#background info

This takes place during Leo's crusade against Sterling, during which her squads staged rescue operations; secured bases, supplies, and soldiers for the resistance(s); and killed the Cardinals.

That snake guy is Ramuss. He's a chimera, and the result of mutation used as mutilation. Leo, specifically, only killed Ramuss. Her brothers and sisters took care of the other Cardinals.

[See bullet 1] I positioned Leo the way I had because I wanted her to look as if she was presenting Ramuss' head to an off-camera audience. Her spot in the picture also serves to use Leo as the star of S.O.'s logo:

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I'm not sure if I executed this properly, but the chains separating the colors represent the hold Sterling has held on the world. Ramuss' death—which came after the other Cardinals were wiped out—marks the end of an era. Following this event, the disestablishment of monocities and labor camps became relatively easy. Of course, there was resistance from people who benefited from Ramuss' influence (Civilians, for the most part, weren't assimilated. They were just birds that didn't know, or forgot, they were trapped).

From her placement, the circle behind Leo is meant to mimic halos in religious iconography. Her exploits—excuse me if this is disrespectful or something—created the image of Leo (and co.) being saviors in other people's eyes.

Leo's prosthesis was probably my favorite part to do. The glass-looking part on top is a tube meant to hold canisters of Purple Rain, hence the nozzles. If you look closely, the arm has a trigger. This feature is meant for other people to use the arm in the instance that Leo cannot.

More importantly...

I'm doing away with the idea that Leo has a personal grudge against Ramuss. It doesn't make sense considering I've (tried) to emphasize how large Sterling Operations is, and it's also illogical for the fact that Ramuss—big shot cult leader and religious fanatic—wouldn't be worried about Leo until the crusades begin, and his plans are being thwarted. That goes for the rest of the Cardinals, too.

Rather, it would make more sense for Leo to focus more on the “You've been exploiting yokai for centuries and enslaving them for nearly as long; screwed up the world with your weird cult; and are an active participant of the deterioration of our previous society's remains.” —part of this whole thing.

Past Sketches:

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I ended up redrawing the digital versions traditionally, and then taking that drawing, putting it into ibis paint, traced/cleaned it up, and then colored it.

As much as I like my digital art style, the control I have over myself with physical art looks better and somehow takes less time.

Founded: Classified (Estimated post-WWII) Affiliation: Off-the-books division under a multinational intelligence coalition Public Knowledge: Nonexistent

ORIGINS

In the aftermath of World War II, as the world reckoned with the atrocities committed in the name of ideology, another secret war was quietly taking shape. Allied intelligence services uncovered scattered reports of inhuman entities used by opposing forces—ferals unleashed on enemy trenches, witches embedded in spy networks, unnatural "weapons" born of occult science.

Most dismissed these reports as wartime paranoia. But a select few believed.

In 1952, a classified multi-agency task force was assembled to assess and neutralize paranormal threats. Over time, this unit evolved, shedding national ties and becoming a shadow operation run by a closed circle of high-level officials, black-budget scientists, and hardened operatives. They named it Nemesis, after the Greek goddess of vengeance—because they weren’t just hunting monsters. They were returning the favor.

STRUCTURE

Nemesis is structured like an elite black-ops team with intelligence tentacles embedded in governments, corporations, and scientific institutions. Its members operate globally, answer to no one but the directive board (simply called The Bishop), and are equipped with high-tech gear laced with arcane enhancements.

Divisions within Nemesis:

R.A.Z.O.R. Teams – Rapid Assault Zone for Occult Reconnaissance. Strike teams for field missions. Specialists in containment, eradication, and urban extractions.

Deneir Division – Linguists, cryptographers, and occult historians decoding supernatural texts and rituals.

Project Caduceus – The medical and scientific arm, studying supernatural physiology and weaponizing it.

Argos – Digital surveillance network that uses predictive algorithms to track supernatural signatures and activity patterns.

PHILOSOPHY & OPERATING PROCEDURE

Nemesis doesn’t see supernatural beings as "individuals"—they are biological anomalies, glitches in the human genome, or outright predators. Vampires, werewolves, witches—each is categorized and logged as a Class N Entity (Non-Human Entity), with sub-codes indicating danger levels. [Ranging from S - C tier. Ex. Lowest rank: C and Highest rank: SSS]

Despite their elite status, Nemesis agents are trained to dehumanize targets. Their motto: “Precision. Purge. Peace.”

While most missions involve silent takedowns or erasure of supernatural nests, some targets are captured alive for experimentation or intel extraction. Few survive interrogation. Fewer still escape.

TECHNOLOGY & TACTICS

Argentum Rounds – Anti-vampire ammunition laced with silver and anticoagulants that ignite on contact with infected blood.

Null Cages – Energy-dampening containment cells that suppress supernatural abilities.

The Alexandria Index – A secret digital archive containing everything known about supernatural bloodlines, weaknesses, and active threats.

REPUTATION

Among supernatural communities, Nemesis is a ghost story. Whispers of entire clans disappearing overnight, of operatives who bleed ice, of agents who know your name before you’ve ever been seen. The term “Nemesis is watching” is used like a curse or a warning.

They’re not just hunters. They’re the reason supernaturals stay underground.

INTERNAL CONFLICT

In recent years, rumors have circulated that not all within C.A.I.N. agree with The Bishop’s total-extermination policy. Agents questioning the mission, and others going rogue after witnessing the humanity in their so-called enemies.

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— The Setting of Cordova’s Story: Sneak Peak —

It’s the year 2020, but to the supernatural, the world has always felt more like the dark ages. For centuries, vampires have walked among humans—misunderstood, feared, and relentlessly hunted. They are not the creatures of myth that creep from coffins or cripple at the taste of garlic. No, vampires are born, not made—afflicted from birth with a rare and ancient blood disorder passed down through generations. Their bodies cannot produce enough blood on their own, leaving them in a constant state of deficiency. Their only option is to consume the blood of others to survive. It is not a choice. It is biology.

Still, society brands them monsters. Humanity’s fear has long eclipsed its compassion. Legends twisted science into superstition, and facts were buried beneath folklore. The line between what is necessary for survival and what is called evil blurred long ago.

Among the vampires also lies the Ferals—tragic, horrifying echoes of what happens when a vampire is pushed too far. Either born with aggressive mutations or starved to the edge of madness, Ferals are what humanity imagines all vampires to be: bloodthirsty, mindless, violent. C.A.I.N uses them as proof that no vampire is safe. That all of them are simply waiting to snap.

The Ardeleans. An old family of vampires of many generations. Considered royalty in their circles, though clearly not in the eyes of the human world. And as tradition states, a vampire that reaches the age of maturity is meant to suck the blood of their first human as an initiation. Though, there is a certain heir that is reluctant to follow traditions. Long overdue for his first dose of human blood. One that comes from both vampire and human origins. A Dhampir.

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Date: April 17, 2025

There are two big points that are often talked about.

1. Soldiers wear guns and they use them all the time. 2. Soldiers have to follow orders blindly.

At least that is what I found most of the times. If there is anything else you want an explanation for, hit me up with an ask and I try my best to answer it properly.

1. Soldiers wear guns and they use them all the time.

This is not an easy thing to explain. So, I need to give out a lot of background information. I hope it isn’t boring because this goes into military politics and law and stuff…

On April 4th 1949 after WWII the North Atlantic Treaty was signed and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) was founded. Until now, in 2024, 32 nations are part of this organization, including the U.S. as one of the founding nations.

In this treaty there are several rights and obligations written down. Every nation that is part of the NATO has to abide by this agreement and has to follow these points.

Next to the NATO there is the United Nations Organization (UNO or UN), a coalition of 193 states. While the NATO is a defence alliance to protect freedom and security for all their members, the UN is an alliance to keep peace and to ensure the continuation of human rights. To do that they sometimes have to use military means to, for example, help after natural disasters. You might have seen them, their “soldiers” are called “blue beret” as UN peacekeepers.

Nonetheless, even if the goals of both organizations might vary, there is one thing they have in common – the international humanitarian law. This is partly written down and agreed upon in the North Atlantic Treaty. The foundation for this law are the Geneva Conventions among others (the Hague Conventions or the “Laws of war”/ “jus in bello”).

The international humanitarian law, based on the Geneva Conventions, is a set of rules that seek to limit the effects of armed conflicts. People who are NOT participating in these conflicts are protected by it. It is also for restricting and regulating the means and methods of warfare available to those who DO participate (e.g. prohibition of torture).

To be able to differentiate between these two groups of people concerning military personnel the terms “combatant” and “non-combatant” are used. The definition for these two terms is also written down in the international humanitarian law.

Combatants are people who are authorized to participate directly in any conflict. Non-combatants are members of the armed forces whose duties do not include fighting. (The term is also fitting for civilians who do not participate. If they do participate as civilians, they are called illegal/unlawful combatants.)

Let’s concentrate on the non-combatants because they are important for my further explanation.

Non-combatants are military personnel who do not fight. The international humanitarian law states that neither they have the right to actively participate in any conflict nor that it is allowed to attack them (their non-combatant status protects them).

The Geneva Conventions state explicitly who falls under this definition of non-combatants – including medical personnel.

To recognize them there are several signs we all know – the red cross, the red crescent and the red crystal. These are protection symbols that are kept pretty simple so that everyone can recognize them and if needed can be improvised easily.

In conclusion: Medical personnel wear these protection signs to show that they are non-combatants.

Now, what about the use of any weapons? I stated earlier that they do not actively participate in any conflict. But why do they carry weapons if not to use them? It is actually a good question. Normally you would see this as a disagreement with the former stated rules for them. But in fact, it is not that simple. Yes, they carry weapons and they know how to use them. But they do NOT use them to fight. Or attack. The international humanitarian law gives them the permission to use them to defend themselves or other against attacks in breach of international law.

What does that mean exactly? Medical personnel carry weapons to defend themselves or their patients from people attacking them. They are NOT allowed to attack. They just have them for their own and their patient’s protection/defence.

To sum it up after this detailed explanation and to come back to the original topic of this post…

Eddie Diaz is an army medic. Means, he is a non-combatant in the conflict he has been in. He carries a weapon to protect and defend himself, his comrades (who are also non-combatants) and his potential patients.

So, he is not an aggressive soldier, fighting and shooting like a mad man. When we saw him in the show, he was using his weapon to defend and save himself and his comrades. Like he is allowed to do by law.

People might ask though “why was he in a helicopter at first then, flying into an active war zone if not to fight?”.

Okay, another explanation time.

Usually, medical personnel are stationed in different locations and areas during a conflict. There is a so called “role” system.

role 1: immediate lifesaving measures, often provided by comrades that are with you when you get injured (self aid or Buddy aid) at the point of injury (battlefield)

role 2: advanced trauma management and emergency medical treatment, often handled by real medical personnel (not at the battlefield but close by)

role 3: medical treatment facility (e.g. military hospitals) that is staffed and equipped to provide care to all category of patients, still overseas but quite far away from any combat action

role 4: medical care based in the home country

Depending on what job and training you have, you can find yourself in any of these “roles”. For example: if you are a lab worker, it is very likely that you are stationed in a role 3 hospital or role 4 back home while if you are an emergency doctor you are probably stationed in a role 2 facility.

Let’s come back to Eddie Diaz again. He is a trained army medic. That means he is no doctor but he is a trained paramedic, trained for emergencies. So, it makes sense that he would be around a “role 2” situation, so to speak. But he was in a helicopter, what does this mean then?

“Role 1” situations happen at the battlefield, at the front row. These people that are injured need to be taken care of. They need to be brought back to a role 2 facility and later on to a role 3 hospital. So, there are people needed to transport them, hopefully combat medics that can take care of them during transport.

Most of the times, especially in an active warzone, it is not that easy to transport them with a truck or car due to landmines, IEDs (improvised explosive devices) and in particular - time. If people are wounded, they need to be taken care of asap. A ground-based transport takes time due to attacks, bad road conditions etc.. So, it is easier to use an aircraft, hence a helicopter. This is called “Forward AirMedEvac” (Forward Aeromedical Evacuation). With a helicopter you are able to fly in, get your patient and fly out, quick and usually without any bigger problems.

Back to Eddie. He was an army medic in a Forward AirMedEvac. Unfortunately, their helicopter was hit and they crashed.

(Just a short side note as information: In Afghanistan the protection signs like the red cross were used as a target and the others shot at them on purpose to lower the morals of any troops because… if the medics are down, the common soldiers get insecure because their backup safety system is gone.)

All in all, with this information we can say:

Eddie Diaz is an army medic and not an active participant in the conflict as a non-combatant. He was in the helicopter to do his job to save comrades and help them. When they crashed, he used the weapon to defend and protect himself and the others around him.

So, people who are saying that he is walking around, shooting, fighting, being a soldier through and through, are wrong. I think I explained it detailed enough what his role in the military was.

Therefore, up to the second point which will be a bit shorter, I promise.

2. Soldiers have to follow orders blindly.

In principle, this is right. Soldiers have to follow orders because in the military there is a hierarchy that exists for several reasons.

Although, you also cannot see this just as black and white. Like “follow an order or else”. You have to differentiate there as well.

Insubordination is covered under Article 19 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ). This article covers disobeying LAWFUL orders as well as disrespectful language or even striking a superior. The key word here is “lawful”.

This means if your superior gives a soldier a lawful order, they have to follow it. For example: if you are told to walk left or to clean up a truck or whatever. That is rightful and you have to do it.

The more important part is – if your superior gives you a UNLAWFUL order, it is not called insubordination and you don’t have to follow it. For example: if a superior orders you to kill someone it is still illegal and you do not have to do it.

I want to point out that even if soldiers live in a hierarchical system, they are still people who can think for themselves. Yes, there might be a few who do not and who blindly follow ANY order. But these are not the rule.

Concerning the aforementioned article, it is needed for any soldier to question their orders to see if they are lawful or not. They are protected if they are not, the person cannot be called out or punished for insubordination because it is no insubordination if they do not follow an unlawful order.

So, concerning Eddie and his military past and the statements that he would follow blindly any order given to him, it is just plainly wrong. Eddie has shown that he disobeys orders quite often. Not because they are unlawful but because he thinks different and that he knows better.

Yes, he might follow orders from his captain when they are right and concern the job like “Diaz, you do the rope rescue” or “Diaz, you run into this burning building to save people”. But just because he was a soldier, he would not follow blindly any order his captain would give him just because it is/was an order.

Because soldiers are people and can still see the difference between lawful and unlawful. Eddie would not follow anything a superior told him if he thinks it is wrong just because he was a soldier and “they do this all the time without questioning”.

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**additional info**

-Pls don't hurt me but I ship Arachne with Chaz from helluva boss idc if he is dead in canon in my AU he is alive so there problem solved

-for Husk's daughter I haven't come up with a official name for her yet and some suggestions would be nice some name ideas I have are Lidea and Sapphire