Zebulon's Guide Expanded

Zebulon's Guide to the Rim

The Rim Coalition

The Government of the Rim is officially a loose confederation of sovereign planets bound together by treaty for mutual protection against the sathar. Every planet elects representatives to the Board of the Rim Coalition (referred to as The Board) based on population density. Worlds with heavy populations elect three representatives, while worlds with moderate populations elect two and worlds with light populations elect one. All told there are now thirteen worlds electing 28 representatives.

In addition, the home world of each race of the Rim races; ifshni, humma, and osakar, appoint an Adjudicator to represent their respective race. The role of the Adjudicators, in practice, is to review and rule on matters passed by the Board that may intrude on the sovereignty of member worlds. In practice the Adjudicators are a supreme court. The appointed Adjudicators give the racial home worlds inordinate influence in the Coalition government. They also decide which representatives sit on the military and on political commitees of the Board.

The military committee of the Board of the Rim Coalition is the civilian control, overseeing the Flight, the military arm of the Coalition. This committee meets much more frequently then the political committee. It has established command and control structures that provide the Flight with a unified command during time of war.

Due to clauses in the foundational treaty (the Osaka Accords) of the Rim Coalition, all of the races in the Rim have aggressively developed new real estate through exploration and terra-forming. . Each colonized planet that is at light population levels and above generates new seats on the Board. Currently the humma home system has eight representatives on the board and both the ifshni and osakar have six each. This grab for political influence has pushed the Rim races to develop new planets regardless of the cost and is the reason that the Rim contains systems with some of the densest inhabited real estate in the known space.

While the de jure government of the Rim is the Board, the de facto power behind it, in many ways is the Capellan Free Merchants (CFM). The CFM has been, without a doubt, the driving force in the Rim economically, politically and militarily for decades before the organization of the Rim Coalition and is likely to continue to be so for a long time to come. Its most significant achievement in defense of the Rim was the standardization of parts and equipment among its member planets and their militaries.

Racial Agendas within the Rim Government

The humma desire to dominate the Rim by planet ownership and the ifshnit are seeking to dominate by business interests which leads the two to occasionally clash. Caught between them is the osakar. However, they are politically astute enough to manipulate the other races for the greater good. The osakar have little interest in humma expansion or ifshni profits. Their goal is to keep the humma in check and the ifshnits from monopolizing. Here then are the three parties of the coalition and their motives. The ifshni are fiscal conservatives, the humma are aggressive exploiters and the osakar are the peace makers.

The osakar wanted a constitution, while the humma see other forms of government not their own as ineffective or weak and the ifshnit preferred contracts for everything. In the end they got a representative government, settled with treaties and contracts from the humma and ifshnit. The Rim Coalition works today probably out of fear of the sathar more than for any other reason though the osakar are proving themselves to be the most astute diplomats in known space.

The Flight

The Flight evolved out of the Capellan Free Merchants, having adopted doctrine organization and ship designs. The CFM continues as a separate organization focused on its own economic pursuits while the Flight has taken up the banner of first line of defense in the Rim.

The Flight's mandate is the protection of the Rim's signatory star systems but the treaties with the UPF allow for its deployment to UPF space in time of war. The Osak system, being the astrographic hub of the Rim, the capitol of coalition government, and a historic first line of attack for the sathar, made this system the logical location for the Flights headquarters. This system is the center of Flight logistics, ship building and is its largest single concentration of vessels.

The Kazak system is another major base for the Flight with extensive planetary and moon bases but only a small task force of ships is stationed there. Cryxia, being further outon the jump routes and younger lacks the military infrastructure of Kazak and thus has a large fleet stationed there. It's strategically located to watch over this important system and respond to sathar incursions in the outer Rim systems.

Capella and Fockrik have strong indigenous defense forces which permit the Flight to post smaller task forces there. With the large Flight presence one jump away at Osak it would seem that these systems are well enough covered against sathar attacks till the Flight can respond.

Fochrik Flight Works Springblade-class Patrol Combatant

The Flight began to chart its own course independent of the path set by the CFM. Recognizing that armed merchant/paramilitary designs were unsuitable for its purposes, they introduced the Springblade Class patrol combatant design. An inexpensive but capable ship design that could be built in planet based ship yards and still be launched into space, it quickly became a workhorse military vessel in the Rim.

HS:4 HP:15 ADF:4 MR:3 DCR:60

Crew: 15
Weapons: PL(×4)*, LB, TT(×1) OR HARM(AR)(×5)

Defenses: RH, MS(x1)

Engines: 2 Atomic "A"

*All four PLs are forward firing and fire-linked for 2d10 damage.

The Springblade-class patrol combatant is the workhorse of the Flight and the various militias within the Rim. Though relatively fragile for its size, the vessel boasts an arsenal of weapons comparable to a Space Fleet frigate, with the same maneuverability and acceleration.

Rank Structure of the Flight

The officer ranks of the Flight reveal a clear influence from the ifshni and the CFM. With two of the worlds in the Capella system having large bodies of water, the ifshni have a strong maritime tradition which was carried on in their space services. Thus the Ifshna word for captain, shipmaster, has made its way into the vocabulary of all the Rim races.

The Flight, like the Capellan Free Merchants, favors officers from the Pilot and Astrogator career tracks for higher command. This is not to say that officers from the other career tracks cannot attain higher command, though it is less likely.

Enlisted Ranks
Spacer (3rd thru 1st rank), Sub Talon (3rd thru 1st rank), Chief Talon, Senior Talon, and Senior Talon of the Flight.

Officer Ranks
Pilot* Apprentice, Pilot*, Leading Pilot*, Pilot* Major, Shipmaster (2nd & 1st rank), Squadron Master, Group Master, Wing Master, and Flight Master. (* substitute Astrogator, Gunner and Engineer for Pilot as per those career tracks).

The Capellan Free Merchants

Headquarters: Red Island, Faire, Capella
Chief Executives: The Council of Twelve, a revolving membership drawn from the Capellan elders who have been Free Merchants.
Subsidiaries: None
Note: The CFM does not follow the standard rules for mega-corps and avoids the Trans-Travel lobby because of a unique charter granted to them by the UPF, in gratitude for the aid given during the recovery from the First Sathar War.

This unusual conglomerate of retail outlets, distributors, manufacturers, and trading ships is much larger than most Frontiersman realize. The Capellan Free Merchants is a union of small companies that protects its members from mega-corps. It specializes in the sale of exotic items, which can usually be found nowhere else but in a CFM shop, and in rentals. This renting or leasing of equipment to its members (at a flat rate) and up to nonmembers (at the going rate plus 20% per month) is extremely lucrative and has been a thorn in other mega-corps' paws for years. Free Merchants also repair and maintain equipment, giving them added income on other mega-corps' products.

The most recognizable members of this conglomerate (although there are members of every known race in the CFM) are the ifshni from the Capella system. These tiny merchants organize hundreds of planet-hopping trading ships that ply the space ways with their wares. The Free Merchants have a clear understanding with Trans-Travel and will only transport their own materials and personnel on their ships. The Capellan Free Merchants usually do not open a shop under their name, but prefer the anonymity of a front organization. Because of their long domination of the Rim society they do not necessarily feel constrained by the niceties of law.

Any being can belong to the Free Merchants, but he must pass a five year apprenticeship program first. Entry into this program requires sponsorship by an already established Free Merchant. The Capellan Free Merchants have been known to venture beyond known space in search of new and exotic items.

History of the CFM

Organized by the first traders that reached for the stars, the Capella Free Merchants became the de facto system government for the Capella system. Its traditions and philosophies bear strong resemblance to the maritime trading tradition on Homeworld, Capella system.

In the beginning, the maritime trading houses dominated the economy of Homeworld but the CFM quickly monopolized the spaced trade and developed the other planets in the system. As the CFM grew in importance and power, the maritime based trade houses attempted to break the CFM's monopoly and banded together against it. This resuslted in a brief shooting war that lasted only two months. The end result was virtual economic and political control of the Capella system by the Capellan Free Merchants. The CFM is allowed to land goods on Homeworld but only at designated ports of entry and all surface trade is carried by the varrious surface based trade organizations.

After formallizing their control to the Capella system the CFM began a policy of exploration with a view to developing new colonies and markets as well as new resources. They immediately discovered the Osak, Fockrik and Kasak systems, openning communication between the three races of the Rim. The humma had only a rudimentary space presence while the osakar were a little further along into thier space age and into this situation the CFM became the interplanetary traders for all the inhabbited systems of the Rim. With the planet Stenmar they offered subsidies to encourage emmigration and colonization with provisions that only CFM vessels would supply the colony.

The humma began to push for increased technology transfers in an efforts to bootstrap themselves to the stars. Direct competition with the CFM and their own internal civil strife led to a brief shooting war between them and the CFM. The CFM warehouses and trading station on Larg was overrun and they responded with extreme punitive measures. If the CFM can be said to have one clear foreign policy it is an unambiguous and extreme response to the killing of any of its personnel.

The offending hummarin lineages and house lost all practical ability to wage war through well placed kinetic strikes by CFM vessels. Rival humma lineages and houses quickly took advantage of the situation and either wiped out or so crippled the offenders that they have never recovered. Thus this round of hummarin civil strife and the Ifshna-Hummarin War came to a quick and simultaneous end.

In the decade following the Ifshna-Hummarin War the CFM instituted a new policy of upgrading the military capabilities of its vessels with a view to handling any future unpleasentness with the humma. This process was 60% complete when the sathar first turned up in Rim space. While the CFM had made efforts toward militarizing the vessels of its trading captians it was by no means prepared to face down the sathar.

The sathar ravaged the Osak system before pursuing retreating CFM vessels to Capella. In Capella they land troops and attack monsters on Homeworld before the regrouped CFM could counter attack and wipe out the invading fleet. Even as the battle waged for Homeworld and the CFM turned its attention on the smaller sathar holding force in Osak the maritime trade houses clamoured for the heads of the Board of the CFM with charges of negligence over the sathar's attack of their planet. The CFM captains had bravely and self sacrificingly destroyed the sathar's fleet but attempts at breaking their monopoly on space trade persisted for years.

Realizing that they had an very dangerous enemy with an unkown home system, the CFM initiated efforts to unify the Rim systems in a defensive confederation. They also sent out explorers to find the origin of the sathar fleet. The osakar, having suffered equally from the sathar were in agreement concerning the need for a better organized defense but the humma refused to join viewing the other races as inferior and week.

The Capellan Free Merchants and the osakar signed an agreement called the Faire Contract, agreeing to a coordinated defense of their systems. Within another decade the sathar returned to the Osak system and sent a beseiging force onto Fockrik. The defense forces in Osak were forced to play hide and pounce with the invading sathar force seeking to defeat individual vessels or small patrol groups in issolation while the rest of the CFM vessels in Capella came to their aid. Once the unified fleets of Osak and Capella dealt with the main sathar fleet in Osak it was the sathar's turn to play hide an pounce forcing the CFM to devote significant resources to deal with them.

Eventually, the CFM and the osakar moved onto Fockrik in pursuit of the sathar and wiped out that force as well. In the aftermath of this sathar incursion the CFM used the osakar to negotiate the Osak Accords and forged a confederation of the three races known as the Rim Coalition or Confederation.

After the formation of the Flight, the CFM, not wanting to demilitarize its vessels, transformed its role into a reserve merchant force for the Flight. In time of war and emergency the CFM's vessels can be called on to support the Flight as armed fleet tenders or even as a last line of mobilization in defense of Rim star systems.

In the years since the formation of the Rim Coalition and the Flight the CFM has focused on exploration and developing the others colonies in the Rim as new markets for its ship captains and it has tracked the sathar to the Zebulon system. Due to the Flight's stealthed scout platforms in the Zebulon system the CFM was aware of the sathar dispatching a huge fleet to Truane's Star (as yet unknown to the CFM) while a similar fleet advanced on Osak. This conflict became known as the First Sathar War (the previous two incursions into the Rim have now been designated at Rim Wars 1 & 2). Because of the knowledge that sathar sent another force elsewhere the CFM deduced that another civilization must be struggling with the rapacious sathar. This led to the discovery of the Frontier and the emerging UPF.

Astrography of the Rim

Rim Star Systems

Star (Class) & Planet	PR	Pop	TR	Grav	Day	Sat	Moons	Uses
Capella (G6)
Faire	If	Mod	B	0.7	45	DS	Astraa	A
Homeworld	If	Mod	A	1.5	15	TS	Flaund	-
							Bigoo	I
Ifshna	If	Mod	BT	0.6	22	RRS	Haasan	-
							Kleevor	M
Cryxia (K5)
Pi'Ka'Nair	*	Hvy	A	0.5	12	-	Bu'd	-
T'zaan	*	Mod	A	1.0	20	TS
Fockrik (F9)
Forge	Hu	Hvy	I	0.8	40	-	Anvil	M
Hum	Hu	Hvy	R	0.9	30	TS	Kran	C
							Glak	M
Larg	Hu	Mod	RI	1.1	35	-	Clud	-
Kazak (G1)
Stenmar	*	Mod	RA	1.0	25	DS,RRS	Brount	M
							Bernt	M
							Bilf	-
							Brunmt	M
Klaeok (G8)
Point Go	*	Lt	R	1.6	90	DS,TS	-
Osak (G4)
Fhloid	O	Out	M	0.8	20	-	-
Osaka	O	Hvy	I	1.1	25	FSS,TS	Obladee	C
							Ontair	R
							Octon	B
Piscatien	O/If	Out	E	1.0	35	-	Onmar	-
Reanee	*	Mod	B	1.0	20	-	-
Wonma	*	Lt	AT	1.2	30	ASS	Weskin	E
							Weot	-

Table Footnotes

PR (Primary Race): If= ifshnit, Hu= humma, O= osakar, * + mixture of races
Pop (Population)
     Hvy-- Heavy population: The planet has numerous large cities and hundreds of smaller cities. Individual cities may be considered "maxi-cities" that cover thousands of square kilometers.
     Mod-- Moderate population: The planet has several large cities and numerous small cities.
     Lt-- Light population: The planet has only a few small cities.
     Out-- Outpost: The planet has only a small outpost or colony. At most, it has only one small city and possibly some small settlements located nearby.
TR (Trade)
     I-- Industry: Most of the planet's economy is based on manufacturing. Cities are built around factories, processing plants, or robo-plants, and most of the inhabitants work there. Raw materials may either be mined on the planet or shipped in from another planet.
     R-- Resource Mining: The planet is rich in natural resources like metals, fossil fuels, gems, crystal, or radioactive materials. Most of these raw materials are shipped to industrial planets for processing.
     A-- Agriculture: The planet's economy is based on farming, whether natural or synthetic. This includes grain farming, fruit or vegetable farming, livestock, fish, lumber, textiles, and other such businesses.
     M-- Military: The planet is an ideal location for a huge military complex. This requires some industry and resource mining to be conducted on the planet and the planet is under the tightest security. Military planets are usually developed by a mega-corp that needs room for development, growth, and testing (like WarTech's Solar Major) or by a large planetary system that needs to heavily fortify a sector in space (like the UPF's development of Moonworld in the Lynchpin System).
     E-- Education: The planet's chief industry is educational or scientific study.
     B-- Business: The planet's chief product is mercantile operations. Such a planet usually has offices on it for middle sized companies and mega-corps along with massive showrooms and demonstration areas. Also in abundance are thousands of bazaars where one can find almost everything imaginable. Some planets, such as Minotaur, are tourist centers that make a large amount of their planetary income on vacation sites and amusement parks.
     T-- High Tech Industry: The planet excels in research or development of, manufacturing of, or advanced use of highly advanced technology. Wonma, Osak is a great example of a high-tech center.
Grav (gravity): given in PanGal's "Sol standard"
Sat (artificial satellites): Only lists the major stations
     FSS-- Fortified Space Station
     ASS-- Armed Space Station
     TS-- Trading Station: These "malls in space" are usually found in very secure space sectors. Trading stations have facilities for restocking spaceships.
     RRS-- Rest & Relaxation Station: These space stations specialize in entertainment facilities such as holo-shows, live theatre, casinos, lounges and sporting events. They also cover recreation facilities such as zoos, adventure parks, and on some of the planets with more hostile environments, "outdoor" parks that offer hiking, biking, climbing, boating, etc. Usually there is a wide range of packages for onboard hotel facilities so it is possible for people to vacation there over extended periods of time.
     DS-- Docking Station: These space stations provide facilities for repair, refurbishment, and complete overhaul of spaceships. Some are also shipyards where new spaceships are built. Every type of space station can handle light repairs on space ships, but only a docking station can handle seriously damaged ships.
Moons: Uses the same letter codes as TR with one addition.
     C-- Colonization

Planetary Footnotes

Faire (Capella) is a water world with five large islands. Red Island is the headquarters of the Capellan Free Merchants and the de facto system capitol. Each island has a supervisor that oversees it as a mayor and traditionally has always been a member of the CFM. The overseer/mayor position is typically a stepping stone to future appointment on the Board of the CFM. The largest island is Bizarre and is especially noteworthy for its Minzii marketplace where it's said that if an item can't be found in Minzii then it doesn't exist.

Fhloid (Osak), in the inner Osak system, is the secret weapons development site for the Flight. Established after a new weapon system turned up for sale in the Minzii market on the planet Faire, the orbital space of Fhoid is off limits to all by but specific Flight vessels.

Forge (Fochrik) would be uninhabitable due to its proximity to Fochrik except that it is tidally locked with one face always pointed toward the star. The habitable zone lies below the horizon shadow that never receives direct sunlight. Ships that ply the space lanes between Forge and Hum require extra heat shielding or they are very likely to take damage.

Homeworld (Capella) is the cradle of the ifshni civilization. Callith, its capitol, is the location of the Palace of the Stone and the sacred Mist Stone. Homeworld, though colder than Faire, sports 70% liquid water oceans. Sailing is the planetary passion even more so than on Faire. It is a leader in algae farming.

Hum (Fochrik) is the cradle of hummarin civilization. This planet is unique in known space as having the distinction of evolving two sapient races simultaneously; the humma and the boon'sheh. The boon'sheh race is nearly extinct on Hum and the humma have inherited the planet. The leading houses on Hum have their leaders chosen for the royal seats that control the government.

Osaka (Osak) is the cradle of the osakaran civilization, capitol of the system, seat of the Board of the Rim Coalition, and the headquarters of the Flight. Economically, it is as important as the Capella system sitting at the effective crossroad to Fochrik, Capella, the rest of the Rim. This planet is heavily defended with both a fortified space station and ground based defenses.

Pi'Ka'Nair (Cryxia), combined with its sister world T'zaan, is known as the "bread basket of the Rim." Its low gravity and favorable environment supports many varied agricultural exports. One of its native species, the cryxian roach, has managed to colonize several other planets in the Rim and proved to be invasive pest.

Stenmar (Kazak), discovered by the CFM, is a thoroughly mixed race colony. The economy is based equally on mining and agriculture but there is intense rivalry with the Cryxia system for the designation of Bread Basket of the Rim as well as resentment over the invasion of the cryxian roach. While most of its moons are military installations, its second moon, Bernt, is a major penal colony as well. The planet hosts the headquarters of the Flight's Talon Command (the Flight's marine force) and is the training center and supply depot for Talon Command.

Wonma (Osak) is an important research site with climate controlled domes simulating environments from around the Rim. The planet actively develops new agricultural products for the CFM. It has rapidly grown its the high tech exports as well.

Due to its rising importance in the Rim's economy the CFM has forced the Flight to build an armed space station in orbit. In reality, the station may not be needed for the planet's defense due to its distance from the system primary. Sathar ships jumping into the system will generally burn past Wonma before they can decelerate enough to raid the planet and by that time the Flight will have task groups on intercept. The Flight has negotiated with the CFM to turn this station over to their administration to re-divert funds to higher defensive priorities else where. The end result is that the CFM staffs the station but the Flight still pays for its upkeep.

Zebulon's Guide to the Ifshnit

"Pssst! Psssssssstt!"

The yazirian walking through the Minzii marketplace slowed when he heard the hissing and glanced aroun. He as a dangerous looking type, possibly one of the newly arrived mercenaries brought in to settle a mega-corp dispute on the other side of the Bizarre. He located the source of the third "psst" and stooped down next to the stall selling Grothian crystals.

Standing underneath the crystal laden table was an ifshnit, black body hair carefully braided in the manner of a roving Capellan merchant. His tiny stature was wmphasized by the gun case he was leaning on; compared to his own diminutive theight it looked like a huge suitcase.

"Greeted well, simian warrior," said the hairy little being in the musical voice common to his race.
The enforcer had no liking for word games but knew ifshnit customs demanded that the potential customer recognize the merchant as an honorable tradesman. Searching his mind for the correct phrasing, the yazirian stammered, "Uh, recognized with respect and delight, esteemed shopkeepter. What might you have in the way of special items for a needy enforcer?"

The little face grinned, huge eyes glistening with delight. "Oh, nothing, surely, that a traveled, experienced personage such as yourself has not seen in his past wanderings. Only some trinkets and unusual weapons."

The last remark was meant to tantalize. It did. The warrior, feeling a fool for kneeling in the marketplace's dirt street and appearing as if he was talking to a table, began growling with irritation, "Show me anyway, distinguished barterer, that I may broaden my experience."

The ifshnit waved his ringed hand in the air, "No, no, I could not humiliate myself by revealing to your seasoned eyes my meager wares no matter how rare they may be."

"All right you little pirate," the yazirian snapped, temper flaring and teeth bared, "I have a few precious minutes before I bap to another part of your soggy planet. Do you have something to sell or not?"

Though ruffled by the yazirian's impatience, the ifshnit felt confident of a sale. Smiling enigmatically, he flipped open the weapon case and turned it toward the monkeyish face. Inside, the strangely shaped weapon gleamed, even in the shade of the table. Its muzzle was still sealed by the manufacturer's stamp, proving the weapon had never been used.

The yazirian's eyes narrowed, "Is that authentic?"

A slight nod from the merchant sent the warrior's eyes back to the beckoning weapon. Small jeweled hands snapped open compartments and removed insulating panels.

"A WarTech Omega Bolt with tooled krikhide holster. The belt holds six power clips."

The yazirian smiled slowly, licking his lips, "I think we can do business, esteemed one."

Ifshnits, Racial Description

Physical Structure
Ifshnits are bipedal, symetrical mammals that look like tiny humans in hair coats. All ifshnits have bald pates, moustaches, and long silky hair over the rest of their bodies. This body hair can be any color but is selfdom different shades on the same body. All males have long and ornate beards, usually of a different shade than the rest of the body hair. The body hair of both sexes is usually worn in intricate braids. Each ifshnit clan braids its hair differently.

Ifshnits hands and feet are covered with short hair, except for their palms and soles, which are bare and padded. This short hair is slightly darker than the rest of the body hair. Their hands have three fingers and an opposing thumb, while the feet have four toes. Because of their small size, ifshnits cannot use many large items, including normal rifles, without a size penalty.

Ifshnit females have three pairs of mamary glands and can birth up to six "puplets" at a time. Puplets are born hairless and tiny, but grow very fast and have their long hair within thirty days. They reach their full height by age nine and full maturiyt at age twelve.

Ifshnits are herbivores and the thought of eating another creature is utterly revolting to them. Because of their vegetarian diet they are constantly nibbling instead of eating meals.

Senses
Ifshnits have normal senses of hearing, touch, and taste. They have almost no sense of smell and have a hard time understanding the concept of scent. Their eyes are masterpieces of biological engineering. A fast closing nictitiating membrane closes instantly if exposed to bright light, preventing the ifshnit from being blinded. Their night sight is no better then a human's.

Speech
Ifshnits have a lilting, piping voice that is best described as cute. Their language is intricate, but is compatible with most race' linguistic abilities.

Ifshnit History

place holder text

Ifshnit Society and Customs

Ifshnits are a major race in the Rim hailling from the Capella system. They are best characterized as ardent capitalist.

The strange, polite dickering of the ifshnit is known and welcome on most planets. Due to their origins, ifshnits are fiercely independent. They like neither mega-corps nor cadres. They live in small family clans and are governed by a committee that changes continually.

Ifshnits have a very specific bartering custom that has slowly become common knowledge among the Frontier core worlds. The sale begins with a lavish greeting by the ifshnits to honor the individual to put them at ease while that person must likewise return the greeting by recognizing the ifshnit's integrity. The merchant then down plays his wares while mentioning items that may be of interest to the individual. Once the individual expresses their interest, if any, the sale may continue.

Any ifshnit that is found to be of questionable integrity is cast out from ifshnit society until they have demonstrated a return to the ifshnit ideal of trustworthiness. Ifshnits believe that every bad sale and every ifshnit that demonstrates questionable ethics brings down the trust of the other races toward the ifshnit race as a whole.

A core belief is that this is the only corporeal existence. Their concept of an afterlife is one of pure thought mixed with gentler emotions. As a consequence of this belief they tend to ignore the sensual pleasures of life. Their favorite pastimes include games (they love competition), stroytelling, and bartering for goods. Ifshnits love gathering and will find every reason to gather friends and family together to celebrate any occasion, but particularly birth, deaths, and large volume sales.

These social conquerors have assimilated well into Frontier society, taking part in every aspect of life from street level bartering to administering government affairs, even taking an active role in the United Planetary Federation's military, usually to weed out sathar spies and protect trade and commerce in the galaxy.

Ifshnits do not typically wear full clothing as they already have hair covering their entire bodies. Instead, they wear open tunics reflecting the fine rare fabrics and exquisite designs typically provided by the Capellan Free Merchants. They are particullary fond of exotic accessories, often adding beads to their braids.

Typical Names: Alt, Dorim, Meez, Morget, Nister, Orma, Prin, Rindel, Rith, Steth, Tith, Zim.

Ifshnit Attitudes, Motivations, & Racial Abilities

Attitudes
Ifshnits are intelligent, brave, patient, and tolerant of other races, and members of most races like them instantly. However, despite their open, friendly dispositions, ifshnits perfer being alone with other members of their clan.

When an ifshnit demonstrates concern, you can be sure it is genuine, though they will gladly use the occasion to share any of their product that matches the circumstance, but their doing so is an earnest attempt to help. A person is wise to at least give them an ear in their offers, as you never know what wisdom may be expressed in their offer. They take every opportunity to make money to take care of themselves and their family, but never at the expense of the well being of others.

Though they value life more than the other races, they still see the need for repulsing would be usurpers by any means necessary and will come to the aid of the CFM whenever needed, even if it is not their employing company.

They harbor an intense hatred for the sathar and any who serve them. This is due to their past dealings with the sathar. Though the details are hard to get, apparently the sathar have plagued the ifshnits since their history began. This leads many historians to believe that the ifshnits (or a branch of that race) at one time inhabited sathar space. Ifshnits have been known to risk life and limb many times over to eliminate the sathar and their agents.

Despite the vrusk's dispassionate nature, ifshnits find them interesting becasue their commitment to their employer is similar to the ifshnit commitment to the CFM. They also love dralasites for their flexibility, humor, and congenial ways. Humans appreciate ifshnits for their genuineness and openness, as well as seemingly always having what they need.

Racial Reaction Modifiers Table

Race	By Other	By Ifshnit
Dralasite	+0	+15
Human	+5	+5
Humma	-5	-5
Ifshnit	--	+15
Mechanon	+0	-5
Osakar	+0	+5
Sathar	-10	-40
Vrusk	+0	+5
Yazerian	+5	+10
Boon'sheh	-5	+5

Motivations for Adventure
Ifshnits are not shy for travelling to exotic worlds to see otherworldly beauty or share their culture, their beliefs, and their goods. They love the stars and seek to bring order to the universe and will sometimes take an active roll in achieving that goal. Ifshnits adapt very well to living and working in space. Dorem Dasak, the famous dralasite philosopher and historian, has named them, "The race of the future, they who will inherit!"

Racial Abilities
Flash Resistance: Ifshnits cannot be blinded by any light, as their nictitating membranes snap shut instantly. They cannot see during the turn a light flashes brightly, but their eyesight will be normal the following turn.

Innate Skill: Because of their unique culture, which is heavily based on barter, ifshnits learn about trading at an early age. An ifshnit player is allowed to choose one of the following bonuses at no cost when it begins the game: +20% to Appraisal, Gemology, or Haggling.

Ability	Modifier
STR/STA	-5
DEX/RS	+0
INT/LOG	+5
PER/LDR	+0

Ships of the CFM, the Dawn Trader class light frieghter

CFMS Dawn Trader-class light freighter

HS:5 HP:20 ADF:3 MR:3 DCR:40

Crew: 14
Weapons: LC, LB, HARM(RB)

Defenses: RH, MS(x1)

Engines: 3 Atomic "B"

The Cappellan Free Merchants' stock light freighter, and its most common merchanter, is slightly smaller than the Frontier's Pacific-class, with comparable performance.

The Dawn Trader served briefly as the Flight's first warship, until its shortcomings forced the Flight to build the Springblade-class patrol combatant.

The first human CFM shipmaster, Maria Craig, owned a Dawn Trader named the Rules of Acquisition.

The Rules Of Acquisition primarily travels along the Klaeok-Zebulon-Truane's Star-Dixon's Star-Cassidine astrogation route, ostensibly running cargo and providing armed escort. However, Star Law suspects the RoA and its captain of acts of piracy against Streel and PGC transports plying the star lanes between Klaeok and Cassidine.

Also, a ship similar to the description for the RoA has been spotted running weapons and interdicted tech to the Boon'Sheh on Larg, and engaging Humma fighter craft on several occasions.

So far, however, these allegations remain unproven.

Ships of the CFM, Tanstaafl-class bulk freighter

CFMS Tanstaafl-class bulk freighter

HS:12 HP:48 ADF:3 MR:3 DCR:60

Crew: 23
Weapons: LC(×2)*, EB, HARM(RB), TT(×2)

Defenses: RH, MS(x2)

Engines: 4 Atomic "B"

*LC are fire-linked for 4d10 damage

Like the Dawn Trader-class, the Tanstaafl-class bulk freighter serves as an auxiliary warship for the Flight, as well as a bulk cargo hauler, hence the relatively heavy armament. This class has also seen service as troop ship in the Rim and several are currently on station at Stenmar, Kazak system.

Ships of the CFM, other designs

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Cryxia System

Cryxia K5 star with a habitable zone approximately ranges between 0.1–0.4 to 0.3–1.3 AU from the star. Thus Pi'Ka'Nair is at 0.2 AU and T'Zaan is at 1.2 AU

Note: T'Zaan is almost identical to Gran Quivera- 20 hr day and 1.0g so this will be the focus of adventure for starting characters as its familiar to the default location in the Frontier and later the players can visit more exotic locales like Pi'Ka'Nair or Point Go after they get their feet.

Pi'Ka'Nair: Mix species Colony, Hvy Pop, Ag economy, Grav 0.5, 12 hr day, no major satellites, 1 unused moon called Bu'd. Pi'Ka'Nair is a warm, low-gravity world with a strong magnetic field, plants grow large and fast here and this is the origin of the Cryxian Roach.

T'Zaan: Mix species Colony, Med Pop, Ag economy, Grav 1.0, 20 hr day, a trade station, no moons. T'Zaan is a cooler world that at first glance would look barren but supports a flourishing agriculture economy that compliments the warm and almost sweltering greenhouse-like ag economy of Pi'Ka'Nair. Cryxian Roach is an invasive species but many plants and animals have been imported for the ag economy and the ecosystem is in great flux due to this.

Cryxia Trade Station orbits T'Zaan and is the clearing house for all cargoes in or out of Cryxia. Due to the invasive nature of the Cryxian roach all cargo, luggage, and passengers leaving either planet are strenuously screened by environmentalists before departing the planet and then yet again on Cryxia Trade Station.

All shuttles working in this system have sonic pest fields installed that are similar to the sonic screen but modulated to ward off the Cryxian Roach, the sonic hum is barely audible. Any ship, not so equipped and landing on either planet must go through a Phase 1 environmental scan requiring an hour per hull point and costing 500 Cr per hull point (haggling over the cost is possible). For this reason, few ships from out-system ever choose to land and prefer to just tranship cargo and passengers at Cryxia station.

Local laws and Regs: ships departing Cryxia station require an Environmental Inspection Certificate regardless of cargo. Arriving in another system after leaving Cryxia without a certificate can lead to red tape and possible fines. Note a ship that never docks with Cryxia station or lands on a planet is not strictly required to get an Envrionmental Inspection Certificate but its wise to contact System Control and pay the 100 Cr for them to radio ahead to that ships next destination a certification that the ship made no contact in Cryxia.

Local Customs: Businesses have a practice of advertising with a tile mosaic outside their door either on the sidewalk or in the wall next to the door.

Pi'Ka'Nair

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T'Zaan

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Zebulon's Guide to Cadres, Cults, & Criminal Organizations

The meg-corps are not the only "power brokers" in Frontier society. The three others are the various cadres, cults and criminal organizations that have gained substantial followings. They are by no means all public, and some are almost impossible to encounter, but they exist and pursue their beliefs nonetheless.

Cadres are organizations of people who are all members of the same profession. There are cadres of teachers, miners, public transportation operators, and so forth. These cadres are constantly battling the mega-corps for more credits, more benefits, and more control over their occupations. Sometimes a cadre is honest, sometimes not, but lately many of them have been studying the renewed militancy with which the mega-corps pursue their goals. Some of the more powerful cadres, such as the Synthfood Workers or the Brotherhood of Spacers, may resort to their own brand of militancy to resolve differences in the future. Star Law is monitoring cadres carefully at the present time.

Cults spring up everywhere but usually fade within the year. Some are religious, some are social, others comprise outright fanatics who like to express themselves in bizarre ways. Of the hundreds of known cults throughout the Frontier, a few have emerged over the last few years that present a very real danger.

Criminal organizations come in every stripe and color, whether they are small street gangs, pirate bands, terrorist associations or organized dralasite mafioso. Star Law maintains detailed records on all that it is aware of. Their modis operendi, beliefs and structure are varied and this category is a broad catch all category used by Star Law for groups that as a habit of general practice operate outside the law.

Cadres & Cults page 1

The Alliance for the Rights of the People (ARP)
Classification: Cadre
Intelligence Source: Dragon #109 "Patriots, Terrorists, and Spies" by Kim Eastland

This cadre is a legal, liberal, political organization dedicated to upholding the rights of the citizens of the Frontier. While this appears to be a noble cause, the ARP has recently enacted a policy of political pressure to limit the authority of Star Law and other local law enforcement groups. This campaign includes holo-vid promotions portraying law enforcement agents as looming shadows that are always waiting for the average citizen to slip up.

The ARP also feels that the practice of maintaining penal colonies (currently located on asteroids) is cruel and that criminals should at least be kept planet side, within the influence of civilization. On the other hand ARP also has been the leading organization defending Rim immigrants who wish to live in UPF space against those cults and cadres that want them deported.

The ARP has its headquartered on Laco. It sometimes allies itself with the Frontier Peace Organization.

Anti Satharian League
Classification: Cadre
Intelligence Source: Zebulon's Guide to the Frontier

The Anti Satharian League is one of the youngest cults. It has only existed for a few years, but its numbers have swelled remarkably. It is an ultra conservative group that constantly pushes the UPF for massive military build ups to face the "inevitable Sathar attack." They sometimes ally themselves with the Silver Death Cult in their attempts to root out sathar agents, but they suspect machines and people alike.

The league is an extremely public organization, but recently Star Law has received information suggesting that it has infiltrated many levels of government and is actually behind many covert operations that have been blamed on other cults. The league is led by J. Harrington Farnsworth, a human billi-creditaire.

Clan Renegade
Classification: Criminal organization
Intelligence Source: Star Frontiersman #16 "New Cults & Cadres" by Thomas Verreault/jedion357

Though the modern Clan Renegade claims descent from the historic yazirian fighting unit this claim is spurious. Star Law believes the modern Clan Renegade to be an ultra secret but fully modern movement that plays on the conspiracy theories surrounding the demise of the historic military unit.

What is certain is that the modern Clan Renegade advocated violence against the Family of One but not the outright destruction of its religious beliefs. This is an important distinction since the membership is assumed to be all yazirian. The organization hates the Family One even while its membership still practices that religion. All of its members are believed to have sworn "blood enemy" against the clan controlling the Family of One.

The historic emblems of the classic fighting unit are all used by the modern Clan Renegade. Their catch phrase or slogan is, "Remember the Charge." This is a reference to the classic poem, "The Charge of Clan Renegade" but it also carries the double meaning of remembering the charge they have been given against the Family of One.

The Clear Thinkers
Classification: cult
Intelligence Source: Dragon #109 "Patriots, Terrorists, and Spies" by Kim Eastland

This is a reactionary political group with militant leanings that seek to banish (or destroy) mentalists and enlightened characters in the Frontier. They have strong financial backing and fund projects that will develop items, drugs, and robots designed to thwart mental disciplines or seek out discipline users. This group is extremely politically savvy and has been careful to stay inside the law with its public activities, and is starting to run Clear Thinker candidates for various political positions, including seats on the Council of Worlds. The leader of the Clear Thinkers is a smooth yazirian politician named Hased Kor. He is one of the most powerful individuals on Yast, Athor and expects to be President of the Council one day.

The Defenders of the Divine Will
Classification: cult
Intelligence Source: Dragon #109 "Patriots, Terrorists, and Spies" by Kim Eastland

This cult is a unique conglomerate of various religious groups that believe that the divine will of their individual deities fromed and evolved planets perfectly. They are vehemently opposed to GODCo's terra-forming practices and some members have even threatened violence if it does not cease. Currently, they are considered a legal organization. Mega-corps are worried that the DDW's views may spread to eventually encompass any business that alters the original form of nature (including mining, forestry, and other operations that altar a planet's appearance and possibly cosmetics, plastic surgery, and other products or services that altar an individual's appearance).

Cadres & Cults page 2

The Firsters
Classification: criminal organization
Intelligence Source: Dragon #109 "Patriots, Terrorists, and Spies" by Kim Eastland

This group is a quasi political/terrorist faction that believes all of the Rim races should be sent back to the Rim. Their slogans are such clichés as "The Frontier for the Founders" and "Kick a Rimmer Today." At first this organization was not taken seriously by most inhabitants of the Frontier and became the butt of many a joke, but recent militant activities aimed at members of the Rim races and their businesses have sobered the public to the reality of violent racial prejudice. The Alliance for the Rights of the People is the greatest opponent of the Firster movement.

No Firster headquarters is known to exist, as its operations are completely covert. While none of the leaders are known, a rallying figure is known to be a dead vrusk named G'rch B'on. B'on was a member of the Firsters when they were still a tiny cult. He attacked an ifshnit couple one night, but died in the assault. The coroner's findings indicated B'on tripped over his own feet and broke his neck in the fall. The Firsters insist that witnesses (other Firsters, incidentally) saw the ifshnit pick a fight, killing B'on. B'on is now a martyr for the Firster cause and a rallying symbol for anyone who dislikes beings from the Rim.

Free Frontiersman Foundation
Classification: cult/ criminal organization
Intelligence Source: Zebulon's Guide to the Frontier

The Free Frontiersman Foundation (FFF) once was a legitimate political faction within the United Planetary Federation. Over the years it lost members and political pull, and eventually a right wing group took control of it. While it is still public, many FFF agents and operations are covert and terrorist oriented. The purpose is to overthrow the UPF and supplant it with a fascist, galaxy spanning government. The FFF will stop at nothing to achieve its goals.

The Free Thinkers
Classification: cadre
Intelligence Source: Dragon #109 "Patriots, Terrorists, and Spies" by Kim Eastland

This is a new cadre that has grown in response to the Clear Thinkers movement. This nonprofit organization is made up of various races and individuals, both psionically gifted and the non-gifted. The organization fights its battle in a legal, honest, and public manner. It funds promotional campaigns aimed at educating the masses about the benefits of having psionically gifted individuals in society. It has established legal aid clinics, educational grants, help lines, and other programs to aid both mentalists and enlightened characters. It works with the authorities whenever possible to aid in the location of psionically gifted individuals who can help solve crimes. The Free Thinkers have recently begun to open small offices in every major city, but their headquarters is on Morgaine's World, Prenglar.

The Frontier Peace Organization
Classification: cadre
Intelligence Source: Zebulon's Guide to the Frontier

The Frontier Peace Organization (FPO) believes that too many credits are being spent on Star Law, Landfleet, and Spacefleet. Lately, they have even suggested that one of the reasons for the sathar attacks is the sathar fear of a UPF and Rim military threat to their existence. The FPO promotes isolationism for the UPF and extreme cutbacks in military units on all planets and in the UPF in general. This organization is an arch-enemy of the Anti-Satharian League.

The Guards of Clarion
Classification: criminal organization
Intelligence Source: Star Frontiersman #16 "Data Searches in the White Light System" by Tom Verreault/jedion357

The Guards of Clarion are a radical, violent arm of the Liberation Front seeking the violent overthrow of the Clarion monarchy. It is known for its virulent hatred of the Royal Guards, Royal Marines, and the Royal Mounted Constabulary. Their favored tactics are bombings and assassinations by armed groups. They famously bombed the Raptor's Roost, a popular Royal Marine nightclub. They have a published manifesto:

Declaration of the Rights of the Citizens of Clarion

We the Guards of Clarion do affirm and assert the natural and impresciptible rights of the citizen to liberty, property, security, and resistance to oppression. We hereby call for the destruction of aristocratic privileges and the proclaiming of an end to exemptions from taxation. We assert freedom and equal rights for all citizens and access to public office for all citizens based on talent. The monarchy is to be dismantled, and all citizens are to have the right to take part in the legislative process. All citizens, being equal in the eyes of the law, are equally admissible to all public dignities, places and employments according to their capacities and without distinction other than that of their virtues and of their talents and we declare the elimination of the special rights of the nobility.

Cadres & Cults page 3

The Hatzck Naar pirate band
Classification: criminal organization
Intelligence Source: Star Frontiersman # "Origin of the Species & the UPF" by Thomas Verreault/jedion357

The infamous vrusk pirate, Hatzck Naar, began life as the Hatzck of House Naar. After becoming CEO of House Naar, he conceived a plan to turn House Naar into one of the new breed of vrusk conglomerate companies. Liquidating company assets in the Fromeltar system he made an all out gamble on the newly discovered star system of Madderly's Star. The newly organized Naar conglomerate upstage the long planned human colonization mission by half a year.

From the beginning there was tension between the vrusk and the human colonizers that went further then racial differences. The underlying philosophies of farming methods added to the tension and the feelings of marginalization felt by the human colonist. The Naar conglomerate came to quickly dominate all aspects of the colony's society and its corporate approach to farming quickly made the human colonist irrelevant with their sustainable/ soft impact philosophy. The Free World Rebellion by the human colonizers was quickly co-opted by radicals and led to massacres of the vrusk company personnel. The Naar Conglomerate never recovered. Hatzck with the few remaining company ships and a handful of loyal followers limped back toward Fromeltar. In the Dramune system he occupied the old vrusk observation and mining outpost on Outer Reach and embarked on a career of piracy.

His bitterness against the vrusk business establishment and humanity as a whole made him an exceptionally vicious pirate. His depredations forced the civilized planets of the Frontier to form the First Common Muster. When news of the muster reached him on Outer Reach he embarked on a grand raid determined to destroy all space based industry beginning with the human colonies. The Muster eventually caught and defeated his fleet in Timeon System. Hatzck was boiled alive in his space suit after being ejected from an air lock on a trajectory toward the star.

It has long been rumored that the Red Devil Pirate was one of his lieutenants.

Humma Rookzen

Humma RookXen is a humma separatist cadre headquartered T'Zaan. They believe the current government of Hum in the Fochrik system was complicit with the sathar invaders and blame the sathar bio-engineering and the resulting retrovirus that has infected the humma species on the current leadership. The retrovirus in question changed the humma birthrate to 1 pup per litter on average. The leader of this cadre, Rook, promises a restoration of the old ways and old birthrates and rails against the current Humma system leadership but runs his organization like a gang with autocratic power. Due to the estimated membership of only 100s the authorities in the Rim had paid little attention to this cult/cadre.

HUSP
Classification: criminal terrorist organization
Intelligence Source: Dragon #98 "The Volturnus Connection," Stephen Bonario

Husp is a slang term for the Human Supremacists native to New Pale. The group practices a philosophy called human superiority. The members of HUSP preferred the isolation of New Pale and did not want it "contaminated" by the other races. Pale used its military to bully the weaker government into allowing other races to settle there. Pale saw this as a way to increase food production on New Pale and perhaps drive food costs down. Several months latter, the HUSPs banded together and began terrorizing the new colonists, also attacking Pale's "colonial protection" forces.

The government of New Pale has virtually become a puppet but there is a dissident underground government that claims to be the only legitimate government of New Pale. Members of HUSP and other groups form this congress but it serves as little more than a mouth piece for spouting hate and racially colored speech.

Independent Merchant Association

The Independent Merchant Association is a small band of ishnit merchant captians that object to the Capellan Free Merchants. Originally they were formed to compete with the CFM but with the CFM's dominance with in the Rim and conncetions to the Rim Coalition government the Independent Merchants Assoc. has dwindled in importance and influence. IMA chaptains find it almost impossible to land government contracts which typically means they are willing to skirt the law and turn a blind eye to blatantly illegal activities so long as they are getting paid. It has been predicted that it's only a matter of time befor this association disappears altogether.

Investors
Classification: cadre
Intelligence Source: Zebulon's Guide to the Frontier

The Investors is an ultra-covert organization of a few billi-creditaires who wish to be the behind the scenes controllers of the United Planetary Federation. While the UPF is presently an organization that compromises all of the Frontier's planetary system governments, the Investors believe it could develop the UPF into a body that would override all local governments. While its aims and methods are similar to that of the Free Frontiersman Foundation, the Investors is a much smarter and more hidden group. The Investors tries to gain control by financial wars, not by actual military ventures, as the FFF would.

Kraatar Liberation Corps
Classification: criminal organization
Intelligence Source: Zebulon's Guide to the Frontier

The KLC is a secret militant organization that originally started on Kraatar in an effort to end vrusk domination of that once predominately human planet. Over the last few years it has evolved into a Frontier wide terrorist organization dedicated to freeing humans from the "cultural pollution" of the existence of other races. The KLC believes that once humans have taken control of all planetary and system wide governments, the United Planetary Federation, and all mega-corps, then the Frontier is assured of peace. The KLC is a prime target for Star Law investigations.

Liberation Front
Classification:
Intelligence Source: Star Frontiersman #16 "Data Searches on the White Light System" by Thomas Verreault/jedion357

The Liberation Front was the action arm of the Liberation Party (now defunct) on Clarion, White Light system and is responsible for assassinations and terrorist acts. It continues to be active on Clarion but since the loss of its political mouthpiece it has been in decline. A direct result of this decline is that splintering off of the most radical elements to for the Guards of Clarion.

Cadres & Cults page 4

The Liberation Party
Classification:
Intelligence Source: Star Frontiersman #16 "Data Searches on the White Light System" by Thomas Verreault/jedion357

The Liberation Party had as its major platform plank the abolition of the monarchy and for decades had been part of the opposition parties on Clarion. In the aftermath of the assassination of King Leotus XIX it was discovered that the Liberation Party was little more than the political arm and mouth piece for the terrorist group responsible, the Liberation Front. A backlash of public sentiment ended the Liberation Party's functionality as a viable political party. Many of this party's members, who managed to avoid indictments, joined the Liberal Party to continue their opposition of the Crown.

The Liberators
Classification: criminal organization
Intelligence Source:Dragon #109 "Patriots, Terrorists, and Spies" by Kim Eastland

This is a terrorist organization that is dedicated to "liberating the oppressed masses from the chains of mega corporation tyranny." This is an extremely violent, illegal, quasi-political, economic cult that has already taken credit for hundreds of deaths due to bombings and terrorists raids, usually on mega corporation headquarters. Star Law suspects the Liberators are backed by a few rich individuals or another cult, but they have no leads yet on whom or what finances them. Though the identity of the leader of the Liberators is also unknown, certain terrorist members have been identified and their faces and descriptions are broadcast regularly throughout the Frontier.

MINER
Classification: front/ criminal organization
Intelligence Source:Dragon #98 "The Volturnus Connection," Stephen Bonario

MINER stood for Mining for Industrial use of Natural Earth Resources. It was a front company that was run by the leader of the Red Devil pirates. The company originally bid for and won the contract to develop the Zebulon system but was later liquidated and its assets transferred to secret numbered accounts after the CEO faked his own kidnapping and murder.

The Madderlian Church of Humanity
Classification: cult
Intelligence Source: Star Frontiersman #15 "Opiate of the Osakar" by Thomas Verreault/jedion357

This religious movement originated 17 years ago at Madderly's Star and is considered a dangerous cult by Star Law. However, its leaders have astutely used the legal systems of several planets to gain the status of a recognized religion. Star Law keeps close tabs on the church's activities.

Founded by Schmidt McCormick, a one time follower of Jack Lagrange, McCormick espouses hate against all non humans. The church believes that god is a human and that humanity will inherit the galaxy. The church teaches an Apocalypse is coming where god will cleanse the galaxy of the Daemoniac's evil alien vermin. Once this happens, all the enlightened humans will be given a star system to re-create in their in their own image. Unenlightened humans who never heard the church's message will be relegated to living in these star systems and given a chance to come to enlightenment. Ultimately, god intends for every star system to be the home of a deified human governing enlightened humans. Then he will open gates to other galaxies and thus humanity will inherit the universe.

In the Apocalypse the Daemoniac and his alien vermin will be cast into the Abyss, the huge black hole at the center of the galaxy. Any human that has heard the church's message and rejected it will also be cast into the Abyss to endure eternal torment. The church also teaches that it was never god's plan that aliens should inhabit the galaxy. At the Fall of Man, the first man, Adama, was tricked by the Deamoniac into opening a gate to another galaxy and allowing in the spirits of aliens to infest this galaxy. Once in this galaxy these spirits began recreating star systems in their image. For this reason god has prepared the Abyss for Adama, the Daemoniac and his aliens.

These beliefs of the church produce to particular results among the rank and file believers. One is that they become abusive of those who hear and reject their message, usually telling them, "You'll get what you've got coming!" Secondly, there has been a marked rise in rank and file believers sabotaging archaeological digs or destroying ruins connected to the Tetrarchs or any other ancient alien civilization. The church disavows these actions with one voice then rails against archaeological research from the pulpit with another. Star Law is convince that the attacks are linked to the belief that aliens infested this galaxy through gate technology and the attacks have been ordered from the top down as an institutional policy of the church. Unfortunately, Star Law can't prove yet that McCormick has ordered the attacks.

A significant incident in the church's history was the Issaka Incident. An osakar named Issaka, a Capellan Free Merchant, indicated an interest of joining the Church of Humanity but later her body turned up murdered. McCormick and the church denied ever having contact with the osakar but Star Law maintains an open investigation in the matter. The CFM and osakar everywhere are outraged over the incident and there is concern that violence could erupt.

The Malthar
Classification: criminal organization
Intelligence Source: Dramune Run

The Malthar is an individual as well as an organization. Malthar, the individual, is an extremely obese dralasite crime lord who own Dark World Station over Outer Reach. "The Malthar," the organization, is the direct expression of the individual's power and reach. It is an organization involved in piracy, smuggling, murder, drug manufacture and distribution.
Malthar has variously referred to his organization by the name "the Syndicate" and by his own name.

Cadres & Cults page 5

The Star Devil Pirates
Classification: criminal organization
Intelligence Source:SF-0, SF-1, Dragon #98 "The Volturnus Connection," Stephen Bonario

While it has long been rumored that the Star Devil was a lieutenant of the infamous Hatzck Naar, what is known for certain is that the Red Devil ran the Mining for Industrial use of Natural Earth Resources (MINER) as a front company before faking his death. As the Red Devil pirate he operated clandestinely out of the Zebulon system raping the mineral wealth of Volturnus with slave labor.

His actions lead directly to the activating of the sathar obelisk, drawing the sathar back to Volturnus in the first major sathar incursion into the Frontier following the First Sathar War. He pirate band was all but destroyed on Volturnus and though his body was never recovered he is presumed dead.

Silver Death Cult
Classification: criminal organization
Intelligence Source:Zebulon's Guide to the Frontier

The Silver Death Cult is an underground terrorist organization that exists to eradicate all intelligent artificial life forms from the Frontier. The organization actually started when the mechanons began their famous exodus from Zebulon and settled on Mechon. Over the years, the SDC has gathered more militants into its ranks. Its pose as that of a patriotic organization that wishes to keep the sathar out of the Frontier by preventing their mechanical agents from infiltrating society.

Supporters of Mechano
Classification: cadre
Intelligence Source:Dragon #109 "Patriots, Terrorists, and Spies" by Kim Eastland

This is a growing political organization that includes members of all the Frontier races. The Mechanites, as they are called, believe the mechanons are a sentient race (though of artificial origin) that deserves full citizenship in the United Planetary Federation. Though the Mechanites began as a completely peaceful organization, their many encounters with the Silver Death Cult and the Anti-Satharian League have resulted in the death of many Mechanites and the formation of their own security forces. It is rumored that some extremists within the organization are forming a radical splinter group that believes the ends justifies violent means.

Since one of the charges constantly being leveled against the Mechanons is their cooperation with the sathar in subversive activities. Many Mechanites investigations are aimed at discovering the truth behind these terrorist activities, with an eye to clearing the Mechanon name.

The Mechanites have centers on every civilized planet. Their leader, a human named Mathias Pricard, is extremely charismatic( PER/LDR= 99/99) and the driving force behind the cult.

The Universal Family Movement
Classification:
Intelligence Source: Star Frontiersman #16 "New Cadre's and Cults" by Thomas Verreault/ jedion357

The Universal Family Movement, while generally considered a cadre is vigorously denounced by the Family of One as a cult. It began as a dissident movement objecting to the despotic control of the Family of One. Under the leadership of theologians like Stig Slayerian, it adopted a philosophy embracing a pantheistic view of the universe and welcomes all beings into its fold.

The core tenet of the UFM is that the divine oneness of the universe is all and in all, therefore all beings are welcomed. The Family of One has slandered this movement alleging that they would even embrace the sathar. In practice the UFM seeks to promote ethical lifestyles, peace and positive action in its adherents.

The movement is small and dominated by yazirians. It forms small flocks in major cities overseen by a shepherd. Some flocks, usually those dominated by a strong personality, take on a strong anti-Family of One stance, though most flocks concern themselves with the practical life issues of the membership.

The Family of One has reacted strongly to the UFM, calling for arrest and even execution of key leaders. Its unknown if anyone has been detained or executed as a member or leader of the UFM in systems where the Family of One exerts influence, however, flocks outside of yazirian space have begun to institute basic security measures.

The symbol of the Universal Family Movement is a metal ring worn on a chain around the neck. The ring is banded in four colors, green, gray, white and yellow which are said to represent the core four races of the Frontier.

The Zenk
Classification: criminal organization
Intelligence Source:Dragon #109

The Zenk (Vrusk for "family") is a Frontier wide criminal organization that currently is responsible for most high credit criminal activities on the Frontier. The Zenk sells its services to anyone, but it nearly always operates in its own best interests. There is no criminal activity that the Zenk cannot perform, though it prefers to stay away from anything directly relating to Star Law, Spacefleet, or Landfleet. No one knows who governs the organization, but referees should create NPCs who run local operations, as player characters may want (or be forced) to tangle with them at some time.

The Zenk is divided into eight different sections:
Acquisitions: robbery, forgery, embezzlement, etc.
Administration: executives, crime planning, accounting, etc.
Eliminations: murder, arson, body disposals, etc.
Enforcement: strong arm activities that do not usually involve killing, security, etc.
Information: blackmail, bugging, spying, computer crimes, etc.
Leisure activities: providing illegal intoxicants, entertainment, etc.
Research and development: creation of new items or methods that help the other sections, maintaining the Zenk's equipment, etc.
Support services : activities that support the other sections but that are not included in the definitions of those sections, such as fencing stolen goods, buying off the authorities, etc.

Creating an "Octopus" or Spy/Terrorist Network

Networks are made up of characters fulfilling roles. The basic roles are mastermind, administrators, agents and cut outs. The mastermind is the brain of the octopus, conceiving the plot and initiating it. Without the mastermind the network will stagnate or unravel. He is the key to the whole network.

The administrators work beneath the mastermind and above the actual field operatives. They are the managers who implement the plot. They maintain a legal cover and rarely commit illegal actions. They are often unidentifiable by the agents and operatives they manage.

Agents or operatives are the dirty work specialist. They are the ones that get things done and perform the illegal actions. They are usually very committed and will aggressively defend their network.

Cut Outs are used to do "leg work" and know very little of the network. All they usually know is that someone told them to do something. They're used in a network to protect the mastermind, administrators, and the agents from detection because they're more expendable; hence the name "cut out."

Communications between the members of a network can be one way or two way. Two way communications mean that both parties can initiate and contact the other. One way communication means only one member can contact the other in the network. The method of communication can be direct, transmitted or by drop.

Below is a sample Network for the following adventure.

Founder's Day

Background

Founder's day is an adventure using the sample octopus network. It is also an important holiday On Gran Quivera, Prenglar system; commemorating the founding of the United Planetary Federation. This year, nearly all of the delegates of the Council of Worlds will be in attendance as the date of the holiday fall's within the last week of the council's session.

There has been a buz on the streets of Port Loren over both the coming parades and speeches by dignitaries and for the anticipated passing of the Corporate Banking Reform Act by the Council of Worlds. This act has been long sought after and stymied repeatedly but in the wake of another mega-corp spawned banking scandle there's a real chance the new banking regulations will pass and curtail the power of the mega-corps in areas of finance.

Naturally, Star Law and the Port Loren Police have stepped up security because of the holiday but also because rhetoric coming form the Free Frontiersman Foundation, the Silver Death Cult, and the Alliance for the Rights of the People during the ramp up to the holiday.

Player Character Intregration

There are a number of ways to integrate the player characters into the adventure, most of which involve them being in security or law enforcement. For a one off adventure or convention style game the player characters could be members of several law enforcement and security agencies detailed to a special task force. Details of how to do this will be left to the Game Referee.

Skills that will be important to the player characters for this adventure, besides combat skills, are demolitions, robotics, and technician, though medical skill could be important for reasons other than patchin up team mates. A team that does not have every single skill listed could still suceed at this adventure but a team without any of the skills listed probably will flounder.

Founder's Day; Referee Background

The building anger in the Frontier over yet another banking crisis resulting from corporate greed has finally put some impetus behind the Corporate Banking Reform Act. There is a real chance it will pass this time.

There are many that don't want to see it pass but chiefest among them may be the Investors, the ultra secret billi-creditairs who plan to take over the UPF and overturn planetary soverignty through financial wars and dealings. The reform act, as written would put a major crimp in thier long term plans, so there is a plot in place to either disrupt that process or put the Investor's man in place to influence the wording of the act.

To that end The Investors are manipulating the Zenk, the Free Frontiersman Foundation (FFF), the Silver Death Cult (SDC), and the Alliance for the Rights of the People (ARP) through cut outs; a banker and a politician. The banker is a yazirian named Sharn Occullo who is a VP of a Streel subsidiary bank in Port Loren. The politician is a dralasite named Dak Dollo who is newly elected to the Council of World but wont take his seat till the next session and isn't likely to get a good seat on any of the committees.

Dak Dollo has been snared into the plot through avarice for power, he is hoping to fast track his career. He's been a periferal supporter of the FFF but never publically. He has maintained a acquaintence with a dralasite administrator in the FFF named Gof Ink. Both dralasites believe they're using the other.

Gof Ink manages two FFF agents, a human named Don Salizar and a yazirian named Shin Sting. Don's mission is to facilitate a SDC attack on the robotic brain that manages Port Loren's public utilities as a diversion. However, the SDC requires a Positronic Cerebral Purge module that is held under tight security at Egalt Robotics in Seawell Valley Research Park, halfway around the planet.

Shin Sting is the handler for both Anna Che, an ARP activist and student at Gran Quivera University and for "Maximus Payne", a FFF bomb maker. His mission is to keep the authorities busy during the chaos sewed by the crash of the city grid by the SDC. To that end he has Anna Che is organizing a "demonstration." Maximus Payne is building and planting bombs that will tie up the Port Loren Police and Star Law.

Sharn Occullo, the other Investors cut out, has arranged for "clean up" whether everything goes to plan or if it does not. The "cleaner" is a Zenk assassin named V'llos Ikr'ptr. His mission is to kill Daniel Fellows, a Council of World's representative on the Finance Commitee. If all goes to plan the SDC and FFF branches of the operation will create dual diversions for the police, giving him a clear shot at the politician. It is not strictly neccessary for both diversions to succeed. Daniel Fellows death will interrupt the vote on the bill and allow the Investor's dralasite, Dak Dollo, to be seated on the Finance Committee.

After the successful assassination of Daniel Fellows, V'llos Ikr'ptr has orders to clean up the Goff Ink to protect Dak Dollo's involvement. Should the whole network begin to unravel the master mind will send an order through the banker for the Zenk assassin to clean up the two cut outs that lead to the master mind in order to protect his identity.

Referee Notes

This is not a classic "dungeon crawl" but an mystery solving adventure. A referee should familiarize himself with all of the principle NPCs and be light on his feet to switch up the order of events and encounters in response to player character actions. The players may or may not fully suceed in unravelling the network and the mastermind has been intentionally left undefined and shadowy so that he can be a crafted as a long running foil to match each referee's campaign.

All text highlighted in gray is information that PCs can discover but it should not be given away for free unless the players are floundering and need a nudge in the right direction. The best way to do that might be having an NPC ask a question like, "Is this important?"

Founder's Day, Security Breach at Egalt Robotics

The player characters (PCs) have been summoned to a high level breach at Egalt Robotics Research Labs in Seawell Valley, Gran Quivera, Prenglar system. They arrive in the early morning hours just two hours after a security robot was destroyed by an intruder and the alarm was raised. The details for the intergration of the PCs into this adventure are upto the referee to craft but suffice it to say they should have authority to investigate. In addition, the security firm has requested outside investigators but are being evasive as to why they insist on this.

The labs are part of a secure industrial park dedicated to high tech research and development. Security at Seawell Valley is handled by a Vrusk Trade House that specializes in security, named RIK (also seen in "Dark Side of the Moon" module, SFAD6). At the time of the PCs arrival there will be 2-6 patrolling security bots in the vicinity as well as 6 vrusk in RIK issued uniform skien suits. There is also a ground car with a laser rifle armed RIK empolyee standing up through its sun roof that is patrolling broadly around the area. [All RIK personel are vrusk and their body language reads very alert and tense].

Many tens of meters away, beyond the compound's fence is a vehicle park with a variety of private ground, hover and air cars and its beginning to fill up with empoyees coming to work. A RIK security squad is very carefully triple checking and scanning everyone before allowing them in. No one is allowed near the site of the breach and though many rubber neck, most go quickly to their individual work sites. As of now there are no news vehicles present but that is likely to change.

Head of security, Rik E'Tic, will greet the PCs, thanking them for coming and brief them on what he knows: "Two hours ago a security robot was destoryed by an intruder. When RIK personel responded they discovered this lab belonging to Egalt Labs was breached. As security personel entered the building an explosion occured deeper in the building so they sent for a demolitions expert and cordoned off the building while initiating a phase one search of the whole park."

At this point the RIK demolitions expert comes out and give the all clear that the building's safe. Rik E'Tic then steps closer to the PCs and says, "That is basically all we know except for one more thing, which is the reason we've called for outside investigators." He extends a hand to a nearby security officer who hands over a plastic specimens bag. Inside the bag is a severed at the knee vrusk leg in a RIK security uniform.

"RIK prides itself on its reputation and it would look bad if we carry on this investigation ourselves when one of our family maybe the culprit. I have accounted for all RIK personel on the sight and none are missing or injured but the law is clear that we cannot investigate while the possibility exists that one of our people is involved."

The show is now the PCs:

The director of the lab is present, Jo Bensen, and she can tell (if asked) whats been taken and disturbed in the labs as well as where the bap bin is suppose to send a transmission. She has no idea why or who would do this other than the PCP module can be used to sabotage any number of computer brains throughout the Frontier. Egalt Robotics is a subsidiary of the mega corp Tachton Instruments which has no declared enemies and was not involved in the recent mega-corp banking scandal.

The Crime: A vrusk theif from the Zenk crime syndicate, named Kz'ick, was hired by FFF agent Don Salizar to steal a Positronic Cerebral Purge Module. Kz'ick use the Zenk crime organization to obtain a forged security badge and a RIK security skein suite. He penetrated the Seawell Park form the employee parking lot via storm drains defeating security locks and detection devices along the way.

Once in the park he defeated the security and locks to Egalt labs then stole the PCP module. He then hacked the passwords protecting the company's bap bin (which is rated for live organizism transmission) and "bapped" the module out of the park. Kz'ick then set a small explosive device with a timer that would go off after he left with the intention of leading security to believe he also bapped out. He could not do this because this bap bin, though normally connected to one in the company's factory outside Port Loren had a spliced shunt in the transmission lines redirecting bapped material to a portable bap reciever (not rated for live organism transmission) set up in a rented apartment next to the Egalt factory where Don Salizar was waiting.

Unfortunately, for Kz'ick, a security bot detected the power surge for the bapping process and began running an investigative program and was waiting for the theif when he emerged from the lab. A short battle ensued at close quarters with the robot grabbing the vrusk's leg and the thief unloading two full clips from autopistols into the bot. The dead robot had a locked grip and half severed the leg. Not willing to suffer the indignity of being caught (due to professional pride) Kz'ick finished severing his leg with a sonic knife and limped away to the unlocked strom drain cover he had come through.

Kz'ick is now in the storm drain waiting for a chance to emerge in the employee parking lot and steal an air car. He's managed to cauterize his amputated leg but is serverely wounded and suffering a penalty from pain to all actions (-10). He will not fight to the death and if he cannot escape he will surrender, rellying on Zenk lawyers to get him off or to simply bide his time for another escape attempt.

Kz'ick: vrusk, RW 50, PS +3, IM +4, RS 40, STA 50 (current 20), Demolitions 40%, Technician(6) 80%, 2 autopistols, sonic knife, skein suit 20pts, 1 radio detonator and transmitter, 30grams of TD-19 explosive (3d10), tech kit, smoke grenade, anti-shock implant.

Inside the lab the only rooms that are disturbed are the locked vault that held the PCP module (expertly cracked) and the bap bin contoll booth. A small ammount of TD-19 was used to blow the bap bin control panel and its impossible to be used nor can the pattern buffer be accessed to see what was transported. Despite Kz'icks ruse to fool security by blowing the controls it is not likely that he could have operated the controls and bapped out. A demolitions expert will almost certainly be able to tell that the TD-19 charge was small (20-30grams) and will spot variable timer (commonly available) fragments in the blast debris. Also the thief managed to defeat 3 level 3 mechanical locks, 2 motion sensors, 1 hand print scanning lock as well as the vault. Nothing else was taken.

Outside, an ichor trail (vrusk blood) could be tracked with environmental skill (-20% due to difficulty) or with a medical scanner sweeping for "blood/ichor" samples that match those in the severed leg.

The storm drain cover also has a vrusk hand print in ichor which could be noticed (INT +15%) to characters within 4 meters of it. This is the only storm drain cover in the park that makes a noise when ground cars travel over it as it is not securely locked like the others (INT check on all PCs if they haven't begun tracking the wounded vursk. Attached to the underside of the drain cover (and viewable through the drain) is 30 grams (3d10) of TD-19 with a radio detonator. If a player critically fails an attempt to disarm the explosive and it goes off Kz'ick will scramble out of a storm drain in the parking lot and begin picking an air car lock and hot wiring it under cover of the explosion's distraction.

Inside the storm drain there is a sound of a dull roar in the direction of the ocean (deeper into the park) travel in this direction will lead to an open grate and stowed scuba gear (for a vrusk). travel toward the parking lot will lead toward Kz'ick.

Kz'ick will make an effort to evade and escape so as to not lose face in the vrusk mafia but he was only a hired thief and will not fight to the death though he will fight if there is a chance of getting away. He'll seek medical aid form a "basement" doctor known to him through the Zenk's network then rent another slum hotel room to rest up in (at this point he may be untracable).

If captured he knows that a human who said his name was Frank (Don Salizar) hired him to steal the PCP module and that Frank was waiting at the portable bapping recieving pad at the other end of the shunt. He suspects "Frank" is FFF and can tell the PCs where the drop point is for communicating with "Frank." He has a tellol neutralizing implant keyed to memory engrams about the Zenk (developed by the Zenk) that will allow him to resist questions about the Zenk in particular but at the cost of 5 STA. Once 3 questions are asked the tellol wears off and he does not fall unconscious.

Other lines of investigation:
The Egalt Robotics factory- nothing to find here other then the bap transmission line shunt. The shunt can be tracked back to the anonomously rented apartment with the portable bap recieving pad. There is nothing to discover here but that someone ate algae pizza on a stick.

They can investigate the positronic style robotic brains that could be purged by the PCP module there are 12 scattered about Gran Quivera but 5 in Port Loren. One of those five is managing the Star Law headquarters and unless the PCs are in Star Law they will get nowhere inquiring about it. One manages the enviro-system and security at the Council of Worlds building. Another is at PGC headquarters and manages that building. Another is at the city grid for Port Loren managing the electric grid, the monorails, traffic flow, and the robotic taxis. The last is at the Egalt Robotics factory managing its operation.

Founders Day, On the Trail of "Frank" aka Don Salizar

There are all sorts of ways the Player Characters could have learned about Don Salizar. They may have captured the vrusk thief at Seawall Research Park and used tellol on him (he cant be forced to answer questions about the Zenk but he can give details about how he communicates with "Frank." They could discover the rented room with the portable recieving pad for bapping and thought to check for security camera footage (traffic camera) showing who enters and leaves that building. They may equally have come up with a creative solution to this problem. What is important is that discovering that Don Salizar aka "Frank" is the next link in the chain should not be impossible.

Don Salizar is a fairly accomplished agent with a fine "danger sense" and will likely spot the PCs if they are not trying to be natural. He will be suspicious of any communication asking to meet with him as he has already wired the thief's account the final payment. He will likely only visit the message drop site if he sees the vrusk theif leave a message in the pre-arranged drop location (PCs will need a holo screen programmed to look like the vrusk theif to do this). Other wise he will fade away in the crowd - allow for observent characters to spot him being a little suspicious.

Use the Port Loren map. The pre-arranged message drop is a small hole in the trunk of a tree in the central hub of the Port Loren map. Don Salizar will seek to leave the area and board a mono rail. The PC's will need to chase and stop him even if they have to have a shoot out on the train.

Don "Frank" Salizar: human, RW 50, PS +3, IM +4, RS 40, STA 50, Enviromental(3), Technician(2), laser pistol, sonic knife, civilian skein suit 50pts, 2 tangler grenades, anti-shock implant, 2 spare 20 SEU clips.

What Don can tell them:
He gave the PCP module to a female yazirian named Zamira who is a Silver Death Cult cell leader. Don meets with her at her street cart location where she vends algae pizza on a stick outside the zoo in Port Loren. Zamira is suppose to take down the robotic brain that manages the Port Loren city grid (electricity, taxis, the mono rails, and traffic flow) in two days but its a diversion for the true FFF operation but he does not know what the details of the that operation is.

He can also tell who his manager is, FFF operator, Gof Ink and how to find him.

Referee Notes:
Don't forget to dot the map with a handful of civilian/innocent bystanders.

Founders Day, Zamira's Algae Pizza on a Stick

Once Don Salizar is captured he will have to be "forced" to tell the PCs anything as he's too professional of an operator (tellol is the likely method). He coordinates with Zamira by buying algae pizza at her vender's cart.

Zamira does not have the PCP module at the cart or her rented room (its in the hands of her second in command in the SDC cell). In fact this close to the planned day she's abandoned her cart and has been lying low at the appartment of a city system's tech named Bob Frett (human) who she has groomed as a "boyfriend." She's played on Bob's fettish for interracial sex and strung him along hinting at a big reward on Founder's Day but she really intends to kill him not sleep with him. Bob Frett is just a patsy being used for access to the city grid computer brain.

The PC's will be able to enquire about Zamira's missing cart which will lead back to the vending company. From the vending company they will be able to eventually track down her appartment. At her appartment, after a search, they'll find plans for the city's sub-systems (service and access tunnels) as well as blue prints for the city grid facility where the robotic brain is located. If they dig enough (attempt to get her chronocom records) they may discover numerous calls between her and Bob Frett which will lead to him.

If they track him down, he's dead and his ID and chronocom are missing. In fact he may be freshly dead and Zamira is literally flying the coop from an open window. If the players are hot on the trail of the SDC plot the timing of it can be moved up by the SDC themselves. The FFF wont be happy about the distraction for their plan being early but the SDC wont care. The PCs will have to take down the SDC cell at the city grid facility.

Zamira: yazirian, Melee 65, RW 75, PS +3, IM +5, RS 50, STA 50, Robotics(4) 80%, Battle Rage 40; Equipment: 4 zamra (yazirian honor weapons), 1 gyrojet pistol, 1 sonic sword, skein suit 50pts, albedo screen, power belt, robcom kit, 2 smoke grenades, anti-shock implant. Zamira is goes by the name for the yazirian honor weapon and is a dead on shot with it as well as the gyro weapons.

The Zamra (From Ares #17): Cost 12cr, Wt. -, Damage: 1d10 (1d6 non lethal variety), Rate: 1, Defense: inertia, Range: 5/10/20/30/40.

8 SDC Mooks: RW 50, PS +3, IM +4, RS 40, STA 50, auto pistol or laser pistol, vibro knife, skein suit 50pts, extra ammo, 2 frag grenades.

Founders Day, Goff Ink the Missing Link

Goff Ink looks like a typical dralasite but his sense of humor is even more on the corny side then normal for his race. He's been a very successful agent for the FFF as he almost never mixes humor and terrorism. In reality he is a reporter for an electronic newpaper, the Port Loren Ledger. In this capacity the PCs may already have been questioned by him. His position as a reporter also means that he'll be able to guess if the operation is in jepordy because of the PCs actions. He'll report his fears to Dak Dollo and the order to step up the operation will come back down the chain from the top.

His part in this plot is to manage the two sides of the operation's "distraction." Reporting to Goff is Don Salizar who runs the SDC side and a yazirian named Shin Sting who runs the FFF side.

Its imperitive that Dak Dollo's identity be protected so that when the order to step up and/or impliment the operation comes the Zenk assassin will have orders to "clean up" Goff. If the PCs have gotten information out of Don Salizar about Goff allow the PCs to corner him in a public place but as they are arresting him a sniper bullet with a poison payload will strike him directly between the eye spots, killing him.

His elimination prevents him from revealing Dak Dollo's part, especially since he meets with him face to face. His link to Shin Sting is by chronocom so that link in the web or octopus is vulnerable to the PCs discovery. However, since Goff is a reporter his com records will take time to work through to see who he's been contacting, besides Don Salizar. There will be several hundreds of names in the records.

To locate Shin Sting they will want to focus on Goff's com communications for the past month. Don Salizar's name turns up several times. They can try to filter his com records a number of ways:
1. By focusing on all non-newspaper staff; reduces the contacts by half to 200.
2. By focusing on people he went to college with, reduces the list to a dozen
3. By focusing on people with criminal records, reduces the list to about 20
4. By focusing on people that are on Star Law watch lists, reduces the list to about 20.
5. By focusing on people were contacted at close to the same time as Don Salizar, reduces the list to 1, Shin Sting.
6. By looking for any name that turns up on all of the above list, reveals Shin Sting's name as well.

Founders Day, The Sting

Shin Sting has already given Maximus Payne (a pseudonym) his orders but when the PCs track him down he will be meeting with Anna Che to make sure her side of the operation will go off without a hitch.

Anna Che is a member of the Alliance for the Rights of the People (ARP) and a student activist. He will be running a student ARP meeting on the 23rd floor of the Student Union Building when the PCs arrive. There are about 20 student leaders in attendance and this is their final planning session before hitting the Founder's Day festivities with placards and shouting. They are, very typically anrgy over Star Law and other police activities and will shout and yell at the PCs while Anna rants on about ARP dogma. Neither Anna nor any of the students have done anything illegal or planned to do anything illegal but they will throng and hinder the movement of the PCs from arresting Shin Sting.

Shin Sting, yazirian, melee 75, RW 50, PS +4, IM +5, RS 50, STA 50, Martial arts (5), civilian skien suite (50), anti-shock implant.

Average Student, Melee 35, PS +3, IM +3, RS 30, STA 35.

The PCs can bring in Anna Che for questioning or arrest her for aiding and abbetting a criminal. Ultimately, she is ignorant of the overall plot and has done nothing wrong and will get off in the end. The PCs can certainly hold her till after Founder's Day and the ARP demonstration will probably be half the size it would have been.

Interrogating Shin Sting:
He will do his best to misconstrue any questions while under tellol. So unless the players are carefull with how they phrase questions while using tellol, they may find their 3 questions used up and Shin Sting knocked out from the drug's side effect.

Shin Meets with "Maximus Payne" directly at a dirty flat in Rook Hill and can give that address. He also knows that his mission is to set up a diversion for tomarrow when the real operation goes down.

Founders Day, Maximum Effect

If the players discover information leading them to the bomber they will not actually find him. He's busy planting the bombs. They are being place around the Council of Worlds complex but at targets with low security priorities (meaning that it was easy to get to these targets but that blowing them up will not actually come close to harming anyone at the Council of Worlds. They are timed to trigger a security reaction that will wisk the CoW delegates to waiting vehicles to wisk them away.

This wisking of the politicians away is what the assassin is waiting for and he'll take his shot as his target is getting into an air car. No one else knows this but the Zenk assassin.

The PCs may discover the bomb locations in an encrypted file on the personal computer terminal at the bomber's apartment (presuming they gain that address from Shin Sting). The personal computer is a level one computer with the following level 1 programs: computer security, information storage and entertainment. They encrypted file is in his photo album under the folder: Vacation Photos. Characters with computer skill that are looking for something may discover this with a LOG check to notice that the file takes up an inordinate ammount of memory. Each picture is an innoccent looking picture of the outside of a location to be bombed. A defeat security roll must be made to decrypt each photograph (3 in all) to see the encrypted files hidden within or "behind" the photos. The encrypted files show floor plans and where to hide the bombs.

Founders Day, The Inevitable

Should the PCs manage to intercept all three bombs and/or catch the bomber in the act, Founder's Day will still go forward as planned by its organizers and the Investors Master Mind. The Zenk assassin is very patient and will wait with his bead on the targets air limo and still attempt to kill him.

This is where each referee has a choice; they can modify the adventure to allow the PCs to catch everyone involved or allow the plot to succeed in killing the politician and Dak Dollo being appointed to the Finance Commitee. The Investor's master mind will go on to more plots and could become a long running shadowy foil in the background of the campaign.

The events of Founder's Day; bomb plots, sabotage plots, and riots will likely cause the Council of Worlds to adjourn the session without a final vote on the bill. Even if the assassination does not go forward another plot to kill the chief politician could during the recess. Dak Dollo will almost certainly be put on the Finance Committee if a vacancy on it opens up suddenly. During the new session he'll be able to tie up the bill or pull its teeth.

Consequences for the Conspirators
The Zenk participants will either get off through the activities of highly paid lawyers or through escaping and disappearing.
The FFF and SDC members who are captured will likely end up in jail for their activities. Some of them may harbor bitterness against the PCs and will likely make cryptic threats.
The ARP members will, at most, get a slap on the wrist for interfering with an arrest but despite any other charges they will get off. Anna Che will go on to denounce the organization the PCs work for in the strongest terms even suggesting that the events of Founder's Day were a government plot.
The Investor is pretty much teflon; nothing should end up sticking to him.
Dak Dollo stands to lose everything if he's caught. In the aftermath, evidence that fingers him as the master mind will be found on his computer and it will be very convincing. He'll go on about a shadowy figure and wild stories but no one will buy them. In the end he'll commit suicide in prison. That is if he's caught.

Zebulon's Guide to the Humma

Table of Contents
I. Preface: http://www.starfrontiers.us/node/4458
II. The Humma
     A. Physiology of the Humma: http://starfrontiers.us/node/4459
     B. Sexuality and Reproduction: http://starfrontiers.us/node/4459
     C. Special Abilities & Characteristics: http://starfrontiers.us/node/4494
     D. Humma Society: http://starfrontiers.us/node/4461
     E. Customs: http://starfrontiers.us/node/4486
     F. Government: http://starfrontiers.us/node/4487
     G. Houses & Lineages: http://starfrontiers.us/node/4492
     H. History: http://starfrontiers.us/node/4493
     I. Weapons: http://starfrontiers.us/node/4526
III. Fokrik System
     A. System Brief: http://starfrontiers.us/node/4507
     B. Planetary Brief, Hum: http://starfrontiers.us/node/4508
     C. Planetary Brief, Forge: http://starfrontiers.us/node/4509
     D. Planetary Brief, Larg: http://starfrontiers.us/node/4510
     E. Racial Brief, Boon'Sheh: http://starfrontiers.us/node/4511
        1. History of the Boon'Sheh: http://starfrontiers.us/node/4547
        2. Tragic Tale of the Boon'Sheh: http://starfrontiers.us/node/4656
IV. Hopping with the Humma (or Adventures in Fokrik):http://starfrontiers.us/node/4595
     A. Office Politics: http://starfrontiers.us/node/4596

Preface to Zebs Guide to the Humma

The common complaint against Zebulon’s Guide (ZG) material is centered on its rush to market and the immediate discontinuance by the corporation owning the IP. It has been justly maligned as poorly executed and an incomplete product. While this criticism is near universal many if not most fans of the Star Frontiers game still use pieces of the guide; new equipment, the outline of a corporate war, corporations and cadres and etc. So while the product is on one hand maligned, no one that I know of has torn up their hard copy or deleted the PDF copy from their computer.

The purpose of this work is to rehabilitate Zebulon’s Guide material to eliminate the common complaint against it. That said the goal is simply rehabilitation not a rewrite or remake, though some areas may require those measures. As much as possible the spirit and details of the original material will be maintained. However, as areas of inconsistency come to light then changes will be considered.

The brain storming phase of this document will be conducted at the www.starfrontiers.us site in the Zebulon’s Guide Expanded project in an effort to illicit input form the Star Frontiers community. As the project lead, I will endeavor to harmonize the original material and comments from the community and package it in a coherent whole that is usable and devoid of the classic criticism against ZG materials. This of course means I have editorial control over the final document. My desire is simply a finished product that is complete, comprehensive and readily usable but one that remains true to the spirit of the original material.

The scope of this particular guide is the humma race, its society, history, home system, and its relationship to the Frontier civilization at large. I will be harmonizing the original ZG material, the Star Frontiersman issue 15 article “The Humma Hop Back”, and topic threads from the Zebulon’s Guide Expanded project. This guide will be laid out in three sections. The first will cover the race extensively, the second will deal with their home system and the third will offer encounters and adventure ideas for game masters.

Humma Physiology

Characteristics

Average Size	2.5 meters tall
Average Mass	90 kilograms
Average Lifespan	210 years
Reproductive System	hermaphroditic, viviparous
Body Temperature	38 degrees Celsius

Physical Structure
The body of a humma is pear shaped with a short neck, narrow shoulders, unusually short arms, a stocky trunk, and wide hips with powerful legs. Their heads and face tend toward a scruffy look and a mustached muzzel. The body is covered with matted fur, usually dull brown. Their hands are hairless and have a semi-retractable dew claw that acts as an opposable thumb. Their feet are long and tough.

The humma dew claw is located mid way up the inside of the forarm, between the elbow and palm. This claw functions as an opposable thumb for holding tools. It allows the humma to grasp objects and hold onto them till they decide to release them. It is difficult to break free from the grasp of a humma (-15% to the attempt) and success results in the humma's punch score in damage.

Humma walk on the balls and toes of their feet, which gives them their extra height. They are able to jump an incredible distance. Their short arms can hold a rifle but are not suited to melee weapons. They have evolved with an agile and strong prehensible tail with which they can deliver a sound blow or use melee weapons but not grenades.

Senses

Humma hearing and sight are equivalent to human standards. Their sense of smell and touch are not as acute as most other races, while their sense of taste is completely dull. This lack of smell and taste, combined with their tough diestive system, means they can eat almost anything that is vaguely edible.

Speech

The Humma language is an ugly one, full of grunts and guttural noises. It is not an easy languagle to learn; vursk and ifshnits, particularly, have a difficult time with it.

Humma Sexuality and Reproduction

Humma don't understand gender like the humans, vrusk, and yazirians. To them a normal being goes through stages and that's that. To be stuck in one stage (male or female) is just ludacris and stupid to a humma and he will tell you so in no uncertain terms. Humma don't even have words that properly translate to male or female because "you are just you" and the stage you are in does not change who you are. Humma think of it more like, "I've reached fertility" (female stage), and "I've become virile" (male stage), and "I am old" (neuter stage).

Sex because of love is not on the menu for a humma. Procreation is what you do to be better than the next humma. If you win the privilege to mate with a fertile humma then that is points for you and not the next grunt.

Having a litter is a right of passage for the fertile humma. Everyone does it and it revolves around status. Fertile humma have spent years positioning themselves to attract the "right" virile humma. There is great status to be gained by getting the most prestigious, the most popular, and the most honored to compete for the mating privilege. The same is true for the virile humma seeking to mate. They are seeking to gain mating privilege with the best placed fertile humma in society. This is not about love, it is about status. Competitions must be won and prices paid.

When the a fertile humma finally goes into heat the time for competition is up. Those who have gained enough status and see this particular humma as a good choice to gain more status fight it out in a public event. The fertile humma is the prize. This is where houses and families come in. Houses have great sway in the whole status evaluation of mating candidates. Back room deals, honor bound allegiances and other feudal responsibilities and obligations come into play and must be observed. After the deciding fight, the winner ritually fights the fertile humma. The fight ends with a brief mating. Then the two part ways and may never see each other again. In rare cases the fertile humma may actually fight back to defeat the winner and possibly runners-up until the desired candidate is reached and then a ritual fight is performed ending with a mating. That is the closest that the humma comes to love in a mating relationship. However, the female fighting back can also be due to honor, status, and other obligations too.

A pregnant humma traditionally spends the months of pregnancy shoring up and finalizing negotiations about the care of the offspring. At birth the kittens are placed with the families or houses of the mating pair to meet obligations and win favors. The fertile humma then transitions to the virile stage soon after the birth and may never see the kitterns again. There is little emotional attachment. Humma value their offspring for their accomplishments and status that they bring. An accomplished or famous offspring may bring status and help win future mating contest rights.

Historically, humma kittens had poor chances of survival before the modern feudal system of houses and obligations. The kittens were expected to fend for themselves and follow the family as best they could. Think of the historic family as more of a pack or herd. The modern system a family is less tied by genealogy than the historic family and more of a cooperative unit that grew up together. Kinda like orphan gangs that society has placed controls on for the betterment of society. All kittens taken into a house born about the same time become a family and are overseen by elders who see to their "proper" education.

Houses grew out of the ancient herd or packs. Some houses are more concerned with proper blood than others. Proper blood houses tend to be the older houses and tend to take whole litters together as families rather than mixing the kittens. Typically proper blood houses are proper blood because they have the status and position that allows them to afford the luxury of siblings in families. This is a luxury because the siblings are expected to fight it out and deaths do occur. In more contemporary houses the families are picked and assembled so as to best grow the house with successful members. It is much like trying to pick a better sports team.

Humma Physiology part 2

Gender Stage and Age Table

GENDER	AGE RANGE
Fertile or Female	0-25
Viril or Male	26-170
Old or Neuter	171-210

The age ranges given above are flexible not hard and fast. Females generally come into heat between 20 and 25 at the latest. Males will transition to neuter around 170.

The average adventuring humma or player character humma is male. Its likely that the beginning player character humma still fairly young; 25 to 50 years of age. Referees should restrict female humma to non player characters as except under special circumstances.

Determining Litter Size
To determine a litter size on the quick and dirty a referee can roll 1d5 for the number of surviving kittens. Its likely that the original litter size was at least twice that number but infant mortality has been extremely high among the human until modern times. There has been a modern trend to limit infant mortality, at least among urban houses. The more traditional and or rural lineages tend to follow the more brutal practices of the past; allowing kittens to fight for dominance and eat the weak. Naturally a referee will need to adjust the numbers according to the situation.

The following table is provided for more detail, roll 2d10 and add the dice.

	Litter Size Table
Dice Roll	Litter Size	Survivors
2	8-12	0¹
3	10	6
4	10	5
5	10	4
6	9	5
7	9	4
8	9	3
9	8	5
10	8	4
11	8	3
12	7	5
13	7	4
14	7	3
15	6	4
16	6	3
17	6	2
18	5	3
19	5	2
20	1	1

1. When zero survive its usually because of defects and the tradition of eating defectives. These occurances are quickly hushed up due to the loss of face that is involved but word does get out. A humma that birthed such a litter is usually barred from ever competing in a mating combat and can expect to be ignored as a neuter for election to house leadership.

Special Abilities & Characteristics

Special Abilities

Poison Resistance
Humma are unaffected by any poison that they eat or drink.

Prehensile Tail
The tail of the humma is 2 meters long and has a grip stronger than a human hand. The tail is capable of holding an item or swinging a melee weapon. When holding an item, the humma can use its two arms normally. When using the tail to wield a weapon, the humma must concentrate on it and connot use its arms to operate anything else. The tail can only wrap around hilts, handles, etc., but cannot throw grenades or operate devices. The tail itself is treated as a rifle butt for damage. It is strong enough to support a humma's body, but only for a number of turns equal to the humma's Stamina divided by 10.

Spring Charge:
The humma have a special spring charge that allows them to move, by jumping, before and after a melee attack. The attack is done with the tail and maximum distance of 25m cannot be exceded on that turn. The humma gets to move attack and move without his opponent being able to attack back. The opponent can move and engage the humma on his initiative but good tactical use of this ability can prevent an opponent from ever striking back.

The spring charge is best employed by large numbers of humma circling a victim and springing to attack in round robin. This tactic, known in Pan Gal as the carousel attack, was so named by a human witness.

Humma Characters
Ability Scores

STR/STA	+10
DEX/RS	+0
INT/LOG	+0
PER/LDR	-10

Movement

Walk
Walking	10 meters/turn
Running	35 meters/turn
Hourly	6 kilometers/hour
Leaping*
Walking	25 meters/turn
Running	50 meters/turn
Hourly	N/A

*Leaping can be maintained only 10 turns, and must be followed by 30 minutes of rest.

Special Abilities
insert table of spec abilities

Humma Society

In primitive humma society each humma of property ruled an estate. These estates eventually became the property of the lineage and were ruled by an elected leader. The head of the lineage, called the Hum, was chosen by tradition from among the neuters over the age of 170. Most ruled till death but a lineage that suffered a set back might elect a new leader from available candidates. The response of a deposed leader ran the gamut from suicide to political machinations to aggressive attacks on the causes of his downfall, within or without the lineage.

Houses developed when several lineages banded together or landless lineages swore fealty to a successful one. In ancient and times it was not unheard of for a house to fracture as infighting erupted within its ranks but this event has become exceedingly rare in modern times.

Houses allied in a constantly shifting web of alliances, loyalties, and feudal obligations with the leaders of preeminent houses being named High Ones, Higher Ones and eventually the equivalent of king, Highest One. Humma history prior to the First Sathar War has been described as one long brawl. While the houses eventually stabilized the web of alliances between them was always prone to fracture until the advent of the sathar. Some sociologist predict a return to civil strife should the threat of the sathar ever be removed.

Modern hummarin society is still feudal. The threat of the sathar and their intense hatred for the worms has frozen in place the kingship and feudal titles with the houses holding them at the time of the SW1. This present situation may not hold but the house holding the kingship of the star system has used the crisis of genocidal attack by the sathar to solidify its position and shore up control of the system. More and more its rivals are finding that they may never be able to challenge the royal house as it funnels tax revenue into a military organization that only bears fealty to the king, and not to any house including his own.

All humma take the fealty they owe to their superiors as a very serious matter. Some actually add the name of their lineage or house to their personal name (Glaxchild, Kuld of Arius, etc.).

The gender roles within society are vastly different but with the unifying theme of preservation of the species. Since fertile females are always in limited supply traditional hummarin society focused on protecting those that survived infancy and effectively used them as markers for keeping score. Modern practices have relaxed some but the expectation remains that a fertile humma has an obligation to perpetuate the species and few if any buck the system.

The role of the virile male has traditionally been that of warrior. Some sociologists believe that the warrior role played an important role in humma society in controlling the burgeoning male population. With the average female mating at around age 20 years and most humma spending another 150 years as a male a disproportionate portion of the population is always male. It may have been that the evolution of the warrior ethic was a societal strategy to relieve the pressure produced by the gender imbalance. It had the dual effect of focusing male energies and thinning the male population.

For the males that reached old age or the neuter stage their role transitioned to that of leader. The reduced population that reaches this gender stage become the “keepers of the tribal wisdom” as it were and oversee the care for the young, administration of their houses and lineage, and plotting the advancement of the house of lineage. The most significant achievement of a neuter is playing a role in securing a seat among the royalty for his house or lineage.

Customs

Sociologist have endlessly speculated about war being a cultural imperitive among the humma, a way of thinning out the herd. However, their love for war and conflict seems to be rooted in the fabric of thier genetic code. The primal humma concern has been attaining status for himself, his lineage and his house. Modern Hummarin society has seen a shift in this quest for status. The pride and honor that humma have traditionally assigned to feats of war have come to include accomplishments in technical, scientific, and exploration endevors. There is even a house, Platget, that now sends out its descendants to become Star Law Rangers. The paradigm shift that has seen status being assigned to pursuits other than acts of martial prowess has had the side effect of creating a population boom. The humma have begun to dominate and develop three planets in their home system.

Since ancient times warring houses would clash in an endless brawl in the quest for status. Alliances and fortunes could change overnight. The leadership of these institutions had to be ever vigilent. This role almost always fell to the neuters who were less volatile then the younger males. Old age carries none of the stigma sometimes seen in other species. The neuter humma no longer have to prove themselves as they have a lifetime of accomplishment and are generally respected for having lived until this milestone in their lives. After this change in their bodies the ambitions of the neuter humma change from personal status to concern for his legacy and the status of his house and lineage. This is not to say a neuter humma gave up warfare as many continued in the ranks but generally serving as officers.

Under the feudal system the humma fought in units based on lineage and house. They evolved customs of wearing house or lineage colors and emblems, standards or "flags", and royal seats awarded based on status. These practices persist.

In prehistoric times the hummarin lineages maintained a lineage totem. This totem bore stylized representations of the lineage founder at the top and over time significant leaders would have their heads added in relief beneath that. To be immortalized on the this pole is a high honor. House poles are slightly different, they bear the heads of all the founders of all lineages within the house. In addition if a humma's accomplishments are so great he may be accorded a place on the house totem but generally he is granted the formal priviledge to establish a new lineage within a house and thus have his head added to the totem.

Tail rings for formal occasions and neck rings for everyday wear are commonly etched with designs from the house or lineage poles. Unless a humma is disgraced he can expect that his neck ring will be displayed in the house or lineage's estate. A great honor is for the most accomplished to have their ring attached to the house or lineage totem.

A simplified version of the totem was carried into battle called a house or lineage standard. It is a light weight pole with a hollow metal head and streaming wind sock (called the tail) behind it. The head is crafted to represent the founder of the lineage or house but with an open mouth. Its fluted and vented for sound as air passes into the mouth and out the trailing wind sock. The sound is typically a roar.

A charging humma bearing this standard creates a repetative series of roars and pauses as he hops into combat with each hop; the roar occuring on forward bounds. The rythm of this roar allows a commanding officer to control a large group of humma in their famous carousel attack. Even when an officer halts his standard bearer will continue to swing the standard in a figure eight pattern. Standard bearers are choosen from the largest and toughest warrior with the highest stamina neccessary to swing and carry the standard throughout a whole battle.

While the customs surrounding mating combat are ritualized and formal and they are hold themselves honor bound to their warrior codes they essentially have no rule or custom reguarding warfare in particular. Rather they believe that there are no rules in warfare. The humma are amoung the most vicious and dangerous opponents in the Frontier.

This has led to some problems with regiments of humma in the service of the Rim and United Planetary Federation as humma are quite fond of despoiling the bodies of vanquished enemies and eating them. The UPF has tried to enforce a uniform code of military conduct which regulates such activities but most non humma commanders have learned to look the other way.

The practice of eating enemies is ancient in origin and has seen a resurgence since the First Sathar War. Since the humma's hate for the sathar is only exceeded by that of the ifshnit it is not surprising that this custom has returned. For the humma, eating a vanguished enemy is the ultimate expression of his contempt. All humma refer to the sathar as "meat" and its probably just as well for the sathar that they perfer suicide to capture.

Government

Humma society is feudal with the equivalent of a king (called the Highest One) and royalty (Higher Ones, High Ones, and so forth). These positions are chosen by election within the house (rarely lineage) that has the status to hold one of these seats. Hummarin society has been an every flowing web of alliance and jockying for these positions.

The advent of the sathar changed all that. By convention the First Sathar War is called "first" because it was Frontier wide encompassing the Rim and Frontier. It was not the first sathar incurssion in the Rim, the sathar having previously attacked at the Osak and Capella systems. Despite long and tedious negotiations by the osakar and the ifshnit to bring the humma into an alliance for protection from the worms the humma viewed these other species as lacking enough status to entice them into an alliance. During SW1 the worms swarmed the Osak system destroying its space infrastructure and invaded Fokrik, the humma's home system. The devastation wrought by the sathar rocked hummarin society to its core and for the first time in history all humma banded together in one cause, destruction of the sathar.

With a unified planet the Highest One had the power to institute other changes, levying system wide taxes, government funded military organizations, changes in legal, educational, and medical systems. By universal acclaim all seats of royalty were frozen in place till the threat of the sathar was removed. The Highest One used the crisis to solidify his position and that of his house while remaking his society in response to the crisis. Many of the houses holding royal seats were relieved that they would not have to defend their positions but have now realized that the Highest One's power has surpassed them exponetially. With the economic might of the second most populated system in the Rim at his disposal his position is assured for decades to come.

Attitude

Most Frontiersman do not like the humma, and even their fellow Rim dwellers are not overly fond of them. That is fine with the humma, because they do not care for the other races either. Humma are rude, crude, lewd, pushy, and arrogant. The only races they enjoy working with are the yazirians (humma admired their battle rage) and osakar (because no one likes them either).

The hummarin view of the ifshnit is complicated. In the early days of contact between these races the ifshnit, in the agency of the Capellan Free Merchants, the races readily traded. The humma desirous of new technology and motivated to boot strap themselves into space while the CFM were interested in expanding new markets. The market that the humma represented was so strong that the CFM established an enclave on the planet Larg in the Fokrik system to better serve their operations. The aggressive exploitation by the ifshnit in Fokrik led to their undoing. Willing to sell advance military technology to any buye, rivals attacked the CFM and a short interplanetary war resulted. The CFM lost heavily in material (they were forced to abondon their enclave on Larg) but the humma lost heavily in casualties. With the osakar playing peace makers the war ended and relations stablized.

Only one other time has a hummarin house dared to attack a CFM vessel trading with a rival. On that occassion the CFM not only struck back with extreme prejudice but they also sold at whole sale prices arms, weapons, and equipment to the rivals. Between the reprisal by the CFM and the rival's "sensing food in the larder" the offending house was wiped out. Since that time the humma have noted the object lesson well and CFM vessels are left alone.

There is a second sentient race that co-evolved with the humma, the boon'sheh. The humma being humma have hounded this race to near extinction. Their name for the boon'sheh is indicative of the humma attitude toward them, beck (it translates literally as excriment). Largely seen as lacking any status for their inability to successfully fight back most humma are largely ambivelent toward the boon'sheh. They were driven into the most inhospitable locals on the planet Hum then most were forcibly relocated to Larg in the quest to claim resources to fuel the growing space industry.

A few houses and lineages believe that the boon'sheh should just be exterminated once and for all but there may be economic motives for this attitude as even now the perservations on Larg have been shown to harbour important natural resources. The Highest One has legislated protections for them due to pressure from the osakar and the ifshnit.

Houses and Lineages in Humma Society

House Arius holds a seat of Higher One and is allied to the royal house. Its leadership has chafed under the political status quo but cannot break publicly with the king. The lineages in House Arius turn out the best spacers and figure prominently in the Fokrik Defence Fleet. (+10% to one spacer skill, chosen at the time of acquiring the first spacer skill)

Lineage Eruditi produces war priests, who are fervent to the point of zealotry. They are identifiable by their clean outward appearance, their hair being clean and scented with pleasant oils. Their Hum, quite unusually, holds the title High One, a seat generally only held by a house. The Eruditi believe that the surge of adrenaline during combat is actually the spirit of a humma from a past battle taking over the body. They follow even the slightest impulse, deeming it the “will of the spirit.” This makes them very dangerous even to their allies though strangely effective. (Eruditi gain +10 to melee combat but must make a LOG check every 5 rounds or attack an adjacent ally as an enemy but with no +10 bouns)

House Falsguck is another house that holds a seat of Higher One and is the main rival of the royal house. It publicly supports the king but plots privately to change the status quo. Its members are noted for their ability to read a “tell” and react quickly to erupting combat. (+1 initiative modifier)

Lineage Glax is a very traditional, some say backward lineage, holding to ancient ways and practices. It produces few warriors as few of the young born to its members survive infancy. They live very close to nature. (+5% to stealth and concealment)

House Globulos, has turned its efforts to theatre and literature gaining Frontier wide fame by its innovative adaptations of significant literature from other races, the most critically acclaimed being “Last of the Mohicans” as a stage production. (+10 to creative and performance skills)

House Jorah is the largest house with over 60 lineages. Its members are statesmen, diplomats and its Hum is a Higher One. They have played both sides of the political divide concerning supporting the king. Their status makes them effective leaders among the humma. (+10 to LDR instead of -10)

Lineage Kro is one of the strangest of all humma lineages. Its members shave all fur and cover themselves with tattoos. Due to years of selective breeding, members of this lineage are larger then the average humma (3.5m tall). They are also very warlike and not to bright. (STR/STA +15, LOD -10)

House Platget now sends out its descendants to become Star Law Rangers. (+15% to interrogation attempts)

House Recksill is the Royal House and holder of the seat, the Highest One. It has astutely maneuvered to solidify control of the planet since SW1. Its members are noted for their intuition. (+10 INT)

History of the Humma and Fokrik System

place holder text

Humma Weapons

Melee Weapons

Tail. The humma tail counts as a rifle butt.

Tail Blades, Spikes and Weights. These are actually distinct weapons but the difference between them is insignificant for game purposes. These items are worn and doing so decreases the dexterity of the humma's tail -10% to any action that requires holding an item or the referee rules requires some dexterity (holding or operationg another weapon for instance). They cannot be effectively put on or removed during combat. These weapons are not permitted during mating combat.

Foot Blades. Foot Blades are worn on the feet to increase damage but can be hindering (-1 IM). While a humma generally attacks with both feet in a typical snatch and rake while supported by his tail attack there is only one attack and damage roll for this weapon. This weapon is not permitted during mating combat.

Weapon	Melee Mod	Cost	Wgt.	Damage	Ammo	SEU	Defense
Tail	-10	--	--	2d10	--	--	Inertia
Tail Blades	+10	20	1 Kg	3d10	--	--	Inertia
Foot Blades	+10	20	1 Kg	3d10	--	--	Inertia

Raqnged Weapons

The humma can use standard rifles despite their short arms as they make up for their physical short commings with their prehensible tail. However the popularity of tail spikes, blades and weights create a hinderance to using long rifles. This has led to the development of carbine rifles in the Fokrik system. The carbine class of rifle is a shorter rifle but it is better suited to cavalry and the humma's springing attack style. A typical humma carbine has a cresent shaped stock that braces across the chest with two pistol grips mounted to either side of the weapon.

Blast Carbine. A blast carbine is a longer version of the blast pistol. Developed on Forge in the Fokrik system as a response to cost and manufacturing difficulties of laser weapons. In fact on few Rim worlds, few beam weapons specialist are sporting the latest laser weapon. They carry blast carbines.

Its bulky but packs a wallop. When fired, the energy from a standard SEU clip is focused through a inexpensive crystal membranes (where some of the energy is wasted and dissipates in the form of heat). The energy releases in a rather large, nasty red blast that sounds thunderous rather than elegant. After the sho, there is a few seconds of high pitched whine while the crystal membranes perform a regeneration (thus the slow rate of fire for a beam weapon). It is not a stealthy weapon.

The blast carbine drains 2 SEU per shot and causes 4d10 points of damage. It uses a standard 20 SEU clip but does not come equipped with a power port for the connection of an external beltpack or powerpack. An albedo suit or screen defends against the blast carbine.

Automatic Carbine. An automatic carbine looks like a shortened automatic rifle. It fires in semi-automatic (3 single shote per round) and full auto (1 burst per round). A single shot causes 1d10 points of damage. A burst fires 10 bullets, and has a +20 modifier to hit. It can be aimed at up to five adjacent targets in a 10 meter wide are. A burst causes 5d10 points of damage, plus 1d10 for every additional target after the first. Only one roll is needed to hit all the targets, but any negative modifiers that could apply to one target apply to the entire group. For example, if one target has soft cover, all of them are considered to have soft cover. The damage from a burst is divided as evenly as possible between all the targets. Skiensuits and inerita screens reduce the damage by half.

Needler Carbine. A needler carbine is a shorter version of the needler rifle. It makes a very soft, coughing noise when it is fired. Needler carbines magnetically propel a cluster of needles at high speed. Two types of needles can be used: barbed needles that caused 3d10 points of damage per shot, and anesthetic needles that put the victim to sleep for d100 turns. An individual can resist the anesthetic by passing a current Stamina check. Needles will not penetrate skeinsuits or intertia screens. Neither the suit, screen, or individual is damaged.

Gyrojet Carbine. A gyrojet carbine is a shorter version of the gyrojet rifle. It shoots miniature, self propelled rockets that cause 3d10 points of damage when they explode. A gyrojet carbine is not effective at very short range, because the rocket is still accelerating. Thus the short range modifier is used even at point blank range. Skeinsuits and inertia screens halve damage.

Weapon	Cost (Cr)	Wgt (kg)	Damage	Ammo	SEU	Rate	Defense	Range
Blast Cabine	300	3	4d10	SEU	2	1	Gauss A-S	10/25/-/-/-
Auto Carbine	250	2	1d10/5d10	20 rounds	-	3(1)	Inertia	10/30/80/120/240
Needler Carbine	300	2	3d10/ 1d10+sleep	10 shots	-	3	Inertia	5/15/30/60/120
Gyrojet Carbine	250	3	3d10	10 rounds	-	3	Inertia	-/5/60/120/240

Racial Description: Boon'sheh

Physical Description
The teal-skinned boon'sheh are slim, tall bipedals, usually standing at least a head above humans. Their skin is soft to the touch, and they're completely hairless except for patches of fur on their shoulders and forearmes.

Their faces are unexpressive and almost skeletal, as they have very little muscle in them. Their noses are square, with tiny nostrils, and their ears are pointed and long.

Boon'sheh bodies are built for running, and as such they have little mass compared to other sentient species. Whatever physical weakness they have as a consequence, they make it up with their great speed.

Characteristics
Average Size	2.0 m
Average Mass	55kg male 60kg female
Average Lifespan	75 years
Reproductive System	heterosexual, viviparous
Body Temperature	39 Celsius

Senses
Boon'sheh senses are very well developed: particularly, their sight, hearing and sense of smell. Its believe that these senses were hieghtened as survival traits in their native environment. Tests performed at the University of Zebulon indicate that the zones of the boon'sheh's brain that deal with these three senses are in a permanent state of overdrive, and that their sensory organs are always absorbing more data then the conscious brain can process. This has resulted in the boon'sheh developing a 'danger sense', their unconscious selves picking up warning singals from eyes, ears and nose, and forcing their bodies to act before they notice what's going on. While some individuals tend to think of the boon'sheh as 'fidgety' (or even paranoid), their dander sense has saved them and their colleages from certain death more than once.

Speech
Boon'sheh speak in high pitched tones, and their native language is very dependent on them. They also use many palatal and alveolar clicks when talking. While their language appears to be complicated at first, most people can learn it in two or three weeks.

Their names commonly have two or three syllables and are always preceded by the prefix "Boon-" which stands for 'person', as in Boon-Shube or Boon-Gurenn. This prefix is usually dropped in informal converstation.

History, Society and Customs
Sharing the same world with the humma, the boon'sheh have been pushed close to the brink of extinction during their tragic history. Despite a brief period in their history where they formed a significant landed civilization the boon'sheh have largely been nomadic wanderers. If the history of the humma can be characterized as one long brawl the history of the boon'sheh can be characterized as one long flight from that brawl.

During a particularly barbaric time in humma history the boon'sheh managed to establish a landed civilization with cities and became more advanced technologically than the humma. This could not last, as the humma came very close to unifying themselves in an effort to take them down. For two centuries incessent attacks for first one Hummarin house then another wore the boon'sheh down and eventually the Boon'Klash civilization collapsed and the survivors were scattered. In the aftermath most cities were razed but a few were appropriated by the humma and exist still today.

At the time of first contact with the ifshnit and osakar the boon'sheh had effectively maintained a territory in the most desolate wastes on Hum for generations. However, the visitation of interstellar neighbors kicked off the Hummarin Space Age. In a short time satellites began to reveal the mineral richness of the Boon'sheh lands and encroachment commensed anew.

Eventually, it was decided by the Highest One that the boon'sheh should be relocated for their own good (and to make way for his house to grab the krik share of their vacated land). Where to move them too became a topic of hot debate but eventually the decision was made to forcibly relocate the bulk of them to the planet Larg and set up a preservation for them.

Some boon'sheh clans scattered and have continued to subsistance in the lost wastelands on Hum and a few areas (preservations) were left as havens for them on Hum. The largest conscentration now dewls on the planet Larg.

They sided with the Capellan Free Merchants during the Ifshno-Hummarin War. Which despite the hummar being declared a winner, did not turn out negative for them. Transfers in tech and military hardware from the CFM gave them an edge to hold out in their mountain strong holds on Larg. The negotiation of the peace treaty left them with more protections then they previously had.

With the formation of the Rim Coalition the boon'sheh of Larg attempted to pettition for membership. Stout resistence from the governments of the the three humma populated worlds and astute maneuvering by diplomats from House Jorah blocked their admission to the Rim Coalition on the basis that the planet Larg already had representation on the council.

Since that time some cadres have formed in boon'sheh society with the goal of autonomous government for the boon'sheh. Some of these cadres have taken a militeristic stance, stockpiling weapons and supplies while others are more open and seek negotiated change.

The boon'sheh on Larg have instituted a policy of sending the best and brightest off world to be educated in Osaka, Capella and the Frontier. Many return but some are learned away by the promise of a better life elsewhere in the Rim and Frontier. The boon'sheh have been readily accepted into military organizations in the Frontier (corporate, militia, and UPF) but until recently were blocked from joining the Flight in the Rim.

The average clan holds around 200 individuals, most of which live in the same village or town. There are no true boon'sheh families: all children are raised by the clan as a whole, and the parent-child bond is unknown to them. Boon'sheh worship their clans and fight fiercely for them. Those that don't uphold the clan's expectations are often cast out of their districts. Most of the star-faring boon'sheh are such outcasts.

Attitudes
The boon'sheh dislike the humma strongly but are very found of ifshnits and dralasites. As to be expected they are nervous around yazirians but neutral toward osakar, humans, and vrusk. The feeling of most races are recipracol toward them except yazirians who are ambivelent. They are distrustfull of humanity because of their curiousity (boon'sheh call it 'deathwish'). Their lack of facial expression is a source of bemusement and ammusement to other races. The ifshnit use the idion 'To see a boon'sheh smile' when talking about mirages and illusions.

Special Abilities
Danger Sense (10%): Boon'sheh's keen senses can subconsciously alert them to perils they aren't aware of. Whenever a boon'sheh is endagered, the referee secretly rolls for danger sense: a success means the boon'sheh becomes aware of danger (though not able to pinpoint its exact source) and can warn others of it. This special ability may be imporved by spending experience points, but even if rased to 100%, any roll of 96-00 is considered a failure. No matter how keen the senses of a a boon'sheh, there is always a slight chance he can be duped.

A Brief History of the Boon'Sheh

Place holder text

The Tragic Tale of the Boon'Sheh

From the Journal of Olson Steed

It was in a seedy spacer bar on the outskirts of Volkos while looking for a berth to work my way back to Truane's Star that I encounted Captain Artimis Caine. He was advanced in age and no longer had the look of the legendary rogue who had broke the hearts of a 1000 women, made and lost 100 fortunes, discovered 10 planets and captured 1 sathar carrier. In fact I would have never recognized him if the bartender had not pointed him out.

He appeared down on his luck, like me, but I felt obliged to buy his drinks and soak up his stories. Several days I spent feasting on those stories while he drank up my remaining credits. That was how I learned of the tragic tale of the boon'sheh.

The boon'sheh are a little known race from the Fockrik system with the misfortune to have evolved on the same world as the humma. The humma, being humma, hounded and fought with the boon'sheh till they were nearly wiped out. Eventually they had retreated into the furthest recesses of the most inhospitable environments on Hum or were herded into preserves under the protection of the humma's Highest One. That was until some valuable resource was discovered in one of the major preserves. At that time, many were forcibly relocated to the barely inhabitable planet of Larg .

Captain Caine had come to befriend a disgraced outcast from boon'sheh society and took him on as crew. Boon'Gig travelled with Caine for 6 years before trying to return to Fockrik to reclaim his ancestral lands or die trying. Captain Caine was visibly choked up as he told of Boon'Gig's death. It was obvious he was quite fond of him.

Apparently, the death of his friend had for once in the Captain's life, given him a political cause. He became the champion of the marginalized race. As one of the first human captains in the Capellan Free Merchants, he had enough political clout to push for recognition of the boon'sheh by the Rim Coalition.

He valiantly stormed the heights of power demanding autonomy and membership in the Rim Coalition for his friend's people. The Highest One of the humma banned Caine from Fockrik. The incident, though little reported in the Frontier, was a major firestorm in the Rim.

The power and influence of the Highest One went further than Caine anticipated. In short order he was expelled fromt he Capellan Free Merchants and his docking privileges were rescinded in the Capella system. His petition to the coalition government fell on deaf ears and no one would hire him to carry cargo in the Rim.

The once great legend returned to the Frontier and climbed inside a bottle. I can now say that a man should never live to see his hero at his worst. The legend seldom survives when you are confronted with this reality. I found his body two days before shipping out on the Dixon's Dawn. Captain Artimis Caine was dead in his quarters of a self inflicted wound from the multi-pistol given to him by his friend, Boon'Gig.

Fochrik System Brief WIP

Fochrik System
Stellar Type: F9 V Stellar Mass: 2.128x1030 (1.07 Msun)
Stellar Luminosity: 1.39 Lsun
Stellar Color: yellow
Nominal Habitable Zone region: 0.959 to 1.702 AU

PLANET	TYPE	DISTANCE (AU)	ORBITAL PERIOD (YEARS)	MASS	RADIUS (km)	SURFACE GRAVITY	COMMENTS
Fochrik I	Rock	0.328		4.002x1023 (0.07 Me)	2615.0	0.40 g	Airless Rock
Fochrik II	Rock	0.475		1.016x1024 (0.17 Me)	3564.6	0.55 g	Airless Rock
Fochrik III (Forge)	Hot Terrestrial	0.783		3.501x1024 (0.59 Me)	5357.0	0.83 g	Tidaly Locked To Fochrik
Fochrik IV (Hum)	Terrestrial	1.060		4.307x1024 (0.72 Me)	5732.2	0.89 g	Earth Like
Fochrik V (Larg)	Cold Terrestrial	1.381		6.344x1024 (1.06 Me)	6728.0	1.06 g	Cold Ice World
Fochrik VI	Jovian	10.042		8.704x1027 (1457.14 Me)	105995.9	-	Super Jovian (4.58 Jupiter Masses)
Fochrik VII	Ice Giant	26.134		2.003x1026 (33.53 Me)	38204.6	-	About 2x Neptunes Mass
Fochrik VIII	Ice	48.533		9.020x1023 (0.15 Me)	4582.1	0.29 g	Small Ice World

Planetary Brief: Forge

Fochrik III: Forge

Type	Distance (AU)	Orbital Period (Years)	Mass	Radius (km)	Surface Gravity	Moons	Moon's Uses
Hot Terrestrial	0.783	---	3.501x1024 (0.59 Me)	5357.0	0.83 g	Anvil	Military

History of Forge

Planetary Brief: Hum

TBA

Planetary Brief: Larg

TBA

Hopping With the Humma

Below are several adventures involving Humma and/or Humma society.

Office Politics

The Highest One is travelling to Osak aboard his flagship, the Adjudicator-class destroyer Krokrik, to address the Board of the Rim Coalition.

On board his ship is the newly appointed Adjudicator for his race, a scion of House Arius. Part of the Highest One's schedule includes a tour of the high-tech and agricultural facilities on Wonma in the Osak system, before travelling on from there to the Rim capital, after which, he plans a grand tour of both the Rim and the Frontier.

The Highest One's various rivals, however, have other plans. Using mercenaries and disgraced Humma, they plan to ambush and destroy the Krokrik, killing not only the Highest One, but his hand-picked Adjudicator as well.

They plan to carry out the ambush far enough away from Wonma that any Flight or CFM assets in system will be too late to stop the assassination attempt.

Setup

The ambushers are not be certain of the exact course to Wonma so they have positioned the mercs 15 hexes from the short side of the map and 10 hexes from the long side; the Humma ambushers are 15 hexes from the same short side and 10 hexes from the other long side.

As fate would have it, the Highest One's course is directly between them. Place his ships in the exact center of the short side the ambushers are closest to- all ships must be within 2 hexes of the Highest One's force.

On the opposite side of the map is Wonma and the space station in the center of the short side 12 hexes from the short side with the station orbiting the planet.

Also, Wonma has a moon, positioned in orbit 20-30 hexes from the planet.

Order Of Battle:

Mercenaries: 2 Curiassier-class assault scouts

HS:3 HP:15 DCR:40

ADF:4 MR:4

Crew:5

Weapons: PL(×4)*, RB

Defenses: RH

Engines: 2 Atomic "A"

Special(Optional): One AS has a WNB.

*Pod lasers(assuming 1d5 per PL) are linked for 2d10 damage.

Both assault scouts are at speed 10.

Humma Ambushers: Six Tail Slash heavy fighters:

HS:2 HP:10 ADF:5 MR:4 DCR:20
Crew: 2
Weapons: PL(×3), AR
Defenses: RH
Engines: 1 Atomic "A"

The Tail Slash fighters are travelling at speed 10 as well

Highest One:

Krokrik

HS:6 HP:40 ADF:4 MR:3 DCR:75
Crew: 50
Weapons: LC(×2)*, EB, HARM(RB)(×2), TT(×2)
Defenses: RH, MS(x2), ICM(×4)
Engines: 3 Atomic "B"

*Both LCs are forward-firing and fire-linked for 4d10 damage.

2 Springblade-class patrol combatants:

Fochrik Flight Works Springblade-class Patrol Combatant

HS:4 HP:15 ADF:4 MR:3 DCR:60
Crew: 15
Weapons: PL(×4)*, LB, HARM(AR)(×5)
Defenses: RH, MS(x1)
Engines: 2 Atomic "A"

*PLs are forward firing and linked for 2d10 damage.

All ships are travelling at speed 10.

Special Conditions

Mercanaries wont fight to the death and will flee if the Flight (not CFM) assets can threaten them. They must avoid capture and destruction, as their goal is only to destroy the Krokrik.

Humma ambushers will fight to the death (it's always a good day to die) and since they're already disgraced, they have nothing to lose.

The Highest One, on the other hand, has a lot to lose. If he and/or the Adjudicator die, his House will fall and civil war will erupt on Fokrik.

If he loses face it could be almost as bad.

But losing face will not necessarily cause his house to fall and he has his house and lineage to think of.

He can flee to the safety of the armed space station's guns (at which point, the mercenaries will withdraw), call for the CFM vessel's help, issue a distress call, which means from now on 2 Flight vessels(both Springblades) will turn up on a 1 or 2 of a 1d10 roll, with speeds of 2d10+10(each vessel rolls separately for arrival location 1d10+5 hexes from Wonma's moon), and the CFM freighter will arrive first, if called upon(see below).

Any of those three things mean a minor victory for the ambushers- destruction of the Highest Ones ship while he loses face is a total victory. everything else falls in between.

Reinforcements?(purely optional)

Should the Highest One call for help, or at the end of 1d5 turns(assuming the Krokrik has NOT been destroyed by that time), a CFM Tanstaafl-class bulk freighter arrives on the map 15 hexes west of Wonma's moon.

The bulk freighter's captain will identify herself as Maria Craig, Shipmaster of the Free Merchant Ship Rules of Acquisition, and will profess her willingness to assist the Highest One.

The ship has the following stats:

HS:12 HP:48 ADF:3 MR:3 DCR:60

Crew: 23
Weapons: LC(×2)*, EB, PB

Defenses: RH, MS(x2)

Engines: 4 Atomic "B"

Notes: Carries six White Blaze interceptors in its cargo bay. Laser cannon are linked for 4d10 damage. Equipped with a white noise broadcaster.

and enters the map at a speed of 15.

At the beginning of the Highest One's next turn, the Rules Of Acquisition will launch her White Blaze interceptors...all crewed by disgraced Humma formerly of the Eruditi lineage. The Rules will then activate her WNB, before closing(at max burn, increasing her speed to 18) to effective range of her beam weapons and open fire on the Krokrik(the ambushing Tail Slash heavy fighters are part of the ship's fighter complement), seeking to blow the ship away, before the Flight arrives to complicate matters.

While the disgraced Humma will gladly throw away their lives to complete the mission, Craig and the crew of the Rules Of Acquisition will NOT. She plans on a single high-speed pass, using the ship's weapons to fry the Krokrik and anyone else who interferes(including any Flight assets), before she turns her guns on her Humma accomplices(mercenary assault scouts will retreat and never be heard from again)and leaves the scene of the crime.

Should the Krokrik make it to the safety of the armed station, the Rules Of Acquisition will break off its attack.

(If you feel this option is two and a half strikes against the Highest Ones, then don't use it.)

Things To Consider

The Highest One's player should try his best to avoid losing face, but, if faced with the alternative of running and hiding inside the armed station or being blown out of the sky, the Highest One should consider the good of his lineage and his house and choose the better part of valor("he who fights and hops away will live to hop another day.").

The ambushers, on the other hand, should try to remove the Krokrik as quickly as possible, then run like hell, before the Flight shows up. Humma will sacrifice themselves for the mission, as they have nothing to lose anyway, but the mercs aren't being paid to be kamikazes; if the battle goes against them, it's time for them to go.

Fire in the Forge

A mini adventure/ encounter on the planet Forge

Knight Hawks with the ZG Skill System

Zebulon's Guide to the Osak System

Osak (G4 primary)

Planet	Prevelant Race	Population	Trade	Gravity	Day	Stations	Moons	Moon's uses
Fhloid	Osakar	Outpost	Military	0.8	20	-	None	-
Osaka	Osakar	Heavy	Industrial	1.1	25	FSS, DS	Obladee Ontair Octon Onmar	Colonization Resource Mining Business None
Piscatien	Osakar/ Ifshnit	Outpost	Education	1.0	35	-	None	-
Reanee	*	Moderate	Business	1.0	20	-	None	-
Wonma	*	Light	Agriculture & Technology	1.2	30	ASS	Weskin Weot	Education/Research None

Planetary and Satellite Footnotes

Fhloid is a military outpost belonging the system militia. Details about this planet and the Osakaran Defense Force's (ODF) activities here are classified. One Space Fleet analyst wrote a controversial paper outlining a secret agreement between the Flight, the Capellan Free Merchants and the ODF to carry out secret military research here possibly involving captured sathar equipment and or specimens. The treaty with the Rim Coalition requires sharing of important imformation on mutual threats to the Frontier and the Rim by both parties. If the ODF is carrying out secret research this would not constitute a treaty violation in any technical sense though it is considered one in the spirit.

Osaka is the homeworld of the osakar race, the seat of government for the Rim Coalition, and the headquarters for the Flight. One osakaran poet equated it to the heart of the Rim (Capella was the brians and Fochrik was the soul though other commentators have changed this to equate Fochrik as the anus). Due to quirks in the osakaran physche making them among the most religious race, Osaka is considered the religious center of both the Frontier and Rim. Its Valley of Temples is a significant tourist attraction for off world visitors, a major city in its own right. Galleeo Plateau, once a barren wind swept plateau due to its thin atmosphere is now a major star port offering a significant fuel savings for ships launching from here. Ottapack City is the capitol of both Osaka and the Rim Coalition.

Ostakon Station, Osaka, is the Flight's primary military base in this system. Small areas of the station are leased to the ODF and the CFM.

Osslow Station, Osaka, is the premier star ship construction center in the Rim. It is a class 1 construction center and fully outfitted docking station. All civilian traffic coming to Osaka passes through Osslow Station.

Obladee, the innermost moon of Osaka, is the sight of a major terraforming and colonization effort. Its atmosphere is very thin and unsurvivable without air masks. The cities currently being built all have inflated domes. Because of the ease of constructing the inflated dome cities, its projected that Obladee will reach moderate population levels in the next decade.

Octon, the third moon of Osaka, is the site of the CFM's first trading post in the Osak system. Since the development of the planet Reanee, the showrooms on Octon have lost their importance. As a result landing pads can be rented at a good prices and its not hard to find a ship's captain who'll take any job without asking questions. Since the CFM's 60 year lease is up in 3 years its speculated the it will not be renewed. Local business interests and mega corps from the UPF are all exploring options for developing Octon after the CFM pulls out.

Piscatien, is a research station funded by joint osakar and ifshnit business interests.

Reanee, with better gravity then the moon Octon, has become the premier trading station in the system. It's fully integrated population of Rim races has seen a significant rise in numbers from the races of the UPF. The CFM administers and polices the planet. It is the trading hub of the Rim if you exclude the Capella system.

Wonma, is an important colony in the outer system. Its economy is rooted in cutting edge research and development of high tech and agricultural products. Travelling amoung its habitat domes usually requires decon procedures as the sealed environments are used to isolate and develop new agriculture products. New products are being developed all the time and this is an excellent stop for the captian looking to score a good deal on an experimental ag product. Variable price at point of delivery means the trader my realize more or less then he expected when picking up the cargo.

Weskin, the first moon of Wonma, is a significant research station connected to the operations on Wonma. The University of Zebulon has an extention campus and research facility here. Ships picking up cargo at Wonma and heading toward UPF space often pic up passengers here bound for Volturnus.

Zebulon's Guide to the planet Osaka

NOTE: WORK IN PROGRESS
Environmental Report
Osaka is a terrestrial world lacking significant bodies of navigatable water, Osaka is alternately gray and colorful. Its dominant ecosystem, the Osakaran Jungle is made up of fungal spires, tangle vines and oolon colonies. The fungal spires and other plants, depending on species and environmental factors range for dull grays to riotous splashes of garrish colors. Another major ecosystem is the fungal plains which cover the more temperate climes. The fungal plains are dominated by mat fungus which also alternates from dreary grays to garrish colors depending on fungi species and environmental factors.

Osakaran Jungle is a dense, gloomy, and near impenitrible jungle of tangler and strangler vines, fungal spires and oolon shoot colonies. Its believed to be the native environment where the osakar evolved. Sight lines are never more then a few meters and movement is slow and obstructed to all but the osakar themselves. Ground level in a osakaran jungle sees very little direct sunlight, hence the large eye structure of the osakar and yazirians can forego their sun goggles. All non osakaran races move at 1/2 if equipped with a machete and 1/4 if not and running is impossible.

The Fungal Plains cover the more temperate regions of the planet. They are dominated by matt fungi with stunted oolon shoot colonies and infrequent clumps of smaller fungal spires. The stolon stems of the dwarf oolon shoots dont grow more then a few cm in diameter and thus pose no significant impedement to travel. However, the deep, spongy mat fungi is an uncertain footing that can slow hourly movement rates by .5km per character. Tangle and strangler vines do not grow in this temperate region.

Osakaran Tundra covers thin bands on Osaka between the temperate fungal plains and the artic region on both the northern and southern hemispheres. Its primarily broken rocky ground with clumps of fungus, dwarf fungal spires and rare clumps of flowering plants.

Zoolonee Bogs are lakes, ponds and other former bodies of water that have become choked with the zoolonee plant/animal organism. They appear in any reagion and pose a significant danger to travellers. A zoolonee bog appears to be a weed choked body of water with a 2-12m ring of dry mulchlike material around it. Visitors to Osaka intending to travel in wilderness areas are strickly warned against the dangers of the zoolonee bog (see the Botanical/Zoological Report below).

Movement Table

RACE	Osakaran Jungle	Fungal Plains	Osakaran Tundra
Osakar	Normal Walk 1/2 Run Normal Hourly	Normal Walk Normal Run -1/2 km hourly	Normal Walk 3/4 Run Normal Hourly
All Others	1/2 Walk & Hourly w/machete 1/4 Walk & Hourly w/o machete No Run	Normal Walk Normal Run -1/2 km hourly	Normal Walk 1/2 Run Normal Hourly

Zebulon's Guide Volume Two

Look at menus to add materials to the new sections.

Character Sheets

Refer to this link for the Star Frontiers RPG character sheets: http://starfrontiers.us/downloads/201 .

The New Map of the Frontier

Here is the newest and most up-to-date map of Frontier space: http://starfrontiersman.com/images/SF%20Map%203.01%20Grid.jpg

Zebulon's Guide: Volume Two Introduction

This is the second installment in the Zebulon's Guide to Frontier space. In this second volume you will be able to see all new infornation including: a new map of the, new tech, new races, new rules, and much more.

Explore new things that only star frontiers can bring you. Have fun like you did back in the glory days of your gaming. And most of all experience the uniqueness of the Star Frontiers universe all over again.

Zebulon's Guide: Letter from Community

What's happened since the last volume? Well the Star Frontiers game has been re-constructed/revived and placed into the hands of the community. When I read the seventh issue of the Star Frontiersman (the SF Community's newest and greatest project) a former editor from TSR said that there were three planned volumes! Wow! That was all I could think. What should be in these next two volumes? Well I looked to many key members of the SF community and they said lets expand on what is already here, but not go over what we already have seen or have in the community projects. So, in this volume you will be filled in on some optional rules, new tech, new races, a new map, and much more! So, enjoy this installment of the Zebulon's Guide.

-- Greg Rapp; Project Leader

Zebulon's Guide: Races of the Frontier

Zebulon's Guide: New Technology