Deepground (ディープ グラウンド ソルジャー, Dīpu Guraundo Sorujā) is a special top-secret branch of SOLDIER created by Shinra Electric Power Company during Final Fantasy VII, headed from the secretive Mako Reactor Zero beneath Shinra Headquarters. According to a WRO member in Dirge of Cerberus, Deepground was originally a medical facility. They are the main antagonists of Dirge of Cerberus -Final Fantasy VII- and fight against the World Regenesis Organization.
The combined force of Meteor and Holy crushing down on the city sealed the soldiers beneath the Shinra Tower, trapping them there until their escape three years later, during Dirge of Cerberus -Final Fantasy VII-.
Deepground is known to be connected to Genesis, though only vague information exists on this subject. It is said briefly in Dirge of Cerberus that Deepground became an experimentation ground because of his evolution, and that all the Tsviets have been spliced with his genes. It is unknown what, if any, special abilities or advantages this granted the SOLDIERs of Deepground as they bear no similarity to either Genesis himself or his "Genesis clones."
Story[]
Creation[]
The Deepground facility underneath Midgar was built at the same time the Shinra Headquarters was built in 1976. At this time, the facility was merely a medical lab for wounded SOLDIER members, and to house Mako Reactor 0 to power the facility and the Shinra building above it. When Genesis Rhapsodos was born, his potential sparked a series of increasingly extreme and immoral experiments using his genes in Deepground. In 1985, Rosso was born as the first child infused with Genesis' genes. Inspired by this success, the scientists pushed further and incorporated other research into their own.
The Tsviets[]
The Tsviets
Using Grimoire Valentine's research on stagnant Mako, the scientists began exposing fetal infants to the energy, From this. Nero was born with incredible power over darkness, strong enough to draw his mother into another dimension upon his birth. To prevent later incidents like this, Nero was encased in a Mako suit to contain his power. Nero's older brother Weiss was not exposed to the procedure his brother was.
With anti-Shinra sentiment growing, President Shinra orders more testing in Deepground to develop stronger SOLDIERs. More Shinra troops were sent to train and be experimented on in Deepground, their bodies pushed to the extent they needed Mako baths to sustain themselves. Special suits were made for these troops that kept a current of Mako flowing through them. At this time Weiss began to show remarkable ability, which surprised the scientists as Weiss had not been exposed to anything other than normal Mako. They dubbed him a "perfect" SOLDIER. The experiments also shattered Rosso's psyche, and she lost any morality and humanity and loved the sight of the blood of her enemies. Nero, Rosso and Weiss were dubbed "the Sable", "the Crimson" and "the Immaculate", and would become known as the Colored Tsviets.
The Restrictors[]
The SOLDIER members being trained in Deepground emerged stronger than their peers, and four in particular showed exceptional ability. President Shinra made these four the fourteenth unit of SOLDIER, "Lost Force". Shortly after the Wutai War began, and many injured combatants were sent to Deepground. The strongest SOLDIER force known to the world, unit thirteen "Ragnarok", protested the treatment of Shinra troops in Deepground as immoral. To quell any rebellion, President Shinra sent Ragnarok into Deepground, where Lost Force annihilated them without a single casualty.
The members of Lost Force were made the governors of Deepground, called "the Restrictors". All Deepground members were implanted with control chips to force loyalty to the Restrictors, who swore fealty only to President Shinra. The training of the Deepground SOLDIERs grew harsher using virtual-reality simulations, and more troops were sent down to train. Shinra even began sending down SOLDIER applicants and war conscripts against their will, in addition to the experiments being done on children who were born in Deepground itself. Deepground was divided in four amongst the Restrictors, who ruled their section with absolute power. Ranks were given to the Deepground SOLDIERs, with Tsviet as the highest rank that all members aspired for. Argento was recruited from the Wutai war, and designed the weapons used by the other Tsviets.
Crisis Core[]
Some years before the events of Crisis Core -Final Fantasy VII-, Genesis joined the ranks of SOLDIER. With the success of Sephiroth, the scientists of Shinra were eager to witness Genesis' abilities, though Rosso, Nero and Weiss were proof enough. As they grew stronger, Shinra feared the three would become too strong to be contained by their control chips. To contain them, Weiss was chained to Mako Reactor 0 and sedated, and Nero was given a new suit that chained his hands together, containing his dark powers. Afterwards, Shelke was brought to Deepground, where the experiments on her powers left her unable to physically develop beyond that of a nine-year old child. Her weak physical stature left her unable to take field assignments but she was still invaluable, giving her the title "the Transparent".
As the Wutai war ended, anti-Shinra groups still caused trouble for the company. The Turks were sent out around the world to seek new recruits, and they found an exceptionally strong man named Azul. Though Azul escaped capture, when he discovered the reason for his capture he willingly continued to Midgar to join Deepground and prove himself. Azul later volunteered to be used in the "Metamorphose Project", which experimented with shape-shifting abilities. He transformed into Arch Azul and slaughtered the other test subjects. As a result of his strength, Azul was dubbed "the Cerulean", and made the final colored Tsviet. Weiss began to aspire to overthrow the Restrictors, and plotted to use someone not bound by a control chip to do so.
After Final Fantasy VII[]
At the end of Crisis Core, Deepground members arrive in Banora Village to carry a near-dead Genesis back to Midgar's Reactor 0. There, Weiss begged Genesis to help them take over Deepground, but Genesis had reformed and was ashamed of his actions, and refused and left the facility. The Tsviets discovered a computer virus that they could use to hack the Deepground supercomputer that controlled their chips and reprogram them, effectively letting them move against their masters. The coup succeeded, and the Tsviets took control of Deepground. However, the deaths of the Restrictors unleashed a virus in Weiss' body as a booby trap should he rebel, which over time gradually degraded his body.
Weiss, in an attempt to stop the virus, performed a Synaptic Net Dive. Whilst in the Worldwide Network, Weiss came in contact with the fragmented digital mind of Professor Hojo, who had transferred his mind into the World Network before his physical body's death. In Weiss' weakened state, Hojo took control of his mind, and used his body and Deepground's resources to lay out a new plan. After much work, Deepground began to escape.
Rise[]
The Deepground Army prepares for battle on the surface.
As Deepground worked to dig its way out of Midgar's remains, curious citizens of the world began to dig into the Shinra Building to look for the company's secrets, hoping to find proof of human experiments and other nefarious deeds. Several thousand workers, soldiers, and civilians went missing soon after. The World Regenesis Organization (WRO) took control of the situation in an attempt to find out as much as possible about Deepground while preventing further harm. Unfortunately, Deepground was unstoppable, invading Junon and Kalm, taking those not previously tainted by Geostigma, Jenova cells, or other contaminants back to Reactor 0. Soon after, the cries of a thousand wailing souls could be heard in Edge coming from the direction of Midgar.
After pushing Deepground out of Kalm, Vincent Valentine joined the WRO in their fight, just as Deepground was targeting him as well. Vincent's body housed the Protomateria, a special Materia used to control both Chaos and Omega. As time went on, Vincent began to learn the truth about his agonizing past, the experiments that altered his body, and even Deepground itself. Hojo, under the guise of Weiss, was attempting to create a pure Lifestream, rapidly filled with the dead that Deepground kidnapped, in order to trick the planet into releasing Omega, its final defense. Omega would gather up the Lifestream from the Planet and break atmosphere, traveling to a new planet to inhabit, while leaving the previous planet a cold and lifeless rock.
The WRO made an assault on Midgar in order to stop Deepground's plan, also allowing Vincent to make his way into Deepground itself with the help of a former Tsviet: Shelke. There, Vincent exchanged bullets with other Tsviets, and eventually lost control of Chaos, as Deepground had earlier stolen the Protomateria. Chaos took over Vincent's body, but Vincent quickly regained control using the Protomateria in Weiss' body. Together, Vincent and Omega's Squire took on Weiss and Nero, and even Omega WEAPON itself. With the defeat of the Tsviets, Deepground lost the battle in Midgar, and was wiped out.
Members[]
Restrictors[]
At the beginning of Deepground, four individuals battled their way through the harsh training regimes of the Deepground facility to gain the respect from their fellow SOLDIERs, proving themselves elite amongst the best. In recognition of their ability, these individuals were gathered to form a secret entity whose commands were handed down directly by President Shinra. All proof of the existence of these individuals was covered up, and to the handful of people who knew of them, they became SOLDIER Unit 14: Lost Force.
During the Wutai War it was Lost Force who specialized in recovering injured Shinra troops and taking them to Deepground. Opposition soon arose as SOLDIER Unit 13: Ragnarok, hailed as the strongest in the world, considered the concept of a training facility where SOLDIERs fought to the death to be wrong. With a desire to put an end to the internal fighting, Ragnarok were ordered in secret to the heart of Deepground, where they were met in battle by the four members of Lost Force, a SOLDIER Unit that Ragnarok knew not to exist. Lost Force annihilated Ragnarok in a single night, and were declared the governors of Deepground, showing loyalty only to President Shinra. In order to prevent further opposition, restriction chips were planted into the brain stems of all Deepground SOLDIERs, controlled by each member of Lost Force. Lost Force became known thereafter as the Restrictors.
Tsviets[]
The last leaders of Deepground. Led by Weiss, they were a small, elite group each with different abilities. They act as the main bosses of Dirge of Cerberus.
DG Soldiers[]
The average soldiers of Deepground seem to be slightly more powerful versions of normal Shinra troops. They are both male and female, generally use machine guns as weapons, and wear helmeted uniforms reminiscent of those worn by the Genesis clones. They are cleared for use of heavier weaponry should the need arise.
DG Snipers[]
Ideally tucked away in hard-to-see corners at long range, snipers sport high-powered rifles with deadly accuracy. By the time one can see a sniper of Deepground caliber, it's usually too late to do anything other than bleed.
Heavy Armored Soldiers B[]
These massive soldiers carry heavy rocket launchers in the event more firepower is needed. They are slow moving due to the heavy armor they wear, but can take serious amounts of punishment.
SOLDIER Troopers[]
Following the SOLDIER traditions, Deepground has not forgotten the importance of a blade on the battlefield. These basic soldiers are trained for close range combat, but are skilled to the approximation of a SOLDIER 2nd class.
Heavy Armored Soldier S[]
Much like the heavy ordinance officers carry rocket launchers and explosives, heavy swordsmen are quicker and use large serrated swords on combat. They are extremely powerful and are not to be underestimated. They, like heavy ordinance officers, are usually granted command of Deepground field operations.
Paratroopers[]
Also known to the infantry as Shrike squads, these troopers carry rapid fire rifles and ride high-yield jetpacks for quick movement causing serious headaches to their enemies. However, they rely more of their lighting fast attacks and maneuverability for protection, as a single well aimed shot can bring down a Shrike.
Pegasus Riders[]
Operating on a similar basis as the Shrike units, Pegasus riders ride specialized high-velocity zero-G bikes and carry rapid fire sub-machine guns. However, they are intended to be used for scouting and search and rescue operations rather that out and out combat. Alone they are not much of a threat, but Pegasus riders tend to travel in squads to overwhelm and overpower single targets.
Beasts[]
Deepground also employed the use of beasts, conditioned to attack certain targets with efficiency and aggression. They appear to be deformed, insane humans rather than beasts and wear a helmet with a mouth hole so that they can carry things in their mouth. Their weapon of choice is the knife on their posterior.
Deepground Locales[]
Deepground City[]
Perhaps one of the most oldest segments in Midgar, Deepground's city architecture is more similar to Kalm than to any of the more high tech designs seen in Midgar's upper segments.
While large, the city is not as multi-tiered and 'stack built' like the Midgar sections, instead possessing numerous buildings of various height, spread over a set area. The settlement possesses a 'sky' area however, as Midgar was built over it, no actual sunlight can reach it. The internal structure of these buildings are unknown however the structure of the 'walls' surrounding it are the same as typical Midgar designs. The Mako Reactor 0 looms over the city and sets the city in a faint green to red glow while the city is connected via a transport system similar to a mono-rail.
Design[]
Deepground SOLDIERs all wear a color scheme of black contrasted with a dark blue. It is notable that while the normal SOLDIER uses Swords as their main weapon, most of Deepground uses Guns. Exactly why this is so is unknown.
The design of Deepgrounds' arsenal of weapons seems heavily influenced by older weapon models dating back to World War II, in direct contrast to the modern day designs adapted for use by the WRO. For example, the standard Deepground assault rifle appears to be a modified Lee Enfield rifle fitted with a handgrip on the stock compared to the WRO carbine based off the modern Sig 552 Assault rifle. Also, the sub-machine guns used by the Deepground paratroopers appear to be modified AK-47 rifles whilst the missile launchers carried by ordinance officers are modeled after the classic German Panzerschreck.
The design of the Deepground Commanders also appear to be influenced heavily by Roman helmet designs, both having similar curves on the tops to be used for intimidation. It also seems to have draw inspiration from the original designs of the SOLDIER outfits portrayed in the original Final Fantasy VII (due to the chestplate joined to the shoulderpads).
The symbol they bare is also the SOILDER symbol on the original artwork for cloud
| v · e · d | |
|---|---|
| Characters | |
| Player Character | |
| Vincent Valentine | |
| Temporarily Playable Character | |
| Cait Sith | |
| Multiplayer Mode Player Character | |
| Player Tsviet | |
| Tsviets | |
| Argento - Azul the Cerulean - Nero the Sable - Rosso the Crimson - Shelke the Transparent - Weiss the Immaculate | |
| Other Characters | |
| Reeve Tuesti - Yuffie Kisaragi - Shalua Rui - Cid Highwind - Cloud Strife - Tifa Lockhart - Barret Wallace - Professor Hojo - Lucrecia Crescent - Grimoire Valentine - Restrictors - Sephiroth - Usher - Este-D - Officer-East - G | |
| Locations | |
| Kalm - Edge - WRO Headquarters - Nibelheim - Midgar - Shinra Headquarters - Sector 0 - Crystal Cave | |
| Terms | |
| Battle of Midgar - Chaos - Deepground - G Report - Lifestream - Materia - Protomateria - Shinra Electric Power Company - SOLDIER - The Shera - Synaptic Net Dive - Tsviets - Omega - Omega Report - World Regenesis Organization - Worldwide Network | |
| Music | |
| Original Soundtrack - Redemption - Multiplayer Mode Original Sound Collections "Redemption" - "Longing" |
|
| Archives | |
| Characters - Enemies - Enemy Abilities - G Reports - Gun Customization - Items - Locations - Omega Reports - Wallpapers - Walkthroughs |