The Stitchmen are ancient beyond the most basic comprehension of the majority of people during the Resurgence, and possess knowledge and technology that most can't even dream of. While the basic archetype of a Stitcher is one of malice and a vampiric nature, some Stitchers still hold true to their original Hippocratic Oath, and will work in conjunction with communities, doing good even as they seek to ensure their own survival. The vast majority have their own crews and their own enclaves, ruling with a paranoia and manipulation; carefully doling out medical care, bio-engineered enhancements, food, and weapons to those who serve their "master" well. Warped by centuries of narcissism, paranoia and ruthless self-interest, rare is the Stitcher who maintains trust for another living being, least of which are those who share their skills and were once their colleagues. The culture that is bred in most Stitchmen communities is very much "do unto others, before they do unto you". Backstabbing, murder, and coups are all fairly common within a culture that is motivated by the quest for everlasting life, and rife with dementia and paranoid tendencies.
Most Stitchers will not work with another of equal power to them, and they will never serve another living being. Whether their goal is manipulation, knowledge, or simple survival, they will typically travel that path alone, or with a few trusted servants. They oftentimes prey on those they once swore to serve and heal, taking any opportunity to gather tissue and organ samples, slaves, technology, or the raw materials that will allow them to brew their drugs and safely operate on themselves and their henchmen. As humanity emerges from the Dark Times, the Stitchmen emerge with it. They come in all shapes and sizes, some barely recognizable as human, some too bloated to move, male and female, as varied (if not more so) as the rest of humankind, though most of their number have long since given up the right to be called human by common definitions of the word.
While they are now fractured and scattered, the original Stitchmen all can trace their origins back to a single Exodus ship, which due to a malfunction, was forced to crash land outside of Tucson. This accident helped shape events for centuries to come.
Other than fresh organs and ‘foodstuffs’ the Stitchmen strike out for medical supplies, especially those that will keep their tools sterile, as infection and organ rejection are two of the main fears of the Stitchmen overlords. Cannibalism was sometimes adopted fairly early on for some crews, primarily out of desperation, as the food supplies were dwindling as Dark Times approached. The physicians were ‘wasting’ quite a bit of biomass in their organ harvests, and protein and calories were easily gleaned from human sources in the early days of the Stitchers.
Through medical technology and the constant supply of fresh organs and tissues, the Stitchmen are able to extend their life to well beyond anything that would have been imaginable in the 21st century. However, there are limitations; the only organ that can’t be replaced is the brain, which will still go through the process of decay and decline, albeit at a greatly decreased rate due to vitamin shots, blood transfusion and preventative surgeries. The brain-span is estimated to be approximately three hundred years... with dementias beginning to creep in after about the two century mark.
No comments:
Post a Comment