The night closes around and the next day slowly approaches.
Nine months until we see the daylight again, whatever colour it may be, it cannot be soon enough for me. The dusk is politics, the world we've abandoned. The dawn is politics, the world we shall save, if we only had the wherewithal, the purpose clear, but we never seem to get things quite right. It's only around midnight when I can settle down and get work done, make some small advancement that may save a hundred or a million, all doomed to die before we return any way. A blink of the eye. And we are the lucky souls who can blink and see a generation pass, and see all those chances lost to us. Still I prefer the daylight.
We failed this time, and I'm sure they will speak of it for years, years of argument and debate, all to solve a problem that ceased to have any meaning only an hour ago. It's too late, we can't save them. They have the time, but we do not.
Meteors are funny things, they tend to be hardly noticeable in the grand design. But sometimes they are more, a message a touch in space. On Tiradi 4 they were the harbingers of destruction. A collision on a sister world, alien and uninhabitable, millennia ago was all it took. A sliver of that hostility began to take root, and the colony will die.
Ultimately it was just an analog of algae, but one whose chemistry for the most part ignored ours. But not quite enough, and now the women of Tiradi 4 cannot bear children who can out live the year.
And we failed them. We should have been able to save them, or at least move them somewhere safe, but we lacked the desire, the drive to save a generation who would be buried on our return.
Someday politics will be all we have left, and then we may finally regret our inaction, our stance of superiority. But by then it will be too late.
--From the Journal of Dr. Hedsi Baker
Traveling between the stars brings this to the fore. A journey may take but a few years to the traveler, but two centuries may pass until returning. It is a hard road, but it is the only one that leads to the stars.
Almost a millennia after humanity left their home, giant ships navigate the void between systems. Huge and powerful, even the most peaceful capable of annihilating life on a planet, these ships have become the gods of the colony worlds. Passing through their traditional routes bringing new technology and occasionally colonists, take with them new ideas and talented individuals, their arrival is a sudden and rare change to the colonists. And the ship's masters? They look out upon their protectorates knowing full well that the man they drink with tonight is the great grandson of their last drinking partner on this world. It is a difficult life, in ways different from the colonists. But it is necessary for humanity to keep what it has taken.
The worlds beyond earth have a dual threat. They are places of alien natures,
biologies incompatible with humanity, some downright hostile. In the midst
of this the colonists fight a never ending war, solving the problems of
living on a new world one at a time, a endless stream of specialized innovation
and cultural development. The ships pass through the empty and not so empty
void between stars, bringing authority, news, and advancement to the worlds
they serve. Ultimately it is time that is the greatest barrier, as each
world and each ship performs is necessary function they drift apart, their
cultures as alien as their lives, and they risk losing sight of the one
thing that holds them together, their humanity.
Aspiration: Chaos - The structure of the world requires shaking, in the very least to prevent stagnation. Pure energetic action and disorder provide the fertile ground for life at it's best.
Aspiration: Exploration - The journey to find new worlds, both metaphorically and in reality is the fundamental drive. To deny it is to stagnate and die.
Aspiration: Knowledge - The advancement of humanity is defined most directly by the body of knowledge that has been accumulated. Without this we would be nothing more than animals.
Aspiration: Peace - The path of war has held humanity back for millennia. Only a concerted effort and unending vigilance can allow us to overcome this base urge and become truly masters of ourselves.
Aspiration: Purity - Things, including people, must attain a state of true being. It is the reason for existence, without that we would be purposeless. What matters is working towards this perfection in ourselves and those around us.
Aspiration: Stability - The first necessity in life is to stabilize your environment. Without stability life consists of merely surviving and nothing truly worthwhile can be accomplished.
The Great Wheel - All things return in time, and balance is restored. Living in balance and setting things right that are imbalanced helps to guide the world in the correct path.
My Country, Right or Wrong - The first and most basic loyalty is to your nation, whether chosen or by birth. You may work to change policies you disapprove of, but it is your responsibility to support the results, regardless of your agreement. To do otherwise would invalidate the entire process.
Law and Order - Society exists because of the rules that must be obeyed. Following those rules provides the necessary structure for humans to grow beyond their humble beginnings.
Natural Law - The laws of nature predate humanity. Without them we could not exist. To forget them and try to change them is the ultimate folly.
Sin: Anger - To be clouded in judgment and to show anger to another human is to insult the rise above the beasts. Humanity is beyond such unconsidered action. Violence carries a determined nature and it is with determination that is should be performed.
Sin: Dishonesty - To tell a lie is to put at risk to world in which all people must live. The world is harsh enough, without trust all would be for naught.
Sin: Hubris - Pride is a violation of the natural order, it ignores the truth worth of the world and yourself. One's place is not to stand in defiance to the rest of the world, but to work within it.
Sin: Love - Romance leads to pain, and placing one's desires above the needs of your society will cause nothing but heartache. Learn to live, not to love.
Sin: Lust - Reckless carnality is wasteful, regardless of the target of the desires, giving in to them causes the people around you to suffer, and likely yourself when you return to your sense. Keep those desires firmly in check, or you will regret it in the long run.
Sin: Self-Denial - To deny one's self is to open the door to self destruction. You must live, and experience the world, in all it's grandeur and villainy.
Virtue: Beauty - Aesthetics define what is good and what is evil. Beauty in it's truest form is what makes life worth living.
Virtue: Freedom - To be one's own master is the greatest gift, and the greatest responsibility. Striving for better world, freeing others, and living your own life for yourself, these are the central tenets of freedom.
Virtue: Friendship - Friends are those to whom you owe the greatest debt. A true friend is your rock, a place of stability and one must be protected against all threats.
Virtue: Hope - When the world turns darkest, it is time to shine through. Hope is a great power and it can guide you through the most horrible events.
Virtue: Instinct - The purest expression of survival is instinct. Acting without thought to cloud what needs to be done. It is the last best hope when danger comes calling.
Virtue: Justice - The world must be maintained in a set of balances. When actions remove harm the innocent, it is the responsibility of the just to alleviate the situation.
Virtue: Love - Romantic emotions are the pinnacle of human experience. They define what is good and bad in our lives and give us purpose in the face of despair.
Virtue: Reason - The fundamental human experience is to think. To forget the power of reason and ignore the abilities of careful consideration is to become less than human, less than what we should all aspire.
Virtue: Sincerity - Perception of dishonesty is a break down in the ability to interact in a real society. Truth is less important than the social obligation of being of one face.
Virtue: Strength - Strength defines status and weakness is a loss of that status. To show strength is good, to be truly strong and self-reliant is even better.
Virtue: Unity - Discord brings pain and destruction. By cultivating a unified purpose among people around you, you aid them as well as yourself. When disunity arises disaster is at it's heels.
Virtue: Wealth - True worth is based on your ability to acquire
material wealth. It is the ultimate game, and victory in it implies a true
master of the world.
As Above, So Below - The world contains few patterns when you know how to relate similar phenomena across different scales. Technologies: Particles, Astrogation, Psychology
Complexity Theory - Simple systems permit surprising complexity and the emergent features they produce are the true source of the variety of systems in the world. Technology: Computation, Genetic Pathology, Developmental Psychology
Equal and Opposite - The world works with a constant dynamism of forces, each creating equilibrium with their opposition. Technologies: Drive Systems, Trajectories, Interrogation
In a Long Enough Time Span - Patience allows meaningless data to take on a more structured form, as the irregularities pass away, only the true nature of the system remains. Technologies: Subtle Genengineering, Astrogation, Experimental Sociology
Latent Expression - Systems are often best defined by the hidden features, the ones which appear only in unusual circumstances. Technologies : Military Psychology, Developmental Genetics, Quantum Engineering
Linguistic Evolution - The growth of language stems from deep neurological structures. By deciphering this a fuller understanding of thought processes is possible. Technologies: Linguistics, Memetics, Neurobiology.
More Power - Any problem can be solved with the sufficient application of force. The hard part lies in delivery. Technologies: Weaponry, Power Systems, Conditioning
Occum's Razor - Simplicity is often a key indication of the most correct theory. Technologies: Macrobiology, Orbital Mechanics, Data Analysis
The Part is Not the Whole - Only by distinguishing phenomena can the subtle features that make a theory complete be revealed. Technologies: Artificial Intelligence, Xenobiology, Economics
Principle: Comprehension - That which cannot be made accessible, is not truly understood. Technologies: Cybernetics, Interface Design, Corrective Psychology
Principle: Probability - A deep understanding of probability, especially in it's less standard forms, is the foundation for explaining phenomena. Technologies: Quantum Theory, Education, Mutation Theory
Principle: Unification - The goal of unification reveals deep structure other attempts at investigation often miss. Technologies: Theoretical Physics, Political Theory, Quantum Chemistry
Turtles All the Way - The structures of the universe are in a never ending pattern, deciphering each new stage depends out reinterpreting the previous stages. Technologies: Particle Physics, Investigative Genetics, Psychotherapy
The Wheel Turns - Cycles are found everywhere in nature. By finding
these vital patterns the fundamental forces can be deciphered. Technologies:
Electromagnetics, Medicine, History
Creative - The flavor of construction, whether it be a new device or a relationship, the creative flavor makes new things and changes the nature of existing things, people, and places. This approach requires significant change, not merely adjustment.
Deceptive - The flavor of subterfuge and deceit, whether stealthing a fighter craft or lying to your superior. This flavor deals with the building of layers, adding complexity to any interaction, whether from obscuring the truth, to securing a computer system.
Destructive - The flavor of weakness and endings, from armor piercing projectiles to undermining the leadership of a commander. This flavor tears things down, exploiting weaknesses and undermining strengths.
Direct - The flavor of force, whether intimidation or weaponry. This flavor seeks the shortest and most potent route, it uses all that is available, and gains strength from it's unreserved nature.
Informative - The flavor of explanation, this flavor permits understanding and relation of information. It develops communication and interfaces which permit information and comprehension to be acquired.
Resistive - The flavor of protection and firmness, it ranges from defensive technologies to resisting torture. This flavor seeks to maintain the current state, preventing all change.
Restoring - The flavor of healing and repair, it permits the return to functionality and original states. This flavor seeks subtle change, with the purpose of undoing damage and wear.
Revealing - The flavor of perception and investigation, it delves
through layers, searching for both the unknown and the hidden. This flavor
includes interrogation , sensors, and the full range of detection techniques.
1) Choose Ship Type:
Military - This ship's primary mission is to defend the holdings on it's circuit, often this is a complex task, relying on training locals and setting up defensive and offensive technologies. A military ship can easily gain control of a system upon entry, the difficulty lies in maintaining that dominance after the ship has left.
Political - This ship is a traveling embassy and diplomatic station, it attempts to forge alliances and keep a general political structure over it's circuit. There are a variety of different goals for these ships, as they have all grown from a government organization of one sort or other.
Scientific - This ship is a mobile research laboratory, it distributes it's discoveries to the world's on it's circuit and acquires any advances left by other ships. Each of these ships originally had a specialty, but the demands of time and their circuits have caused them to broaden their fields of study.
2) Choose Ship Truths:
A ship's culture is complex and has grown slowly based on interaction with their circuit worlds and the requirements of long term space travel. Select seven Truths to determine the cultural features of the ship. These will be the consistently available truths for later in the game, often characters will acquire one or more of them over time.
3) Choose Ship Insights:
A ship's scientific and technological development tends to be along standard lines, which is the reason that new recruits are so desired. Select five Insights to reflect the technological thinking of the ship's crew. These entrenched ideas of the ship's technologists provide a baseline for intellectual approaches. From here a character may be considered traditionalist, or a radical. Often over time these insights will be acquired by characters, as they slowly conform to the intellectual standards of the ship.
4) Choose Technology Bases:
Over time the fundamental technologies available to each ship have changed. Often one base is as good as another, but a given ship has developed the related technology further. Choose three short phrases to describe the technology of the ship. These should be worked into the way that characters on the ship use their insights.
5) Choose Ship Name:
This can be anything, but the players will probably all want to agree on
it.
1) Describe Character:
A character should have a name, and a fairly well defined physical description. Some of the description should be left for the game, but it's a good idea to have major aspects in mind before hand.
2) Truths and Insights:
A character has five total Truths and Insights, at least one of each. They can be chosen from the main lists above. If a character is going to be native (see Step 4) to the ship, all but one of these must be from the Ship's lists.
3) Flavors:
Select one Flavor for each Truth and Insight. Write these next to the Truth or Insight, leaving room for more Flavors later.
4) Select a Homeworld:
Ideally all characters will be from a different homeworld. Although native born characters are possible, it's less likely, since most crew members retire to a circuit world before raising a family. It is also possible for multiple characters to be from the same homeworld, but most ship leaders avoid placing too many individuals from the same homeworld into a team.
5) Select Role:
Once the character has been created, it is time to select the character's
role in the team, with the rest of the characters. Often this phase of the
process should be done with the rest of the players, to help fit all the
characters together. The best way to think about roles, is to determine what
unique element this character brings to the team, whether it be due to Truths,
Insights, or a predominance of a given type of Flavor. Don't worry too much
about fitting a character to the role, characters will change and develop
over time, so that they will further suit their developing role in the group.
Each world should possess seven Truths, including the truths of any characters from that world. The travel time between each consecutive system can be anywhere from one month to a year. (This can be randomly determined by rolling a d12.) The order of the circuit should be determined, including where any systems in addition to the player character systems will be located. (This can be done by going around the table, adding the homeworld of each player, flipping a coin to decide if an additional system is between that homeworld and the next.)
Every circuit the GM should change one or more of the Truths of the world,
as it slowly changes over the decades. The exact time dilation between
the ship and it's circuit can vary considerably. Any where from one to
six months on the ship can be equal to a year on it's circuit. This is
a fairly important choice, as it will determine the pace of change the
game encounters. A default would be two months equals a year.
| Difficulty | Value to roll equal or greater |
| Unskilled | 3 |
| Simple | 5 |
| Skilled | 7 |
| Difficult | 9 |
| Complex | 11 |
| Excruciating | 13 |
| Nigh Impossible | 15 |
The dice rolled are determined by the presence of an appropriate Insight
or Truth, and any flavors which match the task:
| Level | Dice Rolled | Opposed Difficulty |
| Unfocused | 1d4+ | 3 |
| Focused (appropriate Truth or Insight) | 1d8+ | 7 |
| Flavored | 1d10+ | 9 |
| Double (or more) Flavored | 1d12+ | 11 |
The opposed difficulty is the difficulty of trying to affect a person defending with the appropriate Insights, Truths, and Flavors. For tasks that naturally affect multiple individuals, use the maximum opposed difficulty.
Each roll has a quality value, this is defaulted at one and for every four
above the difficulty the roll makes, the quality is increased by one.
For Example: Dr. Vinteras is attempting to solve a complex linguistic problem, an Excruciating task. He has no truly applicable Truths or Insights, so is attempting to roll a 1d4+ equal or above 13. He rolls a 3, and spends an Impetus to roll once more. This rolls a 4. So he re-rolls it, getting a 2. Thus the total is 3 + 4 + 2 = 9. That's pretty good, but not good enough, so he spends one more Impetus on the task. With this he rolls a 3. Added to his previous total, this gives 9 + 3 = 12, just one too short. Deciding it's worth three Impetus, he spends a third point, and rolls a 4 and a then re-rolls to get a 3. This makes his final total, 12 + 4 + 3 = 19, more than enough to succeed. He then places three Impetus underneath the Undesignated Insight section, since this was more of a technological situation.
For Example: Dr. Heshod is attempting to get some samples from a group
of colonists. She has the Truth, Virtue: Unity, but the Flavor, revealing,
isn't particularly appropriate. The difficulty is also Excruciating, due
to the suspicious nature of the colonists. She is rolling a 1d8+ to get a
13 or higher. She rolls a 7, which fails to convince the colonists, so she
spends a point of Impetus to reflect her effort and will on this matter.
She rolls a 4, which is still insufficient, giving her a total of 7 + 4 =
11. So she spends one more Impetus, hoping that this will clinch the task
for her. She rolls a 6. Her total, 11 + 6 = 17, is more than enough to succeed.
Since she spent two Impetus on the task, she adds two Impetus to her Truth,
Virtue: Unity.
Impetus on Truths or Insights may be expended in the following ways, at any time:
The replacement occurs using the following rules:
If there is any concern about whose action occurs first, characters with
more Impetus can act before characters with less Impetus. If there is a
tie, determine the results randomly.
U.N.S.C. Chimera - Military Ship
Truths:
Aspiration: Stability
Law and Order
My Country, Right or Wrong
Sin: Anger
Sin: Dishonesty
Virtue: Friendship
Virtue: Strength
Insights:
As Above, So Below
Equal and Opposite
More Power
Principle: Unification
The Wheel Turns
Tech Bases:
"Organically grown metal"
"Extremely powerful magnetic fields"
"Entropy detectors"
Description:
The Chimera was originally commissioned as a Peace Keeping ship by the
old Earth U.N. It's primary job was to prevent the dominance of any one
colonial power. Eventually it's mission mutated to being concerned with
stability and keeping the colonists from becoming too violent to other colonies
in system. Also the Chimera has developed a strong sense of brotherhood amongst
the ground units employed, while officially lower ranked they still manage
to have significant sway over the more divided naval hierarchy due to this
cooperation.
Missions:
War games - The only way to keep readiness is to practice, practice,
practice. On the other hand, when that practice is on an barely explored
world, it's hardly going to be just a game.
Mutiny! - Some naval officers have decided to make their move
and take over the ship's control room. They intend to become the new commanders,
but is your team willing to stand by and let that happen? Or maybe they
want to help?
Carnibus - Three World System
A single-star system, with two habitable worlds, as well as a mining
colony in the far asteroid belt. Due to the metal poor natures of both
Carnibus 4 and Carnibus 5, the mining colony, Minerva's Tear, is vital to
both worlds. Internal strife between the two terrestrial colonies, however,
tends to dominate the system.
Missions:
Message of Peace - As the only truly neutral faction in the conflict
between the two planets, the ship has been asked to carry an envoy from
Carnibus 5 to their sister planet. This may be a chance to forge peace in
this system. Or it may be yet another failure for diplomacy.
Harbinger of War - The arrival of your ship included some new
technical data, helping to improve the mining facilities of Minerva's Tear.
Unfortunately that technology has also permitted the development of a new
weapon system. Now the governments of both planets are going to try to
get a hold of it before the other side does. It seems peace will soon be
a distant memory.
Worlds:
Carnibus 4 - Planetary Colony
Truths:
Sin: Anger
Sin: Lust
Virtue: Beauty
Virtue: Friendship
Virtue: Sincerity
Virtue: Unity
Virtue: Wealth
Description:
A highly developed society, centered on family status dominates this
green world. Well terraformed this once lifeless world has been made to
grow many conventional plants and animals. Only minimal tweaking has been
required to handle lower trace metals, and an increase in surface temperature.
The standard climate of Carnibus 4 is tropical, with little seasonal variation.
Missions:
Take me to your leader - The previous family your ship has dealt
with has apparently been killed by parties unknown, causing a subtle version
of a civil war. Unfortunately to do your job, you need to find the new leaders.
And if you can't find them, you might just have to make them.
Blight season - With all the moisture Carnibus 4 is ripe for a
crop blight, and nature has decided to oblige. While there's enough variety
to keep much of the colony alive, several regions could be hard enough hit
to cause mass starvation. Fortunately your ship is here to the rescue.
Carnibus 5 - Planetary Colony
Truths:
Aspiration: Stability
Law and Order
Natural Law
Sin: Dishonesty
Sin: Lust
Virtue: Reason
Virtue: Unity
Description:
A sparsely populated but heavily regimented society, Carnibus 5 has a
colder, harsher environment, with significant seasonal shifts. It slightly
eccentric orbit has required greater tolerance of cold and darkness to be
provided to the main crops grown here, as well as the colonists. Notably Carnibus
5 has a strong, state enforced, education system. As a result it manages
to be run as a fairly direct representative republic.
Missions:
Library Blues - In updating the Carnibus 5 educational library,
your team has uncovered several significant inconsistencies, especially
pertaining to the early colonization of the system. Is this an honest error?
Or is something sinister being hidden?
Voted in a Flash - Due to the technologic arrangements Carnibus
5 has each representative elected over short period of time, and all at
different intervals and times based on the region. As a result the person
in charge yesterday might be back on her farm today. And someone who you
insulted in the bar yesterday may be the next person voted in. Politics
can be a funny thing.
Minerva's Tear - Mining Colony
Truths:
Aspiration: Exploration
The Great Wheel
Sin: Hubris
Sin: Self-Denial
Virtue: Friendship
Virtue: Freedom
Virtue: Wealth
Description:
More risky than many mining colonies due to the out-dated equipment,
the miners of Minerva's Tear are aware of the risks, and face them gladly.
The colony is run by a council of four mining corporations, which branched
off various interstellar interests centuries ago. The companies are hereditary,
with the key offices passing to either familial heirs, or chosen successors.
This has managed to keep things somewhat stable, and the corporations for
the most part cooperate in doing business.
Missions:
Corporate Skirmish - Due to more advanced detection technology
your ship has ascertained a previously unimportant asteroid contains a significant
vein of gold. Rarer than usual in this system, and much needed for certain
electronics still in use, this discovery will certainly excite all the
corporations, perhaps a little too much.
S.O.S. - Your team has encountered a mining ship broadcasting
a distress signal. Upon investigation the ship seems empty. Did the crew
escape? Who set the signal? Could this be a sign of piracy in the belt?