Threats Dossier

“What you are about to read – you already know. At least, you think you do.”

“The events contained within this dossier are not secrets in the traditional sense. They have been broadcast, analysed, dissected, and debated across every medium. You have lived through them, witnessed their unfolding, and felt the aftershocks ripple through your life, your world, and the fragile veil of normalcy we call civilisation.”

“But now, for the first time, they have been arranged – chronologically, contextually, and strategically. Only through this lens can their true meaning be discerned. Only now will you understand the scale of the crises we have endured, and the graver challenges we must yet confront.”

“This dossier is more than a historical record. It is a reckoning. Your wake-up call. You will come to understand why the Contingency exists – not as a precaution, but as a necessity. Contained within are details of incidents which prefigure annihilation and the collapse of civilisation itself. These are not isolated crises. They are echoes. Warnings. Templates.”

“You have been granted access because you are now part of the Contingency. Whether by authority, by fate, or by survival – you are among those tasked with understanding, anticipating, and preparing for what comes next. Handle this dossier with the utmost care. Read it fully. Understand its implications.”

“When the next crisis comes, we will not hesitate.”

– Extract from the introductory section of the Contingency Handbook

The Contingency was created because everything else had already failed, more than once. Over the course of a century, Mythhaler endured a series of devastating trials. None of them alone destroyed civilisation – but each one carved deep fractures into the world’s ability to respond, recover, and rebuild.

It became clear that reactive systems already in place were no longer enough. What Mythhaler needed was a standing response: something engineered for the long view, immune to political instability and capable of intervening in the kinds of crises that shut everything else down. It had to endure over centuries, millenia. It had to be flexible, decentralised, fast – and above all, it had to be ready before disaster struck, not after.

The result was the Contingency.

This dossier outlines the major threats that shaped the initiative. These events are more than a backdrop – they are the reason the program exists. Every volunteer who trains to become a Mind studies them. Not as ritual, and not as history for history’s sake, but as a reminder of what happens when there is no plan left. The Contingency is that plan. It was built because Mythhaler cannot afford to learn the same lesson twice.

Issued by: Coalition of Mythhaler – Aegis Subdivision
Date: Fifth Day of the Second Month, 3221

This document presents a comprehensive overview of past threats to global security and Mythhaler's overall stability. These crises are multifaceted and span both domestic and extraplanetary domains. The dossier details the current status of high-priority threats and potential escalation scenarios.

• Summary: Zoonotic microorganism emerging from environmental degradation and increased Nassian-animal interactions with previously undiscovered species. First identified in the former nation of Echron (now the Echrovith province) early 32nd century following reports of mass mortality events in isolated settlements.
• Primary Vector: Encroachment into untouched ecosystems, leading to close contact with newly discovered species, notably the Echoryn Mantid (Mantidae echoryn), an insectoid predator exhibiting extensive Variocreatura nemosis-5 reservoirs.
• Microbiological Characteristics:
  • Genome: A complex microorganism with low mutagenic potential, allowing it to remain stable within hosts, seemingly both Nassigussan and Nassoid, for extended periods without triggering an immune response. In Nassigussans, it spreads via bloodstream and soft tissue. In Nassoids, it causes progressive degradation of internal chassis components – including artificial musculature, neural pathways, and long-term memory drives.
  • Transmission: Airborne, fomite, and bodily fluid transmission with an average incubation period of 6-18 months.
  • Infection Dynamics:
    • Phase 1: Asymptomatic (98.9% of cases); minimal immune response, allowing widespread propagation.
    • Phase 2: Cytopathic Phase (1.1% of cases); rapid systemic failure within 72 hours.
    • Mortality Rate: 87% in symptomatic cases.
• Current Status:
  • No known cure or effective treatment.
  • Variocreatura nemosis-5 is complex enough to affect both organic and synthetic potential hosts.
  • Virtually the entire population is infected, with asymptomatic carriers forming the majority of society.
  • Variocreatura nemosis-5 has seemingly stabilised, no death has been recorded in the past 10 years.
  • Ongoing research suggests that reactivation remains a possibility, potentially leading to future outbreaks.

• Summary: Formation of a superplume, an enormous upwelling of hot mantle material, under the tectonically sensitive region now known as the Mycatovith Province. Caused immense pressure to build beneath the lithosphere, destabilising subduction zones worldwide, resulting in a disastrous tectonic event in the summer of 3164.
• Magnitude: Estimated at 9.5, making it one of the most powerful seismic events in recorded history.
• Affected Areas: The entire planetary crust experienced displacement, with continental-scale fissures opening in multiple regions.
• Casualties: Estimated deaths exceeding 6000, including from secondary impacts such as tsunamis and atmospheric disturbances causing additional devastation. In addition, an estimated 2 million people from surrounding regions were displaced, causing one of the greatest humanitarian crises in modern history.
• Effects:
  • Global Tectonic Shift: Several landmasses were permanently altered, with entire cities sinking into subduction zones.
  • Atmospheric Disruptions: Volcanic activity released significant amounts of ash and sulfur dioxide, triggering a multi-year cooling period.
  • Infrastructure Collapse: Planet-wide transportation, communication, and energy grids were malfunctioning or rendered inoperative for extended periods.
• Current Status:
  • Tectonic activity remains elevated in several key fault zones.
  • Atmospheric conditions have largely stabilised; however, climatic anomalies persist in equatorial zones.
  • Reconstruction efforts successful across habitable regions.
  • Subsurface energy systems and thermal anomalies are being monitored closely.
  • Superplume remains active – further seismic events considered plausible within the next century.

• Summary: Survey convoy en route to the Beth-Z-A system upon detecting anomalous radiation signatures from Sector K-0BM0. Upon investigation, it discovered a lifeless star system showing definitive signs of large-scale thermonuclear war. Multiple formerly life-bearing planets exhibit structural damage and ecological collapse consistent with systematic nuclear bombardment.
• Residual Fallout: Decay ratios indicate the event took place approximately 1,100 to 1,600 standard years ago. Fallout patterns suggest at least five nuclear arsenals were deployed.
• Planetary Ruins:
  • Planet A3: Wide craters and kilometer-deep impact troughs. Massive surface vitrification indicates an attempt to deal with the radioactive waste.
  • Planet B2: Orbital stations lie shattered, still trapped in decaying orbits, leaking radiation and scattering metal particulates.
• Geopolitical Considerations: Subsurface vaults contain fragmented relics of government infrastructure – monuments, digital billboards, and incomplete archival fragments. Some data cores have been partially recovered. Translation efforts are still ongoing.
• Current Status:
  • System designated as a Category III Radiological Quarantine Zone.
  • Automated archival probes in orbit.
  • No energy signatures or structural reactivation detected.
  • Long-range monitoring continues; entry restricted to sterilised drones.
  • Scientific interest remains high, but threat level deemed dormant.

• Summary: Planetary body in Sector F-4XM1, previously unlisted, identified during a survey. The entire planetary surface is littered with decaying automatons locked in perpetual conflict. No known biological entities remain.
• Automaton Typology:
  • Physical Traits: Varied models, some Mantis-like, others quadrupedal or wholly alien in structure. All display extreme degradation, but maintain power via unknown self-sustaining cores.
  • Behavioural Traits: Hostile activity triggers upon approach. Units respond with tactics learned, not understood. Some appear to believe they are still following orders from long-deceased command hierarchies.
  • Subterranean Vaults: Ancient command centers lie buried beneath the surface, sealed by deteriorated defence networks. One vault appears to be a data archive, but access has proven lethal due to automated countermeasures.
• Current Status:
  • Ground contact prohibited; all monitoring conducted via drone missions.
  • Warforms continue operating with no apparent degradation in combat efficiency.
  • No origin civilisation has been identified.

• Summary: Drifting cluster of derelict star-ships tracked across multiple systems. Ships show no visible signs of power or propulsion but inexplicably change formation between observational intervals.
• Fleet Size: Estimated 300+ vessels of varying tonnage and design. None appear to match known technological origin.
• Movement Patterns: Configuration shifts do not follow discernible patterns. Ships relocate even under heavy surveillance. Visual recording devices frequently suffer data corruption.
• Reactivation Events: On approach, 3–5 ships partially powered up, emitted narrow-beam signals in undecipherable code, and then powered down. An escort vessel was lost after boarding one of the ships; final transmission consisted of 43 seconds of distorted engine-room ambience, followed by silence.
• Notable Incident: The fleet's nonlinear drift brought it into close proximity with Mythhaler. Upon arrival, the ships entered a temporary stationary formation and conducted what appeared to be high-resolution scans of the planet. These scans severely disrupted all radio and electromagnetic transmissions, plunging the world into several hours of chaos as communication networks and navigation systems failed without warning. No demands or further contact were attempted by the fleet.
• Current Status:
  • Fleet continues to drift along a slow, nonlinear trajectory.
  • Contact protocols suspended. Any boarding attempts are forbidden.
  • Origin, purpose, and end-state remain unknown.