Enforcers of the Empires | Notes About the Setting

 As independent and diverse as the Iron Empires are, there is one majority commonality shared between them: their Enforcers. Whether imposing its claims in the region, protecting trade routes or defending expeditions, each empire has a need for its own forces to command. That is not to say that all of these so-called enforcers are without difference, as they range from ordered ranks of clone soldiers and robotic proxies to a rabble of pirates, outcasts and money-grubbing mercenaries, and as such are a reflection of the empire they work as much as any other group. Instead, it is their shared circumstances that lead to similarties.
 All of the regional factions benefit from an unusual level of technological advancement; the arts to craft and maintain many of the most valuable and complex technologies are passed down as tradition as a means to preserve the clan's standing in the region. A clan that is the sole holder of a critical resource within its locality, or that has the ability to produce a especially large number of different items, may become invaluable and rise to hold significant power within the empire it is part of. It is this pool of knowledge that forms the foundation of the enforcers and acts as their main asset in combat. Laser blasters, energy shields and flightpacks exist in innumerable varieties (with various clans each fervently protecting and promoting their own slight variations on the original design) and are widespread throughout all of the empires and especially the groups that constitute the enforcers. On the other hand, rare or more specialised items might be sought after to gain advantage over a rival faction, given that they all share so much technology in common. This is especially true for those without a close allegiance to any one ruler, as only a desperate individual or a fool would grant a boon of that kind to one who has not deserved their trust, so a band of mercenaries might only acquire a tool or resource of comparable value by taking it the place of conventional payment.
 In battle, the enforcers are reliant (perhaps overly so) on their technological edge. They wear little in the way of heavy armour, preferring lightweight stylised or ceremonial designs that are sufficient to protect them in more hazardous environments without hampering their mobility, and defend themselves primarily with personal energy shields and deflectors instead. This is also why equipment forged from an alloy known as darksteel is sought after by many enforcers. Considered by many to be the perfect material, it is both lightweight and incredibly resilient, making it prized by those who receive. On the offense, most enforcers typically prefer to strike from a distance as this matters little to their laser and tachyon weapons and allows their shields can manifest their full effect. This is supported by an array of vehicles to support and compensate for these preferences. Held aloft by a variety of anti-gravitational measures, depending on the manufacturer, these machines remain mobile despite their dense, layered armour and are able to carry heavier armaments and combat systems to bring to bear when a greater amount of power is required.

Notable Enforcer Groups:

- Oathbinders: A cadre of enforcers with close ties to the city of Anvillon. They are often sent at the behest of the ruling council to impose terms and secure agreements with neighbouring powers, and are more than willing to apply force in order to achieve compliance.

- The Steelclad: Proudly garbed in darksteel plate, the Steelclad are an independent mercenary faction sought after by many of the wealthiest traders. Their reputation is such that few even among the exiles and pirates that lurk in the outlands would dare to assail a vessel under their protection.