Character Compendium

Emir Nigel Shirow looked concerned. Standing behind his cadre of bodyguards, he scanned the burnt out buildings of Basal for enemies. Caporal Galois could see him very well through the scope of his sniper rifle.

"This is Hawk. Sparrow in sight." Galois' whispered message was encoded by his portable comm system, traveling to his partner's satellite relay a few blocks away. From there it bounced off a military communications satellite and played in the speakers of Special Intervention Unit operational headquarters in Marabou.

Major Jan Augusta and Commandant Aristide Lazarus were sitting near the communications station. After a nod from Lazarus, Augusta activated his headset. "Hawk, this is Mother Hen. Count your feathers."

Back in Basal, Galois scanned the Emir's entourage, made up of a cadre of bodyguards and a leader of one of the guerilla cells which made up the Basal rebellion's armed struggle. According to intelligence they were awaiting the arrival of a second cell leader. "Sparrow has four wing-mates and is with budgie. They're just waiting for their nest-mate."

In Marabou, Augusta consulted his intelligence reports. If the SIU sources were correct - and they usually were - something should be happening very soon. "Hawk. Sharpen your talons."

At the order Galois felt his breathing shift, his body becoming rock-still, ready to pick off his traget. His cross-hairs remained locked on target. The HUD in his scope told him that the backpack capacitor for his rifle was fully powered. He was ready; he was sharp; all he needed was the word.

Suddenly a burst of machinegun fire made the Emir's group duck. One of the bodyguards pulled Shirow into the shadows and Galois followed him in his scope. The other guards quickly set up a defensive perimeter. Galois was ready, this was the time. "Sparrow is moving."

Augusta hesitated for just a second; he had disagreed with this mission, but he had his orders. "Hawk, take out the sparrow."

Galois' vision sharpened further as the order came through. In his scope he watched as Shirow's bodyguard pushed him further back under cover. Galois was well-trained and recognized what he was seeing. The "bodyguard" was acting his part very well, but would be eliminating Shirow in the next moment. The Southern Republic Intelligence Directorate trained its assassins very well.

As the SRID agent moved Shirow, Galois pulled his trigger. The high powered laser pulse, only a millisecond in length, burned through the bodyguard's skull in an instant. His body fell to the ground still clutching the thin stiletto he had intended to use on the Emir. "Sparrow down."

Augusta took off his headset. They had just killed a SRID plant in the Emir's entourage. They had just saved a rebel leader and killed an intelligence agent working to defend the Republic; Augusta wondered where the honor was in that. The Special Intervention Unit had its own agenda, he knew, and if that meant eliminating Southern agents, Commandant Lazarus was ready to do that. It was Augusta's job to follow orders, not to question his commander. It was a heavy burden.

1.1 Objectives

The Character Compendium aims to meet two very important objectives. Like all other Heavy Gear sourcebooks, it provides useful material on new parts of Terra Nova. Unlike geographic sourcebooks, the Character Compendium focuses almost entirely on the people of Terra Nova. Its pages contain detailed information on some of the most important people on the planet. This level of detail allows each character's plots and agendas to be revealed, setting the stage for the changes to come. In this way, the Character Compendium begins to detail theHeavy Gear storyline. While the Timewatch display on the back of the sourcebook still reads A.D. 6132, some movement has begun. Most obviously, the rogue GREL Colonel Proust (last seen in Operation: Jungle Drums) reappears here following those events. Other characters are also evolving and the write-ups in this book will give a clear indication of where they are going.

The second goal of the Character Compendium is to serve as a tool for Heavy Gear Gamemasters. Ten groups of characters are detailed, each designed to be readily used in many different campaigns. Gamemasters in need of allies, enemies, employers or acquaintances for their Player Character groups will find what they are looking for in the last three. Associated with the character groups, Gamemasters will find other useful tools, such as new locations and organizations which can add to any campaign.

Together, these two aspects make the Character Compendium invaluable to anyone creating roleplaying adventures on Terra Nova or who is interested in the overarching storyline of Heavy Gear. The future begins now; enjoy the show.

1.2 Overview

Chapter Two: Terranovans of Influence focuses on ten of the most important people on the planet. Going beyond the brief mentions most have received in previous releases, the chapter delves into their background and motivations and well as exposing their private agendas. To one extent or another, each of these people will shape the future of Terra Nova. The entourage of each character is also examined and the chapter gives advice for using each of them in a Heavy Gear campaign.

The following three chapters present a variety of character groups designed to be easily used by Gamemasters. Each of these teams is somehow linked to a prominent Terranovan from Chapter Two, providing further examples of how their influence is felt. Each section not only examines the individual members of the teams, but looks at who they associate with, how they relate to each other and what they are currently occupied with. Each team is also associated to a useful resource that is detailed for the Gamemaster's use. To facilitate integration into campaigns, GMs will find advice on how to best use these characters in many different roles.

As an aid to keeping track of the many residents of Terra Nova, the Compendium ends with a character index. In it, Heavy Gear Gamemasters will find page references for every character of note discussed in Heavy Gear products released thus far.