STORM
STORM stands for Sorcerous Tactical Operations Magicians; they are the elite forces of the Esper Union. Although in recent years they have lost some of their thunder to mecha forces, bureacratic inertia, they are still a formidable force. Although well-trained in a variety of weapons and equipped with a battlesuit, they are primarily distinguished by their Magitek implants, allowing them to cast spells.
The STORMs were initially created around 31 WR. Magic users in the Web remained rare enough after the Great War that the idea of fielding whole regiments of spellcasters was far from anyone's mind. The Esper Union was waare that the highly rare Magicite could be used to give non magic users spellcasting abilities. A Magicite crystal is the remains of an Esper, and Espers are 'living spell strands', so surgically augmenting someone with magicite allows them to be a conduit for mana. The process was pioneered by Gestahl's Vectorian Empire, when it was used to give magical abilities to Kefka Palazzo, Celes Chere, and Torstensson Lenart among others. The process was believed lost during the Cataclysm. However, the work of Vladius Rinster was instrumental in re-discovering the process. Rinster even claimed his 'new, improved' process would eliminate the then-known risk of Tuvin's Syndrome. Hannibal de'Zama embraced the program, and the Esper Union accepted many enthusiastic volunteers for an elite force; becoming a STORM was highly competitive, and many of the best and brightest of Esper's youth joined. To lead the force, Hannibal chose a veteran of the Great War, TO Halberg.
The STORMs performed with distinction in the Battle of Atlantis, and were instrumental in several key battles of the Leviathan War. Most notably, the STORMs held the line against a massive charge of Dracoforms in the Second Battle of Hosluftgrad.
The magical abilities of a STORM are somewhat influenced by the Esper used in their augmentation, but most of them possess the raw magical power to use most of the spectrum of Esperian elemental magic. STORM training tends to focus on combat magic and endurance: making things go boom for as long as possible.
The Esperians field four regiments of STORMs; at least one is in North Hosluftgrad at all times.
Notable STORMs:
