Street Custom 'Cigarette' Pen Gun

improvised firearm

Arcturus Defense Solutions Crowd Control SMG ACSM-3 'Shepherd'

smg

Tessera Neural Assault System TNAS-1 'Puppeteer'

assault_rifle

Ablative Charge Disruption Rifle ACDR-2 'Sandpaper'

cyber

Acoustic Cavity Resonance Pistol ACRP-2 'Hollowpoint'

exotic

Acoustic Marrow Shear Rifle AMSR-6 'Tutor'

exotic

Arcturus Defense Solutions Concussive Breach Charge CBC-3 'Knocker'

explosive

Arcturus Defense Solutions Cryogenic Projector CP-4 'Frostbite'

energy

Arcturus Defense Solutions Directed EMP Rifle DER-5 'Blackout'

electromagnetic

Arcturus Defense Solutions Graviton Shield Projector GSP-1 'Aegis'

heavy

Arcturus Defense Solutions Kinetic Denial System KDS-4 'Bouncer'

heavy

Arcturus Defense Solutions Kinetic Impactor Round KIR-10 'Hammerfall'

rifle

Arcturus Defense Solutions Pulse Carbine PC-6 'Heartbeat'

electromagnetic

Arcturus Defense Solutions Orbital Strike Designator OSD-1 'Finger of God'

heavy

Arcturus Defense Solutions Microwave Area Denial MAD-3 'Sunburn'

energy

Arcturus Defense Solutions Magnetic Accelerator Rifle MAR-8 'Longbow'

rifle

Autonomous Swarm Dispersal Unit ASDU-3 'Locust'

drone

Autonomous Ferrofluid Denial Platform AFDP-2 'Tidemark'

drone

Arcturus Defense Solutions Thermal Lance TL-9 'Sunstroke'

energy

Autonomous Adhesive Denial Drone AADD-2 'Barnacle'

drone

Axiom Systems Biometric Lock Rifle BLR-3 'Personal'

rifle

Autonomous Swarm Dispersal Unit ASDU-4 'Locust'

drone

Axiom Systems Cognitive Grenade CG-1 'Brainstorm'

electromagnetic

Axiom Systems Perception Filter Rounds PFR-1 'Blind Spot'

exotic

Axiom Systems Synapse Interruptor SI-3 'Stutter'

electromagnetic

Axiom Systems Cortical Bomb CB-1 'Leash'

cyber-integrated

Axiom Systems Neural Disruptor ND-2 'Migraine'

electromagnetic

Ballistic Resonance Carbine BRC-6 'Kettledrum'

firearm

Axonal Stretch Resonance Lance

firearm

Bioelectric Cascade Charge

explosive

Barometric Implosion Carbine BIC-5 'Sinkhole'

cyber

Bioelectric Induction Lance BIL-3 'Lamprey'

melee

Biometric Denial Charge BDC-1

explosive

Bioluminescent Acoustic Disruptor BAD-2 'Choral'

exotic

Capillary Disruption Pistol CDP-2 'Bruiser'

firearm

Biophotonic Retinal Cascade Emitter BRCE-5 'Flashpoint'

energy

Carrion Defense Works Bone Saw BS-3 'Butcher'

melee

Capacitive Nerve Induction Lance CNIL-1 'Threadneedle'

energy

Carrion Defense Works Fragmentation Sleeve FS-2 'Shrapnel Hug'

explosive

Carrion Defense Works Entropic Shotgun ES-4 'Ragnarok'

shotgun

Carrion Defense Works Hemorrhage Rifle HR-6 'Bloodletter'

rifle

Carrion Defense Works Nerve Agent Micro-Dart System NAMDS-1 'Whisper'

exotic

Carrion Defense Works Miasma Projector MP-5 'Plague Bearer'

chemical

Carrion Defense Works Marrow Drill MD-7 'Dentist'

pistol

Carrion Defense Works Necrotizing Agent Sprayer NAS-2 'Rot'

chemical

Carrion Defense Works Ricochet Pistol RCH-1 'Billiard'

pistol

Carrion Defense Works Neural Lash NL-3 'Agony'

cyber-integrated

Carrion Defense Works Pathogen Delivery System PDS-4 'Typhoid'

chemical

Catalytic Aerosol Mortar CAM-3 'Lungful'

explosive

Catalytic Vapor Dispersal Charge CVDC-5

explosive

Cavitation Pulse Carbine CPC-2 'Bends'

firearm

Catalytic Interstitial Desiccation Drone CIDD-3 'Husk'

drone

Catalytic Spore Dispersal Drone CSDD-3 'Mulch'

drone

Cavitation Pulse Knuckles CPK-5 'Bloodwater'

melee

Cerulean Phosphene Projector CPP-3 'Phantom Light'

exotic

Cochlear Resonant Hemorrhage Projector

cyber

Coherent Thermal Excitation Rifle CTER-7 'Ashmaker'

energy

Coherent Radiation Scalpel CRS-7 'Suture'

energy

Corneal Piezoelectric Delamination Pistol

cyber

Cryogenic Dendrite Scatter Cannon CDSC-4 'Frostbite'

exotic

Coronal Discharge Projector CDP-9 'Sunburn'

exotic

Cortical Bleed Emitter CBE-4 'Lacuna'

cyber

Counter-Personnel Loiter Munition CPLM-7 'Patience'

drone

Crystalline Synovial Pressure Rifle CSPR-2 'Kneemaker'

exotic

Cryogenic Fracture Disbursement Mine CFDM-4

explosive

Dermal Induction Flayer DIF-2 'Saltwater'

exotic

Cryogenic Pressure Emitter CPE-2 'Frostbite'

energy

Dielectric Filament Anchor Drone DFAD-1 'Cobweb'

drone

Dielectric Hemorrhage Emitter DHE-4 'Blister'

energy

Dielectric Phase Inversion Glove DPIG-4 'Secondskin'

exotic

Dielectric Vitreous Humor Agitator DVHA-2 'Snowglobe'

exotic

Electrochemical Dissolution Sprayer EDS-2 'Lacquer'

exotic

Directed Overpressure Charge

explosive

Directed Oxidation Lance DOL-3 'Rustmaker'

cyber

Electrokinetic Pulse Drone EPD-3 'Thunderhead'

drone

Electrochemical Vapor Seeding Drone EVSD-4 'Rainmaker'

drone

Electrolytic Bone Density Projector EBDP-4 'Chalk'

energy

Electrostatic Adipose Polarization Drone EAPD-2 'Render'

drone

Electromagnetic Overpressure Charge EOC-8

explosive

Electrostatic Dermal Adhesion Projector

exotic

Electromagnetic Pulse Grenade EPG-5 'Deadstop'

explosive

Electrothermal Chemical Carbine ETCC-5 'Flashpoint'

firearm

Electrothermal Compression Lance ETCL-9 'Ironlung'

energy

Electrostatic Needle Array Rifle ENAR-3 'Porcupine'

firearm

Electrostatic Flensing Projector EFP-1 'Skinreader'

energy

Endolymphatic Pressure Cascade Rifle

exotic

Endothermic Synovial Disruption Rifle ESDR-1 'Lockjaw'

energy

Endocrine Cascade Volatilization Lance ECVL-5 'Burnout'

cyber

Ferroelectric Shatter Sidearm FESA-2 'Gravel'

exotic

Ferrofluid Induction Cannon FIC-6 'Ironbloom'

energy

Ferrofluid Dermal Infiltration Drone FDID-6 'Ironblush'

drone

Entropic Dielectric Pulse Emitter EDPE-5 'Candle'

energy

Galvanic Myofibril Lash

melee

Galvanic Marrow Projector GMP-1 'Marrowbone'

cyber

Galvanic Interstitial Fluid Displacement Lance

exotic

Galvanic Disruption Gauntlet GDG-2 'Palsy'

melee

Galvanic Periosteal Fatigue Emitter GPFE-4 'Hairline'

exotic

Galvanic Vapor Diffusion Pistol GVDP-1 'Saltlick'

exotic

Gauss Flechette Repeater GFR-3 'Needlerain'

firearm

Gravimetric Induction Pistol GIP-4 'Undertow'

energy

Persistent Surveillance and Termination Drone PSTD-1 'Shepherd'

The PSTD-1 is a single-target autonomous pursuit drone designed not for immediate lethality but for indefinite surveillance and conditional termination. Roughly the size of a clenched fist, the Shepherd locks onto a biometric profile—gait signature, thermal pattern, or facial geometry—and maintains persistent tracking at distances of up to 1.2 kilometers, hovering at rooftop altitude and transmitting encrypted telemetry to its registered operator. It carries a single-shot linear magnetically accelerated flechette, 4.5mm tungsten-core, capable of killing an unarmored human target at 300 meters. The shot is only fired upon explicit operator command or upon activation of a conditional trigger pre-programmed at deployment.

drone weapon loss ai elf corporate contract surveillance control power debt clinic rooftop market cold rights hover armor energy fire tier 3 lethal

name

Persistent Surveillance and Termination Drone PSTD-1 'Shepherd'

aliases

The Eye
Shepherd Dog
Watcher
Leash

category

drone

manufacturer

ZHENG-DAO BIOELECTRIC

tier availability

Tier 3+ (licensed); Black market (unlocked conditional triggers)

legality

Licensed — conditional termination trigger requires Class-7 Autonomous Lethality Permit; unlocked units Prohibited

base technologies

Linear magnetic acceleration
Biometric gait-thermal fusion tracking
Kinetic energy harvesting (micro-turbine)

specifications

dimensions: 112mm x 98mm x 76mm
mass: 340 grams
tracking range: 1.2km (surveillance mode), 300m (termination envelope)
endurance: Up to 72 hours (surveillance mode), 11 hours (active stalk mode)
payload: Single 4.5mm tungsten-core flechette, linear magnetic launch
muzzle velocity: 920 m/s
biometric lock time: 4.2 seconds initial acquisition
re-acquisition after loss: Up to 22 minutes lost contact before profile reset
operator interface: Encrypted short-range telemetry uplink, compatible with standard AR overlays
self-destruct: Thermite core (operator-triggered or tamper-activated)

tactical use

Corporate collections agencies and high-end enforcement syndicates use the Shepherd to enforce debt, contract, or territorial compliance without committing personnel. A single operator can manage up to six simultaneously deployed units via AR overlay. Conditional triggers are commonly set to location-based parameters—'fire if target enters District 7' or 'fire if target contacts [named individual]'—making the Shepherd a tool for controlling behavior as much as ending lives. Counter-measures include signal-blocking canopies, thermal masking suits (see: TSI-2 'Cold Case'), and the controversial but effective tactic of feeding the drone a spoofed biometric signature to exhaust its battery on a false target.

cultural context

The Shepherd has become a symbol of corporate reach in GLMZ—the idea that debt and consequence have no geographic limit. ZHENG-DAO BIOELECTRIC's marketing language ('consequence enforcement') has entered common parlance as a euphemism for sanctioned killing, and the phrase 'you've been shepherded' carries a specific, chilling meaning in street vernacular. Among mid-level corporate employees, deployment of a Shepherd against a contractor who failed to deliver is considered a proportionate business response, a normalization that civil rights organizations in the city have repeatedly and unsuccessfully challenged.

known users

ZHENG-DAO BIOELECTRIC collections enforcement division
High-end fixers managing contract compliance
Corporate HR departments (euphemistically, 'retention assurance')
Bounty extraction specialists
Paranoid mid-tier syndicate leaders (deployed against suspected defectors)

story hooks

A player character discovers a Shepherd has been tailing them for 11 days. The registered operator is listed as a shell corporation that dissolved 6 days ago. The conditional trigger is unknown—and the drone is still active.
A ZHENG-DAO BIOELECTRIC technician is selling unlocked conditional trigger firmware on the black market. The buyers include at least one person who has already used it. Finding the technician before corporate internal security does is worth a significant payout.
A target the party has been hired to protect is convinced a Shepherd is overhead—but all scans come back negative. Is the paranoia the weapon, or is the drone simply better at hiding than its spec sheet suggests?
The party is offered a job: retrieve a decommissioned Shepherd from a sealed evidence locker at an MMPD substation. The drone inside still has its biometric lock active—and the profile it's locked to belongs to a sitting city councilor.

ammunition type

internal_power_system

related entities

Cassiel Brandt-Ouedraogo
GLMZ
Ilhan Sandstrom-Badu
Somadina Karlsen-Sow
Sterling-Nakamura Legal Override Pistol LOP-1 'Compliance'
TESSERA CC-6 'Shepherd'
TESSERA PG-2 'Signature'
Tethered Orbital Reconnaissance and Suppression Drone TORSD-7 'Kitestring'
Thermal Signature Inverter TSI-2 'Cold Case'
Vantablack-CNX
Ximena Bautista-Nwosu
Zheng-dao Bioelectric

physical description

visual profile	A compact, aggressively angular hovering platform resembling a predatory insect in profile—four stabilizer fins arranged in a cross formation with a pronounced conical nose section. The overall aesthetic is brutalist and utilitarian, with minimal ornamentation. At rest, it sits like a clenched fist-sized stone, deceptively inert.
dimensions	112mm length (nose to tail boom), 98mm fin-span (wingtip to wingtip), 76mm vertical profile; flechette barrel is recessed and unobtrusive, flush with the nose cone
weight description	Deceptively dense—340 grams feels heavier in palm than its size suggests. Balanced around the central thrust axis, though the magnetic payload adds subtle weight-forward bias. Feels like holding a loaded piece of industrial machinery.
primary material	Aerospace-grade carbon composite chassis with embedded kinetic harvesting micro-turbine housing; tungsten-core flechette payload in magnetic launch tube (internal)
finish	Matte anthracite with a subtle brushed texture across flight surfaces to minimize reflectivity. Launch tube collar shows light polishing wear. Overall deliberately non-reflective to avoid optical detection.
color scheme	Gunmetal gray primary with accent striping in deep infrared-spectrum black along stabilizer edges. Minimal branding—only a small etched ZHENG-DAO cipher on the tail boom, intentionally dull.
grip texture	Not designed for hand-carry; charging/maintenance contacts are smooth ceramic-polymer. When held for inspection, the fuselage has a slightly textured, non-slip micro-finish.
distinctive features	Recessed magnetic launch aperture disguised as aerodynamic nose fairing Four cruciform stabilizer fins with subtle leading-edge vanes for directional micro-adjustments Kinetic turbine intake vents along the flanks (appear as subtle horizontal slots) Thermal management grilles visible beneath the rear boom section AR-compatible telemetry antenna (nearly invisible, integrated into tail spike) Thermite self-destruct core housing creates an almost imperceptible weight asymmetry at the rear Biometric sensor cluster (LWIR + visual) housed in a small dark dome on the dorsal surface
manufacturer markings	ZHENG-DAO BIOELECTRIC logo etched in 8pt font on starboard tail boom; Class-7 permit stamp (if licensed) appears as a laser-etched serial identifier on the maintenance access plate. Black-market units have this plate either removed or crudely defaced.
condition typical	Field units show minimal cosmetic wear despite heavy use—dirt residue on sensor dome, micro-scratches on fin leading edges from rooftop navigation, occasional carbon scoring around the launch aperture. Licensed corporate units are meticulously maintained. Black-market units often show signs of field repair: mismatched patch panels, corroded antenna housings, tape-wrapped micro-fractures.

image prompt

Overhead product photograph of the PSTD-1 'Shepherd' drone on a dark matte-black surface, shot with dramatic side-lighting creating hard shadows. Camera angle slightly elevated to show dorsal sensor dome and stabilizer fin geometry. Gloved hand (heavy tactical glove, fingers just touching the tail boom for scale reference) positioned at frame edge. Cold blue-white LED accent light reflecting off the nose cone to emphasize the launch aperture. Brushed metal charging dock visible at frame corner. Neo-noir urban aesthetic: gritty, industrial, clinical. Shallow depth-of-field with background blurred cityscape (GLMZ rooftop silhouette). High-contrast lighting. Emulate precision product photography of lethal autonomous technology. --ar 3:2 --v 6

visual prompt