The Campaign Builder's Guild

New campaign, sci-fi, based partly on star wars, partly on star trek, a bit of firefly, a dash of stargate, and a bunch of other sci-fi movies I've forgotten I've watched. Should be interesting.

[ic]First there was the sea, then there was the air, the speed of sound, space, and finally the speed of light. All of these were conquered by humanity, all of them with machines and devices of their own making.

And all of them came with a price.

Humanity reached its arm heavenward, expanding through the galaxy like bacteria in a culture. But, like their unicellular brethren, they soon hit the edge of their petri dish. What began as a conflict between a few small colonies soon engulfed the whole of the human race in deadly war, culminating with the Omega Burst.

When the dust settled, humanity was annihilated. Cities stood empty, planets were left as nothing more than cinders, and entire orbital fleets stood awaiting orders from empty chairs.

Humanity's first steps beyond their sun ended in disaster. With hope and a little bit of luck, their second attempt will not.[/ic]  
Lost Horizons takes a different look at humanity. We are not the first incarnation of what are typically known as humans, but the second, born out of the ashes of a catastrophe long forgotten. Humanity's second attempt is now reaching that critical point where it must make its decision again, whether their choice will lead to a third incarnation is yet to be seen.

Ethos:
We Aren't Alone, But we are Lost: There are a multitude of different alien races that were born from the catastrophe of the first humans; we are not alone. However, humanity has found themselves adrift in a sea of uncertainty after the Great Wars, and unless they find a uniting purpose, they will decay and die.
We know nothing about everything, and everything about nothing: Science has a large place in this world. Even though they have broken the final barrier, humanity only knows its history back a few million years. Adrift in space, lying abandoned on lifeless planets, lie ancient ships, forgotten colonies. Humanity has found a few of these artifacts from their distant ancestors, but no one realizes what they actually mean.

 [ooc]Please don't comment here. Instead comment here (http://www.thecbg.org/e107_plugins/forum/forum_viewtopic.php?26497.last).
[/ooc]

The term 'starship' in Lost Horizons is a very broad one, meaning anything that can travel between the two farthest planets in a system. These are classified based on their size, purpose, engine configuration, and design, resulting in a myriad of different combinations and classes of starship.

Size: Starships run the gamut from a 50-foot pleasure ship to a half-mile-long dreadnought and everything in between. Most ships are between 200 and 1500 feet long, and includes almost all civilian ships, frigates, destroyers, cruisers, medium-sized cruisers, and the smallest battleships. Seldom will one board a larger vessel, and more seldom would someone acquire one.

Purpose: All starships fall into two broad categories, Military and Civilian, as well as many subcategories. The following lists describe the most common ship classifications from smallest to largest.

Civilian craft

*

Pleasure Craft: This category encompasses all ships whose primary purpose is personal transportation or recreation. This includes corporate transports, private star runners, and privately owned mining and salvage ships.
*Scout: These ships are built for long-range exploration and survey. Almost all engine and sensors, scouts seldom carry more than five crewmen. The smallest ships to have hyperspace drives, they are often the forebears of science ships or slipstreamers, who have the size to carry better survey or building materials.
*Science Ship: Science ships are loaded to the brim with advanced sensors and labs.  They have smaller crews for their size, as most navigational and ship functions are automated to make room for labs and equipment. They have very few weapons, if any.
*Merchant: These Medium ships are mixed passenger-cargo ships, which do most of the trade among star systems. Average armament, average armor, they are the average against which all other ships are gauged.
*Liner/Passenger/Cruise: These three classifications are variations of the same design, which are long, narrow, lightly armored and armed ships built for accommodation of passengers.
*Salvage: These large ships are designed to harvest the minerals and gasses of the various clouds, nebula, and asteroid belts in the galaxy. They are heavily armored to protect against stay hits, but are only lightly armed.  
*Freighter: Large, slow, boxy ships used for mass transport of raw materials. Lightly armored, but most run heavily armed to ward off pirates and other would-be thieves.
*Slipstreamers: These large ships are mobile construction platforms, carrying all the parts and machines needed to assemble a Slipstream Gate. Their design is such that the defenses and armor of the future gate also protects the ship, so these are formidable vessels. It takes roughly a year to position and assemble a Slipstream Gate. The hyperspace drive is converted into the power generator around the fifth month, before that the gate can be rebuilt into a ship should the need arise.
[/list]    

Military craft

*

Fighter: Light one or two person ships, these craft seldom have anything more than sub-light engines. They are based on larger capital ships and stations, used for bombing runs and patrols.
*Frigate: Frigates are small, fast ships used primarily for fleet defense and patrol. Of the military vessels, these have the most variety and are the most likely to fall into private hands.
*Destroyer: These ships are slightly less powerful than a cruiser. Used in fleet battles and dangerous patrols, these are the largest capital ships that see regular action.
*Cruiser: Used as escorts for large capital ships and especially carriers, these ships rarely see action except in fleet battles. Most cruisers today orbit strategic planets as defensive measures or accompany carriers on patrol.
*Battlecruiser: Faster than a battleship, but more powerful than a cruiser, these are the bread and butter of most starship fleets, as they are both cheaper to operate, and easier to accommodate than battleships.
*Battleship: These large ships are outclassed only by dreadnoughts, and their use is mostly in large fleet battles and planetary blockades. Only the largest entities can afford such monstrosities.
*Carrier: Carriers are a recent invention. Designed to carry fighters into battle, the early ones were simply battleships with the main weapon systems gutted and replaced with hangar bays. Today these ships have come into their own and are used heavily to patrol slipstreams and slipstream gates.
*Dreadnought: These are the largest, most powerful class of ships. Only three are known to exist, two 'light cruiser' ancient wrecks which were salvaged and re-built, and one newer one, the Leviathan, which hasn't been seen since the Great Wars, but is known not to have been destroyed.    
*Experimental: These ships can be of any size or class, but are given this classification because they are testing experimental, often dangerously unfinished technology. The most famous of these is the Threader, the first ship to use a hyperspace drive successfully.
[/list]

Engines:There are three primary engine systems that can be installed on ships:

*

Hyperspace Drive: The hyperspace drive is the largest of the engine types, and the least common. It generates a field around the ship and launches it to faster-than-light(FTL) speeds instantaneously. Since this is not an actual acceleration, it requires very little power beyond simply 'convincing' the particles in the field to move at FTL speeds. The drive is extremely unstable and inaccurate, the best you can hope to aim is for a particular system, so use of this drive is confined to scouts, science vessels, and ships needed to construct slipstream gates.
*Slipstream Field Emitter (SFE): This is not an engine per se, but a steering system which allows the ship to surf the currents while in the slipstream. The slipstream itself is powered by slipstream gates. Gates are enormous devices that establish rifts into subspace and link to each other. This creates a current between the two gate, flowing in both directions and contained by a field of high-velocity particles. If a third system is introduced, it chooses the path of least resistance, often joining into a nearby stream. Because of this tendency, the slipstream system resembles something like a spiderweb. Navigating this system is extremely difficult, and requires special training along with an advanced computer navigational aid. The SFE also prevents the ship from passing through the particle 'walls' of the slipstream itself and being destroyed or lost in non-moving subspace.
*Sub-light Engines: These are primarily ion, gravimetric pulse, or similar engines that allow ships to quickly traverse interplanetary distances. These engines often draw from the same fuel reserves that the SFE does to save space and avoid unneeded complexity. Most modern ships use gravimetric pulse engines, but a few still stick to ion drives; only the oldest and poorest races use combustion rockets.
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[ic]Katie ascended the ramp behind Ross into the Phoenix, and she had to admit that the inside looked better than the outside.

"You share your room with D'Brell," Ross said, pointing sternward, "second hatchway on the right. Engine room access is at the end of the..."  

"Welcome back Ross." A voice said from behind Katie. Turning, she saw a young human, male, about 30, dressed in a clean version of Ross's wrinkled olive jumpsuit. "Ah, welcome to you as well, Katie Beckman."

"Damnit Nicholas, how many times do I have to tell you NOT TO DO THAT!"

"I'm sorry Captain," Nicholas replied, "I merely wished to welcome our new engineer. Would you like me to show you the ship, Katie Beckman?"

"No thanks," Katie said, "and 'Kat' will do."

"Very well." Nicholas said. He walked up to Ross, stepped through him as if he wasn't there, and continued towards the bow. Ross shuddered and shouted after him, "Indignant hologram!"

"Over-sensitive organic!" Nicholas rebutted before ducking into a hatchway and dissapearing from view.[/ic]

There are hundreds of races across the galaxy, most of which stem from some strain of human, those that don't are often take extremely bizarre forms, often not even humanoid. Only a few of these are capable of interstellar travel. 8 of these comprise 96% of all interstellar trade and politics, the others are either colonies or allies with the larger races, or small independent states of only one or two systems. In addition, there are also two artificial races: Holograms and Artificials.

Holograms
Personality: Holograms have a wide array of possible personalities. However, they usually develop a somewhat normal personality for their visual race, though oftentimes a bit more arrogant and aloof than is normal.
Physical Description: Most Holograms are modeled after certain races, although it is certainly possible to have a completely unique hologram. All holograms are distinguished by their translucency and their holographic matrix.
Relations: Holograms get along with all races superficially, but most holographic personalities tend to grate after prolonged contact.
Names: Holograms are usually created only with a designation describing their function (Emergency Medical Hologram, Holographic Control Interface, etc.), few keep these titles, replacing them with real names fairly quickly. The name itself is usually a racial one from whatever race they interact with the most.
Game Rule Information

*+2 Int, -4 Cha: Holograms benefit from advanced AI technology, but generally lack developed social skills.  
*Medium: As Medium creatures, Holograms have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size. Holograms that are modeled after small races are still considered medium, as their holographic matrix extends beyond their visible form.
*Hologram base land speed is 30 feet.
*Holograms are immune to poison, sleep effects, paralysis, stunning, disease, death effects, ability damage, ability drain, fatigue, or exhaustion. They are, however, vulnerable to viruses, worms, energy drain, and disruption.
*Holograms take double damage from energy, and ion weapons, and quadruple damage from disruption weapons.
*Holograms cannot wear armor. The Hologram's matrix cannot support large items such as body armor, any armor or clothing the hologram wears is programmed into the hologram, and provides no protection.
*Holographic Matrix: attacks against Holograms damage the cohesion of the hologram's visual projection. when reduced to 0 HP, the hologram looses cohesion and deactivates. A hologram still 'dies' at -10 HP, the point where the attack has corrupted the hologram's data beyond repair. The hologram also dies if the computer where its program is stored is destroyed.
*Non-corporeal: Holograms are made of light and energy that must constantly be maintained. They cannot travel more than 20 feet beyond a holographic emitter, although there are mobile emitters that attach to the hologram itself. If the emitter is destroyed, the hologram deactivates. However, holograms can move through solid matter,  taking nonlethal damage based on the object's size (3d4 medium, 2d4 small, 1d4 tiny). Holograms cannot move through objects larger than themselves.  
*+2 racial bonus on Computer Use and Pilot. Holograms can take advantage of a direct interface with computers, heightening their own abilities.
*Automatic Languages: Basic and Digital.
*Bonus Languages: Any (excepting secret and ancient languages)

Artificials
Personality: Artificials usually fall into two distinct categories: inquisitive, curious beings, dedicated to expanding their horizons and becoming more like other races, or conceited, egotistical creatures who see themselves as better than other beings, worthy only of their contempt. This depends greatly upon who reared the Artificial; they are easily influenced in their first months by those around them.
Physical Description: Artificials can vary greatly in design, from barely humanoid, efficient machines to an almost perfect likeness of a species. However, Artificials still have their own unique looks, and cannot be mistaken for the race they emulate unless the observer has very, very bad eyesight.
Relations: Artificials have neutral relations with most other races, although they are treated with hostility by the more traditional and simplistic races, who see them as abominations.
Names: All Artificials are required by law to have a designation that identifies them uniquely. This usually identifies the model number and what number the artificial is of that model, but this isn't a requirement. What they are called is up to them, usually a nickname based on their function, or a name they chose themselves.
Game Rule Information

*+2 Str, -2 Wis, +2Cha: Artificials are incredibly strong, but often lack common sense and world knowledge. Most people find them innocently endearing or to have a very forceful personality, a quality picked up form their constant observation of organic life.
*Variable size: Artificials vary in size, but 90% of them are Medium size. of the remainder, 80% are small, while the other 20% are any other size category, usually large. They have the appropriate game statistics.
*Artificial base land speed is 30 feet.
*Artificials do not begin dying at -1 hitpoints. Instead they become inactive and require a repair check to bring them back to operation. They still die at -10 hp.
*Static systems: An artificial does not regain hitpoints naturally; they lack any sort of internalized automatic repair functions beyond basic maintenance devices.
*Quick Learner: Artificials can pick up things incredibly quickly. Speak Language, as well as three other skills (player's choice upon creation) are treated as class skills in regards to rank acquisition and maximum ranks.
*+4 racial bonus to Computer Use and Repair checks to regain lost hitpoints: Artificials are computers, and so have a natural affinity for them. They have also learned from necessity how to perform at least basic repairs on themselves.
*Automatic Languages: Basic and Digital.
*Bonus Languages: Any

[ic]Katie watched as Ross followed after Nicholas; Whether he was on a mission of revenge or simply his original destination, she didn't really want to know. She thought she heard Ross shouting again as she moved sternward, which only made her accelerate her pace.

She passed through a small living area before reaching any hatchways. The room was spartan, a few thinly cushioned chairs and a well worn table were the primary occupants of the room. To her right, partially concealed by a windowed bulkhead, was what looked to be a rather ill-kept galley.

She continued sternward and found the hatchway. She opened it to the comparatively dim illumination of several dozen candles perched on nearly every available flat surface. In the center of the room sat a figure Katie hoped was D'Brell. The figure opened one eye and trained it on the intruder, "Who are you?"

"Kat," Katie said a little nervously, "You're D'Brell?" The figure continued to stare at her, "I'll just be going then..."

"You have the top bunk," D'Brell said to Kat's turned back, "you may place your things in the starboard locker."

"Thanks," Kat replied, moving across the room. She quickly tossed her bag into the locker and made a hasty retreat.[/ic]

Kal'Pak
Personality: Kal'Pak are a dichotomy of build and outlook. Despite their sometimes frightening appearance, Kal'Pak are often calm, compassionate, and wise beings. They are often the peacekeepers and the pacifists of the galaxy, but it was a hard-learned lesson that other races should leave them be; The last race that attempted to conquer them was completely annihilated in a matter of weeks. There has not been another attempt.
Physical Description: Kal'Pak are second only to the Sheenja in sheer strength. Unfortunately, they pay for this strength with unusual clumsiness. Their skin ranges in color from light tan to dark brown, and they stand anywhere from 5'10 to 6'5 in height. Their bodies are nearly hair-less, and are covered in tattoos which they begin to acquire from an early age. These tattoos are usually stylized pictures or runic writings that commemorate important events in one's life. No two Kal'Pak have the same markings.
Relations: Kal'Pak suffer from an initial fear from other races who see them for the first time, but make friends quickly. They are on good terms with all other races except the Sheenja. While not the smartest beings themselves, Kal'Pak find the Sheenja's reverence of strength above all else abhorrent.
Names: Kal'Pak names are in the same style as their race name, and often make liberal use of the apostrophe to indicate stops. Female names are similar to male names, but are often smoother in pronunciation.
Male names: K'Breen, P'Knorr, Lotha'c, R'Gada, Che'Ull.
Female Names: D'Brell, J'Lonn, Sel'Rinn, Te'Kath.
Game Rule Information:

*+2 str, +2 wis, -2 int. Kal'Pak are wise and strong, but don't possess as much raw intellect as some other races.
*Medium: Kal'Pak have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
*30 feet land speed.
*Ceremony of Sho'Kareeth: A Kal'Pak can survive for weeks without rest; however, a Kal'Pak must perform a ritual in order to accomplish this feat. At least once a week he must perform a type of meditation, which allows the body to purge and cleanse itself as if she had slept for a time span 4 times as long (a Kal'Pak meditating for two hours gains the benefit of 8 hours rest). This meditation allows him to continue for extended periods of time without sleep, but does not remove the effects of already lost sleep. For instance, a Kal'Pak that meditates for 4 hours can skip up to 16 hours of sleep before beginning to show signs of fatigue. Skipping a meditation session is akin to skipping sleep, accruing the same penalties.
*+2 bonus on saves vs. Disease: A Kal'Pak has a heightened immune system.
*Automatic Languages: K'Pak and Basic

[ic]Kat made her way to the end of this ship, entered engineering, and nearly fell over the railing of the catwalk. She saw three things that she was not expecting; a two-deck engineering, a spatial compression engine, and a very complex computer console waiting for her on the main deck. She quickly revised her opinion of the small ship she had been hired for, as ugly as she was on the outside, the Phoenix was fast. Not to mention packing computer power she had only seen on cruisers.

You settled in yet Beckman? Kat recognized Ross's voice as she pulled herself back over the railing. We want to get outta here sometime today, if it's not too inconvenient for you.

Kat slid down the ladder and slapped the comm on the engineering console. "I'm on it Captain." The controls were a tad bit alien to her, but she soon found the ignition systems and fired up the maneuvering thrusters. Kat put the main engines on standby for when Nicholas would need them, and began to reconfigure the console.[/ic]

Computers permeate Lost Horizons; everything from the house you live in, to the weapon you fire, to the bed you sleep in, probably has some form of computer in it. Most act behind the scenes, but the people of Lost Horizons interact obviously with computers all the time. Computers are used so often that they have their own skill, Computer Use.

Computer Use:
All characters (with the exception of the few races and classes with the technologically inhibited feature) are assumed to have enough general knowledge about computers to run programs, navigate them, and perform most basic tasks (similar to a casual user today). Ranks in computer use represent knowledge of programming and scripting languages, interface devices, hardware and software systems, as well as holographic and cybernetic theory.

Most actions are similar to the actions described in the d20 Modern Core Rulebook, with the following additions:

Degrade System: You can degrade and destroy cybernetic and holographic matrices, rendering the targeted AI, Artificial, or hologram disabled or even destroyed. To do this, you require a link into the host system (a wireless or hard connection into the computer holding the AI, hologram, or into an Artificial's body), and successful breaching of the security system around the system (DC is usually 10+character level, but some feats and abilities raise this number). You then make a computer use check opposed by a concentration check from the target.

If you succeed, you reduce the target's maximum hitpoints by the number you exceeded the check. For example, if Kat wanted to degrade Nicholas's program and beat his concentration check by ten, Nicholas would have his maximum hitpoints reduced by 10. A sucessful attack can always deal less damage then the maximum. If the program's maximum hitpoints are reduced to zero, the program is disabled, if reduced below that, the program is destroyed. the attacker knows the target's approximate number of hitpoints, and can disable without fear of destroying the program.

If you fail, you do no damage to the target, and the target knows he is being hacked into. Even if you succeed, the target becomes aware of your presence.

Rebuild System: You can rebuild a degraded AI, Artificial, or hologram with five minutes work and a computer use check with a DC of (10 + the number of hitpoints you wish to restore). You do not have to restore them all at once, and can simply take 10, restoring the program bit by bit, although this will take longer to do.

Operate Sensors: Operating sensors, whether on a starship or anywhere else, usualy requires a DC 15 check and anywhere from 1 round to half an hour, depending on the complexity of whatever the sensors are doing. Generally, tactical scans take 1 round, while other uses (such as locating objects or determining composition of an object) take longer.

Override Security Protocol: This allows someone to disengage, jam, or destroy electronic locks. These locks come in varying qualities, and diengaging the lock has the same computer use DC as standard locks of their quality. Jamming them increases the DC by 5, and destroying them is an increase of 10. Computer use cannot be used to defeat a mechanical lock (normal turnkey or similar), and open lock cannot be used to defeat an electronic lock. Mechanical locks are becoming more and more rare, and so the ability to pick those locks has fallen out of general practice.

Computer Languages:
Digital: Digital is the universal code through which programs can connect and communicate. Often used as a semi-secure method for holograms, AIs, and Artificials can communicate, there are a few others who dedicate themselves to learning the language.

This is the only language which requires more than general knowledge to speak. Those without this language as an automatic language require an electronic interface installed into their body. The procedure is cheap, quick, and painless, costing between five and ten credits all told. The interface is a metal and plastic disc, roughly an inch in diameter, embedded on the side of their neck. It and accepts the interface cable found on most all computers, and allows a direct connection between the brain and the computer, allowing the user to speak with holograms, cyborgs, AIs, and Artificials connected to the same network.

There are wireless interfaces, but those cast significantly more, and are vulnerable to interception and interference.

Because this Language allows a more efficient communication between computers and users, computer use and repair checks using digital as the interface language receive a +2 on the check.

[ic]
Control this is the Hrothen, dock 324, requesting vectors for departure.

Confirmed Hrothen, you are cleared for departure along pattern Beta-2, uploading coordinate data now. Have a pleasant flight.

Nicholas closed the channel thoughtfully. Leaving Freeport Station usually took hours, their few departure routes famous for causing delays and backups. There was even a myth that a crew had died of starvation waiting for docking clearance, and their ship still orbited in the holding pattern. Patently ridiculous. Nicholas knew the average wait times for all the stations in the sector, and Freeport Station's 3.453 hours was high, but certainly not starvation-worthy.

They were barely past the final navigation marker before another ship cruised past them, heading inbound along the route they had just traveled. Nicholas maneuvered the ship past the rings of waiting ships and into open space. Some time passed before he informed Ross, "We are out of Freeport Station's sensor radius."

"Good, now let's get this junk off our hull and get on our way before..." Ross's sentence  was interrupted by an explosion that rattled the hull and would have dashed everyone to the floor were they not strapped in. "The hell was that?!"

"I don't know," Xentic snapped at him, looking at his console as if it had betrayed him, "There's nothing out there!"

"Then what's the hell's shooting at us?"

"Ross, what's going on?" the comm crackled to life, "Are we under attack?" Nicholas recognized Katie... Kat's voice, and sighed. Ross would not be thrilled at an interruption right now.

He began evasive maneuvers as Ross shouted his reply into his headset, "No princess, we just decided to play chicken with an asteroid! D'Brell!" Ross had apparently changed frequencies, "Get to the guns, they've found us."

"I'm coming." Was her reply. moments later she spoke again, "I don't have any targeting data, where are they?"

"We don't know, they're using some kind of..." Xentic was cut off by the sound Nicholas had quickly learned to fear, the metallic shrieking and groaning of the ship being hit directly by weapons fire, closely followed by the deep thrumming of an engaged tractor beam.

"Where were our shields?" Ross said as calmly as he could. Silence. Nicholas dared not speak, hoping that Ross had forgotten who's responsibility it was, and that Kat had enough sense to...

"uhh... Sorry sir?"

...keep quiet. Nicholas sighed again, he had hopes for Kat; she had his engines waiting for him without his needing to ask. It was a pity that she had only lasted a few hours.

"Katie, in the future, when we are being bombarded... TURN ON THE FRIGGIN' SHIELDS!"

There came what sounded like something large and slow hitting the side of the hull, then an explosion. The hull breach warnings blared out as Ross fought with the locked-down bridge door. Nicholas quickly understood what Ross was concerned about; Kat didn't know what would be waiting for her at the sight of the explosion. Not waiting for Ross to finish with the door, Nicholas sprang from his seat, moved through both Ross and the door, and came face to face with one of the intruders. He stopped his intended attack just in time; there, down the hallway, Thage had Kat by the throat, with a pistol to her temple.
[/ic]

Vacar
Personality: The Vacar are a warlike people, and their personality reflects this. They are cunning, crafty, and will stoop to almost anything to accomplish their goals.
Physical Description: The Vacar are of average height and build, but possess incredibly tough, leathery skin and sport pronounced eye and nose ridges, as well as hard bone form the base of the neck to the end of the spine. both serve to protect them from many physical stresses.
Relations: The Vacar treat other races as inferior, worthy of servitude at best, and annihilation at worst. They are often not much better than pirates to the other races, but are accepted and sometimes even respected by other warrior races.
Names: Vacar have no gender differentiation with their names; a male and a female can easily have the same name and not think twice about it. Names: Thage, Rutha, Bris, Cherull.
Game Rule Information

*+2 Constitution, -2 Charisma; Vacar are hardy and tough, but somewhat xenophobic.
*Medium: As Medium creatures, Vacar have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
*Vacar base land speed is 30 feet.
*Infrared vision; A vacar's visual range is slightly red-shifted, allowing them to see infrared bands with the sacrifice of most of the blue and purple spectrum. This grants them the benefit of being able to somewhat see in the dark, and detect creatures by their heat emission (a +4 bonus when the heat is not actively being hidden).
*Weaponsense: A Vacar has the uncanny ability to determine the locations of hidden weapons, such as mines and explosives. This ability grants the Vacar a +2 racial bonus on Search checks to notice weapons and explosives around him. A weapon disguised as something else also counts as a hidden weapon. Vacar who merely comes within 10 feet of hidden weapons can make a Search check as if he were actively searching, and a Vacar can use the Search skill to find explosive traps.
*Weapon Familiarity: A Vacar may treat any weapon with their racial name in it (such as the Vacar Disrupter and the Vacar Wrist Gun) as one category simpler than normal (Exotic becomes martial, martial becomes simple).
*Vacar have a +1 natural armor bonus.
*Automatic Languages: Vacaran.

Humans
Personality: Humans are curious, adaptable beings with an unusual ability to improvise and adapt. Humans can have almost any personality they want.
Physical Description: Ranging in height from 5'1 to 6'3, humans are soft, fleshy creatures with little distinguishing characteristics. (They look just like normal humans)
Relations: There are humans that get along with every other race, but humans, unlike most other races, are splintered into many different groups with differing relations. In general, humans tend to get along with races the closely resemble them than races with significant physical differences.
Names: Most common modern names would not be out of place in this period, but humans also borrow names from neighboring races, which is pretty much everyone.
Game Rule Information

*Medium: As Medium creatures, humans have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
*Human Base land speed is 30ft.
*Highly Adaptive: Humans gain Adaptive as a bonus feat at first level, except that the maximum number of adaptations is equal to 1/3 their HD instead of 1/4.
*Automatic Languages: Human and Basic.

Priin
Personality: The Priin are analytical, exacting, and precise by nature, their conversation often degrading into mostly incomprehensible techbobabble when even mentioning technology. They sometimes hold themselves above other races, but are more than willing to accept other races doing their 'dirty work.'
Physical Description: The Priin are short and thin, measuring from 3'2 to 4'6 in height and from 50-80 pounds. Their skin is tinted a light blue or green, with larger than normal brain cavities to hold their large, 4 lobed brains.
Relations: The Priin hold themselves aloof from most races, seeing them as technologically inferior. However, they do have treaties with other races, exchanging technology for needed services and materials. Those who don't enjoy the Priin's approval are often actively hunted by them, in retribution for the inevitable thefts that their technology invites.
Names: Male Names: Xentic, Prothis, Zath.
Female Names: Porlix, Zrenthig, Wervar.
Game Rule Information

*+2 Int, -2 Str: The Priin are highly intelligent, but lack well-developed musculature.
*Small: As a Small creature, a Priin gains a +1 size bonus to Armor Class, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls, and a +4 size bonus on Hide checks, but she uses smaller weapons than humans use, and her lifting and carrying limits are three-quarters of those of a Medium character.
*Priin Base land speed is 20ft.
*Priin have a +4 to Computer Use and Repair Checks: Priin spend most of their time using and fixing advanced computer systems.
*Automatic Languages: Priin, Basic, and Digital.

Sheenja
Personality: The Sheenja are hot-headed and short-tempered, with little sense of humor or fun. Their only real 'pleasure' is combat, and their language does not contain a word for friend, the closest being 'ally.' They are somewhat dim, and work best when being told what to do.
Physical Description: Standing well over 6 feet tall, Sheenja have incredibly dense musculature, making them look lean and defined rather than bursting with muscle. Their skin is black, with red markings on their face, back, arms, and legs. They also sport a large number of small spines along their back, but they are useless in combat and mostly vestigial.
Relations: Sheenja are the mercenaries of the Galaxy, they get along with whoever they're being paid to get along with. They do have a vicious hatred of the Kal'Pak, however, and typically will not work with them for any reason.
Names:
Game Rule Information

*+4 Str, -4 Wis, -2 Int; Sheenja are the strongest known sentient species in the galaxy, a trait which they have worked hard to maintain. They do not pride mental prowess overmuch, and it suffers as a result.
*Medium: As Medium creatures, Sheenja have no special bonuses or penalties due to their size.
*Sheenja Base land speed is 40ft. Sheenja have hundreds of years of endurance and speed training in their pedigree.
*Hunter's Instinct: Sheenja are hunters, born and bred. This ability allows them to sense and react to things far better and faster than their senses would seem to allow. It grants Sheenja a +4 to their initiative, +3 on rolls to spot hidden people or objects, and a +3 to their reflex saves.
*Infrared vision: Operates the same as the Vacar trait of the same name, except that Sheenja can also see blues and purples.
*Automatic Languages: Sheenjen and Basic.

Feats
Adaptive
Prerequisites: Racial. you must be granted this feat as a bonus feat due to race.
You have the innate ability to adapt to unpleasant, stressful, or even hostile situations. If a person with this feat is exposed for long periods of time to otherwise harmful situations, he gains the ability to partially negate their effects. For instance, someone working in arctic conditions for months may get a bonus to resist the effects of extreme cold, or a person constantly in contact with poisons may gain a resistance (or even immunity) to poison. The holder of this feat may have a total number of adaptations equal to 1/3rd their number of hit dice. Acquiring any more causes the oldest one to be lost. A character may have an particular adaptation multiple times. Its effects stack, but each additional copy of the same adaptation doubles the prerequisites.

A few common adaptations are listed below. The list is by no means extensive, and the DM is free to create new ones.

*Evironmental Tolerance: You have gained the ability to exist comfortably in environments that others of your race would find uncomfortable. Your tolerances for a specific environmental extreme (heat, cold, low or high humidity, oxygen content, or pressure) extends 20% beyond the normal boundaries of a normal member of your race.

Prerequisites: spending at least 6 months in the environmental extreme.

*Confined: You are used to small spaces, able to squeeze into and out of spaces others would consider too small to fit into. You treat your size category as one smaller for purposes of squeezing into and out of spaces, and you are able to operate comfortably in environments designed for creatures a size category smaller than you.
Prerequisites: spending 6 months in confined spaces.

*Resistance: You're body's prolonged contact with poison has rendered your body better able to safely process and resist their effects. You gain a +4 bonus to saves vs. poisons.
Prerequisites: having been poisoned (successfully or no) at least 20 times in the past 6 months.

*Immunity: As Resistance, but your immune system has grown used to poisons in your bloodstream, and processes them like any other waste. You are immune to poison.
Prerequisites: being poisoned by a different poison at least twice a week for 6 months. You must ingest poison once a week to maintain this adaptation.

*Zero-G adaption: Prolonged periods of no gravity have acclimated you to movement and working in this environment. You do not suffer any penalties from being in zero-g environments, and your speed is doubled while in these conditions.
Prerequisites: You must spend at least half your day (8 waking hours) in zero-g environments for two weeks.

*Light Sleeper: Your erratic and oft-interrupted sleep schedule allows you to wake up almost instantly. You suffer no penalties to listen checks while alseep, and you can interrupt your sleep for up to an hour without losing the benefits of a full-night's rest.
Prerequisites: Being fatigued due to lack of sleep 20 times in the past 3 months OR being exhaused from lack of sleep 10 times in the past 3 months.

*Jaded: You've seen so much carnage, horror, and blood that nothing really bothers you anymore. You get a +2 bonus on saves to resist fear effects, as well as saves to prevent becoming nauseated, panicked, sickened, or shaken.
Prerequisites: having been under any of the afore-mentioned effects a total of 30 times in the past 6 months, and been affected at least once by each.  
[/list]

[ic]"Thage you damned Vacar, how the hell did you find us?" Ross spat as the bridge door finally opened. Kat swiveled her eyes up to see the monster that had her as a hostage. At least she could take comfort that she'd know the name of the thing that would kill her.

"Not a step further, commander," Thage sneered, "Or your newest recruit here gets her brains turned into vapor." Ross, to Kat's surprise, obediently stopped. "Very good. Search the ship." The two other beings that had come with Vacar moved past them below decks.

"And don't try any of that hero business with me, Ross." Thage continued, "I've taken the liberty of improving my arsenal since you saw me. This pistol's a special Vacar make, exquisite range, accurate to within  a half millimeter, and can be set to fire whenever a  weapon hits its wield-" There was a flash, a loud bang, and the Vacar's body suddenly went limp.

Kat struggled out of the falling Vacar's grasp as Ross walked towards the prone figure. "I've improved my arsenal too Thage. This here, a Flink & Ubrel semi-automatic. Very, very old technology, shoots a lead ball at the target, very painful." Ross was standing next to Thage, "It's hard to find ammunition for it, true, but..." Ross placed a heavy boot on the side of Thage's head, "It doesn't even register itself as weapons fire."

There was a grunt, a loud crack, and the Vacar's pistol rolled out of his limp, dead hand.[/ic]

Weapons have been around since the dawn of time, and modern times is no exception. people began carrying personal firearms during the Great Wars, and only now is this trend beginning to decline. But on the outer fringes and slipstreams far from government control, it is possible to find mercenaries, merchants, and even civilians more heavily armed than many SWAT units are in tamed space.

There are five feats associated with weapon proficiency; Archaic, Exotic, Firearms, Martial, Simple, and Unarmed.

Archaic Weapons Proficiency applies to all archaic weapons shown on the table. It represents the PC's knowledge of older fighting techniques and styles which have no use with modern weapons.

Exotic Weapon Proficiency applies to one exotic ranged or melee weapon, and represents the ability to wield the weapon without injuring yourself.

Firearms Proficiency applies to either pistols or longarms from the table below, and represents the ability to properly fire, clean, and care for the weapon.

Martial Weapon Proficiency is the mastery of weapons simpler than exotic weapons, but more difficult than simple weapons. The feat applies to everything on the table.

Simple Weapon Proficiency demonstrates basic knowledge on how to hurt someone with a weapon. This group is nearly all weapons that you can pick up and use without training, so nearly all classes obtain this feat automatically at first level.

Unarmed Proficiency represents the knowledge needed to hurt someone with your fists, arms, or legs without hurting yourself just as much.

[table=Table: Melee Weapons]
[tr][th]Simple Weapons[/th][th]Damage[/th][th]Critical[/th][th]Damage Type[/th][th]Size[/th][th]Weight[/th][th]Price[/th][/tr]
[tr][td]Club[/td][td]1d6[/td][td]19-20[/td][td]B[/td][td]M[/td][td]3lb.[/td][td]-[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Dagger[/td][td]1d4[/td][td]17-20[/td][td]P,S[/td][td]S[/td][td]1lb.[/td][td]5cr.[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Pulseblade[/td][td]1d6[/td][td]18-20 [/td][td]P,S[/td][td]S[/td][td]2lb.[/td][td]25cr.[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Truncheon[/td][td]1d4[/td][td]16-20 [/td][td]E,I,B[/td][td]S[/td][td]2lb.[/td][td]15cr.[/td][/tr]
[tr][th]Martial Weapons[/th][th]Damage[/th][th]Critical[/th][th]Damage Type[/th][th]Size[/th][th]Weight[/th][th]Price[/th][/tr]
[tr][td]Pulsesword[/td][td]1d8[/td][td]18-20 [/td][td]P,S[/td][td]M[/td][td]4lb.[/td][td]30cr.[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Ion Blade[/td][td]1d6[/td][td]19-20 [/td][td]P,S,I[/td][td]M[/td][td]4lb.[/td][td]20cr.[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Shock Stick[/td][td]1d6[/td][td]16-20 [/td][td]Electric[/td][td]M[/td][td]5lb.[/td][td]15cr.[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Shock Stick, Double[/td][td]1d6/1d6[/td][td]16-20 [/td][td]Electric[/td][td]L[/td][td]7lb.[/td][td]25cr.[/td][/tr]
[tr][th]Archaic Weapons[/th][th]Damage[/th][th]Critical[/th][th]Damage Type[/th][th]Size[/th][th]Weight[/th][th]Price[/th][/tr]
[tr][td]Hatchet[/td][td]1d6[/td][td]19-20[/td][td]S[/td][td]S[/td][td]4lb.[/td][td]30cr.[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Longsword[/td][td]1d8[/td][td]17-20[/td][td]P,S[/td][td]M[/td][td]4lb.[/td][td]60cr.[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Spear[/td][td]1d8[/td][td]19-20[/td][td]P[/td][td]L[/td][td]9lb.[/td][td]30cr.[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Rapier[/td][td]1d6[/td][td]15-20[/td][td]P[/td][td]M[/td][td]3lb.[/td][td]45cr.[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Quarterstaff[/td][td]1d6/1d6[/td][td]19-20[/td][td]B[/td][td]M[/td][td]3lb.[/td][td]-[/td][/tr]
[tr][th]Exotic Weapons[/th][th]Damage[/th][th]Critical[/th][th]Damage Type[/th][th]Size[/th][th]Weight[/th][th]Price[/th][/tr]
[tr][td]Laserfoil[/td][td]2d6[/td][td]19-20 [/td][td]En[/td][td]M[/td][td]3lb.[/td][td]500cr.[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Laserfoil, Dueling[/td][td]3d4[/td][td]18-20 [/td][td]En[/td][td]S[/td][td]2lb.[/td][td]650cr.[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Laserfoil, Double[/td][td]2d6/2d6[/td][td]19-20 [/td][td]   En[/td][td]L[/td][td]4lb.[/td] [td]750cr.[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Laserwhip[/td][td]2d4[/td][td]18-20 [/td][td]En[/td][td]S[/td][td]1lb.[/td][td]1,200cr.[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Lightning Sword[/td][td]2d8[/td][td]20[/td][td]Electric[/td][td]M[/td][td]5lb.[/td][td]800cr.[/td][/tr]
[/table]

[table=Table: Ranged Weapons]
[tr][th]Handguns[/th][th]Damage[/th][th]Critical[/th][th]Damage Type[/th][th]Range Increment[/th][th]Magazine[/th][th]Size[/th][th]Weight[/th][th]Price[/th][/tr]
[tr][td]KLM 'Cricket' (Hand Laser)[/td][td]1d8[/td][td]20[/td][td]En[/td][td]20ft.[/td][td]-[/td][td]S[/td][td]1lbs.[/td][td]40cr.[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]KLM S-12 (Laser Pistol)[/td][td]2d6[/td][td]19-20[/td][td]En[/td][td]40ft.[/td][td]10 Box[/td][td]M[/td][td]5lbs.[/td][td]30cr.[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]KLM S-15 (Repeating Pistol)[/td][td]2d4[/td][td]19-20[/td][td]En[/td][td]30ft.   [/td][td]15 Box[/td][td]M[/td][td]3lbs.[/td][td]50cr.[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]RDX FRP-4c (Disrupion Pistol)[/td][td]2d6[/td][td]19-20[/td][td]D[/td][td]30ft.[/td][td]12 Box[/td][td]M[/td][td]4lbs.[/td][td]75cr.[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]RDX PG-432 (Ion Gun)[/td][td]2d4[/td][td]19-20[/td][td]Ion[/td][td]30ft.[/td][td]6 int.[/td][td]M[/td][td]3lbs.[/td][td]60cr.[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Styx Mk. I (Sonic Pistol)[/td][td]2d4[/td][td]19-20[/td][td]Sonic[/td][td]30ft.[/td][td]-[/td][td]S[/td][td]2lbs.[/td][td]40cr.[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Styx Mk. II (Sonic Pistol)[/td][td]2d6[/td][td]19-20[/td][td]Sonic[/td][td]40ft.[/td][td]-[/td][td]M[/td][td]4lbs.[/td][td]50cr.[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Vacar Phase Pistol[/td][td]2d8[/td][td]19-20[/td][td]D[/td][td]40ft.[/td][td]18 Box[/td][td]S[/td][td]2lbs.[/td][td]1,200cr.[/td][/tr]
[tr][th]Longarms[/th][th]Damage[/th][th]Critical[/th][th]Damage Type[/th][th]Range Increment[/th][th]Magazine[/th][th]Size[/th][th]Weight[/th][th]Price[/th][/tr]
[tr][td]KLM F-3 (Laser Rifle)[/td][td]2d8[/td][td]19-20[/td][td]En[/td][td]80ft.[/td][td]45 clip[/td][td]L[/td][td]8lbs.[/td][td]80cr.[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]KLM F-6 (Sniper Rifle)[/td][td]2d8[/td][td]18-20[/td][td]En[/td][td]200ft.[/td][td]15 int.[/td][td]L[/td][td]8lbs.[/td][td]150cr.[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]KLM F-7 (Assault Rifle)[/td][td]2d12[/td][td]19-20[/td][td]En[/td][td]90ft.[/td][td]30 clip [/td][td]L[/td][td]8lbs.[/td][td]120cr.[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]RDX DG10 (Disruption Rifle)[/td][td]2d6[/td][td]19-20[/td][td]D[/td][td]90ft.[/td][td]20 clip[/td][td]L[/td][td]9lbs.[/td][td]300cr.[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]RDX PLEM (EM Blaster)[/td][td]2d10[/td][td]19-20[/td][td]Ion[/td][td]60ft.[/td][td]20 clip[/td][td]L[/td][td]7lbs.[/td][td]450cr.[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]RDX DDM-23 (Sniper Rifle)[/td][td]2d12[/td][td]18-20[/td][td]En[/td][td]80ft.[/td][td]8 int.[/td][td]H[/td][td]20lbs.[/td][td]500cr.[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Styx A-Type (Rifle)[/td][td]2d10[/td][td]19-20[/td][td]En[/td][td]80ft.[/td][td]12 clip[/td][td]L[/td][td]5lbs.[/td][td]100cr.[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Styx B-Type (Assault Rifle)[/td][td]2d12[/td][td]19-20[/td][td]En[/td][td]90ft.[/td][td]30 clip[/td][td]L[/td][td]9lbs.[/td][td]140cr.[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Styx C-Type (Sniper Rifle)[/td][td]2d10[/td][td]18-20[/td][td]En[/td][td]120ft.[/td][td]12 int.[/td][td]L[/td][td]12lbs.[/td][td]160cr.[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Styx H-Type (Smart-Gun)[/td][td]4d6[/td][td]16-20[/td][td]En,Ion,D[/td][td]150ft.[/td][td]20 clip[/td][td]M[/td][td]15lbs.[/td][td]3,200cr.[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Styx B-3 (Phase Rifle)[/td][td]2d10[/td][td]19-20[/td][td]D[/td][td]50ft.[/td][td]15 int.[/td][td]L[/td][td]15lbs.[/td][td]250cr.[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Vacar Phase Blaster[/td][td]3d8   [/td][td]19-20[/td][td]D[/td][td]80ft.[/td][td]40 clip[/td][td]M[/td][td]6lbs.[/td][td]1,500cr.[/td][/tr]
[tr][th]Exotic Weapons[/th][th]Damage[/th][th]Critical[/th][th]Damage Type[/th][th]Range Increment[/th][th]Magazine[/th][th]Size[/th][th]Weight[/th][th]Price[/th][/tr]
[tr][td]Vacar Wrist Laser[/td][td]1d8[/td][td]18-20[/td][td]En[/td][td]10ft.[/td][td]-[/td][td]-*[/td][td]2lbs.[/td][td]1,800cr.[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]KLM N-17 (Plasma Cannon)[/td][td]3d8[/td][td]19-20[/td][td]En[/td][td]40ft.[/td][td]8 int.[/td][td]L[/td][td]10lbs.[/td][td]600cr.[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]KLM N-2 (Grenade Launcher)[/td][td]Varies*   [/td][td]-[/td][td]-[/td][td]70ft.[/td][td]1[/td][td]L[/td][td]7lbs.[/td][td]700cr.[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]KLM N-5 (Gatling Laser)[/td][td]2d12[/td][td]20[/td][td]En[/td][td]50ft.[/td][td]120 Box[/td][td]H[/td][td]17lbs.[/td][td]950cr.[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]RDX VBC4 (Rocket Launcher)[/td][td]10d6*[/td][td]-[/td][td]-[/td][td]150ft.[/td][td]1[/td][td]L[/td][td]9lbs.[/td][td]900cr.[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]RDX VVJ-236 (EM Weapon)[/td][td]Special[/td][td]-[/td][td]Ion[/td][td]80ft.[/td][td]20 Box[/td][td]M[/td][td]5lbs.[/td][td]300cr.[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]RDX KHG (Gatling Laser)[/td][td]2d8[/td][td]19-20[/td][td]En[/td][td]70ft.[/td][td]Linked[/td][td]H[/td][td]25lbs.[/td][td]750cr.[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Styx 17-7 (Gatling Laser)[/td][td]2d10[/td][td]19-20[/td][td]En[/td][td]60ft.[/td][td]Linked[/td][td]H[/td][td]30lbs.[/td][td]800cr.[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Styx 12-12 (Static Gun)[/td][td]1d6*[/td][td]19-20[/td][td]Elec[/td][td]20ft.[/td][td]12 Box[/td][td]L[/td][td]10lbs.[/td][td]400cr.[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Styx S.P.A.R.T.A.N.[/td][td]6d4[/td][td]16-20[/td][td]D[/td][td]200ft.[/td][td]50 Box[/td][td]L[/td][td]20lbs.[/td][td]6,000cr.[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]BJL Firewasp (Flamethrower)*[/td][td]3d6[/td][td]-[/td][td]Fire[/td][td]-[/td][td]1[/td][td]L[/td][td]40lbs.[/td][td]1,300cr.[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]BJL Orbit (Particle Shotgun)[/td][td]2d8[/td][td]19-20[/td][td]Bal.[/td][td]30ft.[/td][td]6 int.[/td][td]L[/td][td]4lbs.[/td][td]850cr.[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]BJL Chaingun (Gatling Laser)[/td][td]4d6[/td][td]20[/td][td]En[/td][td]90ft.[/td][td]Linked[/td][td]H[/td][td]35lbs.[/td][td]800cr.[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]*See weapon description for details and special rules[/td][/tr][/table]

Weapon Descriptions

Club: A simple length of metal, plastic, wood, or some other dense material used to beat someone's brains in.

Dagger: A length of sharp steel with a handle. When not used to injure someone, can also be used to cut meats and bread, trim weeds, and perform any number of useful jobs. All blades from an inch to six inches is included in this general category.

Pulseblade: A six to twelve inch blade made of dense metal alloy and outfitted with a small vibration engine. The combination of the heavy alloy and the disruption caused by the pulsing action serves two purposes: it makes the blade incredibly durable, and allows it to stand up against laserfoils with little relative damage.

Truncheon: A favorite of police forces and small-time bounty hunters, the truncheon deals nonlethal damage. It is essentially a club, but is slimmer, lighter, and in most cases less barbaric.

Pulsesword: Operate under the same principal as the pulseblade, but with a longer blade. It is most often found in the hands of experienced close-combat fighters and those training to eventually wield a laserfoil.

Ion Blade: An Ion Blade is a pulsesword that has had its vibration engine replaced with an ionic charger, allowing the weapon to deal ion damage. It does not retain the properties of a Pulseblade, and is vulnerable to a laserfoil's improved sundering ability.

Shock Stick: A length of conductive material with an insulating guard, this stick generates a high volt, low amp charge that deals tremendous pain when discharged. Since the stick must only come in contact with the victim, this weapon must only beat target's touch AC to deal damage. Despite the preventative measures on the weapon, it is still possible to discharge the weapon on yourself by rolling and confirming a natural 1.

Shock Stick, Double: The evolution of the quarterstaff, this is a truly devastating weapon in the hands of a capable fighter. It is identical to the Shock Stick, but has the conductive rods on either end of the rod.

Hatchet: A heavy metal blade attached to a shaft, this weapon is identical to a modern-day hatchet, and is usually found in emergency lockers as a means to clear rubble.

Longsword: A long blade of steel or other alloy, the longsword is the ancestor of the pulseblade.

Spear: Simply a piercing head attached to a long stick, this weapon has a reach of 10 feet.

Rapier: A dueling sword phased out of common use hundreds of years ago, you can still find some enthusiasts of the art of fencing, as well as some who can still kill with one.

Quarterstaff: A long and sturdy wood, metal, or plastic rod. An ancestor of the shock stick, it still is found in the hands of many who come from rural or technologically inferior locations.

Laserfoils: Laserfoil is a term used to describe a set of weapons that utilize the same basic principle to work. The basic laserfoil is a thin but extremely strong rod coupling a hilt and a reflecting plate. When activated, the hilt fires hundreds of intensely powerful lasers towards the reflecting plate, which bounce them back parallel to the connecting rod and into the handle, where they are recycled back into the system. The practical result is what looks like a thick laser beam extending a few feet from the hilt. The beam itself is extremely dangerous, burning through anything it touches in a matter of seconds. Only the strongest alloys or materials with specific wave-canceling frequencies can withstand them for any length of time. Most modern laserfoils have a retractable connecting rod, making the inactive device little more than a hilt. All laserfoils enjoy a +4 to sunder attempts against non-resistant weapons and the ability to overcome an object's hardness.

The various differences between laserfoils are listed below.

Laserfoil: A basic laserfoil, the weapon can come in many different styles, and the laser color can be literally any color of the spectrum.

Dueling: A dueling laserfoil is shorter, thinner, and better balanced, making it an excellent off-hand weapon. Its lasers are also more closely regulated, giving it a more consistent damage output.

Double: A double laserfoil is simply two laserfoils joined together at the bottom of the hilt, resulting in two blades that extend in opposite directions. The weapon is wielded much like a quarterstaff, and may have extended reflecting plates to allow the user two extra grips. Some models also can break into two normal laserfoils.

Whip: a laserwhip contains its lasers in a sleeve of regenerative, weak fiber-optic cable. When broken on a surface, the lasers burst out of the gap and onto the target momentarily before the cable re-seals. The laserwhip cannot be retracted, and does not glow like laserfoils do.

Lightning Sword: A lightning sword is a more powerful Shock Stick, but uses magnetic fields around the hilt to prevent the wielder (and innocent bystanders) from being shocked. Because of this safety, the length of the ensuing shocks is greatly increased, and looks like lightning, hence the name. In addition to the 'touch only' property of a shock stick, the lightning sword can also hit opponents up to ten feet away with a -4 to the attack.

KLM 'Cricket': The Cricket is the smallest mass-produced laser currently on the market. Its nearly limitless energy cell and small size make it a perfect backup weapon, although it is lacking in power output.

KLM S-12: The S-12 is KLM's standard handgun, replacing the aging S-6 some years ago. It is standard in most police units, and a popular light weapon among mercenaries.

KLM S-15: The S-15 sports a lighter frame and larger ammunition charge than the S-12, but sacrifices power and range for it. The S-15 is found only where weight matters, so is popular among special ops units, rangers, and infantry.

RDX FRP-4c: The 4c fires a beam of disruptive energy which has been magnetically confined. This energy wreaks havoc with computer systems and energy, and is an essential tool when facing artificials or holograms.

RDX PG-432: This weapon fires self-contained shells of ionic matter at the target. This weapon is slow to reload and does only middling damage. Few people carry it unless they must use ion-type damage; most other pistols are better in every other regard.

Styx Mk. I: The Styx line of personal firearms uses a beam tightly focused, high frequency sound instead of traditional energy. Because of the unusual type of damage it inflicts, few things can adequately defend against it. As an added bonus, the weapon does not require ammunition, simply a weekly recharge in any convenient power system.

Styx Mk. II: An upgrade of the Mark I, the Mark II features a more intense beam and greater range, but is significantly heavier.

Vacar Phase Pistol: This Vacar sidearm fires a stream of disruptive particles at high velocity by way of a magnetic restriction ring fired with the particles. This ring provides increased intensity, range, and power over the length of the firing. RDX managed to obtain one of these pistols, and their FRP-4c pistol is based on this design.

KLM F-3: KLM's Premiere longarm combines a decent damage rate, a long range of fire, and an enormous ammunition battery to create a workhorse of a weapon. It is ideal for military, law enforcement, and personal use.

KLM F-6: the F-6 features an internal cartridge system that supplies energy, confinement, and silence in one easy package. It fires the cartridge from the barrel, which travels halfway to the target before discharging its laser and disintegrating. Along with the greater accuracy afforded by the KLM's state-of-the-art range-finding scope, it is a powerful sniping rifle. Used by military and police units, it is illegal to carry the F-6 on most worlds without permit.

KLM F-7: KLM's F-7 assault rifle is designed for the battlefield. Boasting a high damage output and large clip, this weapon is a favorite amongst mercenaries and bounty hunters. Like the F-6, this weapon is restricted.  

[/b][/size]

Class A
Re-Entry Classification: Extremely Thin
Class A planets are small to medium young planets, characterized by their molten or semi-molten surfaces, volcanic activity, and thin atmospheres. These planets may contain useful minerals or resources, but are otherwise unsuitable for most life.

Class B
Re-Entry Classification: Thin
Class B planets are similar to Class A planets, except that these are geologically inactive. Their atmospheres are thin, and the surface is often covered in frozen ice and/or gas.

Class C
Re-Entry Classification: None-Extremely Thin
Class C planets are asteroids, moons, or dwarf planets, small and geologically inactive. Atmosphere, if any, would be extremely thin. Not all moons are Class C bodies. Some gas giants have moons large enough to be classified as planets in their own right.

Class D
Re-Entry Classification: Thin
Class D bodies are small, highly active bodies with heavy metallic cores rich in useful minerals and ores. They are highly valued for their mining potential, but are otherwise unremarkable. Occasionally, silicon or other metallic-based lifeforms may develop.

Class E
Re-Entry Classification: Moderate
Class E planets are young, large worlds with still solidifying surfaces. Their atmosphere is thicker than most young planets, but is comprised mostly of carbon dioxide and other toxic gasses.

Class F
Re-Entry Classification: Thick
Class F planets are Gas Giants measuring less than 140,000km in diameter. Their atmospheres are composed of mainly hydrogen and helium, and may have a solid rock or metallic core. They can have dozens of moons or ice rings.

Class G
Re-Entry Classification: Very Thick
Class G planets are Gas Supergiants over 140,000km in diameter, and can support hundreds of moons, some large enough to be considered planets. Their composition is similar to that of Class F giants, but usually radiate heat as well.

Classes H and I
Re-Entry Classification: Extremely Thick (H)-Extreme(I)
These two classes are â,¬Ëultragiantâ,¬,,¢ gas giants or brown dwarfs. They range in size from less than 50 million km (Class H) to as much as 120 million km (Class I), any larger than that and they would be classified as stars. They generate enormous gravitational forces and heat, bathing their hundreds or thousands of moons in intense heat and tidal forces.

Class J
Re-Entry Classification: Thin-Moderate
Class F planets are rocky, barren, desert worlds, characterized by either extremely hot and arid temperatures or icy tundra. Either way, they are prime candidates for terraforming, and take relatively little effort to turn them into Class L planets, suitable for colonization.

Class K
Re-Entry Classification: Thick
Class K planets are barren and rocky, with extremely high surface temperatures caused by intense greenhouse effects. Their atmosphere is thick and toxic, comprised of carbon dioxide and corrosive sulfides, with trace water vapor occasionally present. Any life would be single or simple multi-celled organisms in the upper atmosphere. These planets are often borderline Class Alpha, Beta, or Gamma planets as well.

Class L
Re-Entry Classification: Moderate
Class L planets are classic habitable planets, with moderate temperatures, active volcanic activity, and plenty of water for life to form. Their atmospheres usually consist of oxygen and nitrogen, with multiple other trace gas elements. Most spacefaring racesâ,¬,,¢ homeworlds are Class L.

Class M
Re-Entry Classification: Moderate
Class M planets, or â,¬Ënobleâ,¬,,¢ planets, are rocky, barren worlds with little to no liquid water on their surface. Their atmospheres are moderately thick, but consist of large amounts of Argon, Helium, or other noble gasses, usually in fatal amounts. Similar to Class J planets, they can be terraformed into Class L planets, but are never particularly pleasant.

Class N
Re-Entry Classification: Moderate
Class N planets are very similar to Class L planets, but their surfaces are over 80% water. Most life that forms on these planets are aquatic or amphibious.

Class O
Re-Entry Classification: Moderate
Class O planets are similar to Class N planets in their abundance of water, but differ in that most of their water is locked into glacial icecaps. Liquid water may be present far underneath the surface, and any life present must be adapted to extreme cold.

Class P
Re-Entry Classification: Thin- Thick
Class P planets are variable planets with wildly changing climates, either due to an unstable parent star, an eccentric orbit, or an erratic planetary rotation. The end results are planets that swing wildly in temperature, humidity, and climate, and are very often incorrectly classified as Class K, L, or M planets. Any life that forms on the planet is extremely adaptable and hardy.

Class Q
Re-Entry Classification: None- Extremely Thin
Class Q planets, otherwise known as â,¬Ërogueâ,¬,,¢ planets, do not orbit stars. Instead, they travel alone through interstellar space. Most likely a result of near misses with other planets or a close slingshot with a sun or gas giant, the surfaces of these planets are very often barren. However, a Class Q planet may sometimes have geothermal activity, and even life clustered to the heat similar to ocean life clustering around underwater vents. These planets are in eternal darkness, and any plant life would be non-photosynthetic.

Classes Alpha, Beta, and Gamma
Re-Entry Classification: Extremely Thin- Extremely Thick
These three planet classes are reserved for â,¬ËHellâ,¬,,¢ planets where surface and atmospheric conditions do not fall into any other classification. These planets are often hostile or outright fatal to common lifeforms, and any life that does evolve is extremely unusual or bizarre, such as living rock or crystal, liquid or gaseous entities, energy-based, or non-corporeal creatures. They are invaluable for their contributions to scientific research, and the occasional mining operation, but are lost causes for any permanent habitation.
 


Re-Entry Classifications
The Re-entry classifications are a rating of how damaging the atmosphere is to ships that attempt to land on a planet. There are three types of entry; cautious, controlled, and uncontrolled.

A cautious entry uses thrusters to bring the ship into the atmosphere slowly, using shields and armor to absorb what little heat is created. It is the safest method of entry, dealing half as much damage as a controlled entry, but takes twice as long. It is usually used only on light civilian ships and heavily damaged vessels, where damage of any kind could be detrimental.

Controlled entries rely on a precisely calculated entry angle in conjunction with braking maneuvers and shields to protect the ship during its entry. It is faster and more efficient than a cautious entry, and is standard for most entries. A shipâ,¬,,¢s shields and armor, if relatively undamaged, can easily absorb the heat and energy created by the entry.

Uncontrolled entries include any entries that do not use active braking or protection in its entry, but simply allowing gravity to pull itself into the planet. Planetary bodies as well as disabled, stunned, or ships otherwise unable to use engines or shields use this method of re-entry. It is direct, fast, and extremely dangerous. Only the largest, most shielded ships can survive this method of re-entry, nearly all ships using this method burn to cinders during the entry. An uncontrolled entry takes half as long as a controlled entry, but does five times as much damage.

The base damages and entry times for each class are listed below.
None: no damage / 30 seconds
Extremely Thin: 4d6 / 2 minutes
Thin: 6d6 / 4 minutes
Moderate: 8d6 / 6 minutes
Thick: 12d6 / 10 minutes
Very Thick: 14d6 / 12 minutes
Extremely Thick: 16d6 / 15 minutes
Extreme: 20d6 / 20 minutes

The star system Sol is home to the human homeworld, Huma. It is the cradle of human civilization, as well as the governmental seat of the Concordium. It is a smaller system, consisting of seven planets and a single asteroid belt. The planets, from furthest in to farthest out, are listed below.

Arcanis: This is a typical Class A planet. Despite extensive surveys by many corporations, this boiling world has yielded resources that would merit any sort of operation on the surface. Arcanis has no moons, itself almost skimming across Solâ,¬,,¢s outer corona.

Idya: Once a Class N planet, Idya was one of the first planets to fall to the Furnace near the end of the Great Wars. The destruction was incomplete, and all that remains of the once lush planet is a thin belt of ice in the planetâ,¬,,¢s orbital path and the wreckage of the Idya Siege. Idya Station is in the debris field, salvaging and reclaiming the thousands of ships that met their end in the battle. Idyaâ,¬,,¢s lone moon, Hrop, disappeared when Idya was destroyed. It is assumed that Hrop was pulled into the sun or destroyed by the energy of the planetâ,¬,,¢s destruction, but there is a small group of theorists that believe the moon was flung into deep space and is now a Class Q rogue planet. Whatever Hropâ,¬,,¢s fate, the half a million lives stationed on the moonâ,¬,,¢s base are assumed killed, along with the 2 billion that failed to escape the planet in time.

Terra: Once a Class J planet, Terra was one of the first terraformed by Citadel Conglomorates. It is now a thriving land of arid farmland, and one of the greatest breadbaskets in the Concordium. Most of the land is owned by Saedethan Corp., but the remainder is individual or family owned farms and plantations, growing any number of unique or specialized foodstuffs. Most of these crops are sold locally within the Sol system, but there are co-operatives of farmers and merchants that ship the foods to high-demand systems for a significant profit. The members of the largest, Terra South Co-Op, have all become rather influential personages both on Terra and in the rest of Sol. There are still thousands of acres of unclaimed land, and Terra has become a symbol of wealth through hard work. Millions of immigrants are set up farms on Terra; unfortunately, less than 20% of them make it to their first harvest.

Terra has two moons, Kent and Cros, both of which have recently been terraformed into smaller versions of Terra using gravity generators and atmosphere thickeners. To date they are the smallest Class L bodies in known space.

Huma: A beautiful Class L planet, Huma is the homeland of the human race, and still boasts many ruins and monuments created by ancient man. Oddly enough, there are far fewer Ancient ruins or artifacts on the planet compared to the homeworlds of the other major races. The cause of this oddity is unknown. The planet was unanimously voted to become the seat of the Concordium during its formation after the Great Wars, with New Dubbon holding the actual governmental buildings. The rest of Huma quickly became a service planet, with many resort areas and parks. In fact there is very little city on Huma beyond New Dubbon (which covers a third of a continent), nearly all of it being protected wilderness, resort, or private estates. Many of the Concordiumâ,¬,,¢s largest businesses, such as KLM, Citadel Conglomerates, and Styx Corporation, have their headquarters on Huma, making it a business center as well.

Huma has one moon, Cisin, a classic Class C body, which is nearly covered in warehouses and offices of the corporations that couldnâ,¬,,¢t afford space on the planet itself.

The Great Belt: Despite its name, this asteroid belt is far thinner than most, partly from its proximity to Meade, partly from the exhaustive mining operations that have been running almost since humans could get into space. The belt is erratic and impossible to chart, which makes it a favorite haunt of pirates and criminals. The Point, a penitentiary space station, is in orbit near the belt.

Meade: One of Solâ,¬,,¢s two Gas giants, Meade is barely large enough to be considered a Class G. It has a varying number of moons, aquiring and losing them in the great belt on a regular basis. Five of them, however, are large enough to stay in stable orbit.

Meade A is a small Class O moon, with large methane pockets trapped in the ice. There is a significant mining presence on the surface of the ice, harvesting both water and methane for propulsion and consumption.

Meade B is a Class Gamma demon moon, its atmosphere shared with Meade itself in a long rod of hydrogen and helium. The drag on the planet is slowly bringing the planet closer to Meade, and current projections will put the planet fully into Meadeâ,¬,,¢s atmosphere within the century.

Meade C is a Class J moon not worth terraforming. It is habitable, and has a small number of colonists whose livelihood is spent servicing the multitude of science stations on the planet, which monitor both Meade, Meade B, and the Great Belt.

Meade D and E are Class M moons being terraformed by Citadel Conglomerates. Only Recently rendered habitable, they already have a large number of colonists suffering in hopes of making a profit in real estate once the terraforming is complete.

There are several stations in low orbit around Meade dedicated to harvesting the hydrogen and hydrocarbons in the atmosphere, mostly owned by the large corporations. Some, however, are privately owned, and are rumored to be meeting places for pirate clans and mercenary groups.

Tyryon: Tyryon is a Class F gas giant, with an impressive pair of dual axis rings, making a large X when viewed from the correct angle. Besides this oddity, there are no resources currently worth mining in the rings of in the stmosphere, although there is a single science station in orbit attempting to make sense of the strange readings from within the core of the planet.

Asherah: Asherah is a Class B planet, bright yellow as a result of the sulfur in the atmosphere and the surface. There is no life on the planet, but Solâ,¬,,¢s slipstream gate is in orbit around the planet, making it a landmark of the Sol system. Theah, Asherahâ,¬,,¢s only moon, is home to Henagl Station, a sprawling commercial area that makes use of the gateâ,¬,,¢s close proximity.

The Kal'Pak home system, Kal'Parath is a large binary system that seems barely habitable. However, among the multitude of molten and desert planets there lies a few isolated moons and planets suitable for life.

Kal'Parath consists of six planets, three asteroid belts, and two suns. In order from farthest in to farthest out, the suns and planets are as listed below.

Kal'Parath A: The largest sun of the pair, Kal'Parath A is a blue-white star with an unusually large amount of heavy metals present, most likely obtained from Kal'Parath B's red giant stage.

Kal'Parath B: This small white dwarf is the smaller of the two suns, and is unusually dense for a white dwarf.

The two suns orbit very close, within 30 AU of each other, with a period of 45 years.

Inner Belt: The Inner Belt is a large asteroid belt consisting mostly of iron, lead, and other heavy metals leftover from the formation of the planets. It is a boon for mining corporations and independent companies, which regularly dispute the choicest asteroids despite the intense radiation this close to the two suns. The belt also acts as a sort of shield, partially protecting the system from the otherwise intense beating that two suns would produce.

Gil'Varek: This unusual Class A body is little more than a molten ball of iron and heavy metals rocketing around the twin suns. Its unusual orbit brings it extremely close to both Kal'Paratth A and B, regularly boiling off what little atmosphere it manages to collect. No one has ever landed on the planet, and only a brave few have gotten close enough to get scans of it.

Pak'Kerdin: This Gas giant is enormous, a Class I supergiant. Its proximity to the twin suns makes the many dozens of moons the planet have too hot for habitation. Kerdin G, a Class K moon, was suitable for terraforming, and was recently completed by Citadel Conglomerates. It is now home to a small colony of social outcasts and prisoners, deported there by the Kal'Pak government. It is now a seething den of villainy and scum, a blight on Kal'Parath's otherwise beautiful system.

Kilrec: Kilrec is a late-stage Class E planet rich in mineral resources. Although it is not a class of planet normally suitable for terraforming, special efforts are being made to allow easier access to the minerals. Progress is continuing at a rapid pace, today you can survive almost 5 minutes outside before being burned to death.

Kal'Pakara: The homeworld of the Kal'Pak, Kal'Pakara is a hot, humid world in orbit just inside the Middle Belt. Temperatures there rarely drop below 100 degrees Fahrenheit, and the humidity hovers at a constant 80%, excruciatingly uncomfortable for humans, but perfectly comfortable for the Kal'Pak. Every Kal'Pak must journey to the homeworld at least once to perform the rite of Lin Jahmong in the temple of the Precursors before they are allowed to marry. Kal'Pakara has long been densely packed with residences, and land space is at a premium. Owning a residence on Kal'Pakara is considered a great honor. Kal'Pakara has no moons, but the night sky reveals the hundreds of small, sometimes one-family, residential stations orbiting the planet. It is also where the system's slipstream gate is located.

Middle Belt: The middle belt is a thin ring of ice asteroids just outside the orbit of Kal'Pakara. The belt refracts the light of the suns, making it glow a beautiful spectrum of colors visible from the surface of Kal'Pakara on a good night. This same refractive nature of the ice makes it confusing for scanners; it is an excellent hiding place for pirates and criminals.

Vil'Jarem: This Class Beta Planet burns with a strange inner heat. Its atmosphere is composed of sulfur, carbon monoxide, hydrogen, and various radioactive isotopes. These same isotopes can also be found in the molten surface in lethal enough numbers to penetrate even the strongest shielding within minutes. High volcanic activity prevents landing on the surface, but heavy scanning has revealed that the inner core hold some sort of reactor, which generates the enormous heat and radioactivity. Unfortunately, there is no known way to actually reach the core. Vil'Jarem has three moons, all Class C bodies burned barren by the intense radiation.

Vil'Jarem is a navigational hazard. It is recommended that all ships stay at least 4 million kilometers from the planet.

Cane Cloud: The Cane Cloud is thick cloud of gas and small particles, making travel to the outer planet hazardous at best. Several routes have been charted through the cloud, but these are continually being blocked and disrupted as asteroids and other bodies shift within the cloud. It is a favorite haunt of pirates and terrorists, and legends are told of ghost ships visible from within the cloud. The cloud is named for Warren Cane, a human and the first one to chart a safe passage through the cloud.

G'Tori: A large class D body in far orbit outside the Outer Belt, this planet is rich in Titanium, Niobium, and Aluminum ores, turning it into a planetary strip-mine, the unwanted material being flung from the planet's scarce atmosphere and into the Cane Cloud. It is because of this planet that routes are still attempted through the cloud; shipping the ore around the cloud would add a week to the journey, and the 17% loss rate of the ore ships is considered acceptable.

[/b]

Citadel Conglomerates
Citadel Conglomerates is a human-dominated corporation dealing primarily in terraforming and environmental controls systems. Of the 70 some terraforming operations throughout the Concordium, Citadel Conglomerates is the primary contractor in 63 of them, and a main consultant on the remainder. In addition to its terraforming operations, Citadel also manufactures and installs environmental control equipment at the ship, installation, and planetary levels.

Rota-Dyne Experimental
This is a smaller, privately owned company in the technology sector, holding over four thousand patents on weapons, propulsion systems, computer hardware, and construction machinery. Although it makes most of its money from sale and lease of its many patents, RDX does operate small in-house production lines of weapons and engine systems. Recently, they have begun to purchase large numbers of Precursor sites and artifacts, although their exact intention is currently unknown.

Krith and Lucafine Megacorp
KLM is the largest holding corporation in the Concordium. With products in everything from clothing to furniture to ships to weapons to medical supplies, KLM is synonymous with standard, simple, and reliable. KLMâ,¬,,¢s sheer diversity is its strength, overcoming numerous takeover attempts. Although begun as a Priin organization, KLM is fully racially integrated.

Styx Corporation
Styx Corp. is a dedicated weapons manufacturer, holding a small but loyal section of the market. Renowned for its unique use of sonic technology, Styx weapons are famous for overcoming many types of armor. They are popular with bounty hunters and elite units, and enjoy the Concordiumâ,¬,,¢s largest percentage of restricted product line, over 85%.

United Shipping and Commerce
The USC is a large corporation that is concerned, obviously, with shipping. You can have a USC freighter transport nearly any amount or type of material to and from any point in the Concordium, for a small fee, of course. They are invaluable to smaller operations that cannot afford their own freighter fleet, and some of the large corporations even use them occasionally. They handle insurance and escort of their freighters in-house, and are always contracting pilots and guards for stints as an escort. Many famous freelancers got their start as escort pilots for USC.

Concord Foods Inc.
Concord Foods Incorporated, or CFI, owns most of the large scale farming operations in the Condordium, as well as most of the refining process. They produce mainly staple foodstuffs and rations, leaving the more exotic and specialized foods to small, independent operations.

[/b]

The Concordium
The Concordium is a large alliance of planets and races, mostly Human, Priin, and Kalâ,¬,,¢Pak. It is not a traditional government, but a unity of trade laws, currency, and language, which allows the member planets to live in peace with one another. It also acts as a tribunal and supreme court in disputes between the planets. The Concordium fields a truly impressive military force, using it to regularly invade the Fringe despite its peaceful overtones. When not invading worlds, the navy heavily patrols its own space; The Concordium enjoys the lowest piracy rate of any government in known space. Its capitol is Huma, the Human homeworld.

The Fringe Worlds
Although most galactic maps show the Fringe as a single body about two-thirds the size of the Concordium, it is in reality a patchwork of small governments which range in size from a half dozen systems to a single planet. With this multitude of power centers comes dozens of territorial, political, and pointless wars, making it an ever-changing hotbed of danger. The slipstream gates in this region are not controlled by a dingle entity, so the size, quality, and existence of slipstream routes is in constant flux. On the plus side, the presence of Concordium and Imperial corporations here is limited to non-existent; a fortune waits in the Fringe for those brave or stupid enough to go after it.

Vacaris
Vacaris, also known as the Empire of Vacar, is the primary rival to The Concordium in size and power. Unlike The Concordiumâ,¬,,¢s loose alliance structure, Vacaris is a strict oligarchy, with the Sheenja, Juler, and Nodaran ruled by wealthy Vacar families. Fiercely Militaristic, they are continually expanding their borders outward; few non-Vacar know the true extent of their empire. They also have heavy campaigns inside Concordium space; what few pirates there are work for the Vacar, almost to a man. They have never fought openly with the Concordium, but it has happened many times sine the Great Wars came to a close.

Independentsâ,¬,,¢ Alliance
The Independentsâ,¬,,¢ Alliance is a loose confederacy of worlds that want independence from the Concordium and Vacaris, but lack enough power, influence, or both to maintain sovereignty. They consist of some 50 governments scattered around the Hublands, many of which only control a system or two. They are sworn to protect and retaliate as one against any threat to a member, but have little contact or structure beyond that. The Concordium and Vacaris have left the Alliance alone, as their far-flung systems would make fighting them difficult. Many Alliance systems lie wholly within Concordium or Vacaris space.

[/b]

Regions

The Hublands
The Hublands represents the peaceful, ordered section of the galaxy where slipstreams are steady, war is relatively unknown, and most races call home. It is divided among roughly a dozen stable, multi-system governments, though the Concordium, Vacaris, and the Independentsâ,¬,,¢ Alliance control roughly 90% of the Hubland systems.

The Fringe
The Fringe is comprised of the systems that stand between the Hublands and the Frontier. It is usually a rough, dangerous area where safety depends solely on strength and smarts. The slipstreams here are ever-changing and dangerous, and only a few, well-established routes have any sort of safety. The governments that control the fringe are legion, and are collectively referred to as the Fringe Worlds. A few of the more populous worlds, however, have become members of the Independentsâ,¬,,¢ Alliance, which has acted as a neutral party in the Fringe ever since the infamous War of Independents. The Fringe encircles most of the Hublands, although there are some areas where Concordium and Vacaris lands border directly with the Frontier.

The Frontier
The Frontier is, quite simply, unexplored space. It is here that systems are explored, races discovered, and civilizationâ,¬,,¢s reach is continually expanded. There are no slipstreams here, and even safe hyperspace coordinates are few and far between. Here lies the unknown and the mysterious, waiting to be discovered.

Locations

The Void / The Bulge
The Void is an oddity of the galaxy, an area of completely empty space nearly 50 lightyears in circumference. In addition, the Void has the unique distinction of being able to absorb light. Within the Void, visibility is reduced to between one and five lightyears, making the stars wink out not even a fifth of the way in. Whatever absorbs the light also confuses sensors; sensors are only one-fourth as efficient, and frequently produce false images and readings. The â,¬Ëghostâ,¬,,¢ ships and planets are the source of many modern-day ghost stories. Few have traversed the void, and none have mapped it, making it the most mysterious portion of the Hublands. The Bulge is simply the stars that should, by all rights, be where the Void is. They have somehow been â,¬Ëpushedâ,¬,,¢ to the edge of the Void, creating a dense stellar â,¬Ëshellâ,¬,,¢ around it. The Void is located on the border between Vacaris and The Concordium.

Ekiram Nebula
The Ekiram Nebula is a large cloud of gas and baby stars, rich in natural resources. It is home to many harvesting stations and is constantly being fought over by both the Fringe Worlds and the Concordium, both of which claim the area. It is also home a large number of Precursor artifacts, which lay unclaimed due to their concentration in radioactive, volatile, and otherwise inhospitable areas of the Nebula.

Lost Horizons Starship System (http://www.thecbg.org/e107_plugins/forum/forum_viewtopic.php?26946) [/u]
[ooc]This took way too long, but I'm linking my starship construction and use system here, since this is what I designed it for. You can comment about it on the system thread itself or in the Lost Horizons discussion, either way.[/ooc]


[ooc]This is my to-do list, where you'll see what I'm working on, what's waiting to be posted, and what should be coming soon;

*Priin Home system.
*Some history, including the Great Wars (finally), and the beginnings of interstellar travel.
*Some factions and forces within each of the Governments, probably starting with the Fringe.
*Maybe some history on Colony ships.

If you want to see something on the list, by all means suggest it. Odds are I haven't considered it and wouldn't mind doing it.
[/ooc]

[/size]

Most races have their own recorded history back several thousand years. However, their combined history begins roughly 1200 years ago with the first inter-species contact between the Priin and the Humans. The timeline begins with this event, continues through the beginnings of FTL travel, and ends with the present day. [note= A Note on Marking Time] There are four time periods in Lost Horizons, Pre-Light (PL), Alliance Era (AE), Post-Alliance (PA), and Postwar (PW). These two-letter abbreviations are used in the timeline. Any event with two abbreviations is an event that marks the transition between the first and second eras listed.[/note]

0 PL- First Inter-Species contact made between The Priin and Humans. Priin received a stray radio communication from Huma and reply. Event date is Human reception of the message.

10 PL- Intrepids 1, 2, 3, and 4 are launched as experimental near-light probes. Sent to survey nearby star systems, only Intrepid 2 and 4 sent back signals. It was assumed that Intrepid 1 and 3 were victims of internal failure.

12 PL- After three more messages by radio, the Priin send the first interstellar subspace communication, reducing lag time from years to minutes. Intrepid 5 launched towards Priin homeworld with cultural artifacts.

26 PL- Kalâ,¬,,¢Pak become third communicant race, replying to an intercepted Priin communication. The Communication was, in fact, a game of chess. The message was the checkmate move for the Human player.

52 PL- First Priin device reaches Huma. Human probe Intrepid 5 reaches Priin homeworld 4 years later carrying many examples of human culture, now 40 years out of date.

85 PL- Intrepid 3 begins transmission after 75 years of silence, showing images of an ancient ship adrift in interstellar space. Intrepid begins as thorough an analysis as possible.

86 PL- Intrepid 3 finishes analysis. Creator race of the ship are dubbed â,¬,,¢Precursors.â,¬,,¢ The plethora of data on the shipâ,¬,,¢s engines, weapons, and technology is never shared with the Priin or Kalâ,¬,,¢Pak.  

87 PL/ 0AE- Based on designs from the recovered Precursor Ship, the first hyperspace engine is successfully tested outside Humaâ,¬,,¢s atmosphere. The flight lasted a total of fifteen seconds and traveled from Huma to the moon.

5 AE- Kalâ,¬,,¢Pak and Priin design and successfully test their own Hyperspace engines.

6 AE- First face-to-face alien contact is made on Human homeworld. In attendance are the surviving three of the 12 Priin and Humans responsible for the first radio communication.

7 AE- Kalâ,¬,,¢Pak, Priin, and Humans band together to form the Alliance, the first interstellar government.

13 AE- On the centennial of first contact, the first Alliance cruiser, UAS Epiphany, is launched from the Priin shipyards.

16 AE- The Alliance begins the Plymouth Project, 50 large generational ships designed to seed the Alliance across the Galaxy.

21 AE- The first 30 colony ships are launched. Christened Titan 1-30, these ships were launched in groups of two to likely-looking star systems.

24 AE- Sojourner 1-20 are launched, the final stage of the Plymouth Project. These larger ships were designed to travel farther, faster, and alone.

40 AE- The Vacar make first contact and appear to wish to join the Alliance.

58 AE- The Vacar fire upon and capture thirty Alliance vessels across their sector. The Alliance war is officially declared.

120 AE- After suffering several humiliating defeats at the hands of the ever-growing Vacar fleet, a truce is signed granting Vacaris, as their nation was known, several dozen stars on the edge of Alliance space.

125-190 AE- In a time known as the Great Discovery, many more races are discovered and added to the Alliance, including the Ankirain, Cavis, Palathi, Trithean, and Natareen.

130 AE- The check-in date of the Titan and Sojourner colony ships arrives. Of the expected 28 colonies and 22 ships en route, only 8 make the check in. After weeks of waiting and listening, the remaining 42 colony ships are considered lost.

174-223 AE- Vacaris conquers the Juler, Sheenja, Buline, and Krigana with the assistance of a race of beings known only as the Vedalken. With these new additions, Vacaris has grown in size to equal the Alliance.

237 AE- The first two Slipstream gates are constructed, connecting the Human and Kal'Pak homeworlds and making interstellar travel faster, safer, and easier than ever before.

247 AE- All Alliance worlds are connected via slipstream gate, connecting the Alliance as never before.

251 AE- Vacaris finishes constructing its gate network based on stolen plans from the Alliance.

252 AE- Rifts begin to form in the Alliance, especially between the core worlds and the colonies farther out. War is threatened, but averted at the last moment.

253 AE- The Vedalken renounce the Vacar, throwing Vacaris into a bloody civil war.
 
254 AE/ 0 PA- The War of Separation begins, effectively ending the Alliance.

6 PA- Although no treaty was ever signed, the War of Separation ends. The once great Alliance is now hundreds of independent worlds, much like the Fringe is today.

14 PA- After a bloody war, the Vedalken retreat to the fringes of space, leaving the Vacar to lick their wounds. Vacaris is now a tattered and broken empire, but an empire nonetheless.

15-275 PA- A large number of small battles and conquests, the full reporting of which would take several dozen pages. Suffice it to say that the galaxy was not a safe place at this time.

276 PA- Vacaris, having rebuilt their empire as best they could, begin to rebuild their armada for an attack on the former Alliance worlds.

~300 PA- Alliances begin to form amongst the remnants of the Alliance, mostly falling along racial lines. These larger powers begin to consolidate their power by waging bigger and bloodier wars on their neighbors.

324 PA- The War of the Gate is started. What began as a two-system dispute over slipstream tolling rights spiraled out of control into a several-nation, eight year war.

448 PA- The Great Wars begin. Although a series of overlapping wars, they are grouped as one for the simple reason that for the next 100 years, no nation in the known galaxy would  be at peace for more than five consecutive months.

548 PA/ 0 PW- The Treaty of Galkenov V is signed, officially ending the Great Wars.

 [ooc]Please Pardon the dust, history has not yet finished forming. ;)[/ooc]

[note]I'm only bothering to stat out the most common races, any other races you could want could be found somewhere in the galaxy, most likely in the fringe.[/note]

Nodaran
The Nodaran are an empathic race of beings whose home system was conquered by Vacaris early on in thier development. Today they are little more than slaves to the Vacar, although without their defeat they probably would not be capable of faster-than-light travel.

A typical Nodaran stands between four and five feet in height, with the females being slightly taller. Thier skin is human-toned, with an area of small leopard-like spots the run across the forehead and down the sides of their bodies. These spots are opposite in hue to their primary skin color (Dark-skinned Nodaran will have light spots, and vice versa).

Nodarans normally live in enclaves of fifty to one hundred. Normally that is six to eight extended families, although there is no real family distinction among the enclaves. The enclave itself is a connected set of chambers utilized as collective kitchens, living areas, and bedrooms. Privacy among the Nodaran is a mark of great respect; only the patriarch of the enclave and elders receive their own rooms. The rest sleep collectively,  children, bachelors, and married couples each in a different sleeping chamber. The latter two have thin screens installed in them, more to designate separate areas than to give privacy.

The Nodaran empathic ability allows a small range of abilities. They can sense the emotions of others and can communicate mentally with others of their race. Attempting such communication with other races requires immense concentration, and they still receive only vague and indistinct images at best.

In Vacaris, the Nodaran serve as personal servants, butlers, and other domestics. They make good, responsible servants, since their empathic ability allows them to anticipate their master's emotions and avoid conflict.

Game Rule Information

*-2 Str, -2 Con, +2Cha: The Nodaran's empathic ability allows them a more responsive social etiquette, but they are somewhat weak and frail.
*Medium: As medium creatures, Nodarans have no bonuses or penalties due to their size.
*Nodaran base land speed is 30 feet.
*+2 to Diplomacy and Sense Motive: The Nodaran empathic abilities which allow them to better gauge and interact with others.
*Empathics: Nodaran empathic abilities allow them to perform a few minor tricks:
-They can sense the emotions of all sentient beings within 30ft. + 5ft./ character level. The intelligence score of the target determines the precision of the reading. A horse may only read as 'angry' or 'calm,' while sentient, intelligent beings may show differences between 'mad,' 'angry,' and 'annoyed.'
-They can communicate telepathically using words, images, and emotions with other Nodarans within 60 feet of them. They can attempt the maneuver with non-Nodarans, but it requires a DC 25 concentration check, and can only show vague images even then.
*Automatic Languages: Nodaran and Vacar
*Bonus Languages: Any

Cavis
Cavis are a race of small humanoids, looking like a mix between a human, a lion, and some sort of bird. Avid scholars and learners, they are usually found as librarians and teachers all across the Concordium.

A male and female Cavis look significantly different from each other. Males stand roughly 3.5 feet tall, sporting a thick mane of hair which covers their head and neck, while the remainder of their body is covered in tiny feathers. Females are slightly shorter, only about three feet. Instead of a mane, they have large feathers which extend from their head down to the small of their back, the rest of their bodies being covered in short fur. Both genders have wings, but they are purely vestigial in most. The hair on Cavis are usually tawny or golden, but the feathers can be literally any color, the most common are combinations of red and green or black and red.

Cavis have a highly developed mind in addition to a near perfect photographic memory. To match their minds, their culture and language is also very complex, based heavily on their enormous amounts of literature and art. They highly value honesty and dedication, which makes them excellent workers and friends. They are not a war-like people, but those that do enter the military quickly rise to command positions.

Game Rule Information

*+4 Int, -2 Str: Cavis are very intelligent, but are lacking in physical strength.
*Small: As a Small creature, a Cavis gains a +1 size bonus to Armor Class, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls, and a +4 size bonus on Hide checks, but he uses smaller weapons than humans use, and his lifting and carrying limits are three-quarters of those of a Medium character.
*Cavis base land speed is 20 feet.
*Wings: Cavis have vestigial wings which can slow them down in long falls. Cavis ignore the first twenty feet of height when falling.
*Automatic Languages: Cavis and Basic.
*Bonus Languages: Any

Ankirain
Ankirain are a noble race whose own internal politics have hindered their potential interstellar influence. Officially a member of the Concordium, they control a handful of planets which are essentially left alone.

An Ankirain is grey skinned, roughly four and a half to five feet in stature. Their eyes are lacking in any pigment, making them the dark red of their blood. Thier hair is colorless, ranging the spectrum from jet black to pure white.

Ankirain are fierce and cruel, willing to kill for advancement in their house. Oddly enough, they are also extremely loyal to their house in general, willing to die to protect its honor. The Ankirain birthrate is fortunately high, else they would have assassinated themselves into extinction long ago.

Their government is made up of houses, each of which control their own territory and people, while a council of house leaders takes care of house-spanning issues. This setup leads their politics to include quite a few wars and backstabbings, both between rival houses and amongst the houses themselves.

Most Ankirain found outside their home space are there for one of two reasons; either they have been banished from their space, or they are assassins hired out due to their expertise in the field.

Game Rule Information

*+2 Dex, -2 Cha: Ankirain are fast and nimble, but also cold and aloof, even amongst themselves.
*Medium: As medium creatures, Ankirain suffer no penalties or bonuses due to their size.
*Ankirain base land speed is 30 feet.
*Sneak Attack: An Ankirain gets an additional 1d6 damage from their sneak attack or similar class ability. If the Ankirain does not have this feature as a class feature, he gets 1d6 sneak attack.
*+4 bonus on hide checks in shadow or darkness: An Ankirain's grey skin an hair acts as a antural camouflage in partial or complete darkness.
*Automatic Languages: Ankirain.
*Bonus Languages: Any