Board Prospectus
#673121Project Battalion

Background

A longstanding challenge for GYC has been that of mercenary operations. Despite being one of our most demanded products, mercenary aid is consistently our least profitable; 57% of mercenary operations yield returns below 7%, with an additional 26% of operations resulting in a net loss. There are numerous causes here, but a key issue is that of soldier supply.

An ideal soldier is physically strong, combatively skilled, independently intelligent, and cooperative in response to issued orders. For GYC's purposes, the ideal soldier is also cheap to create/acquire and either renewable or available in large numbers. This poses a problem, as a soldier that satisfies the cost and availability criteria is unlikely to possess the aforementioned skills and characteristics.

Overview

The Hildryn Journal, acquired in PMP Contract 000192327, describes a process for enhancing the intelligence of a primitive being, while also rendering the being vulnerable to psionic control. Application of this process to a group of primitive but physically resilient beings creates an ideal military force when paired with psionic control by a capable leader. The potential of this method was demonstrated by the use of an augmented Sorrowsworn army commanded by Kith'raki in the Second Void War.

Replicating this process could allow GYC to create ideal soldiers at a large scale and at relatively low cost. Doing so would greatly increase the effectiveness and profitability of GYC mercenary services and could even create opportunities for independent military action in the future.

Augmentation research is the highest priority, as its results will feed the subject pool for Command trials and inform how best to focus Production research. Following the method in the Hildryn Journal, we’ll begin with Illithid larvae as augmentation catalysts, focusing first on robust but primitive subjects (e.g., Barlguras).

Practical Command research will begin in earnest once Augmentation begins to yield successful candidate beings. In the interim, investigation will focus on understanding biology and arcanology of psionically gifted beings such as Gith, Illithids, and Quori.

Lacking a reliable source of Sorrowsworn following the recent fall of The Void, Production research will be informed by the results of Augmentation trials. Until then, initial research will focus on beings possessing characteristics similar to Sorrowsworn: physical resilience, chrono-immortality, strength of will, and (ideally) not belonging to any faction with whom GYC has a noninterference contract.