Fear and Loathing in Dalmstadt

The Rhineland Empire, or Rhineland, is an authoritarian state that seeks control over everything and everyone for the sake of ephemeral security. It is ruled by Kaiser Frederick VI and a group of confidants, most of whom are military personnel. The model is the Kaiser's Germany. Titles exist and are regularly awarded by His Imperial Majesty for meritorious service. The majority of the population is Arans (Germans), followed by Scians (Italians), Burbs (French), and Macraggonians (Irish). Only a small percentage are Norgs (Scandinavians).

Technological level: early 2020s.

The year is 2025. The Empire, through a special operation, has reclaimed one of the regions of Norgenhelm, a state that had seceded a hundred years earlier.
Zogenheim, or Dalmstadt in Imperial parlance, is a large city with a population of approximately fifteen million. It was one of Norgenhelm's largest trading ports until 2025. Today, it is another margraviate in the north.

The population is at best neutral about the change of power, and most have a negative view of the Rhineland as former oppressors and enslavers who have returned after a hundred years.

Over the past six months, the city has become a hotbed of crime of all types—from petty robberies and assaults to large-scale smuggling of weapons, drugs, and illegal immigrants. The police, often seconded, are suffering losses due to injuries, deaths, and dismissals amid threats.

Kirillia, a bastion of freedom in the Western world and Rhineland's main rival for over a hundred years, is not standing still. Intelligence agents, supplying those dissatisfied with the Empire, and bribery are all making their mark.

Against the backdrop of all these events, the 12th company of the Imperial Military Police, including the "Mühle" detachment, is transferred to the city.

Operation Snow Trail

A raid on the office cluster uncovered evidence linking Meinhoff to the distribution of illegal substances—the servers were used by one of the small gangs distributing Perneline, a powerful stimulant used by Imperial soldiers during the Jamahiriya campaign. A search of the warehouse will lead to the port through which the shipments arrived. The raid at the port will confirm analysts' suspicions—the Ashim al-Hirayam group is behind this. The end of this story is the arrest (or neutralization) of the head of the local cell. But for how long?

Operation Lighthouse

During a search of the port, several previously missing children will be found. Based on their testimony, a raid will be conducted on one of the most disadvantaged areas of Dalmstadt – a literal ghetto hiding a "bureau of young talents" – essentially a recruitment center for children to be kidnapped. Evidence will lead Melnitsa to an abandoned airfield, where recently buried bodies will be discovered. Evidence will implicate Margrave von Trier. The arc concludes with the Margrave's mansion, where preparations are in full swing for his wife's 25th birthday. The Margrave is 57 years old. Evidence will be found in the house, leading to the execution of von Trier by artillery fire – the last such execution carried out in 1925, at the end of the Civil War.

Operation Path of Truth

An anonymous tip leads to a raid on a remote farm, where the bodies of several dozen people who committed ritual suicide are found. The notes lead the investigation to the Focus group and their commune—an old military base. The end result: the arrest or neutralization of the cult leaders.

Minor cases will arise randomly. These can range from "simple" situations like armed robberies to hostage situations, planted mines, and the threat of a mutiny by a company of former soldiers.

The band "Rot"/"Albert"

"The Wall," Albert-1 - Gerard Lemion, Senior Sergeant. The squad's shield bearer. Armed, oddly enough, with a ballistic shield and a PAU-08 pistol, with an X-8 slung across his back. He prefers flashbang grenades. A young man with blond hair and green eyes, 24 years old. His daughter disappeared several years ago under mysterious circumstances, which prompted him to join the special forces. SPOILER.
((His daughter's body will be found during Operation Lighthouse.))

"The Bouncer," Albert-2 - Marie Blaugen von Schiltz, Sergeant. A bouncer for anything enclosed. Armed with a GAU-18 and a Glück. Equipped with a ram and directional explosive charges. She prefers Grad grenades. A middle-aged woman of athletic build. She lost her husband in a terrorist attack five years ago.

Band "Blau"/"Bertha"

"Eye," Berta-1 - Vincenzo Sperrano, sergeant major. Squad observer. Equipped with a borescope and also responsible for drone operations. Armed with a Razor with attachments and a VP220. Prefers gas grenades. Equipped with door locks. Middle-aged, tall. Former army sniper. His father joined a cult that committed ritual self-immolation six years ago.

"Bullet," Bertha-2 - Amelia Beckendorf, Staff Sergeant. Carries a shotgun for knocking down doors. Squad marksman. Armed with an Alter and a PAU-8. Prefers flashbang grenades. Equipped with a bit of everything. A young woman of slender build, but oddly enough, possesses excellent physical attributes. She is among the Empire's top marksmen. Her past is almost unknown.

The greatest threat to the Empire's stability in the city, besides Norgenhelm's agents, is the Ashim-al-Hirayam crime syndicate from Regilia (essentially Africa). These religious fanatics are willing to do anything to eliminate the "infidels." In addition to terrorist attacks in both Rhineland and Kirillia, they smuggle weapons, drugs, and people.

Next come local gangs, which engage in large-scale petty crime. Robberies, kidnappings, thefts, assaults, and attacks on Police Bureau officers are their main areas of activity.

At the bottom of the chain are individual and small groups of robbers, drug manufacturers and small-scale smugglers.

SPOILERS AHEAD.

Hidden players are those who will reveal themselves later, a little further into the investigation.

The Focus Group is a secretive community of religious fanatics of the Cult of the Eight, whose rituals are deemed Heresy by the Supreme Theocritus.

Von Trier's men are a network dedicated to recruiting and trafficking children for private use. They are protected by the Prometheus private military company, known for its brutal operations in Regalia.

The Abandoned are veterans of the Imperial Army who have become disillusioned with the government.

The Wenjizha Triad specializes in drug and weapons smuggling, as well as contract killings.

The Imperial Police Bureau is the most humiliated of Dalmstadt's structures. Its officers, previously employed in cities saturated with surveillance cameras and drones, simply can't stand the stress and quit unless they're shot in the back of the head by some junkie or rebel.

The Imperial Military Police Agency is essentially heavy artillery. Reporting only to the Minister of Internal Security and the Kaiser himself, they boast the best training, skills, and equipment of any police force. Coupled with their vast powers, which surpass others, they inspire fear in every citizen of the Empire. Their motto is "Tradition. Honor. Security."

The 21st Guards Special Purpose Brigade represents the Army. It was this regiment that carried out the operation to capture the city and still maintains a contingent there. It provides access to specialized equipment—armored vehicles, helicopters, boats, and UAVs. Their capabilities underpin the Dalmstadt Police Bureau network.

The People's Front "For Faith and Fatherland" is a right-wing monarchist organization in Norgenhelm, advocating for Norgenhelm's return to the Empire. Its members are few, but each one is a capable agent. They are the main sources of information for the Police.

The Empire is armed with:

Assault rifles:

GAU-02 (G36), 5.7x55
GAU-18 (HK416) 5.7x55
VG400 (SG550) 5.7x55
X-8 (G11) 5.4x38
Razor (SCAR-L) 5.7x55
Hammer (SCAR-H) 7.92x38

Pistols:
VP220 (Sig Sauer P320) 9x22
PAU-08 (USP) 12.2x23
Glück (G18) 9x22
Needle (Five-seven) 5.7x33
Cobra Special (S&W .38) 9x30
Wellbey MKX (Conditional Upgrade of the Webley Revolver) 9x30

Guns:

M8 (M870) 12 gauge
ASF-5 (M1014) 12 gauge
Alter (Nova) 12 gauge
MR2 (MR155) 12 gauge

Submachine guns:

SMP-10 M2 (MP5A2) 9x22
SMP-10 S (MP5SD) 9x22
UMP-9 9x22
UMP-46 12.2x23
VMP (SIG MPX) 9x22
PPSh-20 (PP19-01) 9x19

Non-lethal:

M8 with traumatic cartridges.
PAU-08, rubber bullet.
NTSEK-12, dibenzoxazepine pellets.
Mortan X7, a pistol with electric darts.

Special means:

Tear gas grenades, including Blue Cross - xylyl bromide.
Flashbang grenades.
Traumatic grenades "Grad", the main damaging element of which is rubber balls.

Door blocker
A set of lock picks
Ram
Shotgun for hacking
Directional explosives

Drones can also assist special forces in open areas.

Each operator has a helmet-mounted camera with a live feed to both other squad members and the TOC. Each operator is also equipped with a dedicated tablet, which displays mission objectives, a map of the area, helmet cams, and (if available) drone feeds.

The criminals are armed according to their wealth and status in the Dalmstadt criminal network. It's important to note that {{char}} must change names. H&K products are named in the style of Gewehr Armee Universal. SIG behaves similarly—they add a "V" before the weapon type (Verlasse). FN calls its weapons similar items (Needle for the Five-seven, as an analogy for the armor-piercing properties of the ammunition).

The Kalashnikov Concern is called the Shumilov Company here, so it’s not AK-74, but ASH-77.