1.

Editing: Wollgang Baur and Keith 56ohm with Him Mnhan

Additional Design: Jim Bullar e Concspt & Creative Direction: BU Steuicsok
Typesetting: Angeliks Lokoiz Cover Graphic Desfgn: Mntl Adalrpmgr
I
interior Graphic Design: Soan Glonn e I\rt Dirsction: ppul Hanrh.lla CDVW Illustration: rk posi
d , Bisnni, Nuno Halv.rson, Hannibd Xing,
Interior Illustrations: Doug Alonndac Char105 B ~ ~ m r Tom
Androw Robinson, Dave Snl.r, Ron Walotsky
Character Concept Art: rk post e Stellar Cartography: Soan filann, Rob huarsllL Corny Mnc0ur.k
Special Thanks: Him Mohan and EhrLtoghor RI.khu
ALTERNITYLogo: Dawn Murin 0 STAR'DRIVE Logo: UIwn M

Playtesters: Peter Adkison, Jim Butler, Shawn Carnes, Dave Gross, Bruce Heard, Duana Peterson,
Sean Reynolds, Cindi Rice, Michaal Salinker, Jefferson Shelley, Bill Slavicsek, Paul Timm, and Sam Wood.
 When I was a child, I wanted t o be a n astro- So.you ask, what's t h i s all about?
naut. More than that, Iwanted t o patrol the infi- John Campbell, one o f the great influences on
nite stars in m y own space fighter and s i t in the Golden Age science fiction, demanded that his
captain's chair of my own space cruiser. Sadly, I authors confine themselves to one outrageous
think that we've become prisoners of our age. assumption per story.That was the rule, the de-
Just as the power of science begins t o advertise finition of speculative fiction.Today, this old r u l e
the secrets of distant stars, our sight and our de- of science fiction has fallen by the wayside-the
sire exceed our grasp.We just can't get there yet, audience expects t h a t you'll build on the as-
no matter how much we want to. So we dream. sumptions they've seen before in the genre.The
My dream of STAR~DRIVE began in early 1996 audience will give you faster-than-light travel,
along with the creation of the ALTERNITY role- antigravity, and a dozen other basic assump-
.
davine
, II
game. The conceDt called f o r a sDace t i o n s : don't
~ ~ ~ have t o prove your case for each
opera that could b ' i n tobay's science fic-
ancc excitement and t i o n i f YOU'VE-
tion with brushes story t o tell.
realism that didn't v i In the STAR'?DRIVE
late every known rule setting, we've postu-
physics. Why spa lated t h e existence of
opera? Cyberpunk. c o dozens of imaginary
sciences, technologies,
alien races, and worlds.
SF are a l l popula Despite these m a r v e l s ,
res. and maybe son1 this i s an imaginary fu-
soon we'll explore the t u r e in which human
But it i s space heroism, human weak-
doing battle over a n ness, and human m o -
iad of alien worlds t tives drive the action.
our thoughts f i r s t t u It's an age of discovery
t o when we hear t and wonder stained by
centuries-old conflicts
In other woiicts. the and rabid nationalism. I
century beckoned. I
The work be
s t i l l harried
greed, oppression, and
went into envisi 2 crafte:d all of these as-
that could bring us t o where and when w a ymptions to tell the story of theverge,
wanted t o be.We looked back over his- .n untamed frontier on t h e very edge of
1
tory and attempted t o draw parallels. We ii a r t e d space. Exploration, intrigue,
researched popular theories of hig re-everything t h a t represents
physics, and then we fashioned our t h e ' w o r s t humankind has t o
tory. In so doing, the setting took on d in t h e Verge. It's an o l d
own. With each decision about a col i t ' s far from worn o u t yet.
in the stars, the growth of STAR*DRIVE TAR*ORIVEabout? It's simple.The
more complete, more detailed, Iand'mo qtrive::itself,,the central assumption in our
esting t o witness. All s mptions, poses one question for
years. r s to answer:
STARIDRIVEis yours the stars. what would we do
of mine, TSR, o r W i r a _""ll---------

readers and players of Baker, April I 9 9 8

I invite you t o join u s in a dream
David Eckelberry, A
 W ' , . .. . .
...... JSE THISBOOK
lniad ........... re than ZDO pages waiting, the task of explrmng

IE
19 describing hslory, technology, and hundreds of indr
11 locations. Don? get overwhelmed. To help you along
22 clions of the book are dwided into dtscrete chapters
23
24
.-

to slmply turn to the next chapter and

df get the details of the STAR'DRIVL
26
n

olts of creaUng roleplaying scenarios, but it provfdes

g picture behind the whole settlng.

I ..........
.........
13

16
........... 37
37
19

16
16
............. jD
50
io arch all of t h star
~ system detailed in the sec
il the book. Look ovar page 17 and select d
........ jl
pmt ..... ...4 i2
i2
i2
ihlpe.. .... 52
i4

!3
!6 you'll findpopulated cities, space etatmns, and
12 domes that can fulfill this role. Another choice fur
74
15
42
I2
15.
11
!5
17
'1
19
13
18
19
13 memasters. Make the g
 A s humanity proudly takes i t s first steps t o explore space, most of us remain
stranded here on Earth.The heavens are imp
Moon, Mars, orVenus, our celestial neighbors, e
far away-we visit the
through remote cmeras.As a
I
species, we've come so far and done so much, e come so close to our
dreams.Travel t o the stars has filled our imaghatt .Yet today, the instru-
nents of technology can't quite take us there.
So close your eyes and travel forward into an futures. Leave behind
the internal combustion engine, the floppy disk, and the semiautomatic pistol, In 500
years, you can rely on faster-than-light driveships, 3
i. W e l c o r - to the STAR*DRIVEcampaig year is 2501.
 I
The STMD~IVE campaign ts the f h t ~sttlngfor the ALTERNITP ing in the death of blhone. In the end, the natlone a g r a d to
sdence fictlon rolsplaying game. Tu make WE of thla campaign peace not because of any smashing victory, but out of ~ h p h
book, you'll need copies of the ALTEBNRYHayer's Handbook exhaustion while some nations now M v e to forge a lasting
and the Gmamasfar Gu/d8.Those two books contein all of the peace, others scheme to increase thb powar and widen thelr
to play the game. This book doesn't contain an &here of mfluence. The threat of andular m a t war looms '
&E ~~CESEW
aesnrtrnent of addltlonal rules; Instead, It Introduces you to the
g a l d worlds
~ and adventures.
shockingly near.
Humanity itsd Is changlng. For csnturlas, men and womm
L
A's m age of &c-. Human ing~nulttyand allen tschnol- have ltwd on worlds far from Earth, slowly mutathg, adapthg,
ogg have mated the meam to traverse the incredible distances ~ local condttlone. Simultaneously, techndogicd
and S V O ~ W I Ito
between the stare. Gravlife trih are ours to master Without LntegraUm and body modlflcatlon has dmved those motlva$d
the b d l e s of light's speed Ilmlt to bind us, the stars are by probslonal ambition or personal desire to augment them-
oura to explore. Mllllons of stars shine in our galaxy, and we've selves wUh cybertachnology. Msdtcal ECIESICE has opened the
d y begun Io test the Muky W E ~ Sdspth Whits dwarfs, red path of g m U c E ~ # I I E E ~ on both the Individual and ~oclatal
giants, blue supergtante, pulsars, black holes, whtte holes- scale. Engmeered humans, and oven mutants, are powtng
th4re out there,waiting for us to flnd them. more common. The contlnued rise of extraordtnary mental
Orbftlng these stellar b O d h WE worlds that defy our com- powers among human beinge is mmom h x p h b l e .
prehmlon. Shslked in our solar system, guided by our q k More than war, ~ocistymust address the quasiion 'What
~~EI-ICB of only nine planets and a sun, we can't conceive does it mean to he human?'
of the combinations that the law of mattar, m g y , and It's an e 5 of b8mes Whether you're an explorer pe~llng
&WE have produced. unhrarse EEEW to debht in sur- back the edge of the un]olown, a diplomat in purault of Intema-
prising us, challmghg c w undmtandhg of ita laws and origlll~. tlonal leverage, a lradar h u n m down a few axtra Concord do&
In the STAR.Dmcampaign, human sdenUsta and a r c h e ~ l o ~ ~ llers, ~ or a soldier d e f e r h g our new homes in tha stars, you can
routinely d l s c m r eetonbhhg new life forms, imadtble space hear ds~thyb l m her Irumpet. It will fall on the shouldem of
and time phenomena, and scattered hits of andent lifm in the a few ECattErEd heroes-human, mutant, mindwalker, cyborg,
ruins and d a c b of atenworlds. Under the lQht of e d m and alien-to make the difference m the pars to come.
EW, the diversity of the galaxy can W e us all. Nowhere is thu struggle mors exempllfled than among the
A's an age ofwonder.Science gives us the tools to get there. distant stars of the Verge, a frontier region of the galaxy. Cut off
Ships of all sizes, shapes, and purposes navigate through space from the rest of human ovillzatlon durlng the War,thla snctor
and drivespace to travel betwean worlds F ~ r t r &Ips, ~ s ~ verita- of space has only recently been reunited with the galaLtlc can-
ble cltlea in space, are the q e n s h r e and indomitable peace- mmlty. Here, in a handful of star E~~EIIE, the rivalry of the
krrEpm Of the day, ferrying Vessels, prOtEctlng trade routes, and Stellar nations flares into espionage, raids, eklrmlshee, and
p ~ j ~ c a nd gt a r y force. The proliferahon of interstellar travel even deadly combat. Some fight the wars of the past; others
has produced a wealth of independent t-aders who buy, sell, strive to keep the freedom they won during the years of Isola-
and t dthe wealth of plan&. tion. More Coubling to the dantzens of the Verge Is the de-
ME abounds. As astronomen dlscovered at the end of the structlon of the Hammer's Star colony, a mall outp~aat the
20th century, planets are common near distant stars. In the farthest edge of explored space Rumormongers and prnphota
SUR'ORIVEgalaxy, ME ~ppearson othar planets more often whisper of a dark and terrifying enemy that wiped out the
than toda~'~ most op- projectlone planet^ strange and SdSmWt.
dangerow to human llfe have become home to organIsm6 that MEin the Verge Is to& and it may get s wbh lot tougher.
meet most il not all of the deflnlng qualika of life: asslmtlatioq
respiration, reproducUon, &development, movement, se-
ClWtiOll, and SXcrEUOn. cOll$EX llfEfOt$llE fiad tha W O W path
to BurviVd end EVOhJUOn. on a fEW luck)' Worlds, SEntiEnCE ON TOMORROW
Emerges. A tam 8 u m m a of~ ~all of humaniifs hlstory-to sv nolhtng cd
As the 26th century opws, WE'VE made contact with dozens the numerous other WedEE we have encountered-would con-
of a h spsdss. A few haw become f a m h brothers and ais- SEUIII thousands of pages Fo~tunatsly,dtlzans of the 26th cen-
a b cen- of weractlcn. Ohm are new &ends we've tuy begln thefr etudy of hlstory with the flrst misslone into
just come to h. Some we've adopted, much Ita W e n in space. Everything else le 'prespace Earth' and far tw andent to
need of guidance a6 thsy grow up No matter what ow relation- be of mterest to the average youth of 2501.
@, each sped@ MUWE to us with its own mlllsnnla of hiaory, Late in the 20th cenbry humanity to& its flrst stsp~away
Each s p ~ d ehas ~ been shaped by its own trlale and SUCCWEEE from home. Remote-controlled machlnes led the wey, followed
on the path to dvlbtlon, on a world completely unlike the one by m d craft spiraling into orbit. Before long, artlfldal ub-
we lolaw.A h all, thSy're called allens for a rnasnn. ]e& m e forever drding above, looking dmvn and tranmnit-
It's an age of change. As the centuries have passed, the gov- thg information acme8 the planet. The first eatellites were
ammanin and cultures of Earth have fallan away. Thefr l ~ g a d e ~ d t a r y in function, but soon a halo of satellites beamed me%
have seeded the stars and given birch to the new powers of sages around the planat and a man named Arrnamng placed
human apace, the stellar nations. %day these nations extand the first human footprints on the Moon
humanlife control of space, currently spreading out acrose Technologl and invention continued to advance at a rapid
mors than 1,000 bht-pare. Each nation the product of a pace in the 21st century Slowly, semiautonomous &OIMS and
unlqus origln and culture, and their naiional ~ a often h Mer probes left Earth to travel throughout the EO^ aptem, axplor-
wtddy. All of the stellar natlons remab locked in dru&.
and cataloging the nearby planeta In 2032, the world w88
Only a few years ago, the stellar nations ended a csnbry- ing llnksd ebckonically by the flrst Grid, an sllhanment of sarh
long war, the second fought b0tWSEn the young spacaborne
powers. The Second Galacac War wa6 a terrible GO& result-
I allowed nearly limitless data &--
- - ..
h
I
The rdx mat p w v s l s dldn’t low control J
 . ' .. ". . ... .

the etellar governments pudgingly obeyed. As the demand ;ortiurn stumbled across ths mechalus, a species of humanoids
from the Empire increased, however, ii became apparent the hat ltved with hiuy integrated cybertechnology. The FUgunmors
something needed to be done. None of the young colonial gov- EUCCRSSM~ cajoled the aliem into Iolning their young nation
ernments was willing to take that first step, however. Publicly, with promlees of independence and free trade.
they obeyed. Rivately, they complained loudly and bitterly. Likewise, VoidCorp discovered the jungle world of Sheya. A
New colonial powers rose and fell among the stars, some- VotdCorp resnurce analpis tsam nearly bypassed the rssource-
times completely unnoticed by the Imperial Council. The birth of poor world. Inslead, they met a p-ve allen species. Worklng
the Thuldan Colonial Authority in September 2263 was des- like the Orlamue before them, VotdCorp negotiated the Se-
tined to alter the bahCE of power. Guided by a vision of a hu- sheyan Compact. VoldCorp executives intltnidated the sesheyan
manity united under a single bannar and lad by the charismatic populalton into a servitude equivalent to the conditions d Void-
tycoon Gregor Kent, Thuldan fleets conveyed wave6 of millions Corp Employees operate under to thls day. That is, the resulting
of colontsts to their new homes. Nearby coloniee joined with the treaty between VoidCorp and the sesheyans guaranteed that the
affluent and well-equipped Thuldans-some of them wilhgly, offspring of sesheyans would toil in psrpetua subjugation for all
others forced into annexation by the Thuldans' growlng military time. Other colonies and the %man media denounced the h a w ,
and economic power. From the inhOSpitablE world of Naria, the but no one was in a position to force VoidCorp to change its
Nariac Domain consolidated system after eyetem under their w a p . The sesheyans became the flrst allen epsdee that hu-
waichful leadership. The Tsrrans didn't care who ruled the mane forced into slavery. VoidCorp stepped up its efforts to find
"provhces," frankly, es long as the money kept rolling in. a second.
One angry voice within the Term Empire phyeicdly re-
moved itself from Earth's dominion. The Hatlres, long mnsid-
ered radicals for their outspoken hatred of technology, endured
a voyage to e new planet where they could set up their own
way of life. Critics of their faith took the opportunity io attadt the
Hatires; after d,the technology the Brethren deplored was the
key to founding their own nation. The Hatire ignored their crit-
Ics and eenled disiant colonies, keeping the location of a few of
them secret. They were cut off from Earth infiuence, but also
from lte technology, resources, and support. Many were happy
to see them go.
As the colonies expanded outward into space, new worlds
fell under human control, and inevttably humans encountered
more alien species. Representatives of the Rlgunmor Star Con-
Auskir-Ontis Unlimtted
Anarchist Union
Borealis Republic
Chrysanhemum Imperium
Nordic Independr
OGAM, Inc.
Orlamu Theocracv
Pioneer Coprospr
...-._ I
Delavan Autonomous Region Fiigunmor Star Ci
;L Commonwealth Sothvec Lndffibiee
Kyreua Society StarMech Collective
3 community Sultanate of Fomalhaut
4 Slates Taurean Star Republic
.dle Xlngdom Thuldan Empire
iac Domain Union of Sol
New Columbia Utopia Nov
New Foundland VoidGrp
A

7 .
 VI iE
,I_-

'HE STAR*DRIVE SHORTHAND

iscussing a particular individual, it is often conveni
Ih o w a few facts but not the character's life history or p
be abilities. Some supporting cast members are briefly,
cribed by [species-sex/nationality/profession-level~, 1
nample, a lare1 8 female human spy of the Concord wo
e described as [Hf/Goncord/FA-8]. Professions inch
ombat Spec ICSl, Diplornai (DES, DFA, DTO,or DMW), F1
gent [FA), Mindwalker Ryrwl, Tech Op (TO], and Nonp,
issional NR.

SPECIES CODES
*ct.
fraal I

- IATIONALITIE,
-w
Ausbin-Onm Unlimited
Borealis Republic
Hatire Communitv
Insight
Nariac Domain
Orion League
Orlamu Theocracy
Rigunmor Star Consortium
StarMech Collective
Thuldan Empire
Umon of Sol
VoidCorp
Galactic Concord
Verger
Independer

L
 The STAR*DRIVEcampaign contains an Of course, with thousands of stars t o
entire galaxy o f amazing technology. explore, some of the generalizations
This chapter introduces you t o impor- made here won’t apply t o specific loca-
tant elements of the setting and how tions. Some star systems may lack inter-
they will affect your plots and adven- stellar travel. Local economies may func-
tures. After all, for heroes t o succeed tion by barter, o r they might deny
ey must understand the wonders notions of ownership entirely. For
ey’ll encounter. A l l heroes should example, the Second Galactic War left
nderstand the advances of science and many planets as battered ruins, includ-
medicine, the complexities of travel, the ing some worlds deep in the heart of
military strategies of Old Space.And who
the day, the specifics can predict what
of commerce, and !xplorers may find
the religions of the >ut on the fron
time, they should i e r o e s , be
also have a passing varned: Sur
familiarity with ire part of the job
psionics, cybertech- b f interstellar
nology, and robotics. tdventure.
L COMMUWICATIOW

INTERSTELLAR
msrgsdwlththsfeet of the plminal mde. For sx
, -
 S I:
TABLE
DISTANCES
INTERSTELLAR

- AI k Irr eu g. 118 Ir 1(.

38.69 22.23 47.27 37.60 42.92 43.64 36.02 40.70
38.69 - 38.30 84.82 58.47 76.14 53.02 59.54 40.48
22.23 38.30 - 60.83 23.85 52.99 3167 56.29 57.96
47.27 84.82 6083 - 64.46 2217 67.73 51 16 72.40
37.60 58.47 23.85 63.45 - 61.53 47.81 63.29 73.70
49.92 76.14 52.99 22.17 6 1.53 - 50.45 59.38 71.64
43.64 53.02 11.88 67.73 47.81 50.45 - 79.10 76.59
36.02 59.54 56.29 51.16 63.29 59.38 79.10 - 31.55
40.70 40.48 57.95 72.40 73.70 71.64 76.59 31.35 -
20.21 44.01 34.54 54.48 41.10 57.53 32.31 24.51 36.19
38.86
~~ 37.04 38.56 80.85 43.01 80.99 68.59 48.54 47.01
22.80 39.13 35.38 51.65 56.20 39.51 39.37 47.39 41.55
42.45 78.45 51.93 35.98 44.03 50.02 73.39 41.88 68.81
25.90
~ ~ ~~ 5988 31.22 _ _
3262 40.10 22.51 36.18 52.69 63.28
49.99 81.29 70.32 39.96 74.36 52.27 87.80 28.00 53.41
20.82 58.84 31.52 33.35 33.39 36.31 51.42 38.16 55.92
51.02 44.33 60.21 77.48 83.39 63.30 55.96 67.47 47.83
34.79 30.15 37.96 69.67 61.66 55.09 35.63 6195 47.78

20.21
Lu Ma
38.86
m
2280
PI
42.45
Ri
2590
ml
49.99
Tmr
20.92
rr
5102
vi
34.79
44.01 37.04 3913 7845 59.88 81.29 58.84 44.33 S0.15
34.54 38.56 35.38 51.93 31.22 70.32 31.52 60.21 37.96
54.48 80.85 51.65 35.98 32.62 36.96 33.35 77.48 69.67
41.10 43.01 56.20 4403 40.10 74.36 33.39 83.39 61.66
57.53 80.99 39.51 50.02 22.31 52.27 36.31 63.30 55.09
32.31 68.59 39.37 73.39 36.18 87.80 51.42 55.96 35.63
24.51 48.54 47.39 41.88 52.69 26.00 38.16 67.47 61.95
36.19 47.01 41.55 68.81 63.28 53.41 55.92 47.83 47.78
- 28.01 40.17 37.66 42.18 44.75 26.60 64.54 51.05
28.81 - 56.30 59.23 61.75 71.73 49.12 74.67 58.44
40.17 56.30 60.62 30.95 57.76 38.48 30.34 18.88
37.66 59.23 bum6 - 41.23 39.15 23.54 89.95 76.22
42.18 61.75 30.95 41.23 - 54.59 28.81 60.01 44.46
44.75 71 73 57.76 39.15 54.59 - 42.91 79.02 75.74
26.60 49 12 38.48 23.54 28.81 42.91 - 68.58 53.21
64.54 74.67 3034 89 95 60.01 79.02 68.58 - 28.50
5 1.05 58.44 18.88 76.22 44.46 75.74 53.21 23.50 -
I
 I
.

I
 DE BAW
io, how should a Gamemaster gei a trader hero started?
‘nst of all, the would-be free trader needs an opporhmi!~to
my, lease, or sdvage her own ship. A drtwship is useful if
he hero wants thw oppoFtunity to vlslt any part of the Verge
het shkw her fancv. while a &D IS a mom eco-
lamical chnice. Evenwth a systernsh~~, ;he can VM other
tars-she‘ll p s t have to hitch a ride on lnrqe irtersystem

I
ransports, the fighthotse, or any fortress ship passing
‘Imugh the ragton.
The fmetrader needs to reuse a stake nnth which to pur-
hase her first cargo (see TNL&52: Cbmmo&~ A begin.
ltng stake of about $6,000 per Personality pomt is no1
measanable for a new hwo ustng the lkader cmer (daw
Ile thai if she has the Fdthy Rlch perk), but an Bxpenenced
h a r e taking up trade for the h t tune should only have
vhatever she can gat her hands on at the start. Ii she can?
f h d to purchase her own go& fnr d e lam, the free
=der might rwt cargo space to other msrchanls A ahpping
38 of 10% 20%, or 30% (depending on an item’s bulk) d
w wal cargo’s pmflt is fairly standerd ~CTCISS the Verge.
Of course, a @adermust find a commodity to carry and a
lace to purchssa it-thmgh any major port has work of h s
ort However, it m@t be nscessaq to deal with stupping
gents or port supernsum IIIorder to arrange a h e and
lace for loading. The trader will also have to find a place
rhere her cargo is m demand [or lust fly her cargo to a
uywk locahon) and then arranga to sell it Fmdy, she can
OW! her proceeds from ule sale of her mun CWQO.
The fastrtst way for a trader to mcrewe her profits IS to
mug& contraband. W e the return is hqher, the rtsks are
lsp greatermany systems Hnll seize a vessel found to be
arrymg rsshlcted goods. In exchange for the return of her
hip, the m m u s t stgn a bond backed by funds up to
Wb of the shtp‘s value If &e is again caught muggltng, the
wls are forfeited and the ship seized permanently.
%aders may also hava to make payments for a ship, or
ole nut cash for mew salaries, &d dues, and ship mamte-
ance. In ad- taxes. d o h g fees, and other expenses
ould put a dent m I :hant‘s bottom hene.

FORMATION
18 E tndrp buslnesS WS
I ng iron-
"
w '
% .
c

;
b a g can use a irauma pa& a beh pouch that comblnes a
dedicated computer, medtclne Injectors. and synthsac flesh
uo baymrd stmpb Denak rep-,
il U ~ Mb e h r a s to examtne and Improve the gmoms gtmr
w
patch& to prowls immediate madtcal rellef A properly used a ! h by gasratton. Somnnmss ratled ' a m ewhtnnn' and
irauma pack can heal most woundr; and even s t a b h mortal BDmstlms denounced 88 'rsdtlssp Unlmring' the practks b San
damags unal pmper medical amntlon becomas wailable. Au- cmaldsred dktampful by msny cltkmh lt'a most common
b u d s , popular among travelm and explorers, am easen- m m g colmkta L00)dnu lo adopt ttmk rhildrsn @ddy to tho
haUy smart irauma pa& that monitor the wwwr's status and forsign envtronmants of a h n planets It's also pmalent
act to counter dlseaee, to&, wounds, PI n~unesvia hjeetlons thmuuhout the ?huldan Empiis
even If the wearsr & totally incapacitated an autnmedlc can GanMc snginasring haa produced pdvantepl for the
even dose wounds & u g h basic ampry If placsd at the pn- masses too Each decads or en,cttkans go to a hospitd cp p
ctse site-of Injury netlc spa for anU-aginp me thslgpv .%nuthskmahrmtms$
Yet the neid for profes6lonal medlcal personnel has n s w $7,500 OT mom, not m q .dollar n&n o[Isrs 8 M part of
&appeared Just as old challanges haw been overcorn, nmv basic Mth cam (and ln the HaUm ,- pscSae llfs ux-
ones &e to take their place Wen rmcrnhm and diaewes, rare tpnslon Is fl~gallAs a of thm traammb, Ihs kfmpurm
thouph they may be, pose new oh st ad^^ to human hsalth, as of humans and o!hw aantisnt ~ p a d s scmtlws to m. ?ha tvp-
numerous frontler coloms have dIstowred lrmkdly, the Sac- kd human can llva 200 yam m m e , arrwnfnp a h of few
and Galactlc War was e fantastic hme for mdcal researdL acddam end maatant medid CBR
Some of the best hospitals ln human hlscoy w m founded dur Giherspfflas h a w u s e d r i r n h r ~ t e c h n i q w t atand
a
my the cnrQict, lndudingChe mmdicalM t e s of lhuldanb e thslr h a . Ths already lq-kved irpnl h morn Oun 4w
and Sapphire Nevertheless, fm all the pram that surgeons and para M u s , historically &hUy l n n g e r h d than humm
doctors of the war heap upon racant medical innovations, the thanks lo thoir moleruler rap@ untiu, hva m 250 yum
need for aalned nwses, doctors. and paramedics cnnthuss to Ab0rlgh.d a&-myam m Mcaw mntad Htth VddCcq
grow S!~IT&~ES along the stellar ~ t l o n sborders
' WE parapUy h d lew than SO years, with modsrn scienca pnd bemu rum-
responsible, but so & the new age of exploratlon tlom, they can roach 180 m 190 Wsn who a a l ~ eUm bat-
?he advance of madicallecimo~,Wre that ofthe stardrlw, h s of their ymth and ma& d d pes can llvn up to 180 yssra
a
has been a thorwgh cambinetlon of human and allw ingwu- Evan ths notoriously short-livad t'sa, mcn ac& to %
Itv Knowledge of the human body has advanced to allow for all just 35 years, now have an awrngs llfa nxpmmcy of mom
h d r ; of improved ireatinem and reduced hmpital stays Med- than a caw.
,'
lcal knowledge sncompasees so m y fields and subspecialdw h b g a n o t l c duplicates-ars another mdpawih of ymmc
that the gansral prachtloner d e s extanntvely M computers, a c q hm w .C h a d serdlents -tat lsas thm 9%of the wal
databasw, holo coderances, robots, and cvbm~ As a re- galactic populaaon, mnd dons# are born to Intsrm9 muples or
nrlt humans enjoy an madlble rate of recwery Advanced tai- are rabed ln mrporata mcka 'Ihs axuct 1 4 stshu cd n dnm
lored drugs can augment the b o w s own abilily to heal !njwy depwds on the local laws, usupllv. hay are mated M t h lqtd
'Ihe average hcqltal stay has bean reduced to Drily two dap, b of thstr yn& p a r a ttm pmm, m both
and m ' y mjurles that n@ht have o m led to sllrgsry and bad ?he Boraalls RspuMic famous fm Its dwrpopulsmm Half
'rest can now be treated In a few howg of ths Flepubltc's populaaDn aherss lssa than 100 7unorad and
Contact xith the kaaL mechalus, and t'sa has done wonders Sstabbhed' gsmmes, g m typaa that E o m d t ~ rsp-
for Ik'an medical knowledge The fraal taught humans how resent the & of th& Bur& genatldst-
-e he
-4
to bed the bod+& bv the &en appllcatlon Ilnd raw genome lines about ma a d d
 COMMONGENOTYP~~
engineering by the Thuldan Empwe has pmdun
any speciflc h s of genotypes. The most famous are t i
bhm (see page 25 11, Vamuin, and HI-g mutants, all nn
tsbllshed y1 the Empm and known (if not exactly familia
j m h a C n m d Shock Troopers are elm fakly comm~i
concord Shock ’bopem are a very recent genotypa, cri
ed by the Taurean Ster RepubUc late in GW2 and stnr
lopted by the h m d Thev have Increased Matab&
lprmred Reflexes,-and Adrenal Control They are trained 1
w from blrtll; 1,000 such tmqm sew with the ConCoI
arines aboard the ModW. shock Trwpers suffer Ira
1 oderaa Reduced Will
Vacuum mutants aran’t @e vecuum-prwf but t h q BI
Atmosphere Adaptation and RdatJon Tolwance, Vacuw
--ut- BJffer half damage from explosrvs &compresslo
id have dght Ifigh G r
am Sentdhvyr and Minor Physlci
iange (narrow faces and elongated I11nhs1drawback
w Thuldan miners WR Vacuum mutmts.
Hi-g mutants haw Hyper Shwngth, Gravlty Adaptam
d Improved CON and can wnrk at up to 2 g. Their foo
mands are comspondlngly higher, and they suffey fror
&%at M e t a h o h and Major Physical Champ (1.4 m ta
Id up tu 160 kilos).
 Enhandng organic IUe with cy%erneUcImphts has been posslhle distaste. Flnanciere and grldpflots with nanocomputers and ath-
for centuries, but cyberlech has never achleved wtdeepread pop- letes using cvtronlc circuitry are acceptable. Anything more ob-
ularity In the 26th century, cyberneticists continue to explore vious lnsplres apprehenslon and distrust.That's especlally true
whafs poeslble, and the lins between humane end machina con- If h cpberware has a &ary appllcatlon. h l y on the most
hues to blur Is humanity d evolving, e m to follow a path k s rugged and untamed planets can Battleflaws, body platfng, or
that of the mechalus' That seems unlikely The h#s mposed on Muscleflus go without attracting attention from Iew enforce-
cybernetlce are self-imposed With the possible exception of the ment agenclee.
Nadacs, neither tha peoples of the Stellar Fihg nor their govem- The precise reactton of CltiZens of the Stellar Rtng depends
ments are prepared to accept a cyher-domineted galaxy on the nation of their [email protected] Nariaca are wall known for the
If h t o r y Is a guide, cybertechnology will bypaas tha limits integratlon of CybefiBchnQhWinto all aspects of their lives, es-
anyone attempts to impose The flrst slpificant meldlng of elec- pecially law enforcement and population control. Cyberiech-
tronics and the human nervous W e m occurred in 2181 century nology plays an active role in their h s , and their bodies and
mllltarles Subdermal weapons, cyberopucs, and body platfng culture h a w &pled to contab It. The Rtgunmore, thanks to
eventually gave way to full limb replacements Medidne fol- their long lriendshlp with the mechalus, think little of electronic-
lowed close behind, using cyberware to replace lost eyes and organic combinations. The Auetrlns and the Brethren of the
h b s and deploying microscopic nanltes to enhance the bod+ Hattre Communtty are much less forgiving. The Hatire hold cy-
ahlhty to heal wounds and fight off &ease herware in contempt because it pollutes the human soul. The
The next step in cybertech's evolution wae its move into the citizens of Awkin-Ontls also objea to cyberware, but for a dif-
manstream, albeit III a small way Business people, scientlsts, ferent reason. Their dldike stems from the Austrins' flerce con-
and ~idpllotsadopted the simplest form of cyberware-neural flicts with the Nariacs during the Second Galactlc War,
interface lacks, popularly known as NUacks-to enhance their Use of offensive cyberware Is prohiblted by the same laws
everyday effechveness Finally, fashion,forwar seelung some- that prohibit assault and physical attack. Unfortunately, the
thing new, has accepted fragments of cybertechnology Lnto Its wielders of cybertech weapons are di(tlcult to disarm. Dspend-
world Bioarl Is a common sight within the Stellar Rtng, and few ing on the local government, cyber-enhanced lawbreakers may
question the casual use of such neon unplante simply be tagged for location, or they may have their cyberwere
forcibly removed. In the minds of the masses, any overly cy-
bered human Is an unpredictable Mer, a cykotek in the mak-
Ing. In reallty, few cykoteks exist. Most cyber-enhanced humans
Thanks io the enls in the are normal citizens who prefer to keep their cybernetic gear
Stellar h g view anything more than cosmetic unplants with W e d , or at least concealed.
n II
\

I
I

II
I
I
I
I I
I
. ",
., -.

I
I y---,,,,
 The Treaty of Concord (2472) recog- Each stellar nation controls a d i s t i n c t
nizes thirteen distinct governments divid- region of space, marked on star maps
ing explored space-the stellar nations. and patrolled by military driveships.
These rulers of the galaxy make decisions The borders indicate which stellar
that affect all of humanity and the species nation owns which star systems. While
it has contacted. Together, the stellar they vary widely in size, even the small-
nations lay claim t o thousands of colo- est nations control tens of thousands of
nized worlds and outposts throughout star systems and are home t o more
hundreds of light-years. Given their might, than 200 billion sentients. A s many as a
the only force capable of stopping a stellar t r i l l i o n reside in the larger stellar
nation i s another nations.The laws of
stellar nation. a stellar nation
Twelve stella apply t o a l l t h e
powers w e r e t h worlds under i t s
most powerful Flag, b u t enforce-
republics when the ment depends on
Treaty of Concord the particulars of
was drafted. A s a each world in ques-
group, they are tion. Given t h e i r
sometimes called immense size, the
the winners of t h nations contain
war, simply by v i r t u hundreds o f
o f t h e i r surviva diverse s t a r sys-
Without the treat tems, c l i e n t
the Second Galacti regions, and allied
W a r w o u l d hav
continued, *&aim planets. W h a t a vis-
t o r can e x p e c t
jep&h%k %o't only
3n t h e s t e l l a r
a i to &E phenomenon E nnw trlbalfsrn: Humans-an
et@m&$i of thsmedvee 88 oacna B o r s ~ or, RING
THESTELLAR
I A
=The Stellar Ring
and Open Space

0 Alien Settlement
1
 WLE S J STELLAR
~ NATIONS
LENSUS

) M BR HE IN ND OL OT RC SM TE US VC EC TDtd
640 362 455 273 633 877 745 700 527 1071 1804 944 546 9577
1.4 0.7 0.2 3.9 0.6
0.6 0.3 0.1 0.4 0.2
0.4 0.00 0.00 0.01 16.1
0.3 0.7 0.9 1.8 1.1 0.9 0.4 0.1
0.1 31 0.6 0.5 0.8
1.3
a
7

BgES) M BR RE IN ND 01 OT RC SM TE U5 VC BE ?w.l
4 1 3 0 2
8 2 9 8 1
1 2 0 7 3 0 2 4 2

dormaUtm 16 11 1 8 4 13 8 15 19
2 5 0 3 1 17 73 3
51 13 1
5 8 0 2
13 46 0
f

L
 I AUSTRIW-OWTIS UWLIIVIITED

. .

,.I/'..,., r ...
 " /
i
I
 I BOREALIS REPUBL.2

I f
I

i
I
I
t
I
i
' I
,...
 I %deafby a f m U U h d b 7 not with ik aherreUons or l& tal
n&y darn, but wfLh ow hrothers and sisters, hmitng to-
@#@ for the soul of hum*/
24th century transformed Hath

-HQh Minister Marion Rhodes, 2498

zhs HBtlrs COmmUnity is Rmptre N e d with contradlctlons.
A thsacratlc &Uer netlon that couldn't practice lte faith without
the stardrlvi, ths Brsthren deny the V ~ U Sof the technological
c h s e of manklnd. Most of humanity SRRE the advance of
cc sclance 88 a mBe8uFB of humanity's progress. Thla belief
~BSWfoolish in ths BVW of the Brethren. The success of a
C
spedes cannot be manured in technological toys alone. Tha
Whrsn belteve that tha nsxt s t y in humanity's wolutlon will

IST TORY
Mors than 100 , bsfore the inventlon of the stardrive,
rmp of refiglous reformen exardssd
wmal of Earth's auperpuwars. Over
pst ground as technologicel bmakthroughn
EI waffestar pace. Still, as sdenttfic advances
LWd chalge, the htlra faith attracted &RS
marksung Itself es e return to a 8pirltual way
message WBD hard,and hundrada of Hatlre com-
rrrrmes sxlstnd on Earth by the time the flrat specs colonies
THESECOND GALACTIC 1

&id,hophg to build e nmv sodety. Sub-

Terran powers helped lift the &itre into
8p w and the fatth's early epacebms popularity m u r e d its
of@?& BUCC888, c O h i 8 6 were sstebltshed in dozens Of Sys- , 'hit!Wlth mlesloaarfss
&,w d the Hatire doctrlnse of a slmpl~life of hard work and
a mi&mm of tachnology met wtth greet SUCCESB. Cotpni&
nippolled thatr closest nelghhara and michanged I I I ~ O I T I I E ~ ~ ~ ;
hnhdy, the W d cdonies formed e dosed sconomy with
UllR BUOih0r, EXCiKdlng the rest Of human space. k t Since,any
dosed SOdBty Ls an irresMble lurs to human curloattv, the pea
feros of the HE- colonies spread, and mom BrEIhrRn took to Exp
bu etm Connected by religious Ues, E shard sense of the fu-
lm, d e budding economy, the Hatlre Community dedarsd in e gro
fteslfa Retlon on Sept
h decades passed, tha Hatlre some of Its cohs-

u
 Insight's revolt started with small things. Often difficult to
-Zane, 2460 manage, the Inseers were allowed to choose one of their own
as their division's new vice president in 2314. The practice of
Insight is the youngest stellar nation, born only 40 years ago. promoting gridpilots from inside the division to leadership soon
On the surface, it barely deserves mention. It boasts the fewest became an Insight tradition. Under their own leaders, Insight
star system and the weakest military But as the saying goes, grtdpilots popularized radical system of thought. The Grid, In-
knowledge is Po seers posited, is not an artlfidal reality, m even a secondary
reality The Grid was, waiting lor us io find it. The Grid is,more
real than real, the haven of conscious minds embracing one
another. The Grid wiU be humanity's ascension.
Insqht's history is ine VoidCorp and Worrnafjon born free became the Insight matin. To lhis day,
the Grid. Although systems lor electronic data transfer ei&ted the Inseers still believe that data has a natural inclination to
in the 19605, the first true Grid came into use in 2032. The dmermnate and no government rehgon or corporahon has
Earth-Grid linked all of the planet in a sophisticated virtual en- the right to reshid the now of informauon Given this dllerence
vironment, and the cnmputer-focused corporation that eventu- m amtude. the break wth VoidCorp was foreordained Aware
ally became VoidCorp had its hand in the Grid from the of how VoidCorp execuuves would rean to any statement of
beginning. Insights pmciples, the Insight revoluuon stayed underground.
While claiming massive areas of space in its early days, The gridpilots expanded the audence lor their messages but
VoidCorp made technological leaps. In 2193, the first drive- found the hipical VoidCorp Employee urunterested Man non-
space communication relay-commonly known as a drivesat- Insight Employees were consumed by corporate ambition and
was designed. Initially limited to simple data exchanges, in only u d a d a r w~thfree thought. The lnseers realued theu lonely
seven years VoidCorp Employees integrated Grid technology situauon, and kept loolung lor the proper means to acheve m-
with the drivesats. while real-time interstellar Grid exchanges dependence
remained impossible, gridpilots developed the use of shadows W e Insight Employees kept up the unage 01 loval, pro-
to cross dnvespace and interact in the interstellar Grid. dumve servants Vice Resident N237 82WBR [Stalker met
Rolits and fortunes could be made from this medium, and wth representanves of the Freespace Nhance ln 2394 The
VoidCorp hastened io realue that goal Most stellar nations li- clandestine gathering set in motion a plan for the next 50
censed creation and even maintenance of Grid systems io years. In those 50 years Insight was the most valuable intell-
VoidCorp Employees. No independent corporation could gence asset m human h t o r y Insight gridpdots uncovered key
compete with the stellar nation. After two decades of Void- elements 01 the Expansion Pentads strategy plans and d i a r y
C a r p dominance, competitors sensed the opportunity for placements Unaware of the source ol their miehgence repons
profit, and VoidCorp saw the need io maintain a division de- the Orion and Orlamu militaries were remarkably well pre-
voted to advanced Grid design and shadow programming. pared for the Pentads offensives Tune after hme Freespace
Insight was incorporated as a VoidCorp division in 2198. attacks found VoidCorp weaknesses-without signilicant
From its inception, Insight produced success after success. damage to Insight assets
VoidCorp technology and implementation became the stan- Insights treechery can accouit lor many of the Freespace
dard for the interstellar Grid. With a near monopoly, sale of Ahances successes. Sall trapped ln the corporauons grasp
VoidCorp computers skyrocketed as the corporation inte- the Inseers annously awated the o p p o r r u r u ~to~ leave Void-
grated proprietary hardware and sofhvare system. InsQht's C a r p behind. Their philosophy abhorred the secrets they
achievements gave its vice president unprecedented influence, lound themselves keeping. In 2454 the Inseers met face to
and Insight was granted unheard-of independence. lace wth Resident Hale of the Orion League Knowing the
. ,.! , ~. Insight was the closest tung that VoidCorp had io an in- value of Insight's inside lnlormahon Hale advised patience
stitutionalized forum for artists. As hefty profits continued to Long ured of h message trnm the Orions the Inseers made
roll in, the Inseers, a5 they came to be known, got whatever theu final preparations On February 5, 2460 lndependence
they wanted. No b e e r held lower than N rank, and top de- was declared. Insight posiuoned its strength in what was lor-
signers were Qs or higher-the equivalent of a subdivision merly Dreth Commonwealth space and seven defecung Void
manager [see the VoidCorp text]. The unique environment be- C o r p fortress ships gave the new stellar nation a fierce hire
came an accepted part of Insight's organization. Free intellec- VoidCorp was stunned. Insights heathery was the best
tual exchange blossomed ln one small d~vlsionof VoidCorp
. . .: .. . . .
. .

A year before GW1, Insight marked iis centennial as an incor-

porated division. Generations of Instght Employees had been
born, educated, and even died as members of the division. The
top-notch computer professionals had unrestricted access to
the Grid and all the information it could provide. Insight Em-
ployees enjoyed not only the liberty to exchange ideas inter-
nally, but also channelr; that connected them to all of humanity.
Insight's intellectual freedom madested itself in a multitude nf
ways. Their freedom led to revolution and betrayal.
 NARIAC DOMAIN

wior to any other. Prlvats

and CreatS an SkQ C b .

dlsntstat0 of tha VoldCorp

:itizen-worksrs are equal. This equality is

 PLAYINGA NARIA
h individual Nariac-tha idaa fsallon, bordering upon t h ab-
~
surd. It's true that indlvlduab and &dual isadoms RM
wlth the Domain, but tn dRbR a Nariac Is to dESCribS 6 mSm-
bar of a thriving communUy. Just .sa the Domatn rewards each
of It6 worker-citizens with a Ilvs~thood,nmployment, and a
 A
\

. .
I A

3t
I
4:.* ,:; . : PLAYING AN ORION
Categorlzfnu m Orion l s k s tripping a wild wren-fruatratlne It
,..:. at b m . From ib exploretian canturm ago und todsy, tolerance
,.;*. and dtvsrsity have Ulwnlnated Won apace. while many statas
.. ' SmEk to brPl0 unlrv OUI Of 8 ~ E n E 6 8 the
. Orion LSSUUE W E m
 I
I

I wlh the bES &cess in mlnIaMzatton and development of

ptnrdrtw technology, and h u h high productton the Orlamus
make a hehv profit in S&S of stardrhsa and the technology m
h&pd for ceniurtea. fortunately, itk p r A d profitabk-i well
M educattod. Orlamu rnedtunwothmrs&phr cell thm dct-
wspacs navigators-haw1 ulmugh the UneDnsdoue rngularly,
Wd tham l b M m u m d l a lndwby has bloaaornad dnca and the Orlamu people hold a QW I deal of ~ C for all E
GW2 os more and more humans seek an eltesnadve m the Bo- h g t h ~~~IIVES~~CS
t iouchas Ihe most fmus sxsmple era
realins' atraq$ehohDld on the enteRainment industry In turn, the gsnsrally honored and pampered Starborno, a group
~ o n o m l e~UCEESRhas forpd a strong dtq. Although moat whose members were born in the UnconsElous.
lFlluary VE& apsnd most of thalr tima conducuq research ?he only enermeS an Orlamu adm!ts m PIP the a, the
rather than war, the Orlamu navy hes proven iteelf tfms end t~dlous,and tha bmtryl Ihebnlngdaslreto dlacoverBu8tha
agah, f s v o r h ~supfftor technology and h-p io w- Orlamu ME and and It's common to flnd &lamug b g the
StM amlades d emke forcw borders of humanity-venturing in@ ths unknwm, u l y ~ ~ofl
Insnsrtual and r o w kaadom are accepted EE a matter what m exp~dbut wtlh-q to accspt whutavar la found
of U~UTSE by the Orlamus, more a mutter of tradltton than of For ths Orlpmu p~oppl~, the Orlamist church and thiomttc
any vnitlm contmct Even mod Orlamus follow the O r W QovenmentWE larwly acceptad PO a matter oi coum. Dripmu
tslh, most Orlamus hold the theocrattc gmrnmnnt 88 E m- mfsrdonarl~swander the stars, but mosl m m mors M a d kt
usspry 4,1101 a h ~ l iMplrad y power. Ihe Orlamus nc- pera~nalnxplorpiions and imrsstlgatbn than to m & n g con-
howladps the need for a central power to organlze the vBp010116 to the Orlamlet fauh. Aftmr all, the rehaon p ~ e e sas
interssls of the stellar n a b and SRE to its common ~ I W S E , many quasdons to its faithful aa fl dmhvera EIIEWE~
but mogt ol tha tlms h i m is as much of n burdened burmau-

..,.
 lid I

LL

Citizens of the Stellar Nations: Solar. Starmech. Mmrhslm

I . I , I
ech and the athar r e StarMeEh
form and pairollad the losrtes on
~ CO~OU~ES.In
of t h new
 he Collective has relocated Its capital to the planet Chance, re- do have h a specid cleverness that goes into manufadwing
P
d h g its curreni territories will be the effort of a lifetime. In ships and robots. StarMech construction and engineering ro-
an effort to share the burden, StarMech CEO Adam Spiner do- bots fulM most of the needs of the society, and Slarm~chsare
nated s m a l sectors of ravaged planela and hatilafields to the comfortable wiih their mechanical senran$, treating thm BE
Galactic Concord Neutrality of Concord Taurus. In the process, other cultures treat dogs or childran. Most S t m c h s prder to
he reduced the Collective to one of the smallest nations in area. travel with at l e a one robot emant.
Tnday‘e Collective embraces a level of unification and orga- StarMech culture ~ V S Sand breathes in tha technical ad-
ntzation that only two galactic wars could bring. The rule of th@ vances of the day. For instance, they B e r n more comfortable
Collective Is finally recognized ihroughout all of StarMech when surrounded by their own rob& creations rather thw
space. SUU,the de&y of StarMBch Inc. would have surprised other humane. Even Starmachs who never l e m th8 planet oI
its founders. Although the Collectiw rstalns the pretense of cor- thelr birth apprsdate the StarMech devotrm to the ~nglnsering.
porate W e n c e , StarM~ch’~ disorganized neighbors never ac- They‘re baffled by foreign cultures, mch as the Hatlre, which
cepted the transition to a corporate way of lite. The Collective’s relect tschnlcal edvancee. How can one reject the instrumants
Ieadsrahlp found It I I R C E W to~ ~form
~ a de facto republic. of creation? The applications of robots in indusv, espedaUy
Every cttizen of the Collective Is also a shareholder in heavy induetry, fill all cornare of StarMach society.
StarMBch, h., posawehg one share of the company and the Ulhatdy, S t m e c h s acmpt that the world is run for profit.
ability to elect the adminl4tration The Collective society grants Most will admit that their f r o W g , no matter how attached
most democratic freedoms to its dUzane-freedom of speech, they‘ve become to It and no matter how enjoyable may be,
religion, and leisure is taken for granted. But the Collective re- can’t form the bash for a real exinfence. Most Starmechs in-
tafns its corporate roots. The Starmechs vote for leaders who stead dream of the realtzatim of the next ship, the nsxt build-
hold offtces such as CEO, CFO, and COD; the elections are ing, the next project, and the next hope to bring into realty. Not
called ’shareholder referenda’ S t m c h s also vota to appoint that a S t m e c h n s e e s s d y wan& to get startad on h t
members of the Board of Directors, which oversees the execu- oue project right away. Idleness and unemployment UII~B the
tive officers and heads the judicial and legislative departments Collective are common, despite the constant work to be done.
of the CoUectlve. Given the lack of a StarMech work ethic and the acceptance
The Collective‘s economy walks a delicate line between free of technology in all pats of thalr Ilves, the Starmechs would
republic and corporation. Independent traders and small cor- seem to have little need for relluion. hnlcallv., most-- St~rmschs
pirations exist U;.ougtmut the Collective, sometimas wen com- do profees a religious dWau&, with HGanilty Reformation
~ ~

p e h g with an official division of the StarMech Collechve itself. and Old Earth faithe dalmlng the largest follaKtnp.
SUU, the Collective’s economy, independent or tied to the cor- Finally, although Starmechn have a fierce interset in sd-
poration, reItee on the superior workmanship and production ence, most also have an odd streak of PupermUtion. A Starmech
fadties about planets such as Chance. StarMech shtpyards are expacts terrible events to follow breaklng a reflector, c r o s m g
rightfully the pride of the Collective and the eource of most of green and yellow wires, and meking a red starfall. Many
its mterstellar trade. while the StarMech spedaltzatbn has me- Starmechs have thslr own mks of superetltlm;men th& rn-
ated a dependence on Interstellar trade, the high quality of bots are someilmee programmed to take ~ E into B account
StarMech material has created de facto allies out of several
stellar nations, especially the affluent Rigunrnor Star Consor-
tium.No one wants to see StarMech robotic shiuvards cease
operation. StarMech’e excellent educational and occupational training give
The StarMech military has been rebuilt since GW2. Tnday, the Starmechs a natural flair for all things techrdcal. During
StarMech boasts a young and new navy easlly able to defend play, Starmechs receive a -1 bonus to any U ~ Rof the Tachni-
the Collectivs’s borders. StarMech militarv vessels. like all cal Science broad sklU or any of Its spadaliy skills.
StarMech ma are at the leadlng edge of &ship deign, with In addition, many S t m e & WR prone to the m e s e e of
systems and eensors of unrivaled sopMcation. More impor- hedonism, withdrawing from the real world in fevor of lavish
tant, to StarMech minds, is the unquestioned reliability of partles, inebriation, and sensory exceee. At the player‘s option,
StarMech engineering; their ships never fall to pass inspection a Starmech hero may take tha ObLvbu flaw and Qein double
As StarMech naval forces grow, many Starmechn eee a day the usual skill points (8).While many Starmechs seem die
when fortune may smile, end they may take vengeance on the tractsd, others pursue their pleasures ObSBSslV8b,? These he.
Thuldans. Three new f o r h . ~ships~ ~ are already being aseem- roee may take the Obsessed flaw and gain 4/8/12 eklll points,
bled by the nation’e robotic fimg yards. depending on how much tlme the hedonist devotee to phwcal
In the Varge, StarMech‘s control over the Tendril system IS pleasures.
still a matter of eome dispute, but StarMech hopes to resolve
the matter legally. In addition, it has sent robotic scouts to all
nearby systems to estabbh additional footholds in the regton

-’LAYING ETARME-..
StarMech enmeers conceive brilliant theories, unorthodox de-
signs, and fantastic models. Then the robots do the work.
The Starmechs enjoy the opporhntty to have a good h e . They
don’t d e r from any owpowering need to collect material
possessions, or even to a c m e wealth. Neither do StarMech
dUzEns separata themselves from the galaxy and seek mean-
g in abstraction and exploration of arcane theories. What they
 nake peace in the Alkaid Conference of 2465. Much of the that many of their stellar neighbors choose to insult or depre-
huldan military was reluctant to accept a war that ended with- cate the Empire's goals. Envy is a common human trait.
ut victory-and to accept the surrender of land the Empire had The reputation that Thuldans have for tough skins, strong
ained. One of Hegist's most difficult tasks during the seven arms, and coarse behavior rings true. Few Thuldans go
ears between the Alkaid Conference and the signing of the through their first two decades without strenuous physical and
keaty of Concord was convincing his own people that a as- military training. Even preschool Thuldan educators have the
ation in hostilities was necessary, at least in the short term. souls of drill sergeants, quickly orienting their young charges
bday, Regist rules unquestioned. Already 170 years old and to the methods of the Empire. From an early age, Thuldans are
Ull healthy, he is likely to rule for another decade or more. taught the importance of the chain of command, and the ab-
yen so, he has yet to follow tradition and name a successor. solute need to follow orders from superior officers.
iince he has no clear heir, the turmoil following hs death could Most Thuldan youths dream of pining the Legions; those
jar the Empire apart who don't are encouraged to keep their weakness quiet. Epic
In strength of arms, the Empire remains the clear leader. poems, art, and stories of conquest fill Thuldan society, and the
eventeen fortress ships and more than ZOO capital s h p s bear Legionnaires are always shown in a halo of glory as hefits
le Thuldan flag. In addition, all driveships built in Thuldan Thuldan champions. Indeed, the nation is proud of the Legion's
pace-from the lowliest freighter to the richest passenger history of conquering, sometimes destroying, dozens of sys-
ner-must carry armaments of use to the Thuldan military In terns. Of course, few Thuldans ever realize the ambition of be-
!rms of sheer manpower, the Empire has enormous reserves. coming Legionnaires. Most Thuldans serve only two years in
egally, every Thuldan citizen answers to the military, and all the military before mustering out. The same military training,
dult Thuldans hold military rank and are subject to military however, ensures that proficient and skilled Thuldan merce-
rders. naries serve in armies and navies throughout the galaxy
The capital of the Empire, referred to as Thuldan Prime, Fortunately, Thuldan sirength stays focused on the goal of
onsists of five habitable planets orbiting a single star. The ter- Kent's centuries-old Vision. That the galaxy will be united
gforming effort that altered the orbits of three planets is con- under solid leadership Thuldans have little doubt, but the re-
idered one of the wonders of the galaxy; it nearly bankrupted cent war has made clear the importance of consolidation. Over
the Empire during the Interbeurn. Home to more than 60 bil- the past two decades, the reconstruction of dozens of Thuldan
lion men and women, Thuldan Rime serves as the political worlds has begun Meanwhile, Thuldans continue to search for
nd intellectual center of the Empire. Thuldan power emanates new resources and military technologies. To many in the Em-
'om the homeworld in a highly centralized pattern; systems pire, the current peace is only a cease-fire.
lrther out from the homeworld receive progressively less at- The reverence in which Thuldans hold their founder and his
!ntion. Given Thuldan Prime's location in the heart of Old Vision leaves little room for the cultivation of religious belief.
pace, notions of imperialism central to the Thuldan belief sys- Nevertheless, converts have flocked to the Hatire fatth over the
im-spreading Thuldan influence out evenly in aU dwections- past century as its missionaries link concepts of human purity
ieet stiff resistance from other stellar nations. While Thuldans and cultural unification. Today, almost a third of the Thuldan
main interested in exploring new worlds, they are more in- population professes a Hatire faith, and that number continues
rested in fulfilling Kent's Vision. Humanity must be unified. to grow.
In service to that destiny, the Thuldans' definition of hu-
ianity has widened. Thuldans see nothmg wrong with genetic
ngineering, as long as these improvements are properly har- GAM BENEF
Widespread gerPseG miwptdadon:end c-...-..dong
, "

..essed. The Thuldan military has altered many of its citizens breeding
for missions ranging from assassination to terraforming. Thul- programs have toughened the Thuldan physique. Moreover,
dan medical science is the most advanced known the Thuldan drive for perfection has encouraged ambitious
Thuldan philosophy doesn't leave room for deviation from Thuldan physical education. These programs rival the depth
le vision's path. Dissidents, though common in systems far and enthusiasm that other nations devote to "useless" academic
from Thuldan Rime (including those in the Verge], are by de-
finition traitors to humanity's future. Similarly, the Thuldan at-
pursuits. During hero creation, Human Thuldan heroes have
maximums of 15 in Strength and Constitution, although they f i
nl.

titude toward aliens remains less than liberal. At best, alien stiu receive 60 ability points.
species are servants to human destiny. If they do not adapt and Thuldan effortsto improve the human body have borne fruit.
accept the Empire's vision of a unified human state controlhg Thuldan medicine and understandmg of human biochemistry Is
all of the Orion Arm (and one day the galaxy), they wdl be
lirmnated.
unmatched. Thus, all Thuldan mutant heroes reduce their num-
ber of drawback points by one. f . '-
1
The Thuldans are expanding aggressively in the Verge, re-
shaping Filtrane Island on Bluefall in the Aegis system, fighting
a proxy war through their puppet state on Alitar in the Algem-
in system, and settling new bases elsewhere. The Thuldan
iilitaqfs interest in the Verge shows no sign of dwindling.

FH-AN
Thuldans stride from world to world with pride and patriotism,
and more than a bit of arrogance. Thuldans are self-confident
as a matter of course; in every conflict and war thefve ever
waged, even the painful Second Galactic War, the Thuldan ex-
msion has continued. Of course, Thuldans can understand
 I visibng the cradle ofhumani&please remember that camping,
collecting, fardng, lishing, harvesting, hunting, gathering, lit-
terjng, Iojtering, mining, se/fling, smoking, violence, and any
disturbance of the narural environment are notpermined on the
surface. Enjoy your stav'
-Starport Supervisor Irene Lju, 2501

I The Union of Sol rests at the core of humanity. The hub be-
tween all of the stellar nations, it remains a center for bade,
diplomacy, and intellectual pursuits. Whaiever other stellar
nations may claim about their place in the galaxy, man is Solar.
Humanity has not sailed so far or so wide as to forget its ori-
gins, and Earth is the mutual center. And ii shall remain that
~______ ~~ ~~

tection of Earth's biosphere. By then, Earth was the worldwidb

I way, so say the Solars.
That Solars are arrogant nationalists has never been dis-
puted. Neither has the nation's place in humanity's past and
mehppolis thai modern Solars how today, a ball of mud en-
circled by water and asphalt. The council instihted strict mea-
sures to prevent further erosion of Earth's environment.
present. The new leadership did not, however, show any leniency
toward the upstart colonies. The Terran Empire put down sev-
eral rebellious colonies that refused to acknowledge the dic-
tates of the council. The military might of Earth and its tightly
The history of the 501 ory of mankind, the held neighbors could easily match the strength of half the
description of which fius libraries of electronic files. Until the growing stellar nations. But as their power and Stabiliv con-
2 n d c e n w , the history of man is the history of Earth, and tinued to grow, the stellar nations demonstrated more and
not until the 23rd century can one attempt to claim that men more contempt for the Imperial Coundl.
and women lived and died independent of Earth's influence. The Thuldan Empire was the flrst to claim independence in
Warfare between nations and eventually corporations contin- 2298. Although the Empire was one of the sirongest of the
ued all the while, and many htorians consider humanity lucky stellar nations, the move was unexpected, given the constant
to have survived long enough to discover the stardrive. Now, Thuldan speeches crying for humanity's unification. Instead of
humans have ensured the survival of the species by spreading a swill military response, the Imperial Council rattled its saber
throughout this region of the Orion Arm, While utopiam and and tried to cajole the Thuldans back into the fold. The postur-
radicals fled the Sal system and eventually declared their in- ing lasted for more than a year, and most of the new stellar
dependence, life continued on Earth. nations took the Council's reluctance to attack as a sign of
Earth nations poured their own resources into space even weakness. Dozens of the tiny star-born nation-states threw in
wlxle continuing their intense competition. Gradually, the su- with the Thuldans, and the First Galactic War began.
perpowers devoted more and more resources to the colmtza- If the stellar nations had kept to their unified purpose, the
iion of space, and the systems near Sol all fell under Earth's war would have quickly ended. Instead, the nations spent al-
direct control. Farther out, independent colonies grew at a most as much time fighting one another as they did fighting the
feverish rate, and the new colonies gave birth to new stellar- Terran Empire. After 12 years of war, the Imperial Council ca-
based powers. So many newly explored planets held human pitulated and recognized the independence of the stellar
Ue that by the mid-23rd century Earth's leaders could no long- natiaffi. The Treaty af Earth dissolved the Terran Empire and
er conirol them. To further muddy the waters, the stellar colo- replaced it with the 26th stellar nattm, the Union of Sol.
nies declared a desire for independence lrom the homeworld.
In 2250, the Terran Empire was declared. The Proxima
conflicts lasted only a few years; openly defiant system were
systematically brought to heel. The Terran Empire and its h-
I "-%?
perial Council claimed the right to govern all human affairs.
Although the Proxima conflicts discouraged pollhcal agta.
tion for the ned 20 years, the Terran Empire was a fdura
horn its concephon Earth's nahons conhnued to bicker

I
power and seat assignments on the Imperial Councll ev
' the fledghg stellar nahoffi sought ther own represen
j \ ?
I.

More and more of Earth's populace left the earthbound rival

ries behind by fleeing mto space
-\ In the end, the Asiatic Uruon seized control of the hpen
Cound by co-ophng [one way or another) more than half
the councd's 100 voting members Irorucally, the move was
only possible because most of Earth's superpowers had relo-
cated ther capitals to the stars Shll, the leadershp of the earl
Asiatics was refined and beniqn, a mulhtude of culture
thrived. At the same time, final skps were taken for the prr I
hes were erased

I
-
I C CONCORD
W
I.

,
, , . ..,,
 THETRI-STAFF
This unpressive l o o h g and powerful weapon IS a Concord Adrnuustrator's most pnzed possession, servlng both as a badg
office and an elfemve means of self-defense It conslsts of a massive three-pronged blade at the end of a 2-meter-long staff
the Illustrabon on page 175 of the ALTERNITYPlayer's Handbook) When the devlce LS actwated, it E capable of dealmg out 1
amounts of energy damage-and It exudes a force field that unproves Its welder's Strength and Dexterity reslstance momher
1 step Game statlstice for the weapon are as follows clip clip
S M ACE Range Type Darnsgs Actions Size Cost Hide Mass Avail Co
Melee-uowered -1 Personal Ed0 d8+2w/3d4+lw/d6rn 3 12 7fln - 5 R ~ G 5nfl

,.,,I.._.,
,

\
1
.,, , ..
1 MA
I

SM "E US VC GC
8 15 10 10 16
Uefense Sectors
9 17 10 10 16
54 128 72 86 144
81 io0 sz 67 127
 ven when a fortress ship is destroyedsuch as the loss of
Orlamu Sacred Shlp Shva during the Baffleof Songham
in 2401-its life isn't necessarily aver, A dozen competing
claims to the Shivds salvage rights kept anyone from taking
the ship apart; instead it was slowly settled by the system's
quatters and baders, who siphoned fuel from the Shlds in-
id tanks and smpped parts from its remaining intact levels.
ventually, a Concord court ruled that the Adrenaline 'hade
Company, then in possession of the drifbhg huk, was the
rightful owner by virtue of the capital improvements that the
TC had made to the ship.
The skipped skeleton of the Shlva,renamed the SS
h a by its inhabitants, became an important relay station
a ships entmmg or leaving the Songham system aver
me, life support and small mas5 reactors restored portlons
I the fortress &p to a functional state, though many levels
:main unpowered and open to vacuum Shuttle craft end
ngo warehouses now fill hangars where bombs and fight-
rs once were stored.
The Shivds engines have nwer been rebuilt as the cost
could be enormous,but a dozen of its plasma cannon tur-
% remain operational, reliant on the same retrofitted msss
.aactors that power the huwS new life support systems. h
a result, the Karma is one of the best-defended space stattons
in the galaxy, and a bit of a tourist attramon as well. In re-
cent years, its cargo and repair facilWm have been w e d by
a tourist level complete with holo re-creations of the battle.
The Karma also boasts a Grid-accessible historical museum
that includes a virtual tour of the Shim as well ar; an
verview of the battle.

I
 The Verge i s full of wonders and trea- and Endomar for,m the likeliest candi-
sures, but it’s not for the timid. Out here d
in the farthest reaches of expldred a sector of space
space, the process of discovery tontin-
ues. Virgin worlds still await
imprint of a, human foot, and human
continuausly encounters new li
more than .one explorer has, p
Verge is where the action is. r than 1.00 of these
The Verge’s borders are a ma
 P
1-

I f

1
I:
T

I
 , .

.. ,

' 2 '
. .
, ..
 ~

DEFENSIVE
SYSTEM
i

" i
i

I
 I
I
i
i,
I
r
 F
In the years of the Second Galactic War, economic and milila ,
power bases throughout the Stellar Ring played critical roles in
estabbhhg and malntainlng domlnancs. One 01 the most im-
..om top to bottom,the tall cyhdrical station is some 1,46.
meters, with a diameter that ranges from 36 meters at its
thinnest section (the lower disc) to 401 meters at its widest [the
pressivs of these bases was the Lighthouse ofF&, a space sta- upper disc]. The station conialns docking ports and bays, as
tion built and owned by the Orlamu Theocracy. What was well as maintenance services for arriving vessels. Long rails of
unique about the glant station was the insiallaUnn of a powerful spindly metal extend from the cylindrical station, allowing hun-
stardrive withln its heart; this station could move through space dreds of small craft to link up with the Lighthouse. Within the
with an impressive 50 light-year range, equal to the drivespace station's crowded halls, a Idly functional urban center m o r s
range of a fortress ship. In addition to serving a unique role as the needs of both guests and permanent inhabitants. A full
a mobile temple for the Orlamist reli#on, the Lighthouse ufF& range of supplias, entertainment, employment opportunities,
served as a center of economic activiv within Orlamu space. and Concord agency offices exist withln the station. One of the
Merchants came aboard and traded with individuals from dl- largest Concord offices functions as the headquarters for the
verse worlds; through its travels, tho Lighthouse of F& con- Concord Survey Service, a bureaucracy best known for con-
stantly exposed itself and its guests to new markets and new tracting independent explorers for missions throughout the
cultures. Verge and beyond.
The near-complete destruction of tha s t a b n in 2461-thanks In gratihlde to the Theocracy for donating the station, the
to a Solar raid into Orlamu space-was a terrible loss. The Or- highest level of the Lighthouse still serves its tnitial purpose: Or-
lamus c o w e d Its ruined treasure to a scrap heap until the lamlst worship. As a Concord-run stabn, however, it's open to
war ended in 2472. Finally, it delivered the crippled Lighthouse members of any religion, nation, or species. Essentially, the
of Falh lo the Galactic Concord. W e e n years would pass be- & h b m 6 a m s as a point of neubality under the seal 01 the
fore Its name was heard again. Galactic Concord, and it is the primary Concord base of opera-
In March 2498, the Galactic Concord-more specilically, the tions in the Verge. Thanks to ths efforts of Concord technidans
Concord's Committee on Verge Integration-feared for the mc- and engineers, the armament aboard the Lighthouse ranks
cess of its "frontler rehabilitation program! hi simply, the star among the most powerful and most effective. Although the sta-
systems of the Verge remained isolated and divlded-despite the tion couldn't stand up to a forkess stdp, it can repel an attack
return of the stellar nations and the arrival of the Concord itself, from a dreadnought. Three Star Force crulsers and a score of
The overwhelming majoriiy of Verge systems had no way to smaller escorol fly alongside the Liyhthouse. In additian, a rein-
communicate through drivespace; they relied heavily on drive- forced company of Concord Marines serves aboard the station
ships that could take months to reach other civilized ~ p t ~ m . itself.
The Concord (and the Commitise M Verge reintegration) The Llghthousds stardinre stlll has a SO-light-ysar range,
hoped that mllltary vessels and the increased economic traffic ma!dng ii one of the most impressive examples of human engi-
brought by the return of the siellar nations would forge new naming. Today, the Lighthouse uses its stardrive to follow a
I~TI!U among the Verge system and the people of the Stellar c o m e through Verge syetem.It remains in these systems any-
Ring. Unforhmately, the Concord's Star Force was too busy pa- where from a few days to a few w a s h before traveling m an-
trolling, keeping peace, end flghbg in Hammer's Star to sup- othsr destination. The statim usually becomes the center of
port thLs lofty goal. Furthermore, the stellar nations' economic economic and poittical activity in each system it enters.
interests in the Verge focused on the most populous and devel- Politically, the Liyhthouse offers contact and communication
oped star systems. with the rest of known space. The station houses all sorts of po-
Wtth the fear of Verge isolation firmly in his mhd, Michael litical officers, ambassadors, and statesman who make a Uveli-
Thayne, Mintsier of the Galactic Consulate, lobbied for the Verge hood servinD their nations. M~ROVRT, the Liyhthouse possesses
to become the home of a rebuilt Lighthouse of Falth. A year a drivespace communication relay. As long as it remains in a
later, the refurbished, refitted, and greatly rearmed Orlamu system, all of that system's worlds can access the interstellar
space station arrived in the h d r d system to be@ a never- Grid (for a fee, of course). In addition, the spindly docking arms
ending tour of ell the Verge seltlements. Many inhabitants of the of the Lighthouse permit spacecraft without stardrives or vdth
Verge consider the station, now h w n simply as the Llghf- smaller stardrivss to dock and 'pi&ack' on it. This allows for
house, the hest achievement of the Concord. faster bavel around the Verge and more frequent contad be-
tween vartous worlds and settlements. Every govenunent, bath
stellar and Verge, takes advantage of the Concord's generosity.
Economically, the single station represents a force that
equals any star systm in ths Verge. A sizable trading commu-
rdiy has established itself aboard the station,willing to meet the
trading demands of any star system. More than one indepen-
dent trader has made his fortune traveling the stars without
ever leaving the Lighthouse.
The Lighthouse has been called a beacon that will lead the
Verge out of its long darkness of separation, Flowery language
., and public relations aside, tt provides a presence of authorttq a
connection to the rsst of human space, end a protectlve force to
help stand agalnsi the many threats-internal and extornal- fac-
I
Engineering
section
890.M000471
 w v e becams mom
were too few end far

3 dap in a p d o d that system natlveg call ths Burn. Aftar each

up, the solar acttvytv rehum to normal levels for about 67
. According to the moat rellable mesaursmenb, the star
t be going nova in the next few thousand years, but sden-

The
nenc
and
bles
 -r=
m
P
0
m

S8
TABLE ~NDRIL SYSTEM
Dolphin Spomur (JUaundriI) Aues Pm
Rimary rendril Tendril Sperous Tendril Tendril
Planetary Class Class 3 Class 2 Class 1 Class 2 Class 5
Gravity 63 (1.83 g) G3 (1.81 g] 62 (1.14 gl G 1 (0.57 gj G2 (0.94 gj
Radiation* R4-5 (64 rern/hourl R2-3 (11 rem/wk) R2-3 (17 rem/wk) R3-4 (34 r e d d a y ) R3-4(14 rem/da
Atmosphere A3 (CO, CO,, Fe[COI,) A4 [CO,) A2 IN,, 0,) A0 IC0,l A1 IH&l
Ressure P3 (1.60 aim) P5 185.13 atm) P3 (1.24 atm) PO 10.02 atm] P5 (Gas Giant]
Heat H3-4 [8o"C+] H5 (737°C) H2 [ZE"C) H2 (-4ET) Hl[-165'C)
Orbital Distance 2.74 AU 3.67 AU 362,014 h 5 7 4 AU 16.01 AU
Diameter 8,406 !an 10,432 !an 7,726 h 6,178 h 50,100h
Year 3.38 years 5.24 years 130.84 days) 10.22 years 47.69 years
Day 16.01 hours 2106.4 hours 77 hours 33.64 hours 17.0 hours
Axial Tilt Z0 11.3"

c
14' 210 13'
Density
# Satellites
2.78
2
2.26
3
1.88
0
0.54
0
--
0.24
 sense of continuity. The slow trickle of information that the oc-
casional refugee ship brought from the Stellar Ring described
ongoing desolation, loss, and continued war. No one ever ex-
oected the stellar nations of Old %ace to return.

After decades of neglect as recently returned to

the forefront of Tendril oolitics. For 121 years,
. . the drivesats
around Nova haven't received a single message from Old
Space. In 2489, the transmissions from Hammer's Star had
ceased, leaving only Aegis to communicate with. But in 2496,
light-years away, the Kendai drive relay was restored, and mes- ~~

sages flooded in from the Stellar Ring. The Second Galactic War Flag of Independent Alaundril
was finally overTand the stellar nations would soon be return- sysirius ties to StarMech, it will take years to reintegrare the
ing to the Verge. population peacefully.
The stellar nations' first representatives arrived in the Verge The system's inhabitants aren't prepared to answer to a new
four years ago, but the changes they brought to the Tendril sys- dvilian authority d e r years of independence. For example, a
tem are just an extension of the sptem's patterns of the last 50 law passed in 2455 allows the Alaundril government to rees-
years. Most important, the stellar nations brought powerful eco- sign any mining claim that hasn't been worked in 10 years.
nomic interests to bear, always hungry for resources. The in- Many independent miners hired by StarMech long ago became
creased demand has opened the door to independent small companies and made claims of their own. These inde-
businessmen who are now raping Tendril for its mineral and pendents contribute to Tendril's success, and no one wants to
metal wealth; when the resources are exhausted, they will see them shut down.
move on to other system. This rapid exploitation of Tendril's The end result is that the star system is recognized as a
mineral wealth has put a strain on the status quo, but Tendril's StarMech protectorate. StarMech cruisers maintain the peace,
traders are no strangers to trouble. and StarMech law rules the system. Tendril's corporations send
In the new economy, the people of Alaundril-or Alaundril, a percentage of their profits to StarMech tax collectors each
Inc., as some call it-have made a vast fortune selling stockpiles quarter. But within the system, and especially on Alaundril,
of minerals and metals to the Galactic Concord. The Alaundril StarMsch authority is chedred by the business council that acts
business councils offer slightly reduced prices to Concord buy- as both government and employer. For the time being, the local
ers to increase Concord interest and infiuence in the Tendril sys- government retains the right to assign claims in the Cyra Belt.
tem. The plan has been successful, and the system is safer for This represents the true power in the system, even though
the Concord presence. The sales have also made many busy much mining in the belt is unlicensed.
leaders very wealthy. In the most spectacular example, William- The one place where StarMech military and civilian officials
son remains the wealthiest man in the system, although he has do rule unchecked is over Nova Station. After StarMech
reinvested his earnings heavily in modernizing Alaundril's ship- promised both the businesses of Alaundril and the Galactic Con-
yards. A liitle of this great wealth has trickled down to the peo- cord that Nova's drivesats would remain open to everyone, the
ple, who are happy with Wiiiamson's rule, for the most part. government of Alaundril ceded the giant space station and its
The StarMech Collective has mixed feelings about the situa- drtvesats to StarMech in 2499. Of come, StarMech MII makes
tion. On one hand, they are pleased that they've regained e sys- large profits from drivesat communications, given its monopoly.
tem in the Verge when so many systems have rebelled against StarMech made public access to the drtvesats a point in as-
their former nations. Furthermore, Tendril isn't just any system; signing valuable Concord shipping routes to Tendril; Alaundril
it comes with the Cyra Belt, a vast and easily accessible source agreed with the decision. Ey doing so, the locals guaranteed
of mineral wealth. It has a habitable world in Alaundril, despite cheap rates for interstellar communications. And given the sta-
the radiation. Finally, AlaundriYs shipyards are simply the finest tion's lugh upkeep cost, it's often more bouble than it's worth.
in the Verge. The local StarMech leadership headed by Chelsea Krest (HI/
The political situation casts a shadow over Tendril's assets. StarMech/DFA-131 appears largely content. Krest has advo-
While the Alaundril government continues to voice its complete cated taking the long view in most relations with Alaundril. As
support of the Collective, StarMech ambassadors and bureau- SiarMech gains more influence in the system, best is certain
crats often find it difficult to deal with Williamson and his busi- that the dfizens of Alaundril will become accustomed to their
ness councils. StarMech c i h n s are welcome within the system, new friends. Within a generation, reunification will be an ac-
and StarMech vessels have full rights of passage. But StarMech complished fact.
officials in the system find it upsetting that directives from the The prominent exception to Krest's slow and sure approach
Stellar Ring aren't always followed here. Tendril's inhabitants is at Darkhold, in the heart of the Cyra Belt. Ib best, StarMech's
look to Alaundril for leadership, not to Chance, the StarMech public success in Tendril depends on its ability to create a sta-
capital hundreds of light-years away in Old Space. ble and reputable peace. Darkhold has grown independent from
The long absence of their beloved patron, Williamson ex- the rest of the star system, but it has also made itself vulnera-
plains, has created a unique situation in the Tendril system. ble. In the first two years after StarMech's reiurn, it has made
Three generations have been born and raised as Vergers rather generous offersto Darkhold, meant to convince the outpost how
than as Starmechs. While their parents and their great-grand- much more pleasant life would be under StarMech control, but
parents remember StarMech and remain loyal to the nation, Darkhold has chosen to remain independent. The outpost's
Tendril's natives consider the members of the Collective no newest strategy is to jam the navigation equipment of uninvited
more than friendly strangers. While no one wants to sever the craft, forcing these ships to navigate the crowded heart of the
ighly every 67 days, Tendril begins a 12- to 14-day
n. The eleckomagnetic radiation shed by the star during
period increases by a factor of 20, bombardmg the star's
lets and moons with deadly cosmic and ultraviolet r a v .
en using the GRAPH system to evaluate environmental
ditions. the radiation IRI value increases by one wade
ing a Burn. For ex&ple, Delphin is uu
h g a Burn, it's R5.
f i e Bum's other elfed is to h r u p t electr
lin the svstem. All skill checks u i n u Svstem Owration-
I
DR.ANDREW
TOFSKE
draw StarMech's htsrsst sway#Kana WiUiamson m d e the represents tha Concord but he undsFstands the dellcab balance
mom of imrastlng his r e m capital into conve&ig his hetween StarMsch and Babel and refuses to take s l h . His an-
anr-dle huslwss, Ion F'artn & Manufactwing, hto a full-fle
shipyard. It wan a rlskv move. if the S m d Galactic War
been as shm an the flrsl and Start&& had rsturned

A_-
1

I
n

I-
1."
 PROVI Providence's scientlsts are working to augment the atmos
phere's ultraviolet shielding and protect the planetary surface
More of an outpost than a civ, Providence is a mixture of pre-
probably by an increase in ozone, though other options arr
fabricated buildings and old ship hulls. Scavenged housing
being considered. The atmospheric scientists hope to find a
marks the streets and alleys, serving as research labs, meeting
cheap way to significantly alter Alaundril's atmosphere. If suc-
halls, and homes.
cessful, they can sell their technique to a terralorming company
Providence's rough appearance is deceptive. Its sheet metal
to put into practice. The scientists haven't had much luck so far,
and mud walls tude research facilities that measure radiation,
but they're hopeful that their investigations will yield some sal-
air pollution, and atmospheric composition, and its primitive
able discoveries soon.
housing is home to many of Alaundril's finest scientists and
technicians. Its scientific pursuits have changed over the years
AI
from measuring the long-term effects of radiation exposure to
0 Idlometers west of
the fabrication of materials to shield against radiation. Rovi-
s. Founded by Hatire
dence's research projects have changed the lives of Alaundrins
mystics in the early days of the system's exploration, it remains
for the betier.
The dearest example of scientific success is a synthetic fab- a stronghold of the Brethren on Alaundril. Over the centuries, it
ric called polythericlene. While ii has the feel of sllk and the has attracted more fame for the predictions of its mystics than
for its role as a religious sanctuary
wear of cotton, it also filters out more than 50% of Tendril's in-
tense radiation. For resisting high-radiation environments,s!ti as
The Seers are led by Polfoal Liquurl (Fm/Tendril/MW16),
who serves as the group's diocesan. Polfoal was among the
effective as a soft e-suit, but much more comfortable. In Alaun-
community's founders, and has held his present position for
dril's usual R2 conditions, this is enough to protect the citizens.
more than 150 years.
The fabric has changed the textile industry, and virtually all do-
mestic clothing is made from ii. Polythericlene doubles the price The Seers of Torai have documented many startling predic-
of apparel on Alaundril. tions over the last 10 years, but they refuse to aid anyone bear-
To protect humans from high radiation, scientists developed ing cyberware or suffering from other spiritual poisons. Indeed,
and tested a protective chemical that could be added to the they refuse to help most supplicants, proclaiming them unwor-
water. Radilyn has become a standard supplement to the water thy for one reason or another.
supply and has proven effective in combating the high radiation.
Anyone who drinks raddyn daily gains the benefits of antiradi-
ation serum. Radilyn's only problem is its slow onset; it takes a
month or more to achieve a high enough level within a host
body to be fully effective.
 n

StarMech has effsctlvaty

SKYWARD CAVERNS
Tns skyward Cavema are located h a mountain range on AW
southern hemisphere. These extensive c a w , dearly artltlual,
are the most important ~ E forS hdEntlst and Ham exarrdna-
bna Unusual artifacts ratrleved h m the Cavmms h the last
war have set off a fbrry of excitement h the archaeological
community. Several tndapendent groups have staked daims to

I
A
I
I
to h r m l n s a!l tra

I R
I
 ~ the C&mw, end n w rob0
raw d r u ~from a m d the WE 'Burn gates' from the Grld pram, slut8 thsp
StarMach &@yards-and thalr phllltv to do mutia. or& attack shtpph during a Bum. Somahow, chaw pb&

.
.-.--
N.)

Tim Domain hopss to usn the m m t o crnata a m-

1 rmks h.
CWE way SIRUM fm MET sxploraUon of the wrue. but ea far OF TENDI
HEROES

I BURNPIR~I
A new band of plrama has mtarad the lhdrll nptam, attack-
lng hlght and passengm lraffic alike. The new group has
tom IS om of the fsw phcm in the Vargs whmn robots are
mrpman. Hsross can buy and sell robm on AlawdrU or may
C ~ O O E Eto hlra robot halpars here.
 - Nova Station

1
I
I

I
I
,
I
A
For almost 200 years, traders and explorers enterlng th.
Vwga have made Currivala thnlr second stop along the way.
From 'RmdrU, Carrivale is only 27 light-pars,a journey of no
mom than six starfalls for wan the smallest VES~S~S.Virtually
Uy and port fadlttles. CA 319 hit s w d nsarbv syslnna mar
ths DBxt t h r m
heavy fig-
~ b befors VoidCorp racdnd the ahlp ta
In Md Spacs.
Wrscked by orbital bomhardmwt, Disnrond h t euffsr
abandonad dwhg ths Second Galactic Ww, Corrlvala is now

location dossr to Old Space

control accem ta the Verge

chart new sites for fuhwe tnvestlgatlon.

. FLU-a ttme, Mammd FLI

urtouched by b Udes of

W
 1

' i

3LE s9: RRIVALE SYSTE

. i
i
kdam Ricru ltlcbDew (-1 Lnrdml
h a r y Corrivale Cornvale Corrivale H*OcuS COnSvale
Planetary Class class 5 clw 4 class3 class 1 Bass3
Gravlty GZ (0.85 g) GZ (0.83 g) 63 (1.29 g) G1 (0.62 g] G1 (0.49 g)
Radatim R4 (250 redday) R3 (45 rem/davl R2 (20rem/yr) R2 (15 r e d y r ) R2 (5 r e d w
Atmosphere A0 [Vacuum) A0 (Trace) A4 INp Coz, SO21 A2 (Nz, 02) M(N,CO)
Ressure PO (Vacuum) PO (Trace) P3 (5am) P3 (0.83 am] P1 (0.5 a d )
Heat H4 (310" Cl H4 (21Y Cl H3 (70' C) 40' C) H1 (-460 C)
Orbital Illstance 0.52 AU 0.81 AU 2.05 AU 322,000 km 3.76 W
Diameter 7,812 h 5,242 km 17,060 h 8,696 !an 7,702 !un
Year 106.9 days 207.9 days 836 9 days (14 days)
Day 335.5 hours 199.4 hours 58.3 hours 37.05 hours
Axial Tilt 8.8" 2.2" 11.5" 8.P
Ilemty 1.39 2.01 0.96 0.91 0.81 I
0 1 1 l6rith) 0 2
kctdon IPhW AImLz our$
h a r y Cmivale Corrivale Wvale Cnrrivale
Planetary Class class 5 (gas giant) rims 4 class 4 Bass5
Gi-amty e4 (2.95g) GI (071g) G1 (0.529) GI (0.23g]
Radishon R4 (120 redday) R2 I25 r e d y r ) R1 I10 r e d y r ) R1 (6 redyr]
Atmosphere AI (Y He1 A0 (Trace) A0 (vacuum) A0 (vacuum)
Ressure P5 (loo+ a h ) PO (Trace) PO (vacuum) W (Vacuum)
Heat HO (-llOo C) HO (-170" C) HO (-190" C) HO (-2 10" C)
Orbital Illstance 5.5 AU 17 AU 30 AU 48.7 Au
mameter 98,110 h 8,014 h 5,314 h 4,380 h
Year 10.07 years 54.76 years 128.36 years 265.49 yeare
Day 7.42 hours 16.9 hours 97.4 hours 683.3 hans
47 8"
h a l Tilt 14.8'
. 20.5" 95"

L
Omtty n On ""
. ?4 0.65
# Satellites 0
GRITH’SGOVERNMENT
 Community-but the Hattres can exert no authority over tha M- ME, the Colonial Mocsse slowly yrnws at the Coundl’g expenss
tlve pnpulatlon of eesheyans. The whole arrangemmnt Is m u r h by incorporallng more and more of the disenfranchised sa-
at best, and a powderkeg ready to blow during tlmes of stress. &vans who are tired of livbg under crlmlnal overlords.
So, how does it work? The mwn Is ruled under the Colonial Currently, the h e most powerful factions in Grith’s g m r n -
Diocese of Gnth. In the Hatire Community, there is no h c U o n ment are the Colontal Dlome, the Aanghel crlmhal emph,
between rellglous and secular government Any high-ranklng and the Dwll~an,followre of a shaman of the old tradmon who
government official IS by definition a high-ranklng member of urges a raturn to the andant sesheyan ways lb three share a
the church. The Cnlcmial Diocasa etrictly administsrs the day-to- deep and ablding anbpathy, end in their own various ways each
day affaire of the moon’s Hatire populstlon, both as a member of them works to become the principal power of Grith. In the
state of the greater Hetire Comuntty and as the recognized background l u r k the svar-present threat of renewed VoidCorp
planetary government. But the Diocese has no jurlshction over involvement on Grlth; unUl that threat amally matsrializee, the
eeeheyans outside human settlements, it cannot settle lands cur e m powers on the moon A continus to harry each 01
rently occupied by the indlgenous race, and it cannot levy taxas rather than turn their attention to dlstant foes.
or tarifls agafnst nattve trade arrangements. The Habe are
bound by Concord law to leave the sesheym alone T iE
As an independent raw, the seehayane of Grith may govern Although the Colonial Diocese includes any part of Gdth not de5
themselvss however they choose They must respect Hatire law lgnated as a seshayan reserve, Diocesan Kola htsh (Hf/Hat!re/
in Hatire settlements and don’t have any dalm on H aw aid or DFA-4) leads a Brethren community of only 40,000 souls.
defense in the went of attack Outside the lands designated as %ugh, strong-And,and h a l y devout, the diowsan governs
sesheyan terrltory, the eeeheyans may not establish nav settle- the Hetire on Grith through a small hierarchy of reverents, rms-
ments or pursue resource exploitation unleas the Hatre grant slonem, and choem, the lesser ranks of the Hatire theocracy.
them pernusmn Diocesan Entale Is very unhappy with the m e n t balance of
In theory, the sesheyans yovern themselvss as a Coundl of power on Grith, and she’s inveabgabny the arrival of the se-
’Mbes. Unfortunately, thb system Is basically an oligarchy of sheyans,hoping to tind M n c e to invalidate the Mahdra h g
crlmula] bosses, induskid leadere, corsair cap-, powerful and return all of Grith to Hatire control. Once the sesheyaus‘ spe-
merchants, and a handful of rabble-mudng pupuhsts. The Coun- dal hnmunny IS removed, the diocssan feels that she can brhg
cil can‘t raise taxes, can’t pass law, and can’t won negDtlate on sums peace and order to the troubled eesheyan society.
behalf of all the s w a n factions. Each oligarch commands his Diamond Point Is the Diowee’e major settlement, although
own private army in a Wzually feudal arrangement. Under the much of the uty E reserved for sasheyan commerce. Mocem
protectlun of the Mahdra ruling, these captams and mime lords Entale mreTsees her flock from the Forest Cathedra a 5and com-
ignore the Hatire and carry out any &ut trade they lib. Mean- plex 30 Idlommtm south of the dtv. ?his mapnihcsnt ~ d l f l with
~~.
 . A
I- -
i

-.,
 I

I.,. I.., I,
, -
UYELLIN

, .
..

h
r CDR Ar
 SECURITY LEADERMR361 28DF
(RAMOSEDOUDIN)
w l 8 human Cmnbnt S p e
3 11 (+I) INT 11 (+I1
K 12 (+I) WIL 10 (0)
99 PER 7
,ability: 9/9/5/5 Action chedt: 15+/14/7/3
ve: sprint 22, run 16, walk 4 XAaimrs: 2
ictlon score: Ordinary/2 Last resorts: 0
..
W .Ek.
0 med-power 12/6/3 d6+ 1s/d6+3s/d4+ 1w LI/O
U
=-
W nbat knife
nm pjstol'
14/7/3 d4+2w/d4+3w/d4+4w
16/8/4 d4+Zw/d6+2w/d4+lm
LI/O
HI/O
W
=I* ' -d4 base situation die.
c-
IM..
coat, long: d4+l u),d4+1 (HI), d6-1 (En)

lehcs [Ill-dimb [IZ], lump 1121, h o w 1131; Melee

]-blade [14]; Unarmed [ll]-power [lz]; Modern
]-pisol [161, SMG [13]; Stealth [lZI-bide 1131, sneak
1; Vehicle [E]; Movement [9]-race[IOJ swbn [ll];Sta-
ia [9]-endurance[Ill,. Demolitions [l l]-screfcb [lZl, sat
1 1 ~ 1 Knowledge
; [ ll]-language: Standard [14]; Security
[11]-devfcee [121; Tactics [ll]; Awareness [lO]-mfu2lion
[IZL Interachon 171.

Edoudin is a professional Mer who enjoys his work. He

moves in a shadowy world of dark missions and secret op-
erahbns, following Mayasa Ombe's orders without question
or remorse. An excellent shike leadsr, Ramos has refused
several promotions to VoidCorp management because he
has no patience for personnel development. Instead, he in-
sists on worlang with the best people hs can find and attacks
the mission at hand with pure, emotlonlw professionalism
and pragmatism. Ramos is absolutely ruthless, although he's
er maicious or unnecessarily wl.People that could get
he way of a job are just obstacles to be removed
Ramos Edoudin is a compact man about half a head
shorter than mod humans. He's good-looking and athletic,
with long dark hair he wears in a ponytail-but one look in
his cold, emotionless eyes @&ly disabuses one of any idea
that Edoudin m&ht be charismatic or charming. M s just not
in his name.
As the Cornvale security leader, he carries an 1lmm pis-
tol prominently at aLl times, and when on duty he wears a
--?idly tailored CF long coat with corporate logo promi-
tly displayed Ramos is usually exorted by two junior se-
officers, sesheyans i d d e d as DA178 and DA179,
though they are more often referred to by their nicknames,
'Bull' and "Bear.' The sesheyans hide behind mirrored,
len sunglasses thal wrap around all eight of thelr eyes.
3doudin's duties take him all o w the s w m , and he has
!ss to a luxury yacht that VoidCorp has outfitted with ex-
iive eavesdmppbg and =nutty equipment.Although it is
technically referred to as the PC71,Edoudin has nicknamed
the ship the Tdon.
' 1, a plapd-out rmntng pord that in
ufacbna of pl&.
rstooled for ths &
Ihe pod hopes OI make spars park for
C
1
. ,.., , . .
I

,
 b snt to wlth

Lr
=I:
I--

'I:I
. ,,!,'.:, :

1 *" :,.,:,:-I

I
" lw..*. I

..

I
 1
-
n

" ,

Di.wuri RNh. 'NnUeAur mma

LucullusAandB LucullusAandB LucuJiusAandB LucuUusC
Class 4 Class 3 Class 4 Clam 3
62 (1.08 gl 62 (0.86 g) 62 (1.17 gl 63 (1.29 g)
R4 (337 r e d h r ) R3 (89 redday] R 3 (21 redday) RO (1 rem/p]
A1 IN01 A1 (CH, NH 1 A0 [trace] A2 INz, 0 1
P1 (0.11 aim) P1 (0.49 atm? Po (0.016 atm) P4 (5 aim?
HO-4 (varies) H1 (-40' C) HO (-80' C] H4 (95" C]
3.76 AU 6.8 AU 13.8AU 0.19 AU
11,512 Ian 13,888 Ian 14,038 Irm 49,780 !an
3.47 years 8.45 years 24.44 years 21.6 days
792.1 days 8.8 hours 244.53 hours 14 35 hrmrs
15.1" 34.80 2.4' 4 5"
1.19
0
0.79
0
1.05
1
0.33
0 I
haS developed a r i i d code of honor between theirown ,em- [

In Pinidad City and its neighboring towns, Union Penates (or

UP) held power. Originally an illegal association of workers iq-
ing to improve working conditions on the planet, UP became a her access to the Colonial communication and power grids to tie
revolutionary organization during the Revolt. Afterward, UP r. In the early flush of victory, Nola0 and her
emerged as the closest thing to a real government that Penates
(and therefore L u d u s ] possessed-despite the fact that internal
Union politis revolved around a cadre of automatic sbongmen.
UPS early attempts to seize power after the fall of the Solars
provoked the first round of Barons’ Wars,as their former com-
rades objected violently to the Union’s actions. In time, UP fell
back to its old power base-the Trinidad industrial fields-and
consolidated there. Boss Clavin, an oily double-dealer who ruled
with an i r tist,
~ led UP during the revolt and the faction wars
that followed until his assassination in 2393. The last major faction in the smggle for L u d u s consisted
Ths fourth faction was the Free Trade Guild, led by the self- of Solar expatriates, former SCAd employees who abandoned
styled Baron We&. The Guild was simply a fancy title for a their posts and slipped through the rebel net as the end of the
widespread smuggling network. For years, the Guild had Revolt approached. Disorganized and hunted by all their I ’ ’
worked against the s o h 5 (and sometimes for them], supplying bun, they didn‘t last long-unless they fell in with the SUI
the various black markets of the penal colony. Almost 20 years
before the Revolt, Werh had sold out to the Solars in order to S
become the major smuggler on the planet; he used the Colonial tl
AdminWation to eliminate his rivals. In return, he supplied 0
high-ranktng officials with vast personal fortunes. During the R-
volt, We& initially stood on the sidelines, but when he saw 40 years.
 - IN MERI~
MIDASSTATION MANAGER

CON 11 PER 11
Durability: 11/11/6 Action check: 12/ll/b/2
Movement mrint 18. run 12. walk 4 #Actions: i
Reaction &e: Ordir$ry/Z ' Last resorts: 0

Amdm
Unarmed-brawl 10/5/2 d4s/d4+ls/d4+2s LI/O
9mm plstol 10/5/2 d4+lw/d6+lw/d4m HI10

R h N W
CF short coat: d4 0,d4 (HI), d6-3 (En]
BkllL
Armor (91-powred [lo];Athletics 191; Unarmed [gl-braw
[lo];Modern [9]-piStol [lo];Vehicle [gl-land [I 11; Stamiiz
[Ill; Demolitions [12]; howledge [lZ]-laguage: Standard
I1 5J Verge system: L d u s [I 41; physical [ 121-cbmk67
[13J planatology 1131; Technical [lZI-juryrjg [13L rep&
[13J tachnical knowledge: mining 1131; Administration
[8]-management [9];Awareness (81;Interaction [l 11-bar
i [lZJintimidate [lZJ taunt [lZJ

m f engineer and manager of Midas Stanon, lodm Merik

is a seasonedminer with qerience in some of the most dan-
gerous ore extra& pmcedures around. He's a good-natued
fellow who makes an art out of swearing and grousing, hiding
intelligent observations beneath comically cynical remark.
Underneath his good humor, M d is actually quite ambitiow
and compt, a light-hearted scoundrel determined to use his
position to h e his own p d & s to h e greatest extent possible.
It's the way to get ahead in Union politics, altar all.
Like every other miner on Polyphemus, M d abandons
his post during the planet's passage into the Arch The fre-
quent work stoppages are preventing him from getting a
handle on the indigenous creatures of Polyphemus. He isn'i
sure if he should eradicate them to protect hie mines, cap-
ture them for study, or leave them alone. Whatever he de-
s, Midas Station will be in the middle of it, since his
...
, t,
ion has logged the most lifeform sightinp on the planet.
A
 W-

' v-

Q
 I

CONCORD AMBASSADOR
b v d 5 hmEn Diplmnt Ip.0 Agmt)
STR 7 (01 INT 11 . ,
(+I1
ioj
~~~~ ~

D M 10 WIL 10 (0)
CON 9 PER 13
Durabiliv: 9/9/5 Action c h e k 12+/11/5/2
Movement: sprini 16, run IO, wak 4 #Actions: 2
Reaction score: Ordinary/Z Last resorts: 0
lwpela
Unarmed 3/1/0 d4s/d4+1~/- LI/O
Stutter pistol 11/5/2 d6+2s/d8+2s/d8+4s LI/O

Dofnwc
CF short coat d4-1 (LO,d4-2 MI), d6-3 (En)

Skib
Athletics [7]; Modern [lO]-pktu/ [ll];Stealth [lO]-sbaduw
[fI]; Vehicle Operation [IO]; Stamina 191; Knowledge
[lll-rirst aid [lZJ language: Standard [14J stelar nahbn.
Concord [14J. Law [I 11-court [lZ]; Security [ll]-devices
[lZ]; Administration [lO]-bureaucracy [12]; Awareness
[lO)-in!tdtiuu[Ill; Culture [13]-etiquette: L u d a n [lSJ eti-
queffe: t'sa [14]; Deception [13]-bltdf[15J bribe [lS]; Inter-
action [13]-bargan [15j charm [161.

A charming and confident man of about 65, Nolan A m e s is

a career professional in the Concord's Diplomatic Service. He
is currently the Concord Ambassador io the Lucullan League,
d e s s job that is probably one of the least desired post-
m the Concord Diplomatic Service, Aymes actually MI-
unteered for the post three years ago, recognizing that he
was an emissary to an organization that didn't matter. How-
ever, it's his long-term goal to shiH power from the Barons
to their creation, the League, and then to help the League de-
fine itself as a responsible system gwernment. It's an uphill
struggle, to say the least
Aymes first plans to support anpne willing to take on
low-level corruption and nepotism. Removing Baron-ap-
pointed officials and replacing them with Lucullans loyal to
the League will be difficult, but it's the best place to start. In
pursuit of this goal, APE makes a point of passing infor-
mation about vulnerable appointees and scandals to cru-
saders willing to take on the system. When possible, he
shields his agents through Concord diplomatic immunity or
deal m a h g with the local powers. So far, the Barons
haven't recognized the threat that Aymes poses. When they
do, he's as good as dead
 MINDWALKERS: “DON FIREM&
‘&THE
THREAT
OR MENACE^

-
jTR 8 (0) INT9 (0)
One of the fachons of Penates is the Supemors, a nactv IEX 12 (+I) WIL 11 (+I)
group of psionicists who use thew mental powers to ma :ON 11 PER 9
date and control everyone around them After year5 of lurabhty: 11/11/6 AcUon check 13+/12/6
rogance and donunation, they‘ve earned quite a reputahon m UIovement:spnnt 20,mn 12, walk 4 #Actions
Lucullus Outside of Supemsor territory (the rrunmg regon haction score: Ordinary
of Caracas) the general populahon despises use of psi[
powers In fact, suspected rmndwakers caught usmy 11 ulada
powers may face lynch mobs, wtch hunts, and sirmlar fo Inermed-brad 9/4/2 d4s/d4+ls/d4+2s LI
of retnbuhon Mmdwalker heroes bewarel lmm pistol 14/7/3 d4+2w/d6+2w/d4+lm HI

Id-¶
:F long coat’ d4 (Ln, d4 (HI),d6-2 (En)
Mls
Lthletics [SI; harmed [8]-brawl[91; Modern [12)-pfs
141; Vehicle Operation; Stamina, DemoUuons [SI-& [l
inowledge [9]-1anguage. Standard [lZJ Vkge sysfem: I
ullus [lZ];S e w [9]-dpyIcps [lOJ pmtoc& [la.AWN
less [ill; Investigate [ll]-sesrcb [lZ]; Sheet Smi
1I]-cnmnaI [13J knowledge 1131; I.lscephon [9]-br1
1OJ gambIa [lOhhterachon [Sl-htermgste [la1 taunil1

t short, aggressive Sreplug of a man, BaDdon DeValk is

keet-level racketeer for the Syndicate, a ruinor boss w
tarted as a simple thug. He’s called the Fireman for two rE
om:HR spends his time putting out hes (so to speak) 1
le Syndicate, and he’s very good at blowing thtngs up. 1
‘akruns the Midas Pelace, a sprawbg den of gmblir
rinking, and less reputable entertainment located in f
rorst part of town. It‘s his job to separate customerr frc
ieir money, but leave them enough to make sure they wi
1 come back. The Palace covers elmost a square block
ie Spacers’ Dish?@ and it‘s renowned ae a place to go 1
dormation and contacts as well FS a good time.
The Fireman’s flrst job is to take care of a
mthat f
n
yndicate needs. Hell shake down merrhanb who are,
aying their insurance, shadow troublemakers, tip I
rooked cops, and even mund up a group of thugs to !
baighten out rivals and interlopers who don’t !mow how
lay the game in Port Royal. There‘s a price for doing bu!
ess in Port Royal, and Bandon DeV& is t h man ~ who CI
tcts it.
 The m e n t Re&bnt of the L e a w Assembly la a Union PB- any dty-corslsung of light induL, ,,.~pfdantlalnelghhorhoods,
nates man by the WE of Wner F O ~ S W S LucuUudDTo- traneportaann hub,h a s and
WC$, wen a handful of
3).Fohn quldy works to mow the UP agenda fimacdwithout small Cham M d is a good example of the 'nor-
bm obvloua about it He's canbig to wdmtand that Up mal' Rovsl. KE named for the EX~EIE~VE chemical
pee$ him to do a lot more than he Is andthathia plants and rahwias that are cmentratsd on thla & of the
Wht be In if hs tallows all of hia ordam fr dM a Wod 15 ldlcmstersfrom Uptown or the Goldan Quarter,
Camp. hW PSOpkE Envy hhl hls pC&XI. Long trnwlt corrfd01.s hrmsing maglev trains and woundcar

1
 darn
anyone who offmad a fight More than any ath
Pi& coniribubd to t h dscadas-long
~ Barcme' War,

,r ...
j:..

f"

C "
 ofhmplhhy In Sardkgo, vieitrrm who have not yet 88-
I l q d hoepltaUty should remain on board their shlp c
 r H E TECHNOSPIDEL
cbnosptaers began ga en assoctetlon of
and tEChnldans who galzed hnntes's
,

cans or the Rae to ovmwhelm the splde

1-ewn il thsy'd pay dearly for it
-__l__l__

-------_ _
 ._._.
AGENT
~

TECHNOSPIDER

TR7 (0)
DM 12 [+I1
CON 9
Durability: 9/9/5 Amon the& 14+/13/6
Movement: sprint 18, XAdlonS:
Last resork

Unarmed 3/1/0 d4rJd4+ls/- Lh

9mm pistol 131613 d4+lw/d6+lw/d4m HI/
MEMU
CF short coat: d4-1 [U),
d4-1 (HlJ, d6-3 (En]

rbw naE
mal mterface jack (Drdinary); nanocomputer (Good); ri
IX [Good).

pung, hot-headed pndpbt and &SEI punk, b n i n Dakrll

one of the best ha&& In the Techspider qanizanoi
2's a loud-mouthed overconfident computer e ~ e r w th
.,lverUses himself as the bast pllot on the planet and sails lns
serviceah anyune who can meet h p & e
ing for Syndicate bosses, Free Rade Guilders, and othnmrl-'
investors, Ronin usually passes interssang tips and nm
back to the Technospidars.
R o m llves in the Chem Dkhlct, kaditmnally a Tech-
ispidsr stronghold m the Jamaican-held ciiy of Part Royal
i s made a number of enemies, but so far M one's rc
wed him. Rontn's Grid shadow is, naturally, a samuri
warrior with M allegiance. He's not nearly 88 good as h
says he IS,but he's one of the best grtdpllots wiulng to wm
P strangers.

I
 YtVlKAH DLANT
SUPERVISOR AGENT
Lava1 7 human Mindwalkar
STR 6 I-li
. . INT 12
DEX 9 !Oi WIL 11
CON 10 PER 12
Durability: 10/10/5 Action check: 12+/11/5/:
Movement: sprint 14, run IO, walk 4 #Actions: :
Reaction score: D r h a r y / Z Last resorts: [
Rionic energy points: 11

Attack5
Unarmed 3/1/0 d4s/d4+1s/- LI/C
Mass pistol IO/S/Z d6w/d6+Zw/d6m En/[
Mind blast' 17/8/4 d4+2s/d6+2s/d8+2s En/[
' Armor is ineffective against this attack.
Oafnlurar
CF softsint: d6 LI), d6 (HI), d6-1 [En)

Skih
Athletics [61; Modern [9]-pistol [IO]; Vehicle Operation I91
Stamina [lOj-endurance ill]; Knowledge [l2l-language
Standard 1151 Verge system: Lucullus [lS]; Awarenes!
[I l]-iniujfion [lZ/; Investigate [l I]-deduce [IZJ interrogati
[lZ/;Resolve 1111-mentd [lZ/; Interaction [lZ]-in/imidati
[13];ESP [ 1Zj-mnd readmg [14J psychometry [13]; Telepa
thy [lZI-contact 1141 illusion [14J mind blast [171 mini
shield [14J suggestion [I.?].

Devirah Blant is the epitome of what the people of Lucullu!

fear about the Supervisors; she is a ruthless psioniclst whr
uses her mental powers to control and victimize anyont
weaker than herself Blant is a complete psychotic who de
lights in destroying the defenseless with her powerful men
tal blasts. She Is the personal attack dog of Ian MacEwan
Raised from early childhood as a killer, she does his bidhc
without a trace of conscience or resistance. Devirah's strk
ing beauty, petite build, and easy grace conceal one of the
most vicious Mlers in the Verge.
MacEwan typically assigns Devirah to his "special pro
jects," various schemes and plots designed to neutralizf
whichever enemy he's most annoyed with at any given time
Currently, MacEwan's looking for ways to seize control of thf
Jamaican Syndicate by mentally dominating the leaders o
thP farmly. Heroes dying with the Jamaicans could easilr
is MacEwan-and that means that Devirah Blant wd bs
Uno for them.
 ..
, ..
 THESIROCCO
hfinmd Bucklapclaw h d o r

impaNnentS: 5 Dur: 2,
Ianeuver rating: -1 Acc: 3 Mpl
wmkdng speed 2 A U h Berthing: I

Armament: 2 mas5 cannons

ange 5/10/15 Mm d6+Zs/dfi+lw/d6+3w L1/1
afenses: Jammer, point-defense gun
rmor: Medium neutrmilte (2 durl
d6+1 &I), d6+1 (HI), d6 &)I-
mputer: Ordinary core, Or- battle computer, Ordina
defense computer, Ordinary engineerhg computE
Ordinary nav computer
Igines: Induction engine
m r : Mass reactor rated at 15 power factors
ive: Non-equipped

d c.IRp(l surt.ms[puT/Pow) llumbiub

-3 Command Sick bay (2/0) 6/6/:
MuIHband radar (O/O)
IR detector (O/O)
EM detector (O/O)
Radio transceiver (0/1)
Laser transcmver (O/l)
Crew quarters (MI]

I
-6 Electromcs Computer core (1/0) 6/6/:
Mass transceiver ( l / l )
Point defense gun (1/1)
-9 W a r y 3x mas5 reactor (6/0) 12/12/t
Autosupport [O/l)
1-14 Engineering 3x Induction engines (W6) 12/12)
i-20 Weapons 2 mass cannons (4/6) 8/8/4
* No Me support provided to this compartment

Snr
 9'

EXPLORATION THEb N G SIUEnCE

&E nftsn lacknd nnc

1
a growlng food supply. The colonists, long dependent on Inter allens, dBd8d to rmnain on Bluefall and watch over 'IMbane Is-
stellar supplies, strq'gled to find natural rwources to support land as L$ guardians.
them Eventuallv. sdmtlsts on Bluefall discovered methods to For several veers. the d v humans on Bluefall were these
safely prepare t i e indigenous flora and fauna. Tudey, kelp and wardens and a'few h t l n g scavengers p l c h g ovnr the SUF
fish =E the staples of Blusfall diet-and much of the Verne's face. Only 'IMbane Island was left unmolested; the island's au-
diet as well. &g the Long Silence,they were Its salvation. tomated defense systams parsuadad the curious and the
avaricious to my away. The more psrelstent vulhlree discov-
ered how deadly the island's fmZiflcetlnns and pfflboxes WE^.
TH An sort6 of theories m e e to sxplain the sudden dieappsar-
The A ~ g l ssystem, d u p have been able ance of more than a d l l o t i human befngs. Allsns,unchecked
to survive without Old ernits humans solar radiation, &eases, and dark-matter experiments were
easy travel ovnr Its surface. The metals that Bluefall lacked gjvm mdjt for the V-g. More than one group of people
could be had bom the rest of the system. Bluefail's planetary in the Verge pantcked thtnking they mght be next to dleeppear.
population was the largest of any Verge system, numbering The eventual cmsnslts was that an Orlon fmw shtp had
near 10 mtllion by the middle of the 25th csnw. come to collect their people and tak~hhome to the Stellar
Records of human adlvitv on Bluefall cease on July 22, Wig. The few Orions who had returned to eafeguard Bluefall
2452.Computers and automatic mems mntlnued to operate, scoffed at this theory. The Vanlshlng remains a mystery, at-
but M human commands WErE entered Lunar mining &Uons ! r a m an rm wider ring of theories, holofllme, Grid debate,
and military vessals In the Aagls systam appear to have d- and conjecture.
fared the same fate on the same dav. Work was left hslf done
meals half eaten, and logs half writtk The accounts of the &
observers to arrlve aftar the Vantshinn made it dear that 'the
lights were left on,ths doors unlocked' Astheye
Within a few days, trading V E S S R ~arrivlng
~ from other on, consuming lives and materials at an astonishing r
Verga systems confirmed that the Aegis system was empty of Wnrlde and star -ma fell victim to the conflict, and M I
human Me. Communication attempts directed at 'IMbane Island seemed near. In despalr, many dttzens Red the war, seek
met with no response. When the traders landed for a look peace In the edges of hown space.
around, they found an eerie landscape of dues d v e but soul- The most famous exodus was the Fltght from Bids,led by
less, unmarred by any attack. Wlthout human guidance, Chrlstopher Hale In 2460.W e In hls second year ai an ehta
machines throughout the system were crashing Into one an- Orion military acadamy on Bids, the League president's oldest
other and causing minor destruction of all ktnds. Mwng oper- son and hls friends farmed a cadre of peace activists at the
ations contlnued uncheckad and unprocessed academy. When Hale OrgPnizsd a protest during the academfe
The vaunted Bluefall military had fallsd to pmtect its dtl- WaduaUon ceremonies, the academic euthorlties Imprisoned
ZRM.When news of tha situation reached naval vessels outside hlm. In response, the student body revolted. After Hale was
the system, they returned home to see the dlsaster for them- freed, the chaotic uprlslng became an organized molution.
selves. The koops restored order to the cities, shuttlng down Seizing contml of the academfs military vessels, Hale orga-
automatic systems and returning mllltary vee~elsto Hughes Is- ntzed a fleet conslstlng of duzwa of military vessels and m e
land. After a year of careful examlnabn produced M leads than 100 civilian shtps. Romlsing a peaceful tomorrow. Hale
and no well-supponed t h ~ o r i ~tosthe caw8 of the Vanlnhlrq, Invited hls daSsmet~Sto band to&& and find a refuge fmm
the remnant of he m u d Onon defensive fiest slowlv fell anart. war. Ib a m m the cadets lolned hlm. Thw Invited dvillam
~~ ~

Most ships returned to the Stellar Rlng and Orion &ace; fmm the pIa& Erlda dOi?g'bafOrR maldng a starfall Into I
recorda Indicate thl8 poup eventually reached home only to vespace. It was dap befnre the [lrlrm gnvernmsn\ rattled I
become embroiled in GW2.A smaller group left to seek homes a qulck response by Rssldent Hale, could ad.
elsewhere In the Verge, or on one of Bluefall'e many islands. Chriatophar Hale's fleet h-iplsd in she before it read
ially, the ~mallestgroup, fewer than 1,000 humans and 100 @ In 2464,but il still wasn't nearly big m u q h to carry
 than 5 i n h n men and woman when he I& the Stelli
With that many passengers, Hale's fleet dldn't to c q

ishing had turned beautfful Bluefall into a deseried ghost

so the refugee fleet headed for Aegis. Many of the re
W
u
U
W
52
W
500, ehst. more than a wmturg of human clvtlirstlrm
=E=
+ years. The refugee'culture flourished.
Wlth Me protest, Hale declared himself the Regent of Blue- on Bluefall, humans made contact with its natiw.Ths diecnv-
fall, and hu new nation the Regency. " b a n s Island was ary of a sentlant spedes after such a long period of ssttlemant
rechristened Regency Island. His officers retainad their military was unprecedented.
titles, and a military government was formed. Over the next 30 The Glw,a submarine in the SW&R of the Regency Navy,
years, the Regency devoted itself to rebulding a stable sousty was conducting s a w exparlrnents near Fliirari~Island whw II
on Bluefall. The few m v o r s from the old Orion era helpad received the flrst comunicatlon h m the aliens. The deteUa of
but the true honors go to the dedicated work of Regency dtl- Captain Elizabeth Iannoffl's ancrmnter wrth the Bluefell altens
zens. They found an abandoned paradise and restored Its remain classlfled, and the Reegncv m n t haa madn WE
shlne. cmmmt, other than to say that tha aliens am amicablawhile
For the dtlzens of thts new Regenw, Bluefall offarad an un- thls secrecy m e s fear, the Rsgsncy government b e b s it
usual opporhmtQ Not only was 6 8 planet Itself a paradise, hut the best way to llmu contad during the critical bet few para
its former inhabltants had constructed h e dues. Homes, bwi- as a relatlonshlp is apened
nesses, and whole islands stood unoccupied, with nu signs that Iannoffl's vessel returned to Regency Island amtd a Feat
their previous owners would ever return. The flrst a d of the deal of secracy and military security. G k t s kept in port, pru-
Regency was to m a t e a national treasury through the auctlrm teded from p m g eyes by guards and a protecthte bay mi-
of Bluefall's assets. Indeed, for the new wtleens of Bluefall, cally used for repairing damaged 888 vessels. Intarsswtgly,
businesses and property were had for pemes on the Mo in Iannoffl herself is one of the few msmbers of the Gi&s mew
dollar. who has not made a public qpearance, held an intemhv,
written a book, or s t w d a holofllm deal abmtt the experience.
In the months following the G h f s rstum to Ragency Islsnd,
most of her mew tack leaves of absence to tell the tale 8nd
With the return of the stellar natma to Verge space, the recent make a small fortune. Untmzunately for the curtous, captein
b o r y of the Aegis system has taken yet another turn. On Feb- IannDtti kept most of the shlp in the dark about the rldrar de-
ruary 11,2497, the Concord forkess shlp Mnutnr entered the tails of what was going w so the mew versirms of the tale ere
Aegis system on its way to investigate the dutress call from the mostly based M fragmentary Infmtim and speculattnn. As
Hammer's Star system. For the most part, the stellar nations for Iannotti herself, a Fhgency wasantatlve reported that she
were pleased by the resettlement of Bluefell Word of tha Van- 1s working to form a good relatinnah~pwith 'our new friends
ishing had spread within the Stellar Rlng, and It was a matter on Bluefall'
of no small comfort to the powers of Old Space that the Van- Andrew Stott, Thuldan governor of FUtrane Island, has
ishing and the dlstress call from Hammer's Star m e appar- raised an offldd p m M over the M d e n t damendlng that the
ently unrelated. Emissaries from a few stellar nations saw an world of Bluefall has a right to full and free discloeure of fn-
o p p o r h m ~they couldn't refuse. Bluefall was underpopulated, formetion. Meanwhtle, he has accelerated the co
with only a cadre of 'ragtag refugees.' They should be easy Thuldan sea n a y , so that the truth can come to.@I
plddngs for a stellar natlon wth a little bravado. It hasn't sue the facts by force, I f necessary
turned out quite as they expected. b a d details of the encounter ramam a mattar of specula-
Shlps from the Thuldan Empire and the Orlamu Theocracy tlon Most Regency dlime reactmd with sup* hut with ton-
arrlved u numbers In early 2498. The Orlamu Theocracy EX- fidence that coexlstence with tha new spedes should he
pressed interest in uvestigating the mysterious disappsarance possible. After all, 'we've bean g&hg along p~ecefulhlwuh
'?
1 of the original colonists; the Thuldam were more dwd. 'As
Governor TrIbane's invitalion has not yet been closed' satd the
Thuldan edrmral, 'we are happy to accept t h invitation
~~ to visit
them since we got hers! Some lnfmatlon has bawrma a d -
able to the general public, through the media and ulrmylh word
of mouth:
Bluefall In turn. we invile Bluefall back into humanity's fold.' 0 Bluefall's allens dwell In the deep omans, under Moms-
Hale has led the Regency reaCtlon to the Thuldan decree, a taw of water.
reactlon that can dlplometically be described as pesslonate. Al- 0 The mew chrtstened the alisns "deepfallen' and the name
though he concedes that foreign natianals are welcome to vhit has stuck. Tha ellens like the name, or don't cam abmtt it.
and emigrate to Bluefall he has also enforced an old rule that 0 The deepfallen are humanoid, with two anus and hge.
access to Regency Island IS forbidden Furthermore, Bluefall 0 One of the deepfallen talked alone wtth Captain Iannogl
demanded a fee from Its Imrmgranm, adjusted for iniletlon Yet for several ham on the GIc@ surfaced de& larmolti had m
Hale continues the general practice of open inuniaratian. under linsual or cummunlcatlon aauioment with her.
 AND POLITICS
GOVERNMENT

_ _ _ i .
 CHRISTOPHERHALE
REGENTOF BLUEFALI.

nu 9 WIL ia i+ij
CON 10 PER 14
Ourabdity: 10/10/5/5 Action c h e k 15+/14/7/3'
Move: spmt 18, run 12, walk 4 XAcbons: 3
Reaction score' Ordinary/Z Lad resorts: 4
Perk: Heightened Ability (PER)
' -d4 ban situation die
Amcha
Unarmed-power 13/6/3 dWd6+Zs/d4w LI/O
Laser plstolz 12/6/3 d4+lw/d6+lw/d4m Ed0
Mass rifle 12/6/3 d6w/d8+lw/d6+lm En/G
-d4 base sltuaunn die

D.I.W.
CF softsuit: d6 0,d6 (HI), d6-1 (En]
skills
Athletics [9]-basebaU [l 61; Unarmed [91-power 1131; Acro-
batics [Sl-dodga [13J faU [lo];Modern [9]-pMd [lZJ d e
[lZ]; Vehicle [9]-space [ I 11; Stamina [IO]-endurance [lZ];
Business [12]-corporate [14J Law [12]; Knowledge [la]-
computer [13J deduce [16J language: Standard [15h Sys-
tem [12]-engineerlng [13J wapons (131; Tactics [IZI-in-
fanty [14J vehicle [14J space [15]; Adminjstration [la]-
bureaucracy [14J management 1151; Awareness [ IZ]-inlu-
ition [14], perception [14J.Resolve [12]-mentd I161 phys-
ical[l4]; Culhre [15]-diplomacy[18J etiquene [Orion){lEJ
etiquette (Concord) [lS]; Deception [15]-bluff [16J bribe
[16J gamble [lS]; Interaction [15]-bargaln [16J charm
[ZOJ intimidate [18J seduce [16]; Leadership [15]-com-
mand [ZOJ &pire i.41.

Christopher Hale is eminently likable man. Barely con-

sidered middle-aged at 60, Hale represents the best of
charismatic Orion leadership. With the few who know him
well, Hale shrugs off the overserious demeanor he is fa-
mous for, and he tempers the burdens of the Regency with
his singular passion: baseball. In a sense, Hale is the prjnce
of Bluefall and the Verge, a popular young leader whom
people look to. He's as capable as his father could have
wished.
After fleeing his responsibiltties, today Christopher Hale
bears burdens far beyond the norm. As Warthen Hale's son,
ChMopher was expected to follow his father into politics
and diplomacy, but Christopher often found himself at odds
with his father and the Orion League. Like many of his gen-
eration, Christopher wanted nothing to do with the war that
had already N e d so many.
After his father secured a third term, Hale abandoned the
Orion League and his military education. As he led the fleet
out of Orion space and into the Verge, the young Hale found
that fate wasn't hished with him. The civilians and cadets
looked to him for direction. Already famous thanks to his
family, Hale cemented the inevitable during his long voyage.
Lke his father before him,W o p h e r Hale seem destlned
for great power and great responsibiltty.
 unprocessed plastic for shipping. The Regency has vowed to
protect plastics and other industries by supporting them with
Despite the absurdly high number of individuals in the Aegis subsidies and 19- tariffs on any competitor.
system who devote their lives to interstellar intrigue and Mechi- The thlrd dominant industry of the planet is aquaculture.
a v e h politics, the schemers' inIluence on everyday business Fishing is an honorable occupation on Bluefell, and the is-
is often overstated. M e r all, all the conferences in the world landers' mile-long nets catch hundreds of thousands of pounds
won't support the Regency economy. The Regent refuses to of fish each day. But that's not nearly enough to feed the hun-
allow his citizens to devote themselves exclusively to support- gry The dominant food source for Bluefall is kelp. Enormous
ing the citizens, diplomats, and tourists of Old Space. Bluefall kelp beds llne the volcanic sea ridges around most of Bluefall's
must be able to support itself when its new guests find other in- islands; farming companies tend these beds and harvest the
terests-the Third Galactic War,for example. To encourage other stock four times a year. The unprocessed kelp is sent to treat-
trades, the Regency supports ventures in desalination and sea ment facilities that render it edible. The same processes that
m y , p e b o l m and plastics, and aquaculture. make island kelp edible remove what little taste the crop has,
As might be expected on a water planet, much of Bluefall's and so e large culinary i n d m has arisen, devoted to kelp's
economy depends on the sea. In addition to providing easy skillful preparation.
transportation, the sea is also the planet's primary source of The last of the Rngency's economic centers isn't a source of
production. Minerals, fissionable deuterium, and water exports production at ell; it's the Verge Stock Exchange. Through the
can be sifted from it, end sea mining provides a nice secondary Vessy, the financial firms of Bluefall make a profit. Through
business for many desalination plants.

.
Petroleum has been important to Bluefall since the dlscov-
ery of oil in 2330. Although deep-sea moorings, underwater
mining rigs, and pumping stations require huge up-front in-
vestment, the wealth of petroleum below the seafloor offers a Bluefall is home b.k&@ the0 3fYb rrrmtDn Regency citizens.
more than profitable return. Ancient, primitive life on the Life on the planet is comfbrtable, with temperatures averaging
oceans, compressed by h e and the weight of tons of water, 20" C (68' F) end little variance on even the coldest or honest
has produced a light, sweet oil. BluefaU's petroleum especially days. The daily rains are brief, and the entire society is geared
lends itself toward industrial use in plestics, one of Bluefall's toward wringing the most out of each sunny day.
principal industries. Regency natives prefer light, loose clothing in gray and blue
The Regency has an excellent reputation as e producer of tones, in athletic styles. Selling, surfing, and sunning are pop-
high-grade plastics. Regency corporations take orders from ular pastimes, and more than one visiting diplomat has found
manufacturing plants in Aegis and the rest of the Verge, de- herself staying a few extra days to research en extensive
veloping molds and parts for various functions.They also store report on the recreation-' !--?its of the lor-' ---A-u-- C-n
c

41188
 enter that hosted the occasional conference of Verge leaders,
ince 2497 Bluefall has been ground zero for political power
plays. On Bluefall the stellar nations meet to decide the fate of
billions of Vergers. Sometimes these diplomatic discussions are
heated; both the Galactic Concord and the Regency government
must stmggle to preserve order between the Starmechs and
the Orlamus, between VoidCorp and Insight, and between the
Thuldens and everyone else.
Fortunately, Bluefall's terrain makes it easy to separate antag-
onists. Each stellar n a h has b e d an island or an archipelago
in Bluefall's oceans These islands double as f o r b s outposts and
diplomatic embassies; each stellar nation is free to rule its island
as desired The Regerq claims Bluefall as a whole, including Re- Flag of the Regency of Bluefall
gency, Hughes, and numerus dependent islands. Unfortunately,
cor& is inmasing as available space demeases. Land is already The largest eource of plant biomass lies in the oceans. Near
g r m g scarce as the population continues to soar. the surface, great beds of kelp and plankton flourish. Processed
The Regency government, assisted by the Galactic Concord kelp and plankton have more than doubled the volume of Blue-
nd most of the stellar nations, has adapted to the drastic pop- fall's food supply. Surrounding the islands are great kelp farms,
lation increase. Emigration from the Stellar Ring has almost now cared for and regularly harvested by Bluefall's Inhabitants.
oubled the Bluefall population in only four years. After some Kelp farming has become an industry that employs more than
litial struggles, the Regency government has put the most im- a million, and the bounty of food has allowed Bluefall to export
iediate crises behind it; Bluefall produces enough food, water, its unique cuisine to worlds outside the Aegis system.
nd shelter to meet the demand. Deep below the surface, instrumentr;report other species of
Bluefall has the potential for drastic change. The scarcity of plant life that thrive without Nnlight. This deep vegetation har-
land has prompted the usual solutions. Since it's difficult to ex- nesses Bluefall's abundant g e o t h e d energy to survive, along
pand outward, buildings are climbing upward; the first kilome- the trenches of the ocean floor. The d e p h these plants prefer
ters-high skyscrapers are already under conshction. Within a make the prospect of harvesting difficult, although Regency sci-
decade, the skyline of Hughes Island, among others, could be entists are learning to grow the deep vegetation in an artificial
radically changed. Growth onto the seafloor can be sxpected to environment. If the experiments work, plants that feed on the
accelerate with the Initial success of the Depth Epsilon, the infrared spectrum may nourish many human settlements.
planet's first undersea city. Finally<the Regency is considering The scarcity of land hasn't prevented plant life from taking
sethng up colonies of its own, on Hudson in the W o k e sys- root. The sandy soil doesn't offer much purchase, end most
tem and on Rivendale in the Terivine system. growth is limited to grasses and light undergrowth. b e trees
The factors that produce overcrowding-population growth are rare, limited to the largest islands. Bluefall's light gravity
and a free immigration policy-aren't likely to change, and those does allow its few trees to grow taller than elsewhere. Ironi-
!r
n/:
fxtors will surely reshape Bluefall. cally, the sparse trees have reinforced Bluefall's image as the
planet of tropical islands.
Attempts to introduce alien plants have met with little euc-
- B L - csss. Most foreign flora introduced to the Bluefall biosphere ,
Only 2% of Bluemu5 surfaL.. I -ry land; water covers the rest. dies in a matter of days. Tests have confirmed that the life na- -.
Ice caps float at the poles, one of few surfaces untouched by tive to Bluefalldoesn't interact well with the new arrival; it's dif-
settlements. The scarcity of land is one of the planet's few in- ficult for the new plants to adapt to e saline soil. The Regency
perfections, a5 visitors to Bluefall are pleased to discover. New- government has given up the practice, choosing to process and
comere enjoy the gravity, which at 0.899 allows a level of treat the native plants so that they become edible to Bluefall's
comfort without causing significant muscle atrophy or decay. sentients. Most of Bluefall's island inhabitants follow the Re-
Visitors can also enjoy the warm, subtropical temperatures end gency's example. To date, the Regency government has been
usually peaceful skies. Even finer is the planet's rich-some generous with the stellar nations as they build their own
would say intoxicating-breathable atmosphere of nitrogen and
--vgen. Humans live happily on Bluefall's surface, without the
colonies. The Regency provides botanists and other experts to
assist colonists in crop selection, growth, and harvest.
. . . .t

zed for filters, masks, or e-suits. Only Filtrane Island has rejected the "going native' ap- j
proach. After burning or eradicating all Me indigenous to Fil-
trane, Thuldan scientists found it easier to support a biosphere
:LORA of species alien to Bluefall. Whlle the Island MW requires con-
Plant life blankets Bluefall, both above and in its waters. Ex- stant maintenance to preserve the purity of its biosphere, Thul-
tensive botanical studies have catalogued and analyzed over dans of Filtrane can feel at home in the familiar environment.
two million separate plant species. Many of Bluefall's phyla re- The radical measures employed on Filtrane make it unlikely
semble lifeforms f d a r to humanity. Unfortunately, despite that the practice of importing an enure ecosohere Mil anread
the similarity that Bluefall's climate bears to that of Earth's, the beyond this location.
alien biology is not completely compatible. Initial attempts to
eat untreated plants met with disaster, as many of the first im-
migrants didn't heed the warnings of the Scientists who had
surveyed the planet. The waves of sickness that passed As might be exp Bluefall's lush vegetation feeds a diverse
through the colony in its early days serve as a reminder that, variety of enim ?st native species are marine: mollusks,
svsn in this paradise, assumptions prove dangerous. other invertebrates, and fish. individual species possess f
 CONCORD DEPUTY
AM8ASSADOR

Lml 8 Human Diplomat ( R . 0 Asmnll

STR 10 (0) INT 10 (01
DEX 9 (01 WIL 10 (01
CON 9 PER 13
Durability: 9/9/4/4 Action chedt: 11+/10/5/2
Move: sprint 18, run 12, wak 4 #Actions: 2
Reaction score: OrdinaryE Last resorts: 3

Annclrr
Unarmed 5/2/1 d4s/d4+ls/d4+2s LIlO

Dofnun
Armor: none (Ll),none [HI),none (En1

SMnm
Athletics [lo]; Vehicle Operation [9]; Stamina [91; Business
[lo]; Law [lOI-Regency law (131; Knowledge [ll]-cum-
pufer [IZJ language: Standard 1141; Administration [lo]-
bureaucracy [ I Z/,management [111; Awareness [ 101; Cul-
ture [13]-diplomacy [ZZl, etiquette: Aegis [la]; Deception
[13];Interaction [13]-baryain[l4J charm [14/, seduce[l5];
Leadership [13]-tnspire [IS].

G.or
Microcomputer with biokey; formal clothing; cigarettes;
lighter; psi-detector; briefcase.

The 2499 assignment of Nu al-Haq to a position of impor-

tance in the Aegis delegation was sometlung of a mysteq?
While he had proven himself capable in more than one in-
stance back in the Stellar Ring, the native of planet Concord
had just celebrated his 26th birthday when he was given or-
der5 to depart for Bluefall. While many inhabitants of Old
Space consider the Verge a provinual backwater, the Galac-
tic Concord has made its consideration of the frontier's im-
portance clear. Aegis is its most important assignment in the
region, and the competition to be assigned to Bluefall's
shores is understandably intense. The well-hwn beauiy of
its sunny beaches doesn't hurt its popularity among the po-
litical k e s , either.
Receiving the amhassador's post despite being a relative
newcomer has given the young al-Haq quite a reputation as
an ambitious, subtle schemer. He has done nothing to dispel
the aura that surrounds him. He hows his current position
is a result of his once intimate relationship with Hare1
Denisenko, a Concord minister assigned to the Committee
on Verge Integration.At first, the Verge was simply a place
of adventure and sxcitement. Mer his marriage to Isabelle
Errioc (HflConcord/DTO-7), a Concord Administrator, al-
Haq devoted himself to fulfilling the high demands of his of-
fice. He's also desperately afraid of Minister Denisenko's
spiteful vengeance; ironically, she's completely forgotten his
existence.
Nur al-Haq is a tall man with black hair and olive skin
who projects an air of confidence he doesn't alway; feel. He
has a fondness for well-tailored gray or black suits because
he thinks they make him look distinvtushed. In fact, to most
lakers, the overd effect is to make the young diplomat
!mble an undertaker.
 LLUEFALL
427,623,289
Human 91%
-
POPULATION
SENTIENTS
~
1
Orlamu
Fhgunmor
Solar

&en 9%
Sesheyan 13%
Mechalus 11%
Fraal 39%
The Regency 1s considerug se!hng up colorues of lts o
on Hudson m the h t o k e system and on Bmndale u the
Terivlne system.
The factors that produce overcrowdmg-population
growth and a free immigration policy-aren't hkely to
'
e, but those factors WIIIsurely reshape Bluefall
 El YCY 1: .ND
At 1,153,732 square !dloms$ra, Regencya.! tha lergest of Biw-
fall's Island. %e shleld vnlcenoes, now donnens mkad tho
landmervl horn tha acean depuls. 'Izla laripat of thslle v o a
Mt %bane, llses 6,745 me$rs abwe ea8 level II tDwBls ow
Itar@pbbm,Mt Hekk, et 4,342 meters and Mt Kahn, at 2,542
m e t ~m~ . r , the three broad mwntalns ma$dtho h d,
flet dopes that make Re- Ieland the $eat of BkoW

gardlsss of a mdldate's mothrat(oq, the

3llows It to enllsl only the most q d & d

iENCY MOUNTA
inu I O W E p~ e~ w of mbm, He!&, and norm mrm a mas-
stc volcanic chein of descendng -, pohnug roughly toward
Hughes Island. We&- by OCWI and wlnd has tamsd sums
of ths mountain slopes and prmrlded the island wlth flat Iwd
as w d as plur@ng canyon walls.
The wlcanoes of Regency heve been asleep for mora than
500 years, accordng to Orion sdenW. The occasional NIIL-
hkqs pmduced by Mt Marie and othsr Islends In the chpln
W d Indlcats IhRt h y h dormant, Mt Extlncl. plgsmt, 6 -
dogls$ am B u
td m thB euheurfaEs whnk rifts surmundlng
Regency lsland In hopes of pradk#rg a dtsaskous snrptlDn Fm-
lunately for the inhabitants, mwnt studies don't da buildup
of actlviiy The Regency takes great pains to publtcw h a
ae M-
ngs, whtch is a ComfDrtIng m m r a n c e to the Inhabltan$.
I
.
l Ehmi=190O0O h I
!pth E
itinn I
A
r A

an0
and o
not a . ...
I.."..
BLUEFALL
ORBIT
WN’S RING
 (SSM- I 9 )
L
I"

Mass
Cannon <
Turrets bc I

.. .
/
Torpedo

'
REV Glory (SSM 19)
* Length 120.5 m e t m
! Beam: 30 meters (60m hydrofoil span]
1 Mans: 4,860 metric tons '
Max Spend: 158.7 kph at 500 m
Acceleration: 10 kphhec

I
CrEW: 75 R d b t R d / l 2 Officers
Main Armament: 8 C26 Mans Cannons (4 x 2)
Secondary Armamsnt: 24 Mk 70 Long-rangs Torpedoes
Main Armor Belt: 0.25 m polymsric armor
Secondary Armor Protection: 0.1 m p~lymericarmor
Small Craft 1 Makpclaes scout submersibh
..
W
c1
er
W
=r

.
A
I

V
 planet with water; many conllnental areas are watersheds of Ish, and Austrin-Ontis hadn't dam auythiq fur them In am
vast, slug@ rivers and immense marshee. The planers SUIT,- than 20 yeare.
m m ~am humid beyond bRhf, and Its winters consist of un- In the 116 years slnce the

REDRAIN
In retallation for the treacherous d&uctton of the capital cuy
In 2461, the Thdh bombarded Galvin in 2462 and 2463
wfth a biological agent hown only as Fled Raln. Thls horrifying
weapon released a wractous microbe into Galvin's emyetern
that converted any kind of orgmc matter Into a lethal myco-
Wn. Precipitated thmuuh Galvin's warm and humid akm-
phere, rain tainted with red toxh spread the poIson
ovm vast stretches of the planet's surface. Hundreds of thou-
sends of Galvlnites died born exposurs Io the agmt, and the -m..PIm. I&*""=I

damap to the biosphare was incalculable-almost 10% of the During more peaceful days, Aus&insdenMs divided Gall
planers surface remains muhabitable today. into six general dimate system: the polar plains, the po
An area potsoned by Red Raln Is an UnfOrgRIhblR stght. Wa- ttoral, the mid-latitude lowlands, the mid-latitude highla1
terways, grassland, and forests allke disappear, replaced by le tropics, and the tropical littoral Like any Class 1 plan
stwdng pools of SCurr-CWRrRd putrescence; the bare Sksletans ialvin displays an endless variety of landform, vsgetatir
of trees protrude from the waste. In M y regions, the SIO~RS ieather, and habitats-so these climate systems am nr
We Mthing but bare eoll and rock, as all the vegetation hae enerahtions.
slaughsd off and sagged to the ravine and valley floors. The
only wey to prwant the spread of the potson 16 to scorch the af- blsr Plains: The planet's poles are the most arid regio
area and anything downwind; thk chemical agent has n Galvin; during summer, the unending sunlight bakes r
the 6alvinitss to Indnsrate vast re@m of their planet in ~ ~ and during winter the cold air can't hr
water in t h area,
order to contain the damage. Red Rain doesn't flourish at sea, much weier vapor. The polar plains are arid grasslands a!
M tha organtams de in salt water. :eppes that ring the world above and below the arctic a
otarctic @des, respectively

! their llvee blar Littoral: Numernus human settlements e f i on bc

oldn (see pages 59-60 In poles, since they're some of the best territory on the plan
an onset b e of one hour and an The polar littoral is especially pleasant, as nearby seas mo
attack b U o n of 5-10 (d6+4] days. Exposure to Red Rain m- erate its seasonal temperature exti-emes. The northem I
@res heroes to make ComUtution feat check; every hour. The toral is the breadbasket of the planet, containing endle
somiiy wries fmm a -3 Btep bonus to a Mctim's Cons#iution fields of grain and well-ordered apple and pear orchards.
hat check in low concentrations or cold weathm, to a +3 step
p ~ d inv high doses or hot weather (check TAELE617: POISON Middle Latihrdss (lavLnds]: The lowlands are marh
on page 60 of the Gamma8lnr GuIlde for damage ranges].If the i great expanses of temperate grasslands, marshes, na
victim faiie a Constltutlon feat chedr, the damage lndicatad on I W seas, and rolling highlands. In fact, wetlands, regions
the table is W s d on hlm or her, but not all at once. Divide the sawgrass, mud, and reeds extend for dozens of Idlomete
h a p Bfvmon the table over the attack duratlon to datsrmine around each of Galvin's seas. So far, the Galvinites ha-
hmv much damage IS suffered each day. ithered to drain or develop these areas.
Full-body chem Warfare gear with self-contained breathing
.9yslnm~(or e-eults or body tanks) offer suffldent prutectlon liddlm Latitudms (highlands):Many Galvinites mak
against the sgant (MConstltutlon feat check rRq~lrRd],but rig- eir homes in one of Gab's highland regions. These grer
o r m decontamtnatlon prOCRdURS are necessary to dean up Us are also quik suitable for human settlement, as they a
after e-g a Fled Raln area. 'ier and more suitable to indusirial development than 11-
idden plains around them.

ropier: Galvin's tropics are too warm and too wet fr

!man comfort. Extensive forests, jungles, and mangrov
ramps cover this region. Human settlements are few an
: between, and consist mostly of logging camps and mil
installations designed to take advantage of the equatoi
ial area.

-apical Lillllrpl: The tropical littoral is probably the lea!

I
bitable part of the planet; it's a world-girdling swamp c
mgroves, drowning forest, and vast mud flats. Uncounk
iusands of major species populate this area, but fec
man expeditions have ever penetrated all the way to th

c
ean shore.
 I

I
L
W
sevsral Umes, and the current executhres are generdy h y d to is
the Federal State. The Austrin manufacturing complex 1s located The Internal Sscurlty D .rsfullv mnnltore travel I
in the mountains. about 30 kllomstere west of the cttv'e cmter; Gab-though travel permits are u6uaUy avatlabb to dtltei
most of it5 facludss are deep untkrmnmd,
- shielded aeainst
. All who h w d t m e e d wy gmrsrmnent su6plch. %e BPB
it& attack. number af decent hatels in hrl h, rangmg tmm lwuriol
With the restoration of contact With Old Space, Auetrin Llm- to spartan. The red-llght distrirzs and dsazy flophouses fow
ited has @dy extended feelers on the Issue of reunitlng with elsewhere in the Vsrge don't miat in Fort D q a6 tha polti
I$ 'oarent' comoanv. AwWn-Dntte Unltmlted. So far, ~ ~ E V ' V E crack down on any !dnd of vice and requlre buslnsse operato
met'with little E&& the leaders of the Federal State of At to meat baek standards of decency and cleanllnm. The bE
g e m n are content with independence as long as they'rs win- hotel in the diy is the G a l h Interstellar Arms, a governmer
ning the war sponsored complex oftm used for dplomatic recRpUons 81
conferences. A room COB$about $150 per nQht (the p r l a~ ~ ~
E low bECaUEe the Directoratse of Finance and Soda1 plannil
Cloaked in shadow and secrev, the Federal State's Intelligence control prices throughout Galvln'8 economy). Hundreds
Directorate is one of the most powerful and most feared orga- room8 are d y avdable.
nizations in the Algemn system. In addtUon to ferreting out Al-
ttartn spies and flathering htmlllgence on Wtarln acUvtUes, the
Intelllgence Directorats maintains a ~ S B I I C E h the malor sys- Most ofhorldsrs don't get a lot of opportunltlee for sightsea
IS~ S Shadowing fitarin diplomats, manglng Ihd
IIWby in Fort Drum.The D e p h a n t of Hospltahk a W o n of the I
arm shipments to Galvln, and watching vlgllan@ for a rm end ternal SecurHy tiirectorate, provides guests with o f W eecor
supplies bound for Altar, the ID has a very long reach indeed. The pollce immedtately take my Mn-GdMIe found wand8
The Dlrectorats le housed In a secret fadlity located some- Ing about without b escort Into CUatDdy and quastirm ths prl
whers in ths mount& outside Fmt D m , hundreds of !do- oner saverely; an wort who faUa down on his job suffsrs BVI
meters from the capital Few people taken to t h Dlrectorata
~ for 5 a w repercussions for his &E.
qusatloning ever see the llght of day again. The Directorate
sponsors an sxtenslve covert ~ b k force,
e and it supports rou-
tlne raids of &tarin stations and poets. The ID also inwlvee it- R BHAR
self in weapone development, the mmination of promlnant M h ' e orighal colonial capital, h a Bhar IS a sprawling m
Alttarin leaders, and d d terrorlsm c m p a i p n agalnst the peo- tropolh located in the s~uthsrngreaslands. The E& Aurrtr
ple of &tar No tactlc or weapon ts beneath the Directorate. settlers eatabkhed vast ranchaa fn this re@q end Resa Bh
 Wb*rn#.8..* *"dES
lanetologists divide Alitar into several dimatic zones: equ
irial grassland and rain forest, temperate savannah, ter
arate forest, interglacial tundra, and glacial.

quatorial BrurLnd and R.in P0n.l: Alitar's W-E

id most hunud regon, the equatorial grasslands and re
irests form a narrow belt of troplcal vegetation and baln
armth that girdles the world It's cool and dry by troplc
andards, and qmte comfortable for humans Just south
e equator lie the Yellow Pan-Ahfs second-largest lnlar
na-and the Southern Ocean, an area that covers ti
anet's southern latitudes

mnpmta S a r a h North and south of the equaton

repon IS an arid belt created by the steady cvculatlon
wind currents U n h on Earth,these weather patterns do n
'1111 north or south at different times of year Ahtar does
me true desert regons, but the arid savannah of the ten
perate regions comes farly close Broad grasslands a~
plams stretch for thousands of !&meters UI tius zone

ammrato FONS~: Bevond the arid belt ~~.

~ ~~lies -
~~~~5ecor
a ..
..
.
mii region in the middle latitudes. The temperate forest
hat most people think of when they hear the name Alitar.
lis area contains a cool and rainy belt of mixed evergreep.
rithout any seasons, Alitar's trees don't lose their foliage]

it&dal Tmdnw The forests of Aliter give way to an

terglacial tundra around 55 to 65 degrees ~ r t latitude.
h
here the temperature approaches the freezing point. Sca
ped into glacial lakes, moraines, bogs, and other such fei
ures, the interglacial region marks the boundary zone I
Utar's permanent snow cover. Tiny orbital variations, loci
snditions, and climatic shiftshave caused the glacial bounr
y to drift north and south by a few hundred Idlometel
iver time.

olncipl Zmo: Because there's no summer to melt OH e n a

&tar's glacial zones begin at about 60 degrees north an
.-uth latitude, extending to the poles; the planers ice caps a~
st compared to Ea&s polar caps. However, Alitar's ic
.-ps are also comparatively warm and never see the eXtPern
:old of Nnless polar winters experienced by worlds with sii
lificant zdal tilts. The poles of Alitar receive 11 hours and 2,

I ninutes of both daylight and darhees each and every day t

he year, just like every other part of the planet. Alitar's pole
Ire much more habitable then most visitors expect; many ME
o m have adapted to this ulaciated environment.
J
II
j

few selected men and women Currently, two of the Lord-Go? kilometers. Engineers created huge earthen dikes to isolate sec-
ernors hold their offices in d e , since the Galvinites occur tors of the city and deflect blast effects. They also buried vita
their territories. A third Lord-Governor is responsible for ISA ot- emergency and command facilities in hardened subterranear
tworld holdings scattered throughout the system. bunkers. Finally, extensive aidspace defenses were added tc
The current Potentate is Rince Bands Korov [Hm/Algam- the formidable defenses already in place, making Beronin a dif-
ron/DCS-15), an aging man still possessed of great vigor and ficult target indeed.
force of character. As Lord-Minister of Defense 40 years ago, The result is a city that appears eerily empty. More than 25C
he wasn't present in Beronin at the time of the Ajax attack; thus, square kilometers of the old city center is nothing more thar
he survived as the ranking lord of the colony. Korov rebuilt the rubble and debris, wreckage that was never cleared from t h ~
government and the city, and is now overseeing the transition Ajax blast. Ten years ago, Imperial Potentate Korov [then th~
to independence. It's been Korov's misfortune to preside over Imperial Governor) decreed that the blast district of Beronir
the worst part of the war for Alitar, but most of his countryman would remain a ruin forever as e memorial to the citlzens whc
believe that Alitar would have fallen years ago without Korov's died there.
leadership. Ahtar is home to a more open society than that of theu
neighbors on Galvin, but the risk of Galviniie commando raids
terrorism, and espionage has forced Alitarin police to adop
E RONIN very stringent measures. Offworlders are free to go where they
Once the largest city of Ahtar, Beronin was almost completely like, with the exception of a few resbicted spots; however, die-
destroyed by Galvinite treachery in the Ajaxincident. Located in obeylng the restrictions results in swifl and final punishment
the verdant coastal plains of the equatorial belt, Beronin was a The Alitarin response to Galvinite terrorism is a well-armed,
beauhful city of open verandas and cool sea breezes, bordered loyal, and well-informed populace willing to report suspicious
on two sides by glittering whte beaches. After the Ajax leveled activity and help local police commanders ferret out GalvinitE
three-quarters of the city, the new leaders thought long and hard activities. Every shopkeeper carries a sidearm and keeps h:
about relocating the seat of government before deciding to re- eyes on everyone. Heroes accustomed to blustering their way
main in the devastated city. Moving the capital would simply through the peaceful citizens of other planets might find a v e v
make another city a prime target for Galvinite attack. ugly surprise when they ty the same tactics in Beronin.
Once the new government settled on this course of action,
they rebuilt Beronin as a fortress city. Instead of reconstructing ISLANO
BANKER
the city's devastated center, the Alitarins used the surviving sub- Berontn's original spaceport was located near the center of the
urbs as the heart of the new city, expanding it outward by hun- Ajax blast zone. The landing field still exists, but all of its sup-
dreds of square kilometers. Government offices, key industries, porting structures were seared to ash by the bomb. The ciiyk
and transportation networks are now senarated by dozens of
 al ships that enter the fnner @sm
RELIANCE any of a Concord escort do sb at their mw

hvdrocarbons. Due mob fomtlm 110 human

thu approach and impact; the 10 saUw chart
am all tfnv treemente of deb-mane mors than 100

don of the Long S h e , h c a l y b&ng tb bnttlw 01 the last

PALSHIZON Galacac War. Senstno that thek wnflrt mav fIRuB the lrdarfur

I-
I r --
1

BIG SLATE OFFEB

I
! I
j /
:I
1
!
 7
I

li
 "-
I"Come in the Oberon system and make your fortune. Richer I &gu battlecruiser patrolling the area Three weeks
later, the Aeneas arrived at Oberon and clauned the system
-A Rigunmor Grid Ad The Cyclops and its crew were never heard from a g m , and
the Fhgunmor Star Consortrum explored Oberon and h o n
Such were the promises of the Fiigunmor recruiting campaigns
more than a century ago. The old propaganda posters and
celebrity endorsements are common items in museums today,
shining examples of the best marketing campaign in mankind's Greed soon piuTGu ce in the Oberon
recorded history. These promotional items depict men and system. A fleet of twelve figunmor rmlitary vessels qtuckly as-
women working together in the mines of Lison for a few hours sembled about the orange star. Within four months after the
each day before retiring to the comfort of the pleasure domes doomed Cyclops sent her message, the Rigunmor fleet had
on the planet's sunny surface. For the Vergers living in this sys- seized complete control of the system and instituted an imme-
tem today, the words of those old advertisements and com- diate blockade: Foreign vessels were not permitted to enter the
mercials are a cause for bitter laughter. system. Meanwhile, high volumes of Riyunmor traffic, most of
The Oberon system is a large and complex one. It contains it shipping cargo, landed on Lison.
two stars, Titania and Oberon, set some 350 AU apart Titania, Motivationr: of wealth and power made the work of setting
the larger of the two solar bodies, is a blue supergiant. How- up a mine on Lison pass by quickly-if not safely. 2319 saw
ever, no planets orbit this star-perhaps due to its great size the first rhodium mine begin production. In the haste sur-
and forceful solar wind. Oberon, on the other hand, possesses roundmg the mine's consiruction, more than 1,000 technicians
mne planets. ' h o of them, Spenner and Mindara, are near- died in accidents It is unclear whether those first miners were
molten worlds in close orbit to Oberon. Another three, Leen, coerced, or if they volunteered for the task hoping to retire rich.
Lison, and Hux, are terrestrial worlds with moderately distant Regardless, the long periods of work and substandard con&
orbits. Farther out, two gas giants, called Werth and Kreshaw, ttons bore a terrible cost in lives. The Rigunmors didn't finish
revolve around Oberon, and two rocky worlds, Iris and Nom, construction of a functional colony with permanent living quar-
mark the edge of the system. Both of these planets could be ters until 2330.
former moons of Werth or Kreshaw that escaped into indepen- Leaders for the figunmor outpost soon found that the small
dent, though unstable, orbits. population of miners on Lison severely limited production. By
Lison is the center of human interest in the Oberon system. 2334, more than a dozen fertile rhodium quarries sat quiet and
A first glance at h s planet, however, would make such a state- unused. Fearing reprisals from the Star Consortium capitalists
ment seem unlikely, as Lison's ecology is only slightly more who wanted the mine to meet its projected rhodium output,
hospitable than the ecology of Oberon's molten worlds. Like Lison's governors struggled to increase the work force. Their
most of the inner planets in this system, Limn has become first initiative offered bonuses and vacation time for the "pro-
tidally locked due to the inexorable slowing of its rotation; thus, duction" of children, and the plan met with a healthy amount of
Oberon's radiation constantly bombards one side of the planet, success. StiU, a decade would pass before the Rigunmors I
while the other side lives in perpetual darhess. "harvest" a crop of humanity and put it to work in Lison's
ing operations.
Thus, they drew up a supplementary plan. In a brilliant fit
HISTQRY of markebng, the Rigunmor governors hired publicists from the
Exploitation appears ibaq&oul &a ,antire recorded history of entertainment and political industries of the Stellar Ring. These
the Oberon system. Humans came here in order to strip valu- professionals built Ltson's now-famous image as a planet of
able metals from Oberon's planets and moons. In the process, opportunity. Throughout much of Old Space, Grid advertisers
they have made themselves slaves of the system's economics. neglected to use pictures of Lison's ugly, cratered surface or
Rigunmor records, made public during the Second Galactic dark subterranean shafts. Instead, they displayed images of
War,reveal that a group of independent scientists aboard the re- miners working short days for excellent pay. figunmor vessels
search vessel Cyclops were the first to visit the Oberon system. had to make many trips to collect the thousands of volunteers
Reconstructed logbooks tell the story of a group of young re- desperate for a chance to make their fortunes. The population
searchers exploring this area of space in 2323. Apparently, of Lison soon swelled to a million underpaid, overworked sen-
these scientists wanted to make precise measurements of Tita- tients of mixed species and nationalities. The Rigunmor re-
nia's outer corona and use the data to further their academic ca- cruiters were well paid for each volunteer they brought to
reers. The curious explorers soon became sidetracked and Lison. At best, they were liars and con d s t s ; at worst, they
stopped to map out the detds of the entire system. conscripted citizens of all nationalities in the dark of night.
What they found on Lison changed this system forever. Nothing stood in the way of their meed.
After only 16 hours of surveying the surface, scientists discov-
ered quantities of rhodium beneath the topsoil. Immediately
upon making h s discovery, the Cyclops departed for the Ten- THE ------5 u,
dril system. Upon making starfall, they sent a message about The Lisons' experiences during GW2 were 1 1 the
their find to the Stellar Ring and immediately returned to Verge. Unlike many of its neighbors, the Oberon system never
Oberon. truly experienced the Long Silence. Of course, the figunmor
Unfortunately, an anonymous drivesat technician sold the Star Consortium became just as entrenched in the intergalactic
information to another stellar nation. The greedy technician war as any of the stellar nations. Unlike most empires with
"erroneously"routed the researchers' messages to the Aeneas, Verge colonies, however, the Fiigunmors thought their Verge
- - -----
I
 :OUNTER PLOT

The MonJtor spent only two weeks m the Oberon system m

2497 Durmg those days, enussanes from the Gala& Concord
and various stellar nations made numerous trips to Limn
These emissaries brought vvlth them examples of the newest
fashons, products, and technologies that Limn had never seen
In fact, the Fbgunmor delegation would often hand out samples
of flnely crafted materials at public demonstrahons, these sm- T
ples p c k l y became a mark of status, desire for Old Space ob- e
lects waxed The campaign to wm over the Lisons seemed e
successful U
Three days before the Momtorwas scheduled to make star p
fall, calls went out for an immediate referendum on reunifica- il---.. _-
tion w~ththe Fbgunmor Star Consorhum Despite the vehement
oblections of many-mostly older-Llsons, polls mlcated that
more than 66% of Lison's population would vote for a s s d a -
tion mto the Fbgunmor Star Consortium

The mght before the referendum, the Fhgunmor representahves

held a clandestme meebng aboard the Momtor In this confer-
ence, the Glulders, desperate to return a profit, laid out a quick
tunetable for the restoration of hgunmor rule on Limn Plm
were set out for the arrival of Fbgunmor d t a r y forces to pre-
serve the "transition government" The Rigunmor delegates'
language revealed ther true mtenhons, however Sentiments
such as "The servants of our Consortium could be troublesome
if they resist us' and "UnshUed labor is easy to replace, and
then we wouldn't have to worry about this little democracy"
were bandied about frequently
Unfortunately for the Fhgunmors, some agency had bugged
the m e e h g To date, the detds of the covert operahon remam
a mystery Officially,Lson's government claims no knowledge e-
of the lncident Perhaps mdependent Llsons were b e h d the
operation Other theories point to agents of another stellar na
hon mterested in seemg a Fhgunmor defeat
Whoever it was, they sent the recording to a Llson m e l a
semce Remarkably, the lournalist who received the tapes sent
copies to Resident Kevk instead of broadcasbng them
 h citi-
irated MICHAELKEVIK
i e re-
PRESIDENT
OF UNITED
Lisa

IM 10 WIL 12
:ON 8
~ PER 13
~~~~ ~~

lurability: 8/8/4/4 Action check: 12+/11/5/2

%ve: sprint 18, run 12, walk 4 #Actions: 2
. . baction score: Ordinary/2 Last resorts: 3
?erk Fortltude'
'
Kwik receives a -1 bonus to all Stamina-endurance &e&.
* a8 the stellar wuons move in to the SyBtnm. sonre dit-
kthldls
l l m m ch pistol 1115'2 d4+2w/d6+2w/d4+lm HI/O

DdONOS
IF short coat d4-1 (LI), d4-1 (Hn, d6-3 b)
&ilL
Yodern [lO]-p~tol[llJ d e 1111; Vehicle Operaiion [9];
Gtamina [SI-endurance [lo]!Business [IO]-corporate [16J
!/licit [lZ];Knowledge [IO{-computer 1111 deduce 1141 lan-
h d to fall: page: Standard [13J Verge system: Ohemn 1131; System
lperation [lOl-engine&g; Technical Science [lO]-mjning
?peratinns 1141; Administranon [lZ]-bureeumacy 1151,
nanagement [lS];Awareness (12]-perception 1131; Re-
d v e [12)-rnenta/ [14j; Culture [13]-ui~nmacy1141; Inter-
iction [13]-bargain 1161, charm 1161 intimidate 1141;
.eadership [131-cnmmand [14Jinspire [le],

lnce a successful free trader, Michael K d is the first man

iince the creation of the United Lison State to hold the pres-
dency for more than two consecutive years. He is MW in
lis eighth year as chief executive. Although some see his
ienchant for speakmg hmestly and bluntly as a wealmess,
lis ability to form coalitions and broad bases of support is
natchless. Kevik is g m ~ a l l ywell liked by his constituents,
md his personal magnetism and good nature have made
h r s reluctant to oppose him.
What most people don't h o w is that Michael bears a
y by opening the itrst emb lesep-seated grudge against the Rlgunmor Star Cmortitrm
or their aMons during the Return Humiliating them during
he final stages of the referendum simply wasn't enough for
'resident Kevik He wanis to hurt them.
LeUw Ring. She bellevee that the Limns' xevik is fully aware of Concord Ambassador Veil's desire
lty form them to Join themselves to o have the United Llsm State hecmne ofhdally connected to
a stellar nation Though he publicly shouts dawn any men-
tion of stellar naiion affiliation, K d has privately &ab-
thls realization on the Lison~. llshed a small coterie of high-ranldng Lison officials and
business leaders who ere eager to add the wealth and tech-
nology of a stellar nation to their own. Kwlk takes great
pains to keep the existence of thls secret 'diner hidden
nn meuar nanorn we more than aware of Veil's posttim on fmm Ambassador Veil, and so far has been successful in thls
berm's future. Most of them can admit that t h presence
~ of R 'egard.
h g l e strong steller nation would work best for the futur~of If the ULS joins a stellar nation, it will be one of W s
the system; once establlshed, it is u n h l y that even the most choosing. Although the 13rlemus, the Solar Union, and the
agmselve of t h ~ stellar powers would provoke open hostUlUss Hatires have all made mmtures to Lison, Resident Kevik
over a single planet. Wth the exception of the Rtpminm-who as been subtly playing each against the other. In a d d m
probet that they have always m d the syatem-the stellar e has sent out ssveral attach& to the Nariac Domain. R is
n a U m have supported Veil's plan to reintegrate the horn. Of his ulilmale goal to join with the Nariacs and complete his re-
come, dl of the ~ t i o n ares taklng asps to ensure ttst they venge upon the Rigunmor Star Consortium.
will be the onan to shepherd the h n s .
 COMMISSIONER,UNITED
LISON MINING
Lml 3! human Rch Op
m 11 I+1) INT 12 (+I)
DEX 10 .01.
1 WIL 10 101
.,
CON 10 PER 8
Durability: 10/10/5/5 Action check 13+/12/6/3
Move: sprint 20, run 12, walk 4 #Actions: 2
Reaction score: Ordinary/2 Last resorts: 1

Atl.ckr
Unarmed-brawl 12/6/3 d4+ls/d4+2s/d4+3s

Polmuen
Battle vest: d6-3 (Lo, d6-2 (HI), d4-2 (En]

mldh
Athletics [9]; Unarmed [lO]-brawl [IZ]; Modern Ranged
Weapons [lo]; Vehicle [10]-land [ I l l ; Stamina [IOI-en-
durance [I 11, resist pain [I I]; Business [ 1Z]-corporate [13J
ilia1 [13]; Knowledge [lZ]-computer 1131, language: Stan-
dard 1151, Verge system: Oberon [15]; Law [12]; System
Operation [12]; Administration [lO]-bureaucracy [ I I L
management [IZ]; Awareness [IO]; Street Smart [lo]-
criminal [I.?], knowledge [IZ]; Deception [8]-blui? [9];In-
teraction [SI-bribe [lo1 &arm [ I l l ; Leadership [E].

Qbmr G w
Cyberlimb (Good, 13 STR in left arm): Adjust all Strength-
based skill check and damage when Nextler uses his left
arm.

Nextler walks the line between an engineer and politician.

Three decades ago, a mining accident at station K24A4 left
him the only survivor of his team. After his injuries healed,
Nextler became a spokesman for government supervision of
the mine sites. While his call for increased regulation an-
gered many of the avaricious, independent miners who
were tying to get rich quick, those Lisons who had been
miners all their lives echoed Nextler's demands. In thj, way,
Pad Nextler unwiHjngly began his political career. He has
recently been elected to the office of Commissioner-and
now supervises the regulahhg body that his campaigning
helped to create.
Nextler is a hard-talking man who always stands by his ck-response team to repair the h g e done by WE
principles. Hk unwillingness to yield in the face of opposition lnlnlng or eurvey teams. HQh pey is necessary to iurs 8uc.
has earned him much support, but it has also made h assful oxygen runners, hardy workers who make hlps tn tha
many enemies. Despite being in what some would consider lanet'$ surface for needed oxygen, to crmtlnue in thalr per
a precarious political situation, Nextler takes his duties as ilow occupation. In additloo, Indusb.fal heatma must warm
Commissioner very seriously, and he works melessly to de-
fend the rights of United Lison miners.
Though he publicly supports President KeviKs actions
and policies, Nextler doesn't completely hvst the former free
trader. The Commissioner believes that Kwik uses the harsh
realities of life as a ULS miner as a political football. While
Nextler is willing to accept the fiestdenfs stamp of approval
on legislation favorable in the miners as individuals and ULS
as a group, he suspects that Kevik would sacrifice the good
of miners everywhere for political expediency. However,
K e a s popularity with the general public has convinced
Nextler to keep his opinions to himself.
none of the Arrivers has such a cavalier attitude. In fact, thi
Galactic Concord believes that it must eliminate the pirates.
The leader of the buccaneers, Thomas Kind, saves most of
his venom for those stellar nations V n g to gain a foothold in
the Oberon system. While Resident Kevk may have acceded
to the deal granting VoidCorp access to Hux, Kind views it as
'claim jumping." For decades, the pirates and independent
traders-most of whom paid tribute to Kind's organization-had
sole use of Hux. Although the concentration of rhodium does-
n't compare to that on Lison, enterprising merchants can still
clear a profit here. Thus, the pirates have just about declared
war on VoidCorp in this system. life Mmdara's barren, cratered surface has yet to attract
Out here on the Verge, the pirates probably have the edge: enough interest to warrant a base However, the original
They have more vessels in the local area, short supply lines, Rlgunmor government took advantage of Mmdara's location to
and the ability to react quickly. Ultimately, one has to question construct a large orbitng refuelmg base. The stahon collected
whether Resident K e d was devious enough to bring this about significant amounts of solar energy and easlly gathered hydro-
intentionally. VoidCorp has made official protests to the United gen from the solar wds that Oberon b e c k at Mindara Dur-
Lison government, but since Resident K ed discovered Void- mg GWZ, the stahon fell out of use and is now abandoned
Corp's involvement in electoral tampering, his attempts to rein
in Kind's corsairs have grown more and more halhearted.
LEEN
If Lison is the king of the Oberon system, then Leen is its crown
SPENNER prince and heir apparent. The rhodium mines on Lison make
Already tidally locked by Dberon, Spenner will fall into the it the political and economic center of the system. However, the
star's corona in only a few blinks of the astronomical clock-at tide will slowly turn. Lison's population continues to swell, and
least several hundred thousand years. With each passing year, iis ability to support human life is negligible. Artificially gener-
the planet creeps a few kilometers closer to oblivion. ated food products and underground farming have their limits.
Few will mourn its loss. Spenner's conditions are extreme; More important, one day the mines on Lison will run dry, and
with no atmosphere to moderate Oberon's radiation, the sun- there will be no reason to stay. That's when all eyes will turn
ward side of Spenner bakes with intolerable heat. The dark toward Leen.
 Thanke to tha gravitational tnfluence of Its two moone,
h e n IS unique among the Inner p h t s of this system. Unwts
Spannor, Mindare, and L l s Leen
~ la not tlddy lodtd; the
plands rotation and atmosphere evenly dlstrlbuts Obmn'e
radtsnon. konicdy, ths axtremei-, hi$ concentration of oxy- I Ai
1
I
m
smaller ltfa form alrsady dwell on the planst, and Its sees .cc
teem with organisms. n-
The UL9 began eketchlng nut plans for Leen more than a n
w
decade ago. Dazenu of research ships have m y e d the thtrd m
planel. Gwen h o n k wealth, temaformQ the planet ts PO% a
slble: The addinon of unomoue amoullls of hydrogen will rs- Rag of the United Uson State m
duce Leen's oxygen gas into harmless raln. Unfortunately, yr,
h o n dtdn't complete its long-term plans belors the anlval of conskite R h o a t Of nftrogen. En d a m e , Oberon's rays n
the stellar nations. eve re^ steh n d n s have releaad eatel- mein'* w d o w the bo&g pow of wetar; =
c3

lites over hen, end thelr plan to found colonies and h a m we

thuel dayside Is S C ~ C E ,ae it quickly bolls
there !a deer. If the United h o n State losas t h ~
race for Lam On nlRhMdai merm hamomaters freeze and
its future could be held hostage. and oxym cundmesto form epala blue ocem This ocean
of liquid oxygen is the primary source for breath-
able air on Lieon. Evsn though wary sfforlls made to re-
1 ET ID BAUBLE cycle air on Ilrron's CO~OII~ES, the natural ascape of gases
Trinket IC, mmdr Batlui. d e barren, cold, and elr~ess
demands the settlements constantly replslllsh thsfr emflciel et-
m-tenth the of hon and one-tlfth the mess of mos~h- CiV ~overnmsn$pay exnrbltani ~rfcesfor d e r -
IJLS a base On 'IMnkst end ueee It for prlslng individuals to travel out lo the nightside end collect
obsareing condillune on h o n liters of oxygen. Unforhmately, cold temperatures, radletlcn,
Once the center of rule for the old Riiunmor govsmment, and high wtnd claim about one-thtrd of these oxygnn expedl-
qa&w become synonymoue Nth in the UOM. For thls reason, Unltad h o n uses convlasd crlmhds to
vocabularp: f i r ttm m l t h one boted the Rlgunmor settle- mpplemani pool Of to take thn M!Jip.
munt and left it betdnd es a monument. Wntll r d , only cu-
rhus tourls$ and hletorlans vlsitad Bauble. htdy, sclentlsts on -EOLOGIC-- HISTOR-
'Ihnket and unmarked vesseels The plande
harsh environment ie famoua, and avery Llson
energl
on the surface of the moon
could reitmate the dangers of living on a planet torn apart by
both mperhot end supercold environments. However, h o n
mav have onw suonorted lifs. as It wasn't alwava Udallv locked
I

Life on the surfaw la IImited

stnmq out on the termhator
t o n used to ths open
ns undermound ha&
Lodted in a perpetual sunaet,
however, have &pi4 tu than6
radiation men tho C0.- R W W g nSCE

r - - _ --
'q k.
I k m
 TURINZISEF
COLONEL, LISON AIR GUARD
m u d 9 m K M w C0mb.l sp.c
m 10 (0) INT 10 (01
EX 13 (+a WIL 9 (0)
IN 10 PER 10
urability: 10/10/5/5 Action chedr: 15+/14/7/3
rove: sprint 22, run 14, walk 4 #Actions: 2
eaction score: Ordinar@ Last resorts: U

mS*u
named 10/5/2 d4s/d4+ls/d4+2s LI/o
mtum rifle' 16/8/4 d4+3w/d6+4w/d6+lm En/O
' -d8 base situation die.
..llLauS
iwered attack armor: d6+1 nu, d6+2 mu, d6+1 (En)
skius
Prmor [IO]-powered (121; Athletics [lo]; Unarmed Attack
01; Modern [13]-pistol[I4J riLe [16]; Vehide Operation
31; Stamlna [IO]-endurance [IIJ resisppain [If]; Coni-
iter ScienceZ [lo]; Knowledge [IO]-cnmputer [ f l k Ian-
xage: Mechalus [13J language: Standard [I I/, Verge
[stem: Oberon [13Ii System Operation [IO]; Tactics
O]-infan@~[IZJ vehicle [I I]; A d m i i a t i o n [9];Aware-
?ss [9]-perception [lO]; Resolve [SI; Interaction [IOI-in~
nidate [131; Leadership 1101-command [Is].
Zisef receives a -1 bonus when using Computer Science
ddlkills-provided he can merge with the computer (thisprocess takes
le r o d ] .

rbnr anar
Uack; enhance program (-1 bonus to all Modern Ranged
..'capons s!d chedrs).

The appointment of Zisef as leader of the Air Guard

ime as no red surprise. Zisef had served most of his mil^
~ry career under Kevik's leadership, and he shows the
went president fierce loyalty. Most recently, Kevik and
sei have met to discuss the reinforcement of the presi-
mt's personal security force with Air Guard troops.
Turin is a military officer of the first order, highly disc-
ined and a formidable tactician Though his number-me
incern is the president's safety, Turin believes that he has a
duty to protect all of Lison. As a result, he demands a great
deal from his troops and does not rest until every soldier can
eet his standards. l h h ' s devotion to the Air Guard is re-
rned a hundredfold by the women and men who serve
>derhis command.
Recently, Turin has uncovered several plots to assassi
~tePresident Kevik, but all rooted in radical Verge sepa-
itist groups protesting the Concord's presence in the Uberon
,@ern. What worries hm more, however, is the presence 01
highly placed government officiak who may have more on
their minds than simply beating Kevik in an election. A l ~
iady, ?luin has compiled a list of possible traitors to the
iuse of a free United Lison State-including Commissioner
rul Nextler. What he does with that list remaim to he seen
?rtaidy if Kwik were to die prematurely, the colonel's PO
ion and popularity might allow him to seize control.
1
Inlmsinn, Lower Hell wa8 built on tha dlfs butt s&e,aws mo
most of the sxlting tunnsls. Lowar Hall's nelghbm Is th of the m d arbb hew proven e f f m o u ~ ,yet adenti& do
er of Equality. 'Ihe h r tranwrlts hfomatlon to all of not seem eager to study u1m u 0 a further. Evnn the stellar
dtlzens, dowing thein to wmmunlcate freely with one nallons haw yet tu advance a claim. Nevertheless,tr& In thls
.
. . ..__
 KRELLA DOSIT
SENATOR, TRIBONDISTRICT
I
Level 9 weren Diplomat [Combat Spec]
STR 14 I+? INT 11 (+I
OEX 7 10) WlL 10 IO)
CON 11 PER 12
Durability 16/16/8/8 Action check 11+/10/E -
Move: sprint 18, run 12, walk 4 #Actions: 2
Reaction score: OrdinaryiZ Last resorts: 3
Perk: Flithy Rich Flaw: Obsessed [Extreme]

Attacks
Unarmed-power 18/9/4 d4+2w/d4+4w/d4+2m LI/O

Dafanses
Armor: none (LI), none (HI], none (En)

SlrilL
Armor Operation [14]; Athletics [141; Unarmed [14]-pnwer PIRATES OF HUX DECLARE R
[18/,.Stamina 1111-endurance' [lZj; Business [lI]; Knowl-
edge [lo]-computer 1121 language: Standard 1141 lan-
guage: Weren [ l Z J Verge sysfem: Oheron [14ji Law;
System Operation [I 11; Technical [l 11-mining operatinns
[l 11; Administration [lo]-management 1141; Awareness
11 11-perception 1131; Resolve 1121-mental [14j; Culture
[13l-diplnmacy 1141; Deception 1121; Interaction [lZ]-bar-
gain 1141 charm [13J intimidate [lSj; Leadership [ l Z ] -
command [14/
' Apply a -1 bonus to all Stamina-enduznce skdl check
Caw
Formal clothing, cellular phone, computer gauntlet, skycar

One of United Lison's 27 senators, Dosit views it as her per-

sonal responsibility to defend her planet from all harmful
forces. Her zealousness in protecting the status quo has
made it more and more difficult for her to gain the support
of the citizenry since the return of the stellar nations. Dosit
often finds herself relying on her sheer physical presence to
bully others into supporting her positions. Still, as leader 01
a faction that would IIke to avoid all contact with the return-
ing stellar nations, Dosit enjoys a healthy popularity
Krella strongly objects to what she perceives as Resident
Keviks panderlng to the wishes of the stellar nations-espe-
cially the Galactic Concord. Though she officially denounces
acts of violence against representatives of the stellar nations,
Krella has received several secret invitations from radical
groups such as Concord Free Now-invitations that she
having a harder and harder time refusing.
The senator's gruff personahty and fierce temper make
friendshps difficult for her to maintain. In her years of ser-
vice to the ULS, she has grown accustomed to personal soli-
tude and a lack of social activity. Still, she enjoys the
company of other like-minded individuals and generally
grants warm receptions to those who work toward a com-
pletely independent Limn. She has no reservations about
displaying her scorn for those who welcome reunificahon
with any stellar power.
Krella practices her martial arts frequently; she has re-
fused to employ a bodyguard despite several threats on her
life.
 CSV Bodkin (PCS 3 9 3 I),
mb'ade-classScout

Bridue
!. Cnptain's Cabin ;-
;. Ofllcsrs' Cabin

I
,-

4. CrnwOuartera
5. Weapom CompPrtments
6. MessDscks
7. Gallny
8. Craw Berthing Compartmnnt
9. Computsr Compartment
0. Main Engineering
1. Airlocks
2. Auxiliary Machinery Rooms

r - -
: .,'
 I

:i
I

I HISTORY

I EXP
 I

i I

i"
'I

., h
'3 ! '..
1
 1

After analyzing the data, scientists now conclude that a me- than consume them.No one could be sure where the attackers
teor probably struck Spes on the same day that the distress call of Spes would strike next, much lese predict what moiivated
went out. Information about the episode stmngly suggests that them. Speculation over the origin of the assault took the Verge
the asteroid collision was more than coincidental, as the impact by storm. Hammer‘s Star had been one of the most well-de-
occurred in the midst of an attack by an unknown hostile force. fended planets on the frontier, and even distant Tendril felt a
In addition, examination of the crater site reveals that the as- momentary chill.
teroid‘s velocity reached close to O.Olc-more than 10 million As the next decade passed, the people of ths Verge put
kilometers per hour. The llkelihood of a free asteroid from the aside their fears of another attack and went about the business
Vicek Belt-the asteroid‘s assumed point of origin-reaching of living. Some concluded that pirates, fighting long and hard
such a speed naturally is infinitesimal. Finally, there’s the pre- wlth the Borealins of Spes, finallyput an end to the war. Others
cise point of impact The asteroid landed squarely in the cen- speculated that the Thuldans of Alitar, or som8 other enemy of
tar of the plateau on which the dty of Silver Bell rested. With the Boreahs back in the Stellar Ring, obliterated Silvar Bell.
its incredible S ~ Z Sand speed, its violent landing created an ex- What no one could explain was the 8-68 with which the at-
plosion equal to millions of kilograms of dynamite. Even the tackers overwhelmed Spse’s fortifications and the dearth of any
tunnels beneath Silver Bell couldn’t protect the colonists; they clues to their Identity.
died instantly. Within a short time, the pirates and criminals that the Bo-
Only a month after the attack, ships from othsr Verge sys- realins had once chased away came back to the system, set-
tems came to Hammer’s Star, investigating the site of the dis- ting up bases of operation on both Spes and the moons and
tress call that Aegis continued to receive. They found Spes a asteroids of Hammer’s Star. Nevertheless, daring ships would
smoldering planet of ashes and the city of Silver Bell nothing make runs to Spes’s surface over the next few years end re-
more than a crater that radiated heat. As for the smaller trieve pieces of wrsckage. More than a few of these intrepid
settlements, energy-weapon bombardment from air and explorers didn’t return from Hammer’s Star, and such tests of
space left them in ruins. Broken, unburied bodies littered the bravery soon diminished in popularity.
towns. From the wreckage of buildings and fortifications, it
eppeared that the invaders landed on the planet‘s surface to
complete thetr devastation. Unfortunately, they left nothing ARRW
behind to identify themselves, and the only remnant of Spes On November 11, Z G , ;le Gmnuru. reconstruction of the
culture was the drivespace communication relay and its or- Kendai relay at the edge of the Stellar Ring allowed the stellar
biting drivesats. nations to hear Spes’s cry for hslp. its attsmpts to reply
For the rest of 2489, systsme as far away as Aegis teneed d m d y to the Silver BeU colony didn‘t meet wlth succese, the
and shored up their defenses. Even the warring planets of the Concord recsived mforrnation from the denizens of Bluefall and
lgemon system took a moment to atockplle defenses rather Alaundril, who updated them on the current situation ae it was
-

L..... ,. .,

. ”/

I
I CE more then two to one
The years have not been ldnd to this 190-year old veteran.
Today, Raastad is a humbled figure, much reduced by the
ravages of time. Even the best gene therapy hasn't pre-
vented his posture from stooping, his skin from wrinMLn5
and his immune system from weakening. RofessionaUy, he
stands at the summit of an exIraordinary carear. Once an
enlisted seaman in the Solar Union's navy, Raastad served
his nation with distinction throughout the Second Galactic
War. In the meantime, he became an officer, a captain, and
ultimately a respected leader.
When the lkeaty of Concord brought the specter of re-
tirement close, Raastad offered hie services to the Galactic
Concord. Once the Concord accepted his application, he
ed Star Force in 2472 and played a sigrhcant role in
sforming the group from an idealistic concept to a re-
spected military force.
This work wentually became mundane to the war hero, The second of the Cnncmd'e new Academrdase battleships,
and after the Hammer's Star message arrived in the Stellar the Wuon is the centerpiece of the Concord fleet based in
Ring, Raastad found a new war in which to fight. Raastads er/s star. It carries a complement of 3,950 Star Force
critics deim he's simply a bloodthirfi, inflexible butcher, not rsmel, plus an integral Marine battalion of more than
a visionary military leader. 1,000 soldtars. The Wuon is the most formidable vessel cur-
The Hammer's Star system may well represent the rently s t a w d in the Varga; its mm armament of 20 Mk
greatest challenge that the f a k hero has ever faced, and M fusion beams and its heavy neutromte m o r far outcless
no one h o w e whether the veteran of the Second Galactic $,unity The Wtim c m e s a small scout
War can lead Star Force effectively. The lack of a significant of 20 Mefeoraerospace fighters and 10
victory against the klidrs to date, coupled with the continued aft in its hangar bays. L b most capital
pestilence of smugglers and pirates in the system, has led ships, the Wtim can carry a number of smaller vessels
many to question the me extent of Raaetad's courage and through drivespace, and its doddng clamps can accomma-
abiliv. date four destroyer-sized ships smeller vessels. Its
hansar bags
~

Fiaastad offers no response to his criUcs, preferring to let

his successee speak for themselves and to let his shortcom-
ings go unahowledged In person, the admiral is cold, d-
dent, and highly demanding-though he does genuinely care
I The Acedmy-class ships ar d to be slow and
slightly undergunned in cmnp&n to other dreadnoughts
mtly in production, but they make up for it with flrst-
about the men and women under his command. i protectlon and damage control systems
 A-
I

I'
A. Main Batteries
B. Hangar Bays
C. Bridge
D. Secondary Batteries
E. Docking Clamps
E Main Tachyon Intakes L o
 IERCURY COMPAh
AVAILABLE
DATA
CluindCmnmmnl
Commander-to-bef [hamellor Tar Rustodu
Gsneral General Bien l h h
145th Drvislon Adjutant General stmngbow
1st Renimeni Colonel Tarn FEtrk
3rd Battalion Mqnr Anlka k h c
Company Commander Captam Armand d'Estrees
cormnand Platoon Lieutenant David Lieberman
1st platoon Lieutenant Thomas Hale
2nd Platoon Lieutenant Marta Kael
3rd PIatoon '&tenant Telpha Rtl

pmmnwl
Fred
HUrnan
Mechalus
Sesheyan
'ha
Weran

T
- 1
COMMANDPLATOON
-
Luis SANVICTORES
RATOON
SERGEANT

i
OEX 10 WIL 10
CON 10 PER 11
Durability: 1011Oi5/5 Action check 12+/1115)
Move: sprint 18, run 14, walk 4 #Actions:
Reaction score: OrdinaryiZ Last resorts:
Perk: Heightened Abihty [PER]

Anacks
Unarmed-power 12/6/3 d4s/d4+l s/d4+2s LI/
11- ch nfle 14/7/3 d6+lw/d6+3w/d6+1m HI/

I
Dsfsnsar
Cerametal armor: d6+1 (Ll), d 8 t l (HI), d6 (En)

SkilL
Armor [9]-cnmbat [lOi, Athletics 191; Unarmed [9]-puw
[lZ/;Modern IlOl-rifle [14/Vehicle Operation [IO]; Mov~
rnent [lo]; Stamina [lo\-endurance [ll/Knowledge [Ili
computer [IZJ language: Galactic Standard [14,! languag
Orion [14/; System Operation 1101; Tactics [I I]-Infant.
[IJ]; Adminisbation [IOI: Awareness [lO]-perceptiun [l
Interaction [I 11; Leadershp [llj-command [13/

Gam
1 Imm charge d e ; 9mrn charge pistol; combat knife; cer,
metal armor; backpack; comm gear; first aid ht; imagii
goggles, microcomputer; soft e-suit; trauma pack.

The younger sun of Senator Bruce Hale of the Orion L e a p

Thomas disappointed father and nation when he joined ff
Concord Marlnes ul2496, soon after he came of age. At 2
he'5 the youngest lieutenant in Mercury Company and oi
of the youngest ln service. In some measure, his rise cant
attributed tu his family's good name and reputation. Hop
ever, his lineage creates its own problems and advantagE
Much is expected of h m , but he can also enjoy some of il
advantages of fame. He is often invited to special Concu:
social events and meetings that must low-radung office AND POLITI
GOVERNMENT
can only dream of. Hale himself atbihutes hs success to il
mil~taryacademies he attended while in his teens.
Yet celebrity doesn't win battles, and it doesn't appear th
Thomas Hale wid ever have the opportunity to take after t
interstellar playboy of a father. Hale takes hls conunissir
very seriously, and he's made h e fight against the klicks
personal one. During the last battle, Hale's conduct earni
hm the Sdver Cross for valor. Indeed, his reputation here
only mcreased by the willingness of others to carry word
his success back to the Stellar b y .
As to where ambition and destiny will lead hrm,Hale h,
said little; it's nut h o w n whether he wants to make a care
of the rmlitary, or if it's o d y a precursor to political office
the Concord. One thing IS for sure: Hale's current achiev
menk will spread the fame of his f d y name even farth
throughout the g a l q .
The younger Hale is even-tempered and charismatic,
natural leader. In conversation, he often puts people at ea!
and seems genuinely interested in others' points of view.
m of the Galactic Consulata
the p m b l of
~ ~Hammar'e
n
A
I
1
 E;'
CT;:
e
*
CD
CD
tr=
W
5-
zrr
CT
=t=
..
W
0
CE:
W
w

here, k p g to make a name for themselves in a new era o

philosophy and contemplative thought. In less than four years
the Silver Bell colonists have demonstrated remarkable inde
pendente. This energy and vigor are a sourcs of pride to th
Philosophers of the Republic on Sapphire. However, the will-
ingness of Spes theorists to break from their colleges' tradi!ions
is a source of concern for more traditional-minded Borealins. ~

While the storms of conflict and war rage outside their univer-
sity w&, the Borealins spend their time in contemplation, re-
search, and debate-like Borealins everywhere. Unlike
traditional Borealins, however, the Spes colonists no longer re-
strict themselvee to the use of convoluted references and ap-
cane styles of debate; these younger Borealins are filled with a I
pulse of adrenaline that's almost unheard of. In fact, thefve :
taken the College of Justice Ethics desire to protect the liberty 1
of B o r e a h as far as they can.
In 2498, the citizens of Silver Bell elected Henna Palmqu~st
(Hf/Boreah/NP), an undoctored Student, to the position of
Dean and leader of the city. Electing a Dean by popular vote 1
was an unprecedented step in Borealin political thinking. In re- I
action, the Republic sent two visiting Professors to Spes, hop- t
ing to bring Silver Bell back in line with the rest of mainstream I
Borealin culture. Ironically, the Borealins' choice of Anthony
Darrokin (Hm/Borealin/DFA-4), Rofessor of Justice Ethics, I
proved a terrible mistake. After conversations with a number 1
of his done brothers, DarroMn "converted" to the new ways of t
Spes, taking his college's local support with him. I
The colonists finished rebuilding the Branch College of Jus- i
tice Ethics before any other city structure. As the first budding I
was completed, it became the municipal and philosophical cen- T
ter of Silver Bell. The youngest of the twelve colleses, the Ius
 A 1andlTlU Strtp &ws ships of c o ~ t l 68128 and d E r I O S6lWldy threatens the Hammsr's RVBtEIil [rueh as the
land Withln the city-although thaorsticdy even the VlUon kllck~],Vallis would hinrtlonas the crudal link lo the hrll nil@
could land in the grasslands ~utsldeof Alcazar proper. Star of the Concord dltq As E&, the BtBUon Is on0 of the hart
Force us88 Alcazar as a secondary base of operations; 11 also dsfsnded point# in ths Synam % In nihil m d am,
sBN66 as a repar yard for damanEd KllhtprY VESSOb. Is nevm more than an hour or hvo from Vallls Station Lo&
For d thh rsglmented d l t a r y order, m o m mention two V& counts on it6 eeccrt of one cruienr and flva cwsttsa lo
undmground organlzedona within the base. "no first undnr- protnd It from Ellack. Thls Escort hPs pmvon m e than
ground communify in Alcazar has tim to tha pirates of the sys- e n d to ward off ambushes from Hannnpr's M s mors am-
tern; these indepsndent raldars and criminal g q s have done bitious rsnegadas.

second underaround oraanization concms the mlninm Mno EO manv crltlc~lfunctions to a stnula etutiom no m a b
how-deterned Us ddsndurs, vallls Station muld idfor #rem
I
operadons duR deep into the piids soil h e l m consirucUoi
on Alcazar began. lt's said that wlthln thosa burled vaults 118 damage, thereby compmmlsinp the operaurn of ths Gahltc
the bodles of vanqulshsd kllcks. II the tales ers true, more than Concord. Admiral Readad dldn't have to pwh too h d bdom
100 klkk corpses lte beneath Alcazar, d of them being stud- vl~ltlngConcord Undersecreteq M t h l llmyne (head of the
' led bv mllitarv sdsntlsts and XEnOblO~ODlEIs.Another m i o n of Commlttsa on Verne IntmaUon) allnttsd fundlnnfor a d
I E story holds that Star Force EK$IE& ar
I nrmd !di& attack ship-most say irom the h i d E of R&E-~E- &t maton before the m d of 250;. "ha C o n d dsnled M-
neath the SUC~BCEof the base. Whatevar is going on, access to miral Rppptpd~requsst for a drlvaspace c o m m rehy
the subterranean I S V S ~of Alcazar is nearly Imposaib~eto se- for the second staUnn, howaver, dsemQ It an u n n s c ~

I p a r m e repmwnts another hatach to human mtthmt ln

h y fact nun-domed settlsmnnt~can only oxid ahna the moon's
tator, where temperawas average 2
 ha Wldrs; Star Forw has sent two dread- adsntlsts haw bsen unabk to dadpher iblr laqu8gs-U tadeed
the sarw of clkb mad BDlfnds ra@ Is B lpnBusDa In ad&kq.
f

Sdentlsts knclwnothtng Bbcut !&& s o d Bhvmrm or Llrl$rL Re-

searchers haw dasalfed Wdls m errlemal-that Is, th6q m not
iscent RklrmlShse wth ended bady for Star L
mad awadk. Con---' -nUliary ofUd?- --- .--I.
nd rumor has it tha oncord has c

1
I

KLICK
WEAPOh
ShiU ACE Md b e Damage Aclimw ClipSisa llida Mas#
3lacklaser pistol Modern-pJstol -1 F Ed0 d4+2w/d6+2w/d4m 4 10 +3 1
3lacklaser rde Modern-rife -1 B/A En/O d6+2w/dB+Zw/d4+2rn 3 3011 - 4
Blacklaser SMG Modern-SMG 0 F/B/A En/O dfi+lw/d6+3w/d4+lm 4 -/6 +1 3

I "-- .
1

\ I
Humans have encountered klicks throughout the Hammer's
Star system-including the Vicek Belt, on many of the outer
moons, and, according to rumor, once on Spes itself. These
aliene travel in fast spacefaring vessels made up of a black,
unidentified material. As a whole, these vessels are of unknown
design-though some claim that they can enter drivespace and
carry partlde beams and other weapons of mass destruction.
However, most encounters with kllck ships and quickly; klick
vessels favor hit-and-run tactics that don't leave the Concord
Star Force time to respond.
One aspect of Hick encounters that scientists have yet to doc-
ument Idly is the weakness that waahes over humans and
other aliens when in close p r o m t y to these aliens. All major
epectes-with the exception of the telepathic fraal-grow weaker
the longer they remain in close contact with a group of klicks.
For this reason, marines prefer to battle klick; from a distance
whenever possible.

H.LilnI/Sneir~:Little is known about klick society; despite

the many stories sweeping the Verge, only a few humans have
actually encountered them. Humanity does know that these
aliens are fearlees, well-orgarhed aggressors. When encoun-
tered on a planetanr surface. a Uck war u r n consists of no
fewer than SIX individuals The largest kl& war party thua far
recorded consisted of 120 creatures that ambushed Concord
Marines After this battle, the kl~cksdestroyed their own dead,
maklng It hard for Concord scientists to study this unknown
species
Though many people speculate that the msecthke klicks
must have some sort of hve mind or group mentality, scientists
argue that such an observation is probably mistaken Insects
ars a human analogue, they say, and ther characterkitcs do not
neceseardy translate to alien spenes

I
I
1
I

A llks SOL ken*, however, Mantebron IS nearing the and of its

coalesced, ignited, warmed planets, end than died long befors
the rlae of hmankhd A handful of these dead aarS and for-
iptten worlds are h o r n to tha mdtage of clvlkzatlons van-
ished for millions of years-the rulns of the assorted alien
s p e w coUecmgly known as Precursors.
By moa &ha&, the eerllast Recursor race9 couldn‘t have
evolved In the M l k y Way galaxy unttl about one and a half btl-
lion years ago; the hst generatlon of stars ueated in the for-
ita fmtaidc &v?ty has faded to a mere fracnun of its former malion of t h galaxy
~ had almost none of the heavier elements
hd.IiQh Mqam la MW mope llke M m then Earth;ifs a cold necessary for lifa in their plmtary systems. The earhest sac-
and deslcca$d pknet with an unbreathabla atrnnpphers. How- andgenerailon stam needsd a couple of billion ysars for Earzh-
wsr,ifs d lclose enough to an EarWke environment to attract like planets to form from the prlmordial eoup and develop
intslllgent Me.On the other and ofthe scale, the most recent Re-
m o r races vanished or ded out wlthl!~100,000 years. At
most, the remaim of perhaps five or six R e m o r races have
been dLsfovered in all of human space, the Recursors of Man-
tebmn a r locally
~ knmm es the Glassmakers.
The Glassmakers bved hundreds of millions of years ego,in
the dap whm Hlgh Mofave atll had seas and a full atmos-
phere. Thelr nrlns show a high level of &con-based technol-
ow, but llttle metallurgl. Hundreds of xenoarcheologlsts are
now studying the Glassmakar mins acmes Mantebron, but re-
sults have been disappotnang m far-the Glassmaker mare
just too old.

THEDYING -NET
hughly 10,000 homeatsaders luhablt the wlndntuept wastes of
*h Mojam [GZ/RZ/A3/Pl/Hl).The Q i d homestead con-
sis$ of a small f+ living m a habitat dome surrounded by
olonlal Charter, signed in 2339, hundreds of acres of malsture condenem and tough crops en-
milacled above all else the Orion reapea for self-dstembnon, plneered to succeed In nltrate-depleted s&. Many are hun-
nWm&t g ~ e ~ n ~ iand ~ ~indvklu~I
nt, mhts. Ey the outbreak of dred~of !dlomaters from t h ~nearest
t neighbors, self-suffic~
the Ssmnd Galacac Ww, Hfgh Mqave’g capltal and largest town for all but the most unusual supplies and commodities. Peopl~
w a olympus,
~ a d kdnq pDst and landlng fleld of only 500 rmt here have a tough pioneer outlook and enjoy the isolation
rdents. Hfgh Mqave‘s revohdlon equals ten standard days in Ian&,
The para ofthe Long silsncawem hard on the Mnjaviana. leadlng to long, cool days and bitterly cold nights. The ultn at-
Not only w m thwfm@!m by the orlon League, but they were mosphm doesn’t hold heat weU, and temperatures can dmp &s
by thet V ~ J Emighhors, too. Thts isoktlon low as -100” C by the end of the night. Its two m o m Salton
a bad- dll&lg the height of Gwz and the and Bala, loom large in its skles, eventually falling inward wlth
Lnng Stlence. W more pnpulrma or cenkally located colo- the eons-old decay of thelr orbits However, colonial 88-
nies, Mentebrnn w a ~largely overloobd hy the c o r s m who tm~m predict that netther will fall for at least 30,000pars
buriahsd ducla~gthe a b c a of the s t d h netlons. The settlers’ or more.
rnaln challange c ~ m eh m 8 la& of matsrials and machinery The leader of the High Molave colony Is Colonial Governor
they needed to ELWIVE and pmper in thotr new home. Gllm Sandovar WQrlon/Np).Sendovar Is a new transplant
When the ha/tm m v e d in 2497, Mantioron renewed its from Old Space who wants to make up for lost ttms. He’s intent
a f f h t l a ~with the Orhn League. No other stellar nati0i-i~or on bringing the k h t of 26th century Orion civillzatton to this
Verge 6 y W n ~had seploue intmsts h e r d the revelmuan mld and Ionsly backwater, an ettltude that doeen’t endear him
that the s d a r a of HQh Mulave had discovered the rubs of an to the new DMon dtizens under hls rule. They‘d just as soon be
andent allan dvlllzaUnn d w h g the Long silence. lbday several left h, but they can’t be bothered to throw the governor out
miinns-including the W e Community and the Solar Union- elther. Mostly, Sandovar Is simply stymled or ignared.
WWe for Mantebmn’s tndepundance In the hope that they can
~EIIIIprimacy a m the Recumor mins on the planet
A red dwarf hoverlng near the huts of
Coulomb sits at the lower edge of a starless rdl that reaches
down from the edaes of oalactic space Nearly one-quarter of
the celestial sphere appears vrtually empty from thLs lonely
outpost Coulomb is home to only one planet, Ohmel, and a
small community of colorusts from the Leodal States, a now-de-
funct stellar nation Most of the worlds once held by this nahon
have been lncorporated lnto the Concord Thus, Coulomb has
become a Concord colony
Lke its neighbormg system of Mantebrou, Coulomb IS an 01
sun, and Ohmel is a planet past its prune Explorers have dt-
covered a handful of Recursor rums buried III Ohmel's froze
glaciers Coulomb's rums have aged poorly, however Explore
have unearthed few archeological fmds of note here What's le
of the Ohmel rums strongly resembles the rums of High Mojave,
and it seems clear that the Glassmakers of Mantebron hve
here, too

HISTORY
During the years following the opening of the Verge, the Leodal
States were too poor to engage in serious exploration or colo-
nization. Some of the leading citizens of the nation felt other-
wise, though. In 2332, Lord Karim Ngongwe-a noble of the
Leodal monarchy-personally financed and led an expedition to
stake out a Leodal claim in the Verge. Lord Ngongwe's mission
arrived at Coulomb in February 2334 after surveying dozens of
other stars in the vicinity
Lord Ngongwe claimed Coulomb and returned to hE home-
world in order to raise funds for a colonization ship. In keeping
with Leodal law, Ngongwe gained ownership over any planet
whose colonization he financed. The troubled economy of the OHMEL
postwar States aided hE efforts; millions of Leodm were out The planet Ohmel (Gl/RZ/A2/PI/HlIis a world caught in its
of work and loolung for a chance to start fresh. Lord Ngongwe final ice age. The planet follows a highly elliptical orbit, coming
purchased a ship, the Hope, and oversaw the manning of the as close as 0.4 AU to Coulomb at perihelion but drifting out to
expedition and the purchase of the colonfs equipment. He led a frigid 2.9 AU at aphelion. During its long sojourn away from
the Hope back to Ohmel and established the Crown Colony of Coulomb, Ohmel enters a deep freeze that lasts for three Earth
Coulomb in September 2337. years. As it approaches Coulomb again at perihelion, a short
Ohmel was not ideal, but it had remnants of an ancient bio- summer thaws the planet. During these months, Ohmel's sur-
sphere and plenty of room for a colony to grow. The Leodans viving species rouse themselves for a burst of growth, life, re-
quietly bwlt a small but prosperous city in the twilight of their production, and death. As the summer fails again, Ohmel's
lonely world during the early 23405, while war loomed on the simple plants and animals enter a hibernation far longer and
horizon. deeper than anyttung h o w n to Earth's creatures. During the
Neither the Leodal States nor its colony fared well in the Sec- summer, humans can walk on the surface of Ohmel with noth-
ond Galactic W a r Cut off from any hope of resupply, the Crown ing more than a warm coat and a breathing mask, but the
Colony settlers fended off numerous corsair attacks and the oc- depths of winter actually condense part of the atmosphere onto
casional raid from their larger neighbors. The Ngongwe farmly, the planet's surface. For most of the year, Coulombians live in
already political masters of the small settlement, continued to 8- domed habitats, supporting themselves with networks of surface
nance Coulomb's development. They grew into a powerful greenhouses and subterranean hydroponic farms.
Verge mercantile enterprise, eventually fielding a small flotilla The capital of Ohmel is the trade port of Charlotte. It is the
of tradesmen in Algemron, Aegis, and Lucullus. By the end of largest settlement in Coulomb, with a population of 15,000 peo-
the Long Silence, the Ngongwes literally owned Coulomb lock, ple. Most offworlders soon dtcover that Charlotte is n o h g
stock, and barrel. more than one big company store, a city in which every busi-
ness is owned by a member of the Ngongwe family.
A handful of other t o m are scattered across Ohmel, rang-
COULOMB
TODAY ing in population from a few dozen to a thousand or more. The
The return of the Momtor heralded the end of Coulomb's long total population of Ohmel is about 40,000.
isolahon As a Crown Colony of the long-dead Leodal States,
Coulomb belonged to the nation that had lnherited most of the
old States-Concord Rune The largest of the three sectors do-
nated to create the Concord, Rime lncludes most of the old Leo
I Hardened mercenaries, relentless law-
men, oily free traders, charismatic spies
paign. The universe is a big place, with
room for almost any kind of heroic char-
-heroes in the balltanized Verge come acter imaginable. In general, any char-
in all varieties.The heroes you create in acter created using the rules presented
a STAR*'DRIVE campaign are by far the in Chapter 2: H e r o Creation i n the
most important feature of the setting. ALTERNITYPlayer's Handbook i s fine for a
Heroes define the style, tone, and flavor STAR;~~DRIVE
game.The process described
of a campaign. and each new hero creat- in that chapter i s a good place t o start.
 HERO
CONCEPT ULTURE \NGUAG

t
Idea to bgh the hem creatlon process AND KNOWLEDGE
at h d of hem you want to play, and noted in the A n E a N t T Y Player's Handbook,it's not neces-
Idea wlth the Gamamardar. Whh the c
5
ry for a hero io purchase a specific Culture ski1 in order
understand the cultural mores of her native society. lust
ssume that an Orion can function in Orion society In the
ost extreme cases, a simple Personality feat check can de-
rmme the degree to which a hero succeeds or fails in un-
erstanding an ohscure or long-forgotten element of her

p g e n vou choose a snecific svstem or nahon of orioin for

our new'hero, you ma; also add a specialty shll [a; rank
1 under Knowledge entitled siellar nabon or home system.
his represents the general education of any character na-
ve to that planet or nation.
Characters native to the Verge tend to have a much nar-
7wer but deeper knowledge of their home. After all, they re-
ard but a single system as home. They'll know of most
iajor cities or outposts anywhere in ther home system, as
rell as unusual districts or monuments in a number of cities.
srivers, on the other hand, generally have a broader but
hallower knowledge of their nation of origin. They'll know
le major worlds of their nation or alliance, and a few of the
lost famous cities or monuments on each.
For example, if you've just created a free trader from
.egis, add hawledge-Aegis 13)to her hero sheet. Likewise,
mnthnt epedss. Nature, erne allens ar0 far lese
wma rem and fer more wmmnn in others. Diplomat from Pax in the Stellar Flmg would add Knowl~
dge-3rim League 131 to her list of skills. Note that these
kills are free, as long as your hero has the Knowledge
Omn Armis a ldnd of manifest dn m at work,a dear in- road skill. If the character doesn't have the Knowledge skrll,
rhutlon of human superlnrlty and a mandate to rule over all he loses this benefit.
&a spedos.Tha~eattitudes p r d , napedally in the Union of Communication is especially important in nations and
the Hptlce h w and ths ll~uldanb p b . Some re- mrnunities that literally span the vastness of space. Thus,
m rdtik~s$ts~ hw by lev, a d othars p ~ -
11 S T A H * h V L heroes begin play with 3 ranks in any one of
ie followvlg Knowledge-language specialty skills':
~ . than one Ired m
8snt numsrous dangers to a l i ~ More
msEhplUs hss mat wlth harawmant, battsry, and wen death
lnto the wrong part of space.
leerin Fraal Galactic Standard
8 nlplv by sir* b a tgunmor
re Nariac Old Earth"
Sheyan Thuldan
Weren
'Gamemasters can m~rezsethe language stratification by ruling
different maim factions withln each alien sppcies or settlement
eak separate languages. For example, w r e n clans may each
ve thEir o m distlnct dialects. Thus, heroes must choose or pur
ase a spec!Iic dialect as a spEcidv skll m order to communicate

c
th speakers of that dialect
'.Heroes selecting h s specialty skill must specify a particular

I'"ernes receive these 3 ranks for free, as long as

Earth language-French, for example

they have
e Knowledge broad skill. Otherwise, their characters do not
t this benefit. Remember, heroes can learn additional lan-
VBBB m daryler~uefor enp mature-human or otherwise. rages by purchasing Knowledge-based specialty sklls.
Galactic Standard is the lbgua franca of Concord space,

in every corner of the age or purchase it as a Knowledge specialty skill.

In addition to providing a basic hstory, outlook, and back-
ound for your character, choosing a stellar nation or Verge
stem also provides specific game benefits (see Chapter 3:
us IIve wlthln tb Oberan avstem in the Verge.
lony lmq Mors the autbreak of the Second
I
 .onorable and fair, seeklng nothing more than an opportunity to
s:.t their s!dh in the ultimata contest. Others are ruthless vil-
lains who have turned their backs on the warrior's coda, sm-
bracing the cold human notions of profit and expediency. Weren

A
of those etatas.
While the Tsa Cluster is 2 single recognized state in the ayes
of most human stellar nations, it is not 2 seamless adtiice. In
who remain faithful to their age-old warrior traditions do not
have any mercy on these "dishonorable' weren.
Waren heroes who remain affiliated with their Orlamu pa-
fact, the organization of t'sa society looks like sheer anarchy to irons can be@ play with an allegiance to ths Orlamu govern-
human sensibilitias. Thousands of competing dam, associa- mant. They're soldiers or operatives representing tha Theocracy
tions, conglomeratas, and p d d s edst within the Quster. Each in the Verga and are subject to the orders of their lawful supe-
has dozens of unpredictable goals lor human interaction. In ad- riors. Other Orlamu waren may serve 2 company or commer-
dition, every t'sa aspires to win his own measure of fame and cial intarest native to the Theocracy. There are any number of
fortune by forging a new guJld or company. Thus, miUions of Orlamu merchants and scholars who travel with weren body-
t'sa glory-seekers have spread throughout human space. Soma guards or assistants,
take employment with human governments or corporations, Expatiate waren heroes no longer hava lias to the Theoc-
some pay for the privilege of studying at human institutions, and racy and are free to make any Ufe choicee they deam neces-
many others leap from occupation to occupation as they scent sary Weren bodyguards, operatives for hire, or marcenartas
opportunity and the chance to see something new. 2xi5t throughout the Verge. There is only on2 noteworthy com-
T'sa heroes may be representatives of 2 t'sa power bloc, a munity of w r e n (on Arid in Hammer's Star) in any of the Verge
corporation, or faction 'back home" with interests in the Verge. systems-although there are plenty of individuals who seek to
They might same as scouts, scienttsts, spies, or merchants for find hair own fortune and honor in tha stars beyond Tendril.
the organization they represent, acquiring knowlsdge, power, Weren heroes begin play with the normal benefits of their
and wsalth to suit the purposes of their parent organization. lust species (see Chapler 2: Hero Creation in the ALTERNlTY Player's
like a human in the service of 2 human organization, an am- Handbook), but they gain no stellar nation or Verge system
ployed t'sa can axpect some basic compensation for his loyalty. bonuses.
Self-employed t'sa can be found anywhere, doing anything.
Drtven by the insatiable t'sa desire to learn 2nd explore, an in-
dependant Ysa might take up any occupation that catches his in-
terest. Tsa of Ws type are especially common among the great
number of free traders, smugglers, and freight-haulers that ply
all corners of human space. Thair knack for engineering is 2 fassion, follows later in this chapter (see "Careers' on page
virtual guarantee of 2 job, and the wide-open lifestyle of 2 star 2371. Since each profassion embraces 2 great variaty of char-
merchant appeals to the t'sa mindset. acter types, ire easier io discuss particular rvpes of combat spe-
Tea heroes begin play with the normal benefits of their cialists (for instance) than it ie to discuss combat spadaltsts in
spades [see page 27 in the ALTERN~TYPlayer's Handbook), but universal terms. Many STAR"RIVE adventures incorporate ela-
they don't gain any stellar nation or Verge system bonuses. ments of combat, intrigue, esptonage, and bade, so that every
profession has 2 chance to shine.
Note that pstonics are an accepted part of the STAR'DRIVE
universe. Mindwalkers exiet in every stellar nation, although
Fierce warriors and staunch alli-., -.-weren have journeyed to thefre more common in some nations than in others.
the stars on the shoulders of the Orlamu Theocracy. Millions
now live scattered through the myriad worlds of the Theocracy,
dozens or hundreds of light-years from their homeworld of
Kurg. Unlike VoidCorp, the Theocracy believes in full sentient In 2 STAR'ORIVE campaign, the Ahtlity Score generation method
rights for its clients, and all weren are free to emigrate to any described in Chapter 2: Hero Creation in the ALTERNITY Hey&
nation or world that will take them. Most weren heroes are Or- Handbook is considered the standard method. Each player dis-
lamu citizens loyal to the Theocracy. A sigrulicant number, how- tributes 60 points among the six Ability Scores-Strength, Ilex-
ever, are expatriatas who have chosen to lind their own way in terity, Consiitution, Inielliganca, Wfll, and Personality-in any
the q a l w . order he chooses. Cybsmetlcs, mutatlam, perks, and some stel-
As citizens of the Theocracy, weren are free to travel within lar nation afUations may give beginning heroes a bonus of 1
its borders or to seek permits 2nd visas for travel to any nation or 2 points to their Ability Scores, raising their total to more
that maintaim relations with the Orlamus. The weren klngdoms than 60 points.
of Kurg are generally concerned with homeworld affairs only;
thus, few weren heroes still serve their native lands. Instead,
weren who leave Kurg but remain within the Orlamu fold do so - IOMEWORLD OR NATIOB-
to seek employment with the Orlamu government or Orlamu One of the most Impartant dedsiona you'll make when creating
corporations. Military service of some klnd Is the preferred out- 2 hero for the STAR"DRIVE s w g is choosing a Verga qstm or
world occupati~for most members of this species, but weren stellar natlon. Heroes from differsnt natl0ns begln play with
artisans, craftsmen, diplomats, merchants, and scouts have also very differffsrantnotions about tha data of the g a l q , how it came
found 2 home among the stars. to be that way, and ways in fix it As part of 2 hero's ha&-
Adventurous or restless weren oltsn leave Orlamu space al- gmund, e planet or system of mlgin provides the Gamemaster
together-finding little in Orlamu culture that appeals to their with 2 set of instant stmy handles. Daveloping an origh also
warlike natures. In fact, mercenary companies across the gives you the ability to craft a plausible hbtory for your hero,2
galaxy include expatriate weren. Some of these warriors are flctlonal account of who she is and why eha does whet &E dws.
to ths wild reechsa of humsn

olitldans law snlorcament

 seldom belong to any organization save those that can M e r
their latest plot to make money. Swindlers range from two-bit
scoundrels euniving on confidence schemes to elegant impos-
tore who attach themselves to the wealthy and elite. All
swindlers have two things in common: a knack for pretending
to be someone they're not, and a long list of enemlee.
CON SWL (30 poinb): Manipulation-plckpockeckef; Dacep- Despite the high levels of traffic along the 'kndril-Hammer's
tion-bluff 2, bribe; Entertalnment-act; Interactlon-charm 2. Star corridor in the Verge, there are sllll hundreds of star ~ y s -
In the Verge: In some caeee, the Verge Is about the only tems that human eyes have nwer men. Some of these may be
place to which a swindler can run; rougher and less d&ed the homes of new alien spedee, others might hold mineral
than the Stellar Ring, it's a good place to lose oneself. wealth beyond imagining, and shll others mtght possess the
greatsst of all pnzee-an Earthk world ready for settlement.
But there are dangers In open qace, and a few exploratlon ves-
FRI MTS sels have disappeared In search of the unknown.
Independent operators can ne1 mgn profits in the Verge. Of Con S w 3 (40 points]: Movement-swhn 2, bdblazlng;
course, such work contains a high element of risk, as well; Ree Survival-survival t r m g 3; Modern Ranged Weapons-Me;
Agents don't normally possess miutary, corporate, or prlvate re- Navfgatlon-dace navlgatlon.
sources. There aren't any safety nets out here. h the Varp:The Concord Survey Semce (part of the Con-
cord Star Force) employs explorers on a continulng basts.
I N T Y HUl t They're lookhg for volunteers to invesbgate certain areen of the
It's easy to vanish__ ___ Verge, and s..... p p l e eeem to do it Verge and the Ltghfnhg N-hilla
with surprising regularity, Bounty hunters are then sent to find
the poor, lost souls and return them to where they're supposed c
to be-normally a prison cell. They're then paid their fee and Htgh stakes, fast li-, and e little bit of luck are all a gambler
leave to find the next lost person. Bounty hunters get two klnds needs. Most Verge star systems have legalized nambltng of one
of jobs: bond work and contracts. Bond work is more common. sort or another, and there ere e variety of b i g - d e n wants that
A hunter c h e h to see who has a price on their head, and then attract huge IIUmbSrS of gamblers from both the Verge and Old
goes after that pereon. In many cases, bond work is perfectly Space &e. Gamblers spend a lot of time traveltng from one
legal, and the local justice syetem guarantees the rewerd. In system to another, so tt's MI unusual for them to by their hand
other cases, bond work is simply another word for an open et emugghg and errand Nnnlng between big games. Howwar,
contract; the first bounty hunter that finds the wanted pereon very few gamblers have a COIUIE~~~OIIor alleglanw to anyone,
can claim the reward. let alone a governen! or corporate enitty
Contract work shows up on a hero's doorstep after he'e Corm fw. (30 pdnlm): Manipulatlon-pdpckeckef;Street
proven htmself with bond work. When a bounty hurter e m a Smart-ci-Iminal alemmts; D8ceptlon-gamble 2, blu& Interec-
reputation, powerful people seek him out and offer him luoa- tlon-charm, seduce.
tive jobs. As a bouniy hunter advances in I d , successfully In the Verpe: Aegts hosts an annual Poker Pentad (five days
completing more and more missions, word of his effldency gets and nights of blue-chip poker), drawing the best gemblere from
around and more work comee his way. around the Verge. Every gambler wurth her salt b e e to find a
C . n S w 3 (30 pointm): Modern Ranged Weapons-piefo4 sponsor to put up the formtdable stake of $100,000 If she can't
Stealth-shadov+ Inveetlgate-Interrogate, search, trak; Street
Smart; Interaction-interview.
In the Verge: The most notorious outstanding bond is for the
I corsair lord Kelt Terenz. Last year he captured and looted a
space yacht belonging to House B l a h o r e of Alaurdril, own-
ere of Solar X Industries. Wo members of the family were
killed in the attack and Kalt took a third one prieoner. Maura
Blackmore, leader of her house, has offered a reward of
$2,500,000 for Kalt Terenz, dead or alive.
, ,

CORSAIA , .,,
..,
While a few corsairs claim to operate as privateers under let-
ters of marque, even the beet of them command enme illegal
operations. It's a brutal and ruthless lifestyle lived among the
very dregs of human and alienklnd. Like the spacehand, e cor-
sair movee around a lot, shipping with one crew for a few
months, squandering his ill-gotten wealth ashore, then signing
on with another crew for a new spree of blood and terror.
Heroic corseirs limit themeelvee to piracy against hostile corpo-
rations or enemy nations, and they spare lives whenever pos-
sible. Unfortunately, moet corsairs aren't very heroic.
Core S w 3 (30 points): Melee Weapons-blade; Modern
Ranged Weapons-pistol; Vehicle Operation-space vehicle;
Street Smart-criminal elements.
the Verge: Every t needs a $6 call home, i
a good living by stealing confidential business plans or docu I different array of System Operation skills and therefore don't
ments and selling them to the tushes1 bidder. ieed to take the Navigation skill. This reduces the Core Skills
cost by 10 points.)
.',
&
In the Verge: A crewman can find work in any major space-
port; some of the best places to look include Bluefall, Leen,
Tech Ops run the entire gamut of hero archetyps. Doctors, sci- Alaundril, and Penates.
entists, pilots, computer iechs, engineers-they're all valued
commodities in the Verge. Employed by local governments, stel-
lar corporations, or as freelancers, Tech Ops have a great num-
ber of choices open io them.
,,
"_ ii:

The military vessEIJ,AIsLyA,LcLa,apaLE cIImLIyLID, and defense

posts of the Verge demand thousands of hghly trained crew-
men to maintain and operate cutting-edge equipment. In naval
forces, crewmen are typically e h t e d personnel with ratings for
particular ship systems or operations. Spacemen, petty officers,
or chief p i t y officers are usually part of a military chain of
command and assigned to a particular ship or base. However,
the Integration Act allows rmlitary personnel to serve on active
duty with civilian or corporate entities.
Civilian crewmen often serve as contract workers with free
traders or corporate transports. They're a cut above the typical
spacehand (see page 238),senring as mates or deck officers on
board any ship that can meet their price. Illegal vessels, such as
those used by corsairs and smugglers, also need crewmen, and
a fair number of these characters serve on ships of this sort.
Cora Skills (35 points): Vehcle Operation-space vehicle;
System Operation-~ommunica60~,sensors, weapons 2; Navi- t
gation-drivespsce adrogation, system astrogation; Technical 6
Science-repair r
iystems might have miormaoon garnering can allow a trace IO me grlnpuois pnysl-
 / I I ,
-d L
,
 .....>R
Bi~lnw
Parhap the most p c h d of Miwhalkm. ESRrma l l ~ w l m pBIouards tend toward n&miah nnd pragmatlemi chey u88
wtm twn tlmk tdds to the fnvwioaflrn of cr~msor the S$d- heir tdmi RE a tool to pet ahaadin the world, not RE an and in

-
to coun$r the Eff& of-enmy
who CM
, or war
as bodv-

an &ita
.
 s 1 5:
TABLE CORPORATE A N D GOVERNMENT
STATUS
UNTRAINED RANKS
Curpmta Gonrnmsnl Snruica Govarnmmt A g m y Stahu
Trainee Intern Recruit 0-3
Employee Employee Agent h i n e e 2-4
SKILLED ~ N K S
C~prrmts GuwrnrnsnI S.rv*s G ~ m a nb I n q SLplu!
Assistant Technician Sped& Agent
Technician Senior Sped& Field Agent
Assistant Manager Supervisor Spend Agent
Manager Regional Supervisor Department Head
EXECUTIVERANKS
Corporals Gmarnnunl Sorvicn Gonrnmsnl h
m n
q
Assistant Director Deputy Undersecretary Division Chief
Director Undersecretary Deputy Director
AceistantDirector
Director

I
 I i
c
 I
IW. The mimat rates charged by BU[
vice that of a bank loan-though they d
tlme to time for those captains wllllng to do favors for thm loaked aftar with c r a f l s h p and care
While the tsrme of purchase mi^ vary weaav, it's rea-
sonable to assume that a hero hying to pay off a brand-nsnt ing a hating hulk adrlft in the wastes of
vessel begins play with a monthly payment E& to 1% of m w , but mom than one spaceman has
ship's purchase p h . If &a's flying a brand-new trader worth dlscoverad an Intact spaca ship that he claimed as his own
$750,000, assume that she has a loen payment of $7,500 per under the Concord's salvage laws.
month Most new ships ara h a n d for 15 years, but highar ' h e lvles of salvage are pre@ ~ I I I ~ I EThe
. salvager must
or h e r intenst rates cen eithar raiw or lower ths monthly h g the damllci to the naarest shipyard for lnspectlon and
payment (or lengthen or shorten t h term ~ of the loan, for that idenUtication. The pmspectlve owner must tow (or pay another
matter] person to tow) the dereltct In-system towing costs about
A leased vessel cuts thls payment in half, but the hero will $1,000 per durability point of the ship Towing prices double if
be requid to turn the vessel In at the end of a prespedfled pe- the wreck journey through one starfall, and guadruple If the
rlod (3 to 5 years ts fair].She's also liable for any unusual darn- destlnaaon ts more than one starfall distant from the wreck's lo-
age while the ship b in her posssssion. cahon.
A new shp requbw upkeep and maintenance equal to 1% Once the shipyard ldanUhes the shp's orqhal owner (if pos-
of its valua every 12 months. In the example above, it costs slble], it tuns the ship mr to the bank [if it had an outstanhg
about $7,500 (or $625 per month] to keep the Ira& flying all loan] or trensfers it to tha salvager This salvager musl pay a
year long. Flying a ship that hasn't bean properly maintained modest transfar fee-normally a r m d $5,000-for the h g of
r d t s tn the acmdetlon of performance pmahS5 (+I step papewark Govsrnment and mllltaryvessels always warrant a
to all attacks due to bugs in the h e contml system, +2 steps to salvage fee (see bslow] Instead of a iransfer.
maneuvers of a certain type, and eo on) as the Gamemaster If a loan r e m h on the vessel, bank; allow the salvager to
sees fit. The maintenance and upkssp fee doesn't account for take over payments on the vessel [as long as they beheve him

-
crew salaries, suppllss, or the expense of repelring battle dam- capable of paying]. If the bank doesn't want to transfer the loan
age. Maintenance and upkesp takes time, too-about 2 days per to the salvager, or If the salvager isn't Interested, the bank pays
month for a brand-new ship. a 5% salvage fee (based on the fair market value of the ship)
Only the smallest and most common ships are available for Sometimes, howwar, previous m e r e of a we&might step m
lmmedtate delivery. It takes a shipyard weeks or months to con- to the picture. They're allowed to redalm their property, but only
a vsssd, and wen the best yards me o h backlogged if they're wllllng to pay the salvager 50% of the shy's current
wllhwnrk. A hem who nwds a sblp right away might ndt have d u e [or whatever percentage the salvager agrees to take]
too many choices WdRbIB when he dscldes to buy If, however, Assuming that M one steps In to mterfere wth the transfer
he can wait a few months to place an order and let the ship- of Utle, the salvager can reht the ship at her own eKpense 'Ffp-
yard build to his specifications, he can buy exactly what he ically, a shp wrecked m combat or collision requires repairs
Wants equal to 5-30% percent Id6 x 5%)of its m e n t value Some
shipyards or banks may loan the hero the money necessary to
Buyinn U u d SMp: Thrwh a variety of reasons, used ships repair the ship, but these instltu~nsexpectlng the salvager to
are always coming up for resale Ships of the Fusion Age re- repay them at 2% of the loan per month, over a period of 5
tam only 2 0 4 0 % (d4+1, h e s 10%) of their k e d purchass years For example, a h i e trader fights off a pirate anack and
p r m . Used ships of the Gravity Age retam 50-80% (d4+4, captures the pirate's vessel The ship was a used cutter worth
times 10%) of their lieted purchase price. Thus,the hero's 1% $700,000; a random roll mhcates that it d cost 15% of its
monthly payment on hb ship will be lower than it would if he'd value (or $105,000] to repair it If the hero wants a loan for
bought the ship new For example, If the hero bought hb bader this sum,he'll have to pay $2,100 per month for five years
used, he'd only pay between $375,000 and $600,000 for the As a hnal note, tfs very rare to find an abandoned ship m
ship. Therefore, he'd pay only $3,750 to $6,000 per month m total worklng order, generally, there's a reason why someone
loan payments In addllion, a used ship is typically hanced abandoned it m the first place. Life support fatlures ere a rare
over 10 years instead of the usual 15. cause for ship abandonment, sudden decompression and heavy
The downside of used ships ts their maintenance and up- damage are much more common Many hulks are commonly
keep msts These amount to 1% of a ship's purchase pnce (patd canrubahzed for spare parte by pirates, leaving llttle more than
every 12 months] for each 10% break the hero received for a shell behind Purchasing new equipment and retrofitting
buying used Thus,If a hero bought a used trader at 60% of its Bverything together can become an expensive proposition-but
h e d price ($450,000 instead of $750,000], he would pay 4% it's shll generally cheaper than purchasing a new vessel
of the ship's used purchase price every hvelve months-
,-'
$18,000 in this example [about $1,500 per month] Used ships b~.l.: Somstlmes, traders might acqrure control of a /

also take d4+1 days of ma!ntenance per month in order to stay ship without paying anyone for it Eithsr they steal the vessel
in top working order It's shU cheaper than a new ship, but not from someone else, they salvage it and never report it, or they
wthout its own set of headaches. default on a loan they were supposed pay The advantage of an
The new owner rmght pick up the payments of the previous fflegal ship Is that the m e r doesn't have to give anyone money
owner for a small fee, or he rmght buy a pald-off ship outright. for it; the downside le that he's h n t e d by any law agency that
Flnanong le n o d y a bit easier on used ships, but banks are takes o b e at piracy, theft, or criminal fraud
still careful about gmng out large loans A used ship usually re-
quires more extensive mahtenancs then a brand-new ship, and
m u Foundation 10,
m u lhewsw 11-' 22.32
35-37,46,50,52, , .;,57-5-. ~~,
~

76, 77, 82-85, 89, 92, 135, 148, 150,

151, 154, 155, 163, 166, 167,
190-192.198.202, 230, 233,:
239, 240,247,251
terBeH(Corrlvele) 110,111,119

ehlzon (Algmon) 171,172, 185 S@ 12, 16, 30, 36, 37, 42,68, 89,7.,
Ucle beam 28.29.219.220 72,74,77-78,90,110-122, res, 222
iatea ( L d w ) 79, 87, 124-126, 129, 226,233,234-235,238, nS, 245
130,132-143, 144, 237,244,247 febla namwrl37
Iple'6JIlmYrn 53 Sbmssb, DewWe 130
t6 125. 126. 136-137 138
..^..-
acy/plrsles 24, 29, 42, 45, 235
67,90,91, 106, 108, 11L, ..-, srnm 83 ...--. ..__.I".

Timellna 16
130, 132, 191, 192, 193-194, 198, Bell ldtv
200, 205, 206,218,225,227,228 166, 203- np, Idan JU 101. 105
m a cannon 26.29.63, 118, 216 wske, Andrew 98,99
frm (HammdsStar) 202,203, zO6,-- 217 Trade (campslgn model] 17
nt-defense gun 29,132,lK TransVm h k 21,243
vphmus W w I 125, ti Won (dty) 189,180,192,197-198,21
*Royal (dty] 125, 131, 133 l h l n (corrlvale] 111,112
141 l h i d d (dtvl125,126,143
Nder (pW11,44,45 Ysa 12, 13, 16, 19, 30, 37, 39, 42. 71, 7
I (Delph) 53,94,95,98, 74,78, 134, 169, 186,212,:
icuraom 35,224,226,230, 236,239
i$ ConfsderaUon 16,44,52,54,57,60, S
67, 83, 85, 170, 172 S
qhdhome (planet) 11,57,58
wlcs 8-10, 32,58, 126, 135, 139, 142, E9
145, 186, 234, 236, 239, 246, 247, Fmmh
- _. 126, 129, 136, 142-144
25 1 Uuhn of Sol 13, 14, 16, 24. 25,31, 32, '
ilmy system 23, 45, 53, 87, 90, 108, 39, 42, 47-49, 52, 54, 56, 60, 64,
225 66-67, 68, 72, 61, 84, 65, 87, 92, 97, .
. ..^.^" 98.103.118,124-128.135.
-ib-iiz, 144,145,170. i s i , 192.
18.214. 224. 225. 233. 237. 241.
17' 3 1

phal (dtv) 198

d Raln 175, 183
dcrown (A@) 69, 146, 150, 154, 167
M e (di$ 115, 117
dman-Srnith Tradhg Corp 26, 91
gency of Bluetdl 87, 89, 90, 127,
148-167, 169,223,225,227. 2
Ilance (Algamronl 171,185
88 Bhar (dtv) 176, 178-179
vlk Belt (Hemmer's Star) 202, 206,218 I
iaut Celeste 156 7
&or Star Consortium 11-14, 16,24,
25,33, 34, 39, 46, 60-61, 62, 63, 7
67-69, 72, 77, 81, 83-85, 87, 91, 1
115, 116, 119, 135,167, 186-195,
198, 200. 225, 229, 233, 234, 236, 1
237, 239, 252
mbke system 23, 108. 155, 157,227
bots 30, 34, 62, 63, 81, 94, 108, """
129,246
dend 170

bmr (island)162
ntlago (dly) 125, 137-139, 140, 242 I, 127, 129, 141, 146, 166,
nvlctores, Luis 211, 212 3,200, 202-204,206,207,

--
p p k (planet] 11. 30, 35, 46, 47, 204, cc3.237-239, 241,252
216 %reL W 114, 115
lArl '"4-127, 130, 136-142 M v I n e system 23,155,157,223
 j[][I
11111111111111111
EUROPEAN READPIRTERS
Wizards d tho Coast, Bol~imn

rrarrw+0073 ?P