in the Desert Wars, or to be used in a possible corporate war. Some specializations they learn here include infantry, armored cavalry, Airborne tactics, heavy weapons use, snipers, demolitions, and several others. Then there is Special Forces; Firewatch. The members of Firewatch must have at least four years in one of the other fields so that they actually have combat skills and experience. The people who created the program felt that experience is necessary for these people to have because it gives the members skills that training cannot provide. The training for Firewatch heavily involves marksmanship skills and both hand-to-hand and close-range weapons combat involving knives, swords, batons, and even their rifles if necessary. All members must also learn military tactics in all areas, from small unit tactics and combined unit combat to full-scale warfare. They are also expected to know how to operate at least one type of vehicle very well, but are encouraged to know two. Riggers must know how to operate several types of vehicles and how to operate security systems that use Closed Circuit SimSense. They are then taught magical theory and taught how to combat spirits and other magical entities. After that, they are then specialized to a specific specialty. Presently, specializations include high-threat entry, demolitions and disarmament, heavy weapons, command, magical skills, vehicle rigging, sniper, communications, and intelligence. While doing this, they must also learn politics, current events, and media relations. They are not to do drugs or chips or smoke, and their drinking and "personal relations", if any, are regulated by their watchers, agents, and counselors. This training takes up most of their time, with them sometimes spending as much as eighteen hours straight practicing combat techniques in their training rooms and simsense wargames. If this is not enough, they also spend much of time improving their image by cross-training with other Special Operations Groups, mainly from the UCAS and CAS. They also travel around the world learning techniques from other militaries and SOGs like the British SAS, Russian Spetznaz, UCAS SEALs and Marines, CAS Green Berets and Force Recon, German GSG-9, and others. They also conduct personal interviews on trideo, and conduct media relations for Ares Macrotechnology, Ares America, and Knight-Errant.

Technology

Technology plays a large part in Firewatch. From cyberware to weapons, Firewatch puts their lives on the weapons they use. Many of their products are made by Ares Macrotechnology or one of it's subsidiaries, or even one of several American companies. They believe in supporting America and supporting American industry and companies whenever possible. As the only American megacorporation, they strive to build up America as a proud offspring of it's progenitor: The United States of America in the advancement of industry, technology, and a renewal of pride in America through their policy of using almost 100% American technologies and products.

Weapons

The most crucial part of their mission, weapons are as mainstay of Firewatch. They use almost completely Ares Arms weapons, or weapons from another American company like Ingram, Colt, and Remington. As of this writing, their sidearm is the brand-new Ares Raptor. It was built to UCASOCOM specs for the Sig-Sauer P666. One of the improvements into the system includes an upgrade to the brand-new Smartlink 3 standard, which includes an interface for BattleTac systems and both the cybernetic and the non-cybernetic versions of the Ares Commander"! and the QuickTrack II tactical computer systems. The interface to the tactical computer allows tracking of targets as far as any Smartlink 3 modified gun's range. They also incorporate print scanning weapon safeties, and are all personally customized for the users by armorers who are taught by the best Delta and independent armorers in the country. For Close Quarter Combat, they carry the Ares Rattlesnake also fitted with Smartlink 3. On most missions they carry both weapons regardless, but on most missions also carry the Ares Gamma Combatgun. The Gamma is an upgrade of the Ares Alpha Combatgun, with an integrated combat shotgun instead of the grenade launcher. However, the Gamma can also fire a selection of Equalizer rifle-launched rockets that can fire HE, HEAP (anti-vehicle), white phosphorous, anti-personnel, flare, and a long-rod penetrator for extremely tough armor (acts as APDU rounds, doing Serious damage to a single target). As with the Raptor and Rattlesnake, it also carries the Smartlink 3. For hand-to-hand combat, they carry a Dikote"!-treated Cougar Fineblade longknife. They also carry three flash-bang grenades each.

Other Gear

Weapons are not the only part of Firewatch's ensemble of equipment. As a matter of fact it only composes a small amount of the overall equipment that they either possess or have access to. Theoretically speaking, Firewatch has almost unlimited access to any Ares equipment they need. However, they have sometimes faced a shortage due to allocation of resources or whatnot. Some of the most used pieces of equipment are presented here.

Uniform

Firewatch has followed the decision of the UCAS and CAS in choosing the standard operating uniform and combat gear. It consists of a multi-layer uniform of basic underwear, a breathable/coolant layer [+2 signature] (with heater option for cold environments), an NBC protective layer, the FEAST (Full-Extremity Armor for Special Tasks) which reduces encumbrance and helps with bashing and punching attacks against people and barriers, and an armored combat jumpsuit that provide another layer of NBC protection, an integrated combat harness and ammo vest, and a DLBE (Distributed Load-Bearing Equipment) system. It also contains ruthenium polymers with adequate visual protection (+8 Target Number for visual mods). The whole suit provides excellent armor protection (9/6).

The helmet contains several mods to make it more useful for the soldiers. In it is a BattleTac link, NavSat GPS, fully encrypted communication system (commlink-X, Crypto Circuit HD 10), full visual and aural sensors (full cyberware equivalents, except for the Balance Augmentor and Spatial Recognizer). The sensors also add their rating to the Tactical Computer (either cybernetic or non-cyber version). It also serves as a gas mask with full NBC protection and when combined with the neck ring on the uniform provides total NBC protection. Even their footwear provides some protection. It has been designed to protect their feet from sharp objects and/or low-velocity/low-powered landmines. They have also been designed so that they do not hurt a soldiers feet even after a long march so they fight better when they get to the battle. (Provides 0/2 protection from sharp objects and landmines, and they get a -1 Target Number for fatigue Stun damage.)

Vehicles

Firewatch uses a variety of vehicles for insertions and attacks, including the Ares Dragon and Federated-Boeing Osprey II. Their insertion vehicles are armored to provide protection from any enemy fire aimed at the vehicles, and they also contain several of their own weapons to fight back, including a pair of door-mounted Vindicators, a turret mounted Vigilant autocannon, and a set of rocket launchers with 32 7.62cm rockets each. They also carry a set of sensors and ECM/ECCM/ECCCM and ED/ECD. devices to track where they are going and hide them from other sensors. However, aerial insertion is not the only method of insertion. Sometimes they are inserted via HALO or HAHO jumps. To do this, they use a modified version of the C-20 cargo lifter. It is considerably more agile and responsive than a normal C-20 or C-260. It is powerful enough to carry similar gears as the helicopters and can deliver the team within close proximity to the target. In addition to the gears that the helicopters have, the C-20 has a set of six AAMs and uses a fly-by-light system consisting of fiber optic cable connecting the plane instead of electrical wires. It uses a set of vector-thrust jet engines to provide a low flight speed to allow for precision jumping, and also allows for faster take-offs and landings with it's STOL capability. It can also carry two Fast Attack Vehicles; a small vehicle that closely resembles a dune buggy. Unlike a dune buggy, it contains armored fairings and two gun pintles and an assault cannon. It can carry three people in the seats, and three more riding on the sides. It also has enough room to carry the six-member group's gear. Sometimes, Firewatch has to go on missions where they are in an urban environment where they are allowed. Then they are deployed via a huge C-8 Supercarrier that carries the whole team, their gear, and two Ares Citymasters to deliver them to the area. In the Citymasters is room for half the Team's members, fully geared. They also contain a turret mounted Ares HV-LMG and grenade launcher.

Invasive Augmentations

To make Firewatch an effective special operation group in the Awakened world, all of the members of Firewatch have had invasive augmentations(re: cyberware and bioware) of some sorts. The most popular and most used piece of cybernetic hardware is the Ares Ranger Smartgun Link; a level 3 to interface with the "smart" weapons that Firewatch carries. After that, reflex boosters such as wired reflexes, boosted reflexes, Move-By-Wires, reaction enhancers, synaptic enhancers, and more are found on nearly every member. Riggers will choose a vehicle control rig. After that are sensory organ replacements and augmentations, usually augmenting the eyes or ears with low-light and thermographic capabilities or hearing amplification and spatial recognizers to be more effective in the dark. After that come protective cyberware like dermal sheathing, dermal plating, or orthoskin. Behind those are strength boosters like augmented muscles or cyberarms with augmented strength. They there is the specialized hardware like adrenal pumps, enhanced articulation, symbiotes, internal guns, synthcardium, datajacks, replacement limbs, etc.

Magical Equipment

Magic plays an integral part of Firewatch's mission, and to make magicians more effective, several have a variety of foci and fetishes to make them more powerful. The most predominant focus type is the power focus for spellcasting magicians, then spell type foci. For conjurers, they usually carry foci to help them summon specific types of spirits. Physical adepts have severe limitations on the type of focus they can use, so they tend to use weapon or centering foci and become more adept with those weapons to be more effective. Spell locks and Quickened spells are also common not only with magicians, but with mundane members of Firewatch as well. Many non-magically active members with spell locks and/or quickened spells have enhanced combat sense, reflex boosting spells, invisibility spells, or spells that help out their specialization, such as a version of Magic Fingers that allows them to perform tasks from a distance. This spell is particularly liked by the demolitions soldiers.

Deployment

There are currently four Teams of Firewatch. Each team contains twenty-four soldiers of varying specialities and abilities to deal with any threats that Ares deems necessary to use Firewatch for. Currently, Team One is based out of Detroit at Ares Macrotechnology Headquarters. The members of this group include two of the original members of Firewatch and several other veterans of Firewatch. This is the most-experienced Team in Firewatch, and they usually take on the foreign strike mission part of Fire Strike's missions. Team Two is the team that was holed-up in the Chicago Containment Zone since August 2055. They have returned to Detroit and are providing information on the Insect Spirits and magical security. Team Three is currently based out of Houston, and is the team that deals with most of the hostage situations. They have an inordinate amount of snipers, and several magicians that specialize in stealth spells and controlling spells. They also have a supplemental team of four negotiators. Team Four is the new team based out of Seattle that replaced Team Three's responsibility for high-risk domestic situations similar to what Team One for foreign situations. Since their creation in early 2056, they have matured rapidly, and are a force almost equal to what Team Two was before they were trapped.

In each Team, there are four sub-divisions of six soldiers. Each group has a part to take in each large mission, but are usually the teams that are sent out for regular missions instead of deploying all twenty-four soldiers when only a group or two is needed. Each member of a group has a high level of honor when dealing with other people, and people who slag off a lone member might end up facing the whole group, who will probably beat the drek out of them.

Archetype

Attributes

Body: 5 (8)
Quickness: 5 (8)
Strength: 5 (8)
Charisma: 5
Intelligence: 3
Willpower: 4
Essence: 0.84
Reaction: 5 (12)
Initiative: 4+1D6 (16+4D6)
Maximum Initiative: 40)
Threat/ Professional Rating: 5/4
Body Index: 3.0
Bioware (Cultured)

Enhanced Articulation
Muscle Augmentation 3
Cyberware (Beta customized)

Cyberears w/ Balance Augmentor and Spatial Recognizer
Cybercomm Link w/ Crypto Circuit HD 10
Datajack 2
Dermal Sheath 2
Reaction Enhancers 4
Smartlink 3
Wired Reflexes 3 w/ Reflex Trigger

Skills

Armed Combat: 4
Athletics: 4
Biotech: 2
Etiquette (Corp): 4
Etiquette (Media): 5
Etiquette (Military): 3
Firearms: 4
History: 3
Magic Theory: 2
Military Theory (All): 3
Politics: 2
Stealth: 4
Unarmed Combat: 3
: 4
Special Skills

BattleTac: 3
Parachuting: 3
Rapelling: 3

Gear:

: Ares Raptor (w/ 6 clips APDS ammo, silencer); Ares Rattlesnake (w/ 3 clips APDS, silencer); Ares Gamma Combatgun (w/ 4 clips APDS ammo, Imp. Gas Vent IV, 6 rifle grenades); Uniform: (9/6). Provides NBC protection. Effective strength for bashing, lifting: [(Str+3)M]; Cougar Fineblade Longknife; 3 IPE concussion grenades; Any other gear as necessary

Notes

This is the basic mundane soldier. Other character will have the following skills:
Sniper

Sniper rifles: 9
Demolitions expert

Demolitions: 4
Intelligence

Electronics: 4

Electronic Warfare: 4

Electronics (B/R): 3

Computers: 3

Physical sciences: 2
Command

Leadership: 5

Military Theory (All): 5

Magical Firewatch soldiers have the same stats and skills as the mundanes, but also have Sorcery: 6 and Conjuring: 4. They are Initiate level 3, and have only about a quarter of the amount of cyberware and bioware that mundanes do. Most have some form of reflex boosting cyber, cybereyes, and a smartlink. They rely mainly on the uniforms sensors, except to target with magic. They have a clear face mask to see out of to cast spells and such. The spells they have is up to the GM, as is with the Physical Adepts. However, they are soldiers first, so they should be most powerful in combat related spells like fireball, combat sense, increase reflexes +3D6, etc.

Make these characters as different as possible if you can. They may be corpers and soldiers, but they should be diverse to look like a more well-rounded team that can handle situations. Also remember that the public sees them as both American patriots and superheroes, because they have been able to pull the occasional miracle or two when needed.

: Anything that was createdby the writers of FASA Corporation appearing on this site are all registered trademarks of FASA Corporation. Their presence here is in no possible way a contest of those trademarks.; This page was written, designed, and maintained by James Meiers; All material copyright 1999 Sun Productions. All content herein is the property of Sun Productions and none of this material may be redistributed without permission. The act of "deep-linking" of site content will not be tolerated.