Corius Rework True H.A.T

United States of H.A.T.

"It could be said that H.A.T is a rather blatant military dictatorship. I am aware that my fellows, beyond this world are all focused on that aspect. However, on the contrary we have brought many freedoms: freedom from spontaneous death, freedom from hunger, freedom from spontaneous death due to someone else's hunger etc, etc. Perhaps we are a bit heavy handed, but make no mistake: we are not yet ready to thrive. We are merely surviving."  - Director Ophis.

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A brief history:

The history of this particular world is rather muddy. 1500 years ago an invasion from another dimension of Corius, lead to a great struggle for the people of this land. Of course, they were not exactly unprepared, and thus retaliated, using whatever weapons, technology or sorcery was available to them at the time. Though it was a long and arduous conflict, the invading creatures: daemons, now wholly relegated to myth, were exterminated, and from their remains a source of energy (dream force, or daemon force in some cycles) was derived.

But even with a new source of energy that helped them advance, there were few people left behind. A military organization called H.A.T (nobody knows what it means. Asking what it means, ends up with the one asking 'disappearing') formed, and took charge, absorbing or disbanding all possible opposition, and founding twelve walled cities.

Most people live within such cities, safe on the inside. The air is conditioned to a proper temperature (the outside is awfully cold), storms and blizzards are kept away by forcefields, the water and food are clean, free of disease, medication is free and joblessness is rarely an issue.

The outside is now home to bandits, animals of any sorts and naturally forming daemons, who are not much better than the later, most of the time. Some attempts to guard it, by voluntary groups, the Outrider Corps, however not even they can survey the entirety of the territory, especially when the icy north progresses south, into treacherous mountain passes and stony wastelands.

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Life inside and outside the United Cities of H.A.T

The military-like H.A.T assigns a 'general' to each city, that also conducts his, her or it's own business within H.A.T aside from handling the big decisions associated with the city. The military structure extends to other functions within the city as well. People often do not have to deal with it.

Conflict is handled rather uniquely, everyone can purchase (for a relatively hefty price), gems, which contain within them, sealed impressions of the long extinct daemons, rebuilt with the use of dream force, lacking true sentience, and totally obedient to the bearer of the gem.

These gems have been smuggled outside the cities, unfortunately, and bandits have been able to grab a hold of them. Fortunately, the Corps is on good terms with H.A.T when it comes to keeping bandits away (some cynics would say this is the H.A.T's doing, keeping the Corps out there, with the bandits, rather than having their influence closer to the cities).

The cities themselves are fairly safe, and crime is rarely an issue. Rebellion or dissent exists, of course, outside the walls, and far to the south, beyond even the great rocky wastes, and into what most assume to be a vast desert, or jungle or perhaps even the ocean. H.A.T has forbidden travel so far away, after all it would be exceedingly dangerous.

Criminal elements of society are a rare sight. People vanishing however, are a prevalent happening. The two events described are absolutely not correlated, and asking about the vanishing people is considered to be unwise. One can usually find comfort within the city walls, as long as they keep away from H.A.T business, all said, and that tends not to be difficult to do. The outside is...an entirely different matter. While H.A.T can be a little overzealous, there is no denying that travelling for very long distances, unguarded, or staying in one place for too long while carrying anything expensive, is a death sentence signed with one's own hand.

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The H.A.T

The H.A.T has a rather simplistic structure, there are twelve generals, one for each city. Each general is assigned four subordinates, labelled 'commanders' by most of the common populace. Each so-called commander then has his own management structure, and each city is managed depending on the general.

Most lower-grade H.A.T operatives are called Agents, and their job is separate from the higher functions of the organization, they act much like a police force, and are allowed to be far friendlier and casual. Other Agents are allowed to go out of the city, and engage in combat as well: in fact most of the strongest combatants for H.A.T are simple Agents.

H.A.T Officers, Investigators and Captains are another issue, they manage the relations of Agents with the core H.A.T structure and their recruitment, Captains manage Officers and Investigators are...well... nobody really knows, it's all some hierarchy mumbo-jumbo. Nobody has ever asked either, or at least nobody remembers asking, or remembers anyone that asked. So clearly, an unimportant detail.

The below all answer to one of the appointed high officials, the 'commanders' as they are called. Advancement from Agent to posts further into the hierarchy is often rare, as most Agents are highly satisfied with their job. Some believe there is a possibility of nepotism with only specific relatives of already high-positioned H.A.T personnel being allowed into the inner structure, but of course they are simply cynics and dissenters.

And for that matter, there are no confirmed individuals behind these complaints: they are obviously either too minor, or wholly a fabrication, of the enemies of H.A.T.