Technology of the Brotherhood of Nod

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This page showcases exotic advanced technologies employed by the fictional Brotherhood of Nod in the Tiberian Series of the Command & Conquer real-time strategy computer games.

Contents 1 Active Camouflage 2 Amplifed Light Projection 3 Cybernetics 3.1 First Tiberium War 3.2 Second Tiberium War 3.3 Computer Assisted Biologically Augmented Lifeform 3.3.1 Origin 3.3.2 Purpose 3.3.3 Game Involvement 4 Tiberium 4.1 Weaponry 4.2 Divination 4.2.1 Project ReGenesis 4.2.2 Divination recipients 5 Reverse Engineered Alien Technology 6 Other Known Nod technologies 7 Notes

[edit] Active Camouflage

Placing emphasis on guerilla combat, tactics and stealth, the Brotherhood developed a technology named the Lazarus Shield, which was essentially an adaptive camouflage system, rendering the object/user invisible. The system has been first introduced in the First Tiberium War and has been used by Nod ever since.

The first units to utilize this technology were the Ezekiel's Wheel Stealth Tanks, equipped with rocket launchers. Staying invisible, they could sneak up on unsuspecting GDI forces and cause major damage to unprotected ordnance and facilities without warning. During the course of the war, personal Lazarus shield cloaking systems were developed under the name Ezekiel's Cape and issued to the elite Black Hand units. Their wearers were rendered nearly completely invisible, and as such used as spies, assassins and saboteurs, all of these roles supported by their standard issue Firefly Laser Rifle. Their weakness was that their cloaking could be seen up-close, as a faint human silhouette composed of electricity.

In the Second Tiberium War, the perfected stealth technology allowed for construction of a Stealth Generator, which under sufficient power could cloak entire buildings in a 200m radius. These devices were used to protect critical installations, most notably the prototype factory, where Nod manufactured the first series of Banshee fighters. Personal Lazarus shield systems also found their use, as they were employed by Nod's Chameleon Spies, elite stealth units used to infiltrate and sabotage GDI operations.

It has been confirmed that in the upcoming Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars, the stealth technology was extensively researched and further upgraded by the Brotherhood of Nod, though the extent of this overhaul is yet to be revealed by EALA.

[edit] Amplifed Light Projection

The Brotherhood of Nod extensively used lasers in both offensive and defensive roles.

In the First Tiberium War, Nod researched and fielded several Obelisks of Light, massive metal structures, which were largely considered to be the most powerful conventional weapons used during both Tiberium wars, and were seen as a symbol of strength and technological prowess by Nod forces while proving to be the bane of many GDI commanders. These structures were the pinnacle of the Brotherhood's projected-energy weapons systems, firing a devastating, lightning-fast laser beam at ground enemies and at long range. The beam was capable of killing any infantry unit or light vehicle with a single hit; heavier vehicles were typically destroyed with an additional 2 to 3 discharges.

Later during the War, the Brotherhood developed mobile personal Obelisk modules, colloquially referred to as Laser Rifles and Laser Chainguns. These energy weapons were however rare, and apparently issued only to the elite Black Hand infantry units.

Also, during the first conflict a laser grid was seen surrounding the Temple of Nod, though it was a prototype device, and not available for mass production and protection of Nod bases.

The Second Tiberium War however was witness to further development of the laser technology, as Nod refined it and made stationary laser turrets their basic defensive installations. They were powered by an internal power supply, unlike their older and larger brethren, and could function even under low power conditions. Another development was the introduction of a laser fence grid, a much more energy efficient version of the prototype seen in the First Tiberium War, protecting the Temple.

The Obelisks of Light have been left largely unchanged, however, their profile was significantly lower and the distinct shape of an obelisk was replaced by a structure resembling a scorpion.

[edit] Cybernetics

The Brotherhood of Nod has made many breakthroughs in science, one field in which they are most notable are cybernetics, which allowed them to create several outstanding technologies which ironically almost proved to be their demise at one point in their history.

[edit] First Tiberium War

During the first large scale clash between the GDI and Nod forces, Nod's experimentation with Tiberium and human augmentation (dubbed Project ReGenesis) had required the use of cybernetic enhancements in many cases in order to be able to stabilize the mutated organism. (See Divination in Tiberium research.)

[edit] Second Tiberium War

The time period between the events of the First and Second Tiberium Wars allowed Nod to advance and further research their cybernetics technology, refining it to the point where fielding large numbers of cyborgs became a reality.

Regular cyborgs, apart from regular foot soldiers, formed the backbone of the Nod's army. With their immunity to and affinity for the Tiberium substance, as well as their firepower and survivability rate, it was not uncommon for Nod commanders to use cyborgs whenever possible in military confrontation. They were also characterized by their ferocity, continuing to fight even after losing their legs. Also, due to this same ferocity they were known to go berserk on occasion, assaulting anything in their vicinity. However, this feature is disabled in-game by default.

Those cyborgs who excelled in combat were often promoted and subject to even further augmentation, changing them into Cyborg Commandos, who were much better armoured and were equipped with a plasma weapon possessing unmatched firepower against any land target.

However, the power of the cyborgs turned against Nod, as CABAL used their cybernetic interfaces and turned them against their former masters, nearly destroying the already weak Brotherhood by assasinating four of its highest ranking commanders (The Inner Circle), missing only general Anton Slavik.

In the upcoming Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars, the Brotherhood has apparently done far less research into Tiberium-based cybernetics as a direct result of its experiences with CABAL ^[1].

[edit] Computer Assisted Biologically Augmented Lifeform

The Computer Assisted Biologically Augmented Lifeform (CABAL) was a sinister and highly advanced artificial intelligence which, as its name implies, was augmented by numerous human beings who were kept artificially alive within stasis tubes and whose brains had been integrally linked to, and synchronized with, the AI's system core. Presumably this was done in order to significantly enhance the device its overall potential and abilities in a vast multitude of ways. CABAL was used by the Brotherhood of Nod as their tactical and logistical console throughout the Second Tiberium War. Although essentially gender-neutral, as it was primarily an artificial entity, CABAL was always portrayed as male in both virtual appearance and voice.

[edit] Origin

CABAL's origin is unknown, with some speculation placing it to be based on Scrin technology. It was first acquired by the Brotherhood of Nod near the end of the First Tiberium War. When GDI commandos stormed Kane's temple during the Sarajevo battle, it could be heard malfunctioning from the severe damage the Temple had incurred from the Ion Cannon. Between the First and Second Tiberium Wars, Nod agents rehoused CABAL's core somewhere in Egypt. It later assisted Kane's primary loyalists in the overthrowing of the Global Defense Initiative's puppet Nod leader General Hassan, an endeavor which would eventually result in the complete reunification of Nod for the first time since the Brotherhood's defeat at the end of the First Tiberium War.

CABAL's earliest known appearance (at the end of the First Tiberium War) was also at about the same time the construction of the large Scrin ship seen in the Tiberian Sun was completed. Additionally, in Command & Conquer: Renegade a crashed alien saucer is within walking distance of the Temple housing CABAL, its door logo a triangle composed of three smaller ones. In Firestorm, CABAL's core is animated as a similarly-composed pyramid. Seen from the sides, the resemblance is uncanny. Additionally, the earliest reference to CABAL in the Command & Conquer timeline seems to take place in the final level of Renegade. While infiltrating Kane's temple in Sarajevo, one can hear clips of a male Nod EVA unit malfunctioning. While most of these are simply the amusing "Intruder Alert. Alert Cancelled. Intruder Alert. Alert Cancelled. Intruder Alert. Intruder Cancelled. All intruders please report to the detention center", and "Attention: There's no business like show business. Don't throw stones in glass houses without proper protection. That is all.", one of these clips suddenly clearly states; "Computer Assisted Biologically Augmented Lifeform (CABAL) damaged. Please shut down all non-essential operations.".

[edit] Purpose

CABAL's purpose was twofold: it served as a console interface between Brotherhood of Nod battlefield soldiers and their commanders worldwide, while at the same time utilizing the subsequent and vast network of live intelligence to collate and devise complex strategies of its own, ultimately acting as a potent advisor and right-hand to those highest in command of the Brotherhood's forces. It also proved to have the capability of decoding and translating the Tacitus, an object considered to hold all the recorded knowledge on the mysterious Tiberium substance. CABAL's overall function was parallel to GDI's EVA to a large degree, but was superior; the AI literally had a mind of its own and could both reason and act completely autonomously if it chose to. The EVA unit in comparison gives at best logically-formulated advice based on the sum of the information it is presented with, having no will or sentient mind of its own.

CABAL's personality was that of the stereotypical "Evil AI" present in many science fiction stories. In Tiberian Sun there are several hints of this and its disdain for humanity; it praised the firestorm defenses at GDI's Hammerfest base as technology "without flaw" while pointing out that "as always, the human element is riddled with imperfection". Its overall behaviour was that of a no-nonsense professional, and it showed little to no advance warnings of turning into the omni-malevolent villain seen in Firestorm. The only known exception to this is a mission briefing given by the AI in one of Tiberian Sun's earlier Brotherhood of Nod campaign missions, where it remarks that information gathered during said mission is "vital to my... Your... movement". In several ways the AI can almost be described as a considerably more blunt form of Kane himself, reasoning much like the man but doing away with the mysticism and riddles and getting straight to the point at hand. CABAL's amorality allowed it to consider actions without concern for any and all non-allies, fully including neutral forces and civilians alike. Indeed, at one point in the aforementioned Nod campaign of Tiberian Sun, Slavik ordered CABAL to "define favorable outcome" to which the AI swiftly responded: "They all die.".

In the Firestorm expansion of Tiberian Sun, it showed its true colours. CABAL's master plan forms the backbone of the game's initial missions, manipulating both the GDI and Nod into helping it carry out its plans. Its personality finally manifests, occasionally using poetic speech, mocking people, maintaining a heavy dose of sarcasm, speaking in a highly-patronizing tone and having an overall air of superiority and arrogance. The "Insane AI" persona is complete in the last missions for both GDI and Nod; where every once in a while it can be heard laughing maniacally(usually just before a cyborg rush, an airstrike, or a missle launch).

It should be noted that its virtual appearance changed from the game of Tiberian Sun to its expansion set of Firestorm. In the original game, CABAL is a barely distinguishable, reddish-orange face maintaining a sinister appearance; a hardly-seen mouth, sharp and accented features around the eyes, and similarly-coloured pupils, iris and sclera. Its new appearance in the expansion set however is shown above; a bald, blue head with fully-animated orbital shells for eyes.

[edit] Game Involvement

During the Second Tiberium War CABAL was used as the Brotherhood its tactical, logistical and global communications coordinating console, as well as a potent type of advisor to Kane's top operatives under the command of Anton Slavik. After the end of the second war, GDI forces stationed at the defeated Cairo base deactivated and disassembled CABAL's core and were ordered to move it to Europe to a heavily defended base, in an attempt made by GDI to gain access to the Tacitus datamatrix. Upon reactivation, it immediately began putting its plan into place. This would swiftly result in the assassination of Tratos, the seizure of the Tacitus device, the recovery of the Tacitus' secondary component, the orchestrated collapse of Nod's Inner Circle, and on. The AI proved capable of all this without anyone's knowledge of its overall plan straight up to the point where it itself openly severed contact with all involved parties, and revealed that it had built up a personal cyborg army. This lead to an unholy alliance between Nod and GDI to destroy the renegade AI, which at first glance was successful. GDI received the Tacitus and Nod declared victory against the "single greatest threat to the survival of the Brotherhood".

After the final defeat of CABAL and its cyborg army however, the ending for the Brotherhood of Nod campaign showed Kane's comatose yet living body hooked into a somehow intact CABAL systems core and being kept alive there in a stasis capsule alongside numerous other individuals, with Kane apparently recovering from his injuries sustained at the end of the second war due to the actions of Michael McNeil. The display then begins to continuously splice between the faces of CABAL and Kane, both of them referring to Kane's 'vision' with their disjointed individual voices. Through the two disjointed voices Kane can be heard referring to himself and his vision in the first person using the word my, where CABAL is heard using the word your in what is in an almost respectful manner when referring to Kane and his vision. Finally, the two voices become synchronised, with CABAL suddenly speaking the words: "Our directives must be reassessed.".

It is unknown what role CABAL will have in the upcoming Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars, if any. CABAL was voiced by Milton James in both Command & Conquer: Tiberian Sun and its expansion pack of Firestorm.

[edit] Tiberium

[edit] Weaponry

The Brotherhood's extensive research on the Tiberium substance has resulted in the development of several unconventional and lethal weapons, which are extremely effective in an anti-infantry role.

• "Venom" Tiberium Sprayer - this weapon uses raw concentrated Tiberium gas as ammunition, spraying it in the direction the muzzle is pointing in. The high spread nozzle makes it ineffective at ranges other than short, but in close quarters it is an irreplaceable infantry killer. It is issued mainly to Nod chem troopers, however, its safe construction allows it to be used by any, even non-protected, personnel.
• "Mantis" Tiberium Automatic Rifle - a bullpup assault rifle firing Tiberium gas cartridges which explode upon contact with a solid object. This weapon possesses a very high fire rate as well as a very distinctive discharge sound. Unlike the chemical sprayer, it is very accurate at long ranges and also less cumbersome. It was the weapon Acolytes (early Nod cyborgs) were typically armed with.
• "Talon" Tiberium Flechette Gun - a submachinegun firing processed Tiberium shards at high speeds. The shards are located in a sealed ammunition clip, making the weapon capable of being employed by any kind of field personnel without protective equipment.

Also, during the Second Tiberium War, Brotherhood used highly destructive chemical missiles. The payload of these missiles consisted of processed Tiberium waste harvested from Tiberium veins (another notable achievement, as only Nod was able to safely harvest them) and was delivered by a short-range ballistic missile. The concentrated gas was released on impact in addition to the damage dealt by the explosive rocket itself. The tiberium-based gas proved to be extremely toxic and corrosive, often resulting in severe damage to all nearby installations as the gas clouds slowly spread through the nearby environement and created Visceroids out of any infantry caught within the gas clouds.

[edit] Divination

Divination refers to the experimental process of controlled Tiberium mutation of humans conducted by the Brotherhood of Nod. It was pioneered by a woman known as Doctor Elena Petrova during the events of the First Tiberium War, when it was dubbed Project ReGenesis.

[edit] Project ReGenesis

Project ReGenesis was a program centered around using Tiberium-assisted genetic engineering and early cybernetics technology in order to create supersoldiers for the Brotherhood of Nod. It used information gained from the research of Ignatio Mobius and Dr. Sydney Mobius to mutate captured civilians, Global Defense Initiative soldiers and Nod volunteers. It was shut down by GDI and all remnants of it were thought to have been destroyed with Kane's temple after the Brotherhood's first downfall.

In Command & Conquer: Renegade, Dr. Ignatio Mobius and his daughter, Sydney Mobius, are captured and forced to undergo "Treatment" by Elena Petrova (a former GDI researcher who joined the Brotherhood of Nod). Petrova called ReGenesis the route to perfection of the human race, and to that end underwent the process herself. Captain Nick "Havoc" Parker, a Global Defense Initiative commando, eventually rescued Sydney from within the Temple of Nod in which she was being held, after he had eliminated Petrova. Sydney then reprogrammed the Temple's resident nuclear weapon to detonate inside the silo once the timer counted off.

[edit] Divination recipients

• In Command & Conquer: Renegade, Dr. Ignatio Mobius and Dr. Sydney Mobius were forced to assist the research of the Brotherhood of Nod which was being conducted by a woman called Elena Petrova. Petrova's research was, however, put to an end by Nick "Havoc" Parker.
• General Gideon Raveshaw, the leader of the Black Hand of Nod during the First Tiberium War was a completely successful subject of Divination, though with a mind more suited to taking orders and far improved physical attributes. In the words of Captain Parker; "At least he's taller" and "Raveshaw's a walking turnip. Some success.".
• Dr. Elena Petrova, the Nod doctor in charge of Project Re-Genesis, converted Gideon Raveshaw, and later she underwent the process herself, and was killed by Captain Parker within the Temple of Nod in Cairo. She was, according to Nod, the perfect result of Project ReGenesis, retaining her superior intelligence while combining it with superior physical attributes.

• Numerous individuals have undergone Divination during the First Tiberium War, as part of Project ReGenesis:
  • Initiates: The first successful result of the ReGenesis Project, the Initiates are an unstable creation, much less advanced than their brethren in terms of processing power. However, the Tiberium mutations grant them excellent speed and power making them excellent and dangerous hand-to-hand fighters.
  • Acolytes: The second stage produced "stable" mutations. These new variants are capable of command processing and using advanced weaponry. Most (if not all) Acolytes are augmented with cybernetic limbs, as it appears they may have been constructed from failed Initiates (i.e.; failed mutations). They resemble Initiates but with many features deformed (i.e.; only one eye, arm, skin-covered jaw bones and, in extreme cases, exposed brains).
  • Templars: The final stage of Project: Re-Genesis. Genetically and bio-chemically engineered to be the perfect soldiers, possessing dense musculature, a phenomenal resistance to injury and superhuman data processing skills and tactical acumen. Templars are created loyal to the Brotherhood and follow orders unquestioningly. As befitting their status, Templars bear the best body armour and weaponry that Nod can offer. Except for a breathing apparatus, they lack any other visible cybernetic augmentation.

• Umagon was forcefully subjected to Divination by Kane, and although The Forgotten leader Tratos believed he had found an anti-serum to the process at the advent of the events seen in Firestorm, it was soon after discovered that this serum fails and Umagon mutated horribly before dying in Tratos' sanctuary.

• All cyborgs (standard cyborgs, cyborg reapers and cyborg commandos) have to undergo Divination before their cybernetic augmentation can begin.

[edit] Reverse Engineered Alien Technology

The Brotherhood was able to gain access to artifacts of extraterrestrial origin and research them. The superior technology contained within these artifacts (one notable source was a saucer-shaped starship, which crashed into an ancient Egyptian temple.

Data collected through analysis of these artifacts in the First Tiberium War would allow the Brotherhood of Nod to construct awe-inspiring structures, such a the Obelisk of Light or the Temple of Nod, which carry great similarities to the crashed craft and advance their technology in fields such as Tiberium research or weapons development. The pinnacle of this research was a reconstructed warship, which was completed as the war drew to an end and was abandoned as Kane was supposedly killed by GDI forces.

During the period between the first and second Tiberium war, Kane, who stayed in the shadows following his apparent demise, advanced the development of new technologies based on reverse engineered alien tech, which resulted in the construction of a powerful fast attack fighter, known as the Banshee. The craft was equipped with twin plasma cannons, also based on the alien tech, and could challenge even the mighty Mammoth Mark II. The plasma weaponry was also issued to elite cyborg units.

[edit] Other Known Nod technologies

• Subterranean units - Some Nod units were designed to move underground; this aids the surprise element Nod typically requires to succeed during operations against the Global Defense Initiative. There is no terrain obstacle that such units cannot cross, including large bodies of water. Only an EMP can disrupt a tunneling unit while underground.

In Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars, it is confirmed that Nod will have also developed EMP-based weaponry, highly advanced mechanized walker technology, as well as psych technology.

[edit] Notes

According to old concept art, Nod was supposed to field microwave tanks, which would kill pilots inside combat vehicles on the battlefield with archs of electricity jumping from one vehicle to another.