Gearhead

Gearhead by How do I shot Trip?
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Raven Days

The year 3000 saw a final end to war as we know it. The peace came with the agreement to proxy one-on-one battles to settle major disputes. The settlement was known as the Treaty of Gears, a revolutionary new idea put forth by think tanks of all nations after years and years of thought. The Treaty did many things, but most importantly, it also gave birth to Gearheads, large robotic soldiers. These were the 'soldiers' in the one-on-one proxy battles, controlled by young and skilled Cogs from cockpits located on the edge of the field, enclosed safely behind thick armor while cameras showed them the intense battle.

Armaments of all sorts were allowed, the Gearheads large enough to wield weaponry the size of small planes. A new league of entertainment was soon created, funded by the governments. The Gearhead International League of Battle, or GILB. GILB oversaw major battles, and helped to organize the battles that decided who would represent their country on the 'battlefield'. The funding for GILB was from across the world, then distributed evenly among all the countries that had a stake. Funding for GILB also went into the production of more advanced facilities for the Gearheads and Cogs, like constructed arenas and special terrain events. Since the funding for GILB is distributed evenly, no one nation is less powerful than any of the others, and only the intellect of their Cogs separates them from the rest of the world.

There are four major 'leagues'. Generally a League shows where someone is from in the world, and they are made of the four major powers in the world. It is possible for nations within a League to do battle and skirmish, but unlikely.

Eagle land: The continent of America. Mexico, South America, Canada, and the USA are included in this League.

Western A: Africa, European nations, and the area west of Iran are part of the Western A League.

Eastern A: China, Russia, Japan, and the nations of Iran and the area east of it.

Isle League: Everywhere else, literally. The last League to form.

However, just because the GILB exists, doesn't mean that tensions and power plays don't. Assassinations are frequently attempted on Cogs, and sabotage is common. Some would make an outcry over this, saying it violates the terms of the Treaty, but GILB's stance has been always that Cogs unable to defend themselves and check over their Gearhead consistently are doomed to failure at any rate.

The strangest thing is that the assassinations and sabotage are never the fault of the nations that would benefit. They are seemingly as random and wild as the winds themselves, one day targeting one League, the next day targeting another. GILB remains neutral in this, and states constantly that they know nothing of the attacks.

There'll be two circuits: Military, and Entertainment, and three levels of each. The fourth level of play is GILB play.

Rookie is always highly lethal, since you aren't running Gearheads but instead merely 30-footer Mobile Combat Units that look like something out of Mechwarrior but are far more humanoid. In rookie league, hi-performance engines are used to power MCUs, and arms are pretty standard if upsized. There's also more crazy design at this level, with a greater variation on how mechs operate.

As intermediate, we see a greater branching of the two, as Military gets more lethal and entertainment grows less so. At this point, mechs (Called Cores at this level) are powered by durable hydrogen-reaction cores, like very, very small suns. these engines are referred to as Icarus Engines, and can be very dangerous if breached. Entertainment at this point moves into serious ranked tournament play, in arenas designed for the slightly larger fifty footers and their weaponry. Energy weaponry is seen at this level the most, as are advanced technologies. However, all entertainment-fitted models have ejection systems keyed off of damage levels to the Core. In Military, the intermediate circuit moves onto small-scale conflicts and world police work issued by GILB to small companies intermediates are assigned to. This means that lethality is much, much higher... but it also means that advancement is much faster.

Professional sees the advent of 100-footer Gearheads, which are powered by very potent Icarus Engines. At this point, spectator seats are very far from the action, and for good reason. This is the most lethal of the divisions for both circuits, as the disruption of the Icarus Engine can result in a lot of damage and a swift death (Referred to as Mechadeath) from the various reactions to disrupting a sun. Weaponry of all sorts is seen at the professional level, from energy weapons to melee weaponry, to missiles and the like. Entertainment sees much more regimented play in large scale across the League the participant is in, with Coghood on the line. This is the final test of competency for any pilot, and the real proving grounds for Entertainment players.

Military circuit at this level enters into dueling, between two Gearheads, to resolve minor conflicts. Like the previous level, these assignments are given out to companies by GILB, to enforce the Treaty of Gears. Gearheads are also used at this level for high-danger assignments Cores cannot handle.

GILB matches are held once a week per League, at the League Arena for the area. The process is simple enough, the two nations file thier sides and stakes, 'betting' on their representative to win the match.

GILB Gearheads do not have a cockpit, and instead have highly advanced sensors in its place. The information gleaned from such is relayed to the Cog, who sits in a highly armored 'brain case'. The objective is to either force the surrender of the opponent or destroy their Gearhead. The latter can cripple a nation for perhaps a month, but then again, matches cannot be made against such nations at any rate. However, the nation without a Gearhead is also kept from entering matches as well.

It's rarer for a Cog to die in service, unless their Gearhead is destroyed especially close to the brain case, in which case they are warned to abort. Few Cogs are fast enough to make it, and some would rather see death than what their nation has in store.