One of the many Kelian security practices in the face of the Atrian Empire’s ongoing infiltration and destabilization tactics is the training of discreet groups known as cells. These cells are sometimes groups who came to Keli together, sometimes groups of individuals who came alone and have been trained into a cell, and sometimes a blend- what they have in common is that they are committed to a free world, that they have cleared second-tier Kelian vetting, and that they have been trained together as a group for the past six – ten months. Training is comprised of a core curriculum of the following-
- Adaptation
- This is training in how to blend into the Empire. It involves understanding what one’s role would be in various circumstances, how one would speak, what the Empire’s known security protocols are, and the basics of integration such as clothing and mannerisms. Often mistaken for camouflage, this training is about not being noticed, rather than not being seen.
- Espionage
- This training emphasizes how to see without appearing to see. One emphasis is on body language and overt focal points, in order to mislead observers. The other is on information extraction and distillation, meaning the art of listening to conversations and understanding what is beneath them, what they mean.
- Force
- This training covers the fundamentals of ranged and melee weapons, and unarmed combat techniques. There are two emphasis in this training module- the first is subtlety. This is the art of fighting without appearing to be fighting, incapacitating and killing without drawing attention, and shifting quickly in order to avoid being read as the aggressor or participant at all. The other is efficacy- strikes to end combat or incapacitate opponents as rapidly as possible. As in all things, there is an emphasis on mutual aid in this practice, so cells come out of this training with an embodied understanding of one another’s strengths and weaknesses, and how to leverage and support one another.
- Healing
- This module covers basic first-aid, herbalism, and trauma care. Magical adepts are also taught basic healing spells in this course.
This gives each cell member “trained” status in these fields. Beyond these core curriculum, Cells have the option of taking two advanced courses in these subjects, which advance their ranking to “adept” or “expert,” respectively. This means that a cell who choose to take advanced trainings in Espionage and Force will be “adepts” in both Espionage and Force, while a Cell who chooses to take both advanced trainings in Espionage will be “Experts” in Espionage, and merely “Trained” in all other subjects.
On the evening of Dec 12th, one Cell will graduate their course of study, and be empowered by ale’Keli to go forth and do as they will. Upon graduation, Cells are under no responsibility to communicate with ale’Keli or return there; the service of training Cells is undertaken as a public service. They are, however, free to do so at any time they wish, and are given a specific culture of microbes who they can press into the soil anywhere connected to the Web and communicate with a representative of the Kelian Security Council in order to exchange information, request support, or ask where they might be the most useful.
Cells will have spent the last six to ten months on the training Isle of Nerian, and will now be celebrating their graduation in the capitol city of ale’Keli, Freton. Freton is an intensely densely populated, sprawling city. Originally a pirate port in a secluded bay, it now reaches well up into the mountain behind the bay, and out onto the water.
Depending on each Cell member’s backstory, they will each know some more detailed content about specific parts of the world, and have some relevant contacts.
Who will they be, and what will they do?
