The cleansers is a military corps whose main responsibility is to reclaim ("cleanse") lands for use by humanity. Cleansers routinely employ pyrotechnic tools such as flamethrowers and high explosives in their work.They appear to be a unique unit within the Swedish armed forces with no known parallels elsewhere. The main recruitment office for the cleansers is the Swedish Army recruitment office in Vasagatan 13, Mora. Anyone over the age of 13 can apply to join the cleansers. Applicants must undergo a training program after joining. Joining the cleansers voids any active life insurance policies.
The Cleansing Process[]
| “ | [Books] wouldn't be so irreplacable if those hooligans with their flame-throwers weren't let loose wherever they please! | ” |
–A skald's opinion on the Cleansers. | ||
The cleansing process
takes approximately one year to accomplish for each area undergoing cleansing. The process is divided into 4 individual phases.
- Fire: Starting in late summer, the area of infected to be cleansed is subjected to "expertly controlled" fire in order to scorch it. Undesirable creatures attempting to escape the cleansed area are eliminated by guards.
- Demolition: Starting once the fire phase has been resolved, all structures remaining within the area are demolished by "highly qualified" explosive squads. The purpose of this phase is to expose any potential creatures and nests located in the structures.
- Exposure: Once the area has been subjected to incendiaries and explosives, the winter season is relied on to thin out remaining undesirable elements. As trolls and beasts and their respective nests have been deprived of effective shelter thanks to the two former phases, exposure to the winter cold will exterminate them.
- Purge: Come spring, the final phase of the cycle is commenced. Special cat squads move into the now desolated area seeking out any potential creatures having survived exposure. These creatures are then eliminated by the cats or their human handlers. Once this phase has been ended the full cleansing process is considered completed.
Cleansed Areas[]
Cleansed land has multiple uses. Forests that grow back on cleansed land seem to be relatively free of the dangerous elements plaguing the rest of the silent world, including most beasts and trolls. These forests are valuable as they will attract useful wildlife, including surviving mammals. Land that is to be used for agriculture, railways, permanent settlements and similar projects are often walled in or protected with electric fences.
As the pioneers of cleansing the Swedish lands are the most thoroughly cleansed. Mora is surrounded by a large expanse of cleansed land. The land surrounding the Swedish railway system has also been cleansed, thus almost forming a contiguous connection between Mora and all other Swedish cities. The Finns have made use of Swedish cleansers to cleanse areas around the Keuruu-Pori waterways. Extensive but spread areas of cleansed land is also found in Norway, but it is as of yet unknown what role the cleanser corps has played in these reclamation processes.