M.I.N.D./Jiangshi Metro/World & Phenomena/Forces & Organizations

This article contains information from the Destiny: Rising universe, and is not a part of the established Destiny canon.

"And my vanquisher will read that book, seeking the weapon, and they will come to understand me, where I have been and where I was going."The following is a verbatim transcription of an official document for archival reasons. As the original content is transcribed word-for-word, any possible discrepancies and/or errors are included.

The Forces & Organizations section of M.I.N.D. features entries related to organizations associated with Jiangshi Metro.

Warlords

File 1

Lightbearers who used the Light for conquest during the Dark Age and early City Age.

After the Collapse, the old order ceased to exist and was instead replaced by the laws of the jungle, where the strong prey on the weak. The Dark Age was a time of violence, slavery, and killing, and under this order, some Lightbearers used their paracausal gifts and immortal bodies to establish their own rule, warring constantly over the few resources left.

Mortals have little choice but to eke out a means to survive in servitude to the immortal Warlords.

File 2

In the Dark Age and early City Age, Lightbearers used their powers to conquer areas across Earth.

As more alien forces entered Sol, the Warlords, who were hostile towards one another during the Dark Age, realized they struggled to fend off these extraterrestrial foes on their own, especially given the enemy's high-tech equipment and aerial advantages. Many lesser Warlords fell to the invaders, and even the more prominent ones were eventually dragged into endless battles of attrition.

The lords of old had begun to feel the pressure of survival looming above them.

Iron Lords

File 1

Lightbearers trying to end the Iron Lords' reign.

In the Dark Age, the Warlords ruled their territories with violence and an iron fist. Many mortals not only had to endure servitude to them, but also served as cannon fodder for their violent conflicts. Human civilization was treading a path to total extinction until a group of Lightbearers led by Radegast decided to step forward and end the despair.

File 2

A group of Lightbearer seeking to end the Warlords' tyranny.

The Iron Lords are a close-knit military alliance and one of the most powerful forces on Earth at present. Most of Iron Lords have their own territories, some of which were seized from the Warlords during the Iron Crusade, while others were originally occupied by enlightened Warlords who came to agree with the Iron Lords' ideals during the organization's expansion. Jiangshi Metro and the Red Sea Rift, ruled by Xuân Yến and Gareth respectively, are examples of the latter.

The Nine

An extremely mysterious group of entities that we know precious little about.

They created a special space and sent out a mysterious emissary to invite Lightbearers. They are unlikely to be Earth-based entities and have never revealed their true identities. Their existence seems to transcend the limits of time and space. They show a strong interest in Lightbearers, but what exactly are they, and what is their purpose? No one knows for sure.

The Whisperers

File 1

A neutral intelligence network born during the Dark Age, created by and primarily comprised of Ghosts.

This Ghost-led organization collected and controlled the flow of information, even exerting influence over the Lightbearers partnered with those Ghosts to impact the outcome of the Dark Age on some level…

Due to the network's nature and Ghost leadership, most forces are wary and even hostile towards the Whisperers, leading their members to conceal their identities.

File 2

A neutral intelligence network born during the Dark Age, created by and primarily comprised of Ghosts.

The organization's ultimate pursuit is to lead a group of the most powerful, kindhearted, and just Lightbearers to build an ideal world and push humankind towards a new Golden Age.

Packs

Organizations formed by like-minded Lightbearers with Radegast's permission.

Pack registration is handled by Radegast's advisor, Mishra. Radegast regularly gives these Packs bounties to test their strength, hoping to examine and select the next generation of Lightbearers who have the potential to bring new blood to the Iron Lord's mission of reviving human civilization.

Haven Militia

The main armed forces of Haven.

Lightbearers may be powerful, but they are scarce. Thus, mortal soldiers serve as the main force of the Iron Lords. Back in Eastern Europe, Radegast already had a well-trained militia force. After moving his stronghold to Haven, this force expanded in size. Now, the city's militia force is fully equipped and controls its surrounding territories, with the exception of the Old City.

Guerrillas of Jiangshi Metro

File 1

The main armed forces of Jiangshi Metro.

After the Warlord Yannick-11 was overthrown by Lady Xuân Yến, the mortals gained the right to bear arms and orchestrate their own defense. The guerrillas were initially established in fear of their new ruler following in Yannick's tyrannical footsteps, but over time, the militia organization gradually discovered her to be nothing like the brutal warlord and thus abandoned their hidden purpose. After Lady Xuân Yến joined the Iron Lords, the guerrillas gave her their complete trust and obeyed her leadership.

File 2

The main armed forces of Jiangshi Metro.

After the Fallen's invasion, the guerrillas launched a counterattack under Lady Xuân Yến's leadership. The Iron Lady and her squad's suicide attack succeeded in shooting down the Fallen Ketch, turning the tides of the battle. However, the Fallen were not completely expelled and began to gradually encroach on Jiangshi Metro. After years of war, Jiangshi Metro lacks a normal social system or even civilian livelihood, and the guerrillas effectively serve as its government.

File 3

The main armed forces of Jiangshi Metro.

Jiangshi Metro guerrillas are now under the leadership of Mu Ying and divided into several squads, such as Ayuela's team of scouts who directly engage with the Fallen, the engineers who provide support on the battlefield, the quartermasters who prepare ammo and equipment as well as record and bury their deceased teammates, and the logisticians who manage the greenhouse, daily necessities, and trading.

Jiangshi Metro Data Archaeologists

A group who tried to use Golden Age technology to restore Jiangshi Metro.

Fourteen years ago, they infiltrated the Data Center to retrieve the records and technology stored within, which would aid in human civilization's revival.

The archaeologists were protected by a group of Lightbearers serving under Radegast, and following several conflicts with the Fallen, they were forced to disband, putting an end to the retrieval efforts.

The Crows

A secretive intelligence organization serving under Mara Sov, notorious for turning their operatives into merciless machines focused solely on carrying out their missions.

Initially, Mara Sov founded this organization, which served directly under her, to build her own intelligence network and deal with matters in which she ought not show her face. But as the network grew and its internal factions expanded, the Crows began slipping from Mara's grasp. Some among them have begun intentionally avoiding Mara as the carry out missions, further polarizing conflicts in the Reef.

"The Outreachers"

An Awoken faction in the Reef whose goal is to bring Awoken technology back to Earth and establish contact with their kin.

Out of concern for humanity's fate, Mara Sov led the Awoken back to Sol. But ever since settling down in the Reef, Mara has yet to decide whether she should reveal their new home's existence and make contact with Earth. This caused some of the Awoken advocating for outreach to establish their own faction. With "the White Queen" at its helm, they are committed to carrying out their mission.

Their rival faction, which would rather keep hidden, is called "the Isolationists."