Lanzekkte

Overview

The Lanzekkte are the once-sworn defenders of Erziehen's government. They have a long and in-depth history with the city and its people that has become strained in recent years due to increasing corporate influence.

Contemporary Information

The Lanzekkte, cordially called "Rusts" by Erziehen's citizenry for their brick-red suits, are a constant policing force on Bleak. Many squads of Rusts have "deals" with businesses for protection against the rampant crime and gang violence, without showing any awareness of the fact that much of the crime in Erziehen is derived directly from the situation they are in because of the corporations that sponsor the Lanzekkte, and the corrupt upper class.
The Lanzekkte can be easily identified by their brick-red suits, often paired with black vests, ties, and shoes. Some of the Preventers and Interventionists forgo a uniform, but can still be seen wearing the black onyx badge depicting a shield on their breast.
The Rusts are primarily run by Senior Interventionist Daniel Frinke, but the governmental and corporate leadership is a tightly kept secret.

History

The Lanzekkte predate the lifting of the city, and even the monarchy. The tight insulation of their leadership and organization have kept the group consistently active throughout every major period of Erziehen's history. In the separation of Erziehen from the Gavlandian Empire in 1643, the Lanzekkte were formed as a collection of mercenaries and volunteers who were knighted and deemed the protectors of the newly formed nation.

Reputation

In recent years, the reputation of the Lanzekkte has soured greatly. Following the Malignancy, the group has taken on an increasing number of corporate sponsors, as well as accepting corporate soldiers into their ranks. Where they once performed a service not dissimilar to Bastion's Accruelien, they now act as violent thugs. Just in the last ten years, tensions between the Lanzekkte, the people of Erziehen, and the Winged Huskars have risen dramatically, even resulting in work strikes and small riots.

Rank Structure

The head of the Lanzekkte is known as the Senior Interventionist, and then there are four Interventionists who each dictate a corner of Bleak. Below each Interventionist is a team of three Preventers, who each lead anywhere from seven to twenty of the lowest rank in the Lanzekkte, known as Fulcrums.