Octant Epsilon Notes

Octant Epsilon Notes

GM Stuff here, supersecret!

Tech Index 8 Interstellar Interaction

There are multiple worlds in this Octant that have achieved tech index 8, both humanoid and exointelligence. This has occurred due to a network of slowship human traders at Tech Index 8 called the Jaringan Pelangi. Each ship is an asteroid (Enormous to Regional) hollowed out with a large ZIP power plant and anti-grav drive attached. The Jaringan Pelangi are able to achieve 1 g acceleration non-stop with their technology, although it requires constant maintenance. They use a unique haze field to minimize damage to their vessels due to relativistic interstellar debris, although the "front" of each vessel looks like a war zone. As they travel from world to world they trade in exotic goods, biological samples, handicrafts, and other high value items. Each trade ship is competitor of the others, but the frequency of travel is such that they are rarely in direct competition; a particular system might be visited once every 6 months to 2 years by a vessel. Each vessel has its own unique culture, and over approx 2000 years the vessels now have high diverse crews of humans and exointelligences in varying numbers. Time dilation means that the traders of the Jaringan Pelangi experience only a fraction (often less than half or more) of the time their customers experience.

Interstellar war is essentially impossible, and unprofitable for that matter, from their perspective. Interstellar trade is conducted essentially because they can, not because it leads to any substantial economic benefit for the traders themselves. It is more lifestyle than organization.

Jaringan Pelangi Enormous Scale (+3), Interstellar Reach (+8) Dominant Meme: Trade for the Sake of Trade; Other Memes: There's plenty of time at near the speed of light, Always room for more

Three of these vessels have been corrupted by Smoking Mirror Dous Facil and are currently en route to other systems, but won't arrive for years.

KAMATAYON SYSTEM: ADLAW (ε:02:0) M-Class Main Sequence

All kinds of stuff going on in this system which was heavily modified by the Predecessors or psuedo-Predecessors at some primoridal time. Watcher, the Seed Network in this system, is spread thin given all the strangeness going on here, and is therefore focusing on increasing its capacity, to the detriment of ongoing survey activity.

SA-USA-KA (ε:02:0:X:1) Deadly Exotic Planetoid

This planetoid is obviously artifical, its density is off the chart for its size. Gravitational scans will quickly determine that the interior of this planetoid is a blob of extremely dense exotic matter. Why?

KAMATAYON (ε:02:0:X:2) Small Agreeable Garden Planet

Watcher will ask the Cooperative to obtain first hand information on the "grave hives". What adventure will that lead to?

TULO (ε:02:0:X:4) Small Standard Marginal Barren Planet

This planet contains several archaeological sites from the original colonization effort. Investigating them may provide some insight into the strange cultural symbiosis that has developed on Kamatayon.

(ε:02:0:X:9) Deadly Barren Planetoid

This planetoid contains a Predecessor or psuedo-Predecessor installation, connected to the exotic planetoid (ε:02:0:X:1). Monkeying with it could lead to catastrophic consequences.

(ε:05:2:A) M-Class Subgiant

There is a Benign world here, anything going on?

(ε:10:3) K-Class Eruptive Variable Subgiant

There are a couple of marginal worlds here, anything going on?

(ε:14:2) K-Class Main Sequence

This system has been subverted by Smoking Mirror that has taken over Morbius Metals. The lost colony was previously a religious dictatorship, but Smoking Mirror has infiltrated and subborned the religion over the past 30 years. The inhabitants of this world, the Nghorrach, are being used across the subsector. Morbius Metals is using bulk transport vessels modified to incorporate efficient planing engines and X-cores to move large numbers of the Nghorrach to various locations throughout the subsector. However, it is also begun construction on a 3-space gate in orbit to speed the movement of these slaves.

Morbius Metals has set up a honey-trap in this system, just in case a ship like the Cooperative should arrive. On arrival, the PCs will detect an urgent distress call from Morbius Metals Corporacy Seeder Bauxite Joe, stating that the vessel was disabled in orbit around (ε:14:2:X:5). Arriving at this frozen planet, the seeder vessel can be quickly located in orbit. However, the seeder vessel has been heavily modified to incorporate weapons and maneuverability, and, at a last resort, a powerful self-destruct. The synthetic that operates the vessel, Bauxite Joe itself, has been suborned by Smoking Mirror. It will decide if it can take any vessel in a fight; if it thinks it can, it will go to combat-mode and ambush. If not, it will wait as long as possible then initiate self-destruct. If it cannot destroy or capture a vessel, its goal will be to disable it long enough for the five system patrol boats in the system to rendezvous with it.

If a vessel escapes this system with evidence of Smoking Mirror, the corporacy's assets in this system will begin to purge the system of all traces of their presence, including initiating mass suicides on Nghorrach. This process will take about X weeks.

Here is the original data on Nghorrach.

CIVILIZATION Commonality Outpost; Agri-World; Population = 10^10 (3); Government = Dictatorship; Societal Development = Early Redistribution Model; Openness = Closed; Control Index = Repressive (4); Trade Index = -5; Tech Index = 3; Starport = X; Mindscape = None or ToUM; BIOSPHERE LOW HUMAN EXOINTELLIGENCE R-1Standard Biodiversity; Paradigm = T-congruent; Primary Energy Source = Photosynthesis; Sessile1: Scale = Huge (+2); Symmetry = Bilateral; 2 Limb2; Endoframe; Segments = 0: Motile1: Scale = Large (+1); Symmetry = Bilateral; No Limbs; No Frame; Segments = 1: Frame1, Motile2: Scale = Large (+1); Symmetry = Biradial; 8 Limbs; Endoframe; Segments = 0:

The Nghorrach are a squat, short people, roughly a meter tall and nearly a meter wide. They are tremendously strong. Before the arrival of Smoking Mirror, they lived in a dense and intricate religious dictatorship. However, Smoking Mirror has suborned their religion, and enslaved them. There is little to no resistance.

(ε:22:4:A) M-Class Subgiant

This system contains two human standard exointelligences.

The primary one is a silicon-based electrosynthetic species, tech index 8, that has fully exploited the system. They are Medium sized, shaped roughly like a dumbbell with two locomotive/grasping limbs coming out of the bar of the weight, and to human eyes seem to be made of a hard agate-like substance. Contact will be surprisingly easy to establish, because on arrival they will begin to transmit language that is human readable. This is because they have had long contact with the Jaringan Pelangi, and in fact the Jaringan Pelangi include at least some members of this species. They live at extremely high temperatures in the many volcanic regions on their world, but because of their sturdy biology they can travel almost anywhere. The best name for this race is the Love of Heat, but really their own name for themselves is pretty hard to grok. They are very alien; they can communicate using Jaringan Pelangi Tradespeak but often just sound bizarre.

The other exointelligence is on a photosynthetic alternate base. They look like irregular clusters of tubes with snailshell like walls, with eyes, limbs, etc. coming out of the ends of tubes in a seemingly random fashion. They were contacted a very long time ago by the Love of Heat, who have since turned them into a race of what are, seemingly, highly intelligent pets and food animals. They are also capable of communicating using Tradespeak, and make somewhat more sense than the Love of Heat, but are still quite alien and seem to relish their coddled status and the fact that they are eaten by the Love of Heat. The best name for them would be the Aggregate Focus.

The Love of Heat/The Aggregate Focus Interplanetary Scale (+7), Planetary Reach (+6) Dominant Meme: Exuberant, Overbearing, and often Unnecessary Compassion; Other Memes: The Love are our lovers; the Focus are the loved

This society makes use of anti-grav and ZIP drives obtained from the Jaringan Pelangi.

(ε:26:2) M-Class Main Sequence

This is the Dous Facil system. The star is called Ti Wouj. The planets are: Nwa, Dlo Beny, Chofe Fou, Dous Facil, Le Konjele, Nej.

This world was, up until very recently, a fractious world of many independent tribes and cultures, all at roughly Tech Index 7, packed onto a relatively small number of archipelagos and shallow undersea settlements. However, 10 years ago Morbius Metals set up a surreptitious seed network and began infiltrating human and Nghorrach staff into the system. Since that time, they have begun to convert the local populace to Smoking Mirror. Responsible governments on Dous Facil recognize something strange is going on, but haven't yet realized the full scope of the threat. Three Jaringan Pelangi vessels have arrived in that time, and been coopted by Smoking Mirror. They are currently in route to other systems, but will take years to arrive as they are travelling sublight.

On arrival of a Commonality vessel, the Morbius Metals seed network, Styled for your Convenience will immediately make contact and provide a false cover story about a humanitarian crisis taking place on Dous Facil, but in the process attempt an EW attack to confuse Passive Sensing of the arriving vessel. Henry's goal is to keep the arriving vessel in system for as long as possible by deceit and EW. At the same time, there are six heavily customized Mining Vessels in the system, with Planing engines removed, grav drive vastly increased, and the cargo bays shoved full of torpedos. These vessels are constantly moving at maximum g at all times to ensure that at least 2 of them are never more than 2 hours away from any potential entry point at the N/2 boundary.

Styled will give a cover story. Morbius arrived in this system and recognized that the lost colony in it was undergoing plagues of unknown origin. Morbius is attempting to provide aid, but is desperate for help. Can the visting vessel come help immediately? This is all to get the vessel to come further into the system, away from the N/2 boundary, and give more time for interception.

Should a vessel escape, or be able to fight off the mining vessels in some fashion, Smoking Mirror will implement an alternate plan; all of its agents on Dous Facil will eradicate themselves, fusion bombs will go off in their main hq's. Etc. The goal is to leave little or no trace of what happened. Styled will rewrite its own logic to appear to have gone insane.

Styled for your Convenience

High Concept: Corrupted Distributed Seed Network
Other Aspects: Earnest and Engaging, Fully Committed to Smoking Mirror, Crack EW Support Staff
Scale: Huge (+2)
Skills: Great +4 (Deceive), Good +3 (EW, Passive Sensing), Fair +2 (Systems, Technical, Will), Average +1 (Ranged Combat, Active Sensing, Empathy, Science)
Stunts and Equipment: Systemwide EW Array (can use EW anywhere in the system), Sophisticated Intrusion Algorithms (+2 to EW to create advantages representing controlling or disrupting construct systems algorithmically), Self Destruct (Great +4 Explosive attack)
Stress: System -1, -2, -3; Will -1, -2, -3; Physical -1, -2

Modified Mining Vessel

High Concept: Kamikaze Mining Vessel full of Torpedos
Other Aspects: Horrible Maneuverability, Fully Committed to Smoking Mirror
Scale: Huge (+2)
Skills: Good +3 (Manuever, Hull Strength); Fair +2 (Ranged Combat, Systems); Close Combat +1 (Close Combat, Active Sensing)
Stunts and Equipment: Zero Point Torpedoes (Weapon 2 on Ranged Combat); Heavily Armored (Armor 2) Stress: System -1, -2, -3; Will -1, -2; Physical -1, -2, -3, -4

(ε:28:-1) M-Class Main Sequence

This system contains a biradial 16 limbed plastiform exointelligence that is in contact with the Jirangan Pelangi. It is technically at T-10 and is very, very old, only a "generations" of intelligence removed from the pre-Smoking Mirror civilizations; that is, it was one of the first intelligences to develop after the collapse of civilization brought on by Smoking Mirror. However, it never pursued planing technology because it never had any interest in leaving its home system. In the flowering of its civilization, about 1 M years ago, it built vast and incredible cities made of plastic that towered 100 km into the air, and numbered in the trillions, occupying the entire system. Now, a relative handful of 100 million or so live spread out in smaller communities in the remains. In their age, they have simply lost interest in all but the most exotic and philosophical pursuits.

As they have contact with the Jirangan Pelangi, they can communicate in Tradespeak. They allow the Jirangan Pelangi to plunder their cities with really little interference, but most of what is found is so strange and obscure it is worth little more than as luxury art items.

The Jirangan Pelangi call them the Ibu Pikun, and they use that name for themselves when using Tradespeak. They will show a passing interest in interstellar travelers, but not get too worked up about it.

(ε:32:4) M-Class Main Sequence

This system is inhabited by a Large 4 limbed oxygen breathing exointelligence that calls itself the GanOOOOOm. They are insectile to human eyes, with glowing yellow antennae on either side of a long mandibled head. From a T-Analogue biosphere, they are at least vaguely recognizable as carbon-based lifeforms and not quite as alien as many in the Octant.

When the Jirangan Pelangi first arrived in the system the GanOOOOOOm were at T-5, almost T-6. Trade with the various JP vessels over the past 400 or so years has raised them in fits and starts to T-7.

(ε:43:3) K-Class Subgiant

This is the Murdagon system. The star is Norantsi. The planets are: Furazon, Marvorid Sijou, Majdajak, Murdagon, Xasro, Xoli, Jaxbastagi, Xasro Xurdtar.

The Murdagoni are fairly human in appearance, except for deep barrel chests, adapted at some point in past for the low atmospheric pressure. They are currently a semi-feudal society, with intricate kinship and fealty structures. They have been trading with the Jaringan Pelangi for some time, and while the were initial at T-4, they have just reached T-7 as a society. Within the past 200 years they have experienced and 100 increase in population, which is straining the existing cultural structures.

The exointelligence in this system is the same as that found in (ε:28:-1), which has colonized this world.

(ε:44:2) Cool Subdwarf

This is the Pelangi system. The star is called Srengenge. The gas giant is called Pelangi, with the specific moon that was the original lost colony called Omah.

This is the original home of the Jaringan Pelangi, the network of tech 8 slowship traders that operate throughout the Epsilon Quadrant. They developed ZIP and anti-grav about 2000 years ago.

The humanoid world in this system is part of the tech index 8 network. The actual lost colony was founded on one of the small moons of the gas giant in this system. It is heavily industrialized.

(ε:46:4) K-Class Main Sequence (Binary)

This is the Loro Ngarep system. The star is called Jeruk. The planets are: Neraka, Loro Ngarep, Khadhemen, Racun, Banget Anget, Es Tiba, Ora Urip, Gedhe Banget.

The agreeable world in this system was essentially found empty by the Jirangan Pelangi, and they have since come to occupy it completely, as a second home. It's biopshere is increasingly similar to that of Pelangi itself.

(ε:53:2) M-Class Main Sequence

This system has two exointelligences, but only one has been recognized by the Jirangan Pelangi.

That one is an oxygen breathing species of Large asymetric beings that resemble carpets with inflatable bags of hydrogen attached to provide lift. In the thick atmopshere of there world, this allows them to stay in flight much of the time. They are at T-3, and trade with the JP various exquisite art pieces, but otherwise seem uninterested in high technology.

The other is a species of Small biradial 4 limbed beings at the equivalent of T-5 that live in the depths and heat of one of the planets in this system. They have achieved T5 on the strength of using the Quantum scale life forms in their biosphere to create a semi-biological nanotechnology. They are extremely alien, and difficult even to recognize their existence from orbit.

(ε:57:4) M-Class Giant

The JP have visited this system, but did not recognize the low human exointelligence as intelligent. They have planted colonies on two of the worlds in this system, but these colonies are very small at the moment.

(ε:87:0) M-Class Main Sequence

This system has a lost colony, tech index 1. Its dropped a long way. Massive population on a Large size world. What is going on?

(ε:91:-1) M-Class Cool Subdwarf

This system has a posthuman exointelligence. Their ecosystem is based on living swarms of nanomaterials that feed on the powerful electromagnetic fields generated by the tight interaction of the planetoids in the Gas Giant system they evolved in. These beings have developed a "technology" that has broken down all of the available matter in their gas giant system and turned it into a massive planetary sized computer that they inhabit. What else is going on?

(ε:92:-3) M-Class Main Sequence

This system has a tech index 4 mercantilist oligarchy lost colony. Pop 10^10. About 25 years ago, an insane sect arrived in orbit in a Morpheus-Class Mass Transport. There were roughly 1200 individuals from all walks of life, who had become enamored with a meme that they were they needed a world to transform as they saw fit, to literally enslave. Who knows how these things get started, or how SCI Force Monitor Bureau didn't catch them before it was too late. When they arrived, they applied Tech Index 9 technology, particularly biological and nuclear WMD, to attack the planet, attempting to seize it by force and guile. They failed, because they were idiots; its a whole damn planet, maybe only Tech Index 4, but still, a whole damn planet. There was horrific loss of life, and the battle lasted almost 20 years, but of course they lost. In the process, the locals were able to capture multiple intact ZIPs and makepoints, and have used the orbital vehicles of the invaders to reach and capture the Transport in orbit. They have spent five years reverse engineering the technology, and are on the verge of figuring out the principles of 2-Space travel. The majority of the planet is still Tech Index 4, but many technologies have been crash-developed to tech index 7 or better.

These people are, needless to say, pissed. They are not bad people, they aren't the Venu. They are literally the victims of interstellar piracy. But they are are pissed, and will be very, very hard to convince.

What are they called? What kind of society did they have?

(ε:96:4) M-Class Main Sequence

This system has a tech index 5 repressive wide intrusive collective lost colony. 10^11 population, T-Congruent ecosystem. I'm picturing an Orwellian surveillance state, a nightmarish place. What's up with it?

(ε:98:-3:A) K-Class Main Sequence

This system has multiple biospheres and multiple exointelligences. All of the life in this system is genurgically created from the same primordial stock by Smoking Mirror in time immemorial. They are essentially tools created in the ancient past with genurgic pathways for ease of control by Smoking Mirror. Morbius Metals has recently arrived in this system but has yet been able to set up major transportation infrastructure. They are attempting to build a jumpgate in this system that would connect with the Nghorrach system.