Difference between revisions of "Burning Empires: Nova Sparta"

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=Game Resources=
 
=Game Resources=
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==''Iron Empires'' Glossary==
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* [[Iron Empires Glossary]]
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; Ahmilahk : The six-fingered prophet. Founder of the Mundus Humanitas.
 
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; Anvil : Planet-based armed forces: soldiers, tanks and planes. Also refers to unpowered infantry armor.
 
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; Archcotare : The highest ranking religious official on the planet.
 
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; Arch Metropolitan : Another title for the Primarch.
 
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; Armiger : Armorbearer to a noble.
 
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; Bright Mark : Because psychology was so greatly feared during the Federation Era, DNA markings were placed in most citizens. Each time the Psychologist uses his innate powers, this mark glows brightly in a long line from forehead to cheek over the left eye. Eventually, as the Psychologist uses his abilities more and more, the mark scars and can be seen even when psychology is not in use. It is a mark of pride in the courts of the Karsan League, but reviled nearly everywhere else.
 
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; CEBW ("chebu" or "ceebu") : Coherent-Energy Beam Weapon.
 
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; Coeptir : Young noble, usually under the age of 15, employed as a page, squire, or midshipman.
 
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; Church of Transition (CHOT) : A polytheistic cult that has taken root in the Darikahn Empire’s southern reaches.  The CHOT believes in a series of gods that each has dominion over a particular aspect of creation.  There are seasonal gods, rain gods, earth gods, fire gods and others.  Each is prayed to for assistance in overcoming the elements, having favorable weather and receiving blessings on the home. They are all governed by a matriarchal deity sometimes referred to as Dana but usually simply as "the Goddess."  It is called the Church of the Transition because its principal doctrine is that transition is the path of nature.  All things begin as one thing and transform to another.
 
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; Corvus and Crucis : An electronic port that is built into the back of the head at the occipital lobe to allow control of iron or hammer.  Through this interface, the machine responds to mental commands and monitors vital signs.  The crucis gets its name from the cross shape of the implant. It is large enough to be seen clearly on the back on the head and is a badge of honor for all who have one.
 
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; Cotar : Priest of the Mundus Humanitas.
 
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; Cotar Antistes : Senior priest, elected, who officially represents the Church and presides over certain important ceremonies.  His word has force of law.
 
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; Cotar Arderes : Another title for the Primarch.
 
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; Cotar Fomas : A priest much like a regular cotar, but he is also a warrior.  He has all the powers of a cotar, but he also commands an arm of the Mundus Humanitas’ military.  Unlike a cotar, who is commanded by the dregutai, a cotar fomas answers directly to the archcotare. While he cannot act without the archcotare’s leave, the cotar fomas has broadranging powers. He deploys his units as he sees fit and is the archcotare’s enforcer.
 
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; Dregus (pl. Dregutai) : Prelates elected from the cotars.  They work as adjuncts for the archcotare, advising and assisting him. They carry out his will and supervise the cotars.  Dregutai often officiate at temple services in the absence of the archcotare.  When the archcotare does perform the duties himself, the noncelebrant officials are always dregutai.  A dregus can become quite powerful if he serves a weak archcotare. Much like the metropolitans are to the Primarch, they are "the power behind the throne." Crossing an influential one is a dangerous business.
 
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; Distortion Drive : A drive technology that manipulates the value of time to allow faster-than-light interstellar travel.
 
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; Forged : Combining both Anvil and Hammer elements.
 
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; Fusor : A squad support weapon that projects a tongue of plasma, energized to the point of nuclear fusion, at great distance and with great effect.
 
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; Gunda : Brutal nomadic tribes who flourish by exploiting the resources, (human, industrial & mineral), of the planets they conquer.  After milking a world dry they move on, leaving a ruined husk in their wake.
 
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; Grav/Pressor : A technology that manipulates gravity to provide reactionless drive inside a gravity well.
 
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; Hammer : Space-based naval forces: battleships, cruisers and transports.
 
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; Hanrilke : The last dynasty to rule the old Federated Empire. Their collapse brought on the age of the Iron Empires.
 
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; HE (1) : Hanrilke Era; the common time reckoning system in the Iron Empires.  The Hanrilke Calendar consists of 360 days, divided into 4 quarters:  "RISING" from days 1-90, "APEX" from days 91-180, "WANING" from days 181 -270, and "NADIR", from days 271-360.  This is a Mundus inspired, seasonal "wheel" which most human worlds use in conjunction with a local, planetary calendar.  The Darikahn Court, because of antipathy towards the Mundus Church, uses the Hanrilke Calendar of days, but refers to the quarters as "FIRST QUARTER", "SECOND QUARTER", and so on.  The first Hanrilke Emperor, Ober I, took control of the dying Federational Empire in the year FE 10,101 and ruled for 35 years.  He established the Hanrilke calendar in the first year of his reign, setting HE year 0 to correspond with the Federation Calendar's year FE 10,000.  This means that the Hanrilke Era actually is 101 years shorter than its calendar indicates.  Ober knew the value of a "long tradition of rule", even if it was illusory.
 
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; HE (2) : High-Explosive.
 
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; HEAP : High-Explosive, Armor Penetrating.
 
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; Iron : Vernacular for a particular type of mechanized armor. It is perhaps a noble’s single greatest status symbol—an honor and a privilege allowed to only the nobility and the most accomplished warriors.  The Iron Empires take their name from the symbolic image of wars and conquest led by nobles clad in iron.  Though it is cumbersome, iron is ingenious in its design. It is a selfcontained environmental suit that turns a human being into a small tank. Power, locomotion, protection, and life support are all provided by the suit. An iron company is a formidable force.
 
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; Kerrn : Race tthat was genetically engineered by the Vaylen to serve them; however, after only a generation or two, the Kerrn's remarkable immune system rejected the Vaylen tampering.  Kerrn have a fiere hatred for the Vaylen and their engineered slave races.  They are large and green, with brightly coloured eye patches.
 
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; Landwehr : Volunteer army of reservists organized around a professional core, generally serving as the Anvil force throughout the Kursan League.
 
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; Lord-Pilot : A noble rank that allows its bearer to own and operate iron or hammer-class spacecraft.
 
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; Mercator : Interstellar transport.
 
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; MPIML ("empel") : Man-Portable Intelligent Missile Launcher.
 
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; Mukhadish : A bioengineered slave race created by the Vaylen as a labor force.  They and the Kerrn despise one another.
 
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; Mundus Humanitas : The Mundus Humanitas sprang into life with the emergence of the five-fingered prophet Ahmilahk Ahved Ahll.  Ahmilahk appeared in the Comoran worlds, (now the Kudus Theocracy), around FE 10,098.  He preached a doctrine of mystery and fatalism, attacking the Church of the Divine Machine (the Imperial Federation's "state" religion), for clinging to the worldly tatters of the old rationalism.  This theme was seized upon by Ober Hanrilke and his conspirators in their assault on the state.  Hanrilke's support gave Ahmilakh's religion a currency that separated it from the hordes of similar heresies that peppered the Imperial Federation in those years.  When the Noble Wars died away, leaving Hanrilke in firm control of the Sphere, the Mundus Humanitas became law.  Wherever the CoDM had been, the Mundus moved in, burning the old temples, pillaging the libraries, erecting the flaming wheels that were their central icon.  The Mundus continues to be the primary religious belief in the Iron Empires period, although it has been weakened by the fall of the Hanrilke Empire and by internal splits.
 
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; Naiven : Native Vaylen worm that has not been implanted in another living creature.
 
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; Order of the Mystic Fire : The Mystes are an itinerant monastic order among the Mundus Humanitas.  While sanctioned by the Church, the exclusively female organization is regarded with some suspicion.
 
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; Order of the Seeking Fire : The Order of the Seeking Fire is the Church’s official name for its internal investigatory arm, known popularly as "the Inquisition."
 
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; PAc : Particle Accelerator.
 
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; Primarch : Successor of Ahmilahk (also Arch Metropolitan or Cotar Arderes) and the Mundus Humanitas Church's supreme authority.
 
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; Psychology : Use of genetically engineered (and now inheritable) psionic powers; the power to read thoughts, communicate telepathically and forcefully alter a target’s behavior or personality with only a thought.
 
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; Ravilar : A class of patroned historians who chronicle the events of the age.
 
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; SCArE : Sub-critical area explosive.
 
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; SCrEM : Sub-Critical Energy Missile.
 
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; SCrEW : Sub-critical energy wepon.
 
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; Sled : A small vehicle, typically using grav/pressor technology.
 
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; Stentor : Personal servant and bodyguard of an Iron warrior, who helps him get into and out of iron and cares for the equipment.
 
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; Vaylen : A race of parasites, they're a cross between slugs and eels, unsavory but harmless in their natural state.  When they come in contact with another creature's central nervous system (particularly with the brain), the Vaylen secrete an electrically conductive resin with which they control the nervous systems of much larger creatures, effectively short-circuiting the "will" of their host.  Vaylen farm-worlds have become the concentration camps of the age, where people are harvested as hosts to their overlords.
 
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; VISE : Vision enhancement technology.
 
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Revision as of 08:17, 10 October 2006


Nova Sparta – once a bulwark in the defense of the empire, now a world in decline. Leased to the Merchant League, protected only by a gaggle of fractious religious cults, it stands on the border directly in the path of the Vaylen. Soon ownership of the world will be decided – will its people manage to rally and defend their world, or will it fall to the Vaylen forever?

Rules and Out-of-Game Info

Game Location and Schedule

We play at Metro Seattle Gamers on alternate Sundays. Current schedule:

  1. October 1, 2006: World & Character Burning
  2. October 15, 2006
  3. October 29, 2006
  4. November 12, 2006
  5. November 26, 2006
  6. December 10, 2006
  7. January 7, 2007
  8. January 21, 2007

Reading Assignments

  • Game 0 (World and Character Burning):
    • Pages 1-128, which cover an introduction to the game, world burning, and character burning. Thats a lot of reading, but concentrate on pp 1-21, and skim the rest.
    • Pages 610 - 625 which cover how the game is played.
    • If you are feeling frisky, pp 284-310 would be useful, but can wait until next week
  • Game 1:
    • Wheel Meets Fire: pp 284-310
    • Advancing Abilities: pp 311-323
    • Beliefs, Instincts, and Traits: pp. 324-332
    • Artha: pp 334-343
    • Relationships and Circles: pp 344 - 356
    • Resources: pp. 357- 372
    • Technology Burner: pp. 373 - 398
    • Vaylen Infection: pp. 400-440
    • We will likely have to learn the big conflict mechanics (Duel of Wits and Firefight!) at the table next game, but you can read about them if you want. You might want to at least go over pp 442-446 and 463-478 for the basics.

Links


The Campaign

Characters

Figures of Note

  1. CAO of the Merchant League (V)
  2. Boss Gavin St.Vier, heir and capo of the local crime lord (H)
  3. Hammer Captain Inquisitor Minerva Yordanova (H)
  4. Vaylen Commander (V)
  5. Cotar Fomas Ara Muphrid (V)
  6. Board Member Christoph Tierny (H)


Other Characters


Relationship Chart

Figure: What They Think of:
CAO St.Vier Yordanova Vaylen
Commander		 Cotar Fomas Tierny
CAO —          
St.Vier Hate — Neutral ? Hate Neutral
Yordanova Disdain/
Respect		 Cautious
truce		 — ? Heretic! Argue
religion...
Vaylen Commander ? ? ? — ? ?
Cotar Fomas   Hate   ? —  
Tierny Hate Wary Useful
ally		 ? Needs
to be
replaced		 —


Nova Sparta

A thousand years ago the rulers of human space identified the system that would become known as Nova Sparta as being located in an area key to the region's defense. The might of human technology tamed the world, made it a place where men could live in comfort, stripped it of its resources, and constructed mighty military bases. From Nova Sparta the sector fleet drew support against the great unknown across the borders of known space. By the time of the Hanrilke Empire, the borders of known space had expanded, and the sector fleet served as a deterrant against piracy, rebellion, and heresy.

But now the borders of human space have contracted once again, pushed back by the relentless Vaylen. The Hanrilke Empire is no more, and humanity has fractured into warring empires, so intent on one another that they ignore the common threat to them all. Nova Sparta became part of the Karsan League, but as borders shifted, its strategic importance was reduced - though still an important military production world, it no longer had the value it once held. Construction contracts began to dwindle, and many of the vast orbital factories fell dormant.

Then came the Vaylen invasions of 579 HE, all along the Karsan League border. Early in 580 a large Vaylen fleet appeared in Nova Sparta and attacked the production facilities. Nova Sparta's economy was devastated, never to recover. Although the Karsan League was eventually able to drive back the Vaylen invaders, Nova Sparta now stood on the fringe of League controlled territory, a damaged world, vulnerable to future attacks.

Somewhere, high up in the League hierarchy, it was decided - Nova Sparta was lost. It was only a matter of time. Holding the world would cost more than losing it would, and it was time to salvage what was useful from the planet before it was lost forever. Nova Sparta was put under the control of the Merchant League, ostensibly to facilitate reconstruction and foster trade, but in reality to claim whatever could be gotten from the planet before the Vaylen returned to take it and its people as its own.


Planetary Information

GALACTIC LOCATION: Karsan League (Outworld) Nova Sparta sits at on the border of the Karsan League, facing out into the void and Vaylen space. Formerly a hub of military manufacturing and trade, it has seen its manufacturing facilities destroyed, and most of its trade routes wither. Now few ships come to call, and those that do take away more than they bring to the planet.

The planet itself is 69% water, with a broad range of geographic conditions and a human breathable atmosphere.

Technologically, Nova Sparta was once High Index, but since the Vaylen attacks destroyed much of its heavy industry, it has fallen to Low Index, and is likely to fall further unless something is done.

The planet is currently under the direct authority of the Merchant League, who oversee the planetary government and economy in the name of the Karsan League. Ultimate authority rests with the Regional Board overseeing League interests in the sector, but members are located off-world and have little day-to-day influence over governance of the world. The highest ranking League member on planet is the Chief Administrative Officer. The CAO is supported and assisted by several committees and commissions created on an as-needed basis by the League. There are currently two Standing Committees supporting the CAO - the Defense Committee, which oversees the defense of Nova Sparta against the Vaylen, and the Industrial Reconstruction Oversite Committee, which oversees the rebuilding of Nova Sparta's industrial infrastructure. In theory both of these committees have authority equal to that of the CAO and can even overrule him within their area of expertise. In fact the Defense Committee came into existence primarily to see to it that the various cult groups brought on planet were equipped with League supplied weaponry, and the Industrial Reconstruction Oversite Committee exists primarily to keep Nova Sparta's economy from collapsing entirely while the League reaps what profits it can.

Beneath the CAO are heads of various planetary departments - administration, financial services (banks), engineering (construction), protective services (police), community services, etc. Below these are various offices which oversee particular subservices within their field. For example under the department of medical services there would be offices of acute care, disease control, emergency medical services, medical research, medical technology, etc. Below these are regional branch offices which in turn oversee local service providers. At the local level most services are contracted out to licensed individual providers.

With the breakdown of League authority numerous factions have risen to claim their share of power on Nova Sparta - these include:

  • Cults: When the League took over Nova Sparta, they decided to import labor to fill in what they perceived to be gaps in the planetary infrastructure. To save money, they scoured Karsan League space for refugees from losing wars and inquisitions, and broght them to Nova Sparta. Many of these cults were placed in charge of local or regional defense (they had already been fighting wars on Leage planets, so they were trained and armed) They now fill a variety of roles on Nova Sparta, from local police forces to regional armies. Various cults received military contracts from different League suppliers, so their equipment and training are not uniform. The cults generally work poorly together, and squabbling over jurisdiction is common - sometimes erupting into small scale military actions.
  • Organized crime: the great dissimilarity betwen cults means that items that are legal in one place may be forbidden in another. In addition, the League is more interested in what it can take off Nova Sparta than what it can import. Add to this the fact that the effectiveness of law enforcement varies greatly from one place to another, and opportunities for organized crime are many.
  • Psychologist Foundation: a leftover from the days when Nova Sparta was great, the Foundation of 10,000 still maintains a small facility on the planet. At present they hold themselves aloof from the current political infighting and economic turmoil that has engulfed the remainder of the world, preparing themselves physically and mentally for when they are needed most.
  • Slaves and serfs: slavery and serfdom are both relatively new to Nova Sparta, a product of the economic collapse that followed the Vaylen attacks. Those who have fallen the furthest in the economic decline remember better days, at least as described by their parents. Unrest is common among the lowest of the low, and has actually managed to wrangle a few concessions from the Merchant League (slavery is a regulated commodity on Nova Sparta - it isn't much,. but its something)
  • Indigenous life forms: terraforming of Nova Sparta did not completely eliminate the original flora and fauna. With the decline in the planetary economy, no resources are being spared to continue to suppress it, and strange life forms are beginning to appear, particularly in the planet's oceans.

The landwehr is no more. The military is made up of the ragtag survivors of literally dozens of planetary cults, religious heresies, and faith-based rebellions that have been culled from worlds of the Karsan League and beyond and given land grants in return for service.. Cult sizes run from small groups who might oversee the policing of a single small town, to regional armies controlling a continent, and may be poorly equipped with outdated rifles or have access to assault shuttles and hammer patrol ships, depending on their wealth, resources, and contacts with League arms merchants. Although this system has been in place for years, low level infighting between groups is constant, as weaker cults are absorbed or destroyed by more powerful groups.

Planetary attitude towards the Vaylen is best described as paranoia. Although much of the planet's infrastructure was damaged or destroyed by a Vaylen attack, there were never any large-scale invasions of the world. Few people have ever actually encountered a Vaylen, though evidence of their existance is all around in the form of bombed factory complexes and shattered orbital construction yards. The League, for its part, has been more interested in maintaining the appearance of a good defense than actually providing one, and does little to screen or quarentine, and had spared no effort to educate the people on the Vaylen threat. Thus there are many incorrect beliefs about the Vaylen and how to defend against them. Suspicious behavior has led to the formation of lynch mobs and riots in the past.

The economy of Nova Sparta has not recovered from the Vaylen attacks, and it is unlikely that it will unless new policies are put in place. Current primary exports are low index refined goods - mostly parts for higher index items that the League manufactures on other worlds. Import/export regulations are moderate, and there is only a basic quarantine in effect. Regulated items include immigrant labor, slavery, recreational drugs, and music.


Phases: Disposition and Figures of Note

Vaylen Human
Infiltration Usurpation Invasion Infiltration Usurpation Invasion
27 28 23 20 23 30
Cotar Fomas CAO Vaylen Commander St.Vier Thierny Yordanova



Game Resources


Curses

  • "Lahk's Blood!"
  • "Martyrs!"
  • "Prophets!"
  • "We're screwed tighter than a Karsan whore." (Kurdus curse)


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