Fireflies
Overview
The Fireflies are a revolutionary group who oppose the banditry and lawlessness of Chernarus. Their long term mission is to bring an end to the apocalypse and rebuild a functioning democratic civilization. They fight for justice, inspiring bravery and hope in those who fight alongside them. The group initially began on May 11th 2020, and after a 5 month disappearance reformed on March 3rd 2022. The Fireflies can still be found around every corner today, ready and willing to avenge the innocent.
Alignment
The Fireflies are considered to be Lawful Good. Since their inception they have walked the line of more or less lawful behaviour. In its earlier days the group was far more uncompromising as opposed to their more pragmatic attitude later on. Their goals and values, however, have always remained purely good; striving for a better future, and protecting the innocent.
Appearance
The Fireflies often wear a combination of civilian clothing with tactical equipment, providing a friendly appearance while maintaining the ability to be well equipped in a fight. They can also be identified by their yellow armbands, which sometimes have black firefly symbols painted on them.
Origins
The Fireflies were created by founder and leader Harry Churches on May 11th 2020. After living with the Black Cross, Harry Churches created the Fireflies with a vision for the future, concluding that civilised society could only return if people are willing to fight for it. With the original five members Grisha, Bricks, Lynx, Matt and Jacob being inspired by that vision, the Fireflies made Pusta their home and began their mission for a brighter tomorrow.
Territory
The Fireflies previously held a territory claim in the southeast, exerting a dominant presence over Elektrozavodsk and Pusta especially. These places used to be their home before the group later became nomadic to allow for more versatility in wartime.
Pusta
Pusta on the surface is a small ordinary farm town, however it was for a long time where the Fireflies called home. The Fireflies saw an advantage to living in the quiet town, as it made the perfect staging location to build up their forces in their early days and help any desperate people on the coast.
Elektrozavodsk
Being the nearest city to Pusta and a great place to plan loot routes, the Fireflies took over the city of Elektrozavodsk. The Fireflies claimed the town with the goal of quelling the chaos of the coastal city, and potentially making it a safe place to one day set up a community camp in.
Goals
The Fireflies exist primarily to make the world a safer and better place, and as a result the group has many goals which they believe will help them accomplish their mission.
The Fireflies have the following main objectives:
- To deal out swift and fair punishments to the criminals of Chernarus.
- To bring justice and reparations to those wronged by the criminals of Chernarus.
- To insight revolution against the oppressive, belligerent, & antagonistic factions of Chernarus.
- To protect and support others who help innocents and combat banditry.
- To find a cure for the infection, if such a thing exists.
Values
The Fireflies are a group founded on the principles of justice, bravery and hope, as a result the values that would make a good Firefly reflect this.
The Fireflies value the following:
- The bravery to stand up for others in danger and not turning a blind eye.
- The hope and vision for a better and safer Chernarus.
- The ability to discern right from wrong.
- The willingness to die for your morals.
History
After the Fireflies were founded and made Pusta their home they would meet their first allies and neighbours, a group known as Torchwood. The Fireflies and Torchwood initially fought on the same side, having mutual enemies in some small-time bandit groups. After their enemies had been done away with however, the Torchwood & Fireflies alliance would soon follow.
On August 3rd 2020, Cain the Messiah - the leader of Torchwood - and other members arrived at the Fireflies compound with a child in handcuffs, and offered to sell the child for a price while only one firefly recruit by the name of Matt was on duty. There are many rumours and contradicting stories as to what happened next but the prevailing story is that Matt, the one day second-in-command of the Fireflies, gunned down all of the Torchwood members and freed the girl in handcuffs. After this incident, Torchwood tore through the Fireflies compound the next day and left demands for Harry Churches’ cooperation in the execution of Matt. Harry and the Fireflies would refuse these demands however, believing Matt had done the right thing. This led to a vicious war between the two groups, during which the Fireflies became briefly nomadic and many lives were cut short on both sides.
Eventually, Dark as Midnight would interrupt the conflict by burning down the Mogilevka church in which Torchwood resided. Without a safe home, Cain and his group went on the run. In the coming months, the Fireflies would hunt down any Torchwood members in an attempt to kill Cain so that Matt’s life would no longer be at risk. During this period, the Fireflies discovered where Torchwood had taken refuge and massacred the Torchwood members who were home in a surprise attack - leaving a note calling for Cain's arrest. Although a tenuous truce was brokered in a diplomatic meeting hosted by the Black Cross, it would not be the last of the fighting between the two groups.
A month after the truce was brokered, the Black Cross, at the time mutual friends of the Fireflies and Torchwood would be attacked by Dark as Midnight. In response to this the Fireflies decided to cut off DAMN on their way back to Gorka. Torchwood, having heard of the plan, decided to agree to work together to avenge their friends at the aid station. Though the raid was not a complete success, the two groups were able to leave with reparations for the stolen items from the Black Cross, and Cain and Matt were able to have a brief conversation during the fighting in which the two showed mutual respect for each other and put their personal rivalry to rest.
About a year after the war, in summer of 2021 Harry Churches had noticed general morale was low among the people of Chernarus. Many friends both inside the Fireflies and out were expressing a feeling of hopelessness. It was soon after this that Harry delivered a famous speech known as the “Always Hope” speech. This speech can be found as a tape around Chernarus, and carries the message that no matter who you are and what you’ve done, it is never too late to do the right thing, and that together one day the people will restore civilization.
It was around this time that a young boy named Bobby River, a former Firefly and son-like figure to Harry Churches who had left for Torchwood, arrived in Pusta. Soon after he arrived he was once again on good terms with the Fireflies after a conversation with Harry Churches. Bobby then left Pusta to attempt to bridge another gap between him and Torchwood which had come about since he’d left their group also, however Torchwood were not as forgiving and the Warden ordered the child to be shot in the chest.
Bobby came to the Fireflies for help, who were able to remove the bullet and save his life thanks to some skillful surgery. The Warden’s actions enraged Harry, reigniting the rivalry between Torchwood and the Fireflies when he threatened Torchwood over what they’d done. After this Cain and the rest of Torchwood arrived at the gates of Pusta demanding that Harry Churches revoke his threat, but after refusing to do so, and hours of arguing, eventually Torchwood stormed the compound and in the ensuing battle Acolyte Peter was killed by Harry Churches. While Torchwood did succeed in taking the Firefly compound, it was at a high price due to Peter’s death.
Some time later in the winter of 2021 Harry Churches left the Fireflies and Chernarus, fleeing to Takistan. Without his leadership the faction dissolved, with many members of the faction at the time dispersing across all of Chernarus. In early 2022, however, Harry returned from the desert after learning of Esther’s death and reformed the Fireflies on a quest for revenge against the groups involved. The subsequent correlation between his personal crusade and the new decisions and policies of the Fireflies being far more brutal and calculated was no coincidence.
Notable Members
Harry Churches - The founder and current leader of the Fireflies and is considered by most to be a stubborn uncompromising man. The Fireflies under his leadership strive to protect the innocent and rid the world of all the corrupt immoral survivors. He is known as someone who stands up for the little guy against the oppressive factions of Chernarus, and for his speeches of hope to all of the country.
Matt - Matt was the second in command of the Fireflies for much of 2021. After joining the group, he quickly gained a reputation as the archetype of what a Firefly should be, garnering influence in the group after his impressive actions in the war against Torchwood. In late 2021 however, Matt discovered love and left the Fireflies to live a peaceful life outside of Chernarus, occasionally revealing himself in times of need to support his old friends. He has not been seen for some time.
Relationships
Torchwood - The history between the Fireflies and Torchwood begins at the group's conception, and has always been very up and down. The two groups have both fought together with respect, and against each other in bloody warfare. Their dynamic is perhaps one of the most unique in the current political landscape.
The Black Sheep - The Black Sheep were the Fireflies long time neighbours to the north. The two groups have had a friendly relationship for about as long as the Fireflies have existed. While the two have never officially been allies, they have fought skirmishes on the same side, and the Fireflies consider them to be some of the last wholly honest and good people left.
The Black Cross - The Black Cross are effectively the parent group of the Fireflies. They are the reason Harry Churches became a good man once more, and the history between the two is long standing. Although they are slow to agree on political policy, the Fireflies have a particular respect for the field medics and believe that they genuinely want to help people.
