Specialized teams formed and supplied by the Guild. The Dread-Companies achieve whatever the Guild cannot with heavy-industry and Dreadnaughts alone. 

Modern Dread-Companies (DCs, “D-Co.s” or “Dreasies”) are both continuations and hybridizations of the elite units in each Dread-City. The oldest DC was the Penal Corps. Colonel Halgen, the military dictator of the Falls-And-Arch-Autonomous-Zone, and later Arcwater created the Corps as a voluntary alternative to prisoners who faced a lifetime of forced labor. While these prisoners received preferential treatment and greater trust, they were subjected to continual psychological degradation and indoctrination— resulting in a fanatically devout company of warriors. Throughout the Hungry Years, the Penal Corps was expanded into several different companies. The ideology was also toned-down to allow for a the “Penals” to better serve non-combat roles. However the population of “extremists” who couldn’t be safely reintegrated was concerningly high. Halgen’s successors responded by creating the “Irredeemable Company”, which would be sent out on high-risk missions with the intent of killing off most of the extremists. By 2043, Irredeemable Company was down to 60 members. Arcwater stated that the company could not exceed this number of active Penals, but that it could have as many support personnel as it required. 

Simultaneously, other Dread-Cities developed highly skilled teams of their own fighters, with a few training premium companies of engineers, administrators, steel-tongues, and even Callers. The concept of formalizing these groups was introduced by Triumvirate administrator ’Kenna Odie in 2042. Due to a series of night-attacks, a contingent of Name had been forced to abandon their return trip to their home-city. The Name merged with Odie’s convoy and immediately bonded with her siege-engineers. This beneficial relationship moved Odie to draft up a proposal to formalize these hybrid units. CCs hypothesized that these “Dread-Companies” could function in more offensive or autonomous roles than most of their existing forces. Furthermore, this mixing of highly valuable personnel from multiple cities could have benefits similar to political marriages and help with cultural exchange. The proliferation of Dreadnaughts further incentivised the creation of DCs, as the vessels could “host” DCs that would augment their capabilities. Contemporary DCs have an incredible diversity, both in parent cities, and function. Several DCs have members from outside of the Guild, or were previously loyal to clans.

Current Dread-Companies:

• Irredeemable Company: 60 of the most extremely loyal and highly skilled Penals with their supporting apparatus of almost 100. Considered the most elite heavy-infantry unit ever created. Irredeemable Company can hold entire Dreadnaughts against siege for weeks. While the “primary Penals” are all male, their apparatus is fairly diverse, both in gender and age. Serving until death in the Irredeemable Company is viewed as an honorable alternative to suicide or complete madness for those who have lost everything. 
• Verdant Company: made up entirely of Verdants. The best in aquatic and anti-Regime operations
• X Rapid Dreadnaught repair company
• X Siege-ground preparation company
• X Ultra-fast transport company
• X Covert Ops Company
• X Bounty-Hunting Company