A device that extends the range of the cypher seated in it, which allows them to communicate over a great distance. A lancer must wear the link to maintain contact with a cypher in their amplifier. Each link has a unique identification code that the cypher must know before they can send information. Amplifiers were invented by Corvus for diplomatic purposes and not a technology stolen from Fortuo.

Lord Brall: Milord, the visitors from Antium are missing. As is Brexis.
Cadmius: Missing? What say you?
Lord Brall: He has stolen blueprints to our grand secret, oh great one.
Cadmius: Our precious amplification! Stolen from under our nose. Find him. At once! As for the so-called diplomats from Antium… let them sit in the bellies of the mantikars.
Lord Brall: As you say, my lord.
Lady Cadmius: Dearest sir. Your flesh has turned ripe, and your body is about to fall from the tree.
Cadmius: Tree? What tree? Do not spin metaphors while I’m in the throes of anger!

— From Corvus in Fortuo, a performance play by Braceweld

Sometimes known as a Data Archive, this small device stores large amounts of information and can only be read by a trained cypher. Though there is no official date on record, Corvus is believed to have invented archives somewhere in the late 200s.

Corvus is the diplomatic and intelligence arm of Bastion. They are masters of intrigue and covert operations, answering directly to the Emperor of Antium. Corvus operatives monitor regions across Bastion and beyond for threats against human civilization, with particular interest in the Dominion. It was Corvus that first used cyphers for code-breaking and long-distance communication to keep a close eye on potential enemies. The organization gets its name from Legion of Dawn lancer Sanadeen, who was nicknamed Corvus, after the small blackbird.

—

Blackbird sittin’ on the wall,
Watching all the Ursix fall.
Did they shout for help or push them down?
Secret arm of the ember crown

— Children's Verse

Cyphers are individuals with a sensitivity to the Anthem of Creation and are capable of telepathic communication and heightened mental calculation. Many young people who are identified as having this unique gift undergo ember exposure and dedicated training to enhance their mental skills.
When cypher abilities first appeared, Corvus sought to use these individuals for covert purposes. They developed amplifier technology and created a type of institutional training center called a Satomi. The most important and advanced of these is Esteraat, the premier Satomi located in Antium.
Later, the Cypher Revolution brought cyphers expanded rights, freedom to choose how their abilities were used, opening a new world of communication between settlements and in the aid of lancers. While javelins were invented long before the cypher phenomenon, the addition of cyphers to operations outside the wall has made all lancers safer and more effective.

The prison block is hardly ever used. There's not such an abundance of Sentinels that any can be spared to watch inmates sit around in cells. Most of the time, the space winds up as extra storage, temporary work space for visiting Sentinel officers, or a meeting space for Corvus operatives who probably aren't fazed by the décor.

This archive contains stolen Dominion orders issued by the Monitor, obtained by Corvus Agent REDACTED at the cost of her life. Freelancer REDACTED recovered it from Fort Tarsis on a mission for Corvus to DETAILS REDACTED — NOT FOR GENERAL KNOWLEDGE.
This archive was originally turned over to Corvus Factor REDACTED here at the fort, but has been returned to the Enclave as a trophy, following a careful examination of its contents by intelligence analysts.

An airtight, armored exo-suit linked to a pilot's thoughts and impulses. Javelins are capable of short flights and have been the major technology of defense and exploration. “Arden Vassa crafted a suit of armor, plated in ember and hope. This would make General Tarsis stronger than the urgoth, than the ursix, than the titan. This would be humanity's salvation. A spear, hurtling towards freedom. A Javelin of Dawn.”

When cyphers began to appear, Corvus integrated new technology into links, so that the cyphers could “accompany” lancers on missions, giving specific direction, information and guidance. While not necessary to piloting a javelin, working with a cypher is a proven life saver.
Since a javelin is merely an extension of its lancer, they work best when specifically crafted to an individual's preference and ability. It is common for lancers to upgrade their javelin to their liking with guns, cannons, shields, and seals.

This all-purpose communication device allows lancers to stay in contact with each other through shortwave radio, as well as maintain mental contact with cyphers. Cyphers can also act as a conduit for additional parties to observe and comment on lancer activities. Early experiments between Corvus and the Satomi dabbled in sensory linking between all parties. However, this overloaded lancers who needed to focus their mental energies on piloting their javelins. Additional technology to limit what information lancers receive has since been developed. Socially, it is considered rude to wear links in certain situations, and the Antium Bard's Union has banned links at all performances.

** PLEASE BE ADVISED **
**By order of Corvus, this newsletter has ceased all publication.**

FROM: The Street Prophet

Truth coming at you. So why do I spout that stuff in the streets, you ask? Simple. To turn people off from the Anthem. Tune it out. Make them afraid of it, shake them loose from worshipping it. Not for the reasons I'm screaming about out there, but because the reasons I'm telling you here. The Anthem is all fabricated by spies. I don't want good people falling under their spell.

Here's the hard truth I've recently uncovered our very own Corvus might be the spy agency behind all this. I thought it was some foreign op. Nope. I have it on good authority Corvus has a Freelancer out there looking for a special, all-powerful relic. What did I tell you last issue? That the wrong hands could use the myth of the Anthem, Shapers, and relics to wield power. I just never imagined those wrong hands would be our hands, the ones supposedly protecting us.

More truth to follow...

Created with raw materials that emerged from a Shaper anomaly, this weapon is effective against any foes who stray too close. Corvus stole the blueprints for this innovative technology from Dominion agents testing it in the field. An unrefined version of this weapon is used by the Bristleback—a close relative of the monstrous ursix.

Tassyn is an agent of Corvus. She's intelligent and deeply loyal to the safety and survival of Antium. Her information is always accurate, but she never shares more than is necessary.

[REDACTED]:
Corvus field team at listening post [REDACTED], agents numbering [REDACTED], failed to report this morning. Recon team located their remains in [REDACTED]. Cause of death: weapons fire, assailants unknown. Names to be released to next of kin only.

— Found in Fort Tarsis security logs

The corvus is a bird of remarkable intelligence, famed for its problem-solving skills and its ruthlessness in defending nesting sites. But less well-known is how long their memories are. Those who have raided nests find themselves chased by angry birds even decades later. Corvus remember, and they pass information along forever.

— From Birds of Bastion: A Field Guide by Declan Sumner

“The Dominion had a strange creature with it today. It seemed like a brute, but was wearing a helmet or canister of some sort… and it was … it wasn’t a chimera but it was darn close, shooting off ice and such. I decided to put it out of its misery and shot the canister. Then the thing when crazy! Took out all the Dominion soldiers. Serves them right. What they did to that Brute was an abomination. Animals are dangerous, yeah, but they don’t deserve that.”

— Transcript, Corvus files

It's not called the Hollow because it's a big hole—it's for what happens to people who come out of it. I once saw a lancer come back with nothing inside... no emotion, no passion, no personality. They just came back... hollow.

—<redacted> Corvus Field Report

Spend any time down there and you'll feel it, I swear—that picking at your brain while they're moving about in their greasy torchlight. A whole hive of them. The buzzes and clicks. The scrambling over rocks. That chewing away at your mind. I'll be hearing that when the lights go out until the last sunset.

—From the field reconnaissance reports of an unknown Corvus agent

A rare Dominion operative who is both a skilled lancer and cypher. He is invaluable to the Dominion's expansion plans. Monitors undergo special training to make them into near-omniscient secret police. Corvus first heard whispers about the Monitors from small bands of refugees fleeing south from Stralheim to Freemark.

He was there when the Dominion activated the Cenotaph. One of the few to get out alive. But he's not like other soldiers. Monitors are always deadly, but he's different. Something happened to him... something deeper drives him. He will try to reach the Cenotaph once more, and will destroy anything in his way.

— Transcript. Corvus files.