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Old 09-12-2007, 12:55 PM   #1
Dreamer128
Dracolisk
 

Join Date: March 21, 2001
Location: Europe
Age: 39
Posts: 6,136
Default [OOC]Dystopia: The Fallen Angels (sign up here)

Introduction

The dawn of the 23th century held the promise of Harmony among Man. Unified under a single government for the first time in history, the future of the human race looked bright indeed.
The Colonial Project put an end to the notion of a unified Terra. Driven by ambition, curiosity and a desire to safeguard the future of our race, we scattered among the stars. Forcing large groups of colonists into a decades-long isolation. By the time new technologies allowed the colonists to seek each other out, all the values and dreams they once had in common had long since eroded. And as the number of inhabited planets gradually began to grow, so did the scale and nature of the countless armed conflicts that had begun to spread like wildfire through the populated systems. Now, nearly three centuries after we left our home, we enjoy an uneasy peace for the first time in generations. Blissfully unaware of the price we have yet to pay for our sins.
-------------------------------------------
Features:

-Join the crew of the spaceship Arioch, as they embark on a galaxy-spanning adventure of epic proportions.
-The unique nature of the game allows for the participation of those with little free time. You can make your role as large as you wish.
-Find your own place among the crew by combining feats from four different skill-trees.
-Enjoy a dynamic storyline, written by a demented sci-fi fanatic with a vivid imagination.
-Focus on roleplaying and character development, or claim the Captains Chair and make the big decisions yourself.

Requirements:

-Although you don't have to speak perfect English to participate, proofreading your posts would still be much appreciated.
-While death doesn't exactly lurk behind every corner, characters are by no means immortal. Keep this into account.
-A minimum of four players is required.
-It needs to be noted that the process of time dilation is ignored in this game.

Continue reading for information on character creation.


Starring: (players)

-Legolas as Chief Engineer Ricos Messman

-Calaethis Dragonsbane as Uytio Aldara

-Elif Godson as Corporal Scott Avery

And co-starring:

-Dreamer128 as Senior Navigator Jack Johnson

Last edited by Dreamer128; 09-19-2007 at 04:23 PM.
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Old 09-12-2007, 01:00 PM   #2
Dreamer128
Dracolisk
 

Join Date: March 21, 2001
Location: Europe
Age: 39
Posts: 6,136
Default Re: [OOC]Dystopia: The Fallen Angels (sign up here)

Character Creation



Creating your character is done in three steps.

1) Select your skills
2) Spend your attribute points
3) Create a name, description, personality and background for your character

Skills and Professions

Your 'skills' basically determine your characters profession. Each skill-tree consists of three standard professions (or, 'skills') and two 'specialist-professions', of which only one can be chosen. Note that a person that chooses a profession that is above level 1, typically gets the perks of all of the lower-tier skills as well. For instance, a 'capship controller' will also be able to pilot smaller ships. A new character starts with four skillpoints. This means that you can choose to pick either two level two skills, a level one and a level three skill or a single level four skill. It also needs to be noted that profession is typically unrelated to rank.

Piloting:

(1) Civilian Pilot
The player can pilot simple spacecraft, such as Shuttles and Transport ships.

(2) Fighter Pilot
The player can pilot all small- to medium-sized Naval-spacecraft, such as Fighers, Freighters and Corvettes.

(3)Capship Controller
The player can pilot all Navy spacecraft, including Destroyers, Dreadnaughts and Carriers.

(4)'Ace'
The player is an expert pilot and gets high bonuses when flying Naval-ships or Fighters.

(4)'Rogue'
The player is a veteran spec-ops operative, capable of flying virtually every human made spacecraft.

Military:

(1)Conscript
The player has received some basic military training. He gets a small bonus when engaging in hand-to-hand combat, ranged combat and is proficient in the use of all light-weapons.

(2)Marine
The player has received extensive military training. He receives a moderate bonus when engaging in hand-to-hand or ranged combat and is proficient in the use of all standard-issue military weapons. He is also trained to operate the turrets and other similar weapon-systems on any Federation-Capital ship.

(3)Specialist
The player is specialised in infiltrating hostile environments. He receives high bonuses in hand-to-hand combat and moderate bonuses when using standard-issue military weapons. He gains an additional bonus when using the sniper-rifle and has an extremely high stealth-modifier.

(4)Commando
The player is trained to deal with every perceivable emergency. He automatically gains all level 1 skills on the skill-tree and is a proficient hacker.

(4)Cyborg
The player has various cybernetic implants that allow him to survive without oxygen and in small- to medium-radiation environments. Due to his enhanced strength and constitution, the Cyborg gains a massive bonus when engaging in hand-to-hand combat and is almost impervious to small-arms fire. He is also capable of using the heaviest weapons in the human arsenal. He does, however, incur a penalty to charisma and dexterity.

Medical:

(1) First aid
The player is capable of using basic medical equipment to treat small injuries and can try to keep his more seriously wounded fellows alive until a doctor can look at them.

(2)Medic
The player is skilled in all basic medical procedures. He may also try his hand at more complex treatments, but gains a significant penalty when doing so. His specialisation is stabilising heavily wounded troops, even when under fire himself.

(3)Doctor
The player is proficient in the use of all medical equipment and is specialised in recognizing and treating virtually all common diseases.

(4)Surgeon
The player is extremely skilled in the use of all medical equipment and can treat almost any disease. The surgeon can even attempt to revive someone who has been dead for less than 12 hours. He does, however, incur a small penalty when practicing his craft on the battlefield.

(4)Xeno-Medicus
The player has studied alien plantlife, animals and diseases on a variety of planets and is skilled in recognizing and treating even the most exotic conditions. He is also proficient in the use of all medical equipment and is an expert researcher.

Operations:

(1)Maintenance Officer
The player is a highly trained computer-specialist that can perform virtually all functions that centre involve extensive data processing, such as Communication and Research.

(2)Engineer
The player is capable of maintaining and repairing almost all forms of military-equipment.

(3)Operations Officer
The player is capable of using all basic primary capital-ship systems. However, he does incur a moderate penalty when attempting to pilot the ship or use its weapon systems. He is also a skilled hacker.

(4)Scientist
The player is a highly trained Operations Officer that can identify virtually all ships, weapons and astrological phenomena. He has access to a wealth of knowledge that can be applied to virtually every situation.

(4)Senior Engineer
The player is capable of working with virtually all terran-made equipment. His repair skills greatly surpass those of a regular engineer.

----------------------------------------

Attributes

While the Skill-Tree determines what characters can do, their attributes generally determine how well do they it. Although it needs to be noted that common sense and roleplaying also go a long way towards determining if an action is successful. For instance, an engineer that decided to bring a tech-guide along on a mission will gain a temporary Knowledge-bonus. In total, a character gets twelve points to divide over his attributes. The average on each skill is 2, with four being exceptionally high. You must put at least one point in each skill. The DM automatically makes all rolls, although it needs to be noted that some actions or events are scripted. Ability scores can also be raised by training or through experience. For instance, if a character spends most of his time studying, his knowledge will eventually rise.


Physical: A high score in this attribute will grant your character significant strength and constitution. This allows him to operate under demanding circumstances and dish out more damage in hand to hand combat. A below-average score will make your character more likely to get sick or perish because of his wounds. Cyborgs get an automatic +4 on this skill.

Dexterity: This attribute determines how well a character performs when in ranged combat or piloting small-ships. Surgeons and (Senior) engineers also gain bonuses from their dexterity during certain actions. The Commando and the Ace get an automatic +2 bonus on this skill, while the Cyborg loses 1 point.

Charisma: This attribute determines a characters social skills and empathy. A character with high charisma has a greater chance of getting through to another person or conducting successful negotiations. The Cyborg automatically incurs a -2 penalty on this skill, although his charisma attribute still cannot go below 1.

Knowledge: This statistic is essential in determining if an engineer can repair a device or if a scientist recognises a certain object. For all of these actions, minimum-knowledge scores are required, depending on the complexity of the action. For instance, a regular engineer with 5 points in knowledge may be able to fix a machine whereas a senior-engineer with just 2 points in the same attribute may not. Note that the knowledge skill only applies to the specific profession of a character. For instance, a Marine with a high Knowledge-score may know how to disable an enemy ship, whereas a Surgeon with an equal score would not. A Character with the Xeno-Medicus or the Research skill gets an automatic +2 bonus on this attribute.

Wit: This statistic determines how well a character can improvise and how fast he works. It can occasionally be used as a substitute for Knowledge. For instance, a character may use his wit skill (deductive reasoning) to determine the function of a device, whereas a person with a high knowledge score might simply have recognised it.

Attribute Overview:

1] Weak
2] Average
3] Strong
4] Exceptional
5] Super-human

Background information:

-The Terran Federation
The Terran Federation is a coalition of wealthy planets that have joined hands to protect their mutual interests. Despite the absence of large amounts of natural resources and agricultural planets, the Federation is well ahead of larger groups (such as the Confederation of Independent Planets and the Orion Alliance) in terms of technology and wealth. The Federations main advantage comes in the form of the Wayfarer Space-stations, which allow for instant communication between two points in space. The Federal Planets are often referred to as the ‘cluster-planets’, since they are located remarkably close to each other.

-The Confederation of Independent Planets
The Confederation consists of a large number of barren but resource-rich planets. Since the ties between the Confed worlds are mainly economical in nature, it is home to a wide range of political systems, some of which can be considered less-than-democratic. Although the number of CO-ID planets has grown steadily over the years, population growth has stagnated decades ago. This is mainly due to the low life expectancies on many of the mining-outposts. Many of the Confed worlds are reluctant to deal with the Terran Federation, fearing that the dwindling resources on the cluster-planets will eventually make them a target.

-The Orion Alliance
The signatories of the Orion-treaty are the breadbasket of humanity. Together, they provide nearly eighty percent of the Confederations total food-supply. They also export significant amounts of food to the Terran Federation. Oddly enough, none of the OA worlds are located in Orions Belt.

Last edited by Dreamer128; 09-13-2007 at 04:15 PM.
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Old 09-12-2007, 02:48 PM   #3
dplax
Jack Burton
 

Join Date: July 19, 2003
Location: an expat living in France
Age: 38
Posts: 5,577
Default Re: [OOC]Dystopia: The Fallen Angels (sign up here)

I'm in. Will read up on the rules and make a character later.
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Old 09-12-2007, 03:31 PM   #4
Legolas
Jack Burton
 

Join Date: March 31, 2001
Location: The zephyr lands beneath the brine.
Age: 39
Posts: 5,459
Default Re: [OOC]Dystopia: The Fallen Angels (sign up here)

Right, so here's my character. If there's anything that needs adjusting or some of the background has to change, just let me know. I went by the assumption that you have not yet populated all your planets and thus made one up myself within the frame provided.


Name: Ricor Messman
Skill: Scientist (Operations)
Rank: Chief Engineer
Abilities: 12 points, +2 Knowledge bonus

Physical: 3
Dexterity: 3
Charisma: 2
Knowledge: 4
Wit: 2

Appearance: Ricor, 38 years old, sports shoulder-length, wavy brown hair which frames a shaven face, light with the fairly pure Martian features you'd find on the outermost First Colonies, though his ears are a little bigger. He has the relatively broad build of a manual labourer, and usually wears his Federation issue jumpsuit complete with long-fingered gloves. All his teeth are still present, as is the oily rag Ric often uses to mop his brow.

Background: Ricor hails from the now-independent outer planet of Sophia II, colonized in NHC 128. During the conflict of 255, it joined the Separationists for religious reasons - their right to practice the belief that the universe is a fishbowl and all men are blind gods in particular. The faithful also believe paradise is reached through unity, procreation and a complete understanding of all events everywhere. After the ET incident Sophia II joined the Terran Coalition.
Ric was some ten years old when the GenMods, believed to be children of the gods and thus less worthy than regular humans, bombarded his ill-defended planet into surrender, costing him his parents. Under their military reign he worked at the docks, unloading, painting and later repairing a variety of smaller and bigger ships.
He continued this work throughout the 306 liberation by the Red Generation until NHC 312, when at age 29 he was recruited by a docked Federation ship visiting the sector despite Sophia's non-participation in Nicolas' new empire. Ric's broad experience and the planet's reputation for producing knowledge-oriented workers appealed, and in return he saw the settlement of his debts and his first true space voyage.
In the nine years that followed, Terran Federation facilities have enabled him to continue his education, no longer simply on ship mechanics but on other aspects of space as well.
Armed with field experience, official training and knowledge of the latest technologies and scientific insights Ricor seems the right man for the job.

Personality: Despite his high-level education at later age and his more general quest for understanding, Ricor remains a simple man at heart. His enthusiasm and love for the ship and space notwithstanding, he doesn't like using complicated words for the sake of them, nor comparing life tales with miserly louts. In this respect his position as chief engineer is well suited, because it allows him a certain measure of detachment from both his crew and his superiors. The latter in particular he treats with stiffly and succinctly, the former are welcome to all the instruction and assistance he can muster as long as they don't pry.

Spoiler for More detailed background for DM:
Though anyone's welcome to read it really, I recommend that players and potential players don't. It will contain information that's best released during the course of the game, as I intend to provide it.
Spoiler for Ricor:
Origins: My ancestors, nearly all of them I think, were among the tens of thousands aboard the Spera when it left Martian soil during the first colonial project. One of them I know worked in the mess, but there must have been hundreds of others unaware their bloodlines would one day join in me. I may even have the blood of Gildred in me, the prophet who led them in their search even as the captain claimed to directed the ship. They travelled the galaxy for eight decades until they came to the Sophia system, and found its second planet to their liking. It was no utopia, but after eighty years of searching you don't settle for less than the finest planet you can find. They planted their flag in 128, thinking that here on this distant planet they might live safely and in peace.
After just eight years of construction and terraforming, they were visited by travellers from distant Mycenea III with their new, swift engines. We united under the Centralists, but were effectively left alone until 210. Around this time, new drives allowed faster travel and the central government sought more control over our business. We were not Haven, but might have been. Fortunately, the new colonies divided the attention of what became the PSG, and after the construction of a Wayfarer nearby we went on to do our best to remember our divine tasks even as much was standardized.
The growth of the Cortez empire largely went unnoticed by my predecessors, though we felt the collapse of the Parliament in 255. Information became scarce, long-distance trade practically vanished. Without nearby second generation colonies Sophia II would have suffered far more horrendously, but even there we often had to use military might and the advantage of age to seize what was needed. Sophia joined the Separist movement, seeking to preserve our future and a chance to correct old mistakes in policy. In those days we were led by our high priest Iris, but it was her student Gardelain who survived to learn of the extraterrestrial threat. You must understand our religion to appreciate the impact of that discovery, but I can say it was no surprise we ceased our warring to attend Hellespond and join the Terran Coalition. I was born during that rule, in NHC 283.

Religion: We Sophians believe there is a paradise. We're not sure what it looks like, but it's a fine place for a human. What we do know is that it's not entirely perfect. And if we ever get there, there'll be much dusting to do.
Our texts say that two gods lived in that paradise, and sought to make it better. They made many improvements, and if they worked together their projects would be flawless. One day they decided to make a fish bowl.
Work progressed swiftly, they blew their divine glass to the right shape and size, they filled the bowl with their divine water and countless decorations. Each little bit was perfected down to the most minute of details, for that is how they worked. But this time, something unprecedented happened. While they agreed, as ever, on all aspects of the bowl they had not given thought to the colour of the fish to dwell in it. Unable to deal with the argument, tempers rose, and at long last each god banished the other to the bowl's interior.
They soon discovered great perils, and swiftly thought of a plan to better survive and return to paradise. The gods fell apart into many smaller forms, each alike but different, all able to think and survive as a single unit. One day they would come together and join their efforts to regain freedom, but they must also grow in number to grow stronger. Thus it is that all humans are gods, omnipotent within the limits of our power.
But while meetings of humans birth children to defy the deaths around us and even to grow in power - and we all know death means oblivion and a weakening of our collective divine - we have forgotten its meaning. We have forgotten the method of reuniting, of wielding our powers for liberty. Not until we learn to see the flow of events that influence us can we truly understand our own will and direct it.
Of course, that never meant we should birth as many children as we can in our lives. That sort of thing brings misery, hunger and simply more death. Our leaders feel understanding is, at least for our generations, the main goal to strive for. I'm a religious man, but I do not claim to be in reach of that goal myself. All we can do is pave the way for those who come after.
You could say our religion walks hand in hand with science, both valuing understanding above all else. I won't deny this has fuelled my own thirst for knowledge.
What our high priest Gardelain realized during the ET-incident, however, is that we may have been mistaken. What if we humans were only the children of one god, and our friend and rival fathered a second race? Whether we would work together to escape our imprisonment or compete to be the first, we had to appear united.
But I could have done without the consequences of that coalition. I've never seen an alien to make it worthwhile, after all.

Life: At the age of ten, after a relatively peaceful youth on a demilitarized border colony, the GenMods seized control of the military. As artificial humans, they were at best the children of the gods, imitations. It was a sad thing they were better suited to life in the bowl than most of us, but what trueborn man is ever meant to be a fish? I remember how Gardelain instructed we resist their incursions, but with barely a weapon or warship were soon broken. My father died in the punitive bombardment, and I lost many of my friends in petty acts of sabotage gone sour. What regional control we had under the Coalition was stripped away and replaced by a strict military rule. Our leader was executed, the faith was banned for its seditious beliefs towards our new overlords.
I took to working at the local docks in those years, to support myself and my mother. I started out loading and unloading vessels, but as I became a familiar face they gave me other tasks. I got to paint hulls and ship interiors, and before my twelfth birthday I was mending broken lamps and doors, slowly working my way towards engine maintenance and more complicated repairs. In 298, I got my most memorable task. A Tollo class trader named "Eternal Sunshine" with a near-ruptured hull and countless smaller dents. The G-drive was fairly banged up, and whatever its pilot had done was not on the safe side of caution. Her name was Martha, and we both found a hundred reasons to delay her departure. She told me she hailed from a nearby CO-IP system called DT9, but her employer rarely sent her there to meet her family. I told her I could fix anything, but had never left the planet. I don't know if it was the GenMod shift in policies in NHC 300 or the return and extended stay of my freedom angel with her wings of steel, but life was better in those days. Probably the best times I'll ever have.
The new policies had two immediate effects. There was the growth of the Red Generation, and the end of seven years of curfews, watchtowers and armed patrols as power was sifted to Owen Dockmaster, the traitorous priest who'd sold Gardelain. I could live with the latter, because while religious, religion had never claimed my life, and one ruler was much like the other at a personal level.
In the five years that followed, she brought me two children. Ian, the brightest boy I've ever seen, was born on an all too early morning late in 301. Two years later, in the midst of a violent spring storm, he was joined by precious Louise. Every day I wish I had more time with them.
The Red rebellion was not without consequences though. The Gens set up death camps for sympathisers, and bombarded entire cities where their strongholds were suspected. They were often misinformed. As the threat of bombardment increased in the fall of 305, we pooled what credits we had, and with an additional loan purchased passage to DT9 for my mother and our daughter. Martha returned to piloting traders again, bringing Ian along to learn the trade. Having sent everyone I could to what I hoped to be a safer place, I returned to the docks to work off my debts. Had they come to bomb Sophia, I almost would have welcomed it. But there was no bombing on our side of the planet.
Still in the same year, the crew of the Eternal Sunshine was arrested and taken to a death camp. I was told my love lasted nearly ten months. My boy managed eleven, and was freed in 306. That year, they liberated the universe from the GenMods. Impressed, Ian joined their forces and grew into a fine young pilot. His rescue and welcome from a problem they themselves created is the one thing I Nicolas' forces for.
When the Terran Federation was formed, our planet politely declined further involvement with any new faction.
Still, in 312, at my 29th year, a Federation ship docked on Sophia, picking up supplies for a Wayfarer mission. In my nineteen years I had worked on four hundred and twenty-seven small and medium craft, and nearly fifty-two of greater size. Because of my experience, our planet's reputation for religious zeal in scientific thinking and, not unimportantly, a vacancy, I was offered an engineering position on the ship. Because they'd acquit my debts, I'd suffered enough on that planet, and I nurtured a vague hope of discovering Ian's fate I accepted, and departed for the first and only time from my home planet.
Between then and now, I gained nine more years of experience and won access to Federation facilities where I learned more than I thought possible about ships and all the oddities of space that affect them. But I never learned where Ian went, and each day I feel my gut twist pondering the fates of my children, and wondering if I'll ever spy a chance to visit DT9 and find not just Louise, but her dead mother's family I'd heard so many tales about.


Spoiler for Crew list:
Evolved from the engineer list
Code:
Command:
Captain Valentine - Rank 4, inactive due to VR
Chief Of Operations Hamilton - Rank 3 Operations, inactive due to VR
Chief Medical Officer B. Abraham - Rank 3 Medical
Chief Engineer Ricor Messman (3/3/2/4/2, Scientist, 37) - Rank 2 Operations, PC
Doctor Philbert Sigismund Wolf - Rank 2 Medical, PC
Squad Leader Midrak Itaio - Rank 2 Piloting, elitist golden boy
Senior Navigator Jack Johnson - Rank 2 Piloting
Sergeant Edmund Jörg - Rank 2 Military

Rank 1 Operations:
14 unknown
Researcher Terrance Brown
Researcher ..., female
Engineering-Liason ...
Comm-Liason Cathy o' Hara
Tac-Liason Gordon Blair
Science-Liason Aubron Hermsly

Bay Engineers:
(Name, Stats)	        (Age, Appearance, Character, Best Field)
- Kelmos Lex    	16, Pale and Sickly, Wild Mop of Light Brown Curls, Distracted
	1/2/2/1/3	Minor Labours
- Risk Benning  	17, Army, Short Haired Blonde, Squarejawed, Sixpack, Unproven
	3/2/1/2/2	Armaments
- Filrian Sweran	21, Purple Haired Punk, Goth Silver and Black, Pierced, Relaxed
	2/4/1/3/2	Programming, Electronics
- Orrome Navard 	24, Oliveskinned, Oily Black Hair, Slick and Lean, Cleanish,
	2/2/3/3/2	Wiring and Energy Banks
- Eemy Lleem    	26, Petite, Unkempt Loose Blonde Hair, Dirty, Determined,
	1/3/2/2/4	Problem Solver, Piping
- Ceemaw Rend   	32, Broad, Muscular, Half-Bald, Short Red Mous/Beard, Tattoos, 
	4/2/1/3/3	Engines and Metalworking
- Miranda Lex   	43, Dark Brown Curly Hair, Well Preserved, Motherly, Confident
	2/2/3/4/2	Allround, Weaponry

Rank 1 Medical:
3 unknown

Rank 1 Piloting:
Happy
17 unknown

Rank 1 Military:
Corporal Scott Avery, PC
Corporal Uytio Aldara, PC
Muh’tabi
Jones
15 unknown

Last edited by Legolas; 10-22-2007 at 08:06 AM.
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Old 09-12-2007, 03:34 PM   #5
Ivelliis
Gold Dragon
 

Join Date: August 6, 2004
Location: North East England
Age: 34
Posts: 2,561
Default Re: [OOC]Dystopia: The Fallen Angels (sign up here)

Could be interesting. If I have time to make a character I'll be in
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Old 09-13-2007, 07:49 AM   #6
Dreamer128
Dracolisk
 

Join Date: March 21, 2001
Location: Europe
Age: 39
Posts: 6,136
Default Re: [OOC]Dystopia: The Fallen Angels (sign up here)

Ask and thy shall recieve. For the people that don't have half a lifetime to study the backgrounds, I'll post a summary later.

Prologue

The darkness in the small room seemed almost unnatural. ,,This is it'', whispered the old man, more to himself than to his partner. The light of his portable torch danced across the wall for a few seconds, before finally settling on an antiquated console. ,,You sound as though we'd made the archeological find of the century'', commented his partner, a giant of a man in an orange jumpsuit. ,,I don't get it. You spend half a lifetime searching for this place, and now that you're finally here, your first stop is the datacore?'' The old man threw him an annoyed look. ,,The datacore is the only reason I'm here, boy. Now quiet yourself, I need to concentrate.'' His nimble fingers moved over the console, and after a few seconds the dust began to give way to small keys, covered with vaguely recognisable symbols.
,,Hold on'', muttered the large man, as he connected a small machine to the console. He glared at the small datascreen on the device. ,,As we suspected, there are some compatibility issues. However, I think I should be able t..'', his voice was drowned out by the roar of the machine. Seconds later, the console came to life for the first time in many lifetimes. ,,You've done it!'', shrieked the old man, while rapidly working the buttons. Suddenly, a small part of the wall lit up, revealing a viewscreen of about a meter in diameter.
,,Welcome to the New Terra Historical Database'', stated a pleasant female voice. ,,Her accent is alien, but her tongue.. it sounds like Anglo-Terran'', observed the old man. The man in the orange jumpsuit merely nodded and activated his retinal-camera.
,,Please state your request'', the voice continued.
,,Access Central Archive. New Human Calender, year 50'', ordered her eager operator. The viewscreen flickered, then showed the picture of a lush waterplanet. ,,Planet Mars, during the First Colonial Project'', commented the voice. Within seconds, the camera turned to reveal a dozen large spaceships launching from the planets surface. ,,The first Colonial Project was launched at the request of the Martian Planetary Government. Fearing the same disaster that befell Earth would also devastate this last bastion of humanity, they financed a large scale interplanetary resettlement project.'' The camera closed in on the ships, which all looked identical. ,,The is original footage, taken from an orbital media-satellite'', explained the computer. ,,The MC1-Colonial Voyager was over twenty km in length and at least six kilometer wide. Each of them held over ten thousand colonists''. The camera whirled around, focussing again on the planet. ,,Although the project was a success, it also bankrupted the Martian Government.'', the voice continued. ''During the Economic Crisis of NHC 76, the..''
The old man worked the buttons, immediately silencing the computer. ,,I switched to manual control, seeing as we have to work under severe time-constraints, he answered the unspoken question of his partner. The viewscreen flickered, displaying a small moon in orbit around a massive gas-giant. ,,Mycenea III'', stated the computer. ,,Colonized in NHC 112. This small moon owes its claim to fame to the fact that the Gölzman drives were created by Mycenean scientists in NHC 128. The G-drives allowed intersystem-travel in months, instead of decades.'' The viewscreen displayed a 3-dimensional map of space, on which a dozen systems were highlighted. ,,In NHC 132, a Mycenean team of explorers set out in an attempt to locate the other orginal colonists. Although this attempt was largely successful, decades of isolation had brought about severe social- and political changes on five of the twelve colony worlds. The most well-known is the Neo-Marxist Alliance of Alpha-Centauri, but on at lea..'' The computer-voice died yet again as the old man's fingers ordered another leap through time. This time, the viewscreen displayed rather grizzly images of human corpses floating through space, occasionally colliding with the wrecks of massive spaceships. The computer remained silent for several seconds. When the woman did begin to speak, the camera turned towards a planet that looked to be mainly covered with forests and lakes. Seconds later, whole continents were engulved in flames as dozens of ships open fire from orbit. ,,With the destruction of New-Babylon, the last of the so-called Utopian League-Planets, the Colonies were united under single rule for the first time in history. The Centralists initially decided to create a systems-wide parliamentary democracy, but were soon confronted with the limitations of the S3 Gölzman drives. Because even the fastest courier ships needed days to weeks to travel between worlds, effectively communicating government decrees proved to be impossible. Therefore, under the Revised Unified Systems Pact of NHC 189, all planets gained greater autonomy in several areas, including regional trade, ..'' The computer fell silent as images of unknown politicians and events flashed by. After a few minutes, the old man found what he was looking for. The word 're-enactment' appeared briefly on the monitor, followed by footage of a pale, small man with almost rat-like features being chased through the streets of what looks like a ghost city. His pursuers look strangely out of place in the desolate town, wearing black metal armor and carrying large weapons. ,,Doctor A.L.'', stated the computer, using only his initials. ,,The first to combine the standard DNA-modification sequences with advanced nano-tech. His failed experiments led to the first ban on Nano-Genetic technology in NHC 195.''
Suddenly, the images on the viewscreen fade, and the room returns to darkness. ,,The generator is still working'', states the large man, after having re-activated his torch. The old man opens his mouth to speak, but is silenced by bombastic classical music that sounds from unseen speakers. On the monitor, the words 'the Age of Expansion' appear, only to be replaced by brief images of lines being drawn across galactic-charts and small spaceships soaring between the stars. After the initial presentation is over, the viewscreen shows images of a small number of men and women in white coats, presenting a small device to a cheering crowd. ,,The first S4 Gölzman Drive'', the computer comments. ,,Allowing for unparalleled mobility. Although this engine heralded the start of the second large Colonial Project, it also allowed the weakened central government on New-Terra to directly govern its planets for the first time in history. This led to tensions between New-Terra and several of the border-worlds. Ultimately resulting in the military occupation of Haven IV in NHC 212.'' The monitor showed the wreck of what appeared to be a medium-sized passenger-ship. ,,The Zulkov-incident proved to be another boon for the Centralists. After passenger-liner Zulkov 5 was destroyed after it hit a so-called 'mini-wormhole', or 'micro-rupture' as it is more commonly referred to, government-scientists quickly discovered ways to detect these tiny ruptures in subspace. While these mini-wormholes were to small to utilize for the transportation of goods between two points, they did allow for instant communication between two points in space, provided there were similar holes on both locations.'' The screen showed the fast-forwarded construction of a large, cylinder-shaped spacestation. ,,In order to retain their monopoly on internet-systems communication, the Parliamentary Systems Government, or PSG, ordered the construction of the Wayfarer-spacestations on the sites of the mini-ruptures.'' After displaying a map with the locations of various inhabited worlds, the computer stated: ,,through the Wayfarer-Network and a vast network of courier ships, a message from New-Terra could make its way to any PSG planet in less then two days.'' The chart of Terran space gave way to a larger map, on which several new planets were highlighted. All of which seemed to be located at a great distance from any human planet. ,,The only exceptions were the mining-planets TX15, TX17, SL29 and SL36'', the womans voice stated. The computer showed pictures of the uninviting, rocklike surfaces of several planets. ,,These planets were deemed too desolate and too far removed from Terran space to be suitable for terraforming. They were also light-years away from the nearest rupture, making communication with the PSG-planets difficult at best. Since the New Terran government had no interest in colonizing these distant planets, they were sold to the Cortez & Sons Mining Corporation in NHC 219.'' The old man grabbed his partner by the arm. ,,Be sure to record this'', he ordered. The large man nodded. ,,I've got everything'', he assured his partner. The computer proceeded to show several statistics. ,,These are demographic charts of the Silverfall population. Silverfall quickly became the capital of what would become briefly known as the 'Cortez-Republic' in NHC 248. At first, the planet was a small mining outpost and the regional corporate headquarters of Cortez, but since it wasn't under PSG-jurisdiction it began attracting tens of thousands of refugees after the Haven-Crisis. Although terraforming was beyond the budget of the Cortez-Corporation, dozens of orbital- and surface-habitats were placed to meet the requirements of the massive population growth.'' The old man frowned as he saw dozens of warships circling Silverfall. ,,Although several successive PSG-presidencies advocated military action against the Cortez-worlds, the wealthy corporation had enough supporters in parliament to prevent the Yung and Sanders administrations from gaining the two/thirds majority required for war'', the computer explained. ,,However, as the PSG collapsed after the bombing of the Planetary Parliament in Novaterra in NHC 253, so did the so-called Cortez-Republic. Santiago Cortez, who had declared himself President for life, was lynched by an angry mob after famine and the yellow-plague began spreading through The Republic. In NHC 254, the former Cortez-worlds declared themselves independent from both their corporate masters and any future Terran government. They proceeded to found the Confederation of Independent Planets, or CO-IP. All Cortez-holdings were seized and nationalized.'' The viewscreen went black for few seconds, then continued to display pictures of war. Scores of spaceships firing on each other, planets burning and soldiers discharging their weapons at hordes of panicking civilians. ,,The mass-disruption of trade-routes during the Terran Civil War of NHC 255 led to a crisis on dozens of worlds, which were now cut off from vital resources, such as food and the various quarillium-fuels'', the computer said, and continued to display four flags on the viewscreen. ,,The Unified Terran Alliance, or UTA, consisted of New-Terra and several other technologically advanced worlds with low-degrees of industrialisation. They fought to restore PSG authority, yet were seriously hampered by their lacking infrastructure'', the voice stated while zooming in on the first flag.
The signatories of the Orion-treaty were mostly agricultural worlds that had elected to remain neutral, but feared they would prove to be too tempting a target to the larger planets, where famine was rapidly proving to be a major source of social-disruption. Pooling their resources, they successfully resisted several UTA incursions.
The mineral-rich Confederation of Independent Planets was devastated by famine and civil-unrest during the conflict, and its collective population dropped from 800 million to 554 million. And lastly, the Separatist Movement consisted of a rag-tag collection of religious- and political groups that demanded the right to reform their worlds without the interference of any kind of inter-systems government. Although they made significant strides in the early years of the war, they were fought to a standstill in NHC 262, after the UTA managed to seize control of their primary shipyards at Mycenea III.''
Suddenly, the face of war gave way to room full of diplomats. ,,The Hellespond Conference in NHC 264'', explained the computer, before switching to a picture of a dozen shipwrecks. By the looks of it, the ships weren't merely destroyed, they were almost pulverized. ,,The ET-incident of 264 proved to be the salvation of the unification movement'', said the computer. ,,After entering sector 42/13, all contact was lost with the 12 ships of an UTA-battlegroup that was scouting for Separatist Strongholds in the unexplored space on the other side of the famous 42/11 line. Although it was initially believed that Separatist Kamikaze vessels were responsible for the destruction, the fact that all subsequent missions on the other side of 'The Line' resulted in either the disappearance or the destruction of all vessels involved led UTA-command to suspect the possible involvement of extra-terrestrials. Although several Deep Space Telescopes were placed near the border, no sign of alien life was picked up. However, the belief that humanity might face a common enemy in the near future brought virtually all parties in the conflict to the bargaining table. At the Hellespond Conference, all of the 24 'cluster-planets', or 'central- planets' and an additional 12 'outer-planets' agreed to the founding of a Terran Coalition. All of the member planets agreed to the founding of a unified Terran military, but retained considerable regional autonomy. They also annulled the ban on the nano-genetic technology, allowing for the creation of a new generation of human soldiers.'' The image of diplomats gave way to footage of healthy looking men and women outrunning and outfighting groups of their peers. ,,It did not take long for the politicians to regret their decision, as the modified humans, or Genmods, proved to be considerably stronger, faster and smarter than any of their peers. Within years, their superior abilities had allowed them to dominate the military and their extended life expectancies would allow them to stay at their posts for decades longer than any normal human. In NHC 291, the ban on the creation of 'supersoldiers' through the use of nanotechnology and genetic manipulation was put back into place.'' The screen flashes and showed low-quality camera footage of a single, unarmed woman taking down half a dozen surprised looking soldiers in hand to hand combat. ,,In NHC 293, the Genmods seized control of the Wayfarer stations, throwing The Coalition into disarray. They believed that politicians' fear of their fellow humans had let them to gamble with the future of all of humanity. Their message proved to be popular, especially among the Terran Military. And since most planets no longer had troops of their own, virtually all of them surrendered without a fight. Those that didn't were bombed into submission.'' The computer paused for a few seconds, then continued by showing images of soldiers surrounding what appears to be an ancient ruin. ,,The Genmods installed a highly centralized government on New-Terra. And although the core-systems enjoyed a limited amount of regional self-government, the more distant planets were put directly under the control of the military. Despite the fact that Human Cohesion and the Protection of Humanity were the central points on their agenda, the creation of new Genmods gradually came to a halt during their reign. And as of NHC 300, the Terran defence budget started dropping and the population gradually started gaining more civil liberties. None the less, resistance against the Genmod movement grew during this period. Eventually culminating in the failed attack on Wayfarer 9.'' The computer showed pictures of The Outlands, a massive nebula at the very edge of human space. ,,After the Kerhov-Yokohama expedition returned from The Outlands, the Genmods chanced their policies, launching a project they codenamed 'Salvation'. Although the findings of the expedition and the nature of Project Salvation are still classified today, it is generally believed they are in some way related to the conflicts of 321 and onwards. Certain is that the The Great Repression of NHC 301-306 was directly related to 'Salvation'. During this period, millions of humans were shipped to death-camps and entire cities were bombed into the ground. It was never clear against whom these measures were directed. People and planets seemed to be targeted at random. As fear gave way to anger, many people joined The Red Generation. An inter-systems resistance group that was led by the legendary Gabriella Nicolas. Nicolas herself led several daring raids on New-Terra Death Camps, freeing thousands of prisoners from various planets. The Genmods reacted to this with an unparalleled campaign of intimidation, while also placing a 1000.000 credit reward on the head of Gabriella Nicolas. They also occupied the previously neutral Silverfall, starting a war with the resource-rich Confederation of Independent Planets. Silverfall was quickly turned into a military stronghold, but oddly enough, they mainly focussed the rest of their attention on planets that were strategically irrelevant, allowing the Confederation to win victory after victory. The attention of Genmods, however, had long since shifted from the war to the archeological digs on their fortress-planets. These sites are still locked-down government safe-zones today.'' The viewscreen displayed pictures of statues being toppled and cheering masses in the streets. ,,In 306 NHC, the Red Resistance stormed the so-called Lightning-Palace in New-Terra. All members of the Genmod government were killed. At the same time, resistance forces seized control of all remaining 32 Genmod planets. It is widely believed that spies within the Wayfarer stations allowed them to coordinate these actions. The few surviving Genmods were either executed or imprisoned for life'', said the computer. Next, is showed pictures of warships being dismantled. ,,Resistance Leader Gabriella Nicolas was chosen to head an interim-government that was to lead humanity back to democracy. Despite loud calls for complete decentralisation, she called for the creation of an Inter-systems Federation, that was to be led by a strong executive branch, called The High Council. Her popularity was such that 16 of the original 36 Coalition worlds decided to sign up for this project. The remainder of the planets either became completely independent or joined the Confederation of Independent Planets. The new High Council held strong powers in areas such as Collective Defence, Trade and Healthcare but generally did not meddle in local affairs. Planets were even allowed to maintain their own militia, which would allow them to rise up, should the Federal Government ever become too oppressive. Although Council-members were only elected for eight years, the Senate voted to change the law so the immensely popular Nicolas could be made High-Councilor for life.'' The old man reached into his pockets and produced a small handheld computer, on which he began to take notes. His partner frowned. ,,You do know I'm recording all of this?', he enquired. ,,Yes, yes, just organising my thoughts'', came the reply. After a minute, the old man reached for the console and ordered another leap through time.

The viewscreen began to flicker, then displayed low-quality footage of an enormous planet. Its surface almost completely covered by a single, large city. The camera zoomed in, showing thousands of civilian- and military-vessels leaving orbit. Seconds later, the screaming began. Countless screams, pleas for mercy and requests for assistance echo through the room as a second monitor shows images of hordes of refugees, all trying to board a small vessel. ,,Can you turn down the volume''', shouted the large man, who had covered his ears with his hands.
,,The Haven IV genocide of NHC 322, said the computer, even as the screaming continued. The old man frowned. The female voice of the computer, which had remained neutral and calm even while displaying planet wide-atrocities, had suddenly turned grim. ,,This was recorded by a military spacecraft'', the computer commented. The old man averted his eyes as the millions of lights on the planet-surface slowly began to fade. ,,Enough'', he muttered as he worked the console.

,,Accessing the Military Archive'', said a male computer voice. ,,Date: NHC 321/09/21 - Sector 42/11 - Pandora-System - Vessel: TF-Arioch, Hades-Class - Mission: Border Patrol - Estimated Mission Duration: 5 months/29 days - Crew: 75'', the computer stated. The viewscreen showed a computer animation of the ship type, which closely resembles an arrow. ,,Perfect'', whispered the old man. ,,Computer, open the mission archives'', he ordered. His partner stepped forward and cautiously tapped him on the shoulder. ,,Francis, I've got C&C on the Comm. They say long-range sensors have picked up a large object heading this way. We're almost out of time.'' The old man stared at the screen, his eyes gleaming fanatically. ,,Don't worry'', he said. ''I've found it.''

Last edited by Dreamer128; 09-13-2007 at 04:03 PM.
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Old 09-13-2007, 12:01 PM   #7
Dreamer128
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Join Date: March 21, 2001
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Default Re: [OOC]Dystopia: The Fallen Angels (sign up here)

From: Communications
To: Hades/Ofc3/All
Date: 321/10/08

Welcome aboard the TF Arioch, crewman. For the next six months, you'll have the distinct honour of serving aboard one of the last Hades-class vessels in service. As you know, the Hades is a Third Generation Destroyer that is gradually being phased out in favor of the new Athena-class Cruiser. However, its unmatched speed and maneuverability ensure it is still our first choice for Deep Space Operations.

At 04:35 hours this morning, the Arioch entered the Argos-system. We are scheduled to take on additional supplies at 06:03 hours and begin our patrol of the 42/11 Line at 07:48 hours. Our primary mission objective is to patrol the area between Argos and TFR1 research-station near The Outlands. Our secondary objective is to re-supply the TFR1. Intel has classified this as a class-green operation in terms of projected threats, since no criminal organisations are known to operate in this area. Be advised that the unexplored space beyond The Line is strictly off-limits to all Terran vessels. Over the past decades, dozens of ships and probes have either gone missing or were destroyed after crossing The Line. Despite an extensive study of the wrecks that were recovered just over the border, the cause of their destruction remains unknown. Due to their close proximity to The Outlands, it is likely that it is the result of the unique anomalies that plague the area.

However, since the presence of an unknown aggressor cannot be disproven, Command is gradually improving border-security by stepping up patrols and building a network of early warning satellites. Unfortunately, the sheer length of The Line, as well at its considerable distance from the inner-systems, makes an effective defence in this area impossible. At the moment, Wayfarer 6 is the only military installation in the area. Should any unusual activity be detected on the other side of The Line, the Arioch is to abort its mission and make contact with the Wayfarer 6 Satellite Network.

Note: If you have previously served on another PSG-era capship, the lay-out of the Arioch should be familiar to you. If not, you might want to review the following schematics:




Last edited by Dreamer128; 09-13-2007 at 02:20 PM.
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Old 09-13-2007, 01:32 PM   #8
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All right. I've added some additional background information to the Character Creation post. All Bio's can be posted in this thread. I'd also like to point out that reading the Prologue isn't required.
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Old 09-13-2007, 01:35 PM   #9
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I did read it and have more questions

By PSD-era I take it the ship's from the time of the PSG, thus some 68-109 years old?
Also, I notice we're starting a year ahead of the Haven IV incident. Does that mean the dates are off, or that in telling the story of the two we're getting some information on future events?

Regarding the main factions, I gather the ULA's been reformed into the Coalition and later the Federation, under whose rule the Icarus/Arioch flies, and the CO-IP's still around as well. What happened to the Separists and the Orion treaty planets? Are the factions still there, are they entirely independent or part of one (or both) of the other two groups?

On cyborgs, how does that kind of technology relate to the GenMod reign bloodily ended some 15 years ago? Has this always been acceptable technology or are these mechanically enhanced humans seen as just as perilous?

And finally, what's the background of the crew? Exceptions aside, do they hail from a single planet, and if so, what is it like? Do they come from a wide range of Federation planets, or have they been flying around for so long the ship's practically home instead? What about the captain, does he/she perhaps have a reputation or a history of famous missions/engagements?
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Old 09-13-2007, 03:55 PM   #10
Dreamer128
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Yes, you are correct on both counts. I'm sorry about the PSG/PSD and the Arioch/Icarus mix up. I have various sets of notes lying around and I occasionally copy information from the wrong one. I've proofreaded it several times, but a handful of mistakes still managed to slip through. Another error is the number of Federation planets, which is actually much lower than stated above. Now, I've doublechecked everything again, and I'm confident that all the information is now correct.

Most of the answers to your second set of questions can be found at the end of the Character Creation post. I've added a bit more background information there, to clear things up. The United Terran Alliance actually consisted of only a few planets, who fought to keep the PSG intact. Only their technological advantage over the others allowed them to remain standing. It was only the fear of invasion that eventually motivated the former PSG-planets to re-unite and form the Coalition. Of course, The Coalition was little more than a treaty-organisation that allowed for considerable regional-autonomy. So there definately was a strong incentive to join, even among planets that were strongly opposed to the PSG-government. The Orion Alliance survived the war and many Serperatist planets opted to join either the CO-ID, The Coalition or become completely independent. Note that the various Seperatist-planets had different reasons for joining the Seperatist-cause. Mostly, they just wanted to be free from the increasingly authoritarian PSG-government.

The Cyborgs are in no way related to the GenMod reign, seeing as the technology has been around for centuries. Cyborgs are basically normal humans, with enhanced physical abilities. GenMods are not only stronger and faster, but also much more intelligent than the average Terran. What makes them especially threatening is their ability to alter their appearance at will. Although that proces does take considerable time.

To a degree, the background of the crew is explained in the first post of ingame-thread. It consists of those that are too experienced, competent or connected to let go, but are also too unstable or unreliable (for one reason or the other) to set loose in the Inner Systems. Note that this criteria does not apply to every member of the crew. While the ship itself is at least seven decades old, this is to be its first voyage in years. Therefore, most of the crew is new. I cannot answer questions about the background of the captain, as I'm hoping one of the players will play that part. Note that people are free to pick whatever part they want, but it should reflect the amount of time they're willing to invest in the game. If someone wants to play a member of the senior staff, I expect to see him or her more then once a month. I'm personally playing much more modest roles, such as the Senior Navigator and the ships computer. I'll PM important data to the players whose character has access to it, so my involvement will be a bit less visible than in other games.

By the way, Legolas, didn't you once host an RP game on the Ironworks board in Empirequest? I have to say I was sad to see that one end.

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