The Zone of 2018 is far different from the times of Strelok, Mercenary Scar, and Major Degtaryev. This server will be going off of the hybrid canon-fanon lore of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Anomaly, post Living Legend storyline with a number of exceptions and adjustments made on our part. This is for maximum flexibility with lore and events, allowing us to make the experience better for you, the player. If you have not played Anomaly, you can download it here: S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Anomaly mod for S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat it does not require ownership of any of the STALKER games and is standalone, just extract into a folder and play.
DUTY
Duty is a faction made up of ex military STALKERs who were sent on a mission into the Zone and promptly abandoned. As a result, the nucleus of these military members formed DUTY, a faction dedicated to saving the world by destroying the zone and all of its horrors. They established a zone for STALKERs to conglomerate and conduct business, hang out at the 100 Rads bar, and do jobs for the Barman or contract for Duty, called Rostok. In all aspects, Duty has failed in their goal. By 2018, they are a shell of their former selves, having suffered a severe loss of foothold up in Jupiter after the Brain Scorcher was reactivated by Monolith's chosen, Eidolon. Colonel Shulga departed with his men in an effort to disable the Brain Scorcher again. It is assumed they failed, as they were never seen again. After suffering a number of other losses to both the worryingly resurgent Monolith and Freedom, Duty consolidated their forces to strengthen Rostok and have been biding their time and slowly rebuilding their forces around a nucleus of veteran and expert STALKERs, cutting their teeth on hunting the various mutants and fighting bandit squads trying to fleece loners in the Garbage. They are still at odds with Freedom, who they oppose on ideological grounds.
Suits
Duty's suits are typically revolved around their main purposes- which are fighting Freedom, Mutants, Bandits, and occasionally the Monolith. As a result of this, their suits are typically built around passable anomaly protection, but better combat characteristics revolving around decent ballistics protection and padding against mutants. Here are some of the most common suits used by the faction.
PS5-M Universal Protection
Most often issued to new recruits, the PS5-M Universal Protection is designed to provide reasonable protection against Duty's most common adversaries; bandits and mutants. Capable of stopping submachinegun rounds with its level II vest, it's most often paired with a gas mask to boost chemical and radiation protection. Although wholly inadequate for deeper zone operations, it's still better than nothing. These suits have had a shortage since Duty's failures in the Zone, and they've been hard pressed to produce more for their recruits. Still, these suits see frequent use by most lower-ranked members of the Duty faction.
Duty Leather Jacket
Only intended to be worn by Duty members relaxing and off-duty, desperate times call for desperate measures. As a result of the shortage of PS5-M universal suits, the Duty faction has started lightly armoring and padding the standard anorak worn by rookies to protect against common 9x18 rounds and the occasional dog bite. While better than the usual standard anorak, it's still wholly inadequate for the conditions of the Zone, and is being used to pad out the ranks of the new stimulus of recruits Duty has gotten as a result of the growing bandit and mutant problem.
PS5-9MD SEVA
Duty's SEVA, like the rest of the SEVA's in the Zone, is an excellent protective bodysuit for the Zone's conditions, combining ballistic limb protection with a IIIA vest. However, the Duty variant utilizes extra padding on the arms, legs, and neck, meant to resist bites from dogs and pseudodogs better, as well as blunt trauma from snorks and slashes from fleshes and bloodsuckers. More often than not, these suits are worn by experienced, professional, and veteran STALKERs of the Duty faction.
PSZ-9d Duty Suit
Most often second to none for protection in the Duty Faction, this suit is available in large numbers because of the base of ex-Spetsnaz and Military STALKERs currently in service with the faction. However, this suit has been steadily upgraded by Duty's technicians over the years. What used to be a PSZ-9 SKAT suit has morphed an already excellent protective suit into something better, providing extra protection from anomalies, radiation, and psy-threats with the standard Sphere M12 headgear. This decent anomalous protection is paired with excellent ballistics protection- boasting rifle rated plates in the vest, on the helmet, and magnum handgun protection on the limbs which are dually well protected from pseudodogs and bloodsuckers. Besides the exosuit and the radsuit, this suit sees use with many of Duty's veterans, and makes up for the deficit in exosuits versus the Freedom faction with a fair amount of widespread usage. Heavy assault units frequently don these suits, as do machinegunners and autoriflemen.
FREEDOM
Freedom is the direct ideological enemy to Duty, seeking to co-exist with the Zone and anarchistic in their views somewhat by thinking that free access to the Zone is a right, not a privilege. Although often described by Duty as a group of 'weed-smoking hippies and anarchists, bandits' who are duly described by Freedom as a clan of jarheads that only know how to pull a trigger, Duty's assessment couldn't be farther from the truth. At the Freedom base in the Army Warehouses, Freedom has been protecting the barrier to the brain scorcher and subsequently, the Red Forest, for a number of years now. As a result of constant clashes with the Monolith trying to make their way past the barrier, and frequent hunts of dangerous mutants such as bloodsuckers, burers, controllers, pseudo and psy-dogs, Freedom is one of the most combat-hardened group of STALKERs in the Zone behind the Mercenaries and Monolith. After blunting the Monolith counterattack and striking hard against Duty's attempted excursions, Freedom is in a better position than ever in some parts of the Zone, and are generally accepted as the main de-facto force of good fighting the Monolith... for now. Beyond their combat prowess, Freedom has also pioneered a number of advancements in personal protection equipment in the Zone, often using their own chemical compounds that increase protection against anomalies, and integrating artifacts- such as Gravi- directly into body armor to reduce weight. Their technicians are legendarily skilled.
Suits
Widely considered some of the best suitmakers in the Zone behind the Monolith and the Mercenaries, Freedom has made a number of advancements in body armor that have been a significant boon to their forces since their inception. While their basic suits are most often built around maximum survivability for their new members ('seedy's) against anomalies and radiation, their heavier suits pad out their strike units and veteran members, providing a base of reliable protection factionwide that has contributed to Freedom having some of the largest numbers of veteran STALKERs. Freedom also fields the largest amounts of exosuits for their faction, which are often custom and either stolen from the Military, or built from scratch. Here are a number of Freedom's most commonly issued suits.
Wind of Freedom
The most basic suit afforded to all Seedy's of the Freedom faction, the Wind of Freedom- along with most other suits of the faction, are treated with a compound called 'Horizon' made through trial and error that boosts protection against commonly dangerous chemical anomalies. As a result of this, the Wind of Freedom is a direct cut above the standard Loner's Sunrise suit, along with the level II tactical vest provided and reinforced legs and arms that provide protection from common mutant bites. It is perfectly adequate for areas with high background radiation and chemical anomalies, such as the inner Army Warehouses, Agroprom and its underground, as well as the Great Swamps.
Sentinel of Freedom
A slightly heavier, older bodysuit mostly used by veteran members of the Freedom faction. As a result, most of the suits still in circulation have suffered mild to severe wear and tear. Despite providing marginally better protection than the Wind of Freedom, the latter is still preferred as the Sentinel is heavier and bulkier, as well as less comfortable.
Guardian of Freedom
A 'liberated' Berill-5M suit and Sphere-08 combination taken from the Ukrainian Military, these suits have been treated with a compound called Sovereign that boosts protection from anomalies and recolored by Freedom. Often considered the bare minimum of protection required for defending the Barrier or going north into the Red Forest, these suits often equip Freedom strike squads, veterans, and other experienced members of the faction. The vest and helmet provide excellent level III rifle protection, while the bodysuit is adequate for most anomalous formations and background radiation in the Zone.
Watchman of Freedom
The Watchman of Freedom, like all SEVA-based suits, are an excellent alternative to suits such as the SKAT suit and other high-end suits in use around the Zone. As is the case with most Freedom suits, the Watchman of Freedom provides excellent anomalous protection and is most often worn by veterans and other experienced members of the faction. However, the built in body armor is a little more fragile than on other SEVA models, and is not suited for prolonged combat or firefights. As such, this suit is more often used to observe anomalous phenomena and traverse highly anomalous areas.
Paragon of Freedom
Only given to Freedom's most trusted members, the Paragon of Freedom is the peak of personal protection in the Zone afforded by Freedom Faction members. Crafted by their finest artisans, this protective bodysuit and exoskeleton combination allows Freedomers to not only carry weeks worth of supplies and heavy weaponry, but also withstand insane amounts of punishment in the form of both anomalous and ballistic threats. Like all exosuits in the Zone, there is no better form of protection available than this suit.
UKRAINIAN MILITARY/UKM
The Ukrainian Military is the ever-present (in the Cordon) corrupt military entity supposed to be keeping people out of the Zone. However, because of rampant corruption and frequent use of conscripts, underfunding, and other general bureaucratic screwups, Loners are allowed to exist at the Rookie Village in the Cordon and are generally ignored, if not occasionally extorted or shot at for sport. Experience and equipment in the UKM varies, where in the south of the Zone the conscripts wearing low-grade body armor and using last generations weaponry typically get drunk engaging with bandits and the occasional mutant, the further North you go, the better they become. From Spetsnaz teams operating in the Pripyat and Red Forest areas, to veteran and expert contracted military STALKER squads operating in the Jupiter, Zaton, and other areas... the UKM varies widely in training, equipment, and loyalty. One thing is for sure though- they have many assets able to be brought to bear at a moments notice, and it's for this reason that the Loners often stay clear and avoid firefights with them at all costs... lest they get an Mi-24 called on them, or mortars dropped on their heads. Regardless, the UKM may have a smattering of experience fighting Monolith, and only the most experienced of Military STALKER squads- often equipped with things such as exoskeletons- survive north of the reactivated Barrier. Regardless, most conscripted personnel have standing orders- despite state policy saying otherwise- to shoot STALKERs on sight, while most commissioned officers will often accept bribes and even see fit to... 'lose' vital military equipment.
LONERS
Possessing a wide degree of skills and experience, Loners are independent STALKERs not tied to any faction or allegiance. Although there is a number of Loners directly connected to and working for Sidorovich and the Barkeep, these STALKERs still often branch out and do jobs for other contractors all over the Zone. Their reasoning for entering the Zone may be to evade authorities, strike it rich with artifacts, a sense of adventure, to hunt mutants, or all of the above... men and women from all walks of life become Loners in search of their own personal glory. Some may band together in their own rag-tag factions and groups, others may frequent the labs and underground areas beneath the Zone. What a Loner does is up to them, and them alone.
Suits
BANDITS
While somewhat decentralized, the Bandits are criminals and thugs most commonly united under the banner of Sultan, who has taken up residence in the Dark Valley and gained a significant degree of weight behind him. While different cells and sects of the Bandits exist, such as those at the Container Warehouses in Yanov, all answer to Sultan one way or another- or pay the iron price. Because of this semblance of cohesion that the steel fist of Sultan has forced, the Bandits have become a dangerous force finally capable of directly opposing factions such as Duty and Freedom... although their usual non-offensive behavior and underhanded tactics typically keep them out of pitched battles, they can still hold their own in a fight. They will often send groups of inductees and rookies under the direction of an experienced bandit to fleece the occasional loner in the Cordon or Garbage or hold them for ransom, or stage full on ambushes of factioneers such as Duty or Ecologists, to pilfer their equipment to be turned around and used against them. Despite being considered a major nuisance by Duty, the Bandits are not to be trifled with- and operate very much like an armed gang or militia capable of holding their own in a fight. Their advantageous position in the Dark Valley has allowed them to infiltrate and raise havoc in areas all over the southern Zone, and underhanded deals with Freedom and the Mercenaries keeps their best members well equipped with Warsaw pact weaponry and combat suits. Almost always directly at odds with the Loners and Duty.
Suits
MERCENARIES
While not necessarily a directly centralized faction, the Mercenaries still have a very large contingent of contractors working underneath the much-feared Dushman in the Dead City, which they have turned into a veritable fortress. From here, they frequently seek documents from the labs underneath the Zone, to artifacts. Dushman and his lieutenants will frequently take side-jobs, although their main motive is very unclear. Other sects of Mercenaries exist, with their own goals in mind, and entirely unknown benefactors. One thing that is known, is that there's a general distrust of Mercenaries among Loners and Duty STALKERs, whereas Freedom shares an uneasy truce with them because of the border between them, and Bandits will do business and sometimes contract them. Some Mercenaries will remain neutral to Loners, while some will even contract them... yet there have been many cases of cutthroat Mercenary squads putting a bullet in every Loner they see solely on the basis of they were looked at the wrong way, or they didn't want to be seen or have any witnesses. Regardless, the Mercenaries are some of the best equipped STALKERs in the Zone, with sharp degrees of tactical training relating to military backgrounds- which can range to the European Armies, to Special Forces units. Not only this, but they're often lavishly equipped with Western/NATO weaponry- often filling in the gaps with Warsaw pact gear where necessary. Their sharp degree of training is earmarked by experience fighting Monolith frequently in the absolute warzone that is Limansk, which is riddled with mines and anomalies- as well as fanatic squads of Monolith. Fighting in this hellhole has given the Mercenaries vital Zone experience, and no longer are they hampered by lack of experience in the Zone.
Suits
ECOLOGISTS
The Ecologists of the Zone are scientists and contracted STALKERs sent to study the Zone and its secrets. As a result, they are directly funded by the Ukrainian Government and various research institutes in Ukraine. Operating out of bases in Yantar and Jupiter, the Ecologists have recently bolstered their ranks with a variety of new suit designs and contracting dozens of STALKERs to help defend against the growing numbers of mutants and resurgent Monolith. Ecologists will often, if not almost always, against regulations, do business with other STALKERs, Loners, Mercenaries and more to get their hands on more artifacts and so on, because of budgetary concerns. Because of this, Ecologists are almost always the main source of income for Loners because of the price they'll pay for artifacts and the jobs they more often than not need done. With their connections to the Ukrainian Government in mind, attacks against the Ecologists are not tolerated and always punished harshly, on-call teams of Spetsnaz response groups can and absolutely will neutralize serious threats that the eco-stalkers cannot handle with extreme prejudice. Because of this, if you attack Ecologists, and in retaliation, you are killed, your character will be permanently killed.
Suits
CLEAR SKY
Once thought to be wiped out and extinct, the remnants of Clear Sky under Cold, Novikov, and Librarian pulled together and managed to consolidate a nucleus of ex veteran and expert Clear Sky STALKERs, which they built a new, better faction off of. Drawing in a fresh stimulus of recruits because of their amicable, if not outright friendly disposition towards Loners, and with the promise of being able to stick it to Bandits and Monolith, hunt mutants, and still be able to hunt for artifacts freely, Clear Sky is back and better than ever. With a new, cautious yet pragmatic approach to the Zone rather than forging ahead full force naively under Lebedev, Clear Sky has established a number of extremely vital and useful contacts and trade routes. Clear Sky has made a number of advances in technology as a result of their research, and maintains a stimulus in equipment by buying it from the Mercenaries, Loners, Duty and Freedom, which they use to help stem the tide of Bandits and occasional Renegades from entering the Great Swamps. In times of need, Clear Sky may assist Loners, do jobs for Sidorovich or Barkeep... and so on. For all intents and purposes, Clear Sky are very similar to Loners in that they will often go their own way to find artifacts and such. While their role in the Zone is rather nebulous, what isn't is their burning hatred for Bandits and the Monolith, and they will often assist Duty and Freedom in fighting them both. Whether or not Clear Sky will be used on Kolobok SRP remains to be seen, but, we'll see.
Suits
MONOLITH
If the Zone is a human body, then the Monolith are the antibodies. Fanatic, brainwashed men that feel no pain and have no fear, the Monolith defend the deepest recesses of the Zone with a zealous fervor. Their equipment is second to none, and while their experience and fighting prowess varies, what does not is their unique brand of fanaticism that has taken the lives of hundreds of STALKERs. Monolith fighters are typically created by those who fell under the influence of the Brain Scorcher, although they have other unknown recruiting methods that have led to a huge surge in numbers. Monolith is almost universally hated, as many-a-STALKER has had a friend disappear only to reappear wearing arctic camo and acting hostile towards them. As a result of a huge blow dealt against them by Strelok's squad, assisted by a mysterious STALKER, the NPP was once again raided and the Brain Scorcher turned off. Furthermore, their chosen- Eidolon, was killed in battle, and the Palace of Culture was hit hard. However, despite this... underhanded deals in and outside of the Zone, as well as a worrying stimulus in new fighters paid dividends and allowed the Monolith to recede to bide their time once again. While activity is slim to none south of the Red Forest, they still maintain a strong, albeit ghostly presence in places like Jupiter and Zaton. Led by dangerous sect leaders as well as the remnants of the C-Consciousness in the Generators, the Monolith continues to prevent anyone from entering the NPP and deeper Pripyat again. Even so, fears stoked by Eidolon turning in the Brain Scorcher the first time have caused rumors to spread of Monolith probes, sleeper agents, and scout teams to be sent into the deep south of the Zone- contributing to what many call the 'Monomyth.' Whether or not these rumors are true remains to be seen, and while the Monolith have had a significant blow struck against them, they are still in the fight- and stronger than ever.
Suits
As one of the best equipped factions in the Zone, the Monolith also subsequently fields some of the best personal protection equipment, with almost every inductee receiving some sort of body armor- save their suicide units. Men who have proved themselves in the field of battle in the name of the Monolith often receive some of the best personal protection available in the Zone. Below are a few examples of the most commonly used suits- although other designs, including custom ones, may see use as well.
X-18
The most common suit seen used by Monolith from the Chernobyl NPP all the way to the Red Forest, the X-18 has been their main staple since the creation of the faction in 2011. Implementing a specialized bodysuit and mask meant to provide protection from chemical and radioactive threats, it also as standard has a level IIIA ballistic vest implemented, and light kevlar armoring on the arms able to stop common 9x18 and 9x19 calibers. Many variations of this suit exist, with some fighters putting rifle plates in their vests, wearing helmets with them, or even armoring the legs. What is known, is that as a result of their capability to outfit every single one of their fighters in the Zone with these suits, the Monolith is always on a better footing than the harder-pressed factions.
Monolith SEVA
The Monolith's variant of the SEVA includes the same standard level IIIA flak vest of their X-18 suit and provides light armoring of the legs and arms as is in line with the rest of the SEVA line of bodysuits. It is unknown how Monolith gets their hands on these suits, but they are able to field them on a fairly moderate scale to outfit their experienced and veteran STALKERs, as the excellent anomaly protection paired with decent ballistic protection drastically increases the odds of survivability for Monolithians. This suit is rumored to be used by the elite Crystal members who defend the Sarcophagus, but very few STALKERs have gone there and survived to tell the tale. A patchwork variant, theorized by many to be ceremonial in nature, is also in use- with excellent chemical and radiation protection, but sub-par ballistics and other anomalous protection.
Monolith Radsuit
The Radsuit- or 'Underwear' of the exoskeleton, is in frequent use with Monolith's tactical masters and preachers. Like the knights of old, these STALKERs are likely to have come from the ranks of highly experienced stalkers that trained in the tight and stifling confines of these suits from the moment of their conversion, which may be why they claim them to be as comforting as the Sarcophagus itself. Whether worn by a Master, Coven Leader, or by a heavy assault squad, one thing is for certain; the men who wear them are akin to walking tanks, and have the teeth and experience to back up their already difficult to kill nature, often pairing these suits with similarly deadly and high-tier weaponry up to and including the near-mythical Gauss Rifle. The ballistic and anomalous protection these suits provide is second to none, and one should exercise extreme caution when going up against a man in a suit of this caliber.
SIN
Little is known about the so-called 'Dark Stalkers' that haunt the red forest. Fewer, still, even know their existence 'nor their name. What is known about Sin, however, is that those besides the Monolith that see them, always end up dead and disappear. Where they get their numbers and equipment from is also unknown, and many STALKERs spread rumors that they were death row inmates that got experimented on in the labs beneath the Zone. The reclusive faction is rarely seen, if ever, and fight like wild animals- shrugging off normally fatal wounds and mounting lethal ambushes before fading back into the Red Forest. Despite this, they have never been seen outside the Forest, and their motives are entirely unknown. Activity has kicked up, recently, and as a result many STALKERs outright avoid the Red Forest because of these men.
UNISG
A group of special forces sent to the Zone by the UN for an unknown reason. Most, if not all STALKERs, are oblivious to their presence. UNISG will likely not be used on Kolobok.
DUTY
Duty is a faction made up of ex military STALKERs who were sent on a mission into the Zone and promptly abandoned. As a result, the nucleus of these military members formed DUTY, a faction dedicated to saving the world by destroying the zone and all of its horrors. They established a zone for STALKERs to conglomerate and conduct business, hang out at the 100 Rads bar, and do jobs for the Barman or contract for Duty, called Rostok. In all aspects, Duty has failed in their goal. By 2018, they are a shell of their former selves, having suffered a severe loss of foothold up in Jupiter after the Brain Scorcher was reactivated by Monolith's chosen, Eidolon. Colonel Shulga departed with his men in an effort to disable the Brain Scorcher again. It is assumed they failed, as they were never seen again. After suffering a number of other losses to both the worryingly resurgent Monolith and Freedom, Duty consolidated their forces to strengthen Rostok and have been biding their time and slowly rebuilding their forces around a nucleus of veteran and expert STALKERs, cutting their teeth on hunting the various mutants and fighting bandit squads trying to fleece loners in the Garbage. They are still at odds with Freedom, who they oppose on ideological grounds.
Suits
Duty's suits are typically revolved around their main purposes- which are fighting Freedom, Mutants, Bandits, and occasionally the Monolith. As a result of this, their suits are typically built around passable anomaly protection, but better combat characteristics revolving around decent ballistics protection and padding against mutants. Here are some of the most common suits used by the faction.
PS5-M Universal Protection
Most often issued to new recruits, the PS5-M Universal Protection is designed to provide reasonable protection against Duty's most common adversaries; bandits and mutants. Capable of stopping submachinegun rounds with its level II vest, it's most often paired with a gas mask to boost chemical and radiation protection. Although wholly inadequate for deeper zone operations, it's still better than nothing. These suits have had a shortage since Duty's failures in the Zone, and they've been hard pressed to produce more for their recruits. Still, these suits see frequent use by most lower-ranked members of the Duty faction.
Duty Leather Jacket
Only intended to be worn by Duty members relaxing and off-duty, desperate times call for desperate measures. As a result of the shortage of PS5-M universal suits, the Duty faction has started lightly armoring and padding the standard anorak worn by rookies to protect against common 9x18 rounds and the occasional dog bite. While better than the usual standard anorak, it's still wholly inadequate for the conditions of the Zone, and is being used to pad out the ranks of the new stimulus of recruits Duty has gotten as a result of the growing bandit and mutant problem.
PS5-9MD SEVA
Duty's SEVA, like the rest of the SEVA's in the Zone, is an excellent protective bodysuit for the Zone's conditions, combining ballistic limb protection with a IIIA vest. However, the Duty variant utilizes extra padding on the arms, legs, and neck, meant to resist bites from dogs and pseudodogs better, as well as blunt trauma from snorks and slashes from fleshes and bloodsuckers. More often than not, these suits are worn by experienced, professional, and veteran STALKERs of the Duty faction.
PSZ-9d Duty Suit
Most often second to none for protection in the Duty Faction, this suit is available in large numbers because of the base of ex-Spetsnaz and Military STALKERs currently in service with the faction. However, this suit has been steadily upgraded by Duty's technicians over the years. What used to be a PSZ-9 SKAT suit has morphed an already excellent protective suit into something better, providing extra protection from anomalies, radiation, and psy-threats with the standard Sphere M12 headgear. This decent anomalous protection is paired with excellent ballistics protection- boasting rifle rated plates in the vest, on the helmet, and magnum handgun protection on the limbs which are dually well protected from pseudodogs and bloodsuckers. Besides the exosuit and the radsuit, this suit sees use with many of Duty's veterans, and makes up for the deficit in exosuits versus the Freedom faction with a fair amount of widespread usage. Heavy assault units frequently don these suits, as do machinegunners and autoriflemen.
FREEDOM
Freedom is the direct ideological enemy to Duty, seeking to co-exist with the Zone and anarchistic in their views somewhat by thinking that free access to the Zone is a right, not a privilege. Although often described by Duty as a group of 'weed-smoking hippies and anarchists, bandits' who are duly described by Freedom as a clan of jarheads that only know how to pull a trigger, Duty's assessment couldn't be farther from the truth. At the Freedom base in the Army Warehouses, Freedom has been protecting the barrier to the brain scorcher and subsequently, the Red Forest, for a number of years now. As a result of constant clashes with the Monolith trying to make their way past the barrier, and frequent hunts of dangerous mutants such as bloodsuckers, burers, controllers, pseudo and psy-dogs, Freedom is one of the most combat-hardened group of STALKERs in the Zone behind the Mercenaries and Monolith. After blunting the Monolith counterattack and striking hard against Duty's attempted excursions, Freedom is in a better position than ever in some parts of the Zone, and are generally accepted as the main de-facto force of good fighting the Monolith... for now. Beyond their combat prowess, Freedom has also pioneered a number of advancements in personal protection equipment in the Zone, often using their own chemical compounds that increase protection against anomalies, and integrating artifacts- such as Gravi- directly into body armor to reduce weight. Their technicians are legendarily skilled.
Suits
Widely considered some of the best suitmakers in the Zone behind the Monolith and the Mercenaries, Freedom has made a number of advancements in body armor that have been a significant boon to their forces since their inception. While their basic suits are most often built around maximum survivability for their new members ('seedy's) against anomalies and radiation, their heavier suits pad out their strike units and veteran members, providing a base of reliable protection factionwide that has contributed to Freedom having some of the largest numbers of veteran STALKERs. Freedom also fields the largest amounts of exosuits for their faction, which are often custom and either stolen from the Military, or built from scratch. Here are a number of Freedom's most commonly issued suits.
Wind of Freedom
The most basic suit afforded to all Seedy's of the Freedom faction, the Wind of Freedom- along with most other suits of the faction, are treated with a compound called 'Horizon' made through trial and error that boosts protection against commonly dangerous chemical anomalies. As a result of this, the Wind of Freedom is a direct cut above the standard Loner's Sunrise suit, along with the level II tactical vest provided and reinforced legs and arms that provide protection from common mutant bites. It is perfectly adequate for areas with high background radiation and chemical anomalies, such as the inner Army Warehouses, Agroprom and its underground, as well as the Great Swamps.
Sentinel of Freedom
A slightly heavier, older bodysuit mostly used by veteran members of the Freedom faction. As a result, most of the suits still in circulation have suffered mild to severe wear and tear. Despite providing marginally better protection than the Wind of Freedom, the latter is still preferred as the Sentinel is heavier and bulkier, as well as less comfortable.
Guardian of Freedom
A 'liberated' Berill-5M suit and Sphere-08 combination taken from the Ukrainian Military, these suits have been treated with a compound called Sovereign that boosts protection from anomalies and recolored by Freedom. Often considered the bare minimum of protection required for defending the Barrier or going north into the Red Forest, these suits often equip Freedom strike squads, veterans, and other experienced members of the faction. The vest and helmet provide excellent level III rifle protection, while the bodysuit is adequate for most anomalous formations and background radiation in the Zone.
Watchman of Freedom
The Watchman of Freedom, like all SEVA-based suits, are an excellent alternative to suits such as the SKAT suit and other high-end suits in use around the Zone. As is the case with most Freedom suits, the Watchman of Freedom provides excellent anomalous protection and is most often worn by veterans and other experienced members of the faction. However, the built in body armor is a little more fragile than on other SEVA models, and is not suited for prolonged combat or firefights. As such, this suit is more often used to observe anomalous phenomena and traverse highly anomalous areas.
Paragon of Freedom
Only given to Freedom's most trusted members, the Paragon of Freedom is the peak of personal protection in the Zone afforded by Freedom Faction members. Crafted by their finest artisans, this protective bodysuit and exoskeleton combination allows Freedomers to not only carry weeks worth of supplies and heavy weaponry, but also withstand insane amounts of punishment in the form of both anomalous and ballistic threats. Like all exosuits in the Zone, there is no better form of protection available than this suit.
UKRAINIAN MILITARY/UKM
The Ukrainian Military is the ever-present (in the Cordon) corrupt military entity supposed to be keeping people out of the Zone. However, because of rampant corruption and frequent use of conscripts, underfunding, and other general bureaucratic screwups, Loners are allowed to exist at the Rookie Village in the Cordon and are generally ignored, if not occasionally extorted or shot at for sport. Experience and equipment in the UKM varies, where in the south of the Zone the conscripts wearing low-grade body armor and using last generations weaponry typically get drunk engaging with bandits and the occasional mutant, the further North you go, the better they become. From Spetsnaz teams operating in the Pripyat and Red Forest areas, to veteran and expert contracted military STALKER squads operating in the Jupiter, Zaton, and other areas... the UKM varies widely in training, equipment, and loyalty. One thing is for sure though- they have many assets able to be brought to bear at a moments notice, and it's for this reason that the Loners often stay clear and avoid firefights with them at all costs... lest they get an Mi-24 called on them, or mortars dropped on their heads. Regardless, the UKM may have a smattering of experience fighting Monolith, and only the most experienced of Military STALKER squads- often equipped with things such as exoskeletons- survive north of the reactivated Barrier. Regardless, most conscripted personnel have standing orders- despite state policy saying otherwise- to shoot STALKERs on sight, while most commissioned officers will often accept bribes and even see fit to... 'lose' vital military equipment.
LONERS
Possessing a wide degree of skills and experience, Loners are independent STALKERs not tied to any faction or allegiance. Although there is a number of Loners directly connected to and working for Sidorovich and the Barkeep, these STALKERs still often branch out and do jobs for other contractors all over the Zone. Their reasoning for entering the Zone may be to evade authorities, strike it rich with artifacts, a sense of adventure, to hunt mutants, or all of the above... men and women from all walks of life become Loners in search of their own personal glory. Some may band together in their own rag-tag factions and groups, others may frequent the labs and underground areas beneath the Zone. What a Loner does is up to them, and them alone.
Suits
BANDITS
While somewhat decentralized, the Bandits are criminals and thugs most commonly united under the banner of Sultan, who has taken up residence in the Dark Valley and gained a significant degree of weight behind him. While different cells and sects of the Bandits exist, such as those at the Container Warehouses in Yanov, all answer to Sultan one way or another- or pay the iron price. Because of this semblance of cohesion that the steel fist of Sultan has forced, the Bandits have become a dangerous force finally capable of directly opposing factions such as Duty and Freedom... although their usual non-offensive behavior and underhanded tactics typically keep them out of pitched battles, they can still hold their own in a fight. They will often send groups of inductees and rookies under the direction of an experienced bandit to fleece the occasional loner in the Cordon or Garbage or hold them for ransom, or stage full on ambushes of factioneers such as Duty or Ecologists, to pilfer their equipment to be turned around and used against them. Despite being considered a major nuisance by Duty, the Bandits are not to be trifled with- and operate very much like an armed gang or militia capable of holding their own in a fight. Their advantageous position in the Dark Valley has allowed them to infiltrate and raise havoc in areas all over the southern Zone, and underhanded deals with Freedom and the Mercenaries keeps their best members well equipped with Warsaw pact weaponry and combat suits. Almost always directly at odds with the Loners and Duty.
Suits
MERCENARIES
While not necessarily a directly centralized faction, the Mercenaries still have a very large contingent of contractors working underneath the much-feared Dushman in the Dead City, which they have turned into a veritable fortress. From here, they frequently seek documents from the labs underneath the Zone, to artifacts. Dushman and his lieutenants will frequently take side-jobs, although their main motive is very unclear. Other sects of Mercenaries exist, with their own goals in mind, and entirely unknown benefactors. One thing that is known, is that there's a general distrust of Mercenaries among Loners and Duty STALKERs, whereas Freedom shares an uneasy truce with them because of the border between them, and Bandits will do business and sometimes contract them. Some Mercenaries will remain neutral to Loners, while some will even contract them... yet there have been many cases of cutthroat Mercenary squads putting a bullet in every Loner they see solely on the basis of they were looked at the wrong way, or they didn't want to be seen or have any witnesses. Regardless, the Mercenaries are some of the best equipped STALKERs in the Zone, with sharp degrees of tactical training relating to military backgrounds- which can range to the European Armies, to Special Forces units. Not only this, but they're often lavishly equipped with Western/NATO weaponry- often filling in the gaps with Warsaw pact gear where necessary. Their sharp degree of training is earmarked by experience fighting Monolith frequently in the absolute warzone that is Limansk, which is riddled with mines and anomalies- as well as fanatic squads of Monolith. Fighting in this hellhole has given the Mercenaries vital Zone experience, and no longer are they hampered by lack of experience in the Zone.
Suits
ECOLOGISTS
The Ecologists of the Zone are scientists and contracted STALKERs sent to study the Zone and its secrets. As a result, they are directly funded by the Ukrainian Government and various research institutes in Ukraine. Operating out of bases in Yantar and Jupiter, the Ecologists have recently bolstered their ranks with a variety of new suit designs and contracting dozens of STALKERs to help defend against the growing numbers of mutants and resurgent Monolith. Ecologists will often, if not almost always, against regulations, do business with other STALKERs, Loners, Mercenaries and more to get their hands on more artifacts and so on, because of budgetary concerns. Because of this, Ecologists are almost always the main source of income for Loners because of the price they'll pay for artifacts and the jobs they more often than not need done. With their connections to the Ukrainian Government in mind, attacks against the Ecologists are not tolerated and always punished harshly, on-call teams of Spetsnaz response groups can and absolutely will neutralize serious threats that the eco-stalkers cannot handle with extreme prejudice. Because of this, if you attack Ecologists, and in retaliation, you are killed, your character will be permanently killed.
Suits
CLEAR SKY
Once thought to be wiped out and extinct, the remnants of Clear Sky under Cold, Novikov, and Librarian pulled together and managed to consolidate a nucleus of ex veteran and expert Clear Sky STALKERs, which they built a new, better faction off of. Drawing in a fresh stimulus of recruits because of their amicable, if not outright friendly disposition towards Loners, and with the promise of being able to stick it to Bandits and Monolith, hunt mutants, and still be able to hunt for artifacts freely, Clear Sky is back and better than ever. With a new, cautious yet pragmatic approach to the Zone rather than forging ahead full force naively under Lebedev, Clear Sky has established a number of extremely vital and useful contacts and trade routes. Clear Sky has made a number of advances in technology as a result of their research, and maintains a stimulus in equipment by buying it from the Mercenaries, Loners, Duty and Freedom, which they use to help stem the tide of Bandits and occasional Renegades from entering the Great Swamps. In times of need, Clear Sky may assist Loners, do jobs for Sidorovich or Barkeep... and so on. For all intents and purposes, Clear Sky are very similar to Loners in that they will often go their own way to find artifacts and such. While their role in the Zone is rather nebulous, what isn't is their burning hatred for Bandits and the Monolith, and they will often assist Duty and Freedom in fighting them both. Whether or not Clear Sky will be used on Kolobok SRP remains to be seen, but, we'll see.
Suits
MONOLITH
If the Zone is a human body, then the Monolith are the antibodies. Fanatic, brainwashed men that feel no pain and have no fear, the Monolith defend the deepest recesses of the Zone with a zealous fervor. Their equipment is second to none, and while their experience and fighting prowess varies, what does not is their unique brand of fanaticism that has taken the lives of hundreds of STALKERs. Monolith fighters are typically created by those who fell under the influence of the Brain Scorcher, although they have other unknown recruiting methods that have led to a huge surge in numbers. Monolith is almost universally hated, as many-a-STALKER has had a friend disappear only to reappear wearing arctic camo and acting hostile towards them. As a result of a huge blow dealt against them by Strelok's squad, assisted by a mysterious STALKER, the NPP was once again raided and the Brain Scorcher turned off. Furthermore, their chosen- Eidolon, was killed in battle, and the Palace of Culture was hit hard. However, despite this... underhanded deals in and outside of the Zone, as well as a worrying stimulus in new fighters paid dividends and allowed the Monolith to recede to bide their time once again. While activity is slim to none south of the Red Forest, they still maintain a strong, albeit ghostly presence in places like Jupiter and Zaton. Led by dangerous sect leaders as well as the remnants of the C-Consciousness in the Generators, the Monolith continues to prevent anyone from entering the NPP and deeper Pripyat again. Even so, fears stoked by Eidolon turning in the Brain Scorcher the first time have caused rumors to spread of Monolith probes, sleeper agents, and scout teams to be sent into the deep south of the Zone- contributing to what many call the 'Monomyth.' Whether or not these rumors are true remains to be seen, and while the Monolith have had a significant blow struck against them, they are still in the fight- and stronger than ever.
Suits
As one of the best equipped factions in the Zone, the Monolith also subsequently fields some of the best personal protection equipment, with almost every inductee receiving some sort of body armor- save their suicide units. Men who have proved themselves in the field of battle in the name of the Monolith often receive some of the best personal protection available in the Zone. Below are a few examples of the most commonly used suits- although other designs, including custom ones, may see use as well.
X-18
The most common suit seen used by Monolith from the Chernobyl NPP all the way to the Red Forest, the X-18 has been their main staple since the creation of the faction in 2011. Implementing a specialized bodysuit and mask meant to provide protection from chemical and radioactive threats, it also as standard has a level IIIA ballistic vest implemented, and light kevlar armoring on the arms able to stop common 9x18 and 9x19 calibers. Many variations of this suit exist, with some fighters putting rifle plates in their vests, wearing helmets with them, or even armoring the legs. What is known, is that as a result of their capability to outfit every single one of their fighters in the Zone with these suits, the Monolith is always on a better footing than the harder-pressed factions.
Monolith SEVA
The Monolith's variant of the SEVA includes the same standard level IIIA flak vest of their X-18 suit and provides light armoring of the legs and arms as is in line with the rest of the SEVA line of bodysuits. It is unknown how Monolith gets their hands on these suits, but they are able to field them on a fairly moderate scale to outfit their experienced and veteran STALKERs, as the excellent anomaly protection paired with decent ballistic protection drastically increases the odds of survivability for Monolithians. This suit is rumored to be used by the elite Crystal members who defend the Sarcophagus, but very few STALKERs have gone there and survived to tell the tale. A patchwork variant, theorized by many to be ceremonial in nature, is also in use- with excellent chemical and radiation protection, but sub-par ballistics and other anomalous protection.
Monolith Radsuit
The Radsuit- or 'Underwear' of the exoskeleton, is in frequent use with Monolith's tactical masters and preachers. Like the knights of old, these STALKERs are likely to have come from the ranks of highly experienced stalkers that trained in the tight and stifling confines of these suits from the moment of their conversion, which may be why they claim them to be as comforting as the Sarcophagus itself. Whether worn by a Master, Coven Leader, or by a heavy assault squad, one thing is for certain; the men who wear them are akin to walking tanks, and have the teeth and experience to back up their already difficult to kill nature, often pairing these suits with similarly deadly and high-tier weaponry up to and including the near-mythical Gauss Rifle. The ballistic and anomalous protection these suits provide is second to none, and one should exercise extreme caution when going up against a man in a suit of this caliber.
SIN
Little is known about the so-called 'Dark Stalkers' that haunt the red forest. Fewer, still, even know their existence 'nor their name. What is known about Sin, however, is that those besides the Monolith that see them, always end up dead and disappear. Where they get their numbers and equipment from is also unknown, and many STALKERs spread rumors that they were death row inmates that got experimented on in the labs beneath the Zone. The reclusive faction is rarely seen, if ever, and fight like wild animals- shrugging off normally fatal wounds and mounting lethal ambushes before fading back into the Red Forest. Despite this, they have never been seen outside the Forest, and their motives are entirely unknown. Activity has kicked up, recently, and as a result many STALKERs outright avoid the Red Forest because of these men.
UNISG
A group of special forces sent to the Zone by the UN for an unknown reason. Most, if not all STALKERs, are oblivious to their presence. UNISG will likely not be used on Kolobok.
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