S O U R C E B O O K

Manifest Destiny

Despite the inherent dangers, humankind hasalways actively explored and settled whatever wil-derness lay before them. In the New Era Regencysetting, that wilderness is the trailing wilds ofCorridor sector and beyond.

This wilderness is not wild in the traditional sense.Up until eight decades ago, the trailing wilds hadbeen home to billions of people on hundreds ofsystems that had been settled for over a millenium.

While not a wilderness in the traditional sense, thedangers to prospective settlers are quite real. TheRebellion and subsequent Civil War plunged thisregion into ruin. When the emperor was assassinat-ed and the war began, Lucan, the heir apparent tothe throne, recalled the Corridor Fleet to Capital.Bereft of its fleets, the region was plundered byVargr corsairs and attacked by the naval forces ofthe Restored Ziru Sirkaa. To top it off it was eventu-ally razed by the AI Virus which decimated nearly allof civilized space.

For over 70 years the Regency has protected itsborders from the threats of this wild region. But nowthe time has come to return to this lost territory. Torecolonize the trailing wilds.

The Manifest Destiny campaign is based in thetrailing wilds of the Regency beginning in the year1212, 10 full years after the frontier was openedduring the “Oklahoma Land Rush” of 1202.

Much has changed during the last decade. TheRegency, once stagnated by its confinement withinself-imposed borders, is beginning to experiencethe benefits of trade with the trailing colonies.

New cultures have begun to flourish in the coloniesof trailing Deneb Sector and the region of VlandSector known colloquially as “Above the Claw.”

In 1206, Regency Quarantine Service (RQS) deepscouts verified that they encountered explorersfrom a far-flung human interstellar state called theReformation Coalition (RC). The RQS initially tried

to cover up this discovery, but a well-placed reporterwith the Traveller News Service (TNS) uncoveredthe story. RQS scouts had encountered and recon-noitered several pocket empires in years past, butfrom all indications, the Reformation Coalition wasthe largest interstellar state known in the wilds.

Public opinion began to go against the RQS afterthis incident. People did not understand why RQSofficials tried to keep this discovery a secret. Manysenators argued that maintaining state secrets wentagainst the spirit of reform that Norris had initiatedduring the 1150s.

The RQS had not yet endured the worst of its trials,however. Toward the end of1206, it was discoveredthat an RQS officer, stationed at a calibration pointon the Great Rift, had been using his resources torun a black-market artifact trade, recovering lostproperty from the trailing wilds. This discoveryspawned the RQS scandals.

The RQS was wracked by these scandals, which ul-timately led to the organization’s dismantling andsubsequent reorganization as the RegencyColonial Service (RCS).

The procession of millions of colonists into the wildshas been the most momentous event of the period.In academic circles, this event has come to becalled “The Reclamation,” fitting in rather nicely inmost textbooks after “The Collapse” and “TheAbandonment.”

While the Reclamation has been largely driven bythose souls brave enough to resettle the wilds, itwas another event that initiated it: the coming of theZhodani refugees.

The Zhodani refugees began pouring across thecoreward Regency border in the 1190s. TheRegency’s overpopulation and stagnation problemsbecame more acute than ever. The influx ofrefugees, more than any other event, necessitatedthe opening of the border and the Reclamation. Hadthis event not occurred, it is likely that the Regency

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government would have endured many more yearsof stagnation to avoid the risk of Viral contaminationon its trailing flank.

Despite the Regency’s obvious lack of prepared-ness for such an event, it went boldly forward with aplan to open the wilds to colonization. The RegencyMinistry of Colonization is the central office respon-sible for commissioning colonial expeditions andclaims.

In the years since the opening of the border, eightcolonial states have been formed, one of which hassince been admitted into the Regency safes. TheRegency loosely administers the colonization effortusing the RCS as its instrument.

The RCS is an advocate of the “hub and spokes”colonial model, which was first suggested at the1200 Colonial Conference on Antra.

The hub and spokes theory hypothesizes that themost successful colonies will be centered on re-source-rich, prime real estate systems. These “hub”systems are designated to dominate small astro-graphic regions. The spokes of a hub generallyconsist of neighboring systems, 4-6 parsecs fromthe hub with associate worlds often extendingfurther out.

Prior to the opening of the border, the Regency hadseveral RQS advance teams scout out potentialhubs to “scour” them of Vampire activity. In somecases, the RQS even laid the groundwork for

starports in these systems.

This scouring did not prevent the future arrival ofmore Vampire Fleets, however, so periodic “clean-ings” have been required.

In addition to its hypothesized economic benefits,the hub and spokes model is based on the theorythat colonies have the best chance to develop andsucceed if given protection and guidance by acentral authority, located in a single star system.The primary focus of the hub government is colonialdefense. Other governmental matters are ofsecondary importance and looser restrictions areconsidered acceptable.

While the Regency’s presence in the colonies is notconsidered by most to be intrusive, there are somecolonists who believe the Regency should com-pletely remove itself from their governance.

Conversely, there are some in the Regency Senatewho believe the Regency should begin to play amore involved role in the development of thecolonies, but the Regent himself, Caranda Ale-don-Alkhalikoi, stresses that the primary purpose ofthe RCS is to provide concerted defense for thecolonies, not to harry them with policy.

The secondary purpose of the RCS is to provideborder defense for the Regency. The RCS providesvaluable intelligence to the Regency military andparticularly, Regency quarantine forces. In theevent of a major Vampire incursion, the RCS serves

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as the Regency’s first line of defense, retreatingtoward the Regency frontier and battling to the laststarship.

In both of its roles, the RCS is primarily concernedwith defending the spaceways. Planetary defense isleft to individual colonial governments. However,advisors from the Regency Armed Forces are oftenemployed to help build and train colonial armies.

The only permanent Regency presence in thecolonies is the Enders Consolidat, a colonial expe-dition funded and defended by the Regency Navy.

Regency fear of Viral contamination is still ratherstrong and the “No Backflow” policy prohibits anycolonial starships from reentering Regency space.The terminus worlds on the frontier are the nexuspoints for colonial-Regency trade. Hundreds of en-trepreneurial Terminus Agencies have sprung up,taking advantage of the trade explosion.

Despite the Regency’s efforts to provide some formof advance guard for the colonists, the Reclamationhas not proceeded without its share of tragedies.Numerous colonial expeditions have met with utterdisaster, either at the hand of ravenous VampireFleets or by being cut off from their supply lines forextended periods by such incursions. Other expedi-tions have failed due to poor planning or unpredict-able events.

The colonial life is a hard one with great risks, butthis fact does not seem to deter the continued flowof brave souls into the trailing darkness. All told,some 2.211 billion people have fled the Regencysafes to colonize the wilds. Records indicate that in1212, the colonial population has swelled to 2.742billion. Since most of the colonies can best bedescribed as developing economies, it is not sur-prising that they have such a high birth rate.

Technology in the colonies is unevenly distributed.Most colonial worlds have a fairly high technologyrating of early stellar or better. Sometimes this canbe a poor indication of the actual technology level ofthe system. Because of the exorbitant price offunding a colonial expedition, many of the suppliesand tools used to build a colonial settlement are oflower technology. Therefore, the colonial technolo-gy level is sometimes more of an indication of themaximum available technology level, rather than amedian level.

If there is one area in which technology is consis-tently high it is weaponry. Most colonial expeditionshave not been frugal in purchasing tools for self

defense. Consequently, Regency arms manufactur-ers are experiencing a huge windfall of business. Itis not uncommon to see a parcel of colonial rawgoods arrive in a terminus port to be bartered for itsequivalent in armaments.

While small arms are the most active portion of thecolonial weaponry market, many other moreelaborate weapons systems have also been sold tocolonial expeditions. There are even a fewinstances in which deepsite meson guns have beensold to lucrative colonies.

Many consider the proliferation of arms in thecolonies to be a dangerous situation at best. Somemembers of the Regency Senate have expressedconcern that the colonies could one day become athreat to the Regency with their immense stocks ofweaponry. Colonial advocates point out that despiteappearances, the colonial armament level is but aninfinitesimal percentage of the Regency’s overallmilitary might.

Despite arguments against overarming the colo-nists, the weapons trade in the colonies continuesto flourish. The colonial lobby intends to ensure thatthis continues.

Before the Reclamation, the Regency suffered froman acute shortage of starships. The frontier waslargely protected by a rag-tag collection of refur-bishments and irregulars. Retired warships weretaken out of mothballs and recommissioned.

Now, with the defense of the colonies, this shortagehas become more acute than ever. The economicboom has enabled the Regency to issue severallarge starship construction contracts to the mega-corporations, but the supply simply cannot meet thedemand as of yet. Because of this, colonial systemsare sometimes underdefended. Nevertheless, theRCS has made sure that each and every colonialsystem has at least one squadron of SDBs for itsdefense. Larger colonies are typically affordedsquadrons of larger starships and battle riders.These squadrons typically report to fleet headquar-ters at one of the many RCS bases.

Civilian ships are also in high demand and arefetching premium prices on the market. Dozens ofindependent manufacturers have sprouted in theRegency frontier and trailing region of the safes.Regulating this industry has been difficult. TheRegency Starship Commission, which normallyapproves each and every design, has found itdifficult to hinder “garage shop” operations on thefrontier from selling their wares. The result has been

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great disparity in the quality of civilian starships.Buyer beware: while most of the independent man-ufacturers deliver quality products, some do not. Besure to closely examine the goods before consider-ing a purchase.

With the advent of starship manufacturing facilitiesat colonial worlds like Shinku and Sluru, colonistsnow have a resource for new starships without theburden of the seemingly endless slew of tests andinspections required of Regency-imported star-ships. Colonial-built starships are heavily Vi-rus-proofed to help them survive the dangers ofVampire Fleets.

The colonization of the wilds has extended all theway into Vland sector in recent years. Sevenhub-and-spokes colonies are currently thriving inCorridor and Vland, with a half dozen fledglingcolonies in development beyond that.

Contact has recently been reestablished withVland, the Vilani homeworld. Little in the way of in-formation has been made available on this event,however.

As the developing colonies begin to show signs ofmaturity, a strong desire for independence hasbegun to surface. Most of the colonies shun theyoke of the Regency and desire the freedom tochoose their own route to sovereignty.

This event has caused some turmoil in the RegencySenate, where the colonial issue has been hotlydebated. Many senators expected the colonies tobe satellite states of the Regency, with strongmilitary and economic ties. Others feel that allowingthe colonies to choose their own route will fosterpositive diplomatic and economic relationships.

It is evident that the colonies, regardless of their in-dependent tendencies, still need the Regency’shelp. The resettlement of survivor worlds has oftenresulted in conflict with native populations andRegency military units have been called upon morethan once to bail out endangered colonial expedi-tions or to provide other forms of “colonial support.”

The coming years will doubtless bring more conflict,but it is expected that issues will be resolved in apeaceful manner.

As the colonial expeditions settle and mature, it isinevitable that a transition period will occur. Howthat transition will take place is unknown.

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The New Frontier

The New FrontierWith the advancing colonial wave, the frontierboundaries of the Regency have expanded. Thisexpansion has moved the Regency frontier zone afull three to four parsecs to trailing, establishing anew boundary adjacent to the old one.

Droves of colonists flow through the new frontierzone, bound for the colonies in Corridor andbeyond. The constant flow of traffic has changedthe face of the trailing Regency systems fromremote frontier outposts to booming metropolises.

When the frontier was opened on 311-1202, theRegency was ill-prepared for what followed. TheRQS had done its best in the preceding months to“cleanse” nearby systems of Vampire Fleets andother possible threats to colonists, but ultimately,little could be done to protect the colonists from thedangers of the wilds.

It did not take long before stories of failed coloniesbegan to proliferate in the terminus world starports.Many colonists met their fates at the hand of Virus.Some were killed by xenophobic dictators who didnot take kindly to invading offworlders. Manycolonial expeditions were quite simply poorlyplanned and underfunded and collapsed under theburden of their own incompetency. In many cases,such failures were recorded by TNS correspon-dents and broadcast in the worlds of the Regency.

But for every failed attempt, there was a successfulone. TNS holos of the bold colonial enterprises atShinku, Sluru and Tamilaa inspired the hearts andminds of Regency citizens everywhere. A militarybeachhead was established at Enders system,once the home of Corridor Sector’s Imperial NavyDepot. While the potential for failure (or worse,one’s untimely demise) was great, the call of thewilds could be heard across Regency space. Risktakers packed up their belongings and headed totrailing to strike their fortunes.

Those who stayed home in the Regency safesapplauded the bravery of their colonial brethren.The Regency Senate was pressured to providemore support for the stalwart colonists. The Senateresponded by appointing the Regency QuarantineService (RQS) as the guardian of the colonies,extending their realm of enforcement from thefrontier zones to deep in the wilds.

The RQS was ill-suited for the task. RQS starshipswere designed for defense and early warning, notsiege and conquer. Nevertheless, up until 1206, the

RQS provided the best defense it could, becominginvolved in dozens of battles and hundreds of skir-mishes with Vampire Fleets and other hostiles.

By the time the Regency Colonial Service (RCS)was founded in late 1207, many of the worlds in thetrailing colonies had begun to establish themselvesas viable ports. As the new flow of commercebetween the Regency and the colonies began toemerge, these ports became strategically valuable.

RCS bases and Regency Navy bases in service tothe RCS were erected on the hub worlds and otherworlds of strategic importance. The colonies beganto take shape as a crude collection of interstellarstates.

As the Regency began to see the stagnation in itsmarkets fading, the Senate recognized the impor-tance of the colonies. In 1208, corporate and mega-corporate investment in the colonies quadrupled.The colonies shipped raw and processed materialsfrom the long dormant markets of the wilds to theRegency terminus worlds in exchange for technolo-gy and supplies. The colonial age had begun.

Boomtowns

Perhaps the three largest jumping-off points in thesafes are Antra (Deneb: 1808), Mazirbe (Deneb:2210) and Jurburk (Deneb: 2414) with the lattersystem gaining the lion’s share of the traffic. It isoften said that “If it goes to the colonies, it goesthrough Jurburk.”

As a result, the Jurburk system has withstoodmassive growth over the last decade. Perhaps notsince the original colony at Mora in the year 60 hasone system seen such rapid growth. At one time, aremote RQS and scout base, Jurburk is now hometo 30 million inhabitants. Housing and servicescome at a premium but there’s no shortage of work.Many ambitious young women and men have cometo Jurburk in the spirit of entrepreneurialism. Thepotential rewards are great, but competition is fierceand not for the faint of heart.

In addition to civilian enterprise on Jurburk, theRegency Navy has also constructed a massivenaval base and shipbuilding facility insystem.

Because of its considerable attraction as theRegency’s premiere boomtown and its sphere ofinfluence among local systems, Jurburk hasbecome known as the “safeside hub,” offering theprosperity of the colonies with all the benefits andprotection of the Regency safes.

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The New Frontier

Mazirbe has undergone a similar transformation,but with its larger infrastructure, the system hasweathered the storm of expansion a bit better thanJurburk. Growth is managed conservatively, but amore secure return on investment is virtually guar-anteed. Mazirbe is the second largest port in thetrailing Regency.

Antra, once the frontier’s leading facility, has beenrelegated to the third-largest port on the Regency’strailing edge. Still considerable in size, mostestimates have Antra slipping to sixth or seventhwithin the next decade. Because of its establishedand venerable infrastructure, however, Antra iscurrently regarded as the most elegant of the jump-ing-off points and therefore attracts a more refinedbreed of traveller than its rough-edged sistersystems, Jurburk and Mazirbe.

In addition to the boomtowns, the Regency hasexpanded its military presence on its trailing flank.Errogel, once a solitary wildside naval port, hasbeen admitted to the safes and has become a majornaval base and center for Regency strategicplanning.

Regency Naval Intelligence (RNI) maintains a con-siderable facility at Errogel, whose purpose is toconstantly evaluate and prepare for potentialwildside threats. The primary threat is Virus, but theRNI facility also conducts many studies on theresurgent survivor worlds and even colonial worldsthat aggressively “buck the bridle” of Regency colo-nists. Errogel is also home to a modest interfaceport.

Numerous other “boomtown” systems are sproutingup each year. Determining which systems willprevail has been an unpredictable science, butspeculators have invested billions of credits insystems they believe to have the highest potential.

Colonial Enterprise

While your average colonist is more likely to set upa normal business, there are big strikes to be madein several of the more dangerous occupations.

Following are several descriptions of some of theriskier colonial occupations.

Trader

Colonial trade is much like trade anywhere elseexcept for the unique dangers one faces plying theroutes in the wilds.

Colonial traders tend to be more well armed than

safeside traders. Some go so far as to install EMMpackages and laser barbettes on their ships.

However, as any successful trader knows, installingsuch goodies makes for large monthly paymentsand takes away from potential cargo space. Themost successful colonial traders are those who cantread that fine line between adequately armed andprecariously undefended.

Successful colonial traders carry more speculativecargo to more colonial worlds. In the past decade,many a trader has become wealthy by learning thetricks of the trade. Getting to know the individualneeds of the colonies, the “lay of the land,” is key toa successful trader business.

Several fledgling lines have been spawned in thecolonies and threaten to muscle in on the traditionaldominance of megacorporate lines such as AlMorai and Oberlindes, whose insurance require-ments and bureaucracy make it difficult for them totake the chances that native colonial lines take.

Salvage

During the Abandonment, many Imperial citizenswere forced to leave their belongings behind. Agreat deal of deserted technology and othervaluable goods were left in their wake.

For over eight decades, these goods have collecteddust in hundreds of arcologies, warehouses, manu-facturing centers and even on starport tarmacs.Many have been plundered by pirates, reavers andVampire ships. Other stores of technological goodshave been used by technologically elevateddictators (TEDs) to conquer worlds in the wilds.

Despite all the plunder, millions of tons of valuablegoods may still be found on the abandoned worldsof the wilds. Roving colonial salvage teams combthe ruins of abandoned (and unabandoned) worldsfor valuable items.

This can be highly dangerous work. Many of theruins are nuclear hazard zones, burned by orbitalstrikes from Vampire fleets. Others are patrolled byhostile bandits, Virus-infested robots and the forcesof TEDs who would prefer to keep all the salvage tothemselves. Many of the dilapidated structures con-taining salvagable material are unstable.

Despite the dangers, thousands of colonial adven-turers have made a lucrative living out of salvage.

In the Regency, wealthy descendents of formernoble families will pay top credit for items retrieved

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Colonial Enterprise

from their families’ estates. Established coloniesalways need useful technology and often find thedeals they can make with salvagers are more rea-sonable than paying the often exorbitant import feesfor technological goods from the Regency. Smalltrinkets, souvenirs from the wilds, also sell well inRegency ports.

There is a wealth of salvage to be plundered in thewilds. You just have to be willing to brave manyhazards to get to it.

Mining

Mass exploitation of asteroid belts and heavy-coreworlds in the wilds has virtually stopped since theCollapse. With the loss of interstellar trade, mostworlds with environments that were poorly suited tosustaining human life died out or were abandoned.

Such worlds await new prospectors to mine theirriches.

Mining and belting in the colonies is much moredifficult than it is in the Regency safes. Manyambitious prospectors have discovered this thehard way.

It is difficult enough to partake in this career whenyou have to constantly worry about your life supportsupply or the dangers of asteroid collisions andseismic activity. In the wilds, you also have to worryabout Vampire or reaver attacks and your tenuoussupply lines.

Colonial mining expeditions are often funded andsupported by megacorporate interests or wealthyinvestors who can ensure a relatively safe opera-tion. But that’s not where the big money is. Whywould you want some megacorporate fat cat to cutin on your take?

Wilds prospectors don’t have a “big brotherwatching their back,” but neither do they haveanyone “watching over their shoulder.” To compen-sate for lack of military support, wilds prospectorswatch out for each other. The bonds between thesehardy men and women are as strong as the ironthey mine. In some of the recolonized belts,clannish arrangements have begun to developamong the various prospector groups.

While the megacorps have already gobbled uphuge numbers of claims, there are many more to bemade for ambitious individuals. Claims aregenerally staked at neighboring hub worlds.Thousands of claims remain for the taking, but theyare going quickly. Apparently there is no shortage of

people willing to lay their necks on the line for achance at untold riches.

Wildcatting and Skimming

In the colonies, a simple trip out to the local gasgiant can be a hazardous journey. Miners, beltersand others who exploit the natural resources ofasteroid belts and planetary bodies require fuel toperform their work.

Wildcatters and skimmers extract, sometimes refineand deliver precious fuel to serve the needs of pros-pecting communities and developing colonies.

All manner of fuel is in demand, not just liquidhydrogen. After all, many colonies are not able tosustain themselves with fusion power. While fusionis ultimately the most efficient means of generatingenergy, the startup costs can be exhorbitant.

Wildcatter and skimmer vessels tend to be utilitari-an. Ugly as sin and armed to the teeth. They haveto be if they expect to make more than one fuel runin their owner’s lifetime.

For more information on wildcatting and skimming,refer to the MegaTraveller campaign sourcebook,Hard Times.

Insystem Freight and Transport

Interstellar travel is not cheap. Especially for a de-veloping colony that has spent most of its preciousfunds on supplies and equipment.

Insystem freight and transport services help ferrypeople and goods from place to place on systemmainworlds, satellites and between inner and outersystem worlds and planetoid belts.

Insystem flight can be dangerous, especially thefurther you go to trailing. Since insystem freightersand transports do not require jump drives orimmense power plants, they often use more spacefor armament.

While this occupation is probably not appealing toplayer characters, they are likely to encounterdaring individuals who perform this service incolonial systems.

Mercenary

There is a great deal of potential for violent conflictin the wilds. For thousands of years, interstellarmercenaries have thrived in the markets of theImperium, fringe states and the Regency. There isno shortage of qualified “death dealers.”

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The New Frontier

However, it takes a special breed of merc to operatein the wilds. Accustomed to the bureaucracy of theImperium and its successor the Regency, manymercenary soldiers are ill prepared for operating inthis chaotic environment. While in principle, theRegency rules of warfare are still in effect, unitsoperating in the wilds know better.

Fighting a belligerent TED or Viral entity that knowsno quarter requires a merc with a nasty edge. Therules are often broken. Many mercenary unitsoperating in the wilds are said to have “gone native,”becoming little more than well-armed pirate bands.

For every unit that has slipped into the dark side,however, there is another that has toed the lineamicably. Despite the many dangers and tempta-tions of the wilds, many mercenary units operateethically and honorably, defending colonial expedi-tions and performing surgical strikes against TEDs,Virus-controlled starports and other hostiles.

Many colonial mercenary units are “specialists,”with expertise in one or more job types that fre-quently occur in the wilds. Some of the commontypes are:

• TED Decapitator

Specializing in commando missions to eliminateor remove from power dictators who have gainedpower by oppressing the masses with superiortechnological armament.

• Anti-Virus

Destruction of Viral elements, whether they beVampire ships, Virus-infested robots or othercomputer systems. Units that specialize in thisarea usually have expensive cutting-edgeRegency anti-Virus technology at their disposal.

• Colonial Security

These units generally serve as convoy security,guiding colonists safely to their ultimatedestinations; or planetside security units,providing protection from possible Viruselements or hostile survivor populations.

• Cadre

Since the colonies are responsible for their ownground defense, many mercenary units findample employment training militia units andhelping to build planetary armies.

While most mercenaries are paid with cash in thewilds, contracts are sometimes paid for with barter.Not everyone who needs the assistance of a profes-

sional soldier has access to large stores of money,but most colonists have access to some form ofvaluable commodity. Because of this, many colonialmercenary units have an agent in their organizationwho performs trade activity for them. You will oftenfind such agents busily making the rounds atcolonial starports and terminus worlds, trying toconvert raw goods into cash.

Despite the dangers and irregularities, operating asa mercenary in the wilds can be a very lucrative pro-fession. There is certainly no shortage of work.

Many colonial mercenaries have said that they findthe work more rewarding in the colonies than in theRegency proper. This is primarily because they feelas if they are truly helping people instead of just pro-tecting the cash stores of some corporate billionairein the safes.

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Events

EventsThe Reclamation is not the only notable event thathas occurred during the last 10 years. In fact, thelast decade can best be described as tumultuous.

The following sections describe the major eventsthat have occurred in the Regency and the otherspinward states, in the surrounding wilds and, ofcourse, in the colonies themselves.

In the Regency

Back in the safes, the last decade has not passedby uneventfully for the Regency. The Reclamationand the revived economy have provided amuch-needed transfusion of life into the Regency. Ifonly all the news were that good.

During the last decade, the Regency has been thesite of battles, political struggles and the mysteriousphenomenon known only as the “Empress Wave.”

Following are descriptions of some of these events:

Conflict at Swords

In 1204, the Sword Worlds, indignant about theRegency policy of containment and occupation ofmany of their former worlds, once again took uparms against their oppressor.

On 182-1204, Sword Worlds battle fleets came outof jump at Gram, Tyrfing and Sacnoth. They struckquickly and violently, destroying or disabling dozensof starships from the 151st Fleet. Regency forceswere caught completely off guard and it showed.

Smaller groupings of Sword Worlds strike cruisershindered Regency communication lines to Invendo(Lanth: 2319), delaying the expected retaliation ofthe 88th Fleet, a.k.a. the “Swing Fleet.”

For 100 days, the Sword Worlders helped theirbrethren on the occupied worlds capture anddestroy key Regency facilities on the three worldsthey assaulted.

Subsector Governer Esteban Hanreddy wasfurious. On 223-1204, he apparently suffered anervous breakdown and had to bestow his dutiesupon his lieutenant governor.

Finally, on 283-1204, the Swing Fleet arrived, andwas surprised to find only token resistance in theoccupied worlds. The few remaining Sword Worldssquadrons launched a brief assault at the firstSwing Fleet elements to arrive and then jumpedoutsystem, bound for home.

Regency troop transports landed on Gram, Tyrfingand Sacnoth to dislodge Sword Worlds resistancetroops from the facilities they had conquered.

The majority of the Sword Worlds fleets returned totheir homeworlds, primarily Narsil and Excalibur toprepare for the inevitable Regency retaliation.

After mopping up in the occupied worlds, the 88th

Fleet waited for reinforcements and then plannedtheir retaliatory attacks on the Sword Worlds. The18th Fleet soon arrived from D’Ganzio (Lanth: 1920)and combined with the scattered elements of the151st Fleet.

The combined fleets arrived at Excalibur, Orcrist,Anduril and Narsil within the following weeks to findthat the Sword Worlders had entrenched them-selves. They had laced the orbital perimeters oftheir worlds with mines and missile drones fromclose orbit to 100 diameters and placed their fleetsin point defense of their worlds. The battle wasfierce. The vastly superior Regency fleets inflictedmajor damage on the Sword Worlds, but took higherthan expected casualties themselves.

Entrenched in defensive positions, the technologydisadvantage suffered by the Sword Worlds fleetsplayed less of a role than if they had fought in openspace.

After two weeks of fighting, the Regency pulled outof the Sword Worlds and returned to Gram andSacnoth. Both sides claimed victory.

While the Regency succeeded in quelling theuprising, the event has triggered a new era of SwordWorld irridentism. Resistance and terrorist activitieshave swelled in the years since the battle. TheNarsil Column, wracked by Regency-imposedsanctions, stands defiant and isolated.

The invective coming from Hanreddy’s office wasintense, but the Sword Worlders seemed to turn adeaf ear to it. Even though they were beaten backafter their initial invasion, they achieved each andevery goal they had set for themselves, first andforemost of which was to ignite a new insurrectionagainst the Regency occupation of their worlds.

The insurrection has plunged the Sword Worlds intochaos. Non-Sword Worlders are fleeing theoccupied worlds in droves to avoid the violence. In1208, the Regent himself intervened by removingthe belligerant Hanreddy from power and initiatingthe Sword Accords, a series of talks designed tobring lasting peace to the region.

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Events

Most experts in the Regency believe that at somepoint, the Regency government will be forced toliberate the occupied Sword Worlds, most likely inthe next 5-10 years.

The biggest mystery that has yet to be solved is howthe Sword Worlds so effectively checked theRegency fleets early in the battle. It was almost asif they knew what the Regency would do beforeeven they themselves knew. The answers to thismystery are either unknown or buried in the NavalIntelligence office.

The Arrival of the Empress Wave

Perhaps the most momentous development in thelast 10 years has been the arrival of the EmpressWave in Regency space.

The Empress Wave broke the Regency border in1205. It wasn’t long before Regency citizens beganto feel its effects. With the flowering of psionicsfollowing Norris’ reforms, practice of the psionic artshad become far more common. The arrival of theEmpress Wave has wrought strange undulationsthrough the developing psionic culture in theRegency.

A marked rise in the number of individuals withpsionic potential has been noted on most worlds.Established psionic cadres, schools and cults havealtered their practices. Leadership struggles havetoppled the status quo in these organizations andmany have become fanatical about embracing orfleeing the effects of the Empress Wave.

While it is still uncertain what the origin of theEmpress Wave is or why it has the effects it does, ithas become much more clear why it affectedZhodani society so much. A society built upon apsionic elite like that of the Zhodani must have beenrocked to its foundations by such fluctuations in thepsionic power structure.

While travel into the coreward wilds is still rigidlycontrolled, several studies into the ZhodaniConsulate and Vargr Extents have been conducted.As expected, the effects of the Empress Wave in theVargr Extents has not been nearly as traumatic as ithas in the Consulate. If anything, it has merelystirred the pot a bit in the typically chaotic Vargr en-vironment.

Regency psionic researchers continue to monitorthe Empress Wave, looking for patterns and otherfeatures that will help them understand this startlingphenomenon.

The Founding of the Regency Colonial Service

The furor of the RQS scandals brought intoquestion the somewhat haphazard organization ofthe RQS and ultimately the very value of an organi-zation that could be so easily breached by apervasive lack of duty and honor.

On 316-1207, the RQS was disbanded and disman-tled once and for all. The brave deeds of millions ofyoung women and men who had served in the orga-nization’s ranks through the decades was over-shadowed by the wanton greed of a select few ofthe agency’s corrupt elite.

Still, it was obvious that a successor organizationmust be formed to fill the void left by the RQS’s dis-mantling. Senator Remina Chalmers of Aramisauthored a bill announcing the creation of theRegency Colonial Service. This organization wouldbe a strictly military organization, not a cross-breedumbrella organization like the RQS. The organiza-tion would have its own distinct identity and its ownpersonnel corps. In Chalmers’ historical address onMora, she stated the following:

“Once the quarantine had been broken by thestalwart colonists of the land rush, there ceased tobe a quarantine. With no quarantine, what needhave we of a ‘Regency Quarantine Service’? Wemove forward into a new era, no longer coweringbehind the shield of an ephemeral wall. Now, wedetermine the boundaries, not the bogeymen ofVirus or any other hostile entity beyond our borders.The Regency Colonial Service shall be theguardians of this new order.”

Symbol of the Regency Colonial Service

10

The Terminus Conflict

The Terminus Conflict

In the infancy of the colonization, a new professionwas created: terminus agent. Terminus agents weregiven the extraordinary power to serve as the focalpoints of trade between the Regency and the newcolonies.

The extremely taut nature of the quarantine hasmade it exceedingly difficult to ship one’s goodsfrom the colonies into the Regency. The reverse isalso true to some extent, but for the most part onlythe transfer of very high-tech computer equipmentand weaponry is strictly regulated.

The resulting system is rife with corruption.Colonists desperate to sell their goods and acquirethe technological items they need for survival aredependent on the good will of terminus agents.Without regulation, many terminus agents began toexploit the colonists by forcing them to pay “ExcessLevies,” “Transfer Taxes,” and other artificesdesigned to line their own pockets.

This has resulted in conflict between variouscolonial interests and the terminus agents’ guilds,with the Regency government caught in the middle.While a resolution to this problem has not beenmade, further conflict is virtually guaranteed until amore equitable arrangement is made.

In the meantime, the situation has begun to get ugly.Several terminus agents on the interface worldshave turned up dead, purportedly murdered bycolonial groups unwilling to tolerate them anylonger.

It is uncertain what will develop next in this burgeon-ing conflict, but it will doubtless get worse before itgets better.

In the Other Spinward States

The Aslan Question

Ever since the Regency announced that it intendedto open the trailing wilds to colonization, the Aslanhave angrily insisted that they should be allowed todo the same on their rimward flank.

Regency Quarantine officials protested vehemently,believing that the Aslan ability to prevent Viraloutbreaks was weaker due to a lack consistentstrength in Aslan Viral countermeasures. Whilesome clans possessed significant countermeasuretechnology, other clans had little in the way of an-ti-Viral defense. Regency studies indicated that thisinconsistency could result in a major Viral incursion

across the Riftspan Reaches, rimward of theAorlakht states in Trojan Reach sector.

Despite Regency protests, officials from the Yer-lyaruiwo clan revealed on 086-1205 that they toohad opened their frontier to recolonization.

While no major Vampire elements have crossed theRiftspan Reaches as of yet, the Aslan haveadmitted that they have encountered andcombatted significant Vampire fleets on the rimwardside of the Great Rift.

With the permission of the Lakht Aorlakht, theRegency has dispatched several teams of Virusexperts to help establish a more consistent baselineof anti-Viral countermeasures among the Aslanclans.

In the Wilds

Light in the Darkness: The RCES

In 1206, the Regency discovered that it was not theonly large human interstellar government in whatwas once the Imperium.

Deep scouting missions conducted by the RQS en-countered emissaries from a far-flung interstellarstate known as the Reformation Coalition.

The Reformation Coalition is located on thecommon border between Diaspora and OldExpanses sectors far to rimward. The tenets ofCoalition society are honor and commitment tobuilding a new, better interstellar society, not fraughtwith the inherent weakness of the Third Imperium.

The Regency, traditionally known as the “Keepersof the Flame,” custodians of Imperial virtue, haveobvious points of contention with the ReformationCoalition.

Perhaps an even greater source of conflict is thatthe Reformation Coalition has embraced apurported benign strain of Virus called the “Peace-maker” strain. The Regency’s staunch anti-Virusstance is well known.

Despite their philosophical differences, the two in-terstellar states are attempting to build a rapport,though the immense distance between the twostates makes it difficult.

The RQS Scandals

When the Extended Duty Scout Mariner wasimpounded at Errogel Down on 197-1206, no one

11

Events

thought the cargo hold would be filled with thecontents of a noble family’s wine cellar and selectedpieces of art from the Kumorle Museum of LivingArt.

The ship had just run a gauntlet of Regency systemdefense networks and was thought to be a potentialVirus hazard. That it was not destroyed outright wasa miracle in itself. It is suspected that a well-placedinformant revealed the nature of the ship’s manifestto Errogel’s chief of staff.

It did not take long to trace the ship to one Lt.Cmndr. Marl Zumetaxis, nephew of the one of theRQS’s most decorated officers, CommodoreRoland Zumetaxis.

A full investigation was performed and within twomonths, Zumetaxis’ intricate network of deep-coveroperatives was exposed. For paltry millions ofcredits, Zumetaxis and his crew were recoveringfamily heirlooms and other unclaimed possessionsof great value from the deep wilds, all at the

expense of Regency security.

It did not take long for several whistle blowers tosurface at other RQS stations, revealing over adozen similar operations in which RQS officerswere abusing the privileges of their stations forpersonal gain.

Each was brought down in a spiraling series ofevents from which the RQS would never fullyrecover.

What Lies Ahead?

While the above sections describe some of theevents that have made headlines in Regency newspublications over the last decade, the era has beenliterally rife with momentous developments. Whenconducting a Manifest Destiny campaign, themodus operandi of the referee should be “anythinggoes.” As the ancient Chinese curse goes: “Mayyou live in interesting times.”

Holo of the first meeting between the Reformation Coalition and the Regency.

12

The Colonies

The ColoniesThe Regency colonies are a disparate group of starclusters, each operating under the metaphor of acentral “hub,” surrounded by several “spokes.” Thespokes are the worlds that operate under the pro-tective umbrella of the hub world.

Currently, there are seven official hubs containing125 star systems in the Regency colonies (oneheadquartered in Deneb, five in Corridor and one inVland). The first of the colonial hubs, formerly head-quartered at Atsah (Deneb: 2913), has been incor-porated into the Regency Frontier and therefore nolonger qualifies as a colony.

Information on the following hubs is available:

• The Shtievlio Theocracy

• The Shinku Amalgamation

• The Sluru Union

• The Lemish Cluster

• The Rehman Protectorate

• The Enders Project

• The Trailing Territories

The hub system is intended to provide structure anda defense network for the colonies. In the chaos ofthe early Reclamation period, this system washastily devised so that the colonists would havesome means of “circling the wagons” in the eventthey encountered an unexpectedly powerfulVampire Fleet or other significant threat. The hubsystem was primarily devised for defense purposesbut has expanded in many cases to include otherpolicies.

In addition to the colonial hubs, there are 72 unin-corporated colonial star systems. These systemsare independent and do not have a central interstel-lar colonial government. Unincorporated statusdoes not prohibit a colony from having the protec-tion of the Regency Colonial Service, however. Anunincorporated colony is thought to be in a transito-ry state from which it will one day either be admittedor annexed by a nearby hub, or perhaps somefuture governmental body.

When the “Oklahoma Land Rush” began in late1202, the Regency had only a framework system inplace to manage such an enterprise. The Regencywas primarily concerned with maintaining thesecurity of its borders which it has so carefullyguarded for over seven decades.

To prevent unwanted Viral threats from entering theRegency, the “No Back Flow” policy was enacted.This policy prevents starships and other equipmentthat includes computer components from reenteringthe Regency after it has been in the trailing wilds.The No Back Flow policy does not prevent peoplefrom returning to the Regency, but Quarantinepolicies make this a difficult task as well.

The colonies are a diverse bunch whose individualcultures are colored by their astrography, location,the makeup of their citizenry and their distance fromthe Regency.

The spinward colonies tend to be relatively morecivilized with “relative” being the operative word.Each colony is no older than 10 years as of 1212and therefore no colonial expedition has yet built acompletely sturdy societal foundation. All are worksin progress.

Many colonies have been built upon the survivorcultures of worlds in the wilds, including somesystems with billions of inhabitants and cultures thatoriginated when the region was first settled athousand years ago.

Most inhabitants of the spinward colonies are at-tempting to establish “roots” on their respectiveplanets. They seek to establish lasting personal andbusiness relationships and contribute to acommunity of one sort or another.

As one travels further trailing, the tenets of civiliza-tion become less and less apparent and a strongerfrontier feel becomes apparent. There is lessconcern with permanence and more concern withsurvival and meeting one’s daily needs.

Many of the colonists in these systems lead transi-tory lives, roving from system to system to collectsalvage, mine the belts or wildcat gas giants. Whilethere are permanent populations on these worlds,their existence is less stable, subject to the vagariesof the prospectors and speculators.

Essentially, life is uncertain in these parts. Thrivingcolonies do exist in the trailing region, but one alsofinds a large number of ghost towns, passed byafter the initial waves of colonists have come andgone.

The following sections describe the seven currentcolonial hubs, their cultures and events that haveshaped them into what they are today.

13

The Colonies

The Shtievlio Theocracy

When the Zhodani refugees began pouring acrossthe Regency borders, one problem was quicklyapparent: whatever catastrophe had stricken theZhodani Consulate, it was ravaging the psionicnoble caste who had ruled the Zhodani for millen-nia.

Hundreds of millions of leaderless proles foundthemselves strangers in a strange land. Accus-tomed to the unquestioned rule of the psionic noblecaste, the proles did not know where to turn forleadership. The local Regency governments in theJewell Cluster and other astrographic regions besetby refugees had neither the resources nor thedesire to govern these thronging masses.

However, one organization did volunteer itsservices to manage the camps. Unfortunately forthe refugees that entity was the Pack. The Pack isthe Vargr-controlled organized crime syndicate thatruns rampant in most of the coreward Regency, es-pecially on worlds with a large Vargr population.They are known for running all sorts of underworldoperations including gambling, extortion, prostitu-tion, narcotics, smuggling and just about any otherunseemly manner of obtaining wealth. The Packsaw a great opportunity to exploit the refugees anddid so mercilessly.

Zhodani governments in the Cronor, Jewell andShiadlia subsectors of the Spinward Marchessought to protect the refugee populations, but a lackof influence over the Regency planetary govern-ments and the strict quarantine policies that limitedtheir egress into the Regency and back preventedthem from being effective in this role. The presenceof psionic nobility in these subsectors might have

curbed the suffering of the refugees had thesebarriers not impeded them.

Nevertheless, Zhodani humanitarian agencies suchas the Prietl Foundation, did much to quell the ex-ploitation, but often the Pack’s influence was sosubtle that it could not be detected. The vices thatoccurred within the refugee ghettos were attributedto the squalorous conditions created by therefugees themselves, when often they were thedirect result of Pack exploitation.

In the early 1200s, however, a savior appeared froman unlikely place. Missionaries from the religiousgovernments of Halifax and Wisconsin (both in theSword Worlds subsector) came to Jewell looking toprovide spiritual guidance to the refugees. Theseadroit missionaries, many of them Vargr, immedi-ately recognized the source of the refugees’problems and began to design programs that wouldhelp the refugees transcend the conditions createdby their Pack oppressors.

Public awareness programs aimed at Regencycitizens were effective in getting local governmentsto sympathize with the refugees.

The Pack did not sit by idly, however. Throughhuman cover agencies, they initiated propagandaprograms designed to divert blame from them-selves and redirect it to the “weakness of Zhodanisociety.” Through the popular media, they spreadstories that described the Zhodani style of govern-ment as an accident waiting to happen.

“The prole class,” they claimed, “had had its collec-tive impulses controlled for millennia by the psionicelite. In fact, because of pervasive psionic interfer-ence over the centuries, the Zhodani gene pool hadbecome horribly diluted with strains that frequentlycause criminal behavior. Only through psionic inhi-bition have these ‘homicidal tendencies’ beencurbed. These so-called ‘sheep’ have naturallyreverted to wolves once their psionic shepherds dis-appeared.”

While the Pack propaganda was largely ignored bythe more educated citizens of the Regency, themasses embraced these ideas. Centuries of an-ti-Zhodani propaganda is a difficult barrier toovercome. Most Regency citizens remain suspi-cious of the refugees.

Besides the cultural integration problems, overpop-ulation has become a serious issue on manyRegency worlds. Many of the strictly managedeconomies of Regency worlds were not designed to

Hub: Ezhatlel (Deneb 2904) (unofficial)

Total Systems: 20

Population: 152.69 million

Highest TL: 10 at Taproban

Members: Tubb (2502), Binz (2603), Fosfog (2702), Azenjia (2704), Akkip (2804), Gabrael (2807), Tensas (2810), Epiens (2903), Ezhatlel (2904), Ikhaba (2905), Shtevraoshtik (2906), Nali (2907), Wyn (2908), Crozat (2910), Gnaedzrrang (3004), Arleshanu (3005), Taproban (3008), Aerfor (3104), Olokono (3110), Goukhsar (3201)

14

The Shtievlio Theocracy

take in large refugee populations, much less thosefrom an alien culture.

Ultimately, the Zhodani would have to move on to anew home.

Guided by altruistic Zhodani governments, thePrietl Foundation and the missionaries from theHalifax Protocols and Wisconsin Synod, therefugees were transported en masse to the trailingwilds from 1204-1208. A select core of worlds in theMillion subsector of Deneb has become their newhome.

The unofficial hub of this colony is Ezhatlel (Deneb:2904). The endemic disorganization of the Zhodanicolonies has prohibited this world from being recog-nized as an official hub. Ezhatlel has shown muchpromise, quickly developing an independenteconomy under the guidance of its religious over-seers. Trade flow through Ezhatlel has increaseddramatically over the past three years, giving theZhodani hope that their colonies may survive aftera dismal start.

There is still a considerable number of Zhodani whosubscribe to the notion of psionic rule, but apparent-ly due to the strange effects of the Empress Wave,Zhodani nobles cannot function coreward ofparsecs xx04. Furthermore, now that some revela-tions have been made about the nature of theEmpress Wave and what it portends for the future ofpsionic rule, many proles rimward of the Wave havewisely determined that psionic rule is not in theirbest interests.

Oddly enough, however, some semblance of oldZhodani culture seems to be redeveloping on someof the coreward worlds that have already beensubject to the Empress Wave phenomenon.Despite the apparent reemergence of a castesystem on some of the these worlds, Regency soci-ologists have yet to pinpoint who is playing the roleof “noble” in such societies. Additional researchover the next few years should reveal more aboutthis unusual occurrence.

Many parasitic Vargr Pack cartels have followed theZhodani to their new home. The Pack’s presencehas put them into conflict with the Willies, who havebegun to engage in strong-armed tactics againstthe Pack. The devoted Society of the Will has begunto build “monasteries” in the Zhodani colonies.These monasteries recruit Zhodani proles to teachthem the way of the Will as well as martial skills thatwill help them against the Pack.

The Zhodani colonies are very poor for the mostpart. Teaching the proles to govern themselves hasproven to be a herculean task, absorbing largeamounts of resources and time. The plan is to havethem on their own feet within the next decade.

The Shtievlo Theocracy is not entirely dominated bythe Zhodani. There are large non-Zhodani humansettlements on worlds such as Taproban andTensas. These worlds tend to be less involved withthe Willies, but nevertheless contribute to jointdefense exercises and other de facto requirementsof colonial government.

15

The Colonies

The Shinku Amalgamation

Following the failure of the Segan Project in 1203,the Regency worked in concert with independentparties to develop the first hub of the colonies. Twocolonial expeditions were established, one to Atsahand one to Shinku (Ian: 0111).

Most historians consider Atsah to be the firstcolonial hub since ground was broken by theRegency army engineering corps before anyonehad set foot on Shinku. However, there is a factionthat considers Shinku to be first because civiliancolonists set foot on its surface months beforenon-military personnel had arrived on Atsah.

Shinku system was first cleansed of Vampireactivity by several squadrons of Storm-class assaultships and a few detachments of larger navalvessels. Under heavy military escort, the initialcolonial foundation was laid.

The Shinku colony was primarily funded by LingStandard Products (LSP). The groundwork was laidfor what would at first be a modest B-class starportfacility with the fittings to upgrade it to an A-classfacility as it became practical. By 1207, the starporthad begun the upgrade process and the refit wascompleted in early 1210.

Concerted Vampire Fleet attacks were made on thesystem, but the Regency was determined to makethis project a success. Hardened veteran fleets of

the Quarantine War were sent to secure and holdthe system. They were very effective in defeatingthe various Viral elements that plagued the system.

As the primary investor in the Shinku Amalgam-ation, LSP has made huge profits during the earlycolonial era. In the first five years of colonization,over half the trade traffic from the colonies wentthrough Shinku on its way to Interface ports.

The Shinku Amalgamation has recently comeunder fire from the more independent-mindedcolonies who refer to Shinku as an LSP “puppetstate.” The colonies believe LSP plans to use itsmegacorporate power to dominate the othercolonies. In the Colonial Senate, representativesfrom hub worlds Sluru, Tamilaa and Rehman havebeen very vocal in their opposition to Shinku’sheavy-handed tactics and have recommended thatsafeguards be put in place to avert majorityinterests taking hold in any of the colonies.

Amid much fanfare Regent Caranda Aledon-Alkha-likoi came to the colonies for the first time in 1209.He attended a conference on colonial issues atFreedom Center on Kaasu (Corridor: 1209) andaddressed an audience of diplomats, politiciansand business leaders from the various colonies.Aledon-Alkhalikoi, whose considerable megacorpo-rate investments were well known, was expected tosupport LSP’s bid for colonial dominance. In ashocking address, he endorsed the independentcolonies’ plan to limit megacorporate investment incolonial concerns.

LSP corporate officers were furious but have notmade overt anti-Regent statements for fear of apopular backlash. On Mora, however, megacorpo-rate advocates and the New Moot lobby have begunto criticize the Regent’s statements.

Today, the Shinku Amalgamation remains the mostpopulous and financially prosperous colonial hub.Citizens of the Shinku Amalgamation enjoy thehighest standard of living in the colonies. This hasnot come without a cost however. The extremelydriven nature of Shinku’s industry-driven culturehas resulted in a society that works longer hoursand often in more dismal conditions than citizens ofthe other hubs.

Regency influence on the regulation of labor exploi-tation in the colonies has been lax up until recently.Several initiatives and laws are being drafted toensure that Shinku and its colonial neighbors moreclosely adhere to the laws of the Regency.

Hub: Shinku (Corridor 0111)

Total Systems: 23

Population: 9.368 billion

Highest TL: 14 at Shinku

Members: Corfinium (Deneb: 3011), Lamar (Deneb: 3111), Berth (Deneb: 3112), Prevsla (Deneb: 3113), Salaam (Deneb: 3213), Synez (Corridor: 0109), Pergzitt (Corridor: 0209), Dry (Corridor: 0210), Faraway (Corridor: 0308), Sigma 7 (Corridor: 0407), Pamock (Corridor: 0510), Kiran (Corridor: 0112), Aga Sugek (Corridor: 0113), Erlu (Corridor: 0213), Jubal (Corridor: 0311), Muugagen(Corridor: 0312), Yubitty (Corridor: 0313), Daban (Corridor: 0411), Linix’ Cha (Corridor: 0511), Beta Regilis (Corridor: 0512), Kumorle (Corridor: 0513), Ikhur (Corridor: 0611)

16

The Sluru Union

The Sluru Union

Arguably the most well-developed of the “indepen-dent colonies” (translation: low megacorporatefunding), Sluru is leading the way with their bold andefficient establishment of a large colonial hub.

The Sluruans view their worlds as the foundation ofan independent interstellar state. The colony’sfounding fathers envision a collection of such statesdeveloping within the boundaries of what was oncethe Third Imperium.

Citing the momentum of Norris’ RepresentationalReforms and the dissolution of the Moot in theRegency, the Sluruans seek to democratize space.

Because of the idealistic nature of the Sluru Union,its colonies tend to attract intellectuals, revolutionar-ies and entrepreneurs. Most believe that Sluruoffers a chance to begin anew, correcting all of themistakes made by the Imperium and its successorstate, the Regency.

Sluru frequently finds itself at odds with theLSP-sponsored Shinku Amalgamation. Sluru hasdrawn public attention to the fact that many of themembers of LSP’s powerful board of directors arewealthy disenfranchised nobles who see the Recla-mation as an opportunity to reinstate the nobility.Drawing from grassroots support, Sluru is seekingto prevent this from ever occurring.

One of the ways Sluru has been working to ensurethat megacorporate interests do not dominatecolonial space is by advocating the Stake Charterand the Majority Ownership Limitations, twomeasures intended to universally alter currentcolonial laws.

The Stake Charter requires all corporations in theSluru Union to grant a percentage of ownership totheir employees. Theoretically this gives each andevery individual a stake in the development ofwhatever enterprise they are involved in.

The Majority Ownership Limitations prevent mega-corporate interests from obtaining majority stakes incolonial enterprises. This way, megacorporationscan realize profits from colonial ventures, but theycan not fundamentally influence colonial progress.

Sluru seeks to promote these policies among thetrailing colonies to prevent megacorporate domina-tion of colonial markets. Regent Aledon-Alkhalikoiendorsed the policies in his 1209 colonial tour.

The Sluru Union contains several jewel systems,including Courage, Sebastion, Naasakiira, Zontra’Lee, Shishkala and Sluru itself. While it has beenslow to develop many resources within its colonialborders, the Sluru Union has become the leadingsupplier of agroproducts among the colonial hubsand is making strides in the manufacturing indus-tries on Zontra’ Lee and Courage.

The Sluru Union is actively courting the unincorpo-rated colony at Kaasu and the non-aligned worlds ofNew Vland and Shushaka for membership.Because of the internecine strife on Kaasu, Sluruhas found it difficult to make headway there. As agood will token to the Kaasuan people, Sluru built“Freedom Center” on their homeworld.

Freedom Center is a meeting place for commerceand a neutral site for diplomacy. Sluru is hoping thatthe promise of economic development and prosper-ity will bring the warring factions of Kaasu to thepeace table and subsequently into the Union.

While not without its problems, the Sluru Union hasdone a remarkable job of establishing successfulcolonies and building a rapport with the native pop-ulations of its worlds. Politically, it is one of the morestable colonial hubs.

The main concern for the Sluru Union is its lack ofbusiness savvy. While they fight the megacorporateinterests of the Shinku Amalgamation tooth andnail, they continue to lose market share in severalcrucial segments. Sluru will need to recruit more ofthe “best and brightest” from the Regency’s indus-trial universities if they intend to win the battle.

The entire board of the Sluru Union Ministry ofEconomics was recently dismissed and replaced bya new board. They are said to have a plan which willmake Sluru a colonial player on the level of Shinku.

Hub: Sluru (Corridor 1405)

Total Systems: 23

Population: 2.044 billion

Highest TL: 12 at Sluru and Zontra’ Lee

Members: Tylupa (1003), Wieresh (1006), Goseppi (1104), Formation (1107), Voorghish (1203), Tetraggoe (1204), Durima (1205), Courage (1207), Latu (1210), Iceball (1304), Sebastion (1307), Naasakiira (1309), Zontra’ Lee (1402), Vwogeck (1404), Sluru (1405), Xinox (1408), Draack Elka (1409), Buianah (1504), Errd Lomon (1506), Silibast Ti (1605), Khukish (1606), Shishkala (1607), Veu Belle (1609)

17

The Colonies

The Lemish Cluster

Nominally headquartered at Tamilaa, this colony isbelieved by many to be in the throes of its formativestages. No formal constitution exists betweenmember systems, and the powers-that-be onTamilaa seem only marginally interested in creatingone.

Virtually the entire Lemish Cluster is comprised ofan extensive jump-1 route, making trade and egressbetween worlds easy.

The Lemish Cluster is the only colony that has notexpanded its membership beyond its originalcharter. This seeming lack of imperialistic tenden-cies and the laissez-faire approach of the LemishCluster government has made for good relationswith the subsector’s unincorporated colonies.Active recruitment of member worlds is virtuallyunheard of, reducing barriers for meaningful com-mercial relationships.

Despite the rather libertarian government, LemishCluster defense forces are among the best trainedin the colonies. Joint exercises between membersystems are performed frequently and most of theplanetary armies have excellent working relation-ships with their RCS counterparts.

The Lemish Cluster Defense Forces had perhapstheir finest moment in 1209 when the colony onAking fell to an invading Vampire fleet. In aconcerted effort with several squadrons of RCSstarships, Lemish Cluster marine and naval forcesretook the system from the Vampire fleet anddestroyed or disabled all Viral elements within sixweeks.

Located on the axis of the Reclamation procession,the Lemish Cluster contains a diverse colonial pop-

ulation. Among its worlds, one is likely to meet allmanner of colonial personalities. Transient prospec-tors and miners abound, as do permanent settle-ments on the higher population worlds.

Vicennis, Aurolee and Gravista are some of themore popular destinations for colonists looking tostrike it big. These systems are known for anabundance of natural resources and thereforecommand strong attraction to prospective develop-ers. Weyland, Egami Nivek, Angi and Ginning areconsidered to be viable “up-and-comers,” however.

Gravista’s population is 1.702 billion making it by farthe most populous system in the Lemish Cluster.Due to the Lemish Cluster’s rather loose federalstructure, Gravista carries no more “official” weightthan the other 17 systems in thehub. However, thevoices of almost three quarters of the colony’s pop-ulation must be heard. Gravista has had a stronginfluence on local culture and the “Gravistan Way” isfairly prevalent.

Despite its precarious position near the wilds ofProvence and Vland, the Lemish Cluster is abooming colonial hub. Its moderate size issomewhat misleading since its remarkably good re-lationship with neighboring unincorporated colonieshas made external trade activity quite strong. Infact, because of its strong ties to the unincorporatedcolonies, most analysts rate Lemish’s growthpotential as higher than its sister colonies.

The Lemish Cluster’s reputation for staunchdefense forces, loyalty to its citizens and free enter-prise have made it the leading magnet for colonialexpeditions. The freewheeling atmosphere of thishub promise to make it a power to be reckoned within the future.

Hub: Tamilaa (Corridor 2006)

Total Systems: 18

Population: 2.343 billion

Highest TL: 12 at Tamilaa and Aurolee

Members: Lemish (1808), Port Coldren (1905), Sutton (1906), Weyland (1908), Croftstein (2003), Egami Nivek (2004), Tamilaa (2006), Specti (2009), Angi (2106), Ginning (2108), Amwaz (2109), Brariun (2205), Aurolee (2206), Luuga (2208), Voegrr (2209), Pruughoe (2306), Aking (2307), Gravista (2405)

18

The Rehman Protectorate

The Rehman Protectorate

The Rehman Protectorate is known for being wellorganized and pragmatically led even though it isconsidered to be in its formative stages.

Grissom is home to 5.214 billion sentients, compris-ing 95 percent of the colony’s population. LikeGravista in the Lemish Cluster, Grissom strongly in-fluences colonial culture and initiatives. Theremaining 259 million inhabitants of the colony arespread out among its other 13 worlds, makingRehman one of the more sparsely populatedcolonies.

Personal freedoms are somewhat curtailed in theworlds of the Protectorate making it stand in stark-contrast with its colonial neighbor, the libertarianLemish Cluster.

This is deemed a necessity due to the fact that littlein the way of civilization exists beyond its borders.The Trailing Territories are considered to be in theinfancy of colonial development and do not consti-tute a dependable bulwark against attacks by Virusor other hostiles to trailing. As such, the Protector-ate sees itself as the first line of defense againstlarge Vampire incursions into the colonies.

The Rehman Protectorate has suffered from moreVampire attacks than any other colony. Earlywarning systems in the neighboring Trailing Territo-ries have helped in recent years, but the continuedonslaught of random Vampire attacks has notsubsided.

The dangers of living in the Rehman Protectoratehave made it difficult to build permanent installa-tions on its worlds. Most colonists prefer the relativesafety of the more spinward hubs at this stage.

Nevertheless, the Rehman Protectorate doggedly

rebuilds its worlds, hoping that continued colonialexpansion will eventually result in greater stabilityand prosperity.

Because of its inherent dangers, standing on theprecipice of the wilds, the Protectorate attracts ahardy breed of colonist. You are less likely toencounter permanent communities in Protectoratespace because of the dangers posed to one’sfamily. Roving salvage and development teams aremore frequently encountered.

Life on Protectorate worlds has a rough edge. Itsstalwart inhabitants are suspicious and often unap-proachable. They are here for one purpose: to makeit big where no one else could.

Salvage and other resources are there for the takingif you have the wherewithal to get in, make yourretrieval and get back out with your hide intact.

Life in the frontier towns of Protectorate worlds hasbeen described as much like that of the trail townsof Terra’s North American west during the 19thcentury or the colonies in the Near Bootes clusterduring early Terran interstellar colonization. Busi-nesses cater to the needs of the colonists andprovide little beyond the basic necessities.

Despite the outwardly gloomy prospect of living inthe Protectorate, life is not without its joys. Colonistshere share a unique lust for life. When any daycould be your last, you learn to make the best ofeach waking moment.

When not actively engaged in their myriad occupa-tions, colonists are engaged in sport, gambling andother forms of merriment in various public venues.For example, the belters of Blustar system’sasteroid belts hold a semiannual starship raceknown as the Stellar Flare Derby. Hundreds ofcustom seekers participate in the event. (Seekers inthese parts tend to have higher performanceengines than traditional seekers of the pre-CollapseImperium. You never know when you’re going tohave to flee from a random Vampire attack!)

The marked lawlessness of this far trailing colonyhas somewhat overshadowed the strong sense ofcommunity that can be found on many Protectorateworlds. Life in the Protectorate is not, as they say,for the faint of heart, but frontier life is not without itsrewards.

Hub: Rehman (Corridor 2905)

Total Systems: 14

Population: 5.473 billion

Highest TL: 12 at Rehman

Members: Lemish (1808), Port Coldren (1905), Sutton (1906), Weyland (1908), Croftstein (2003), Egami Nivek (2004), Tamilaa (2006), Specti (2009), Angi (2106), Ginning (2108), Amwaz (2109), Brariun (2205), Aurolee (2206), Luuga (2208), Voegrr (2209), Pruughoe (2306), Aking (2307), Gravista (2405)

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The Colonies

The Enders Project

Heavily funded by the Regency Navy, this colonialhub is centered at Enders system which containsCorridor’s former Imperial Naval Depot. Thecolony’s sparse population is a reflection of itsremote astrography and the inconspicuousnessdesired by the Regency Navy.

Enders is unlike any other colony. It is predominant-ly inhabited by citizens of the Regency. Unlike mostpeople in the trailing colonies, these people viewthemselves as Regency citizens and not membersof a fledgling colonial society. Many Enders citizensare only here on a temporary basis, serving arotation with a safeside corporation or militaryservice.

Be that as it may, service in Enders is considered anhonor by most. Enders citizens serve a twofold goal:first and foremost is to provide intelligence and earlywarning to the Regency in the event of a largescaleViral incursion; second is an advisory role, helpingthe various colonies learn to defend themselvesand to build viable military infrastructures.

The Enders Project is viewed by many outsiderswith a degree of suspicion. Many are concernedthat one day, Enders will be used by the Regency toleverage its will upon them. Many cite Enders’ closerelationship with the megacorporate Shinku Amal-gamation as evidence of this. Regency officialsclaim that Shinku’s high degree of industrial devel-opment is the only reason for their relationship andthat the other colonies need not fear otherwise.

In an attempt to foster good will and trust, civilianand military personnel from Enders frequently travelthe colonies, providing much needed technicaltraining and other services, all at the expense of theRegency government. In addition, the EndersProject has been establishing ties with corporationsin the Sluru Union, although negotiations for largecontracts have been slow going so far.

Despite its pacifistic message to the colonies, theEnders Project has been the recipient of a consid-erable military build up. While Enders’ indigenousshipyards are capable of building only TL-12starships and weaponry, several fleet elements inthe TL 14-15 range have been stationed at Endersas the founding members of the newly commis-sioned 315th Fleet. This build up, while not secret,has only served to further fuel the aire of intriguethat surrounds the hub.

From the naval base on Enders, the RCS coordi-nates its rift defense strategy. Classified informationthat proceeds to the calibration points in Naadi andUantil subsectors almost invariably goes throughRegency Naval Intelligence (RNI) at Enders first.

Enders Project culture tends to be conservative,committed to “higher goals” than base financialpursuits. Travellers to Enders have found its worldsare short on amenities, high on efficiency. The at-mosphere on Enders Project worlds was describedas “friendly and courteous” by TAS officials perform-ing a survey of the colonies in 1210.

Despite the undeniable suspicion and intrigue asso-ciated with the Enders Project, most of the othercolonies appreciate its presence. Squadrons fromthe 315th Fleet have already fought in severalbattles against Viral elements and have displayedtheir commitment to protecting colonial interests.

Hub: Enders (Corridor 1511)

Total Systems: 10

Population: 7.14 million

Highest TL: 12 at Enders

Members: Enders (1511), Vanquet (1611), Naadi (1711), Getz (1712), Denlaar (1713), Munhofen (1810), Antezeno (1811), Enrick Down (1912), Shargishu (1913), Faplion (2012)

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The Trailing Territories

The Trailing Territories

Yet to be designated with an official name, theTrailing Territories (a.k.a., “The Territories” in thelocal vernacular) in Vland sector comprise the mostfar-flung Regency colony. Settlement of this regionbegan in 1210. Life in this colony truly exemplifiesthe New Era frontier.

The colonists who annexed the Territories met withsurprisingly little resistance. Because of the fairlymeager settlement and adverse conditions on mostworlds of the region, there was little opposition tocolonial claims. In those situations where thecolonists have inhabited survivor worlds, they haveapparently made their best effort to be sensitive tothe local cultures.

The Trailing Territories have yet to establish a formalagreement between their systems on such thingsas colonial defense or economic infrastructure. Inthe meantime, free trade is allowed to take care oftheir needs as best it can.

Hub: Anert (Vland 0303)

Total Systems: 17

Population: 12.28 million

Highest TL: 11 at Anert

Members: Aakhorn (0101), Rokii (0102), Maluuf (0104), Gikkon (0105), Kalkako (0202), Bannon’s World (0203), Khankari (0205), Anert (0303), Skathi (0306), Enard (0307), Kuk (0402), Apkeraas (0403), Katti (0404), Lugaluru (0502), Athanuez (0601), Stronghold (0701), Ogerrgh (0801)

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The Quarantine Protocols

The Quarantine ProtocolsWith the opening of the Regency’s trailing bordersto colonists, the Regency has willingly engaged in aventure that could have dire consequences.

After over seven decades of Viral infestation,Vampire elements have consumed nearly all thestarships in the trailing wilds. While Vampire fleetspose a threat to the colonists and the RCS starshipsthat protect them, for the most part, the Vampiresencountered are easy to destroy because of the di-lapidated quality of their starships. It is typical forVampire fleets to be poorly maintained and bat-tle-damaged.

However, with the return of sentient interstellartravel in the wilds, thousands of new starships havebeen placed at risk in Virus-infested territory. Whilethese starships take every precaution to avoidinfection and have the best in anti-Viral technology,they are nonetheless susceptible to infection, par-ticularly to the more crafty, advanced strains ofVirus.

The Regency has pondered the remote possibilitythat a large Viral outbreak could occur, consuming

large numbers of new highly maintained and inmany cases, armed, starships.

In preparation for such a disaster, the Regency hascreated a detailed set of contingency plans knownas the Quarantine Protocols.

Simply put, the Quarantine Protocols describeseveral Viral threat levels and the correspondingactions the Regency will take. The QuarantineProtocols are measured on the system or regionallevel as the situation requires. Therefore, a protocollevel may be applied to a particular system, acolony, or any other identified region.

In addition to the actions taken by colonial forces,the Regency responds with specific actionsdepending on the proximity to the Regency and thethreat level.

Generally, Code Red or Amber threats within sixparsecs of the Regency border result in allTerminus and Interface ports being grounded for theduration of the threat. This causes quite a tumult inthe operation of commerce, but due to the high levelof Regency defense forces in the spinward portionsof the colonies, these threats rarely occur.

Quarantine Protocols

Symbol Level Description

Code Blue No threat. No known Virus elements within 12+ parsecs.

Code Green Possible Viral threat within 12 parsecs. Further investigation required.

Code YellowKnown Viral threat within 12 parsecs. Take caution. Task force assigned to eliminate threat.

Code AmberKnown Viral threat within 6 parsecs. Systems under code amber are interdicted for the duration of the threat.

Code RedKnown Viral threat in system. Systems under code red are interdicted for the duration of the threat. All space flights are grounded.

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New Careers

New CareersThe following careers may be used to create playercharacters or to provide detailed NPC information.Not all the careers described are unique to thecolonial era, but each of them have great impor-tance to the events leading up to the colonial eraand the continuing development of the colonies.

Regency Colonial Service

The successor organization to the RQS, theRegency Colonial Service is a military organizationdedicated to the defense, formation and continuedprogress of the Regency colonies. The organizationhas several branches of duty including systemdefense, civil defense, infrastructure developmentand the pathfinder branch among others. Skillselection during the course of a career in the RCSshould be the primary indicator of what type ofservice the character undertook.

Prerequisites: INT or CON 7+. Homeworld Tech =Early Stellar+.

First TermCommission: 8+, DM +1 if CON 9+, DM +1 if INT8+. If on Low Gov or High+ Gov world, DM +1 forSOC 8+. A commission makes the character anofficer; all other characters are enlisted. (MinimumSOC 7)

SkillsOfficers: Spacehand 1, Space Vessel 1, SpaceTech 2, Explore 1, Determination 1, Tactics 1, GunCombat 1.

Enlisted: Spacehand 1, Space Vessel 1, SpaceTech 1, Explore 1, Technician 2, Gun Combat 1.

Subsequent TermsCommission: 10+, DM +2 if EDU 8+, DM +2 if INT8+. (Minimum SOC 7)

SkillsOfficers: Spacehand, Space Vessel, Space Tech,Engineering, Determination, Charm, Tactics, GunCombat, Perception.

Enlisted: Spacehand, Space Tech, Technician,Vice, Perception.

All TermsSpecial Duty: 8+ for Gun Combat, Melee, PersonalTransport, Explore, Language, Interaction, Medical,

Engineering, Perception.

Promotion: 6+, DM +1 if INT 8+. If on Low Gov orHigh Gov world, DM +1 for SOC 8+.

Contacts: One per term, government, military ortrader.

Other Effects: 2 ship DMs per term as enlisted, 5per term as an officer, for a Scout/Courier, Trader orWarship (character’s choice).

Clergy

This career may be used to emulate membership inDeneb’s To Will One Thing technical priesthood orthe derivative Halifax Protocols and WisconsinSynod sects from the Sword Worlds. Each sect hasengaged in prolific missionary campaigns in thecolonies. Several branches of service to the churchmay be reflected in this career, including the clergy,evangelist, missionary or the controversial Societyof the Will, who take a more martial approach tospreading the faith.

Prerequisites: CHA or CON 7+.

First TermCommission: 9+, DM +1 if INT 8+, DM +1 if EDU8+, DM +1 if CHA 8+. A commission makes thecharacter a clerk of the Will; all other characters areacolytes.

SkillsClerks: Social Science 1, Physical Science 1, Inter-action 1, Technician 2, Engineering 1, Determina-tion 1, Charm 1.

Acolytes: Social Science 1, Physical Science 1, In-teraction 1, Technician 2, Artisan 1, Melee 1.

Subsequent TermsCommission: 9+, DM +2 if INT 8+, DM +2 if CHA8+.

SkillsClerks: Social Science, Physical Science, Interac-tion, Charm, Technician, Engineering, Determina-tion, Perception.

Acolytes: Social Science, Physical Science, Inter-action, Technician, Artisan, Melee, Perception.

All TermsSpecial Duty: 7+ for Gun Combat, Melee, Econom-ics, Explore, Language, Interaction, Medical,Spacehand, Space Tech, Space Vessel.

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New Careers

Promotion: 6+, DM +1 if EDU 8+.

Contacts: One per term, business, government ortrader.

Other Effects: None.

Table of Ranks (Clerks only)

Colonist

Striking out into the wilds takes a special breed ofhuman. One with daring, commitment and a strongwill. Your character may be a settler, a transportpilot, a starport officer or any functionary who takespart in settling and rebuilding the blighted worlds ofthe wilds. The primary activities of this careerinvolve actively working to promote the interests ofone’s colony and its flourishing society.

Prerequisites: None.

First Term

SkillsAcrobat 1, Determination 1, Explore 2, Gun Combat1, Interaction 1, Technician 1, Vehicle 1.

Subsequent Terms

SkillsAcrobat, Determination, Engineer, Explore, GunCombat, Interaction, Melee, Perception, Techni-cian, Vehicle.

All TermsSpecial Duty: 6+ for Animal Handling, Crime, Eco-nomics, Medical, Physical Science, Spacehand,Space Vessel, Vice.

Promotion: 6+, DM +1 if INT 8+.

Contacts: One per term of any type.

Other Effects: None

O1 Apostle

O2 Advocate

O3 Technician

O4 Polytechnician

O5 Bishop

O6 Archbishop

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