Rabble – subroutine for Nanomei
Every conflict has it front line soldiers, and members of the Nanomei are no exception. While they may lack the typical structure of a more coherently militarized organization, there is still a sort of hierarchy to be found within the faction. Individuals that join the Nanomei but bring along no specific skills other than the need to rebel usually find themselves as part of the masses known as Rabble.
Rabble are the rank and file of the Nanomei resistance. Rabble users might be considered ordinary people who have joined the Nanomei out of an intense desire to see change in their world, or perhaps from a base desire to wreak havoc. They are the citizens that have grown tired of the oppression and control that they endure every day in the material world. Most possess rudimentary skills and hardware, and this often does not translate into much within the Aetherium, however, they are rarely turned away from Nanomei’s ranks, as they are the average everyday citizens that Nanomei strives to represent.
Typically, these users and their digital representations are little more than masked hoodlums that join together in large groups, and that find common cause and safety in their numbers. Few are individually potent, but the crowd spurns the Rabble on to greater risk and reckless acts of daring. The Rabble prides itself as the source of mayhem and chaos wherever they roam. Some of these users would never think to act out in the material world, while others have just as much disdain for the forces of order and control outside the virtual reality, and they are not afraid to show it Within the Aetherium, Rabble users tend to manifest not much differently than their material counterparts, usually appearing as little more than themselves albeit with typical Nanomei trappings; covered features, torn clothes, improvised weapons, and a grudge against authority.
Since the average individual Rabble cannot be expected to accomplish much or to last very long on their own, Nanomei Avatars tend to band them together into specific uses. As in the material world, there is power in numbers and even the most experienced users and powerful programs can find themselves in danger when a Rabble mob is left unchecked. Because most Rabble users have not formal military training or have never lifted an actual weapon in their material life, their equipment within the Aetherium is projected as typical household items: bats, pipes, bricks – all maner of makeshift weapons. These objects are quite often shadows of their knowledge from the material world, so a mechanic might find himself wielding a wrench, another a pipe, and so on. While they might not appear like much, many a user has underestimated the danger of the Rabble. Even the most cowardly of users can find their backbone while in the Aetherium, and with none of the usual social restraints, Rabble can cause significant destruction if overlooked.