| “ | Brotherhood. Unity. Peace. - Nod motto |
” |
The Brotherhood of Nod, often shortened to Nod or the Brotherhood, was an organization with the characteristics of a religious movement, a multinational corporation, and a nation-state. It was classified as a terrorist group by the Global Defense Initiative.[4]
The origin of Nod is shrouded in mystery, with the group itself claiming that it existed since before 1800 BC.[1][5] It rose to prominence in 1995, when a meteororite carrying Tiberium landed near Tiber river in Italy.[6] During this period, Nod launched a series of terrorist attacks all over the world. In response, the United Nations founded the Global Defense Initiative, a multinational military alliance with the goal of eliminating multinational terrorism.[7][8]
The conflict between Nod and GDI escalated into a world war in 1997, and would later be known as the First Tiberium War.[9] Though Nod was defeated at the end of the war, it returned time and time again in the decades that followed, leading to the Second and Third Tiberium War. Finally, at the end of the Fourth Tiberium War in 2077, the entire Brotherhood of Nod and Kane achieved Ascension through Threshold 19, leaving Earth behind and putting an end to the conflicts between Nod and GDI for good.[2][3]
The central tenets of Nod's beliefs included the worship of Tiberium, which they saw as the catalyst for the next stage of human evolution;[10][11] the worship of Kane, Nod's charismatic leader, believed to be immortal by many within the Brotherhood;[9] and the Ascension prophecy, a mythological reward promised to Nod's followers by Kane.[12]
In addtion, Nod consistently presented itself as the voice of the oppressed masses, and worked to unite the downtrodden and the disenfranchised against the GDI, which it painted as a fascist group subservient to the wealthy western nations and global elites.[1][13][5][14]
History
Early History
| “ | Our relationship with Tiberium has always been greatly misunderstood. Most people do not realize that the roots of our faith extend back several millennia, long before the emergence of the green crystal on Earth in 1995... an event prophesized by our great leader, Kane. - Nod orientation briefing |
” |
An ancient tomb with Nod symbols in Africa
The Brotherhood's exact origin is unknown. According to the Brotherhood itself, it originated millennias ago.[5] While the GDI dismissed this claim as exaggerated,[1] it did recognize that the Brotherhood was "an ancient and secret society".[7]
There were several pieces of evidence that seem to support Nod's claim of an ancient origin. During his mission to rescue Dr. Ignatio Mobius from a Nod research facility, GDI commando Nick Seymour Parker discovered an ancient tomb decorated with statues of scorpions.[15] Several ancient artifacts apparently depicting the killing of Abel by Cain were also seen in Nod temples, seemingly lending credence to the Nod belief that Kane was, in fact, the Biblical Cain.[16]
Nod maintained strong ties with most global terrorist organizations, presumably since before Tiberium appeared on Earth.[7]
In 1995, a Tiberium meteor crashed near Tiber river in Italy, bringing the alien substance to Earth. According to Nod, this event was prophesized by Kane.[5] Kane himself claimed that Nod was responsible for the discovery of Tiberium, and that he personally named it after the Roman emperor Tiberius.[17] Whether or not these statements were true is unclear, but Nod did pioneer advanced Tiberium harvesting techniques. As Tiberium became a precious commodity, Nod quickly dominated the global Tiberium market, granting it significant economic power.[18]
First Tiberium War
Archived newspaper article concerning a mistake Nod's SAM site operators made when they misidentified a civilian aircraft.
Archived newspaper article concerning Nod's influence globally, based on Tiberium holdings
In the First Tiberium War the Brotherhood first launched an expansive campaign that eventually allowed it to take over most of Africa and launch a second campaign in mainland Europe. When GDI managed to take the initiative, to gain more support, Kane devised a plan to blame GDI for the slaughtering of the population of Białystok, Poland. Afterwards, Nod broadcast a fake news report claiming that GDI soldiers razed the whole town on suspicions of the citizens being involved in Tiberium smuggling.
The broadcast created a scandal that forced the United Nations Security Council to cut GDI funding pending an investigation, causing the GDI to apparently almost shut down. Kane however was unaware that this 'scandal' was used by GDI and the UN, and as Nod forces arrived they encountered heavy resistance from "abandoned" bases. Since the incursions into GDI territory caused Nod forces to be spread very thin, GDI not only repelled the attacks, but took large areas of Nod territory during their counterstrikes, giving them the decisive advantange in the first conflict.
Kane himself was believed to have been killed at the final stand of the Brotherhood near Sarajevo. With GDI forces closing in, Kane calmly attempted to exit his 'Temple of Nod' through the front door. However, as he gazed upon the ruined hallway the entire temple was suddenly bathed in the light of GDI's Ion Cannon. Kane was seemingly vapourised by the discharge, holding his arms out wide.
Second Tiberium War
'Hit and run' tactics were utilised widely by Nod.
Following the First Tiberium War, the death of Kane caused the Brotherhood to factionalise into small armies. For quite a long time, they fought more against themselves than against GDI. It is known that one of Nod's most influential leaders, General Hassan, was collaborating with GDI, keeping Nod relatively harmless. Unfortunately for Hassan, the Black Hand leader, Anton Slavik escaped an execution attempt, and rallied his forces against Hassan. The puppet leader was captured, and executed in a ceremony marking Nod's reunification. To the astonishment of many Nod personnel, Kane revealed himself to be alive shortly before Hassan was killed.
Nod immediately launched an aggressive war against GDI positions, including assaults on Phoenix Base and Hammerfest. Nod also captured the Tacitus, a data matrix filled with vast knowledge about Tiberium. With it, Kane had planned on detonating a World Altering Missile, transforming all carbon-based life on Earth into Tiberium-based life. [19] However, with assistance from the Forgotten, the Global Defense Initiative managed to defeat Nod once more. Commander Michael McNeil, the GDI commander who led the assault on Cairo, discovered that Kane did not survive the Ion Cannon strike unharmed. Large portions of his face were hidden under a metal mask, covering what appear to be massive burns. This was particularly surprising, as all transmissions from Kane to both Nod and GDI showed a flawless face; a fact explained by CABAL digital filtering of raw images.[9]
McNeil apparently killed Kane by impaling him with a shard of metal.
Firestorm Conflict
The Firestorm Conflict started with General Slavik arguing with the rest of the Inner Circle of the Brotherhood over leadership issues in the wake of Kane's apparent death. He ordered his men to recapture CABAL, a move which he believed will help reunite Nod while at the same time allowing Nod to compete with GDI. The Black Hand recovered the AI, but shortly after CABAL's reactivation the computer seized control of all Nod Cyborg units, and assassinated the Inner Circle. Commander Slavik, who alone managed to escape the death that claimed the other generals, ordered all Nod forces to evacuate from CABAL's cyborgs. Slavik assists in this evacuation by maneuvering the Montauk to a Nod installation and recovering the survivors. Slavik then ordered a surgical strike against a massive GDI air force base to recover an EVA unit, which he had reprogrammed to assist Nod forces.
With Nod's forces lacking the manpower or intelligence to beat CABAL alone, General Slavik approached GDI General Paul Cortez with a cease-fire offer so that they could work together against CABAL. Since GDI forces were also under considerable strain, Cortez agreed, and both sides began attacking CABAL's auxiliary bases, in Nod's case a Tiberium harvesting facility. With CABAL's auxiliary bases down, Slavik deployed members of the Elite Cadre, the best of his Black Hand troops, to clear out a patrolling Cyborg team before Nod established a base and launched an offensive against CABAL. Ultimately, GDI and Nod forces were able to destroy the CABAL Core. Slavik claimed victory against the single greatest threat to the Brotherhood.
Interbellum
See also: Second Nod Reunification War
However, Slavik's victory was short-lived, as unrest began to spread throughout Nod, and Slavik became increasingly unpopular. This eventually culminated in his murder at the hands of Marcion, who had taken control of the Black Hand and Nod being, again, splintered into warring factions. This left the still-alive Kane almost entirely by himself.[2] However, Kane, with LEGION, worked towards reuniting the Brotherhood again as a global superpower.
The first step towards reunification was taken in the Rio Insurrection, in which Nod forces commanded by LEGION helped the local populace overthrow GDI rule and brought a renegade Nod warlord to heel. Kane then turned his attention to Australia, sending Nod forces, again under LEGION's command, first to retrieve information on Nod's Stealth technology and later to subdue Marcion's Black Hand faction in central Australia.
With Marcion brought back to the fold, Kane ordered the destruction of a GDI Liquid Tiberium research facility in the Outback, as a "grand gesture" to all Nod forces around the world. The destruction of the facility produced a Tiberium fallout across Australia, contaminating much of the country with the crystal. After this event, Nod was again a unified force. It operated mainly in the Yellow Zones, gaining the trust of the populace.
Kane planned to strike against the GDSS Philadelphia, ordering LEGION to steal the plans for the Ion Cannon network. Kane also arranged for Redmond Boyle to become the GDI Director after the attack, counting on his incompetence to further the cause of Nod.
Third Tiberium War
Scorpion Tank being inspected prior to a battle
The Third Tiberium War began with the Brotherhood of Nod again emerging from the shadows to battle GDI. In the very early stages of the Third Tiberium War, Nod launched a successful attack on GDI's Goddard Space Center, rendering all of GDI's anti-missile capabilities useless. GDI was caught off guard, with its senior commanders and Board of Directors on the Philadelphia for the annual energy summit. Due to the loss of its anti-missile defences, the Philadelphia became vulnerable to attack and was quickly destroyed by a Nod nuclear missile. Nod used the following confusion to attack GDI installations in Blue Zones across the globe and almost succeeded in taking North America. However, GDI rallied its forces and drove Nod out of the regions they had captured.
It quickly became apparent that Kane and his leading scientists were working on a liquid Tiberium bomb which would be strong enough to wipe GDI from the face of the planet. While GDI was in Africa, destroying what it believed to be Nod's chemical weapons factories, Nod was transporting the weapon from the real chemical plant in South America to the now reconstructed Temple Prime in Sarajevo, Bosnia. After GDI finished their campaign in Africa, they turned their attention to Nod's stronghold, unaware that they had been lured into a trap.
GDI flocked to Sarajevo in hopes that this would be the final encounter with the Brotherhood of Nod. They established strong footholds deep in Nod territory and used them as staging areas to launch a single, massive assault on Temple Prime. During the attacks, Kane stealthily slipped away, knowing that his work there was complete. When GDI was successful in neutralizing Nod's Ion disruption towers, they fired upon the temple with their Ion Cannon, which destroyed the temple instantly. The ion particles broke through the layers of the older temple ruins until it reached the lowest level, where large quantities of liquid Tiberium were stored. Upon contact with the ion particles, it detonated, sending shockwaves across the planet. Millions of people in Eastern Europe were feared dead, but Acting Director Redmond Boyle saw it as an unfortunate but acceptable loss in the effort to wipe Nod from future history books. Unknown to GDI, however, Kane had tricked them into using the Ion Cannon Excalibur against Temple Prime to detonate the liquid Tiberium because Nod had no way of detonating it. The only way liquid Tiberium could be so catastrophically detonated was if the immeasurable energy of the Ion Cannon came into contact with it.
Nod followers were understandably shocked. Their most holy place was destroyed and their great leader was dead. Kane's second in command, General Kilian Qatar, took over control of the Brotherhood and called all forces to her base in the Australian Outback so that they may be able to regroup. Unknown to them, the liquid Tiberium blast had other consequences. An alien species known as the Scrin, which the Tacitus had only fleetingly referred to, had been waiting for a signal to invade Earth, which the cataclysmic detonation of the liquid Tiberium stores provided. The Scrin landed in Red Zones and began deploying their forces, swiftly crushing any resistance they encountered. GDI and Nod grudgingly joined forces to combat this new enemy. During a major battle in Australia, Kane resurfaced, and was furious at Qatar for allying herself with GDI and ordered her death. Qatar was executed and Kane revealed his master plan.
The Tacitus contained information on a future alien invasion, and that the invasion would begin when a liquid Tiberium explosion occurred. Kane saw this as an opportunity to invite a superior race to Earth with the biggest and most destructive fireworks display in history. However, Kane and his scientists could not build or find a detonator with enough power to produce the desired effect. As a result, Kane started a war with GDI, knowing that they would retaliate with their Ion Cannon on his temple, the only force strong enough to detonate the bomb to gain the necessary explosion.
When the Scrin arrived on Earth, they began to construct monolithic towers. When each of these towers was constructed, they would become an interstellar gateway to other galaxies and worlds. Also, on completion, they would become invulnerable to any attack. The towers housed vast information on Tiberium. If enough of these towers would to have been successfully built, the entire Scrin race would have been able to warp directly to and conquer Earth in one swift stroke, and not even Nod's stealth technology would provide sufficient protection.
After GDI fought off the initial Scrin attack, it noticed the towers for the first time. Knowing that whatever the towers would do could not possibly be good, they launched coordinated attacks on every tower across the globe, starting with the tower closest to completion: the Threshold in Rome. Kane realised that at least one tower must survive for this campaign to be successful and orders Nod's energy to be focused on defending one particular tower in southern Italy. Kane also ordered the retrieval of an 'access key' to the tower, which was located in a Scrin Nerve Center in Italy. This was accomplished by a legendary Nod Commander. GDI assaulted the last tower with tremendous force but was held back by Nod and is eventually pushed from the area. All other towers across the globe were destroyed and the tower in southern Italy was the last one standing. Kane's plan, as a result, was a success. The Scrin's vast knowledge of Tiberium was now in the hands of Nod.
Third Tiberium War aftermath
Nod was once again driven underground due to GDI attacks, and the surviving upper echelons of Nod leadership kept a low profile; to all outward appearances, the Brotherhood ceased to exist as a military force. Kane himself admitted Nod is a "shadow of what it was", but added "that is how it should be, for only the chosen few will be allowed into the Promised Land." While GDI have managed to drive Nod "off the face of the planet", Nod survived underground and their activities hidden from the view of GDI. Kane's Tower, the surviving Scrin Threshold in the southern Italian Red Zone, (probably became the hub of Nod activity) while Nod studied the knowledge the Scrin have brought with them (GDI believed the Tower to be inert). Kane adopted Scrin style of clothing - his Nod robes are now dyed purple-black and marked with Scrin writing.
In 2052 the Marked of Kane - a secret army of cyborgs previously dormant in Russia and South East Asia - were awakened. Kane learned that GDI was conducting experiments on the Tacitus which were destabilizing it. Kane had ordered Legion to retrieve the Tacitus from a GDI research base in the Rocky mountains. Led by LEGION and reinforced by the 2nd Armoured Regiment of the Black Hand and a force of core Nod soldiers, the Cyborgs were able capture the now-unstable Tacitus. The Tacitus was saved just in time before it exploded. The Tacitus was stable enough that Kane could upload it into Legion. The Tacitus transported LEGION to the Ichor Hub.
2062: An Unholy Alliance with GDI
Meanwhile, Tiberium continued its inexorable march across the globe. Ten years later, despite GDI's best efforts, Tiberium contamination reached critical levels. As during the Firestorm Conflict, human extinction seemed inevitable. On July 24, 2062, Kane openly approached GDI to seemingly offer an alliance.[20][21] Appearing before the GDI Council of Directors holding the Tacitus, he proposed a deal: to save humanity, he would share with GDI the knowledge of Tiberium Control which Nod had gained from the Tacitus, and GDI would provide the resources to build a "Tiberium Control Network".
The Incursion War
Now, a schism developed within Nod. Many viewed the alliance with GDI as heresy, and came to believe that Kane has forsaken his people. Armed attacks by Nod dissidents attempting to halt the construction of the Tiberium Control Network, or TCN, soon led to open rebellion against Kane. Led by Gideon, the Nod Separatists (as they came to be called) waged a relentless and highly destructive guerrila war against GDI and Nod loyalists. The conflict, known as the Incursion War, saw an overhaul of Nod's military, including the introduction of the Crawler system similar to GDI's. By 2073, the TCN was completed by the end of 2073, the rebellion crushed and the surviving leaders driven into hiding - catastrophe has been averted.
Fourth Tiberium War and Ascension
By May 2077, Nod's alliance with GDI still held despite growing political unrest between the two factions, which was not helped by the Separatist raids. However, no one realised that the purpose of the TCN was twofold - not only did it stop Tiberium from spreading across the globe, it was also linked to Threshold 19 to form a portal which Kane needed to 'ascend'. However, the portal could only be open by humans with special implants developed by Kane and Dr Johann Pascal. Nod separatists learnt of this and killed all those with the implants, except for one GDI field commander, Commander Parker. Also, a GDI right-wing faction led by Colonel Louise James became a hindrance to Kane's plans.
Before Kane could link the TCN to the Threshold tower, the Nod loyalists wanted to bring Gideon and the separatists to heel. While GDI was reeling from an internal power struggle between James and the GDI government, the Brotherhood of Nod was once again united by forcibly capturing Gideon before he could self-destruct his base. GDI and Nod fought each other once again at Threshold 19 for control of the TCN, in which Nod and Kane was successful in linking the TCN to the tower. In the ending of both campaigns, Parker dies a slow death, but not before he activates the portal, allowing Kane and the rest of Nod to ascend through the portal, disappearing from Earth. With all Nod followers having ascended, the Brotherhood's status is currently unknown, but GDI is left as the sole planetary superpower on Earth.
Details of Nod Philosophy
| “ | One vision! One purpose! - Kane |
” |
During the First Tiberium War the Brotherhood of Nod was widely regarded by its detractors and opponents to be a quasi-state, quasi-terrorist organisation seeking to unite the third-world nations under a religious political platform with imperialist tendencies.
According to the group's own claim they were a religious Brotherhood of ancient origin which strived for a world of 'peace', 'unity' and 'eternal brotherhood' in which all the peoples of the world could 'face the struggles of life as one', and that human society's full embracement of the alien substance of Tiberium was the key to this revolution. In official statements, Nod specifically stated that it wished to unify the developing countries of the world that have been ignored, abused and neglected by the industrialised nations. Nod's modi operandi during the First Tiberium War however revealed it to be a highly-aggressive and popular, anti-West movement vying for total domination of the world's peoples and resources.
During the Second Tiberium War, Nod's religious viewpoints began to place a much larger emphasis on the concept of 'Divination', a process through which all followers of Kane were promised the means to embrace the 'Tiberian future of Humanity' and subsequently flourish in every imaginable aspect. At the end of the Second Tiberium War the true nature of the Brotherhood of Nod's 'Great Plan' would eventually reveal itself as the complete transformation of all carbon-based life on Earth to Tiberium-based life, through the launch and detonation of a world-altering Tiberium warhead within the planet's upper atmosphere.
Their defeat at the end of the war and Kane's disappearance have brought a change in doctrine, further emphasizing Nod as a religion. The Ascension was defined as the final goal of the Great Plan, while religious dogmas began putting even greater emphasis on venerating Tiberium as divine.
The Brotherhood releases numerous guidance files to help brothers learn the philosophy and Ways of Nod. They are part of the Nod religion and existed as far back as the First Tiberium War. Indeed, the quasi-religion of Nod was well developed back in 2002, as rituals and peculiar masses were all regular parts of a daily life of a Brother of Nod[22].
At least part of Nod philosophy includes the idea of "Peace through Power," which is somewhat ironic considering this is precisely the mandate of their sworn enemy, GDI, at least in its original form, as the organization was founded essentially for the purpose of maintaining world peace through the use of force.
First Tiberium War philosophy details
Below are two excerpts from First Tiberium War-era PR material, detailing Nod philosophy in the early 21st century:
- [Why does the Brotherhood exist]
- As long as man has had breath the Brotherhood has existed. For from the beginning - when man's struggle was with nature, not knowing where he might sleep, how he would eat, or whether he would survive to see the light of dawn - there have always been those who would lord over others. People who believe that they, by some unseen right, are granted power over others, and would push others down so they might climb, are the greatest threat to mankind's existence. For many years has one man or one race prospered on the sweat and work of others.
- Such injustices are not just a sin against mankind, but also a sin against God. The Brotherhood had its beginnings with the first downtrodden who looked for a better way. These oppressed sought a path that would allow them to gather fruits of life and achieve enough resources and wealth that they and their families could survive and advance with the rest of mankind.
- [Time to act]
- With the unstoppable growth of Tiberium across the Globe, most of it occurring in nations friendly to the Brotherhood, our time has come. The vast wealth and resources gained from Tiberium have given us the ability to come into the open and challenge our antagonists face to face. Across the Globe, GDI and Nod forces now clash in a titanic struggle that will decide the fate of mankind for all time. The GDI hides behind the façade that they are here to help the free nations in their struggle against those they would name terrorist. We in the Brotherhood know the truth. Our fight is for all mankind, not for those cherished few.
The Brotherhood puts emphasis on the collective, rather than the individual. However, individuals are not written off when killed as a mere casualty, instead, they are revered as martyrs for their cause (audio file from a TW1 Hand of Nod memorial shrine):
- This memorial stands as a symbol of eternal life, in remembrance of the dead. These brave souls sacrificed their lives to strengthen The Brotherhood, so we might live on and carry their names proudly with us. We remember also our ancestors, who came before us and gave us life. Blessed be these names, for they are our kin, our blood. May they stand proudly forever, and in time become ancestral themselves. Remember your mourning moment of silence, for the lost but not forgotten.
Nod aesthetic
Interestingly, ancient laws of the cult forbid making anything in the image of man, prompting non-humanoid forms and aesthetic to dominate Nod art and architecture[23]. Very rarely does the dogma allow for ignoring the rule - one notable exception is the Voice of Kane, intended as a manifestation of the Prophet's presence on the battlefield.
Internal power structure
| “ | ...Power shifts quickly in the Brotherhood... - Nod Commander Seth |
” |
The structure of the Brotherhood is hierarchical, shaped much like military orders of ages past (e.g. Knights Templar), with the leader of the Brotherhood being Kane, who is aided by the Inner Circle, his most trusted lieutenants and commanders. The hierarchy then branches out as each Inner Circle commander has his subordinates, who in turn command others, eventually arriving at the bottom, where the rank-and-file members are.
The Brotherhood however, maintains a military doctrine that intends to give commanders and soldiers large degrees of freedom in categories of engaging the enemy and tactics. Essentially, only objectives were given and the means to achieve them were left to the commander to decide on.
Within Nod, smaller, more elite organisations are active, such as the Black Hand. Each organisation has their own combat doctrines and exclusive technologies, available to affiliated commanders. The internal politics of the groups are unknown, though the Black Hand has played a large role throughout the Tiberium Wars.
It has to be noted, that the members of the Brotherhood are extensively monitored by security and each other. One such example is the AC-NBM directive, which states that all messages, including personal emails and calls, are to be monitored by Nod technicians.
Power struggles
The Brotherhood of Nod has a long history of internal power struggles. Rivalry between commanders and subordinates was commonplace, and even encouraged; however, Kane ensured that the struggle did not undermine the primary Nod effort or endanger his position, if need be by removing the dangerous man (as was the case with Seth).
When Kane disappeared from the power structure, however, the lack of a strong leader caused the Brotherhood to dissolve into factions and engage in a civil war, seeking to dominate the others. As was evidenced by the years after the First Tiberium War and the Firestorm Conflict, a strong leader is able to take control of the Brotherhood and reshape it into an even more powerful organization, ready for the reappearance of Kane.
Another noted power struggle occurred following the Firestorm Conflict. When Slavik, Kane's rightful successor, was assassinated following his victory over CABAL, due to his controversial decision of revealing himself as a Black Hand prelate, drawing significant attention to the group once shrouded in secrecy. His assailant was a traitorous Black Hand cleric named Marcion. It was unique that Marcion also renounced Kane, claiming that he was a false prophet. Marcion probably did this to try to discredit Kane in order to remain the leader of Nod. This also resulted in the splintering of the Brotherhood. However, thanks to the covert efforts of Kane and LEGION, the Brotherhood was reunited prior to the Third Tiberium War.
During the Third Tiberium War, Kilian Qatar, one of the Inner Circle members, had began to doubt Kane, considering his plan unnecessarily aggressive. During the Siege of Temple Prime, reinforcements sent to the Temple defected, and were suspected of doing so under Qatar's influence. After Kane's apparent demise, Qatar claimed authority over the remainder of the Brotherhood. Her aid to GDI during the Scrin invasion sealed her fate, as shortly after returning, Kane ordered his most reliable commander to capture her command center at Ayers Rock. Following her execution, the Commander was given her seat at the Inner Circle. However, Qatar was in fact set up by LEGION at the behest of Alexa Kovacs, an extremely loyal follower of Kane who distrusted Qatar. Kovacs then uploaded a virus into LEGION, which she also mistrusted, before shooting herself as she was caught in the act by Kane.
When Kane offered an alliance of convenience with GDI to build a Tiberium Control Network in 2062, many Nod followers were outraged and believed Kane has forsaken his beliefs and people. Causing a friction within the faction, the Nod Separatists led by Gideon denounced Kane and started a highly destructive guerilla war against both GDI and the Nod Loyalists. Although the Separatists were crushed by GDI and Nod loyalists at the end of the Incursion War, Gideon still proved to be a dangerous foe to Kane; he attempted to assassinate Kane with modular Obelisks of Light at the TCN ceremony in New Adana. It was only when the Fourth Tiberium War erupted in 2077 that Kane's forces finally brought Gideon and his Separatists forces to heel after discovering the location of the Separatists' main hideout. Gideon surrendered and was presumably executed, the Brotherhood reunited forcefully once again before Ascending.
Nod military doctrine
Nod airforce during TW1
Example of Nod's raw power, an Avatar Warmech crushing a Predator
| “ | ...Nod operational doctrine states that commanders should control the tempo of combat operations, avoiding direct contact with the enemy until the time and place are just right. Stealth, speed, mobility, force composition, and operational flexibility are the key to success... - Excerpt from the Brotherhood Combat Operations Manual |
” |
The Brotherhood's military is centered around the concepts of stealth and speed, preferring outmaneuvering their enemies, hit-and-run attacks, guerrilla tactics and subterfuge.
The armoury of the Brotherhood consists primarily of lightly armoured, fast vehicles with average firepower, which can outmaneuver and flank the opponent. Long-range weaponry is also prevalent, including the surface-to-surface missile launchers or large caliber artillery designed to deliver immense amounts of punishment to the opponent without exposing themselves.
Because of a general lack of direct firepower compared to GDI, and GDI's ability to observe much of Earth's surface due to having space superiority, Nod recognizes that if it becomes necessary to defend their bases in a direct engagement their units will be generally outgunned; to counter this Nod makes extensive use of underground facilities, tunnel networks, and stealth technology to avoid detection. If a base is found, Nod can bring to bear strong base defenses, particularly their feared Obelisks of Light.
The Brotherhood tends to avoid direct engagements, as their main battle units are significantly less powerful than their counterparts (the light tanks can challenge GDI medium tanks only with numerical superiority, this trend has continued throughout the Tiberium Wars), preferring fast, surprise attacks with packs of Recon bikes or Stealth tanks striking vulnerable, unprotected parts of enemy infrastructure or long range bombardment with artillery and ballistic missiles. Their Avatar Warmechs, however, have proven that they can fight direct confrontations if the need arises.
Another way in which Nod engages the enemy is through the media. For example, the Brotherhood was able to fight GDI indirectly by triggering a massive scandal concerning the massacre of civilians in Białystok, Poland; supposedly done by GDI soldiers. This scandal resulted in UN cutting off funding for the GDI. Another example of Nod misinformation warfare was when Nod operatives attacked the central base of the Forgotten posing as GDI, rallying thousands of Mutants to Nod's cause by manipulating media reports. Nod is also bringing help to the people in the Yellow Zones. They bring water, food and medical supplies, along with providing education and job training to all the harmless people in the Yellow Zones, with soldiers for their army in trade. This tactic has formed the millions of willing yet poorly trained and equipped soldiers known as Militants.
Technological level
Nod pioneered Tiberium harvesting technology
In various ways, the Brotherhood of Nod has always been technologically superior to GDI, an organization backed by and effectively operated on behalf of the United Nations, and, more specifically, economically and technologically developed nations. It is not fully known how Nod achieved such a state of unique technological superiority, though it is often linked to their access to and study of allegedly alien technology, and their monopoly on Tiberium, which provided them with vast amounts of wealth, both financially and scientifically. The Brotherhood has constructed, owned, and operated many state-of-the-art research institutes, and hired out research teams globally. Oftentimes, these institutes and related facilities were kept highly secret, and hidden from academia and especially from national and international bio-ethics committees.
A contributing factor for Nod's lead in Tiberium research is that, in general contrast to GDI, whose research tends to focus on removing Tiberium from Earth or safely using it as a resource, Nod puts an emphasis on using Tiberium to improve humans biologically and technologically as much as possible, whether it is for military or industrial use. The general prevailing belief in Nod is that Tiberium exists as an extraordinary tool, not GDI's view that it is a biohazard and plague to Earth's ecosystem that threatens natural life. This is evidenced by technologies Nod developed such as a program to forcibly evolve humans using Tiberium, an attempt to launch a missile that could potentially cover Earth's surface in Tiberium, and a Tiberium-based bomb that killed billions, as well as being used to draw the Scrin to Earth prematurely.
First Tiberium War
- Laser technology: Nod used laser technology in large defense systems referred to as Obelisks of Light in major bases. Miniaturized laser rifles such as the Firefly laser rifle and the laser chaingun were also observed among Black Hand elite troopers.
- Stealth technology: Nod successfully developed a technology that would render a vehicle invisible to the naked eye, deployed in stealth tanks (codenamed "Ezekiel's Wheel") and stealth soldiers.
- Artificial intelligence: a primitive predecessor to the Computer Assisted Biologically Augmented Lifeform (CABAL) was under development, but damaged due to incursions by GDI commando Nick "Havoc" Parker.
- Chemical: Nod widely used chemical warriors.
- Nuclear weaponry: although rarely used, Nod held considerable amounts of nuclear warheads.
- Tiberium research: apart from researching the very essence of Tiberium for scientific, economical, and even philosophical reasons, Nod weaponized it as early as the First Tiberium War. Several commonly seen rifles used Tiberium weaponry. In addition, Nod experimented with infusing humans with Tiberium to create loyal mutants as part of Project ReGenesis.
Second Tiberium War and Firestorm Conflict
- Artificial intelligence: CABAL was fully developed and activated, and became Nod's equivalent of a GDI Electronic Video Agent. It was sentient, but went rogue during the Firestorm Conflict, which forced Nod to steal a GDI EVA unit until CABAL was defeated and a proper replacement was found.
- Laser technology: Nod improved upon laser technology seen in Obelisks of Light and widely deployed self-powered laser turrets. Lasers were also used as defensive barriers.
- Stealth technology: a new generation of stealth tanks entered service, as well as static stealth generators. Spies used stealthed suits to infiltrate GDI bases. By the time of the Firestorm Conflict, mobile stealth generators entered production.
- Cybernetics: among the mainstays of Nod forces during the Second Tiberium War were cyborgs and cyborg commandos. After the war, Cyborg Reapers were deployed. However, all cyborgs were connected to CABAL, who went rogue during the Firestorm Conflict, taking over complete control over all cyborgs during the conflict, which caused Nod to deactivate and hide all remaining cyborgs that were active or in development after CABAL was defeated.
- Tiberium weaponry: Tiberium waste facilities developed and housed chemical missiles which were fueled by materials found on Tiberium veins. In addition, the launch of the World Altering Missile was Kane's ultimate goal during the Second Tiberium War, but GDI destroyed it before it could be used.
- Subterranean technology: when not using already an already established tunnel network (which was, among else, used by the Montauk), Nod drilled new pathways underground using Devil's Tongue subterranean flame tanks and subterranean APCs.
- Tacitus-based technology: Nod possessed an alien artifact known as the Tacitus for a long while. Upon inspection, Nod attempted to replicate technologies described therein, resulting in Banshee fighters and a replica of a Scrin ship.
Interbellum and Third Tiberium War
- Stealth technology: having reclaimed their stealth technology data from the Steel Talons, who had captured it after the Second Tiberium War, Nod made extensive use of stealth generators, to conceal everything from individual units to a collection of structures; the new technology thwarts all but the newest and most capable GDI sensors. Nod also fielded systems that are able to spoof GDI sensors, creating duplicate radar images and visual mirages that fool the eye. The Black Hand rejected the use of stealth, however, due to religious reasons.
- Artificial intelligence: LEGION, the replacement for CABAL, served under Kane after Nod splintered following the Firestorm Conflict. Near the end of the Third Tiberium War, however, it was injected with malicious software by Abbess Alexa Kovacs, due to her paranoia over the possibility of LEGION becoming the next CABAL. LEGION eventually managed to repair itself, and reawakened after the end of the war. On a smaller scale, the Black Hand used Mantes as their anti-air drones.
- Tiberium weaponry: exotic Tiberium weapons have always been a Nod strength. Before the Third Tiberium War, Nod engineers and scientists worked on Catalyst missiles that detonate existing Tiberium fields with terrible force, Tiberium seeding bombs that create new Tiberium fields, Tiberium-based toxins, and even a liquid Tiberium bomb capable of luring the Scrin to Earth.
- Mechanized walkers: while GDI began retiring walkers, Nod developed their own designs, solving many of the problems present in GDI walkers. It is rumored that Nod stole the original walker technology from GDI, then took advantage of research in other areas to accelerate the development of new walkers. These include Purifiers, Avatars, and Redeemers.
- Energy weapons: while GDI works to incrementally perfect the Ion Cannon technology, Nod has focused on weaponry that can be deployed on mobile platforms, including lasers and particle beams. Immediately prior to TW3, Nod has fielded powerful beam cannons on a six-wheeled chassis that are highly mobile and yet lethal at long distances; they can also work together by combining beams and striking over-the-horizon targets with a single coordinated blast of energy.
- Laser technology: laser weapons saw extensive use both in both offensive and defensive roles. A new hub-based laser turret is used as anti-vehicle defense. and the new Obelisk of Light is capable of obliterating vehicles with charged shots or incinerating infantry squads with a sweeping laser. Laser fencing was used to protect vital structures. Certain Nod vehicles can be upgraded with Spitfire laser capacitors, while Nod's walkers come standard with laser weapons.
- Psychological warfare: a relatively new field of technology, Nod Confessors carried hallucinogenic grenade, which can cause enemy infantry to attack each other. The Purifier is equipped with a subliminal projection device that inspires nearby allies, and the Redeemer's rage generator, based on the same technology, can drive enemy units berserk temporarily via subliminal brainwave modification.
- Cybernetics: although Nod shied away from using cyborgs in their armies after the CABAL incident, after Nod was severely weakened after the Third Tiberium War, LEGION activated the Marked of Kane, an army made up of fallen Nod soldiers reanimated using cybernetics. also implanted these cyborgs and even some human infantry with upgraded cybernetic legs.
Fourth Tiberium War
- Stealth technology: Nod used stealth generators in the fourth generation of stealth tanks, disruption towers, stealth fields, stealth generator and mobile stealth generator upgrades for Offense Crawlers, second-generation Specters, and cyborg commandos with infiltration modules. Alternate applications of the technology included signature generators, cloaking fields and decoy armies. The second-generation Vertigoes were no longer stealthed by default, but could be upgraded with cloak modules along with Cobras.
- Artificial intelligence: LEGION was still operational at the time of the Fourth Tiberium War, and certain Nod units, such as the Basilisk warship, were controlled by AIs.
- Tiberium weaponry: despite working with GDI to contain Tiberium on Earth, Nod could detonate Tiberium veins, place Tiberium catalyst shells into Specters, and infuse their units with Tiberium.
- Mechanized walkers: Nod fielded redesigned Avatars and Centurions as their mechanized walkers.
- Laser technology: laser weaponry in Spider tanks, Scorpion tanks, Obelisks of Light, Tyrants, and Basilisks was used during these conflicts.
- Subterranean technology: the Tiberium Control Network removed much of the underground Tiberium from the planet, creating an extensive network of tunnels and caves underground. This allowed certain Nod vehicles, such as the new Scorpion tank, to burrow underground in order to avoid enemy fire, set up ambushes, or retreat safely. Nod's Crawlers also used this network of tunnels to travel across the globe.
- Cybernetics: the base design of the Reaper was restored and improved. Other cyborgs of the period include Devouts, the Ascended, and the Enlightened.
Notable Brotherhood members
- Kane
- Nadia Zelenkov
- Seth
- Elena Petrova
- Anton Slavik
- Hassan
- Oxanna Kristos
- CABAL
- Cesar Vega
- The Inner Circle
- Kilian Qatar
- Ajay
- Nod Commander (Tiberium Wars)
- Marcion
- Alexa Kovacs
- LEGION
- Jade Liang
Units of Nod
Gallery
Symbols of the Brotherhood
The symbol of the organization is a black-rimmed red chamfered triangle enclosing a black curved scorpion's tail. In the Third Tiberium War, protruding spikes were added to the design and the scorpion tail and triangle were given a white outline.
![Nod flag in TW1[24]](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIABAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAEALAAAAAABAAEAQAICTAEAOw%3D%3D)
Nod flag in TW1[24]
Alternate version (Renegade)
TW1 logo, remastered
TW2 flag
TW2 insignia as partially used in the Third Tiberium War
TW3 flag (as flown on mosques in north Africa)
TW3 emblem
Used on the GUI in Tiberium Wars and Kane's Wrath
Used in Command & Conquer: Rivals
![Nod flag in TW1[24]](https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/cnc_gamepedia_en/images/f/f7/CNCTD_Nod_Flag.png/revision/latest?cb=20221116120520)
Loading Screens
Loading screen in Tiberian Sun and Firestorm
Loading screen in Tiberian Sun and Firestorm
Mission loading screen in Tiberium Wars
Mission loading screen in Kane's Wrath
Skirmish loading screen in Kane's Wrath
References
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