Embedded Files
Coalition troopers battling the notorious Blood Bears in the streets of Northern Michigan, 2154
BARGETOWN’S FINEST
BARGETOWN’S FINEST
"In waves we go; a wall of flesh, our steel pointed forth at the savage. We will drive him from the mud, and stamp out his defiant fire beneath our boots in the name of our Coalition."
Sergeant-at-Arms Arnold Fitzpatrick of the First Battalion on the Valentine’s Day Offensive.
The Gold Leaf Army is one of the finest fighting forces within the region. Funded entirely by the locals’ taxes, it remains the city of Bargetown’s proud and battle-hardened militia force. Dating back barge's establishment, it has survived countless conflicts and conducted many successful operations against the enemies of the Coalition. However, it is no stranger to the tides of internal schisms and splits, with much of its higher echelons coming and going at the whims of volatile political discourse. Currently, the Chief of the Militia is Henry Averst.
In lieu of domestic enforcement in the city itself, the army ordinarily finds itself in combat against the Coalition's many enemies in the region, or enacting Bargetonian imperialism on the streets of Sunrise City.
The majority of the Gold Leaf Army comprises of native Bargetown residents who have willingly enlisted in the militia, however many enlistees find themselves as transfers, auxiliaries of other towns, or coerced into enlistment. These men and women are paid volunteers who had signed up to an unbreakable contract, but many of them are dissatisfied with their meagre conditions.
As a result of the Panic of ‘57, Gaville White’s conspiracy, and the city's immense internal instability, corruption runs rampant—even amongst the highest ranks of the militia. It is not by any means rare to hear of militia soldiers turning a blind eye to illegal dealings if it means their pockets are filled.
SERVICEMEN UNDER
SERVICEMEN UNDER
THE MAPLE LEAF
THE MAPLE LEAF
"Thieves, crooks, saints and soldiers. That’s what the servicemen are—plain and simple."
Liaison O’Rourke, 2149
Unfortunately, the tax money of the people of Bargetown are not enough to finance most of the Gold Leaf Army. Underequipped and undertrained, many servicemen are given a brief interview before being arbitrarily assigned a role, leading to soldiers of vastly differing quality. Limited training and the inability of the military-industrial complex to produce qualified fighters has led to veteran soldiers having the unsung responsibility of taking greenhorned enlitees under their wing and teaching them how to survive and perform their role effectively.
Amongst the lower ranks of the militia, the GLA is loose with its grooming and uniform standards. Many soldiers wear their hair in their preferred way, carry personal effects with them, or look outright rag-tag compared to their counterparts from other cities. Despite this, formality and uniformity are highly valued among the higher echelons.
Soldiers of the GLA who are unruly risk a number of punishments. This could include stationing at an undesirable post such as at the top of the freezing crane or, if the soldier is particularly disliked, in the mutant quarter. For severe crimes against the Coalition such as desertion, a soldier could be branded, given the rook of the Marked Men, or meet their end by a firing squad. In the most extreme of cases, it is not unheard of for a militiaman to be craned, or executed by sinking.
The Gold Leaf Army, as it is a militia, is a part time fighting force. When soldiers of the rank-and-file are not donning their brown fatigues, they are in effect civilians, and are allowed to pursue individual interests such as employment so long as it does not conflict with their service to Bargetown.
One of the many Gold Leaf Army propaganda posters
MILITIA'S DISCARDED:
MILITIA'S DISCARDED:
MARKED MEN & HOOD RATS
MARKED MEN & HOOD RATS
"Those of whom become soldiers under punishment suffer the worst shade of the Gold Leaf."
Registrar Antony Douglass, 2163
After committing a serious crime and being caught, many criminals become impressed into penal service within the Gold Leaf Army. Given a rook, many refer to it as an elaborate execution as the mortality rate among the marked is the highest within Bargetown. Their sentences are notoriously lengthy and often are extended for little reason. Medals, which they mostly never physically see and are only mentioned in their paperwork, can contribute to shortening their dismally long sentences. They are the targets of vitriol from officers and are shunned and demeaned by their free counterparts. Most of the marked men will end up face down in a muddy field after a suicide charge for a town which spits on their name.
The Hood Rats—known officially as mutant servicemen—are dealt a much fouler hand than any other within the town. The regulations for the impressment of mutants is much looser when compared to their human counterparts, with many mutants finding themselves with the rook for petty crimes. It has also been recorded by the Registrar Corps that some marked mutants only had to suffer an accusation from a wealthy business owner to end up in the ranks. They are especially mistreated by their comrades not only for their patch, but also their mutantity. A hood rat accompanying a patrol is considered a sign of bad luck and many soldiers sleep with their rifle closer when one is in the same camp.
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