In the year to 2017, the age of Galileo began. The first of the Born came forth from the masses of the Pure, and joined together under Galileo Ducant, the First High Archon. For seven generations after, the age of Galileo continued.
It was a golden age, a time of glory and prosperity, but not peace. The Born warred among themselves, the followers of Galileo against those who would use their gifts to dominate and destroy. The Pure warred among themselves for all the reasons they ever have and ever will war amongst themselves. The Pure warred with the Born, for jealosy and fear and justice.
The age of Galileo ended when Yaun Ducant-Rayner-Logan-Eliot, the Seventh High Archon, created the first long jump core. In the age of Yaun, mankind spread from the cradle of Earth to the stars, and found the Myriad waiting for them. Man joined the Myriad, Pure and Born alike. The Born found some like them among the Myriad, but among no race were they as numerous as among mankind.
The age of Yaun lasted five generations. In the generation of Eannatum Eliot-Ducant, the Twelfth High Archon, the Fell struck. It raged through the Myriad, striking Pure and Born without bias. Eannatum himself was one of the first to fall, being Fellborn by the blood of Galileo. The age of the Fellwar had begun.
The Fellwar raged for three generations. When at last a practicle cure for the Fell was developed, the Myriad had already been decimated. Of the Myriad, only four races remained, and of those four, only mankind had a large enough breeding population to survive. The end of the Fellwar saw the begining of the age of Jericho. The Fifteenth High Archon, Jericho Haly-Eliot-Carver, left Earth with those that would follow him and settled the Born capitol world, Peladino. Many of the Pure of Earth refused to see the capitol of man abandonded for a new world. The P.D.O.E. emerged quickly in this tumultuous stage, gaining near complete control over the Pure dwelling on Earth, and spreading its influence out to many of mankind's colonies.
And from all the worlds of mankind, the Fellborn slipped away quietly, retreating to the Fringe.
Eight generations have passed, and it is now the generation of Alexander Rayner-Ducant-Exbridge-Hyde-Washington-North of New Mars, the Twenty-Third High Archon. For eight generations, a three way conflict has been brewing between the Pure and the two factions of the Born, the Sons of Galileo and the Unification. Now a new threat has emerged. The Fellborn have returned from the Fringe in force, bringing with them the violence and domination that are their birthrights.
- Tine Er Bin-Ducant, Scholar of the Known Universe.
The Born
The Born transcend the mortal limits imposed by a scientific understanding of the 'Verse. They can move in impossible ways. They have strength beyond that which aught to be possible with mere muscle or even with augmentative technologies. They can manipulate the forces of reality on a whim. In bygone eras they were called Supers, Metas, Ascedant, or any number of terms. The Born are divided.
The Sons of Galileo believe themselves the heroic defenders of their Pure charges. Some are, some are merely self righteous monsters, as bad as the enemies they confront.
The Unification believe that their gifts make them superior, and that the Pure should bow down to them. Many have the nescisary nobility of character and wisdom to rule, but just as many are selfish tyrants in the making.
Then there are the others. Born who live out their lives seperate from the factions that dominate Peladino politics. These are the villians and the free lance heros, and those who just want to be left alone.
The undisputable leaders of the Born as a whole are the Legacies. Born descended from the great Born families, each with powers springing from a multiple bloodlines. Each Legacy is a force to be reckoned with. The greatest Legacies of all are the descendants of Ducant.
The Pure
The natural human stock. The Pure have no special powers, their blood being untouched by the forces that created the Born and the Fell.
This is not to say that the Pure are weak. They have a strong majority, with fully 80% of all human population being Pure. More than just their numbers, the Pure can augment themselves with their technologies and sciences. The greatest Pure warriors can rival the sheer power of the lesser Legacies.
The Pure are divided into innumerable factions. Some are subservient to the Born, while others fight against the Born.
The most powerful faction among the Pure, and the one that controlls Earth, the cradle, is the Pure Directerate of Earth, the P.D.O.E.. They are vehement enemies of all the Born in general, and the Born of of Peladino in particular.
The Fell
The first recorded incedent of the Fell was Galileo Ducant, the First High Archon. His affliction was discovered and suppressed near the end of the second stage. It would be twelve generations before another case would be recorded. The Fell is an affliction of the body and soul. It is all pervasive, twisting mind, body and soul.
There are four stages to the affliction. Only in the first and second can it be cured, and those who are saved from it are permanently altered.
In the first stage of the Fell, the afflicted become violent, seeking to inflict pain and suffering against those not afflicted. Their bodies become stronger and their senses become heightened. If the afflicted is cured in the first stage, they will be able to ressume their lives with only a few changes, such as increased agression and a preference for rare meat.
In the second stage of the Fell, the afflicted becomes predatory and animalistic in their mindset. They begin to divide others into pack and prey, and they seek to take power over the prey. Rape and similar actions are the primary expression of this drive. The afflicted grows larger and more feral in appearence, and any latent Born gifts are awakened. This is the last point at which the afflicted may be freed from the Fell. Those who are cured are left with a greatly heightened sense of agression and a tendancy to sexual sadism.
The third stage of the Fell manifests as a massive alteration to the physique and mind of the afflicted. The afflicted becomes utterly psychotic, killing, torturing, raping and devouring all non afflicted they encounter. Self mutilation is accompanied by the developement of lessions that leak blood and pus. A third stage Fell afflicted is a monstrous killing machine.
Most Fell afflictions stop at the third stage. One in ever ten, however, continues to this stage. In the fourth stage, the brezerk psychosis recedes, replaced by a cold, analytical, inhuman hatred. The intelligence of a fourth stage Fell afflicted is greatly enhanced, as are their senses and dexterity. These afflicted are the poilets, engineers, planners and scientists of the Fell afflicted.
Fell afflicted of all stages can instinctivly recognize each other. They have a strong group mentality, melding effortlessly into large societies bent on the destruction of all others.
Luckily, the Fell was entirely destroyed at the of the Fellwar. And in its wake, it has left mankind the only race in the galaxy, free to expand as we will.
- A gradeschool introduction to the Fell
They say we are gone. We will devour them all.
- Ravings of a psychotic Born found on Hypellion, third moon of Peladino
How many systems make up the Verse?
The furthest of man's colonies are about 600 light years apart, and most civilian crafts would take about a year to travel between them, if they made no stops. In this vast expanse, maybe 200-300 systems are inhabited.
deleted in favor of updated bloodlines
Sol Star System
The heart of Pure worlds, the Sol star system lies near the outer edge of the known universe. Despite its distance from the core shipping routes, the Sol system is the political center of the growing Pure movement.
The Sol star system is home to two of the largest independant military forces in the 'Verse; the Sons of Mars and the Protectorate of the Pure.
Earth
The cradle of humanity, both Pure and Born.
The land, seas and skies of modern Earth are filled with sprawling, majestic cities of grandure. A web of satalites and orbital instillations surrounds the planet. Orbiting the planet is the Maan Stad, a massive city constructed from the Earth's moon in previous generations.
Earth is the capitol of the Pure political movement. While still paying lip service to the Arbiters and Peladino, Earth has become more and more independant in recent years. Local measures limiting the involvment of Born in the affairs of the world have become frequent throughout it and sympathetic worlds.
Maan Stad is the headquarters and martialing grounds of the Protectorate of the Pure, boasting several of the largest spacedocs in the known 'Verse.
Mars
Mars is home to one of the greatest terraforming opperations in history. It is a lush paradise. The primary population centers are found at the poles, where massive cities dominate the skyscape. Mars is primarily a resort world, a home for the wealthy and privilaged among the Pure.
Jupiter
Jupiter is home to a massive gas refinery industry and is the marshalling ground for the Children of Mars.
While Jupiter itself is uninhabitable, the planet is orbited by a massive array of refineries and starports. The many moons of the planet have been converted into spacedocks for the Children of Mars.
<more later>
The Tau Orias Legacy
Of the races of the Myriad, the race origionating from Tau Orias were perhapse the most powerful and unique. Each was born with great psychic power, which manifested in a constant awareness of the immediate future and present surroundings, a vast array of telekinetic abilities including a constant aura capable of deflecting attacks and the ability to hurl "mind darts", focused bolts of telekinetic energy laced with telepathic and clairvoyant static which could stun the strongest Born, and the ability to breed true with any other sentient species.
When the Fellwars came, the Tau Orias were the first to fall. Their psychic power proved to be more a liability than a gift against the horrific bio-meme.
A few Tau Orias survived, howerver. Their ability to breed with other races allowed them to intigrate themselves into the human species, and at this point.
At this point there are only a few Tau Orias scattered through the 'Verse, mostly on Peladino. However, their numbers are growing steadily. Already they have incorperated themselves into several significant Legacies and many hold the rank of Master Arbiter.
- Tine Er Bin-Ducant, Scholar of the Known Universe.
The Tau Orias race are a species of macro bio-memes. Their biologcial processes bear a disturbing similarity to that of the Fell, although far more sophisticated. Their memetic characteristics are both vastly different and eerily similar.
Bio-processes: "Pure" Tau Orias resemble insectiod bipeds, although they are closer to Earth mamals than arthropods in structure and makeup. They have a thin, flexible white carapace covering most of their body. The only uncovered portions of their anatomy are their eight fingered hands and their suprisingly humaniod heads. A "Pure" Tau Oriasian had large compound eyes, at least four "ears" (translucent membranes that could detect and locate sound with great accuracy) and a large mouth structure containg two tongues, which were used to taste and smell.
"Pure" Tau Oriasians are hermaphridites and, due to their bio-memetical nature, do not have a nervous system.
No "Pure" Tau Oriasians exist in the known universe today.
Hybrid Tau Oriasians are the result of their bizzar bio-memetic existence. A Tau Oriasian can breed with any other sentient species and produce viable offspring. Such Hybrids demonstrate the biological traits of their non Tau Oriasian parent, and the memetic qualities of a "Pure" Tau Oriasian. Such Hybrids are, as such, indetectable withought propper memetic examination.
Memetic-processes: Tau Oriasians have an extremely advanced memetic existence that extends down to the cellular level. They require no nervous system, as each individual cell is capable of psychically communicating with every other cell in the body. What each cell is capable of perciving is an entirely different matter, and certain cell clusters, such as the eyes, stomach, ears, ect. develope specific qualities and specilizations.
The memetic structure of a Tau Oriasian grants them a wide variety of abilities. All Tau Oriasians constantly scan the near future, usually only a few seconds ahead, and their immediate present. This results in an extrodinary level of perception and ability to react.
In addition to their clairvoyance, Tau Orisians have several telekinetic abilities. They constantly project a field of telekinetic "static", which is capable of deflecting incoming attacks. Combined with their precience, this makes a Tau Oriasian practically invulnerable to most conventional weapons, and it grants them a considerable level of defence against several unconventional attacks as well.
Another telekinetic ability possesed by Tau Oriasians is the ability to project what are termed "Mind Darts". These bundles of telekinetic force are projected at near light speed along linear paths from the Tau Oriasian generating the attack. In addition to the great force of the dart, capable of peircing heavy ship plating, the Mind Dart is laced with telepathic and clairvoyant static. The practical upshot of this is that a Mind Dart is resistant to precise precience and can stun the mind of its target, making it very difficult to aviod. Mind Darts are draining on a Tau Oriasian to produce, meaning that they are generally reserved as a last option weapon.
Tau Oriasians are capable of metabolic shapeshifting, but not spontaneous shapeshifting. It is a subset of this ability that allows them to interbreed with any other species. A Tau Oriasian sex cell will tap into the latent psychic potential of the non Tau Oriasian parent and use it to subtly alter itself and the offspring produced to form a Tau Oriasian hybrid. Due to this alteration, Tau Oriasian hybrids retain this ability across the generations.
- Tai Rayner-Eliot, biologist
Science and Technology of the 'Verse: FTL and Ship Design
On one small, selectivly primitive moon, the speed of light is considered divine in nature, that it is the edge of God's vision, and that Warp Field technology is heresy of the vilest sort. Sometimes I wonder if they are not right.
- Tine Er Bin-Ducant, Scholar of the Known Universe
Nothing can go faster than the speed of light. This is a fact that even the fastest of the Blood of Ducant must recognize. No sourcery exists that can pierce this veil.
How, then, you ask, can the 'Verse be colonized? How could first the Myriad, then Humanity, populate the stars? The secret lies in the beautifully curved and warped nature of space/time.
I will not get into the technical details of Warp Field physics, as such details are difficult for even class two hyperintellects to grasp, and we, with our woefully mortal minds would never be able to understand the simplest aspects of this exacting science. What I will describe to you are the practical matters that you, as future ShiCos, will need to understand.
A Warp Field is a ripple in space/time that can travel faster than light, carrying everything in it with it. At no point in this process does any piece of matter or energy move faster than the ultimate barrier, but the space occupied by said matter and energy does. Do not attempt to understand it.
The equipments needed to generate a Warp Field are extremely delicate, making intergral shipboard generators impractical, even on long range military scout or covert-ops vessles. To solve this problem exist Gen-drones and Jump Stations.
Gen-drones are small, modular drone crafts designed to be able to link together into large assemblies, capable of generating any size Warp Field needed. Jump Stations are Gen-drone control facilities. When a ship that lacks Gen-drone facilities wishes to make an intrasystem transit, they must dock with a Jump Station, where their destination request is processed. If the request is accepted, the ship will be allocated a swarm of Gen-drones large enough to transport the ship in question. These drones will have been preprogramed with all the transit data needed to transport the client to their destination. When the ship arives, the drones are reclaimed at the nearest Jump Station to be reprogramed.
Generating a Warp Field requires absurd amounts of energy. Generating a field with a surface area of one square meter requires at the very least the energy generated by 10 kilograms of matter reacting with an equal amount of anti matter. Older, less efficient Field generators still in service can require as much as ten time that much energy.
- Johnathan Il Dana, An Introduction to the 'Verse, part 1.
Hyperintellect
In most generations, there are a few individuals of increadible intellectual capability. They are hyperintellects, and they have had more impact on the course of history than Ducant himself.
There is some controversy over whether hyperintellect is a Born Gift or a universal human trait. On the one hand, a hyperintellect is far greater than the human norm, the weakest hyperintellects making most Pure look like idiots by comparison. On the other hand, it is not passed down like most legacies, and does not interface with devices designed to augment Born Gifts.
There are four levels of hyperintellect.
Class one hyperintellect is the weakest. A c1 hyperintellect is capable of extreamly advanced thinking from a young age. By the time they reach adulthood, they are masters of whatever fields they have applied themselves to. An example of a weak c1 hyperintellect would be Lex Luthor.
Class two hyperintellect is about twice as advanced as c1 hyperintellect. A c2 hyperintellect makes a c1 look like an idiot. C2 hyperintellect is the lowest required intellectual capability to understand Warp Field physics in any meaningful way. It is for this reason that the science of FTL travel has been so slow in advancing. No generation has ever boasted more than five c2 hyperintellects.
Class three hyperintellect is about three times as advacned as c2 hyperintellect. A c3 hyperintellect can master almost any intellectual pursuit in a single sitting. The prescence of a c3 hyperintellect in a generation always results in a massive surge in almost every field of science and technology. There have been five c3 hyperintellects in the history of mankind.
Class four hyperintellect has only ever occured once in the history of mankind, in the instance of Derivan Idavo. There is no describing the intellectual prowess of a c4 hyperintellect. By age 10, Derivan was a master of Warp Field physics. By age 18, he was able to predict the future of the 'Verse with near pinpoint accuracy. During his short life, he advanced every discipline of science known by centuries, and developed several new disciplines in areas that noone had even speculated on.
Hyperintellect is not without its price. Hyperintellects have reduced lifespans. They do not seem to age any faster, but as their intellects continue to develope, they eventually reach a critical point and undergo a memetic collapse. The oldest c1 hyperintellect recorded died at age 56. The oldest c2 hyperitnellect recorded died at age 46. The oldest c3 hyperintellect recorded died at age 30. Derivan Idavo died at age 22.
Noteable hyperintellects:
Derivan Idavo - c4 - The only c4 hyperintellect in the history of mankind. His contributions to history were too many to count.
Elias Rayner - c2 - The first recorded hyperintellect. Discovered the Fell and a the cure for Fell infection.
Yaun Ducant-Rayner-Logan-Eliot - c3 - The founder of Warp Field physics. Yaun is also credited as one of the greatest High Arbiters in history.
Jerico Shan - c3 - The founder of the Protectorate of the Pure, Jerico Shan single handedly created one of the longest surviving Pure miltant groups in history. Became Fell during the Fellwars. Created the Fell Abominations before his death at the hands of Vardin Logan-Hyde.
Mishil Ducant-Rayner-Eliot - c3 - Developed the current incarnation of the Arbiter Blade based on the Memetic Channeling principles discovered and developed by Derivan Idavo.
<more later>
An Arbiter Blade is a glowing blade of energy projected from a glove (usually, the wielder makes a fist and the blade extends like a wrist blade). In thier base state, an Arbiter Blade is a highly destructive weapon, capable of cutting through even ship armor. When wielded by a biomemetic organism (such as a Born Human, a Tau Orsian or a Fell infected/Fellborn), the Arbiter Blade will resonate on a memetic level with them. Effectivly, this means that an Arbiter Blade becomes more powerful with the Arbiter weilding it (therefor, any Arbiter Blade wielded by a Master Arbiter is going to be far more powerful all around than an Arbiter Blade wielded by an Acolyte). In addition, some Born Gifts produce unique resonences in an Arbiter Blade. Sorcerery infuses the blade with magic, Superspeed causes the blade to vibrate at hypersonic frequencies (depending on the degree of superspeed), ect.
Some Born gifts are as follows:
Blood of Ducant: also known as superspeed. The rarest Born gift, it is only possessed by the decendants of Ducant himself. Ranges from significantly faster than the fastest Pure humans to just under 9/10ths the speed of light.
Born Strength: A fairly common Gift. Superstrength et all. Ranges from significantly stronger than the strongest Pure human to strong enough to tear though Tripple Dikavnium hulls.
Born Invulnerability: Another fairly common Born Gift. Ranges from protecting from minor injuries and traumas such as knife wounds to being able to withstand the combined firepower of three Ravas class battlecruisers.
Born Flight: Possesed by about 33% of all Born.
Born Sorcerery: Rare Gift, required to use magic. Ranges from milder alterations of ones surroundings to continent spanning alterations.
Born Shapeshifting (Metabolic, Instantaneous, Fixed): Rare gift. Metabolic shapeshifting is the slowest form of shapeshifting, as the Born actually changes the configuration of their cells and bone structures. Instantaneous shapeshifting involves creating false memetic resonations, thus distorting your memetic shadow in physical space (you basically convince reality that your physical shape is something different). Fixed shapeshifters are either metabolic or instantaneous shapeshifters that have only a few set forms to choose from.
Blood of Hyde: Energy manipulation, especially the ability to create blasts of "raw" energy (really just pockets of memetic chaos). While the Hyde bloodline is not the only line to display this ability, the Hyde line has a policy of adopting any Born to display this ability. The strength of the Gift ranges from creating blasts of kinetic force with only a few joules of power and manipulating basic electrical flows to creating "raw" energy blasts capable of crippling an Avatar of Somat'ka class dreadgnought and manipulating planetary gravitational fields.
Born Psionics: At catch all category encompassing a wide variety of abilities, from telekineses to telepathy to clarvoyance. Semi-rare (~10% of Born posses it). Ranges from minor telepathy and telekineses to world spanning telepathic ability.
Born Immortality: Exceedingly rare (~.01% of a Born Generation). Ranges from double lifespan to unknown (Jordan Wade-Hyde has lived for the last 20 generations and appears to only now be entering middle age).
There are more Gifts than those listed. In addition to Born Gifts, there are the Traditions (Arbiters, The Scions of New Mars (not to be confused with the Pure militant organization, the Children of Mars), ect. (The Batclan would be considered a Tradition)) and the Tools (The Green Lantern Ring would be one example of a Tool, the OMACs another).
Fell Abominations are the siege machines of the Fell. They are sort of like toned down Doomsdays with a penchant for raping and eating their victims (usually at the same time). They are all the more horrible in that they are not mindless, but posses a cruel cunning. They are powerful enough to challenge a Master Arbiter
Arbiter Ranks
Acolyte: The lowest rank. Made up of Born with weak, single Gifts and execptional Pure. They act on a local scale. Batman would probably be a high ranking Acolyte.
Initiated Arbiter: One step up from Acolyte. Made up of Born with single, medium gifts or several related medium gifts. Most of the JLA first stringers would fit into this category. Works on a continental level.
Low Arbiter: Initiated Arbiters who have completed Arbiter Training and Born with multiple strong gifts. Blood of Ducant start at this level. Work on a global scale.
Arbiter: Born with multiple, strong gifts that have completed their Arbiter Training and Born with numerous strong or a few exeptionally powerful Gifts. The Flash would be in this category due to his sheer speed. Operates on a system/core level.
Master Arbiter: Born with numerous strong gifts or a few exeptionally powerful gifts who have completed their Master Arbiter Training. Works on a sector level. A Master Arbiter could take on the superhero population of the DC earth and win.
Wings: Potential High Arbiters. Born with numerous exceedingly powerful Gifts. Are apprenticed to the High Arbiter himself.
High Arbiter: A Born of numerous exceedingly powerful Gifts who has completed High Arbiter Training.
Arbiter Training
Low Arbiter Training: Trains a Born in the use of their Gifts and in certain martial arts styles designed to work with their Gifts. Offers a level of skill equal to that of most of the DCU martial arts masters along with basic investagative skills.
Arbiter Training: Trains a Born in the use of their Gifts and in certain martial arts styles desgined to work with their Gifts, as well as advanced scientific and investigative principles. Offers a level of skill equal to most of the Batclan.
Master Arbiter Training: Each Master Arbiter recieves training tailor made to suite thier Gifts, as well as training in a wide variety of scientific and techincal disciplines. Offers a level of skill greater than that of the Batman.
High Arbiter Training: Makes Batman look like a sissy. Imagine the training developed by 22 generations of the Batman, with each generation being more driven than the last. Then add special training in the mastery of an obscene amount of Gifts. Then factor in the fact that most High Arbiters have at least weak c1 Hyperintellect.
The Arbiters
The Arbiters are the dominant political group in the 'Verse, and the official government of all mankind. There a two branches to the Arbiter political machine; a legislative body made up of officials elected from the Master Arbiters and an executive/judicial branch headed by the High Arbiter.
The Arbiter's actual power extends to about 1/4th the colonised worlds of the 'Verse. They control the planets at the core of inhabited space, and most of the major trade routes pass through their sphere of influence. The Helania, Vasza and Fal systems form the core of the Arbiter sphere of influence.
The Arbiter goals include protecting the status quo, suppressing Born crime, producing ever more powerful Born and disbanding the P.O.T.P.
One of the greatest insurances of continued Arbiter power is the de facto monoplony the have on several potent bloodlines. The Arbiters control the Ducant, Hyde, Eliot and Rayner lines. They seek to aquire access to several of the Unification bloodlines, and vice versa.
Religion
The 'Verse is home to a myriad religions. Some of the most common religions are listed here, anlong with a brief description.
Skishien Sunni: Popular among the Born of the Unification, Skishien Sunni is a monotheistic fusion of Skihism, Shinto Buddism and Sunni Islam. Skishien Sunnis believe that souls undergo progressive reincarnation, with each life bringing the soul closer to a union with the one, supreme God. Souls that are judged as good and worthy at death are reincarnated, while souls that are judged to be evil and unworth spend a time in Hell before being reincarnated in lower form. Born are viewed as individuals whose souls have progressed to a state higher than that of Pure, and are thus revered.
The Church of Divine Purity: The religion of the P.O.T.P.. The Church of Divine Purity evolved from of the offshoots of Christianity and Judiasm. The CoDP believes that Born are mortal incarnations of fallen angels and repentant demons undergoing a sort of purgatory in the mortal sphere, and it is therefor their duty to serve and protect, but not rule, mankind.
There'll be more later, and if anyone has any ideas, please send 'em my way.
Dorian Exbride-Ath-Hep-Tyr
Clad in a simple white robe, the immense man radiates a sense of calm and serenity. He is nearly 8 feet tall and made of solid muscle. He has the golden-chocolate complexion, the slanted eyes and the high cheekbones of a Syngian. His voice, when he speaks, is warm and soothing.
Dorian Exbridge-Ath-Hep-Tyr, The Bull of the Unification; CR ?
NG Medium Sized Humaniod (born)
Init: +3 (dex); Senses:
Languages: Trade, Urian, Palidon
--
AC: 77 (+6 armor, +18 deflection, +3 dex, +34 natural, +6 wis), Touch 37, Flat Footed 68
HP: 1468 (45 HD); Fast Healing 56, Regeneration: 28, DR 60/-
Immune: Acid, Cold, Electricity, Fire, Radiation, Sonic, Vacuum, Disease and Poison, Mind-affecting effects
Fort: +52 Ref +21 Will +30
--
Speed: 450 ft. (90 squares)
Melee: Unarmed +69/+69/+69/+64/+59/+54 (2d12+41 19-20/x2)
Space: 5 ft; reach: 5 ft.
Base Atk: +32 Grp: +63
Atk Options: Deflect Arrows, Dodge, Great Cleave, Improved Bull Rush, Improved Combat Expertise, Improved Combat Reflexes, Improved Disarm, Improved Grapple, Improved Sunder, Improved Trip, Power Attack, Shattering Strike
--
Abilities: Str 64, Dex 16, Con 66, Int 14, Wis 22, Cha 46
SQ: Bloodlines, Bull of the Unification
Feats: Armor Skin x3, Cleave, Combat Expertise, Combat Reflexes, Damage Reduction x2, Deflect Arrows, Diehard, Dodge, Earth's Embrace, Endurance, Epic Leadership, Epic Reputation, Epic Skill Focus (Diplomacy), Epic Skill Focus (Sense Motives), Exceptional Deflection, Great Cleave, Greater Weapon Focus (unarmed), Greater Weapon Specialization (unarmed), Improved Bull Rush, Improved Combat Expertise, Improved Combat Reflexes, Improved Disarm, Improved Grapple, Improved Sunder, Improved Trip, Improved Weapon Focus (unarmed), Improved Weapon Specialization (unarmed), Infinite Deflection, Leadership, Legendary Commander, Legendary Grappler, Negotiator, Power Attack, Reflect Arrows, Shattering Strike, Skill Focus (Diplomacy), Skill Focus (Sense Motives), Weapon Focus (unarmed), Weapon Specialization (unarmed)
Skills:
--
Environment: Any
Organization: Solitary, Ko'es'que (The Bull of the Unification, The Hawk of the Unification, The Snake of the Unification), Legion (The Bull of the Unification, 10,000-10,000,000 soldiers), High Legion ( The Bull of the Unification, The Hawk of the Unification, The Snake of the Unification, 10,000,000-5,000,000,000 soldiers)
Treasure: Equipment
--
Bloodlines (ex): Dorian is the product of several potent bloodlines. He gains the following benefits:
He has DR /- equal to twice his constitution bonus
He has Fast Healing equal to twice his constitution bonus
He has natural armor equal to his constitution bonus
He has regeneration equal to his constitution bonus, penetrable only by epic, silver weapons
He can lift up to x10,000 what his strength score would indicate
He gains the powerful build special quality
He has immunity to acid, cold, electricity, fire and sonic damage
He has immunity to vacuum, radiation, disease, poison, critical hits, and mind-affecting effects
He gains a +10 racial bonus to listen and spot checks
He has tremorsense out to 60 ft
He has blindsight out to 30 ft
He has the magic immunity of a golem
He has Mettle and Improved Mettle
Bull of the Unification: Dorian has received extensive combat training from the Unification movement. He gains the following benefits:
He has BAB as fighter
He has 8+int bonus skill points per level
He has monk class features
He has good Fortitude and Will saving throws
He gains bonus feats as a fighter equal to his HD
+2 damage bonus for every -1 when using Power Attack
+2 AC bonus for every -1 when using Combat Expertise
Equipment: Dorian has access to the resources of the Unification. Some of his usual equipment is listed below, but this is not a comprehensive list.
Dorain's Robe: This is a simple white robe of carbonmeme fiber with the symbol of a bull's head blazoned on the chest. This robe offers him a +6 armor bonus to AC and a deflection bonus to AC equal to his charisma moddifier.
Dorian's Gauntlets: A minor Tool, his gauntlets grant a +6 enhancement bonus to his unarmed attack and damage rolls, double his critical threat range with unarmed attacks and allow him to manifest powers off of the Psycoportation discipline list at will with a manifester level of 18.
Dorian Exbridge-Ath-Hep-Tyr is one of the most respected leaders of the Unification. A near unstoppable juggernaut, the Bull of the Unification is quite simply invincible and incredibly strong. He can easily survive at the ground zero of sustained planetary bombardment, and can tear through Dikavnium hulls with ease. Dorian, along with his fellows, Karen Washington-Denlin-McErrin and Lisa Lorin-Kaia-Ladonna, is the product of an intense Unification breeding program designed to produce Born of power equal to that of the High Arbiter.
However, it is not Dorian's immeasurable strength and endurance that makes him as valuable as he is to the Unification. Dorian is intelligent, highly charismatic and genuinely moral. He has a way with words that few others can rival, and his calm, well spoken arguments have won many converts among the Born.
Dorian is a devote Skishien Sunni, and acts as the moral compass of the Unification movement. He is respected by the Arbiters, and the High Arbiter himself holds Dorien in high regard.
Travel
Space travel in the 'Verse falls into two categories: Insystem and Outsystem.
Insystem travel is usually handeled with crafts traveling between .2 C and .5 C, and accounts for travel between planets in a system and travel to Jump Stations.
Outsystem travel in handeled by Warp Fields. A craft traveling from a Jump Station usually begins their journy with a relative velocity of .5 C and a warp acceleration of about .05 C per hour. The fastest military vessels usually disembark at .8 C and have a warp acceleration of around .1 C per hour.
So, although faster than light travel exists, it still takes a while to get places.
Some Notes on the Fell War
The Fell war started at the galactic core and expanded outward rapildy. The Core Races (those species that lived in or near the galactic core) had technology and science far more advanced than what we now posses. The Fell infilitrated many of the strongest military/industrial worlds, quitely converting their entire populations to Fell. Then, in one sudden, perfectly coordinated strike, they attacked, crushing everything in their imediate vicinity.
The Fell expanded rapidly, converting planet after planet. Each planet they converted, they stipped of life and abandoned, the local population bolsterting the troops for the next attack.
It took years for the expanding ring of the Fell to slow, and another decade before it reached the human sphere of awareness. By this point, the gargantuan Fell war machine was faltering due to the increadible logistics problems caused by waging a galactic-scale war. When the mass of the Fell reached the borders of Human space, they sent only a token force to attack us (that token force was large enough to destroy 2/3 of the human colonies before it was destroyed).
No one is entirely sure how the Human race survived the Fell war. By all logic, we should have been destroyed. Another mystery is what happened to the vast armies of the Fell. Some postulate that, on reaching the outermost rim of the galaxy they collapsed under their own weight without the drive of their war pushing them.
The Death of a Hyperintellect
Elias Rayner lay on the bed, his body siezing in what, a few hours earlier, would have been agony. By this point, however, Elias was far beyond any sensation so mundane as agony.
His mind danced through the cosmos. Millions of generations of thought flashed though his conciousness. He was long past understanding the fundamental building blocks of reality, long past the ultamit equation that described the movements of everything. Now, his mind traced every possible outcome of existence from begining to end a thousand times over every second. Now, the whole of time and space were open to him. And the speed with which his intellect was expanding was accelerating at a rapidly increasing rate. From this vantage, he could percieve the end, the point past which his conciousness could not expand. He could see himself rushing towards it. And then he was at it, his mind encompasing all that ever could be. And then he broke through.
In his apartment, the body of Elias Rayner stoped its spasmodic thrashings.
Helania
Helania is one of the most important systems in human space. It boasts three rich asteriod rings, Seven habitable planets and four gas giants. It is convieniently located near the center of a cluster of important systems and at the heart of an etensive trade network.
It is also home to Peladino, the capitol of the human empire.
Pelandino
The fifth planet of the Helania system, Peladino is a large, primarily oceanic world. It sports two land masses near to the south pole, each around 2/3s the size of Austrilia. Each is covered in massive agricultural works, terraforming stations and starports.
The shallow seas of the world are dotted with underwater cities that rise up through the depths into massive spires that tower into the skys. The skys, in turn, are filled with endless streams of traffic from the landmasses, bearing goods and people.
Peladino has the largest Born population in the galaxy. Of the 8.3 billion who live here nearly 75% are Born, and a further 60% of those are Arbiters.
The greatest of the undersea cities is New Sehkmet. Nearly the size of a small continent in its own right, the city boasts a population of nearly 3.2 billion, and almost 80% of these are Born. New Sehkmet is the capitol of the Arbiters. Training facilities the size of many old Earth cities fill the lower reaches of the city, and massive administrative complexes fill the upper spire. At the city's heart are the homes of the Master Arbiters, the Wings and the High Arbiter himself.
The orbits of Peladino is not vacent. Three moons carve a graceful dance about the planets, accompanied by an unimaginable plethora of orbital stations, ships and defensive installations. Among the myriad stations in orbit, the most noteable is the High Academy. A massive station in low planetary orbit, the High Academy is the home of several hundred hyperitellect scientists and their attendant research staffs. The High Academy is one of the most productive research facilities in the galaxy. It is headed by a board of 3 the generation's 4 c2 hyperintellects and a the current generation's only c3 hyperintellect.
The two moons house the industrial sectors that support Peladino and are inhabited primarily by Pure.
Astar Spaceyards
Located in the second asteriod belt, the Astar Spaceyards are one of the largest shipping facilities in the galaxy, second only to the AriesTech facilities in the Olympus system.
The shipyards boast a population of 2.6 billion employees, and is capable of turning out thousands of crafts a month, and its extensive stardocks can repair/retrofit tens of thousands of ships at once.
The Astar Spaceyards are firmly under the control of the Arbiters.
The Nexus
The Nexus is a truely collosal network of Jump Stations that surrounds three of Helania's four gas giants, and which has dozens of stations orbiting each of Helania's planets and asteriod belts, as well as outposts in every other system inhabited by hummanity (and even a few in systems beyond mankind's reach)
The Nexus can take you anywhere you should wish to go.
The Shartan Canyonlands
On the ascentant galwestern* edge of habitated space is the Shartan dust field. The pluverised remnants of at least four large planets, three asteriod fields, an artifical sun and a small dyson sphere, the Canyonlands is a massive cloud of dust and asteriods of varying sizes. The close proximity of the asteriods to one another creates a three dimensional maze of tight spaces and tunnles, which grants the region its name.
The Shartan Canyonlands are littered with the broken hulls of thousands of ruined starcrafts, ranging in size from light swarmer drones to carrier class hulls, remnants of the Fell wars. The brief exploritory survey performed on the Canyonlands revealed that they were once home to an artifical solar system inhabited by an extremely advanced race. The system was destroyed when the Fell invaded, destroying the dyson sphere which in turn caused the collapse of the artifical star at the system's heart.
These days, the Canyonlands serve as a base of operations for pirates and scavengers of all kinds. The massive scope of the Canyonlands have allowed these outcasts and criminals to hide from the Arbiters. This fact has resulted in an inordinate number of renegade Born among the inhabitants of the Canyonlands.
* Directions in the 'Verse are determined as follows. Place a birds eye view map of the galaxy so that the galaxy spins clockwise. Draw a line from the center of the galaxy through Earth. This is galnorth. Galeast, galwest and galsouth are determined based on this.
ascentant, descentant and median are based on the center of the galactic plane (ascentant being above, descentant being below and median being on the plane, according to above clockwise birds eye view)
Born Naming Conventions
Since the third generation after Galileo Ducant, certain naming conventions have been emerging among the Born.
At age 18, a Born is allowed to choose their family name. This is an extremely important step in the Born's life, as the family name they choose is effectivly a declaration of loyalties in the world of Born politics.
A Born may use as many of their bloodlines as they want in their name. Each name they use is seen as a pledge of alligence to that bloodline. The order of the names used denote the priority of that alligence, from greatest to least. So someone with the family name of Washington-Exbridge-Hyde is declaring alligence with the Washington, Exbridge and Hyde bloodlines, even though those might not be all the bloodlines they have. This individual has declared their first loyalty to the bloodline of Washington, so if they become involved in a conflict between the Washingtons and the Exbridges, they will take sides with the Washingtons. It should be noted that the Ducant name is almost always put first in a name.
In addition, there are certain prefixes that can be added to a name.
El: Denotes alien ancestry.
Sur: Denotes divine or semidivine ancestry.
Li: Denotes geneticly manipulated bloodline. A derogitory prefix, it is required by law that a Born or Pure who descended from or is the result of genetic experimentation bear it.
Bin: Denotes the product of inbreeding as recent as two generations previous. The Bin prefix carries wildly varying social status. On many worlds, especially those where the P.o.t.P. or Arbiters have strong influece, it carries a massive negative stigma. However, on some strongly Unification influenced worlds, the prefix bears a "blue-blood" connotation.
Er: Not actually a prefix, the Er title comes before the family name and denotes abberant Gifts.
Bloodlines and Politics
The importance of bloodlines varies from world to world. It is especially important in Unification worlds, but it has some impact on the politics of the Arbiters. Bloodlines are meaningless on P.o.t.P. worlds.
Divinity in the 'Verse
To understand divinity in the 'Verse, one must understand the science of Memetics.
Memetics, as it is known in the 'Verse, was origionally discovered in the Third Generation by the c2 Hyperintellect Isaac Gates. Gates was primarily a psychologist (as much as a c2 can be said to primarily belong to any discipline of science) and philosopher, who studied clasical Memes and thought, with a goal of discovering the nature of free will. As a side project, he was studying Unification Theory.
In his research, he discovered two breakthroughs. The first was the discovery and conclusive proof of Unification. The second was the discovery and conclusive proof that the primary particle of existence was mirrored by a secondary "abstract" particle, which Gates named the Meme. According to Gates's discovery, free will, thought and the supernatural are created when base matter is influenced by the movement of Memes.
Effectivly, according to Memetics, there exists a simultaneous reality based Memes. Later studies have proven that this Memetic existence is inhabited. Many have come to call this simultaneous existence the Spirit World, although Memetisists cringe at this term.
Memetic existence influences and is influenced by Material existence. Biomemetic organisms actually develope Memetic "shadows", which allow them to do things that are often thought of as impossible (the Born are an example, the Fell another), and some Memetic entities develope Material "shadows", which many refer to as gods or spirits, although many Memetisists will collapse whimpering into a fetal position upon hearing these terms used.
(Ghosts are the result of a biomeme dying and their Memetic shadow continuing to exist).
Note: Not even Deravin Idavo could find a way to Unify the Material and the Memetic.[/color]
Charity
The second planet of the Hierophant system, Charity used to be a verdant paradise. An agricultural/resort/research colony, Charity was one of the most heavily populated planets of its time.
Now, it is a permanent monument to the ravages of the Fellwars. But really, what do you expect to happen to a highly strategically valuable world on the edge of human space left unprotected when an invasion begins?
- Tine Er Bin-Ducant, the Scholar of the known 'Verse
Charity was once a a lush and beautiful planet in the Heirophant system. Its native ecosystem combined well with the terraforming efforts, producing a healthy, vibrant biosphere. Charity was in fact, the only Gaia class world* ever recorded.
Then the Fellwar began. Charity was the starting point of the war. The Fell infected around 1/3 of the population. Among those infected were hundreds of Born, including a handful of Master Arbiters and Eannatum Eliot-Ducant, the 12th High Arbiter.
On what is now known as the Day of Charity, all the infected entered the third stage of Fell infection, and went brezerk. In less than 8 hours, the planetary population had been decimated. The Fell invasion had begun.
Over the next three generations, the Fell strip mined the world, turning it into a fortress world. The verdant ecology was destroyed. The final nail in Charity's coffin came in the last days of the war, when the fleets of Jericho Haly-Eliot-Carver had driven the Fell back. Charity was the last Fell world to fall. The Fell had dug in too deep to be rooted out quickly enough in a ground war, and a protracted ground war would bolster their ranks when the invaders were infected.
So Jericho took the only option he could see. He bombed the world into a radioactive hell.
These days, Charity is a faintly glowing cinder.
Basic world classifications
Class 0: A class 0 world is a world where local conditions cannot support any form of human inhabitation or recognizable biosphere. Class 0 worlds are reletivly rare. (worse than Mercury)
Class 1: A class 1 world is a world where local conditions prevent teraforming or recognizable biosphere. Humans inhabiting class 1 worlds requires the use of heavily shielded habitation complexes, usually located underground. (Mercury, the Moon, ect)
Class 2: A class 2 world is a world where local conditions allow for minimal teraforming. Human inhabitation requires constant habitat control. Any biosphere requires constant supervision to survive. (Venus)
Class 3: A class 3 world is a world where local conditions allow for an existing biosphere (however primitive), and teraforming. Human inhabitation requires some habitat control. The biosphere can surivie on its own, but requires supervision to survive extensive human development. (Mars)
Terra Class: A Terra class world can support as self sustaining biosphere and can be teraformed to the point where humans can surivive on the planet without the need for habitat control. The biosphere can survive major disasters.
Terra+ Class: A Terra+ class world supports a native, self sustaining biosphere. The conditions of a Terra+ class world are actually better for human survival than Earth is, as the biosphere is capable of natural habitat control. Terra+ is the highest class human teraforming technology is capable of.
Gaia Class: A Gaia class world has an increadible natural biosphere, capable of adapting to any threat. New species are almost instantly assimilated, ecological disasters such as supervolcanic erruptions or massive impacts have little to no impact on the overall biosphere. The biosphere is even capable of surviving sustained planetary bombardment without lasting harm. Even blowing a Gaia class world into pieces would not be entirely effective, as the largest chunks of the planet would shortly develope their own ecosystems. The only way to truely destroy a Gaia class world's biosphere would be to reduce the planetary crust to a molten state then irradiate the world.
In light of this, it is slightly inaccurate to say that Charity is a lifeless world. Slowly but surely, the ecosystem of the world is recovering and adapting to the new state. Its just not really inhabitable by humans.
Abiter Blade
An Arbiter Blade is a wedge shaped blade of shimmering energy that extends from a glove when activated. It is illegal for anyone but an Arbiter to wield one.
The blade's color denotes the wielder's rank. Low Arbiters wield Violet & Red Violet blades, Arbiters wield Red & Red Orange blades, Master Arbiters wield Yellow & Yellow Green blades, Wings wield Green blades and the High Arbiter wields a Blue blade.
An Arbiter Blade is an exotic, one handed melee weapon that deals 1d4 damage. For every 5 HD of its weilder, the damage dice for the Arbiter Blade increases by one step and the blade gains a +1 enhancement bonus to attack and damage. An Arbiter Blade can deal lethal or nonlethal damage without penalty. An Arbiter Blade may be activated as a free action. When inactive, an Arbiter Blade resembles a simple glove of black carbonmeme fiber.
If the Arbiter wielding the blade has any Memechanneling (Weapon) abilities, the Arbiter Blade gains the traits granted by those abilities.
An Arbiter Blade has negligible weight and a black market value of 875,000 credits. An Arbiter Blade can only be weilded by a creature with the (born) subtype.
Arbiter Armor
Arbiter Armor is a bodysuit of carbonmeme fiber with plates of Dikavnium protecting key parts of the body. Arbiter Armor worn by Arbiters ranking Master Arbiter or higher are embossed with the symbols of that Arbiter's bloodlines at prominent places. When active, a suit of Arbiter Armor absorbs all light that strikes it, and in fact draws light in from its surroundings. This creates the effect of a vibrant aura of darkness surounding the Arbiter wearing it. Some suits of Arbiter Armor come with a Dikvanium helm.
It is illegal for anyone save an Arbiter to wear Arbiter Armor.
Arbiter Armor provides an armor bonus of +6, has a max dexterity bonus of +8, an armor penalty of -2 and weighs 30 lbs.
When active, a suit of Abiter Armor gains an enhancement bonus of +1/10 HD of its wearer and grants its wearer immunity to Sneak Attacks. Activating a suit of Arbiter Armor is a free action.
If the Arbiter wearing the Arbiter Armor has any memechanneling (Armor) abilities, the Arbiter Armor gains the traits granted by those abilities.
A suit of Arbiter Armor has a black market value of 500,000 credits. Arbiter Armor can only be activated by a creature with the (born) subtype.
Arbiter TacHelm
An Arbiter TacHelm is a black carbonmeme fiber cowl that covers its wearer's upper face. TecHelms are equiped with advanced, omnidirectional sensor arrays and tactical micro computers. TacHelm links directly into the optic centers of its wearer's brain, providing HUD that displays constantly feeds tacticle data to its wearer. This provides the wearer with near perternatural combat awareness.
Furthermore, Arbiter TacHelms have access to Arbiter databases describing all registered Born and Pure criminals, as well as the Arbiter communications net.
It is illegal for any save an Arbiter to wear an Arbiter TacHelm, although weaker models are avaliable to the public.
An Arbiter TacHelm grants its wearer complete awareness of their surroundings out to 600 ft. regardless of conditions of visibility or cover.
The Arbiter TacHelm grants its wearer Improved Uncanny Dodge, a +3 insight bonus to AC, Attack and Damage rolls and Reflex saving throws.
The Arbiter TacHelm grants its wearer a +5 bonus to spot, listen and seach checks.
If the wearer of the Arbiter TacHelm spends three rounds observing an enemy, the Arbiter TacHelm grants its wearer and anyone else wearing an Arbiter TacHelm within 600 ft. complete knowledge of opponent's base AC, attack bonus, max hit points and any special abilities they posses. This allows the wearer to "metagame", tailoring their use of Power Attack, Combat Expertise, and the like. This ability does not work on enemies who are not in the Arbiter databases (a rare enough occurence to warrent an extrodinary ability).
An Arbiter TacHelm costs 30,000 credits on the black market.
Arbiter Medalion
The badge of authority for an Arbiter, an Arbiter Medalion is a small disc of Divkavnium laced with bilateral cabonmeme. The symbol of the Arbiters is embossed on the front of the medalion. Arbiters often use these medalions to enhance their abilities and to imobilize prisioners for capture.
It is illegal for anyone save an Arbiter to wear an Arbiter Medalion.
If anyone who does not have the Arbiter Acyloyte Training, Low Arbiter Training, Arbiter Training, Master Arbiter Training, Wing Training or High Arbiter Training traits tries to wear an Arbiter Medalion, they must succeed at a Fortitude saving throw (DC 30) or be paralyzed, and have anyone wearing an Arbiter Medalion within 50 miles become aware of their prescence.
If the Arbiter wearing an Arbiter Medallion posseses any memechanneling (Misc) abilities, the Arbiter Medallion gains the traits granted by that ability.
An Arbiter Medalion has negligible weight, and costs 1,000 credits on the black market.
Born Subtype
Born are humans born with superhuman powers. Their abilities are many and various, but they share a few basic characteristics.
Born Traits
Bloodlines (ex): All Born posses this ability. The details vary from Born to Born.
Memechanneling (ex): Some objects exist that are empowered when a Born weilds or wears them. Three subcategories of this ability exist: Armor, Misc and Weapon. When a Born possesing memechanneling quality wears or wields an object that is affected by the appropriate type of memechanneling, that object gains the described traits.
The High Arbiter
The High Arbiter towers well over six and a half feet. He has the muscular physique of a powerful Born that has pushed himself to the limits of edurance every day of his life. His appearence is immaculet, from his close cut hair to his perfectly tailored clothing, he is the image of discipline and drive. His eyes are an icy grey, and his gaze is unsettelingly intent.
Alexander Rayner-Ducant-Exbridge-Hyde-Washington-North of New Mars, the High Arbiter; CR ?
LN Medium Sized Humanoid (born)
Init: +35 (Dex, Superspeed, Superior Initiative); Senses: Spot +52, Listen +52, True Seeing, Darkvision 1,000 ft., Low-Light Vision
Languages: Arbiter Code, Bali, Chinese, English, French, Korean, Peladain, Spanish, Trade, Tongues
--
AC: 92 (+10 Armor, +8 Deflection, +11 Dex, +3 Insight, +9 Int, +25 Natural, +16 Superspeed), Flat Footed 28, Touch 63
HP: 943 (40 HD); Fast Healing: 44, DR: 19/-, SR: 50
Fort: +43 Ref +51 Will +28
--
Speed: 300 ft. (60 squares), fly 5,000 (perfect)
Melee: Arbiter Blade +94/+94/+94/+94/+94/+89/+84/+79 (10d6+65 plus 5d6 cosmic 19-20/x2 plus 3d6 plus destruction)
Ranged: Energy Bolt +59 (20d6+21 cosmic)
Space: 5 ft; reach: 5 ft.
Base Atk: +32 Grp: +63
--
Abilities: Str 52, Dex 32, Con 48, Int 28, Wis 18, Cha 36
SQ: Bloodlines, High Arbiter Training, Hyperintellect c1, Memechanneling, New Mars Training
Feats: Combat Expertise, Cleave, Close-Quarters Fighting, Combat Reflexes, Deflect Arrows, Diehard, Dodge, Endurance, Great Cleave, Greater Weapon Focus (Arbiter Blade), Greater Weapon Specialization (Arbiter Blade), Improved Bull Rush, Improved Critical (Arbiter Blade), Improved Disarm, Improved Feint, Improved Initiative, Improved Overrun, Improved Sunder, Improved Trip, Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes, Mobility, Power Attack, Power Critical (Arbiter Blade), Prone Attack, Run, Skill Focus (Diplomacy), Spring Attack, Stunning Fist, Weapon Focus (Arbiter Blade), Weapon Specialization (Arbiter Blade), Whirlwind Attack
Epic Feats: Improved Combat Reflexes, Armor Skin x2, Blinding Speed x2, Devastating Critical (Arbiter Blade), Epic Dodge, Epic Prowess, Epic Skill Focus (Diplomacy), Epic Weapon Focus (Arbiter Blade), Epic Weapon Specialization (Arbiter Blade), Fast Healing, Improved Spell Resistance, Overwhelming Critical (Arbiter Blade), Self-Concealment, Superior Initiative
Skills: Bluff +53, Computer Use +57, Concentration +62, Craft (Chemistry) +57, Diplomacy +76, Disable Device +57, Disguise +51, Escape Artist +54, Gather Information +53, Intimidate +53, Knowledge (Arbiter Lore) +57, Knowledge (History) +57, Knowledge (Science) +57, Knowledge (Technology) +57, Listen +52, Move Silently +54, Navigate +57, Open Lock +54, Pilot +54, Profession (Arbiter) +47, Psicraft +36, Repair +57, Search +52, Sense Motives +49, Sleight of Hand +54, Spellcraft +35, Spot +52, Survival +47, Treat Injury +47, Tumble +54, Use Rope +54
--
Environment: Any
Organization: Solitary, Strike Squad (High Arbiter, 2-10 Master Arbiters), Legion (High Arbiter, Wings, 10-100 Master Arbiters, 100-1,000 Arbiters, 500-5,000 Low Arbiter, 50,000-500,000 Acolytes, 1,000,000-5,000,000 soldiers)
Treasure: Equipment
--
Bloodlines (Ex): The High Arbiter has the following qualities due to his bloodlines.
He can cast Alter Self at will as a swift action.
He can control any electronic device within 10,000 ft. with a purely mental swift action. The degree to which he controls such devices is equal to the amount of control he would have if he had tapped into the device with an override kit.
He can fly with a speed of 5,000 ft. and perfect maneuverability.
He gains a +20 bonus to damage.
He gains a +10 bonus to bull rush and grapple checks.
He can lift x1024 what his strength score would indicate.
He can see and hear at a distance far beyond that of a human being. He suffers distance penalties of -1 per mile instead of 1 per 10 feet.
He has constant True Seeing, Darkvision 1,000 ft. and Low Light Vision.
He has DR /- equal to his constitution modifier.
He has fast healing equal twice to his constitution modifier
He has Mettle and Improved Mettle.
He has natural armor equal to his constitution modifier.
He has SR equal to 10+his HD.
He has Superspeed level 16, which grants him the following: +16 speed bonus to AC, initiative, and Reflex saves
+16 speed bonus to attack rolls and +8 to damage rolls
The High Arbiter may take 16 swift actions in a round
The High Arbiter reduces the amount of time to complete an action by 3 steps, allowing him to take full round actions as swift actions.
Characters with less than Superspeed level 8 are considered flat-footed for the purposes of The High Arbiter's attacks. Characters with Uncanny Dodge have an effective Superspeed Level equal to their Dexterity modifier for this purpose.
When using the run action, The High Arbiter moves x80 his movement rate (24,000 ft., fly 400,000 ft.)
By using the Push, The High Arbiter may accelerate even beyond this speed. He raises his run multiplier by a power of 1 every round he spends this way. He suffers 1d6 points of Constitution damage per round while using the Push at third level (x80^3) and 2d6 points of Constitution damage per round while using it at maximum level. (x80^4)
He has Telepathy with a range of 10,000 ft.
He is immune to cold, electricity, and fire damage.
He may, as a swift action, hurl bolts of cosmic energy that deal 20d6+20 damage. These bolts have a range increment of 1000 ft. and no maximum range. The High Arbiter may use this ability only once per round.
High Arbiter Training: The High Arbiter has trained his entire life with fanatical devotion. He is one of the most skilled entities in the 'Verse. This grants him the following benefits:
Base Attack Bonus as a fighter
All good saves
Bonus feats as a fighter of his HD
12+int modifier skill points per HD
Unarmed damage, feats and flurry of blows of a monk equal to his HD.
Uncanny Dodge.
Improved Uncanny Dodge.
Intelligent Defense.
Defensive Roll
Sneak Attack +5d6 plus 2 dex.
Missing the High Arbiter with a melee attack provokes an attack of opportunity from him.
He gains a +2 bonus to AC for every -1 penalty he takes to attack while using Combat Expertise.
He +10 to attack rolls when unarmed or wielding an Arbiter Blade.
He treats an Arbiter Blade as a special monk weapon.
He gains the following bonus feats: Combat Expertise, Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Endurance, Improved Grapple, Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes, Power Attack, Run and Weapon Focus (Arbiter Blade)
Skill Mastery: Balance, Bluff, Diplomacy, Gather Information, Listen, Sense Motives, Spot, Tumble, Use Ropes.
Hyperintellect c1 (ex): The High Arbiter is a c1 Hyperintellect. This grants him the following:
All intelligence, charisma or wisdom based skills are class skills for the High Arbiter.
He has a +5 bonus to all intelligence checks and intelligence based skill checks.
He gains bonus skill points per level equal to his intelligence bonus (this means that he gains 12+2x his intelligence modifier skill at each level).
Memechanneling (ex): The High Arbiter has the following Memechanneling abilities:
(Armor) No maximum dexterity bonus. No armor penalty. Provides Energy Resistance 40 to all energy types. Provides Immunity to Vacuum, Radiation and Atmospheric effects. Provides immunity to critical hits. It provides DR 30/epic. It provides a deflection bonus equal to its wearer's Cha modifier to AC.
(Misc) Grants its wearer constant Tongues effect. Grants its wearer immunity to mind affecting effects. Its wearer does not need to eat, breath or sleep while it is worn.
(Weapon) May make and additional two attacks as part of a full attack action at the wielder's highest base attack bonus. These additional attacks stack with the extra attacks granted by such abilities as flurry of blows or the extra attack granted by the Haste spell. Pierces damage reduction as an epic, lawful, adamantine weapon. Deals an additional 5d6 cosmic damage.
New Mars Training: The High Arbiter is a graduate of the New Mars academy. This grants him the following benefits:
All allies within 300 ft. of the High Arbiter that can see and hear him gain a +3 moral bonus to AC and Attack Rolls.
All enemies within 300 ft. of the High Arbiter that can see and hear him must succeed at a will saving throw (DC 43) or suffer a -3 penalty to AC and Attack rolls.
Bonus Feats: Leadership, Epic Leadership, Legendary Commander
Equipment: The High Arbiter has unlimited access to the Armory, and, as such, has access to the most powerful Tools known to man. This lists his base equipment.
Arbiter Blade: The High Arbiter's Arbiter Blade is blue in color. It deals 10d6+8 damage and has a +8 enhancement bonus to attack rolls. When weilding it, the High Arbiter may make and additional two attacks as part of a full attack action at the his highest base attack bonus. These additional attacks stack with the extra attacks granted by such abilities as flurry of blows or the extra attack granted by the Haste spell. It pierces damage reduction as an epic, lawful, adamantine weapon. It deals an additional 5d6 cosmic damage.
Arbiter Armor: The High Arbiter's Armor is embossed with the symbols of his bloodlines. It has a +4 enhancement bonus to AC and a +8 deflection bonus to AC. It has no maximum dexterity bonus, no armor penalty. It provides Energy Resistance 40 to all energy types. It provides Immunity to Vacuum, Radiation and Atmospheric effects. It provides immunity to critical hits. It provides DR 30/epic.
Arbiter TacHelm: The High Arbiter's Arbiter TacHelm grants its wearer complete awareness of their surroundings out to 600 ft. regardless of conditions of visibility or cover.
The Arbiter TacHelm grants its wearer Improved Uncanny Dodge, a +3 insight bonus to AC, Attack and Damage rolls and Reflex saving throws.
The Arbiter TacHelm grants its wearer a +5 bonus to spot, listen and search checks.
If the wearer of the Arbiter TacHelm spends three rounds observing an enemy, the Arbiter TacHelm grants its wearer and anyone else wearing an Arbiter TacHelm within 600 ft. complete knowledge of opponent's base AC, attack bonus, max hit points and any special abilities they posses. This allows the wearer to "metagame", tailoring their use of Power Attack, Combat Expertise, and the like. This ability does not work on enemies who are not in the Arbiter databases (a rare enough occurrence to warrant an extraordinary ability).
Arbiter Medallion: The High Arbiter's Arbiter Medallion grants him constant Tongues effect. It grants him immunity to mind affecting effects. Its wearer does not need to eat, breath or sleep while it is worn.
Alexander Rayner-Ducant-Exbridge-Hyde-Washington-North of New Mars is the single most powerful man in the 'Verse. The supreme ruler of Peladino, the lord of the Arbiters, practically a force of nature in his might.
He is the 23rd High Arbiter. He was born on Peladino, the son of the previous High Arbiter and one of his Wings. From birth, his power was evident. He grew quickly, completeing his Arbiter Training by age 12, his Master Arbiter Training by 22, and his High Arbiter Training by 28. When his father died at Chion, he assumed the role as High Arbiter.
The High Arbiter is devoted to the cause of his people. He sees all Born as family, regardless of power, and he extends a sort of honorary Born status to those Pure who become Acolytes. He has fathered thirteen children in the name of his people, among both powerful and weak bloodlines, in the hope of spreading his gifts through the future generations. Those Born that become criminals and prey on other Born are subject to the wrath that only a betrayle of blood can provoke.
Tine Er Bin-Ducant, the Scholar of the 'Verse[/size]
The Bin-Ducant is a small man, slight in his build. He has the high cheekbones and gray eyes of a direct descendant of Ducant. He is garbed in a charcoal gray suit of armor, and his left arm is encased in a monstrous gauntlet.
Tine Er Bin-Ducant; CR ?
NE Medium Sized Humaniod (born, fell)
Init: +64 (Dex, Improved Initiative, Speed); Senses:
Languages: Trade, Peladian
--
AC: 94 (+4 armor, +38 dex, +4 dodge, +38 speed)
HP: 538 (20 HD); DR: 5/magic
Fort: +28 Ref +88 Will +4
--
Speed: 6,000 ft. (300 squares), fly 8,000 (perfect)
Melee: Ir'shak Tar +97/+97/+97/+97/+92/+87/+82 (1d4+20 plus 1d2 constitution)
Space: 5 ft; reach: 5 ft.
Base Atk: +20 Grp: +21
Atk Options: Combat Expertise, Flyby Attack, Improved Bull Rush, Improved Feint, Improved Overrun, Improved Trip, Power Attack, Spring Attack
--
Abilities: Str 12, Dex 86, Con 54, Int 23, Wis 6, Cha 12
SQ: Bloodlines, Fell, Memechanneling, Warfield, Warplord
Feats: Combat Expertise, Dodge, Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Ir'shak Tar), Flyby Attack, Improved Feint, Improved Initiative, Improved Overrun, Improved Trip, Improved Unarmed Attack, Mobility, Power Attack, Run, Spring Attack, Weapon Focus (Ir'shak Tar), Weapon Finesse (Ir'shak Tar)
Skills:
--
Environment: Any
Organization: Solitary
Treasure: Equipment
--
Bloodlines: Due to Tine Er Bin-Ducant's bloodlines, he has the following abilities:
He has a fly speed of 8,000 ft. with perfect maneuverability.
He has DR 5/magic.
He has Superspeed level 19, which grants him the following: +38 speed bonus to AC, initiative, and Reflex saves
+38 speed bonus to attack rolls and +19 to damage rolls
The Bin-Ducant may take 19 swift actions in a round
The Bin-Ducant reduces the amount of time to complete an action by 4 steps, allowing him to take full round actions as immediate actions.
Characters with less than Superspeed level 9 are considered flat-footed for the purposes of The Bin-Ducant's attacks. Characters with Uncanny Dodge have an effective Superspeed Level equal to their Dexterity modifier for this purpose.
When using the run action, The Bin-Ducant moves x80 his movement rate (480,000 feet, fly 640,000 ft.)
By using the Push, The Bin-Ducant may accelerate even beyond this speed. He raises his run multiplier by a power of 1 every round he spends this way. He suffers 1d6 points of Constitution damage per round while using the Push at third level (x80^3) and 2d6 points of Constitution damage per round while using it at maximum level. (x80^4).
He cannot move faster than 6,000,000,000 ft. a round without using Warpfield.
He may â,¬Å"borrowâ,¬Â othersâ,¬,,¢ kinetic energy and divert it elsewhere. This is a swift action for him. The victim must make a fort save (DC 62) or lose their movement rate. He must place this speed energy into another object or person. If placed into an object, the object moves at the victimâ,¬,,¢s movement rate for as many rounds as he concentrates on the object. If placed into a person, the personâ,¬,,¢s movement rate is increased by the amount of the victimâ,¬,,¢s loss. If the victim has a Superspeed level, this too can be lost and transferred, although the victim gets a bonus equal to their Superspeed level to their save.
He may only take a portion of an object/personâ,¬,,¢s speed instead of draining them completely. It is up to him to decide how much speed to leave the victim with.
Fell (Ex): Tine Er Bin-Ducant is a stage 4 Fell.
Memechanneling: The Bin-Ducant has the following Memechanneling abilities:
(armor) No maximum dexterity bonus. No armor check penalty. Grants a +4 dodge bonus to AC.
(weapon) May make an additional attack per round at the wielder's highest base attack bonus. This additional attack stack with the extra attacks granted by such abilities as flurry of blows or the extra attack granted by the Haste spell.
Warpfield: Tine Er Bin-Ducant has a unique power over his superspeed. As a standard action, once per round, he may increase his superspeed level by 1. Doing so inflicts 2d4 constitution damage on him. This increase to his superspeed level vanishes after 1 minute.
As long as his superspeed level is greater than 20, he gains the incorpereal subtype, may move more than 6,000,000,000 feet a round. His unarmed strikes and any weapon he might wield are treated as ghost touch weapons as long as this ability is active.
Warplord: Tine Er Bin-Ducant comes from a long Tradition of Warpfield masters. This grants him the following bonuses:
Hit Dice d8.
Base Attack Bonus as fighter.
4+intelligence modifier skill points per level.
Good Reflex saves.
Poor Fort and Will saves.
Bonus Feats as a fighter half his hit dice.
Unarmed damage and AC bonus of a monk of half his hit dice.
Flurry of Blows of a monk equal to his hit dice.
Uncanny Dodge and Improved Uncanny Dodge.
He may use his Reflex saving throw instead of his Fort saving throw.
All speed bonuses he posses are doubled.
Equipment: Tine Er Bin-Ducant has access to the Tools scavenged from a thousand fallen races. Listed here is his base equipment.
Ir'shak Tar: The Ir'shak Tar is an over sized (by human standards) gauntlet of metal bands designed for a hand with six five jointed fingers and two four jointed thumbs. Extending from each finger of the glove is a hollow, wickedly curved blade. A braid of flexible, hollow, crystalline tubes runs from the back of each blade to the top of the gauntlet, where they attach to a series of needle. When worn, these needles insert themselves into the wearer's major arteries.
The Ir'shak Tar is a one handed alien weapon that deals 1d4 slashing and piercing damage and 1d2 constitution damage.
Once per minute, the wearer can, with a successful touch attack, deal 2d8 constitution damage. If the wearer has suffered any constitution damage themselves when they use this ability, they are healed a number of ability points equal to the constitution damage dealt. If they have not suffered any constitution damage, their constitution increases by the damage dealt for 2 rounds.
Fellarmor: A suit of charcoal gray body armor, the Fellarmor offers an armor bonus to AC of 4 and has no armor check penalty or max dexterity bonus.
The Fellarmor grants its wearer DR 10/-, Energy Resistance (All) 20, Divine Resistance 5, immunity to the effects of Vacuum, radiation or hostile environment.
Tine Er Bin-Ducant is the last scion of a line that stretches back to Galileo and Gabrielle Ducant. He is demented, even by the measure of the Fell and the Fellborn, who he rules.
He dwells in the ruins of Charity, raising his armies of Fellborn and cultivating the last remaining strains of the Fell virus in himself, waiting for the opportunity to unleash it once again on the universe.
21st century
The 21st century saw the greatest economic, political and social upheval in the history of Earth civilization.
The Arbiters were first founded by Galileo Ducant in the year 2011, with headquarters in New York. At the time, the Arbiters, known then as the Born Inc., were a small organization, made up of Galileo Ducant, Elias Rayner, Jonathan Logan and about a dozen more Born of varying Gifts who hired out to security firms for anti born protection. By 2013, Born Inc. was out of buisiness. Historians agree that setting up shop in the U.S. was probably the main reason Born Inc. failed.
At the time, anti Born sentiments were prevanlent throughout the Americas, the only exceptions being Alaska and French Canaida. The United States also had the fewest Born of any nation in the time period, with no more than 60 scattered through the country.
Dejected and hounded by anti Born groups, Galileo and most of those that would become the founding members of the Arbiters left the country and moved to Amsterdam, the then Born capitol of the world.
Three months later, the first of nine category five huricanes that were to ravage both the North and South American continents landed near New Orleans. At the same time, the west coast was struck by two terrible earthquakes.
Over the next two years, the entire world was wracked with natural disaster after natural disaster. Vesuvius and a dozen other volcanos erupted throughout the Mediteranian. Undersea earthquakes and eruptions sent tsunami after tsunami against the coasts of Africa, Southern Europe and Southern Asia. China suffered unprecedented flooding, and Russia's climate grew noticably colder
In the end, only central India, Australia and northern Europe were spared The devastation caused by these disasters caused much of the world economy to collapse. Wars broke out throughout the world, and refugees flooded the untouched regions.
With those refugees entering northern Europe came over 86,000 Born. Backed by newly rich Swedish, Polish and Dutch investors, Galileo Ducant formed the Arbiters to help control the rising tide of Born crime. This time, the organization flourished.
The high pay offered by the Arbiters served to cause their ranks to swell, and the advanced police and military training produced highly competent members. Soon, the Arbiters had become more effective at dealing with crime of all kinds than the existing police forces, which they began to supplant, and then absorb.
Before the year 2021, the wars that plauged the world had mainly steered clear of the areas undamaged by Mother Nature's wrath. In 2021, the NCEA (North Central European Alliance) made a push into the NEB (North European Block, an alliance of the former UK states, Denmark, Norway, Finland and Sweden). The Arbiters were called upon to push back the attack. They did so, with such stunning efficency that they caught the attention of the whole world.
Suddenly, the fighting lulled. The Arbiters had crushed forces that outnumbered them 21 to 1 in a matter of days. After all the fighting was over, the Arbiters had 21 dead and 34 wounded.
At this point, the NEB offered the waring factions their services as mediators to the disputes, with the unspoken threat that should the fighting continue, the Arbiters would become an offensive force, rather than a defensive force. Within a month, the fighting had stopped entirely.
The next 80 years were spent rebuilding. In this time, the Arbiters expanded, gaining contracts from the reinstated UN as a whole and with member nations, with the exception of the United States.
Notes: Born and Ethnicity
By the time of Alexander Rayner-Ducant-Exbridge-Hyde-Washington-North, Born bloodlines have so intermarried that race is practically a non issue.
However, since in the time of the Great Diaspora the NAF (North African Federation) and the NEB were the predominant powers, most colonies were founded with prominent African and North European populations, resulting in these ethnicities being the most common throughout the 'Verse, and almost everyone outside of Earth has at least a little of both in them.
22nd-23rd Century
In 2102, the first Space Elevator was constructed. The project was funded by the Dutch hyperintellect Born industrialist, Joseph Schaffer. Joseph's Ladder, as the project was called, was part of a much larger effort, the Maan Stad project.
The Maan Stad was a subteranean habitat located on the Moon. Origionally meant as a research facility, it quickly expanded into a mining opperation, and then into a resort habitation.
The Age of Galileo officially began 2057, the year of Galileo Ducant's death. However, it was not until 2104 that the Arbiters were recognized as the official peacekeeping arm of the UN.
In the year 2109, the UN was disolved.
In the relative calm of the late 21st century, the world had rebuilt itself. Generations had grown up in the ruins wrought by the wars and disasters of the earlier age, raised on stories of past wrongs. The peace created by the Abiters was a peace built on the promise of swift retribution, and it had done little but repress the simmering anger the peoples of the world had for each other. In 2109, war came again.
The first targets in every nation were the Abiters themselves. Spread thin as they were over the world, the small enclaves of Arbiters in every country were torn down and the Abiters themselves were forced to flee. Many less powerful Born, be they Abiter or not, died in riots. The more powerful Born that could protect themselves from the civilian riots were forced to flee when military forces moved in. Although historical recorders of the death toll are sketchy at best, it is estimated that over 8,000 Born died in the rioting, and ten times that number Pure were killed.
With the Arbiters crippled as a peacekeeping force, the armies of the world marched against each other in the 3rd World War.
Although the world had been engulfed in fighting the previous century, it had been sporadic, border skirmeshes and terrorist actions, not coherent warfare. This was different. The years of Arbiter enforced peace had allowed the animosities to crystalise, sides to form. This time, sides were clear.
The war decimated the world. The Central European Desert, the South American Waste, the destruction of the United States west coast, Chinese Wastes, all these are products of the war. Entire nations were bombed from existence.
Eventually, a deadlock between the primary powers of the war formed. In 2134, a cease fire between the warring factions was drawn up.
Throughout WW3, the Arbiters and those Born they could save had been quietly relocating themselves to the Maan Stad. In 2121, the Third High Arbiter, Jonathan Ducant-Exbridge took his place at the lead of the Arbiters. Jonathan Ducant-Exbridge was the first High Arbiter to fit the modern definition of a High Arbiter. A third generation Born, he combined immense strength, immense durability and inhuman speed with the dedication and skill of his maternal grandfather, Galileo Ducant.
For two years after the Third World War, anti Born sentiments increased throughout the globe. When Jonathan Ducant-Exbridge's only son was murdered by a Pure terrorist group, the growing tensions between Born and Pure exploded. For the second time in their history, the Arbiters went to war. But this time, they were on the offensive.
Historians agree that the Born-Human was the most terrible conflict to strike pre-interstellar human civilzation.
From their vantage on the Maan Stad, the Arbiter hurrled tons of rock from orbit, flattening whole cities in their wrath. On the ground any army that opposed the advancing Arbiters was decimated.
In one month, every nation in the world had been crushed. Infrastructure collapsed, trade ceased, communication was lost and a second dark age fell on the world. Only the NEB survived with some sembalance of modern technology.
The second dark age lasted until 2313, with the rise of the NAF.
Exit Flare
An exit flare is a burst of electromagnetic radiation that occurs when a craft decelerates from FTL travel, unless the vessel in question is running dark.
While a warp field surrounds a ship, everything inside the field is constrained by the local speed of light. Electromagnetic radiation from the craft radiates out to the edges of the field. What happens when the radiation reaches the edge depends on the wave's direction of travel relative to the field. Radiation moving in a direction different than the craft exit the field, experiencing extreme redshift as they do. Waves traveling in the same direction as the ship reach the outer edge of the field. There, they begin to ossilate in and out of the field, as the moment they leave the field they drop to the normal speed of light, to be imediatly overtaken by the field, when they begin moving at field speeds, imediatly exiting the field, only to begin the cycle again. When the field decelerates below the speed of light, all the electromagnetic energy accumulated at the field's edge imediatly escapes in a burst that can momentarily blind some sensors.
Running dark involves either a) really expensive shielding or b) turning everything off except for a few vital functions, which must be shielded. The former option is only viable for the military and the custom crafts of the extremely rich, and option b leaves you blind and defenseless. Plus, the exit flare is sort of a way to announce your arrival. And it can be a usefull military tactic, when dozens of exit flares are set off at once.
24th century
The NAF had its beginings in the late 23rd century, when a group of scavengers in what once was the middle east were able to bring an old oil drilling site online. For a decade, they traded small amounts of oil to the NEB in exchange for commodities. Slowly, a community grew up around the site, trading the commodities they got from the NEB for with other tribes for food and essentials.
In 2293, a group of hyperintellect tripplits (two c1s and a c2) rose to power in the community. Under their guidance, the community became the center of a growing alliance of tribes. Slowly, this alliance grew outward, gaining control of more and more resources and pre dark age infrastructure. In 2313, the North African Federation was born. It comprised of what used to be the middle east and a little over half of the African continent.
The NAF was, as a civilization, highly pragmatic in its outlooks. Art and culture took a second seat to rebuilding and consolodation of its holdings. Science, as long as it advanced these goals, was encouraged. Internal disputes were settled, sometimes brutally.
Many historians believe that the NAF would never have gotten off the ground if it were not for the relatively high number of hyperintellects found throughout its administation. In addition to the three hyperintellects that founded it, dozens of hyperintellects were spread throughout every level of the burgeoning beuocracy.
Other, small nations began to form elsewhere in the world, but at this point, the NEB and the NAF were the defining powers of the world.
In 2328, the NAF began a military expansion into southern Europe. The NEB, percieving a threat, sent troops to block the expansion of the NAF. For a tense week, war was immenent. Then the NAF backed down.
The next four decades saw the growth of the satalite nations that grew up around the NAF and the NEB. By 2388, most of the damage of the Third World War had been repaired (although the North American continent would never reach its 20th-21st century power). As a gesture of goodwill, the NEB opened the still growing Maan Stad to immigration as the first official offworld colony.
The Armory
Just below the apartments of the High Arbiter is the Armory. The Armory's walls are a meter thick sadwich of Dikavnium, Carbonmeme, lead, magical and technological sensors of all kinds, forcefields and magical wards. The entire complex is warded against teleportation, incorporality and other, more estortic methodes of entry. It is always gaurded from within and without by fourteen master arbiters of the highest caliber. Surrounding the Armory are the apartments of the Master Arbiters.
Inside the Armory is the greatest collection of Tools in the 'Verse. Magical swords that absorb the souls of their victims, suits of armor that grant their wearers near godlike power, gauntlets that can summon forth and command the dead, vestements that grant their wearers the powers of sorcery, peripets that bring divine favor to those that hold them, a myriad of alien artifacts with strange and wondrous properties, these are what fill the Armory.
The Boot of Derivan Idavo (Major Artifact [Technological, Magical]): Noone is exactly sure why Derivan Idavo created this potent piece of apparel. After all, the benefits it would have granted him were so far overshadowed by his own natural abilities as to have been meaningless. Some suggest that the idea that his left shoe was smarter than the average genius was too funny for him to pass up implementing.
The Boot od Derivan Idavo is a tall, black, steel toed boot designed for a size 13 1/2 left foot. Built into the Boot is a computer system so advanced that it baffles scientists to this day.
The Boot is an intelligent item that can communicate telepathically with its wearer. Int 21, Wis 19, Cha 19, Ego 23. It has 15 ranks in every Int based skill, and it grants its wearer a +4 enhancement bonus to Int.
Moordklauw (Major Artifact [Technological]): In its inactive state the Moordklauw resembles a thick, oily black liquid. If an electric current is run through it while it is being touched by one medium sized creature, it expands to cover the recipient like a second skin, before becoming invisible. Careful examination reveals a faint shimmer around the wearer, especially around the fingers, which seem to posses spectral claws. The wearer's shadow has massive claws on its hands.
While worn, the Moordklauw grants its wearer several potent benefits.
The Wearer of the Moordklauw gains a +10 bonus to Str and Con, and a +4 bonus to Dex. The wearer gains two claw attacks (2d10+stength bonus damage) and a +10 insight bonus to attack rolls made with those claws. The wearer gains fast healing 2, or, if they already posses fast healing, their fast healing increases by 2. The wearer gains DR 10/magic.
The Wearer can cast Greater Invisibility at will as a spell like ability. The wearer gains a +20 competence bonus to climb, hide and move silently checks.
The Vestiments van de Technologische Tovenaar (Major Artifact [Magic, Technology])
The Vestiments are a voluminous black robe, a dark grey tunic, fingerless black leather gloves, a pair of black leather pants and a small gold plated Dikavnium medalion with ten small slots.
The Wearer of the Vestiments gains the ability to cast spells as a 30th level Sorcerer and use Invokations as a 30th level Warlock. The Wearer's spells known are determined by what Tovenaar Archieven are inserted into the medalion. The medalion can hold ten Tovenaar Archieven. Inserting or removing a Tovenaar Archieven is a standard action.
When the Vestiments are worn, the wearer may make use of four Hekserij Wisselaars.
Tovenaar Archief (Minor Artifact [Magic, Technology]): Tovenaar Archieven are small, wafer thin discs of a bronze colored metal, designed to be inserted in the medalion of the Vestiments van de Technologische Tovenaar. Each Tovenaar contains up to 12 spell levels, divided up between spells from the Wizard/Sorcerer list and Warlock invocations.
Hekserij Wisselaa (Minor Artifact [Magic, Technology]): A Hekserij Wisselaa is a small, cyan crystal that glows from within, shaped like a semi ellipse. They are designed to attach to the gloves of the Vestiments van de Technologische Tovenaar. Each Hekserij Wisselaa contains two metamagic feats that can be added to spells cast using the Vestiments without increasing casting time.
AE (Ascencion Era) 0-1,200
2411 AD. 0 AE. The Year of Ascension. The Seventh High Arbiter, Yaun Ducant-Rayner-Logan-Eliot, pioleted the first FTL craft in a test flight that took him from Earth to the edge of the Oort Cloud and back again in two hours.
This began the Age of Prosperity, a 1,200 year period that barely warrents a page in most grade school history books.
For the first 400 years of the Age of Prosperity, man expanded alone in the galaxy. By the year 396 AE, man had expanded to 13 star systems and over 100 planets and an uncountable number of moons, including Peladino, Chiron, Elysium, Hades and Charity. Countless minor wars had been fought on each world, none with any notable significance. A bewhildering array of cultures and subcultures had risen and fallen, with the only notable effects on human history being that by the end of the third century AE 90% of human kind spoke Dutch and the concept of Manifest Destiny had so firmly entrenched itself in mankind's psyche that when humans finally did encounter the Myriad, they waged a war of expansion against their nearest neighbors.
The War of Folly, 396 AE, was the result of man's desire to expand into the territories held by their nearest neighbors. The mighty fleets of the Legion of Man barreled into Tau Orisian space, and were summarily crushed. In the 11 days the war lasted, the forces of man were unable to destroy a single Tau Orisian craft. Most historians agree that attacking one of the oldest and most powerful starfaring civilizations whose fleets outnumbered ours 1000 to 1 was one of the stupidest moves in history. Man takes some small consolation in the fact that we were by no means the first or last young race to try.
Instead of blasting us into the stone age (as many Myriad races would have done), the Tau Orisians spared us, and made us a protectorate. In the next 800 years, man would rise to a power in its own right among the fringe Myriad, although our power has never equaled that of the greater Core races.
By 1,179 AE, mankind had expanded to 200 star systems and an uncoutable number of worlds. We had defended against incursions by two younger races, whom we had made our protectorates just as the Tau Orisians had done with us. Our fleets were mighty, and our armies, comprised of Born and led by Hyperintellect generals, were nearly invincible.
And so it was that the Fell War came upon the galaxy.
Project Promethius
In the ancient days, the Titans Prometheus and Epimetheus crafted life to populate the world at the behest of Cronos. Epimetheus worked quickly and without care, forging many rough beings in a thousand shapes and forms. and to each of his creations he gave the gifts that Cronos had set for them. Prometheus worked long and hard on one creature, which bore the shape of the gods, and it was named man.
But when it came time for Prometheus to endow his creation with the gifts of Cronos, he found that Epimetheus had already divided them among his creations, and so man was left weak and frail.
Here at Prometheus Labs, we have claimed the gifts that should have been ours to begin with, completing the work began by the Titan from whom we take our name.
- Jared Lavel, Head Reasercher, Promethius Labs, 329 AE
The sons of Prometheus are subtle and dangerous in their nature. Made as assasins, they take to their tasks with glee.
- Tine Er Bin-Ducant, Scholar of the Known 'Verse
The Promethians were the product of the equivilent of thousands of years of guided evolution, accelearted to a few years time. Promethians display qualities normally associated with Born gifts, however, their abilities do not spring from memetic qualities, instead being the product of Promethian physiology.
The Promethians were origionally produced in the 4th century AE at Promethius Labs on Acheron in the Olympus system. In the first years of their existence, they spread widly throughout the dominion of Man, to mixed reactions from all. Many Pure found them offensive, and an equal number idolized them. The Abiters and most of the Born accepted them warily. Within a decade, the Promethian population had risen to just over 1.3 billion. Then, in an audit of the Promethius Labs, the startling truth of the Promethian's purpose was discovered.
Promethius Labs was owned by the Scions of Purity, an anti Born terrorist group that was well known for the assasination of several prominent Born and Arbiters. While most of the Promethians were completely innocent, a core of the most promising had been trained as assasins for the Scions. The public backlash was enormous.
Promethians became a hunted people. Millions were captured and imprisioned, causing untold amounts of damage in property lose when they fought back. Those Promethians who had been trained as assasins by the Scions activated, murdering countless Born. This, in turn, enraged the Arbiters, who began a genocidal campaign against the Promethians.
What followed was a decade of bloodshed and brutality. By the end of this time, the only Promethians to survive were those that had been incarcerated at the begining of the conflict.
Since that time, the Promethians have laid low, trying to aviod the attention of the Arbiters. A few thousand remain in the current era. Anti Promethian sentiment is still strong among all class of Born.
The Fellwar
Man became aware of the Fellwar in 1,179 AE, although modern historians postulate that it had been spreading for over a century before that. We can only speculate as to the horrors inflicted on the races that inhabited the galactic core.
The war came to human attention when the vangaurd of the Fell broke against the Tau Orisians. At first only rumors of a hostile race filtered through to the worlds of man. In the early days of the Tau Orisian's war against the Fell, they faired well. Then, suddenly, the Tau Orisians were gone, wipped out before they could even petition their neighboring races for aid.
The Fell began their invasion of human space in 1,182 AE, at the recently colonized Heirophant system. Their forces invaded Charity, the system's capitol.
Four generations grew up at war with the Fell. In the 250 years the war raged, 178 of humanitie's 204 colonized star systems were destroyed. In the last years of the war, the exhausted fleets of man faced the Fell armadas at Heirophant time and again. For reasons as yet unknown, the Fell focused more and more of their forces on that system, abandoning stratigically vital systems in an effort to control it. In the end, it proved their undoing. An army of Master Arbiters led by the High Arbiter destroyed the bulk of the Fell's forces there, crippling the Fell war machine.
In the war's aftermath, man found itself alone once more in the galaxy. For the last six generations, exploratory forces have searched for any other survivors of the Fell's attack. All that has been discovered are the shattered world of a myriad of races.
Olympus System
System: Binary, Red Giant primary, yellow medium secondary
Worlds: Ares (3.2 billion), Chiron (1.2 billion), Hades (536 million), Herculanium (522 million), Posidon (7.3 billion), Zeus (6.2 billion)
Features: 3 asteriod belts, 38 moons
Population: 18.9 billion planetary, 11 billion offplanet.
Major Powers: The Olympus Block (AriesTech, Hephestus Shipyards, Hades Mining Consortium), the Arbiters, the Nexus
The Olympus system was one of the first systems man colonized after Acenssion. The harsh conditions created by the binary stars almost made the system too difficult to be worth colonizing. Only the rich mineral deposites found in the thre asteriod belts made the project worth completing.
In the present day, the Olympus comercial block is one of the most prolific ship producing forces in the 'Verse. The AreisTech shipbuilding facilities dominate the first and second asteriod rings and produce more starcrafts than even the Astar Shipyards of Helania, while the Hephestus Shipyards R&D facilities located in the 3rd asteriod belt and the moons of Posidon and Zeus constantly produce new and more amazing designs. Fueling both is the Hades Mining Consortium.
The Olympus System, like Helania, is primarily a Dutch descendant system culturally, with heavy NuEgyptian influences. A persistant NuGreek cultural underground caracterizes the major cities
The Olympus Block: One of the most powerful economic blocks in the 'Verse, the Olympus Block controls almost all industry in the Olympus System and is firmly entrenched in the Sol sector. 96% of the population of the Olympus system is employed by the Block. Making up the Block are AriesTech, Hephestus Shipping and the Hades Mining Consortium. Two other companies once belonged to the Block, namingly the Hermes Shipping Company and the Promethius Labs.
The Hermes Shipping Company was driven out of business by the Nexus, while Promthius Labs were absorbed by the Hephestus Shipyards R&D division after the Promethian Debacle.
AriesTech: AriesTech is one of the most prolific shipping technology companies in the 'Verse. Geared primarly towards the mass production of comercial starcrafts, AriesTech works closely with the Hephestus Shipyards and the Hades Mining Consortium.
Hephestus Shipyards: Hephestus Shipyards produces both luxury vessels for the rich and powerful and military vessels for the various milititas and planetary governments of the 'Verse. However, their greatest asset is their R&D division, which works closely with ArieTech to advance starcraft design and production. The Hephestus Shipyards R&D department has produced some of the greatest advancements to military and civilian shipping methodes in the history of the 'Verse. Some of the greatest Hyperintellects in man's history have been employed by Hephestus Shipyards, including Derivan Idavo himself.
Hades Mining Consortium: While each of the six inhabited worlds of the Olympuss System claim their own planetary governments, the Hades Mining Consortium holds all the real power. Over 86% of the planetary population of the Olympuss System is employed by the Consortium.
The Consortium mines and refines the rich mineral wealth of the Olympus System. The refined materials are then sold throughout the 'Verse, but especially to AriesTech and the Hephestus Shipyards, both of whom recieve large discounts.
The Arbiters: The Arbiters' presence in the Olympus System is extensive. Based on Posidon, the Arbiters keep close tabs on the Hephestus Shipyards, and are generally the Olympus Block's strongest customer base.
The Nexus: The Nexus has dug in deep in the Olympus System, and handles all of the Block's transportation. Origionally, the Block attempted to maintain its absolute monopoly on all Olympus System industries with the Hermes Shipping Company. However, the Nexus's vast resources allowed them to easily undercut Hermes Shipping from the start, and since then there has been no competition to speek of.
Cultural Trends: Cultural trends in the 'Verse tend to mix and blurr. Traditional subcultures such as ravers, rockers, chavs, ect are still around. Below are some of the more common cultural trends of the 'Verse. These trends are not set and dry, and they often merge with each other and existing cultural trends.
Dutch Descent: Perhapse the most common cultural trend throughout the 'Verse. Characterized by primarily dutch derived languages and a passion for Football (soccer). Some modern pop culture aspects of a Dutch Descent civilization include synthwood clogs and other, overly steroytipical articles of "traditional" dutch attire. For some strange reason, bagpipe music (bagpipe techno, electric bagpipe, traditional bagpipe, ect.) is popular in most Dutch Descent cultures.
NuEgyptian: A fairly common cultural trend. Characterized by muslim derivate religions and heavy NAF influences towards pragmatisism.
NuEgyptian cultural trends often include OldEgyptians, a subculture label comperable to 21st century Goths. And we're talking the really insane goths here, the ones who are the source of the popular goth sterotypes. Fake beards, ahnks, tattoos of Egyptian heiroglyphs, you name it.
NuGreek: A reletivly new cultural trend that started in the Olympus System and has been spreading throughout the Sol Sector for the last decade or so. Definately still a subcultral trend, similar in some respects to the Goths of the 21st century. Electric Lyra and Tabour, revamped Greek tragedies, slang terms taken from greek derivate languages (not that there are many), ect. Laurels as headgear and toga-esque clothing also common, although generally viewed the same way someone in a skort with tri-colored hair and a half-mohawk would be in the early 21st century.
AI Military Technology
AIs in the 'Verse are sophisticated enough that, on a tactical level, humans cannot compete with them. Since even fighter combat usually takes place at .5c velocities and 100,000 kilometer ranges, humans simply do not have the nessisary reflexes and decission making capabilities to function, let alone compete with AIs. The same goes for capitol engagments, where thousands of tactical descisions must be made per second.
However, in strategic scenarios, AIs are inferior to human. AIs make easily predictable strategic decisions, which makes them vulnerable to an intelligent and creative human.
On the ground, AI troops are roughly equal to humans. Although the smaller and slower scale of ground engagments allows humans to outsmart AIs, AI troops have greater coordination and all around power than human troops can muster. Plus, they're alot cheaper.
The rules of ground combat change drastically when Born troops are brought into the equation. A Born soldier is always preferable to an AI soldier.
The Bull's Rebutal
Many regard the speach given by Dorian Exbridge-Ath-Hep-Tyr on Pyre IV in the year 2,102 AE, known as the Bull's Rebutal to be one of the clearest and most compelling declarations of the beliefs of the Church of the Unification. The speach was made in responce the Earth Vatican's official decree that Born were to be considered Abommination in the eyes of God and that the teachings of the Church of Unification were heresy of the highest order.
Today, my words are heresy, and I and all my kin are Abommination. I am a monster and my words are poison, leading the riteous from the path of God to the path of sin, as are all the words I have ever spoken.
So I shall utter a new heresy, perhapse my boldest heresy. I say I am no heretic! I am no abommination! I am the chosen of God as are all living things!
I have contradicted the cannon of the Church of Earth in the past. I have contradicted many of their age old teachings. Why should I not? Is the universe not made to change? Did God not set the stars in motion? Did He not make the galaxies wheel and turn through the void?
We humans rose up from the simplest of things. Both Pure and Born have an ancient history stretching back far beyond any recorded time of evolution and change. We Born have grown further still. Ideas grow and change. Was not the world once flat? Did not the heavens not wheel around it? And now the world is round, and it wheels around the Sun, which in turn wheels through the outer rim of the galaxy. Once the universe was comprised of fire, water, earth and air. Then there was phlogstine, which allowed substances to burn. Now there are elements and subatomic particles, and further and further subdivisions till we find the Meme and the Base.
So why should doctrine be any different. Just as we grow and learn about the universe, so to must our understanding of God grow and change. The Bible, which now says I am a heretic and an Abomination, is not the true book of God. The Bible was written by man. The universe is the book of God, for it was God that orchestrated the universe. To believe that what is written by man on paper hold truth over what was written by god in stars and galaxies is folly. Evolution is the pen of God, and to ignore its words is to ignore the will of God.
Life is the holiest of things, for it is the clearest of God's works. All life evolves towards perfection. Once, man was an animal, indistinguishable from an ape. Now man walks between the stars. Once man knew nothing and contemplated only when they would next eat and mate. Now man commands vast sciences and contemplates the mysteries of the universe.
Why should God have made our understanding of His will any different? If, by God's will, life grows towards perfection, why should the Born, whose gifts set them above the Pure in so many aspects, be Abomination? We are the next stage in God's plan.
Our search for the unification of the forces led us to the discovery of two fundamental aspects of the universe. The Base and the Meme. Matter and the Soul. The Born are a step from the Base to the Meme, from Matter to the Soul. Our powers come from our connection to the Memetic, the Divine. How is it then that we are Abomination? How is it that man can declare God's will heresy? I find my truths in the mysteries of the universe, not in some book written thousands of years ago. What supernatural insight did these ancient, primitive people have that we must bow to their words? The Church of Earth has itself, on many occasions, rewritten the laws laid down in that book. If they refuse to bow to those words, what gives them the right to declare me Abomination and heretic?
The Church of Earth
Few things are so poorly named as the Church of Earth. Of all the worlds it has influence on, it is least represented on Earth. Only 2% of Earth's population belongs to the Church of Earth.
The Church of Earth grew from a fundamentalist, anti-Born Catholic sect. Since the dark age that followed the Third World War, the Church of Earth has grown in power. In recent times, it has become one of the most influencial Pure religions due to its long association with the P.o.t.P..
Always opposed to the Born, the Curch of Earth has historically kept reletivly quite about their animosity. However, in light of the growing influence of the Church of Unification and the Unification Movement, the Church of Earth has become more and more outspoken against Born in general in the Unification in particular.
Randa System
System: Single Star, Yellow Medium
Worlds: Atrus (11.6 billion), New Avalon (3.3 billion)
Features: 1 asteroid belt, 4 moons
Population: 14.9 billion planetary, 1.1 trillion offplanet
Major Powers: The Nexus, the Ring Project, the Arbiters
Randa lies near the boundries between the Sol, Helania and Oris sectors. It has only recently been recolonized after it was burned in the Fellwars. Aside from its importance as a trade hub between the three largest sectors of inhabited space, Randa is home to the Ring Project.
Randa is almost entirely Dutch descent culturally.
The Ring Project: At a radius of .8 AUs from the system's primary is the partially complete scaffold of the Ring. Stretching nearly a fourth of the circumfrence of its orbit, the Ring has already consumed the two entire planetary bodies in its construction and an entire gas giant in fuel.
Made of a hypertensile tungstenmeme dikavnium alloys, the Ring is a webwork of cables and struts supporting billowing solar collectors. The Ring Project is planned to first encompase its entire orbit, and then expand until it surrounds the primary as the human race's first Dyson Sphere.
The project already supports the living space needed for the 1.1 trillion who are constructing it.
Despite the fact that the Ring is only partially complete, it has already begun to show a profit. Litterally thousands of patents have been awarded to the companies involved in its creation for the radical techniques involved. The immense amounts of energy gathered by the Ring's solar collectors exceed even the vast amounts of power the project demands, and the surplus is already being sold throughout the galaxy.
The Nexus: The enormous resources needed for the construction of the Ring must be transported from refineries throughout human space, and the only organization capable of transporting them is the Nexus. Holding an exclusive contract with the Ring project's financers, the Nexus has seen record profits in the years since the project's inception.
The Arbiters: The massive populations involved in the Ring project has attracted a great deal of attention from the Arbiters. The Ring Project employs a vast number of Born, and a great number of Arbiters have been dispatched to maintain order.
Neutralizer
The neutralizer is the favorite weapon of the lower ranks of the Arbiters.
A neutralizer appears is a simple metalic baton with a thick rubber grip at one end and a loop that goes around the wrist.
A neutralizer is a simple melee weapon that deals 1d4 nonlethal bludgeoning damage and weighs 1 lb.
A fully charged neutralizer has 600 charges. As part of an attack action, the neutralizer's user can expend up to 30 charges.
For every charge expended, the neutralizer deals an additional 1d6 nonlethal electrical damage.
For every 6 charges expended, the neutralizer deals 1d2 dexterity damage.
For ever 15 charges expended, the neutralizer deals 1 point of dexterity drain.
A non Arbiter caught carrying a neutralizer is subject to a minimum sentence of six years imprisonment.. A non Arbiter caught using a neutralizer is subject to a minimum sentence of 20 years imprisonment.
Neutralizers have a black market purchase DC of 30.
There's a lot to digest here. I feel I have to keep going back over it.
I see super heroes, well not the four colored type but still supers mixed with sci-fi. Plus other things I've read. What would you say your inspirations are for this setting?
What are you looking for with this setting? Aspirations? With all the information, where could we best help?
The basic questions aside, I like the various conflicts the setting brings together.
Inspiration: reading JLA comics while watching Firefly.
For some reason I started thinking about possible futures of the DC universe. The idea was that when heroes start breeding, each successive generation of heroes grows stronger and stronger, while heroes like Batman and similar start taking apprentices from the hero community. Eventually you end up with a group of immensely powerful, skilled individuals.
However, such a powerful force leaves little room for villains. After all, when the police begin to employ telepaths and precogs, as well as bulletproof, speedster master detectives, it becomes a bit difficult to earn a dishonest buck.
And it just sort of evolved from there.
As for where you can help best: I'm not very good with mechanics (more of a fluff man), so any ideas there would be great. As it stands, I'm not too sure how I'd actually run a game in this setting.
If you have any ideas for bloodlines, worlds, personalities, anything really, I'd like to hear them.