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Echoes of an Empire System: nothing specific
Theme/Tone: epic fantasy heavily influenced by pulp sci-fi and fantasy
Inspirations: The Art of Paul Lehr, Moebius, Phillipe Caza. The novel Santiago, by Mike Resnik, What Entropy Means to Me, by George Alec Effinger, others. The music of John Carpenter & NIN. Films such as DUNE, Flash Gordon, Prometheus & Alien, Heavy Metal, & of course Star Wars. Metroid, Magic:The Gathering etc. The amazing work of the folks at The Campaign Builders Guild. (http://www.thecbg.org)
Genre: Epic soft-science fiction/Fantasy
Technology Influence: Ranges from neolithic to late medieval/early renaissance.
Magic Influence: Mostly misunderstood technology or unknown natural/dysfunctional/malfunctioning natural universal laws.
Ecology/Races: varies from planet to planet. Humans are the dominant species. Aliens are dwindling in number, often unique and occasionally horrifying.
Churches/Religion: Gods are petty and cruel, often very much alive and ruling in person.
Planar Cosmology: nothing here yet!
Geography: Space! So planets, asteroids, other celestial objects etc. It should be noted that I often invoke the single biome-star wars standard for simplicity sake.
Places to start/Points of Interest: Planet Algea, The Verdant Crest (neutral agrarian world), others.
Links: n/a
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(http://i.imgur.com/9t38Z7Vm.jpg)
Art by: Paul Lehr
"Another scholar? How many more of you foolish humans will come searching for tales of the Empire-Without-Name? That chaotic millennium holds nothing but sorrow and darkness, memories that will only steal away a tranquil mind and send you searching the endless corridors of space for answers that no creature knows...Alas, very well-I shall tell you stories..."
-Mother Gildanian, Last of Her Kind
It is a dark era in the galaxy. A millennium or more has passed since the Empire-Without-Name collapsed for reasons unknown. What remains are grim reminders of the nature of destruction that befell the great civilizations that have come before. Glassed worlds. Darkened stars. Megastructures adrift in the void of space, stripped for resources and archaic technologies. Orphaned species on the verge of extinction. Feudal kingdoms in space vie for supremacy, utilizing the arcane and unknown technologies of past eras to further their cause. On the edge of space lingers a great evil, a watcher from afar...
The Galaxy
"He who can destroy a thing,
can control a thing..."
-Frank Herbert
"Might I recount the tragedy that befell Jax-no-Sun, who held at ransom an entire planet for the love of an android; Or horrify you with images of the ten-thousand appendages of the bio-terror known as MERCI; Would you care to hear the last verses of the epic poem Sharndolin? It is a pithy thing, coded in the dead language of the Zossobarians. Hmm..I can see you favor the macabre. Here, listen to the final shrieking pleas for help from Outpost 99...!"
-Mother Gildanian,Last of Her Kind
The billion billions of eons past are greatly diminished in the twilight eons of the universe. Humanity has evolved beyond the ancient kin of long dead Earth, instead awakening to the cosmic fabric that courses through all things. That is not to say all men are sorcerers-in lieu of arcane talent come men with armor, sword and axe or any assortment of feudal device. Called powerful by the weak, barbarian by the wary, null-men and neutrals by learned scholars... There is more than one path to carve out a kingdom however...
The once sprawling galactic empires of decadence and indulgence are no more, destroyed from within by vainglorious and scheming men...or the simple taxing of time. In the wake of the great collapse come feudal kingdoms-planet sized bastions of civilization ruled by very powerful men, or alliances of men that hold power over the subjugated races-mutants, demi-humans, aliens and semi-humans, half-breeds, vat-readied, engineered and artificed-the list is endless; but it is mankind that is the dominant species.
The Scream
(http://i.imgur.com/sQgsl5Um.jpg)
Concept art for alien? Prometheus? By the late great master H.R. Giger
The dozen systems that make up the darkened part of space known as The Scream was very probably the heart of the Empire-Without-Name. Evidence of a great disaster, or series of disasters is apparent. From the bleach-colored moons of Rakas V, to the glassed surfaces of the hollow planet Kada II. The Scream holds dozens of systems with secrets to be uncovered. Warlords and marauders plague the old core worlds and as such have made it difficult for any kingdom to gain a foothold here.
The Chrystar
(http://i.imgur.com/oxlfcpxm.jpg)
Art By Paul Lehr
A unique crystalline object drifting through space and home to the Gildanian Motherhood, an alien race that has transcended mortality with artificial implants, gene therapy and molecular reconfiguration. Masters of sorcery that hearkens back to the era of the Empire-Without-Name and has rendered them seemingly immortal. They are completely neutral in the politics of the land and act as mentor, guide and seer for many feudal lords, who seek out the Chrystar for advice. To take a Gildanian into custody, or gods forbid, kill one would ignite an outrage across the Kingdoms that has not been seen in a millennium.
The Dinstar
(http://i.imgur.com/wBc4C3om.jpg)
Artist Unkown..
The Black Heart of Moebius. The Watcher From Afar. The Dinstar is a massive object the size of a planet, lurking on the edge of civil space. From the black, spiked spires that line its mercurial surface spew legions of enemies, heralds of destruction. The Dinstar has been known to bring about the utter destruction of a planet simply by careening into it, emerging unscathed and wandering off into the darkness of space...
The Kingdoms
(http://i.imgur.com/Qqq3gvTb.jpg)(http://i.imgur.com/nZz7NUXb.jpg)(http://i.imgur.com/PMYNvlQb.jpg)
Artists: unknown possibly Peter Elson, Lehr.
The Kingdoms are bastions of society and order in an otherwise chaotic universe, violent as they may be. Here in 'protected' space are the fiefdoms of warlords, noble rulers and powerful sorcerers. Here we have trade and commerce, art and entertainment, justice and law. A dozen stars make up the kingdoms.
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Here is an example of a middling-to-low powered kingdom, House Bossifer. With little ambition for great power, and certainly no illusions of grandeur, Bossifer has carved out a kingdom serving the wealthy elite, the salacious and just plain bored. Gladiatorial combat, sport-hunting, black market fencing etc. has garnered Lord Bossifer a rather disdainful (but shrewd and reliable) reputation among his noble brethren. Wealthy elite often visit his kingdom to solidify deals and treaties or for holiday. Bossifers neutrality is key to his survival. Bossifer and the Verdant Crest
King Arno Bossifer, Shield of the People of the Green, Steward of the Domed Gardens and Protector of Iea, Last of the Lemurians
His Son, Lord Garon Bossifer, Prince of Dome 31
Swordmaster Master Toombs, a liberated Automata, Master-at-Arms
The Verdant Crest
Planet Algea
Algea is an idyllic agricultural world, dotted with ancient habitat domes, some that still operate. Here, the Bossifer clan cultivates rare and exotic plants. The capital, which bares the name of its master, is the only true metropolitan sector on Algea. Dozens of villages and hamlets dot the serene countryside, tucked into valleys and at the edges of forests and rivers. But beneath (literally) this idyllic farming kingdom is the Gash-Volog, a prison, slave-hall, black market and bloody gladiatorial arena. The Gash-Volog is located far below Algea's surface, hidden from the scrutiny of nobles and priests and accessible only by the wealthy initiated.
Planet Sephora
Sister planet to Algea, larger and less verdant. Surrounded by orbiting debris, it is accessible only through the Porters Guild based on Algea. Sephora is also dotted with ancient habitat domes, but in far more disrepair than its sisters. These domes seemed to have held violent animals, convicts or both, the evolutionary remnants of which still roam the wilderness of Sephora. Many wealthy men and women come to Sephora to hunt the 'big-game mutants' that can be found, many of which are unique. The sport of which, combined with the income of the Gash-Volog has brought riches to The Verdant Crest and the Bossifer clan. Sephora is also home to a colony of Lemurians, and their exiled queen Iea.
The People of the Green
The people of the green are a hardy folk, with black and brown hair and eyes, tanned skin and a mild manner. For the most part they are farmers, and simple tradesman. A guild of porters ferries travelers too and from Sephora. A handful of religions based on ancestor worship exists and for the most part they enjoy many civil liberties due in part to the stigmata of exceptionalism, which is nearly non-existent among the peasants.
The villages and hamlets are administrated by an elder or elected council. They are responsible for harvests, planting and upkeep of the townships, conscripting and maintaining militia and holding judicial court for minor crimes like theft. Capital crimes are handed over to provincial governors, who favor swift and final punishment or handing over condemned to the arena masters of Gash-Volog.
The Lemurians are an orphan race of gelatinous spheroids from a destroyed planet. Queen Iea and her enclave were evacuated from their homeworld by a passing freighter just as the DINstar approached, and sold to the Protector of the Verdant Crest. The Lemurians are seemingly little more than an oddity that Lord Bossifer keeps for amusement...
Technology
Automata
The automata that can be found on Algea are certainly a relic of the Empire-Without-Name; Although not uniquely algean, (other varieties can be found throughout the galaxy). Vaguely humanoid, coated in a metal shell of bronze, copper or tin, and accompanied by the softly whirring sound of their inner gyros and gears, automata have found niche places in society, serving as stewards and tutors, sparring partners, or other specialty laborers (Lord Bossifer's own Master-at-Arms is an automata named Toombs). The automata were used as slaves for centuries before they were replaced with more reliable human captives. Now dwindling in numbers, especially after the Last Revolt (named because it was the last to occur, some two-hundred years hence, and also because their will probably never be another on Algea) when the peasants destroyed many of the automata, they have become somewhat of a collectors item among wealthy individuals. It is not uncommon to hear of the theft of some nobles house-automata only to turn up on the black market with a new slick of paint slapped on it.
The Domes
The relic domes of Algea and Sephora were once terrestrial habitats, designed to provide agriculture and grazing or pasture land throughout the seasons. Many of the domes have cracked and shattered, but a few still operate. They serve as museums more than practical functional farmland. Domes on Sephora hide darker secrets however, it is believed the Empire-Without-Name may have dabbled in genetic modification of some of the more feral species in the galaxy, perhaps attempting to create a weapon of some sort. Those evolutionary cousins of the mutant ferals now stalk to countryside on Sephora.
The Skywalk
Meandering paths of levitating discs, that soar to hundreds of feet in the air or dip down to just barely touch the surface of a lake make up the Skywalk of Planet Algea. It is a relic of the Empire-Without-Name, and its original purpose is unclear (it was an art installation that managed to survive the ravages of time). The Discs are immovable but have been known to adjust their shape. Patterns are random, making the walk very dangerous at times.
Weapons
Bossifer has no standing army, instead relying on the noble knighthood and local militias to provide defense.
Terranigma, Bossifer Flagship
More of a yacht than a warship, the Terranigma is Lord Bossifers plaything. Equipped with pleasure-suites, an on-board physical library and a service staff of 22, the Terranigma is often rented out to visiting nobles and capos to conduct business (often at exorbitant prices)
Quellions Rest
Named in honor of a legendary sorcerer, the Quellion is a weapon, plain and simple. Heavily shielded and crewed, the Quellion can hold its own in a battle..
Local Militia
Local militias are armed with simple weapons: blade, handaxe and shield, leather armor etc. Occasionally a knight will donate an old suit of armor to a militia captain, but it is often ill fitting and banged up. The knights occasionally handpick militia to serve as squires at court.
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Other Races, Gods etc.
(http://i.imgur.com/Od4ZblVb.jpg)
This is definitely Skeletor.
Moebius
"All things end."
The Gildanians
"You seek knowledge, but do you know what to do with it?"
Achaendorf
"Do not drink the blood of false gods."
Bilgest Vitae
"Semgat bethra, caetha! CAETHA!"
Cool setting! How difficult is space travel in this anachronistic universe? What do their spacecraft look like?
Quote from: Ghostman
Cool setting! How difficult is space travel in this anachronistic universe? What do their spacecraft look like?
Thanks Ghostman!
I am imagining interplanetary travel within the blotch of space known as the Kingdoms to be relatively safer than, say traveling to distant Chrystar or mounting an expedition to The Scream. You might encounter the odd space pirate, debris field or hostile faction traveling between Kingdom planets, but once you leave civil space things become much more dangerous. I imagine the characters-the ones brave enough to leave the safety of The Kingdoms-as creating some of the problems they might encounter.
Discovering a planet for example, where the payoff might seemingly appear greater than the risks involved, only to encounter an ancient cosmic horror or diabolical booby trap left over from the empire-without-name; somewhat conjuring plot devices of Star Trek:TOS. I'll have to think about this some more.
Something I had assumed but not even written a blurb about is that space travel need not be restricted to starships. Portals and wormholes, either naturally occurring or through some machination devised by the old empire, might be one (probably unsafe) method of transport. Certain alien species might even be capable of traveling from planet to planet, a magical sort of evolution possibly pushed along by sorcerers from the empire days.
As for the ships, they are myriad and unique. The Ships should be another character in the plot really, but I don't think personified ships ala quirky A.I. is the way to go here. More atmospheric clues about each ship (I really can't think of any atm, dead tired from work). The point is that their really are no endless waves of fighters or drones, (I suggest filling that capacity with swarms of hive-mind insectoids or something of the like) I will certainly have to give this some more thought-you've pushed my brain in another direction than it was heading Ghostman, thanks for reading!