Random Interstellar Empires/Star Kingdoms

Dimension Books & nothing but..

Moderators: Immortals, Supreme Beings, Old Ones

User avatar
taalismn
Priest
Posts: 47909
Joined: Tue Sep 02, 2003 8:19 pm
Location: Somewhere between Heaven, Hell, and New England

Re: Random Interstellar Empires/Star Kingdoms

Unread post by taalismn »

Princedarkstorm wrote:I will work on it when I can my friend



Always happy to see additions to the Galactic Gazetteer, the greater cosmic body of knowledge for the Megaversal traveler. :D
-------------
"Trouble rather the Tiger in his Lair,
Than the Sage among his Books,
For all the Empires and Kingdoms,
The Armies and Works that you hold Dear,
Are to him but the Playthings of the Moment,
To be turned over with the Flick of a Finger,
And the Turning of a Page"

--------Rudyard Kipling
------------
User avatar
taalismn
Priest
Posts: 47909
Joined: Tue Sep 02, 2003 8:19 pm
Location: Somewhere between Heaven, Hell, and New England

Re: Random Interstellar Empires/Star Kingdoms

Unread post by taalismn »

Orlanoc Republic (Anvil Galaxy)
“Want a few gross of never-been-taken-from-the-packaging laser rifles? A hovertank? Or a destroyer? Or maybe you’d like a government-grade administrative mainframe or dozen? How about genuine monogrammed Visarchy flatware, fit for a duke or duchess? You’re be AMAZED at what you get shopping the Orlan markets.”

The Orlanoc Republic(sometimes called the Orlan Second Republic) is a sub-state of the United Worlds of Warlock. It is mainly known for its financial woes and its frequent changes of administration.
The Orlanoc Republic has had its ups and downs. The Orlanic First Republic unified the Cluster’s planets and governments in a stable union for nearly three hundred years before rampant political corruption led to a popular senator and aristocrat, Count Tumoz, to lead a coup and declare himself ‘The Great Decider’, promising to cut out the wasteful and annoying sloth and pocket-lining that hamstrung the First Republic.
The Visarchy had a thirty year span of happy, flamboyant, spectacle that virtually emptied the Orlanoc state coffers, and nearly bankrupted the government, before a second quiet coup of populists politely bounced Tumoz II(Emperor Tumoz’s son and successor) out on his rump(and into a comfortable exile in the Paradise Federation). The Second Republic had to enact austerity measures, including selling off much of its spanking new or hardly-used military hardware, some of the largest examples of which wound up in the hands of other star nations, such as the Cisen-Adeta Republic. The Orlanoc Republic is STILL auctioning off lots of hardly-used equipment to try to recoup its losses, though some in the Republic wonder if they shouldn’t mothball at least SOME of the stuff against future need, arguing that the current fire-sale policies are as nonsensical as the buying splurge that acquired all the stuff in the first place.
A. Size
Large; 17 worlds, but only 6 are habitable life-worlds

B. History
Splinter State of the United Worlds of Warlock, but it’s arguably been re-absorbed into the UWW.

C. Level of Technological Sophistication
Advanced Space Age, but much of the better stuff was imported from other sources.

D. General Attitude/Culture
Enlightened Imperialists, but any ambitions have had to take a backseat for now to fiscal realities.

E. Racial Composition
Human

F. Government
Oligarchy, but with a democratically-elected ‘financial oversight committee’(known to the oligarchs as the ‘chopper squad’ for their austerity cuts).

G. Administrative Control
Restrictive; law and order, as well as government oversight, are serious business in the Second Republic, to the point that some people are publically mourning for the looser days of the Visarchy, and even the First Republic.

H. External Trade
Luxury Goods---Individual Orlanacs still like to live high on the hog, so they buy a lot of luxury items, even as their government is selling off luxury items produced for the enjoyment of the previous administration
H1. Commodities
Exports: Agricultural products(grains), military hardware(second-hand, mainly Naruni equipment---Naruni is not exactly pleased that the Orlans paid off their debt to NE by selling off the Naruni gear they bought in the first place, but there’s not much they can do about it).
Imports: Medical drugs; one of the Visarchy’s few good moves was a universal health care program that gives top-rate care to every Orlanac citizen. The downside is, currently the demands of the program outstrip the local ability to produce the necessary medications, so they buy in bulk from abroad.

I. Status
Stable; the Orlans have been skirting on the edge of being fully independent for centuries, but their frequent economic woes keep them close to the UWW and their financial support. Despite the declarations of the Second Republic of a ‘fresh start’, the fact of the matter is that the Orlanoc state now operates more like a state or province of the UWW than an independent star-nation.
-------------
"Trouble rather the Tiger in his Lair,
Than the Sage among his Books,
For all the Empires and Kingdoms,
The Armies and Works that you hold Dear,
Are to him but the Playthings of the Moment,
To be turned over with the Flick of a Finger,
And the Turning of a Page"

--------Rudyard Kipling
------------
User avatar
taalismn
Priest
Posts: 47909
Joined: Tue Sep 02, 2003 8:19 pm
Location: Somewhere between Heaven, Hell, and New England

Re: Random Interstellar Empires/Star Kingdoms

Unread post by taalismn »

T’ghari Domain and the Brualli Alignment(Anvil Galaxy)
“It’s a free-fire zone between two nations that really aren’t all that different from one another. Whether that’s cause for hope that they’ll find some common ground to make peace on, or despair that the only commonality they’ll ever find is their mutual hatred for one another, is so up in the air right now.”

Both T’ghari and Brualli space were, until twenty years ago, part of the Golgan Republik. Political apathy, growing native unrest, and the need to shift Argosy assets to deal with more serious threats, forced the Republik to withdraw from the sector, leaving the locals on their own. Almost immediately, the T’gheri and the Brualli declared independence, began arming themselves, and started making blatant territory grabs of surrounding former Republik space, especially any worlds their neighbor star nation owned or coveted. The two nations have long had a competitive grudge against the other, and this has flared into open warfare. The nasty little rim-war that’s resulted has led to an increasing outflow of refugees from BOTH nations, a cessation of trade in the sector, rampant piracy and privateering, and regional instability. Sadly, deteriorating social cohesion in both kingdoms has led to an escalating cycle of violence, impeding any efforts to throttle back the intensity and attempt negotiations.
A. Size
(T’ghari Domain ) 5 systems
(Brualli Alignment) 3 systems

B. History
(T’ghari Domain )Newcomers---The T’ghari claim they evolved on their homeworld of T’ghara.
(Brualli Alignment) Splinter---The Brualli claim descent from a Splugorth-destroyed system somewhere on the edges of UWW space.

C. Level of Technological Sophistication
(T’ghari Domain ) Mature Space Age, but still a generation or two behind the Golgans.
(Brualli Alignment) Mature Space Age, but still a generation or two behind the Golgans.

D. General Attitude/Culture
(T’ghari Domain ) Enlightened Imperialists, but have grown less ‘enlightened’ and more ‘imperialist’ in the last decades.
(Brualli Alignment) Warrior Society, with an increasingly belligerent outlook.

E. Racial Composition
(T’ghari Domain ) Variant(Human) ---Distinguished by coal-black skin.
(Brualli Alignment)Variant(Human)---Distinguished by greenish-cast skin.

F. Government
(T’ghari Domain )Gerontocacy---T’ghari law only allows government officials to be of ages of no less 50 years old, and no older than 70, when they feel a person is at their wisest. The Brualli have called this ‘menopause administration’.
(Brualli Alignment) Militacracy---The military, and only military personnel, may hold political office in the Alignment. The T’ghari have called this ‘fascism’.

G. Administrative Control
(T’ghari Domain ) Loose, with a lot of mild individual re-interpretation of the law by field commanders and governors. This has led to a lot of ‘personal initiative’ and ‘plausible denial’ actions in the war.
(Brualli Alignment) Once was Strict, but now Nearly Nonexistent as individual military commanders and governors pursue their own glory-based agendas.

H. External Trade----Under the Golgans, both star nations enjoyed access to a galactic trade network. However, the war has effectively axed external trade.
(T’ghari Domain ) Military---Even before the war, the T’ghari were exporting weaponry(mainly Golgan knockoffs), especially(so the Brualli claim) to systems bordering the Brualli Alignment.
(Brualli Alignment) Military---Before the war, even under the Golgan dominion, Brualli soldiers often went on ‘walkabout’, serving as mercenaries in various wars elsewhere, when the Golgans wouldn’t permit their more martial traditions to be openly conducted at home.

H1. Commodities---As with External Trade, the following must be regarded as pre-Golgan Withdrawal, as the current war has curtailed trade in all but the essentials. A small amount of external trade still continues in an attempt to shore up the downward-spiraling economies, but the volume of traffic in such goods is inconsequential.
Exports:
(T’ghari Domain ) Agriculture---Vegetables and grains. The T’ghari once boasted breadbasket-status among the local star nations, and they still manage to export some basic foodstuffs, but the war has curtailed exports to a dribble of what they once were.
(Brualli Alignment) Spacercraft---The Golgans developed Brualli industry to produce spacecraft for them, which has served the Alignment in good stead in its war. However, production of outside sale has shrivelled up, as the military claims most available vessels, and only obselete and decrepit vessels are available for sale to outsiders.
Imports:
(T’ghari Domain ) Agriculture---Vegetables and grains. Rampant destruction, courtesy of Brualli sabotage, of the once robust T’ghari agricultural system has led to an increasing demand for imported foodstuffs just to feed the T’ghari citizenry.
(Brualli Alignment) Weapons---Infantry weaponry. T’ghari attacks on the Brualli industrial infrastructure have led to the Alignment having to look abroad for sources of advanced infantry weaponry. This has brought, most notably, both Naruni Enterprises and Hartigal Combine sniffing around looking for a piece of the action.

I. Status
(Both) Imperiled; less than twenty years after declaring independence and rapidly expanding, the T’ghari Domain is facing the very real threat of collapse due to attrition from the increasingly brutal war with the Alignment. Destruction of resources on the war front, rampant inflation at home, and material shortages are putting considerable strain on the Domain’s infrastructure and society. Already, various outside predators are circling, and piracy is on the upswing in the sector. A resurgent Golgan Republik has also been eying the region, looking to take back some of the worlds, either seeking succor from the war, or unable to defend themselves from a returning Republik. The only saving grace is that the Brualli Alignment is in similar straits, suffering exactly the same problems.
-------------
"Trouble rather the Tiger in his Lair,
Than the Sage among his Books,
For all the Empires and Kingdoms,
The Armies and Works that you hold Dear,
Are to him but the Playthings of the Moment,
To be turned over with the Flick of a Finger,
And the Turning of a Page"

--------Rudyard Kipling
------------
User avatar
taalismn
Priest
Posts: 47909
Joined: Tue Sep 02, 2003 8:19 pm
Location: Somewhere between Heaven, Hell, and New England

Re: Random Interstellar Empires/Star Kingdoms

Unread post by taalismn »

The People’s Imperial Democratic Alliance
“The PIDA are a sad chapter in the history of Human interaction with the rest of the Three Galaxies. It’s easy to pity the misbegotten PIDAns for their attitudes and despotic government, but it’s unwise to assume they’re harmless. The PIDAns can turn sick-desperate-ugly in a blink of an eye if they think they have nothing to lose and everything to gain by going on the offensive.”

The People’s Imperial Democratic Alliance is a small human-dominated star nation on the edges of Human Alliance space, occupying the region known as the Ellison Expanse. The original settlers of the PIDA systems fled the HA when it became apparent that the Human Alliance was buying into the whole cooperative Consortium thing that would become the CCW. Even more human-centric, manifest destiny-driven, and xenophobic than the most conservative HA diehards, the secessionists left the ‘corrupt’ Alliance to make their own fortunes and pursue their own policies with regards to dealing with non-humans, under the direction of their movement’s founder, General Cameron ‘The Scragger’ Cragger(a once highly respected, but increasingly xenophobic, IHA warhawk who became known for his draconic discipline of the ranks, and his increasingly eccentric religious views). They settled in the distant Ellison Expanse, colonizing a world they promptly and bombastically named ‘True Terra’, and set about working to ‘show how Humans do things!’
The ‘True Terrans’ promptly proceeded to collapse into self-imposed tyranny; the Peoples’ Imperial Democratic Alliance(said with all honesty and no acknowledgement of the obvious oxymoron) emerged; a military-industrial authoritarian regime that mandates permanent martial law, mandatory universal military conscription, and meritocratic privilege based on military seniority. The PIDA has declared war against just about everybody that annoys them, stands in their way, or just looks at them wrong. They’ve launched a series of campaigns against their stellar neighbors, and driven at least three local races from their worlds, and are at war with two more.
The PIDA is currently considered to be a Troubled Nation, avoided by most other star nations, and the CCW is taking a wait-and-see position, waiting for the PIDA to implode on its own. There have been some internal initiatives, launched by particularly bright or ambitious PIDA officials, to upgrade their technology base on the sly, but the results of such programs almost inevitably end up being taken over by senior government officials for their personal use.
A. Size
Small; 5 systems. Three are former alien colony-worlds that were conquered by the PIDA.
True Terra, the capitol world, is both heavily fortfied and heavily polluted, due to its extensive (and inefficient) industrialization.
B. History
Splinter of the Human Alliance
C. Level of Technological Sophistication
Advanced Space Age---The PIDA is at the lower end of this.
D. General Attitude/Culture
Would LIKE to be considered a Warrior Society, but are really Xenophobic Racial Supremacists
E. Racial Composition
100% Human(and damned proud of it!)
F. Government
Militocracy, and effectively a fascist state. General Cragger vehemently distrusted ‘meddling civie lawyer-pimps’ and anybody who hadn’t ‘done a tour’ in uniform. Just about EVERYBODY is enrolled or employed by the military ad expected to follow military-style discipline.
G. Administrative Control
Draconian; political commissars roam about at will, and citizen-soldiers are expected to report any infractions of the laws by themselves and others.
H. External Trade
The PIDA would like to claim that they don’t need anybody else, but the truth is, they conduct small amounts of trade through closely-monitored ‘checkpoint charlie’ ports and stations, and only with other humans. The main trade is in raw materials.
H1. Commodities
Exports: Weapons; PIDA is a major source of cheap, fairly low-tech, common-domain technology weaponry(the equivalent of AKs and RPGs) that show up in the hands of other small star-nations, and criminal organizations.
Imports: Spacecraft; the PIDA of late has been trying to buy state of the art spacecraft, ideally military hardware. Though they publicly claim to be seeking to bolster their commercial fleet(even though all shipping is handled by divisions of the all-pervasive military), they’re really looking to reverse-engineer more advanced technologies to try to re-achive parity with the rest of the Three Galaxies. They refuse to buy from anybody other than 100% human-owned and operated companies.
I. Status
Struggling. The last century has seen the PIDA do little but roam about inside its borders, bluffing and blustering, saber-rattling to anybody who’d listen. The PIDA runs on sheer bureaucratic inertia these days, the military organization going through the motions as it drafts people, trains them to be interchangeable cogs in the machine, sends them out on assignment, and promotes those who survived through brutal sadism or scheming bean-counting into positions where they only work to maintain the system that ‘got them theirs’ and work off their repressed rage on those of lower rank than them.
-------------
"Trouble rather the Tiger in his Lair,
Than the Sage among his Books,
For all the Empires and Kingdoms,
The Armies and Works that you hold Dear,
Are to him but the Playthings of the Moment,
To be turned over with the Flick of a Finger,
And the Turning of a Page"

--------Rudyard Kipling
------------
User avatar
taalismn
Priest
Posts: 47909
Joined: Tue Sep 02, 2003 8:19 pm
Location: Somewhere between Heaven, Hell, and New England

Re: Random Interstellar Empires/Star Kingdoms

Unread post by taalismn »

Celsian Primarchy(Thundercloud)
“The Naidians love their pomp and circumstance; watching a regular government function is like watching a performance of ‘Aida’ in the opening parts. But behind the glitter and the ritual is great wisdom and cunning, the ability to see where they’re lacking, and the ability to address those issues. You don’t see that very often in a culture.”

The Celsian Primarchy is the dominant political organization of the Naidians, a felinoid people who have founded a small star kingdom in the fringes of the Thundercloud. They have been slow to expand, taking their time and considering their own development carefully.
A very tolerant people, they have welcomed several substantial groups of non-Naidian refugees into their fold, assimilating them culturally and adding their strengths to their own.
Despite their pacifistic stance, the Celsian Primarchy is perfectly willing and able to defend its borders and participate in unilateral actions with their allies to preserve peace and restore order on other worlds. They are recent signatories of the Senexi Arm Aboriginal Protection Act(SAAPA), and are encouraged by the proactive stance taken by the Botwhin Char’chuga in enforcing its principles.
The Naidians have recently concluded a large-scale deal with WZTechyards to establish shipyards in their systems, starting with mining ships and transports to help them build up their offworld mining capabilities, and capital ships to build up their military defenses.
The Celsian Primarchy has had some trouble with the Golgan Republik, who accuse them of being allied with the Shing, if not actually BEING Shing(despite the fact that the Naidians have neither heard of the Shing, nor are related to them).
A. Size
Small; 5 systems
B. History
Newcomers
C. Level of Technological Sophistication
Advanced Space Age. They are adept terraformers.
D. General Attitude/Culture
Peaceful Expansionists, albeit with the teeth to protect themselves and their neighbors.
E. Racial Composition
Combination of native Naidians(a supernaturally strong species of leonine felinoid humanoids) and incorporated populations of humans, wolfen, Pafnir-Human(variant), and Kilnesh Ogre-(variant).
F. Government
Aristocracy, beholding to a popular Monarch(or First Primarch). Planetary monarchs-in-residence are titled by the order of the establishment of their colony worlds, so Second Primarch reigns over the second settled world, Third Primarch over the third, and so on, with honorary ‘overall’ First Primarchy title given to the Primarch of the homeworld. Actual direction of the star nation lies in a Council of Primarchs.
G. Administrative Control
Tight; Naidian tribal laws have translated well into comprehensive federal laws, and the Primarchy has a strict, by-the-book, administration of its regulations. It’s also bred a strong legal community and tough lawyers to contest those same laws and regulations.
H. External Trade
Luxury Goods; the Naidians like luxuries and can afford them. Their craftsmen are also adept at producing quality status-products that others are willing to put down large amounts of money to acquire.
H1. Commodities
Exports: Raw Materials(Organics)
Imports: Raw Materials(Mineral Ores)
I. Status
Boom; the Primarchy is on the ascent, gaining a reputation among their neighbors as good trade partners, staunch allies, and scrupulously fair negotiators.

Notable Worlds of the Celsan Primarchy:
---Celdesa; the Home System, location of Celsa, the homeworld, and the seat of the First Primarch.(Celdesa is described in detail in the New Races thread)

---Mogryn---First extrasolar system colonized by slowboat. Even amongst the already strong Naidians, Mogryn is known to breed exceptionally strong people, thanks to the lifeworld’s punishing gravity. After a Golgan Argosy fleet came in-system pursuing ‘renegades’ and was subsequently beaten off handily, the proud and militant Second Primarch has been all too happy to volunteer his armed forces to the service of punative and peacekeeping expeditions. Mogrynite marines are considered the elite of the Primarchy’s military.
Primary: (Mogryn) Blue Dwarf
Planets:
-Terrestrial(Rhondena)--- Rhondena’s heavy gravity taxes even the stout Naidian physiology, but the colonists regard the planet as their paradise. The planet is undergoing terraforming, with the use of various tailored organisms to alter the atmospheric chemistry.
Type: Terrestrial
Diameter: Giant, 28,000 km.
Gravity: 4.0 gs
Temperature: Temperate
Unusual/Special Features:
*Craters---Rhondena is pockmarked by both ancient and more recent craters(the latter thanks to terraforming impacts).
Atmosphere: Tainted; but terraforming is reducing the toxicity of the atmosphere.
Terrain: Exotic Terrain; Heavily cratered. Many of the craters are used as ecological reservoirs, being roofed over or shaded to provide temperature and pressure gradiants for plants and animals being raised within before being released to the larger environs.
Notable Mineral Concentrations:
-Pitch Blend
-Wolframite
- Antimony
- Magnesium
- Borax
-Samarskite
-Graphite
-Quartz
Hydrosphere: Balanced; roughly 50% of Rhondena is covered by water.
Biosphere: Initially lifeless, but terraforming has raised the level, in surprising time, to Dense, using tailored organisms.
Civilization:
Population:
Approaching 2.9 billion
Economy:
Agricultural; Rhondena’s terraforming is paying off in a variety of quickly harvestable plant and animal types, including a number of atmosphere-altering aerial plant species.
Wealth:
Average; in the overall prosperous Primarchy economy, Rhondena’s planetary GNP can be considered Average, the continuing costs of terraforming and the buildup of the system military have dropped an otherwise Wealthy status to Average.

-Gas Giant(Mayrune)----Even if not everybody likes the harsh climate and heavy gravity of Mogryn, many visitors to the system are enchanted by the beauty of ringed Mayrune and its moons.

-Gas Giant(Hethnar)----Hethnar and its moons have been exploited as material sources for both the terraforming of Rhondena and the build-up of the system’s defenses. Ice from Hethnar’s moons and the nearby Emias Swarm built up Rhondena’s new oceans. WZTechyards has recently been granted a leasehold to build a shipyard facility capable of building capital warships.

-Gas Giant(Shorbor)----The Shorbor moon system is home to a scientific outpost and deep space surveillance station.

---Tetselina--- Utterly lacking in terrestrial planets, the Tetselina system was instead settled by coldsleep ships journeying to the many moons of the gas giant worlds, and building life-habs there. Tetselina has since established itself as the ‘oil well’ of the Primarchy, shipping Helium-3 and other industrial and energy chemicals to the rest of the star nation. The system is surprisingly heavily settled, in part because of the intellectual technical challenge of closed-environ colonizing and the wealth to be made in high-risk gas- and asteroid mining.
Primary: (Tetselina) Red Dwarf
Planets:
-Rual Belt---Large asteroid belt that is being mined by colonists based in the Odenese moon system.
-Gas Giant(Odenese)---’Capitol’ world of the Tetselina system. The Third Primarch reigns from the largest of the gas giant’s twelve moons. Almost all of the moons are colonized and support the astroid mining operations in the Rual and Vedas Belts.
-Vedas Belt---An extensive asteroid belt that is home to a large population of asteroid miners.
-Gas Giant(Chigon)---Though not as heavily colonized/exploited as Odenese, the Chigon moon system is beginning to be exploited, with development colonies on three of its seven moons.
-Exotic(‘Ketchagun’)----This spindle-shaped conglomeration of pressurized spheroids or fused nickel-iron bubbles(275 in all, and each roughly 40 km in diameter) is believed to an alien generation ship dating from the preDominator Ancient period, and powered by giant ion drives. Little of the original builders still exists, though most of the eco-spheres retain a terrestrial atmosphere and rampant ecologies. Several of the spheres have been shattered, however, suggesting some catastrophe in the past. The Third Primarch has only recently permited limited colonization of the construct, after extensive searches and studies for any possible threats.
-Gas Giant(Evarse)--Far-distant Evarse and its three moons have yet to see much activity, aside from a scientific outpost and rudimentary ice-cutting operation sending, via mass driver, loads of ice in-system.
Civilization:
Population:
Some 4 billion Naidians have settled in the Tetselina system, plus about 400,000 non-Naidians(citizens).
Economy:
Industrial---Asteroid- and gas-mining provide the bulk of Tetselina’s income, though space-based manufacturing is catching up.
Wealth:
Rich; FTL propulsion has allowed the Tetselinan colonists to sell their raw materials and finished products far, wide, and cheaply to the other systems of the Primarchy and beyond. The has made the Third Primarchy VERY happy, even after the tithe sent to the homeworld.


---Ulmanan----Ulmanan was settled by later FTL -drive craft that overtook the earlier slowboat expeditions aimed for the system, already considered to be a ‘gem’ target for its favorable prospects. With its attractive terrestrial lifeworld and several habitable gas giant moons, it has also become a major relocation site for non-Naidian refugees granted sanctuary by the Primarchy.
A recent rise in the ambient PPE field of Ulmanan and an increase in the incidence of dimensional rift activity has the Fourth Primarch concerned, and he has both increased the size of his regional militia and requested that specialists be sent to his world to study and advise. The same phenomena has also attracted a growing number of Naidian adventure-tourists eager to see and hunt some of the exotic lifeforms unleashed by the rifts.
Primary: (Ulmanis) Yellow Dwarf
Planets:
-Terrestrial(Herdolith)--- Herdolith’s gravity is punishing even for the Naidians who can only visit the planet’s surface for short periods of time. The Fourth Primarch has been thinking of offering the planet to the hardy Botwhin Chai’chunga as a possible colony site.
Type: Terrestrial
Diameter: Enormous-78,000 km
Gravity: 9.0 gs
Temperature: Hot, roughly 500 degrees K.
Unusual/Special Features:
*Moons---Has about 18 small Phobos-like moons, possibly the remains of a once larger moon or captured asteroids.
Atmosphere: Hostile; heat-fueled thermal storms whip across the planet
Terrain:
Herdolith is dominated by massive cracked lava plains and low ‘oozer’ mountains exuding lava and volcanic gases.
Notable Mineral Concentrations:
-Tin
-Pitch Blend
-Gold/Silver
-Cobalt
-Arsenic
-Samarskite
-Talc
-Borax
Hydrosphere: None on the surface; Herdolith’s water has been baked out of its surface rock and currently resides in the form of various acidic compounds suspended in the atmosphere. With substantial atmospheric modification, the planet might be raised to Badlands.
Biosphere: Lifeless

-Gas Giant(Mendiac)---A ‘hot’ gas giant, Uranus-sized Mendiac streams spectacular plumes of gas, making navigation in its immediate vicinity hazardous, but the view from its three moons awesome. Besides the existing tourist motels, the Mendiac moons are predicted to be a popular destination for Botwhin Chai’chunga if Herdolith is ever developed as a Botwhin colony.

-Gas Giant(Chorbin)----Cooler and less turbulent than Mendiac, Chorbin is site of several large gas and chemical-harvesting operations operating from its thirteen moons. Solar sail barges carry bulk cargoes outward on the solar winds out to Ulmanan.

-Gas Giant(Falzar)---Like Chorbin, Falzar is being developed as an industrial asset, with several atmosphere mines and moon factory complexes established. Two of its fifteen moons have been terraformed into terrestrial-habitat environments, while another two are in the process of being terraformed.

-Terrestrial(Ulmanan)---Lifeworld of the system. Average, .8 g, cool temperature, terrestrial atmosphere
Type: Terrestrial
Diameter: Average, 11,000 km
Gravity: .8 g
Temperature: Temperate, but shading towards the cool side
Unusual/Special Features:
*High ambient PPE Levels, resulting in an increasing number of dimensional rifts and expressed leylines. The Fourth Primarch has been advised on the possibility of installing dimensional pyramids to control this activity. For now, he’s stepped up his militia patrols.
Atmosphere: Terrestrial atmosphere
Terrain: 4+; mountains, valleys, large flood plains, large forests.
Notable Mineral Concentrations:
- Gold/silver
-Chromium
-Pitch Blend
-Iron
-Thorium
- Arsenic
-Gypsum
-Nickel
Hydrosphere: Balanced. Many of the sources of water, however, need to be filtered of toxic levels of heavy metals.
Biosphere: Cornucopia---Ulmanan has a rich native ecology supplemented with rifted species.
Civilization:
Population:
Busy; Ulmanan is settled by some 70 million Naidians and another 20 million non-Naidians(citizens)
Economy:
Agricultural; Ulmanan’s ranches and plantations produce in abundance, and to a lesser extent their forestry operations produce timber much sought-after by the Primarchy’s artists and architects.
Wealth:
Wealthy; the Fourth Primarch can boast of filled coffers for both the government and citizenry even after taxes to the First World.

-Gas Giant(Shorman)---Cold distant Shorman and its moons serves as the Ulmanan system’s outward early warning and stellar observatory outpost. It is also site of a ice-cutter massdriver site and nearby naval base.

---Aburand--- The most recent Naidian colony, Aburand was settled by FTL-drive vessels. Aburand’s massive globe-girdling ocean means the settlers must crowd onto the planet’s single continent, large island chains, or onto large floating platforms(built tough to survive the planet’s massive typhoons). Naidians more used to the dry conditions of their homeworld regard Aburand as something of a hellhole, but those who have immigrated to the planet find it an exhilarating challenge. It is also a popular settlement location for non-Naidian Celsans. Aburand’s rich sea life promises to make it an exporter of foodstuffs and phytochemicals.
Primary: (Aburii) Blue Dwarf
Planets:
-Gas Giant(Gendii)---Small gas giant with an attendant swarm of 15 small moonlets. Too close to the primary to be profitably exploited currently, it remains mainly a source of scientific curiousity and investigation.
-Gas Giant(Romhan)---Romhan’s six large moons are a growing source of space-mined minerals for the floating habitats on Aburand and the space stations around it. It is also home to a large Primarchy naval base that was established after rumors of Golgan interest in Aburand.
-Terrestrial(Aburand)---Average size, .8 g, warm temperature, dense atmosphere
Type:Terrestrial
Diameter:Terrestrial, 11,500 km
Gravity: .8 g
Temperature: Warm, tropical in the polar latitudes, and almost uncomfortably hot at the equator.
Unusual/Special Features:
*Craters-The sea floor of Aburand sports evidence of large craters, suggesting extensive meteor bombardment in the past.
Atmosphere: Dense. The atmosphere also tends to be humid(outright foggy/steamy at the equator) with a high latitude ‘rain belt’. Powerful storms are also common on the planet. Humans visiting Aburand may need to spend a few hours, on leaving, slowly decompressing(the Naidians have no such problems).
Terrain:
-Unusual Mineralogy; mainly massive crystalline formations that branch up from the depths. Many of these formations are island-sized, large enough to colonize(with some difficulty).
Notable Mineral Concentrations:
-Sapphire
-Amethyst
- Chromium
-Magnesium
-Talc
-Nickle
-Flourite
-Calcite
Hydrosphere: Soaking Wet---75% of the planet is covered by water
Biosphere: Dense, mainly aquatic.
Civilization:
Population:
4 million Naidians and another 3 million non-Naidians(citizens)
Economy:
Agricultural, mainly aquacultural products.
Wealth:
Wealthy; Aburand is making good money exporting foodstuffs to the rest of the Primarchy and to outsiders.
-------------
"Trouble rather the Tiger in his Lair,
Than the Sage among his Books,
For all the Empires and Kingdoms,
The Armies and Works that you hold Dear,
Are to him but the Playthings of the Moment,
To be turned over with the Flick of a Finger,
And the Turning of a Page"

--------Rudyard Kipling
------------
User avatar
Aramanthus
Monk
Posts: 18712
Joined: Tue Feb 21, 2006 5:18 am
Location: Racine, WI

Re: Random Interstellar Empires/Star Kingdoms

Unread post by Aramanthus »

Nice additions! I am planning on adding these to my overall Three Galaxies game. I know I need to get back into the overall things again. Life has been busy (and minorly disfiguring) these past few months.
"Your Grace," she said, "I have only one question. Do you wish this man crippled or dead?"

"My Lady," the protector of Grayson told his Champion, "I do not wish him to leave this chamber alive."

"As you will it, your Grace."

HH....FIE
User avatar
taalismn
Priest
Posts: 47909
Joined: Tue Sep 02, 2003 8:19 pm
Location: Somewhere between Heaven, Hell, and New England

Re: Random Interstellar Empires/Star Kingdoms

Unread post by taalismn »

Aramanthus wrote:Nice additions! I am planning on adding these to my overall Three Galaxies game. I know I need to get back into the overall things again. Life has been busy (and minorly disfiguring) these past few months.


"Minorly disfiguring'? :shock:
That line alone raises my eyebrows.
-------------
"Trouble rather the Tiger in his Lair,
Than the Sage among his Books,
For all the Empires and Kingdoms,
The Armies and Works that you hold Dear,
Are to him but the Playthings of the Moment,
To be turned over with the Flick of a Finger,
And the Turning of a Page"

--------Rudyard Kipling
------------
User avatar
Aramanthus
Monk
Posts: 18712
Joined: Tue Feb 21, 2006 5:18 am
Location: Racine, WI

Re: Random Interstellar Empires/Star Kingdoms

Unread post by Aramanthus »

I came into contact with a stupid stinging nettle. I am extremely allergic. I have some minor scarring.
"Your Grace," she said, "I have only one question. Do you wish this man crippled or dead?"

"My Lady," the protector of Grayson told his Champion, "I do not wish him to leave this chamber alive."

"As you will it, your Grace."

HH....FIE
User avatar
taalismn
Priest
Posts: 47909
Joined: Tue Sep 02, 2003 8:19 pm
Location: Somewhere between Heaven, Hell, and New England

Re: Random Interstellar Empires/Star Kingdoms

Unread post by taalismn »

At least it wasn't a highway guardrail to the face....
"Corrugated steel allergy?"
"Corrugated steel allergy."
(NOT that this happened to me; I've been very lucky thus far in winter driving)
-------------
"Trouble rather the Tiger in his Lair,
Than the Sage among his Books,
For all the Empires and Kingdoms,
The Armies and Works that you hold Dear,
Are to him but the Playthings of the Moment,
To be turned over with the Flick of a Finger,
And the Turning of a Page"

--------Rudyard Kipling
------------
User avatar
taalismn
Priest
Posts: 47909
Joined: Tue Sep 02, 2003 8:19 pm
Location: Somewhere between Heaven, Hell, and New England

Re: Random Interstellar Empires/Star Kingdoms

Unread post by taalismn »

Indrel Khonate (Anvil Galaxy)

“The Indrelians like to carry themselves off as cultured and sophisticated powers-to-be in their sector, and certainly having more than thirty direct-descent colony worlds under their administration is an impressive thing, but anybody who’s watched the public execution spectacles on their state-run media, or seen a coffle-chain of shackled slaves being marched through one of their spaceport terminals can tell you there’s nothing ‘cultured’ or ‘sophisticated’ about the Indrelians.”

The Khonate is an aggressive star nation that has conquered or gained economic control over several neighboring systems, and now commands a monopoly over shipping through its region of space.
Ironically, the Khonate’s homeworld, Konosis, is virtually uninhabitable. Over four hundred years ago, warfare between the various global powers of the time rendered the planet’s surface desolate. The Khonate, who controlled the largest number of orbital colonies and industrial facilities, survived the war as the dominant political power and quickly assimilated the remaining populations, establishing an ironclad grip on power and the remaining strategic weapons. The Khonate’s capital remains based in orbit of the planet, reminding the Khonate citizens of the cost of weakness and lack of control. Konosis itself is used as a prison world and means of execution for Khonate citizens(who are dropped into still-radioactive/toxic regions of the planet to die). The Khonate has since tolerated no other power or faction within its territory capable of inflicting harm upon it and its worlds.
Under the Khonate’s rule, transport through Khonate territory can only be conducted by Khonate-owned shipping concerns, or through the payment of exorbitant fees and the posting of Khonate pilots/navigators aboard transiting vessels. The mercantile fleets of subject worlds have been confiscated by Khonate overseers, taxed to the point of insolvency, or have been disbanded entirely.
The Khonate also makes a fair amount of coin selling the services of mercenaries raised from its military society, and Indrelian mercenaries have begin acquiring a reputation for reliability and ferocity, with a near ironclad loyalty to those able to afford them. Though not as well known or effective as the Trensik or TriGalaxies Military Service, the Indrelian Ancillary Military Collective is garnering attention from those in need of hired military muscle. The Indrelians also have a growing reputation as arms merchants, selling various knockoffs of other peoples’ military hardware.
Fiercely independent, the Khonate has yet to run into any real altercations with the major powers of its galaxy. The CCW is concerned about Indrelian aggression towards its neighbors, and has made several diplomatic protests, but to little avail. Since none of the worlds te Khonate took over had any previous treaties or contact with the CCW, legally, there’s little the Consortium CAN do, aside from issuing protests. As the Khonate effectively serves as a buffer state-sector between the CCW and the Golgan Republik, however, the more conservative CCW politicos are willing to let the Khonate be a backburner issue for now. Similarly, the Golgans are eying the Khonate with distrust, but as long as they don’t threaten Golgan territory and curtail CCW-based smuggling to the Republik’s restive borderworlds, the Indrelians are left alone. Later, however, when the Republik is again back up to strength and more pressing matters dealt with, the Republik may take action against the Indrelians, simply because they ARE aggressive miltant blow-outs snooping around the Republik’s borders(Ironically Indrelian mercenaries have been employed by BOTH the Reoublik and the Republik’s seccessionists).
Despite its apparent power and current diplomatic immunity in some quarters, the Khonate may have bitten off more than it can chew in its expansion. Mismanagement in the portioning of materials to the colonies has led to growing dissent, while the subjugated conquest worlds have been chafing under the economic and cultural yoke imposed on them. Despite severe and very public penalties for banditry and piracy, property crimes against Khonate properties are on the rise. Its arms industry is also facing potential problems from gathering corporate opposition to their blatant copying of copyrighted technologies; Naruni Enterprises, for one, would be displeased to say the least, if they got wind of the Khonate selling Naruni knockoffs(and the CCW might just throw the Indrelians under the bus to divert attention away from their own reverse-engineering efforts).


A. Size
Extensive; the Khonate holds domain over 40 star systems, 30 of which are direct colonies of the Khonate, and the remaining 10 conquered worlds.
B. History
Newcomers; there are no records of any HA colonization efforts in the direction of the Khonate coreworlds, so it is assumed that they may have come from Rifted human stock.
C. Level of Technological Sophistication
Advanced Space Age; roughly a generation or two of technology behind the Golgan Republik and the Central Alliance with regards to starfaring technology.
D. General Attitude/Culture
Warrior Society; soldiers have the best chances of social advancement. While Indrelians can be honorable to a fault, the system promotes just as much arrogance and cruelty in its citizens, especially towards non-citizens and conquered peoples.
E. Racial Composition
Primarily Human, with a smattering of non-human subject species.
F. Government
Oligarchy---The Khonate can be best described as a fascist meritocracy. The paramilitary organization of the Khonate encourages high achievement in military operations and the administration of the territories. Overall, a supreme council of planetary governors, industrialists and generals rules the Khonate according to the precepts of the Khonate honor-code, but there is still consideable political maneuvering and scheming to influence national policy.
G. Administrative Control
Draconian. The Khonate hands out administrative posts exclusively to Indrelians, who in turn maintain a hammerlock on their power through the harsh application of carrot-and-stick tactics.
H. External Trade
The Khonate’s external trade is fairly limited; they currently seek little outside their own claimed territories and seek to develop what they already have. What small interaction they do have with outsiders is in arms sales and mercenary work, and in charging(extorting) passage fees for trade through their space.

H1. Commodities
Exports: Weapons, Infantry---The Khonate hires out mercenaries and sells weaponry. Recently they’ve begun their own quiet efforts to reverse-engineer Naruni gear and weapons.
Imports: Computer Systems---The Indrelians have shown an interest in automation systems and high-end computer hardware. possibly with an eye torwards automating many of the tasks they use pressganged laborers from their conquered territories to accomplish.

I. Status
Ascendant; the Khonate has just successfully assimilated several other star systems in its region and is reaping the rewards in the form of extorted tribute and a hammerlock on trade. However the Khonate is also reaping trouble in the form of a growing popular insurgency and increasing piracy. If the Khonate has to recall more of its mercenary troops to surpress the dissent, its current economic and influence upturn may slow and even reverse.

Subject Worlds
*Polyelstria---(Variant Humans)Once a Bureaucracy, the gentle, if somewhat scatterbrained and regulation-happy Polyelstrians might have put up a good fight if they’d managed to pull together and establish an effective process of defiance, but the Khonate never gave them the chance. The Indrelians have streamlined Polyelstrian government by imposing their own administration and jailing anybody who disagrees with them.

*Maggonachi---(Variant Humans)Former democracy and colony of Polyelstria, Maggonachi actually put up more of a fight, and suffered accordingly. The Indrelians make little distinction between the Polyelstrians and the Maggonachia, and treat both as part of the same labor/taxation bloc.

*Aldenec---(Baseline Elves) Anarchy. An indie experimental colony for dissatisfied ‘social anarchists’ and other disidents from Shrebadar, Aldenec has continued to be a source of frustration for its Khonate occupiers, who just can’t seem to find anybody of authority to negotiate with, browbeat, or armtwist into submission.

*Shrebadar---(Baseline Elves) Gerontocracy---The Khonate simply seized the elder-care facilities where the Shrebadaran government was based and threatened to cut off their life support if Shrebadar didn’t capitulate. The Indrelian admiral who accomplished this victory was actually almost apologetic, if utterly serious, about his word of honor that the honored elders would not be harmed if Shrebadar surrendered, and would be treated as honored hostages. The Khonate administrators who have since taken over running Shrebadar, however, have been rather less devouted to their word, and rumors of elder-abuse have begun circulating among the disgruntled Shrebadarians. Indrelian promises to replace the Shrebadan system of governance with a more vigorous(and youthful) arrangement have been met with much less enthusiasm than expected.

*Achanson’s Lily---(Combination of 3 species: Draconoid, Human and Humanoid Dettsian ) Monarchy; Draconoid Good King Denesus was deposed and assassinated by the Khonate, leaving his adopted and genetically-modified children to raise the flag of rebellion. Once-peaceful Achanson’s Lily now threatens to become a slaughterhouse between the Khonate occupation forces and the increasingly restless locals, a situation not helped by a recently leaked missive by one of the planetary governors that the planet should just be stripped of anything of immediate value and bombed into a new stone age.

* Fendu---(Human,Variant)Gerontocracy----The yellow-skinned Fendu actually WELCOMED the Khonate warfleets that conquered their world, thinking it an end to an oppressive rule by near-immortals, the Manuyan caste. Sadly, the expected re-distribution of wealth never happened, and the Khonate has been investigating if the Fenduan process of longevity can be applied to their own people, threatening the Fendu with the possibility of exchanging domination by near-immortal Manuyans with domination by near-immortal Indrelians.

*Emiszadu---(_New Species)Monarchy,. The Zaduan global monarchy was toppled by force of arms, and the humanoid Zaduans have sworn fealty to their new overlords. The occupation of Emiszadu is one of the few fairly bloodless coups of the Indrelians and has netted them a more-or-less loyal following of Zaduans to bolster their ranks. The use of Zaduan auxiliaries to pacify the other worlds held by the Indrelians, however, is starting to show some strain due to attrition and the normally strictly hierarchal-adhering Zaduans being exposed to other cultures.

* Pola---(Baseline Elves )Oligarchy. Pola was blockaded into surrender to the Khonate and the oligarchs forcibly obliged to admitt Khonate members into their executive councils. The fairly bloodless takeover has led to a fairly peaceful occupation and assimilation, as the Indrelians work their way into Polan society, and the Polan economy has improved in some sectors due to infusions of Indrelian capital and technology, but overall, the Polans are feeling the pinch of paying taxes to the Khonate for the scant leeway they are afforded in managing their own affairs.

* Hinitz--(_New Species) Gendocracy ----The patriarchal canineform Hinitizor were in the process of trying to re-Hinitzform their polluted homeworld when the Khonate decided that their orbital industrial clusters could better serve the Khonate’s purposes producing war material. The Khonate has made repeated promises that Hinitizor facilities will be returned to their original purpose, and the resources of a sympathetic Khonate added to the effort once the empire has reached a comfortable point of security, but a definite timeline has never been established, nor what consititutes a “comfortable point of security” to the Indrelians.

* Dian-Anda---(Variant Humans)A short-lived refuge world established by refugees fleeing from Polyelstria and Maggonachi, Dian-Anda was still in the process of trying to organize when the Khonate pursuit overwhelmed its improvised defenses and seized the planet. Dian-Anda is now being developed as a plantation world by its new Indrelian overlords, with the refugees being pressganged as slave-labor.
-------------
"Trouble rather the Tiger in his Lair,
Than the Sage among his Books,
For all the Empires and Kingdoms,
The Armies and Works that you hold Dear,
Are to him but the Playthings of the Moment,
To be turned over with the Flick of a Finger,
And the Turning of a Page"

--------Rudyard Kipling
------------
User avatar
taalismn
Priest
Posts: 47909
Joined: Tue Sep 02, 2003 8:19 pm
Location: Somewhere between Heaven, Hell, and New England

Re: Random Interstellar Empires/Star Kingdoms

Unread post by taalismn »

Trevis Collective(Thundercloud Galaxy)
“Don’t touch the wrecked worlds; the Trevisians have made that abundantly clear. They’re SERIOUS about outsiders not poking around their worlds. All the survivors have the remains of relatives in the ash clouds and the ejecta strata, so each and every one of those worlds is a war memorial. Hell of a thing; they’re barely able to keep an FTL fleet going, their remaining spacehabs fed, and their living still breathing, but they’ll go berserk if they catch you grave-robbing. And some of those old orbital fortresses of theirs still pack a punch. Old tech they might be, but they destroyed worlds with those things, and they don’t hesitate to turn those guns on outsiders.”

The Trevis Collective is what remains of the once strong and prosperous Ratanoid Trevis Confederation. In its heyday, the Confederation controlled 12 systems and was looking to expand farther into its sector. However, even at its height, the Confederation, by its very organization, contained the seeds of its own destruction. Long-festering factionalism eventually boiled over between nationalist and extremist groups, and civil war broke out, quickly engulfing all the colonized systems. The very technologies that were making the star -nation possible, now became its bane; relativistic starships became bombers or missiles, anti-matter powerplants became bombs, and gene-resequencing technologies unleashed bioweapons on unprepared populations.
The war finally petered out about eighty years ago, and the Confederation finished its death-throes, after some fifteen billion lives were lost(out of an estimated population of 23 billion), eight systems were rendered lifeless, and four ecosystems badly damaged. The exhausted survivors have set aside their differences and formed a coalition government of sorts, the Collective, to try to salvage what’s left.
Today the Collective clings to life, trying to restore essential services, salvage resources from the ruins, and maintain some security against the vultures.
The Trevisians are not xenophobic per say, but they do tend to regard outsiders with a mix of caution and suspicion, and travellers are not encouraged to loiter around the Collective’s systems. An influx of scavengers and the equivalent of galactic snake-oil salesmen, hawking cure-all solutions to the Collective’s woes, has incited the ire of Trevisians against outsiders(the Trevisian Ratanoids don’t even like or trust their Galactic Ratanoid cousins). Though much diminished, the remaining military forces of the Collective will shoot to kill anybody caught mining the desert systems for salvage(provided any remaining booby-traps or military weaponry left lying active don’t get the salvagers first). Anybody hoping to trade with, or enlist the help of, the Trevisians is advised to be scrupulously fair and honest with what they’re offering and what they want. That having been said, anybody who’s willing to endure Trevisian suspicion and is forthright with them in business will find themselves rewarded with the not-inconsiderable gratitude of the Collective.
The Collective would be ripe for snapping up and assimilation into one of the larger power blocs if any were interested in doing so(a single CCW or TGE flotilla would be sufficient to wipe out the Trevisians’ remaining aerospace forces), but any would-be conqueror would then be responsible for picking up the pieces. The Trevisians’ very desolation and devastation would seem to be working in their favor on that score. They are, however, having trouble with an increasing number of pirates looking to score salvage or at least find refuge among the wrecked worlds of the Confederation.

A. Size
Small; 4 still-habitable systems, and about 8 desert systems.
Of the four-remaining life worlds, the homeworld, Tre, is badly battered (much of the orbital infrastructure was de-orbited and used as KEWs during the War) and still in the throes of a nuclear winter ecoclypse. The remaining three worlds, Fendal, Redibiss, and Stanthor, also have been damaged to lesser degrees, courtesy of both impactors and nuclear weapons, but have recovered faster.

B. History
Survivors of the Trevis Confederation

C. Level of Technological Sophistication
Mature Space Age. Was approaching Advanced Space Age when the All-Systems War broke out. Currently, the state-of-the-art is slipping to Early Mature Space Age, with the loss of much space infrastructure and planetary damage. Mainly they’re still using painstakingly repaired spacecraft to maintain communications and security; production of new starships is even slower and not expected to reach pre-War levels for at least a century if the current curve of reconstruction progress is maintained.
The Trevisians were producing anti-matter(for propulsion) at the time of the War, and used it prolifically as a weapon. Travellers through the Trevisian systems are advised to beware of possible loose anti-matter(in still-active weapons systems and debris of wrecked starships).
The Collective retains a number of heavily armed orbital fortresses around their four remaining worlds, that are still functional and fully powered up to repel any would-be invaders.

D. General Attitude/Culture
Non-interventionists; the Trevisians are too busy trying to survive and hang on to what they have to be concerned with outside matters.

E. Racial Composition
Known Species; Ratanoids.
The Trevisian ratanoids are more severe and self-confident than their UWW brethren, but also more aggressive when it comes to their territory. They’re simply too busy trying to rebuild and recoup their losses to indulge in the sort of self-pity-party their Galactic cousins do.

F. Government
Coalition consisting of a number of democratic and autocratic factions presided over by a General Council(which rotates its meeting place between the four remaining worlds pending a final agreement on an established capitol). The Trevisians would rather that they argue over matters o state in council virtually forever, rather than have somebody assume overall power, make a few divisive decisions, and provoke another shooting war.
There’s still some factionalism in the coalition, and Collective members watch each other carefully to avoid any flare-ups of the old woes that brought on the War. One thing the Trevisians WILL immediately unite on is putting down any effort to revive the old war tensions.

G. Administrative Control
Loose; the Trevisian Collective has generally loose enforcement of its laws, except with regards to weapons and weapons technology; the Collective Enforcement Services will crack down most severely on anybody found in possession of strategic armaments, or unauthorized anti-matter powerplants. Salvage of the devastated outworlds is also treated severely, and only authorized expeditions are allowed to pick over the former colonies.

H. External Trade
None; the Confederation had only just begun to make contact with outsiders before the All-Systems War, and that contact was pretty well lost with it. Today, the Collective has only limited contact and no appreciable amount of trade. What industry has recovered is devoted to providing for the survivors and reconstruction efforts.
H1. Commodities
Exports: Bionics/Cybernetics---One of the few things the Collective is trading in is high-end cybernetics and bionics. Having mainly already served their own population, the Trevisians are keeping the factories running producing a surplus of cyberenetic systems, some of which is being made available to trade with outsiders(the Central Alliance would be a ready trade partner if they knew about this).
Imports: Consumer Goods---With so much local industry devoted to repairing the high tech infrastructure and food production, new consumer goods are virtually a luxury, especially new vehicles. The Collective is also a ready buyer of pristine fresh genetic stocks for agriculture, to repair their battered agricultural infrastructure.

I. Status
Imperiled, bordering on Faded Glory. The All-Systems War is still too fresh in the minds of the survivors, and with the evidence all around them in the form of cratered worlds and debris belts that were once space habitats and starships, the trauma has been passed on to the younger generations. There’s talk of how things were ‘before’, and depression at how much work needs to be done to restore the Trevisians to what they were before.
If the Trevisians are able to rebuild something stronger and better, it would be a major point in their favor, and ironically would bolster the reputation of other Ratanoids. If they fail, it will regarded as another black mark against the species.
-------------
"Trouble rather the Tiger in his Lair,
Than the Sage among his Books,
For all the Empires and Kingdoms,
The Armies and Works that you hold Dear,
Are to him but the Playthings of the Moment,
To be turned over with the Flick of a Finger,
And the Turning of a Page"

--------Rudyard Kipling
------------
User avatar
taalismn
Priest
Posts: 47909
Joined: Tue Sep 02, 2003 8:19 pm
Location: Somewhere between Heaven, Hell, and New England

Re: Random Interstellar Empires/Star Kingdoms

Unread post by taalismn »

Schomerate(Anvil Galaxy)

“The Skwai are very heliocentric; they like to huddle close around the warmth of their home star and turn their backs on the rest of the galaxy. Their Solar Habitat Sphere that they’re slowly building in their inner system is fairly impressive, but not enough to attract much attention from the rest of the Three Gs, but it’s that big piece of cheddar in their outer system that’s drawn the vultures. The Schommies may want to simply ignore what’s going on in their backyard and just accept the dividend checks they’re getting from their licensing, but if they don’t get involved sooner rather than later, they’re going to find a corporate shooting war disrupting their little solar campfire huddle.”

The Schomerate would be a bland rather pedestrian single-system semi-independent star nation, were it not for the riches of Mulray, a mineral-rich planetoid in the outer reaches of the Schomer system.
The Skwai, the sentient species native to Schomer system, are adapted to living in the fierce glare of their home star. They are a sapient motile plant species that draws much of their energy from ultraviolet radiation. They have little interest in exploring or exploiting resources far beyond the warming radiation of their star, despite having a fairly sophisticated space industry infrastructure. Most Skwai, in fact, have a dislike of the ‘Cold Dark’ that borders on phobic, and thus the discovery of a motherlode of material riches just outside their comfort zone has posed a quandry for them. Rather than develop it themselves, though, the Skwai have decided to subcontract the exploitation of Mulray to outsiders.
The Schomerate has adopted a ‘hands off’ attitude to regulating Mulray, letting the participating companies do as they will on the planetary surface as long as they pay their required percentage to the Schomerate. Sadly, this policy threatens to explode in the Schomerate’s face; parts of Mulray now resemble a brush war between corporate factions, and there are multiple rumors of extent corruption in the Schomerate administration over the assignment of development parcels.

A. Size
One-star star nation; Schomer
B. History
Newcomers; nobody as heard of the Skwai or anyone like them previous to the discovery of the Schomerate.
C. Level of Technological Sophistication
Mature Space Age; though the FTL fleet of the Schomerate is fairly small. The Schomerate has had little truck with exploration and trade beyond their own solar system, instead being content to have others come to them. Their main technological focus is a growing number of inner system space habitats with some 15 billion residents. Their local defense fleet is considered to be fairly strong, and some of their inner system space stations and industrial complexes count as orbital fortresses with solar-pumped long range laser cannon.
D. General Attitude/Culture
Non-Interventionists; the Skwai are content to develop their own system and let others come to them.
E. Racial Composition
New Species---The Skwai are uniquely adapted to living under the fierce glare and radiation of their home star. They are insectile in appearance, but are really motile plants who photosynthesize.
F. Government
Plutocracy---Wealth runs the Schomerate, and the ability to accumulate and manage wealth and resources is seen as qualification for government office. Through good management and marshalling of resources, a Skwai can buy their way up the ladder of government. Inheritance laws in the Schomerate are formulated to prevent individuals from simply inheriting social status, but savvy Skwai can make back inheritances and add them to their resources in bids for power.
G. Administrative Control
Lax; business is fairly cutthroat(though just short of cutting throats) in the rush to make money.
H. External Trade
Raw Materials--Mulray mining rights and ore exports provide the bulk of trade.
H1. Commodities
Exports: Consumer Goods---Beyond minerals, the Schomerate exports a lot of high-quality low-bulk personal utilities that have found favor with space habitat dwellers. Compact shielded domestic power systems and recycling gear of Schomerate manufacture are catching on in adjacent sector markets.
Imports: Weaponry---Perhaps seeing trouble brewing, the Schomerate is spending an increasing amount of their Mulray royalties on acquiring cutting edge armaments, including ground combat units and capital warships. This has increased nervousness that Naruni Enterprises and its competitors will increase their presence in the system as they jockey for lucrative contracts.
I. Status
Established---The Schomerate shows no signs of expanding any time soon(or if ever) and seems satisfied to soak up sun and money.

Solar System
Number of Stars: 1 (Skann)
Types of Stars: Blue Sub-giant
Number of Planets: 6-
-Terrestrial(Dmeq)---This rocky, airless, world, akin to Mercury, is serving as a resource site for the growing belt of orbital habitats being constructed in the orbits between it and Sweyq.
-Terrestrial(Sweyq)---Sweyq is the homeworld of the Skwai; it is a hothouse world with a turbulent atmosphere and high ambient radiation. As such, it is rarely visited by offworlders, and frankly, few Skwai leave it either.
-Gas Giant(Soleq)----Soleq is the outermost world at which any substantial civilian Skwei presence can be found; Soleq’s resources are being mined to serve the solar habitat development further in-system.
-Gas Giant(Gorqew)---Aside from a few space habitats of Skwei eccentrics and a naval base, the Gorqew moon system is virtually uninhabited, and the gas giant of little official interest, at least until the inner planets are stripmined of usable materials. One of the eccentric communities was reportedly looking into the idea of somehow igniting the gas giant into a proto-sun, providing warmth and light for further Skwai expansion into the Cold Dark, but their chatter on the topic went curiously silent several years ago.
-Terrestrial---(Mulray)---Mulray is a rocky airless world that may have once been a supernova remanent. The planet is LOADED with valuable minerals.
-Gas Giant(Sedeq)---Named for the Skwais’ mythical cold hell. It holds little interest for the Skwei, but some outsiders have been petitioning to prospect the planet and its moon system.

Planet(Mulray)
(As most outsider activity regarding the Schomerate focuses around Mulray, the planet is presented here)
Type:
Rocky, Terrestrial
Diameter:
Large; 23,000 km in diameter
Gravity:
Heavy; 2.1 Earth g.
Temperature:
Freezing; roughly 60 K(-351 F/-213 C). The temperature is rising with the pollution-dense atmosphere growing and industrialization pumping heat into the local environment. Recent renewed volcanic activity as a result of ‘core fracking’ deep mining threatens to raise temperatures even higher and destablize the local atmosphere.
Unusual/Special Features:
*Strange Orbit---Mulray’s eccentric orbit, relative to the other planets in the system, suggest to many that the planet was a former rogue, captured by the gravitational influence of Skann.
*Unusual Axis---Mulray possesses a particularly ‘ambulating’ axial tilt, wobbling as much as 50 degrees off true.
*Craters---Mulray is heavily cratered; many of the craters now serve as strip mines or tailing pools.
*Strange Energy Field---Mukray possesses a strange fluxuating magnetic field that some believe is tied to concentrations of particularly exotic minerals locked into the crust. The exact location and properties of these mineral concentrations, and the consequences of their removal, is a subject of much interest and debate amongst interested parties.
Atmosphere: Thin, tainted, poisonous, It has only gotten MORE poisonous with pollutants released from mining and refining operations.
Terrain:
-Combination of craggy hills and large lava pans.
Notable Mineral Concentrations:
-Emerald
-Antimony
-Zinc
-Aluminum
-Manganese
-Nickle
-Thorium
-Diamond
That’s just the stuff littering the crust. The more exotic minerals thus far identified include:
-Nobelium
- Gagarinite
- Dysinium-146
- Kindlite(a material related to kisenite)
- Eckerium
- Lutetium
- Hyperborium
- Grandosium
- Magnatium
- Fictionalite
-Ignobelium
Hydrosphere:
Badlands---Mulray possesses SOME water, in the form of fossil and permafrost deposits, possibly collected from previous collisions with cometary nuclei. These deposits are becoming as valuable as the minerals to the exploitation teams.
Biosphere:
None; Mulray is utterly devoid of native life.
Civilization:
Non-native corporate mining outposts.
Population:
Resident mining personnel number some 1.2 million.
Technology:
The hostile environment dictates high-technology to keep the miners alive.
Economy:
Company-run mining and refining
Wealth:
Hard to define; the mining companies have poured MILLIONS in equipment and security into the effort on Mulray, to reap the monetary value of the minerals in the BILLIONS, potentially TRILLIONS of credits. For their part, most of the miners are paid average to good salaries, with the promise of big bonuses upon contract end.
Government:
Effectively Syndocracies; the companies run their own enclaves.
Law Level:
Within each mining camp, the law level generally runs between moderate and authoritarian. Outside, the situation can be considered lawless to lawful between companies.
Popularity:
Again, hard to define; the miners aren’t on Mulray to settle, they’re there to do a job, make money, then get off. Some companies are more popular with their employees than others, while some miners regard their supervisors as little more than slavedrivers.
Stability:
Overall, as a sort of ‘natural selection’ process takes place between the companies jockeying for the richest grubstakes, the situation can be considered to be one of unrest. The more timid companies have started cutting their losses and are moving out, while the more aggressive ones are gearing up for combat.
-------------
"Trouble rather the Tiger in his Lair,
Than the Sage among his Books,
For all the Empires and Kingdoms,
The Armies and Works that you hold Dear,
Are to him but the Playthings of the Moment,
To be turned over with the Flick of a Finger,
And the Turning of a Page"

--------Rudyard Kipling
------------
gaby
Knight
Posts: 4340
Joined: Fri Jan 03, 2003 2:01 am
Location: Québec

Re: Random Interstellar Empires/Star Kingdoms

Unread post by gaby »

Great,update.
User avatar
taalismn
Priest
Posts: 47909
Joined: Tue Sep 02, 2003 8:19 pm
Location: Somewhere between Heaven, Hell, and New England

Re: Random Interstellar Empires/Star Kingdoms

Unread post by taalismn »

feel free to contribute fresh content.
-------------
"Trouble rather the Tiger in his Lair,
Than the Sage among his Books,
For all the Empires and Kingdoms,
The Armies and Works that you hold Dear,
Are to him but the Playthings of the Moment,
To be turned over with the Flick of a Finger,
And the Turning of a Page"

--------Rudyard Kipling
------------
User avatar
taalismn
Priest
Posts: 47909
Joined: Tue Sep 02, 2003 8:19 pm
Location: Somewhere between Heaven, Hell, and New England

Re: Random Interstellar Empires/Star Kingdoms

Unread post by taalismn »

Dadalane Jihad(Thundercloud)

“Why should we lower our heads, roll our bellies, and show our throats to hairless apes, guilt-shocked stick-brains, and soul-dead reptiles? The galaxy is our star-forest, and our pack should rule it as our own, not labor for others who would blunt us and restrain us! Let them be tamed to our cause, and accommodate THEIR society to our own, not the other way around!”

The Dadalane Jihad is a socio-political movement, driven into exile from their origin worlds in the Ameni Cluster of the Wolfen Worlds-in-Exile, that has since attempted to usurp control of colonization efforts in the Thundercloud. Settled in the worlds of the Hestian Arc as a sop to the Ameni humanists(or their Wolfen equivalent) it was hoped that the Dadalanites would conduct their socio-political experiments in peace. Instead, claiming that the Ameni government had sent them out poorly equiped(“to die”), the Dadalane Jihad has claimed they are acquiring necessary resources and securing alliances, by force, with their neighbors. Considered to be a ‘pirate kingdom’, the Dadalanites have used various excuses to terrorize neighboring star systems and waylay shipping in their sector. Their most ambitious action was to attempt to blockade the Duchy of Harwinton-Sachs, a move that backfired badly when the Duchy’s neighbors hired a mercenary fleet to break the blockade and permit relief supplies and reinforcements to reach the Duchy worlds.
A. Size
8 systems(including three previously-settled and subsquently annexed worlds)
B. History
Splinter of the Wulfen Worlds-in-Exile
C. Level of Technological Sophistication
Advanced Space Age----The Dadalanites have bought their way up to a tech-level average to any second-tier CCW member-world. They have FTL drives and contra-gravity, though their infrastructure cannot sustain serious losses of their higher-end technology(they would be unable to quickly make up losses if they were to lose any more of their space fleet, for example).
D. General Attitude/Culture
Aggressive Racial Supremacists---Not as rabid as some, but Dadalanites DEFINITELY prefer the company of other wolfen over others, and they refuse to let non-wolfen settle in their territories. Those non-wolfen already established on neighboring worlds are to be dominated and made to know their proper place as, if not ‘prey’, then as resource-subjects of the Jihad. The Dadalanites hope, by example of their prosperity, to shame the ‘weakened’ and ‘diluted’ wolfen who tolerate others and accept them as equals, into accepting the Dadalanite way instead.
E. Racial Composition
Variant(Wolfen).
Three of their worlds have a residual population of the original colonists that remained behind when the worlds were annexed; these stay-behinds account for less than 5% of the Jihad’s overall population.
F. Government
Hierarchy---The Jihad has a distinctive pecking order based on social class, religious dogma, financil resources, and martial achievement. It is possible to move upward in the society by aggressive power plays, martial service, and issued challenges(duelling), just as it is possible to lose standing and face with defeat and a turn in personal fortunes. Non-Dadalanite canoids are near-bottom-tier and have little social uplift opprtunities unless they exhibit extreme zealous loyalty to the Dadalanite cause. Non-canoids are bottom-tier, and have NO chance of climbing the hierarchal ladder.
G. Administrative Control
Loose---Despite their rigorous philosophies, the Dadalanites excercise fairly loose control over their citizens. This gives them a lot of leeway to advance up the hierarchy through aggressive powerplays, re-affirming the Dadalanite philosophy, but it also gives the central government a great deal of plausible deniability when those same citizens go off ‘rogue’ and predate on outsiders.
H. External Trade
Luxury Goods----Surprisingly, the Dadalanites have found a few items that command high prices among wealthy Wolfen; an aromatic wood that is becoming popular in interior decorating, several stimulants, and several game animals. The Dadalanites have essentially been trying to use these goods as bribes to influence affluent wolfen back in the CCW and other territories to support the Dadalanite cause.
H1. Commodities
Exports: Weapons(Vehicles)----The Dadalanites have been selling light combat vehicles(mainly IFVs and AFVs, and a copy of the Phalanx MBT) to other Wolfen and canine races in the Thundercloud, as well as to non-Wolfen(the latter can expect to pay more, though). They reserve their best designs and equipment for themselves, however.
Imports: Spacecraft----The Dadalanites are seeking spacecraft of their own, their own industry as yet incapable of providing them with all the numbers and types they need. Currently, their own shipyards can only produce transports and light warcraft. The defeats in the attempted Harwinton-Sachs campaign did in a substantial number of their heaviest units, much of which their industry cannot replace.
I. Status
Established. They were fairly secure when they attempted to browbeat Harwinton-Sachs, and the full ripples of their defeat there have yet to be fully felt. A good portion of their military warfleet was destroyed or disabled in the conflict, and the Jihad is hiding the true extent of the damage from both its citizens and outsiders.

Duchy of Harwinton-Sachs(Thundercloud)

“The Harwintonians used to be rather quiet, happy, and smug folks, but the neo-wolfen of the Jihad really shook them up...or woke them up...Anyways, it stirred them up a mite, and now they’re practically fighting with each other over what’s to be done next. if it goes one way, the Duchy’s going to be a hotbed of military activity, with arms contracts and mercenary work to be had a-plenty. Goes another way, the Duchy’s not going to be around much longer as an independent body.“

A splinter of the Bretona-Victoria Imperium of the Human Alliance, the Duchy of Harwinton-Sachs still pays lipservice loyalty and a traditional tithe to the Imperium and Parliament, but is considered to be an independent and largely self-sufficient star kingdom in its own right. The Duchy has made much of its money by providing manufacturing and Novo Glasgow-produced transport starships for other colonies in the Thundercloud Galaxy. It also sports a branch of the New Oxford University, and attracts students from the other colonies.
The Duchy’s wealth and orbital shipyards attracted the unwelcome attention of the Dadalane Jihad, who attempted to ‘persuade’ the Duchy to become a second-class satrapy of the Jihad. When the Duchy refused, the Jihad blockaded the Duchy, nearly choking off the Duchy from much-needed trade(and revealing that the Duchy wasn’t as self-sufficient as they thought).
The BVI’s recent leading of relief efforts to rescue the DoHS from the Dadalane Jihad has some prominent citizens in the Duchy wondering if maybe reunification might not be a bad idea. In any event, the Duchy’s relationship with the members of the BVI-led coalition is quite warm.

A. Size
4 systems, but three are desert-systems with only claims outposts and a token colonial presence, while most Duchy activity remains centered around their home system of Harwinton Prime. Post-Jihad, the Duchy will be looking to open up their desert systems as resource-worlds for any anticipated expansion of their military.
B. History
Splinter offshoot of the Human Alliance.
C. Level of Technological Sophistication
Mature Space Age---The Duchy has a comfortable level of technology appropriate to their circumstances, but the recent war with the technologically-superior Jihad is one of the critical factors that may decide the fate of the Duchy.
D. General Attitude/Culture
Multi-Factional---The recent troubles have splintered the formerly non-interventionist society into three major factions: the War Party that wants to teach the damn wolf-dogs a lesson they won’t soon forget, the Security Party, who want to carve out a larger colonial zone to act as a buffer zone without necessarily pressing a war with the Dadalanites, and the Peace Party, who cling to the idea of neutrality, but with the proviso that it is only possible with a negotiated and limited re-assimilation into the HA and the BVI.
E. Racial Composition
Human. Non-humans account for less than 2% of the total population.
F. Government
Pecocracy----Many of the faculty of the Harwinton-Sachs’ branch of New Oxford University double as political officials in the Duchy government.
G. Administrative Control
Tight----The Duchy has an extensive and comprehensive legal and administrative system that has only become tighter after the conflict with the Dadalanite Jihad. Part of the political bickering in the Duchy’s government is about how much more restrictions can be lifted/would be imposed pending a return to normalcy or a ramping up to a war footing.
H. External Trade
Manufacturing---The Duchy’s heavy industry produces goods snapped up by less developed colonies, such as tools, vehicle engines, all-weather textiles, and personal electronics.
H1. Commodities
Exports: Spacecraft---The Duchy was producing transports for the sector, but damage to their orbital shipyards has curtailed production.
Imports: Weapons----The recent troubles have led to a high demand for weaponry. Some Harwintonians want to approach Naruni for help, while others are going with the Imperium’s cautions that that is not a good idea.
I. Status
Imperiled---Still recovering from the Jihad’s efforts to seize control. A good part of their space-based industry was destroyed, and that is hampering the economic recovery. What shipyards remain are hurriedly building up, repairing, or refitting the Duchy’s space warcraft against any further Jihad incursions.
-------------
"Trouble rather the Tiger in his Lair,
Than the Sage among his Books,
For all the Empires and Kingdoms,
The Armies and Works that you hold Dear,
Are to him but the Playthings of the Moment,
To be turned over with the Flick of a Finger,
And the Turning of a Page"

--------Rudyard Kipling
------------
User avatar
The Oh So Amazing Nate
Hero
Posts: 1455
Joined: Tue Oct 02, 2007 1:29 am
Location: West Central region of Indiana

Re: Random Interstellar Empires/Star Kingdoms

Unread post by The Oh So Amazing Nate »

Dadalane Jiahd.= Isis in Space?
Look upon me and tremble ye masses. For I am The Necroposter!
keir451 wrote:Amazing Nate; Thanks for your support!

Razzinold wrote:And the award for best witty retort to someone reporting a minor vehicular collision goes to:
The Oh So Amazing Nate!

Nate, you sir win the internet for today! You've definitely earned the "oh so amazing" part of your name today. :lol:
User avatar
taalismn
Priest
Posts: 47909
Joined: Tue Sep 02, 2003 8:19 pm
Location: Somewhere between Heaven, Hell, and New England

Re: Random Interstellar Empires/Star Kingdoms

Unread post by taalismn »

The Oh So Amazing Nate wrote:Dadalane Jiahd.= Isis in Space?


More like 'Wolves SHOULD be Wolves, Even in Space."
And they operate more like the old Barbary Pirates of North Africa.
-------------
"Trouble rather the Tiger in his Lair,
Than the Sage among his Books,
For all the Empires and Kingdoms,
The Armies and Works that you hold Dear,
Are to him but the Playthings of the Moment,
To be turned over with the Flick of a Finger,
And the Turning of a Page"

--------Rudyard Kipling
------------
gaby
Knight
Posts: 4340
Joined: Fri Jan 03, 2003 2:01 am
Location: Québec

Re: Random Interstellar Empires/Star Kingdoms

Unread post by gaby »

Some Good ideas,ther.
Any chance you do a Empire where insead of One race Supremany,thers 3 or 5 race are equal but all other are Suject/Second class?
User avatar
taalismn
Priest
Posts: 47909
Joined: Tue Sep 02, 2003 8:19 pm
Location: Somewhere between Heaven, Hell, and New England

Re: Random Interstellar Empires/Star Kingdoms

Unread post by taalismn »

gaby wrote:Some Good ideas,ther.
Any chance you do a Empire where insead of One race Supremany,thers 3 or 5 race are equal but all other are Suject/Second class?



Already been there; the Khybyree and their affiliates(who are generally considered equals, or at least trusted minions) run a slaving empire.
-------------
"Trouble rather the Tiger in his Lair,
Than the Sage among his Books,
For all the Empires and Kingdoms,
The Armies and Works that you hold Dear,
Are to him but the Playthings of the Moment,
To be turned over with the Flick of a Finger,
And the Turning of a Page"

--------Rudyard Kipling
------------
User avatar
abtex
Champion
Posts: 2294
Joined: Sat Jan 04, 2003 2:01 am
Location: Heart in Texas

Re: Random Interstellar Empires/Star Kingdoms

Unread post by abtex »

Oh the "Kybyree Supremacy" way back on page 1.
I hate it when my mind wonders,
Because I have no idea what it will bring back with it.

taalismn says -- Librarians assume the role of scholar-priest-kings in an increasinly illiterate society...

taalismn says -- Abtex...Unofficial archival mole for the fictional arms industry again with the sites that make you blink... :shock: :-D
User avatar
taalismn
Priest
Posts: 47909
Joined: Tue Sep 02, 2003 8:19 pm
Location: Somewhere between Heaven, Hell, and New England

Re: Random Interstellar Empires/Star Kingdoms

Unread post by taalismn »

Note: the following are re-imaginings/updates of vehicles and concepts first presented by Kevin Siembda in his Mechanoid Trilogy, back in the day when Palladium was just starting up and feeling its space opera legs. These craft are updated with the Three Galaxies’ setting in mind, and the New Nigellian Confederation star-nation specifically.

NNC Combat Vehicles

Borealian Persha Armored Skimmer


“Watch your flanks around the war-rats; their ‘skitters may not move as fast as other aerodynes, but their pilots like to fly nape-of-the-earth, and before you know it, you got Borries all around you. And if they’re mounting those plasma guns of theirs, you’ve got fireballs spitting at you from all over.”

The Persha is the main armored personnel carrier of the Borealian armed forces; a heavily armored fast hovercraft/aerodyne. The Persha follows a familiar Boreallian design; a triangular main hull, three-point landing gear, side stabilizer fins, rear thrusters, upper dorsal V-tail stabilizers, and a rear passenger hatch/ramp. The Persha is nearly as heavily armored as the main battle tanks of other species, and faster than most. Armament is a pair of foward-firing laser banks, and a dorsal turret with a plasma cannon. The Persha is heavily armored for a hover APC, but as Borealian battlefield doctrine calls for the APCs to act in direct support of the debarked infantry(similar to how the American Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicle operates), the inclusion of heavy protection is necessary.
The only real complaint about the Persha is that with the engines spooling, the placement of the main troop hatch between the rear thrusters means that embarking personnel can run into low-velocity engine efflux and static discharge. Though not harmful, it is painful (akin to running into a low-wattage electric fence) and disconcerting, and can distract troops during their critical disembarkment phase, especially when in a hot combat zone.
Several variants of the Persha exist, including a recon version that sacrifices troop capacity for bunking accommodations for a small scout team, and extra sensor/communications gear, an EW van with communications and jamming equipment, a medevac vehicle with extra speed(380 MPH) and onboard medical gear, and a fast attack version with a reloadable medium range missile launcher(volleys of 1-3 missiles, with internal magazine capacity for 24 missiles).

Type: NCB-H7 Persha
Class: Hovercraft Aerodyne
Crew: Three; pilot, comm/sensor operator, and gunner, plus up to 12 passengers/troops
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 700
Rear Hatch 180
Turret 100
Forward Laser Banks(2) 50 each
Height: 2.1 m (13.8 ft)
Width: 2.5 m (8 ft) (Stabilizers bring total width to about 14 ft)
Length: 4.7 m (73 ft)
Weight: 8.2 tons
Cargo: Up to 2 tons of cargo can be carried in the back if not carrying troops/passengers.
Powerplant: Nuclear Fusion w/ 18 year energy life
Speed: (Flying) Hover to 320 MPH, maximum altitude of 8,000 ft
Market Cost: 5 million credits. The NNC sells Pershas on the open market, sans the proprietary plasma cannons.
Systems of Note:
Standard Robot Systems
Weapons Systems:
1) Laser Cannon(2)---Mounted along the sides of the nose, firing forward, are two banks of light lasers. Each bank has 45-degree arc of fire to the sides.
Range: 7,000 ft
Damage: 4d6 MD per single blast, 8d6 MD for a double simultanoeus blast(counts as one attack)
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

2) Plasma Turret---Mounted above the cockpit is a small turret with a rapid-fire plasma cannon. Due to the Confederation’s long study of Mechanoid weaponry, the Confederation’s plasma weaponry enjoys ranges superior to the plasma weapons of most other stellar powers.
Range: 6,500 ft
Damage: 1d4x10 MD per single blast
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

3)(Optional) Missile Launch Pods(2)----If the situation calls for it, the Persha can mount a mini-missile pod on a hardpoint in the center of the lateral stabilizer fins.
Range:Varies by Missile Type(Mini-Missile)
Damage: Varies by Missile Type(Mini-Missile)
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1-30(all)
Payload: 30 mini-missiles per pod

Nigellian ‘Nystan’ Armored Stealth Skimmer

“The Nigellians are right bastards with these things; they just love to use their sensors to spot you before you spot them, and then they LOVE using the stealth to sneak up on you and pounce. Even if you’re allied to them for the moment they like to periodically remind you that they can pick your pocket or knife you in the kidneys whenever they please.”

The Nystan is a scaled-down version of an armored hovercraft design originally supplied to the Nigellian contingent of the Mechanoid homeworld exploration effort. When the NNC Armed Services began laying out the TOE for their reformed military, the Borealians won the contract to design and provide the primary hover APCs, and rather than parallel their efforts, the Nigellian design teams focused on smaller, faster, scout/recon vehicles. The Nigellian Reaper Corps have taken to these sleek, stealthy vehicles as their own, and the design is almost exclusively used by Nigellian crews. Older, decommissioned Nystans are much sought after by the Nigellian social elite as sports vehicles(similar to modern Earth celebrity HMMVs), with the interiors tricked out with luxury fittings.
The Nystan is low-profile, sleek, fast, and equipped with state of the art sensor systems. It also incorporates stealth design, the better to evade detection(this feature also makes them a favorite of pirates). The design seems to bear more resemblance to a sportscar than a military vehicle, but that’s deceptive; the Nystan is well-armored for its weight-class and fully armed. The sportscar design and handling, though, only further endears the Nystan to the Nigellian forces who call it their own.

Type: NNC-N9 Nystan
Class: Hovercraft Aerodyne
Crew: 2+6 passengers
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 220
Armored Windshield(3) 50 each
(Optional) Dorsal Turret 50
Height: 1.5 m ( 5 ft)
Width: 2.1 m (13.8 ft)
Length: 4.6 m ( 15 ft)
Weight: 1.8 tons
Cargo: Up to 500 lbs of gear ca be carried in the back.
Powerplant: Nuclear Fusion w/ 20 year energy life
Speed: (Flying) Hover to 370 MPH, maximum altitude of 12,000 ft
Market Cost: 3.5 million credits
Systems of Note:
Standard Robot Systems, plus:
*Stealth Design---- Radar-deflective shape and materials, thermal insulation, and other passive stealth measures give the Mystan a -25% to be tracked/identified/detected w/ sensors . Sensor-guided weaponry, such as missiles and laser-targeting, are -3 to strike the skimmer.

*Advanced Sensors---The Nystan carries a powerful suite of full-spectrum sensors that gives it a +1 to strike with its ranged weaponry, and a +1 to initiative in actions.
*Motion Detector--200 ft range
*Laser Illuminator-----15,000 ft range, designates targets for laser-guided munnitions/weapons
*Laser targeting System(+1 to strike)
*Magnetometer---- Range: The magnetometer has a range of 4,000 ft and can detect vehicles and other metallic structures with 80% accuracy. Can detect active fusion powerplants and powered-up rail guns at TWICE normal range.
*Ground Radar----Range of 3,000 ft, and has a 90% chance of detecting metal-cased mines, 60% chance of detecting non-metallic ordinance.

Weapons Systems:
1) Ion Blasters(2)---These light weapons are mounted in the leading edge of the hovercraft’s hull, and are used to ‘spray’ the area directly ahead of it. The shorter range of the ion blasters(as compared to the light lasers on the larger Persha) are balanced by the fact that the Nystan’s targeting systems are more accurate, and the hovercraft can use its stealth to get closer to the target before opening fire.
Range: 4,000 ft
Damage: 4d6 MD per blast, 8d6 MD per dual blast
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: : Effectively unlimited

2) (Optional) Dorsal Turret---The Nystan can be fitted with a semi-retractable dorsal weapons turret. This is typically a light laser cannon(7,000 ft, 1d4x10 MD per blast), particle beam blaster(6,000 ft, 1d6x10+15 MD per blast), or rail gun(4,000 ft, 1d6x10 MD per 20-round burst, 200 burst payload).

Variants:
*NNC-N9D---A throwback to the original armored skimmer; the advanced sensors are removed in favor of the ability to carry an additional six passengers.

*NNC-N9M---The -M model takes advantage of the availability of missile pods for the Boreallian Persha hovercraft to replace passenger capacity with a retractable missile launcher. Either 30 mini-missiles can be carried or 8 short range missiles. In either case, the missiles gain an additional +1 to strike, because of datalink tie-ins with the Nystan’s advanced sensors(which ‘paint’ the target better for the missiles).
-------------
"Trouble rather the Tiger in his Lair,
Than the Sage among his Books,
For all the Empires and Kingdoms,
The Armies and Works that you hold Dear,
Are to him but the Playthings of the Moment,
To be turned over with the Flick of a Finger,
And the Turning of a Page"

--------Rudyard Kipling
------------
User avatar
taalismn
Priest
Posts: 47909
Joined: Tue Sep 02, 2003 8:19 pm
Location: Somewhere between Heaven, Hell, and New England

Re: Random Interstellar Empires/Star Kingdoms

Unread post by taalismn »

New Nigellian Confederation HMPT-140 Hover Tank
(aka ‘Humpter’)
(Based on Kevin Siembieda’s ‘ HPT-12 Hover Plasma Tank’ from the Mechanoid Invasion Trilogy)

“The Borries may not like the Humpter so much, but the Confederation milita practices hard with ‘em, so they get the most out of the tanks. They know its strengths and weaknesses so you rarely see any weekend warrior mistakes out of them in the field. They know how to cover each other and how to lay down mutually supporting fire. The result is that if you’re facing Humpters, you can expect to be facing a heatwave in the way of their plasma cannons ranging in on you.”

The NNC HMPT-140 is a standard hover AFV produced by the New Nigellian Confederation. It is based on a popular Human Intergalactic Federation design provided to its many colonial militia forces, and which was also supplied to exploration groups assigned to the Nigellian-sponsored and -overseen ‘studies’ of the Mechanoid homeworld. In the other universe of the Three Galaxies, the NNC has seen fit to shamelessly copy and modify the design for its own purposes and profit.
The design is rugged, easy to maintain in the field, and easy to operate. It is also fairly inexpensive as MBTs go. The HMPT is not without its shortcomings; it was designed for easy deployment with colonial forces and was hardly state of the art for Earth’s elite armed services. Even the upgraded HMPT-140 is slow and stodgy compared to prefered Borealian GEV designs, and the design is not particularly popular with Borealian troops. The placement of its main armament is another aspect of its design not in its favor; while the turret-mounted point defense has an excellent field of fire, the powerful main armament is fixed in the main hull, with a limited traverse. In order to point it, the entire tank must be pointed; easy enough to do with a hovervehicle, but problematic when traveling at speed or manuevering in close quarters. Another shortcoming is the lack of kinetic/projectile weaponry; the original designers felt that, despite the more complicated energy weapons, ammunition-free operation was more desirable than the punch of pojectile weaponry. Efforts to add kinetic weaponry to the HMPT-140 have had mixed success; most remove one or both of the energy weapons, either defanging the plasma cannon or removing the air defense. However, despite these flaws, the HMPT-140 is reliable and inexpensive to produce and operate, so it sees a lot of truck as a second-echelon combat unit and secuirty vehicle.
The NNC HMPT-140 is mainly produced as a garrison vehicle and is also supplied to NNC client-states and allies. An export variant, without the advanced fire control and sensor systems, is made available for sale.

Type: NNC HMPT-140
Class: Hover Tank
Crew: 3
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 660
Reinforced Crew Compartment 100
Plasma Cannon 200
Particle Beam Turret 180
Height: 3.2m (10.5 ft)
Width: 4.4 m (14.5 ft)
Length: 9.1 m (30 ft)
Weight: 75 tons
Cargo: Small space inside for crew’s survival packs, side arms, and a few personal possessions.
Powerplant: Nuclear Fusion w/ 20 year energy life
Speed: (Flying) Hover to 140 MPH, hovering 2-6 ft off the ground.
Market Cost: 35 million credits, but rarely available. The stripped-down export model sells for 30 million credits, and is more commonly available.
Systems of Note:
Standard Robot Systems, plus:
*Advanced Targeting(NNCAS version only)---This system gives the main armament a +1 to strike(+2 total), and the point defense PBCs a +4 to strike(+5 total).

*Advanced Sensors(NNCAS version only)
*Motion Detector--200 ft range
*Laser Illuminator-----9,000 ft range, designates targets for laser-guided munnitions/weapons
*Laser Targeting System(+1 to strike)
*Magnetometer---- Range: The magnetometer has a range of 4,000 ft and can detect vehicles and other metallic structures with 80% accuracy. Can detect active fusion powerplants and powered-up rail guns at TWICE normal range.
*Ground Radar----Range of 3,000 ft, and has a 90% chance of detecting metal-cased mines, 60% chance of detecting non-metallic ordinance.

Weapons Systems:
1) Heavy Plasma Cannon(1)---Mounted in the main hull is a large plasma cannon, fixed foward-firing with 60-degree elevation and 45-degree traverse capability. The mounting of the cannon requires the entire tank to turn to bring the weapon to bear, akin to old-fashioned tank destroyers and assault guns. NNC engineers haven’t been able to fix that problem(though an HMPT-150 variant with a larger turret able to accommodate the plasma weapon is supposedly in the works), but they have managed to replace the original weapon with a faster-recharging and firing projection system.
Range: 10,000 ft
Damage: 2d4x10+10 MD
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
Payload: Effectively Unlimited
Bonuses: +1 to strike
(Optional) Plasma Cannon Modifications:
NNC engineers have been experimenting, using technology acquired from other sources, to improve the effectiveness of the main gun:
-Plasma Scattershot---This modifies the cannon to fire a ‘shotgun’ blast of smaller plasma pulses that do less damage at shorter range, but cover an area of effect. Does 1d6x10 MD to a 25 ft wide area, maximum range 5,000 ft.
-Enhanced Plasma Emission---Also known as ‘Hotshotting’, this enhances the damage potential of the plasma by feeding enriched deuterium gas into the plasma chamber. This causes the plasma to burn hotter, doing 4d6x10 MD per blast. The liquified deuterium is stored in pressurized cryogen tanks in and on the aft hull, that provide enough remass for 60 supercharged shots.

2) Quad-Array Particle Beam Turret---Mounted above the plasma cannon is a fully rotating turret with a unique-design rotary particle beam cannon system. The NNC’s particle beam technology is arguably superior to most PBC systems in the Three Galaxies, so much so that the NNC uses them in point defense and air defense systems.
Range: 5,000 ft
Damage: 1d6x10 MD single blast, up to 4d6x10 MD for a full quad-shot burst.
Rate of Fire: EGCHH. Under computer control, it gets 4 attacks per melee(at +5 to strike)
Payload: Effectively Unlimited
Bonuses: As an air defense weapon, the quad-array gets a +4 to strike airborne targets.

Options:
*Missile Packs(1-2)---Unable to integrate additional weaponry into the hull, engineers have had to mount external ordnance packs on the sides of the lower hull. Typically each pod has 60 MDC, and can hold 12 mini-missiles, or 6 short range missiles, or 3 medium-range missiles each.

Variants:
With so many produced, the basic HMPT-140 has seen a number of variants, most simply using the hover chassis to create a variety of transports and specialized support vehicles.

*HMPT-140E---Export model without the advanced sensors or fire control; the plasma cannon gets NO bonus to strike(and maximum range is only 6,000 ft), while the P-turret gets only a +2 to strike and lacks the automated fire system. The -140E costs slightly less, at 30 million credits a unit.

*HMPT-140F---An even cheaper export variant, the F(“Frugal”) model does away with the nuclear powerplant entirely, and replaces it with a high efficiency fuel cell. This limits top speed to 60 MPH, and range to 400 miles before needing refueling/recharging. The main plasma cannon is subsequently reduced to using a battery with 200 shots, and the quad array 300 shots per barrel(1,200 shots total). HMPT-140F sells for 22 million credits( much cheaper than a TGE DarkSlayer) The overall price can be brought further down(by as much as another 30%) by removing the energy weapons and substituting a projectile cannon(roughly equivalent to the 200mm IH-B or the C-144 on the CS IAR-2 Abolisher, albeit with a 10,000 ft range) for the plasma gun, and rapid-fire rail guns for the particle beam quad-array. The HMPT-140F is not used by any NNC units or self-respecting affiliates, and the model is regarded rather cynically even by Nigellian salesmen as ‘chumpfodder’ for low-tech worlds. The Borellians, however, see it as a good moneymaker, and have dedicated a new production line on one of New Boreal’s moons to producing nothing but HMPT-140Fs for export to the Rim worlds.

*HMPT-140G---’Gunslinger’ variant, sporting a gauss cannon in place of the plasma cannon, tank-destroyer style. The rail gun has the advantage of ammunition versaility, but suffers from a dependence on ammunition. The rail gun has an effective range of 11,000 ft and does 2d6x10 MD per 20 rd burst. 4,000 rounds(200 bursts) are carried as standard.

Borealian Agakhan Assault Cannon
(aka ‘Devil’s Teapot’, ‘Hell Thrower’, ‘Borelian Battleram’)
(Based on Kevin Siembieda’s ‘ Boreallian Assault Cannon’ from the Mechanoid Invasion Trilogy)

“Say what you will about Borealian rent-a-warriors; when they bring their heavy armor to the field, it’s time to pull out and concede the battlefield to the war-rats.”

Described variously as a ‘lost warship turret’, a ‘flying furnace’, and a ‘floating pillbox’, the Borealian Assault Cannon concept is essentially a superheavy capital-ship-class weapons complement fitted with heavy protective armor, and carried by a contra-grav hover system. The Borealians have developed the concept into a multi-environment assault unit that is spacecraft-portable, air-deployable, and just plain mean to face in combat. The Agakhan 117 is the latest incarnation of this concept.
The Agakhan follows the general design of earlier models of Assault Cannons; a low-slung, ovoid hull of heavy armor, with a protruding ‘lip’ of heavy plates, with a pair of massive plasma cannons under them, protected by an undercladding of armor plate. The rear end of the ovoid sports a few blunt maneuvering fins/thrusters. A large round, fixed turret dominates the main hull, topped by a sensor/command cupola. Behind the cupola is the secondary weapons system; a particle beam cannon turret with full rotation, and which can be extended up about 5 ft for sniping from behind cover.
Everything about the Agakhan Assault Cannon is writ big; massive main armament, powerful secondary weapons, heavy armor, and high speed; many galactic observers have been taken by surprise by how fast the Agakhan is, and Borealian soldiers capitalize on that surprise when taking to the battlefield. The Assault Cannon can quickly close the distance in an engagement, or use its high speed to outmaneuver slower enemy units.
The main weapon of the Agakhan is a pair of heavy plasma cannons, mounted in fixed position low in the hull. Recent models of Borealian plasma weaponry have incorporated plasma ‘torpedo’ technology, wrapping the plasma in a rapid-decay magnetic ‘bubble’ that affords greater cohesion of the bolt over distance, allowing for greater range than in conventional plasma cannons.
The Agakhan also carries a squad of infantry or power armor as an adjutant force, deploying from armored hatches in the rear flanks. Typically, these soldiers deploy to act as an anti-infantry screen, enter close quarters where the Assault Cannon cannot safely go, and act as forward spotters and scouts in the field.
The Assault Cannon is also capable of operating quite ably in space and the Borealians frequently use them as space attack launches and defensive fighters for their larger ships. Though nowhere near as fast or agile in space combat as dedicated aerospace aerodyne craft, the Assault Cannon has more than adequate firepower, and its armor makes it unwise to ignore the craft as a viable defense system. In boarding actions, with a target vessel unable to run, an approaching squadron of Assault Cannons with boarding teams can very effectively neutralize a ship’s remaining defenses and take it by storm.
The most common complaint about the Agakhan, besides its high price tag per unit, is that it lacks adequate secondary weapons for dealing with light opposition, and ballistic weapons, such as missiles, for indirect fire. The Borealians contend that the onboard passenger capacity, when used to carry an attached infantry squad, or power armor team, provides the Agakhan with adequate close-in defense, but recently Agakhans have been sighted sporting field modifications such as rail guns, reactive armor flechette charges, and missile launchers. Design flaws include the fact that the massive Agakhan is difficult to maneuver in close quarters, such as urban settings and rough terrain, and the fixed, low-slung mounting of its main armament, rather than in a top-placed turret, means that the entire vehicle must turn to bring its most powerful armaments to bear.
Aforementioned flaws aside, the Agakhan remains the primary heavy armored fighting vehicle of the NNC, remains exclusive to their forces, and has gained a reputation for being damned near unstoppable on the battlefields of the Fringe.

Type: NC/B-ACMBT-200 ‘Agakhan’
Class: Heavy ContraGrav Battle Tank
Crew: 5, plus 1-10 passengers/infantry(or 4 power armors)
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 1,300
Reinforced Crew Compartment 400
Commander’s Cupola 300
Heavy Plasma Cannon(2) 300 each
Particle Beam Turret 180
Sensor/Communications Masts(2) 90 each

Height: 21 ft
Width: 38 ft
Length: 95 ft
Weight: 280 tons
Cargo: 4x4x5 ft interior space for gear and personal possessions
Powerplant: Nuclear fusion with 20 year energy life(the original BAC used a fission fuel-pellet system with an energy life of 72 hours between refuelings)
Speed:(Flying) Hover to 400 MPH, maximum altitude of 3,000 ft, and can make airborne drops from as high up as 30,000 ft.
(Underwater) Perfectly capable of operation under water; can move at 25 MPH, and dive to depths of 9,000 ft.
(Space) The Agakhan can maneuver in space quite ably, though it isn’t nearly as capable as a dedicated aerospace fighter; Mach 6.
(Kitsune Values: 20% of light speed; Accelerates/decelerates at 0.6% of light speed per melee)
Market Cost: A fully functional Agakhan unit would fetch 300 million credits or more on the galactic arms market; rarely available.
Systems of Note:
All Basic Robot Systems

Weapons Systems:
1) Heavy Plasma Cannon(2)---These massive plasma weapons are mounted in the forward, lower hull of the Assault Cannon, and are in a fixed forward firing position. The main criticism of these powerful weapons is that their mounting prevents firing if the craft loses hover capability or is otherwise grounded. A careless landing in soft ground can foul the main armaments, rendering them incapable of firing until cleaned out and serviced.
Range: 2 miles in atmosphere, 4 miles in space.
(Kitsune Values: 4 miles in atmosphere, 400 miles in space)
Damage: 1d4x100 MD per blast to 100 ft blast radius
Rate of Fire: Once per cannon every two melees(30 seconds)
Payload: Effectively unlimited

2) Twin-barrelled Particle Beam Cannon(2x1)----Twin-mount turret carrying two starfighter-grade particle beam cannons. The two cannons can independently target within a 45-degree arc, but they are typically synch-fired at the same target. The twin mount itself can rotate 360-degrees and can raise and lower 5 ft above the tank’s hull. They are typically used to engage fighters, missiles, power armors, and light vehicles.
Range: 1.5 miles
(Kitsune Values: 1.5 miles in atmosphere, miles in space)
Damage: 2d6x10 MD single blast, 4d6x10 MD double blast
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: Effectively unlimited

3) Infantry Squad----10 soldiers(in standard EBA), or 4 power armors, can be carried, and exit the tank from a hatch on the aft flanks.

Variants:
Aware of the Agakhan’s shortcomings, the Borealians have experimented with different variants of the basic vehicle, including adding supplementary light armaments( a light pulse laser in the cupola, and external box missile launchers---usually pods of 30 mini-missiles, common to the Persha Hover Skimmer APC, have also been seen in deployment---mounted on the sides of the hull). Another, dedicated attack, unit does away with the troop capacity and mounts a forcefield for additional protection(400 MDC)---despite the added shielding, this has proven unpopular with many armor crews, who prefer having the presence and utility of a screening squad.
Yet another recent variant mounts the quad-array particle beam turret off the HMPT-140 Hover Tank in place of the twin PBCs, trading range for accuracy and automated defense. This variant has proven somewhat more popular with crews.

Another model carries twin heavy rail guns in place of the plasma cannons, trading the energy attacks for customizable ammunition types and kinetic penetration, but this version has the same mounting limitations as the energy weapons, and limited payload. The weapons can rarely take advantage of their full range, however, as the low-slung positioning of the cannons requires the AFV to ‘heel up’ to fire ballistically, a posture that exposes the Agakhan’s underside plating and reduces its maneuverability.
Range: 6 miles in atmosphere, 12 miles in space
Damage: 1d4x100 MD per 40 round burst, can only fire bursts
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
Payload: 200 bursts per cannon.

Another, rarely seen, ‘special attack’ model mounts a quad-array of short range plasma cutters(doing 2d4x100 MD per full melee of cutting), and a full-hull refit of special refractory armor with underlying cooling systems(plasma and heat-based attacks only do 1/4 normal damage). This model was originally intended for use in attacking fortified moons and asteroids, tunneling through rock to bypass the heavily-defended surface installations to reach the inner levels. The variant has since also been adapted by Confederation engineers to build underground and asteroid base facilities.

Stealth-armored ‘dark’ variants are also rumored to exist/be in development, but the exact specifications have not been confirmed.
-------------
"Trouble rather the Tiger in his Lair,
Than the Sage among his Books,
For all the Empires and Kingdoms,
The Armies and Works that you hold Dear,
Are to him but the Playthings of the Moment,
To be turned over with the Flick of a Finger,
And the Turning of a Page"

--------Rudyard Kipling
------------
User avatar
The Oh So Amazing Nate
Hero
Posts: 1455
Joined: Tue Oct 02, 2007 1:29 am
Location: West Central region of Indiana

Re: Random Interstellar Empires/Star Kingdoms

Unread post by The Oh So Amazing Nate »

Who or what are the Nigellians (hehe Nigel quite the posh, upper crust, space beings I presume)? What do they look like etc. ?
Look upon me and tremble ye masses. For I am The Necroposter!
keir451 wrote:Amazing Nate; Thanks for your support!

Razzinold wrote:And the award for best witty retort to someone reporting a minor vehicular collision goes to:
The Oh So Amazing Nate!

Nate, you sir win the internet for today! You've definitely earned the "oh so amazing" part of your name today. :lol:
User avatar
taalismn
Priest
Posts: 47909
Joined: Tue Sep 02, 2003 8:19 pm
Location: Somewhere between Heaven, Hell, and New England

Re: Random Interstellar Empires/Star Kingdoms

Unread post by taalismn »

The Oh So Amazing Nate wrote:Who or what are the Nigellians (hehe Nigel quite the posh, upper crust, space beings I presume)? What do they look like etc. ?


The Nigellians are from Kevin Siembda's original 'Mechanoid Trology', his first published RPG...they show up in the third 'open space' part of the Trilogy. KS was just starting to feel his way into universe creation, so the MT suffered from low page count, low fluff, scrambled layout, and wild figures(one of the great things about the emergence of the internet is the ability to do quick research on, for example, comparisons of contemporary vessel sizes, masses, and relative payloads).
The Nigellians are humanoids with simian features, especially ape-like facial features. They're statted out as being faster and more agile than regular humans. They're technologically advanced and they seem to have reps as wheelers and dealers in the Galactic Black Market, which can be interpreted to mean they're into smuggling, tech-banditry, and piracy. In the MT, they're one of the, if not THE, big contractors and parties engaged in exploring and scavenging the apparently abandoned Mechanoid homeworld. They're the top dogs in the Nigellian Confederation, through a combination of smooth-talking, partnership-building in the face of big danger and potential profit(both being the Mechanoids).
I see them as high-end cyberpunk eurotrash-elite. They're smooth talkers, but they make their real money through seamier businesses, strong arm tactics, industrial espionage, and occasionally cutting throats. Organized crime as opposed to streetgang barbarity.

I'll be tackling re-imaginings of some of KS's MT spacecraft next...those require a bit more work(again, I refer to the aforementioned size-to-mass-to-payload ratios), but some of his early designs have odd promise, and some of his early art conjures a unique design aesthetic that I may attempt to incorporate into new art.
Call it homage-work.
-------------
"Trouble rather the Tiger in his Lair,
Than the Sage among his Books,
For all the Empires and Kingdoms,
The Armies and Works that you hold Dear,
Are to him but the Playthings of the Moment,
To be turned over with the Flick of a Finger,
And the Turning of a Page"

--------Rudyard Kipling
------------
gaby
Knight
Posts: 4340
Joined: Fri Jan 03, 2003 2:01 am
Location: Québec

Re: Random Interstellar Empires/Star Kingdoms

Unread post by gaby »

Good idea,each race will have ther own spin to tech.
User avatar
taalismn
Priest
Posts: 47909
Joined: Tue Sep 02, 2003 8:19 pm
Location: Somewhere between Heaven, Hell, and New England

Re: Random Interstellar Empires/Star Kingdoms

Unread post by taalismn »

Actually, in the original MT, only the Nigellians and the Borealians are shown to be producing ships. The Gendo produce drives, and presumably other components, but the Monkeys and the Apes are the main(and only published) shipbuilders(the Ostroc are too low IQ, and the Psi-Warpers and Cybomen are ex-mechanoid slave species with no real industry of their own...Humans are offcamera entirely and the only Human MT spaceships are suborbital shuttles), so I'm NOT going to be rewriting the Mechanoids Trilogy for the sake of expanding on each and every species(just correcting what I see as the lacking parts in already-published/presented material).
-------------
"Trouble rather the Tiger in his Lair,
Than the Sage among his Books,
For all the Empires and Kingdoms,
The Armies and Works that you hold Dear,
Are to him but the Playthings of the Moment,
To be turned over with the Flick of a Finger,
And the Turning of a Page"

--------Rudyard Kipling
------------
User avatar
glitterboy2098
Rifts® Trivia Master
Posts: 13319
Joined: Wed Aug 06, 2003 3:37 pm
Location: Missouri
Contact:

Re: Random Interstellar Empires/Star Kingdoms

Unread post by glitterboy2098 »

to be honest.. the Nigellians look like they might be distant relatives to the Kittani.
Author of Rifts: Deep Frontier (Rifter 70)
Author of Rifts:Scandinavia (current project)
Image
* All fantasy should have a solid base in reality.
* Good sense about trivialities is better than nonsense about things that matter.

-Max Beerbohm
Visit my Website
User avatar
taalismn
Priest
Posts: 47909
Joined: Tue Sep 02, 2003 8:19 pm
Location: Somewhere between Heaven, Hell, and New England

Re: Random Interstellar Empires/Star Kingdoms

Unread post by taalismn »

glitterboy2098 wrote:to be honest.. the Nigellians look like they might be distant relatives to the Kittani.



Nah...more like some of the ape-aliens in Aliens Unlimited. Nigellian skulls lack any sign of the bigheaded boniness that would mark being along the lines of Kittani development.
Nigellian Reaper armor, however, DOES show early KS artistic predisposition towards skeletal-themed armor(proto-Coalition even back then?).
-------------
"Trouble rather the Tiger in his Lair,
Than the Sage among his Books,
For all the Empires and Kingdoms,
The Armies and Works that you hold Dear,
Are to him but the Playthings of the Moment,
To be turned over with the Flick of a Finger,
And the Turning of a Page"

--------Rudyard Kipling
------------
gaby
Knight
Posts: 4340
Joined: Fri Jan 03, 2003 2:01 am
Location: Québec

Re: Random Interstellar Empires/Star Kingdoms

Unread post by gaby »

Great,Hope to see more.
User avatar
taalismn
Priest
Posts: 47909
Joined: Tue Sep 02, 2003 8:19 pm
Location: Somewhere between Heaven, Hell, and New England

Re: Random Interstellar Empires/Star Kingdoms

Unread post by taalismn »

You could always try your hand at creating and submitting your own new material. That's always welcome. The charts and tables are there to give you the basics, and all you need to pour in your own imagination to fill in the gaps.
-------------
"Trouble rather the Tiger in his Lair,
Than the Sage among his Books,
For all the Empires and Kingdoms,
The Armies and Works that you hold Dear,
Are to him but the Playthings of the Moment,
To be turned over with the Flick of a Finger,
And the Turning of a Page"

--------Rudyard Kipling
------------
User avatar
glitterboy2098
Rifts® Trivia Master
Posts: 13319
Joined: Wed Aug 06, 2003 3:37 pm
Location: Missouri
Contact:

Re: Random Interstellar Empires/Star Kingdoms

Unread post by glitterboy2098 »

taalismn wrote:Dadalane Jihad(Thundercloud)

“Why should we lower our heads, roll our bellies, and show our throats to hairless apes, guilt-shocked stick-brains, and soul-dead reptiles? The galaxy is our star-forest, and our pack should rule it as our own, not labor for others who would blunt us and restrain us! Let them be tamed to our cause, and accommodate THEIR society to our own, not the other way around!”


annoyingly, this group has a few similarities (mainly in origins) to one of the groups i was going to put in my Enders Cluster sub-setting.. a nation of Wolfen, refugee-colonists that left to rebuild their sovereignty rather than accept being absorbed into either the CCW or the TGE. with three galaxies level tech they'd be the "big wolves on the block" even with only a few worlds and a small navy. (imagine dropping TNG level star trek stuff into BSG/young races babylon 5 level..)

i might make them a 'moderate' splinter group to the Jihad.. common origins but the Jihadists decided it was better to be the Pirate-kings, while the 'new republic' colonial faction decided to find an out of the way spot to plant the core of a reborn nation.
Author of Rifts: Deep Frontier (Rifter 70)
Author of Rifts:Scandinavia (current project)
Image
* All fantasy should have a solid base in reality.
* Good sense about trivialities is better than nonsense about things that matter.

-Max Beerbohm
Visit my Website
User avatar
taalismn
Priest
Posts: 47909
Joined: Tue Sep 02, 2003 8:19 pm
Location: Somewhere between Heaven, Hell, and New England

Re: Random Interstellar Empires/Star Kingdoms

Unread post by taalismn »

glitterboy2098 wrote:
taalismn wrote:Dadalane Jihad(Thundercloud)

“Why should we lower our heads, roll our bellies, and show our throats to hairless apes, guilt-shocked stick-brains, and soul-dead reptiles? The galaxy is our star-forest, and our pack should rule it as our own, not labor for others who would blunt us and restrain us! Let them be tamed to our cause, and accommodate THEIR society to our own, not the other way around!”


annoyingly, this group has a few similarities (mainly in origins) to one of the groups i was going to put in my Enders Cluster sub-setting.. a nation of Wolfen, refugee-colonists that left to rebuild their sovereignty rather than accept being absorbed into either the CCW or the TGE. with three galaxies level tech they'd be the "big wolves on the block" even with only a few worlds and a small navy. (imagine dropping TNG level star trek stuff into BSG/young races babylon 5 level..)

i might make them a 'moderate' splinter group to the Jihad.. common origins but the Jihadists decided it was better to be the Pirate-kings, while the 'new republic' colonial faction decided to find an out of the way spot to plant the core of a reborn nation.



Could be entirely possible....The starfaring Wulfen species may have had cycles of moderation and expansion driven by various means, regimes, and fad philosophies, so if you're not entirely happy tying the Jihad to the EC in some way, they may have been just one of several(or many) groups that didn't like the way the mainstream Wulfen socirty was going and either voluntarily, or in voluntarily, struck out on their own. Of course, after seeing the way the TGE rolled up the Wulfen main cultures, many of these splinters may be congratulating themselves on their wisdom in leaving and/or cheering that the mainstreamers 'got what they deserved'.
-------------
"Trouble rather the Tiger in his Lair,
Than the Sage among his Books,
For all the Empires and Kingdoms,
The Armies and Works that you hold Dear,
Are to him but the Playthings of the Moment,
To be turned over with the Flick of a Finger,
And the Turning of a Page"

--------Rudyard Kipling
------------
User avatar
taalismn
Priest
Posts: 47909
Joined: Tue Sep 02, 2003 8:19 pm
Location: Somewhere between Heaven, Hell, and New England

Re: Random Interstellar Empires/Star Kingdoms

Unread post by taalismn »

Acalian Genanarchy(Anvil Galaxy)
“The Genanarchy may be a small to middling-strength local power, but their code of honor gives them a fanaticism that’s telling in both ways. After they mistakenly attacked one of our heavily escorted humanitarian aid convoys for being too near their space and looking too much like pirates, ...and they fought viciously, doing some real damage to our flotilla...The next thing we know is that the district high official who ordered the attack showed up at our nearest embassy, in chains and offering their head in apology for the mistake. When we reported this to the Acalians’ representatives at THEIR embassy, they told us we were free to do with the ex-official as we wished; they’d already been declared dead, their name expunged from their records. Solitary confinement, hard labor, enslavement, execution, coerced suicide, didn’t matter what we did to them; as far as the Acalians were concerned, a blood-apology was paid, and would we be interested in formal relations to avoid future misunderstanding? And the scary thing? The expunged official was all right with it...whatever we decided, they were going along with it. All that mattered that they’d sacrified everything they were to salve over their mistake. I understand now that the whole mindset arose from their efforts to stop their ethnic feuds from starting never-ending cycles of reprisals, but at the time it threw us for a loop of our own. Fortunately the diplomats worked out a deal sending the Acalians’ sacrificial lamb to work on one of the farm colonies that were supplying the aid convoys, so a certain poetic justice was done. Near thing too, we’ve heard that a lot of offenses under the Acalians’ code of honor can result in ritual suicide. Doesn’t make dealing with the Acalians any easier, though, for fear of either insulting them or making them think they insulted US over some petty thing.”
----Valt Garm, Sector Manager, Aegis Stellar Industries(Anvil Galaxy Branch)

Arch-Dion F’nesi Ayadynne smiled a vicious predatory grin. That fool Dion-Lady F’dem Alesan---no, it was FORMER Lady now, had played her role as sacrificial animal in chaining and offering HERSELF up to the opposition. Whatever embarrassment her political party had suffered due to the Regional Guards’ blundering actions under their direction, and the humbling of one of their own, F’dem had paid for with her life...and, in doing so, had shielded F’nesi from further blame and calls for disciplinary action. She resolved to think more charitably of her former rival and subordinate for that alone, having now received confirmation of the latter’s execution. More importantly, she could return her focus to positioning herself and her fellow an’neists to acquire more influence over the Regional Congress. Then they could more openly advocate stronger measures be taken against the growing armed disident movements in the neighboring L’now systems. There would be no more apologizing to the outsiders after the anneisi were firmly in power.

The Genanarchy is a small star kingdom founded on the terrestrial planet Acalia, and the system government is the result of a union of the two major ethnicities of the world, who had been engaged in bitter internicine fighting for centuries.
The Acalian Genanarchy is characterized by a massive and strict social code of honor and obligation that was necessitated by the viciousness of the previous civil wars. The Acalex combines Calen concepts of honor and obligation with Banisan absolutism and sacrifice. The Acalex was forced upon the Acalians by the realization that they had acquired, in the course of their bitter ethnic wars, the means to destroy not only BOTH groups, but the entire Acalian people. Also, contact with non-Acalian sentient life cued both powerblocs to the dangers of other threats outside their petty global conflicts. A strict social order of laws and punishments was imposed to unify the Acalian factions and weld them into a more effective force to deter outside aggressors from swooping down on the Acalians and destroying them all.
Each level of society is bound by a litany of honor and social obligations, and those who rise to a new level of society are expected to thoroughly learn the codes and obligations of their new social station. Failure to follow these codes can result in severe penalties; imprisionment, forced indentureship, even death, can be demanded under the Acalex code. To fail to follow Acalex code is to court loss of face and disgrace, and even total ostracism. In the tight-knit society of the Genanarchy, such can be regarded as worse than death, and many offenders enforce the code on themselves, even to the point of ritual suicide, rather than face permanent tainting of their personal honor.
The Acalex can seem to outsiders to be an oppressive, cold, dispassionate system of beliefs that unfairly treats the Acalian people, but it has quelled the bitter feuding of the past and successfully integrated the Calen and Banis together. The Acalians can come off as hopelessly mired and hobbled by the demands of the codes of social etiquette, personal honor, and class obligation, but they hold to their word, remember debts, and repay their obligations. Gaming the Acalex has also replaced wider ethnic blood feuds; political maneuvering and the use of ‘honor-traps’ to neutralize or outright eliminate personal opponents make navigating the Genanarchy socio-political system all the more frustrating and dangerous for outsiders.
The Genanarchy is currently at a crossroads; they are seeking to consolidate their worlds against possible outside threats, but are also seeking allies. Recent piracy problems have led to a number of incidents along the Genanarchy’s borders, as their military forces have been quick to push the boundaries in pursuit of the pirates and been rather quick to shoot at anything that looks threatening. This has led to several incidents where outsider ships have been fired upon or boarded by over-zealous commanders suspecting pirate activity. Several disident movements also known to have set up enclaves on worlds in neighboring sectors, and advocating violent resistance to Genanarchy rule have also led to increased tensions along the borders, as the Genanarchy has taken a harsher stance towards foreign governments suspected of cozening the rebels.

A. Size
Small, 5 star systems, three of which hold habitable worlds, another two holding worlds habitable with some terraforming. There is some talk about the Acalians using their nanotechnology to speed terraforming, but are holding off until they can safely test the technology and not trigger an uncontrollable ‘grey goo’ situation. The Acalians also lay claim to another 3 desert systems, but have no real presence there aside from small scientific outposts or listening stations.
B. History
Newcomers---The Acalians may have been one of the worlds seeded by the ancient ‘Palladites’, an enigmatic culture that seemed to favor introducing a mix of humanoid stock species such as humans, elves, dwarves, ogres, wulfen, ratlings, goblins, and the like to terrestrial environs.
C. Level of Technological Sophistication
Advanced Space Age---The Acalians are only two or three generations behind powers like the Golgans, but their technology can still pose a threat to less developed groups.
D. General Attitude/Culture
Warriors--- The Acalians follow a paramilitary credo born of their long centuries of fighting each other, Now, though, their sights are settled outward, rather than inward. Some xenosociologists see parallels between Acalian culture and the samurai culture of pre-Rifts Earth.
Though not overtly xenophobic, most Acalians still have a generally low regard of non-Acalians, seeing them variously as meddlesome, honorless, overly-inquisitive, or just plain in the way of Acalian ambitions. This, despite the fact that much of their starfaring technology was acquired from outside sources.
E. Racial Composition
Variant (Elves)---The Acalians are dominated by two major ethnic groups, the Calen(characterized by fair skin and hair, slender builds, and small pointed ears), and the Banis(darker complexion, more angular features, larger ears, and generally stockier, more muscular builds). A number of other minor ethnic groups also exist in their population, but are relatively powerless compared to the Calen and Banis.
F. Government
Hierarchy---The Acalians have a strict hierarchy based on the merged aristocractic structures of both the Celan and Banis nations. The whole is ruled over by an Acalexian Council made up of the highest-rank aristocrats. Blood ties can still facilitate movement up the hierarchal ladder, but personal achievement is increasingly possible as a means of advancing socially. The almost byzantine complexities of social code for each tier of society make this rather harder than one might think, however, (hopefully) providing checks and balances against success by unethical means. Social climbers are encouraged to seek mentors and facilitators across ethnic and social lines to help them ‘learn the ropes’ of each successive level of social advancement. In practice, though, it means that the diehard power-mongers have learned to game the system by more subtle and elaborate means.
G. Administrative Control
Draconian----Necessitated by the troubles of the past, the restrictive government controls and strict enforcement of the tenents of the Acalex mean that little happens in their society that everybody else doesn’t quickly know about, and the laws enforced.
H. External Trade
Manufacturing---Heavy industry, mainly run by the Banis clans, dominates most of the Genanarchy external trade.
H1. Commodities
Exports:
*Nanotechnology---Despite having a culture that still uses swords as personal weapons, the Acalians are accomplished nanotechnologists. They trade in industrial nanotech for materials processing and purification(including bio-remediation), but also sell their own versions of IRMSS medical kits and personal care nanotech. There’s also rumored to be a black market trade in malnano developed originally during their centuries-long civil wars(and the prolification of which helped force the adoption of the Acalex).
Imports:
*Robotics----The Genanarchy has had little truck with LARGER robots, and so is interested in the state of the art of larger industrial and military robotics. Power armors and robots, like Northern Gun, would be surefire sellers to the Genanarchy.

I. Status
Stagnant---Despite a stabilization of societal tensions, the real challenge that faces the Acalians is how to proceed next. The militant camps in the Genanarchy are debating over whether to effectively ‘fort up’ their borders against outsiders(the Forge War is heating up in their sector of the galaxy) or aggressively expand, seizing additional worlds and maybe even export the influence of the Acalex to other cultures. A growing number of pirates(some, being unrepentant Acalex-shirkers of Acalian birth, call themselves ‘freedom fighters’), some of them based in neighboring star kingdoms, are only exacerbating the tensions with the Acalians’ neighbors, and leading to grumbles of discontent, and even xenophobia, amongst the warrior classes.
-------------
"Trouble rather the Tiger in his Lair,
Than the Sage among his Books,
For all the Empires and Kingdoms,
The Armies and Works that you hold Dear,
Are to him but the Playthings of the Moment,
To be turned over with the Flick of a Finger,
And the Turning of a Page"

--------Rudyard Kipling
------------
User avatar
taalismn
Priest
Posts: 47909
Joined: Tue Sep 02, 2003 8:19 pm
Location: Somewhere between Heaven, Hell, and New England

Re: Random Interstellar Empires/Star Kingdoms

Unread post by taalismn »

What of PS/GNE founded a star-nation?

United Systems Alliance(USA)

“The USA is just big enough to have some substance, sophisticated enough to have some idealistic ambitions, small enough to lack the wasteful overspending habits of larger star nations, and the wisdom to realize that they’re not the biggest dog in the neighborhood. Which one of those four attributes will break down first is a matter of conjecture and no small amount of betting in the circles of society-watchers.”

“The USA apparently believes in getting involved in a number of low-tech skirmishes and interventions....probably going on the idea that if they help the locals deal with a particular problem, they can leverage it into **** of recruits and access to resources from the grateful locals later. That might work, but it might backfire bad on them if they get tangled in too many little brush wars, or if the other side in a trench fight gets support from somebody bigger than the USA...like the TGE or worse looking to fight a proxy war. They’re going to have to be REAL careful to avoid getting trapped in something like that.”

“Consider us an economic alternative to the stuffy bureaucracy of the you-know-who. No established cartels, no protectionist trade policies, no rigged bidding...just straight service and quality for your money.”

“They irresponsibly give high technology and immigration capability to peoples who couldn’t manage their own homeworlds! They’re another T’zee crisis in the making! Or Chor’ii for that matter!!!”
“They’re accepting a lot of refugees that the Consortium isn’t dealing with. And their extradimensional capbilities, although not as extensive as Phaseworld’s, still gives them some serious access to territory we don’t. The Alliance is quietly building up some good clout with humanitarian groups, and a loyal following in numbers we’re not able to see. That’s what I’d be more concerned about.”
---Overheard at a CCW diplomatic event

“So you’re ‘Speece Americuh!’. Dull, drab, loud, bossy and armed to the teeth?”
“So you’re from another Earth analogue world, huh? Have another cheeseburger and free wifi, and stay where you aren’t scaring the small animals.”


The United Systems Alliance is a misnomer in many respects; it’s actually more of a confederation or loose military-economic union of planetary nations and only a few wholly unified solar systems. The USA is an outgrowth of the trade- and mutual-defense pact Alliance founded by Rifts-Earth Greater New England, and it is that latter nation-state which provides much of the texture and attitude to the USA. Many of the planetary members are in fact fairly lightly settled worlds that were colonized by refugees assisted off Rifts Earth by the GNE, corporate colonies set up to exploit local resources, or are national ‘redoubts’ settled by other city/nation-states in the Alliance as insurance against their homelands on Rifts Earth ever falling to the Coalition States or some other threat. Others are colonies that tried to ‘go it alone’ from the CCW or othere star nations, but have found themselves needing an extra hand surviving. A few nominal or notional members of the USA are star-nations in their own right, and provide economic stiffening and even some military assistance to the Alliance.
As one might suspect, the USA has a strong North American flavor to its culture. GNE soldiers provide the most visible aspect of their military. The USA’s insignia is the American flag-based ‘storm banner’ with thirteen red and white stripes, and a galactic whorl in the corner.
The USA has strong relations with the CTRL(Corianus-Typhen-Rosette League) and WZTechyards(who provides many of the USA’s heavier starships), as well as the Independent Rim Alliance. They have good relations with the Shemarrian Star Nation, and have reached out to a number of other star nations(such as the nascent World League of Ser-Chai, the Celsian Primarchy, Kamasauni Stellar Coalition, Cisen-Adeta Republic, Botwani Union and the Trevis Collective ) who have signed, at the least, trade treaties.
For their part, Three Galaxies nations like the CCW and TGE regard the USA as a paper tiger, even with their cross-dimensional aspects factored in. The USA simply lacks the necessary manpower and massive logistics necessary to challenge the Great Powers on either offense or defense, though they might, it is acknowledged, bloody a few noses in local fighting. The CCW tolerates USA overlap in their territory in part because the USA espouses many similar policies, and their mutual defense treaties and convoy escorts mean that the CAF doesn’t have to stretch its resources in the same sectors that the USA operates. In CCW space, the USA operates much like a more species-inclusive and tech-liberal version of the Human Alliance, moving, trading, and recruiting freely as long as it obeys the CCW laws, doesn’t disrupt the galactic economy, and doesn’t involve the CCW in any wars. Some within the CCW and UWW are, in fact, cultivating contacts in the USA for their knowledge of other powers with interdimensional links, such as the Splugorth, so for now the USA is allowed to recruit new members along the borders of CCW space.
Occasionally, with regards to its activities in the Thundercloud Galaxy, the USA has been accused of ‘claim-jumping’, grabbing prospective new colony worlds with an eye towards later selling access to later arrivals. It has also been accused of ‘poaching’ worlds, as in USA-associated actions around New Vita Colony and Vivisanda, the former being a world that was ‘snatched’ from a colonial development group, and the latter being a slowboat colony being armed against Golgan takeover. So far, however, while complaints have been made, no real legal action has been moved against the Alliance.

A. Size
Large; claims about 110 associated worlds, but many of these worlds are barely above self-sufficiency levels, many are nominally affiliated with other organizations as well, and some exist outside the Three Galaxies/universe altogether. Has also laid claim to several dozen fallow worlds in the Thundercloud Galaxy.
B. History
Newcomers; effectively an outgrowth of corporate networking and trade dealing.
C. Level of Technological Sophistication
Galactic Age; about one or two generations behind the CCW, and Golgan top-line units. WZTechyards and Aegis Stellar Industries are the two largest common spacecraft manufacturers currently linking the USA worlds and helping members upgrade.
D. General Attitude/Culture
Enlightened Expansionists eager to increase their influence through trade and mutual security.
E. Racial Composition
70% human, but even that is checkered with gene-augs, offshoot septs, and mutants. The USA is an equal opportunity recruiter.
F. Government
Loose confederation of multiple member states and corporate organizations.
G. Administrative Control
Loose---Members run their own affairs and conduct their own diplomatic business, but subscribe to a common commonsense Bill of Rights and contribute to shared defense, be it active troops and aerospace assets, or basing privileges.
H. External Trade
*Raw Materials----While general trade is the blood of the USA, most of the commerce is in raw materials to feed the industrialized members to produce goods for the less well-off members, or to buy from outside concerns.
H1. Commodities
Exports: Raw Materials----The USA mainly taps into the potential resources of its members to sell to the more populous and industrialized star nations.
Imports: High Tech----Most of what the USA buys is what it can’t produce for itself; cutting edge technologies to improve their own position and quality of life.
I. Status
Ascendant; especially in the rim territories and the Thundercloud where a great number of struggling colonies are potential members. Also known to recruit heavily from ‘hellworlds’ where overpopulation and ecological collapse has led to desperation. The USA then uses its advanced(by member state standards) to help uplift them or develop offworld habitats.

Sample USA Worlds/Conflict Zones
*Harrisar----Human-populated Earth-analogue world that is facing imminent ecological collapse, overpopulation, and resource depletion. Lack of ability to economically travel offworld meant that global extinction was likely. Harrisar was beginning to institute what was effectively cannibalism to keep feeding the population when GNE explorers found it. The USA has cautiously begun working with the Harrisar government to drain off excess population to settle other worlds, institute austerity measures at home, and work to rebuild the planet’s ecosystem. Because many of the immigrants from Harrisar are unskilled and under-educated, many critics of the USA agreements with Harrisar argue that the immigrants are being used as ‘cannon fodder’, pointing out that many will likely die within months of resettlement, or end up as conscripts in the USA’s colonial military. Harrisar ‘hardknocks’ would tend to disagree, feeling that they’ve been afforded a chance that didn’t exist before.

*Ferendao---Ferendao is a human-populated world apparently settled during the ancient Unknown Disaporas(wherein multiple worlds were settled by Rift-gated populations ). Ferendao was at a late 21st century(pre Rifts, pre-Golden Age) stage of development when several despotic regimes used bioweaponry to annihilate the one working democracy on the planet opposing them, then enslaved the survivors. The USA has taken the incident to break any ‘non-interference in local civil affairs’ to invade Ferendao, declare the former democracy’s territory a protectorate and resettle it with offworld volunteers from the more heavily populated of the Alliance‘s other worlds.
-------------
"Trouble rather the Tiger in his Lair,
Than the Sage among his Books,
For all the Empires and Kingdoms,
The Armies and Works that you hold Dear,
Are to him but the Playthings of the Moment,
To be turned over with the Flick of a Finger,
And the Turning of a Page"

--------Rudyard Kipling
------------
gaby
Knight
Posts: 4340
Joined: Fri Jan 03, 2003 2:01 am
Location: Québec

Re: Random Interstellar Empires/Star Kingdoms

Unread post by gaby »

Another Great One,Any chance you send your next idea to Rifter.
ther only a handfull of Phase world,s info in Rifters,I hope you and other do.
User avatar
taalismn
Priest
Posts: 47909
Joined: Tue Sep 02, 2003 8:19 pm
Location: Somewhere between Heaven, Hell, and New England

Re: Random Interstellar Empires/Star Kingdoms

Unread post by taalismn »

But then you'd have to pay(for a subscription) to read it, rather than read it for free here.
Besides, I'm sure Palladium gets plenty of Rifter submissions, but they have to choose quality submissions, and balance each issue so they don't neglect much of their product lines and cater to their player/fan base(unless they're doing a themed issue).

In the meantime, there are plenty of available online tools, both here and elsewhere on the web, that will allow you to create multiple worlds to your heart's content. It just takes a little time, imagination and a little effort on your part to bridge the gaps between those tools. Practice and exercise your inner creativity.
-------------
"Trouble rather the Tiger in his Lair,
Than the Sage among his Books,
For all the Empires and Kingdoms,
The Armies and Works that you hold Dear,
Are to him but the Playthings of the Moment,
To be turned over with the Flick of a Finger,
And the Turning of a Page"

--------Rudyard Kipling
------------
User avatar
taalismn
Priest
Posts: 47909
Joined: Tue Sep 02, 2003 8:19 pm
Location: Somewhere between Heaven, Hell, and New England

Re: Random Interstellar Empires/Star Kingdoms

Unread post by taalismn »

Kasenti Stellanion(Anvil Galaxy)

“The Queen’s made an outsider one of the peerage, made a former pirate a vice-admiral, and has cracked down on a dozen Great Houses for supporting that alien monstrosity that tried to take over. Some of the old guard who were unconvinced of the Dark God’s existence are now convinced the Queen’s going to sell out the nation in exchange for her remaining in power. Others are convinced it’s just the first step in the Queen becoming an absolute tyrant; that she’s either going to abolish the indentureships and free all the slaves in return for sworn loyalty to her, or that she’s going to clap chains on all the Houses and Guilds. Ironic, that, if in the process of dismantling one coup attempt, the Queen doesn’t engender a few more against her.”
---Aisho Kennet, Galactic Political Analyst and Correspondent, Network Omni News

“There was more to that damn plot than just a palace coup. What I’m reading between the lines is that alien monstrousity was setting up to attempt to create a catastrophe situation, which would have been easier to do if it had control of the regional government, that would cause a spike in ambient mana levels where it wanted them. It and its agents would be in a position to establish first use of the metapsychic energy pouring in, and use it to solidify its control, and push the body count higher, and drive up the rift distortion even more. The Queen’s government has little idea of what the thing’s blueprint was, but a few of the brighter scholars with Old Knowledge are sure to have figured out, and there’s sure to be enemy operatives out there that also know, and who escaped the purges this sort of thing reeks of Dark Coven. They might still try to pull off a rift-surge one way or another. We need people in the Stellanion who know what to look out for, and who can train the local do-gooders what to do; fortunately this newly formed House Skaren gives us a way in. Get me a few ‘financial advisors’ and ‘trade agents’, preferably from this guy’s home sector, that we can get stationed on his properties. Invite the CWW boys and girls in too; Skaren’s one of their boys, right? Get me a list of people you can trust with this sort of thing, and who look inconspicious, and we’ll plan on paying a visit the Kasenti Sector by the end of the month and do some dealing.”
---Sub-Director Skeewal Rennsir, Bureau Osiris, Benal Armature, United Worlds of Warlock

The Kasenti Stellanion is a small star kingdom nominally allied to the United Worlds of Warlock, but distant enough from the mainstream UWW worlds that the Kasenti are basically on their own for most things, and run their own affairs. Recent events, however, have drawn the Stellanion back closer into contact with the rest of the universe.
The Stellanion has been dominated in its politics by a constant tug of war between a monarchy and the array of hereditary dynastic Houses and Great Houses that control most of the economy. The Houses also feud with each other, sometimes to a war-like degree(with industrial espionage and even assassinations), but such feuds have tended to be focused, rather than boiling over into larger conflicts.
Chattel slavery is legal in the Stellanion, but only applies to native-born Kasenti; the practice is regarded as a traditional means of dealing with debts and House feuds(family members may be sold off to pay dents or as punishment for crimes). However, the practice has drawn a fair amount of criticism from outsiders. As long as the Kasenti do not abuse their indentured servants or enslave outsiders, though, the UWW can’t interfere with Stellanion social policy.
Recently, the Stellanion has been shaken up by the revelation that the kingdom’s leadership had been infiltrated and unduly influenced by an alien intelligence posing as one of the Kasentis’ traditional ancient gods. The malign alien intelligence was moving to take even greater control when it was slain by a mixed group of outsiders, commoners, and misfits, preventing a larger conflict from breaking out. In the aftermath of the demise of the alien puppetmaster, there has been much reshuffling of power as several noble Houses have collapsed, been dissolved, or have torn themselves apart, and a number of commoners raised by royal decree to the peerage. Some of the nobles have not gone quietly, and a number of dissident groups have tried to push for more radical social reform, so tensions remain high in some quarters of the Stellanion. Queen Trisalas is seen as playing a hard game with her reforms, empowering more than a few commoners who will doubtlessly be loyal to her, to fill the gaps made by all the disgraced and disbanded clans and reformed guilds. But even with many of the nobility and Greater Houses supporting many of her choices, there’s more than a few old guard and proletariat types who see, respectively, an attempt to pay off personal supporters, or to avoid more sweeping reforms. Queen Tisala’s raising of several outsiders to New House status, in particular, has drawn some criticism from the more conservative elements, while others see it as an attempt to cultivate alliances outside the Stellanion(and thus undermine Kasinte independence and neutrality). Her building a more powerful military answerable to the throne also concerns many, both because and in spite of the crackdowns on those involved with the attempted coup.

A. Size
Modest---11 systems, though most of the population is concentrated in three systems and the terrestrial planets in them. Several of the other systems have habitable terrestrial or near-terrestrial planets and moons in them, but these territories are either under private or crown control and have not been openned to wider colonization(another bone of contention between the Houses and the working classes).
Magic is unevenly distributed through the worlds of the Stellanion, with prime regions of high ambient magic being prime real estate. Some regions and nexi have been under the control of guilds and High Families for centuries and generations. New nexi and wellsprings of magic PPE are closely guarded and even concealed by organizations and clans(one of Queen Trisalas’ new reform measures in the wake of the attempted takeover of the Stellanion by the alien intelligence has been a ruling requiring the declaration and registration of ALL magic nexi and foci regions).

B. History
Splinter of part of the UWW. The Stellanion was founded by an offshoot of Alfheim’s ancient society. According to legend, apparently a number of elven sects unhappy with the influence of either the Asgardian or modern-day ‘star elves’, decided to leave and settle elsewhere. The Stellanion was one of these dissident migrations.

C. Level of Technological Sophistication
Mature Space Age. The bulk of trade and travel within the Stellanion is carried out by native-built FTL designs(slow and primitive by CCW standards), but the Queen has initiated trade with outside sources, acquiring more modern starships from the UWW and WZTechyards.
The Stellanion has a number of magic technologies all its own, including a psychic FTL drive system reliant on the shared psychic desire of the crew and passengers to ‘get there’. However, spotty distribution of magical energies around Stellanion space prevents more widespread or energy-intensive applications of pure magery or technowizardry.

D. General Attitude/Culture
Non-Interventionists---The Stellanion’s not had much interest in affairs beyond its borders.

E. Racial Composition
90% Variant Elf, characterized in most(85%) by darker skins, ranging from dusky brown to blue-black. The remaining 10% is a mix of human and other species. The Kasinte aren’t particularly specieist, but the higher-born House members tend to look down on those not of affluence, and that covers most outside aliens.

F. Government
Monarchy, supported by an Aristocracy of Houses, dynastic nobility jockeying for favor and power. The recent crisis has given the Queen an excuse to tighten her reins, including the enlargement of the national armed forces, and institute tighter controls over the Houses.

G. Administrative Control
Previously Loose with the Houses throwing around considerable influence, but the recent crisis has raised direct royal control to Tight, and Restrictive in some quarters.

H. External Trade
Raw Materials---Trade both ways with the Stellanion is mainly in raw materials, the local guilds being protective of their local market in finished goods. Similarly, the state of Stellanion technology is such that there’s not much the Kasinte produce that can stand up to Galactic competitors.

H1. Commodities
Exports:
Raw Materials, mainly light metals, minerals, and agriculturally-derived fibers and phytochemicals.
Imports:
Raw Materials; mainly metal ores. The monarchy has also acquired a number of military starships from the UWW and other sources to arm the expanded Royal Military.

I. Status
Stagnant--- Prior to the attempted takeover, the Stellanion was in a centuries-long period of complacent factionalism, society being more interested in internal intr-guild and -clan powerplays and maneuvering, than in external affairs. The recent crisis has shaken things up and put the status of the kingdom in a new light. Some in the Stellanion want to rework the kingdom before engaging in any sort of stellar adventurism, while others want the Kasenti to begin exploring and expanding beyond its current borders as a goad to reform and a spur to the economy.
-------------
"Trouble rather the Tiger in his Lair,
Than the Sage among his Books,
For all the Empires and Kingdoms,
The Armies and Works that you hold Dear,
Are to him but the Playthings of the Moment,
To be turned over with the Flick of a Finger,
And the Turning of a Page"

--------Rudyard Kipling
------------
User avatar
The Oh So Amazing Nate
Hero
Posts: 1455
Joined: Tue Oct 02, 2007 1:29 am
Location: West Central region of Indiana

Re: Random Interstellar Empires/Star Kingdoms

Unread post by The Oh So Amazing Nate »

Taal do you do world generating requests? I have an alien character that I think it would be cool to have a home world for just for the fun of it.
Look upon me and tremble ye masses. For I am The Necroposter!
keir451 wrote:Amazing Nate; Thanks for your support!

Razzinold wrote:And the award for best witty retort to someone reporting a minor vehicular collision goes to:
The Oh So Amazing Nate!

Nate, you sir win the internet for today! You've definitely earned the "oh so amazing" part of your name today. :lol:
User avatar
taalismn
Priest
Posts: 47909
Joined: Tue Sep 02, 2003 8:19 pm
Location: Somewhere between Heaven, Hell, and New England

Re: Random Interstellar Empires/Star Kingdoms

Unread post by taalismn »

The Oh So Amazing Nate wrote:Taal do you do world generating requests? I have an alien character that I think it would be cool to have a home world for just for the fun of it.


What do you have in mind? :-D
IE., from you, the character lowdown, and what you want, a random star kingdom or a planet?
-------------
"Trouble rather the Tiger in his Lair,
Than the Sage among his Books,
For all the Empires and Kingdoms,
The Armies and Works that you hold Dear,
Are to him but the Playthings of the Moment,
To be turned over with the Flick of a Finger,
And the Turning of a Page"

--------Rudyard Kipling
------------
User avatar
taalismn
Priest
Posts: 47909
Joined: Tue Sep 02, 2003 8:19 pm
Location: Somewhere between Heaven, Hell, and New England

Re: Random Interstellar Empires/Star Kingdoms

Unread post by taalismn »

Gevadan---(Settled World)---Solex Federation Outlier World

“The Federal military is increasingly using weapons of mass destruction and outright murder on both the small and large scales to intimidate the colonies. The colonial Independence faction is increasingly using terror and rapine to intimidate the core worlds. To support one, we must condone mass murder. To support the other, we must ignore slavery and assassination. We hold ourselves to a higher standard; we MUST find a third option!”
--- Gevadanian Governor Lain Lesky, before the confederation Congress of Gevadan

`Rumor is the latest batch of ‘refugees’ from the inner Solex worlds were actually liberated from a slave factory camp over in the Rippen Gulf that was raided by a scratch-team of weekend warriors off the AssEye listening pos-I mean, the trade platform. Whether the factory was run by the Solies or the Rebcons, they don’t say, but brainwashed and body-pumped bodmod slaves don’t commandeer ships and navigate across intersetllar distances to sanctuary systems like this bunch would have had to do. No, there’s active military operations going on from our fair star system, regardless of what the Lesky government is saying about our supposed ‘neutrality’. Whether it’s the right thing to do, sticking our hands in, or letting others do it from our territory, I can’t say at this time. Actions like that may be all very noble, but they might attract the wrong kind of attention our way.”
-Marku Shebdan, Gevadanian political commentator

Gevadan is a settled world on the edge of the ailing Solex Federation. Tired of paying increasingly heavy taxes and material demands to the Federal administration, Gevadan has decided to secede, but regards the Colonial faction as equally distasteful with regards to rapaciousness and brutality. Gevadan has instead applied to become a member of the United Systems Alliance, hoping that at the least, this will grant them neutrality if either the Federals or the Colonials decide to try to coerce the Gevadanians into siding with either one of them. Th USA is attractive bcause at this point the CCW doesn’t want to get involved in what is considered ‘an internal affair’ of the Solex Federation, and the other powers are either too dominating or distant for the Gevadanians to feel comfortable with.
Though the Alliance would be happy to add another new member, the situation is something of a potential hot potato. If Gevadan becomes a full member of the Alliance, the USA will be treaty-bound to help defend them, and with the situation in the Solex Federation rapidly deteriorating towards civil war, that may suck the USA into a larger conflict than they’d like to get involved in. The most likely outcome, analysts predict, is that the Alliance will come under attack from BOTH the Federation loyalists and the Colonial rebels unless it picks a side.
For the time being, the USA is holding off on making a definite decision to accept Gevadan into its ranks, but in the meantime, a number of USA-associated companies have been giving the planet assistance in upgrading its defenses. Both WZTechyards and Aegis Stellar Industries have sold, at steeply discounted prices, orbital defense systems to Gevadan. ASI maintains a Plymouth-class orbital station(Talba Station) around Gevadan, as a commercial trading outpost, though the Solex Federation suspects that the station doubles as a listening post for the United Systems Alliance, and as a staging base for Abolitionist actions deep inside Federation space.

Solar System(Grevi’s Star)
Number of Stars: 1
Types of Stars: Orange Dwarf
Number of Planets: 6
-Terrestrial(Large)(Donalee)---Venus-style world, too hot to be habitable
-Terrestrial(Large)(Mickan)---Venus-style world, too hot to be habitable(though slightly cooler than Sol’s Venus). Mickan, however, does have ten small moons, similar to Gevadan, so scientific outposts, a refueling/servicing station, and a small military dock and battelite net have been established around the planet, based on the moons. Because there’s little to draw outside attention to the planet, it’s rumored that Mickan-orbit is being used to train the small Gevadanian space patrol and defense force in using new weapons and equipment.
-Terrestrial(Small)(Gevadan)---Lifeworld.
-Gas Giant(Large)(Gilavee)---Gilavee’s weak radiation belt and five large moons make it attractive to gas and asteroid mining. The Gevadan government, which has laid claim to the moons, has given lease-holds to several Solexian corporations, several of which are attempting to relocate out of the main Solex worlds in hopes of hitching themselves to Gevadan’s ‘neutrality’.
-Gas Giant(Medium)(Pekan)---Uranus-sized Pekan is largely unexplored and unexploited at the current time.
-Terrestrial(Vesan)---Icy outer planet that’s completely lifeless. Disturbingly, however, recent flybys by the new Gevadan space patrol have found indications of landings on the surface, though by who and to what purpose remain undetermined.

Planet(Gevadan)
Type: Terrestrial
Diameter: (Small) 9,000 km
Gravity: 1.4 g
Temperature: Cool and Mars-like. The human settlers on Gevadan live in thermal-domes for the most part, or cluster near hot spring oasises.

Unusual/Special Features:
-Moons(13)--- These are small asteroid-like moons similar to Mars’ Deimos and Phobos. Several of the moons are mineral-rich and are being developed as mines, two as spaceyards by WZT, and another two are being developed as offworld resorts.

Atmosphere: Dense, but breathable, albeit with some difficulty. The dense atmosphere also makes for rather powerful windstorms, and going out in bad weather is NOT advised without suitable protection and tethering.

Terrain:
Gevadan’s dry land is concentrated in an Australia-sized island continent and several large archipelagos.
-Unusual Mineralogy(Unique/Special Minerals)
Notable Mineral Concentrations:
-Pitch Blend
-Gold/Silver
-Sapphire
-Aluminum
-Ruby
-Sulfur
-Nickle
-Samarskite

*Veterold Crystals---A mineral normally found on magically active planets, which Gevadan is not. Though difficult to process, Veterold crystals can be made into lightweight radiation shielding, and ‘self-sealing’ radiation-containment vessels.
a. Naturally Occurant Form: Crystal-
b.Where Found On/near leylines--Though Gevadan does not currently exhibit any magic activity, the presence of Veterold Crystals suggests that at one time the planet did have leylines.
c.Color(Natural State) Earth Tones(deep brown)
d.Chemical Reactions: Acidic
e.Degree of Reaction Fast
f.Density Light
g.Malleability Malleable
h.Toxicity(Natural State) *Toxic(equivalent to arsenic)
i.Potential Value/Special Properties:
-Magnetic---Veterold crystals are naturlly magnetic.
-Shielding---Processed and alloyed, Veterold can be made into lightweight radiation shielding.

*Gapelene---Mineral oil found as a very thick, sluggish, liquid at room temperature, sealed inside the obsidian and granite of old lava tubes. It can be used industrially to harden various metals and metal alloys.
a. Naturally Occurant Form: Liquid
b.Where Found Magma Tubes
c.Color(Natural State) Metalllic Black
d.Chemical Reactions: Inert
e.Degree of Reaction*Slow
f.Density*Super Dense
g.Malleability: Unshapable (liquid)
h.Toxicity(Natural State) Non-Toxic
i.Potential Value/Special Properties:*Chemical Catalyst

Hydrosphere: Soaking Wet (just over 75% of the planet is covered in shallow oceans)
The tidal effects of the many moons make for complicated tides, and breaks up the ice constantly forming on the planet’s oceans, creating ‘slusheans’.

Biosphere: Thin---Mainly concentrated in the oceans where a variety of algaes, seaweeds, molluscs, crustaceans, and primitive fishes exist, with fairly primitive(and very robust) lichens, mosses, and ground-hugging bramble on the land. A number of worm, mollusck, and crustacean species have adapted to the land.

Civilization:
Established Colonial

Population:
Settled; 12 million people call Gevadan home

Technology:
Stellar Age---Still a generation or two behind Galactic, but still respectably advanced. The planet maintains a small corporate fleet of FTL transports. They also possess one elderly Solex destroyer/monitor and an armed space platform for system defense under the old Federation regulations.
Recent acquisitions from the USA-sponsored companies include a full battlelite net, several squadrons of aerospace fighters(and plans are in the works to modify several of the transports to be quickly converted into carriers for them), dome-covering forcefields, and two small destroyers.

Economy:
Industrial--Mainly heavy agricultural equipment and food production equipment much in demand on underdeveloped worlds, but also produces enough to meet local needs. Kingslen Industries and Celsee Terrestria Refining are the main employers. Both the Federals and the Rebels would want that capacity turned to providing logistical support for their forces, or converted to weapons production.
Besides manufacturing, Gevadan also does a surprisingly good business selling dome-raised lifestock to offworld concerns. Gevadan’s stud-and-breeding dome plantations do a fair amount of trade in ovine- and bovine-analogue livestock.

Wealth:
Wealthy---Gevadan has been doing very well trading manufactured goods and minerals outside the Solex Federation. Problem is, that wealth is attractive to both the Federals and the Colonials.

Government:
Confederacy---The government is a loose council of counties and provinces. A confederation congress meets regularly, and a Governor-elect presides over the congress and is in charge of implementing major matters and policies.

Law Level:
Moderate

Popularity:
Fanatical--The colonists love their government, and prefer it to direct management from from one of the offworld Solex factions. They just differ on who the Gevadan government should side with. Any effort by either the Federation or the Colonials to simply invade and replace the government with their own direct administration would likely result in partisan warfare.

Stability:
Uprising(Quiet)---Despite the loyalty to the government, there are still a lot of people who don’t want to see Gevadan secede from the Federation, and still want to take a ‘wait and see’ attitude before taking more decisive action. Many fear that leaving the union and trying to go it alone may accerbate the tensions already tearing at the Federation, and result in both the much-feared civil war, and Gevadan withering on its own, especially if the United Systems Alliance doesn’t immediately pick them up as a member. Whether this concern will translate into more violent action if and when shooting starts in the Federation, remains to be seen.
-------------
"Trouble rather the Tiger in his Lair,
Than the Sage among his Books,
For all the Empires and Kingdoms,
The Armies and Works that you hold Dear,
Are to him but the Playthings of the Moment,
To be turned over with the Flick of a Finger,
And the Turning of a Page"

--------Rudyard Kipling
------------
User avatar
The Oh So Amazing Nate
Hero
Posts: 1455
Joined: Tue Oct 02, 2007 1:29 am
Location: West Central region of Indiana

Re: Random Interstellar Empires/Star Kingdoms

Unread post by The Oh So Amazing Nate »

Taalismn,
Do you think it's possible using/modifying whatever maps PB has published to get a fan created (by you or perhaps HotRod) Galactic Map of where these different worlds are in relation to each other? Just an idea for a resource that i think would be pretty cool.

As always Sir, Thanks for your time and energy on such an awesome creation.
Look upon me and tremble ye masses. For I am The Necroposter!
keir451 wrote:Amazing Nate; Thanks for your support!

Razzinold wrote:And the award for best witty retort to someone reporting a minor vehicular collision goes to:
The Oh So Amazing Nate!

Nate, you sir win the internet for today! You've definitely earned the "oh so amazing" part of your name today. :lol:
User avatar
taalismn
Priest
Posts: 47909
Joined: Tue Sep 02, 2003 8:19 pm
Location: Somewhere between Heaven, Hell, and New England

Re: Random Interstellar Empires/Star Kingdoms

Unread post by taalismn »

The Oh So Amazing Nate wrote:Taalismn,
Do you think it's possible using/modifying whatever maps PB has published to get a fan created (by you or perhaps HotRod) Galactic Map of where these different worlds are in relation to each other? Just an idea for a resource that i think would be pretty cool.

As always Sir, Thanks for your time and energy on such an awesome creation.



Right off the bat, I'd say..."T'is impossible, because even -I- don't know where they all are...."
BBBBBuuuttt...hope springs eternal, so I'll look into it... :D
-------------
"Trouble rather the Tiger in his Lair,
Than the Sage among his Books,
For all the Empires and Kingdoms,
The Armies and Works that you hold Dear,
Are to him but the Playthings of the Moment,
To be turned over with the Flick of a Finger,
And the Turning of a Page"

--------Rudyard Kipling
------------
User avatar
The Oh So Amazing Nate
Hero
Posts: 1455
Joined: Tue Oct 02, 2007 1:29 am
Location: West Central region of Indiana

Re: Random Interstellar Empires/Star Kingdoms

Unread post by The Oh So Amazing Nate »

taalismn wrote:Right off the bat, I'd say..."T'is impossible, because even -I- don't know where they all are...."



I was under the impression that they were all located in some Galaxy/Federation/Quadrant/Etc. as previously described in one of the PB space related books. Was I wrong about that?
Look upon me and tremble ye masses. For I am The Necroposter!
keir451 wrote:Amazing Nate; Thanks for your support!

Razzinold wrote:And the award for best witty retort to someone reporting a minor vehicular collision goes to:
The Oh So Amazing Nate!

Nate, you sir win the internet for today! You've definitely earned the "oh so amazing" part of your name today. :lol:
User avatar
taalismn
Priest
Posts: 47909
Joined: Tue Sep 02, 2003 8:19 pm
Location: Somewhere between Heaven, Hell, and New England

Re: Random Interstellar Empires/Star Kingdoms

Unread post by taalismn »

The Oh So Amazing Nate wrote:
taalismn wrote:Right off the bat, I'd say..."T'is impossible, because even -I- don't know where they all are...."



I was under the impression that they were all located in some Galaxy/Federation/Quadrant/Etc. as previously described in one of the PB space related books. Was I wrong about that?


Well, when I started today mapping out the ones I knew were in the Thundercloud, using the map in the book, I ran into some location problems with regards to where I originally thought some lay in rlationship to each other...plus I had several local powers refer to a "Senexi Arm', when no such feature officially exists...
Mind you, I'm still looking for fan maps of the Anvil and Corkscrew.
-------------
"Trouble rather the Tiger in his Lair,
Than the Sage among his Books,
For all the Empires and Kingdoms,
The Armies and Works that you hold Dear,
Are to him but the Playthings of the Moment,
To be turned over with the Flick of a Finger,
And the Turning of a Page"

--------Rudyard Kipling
------------
User avatar
glitterboy2098
Rifts® Trivia Master
Posts: 13319
Joined: Wed Aug 06, 2003 3:37 pm
Location: Missouri
Contact:

Re: Random Interstellar Empires/Star Kingdoms

Unread post by glitterboy2098 »

"Senexi arm" could be a local name.. the names in the book would be the ones the CCW/TGE has settled on, but the local inhabitants would naturally have their own designations for things.
Author of Rifts: Deep Frontier (Rifter 70)
Author of Rifts:Scandinavia (current project)
Image
* All fantasy should have a solid base in reality.
* Good sense about trivialities is better than nonsense about things that matter.

-Max Beerbohm
Visit my Website
User avatar
taalismn
Priest
Posts: 47909
Joined: Tue Sep 02, 2003 8:19 pm
Location: Somewhere between Heaven, Hell, and New England

Re: Random Interstellar Empires/Star Kingdoms

Unread post by taalismn »

glitterboy2098 wrote:"Senexi arm" could be a local name.. the names in the book would be the ones the CCW/TGE has settled on, but the local inhabitants would naturally have their own designations for things.


Yep...that's what I decided on...
I also realized I hadn't placed any indies near the TGE colonization zone in the Thundercloud....given that the TGE's grip might still be rather tenuous. independent star kingdoms might still have a chance of hanging in for a while, or else might be facing a deadlight befpre being destroyed/forcibly assimilated.
-------------
"Trouble rather the Tiger in his Lair,
Than the Sage among his Books,
For all the Empires and Kingdoms,
The Armies and Works that you hold Dear,
Are to him but the Playthings of the Moment,
To be turned over with the Flick of a Finger,
And the Turning of a Page"

--------Rudyard Kipling
------------
User avatar
glitterboy2098
Rifts® Trivia Master
Posts: 13319
Joined: Wed Aug 06, 2003 3:37 pm
Location: Missouri
Contact:

Re: Random Interstellar Empires/Star Kingdoms

Unread post by glitterboy2098 »

you should put some near the border.. perhaps in an alliance of convenience due to the TGE threat. sorta like the league of non-aligned worlds vs the Centauri in babylon 5..

personally i never much liked how the CCW and TGE went after totally different zones.. the idea of them claiming worlds in the same region, resulting in CCW and TGE forces being so close, and a map where the borders are all intermingled and overlapping.. would have made a much better narrative. would allow for low scale conflicts to occur there between the two, without invoking a full blown multi-galaxy war. could also see both sides covertly supplying their colonists with arms "for defense" which results in the colonial forces attacking each other. like the Cardassian Demilitarized Zone and the Maquis storyline in Star Trek TNG and DS9.
Author of Rifts: Deep Frontier (Rifter 70)
Author of Rifts:Scandinavia (current project)
Image
* All fantasy should have a solid base in reality.
* Good sense about trivialities is better than nonsense about things that matter.

-Max Beerbohm
Visit my Website
User avatar
taalismn
Priest
Posts: 47909
Joined: Tue Sep 02, 2003 8:19 pm
Location: Somewhere between Heaven, Hell, and New England

Re: Random Interstellar Empires/Star Kingdoms

Unread post by taalismn »

glitterboy2098 wrote:you should put some near the border.. perhaps in an alliance of convenience due to the TGE threat. sorta like the league of non-aligned worlds vs the Centauri in babylon 5..

personally i never much liked how the CCW and TGE went after totally different zones.. the idea of them claiming worlds in the same region, resulting in CCW and TGE forces being so close, and a map where the borders are all intermingled and overlapping.. would have made a much better narrative. would allow for low scale conflicts to occur there between the two, without invoking a full blown multi-galaxy war. could also see both sides covertly supplying their colonists with arms "for defense" which results in the colonial forces attacking each other. like the Cardassian Demilitarized Zone and the Maquis storyline in Star Trek TNG and DS9.


It's possible that that may be the case...thr big blocs are a crude graphic of territories where 'x' is largely in control, or that each bloc has declared sovereignty and intent to develop(so SOD OFF!). The truth is, aside from a few well-developed clusters, the colonial zones are free for all zones, with raiders and unknown aliens wandering about. And all throughout the zones are indie worlds that the big power blocs are trying to court(for a more light-hearted campaign, model it after Kith Laumer's Retief of the CDT stories with the Terrans and the Groaci trying to sway the locals to their side through diplomatic skullduggery).
-------------
"Trouble rather the Tiger in his Lair,
Than the Sage among his Books,
For all the Empires and Kingdoms,
The Armies and Works that you hold Dear,
Are to him but the Playthings of the Moment,
To be turned over with the Flick of a Finger,
And the Turning of a Page"

--------Rudyard Kipling
------------
User avatar
The Oh So Amazing Nate
Hero
Posts: 1455
Joined: Tue Oct 02, 2007 1:29 am
Location: West Central region of Indiana

Re: Random Interstellar Empires/Star Kingdoms

Unread post by The Oh So Amazing Nate »

Without pouring though many many books, are Humans and the Fenril (My Dogman system you created around Sirius) the only ones in the Milky Way Galaxy?
Look upon me and tremble ye masses. For I am The Necroposter!
keir451 wrote:Amazing Nate; Thanks for your support!

Razzinold wrote:And the award for best witty retort to someone reporting a minor vehicular collision goes to:
The Oh So Amazing Nate!

Nate, you sir win the internet for today! You've definitely earned the "oh so amazing" part of your name today. :lol:
User avatar
glitterboy2098
Rifts® Trivia Master
Posts: 13319
Joined: Wed Aug 06, 2003 3:37 pm
Location: Missouri
Contact:

Re: Random Interstellar Empires/Star Kingdoms

Unread post by glitterboy2098 »

Arkhons and their servant races
Author of Rifts: Deep Frontier (Rifter 70)
Author of Rifts:Scandinavia (current project)
Image
* All fantasy should have a solid base in reality.
* Good sense about trivialities is better than nonsense about things that matter.

-Max Beerbohm
Visit my Website
Post Reply

Return to “Rifts®: Dimension Books”