In Search of Paradise, Prophet McNeil and the Binaric Temple

Genesis....

       The year was 1927, and times were good, technology and progress was the way to the future across the world, especially in New York, the city of tomorrow. Among the teeming masses of the great metropolis, none looked forwards to tomorrow more than John McNeil. Son of a Scots minister, McNeil had developed a knack for engineering and business, and had made a name for himself as a tinkerer and fixer of biplanes and automobiles. Graduating from NYU with a degree in engineering, McNeil founded a locomotive works where he both designed and built streamlined steamers for the New York Central RR, earning both a fortune and a name for himself as a designer of fine express locos.

      In 1931, McNeil fell off the platform at Grand Central and suffered a severe concussion that put him in the hospital for three months. He dipped in and out of consciousness during this time and while lucid would write sequences of numbers, binary code, that he later explained was how he perceived the world around him. After he was released from the hospital, McNeil Locomotive Works literally exploded with activity. In 1934 the world’s first electric express train, the Zeus, debuted at the Chicago World’s Fair arriving at Union Station under its own power though no one knew how it did so, being an unconventional design that worked, as McNeil called it, via “wireless”. Soon McNeil Wireless Locomotives we’re on every railroad throughout the nation, replacing steam in quick succession for nearly everything short of long freight trains which were too heavy for the Wireless’ small power output. 

       It was during this time that McNeil began to devote himself to more spiritual matters. Seeing the universe in ones and zeroes gave him a lot to ponder as he began to look at his father’s Bible and then to the Hebrew Torah looking for answers to life’s great mysteries. Learning Hebrew at a rapid pace (along with several other languages), McNeil noticed an odd pattern in the Torah. Almost exactly like the binary code that tied everything around him together. It was a predictive code at that. Working feverishly over the course of a year he discovered that binary and Hebrew could be interechanged almost seamlessly. He began writing out what he saw. Predictions. Prophecies. All manner of the secrets of the universe long withheld. With the rise of Nazi Germany, he foresaw a great and terrible war through the “Binaric Torah” and began to draw up designs and plans for a way to escape the coming world conflagration. 

      In 1939, the war he had expected to come began. By this time he had gathered a following of engineers, scholars, scientists, and even ministers and rabbis from all over the world to his grand project. Quietly selling off the locomotive works and bringing in the few employees who were not part of the “automated” process that McNeil had developed by now, the “Faithful” as they would be called by future generations, disappeared from the face of the earth mere moments before a massive Nazi airfleet bombed New York and turned the “Big Apple” to ash. Their passing was not missed by the inhabitants of the world as the nuclear fires of the Second Great War burned everything and everyone. And civilization was no more.

Exodus....

      In truth, the Faithful had been led through a great gate to a place far beyond the reach of earth and its warring nations. To a world beyond the edge of the night, named New Canaan,  by McNeil. Here was a world bountiful but also harsh. Tribes of creatures roamed it’s waste places and cities of alien design and otherworldly creatures ruled the fertile plains and valleys. McNeil sought the “Tor-Binaric” for guidance and wisdom and the Faithful obeyed. Becoming great in numbers, they multiplied and did not mix with the natives of that land for they were evil and treacherous. McNeil spoke to his congregation and prophesied saying that as long as they kept the Tor they would inherit the stars and none could stand before them, but should they fail to keep the Tor, they would be destroyed and overcome by their enemies. And he divided them into twelve Units, and each Unit had its Multiples, and they went under twelve standards into New Canaan and conquered the cities of the plain and made war with the inhabitants of the hill country and the even into the sea itself. Using their advanced technology to bring the world under their dominion. And when all was conquered and settled before them, they turned their hands to the labors of industry and created the great city of New Salem. A hive of wonders from which the Binaric Assembly judged and guided the Faithful now numbering in their millions. The Prophet McNeil guided his people for 105 years to new innovations and advances in technology before going to his eternal rest.

Students of the Temple performing ritual maintenance on the outer defenses of the ancient complex.

New Salem. Tech historians have preserved one of the earliest works of the Prophet, the streamline locomotive, which they use for educational purposes.

Lamentations and Revelations...

      In 2339, the Binaric Assembly, made a ruling on the use of artificial intelligence. As laid out in the Tor-Binaric, the truly autonomous AI was to be shunned and was forbidden, for the prediction that the Singularity would swallow up and destroy the souls of men. Alongside certain biomechanical enhancements to the human form which were also forbidden. The human “temple” was sacred and not to be violated with machinery that invaded the vessel of the “nephesh”, the soul. This did not sit well with some technocrats who sought to bring about the Singularity as they saw it as the final form of humanity and the “unification” with the Tor itself. Soon religious sects began to form and break away from the Binaric Temple. This began the “Time of Lamentation” as the Faithful split into those who preserved the teachings of the Tor and those who sought to twist them to bring about the Singularity. By this time the Twelve Units had spread themselves to hundreds of worlds across the northern sector of the galaxy. But rather than using ships for travel, they had mastered the Binaric codes so well that they used the Prophet’s Gate for interstellar travel. The ability to mathematically predict the presence of new worlds and then travel to and settle them gave the Faithful a powerful edge in conquering the galactic north. The Binaric Commonwealth was rent in two by the Singularity War. With hundreds of worlds falling to the fallacy of the “false prophets” as they were called by the Faithful, and many were enslaved or destroyed by the AI that came to be known as “The Adversary”. Since those dark times, a new Prophet has risen from among the Multiples of the Fourth Unit. Yoda Ben-Adam, who preaches a holy war to retake the lost worlds and re-establish the Tor-Binaric. As the Tor also prophesies that the Faithful shall inherit the stars this also means that the Commonwealth seeks to add new worlds to its Tech-Theocracy through war or peace and that the non-human should be destroyed as they are an anomaly to the Binaric code. Only the Council can foretell if their people are worthy enough to inherit the stars themselves.

Warriors of the Faithful fight against the automatons of the Singularity in the ruins of Bothal.0561

The Prophet John McNeil, ca 1935. The Father of the Commonwealth of the Twelve Units of Binary.

Krapp Armaments Fall Catalogue

     Welcome to the Krapp Armaments Fall 32 - - Catalogue. Here you’ll find the latest in Krapp quality arms and armor. It is our hope that Krapp Armaments and Industries can better serve you both on the battlefield and off.

Kampfwagens

Jaeger Pattern Scout Kampfwagen Mk V

Developed originally as a stealthy “hunter-killer” light tankette, the Jaeger Scout boasts a heavy armor piercing lascannon capable of punching through 15” armor plate. Speedy and reliable, the Jaeger’s tracked frame can negotiate the roughest terrain at a speed of around 80 mph.* 

Special Auxiliary Options include:

•Air conditioned crew compartment

•Safety Harness

•27” Armor Upgrade Package***

•Escape Hatch

Available from your local Krapp Arms dealer ** for less than K2,678,999.00****

*Most terrain. Some restrictions may apply

** Offer only available with purchase of ten or more.

*** Base model is unarmored

Arminius Pattern Heavy Kampfwagen Mk IX

Large, imposing, spacious interior, and deadly. This perfectly describes the Arminius. With fore and aft mounted heavy Kannonen MkXXI as well as additional heavy lascannon turrett mounts for anti infantry or anti tank support, the Arminius is the ultimate in medium speed assault armor. Boasting 48” armor plate and extra side mounted gun ports for you and your friends to safely engage in small arms fire with the competition. Arminius’ unique boxlike design also allows for the Krapp Email Order Academy of Military Arts standard tactic of the “Wagenburg” where each Arminius can be lined up end to end to form an impenetrable wall of lead and laser. Perfect for fortifying encampments on the go! With comfortable seating for ten passengers, or if you go with the B model package, spacious seating for four more!*

Options include:

•Sealed gas/bio proof gunports

•Deluxe K-seats**

•English/Galactic Standard labeled instrument panel***

Arminius MkIX A Model: K10,562,999.99

Arminius MkIX B Model: K9,435,999.98*

*B Model comes without ammunition storage hold.

** Base models come without seats

***Instruments labeled in Luxen Standardt/German

Taanstafl Pattern Super Heavy Kampfwagen MkII

Behold! The behemoth of the battlefield! The true super heavy tank of tomorrow’s armies. The Taanstafl is a state of the art, Krapp patented exclusive technological wunderwaffen. Boasting no less than four full field of fire rotating 8” UberKannonen Mk I turrets, fourteen heavy lascannon turrets, fourteen fully sealed gun ports, and the newest designed Krapp weapon, the Sturmlaser Heavy Seige Laskannonen MkII. The Sturmlaser is the weapon of choice for any emperor, generalissimo, or galactic conqueror in the making! Field tests of the Sturmlaser during the Karynthia Merger showed how our siege laser could slice through up to 40’ thick walls and melt the heaviest of Karynthian armored vehicles into piles of slag.* With crew seating for up to twenty, and additional compartment space for ten more, the Taanstafl can function as a proxy armored personnel carrier for dashing commanders in a tight spot. With 100” armor plating and a speed of over 50mph, the Taanstafl is a true titan of war.

Deluxe Options Include:

•Stereo Surround Wave Sound

•3DV Movie Player

•Additional K-View Security Camera Mounts for better visibility while crushing the competition.

Taanstafl MkII: K20,573,823,889.99

*Karynthian vehicles were labeled as unocuppied by our field research teams at the time. No Krapp personnel were harmed during field testing.

Artillerie

Thor Kannonen Mk III

The true foundation of the Krapp Armaments Firm lies in the very first high explosive artillery designed by our ingenious founder Matthias Von Krapp. The Thor continues that tradition of Krapp excellence with its 400” titanium steel barrel, K-Tech auto loader, K-Tech Precise Aim software (along with the tried and tested Krapp gunsight, a three century tradition of quality.). The standard reach of the Thor is rated to 40 miles, much farther than our competitors, with top rated ordinance, the Krapp Deathbringer Shell Mk VIII, and it’s nuclear equipped sister shell, the Krapp Armageddon Mk II. The latest development from Krapp Labs has also produced the vaunted Krapp Overwatch EMP Shell MkI for non lethal artillery strikes. (Also makes a great fireworks display!)

Options Include:

•Internal Noise Suppressors

•Radiation Shielding for Crew Compartment

•40” Armor Upgrade*

Thor Kannonen Mk III: K30,004,569.99

*Standard model comes with 20” armor plating.

[EXCLUSIVE END OF SUMMER SPECIAL! Buy now and receive two free Krapp Armageddon MkI shells for your first purchase!**] 

**Supplies limited, offer not available in the Samarkand Empire or its affiliate states.

Don’t forget! Each Krapp product purchased comes with a prefix code* to register for a free ten year warranty! 

*Krapp is not liable for replacement parts if prefix code is not registered. It is strongly advised prefix be registered with KrappStar emergency services for warranty to be valid. KrappStar reserves the right to deny access to Krapp technologies and products should misuse occur.

We at Krapp Armaments thank you for viewing our wonderful line of quality products and hope that you enjoy your Krapp experience. Remember, if it’s not Krapp, it’s probably junk!

****All prices are listed in Krappmarks (K)

An Overveiw of the Luxen Armed Forces, Personalities, and Krapp Foreign Policy

      It may surprise many readers to know that the Krapp firm has holdings that technically extend beyond the physical borders of the Grand Duchy of Luxendoom. Corporate holdings extend to numerous third party distributors, marketing agencies, shipping concerns (though these are mainly for the more local system deliveries of Krapp arms and other products extended to the far flung backwaters of the galactic fringe.), and even personnel and communications providers. Mining interests form the bulk of this vast outer network of affiliates (the Outer Circle, as it is officially known in the halls of the Luxen court/Grand Boardroom). Mining rights are extended to third party groups (such as the mercenary Forge Co., known for their asteroid mining enclaves, and diminutive stature.) due to the difficulties in obtaining those mines directly. Krapp Armaments maintains its high profit margin due to not having (officially) any factories, mines, or even shipping warehouses outside of Duchy borders.

      This allows Krapp to remain relatively free of foreign tariffs, taxes, and ill advised strategic positions when a planetary government suddenly decides to nationalize their natural resources. Having a third party mine for them while splitting the profits 80/20 with Krapp allows the firm to focus on internal properties. Only when a particular resource is absolutely vital to the manufacture of arms will the armored might of a Luxen expedition be dispatched to the offending system to persuade the locals of their error in judgement. And that in itself is usually a last resort after trade negotiations have broken down to an irreparable state. Once the order is dispatched, Luxen ground forces will fight with the finest of Krapp weaponry to secure the resource. This often, tragically, results in unfortunate casualties and the breakdown of civil order on the planet, resulting in the commander of the expedition to take on the responsibilities of peacemaker. If no effective parties to negotiate a new trade deal can be found, it is standard Krapp policy to absorb all planetary assets as reparations for the expense of the “Security Expedition” and all ineffective “management” of the newly acquired “asset” are “liquidated”. 

Luxen portrait of Krapp “security personnel” engaged in successful “peacekeeping measures” in Rambai City to secure plutonium deposits on the world of Xylon IV. The Xylonese are now happily employed in the “family” of Krapp Armaments. 

      That of course, is the rare exception to the general rule of the vast majority of worlds that happily trade with Krapp Armaments and purchase their quality products. Within the Grand Duchy, things are managed much more efficiently, with hundreds of factory worlds producing every conceivable weapon used in the known galaxy. Along with other, more peaceful, implements such as cookware, appliances, vehicles, even starships (though not on the level of the great shipbuilding firms GaelTech, and StarWays). Every person within the Grand Duchy is employed by the firm in some way or other. Even the children are technically employees in the making as their education is geared towards a future career in Krapp Armaments. The brighter, more promising students get the opportunity to further their education further up the chain of command within the factory world itself. With a very lucky few making their way up the corporate ladder to become “Planetary Executive Officers” or PEOs. If they have the pluck and tenacity to make it. The Von Krapp Dynasty encourages a healthy level of competition among the higher echelons of the firm to ensure only the most qualified are in charge. 

     Those that choose a more martial career enter into one of the three military schools for officer training. The Luxen Schlachtschule, based on Luxen itself on the outskirts of its capital city, Stahlburg. The Thyssendorf Military Academy, which was once in the heart of Thyssendorf’s old capital, Wotansburg, and after the siege during the Thysso-Luxen War now stands in the Karlskreig Mountains some fifty miles to the north. They also have the responsibility of training officers for the Luxen Ducal Navy. The third school is the Kurinia War College, outside of its capital, Lichtenhoff, has somewhat of a reputation as a school of hard knocks with something to prove, being that while the young graduates of the college called for war with Luxen during the Unification Wars, the Countess of Kurinia heeded her much wiser War Cabinet ministers and surrendered sovereignty to the advancing Luxen fleet heading for her planet. Ever since, the Kurinians have felt it a stain on their honor and each graduate of the war college vows to prove himself an unflinching warrior in the face of the enemy. Once again the Krapp belief in healthy competition is applied here as each military school vies for turning out the best and brightest tacticians for the Luxen military. 

Illustration from a training manual of Luxen Schlactshule cadets being taught to march in formation.  While pictcasts and digitized photos are the norm of almost every place in the galaxy, Luxendoom has an ancient tradition of older styles of artwork that they are very proud to keep up. This includes paintings and sketches of Luxen daily life.

     Every member of the Von Krapp House is required by tradition to serve a term in both the civilian and military sectors of Luxen society. With the heir apparent usually in the much coveted command of the I Battalion of the Ducal Guards, the elite of the Luxen armies. Lesser children of the dynasty serve in other branches such as the Navy. And all are required to work in the upper echelons of one of the local factory worlds where the Grand Duke can teach them the secrets of the family business. The current Heir Apparent of the Krapp Dynasty is Prinz Freiderich Augustus Karl Von Krapp, known to the men under his command as “Fritz”. 

Prinz Friederich in his Feldmarschall uniform.

       Another important branch of the Luxen Security Forces (the official name, but many of the officers and old soldiers call it by its older traditional name, the Luxen Ducal Army, for though Krapp Armaments “employs” the soldaten, the warrior spirit and traditions of the past beat strongly in the heart of the native born Luxen junker.) is the General Staff. Known on paper as the “Board of Security Directors”, this is but a thinly veiled attempt to rename the war cabinet as something more civilian to slip under the nose of galactic bureaucracy to hide the aggressive nature of Krapp “acquisitions” and “mergers”. Made up of the junker class of old Luxen (all of whom are “employed” as “execs with lifetime benefits” within the Krapp firm),  they are responsible for the planning of all major military actions undertaken by the Duchy. This is the heart of both the company and the Grand Duchy. For here is where the profit making decisions are made that decide the fate of worlds billions of miles away. Here also is where the betrayal of the old Zollernhoff dynasty occurred when Matthias Von Krapp bought off the junkers, including the “Iron Minister” Rudolph Von Starkheim. He was a “Realpolitik” junker who saw which way the wind of history was blowing and sided with Matthias and aided in the peaceful transition of power. His behind the scenes negotiating also helped lay the foundations of Krapp power by successfully arranging several “wars of acquisition”, as they were called in those days, to grab more land and resources for the new “factory world” concept that Matthias had engineered.

The Luxen General Staff during the reign of Duke Otto Von Zollernhoff, seen contemplating the next invasion during the Luxen Unification Wars.

The acclamation of Matthias as Grand Duke.

Rudolph the Iron Minister convincing Otto to step down as Grand Duke amidst the mutinied officers of the Luxen army. In truth, this scene is pure fantasy, as the real event was much more somber and behind closed doors. The mutinous soldaten were encamped on the palace grounds and guarding the outer halls nowhere to be seen. Luxen soldiers, even when rebelling, are a very disciplined lot.

Portrait of a soldat during the “Merger” on Karynthia. A three year campaign that cost the firm billions of Krappmarks, and the lives of many “security personnel”.  A civil war bled dry of money prompted the General Staff to look into the feasibility of acquiring Karynthia because of valuable deposites of titanium, cobalt, silver, and a rare crystal used in the Sturmlaser design. Karynthia is now a mining world.

The present day Luxen General Staff, trusted advisors of Alfred Von Krapp.

Cutaway of the “Arminius” Pattern Kampfwagen Mk I, from the Saxen-Luxen War. The modern Mk IX  variant has a vastly improved crew compartment with larger ordinance and a stronger power plant. 

A rare picture of Naval officers at attention aboard the Krapp flagship, “Matthias”.

General Rolf Von Bugdorfer, commander of the III Luxen Battalion. A ruthless and competent commander who has urged the use of bio weapons many times. Krapp Armaments has a strict policy regarding the manufacture and use of such devastating weaponry. In that they are dead set against it. Not for humanitarian reasons as is publicly thought, but because a gene virus or plague bomb attack gone awry might threaten to destroy whole galactic sectors and cut heavily into profit margins and even threaten production capacity were such deadly weapons to spread to a factory world. Alfred Von Krapp has even gone so far in his standing as a member of the Galactic Economic Council to ensure the other members were persuaded (via generous amounts of Krappmarks) to outlaw the manufacture and use of bio weapons of all types.

Prinz Hans Albert George Von Krapp, the younger son of Alfred, in the uniform of the Thyssen VIII Grenadiers. Foppish but not foolish, Hans has a grasp on military defense and many of his personal designs for prefab fortifications have been put into production by his father’s firm.

The sharp witted founder of the Krapp family fortune, Matthias Von Krapp. In the uniform of a Luxen feldmarschall shortly after his accession to the Ducal throne in a rare pic image.