 June 16, 2015 - 8:05pm | Okay everyone including myself pretty much agrees Trouble On Janus does not fit well as written in the SF 'Verse, but I started retyping it for one so I could actually read it (my scan is pretty rough), but I also figured I should edit the text & ideas to better fit into SF so I can use it. Original Background (with spelling addresed): The green highlights are on points of intrest, sector info I think needs changing or deleting all together. I am not sure about cluster, what cluster? I may make both Gergonise & Janus worlds that ultamently become 2 of the quaratined worlds/systems or not still kicking the idea about since my setting is pre-Blue Plague. If anyone has suggestions feel free... BACKGROUND: Janus is a near-Sol Type planet in sector 86-110-22, with a
yellow sun at the extreme edge of the cluster, near Gergonise. There are three
other planets in the system, with the other two planets being much farther out
and uninhabited. Janus has one moon, uninhabited and apparently worthless, and
has one space station orbiting the planet to provide weather information and to
boost off-planet communications. The gravity on Janus is slightly higher than Sol-Type Normal
worlds, however Janus also has a very dense atmosphere with a slightly higher
oxygen content, so that beings accustomed to Sol-Type Normal worlds should feel
no discomfort. The density of the atmosphere and the proximity to the sun
make this a virtual hothouse world. The planet is divided into two major
continental masses, more clumps of huge islands interspaced with more rivers
and lakes than traditional continents. Janus has a relatively flat rotation orbit and an extremely
slight axis tilt. As a result, seasonal changes are virtually unknown on Janus.
The southern hemisphere is undergoing a summer season while the northern
hemisphere is undergoing a late summer or very early fall season, and this
situation is expected to continue for the next thousand years or so. The next bit gets way not SF so it will need major rewrite I think: "Never fire a laser at a mirror." |
June 17, 2015 - 9:57am | Rereading the above I have some questions & thoughts about the planet's environement: Seasons last a thousand years? I am okay with the unique environment this would create but what would the orbit of a planet have to be like for this? Is the whole planet basically a big tropical to mediteranian type environement? What happens when Winter happwns or doea it... 1000 plus year season cycles. Native life, some would be adapted to this no doubt, but would the fossil record show a lot mass extinction events? In the economic section the planet clearly has other resources besides Medical-Ag Location I am probably going to go with it being one of the quarintined worlds for my game, I am also going to make Gergonise either a system or a world which is not Ag nearby (so another plague plane). "Never fire a laser at a mirror." |
June 17, 2015 - 7:51pm | First draft of rewrite: Planetary Briefing: Janus is a jungle planet, with a yellow sun, (near Gergonise). There are three other planets in the system, with the other two planets being much farther out and uninhabited. Janus has one moon, uninhabited and apparently worthless, and has one space station orbiting the planet to provide weather information and to boost off-planet communications. The gravity on Janus is 1.1 G. Janus also has a very dense atmosphere with a slightly higher oxygen content, so that beings accustomed to 1 G should feel no discomfort. The density of the atmosphere and the proximity to the sun make this a virtual hothouse world. The planet is covered with lush jungles of amazing biodiversity. The planet is divided into two major continental masses, that are crisscrossed by vast and small rivers with a large number of natural lakes creating a maze of huge to small islands across the continents. Janus has a relatively flat rotation orbit and an extremely slight axis tilt. As a result, seasonal changes are virtually unknown on Janus. The southern hemisphere is undergoing a summer season while the northern hemisphere is undergoing a late summer or very early fall season, and this situation is expected to continue for the next thousand years or so. I am attempting to maintane as much of original text as possible while creating a more SF feel. <!--EndFragment--> "Never fire a laser at a mirror." |
June 19, 2015 - 10:56am | First Draft of Planetary Brief needs ton's more work: But this is just the start of the rewrite process: I need to move some info around and reorder it better, also I need to flesh out Central City from info in the module, and so on. Planetary Briefing: Janus is a jungle planet, with a yellow sun, (near
Gergonise). There are three other planets in the system, with the other two
planets being much farther out and uninhabited. Janus has one moon, uninhabited
and apparently worthless, and has one space station orbiting the planet to
provide weather information and to boost off-planet communications. The gravity on Janus is 1.1 G. Janus also has a very dense atmosphere with a slightly
higher oxygen content, so that beings accustomed to 1 G should feel no discomfort. The density of the atmosphere and the proximity to the sun
make this a virtual hothouse world. The planet is covered with lush jungles of
amazing biodiversity. The planet is divided into two major continental masses
that are crisscrossed by vast and small rivers with a large number of natural
lakes creating a maze of huge to small islands across the continents. Janus has a relatively flat rotation orbit and an extremely
slight axis tilt. As a result, seasonal changes are virtually unknown on Janus.
The southern hemisphere is undergoing a summer season while the northern
hemisphere is undergoing a late summer or very early fall season, and this
situation is expected to continue for the next thousand years or so. ECONOMIC PROFILE AND DEVELOPMENT: Janus was discovered over a century and a half ago by an
exploration ship sponsored by Multi-Cap Corporation. It was briefly cataloged,
but Janus was not immediately colonized. About sixty years ago Multi-Cap Corporation funded a second
expedition to Janus before their original claim expired. The expedition ship
the “Borderline” crashed in the southern hemisphere. The owner and commander of
the ship was Jerry Tatum, who was also the discoverer of the Tatum Plant, whose
leaves made an almost universal pain killer and a good antiseptic. Multi-Cap
immediately recognized the value of the discovery of the Tatum plant and within
1 galactic standard year had begun developing the planet with the establishment
of scientific research and mapping stations, and an experimental agricultural
farm, thus ensuring Multi-Cap retained it’s claim to Janus. After determining
the most efficient growing methods for Tatum plants Multi-Cap began to recruit
colonists from predominately human populations in the Frontier. Since then the production of
Tatum-leaves have become the primary product of Janus and its principle source
of export income. Tantum and his crew were also the discoverers of the
planet’s inhabitants, dubbed “Woolies”. CURRENT ECONOMIC PROFILE: The economy of Janus depends almost entirely on the growth
and export of Tatum leaves, from which a base is extracted to be made into
painkillers and antiseptics. Due to this situation, the real economic power on
Janus rests with the Multi-Cap Corporation, a pharmaceutical manufacturing and
pharmaceutical agriculture firm with Frontier wide distribution. The Multi-Cap
directors realized early on the potential sales to be gained from exploiting
Tatum leaves. Multi-Cap functions as the real governing power on Janus,
Multi-Cap company police have the real law enforcement power concerning larger
planetary affairs. There is a rudimentary parliamentary system on Janus. The
local non Multi-Cap police force is community based and very similar in concept
to sheriff’s. Local authorities such as planetary police or customs officials
wear powder blue uniforms. Multi-Cap security wears dark blue uniforms. Central
City is the capitol of Janus, the largest population center and the location of
the planet’s spaceport. Multi-Cap has developed large tracts of the southern
hemisphere, and administers it in the following manner: Tatum Plants are grown
on extensive plantations. Land tracts are apportioned by Multi-Cap, which picks
the owners of each tract, helps the owner with financing, clearing the land,
equipment purchases and the other set-up costs. These plantations are settled
along major waterways in order to secure cheap and reliable transportation for
movement of the harvested Tatum leaves. A plantation system is established with the owners of the
plantations in debt to Multi-Cap for development capital and dependent on
Multi-Cap for control of the land itself. Multi-Cap agrees to buy all the Tatum
leaf produced and offers settlers a reasonable price, not neglecting the profit
margin they stand to make from the product when it is refined and sold off
planet. For security reasons, no Tatum leaf extract is refined on Janus itself.
It is speculated that this security policy helps maintain the firm control
Multi-Cap holds over the plantation owners and develops an even greater
dependence on Multi-Cap’s purchasing power. The labor to actually plant, weed and harvest the Tatum
Plant is provided by the Woolies. Use of Woolies as labor appears to be a
mutually exploitive system. That is, the growing and harvesting of vast acreage
of Tatum-Plants would be impossible without a source of cheap, effective labor
able to make independent decisions beyond the capability of programmed robot
labor. The plantation system appears to be a salvation for the
Woolies themselves. The planet is over run with a host of natural predicators,
both animal and plant, and most of these predators feed on Woolies, whose
function in the ecology appears to be roughly equivalent to that of rabbits.
The lack of large tribal or clan connections, or more than elementary
civilization development, make the Woolies a poor long-range choice to emerge
as a dominant species on Janus were it not for the intervention of other
intelligent species, specifically, the advent of the Multi-Cap Corporation and
plantation system. In return for working the plantations the Woolies receive
free food, free housing, free medical treatment, and trade privileges as
payment. Woolies do not appear to fully understand the term “payment for wages”
or the concept of labor being valuable. However, they are willing to work the
plantations in return for such implements as knives, spears, trinkets, and
primitive weapons such as bows. Apparently the primary consideration from the
viewpoint of the Woolies is security. There are no predators within the
boundaries of the plantations (except for occasional intervening creatures
which break thru the security perimeters), which means Woolies can raise
families and live a peaceful existence without the fear of imminent death. The
second consideration is medical attention, which they regard as some sort of
god-magic provided by the generous out-worlders. They do not regard free food
or housing as any benefit at all, since in their natural state food and housing
is relatively “free” anyway. An investigation eleven years ago by a Board of Inquiry
reveals that the system utilized by Multi-Cap does not constitute slavery,
voluntary or otherwise, and from all appearances the Woolies themselves, as
well as the plantation owners, are happy with the situation which places them
at the disposal of Multi-Cap. The system appears to be uniquely fitted for
exploiting the only real economic potential available on Janus in the best and
most efficient way possible. TRADE: Under the terms of trade agreements, no planet may shut off
trade with another signatory planet, except for medical reasons. Non Multi-Cap ships do come to Janus for trade purposes,
however they come mostly as carriers of goods to the planet. While Tatum Plants
grow wild all over the face of the planet, they are seldom concentrated enough
to make up enough of a harvest weight to make harvest from the wild viable. In
addition, Woolies in the wild apparently have difficulty understanding the
concept of property and property-trade rights. Some unscrupulous traders have influenced tribal bands of
Woolies to steal from plantations at harvest time, and have gotten away with
it. However, Woolies appear to be loyal workers, and while such practices have
occurred, they are by no means common. There are rumors that sapphires and large deposits of
various ores to found in the interior of the southern continent. Specifically
it is rumored that the Red Mound Hills, in the Wallaby River Basin contain
riches. This area is about three thousand kilometers west of Central City, in
the middle of uncharted, hostile jungle. Some traders have managed to barter
such inconsequential items as mirrors, metal knives, bells, rope, and the like
and have obtained raw sapphires, though not in serious quantity. Most explorers
willing to tackle the hazards of the jungle specialize in exotic plants and
fruit. Orchid type flowering plants are common. In general trade opportunities
on Janus is not well established.
and does not appear to hold any great potential due to the meager
economic potential of the planet at this particular stage of its development.
Multi-Cap does have several scientific research stations and teams looking for
other plants with medical applications. PIRACY: Pirates are not unknown in this region; however, they
normally do not bother with secondary yield cargos such as Tatum-leaves. FLORA & FUANA: Kite Bird: Type: Large Carnivore 6-10 meter wingspan, beak to tail 1-2
meter. Number Appearing: 1 to 5 Move: very fast IM/RS: 6/65 STA: 180 Attack: 2 claws – 50%, Beak 65% (80% if target is in claws) Damage: each claw, 4 D10; Beak 4 D10 Impervious to stun or most poisons. Inertia screen and skien suit will provide some protection. These creatures posses enourmous triple jointed orange and
yellow colored wings, long claws and huge beaks. They are teritoral and
aggressive towards other flying creatures and towards flying crafts (such as
shuttle crafts, scout ships, gliijets, jetcopters, aircars and so on) and will
attack intruders (even good sized craft have a 12% chance of being so
unbalanced by an attack as to cause them to crash). A mid air collesion with
one of these beasts that live in the top canopy of the great trees of the
jungles can foul engines and destroy tail fin assemblies. Small crafts can be ripped
to shreds and their passengers devoured. Blackout Bat: Type: Large Carnivore (4-6 meter wing span, nose to tail .5
– 1.5 meters) Number Appearing: 1 (Solitary hunters) Move: Medium IM/RS: 5/50 STA: 130 Attack: 2 talons 60% grasp – then, Bite 75% + blood drain Damage: Talons 3 D10, mouth 1 D10 + ½ D10 blood drain per
turn Special: After victim has lost one third his STA, must roll
under remaining ST to remain conscious, rolling each round damage continues. Attack/Defense: Fog of darkness is cast to cloak itself and
its victim in a black fog about 7-8 meters in diameter. These creatures lurk in overhanging jungle trees and swoop
down taking their victims by surprise. The bat will always try to fly away with
the victim, however, since adults of the core four races are heavier and denser
than Woolies, the bat will be unable to do so. Sentient beings of a weight
similar to the Woolies can be carried off by the bat. If the victim is the
Dralasite race the bat does initial damage plus another claw attack, then tries
another, better tasting victim. Skien suit
offer protection for players, plus the Yazarian players can, if they remove
their sun goggles, actually see through the black fog and pick out the attacker
from the victim, something the other players will not be able to do. Once dead,
the black fog disapates within a minute or two, and this will also happen if
the bat is unconscious. Octapus Plant: Type: Medium, carnivorous plant, 1.5 meters diameter, .5
meters thick, with trailing tentacles about 1.5 meters long Number Appearing: 1 to 3 Move: Very Fast IM/RS: 7/65 STA: 88 Attacks: tentacles, 50% (8 attacks) Damage – Special – tentacles are used to hold prey fast,
while the central mass secretes sweet-smelling semi-narcotic type digestive
fluid, eating through Skein suit in 5 turns, Albedo Suit in 3 rounds, normal
clothing in 2 turns, damage to bare skin 1 D10 per turn. Special: After
the 3rd round of the attack, victim must roll under his STA each
round to prevent being overwhelmed by fumes, which cause victim to become
helpless, dazed, high and immune to pain, even though being dissolved by the
plant. Special: Plant is immune from stun attacks, poison, and
takes minimum damage from needle gun attacks. Because it is a plant, it must be
absolutely destroyed before it frees a victim. This dark purple, eight tenacled blob like carnivouros plant
species lives in trees, where it is completely camaflaged. A stealth prediator
it drops from above and wraps it’s tentacles around the body of the victim.
2-pints of the acid-narcotic can be collected from a dead plant but must be put
into wooden or paper containers. Tigerpaw: Type: Medium carnivore Number Appearing: 1 Move: fast IM/RS: 7/65 STA: 200 Attack: 2 front paws 60% each, 2 back claws (only if front
claws hit) 80%, Bite 70% Damage: claws 2 D10, bite 3 D10 Special Defense: Tigerpaw get +20% to saving throw vs Stun The Tigerpaw runs to attack, it does not spring at its
victims. Tigerpaws are huge, green and black striped animals, a sort of a cross
between a feline and a hyenia, with enormous front and back paws, about two and
a half meters long, standing a meter and a half tall, solid muscle, with
bulging yellow eyes and lots of long sharp teeth. Mirror Plant: Type: Medium, standing about 2 meters tall, 1 ½ meters thick Number Appearing: 1 Move: stationary, see below IM/RS: 7/65 STA: 400 Attack: 10 tentacles 60%, range up to 15 meters, tentacles
are withdrawn into plant for most of length when not attacking Damage: ½ D10 per tentacle, thorns along tentacle, mouth
does 20 D10 Special Attacks/Defenses: Plant attacks with a flash of
light, 50% chance victim will be stunned or disorientated for ½ D10 turns.
Plant can flash once every 20 turns, 3 times per day, will use all charges up
if heavily damaged. Plant also casts a direct mirror image of itself as soon as
it takes any damage. This duplicate appears between ½ to 1 meter to the right
of the plant and is a mirror image of it, caused by release of vapor and
humming sound to cause partial hypnotic effect on victims or anyone else within
33.5 meter radius. Mirror plants do not need to eat often and are sacred to
some Woolie tribes. Mirror plants are large fat green plants, sort of like an
enormous barrel cactus with yellow flowers and thin tenderals drooping down from
its top. The barrel section of the plant can open up, splitting from the top
into four parts, revealing a gapping opening lined with long sharp thorn-teeth.
When a victim is tossed into the mouth or pulled into the mouth of the plant
the plant snaps the four sections closed with extreme force, pearcing the flesh
and snapping audiably snapping bones of its victims. Woolies: Type: (sentient race) large herbivores Number appearing: 1-20 Move: fast IM/RS: 5/45 STA: 50 Attack: by weapon type, or claws 45% Damage: 1 D10 per claw, or weapon type Woolies are the native sentient race and culture of Janus.
Woolies have a protected status on Janus. Woolies are not to bothered or
harassed in any ways. If a Woolie gets hurt by a non-Woolie the planetary
police automatically hold the non-Woolie involved on attempted murder charges
until the problem can be investigated. Woolies though tall are not very strong
and are basically non-aggressive. These creatures are bipeds covered with shaggy fur standing
about six and a half to seven feet tall. The civilization of these people is
described as nomadic and semi-tribal, although some larger tribal units of
relative stability have been observed, primarily on the northern continent. The
intelligence of the Woolies has been tested as low. The long term survival
potential of the Woolies without intervention of a more advanced culture has
been judged as low as well by Multi-Cap scientists. Some Woolies worship the Mirror Plant. "Never fire a laser at a mirror." |
 June 19, 2015 - 2:13pm | This kind of thing is exactly what the documents section of the projects are designed for. You might consider putting this there. Ad Astra Per Ardua! My blog - Expanding Frontier Webmaster - The Star Frontiers Network & this site Founding Editor - The Frontier Explorer Magazine Managing Editor - The Star Frontiersman Magazine |
June 19, 2015 - 3:05pm | Well I am not done with it... I will upload the current work in progress... in documents: How does this sound for fleshing out Capital City a bit & adding a second large city? Multi-Cap functions as the real governing power on Janus;
Multi-Cap company police have the real law enforcement power concerning larger
planetary affairs. There is a rudimentary parliamentary system on Janus. The
local non Multi-Cap police force is community based and very similar in concept
to sheriffs. Local authorities such as planetary police or customs officials
wear powder blue uniforms. Multi-Cap security wears dark blue uniforms. Central
City is the capitol of Janus, the largest population center and the location of
the planet’s spaceport. Central City is located on the eastern coast of the
southern continent where a great river called the Noraworo enters the bay. The
Noraworo delta is connected to many other rivers, which feed into it creating a
natural supply line of waterways for the movement of crops to Central City and
supplies from Central City to the many plantations in the jungles of Janus.
Thus Central City has a huge port for river ships & warehouses. In addition
a major mill is located in Central City that processes lumber brought from the
jungle. Camp Borderline is the second largest settlement on Janus
and is the oldest settlement. This is the site of the crashed Borderline and
became the site of Multi-Caps first research station as the immediate area was
mapped, friendly relations had been established with the local tribe, and some
structures already built by the surviving crew of the Borderline. Camp
Borderline has the first cemetery and memorial sites for off-worlders.
Multi-Cap maintains a test farm and plantation at Camp Borderline. In addition
Multi-Cap still maintains other research facilities at Camp Borderline. Camp
Borderline has a small landing facility and an artificial waterway and port
that Multi-Cap put in to connect it to extensive river system via the Pango
river; once Multi-Cap determined water travel was the safest way to travel.
Camp Borderline is located 1,500 kilometers southwest from Central City. I sort of got form the module a sort of southern plantation/river boat feel mixed with Australia... for instance the term "Wallaby" makes me think there is probably a vaguely wallaby like creature so I will have to write up a Janus Wallaby. "Never fire a laser at a mirror." |
 June 20, 2015 - 9:31am | I like camp borderline. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
June 20, 2015 - 8:32pm | It made sense to me that Multi-Cap would start exploration from there as a a base camp/research area, and then choose a better spot for warehouses, space poart, and such things. I wonder how big Janus is suppose to be? "Never fire a laser at a mirror." |
June 23, 2015 - 4:35pm | I am pondering the Janus module... I like the turning natives into goo and the organic androids, but I do not like how the Sathar are handled, I do not want the PCs seeing them... so I am thinking there should have been androids of the Research Facilities staff not just the 2 colonists. Multi-Cap employees hypnotized or turned to doing the insidious unknown alien bidding. I am thinking the Sathar minds, should be jared brains. If the PC's see any Sathar it will be brains & slime is what I am thinking, they will never actually see a whole Sathar. I also think it needs more in the port town... it is portrayed as a sleepy town, which is odd for the only major star port in which all cargo comes in and out of for the whole planet, plus it is the capitol, there should a different description, Camp Borderline should be the sleeper city. Even run by Multi-Cap there would be Planetary Infrastructure there and things people would want besides a real-estate office and strip mall row. So I am thinking there should be a Capitol Buildings, housing for the Politicians, housing for the Port & warehouse employees, schools, hospital, public transit & private transit, hotels, construction company, power plant, restaurants (maybe that is where some of the few aliens come in), Justice Department needs, court house, local jail, police station, lumber mill, factory for making some things local (so not everything needs importation), local merchants, food market. It is possible Multi-Cap controls entertainment opportunities for instance alcohol can only be bought from government stores which is of course in a contract with Multi-Cap to be sole supplier...Bars under those rules tend to be controlled as well. Spacer Ports like RL sailor ports will have adult appropriate entertainment, exotic dancers, bars (that you must buy a membership in).Theater/Culture politicians building a capitol want that sort of thing and Multi-Cap will want to back such projects to entice new colonists & make sure they have their fingers in the pie. There should be a black market. EMS services. Since the "feel" of the planet is a weird South meets Down Under meets the Amazon... I think some of that feel should be more present, their should be Sci-Fi versions of the river boats of old Southern, Amazon, African style... their should be a big game hunting club, their should be Off-worlder buildings and native bungalows, there is probably a Woolie Town (it probably has an even less nice name). The educational system is probably segregated, so the Woolie children will be in not as nice schools, just good enough to help uplift them enough. Missionaries? There should be a clinic for the Woolies. Woolies seen in city will all be doing the menial service type jobs. There should be some colony culture... plantation owners pretty much always end up seeing themselves as nobility after a bit, the civilized society, so I think it needs some of that flavor too. Ideas on this welcome... remember the Woolies are not slaves, they are protected, but they are not equals either. And the off-world population is 99% human, so what sort of things would an aspiring human planetary colony of plantation owners want for "culture"? It also needs the looked down upon human's the ones that tried but did not make it as plantation owners, or got hired, fired and got stuck on Janus. It just needs more... plus these places might be away for PCs to learn stuff rather than the Star Law option where it is all handed to them. "Never fire a laser at a mirror." |
June 24, 2015 - 4:57am | The module needs better Mapping resource, terrain & encounters for areas that make sense: For example Wallaby Basin, sounds like a pretty big area, a basin is an area where water drains into i bigger body of water above or below ground, can be river or lake. So lots of tributaries to cross, since this is a Jungle planet I doubt this is the dry river beds & lakes... but there should be above and below water ways, sink holes, quick sand I would think, not necessarily easy to traverse terrain... the word Wallaby, means a major body of water is called Wallaby, this is probably a main river or lake that everything feeds into, Wallaby also implies some sort of small hoping critter that reminded colonists of Terran Wallabies. These are probably a scrub-type Wallaby like critter. I have a few ideas. "Never fire a laser at a mirror." |
January 23, 2017 - 1:36pm | had this and just found it wandering through folders on the computer I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
