In 1920, a team of Russian geologists embarked on an expedition to one of the most remote
regions of Siberia.
A tremendous explosion was reputed to have taken place roughly a decade earlier, one
that had flattened entire forests for hundreds of miles.
Upon reaching the Tunguska River, the expedition’s guides would go no further, fearing what they
called the “Valleymen” and speaking of superstitious tales of vengeful gods who slaughtered
the surrounding wildlife.
Only a scant few traces of the expedition were ever recovered after they disappeared,
but even as the Russian Empire retreated into isolationism and ties with the outside world
were severed, strange tales started emanating from the reclusive nation.
European intelligence services began reporting hundreds of ghost towns, entire cities abandoned,
strange weather patterns and mysterious lights seen in the night skies.
In 1948, the broadcasts of the twelve thousand transmitter stations that constituted the
Russian radio network were replaced by a single looping phrase; "Brotherhood, strength, and
fortitude...in the face of the angry night".
Theories were rampant as to the cause of the Russian situation, and included a biological
or chemical disaster, some new type of weapon, or even Russian experiments.
But when the true nature of this threat was revealed, and broke through the Russian border
fortifications and spread across the world, it was far worse than anyone could have imagined.
They are known by many names, in Russia as the “Angry Night”, in Italy as the “Deathless
Plague”, yet one other above all: “The Chimera”.
This monstrous alien race are not a single species but rather a collection of various
strains united under a caste based, hive-like mentality.
Each strain is the apparent result of a biological weapon known as the Chimeran Virus which mutates
and transforms humans and animals alike into new forms of hybridized life.
This is accomplished primarily through small, beetle like parasites, known as crawlers,
which inject the Virus into a victim's body, usually after entering through the nose or
mouth.
Crawlers are typically deployed into populated areas through the use of Spire Missiles which
can quickly infect entire cities in only a few hours.
Once these parasites have fully merged into the host, the victim will fall into a comatose
state, eventually transforming into one of the lower strains of the Chimeran Race.
To speed up this process, or to create more advanced strains, infected bodies are retrieved
and then taken to a network of conversion centers.
The Chimera fabricated here are far more capable variants than those created naturally and
are routinely augmented with cybernetic implants, most notably, external cooling mechanisms
which help offset the Chimera’s dangerously enhanced metabolism.
The most common Chimera Strains vaguely resemble humans although regularly include up to 3
pairs of golden eyes and greyish green skin.
Within the Chimera’s hierarchy these species fill the lowest tiers of the worker and warrior
castes.
The more advanced but less common Chimeran strains vary wildly in appearance, and often
fulfill a very distinct role or have been designed to function within a specific environment.
In rare instances, the Chimera have been known to reconstitute thousands or even tens of
thousands of human bodies into enormous creatures reaching heights of 300 feet or more.
In response to changing conditions or local resistance, certain Chimeran strains may be
phased out by newer and more effective variants within a relatively short amount of time.
Strains abandoned or cut off from the Chimeran hivemind revert to a bestial state and can
become hostile to their former kin.
Feral Chimera exhibit their own form of hierarchy and seem to disproportionately include the
more animalistic strains.
The exact relationship between the various species of the Chimeran virus remains only
partially explained, although generally, lesser strains serve higher ones who in turn exert
some method of control over them.
During their time on Earth, the Chimera have made use of several dedicated leadership strains
who use a type of telepathy to extend their influence.
In a unique occurance, a being known as Daedalus assumed sole command of the Chimera, replacing
much of the leadership caste that had come before.
The Chimeran ability to combine artificial and biological systems makes it difficult
to distinguish Chimeran life from their highly advanced technology.
They make use of a number of machines ranging from mobile siege platforms to enormous battleships
and support vehicles.
While these craft are known to include lesser Chimeran strains that serve as crew, it is
entirely possible that some of these machines themselves might possess an advanced intelligence
and in a sense, be alive.
Perhaps the strangest element of Chimeran technology are the immense towers which have
been uncovered across the world.
While the design of these monolithic structures is clearly alien in origin, they are excavated
from beneath the surface of the planet rather than built, suggesting the Chimera were active
on Earth sometime during the distant past.
Within months of the Chimera’s overrunning Europe, dozens of towers were excavated across
the continent and it soon became clear that they were interconnected, forming a vast planetary
network.
In several cases, larger “hub” towers were identified and destroyed by local resistance
groups, disrupting large sections of the network in the British Isles and Western Europe and
leaving the Chimera there scattered and leaderless.
Despite these setbacks, the Chimera were able to launch an enormous invasion of North America
and further extend their network.
Within the center of the Chicxulub Crater on the Yucatán Peninsula, the largest tower
of the network ever observed was uncovered, one that seemingly acted as the center of
the entire global apparatus.
Desperate to destroy this tower before the network could fulfill its ultimate purpose,
the last remaining military forces of the United States detonated an atomic bomb aboard
Deadalus’s flagship, destroying much of the fleet stationed there, but also inadvertently
triggering the network and opening a wormhole to the Chimera’s home planet.
With Earth completely under their control, numerous terraforming devices were placed
in orbit to slowly cool the planet and make it more suitable for Chimeran life.
In a last ditch attempt to save humanity, a terraformer located over the new center
of the network, New York City, was critically disabled, causing it to crash into the tower
below, closing the wormhole.
With the link to their planet severed, the terraforming process was halted and Earth’s
ecosystem began showing signs of recovery.
The victory in New York proved to be the beginning of the end of the Chimera and all across the
world resistance fighters began reclaiming the ruined cities of mankind.
This terrible enemy remains as much a mystery as ever and their defeat leaves behind only
unanswered questions.
Perhaps the most lingering mystery is if the Chimera have any true form or exist only as
hybrids born of other species.
Whether the so called “pure Chimera” are still out there, waiting in the stars, is
the subject of much debate, but the most haunting evidence for their existence can be found
in the final words of the man responsible for their eventual defeat.
“Can you hear them?
They are calling to us.
It's beautiful…
This is just the beginning"
The Templin Institute investigates nations, organizations, and factions from alternate worlds and realities.
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