Armory of the Scarlet Trigger

[Matthias Hildebrand]

DOSSIER: WEAPONRY AND EQUIPMENT


”Now's your chance to run for cover.”

NAME:
– CrossGear
– C.R.O.S.S.
– Rosencrantz and Guildenstern
– Katherina
– Allswell and Endswell
– Oberon and Titania
– Claudius
– House Montague and House Capulet
– Cherry Grenades
– Cable Shooters
– Templar Prototype J316 Eisenkreuz Multi-Weapon, Model No. 002 – “Odysseus”
– Templar Prototype Personal Transport Mark III – “Tempest”

TYPE:
– Neural Implant
– Military-Grade Augmented Combat Clothes
– Dual Full Custom Six-Shot Revolvers
– Thompson/Center Arms Contender
– Dual Thompson M1921 Submachine Guns
– Dual Ingram MAC-10 Machine Pistols
– Walther WA 2000 Sniper Rifle, 2nd Generation
– Eight Heckler & Koch HK45C Semi-Automatic Pistol
– Prototype Tactical Explosive Pellets
– Dual Wrist-Integrated Grapple Devices
– Prototype Multipurpose Tactical Combat Apparatus and Mobile Weapons Transport
– Prototype Motorcycle and Mobile Weapons Transport

IMAGE:

MATTHIAS'S GEAR:

ODYSSEUS:

TEMPEST:

DESCRIPTION:
– As an operative of the Knight-Templar division, Matthias earned the privilege to possess a CrossGear of his own. For the purposes of convenience, he had it installed directly into his brain as a neural implant that allows him to instigate a planar shift at will, so that he may cross over into Inferis and back to Earth at any time he pleases. He initially considered integrating the chip into the circuits on one of his arms, but decided against it after considering the risk of getting it damaged during combat.

– The Combat Raiment of the Scarlet Sacrament, abbreviated as “C.R.O.S.S.” and colloquially known as the “Cross Coat”, is a set of custom-made clothes given extensive military level enhancements for use in front line combat. As an homage to the famed crime-fighting superhero, Batman, Matthias had the vestments made from a combination of two meta-aramid synthetic fibers to maximize its field performance; Nomex for its flame retardant properties, and a Kevlar weave to reduce the impact of bullets and shrapnel, which is then immersed in a shear thickening fluid to further enhance its penetrative resistance beyond the parameters of standard issue body armor. In summary, Matthias’ combat clothes were engineered to grant him a wide degree of protection on the battlefiled, allowing him to endure enormous amounts of punishment from anything designed to injure or burn him.

The Cross Coat gets its erroneous nickname from the large, loose-fitting red duster that Matthias wears during his assignments, which serves as the basis for his famous moniker of the “Scarlet Trigger”. Much of the ensemble’s phenomenal defensive capabilities are ultimately confined to the coat as a result, leaving much to be desired in regards to the black body suit he wears beneath it. To better compensate for this engineering oversight, Matthias wears reinforced leather vambraces and shin guards over his arms and legs, as well as a pair of custom steel-toed combat boots. Its loud color and obnoxiously flamboyant appearance practically renders it useless in a stealth-oriented mission, consequently making him an easier target to spot within the fray as well, but Matthias doesn’t seem to be too concerned about those sort of things.

– Matthias’ intellectual children and the cornerstones of his arsenal, Rosencrantz (Rosary) and Guildenstern (Golden Star) are a pair of fully custom, six-shot, double-action, semi-automatic hand cannon revolvers that accommodate a top break reloading mechanism, chambered to fire .44 Magnum ammunition. Both of these guns are made using specially commissioned custom parts, and are the only two of their kind. To reduce muzzle flip, both barrels were aligned in the six o’clock position instead of the standard twelve o’clock, a trait shared with the Mateba Model 6 Autorevolver. Full lug barrels increase the overall weight of both guns by a considerable amount, but serve to further diminish their recoil, thus improving their long-range accuracy beyond the parameters of a standard revolver. Their remarkable heaviness makes it next to impossible for anyone other than Matthias to wield them effectively, further adding to their unique existences.

To minimize the amount of time he spends reloading, Matthias takes full advantage of the top break mechanism on his revolvers by employing the use of speedloaders; this way, when he ejects any spent casings, he can simultaneously refill all of the cylinder’s chambers at once instead of having to manually push one cartridge in at a time. Both of his upper forearms contain two built-in rotating carousels that house up to twelve of these handy little devices in each arm, granting him a maximum ammunition “capacity” of 150 bullets at any given point.

Matthias carries an ample selection of different ammo types with him at all times, each one suited for a different purpose. Plated hollow-point bullets with a silver-steel alloy jacket are his standard rounds of choice, used mainly against unarmored targets for their low penetrative force and high potential to damage soft tissues upon impact, further augmented by the trace amounts of silver in the jackets and improving their efficiency against Demons. Armor-piercing rounds with a tungsten carbide penetrator are often loaded whenever he encounters a heavily armored foe, as they provide his revolvers with enough deadly force to punch through all but the toughest of defenses with incredible ease. Lastly, he makes use of high-explosive incendiary bullets that contain a compound inside the jacket that detonate shortly after penetrating the target, dealing even bigger amounts of damage with the blast of fire it creates in the process.

Matthias’ guns take their names after two prominent characters in William Shakespeare’s epic tragedy, Hamlet, who were sent as spies by the titular character’s corrupt uncle in an effort to gain the protagonist’s trust, but were quickly found out and sent to their unwitting demise, meeting their ends via poetic justice. To tell them apart, Matthias has given each of his revolvers a different finish; Rosencrantz appears in a sleek silver chrome, and Guildenstern a sophisticated black nickel.

– The Thompson/Center Arms Contender is a break reloading, single-shot pistol chambered to fire .45 Long Colt ammunition, however the barrel of this particular gun is also capable of handling .410 bore shotgun shells. Originally created for the purposes of sport shooting, the Contender earns it notoriety like many firearms of its brand for its high degree of customization options and its ability to produce the accuracy and power of a rifle in a smaller form. Though fully inspected and qualified for service on the field and thus able to use any ammunition made for it, Matthias mainly draws Katherina for tactical diversions, and employs three shotgun shell variants for this: flash stun shells which produce a burst of blinding light when fired, piranha shells that pepper foes with a volley of sharp steel tacks, and the highly exotic and dangerous dragon’s breath slugs, which create a three-second stream of hot flames at the pull of the trigger. Matthias only carries four of each shell on him at all times, making for a total of twelve. Katherina draws her name from the leading female character in Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew, as Matthias has often described it as being “extremely finicky” when it comes to preparing her for use.

– Infamously coined the “Chicago Typewriter”, the Thompson Model 1921 is an American-made submachine gun that rocketed its way into notoriety during the Prohibition era as the firearm of choice for both underworld gangsters and law enforcement officers. Officially the first firearm to be classified and marketed as a submachine gun, its compact and ergonomic design is unmistakable, and merely holding such a classic weapon invokes a sense of criminal gratification. These particular guns, called “Allswell” and “Endswell” by Matthias respectively, are merely factory reproductions of the original, but they are still made with the same functionality and deadliness as an authentic Typewriter would have, and are chambered to fire .45 ACP silver-tipped cartridges. Bent on keeping their archetypal mobster imagery looking kosher, Matthias has taken the liberty to make the swap to drum magazines, subsequently increasing their ammunition capacities from thirty bullets apiece to fifty. However, this also makes them more prone to unwanted cartridge jams. He usually carries three spare magazines for each gun.


Allswell and Endswell accurately live up to their second nickname of “Trench Sweeper” to the letter; in spite of their lack of heavy alterations or enhancements, the Typewriters were widely feared for their ability to lay down impressive volumes of automatic fire in a short period of time, and are normally drawn for the express purpose of unadulterated slaughter in tight spaces. Both of their names are a play on the title of Shakespeare’s comedy, All’s Well That Ends Well, for it truly doesn't matter what problems may occur on the road of life, as long as the outcome always ends up a good one.

– The Ingram MAC-10 machine pistol is an ultra-compact, straight blowback operated firearm best known for its distinctive look and its use of sound suppressors to reduce noise and occasionally muzzle flash when firing rounds off in large bursts. These particular guns, dubbed Oberon and Titania, are chambered in .45 ACP to give each shot extra kick, but this adds to the amount of recoil produced and makes them difficult to aim precisely with, especially when dual-wielded. The inclusion of sound suppressors and the retaining of their collapsible stocks help to counteract this problem, as both assist in diminishing kickback while the equipped suppressors have the added benefit of dampening muzzle noise and flash, thus helping to protect vision and hearing. Oberon and Titania are both finished in a matte black; to tell them apart from one another, Matthias assigns Oberon to his right hand, and Titania to his left, although it really doesn’t make much of a difference. They draw their names from the king and queen of the Fairies in Shakespeare’s epic comedy, A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

– The Walther WA 2000 is a semi-automatic, gas-operated sniper rifle with a six-round box magazine and a bullpup action configuration that serves to decrease the size of the firearm itself without taking away from the barrel’s length, subsequently reducing the weight of the weapon by twenty-five percent, making it more maneuverable in tighter spaces. This particular gun is a second generation model that is chambered in .300 Winchester Magnum and packs silver-tipped armor piercing rounds with two extra magazines, and also comes equipped with a telescopic scope, a flash compensator, and a collapsible bipod for improved stability and added recoil dispersion, with a maximum effective range of up to seven hundred meters. During ideal weather conditions, Matthias can achieve a clean hit from up to five hundred meters away, justified only in that long-range sniping is not his strongest skill, and that he is far more effective on the front lines; therefore, Claudius only experiences the taste of battle whenever he is assigned a support-based role where marksmen are needed in numbers. Taking its name after the primary antagonist of Shakespeare's Hamlet, Claudius is special in that it is one of only 176 of its kind currently in existence. Its expensive price range resulted in scarce sales, and was deemed unsuited for military use for not being robust enough before production of the Walther WA 2000 was terminated in 1988, thereby making it an extremely rare and valuable firearm.

– The Heckler & Koch HK45C is a compact, short-recoil operated, semi-automatic handgun chambered in .45 ACP with a ten round detachable box magazine. Designed with a textured ergonomic grip and interchangeable backstraps, it was built to accommodate different sized hands, contributing to its outstanding performance and recoil management, but sacrifices a greater capacity for ammunition in order to compensate for its smaller size. Nevertheless, they make for an ideal sidearm, and have saved his life on more than one occasion. Matthias keeps eight of these pistols stashed within the side ports of his cross-shaped mobile armory for immediate retrieval, alongside one spare clip for each gun, and can easily discard and replace them at a moment’s notice and with little expense on his part. He has taken to giving four pistols each a collective name; one set is called House Montague, and the other set is referred to as House Capulet. Both of these names are derived from the two rival families in Shakespeare’s most well-known tragedy, Romeo and Juliet.

– Engineered for concealed carry in large quantities, the experimental military tactical explosive pellet was created to incorporate the power of a handheld grenade into a more compact form. Approximately the size of a large cherry, hence its alias as the “Cherry Grenade”, its simplistic design makes it versatile for a wide number of different configurations while its unappealing appearance makes it both discreet and deadly. Matthias typically carries four different types of these special pellets on hand in quantities of five for each type for a total of twenty, and can alter this combination before the start of a mission. He carries concussion pellets that generate a lethal explosive blast within a three meter radius; stun pellets that serve to incapacitate enemies by producing loud noise and a flash of light without the risk of injury; smoke pellets to either mark his position or screen himself from an enemy’s sights; and nerve gas pellets that releases 3-Quinuclidinyl benzilate, or “BZ”, into the air that, when inhaled, causes a wide number of peripheral nervous system dysfunctions within the victim’s brain, ranging from concrete and panoramic hallucinations to psychological regression into more primitive, involuntary behavioral displays. Matthias carries all of these pellets inside a large leather pouch kept clipped against his belt line, and are color-coded for convenience: red for concussion, blue for stun, gray for smoke, and green for nerve gas.

– The Cable Shooters, as Matthias has come to designate them, are a pair of miniaturized, gas-operated grappling devices that have been directly installed inside of the Templar’s wrists. Neural processing chips have been wired from his arms to his brain so that whenever he wants to activate the devices, all he needs to do is simply will them to operate, and they comply. A small, reinforced metal projectile attached to a 50ft coil of retractable, specially engineered high-tensile cable is discharged from the heel of his palm, which then attaches itself to a surface either by a retractable sharpened spike embedded into the tip or by neodymium magnetic plates on the sides, allowing Matthias to pull himself from one point to another from nearly any kind of surface imaginable, metallic or otherwise. By using both Cable Shooters in rapid succession of one another, he is able to emulate the web-slinging powers of Spider-Man himself, pulling or brachiating his way from point to point in no time. Their usefulness in a battle situation is severely limited due to their linear trajectories, but they are just as effective at pulling other enemies towards him as they are pulling him towards another location. In the immortal words of the Netherrealm demon ninja, Scorpion: “Get over here!”

– Arguably the pièce de résistance of Matthias’ huge arsenal, the Templar Prototype J316 Eisenkreuz Multi-Weapon, Model No. 002 draws much of its physical appearance from the Reverend Adrianus Smith’s enormous metal crucifix, the “Old Rugged Cross”, and has been officially designated as the “second model” by engineers to reflect this. Reaching six feet three inches tall and three feet across, the Eisenkreuz is the latest technological breakthrough in Templar military equipment, created as a template for the “perfect weapon of the future”. Designed as a true multipurpose armament, Matthias has lovingly christened it “Odysseus”, after the legendary Greek king of Ithaca remembered for his brilliance and versatility, who was also the protagonist of Homer’s Odyssey as well as a character in Shakespeare’s tragedy, Troilus and Cressida. According to the poet Quintus Symrnaeus, Odysseus was the mastermind behind the Trojan Horse plot, which helped the Greeks capture the city of Troy and end the ten-year war.

On the surface, it appears like a visual copy of the good Reverend’s own crucifix. But that’s where the similarities cease. Instead of being constructed entirely from iron, a military-grade titanium diboride shell is used to impart Odysseus with tremendous levels of impact resistance, allowing it to endure even heavy suppressive fire or the Demonic equivalent of such without taking so much as a dent. Built into the center of the cross is a revolving cylindrical attachment that houses a stylized, skull-shaped grip for Matthias to take hold of; this grip also serves as the trigger mechanism. This particular attachment was made to freely swivel in two directions, left and right, for ease of positioning. Drawing from Symrnaeus’ texts, Odysseus behaves very much like a crucifix-shaped Trojan Horse: visually symbolic in its meaning in that it represents atonement for one’s sins and God’s love and mercy, while beneath its surface lies a slew of instruments ready and fully capable of dispensing “a hell of a lot of God’s love and mercy”.

Starting on the list is Odysseus’s primary function, activated by twisting the trigger mechanism on the center of the cross to the right until it locks into place. This causes the armor surrounding it to vertically split open to reveal a hidden, gas-operated M240L medium machine gun chambered to fire 7.62x51mm NATO rounds, installed with a muzzle brake for reduced recoil and loaded with silver-tipped saboted light armor penetrator ammunition, specially made in the event that Matthias is forced to combat anything on the scale of an armored vehicle or an aircraft. Fully automatic and effective at a maximum range of 3,750 meters, this weapon function sees the most action on the field due to the power and rate of fire that it packs, although it is by far the slowest to set up. Because of Odysseus’s cumbersome frame, Matthias is forced to tuck it beneath his arm and against his own body, often requiring the other arm for further support. This serves as a visual tell for opposing forces, giving them plenty of time to duck and cover before Matthias can make it rain lead. He packs enough ammunition to unleash a continuous stream of suppressive fire for two full minutes before running out.

Gyrating the trigger to the left will release the armor plates on Odysseus’s top arm, which unveils its secondary function: an experimental miniature missile launcher. He will usually follow this up by swinging the massive cross upward until it sits directly mounted on his shoulder, which should act as a dead giveaway as to what purpose it serves in this state. Loaded inside are three, heavily modified versions of the American FGM-148 Javelin missiles, fitted with advanced infrared guidance software so that each projectile will actively seek out the strongest heat signature within 80 kilometers and blow it straight to Hell, figuratively and quite literally. Primarily designed for use against armored vehicles and tanks, these heat-seeking death rockets do just as much damage against anything of a Demonic nature with similar properties. However, Matthias must take care to conserve on how many times he shoots this weapon off, as he can only house a maximum of three missiles at any given time before being forced to switch to machine gun format.

The third and final function Odysseus comes equipped with can be initiated by squeezing down on the skull-shaped trigger. This trips an internal locking mechanism on both of the cross’s side arms, causing the armor plating to pneumatically slide out to reveal two weapon cabinets with four pistol-sized slots each. These compartments are typically used to store his eight Heckler & Koch HK45C handguns, but can house anything smaller than a Desert Eagle. Matthias personally requested they be installed in the event his other firearms ran out of ammunition, and behave more as a last line of defense; during missions that require him to work in groups, he is generous enough to provide other Templars with a handgun for use in sticky situations.

Despite being constructed of materials specifically chosen for the purposes of keeping it easy to carry around, Odysseus is still a heavy weapon in its own right, and can behave as an impromptu battering ram or bludgeoning tool when all of its other options are exhausted. Make no mistake, however, because even though Matthias suffers little when it comes to swinging his enormous, titanium alloy cross around, he will attempt to avoid resorting to such methods unless he has no choice in the matter, such as when and if he runs out of munitions, or if his opponent is exceptionally slow and vulnerable to bludgeoning damage. While not in use, Odysseus is kept wrapped inside a great sheet of white satin cloth that has been rinsed in holy water and ritually blessed by the Vatican’s oldest and most respected cardinals. He will either strap it up against his back when transporting it, or have it mounted against his motorcycle, the Tempest.

– Directly taking its name from one of Shakespeare’s many comedies, the Templar Prototype Personal Transport Vehicle Mark III is, as the title suggests, the Order’s third attempt at developing a fully specialized vehicle. Created at Matthias’ behest, the Tempest is a literal beast of a motorcycle boasting three wheels, two in the front and one in the back. Though bulky in design, extensive care was poured into its construction to preserve its potential for speed, maneuverability, and defensive capabilities, resulting in a sleek, machined appearance. Ever the stickler when it comes to looks, Matthias had the bike’s parts constructed from brushed electrum, a gold and silver alloy with trace amounts of copper and other elements, while the frame was made from reinforced titanium diboride and sprayed an intimidating shade of black, then polished to mirror-like perfection. The motorcycle’s solitary leather seat is positioned to create the sensation of driving a sportsbike while successfully preserving the rider’s level of comfort.

In a nutshell, Matthias’s sweet ride is every motorcycle enthusiast’s wet dream. It uses the Suzuki Hayabusa’s powerful 1340cc, liquid-cooled, inline-four cylinder engine. The Hayabusa holds the world record for being the fastest sportsbike in production prior to the gentleman’s agreement with Japanese and European manufacturers in 2000, which now requires that all motorcycles made on and after that year be electronically limited to a maximum speed of 186 miles per hour. The Tempest figuratively and literally spits all over this agreement by utilizing an industrialized, unrestricted, supercharged version of this engine, allowing it to accelerate from zero to sixty mph in approximately two-and-a-half seconds. Its maximum speed has never been fully tested, however Matthias is able to push this metal  monster up to a staggering 250 mph on average.

If its phenomenal horsepower isn’t enough to make a bike freak spontaneously orgasm, then perhaps its handling ability will. Courtesy of the best mechanics Templar money can afford, the Tempest comes packaged with a precision hip-based turning system that allows Matthias to maneuver the vehicle left or right by simply leaning his hips in the direction he wants to go, as opposed to using the full weight of his body to achieve the same effect. He eschews the traditional handlebar-oriented throttle system in favor of a mechanism controlled by his feet; he can push the foot plate inward to maintain the bike’s current speed in a fashion similar to cruise control, whereas disabling it is as simple as pulling the plate the opposite way. By choosing this type of throttle, it provides Matthias’s hands the freedom to utilize the handlebars for better controlled turns and, in the event he is attacked while on the move, the opportunity to take hold of a gun and return fire while maintaining a constant velocity.

As briefly mentioned earlier, the motorbike’s frame is crafted from titanium diboride, the same material used in the construction of his cross-shaped multi-weapon, the Eisenkreuz, Odysseus. Reinforced to exceed the parameters of standard vehicular armor, the Tempest is rendered all but completely impervious to damage from anything short of a rocket-propelled grenade or any Demonic parallels to such. Though the tires are also reinforced to an extent, they are designed to withstand the rugged terrains of Inferis, and are ill-suited in terms of surviving an actual attack made against them. Lastly, being a motorcycle leaves much to be desired in terms of protecting Matthias’s very body—unless he tucks himself against the frame, he is completely vulnerable to assault from nearly any angle, save the front.

But perhaps the biggest and most well-used feature the Tempest comes with is also the most utilitarian one. Due to Matthias’s propensity towards carrying truckloads of firearms with him on the field, the sides of the motorcycle’s bulky frame have been heavily modified to house two internal storage compartments that can be accessed by twisting the grips of the handlebars forward, causing the side arms to flip open as if they were a pair of wings. These weapon racks are able to house up to eight additional firearms much like Odysseus can, but the size of these particular units provides Matthias more liberty with his options as opposed to the limited space within the side arms of his titanium crucifix. At the very most, anything smaller than or equal to the size of a sniper rifle can be stored inside the Tempest for later use.

Finally, the Tempest comes installed with an MP3 software system that allows Matthias to plug in an iPod or a similar music-playing device via headphone jack. The resulting tunes are then emitted from a pair of speakers within the bike’s frame, and the volume can be adjusted by a simplified holographic projection interface.

[Alice the Chopper]

Approved!
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