Lore and Legends of the Dezzyverse

Author: Dezzy Parrish

  • The Antares War of 3152

    The Antares War of 3152

    The Hinterlands: Part 1

    Following the decimation of Clan Jade Falcon on Terra in 3151, what remained of the clan, dezgra, solahma, freebirths and provisional garrison forces, were left leaderless while the survivors of Khan Malvina Hazen’s War to conquer Terra remained stranded until the IlClan permits them to leave.

    The vulnerability of the Falcons left behind was much worse than the similar circumstances a century prior in 3051. During the War for Terra, Khan Hazen stripped the Jade Falcon Occupation Zone of every Bloodnamed, Trueborn Warrior and every frontline battlemech, warship and aerospace fighter that she could pull in to her attack force. But, the other clans (except Clan Wolf) retained their full touman in place, the Inner Sphere empires were also fully adjusted to their Clan neighbors.

    Following the ascension of the IlClan, the loser of the trial fell into ruin. Unlike the Wolf Empire, the Jade Falcon Occupation Zone, without leadership fragments and falls into becoming the Hinterlands.

    What Remains

    Two Jade Falcon states (almost three) organized in the wake of the battle for Terra in the former Jade Falcon Occupation Zone.

    The first is the small Jade Falcon Cluster, under the leadership of Khan Jiyi Chistu. Khan Chistu is doing everything possible to buy time (sometimes at the cost of Jade Falcon Battlemechs) to rebuild his clan. He has been forced to forge a Touman from past-their-prime solahma, freshly graduated and green sibkos, a class of sibkos drafted from Clan Ghost Bear and various bondsmen.

    The next is the Alynic Mercantile League. Far more stable than the nearby cluster led by Khan Chistu. The AML is a merchant caste led society of Jade Falcons. Their leader, Syndic Marena is taking the AML in an independent direction from the Jade Falcon Khan. Marena has developed an active partnership with the Merchant-led Clan Sea Fox.

    The Horse Khans Cometh

    Clan Hell’s Horses has been seizing systems in the coreward sectors of the Hinterlands since word reached Khan Amirault that the Falcons had failed their bid to become the IlClan. Sweeping Antispinward towards the Vesper Marches and Rimward towards the Tamar Pact, the Clan has grown to become the largest power in the Hinterlands.

    The Turkina Ascendancy, a growing, recovering state under the elder solahma warrior Star Colonel M’oko had refused Khan Chistu’s call to consolidate at Sudaten, fell to the Horses on Barcelona during Operation Stampede. The Jade Falcon Cluster and the Alynic Mercantile League both proved much more resilient, resisting direct invasion.

    The Horse Khans’ honor demanded those worlds. Once the “holdouts” were crushed, Clan Jade Falcon would truly be dead and it would be Clan Hell’s Horses that would be written into The Remembrance as the clan who slew them.

    Operation: Flying Wedge

    Galaxy Commander Silas Grimheald of Zeta Galaxy earned the honor of leading the Operation. Flying Wedge was conceived as a component to isolate and divide the Jade Falcon Cluster from the Alynic Mercantile League, focusing on the strategic objective of conquering the Antares system.

    • The operation was designed to progress in three waves;
    • Wave 1
      • Evciler System – I and II Cluster
        • Denizli
        • Apolakkia
        • Devin
        • Leskovik
      • Zoetermeer System – III Cluster
        • Leskovik
        • Baker 3
      • Vulcan System – IV Cluster
        • Leskovik.

    The Wave 1 Primary objective is the conquest of the Leskovik system. Leskovik needs to fall since it can reinforce all of the Wave 1 objectives, and is a critical jumping off location for the invasion of Almotacen.

    Almotacen: is the focus of Wave 2. Almotacen must fall before the invasion of Antares can even start. The bulk of the Wave 2 offensive will launch from Leskovik, using the Clusters, Trinaries and Binaries that best endured the Wave 1 invasions. The other forces will be in recovery and repair as garrisons at the Denizli, Apolakkia and Devin systems, holding the flank against counterattack from the AML.

    Wave 3 realizes the goal of conquering Antares. The invasion of the system will launch from Almotacen. As an autonomous world and the site of a centuries-old SLDF facility that has been fought over and coveted for the past 100+ year since it was “re-discovered” by Clan Jade Falcon in 3050. Since finding itself suddenly independent of the Jade Falcons when Khan Hazen took her touman to Terra in 3151, Antares is poised to become a multi-system power in it’s own right.

    Sadly, Hell’s Horses struck first.

    Whether or not Antares survives, or becomes another system in the growing Hell’s Horses Empire remains to be seen.

    The Defenders

    The systems of Denizli, Apolakkia, Devin, and Baker 3 have at best planetary militias and hired mercenaries, hardly more than a speed bump for a Clan Invasion of the region. Leskovik is not a stranger to invasion from Clan Hell’s Horses. They have a long history of defending their world, even after a century of occupation by the Jade Falcons, Leskovik’s planetary militia has become very robust, so much so that when the 18th Falcon Regulars left for Terra, the Leskovik Defense Force “requisitioned” the second and third line ‘mechs, aerospace fighters, and armor to bolster it’s capacity.

    Almotacen, formerly Stonarboi, has been a den of iniquity and vice. After the Jade Falcons left, the virtually undefended and ignored system was colonized by a Dark Caste band of former Jade Falcon, Steel Viper and Hell’s Horses dezgra. However, now they find themselves neighbors to the new Jade Falcon Khan and the target of an Invasion from Hell’s Horses. Normally, this would spell doom for any Dark Caste system caught in the middle of a Clan Occupation Zone. But history and War make for strange bedfellows and Khan Jiyi Chistu is desperate enough to give even exiles from the Bandit Caste a second chance as he rebuilds the Jade Falcons.

    Khan Chistu’s sees very clearly what this threat means for his Jade Falcon Cluster. He has his very deep disagreements with Syndic Marena of the AML. But, that being said, they are both of the Jade Falcon and if they fall, it will mean the death of their history stretching back centuries. So, Khan Chistu needs Antares to hold. And if he can do that by giving the Dark Caste of Almotacen part of his supply of Battlemechs, he calls that an investment in defense.

    Syndic Marena and her Alynic Mercantile League has done what the merchant caste has always done when their warriors have fallen short, she made trade agreements, forged alliances, and since she’s deep in the Inner Sphere, contracted with mercenaries. Marena believes she doesn’t need Khan Chistu, or the Jade Falcon Cluster for the AML to survive, or thrive even.

    As Merchant Caste, Marena doesn’t believe in a zero-sum environment. For the AML to thrive, it does not need to destroy the Khan, or the Jade Falcon Cluster (like the Warrior Caste presumes). Marena can work with anyone, including Khan Jiyi Chistu, she just draws the line at being subordinate to a weaker rival, which is core to Clan Culture. The threat that the Hell’s Horses represent is one of subordination and assimilation.

    The Denizli, Apolakkia, and Devin systems are within one jump of Twycross or Alyana. This is alarming for the AML and when the invasion begins, they will send several Mercenary companies (well paid Mercenary companies) to each system to bolster defense. However, the AML High Command in Alyana harbors no illusions as to any successful defense of any of these systems. They’re only slowing the Horse Khans down and forcing them to spend resources to secure the systems. Like the Jade Falcon Cluster, the AML recognizes the importance of Antares and will offer support to the Antares planetary government early.

    The Wild Card

    Clan Sea Fox commands the largest trade network operating in the Inner Sphere. With few exceptions, the Clan’s CargoShips travel freely along the jump routes of the Inner Sphere, crossing borders with little inconvenience. The Sea Fox also owns the HPG installations in the Free Worlds League and Wolf Empire, in addition, they also control several installations elsewhere (like the still functional HPG installation at Twycross. Finally, Sea Fox is also the governing body of the Mercenary Bonding Authority, a new organization directly competing with the centuries-old Mercenary Review and Bonding Commission.

    While Clan Sea Fox remains carefully neutral in the political tensions in the Hinterlands, privately they have an interest in the survival of the Alyana Mercantile League. Sea Fox has the superior political and financial position over the Jade Falcon Merchant Caste in the AML, and can extract concessions to protect their assets. Thus, Sea Fox will provide material support to the AML, and Antares to resist the Horse Khans. This takes the form of directing the contracts of Mercenary companies into Antares and into the battle theater. Subsidizing both Antares and the AML to offer high compensation for mercenary services.

    The largest secret kept is the HPG-B Class Generator. Antares Station is functional, and is in contact with the HPG Generator on Twycross. Use of this secret communication is tightly controlled until Sea Fox and Antares can reach an agreement about how the facility is to be used, but during the War it provides an communications lifeline directly between Antares and the AML.

  • Aslan Hoaawli in the Buffer

    Aslan Hoaawli in the Buffer

    Eldrytch Suns – Part 6

    The Hoaawli are warrior societies/ monasteries in Aslan society that teach meditation, martial arts, and spiritual enlightenment. They are rare, and scattered throughout the Hierate and in general, settled Aslan space outside the Hierate. In the Supplement Clans of the Aslan, on page 38 three of the larger Hoaawli are mentioned. But these three are, of course, not the only such institutions. Unlike the Psionics Institutes of the Imperial underground, the Hoaawli do not share a common cause, not even the promotion of Aslan psionics.

    Not every Hoaawli deliberately promotes the development of Psionic Abilities. Indeed, not every Hoaawli are exclusively Aslan, some allow culturally Aslan Humans among their members. Still, the disciplines taught by these institutions, focusing on mental discipline, meditation and martial arts are the same techniques that can unlock latent psionic abilities in those with potential.

    Eaes Elaokhvikhe

    One such Hoaawli is in Reaver’s Deep Sector on the world of Htalrea. (Parsec 1226, Ea Subsector) The Eaes Elaokhvikhe (eh-AH-ays el-ah-ok-VEE-khe) is a monastic community that promotes a contemplative spirituality, that rejects material possessions and technology beyond simple tools (Tech Level 1). While the Yehosa clan of the Roaa system claims and protects the system, they do not interfere with the Eaes Elaokhvikhe and preserves the rainforests to maintain the native flora and fauna, especially the Risth population, which is the resource the Yehosa cultivate for export (among other rare and exotic materials that thrive in the jungle.

    The Eaes Elaokhvikhe are a relatively small population (7 million worldwide) and are concentrated among the rainforest jungles of the world’s largest river basin, an area roughly the size of the Amazon on earth, roughly 5.5 million square kilometers. The civilization are concentrated around several ancient temple cities built by the earliest Aslan that settled Htalrea thousands of years ago. All of these city-states honor agreements with the Yehosa clan that strictly defines and protects the cultural integrity of the Eaes Elaokhvike and restricts the population that are allowed to reside in the Starport. Since the Eaes Elaokhvikhe have lived in ecological balance with the world, the Yehosa are content to permit the monks to continue cultivating the rainforest they live within.

    Like most Aslan cultural societies the roles of the members in the Eaes Elaokhvike are gendered. Female roles, maintain and administer the monasteries, known as “htestao” they teach the techniques of meditation and keep the recorded wisdom of the ancient masters. Male roles hunt and husband the fauna of the rainforests (though they do not domesticate the wild creatures of Htalrea), known as “ktestao” they engage with outsiders and practice the martial art disciplines that the Eaes Elaokhvike have developed over the centuries.

    It is the combination of meditative and martial discipline that lead the monks of the Eaes Elaokhvike towards spiritual enlightenment. The simple lives that they lead among the temple cities of Htalrea remove distractions from their pursuit of enlightenment. Hunting and stalking with dewclaw, fierah, kuiheah, and yurletya.

    Psychic Abilities and Psionic Training

    One of the Eaes Elaokhvike’s most closely held secrets Psionic. It did not take long for the Eaes Elaokhvike to discover how meditation and martial practice can awaken psionic abilities in the sensitive among them. For centuries, there has been a psionic school within the htestao of the Eaes Elaokhvike.

    The Uil Ea (WEEL eh-AH) is considered a female role among the Eaes Elaokhvike, which is why it is found among the htestao. Unlike the various human traditions of Psionic Training among the Zhodani, and within the Psionic Institutes, the Uil Ea develops psionic discipline differently (likely due to differences in Aslan psychology)

    As mentioned in Clans of the Aslan, Aslan as a species are not as psionically potent as humans. Even the masters of the Uil Ea are weak when compared to other peoples.

    When trained in the Uil Ea the psionic student rolls an Average (8+) PSI check to develop the different disciplines.

    • Awareness: +4 Learning DM (automatic if selected as the first discipline)
    • Clairvoyance: +3 Learning DM
    • Telekinesis: +2 Learning DM
    • Telepathy: +1 Learning DM
    • Teleportation: +0 Learning DM
    • -1 Learning DM per previous talent attempt
    • +1 Learning DM for each level of the Meditation skill

    Wearisth Incense

    The scent glands of the Risth can be used to make an incense “Wearisth” (weh-AH-reesth). When prepared in the Eaes Elaokhvike tradition, it is a calming medication for Aslan when burned and is used in meditation. To humans, Wearisth is an exquisite scent resembling lavendar and chamomile. This incense is the resource that the Yehosa clan exports. While the production of Wearisth through commercial fabrication remains a premium and luxury product, the incense made by the Eaes Elaokhive is of yet higher quality and exclusive, commanding a monumentally high price.

    Wearisth, when prepared with other ingredients native to the Htalrean rainforests, makes a potent Psionic drug, either inhaled through smoke or fermented and brewed into a drink. This drug, Uil Wearisth, can be created with the effects of Standard, or Double Psi Drug (depending on the recipe used). Uil Wearisth is unknown beyond Htalrea, and is only effective upon Psionically trained Aslan. Uil Wearisth is also undetectable by normal Imperial tests, only returning results similar to the non-Psionic incense.

    Htarlea

    The Htalrea system, being a territory of the Yehosa clan gives it a measure of security in a starfaring environment like Reaver’s Deep. Even in it’s early years, the Yehosa jealously guarded Htalrea, protecting the Eaes Elaokhive from the reavers and rival clans. Over decades, the Yehosa have developed a partnership with the Eaes Elaokhive. Helping the monasteries to preserve the world’s ecology and the Eaes Elaokhive helping the Yehosa produce their lucrative export.

    The Yehosa has run several experiments hoping to find other worlds where the Htalrea biome could flourish, but without success over the centuries. There is something unique about Htalrea’s environment that is critical to the biology, especially for the Risth. Thus, the Yhosa clan heavily restricts travel into the system. In eras where the TAS is active and can issue sector wide restrictions, Htalrea is Red Zoned. Even then, the Yehosa maintains a 1000 dt Aositaoh cruiser in system to deter pirates, or adventurers. planetside, the Yehosa keeps a company of ground troops at the Htalrea starport as a garrison.

  • The Duncinae Cartel

    The Duncinae Cartel

    Eldrytch Suns Part 5

    The Duncinae Cartel is a polity trailing of Zazarah in the Ea Subsector. As a polity, it only governs seven systems, but among those systems are six Agricultural, one Garden and two Rich systems. The Cartel is, to say the least, very economically prosperous.

    It’s centralized position in Reaver’s Deep makes the Cartel a breadbasket for the entire region. There are, of course, other Agricultural, Garden, and Rich worlds throughout the Sector and stretching rimward to Dark Nebula Sector, but the Duncinae Cartel is a consolidated agricultural cartel that has economic resources that matches the economies of much larger polities in the sector.

    The Combine

    The mercantile institution that distributes the agricultural resources of the Duncinae Cartel, is simply referred to as “the Combine”. The combine isn’t just the systems that belong to the Duncinae Cartel, it is an organization comprised of hundreds of companies, regional farm and ranch associations, national and planetary markets. The Combine sets prices for most food throughout the region. If the regional markets threaten to slip out of the Combine’s control, they can flood the region with cheap food to drive out competition and maintain their control.

    The Combine Guilds

    • Inver Agricultural Soils
      • Based in the Invermory System (parsec 1622 Ea Subsector), IAS is a “family buisness”, wholly owned and directed by the former rulers of the system, the Mah Darain family. As the complexities of governance demanded a wider and complex bureaucracy, the Mah Darain quietly handed the reins of government to the engine of bureaucracy, and stepped back to direct the IAS, of which they hold overwhelming corporate control.
      • IAS exports fertile “seed soil” from the continental agricultural belts of Invermory. Seed soil doesn’t replace a planet’s biome with a soil that can support agriculture, rather, spreading seed soil in a region, can greatly boost it’s agricultural productivity. Invermory’s native soil is especially potent and commands a premium in the market.
    • Suulatt Aquaculture
      • Suulatt is based out of Fulton System (Parsec 1524 Ea Subsector). It processes and exports agricultural foodstuffs from the rich seas of Fulton. Aquacultural goods are often based on single-cell life. These foods can be nutrient-dense and survive the preservation and packing technologies demanded or interstellar export.
    • Duncinae Luxury Foods
      • A guild made possible on the strengths of the other agricultural worlds of the Duncinae Cartel, Duncinae Luxury Foods specializes in the cryogenic transport of fresh foodstuffs, especially processed livestock. This is an expensive process, maintianing tissue stability while avoiding water crystalization or dehydration (which are both viable means of preservation, but the quality of product falls through the floor. Think of your average real-world frozen dinner or reconstituted dehydrated meal against a near-fresh experience). Duncinae Luxury Foods exports both premium-grade meat and seafood that is cryogenically preserved to markets with a healthy, luxury class of consumer. This is how “Deep Kraken” from Fulton can be served at a noble’s table in the neighboring sectors.
    • Vincit Milling
      • Based in the Vincit system (Parsec 1327, Ea Subsector), Vincit Milling processes grain imported from throughout the Duncinae cartel (including abundant, local agri-grain yeilds) and stabilizes the meal for interstellar export. Vincit Milling products are shelf-stable for over ten standard years.
      • Vincit Milling produces a line of multigrain, enriched meal that is especially well-suited for sustaining populations in environments hostile to agricultural development. One such product, “Firuah Meal” is marketed to the Aslan populations where fresh meat is too expensive or difficult to cultivate. Aslan who have had to survive off Firuah Meal use the same descriptive language that most peoples use for survival rations. They often complain of eating Firuah Meal and still feeling hungry (even when flavored with the meat-and-blood compounds that simulate fresh meat).
    • Fulton Salt and Ice
      • Fulton S&I exports desalinated Icewater and ocean salt to worlds in need of potable water and consumable salt. Fulton S&I also manufactures and exports desalinating engines to systems that cannot manufacture their own. Fulton S&I also exports refined hydrogen fuel (as a byproduct of the desalination process) to markets that lack both water and gas giants.
    • Kherhyss Slig Ranches
      • Sligs, a high-yield omnivorous meat animal, is a common livestock in the Spinward sectors of Charted Space. These animals are large (ranging between 1 and 2 tons of mass, being up to 3 meters tall and 5 meters long.) and resemble a cross between a slug and a swine. They can eat nearly anything organic (and, like goats, really try to eat some inorganic things too). They are easy to herd and raise as livestock, being bred over thousands of years for docility and yield. Slig meat is versatile and widely palatable, especially among humans, vargr and several minor ethnicities. Aslan can eat slig, but do not enjoy it, since uncooked slig is an unpleasant dining experience, and slig are too docile to give an Aslan any hunting satisfaction.
      • Kherhyss Slig Ranches own several industrial ranches in every Agricultural system in the Duncinae Cartel. There are always smaller Slig ranches thorughout the Buffer (and charted space. Several Agricultural Megacorps have entire divisions dedicated to Slig production). Kherhyss Slig Ranches maintain their corporate headquarters in Ranald systems (Parsec 1526, Ea Subsector)

    There are of course many many other guilds within the Combine, both large like the six mentioned above, and small.

    Fort William

    The Fort William system (Parsec 1521, Ea Subsector) is the anomaly of the Duncinae Cartel, its not Agricultural by any stretch of the term. Fort William is a poor wasteland with a hellish atmosphere and is governed by the Duncinae Cartel’s Military High Command.

    It is at Fort William where direct negotiations with Kath Mercenary elements are held, and military strategy is developed. Since the Duncinae Cartel has historically maintained a limited native military complex and has relied heavily on mercenary armies, the officers of High Command are entirely political, and not career military. But, so far as the Mercenary Regiments are concerned, the money is good, and the contracts are easy.

    Ground forces are light, mostly directing training maneuvers for Combine security elements. Space forces are, by necessity, more robust, and are dedicated to convoy escort missions and anti-piracy. The Cartel Navy is a combination of System Defense fleets, Combine monitors and Customs frigates.

    The strategic strength and venerability of the Duncinae Cartel

    The Duncinae Cartel’s strategic strength comes from a couple of sources, it’s close relationship with Kath, it’s protectorate relationships with The Principality of Caledon and the Carellian Assembly, but it’s most powerful strategic card is it’s control of the agricultural trading mains throughout Reaver’s Deep and into the Dark Nebula sectors.

    These contribute to it’s strategic vulnerabilities. Caledon and the Carellian Assembly are at least 2 jumps (and more practically 3 or 4 jumps away). In a moment of strategic crisis, help is more than a standard month or more away. Relying on mercenaries for strategic defense, even if the treasury is overflowing always carrys a risk. After all, Mercenaries are a business first and there is no amount of currency that can buy loyalty to the point of annihilation. Finally, while the Combine’s dominance of Agriculture makes the Duncinae Cartel invaluable to the entire buffer, also makes the Cartel a tempting prize for ambitious empires in the region. Controlling the food of the Buffer goes a very far way towards dominating the Buffer itself.

  • Kath, the Mercenaries’ System

    Kath, the Mercenaries’ System

    Eldrytch Suns Part 4

    Kath (Reaver’s Deep, Ea Subsector, Parsec# 1428) B764994-C HiHt named Kingston system in The Deep and the Dark has a long history of being an independent system. It’s location, so close to the center parsec of the entire Sector, and nearly central to the whole region outside the Imperium, Confederation, and Hierate in both Reaver’s Deep and the coreward subsectors of the Dark Nebula Sectors, make it convenient for the population of the “Buffer Region” to travel to the system.

    Kath has never been a part of any reaver state that has arisen over the ages. But, it’s technological base and strategic location has made it perfect to hire mercenary armies to travel relatively quickly to most hot spots in the region. At TL 12, the mercenary companies that base themselves out of Kath can field forces that can compete with most opp forces, the backwater nature of Reaver’s Deep discourages the major states and megacorporations from committing first-rate forces to any conflict. Turns out that TL 12 is a match for nearly every potential opp force, if not superior.

    The Kath Mercenary Board

    The Kath system is governed by an Impersonal Bureaucracy. This is the Kath Mercenary Board, not only does it administer the system, but it also administrates and enforces contracts between mercenary companies and clients. The Kath Mercenary Board maintains a registry of standing among mercenary companies, which dictates rates and compensation. The Board has, over the years, become the authority on mercenary companies operating in the Region. There are other boards, guilds and organizations in the region, but they all base their records and accounts on the data taken from the Kath Mercenary Board.

    The Board also standardizes things like ranks, salaries and insurance. The Board also enforces a set of codes and rules of engagement that restrict what a mercenary company can and cannot do in fulfilling a contract. The Board also mediates prisoner exchanges involving mercenaries and holds contract payments in escrow until contracts are fulfilled and serves as an arbitration body when those contracts come into dispute.

    The Kath Mercenary Codes

    • Weapons of mass destruction, or mass casualties are heavily restricted.
    • Deliberate targeting of civilian populations is forbidden.
    • Attacks on certain, protected, non-combat targets like habitation domes, industries and facilities critical to survival in a hostile environment and hazardous targets (fission power plants, hydroelectric dams, and the like) is restricted.
    • Orbital bombardment of defenseless, civilian targets is prohibited.
    • Ships and Armed Forces that are declared neutral to the conflict are not available for attack.
      • Once a force that has declared neutrality in a conflict cannot engage in operations in the combat theater unless they declare themselves no longer a neutral party beforehand
    • Genocide of sophont culture, even in the pursuit of a contract objective, is forbidden.

    There are, of course others, the mercenary profession stretches back to before interstellar society. The Kath Mercenary Codes are a branch of legal study, that are based on the Imperial Rules of War. In practice, there is a definite grey area on what constitutes an actionable violation of the Codes. The Kath Mercenary Board is widely accepted as an impartial institution when investigating violations or rendering judgements against those violations of the Codes.

    Kathite-Design Mercenary Cruiser

    • 800 dTon TL 12 Mercenary Cruiser
    • Hull: 800 dTons, Sphere, Reinforced
      • 352 Hull Points
    • Armor: 3 points Crystaliron, Radiation Shielded
    • Reaction Drive: 3G Thrust
      • Fuel Efficient -40% fuel requirement
      • 90 Thrust Points
    • Jump Drive: Jump-3
    • PowerPlant: Fusion (TL 12)
      • 240 Power Points
    • Fuel Capacity
      • Reaction Drive: 3 Hours
      • Jump Drive: 1 Jump-3
      • Power Plant: 4 weeks
      • Total: 277.6 dTons
    • Bridge: 20 Tons
      • Holographic Controls
    • Computer: Model 20/fib
      • Maneuver
      • Intellect
      • Library
      • Jump Control /3
      • Fire Control /2
    • Sensors: Military Grade
      • Jammers
      • Lidar
      • Radar
    • Weapons: 8 Triple Turrets (no weapons mounted)
    • Docking Space:
      • 2x 50 dTon Small Craft
        • 2x Modular Cutters
      • 2x 30 dTon Small Craft
        • 2x Cutter Modules
      • 4 dTon Vehicle
        • Air/Raft
    • Armory: supports 30 Troops and 54 Crew
    • Brig: 6 person capacity
    • Fuel Processor
      • 60 dTons Refined fuel per standard day
    • Fuel Scoops
    • 17x Double Occupancy Standard Staterooms (Crew)
    • 10x Standard Staterooms (Captain, Administrator, Officers and Astrogator
    • Barracks: 30 Troops Capacity
    • Cargo Space: 4 dTons
    • Cost: MCr 260.93
    • Maintenance: Cr 21,744 per standard month

    The Kathite Mercenary Cruiser is not much different from the standard Type-M. They are not designed to deliver more than a Platoon of Troops into a theater of war. Most mercenary outfits of company size or smaller employ the Kathite Mercenary Cruiser, one per platoon. In Reaver’s Deep, the TL-12 Hull is built with gravity compensation and inertial dampers, meaning that neither the crew or the troops carried need acceleration seats or benches.

    The ship’s two modular cutters and extra modules provide a broad mission flexibility. A huge variety of weapon systems can be mounted into the ship’s 8 triple turrets, though the limited Cargo space restricts the amount of ammunition that the ship can carry for missile racks and sandcasters. The 16 Ton Fusion Power Plant can support a full battery of energy weapons. Which, for mercenary Captains, is a common choice. Ammunition costs money after all, and energy weapons keep shooting as long as the Power Plant holds out.

    There are other, larger models of transport that more easily support Battalion or Regiment sized mercenary outfits. But these ships can get large and sacrifice performance to carry larger deployments. These heavier transports are also less combat capable. They are designed to deliver troops to an operational zone and support them from orbit with ortillery.

    Law and Order in a Mercenary System

    Kath’s Law Level is 4, which is fairly permissive. Openly carrying battlefield weaponry (Automatic weapons, Laser weapons, High Energy weapons, Battle Dress, and obvious armor) is restricted. Although with the right licensing, lighter automatic weapons (submachine guns, ACRs, Cloth Armor) can be worn and carried.

    Being a member of an organization that is licensed to participate in the Kath Arms Markets allows for the sale and purchase of battlefield weaponry (including warships, artillery, Battle Dress, support weapons and High Energy Weaponry.) Kath’s arms industry can supply up to TL 12 weapons and armor, but there are dealers that can sometimes import higher tech equipment (at a healthy markup in price).

    With a fairly low Law Level, Kath has developed an extensive grey and black market. Arms that would be heavily restricted, if not outright prohibited by the Kath Mercenary Codes can be discovered in these markets. Also, mercenary organizations that are either blackballed by the Mercenary Board, or who never joined in the first place, and thus are less concerned about the Mercenary Codes can be contacted through these markets. Although, while most non-board-licensed mercenary outfits are just too poor, to new or too contrarian to conform to the Board’s requirements, there are those companies that are little more than Brigands or War Criminals.

  • Ships of the Eldrytch Suns

    Ships of the Eldrytch Suns

    Eldrytch Suns Part 3

    In the Buffer of Reaver’s Deep, starships are old, small, and (when compared to the Imperium, the Confederation, or the Hierate) archaic. The systems in the sector do not have the resources, nor the facilities to build the multi-kiloton heavy freighters and warships. Because of the Rebellion War, the bordering Imperial, Confederation and Hierate sectors have withdrawn their major fleets towards their core systems.

    Civilian Vessels

    These ships are common throughout the sector, represented by endless different makes and models. These profiles are meant to represent a typical example of these ship classes.

    • 10 dTon Snub Fighter
    • TL: 10
    • Hull: 10 dTon, Streamlined, Non Gravity
      • 4 Hull Points
    • Reaction Drive: 6G Thrust (TL 10)
      • Fuel Efficient: consumes 60% less fuel
      • 180 Thrust Points
    • Power Plant (Fusion TL10): 10 Power Points
      • Size Reduction: (-20% Size)
    • Feul: Reaction Drive Endurance: 3 hours
      • Power Plant: 4 Weeks
        • Total Fuel Tank capacity: 3.7 dTons
    • Bridge: Cockpit
    • Computer: Model/5
      • Maneuver/0
      • Library/0
      • Fire Control/1
    • Sensors: Military Grade
      • Jammers
      • Lidar
      • Radar
    • Weapons: Fixed Mount (Forward)
      • Pulse Laser
    • Acceleration Seat
    • Aerofins
    • Cargo: 0.3 dTon
    • Crew: Pilot
    • Cost: 7.65 MCr
      • Maintenance: Cr 637.13

    The Snub Fighter is a common space interceptor and fighter. Cheap, fast and mounting a forward facing weapon (usually a Pulse Laser). By itself, the Snub Fighter is only a threat to other snub fighters, or lightly armed civilian ships. But in Squadrons or Wings, Snub Fighters can threaten vessels many times larger, and even in numbers, the Snub Fighter’s cost is a fraction of the cost of much larger vessels.

    • 20 dTon Launch
    • TL: 10
    • Hull: 20 dTon, Streamlined, Non-Gravity
      • 8 Hull Points
    • Reaction Drive: 1G Thrust (TL 10)
      • Fuel Efficient: consumes 60% less fuel
      • 10 Thrust Points
    • Power Plant: (Fusion TL 10): 10 Power Points
      • Size Reduction: (-20% Size)
    • Fuel: Reaction Drive Endurance: 1 Hour
      • Power Plant: 4 weeks
        • Total Fuel Tank Capacity: 1.2 dTons
    • Bridge: Cockpit
    • Computer: Model/5
      • Maneuver
      • Library
    • Sensors: Basic
      • Lidar
      • Radar
    • Cargo: 16.1 dTons
    • Crew: Pilot
    • Cost: MCr 1.88
      • Maintenance: Cr 156.67

    The Launch is a versatile and small ship used for a variety of purposes. It is mostly cargo hold, and can be modified to a variety of specialized models. In many ways it can fill the same jobs that the Modular Cutter can (though the Launch cannot switch out modules, each Launch is modified to it’s job and needs a full refit to change those modification). Due to it’s poor thrust and limited fuel capacity, the Launch has limited Military applications.

    • 40 dTon Pinnace
    • TL: 10
    • Hull: 40 dTons, Sphere, Non-Gravity
      • 16 Hull Points
    • Reaction Drive: 5G Thrust (TL 10)
      • Fuel Efficient: Consumes 40% less fuel
      • 50 Thrust Points
    • Power Plant: (Fusion TL 10): 10 Power Points
      • Size Reduction: (-20% Size)
    • Fuel: Reaction Drive Endurance: 1 hour
      • Power Plant: 4 weeks
        • Total Fuel Tank Capacity: 4 dTons
    • Bridge: Cockpit
    • Computer: Model/5
      • Maneuver
      • Library
    • Sensors: Civilian Grade
      • Radar
      • Lidar
    • Weapons: Fixed Mount (Forward)
      • No weaponry installed
    • 3x Acceleration Benches: Accommodates up to 12 Passengers
    • Acceleration Seat (for the Pilot)
    • Aerofins
    • Fuel Scoops
    • Airlock
    • Cabin Space: Accommodates up to 12 Passengers
    • Cargo: 5.3 Tons
    • Crew: Pilot
    • Cost: MCr 7.71
      • Maintenance: 642.5
    • 40 dTon Slow Pinnace
    • TL: 10
    • Hull: 40 dTons, Sphere, Non-Gravity
      • 16 Hull Points
    • Reaction Drive: 3G Thrust (TL 10)
      • Fuel Efficient: Consumes 60% less fuel
      • 30 Thrust Points
    • Power Plant: (Fusion TL 10): 10 Power Points
      • Size Reduction: (-20% Size)
    • Fuel: Reaction Drive Endurance: 1 Hour
      • Power Plant: 4 Weeks
        • Total Fuel Capacity: 2.2 dTons
    • Bridge: Cockpit
    • Computer: Model/5
      • Maneuver
      • Library
    • Sensors: Civilian Grade
    • Weapons: Fixed Mount (Forward)
      • No weaponry installed
    • Acceleration Bench: Accommodates up to 12 passengers
    • Acceleration Seat: For the Pilot
    • Cabin Space: Accommodates up to 12 passengers
    • Aerofins
    • Fuel Scoops
    • Airlock
    • Cargo: 7.5 dTons
    • Crew: Pilot
    • Cost: MCr 7.43
      • Maintenance: 619.77

    The Pinnace and Slow Pinnace share the same basic hull design, an ellipsoid that tapers towards the aft and ends with the reaction drive exhaust funnels. The aft end is where the aerofins are mounted, giving the Pinnace a retro, pulp-age rocket feel. Both models are workhorse in-system transports ferrying teams of passengers back and forth between worlds and stations. The Pinnace is also common as a ship’s boat (not to be confused with the small craft by the same name). The only real difference between the two models is the size of the Reaction Drive. The Slow Pinnace being designed for orbital and lunar travel around a given world, or the inner orbits of a System, and the Pinnace travelling to the outer orbits and gas giants.

    • 50 dTon Heavy Fighter
    • TL: 10
    • Hull: 50 dTon, Streamlined, Reinforced, Non-Gravity
      • 22 Hull Points
    • Armor: 10 Points Crystaliron
    • Reaction Drive: 6G Thrust (TL 10)
      • Fuel Efficient: Consumes 40% less fuel
      • 180 Thrust Points
    • Power Plant: (Fusion TL 10): 15 Power Points
      • Size Reduction (-20% Size)
    • Fuel: Reaction Drive Endurance: 3 hours
      • Power Plant: 4 weeks
        • Total Fuel Capacity: 14.5 dTons
    • Bridge: Dual Cockpit
    • Computer: Model 10
      • Maneuver
      • Library
      • Fire Control/2
    • Sensors: Military Grade
      • Jammers
      • Lidar
      • Radar
    • Weapons: Single Turret
      • Pulse Laser
    • Fixed Mount
      • Missile Rack
        • Ammunition: 20 Missiles
    • 2 Accelerator Seats
    • Aerofins
    • Armored Bulkhead: Dual Cockpit
    • Cargo: 1.18 dTons
    • Crew: Pilot, Copilot/Gunner
    • Cost: MCr 17
      • Maintenance: 1416.3

    Heavy Fighters are durable, two seat ships, designed to drive off smaller fighters, and attack small warships in squadrons. They commonly mount a turreted pulse laser and a forward mounted missile rack. They are common attack craft on carrier warships and are often employed by local planetary defense guards.

    • 50 dTon Modular Cutter
    • TL 10
    • Hull: 50 dTons, Streamlined, Modular, Non-Gravity
      • Module: 30 dT0ns, Streamlined, Modular, Non-Gravity
    • Reaction Drive: 4G Thrust
      • Fuel Efficient: Consumes 40% Less Fuel
      • 40 Thrust Points
    • Power Plant: (Fusion TL10): 10 Power Points
      • Size Reduction (-20% Size)
    • Fuel: Reaction Drive Endurance: 1 Hour
      • Power Plant: 4 Weeks
        • Total Fuel Capacity: 3 dTons
    • Bridge: Dual Cockpit
    • Computer: Model/5
      • Maneuver
      • Library
    • Sensors: Civilian Grade
      • Lidar
      • Radar
    • Acceleration Seats for Pilot and CoPilot
    • Airlock
    • Cabin Space: Accommodates up to 2 passengers
    • Cargo: 2.6 dTons
    • Crew: Pilot, Co-Pilot
    • Cost: MCr 7.97
      • Maintenance: Cr 664.13
    • 30 dTon Modules
    • Vehicle Cradle
    • Module Hull: 30 dTons, Streamlined
    • Docking Space: 20 dTons of Vehicles
    • Acceleration Bench: Accommodates up to 12 Passengers
    • Cargo: 5 dTons
    • Cost: MCr 5.79
    • Passenger Transport
    • Module Hull: 30 dTons, Streamlined
    • Cabin Space: Accommodates up to 10 Passengers
    • Acceleration Bench: Accommodates up to 60 Passengers
    • Cost: MCr 1.62
    • Cargo Transport
    • Module Hull: 30 dTons, Streamlined
    • Acceleration Bench: Accommodates up to 12 Passengers
    • Cargo: 27 dTons
    • Cost: MCr 0.84
    • Fuel Skimmer
    • Module Hull: 30 dTons, Streamlined
    • Fuel Scoops
    • Fuel Tanks
      • 20 dTon Capacity
    • UNREP System
    • Fuel Processor
      • 20 dTons per Standard Day
    • Acceleration Bench: Accommodates up to 4 Passengers
    • Cargo: 7 dTon
    • Cost: MCr 2.08
    • Pressurized Shelter
    • Module Hull: 30 dTons, Streamlined
    • Power Plant: (Fusion TL10) 10 Power Points
      • Size Reduction (-20% Size)
    • Fuel: 1 dTon (4 weeks)
    • Computer: Model/5
      • Library
    • Airlock
    • 4 Standard Staterooms
    • Cabin Space: Accommodates 4 Passengers
    • Cargo: 4.17 dTons
    • Cost: MCr 3.06

    The Modular Cutter is a highly variable, easily modifiable craft capable of switching between standardized modules to adapt to specialized missions without requiring a time-consuming and expensive refit.

    • 100 dTon Scout/Courier
    • TL:11
    • Hull: 100 dTons, Streamilined, Non-Gravity
      • 40 Hull Points
    • Armor: 10 Points Crystaliron
    • Reaction Drive: 2G Thrust (TL11)
      • Fuel Efficient Consumes 60% less Fuel
      • 80 Thrust Points
    • Jump Drive: Jump -2
    • Power Plant: (Fusion TL11): 40 Power Points
      • Size Reduction (-20% Size)
    • Fuel: Reaction Drive: 4 hours Endurance
      • Jump Drive: one Jump-2
      • Power Plant: 4 weeks
        • Total Fuel Capacity: 25 dTons
    • Bridge: 10 dTons
    • Computer: Model 5/bis
      • Maneuver
      • Intellect
      • Library
      • Jump Control /2
    • Sensors: Military Grade
      • Jammers
      • Lidar
      • Radar
    • Weapons: Double Turret
      • No weapons installed
    • Fuel Processor: 20 dTons per Standard Day
    • 4 Standard Staterooms
    • Mail Distribution Array (TL10)
    • Docking Space (4 dTon capacity)
      • Air/Raft
    • Cargo: 13.4 dTons
    • Crew: Pilot/Astrogator/Engineer
      • All three positions can be operated by 1 – 3 individuals
    • Cost: MCr 47.7
      • Maintenance: Cr 3,974.63

    The Scout/Courier is nearly universal in Reaver’s Deep. A cheap, Jump-2 ship that has been in production for centuries. Makes and models vary, but this profile has been refined over countless iterations. Parts for the Scout/Courier can be found nearly anywhere, mothballed ships float in salvage yards, reserve fleets, and forgotten in the occasional barn or warehouse.

    • 200 dTon Jump 1 Light Freighter
    • TL: 11
    • Hull: Streamlined, Non-Gravity
      • 80 Hull Points
    • Reaction Drive (TL11): 1G Thrust
      • Fuel Efficient: uses 60% less fuel
      • 10 Thrust Points
    • Jump Drive (TL 11): Jump-1
      • Size Reduction (-20%)
    • Power Plant (Fusion TL11): 65 Power Points
      • Size Reduction (-30%)
    • Fuel: Reaction Drive 1 hour endurance
      • Jump Drive: 1x Jump 1
      • Power Plant: 4 weeks
        • Total Fuel Capacity: 21 dTons
    • Bridge: 10 dTons
    • Computer: Model 5/bis
      • Intellect
      • Library
      • Maneuver
      • Jump Control /1
    • Sensors: Civilian Grade
      • Lidar
      • Radar
    • Weapons: 2 Double Turrets
      • No weapons installed
    • Fuel Processor: 20 dTons per Standard Day
    • Loading Belt: 10 Laborer Loading Capacity
    • Mail Distribution Array (TL 10)
    • Docking Space: 4 dTon
      • Air/Raft
    • 10 Standard Staterooms
    • 6 Low Berths
    • Cargo: 85.05 dTons
    • Crew: Pilot, Astrogator, Engineer, Medic, Steward
    • Cost: MCr 46.53
      • Maintenance: Cr 3877.13
    • 200 dTon J2 Light Freighter
    • TL: 11
    • Hull: Streamlined, Non-Gravity
      • 80 Hull Points
    • Reaction Drive: 1G Thrust (TL11)
      • Fuel Efficient: Uses 60% less Fuel
      • 10 Thrust Points
    • Jump Drive: Jump-2 (TL 11)
    • Power Plant: Fusion (TL 11): 65 Power Points
      • Size Reduction: -30% Size
    • Fuel: Reaction Drive: 1 hour Endurance
      • Jump Drive: 1x Jump-2
      • Power Plant: 4 weeks
        • Total Fuel Capacity: 43 dTons
    • Bridge: 10 dTons
    • Computer: Model 5/bis
      • Intellect
      • Library
      • Maneuver
      • Jump Control /2
    • Weapons: 2 Double Turrets
      • No weapons installed
    • Fuel Processor: 20 dTons per Standard Day
    • Loading Belt: 10 Laborer Loading Capacity
    • Mail Distribution Array (TL10)
    • Docking Space: 4 dTons
      • Air/Raft
    • 10 Standard Staterooms
    • 6 Low Berths
    • Cargo: 62.05 dTons
    • Crew: Pilot, Astrogator, Engineer, Medic, Steward
    • Cost: MCr 65.09
      • Maintenance: Cr 5,424

    As a free-trader forgotten to history once said, “Ain’t no such thing as ‘stock’ in a Stock Light Freighter”. These ships are the hopes, dreams, and homes for numberless crews throughout Reaver’s Deep and beyond. Endless arguments in Starport bars everywhere rage over which is more numerous, the Light Freighter, or the Scout/Courier. Nearly every crew will, at every opportunity, modify, tune, upgrade, and refit their Light Freighters to suit their specific needs. Thus, while the Light Freighters share the same configuration coming off the production lines, no two are alike for long.

    • 400 dTon Frontier Freighter
    • TL 10
    • Hull: Streamlined, Non-Gravity
      • 160 Hull Points
    • Reaction Drive (TL 10): 1G Thrust
      • Fuel Efficient: -60% Fuel Consumed
      • 10 Thrust Points
    • Jump Drive (TL 10): Jump -1
      • Size Reduction: -10%
    • Power Plant (Fusion TL 10): 65 Power Points
      • Size Reduction: -20%
    • Fuel: Reaction Drive: 1 hour endurance
      • Jump Drive: 1x Jump-1
      • Power Plant: 4 weeks
        • Total Fuel Capacity: 45 dTons
    • Bridge: 20 dTon
    • Computer: Model 5/bis
      • Maneuver
      • Library
      • Jump Control /1
    • Sensors: Civilian Grade
      • Lidar
      • Radar
    • 4 Double Turrets
      • Turret #1: 2 Sandcasters
      • Turret #2: 2 Missile Racks
      • Turret #3: 2 Pulse Lasers
      • Turret #4: 2 Pulse Lasers
    • Ammunition
      • 80 Canisters
      • 48 Missiles
    • Fuel Processor: 20 dTons per standard day
    • Cargo Crane: 200 dTon cargo space capacity
    • Loading Belt: 10 laborer capacity
    • Cargo Airlock: 5 dton
    • Docking Space: 20 dTons
      • 20 dTon Launch
    • 20 Standard Staterooms
    • 10 Low Berths
    • Cargo: 184.297 dTons
    • Crew: Captain
      • Pilot
      • Astrogator
      • Engineer
      • Medic
      • Steward
      • 4 Gunners
    • Cost: MCr 74.35
      • Maintenance: Cr 6,195.56

    The Frontier Freighter are the tramp freighters of the Jump-1 trade mains of Reaver’s Deep. These ships are cheap enough to operate that the interstellar transport corporations can send them to the less populated worlds in their territories, saving the larger capacity (and the overhead) for the more lucrative worlds. The Frontier Freighter is big enough and expensive enough to operate that it’s beyond the reach of most single-owner-operators like the Light Freighter. Instead, private ownership is often communal among the crew working as a business.

    • 400 dTon Corvette
    • TL: 11
    • Hull: Streamlined, Non-Gravity
      • 160 Hull Points
    • Armor: 6 points Crystaliron
    • Reaction Drive: 5-G Thrust
      • Fuel Efficient: uses 60% less fuel
      • 150 Thrust Points
    • Jump Drive: Jump -2
    • Power Plant: Fusion (TL11) 132 Power Points
      • Increased Power (+10%)
      • Size Reduction (-10%)
    • Fuel: Reaction Drive – 3 hours endurance
      • Jump Drive- 1x Jump -2
      • Power Plant – 4 weeks
        • Total Fuel Capacity: 93.2 dTons
    • Bridge: 20 dTons
    • Computer: Model 10/bis
      • Maneuver
      • Intellect
      • Library
      • Jump Control /2
    • Sensors: Military Grade
      • Jammers
      • Lidar
      • Radar
    • 4 Triple Turrets
      • Turret #1: 3 Missile Racks
      • Turret #2: 3 Beam Lasers
      • Turret #3: 3 Pulse Lasers
      • Turret #4: 3 Pulse Lasers
    • Missile Ammunition: 36 Missiles
    • Armory: 1 ton capacity
    • 16 Acceleration Seats
    • Brig: 6 prisoner Capacity
    • 8 Standard Staterooms (Double Occupancy)
    • 1 Standard Stateroom
    • Cargo: 133 dTons
    • Crew:
      • Captain
      • 3x Pilots
      • Astrogator
      • 3x Engineers
      • Medic
      • 8x Gunners
    • Cost: MCr 136.35
      • Maintenance Cr 11,362.5

    The Corvette is a military ship that fills a variety of roles, Customs Enforcement, Interdiction, Anti-Piracy, Raiding and Reconnaissance. So far as military ships go, the Corvette is cheap, and require a relatively small crew. With almost a third of the ship open to cargo space, there is enormous room for modification to adapt the Corvette to specialized missions.

    More common than it’s naval uses are the Corvette’s utility when applied to Piracy. Even an unmodified Corvette, with it’s 133 dTon cargo hold, can turn enormous profits raiding cargo ships along the mains. It’s small crew is very manageable for a charismatic (and successful) Captain, or democratic command. Popular media also contributes, using exaggerated exploits of colorful ships as content for entertainment. This leads the Corvette to being synonymous with “pirate ship” in the public mind.

    • 2000 dTon Cargo Freighter
    • TL 10
    • Hull: Sphere, Non-Gravity
      • 800 Hull Points
    • Reaction Drive (TL 10): 1G Thrust
      • Fuel Efficient (Uses 60% less fuel)
      • 10 Thrust Points
    • Jump Drive (TL 10): Jump -1
      • Size Reduction (-10% Size)
    • Power Plant (Fusion TL10): 500 Power Points
      • Size Reduction (-20% Size)
    • Fuel: Reaction Drive: 1 Hour Endurance
      • Jump Drive: 1x Jump-1
      • Power Plan: 4 weeks
    • Bridge: 40 dTons
    • Computer: Model 5
      • Maneuver
      • Library
      • Jump Control /1
    • Sensors: Civilian Grade
      • Lidar
      • Radar
    • Weapons: 10 Double Turrets
      • No weapons installed
    • 2 dTon Armory
    • 50 dTon Dock #1
      • Modular Cutter
    • 50 dTon Dock #2
      • Modular Cutter
    • Cargo Crane, 1000 dTon Capacity
    • 5x Loading Belts: 10 laborer capacity each
    • 4 Standard Staterooms for Crew
    • 16 Double Occupancy Staterooms for Crew
    • 20 Standard Staterooms for Passengers
    • 5 High Passage Staterooms for Passengers
    • Cargo: 987.5 dTons
    • Crew: Captain
      • 3x Pilots
      • Administrator
      • Officer
      • Astrogator
      • 13x Engineers
      • 2x Stewards
      • Medic
      • 10x Gunners
    • Cost: MCr 497.42
      • Maintenance: Cr 41,451.75

    The Cargo Freighter is the common corporate transport running the trade mains in Reaver’s Deep. At 2000 dTons this ship is an example of the bulk transports that move the volume of cargo from systems that produce vast amounts of goods and material for export. Cargo Freighters operate on bulk volumes to turn profit as a fleet for the corporations that operate them. They are considered too expensive to run without a trade contract to guarantee regular cashflow, but they are common enough to encounter Travellers who are following the major trade mains.

    Design Considerations

    Re-imagining these ships from the published material is a little more (but not by much) involved that simply swapping the Reaction Drive for the Maneuver Drive. For one thing, fuel for a Reaction Drive is measured in hours instead of weeks. But as mentioned in Rocket Jockeys last week, the burn-and-coast method at 1G still gets ships to the 100d Jump limit for a Size 7 world in about 22 1/2 hours. So 1 hour (10 combat rounds) of fuel is sufficient for most traders. For ships with Reaction Drives capable of Thrust greater than 1G, Acceleration Benches and Seats are installed, crew and passengers should also wear G suits and take G Tolerance drugs if high acceleration is called for. On those vessels, those supplies can often be found in the Ship’s Locker. Finally, since the TL of several components are low enough to benefit from advantages, we used the rules from the Prototype/Advanced table on page 71 of High Guard.

  • Rocket Jockeys

    Rocket Jockeys

    Eldrytch Suns Part 2

    As mentioned in the article Hard Times in Reaver’s Deep, the Eldrytch Suns campaign takes place in a Planetary Romance setting. A big change is that the Maneuver Drive isn’t used. Other Gravitic technologies still exist (like the antigravity technology that make Grav-Vehicles function) at TL 11 or 12. This has a follow-on effect that space and starships are built on non-gravity hulls when designed below TL 12.

    Acceleration Effects

    So long as a ship accelerates at 1G, there’s no negative crew effects. Most sophont species evolved and survive in or around a 1G environment (and those that aren’t naturally acclimated to 1G commonly employ technologies that assist in functioning and surviving)

    At higher acceleration, the crew and passengers risk G-induced loss of consciousness (see pp 47-48 of High Guard update 2022 for the relevant rules). Using gear like G-Tolerance Drugs and/ or G-Suits (from the Central Supply Catalogue) and Acceleration Seats or Benches (from High Guard) can help Travellers endure burning High-G maneuvers.

    Burn-and-Coast

    When traveling in-system, most commercial ships only carry enough Reaction Drive fuel to maintain thrust for an hour. Very few crews attempt to maintain continuous burn, after all, every ton that is carrying fuel to burn is one less ton that could be filled with cargo.

    When traveling, each hour of fuel is broken down into ten 6-minute “burns”. Each burn is the same duration as a combat round, to make it easy when interrupting travel and entering combat to determine how much fuel a ship has available. A ship burns at a thrust value the Pilot determines for as many burns to build up delta-vee ΔV (that is velocity), then coasts until rotating 180 degrees and burning until the ΔV is zero. This is a really, really, really simplified version and doesn’t take into account any common variables that real-life Astronauts need to contend with.

    ΔV is preserved through Jump. When the Jump drive is activated, the ship’s ΔV is noted. When that ship emerges from JumpSpace, it is still coasting at the same velocity. A Piloting check at a difficulty equal to the Astrogation check will determine the ship’s heading with regards to it’s destination. If the check is a success, no course adjustments are necessary. For every degree of failure, one additional burn is required to bring the ship back on course.

    For these reasons, most crews will only use 3 burns to accelerate towards their destination, or towards the 100 D jump limit, knowing that it will take 3 more burns to decelerate when they arrive at their destination. With one hour of Reaction Drive fuel, this leaves 4 burns available for combat, course correction, or emergencies. In “secure” systems, some pilots will risk 4 or even 5 burns (after all time is credits for a Free Trader). In wilder systems, a cautious pilot will only use 2 or 1 burn to have as much fuel as possible for any of the above.

    When coasting, the crew and cargo of a ship experience microgravity. Floating within the hull of the ship and using hand holds to climb and push their way through the ships interior. When a pilot needs to make a burn, they need to give enough warning for the rest of the crew to secure themselves. Otherwise, they’ll take falling damage equal to the force of the thrust being burned.

    What happens when a ship runs out of Reaction Drive Fuel? or if the Reaction Drive is disabled? At this point, Sir Issac is in charge. The ship will continue on it’s ΔV until acted on by another force, and since space is big and empty, a ship in an uncontrolled drift can continue on for thousands of years, becoming a floating tomb for it’s crew (or a floating prison if anyone put themselves in a Low Berth before the life-support failed).

    Ships of the Eldrytch Suns

    Adapting most ship designs to the Eldrytch Suns is fairly simple. Most ships are TL 10-11 (TL 11 ships for the Jump-2 jump drives) and replace the Maneuver Drive with a Reaction Drive and add fuel for 1 hour. At TL 10, most Reaction Drives (up to 3G thrust) is “High Technology” (according to “Altering Tech Levels” on pg 71 of High Guard) and can apply up to 3 Advantages to the drive. Each Advantage reduces the amount of fuel needed to operate the Reaction Drive by 20%.

    Ship Hulls should be designed with the “Non-Gravity” quality (at least if the ship is being designed below TL 12. Which makes the hull significantly less expensive (for that matter, the Reaction Drive is about 10% of the cost of the equivalent Maneuver Drive). But, if the ship is capable of more than 1G thrust, Acceleration Seats and Benches should be added. Which is another in-setting rationale for why commercial vessels like freighters and passenger liners don’t mount heavy Reaction Drives.

    This alters the details of a ship’s cargo space, and it’s purchase price, maintenance and mortgage, but reasonably so. With the setting being retro, with swords and lasers, the image of a crew strapped in acceleration seats, burning limited fuel to accelerate, and heroically pushing the limits of their ship and their bodies fits quite nicely.

    Reaction Drives in Close Combat

    The Aslan have a saying in Trokh, “Aikhaakh ia ahya hkeiriysual aokhahte.” Roughly translated, it says “A reaction drive is a weapon.” A desperate maneuver that a pilot can try, should the enemy ship be in the same hex, and the pilot’s ship still has thrust available. The pilot points the drive at the enemy, and if they are in Adjacent range, ignites the drive. If all goes as intended, the targeted ship gets blasted by reaction plasma, and the pilot’s ship accelerates along a new vector.

    The check is an opposed piloting check, the attacking ship’s difficulty begins at Very Difficult (12+) and the defending ship starts at Average (8+). After applying all modifiers, both pilots roll. If the attacking pilot wins the roll, the defending ship suffers 1D per point of thrust burned. If the attacking ship is larger, add 1D for every 100 dTons difference. If the defending ship is larger, subtract 1D for every 100 dTons difference (minimum 1D). If the defending pilot wins the opposed piloting check, the defending ship is able to avoid the attack, however docking, grappling, or boarding actions are not possible for either ship on that turn.

    The defending pilot can choose to not actively avoid the attack. In this case the pilot may still attempt a docking, grappling or boarding action on the turn the attack is attempted. The check is no longer opposed, however the attacking pilot’s difficulty for their check is still Very Difficult.

  • Aslan in the Dezzy Traveller Universe

    Aslan in the Dezzy Traveller Universe

    A very brief overview of Aslan Culture in the Hierate

    Aslan society is heavily gendered. Female Aslan are born 3 times more often than male Aslan. As the Aslan developed their sentience, the gender roles became reflected in their societal development. Male Aslan led the pride, claimed and defended hunting territory, and female Aslan hunted, developed tools, and later on, agriculture. For much of the development of Aslan civilization, forming clans, moving from nomadic prides to building cities, their industrial revolution, and the development of Jump Drive.

    The Cultural Purge and establishment of the Codices of Sakolusalo loosened the strict adherence of gendered professions and skills to an Aslan’s gender as defined at birth. Outside of the jurisdiction of the Hierate, the various worlds, colonies, and settlements in Reaver’s Deep continue to observe or not observe traditional roles as each community’s tradition would address. Such is life in the Buffer.

    The Akuaeuhrekhyeh and Gendering during adulthood

    Aslan culture has developed along gender distinction. As mentioned, vocations were divided between gender. That strict distinction has loosened in the current age. In systems where the population can support it, individual Aslan are more free to choose the work that matches their talents and interests regardless of their gender.

    In most Aslan cultures when a young Aslan reaches adolescence, before their Akuaeuhrekhyeh rite of passage they are encouraged to explore their place in their ekho, ahriy and huiha. When the time of their Akuaeuhrekhyeh arrives they are offered the choice to undergo their rite as a male or a female. Once the Akuaeuhrekhyeh is complete the Aslan is considered male or female based on the rite of passage regardless of their gender at time of birth.

    Of course, there are traditional clans, prides and families that retain a more restrictive view of the Akuaeuhrekhyeh. Still, they are becoming less and less common with each passing century, especially in places outside the Hierate where Aslan and other species have deeper contact with one another.

    With the exception of the choice offered before the Akuaeuhrekhyeh, the gendered culture of the Aslan changes little. There are still male and female skill sets, the heads of ekho, ahriy and huiha are still male the career paths remain divided between male and female. Aslan socialize, and present as the gender they finished their Akuaeuhrekhyeh as, rather than the gender they were identified as at birth.

    Socialization of preadolescent Aslan

    For the vast majority of Aslan, they undergo the Akuaeuhrekhyeh as the gender they were identified as at birth. A combination of social inertia, history, education and folklore has habituated conformity. It’s that same cultural normalization which endorses acceptance of an Aslan’s gender based on their role in society.

    A small percentage of Aslan (and for that matter, most sophonts which have bimorphic gender divisions) are transgender, and while the acceptance of Aslan who present through the cultural window of their gendered role helps this population to realize their identities, it is not transition. Though, IMTU, the society of Charted Space has progressed beyond persecution. Only in those systems and states where a strong authoritarian governmental control locally prohibits nonconformity can such oppression still be found.

    Tolerance, Dueling, and Marriage

    Aslan society remains patriarchal, male Aslan remain in leadership positions in all aspects of Aslan culture. The change that has developed over the ages is with the definition of “patriarch”. Instead of accident of birth, the term patriarch is defined by the role an Aslan fills in their society.

    The cultural pride of Aslan remains, they are still a “touchy” people in conditions where their honor, respect and status are involved. redefining the patriarch along roles instead of birth opens still more possibilities for an Aslan to take offense and demand satisfaction.

    Marriage and inheritance have also changed. Not only is the head of an ekho, ahriy and huiha a patriarch by role, the institution of marriage is also moved away from the birth genders of the bride and groom. Same sex marriage is a common arrangement for ekho.

    With regards to gender and marriage, Aslan traditions of “plolygamy” remains. One male and one or more females bound by marriage. Again, determined by role rather than sex.

    The practical concerns over childbirth are trivial at this point in Aslan History. While primogeniture remains the system for inheritance along ekho, ahriy, and huiha institutions, like with changing patriarchial definitions, the “oldest male” refers to the Aslan’s job.

    Hierate vs Satellite systems

    The Hierate is where the majority of traditional “akhaoye” huiha reside. A little less than half of the Tlaukhu are akhaoye. The progressive “akyafteirleao” clans tend to be smaller, and only six that are strongly akyaftheirleao. However, the minor clans in the Hierate are becoming more and more akyafteirleao with each passing generation.

    Beyond the Hierate, in those satellite systems where Aslan huiha have control of the culture and government, the percentage of akyafteirleao climbs significantly. The younger ihatei often don’t have the personal charisma to resist the reforms that arrive with colonists and adventurers that arrive to settle the new worlds.

    There is a tension between the akhaoye and akyafteirleao factions in Aslan society. The akhaoye fear losing their centuries-old control and dominance over culture and the akyaftheirleao chafe under the arbitrary rules and traditions that worked well on the savannas of Kusyu, but struggle to remain relevant in a starfaring civilization that has spanned 3 millennia. This tension has lead to countless duels and many feuds among the huiha. While, to most people who are familiar with Aslan culture, the difference between akhaoye and akyaftheirleao factions are obvious, to the uninitiated, assumptions can lead to disrespect and challenges to duels.

    As of the current era, (3i 1105-3i 1125 in the Dezzy Traveller Universe) this has not sparked into a general civil war among the huiha. The fight is still political and has been for centuries (since the adoption of the Codices of Sakolusalo in the ftahea 2525 of the Hierate calendar)

    Happy Pride 2026 no matter where you are in Charted Space. Love is Love!

  • Hard Times in Reaver’s Deep

    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 Zidunuus 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 structures that can survive the incredible pressures of the world-ocean of Zidunuus. Zidunuus 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.

  • Hanging on to your Humaniti

    Hanging on to your Humaniti

    Cyberpsychosis in Traveller

    One of the central tensions in cyberpunk fiction is the toll that having cyberware takes on the mental state of a augmented individual. If a heavy enough load is taken on, the individual suffers a break from reality and often (though not always) goes on a rampage that only ends when they are neutralized. In environments where a cyberpunk culture will rise, loading one’s self up with as much cyberware as they can bear is a necessity. The risk of cyberpsychosis is ever-present and balance isn’t a strategy to survive.

    High-Tech, High Population, High Government, High Law

    There are some system characteristics that lend themselves to a cyberpunk environment. While all of these characteristics need not be present to give the right feel, as the more of these characteristics are met, the more cyberpunk the system can be. of course, it’s up to the GM as to what culture and setting is present on any given world.

    High-Tech

    What classifies as ‘cyberware’ is first developed around TL 8 or 9. The real breakthrough is the development of a neural interface, allowing mental control of the cybernetic implants. At TL 7 or below, direct control of implants requires physical manipulation.

    As technology becomes more pervasive and less of a novelty, cybernetic implants become more and more common. In addition, higher tech models of earlier tech cyberware creates a smaller impact on mental and emotional health. By TL 13 and above, advances in bio-nanotechnological integration has transformed the degredation of an individual’s sense of self to a self-manageable state. Thus, what is traditionally considered Cyberpunk is best presented between TL 10 and 12.

    Cybernetic (and DNAM) Augmentation at these Tech Levels also correspond with the technology presented in 2300 AD (Traveller: 2300). GMs who have this game can reference it to more-or-less freely use it to offer more options for augmentation in their campaigns.

    High Population

    Cyberpunk settings need people. Overcrowded cities, teeming masses of humanity, for the hyperwealthy to live above. Thus, the feeling of Cyberpunk works best when the Population Score is 8 and above. The system needs a population large enough to justify massive, sprawling cities. While a lonely, sparsely populated outpost can have elements of Cyberpunk, the setting really works best in an overcrowded, grimy SprawlZone.

    The higher the population, the separation between the wealthy and the poor can be made more intense. The room among the poor of the slums is cramped, there is no personal space, no privacy. It’s just a carpet of people living in a claustrophobic maze of dirty, neon and trash-strewn streets. This can be contrasted with the real luxury that only obscene wealth can afford, space. The rich live above the clouds on palatial estates. They never have to see the masses surviving below their feet. The open sky, or vast expanse of near-orbit permits the occupants to only interact with people they choose.

    High Government

    The governments in Cyberpunk are universally oppressive and authoritarian. While some Government types, Captive Governments (6), Self-Perpetuating Oligarchies (3), and Company / Corporate ownership (1) can, with a little coaxing provide the careless oppression and soulless systemic, managed societies. But it’s the high levels that lend themselves best to a cyberpunk feel.

    Impersonal Bureaucracies (9), Dictatorships (A, B, and D), and and the Totalitarian Oligarchy (F) really fit the genre. Government in Cyberpunk exists for the purpose of either serving the corporations that feul the engine that keeps the city running, or serving itself, the city is governed for the purpose of continuing to govern the city. Honorable mentions should be given to the Feudal Technocracy (5), and the Religious Autocracy (E) Both of which have a definite Cyberpunk Edge.

    Those Governments that permit agency among their populations Democracies, Balkinization, and the Civil Service just require more work to corrupt into the heavy boot that marks Authority in the genre.

    High Law Level

    The source of law enforcement varies depending on the society. But to work in the setting, it needs to be unjust, unfair, and oppressive. Whether it’s Corporate Security, Contract Law Enforcement Corporations, Civic Law Enforcement or Security Forces, Law Enforcement and the Courts do not serve nor protect.

    Law Level almost demands to be high for Cyberpunk. While Law Level 9+ prohibits the means for citizens to resist control, those products are still available through Grey and Black Markets. This is why having a High Population is important, a large enough population is impossible to Police everywhere, all the time. Even with advanced surveillance technology, clearing the streets of every scrap of contraband demands too many resources to allow a city to function.

    That being said, it is often in the interest of the Megacorps or the Government, or the Hyperwealthy to cultivate a measure of lawlessness among the masses they govern. So long as the crime and violence never reach the wrong people or damage the wrong institutions. Huge resources are consumed in studying the benefits of allowing “controlled” anarchy. Of course, even these rigorously contained and managed criminal, or revolutionary cultures are never fully pacified, and it only takes a small spark to ignite an uprising.

    Megacorporations

    The Third Imperium of Traveller hosts hundreds, perhaps thousands of Corporations that stretch across entire Sectors and Domains. These monolithic institutions are Empires in their own right, with Boardrooms and Chief Executive Administrations serving the function of Legislative and Executive branches of Government. They have fleets, armies, they wage war against one another, not only through the expected means of commerce and finance, but through armed military operations too. Remember; Weyland-Yutani Corporation, from the Alien Franchise has a bio-weapons division.

    Corporate Branch Directors often wields more power than local governmental leadership, especially on wolrds where a single Megacorp enjoys a monopoly on manufacturing and commerce. When the risk of potential profit-loss becomes too great and less-than-legal means to resolve that risk is deemed necessary, Megacorporations are more than willing to hire Mercenaries and Privateers to pursue the corporate objectives. Megacorporations also provide campaigns and characters with the contact with 1000 faces, Mister Johnson. (“Mister Johnson” is a contact lifted from Shadowrun lore. A “Mister Johnson” is the alias that a Corporate Handler uses to hire the characters for jobs that require Corporate Deniability.

    Cyberpsychosis

    There is a story in the Shadowrun supplement, Cybertechnology that talks about what it’s like to live with Wired Reflexes. You need to take precautions because the world moves in slow motion and your reflexes are faster than your thought processes. You sit with your back to the wall because when anyone walks up behind you and trips your fight reflex, a person who is wired to the limit can react before they realize they are reacting. This can lead very easily to injured or dead friends.

    Similar things happen with cybernetic optics that are networked to a weapon starts superimposing targeting data over potential threats in your field of vision. You’re friend is smiling, saying hi and offering a drink and in your visual field you’re seeing Terminator-style readouts on probabilities of hostile action, weak points, threat analysis. They just wanna give you a “Pepsi”, dude! Augmented strength that pushes your abilities into the super-normal, sometimes means you break someone’s wrist shaking their hand, or dislocating their shoulder helping them off the couch.

    The point here is, that the disconnection from empathy isn’t some cyborg transformation into an unfeeling semi-robotic being. It’s the weight of living in a world where the augmented person is constantly seeing the potential threat of everyone around them, constantly having to work at dialing back their abilities when not in a combat situation. Even something like cyberoptics that just replace the biological eye has a level of detachment, the effect is not seeing the environment as it is, but being a step removed, like seeing everything through a monitor screen. Hearing, smell, any augmented sense isn’t the same as the baseline biology. This all combines to push the augmented individual away from the community experience with their fellows. It kills empathy.

    When that separation from empathy finally becomes too great, then everyone is seen as things. Not really “people” but threats, tools, and objects. The subroutines and processes take over, the struggle to manage a sense of humanity ends, and the augment reacts like they are always in a target-rich environment. That’s when the rampage begins. The fact that the augment is dodging fire and shrugging off damage that would shred even the peak physical specimens of their species is only reinforcing their own sense of supremacy. They are unstoppable, until someone hits them hard enough to put them down, which usually results in collateral damage for meters around.

    Game Mechanics

    In Traveller this is reflected through the Sanity characteristic found in the Traveller Companion. Every piece of Cyberware has a Santity cost associated with it. Several pieces that have generally low impact on the body (like a Wafer-Jack or Subdermal Armor has a cost of 0.) Cyberware that has a greater impact on the body (like Strength, Dexterity, or Endurance Augmentation) have a 1 point cost. Cyberware that have an extensive impact on the body (like additional limbs, or torso mounted manipulators have a 2 point cost. Cyberware that directly affect the individuals mind (like Cognitive Augmentation, or the Neural Comms) have a 2 point cot. Pieces that are above TL 13 will reduce the basic cost of Cyberware by 1 point. (For example, Strength Augmentation +3 is TL 15. Normally, Strength Augmentation carries a 1 point Sanity Cost, but because it’s TL 15, that’s reduced by 1, which makes the cost 1-1 = 0 points.) For those Cybernetic Implants that are TL 9 or lower the Sanity Cost is increased by 1. (For example, the Basic Combat Arm is TL8, so even though it’s less sophisticated than the more advanced models, it’s cost is increased by 1. Furthermore since it replaces an arm, the basic cost for the cyberware is 2. Thus, the Basic Combat Arm is 2+1 = 3 Sanity.)

    This cost is applied as a permanent reduction to the Sanity Characteristic. If this characteristic reaches zero due to Cyberware, the character suffers a complete collapse of empathy, and suffers Cyberpsychosis. During the first high-stress event that the character suffers, they lose control and launch into a rampage, attacking anyone and everyone they can find until they are neutralized. Should they survive, and if their rampage does not result in incarceration, they will remain in a state of violence for which they will need to be restrained until such a time that their Sanity Characteristic is brought back to at least 1.

    Permanent Sanity loss is not naturally recoverable. Once a character’s Sanity characteristic is reduced, they will require specialized treatment over a long period of time to recover the loss. The process, if the patient can endure it in their near constant state of psychosis, requires first for all Cyberware to be removed from their body. Then a specialist in psychosurgery needs to guide the patient through extreme therapy. For every standard year the patient is in therapy, their Cyberpsychiatrist can attempt a Very Difficult (12+) EDU (Science/ Cyberpsychiatry) test. If that test is successful, the patient can recover a number of lost Sanity characteristic equal to their cyberpsychiatrist’s Science (Cyberpsychiatry) skill levels. The character can, once their Santiy characteristic is positive regain control of their mind and resume their lives. An episode of Cyberpsychosis effectively removes a player character from the campaign, should they survive, and should their treatment stabilize them, they can be consulted but their Travelling days are over.

    Psionic Therapy, using Telepathy in addition to surgery and traditional therapy can be much more effective. The Psionic Therapist’s Psionic Telepathy skill levels can be added to their Sanity (Cyberpsychiatry) skill, when rolling the treatment check. Also, the Telepathy skill levels can be added to the Science (Cyberpsychiatry) skill levels when recovering the Sanity Characteristic.

  • Augmented Imperium

    Augmented Imperium

    Chromed Augmentation and Glammed DNAM trends

    Augmentation, whether through Cyberware or DNA Modification is still on the cultural fringes of the Imperium. Even after 11 Centuries and thousands of cultures that have adopted the technology for ages.

    In “mainstream” (that is, the Nobles who follow fashion trends from the Moot and Imperial Court) Imperial culture, Augmentation is designed to be unobtrusive and mostly invisible. Even Military cyberware is designed to conform to the Imperial Uniform Standards for the service that authorized the surgery.

    Flashy, attention-grabbing cyberware is seen as “tacky”. DNAMs that stray too far from the “natural” bodily appearance are considered freakish and ugly. The practical advantages of Augmentation are appreciated, only the surface appearance is judged.

    Of course, there are rebellious subcultures throughout the Imperium which revel in the derision cast at them by the
    “mainstream”. Youths, marginalized communities, the underclass, especially in densely populated settlements on prosperous worlds. The embrace of Chrome or Flash corresponds to the gulf between the poorest and richest subcultures in a System.

    On the opposite end of the economic scale, the ultra-wealthy or Celebrity class can indulge themselves in shocking cyberware, or “exotic” DNAM as a show of conspicuous consumption. They may never be invited to Court, or the Moot, but they will make an impact on the “social season”, and for many Nobles, attention is everything.

    Of course, in Imperial Culture, even in the Moot and the Court, one form of DNAM is normalized and widely accepted, Anagathics. The highest ranks of nobility can afford the exorbitant costs for these ongoing treatments to maintain their youth and extend their lives. What is commonly (some would say deliberately) overlooked, even by the most conservative, tradition-bound Vilani families, is Genetic Engineering and alters the patients body as extremely as if it would have bestowed webbed digits and amphibious gills. (Having the body of a 30 year-old in their prime when your chronological age is over 90 is extreme by most any measure).

    Vilani Culture

    Vilani Culture was the fist human culture to develop cybernetic and genetic technologies. For over 10 milennia, the Vilani have utilized augmentation, The Ziru Sirka was familiar enough with the technology that practical augmentation was fully normalized. However, the slow development and evolution of Vilani culture has restricted the propogation of augmentation to practical uses. Medical prosthetics to allow people suffering injury or debilitation to maintain a comfortable level of ability and dignity or inconspicuous augmentation that improves professional performance. In the Third Imperium, Vilani cultural influence is the main influence keeping Augmentation unobtrusive.

    Zhodani Culture

    In the Consulate, augmentation is a complex subject. On the one hand, the mastery of psionics has made the Consulate masters of psychosurgery, and the addition of cranial augmentations. Cybernetics that enhance psionic ability was developed two tech levels lower than it was in the Imperium. However, the psionic caste society of the Consulate represses the adoption of augmentation.

    Voluntary augmentation for reasons other than compensation for injury or debilitating conditions indicate a dissatisfaction with one’s body and is cause for re-education. The Prole class is scrutinized heavily, augmentation is strictly controlled to prevent the Proles from gaining an unnatural advantage. Intendants are likewise subject to surveillance. It is of uttmost importance by the Noble class that the psionic abilities of Intendants are developed through approved means, and not through technological or genetic modification. Nobles are constantly watching one another in the Consulate, looking for any leverage they can use on one another to gain social and political power without appearing “unmutually ambitious”. Augmentation to the Nobles are regarded as a potential vulnerability that outweighs the advantages they can provide.

    Solomani Culture

    The Solomani have embraced augmentation since even before they discovered Jump Drive. DNAM among Solomani colonies have given rise to dozens of sub-species of humaniti throughout charted space. In the Imperium, the Solomani culture pushes against Vilani traditionalism.

    The Solomani Movement resists the adoption of too much cybernetics, and just outright rejects DNAM. The Solomani Movement venerates the Solomani Human Genome and the core of their philosophy of Solmani Human Supremacy proclaims the “essential human form” is Solomani.

    In the Confederation, augmentation is tightly controlled by the Solomani Party. Politically this represses the resources available to any potential subversive groups that may arise within the Confederation.

    Aslan Culture

    In the Hierate and it’s client states, Augmentation is framed by Aslan Honor. Within the duelling socienty, if an Augment is judged to bestow an unfair advantage, it will either be disabled (if possible) or the disadvantaged duelist will be allowed equalizer to make the duel fair.

    Aslan otherwise have a practical opinion of augmentation, members of more prosperous clans able to afford better technology, and the less prosperous clans making do with what they are permitted by the stronger clans. Most augmentation for the weaker clans is intended to increase professional performance, while the more prosperous clans, similar to the Imperium, augment for attention and presentation.

    Aslan assassins often go through the most extensive augmentation, improving their physical ability, concealing weapons, improving their reflexts, and other augments for use in personal combat.

    Vargr Culture

    Vargr, being by their very nature highly individualistic and chaotic express the whole range of views regarding augmentation. Their opinion of cybernetic augmentation varies based on the pack and environment that is being queried. Most Vargr maintain that “so long as it produces the desired outcome, augmentation is just another tool in the box”. Even extensive cybernetic augmentation is generally accepted in the Extents.

    Having been uplifted to sentience by the Ancients, Vargr are far more causally comfortable with DNAM than other cultures in charted space. Whereas, for most peoples, altering their bodies through genetic engineering is a relatively recent development when compared to the age of civilization and the history of their culture, Vargr have been engineered from the point where they achieved sentience. The fact that several Vargr societies have developed DNAM technology on their own gives genegineering a measure of perceived Vargr control over their own destiny.

    Hive Federation Culture

    The Hive Federation often adjust their own views on augmentation based on the area they’re nearest to. For example, the systems that have steady interaction with the Two Thousand Worlds, the Hive Federation will adopt similarly restrained and conformist views regarding cybernetic augmentation and DNAM. However, for those systems that have regular contact with the Imperium and the Confederation, the Federation takes a far more accepting attitude (even a promotion of Chromed Augmentation to appeal to the influential communities in those polities)

    Travellers

    The exception to all of these cultures and societies are the Travellers. Whether a Traveller chromes themselves to the limits of their resources and their bodies, or pushes their genetic tolerance with extensive modification, Travellers seldom care about the opinions of society. The very nature of a Traveller’s life give them the freedom to move to a more accepting system, or take on professions where being extensively augmented is considered an advantage (such as mercenary work, or deep space exploration).

    We will be revisiting this topic next week, introducing some expanded house rules and some home-brewed cybernetics with which to tempt your players. Until then, have a happy Mayday! Traveller enters it’s Golden Year!