Hard Times in Reaver’s Deep

Eldrytch Suns – Part 1

Zazaraah began as a Reaver Kingdom in Reaver’s Deep. Founded almost 1500 years ago by Admiral Katarina Tang as the “Grand Duchy of Marlheim” _{(see The Deep and The Dark pg38)}. In the early 800s (Imperial) the government was overthrown in a coup by a new despot, a Noble named Zazaar.

Zazaar subdued any rivals to his power quickly, and within 12 years of his coup, the Grand Duchy of Marlheim had been re-founded as a new Empire, named Zazaraah. Emperor Zazaar held on to power by dividing his subjects along species and cultural lines and playing them off one another. He appointed “Princes” over each of these factions to govern them in his name.

Subjects of Zazaraah

The Trauhiyha and the Asitreikhiyl are Aslan clans and rivals. Both clans claim the mainworld in the Hriakh (Ea 1127) system. The Princes, Khah Trauhiyha and Lalasa Asitreikhiyl fight regularly to win the favor of Zazaar and his permission to conquer the neighboring Htalrea (Ea 1226) system.

The Vell-Karath are a minor human species. In their distant pre-history, they were genetically engineered with a lighter frame and feathered wings. They were settled on the mainworld of the Skara-Vell (Ea 1129). Skara-Vell is a small world with a thin atmophere (C455869-A) The Vell Karath build floating cities in the skies over the surface-bound subjects. Their Prince is a warlord named, Kyrii, a muscle-bound, boastful man that Zazaar .

The Vell-Karath as Travellers apply a the following modifiers to their characteristics; STR -1, DEX +2, END -2. They have the following Traits:
Heightened Senses, Sight. Vell-Karath have a Boon to checks that rely on vision and they have a further +2 bonus to offset penalties based on distance.
Wings. Vell-Karath have large, brilliantly feathered wings that grow from their shoulder-blades which allow them to fly. On worlds with a SIZ of 5 or less and an ATM between 4 and 7 (Thin to Standard), a Vell-Karath can fly unaided. A STR characteristic of 4+ is required to fly. If STR falls to 3 or lower, the Vell-Karath will be unable to continue flying, but may attempt an Emergency Landing. Vell-Karath can fly quickly and engage in combat maneuvers for a number of combat rounds equal to their END characteristic, after which they become fatigued. Distance-covering flight can be maintained for 5 minutes per point of their END characteristic before becoming fatigued.

The Zarahi are the same species as Emperor Zazaar, and as such enjoy the highest tiers of privilege in the Empire. The Zarahi were a lost Darrian colony that had settled in Reaver’s Deep during the Long Night. In Zazaraah, the Zidunuus (Ea 0926)system has the largest Zarahi population (though Zazaar is not himself from Zidunuus). Of course, the Zarahi do not have a Zazarine Prince like the other cultures in the empire. Or, perhaps more accurately, Emperor Zazaar himself is the Zarahi Prince.

There is a Vargr culture. Like all Vargr cultures in Charted space, it’s chaotic, and disconnected. The Vargr refer to their faction as “Raekhae”. They don’t have a central system in Zazaraah that is “home” but are spread more-or-less evenly throughout all the Zazaraah systems. While there is a Rhaekhae “Prince” that answers to Zazaar, that position experiences high turnover, either from other charismatic Vargr looking to take the position, or through Zazaar’s displeasure executing the Prince, or even the Prince getting themselves killed in attempts to further their own legend. The current Prince of the Rhaekhae is Kueghfu Khokre, an extravagant, flamboyant corsair queen. She became Prince after spacing her predecessor because Zazaar hinted to her that he wished it.

There are several human cultures in Zazarah, the Amgimemaa, the Oridgin, Thyqytt, and Von Steyer are the strongest, and they represent entire factions in the Imperial Court.

The Amgimemaa heritage is primarily Vilani. They have developed a religion around worship of Zazaar as Emperor. The Church of Emperor Divine isn’t simply based on sycophantic devotion to an absolute ruler. Zazaar has been Emperor of Zazaraah for over 3 centuries, he has endured both age and misfortune. He has returned from repeated, documented occasions of his death. He has demonstrated repeated supernatural, even miraculous abilities all of which are obsessively recorded into Scripture. The Prince of the Amgimemaa, Saint Celeste is the head of the church.

The Oridgin are nomadic, spacefaring caravan-dwellers. They regularly travel outside of the claimed territory of Zazaraah. In addition to their lifestyle of trading and throughout the surrounding subsectors the Oridgin act as spies and scouts for Zazaraah. Furthermore, when the opportunity presents itself, the caravans are not above resorting to piracy, searching for and bringing treasure back to Emperor Zazaar. The Prince of he Oridgin is Kassall, the oldest serving Prince in Zazaar’s court. She is blind, mostly deaf, and is attended to constantly by her grandson, Zindelo. Kassall maintains her position through her expertise as a diviner. She uses several traditional methods of divination and a little help from her Psionic talent with Clairvoiyance to predict the intentions of her rival Princes. Zazaar often uses Prince Kassall’s reputation and influence to seed “divinations” of his own into the Imperial Court.

The Thyqytt consider the vast forests of Theodora (Ea 1030) to be their domain. They have extended that claim to any large forested region on other worlds within Zazaraah. The Thyqytt build their cities high in the old-growth trees of their forests, and because of this, they often compete with the Vell-Karath over the heights. Both factions have colonized the worlds of their rivals. The Prince of Thyqytt is Rhoban, a masterful swordsman and duellist. Probably the best in Zazaraah, though Rhoban would deny that, deferring to Zazaar himself.

Von Steyer is an old Solomani Clan. They claim to trace their lineage back past the Long Night to the Rule of Man. They are the masters of the mainworld of the Pendang (Eakoi 1231), Pendang is the Industrial Heart of Zazaraah and the Von Steyer faction are among the most wealthy non-Zarahi in Zazarah. The Thyqytt and Vell-Karath factions bear particular animosity to the Von Steyers because Pendang, and the other Industrial Centers throughout Zazaraah area blight on nature. Their Prince is Guztoff, an extravagantly wealthy member of court, although Guztoff is careful not to outshine Emperor Zazaar.

The Azoren rule the deep of the seas across Zazaraah. They are a human minor aquamorph species _{(see the Solomani Rim supplement for their write-up)} who claim the water-rich, Agricultural mainworld of Lestrow as their home. They are amphibious, able to breathe in both oxygen rich air and water, but they prefer a water environment. They maintain cities on the sea floor when they are able, their technology (supplemented by Zazaraah) allowing them to construct permanent strctures that can survive the incredible pressures of the world-ocean of Lestrow. Lestrow is the largest of the Agricultural worlds that support Zazaraah, unsurprisingly specializing in “the bounty of the Sea”. Their Prince, Izhiroh looks down on most “air-breathers” as weaklings, often bragging that life at the bottom of the sea, facilitates physical exceptionalism, which he is eager to test on anyone who is either too proud of their physique or larger than him. Except, of course Emperor Zazaar. Izhiroh my be brash, but he is not foolish.

Technology

The average subject of Zazaraah, the “Zaari” enjoys a Tech Level of 7. It’s not much different than the technology of Earth at the end of the 20th century. There’s broadcasting, the beginnings of global network communications, spaceplanes and early orbital stations, solar-power and fission nuclear power, manufactured goods, so-on and so-forth. It is a comfortable, contenting existence for what are, for all intents and purposes, a peasant class in the empire.

The regimes of each Prince operate at Tech Level 11 (B). This is consistent with what would be considered “Average Interstellar” in Charted Space. Jump Drives can support Jump-2, basic fusion power, grav technology and in general advanced “science fiction” services and goods. This is the tech that drives the armies and navies of the different Princes, and their civic services, public transportation, state-run media, security, and similar goods or services. The privileged class that serve each Prince enjoy the fruits of technology at this level.

The highest technology level, Tech Level 16 (G)is reserved for Emperor Zazaar’s personal use, the use of the Zarahi, and of course Zazaar’s elite military and secret police. TL 16 is a similar technological zenith to what the Darrian Confederation has reached. Zazaar’s elite nobility enjoy technological wonders that are beyond even the peak of the major empires outside of Reaver’s Deep. The Hierate, the Third Imperium an the Confederation.

But, Zazaraah is not a technological superpower in the sector. Zazaar keeps a tight control of the highest technology for his own purposes. Zazaar uses the technological mastery of his culture to secure the Zarahi’s position at the peak of Zazaraah’s class structure. The vehicles, starships, and devices are used to suppress any subversion within the Empire, and to express the excessive wealth and resources available only to the most powerful and favored subjects. Zazaar’s science ministry also continuously pursues “wonder weapons” for use against the Emperor’s enemies, not the least of which is the “Star Trigger” of Darrian fame.

Rocket Jockeys

Something specific to this campaign, which is different from the other Hard Times (or OTU campaigns) is in service to supporting the Planetary Romance genre of this setting, is the replacement of Maneuver Drives with Reaction Drives. There is no in-setting reason for this, the Reaction Drive just fits the genre better. Rocketships burning fuel to acellerate along vectors. This change has a bunch of follow-up effects that as of yet I can’t predict as a Game Master. But I’m looking forward to finding out.

There is gravitic technology in Reaver’s Deep. The Vell-Karath are the leading engineering faction that has been developing it. Using grav technology to maintain their Sky Cities, Flight Harnesses, and a variety of flying vehicles. Though, Vell-Karath gravitics doesn’t primarily apply thrust. Instead, the grav effects is desgned to counter the force of natural gravity. It’s designed to allow things to float, and a secondary motive engine is used to move the vehicles around.

Blades and Laser Guns

Reaver’s Deep has an adventuring culture that promotes proficiency with close-quarters-weaponry and energy weapons. From the high-level view, this is in service to the Planetary Romance themes, which promote swashbuckling action over military tactics. From the perspective of being in the setting, there are a couple of factors involved. First, melee combat reduces the risk of catastrophic collateral damage in space.

A missed shot with a projectile weapon can damage critical equipment that helps keep the environment livable on a starship, or a space station, or an outpost in a hostile environment. Everything from punching through atmospheric containment to damaging power systems or destroying computers. Automatic projectile weaponry compounds that issue. Energy weapons mitigate the danger (doesn’t eliminate it, a blast from a Plasma Gun will burn through a LOT of delicate parts before it stops).

There are also several systems with Law Levels that prohibit the possession of firearms, which encourages being armed and trained with knives, blades, or dueling swords. Especially among the aristocratic classes who consider sword-dueling the height of athletic competition (having access to advanced medical care, even a sword wound through the heart can be healed so long as the medical support is immediately available). Outside of the cities or arcologies, many of these aristocrats will either carry lasers on their person, or have their bodyguard and entourage so armed.

Energy weapons also add a factor of efficiency to logistics. In an empire spread over the length of the subsector, transporting ammunition can become a vulnerability. Projectile ammunition to supply an army can be more costly to transport than the army itself, and an interruption in that supply can cripple that army. Energy weapons can deliver more volume of fire for the same mass of power packs, and recharging can supply an effectively limitless amount of ammunition. Cartridge power supplies can become a compromise solution, retaining the form factor of a magazine without burdening the soldier with the need to fill those magazines with expendable ammunition.

The Hard Times in Reaver’s Deep

The Rebellion has pulled the Imperium apart, the Confederation has been forced back to it’s pre-invasion borders in Reaver’s Deep and Daibi Sectors. The Hierate remains a loose alliance of clans that never did provide stability to the buffer region. Thus, for the first time in centuries, the systems in Reaver’s Deep do not find themselves in the shadow of Empires that span multiple sectors.

The scale of politics has shrunk to clusters of individual systems which, in some areas, have formed pocket empires that are nothing more than extensive local trading mains and promises of mutual protection. Zazaraah, however is different.

Zazaraah has designs on expanding it’s control to all systems in the Sector. They have built up their navies and armies with “tribute legions” raised by the Princes of Zazaraah and given to the Emperor. There are several nearby systems that Zazaar has his eye on, but his first strategic objective is to conquer the worlds of the Confederation of Duncinae.

The Confederation of Duncinae is the Agricultural breadbasket of the sector. Six of the seven systems are Agricultural, Rich, or Garden systems. They export food to nearly every corner of the sector (and deep into the neighboring sectors). They are not a political “state” like Zazarah, or the Principality of Caledon but are more like an interstellar “Guild”, setting prices and supplying the ravenous demand of the sector. The Confederation of Duncinae relies on that importance as a breadbasket to ensure its security and independence. The neighboring systems and the larger alliances like the Principality of Caledon and the Carrellian Assembly have keen interest in keeping Duncinae from becoming absorbed by their rivals.

Now that Zazaar has secured his position as Emperor, that security which the Confederation of Duncinae relies on is seen as being inadequate for its defense. Zazaar calculates that the strong systems which would come to Duncinae’s aid have been forced to look towards the chaos of the Rebellion War and the collapse of the Third Imperium. An invasion by Zazaraah could seize most of the Confederation before any other state could mobilize.

Once Zazaraah conquers Duncinae, they would in effect, control the heart of the sector. They would also control the majority of Agricultural worlds in Ea Subsector. The resulting expanded Empire would be in position to dictate terms to most of the Sector.

Zazaar is eager to begin his War.