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Old 03-02-2021, 05:02 PM   #31
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Default Re: [Psi/Space] Irar, the Jewel in the British Crown

Weapon skill specializations

Both Beam Weapons skills and Guns skills have a few new specializations (optionally applicable to Crossbow), due to alien body mechanics, and alien technology in general. For example, the ancient Irari developed crossbows which could be shot in flight (when they needed their wings to be wings), pointing in the direction of travel, and later developed firearms mounted the same way. Likewise, the Gormellians developed a number of heavy weapons that had chest-mounting as an option, and lighter, often concealed weapons worn on the head or wrist.

Back-mounted: Any weapon worn as a backpack; most often fires over the shoulder or behind the head, and may be pointing along the length of the body.

Chest-mounted: All weapons worn on the chest, generally designed so that the recoil, if any, is widely spread, and for Irari, passes through their strongest bones and muscles.

Headgear: Any weapon worn on the head, often built into a helmet.

Shoulder-mounted: All weapons worn on the shoulder (often similar to but lighter than Back-mounted or Chest-mounted weapons).

Wrist-mounted: Any weapon that is strapped to the wrist when carried and used, rather than held in the hand.


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Five Earths, All in a Row. Updated 12/17/2022: Apocrypha: Bridges out of Time, Part I has been posted.
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Old 03-30-2021, 06:21 PM   #32
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Default Re: [Psi/Space] Irar, the Jewel in the British Crown

Gormellian Spaceflight Timeline

(Earth dates used for clarity.)

Estimated between 1000 BCE and 700 BCE: Development of black powder and solid-fuel rockets (TL1 or TL2, disputed).

1195 CE: Development of the telescope (TL3).

1669: Development of gas-fuel rockets (TL5^).

1797: Development of liquid-fuel rockets (late TL5^).

1820: Approximate beginning of TL6^.

1853: First use of liquid-fuel rockets in war.

1866: Earliest known attempted satellite launch.

1870: Approximate beginning of TL7^.

1881: First successful satellite launch.

1910: Approximate beginning of TL8^.

1917: First successful manned orbit-and-return mission.

1926: First manned space station.

1934: First dedicated space military branch.

1945: First successful manned moon landing.

1950: Approximate beginning of TL9^.

1966: (First true Gormelite born.)

1986: (Final War begins. Belligerant nation-states are believed to have effectively become failed states before the end of the year.)

1990: (Earliest estimated date of Gormellian extinction.)

2011: (Most recent estimated date of Gormellian extinction.)

2020: First post-Final War satellite launch.


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Five Earths, All in a Row. Updated 12/17/2022: Apocrypha: Bridges out of Time, Part I has been posted.
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Old 04-10-2021, 06:06 PM   #33
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Default Re: [Psi/Space] Irar, the Jewel in the British Crown

International Space Patrol

Following the ratification of the Treaty of Brasilia in 2026, the ISP was founded as a space police force (and general 'space emergency response' service) that was not beholden to any one nation, primarily to prevent rivalries between different space LEOs that criminals could exploit (though some claim it was an attempt to present a non-British united front to the rest of space). Areas of responsibility include not only open space and the orbital space of planets, moons, and systems controlled by signatories of the Treaty of Brasilia, but space stations and colonies jointly administrated by signatories, especially those that do not have a local police force. Those signatories included all nations with existing space programs by 2026 (including the UK), apart from the PRC, North Korea, Iran, and Egypt, who consider it an attempt to put an American face on humanity.

The first Commissioner of the International Space Patrol was NASA astronaut and former USAF and USSF Colonel Thomas 'Buzz' Curry. The first Vice Commissioner was Giovanna de Assis, formerly a Coronel in in Brazil's Polícia Militar.

Ranks

Insignia are similar to those of the US military and police forces, with some modifications. They are worn on the collar and, for Other Ranks, the upper sleeves, though on space suits they are instead worn on the chest, helmet, and life-support pack.

Rank 9 [45]

OF-10 Commissioner of the International Space Patrol (five stars)

Rank 8 [40]

OF-9 Vice Commissioner (four stars)
OF-8 Assistant Commissioner (three stars)

Rank 7 [35]

OF-7 Commander (two stars)
OF-6 Vice Commander (one star)

Rank 6 [30]

OF-5 Chief Superintendent (two leaves)

Rank 5 [25]

OF-4 Superintendent (one leaf)

Rank 4 [20]

OF-3 Chief Inspector (three bars)

Rank 3 [15]

OF-2 Inspector (two bars)
OF-1 Assistant Inspector (one bar)


Courtesy Rank 3 [3]

OF(D) Space Patrol Cadet (one to five pips, indicating ranking within one's class)


Rank 2 [10]

OR-9 Sergeant Major of the Space Patrol (w/Courtesy Rank 7 [7]) (three chevrons with three rockers and one lozenge, wreathed)

OR-9 Space Patrolman Sergeant Major (w/Courtesy Rank 5 [5]) (three chevrons with three rockers and one lozenge)
OR-8 Chief Space Patrolman Sergeant (w/Courtesy Rank 3 [3]) (three chevrons with three rockers)
OR-7 Senior Space Patrolman Sergeant (w/Courtesy Rank 1 [1]) (three chevrons with two rockers)
OR-6 Space Patrolman Staff Sergeant (three chevrons with one rocker)

Rank 1 [5]

OR-4 Space Patrolman Sergeant (three chevrons)

Rank 0 [0]

OR-2 Space Patrolman first class (one chevron)
OR-1 Space Patrolman (no insignia)


Notes

Uniforms largely resemble the dark blue police uniforms common to many nations, save for the space suits, which are form-fitting silver counterpressure suits covered by white jumpsuits, the latter having various identifying marks and rank insignia. The badge is a five-point star on a disc, and is designed to serve as a combadge.

Many International Space Patrol personnel are assigned to specific colonies or stations, and thus have Legal Enforcement Powers [5], or in the case of the Criminal Investigation Bureau, LEP (free to engage in covert investigations) [10]; those in the branch that people on Earth think of when they hear 'Space Patrol,' the ones working in flying saucers, have LEP (national or international jurisdiction) [10]. A very few have LEP (national or international jurisdiction and free to engage in covert investigations) [12]. Despite what the tabloids might claim, no-one in the ISP can kill with relative impunity, nor are they allowed to ignore the civil right of others.

Space station and colony patrols are often equipped with light body armour, stun batons, and Mind Disruptor pistols with Hypnagogic and Neutralizer settings (Psi-Tech p27), as well as restraints, first aid kits, multitools, et cetra; local patrol vehicles and police boxes also carry emergency equipment like hydraulic rescue tools, Ergokinetic Stunner Rifles (see below; mainly for use against hostile robots), rescue bubbles, and portable biointensifiers. Heavier weapons, issued to Boarding Crews and other tactical units, include heavier classes of Mind Disruptor or stunner, various grenades (both psi bombs (Psi-Tech pp28-29) and more mundane types), survival knives, force swords, and heavy space-axes; such crews are normally equipped with battlesuits, as well. If it seems likely that serious military weapons are needed, Patrol policy is to call in the nearest 'appropriate' (generally meaning 'much more likely to support the Patrol than the pirates') military force, though patrol vessels and stations or precincts are permitted to keep non-standard equipment on hand for serious emergencies; this equipment varies by location.

Ergokinetic stunners are generally built on Mind Disruptor stats (Mind Disruptor Table, Psi-Tech p27). They function much like the stun baton in terms of their affliction but work at greater ranges. Depending on the design and the setting, there might be no accompanying psychokinetic damage at all, or effects such as '1d cr Cone, nbt, nw, dkb,' or '1d cr Cone, dbt, dkb.' Note that the P-Web Shield (Psi-Tech p20) will protect against the stun effect.

A typical Holdout Stunner, such as the Axon 'Cricket,' does aff (HT-4 Confuse/HT-2 Sleep). The Stunner Pistol does aff (HT-5 Confuse/HT-3 Sleep) like the stun baton, the Stunner Rifle does aff (HT-6 Confuse/HT-4 Sleep), the Heavy Stunner does aff (HT-8 Confuse/HT-6 Sleep), and the Tactical Stunner does aff (HT-10 Confuse/HT-8 Sleep).

Space patrol saucers have a range of appearances, including some large vessels that look like those from Raumpatrouille Orion. They are lightly armed for their size from a military perspective, but can handle most emergency situations (including search-and-rescue, immediate disaster relief, and so in) short of those requiring nuclear weapons.


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"The more corrupt a government, the more it legislates."
-- Tacitus

Five Earths, All in a Row. Updated 12/17/2022: Apocrypha: Bridges out of Time, Part I has been posted.

Last edited by Prince Charon; 09-29-2021 at 03:06 PM.
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Old 04-13-2021, 09:32 PM   #34
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Default Re: [Psi/Space] Irar, the Jewel in the British Crown

A short article on a Gormelite military force (of a country mentioned in two of the Gormel posts):

Commune of the Great Islands Cybery

The second youngest (predating the Spacey by a few decades) and historically smallest of the CGI's armed forces, the Cybery, as the name implies, is responsible for cyberwarfare. It was created well before the Final War by integrating the primary cyberwarfare units of the other armed services. In the modern era, the Cybery is slightly larger than the Spacey, and nearly equal in size to the Airy... none of which are particularly large.

Ranks

The rank titles are 'close enough' translations, rather than exact names; they were largely taken from the CGI Army's Division of Signals. Rank insignia are marked on the shoulders of the harness, and on the helmet.

Rank 8 [40]

Marshal of the Cybery (w/Courtesy Rank 1 [1]) (one tree, encircled) (No official living holder, one Acting holder at a time.)

Rank 7 [35]

Division Marshal (two triple-point leaves) (No living holders.)
Brigade Marshal (one triple-point leaf) (No living holders.)

Rank 6 [30]

Colonel (three double-point leaves) (No living holders.)

Rank 5 [25]

Lieutenant Colonel (two double-point leaves) (No living holders.)

Rank 4 [20]

Captain Major (one double-point leaf)

Rank 3 [15]

Captain (three single-point leaves)
Chief Ensign (two single-point leaves)
Ensign (one single-point leaf)


Courtesy Rank 3 [3]

Officer Cadet (one to three round pips, showing number of years of study)


Rank 2 [10]

Sergeant Major of the Cybery (w/Courtesy Rank 6 [6]) (four hash-marks & one three-point star) (No living holder.)

Sergeant Major (w/Courtesy Rank 5 [5]) (four hash-marks & three lozenges) (No living holders.)
Master Sergeant (w/Courtesy Rank 4 [4]) (four hash-marks & two lozenges) (No living holders.)
Senior Sergeant (w/Courtesy Rank 3 [3]) (four hash-marks & one lozenge)

Technical Sergeant (w/Courtesy Rank 2 [2]) (four hash-marks)
Staff Sergeant (w/Courtesy Rank 1 [1]) (three hash-marks)
Sergeant (two hash-marks)

Rank 1 [5]

Signalman (one hash-mark)

Rank 0 [0]

Apprentice Signalman (one broken hash-mark)
Recruit (no insignia)


Notes

A 'hash-mark' is a thick, curved line with an outline in a contrasting colour or shade.

Uniforms (for Gormelites) consist of a distinctive harness with rank and other insignia, attachment points for armour and other equipment, and the standard military headgear, meaning either a cloth headband, a khepi-like hat with a narrow, all-around brim, or a helmet oddly similar to Earth WWI Brodie helmets. Pre-Final War, the Cybery's dress uniform included a smallsword, but due to the difference in height and bulk between the average Gormellian and the average Gormelite, this has since been replaced by a large sabre designed as a sword-bayonet. The modern uniforms tend to have a lot of wear, or poor quality control.

Common weapons are defensive in nature, as Cybery personnel are generally not front-line troopers. These include experimental (photokinetic) laser carbines, experimental sonic screamers, sonic nauseators, gyrocs, and a few Liquid Propellant PDWs & pistols (along with an assortment of whatever else is available that they can find ammunition for). They tend not to use Gauss or EMP weapons, even when such are available. In parade uniform (something that they haven't had much occasion to use since the Final War), most units carried bolt-action rifles with bayonets fixed.


Thoughts?
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Warning, I have the Distractible and Imaginative quirks in real life.

"The more corrupt a government, the more it legislates."
-- Tacitus

Five Earths, All in a Row. Updated 12/17/2022: Apocrypha: Bridges out of Time, Part I has been posted.

Last edited by Prince Charon; 04-14-2021 at 06:12 PM.
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Old 04-29-2021, 05:17 AM   #35
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Commune of the Great Islands Gendarmerie

This Gendarmerie was founded in 1672 CE (when the Gormellians were well into TL5^), as a result of debate over the structure and size of the newly-formed Commune's military forces (as opposed to the military forces of the member states). It was eventually decided that the gendarmeries of the CGI Army and CGI Navy (including naval infantry) would be merged into a single force, which also absorbed some of the coast guards of the member states, or units thereof. The Commune Gendarmerie retained unit legacies from the previous services, and as a side effect, naval ranks up to Fleet Lieutenant in the Marine (naval) branch of the Gendarmerie.

In the post-War era, it is one of the few institutions of the Commune that still exists as a mostly-functional entity, along with the now much smaller CGI Army and Navy (mainly existing to maintain heritage and institutional memory, though they do have some active units), and the even-worse-off Airy, Cybery, and Spacey (reduced to a few monitoring stations, mostly underground, and some understrength 'squadrons' of often poorly-armed aircraft). It is the largest surviving service due to being the service least reluctant to recruit Gormelites before the Final War.

In theory, the military answers to the High Council, but there isn't one now, and hasn't been since the war. Instead, what remains of local administration does what it can with minimal oversight and not much outside help, and the highest-ranking officers in the Gendarmerie rotate through the position of Acting Marshal of the Gendarmerie, and try not to make too much of a mess. Of course, with the Irari here and the humans coming, things are looking up, and the Gendarmerie and the leaders of each island or region have committed to holding Commune-wide elections no later than April 29, 2023 (which is in the middle of a month that's near the end of a year in their calendar) for both the High Council and the Grand Communal Diet.

Ranks

The rank titles are 'close enough' translations, rather than exact names. Rank insignia are marked on the shoulders of the harness, and on the helmet.

Rank 8 [40]

Marshal of the Gendarmerie (w/Courtesy Rank 1 [1]) (one tree, encircled) (No official living holder, one Acting holder at a time.)

Corps Marshal (three triple-point leaves) (No living holders.)

Rank 7 [35]

Division Marshal (two triple-point leaves) (No living holders.)
Brigade Marshal (one triple-point leaf) (No living holders.)

Rank 6 [30]

Colonel/Fleet Lieutenant (three double-point leaves) (No living holders.)

Rank 5 [25]

Lieutenant Colonel/Ship-of-the-line Lieutenant (two double-point leaves)

Rank 4 [20]

Captain Major/Frigate Lieutenant (one double-point leaf)

Rank 3 [15]

Captain/Corvette Lieutenant (three single-point leaves)
Lieutenant/Marine Lieutenant (two single-point leaves)
Sublieutenant/Ensign (one single-point leaf)


Courtesy Rank 3 [3]

Gendarme Cadet/Gendarme Midshipman (one to three round pips, showing number of years of study)


Rank 2 [10]

Sergeant Major of the Gendarmerie (w/Courtesy Rank 6 [6]) (four hash-marks & one three-point star) (No living holder.)

Sergeant Major/Master Chief Petty Officer (w/Courtesy Rank 5 [5]) (four hash-marks & three lozenges) (No living holders.)
Master Sergeant/Senior Chief Petty Officer (w/Courtesy Rank 4 [4]) (four hash-marks & two lozenges) (No living holders.)
Senior Sergeant/Chief Petty Officer (w/Courtesy Rank 3 [3]) (four hash-marks & one lozenge)

Colour Sergeant/Petty Officer class 3 (w/Courtesy Rank 2 [2]) (four hash-marks)
Staff Sergeant/Petty Officer class 2 (w/Courtesy Rank 1 [1]) (three hash-marks)
Sergeant/Petty Officer class 1 (two hash-marks)

Rank 1 [5]

Senior Constable/Marine Senior Constable (one hash-mark)

Rank 0 [0]

Constable/Marine Constable (one lozenge)
Recruit (no insignia)


Notes

A 'hash-mark' is a thick, curved line with an outline in a contrasting colour or shade.

In the Navy and the Marine branch of the Gendarmerie, a Corvette Lieutenant placed in command of a cutter, fast attack craft, or other small vessel is given the rank of 'Captain Lieutenant,' and a Frigate Lieutenant who commands a corvette or a flotilla of cutters is given the rank of 'Corvette Captain.' The Gendarmerie never had ships larger than corvettes, and few of those, but the progression continued in the Navy, with a Ship-of-the-line Lieutenant in command being a Frigate Captain and a Fleet Lieutenant in command being a Ship-of-the-line Captain; the ranks were also used (most often administratively in the Gendarmerie) for larger formations of ships (in the modern era, of course, large military vessels are generally no-longer afloat, and large formations rarely exist). In the Naval Infantry (what we would call the Marines), the 'Captain' ranks were used for land formations of equivalent status, so for example the 15th (Kahufrax Elite) Naval Mounted Infantry Regiment was commanded by a Ship-of-the-line Captain rather than a Fleet Lieutenant or a Colonel. This is distinct from other polities in the region, who would either give the Naval Infantry army ranks, or use '<unit-name> Captain' as the rank, e.g. Battalion Captain or Regiment Captain.

CGI Naval ranks above Fleet Lieutenant or Ship-of-the-line Captain are translated as Fleet Captain (equivalent to Brigade Marshal), Commodore (equivalent to Division Marshal), Lieutenant Admiral (equivalent to Corps Marshal), Admiral (equivalent to Marshal), and Admiral of the Navy (equivalent to Marshal of the Army). Admiral and Marshal are signified by a stylized tree, with the encircled tree representing the professional head of a service (Rank 9 for the pre-Final War Army and Navy, Rank 8 with one level of Courtesy Rank for the other services).

The Criminal Investigation branch of this gendarmerie adds the title of 'Investigator' to officers, e.g. 'Lieutenant Investigator.'

Uniforms (for Gormelites) consist of a distinctive harness with rank and other insignia, attachment points for armour and other equipment, and the standard police headgear, meaning either a cloth headband, a khepi-like hat with a narrow, all-around brim, or a helmet similar to Earth police riot helmets. The modern uniforms tend to have a lot of wear, or poor quality control. This is the only branch of the CGI armed forces (at the federal-level, so not counting the forces of the member states) to not have a sword of some sort as part of any dress uniform, instead using a fancy staff or fancy truncheon. The rest of the dress uniform involves the khepi-like hat, plus unit-specific braid, tassels, and other fancy bits added to the harness. The parade uniform resembles the dress uniform, but replaces the hat with either a shiny helmet or a bigger, unit-specific hat of some kind, either way with unit-specific crests and such.

Weapons vary somewhat between pre-Final War and post-Final War. The standard infantry weapon, some of which were and are used by the Gendarmerie, was a .323 cal (8mm) assault carbine, with an underbarrel-mounted gyroc; due to the factory having been built into a mountain, new weapons of this model are of an Electrothermal Chemical variant that was being phased in by the start of the Final War, though they were rare before that. The Gendarmerie also has some experimental (ergokinetic) blasters, as their factory was built into a nearby mountain. Common police weapons in the region include vortex pistols, electrolasers sonic nauseators, and experimental sonic stunners. Before the Final War, a .99 cal (25mm) Tangler was the usual police weapon, but they are not strong enough for Gormelites, having been designed for Gormellians, and there are few surviving factories (though the design is being licensed for production on Earth, to the profit of the CGI). In general, what's used largely depends on what still has weapon & ammo factories. Police in some nearby polities use such things as experimental ice guns (Ultra-Tech p140) for much the same reason. Parade weapons tended to be beautifully decorated (but functional) and otherwise high-quality versions of a more primitive rifle or other longarm, specific to the unit (e.g. the oldest regiment in the Gendarmerie carried a matchlock musket with a plug-bayonet on parade, and a couple of others have flintlocks, though most have some manner of breech-loading gun for that purpose, in some cases even bolt-action; all but the oldest use bayonets that do not need to be removed to fire the gun). This has been a low priority since the war.

Along with the usual sorts of vehicles that you might expect of such a society (when they work) are a number of low-maintenance and high-durability walking machines, generally translated as Labour Mecha or IndustrialMechs. The use of these by pirates and other criminals lead the Gendarmerie to begin using walking machines of their own, with a name generally translated as Patlabors.


Thoughts?
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"The more corrupt a government, the more it legislates."
-- Tacitus

Five Earths, All in a Row. Updated 12/17/2022: Apocrypha: Bridges out of Time, Part I has been posted.

Last edited by Prince Charon; 07-05-2021 at 11:33 PM.
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Old 05-02-2021, 12:55 PM   #36
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Default Re: [Psi/Space] Irar, the Jewel in the British Crown

Another alien species, this one less advanced:

Giant ape-folk

Attributes

ST +15 (from SM, -20%) [120]; DX -1 [-20]; IQ -3 [-60]; HT +2 [20]

Secondary Characteristics

Will 10 [15]; Per 11 [20]; SM+2

Subtotal: 95


Advantages

Damage Resistance 3 (Tough Skin, -40%) [9]
Enhanced Move (Ground) 1 [20]
Perfect Balance [15]
Terrain Adaptation (uneven) [5]

Perks

Fur. [1]
Improvised Weapons. [1]

Subtotal: 51


Disadvantages

Bad Temper (12) [-10]
Bestial [-10]
Chummy [-5]
Shyness (Mild) [-5]

Quirks

Nosy. [-1]

Subtotal: -31


Features

Born Biter 1. [0]
Taboo Trait (cannot learn languages above Accented). [0]


Skills

Intimidation [Will/A] [2] Will
Knife [DX/E] [1] DX
Stealth [DX/A] [2] DX
Survival [Per/A] [2] Per
and 8 points spread between Carpentry/TL0 (IQ/E), Armoury (Melee Weapons)/TL0, Machinist/TL0 (both IQ/A), Axe/Mace, Spear, and Staff (all DX/A).

Subtotal: 15

Total: 130


Notes

Native to Belfan on Coeb', these giant apes visually resemble very large, upright orang-utans, with relatively human-like feet, and with proportionally-thick limbs and bodies. They have a paleolithic lifestyle, and hunt with both large spears and large clubs, as well as carrying small, chipped-stone knives. The average adult male is around ten feet tall, though some males have been seen to be as much as eleven feet in height. While these beings do not appear to use ritual psi, some possess non-ritual psi abilities, mostly from Astral Projection or ESP.

Chummy and Mild Shyness are not contradictory: The description of Chummy does not specify that one is always friendly to new people, and Mild Shyness has no effect on interaction with only the people you already know.

The Survival specialization is whatever type of environment they grew up in, which tends to be Mountains or Woodlands. Many have Brawling, Wrestling, or both. Depending on where they live and what & how much food is regularly available, they are likely to have some combination of Climbing, Hiking, Tracking, and/or Traps; a few appear to have First Aid/TL0.


Thoughts?
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Warning, I have the Distractible and Imaginative quirks in real life.

"The more corrupt a government, the more it legislates."
-- Tacitus

Five Earths, All in a Row. Updated 12/17/2022: Apocrypha: Bridges out of Time, Part I has been posted.
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Old 05-03-2021, 05:54 PM   #37
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Default Re: [Psi/Space] Irar, the Jewel in the British Crown

Occasionally my quirks and working on things in parallel lead to me having several things ready to post pretty close together. I'm not completely satisfied with this, suggestions are welcome, but I'm not sure what, if any, changes might be needed:

Vampire Chameleon

Attributes

ST -5 [-50]; DX +2 [40]; IQ -4 [-80]

Secondary Characteristics

Will 12 [30]; Per 10 [20]

Subtotal: -40


Advantages

Chameleon (Always On, -10%) 4 [18]
Flight (Winged, -25%) [30]
Sharp Claws [5]
Sharp Teeth [1]

Catalyst Venom (Toxic Attack - bite venom; 1d-3 tox; Follow-up (Sharp Teeth); Symptoms (Unconsciousness 2d hours, Hallucinations, Fright Check) +300%; Blood Agent -40%; Resistible (HT-3), -15%; Limited use (1 per day), -40%) [3]

Protected Power (Psychic Vampirism) [5]
Psychic Vampirism Talent 2 [10]
Steal Power 3 [75]
^ Drain Will 3 (Alternate Ability of Steal Power) [6]
^ Steal Energy 3 (AA of Steal Power) [7]
^ Steal Life 3 (AA of Steal Power) [6]
^ Suggestion 3 (AA of Steal Power) [6]

Perks

Invigoration. [1]
Pleasant Theft. [1]
Skill Adaptation (Suggestion based on Will). [1]

Subtotal: 175


Disadvantages

Bad Grip 2 [-10]
Ham-Fisted 2 [-10]
One Arm (Tail) [-20]
Wild Animal [-30]

Quirks

Imaginative. [-1]
Nosy. [-1]

Subtotal: -72


Skills

Aerobatics [DX/H] [4] DX
Brawling [DX/E] [1] DX
Flight [HT/A] [2] HT
Stealth [DX/A] [4] DX+1

Drain Will [Will/H] [2] Will+1*
Suggestion [Will/H] [2] Will-1
Steal Power [Will/H] [4] Will+2*
Steal Energy [Will/H] [2] Will+1*
Steal Life [Will/H] [4] Will+2*

*Includes +2 from Psychic Vampirism Talent.

Subtotal: 25

Total: 88


Notes

A Gormel native reptiloid lifeform (a scaly, egg-laying, but warm-blooded synapsid) with the oddity that its venom works basically like the Catalyst drug (Psi-Tech Ppp33-34). Power activation isn't mentioned in the Symptoms list for Catalyst Venom because there isn't a good way to define it: It's far too random for an Affliction, and too specific for Origins Magnet.

These creatures will repeatedly return to some hosts to steal whatever powers have been induced by their venom, as well as feeding on the target creature in other ways. They also feed on insects and other small animals, with the (usually larger) psychic hosts sometimes serving as an unwilling partner or mobile nest. This has occasionally backfired on individuals of this species, as when they induce a mind-control ability in a more strong-will creature. Vampire Chameleons are not fully sapient, though they are highly intelligent and creative for wild animals.


Thoughts?
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Warning, I have the Distractible and Imaginative quirks in real life.

"The more corrupt a government, the more it legislates."
-- Tacitus

Five Earths, All in a Row. Updated 12/17/2022: Apocrypha: Bridges out of Time, Part I has been posted.
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Old 05-10-2021, 05:33 PM   #38
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Default Re: [Psi/Space] Irar, the Jewel in the British Crown

OK, this appears to be ready for posting:

Wormholes and the Known Systems

Wormholes in this setting are very difficult to detect at range, if no-one has placed a beacon or guard-station nearby. Scanning for them optically or otherwise using electromagnetic radiation, you're only going to find one if you're very close (Long-Distance Modifiers, pB241) and know to look for a visual distortion in the background objects (Astronomy-3 on top of the Long-Distance modifier), or if you happen to see something enter or leave, that doesn't have a cloaking device. Psychotronic detection systems do much better, having penalties based on light-second ranges (Size and Speed-Range table, pB550; treat 'yards' as light-seconds, and Speed/Range as the penalty; an Astronomical Unit is just under 500 light-seconds). You still need to be looking in the right place, though. Once you know where it is, following its orbital path becomes far less difficult, though you can still lose it of you aren't careful. A wormhole's mean radius of orbit mostly varies roughly between 3 AU and 13 AU (2d+1 AU, in other words).

The physical nature of a wormhole as currently understood is a spherical spacial and gravitic anomaly which reads to psychic detection somewhat like a continuous teleportation. The amount of gravity it produces is quite small, far out of proportion with the difficulty of altering its orbit (which so far no-one has managed). It is possible to pass through in both directions (manoeuver toward the centre of the wormhole, and you will come out the other side); oddly, vessels cannot collide in the 'tunnel' - space shifts to move them around each other. Psychic or psychotronic communication is possible though the wormhole, though radio or laser communication seems not to be. Likewise, it is possible to scan though the wormhole using psychic senses and psychotronic sensors, though at best you're only likely to 'see' a few light-seconds around the wormhole on the other side.

Unsurprisingly, most civilizations prefer to control both ends of the wormholes leading to their home system and other important systems, where possible. For the Irari, this normally consists of one or more space fortresses and a defence fleet, while the Memer-and-Saret only seem to have small patrol fleets, at least for minor systems. Designing a fortress to fully surround the wormhole has been suggested, though such would be rather expensive, and could leave the station unable to move out of the way if needed.


Known System connections, 2021

Irar System
Wormholes
1. Uninhabited System I; 8 AU; Controlled by Irari on both ends.
2. Gormel System; 11 AU; Controlled by Irari on both ends.
3. Uninhabited System II; 6 AU; Controlled by Irari on both ends.
4. Earth System; 7 AU; Controlled by a joint Earthan-Irari force on both ends.
5. (Unlocated)

Uninhabited System I
Wormholes
1. Irar System; 7 AU; Controlled by Irari on both ends.
2. Uninhabited System III; 9 AU; Controlled by Irari on both ends.
3. Uninhabited System IV; 7 AU; Controlled by Irari on both ends.
4. (Unlocated)

Gormel System
Wormholes
1. Irar System; 7 AU; Controlled by Irari on both ends.
2. (Unlocated)
3. (Unlocated)
4. (Unlocated)

Uninhabited System II
(First saucer to enter this system did not return, second found no evidence of it.)
Wormholes
1. Irar System; 5 AU; Controlled by Irari on both ends.
2. Coeb' System; 8 AU; Controlled by Irari on both ends.
(Number of wormholes uncertain.)

Coeb' System
Wormholes
1. Uninhabited System II; 3 AU; Controlled by Irari on both ends.
2. (Unlocated)
(Number of wormholes uncertain.)

Uninhabited System III
(Patroled by Memer-and-Saret, but not owned by them. Believed to hold one or more pirate bases. Encounters with Memer-and-Saret pirates occurred here.)
Wormholes
1. Uninhabited System I; 9 AU; Controlled by Irari on both ends.
2. A secondary Memer-and-Saret system, not yet explored by Irari; 5 AU; Patroled by Memer-and-Saret at both ends.
3. (Officially unlocated, but believed to be known to Memer-and-Saret criminals)

Uninhabited System IV
(Encounter with unknown pirates and an Aurora occurred here.)
Wormholes
1. Uninhabited System I; 4 AU; Controlled by Irari on both ends.
2. (Unlocated)
3. (Unlocated)
(Number of wormholes uncertain.)

Earth System
Wormholes
1. Irar System; 4 AU; Controlled by a joint Earthan-Irari force on both ends.
2. (Unlocated)
3. (Unlocated)
4. (Unlocated)
5. (Unlocated)
6. (Unlocated)
7. (Unlocated)


Thoughts?
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Five Earths, All in a Row. Updated 12/17/2022: Apocrypha: Bridges out of Time, Part I has been posted.
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Old 05-11-2021, 06:06 PM   #39
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Default Re: [Psi/Space] Irar, the Jewel in the British Crown

Republic of Drothnak Citizens' Militia

A fairly standard example of a CGI militia: a semi-formal defence force consisting of all able-bodied adult & near-adult citizens of the (crowned) Republic of Drothnak, itself a member-state of the Commune of the Great Islands. Mostly a land force, but they do have a few skilled hackers, and access to a flotilla of cutters and some armed aircraft (mostly privately owned in both cases - in fact, most of their land vehicles are also privately owned, and either loaned to the militia, or brought by their owners when called up for training and service).

Ranks

The rank titles are 'close enough' translations, rather than exact names. Rank insignia are marked on the shoulders of the harness, and on the helmet.

Rank 5 [20]

Colonel (two double-point leaves) (Held by the Earl of Drothnak)

Rank 4 [16]

Captain Major (one double-point leaf)

Rank 3 [12]

Captain (three single-point leaves)
Lieutenant (two single-point leaves)
Cornet (one single-point leaf)


Courtesy Rank 3 [3]

Student Officer (one round pip)


Rank 2 [8]

Militia Senior Sergeant (w/Courtesy Rank 3 [3]) (four hash-marks & one filled lozenge)

Militia Colour Sergeant (w/Courtesy Rank 2 [2]) (four hash-marks)
Militia Staff Sergeant (w/Courtesy Rank 1 [1]) (three hash-marks)
Militia Sergeant (two hash-marks)

Rank 1 [4]

Militia Corporal (one hash-mark)

Rank 0 [0]

Ready Militier (one lozenge)
Militier (one hollow lozenge)
Junior Militier (no insignia)


Notes

Militia Rank is 4/level due to the very limited resources that the militia has available.

A 'hash-mark' is a thick, curved line with an outline in a contrasting colour.

The difference between a Junior Militier and a Militier is largely one of age and physical development: a Junior Militier is promoted to Militier when both full grown and able to show the community that they have the maturity of an adult (this is fairly common in the region). A Ready Militier is one who is not only full-grown, but skilled and able to show sufficient military discipline for the militia.

'Uniforms' generally consist of a personal (often non-uniform) harness with militia markings and rank insignia, sometimes armour (either home-made or military surplus), and a (generally non-uniform) hat or helmet with militia markings. Armour, armaments, and other equipment tend to be 'whatever is available' (most often supplied by the user or a member with more property), though most members will have an axe and a survival knife. For Drothnak Island, this includes a lot of hunting weapons, like bows and crossbows, though sometimes with non-hunting arrows. In parade uniform, they carry spears or other polearms, and try to otherwise look fancier.

This militia has a few PatLabors, mostly owned and used by the islander's nobility, and one fully combat-rated walking machine, owned and operated by Baroness Rask, the heir of the island's Head of State (but not Head of Government), Earl Jorss. Militia PatLabors tend to be more heavily decorated than Gendarmerie mobile police PatLabors, though at least on Drothnak, the decorations do not interfere with their ability to be used in combat.

All members of the nobility are socially obligated to be active with the militia as long as they are old enough and able-bodied, and all of them are expected to be officers. Most often, they lead militia units made up of their own tenants, though the pre-Final War militia was less medieval about it (a noble could end up leading such a unit, but was far from assured of it). Like the militia ranks, 'Baroness' and 'Earl' are not perfect translations, but they're generally agreed to be close enough. The Earl's father was adopted into the island's leading family when the last Gormellian members knew that they were dying.

Prior to the Final War, the Earl was roughly equivalent to a Colonel-in-chief, with the professional commanding officer of the militia often being someone else (generally still a member of the nobility, though). The militia at the time was also smaller in terms of regularly-active members, and more ceremonial, as it was mostly seen as unneeded for several generations by the time the Final War happened.


Thoughts?
__________________
Warning, I have the Distractible and Imaginative quirks in real life.

"The more corrupt a government, the more it legislates."
-- Tacitus

Five Earths, All in a Row. Updated 12/17/2022: Apocrypha: Bridges out of Time, Part I has been posted.

Last edited by Prince Charon; 07-05-2021 at 10:04 PM.
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Old 08-16-2021, 04:06 AM   #40
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Default Re: [Psi/Space] Irar, the Jewel in the British Crown

How might the first big, international Martian colony of this worldline be named? I'm currently leaning toward naming it for the location (e.g. 'Olympus Mons City' or 'Cydonia Colony'), as deciding where to put it is important anyway, and naming it after a person (e.g. 'Lowellville') isn't quite as international. It could also be named for a quality or something, in which case what quality?

Relatedly, where do you think I should put it (other than 'on Mars')? Assume a relatively small population at first (about 300 by 2026), with the intention of expanding significantly later on.
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"The more corrupt a government, the more it legislates."
-- Tacitus

Five Earths, All in a Row. Updated 12/17/2022: Apocrypha: Bridges out of Time, Part I has been posted.
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