Unseen Library

Lowlifers

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The Lowlifers are one of the factions of Aeroclysm. Well known as pirates and improvisors, they are generally held to be an effective but unreliable at best ally.

The origin of the Lowlifers was in a genetic punishment implemented by a piece of lostech, used by the Sovereignty as a condemnation of not just a single person but their entire bloodline. Treatment with this lostech would plant a sort of bloodline curse on the target. Not only would the victim die due to total organ collapse before their 25th birthday, but they would inherit a visible mark (the Black Spot) which would identify them publicly. The Sovereignty used this as a way to punish the young who were wrapped up in their parents or relatives crimes. It was often presented as being "kinder" than simply executing children, though to what extent that "kindness" was actually just an excuse is up to the observer.

The Black Spot appears on the body in whatever place has the greatest turnover of skin cells, so often it appears on the palms of the hands, the soles of the feet, or similar.

Those who have received the genetic punishment have usually gone on to taking on risky professions, earning them a kind of gambler mentality amongst the populace. Notably, many of those suffering from the curse have found each other and entered into partnerships, knowing that only other sufferers will understand. This has inevitably led to a large number of second- and third-generation children, who have inherited the curse from their parents.

Rumors state that it is possible to stave off total organ collapse via the simple expedient of replacing large sections of the body. For this reason, certain sufferers have taken to vivisection and organ harvesting. The most consistent thing needed appears to be a steady supply of fresh blood, implying that the damage done by the punishment takes place through the blood itself. While decoding the text related to this lostech, the Sovereignty came across a word that is incomprehensible but seems somehow relevant. "Prion".

Eventually, those suffering from the punishment begin to come together in larger and larger groups, slowly coalescing into a live-fast-die-young group. No one knows where the name "Lowlifers" came from exactly. Over time, the Lowlifers transformed more and more from a ragtag collection of people into a criminal organization, able to control territory and establish outposts. While they all still begin to die abruptly at the age of 25, the organization itself lives on and provides a sort of immortality for those suffering from the curse of the Black Spot. Their slow ascent into a force to be reckoned with (and their willingness to make do with whatever they can scavenge) makes them dangerous and unpredictable.

Their ships are jerry-rigged monstrosities of random metal.

Lowlifer Forces

Specialized Infantry

Jailbirds

The Jailbirds perform daring feats of flight.