Cybergoth Part 1

Recently a friend of mine started working at a Gamestore in a town nearby to Glasgow. This was a friend who is a veteran of my campaigns as I am of his and we have sunk many an hour simulating Poland themed space marines against WW1 themed Death Korps of Kreig. They put a poll up for what games their customer base would like to see and they voted for Cyberpunk and Warhammer 40k Rp. 

I have much love for both of these settings. Perhaps more for 40k for the idea of a dark age being onset by technology, the folly of man and man's flight into the stars captures my imagination more than the gritty streets of cyberpunk. That being said I have problems with both. Cyberpunk whilst very fleshed out seems very... Californian? Like America is the centre of the world and the enamouration of celebrity like figures within the Cyberpunk world such as Rogue, Silverhand, Saburo Arasaka and the like. I much prefer old 40k's approach to the Grimdark and the gritty. You are nameless. In the grand scheme of things you do not matter. 

Additionally I couldn't run both at the same time. At least not on the alternate RPG day that my friend was planning.

So I decide to mix both in a weird combination. What if 40k was slightly more grounded but the basic premise was the same: Humanities technology evolves but humanity lags behind in fascistic and fanatical ways. This to me is the core of 40k and I mixed it with the presence of AI in cyberpunk as a entropic force as well as the slightly more grounded near future of cyberpunk rather than the far flung future of 40,000 years. 

Here is the basics of the setting I have outlined so far. 

History of Cybergoth

• 2028 WW3 happens

• 2030 Fascistic controls are put in place as the new world devours the old. 

• 2032 Europe is assimilated either into Russia or the American Empire with a Corporatist council at its forefront. 

• 2032 Augmentec rises in power in the American empire, with similar corporations rising in power in Beijing and Moscow.

• 2040 WW3 ends

• 2040 The corporatists in the American imperium, the oligarchs in Russia and a mysterious Beijing leader known only as the snakehead decide to set the plans for a one world government.

• 2042 The Israeli Government, a puppet of American oligarchs unveils the full transfer to digital Currency, In Third Temple Bank 

• 2043 An artificial intelligence is created that declares itself the second coming of Christ. Is really a puppet for AI power.

• 2044  The AI-Christians declare a purge, a great crusade aka WW4 to enlighten humanity, with the power of neo alchemy they create the Hyperwarriors, super fast super strong humans with cyborg augments.  

• Current Year The crusade rages on in the middle east with Russia attacking Afghanistan and America attempting to bring Iran to heel. 

Powerful Corporations in Cybergoth

Augmentec-
Founded in 2028 

Responsible for the most commonplace augments such as  GenAIhelper and 

EnerG Corporation- 

responsible for the creation of the EnerG weapons

Templar Technologies -

In 2035 in the aftermath of WW3 the American Government at the time wanted to create a force that would dominate its enemies on the geopolitical stage. The paper tiger of America was over. Templar Technologies was responsible for Creating Robots and Cyborgs. 

AngelEye- 

Founded in 2020 before WW3 started, AngelEye were researching the methods to “prevent crime” using AI technologies. By 2028 they had created the Cherubel Cameras which could facially recognise the subjects of the corporations. In 2043 Angel Eye partnered with the Second Holy See to create the Sin-debt tracker, or at least be part of enforcing it. 

A mass surveillance company

Factions inCybergoth

Systemites

Demiurgists- 

The demiurgists believe similar to the gnostics that the world is a creation of a false deity known as the demiurge and that the higher deity lies beyond the confines of the material realm. The demiurgists believe that the way out of this reality is to appease the demiurge through ritualistic transgressions that cause suffering upon the world to test it. 

The Great Trial

Demiurgists believe that every soul in the world is undergoing the great trial and try to guide people through by providing them the solution through artificial intelligence. 

Neo-Catholics- 

an ideology created by the demiurgists,

They are heavily reliant on Artificial intelligence churches.

Insurgents

Cyber-Gnostics- Ascetic

Cybergnostics-  Indulgent

HOW THE SYSTEM KEEPS PEOPLE UNDER CONTROL

Sin Debt

The AI christ has decreed that the world is too impure to ascend to a heavenly state. Totalitarian controls are put in place. Sin is leveled against people as a monetary debt, every sin you commit your debt to the AI-Christ gets larger,The Corporations typically do not give punishments creating an almost anarchy in which as long as the corporations get their pay not too much is cared for. 

Mass surveillance

There is mass AI surveillance but this can be bypassed by using anti AI methods such as masking for AI cameras however most live in constant fear to not commit sin, but end up inevitably failing.The corporations make use of Robots and AIBorgs- (Cyborgs that have fully succumbed to AI protocols) to do their bidding with collection of Sin Debt  entrusted to them.

The Call to Crusade

If you answer the call of crusade then your sin debt is erased provided that you have spent years of your life in service. The crusades happen outside and within the mega-cities. This is to reduce the number of angry young men and women in the megacities that may pose a threat to the system

NEO JERUSALEM

Neo- Jerusalem is the name for new york, It is a sprawling hive of tower blocks and datacentres thrumming with noise to power the noise machines. Those who have committed too much sin-debt are harvested as human batteries for these datacentres.

Datacentres and lower districts-

 The lower  districts are filled with the workers in the datacentres, servants to the upper districts, and various gangs vying over drugs, influence and territory to extract credits from the  people they racketeer. 

Central Cathedral-

Slum district-  

Built out of a bombed out part of Neo-Jerusalem during the 

Upper district- 

Very tall buildings still has the inequality present when someone goes to the lower floors. 

The Internet

The internet is heavily monitored with private chats banned for the “safety of children”. AI censorship and chat reading is in place to make sure that no-one commits Sin on the internet. Despite this many “honeypot” sites exist to lure the unsuspecting would-be sinner, cause them to commit sin and increase their sin debt. 

Despite this, so called Greysites and Blacksites crop up everywhere with their domains being hard to shut down by the authorities. The domain names constantly shift and change but those who survive of off finding odd-jobs on the internet to do know these sites and are in the know when a domain name changes.
Grey Sites are illegal however not what would be considered Ammoral, they are moderated usually and 

Blacksites have little to no moderation. They are illegal and used for ammoral activites such as organ smuggling, Augment ripping, drug deals, assasinations, weapons smuggling and human trafficking. 

Energy Weaponry

-

EnerG Carbine (2028-Present)

EnerG Hi-Power Handgun (2028-Present)

EnerG Sword (2028-Present)

EnerG Scattergun (2028-Present)

EnerG Beam Launcher (2032-Present)

Stationary Weaponry

-

M2HB - HMG (US) (1933-Present)

M1 - Mortar (US) (1935-1952)

M252 - Mortar (US) (1987-Present)

Moharram - Gatling Gun (IRN) (2014-Present)

Heavy Weaponry

-

Machine Guns

Lewis Gun - LMG (UK) (1914-1953)

MG 42 - MG (GER) (1942-Present)

RPD - LMG (RUS) (1944-Present)

RPK - LMG (RUS) (1961-Present)

FG 42 - LMG (GER) (1943-1970)

Explosives

FGM-148 Javelin - Rocket Launcher (US) (1996-Present)

Panzerfaust - AT Rocilless Gun (GER) (1943-1945)

Panzerschrek - AT Rocket Launcher (GER) (1943-1945)

RPG-7 - Rocket Launcher (RUS) (1961-2028)

FIM-92 Stinger - AA Missile Launcher (US) (1981-Present)

M79 - Grenade Launcher (US) (1961-2028)

Light Weaponry

-

Shotguns

Norinco HP9-1 (CHN) (1999-Present)

Rifles

Arash - Anti-Material Rifle (IRN) (2013-Present)

SVD - Sniper Rifle (RUS) (1963-Present)

M24 - Sniper Rifle (US) (1988-Present)

Norinco JW-103 - Bolt-Action Rifle (CHN) (1993-1995)

AMR-2 - Anti-Material Rifle (CHN) (2000-Present)

M99 - Anti-Material Rifle (CHN) (2005-Present)

M82 Barret - Sniper Rifle (US) (1989-Present)

Masaf 2 - Battle Rifle (IRN) (2021-Present)

AK-133 - Assault Rifle (IRN) (2018-Present)

Fateh - Assault Rifle (IRN) (2014-Present)

Mosin-Nagant - Battle Rifle (RUS) (1891-Present)

SKS - Battle Rifle (RUS) (1945-Present)

M1 Garand - Battle Rifle (US) (1936-1958)

Type 81 - Assault Rifle (CHN) (1983-Present)

M16 - Assault Rifle (US) (1964-Present)

Kalashnikov - Assault Rifle (RUS) (1974-Present)

Misr - Assault Rifle (EGY) (1960-Present)

QBZ-95 - Bullpup Assault Rifle (CHN) (1997-Present)

Pistols/SMGs

Makarov PM - Handgun (RUS) (1989)

Type 85 - SMG (CHN) (1985-2028)

PM-63 Rak - SMG (POL) (1965-2028)

Type 59 - Handgun (CHN) (1959-Present)

Welrod - Suppressed Handgun (UK) (1942)

Melee Weaponry

• Combat Knife

• Katana 

• Bardiche

•  Halberd 

• Pike

• Dane Axe 

• Battle Axe 

• Mace 

•  War Hammer 

• Sword 

• Scimitar 

• Dagger

• Zweihander

• 
  

Non-Lethal Weaponry

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EnerG Taser