Campaign/Setting Information
-
Recklessfireball
- Ranger
- Posts: 507
- Joined: Sun Oct 07, 2012 2:46 am
Campaign/Setting Information
Various information about places and things will go here. Not required that you read any of this but it is recommended.
-
Recklessfireball
- Ranger
- Posts: 507
- Joined: Sun Oct 07, 2012 2:46 am
Re: Campaign/Setting Information
THE TETRARCHS
Images of Tetrarch Elder Races, Courtesy of University of Zebulon Xenoarcheology department:
http://i1308.photobucket.com/albums/s61 ... 7a037f.jpg
http://i1308.photobucket.com/albums/s61 ... 8d5b3d.jpg
http://i1308.photobucket.com/albums/s61 ... 46580e.png
http://i1308.photobucket.com/albums/s61 ... 793334.jpg
In the distant past an ancient race once ruled the galaxy. They were at once great conquerors and by all counts benevolent rulers. Were they truly benevolent or were the records colored by fear? Little is known about this race, but one thing is known for sure: they are called the Tetrarchs. You may be familiar with some of the following statements found in Frontier literature:
"The Tetrarch Societies are assumed to be a once great galactic authority made up of a collection of races also referred to as the Tetrarch Elders . . .Some suspect that the races [of the Frontier] were slave races of the Tetrarch Elders, left behind . . ."—Nor's Guide to Allied Space
". . . an ancient temple left behind by a race who have a connection with the Tetrarchs."—Temple Raiders
"It has been speculated that an ancient unknown race of aliens (possibly the group known to xenoarchaeologists as the Tetrarchs) transplanted a small group of S'sessu to their present homeworld at that time."—Coming of the S'sessu
The Tetrarchs have taken on a mystical and even god-like aura in Frontier history, but most never even hear the name. It is talked around in scientific and historical societies, obscure religions, and secret organizations, but little ever reaches public circles, and usually only in exhaustive encyclopedias. One reference can be found in a textbook at the Zebulon Institute for Archaeology. In there, a timeline is given, claiming:
"10,500PF (Pre-Frontier) Last remnants of the mysterious Tetrarch Societies die out."
The Tetrarchs appear to have been the most technologically advanced society ever in the Frontier or its outlying areas. Their territory is suggested in ancient accounts to stretch beyond any known territories. References and varying depictions of the Tetrarchs are found up until around 10,000 p.f., at which point they just drop off the historical record. A later race known as the J'vaarians are believed to be descendants of the Tetrarchs, but nothing in the historical records ever show a direct connection. Depictions on ancient temple walls and artifacts show ancient races interacting with what are believed to be the Tetrarchs. However, though many ancient artifacts, technological and otherwise, have been found, none have been definitively linked to the Tetrarchs.
Some races claim descendancy, while others claim to have been created or enslaved by the Tetrarchs at one time, but no archaeological evidence can be found to support such claims, except elusive references in their culture to their beginnings and ancient trials. These claims lead many to believe that the tetrachs were masters of creating and manipulating life, forming new races and species.
One theory suggests that many of the races in the Frontier made up the Tetrarchs, but an apocalypse brought about a dark age that erased their histories. It has been suggested that the Clikk, who some speculate to be an early Vrusk race, were one such division of the Tetrarchs or perhaps were possibly responsible for their demise.
After approximately 10,000 years ago, the Tetrarchs would never again be seen in the Frontier. Despite all the efforts of archaeologists and historians, little do they know that the mystery of the Tetrarchs will forever be hidden in time.
Or, so it was thought...
THE ANKER ROSETTA
Image of the Anchor Rosetta: http://i1308.photobucket.com/albums/s61 ... 09deea.jpg
In 115 f.y. Balto Arcturus, Professor of Xenolinguistics and Xenoarcheology, discovered a package sitting on his desk, in his office at Zebulon University, on Anker. The package was a large, flat rectangle wrapped in brown paper, tied with a string. On top of the package, was the following note, unsigned, typed in standard Pan-Galactic script:
Professor Arcturus,
We have watched your people for centuries. We have watched you and hoped. We fear that you are not ready for the awful burden that has been thrust upon you, but we can wait no longer
.
The great enemy awakens from it's ancient sleep and turns its hungry gaze upon us. The Tetrarch Elders are no more; even their protégées, the wise and powerful J'vaarians, have long since passed into dust. We- and you- are all that stands against the shadow which threatens to engulf the frontier
.
Seek the system with seven planets and the world with nine moons, which lies beyond the rim. On the seventh moon of this world, lies the Vault of the Elders. We have given you the key. Take this gift of knowledge and use it well. You will know what to do. Do not delay. We will buy you as much time as we can
Perhaps, with this final sacrifice, we can atone for this great doom that we have brought upon you.
When he unwrapped the package, Arcturus discovered an unmarked tablet of glossy black stone. Thinking himself the victim of a badly conceived prank, he picked up the stone and examined it disdainfully.
Suddenly, he felt a surge of power, and his mind was filled with images of blazing ciphers, which he recognized as ancient Tetrarch glyphs. For decades, the secrets of the Tetrarchs ancient language had eluded the finest scholars of the frontier. Now, suddenly, this mysterious stone had revealed the meanings of these symbols, directly to his mind, in the span of two or three seconds.
The glyphs were ideograms, carved into a substance that was a highly sophisticated, psionic-crystal lattice. The context of the ideograms could only be imparted through telepathy, to species that possessed the gift of psionics- and only by those who knew the proper command sequence to initiate the data transfer.
Fortunately, Arcturus was a gifted psionic, and the tablet had apparently been programmed by whomever had left it, to initiate the data transfer as soon as it was picked up by a psionic being. Now, armed with the knowledge of the Tetrarchs ancient tongue, Professor Arcturus prepared to seek out the world his mysterious benefactor had alluded to...
THE TETRARCH SYSTEM
Arcturus spent the next three years searching feverishly for the system alluded to in the message. As it turns out, he need not have went to all the trouble; in the end, the system found him.
In late 118 f.y., an old friend of Arcturus, an Osakar star merchant by the name of Som-Ulon, told him of a planetary system recently discovered by a survey vessel of the Capellan Free Merchants, approximately 4.5 light years rimward of Kazak and Cryxia.
The system was a gold mine of resources. A massive asteroid belt, rich with mineral deposits, encircled the system and several planets in the system also possessed extensive deposits of ores and minerals. The Rim Coalition immediately moved to take ownership of the area, opening it up to the Free Merchants for exploitation and development. A sort of gold rush ensued, with miners, traders and prospectors, from all over the frontier, flooding into the system in hopes of striking it rich.
But the real gold mine was yet to be discovered. Around the fourth planet in the system, a titanic, ringed, gas giant named Arkhold, the Coalition discovered a moon that was flourishing with life. Ark 7 was a mars-sized body with a vast ocean and three large continents, lush with a complex ecosystem of plants and animals and, most astonishing of all- a multitude of technologically advanced structures of vast scope and awesome complexity.
Strangely, planetary scans revealed no movement or activity in these alien cities. Though satellite surveillance revealed the presence of several intelligent species, none of these possessed the knowledge to build such structures. Indeed, the most sophisticated among them had only achieved a level of advancement equivalent to medieval level technology.
Intrigued, Free Merchant explorers attempted to land a shuttle on the outskirts of one of the cities, to investigate further. Shockingly, when the landing shuttle had approached within fifty kilometers, the dormant structures flared to life, and a powerful beam lanced out from the center of the city, cutting the ship in half and killing everyone aboard.
Shocked and infuriated by the unexpected attack, the captain of the orbiting vessel opened up with every weapon at his disposal, in a retaliatory strike. An instant before the weapons struck home, a defense screen snapped into place around the alien city; the barrage of missiles and lasers was absorbed without effect. A mere second later, the city responded, firing a beam of unimaginable power at the orbiting vessel, shearing through it's armor and defense screens and cutting the ship apart as easily as it had the shuttle.
The government of the Rim Coalition was in an uproar. They had been (to their mind) the target of an unprovoked attack, by an unknown civilization, possessing weapon technology far in advance of anything ever encountered in the frontier. They assembled a large fleet of warships, which they dispatched to the system, and promptly blockaded the moon, preparing to intercept any attacking fleet that might boil forth from it's surface. But, once again, the cities grew dormant and silent.
When Arcturus heard this tale, he was elated. Here was a system with planets matching those described in the message. He booked passage in a commercial transport, and arrived in system several weeks later. Accompanying him, were three of his closest colleagues- the esteemed Xenoarcheologists: Gratch Hakosoar, Ch'vax'tic, and Drus Rugloop. Together, the four scientists convinced the commander of the blockading fleet (after much argument and protest) to allow them to take a shuttle to the planets surface.
Arcturus and his colleagues were playing a hunch. Approaching one of the cities from a great distance, they landed their craft approximately sixty kilometers away and trekked the rest of the distance on foot. Much to the surprise of the fleet commander, the expedition was able to approach unmolested. Whatever controlled the cities defenses apparently only considered approaching ships to be a threat. Small parties of individuals on the ground triggered no aggressive response.
A careful study of the cities bore out Arcturus's suspicions; they were of Tetrarch origin and design. Several monuments were stamped in Tetrarch script, and the professor determined that this was once an important outpost of the civilizations galaxy spanning culture. Why it was abandoned, was a mystery. But one thing was certain- the moon was a treasure trove of advanced technology which, if unlocked, could allow the societies of the frontier to advance their own civilizations by hundreds, perhaps thousands, of years.
While the Rim Coalition knew that they now possessed the most valuable real estate in the galaxy, they also recognized that they lacked the technological expertise to exploit it. They also knew that the prize of Ark 7 was tempting enough to draw other space-faring nations, such as the UPF and the Sathar empire, to claim it for themselves.
To forestall a conflict, and insure that they themselves would benefit from the discovery, the Coalition made a bold but canny decision; they publicly announced that mining rights in the asteroid field and three of Ark 7's continents would be put up for sale to any frontier mega corporations that were interested in them. Their only stipulation, was that the Coalition would retain overall control of the system and the large chain of islands on Ark 7, dubbed the Capellan Archipelago, and that the corporations would freely share all scientific discoveries gleaned from the areas they controlled.
The plan proved successful beyond the Coalition's wildest dreams. Most of the corporations jumped at the idea. A bidding war broke out between Streel Corporation, PGC, and Galactic Overall Development Co, over the choicest land on Ark 7. The negotiations were tense, but eventually all parties were able to acquire a continent of their own and came away satisfied. The Coalition made tremendous amounts of profit and gained additional security to bolster the system, as the mega corporations brought in their own fleets to defend their new assets.
By 125 f.y., each of the mega corps had established permanent bases in the system, as well as scientific outposts on the moons surface. Survey teams were dispatched with ambassadors, to make contact with the native inhabitants of the world, and establish friendly relations. The exploration of Ark 7's mysteries, was about to begin!
Images of Tetrarch Elder Races, Courtesy of University of Zebulon Xenoarcheology department:
http://i1308.photobucket.com/albums/s61 ... 7a037f.jpg
http://i1308.photobucket.com/albums/s61 ... 8d5b3d.jpg
http://i1308.photobucket.com/albums/s61 ... 46580e.png
http://i1308.photobucket.com/albums/s61 ... 793334.jpg
In the distant past an ancient race once ruled the galaxy. They were at once great conquerors and by all counts benevolent rulers. Were they truly benevolent or were the records colored by fear? Little is known about this race, but one thing is known for sure: they are called the Tetrarchs. You may be familiar with some of the following statements found in Frontier literature:
"The Tetrarch Societies are assumed to be a once great galactic authority made up of a collection of races also referred to as the Tetrarch Elders . . .Some suspect that the races [of the Frontier] were slave races of the Tetrarch Elders, left behind . . ."—Nor's Guide to Allied Space
". . . an ancient temple left behind by a race who have a connection with the Tetrarchs."—Temple Raiders
"It has been speculated that an ancient unknown race of aliens (possibly the group known to xenoarchaeologists as the Tetrarchs) transplanted a small group of S'sessu to their present homeworld at that time."—Coming of the S'sessu
The Tetrarchs have taken on a mystical and even god-like aura in Frontier history, but most never even hear the name. It is talked around in scientific and historical societies, obscure religions, and secret organizations, but little ever reaches public circles, and usually only in exhaustive encyclopedias. One reference can be found in a textbook at the Zebulon Institute for Archaeology. In there, a timeline is given, claiming:
"10,500PF (Pre-Frontier) Last remnants of the mysterious Tetrarch Societies die out."
The Tetrarchs appear to have been the most technologically advanced society ever in the Frontier or its outlying areas. Their territory is suggested in ancient accounts to stretch beyond any known territories. References and varying depictions of the Tetrarchs are found up until around 10,000 p.f., at which point they just drop off the historical record. A later race known as the J'vaarians are believed to be descendants of the Tetrarchs, but nothing in the historical records ever show a direct connection. Depictions on ancient temple walls and artifacts show ancient races interacting with what are believed to be the Tetrarchs. However, though many ancient artifacts, technological and otherwise, have been found, none have been definitively linked to the Tetrarchs.
Some races claim descendancy, while others claim to have been created or enslaved by the Tetrarchs at one time, but no archaeological evidence can be found to support such claims, except elusive references in their culture to their beginnings and ancient trials. These claims lead many to believe that the tetrachs were masters of creating and manipulating life, forming new races and species.
One theory suggests that many of the races in the Frontier made up the Tetrarchs, but an apocalypse brought about a dark age that erased their histories. It has been suggested that the Clikk, who some speculate to be an early Vrusk race, were one such division of the Tetrarchs or perhaps were possibly responsible for their demise.
After approximately 10,000 years ago, the Tetrarchs would never again be seen in the Frontier. Despite all the efforts of archaeologists and historians, little do they know that the mystery of the Tetrarchs will forever be hidden in time.
Or, so it was thought...
THE ANKER ROSETTA
Image of the Anchor Rosetta: http://i1308.photobucket.com/albums/s61 ... 09deea.jpg
In 115 f.y. Balto Arcturus, Professor of Xenolinguistics and Xenoarcheology, discovered a package sitting on his desk, in his office at Zebulon University, on Anker. The package was a large, flat rectangle wrapped in brown paper, tied with a string. On top of the package, was the following note, unsigned, typed in standard Pan-Galactic script:
Professor Arcturus,
We have watched your people for centuries. We have watched you and hoped. We fear that you are not ready for the awful burden that has been thrust upon you, but we can wait no longer
.
The great enemy awakens from it's ancient sleep and turns its hungry gaze upon us. The Tetrarch Elders are no more; even their protégées, the wise and powerful J'vaarians, have long since passed into dust. We- and you- are all that stands against the shadow which threatens to engulf the frontier
.
Seek the system with seven planets and the world with nine moons, which lies beyond the rim. On the seventh moon of this world, lies the Vault of the Elders. We have given you the key. Take this gift of knowledge and use it well. You will know what to do. Do not delay. We will buy you as much time as we can
Perhaps, with this final sacrifice, we can atone for this great doom that we have brought upon you.
When he unwrapped the package, Arcturus discovered an unmarked tablet of glossy black stone. Thinking himself the victim of a badly conceived prank, he picked up the stone and examined it disdainfully.
Suddenly, he felt a surge of power, and his mind was filled with images of blazing ciphers, which he recognized as ancient Tetrarch glyphs. For decades, the secrets of the Tetrarchs ancient language had eluded the finest scholars of the frontier. Now, suddenly, this mysterious stone had revealed the meanings of these symbols, directly to his mind, in the span of two or three seconds.
The glyphs were ideograms, carved into a substance that was a highly sophisticated, psionic-crystal lattice. The context of the ideograms could only be imparted through telepathy, to species that possessed the gift of psionics- and only by those who knew the proper command sequence to initiate the data transfer.
Fortunately, Arcturus was a gifted psionic, and the tablet had apparently been programmed by whomever had left it, to initiate the data transfer as soon as it was picked up by a psionic being. Now, armed with the knowledge of the Tetrarchs ancient tongue, Professor Arcturus prepared to seek out the world his mysterious benefactor had alluded to...
THE TETRARCH SYSTEM
Arcturus spent the next three years searching feverishly for the system alluded to in the message. As it turns out, he need not have went to all the trouble; in the end, the system found him.
In late 118 f.y., an old friend of Arcturus, an Osakar star merchant by the name of Som-Ulon, told him of a planetary system recently discovered by a survey vessel of the Capellan Free Merchants, approximately 4.5 light years rimward of Kazak and Cryxia.
The system was a gold mine of resources. A massive asteroid belt, rich with mineral deposits, encircled the system and several planets in the system also possessed extensive deposits of ores and minerals. The Rim Coalition immediately moved to take ownership of the area, opening it up to the Free Merchants for exploitation and development. A sort of gold rush ensued, with miners, traders and prospectors, from all over the frontier, flooding into the system in hopes of striking it rich.
But the real gold mine was yet to be discovered. Around the fourth planet in the system, a titanic, ringed, gas giant named Arkhold, the Coalition discovered a moon that was flourishing with life. Ark 7 was a mars-sized body with a vast ocean and three large continents, lush with a complex ecosystem of plants and animals and, most astonishing of all- a multitude of technologically advanced structures of vast scope and awesome complexity.
Strangely, planetary scans revealed no movement or activity in these alien cities. Though satellite surveillance revealed the presence of several intelligent species, none of these possessed the knowledge to build such structures. Indeed, the most sophisticated among them had only achieved a level of advancement equivalent to medieval level technology.
Intrigued, Free Merchant explorers attempted to land a shuttle on the outskirts of one of the cities, to investigate further. Shockingly, when the landing shuttle had approached within fifty kilometers, the dormant structures flared to life, and a powerful beam lanced out from the center of the city, cutting the ship in half and killing everyone aboard.
Shocked and infuriated by the unexpected attack, the captain of the orbiting vessel opened up with every weapon at his disposal, in a retaliatory strike. An instant before the weapons struck home, a defense screen snapped into place around the alien city; the barrage of missiles and lasers was absorbed without effect. A mere second later, the city responded, firing a beam of unimaginable power at the orbiting vessel, shearing through it's armor and defense screens and cutting the ship apart as easily as it had the shuttle.
The government of the Rim Coalition was in an uproar. They had been (to their mind) the target of an unprovoked attack, by an unknown civilization, possessing weapon technology far in advance of anything ever encountered in the frontier. They assembled a large fleet of warships, which they dispatched to the system, and promptly blockaded the moon, preparing to intercept any attacking fleet that might boil forth from it's surface. But, once again, the cities grew dormant and silent.
When Arcturus heard this tale, he was elated. Here was a system with planets matching those described in the message. He booked passage in a commercial transport, and arrived in system several weeks later. Accompanying him, were three of his closest colleagues- the esteemed Xenoarcheologists: Gratch Hakosoar, Ch'vax'tic, and Drus Rugloop. Together, the four scientists convinced the commander of the blockading fleet (after much argument and protest) to allow them to take a shuttle to the planets surface.
Arcturus and his colleagues were playing a hunch. Approaching one of the cities from a great distance, they landed their craft approximately sixty kilometers away and trekked the rest of the distance on foot. Much to the surprise of the fleet commander, the expedition was able to approach unmolested. Whatever controlled the cities defenses apparently only considered approaching ships to be a threat. Small parties of individuals on the ground triggered no aggressive response.
A careful study of the cities bore out Arcturus's suspicions; they were of Tetrarch origin and design. Several monuments were stamped in Tetrarch script, and the professor determined that this was once an important outpost of the civilizations galaxy spanning culture. Why it was abandoned, was a mystery. But one thing was certain- the moon was a treasure trove of advanced technology which, if unlocked, could allow the societies of the frontier to advance their own civilizations by hundreds, perhaps thousands, of years.
While the Rim Coalition knew that they now possessed the most valuable real estate in the galaxy, they also recognized that they lacked the technological expertise to exploit it. They also knew that the prize of Ark 7 was tempting enough to draw other space-faring nations, such as the UPF and the Sathar empire, to claim it for themselves.
To forestall a conflict, and insure that they themselves would benefit from the discovery, the Coalition made a bold but canny decision; they publicly announced that mining rights in the asteroid field and three of Ark 7's continents would be put up for sale to any frontier mega corporations that were interested in them. Their only stipulation, was that the Coalition would retain overall control of the system and the large chain of islands on Ark 7, dubbed the Capellan Archipelago, and that the corporations would freely share all scientific discoveries gleaned from the areas they controlled.
The plan proved successful beyond the Coalition's wildest dreams. Most of the corporations jumped at the idea. A bidding war broke out between Streel Corporation, PGC, and Galactic Overall Development Co, over the choicest land on Ark 7. The negotiations were tense, but eventually all parties were able to acquire a continent of their own and came away satisfied. The Coalition made tremendous amounts of profit and gained additional security to bolster the system, as the mega corporations brought in their own fleets to defend their new assets.
By 125 f.y., each of the mega corps had established permanent bases in the system, as well as scientific outposts on the moons surface. Survey teams were dispatched with ambassadors, to make contact with the native inhabitants of the world, and establish friendly relations. The exploration of Ark 7's mysteries, was about to begin!
-
Recklessfireball
- Ranger
- Posts: 507
- Joined: Sun Oct 07, 2012 2:46 am
Re: Campaign/Setting Information
DIAGRAM OF THE TETRARCH GLYPHS
_____________________________________________________________________________________KEY______________________________________________________________________________________
Figures I through VIII: These symbols represent security levels as relates to the Computer sub-skill Defeating Security. There is a twist, however; levels III through VIII also require a certain level of Mentalist PSA ability to access, as follows:
III (skill lvl 1)
IV (skill lvl 2)
V (skill lvl 3)
VI (skill lvl 4)
VII (skill lvl 5)
VIII (skill lvl 6)
Figures A through Z and One through Ten: Standard alpha-numeric symbols.
Figures X1 through X51: These are ideograms, which may have any one of three meanings. Context can only be determined with a successful telepathy skill check. The full range of translations are as follows-
X1: history, lineage, myth
X2: knowledge, secret, wisdom
X3: obedience, rebellion, surrender
X4: attack, conceal, retreat
X5: first, last, middle
X6: greatest, least, most
X7: exile, steal, transport
X8: dream, hallucination, memory
X9: armory, laboratory, library
X10: atom, element, molecule
X11: hour, minute, second
X12: day, week, year
X13: century, decade, millenium
X14: infrared, ultraviolet, x-ray
X15: density, shape, size
X16: awaken, delay, suspend
X17: death, life, rebirth
X18: beam, bolt, bomb
X19: assemble, design, disassemble
X20: hyper-void, null-void, void
X21: accelerate, decelerate, immobilize
X22: planet, sector, system
X23: light, hologram, sound
X24: deity, ruler, subject
X25: pain, pleasure, numbness
X26: anger, joy, sorrow
X27: confusion, courage, fear
X28: activate, deactivate, destruct
X29: engines, shields, weapons
X30: atmosphere, temperature, toxin
X31: decrease, equalize, increase
X32: contain, disintegrate, grapple
X33: space, thought, time
X34: hail, salute, warn
X35: cloak, record, scan
X36: devolve, evolve, splice
X37: fatigue, hunger, thirst
X38: smell, taste, touch
X39: animal, mineral, plant
X40: center, left, right
X41: gas, liquid, solid
X42: gravity, energy, magnetism
X43: evil, good, neutral
X44: dark matter, phase, quantum
X45: person, place, thing
X46: ally, enemy, spy
X47: color, opaque, transparent
X48: decrypt, encrypt, search
X49: coordinates, cypher, equation
X50: confirm, deceive, deny
X51: body, mind, spirit
_____________________________________________________________________________________KEY______________________________________________________________________________________
Figures I through VIII: These symbols represent security levels as relates to the Computer sub-skill Defeating Security. There is a twist, however; levels III through VIII also require a certain level of Mentalist PSA ability to access, as follows:
III (skill lvl 1)
IV (skill lvl 2)
V (skill lvl 3)
VI (skill lvl 4)
VII (skill lvl 5)
VIII (skill lvl 6)
Figures A through Z and One through Ten: Standard alpha-numeric symbols.
Figures X1 through X51: These are ideograms, which may have any one of three meanings. Context can only be determined with a successful telepathy skill check. The full range of translations are as follows-
X1: history, lineage, myth
X2: knowledge, secret, wisdom
X3: obedience, rebellion, surrender
X4: attack, conceal, retreat
X5: first, last, middle
X6: greatest, least, most
X7: exile, steal, transport
X8: dream, hallucination, memory
X9: armory, laboratory, library
X10: atom, element, molecule
X11: hour, minute, second
X12: day, week, year
X13: century, decade, millenium
X14: infrared, ultraviolet, x-ray
X15: density, shape, size
X16: awaken, delay, suspend
X17: death, life, rebirth
X18: beam, bolt, bomb
X19: assemble, design, disassemble
X20: hyper-void, null-void, void
X21: accelerate, decelerate, immobilize
X22: planet, sector, system
X23: light, hologram, sound
X24: deity, ruler, subject
X25: pain, pleasure, numbness
X26: anger, joy, sorrow
X27: confusion, courage, fear
X28: activate, deactivate, destruct
X29: engines, shields, weapons
X30: atmosphere, temperature, toxin
X31: decrease, equalize, increase
X32: contain, disintegrate, grapple
X33: space, thought, time
X34: hail, salute, warn
X35: cloak, record, scan
X36: devolve, evolve, splice
X37: fatigue, hunger, thirst
X38: smell, taste, touch
X39: animal, mineral, plant
X40: center, left, right
X41: gas, liquid, solid
X42: gravity, energy, magnetism
X43: evil, good, neutral
X44: dark matter, phase, quantum
X45: person, place, thing
X46: ally, enemy, spy
X47: color, opaque, transparent
X48: decrypt, encrypt, search
X49: coordinates, cypher, equation
X50: confirm, deceive, deny
X51: body, mind, spirit
-
Recklessfireball
- Ranger
- Posts: 507
- Joined: Sun Oct 07, 2012 2:46 am
Re: Campaign/Setting Information
PGC MOON BASE GAMMA NINER (G-9)
Moon Base G-9 is the PGC's center of operations in the Tetrarch System. Located on the the ninth moon orbiting the gas giant Arkhold, it is the largest, most expensive, and most technologically advanced investment in the mega-corps history.
A sprawling structure of gleaming dura-steel alloy, dug into a crater in the lunar regolith, the base houses over 5,000 PGC employees, including: two, 200 man corporate security battalions, 100 research scientists, 50 S.E.T. (Survey Exploration Teams) specialists, two dozen shuttle pilots and several thousand administrators, technicians, and base support personnel.
Base facilities are extensive, and feature a state of the art medical center, communications and surveillance systems, research labs, and a military grade defense screen and missile defense system, capable of repelling attacks from a fleet of capitol scale vessels. The most popular part of the base, however, is it's central promenade and employee mall; a large, open area featuring dozens of shops, restaurants, bars and arcades, where PGC personnel can relax and unwind when off duty.
Employees stroll through G-9's promenade mall...
In addition to the Corporate Security Battalions, Pan-Galactic has assigned a pair of Security Corvettes; the PGSS Mastiff and the PGSS Huntress, to protect it's interests in the system. One of these vessels is always in close orbit, above the station. The other patrols the system, constantly keeping a lookout for Streel privateers or pirate ships that might pose a threat to its assets.
Moon Base G-9 is the PGC's center of operations in the Tetrarch System. Located on the the ninth moon orbiting the gas giant Arkhold, it is the largest, most expensive, and most technologically advanced investment in the mega-corps history.
A sprawling structure of gleaming dura-steel alloy, dug into a crater in the lunar regolith, the base houses over 5,000 PGC employees, including: two, 200 man corporate security battalions, 100 research scientists, 50 S.E.T. (Survey Exploration Teams) specialists, two dozen shuttle pilots and several thousand administrators, technicians, and base support personnel.
Base facilities are extensive, and feature a state of the art medical center, communications and surveillance systems, research labs, and a military grade defense screen and missile defense system, capable of repelling attacks from a fleet of capitol scale vessels. The most popular part of the base, however, is it's central promenade and employee mall; a large, open area featuring dozens of shops, restaurants, bars and arcades, where PGC personnel can relax and unwind when off duty.
Employees stroll through G-9's promenade mall...
In addition to the Corporate Security Battalions, Pan-Galactic has assigned a pair of Security Corvettes; the PGSS Mastiff and the PGSS Huntress, to protect it's interests in the system. One of these vessels is always in close orbit, above the station. The other patrols the system, constantly keeping a lookout for Streel privateers or pirate ships that might pose a threat to its assets.
-
Recklessfireball
- Ranger
- Posts: 507
- Joined: Sun Oct 07, 2012 2:46 am
Re: Campaign/Setting Information
THE CH'VAX JUNGLES
Located in the central-west half of Isla Pan-Gal, the Ch'Vax jungles are dense, nearly impenetrable, tracts of steaming forest that sprawl for thousands of square kilometres in every direction. Seething with mega flora that towers hundreds and hundreds of feet into the air, the trees form a thick canopy which shrouds the tangled undergrowth below in a sort of perpetual gloom, illuminated only by the weird bioluminescence of the many alien plants and animals that dwell within.
These life forms are often both large and beautiful and, not infrequently, deadly. The super predators of the Ch'Vax are some of the most efficient on the surface of Ark 7. Any explorers venturing into this hostile environment are advised to go well armed and well supplied- and not to venture in alone. One PGC S.E.T. team, has already vanished in it's depths.
A small, but deadly arboreal predator of the Ch'Vax...
PGC has established a base camp in the jungle, some 80 kilometres from an abandoned Tetrarch city. From here, corporate survey teams will venture forth to explore the jungle and study the city up close, bringing back samples of plants, animals and alien artifacts for study in G-9's research laboratories.
Base Camp Alpha...
The base camp, itself, consists of four structures connected by suspension bridges, high in the trees above the ground. The camp has facilities to house some three dozen personnel, including an outpost commander, three communications officers, a twelve man security detachment, twelve S.E.T. specialists and eight Shank handlers, who train, feed and care for the ten Shanks that are kept in an enclosure beneath the trees, along the banks of the river that runs past the camp. These creatures are used as transportation through the jungle, as the undergrowth and terrain are not traversable with Explorers.
Located in the central-west half of Isla Pan-Gal, the Ch'Vax jungles are dense, nearly impenetrable, tracts of steaming forest that sprawl for thousands of square kilometres in every direction. Seething with mega flora that towers hundreds and hundreds of feet into the air, the trees form a thick canopy which shrouds the tangled undergrowth below in a sort of perpetual gloom, illuminated only by the weird bioluminescence of the many alien plants and animals that dwell within.
These life forms are often both large and beautiful and, not infrequently, deadly. The super predators of the Ch'Vax are some of the most efficient on the surface of Ark 7. Any explorers venturing into this hostile environment are advised to go well armed and well supplied- and not to venture in alone. One PGC S.E.T. team, has already vanished in it's depths.
A small, but deadly arboreal predator of the Ch'Vax...
PGC has established a base camp in the jungle, some 80 kilometres from an abandoned Tetrarch city. From here, corporate survey teams will venture forth to explore the jungle and study the city up close, bringing back samples of plants, animals and alien artifacts for study in G-9's research laboratories.
Base Camp Alpha...
The base camp, itself, consists of four structures connected by suspension bridges, high in the trees above the ground. The camp has facilities to house some three dozen personnel, including an outpost commander, three communications officers, a twelve man security detachment, twelve S.E.T. specialists and eight Shank handlers, who train, feed and care for the ten Shanks that are kept in an enclosure beneath the trees, along the banks of the river that runs past the camp. These creatures are used as transportation through the jungle, as the undergrowth and terrain are not traversable with Explorers.
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Recklessfireball
- Ranger
- Posts: 507
- Joined: Sun Oct 07, 2012 2:46 am
Re: Campaign/Setting Information
THE BAY OF HAKOSOAR
The surface of Ark 7 is covered in vast, briny seas that are home to a myriad of awe-inspiring forms of aquatic life. In the middle of the Bay of Hakosoar, the PGC has established Base Camp Beta; a floating, oceanic research platform that hosts some three dozen PGC science staff, naval engineers and S.E.T. team members.
The platform, itself, is a marvel of advanced engineering. Containing a miniature fusion reactor and propulsion unit, the station can move around the bay like a ship, and even has the ability to submerge to a safe depth, when the semi-frequent hurricanes of Ark 7 make it too dangerous to remain on the surface. A half dozen Seaspider class submersible vehicles are docked to the platform, about half of which are always out conducting research beneath the surface, studying the astonishing array of life which thrives there.
A deck plan of Base Camp Beta...
Of particular interest to the researchers, are a species of sentient cephalapods called the Scoona. The Scoona are a roughly stone-age culture, that fashions weapons and armor from the bones and shells of marine creatures and carves labyrinthine villages from the great coral reefs that line the bay. A hunting/gathering society, they feed on fish, mollusks and kelp, and occasionally fight skirmishes amongst themselves over the choicest hunting territory.
A Scoona hunter...
At the bottom of an impact crater, just across a great sea chasm, a long abandoned Tetrarch city lies on the floor of the bay. PGC is planning a S.E.T. expedition team to explore the city and uncover it's secrets. PGC hopes to establish friendly relations with the Scoona, to see what the species might know about the abandoned city and, perhaps, to enlist some of their people as a scouts and guides.
The surface of Ark 7 is covered in vast, briny seas that are home to a myriad of awe-inspiring forms of aquatic life. In the middle of the Bay of Hakosoar, the PGC has established Base Camp Beta; a floating, oceanic research platform that hosts some three dozen PGC science staff, naval engineers and S.E.T. team members.
The platform, itself, is a marvel of advanced engineering. Containing a miniature fusion reactor and propulsion unit, the station can move around the bay like a ship, and even has the ability to submerge to a safe depth, when the semi-frequent hurricanes of Ark 7 make it too dangerous to remain on the surface. A half dozen Seaspider class submersible vehicles are docked to the platform, about half of which are always out conducting research beneath the surface, studying the astonishing array of life which thrives there.
A deck plan of Base Camp Beta...
Of particular interest to the researchers, are a species of sentient cephalapods called the Scoona. The Scoona are a roughly stone-age culture, that fashions weapons and armor from the bones and shells of marine creatures and carves labyrinthine villages from the great coral reefs that line the bay. A hunting/gathering society, they feed on fish, mollusks and kelp, and occasionally fight skirmishes amongst themselves over the choicest hunting territory.
A Scoona hunter...
At the bottom of an impact crater, just across a great sea chasm, a long abandoned Tetrarch city lies on the floor of the bay. PGC is planning a S.E.T. expedition team to explore the city and uncover it's secrets. PGC hopes to establish friendly relations with the Scoona, to see what the species might know about the abandoned city and, perhaps, to enlist some of their people as a scouts and guides.
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Recklessfireball
- Ranger
- Posts: 507
- Joined: Sun Oct 07, 2012 2:46 am
Re: Campaign/Setting Information
THE DRUS BADLANDS
The bleak, desolate terrain of the Drus Badlands is some of the harshest on Isla Pan-Gals eastern landmass. Consisting of rough, central badlands with bizarre rock formations and plunging gorges, it is flanked by mountain ranges, ringed by kilometers of shifting dunes, and surrounded by huge expanses of salt flats and hard pan.
The deceptively lifeless looking terrain is host to a surprising variety of deadly plants and animals, which are hardy enough to survive in temperatures that exceed 130 degrees Fahrenheit, during the day, and drop well below freezing when the sun goes down at night. Water is scarce in this country, and those travelling through it had better either know how to find it, or else carry a large supply of their own.
A Sand Ripper; one of many dangerous predators of the badlands...
Directly in the center of this remote place, PGC has constructed Base Camp Cappa. A well defended desert outpost containing an environmentally controlled habitation unit, communications tower, and motor pool for it's fleet of four Desert Explorers, the base is surrounded by a defensive perimeter of guard towers and electrified fence. Such safeguards are prudent, as the many stealthy desert predators that hunt in the night, are drawn to the camps abundant supply of food and water.
Base Camp Cappa...
Despite it's inhospitable environment, two intelligent species dwell within the badlands; the Bru'Anshi and the Bru'Kai. The two species are morphologically similar, but culturally very different, and the more primitive of the two- the stone age Bru-Anshi- are believed to be an evolutionary offshoot of the other race- the Bru'Kai- who possess a roughly medieval level of technology.
A Bru'Anshi Seer...
... and a pair of Bru'Kai merchants inhaling whuffa fumes...
The Bru'Anshi are a peaceful but shy people that follow a nomadic lifestyle, wandering the southern deserts from oasis to oasis, and dwelling in small, scattered tribes that coexist, more or less peacefully. They have a more uncertain relationship with the capitalistic Bru'Kai merchant clans, who dwell in large mesa complexes in the northern badlands. The Bru'Kai regard the Bru'Anshi as an inferior culture, and are known to oppress and enslave them.
While the Bru'Anshi seem to have no interest in establishing diplomatic relations with the PGC, the Bru'Kai are quite eager to do so, and have openly expressed interest in trading for advanced corporate technology. PGC intends to exploit this interest, in order to enlist the Bru'Kais aid in exploring the large, abandoned Tetrarch city to the north of their mesa settlements.
The bleak, desolate terrain of the Drus Badlands is some of the harshest on Isla Pan-Gals eastern landmass. Consisting of rough, central badlands with bizarre rock formations and plunging gorges, it is flanked by mountain ranges, ringed by kilometers of shifting dunes, and surrounded by huge expanses of salt flats and hard pan.
The deceptively lifeless looking terrain is host to a surprising variety of deadly plants and animals, which are hardy enough to survive in temperatures that exceed 130 degrees Fahrenheit, during the day, and drop well below freezing when the sun goes down at night. Water is scarce in this country, and those travelling through it had better either know how to find it, or else carry a large supply of their own.
A Sand Ripper; one of many dangerous predators of the badlands...
Directly in the center of this remote place, PGC has constructed Base Camp Cappa. A well defended desert outpost containing an environmentally controlled habitation unit, communications tower, and motor pool for it's fleet of four Desert Explorers, the base is surrounded by a defensive perimeter of guard towers and electrified fence. Such safeguards are prudent, as the many stealthy desert predators that hunt in the night, are drawn to the camps abundant supply of food and water.
Base Camp Cappa...
Despite it's inhospitable environment, two intelligent species dwell within the badlands; the Bru'Anshi and the Bru'Kai. The two species are morphologically similar, but culturally very different, and the more primitive of the two- the stone age Bru-Anshi- are believed to be an evolutionary offshoot of the other race- the Bru'Kai- who possess a roughly medieval level of technology.
A Bru'Anshi Seer...
... and a pair of Bru'Kai merchants inhaling whuffa fumes...
The Bru'Anshi are a peaceful but shy people that follow a nomadic lifestyle, wandering the southern deserts from oasis to oasis, and dwelling in small, scattered tribes that coexist, more or less peacefully. They have a more uncertain relationship with the capitalistic Bru'Kai merchant clans, who dwell in large mesa complexes in the northern badlands. The Bru'Kai regard the Bru'Anshi as an inferior culture, and are known to oppress and enslave them.
While the Bru'Anshi seem to have no interest in establishing diplomatic relations with the PGC, the Bru'Kai are quite eager to do so, and have openly expressed interest in trading for advanced corporate technology. PGC intends to exploit this interest, in order to enlist the Bru'Kais aid in exploring the large, abandoned Tetrarch city to the north of their mesa settlements.
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Recklessfireball
- Ranger
- Posts: 507
- Joined: Sun Oct 07, 2012 2:46 am
Re: Campaign/Setting Information
THE ARCTURAN WASTES
To the far northeast of Isla Pan-Gal, lie the frozen tracts of the Arcturan Wastes. A frozen hell of rolling tundra, howling winds and stark, forbidding glaciers, the Wastes are the mirror image of the Drus Badlands to the south. While far fewer life forms exist in this wasteland, those that do are tough, hardy and exceedingly dangerous. The terrain is very nearly devoid of plant life, save for the beautiful, sparkling forests of Frostflower Trees, which grow around the shores of the great, geothermal lakes that dot the central tundra.
A forest of Frostflower trees...
Despite the relative scarcity of plant and animal life, one intelligent species does eke out an existence here; the apelike Jodok. The Jodok are stone age hunter-gatherers that roam the great Arcturan tundra, on the backs of grotesque, elephant-like creatures called Ungros. The Jodok are savage, fierce and imminently unpredictable. Attempts by PGC survey teams to establish contact have thus far proved unsuccessful and corporate negotiators have been attacked by the nomads, on at least one occasion.
A Jodok huntsman mounted on his Ungro...
In the shadow of a great glacier, beyond the central lakes and the Frostflower glades, lies an ancient, abandoned Tetrarch city, frozen in time, which PGC is understandably eager to explore. They have established an arctic outpost, Base Camp Delta, at the extreme southern end of the tundra, for this purpose. From here, teams of S.E.T. operatives will venture out in Snow Cats; Explorers modified to withstand the abuses of this sub-freezing environment. Given the weather and the remoteness of the base site, this is not one of the more popular assignments among PGC personnel.
Base Camp Delta...
To the far northeast of Isla Pan-Gal, lie the frozen tracts of the Arcturan Wastes. A frozen hell of rolling tundra, howling winds and stark, forbidding glaciers, the Wastes are the mirror image of the Drus Badlands to the south. While far fewer life forms exist in this wasteland, those that do are tough, hardy and exceedingly dangerous. The terrain is very nearly devoid of plant life, save for the beautiful, sparkling forests of Frostflower Trees, which grow around the shores of the great, geothermal lakes that dot the central tundra.
A forest of Frostflower trees...
Despite the relative scarcity of plant and animal life, one intelligent species does eke out an existence here; the apelike Jodok. The Jodok are stone age hunter-gatherers that roam the great Arcturan tundra, on the backs of grotesque, elephant-like creatures called Ungros. The Jodok are savage, fierce and imminently unpredictable. Attempts by PGC survey teams to establish contact have thus far proved unsuccessful and corporate negotiators have been attacked by the nomads, on at least one occasion.
A Jodok huntsman mounted on his Ungro...
In the shadow of a great glacier, beyond the central lakes and the Frostflower glades, lies an ancient, abandoned Tetrarch city, frozen in time, which PGC is understandably eager to explore. They have established an arctic outpost, Base Camp Delta, at the extreme southern end of the tundra, for this purpose. From here, teams of S.E.T. operatives will venture out in Snow Cats; Explorers modified to withstand the abuses of this sub-freezing environment. Given the weather and the remoteness of the base site, this is not one of the more popular assignments among PGC personnel.
Base Camp Delta...