IsawaBrian/MilitaryWeapons

• IsawaBrian/ExaltedModern

To the unending frustration of the forces of the Abyss, the modern world proved remarkably adaptable to dealing with enemies that do not suffer pain or were spectral. Vehicular weapon systems were often the easiest to deal with; as their construction is always a part of an extended process, there is adequate time and money available to attain near mass production of holy weapons; main battle cannons that bless shells upon exit or rocket fuel that creates a corona of holy fire to add to their payload is standard. With the assistance of both Terrestrial and Celestial Exalts, the expense is so low that most militaries simply train their technicians as thaumaturges and pay the extra initial ticket and maintenance price to have all vehicles prepared and ready for Underworld breaches or the rare Wyld or Malfean contamination in the first place.

Heavy weapon systems wielded by standard infantry work differently; these need to be taken care of simply in the field. However, the infantry cannot be left vulnerable either, so the main increase in military spending is found in blessing the ammunition. Many clergies have adapted well to this role as a protector of the flock; indeed, several faiths have found that unjust uses of ammunition so blessed will jam or misfire. While this is irritating to command (and can make soldiers more nervous), a certain level of necessary morality in military actions have helped resolve many members of non-total pacifist groups to assisting in national defense, in an odd mirror of the crusades of old.

The weapons wielded by the infantry themselves are slightly different; there simply isn't enough money to bless every weapon and bullet available. On the other hand, troops lost in the fight against the dark are not just casualties; they are recruits for the other side if their bodies can't be reached fast enough. As a result, low-grade thaumaturgy is participated in by the troops. They don't need to know how it works; like the massive work-rituals of long lost Autochthon, they simply perform the ritual as a part of the basic formalities of military life.

The knife issued to each soldier is the first line of defense and in many ways the most effective, leading to a renaissance in hand to hand fighting techniques used by the army. Because a knife can be blessed and stay that way, soldiers who can properly maintain their knives and avoid tainting them have a method for dealing with anything from zombies to nemessaries, inflicting terrible (aggravated) wounds at the cost of having to close with their enemies. The rules are simple: while obscenities are a normal part of military life (and the little gods of the knives may indeed expect them), blasphemy is not. Many drill sergeants had to undergo special training that was later integrated into service-wide linguistic programs that offer a number of creative, colorful, and hair-whitening insults and explosive commentary that nevertheless avoids outright cursing in the literal sense. Many social groups feel rather relieved that abuse of authority is similarly dealt with far more severely now than at any time before; hazing that reaches cruel levels, harassment and abuse in the ranks, or worse rape, can make entire units vulnerable on the battlefield. Whole companies can become tainted if an officer goes bad; both the rank and command now have a great deal of personal interest in ensuring that the power structure remains a useful hierarchy rather than an abusive one.

The automatic weapons used by the troops simply cannot be blessed; too much of that funding has to go into the heavier systems which may be called upon to assault hekatonkhire or spinal chains. Infantry must still be able to attack spectral foes and the undead, however, and the thaumaturges and sorcerer-technicians working for military industries have come up with a two parts solution. First, most automatic weapon ammunition focuses on doing larger, penetrating damage; a high volume of fire can tear the walking dead apart. Even if the zombies are not killed, they may be disabled sufficiently to allow soldiers to clean up with blessed knives and bayonets. Each of these weapons are made around solid sliver cores of hyper-real material; the availability and high resistance to temperature of earth jade makes it preferred. The material is then activated in bulk by ritual and then pared down to needles set in the center of each mass-produced clip. As a result, while the bullet itself may pass through a dematerialized war ghost, it will not escape having its corpus shredded by the spectral-real needles. This does not inflict the deadlier wounds of the knives, but nonetheless can be re-lethal to ghosts-- sufficient, again, to push them off a battlefield or allow the knives to finish the work.

The second work is done with pistols, whose lower rate of fire but higher accuracy means that company chaplains can bless them en masse without consuming the time of these now even more important individuals. Soldiers faced with terrifyingly powerful foes will either assume pike-like formations with their blessed bayonets or draw pistols to make careful attacks. These weapons are also used by police all over the world; once again, the fact that an officer may put his own life or that of his fellows in danger if he acts in an unfit or abusive manner has greatly increased incentive for various law enforcement bodies to watch and censure their own who step beyond the line.

All of these methods, though, require a certain level of participation from the troops. While the small gods of military weapons are used to certain levels of behavior that would horrify, for example, hospital gods, their own nature requires something of a sacrifice on the part of their soldiers. Yet, soldiers are often men and women of simple tastes with high needs for release from high stress. As a result, the position of designated absentainer has become an important one for many militaries.

Derived from the social creation of designated driver, a designated abstainer is a member of the unit who will accompany the rest of his or her fellows on furlough or just a night's entertainment and restrict themselves to nonalcoholic drink, have sex only within long-term, stable relationships (and never adultery), and otherwise avoid the carouse while letting it swirl around them. Many bar owners or dance club sponsors have rooms set aside with free drinks and video games for just this purpose. The other soldiers thereby may indulge in minor sins without polluting their knives (which must accompany them at all times; the forces of darkness are quite capable of subtler strategies than war ghosts driving legions of zombies) or themselves (which would distort their weaponry in the field). They must still avoid major acts of blasphemy or sin, but most societies see this as a side benefit, rather than a hindrance, and most sergeants learn sufficient thaumaturgy to spot-check the holiness of the knives of returning soldiers as a way to see if they will infect the company.

The position of designated abstainer is an important one, and it cannot be fobbed off on the unit's boy or girl scout, however much that individual may wish it. There is no requirement to indulge when not a designated abstainer, and the free alternative entertainments are often heavily discounted for soldiers who choose to accompany their designated abstainers. Thankfully, as most soldiers carry ID at all times anyway, it is a simple matter for most governments to tie them into the credit card systems used the world over. These register soldiers as they come in, including who is the designated abstainer that night. This information is available to other entertainment spots, so troops cannot be tempted to evade their responsibilities, and is kept in a record. In general, even the most party-animal bad-boy or bad-girl trooper must spend at least one night as designated abstainer per month, so that they can continue to be spiritually attuned to their unit and the blessings of other designated abstainers.