Lore and Legends of the Dezzyverse

Category: Eldrytch Suns

  • 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.

  • 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.