[<img[http://lostcoastgaming.com/files/images/Pris_Field_Glasses.jpg]] ''Description:'' The Portable Radiation Image System (PRIS) can be set to observe images in the spectrum range from infrared to gamma rays. The front surface of the PRIS is transparent to all radiation; just behind it is a series of lenses tailored to different bands.
Magnification strength is adjustable up to about 225X -- a built in flywheel for gyroscopic stabilization insures a steady field view at all magnifications, a gyrocompass provides direction, and a laser range finder is accurate up to about 25 km.
''PRIS Field Glasses:'' //(Total: 45 Active Cost, 17 Real Cost) +15 versus Range Modifier for Sight Group (23 Active Points); OAF (Concentration, Must Concentrate throughout use of Constant Power (½ DCV; -½), Real Technology (¼) (Real Cost: 8) plus Infrared Perception (Sight Group) (5 Active Points); OAF (‑1), Real Technology (¼) (Real Cost: 2) plus Ultraviolet Perception (Sight Group) (5 Active Points); OAF (‑1), Real Technology (¼) (Real Cost: 2) plus Absolute Range Sense (3 Active Points); OAF (‑1), Real Technology (¼) (Real Cost: 1) plus Absolute Time Sense (3 Active Points); OAF (‑1), Real Technology (‑¼) (Real Cost: 1) plus Detect True North 14- (Unusual Group) (6 Active Points); OAF (‑1), Real Technology (¼) (Real Cost: 3). Total Cost: 17 points.//
''Cost:'' 12,000 Denarii
''Weight:'' 2 kg
----
A light hum was the first thing that penetrated Daniel's consciousness. It went on, then off; on, then off in a rhythmic pattern. This had been happening every morning now for the last seven or so years, but it still took a moment for his sleep hazed mind to realize that Zen was trying to wake him up as instructed.
With a reluctant groan he rolled over onto his back. "Yes Zen. Thank you." The delicious smell of hot coffee was helping his return to the waking world right along. There would be bear claw on that tray too, and his morning paper.
"You have slept seventeen minutes longer than you requested," Zen informed him in a modulated monotone. The voice was as pleasantly female as Daniel could make it, because he preferred it that way. It was not quite mechanical, but like most affordable domestic robots, Zen lacked the necessary programming to fully humanize its voice. The bulk of Zen's computing power was given over to reliably accomplishing the tasks for which it had been built in virtually any domestic or even light commercial environment.
One of the tasks it was expected to perform was to learn its owners predilections about a great many things. And one of Daniel's predilections was not to be overly bugged when waking up. So, with out another word, Zen left the room, its grav plates humming quietly. Breakfast was its next task. Somewhere in its mechanical brain Zen had stored the knowledge of its owner's morning routine, all twenty seven variations on that routine, and was capable of computing with decent reliability which variations led to which other variations of the usual schedule at this time of day for this time of year.
Daniel Brookman liked to think of himself as a renaissance man, even though he knew it wasn't entirely true. There was Zen, not exactly as romantic as a butler , but definitely cheaper and more efficient. There was his newspaper, delivered to his electronic book in electronic form each morning. Definitely not as personal as the feel of paper and the smell of ink, but again, considerably cheaper and faster than the old fashioned way. Especially on ~Deneb-Theta. Sol sector's financial capital, and known as "Wall Street West" by its mostly human financial traders (because Deneb is "west" of Sol on the Imperial star chart top down view); the truth was, since the collapse of Sol a century ago, Deneb now //was// Wall Street.
The venerable old Wall Street Journal that glowed out at him on his screen had gone through many changes since the old paper days of Wall Street, New York, New York. But it still served the same purpose: It talked business and economics. Only now, its range was measured in hundreds of light years rather than thousands of miles. A bit of irony for a man like Daniel whose only familiarity with space travel was visiting its mining operations here in the Deneb system.
True, like every school boy he could point out a hundred different star systems on the Star Chart; he could recite the last 10 emperors of the Aureleous Imperium; he knew the exact coordinates that demarked the border between the Empire of Durakan and the Ackálian Empire along the main trade route; and he knew the names and locations of the main planets that bordered the Neutral Zone and Imperial controlled space. But it was all intellectual information. Or perhaps Imperial programming. Like most people, he'd never bothered to question the importance of the information, or even the rule of the Empire. They were simply things that were, like air and water. One didn't spend a lot of time thinking about them.
Just before .876 (9am) Daniel left his condo flat and headed for the transport station. He had a car and a bike (both grav, of course), but those modes of travel were for `outside' destinations -- places that didn't have `T-stations' either in the building or nearby. Inside Sippar City, as in most other modern cities in the Empire, personal transportation routes were almost non-existent.
The T-station on his floor comprised some twenty individual enclosed pads. "Axel Mining office building, main campus, 256th floor, section D," he murmured after placing his hand on the hand scanner. Seconds later the door to the transporter pad opened and he stepped in. Seconds after the door closed the view faded and a new view appeared. The door opened and he walked down the hall to his office at Axel Mining Inc.
The morning was spent in another day of boring meetings with engineers of all stripes. Most of them occurred holographically, as the engineers were in various places either around the planet or in orbital stations. Axel Mining owned virtually all the mining rights in the Deneb system. Rights the Empire guaranteed the company even if it had to bring in the Navy and Legions for enforcement. Which meant Daniel was guaranteed a job for life, and a healthy pension upon retirement. All of which made the annoyance of dealing with engineers worth the trouble.
Daniel was a money man, not a mining expert. But in order to properly manage his company's assets he had to understand the problems and successes the company's `hard' money makers were facing. And the hard money makers were the engineers and operators that kept the machines and robots gainfully employed exploiting the wealth of the Deneb system.
By .0833 (2pm) Daniel was adjusting Axel Mining's financial position on the Imperial Market. Because he was on Deneb, his stated policy was to stick to companies whose securities traded on the Deneb //commutavi// (exchange). As the Deneb market covered nearly all mature companies on this side of the Neutral Zone and many up and coming Imperial corporations on the other side, it was never hard to find ways to secure his company's wealth -- and therefore the wealth of the employees -- which he considered his first order of business.
By .2083 (5pm) Daniel was finished. And dinner out sounded much better than dinner in. Deneb's middle class, like the middle class everywhere, had to settle for either fast food or family diners. Establishments where it was hard to find a living soul outside of the patrons. If you wanted a beating heart to wait on you, you had to move to chef run establishments that catered to the upper classes -- and the occasional middle class customer out for a special occasion.
Daniel was not middle class, though he pretty much lived like one. And as much as he liked Zen, he really didn't like having serving bots wait on him at dinner. Especially since he was hoping Shelly would join him. But if one didn't want a robot for a server, that pretty much left Myri. Either fortunately or unfortunately, Deneb had been originally settled by the Duranaki. And where you found Duranaki, you inevitably found Myri. And even though the Duranaki were now mostly gone (save for their inevitable roles in provincial government), the Myri, as history shows the Myri always do, stayed.
One of his favorite restaurants was Stavini's. It was still owned by the same family that had settled on Deneb directly from Earth. The current owner could trace his lineage clear back to the old family restaurant in Florence Italy. In deference to ancient Earth tradition, Giovanni Stavini employed Myris as cooks, rather than robots. The males cooked, their wives (or wives to be) waited tables. The entire staff lived in the upper floors of the building over the restaurant. Giovanni and his family lived in the penthouse suite.
Giovanni had once told Daniel his grandfather had tried paying his Myri staff a wage and letting them make their own decisions, but the complexities of modern life seemed to confuse them. So like the Duranaki, he ended up providing for them. Strangely (to the human mind), they seem quite happy -- despite his having to keep the females on strict birth control.
By .4166 (10pm) Daniel and Shelly had reappeared in the same T-station he'd left this morning. She would be spending the night. Variation complex 1,243 in Zen's library of its owner's habits and variations.
<<gradient vert #ffffff #ffdddd #ff8888>>
In the last story I wrote for the game I had a pirate ship refueling on a gas giant. I described the planet's surface as being like that of "a giant snow cone". This was based on some information I had obtained somewhere (old Traveller stuff, I think) that is now known to be incorrect.
Not only that, but what we've learned about gas giants in the last fourteen or fifteen years from Voyagers I and II and from the Galileo probe, as well as from more sophisticated spectrographic analysis and radio telescopic studies has vastly increased our understanding of these planets. Some of the information we've learned is useful gaming fodder. Some is good just for color, and some actually adds to the detail and structure of the game.
The first point to keep in mind is: ''The closest gas station might //not// be the next gas giant on your course!''
[>img[Jupiter|http://lostcoastgaming.com/files/images/jupiter2.png]]Not all gas giants are created equal. Their primary chemical constituencies differ, making some ideal for refueling purposes while others are virtually useless. Fortunately, gas giants come with a kind of "refueling sign" that can often tell a even the average observer what the largest part of a gas giant's chemical makeup is. A close spectrographic analysis using the ship's enhanced visual and IR sensors can, with the aid of computer modeling, usually tell whether a questionable gas giant (i.e. an "ice giant") has enough liquid hydrogen present to make refueling possible. But sometimes even the instruments and computer models can be wrong. So... Just how desperate are you?
[>img[Saturn|http://lostcoastgaming.com/files/images/saturn2.png]]The pictures at right are of Jupiter and Saturn. Jupiter and Saturn are examples of "sure bet" gas giants. (Note the colors in the pictures. Ruddy browns and whites.) Which also means planets like them are going to be a //very// popular -- perhaps even be guarded refueling planets. Samples tested by the Galileo probe indicated that 80 percent of the Jovian atmosphere is Hydrogen H~~2~~, with helium (He) constituting almost all of the remaining 20 percent. And Jupiter's interior must have essentially the same composition in order to yield the observed low density. Saturn is a bit heavier, meaning it probably has a "solid" core, but its main constituents are almost identical. As you move toward the surface of either planet the temperature and pressure continue to increase, reaching the values at which hydrogen first liquefies and then assumes a metallic, highly conducting state.
It's the surface liquid H~~2~~ that must be found for fuel. Atmospheric hydrogen is not concentrated enough to be of any use in refueling. The ship would burn it faster than it could collect it. Metallic hydrogen too, is unsuitable, as it's gone through a "phase change", though it's only rarely found close enough to the surface to be a bother.
[<img[Neptune|http://lostcoastgaming.com/files/images/neptune1.png]]Then there are gas giants like Neptune and Uranus. Technically they're more "ice giants" than gas giants. Their mantles mostly composed of water, ammonia, and methane; and the atmosphere is mostly methane, which is what gives them their distinctive blue color.
Ships that stop on a gas giant like Neptune or Uranus for a speculative refueling stop could easily find themselves trapped "on the surface." If they're too low on fuel to escape the planet's gravity and they're unable to find enough liquid hydrogen H~~2~~ to refuel, Uranus might be their last stop.
''Big gas giants present some interesting challenges.'' Big gas giants are basically wanna be stars that are just too small to sustain a nuclear fusion reaction. Jupiter, for instance, would have to be almost 80 times larger to have enough mass to ignite a nuclear furnace. That said, it //does// radiate about twice as much energy as it receives from the sun. A fact that gives it some other interesting properties -- and it's hardly unique!. In fact, if a gas giant gets //too// big it becomes a "brown dwarf". A miniature star.
But because it self radiates, the upper atmospheres of large gas giants are very //very// turbulent, with violent wind patterns changing almost at random and velocities exceeding 650 km/h. Lightening storms on these big giants might be ten times less frequent than on Earth, but when they start, they too are extremely violent, containing ten times more energy than a Terran lightening bolt.
Clearly, hiding/refueling near the surface of a massive gas giant such as Jupiter (or The ~Twins-Epsilon, or any other big gas giant) might be necessary, but it's not exactly going to be a pleasure cruise.
And then there's the space around the planet. There's a reason gas giants have a tendency to collect moons. They're big, and so have equally big barycenters. Big gas giants like Jupiter are so big, in fact, they have their own set of trojan points that usually collect an inordinate amount of space junk: Dust, asteroids, and so on. Which is in part why most gas giants have some sort of ring. (In fact, all four of our gas giants have rings, not just Saturn. But the rings around the others are so faint they're either not visible from Earth, or require a powerful telescope to see.)
''But the smaller gas giants aren't much better.'' Little Neptune's winds have been clocked at over 2,200 km/h, the highest known winds of any planet in the solar system! A lot of things are air born at 2,200 km/h; most of them aren't good for your ship's health. And then there's the minor matter of trying to keep a starship hovering smoothly over a hot lake of liquid hydrogen with 2,000 km/h winds gusting around you. Don't //even// fail that piloting roll!
At the Spinward and Rimward edges of the Imperial Provinces lies the Ackál Sector; home of the (relatively) tiny Ackálian Empire. It is tiny because the Ackálians have considerable trouble operating in large military formations. Conquests, though necessary for Ackálian survival (they are ravenous consumers), can only be obtained by small bands. Officially, for each conquered world the Empress appoints a //gómralt//, or "planetary governor" to manage things on each conquered world. In practice, the leader of the band conquering the world becomes the //gómralt//.
This point was driven home some ten (Standard) years ago, in '602, when several bands of Ackálians plunged over the border into the Provinces, capturing three poorly defended systems. It didn't take long for the Ackálian pattern of conquest to become clear to the advisers of Janus Ælianus the (then) provincial //dux// (general of the provincial legions): Conquest, enslavement of the local population, followed by rapid exploitation of the resources -- which included the inhabitants.
To make a point, Dux Ælianus dispatched one legion to each system with orders to kill every Ackálian on the planet -- save one. The lone survivor was to be put on a ship and sent back to the Empress.
At that time the Empire knew very little about the Ackálian Empire. What little information that was available came from the inhabitants of the [[Neutral Zone]], which by definition meant it was unreliable.
The Empire knew, for instance, that the Ackálian Empire was ruled by an Empress (current Empress is the Shairaka, who is very young and only in her second year of rule). But they did not know until recently that the Empress rules through her //shulgars// (chancellors, all female) who oversee almost everything on Her behalf. They did not know of the //gómralts//, or the amount of freedom the //gómralts// have in administering conquered worlds. And they had only suspicions about the inability of the Ackálians to organize into large, complex, military units.
In '620 the Empress signed a peace treaty with the Emperor of Durakaan, and then sent a //Na'tesh// (High Consul) to the Provincial Capital on [[Fexao]]. Since then, High Consul Angrata has done a good job of charming the Imperial Government. A scholar of Imperial political science and history before turning diplomat, she has a deep interest the Empire of Durakaan and how its ways might improve life for the Ackálians. She can discuss Imperial customs, history and culture intelligently even with the Consuls and Tribunes. And, she speaks several Imperial languages fluently -- including English. In the five years she's been on [[Fexao]] she's become well known in political social circles and is said to possess great wit and charm -- though she's also known as a tough, clever negotiator. Something the [[Fex]] especially, greatly admire.
To the human eye, an Ackálian is not a pleasant creature. Some even go so far as to say they look horrific. Powerful carnivores, their features are an odd mix of mammal and insect. Bipedal, they have powerful arms and legs with four claw tipped fingers and an opposable thumb, and five claw tipped toes. They also have a powerful tail. IN addition to teeth designed to easily rip through flesh, they have two sharp mandibles with which to entrap prey, preventing them from escaping their jaws. They also have not two, but //four// eyes. Two human sized eyes are set somewhat lower in the skull than a humans eyes, and two much larger eyes are set into the forehead that see only, and quite effectively, in the infrared spectrum. It has been said that the Ackálian is the perfect predator.
Males average about 6' in height, are rather stocky, and usually look quite muscular. Females average 7' in height. But while their body lines are softer and more feminine (even to the human eye) they are much stronger than the males and dominate Ackálian society in most respects.
Ackálian culture and tradition emphasize competition, merit, and aggression. Their society is a Darwinian crucible in which the strong rule, the weak submit, and those who think themselves strong challenge their superiors. Any advantage, no matter how small or trivial, is worth struggling for -- though of course each Ackálian must judge for itself whether it's worth the effort, because working too hard to obtain something of minor value means a net loss. This makes it difficult for Ackálians to work together in large groups, since it's too common for one group member to challenge another for position or authority. Only individually, or in small groups where the hierarchy is clearly defined can Ackálians excel.
This has hindered them when they encounter species that aren't so hampered by infighting. Attempts to conquer systems under Imperial control have been easily rebuffed by the Imperial Navy and Legions. But //not// so easily that the Emperor has evidenced any interest in conquering all or part of the [[Ackálian Empire]].
The artificial gill allows breathing in oxygenated water, but only functions on worlds where there is an atmosphere so that the water is oxygenated. //Life Support (Expanded Breathing (Underwater)) (5 Active Points); OIF (-½), Functions Only On Worlds With Atmosphere 4-9 (-½). Total cost: 2 points. //
The question of whether "artificial life forms" (ALF) are "sentient beings" and therefore subject to [[Imperial Law]] is a question that has been hotly debated around the Empire for a very long time.
It is, therefore, not a subject that will be taken up "officially" in this game. The players/characters are welcome to engage in that debate to their hearts' content. It should be noted, however, that the [[EAC]] (Emerald Authoritative Council) grants all ~ALFs "sentient" status under [[Emerald]]'s "[[Laws of Sentience | Emerald]]", and this practice is catching on among the more "progressive" planets.
At present, ALF's perform many functions on high tech worlds, both within the Empire and without. Many look and act so close to human (and in fact are deployed to perform some very, umm... -- //human// functions) as to be indistinguishable without either a ~BioScan or physical contact. (Human looking ALF's are usually much lighter for their size than a living being due to the use of carbon based "rigging" and the lack of water weight.) Unfortunately, that doesn't prevent them from being deployed on jobs so nasty, so dangerous, or so difficult consciences slave owners dare not deploy even their [[Myri]] to complete the task.
That said, if someone wants to submit an interesting, playable ALF as a PC, I will entertain the notion!
Due to the wide variety of possibilities, I will not provide a package deal here. Let me say only that, as stated above, ~ALFs should have a decreased mass (and therefore have an increased Jump distance, ~Knock-Back penalty, and so on) which should be bought as a Physical Limitation: ½ Mass (All The Time) 15 pts.
Other things I'll be looking at/for:
* The abilities of the ALF should match its physical form. It would be inappropriate for a humanoid looking ALF to have built in blasters, for instance. But it //would// be appropriate for it to have increased strength and/or speed, inhuman vision and/or hearing, and so on.
* END use of other limits on its abilities. The more powerful the ALF, the more I'm going to be looking for equalizing factors that keep the ALF in line (active point wise) with the rest of the PC group.
* Form matching function. This is very subjective, I know. But since this //is// a science fiction game, which means we have no "real world data" on which to analyze these things, the best we can do is look at the form and see if it kinda makes sense for the functions the ALF is supposed to provide.
* I //do// see a difference in an ALF and a "robot" or "cyborg". That doesn't mean that every ALF should look human, but it //does// mean that every ALF should be capable of functioning as a life form, rather than as a logic driven animated program or a "dumb" appendage attached to a biological life form.
Like the [[Medraas]], the Athenians are not a race, but a biologically engineered race of humans. In this case, not a race produced by some "mad scientist" as in the case of the [[Medraas]], but a class of humans carefully produced and maintained in answer to them!
The smoke hadn't yet cleared the space-port before a group of women had gathered in the rubble of what had once been their dead children's classroom. By chance the women discovered they all shared something other than mere grief: Before becoming mothers, they had all been military officers. They had all seen combat. They were all blooded warriors who had led others in battle.
And they were all //pissed!//
The academes who ran [[New Home]] had, in their naivete, let this happen. Just as they had let the best hope of the human race fall into the hands of the [[Empire]] nearly a hundred years ago. <<slider NewHomeFall [[New Home Falls]] [[New Home fell on. . . ]]>>
It didn't take long for these veteran soliders and newly grieving mothers to figure out what needed to be done. In 48 hours they were aboard a ship of their own, headed to star-base [[Marcus Proximus I]], in the [[Nu Phoenicis]] system, a favorite haunt of out of work mercenaries and others looking for work in the largely lawless [[Neutral Zone]].
For blooded officers, recruiting was not hard. But they limited themselves to other women. Women without ties, women who had seen battle, women who knew how to fight. Among their catches was Doctor Martha Strange, a gynecologist with an interest in genetic engineering that had just lost her husband. And as the fledgling mercenaries needed a physician, they hired the wondering doctor, not fully realizing the treasure they had just acquired -- until later.
It was Sergeant Rebbecca Thomas that came up with the name and basic code of ethics. The little band, now almost a thousand strong, had just destroyed a pirate raid on a cargo convoy. The booty had been well worth the cost, and the women were riding high on the rush of their victory.
"The Athenians!" She declared, hoisting a glass of procured wine. "Women who fight for justice, and whose daughters fight. And never let it be said than an Athenian ever produced a son!"
The roar of approval was thunderous. And Doctor Strange made sure the prophecy came true. A minor bit of biological manipulation was all it took. Technology centuries old. Add a bit education about selective breeding and she had a winner. Daughters that were, on average, just a bit stronger, a bit faster, than their mothers.
And so it has progressed.
Today the Athenians are a pain in almost ever-body's side. Well, everybody who wants to have their own way in or around [[The Neutral Zone|Neutral Zone]], anyway. They disrupt illegal slaving operations, drug runs, even attempts by out of control branches of the Imperial bureaucracy to do harm to local star systems without Imperial authority. Rumor has it they have even rescued abducted children, exacting rather sudden justice on the abductors.
Nobody knows exactly where to find the Athenians. They have no home planet or star system. If they have secret hide-outs here and there, the authorities can't seem to find them. They just seem to be there at the most opportune moments, saving lives and freeing oppressed people. And they always seem to have the latest weapons and technolgy at their disposal.
''~NonHuman Abilities''
The Athenians are humans, albeit women. While their STATS tend more to the male than the female averages, they have no intrinsic non-human abilities.
''Athenian Society/culture''
The Athenians are very martial, but with that gentle female touch that is often hard for men to understand. Individual concepts of morality and personal behavior don't really factor into Athenian society so long as it doesn't affect the whole. But one thing //is// prohibited, if one wants to remain within the Athenian ranks, and that's marriage!
Children are fine -- so long as they are female. In fact, they are almost encouraged. But selection of the male for offspring is considered of prime importance and is usually only acted upon after consultation with the woman's commander. Understand that these restrictions are for //breeding//. What other kinds of (non-reproductive) activities an Athenian might choose to indulge in her off-duty time is up to her, as long as it doesn't affect her unit or her duties.
''Appearance''
Athenian women average just slightly over 6' tall, and at an average strength of 13-, their physical abilities top those of the average human male. In some quarters it is said that this costs them in overall attractiveness. Others disagree.
Athenians are usually found wearing a light armored mesh uniform that looks something like jeans, a tee-shirt, and leather vest, along with several weapons. If an Athenian can be coaxed away from her armor and weapons, one might find her at least moderately adept (if a bit uncomfortable) in an evening gown and makeup and jewelry.
If you try, be brave!
''Racial Mixing and Interbreeding''
Nobody knows for sure who the Athenians are capable of interbreeding with. It is assumed that, as they are really no more than the product of selective breeding (sex selection not withstanding), that the same interbreeding restrictions all humans possess also apply to Athenians. But as they are the secretive sort, this hypothesis has yet to be proved or allayed.
'''Average' Athenian Package Deal''
By definition, there is no such thing as a "normal" Athenian anymore than there's such a thing as a "normal" Army Ranger. By definition, an Army Ranger has made his or herself an outstanding individual through rigorous training. The same can be said of the Atheninans. That said, what follows represents the "normal" Athenian who is capable of functioning at the exceptional level required of the caste. Those who do not measure up to these (minimal) standards are no longer considered Athenians. Many far exceed these minimal standards!
|!Cost|!Ability|
| 3 |+3 STR |
| 15 |+5 DEX |
| 10 |+5 CON |
| 3 |+3 INT |
| 5 |+5 PRE |
| 2 |Running +1" |
| 4 |+2 OCV with hand weapon of choice |
| 12 |+6 //versus// Range Modifier with hand weapon of choice |
| 3 |Climbing |
| 10 |Martial Arts (10 points worth of "Commando Training") |
| 3 |Security Systems |
| 3 |Paramedics |
| 3 |Navigation: Planetary |
| 3 |Stealth |
| 3 |Tracking |
| 3 |WF: Grenade launchers, General Purpose/Heavy Blasters, ~Shoulder-Fired guided Weapons |
| 3 |3 points worth of Skills from the choice list for the Basic Military Training Package Deal |
| 2 |TF: Grav vehicles |
| 2 |+2 to KS: The Military/Mercenary/Terrorist/Neutral Zone World |
| 2 |KS: Athenian History And Traditions 11- |
| 2 |Fringe Benefit: Athenian |
| 2 |Fringe Benefit: Athenian security clearance |
| ''98'' |''Total Abilities'' |
|-20|Distinctive Feature: Athenian (Concealable/Extreme) |
|-10|Hunted (As Powerful/Harsh) |
|-20|~PsychLim: Superpatriot |
|-15|Reputation: Athenian (almost always 14-) |
| ''33'' |''Total Cost of package'' |
The Aureleous Imperium is so called because it established the [[Imperial Galactic Calendar|ImperialGalacticCalendar]], and in so establishing it set the beginning of the calendar to the first day in which the [[Line of Aureleous]] regained the Imperial Throne.
The automed is a single-unit automated care facility that monitors vital signs, makes suggestions as to treatment options, and regularly injects prescribed medicines. It will initiate resuscitation on patients with failing vital signs. (This is the piece of equipment that Misha plugged Sasha into in [[Seller's Regret]] -- though Sasha's automed had been slightly enhanced with a small AI program.)
''TL:'' 9
''Cost:'' 500,000 Denarii
''Mass:'' 6 metric tons
''Size:'' 1.5 hexes long by 1 hex wide
!!Automed
| !Val | !Char | !Cost | !Roll | !Notes |
| 13 | INT | 3 | 12- | PER Roll 12- |
| 10 | DEX | 0 | 11- | OCV 3 DCV 3 |
| 2 | SPD | 0 || Phases: 6, 12 |
|>|>|>|>| ''Total Characteristic Cost:'' 3 |
| !Cost |>|>| !Powers | !END |
| 21 |>|>|Vital Signs Monitor: Detect Vital Signs 16- (Radio Group), Discriminatory, Analyze, Sense | 0 |
|>|>|>|>|''Talents'' |
| 3 |>|>|Absolute Time Sense ||
| 5 |>|>|Eidetic Memory ||
| 3 |>|>|Lightning Calculator ||
|>|>|>|>|''Skills'' |
| 3 |>|>|Paramedic 12- ||
| 5 |>|>|Medical Programming: KS: Medicine 14- ||
| 1 |>|>|Program: Monitor Vital Signs ||
| 1 |>|>|Program: Injects Scheduled Prescribed Medication ||
| 1 |>|>|Program: Initiate Emergency Treatment For Failing Vital Signs ||
|>|>|>|>|''Total Powers & Skill Cost: ''43 |
|>|>|>|>|''Total Cost:'' 46 |
Battle dress is an advanced form of combat armor, which includes STR enhancement and various powered controls. The armor is air-tight, self-sealing, and affords the wearer full life support (Immunity All terrestrial diseases and biowarfare agents; Immunity All terrestrial diseases and biowarfare agents; Safe in High Pressure; Safe in High Radiation; Safe in Intense Cold; Safe in Intense Heat; Safe in Low Pressure/Vacuum; ~Self-Contained Breathing), in other words, the same protections as that of a [[VAC Suit]] equipped with a standard [[PLSS]].
!!~ABD-12
| !Cost | !Powers | !END |
| 7 |RF PD Laser: Missile Deflection (Any Ranged Attack) (20 Active Points); OIF Bulky (Costs Endurance (Only Costs END to Activate; -¼), OIHID (¼), Real Armor (¼), Custom Modifier (requires suit to be powered up; -¼) | 2 |
| 6 |Advanced Fire Control Package: (Total: 13 Active Cost, 6 Real Cost) Absolute Range Sense (Real Cost: 3) plus +2 with Ranged Combat (10 Active Points); OIF Immobile (‑1 ½), Real Weapon (¼), OIHID (¼), Costs Endurance (Only Costs END to Activate; -¼) (Real Cost: 3) | 1 |
| 5 |Thermal Superconducting Armor: Energy Damage Reduction, Resistant, 25%, Hardened (+¼) (19 Active Points); OIF Immobile (½), Ablative BODY or STUN (‑1), Real Armor (¼) | 0 |
| 15 |Power Supply: Endurance Reserve (120 END, 10 REC) Reserve: (22 Active Points); OIF Bulky (OIHID (¼) | 0 |
| 9 |AGrav: Flight 12” (24 Active Points); OIF Bulky (Requires A Skill Roll (½), OIHID (¼) | 2 |
| 5 |Enhanced Strength: Running +6” (12” total) (12 Active Points); OIF Bulky (‑1), OIHID (¼), Custom Modifier (requires suit to be powered up; -¼) | 1 |
| 17 |Protective Armor: Armor (16 PD/16 ED), Hardened (+¼) (60 Active Points); OIF Bulky (‑1), Ablative BODY or STUN (OIHID (¼), Real Armor (¼) | 0 |
| 6 |Environmental Protection: Life Support (Safe in High Pressure; Safe in High Radiation; Safe in Intense Cold; Safe in Intense Heat; Safe in Low Pressure/Vacuum; ~Self-Contained Breathing) (19 Active Points); OIF Bulky (‑1), Custom Modifier (Suit must be intact; -½), OIHID (¼), Costs Endurance (Only Costs END to Activate; -¼) | 2 |
| 8 |IR Damper system: Change Environment 1” radius, -4 to Infrared Perception PER Rolls, Varying Combat Effects, 2 Continuing Charges lasting 1 Hour each (+0) (21 Active Points); OIF Bulky (‑1), No Range (½), OIHID (¼) | [2 cc] |
| 2 |Enhanced Strength: +5 STR (5 Active Points); OIF Bulky (OIHID (¼) | 1 |
| 4 |Enhanced Agility: +3 DEX (9 Active Points); OIF Bulky (‑1), OIHID (¼), Custom Modifier (requires suit to be powered up; -¼) ||
| 2 |Sensory Protection: Hearing Group Flash Defense (5 points) (5 Active Points); OIF Bulky (‑1), OIHID (¼), Real Armor (¼) | 0 |
| 2 |Sensory Protection: Sight Group Flash Defense (5 points) (5 Active Points); OIF Bulky (‑1), OIHID (¼), Real Armor (¼) | 0 |
| 4 |Enhanced Reflexes: +1 SPD (10 Active Points); OIF Bulky (‑1), OIHID (‑¼), Custom Modifier (requires suit to be powered up; -¼) ||
| 4 |Psionic Shielding: Mental Defense (12 points total) (10 Active Points); OIF Bulky (OIHID (¼), Real Armor (¼) | 0 |
| 8 |Multipower, 30-point reserve, (30 Active Points); all slots OIF Bulky (-1), Custom Modifier (Only for Sensors and Commo; -1), Costs Endurance (Only Costs END to Activate; -¼), OIHID (¼) ||
| 1u |1) Communications System: Radio Perception/Transmission (Radio Group), ~MegaScale (1” = 100 km; +¾), Can Be Scaled Down 1” = 1km (+¼) (20 Active Points); OIF Bulky (‑1), Custom Modifier (Only for Sensors and Commo; -1), Costs Endurance (Only Costs END to Activate; -¼), OIHID (¼) | 2 |
| 1u |2) Sight Enhancement System: IR Perception (Sight Group), +3 to PER Roll (8 Active Points); OIF Bulky (-1), Custom Modifier (Only for Sensors and Commo; -1), Costs Endurance (Only Costs END to Activate; -¼), OIHID (¼) | 1 |
| 1u |3) GPS And Satnav system: Navigation (Air, Land, Marine, Space) 14- (15 Active Points); OIF Bulky (‑1), Custom Modifier (Only for Sensors and Commo; -1), Costs Endurance (Only Costs END to Activate; -¼), OIHID (¼) | 1 |
| 1u |4) Radar: Radar (Radio Group), ~MegaScale (1” = 10 km; +½) (22 Active Points); OIF Bulky (Custom Modifier (Only for Sensors and Commo; -1), Costs Endurance (Only Costs END to Activate; -¼), OIHID (¼) | 2 |
| 1u |5) Radscanner: Detect A Single Thing 15- (Unusual Group), Discriminatory (12 Active Points); OIF Bulky (‑1), Custom Modifier (Only for Sensors and Commo; -1), Costs Endurance (Only Costs END to Activate; -¼), OIHID (¼) | 1 |
[<img[http://lostcoastgaming.com/files/images/Bio-Scanner.jpg]] ''Description:'' An advancement of volatile molecular chemical analysis, the bio-scanner "sniffer" scans for evidence of biological/metabolic activity in the area. It is a highly advanced combination sampler/analyzer. Not only is the bio-scanner useful for biological studies, but it also helps with regular chemical analysis.
The unit incorporates both analyzer and collector into one. It has 2 modes and corresponding equipment: One mode for mass sampling (scanning) and one mode for minute sampling (pinpoint reading).
The evidence of biological activity must be within 1 hex (2m) of the scanner -- anything beyond 2m is undetectable. Also note that the ability to recognize and categorize a biological activity is directly dependent on how similar the sample is to sample data in the bio-scanner's memory.
''Portable ~Bio-Sniffer-13:'' //Detect A Large Class Of Things 14- (Unusual Group), Discriminatory, Analyze, 1 Continuing Charge lasting 1 Day (+0) (23 Active Points); OIF Bulky Fragile (‑1 ¼), Concentration (½ DCV; -¼). Total Cost: 10 points.//
''Cost:'' 500,000 Denarii
''Weight:'' 1.0 kg
----
Combat Armor is an armored Vac Suit composed of various polymers and alloys. Mass: 36#/16kg. Cost: 1500 Denarii. It represents "the step between" the old absorptive armors of yesteryear and the advanced ABD systems that would come after. That said, it is //still// by far the standard armor found outside the organized military services.
!!Combat Armor-10
| !Cost | !Powers | !END |
| 10 |Protective Armor: Armor (7 PD/7 ED), Hardened (+¼) (26 Active Points); OIF Bulky (OIHID (‑¼), Real Armor (¼) | 0 |
| 15 |Environmental Protection: Life Support (Immunity All terrestrial diseases and biowarfare agents; Immunity All terrestrial poisons and chemical warfare agents; Safe in High Pressure; Safe in Intense Cold; Safe in Intense Heat; ~Self-Contained Breathing), 2 Continuing Charges lasting 1 Hour each (+0) (35 Active Points); OIF Bulky (OIHID (¼) | [2 cc] |
| 2 |Sensory Protection: Hearing Group Flash Defense (5 points) (5 Active Points); OIF Bulky (OIHID (¼), Real Armor (¼) | 0 |
| 2 |Sensory Protection: Sight Group Flash Defense (5 points) (5 Active Points); OIF Bulky (OIHID (¼), Real Armor (¼) | 0 |
| 5 |Communications System: Radio Perception/Transmission (Radio Group), 2 Continuing Charges lasting 1 Hour each (+0), ~MegaScale (1” = 1 km; +¼) (12 Active Points); OIF Bulky (OIHID (¼) | [2 cc] |
| 6 |Sight Enhancement System: IR Perception (Sight Group), +3 to PER Roll, Tracking, 2 Continuing Charges lasting 1 Hour each (+0) (13 Active Points); OIF Bulky (‑1), OIHID (¼) | [2 cc] |
The Combat Environment Suit (CES) is a soft Ballistic Weave with an airtight liner that can be sealed using protective gauntlets and a clear visor. It provides protection against chemical and biological agents, tainted atmospheres, and limited radiation. It is available at ~TL9.
!!CES Body Sleeve-12
The Body Sleeve is a form-fitting multipurpose combat environment suit that is worn in routine circumstances. It is designed to allow easy and quick entry into vac suits and battledress.
| !Cost | !Powers | !END |
| 5 |Protective Armor: Armor (5 PD/5 ED) (15 Active Points); OIF Bulky (‑1), Ablative BODY or STUN (OIHID (¼) | 0 |
| 10 |Environmental Protection: Life Support (Immunity All terrestrial poisons and chemical warfare agents; Immunity All terrestrial diseases and biowarfare agents; Safe in Intense Cold; Safe in Intense Heat; ~Self-Contained Breathing) (34 Active Points); Custom Modifier (only breathable or skin absorbed agents; -1), OIF Bulky (‑1), Extra Time (Full Phase, Only to Activate, -¼) | 0 |
| 4 |Medical Autoinjector: Aid 2d6 (20 Active Points); 2 Charges (‑1 ½), OIF Bulky (Side Effects, Side Effect occurs automatically whenever Power is used (takes 1D6 stun an hour after use; -½), Self Only (½), OIHID (¼) | [2] |
| 2 |//G Tolerance[3G]//: Custom Talent (3 Active Points); OIF (½), OIHID (¼) ||
|>|>|''Suit Options:'' |
| 6 |1) Chameleon Camouflage Suit: Change Environment 1” radius, -2 to Infrared Perception PER Rolls, -2 to Normal Sight PER Rolls, Multiple Combat Effects (16 Active Points); OIF Bulky (‑1), No Range (½), OIHID (¼) | 2 |
| 11 |2) Suit Standard Helmet: (Total: 20 Active Cost, 11 Real Cost) Radio Perception/Transmission (Radio Group), 1 Continuing Charge lasting 6 Hours (+0) (10 Active Points); OIF (½), OIHID (¼) (Real Cost: 6) plus Sight Group Flash Defense (5 points) (5 Active Points); OIF (½), OIHID (¼), Real Armor (¼) (Real Cost: 2) plus Nightvision, 1 Continuing Charge lasting 6 Hours (+0) (5 Active Points); OIF (½), OIHID (¼) (Real Cost: 3) | [1cc] |
[<img[http://lostcoastgaming.com/files/images/Commdots.jpg]] ''Description:'' A Commdot is most commonly used as an adjunct to a computer or communicator. One Commdot is affixed to the scalp just behind the ear, the other is stuck to the throat just above the voice box. A Commdot is only able to transceive for a distance of little over a meter, but it is far enough for the Commdot to communicate with the larger, more powerful devices it is designed to interface with.
The [[Handheld Computer]] can be used with the hands held free, for instance, The same is true of the [[Handheld Communicator]]. Devices designed to be used with Commdots are capable of tuning the dots to itself.
When it is desired to communicate with more than one device at a time, a Commdot multiplexer is used. The multiplexer is worn on the belt (or in the pocket) and coordinates activity between several devices. The operator can then communicate on the tuned channels, switching between them at will.
''Cost:'' Commdot/multiplexer 500 Denarii
''Weight:'' 0.1kg
----
<<gradient vert #ffffff #ffdddd #ff8888>>
Well thought out input to the campaign is //more// than welcome. For all the time I've put in on the Aldeborahnn! game world it's still no more than a shell. My hope was to create an interesting and balanced framework that would get the creative juices going, and then to let everyone dive in and add more stuff as we go along. (I've listed my sources for the game world at the end of this entry.)
Too, I would like this game to be more visual than the average PBEM game. ~SciFi has such rich opportunities for artistic outlets beyond just the written word: From artist's drawings and layouts to mesh models, animations, and 3D planets and asteroids; the possibilities are almost endless. Obviously, just how visual the game becomes will depend on the artistic talents of everyone involved, but I will award experience points for art work that can be added to the story.
In that vein, extra experience points will be awarded for:
* Smashing good character related contributions.
** A new PC race.
*** Creating a new PC race is no small task as you'll have to create a home world for them, slice up a piece of the sky for any other worlds they have settled as they became a space faring race.
*** In that vein, you should be aware that all star systems in this game are //real//, not fictional. Star coordinates, spectral class, and habitability (IOW is it reasonable to assume the star to have an earth type planet in orbit around it) are all taken from the Winchell ~HabHYG database (link in the sources section below) with further input from other sources I'll list below. Using this data a solar system is constructed around the star using the Traveller World Builder's handbook, forcing outputs as needed for the primary planet. (See also the [[UWP]] entry.) Finally, I usually choose a new name for the star, keeping the original ~HabHYG catalog names only for cross reference purposes (so I don't end up with two solar systems assigned to the same star).
** A damned good background story for your PC. All the races have only been outlined. Fill them out. Bring that race to life!
** Damned good (pregame) fiction pieces about your character.
** Plot related art, including [[Celestia|http://www.shatters.net/celestia/]] object submissions, space stations, space ships, examples of character races, and so on.
In the course of the game (in addition to the usual XP point adders):
* Superb roleplaying.
* Contributions of art (including [[Celestia|http://www.shatters.net/celestia/]] objects) that helps visualize the story. (They'll be embedded in the story file as a graphic. You can do it or I can.)
* Applicable background (sidebar) fiction pieces written about the story that's unfolding.
* Superior story-telling.
Attribution will be given for all contributions of art, articles, fiction, and anything else that ends up in this wiki regardless of whether they earn experience points or not. (Let me know whether you want your real name used or your LCG handle.)
* In general, for background material not directly related to your PC or the plot, experience points will //not// be awarded (at least, not directly). But I'm sure everyone will be grateful for your addition to the game universe! (Including and especially me!)
''Source materials:''
* The [[Celestia|http://www.shatters.net/celestia/]] space simulation program, of course. (This is the software I've used to create the luscious images of planets and so on you see here in the wiki.)
* Hero System V and its source books. (And no, we will //not// be going to Hero VI when/if it's ever released!)
* Hero Designer. (Yeah, I know it's not real popular, but it's what I've got.)
* Megatraveller:
** World Builder's Handbook (PDF available)
** Imperial Encyclopedia (PDF available)
** Referee's Manual (PDF available)
** Fighting Ships of the Imperium (PDF available)
** Traveler Hero books I and II (PDF available)
* Other sources:
** Worlds of Empire (A Star Hero source book)
** ~StarAce's //Aliens// by Pacesetter (out of print)
** Invasions: Target Earth, a Hero System IV Champions source book (out of print)
** [[Winchell's HabHYG dataset |http://www.projectrho.com/smap12.html#winch]]. The complete database is //huge!// Over 3 megs in size (uncompressed). This database is the primary source of stellar information for the game. Other supplementary astrogation information sources:
*** Astrogator's Handbook (available free as a PDF from [[Sci Fi -- Arizona |http://www.scifi-az.com/]]) The appendices contain much useful information.
*** The Gliess/Hipparcos parallax database. (I don't remember where I found it.) This database includes RA and declination listings. Data you have to have in order to position a new object in Celestia.
* And in general, for background:
** Startrek -- warp theory
** Starwars -- blasters, storm trooper type body armor, ship style ideas
** Niven, Pournel, Heinlein, and so many other great Sci Fi authors
Due to it's age the Imperial currency system is horribly arranged. Fortunately, most people don't have to deal with the entire system. On modern worlds the Imperial Denarius is the standard of exchange (think of it like the dollar). The Sestertius and As are like dimes and pennies; the Aureus like a $20 bill. Too, most transactions are in the form of "credits" -- like a check card -- so the required number of Denarii are simply deducted from the appropriate bank account. Modern economic systems rarely deal in (or even accept) hard money.
On poor worlds, however, and in the Neutral Zone hard money is //all// that is usually accepted. Too, on poor worlds the As is usually the standard of exchange, not the Denarius. That's not because prices have changed, a Med Scanner still costs 500 Denarii (about $1,500 USD), but no poor person will be buying one! So it's more sensible to quote the price of things they //do// buy regularly, such as flour, vegetables, clothes -- or a cup of coffee, for instance, as 12 Asses than 1.5 Denarii ( either way, it about $0.50 USD).
| |=| 1 uncia ± 2½¢ | Brass |
| 2 unciae |=| 1 sextans ± 5¢ | Brass |
| 6 sextantes |=| 1 As ± 40¢ | Brass |
| 2 asses |=| 1 Sestertius ± 75¢ | Brass |
| 4 Sestertii |=| 1 Denarius ± $3 USD | Silver |
| 25 Denarii |=| 1 Aureus | Gold |
| 60 Aurei |=| 1 Solidus | Gold |
| 72 Solidi |=|>| 1 kilo gold |
PBEM games move slowly. So it's only natural to forget important details about events along the way. So, I've created this entry to help you out. If you think of (or remember) something that should go in here, let me know in the forum.
| !DATE | !EVENT |
| 2563868.8855 |Meeting with former Senator Anastius of the line of Isaias. The Senator reported that: <br><br>* Senator Lawrence Bourne Sr. had been attacked days after LBIII left Midgard. <br>* The Imperial 5th Fleet attacked and destroyed the Athenian assault group patrolling Sigma Beta in the Donovan sub-sector. The deaths reported at that time numbered nearly two thousand. <br>* The Mon'dabi Federation is preparing an assault on Yyvaan, the [[Eldyri]] homeworld. <br>* The [[Ackálians]] are again arming to assault the Imperial up-spin frontier. <br> * The Medraas are entering into alliances with the various pirate bands here in the Neutral Zone. <br>* PAC is divided amongst itself, but each faction has purchased the loyalty of one or more [[MERC]] companies to support its cause, and its claim on certain systems, or to protect its holdings. <br> * The [[INIS]] is not reporting this data accurately to the [[Emperor|Emperor Trægen]]. |
| 2563868.8859 |The Senator admits he has sent messages to both Yyvaan and the Athenian fleet concerning their peril. |
| 2563868.8859 |The following transmission slip is delivered to The Senator and the ~PCs via Zathis, the Zarr: <br><br>''~YJ-2 CLS DWN ~T-TWINS ~EPSILON-JAY ---STOP--- <br>TRNSPND IMP SGNL ---STOP--- <br>FWL PLY SSPCT ---STOP--- <br>~SJ-2-2121C RPTS ---STOP--- <br>---EOT--- '' |
| 2563868.9243 |Lawrence receives a video message from his father: <br><br>//"By now you will have discovered the reason I sent you to Star Station Regillus. And I'm sure he told you I was attacked several days after you left. Do not fear. I survived and was no more seriously injured that you see. Perhaps that will disappoint you. I cannot say."<br> "I confess, I was not fully convinced the situation was as bad as he was claiming when I first read his message. Since then, I have become worried that Anastius may be understating the gravity of the situation. You see, I was attacked not by pirates or criminals, but by mercenaries.<br> "Mercenaries Lawrence! Do you know what that means? If you are not yet to drunk to think as you play this message, I am sure you will fathom the implications. You are a Bourne, and the brightest of your siblings. The guards managed to capture an NCO and questioned him. They were after a message that was supposed to have come by ship from Durakaan. Mark that, my son. It is important. It may mean more to you now, than it does or ever will to me. For I have my own tasks in this affair and you now and you have yours."<br> "I hope the dear old Senator didn't have to order you to do your job. But if he did -- " his father shrugged and kind of chuckled. "Then I'm sure he did. Anastius knows, as I know, that to prevent the coming civil war there will be those who must be convinced to take the right side, there will be others who must be convince not to fight, and still others who will have to accept that the old alliances are dead and that new partnerships and new alliances must be formed. That kind of diplomacy takes more than just skill and training. It takes native talent. And that you have in abundance."<br> The image lurched as though the recording had been stopped and restarted. "I have loaded an encrypted file onto this clip. It contains a list of people, their positions, and what I have learned about them over the years. Attitudes, political leanings, personalities, that sort of thing. I'm sure you will find it useful in the coming months and years. You already know the pass code. You've been using it to steal into my office since you were sixteen.<br> "Be well my son. Do your job. Do your part. The time has come."// |
| 2563868.9891 |The ship is attacked by Colonel Verlag A. Ekhart's Götteskrieger (God's warriors). Ekhart offers to let the others go if they turn over Lawrence, "dhe son of dhe Senator Bourne." <br>Morgan knows about Ekhart and his Götteskrieger: <br>It's a brigade sized force (i.e. about 5,000 troops -- the size of an [[Imperial Legion|Imperial Legions]]) of mercenaries routinely employed by the more unscrupulous factions inside PAC. Bullying, extortion, racketeering, protection rackets, not to mention all out assaults -- all are tactics associated with Ekhart's Götteskrieger. In his mission to advance the aims of his employers, he's been known to attack almost everyone -- pirates, the Medraas, the Legions, other mercenary outfits both MERC and nonMERC. Ekhart has a reputation for doing what it takes to win -- //whatever// it takes. For certain, the VLC would //love// to get their hands on Ekhart! |
| 2563868.9970 |Interrogating a wounded Ekhart, Qamala learns that his Götteskrieger was hired by ITI -- Intersteller Transport Interactive, a freight corporation as well known as our own modern day "Viking" or "Redding" freight lines -- to kill "Dhe Princess Aldeborahnn. Dhe infidel spawn of dhe goddless ones voo claim sovereignty over Allah's vorld!" Lawrence's father supposedly knows where Aldeborahnn is supposed to be at a specific time. Apparently LBIII was supposed to be leverage to gain Senator Bourne's cooperation.|
| 2563869.1220 |The fuel nozzles are finally replaced and power is applied to the ship's internal power plants. |
| 2563869.1358 |[[The Staff Meeting|http://www.lostcoastgaming.com/node/760]] takes place. <br>Qamala reveals that "//contrary to popular belief, Princess Aldeborahnn actually has not been kidnapped...//" And that the courier ship which brought her to Star Station Regillus also carried that information to The Senator. //The ship we are to track down now, which is down on that moon in The Twins' system, carried another message to another senator, young Lawrence's father. It was from Aldeborahnn herself. It told the older Bourne when and where to be for a secret meeting with her.//<br> Lawrence added that: "//Several hours ago I received a message from my father," he offered. "He confirmed that the downed ship was carrying a message of vital importance to him from the Princess. He also expressed that we aren't the only ones who know this, so we won't be the only ones searching for it. We might already be running behind in this race.//" <br> Willa: "//The crashed ship may have even gone down with a little help from [the pirates in The Twins system].//"<br> Morgan: "//If we're headed to Epsilon, we will be out in the open -– we can be monitored from Beta. There's a ... camp there. Exiles, mostly; criminals too. The kind of people they don't let stand trial.” ... “We're going to need to be coordinated ... tactical and ship...//" |
| 2563869.2200 |Qamala and Leeda debrief Ekhart one more time as LBIII listens from the medical bay while the ship finishes fueling.<br>* Ekhart admits that ITI has spies on the station. It was they who told Ekhart about //Sagitto// (apparently //Audacity's// former name).<br>* He also claims he brought "two fast ships" because he knew //Sagitto// was a fast ship.<br>* ITI's spy is the Rigellian bar tender humans call Meena (which means Meena heard Senator Bourne's message to his son.<br> * Ekhart claims an ITI man named "Weisman", who is supposedly ITI's Chairman of Operations is the one that hired he and his mercenaries to kidnap LBIII. Apparently Weisman believed that LBIII would be sufficient leverage to secure Senator Bourne's cooperation. Unfortunately, LBIII, who knows all of ITI's BOD, has never heard of a man named Weisman on ITI's BOD.<br>* Unfortunately Ekhart doesn't seem to have been told exactly what it is this Weisman wants Senator Bourne to do. Only that his services would no longer be needed after he delivered young LBIII to Weisman. |
| 2563869.5300 |//Audacity// launches! They're immediately picked up by one of Ekhart's ships, but Willa finally suckers them, then jumps to warp 9 -- apparently just a bit faster than Ekhart's corsairs. |
| 2563871.5478 |After two days of warp 9 do "south", they've finally left the corsair behind. Willa sets course for The Twins at warp 10. |
| 2563896.0505 |A small blip appears on the granar display, apparently right in their path. Paladin, now back in command, drops warp to investigate. The blip proves to be a small merchant ship with a hole blown in the stern. Probably a missile hit. |
| 2563896.1532 |A short warp brings them close enough to look the ship over and they pick up a faint EM signal that Leeda identifies as the distinctive pulsing hum of a cryogenic plant running. After two more hours at sublight and some fancy docking maneuvers by Paladin, //Audacity// links up with the freighter and begins boarding operations. |
[<img[http://lostcoastgaming.com/files/images/Data-Disply_Headset.jpg]] ''Description:'' This headset represents a major breakthrough in interactive display technology. It can be interfaced with virtually any number of devices of the same or lower [[Tech Level]] via a multiplexer. The multiplexer not only coordinates the devices for the user but can also synchronously record the multiple data signals onto one standard data clip for later review.
It is common for any technician using equipment to wear one of these. And every member of a ship's bridge and engineering crew will also be found wearing one. They are also ubiquitous for "air crews" on smaller craft. For example, a surveyor flying in a [[Grav Belt]] and using a [[Neural Activity Sensor]] can control both the sensor and his [[Grav Belt]] with his headset. If s/he's also wearing a [[Vacc Suit]] s/he can monitor and control that as well.
The headset allows the wearer to use eye motion to control the movement of device control settings. With practice, the use of the headset to control multiple devices can become as instinctive as flipping a light switch to turn on the lights. When desired, the headpiece can be swung out of the way above the head; when the display is turned off it's transparent.
About three percent of the population find it difficult to focus properly on the headpiece and are unable to use the device.
''Cost:'' 5,000 Denarii
''Weight:'' 0.1kg
-----
Deuterium is a stable isotope of hydrogen, meaning that it is not radioactive and has a very long life span. Deuterium is still the same element as hydrogen but it has one neutron. Deuterium was discovered by Harold Urey, in 1932. When two deuterium ions bond with one oxygen ion, deuterium oxide, heavy water, is formed. (Not what we want here, but now you know the relationship.) The overall deuterium to hydrogen ratio on earth is 1:6600.
Tritium (Hydrogen-3) is a radioactive form of hydrogen. Tritium, as a form of Hydrogen, is found naturally in air and water. Most hydrogen is made up of one proton, and an orbital electron, but tritium has two extra neutrons in the nucleus. But because Tritium has a half-life of only 12.3 Standard Years, it has to be made "shortly" before use.
The aneutronic fusion plants in use in modern star ships (and on many "planet fall" power stations) produce little to no nuclear waste that must be disposed of. Both the Deuterium and Tritium are consumed in the reaction process, "breeding" only more more Tritium, which is reprocessed for further reaction. But because less Tritium is produced through the reaction process than is needed to consume a given amount of Deuterium, some Tritium must be "harvested" and stored aboard ship (or in the power plant).
For the interested: The reaction of one Deuterium nucleus fusing with one Tritium nucleus produces around 17.6 million electron volts (`MeV) of released kinetic energy. Translated, tha's ''17.6 million volts'' of electricity from one nucleus fusing with one nucleus.
A most arrogant and mysterious race. Ironically, the Duranaki are also the rulers of the Empire. They are a subterranean people who live in dimly lit vast underground complexes or in orbiting stations in the blackness of space. While not opposed to going outside, bright sunlight is painful to the Duranaki and they will tend to avoid going out in it, or will wear heavily tinted visors to protect their eyes from the brightness.
A proud people, the Duranaki are convinced that they are a superior race to all others and that manual labor is beneath them. Thus, to avoid such labor they eons ago developed the habit of kidnapping youths of the other race indigenous to [[Durakaan]], the [[Myri]], and "conditioning" them for use as slaves. Myri so treated are then provided with such knowledge as they will need to perform their duties in service to their new Duranaki master. There is no chance of rebellion or uprising; such thoughts cannot exist in the conditioned [[Myri]] mind. They are completely happy doing what they do, and only being kept from their task causes them anxiety. The Duranaki so trust their [[Myri]] slaves (or, perhaps they trust their conditioning process) that most of the [[Thavan]], //and// the [[Legions|Imperial Legions]] are (or were, during the early days of the Empire, composed of [[Myri]]. These strong, hardy slaves make excellent domestic servants, laborers, bodyguards, and prostitutes (see below).
The exact nature of the conditioning process is a closely guarded secret, but it appears that the process will not work on a Duranaki or [[human|Human]]; only Myri minds seem to be susceptible. This could be either due to the fact that most of the research has been devoted to perfecting the [[Myri]] condition process (there is always a market for more domestic slaves among the Duranaki, and now many [[human|Human]] cultures), or it could be that the [[Myri]] mind is simply very susceptible to such conditioning. They are not, it must be admitted, overly bright, and are quite trusting. Too, it is known that the Duranaki have always been fascinated by the tall, fair [[Myri]] who share their planet with them, and gain some satisfaction from dominating them. They cut their slave's hair in Duranaki fashion (though leaving it the natural blond) and go so far as to dress them in white silk clothes to further accentuate the already blatant differences between the races. All [[Myri]] slaves also wear a golden collar of a very strong alloy, engraved with the name of his or her master.
One would immediately wonder why the [[Myri]] have never retaliated against this affront to their freedom. Apparently they hold these mysterious sub-surface dwellers in such awe and fear that they accept without question that one of their fellows has been "chosen" to serve the Duranaki. Of course, the loss of a family member is often traumatic, but the thought of retaliation does not occur to them, perhaps because, in some simple way, the [[Myri]] realize that they need the Duranaki as much as the Duranaki need them. Too, the Duranaki's affections for the [[Myri]] are betrayed by the custom of masking any [[Myri]] slave when that attends them while visiting the [[Myri]], which prevents him being recognized by a relative. Due to his conditioning, the slave would not recognize the relative should he see one, and the [[Myri]] as a whole do not take offense to those taken from them to serve the Duranaki.
!!Social Structure
The Duranaki are an //extremely// caste based culture. The caste one is born into is the cast one is most likely to die in because, according to Duranaki custom, that caste provides the most suitable opportunities for your //line//. Whether there is any truth in the "fact", it is true that few even consider opportunities outside their caste. For the Duranaki, at least, this accepted "fact" is accurate enough to have survived for over 10,000 (Standard) years!
What we think of as cities and towns are all arranged to account for the castes that make up the urban environment. Restaurants, theaters, public transportation, social services, are all segregated. Some establishments serve only a particular caste, others a range of castes, but //all// segregate either by exclusion (whom they serve) or separation. For a member of a lower caste to be seen socializing with someone of a higher caste would be seen as extremely presumptuous and rude. If the upper caste member engages the lower caste member s/he is treating them "as an equal" and so lowers his or herself to that lower caste member's level. A //very// distasteful social gaff!
Part of the explanation for the durability of something as rigid as the social caste system can be attributed to the deeply ingrained Duranaki trait of "sticking with what works." The old adage of "if it ain't broke don't fix it" seems to a part of the Duranaki race itself. Change occurs very slowly, one micro-step at at time. On the positive side, this coupled with their distaste for violence and mistreatment of others makes them quite suitable rulers of an interstellar empire. They're not likely to go rushing off on a political whimsy that jeopardizes the safety of the citizens of the Empire without having thoroughly thought out the repercussions. Nor are they likely to stand idly by while a subject planet is over run. On the other hand it also makes them very slow to react to the political tides of change. And some say this is why "the Empire is crumbling."
(Others completely disagree, and see the current uprisings at the edges of the Empire as simply a "phase" that will pass in a few cycles.¹)
In addition to the caste, the Duranaki also align themselves with their //Line//. An individuals line is his or her genealogical record and, along with one's caste, specifically places one in the society. Almost all specific positions within a caste are "placed" by "line" as certain genealogical lines of individuals are seen to be more suited to certain tasks than others, just as certain breeds of dogs are more suited one task than another. But because one has a line should //not// be taken to mean one has a family! Line alliances are often more political than even social. Forget about paternal love. The father never was interested in the child (as a parent, anyway). Any other interest will die with his amorous interests in the mother -- sooner rather than later, usually. The mother's responsibilities to the child (thankfully) end at puberty. Care is then passed to the massive social system where the child's education and career training begins. The only interest either parent will have in the child after those points will be political, social, or both -- and that after the child has reached adulthood.
Virtually all manual labor and "menial chores", including housekeeping, farming, cooking, etc., are performed by [[Myri]] slaves. In point of fact, if all the [[Myri]] suddenly disappeared or died, Duranaki society would collapse. The gentle [[Myri]] raise the young, cook the meals, clean the buildings, stock the shelves, sell the groceries, carry the groceries, and so on and so forth. According to Duranaki statistics, "it takes an average of 2.5 domestic [[Myri]] slaves to properly support a Duranaki." And that doesn't include those deployed in commercial or government service. Not surprisingly, it is rare to see even a plebeian Duranaki without at least one [[Myri]] slave in attendance. One human visitor to [[Durakaan]] quipped disgustedly, "I doubt [the Duranaki] even wipe their ass themselves!"
In some cases, at some caste levels, he's right!
!!!Interpersonal Structures
The Duranaki have no concept of "family" in the sense that [[humans|Human]] use the term. The closest thing to family that a Duranaki knows is the social creche. A network of friends and acquaintances formed from of one's work and social contacts (and therefore from within one's caste and maybe one's line) that serves a whole host of social services from co-parenting the young to helping out with the elderly. Cities and towns maintain vast social support service systems for the communities that cover everything from health care to elderly care to day care to a complete boarding school system that intakes every Duranaki child at the age of 12. And while these services are (more or less) segregated by caste, they //do// cover the entire net from top to bottom.
Taking care of those of lower social standing is an important responsibility of those with greater social standing from the ruling [[Line of Aureleous]] to the [[Myri]] slaves that clean the sewers. Mistreatment and/or cruelty is abhorrent to a Duranaki -- though some would say that what they lack in physical cruelty they more than make up for with psychological cruelty simply due to their snobbish, arrogant natures.
It stands to reason then, that the Duranaki also see the opposite sex as equals. This might have as much to do with the almost complete lack of physical difference between the sexes (size and physical strength) as it does their social/moral outlook. While they certainly make allowances for the obvious and necessary differences between the sexes (motherhood, etc.), the equality of the sexes holds true from the Imperial Throne, which has seen as many empresses as it has emperors, to the Senate, to the lowest Duranaki plebeian.
Being every bit as sensual, erotic, and hedonistic as they are arrogant and self-righteous, Duranaki pairings are usually as hot and steamy as they are limited in duration. The race seems as constitutionally incapable of maintaining a long term relationship as it does showing physical restraint -- another planetary trait they share with the [[Myri]]. So while a Duranaki will have sex almost as easily as s/he'll say hello, due to caste and line concerns, producing a child is an entirely different proposition.
Genealogists must be consulted, castes and lines compared, and so on and so forth to ensure the "right" child is produced by the pairing; and the parentage is tracked with meticulous accuracy, as that places the child accurately within its caste //and// it's line. [[Aldeborahnn]] can trace her lineage back some 8,000 Standard years, for instance. And that's not uncommon for a Duranaki, regardless of caste. The politics surrounding what will be -- or has been-- recorded in the genealogical record has started more than one war between rival lines and/or rival castes! Needless to say, there are very few "accidental" pregnancies -- though there are quite a few //claims// of accidental pregnancy. Amazingly, the number of such claims that would elevate the child's station vastly out number the claims that would equal or lower the child's station.
!Governance
Setting aside the [[Empire]] for a moment (to the average Duranaki it is an entity unto itself that touches their lives only in the largest structual sense) every Duranaki society is structured the same. The center of government is the Jarhaad Council, which is made up of seven members from seven lines of the local ruling caste. It is their job to keep the bureaucracy that maintains the infrastructure and the massive social services and education system running.
It is also their job to enforce the laws, and for that every Jarhaad Council has the [[Thavan]], the law enforcement half of the government, and its local judiciary.
Exactly how much access an individual has to its Jarhaad Council depends on one's Imperial status: Citizen, non-citizen, slave. Citizens, regardless of race or caste, have a right to access and to trial. Non-citizens have no right to Council access and their cases are handled internally by the [[Thavan]]. Infractions by slaves can be complex. But in general the slave's owner is responsible for the actions of his property. (For more information see [[Imperial Law]].)
!Dress and Appearance
Draw to mind an image of one of those impossibly slender "size 0" cat-walk models. Make her tall, about 6 feet. Give her milky white skin with long white, silver, or pale blond hair. Like the [[Myri]], she'll have no body hair. It seems to be a planetary trait. Her eyes will be quite large in proportion to her narrow face, and will be reddish-gold, blue, green or violet.
You now have an average Duranaki female. To envision the male: Flatten the chest, change the genitals and the hair style. Men prefer somewhat shorter hair than the females, but still no shorter than shoulder length. The height and body build are the same for both sexes.
The average Duranaki can be as short as 5'6" and as tall as 7'6"; as with all races, there are exceptions on both ends. Skin color ranges from actual white to the human "fair skinned" tones, and it often turns a sickly opaque that leaves the veins showing in the elderly. The average is a "milky" or "porcelain" color. In general, the higher the caste, the taller and paler the hair, skin and eyes; the lower the caste, the shorter and "darker" the hair, skin and eyes.
Duranaki dress and adorn themselves for looks, not for practical reasons (that's what slaves are for) or for modesty. In point of fact, their clothing and jewelry choices are usually quite garish, unseemly, and entirely //im//practical -- at least to human eyes.
They love to braid and bead their hair, and to die it strange colors. They love tattoos and piercings. And unlike humans, if they have body art, they'll display it, rather than covering it for reasons of modesty! They love to wear makeup and jewlery (both sexes), especially bright colors that set off their pale skin.
If you can throw out your ideas of body modesty and then start thinking as far to the edge of the punk map as you can go, you'll hit pretty close to what the Duranaki like in the ways of clothing, makeup, hair styles, tattoos, and jewelry.
!!Racial Mixing and Interbreeding
Without assistance, a Duranaki cannot impregnate or be impregnated by a non-Duranaki. This makes the presence of half-breed Duranaki's very rare indeed!
!~NonHuman Abilities
The //average// STR of a Duranaki is 0. These points of STR are applied to PRE and/or EGO. Normal Human Maximum for these two stats (PRE and EGO) does not apply and can go as high as 30.
!"Average" Duranaki Package
''==NONE==''
A pure blooded Duranaki would make an unsuitable PC for this campaign. By their very nature, they would attempt to "command" every other member of the group, and even go so far as to demand deferential treatment.
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1. A "cycle" usually refers to 365 Standard days on the [[Imperial Galactic Calendar|ImperialGalacticCalendar]]; one revolution around the sun, or a "year", as we would put it.
![[UWP|Universal World Profile]]: Earth 7208 ~C86766D-4 N Lo Po Mr A121 Im
It is would be more than fair to say that Earth almost didn't survive. You can blame that on politics, you can blame it on humanities choices, you can blame it on natural cosmic events. But whatever you blame it on, it's a fact that humanity almost ended without ever exploring space.
With riots on the rise, government toppling, and water and other natural resources increasingly scarce, came several technological advances, one right on the heels of the other. [[Deuterium-Tritium]] fusion reaction was "discovered" in the since that it was safely harnessed; at the same time [[warpline transit|Warpline Transit]] was also discovered, but relative velocities much greater than the speed of light was nearly impossible with the enormous power the of the [[duterim-tritium|Deuterium-Tritium]] fusion reactor; and the third major breakthrough was gravitics -- i.e. the study of gravity and the ability to create miniature gravity fields and wells.
Nearly twenty years earlier, matter energy transport had been demonstrated by the Russians, but it had taken all the power a major power station could produce to transport a can of been 200 miles. This was the fourth technology awaiting a major breakthrough in power generation technology.
In any event, suffice it to say the 22nd century proved to be one of as many giant leaps in technology as the 20th century had been. And the culmination served to free mankind from the planet just as it began a total collapse.
In 2148, after several unmanned warp ships had successfully surveyed the planet, the first manned mission to the planet [[Midgard|Midgard: Humanity's modern center of power]] launches. It would prove to be the beginnings of an exodus from Earth of all of civilized humanity, leaving only what one political scientist called "the barbarians" behind on the remains of a smoldering and wasted planet.
--------
[img[http://www.lostcoastgaming.com/files/images/Earth-AlphCen.png]]
That bright star in the very top left-hand corner of the picture is Rigel Kentaurus A (Alpha Centauri), location of [[Midgard|Midgard: Humanity's modern center of power]].
----------
Today, thanks primarily to the intervention of the [[Empire]], Earth is well on along on the road to recovery. Though very few colonists from either [[Midgard|Midgard: Humanity's modern center of power]] or [[New Home]] have returned to Earth, [[Legion|Imperial Legions]] garrisons stationed on the planet have put an end to the tribal violence that had over-run what was left of the habitable land. Terraforming operations were begun shortly thereafter and are doing well. So while Earth still has little to offer the [[Empire]] or man kind except ties to its history (and many believe this is precisely why the Emperor spent the money to save the planet), it is no longer in danger of becoming Mars twin.
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I've made a change to the max FTL speed for the game. This is something I've been wrestling with for months as I've worked on other things. The FTL speed I set in some of the earlier stories was entirely too slow to maintain game balance. After much hand wringing, I've settled on "warp 10" as the max FTL speed. That's 500 ly/ly, if you look in the rules book.
Mind, that's the ''max'', and only a handful of ships are currently capable of that kind of sustained velocity. Warp 6-8 is far more in the range of the norm for the average starship.
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Most of the playable races are now complete.
Look for some of the gear in the newly posted [[Seller's Regret]] story in the newly created the [[Gear]] tab. Since I know that many of you interested in the game don't have source books, I'm going to //try// to put a good cross section of the tech gear and weapons in this section.
I've added a [[Places]] tab up to there that will highlight some of the places mentioned elsewhere. It's by no means exhaustive, of course. So feel free to invent new places for your characters. I'm just trying to give enough ideas, and set enough of the stage so that the "play" will be interesting.
Anyway. Enjoy. Updates will be posted in the Aldeborahnn! forum. Your commentary is welcome there too.
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Though nobody seems to be able to verify it one way or the other, rumor has it that the Magellen and Eldyri have had an intersteller relationship for many ([[Standard]]) centuries.
The Eldyri can be a most unnerving race for unsuspecting humans. Even in the 24th Century, being seduced by a 9 year old is considered rather immoral by most human cultures. But if you were to stand a 30 year old Eldyri next to an 8 or 9 year old human, you quite literally wouldn't be able to tell the difference. For that matter, if you were to stand an 8 or nine year old //Eldyri// next to an 8 or 9 year old human you wouldn't be able to tell the difference.
Which has lead to to no end of problems between humans and Eldyri. (Meanwhile, the Eldyri and [[Duranaki]] have their //own// problems.) And things don't improve much if one digs deeper:
To the extremely driven and goal oriented human, the Eldyri, even the "grown up" ones, do indeed often seem child like. Motivated by (seemingly) nothing, unable to focus on a task for more than a moment, easily frustrated and prone to fits of temper when things don't go right, the Eldyri do indeed seem, to human eyes, like the children they look like.
But that's where the similarities end!
* What the Eldyri are lacking in physical stature they //more// than make up for in mental capabilities. (See below.)
* They had mastered interstellar space flight even before the [[Duranaki]] -- though not by much.
* The Eldyri are the //only// race to have successfully defeated the Empire in its attempt to take over their star system. And they did so handily!
* They are also the only race to have forced the [[Empire]] into signing a treaty for fair trade and commerce.
So for all their child like seeming qualities, the Eldyri are not to be trifled with. Something many of the wiser trade merchants of [[PAC]] have come to realize -- if only reluctantly.
''Non-human Abilities''
Due to their size and physical development (or lack thereof), the Eldyri are built on the "small child" model (see the "average" Eldyri package deal below).
That said, //all// Eldyri are highly telekinetic and resistant to mental attack. These psi abilities kick in sometime during puberty and are fully developed by the time the child reaches adult hood. (Which is why parents have no trouble with real 9 year old children who are physically as big as they are. The adult has TK, the 9 year old child doesn't.) The average Eldyri has a STR of 10 via the TK power with "Fine Manipulation" (+25 pts). All Eldyri also have other "psi" powers. In addition to a native Mental Defense, Telepathy and Mind Link are the two most common powers, and so are listed below in the "average" package deal.
All adult Eldyri also have a base of 1d6 Ego Attack, though in most its undeveloped and never used. (Limited Power -1: Instinctive response to life threatening situation (-2).) (+3 pts)
Some Eldyri have other mental powers as well. Sometimes they're developed to a greater or lessor degree; sometimes they surface in average ("incompetent normals") individuals and are only latent abilities.
''Inside the Eldyri''
Greed, lust, avarice, pride -- these are all qualities so far outside the Eldyri experience that they have only an intellectual experience of them. The Eldyri produce what they need or desire, and no more. Creativity and curiosity drove them to the stars, not conquest or more fuel for consumption. In fact, the Eldyri home planet of [[Yyvaan]] looks today much as it did twenty millennium ago. Long before star travel and grav vehicles. Creativity and curiosity created them; creativity and curiosity maintains them. When it no longer does, it is certain the Eldyri will abandon them as they have so many other endeavors.
''Government:'' Humans refer to the Eldyri system of government as 'tribal'. Probably mostly because they can't find any other appellation that fits. The Eldyri, however, see their system (they don't really call it a government) as `adequate'. It serves their rather minimal unified needs and that's all it really needs to do -- isn't it?
The Eldyri use their central government primarily to interface with other races. Their local governmental systems are little more than public works departments that make sure the planetary infrastructures are maintained in good order. But even these functions are small. The Eldyri don't use money internally, so if something needs doing, they go find someone who knows how to do it, and who wants to do it, and it gets done. Everything from repairing the town hall to building a star base is handled in this way. The Eldyri do things because they //want// to, not because they //have// to.
To an Eldyri, life is about play and enjoyment. "Work," as the other races define it, is disgusting and repulsive. One of many reasons the gentle Eldyri don't go out of their way to socialize with the other races, though there is certainly much [[trade]].
''Culture:'' For all of their advances, Eldyri culture still revolves around the clan. A foreigner visiting [[Yyvaan]] will immediately be struck by the lack of housing districts, apartment complexes, and in general "urban sprawl." This is because the basic unit of Eldyri society is not the family, but the clan. And a clan in modern Eldyrian society can comprise several thousand members, all of whom live in one large //aeryian//, or "clan house".
Some qualities that humans hold very dear such as personal privacy, modesty, secrecy, security, and so on are totally absent from the culture and mind set. Public toilets are -- well, //public//. The idea that this most natural of body functions is disgusting or dirty and therefore to be taken care of in private (for example) is seen as very strange and unnatural. In fact, until contact with other humanoid races, it hadn't even been imagined!
Likewise, locks and security systems are never used in places where foreigners are not allowed. Experience has taught the Eldyri to use them in space-ports and in other places where they allow foreigners and aliens. In fact, some researchers say the loss of innocence contact with hostile races such as, primarily the [[Medraas]] but also the [[Empire]], has done much to taint the Eldyri's "charming, child-like nature." Others say it was a good thing and about damned time they grew up a little.
''Appearance:'' Though the Eldyri look to humans like a race with a bad case of arrested development, they have a very refined sense of personal adornment. Clothing, jewelry, and makeup is worn either for practical reasons, for play, or for display, much as it is in human cultures. And in fact, their preferred styles of adornment are very similar to that of adult humans, with some obvious and some in-obvious exceptions based on the cultural differences outlined above.
''Racial mixing and interbreeding:'' The Eldyri are not racial purists by any stretch of the imagination. If it sounds like fun, they'll probably do it -- at least once, and that certainly includes sex. In fact, the Eldyri rather enjoy trying to seduce humans mostly because they find the reaction most humans have hystercially funny. That said, they are also very loyal to their clan and are unlikely to leave their clan without permission, or to produce a child with an alien without permission. Also, any child so produced would most likely be considered a member of the clan, and the clan elders know this. So "serious relationships" are entirely different matter than a simple "roll in the hay."
Pairings between the Eldyri and other humanoid races do not readily produce children and the Eldyri know it, which does little to encourage restraint on their part. The [[Duranaki]] cannot reproduce with an Eldyri even with help. The other humanoid races can with varying degrees of reproductive assistance.
{{indent{'''Average' Eldyri Package''
| !Cost | ! Characteristic/Power | !Val |
| -10 |STR | 0 |
| -6 |DEX | 8 |
| -10 |CON | 5 |
| -10 |BODY | 5 |
| 0 |INT | 10 |
| -4 |EGO | 8 |
| -5 |PRE | 5 |
| 0 |COM | 10 |
|>|>| ''Figured Characteristics'' |
| 1 |PD | 1 |
| 0 |ED | 1 |
| -8 |SPD | 1 |
| 0 |REC | 5 |
| 0 |END | 10 |
| 0 |STUN | 10 |
| ''-52'' |>| ''Total Characteristcs'' |
| 25 |>|TK +10 STR, Fine Manipulation (+10) |
| 15 |>|Telepathy 3d6 |
| 10 |>|Mind link, any one mind at a time (+5) |
| 3 |>|Ego Attack, 1d6, ED applies (-1), No Conscious Control¹ -- instinctive survival response (-2) |
| 16 |>|Mental Defense 16 pts |
| ''69'' |>| ''Total of Psi Powers'' |
|>|>| ''Disads'' |
| -15 |>|Age: Permanent Age 10- maximum |
| 2 |>| ''Package Total'' |
All mental abilities are open to Eldyri ~PCs.
1. This limitation can, and probably //should// be bought off for a PC Eldyri.
The latest Emperor from the long [[Line of Aureleous]], and great grandfather (as [[humans|Human]] count things) of the beautiful Princess [[Aldeborahnn]], Emperor Trægen is now in his fiftieth year of rule as Emperor of the sprawling galactic [[Empire]].
As has been hinted at elsewhere, while a whily politician, the Emperor Trægen has otherwise been a vast disappointment as a ruler. In fact, his ineptitude at managing the vast Imperial bureaucracy with its never ending internecine political gambits is seen as the major reason the [[Empire]] is now largely believed to be on the verge of collapse.
Pundits of all stripes are on record as believing that [[Aldeborahnn's|Aldeborahnn]] kidnapping can be blamed entirely on the Emperor's perceived weakness and the resulting weakness of the [[Empire]] as a whole.
The weakness of the [[Empire]] coupled with the Emperor's advancing age and rumored failing health have only redoubled political gamesmanship of all kinds. And s/he who holds [[Aldeborahnn]], the most likely candidate for the Imperial Throne, holds the keys to the kingdom.
By now it should be clear that the Duranaki are the ruling race of The Empire, and that the head of The Empire is the planet Durakaan which humans cataloged as BD-09¯431.
The Empire is the large cohesive, government in the interstellar community. As such, even though it does not rule universally, it exerts such weight that its influences are felt far beyond its borders. Imperial Law is the standard by which other legal systems are measured. The interstellar medium of exchange is the [[Imperial Currency]] (Ç). And of course, The Empire exerts enormous amounts of economic influence beyond its borders.
!The Imperial Government
!!The Central Government
The central government of The Empire is divided between the Emperor and the Imperial Senate. Both reside in the city of Vurkan, on Durakaan, also now more popularly known as The First City of The Empire. Seats in the Senate, of which there are presently thirty-seven, are hereditary and are historically filled by the great patricians to the Empire. By tradition, the original seven seats in the Senate are held by the elders of Great Patrician Castes of the [[Duranaki]] people. And those seven invariably hold the greatest positions of power within the Senate.
Seats in the Senate are added or subtracted either by vote of the Senate itself, or by Imperial Decree as the structure of the far flung Empire changes. Either way, one may veto the other, causing a political stalemate. Further, only the Senate itself may elect or impeach a member. Both actions are usually titanic occurrences of import equal to the impeachment of a U.S. President. They therefore make news well beyond the Empire's borders. What the Empire does affects even those who claim it doesn't!
Because of the nature of the relationship between the Emperor and the Senate, it is an understatement to say that the power politics between the two are complex. Senators are elected to their office because of their skill at playing the game of power politics. But the Emperor holds the keys to the entire Imperial bureaucracy and the military (theoretically) obeys his orders. Thus, the internecine wars for sufficient political capital to drive the Empire in one direction or the other are sometimes quite spectacular, if one likes political intrigue.
It has been proven that a powerful Emperor can make the Senate almost irrelevant. The present [[Emperor Trægen]], however, is proving that the Senate is not a reciprocal solution for a weak Emperor. Historians have pointed out that democracy is always a messy business. But the nature of the Empire is such that it has no patience for the messy business of an unrestrained democratic process. And without strong leadership from the Imperial Throne, unrestrained democratic wrangling is what the Empire gets.
!!The Regional Government
Beneath the central organs of the Imperial throne and Senate resides another layer of the Imperial Government. While there is often much talk about "the Empire" and the "Emperor" and so on, in reality they are but abstractions.
Subjects of the Empire feel the power of the Empire in their daily lives more through their Consul and Tribune and the Imperial administrative departments than it does the Emperor or Senate.
@@The Consuls:@@ Chief officers of state who suggest legislation, execute laws, administer justice, and command the Imperial Armed Forces. They also appoint their own Proconsuls who run the provincial governments on behalf of the Consul. At least every planetary capitial will have a Proconsul; and major centers will have a Proconsul's satellite office (kind of like your Senator's district office).
In theory, an appointment to Consul is made by the Emperor. In practice it's made by the Senator in whose area the Consul governs, and the appointment is then ratified by the entire Senate. The Emperor is then free to veto and replace the appointment if he so chooses. Of course, if he does, the Senate might return the favor by tossing out his appointment too.
@@The Tribunes:@@ Elected by the citizens through a rather complex process, they make up a people's legislative body and are authorized to act in the interests of the citizens by forbidding any action taken by another official. -- including vetoing legislation passed by the Central Government.
The Tribune Assembly (the Imperial assembly of all the Tribunes) is effectively the Empire's supreme court. It can veto legislation passed by the Emperor and Senate, and overrule the judgments of the Prætor. An individual Tribune is a lot like a state supreme court, and is able to over-rule cases tried by the Prætor in his region.
There are currently 300 Tribunes in The Empire. Each Tribune, in turn, is the head of a Tribunal Counsel made up of citizens selected or elected by local government (usually planets) by whatever means they prefer. The Counsel meets at the Tribune's bidding, usually on some set schedule unless there is an emergency session. The Tribune is then expected to take his or her Counsel's will forward to the Tribunal Assembly. A body of enormous power because it represents the will of the Citizens of the Empire.
The political gamesmanship between the Consuls and the Tribunal Assembly and the Central Government is at least as complex as that between the Emperor and the Senate.
!!Imperial Administrative Departments
@@The Censors:@@ The tax collectors of The Empire, Censors are also responsible for the census, estimating expenses, and social services.
@@The Prætors:@@ "Chief justices" of The Empire. They also command the Thavan. In practice each prætor is in charge of a rather large office that might be looked at as a cross between the local district attorney's office and a regional state and federal court. Thus, to say one is being tried by the prætor is (quite common but) usually somewhat incorrect. The justice behind the bench making the ruling or running the trial will be a judge working in the prætor's office. The Prætor his or herself only handles cases on appeal in an attempt to get them resolved before they are forwarded to Tribunal Assembly.
Exactly how cases are handled depends entirely on the caste of the individual charged. Citizens have a great many rights and their cases must therefore be managed carefully. Proletarian cases are far less complex and usually only require an administrative hearing to review the sentence levied by the [[Thavan]].
@@The Quaestors:@@ Treasury officers who manage the funds of The Empire.
@@The Aediles:@@ The Public works department. It usually doesn't rate much more than honorable mention, yet given its huge mission it's the second largest branch of Imperial Government. (Second only to the Imperial Legions.)
!Citizen Casts
Every person under Imperial Rule has a caste. That caste determines how s/he must interface with the Imperial bureaucracy, what rights s/he has under Imperial Law, and therefore what rights and obligations the Empire has in return. It must be emphasized that one's //legal caste// has little and maybe nothing to do with one's status in one's own society. The President of a Planet might be of a lessor legal caste than his own chief of staff. It's crazy, but in the Imperial world it happens.
The Empire recognizes three legal castes. These castes have been emulated by other cultures who hold The Empire in high esteem.
@@CITIZEN@@ A citizen of The Empire is entitled to full protection under the law. If accused of a crime, a citizen is considered guilty until proven innocent, but does have the right to a trial by a jury of their peers. An accused citizen may also request a formal hearing in which he may request release on bail. And should a [[Thavan]] kill a citizen in the line of duty an investigation must be launched and formal hearing held to ensure the Thav's actions were justified. It is a felony to abduct a citizen of The Empire and hold them against their will. Finally, citizens have the right to vote in local and Tribunal elections, and may appeal to their tribune if they feel they have been wronged in some way by the government. Local government officials do not much care to be contacted by their Tribune's office for questioning. They like it even less when the Tribune calls for a formal district tribunal! Note that vote of the Tribunal Assembly can over-turn even a ruling by the Prætor!
@@PROLETARIAT@@ Like a citizen, a proletariat is a free individual in The Empire. The peoples of Earth and most other planets fall under this cast. Little is normally done to attempt to change a conquered race's customs or traditions. All that is normally asked is that they abide by Imperial Law. For that compliance they are then also protected by that same law. Unlike a citizen, a proletariat is not entitled to a trial by jury. Rather, they must appeal to the local prætoriat for a hearing of their case. If a [[Thavan]] kills a proletariat in the line of duty, the family of the slain individual can request a hearing, but one is not mandated by law and is only likely to be granted if there were irregularities in the case. Proletarians are also subject to permanent seizure by licensed bondsmen. The practice is common among the Duranaki, who get licenses to sell Myri slaves, and on some other worlds, but is a rarity on others (Earth being one). Interestingly enough, proletarians //can// obtain a bondsmen license, and also can have slaves of their own. (Note: licenses are issued by Censor through their local offices.)
@@SLAVE@@ Slaves have virtually no rights under Imperial Law. They are property and may be used, abused, bought, sold, or whatever, at the whim of their owner -- or so says the law. Among the Duranaki, who may be proud but are not cruel, this simplistic approach works well. The Duranaki may demand service of their Myri slaves, but they have never been known to abuse them, or to allow them to be abused. Unfortunately, other races are not so kindly disposed. The Imperial Tort system changes at about the same speed the stars move across the heavens; and by some citizens' opinion, has not kept up with Imperial obligations to those who are considered to be the responsibility of The Empire and therefore subject to at least minimal protection. (It is a rather ludicrous irony that there are laws on the books that give the local equivalent of the family dog more protection from abuse than the family slave.)
!!Just a touch of history
The history of The Empire is somewhat checkered. It's beginnings go back as far as its contact with other races in space, and that itself says quite a bit. Just as humans did -- only centuries earlier, the [[Duranaki]] outgrew their planet and began settling other planets around [[Durakaan]]. It didn't take long before they had run into other races and convinced of their superiority, bring them under what was then mostly still mostly a planetary based Imperial rule.
The meeting of humans and [[Duranaki]] (and hence the Empire) came much later. Humans were still trying to settle the planets near to Earth, and to work out the basics of consistent and reliable space travel when the first Imperial Cruiser appeared in orbit around [[Midgard]] and then, not much later, around [[New Home]].
At first the [[Duranaki]] officers were quite friendly and offered to help the humans master the basics of everyday life as an interstellar race. But it didn't take long, less than five years, before the [[Duranaki]] were expressing their disapproval at nearly everything the humans did. Not just projects, mind you -- everything. The food was lousy, the lights too bright (probably true, considering the [[Duranaki]]'s sensitivity to light), the furniture uncomfortable, everything came open for criticism. But criticism without suggestion is futile. And the Duranaki, being the consummate diplomats, alwa