The Tsalmaveth (צַלְמָ֫וֶת, "tsal-maw'-veth")Hebrew: "Shadow [shade] of death"), or Tsale (Shadow, Shade) or Maveth (Death) an elite Special Warfare unit of the Threshold Armed Forces. Due to their nature and background, they often have few ties or interactions with the "outside world." While still an all-volunteer force, the only way to join the Tsalmaveth is to be an orphan or foster-child between the ages of 9 and 13, preferably in early stages of- or prepubescent in order to allow the military to ensure full body-training to maximum effectiveness, as well as sculpt the mind in critical mid-formative ages, during which all receive technomancer "mage" training.
In lieu of the high levels of secrecy and overstated power of the group, some have begun blaming random disasters, deaths, and occurrences on the Tsale; despite government denial of involvement, many staunch conspiracy theorists have made believable claims on happenings that were "all-too-convenient." In order to build rapport, the Threshold Government began reluctantly claiming responsibility for various assassinations of key pirate or criminal leaders, starting in 3166 and revealing "safe" Top Secret files on the Tsalmaveth in 3190.
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Etymology
"Tsalmaveth" (צַלְמָ֫וֶת, "tsal-maw'-veth" Hebrew: "Shadow [shade] of death") is derived from the Hebrew word "tsale" meaning "shadow" o "shade," and "maveth" meaning "death." The phrase was chosen for its iconic Biblical reference:
"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me."
-Psalm 23:4, KJV
The desired intent of the use of such a term, as dark as it is, is that if one encounters a Tsalmaveth operative, that their own salvation can be to have God on their side, for the Tsalmaveth operators are so efficient that the only thing that can save someone from them would be divine intervention. Most consider this to be as arrogant as it is melodramatic, but it is a common theme in Threshold entertainment.
History
The Threshold Military often receives brutal backlash for the use of these individuals, whom many claim are "brainwashed," and because the organization was a tightly-held secret until their unwilling unveil fifty years after their founding in 3125 by a group of datamage reporters. Retired Tsalmaveth have themselves had mixed feelings about the organization. Most have been staunch reporters, but some have been rather outspoken about the organization, feeling they had "their lives stolen from them," after having been exposed fully to civilian life. Much of this has caused the Threshold Military to revise their selection process, as well as offering more options for applicants, "early-out" programs, and more exposure during teenage years to "the outside world," to allow a more conscious decision. Because of this, their numbers have dwindled by nearly half.