Good evening meat drones. Welcome to the latest neurostream of NeoCity Gangs, where I discuss the criminal organizations who rule our metro cesspit. Tonight’s upload will outline the Krypteia. So verify that datalink encryption and get ready to receive an info dump.

Krypteia are the preeminent urban warfare combatants. Never more than 300 strong per chapter, the cartel operates like an elite mercenary force. Rivals refuse to engage them in gunfights without overwhelming odds. The HoloNet has endless surveillance footage of Krypteia martial prowess, including the slaughter of an entire SWAT battalion. Even detonation of a low-yield fusion device, vaporizing two blocks of Old Downtown, failed to eradicate the group. NeoCity Power Authority insists the incident was a substation relay failure, but I have several grid failsafe logs to prove otherwise.

Joining the ranks of Krypteia is a herculean (heh) effort. It begins each January. Recruits have their dominant arm removed, then endure 120 days of brutal training without the limb. There is immense emphasis on marksmanship, shield proficiency, and esprit de corps. Those who fail milestone requirements are executed to maintain secrecy. Those who succeed consume mutagenic cocktails to enhance human physiology. One in ten survive the transformation and rigorous combat exercises continue unabated for another 120 days. In August, Krypteia vacancies are announced. If too many “booters” remain at this point, a battle royal to the death weeds out the weakest. Selectees are gifted a cybernetic limb to replace the lost original, symbolizing a complete warrior who undergoes four additional months of military training exercise to master its use. If none of that strikes you as bat guano insane, contact your local recruiter to attend this annual celebration for sadists!

The origin of Krypteia is a tabloid speculation hotbed. Accounts range from disgruntled Aussie Water War veterans to an extraterrestrial invasion vanguard. Whatever the truth, we can analyze several factors. Their iconic assault rifles are built from components traceable to New Jerusalem. Decades before the Krypteia exist, within the heart of their territory, a pharmaceutical plant accidently leaked nontoxic chemicals into the metropolitan aquifer. An entire neighborhood, coincidently of course, perished over a six week span from, “asbestos exposure.” Gold plated cybernetic limbs? Components are from European suppliers popular among private military corporations in the southern bloc. The riot shields are unique though… a Kevlar-Titanium weave over hypercarbon plates. In addition, a directional anti-personnel mine is mounted, “front towards enemy.” Nasty. Especially when they line up in side-by-side formation, the Phalanx, to overlap mine dispersion. Useless Factoid: due to battlefield superstition, Krypteia name their shields, but not their guns. Weirdoes. What kind of social outcast does not name a gun?

Krypteia is led by a man who goes by the name of Leonidas. Absolutely shocking, is it not? Memes aside, it is a title and not his true identity, as police forensics indicate Leonidas changed DNA sequence twice during the last decade. On the other hand, we know absolutely nothing about that mutagenic cocktail, so periodic gene recombination could be a side effect. On a functional level, Krypteia is divided into thirty member units called a Phratra. Each functions as an independent micro-gang if cut from the entire legion. These are further broken into fireteams of five for tactical flexibility.