Alright, everyone, I'm finally back and we can continue our presentation. As you can all see, I'm now fully suited up in some of our gear, which hopefully means we won't have any more "derailments". Now, let's continue where we left off.

Like I said earlier, we bipeds are completely mortal, just like the humans in our audience. To protect our mortality, we are granted a lot of advanced equipment, some of which Internal Security could only dream of getting their hands on. Often, you will see us bipeds wearing the gear I have right now, known as a HERMES SCFD. For those of you who don't know, SCFD stands for Standard Combat Field Dress. Truth be told, IntSec does use a version of these with fewer features, so I wouldn't consider them truly revolutionary, but don't underestimate them. On rare occasions, some of you humans may also be granted one for extra protection. If that happens, then may god have mercy on your soul, because whatever requires you to wear one will have none.

The HERMES is our “low-profile” field uniform, used when subtlety is required over stealth or combat strength. It’s ideal for high-visibility urban environments where deploying a STRIDENT suit would be overkill, and where more discrete DEMETER suits are unavailable or unnecessary. While it may not be as strikingly flashy as those other loadouts, the HERMES is by no means lacking.

The HERMES is the oldest field suit used by Northpaw, and for good reason. It's very modular and has had numerous models made over the years, with this one being the newest. Now, let's go into detail about what this thing can do.

Some of you may notice that the coat I'm wearing doesn't seem to be very protective, but that couldn't be any further from the case. This isn't just a trench coat, it's a lightweight ballistic nanofiber coat filled with non-Newtonian protective gel. It's able to stop a lot of modern close-range firearms with surprising ease.

Not the vest, though, the vest is even more durable and can stop a high-power rifle round at a reasonable distance. I also have arm and leg plates which offer similar protection. It should be noted that this isn't my full kit, as I tend to have an ammo carrier and stuff like that, but I bought what I could carry. Now, even though you should avoid getting hit in the first place, the HERMES suit has another protective trick up its sleeves in the form of a shield generator.

I couldn't bring it, but you'll know we have one when you see the flash. We also have a light exoskeleton on these things, but mine is being repaired right now. Moving on.


I'm sure you've all noticed the holographic visor you've seen on my face by now. This is an ARH and PDD, with the first standing for Augmented Reality Holovisor and the second standing for Personal Data Device. This is a hard light AR visor capable of night vision, defense against visual sensory hazards, thermal vision, and other various functions. Don;t let its fragile appearance fool you, it is extremely difficult to break. If it does break, though, then you probably have a lot more than just the condition of your visor to worry about.

We also have a communications earpiece and microphone, which is pretty standard. What isn't standard, though, is what I'm about to show you next. I'd suggest bracing yourselves because it can be a little bright.

Here goes...

...

Alright, you can open your eyes now. Not that it would blind you or that you'd need to, but I saw some of you do that anyway. This is a Holographic Disguise Field Generator. And yes, I am indeed talking to you while looking like a human. Hell, I might as well be one.

Now, I know what some of you are thinking: “Why would a biped need to look like a human?” Well, sometimes we must move undetected in public spaces where a big, anthropomorphic figure would draw too much attention. This nifty device projects a holographic overlay over the user, allowing them to take on the likeness of another individual or even species.

Now, before you start thinking this makes us invisible like a DEMETER suit would, let me inform you that it’s not a stealth device, just a disguise. It doesn’t hide the fact that you're there. It’s simply visual camouflage, and only useful for blending into groups or populations without causing mass panic.

Now it's time to turn that off, but there's no flash this time.

...

Maybe there is a flash. It doesn't matter, though, because you're all going to have to get used to that. Now let's move on to our last piece of equipment, which is also my favourite: Gravity Gauntlets. They’re exactly what they sound like: a pair of gloves that can manipulate gravity in a short range. With these, you can push or pull objects with a simple gesture to gain various advantages.

You can use it to lift debris and objects you otherwise couldn’t, reposition obstacles to create makeshift cover, or even manipulate inanimate entities that can't be directly touched. But the real beauty of these gauntlets? They can be directly weaponized. If you have the displeasure of getting in close, a punch with these things hits a lot harder than your standard knuckle sandwich. Imagine hitting like a truck instead. It’s particularly useful when you just need to make an impression. Literally.
...

Alright, folks, that about wraps it up for now.

Now, I know some of you are itching to see more of what we’ve got up our sleeves. And trust me, I’m just as eager to show off the last loadout for today. That said, we are out of time for this session, so we'll have to wait for the next one. But don’t worry, when I get back with the STRIDENT, you’ll all get to see just how terrifyingly effective it is.

Until then, take what you’ve learned today, let it sink in, and be thankful you’re on our side. Questions? Comments? Complaints about how I made you feel under-equipped? Save them for next time. I’ll bring answers and maybe some better stories to tell.

Stay sharp out there, and I’ll catch you all soon. Dismissed.

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Woof! I know some of you may have seen this before and are wondering why I reuploaded it. There were a few changes done to the text here, but this is mainly because the STRIDENT suit artwork took a long time to finish than the other two images, and I want to upload them in proper order without anything in between. I know this makes me look like a neat freak, and honestly that's probably true. Anyways, I hope everyone likes the posts.


This here is the most common equipment my bipeds use, that being the HERMES suit. The HERMES gear is something I envision Ember using in most artwork, seeing as how the STRIDENT armor hasn't appeared as much. I envision it as his "standard" uniform and not something he wears when he knows there's going to be heavy combat.

There's one more piece of art in this "series" on it's way, so stay tuned and I'll put it out as soon as it's story done!

Ember Kamura belongs to me.
Artist is  rhinoking.