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 Posted - 01 Aug 2005 : 14:02:13
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Hi all,
So, I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that I had an idea for a lost world. Well, I've written up a description of it. I've called it Svarog, linked to Cadiz. It's sort of a homage to my love affair for 1920s and 30s pulp nonsense and things that fly. The basic concept of a decadent culture of arcology-living airmen is nabbed from 'Last and First Men', by Olaf Stapledon (excellent, excellent book). I've done my best to dumb it down, throwing in inspiration from Crimson Skies, Nausicaa, Castle in the Sky and Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow. Plus a bit of what, for want of a better term, I'll call Sovietpunk. Hope you guys like it.
This isn't really any kind of historical pastishe as such, and any occultism is implied rather than spelled out. This is Fading Suns as I tend to play it. Gritty, overblown science fiction with rusting technology, ravaged worlds and weird societies.
I should mention the references to New Java, Mataran and the Golcondan Worlds are from fan material by the inestimable Bosssmiley. I've decided to use this in my expansion of the mysterious 'Decados Lost Worlds', for they rock. If you don't, you should, but you can ignore them in favour of a link to Liberty that never reopened. Works just as well.
As always, please respond with any thoughts or comments you have. I'm more than happy to encorporate any cool ideas you guys might have that I feel fit the world.
Kapitan Jack. |
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Posted - 01 Aug 2005 : 14:03:37
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Lost World: Svarog
Ruler: The Svit Uryad (The World State)
Cathedral: Malo Sontse (Church of the Bohoslov Mashyna)
Agora: Kosmofabryka (Independent Spire)
Garrison: 4
Capital: Osnova Odyn (The Svit Uryad)
Jumps: 5
Adjacent Worlds: Cadiz (dayside), Mataran (dayside)
Solar System: Sun, Perun (0.52 AU), Svarog (1.4 AU; Svarozhich, Dazhdbog, Khors), Ersvorsh (10.2 AU), Beilbog (14 AU; 6 moons), Myesyats (19 AU), Jumpgate (66 AU)
Tech: 6 (8 in the cores of the Spires)
Population: 50 million Lotchyk, 300 million Khodak (50,000 Hironem)
Resources: Mineral ores, high-tech devices, scientific knowledge
Exports: High-tech ceramics and metal alloys, aerial technology, forbidden scientific texts
Solar System
Sun: Svarog’s star is a fairly standard sun, much like Sol. In the past 300 years, however, it has dimmed dramatically. It is now a sullen orange-red in colour, and gives off less heat than it should. The change defies the understanding of the greatest Svarogan astronomers.
Perun: Perun is a hot, cloud-covered world, which is around the same size as Svarog. Attempts at terraforming were made during the Republic, but the engines were destroyed by Decados invaders during the Fall. There is no evidence that any humans survived in the toxic atmosphere.
Svarog: Svarog has three moons in various orbits. Svarozhich and Dazhdbog are unexceptional, being uneven captured meteorites. Khors is a larger planetoid. It was inhabited during the Republic, and many deserted mining installations dot the airless surface.
Ersvorsh: This is a large, ice-covered world. It was terraformed, and still has a breathable atmosphere. However, its large size and crushing gravity make it impossible for normal humans to survive for long. Tribes of Changed, designed by EGO to cope with the harsh conditions, dwell here. They are great shaggy creatures, only vaguely resembling standard humans, and have only a very primitive culture.
Beilbog and Myesyats: These are both large gas giants. Beilbog has a number of abandoned naval stations on its moons. Myesyats has no satellites other than a vast networks of rings.
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Posted - 01 Aug 2005 : 14:04:49
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Landscape
The world of Svarog was well-suited for human habitation even before it was heavily terraformed during the Second Republic. The size, atmosphere and gravity of the world are well within human tolerances, with the only oddity being the 28 hour day resulting from a slightly slower rate of rotation. Svarog is roughly 70% water, although much of this is held up in the large polar glaciers. The northern hemisphere is dominated by the continent of Liskrayina, which almost rings the globe, only split by the Nova Baltic Sea in the east, and the hazardous, ice-filled Straits of Oskol. In the south, the only land is in the form of the two large islands of Letovysche in the west and Zemlja in the east.
The climate of Svarog was once subtropical, deliberately engineered to aid in the growth of crops which were the centre of the planet’s economy. Since the sun began to fade in the late 4700s, the temperature has plummeted. Now, a full fifth of the world lies beneath the poles, which continue to expand by several metres a year. All the land north of the Dosch Mountains on Liskrayina is now little more than tundra and frigid scrubland. South of the mountains, the climate resembles northern Europe, and is cloaked in the remains of the old mega-farms (now largely lost to the wilderness) and great tracts of pine forest. Only Letovysche on the equator remains largely unchanged, and as a result is still a centre for agriculture.
The three moons of Svarog exert a strong and complex gravitic force on the world. This has always made the oceans of the world dangerous to navigate, and is one of the principle reasons why the people of this world have relied so heavily on aircraft. Great storms in the world-spanning Buria Ocean can rage for weeks at a time, and become so fierce that they can blow aircraft hundreds of miles off course.
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Posted - 01 Aug 2005 : 14:06:29
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History
The planet of Svarog was initially discovered by explorers from Cadiz in the employ of the young House Decados in 2830. Discovering a pleasant, Urth-like world suitable for human habitation, the Decados were quick to claim the planet as their own. Until the establishment of the Second Republic, Svarog was only sparsely inhabited, home to Decados pleasure palaces and a few million indentured farmers (most of whom were of Slavic origin, descended from TUW workers first used by the Gloucesters in the settlement of Cadiz). The Decados monopoly on the world was weakened with the discovery of a new jumproad from New Java in 3512, and a steady stream of colonists from the Republic Core set up independent and corporate-sponsored settlements throughout the early centuries of the Republic.
The second era in Svarog’s history began with the decision of the Republic Senate to mount massive development projects to turn Cadiz into a paradise suitable for a centre of diplomacy with the Vau Hegemony. In 3850, the Republic used diplomatic pressure to force the Decados to sell their holdings on Svarog to the controversial terraforming consortium, the Eco Green Organization. EGO was granted significant government funds to develop Svarog into a breadbasket, intended to feed the massive urban population of Cadiz. The climate of the planet was optimised for the growth of massive harvests of staple crops such as scarlet wheat and millirice. Even after the Vau rejected Cadiz in favour of their own world of Vril-Ya, Svarog remained one of the main exporters of crops in the region, supplying foodstuffs to heavily industrialised and marginal worlds as far away as Liberty and Istakhr. The underbelly of the world, with the poor treatment of farm labourers and growing problems with the terraforming engines, were criticised by the Republic’s liberal politicians, but no concerted action was taken to challenge the control of a vast megacorporation such as EGO.
By the end of the 39th century, Svarog had become a centre for the Eco Green’s vast corporate empire. In 3886, the EGO scientist, Dr Maria Soltsein, made a number of breakthroughs in the harnessing of geothermal energy for the production of electrical power. Theoretically providing an unlimited supply of power in excess of even the fusion technology of the Republic, the first of these experimental geothermal plants was constructed on the northern coast of the equatorial island of Letovysche, within a pre-existing terraforming node. A resounding success, the geothermal plant was chosen to become the foundation of a great arcology, intended to house the corporate executives. This arcology, known as Pershi Vezha, was begun in 3902, and was completed in 3934. Standing over five kilometres in height, the great edifice housed over 2 million EGO employees. The Spire, as it was colloquially known by Svarog’s inhabitants, was capped by a space elevator, which stretched thousands of miles up to a station in geosynchronous orbit.
As the Republic began to unravel in the last years of the 40th century, Svarog did not escape unscathed. Rocked by the scandals following the mysterious abandonment of Chernobog, along with several thousand EGO employees (most of which came from Svarog), the political control of the planet by the corporation began to slip. In 3987, the Republic revoked EGO’s ownership of the world as part of a raft of punishments against the terraforming industry designed to pacify the Church. A Republic senator was established, but it became clear quickly that this man was a Decados puppet. When the Senate on New Istanbul was massacred by the Ten, a Decados fleet mounted an unsurprising invasion, claiming the Republic purchase had been nothing more than an illegal land grab.
The war for Svarog stretched on long after the Fall of much of the Republic. The EGO forces used their defensive position on the space station to fight off any large Decados invasion fleets, while on the surface the Jakovians stirred up worker revolts in the mega-farms of the north. At the same time, hundreds of thousands of refugees from the Core came flooding through the New Java route, escaping from the Church-sponsored purges tearing apart the Golcondan worlds. It is unknown who finally sealed the jumpgate in 4036, but in so doing sizable numbers of people from all these factions were stranded. Svarog had become clogged with refugee camps, and the economy built solely on offworld trade had collapsed. Vast stockpiles of grain rotted as distribution networks broke down or were destroyed by the warring Decados and corporate forces. Millions died as disease and famine ravished the camps and corp cities alike.
By 4200, Svarog had settled into a squalid state. Much of the northern continent was held by the descendants of the Decados invasion force, which tried to enforce feudal control over rebellious farming communes. Around the Spire, the corporate government clung on to their arcology, although the space station had been demolished in the closing days of the War, barring them from space. A state of cold war developed, with both sides threatening nuclear annihilation. This situation finally began to change in the 4220s, when the corporate government began to be subverted from within by a strange cult among the ranks of the terraforming engineers who maintained the Spire. This shadowy group, that appears to have originated as a branch of the SoulCraft sect (destroyed in the Known Worlds during the Fall), threatened to disable the geothermal engines unless negotiations were opened with the northern states. The Church of the Bohoslov Mashyna, as this group called itself, began to send missionaries across the world, offering to use their technology to construct copies of the Spire, complete with geothermal power plants in all of the warring states. By the end of the century, all of Svarog’s nations had conceded to the offers of the Enerhiyist Church, and around 30 spire arcologies were built across the world.
In the face of apparently limitless energy, the various warring states atrophied and eventually disbanded. The Church became the leaders of a world government, called the Svit Uryad, which was formally founded in 4319. This strange theocratic empire ruled unchallenged for nearly 500 years. The world’s population congregated in the spires, each of which became a largely independent city-state. Technology was venerated as a holy sacrament, an embodiment of the Bohoslov Mashyna (Holy Machine), and was restored to a level on par with the early Republic. Much of the world’s population enjoyed an excellent standard of living. Nearly all came to own the small, powerful airplanes which were to become to ubiquitous on this world, serving as both personal transportation and as a religious artefact.
Unfortunately, this peaceful era was to prove short-lived. In the late 47th century, astronomers began to note strange fluctuations in the electromagnetic radiation emitted by Svarog’s sun. Within years, the star began to noticeably dim. With it, the temperature on Svarog plummeted. The near tropical climate maintained by the terraforming engines fell, and great icecaps began to expand across the poles. In 4732, the northernmost spire was abandoned as it became engulfed by the expanding glaciers. In the equatorial regions, always the centre of Svarogian civilisation, the falling temperature devastated the crops. No longer able to rely on robotic workers to sustain the farms needed to feed the spire-dwellers, the Svit Uryad began encouraging citizens to return to the deserted farming towns of their ancestors. This proved highly unpopular, and by 4750, the Church began sending criminals and social malcontents to work the farms. At their worst, these became armed camps, where petty criminals and the merely unlucky were worked to death to feed their fellows.
Over time, the children of these farm workers came to be viewed as lesser creatures by the spire-dwellers. By the beginning of the 49th century, Svarog had become split into two castes. The people of the spires came to be called Lotchyk (airmen), living the easy and decadent life of their culture at its height as if nothing had changed. The farm workers came to be called Khodak (walkers), and were viewed as sub-human chattel. Soon, the Khodak came to outnumber the Lotchyk. Early revolts were countered with devastating air raids, with modified aircraft dropping bombs and napalm on rebel villages.
The Svit Uryad has struggled on to the present day, its citizens increasingly living isolated and delusional lives. In 4867, the remote spire of Kosmofabryka revolted, refusing to send delegates to the Outer Duma at Osnova Odyn. When no retaliation occurred, more of the eastern spires quietly broke away. Some continued much as they had before, but cut off from the world government. Others took to piracy and raiding their neighbours for food, technology and Khodak slaves. These so called Nebo Zlodiy became a growing threat, forcing the spires of the Svit Uryad to arm themselves and mount air patrols to scan their borders.
The 50th century has seen the Svit Uryad fragmenting further. In 4920, much of the southern island of Zemlja was swamped by a massive Khodak revolt, culminating in the destruction of the Perevani Drotyk spire by a vast peasant army. A decade later, in 4936, three spires broke away at once. The priesthood of these spires was usurped by a conclave of fighter pilots, who claimed descent from the old Decados kingdoms of the 41st and 42nd centuries. Since then, the Decados pretenders have been in a state of constant war with the Svit Uryad, with epic air battles being fought over the crashing waves of the Straits of Oskol.
Svarog finally rejoined the jumpweb in 4963. It is unclear exactly when the gate reopened, but it was first used by a corsair ship called the Bloody Hawk. This ship was a Republic relic, discovered by a pirate crew in the ruins of an abandoned Cadiz city. The pirates made landfall at Kosmofabryka, as the spire was built on the ruins of the old EGO spaceport mentioned on the Virgin’s think machine. Since then, this spire has conducted limited trade with the handful of pirates and smugglers who know of the world. This changed in 4989, when Decados agents attacked and boarded the Hawk above Cadavus. Under torture, the ship’s captain surrendered the codes to Svarog. Since then, the Decados have sent small scouting teams to the world, but have not decided as of yet whether to mount a full invasion. Around a year ago, a pirate known a Jarak the Red was captured by the MTC on Manitou, and has sold his story of a trip to Svarog in 4997 to both the League and the Imperial Eye. Both parties are planning investigations of their own.
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365 Posts |
Posted - 01 Aug 2005 : 14:07:38
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The Church of the Bohoslov Mashyna (The Enerhiyist Church)
For all of its existence, the Svit Uryad has been under the control of the Church of the Bohoslov Mashyna, the strange amalgam of technosophy and Universalist religion that formed among EGO’s terraforming engineers in the last days of the Second Republic. The priesthood of the Church, who are known by the title of Inzhener, serve three roles in the culture of the Lotchyk. Firstly, they still continue their original role as the operators and preservers of the great geothermal engines that lie at the core of each of the spire arcologies. In this role, they are also the maintainers of much of the other technology of the Lotchyk. Over the centuries, the knowledge of technology held by the average citizen has atrophied to the point where all but the simplest devices are viewed with religious awe. The functioning of technology is kept hidden by the priesthood, to maintain their vital roles as engineers, terraformers and aircraft mechanics.
The second and largest role of the Enerhiyist Church is that of the ruling government of the Svit Uryad. The Church, and by extension the whole World State, is governed by an Inner and Outer Duma. The Outer Duma, which contains representatives from the ranks of the Inzheners of all of the loyal spires, maintains a parliamentary system, based in the capital spire of Osnova Odyn. This body holds 300 members, and carries out all its debates in public. Ostensibly, any citizen can petition the Outer Duma to listen to his suggestions or grievances. In reality, very few take advantage of this right, with most of the Lotchyk being largely ignorant or apathetic towards the mechanisms of their government. The Outer Duma is tasked with debating and passing laws with regards to the internal workings of the spires, and acts as the high court for secular law. The Inner Duma, which meets in private in the holy spire of Malo Sontse, is tasked with matters of foreign policy, defence and relations with the Khodak, in addition to policing religious law through an agency called the Doslidnyk (Investigators). The Inner Duma controls the Kapitans of the air force, issuing all orders beyond local defence against pirate raids. The Inner Duma has met behind closed doors since an assassination attempt on one of its members by a Khodak sympathizer in 4834, and likewise the identity of its members is a matter of utmost secrecy. In the old days, the two Dumas were on relatively equal footing in regards to power. The Outer Duma handled most affairs of the State, while the Inner Duma concentrated on the rare Khodak revolt or case of banditry. However, the rebellions of the past 150 years have led to the Inner Duma assuming a position of importance far in excess of its more public counterpart.
The third and most public role of the Church is as the spiritual advisors and shepherds of its flock. Clearly modelling itself on the Universal Church of the Republic, the Church is at the same time startling different from its parent in many ways. The faith, known as Enerhiyism, is basically a highly rationalised variant of Universalism. In its original form, the founders of the sect stripped away nearly all of the superstition and mythology that had accrued around the Universal creed since the days of the Prophet. Indeed, the role of the Prophet himself has been dropped from the faith. The Church worship a fundamental principle or force known as the Bohoslov Mashyna (the Holy Engine), or simply as the Enerhiya (the Energy). This is essentially the notion of the Pancreator stripped of all anthropomorphisms and supernatural beliefs. The Enerhiya is seen as the universal force that powers the entirety of the universe (called the Matrytsia by the Church). Everything from the vibration of atoms to the great nuclear forces of the stars is imbued and empowered by the Enerhiya. Likewise, life itself is the product of this primal energy. By extension, the geothermal power plants at the core of the spires are in a way great temples to the Enerhiya, shaping and harnessing the stuff of the universe.
Old records suggest that the Enerhiyists initially rejected all notions of the supernatural, seeing the divine as a product of the physical universe. To be sure, human understanding was limited, but the Church held to the essentially scientific belief that with time all the mysteries of God could be revealed, and that the search was itself a kind of worship. Over the centuries, however, the standard irrational trappings of religion have re-emerged. In particular, the technology that harnesses the Enerhiya is now venerated. This is particularly common in the eyes of the citizens, who have an essentially magical view of life, seeing the technological marvels of their arcology homes and their aircraft as holy relics. In particular, the airplane has a central role in common religion. The swift motion and isolation felt in long flights is seen as communion with the divine. As a result, most fetishize their aircraft, painting them with religious insignia. The main public rites of the Church take the form of great aerial displays, with thousands of planes involved in carefully choreographed patterns that can last for days. In recent years, these displays have taken on a darker and apocalyptic aspect. As the sun, the greatest of Holy Engines, fails, the Church hopes to reignite it with great displays of piety. As a result, each year sees greater and greater aerial dances, which can stretch on for weeks. Now, an observer will see planes spiralling out of control or colliding in mid-air as their pilots pass out from exhaustion. These sacrifices are seen as martyrs for the cause, and refusal to perform in the rites leads to immediate expulsion into the ranks of the Khodak.
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Posted - 01 Aug 2005 : 14:09:31
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The Svit Uryad
Despite the loses of the past two centuries, the Svit Uryad of the Bohoslov Mashyna remains the largest state on Svarog. Centred around the three great spires of Pershi Vezha, Malo Sontse and Osnova Odyn, the World State controls the island of Letovysche and around a third of the southern coast of the continent of Liskrayina. In total, twelve of Svarog’s thirty spires are still loyal to the Svit Uryad. The Svit Uryad still considers itself to be the only legitimate government on Svarog, viewing the other state’s as mere rebels. The eastern spires which refuse to obey orders but have maintained their own branches of the Enerhiyist Church are tolerated, but those that have deposed their priests such as the Decados cities and the Nebo Zlodiy are ruthlessly opposed.
The core of the State lies on the island of Letovysche, the centre of the world since the days of the EGO. This rocky island straddles the equator at the base of the Dogoda peninsula. It remains largely untouched by the encroaching cold caused by the fading sun, and much of its surface is devoted to massive Khodak farms. Letovysche also hosts the first spire, Pershi Vezha, on its north-western coast. In addition to this oldest and largest of the arcologies, the island holds two others. These are Malo Sontse, the spiritual centre of the Enerhiyist Church, and the southern spire of Storozh. These three spires house over half of the Svit Uryad’s population between them, as they have been the least touched by the chaos of the past two centuries. The island is closely guarded, and no Sky Pirate would be foolish enough to raid here. In addition, the Khodak of Letovysche are remarkably docile. Holding the spires in religious awe, they deliver their annual harvests to their masters each year, where they receive blessings and gifts of medical aid and harmless technological trinkets from the priesthood. There has not been a revolt in centuries, as oral legends among the villagers speak of the fire the angels which will rain down on any who oppose them.
Pershi Vezha
Although Pershi Vezha is now neither the political nor religious centre of the Svit Uryad, the original spire remains an important symbol to the people of Svarog. Pershi Vezha was the first arcology, built by the corporate masters of Svarog centuries before the others, and the higher technical aptitude of the late Republic is evident in the size and magnificence of this great city. Standing in excess of five kilometres in height, Pershi Vezha is a larger template for the smaller spires built by the Enerhiyists. As a result, the following description can serve as a rough guide to the layout of all of Svarog’s spires.
The Spire begins nearly half a kilometre underground, where the terraforming node and the three great geothermal sinks that fuel the structure lie. This region is restricted to all but the Inzheners of the Church, and no citizen has ever been allowed beyond the great bulkheads at ground level. This area is viewed with religious awe, acting as an inner sanctum for the faith. Traditionally, high priests and those who give their lives in the defence of the State are taken here to be interred within to the geothermal plants, to rejoin the swirling forces of the Enerhiya.
At ground level, the spire houses vast grain silos, which holds the annual tribute of the Khodak. This is supplemented by protein-rich fungi and vat grown meat processed in large hydroponic factories, keeping the citizens healthy. From here up, an entire city exists, housing palatial residences, theatres, music halls and public boulevards. Pershi Vezha houses around 1.5 million people, leaving around a quarter of the city deserted. Standards of living are not hugely variant, but those who work for the good of the State, as patrolmen, city managers and other civic workers, are granted the best housing. This lies on the outer surface of the spire. From around a kilometre above ground, the spire is covered in small bays, each housing a short runway attached to the garages holding the aircraft of the Lotchyk. Originally used to travel the world, these aircraft are now largely reserved for religious ceremonies and protecting the arcology. All who own an aircraft are obliged to enter the city militia. Most are part-time only, and their planes are only fitted with weapons systems when they are called to defend their homes. A smaller number form part of a standing air force, and are known as Lytsar. These pilots are led by Kapitans appointed by the Inner Duma, and are housed in the best apartments in the highest third of the spire. They are treated with considerable respect by the other citizens, something they take for granted. They do much to foster an image as glamorous heroes, protecting the Lotchyk from insane pirates and sub-human Khodak.
At the height of the spire, the tapering point is studded with antennae, great docking pylons for the large airships that travel between the spires, and thousands of brightly coloured prayer wheels, harnessing the raging winds to churn out offerings to the Enerhiya. In the case of Pershi Vezha, the spire ends with the thin but impossibly strong strand of the space elevator. This ribbon stretches up for thousands of kilometres, anchored to the burned out ruin of the old space station, abandoned since the Fall. In the early years of the Svit Uryad, the priesthood hoped to repair the station and renew journeys into space. However, the will to invest in this project never appeared, and is now largely forgotten. The station is remembered with religious awe, and a popular but technically heretical belief among the Lotchyk holds that the Enerhiya will restore the station when the planet is reunited.
Malo Sontse
Malo Sontse holds the honour of being the first spire to be constructed by the Enerhiyist Church. Work began on it in 4219, and it was completed fifty years later, despite considerable setbacks and many deaths among the construction crews. As a result, the spire was seen as a kind of miracle by the Church, and cemented in the minds of the Svarogians that the Church were true saviours after years of decline and war. Since its opening, Malo Sontse has been the centre of the Church. Fully one half of the 3 kilometre tower is devoted to a vast cathedral, with the Lotchyk restricted to the lower levels of the spire. All citizens who perform well in standardized tests in mathematics, physics and theology are invited to join the Church, and it is here that they come to begin their long years of training at facilities that bear a strong resemblance to a traditional university. Most leave after ten years, qualified to act as basic Inzheners, tasked with performing the common rites and maintaining airplanes and the spires’ internal systems. A few stay on for another five years, and the best of these are inducted into the inner mysteries of the planetary engineers. After graduation, most priests return to their home spires, although some stay to enter the service of Duma members, as preparation for later political careers of their own. After years of servitude to the elders of the Church, a lucky few are appointed into the Outer Duma in Osnova Odyn. Only after a lifetime of service is there a slim chance of entering the Inner Duma. At this time, the priest’s identity is wiped from the State system, and they cease to exist. The Inner Duma meets in the great plastisteel dome that caps the spire, within what once served as an astronomical station. Since the discovery of the fading sun, the Inner Duma has restricted public access to astronomical data, and any research that may still be conducted is carefully hidden.
In the past two centuries, the changing nature of the graduate system at Malo Sontse has seen a marked division appearing among those who leave to serve as engineers and priests, and those who remain within the walls of the cathedral to pursue a political career. This has begun to manifest as unrest among the Inzheners of some of the more remote spires, and was a contributing factor in the rebellion of the eastern spires in the 49th century. Some whisper that the leaders in the Inner Duma are abandoning their sacred task as engineers of the Svit Uryad, and are allowing the machinery of government to unravel. Although this is restricted to mutterings in the lower ranks for now, the danger of a fundamental schism is growing.
Osnova Odyn
Lying across the strait from Pershi Vezha, Osnova Odyn stands on the southern tip of the of the Dogoda peninsula. Since its construction, Osnova Odyn has served as the de facto capital of the Svit Uryad. It is here that the Outer Duma, the public government of the State, meets, and it is here that the Council of Kapitans which leads the air force is based. Osnova Odyn itself stands over four kilometres, and even with a population of over two million, it is still partially deserted. Much of the population is involved in the apparatus of government, serving as aides, guards and assistants to the priests of the Outer Duma. Osnova Odyn sees itself as the centre of Lotchyk culture, not lost in the past like the spires of Letovysche and not descending into barbarism like the northern peoples of the mountains. As a result, the people here do much to try and prove their cultural worth. Even the lowest of citizens invests much in their appearance and in perfecting an air of cultivation. Huge crowds attend the great dances and plays held in the gigantic theatres that dot the spire (all of which are from a small handful of classics, none less than 300 years old). The holy days see the greatest aerial dances on the world, with upwards of thirty thousand aircraft weaving patterns above the southern cliffs.
The Outer Duma which rules Osnova Odyn was once on equal terms with the Inner Duma, but since the opening of hostilities with the Decados separatists seventy years ago, the priests of Malo Sontse, and the Kapitans they control, have slowly usurped many of the parliament’s powers. Although the Outer Duma is still tasked with the internal apparatus of the Svit Uryad, they are purposely barred from influencing the air forces and their war in the north-west. This is becoming no small source of consternation, especially as foreign Kapitans are assuming more and more control over areas of the spire to house airship factories and docking pylons. In recent years, a faction of the Outer Duma has begun campaigning for the reconquest of the eastern spires, wanting an end to the wars with the Decados until some advantage over them can be found. This is probably as a result of the discovery by these Duma members of the presence of offworlders trading with Kosmofabryka. This faction, led by High Inzhener Tremsin Yanovich, is doing its best to hide the real reasons for its demands. Technically, the Inner Duma could claim that relations with offworlders lies within its remit, but these conspirators hope that by securing ties first, they can use offworld aid to reassert their control over the government of the Svit Uryad.
The Northern Spires
Despite the fact that the political and religious centres of the Svit Uryad lie in the south, the forested mountains that form the centre of the Liskrayina continent have always held the majority of the spire arcologies. Now, only seven of the twenty spires lie under the clear control of the Svit Uryad. Of these, three lie on the eastern coast of the Straits of Oskol, and the other four lie along the coast to the east, in the shadow of the snow-covered Dosch Mountains. The three near the Straits are collectively known as the Sentinels. Initially built close together to exploit a well of geothermal energy formed by a tectonic fault in the region, the Sentinels have now taken on a new central role in the defence of the State. The three spires lie closest to the Decados rebels who hold three of the spires west of the Straits, and the last half-century has seen dozens of pitched aerial battles over the waters as both sides have mounted raids, offensives and full-blown invasion attempts. The Sentinels have come under the informal but very real control of the Kapitans, who have set about turning them into armed camps. The central spire, called Viyskov Tabir, houses vast aerial docks, containing thousands of gunships and bombers. This spire also houses three great Povitria airships. These vast constructions consist of airborne aircraft carriers, capable of carrying hundreds of small aircraft over thousands of miles. These mobile fortresses are the main reason the Svit Uryad has been able to hold its own against the superior fighter pilots of the Decados spires.
The four eastern spires lie in the hilly forests south of the Dosch Mountains. These are the poorest of the Svit Uryad territories, and have been neglected for decades by the spires of the south. The lands here were once covered by the massive mega-farms established by the EGO corporate authorities. The rusting remains of the corporate towns, which lay among fields which could stretch over hundreds of kilometres, carefully tended by robotic harvesters, can still be seen jutting from the thick pine forests that have covered the region since the climate changed. The spires here are in a miserable state. None hold more than a million souls, despite being designed to hold more than twice that number. The main reason for this decline is lack of food supplies. With the fall in temperature, the crops that grew here, genetically designed for a Mediterranean climate, failed. Those strains that have proved viable in the new conditions are grown in squalid farms maintained by the region’s Khodak. These wretches cling to small villages in the cleared land near the spires. The Lotchyk demand so much that the Khodak barely have enough to feed themselves. Unsurprisingly, rebellion is not uncommon. The Lotchyk care little for what the Khodak do, as long as the harvests arrive each autumn. Every year, more slip away into the forests, living in primitive clans beneath the trees that give some defence from the aerial reprisals of their masters. The Lotchyk are not above attacking the remaining villagers to encourage ‘cooperation’.
The Lotchyk of the eastern spire seem to have sunk even further than their brethren elsewhere. A kind of millennialist depression has seized many, and apocalyptic variants of the Enerhiyist faith have become popular. Most citizens try to ignore the encroaching ice and the dwindling food by turning inward, or leave to join the air forces fighting the Decados or the Khodak rebels in the far south. Suicidal flights, where pilots fly out over the sea until their planes run out of fuel, are a growing practice, despite attempts by the Inzheners to outlaw the practice.
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Posted - 01 Aug 2005 : 14:10:47
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The Decados Kingdoms
With the appearance of the Nebo Zlodiy sky pirates in last years of the 49th century, the Svit Uryad was forced for the first time to turn its attention to the matter of external defence. Until now, the only threats had been from the Khodak, who could be easily cowed by aerial raids. With the appearance of sky borne raiders, however, the Lotchyk found themselves threatened for the first time. Initially, these raiders concentrated on attacking remote Khodak villages, or grounded lone pilots flying between the spires. However, the massive attack on the spire of Sekvoyia in 4887, which led to the deaths of several thousand citizens, spurred the Dumas to found a permanent air force. This was placed under the control of the Inner Duma, who had previous experience of organising the policing of the Khodak. Each spire was assigned a number of Kapitans to form and lead an air force to police its airspace.
Initially, the Kapitans were under the careful control of the Enerhiyist Church, answering to the local Church leaders. However, as the pirate attacks escalated, and the remote spires began to break away, the air forces of the western spires began to doubt the capabilities of the Church to defend their lands. The lands west of the Straits of Oskol had once been the heart of the Decados kingdoms formed in the centuries after the Fall. Even when the Svit Uryad was formed, elements of Decados culture remained hidden in the peoples of this region. When this combined with the growing doubts of the fighter pilots and their Kapitans, it culminated in open rebellion. When a surprisingly organised horde of Khodak (who most Lotchyk had took to viewing as little more than animals) stormed the southern spire of Perevani Drotyk and overloaded its geothermal power stations, a cabal of Kapitans based in the spire of Mayak decided the Church had grown incapable of governing the World State. After 16 years of careful planning this cabal gained the support of most of the Lytsar pilots under their command, and overthrew the priesthoods of Mayak and two neighbouring spires.
The rebels succeeded in crushing the internal revolts that rocked the spires, and in a bid for legitimacy began claiming the long defunct titles of the old Decados rulers. The Kapitans adopted noble titles, and their leader, the newly declared Duke Baldak Decados, claimed Svarog in the name of his ancestors. The response of the Dumas was swift. Shocked by the overthrow of the local priests, an invasion was mounted in 4937. The Decados succeeded in fighting off this attack, and since then over twenty wars have been fought between these two states. Neither side has been able to gain a foothold in the other’s territory, and a period of cold war has descended since the last war in 5003 ended in a stalemate.
The spires of the Decados Kingdom are undergoing considerable internal change. The Inzheners have been reduced to the level of servants to the military elite, forced to maintain their fighter craft and the power systems that make the wars possible. Much of the core religious beliefs remain the same, although heresy is more openly tolerated and the new rulers have refused to waste resources on the aerial rites (preferring instead equally elaborate military pageants). The Khodak are treated as harshly as elsewhere, although the supplies gained from raids supplement the food grown to an extent where the Khodak can keep enough for themselves to avoid starvation. The Lytsar have become much like Known World knights, although lesser noble titles are not hereditary, being granted in a manner similar to military rank. The culture of bravado and egoism seen in the Svit Uryad’s fighter pilots has become practically a religion for the new Decados. Famed warriors are granted huge respect, and the lean pilots in their flowing black greatcoats festooned with religious icons and totems are an impressive sight.
The current Duke is one Luka Maksimovich-Decados, Baldak’s great-nephew. Luka is a born killer, who has flown in battle since he was a child. Rumour holds that he is a Vidma, a witch and practitioner of the strange animist cult that has grown popular in the northern pirate spires. Certainly, he has formed a small cadre of psychics around him. He is said to be able to blind enemy pilots with a thought, sending them spiralling to their deaths. His elite fighters, called the Koldun, are probably the best pilots on this world of expert airmen, and their distinctive black and green planes can be seen engaging in play dogfights around the heights of Mayak every evening.
Duke Luka has cut back on the expansionist plans of his uncle, who died in the last war with the Sentinels. The young Duke still fully plans to take the world he sees as his birthright, but is canny enough to explore other avenues to this goal. He has sent emissaries to the pirate spires, hoping to form a greater alliance, but few of these have returned. He is considering trying to unite the Eastern rebels next, and has even thought of talking with the Khodak savages in the northern forests, to maybe recruit them as infantry or saboteurs. Some of his uncle’s advisors dislike the new Duke’s ‘rash notions’, and some talk of deposing him if he doesn’t renew the war within the year.
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Posted - 01 Aug 2005 : 14:12:30
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The Eastern Rebels
This is the term used by the leaders of the Svit Uryad to describe the six spires which lie in the eastern reaches of Liskrayina, along the Bosch Mountains to the west coast of the Nova Baltic. It is something of a misnomer, because of these spires, only one has voiced a formal desire to break all ties with the World State. This spire is Kosmofabryka, which stands in the heights of the Dosch Range, near the ruins of the old Republic spaceport. In 4867, tired by the lack of response to calls for aid in the growing famines, the Church of this spire simply announced that it would no longer send representatives to the Outer Duma, and would ignore future edicts of both the branches of government. Despite the fears of the spire’s leaders, the Svit Uryad responded with silence, sending no retaliation force or even envoys to negotiate.
It became clear from this point that the core of the Svit Uryad had functionally abandoned the declining spires of the north, concentrating their relief efforts only on those closest to Osnova Odyn. The Dumas fully expected the more remote spires to fall like the four already engulfed by the encroaching ice, or to descend into barbarism like the Pirate Spires. One by one, the neighbouring spires of this region began abandoning their ties to the central government, until fully half of the continent lay outside the Svit Uryad’s sphere of influence.
The Rebel Spires have not changed significantly in terms of culture since this separation. They are still led by their local priesthoods, and still practice the aerial rites. In addition, they still survive on the labour of their Khodak servants, although the level of oppression varies greatly between the spires. Like the other spires of the north, the Rebels have suffered greatly from the growing polar regions, and famine is a constant threat. The spires themselves are in poor repair, as young Inzheners can no longer travel to Malo Sontse for proper training. The spires are riddled with streaks of rust, and large sections lie abandoned without power. None of the Rebel Spires have a population of over half a million, and several have initiated birth control restrictions to prevent food shortages.
Kosmofabryka
Of the Rebel Spires, Kosmofabryka is by far the most successful. This spire lies in valley in the heart of the eastern Dosch Mountains, and as a result is in a uniquely defensible location from the attacks of the sky pirates. The Church of the spire is also in the unique position of being the only government on Svarog to have contact with offworld traders. Beginning in 4963, a small number of less than legitimate Known World merchants have come here, finding a market for contraband which would be too difficult to fence within the Empire. In addition, around the same time a number of trader princes from the Golcondan lost worlds began more large-scale trade. Kosmofabryka has done its best to accommodate these traders. They sell high-tech devices and sheets of ceramsteel and rare alloys scavenged from the two abandoned spires to the north in exchange for food from Mataran and luxury items and slaves from the Known Worlds.
This relationship has proven enough to sustain the spire, which still hosts around 1.5 million inhabitants. The only upset in this trade came in 4983, when a Golcondan trader prince attempted to hold the spire to ransom, threatening to fire on it with his ship’s lasers if his demands were not met. The spire responded with an attack by hundreds of its tiny fighter craft, which quickly overwhelmed the much larger starship’s shields and sent it crashing into a nearby mountain. The wreckage can still be seen, and is calmly pointed out by the spire’s negotiators when an offworld captain grows too belligerent.
Kosmofabryka has done its best to keep its contact with offworlders a secret, and gives dire warnings to visitors against exploring other spires, which they try to paint as being under the control of insane pirate lords. Sporadic attacks by sky pirates on Kosmofabryka itself have added weight to these stories, and the common traders and smugglers have not tried to push their luck by testing the spire’s claims. On the other hand, the Decados agents that have begun arriving in the past decade have been slowly trying to get a better understanding of the planet’s political situation, and are considering opening up secret relations with a faction of the Svit Uryad, or possibly the Decados Kingdoms (who they view as simple pretenders, and have no intention of inviting back into the House unless doing so would present a clear advantage).
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Posted - 01 Aug 2005 : 14:16:35
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The Pirate Spires
When the polar regions began to expand in the 4700s, the first spires to be affected were those lying to the north of the Dosch Mountains. By the present day, four spires have been abandoned entirely, the vast ice-covered ruins now being home to only a few salvage teams from Kosmofabryka looking for scrap metals and electronics to sell to their offworld markets. When the encroaching ice first began to threaten, the leadership of the Svit Uryad organised massive relief operations, relocating the populations to the more southern spires. However, by the 49th century, problems of overcrowding and famine, combined with the growing apathy of the religious leaders on Letovysche, meant that no such measures were made available to the mountain spires who now found their farms replaced with tundra.
By the mid-49th century, several of these spires suffered bloody internal revolts, as panic over famine spread. Hunger and disease led to a rapidly falling population, and much of the Khodak fled into the deep mountains to avoid complete starvation (these groups are now said to live as violent cannibals, attacking any who brave the mountain passes by foot. As very few of the Lotchyk would ever deign to walk the surface, there is no hard evidence to say whether this is the case). As a means of survival, some of the airmen of the spire of Kryha Hora, which lies in the mountains north of the Straits of Oskol, began mounting raids on the Khodak farms of their neighbours, stealing crops and slaves. These raiders gained the title of Nebo Zlodiy, or sky pirates, and were the first serious military threat to face the Svit Uryad in its 500 year history.
Kryha Hora has remained the largest and most dangerous of the Sky Pirate spires, attacking both the Svit Uryad and the Decados Kingdoms whenever it perceives a weakness in either state’s defences. Several other spires have resorted to the same tactics, three lying in the mountains between the Svit Uryad and the Eastern Rebels, and another two north and west of the Decados, near the eastern coast of the Nova Baltic. All have a similar society. Much like the Decados spires, the Enerhiyist Church has been overthrown or abandoned. Indeed, the pirates hold priests in contempt, bearing a grudge for their ‘abandonment’ over a hundred years ago. The pirate spires have tiny populations, never more than ten thousand or so, the rest having long since fled or starved. Each spire has several gangs of raiders, each of which holds a few hundred aircraft. Dwellers in the spires must gain the respect of a gang leader to fly with them, and doing so is the only way to ensure a steady supply of food and protection from the other gangs that roam the rusting corridors.
In recent decades, a replacement to the Eherhiyist faith has begun to appear among the pirates. Centred in Kryha Hora, this new, informal animistic religion worships a host of wind spirits and demons. Practitioners, called Vidma, offer sacrifices to these various little gods, and sell charms and totems to fellow pirates to decorate their planes and flight suits. This religion has begun to become popular with the younger Decados nobles, largely to try and gain favour with the Duke who is rumoured to be a Vidma himself. It is clear that the Vidma cult includes some psychics, a discipline long dismissed and unpractised by the Enerhiyists. This gives the sky pirates an edge against the better trained and equipped planes of their targets.
The Vidma are particularly common in Kryha Hora, where the faith may have originated. One of the spire’s three main gang leaders is Mama Dernyaya, an aged crone who claims to be the daughter of the Great Ice Wind, the spirit of the northern glaciers. She rules from the top of the spire, and is said to dwell in a chamber open to the air, where she can miraculously survive the freezing winds and low oxygen. She still leads raids despite her age, and is rumoured to be in some kind of alliance with the young Decados duke.
The Mama is growing in power within the spire, but is still opposed by two rivals. King Oleg Vedmid is a huge brutal man who runs a small slave kingdom in the lower reaches of the spire. He has been targeting the aircraft of Inzheners, hoping to seize someone with the ability to restore the spire’s geothermal engines. The mid-levels are ruled by Kapitan Danil Romanavichi. A surprisingly young man, the Kapitan seized control over three rival gangs in a series of brilliant and ruthless manoeuvres. The Kapitan focuses on negotiation far more than his rivals, acting as a mediating force in the politics of the spire. He recently became aware of the spacecraft visiting Kosmofabryka, and is very interested in gaining entry into that source of wealth. The Kapitan is a handsome and charming man, but this covers a vicious mind, and he is perhaps the most dangerous of the Sky Pirates.
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Posted - 01 Aug 2005 : 14:18:40
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The Povstanets Al’yans
The southern island of Zemlja is unique in being in the hands of the hated Khodak. During the height of the Svit Uryad, Zemlja was considered too arid and rocky to be suitable for widespread habitation. As a result, only three spires were built here. As the glaciation began, the southern two spires were evacuated, leaving their Khodak serfs to their fate. For the next 200 years, the majority of the island was ignored, with the Svit Uryad only maintaining a token presence in the spire of Perevani Drotyk on the northern coast.
This period of indifference ended in 4914, when Lotchyk scouts spotted a number of mid-sized towns being built in the hills of the interior by the descendants of the Khodak. Realising that the Khodak had thrived since their abandonment, and hoping to harness them again as a source of labour, the Inner Duma ordered Perevani Drotyk to pacify the ‘rebels’, and to prepare them for shipment to the failing farms in the north. Unsurprisingly, the Khodak responded with violence, and the Svit Uryad began air raids, targeting the larger settlements. In 4920, the Khodak struck back. It is still a mystery how the peasant army managed to successfully storm Perevani Drotyk, but a team of saboteurs entered and destroyed the geothermal engines, gutting much of the spire in the explosion. Now, Perevani Drotyk still stands, but is a blackened ruin. The top third of the tower has broken away, and what remains lists at an alarming angle. Tales of great technological treasures within the spire are popular, and bored Lotchyk occasionally mount expeditions to pick through the ruin.
After the destruction of Perevani Drotyk, the Svit Uryad responded with firebombing campaigns against the known Khodak towns. However, by the time the reprisals began, most large settlements had been abandoned. Now the Khodak, who are known as the Povstanets Al’yans by their enemies, live in a series of small temporary settlements and underground refuges. The war has dragged on for nearly a century, with the Svit Uryad leading offensives from one of the great Povitria airships permanently docked a few miles offshore. Fighting the Povstanets is considered to be a great honour by the Lytsar fighters, and many young pilots hope to gain renown here. The war would be one-sided, if not for the ability of the Khodak to blend into the countryside, and the use crude rocket launchers and clever ambushes to even the odds. The greatest weapon of the Povstanets are the mechsoldat. These appear to be converted farming golems, rebuilt for war. They are roughly humanoid, standing around 15’ tall. They are studded with missiles and machine guns scavenged from crashed gunships, and are strong enough to take considerable damage in a firefight.
Very little is known about the Povstanets Al’yans, especially as the Inner Duma does its best to hide any real information from the citizens of the Svit Uryad (most of whom see the rebels as little more than dangerous animals). They are thought to live in small clans, which only unite in the face of large attacks. They seem to have built up a level of technology unseen elsewhere among the ground walkers. Some theorise that they are aided by a fifth column within the Svit Uryad, and several Khodak ‘sympathizers’ are uncovered and executed each year by the Inner Duma’s Investigators. More likely is the possibility that the Khodak have gained their knowledge by exploring the abandoned spires to the south. The Povstanets also include in their number the small number of Hironem who have survived on Svarog. Descendants of workers brought in by EGO, they lived in the hills of Zemlja, having refused to join the Svit Uryad when it formed. Legend holds that they dwell in an underground city, modelled on their ancestors’ home of Turaz on Cadiz. It is now thought that this city is the centre of the Khodak resistance, although its location remains a mystery.
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Posted - 01 Aug 2005 : 14:20:56
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Game Rules
Svarogan Language
The language of the Svit Uryad on Svarog is an amalgam of various ancient Urth dialects, particularly from the Slavic and northern Baltic nations. In the time since the Fall, it has changed dramatically, losing all but a token similarity to Urthish. It is a very logical language, deliberately codified by Enerhiyist mathematicians. As a result, most Known Worlders cannot understand the Svarogan dialect. Natives of Severus and Cadiz may attempt to translate using a Wits+Observe roll, at a -6 penalty. Those who can read Urthtech can attempt to translate Svarogan texts with a similar penalty.
Aircraft
The aircraft flown by many citizens of Svarog’s spires are a ubiquitous image of this world. Many different models and designs exist within the Svit Uryad, and many more have been jury-rigged by the mechanics of the sky pirates. Most citizens fly in small, one or two-man fixed wing craft. These are relatively small, carrying only the pilot and a small amount of cargo. They tend to resemble incredibly sleek versions of early aircraft, covered in chrome and religious icons. Jet aircraft exist, but most tend to prefer slower models. Manoeuvrability is vastly preferred over speed. Some common models follow.
Litak Airplane
Speed: 500km/hr
Armour: 6d
Fuel: Fusion
RNG: 1000km
Cargo: 1 ton
People: 1/0
Vitality: Ruin/-8/-6/-4/-2/0/0/0/0/0/0
Weapons: None
Tech Level: 6
Firebird Cost: None. Provided free to loyal citizens.
The Litak is a standard model for many civilian aircraft. By law, they cannot be armed except when activated to serve in the local militia. These craft are generally used for travel between spires and religious ceremonies.
A militia airplane has a Lt Machinegun (DMG 7) and 2 Armour Piercing Missiles (DMG 15, halve target’s armour) fitted.
Zbroya Gunship
Speed: 600km/hr
Armour: 8d
Fuel: Fusion
RNG: 700km
Cargo: 200kg
People: 1/0
Vitality: Ruin/-8/-6/-4/-2/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0
Weapons: See below
Tech Level: 6
Firebird Cost: None. Military vehicles only.
Notes: +2 to Drive Aircraft rolls.
The Zbroya is built on the same chassis as a basic civilian aircraft, but with a modified engine designed for manoeuvrability over range and a number of inbuilt weapons systems. This is the traditional aircraft of the Lytsar fighter pilots of both the Svit Uryad and the Decados Kingdoms. Zbroya can be rigged as either anti-aircraft or bomber planes.
Fighter Load
2 Hvy. Machineguns (DMG 10)
2 High Explosive Missiles (DMG 20, 20m area of effect)
OR
Armour Piercing Missiles (DMG 15, Halves target’s armour)
Bomber Load
Lt. Machinegun (DMG 7)
4 High Explosive Bombs (DMG 20, 20m area of effect)
OR
Fire Bombs (DMG 10, see rules for Flamegun, 15m area of effect)
Notes: Larger military aircraft exist, but are rarely used except in the epic air wars periodically fought between the Decados and the Svit Uryad.
Pirate aircraft tend to be based on scavenged civilian craft, but without the strict protocols of the Enerhiyist mechanics. Designs and weapon systems can be radically different. As a general rule, pirates prefer light aircraft designed for anti-air combat.
The Lytsar of Kosmofabryka are the only ones to make regular use of laser weaponry. Svit Uryad military technology runs a few centuries behind its general tech base due to the long period of peace between 4200 and 4800. Kosmofabryka has begun buying ship-grade light lasers and fitting them to a small elite force of fighter planes.
Mechsoldat
These golems are the best asset the Povstanets Al’yans has in its war for survival. These giant robots have no set appearance or weaponry, each being hand-made by a small number of Khodak who have recovered the technical knowledge of their ancestors. They are clumsy, clunking machines, but remarkably effective at the same time. Generally, mechsoldats are used in ambushes, targeting aircraft that are lured into the narrow rocky gorges of Zemlja’s interior hills. Most vary between 15’ to 25’ in height. A typical model is described here.
Tech Level: 5
Body: Strength 15 (+4 DMG bonus), Dexterity 6, Endurance 15
Mind: Wits 4, Perception 7, Tech 2
Natural Skills: Dodge 4, Fight 8, Impress 8, Shoot 8, Vigor 15
Learned Skills: Warfare (Gunnery) 8, Warfare (Tactics) 5
Armour: 10d (thick metal plating)
Vitality: Wrecked/-8/-6/-4/-2/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0/0
Weapons:
Punch (Goal 14, DMG 8)
Arm Mounted Hvy. Machinegun (Goal 14, DMG 10)
Shoulder Mounted Missiles x4 (Goal 14, DMG 15, Half target’s armour)
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Posted - 01 Aug 2005 : 22:45:55
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Now that is good! I can almost visualize the huge Spires poking out of the cloud cover above a temperate rain forest, the cries of weird avians echoing back and forth across the misty, red-tinged vistas.
I especially like the idea of the revived Decados. They have a lot of potential. Who's to say they are even related to the KWs Mantis House? Maybe they just dug the name out of the archives and think that the green-and-black colour scheme on their planes is kewl. [:D]
A nice mix of SovPunk, Stapeldon and Nausicaa Jack. I bet it'll leave my players feeling slightly smug at their own erudition in spotting your sources. Also gives me a chance to wheel out my dreadfully bad Russian accent and furry hat for the evening. "Grooovy!"
Applause and kudos from the spacemonkey element |
"The truth is too important to waste on every fool who asks."
EPT fansite, last updated 14/08/05: http://phoenixthrone.shorturl.com/
Vote for EPT at http://www.rpggateway.com/cgi-bin/wyrm/rate.cgi?ID=2224 |
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Posted - 02 Aug 2005 : 07:56:06
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quote:
Originally posted by bosssmiley
Now that is good! I can almost visualize the huge Spires poking out of the cloud cover above a temperate rain forest, the cries of weird avians echoing back and forth across the misty, red-tinged vistas.
Ah, good. Svarog has a certain visual 'feel' to me that I was having trouble conveying. That's pretty much exactly what I was going for. To an outsider (especially in the decaying East), the planet seems almost deserted, but for pathetic medieval villages and the occasional dot flying far overhead. The spires are huge, silent monoliths, giving very little clue to what lies inside until they erupt like a hornets nest.
quote:
I especially like the idea of the revived Decados. They have a lot of potential. Who's to say they are even related to the KWs Mantis House? Maybe they just dug the name out of the archives and think that the green-and-black colour scheme on their planes is kewl. [:D]
Well, that is exactly how I picture it. In fact, after nearly 1000 years, I think it would be pretty much impossible to tell if there is a hereditary link or not. I suspect not. 'Decados' has just come to mean 'not the State' in the north-west. Culturally, I think they are quite different. More like the Hazat, as a militant culture. When contact does emerge with the true House, it should be suitably messy.
In a way, I sort of see the Svarog Decados as the good guys. More by default than anything else.
And being 'kewl'is very important to the Decados Lytsar. Machismo and daring are the most admired traits in a pilot. Think ludicrously stylish leather clothing. Pompous, half-invented military titles. Rivalry between the elite air squads. Pistol duels over obscure matters of honour while standing on a docking pylon 500m above the ground. That sort of thing.
quote:
A nice mix of SovPunk, Stapeldon and Nausicaa Jack. I bet it'll leave my players feeling slightly smug at their own erudition in spotting your sources. Also gives me a chance to wheel out my dreadfully bad Russian accent and furry hat for the evening. "Grooovy!"
Well, glad to be of service. And if any know Ukrainian, tell them I'm sorry, but WFRP did it first. Oh, and if any notice what the Young Duke is based off, they will earn my eternal admiration as nerds of the highest order.
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Applause and kudos from the spacemonkey element
Happy to oblige, your simianship.
Jack. |
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Posted - 02 Aug 2005 : 10:57:01
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| Jack, this is an excellent world. I will certainly use this world in my next campaign. |
"Don't tell them that I meant well." - Adron e'Kieron |
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Posted - 02 Aug 2005 : 12:20:15
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quote:
Originally posted by Danos
Jack, this is an excellent world. I will certainly use this world in my next campaign.
Many thanks Danos. Honestly, it's really flattering to think someone may actually use what I write in a game. If any of you do, please let me know how it goes. I'm very curious as to how the setting works out in play.
Jack. |
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Posted - 03 Aug 2005 : 11:50:42
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| Darn it, I wish I was running a game. My players would SO be going there. |
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Posted - 04 Aug 2005 : 11:18:33
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quote:
Originally posted by Hastur
Darn it, I wish I was running a game. My players would SO be going there.
Thanks Hastur. Again, if you don't mind me asking, what would you use? Is there anything you think could do with being expanded? I'd like to get some feedback as to what you guys enjoy, to help with any future worlds I might write up. This is proving to be quite a fun little hobby.
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Posted - 04 Aug 2005 : 22:30:37
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I know you can't really add it here, and not everyone can do it (me included), but the only thing left for this world as far as I can see is artwork. I've always been inspired by good art that captures the feel of whatever is being talked about. As Bosssmiley has stated, I can already see stuff in my mind, but artwork always helps.
Maybe some specific adventure hooks could be cool as well. Not that there isn't already stuff in the write-up that I could use. |
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Posted - 05 Aug 2005 : 06:20:03
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quote:
Originally posted by Hastur
I know you can't really add it here, and not everyone can do it (me included), but the only thing left for this world as far as I can see is artwork. I've always been inspired by good art that captures the feel of whatever is being talked about. As Bosssmiley has stated, I can already see stuff in my mind, but artwork always helps.
Ah, too true. Unfortunatly my artistic ability is about on par with a quadriplegic squirrel. I always find artwork that actually pictures the setting (alas not as common as it should be) very useful in RPG books.
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Maybe some specific adventure hooks could be cool as well. Not that there isn't already stuff in the write-up that I could use.
This isn't something I've considered, as I never use published adventures myself. It is often too much hassle converting them for my groups, and they tend to be a bit linear. Still, common plots on Svarog could be:
- Questing Knights/Merchants/Inquisitors/Decados trying to survey the world for their superiors.
- Looters searching for tech among the ruins in the north or in the lands of the Povstanets Al'yans.
- Offworlders kidnapped by Kapitan Danil of Kryha Hora to act as 'ambassadors' in his plot to take over Kosmofabryka.
- Mercenaries hired by Kosmofabryka or the Decados Kingdoms to fight against Sky Pirates or the Svit Uryad.
- Engineers or Eskatonics trying to access the wonders of the geothermal engines (the only functioning ones lying within inhabited spires).
I imagine most adventures would centre around the rediscovery of Svarog. I've tried to present a world on the brink of vast change. Which states will survive and which Imperial factions will become involved seem the most interesting questions to me. Theories welcome.
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Posted - 05 Aug 2005 : 10:32:41
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I don't much like full published adventures, for the same reason you mentioned. What I like are little one or two line statements that get a GM's mind rolling. Stuff like: "Lately in the capital city, prostitutes have been going missing. It wouldn't normally have been noticed, but the last victem was a noble's teenage daughter who had been slumming." Or "Once a year, on winter's eve, in the village of (Something or other), villagers witness strange lights dancing above an island across the lake. Only a few brave people have ever ventured to see what was there, and only one ever returned. He never spoke again."
You could suggest a few very different things that might be the cause.
Picking through the planets discription a GM should come up with many good hooks on his/her own, but I always like a little section of this sort of thing to look at and get the mind rolling.
I guess with a lost world a few ideas about how the PCs might get wind of it could help as well, though again, it shouldn't take much to come up with something for most GMs.
Mainly, I was just trying to come up with something you might add. I think the whole things pretty much complete as is. |
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Posted - 05 Aug 2005 : 19:29:40
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Hi Hastur,
Having re-read my write-up, I think you have a point. I've been so busy focusing on trying to get the basic framework of the socities working, I haven't thought enough about how a group of players would interact with the setting, and more adventure seeds would be a good way to do this.
I'm thinking of expanding my description of Kosmofabryka, to turn it into a mini-setting of its own, much like I tried to do with Noumea on Manitou. I kind of glossed over it because it's not that important (yet) in on-world politics. But of course, the pcs are going to be visitors, not natives, and they will probably care much more about this than infighting among the Enerhiyists or suchlike.
Do you think that would help make it more accesible? I'll have a think and post an edit this weekend.
Jack. |
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Posted - 05 Aug 2005 : 22:58:57
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| I can see Kosmofabryka being the most likely place for players to be introduced to the world, and more on it would be cool. But I still think what you've done here is fantastic. Like I said, I wish I had players to take there. |
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Posted - 06 Aug 2005 : 04:58:42
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quote:
Originally posted by Jack Oldham
Hi Hastur,
Having re-read my write-up, I think you have a point. I've been so busy focusing on trying to get the basic framework of the socities working, I haven't thought enough about how a group of players would interact with the setting, and more adventure seeds would be a good way to do this.
That seems a bit of an odd admission to me. Each section of the Sky Pirates of Svarog write-up had me grinning with glee at possible adventure hooks and cool scenes I could drop my players into (although we've barely got Manitou dust on the character's feet yet). Adventure hooks are already inherent in the setting.
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I'm thinking of expanding my description of Kosmofabryka, to turn it into a mini-setting of its own, much like I tried to do with Noumea on Manitou.
...or Pandemonium's Mos Eisley Hub, or (to cite an example from my own games) the Collier Station in orbit around Sargasso - the punning name was intentional. A keynote city which can act as an initial base for exploration and also has in microcosm many of the salient 'selling points' of the world.
Do it Jack! Do it! [:)]
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I kind of glossed over it because it's not that important (yet) in on-world politics. But of course, the pcs are going to be visitors, not natives, and they will probably care much more about this than infighting among the Enerhiyists or suchlike.
Just make it their problem. One faction is pro-offworlder, the another anti-offworlder, all consider the PCs tools to be used to further their own ends. Or simply "Where do I get a plane like that?" quote:
Do you think that would help make it more accesible? I'll have a think and post an edit this weekend.
Jack.
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Posted - 06 Aug 2005 : 19:13:04
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Hi Bosssmiley,
quote:
Originally posted by bosssmiley
That seems a bit of an odd admission to me. Each section of the Sky Pirates of Svarog write-up had me grinning with glee at possible adventure hooks and cool scenes I could drop my players into (although we've barely got Manitou dust on the character's feet yet). Adventure hooks are already inherent in the setting.
Well, that's very kind of you. Still, nothing's perfect, and I greatly appreciate any criticims that helps me analyse and improve what I've written.
And are you saying you are currently running a game on Manitou using my stuff? If so, I beg thee, let me know how it goes. I'm very curious as to what works in actual play and what doesn't.
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...or Pandemonium's Mos Eisley Hub, or (to cite an example from my own games) the Collier Station in orbit around Sargasso - the punning name was intentional.
And will your thoughts on Sargasso see the light of day soon? I know I'm looking forward to seeing what you've got. I hope to send the Tethyn Vixen there the next time it's my turn to GM.
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A keynote city which can act as an initial base for exploration and also has in microcosm many of the salient 'selling points' of the world.
Exactly. Ideally, I think Kosmofabryka could act as a cool stop-off point without any further exploration of Svarog being necessary, or as a guide to the world to begin a longer adventure. As a result, I'll post some more details on the spire's layout, its rulers, the competing offworlder factions and come up with a few more adventure hooks.
Incidently, is it true to say that most Golcondan traders are independents from Penang, or does Mataran have a merchant navy of its own? I've been assuming that the only Golcondans that come to Svarog are independent trader princes, but having the government of Mataran involved as well could be interesting.
Jack |
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Posted - 06 Aug 2005 : 20:22:04
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quote:
Originally posted by Jack Oldham
Hi Bosssmiley,
quote:
Originally posted by bosssmiley
Each section of the Sky Pirates of Svarog write-up had me grinning with glee at possible adventure hooks and cool scenes I could drop my players into. Adventure hooks are already inherent in the setting.
Well, that's very kind of you. Still, nothing's perfect, and I greatly appreciate any criticims that helps me analyse and improve what I've written.
And are you saying you are currently running a game on Manitou using my stuff? If so, I beg thee, let me know how it goes. I'm very curious as to what works in actual play and what doesn't.
I've been sneakily re-writing the campaign to take a significant "Vau scheming and bizarre mysticism" tour there. Most of IS:Manitou is good grist to the mill. It's just a case of what to throw the players into first. I'm thinking of starting with the cliches of Manitou everyone knows and then putting some Cap'n Jack twists on them to throw the veterans. [:)]
"Yeah this detour to Manitou was planned all along...it was just something I wanted to keep as a a surprise."
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quote:
...or Pandemonium's Mos Eisley Hub, or (to cite an example from my own games) the Collier Station in orbit around Sargasso - the punning name was intentional.
And will your thoughts on Sargasso see the light of day soon? I know I'm looking forward to seeing what you've got. I hope to send the Tethyn Vixen there the next time it's my turn to GM.
There's nothing much to the notes really, just extensions of what's already been written. Basically take DS9, remove the "Star Trek" glossiness and add some good ole FS kludge, turn the Bajorans into a bunch of crystal-meth crazed Sathraist taxidrivers, morph the Cardassians into the Hazat, change the wormhole into a jumpgate that randomly opens and closes new routes as it sees fit, then add Vuldrok, Thana exiles and strange alien Foos (the Z'go) to taste. Shake, serve and stand well back...
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quote:
A keynote city which can act as an initial base for exploration and also has in microcosm many of the salient 'selling points' of the world.
Exactly. Ideally, I think Kosmofabryka could act as a cool stop-off point without any further exploration of Svarog being necessary, or as a guide to the world to begin a longer adventure. As a result, I'll post some more details on the spire's layout, its rulers, the competing offworlder factions and come up with a few more adventure hooks.
Incidently, is it true to say that most Golcondan traders are independents from Penang, or does Mataran have a merchant navy of its own? I've been assuming that the only Golcondans that come to Svarog are independent trader princes, but having the government of Mataran involved as well could be interesting.
Regarding the 4983 attack on Kosmofabryka from Golcondanspace: that sounds like a classic Matarani bullyboy tactic to me. [:)]
Golconda as I've written it is incredibly broad-brush. It was designed so that other people could add whatever they felt was cool and fun to it. Ambiguity? Complexity? Potential for contradictions? Those are just something else for the players to work out. [:)]
Who flies to Svarog circa. 5000AD? That's absolutely your call.
Just for a little context though:
- Penang is little more than a federation/trading bloc of trader-princes and states with mutual strategic and merchantile alliances. They've worked out that it's more cost-effective to gang up and screw over more parochial offworlders. [:)]
- Mataran has 3-4 major powers constantly jockeying for position. Of these only the Empire of Mataran (inheritor of most of the old Shrijvayan star navy) makes a big thing of interstellar influence - much as the US has the only serious space programme today. Unlike the US though there's a lot of chauvinism and exclusivity in their space programme: it's their symbol of topdogness, and the Mataranis don't rent out cargo space on launches.
There's also a largely ineffectual attempt to blockade incoming non-Matarani space trade (the Penangites and indie traders find comments about Mataran cutting its collective nose off to spite its face highly amusing).
- There are a *lot* of indie traders in Golcondan space, I'd say the majority of interstellar flight is by non-state indie pilots. Most operate out of the chaotic frontier area that is Kalimtan, but they usually fly a Penangite flag of convenience. Indie traders tend to work in costers or joint-stock companies, with maybe a half-a-dozen trader-pilots sharing their jumpkeys and contacts. The most successful usually parley their wealth into land, status and title on Penang.
- The Decados have poked their noses beyond Mandala system. But I think they took one look at the Keddah-al-Malik and decided to establish themselves on relatively backward Mandala before opening another front in the Decados-Keddah struggle.
- Sulu is just a mess. Don't go there unless you want to have your ship, cargo and crew stolen or set alight by the zealots of the Tamla Vasta. This lot mainly get their jollys by beating up on heathen Golcondans.
Penang is the best place to trade jumproute data, it's just another commodity to them. As Penang is also the best place to train pilots there's an unofficial version of the Charioteer/Imperial enforced pax of the Known Worlds in effect. This is based on the fact that few trader-princes will risk their (valuable and almost irreplacable) ships in interplanetary wars. Leave fighting to the Mataranis, Karanis and those arrogant, high-paying Suardi from Angkor.
That's my take on it anyway, I really should just add that to the existing file. [:I] Everything above is, of course, subject to change in the light of cooler and more playable suggestions. |
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Posted - 06 Aug 2005 : 21:36:47
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quote:
Originally posted by bosssmiley
I've been sneakily re-writing the campaign to take a significant "Vau scheming and bizarre mysticism" tour there. Most of IS:Manitou is good grist to the mill. It's just a case of what to throw the players into first. I'm thinking of starting with the cliches of Manitou everyone knows and then putting some Cap'n Jack twists on them to throw the veterans. [:)]
"Yeah this detour to Manitou was planned all along...it was just something I wanted to keep as a a surprise."
Heh. Well, good luck. If it's not too much trouble, could you write a short summary of the adventure when it's finished?
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turn the Bajorans into a bunch of crystal-meth crazed Sathraist taxidrivers
Uh, what? Okay, this needs some kind of explanation. [:)]
quote:
Regarding the 4983 attack on Kosmofabryka from Golcondanspace: that sounds like a classic Matarani bullyboy tactic to me. [:)]
And so it shall become.
So, how does this strike you as a breakdown of Golcondans on Svarog. The vast majority are freetraders from Penang and Kalimtan. They sell food and slaves (is this legal?) in return for high-tech alloys and machinery. While Svarog is common knowledge to the indie traders, keys are rare, and only a handful of competing interests come here. Svarog is widely known to Golcondans as a frozen hell of crazy people who are terrified of dirt (they're not really, but the sterile environment of the spire means that they tend to look down on the untidy) and die if they touch the ground.
These trader princes (I'll maybe come up with a couple of leading ones, when I can think of some decent names) have very good relations with the spire's leaders. They do their best to stay at the top of the pecking order in regards to the offworlders. The fleets of these trader princes get preferential docking and refueling privileges, and receive the best contracts. Beneath them are the various ambassadors from most of the Golcondan governments (who the spire is polite to but largely ignores), then the Known World traders (who are seen as unreliable but useful scum). The spire has been known to take care of 'problems' for its best trade partners.
The Matarani have access to Svarog, but since one of their captains tried to annex the spire, with fatal results, they are very wary of it. Their leaders plot a second attack, but have too many other concerns to set aside the forces needed. Since the destruction of the Matarani ship, the priests of Kosmofabryka refuse to trade with anyone with disfiguring injuries, and Matarani must now trade through independent middle men. Matarani have become figures of ridicule to the Svarogans, and appear as pathetic villains in low brow music hall dramas.
The Golcondan traders try to keep aloof of their Known World counterparts, viewing them (quite rightly) as untrustworthy pirates. There was a spate of attacks on Golcondan vessels leaving Svarog between 4997 and 5001, until a trader prince identified the attackers as the Sable Vorox, a pirate vessel out of Cadavus. The crew were captured and executed by the spire's authorities when they landed for fuel, although some escaped and are thought to be living with the Khodak savages in the mountains.
Most Golcondans accept the wild tales the leaders of Kosmofabryka tell them to discourage exploration of the planet. This is mainly to maintain the good relations with the spire, but also as the Svarogans are happy to bring goods to them. It tends to be the more adventurous (i.e. desperate) Known Worlders who go exploring.
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That's my take on it anyway, I really should just add that to the existing file. [:I] Everything above is, of course, subject to change in the light of cooler and more playable suggestions.
That you should. Seriously, the Golcondan Worlds are very impressive. They can serve as a varied and dynamic 'barbarian' culture on par with the Vuldrok and Kurgans. In particular, I see them as a great way to justify the non-guild smugglers and pirates I like to shove in at every opportunity. This gives them a wide market as yet unpoliced by the Empire. I fully intend to use them at some point, and will probably continue to refer to them in any future worlds I come up with.
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Posted - 06 Aug 2005 : 22:22:36
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quote:
Originally posted by Jack Oldham
Heh. Well, good luck. If it's not too much trouble, could you write a short summary of the adventure when it's finished?
Hai Jaku-san. Sorry, couldn't resist, Cartoon Network on in the background and "Samurai Jack" is on. [:D]
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turn the Bajorans into a bunch of crystal-meth crazed Sathraist taxidrivers
Uh, what? Okay, this needs some kind of explanation. [:)]
That's just my take on the Sargassans. I added a little fluff in my game that, thanks to the training their priest-pilots give them when young (*slight* shades of the Rweng for pre-saging purposes) that Sargassans tend to go into a speed-crazed fugue state when behind the wheel. It gives them amazing response time, but they hunger to go faster and faster... A cross between the Great Gonzo and the Orkish Cult of Speed from "WH40K". [:D]
Take the DS9 Bajorans (peacable Tibetan types) and make them a little more immediately interesting for my players. They came to dread the words "I'll drive" [8D]
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Regarding the 4983 attack on Kosmofabryka from Golcondanspace: that sounds like a classic Matarani bullyboy tactic to me. [:)]
And so it shall become.
So, how does this strike you as a breakdown of Golcondans on Svarog. The vast majority are freetraders from Penang and Kalimtan. They sell food and slaves (is this legal?)
Whether it's legal or not (whatever makes for better plot hooks), there's a Golcondan-Svarogan slave trade now. [:)]
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in return for high-tech alloys and machinery. While Svarog is common knowledge to the indie traders, keys are rare, and only a handful of competing interests come here. Svarog is widely known to Golcondans as a frozen hell of crazy people who are terrified of dirt (they're not really, but the sterile environment of the spire means that they tend to look down on the untidy) and die if they touch the ground.
LOL! [:)]
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These trader princes (I'll maybe come up with a couple of leading ones, when I can think of some decent names)
Penangite names: Malay, Arabic (Keddah-al-Malik), possibly Armenian given their historical tendency to turn up all over Asia
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have very good relations with the spire's leaders. They do their best to stay at the top of the pecking order in regards to the offworlders. The fleets of these trader princes get preferential docking and refueling privileges, and receive the best contracts. Beneath them are the various ambassadors from most of the Golcondan governments (who the spire is polite to but largely ignores), then the Known World traders (who are seen as unreliable but useful scum). The spire has been known to take care of 'problems' for its best trade partners.
A nicely hooky use of inverted commas there. Hats off to you sir!
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The Matarani have access to Svarog, but since one of their captains tried to annex the spire, with fatal results, they are very wary of it. Their leaders plot a second attack, but have too many other concerns to set aside the forces needed. Since the destruction of the Matarani ship, the priests of Kosmofabryka refuse to trade with anyone with disfiguring injuries, and Matarani must now trade through independent middle men. Matarani have become figures of ridicule to the Svarogans, and appear as pathetic villains in low brow music hall dramas.
"Look kids! it's Lump, the no-legged Matarani. See him posture. See him threaten. See him pilot his spaceship into a hillside thanks to his lack of hands and poor depth perception. The Holy Enerhiya doesn't think much of him, does it now?" - quoted from a Svarogan "Punchovich and Judi" play [:)]
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The Golcondan traders try to keep aloof of their Known World counterparts, viewing them (quite rightly) as untrustworthy pirates.
I'm sure Litigator Danos would think of a more polite euphemism for the role of the holy knights of the Phoenix Empire and their skilled Merchant League cohorts, who'd never dream of conning some unsuspecteing outworlders. [;)]
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There was a spate of attacks on Golcondan vessels leaving Svarog between 4997 and 5001, until a trader prince identified the attackers as the Sable Vorox, a pirate vessel out of Cadavus. The crew were captured and executed by the spire's authorities when they landed for fuel, although some escaped and are thought to be living with the Khodak savages in the mountains.
Most Golcondans accept the wild tales the leaders of Kosmofabryka tell them to discourage exploration of the planet. This is mainly to maintain the good relations with the spire, but also as the Svarogans are happy to bring goods to them. It tends to be the more adventurous (i.e. desperate) Known Worlders who go exploring.
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Posted - 07 Aug 2005 : 08:25:12
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quote:
Originally posted by bosssmiley
That's just my take on the Sargassans. I added a little fluff in my game that, thanks to the training their priest-pilots give them when young (*slight* shades of the Rweng for pre-saging purposes) that Sargassans tend to go into a speed-crazed fugue state when behind the wheel. It gives them amazing response time, but they hunger to go faster and faster... A cross between the Great Gonzo and the Orkish Cult of Speed from "WH40K". [:D]
Take the DS9 Bajorans (peacable Tibetan types) and make them a little more immediately interesting for my players. They came to dread the words "I'll drive" [8D]
He he. That's cool. I love the Sargassans. Their good-natured enthusiasm is just so out of place in the Fading Suns universe.
'Yeah, you hear those cats on Crossroads have got the boosters working on the Pheonix? Hear tell it'll be up before year's end. This is gonna be so cool. Gonna see if I can't get on crew. I was third in the Salt Flats race last year, they need me. Heard from that crazy tech out on Poroli Atoll that they got a big wheel up there, an' going through it's a bigger buzz than dropping Fugu. Gotta get some o' that, man.'
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Whether it's legal or not (whatever makes for better plot hooks), there's a Golcondan-Svarogan slave trade now. [:)]
Well, its certainly legal on the Svarogan end. The Lothchyk ain't what you'd call compassionate.
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Penangite names: Malay, Arabic (Keddah-al-Malik), possibly Armenian given their historical tendency to turn up all over Asia
The three leading mercantile interests at Kosmofabryka are:
Sir Kaliq Keddah-al-Malik: A young, disgraced noble from Penang. It's not entirely clear how he got access to Svarog, but his family are powerful enough that the other Golcondan merchants have not challenged his presence here. Kaliq runs a fleet of three traders, dealing mainly in luxury goods and foodstuffs. His egalitarian upbringing means he opposes the slave trade, and refuses to deal in human cargo despite Kosmofabryka's great appetite for labour. He is the most open of the Golcondan factions, and will happily negotiate with Known Worlders. He is particularly interested in buying information on the worlds and factions of the Pheonix Empire.
Vrij Jirair: Vrij represents the Jirair Consortium on Svarog. The Jirair family is a vastly wealthy trader family, with holdings on both Kalimtan and Penang and exclusive trade contracts on Mataran. The Jirair are responcible for most of the slave trade with Svarog. Vrij is an elderly man, who has lived on Svarog for over 40 years and has become acclimitised to the world's odd culture. He even owns a specially built airplane with a Lytsar pilot on retainer. The Jirair do their best to hold a monopoly on Svarogan jumpkeys.
Hayati: Hayati is a trader prince from Kalimtan. She bought a key five years ago from the Jirair, and her ship has specialised in trading foodstuffs ever since. She is also pretty openly involved in smuggling, trading illicitly with the Lotchyk without Church permission. She has found ready markets for various drugs and other luxuries among the spire's citizens. It is theorised that she is blackmailing Vrij Jirair in some way, as she has generally gone unchallenged. Both the Jirair and the Inzheners are unhappy about her presence, but tolerate it for now as a minor nuisence.
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"Look kids! it's Lump, the no-legged Matarani. See him posture. See him threaten. See him pilot his spaceship into a hillside thanks to his lack of hands and poor depth perception. The Holy Enerhiya doesn't think much of him, does it now?" - quoted from a Svarogan "Punchovich and Judi" play [:)]
Brilliant.
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I'm sure Litigator Danos would think of a more polite euphemism for the role of the holy knights of the Phoenix Empire and their skilled Merchant League cohorts, who'd never dream of conning some unsuspecteing outworlders. [;)]
Actually, most of the Known World traders ARE pirates, or at least smugglers. The Decados only became aware of Svarog ten years ago, and have deliberately kept a low profile as they try to scout out the world. The Empire and the League only found out about the world last year, when the MTC beat it out of Jarak the Red. They are planning to send formal embassies to Kosmofabryka, but the Decados are doing their best to run interference. Most of the pirates don't yet know that their safe port is compromised, but will scarper when the authorities start showing up.
For now, the spire will see any Known Worlders as the shifty, petty merchants who flog contraband for repairs and supplies, and treat them fairly but with little respect. It will take a while for them to twig that they are dealing with something larger. When that happens, they may panic and shut down negotiations, or try to orchestrate another 'Mataran Folly' to put the newcomers in their place.
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Posted - 08 Aug 2005 : 08:01:21
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Hi all,
A bit more on Kosmofabryka.
The Known Worlders
Svarog has been a whispered secret among the underclass of pirates and smugglers who haunt planets such as Cadavus and Manitou. No keys are known to exist. Instead, the jumpcode is passed furtively between crews as part of blackmarket trades. Svarog has been used for nearly 50 years as a safe port, where contraband can be sold for much needed repairs and supplies without alerting the noble and Imperial authorities. Especially since the chaos of the Emperor Wars has ended, and the powers that be have reclaimed control of their domains, Svarog is seen as one of a rapidly dwindling number of Free Ports.
The leading Known Worlders with a strong presence in Kosmofabryka are:
Captain Josef Kiyoda-Toa: A Zuranist pirate from Madoc, Captain Josef is a relative of the Storm Wife of Manitou, and has extensive links with the pirates of the Eyrie on that world. Having reached middle age without dying horribly, Josef is seeking to settle down, and has done so by becoming a sort of informal ambassador to the Enerhiyist authorities. He acts as a middle man, using his gift for languages and diplomacy to smooth out trade agreements between Known Worlder crews and the authorities. His ship, the Coyote's Eye, is now captained by his neice and her Lotchyk lover. Josef is in many ways the counterpart to Vrij Jirair, although the latter deeply resents the comparison. Josef is a good-natured giant of a man, who the Lotchyk respect for his considerable skill as a pilot. Most newcomers to Svarog will be approached by one of his family and offered his services as a mediator, for a small fee of course.
Lucita Draven: A smuggler from Cadiz, Lucita is in fact a Jakovian agent, leading the Decados exploration of Svarog. Lucita has been operating here for ten years, and has yet to be discovered. She hires the crews of pirate vessels on their first trip to Svarog to mount 'scouting missions'. These involve flying to a location on the planet and observing the situation there, and then kidnapping a few locals to be taken back to Cadiz for questioning. Already, such 'ambassadors' from Kryha Hora, the Svit Uryad and the Povstanets Al'yans have been seized. The latter, a hardened guerilla, managed to kill his guards and has fled somewhere into the slums of Cadiz. In the past year, two of these scouts have failed to return. A third, the Maid of Sunval, limped back to Kosmofabryka after being captured by the pirates of Kryha Hora. The crew of this ship still hold a grudge against Lucita, and has threatened to spread word of the Decados' dealings here in revenge.
In recent years, Lucita has also been involved in selling Selchakah to the Lotchyk. The Svarogans are not aware of the devastatingly addictive nature of this drug, and have allowed its sale. Now several high-placed Inzheners and Kapitans are thorougly addicted to the stuff. The Decados have been careful not to exploit this advantage yet, but may do so when rivals from the Empire begin appearing.
Captain Dreja Vordwed: Dreja is an Aylon Ukari and captain of the Maid of Sunval. A hero of the Ukari Uprising, Dreja was on the losing side, and turned to piracy after the war. She still has an impressive price on her head from the al-Malik authorities of her homeworld. Now, she is involved in the blackmarket operated within the Ukari ghettos between Cadiz and Istakhr. Svarog is the end destination for those goods to hot for sale in the Empire, in particular restricted tech which the Inzheners are always interested in examining. Wanted Ukari terrorists and criminals also have a tendency of ending up among her personal servants in her quarters in Kosmofabryka.
The Maid is unique among the pirates of Svarog in having a very thorough understanding of the other polities of Svarog. Hired by Lucita Decados to scout the abandoned spires of the north, the ship was downed and captured by Kapitan Danil of Kryha Hora. Held for six months, the crew was forced to tell all they knew of the Empire to the pirate leader. In turn, they discovered much from captured Svit Uryad and Svarogan Decados slaves before they were inexplicably released.
An attempt by Lucita to have them barred from Kosmofabryka failed when the ship managed to get Captian Josef and Sir Kaliq Keddah-al-Malik to speak in their favour to the spire's leaders in exchange for their information. The Inzheners were persuaded that the ship was captured by pirates, and learned nothing during its imprisonment. The ship's presence is still a source of tension, and Dreja could easily upset the complex network of alliances among the offworld traders if she revealed what she knows.
Jarak the Red was Dreja's purser. This Aylonian human was looking to enter the Lotus trade on Manitou when he was captured by Li Halan vigilantes. He managed to ensure his survival by selling his story of Svarog to the MTC, and his report was copied down by his cellmate, the Republican poet Gerard Montar.
Offworld Relations
The Leaders of Kosmofabryka have set aside a fifteen level section near the top of their spire as a foreigners quarter. Here, offworld traders are permitted to land and sell their goods. Contact with the citizens of the spire is kept to a bare minimum, and all negotiations have to go through a complex set of customs departments and trade officials. The level of bureaucracy is such that, unless one goes through one of the established negotiators such as Josef Kiyoda-Toa or the Jirair Consortium, all but the most basic trade is nearly impossible.
Except for the large-scale Golcondan traders, visitors receive a polite but cold reception. Lytsar squads constantly patrol around the spire, and the customs officials make a point of showing the explosives rigged to the docking pylons and the wreckage of the Mataran Folly. Still, very few are turned away, except for those the Jirair want rid of and those who are known to have gone beyond the Dosch Mountains.
The foreigners quarter is very heavily influenced by the Golcondan culture of the majority of the traders. The sparse corridors and modernist rooms of the spire have been decorated with rich mosaics and statues of NeoHindu deities. The Svarogans tut at this, thinking all the decorations to be nothing more than frivolous firetraps. Still, elements of Golcondan fashion are becoming popular among the younger Lotchyk, particularly jewelry. A small number of hostels, brothels and NeoHindu and Zuranist shrines have been built to accomodate visitors. A small population of permanant residents run these businesses, and sell their services as translators and guides.
The Lotchyk remain largely seperate, with most interaction being with the flashily dressed Lytsar officers or Inzheners in their stark black and white robes. Still, curious parties on both sides exist, with illicit meetings taking place. A blackmarket of sorts exists, where Lotchyk can buy such unknown luxuries as spices and fresh meat. Dalliances between young Lotchyk and the 'glamorous' offworlders are also becoming more common, despite official disapproval.
Jack. |
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Posted - 08 Aug 2005 : 10:16:44
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| You know Jack, when I read this thread I keep humming the theme top that Disney show "Tail Spin." If only for the aerospace flyer comparison. Just saying. |
In the company of Gannocks: "Why do I have a sudden urge to spank the monkey?"
Bomb Squad Tech: "If you see me running, try and keep up!" |
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Posted - 08 Aug 2005 : 13:48:31
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quote:
Originally posted by CDS
You know Jack, when I read this thread I keep humming the theme top that Disney show "Tail Spin." If only for the aerospace flyer comparison. Just saying.
That is not necessarily a bad thing. I know there's a page out there that talks about using "Tail Spin" as inspiration for a pulp adventure game! Apparently "Micky and the Air Pirates" was another Disney-derived pulp-ad classic.
[url]http://theminiaturespage.com/boards/msg.mv?id=49707[/url]
Good catch CDS [:)]
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Sky Pirates!