Post by The Lost Traveler on Aug 22, 2013 17:14:06 GMT -5
Here's the revised contract for my faction - the Order of Jotelin.
The Contract
Introduction:
The following document records the newly formed collaboration between the Holder of this contract and the charon which is beholden and bound to the agreement between both parties – the upper, being the Holder who holds the essence of the Higher One and can Commune with Him in part, and the lower, being this charon, who – like all of their ilk – was formed out of the collected Nothingness at the Beginning.
As the Holder, and therefore the current possessor of the Spirit of the Contract and one of the embodiment of He who exists in all human beings, your charon is fourfold compelled to obey your every order and whim with but a few exceptions. The fourfold compulsions are thus: belief, psychological conditioning, Induced Addiction-Like Symptoms and genetic modification. The previously mentioned compulsions and the limitations in the dominance of the contract over the charon shall be mentioned in greater length in sections III and IV respectively.
The Primaries
A. The First Primary
The primary objective, and indeed, the very purpose of the charon is to ensure the continual life of the Holder, for as long as that time shall be. Due to this, in terms of skills, talents, abilities and knowledge the greatest emphasis is placed on combat oriented ones. For example, a charon's primary skills could range from the handling of short-ranged, small arms to the operating of heavy ballistic weapons. For information on this one's primary combat skills, along with all secondary skills and general knowledge, please turn to section V.
B. The Second Primary
The second primary objective is to meet all the wants and needs of the Holder. This ranges from basic survival needs – like the gathering of food, the elimination of hostiles, the scavenging of supplies and the finding of strategically defensible shelter, to mundane ones, like being able to do menial labor and manage the stock and inventory for stores, to even sexual ones – be it simple sexual intercourse or more unique sexual fetishes with the exception of sadomasochist fetishes due to the possibility of harm to either or both parties. Though, in cases where the Holder and the charon are of opposite genders, not all charons are sterile so there is risk of unwanted conception.
Since a charon will follow any and all orders save for the given exceptions the Holder can order the charon to do acts that have been traditionally considered crimes in most societies, like theft, sexual assault, covert and overt assassinations and the conducting of torture to name a few.
Note: If a charon has been incorporated into the Advancement Program, it will undergo forced ghoulification and become sterile as one of the results. See section VI for more details.
C. The Third Primary
The last main objective of the charon is to ensure its own continual existence. In many cases this objective coincides with the initial, and most prominent, primary objective – that is to secure the survival of the Holder. For example, should the Holder put both parties into a situation where his or her continual life and the charon's continual existence is at risk the charon will be compelled to state the probability of coming out of the encounter unscathed (depending on the charon's level of competence in mathematics this may be an exact percentage or an approximate estimation) and will, with permission, list alternative actions that can be taken to accomplish the Holder's goal.
The Secondaries
A. The First Secondary
The first of the secondary objectives is to maintain, via practice, combat efficiency. This varies from charon to charon by their various specialties. For example, a charon who is an expert at explosives may require a fully functional lab in order to practice the creation of small explosives like pipe-bombs and frag grenades. In most cases, practice takes place in the form of a shooting range for the charon's weapon of choice.
This, like the other two secondaries, can be utterly controlled and manipulated by the Holder, to the point where the time, place, the nature of the practice and the length of time devoted to the practice can be decided. The Holder can even demand that no practice be done in order to manage the time that would have been spent for another purpose entirely, but only to the point where it does not interfere with the first and/or third primary.
B. The Second Secondary
The second of the secondary objectives deals with the primary necessities for the continuance of the charon's existence. Nourishment, rest and excrement being the optimal three. Once more the Holder can decide the time, place and, in regards to nourishment, the type of diet for the charon. Furthermore, the Holder may choose how little or how much time the charon can devote to each, but only to the point where it does not interfere with the third primary.
C. The Third Secondary
The last of the secondaries is the upkeep of all other secondary skills, outside of combat oriented ones. For all charons this includes the ability to read and write, which is a necessary tool in order to recreate the material embodiment of the contract should it ever be lost or destroyed. Once more, the time, place and length of time spent on the maintenance can be determined by the Holder. Furthermore, as the Holder, you can order the charon to focus on certain existing secondary skills as well as have the charon devote time to acquiring new skills of the Holder's preference. All adjustments to either primary or secondary skills shall then be added into the contract by the charon. As mentioned previously, a list of this one's primary abilities, that is, the combat oriented ones, and secondary abilities can be found in section V.
The Compulsions
A. The Purpose
The purpose behind the promoting and reinforcement of the compulsions mentioned in the introduction is threefold: for the gathering of charons to suppress their inner Nothingness, for the creation of supremely loyal soldiers so that the Death within them may be used for the usage of the Higher One, and so that the human can receive service from the charons who are beneath them as is their due.
B. Belief
For the charons who have been raised within the Order of Jotelin they have all formed a set of beliefs which is formally known as charonism. This faith is a monotheistic religion with pantheistic touches to it. The basic belief system of charonism is as follows:
In the Beginning, there was Nothing. Then, the Higher One, known throughout the ages by many names and even reverenced as multiple gods, formed the universe out of the void and filled it with life. But then He saw the life was empty and hollow, and so He filled it. All life, from the smallest of ants to the ancient trees and lastly the sentient man – all He filled and made sacred.
But then the Nothingness collected, merged into one, and formed into a new being: Charon, Death itself. Upon Charon's birth, the earth shook and quaked and all the life began to drain away with the Higher One's corporal Self dying along with it. In order to protect the sacredness of life, the Higher One formed a Contract with Charon and broke It up into innumerable pieces.
So then the Higher One took the shards of Charon and placed them in hosts among mankind, and when the Nothingness entered the essence of the Higher One fled, for He, in His holiness, could not stand the presence of Charon, like It quelled in the presence of Him. So when the Higher One left the host was left hollow and empty, their humanity stripped away. The first charons were born.
For some time, peace reigned – an era where no death came and no disease existed. Yet within the hosts, Charon stirred and leaked out Death upon the world, and in its wake, evil was born, polluting the hearts of men. Swiftly the men turned on one another and the death of mankind was all but assured.
Among the people of the time was one known as Jotelin, who held Commune with the Higher One. So Jotelin told Him, "Let us suppress the Death held within the charons as you have suppressed the might of Charon – through the use of a Contract. May all charons be bound to a contract, which holds the Spirit of the Contract, to a human, a living being, whom Your Essence fills."
Yet the bombs still fell and mankind and all its civilizations shattered, yet as Charon rose to make the Earth barren Jotelin started on a quest to find charons to enter into contracts with. Only when all pieces of Charon are found on Earth and are subjugated under a contract will evil be eradicated and peace return once more to the shattered earth.
However, charons could only be identified by Jotelin’s discerning eye, and, as a human, Jotelin too would die. And so he was enlightened by the Higher One on the Three Ways – the three means to extend life, and therefore continue with his mission from the Higher One. The first way, the Advancement Program, was used to force ghoulification and remove the Haylick Limit. The Second, the Enforcement Program, was used to graft power armor to the skin and artificially enhance life, however, with both ways, death could still come.
It was the Third Way, Jotelin’s Way, which uncovered the way to immortality. And it is that Way that Jotelin uses to complete his own divinity and dispense that same eternal life to the Circle, the highest ranking officers in the Order. The same men who have worked and strived by his side since time immemorial, and, since his incarnation, since before the bombs dropped. Since then the First Holder, the Alpha Holder, He Who Communes With the Higher One, The Walker of the Way of Three Paths, Jotelin Himself has been gathering charons and has been instructing them in the way of charonism.
So, in conclusion, the system presented in the previous section, known as the Creed, initially compels the charon to obey the Holder, for in doing so the charon suppresses its own inner Nothingness which has not only influenced men to do evil but also creates disasters, such as the Great War, that lets Charon be one step closer to bringing extinction to all life. Furthermore, by acting under the orders of a Holder, this inherent Nothingness, the very nature of Death, can then be used for a holy purpose. For more information about the Creed and the doctrines of charonism refer to your charon for relevant details.
Note: The Creed above not only serves as a listing of the basic doctrines of charonism but also acts as a identifying marker to determine that this document is, in fact, genuine and not a forgery in the case that such a fact need be determined. The identifying markers in the Creed can vary from: cursive penmanship, block lettering, and distinctions in the fonts.
C. Psychological Conditioning
1. Memory Wiping
The first step in psychologically conditioning a charon to follow a Holder is to ensure that they have no other secondary influences. Preferably, this means that the charon is initiated into the Order at birth or, at the latest, early childhood. Unfortunately, due to the sparse population more often then not any child that can be found is taken in. In order to avoid any future complications all family members and friends of the child are then eliminated. If the child is accompanied by another child then both are taken in, but neither will have any more interaction with one another.
Once all ties have been cut, the next phase is to ensure that the charon has a complete memory wipe. This is achieved in a number of ways. Firstly, the Order finds out the child's entire past: name, date of birth, place of birth, biological parents, caretakers if orphaned or abandoned, likes, dislikes, ect. In essence, discover all information which the charon, incorrectly, assumes determines and defines who they are as an individual. After each memory wipe questions such as, "What is your name?", "How old are you?", "What do your parents look like?" are then asked. If the charon shows any signs of recollection, then more memory wipes are done, if the charon shows no recollection then a final memory wipe will then occur as a precautionary measure. As for the methods done to create a full scale memory wipe, this is done in two primary ways:
First, the charon is administered the drug U0126 and Jet, the second of which is a post-war narcotic and so possesses no scientific name. Jet enhances the effects of U0126 so that not only are multiple memories erased but are wiped out instantaneously. Second, the charon is anesthetized and undergoes brain surgery on the specific memory centers of the brain.
2. Positive Reinforcement and Punishment
Immediately after the procedure is over, the charon is then introduced to its first Holder, who is, traditionally, a ranking officer among the Order of Jotelin. At that point, the actual, physical form of the contract will not exist, and will remain as such until the charon is far enough along in the indoctrination process for it to write out the original draft. Nevertheless, the charon will be taught to reverence the Holder as the embodiment of the Higher One and the possessor of the Spirit of the Contract, along as be taught about the other doctrines of the Creed and learn both primary and secondary skills. This process, known as the indoctrination process, traditionally takes place over the course of six years. If the charon is incorporated into other programs within the Order, such as the Advancement Program, that time is then lengthened.
After introduction to the Holder, the charon will then remain secluded and isolated from any and all interaction with others outside of the Holder. The first step the Holder then takes is to establish a sense of complete power and control over the charon. Due to a child's natural inclination to obey adult authoritative figures, there is already a foundation off which to build the psychological conditioning off of.
Though the charon contains no memories of its past self, it still retains qualities which one would deem as childlike. These qualities include the desire to play, have close, physical contact, short attention-spans and other bodily needs such as needing to eat, drink and excrete. The first lesson that the Holder teaches is that none of the charon's desires matter. That it can only play when the Holder allows it to, be hugged only when and if the Holder deems it necessary and by whomever the Holder deems necessary, and will only be able to satisfy bodily needs when the Holder permits.
Throughout the course of the indoctrination process, whenever the charon successfully obeys, the action is reinforced either verbally with comments such as "You are learning well.", "You are improving." and "Your actions have pleased the Higher One and the Order." Eventually, however, such comments need not be said and should not be said for the charon is expected to obey and do so without expecting compensation of any sort. Other positive reinforcement can come in the forms of allowing the charon to choose what type of meal it can have for the day or introducing it to a particularly desired primary or secondary skill that it had wished to learn. However, all forms of positive reinforcement pose as hazards. As noted previously, in the first, should compliments be used too frequently the charon may come to the conclusion that its behavior should be noticed and that on its own it can do deeds of worth. In the second and third scenarios, there are the risks of the charon forming its own preferences, in desiring certain meals and/or lessons over others. Due to this, often the charon must undergo a second memory wipe at the end of the indoctrination process in order for to suppress any blossoming form of individuality and self in the earlier, less secure, stages.
More often than not, during the indoctrination process, the charon will be punished for failing to successfully follow out an order. Very rarely is this because of flat – out disobedience, for, unlike many human children, charons do not undergo a stage of rebellion against their primary authority figures, but rather the charons face punishment for only fulfilling an order in part and not fully. In the earlier stages in the indoctrination process, this could mean telling the charon to refrain from relieving itself until after the lecture is over but accidentally wetting itself anyway to going over the limit in a timed combat practice session in the later stages.
There are two types of punishment. Personal punishment, which the Holder inflicts on his or her charon and federal punishment, which a superior officer of the Order makes the charon undergo. The primary tool for personal punishment would be the shock collars that are bound to each of the charons' necks. Similarly, each Holder has in their possession the remote to that collar and they can activate it at will and place it at any desired voltage up to the point, of course, that the shock does not become lethal. For the greater the act of disobedience and the frequency in which the orders are disobeyed the higher the voltage becomes. In extreme cases, the Holder may decide to result to a beating along with usage of the collar.
Federal punishment, on the other hand, occurs when a charon disobeys an order which can affect the Order as a whole. In this case, the lightest form of punishment comes in the form of a high voltage shock and an extensive beating. These acts of disobedience are officially known as Violations, a Level Five Violation being the most minor and a Level One being the most serious, which results in an immediate invalidation of the contract and extermination of the charon.
Note: Any listed Violations will be noted here.
D. Induced Addiction-Like Symptom (IALS)
Put simply, an Induced Addiction-Like Symptom or IALS for short is a compulsion which compels a charon to obey the Holder because obedience itself is similar to an addiction for the charon, complete with a "high" which is a state of inner contentment much like a euphoria and psychological and physical withdraw symptoms, which include tremors and in extreme cases seizures. The IALS is incorporated into the charon after the final phase in the indoctrination process during the second memory wipe. During the second surgery, a piece of pre-war technology known only as the Chip in the Order is implanted into the charon's brain. This chip both creates the IALS and genetically modifies the charon.
E. Genetic Modification
The final compulsion, as mentioned earlier, is created within the charon due to the presence of the Chip within the charon's brain. The power of the Chip is such that so long as the charon is in a state of perpetual obedience it will continual to fuel the body with additional strength for the muscles, tissues, bones and the very cells themselves, so that the charon can display clearly inhuman feats, such as, but not limited to, enhanced senses, increased speed and agility, increased endurance and greater physical strength. However, should the charon somehow overcome all the other compulsions to be able to disobey an order the Chip will automatically shut down creating not only an incredible drain in strength and energy but also causing extreme physical and mental pain also. Furthermore, immediately after the pain subsides withdrawal symptoms of the IALS will appear. Depending on the circumstances, such an episode may prove fatal.
IV. The Limitations
1. Any order that conflicts with the First Primary Objective. (i.e. shoot me, hold my head under the water, ect.)
2. Any order that conflicts with the Third Primary Objective. (i.e. cut your throat, walk into the raider base unarmed, ect.)
3. Any order that is clearly impossible to perform. (i.e. walk on water, turn the sky another color, ect.)
4. Any order that threatens the sovereignty of the Spirit of the Contract. (i.e. No longer obey orders, form and/or state opinions/preferences, ect.)
V. Skills
Due to being genetically modified organisms or GMOs all charons have a high pain threshold, physical strength and increased agility and speed. They also all possess at least a single long ranged weapon skill, a midrange weapon skill and a close range weapon skill. The skill set below will be separated into primary skills (combat related and survival related) and secondary skills (non-combat oriented).
A. Primary Skills
B. Secondary Skills
Note: Due to the Advancement Program, ones who have undergone forced ghoulification will possesses these additional skills.
1. Instant Regeneration (When in contact with a irradiated substance)
2. Immunity to diseases and poisons.
3. Removal of the Hayflick Limit (Immunity to death by old age)
VI. The Advancement Program
The Advancement Program is one of three programs, the Ways, started by He Who Communes With The Higher One, Jotelin Himself, and its primary purpose was to find a way to significantly lengthen the lifespans of his followers. Though due to the excruciating pain that goes alongside with forced ghoulification there is a small risk of a charon's faith and psychological conditioning faltering. Due to this, only a select few are incorporated into the Advancement Program and they are typically charons who possess a strong hold on their faith and a fierce loyalty to the Order. Other reasons to be introduced into the Advancement Program are if the charon has a physical appearance which is remarkably above average and thus is a factor that needs to be eliminated and as a punishment for Level 2 Violations, which results in near instantaneous ghoulification.
VII. The Powered Infantry Armor Brigade
The Powered Infantry Armor Brigade, or the Enforcement Program, the Second Way, is a division within the Order. The Brigade itself is made up of thirteen Holders and charons who are recognized among the Order for their combat skills. Members of this Brigade have the distinction of being able to wear and maintain Powered Infantry Armor, also known as Power Armor. However, unlike most power armors, those worn by the charons cannot be taken off, as it is grafted into their skin in an effort to create cybernetics. The Brigade serve as the primary bodyguards of Jotelin Himself and are also sent on high prioritized missions for the Order. As such they have certain liberties and benefits among their fellow charons that must be carefully observed. Should a charon be in this Brigade the type of power armor melded to it will be listed below.
The Contract
Introduction:
The following document records the newly formed collaboration between the Holder of this contract and the charon which is beholden and bound to the agreement between both parties – the upper, being the Holder who holds the essence of the Higher One and can Commune with Him in part, and the lower, being this charon, who – like all of their ilk – was formed out of the collected Nothingness at the Beginning.
As the Holder, and therefore the current possessor of the Spirit of the Contract and one of the embodiment of He who exists in all human beings, your charon is fourfold compelled to obey your every order and whim with but a few exceptions. The fourfold compulsions are thus: belief, psychological conditioning, Induced Addiction-Like Symptoms and genetic modification. The previously mentioned compulsions and the limitations in the dominance of the contract over the charon shall be mentioned in greater length in sections III and IV respectively.
The Primaries
A. The First Primary
The primary objective, and indeed, the very purpose of the charon is to ensure the continual life of the Holder, for as long as that time shall be. Due to this, in terms of skills, talents, abilities and knowledge the greatest emphasis is placed on combat oriented ones. For example, a charon's primary skills could range from the handling of short-ranged, small arms to the operating of heavy ballistic weapons. For information on this one's primary combat skills, along with all secondary skills and general knowledge, please turn to section V.
B. The Second Primary
The second primary objective is to meet all the wants and needs of the Holder. This ranges from basic survival needs – like the gathering of food, the elimination of hostiles, the scavenging of supplies and the finding of strategically defensible shelter, to mundane ones, like being able to do menial labor and manage the stock and inventory for stores, to even sexual ones – be it simple sexual intercourse or more unique sexual fetishes with the exception of sadomasochist fetishes due to the possibility of harm to either or both parties. Though, in cases where the Holder and the charon are of opposite genders, not all charons are sterile so there is risk of unwanted conception.
Since a charon will follow any and all orders save for the given exceptions the Holder can order the charon to do acts that have been traditionally considered crimes in most societies, like theft, sexual assault, covert and overt assassinations and the conducting of torture to name a few.
Note: If a charon has been incorporated into the Advancement Program, it will undergo forced ghoulification and become sterile as one of the results. See section VI for more details.
C. The Third Primary
The last main objective of the charon is to ensure its own continual existence. In many cases this objective coincides with the initial, and most prominent, primary objective – that is to secure the survival of the Holder. For example, should the Holder put both parties into a situation where his or her continual life and the charon's continual existence is at risk the charon will be compelled to state the probability of coming out of the encounter unscathed (depending on the charon's level of competence in mathematics this may be an exact percentage or an approximate estimation) and will, with permission, list alternative actions that can be taken to accomplish the Holder's goal.
The Secondaries
A. The First Secondary
The first of the secondary objectives is to maintain, via practice, combat efficiency. This varies from charon to charon by their various specialties. For example, a charon who is an expert at explosives may require a fully functional lab in order to practice the creation of small explosives like pipe-bombs and frag grenades. In most cases, practice takes place in the form of a shooting range for the charon's weapon of choice.
This, like the other two secondaries, can be utterly controlled and manipulated by the Holder, to the point where the time, place, the nature of the practice and the length of time devoted to the practice can be decided. The Holder can even demand that no practice be done in order to manage the time that would have been spent for another purpose entirely, but only to the point where it does not interfere with the first and/or third primary.
B. The Second Secondary
The second of the secondary objectives deals with the primary necessities for the continuance of the charon's existence. Nourishment, rest and excrement being the optimal three. Once more the Holder can decide the time, place and, in regards to nourishment, the type of diet for the charon. Furthermore, the Holder may choose how little or how much time the charon can devote to each, but only to the point where it does not interfere with the third primary.
C. The Third Secondary
The last of the secondaries is the upkeep of all other secondary skills, outside of combat oriented ones. For all charons this includes the ability to read and write, which is a necessary tool in order to recreate the material embodiment of the contract should it ever be lost or destroyed. Once more, the time, place and length of time spent on the maintenance can be determined by the Holder. Furthermore, as the Holder, you can order the charon to focus on certain existing secondary skills as well as have the charon devote time to acquiring new skills of the Holder's preference. All adjustments to either primary or secondary skills shall then be added into the contract by the charon. As mentioned previously, a list of this one's primary abilities, that is, the combat oriented ones, and secondary abilities can be found in section V.
The Compulsions
A. The Purpose
The purpose behind the promoting and reinforcement of the compulsions mentioned in the introduction is threefold: for the gathering of charons to suppress their inner Nothingness, for the creation of supremely loyal soldiers so that the Death within them may be used for the usage of the Higher One, and so that the human can receive service from the charons who are beneath them as is their due.
B. Belief
For the charons who have been raised within the Order of Jotelin they have all formed a set of beliefs which is formally known as charonism. This faith is a monotheistic religion with pantheistic touches to it. The basic belief system of charonism is as follows:
In the Beginning, there was Nothing. Then, the Higher One, known throughout the ages by many names and even reverenced as multiple gods, formed the universe out of the void and filled it with life. But then He saw the life was empty and hollow, and so He filled it. All life, from the smallest of ants to the ancient trees and lastly the sentient man – all He filled and made sacred.
But then the Nothingness collected, merged into one, and formed into a new being: Charon, Death itself. Upon Charon's birth, the earth shook and quaked and all the life began to drain away with the Higher One's corporal Self dying along with it. In order to protect the sacredness of life, the Higher One formed a Contract with Charon and broke It up into innumerable pieces.
So then the Higher One took the shards of Charon and placed them in hosts among mankind, and when the Nothingness entered the essence of the Higher One fled, for He, in His holiness, could not stand the presence of Charon, like It quelled in the presence of Him. So when the Higher One left the host was left hollow and empty, their humanity stripped away. The first charons were born.
For some time, peace reigned – an era where no death came and no disease existed. Yet within the hosts, Charon stirred and leaked out Death upon the world, and in its wake, evil was born, polluting the hearts of men. Swiftly the men turned on one another and the death of mankind was all but assured.
Among the people of the time was one known as Jotelin, who held Commune with the Higher One. So Jotelin told Him, "Let us suppress the Death held within the charons as you have suppressed the might of Charon – through the use of a Contract. May all charons be bound to a contract, which holds the Spirit of the Contract, to a human, a living being, whom Your Essence fills."
Yet the bombs still fell and mankind and all its civilizations shattered, yet as Charon rose to make the Earth barren Jotelin started on a quest to find charons to enter into contracts with. Only when all pieces of Charon are found on Earth and are subjugated under a contract will evil be eradicated and peace return once more to the shattered earth.
However, charons could only be identified by Jotelin’s discerning eye, and, as a human, Jotelin too would die. And so he was enlightened by the Higher One on the Three Ways – the three means to extend life, and therefore continue with his mission from the Higher One. The first way, the Advancement Program, was used to force ghoulification and remove the Haylick Limit. The Second, the Enforcement Program, was used to graft power armor to the skin and artificially enhance life, however, with both ways, death could still come.
It was the Third Way, Jotelin’s Way, which uncovered the way to immortality. And it is that Way that Jotelin uses to complete his own divinity and dispense that same eternal life to the Circle, the highest ranking officers in the Order. The same men who have worked and strived by his side since time immemorial, and, since his incarnation, since before the bombs dropped. Since then the First Holder, the Alpha Holder, He Who Communes With the Higher One, The Walker of the Way of Three Paths, Jotelin Himself has been gathering charons and has been instructing them in the way of charonism.
So, in conclusion, the system presented in the previous section, known as the Creed, initially compels the charon to obey the Holder, for in doing so the charon suppresses its own inner Nothingness which has not only influenced men to do evil but also creates disasters, such as the Great War, that lets Charon be one step closer to bringing extinction to all life. Furthermore, by acting under the orders of a Holder, this inherent Nothingness, the very nature of Death, can then be used for a holy purpose. For more information about the Creed and the doctrines of charonism refer to your charon for relevant details.
Note: The Creed above not only serves as a listing of the basic doctrines of charonism but also acts as a identifying marker to determine that this document is, in fact, genuine and not a forgery in the case that such a fact need be determined. The identifying markers in the Creed can vary from: cursive penmanship, block lettering, and distinctions in the fonts.
C. Psychological Conditioning
1. Memory Wiping
The first step in psychologically conditioning a charon to follow a Holder is to ensure that they have no other secondary influences. Preferably, this means that the charon is initiated into the Order at birth or, at the latest, early childhood. Unfortunately, due to the sparse population more often then not any child that can be found is taken in. In order to avoid any future complications all family members and friends of the child are then eliminated. If the child is accompanied by another child then both are taken in, but neither will have any more interaction with one another.
Once all ties have been cut, the next phase is to ensure that the charon has a complete memory wipe. This is achieved in a number of ways. Firstly, the Order finds out the child's entire past: name, date of birth, place of birth, biological parents, caretakers if orphaned or abandoned, likes, dislikes, ect. In essence, discover all information which the charon, incorrectly, assumes determines and defines who they are as an individual. After each memory wipe questions such as, "What is your name?", "How old are you?", "What do your parents look like?" are then asked. If the charon shows any signs of recollection, then more memory wipes are done, if the charon shows no recollection then a final memory wipe will then occur as a precautionary measure. As for the methods done to create a full scale memory wipe, this is done in two primary ways:
First, the charon is administered the drug U0126 and Jet, the second of which is a post-war narcotic and so possesses no scientific name. Jet enhances the effects of U0126 so that not only are multiple memories erased but are wiped out instantaneously. Second, the charon is anesthetized and undergoes brain surgery on the specific memory centers of the brain.
2. Positive Reinforcement and Punishment
Immediately after the procedure is over, the charon is then introduced to its first Holder, who is, traditionally, a ranking officer among the Order of Jotelin. At that point, the actual, physical form of the contract will not exist, and will remain as such until the charon is far enough along in the indoctrination process for it to write out the original draft. Nevertheless, the charon will be taught to reverence the Holder as the embodiment of the Higher One and the possessor of the Spirit of the Contract, along as be taught about the other doctrines of the Creed and learn both primary and secondary skills. This process, known as the indoctrination process, traditionally takes place over the course of six years. If the charon is incorporated into other programs within the Order, such as the Advancement Program, that time is then lengthened.
After introduction to the Holder, the charon will then remain secluded and isolated from any and all interaction with others outside of the Holder. The first step the Holder then takes is to establish a sense of complete power and control over the charon. Due to a child's natural inclination to obey adult authoritative figures, there is already a foundation off which to build the psychological conditioning off of.
Though the charon contains no memories of its past self, it still retains qualities which one would deem as childlike. These qualities include the desire to play, have close, physical contact, short attention-spans and other bodily needs such as needing to eat, drink and excrete. The first lesson that the Holder teaches is that none of the charon's desires matter. That it can only play when the Holder allows it to, be hugged only when and if the Holder deems it necessary and by whomever the Holder deems necessary, and will only be able to satisfy bodily needs when the Holder permits.
Throughout the course of the indoctrination process, whenever the charon successfully obeys, the action is reinforced either verbally with comments such as "You are learning well.", "You are improving." and "Your actions have pleased the Higher One and the Order." Eventually, however, such comments need not be said and should not be said for the charon is expected to obey and do so without expecting compensation of any sort. Other positive reinforcement can come in the forms of allowing the charon to choose what type of meal it can have for the day or introducing it to a particularly desired primary or secondary skill that it had wished to learn. However, all forms of positive reinforcement pose as hazards. As noted previously, in the first, should compliments be used too frequently the charon may come to the conclusion that its behavior should be noticed and that on its own it can do deeds of worth. In the second and third scenarios, there are the risks of the charon forming its own preferences, in desiring certain meals and/or lessons over others. Due to this, often the charon must undergo a second memory wipe at the end of the indoctrination process in order for to suppress any blossoming form of individuality and self in the earlier, less secure, stages.
More often than not, during the indoctrination process, the charon will be punished for failing to successfully follow out an order. Very rarely is this because of flat – out disobedience, for, unlike many human children, charons do not undergo a stage of rebellion against their primary authority figures, but rather the charons face punishment for only fulfilling an order in part and not fully. In the earlier stages in the indoctrination process, this could mean telling the charon to refrain from relieving itself until after the lecture is over but accidentally wetting itself anyway to going over the limit in a timed combat practice session in the later stages.
There are two types of punishment. Personal punishment, which the Holder inflicts on his or her charon and federal punishment, which a superior officer of the Order makes the charon undergo. The primary tool for personal punishment would be the shock collars that are bound to each of the charons' necks. Similarly, each Holder has in their possession the remote to that collar and they can activate it at will and place it at any desired voltage up to the point, of course, that the shock does not become lethal. For the greater the act of disobedience and the frequency in which the orders are disobeyed the higher the voltage becomes. In extreme cases, the Holder may decide to result to a beating along with usage of the collar.
Federal punishment, on the other hand, occurs when a charon disobeys an order which can affect the Order as a whole. In this case, the lightest form of punishment comes in the form of a high voltage shock and an extensive beating. These acts of disobedience are officially known as Violations, a Level Five Violation being the most minor and a Level One being the most serious, which results in an immediate invalidation of the contract and extermination of the charon.
Note: Any listed Violations will be noted here.
D. Induced Addiction-Like Symptom (IALS)
Put simply, an Induced Addiction-Like Symptom or IALS for short is a compulsion which compels a charon to obey the Holder because obedience itself is similar to an addiction for the charon, complete with a "high" which is a state of inner contentment much like a euphoria and psychological and physical withdraw symptoms, which include tremors and in extreme cases seizures. The IALS is incorporated into the charon after the final phase in the indoctrination process during the second memory wipe. During the second surgery, a piece of pre-war technology known only as the Chip in the Order is implanted into the charon's brain. This chip both creates the IALS and genetically modifies the charon.
E. Genetic Modification
The final compulsion, as mentioned earlier, is created within the charon due to the presence of the Chip within the charon's brain. The power of the Chip is such that so long as the charon is in a state of perpetual obedience it will continual to fuel the body with additional strength for the muscles, tissues, bones and the very cells themselves, so that the charon can display clearly inhuman feats, such as, but not limited to, enhanced senses, increased speed and agility, increased endurance and greater physical strength. However, should the charon somehow overcome all the other compulsions to be able to disobey an order the Chip will automatically shut down creating not only an incredible drain in strength and energy but also causing extreme physical and mental pain also. Furthermore, immediately after the pain subsides withdrawal symptoms of the IALS will appear. Depending on the circumstances, such an episode may prove fatal.
IV. The Limitations
1. Any order that conflicts with the First Primary Objective. (i.e. shoot me, hold my head under the water, ect.)
2. Any order that conflicts with the Third Primary Objective. (i.e. cut your throat, walk into the raider base unarmed, ect.)
3. Any order that is clearly impossible to perform. (i.e. walk on water, turn the sky another color, ect.)
4. Any order that threatens the sovereignty of the Spirit of the Contract. (i.e. No longer obey orders, form and/or state opinions/preferences, ect.)
V. Skills
Due to being genetically modified organisms or GMOs all charons have a high pain threshold, physical strength and increased agility and speed. They also all possess at least a single long ranged weapon skill, a midrange weapon skill and a close range weapon skill. The skill set below will be separated into primary skills (combat related and survival related) and secondary skills (non-combat oriented).
A. Primary Skills
B. Secondary Skills
Note: Due to the Advancement Program, ones who have undergone forced ghoulification will possesses these additional skills.
1. Instant Regeneration (When in contact with a irradiated substance)
2. Immunity to diseases and poisons.
3. Removal of the Hayflick Limit (Immunity to death by old age)
VI. The Advancement Program
The Advancement Program is one of three programs, the Ways, started by He Who Communes With The Higher One, Jotelin Himself, and its primary purpose was to find a way to significantly lengthen the lifespans of his followers. Though due to the excruciating pain that goes alongside with forced ghoulification there is a small risk of a charon's faith and psychological conditioning faltering. Due to this, only a select few are incorporated into the Advancement Program and they are typically charons who possess a strong hold on their faith and a fierce loyalty to the Order. Other reasons to be introduced into the Advancement Program are if the charon has a physical appearance which is remarkably above average and thus is a factor that needs to be eliminated and as a punishment for Level 2 Violations, which results in near instantaneous ghoulification.
VII. The Powered Infantry Armor Brigade
The Powered Infantry Armor Brigade, or the Enforcement Program, the Second Way, is a division within the Order. The Brigade itself is made up of thirteen Holders and charons who are recognized among the Order for their combat skills. Members of this Brigade have the distinction of being able to wear and maintain Powered Infantry Armor, also known as Power Armor. However, unlike most power armors, those worn by the charons cannot be taken off, as it is grafted into their skin in an effort to create cybernetics. The Brigade serve as the primary bodyguards of Jotelin Himself and are also sent on high prioritized missions for the Order. As such they have certain liberties and benefits among their fellow charons that must be carefully observed. Should a charon be in this Brigade the type of power armor melded to it will be listed below.