New Sci Fi Setting Seeds

[Astromancer]

Originally Posted by Astromancer

Serapis

Notes on Serapis...

There are other humanoids living on Serapis look here for inspiration.

Serapis has mainly small continents like Australia and Greenland sized Islands, but enough of them that the land sea ratio is 67% sea/33% land. Also, a somewhat higher percentage of the land is arable than on the Earth.

Since the OFFICIAL DISCOVERY of Serapis there has been a large Scout base and colony placed on an island with a climate much like Southern France. The island has a native population called the Gerana. They're tiny, the size of five year old children, but tough and agile (+2Ht, +2DX) people, who are generally very attractive (NO Unattractive, Attractive or better looks). Fairly large numbers of these folks are seeking jobs and education in the Earth Human cities.

If Serapis is meant to evoke Hellenistic Greek culture then Harpocrates is meant to evoke both Lowell's take on Mars, as used by Burroughs, C.L.Moore, and Lin Carter, the Canals and deserts tropes as well as the Greek tradition (carried on by the Victorians) of seeing Egypt as an ancient gloomy land of mysteries and riches, decadent pleasures and esoteric learning.

The canal cities are ancient, the desert tribesmen are the descendants of the survivors of long dead cities. The libraries of the surviving cities are rich in history, poetry, music, and the lore of the priestly castes.

The priest castes of Harpocrates learn ancient arts of the mind. Their meditations allowed the canals to repair themselves for thirty-five thousand years. Then humanity started coming from the sky. They innocently brought plague to the planet, nine out of ten Harpocratians died in the plague. The small human groups were still enslaved. And breed as slaves. They're sold in the slave marts to this day, their strength, endurance, and good looks are prized. As is the mysterious fact that humans born and bred for more than three generation on Harpocrates tend to have Extended Lifespans not having aging roles until the age of two hundred Earth years, although they mature at the same rate as normal humans.

The present day Harpocratians know better than to try to enslave the the new humans with the ray guns and other weapons. Besides, the scholars among the Earth folk might relearn the lost secrets of the ancients and save the dying cities of the fading canal system.

The Harpocratians are small slender humanoids, nines in ST and HT, elevens in DX and IQ. Psionics aren't common, but the ancients could unlock them.

(More Later)

[Astromancer]

Originally Posted by Astromancer

Crocus


The plague wars really don't have a true beginning day. The whole point of bio weapons is covert attack. Still, the total collapse of international trade in 2035, generally provides the starting point of the Plague Wars. With 2097, the period when no NEW exotic plagues had been reported for twenty years generally held to be the close of the period.

An Important aspect of medicine being TL9 in this world is that Doctors can manipulate, enhance, and redirect, the immune system's response to disease. Many new vaccines have been developed. Some vaccines are adjustable, like any tumor vaccines that turn the body's immune response against cancer cells.

Thus the PCs are simply mildly lucky in that Immunity to Disease is easily induced in most young people with good immune systems to start with. I.e. the PCs are important, but not special or desperately rare.

The North American government is working to extend the electrified rail systems. They're also trying to improve and maintain the Smart Grid and the internet.

[Astromancer]

Originally Posted by Astromancer

Serapis

Serapis and Harpocrates orbit Poimandres (their Star) in 320 and 2/7 days. And they have two leap years in every seven years.

Serapis and Harpocrates orbit each other in forty days, creating eight months a year (use the Wiccan Wheel of the Year for the months of the year.)

[Astromancer]

Originally Posted by Astromancer

Crocus


The plague wars really don't have a true beginning day. The whole point of bio weapons is covert attack. Still, the total collapse of international trade in 2035, generally provides the starting point of the Plague Wars. With 2097, the period when no NEW exotic plagues had been reported for twenty years generally held to be the close of the period.

Although electric power is cheap and common where there are fusion power generation stations, this setting has energy and transport issues. The NA&CGC (North American and Caribbean Governmental Cooperative) is investing in Zeppelins, fusion powered, such vehicles are as yet rare. Naval vessels and a small number of other ships also use fusion power, but it's really the new age of sail. These are TL8 sailing ships (medicine, power generation, and a few other priority areas are Tech Level Nine, TL8 or lower is far more common), with TL9 navigation units.

Because the NA&CGC crews always have induced or inborn Immunity to Disease, NA&CGC ships are by far the most welcomed ships in any port. They are also the ships that both pirates and slavers (the two are often the same) prefer to attack. After all, if attacking a ship simply means you and your crew die of plague, why bother. But people with Immunity to Disease are wanted as slaves and breeding stock in most of this world. Plagues cause labor shortages and demographic restrictions. Slaves that don't get sick are amazingly valuable in such a world.

Although many nations understand why the NA&CGC restricts knowledge of its immunology techniques, it is still bitterly resented. Sure, making such techniques public would be inviting another round of the Plague wars with the total extinction of everyone but the first aggressor. But the immunology techniques, once perfected, would allow a nation's quick recovery and all the advantages of recovering early.

These notes were just to show that trade and spy missions are very suitable to this setting.

[Astromancer]

Originally Posted by Astromancer

Serapis

The planet Serapis was inhabited by humans long before it was "discovered" by humans. Basically, on certain popular jump routes, some misjumps, under odd circumstances, could land you with badly damaged engines in the star system Poimandres, with only two habitable worlds, the double planet Serapis and Harpocrates. Harpocrates is on the edge of habitability because it's both small and very dry, but Serapis is fairly Earthlike. So many desperate lost starfarers settled as castaways on Serapis.

As written, Serapis and Harpocrates are on the edge of a frontier of exploration, at least for Earth's sphere of influence. Thus the scout bases/naval bases on both planets are designed to facilitate further exploration and settlement. The cities built around these bases are unusually large and urbane, basically because there are already large human and near human populations in the area.

Thus, if your bold Starship crew wants to touch in with civilization, Serapis and Harpocrates are perfect for their needs. Which means that anything in your setting's galaxy could arrive at these starports. Especially things from beyond Known Space!!!

[Astromancer]

Originally Posted by Astromancer

Crocus


The plague wars really don't have a true beginning day. The whole point of bio weapons is covert attack. Still, the total collapse of international trade in 2035, generally provides the starting point of the Plague Wars. With 2097, the period when no NEW exotic plagues had been reported for twenty years generally held to be the close of the period.

The Tech Level is complex in this setting. Medicine and Bioengineering are TL9. Power generation and certain areas of computing are also TL9. Robotics is also a priority field because of the labor shortage. The NA&CGC has these areas at TL9, in other areas they're mainly TL8.

Much of the rest of the world is between Tech Levels 6 and 7 with random areas at TL8. But there are those that are higher or lower. Just assume that the NA&CGC is the most advanced in practice. Even if some others many have small islands of even more advanced tech.

Although most of the nations of this Earth are hostile towards each other, Warfare is rare, battles and even military campaigns without battles lead to outbreaks of plague (which was always the biggest killer in any war anyway.)
This means that constant pretty bickering and ***-for-tat maneuvers are a cultural norm everywhere and will ensnare the PCs at odd times. Everybody's pride seems to be on the line 24/7.

[Prince Charon]

Originally Posted by Astromancer

This means that constant pretty bickering and ***-for-tat maneuvers are a cultural norm everywhere and will ensnare the PCs at odd times.

Apropos of not much, the censor software on this forum is occasionally amusing.

[ronwit]

Originally Posted by Astromancer

Serapis

The planet Serapis was inhabited by humans long before it was "discovered" by humans. Basically, on certain popular jump routes, some misjumps, under odd circumstances, could land you with badly damaged engines in the star system https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poimandres]Poimandres.

Lucky for the castaways, Serapis has no diseases that humans can catch, well none other than "Lechery Fever." But old LF only makes you silly ( if you have GURPS: Celtic Myth use Capricious and Lercherous) and lecherous for a couple of weeks.

Sounds very like Marion Zimmer Bradley's Darkover. A colony ship miss jumps and is lost for more than a thousand years. All with a very Celtic atmosphere. She also takes elements from Chamber's A King in Yellow.

[Astromancer]

Originally Posted by ronwit

Sounds very like Marion Zimmer Bradley's Darkover. A colony ship miss jumps and is lost for more than a thousand years. All with a very Celtic atmosphere. She also takes elements from Chamber's A King in Yellow.

I only ever read one Darkover novel and it didn't have any deep background in it. Still, it isn't likely that any of my ideas would be utterly unprecedented.

[Astromancer]

Try this one...

First there is an attempted invasion of the Earth in the year 2040, much like Independence Day. Especially in the simply fact that the aliens seemed to be incompetent and culturally and technologically retrograde. The main difference between this scenario and the film is that North America takes the main brunt of the attack. The USA also drives the aliens off and prevents the slaughter of billions, but the USA is seriously trashed.

China, and a faded but still dangerous Russia jump on the chance to interfere with American reconstruction. Both nations invading the US and forcing "Reparations." They never said what they were "Reparations" for, they just demanded the money and resources. For five years (2041-2046) such large amounts of the American harvests were commandeered that there was famine in America for the first time since the 1840's. Neither the EU nor any other American "Ally" dared interfere.

Then, the aliens came again in 2055. This time China, Russia, India, Europe, Brazil, Indonesia, and East Asia, got brutalized. By the barest the aliens were driven off again, and some of the few remaining American space colonists figured out how to destroy the aliens once and for all. But much of the planet is devastated.

The USA is the only major economy unscathed. It seems that translated alien records described them as finished and the aliens didn't bother to check and see if there had been any reconstruction. Further proof of the aliens degeneration and incompetence.

Problem, the USA wants to rebuild, the rest of the world wants America to rebuild them. Europe and other allies point out they couldn't help before, but America can help now. China and Russia say they were simply dealing with a threat to their sovereignty. The American Right-wing wants Empire, the American Left-wing wants to send aid, most Americans want to be left alone.

Your PCs are UN diplomats. You want nations to co operate to rebuild the world and are mindful that the aliens have attacked twice in 15 years. You also realize that the treatment of the USA in the 2040-2055 period is a raw wound that no one has let heal. You have to both balm the wound and get the aid.