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Old 03-26-2024, 12:38 PM   #801
jason taylor
 
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Default Re: 'Imperial Culture' (non-canonista)

Quote:
Originally Posted by Astromancer View Post
The Table of Ranks

This is a simple computer program (simple by the standards of the 3I) that sorts out the relative standing of Nobles in the 3I. Example: Some Dukes that are Dukes on their world but not Imperial Dukes would be seen as minor figures from the boondocks whose standing is somewhere below a knight but above a commoner. However, certain worlds have either more clout or simply greater prestige in the 3I. A non-imperial Duke from a world like that might be the equal of an Imperial Baronet or even a Baron.

The Table of Ranks is an essential tool for merchants and diplomats.
Now that's one I'll take up.
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Old 03-26-2024, 01:27 PM   #802
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Default Re: 'Imperial Culture' (non-canonista)

Eddystone Investments Corporation:

While most of it's commerce is in the sectors nearby, the Principality of Caledonia has a finger in the commercial interest far across Known Space. Eddystone Investments cultivates an air of deliberate blandness in it's aesthetic, perhaps taking it to far. The Chief Factor's headquarters at Mora is a grey stone edifice that one could not mistake for anything but the headquarters of an investment corporation and the workers there dress in a similarly bland fashion.

Those who dig a little deeper find that it is a little more interesting. One of it's chief businesses is financing Free Traders. Typically it gives a choice between a "share-contract" and a "'percentage contract". The later is an ordinary interest loan. The former promises a share of profits until the principal is paid. Oddly enough a number of conspiracy theories follow Eddystone but one is precisely true: that it makes up conspiracy theories about itself as disinformation.

For in fact the secret about Eddystone is that it is what is called a "Shetland" in the slang of the Caledonian Royal Intelligence service. A Shetland is a shell company attached to Caledonian secret services. Some "Shetlands" are merely notational: they exist only to annoy analysts from rival services. Some are for the purpose of providing fictive employment of operatives: as a bit of of a joke the Prince is written up as a warehouse janitor. Other's are operational and that is Eddystone's real purpose. As further disinformation it is common to change some active Shetlands to notational status and vice versa, and change names of Shetlands. Furthermore Shetlands are seldom given names which hint at their real purpose. Often the names will be picked out of an unrelated source like a map of ancient Britain (several old pub names have had the incongruous good fortune to win knighthoods for several members). Eddystone was picked by an act of nepotism seldom tolerated in the RIS; the first CEO just happened to be fond of maritime history of Ancient Terra.

The truth however is even more intriguing than just bankrolling ordinary Free Traders. Eddystone is in fact a merc broker. It hires mercenaries either directly or through a tertiary intermediary. It will also find letters of marque for privateers seeking employment, generally in the name of a belligerent friendly to the interests of Caledonia or at least hostile to a power hostile to said interests. Another service it provides is smuggling, to insert agents, and supplies for allied partisans.

Players who take Eddystone charters can find any number of adventures from taking part in adventures themselves to going about the normal business of a Free Trader deliberately looking suspicious to provide a distraction.

The inspiration for "Shetland" was the famous Shetland Bus which smuggled to the Norwegian Resistance. The inspiration for using Shetlands as a generic term came from the CIA slang "Delaware" (incorporation is easier in Delaware so CIA shell companies are all Delawares). The inspiration for the idea in general however was the famous Air America.
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Last edited by jason taylor; 03-26-2024 at 06:20 PM.
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